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By now, the most hated industry in the country just might be Internet Service Providers. Thanks to the FCCs (News - Alert) bungled rollout of network neutrality rules, followed by an even more bungled repeal, the popular press and much of the public is in a panic about their ability to access the Internet content of their choice: Maybe it will be direct web censorship. Maybe access to web sites will be sold like cable channels, in little bundles with separate price tags. Maybe paid prioritization will mean that a handful of big rich sites will force everyone else into a slow lane that makes them next to inaccessible. A true parade of horrors! All this because most people now expect the worst from their ISPs.





This isnt because the ISPs have been doing a bad job; mostly theyve been doing a good job in the face of very difficult circumstances. Today, thanks to Netflix, Hulu (News - Alert), and other big-screen video services, average usage is about ten times what it was a decade ago. ISPs have kept up. And so have the bad guys  the botnet operators, DDoS attackers, spammers, spoofers, script kiddies, and others who recognize just how vulnerable the Internets four-decade-old architecture is. Go back 20 years and there was no streaming, very little VoIP, and the web looked much more primitive (which in retrospect may have been better than todays ad-filled mess).

Yet 20 years ago, more people liked their ISPs. And nobody gave a thought to regulating them. The dotcom bubble was just about to get underway, and every part of the Internet ecosystem was drawing in more capital than it could sanely use. And when the network neutrality kerfuffle started in 2005, it was mostly followed by insiders and net-heads; the general public and the popular press didnt get quite so riled about it. So what happened?

ISPs were originally competitive customers of the telephone companies

The seeds of negativity go back to the vertical integration of the ISP with the underlying telecommunications carrier. In the 1990s, when the Internet became open to the public, the telephone companies were common carriers, strictly regulated monopolies. They had no choice about who they sold services to. And the Computer II rulings from 1980 required that if they offer an enhanced service  basically anything other than voice telephone calls, including Internet  via their own carrier facilities, they had to make the underlying basic service available to everyone else. They were thus strictly forbidden from leveraging their monopoly to advantage their competitive businesses.

The Telecom Act of 1996 enshrined that distinction in its own definitions of telecommunications service --- basically the old basic service, and information service  a very slight broadening of the old enhanced service category. And in 1996 it was well understood that the FCC, via Title II, regulated the former, not the latter. Thats why the whole public Internet ecosystem evolved so rapidly between 1992 and 1998. No ISP had monopoly power; it was fully competitive. Peering agreements, Internet exchanges, content delivery networks, and hosting centers all came into being without the FCCs involvement, except to require that the telephone companies provide circuits to all ISPs on demand, generally on equal terms.

So you got to choose your ISP. In the dial-up world, you dialed up the one you wanted. In the DSL world, the ISP purchased raw DSL transport to its customers from the telephone company. In most places multiple ISPs were thus available via DSL. Customers who had a choice of ISP generally felt good about their choice, or picked another ISP. And being just a choice kept the ISPs from behaving badly. They werent literally neutral  treating all packets equally would cause collapse or at least violate anti-spam norms  but they were responsive.

But only telephone companies were regulated as common carriers. There were self-provisioned ISPs too, companies who didnt rent their circuits from the telephone companies. Most prominent among these were the cable companies. They didnt have the same obligation to make their basic transmission services available to everyone else, though ISPs thought they should, as they also had advantages from their video incumbency. This led to a series of regulatory fights culminating in 2002s Brand X Supreme Court decision, which held that telephone and cable companies were indeed different and the latter did not have to open their networks.

In the early 2000s, the big telephone companies had the inside track at the FCC and cable was on the outs. So the FCC ruled that when telephone companies installed fiber optic networks, they didnt have to open those to competition. That was supposed to be an incentive to install fiber. Verizon even held off on starting its FiOS (News - Alert) rollout until (nod nod wink wink) they won that relief. But Computer II was still in effect for DSL, leaving an avenue for independent ISPs to have at least some broadband service.

A historic mistake

In 2004, Verizon (News - Alert) petitioned to have the FCC forbear from enforcing Computer II obligations, and in 2005 the Commission obliged. That was a mortal blow to most ISPs. Dial-up was by then almost dead, so most ISPs didnt have a leg left to stand on. Some ISPs could still reach some of their customers by using unbundled copper loops, which CLECs could still lease until they were replaced by fiber, but that was a more limited, difficult alternative. And it doesnt handle todays higher speeds. Wireless ISPs began to proliferate too, but that was mostly practical in rural, not urban, areas.

So odds are you have no more than two choices of ISP. You take the telephone company (DSL or fiber), or you take cable. In many places that choice has narrowed down to one. Verizon, for instance, has grandfathered DSL: If you have it you can keep it but you cant order it. And theyve pretty much stopped rolling out FiOS. So if you are in a non-FiOS area, its cable or nothing. The other big telcos arent investing much in fiber to the home either.

Did the telephone companies benefit from this? Almost certainly not! Their captive ISPs already had the lions share of the DSL customers by 2005, and the profit was in the actual telco DSL, not the service-intensive retail end. (Verizon had reported that its Verizon Online ISP was losing money, while wholesale DSL was making good profits for their telephone operating companies.) So this wasnt a good business decision. It took away independent ISPs as a channel to help sell DSL, and, more importantly, it almost immediately ignited the Network Neutrality firestorm. And theyve probably spent more on lawyers and lobbyists dealing with that than the extra profits they might have made by kicking off the other ISPs

So what on Earth were they thinking? For one thing, telcos have monopoly DNA: They would rather have more control than more profit.

But at the time (2005) it really was a threat to the Internet. While cable companies liked the Internet, which was incremental profit, telephone companies hated it. The Internet broke their business model, which was based on overpriced long-distance calls.

The carriers came up with another idea of how to monetize the Internet. Deep Packet Inspection was becoming available. Vendors really were proposing ways to replace open Internet access with application-specific services and pricing. And the telcos were interested. In fact, in an article warning about the risks of granting the Verizon petition, I suggested that the telcos wanted to replace their Broadband Internet with Fat Wasteband. That name didnt catch on. Its opposite, network neutrality, coined a few months later, did.

With great power comes great responsibility

But if theres one thing that the past 12 years have taught us, its that the public will not stand for anything like those schemes. They want the Internet to at least look pure and simple. They dont want to know about the wizards behind the curtain perpetuating the illusion of neutrality, so long as the illusion works. So even if there were no regulation  and note that the Federal Trade Commission has gotten back authority to regulate ISPs again for deceptive practices or abuse of market power  ISPs would be unlikely to do anything trotted out on the Parade of Horrors. It would invite new competition and new regulation, and customers wouldnt stand for it. They dont want the pendulum to swing too far again.

The recent Restoring Internet Freedom Order, which revoked Title II regulation of ISPs and restored their freedom, was met with derision by the vast majority of the public. They saw it as the unshackling of a critical monopoly, one that was already exempt from price regulation. And monopolies arent to be trusted. And monopolies are normally regulated. How could it not get worse with less regulation?

Competition was fun while it lasted. The FCC refuses to bring it back. They allow telcos to offer raw transport to other ISPs (few do), but that would be subject to a Universal Service tax most recently set at 19.5%. Vertically-integrated ISP services are tax-exempt.

The biggest companies that call themselves ISPs today are the telephone companies and cable companies. Its still sexier to be an ISP than to be a phone company, AT&T (News - Alert) and Verizon are putting almost all of their investment money into the wireless sector, which has its own panache. If you associate ISP with lack of choice, then of course you are not going to be happy with them. Not necessarily because they offer bad service, but because they are monopolies, and demand to stay that way. They insist on being suspect.

And thats why people hate ISPs.

Edited by Mandi Nowitz
The Chilean parliament adopted with a sweeping majority a resolution supporting Moroccos initiative to grant the Sahara a substantive autonomy.

Sixty-six Chilean MPs voted in favor, 11 against and 22 abstained. This outspoken support for the autonomy initiative, which Morocco presented to the UN in 2007 as a lasting solution to the Sahara dispute, is reflective of a steady Chilean position in favor of Moroccos territorial integrity.

The Chilean executive has always backed Moroccos stance on the regional dispute over the Sahara but the Parliament has deviated from the governments position. In this respect, the adoption of this resolution adds to the credibility of Moroccos autonomy initiative and puts a nail in the coffin of the Polisario, which has campaigned for the Algerian-nurtured separatist thesis in Latin America for decades.

Chilean MPs underscored in the resolution the pre-eminence of the autonomy initiative, which, they said, offers a serious and credible solution for a lasting settlement of the regional dispute.

They also said that such an initiative will enable the local population in the Sahara to run their own affairs democratically through their elected bodies under Moroccos national sovereignty.

The resolution notes the significant progress made by Morocco in terms of democratization and the promotion of human rights.

The resolution also includes a call on the Chilean government, in its capacity as member of the United Nations, to support and commit to the UN Security Council Resolution No. 1754, adopted on April 30, 2007.
After the ban imposed by the US Federal Aviation Administration on Air Algerie, China followed suit banning the Algerian flag carrier from landing in its airports.

The ban was issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), which has barred Air Algerie along with China United Airlines, MIAT Mongolian Airlines and Ariana Afghan Airlines from adding more scheduled services, charters, and making new route applications into China until the end of March.

The Chinese regulator says this is due to the airlines failure to meet performance requirements

The US FAA is imposing a ban on Air Algerie for not complying with international standards. A direct flight from Algiers to Washington or New York would require at least one stop.

Algerias flag-carrier currently deploys 58 passenger planes: 25 Boeing 737-800s, two 737-700C convertibles, five 737-600s, three 767-300s, 12 ATR 72-500s, three ATR 72-600s and eight A330-200s.
Morocco and China have agreed to establish an academic institute tasked with conducting studies on the Belt and Road initiative, the Chinese news agency announced.

The joint institute will be built by Chinas Ningxia University and Moroccos Hassan I University.

The Chinese news agency reported a group of delegates from Ningxia University visited the Hassan I University in Settat, to the south of Casablanca, last November. During the visit, an agreement was signed to establish a joint institute serving China-Morocco trade and cooperation, and enhancing higher education cooperation between the two sides.

The two universities will hold international conferences, carry out cooperative research, and conduct scholars visits, students exchanges, research by officials, and training.

The institute committee will include Moroccan and Chinese scholars.

Last November, Morocco and China signed a MoU to speed up efforts aiming at achieving the Belt and Road Initiative, which Morocco was the first African country to join in 2013.

Chinese investments in Morocco have increased following King Mohammed VIs visit to China in 2016, rising from 2 million dirhams in 2011 to 393 millions dirhams in 2015.

Last October, Morocco and the China Association for Industrial Cooperation (CAIC) have agreed to set up an economic zone in Fez offering a platform for various industries. The deal reflects Chinas increasing interest in Morocco notably after the Kingdom signed with Chinese Haite Group an agreement to set up a $10 billion industry and technology hub in Tangier, which will create 100,000 jobs in the long run.

The growing interest of Chinese firms in Morocco is also mirrored, inter alia, in the setting up of an office of the Bank of China in Casablanca in March 2016 as part of Moroccos Casablanca Finance City initiative, as well as the announcement of Yangtse Automobile of a $100 million investment in Tangier to produce electric cars and buses for export to Europe. The project is expected to create 2,000 jobs.
When they go low  Photo: Martin Bernetti/AFP/Getty Images

The Democratic Party is long past due for its come to cannabis moment.

The fact that Team Blue hasnt already embraced marijuana legalization as a signature issue is political malpractice. In our hyperpolarized era, there arent many policies that energize one partys base, while also appealing to a majority of the other partys voters. Legal weed is one.

And yet, Democrats have passed on this potent hybrid of a wedge and mobilization issue. Even as 420-friendly, third-party candidates began eating into Hillary Clintons advantage among younger voters in 2016, the Democratic nominee just said no to federal legalization of marijuana. Coming out in favor of regulating cannabis like alcohol would have put the Clinton campaign into better alignment with millennial opinion; sharpened its message on criminal justice reform; and won it the enthusiastic support of underserved advocacy organizations, all while undermining the perception of Hillary as an overly cautious politician unwilling to take bold stands on behalf of progressive priorities.

Given the narrowness of Clintons losses in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin  and her lackluster performance among voters under 40 (roughly 74 percent of whom support marijuana legalization)  its quite possible that America could have been spared the Trump presidency, had Hillary only gotten a bit higher on legal weed.

But America had no such luck. And now, the Justice Department is helmed by a man who sees little distinction between pot brownies and speedballs. On Thursday, Jeff Sessions reversed an Obama-era policy that had enabled states to pursue marijuana legalization without threat of federal interference, so long as they took measures to prevent reefer from getting into the hands of minors or criminal gangs. U.S. Attorneys still have the prosecutorial discretion to leave dispensaries be. But they now have the permission (and encouragement) of the attorney general to disrupt legal weed markets, if they so choose. At present, eight states have legalized the recreational use of cannabis.

Sessionss decision to turn back the clock on legalization is a terrible policy. Fortunately, its also a politically toxic one  and thus, provides Democrats a prime opportunity to take ownership of the weed issue. In October, a Gallup poll found 64 percent of Americans saying that marijuana should be legalized for recreational use  a majority that included 51 percent of Republican voters.

That finding makes weed legalization one of the least polarizing policy ideas in American politics, as FiveThirtyEights Harry Enten has noted.

Support for allowing states to legalize the substance at their own discretion is even more overwhelming. Multiple polls have found have found upwards of 70 percent of the electorate believes the federal government should not interfere with state-level decisions about legalization. Meanwhile, a full 83 percent of the public supports legalizing marijuana for medical purposes (more than half of all U.S. states have already done so). And yet, Sessionss new guidance even threatens this overwhelmingly popular policy: The federal government still designates marijuana as a Schedule 1 substance, the category reserved for drugs with the highest potential for abuse, and no legitimate medical use.

Given the broad popularity of full legalization  and its special appeal among millennials and left-leaning independents  most Democratic 2018 candidates would benefit from embracing the cause. And thanks to Sessionss overreach, even Democrats running in deeply conservative areas  who may be (understandably) averse to being on the vanguard of the issue  can claim an advantage on weed policy. There may be districts in this country where legal pot doesnt sell; but youd be hard-pressed to find any constituency that believes that marijuana is a more dangerous painkiller than Oxycontin.

In fact, theres reason to think that a states rights and pro-medicinal marijuana platform could help Democrats in long-shot, rural districts that have been besieged by the opioid epidemic. As policy analyst Sean McElwee notes, a recent Public Policy Polling survey of a Democratic-reach district in Kentucky found 56 percent of voters saying that medical marijuana reduces addiction to pain pills, while only 26 percent saw the substance as a gateway drug. This shouldnt be too surprising: Red Americas (relatively) mellow attitude toward weed was well demonstrated in the 2016 election, when proposals to liberalize marijuana laws often enjoyed more support than Donald Trump in conservative states.

When one considers the scale of the lefts advantage on marijuana policy, it becomes difficult to understand why Democrats have been so shy about campaigning on the issue. Among progressives, its popular to blame this reluctance on Big Pharmas nefarious influence over the Donkey Party. And its certainly true that Democrats have shown deference to the pharmaceutical industrys interests in the past. But the party has also made attacking drug companies  and pledging to coercively reduce drug prices  a cornerstone of its Better Deal agenda. Whether one trusts Democrats to follow through on that pledge or not, its demonstrably not the case that the party is unwilling to rhetorically threaten Big Pharmas bottom line for political gain.

Perhaps, the best explanation for Democrats aversion to taking a loud, left turn on marijuana is that many in the party simply oppose legalization on the merits. If so, they are sorely misguided.

It simply does not make public-policy sense to create an unregulated black market for a popular substance that is less addictive, less fatal, and less likely to cause traffic accidents than alcohol. On Thursday, Jeff Sessions called on federal prosecutors to base their enforcement decisions on what would be most likely to reduce violent crime, stem the tide of the drug crisis, and dismantle criminal gangs. If those are truly the attorney generals priorities, then he should support marijuana legalization.

Bringing weed into the legitimate economy would take a major profit source away from violent drug cartels, while generating nearly $30 billion a year in new revenues for federal, state, and local governments. It would also allow American cops to spend less time disrupting the lives of soft-drug users and more time policing violent crime  in 2014, there were 700,993 marijuana arrests, roughly 90 percent of which were attributed solely to possession. Such arrests arent merely a waste of law enforcements time and resources; they also perpetuate racial bias in Americas criminal justice system. White and black Americans use marijuana at nearly identical rates  but African-Americans are nearly four times more likely to be arrested for possessing the drug. Finally, increasing the availability of marijuana could stem the rising tide of opioid overdoses in the United States: Multiple studies have found that when states expand access to legal marijuana, declines in painkiller abuse and related overdoses follow.

All of which is to say: As a matter of policy and politics, Democrats would have to be high not run on weed in 2018.
Steve Bannon went too far when he admitted Trump is not a world-historical genius. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

In his short career as a power within the Republican Party, Steve Bannon committed a litany of crimes and mistakes. He brought white supremacists and Nazis into mainstream party politics; he whipped up discontent against loyal Trump allies in Congress on behalf of insurgents who couldnt win (and who also happened to be theocratic child-molesters). But Bannon has finally done something truly unforgivable: He told the truth about Donald Trump.

Bannons cooperation with Michael Wolffs dishy account, which paints the president as a man-child and his son as treasonous, has prompted his swift excommunication. Bannons funders have pulled the plug on his rogue pseudo-populist operation and even his lavish security detail. Trump has given him a derisive nickname. Mitch McConnell, Bannons bete noire, is openly celebrating the demise of his adversary. Trump had long since abandoned his nationalist agenda and given himself over to standard Republican policy.

Bannons content-free insurgency on Trumps behalf was the last vestige of conflict between the party and the president. Having removed the most pronounced irritant in their relationship, the president and the party apparatus have drawn more tightly together than ever before. And so the publication of a book detailing that nearly everybody who works for Trump considers him utterly unfit for office has had the perverse outcome of solidifying party support for that very president.

The conflict over Wolffs book crystalizes a paradox about the current moment: Trumps reputation among Washington political professionals has never been lower, and yet his institutional support among Republicans has never been higher. Wolff chronicles, in exaggerated fashion, a reality that is broadly understood within the administration. As Jim VandeHei (a reporter who frequently attacks the media for alleged liberal bias) concedes, the impression of Trump as a man-child, driven by emotional impulses and unable to absorb detailed written information, is universal within the administration. Trumps furious legal threat against Wolff is itself further confirmation: Everybody except Trump understands his lawsuit stands no chance of success, and is certain to increase book sales, yet none of them think reason stands any chance of calming his temper tantrum.

Trumps authoritarian compulsion is one outcome of his ignorance and lack of emotional self-control. The president cannot absorb basic facts about the rule of law that constrain his impulse to dominate others. He has both privately and openly stated his belief that the Department of Justice should protect the president and his familys personal interests even if they are guilty, as if the FBI were Trump Organization rent-a-cops.

Republicans in Congress have increasingly adapted themselves to Trumps position. Multiple new signs of this movement have appeared in the last day. Two prominent right-wing members of Congress wrote an op-ed calling for the firing of Jeff Sessions, which would allow Trump to appoint a new attorney general who would not be recused from the Russia investigation (and who could, thus, fire Robert Mueller or smother his probe). The Department of Justice may be giving in to Trumps demands that it launch attacks on his vanquished campaign foe. Betsy Woodruff reports that the Department is looking again at Clintons emails. John Solomon reports the FBI is investigating the Clinton Foundation.

In the House of Representatives, what was supposed to be an investigation of Russian interference into the election has turned into a counter-investigation of Robert Mueller on Trumps behalf. The entire Republican message machine has coalesced around absurd conspiracy theories that the (largely Republican) FBI is overrun with liberal bias. Rod Rosenstein, the (Republican-appointed) deputy attorney general, met yesterday with Paul Ryan to plead with the House Speaker to limit the chambers wild attacks on his agency. Ryan rebuffed Rosenstein. The partys leadership has come to endorse the most paranoid beliefs of the partys conspiratorial fringe. I think there was a lot of division a few months ago, but the more the GOP members find out  the more there is an aligning of investigative strategies and tactics, one Republican member of Congress tells Politico.

A year ago, Republicans met the incoming Trump administration with a combination of giddy anticipation and deep misgivings. The anticipated gains have been largely, if not completely met. But the worst of their fears have also been confirmed. The president is unbalanced, apparently in a state of mental decline, congenitally undemocratic, and quite obviously guilty of a wide array of misdeeds. The partys response to these facts is to commit itself fully to obstruction and perversion of justice.

Christopher Ruddy, the conservative publisher and Trump buddy, casually boasts that the defenestration of Bannon proves, The base is owned and operated by Donald Trump. Likewise, the congressional party is owned and operated by its base. Bannons exit has paved the way for the full subordination of the Legislative branch by its mad king.
We could soon be seeing scenes like this again if offshore drilling is expanded while safety regulations are relaxed. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

The meme that pits Donald Trumps God-fearing heartland followers against the elitist hippies and baby-killers of the East and West Coasts is generally metaphorical. But sometimes it feels a bit more literal, as it does today, as the administration announced plans to reverse decades of restrictions on offshore oil and gas drilling at both ends of the country.

Worse yet, this drill-baby-drill directive coincides with separate administration efforts to get rid of regulations tightly mandating safety measures for oil rigs, including those adopted after the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.

The policy change announcement by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was the first step in a review process mandated by Trump in an April 2017 executive order aimed at overturning an Obama administration five-year plan for coastal waters. After taking public comments on the proposal, officials must revise it and put out a new proposal and then finalize it, a process that could take more than a year, noted The Hill.

But the initial plan is sweeping in its scope, as the Los Angeles Times reports:

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said the draft five-year leasing plan would commit 90 percent of the nations offshore reserves to leasing, with 47 lease sales proposed in 25 of 26 areas off the nations coastlines between 2019 and 2024.

Opposition from Atlantic states that would be affected by the new policies has been sharp and bipartisan. The Washington Post quotes Republican governors Larry Hogan of Maryland, Henry McMaster of South Carolina, and Rick Scott of Florida as joining Democratic governors John Carney of Delaware and Roy Cooper of North Carolina in opposing offshore drilling in the waters near their states. And the senator that Rick Scott may oppose this November, Bill Nelson, is planning to introduce a resolution to block the administrations drilling-safety deregulation, using the same Congressional Review Act procedure that Republicans deployed to undo some of Obamas final regulatory acts.

If the administration is serious about reopening wide-scale offshore drilling in California, this could represent a big political headache for Golden State Republicans who are struggling for survival. The leases Zinke is proposing would be the first for the California coast since 1984. And Trumps original executive order, which didnt mention California specifically, aroused all sorts of anger. According to the L.A. Times:

Even the faintest possibility of new oil operations prompted an immediate backlash in the state as environmentalists feared ecological disaster, surfers warned of soiled beaches and politicians promised new measures to block any development.

Dont expect the presidents approval ratings to rise in coastal states any time soon, so long as this plan is in place.
Hey, I put on three of my least rumpled shirts today. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Michael Wolffs Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House has just gone on sale, despite President Trumps frightening efforts to suppress it, and so far it looks like its a hit. Its currently the best-selling book on Amazon, and copies sold out in less than 20 minutes at one bookstore in D.C. That means that in the coming days were likely to hear many more rumors about the presidents weird personal habits, his familys not-so-light treason, and everyone in the White House thinking hes mentally unwell.

As his attorneys threatened legal action, Trump tried to do his own damage control on Twitter by portraying himself as a master statesman:

With all of the failed experts weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the North. Fools, but talks are a good thing!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018

Reminding everyone that he has yet to ruin the economy:

MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/iONbr1DkVk  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018

Dow just crashes through 25,000. Congrats! Big cuts in unnecessary regulations continuing.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018

The Fake News Media barely mentions the fact that the Stock Market just hit another New Record and that business in the U.S. is booming...but the people know! Can you imagine if O was president and had these numbers - would be biggest story on earth! Dow now over 25,000.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018

And playing the hits:

So beautiful....Show this picture to the NFL players who still kneel! https://t.co/tJLM1tvbvb  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018

Thank you to the great Republican Senators who showed up to our mtg on immigration reform. We must BUILD THE WALL, stop illegal immigration, end chain migration & cancel the visa lottery. The current system is unsafe & unfair to the great people of our country - time for change!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018

But nothing really struck a nerve until late on Thursday night, when he unveiled new foe Steve Bannons nickname:

I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018

People on both sides of the aisle, and even members of the crooked media, conceded that this is one of his best stupid nicknames in ages, right up there with Lyin Ted.

Trump nicknames, ranked (best to worst):

Lyin' Ted

Rocket Man

Little Rocket Man

Little Marco

Sloppy Steve

Crooked Hillary

Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd

Cryin' Chuck Schumer

Low Energy Jeb

Failing New York Times

Psycho Joe

Liddle Bob Corker

Pocahontas  Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) January 5, 2018

I think we can all endorse "Sloppy Steve" as Bannon's nickname. Uniting America for once! https://t.co/O6eDuw4jwE  Josh Barro (@jbarro) January 5, 2018

As much as I hate to admit it, "Sloppy Steve" is branding gold. It's gonna stick.  Jeff B. is *BOX OFFICE POISON* (@EsotericCD) January 5, 2018

I mean I kind of laughed when I saw Sloppy Steve, but I hated myself for it.  Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) January 5, 2018

Trump may be unfit for the presidency, but no one (not currently attending middle school) can come up with better juvenile insults.
The wall that divides Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, from Sunland Park, New Mexico. Photo: Herika Martinez/AFP/Getty Images

For months, President Trump has insisted that he wont strike a deal with Democrats to protect Dreamers unless his demands for increased border security are met. And for months, Congress has asked the White House to get more specific.

Now the Trump administration has a plan. In exchange for protecting undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, Trump wants $18 billion for a big, beautiful wall on the border with Mexico. The White House plan, leaked to the Wall Street Journal, calls for the construction and replacement of barriers along 700 miles of the nearly 2000-mile border. If the plan is completed as proposed, 940 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border would be covered by some kind of barrier.

But theres no chance Trump gets what he wants. The border wall has too few fans in Congress and the opposition isnt just among Democrats. USA Today found in September that only a quarter of congressional Republicans support the administrations request for $1.6 billion to build 60 miles of wall near San Diego.

This new plan is much bigger, and not just because of the $18 billion requested to build the wall. The White House is also asking for an additional $15 billion to beef up other additional border security measures, including increased personnel, revamped technology and new roads.

The non-wall requests include $5.7 billion over five years for towers, surveillance equipment, unmanned aerial vehicles and other technology; $1 billion over five years for road construction and maintenance; and $8.5 billion over seven years for 5,000 new Border Patrol agents and other personnel.

The White Houses outsized demands will likely have to get smaller if Trump hopes to strike a deal with Democrats. And he might need such a deal. Immigration talks are linked to the spending bill needed to avert a government shutdown, and a government shutdown would be worse for Trump than the party out of power. Its time for the master negotiator to get to work.
Why cant you be more like Roy Cohn? Photo: Pool/Getty Images

Representatives Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows of the Freedom Caucus issued a confusing charge to Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday. As Vox notes, their Washington Examiner op-ed calls on Sessions to regain control of the Department of Justice and put a stop to leaks about the Russia investigation, but also resign.

Regardless of what President Trumps congressional defenders think Sessions should do going forward, new reports on his role in FBI Director James Comeys firing underscore that efforts to maintain control of the Russia investigation have not gone very well for Trump.

According to a New York Times report, which was later backed up by the AP, Trump directed top White House counsel Don McGahn to keep Sessions from recusing himself from the Russia probe. Sessions faced calls to step aside after it was revealed in February that he met with Russias ambassador to the United States while advising the Trump campaign. Unaware that Sessions had already made up his mind, McGahn reportedly advised him that he should hold off on removing himself from the Russia probe, and argued that recusing himself wouldnt stop Democratic attacks.

Per the Times, news of McGahns failure to persuade Sessions infuriated Trump, and he demonstrated once again that he does not understand or respect the independence of the Justice Department:

Mr. McGahn was unsuccessful, and the president erupted in anger in front of numerous White House officials, saying he needed his attorney general to protect him. Mr. Trump said he had expected his top law enforcement official to safeguard him the way he believed Robert F. Kennedy, as attorney general, had done for his brother John F. Kennedy and Eric H. Holder Jr. had for Barack Obama.

Mr. Trump then asked, Wheres my Roy Cohn? He was referring to his former personal lawyer and fixer, who had been Senator Joseph R. McCarthys top aide during the investigations into communist activity in the 1950s and died in 1986.

Despite his recusal, months later Sessions reportedly participated in White House efforts to discredit Comey after he refused to publicly confirm that Trump wasnt under investigation.

Two days after Mr. Comeys testimony, an aide to Mr. Sessions approached a Capitol Hill staff member asking whether the staffer had any derogatory information about the F.B.I. director. The attorney general wanted one negative article a day in the news media about Mr. Comey, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said the episode did not occur. This did not happen and would not happen, said the spokeswoman, Sarah Isgur Flores. Plain and simple.

Sessionss recusal ultimately made the Russia scandal far worse for Trump, as Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein opted to appoint Special Counsel Robert Mueller in the days following Comeys firing. Now Mueller is reportedly looking into whether the circumstances of Sessions recusal are proof of any wrongdoing by Trump or his aides.

It remains unclear if Mueller can make a case that Trumps efforts on control the FBIs Russia probe were criminal, but theres plenty of information in the public record that might support an obstruction of justice charge. If true, Trump directing the White House counsel to pressure Sessionss decisions on the investigation, as well as efforts to undermine Comey, should definitely be on the list.

And those wouldnt be the only new entries from the Times story. Trump reportedly drafted a letter for Comey in which he dismissed the investigation as fabricated and politically motivated, but he was talked out of sending it. Mueller is said to have handwritten notes from Reince Priebus in which the former White House chief of staff describes Trump relaying calls in which he urged Comey to say he wasnt under investigation. (It may not pertain to obstruction, but the piece also reveals that White House lawyer Uttam Dhillon opted not to tell Trump that he had the authority to fire Comey, because he was convinced he would dismiss the FBI director and spark a bigger scandal.)

In Trumps defense, its hard to know what to do when youve put an adviser who misled Congress about meeting with Russians in charge of the department investigating your team for collusion with the Russians. And the addition of Mueller makes the situation even knottier; now Democrats have renewed their calls for Sessions to resign, though its unclear what a new attorney general might mean for the Russia probe.

If true-emphasis on IF- Sessions must go. Now. "The attorney general wanted one negative article a day in the news media about Mr. Comey, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting."https://t.co/UDfG036fzg  Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) January 5, 2018

Obviously Freedom Caucus calls for Sessions to resign are happening in bad faith but am not a fan of Hill Dems urging Sessions to stay - not after this NYT story. If we just collectively let everything slide, the others (Rosenstein, Wray) cant be trusted to act honorably either  Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) January 5, 2018
The much hyped digital migration project appears to have hit a snag due to shortage of funds, with upcountry areas struggling to get clear television signals.

While Uganda in June 2015 switched off analogue television and moved to digital in fulfillment of an international deadline, upcountry areas like eastern Uganda are yet to be connected to free-to-air signals, forcing locals to depend on expensive cable TV providers for local television stations.



And now telecommunications regulator, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) is engaged in a blame game with Signet, the company contracted to distribute digital television signals across the country.

UCC executive director, Godfrey Mutabazi, says the Commission did its work of providing infrastructure needed for the signal transmission. He says Signet, affiliated to Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), was given money to buy equipment to run the infrastructure.



Mutabazi says the reason eastern Uganda is not receiving free-to-air digital signals is not due to lack of infrastructure, but Signet's incapacity to operationalise the infrastructure that has been put in place.

"In the digital migration, we left this individual management of the infrastructure, we gave it to one entity called Signet and to do that it needed funding. The funding was provided by UCC to buy all the transmitters but the running cost; that was not our business, that was Signet itself. Now, the reason why youre not seeing signals in eastern Uganda is because Signet is not there or does not have capacity to run the signal but the equipment is there", said Mutabazi.



Signet managing director Bob Mwecumi, however, shifts the blame back to government and UCC for failure to pay for the transmission of signals.



Mwecumi says Signet is owned by UBC, the national broadcaster which doesn't generate any income. He says it needs to be funded. If UCC and government make financial commitment, Mwecumi says, Signet will do the signal transmission job for all up country areas.

"The issue is, we dont have funding because to take the signal to the eastern or upcountry requires to pay for satellite services because we use satellite transmission. Government and UCC [have not] funded us to carry the signal on satellite transmissionA national broadcaster does not generate any income, it needs to be funded. Now who funds Signet? The government, UCC itself. Let them make the commitment and we shall carry the signal upcountry," said Mwecumi.

Mutabazi says Signet has only two options - to get money and start paying for electricity for the transmitters and fuel for the generators for the transmission or they bequeath the project to another more capable entity.

"The problem we have now, is that Signet is not properly functional and the solution we still insist that Signet please get money for fuel and run the generators and pay electricity and use those transmitters that UCC bought. They are functional, ok?! And pay for satellite capacity because the signals go by satellite and download. If they cant go by satellite, let them go by cable and do the technology. If the policy is mandated to someone who is not fully functional, then let us look at the [other] possibilities. I hope government has helped it [Signet] with some money," Mutabazi said.



Mutabazi also argues that government should stop providing free television services. For free-to-air decoders, there is no monthly subscription fee. What is required is the fee for initial purchase of decoders.



"You must appreciate something I have been trying to tell everybody including government that this public service broadcast, this free TV you had over the world has changed. It's no longer free for all," Mutabazi says.
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Lok Sabha nod to Rs 80,000 crore public sector bank recapitalisation plan

In a breather to Public Sector Banks burdened under mounting bad loans worth over Rs 2.1 lakh, the Lok Sabha gave its nod to the central government's request for additional spending of Rs 80,000 crore to boost the capital health of Public Sector Banks. The latest approval of funds will be utilised by March this year. The matter will now be heard in Rajya Sabha.



New Maruti Suzuki Swift pre-orders open before official launch

Bookings for the new-generation Maruti Suzuki Swift have reportedly started in India weeks ahead of its official launch. One of the most-awaited cars of 2018 is scheduled to be introduced in the Indian markets at the upcoming Auto Expo 2018 in New Delhi. Considering that Swift is already a popular hatchback in Indian markets, the new iteration is expected to generate huge demands here. In preparation for this, some dealerships have already started accepting pre-orders for the car, according to media reports

Air India ties up with three banks for loans

State-owned Air India has tied up with UAE-based First Abu Dhabi Bank as well as Standard Chartered Bank and Mashreq Bank to avail short-term loans for acquiring three Boeing 777 aircraft. Two of the aircrafts are to be used for ferrying VVIPs and the delivery is scheduled to be completed next month.

Idea prepares for proposed merger with Vodafone

Idea Cellular, the telecom arm of the Aditya Birla Group, will be raising over Rs 6,700 crore, as the company gets set for the proposed merger with Vodafone India. In a statement Idea has said it will raise `3,250 crore through preferential allotment of nearly 33 crore equity shares to the promoter group entities'.

UIDAI issues clarification

In response to a news report published in the media claiming that a Whatsapp group sold all Aadhaar data for a sum of Rs 500, the Unique Identification Authority of India clarified that no such breach took place in its database. It stated that all personal data of citizens was safe and secure.

Jaypee Group targets to complete 24000 flats by 2020

Jaypee Group which is reeling under debt aims to complete the construction of pending 24000 flats in Noida by 2020 at a cost of Rs 8000 crore. Rs 6000 crore would come from homebuyers while the remaining would need to be infused according to Jaypee adviser Ajit Kumar. In 2007, Jaypee group started the development of 32,000 flats and plots in Wish Town, Noida. Only 8,000 units have been delivered so far by the debt-ridden company

Uber ex-CEO Kalanick plans to sell 29 percent of stake

Uber Technologies Inc co-founder Travis Kalanick, who was ousted as chief executive earlier in 2017, will sell about a third of his shares in the ride-services company for about $1.4 billion. Kalanick's sale is part of a deal with a group of investors led by SoftBank Group Corp, which is taking a 17.5 percent stake in Uber, mostly by buying shares from early investors and employees. Initially, Kalanick had offered to sell half of his shares, but because there was a limit on how much SoftBank would buy, he will sell just 29 percent

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Idea Cellular Ltd, the country's third largest mobile services company, on Thursday unveiled a plan to raise Rs 6,750 crore ahead of its merger with Vodafone's local unit. As part of the plan, Idea will raise Rs 3,250 crore by selling 326.6 million shares on a preferential basis to companies controlled by its parent Aditya Birla Group at Rs 99.5 apiece.

The deal will increase Aditya Birla Group's stake in Idea to 47.2 per cent from 42.4 per cent at present. Idea further intends to raise up to Rs 3,500 through the sale of shares. The options include a rights issue, preferential issue or a share sale to institutions, the company said in a statement.

In a separate statement, Vodafone Group said that as a consequence of the change in shareholding in Idea following the raising of capital, the two parties have agreed that ABG will buy a minimum of 2.5 per cent of the merged entity from Vodafone for Rs 1,960 crore. In March last year, Idea and Vodafone announced a merger deal to potentially create the biggest Indian phone carrier. The deal is expected to close this year.

Aditya Birla and Vodafone will eventually own an equal share of the joint venture, the companies said last year.Vodafone said in a filing on Thursday it expected the merger deal to be completed during the first half of this year. The Aditya Birla Group will then own 26 per cent of the combined company and Idea's other shareholders will own the remaining 28.9 per cent.

The 2.5 per cent equity sale transaction between Vodafone and ABG, following change in shareholding pattern of Idea, will reduce funding requirement on Vodafone Group from Rs 9,350 to Rs 7,390 crore to meet debt arrangement for the merged entity.
Japan would support Pakistan in combating terrorism: Japan FM

ISLAMABAD: Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono Thursday said his country would support Pakistan in combating the terrorism and creation of stability in the region.



The visiting dignitary expressed these views in separate meetings with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.



The visiting minister who met Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi here at the PM Office said Japan was appreciative of Pakistans role in fighting terrorism and extremism.



Prime Minister Abbasi underscored Pakistans continued commitment to eradicate militancy from the countrys soil and reiterated commitment to the promotion of peace and stability in the region. He shared with Foreign Minister Kono various initiatives taken by Pakistan to reach out to its neighbours. He pointed that Indias aggressive escalatory tactics in shunning dialogue and engagements with Pakistan and its continued blatant human rights violations against the innocent civilians in the Held Kashmir would not help the prospects of peace and stability in South Asia.



Lauding Japans role in the socio-economic development of Pakistan, the prime minister stressed strengthening of cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, infrastructure development and human resources development. He expressed satisfaction over the renewed interest of Japanese investors in Pakistan and noted that there were enormous opportunities available in Pakistan in the wake of sustained economic turnaround and improved security environment.



He also recalled the latest JETRO survey on Japanese Business in Asia that had declared Pakistan as the leading country in regard to positive sale profits and future business expansion. He termed it good indicator on how the two countries could mutually benefit through expanded business cooperation. He also welcomed Prime Minister Abes statement on Japans readiness to work with other countries in developing infrastructure projects and in availing business opportunities across Asia.



Foreign Minister Kono thanked the prime minister for the warm welcome and also conveyed to him the good wishes of Prime Minister Abe. He said Japan, as a friend, would continue to work with Pakistan for further strengthening bilateral relations.



During a meeting with Kh Asif, the two foreign ministers agreed that the relations between Pakistan and Japan were marked by an upward trajectory and agreed to maintain the momentum.



The two foreign ministers noted that the successful convening of a number of institutional dialogue processes covering a wide range of subjects over the last year clearly reflect the growing breadth and depth of the partnership between Japan and Pakistan particularly in the economic realm. They also exchanged views on the evolving peace and security situation in their respective regions.



Kh Asif reiterated Pakistans commitment to a peaceful, stable and secure Afghanistan and support for an Afghan-led and an Afghan-owned reconciliation process. He underscored the need for sustained commitment from the international community during the transformation phase in Afghanistan and agreed to continue working closely in this regard. He briefed Foreign Minister Kono on Pakistans efforts to enhance regional connectivity and development including through China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).



Kh Asif also briefed the Japanese foreign minister on Pakistans counter-terrorism efforts that were targeting all terrorists irrespective of their origin or orientation. Foreign Minister Kono expressed appreciation for enormous sacrifices made by the people of Pakistan in this regard and stressed the need for a coordinated international effort in the fight against extremism and terrorism. The Japanese FM was also briefed about Pakistans credentials for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Kulbhushan Jadhav bashed Indian govt for poor treatment of his family

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday released a new video statement of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav in which he is seen bashing Indian government for poor treatment of his family while they were on the visit to meet him in Pakistan.



In the video statement, Jadhav said he saw fears in the eyes of his mother and wife and that the accompanying Indian diplomat was threatening and shouting at his mother.



I saw fear in the eyes of my mother and my wife. Why should there be fear? Whatever has happened has happened. There shouldnt be fear in the eyes of my mother and my wife. Theyve been threatened. The Indian diplomat or the Indian person who had come along with my mother was shouting on my mother the moment she stepped out [of the meeting room] he was yelling at her. Has she been brought under threat here, to meet me? This gesture was a positive gesture so that she feels happy, I feel happy and then the Indian diplomat or some person standing outside yelling at her? he said in the video.



The RAW agent said he told his mother and wife that he was not physically tortured. His mother expressed satisfaction over his physical health.



In the video, Kulbhushan Jadhav reasserted that he was still an officer of the Indian Navy. I have to say one thing very important here  for the Indian public, Indian government and the Indian navy  that my commission is not gone. I am a commissioned officer in the Indian navy, he maintained.



The meeting between Jadhav and his mother and wife was held on December 25 as a humanitarian gesture. Indian embassy officials, including Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh, accompanied Jadhavs family and were present during the meeting which was conducted in a specially prepared room via an intercom through a glass partition.



Answering queries of media persons at the weekly press briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Faisal said Pakistan was always ready to start composite dialogue with India. It is India who has stopped dialogue process after Pathankot incident. Pakistan has never been reluctant to find a political solution of bilateral disputes, he said, adding that Pakistan was very clear and not confused like India which had put travel restraints even on sportsmen and general public visiting for religious purposes.



The spokesperson said Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman Yasin Malik`s letter to the Indian external affairs minister bears testimony of the Indian gimmickry and the situation of human rights in their jails.



To another question regarding Indias arms build-up, the spokesperson said Pakistan always maintained that anti-ballistic missile systems entail instability in the region and provoke an armed race. He said Pakistan was desirous of peaceful neighbourhood in which countries utilize their resources for the betterment of the common man instead of squandering them in futile arms race. He said Pakistan was fully committed to and has proposed to India some restraint measures to promote strategic stability.



The spokesperson condemned US President Donald Trumps recent anti-Pakistan statement. Pakistans services rendered in war against terrorism have been acknowledged by the world and the same message has been given to US, its ambassador who was summoned after Trumps tweet, he said.



Commenting over cut in US aid, the spokesperson said that Pakistan cannot draft its foreign policy keeping in view the economic aspects. He said Pakistan would soon issue complete record of the US aid and its spending.
USA suspended its entire security assistance to Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration announced on Thursday it is suspending its entire security assistance to Pakistan until it proves its commitment to fight all terrorist groups operating in the region.



State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert told a news briefing in Washington that the cut-off is not permanent and only affects military assistance.



Official sources told Dawn that the proposed plan does not call for a total cut-off. Instead, it suggests a condition and issue-based approach.



Under the new approach, funds would be allocated to a particular purpose identified with the allocation and would be released only after that target is achieved. The targets identified with the allocation could be strategic as well as issue specific.



Ms Nauert said the suspension will remain in effect until Pakistan takes decisive action against groups such as the Taliban that are destabilising the region and targeting US personnel. Although Pakistan certainly has been helpful in some instances, she said, they are not taking steps they need to take to fight terrorists.



The aid suspension will include equipment and the transfer of security-related funds, with possible exceptions for US national security reasons.



We are still working through the numbers, said Ms Nauert when asked to give an estimated impact of the suspension in dollars.



But the Trump officials had already suspended $255 millions of security assistance from the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) fund, which is used to provide military equipment and training to a friendly country.



The US Congress has also taken away half of the $700m set aside for reimbursing Pakistan for supporting US war efforts along the Pak-Afghan border.



The suspension will now affect the remaining $350m in this account, known as the Coalition Support Fund.



Reports of an impending action against Pakistan have been circulating in Washington since Monday, when President Donald Trump sent out a tweet at 4am, accusing Pakistan of taking billions of dollars in aid and in returning giving nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools.



The plan to cut security assistance for Pakistan also comes as the Trump administration seeks more cooperation from Islamabad as part of its strategy in Afghanistan.



Ms Nauert said the latest measure would also suspend other security assistance, but did not specify what that covered, saying it was administered by the Defence Department.



Earlier Thursday, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said that the policy on military aid is still being formulated.



The Trump administration also has other options, besides suspending or stopping its economic and security assistance to Pakistan. It can remove Pakistan from a list of major non-Nato allies and can also designate it a state sponsor of terrorism.



Yet another option is to work with India and Afghanistan to bring more pressure on Pakistan.



As it plans to announce new actions on Pakistan very soon, the Trump administration should consider measures that go beyond previous attempts to change Pakistani behaviour, said Shamila N. Chaudhary, a former director for Pakistan and Afghanistan on the White House National Security Council during the Obama administration.



Its time to ask a new question: how do we deal with a country that has areas of conflicting interests with our own, but one that demands our long-term attention? she told a US radio network NPR.



Also on Thursday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson placed Pakistan on a special watch list for severe violations of religious freedom. A brief announcement by the State Department said that for the first time it has created a Special Watch List for countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom but may not rise to the level of CPC (Countries of Particular Concern).



The department placed only Pakistan on this list.



Pakistan, however, is not on the list of 10 nations that violate religious freedom in a systematic, ongoing, egregious manner. That 10-state list includes Myanmar, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.












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LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares?



























Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano...



Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos:



Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias.



Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera.



No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje.



En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio.



Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida.



Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella.



Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal.



Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista.



Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen.



Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che?



Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio.



Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora.



Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo.



Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo.



Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania.



No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar.



Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga.





Alguna duda?



Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino



Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia.



OZ1



OZ2



OZ3



OZ4



Homenaje a Jason Galarraga



La Victoria de Samotracia



Odalisca



Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008



























La Sierra Nevada de Merida



Nuestro precioso Churum Meru



Homenaje a Picasso



Autoretrato



Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola?

La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.

Mi profesion?

Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.

Sal en la Coca Cola?

A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.

De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:

Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto

Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)

azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)

Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas

Mucha Cafeina

Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio

Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe

Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion

El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.

Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.

Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.

En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).

Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.

La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.

Bebidas Light?

Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el

Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.



Publicado por loretahur



En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur

MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina:

1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias.

2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina.

3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard.

4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos.

5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla.

6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos.

Ahora... sobre la margarina:

1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) .

2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias.

3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno).

4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer.

5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna.

6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo.

7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina.

Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas:

* No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo).

* No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!!



No a la guerra, Si a la Paz



Misterios de la ciencia...



Los costos de la guerra



medicos y capitalismo...



Capitalismo...



medicos (2)



Quien educa a nuestros hijos?



Los Medios...



Sin Palabras...



Chistes feministas

- Cual es el problema, Eva?

- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz...

- Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.

- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...

- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.

- Que es un hombre?

- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.

- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.

- Cual es el truco?.

- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.

- Cual?

- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.





Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Ellas...



Ellas (2)...



Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1

Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije:

-Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro.

Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria.

Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre?

-Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa!



VENGANZA NUMERO 2

Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris.

A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita:

- Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!!

Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta.

La mujer paso quince dias en Francia.

El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla.

Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es:

- Y amor me trajiste mi francesita??

- Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina.



VENGANZA NUMERO 3

El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion.

- No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo.

- Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz.

Te quiero confesar algo.

- Esta bien, esta bien. Habla!

- He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga.

- Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!!



machismo y cibernetica



Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston.

-Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide.

-Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!.



.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti.

Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos.

Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco.

Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas



Gol !!!!



Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso!



Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy!


Interested in Wood Chips From Sawmill (Grey Alder, Beech, Oak)

Specifications:

Quantity:1.000 Dry ton per month

For our customers we are looking for a producer of wood chips.

From beech, alder, oak and cherry, plum, apple, and pear

Please also specify the different edge lengths
Ive never met so many survivors of gunshots in a single place before. Theyre not hard to find in the refugee camps in Bangladesh, which shelter nearly 650,000 Rohingyas who have fled Myanmar since the government there instituted a ruthless campaign of violence against them. Military leaders in Myanmar falsely claim they have mounted this brutal attack on civilians, many of them children, because they are terrorists. They have even stated that Rohingyas have set their own homes on fire.

The forensic evidence in these cases tells a vastly different story  the truth.

I traveled this month to Bangladesh with a team of doctors from Physicians for Human Rights to document the evidence and listen to survivors horrific accounts of physical and sexual violence.

We conducted careful forensic documentation following internationally accepted protocols to corroborate their stories, supported by physical examinations and x-rays.

One survivor, Tamir*, told me he was shot while fleeing his village. Like many, Tamir reported that his village in Rakhine state in Myanmar came under a coordinated attack by soldiers and civilian militias, who entered the village, opened fire on houses with rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, and set the homes aflame. As Tamir ran from his home, he reported, he was shot from behind. When I saw him in the hospital, physical examination of his leg revealed a bullet entry wound on the back of his lower leg, and I was able to feel the bullet still lodged in the front of his knee. Tamirs x-ray revealed that both bones in his lower leg had been completely shattered and, despite surgery, he will likely never walk again without assistance. The medical evidence is highly consistent with Tamirs account of events.

Another survivor, Amirah*, a young woman from a different village, recounted the horror of her entire community being attacked in their homes, and then being driven toward a second group of soldiers at a river bank. There, hundreds of women were separated from the men and boys and taken back to the homes in the village, where they were raped by both soldiers and civilian militias before being cut down with machetes. Then their homes were set on fire. The villagers who remained at the river were mowed down with rifle fire as they fled into the water. Amirah said that once she and other women were taken to the houses, she was struck on the head with a machete and knocked unconscious. Left for dead, she awoke to the pain and smell of her body on fire. She crawled out to escape the fire and made her way toward Bangladesh. Physical examination of Amirah revealed healing third degree burns on her hands and feet as well as a large healing laceration on her scalp, all highly consistent with her account of events.

The violence inflicted on Tamir, Amirah, and the many other Rohingya refugees we have spoken with, is criminal. And yet the military leaders who ordered it and the soldiers who carried it out are unlikely to ever face justice within Myanmar: Experience shows that if criminal investigations happen at all, they will be inadequate and evidence will be shoddy and scarce. This is particularly alarming, because history has also taught us that internal conflicts are unlikely to come to an end without some form of accountability for atrocities committed  especially if the atrocities are ethnically charged.

The need for justice and accountability was painfully clear to us in Coxs Bazar. The survivors we spoke with deserve justice, and so do all the other victims of this coordinated campaign of violence. Justice and accountability was also the focus of the recommendations made by the United Nations highest human rights official, Zeid Raad al-Hussein, when he asked UN member states earlier this month to authorize investigations into the crimes committed against the Rohingyas in Myanmar. The evidence I gathered this month with my colleagues will be crucial to such investigations, which is why we take such care to forensically document and preserve our findings.

But in the more immediate future, urgent action is needed to ensure the safety, security, and health of Rohingya refugees. In an agreement negotiated behind closed doors in November, the Bangladeshi government agreed to send the Rohingyas back to Myanmar over the next two months. International law requires any return of refugees to be voluntary, and prohibits the return of anyone to potential violence or persecution. Nothing I saw or heard in the refugee camps indicates that the Rohingyas are safe in Myanmar, and few people I have spoken to would go back voluntarily.

This is also a form of accountability: believing the survivors of unspeakable violence when they say they cannot safely go home. Justice must start now.

*Names have been changed to protect patients privacy.
Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the American Authors Association

Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the Military Writers Society of America.
Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier

"When you shake a veteran's hand today, look them in the eye and give them a heartfelt thank you," said USAF Ret. Col. Jen Fullmer, parade grand marshal, who spoke at the event.
BALLSTON SPA  A defrocked former Catholic priest who lived at a retreat in Washington County pleaded guilty Friday to two felony charges for having sexual contact with an underage boy.

Michael R. Hands, 51, pleaded guilty to counts of third-degree criminal sexual act for sexual contact with a child younger than the age of 17 in the town of Charlton last July. He had also been accused of sharing pornography with the teen.

The charges were brought because the teen was too young to legally consent to sexual relations.

The plea satisfied a nine-count indictment, and Hands faces up to 8 years in state prison when he is sentenced March 2 by Saratoga County Judge James Murphy.

Hands lived at Easton Mountain Retreat, a business that bills itself as a nonprofit community, retreat center, and sanctuary created by gay men as a gift to the world.

His profile on the organizations website showed he served as its membership director in recent years, after starting as a volunteer coordinator.

He is a Level 3 registered sex offender because of a 2003 sodomy conviction in Suffolk County, which occurred when he was a Catholic priest on Long Island in the early 2000s. He was removed from the priesthood after state records show he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy.

Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen praised the work of State Police from the Malta station and her prosecutors for securing the admissions of guilt.

Today, the defendant, who admitted praying (sic) on a vulnerable young victim, was held responsible for his conduct, she said in a news release.

Heggen said Hands met the teen online and cultivated the relationship over a period of time before they met in person.

Hands is being held in Saratoga County Jail pending sentencing.

His lawyer, James Tyner, had no comment on the case as of Saturday, Jan. 6.
WARRENSBURG  The proprietor of Spirits Tavern was charged Tuesday with having unwanted sexual contact with an employee of his establishment, police said.

Robert G. Neuweiler, 65, of Warrensburg, was charged with forcible touching, a misdemeanor, for alleged unwanted contact with a female employee of the River Street bar, according to State Police. No injuries were reported.

The charge accuses him of "intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose, forcibly touching the sexual or other intimate parts of another person."

It stemmed from a complaint made to State Police on Tuesday. Neuweiler was released pending prosecution in Warrensburg Town Court.

A message left for him at the bar was not returned Friday afternoon.

Neuweiler also operates The Messenger House in Glens Falls, a bar where he became embroiled over controversy in 2013 related to whether it should have opened during a moratorium on new bars, and his criminal history that included a felony drug conviction.
FORT EDWARD  A disabled combat veteran from Whitehall was sentenced Friday to 7 years in state prison for sexually abusing a child after a judge told him he should not blame his military injuries for his convictions.

Washington County Judge Kelly McKeighan told Christopher M. Casalino that there was no evidence the combat-related head injuries he suffered led to his sexual abuse of a child. His lawyer had earlier indicated that Casalino was a changed man after he returned from combat in Afghanistan 90 percent disabled by a head injury.

Based on the proof in this court, I cannot tie one to another, McKeighan said.

Casalino asked the judge to have mercy on me, and said he was disappointed the truth was not told at his trial last month. He thanked the judge for sending him to a psychiatric center before trial, where he said he was able to get help he needed, prompting him to lose 130 pounds.

McKeighan also heard a statement from the victim, read by county crime victim specialist Robin McNeill, who told of the long-lasting impact that molestation by a trusted adult has had.

She said the victim has needed counseling, has been depressed and felt guilty about the consequences of coming forward.

My life will never be the same, she wrote.

He took someones childhood away, added Washington County First Assistant District Attorney Christian Morris, who prosecuted the case.

Morris, who chastised Casalino for not taking responsibility for his actions, asked for a 12-year prison sentence. The maximum was 14.

The charges stemmed from an arrest by Whitehall Police last December for Casalino having sexual contact with a child under the age of 13, with whom he was acquainted. A Washington County jury found him guilty of two felony counts of first-degree sexual abuse and a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child after a three-day trial last month.

Casalino had been found unable to assist in his own defense shortly after his arrest and was sent to a secure state facility, but was later re-evaluated, found capable of standing trial and returned to Washington County to face prosecution.

Casalino has maintained throughout the case that he did not have sexual contact with the child, but the girls version of events was corroborated by cellphone text messages he sent to her.

Casalinos lawyer, Michael Martin, said his client suffered a traumatic injury from an IED explosion in Afghanistan when he was deployed with the U.S. Army. He said his client had no criminal history, and has given a lot to our country.

Martin filed a notice of appeal later Friday.
Will Doolittle projects editor Follow Will Doolittle Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

The more I learned about Judy Calogeros decision to resign last month from the College of St. Rose board of trustees, the more I drew parallels in my mind to what has happened  and what hasnt  in the federal government over the past year.

This isnt an exact parallel, and I doubt Calogero will appreciate me drawing it.

But what she chose to do, in stepping down as the board president rather than continuing on a course with which she disagreed, showed integrity that is in desperately short supply now in Washington.

Calogero has deep ties to St. Rose. Her mother went there, and so did an aunt, a couple of cousins, her sister and her niece. She went there herself.

(In full disclosure, I have ties to St. Rose, too  my daughter, Tam, is a senior there.)

After college, Calogero worked in Albany on housing for people who had been evicted from apartments, then went back to school at RPI to get a masters degree in planning.

She worked for the state in various important posts  director of the Rural Housing Coalition, commissioner of the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, CEO of the N.Y. Housing Conference  and after a short stint with a bank, went into business for herself in Glens Falls as a housing consultant.

She is a community leader here, head of the IDA and a leader of the effort to revitalize downtown.

She joined the St. Rose board of trustees in 2006 and became its president three and a half years ago. She was the co-chair of the selection committee that in 2014 hired Carolyn Stefanco as the colleges president.

Stefanco took steps to make the colleges academic offerings more reflective of students desires and eliminated 40 staff and administrative positions, 23 faculty positions and 27 academic programs. Calogero and the rest of the board backed her, despite howls from the faculty.

But Calogero has become disillusioned with Stefanco. The colleges deficit was reduced to about $3.6 million but now is ballooning back up, to more than $10 million.

Stefanco hasnt been communicating with faculty and staff, Calogero said, and the colleges top administrators have been leaving. Necessary maintenance has been ignored while thousands is spent on unnecessary work. Enrollment is down.

Calogero asked Stefanco to give up some of her outside commitments to focus on St. Rose. Instead, Stefanco tried to undermine Calogeros position on the board.

The college is in crisis and its leader needs to act accordingly, Calogero said.

Four other trustees have also left the board, including Tim Fenton, the retired chief operating officer of McDonalds Corp. The trustees who had led the boards governance and audit committees and the colleges annual fund all left.

Calogero spoke with regret about her deep ties to the college and her hope that it will survive. She was happy to hear from me, a St. Rose parent, that Tam hadnt even noticed the turmoil and is having an excellent college experience.

Growing up in Utica, Calogero would observe her mother leading meetings in their house of the Utica alumni group.

If my mother were still alive, she might not be happy with me, she said. But I didnt want to stay if the main focus wasnt dealing with the crisis.

Calogero refused to go along with a course she felt was wrong. She refused to pretend things were fine when the opposite was true. If only we had more people in Washington like her.
GRANVILLE  Granville Police have identified the owner of a truck who they were seeking in connection with a hit-and-run crash, but have determined that his vehicle was not involved in the crash.

Granville Police Chief Ernie Bassett said the owner of a pickup that was believed to be the one in surveillance photos police released came forward to officers, and his truck was examined.

It was not missing a sideview mirror, as the pickup truck involved in the crash is believed to be, and New York State Police went over it and found no other indications it was involved, Basset said.

He was fully cooperative, the chief said of the driver, a Granville resident.

So police continued to search Friday for the truck that hit and seriously injured Hebron resident Frank Grunert on Tuesday.

Grunert, 78, remained in critical condition late Thursday with a severe head injury that occurred when he was hit at about 6:45 p.m. while walking south along Church Street in Granville. The truck was also headed south, and was believed to have hit Grunert from behind.

He was still listed as critical but they have seen some improvement, Bassett said Friday morning.

Officers are looking for a dark-colored, four-door pickup that witnesses said was to blame and were hoping to obtain more surveillance photo images of it from cameras in the village. There are a number of businesses further south on Church Street, including Telescope Casual Furniture and Price Chopper.

We have videos of vehicles in that area from Price Chopper and Telescope, and we are trying to narrow it down, Bassett said.

The witnesses described the truck as a Dodge or Ford, and Bassett said police are having parts left behind by the vehicle that hit Grunert analyzed to determine make and model, if possible.

Anyone with information in the case, or was on Church Street or in that area Tuesday night, was asked to call police at 518-642-1414.
We wont know the full impact of the massive Republican tax bill for a year or two. Supporters and detractors have spewed opinions almost without restraint, though in candor, the Democrats seem to have more credible analysts on their side of the argument.

Only time will settle the macro-economic debate. It will take only a month or two of hard reporting to figure out whats buried in the 500-page bill that was hammered out in the wee hours by Republican dealmakers.

Who knows? We could wake up one morning and discover the Everglades National Park is for sale. More likely, Republicans will make good their stated goal to fix Social Security and Medicare, a fix that should make Floridians especially wary, given the states heavy population of elderly.

While backers and detractors of the tax plan have exaggerated to one degree or another, it is the deal-maker-in-chief, President Donald Trump, who has won the war of rhetorical excess.

Trump calls the tax rewrite the biggest, most ambitious, most sweeping, most expansive economic boost to the working people of America than anything ever conceived  now and for all times.

And to counter assertions from the other side that the tax bill is a giveaway to the rich and privileged, he offers:

This is going to cost me a fortune, this thing, believe me. Believe me. This is not good for me. Its not so. I have some very wealthy friends. Not so happy with me, but thats OK. You know, I keep hearing Schumer. This is for the wealthy. Well if it is, my friends dont know about it. I think my accountants are going crazy right now.

His stream-of-consciousness speech to a crowd of supporters in St. Charles, Missouri, was a model of Trump-style incoherence and exaggeration bordering on prevarication.

Anyone asking to be believed twice in a 14-word sentence probably shouldnt be.

We will have to see his income tax returns to see how much he will be hurt under the provisions of the new tax code. But Trump refuses to release his returns, the only modern president to do so. And Congress refuses to compel him.

But this much is certain, the top personal tax rate drops from 39.6 percent to 37 percent and the estate tax is twice as generous. And treatment of pass-through income, the kind that applies to most Trump business, is dramatically lower in the new code. And, of course, if any of Trumps businesses operate under a corporate structure, that much-talked-about rate drops from 35 percent to 21.

So, at least on the surface, Trumps interests suffer none of the blows and enjoy almost all of the advantages in the new code. Its the hidden clunkers that will tell the real tale.

The tax return will settle the question once and for all. In typical Trump fashion, he started out with a promise to release his tax returns, as have virtually all of his predecessors.

He modified his position to promise a release after the completion of an IRS audit. Told by the IRS that the audit wasnt a bar to release, he told us his tax return was none of our business.

But it is our business, President Trump. You gave up your financial privacy when you decided to run for public office.

This editorial appeared in the Orlando (FL) Sentinel on Dec. 22.
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EAST MOLINE  After 13 years in the Illinois legislature, Democratic State Sen. Kwame Raoul said he is prepared to become the states next attorney general.

In a race that includes seven other candidates, including former Gov. Pat Quinn, Sen. Raoul has raised the most in campaign contributions with more than $1 million. He also has the endorsement of Cook County Democratic leaders. He was appointed to the state legislature on Nov. 6, 2004, replacing Barack Obama, who was elected U.S. senator.

Sen. Raoul, 53, said as soon as attorney general Lisa Madigan announced in September that she would not seek a fifth term, he knew that he would run. He sees it as an opportunity to effect more change.

Often a function of the attorney generals office thats overlooked and underappreciated is the bully pulpit of the office, Sen. Raoul said. In addition to being the states lawyer and being a prosecutor, you have a platform as the states advocate to bring attention to policy.

Sen. Raoul said he is the most qualified candidate because of his experience as a prosecutor and his time in the legislature. Ive worked professionally as a lawyer going on 25 years. Ive had diverse practice over those years as a prosecutor, an education lawyer, an employment and labor lawyer; I worked on workers compensation, and Ive worked on health laws. The attorney general is the states lawyer. One function is being a lawyer that touches a broad range of practice areas. My breadth in professional experience gives me an advantage. The son of Haitian immigrants, Sen. Raoul was raised on the south side of Chicago. He earned his bachelors degree in political science from DePaul University and his law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law. He began his career as a prosecutor in the Cook County States Attorneys office. He is currently a partner at Quarles and Brady in the firms health law practice. A divorced father of two children, his son is a sophomore at Lake Forest College, and his daughter is a senior in high school.He is proud to have worked on a bipartisan basis on many occasions, often reaching across the aisle. Of his many accomplishments, Mr. Raoul said he is most proud of leading the successful effort to abolish the death penalty in Illinois and passing the first-ever Illinois Voting Rights Act.

As a prostate cancer survivor, affordable health care also is a passion of his.

I had good health insurance and had the warning of my father and both grandfathers who surrendered to prostate cancer, he said. I made sure I screened early and had access to health care for the screenings and access to health care to get the treatment that has me sitting before you as a survivor with a good prognosis. Its a difficult topic for many men to talk about, but I talk about it based on my experience. Ive been able to counsel others who have been diagnosed. Im thankful to President Obama for advocating for access to health care. Right now there is an effort to undermine that access. As a (cancer) survivor, its one of the important roles the attorney general can and should take to defend that access to health care. Im thankful Lisa Madigan joined with other attorneys general from around the country to challenge the effort to take subsidies away and undermine the Affordable Care Act. Health care is a difficult political discussion because people dont have a full appreciation of it until theyre seriously ill. For me, its very, very personal. Gun control and the impact of gun violence and other traumas are another issue he has worked hard to push forward. A year ago, he succeeded in passing legislation to build trauma recovery centers in communities in need of such resources.The way I think Ive distinguished myself from all the other candidates is that I have a record. My legislative record on a broad range of issues that speaks to the functions of attorney general. You dont have to listen to what I promise to do; you can look at my record.
The Henry and Stark County Health Departments would like to inform area residents that our office will be closed Monday, January 15th in observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Holiday.

However, limited home health and homemaker staff will be working on those days to provide necessary in-home care.

For more information, call the Health Department at 852-0197 or 792-4011

(Henry) or 852-3115 (Stark) or visit our website at www.henrystarkhealth.com or find us on Facebook at Henry and Stark County Health Departments or Follow Us on Twitter.
MILAN -- All regular Village of Milan council meetings will be held at 405 East First Street, Milan, on the first and third Mondays of each month at 5:30 p.m.

There are three exceptions:

* Jan. 1 council meeting was held Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. in observance of New Years Day.

* Jan. 15 council meeting will be held Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. in observance of Martin Luther King Jrs birthday.

* Sept. 3 council meeting will be held Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. in observance of Labor Day.
We're pleased to see that the quest to put faces to the names of every one of the fallen veterans listed on the Vietnam Memorial has recently gotten a welcome boost.

We're also grateful for the National Newspaper Association (NNA), the Illinois Press Association (IPA), and Illinois state lawmakers for giving us a chance to once again send out an urgent request for readers' help to find photos of the remaining trio of local heroes whose photos remain missing.

Time is of the essence if we are to make an ambitious Memorial Day goal to fill in the remaining 4,000-plus faces missing from the national digital photo database trying to put a face to the name of the 58,318 heroes our nation lost to the Vietnam War. As time passes, locating photos gets ever harder.

Andrew Johnson, the new NNA president, told the Arlington Heights Daily Herald, "A lot of Gold Star brothers and families are dying. A lot of these Vietnam guys are getting old. I believe we have a short window of time to really get this done. I think we need to move on it quickly now.

Mr. Johnson was an early volunteer to the nationwide photo database effort by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. As a Wisconsin publisher, he helped spearhead the successful campaign to find photos for all that state's fallen heroes. He later enlisted the IPA to help locate the fallen Vietnam War heroes from Illinois.

At the IPA's urging, in the last session, the Illinois General Assembly got in on the act, endorsing a resolution promoting an effort that we're proud to say we and our readers long ago embraced.

Thanks to the efforts of relatives, readers, veterans groups, librarians and others, photographs have been found for most of the more than four dozen fallen Vietnam veterans from Rock Island, Henry, Mercer and Whiteside counties who had gone missing from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund virtual Wall of Faces.

Unfortunately, 331 Illinois natives photographs are yet to be honored in the database, the three Illinois Quad-Cities area veterans who continue to go missing.

Why do those pictures which can be found at vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/, matter? Tim Tetz, the VVMF's outreach director old the Daily Herald, "because when we think that the 58,318 Americans who died were nothing but names or numbers, then we forget their sacrifices and what they gave us."

In addition to the virtual wall, the VVMF plans to make the entire photo database part of the display at the Education Center at The Wall.

Honoring them through this digital database is the least we can do for those who died as a result of the war in Southeast Asia.

This fight isn't over until every face is found. With the finish line in sight, please take another look at the list of still-missing local faces and join the fight to find them all by May 28.

Images can be sent to us at letters@qconline.com or follow the easy to understand steps at vvmf.org/how-to-submit#sthash.uLzHzCvm.dpuf. to do it yourself.

-- Army PFC Wayne Morris Lenderman of Rock Island was born March 28, 1951. He died Oct. 12, 1969 in Binh Dinh province. According to a post on the site, he is buried at Restlawn Memorial Park, Wausau, WI.

-- Army PFC Leroy Alphus Rost of Moline was born Nov. 11, 1948. He died Nov. 13, 1967 in Kontum Pronvince. According to a post on the site, he is buried at Highland Cemetery, Waynesboro in Wayne County, Tenn.

-- Marine PFC Lawrence Edward Howard of Morrison was born July 31, 1947. He died Sept. 16, 1967 in Quang Nam province. According to an undated and uncredited newspaper clipping posted to website, he was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward R. Howard, Route 1, Morrison.
When a pair of adult eagles first were spotted nesting on then-Alcoa Davenport Works' property in 2010, the plant's maintenance workers seriously questioned the company's idea to install a web camera over the nest.

''They thought I was crazy," recalled John Riches, spokesman for the now Arconic Davenport Works. "After the first season, they came back and apologized."

Now seven seasons later, there is no question about the popularity of the nest's occupants  eagles Liberty and Justice. The pair and their eaglets have attracted nearly 35 million web visits from around the world to the Arconic Eaglecam since its inception in 2011. An accompanying Eaglecam blog, authored by Riches, has drawn nearly 100,000 comments from fans.

The majestic birds' daily routines, the laying and hatching of their eggs, and the eaglets they have fledged have been of interest to fans near and far, including a number of classrooms and other organizations. Of the 14 eaglets fledged by the pair, 12 have been named by Eaglecam fans, Riches said.

First installed in the fall of 2010, the webcam was rolled out to the public with a live feed on Eaglecam's website in early 2011 during the annual Bald Eagle Days event.

Over the years, Eaglecam has hit several milestones from the number of website visitors to the growing interest each spring when the eggs hatch as well as widespread interest among school classes and other organizations. In fact, a group of Midwest scientists entered a second year in 2017 of studying the Arconic eaglets.

Eagle migration study

Riches said as part of a telemetry study by West Virginia University and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, scientists arrived on site last summer to band the three new eaglets. In all, the researchers have banded five eaglets at the Riverdale plant with special GPS transmitters.

Known as the Midwest Bald Eagle Project, the project has banded dozens of eagles across the Midwest to track and capture data about their flight patterns.

At Arconic, wildlife experts and plant personnel brought the three eaglets that fledged last spring -- Apollo, Gemini and Mercury -- out of their nest to equip them with transmitters that enable the scientists to collect data about their whereabouts. The study will determine their migration patterns to provide data that can help direct where manmade structures  such as wind turbines and towers  should and should not be located.

Through Eaglecam's blog, Riches updates viewers about their whereabouts. He hopes eventually that viewers will have access to a map function so they can check on the birds' locations for themselves.

As of late December, Riches said the five eagles were scattered across the Midwest: Star and Sky, who hatched in 2016, were in southwest Wisconsin and Burlington, Iowa, respectively. While Mercury was down south and east of St. Louis; Gemini was south and west of Peoria; and Apollo was north of Springfield, Missouri.

Eagle return

Riches said 2017 marked a turning point when Liberty and Justice returned to a new nest they built at Arconic the year before. About Memorial Day 2016, their original nest collapsed. While the pair built a new nest that year in the same tree, he said, "this year (2017) was the first year they used that new nest."

"Until they actually used it to raise a hatch, you couldn't be certain that it was what was going to happen," Riches said.

But recent activity in the nest by Liberty and Justice, shows they are back for the 2018 season (their eighth season) on the riverfront property. "It's clear from the work they've been doing, they intend to use it again this year," he said.

Traditionally, the pair's eggs are laid in early to mid-February and hatch about 35 days later. Once the eggs are laid, there is more activity for Eaglecam fans to watch "as somebody will be on the nest 24/7," he said of the eagle parents.

To view Eaglecam, visit arconic.com/eaglecam or see the webcam on the Quad-City Times website at qctimes.com.
The LeClaire Community Library is host to an exciting new series of local history talks dedicated to 20th century LeClaire. These talks  or, rather, community dialogues  kicked off in November with a two-part session focusing on Cody Road and the business district.

These talks have been hosted by local history keepers, Dick Wales and Marie Spinsby, who are long-time residents of LeClaire. The pair loves sharing their cumulative knowledge of our community through riveting conversation and photographs chronicling their time spent here.

Spinsby  having clipped nearly every article that so much as mentions LeClaire over the past 70 years  is the proud owner of 30 scrapbooks that chronicle local history in a very tangible way. She has generously allowed the library to put one on display for the public, and patrons repeatedly find themselves flipping through the album for nearly an hour without even noticing the time pass. When she is ready to give them up for good, the archive at the Buffalo Bill Museum will be the lucky recipient.

Januarys talk will feature Spinsby presenting on the construction of the I-80 bridge. Having grown up on Canal Shore Drive, she had a front row seat to that project and compiled more than 60 slides dedicated to its progress. Join us Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m. for a fun personal way to learn about local history!

Next months program, Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m., will focus on the evolution of the LeClaire Levee and the history of Martin Tile.
Shootings, homicides, car thefts and juvenile crime kept law enforcement throughout the Quad-Cities on the run in 2017 and routinely grabbed headlines.

"This was a very challenging year," Davenport Police Major Jeff Bladel told the Quad-City Times on Dec. 20.

To face the challenges, local law enforcement, the justice system and other community groups are collaborating to find new ways to fight crime while bolstering efforts that already are proven to work.

The Times recently sat down with police and prosecutors to talk about the biggest trends they saw in 2017.

Car thefts

From Jan. 1 to Dec. 28 throughout Davenport, 567 vehicles were stolen. April alone had 74, according to preliminary data provided by the police department.

Also in April, law enforcement from both sides of the Mississippi River held a combined news conference, announcing the launch of the "Lock It Up" initiative, which urged owners to secure their vehicles and valuables to help cut down on the number of thefts and break-ins. With so many crimes of opportunity, such as keys being left in unlocked cars, police knew public awareness would help.

And it did  temporarily.

After the launch of the initiative, car thefts slowed to 39 in May and 29 in June. But the numbers climbed again in July  59  and hit another high of 69 in August, according to the preliminary data.

I think we actually had a measurable decrease when we started the Lock It Up message, Bladel said. I think that the measure here in success for stolen vehicles was the assistance and an understanding from the public that was a huge piece. The unfortunate thing is it is a constant crime to the point where we always have to continually keep that prevention aspect in the forefront. That message has to be fresh, and it has to be out there.

As of Dec. 14, Bettendorf had 47 vehicles stolen, and East Moline had 57. Moline had 86 as of Dec. 1; and Rock Island had 114 as of Dec. 8. The total for most of 2017, including Davenport, was at least 871 stolen vehicles.

In 2016, the total for the five cities was 583.

Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski said the trend his department is seeing is the vast majority of vehicle thefts involve unlocked cars and truck with the keys left inside. And the majority of the thieves, according to law enforcement, are juveniles.

The average age of car thieves is 13-15 years, the chief said. But the youngest person arrested for stealing a vehicle in Davenport last year was only 9 years old. That same juvenile, now 10, recently was arrested on another stolen vehicle charge, he said.

I think, initially, when this trend started a year ago, 18 months ago, we probably had a trend of not one group but a few different groups doing the majority of them, Sikorski said. But now, while we still see some of that, we have had some kids that this is the first time they've ever been in the criminal  in the juvenile justice system  who come in on a felony vehicle theft change.

Some of the vehicles that were recovered had bullet holes in them, Sikorski said, adding that some vehicles had weapons inside when they were recovered.

In one Bettendorf case, the same GMC Denali was stolen March 8 and again on April 26 from Mississippi Boulevard.

It appears that when it was stolen the first time, the keys or the key fob was stolen and then when it was recovered it wasn't with it, so it does appear that they came back maybe a month, month and a half later, and stole the same car, Bettendorf Police Capt. Keith Kimball said.

Kimball said the car thefts are totally random and crimes of opportunity.

As long as they are successful in what they're doing, they're going to probably keep coming back, he said.

Kimball said that despite the number of vehicle thefts last year, he thinks many vehicle owners are heeding the Lock It Up warning.

I think its still the talk of the town, where you hear a lot of citizens talk about it, he said. But, there are still people out there that aren't doing it (locking their vehicle), and I don't know if they think that maybe the problem has gone away or they haven't been personally affected by it or know somebody that's been personally affected, but it seems like the more people that this happens to, obviously the word get out.

Kimball said there are various reasons why juveniles may commit car thefts.

It could be boredom, something to do (for) fun, he said. It generates adrenaline and excitement, and theres this sense of danger.

Video games and TV, as well as social media, where they are interacting with their peers, also may play a role, Kimball said.

Its kind of something to do and maybe (they are) bragging about it," Kimball said. "For some of these kids, it gives them street credibility or a badge of honor.

Local police agree the car thieves are not taking the vehicles to chop shops or selling them. Instead, they are taking them for joyrides.

In some cases, the stolen vehicles give the thieves mobility to commit other crimes, including robberies and shootings, Kimball said.

To help combat the problem, collaboration among the various departments has been huge, Sikorski said.

Moline Police Detective Michael Griffin agreed, saying, The information sharing has been very beneficial and critical for us. The vast majority of the offenders have not been from Moline. Weve had our share, but quite a lot of them are from other agencies, primarily from Iowa. They (the other agencies) are more than willing to share information with us.

He said vehicle thefts typically decrease in the warmer months and increase in the colder months when people leave their cars running.

Last year, however, the numbers increased in the summer, he said. The majority of the thieves are working in groups of four or five or more and will caravan in several stolen vehicles.

To them, its this video game mentality of, 'I can just go around (and) smash stuff, and theres not consequences and no one really gets hurt off of it if I crash my car,  Griffin said. I can just re-up on my life and click off the screen and start my game over, and Im good to go.' Its a really odd thing. I have never seen anything like this.

Griffin said police are vigilant when they are on patrol, but catching car thieves presents unique dangers.

Its hard because, once they get behind the wheel of a car, were at a no-win situation of chasing an inexperienced 14-year-old driver that is not living in a cause-and-effect world, he said.

Juvenile Justice

The Rock Island County States Attorneys Office filed 220 cases against juveniles in 2017  the highest since the office began keeping track about 20 years ago.

States Attorney John McGehee said one reason for the increase is the way in which young offenders are being charged. His office used to bring different counts under one charge but now is required to file separate charges for each offense, he said.

He estimated the rule has accounted for 10-15 additional cases.

Another reason for the increase, though, is the high number of vehicle thefts involving juvenile suspects.

Law enforcement has become pretty aggressive at trying to bring justice, to bring cases against juveniles for crime, McGehee said.

He did not know exactly how many juvenile car theft cases were filed in 2017 but estimated that it was well into the teens, if not more.

McGehee said his youngest car theft defendant is 14.

The youthful age is probably the biggest issue that I see, he said. Were getting to know these kids at a very young age. Theyre doing it more than once. Theyre repeat offenders, so that is something thats very concerning to law enforcement and us.

The young car thieves he sees in Illinois typically are not committing violent offenses, but its not uncommon to see them driving at excessive speeds or eluding police, McGehee said.

The only thing that we can do is to keep them in the system long enough to educate them to the perils of theft and getting a criminal history and the seriousness of it, he said. I think some of these kids get caught up in the peer pressure. Theyre not necessarily headed for a life of crime, and we may be able to wake them up to the process of what this all means.

In Scott County, juvenile court prosecutors filed 408 petitions, up from 275 in 2016.

Assistant Scott County Attorney Dion Trowers said the bulk of the cases have been steady in terms of sex crimes and drugs and alcohol, but property crimes have almost doubled with the recent car thefts.

In 2017, the county attorneys office filed 256 petitions for property crimes  precisely double the 128 petitions from 2016, he said.

Even so, he said the increase did not happen overnight.

It was happening on a steady level, but it just picked up last year and we just had a flood of kids doing it, Trowers said. It wasnt the usual kids that we see in the system. They were coming from Rock Island County. We actually did prosecute a couple from outside of our area, Chicago; they were coming through just around the end of the year.

In 2017, there were 11 juveniles who were waived to adult court and three others were sent to adult court as youthful offenders (meaning their cases are heard in adult court, but they are supervised in juvenile court).

Two of the teens waived as youthful offenders were Doryan Phynell Jackson, 14, and Christopher M. Shadrick, 13.

Police say the two assaulted and robbed 47-year-old Lester Norton, who was walking his bicycle on the Duck Creek Trail Parkway in Davenport on Oct. 12.

Norton suffered serious injuries, but survived.

Trowes said the majority of those waived to adult court, however, were facing vehicle theft charges.

He said he doesn't know why the juvenile car thefts increased but said the county attorneys office is always looking at ways to rehabilitate young offenders while protecting the community.

Were looking at every case that comes in and are trying to figure out what services we can offer these kids; what services these kids have already had, he said. If its appropriate to waive them (to adult court), or if its not, then well review that and discuss it.

Shootings and other homicides

In addition to the multitude of car thefts and other crimes, local law enforcement responded to 333 incidents of shots fired in 2017.

Some of those bullets found their mark, resulting in injuries and deaths.

Davenport recorded 168 verified shots-fired calls last year, and Rock Island recorded 71. Moline had 16 verified shots fired calls. East Moline had 24 as of Dec. 17, and Bettendorf had only one verified shots-fired incident.

Out of Davenports shots-fired calls, 12 resulted in homicides. East Moline had one homicide by gunfire.

While Davenport experienced an increase in homicides, Chief Sikorski said, part of the trend was that all of those deaths were by firearm. And none was random.

These were people who were targeted, he said. They havent been random acts.

Of the 12 homicides, arrests have been made in four. Police still are investigating the other eight, and suspects have been identified.

The shootings have occurred all over the city, not concentrated in any one area, Bladel said.

He added, "We have some areas in the city where we experience more, and those trends have been pretty consistent over the years.

Some of the shooting are gang-related, but not all of them.

Sikorski and other police leaders say the use of social media is part of the problem.

How much has social media pushed this aspect? Quite a bit," Sikorski said, adding that its not specific to Facebook or Snapchat or Twitter. When people use those accounts, they dont have to be responsible for what they say or how they say it, and it contributes to the violence we see in the Quad-Cities."

Illegal drugs are doing as much damage as ever, too, police said.

In talking about Molines shootings, Det. Griffin said, More than 90 percent stem from drug relationships. Drugs are the epitome of all crime.

While just about every community is dealing with heroin and the opioids, Griffin said, Methamphetamine is making a comeback. Generally, theres more violence with people dealing in meth.

There are issues of violence around marijuana, too, he said, but that's generally when very large amounts of the drug are involved.

In Rock Island County, McGehee said another problem is the number of guns on the streets.

In addition to checking cars for keys, money and items of value to steal or pawn, burglars are looking for weapons.

People buy guns to protect themselves and then they leave those guns in places where they should not leave them, McGehee said. People too often leave their guns in their cars. There are people walking by cars all the time, looking for keys and guns.

Theres a lot of sharing of firearms, too, especially among young people. These guns get into the community, and they rotate among people.

Many times, the guns police take off the street have had their serial numbers filed off and/or the weapon has been reported stolen, McGehee said. It is not just weapons stolen locally, but guns stolen from other areas of the country wind up in the Quad-Cities, too, he said.

Sikorski agreed with McGhee, saying that Davenport officers are seeing an abundance of firearms on the streets.

As we grow into a nation of right-to-carry, it is critical we are responsible with that right, Sikorski said. We have seen an increase in gun violence, and we have seen an increase in the theft of firearms and have noted there are some in our community who have not been responsible.

If those firearms are lost or stolen, especially stolen, they end up in the hands of people who should not have them."

Sikorski said all Quad-City law enforcement is working together to prevent gun crime and to solve gun-related crimes, including the use of federal authorities on both side of the river.

It's primarily federal law enforcement that prosecutes gun crimes, such as felons in possession, gun trafficking, and guns used in the furtherance of drug crimes.

Under federal initiatives, U.S. Attorneys work with local law enforcement agencies to identify gun crimes, including those associated with drug and gang activity, to enforce the federal gun laws.

As there is no parole in the federal prison system, inmates generally serve at least 85 percent of their sentence.

The big picture

In the effort to cut crime over all, police are building on methods that have proven to work. And those center on relationships.

Most helpful relationships for police begin with families, Sikorski said, and continue into schools and neighborhoods.

Among the initiatives in Davenport is the Neighborhoods Energized To Succeed, or NETS, which dispatches officers into specific neighborhoods. The NETS effort has proven its value in reducing crime in target areas.

In other focus areas, police officers make their presence known in public schools, developing relationships with students. Officers also collaborate with juvenile court services, the Department of Human Services and other family and child agencies, such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

Another idea that is being explored to reduce juvenile crime is establishing a youth assessment center to screen young people for risk factors, linking those at higher risk with appropriate community services. The goal would be early intervention services to keep kids out of trouble.

Were all very much optimistic that it could help us in the long-term effects of assessing and getting assistance to kids and families much sooner in their lives and, theoretically, before juvenile court is even involved  before police are even involved, Sikorski said. Some of them still would go the juvenile court route, depending on the severity of the crime or their actions. Some of them wouldnt. It frees up some of that time so that the juvenile court can really concentrate on the kids they need to concentrate on."

He said that an exploratory group of agency leaders is looking at other assessment center models and plans to meet with the executive director of one out-of-state program this month.

For the chief, another answer to the question of how to reduce juvenile crime is expanding on what is working, including more resource officers within the high schools and, ideally, the junior high schools.
A Davenport woman pleaded guilty Thursday to a gun charge in connection with a high-speed chase and shooting that left a woman injured in September.

Breanna Nicole Thompson, 22, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in U.S. District Court, Davenport.

She faces up to 10 years in prison when she is sentenced May 8.

Thompson was initially charged in Scott County District Court, but the charges were dismissed after she was charged in federal court in October.

According to the federal complaint:

At 12:11 a.m. Sept. 25, Davenport police responded to a report of a woman who has been shot in the 700 block of West 63rd Street. The woman was inside her apartment when a bullet struck her in the leg.

Police recovered three fired .380 caliber cartridges across the street from the womans apartment building. One witness said she heard three gunshots and saw a white passenger vehicle driving eastbound on West 63rd Street with the headlights off.

Around 1:30 a.m., police responded to a report of shots fired in the 6300 block of Appomattox Road. Witnesses saw a white, four-door Chevrolet Malibu driving westbound on West 63rd Street. A man wearing black clothing was seen hanging out of the front passenger window and displaying a gun.

At 2:51 a.m., police responded to the 300 block of Division Street regarding a woman loading a firearm in the parking lot of a business.

She then got into the drivers side rear seat of the white Chevrolet Malibu and the car pulled away and drove north on Division Street.

A short time later, police saw the car and a pursuit ensued. During the chase, officers saw a firearm sticking out of the sunroof of the vehicle and shots were fired.

They pursuit went to Rock Island, back to Davenport, and ended in the 6500 block of Brady Street. Several attempts were made to disable the vehicle using stop sticks and PIT maneuvers.

Thompson, along with RayMone D. Walker Sr., Thompson, Jamesha Lashay Sims, Tricilla Renee Rogers, and Chelce Lasha Allen were inside the vehicle.

Walker, Thompson and two of the women ran. Thompson was arrested a short time later.

Three of the women who were inside the vehicle identified Thompson as the person firing the gun out of the sunroof of the vehicle during the vehicle pursuit.

One of the women also identified her as the woman loading the gun while standing in the parking lot of the business.

The firearm was wedged between the drivers seat and console. Police also located an empty box of .380 ammunition and two rounds were found in the glove box. Four .380 caliber rounds were found inside a bag in the trunk of the vehicle.

Two fired .380 cartridges were recovered in the 1400 block of Gaines Street where officers first saw shots being fired out of the vehicles sunroof.

Thompson was convicted of second-degree burglary in 2016 and is prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm, according to the complaint.

Walker, 21, was arrested several days later and was initially charged in Scott County District Court on various charges. The case was dismissed in late December once he was charged in federal court with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Sims, 20, is charged with interference with official acts while displaying a dangerous weapon. She has a final pretrial conference Jan. 31.

Rogers, 25, is charged with interference, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, and carrying weapons, an aggravated misdemeanor. She also has a final pretrial conference Jan. 31.

Allen, 24, pleaded guilty in December to carrying weapons, and aggravated misdemeanor, and interference with official acts, a simple misdemeanor. She will be sentenced Jan. 18.
Yolanduis L. McDuffie was sentenced Friday to 55 years in prison in the December 2013 shooting death of popular Rock Island tattoo artist Derek Jackson.

The 24-year-old McDuffie declined to make a statement before Rock Island County Judge Frank Fuhr handed down his sentence during a hearing lasting less than 80 minutes at the Rock Island County Justice Center.

As McDuffie was being escorted out of the courtroom, a family member told him to keep your head up.

He must serve 100 percent of the sentence.

McDuffie was convicted Oct. 27 of first-degree murder during a weeklong trial.

Jackson, 24, was killed just before noon on Dec. 18, 2013, at his home at 1001 16th Ave., Rock Island. He was shot twice in the head and once in the arm.

He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Jackson's girlfriend, Alyson Schippers, testified at trial that she saw co-defendant Aaron D. Henderson II standing over Jackson's body and appeared to be rifling through his pockets after the shooting.

Henderson's cousin, Kamren L. Bolden, testified at Henderson's 2015 trial that the three had gone to Jacksons house that morning to buy marijuana.

Once inside the house, McDuffie pulled out a black gun and ordered everyone to get on the floor, Bolden testified.

He testified that he saw a silver gun in Jackson's hand, but did not actually see who fired the shots. Bolden testified that he heard more than one shot and that he ran out of the house and later met up with Henderson.

Jurors convicted McDuffie under the accountability theory, rather than as the person who fatally shot Jackson.

It was the same verdict Henderson received.

Rock Island County Assistant State's Attorney John McCooley on Friday recommended the maximum sentence of 60 years for McDuffie.

He cited McDuffies consistent record of violence, which includes 2016 convictions of voluntary manslaughter and possession of a firearm by a felon in Scott County in the April 2015 shooting death of James Goode Jr., 33, of Davenport.

He was sentenced in that case to up to 15 years in prison.

McDuffie also has convictions for shooting a woman in the leg in 2011 and shoving a police officer in 2015. He was convicted of the latter charge in May and was sentenced to five years in prison. The sentence runs concurrent to the sentence in the Iowa case.

McCooley said Friday that McDuffie has a disregard for the law, for human safety and for life.

This is a case where specific deterrent is the goal, in other words, to stop this defendant from battering civilians, battering police officers, shooting people and killing people, he said.

Jacksons mother, Susan Poe, read a letter to the judge and said her son had was kind-hearted, generous, funny and loved life.

To those that did not have the opportunity to meet Derek, you missed out, she said.

She also urged the judge to give McDuffie the maximum sentence.

McDuffies attorney, Nate Nieman, argued for the minimum sentence of 20 years. He told the judge during Fridays hearing that McDuffie will appeal and that we fully expect for his conviction to be reversed on appeal.

Its only a matter of time before were back here again, he said.

Fuhr said a 55-year prison sentence was appropriate based on McDuffie's criminal history and for the safety of the community.

Mr. McDuffie has exhibited, and I have no idea why, an unbelievable tendency to violence, Fuhr said. He is a danger to the public. He has been involved in two homicides. I dont know the facts of the one in Iowa, but this one was totally unprovoked. It was an armed robbery resulting in the death of an innocent person."

He ordered that the sentence run concurrent to his sentence in the Iowa case.

Prior to sentencing, the judge denied McDuffies motion for a new trial.

When asked whether the sentence would bring her closure, Poe said, I dont even know what closure means.

Dereks not here, hes never going to be here, she said. We think about him all the time. Its like, I want to say almost every minute of the day I think about him, no matter what. If Im at work, hes always on my mind. Always.

Henderson, 25, was sentenced to 40 years in prison in Jacksons death. In November, the Third District Appellate Court overturned his conviction and ordered that prosecutors try him a second time.

Rock Island County State's Attorney John McGehee has said he will not appeal the decision. A new trial date has not yet been set and Henderson remained in the Illinois Department of Corrections on Friday.

Poe said she was disappointed that Hendersons conviction was overturned, but said that she believed prosecutors did a good job during the first trial and that with all the evidence they have on him, I doubt that theyll have any problem convict him the second time.
Preliminary autopsy results inconclusive in death of snowmobile driver

Preliminary autopsy results were inconclusive for a Coal Valley man killed in a snowmobile accident Monday on the boarder of Moline and Coal Valley, Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson said Thursday.

The autopsy was conducted Wednesday on Keith M. Camfield, 32, in Oregon, Illinois. A toxicology screen is pending and Gustarson said alcohol appears to have played a contributing role in his death.

Moline police and fire responded just after 8 p.m. Monday to a report of a snowmobile crash with injuries near Coal Creek, U.S. 6 and 150.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources said Camfield was pinned under the snowmobile.

Moline police officers were able to get the snowmobile off Camfield, take off his helmet, and begin CPR, according to the IDNR.

It is unknown as this time how long he may have been under the snowmobile.

According to the IDNR, Camfield had not returned home from snowmobiling and his friends went looking for him.

Anyone with information is asked to call the IDNR at 815-641-3248 or the coroners office at 309-558-3640.

--Tara Becker

Buffalo woman pleads guilty in federal gun case

A Buffalo woman pleaded guilty Thursday in connection with a gang-related shooting in August.

Zoe Ogden, 19, faces up to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to receiving and possessing a firearm made from shotgun and rifle in U.S. District Court, Davenport.

She will be sentenced May 21. A hearing on prosecutors motion to place Ogden into detention until sentencing is slated for Jan. 18, according to court records.

According to the plea agreement filed Thursday:

Around 4:30 p.m. Aug. 21, Davenport police responded to a report of shots fired in the 1500 block of North Main Street.

Police located a maroon Pontiac Grand Am driven by Willie J. Hicks Jr., and attempted to stop the vehicle.

Hicks led police on a pursuit through residential neighborhoods and reached speeds of up to 52 mph. Officers were able to block the vehicle in and Hicks, Ogden and two others were arrested.

A rifle with a defaced serial number and a shotgun were found on the front passenger floorboard.

Police also found four 12-guage shotgun shells, a shaving back containing 24 additional 12-guage rounds, 18 .22 caliber long rounds of ammunition, one spend .22 caliber long casing, four cell phones, 2.9 grams of methamphetamine, 2.25 grams of marijuana and a digital scale.

Ogden told police one of the passengers shot at a rival gang member with the rifle. She said she knew there were firearms  both of which had been modified  in the vehicle and that she purchased the shotgun and knew that the barrel was shortened some time later.

She also admitted she bought 100 rounds of 12-guage ammunition for the shotgun and she had the shotgun in a bag when she and Hicks transported it in and out of the residence they shared.

Hicks, 20, of Buffalo, also is charged in federal court with receiving and possessing firearm made from shotgun and rifle. On Thursday, his attorney filed a motion to continue his Jan. 29 trial.

--Tara Becker

Small fire closes Davenport daycare center Thursday

A Davenport daycare center closed for the day Thursday after a small fire broke out.

Fire fighters were called just after 8 a.m. to Creative Beginnings Child Care Achievement Center, 2315 Jersey Ridge Road, where a fire had started in an oven.

Davenport Fire Department Interim Fire Marshal Jim Morris said employees were able to extinguish the fire before fire fighters arrived.

No injuries were reported. The building was evacuated and children were placed into vehicles to stay warm before parents could come and pick them up, Morris said.

--Times staff
CEDAR RAPIDS  Days before heading into his second legislative session, Iowa Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Sen. Nate Boulton urged supporters, "Don't get outrage fatigue."

Democrats' outrage with the GOP agenda last year didn't stop every piece of legislation that Boulton and his minority party colleagues opposed from becoming law, he conceded at a women's rights rally in Cedar Rapids on Thursday.

However, he said that by the end of the 2017 session, their voices and presence at the Capitol were having an impact.

"We had some tough fights," Boulton told about two dozen people at the CSPS Hall rally. However, "there was nothing more encouraging ... than seeing thousands of Iowans step up, stand up and start fighting back."

He added he expects Republicans will give Iowans plenty to be outraged about in the 2018 session, which opens Monday.

One of the first actions of the legislature likely will be to cut the state budget for the current fiscal year by $40 million or more because revenues are less than projected.

The state's economy is stable and growing and unemployment is at a 17-year low.

"What happens when we do face a disaster? A natural disaster? An economic disaster?" Boulton asked. "Instead of low grain prices, an actual farm crisis? If we're already raiding rainy day funds, what do we do when those problems emerge?"

Iowa cannot afford to maintain $500 million a year in "corporate tax credits, exemptions and giveaways" and hope to have a quality education system, health care system and economy, he said.

Given the current situation, Boulton believes the 2018 race for governor will be part of a "fight for the soul of our state."

"We have to have a better vision forward," the freshman senator from Des Moines said.

Boulton's agenda calls for scrapping privatized management of the state Medicaid program, expanding access to mental health care, increasing funding for public education  K-12 and higher education  investing in infrastructure in small and medium-sized towns, protecting IPERS, the state retirement plan, and investing in water quality programs and Iowa's clean energy industries.

At the same time, Boulton said, Republicans won't give Democrats a head's-up on their plans or when they will bring legislation to the floor.

"We have to make sure we are paying attention every single day," he said.

He expects the GOP to push for education savings accounts that will shift funding away from public schools.

"They've gone from seven years of cutting (and) now they're running from public education," he said. "We can't let that happen."

Boulton, 37, is one of seven Democrats seeking the party's nomination for governor. He's a workers' rights attorney who has represented women facing discrimination, injured workers and the mentally disabled. He's also represented public employees in legal action challenging former Gov. Terry Branstad.
With the Iowa's new legislative session kicking off next week, the efforts to get a bill passed to equalize school funding across the state will kick back into gear, too.

The Iowa Senate unanimously passed a measure last year that would equalize funding over 10 years, as well as deal with inequities in transportation spending. But the legislation stalled in the House after revenue estimates late in the session fell short of expectations.

Now with a new session dawning so does hope at the Davenport School District, which has been aggressively seeking changes to the state funding formula that allows a small number of districts to spend $175 more per pupil than many others.

"I'm 100 percent hopeful," school board president Ralph Johanson said earlier this week. He said that his expectations for passage are more measured, though.

Getting legislation approved this session will likely be a challenge. This past month, the state's Revenue Estimating Conference reported growing but disappointing income figures for the first part of the 2018 fiscal year. Meanwhile, there is an expectation that a move to reform and lower taxes will play a big part of this session.

Is there room in there to devote new money to making changes to the funding formula?

Sen. Roby Smith, R-Davenport, thinks so. Smith said he believes additional revenue that will result from the changes to the federal tax law could be helpful.

"That gives me some hope on getting it passed," he said. "It's just a matter of convincing House colleagues this is a priority to get passed."

Because Iowans can deduct federal tax payments from their state tax liability, a decline in federal taxes will mean more revenue for the state.

The state's Revenue Estimating Conference, meeting on Friday, estimated the federal tax changes will mean $106 million in additional state taxes in fiscal year 2019 and $138 million the year after that.

One Quad-City area Republican was pessimistic about the prospects for the Senate bill. "I dont think that bill is going to pass. It costs too much. There wasnt enough money last year and there isnt this year," said Rep. Ross Paustian, R-Walcott.

As for the new revenues from the federal tax law changes, Paustian said, "I think we'll want to give that money back to taxpayers."

The prospect of a major tax reform bill also could tie up that money, and it's clear top Republicans are eager to move on changing the state tax code. Senate President Jack Whitver, an Ankeny Republican, called it a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" recently.

The equity bill the Senate approved last year had a first-year cost to the state of about $14 million, according to an estimate last March by the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency. That would go up to an annual outlay of between $21 million and $22 million over the 10-year phase in period.

So far, Republican leaders in the House say they're open to considering the bill. But they were cautious.

House Speaker Linda Upmeyer said it would be a good idea to revisit the issue, but she added that a solution shouldn't create problems down the road.

"Im not opposed to having a conversation, I just think we have to be very careful on the commitments that were making," said Rep. Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee. "With something like that, where were going to be making a long term commitment, I want to make sure that what were doing is really the right solution."

Still, he said several members of the Republican caucus have expressed an interest in moving on the issue. The school funding formula's transportation inequities are especially worrisome to rural lawmakers. The Senate bill deals with transportation costs, as well as the amount of money per pupil that districts are allowed to spend. In fiscal year 2017, the funding level was set at $6,591 per pupil.

The equity issue has been especially important to Davenport, where Superintendent Art Tate faces a Feb. 6 hearing on an ethics complaint lodged against him by the state, alleging he exceeded the district's spending authority to protest the formula.

The school board has backed Tate's decision and has lobbied heavily for a change in the law.

Rep. Cindy Winckler of Davenport, who is the top Democrat on the House Appropriations subcommittee overseeing education, said she will work to get something passed, but it ultimately is up to Republicans who control the chamber. Winckler said she'd like to see any additional revenues resulting from federal tax reform go to resolving the equity issue.

Even if the law is changed, it's not likely it will happen before the hearing, Smith said. He predicted that lawmakers will want to wait to see the next revenue estimates, which are scheduled for March.

(Erin Murphy contributed to this report)
DES MOINES  Gov. Kim Reynolds said Thursday she followed state law when she used emergency reserves to offset a fiscal 2017 budget shortfall, but a top legislative Republican framed the governor's action as in line with the "spirit" but "perhaps not" the letter of the Iowa code.

"I feel that we operated within the intent of the law," Reynolds told reporters during a forum sponsored by the Associated Press when asked about a $13 million transfer from an emergency reserve fund last September to balance the state's budget. The action is the subject of a legal challenge by Rep. Chris Hall, D-Sioux City. In filing his lawsuit, Hall claimed the governor's move was illegal and she should have called legislators back into special session to fix the budget.

Reynolds said the state law dealing with withdrawals from the state's economic emergency fund is "outdated" and she considered Hall's lawsuit to be "election year grandstanding."

House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, said she expects the GOP-run Legislature will consider updating the code section once the 2018 session convenes Monday.

"I do believe that Gov. Reynolds was entirely complying with the spirit of the law," Upmeyer told reporters during a separate panel at the AP forum. She said the governor's action "was, perhaps, not the letter of the law, so we will be happy to change that."

During the discussion, House Democratic Leader Mark Smith of Marshalltown said the governor's action constituted "an illegal transfer" that put legislators of both political parties "in a box" because she acted on her own.

"The governor should not be above the law here," he said.

The governor's chose to make the transfer because state tax collections did not meet growth expectations. Rep. Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said legislators are facing a similar problem this fiscal year, and will require at least $37 million in adjustments to balance the fiscal 2018 ledger by June 30.

Grassley also said the fiscal 2019 budget that lawmakers will create in the upcoming session will be "a fairly difficult budget situation" given they have $214 million in new state revenue to work with but commitments and requests already well exceed that growth estimate.

"Every year putting a budget together should be a challenge. We shouldn't come in here and think this is ever an easy project," Grassley said during an afternoon news conference. "While it's going to be a difficult budget process, I don't think that it's something that's overwhelming or should be overwhelming to the legislature. We're just going to have to prioritize and make tough decisions."
Autumn Phillips is resigning as the Quad-City Times executive editor to accept a position as the managing editor of The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina.

Her last day will be Jan. 31.

Phillips joined the Times in December 2015. She has worked for the Davenport-based Lee Enterprises, parent company of the Times, since March 2012.

"This leaving is bittersweet," Phillips said. "I'm excited for the new opportunity, but I'm leaving a company that I've worked for in three markets and where I have formed many deep friendships."

Phillips, 44, announced her decision to the news staff earlier this week.

"We're fortunate to have had such a talented editor lead our team for the last couple of years," said Times Publisher Debbie Anselm. "She embraced her role as a leader not only in our newsroom but in the community."

Anselm credited Phillips as a strong supporter of community journalism and enterprise reporting. During Phillips' tenure, the Times underwent a redesign of its Sunday newspaper, including introduction of The Big Story.

"The Big Story is certainly something our readers have enjoyed," Anselm said. "One of the things Autumn brings to the organization is a commitment to be innovative. She is always looking for new ways to tell stories and new ways to reach our audiences."

Phillips also was a driving force behind the Times' new Virtual Reality storytelling project, hosted on the free app QCT VR.

According to Anselm, the changes have come as Phillips and her team also "made sure we were good stewards for transparency in government and an advocate for open meetings and open records.

A national search for a new executive editor is in the works.

Wishing Phillips well, Anselm said, "I appreciate the way she carried out her role. She was an active leader. She was in the community working beside other leaders and other citizens."

Phillips' community service includes the Rotary Club of Davenport. She also is a board member for the Iowa Freedom of Information Council and the national APME (Associated Press Media Editors) board.

Also during her tenure, the Times was named one of the 10 Newspapers That Do it Right by Editor & Publisher magazine in 2017.

"I'm leaving a community that embraced me and made me feel at home," Phillips said. "It's a community where I formed some friendships that I don't expect to end when I drive across the bridge for the final time next month."

Prior to joining the Times, Phillips was editor at The Southern Illinoisan in Carbondale and in Twin Falls, Idaho, both Lee newspapers.

"She has certainly had a bright career at Lee Enterprises," Anselm said.
Dedicated birders and outdoor enthusiasts in the Quad-Cities already may know about the eagle nest north of Eriksen Chevrolet in Milan.

Check in with them first, and they will take you right to it, said Kathy Wine, executive director of River Action.

Unless youve visited the little-known destination recently, however, you likely are unaware of a renovated trail that offers a front-row view of bald eagles along the Rock River.

Interested?

Park at the trail head next to Subway and hike east along the paved Rock River Trail atop Milans levee toward the primitive path that starts by Mill Creek. The 1.6-mile loop runs between the Hennepin Canal and the Rock River and winds west toward, below and around the U.S. 67 bridge.

Quad-City volunteers, led by Dean Bareback Mathias, began clearing brush with a handsaw about two years ago in hopes of reopening the overgrown stretch of land between the two bodies of water.

The impetus for me was to get the Rock River Trail open for people to use it and appreciate it, said Mathias, who is notorious for cruising around town on his seat-less bicycle. People dont realize theyve got these loops out their backdoor.

Milan resident Jeff Conroy noticed the path last winter and now regularly walks the loop, located about a mile west of the Steel Dam (Lock 30) with his dog, Cinnamon.

Just a few days before Christmas last year, when he ran into Mathias on the trail, Conroy said he spotted as many as 15 eagles along the route.

I dont like disturbing them, but its not bitterly cold, so I figure Im not bugging them too much, he said.

Curt Kemmerer, a Maquoketa-based wildlife biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, stressed that observers should give the predators space.

Usually food is fairly abundant here, but theyre trying to conserve their energy in the winter time, he said. If you have binoculars, you can get a pretty amazing view from a distance.

Last fall, a crew from Milans public works department stepped in with heavy machinery to finish the job Mathias and others started.

Dave Pannell, director of the villages public works department for the past 34 years, said the strip of land hadnt been touched in almost three decades.

In the late 1980s, Pannell recalled, Rock Island County Jail sent a group of prisoners in orange jumpsuits there to rehab the trail with chainsaws and hatchets.

I took them a case of pop every day, Pannell said. That was their payment.

Although the Illinois DNR owns the property, Pannell predicts Milan will continue maintaining the land, which has become a hotbed for hikers, dog walkers and fat-tire bikers.

"I'm amazed how much it's used," he said, praising the volunteers for their work to reestablish the recreational amenity.

He's also surprised by the scores of eagles that return year after year to Milan in search of open, warmer water and fish, their primary food source.

During a jaunt last year, Mathias spotted numerous bald and golden eagles in the trees that divide the Rock River and the Hennepin Canal.

"It's cool to be surrounded by water," he said, walking his bicycle along the isthmus. "You meet a lot of like-minded people on the trail."
Depending on your politics, George Papadopoulos may be described in various ways.

To some, he's just a low-level "coffee boy" who, as an unqualified 20-something boaster, wormed his way into the chaotic Donald Trump presidential campaign and was later played by the Russians, a mysterious professor and a young woman presented as Vladimir Putin's "niece."

Others see him as a top foreign policy adviser, with influence in Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and inside access that allowed him to arrange meetings with foreign governments.

But after The New York Times dropped its most recent scoop about the Trump-Russia investigation, you might want to think about Papadopoulos in a different light:

As a boy made of wood, tossed into the maelstrom to save drowning reputations desperate to grab any floating object.

What we do know is that special counsel Robert Mueller announced back in October that the 30-year-old from Chicago pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

What did he lie about? His attempts to connect the Trump campaign with Russians promising "dirt" on Trump's rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton.

If you despise Trump, you might see Papadopoulos as a martyr with hysterical Republican hatred pouring down upon him. If you support Trump, you might see Papadopoulos as a useful idiot, a tool of both the Russians, who know all about useful idiots, and Democrats clinging to their Russian collusion theory in order to delegitimize the 2016 election and explain away Clinton's loss, an outcome that led news anchors to cry on national TV.

In its recent story on Papadopoulos, the Times did not describe him as a boy made of wood. Nor did the paper describe him as the kind of good, buoyant timber that can be useful to men drowning in a stormy sea.

But the Times tossed him out upon the water, as the Mueller investigation suffered self-inflicted bad publicity, as Democrats worried about the strength of their Russia-collusion theory and as astounding conflicts of interest were revealed in stories about the personal politics of federal investigators.

Amid all this are questions about the FBI's use of a salacious file involving rumors about Trump and Russian hookers that was paid for and developed as an anti-Trump propaganda document crafted in support of the Clinton campaign.

What the Times reported is this:

Papadopoulos got drunk with some Australian diplomats at a fancy London wine bar, and like drunken pretend foreign policy experts tend to do, he opened his mouth. He said the Russians had dirt on Hillary. The Australians let the Americans know.

And the Obama administration, horrified, just had to do something.

As noted by the National Review's Andrew McCarthy, the Times reported months ago that what started the investigation was a Russian trip by another Trump adviser, Carter Page.

So the Trump-Russia story keeps morphing.

For much of 2017, the Trump-Russia story involved the so-called Steele dossier, funded by the Clinton campaign, opposition research worked on by the wife of a top Obama Justice Department official that was likely used by the feds to secure surveillance warrants against team Trump.

Then, more recently, came something for Republicans to sink their teeth into, reports of conflicts of interest among top officials at the FBI and others.

Now it turns out it was really Papadopoulos all along? A young guy who couldn't hold his liquor in an evening out with Australians, bragging as some do when they get sloshed and want to be thought of as the most interesting man in the world?

"It was not, as Mr. Trump and other politicians have alleged, a dossier compiled by a former British spy hired by a rival campaign," reported the Times. "Instead, it was firsthand information from one of America's closest intelligence allies."

Ah.

How convenient can this be? It's almost like a coincidence.

And it smells like herring.

Yet before the left dislocates its Twitter thumbs in tribal rage, let's be clear:

Mueller's investigation into Trump and Russia should proceed. As should a responsible congressional inquiry about the political conflicts of interest among the investigators of Trump and how the Obama Justice Department used the dossier to seek secret surveillance warrants for Trump advisers.

If Trump's people and/or the president are guilty of crimes, let them pay. But so far, we haven't seen any hard evidence. All we've seen is politics and more politics.

What we know is that the Trump people actively sought dirt on Hillary and didn't much care where it came from. And we know that some of the same investigators who found nothing wrong with Hillary Clinton's use of private email while the secretary of state determined -- according to released FBI phone texts -- to have an "insurance policy" should Trump do the unthinkable and win the election.

The danger in all of this isn't partisan tribal warfare. We survived the brawl between Jefferson and Adams. We survived Obama. We'll survive Trump too.

What we might not survive are unelected bureaucrats acting on their personal views, bending policy to their politics, whether that means unleashing Internal Revenue Service investigators upon political groups they find objectionable, or crafting an "insurance policy" to take down a president.

Because if the American people come to believe that a vast unelected bureaucracy runs things and remains unaccountable to voters, then we'll all be in deep water soon.

And there won't be enough floating boys made of wood to help us.
A Rapid City casino employee has been arrested after police say he staged two robberies at the business.

Carlos Guerrero, 28, has been charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit grand theft and one count of grand theft.

Guerrero called 911 to report a robbery on Dec. 26 at the Jackpot Casino Too on North Lacrosse Street. Once investigators arrived to interview him, his story began to fall apart, according to a Rapid City police report.

Guerrero told police that two males entered the business around 11:10 p.m. while he was opening the safe, hit him in the back of the head and made off with around $10,000.

But, according to the report, Guerrero didn't have any marks on the back of his head. In an interview at the casino, Senior Officer Marc Cote asked Guerrero if he could take a look at his cellphone, but before he handed it over he pulled it close to his chest and began rapidly typing, the report said.

"What are you doing?" Cote asked. Guerrero responded that there was a photo in the background that he didn't want Cote to see. "He clarified and said 'It's my wife's backside,' " the report said.

Cote took the phone and as he waited for a detective to arrive at the casino, Guerrero asked him what the punishment was for first-degree robbery. He also told Cote that he had been arrested for robbery in Florida.

Police reviewed security camera footage and concluded that the robbery appeared staged. "Carlos opened the safe when the suspects are halfway there," the report said. "The suspects walk into the office and move the chair Carlos was sitting in. Carlos did not react. One of the suspects pushed on Carlos' shoulder and Carlos falls to the ground."

Detective Trevor Tollman wrote in a separate report about the incident that "it almost appeared as if Carlos waited for them to get well into the casino before actually opening the safe."

He added that Guerrero, who is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weights 360 pounds, was easily overtaken by two people who were both much smaller.

Police later searched a van owned by Guerrero's girlfriend that had been purchased the day after the robbery and found 12 $20 bills on the floor board. They believe the money was part of the $12,622 that had been taken from the casino, and that the stolen cash had been used to buy the van.

After further investigation, police determined that Guerrero had also staged a robbery at the same casino on Dec. 7. He was arrested Jan. 3, and authorities have a identified two juveniles who police say conspired with Guerrero to commit the Dec. 26 robbery.

Investigators are still working to identify a juvenile with whom they say Guerrero conspired to commit the Dec. 7 robbery, police spokesman Brendyn Medina said.

Guerrero remains in the Pennington County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
A veteran's generosity turned an ordinary grocery shopping trip into an extraordinary day for Chris Chaisson.

A few days after Christmas, Chaisson went to the Walmart on Stumer Road to stock up on food and supplies. Chaisson is a disabled veteran who served eight years in the National Guard and the U.S. Army. Five years ago, he was injured in the line of duty while deployed in Iraq, and one of his legs was amputated below the knee. He now walks with the aid of a computerized prosthetic and is accompanied by a service dog.

At Walmart, Chaisson's prosthetic and dog caught the attention of another shopper, Jack. The men struck up a conversation, and Chaisson learned Jack is a veteran who served in the 7th Infantry Division of the Army. Then Jack paid for Chaisson's groceries  a bill of about $200.

"It was really unexpected. ... That was awesome," Chaisson said. "Especially around the holidays, money's tight and it was very welcomed. I'm very blessed. We're in tight times and Jack didn't have to do that. This guy really needs to be acknowledged for his kindness to a younger veteran and brother."

Jack's spontaneous generosity came at just the right time. Chaisson was planning to drive to Florida, and he was buying groceries so his wife  a nurse working long hours  had everything she needed while Chaisson was gone. However, Chaisson's truck broke down. The money Jack saved him on groceries ended up going toward towing fees and truck repairs.

Jack's kindness left a big impression on Chaisson, but what wows Chaisson even more is the whole community's graciousness to him as a veteran. "The veteran community is very well-liked here," he said.

Before he and his wife, Katrina, relocated from Albuquerque, N.M., to Rapid City last September, Chaisson had lived in Europe and all over the United States, except the Midwest.

"I was taken aback by how nice people are. I think I've been thanked for my service more times in a week here than in 10 years in Albuquerque," Chaisson said. "I really haven't experienced what I've experienced here. ... Ive been thanked and been shown so much love for my service and it really takes my breath away."

Since moving to Rapid City, Chaisson said a restaurant manager and fellow diners have paid for his meals several times. He pays the kindness forward by buying other people's drinks or meals when he's able, and by showing his support for other veterans however he can.

Chaisson is especially grateful that, like Jack, many locals are willing to take time to talk to him. "It feels great to be recognized (as a veteran), but I like the engagement. I get a lot of stares  that's anywhere you go because there's not a lot of amputees. ... I'd rather somebody engage me than stare or try not to stare," Chaisson said.

He said Rapid City is a wonderful place for disabled veterans. "There are people that appreciate sacrifice and honor and duty," Chaisson said.

Chaisson's experiences don't surprise retired veteran Paul Ott. Veterans taking care of other veterans is something Ott said he sees often in Rapid City. Ott serves as the Quartermaster for VFW Post 1273 in Rapid City.

"I've heard people say they've been treated real nice and they're surprised, especially new recruits," Ott said. "They said, 'Wow, you guys here in Rapid really step up for the troops.'

"This is a military community. ... You've got a lot of retired people and a lot of veterans in this area that know what (military personnel and their families) are going through."

VFW Post 1273 is a resource where veterans can turn if they have questions or need assistance, Ott said. For the past two years, the post has hosted a "Boots on the Ground" event in November that provides toiletries and donated clothing to any veteran, free of charge. The event also gives veterans information about services and resources they need.

Year-round, "we try to help in any way we can," Ott said. "We can try to send veterans in right direction to get taken care of."

Sincerely saying "thank you" is the most important thing Ott believes veterans  or anyone  can do to support other veterans, active duty and enlisted military personnel.

"If I see guys in uniform, or if I see them with a hat with (military insignia), I always step up and say, 'Thank you for your service,' and those in uniform especially I thank them for their service," Ott said.

"It really makes them feel proud. ... The pick-me-up they get from being recognized as a veteran does the most good. If they're a veteran, I'm going to say thank you."
PIERRE | Gov. Dennis Daugaard is asking South Dakota legislators to extend a law that governs the use of lakes on private land for recreation, an issue that has long vexed landowners and outdoor enthusiasts.

Lawmakers during a special legislative session last year approved a compromise on so-called nonmeandered waters. But the law is set to expire in June, meaning lawmakers will have to revisit the issue. The 2018 legislative session starts next week.

The governor's office proposed a bill this week that would move the law's expiration date to 2021. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks has received good feedback on the measure, and Daugaard believes it should be given more time to work, according to the governor's chief of staff, Tony Venhuizen.

Nonmeandered waters are bodies of water that weren't specially designated during government surveys in the late 1800s. Some private property has since flooded, forming new, unofficial bodies of water and creating good fishing. But that has come at the cost of farmland and pastures lost by agriculture producers.

The new law restored access to nearly 30 specific lakes for public recreation hampered after a 2017 state Supreme Court decision. State officials intervened after the high court said the Legislature needed to decide the extent the public could use the waters on private land for recreation.

The law also says lakes on private property are open for recreational use unless a landowner installs signs or buoys saying an area is closed, though property owners could still grant permission to use the water.
WASHINGTON (AP)  In bountiful tweets and self-praise, President Donald Trump plays up "tremendous progress" in improving care for veterans in his first year. His claims fall short of reality.

Trump's initiatives have yet to show meaningful impact, and his campaign promises of expanding access to doctors and adding mental health specialists are unfulfilled.

Several of the 2017 accomplishments highlighted in a Trump tweet this week are largely symbolic  proclamations routinely signed by presidents or initiatives that haven't taken full effect or were later acknowledged by the Department of Veterans Affairs to be largely unneeded. In the meantime, wait times for veterans seeking treatment at VA medical centers haven't improved much, as Congress remains deadlocked over a long-term fix aimed at expanding access to doctors, in part due to rising costs.

The VA also admits it fell short of adding 1,000 new mental health professionals last year, even after Trump singled out mental health as especially in need of attention during the campaign and pledged a hiring surge.

Trump speaks often about his commitment to veterans, a group that backed him by nearly 2-to-1 over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

A look at his rhetoric on veterans and White House statements marking his first year in office:

TRUMP: "We will not rest until all of America's GREAT VETERANS can receive the care they so richly deserve. Tremendous progress has been made in a short period of time."  tweet Tuesday, with an Instagram video describing eight accomplishments that show Trump is "fighting for our veterans."

We will not rest until all of Americas GREAT VETERANS can receive the care they so richly deserve. Tremendous progress has been made in a short period of time. Keep up the great work @SecShulkin @DeptVetAffairs! https://t.co/ir25vW15hx pic.twitter.com/OtuzIgxMn6  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018

THE FACTS: The video with catchy music overstates the impact of these steps.

Of the eight achievements cited, two are ceremonial proclamations recognizing National Veterans and Military Families Month and National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

Two are pieces of legislation that extended the troubled Veterans Choice program on a temporary basis. This became necessary because the Trump administration repeatedly miscalculated the amount of taxpayer dollars available to pay for care from private doctors outside the VA system when veterans had to endure long waits for treatment at VA medical centers. The department's poor budget planning caught lawmakers off guard.

A fifth claim involves "telehealth," a step letting doctors practice medicine across state lines using digital technology. Announced in August, it has yet to take full effect because a proposed VA regulation hasn't been completed. The VA wants authority to practice across state lines to come from legislation, not a regulation. On Wednesday, the Senate approved a telehealth measure that now goes to the House.

A sixth claim refers to legislation that streamlines the appeals process for disability compensation claims within the VA. This step has had limited impact so far because it applies to new disability claims, not the 470,000 pending claims.

The other two initiatives mentioned make it easier for the VA to discipline employees. The department has pointed to more than 1,300 employees who have been fired under Trump's watch. Because their infractions are not detailed in public documents, the impact on veterans' care is not fully known.

TRUMP: "The VA was a mess." Before, "you couldn't fire anybody at the VA, if they were sadists, if they were horrible people. ... Now we look at them, they're no good  we say, 'You're fired. Get out of here.'"  Dec. 8 rally in Pensacola, Florida.

THE FACTS: It's wrong to say VA employees were never fired before Trump took office. In fact, more were fired in President Barack Obama's last budget year than in Trump's first.

In fiscal 2017, covering Obama's last three months and Trump's first nine months, 2,061 VA employees were removed for discipline or performance. About 1,419 firings took place since January 2017, when Trump took office, to present. That's down from 2,662 in the previous fiscal year, according to Office of Personnel Management information on the agency's data archive FedScope.

However, it's true that it often took longer for terminations to become final under an appeals process that has been shortened under Trump. Because a new accountability law making it easier to fire VA employees did not take effect until late June 2017, about 500 of the firings last year occurred under the former appeals system, which remains in place at other federal agencies. The new law shortens the length of time to challenge a disciplinary action and lowers the burden of proof needed to fire VA employees.

TRUMP: "Why would smart voters want to put Democrats in Congress in 2018 Election ... People are much better off now not to mention ISIS, VA ..."  Dec. 31 tweet.

Why would smart voters want to put Democrats in Congress in 2018 Election when their policies will totally kill the great wealth created during the months since the Election. People are much better off now not to mention ISIS, VA, Judges, Strong Border, 2nd A, Tax Cuts & more?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017

THE FACTS: He's entitled to his politics, but the tweet masks the fact that each veterans' bill signed into law by Trump won approval with strong support from Democrats as well as Republicans.

House Democrats did block one VA Choice emergency funding bill after major veterans groups complained it focused too much on private care without also investing in core VA programs. The bill was revised to add the money, was overwhelmingly approved and was signed by Trump on Aug. 12.

The bipartisan display began with David Shulkin, a holdover from the Obama administration confirmed unanimously by the Senate to serve as VA secretary in February. Trump calls Shulkin the "100-to-nothing man" because of that vote, since he is the only Trump Cabinet member to achieve that.

WHITE HOUSE: "Secretary Shulkin has expanded access to urgent mental health care to former service members with other-than-honorable discharges."  Nov. 9 press release.

THE FACTS: This claim glosses over VA's difficulty in hiring mental health professionals and providing counseling support to higher-risk veterans, due in part to a tightening VA budget. Trump cited mental health care as a top priority for fixing VA during the presidential campaign and pledged a hiring surge. But the VA only netted about 258 new personnel as of late November, far below the 1,000 additional mental-health specialists it had targeted for 2017.

In March, Shulkin announced an initiative to expand urgent mental health care to those with other-than-honorable discharges with much fanfare, but soon after, he revealed he wouldn't be asking Congress for additional money to pay for it. The program provides mostly emergency care, something that had been offered already to any veteran, not preventive services.

To reduce suicide rates, VA is seeking to establish "telehealth" hubs in rural areas to provide veterans with mental health assistance. It has launched a new predictive model to analyze veterans' health records to identify those at risk. Roughly 20 veterans take their lives each day.

WHITE HOUSE: "President Trump signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 to authorize $2.1 billion in additional funds for the Veterans Choice Program."  Dec. 22 press release.

THE FACTS: The money was quickly used up. Weeks after Congress approved the $2.1 billion in emergency funding to keep the VA Choice private-care program running, the VA acknowledged in September the program would again run out of money earlier than expected. The VA asked Congress to approve a long-term fix to its VA Choice program that could cost as much as $54 billion over five years, but divided lawmakers in December decided instead to approve another stopgap measure of $2.1 billion, punting the bigger issues until later.

The delay means that a larger overhaul of VA Choice  which Shulkin says will help significantly reduce wait times at VA medical centers  isn't likely to be fully implemented until 2019 or later.

The VA Choice program was put in place after a 2014 wait-time scandal that was discovered at the Phoenix VA hospital and elsewhere throughout the country. Veterans waited weeks or months for appointments while phony records covered up the lengthy waits. The program allows veterans to go to private doctors if they endure long waits for VA appointments, but it has suffered extended wait times of its own.

Last year, Shulkin said veterans were waiting more than 60 days for new appointments in about 30 VA locations nationwide.

___

Associated Press writer Calvin Woodward contributed to this report; Follow Hope Yen on Twitter at https://twitter.com/hopeyen1
Although many of us may think that hawks are birds that like wide-open spaces, the Coopers hawk has become very good at living in cities and towns.

This medium-sized hawk has broad, rounded wings with a very long tail. The tail is rounded and the head appears large. Adults are blue-gray in color. They look a lot like a sharp-shinned hawk.

The birds do well in cities because they like to eat medium-sized birds. Cities often have plenty of pigeons for the hawks to feast on, as well as birds at feeders, but they will also eat robins, pheasant and grouse as well as bats, squirrels and mice.

Coopers hawks grab prey with their claws and squeeze it until it dies, often catching other birds while flying through the trees. One study found that because the birds fly so fast through places with lots of trees, many have broken bones by striking branches.

In New Mexico a study found that Coopers hawks who lived in town had an advantage over those who lived in the country. During the winter the country hawks would fly south. The city hawks stayed around because they have plenty of pigeons to eat.

When the spring mating season comes around, the male Coopers hawk will look for a good place to build a nest. If the male lives in the city, hes more likely to find the best places for a nest because he doesnt have to compete with his country cousins, who havent flown back north yet.

Thats meant that there are more city birds spreading out into the country, which scientists found unusual. They normally think of a city as a place that would need birds from outside to keep populations strong. Just the opposite is true with wily Coopers hawk.
As the old restaurant joke goes, Donner, party of 12. But it was no joke for 32 members of the Donner and Reed families who set out for California in the spring of 1846.

The Donner Party had left Independence, Missouri, and had reached Fort Bridger in southwestern Wyoming by July (it was more of a small supply station than a fort). From this location, pioneers typically continued northwest on the Oregon Trail.

However, the Donner party considered taking a relatively untried shortcut to California called the Hastings Cutoff. The Donner Party had a scout who rode ahead to check out the lay of the land. The scout sent back a message that the shortcut was too dangerous to take.

The message ended up in the hands of Fort Bridger's owners. They stood to profit financially if their cutoff trail was followed by many of the thousands of settlers who passed through their trading post. Gee, I wonder if the warning message got passed along to the Donner Party?

As we now know, it did not. Jim Bridger and his partner Louis Vasquez could have directed the party on a safer route. Instead, the Donner Party was never warned of the perils and were sent on a horrendous journey, all in the name of making a few bucks.

Of the 87 people (other families had joined with the Donner and Reed families) who journeyed on the Hastings Cutoff and became stranded in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, 48 were eventually rescued. Many of these survivors were forced to embrace cannibalism in order to survive the dreadful conditions.

While the experiences of the Donner Party were not necessarily atypical of the many thousands of immigrants who traveled to Oregon or California, they became famous due to the detailed accounts of the survivors and the taboo of cannibalism, which both repels and at the same time fascinates people.

Mormon Brigham Young came up with what he thought was an ingenious plan to bring new disciples to their paradise on Earth. The plan was a simple one - encourage British and Scandinavian converts who were too poor to buy wagons to load all their worldly goods onto a handcart, which they would then push or pull on the 60-day journey to Salt Lake.

If youre a poor soul, that could sound pretty appealing. With just 60 days of effort, you can end up in the Promised Land and start a new life. Of course, there could be some minor problems along the way, but nothing that couldnt be overcome.

Well, just to name a few of the potential problems  carts were more prone to breaking down than they were to rolling, there were no supply stations, and the travelers were not prepared to take on the multiple jobs of hunter, guide, and repairman.

Between 1856 and 1860, 10 handcart companies, composed of 3,000 people, set out for the Great Salt Basin. Two of these companies containing more than 1,100 people started out way too late in the year  August  and ended up being buried under many feet of snow, resulting in the deaths of hundreds. Even for those who survived, many lost an arm or a leg to frostbite.

As horrible as these events were, two of the survivors eventually met, married and produced a son you probably have heard of - Butch Cassidy.
A man who has been in and out of the Ravalli County Detention Center nine times since 2011 is behind bars again, this time for two felony charges  assault with a weapon and family/partner member assault.

Its the fourth time William Hunter Sears, 34, has been charged with assaulting a partner or family member. Other arrests on felony charges include being a fugitive from justice and failure to appear in 2012. Arrests for driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol in 2015 and a drug possession charge in 2017 were misdemeanors.

The most recent charges come after Sears allegedly beat up a man while wearing brass knuckles, and also allegedly hitting his girlfriend at a Stevensville home on Dec. 27.

According to court documents, Stevensville police and Ravalli County Sheriffs deputies were sent to a home in the 400 block of Barbara Street at about 5:15 p.m. after being notified of a fight between a man and a woman.

A man standing outside the home with a bleeding face told officers he was at Sears girlfriends home when Sears burst through the front door of the house with a knife in one hand and brass knuckles in the other and started yelling at them, according to an affidavit by Ravalli County Deputy Attorney Angela Wetzsteon.

The victim reported that the defendant threatened him with the knife and then hit him with the brass knuckles, Wetzsteon wrote. He further reported that the defendant then slammed (his girlfriend) on the ground a few times  had (her) by the head and was running her into things and slamming her down on the ground.

Sears allegedly told the man he had 10 seconds to leave the house, so he did. The man told police Sears was jealous of his friendship with Sears girlfriend.

When officers contacted the girlfriend, she initially denied anyone else was in the home. After officers started searching the house, she told Sears to come out of the bedroom, where he had been hiding. While the girlfriend had a cut lip and blood in her mouth, she initially said she bit herself, then blamed it on the dog, the report notes. Eventually, she said she was hit trying to break up a fight between Sears and the other man.

Sears denied having brass knuckles  which were later found hidden in the bedroom  and said the other man took a swing at him, after which Sears hit the man.

Chief (James) Marble was unable to observe any injuries on (the mans) hands that would lead him to believe he had hit anyone, Wetzsteon wrote.

Sears first came to the attention of local law enforcement officers in 2011, when he was arrested on felony assault charges in Hamilton for allegedly head-butting and strangling his then-girlfriend. At that time, he was a specialist with the 864 Engineer Battalion in Fort Lewis, Washington, and had been on leave to visit his grandfather, but never returned to the base.

The Army designated him a deserter, which is a federal felony, and he was arrested Feb. 1, 2012, and was returned to Fort Lewis. When he returned to Ravalli County, he was arrested on a felony charge of failure to appear, stemming from the earlier case.

He was arrested on Jan. 29, 2015, on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, and arrested again on June 28, 2015, for the second time for assaulting a partner or family member. By the time he was arrested for the third assault against a partner or family member on Dec. 24, 2015, it was a felony.

He was convicted in June 2016, which returned him to the county jail, and sentenced to five years of custody, with three suspended. The Montana Department of Corrections put him in boot camp at the Treasure State Correctional Center, according to Amy Barton, a DOC spokesman. That was followed by an after-care program in Great Falls.

He never spent any time in the Montana State Prison, she noted. Once he completed after care, he went on supervision (similar to parole) out of Hamilton.

He was arrested on Sept. 7, 2017, in Hamilton on a misdemeanor charge of possession of dangerous drugs, and a felony charge of parole violation, prior to his most recent arrest.

Ravalli County Attorney Bill Fulbright is quite familiar with Sears. He said prosecuting domestic violence cases are some of the most challenging, since victims dont always cooperate, often out of fear.

Sometimes, unfortunately, victims work really hard against the prosecution, so even if its a horrific event, the case is undermined, he said. Sometimes we have really good facts and evidence, and other times we have only some evidence, and sometimes we cant convince a jury beyond reasonable doubt.

A lot of dynamics are involved in domestic violence that make it difficult to prosecute.

Fulbright added that its also discouraging to have repeat offenders.

Its frustrating when peoples behavior doesnt change; it just repeats, Fulbright said. But thats why we are here.

Sears initial court appearance is set for Jan. 17. Until then, hell remain in the Ravalli County Detention Center.

Theres no bond because hes on conditional release, or parole, Fulbright said. Hes not going to go anywhere for a while now.
Sears Holdings announced Thursday that it will be shuttering over 100 more stores  including Kmarts in Butte and Helena. Expected closure is early April.

A spokesman for the Butte Kmart, 3300 Harrison Ave., declined to comment when contacted Thursday afternoon by The Montana Standard.

Staff at the Helena store, 1700 Cedar St., also declined to comment when reached by The Independent Record Thursday.

The land and building occupied by the Helena location are owned by the Mihelish Family Trust, said property manager Gary Mihelish. The store opened in 1974 and was expanded about 25 years ago, he said.

Though Mihelish said the closure was "generally expected," he was surprised the company didn't finish out the last two years of its lease of the Helena property.

"We'll be talking to potential prospects in the next week. There have been some parties that showed interest in the past, but I couldn't do anything because Kmart had the lease," he said. "Hopefully we can attract some new business to the area and revitalize the neighborhood."

Joe Willauer, executive director of the Butte Local Development Corporation, said the Kmart announcement is distressing, primarily because of the jobs that will be lost.

Thats the biggest thing, we hate to see jobs go away, Willauer said.

He noted too that Butte does not have many big-box retailers and that the Kmart closing is a loss for consumers who appreciate that shopping option.

He said Butte Local Development Corporation is working incredibly hard to bring jobs to Butte and noted that Montana Precision Products is actively recruiting.

The number of employees losing their jobs in Butte and Helena was not available.

According to Sears Holdings, the company "continues its strategic assessment of the productivity of our Kmart and Sears store base and will continue to right-size our store footprint in number and size. In the process, as previously announced, we will continue to close some unprofitable stores as we transform our business model so that our physical store footprint and our digital capabilities match the needs and preferences of our members."

The company on Thursday informed associates at 64 Kmart stores and 39 Sears stores that "we will be closing these stores between early March and early April 2018."

Eligible associates impacted by these store closures will receive severance and will have the opportunity to apply for open positions at area Kmart or Sears stores. Liquidation sales will begin as early as Jan. 12 at these closing stores.

The company is also closing Sears stores in Coeur d'Alene and Twin Falls, Idaho.

Last year, Sears announced it was closing Kmart stores in Glendive and Great Falls. One of Billings's Kmarts was closed in 2016. Kmarts in Bozeman and Missoula have also closed in the past few years.
Comments and links to reports on science, and its applications.




Guwahati : Amidst massive protest by BJP, Congresss Assam unit, All Assam Students Union (AASU) and other regional parties, organizations of Assam over the controversial statement made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the ongoing National Register of Citizen (NRC) updating process in the state, at least three FIRs were lodged at two police stations in Guwahati against the West Bengal CM on Thursday.





According to the reports, Krishak Sramik Kalyan Parishad had lodged an FIR against the West Bengal CM for her controversial remarks on the NRC at Dispur police station, while several lawyers of Guwahati and a social activist Kailash Sarma had filed two Firs at Latasil police station in the city.





Krishak Sramik Kalyan Parishads leader Pradip Kalita said that, while the NRC updating process is going on in Assam under the Supreme Court supervision, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has disrespected the apex court verdict.





The farmers organization leader also accused that, the West Bengal CM is trying to create untoward like situation in Assam and demanded arrest her immediately.





Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said at a public meeting held in Birbhum district that, NRC is a conspiracy to expel Bengalis from Assam.





Bengalis who had been living in Assam for 30 years have now been conspired to be kicked out of the state. Their names are being struck off from the civil list, Mamata said.





Meanwhile, AASU advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya said that, Mamata Banerjee didnt know about Assams environment.





The NRC updating process is going on in Assam to find out only those people who came to Assam after March 24, 1971. The NRC is not against the Bengalis, Muslims or other communities, Bhattacharya said.








Guwahati: Expressing utter dismay on a responsible politicians communal remarks over the ongoing process of National Register of Citizens (NRC) updaion in the State, the Patriotic Peoples Front Assam (PPFA) urges the politicians in power to exercise restrain while making a public statement.





The Assam based forum, while reacting sharply to a recent outburst of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee claiming that the NRC updating process in the State was a conspiracy to drive away Bengalis, also appeals to the conscious people of the neighboring State to prevent their talkative chief minister from making such inflammatory statements.





The much waited updation of NRC of 1951 is undergoing in Assam following the direction (also monitoring) of the Supreme Court and the first draft of it comprising 1.9 crore applicants out of around 3.25 crore total applicants was released on the midnight of 31 December 2017. The second part of it is expected to be published by early this year.





Contrary to the wide spread apprehensions by various government and non-government agencies, no unpleasant incident took place in Assam in the last four days, even though many people including few high profile individuals are yet to find their names in the list. Rather everyone reportedly accepted the error sportingly and waits for necessary correction in the final draft.





But shockingly the Bengal chief minister Ms Banerjee has tried to communalize the issue with queer logics. The Trinamool Congress chief has simply tried to play a cunning game as few Bengali politicians of yesteryears including Jyoti Basu (ex-CM of Bengal) along with a bunch of intellectuals did the same during the Assam movement to deport illegal Bangladeshi migrants, said the PPFA.





In a statement, issued to the media outlets, the forum pointed out that the appeasement policies of Ms Banerjee towards a particular community in West Bengal has seemingly compelled her to make such illogical comments. As she has been vehemently opposing the Centres citizenship amendment bill one can easily get the idea of Ms Banerjees interested group of people, asserted the forum.




Kathmandu, Nepal: The government has on Friday fixed February 7 as the date of election for the National Assembly.





An emergency cabinet meeting held at the Prime Ministers official residence in Baluwatar decided the date for the elections.





Earlier, Election Commission (EC) had recommended the government to hold National Assembly elections by February 8.




Butwal, Nepal: A business man, who is also a cadre of the CPN UML, shot and killed at Dhekar of Devdaha Municipality in Rupandehi district on Friday.





Two unknown assailants shot and killed a furniture businessman Basant Poudel aka Ballu, 40 at around 11 am.





It is said that two unidentified persons came on a Bajaj Discover motorcycle had opened shots at Pudel. Seriously injured poudel was pronounced dead at hospital.

Police have yet to failed ascertain the identity of the assailants and motive behind the murder.





However, it is said that an assailant group led by Manoj Pun has claimed the incident.




National Alliance of Peopleas Movements

National Office : 6/6, Jangpura B, Mathura Road, New Delhi 110014

Phone : 011 24374535 Mobile : 09818905316

Web : www.napm-india.org | napmindia@gmail.com

Facebook : www.facebook.com/NAPMindia

Twitter : @napmindia

Public Statement | January 4, 2018

It was highly shocking to learn that State Bank of India (SBI) had levied Rs 1,771 crores between April and November 2017 as charges from customers who did not maintain their minimum monthly average balance (MAB) in their accounts.[1] To put the numbers in context, SBIas quarterly profit for the July-September quarter was Rs 1,586 crores. Similarly, the fine was nearly half of the net profit between the period of April and September 2017, which was Rs 3,586 crores.

Banks charging a penalty for not maintaining a monthly average balance directly affects the poor in India, who are often unable to maintain the minimum balance because of their financial compulsions. These customers are being doubly burdened, as the people who are not in a position to maintain a minimum balance are being penalized by the banks through imposing a fine for it.

On one hand, the government is compelling citizens to open bank accounts and discouraging cash transactions and on the other hand, its policies a often haphazard and detrimental to common peopleas lives a are forcing banks to levy such charges to cope up with the costs of such policies. Linking of Aadhaar-PAN with bank accounts is one such, after the disastrous demonetization.

The comments from SBIas Managing Director Rajnish Kumar in this context which came out in September 2017 were disturbing. According to him, SBI was planning to raise Rs 2,000 crores as a penalty for non-compliance of minimum balance which it intended to use partly for Aadhaar-PAN linking, along with covering for other losses in banking operations.[2]

The inordinate push for linking Aadhaar to bank accounts, even while the Supreme Court is hearing the matter, shows the level of disregard this government has for law and our countryas legal institutions like Supreme Court. And that the financial burden of its arbitrary policies is passed on to the poor, working and middle-class customers, who are already burdened with the continuing impacts of decisions like demonetization exemplifies how anti-people this government is.

It is to be noted that this clause for the penalty for not having minimum balance had been withdrawn by SBI in May 2012 with an aim of widening its customer base.[3] At that time many people shifted their accounts to SBI from the private banks as the private banks were levying a heavy charge for the minimum balance requirement. In April 2017, SBI reintroduced this penalty after RBI permitted banks to levy charges if customers failed to comply with the minimum balance limit.[4] However, this move was criticized at that time from a wide spectrum of organizations as this was largely considered an anti-people decision which would affect the poor and working class of the country.

The operational losses for banks as identified by Mr Kumar are marginal when we consider the losses incurred by the banks due to Non-Performing Assets (NPA). Moreover, Indian banks have been unable to keep a check on their rising NPAs. According to the Reserve Bank of India, NPAs of Indian banks stood at Rs 7,11,312 crore at the end of March 2017, which jumped to Rs 8,29,338 crores by June 2017 and then further to Rs 8,36,782 crores by end of September 2017. Instead of going tough on the defaulting corporate borrowers, Public Sector Banks had written-off over Rs 55,000 crores of loans between April and September 2017.[5] It is highly unethical on the part of the public sector banks such as SBI to extract a penalty from the financially weaker account holders for their inability to maintain a minimum balance, instead of recovering the loans given to the corporate customers. Banks, especially public sector banks, should find out other means to compensate for their operational losses if any.

We demand that the clause for the penalty due to non-maintenance of minimum balance in any public sector bank should be withdrawn. Further, we demand that the government should not burden the public sector banks with policies and compliances such as Aadhaar and PAN linking, which have huge financial implications and whose financial burdens are passed on to poor customers.

Signed by:

Organisations

All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP)

Beyond Copenhagen Collective

Centre for Financial Accountability, New Delhi

Focus on the Global South

Narmada Bachao Andolan

National Alliance of Peopleas Movements (NAPM), Delhi

The Research Collective. New Delhi

Individuals

Amulya Nidhi, Nai Shuruwat, Madhya Pradesh

Ashok Srimali, Mines, Minerals & People

Awadhesh Kumar, Srijan Lokhit Samiti, Madhya Pradesh

Benny Kuruvilla, Bengaluru

Bharat Patel, Machimar Adhikaar Sangharsh Sangathan

Bilal Khan, Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Abhiyaan

Gopal Krishna, Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties

Himanshu Damle, Public Finance Public Accountability Collective, New Delhi

Himanshu Thakkar, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People, Delhi

Himanshu Upadhyaya, Public Finance Public Accountability Collective, Bangalore

Leo Saldanha, Environmental Support Group, Bangalore

Maglin Philomin, Teeradesa Mahila Vedi, Kerala

Manshi Asher, Himdhara a Environment Research and Action Collective, Himachal Pradesh

Prafulla Samanthra, Lok Shakti Abhiyan, Odisha

Rajendra Ravi, Institute for Democracy and Sustainability

Rajesh Singh, Delhi Solidarity Group

Rajkumar Sinha, Chutka Paramanu Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti, Madhya Pradesh

Ram Wangkheirakpam, Indigenous Perspectives, Manipur

Ranjan Panda, Water Initiatives, Odisha

Ravi Rebbapragda, Samata Assertion for People

Sanjeev Kumar, Delhi Solidarity Group

Soumya Dutta, Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha

Souparna Lahiri, All India Forum of Forest Movements (AIFFM)

Sreedhar Ramamurthi, Environics Trust, New Delhi

Vijayan M.J., New Delhi

Vimalbhai, Mattu Jan Sangathan, Uttrakhand

Willy, Indian Social Action Forum a INSAF, New Delhi

Xavier Dias, Editor, Khan Kaneej Aur ADHIKAR, (Mines Minerals & Rights)

[1] Figures for April-November 2017: SBI collected Rs 1771 crore as charges from below minimum balance accounts a Indian Express a January 02, 2018 a http://indianexpress.com/article/business/banking-and-finance/figures-for-april-nov-2017-sbi-collected-rs-1771-crore-as-charges-from-below-minimum-balance-accounts/

[2] Mr Rajnish Kumar had said, aMaintaining savings bank accounts and complying with KYC requirement is not an easy task. Now the government has said that you have to link Aadhaar to each and every account by 31 December. So I have to look at (SBIas) 40 crore (savings bank) accounts and it is a very costly affair.a He had further added, aThe penalty realised, we will use it to recover our outgo on ATMs. On business correspondents (BCs) channel, SBI incurs a loss of more than Rs 400 crore. We are incurring a cost of almost Rs 2,000 crore on business correspondents channel and ATMs per year. At least we should be able to recover that (from the penalty)a . a Minimum balance: SBI looks to amass Rs 2,000 cr penalty, to partly use it for Aadhaar-PAN linking a Sept 18, 2017 a Firstpost a http://www.firstpost.com/business/minimum-balance-sbi-looks-to-amass-rs-2000-cr-penalty-to-partly-use-it-for-aadhaar-pan-linking-4054269.html

[3] No minimum balance required for SBI savings accounts a The Hindu Businessline a May 03, 2012 a http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-and-banking/no-minimum-balance-required-for-sbi-savings-accounts/article3381085.ece

[4] After 5 years, SBI to charge for breach of minimum balance from April a a The Hindu Businessline a May 03, 2012 a

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-and-banking/after-5-years-sbi-to-charge-for-breach-of-min-balance-from-apr/article9571387.ece

[5] PSU banks write off Rs 55,356 crore in six months a December 04, 2017 a Indian Express a

http://indianexpress.com/article/business/banking-and-finance/psu-banks-write-off-rs-55356-crore-in-six-months-bad-debt-4966594/
The Tribune, January 4, 2018

TRIBUNE INVESTIGATION a SECURITY BREACH

Rs 500, 10 minutes, and you have access to billion Aadhaar details

Group tapping UIDAI data may have sold access to 1 lakh service providers

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 3

It was only last November that the UIDAI asserted that aAadhaar data is fully safe and secure and there has been no data leak or breach at UIDAI.a Today, The Tribune apurchaseda a service being offered by anonymous sellers over WhatsApp that provided unrestricted access to details for any of the more than 1 billion Aadhaar numbers created in India thus far.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

It took just Rs 500, paid through Paytm, and 10 minutes in which an aagenta of the group running the racket created a agatewaya for this correspondent and gave a login ID and password. Lo and behold, you could enter any Aadhaar number in the portal, and instantly get all particulars that an individual may have submitted to the UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India), including name, address, postal code (PIN), photo, phone number and email.

What is more, The Tribune team paid another Rs 300, for which the agent provided asoftwarea that could facilitate the printing of the Aadhaar card after entering the Aadhaar number of any individual.

When contacted, UIDAI officials in Chandigarh expressed shock over the full data being accessed, and admitted it seemed to be a major national security breach. They immediately took up the matter with the UIDAI technical consultants in Bangaluru.

Sanjay Jindal, Additional Director-General, UIDAI Regional Centre, Chandigarh, accepting that this was a lapse, told The Tribune: aExcept the Director-General and I, no third person in Punjab should have a login access to our official portal. Anyone else having access is illegal, and is a major national security breach.a

1 lakh illegal users

Investigations by The Tribune reveal that the racket may have started around six months ago, when some anonymous groups were created on WhatsApp. These groups targeted over 3 lakh village-level enterprise (VLE) operators hired by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (ME&IT) under the Common Service Centres Scheme (CSCS) across India, offering them access to UIDAI data.

CSCS operators, who were initially entrusted with the task of making Aadhaar cards across India, were rendered idle after the job was withdrawn from them. The service was restricted to post offices and designated banks to avoid any security breach in November last year.

Spotting an opportunity to make a quick buck, more than one lakh VLEs are now suspected to have gained this illegal access to UIDAI data to provide aAadhaar servicesa to common people for a charge, including the printing of Aadhaar cards. However, in wrong hands, this access could provide an opportunity for gross misuse of the data.

The hackers seemed to have gained access to the website of the Government of Rajasthan, as the asoftwarea provided access to aaadhaar.rajasthan.gov.ina , through which one could access and print Aadhaar cards of any Indian citizen. However, it could not be ascertained whether the aportalsa were genuinely of Rajasthan, or it was mentioned just to mislead.

Sanjay Jindal said all of this could be confirmed only after a technical investigation was conducted by the UIDAI.

aPrivacy at riska

aLeakage of Aadhaar data reveals that the project has failed the privacy test. At the recently concluded 11th WTO Ministerial Conference, India submitted a written position on e-commerce, opposing the demand for negotiations on e-commerce by the US and its allies. The latter were demanding access to citizensa database for free. The revelation by The Tribune also means that the proposed data protection law will now hold no purpose, as the data has already been breached. The state governments must immediately disassociate themselves and cancel the MoU signed with UIDAI,a said Gopal Krishan, New Delhi-based convener of the Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties, who appeared before the Special Parliamentary Committee that examined the Aadhaar Bill in 2010.

A quick chat, and full access

12:30 pm: This correspondent posing as aAnamikaa contacted a person on WhatsApp number 7610063464, who introduced himself as aAnil Kumara. He was asked to create an access portal.

12:32pm: Kumar asked for a name, email ID and mobile number, and also asked for Rs 500 to be credited in his Paytm No. 7610063464.

12:35 pm: This correspondent created an email ID, aadharjalandhar@gmail.com, and sent mobile number ******5852 to the anonymous agent.

12:48 pm: Rs 500 transferred through Paytm.

12:49 pm: This correspondent received an email saying, aYou have been enrolled as Enrolment Agency Administrator for aCSC SPVa. Your Enrolment Agency Administrator ID is aAnamika_6677a.a Also, it was said that a password would be sent in a separate mail, which followed shortly.

12:50 pm: This correspondent had access to the Aadhaar details of every Indian citizen registered with the UIDAI.

Printing Aadhaar card

This correspondent later again approached Anil Kumar to ask for software to print Aadhaar cards. He asked for Rs 300 through Paytm No. 8107888008 (in the name of aRaja). Once paid, a person identifying himself as Sunil Kumar called from mobile number 7976243548, and installed software on this correspondentas computer by accessing it remotely through aTeamViewera . Once the job was done, he deleted the software drivers, even from the recycle bin.

Possible misuse

Getting SIM cards, or bank accounts in anyoneas name. Last month, a man was arrested in Jalandhar for withdrawing money from someoneas bank account by submitting a fake Aadhaar card.

o o o

Editorial, The Tribune, January 5, 2017

Unsecured Aadhaar: The perils of identity leak

THE Tribune on Thursday exposed the vulnerability of citizensa data repository guarding about a billion Aadhaar IDs. Crucial information is being sold by unscrupulous people for a paltry sum of Rs 500. The buyer could be anyone a an irksome telemarketer, a cunning hacker or a cyber criminal operating from a remote location. The buyer can take full advantage of the inundating information because the government is hell bent on linking virtually everything with this 12-digit number. Based on its diktat, citizens are forced to link their PAN cards, bank accounts, provident funds etc with their Aadhaar numbers. They get routine threatening SMSes from their banks and other institutions to get their accounts linked with their respective Aadhaar numbers or lose them.

Instead of addressing the citizensa privacy concerns, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) a the custodian of about a billion personal identities a has rubbished The Tribuneas report as aa case of misreportinga and denied any breach. Astonishingly, in the same breath, it says that it would take alegal action, including the lodging of an FIR, against the persons involved.a Why an FIR if there is no data breach! The UIDAI must come out of its denial mode and accept the reality that unscrupulous elements have unauthorised access to the Aadhaar identities of Indians. It is surprising that it does not consider any security threat in unauthorised access to names, addresses, postal codes, photographs, dates of birth, mobile numbers and email IDs of millions of individuals. This information is enough for a cyber criminal to defraud gullible citizens. The silence of the government, particularly of the IT Ministry, on this matter is worrisome. It must fathom the gravity of the situation. The hackers can create havoc if they breach the second level a the biometric safe a and alter or delete the biometric details of Aadhaar cardholders.

The Aadhaar card was conceived by the Manmohan Singh government as an effective subsidy delivery tool. It did work well within its limited mandate of direct transfer of cooking gas subsidy. Indeed, it has potential to become a great tool of effective governance, provided the current dispensation renounces its rash and brash approach. The government must address the citizensa privacy and security concerns before making Aadhaar all-pervasive.

o o o

SEE ALSO:

FIR against Tribune reporter over Aadhaar data breach story http://indianexpress.com/article/india/fir-against-tribune-reporter-over-aadhaar-data-breach-story-5014674/

Explainer: Aadhaar is vulnerable to identity theft because of its design and the way it is used - A centralised database, dual use as identifier and authenticator, and lack of sound legal framework are its main weaknesses |

Kritika Bhardwaj (scroll.in - April 2, 2017) https://scroll.in/article/833230/explainer-aadhaar-is-vulnerable-to-identity-theft-because-of-its-design-and-the-way-it-is-used

o o o

India: Urgent Memorandum From Rethink Adhaar To Standing Committee on Home Affairs

o o o

Government Unable To Control Aadhaar Leaks? | The Urban Debate With Faye DSouza
Shirley Contreras lives in Orcutt and writes for the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society. She can be contacted at 623-8193 or at shirleycontreras2@yahoo.com. Her book, The Good Years, a selection of stories shes written for the Santa Maria Times since 1991, is on sale at the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society, 616 S. Broadway.
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 "What to Know About the Death Penalty in 2018" | Main | "Prosecutors and Democracy: A Cross-National Study" 

January 5, 2018

In prelude to federal prosecution, killer of Kate Steinle gets three-year sentence on sole state count of conviction

As reported in this local article, "the Mexican national accused of shooting Pleasanton native Kate Steinle was sentenced today to three years in prison but will not serve any more time in state custody because of credit for time served." Here is more:

Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, 54, will now be handed over to federal authorities to be prosecuted again. After a four-week trial that drew national attention, a jury in November acquitted the undocumented immigrant of murder, involuntary manslaughter and assault with a semiautomatic firearm in the July 2015 shooting of Steinle on San Franciscos Pier 14. But jurors convicted him of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Samuel Feng this morning sentenced Garcia Zarate, who has already spent two and a half years in jail waiting for his trial, to time served on his possession conviction. Garcia Zarates defense team urged Feng to throw it out, arguing that the jury received improper instructions about the charge. But Feng denied the motion this morning at San Franciscos Hall of Justice.... In the coming days, Garcia Zarate will be arraigned in federal court, where he faces similar charges of being a convicted felon and an illegal immigrant in possession of a firearm. His defense attorneys have argued that the shooting was an accident, suggesting that Garcia Zarate found the gun on the pier and that it accidentally discharged when he touched it, with the bullet ricocheting 78 feet before hitting 32-year-old Steinle. Garcia Zarate threw the gun into the water after it fired.

Prior related post:

January 5, 2018 at 03:36 PM | Permalink

Comments

Travesty.

Should have been maxed out. The authors of the sanctuary city policy in SF should be utterly ashamed of themselves, the unAmerican scum.

Posted by: federalist | Jan 5, 2018 7:49:10 PM

I don't think the single firearm charge should have been maxed out and am unsure why it should have been. The jury didn't convict for the other charges. We can assume, perhaps, it was wrong. As was in my view a legally innocent person spending over two years in prison as in this case.

But, the "authors of the sanctuary cities" didn't failed to convict him. The jury didn't. The juries from the community in question that voted in people with certain views on "sanctuary cities," thinking as a whole that is a good policy for various reasons. A city without such a position will still have undocumented individuals, who at times will commit crimes. The crime here by the jury being unauthorized having a weapon. The desire to have strong gun enforcement policies is not something the Trump Administration as a whole is pushing that hard as compared to California.

Anyways, per current accepted doctrine [that in a recent case, Ginsburg and Thomas flagged as troubling], in effect a second bite of the apple is now possible. The Administration's position as to "sanctuary cities" [honored by the Bible, which some in the Administration find appealing but if respecting sojourners from other lands [while of course not giving them carte blanche to commit crimes - e.g., by prosecuting them as here] is thought as "unAmerican," one can have that view as desired, including by interpreting religious texts differently] is different than the city here, but a jury will again have a chance to not convict after the authorities prosecuted.

Posted by: Joe | Jan 6, 2018 3:47:33 PM

The sad thing, Joe, is that you believe that bullshit.

Posted by: federalist | Jan 7, 2018 8:35:43 AM

Where's the respect for the jury's verdict? Pathetic.

Posted by: Mark M. | Jan 7, 2018 3:23:29 PM

Mark. San Fran Jury = Bronx jury. Both are totally pro-criminal. Should a jury of KKK members judge a white man who attacked a black man? Would you respect or criticize that verdict?

Posted by: David Behar | Jan 8, 2018 9:43:58 AM

Joe. The typical sentence for involuntary manslaughter in California is 3 years. Justice has been done, albeit through slowness and incompetence.

The real crime is to suborn illegal entry into the US by the mayor and by the governor of California. The failure to prosecute those two is the real injustice.

Trump is a NY liberal, and a weak leader. Watch out for the next guy, in 2024, after the country learns, Trump was not enough. Such California officials will then be arrested, and federal funds will then be cut off to their jurisdictions.

Posted by: David Behar | Jan 8, 2018 9:50:41 AM

Post a comment
 DOJ casting new marijuana enforcement memo in terms of "rule of law" and "local control" | Main | In prelude to federal prosecution, killer of Kate Steinle gets three-year sentence on sole state count of conviction 

The title of this post is the headline of this recent Marshall Project piece that astutely previews what the year ahead might hold in the arena of capital punishment. Here is how the piece starts and its preview themes:

Only a little more than a year ago, many opponents of the death penalty were cautiously optimistic that the U.S. Supreme Court  perhaps with a Clinton appointee or two  might strike down the punishment for good. Then came President Donald Trump, who tweeted SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY! about one criminal suspect and recently called for the execution of anyone who kills a police officer. He picked an attorney general, Jeff Sessions, known for his efforts to pursue executions in Alabama, and a Supreme Court justice, Neil Gorsuch, whose first major decision was to deny a prisoners request for a stay of execution.

But does all that matter? The number of executions and new death sentences have been trending downward for years. Support for capital punishment in the U.S. is at about 55 percent, its lowest point in more than four decades. Trumps first year saw a slight rise in death sentences and executions, but those are the product of counties and states; the president and attorney general have little say beyond the occasional federal case. What can we expect at the beginning of 2018? Is the death penalty almost gone, or will the presidents support rejuvenate it?

To answer those questions, there will be four places to watch:

The Counties

Its up to local, elected district attorneys to decide whether to ask a jury for the death penalty. In the 1990s, many prosecutors campaigned on their successes sending men to death row. But much has changed....

The States

It takes a DA and a jury to send someone to death row, but it takes a massive state bureaucracy to kill him. Courts must uphold the convictions, prison officials must secure lethal injection drugs, and governors and attorneys general must clear political and legal obstacles....

The Supreme Court

Trump could leave a massive legacy at the Supreme Court, especially if Justice Anthony Kennedy follows through on his plan to retire....

The U.S. Attorney General

The federal government has successfully sought capital punishment 76 times since 1988. It will become clear in 2018 whether Sessions will try to impose capital punishment in some current cases.
This well-established Blog is worth visiting on a regular basis for a wealth of information of interest to Armenian nationals and to the Armenian Diaspora world-wide. Although it has a particular role in promoting international recognition of the Genocide, the Blog encompasses much more and includes many articles of general appeal to all those concerned with Armenian affairs. Much of the content is difficult or impossible to find elsewhere and the long list of links provided gives easy access to a plethora of material on social, political, religious, educational and cultural matters, and many news items from around the world.




Christopher Plummer is such an essential part of All the Money in the World its surprising director Ridley Scott didnt wait until he was available.

Instead, he cast Kevin Spacey as J. Paul Getty and was ready to release the film when Spacey was accused of sexual abuse. Rather than roll the dice, he decided to reshoot Spaceys scenes with Plummer.

The move was brilliant.

Plummer pulls you into the mind of the very rich and helps you understand why Getty didnt want to negotiate with terrorists.

His grandson, J. Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) has been kidnapped in Italy and held for ransom. The boys mother (Michelle Williams) doesnt have the money because shes divorced from his father. She appeals to her ex-father-in-law but hes not budging. He assigns a security expert (Mark Wahlberg) to help. But money is off the table.

The boy doesnt know whats going on back home, but hes determined to get out.

While he endures one story, Williams and Wahlberg write another.

Scott doesnt push his action but he does play with time. If you research any of this case (and those who were around during the 1970s will remember it), youll see how All the Money isnt exactly letter perfect.

Still, theres an urgency that propels the story and gives Williams purpose. She uses an odd accent (and smokes an awful lot of cigarettes) but isnt going to give up on her son. Her ex (Andrew Buchan) is hardly one to count on. He has his own problems and, likely, they began with the way he was treated by his father.

Considering the reshoots were done in a matter of days, its amazing how well they fit and how essential Plummers Getty becomes. Hes an odd duck, too, married to things, not people. He loves his art, enjoys the hunt. But he isnt about to be pulled into someone elses game.

Scott gives his Italian scenes a distinct Godfather vibe and lets Paul III have an accomplice here and there.

Still, the case is known for the lengths the captors go to prove they mean business. A particular scene is graphic  more than a thriller needs.

Scott makes sure All the Money has a daring rescue, a nail-biting chase and an a-ha ending. It all may not be quite factual, but it makes a great film.

Plummer, though, is the reason to see this film. Without his ability to convey a cold, cold heart, All the Money wouldnt have such a great net worth.
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SIOUX CITY | Ensuring hospital employees get a flu shot if they are able to is a team effort at Mercy Medical Center, according to Jodi Arnold, an infection control specialist for the hospital.

Messages warning of the dangers of the virus, which causes runny and stuffy nose, fever, body aches, sore throat and cough, can be found on computer screen savers and signs posted throughout the hospital. Nurses provided free vaccinations at various employee events held in the fall and during off-hours for health care workers assigned an overnight shift.

"Most influenza outbreaks are typically linked to health care workers," Arnold said. "If I'm infected and I take care of patients and I give that flu virus to the five patients I'm taking care of, I'm just spreading it all around."

Hospital policy requires employees, even those who don't directly interact with patients, to get a flu shot or obtain a medical or religious exemption. Kristi Gaither, employee health and wellness manager at Mercy Medical Center, said just 12 employees have opted out -- mostly for medical reasons. They are required to wear facemasks during cold and flu season, which typically reaches its peak in Siouxland somewhere between January and February.

"I think part of our success is being available to everybody," said Gaither, who noted a perfect employee compliance rate with the hospital's policy. "(Vaccination) is important for their health, their family's health, and it's also important for our patients' health. We've had quite a few patients come in that are positive for influenza A. We can rest assured that our employees being vaccinated are taking care of themselves."

A growing number of hospitals around the country mandate that their workers get a flu shot.

Essentia Health, which is headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota, recently terminated more than 60 nurses and other workers who didn't comply with a new policy that requires employees to get a flu shot by its November compliance date or receive a medical or religious exemption. Labor unions have filed lawsuits in response to the policy.

In contrast, Ohio legislators are considering a bill that would prohibit employers from penalizing workers for not getting vaccinated.

Faye Tompkins, manager of employee health and wellness for UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's, said she thinks mandating vaccination is a good thing because of the highly contagious nature of the influenza virus, which kills an estimated 36,000 people annually in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Iowa Department of Public Health recently upgraded influenza activity in the state from local to regional. So far this season, the State Hygienic Laboratory has confirmed 249 cases of influenza, while two people have died from the virus since October.

The people most likely to be hospitalized -- the elderly, the very young, pregnant women and people with chronic health conditions -- are at greatest risk of developing serious complications from influenza or dying from the flu.

"It can be spread person to person by droplets. If you're within six feet of another person who has the flu virus, even if they're not symptomatic, you can get it," Tompkins said. "You can also get it from a doorknob and telephone. It's very contagious. We need to protect our population as much as we can."

Tompkins said this is the first flu season that St. Luke's has recorded 100 percent compliance with its policy, meaning employees have either signed an exemption form or received the influenza vaccine.

"We have about 15 people -- whether they're an employee, volunteer or traveler -- who have signed an exemption form," Tompkins said. "That is probably an increase in exemption forms. In previous years we had some (employees) that we couldn't track down to get the form signed."

The CDC recommends that everyone six months of age and older receive a seasonal flu vaccine. When the vaccine is well-matched to circulating viruses, the CDC estimates effectiveness among the overall population ranges from 50 to 60 percent.

An analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine in November reports this flu season's vaccine is estimated to be only about 10 percent effective against influenza A (H3N2), the predominant strain of influenza circulating in the United States.

Even when the flu vaccine isn't as effective, Gaither said getting the shot still gives an individual a better chance at avoiding the flu. She said today's vaccines, which are free of Thimerosal -- a mercury-based preservative -- latex and egg, are "much safer" for people who have allergies.

Shelly Bennett, service line manager for Family Health Care of Siouxland Imaging Center, said the influenza vaccine is "strongly encouraged" at the independent network's seven clinics. She said employees who decline vaccination must wear facemasks.

Gaither said employees have been very compliant with Mercy's facemask policy, which she said is enforced by managers.

"Who wants to be in a mask all day long, but they know that they need to do that," she said.
SIOUX CITY | A 28-year-old Sioux City man was arrested Friday for allegedly robbing the Kum and Go store at 1401 Court St.

Mark Everett was charged with on charges of first-degree robbery and felon in possession of a firearm. Police were called to the store shortly after midnight after a suspect armed with a handgun stole an undisclosed amount of money from the store, according to a news release from the department.

A K-9 SCPD officer tracked the suspect to a location in the 900 block of 21st Street, where officers found the stolen money and the gun allegedly used in the robbery. The department said its investigation is ongoing.
SIOUX CITY | A South Sioux City man has pleaded not guilty to robbing a Sioux City convenience store.

Devon Simons, 18, entered his written plea Friday in Woodbury County District Court to one count of second-degree robbery.

Simons is accused of robbing the Kum & Go store at 1005 Gordon Drive at gunpoint on Dec. 15. According to court documents, Simons entered the store at about 1:11 a.m., approached the clerk and displayed what she believed was a black handgun and demanded cash and several packs of cigarettes. He left the store with approximated $960 in cash and 13 packs of cigarettes, court documents said.

Sioux City police said at the time of Simons' arrest that he matched the description of a person who robbed Kum & Go at 3808 Dakota Ave. in South Sioux City on Dec. 14. An online search of Nebraska court records did not reveal any charges filed against Simons in connection with that robbery.
SIOUX CITY | Siouxland Chamber President Chris McGowan publicly admonished state Rep. Chris Hall Friday for using "incendiary" and "inflammatory" language in a lawsuit Hall filed earlier this week against Gov. Kim Reynolds, saying the partisan tone doesn't reflect well on Sioux City.

"I don't think you did our community a service by criticizing our governor with that language," McGowan told the Sioux City Democrat.

Hall, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, is challenging Reynolds transfer of $13 million from an emergency reserve fund in September to balance the states budget at the end of fiscal 2017. In a petition filed electronically Monday in Polk County District Court, Hall claims Reynolds and Department of Management director Dave Roederer conspired to unlawfully appropriate and misuse state funds.

McGowan, who made his comments during a forum the Chamber of Commerce hosted for Hall and other Sioux City area legislators, emphasized he was not necessarily criticizing the substance of the lawsuit, but rather the way it was written by Hall or his lawyers.

Hall responded that he does not believe the city or business community will face any negative association with the suit, and added he's optimistic lawmakers will quickly resolve the budget issue and render the litigation a non-issue.

The Sioux City Democrat said he was heartened by comments made Thursday by House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, who said Reynolds' action complied with the spirit but not letter of the law. Upmeyer said she expects the GOP-controlled House will consider updating the code section once the 2018 session convenes on Monday.

"I'm glad that with yesterday's acknowledgement from the speaker of the House this is something that we're going to address in the first few weeks of the session," Hall told reporters after the event, which was held at the Long Lines Family Rec Center. "Hopefully it rules the issue moot, and we'll dismiss the legal challenge as well. That's my preferred outcome."

Hall added he wanted to continue to correspond with McGowan in private.

"I've received one email, and frankly as far as the exchange that I had with Chris, I'd just prefer to keep that personable and, you know, and leave it as an exchange between the two of us," Hall told reporters.

McGowan, a registered Republican, said the petition reads like a "press release, not a lawsuit." The Chamber president did not cite specific examples of language he found "incendiary" or "inflammatory."

According to the suit, while Reynolds had the opportunity to convene a special session to seek legislation to authorize an appropriation to cover the deficit, such a move "would have created a political problem ... by drawing attention to her inability to adequately manage the State's fiscal affairs." The suit also calls the reasons Reynolds and Roederer didn't foresee the budget deficit "as unexplainable as they are inexplicable."

Hall, who represents House District 13, was among four local legislators who attended Friday's forum where they took questions from Chamber members about the state budget, taxes and other issues. Sen. Rick Bertrand, R-Sioux City, Rep. Tim Kacena, D-Sioux City, and Rep. Chuck Holz, R-Le Mars, also participated.

McGowan noted that Hall's responses to Chamber members' questions about the lawsuit seemed to strike a different tone and were "very rational" and "very deliberative."

Lawmakers created the State Economic Emergency Fund to cushion the blow of fiscal downturns on core services. Under the law, the governor has the authority to transfer up to $50 million from the fund when certain conditions are met, including that annual general fund revenue collections be at least 0.5 percent less than estimated by the state's revenue-estimating panel during the third quarter of the year. The $7.1 billion collected for the general fund in fiscal year 2017 was only 0.15 percent  or $11 million  lower than the panel's March 2017 estimate, not enough to trigger the governor's transfer authority, the lawsuit claims.
SIOUX CITY | The 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City has been awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for exceptionally meritorious service.

The award was announced by the National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C. The 185th posted news of the award on the wing's website Thursday.

According to the award citation, the 185th has continued to regularly provide mission capable aircraft and airmen for deployments around the world for both flying and mission support operations.

Col. Larry Christensen, commander of the 185th wing, said the award is a reflection of the great workers at the base. The award has been given to the 185th now for a ninth time, with this one covering the two-year period through December 2016.

"The people in our communities have a strong work ethic. It is our unit members that make the unit what it is, but it is also great to have the recognition of the National Guard Bureau to validate our commitment to excellence," said Christensen.

The unit is comprised of more than 900 full- and part-time members. The 185th flies and maintains eight KC-135R Sratotanker mid-air refueling aircraft. The units main mission is mid-air refueling but is also made up of numerous support elements in the global mission of the Air Force.

Currently, the 185th is underway with an overseas mission as part of the Air National Guard base's largest deployment since the Vietnam War. The 185th is nearing the projected deployment of 300 members by early 2018.

The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award is given to units that have distinguished themselves by exceptional meritorious service or outstanding achievement.

"We would not be able to do this without the support of our communities, our family members, employers and civic leaders. Our members serve proudly and they are a great reflection of the communities they come from. Their commitment as well as the commitment of our communities is crucial to our success," Christensen added.
DES MOINES | Statehouse Republicans Thursday said they want to make sure that any revenue windfall Iowa reaps from federal tax changes goes to taxpayers rather than growing state government or launching new spending initiatives.

Gov. Kim Reynolds and the GOP-run Legislature is expected to get an initial report Friday on the potential impact of federal tax cuts and how they might translate into state income tax collections for Iowans who will have less federal tax liability to claim given Iowa is only one of three states with a federal deductibility feature in its tax code.

"It isn't just a lottery ticket, that you won the lottery type of deal," said Rep. Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, in urging a cautious approach to how state officials address tax and spending cuts when lawmakers gavel in their 2018 session on Monday.

The state Revenue Estimating Conference scheduled a special meeting for Friday afternoon to be briefed by officials in the Iowa Department of Revenue concerning the fiscal impact of a major overhaul of the federal corporate and individual income tax system passed by Congress and signed by President Trump.

Reynolds and top GOP lawmakers say they will use the findings in fashioning a state plan to provide tax relief, reform and simplification during the 2018 session. Republicans return to the Capitol with majorities of 29-20-1 in the Iowa Senate and 58-41 pending a special election Jan. 16 to fill a vacancy in House District 6.

"We're not viewing the (federal) tax reform as a way to get more dollars out of those middle-class Iowans," House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, said during a legislative forum sponsored by the Associated Press.

"Those were dollars that were intended to be in people's pockets. We need to see that that happens," Upmeyer told reporters. "We're not going to view that as an opportunity to grow government and spend that money."

Reynolds, who indicated she would spell out some guidelines on how Iowa should modernize its tax code when she delivers her first Condition of the State address on Tuesday, said tax changes and reductions should be fiscally responsible and sustainable for the state budget long term.

"We want to do everything we can to streamline the process, to make it simpler, to reduce taxes and really to help families to keep more of their hard-earned money," said Reynolds, who became Iowa's first female governor when former Gov. Terry Branstad resigned last May to become Trump's ambassador to China.

House Democratic Leader Mark Smith of Marshalltown said the first order of business for legislators should be to erase a projected $37 million budget imbalance in the current fiscal year and provide more value for the money taxpayers already are investing in services they expect state government to provide.

"When we continue to only talk about budget cuts and tax cuts, that sets Iowa on the wrong course," noted Senate Minority Leader Janet Petersen, D-Des Moines. She said the focus should be on job growth and getting the state budget in check to avoid problems other states, like Kansas, encounter when cutting taxes.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, said the focus has to be on holding spending in check while improving Iowa's competitive position by lowering tax rates and simplifying the state tax code.

"Anything we do on taxes really should be done for the purposes of expanding the number of taxpayers and opportunities in our state," Dix said. "The goal is to shine a beacon on Iowa as a place of opportunity where Iowans can enjoy higher-paying career opportunities."
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.
I am delighted that anthropologists joined the debate unleashed by a story published in the Washington Post on 15 December 2017, in which health reporter Lena Sun and politics correspondent Juliet Eilperin suggested that The Trump administration is prohibiting officials at the nations top public health agency from using a list of seven words or phrases  in official documents being prepared for next years budget. While the brouhaha has provided anthropologists with an opportunity to weigh in on the anti-science politics of the Trump administration, we have fallen shortI argue herein grasping the broader and more deeply-rooted issues the story raises and its potential for challenging anthropological boundaries and analytics.

That the debate can point to new conceptual perspectives is suggested by its prominence on listservs of both the Society for Linguistic Anthropology and the Society for Medical Anthropology (and perhaps others as well). At the same time, anthropologys subdisciplining isolated these parallel discussions: the participants did not overlap, and the issues raised were distinct. The absence of dialogue is not surprising, given that boundary-work generally confines linguistic anthropologists interested in health and medical anthropologists who write about narrative, translation, and medical registers to separate universes, blissfully unaware of the critical insights that lie just over the border.

Framing the debate as one of whether seven wordsvulnerable, entitlement, diversity, transgender, fetus, evidence-based and science-basedwere banned, discouraged, or strategically avoided at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) involved two key reifications. One is a core component of language ideologies of modernity since the seventeenth century: the reduction of complex issues of poetics, politics, rhetoric, and meaning to a focus on individual words. Lost in this move is broader awareness of how knowledge and ignorance are produced in medicine and public health, how some people become authoritative speakers while others are muted, their perspectives becoming unspeakable or judged to provide evidence of the ignorance that health communication must eradicate. Overlooking the complex positionality of journalists and understanding them as having simply lifted the veil on political interference in science and medicine ignores insights emerging from the anthropology of media and journalism, which itself overlooks health and medicine as important sites of mediatization. So, rather than registering commonsense cries of indignation, lets stop for a moment, slow down, and think more deeplyas anthropologistsabout what is going on here and how we might respond.

My reading of the controversy is mediated by a couple of decades of watching how discourse circulates in national, state, and local public health agencies in various countries, particularly the United States and Venezuela. Vincanne Adams (2016) has recently documented the migration of evidence-based modes of validating knowledge production from clinical medicine to public health. Rather than being framed as efforts to boost the health of a particular population, public health funding must be based on evidence, especially numbers produced in what seem to be quasi-experimental interventions intent on maximizing the potential scalability (Tsing 2015) of a particular strategy. In interviews, national, state, county, and local public officials extended this logic to what are framed as issues of communication, claiming that how they attempt to reach the public is based on quantitative epidemiological and communicative investigations.

Nevertheless, my ethnographic work suggests that notions of evidence fall far short of adequately explaining how discourse circulates in public health agencies. Control over discourse circulation in these agencies is quite akin to military organizations, such that only top officials and individuals they designate can issue reports or statements that might reach beyond the agencys borders. The securitization of healthwhich has been characterized as a shift from population management to emergency preparedness (Lakoff 2017)has rationalized even tighter controls: the public might prove to be more dangerous than pathogens if it becomes panicked or alarmed in a biosecurity crisis. Public health officialswho are generally appointed by elected officialsare extremely sensitive to their bosses fury when a communicative misstep suggests that their agency is endangering public health or wasting state resources. Even as their professional ideologies lead public health officials to project a sharp boundary between science/medicine and politics, their struggles to maintain allocations and grants lead them to grapple daily with the precarity of their boundary-work. Indeed, the focus of the CDC meeting described in the Post was not on producing epidemiological reports but on what we might call econoscience, documents that would draw together public health, bureaucratic, and political networks and discoursesinviting the same move by reporters Sun and Eilperin! Projecting a chasm between the health sciences versus journalism and communication limits awareness of the extent to which communication is a key site in which public health hierarchies are structured and relations between what are defined as health and political entities are constituted.

How, then, did two Post reporters learn what transpired at a closed-door CDC meeting? We might suggest that the CDC analyst believed that administration officials had damaged the science/politics boundary so profoundly that s/he felt justified in crossing it him/herself by violating these restrictions, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly. Stopping here, however, would leave anthropologists in a second reductionist trap, imagining reporters as searching medical and public health sectors for facts that journalistic techniques empower them to turn into stories. When they draw on news storiesas much in their labor of research as in their daily reading and viewinganthropologists often extract referential content rather than ask how making news might constitute a crucial part of making the event reported. This short-circuit forecloses valuable insights into how bodies, diseases, epidemics, cures, and forms of care get madenot simply represented. Overlooking the power of journalism to turn a routine bureaucratic meeting into a major political event fails to explore how a really big storyone that generated 7,545 comments (as of 12/23/17), additional articles in the Post and other news outlets, a social media explosion, the SMA and SLA listserv flurries, and this Somatoshere postcame into being. If we step back a bit, the story might prompt us to wonder a bit more about why there is such a proliferation of health news stories in the first place, even as many other media beats are shrinking.

Here we need to question our own assimilation of another form of boundary-work, one that springs from journalists professional ideologies and their self-construction as standing outside of the arenas they report. Even as journalists and health professionals constantly project a boundary between them, health is now just as mediatized as health reporting is medicalized. US medical and public health organizationsfrom small clinics and public health offices to the CDC with its vast Office of the Associate Director for Communicationemploy individuals trained as journalists and outsource media consultation. Messaging (Lempert and Silverstein 2012) is as much a part of the daily labor of health officials as of politicians. Many health journalists have scientific training, and all U.S. national news networks and CNN employ physician-journalists who speak as reporter, doctor, and public health commentator, often in the same broadcast. In larger venues like the Post, health issues are split between political reporters like Eilperin, who generally write stories on governmental policies and political battles, like efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. They draw largely on the reporting conventions used for partisan political battles and on their networks of politicians and officials. Health reporters get deeply entangled in networks consisting of leading clinicians, researchers, health officials, scientific bloggers, and pharmaceutical and biotech companies. The Post article is a rare hybrid in which journalists from both beats combined their networks and reporting conventions.

The illusion of distinct media and medical arenas is sustained by the content of storieslike the one on banned wordswhich projects journalists as boundary-workers whose watchdog role enables them to expose illegal crossings. Such stories emerged from a broader process that I have referred to in work with media studies scholar Daniel Hallin as biomediatization (Briggs and Hallin 2016). Carried out in laboratories, clinics, public health offices, and living rooms as much as newsrooms, biomediatization involves the co-production of medical subjects and objects through collaborations that entangle what are envisioned as distinct professional ideologies and practices. Two examples must suffice. Along with marketers (Dumit 2012), media consultants for biotech and pharmaceutical corporations do not simply issue press releases when new products are announced but rather collaborate with scientists and clinicians from the start in constructing a new disease, identifying target molecules, designing and carrying out clinical trials, recruiting medical writers, placing articles in professional journals, and building dialogues between biotech journalists and scientists throughout the process. Thus, new drugs and devices are mediatized from the start.

Similarly, if preparedness is, as Lakoff suggests, a new episteme, then it is largely the constant barrage of stories about possible pandemics that transforms health into a security issue and creates infectious affective economies outside the walls of medical and public health organizations. Extensive ethnographic and textual research on the emergence of H1N1 (swine flu) suggests how securitization and biomediatization converged in recent decades. On 23 April 2009, NBC Nightly News presented a short segment and the New York Times published a pithy article on its website about seven cases of an unusual strain of H1N1 in California and Texas. Just 24 hours later, the swine flu epidemic had become the lead story. How did journalists construct a narrative that sustained most of its dominant elements over months, worried laypersons as much as health professionals, and diverted public health funds on the basis of virtually no clinical or epidemiological evidence? Starting long before 9/11, the CDC played a leading role in disseminating techniques of emergency risk communication. The CDC (2002) published a Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication manual, as well as one adapted specifically for pandemic influenza, and offered public health officials and others an associated online course that standardized ways of speaking to the public. The CDC has spent millions on exercises or scenarios in which first-responders, security and health officials, journalists employed by media outlets and state agencies, politicians, and others simulate biosecurity events sparked by bioterrorism or novel pathogens. Constituting one of the most massively funded and widely dispersed rehearsal processes on the planetperhaps only surpassed by civil defense preparations for nuclear war (Gusterson 1996; Masco 2006)these exercises socialize health and media professionals and politicians in standardized biosecurity discursive practices and create biomediatization networks. The news stories covering these faux events enable them to shape everyday lay affects and discourse, particularly as they replay visual and auditory tropes from germ thrillers like Outbreak and Contagion. In short, the 24 April 2009 stories had already been devised in countless encounters between media, health, and Homeland Security professionals and audiences and then assembleddetails modified to fit pig flu rather than the expected bird flu virusin 24 hours.

Please dont get me wrong: Trumps attacks on science are deeply troubling. But I hope that scrutinizing the commonsense reifications that generally shape how anthropologists read and respond to science and health news stories can foster greater awareness of the context in which such attempts to regulate scientific discourse emerge. The production of knowledge about health in the CDC and other public health organizations was deeply enmeshed in the politics of communication long before January 2017; attempting to regulate the use of particular words thus forms a tiny canary in the mineshaft of highly regimented and hierarchicalized discursive practices. The boundary-work that sustains it renders us reliant on complex processes of biomediatization whose surface form is news articles: we seldom learn about what goes on inside the CDC except when journalists outside its walls break stories or those inside launch media campaigns.

More adequate identification of political stakes and issues involves going beyond repeating the referential content of a particular story to think about how the seemingly proper boundaries of science and communication produce particular sorts of health subjects and objects and render others unspeakable. Expressing outrage and attempting to intervene are certainly valuable responses, but failing to anticipate how they will become enmeshed in the same biomediatization logics and practices naively fails to benefit from available anthropological insights. Participants in the listserv discussions suggested that the SMA should ask the American Anthropological Association to denounce the ban, meaning that AAA leadership should direct the office of Communications and Public Affairs to place a statement on the AAA website and transmit it to the media. Another contributor recommended publishing a letter in the New York Times. My goal is not to criticize such inventions but to indicate how deeply our possibilities for political action are ensnared in forms of mediatization.

In short, our cries of outrage are likely to generate more impact if they are articulated in critical anthropological voices, shaped by perspectives that challenge subdisciplinary boundaries and look ethnographically beyond commonsense binaries.

Charles L. Briggs is the Alan Dundes Distinguished Professor in the Department of Anthropology of the University of California, Berkeley, where he teaches social/cultural, medical, and linguistic anthropology and folkloristics. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago. His books include The Wood Carvers of Cordova, New Mexico; Learning How to Ask; Voices of Modernity (with Richard Bauman); Competence in performance; Stories in the Time of Cholera (with Clara Mantini-Briggs); Making Health Public (with Daniel Hallin); and Tell Me Why My Children Died (with Clara Mantini-Briggs). He has received such honors as the James Mooney Award, the Chicago Folklore Prize, Edward Sapir Book Prize, the J. I. Staley Prize, the Americo Paredes Prize, the New Millennium Book Award, the Cultural Horizons Prize, and fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Lichtenberg-Kolleg, and the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences.

References

Adams, Vincanne, ed. 2016. Metrics: What Counts in Global Health. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

Briggs, Charles L., and Daniel C. Hallin. 2016. Making Health Public: How News Coverage Is Remaking Media, Medicine, and Contemporary Life. London: Routledge.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2002. Crisis Emergency and Risk Communication. Atlanta: CDC.

Dumit, Joseph. 2012. Drugs for Life: How Pharmaceutical Companies Define Our Health. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

Gusterson, Hugh. 1996. Nuclear Rites: A Weapons Laboratory at the End of the Cold War. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Lakoff, Andrew. 2017. Unprepared: Global Health in a Time of Emergency. Oakland: University of California Press.

Lempert, Michael, and Michael Silverstein. 2012. Creatures of Politics: Media, Message, and the American Presidency. Bloomington & London: Indiana University Press.

Masco, Joseph. 2006. The Nuclear Borderlands: The Manhattan Project in Post-Cold War New Mexico. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Tsing, Anna Lowenhaupt. 2015. The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

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ANNAPOLIS

(January 05, 2018)Comptroller Peter Franchot announced today that Maryland will begin processing personal income tax returns for Tax Year 2017 on January 29the same day the Internal Revenue Service begins accepting returns. The Comptroller's Office will not immediately process a state tax return if W-2 information is not on file. Employers are required to report wage information to the Comptroller on or before Jan. 31.Processing of business tax returns begins Monday, January 8.This year, the filing deadline for 2017 tax returns is Tuesday, April 17 rather than the traditional April 15. In 2018, April 15 falls on a Sunday and Emancipation Daya legal holiday in the District of Columbiafalls on April 16, which pushes the filing deadline to the following day.Last year, the Comptroller's Office stopped accepting income tax returns from 95 companies doing business in 113 locations for submitting numerous highly suspicious returns. Collectively, they filed thousands of state returns that the agency believed were fraudulent."In 2017, my office blocked more than 10,000 fraudulent returns worth more than $16 million," said Comptroller Franchot. "I urge Marylanders to be on the lookout for those who want to steal taxpayers' identities and personal financial information. Any taxpayer with concerns about a tax preparation business should call my office. We remain vigilant in our efforts to thwart these unscrupulous practices."Taxpayers are encouraged to file their returns electronically for the fastest possible processing and to ensure they receive all possible refunds. A list of approved vendors for use in filing your electronic return can be found at www.marylandtaxes.com Free state tax assistance is available at all of the agency's 12 taxpayer service offices Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A list of office locations can be found at www.marylandtaxes.com For more information on any tax-related matter, please visit Comptroller's website at www.marylandtaxes.com or call 1-800-MD-TAXES (1-800-638-2937) or 410-260-7980 in Central Maryland.
LA PLATA, Md.

Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at so.md/expungeme.

(January 05, 2018)The La Plata Barrack of the Maryland State Police (MSP) today released the following DUI arrest reports.Lawson, Adam Denon, 33, of White Plains, arrested on 12/28/2017 @ 1741 by Trooper Oleksak.Creed, Travis William, 39, of Bryan, Texas, arrested on 12/30/2017 @ 1947 by Trooper Burroughs.Konko, William M., 37, of Oakland Park, Fl, arrested on 12/30/2017 @ 2315 by Trooper Leach.Jackson, Regina D., 26, of Clinton, arrested on 12/31/2017 @ 0326 by Trooper Lee.Saunders, Earl Henry, 51, of District Heights, arrested on 01/01/2018 @ 0826 by Trooper Jeans.Winter, Keshia Diron, 26, of Suitland, arrested on 1/3/2018 @ 0218 by Trooper Phillips.Pugh, Tonis Dwayne, 51, of Washington, D.C., arrested on 1/3/2018 @ 0322 by Trooper Oleksak.Lyons, Patrick Kevin, 61, of Waldorf, arrested on 1/3/2018 @ 1406 by Trooper German.
While the meaning of diversity has morphed as much as the world around us in recent years, and some may even believe it has become a corporate buzzword, the truth of the matter is many employers are failing the LGBT community and people with disabilities by not properly defining diversity in their initiatives.

According to a 2017 report by Out and Equal Workplace Advocates, a nonprofit that tracks employment statistics for the LGBT community, 1 in 4 LGBT employees report experiencing employment discrimination in the last 5 years. Likewise, transgender people face double the rate of unemployment as the overall population, and nearly 1 in 10 LGBT employees have left a job because the environment was unwelcoming.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states in 2015, only 17.5 percent of people with a disability were employed -- a steep contrast to the 65 percent of able-bodied individuals who were employed that year.

And just last week, Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (Con Ed), the utility company that provides New York City and Westchester County with electrical and gas services, was fined $800,000 by the EEOC for not hiring applicants with disabilities.

While some industries and places struggle more with diversity, such as high tech and television writers rooms, there are some organizations that are definitely hitting the diversity mark at the workplace.

Miguel Castro, Global Lead for Culture and Identity at SAP, shares LGBT people have a lot to offer to employers.

In todays world, he said, we know a commitment to inclusion is much more than a cultural nice to have. In fact, it is proven that companies that are LGBT-inclusive are 72 percent more likely to attract allies as employees and increase productivity.

SAP is an active member, Castro continued, in recruitment and technology fairs targeting the LGBT and ally community across the globe, with examples like Lesbians Who Tech in San Francisco, and Sticks & Stones and #UNIT in Berlin.

In addition to having LGBT-focused initiatives, SAP also has a division that actively recruits and supports people with disabilities. SAPs Differently Abled area is lead by Stefanie Nennstiel, and the unit runs programs such as the world renowned Autism at Work, which helps people with autism enter the workforce, as well as SAP Software Accessibility, which ensures the highest levels of access guidelines are enforced across products.

Although some organizations are thriving as a result of their diversity strategies, there are far more that are simply worsening when it comes to integrating inclusivity into their day-to-day operations.

Tammie Stevens, Daily Living Skills Trainer and Vocational Assessor for the Center of Vision Enhancement (COVE) in Merced, CA, a training facility for blind or visually impaired people, believes companies that struggle with diversity are organizations that have an antiquated perspective on diversity.

Businesses focus so much on race, she said, that they leave everyone else out of the conversation. They dont engage the communities they want to hire from and, instead, make assumptions on what will work.

For people with disabilities, she continued, this means that companies draw to conclusions on what we can or cannot do. They dont realize that having a disability means being creative and resourceful on a daily basis, because we constantly have to adapt ourselves to our environments.

As the definition of diversity continues to change, organizations that routinely reposition their inclusivity goals will find themselves at the heart of innovation.

Belo Cipriani is a disability advocate, an award-winning journalist, the prize-winning author of Blind: A Memoir and Midday Dreams, and the spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Learn more at www.belocipriani.com.

While the meaning of diversity has morphed as much as the world around us in recent years, and some may even believe it has become a corporate buzzword, the truth of the matter is many employers are failing the LGBT community and people with disabilities by not properly defining diversity in their initiatives.

According to a 2017 report by Out and Equal Workplace Advocates, a nonprofit that tracks employment statistics for the LGBT community, 1 in 4 LGBT employees report experiencing employment discrimination in the last 5 years. Likewise, transgender people face double the rate of unemployment as the overall population, and nearly 1 in 10 LGBT employees have left a job because the environment was unwelcoming.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states in 2015, only 17.5 percent of people with a disability were employed -- a steep contrast to the 65 percent of able-bodied individuals who were employed that year.

And just last week, Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (Con Ed), the utility company that provides New York City and Westchester County with electrical and gas services, was fined $800,000 by the EEOC for not hiring applicants with disabilities.

While some industries and places struggle more with diversity, such as high tech and television writers rooms, there are some organizations that are definitely hitting the diversity mark at the workplace.

Miguel Castro, Global Lead for Culture and Identity at SAP, shares LGBT people have a lot to offer to employers.

In todays world, he said, we know a commitment to inclusion is much more than a cultural nice to have. In fact, it is proven that companies that are LGBT-inclusive are 72 percent more likely to attract allies as employees and increase productivity.

SAP is an active member, Castro continued, in recruitment and technology fairs targeting the LGBT and ally community across the globe, with examples like Lesbians Who Tech in San Francisco, and Sticks & Stones and #UNIT in Berlin.

In addition to having LGBT-focused initiatives, SAP also has a division that actively recruits and supports people with disabilities. SAPs Differently Abled area is lead by Stefanie Nennstiel, and the unit runs programs such as the world renowned Autism at Work, which helps people with autism enter the workforce, as well as SAP Software Accessibility, which ensures the highest levels of access guidelines are enforced across products.

Although some organizations are thriving as a result of their diversity strategies, there are far more that are simply worsening when it comes to integrating inclusivity into their day-to-day operations.

Tammie Stevens, Daily Living Skills Trainer and Vocational Assessor for the Center of Vision Enhancement (COVE) in Merced, CA, a training facility for blind or visually impaired people, believes companies that struggle with diversity are organizations that have an antiquated perspective on diversity.

Businesses focus so much on race, she said, that they leave everyone else out of the conversation. They dont engage the communities they want to hire from and, instead, make assumptions on what will work.

For people with disabilities, she continued, this means that companies draw to conclusions on what we can or cannot do. They dont realize that having a disability means being creative and resourceful on a daily basis, because we constantly have to adapt ourselves to our environments.

As the definition of diversity continues to change, organizations that routinely reposition their inclusivity goals will find themselves at the heart of innovation.

Belo Cipriani is a disability advocate, an award-winning journalist, the prize-winning author of Blind: A Memoir and Midday Dreams, and the spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Learn more at www.belocipriani.com.
Humanity is Not Binary as Catholic Bishops Would Have You Believe

Reader responds to Catholic Bishops Encourage Parents to Reject Their Transgender Children

I read the article about Catholic Bishops sending out letters telling parents to disregard Transgender children. That is disgraceful for any religious belief let alone for the Catholic Church.

Although I follow the Catholic belief I have turned away from some of the Catholic Doctrines. One thing no Church has talked about is the fact that there are many different genders all of which fall under the umbrella of transgender. All the churches talk about Binary Genders Male and Female.

What about Intersex people for instance. We are swept under the rugs and hidden from society like we dont exist. It is time the Church, all Churches wake up to the fact that the Human is not Binary. Humans like all Gods Creatures fall within a wide spectrum between male and female. I for instance was born XY male but am female. Stop looking at the Genitalia between the legs. That doesnt prove we are male or female.

Many of us have both tsetse and ovaries and some of us have both a Penis and a Vagina. It is how the hormone triggers are sent during the many staged of development. Some hormones are sent and received properly and children are born as anatomical Male or Female but many hormones are not sent or received properly according to the Binary Rule this is natural not something to sweep under the rug or something that can be changed by Corrective surgery or Social Gender control.

Stop trying to make the world Binary. Inform the world we are all loved by Jesus and Our Lord and so should be loved by all.

Joni Sarah Duflo

We Need More George Carlins!

Reader responds to George Carlin Can Now Add Fetus to His Dirty Words List

Dear Editor,

I had a friend in the 1980s who often channeled George Carlin! Dale was the master of taking a blithe slang term such as "whatever" to the outer limits of impact by exclaiming instead, "What the Shit Fuck Ever!" To cut to the chase Dale would say, "Fuck the Dumb Shit!!" Mae West exclaimed, "Those who are easily shocked should be shocked more often!" The GLBT community grasped this concept at Stonewall! The people being dragged out of the bar in handcuffs were kicking and screaming, "DO Something!" The crowd without hesitation began pelting "New York's Finest" with bottles, pennies and whatever else they could find and shouting phrases like "Gay power!" and singing "We Shall Overcome."

Like Hitler, Donald Trump uses his guttural style to encourage his otherwise unwitting power base to marginalize, demonize, and discriminate against every minority in our country and around the world to respond with acts of violence!

The only way you can overcome a bully is by getting in their face and not backing down! We once again, as we have often done in the past, need to pick up our Rainbow Nation's flag and march gaily forward to combat our common enemies.

There are two kinds of people in our world.

My kind of people and assholes!

Have I got your attention now!

Respectfully submitted,

David Ferebee

Wilton Manors

Trump is the Most Dangerous Man in America

Reader responds to "The Most Dangerous Man in America is Donald Trump"



Dear Mr. Kent:

Your column The Most Dangerous Man in America is Donald Trump about how Trump is paving the way for his autocratic success in becoming the despot American never envisioned was on point. It's scary. But Trump holds even greater risks for people overseas, representing the United States.

I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Africa in the 1970s under Jimmy Carter. I was a diplomat at the State Department under Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton.

Not to be overly dramatic, but I fear that the current administration is making it impossible for people to want to serve the United States. Imagine you're a Peace Corps volunteer, somewhere in some small village in the world, and suddenly Trump tweets something about that nation's lack of support for some U.S. initiative. Your life is now at risk, as locals perhaps decide "We don't like Americans at this moment."

Imagine you're a diplomat serving somewhere in the world, and you are making demarches to the local government about some vote coming up at the U.N. Then Trump tweets something contrary to that position, and you're left holding the bag.

I have never feared for the future of our country as I fear now, that the damage Trump is doing (by hollowing out the State Department, for example) will endure for a century to come.

The only thing that gives me some solace is that journalists--like you--are keeping up the fight to shine a light on what the current administration is inflicting on the country. I encourage you to keep at it, and perhaps the president's conflicts of interest will eventually force him from the scene.

Sincerely,

Michael Varga

Wilton Manors

Keep Up the Good Work SFGN

Reader responds to "The Most Dangerous Man in America is Donald Trump" and The First Trump Year

To the Readers of SFGN

Norm Kent and Jesse Monteagudo have done an awesome job at covering Donald Trump! Both articles, The Most Dangerous Man in the World is Donald Trump and The First Trump Year by Kent and Monteagudo respectively, are two pages that perfectly state how I feel and think about Mr. Trump. I would characterize my negative feelings of Mr. Trump as visceral. I think it is the first time I have felt anything about a politician.

Both articles nicely state the reality of a world where the President of the United States is not a patriot. Mr. Kents quoting of George W. Bush pointedly shows how a Republican former president realizes Mr. Trumps behavior as antithetical to that of all our previous presidents. Maybe we did not agree with all our previous presidents, but I never remember going to bed thinking the president might inadvertently blow us all up!

Now, take a stand. I, too, was sickened daily for the first one year plus of tweets etc. coming from Mr. Trump. They were hard to ignore. But now, after reading SFGN I am feeling more like Clint Eastwood with Trump. Go ahead, make my day! Our country is great because, as Ronald Reagan liked to point out (from the Preamble to the Constitution) our country is We the people. However imperfect, this is a country of laws we ALL are obliged to follow. It is a country of respect for all people, while imperfect, where we grow toward ideals. We as the GLBTQ community know this better than many! It is a country of immigrants, seeking refuge or just a better way of life.

Next, take action! When election time rolls around I encourage everyone to vote! Obviously, elections do make a difference. Elections in the U.S. are not fraudulent exercises as Mr. Trump would have us believe. Act now by helping your neighbor, and in discourse in our common places continue to be civil even when in protest, now even more so, and show who We the People truly are! The roots of this democracy run deep, and counterintuitively roots are strengthened by attempts to tear pull them from the ground. The antics of Trump, and any other who impishly challenge the fiber of our country will soon learn what We the People have to say, and it will always be so! I can sleep nicely with this thought!

A grateful reader,

Kevin P. Hanaway

Doctoral Student

College of Nursing, FAU University

https://southfloridagaynews.com/National/catholic-bishops-encourage-parents-to-reject-their-transgender-children.html
For states that have anti-LGBT laws, discrimination does not pay.

Texas loses over $500 million from depression-based drinking from LGBT individuals, according to a study by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law in California. The report said the state could generate up to $540 million if they lower the gap between LGBT and non-LGBT people who have depression as well as those who drink to treat it.

Were not saying that the disparity is going to totally go away or that a certain law would completely close that gap, but we do say that these health outcomes that have been linked to minority stress do have a cause, Williams Institute State and Local Policy Director Christy Mallory said to The Daily Beast. So we try to look at [the effects of] even narrowing that gap.

According to a Williams Institute study on Florida from this year, the state could save $224 million if they cut down the disparity between the amount of LGBT and non-LGBT smokers by 25 percent. Georgia could save $80 million if they did the same, according to the Institute.

The Institute will be preparing a report on Arizona in March and two more later in the year, according to The Daily Beast.
The SpaceX Dragon is pictured with the Canadarm2 robotic arm in the foreground and the Earths limb in the background as the International Space Station soars into an orbital sunrise during Expedition 54. Credit: NASA. NASA

Robotics controllers have completed the science cargo transfers from the rear of the SpaceX Dragon cargo ship, also known as its trunk. Dragon is due to depart the International Space Station Jan. 13 and return to Earth.

Over the holidays, the ground robotics teams remotely operated the Canadarm2 to remove a pair of new external experiments from Dragon and install them on the station. The teams also finished installing an older experiment back inside the cargo crafts trunk in time for its departure.

Dragon delivered the Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS-1) and the Space Debris Sensor (SDS) when it arrived on Dec. 17, 2017. TSIS-1 was attached to an External Logistics Carrier on the port solar alpha rotary joint. It will study the suns natural influence on the Earths ozone layer, atmospheric circulation, clouds, and ecosystems. The SDS was installed outside the Columbus lab module where it will directly measure the orbital debris environment around the space station for two to three years.

The successful RapidScat experiment was installed back in Dragons trunk after being delivered in September 23, 2014, on the SpaceX CRS-4 mission. RapidScat observed wind patterns on the oceans surface providing agencies better data for weather forecasting before ending its mission in August of 2016.

RapidScat will be destroyed inside Dragons trunk when it separates from the Dragon resupply ship to burn up over the Pacific Ocean. Dragon itself will safely parachute to a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the southern coast of California.

On-Orbit Status Report

NanoRacks External Platform (NREP)-3 Payload Swap: Today crewmembers extended the JEM A/L slide table into the JEM Pressurized Module (JPM) and exchanged payloads on NREP by removing the External Platform Module 2 (Charge Injector Device), External Platform Module 4 (Dependable Microprocessor) before installing the External Platform Module 5 (Cavalier) on NREP. The slide table was retracted from the JPM side and the inner hatch was closed, and depressurization and ventilation was completed. The Cavalier experiment is a technology demonstration mission with a goal to provide hands on opportunities for working with flight hardware. NREP will remain inside the JEM Airlock until next week when it will be deployed to the JEM External Facility site #4. Cavalier is a 4U active payload that will remain on NREP for approximately six months. NREP represents the first external commercial research capability for testing in support of scientific investigations, sensors, and electronic components in space.

Cell Science Validation Bag Change-Out Operations: The crew replaced the Bioculture System Cassette media and sump bags in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) with the media and sump bags from an ambient stowage container and then transferred the cassettes back into the Bioculture System. Once the change out activities were completed, the crew removed the Life Science Ancillary Hardware (LSAH) hardware from the MSG to conclude the Cell Science Validation operations. The objective of this flight of the Bioculture System is to validate the hardware by testing and checking out its engineering and operational capability to maintain cell cultures for a long duration in the space flight environment on the ISS. The new enabling capabilities and procedures to manually conduct experiments with the specimens cultured in the Bioculture System will also be demonstrated. The validation of the Bioculture System performance in the space flight environment is a critical step to ensure the success of future space bioscience experiments that will be conducted on ISS using this facility.

Lighting Effects: A 53S crewmember completed a Visual Performance Test by setting the light to the correct mode, turning all other light sources in the crew quarters off, and performing a Numerical Verification Test and a Color Discrimination Test. The Lighting Effects investigation studies the impact of the change from fluorescent light bulbs to solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with adjustable intensity and color and aims to determine if the new lights can improve crew circadian rhythms, sleep, and cognitive performance.

At Home in Space: A 53S crewmember completed an At Home in Space questionnaire today. This Canadian Space Agency experiment assesses culture, values, and psychosocial adaptation of astronauts to a space environment shared by multinational crews on long-duration missions. It is hypothesized that astronauts develop a shared space culture that is an adaptive strategy for handling cultural differences and they deal with the isolated confined environment of the spacecraft by creating a home in space. At Home in Space uses a questionnaire to investigate individual and culturally related differences, family functioning, values, coping with stress, and post-experience growth.

ZBook Transitions: Today the crew continued activities to transition the laptops onboard from the T61P model to the newer ZBook model. Todays transitions include SSCs 1 (in the Russian segment) and 22 (attached to T2).

Todays Planned Activities

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Environmental Health System (EHS)  Coliform Water Sample Analysis 44 +/- 4 hours post processing

JEM System Laptop Terminal Reboot

NanoRacks External Platform Operations Review.

NanoRacks External Platform Hardware Gather

On MCC Go: Removal of ????-1? UNIT (?304)

ISS Crew Orientation

Cell Science Validation Glacier Sample Removal

Cell Science Validation Bag Change Out Ops Session3

ISS CREW/SSIPC CONFERENCE

Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Two-Phase Flow Experiment Equipment Activation

MRM1 Fan Screen Cleaning (group C) [Aborted]

JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side

Installation of insert-cable on location ?304

NanoRacks External Platform Slide Table Remove

NanoRacks External Platform Hardware Swap

Removal of ????-1? UNIT (?308)

Environmental Health System (EHS)  Formaldehyde Monitoring Kit (FMK) Stow Operation

NanoRacks External Platform Slide Table Assist Capture

Microbial Tracking-2 Operations Review

JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JPM Side

JEM Airlock Depressurization

Transfer of ????-1? from location ?304 to location ?308

Cargo Transfer to Dragon

Locating and gathering Velcro tape for application on unit 800? (?102)

At Home In Space Questionnaire

Video Recording of Greetings

Microbial Tracking-2 Crew Conference

Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)

HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection Setup

????-1? Temperature Check (?308), operator

Storage Battery Current Converter ????-1? (?308) temperature check

Cell Science Validation MSG Cleanup and LSAH Remove

Transparent Alloys Payload Procedure Review2

JEM Airlock Vent

Replacement of SSC1 laptop (SM) with Zbook

??? maintenance

Lighting Effects Visual Performance Tests Light Setting  Subject

IMS Update

MELFI TDR Battery Removal

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Long Life Battery (LLB) Terminate

Manufacturing Device Feedstock Canister Exchange

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Long Life Battery (LLB) Initiate

Battery Stowage Assembly (BSA) Operation Termination

MOTOCARD. Experiment Ops

MOTOCARD. Operator Assistance with the Experiment

Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD)  Lab

Transparent Alloys Hardware Setup

Inventory Management System (IMS) Conference

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) Test

Environmental Health System (EHS)  Rad Detector Rotate

ZBook Client Swap

SCENARIO. Observation and photography using Photo Equipment

Dragon Cargo Operations Conference

Flight Director/ISS CREW CONFERENCE

Completed Task List Activities

US EVA Tether Inspection

Ground Activities

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

ZBook transitions.

Nominal commanding.

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Friday, 01/05: ACME, Microbial Tracking, Dragon Cargo Operations, JEM Camera Setup for Amyloid

Saturday, 01/06: HRF fluid collections, Petri Plate, Crew off duty

Sunday, 01/07: HRF fluid collections, Crew off duty

QUICK ISS Status  Environmental Control Group:

Component  Status

Elektron  On

Vozdukh  Manual

[???] 1  SM Air Conditioner System (SKV1)  Off

[???] 2  SM Air Conditioner System (SKV2)  On

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab  Operate

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3  Standby

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab  Idle

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3  Operate

Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA)  Process

Urine Processing Assembly (UPA)  Standby

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab  Full Up

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3  Off
Weve had a lovely winter break here at Sprudge, where we have spent some 10 or so days doing a lot of nothing; its been great. It was comprised mostly of catching up on Netflix, if I can be perfectly honest. The new Black Mirror, Wormwood, re-watching Arrested Development, the second seasons of The Crown and The Magicians (Im not entirely comfortable admitting that last one but its 2018 and Ive decided to be more open), Ive been wearing a hole in my broadband.

And its great to be back, dont get me wrong, but with Jerry Seinfelds Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee now on Netflix, we may need to shutter for an extended weekend.

Thats right, all 59 of Seinfelds internet shorts about nothing but also with cars and coffee have officially moved from Sonys streaming service Crackle to Netflix. As reported in Variety early last year, the move was part of a multi-faceted production deal that includes new episodes of Comedians to be released some time in 2018 as well as two stand-up specials exclusive to Netflix.

Already earning three Emmy nominations, Comedians has featured high profile guests like Will Farrell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Stephen Colbert, and Barack Obama, and visited big name cafes including Intelligentsia, Coava, and the now-defunct Handsome Coffee. And now they are all on Netflix, which means you can stream them all back-to-back all the while being judged by Netflix for streaming them back-to-back.



So cancel your plans for tonight, youve got some TV to watch. Or maybe stream an episode while youre Ubering to a bar. Then you can be a coffee person in a car getting Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

*all media via Netflix
The essential component of totalitarian propaganda is artifice (het toepassen van kunstgrepen. svh) . The ruling elites, like celebritie...
Newly published research contradicts what has been a long-held  although fervently debated  theory about the hotspot underlying the Yellowstone supervolcano.

Geologists at the University of Illinois used seismic waves that travel through the earth after earthquakes and explosions to produce an almost X-ray-like view of whats going on underground. The information was then fed through a supercomputer to mimic different geologic scenarios that are known to have occurred over the past 20 million years in an attempt to come up with an explanation for the Yellowstone hotspot.

Their conclusion? Yellowstones heat is being funneled east from the geologically active Pacific Coast.

A robust result from these models is that the heat source behind the extensive inland volcanism actually originated from the shallow oceanic mantle to the west of the Pacific Northwest coast, said Lijun Liu, a geology professor who led the research, in a statement. This directly challenges the traditional view that most of the heat came from the plume below Yellowstone.

Other science

Not everyone agrees with Lius theory, though.

Similar seismic tomography research by the University of Utah, published in 2015 and which can be found on the Yellowstone Volcano Observatorys website, came to a different conclusion. In that study scientists discovered one shallow magma reservoir under Yellowstones hotspot that is fed by a much deeper mantle plume.

Mantle plume theory has its problems, but it makes more sense than any other theories, which is why it remains the accepted explanation for places like Hawaii and, yes, even Yellowstone, said Michael Poland, the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory scientist-in-charge, in an email.

Poland added that Lius research is not the final word on the story and is a work in progress.

The chemistry is a major sticking point  the chemical signature of Yellowstone is very much reflective of a deep mantle source (a plume), Poland said. There are also other seismic tomography studies that do see a plume. So I think these researchers still have a way to go before they are able to demonstrate that their model satisfies more of the observations than other previously proposed models. It will be interesting to see how their research develops.

Poland added that he hopes the paper prompts geologists who really know the rocks to talk with the computer modelers.

Its when these disparate groups get together that some of the more exciting science happens, he said. Often the result is something that no one anticipated.

Lius theory

Liu sees the issue differently.

For Yellowstone, the plume is not a big deal at all, he said in 2016 following the publication of earlier research.

That study concluded that the mantle plume powering Yellowstones supervolcano had been capped by a cold, sinking tectonic plate that had slid under the North American landmass millions of years ago, in effect putting a lid on the mantle plume.

The heat needed to drive volcanism usually occurs in areas where tectonic plates meet and one slab of crust slides, or subducts, under another, Liu said. However, Yellowstone and other volcanic areas of the inland western U.S. are far away from the active plate boundaries along the West Coast.

Liu said his most recent research shows that the hot Pacific mantle has been pumped eastward toward Yellowstone since 16 (million years ago) through tears within the down-going oceanic plate  this hot horizontal mantle flow should be the force that formed the hotspot track leading toward Yellowstone today.

Plume theory

The mantle plume theory, advocated by other scientists, explains that the volcanic activity over the past 17 million years  which has stretched across the Snake River Plain in northern Nevada and southern Idaho to what is now Yellowstone  has been the result of the North American landmass slowing moving across this shallow hotspot. That region of the Earths crust was pulled and stretched until it was thinned and fractured, making it easier for the magma to push through and create a series of about 150 volcanic eruptions in the region.

In a 2009 study, Bob Smith, of the University of Utah, published research theorizing that the head of the original mantle plume rose to the east of the Juan de Fuca plate, which is being swallowed under the much larger North American plate.

Theories on theories

Since 1971, the plume hypothesis, although never universally accepted, has become the most widely held explanation for so-called anomalous volcanism  the type that occurs far from plate boundaries, like in Hawaii and Yellowstone, or in excessive amounts along mid-ocean ridges, as in Iceland, wrote Sara Platt in a 2015 Earth Magazine article, which does a good job of explaining the competing theories in laymens terms.

If the vast body of mantle plume research has done nothing else, it has revealed the difficulties inherent in trying to plumb the depths of Earths interior, Platt wrote. Reaching to a depth of 1,800 miles, the mantle cannot be sampled by fieldwork; it must be remotely sensed and modeled.

That may be so, but aspects of plume theory still do the best job of explaining Yellowstones complicated geology, Poland said.

There is a segment of the geoscience community that thinks mantle plumes may not be real  that science is being twisted to fit that hypothesis, and that plumes are too widely used to explain anomalous volcanism Poland said. And there are a lot of things wrong with plume theory, although most of these things would probably qualify as details to many in the field. Point being, the story has not been put to bed, although the evidence for some deep component to the melt feeding Yellowstone is pretty compelling.

Platts article further revealed that some scientists refer to the mantle plume theory as zombie science  a hypothesis that, despite contradictory evidence and the lack of supporting evidence, will not die.

Poland said those voices tend to be from a small, yet vocal group, but that these contradictory ideas are needed to move the science forward, and keep scientists from being complacent.

Controversy in science is a good thing. Thats when we learn.
Headed into the 2018 legislative session, lawmakers remain divided on paying roughly $1 billion to meet a court order requiring Washington to speed up a fix for its public school system.

Top Republican and Democratic officials debated Thursday at the Associated Press Legislative Preview in Olympia over whether to use state reserves to pay the sum, use new taxes to raise the cash or to ignore the state Supreme Court altogether.

Many Democrats have argued the state should meet the court order and do so with either new taxes or a wide array of budget reserves. Democrats have narrow majorities in both chambers of government and hold the governors office heading into the 60-day session that begins Jan. 8. Republicans have cautioned against raiding reserves, and some suggested disregarding the court.

We have the cash in our pocket to do this, Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee said. Its in our pocket, its not like were broke.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, who spoke before Inslee, appeared lukewarm on the governors specific proposal to pay for the education costs with reserves and later refill the states wallet with a tax on carbon polluters. The nature of that carbon-tax plan is expected to be released next week.

The K-12 money is the latest  and potentially final  task remaining from the state Supreme Courts landmark 2012 education case known as McCleary. The court said in its initial ruling the state was not fully funding the school system as required by the constitution.

Since then, lawmakers have poured billions into public schools and enacted major reforms. One of those reforms came in 2017, when the Legislature approved a complicated property tax shift to take on the full cost of teacher and other school staff salaries that in recent years have been paid in part by local property taxes.

The shift, thought to be the last piece of McCleary, is supposed to inject $7.3 billion in new state spending on K-12 schools over four years.

At the same time, the schools plan limits how much money districts can raise through their local levies and says the money cant be used to pay for basic education costs, such as teacher salaries.

Earlier this year, the court deemed the states reforms worthy, but said the changes did not take effect fast enough to meet a Sept. 1, 2018 deadline.

The schools plan  and the new state property tax lawmakers used for it  is phased in, meaning most of the complex changes are fully implemented in the 2019-2020 school year.

Republicans on Thursday made the case the so-called levy swap was designed to introduce the complicated changes to school funding over time to avoid burdening school districts.

Sen. John Braun, a Republican from Centralia, said that plan shouldnt be sped up simply to meet a court order one year faster. Doing so could end up causing problems for some districts, Braun said. Braun, who was the chief budget writer in the state Senate last year, said the state instead should focus on improving special education and other areas education advocates say need help following the 2017 school reforms.

I think that our plan is good. The court has said its good. Theyve certified the plan. They just dont like the timing, he said. I just think we did the timing for a reason. We shouldnt undo the timing carte blanche.

Braun said he wasnt in favor of using protected reserve funds which he said should be saved in case of economic downturn. He also said the state doesnt need new taxes to pay for McCleary and could use hundreds of millions in increased revenue that recent budget projections have shown is flowing into state coffers.

Inslees plan uses a mix of unrestricted reserves and money from the rainy day fund, which typically requires approval from 60 percent of the Legislature.

Rep. David Taylor, a Moxee Republican, said the state will be fully compliant with the court in 2019 and should not bother enacting changes just to start everything one year early.

We can see what happens in the year difference there, but at this point, no, I do not believe we need to speed up implementation schedule, he said.

Democrats werent ready to test the court  which could hit the state with sanctions  by ignoring the McCleary order. The state already is being held in contempt of court for its lack of progress on McCleary, with the court imposing fines of $100,000 per day.

Sen. Christine Rolfes, a Democrat from Bainbridge Island, said she believes lawmakers have more work to do on McCleary in 2018.

Rolfes is the Senates chief budget writer now that Democrats have a slim majority in the chamber. The party took control of the Senate in fall of 2017 with a special election victory in Seattles Eastside suburbs.

I believe that we need to present a budget and policy plan that shows we finished our job, Rolfes said.

Democrats also did not immediately jump aboard Inslees supplemental budget plan to use reserves and refill the states funds with a carbon tax.

Rolfes pointed out using any money from the budget-stabilization account requires more than a simple majority vote, meaning some Republicans would have to approve those funds. She also said Inslees carbon tax was only one option that will be considered.

Many Republicans have been opposed to a carbon tax in Washington, generally worrying it might hurt the economy.

Rolfes did not offer many clues on her preferred McCleary solution.

Whatever we come up with will probably need to be bipartisan to some extent in scope and scale, she said. And its easier for the governor to do the budget of one than for us to all agree on the right approach.

Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, a Seattle Democrat, also said gathering support for a carbon tax would be tough in 2018, a supplemental budget year typically reserved for tweaks to the two-year budget approved the year before.

The chances of us doing something in a 60-day session is not the greatest, shall we say, Chopp said.

Inslee was undeterred. He said a carbon tax is still a possibility and necessary to fight climate change that scientists say may be exacerbating forest fires in the Western United States and is causing other negative effects to the environment.

I actually feel very good where we are about this right now because you didnt hear absolute nos this morning from the legislators, Inslee said.

The governor also implored the Legislature to meet the McCleary order, saying speeding up the school fix for 2018 is a worthy endeavor.

These kids are only young once, and one year makes a difference, Inslee said.
A 77-year-old Northeast Portland man who police say tossed sausages laced with ricin over his fence in a failed attempt to kill his neighbor's dogs was sentenced Wednesday to probation and possible mental health counseling.

Michael Joseph Lynch tried to poison the two dogs on four separate days in July 2016 because he was frustrated with their barking, authorities said. Yet investigators questioned surrounding neighbors who said the dogs created little noise when outside in the backyard.

Lynch also was sentenced for endangering the dogs' owner, Richard Schmidtke. Schmidtke said he handled some of the poisonous meat by taking it from the mouth of one of the dogs and ended up in respiratory distress and on a ventilator at an urgent care clinic.

Schmidtke stood up in court and said Lynch has "absolutely no respect for what is socially acceptable, no moral compass."

He added: "What kind of person stoops so low as to poison animals? That's unconscionable to me."

Lynch has no criminal history and worked as a railroad engineer for nearly 40 years. His defense attorney, Stephen Houze, said his client will abide by court orders to have no contact with his neighbor.

"Mr. Lynch ... wants to live the rest of his life in peace and harmony with his neighbors," Houze said.

Houze didn't offer an apology for Lynch, and Lynch declined to make any statement when given the chance by the judge.

Lynch pleaded no contest in Multnomah County Circuit Court to five misdemeanors: attempted first-degree animal abuse, second-degree animal abuse, two counts of recklessly endangering another person and possessing a loaded firearm in public.

A deputy who went to Lynch's home to investigate found that Lynch had just driven home and was carrying a .38-caliber handgun on him, but didn't have a concealed weapons permit. The gun has been confiscated from Lynch for good.

Schmidtke said his dogs -- Bandit and Snowflake, ages 2 and 5 -- are American and French Brittany Spaniels bred for bird hunting. He said he has lived in his home for more than 20 years and didn't know Lynch before Lynch started feeding his dogs the poisoned meat. The backyards of the two men are kitty-corner to each other in the Parkrose neighborhood.

A probable-cause affidavit states that Lynch had called Multnomah County Animal Services three times in 2015 and 2016 to complain about Schmidtke's dogs barking, but an Animal Services officer said there wasn't enough evidence to write Schmidtke a ticket.

Schmidtke said he first realized Lynch was trying to kill his dogs on July 10, when he saw Snowflake with a butterflied piece of sausage in her mouth.

"She immediately started vomiting," Schmidtke said. He thought she was going to be fine, but the next morning she seemed near death and he rushed her to a veterinarian, he said.

"She couldn't move," Schmidtke said. "Her eyes were rolled back. She was in desperate trouble."

Over the next eight days, Schmidtke said Lynch flung meat over his fence three more times. Schmidtke said he caught Lynch in the act while Schmidtke was sitting on his back patio.

Bandit also scarfed down some tainted meat, and Schmidt said he got Bandit to vomit by giving him a dose of hydrogen peroxide.

Schmidtke said at first he called police, but they told him to talk to Animal Services. Schmidtke gave the meat to Animal Services to be tested, and the results came back positive for ricin, authorities said. Police investigated, and so did the FBI, briefly.

Police who searched Lynch's home found castor beans -- which naturally produce ricin -- and a jar labeled as containing botulism, according to a probable cause affidavit. Police also found notes outlining a plan to use a slingshot to shoot meat over the bushes and confirmation that it had been done, in notes stating "threw meat over the bushes."

Schmidtke has filed a $400,000 civil lawsuit against Lynch, and the case is still headed toward trial.

As part of Lynch's three years of probation, he will be evaluated by a mental health expert for any signs of psychological problems and ordered to receive treatment if necessary. He must attend an educational program about the importance of being compassionate to animals. He won't be allowed to own pets for five years. Lynch also must complete 120 hours of community service.

Judge Kenneth Walker gave Lynch a stern warning to stay away from Schmidtke and follow the other terms of his sentence or face swift consequences.

"I won't hesitate to issue a warrant and put you in jail," Walker said.

Walker said in his 35 years as a lawyer and a judge, he has seen neighborhood disputes spiral so far out of control that one neighbor has hurt or killed the other.

"Today, I am telling you this is over," Walker said.
The Trump Administration Thursday issued a massive and controversial proposal to open vast areas along the nations coastlines to offshore drilling, including Washington, Oregon and Alaska.

Energy Secretary Ryan Zinke said the administration wants to make 90 percent of the national outer continental shelf available for oil and gas drilling. By comparison, current U.S. policy excludes 94 percent of the area.

Zinke said the plan is an attempt to responsibly improve the nations economy and energey security. But it came under broad attack from leaders of most coastal states, including the governors of Washington, Oregon and California.

This political decision to open the magnificent and beautiful Pacific Coast waters to oil and gas drilling flies in the face of decades of strong opposition on the part of Washington, Oregon and California  from Republicans and Democrats alike, according to a joint statement from Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, California Gov. Jerry Brown and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.

Theyve chosen to forget the utter devastation of past offshore oil spills to wildlife and to the fishing, recreation and tourism industries in our states. Theyve chosen to ignore the science that tells us our climate is changing and we must reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. But we wont forget history or ignore science, the statement says

At a more local level, state Rep. Dean Takko, a Longview Democrat, said he would be pretty leery about supporting something like this, though he stressed he did not know the details of the Trump plan. Thinking of the crabbers and fishermen that this could affect ... My knee-jerk reaction is that I would not want to see (oil exploration) off the coast of my district, which includes all of Pacific County.

Under the proposal, 25 of 26 planning areas in the Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean would be open to oil and gas exploration, according to Zinke. He said the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management has identified 47 potential areas where industry companies can buy leases between 2019 and 2024, when the proposed leasing period would begin and end.

He said 155 members of the Congress have written him expressing support for expanded offshore drilling.

Nothing is final, Zinke said in remarks at a news conference. This is a draft program. The states, local communities and congressional delegations will all have a say before the proposal becomes final in the coming months.

Zinke acknowledged the administration is making a clear reversal of the Obama administrations effort to protect areas rather than exploit them. This is a clear difference between energy weakness and energy dominance, the secretary said. In a press release, Vincent DeVito, the Interior Departments counselor for energy policy, said the decision could bring unprecedented access to Americas extensive offshore oil and gas resources and allows us to better compete with other oil-rich nations.

The administration pledged to take environmental safeguards, but disasters like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion off Louisiana have numerous Atlantic-coast governors from Maine to the Florida Keys opposing offshore drilling.
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Muslims may become America's 2nd-largest religious group by 2040: Reports

HuffPost :

America's Muslim population is growing at a steady rate ? so much so that Muslims are projected to one day outpace Jews as the country's second-largest religious group.

New estimates from the Pew Research Center show that there were about 3.45 million Muslims of all ages living in the U.S. in 2017. Combining data from a 2017 Pew survey of U.S. Muslims and from the Census Bureau, the research center found that Muslims make up about 1.1 percent of America's total population.

Muslims have been part of America's religious landscape since the country's founding. The first wave of Muslims arrived in the U.S. as slaves, many of whom were later forcibly converted to Christianity.

Pew first began collecting estimates about the size of the country's Muslim population in 2007. Since then, the religious group appears to have grown at a rate of about 100,000 per year, fueled by high fertility rates and continued migration to the U.S.

Pew projects that the Muslim population will grow faster than America's Jewish population. In early 2017, Pew reported that Jews accounted for about 2 percent of the U.S. adult population. They are currently the second-largest religious group. Pew predicts that by 2040, Muslims will become the second-largest religious group. By 2050, the American Muslim population is projected to reach 8.1 million, or 2.1 percent of all Americans.

Despite American Muslims' fast rate of growth, it is important to note that they will continue to be a religious minority in an overwhelmingly Christian country. Pew's 2014 landmark Religious Landscape Survey showed that Christians made up a whopping 70.6 percent of the U.S. adult population. On the other hand, non-Christian faiths, including Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and others, only made up about 5.9 percent.




Erdogan accuses US, Israel of `meddling` in Iran, Pakistan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the United States and Israel of meddling in Iran after Turkey\'s neighbour was gripped by several days of deadly unrest.

AFP, Ankara :

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the United States and Israel on Friday of meddling in Iran after Turkey's neighbour was gripped by several days of deadly unrest.

A total of 21 people died and hundreds were arrested in the week-long protests which were the biggest challenge to the Islamic regime since the 2009 mass demonstrations.

"We cannot accept that some countries-foremost the US, Israel-to interfere in the internal affairs of Iran and Pakistan," Erdogan told reporters before heading on a trip to France.

"It is turning the people against each other in these countries. It's a shame that we have seen this done in many nations... We saw this in Iraq."

Erdogan did not expand on the nature of the alleged meddling in Pakistan but on Thursday the US announced a freeze in deliveries of military equipment and security funding until Pakistan cracks down on the militants.

The Turkish president then referred to problems in "Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia" and in African countries including Sudan and Chad.

He claimed a "game was being played" in certain countries, which he noted were all Muslim-majority nations.

"They are taking steps towards making the plentiful underground riches in all these countries their own resources," he said.

"Sorry, these realities should be known by our people and all people," he said.

Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke on Wednesday in a call in which the Turkish leader gave his support for the return of "peace and stability" to Iran.

Erdogan on Friday praised Rouhani's statements that the street protests were the people's "democratic right", saying this had helped normalise the situation.

Turkey's conservative media had previously accused the US and Israel of stoking the Iran protests as part of a purported plot to transform the Middle East.

Erdogan has on occasion criticised Iran's "Persian imperialism" in the Middle East amid bouts of tension in the Turkey-Iran relationship. But relations between Ankara and Tehran have warmed since the two countries worked closely with Russia in the last few months to bring peace to Syria.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday warned that bilateral legal accords with the United States were "losing validity", lashing out at Washington over the conviction of a Turkish banker in a U.S. trial.
EWU welcomes Freshers of Spring Semester

Dr Mohammed Farashuddin, Chairperson of Board of Trustees, East West University and Former Governor of Bangladesh Bank speaks at the orientation of MBA and EMBA Program (Spring Semester 2018) of the University at its city campus on Thursday.

Campus Report :

The orientation programs of the newly admitted students for Spring Semester 2018 were held in different academic programs of East West University (EWU) campus at Aftabnagar in the capital on Thursday.

Nearly 1600 students have been admitted to graduate and undergraduate programs in 14 different departments in this semester. Each Department of EWU arranged individual programs for their newly admitted students. The objectives of the programs were to welcome new students and introduce them to university facilities, faculty members, the academic system and the rules and regulations of the institution.

Those programs were attended by among others, Dr Mohammed Farashuddin, Chairperson of Board of Trustees (BoT), EWU and Former Governor of Bangladesh Bank, Prof Dr MM Shahidul Hassan, Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr Fakrul Alam, Pro Vice Chancellor, AZM Shafiqul Alam, Treasurer and the Deans of the University.
Readers Forum

Leather industry now polluting Dhaleshwari :

When industrial waste ends up in a river unfiltered, it is safe to say that the river's days are numbered. The government allows factories to be built for the betterment of the country. But most factories are built near rivers, because that way it is easier for the factory managers to dump the waste and harmful substances into them.

As the leather industry has been shifted to Savar, the factories are now polluting Dhaleshwari river, after having nearly destroyed Buriganga. A central effluent treatment plant (CETP) is supposed to filter all waste materials, but the plant is not working round the clock due to electricity shortage. It does not even refine all harmful substances.

We urge the authorities to take quick steps to save Dhaleshwari before it is too late. By ensuring electricity in the industrial area and persuading the plant managers to filter all harmful substances, irrespective of the cost, the government may be able to save Dhaleshwari from being consigned to the same fate as Buriganga.

Sumon Kumar Paul

By e-mail



Rohingya repatriation



Rohingya repatriation is proving to be a difficult process as Russia and China are complicating the matter in the UN Security Council by obstructing the way to holding Myanmar responsible. However, we appreciate the sanctions imposed by the United States on Myanmar military's General Maung Maung Soe who oversaw the brutal crackdown. We expect that other influential countries will follow suit. Only if key individuals involved in the entire affair are held responsible will Myanmar feel the pressure.



Shafkat Rahman

By e-mail
Death at workplace increases for lack of monitoring

A RECENT study by occupational safety, health and environment foundation [OSHEF] reveals that workplace accidents in Bangladesh claimed 1,242 lives and injured 371 in 2017. Of them, 270 workers were killed in formal sector while 972 others in informal sector. The highest 488 workers were killed in transport sector, 179 in construction and 52 in apparel sector. The data shows, the death toll rose slightly in comparison to earlier year while it was 1,240 in 2016.

The OSHEF foundation report further said, of the dead 99 victims were farm workers, including the ones killed in lightening strikes, while 103 are day- labourers, 22 domestic workers, 28 fishermen, 8 steel mill, re- rolling mill workers and 18 ship-breaking workers. A number of 179 workers were killed in the construction sites. In fact, the figure given by the OSHEF is partial which was prepared based on newspaper reports on some specific sectors. As per estimation by International Labour Organisation, over 11,000 workers suffer fatal accidents and 24,500 die from work-related diseases across all sectors each year in Bangladesh. Apart from it, about 8 million workers suffer injuries at workplaces - many of which result in permanent disability.

It is internationally recognized that most occupational deaths and injuries are entirely preventable, and could be avoided if employers and workers took simple initiatives to reduce hazards and risks at the workplace. But the authorities concerned remained indifferent over the issue for the reasons best known to them. Although compliance measures were taken to ensure safety at the RMG workplaces, they were not implemented fully in all factories. It's an open secret that there are more non-compliant factories than compliant ones in the country while BGMEA said they have listed 5,000 compliant factories. But industry related people said that there are 5,000 more outside that list. It's also a common practice that several compliant factories forward sub-contract orders to non- compliant factories. There are not enough labour inspectors to monitor all compliance measures also. As a result, the RMG sector becomes accident prone which resulted to 52 dead in the last year too.

The increase in road accident is nothing but the failure of BRTA and traffic department in implementing law where fake driving license and fitness corticated are available in exchange of bribe. The condition of other accident prone sectors is also the same due to lack of monitoring. It is more upsetting that the construction workers are not recognised by the Labour law 2013. Besides, the ILO has been working in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Employment and other dozen of organizations to foster a preventative safety and health culture by strengthening national occupational safety and health systems. But it has failed to bring any fruitful result.




BNP workers disappointed

Reza Mahmud :

Mid and grass roots level leaders and activists of the BNP become largely disappointed as the party high command's failure to bring out massive rally January 5 on the day the party labels as 'democracy killing day'.

"The election is near. The next Parliament polls will be held next January. Our party needed a massive showdown ignoring the government's refusal to give us permission. But the party high command instead took soft programme. It may not help us gain popularity," said an Organising Secretary of the party preferring anonymity.

Sources said, on Monday, the BNP announced to stage a huge rally at either Suhrawardy Udyan or Nayapaltan in front of the party central office and bring out black flag processions across the country to mark January 5 which the party observes as the 'democracy killing day' since the last Parliament election held on the same day in 2014 amid BNP alliance's boycotting.

The administration did not give permission to the

party to hold the programme.

Huge law enforcers were deployed in and around BNP's Nayapaltan central office since morning to guard against rally.

But contrarily, the police administration has given permission to hold rally on Friday to a little known party named as 'United Islamic Party' which is close to the ruling Awami League. Mahbubul Alam Hanif, the Joint-General Secretary of Awami League delivered speech there.

To protest the administration's decision, the BNP called for protest rally in every thana of the capital city on Saturday.

But the mid level leaders of the party disagreed with the party's stance in this regards.

They said, "The people of Bangladesh want to see the strength of the BNP. It does not mean vandalism. We need to show our morale on the streets ignoring the government's muscle power."

They said, if the tens of thousands of party men were on the streets, then the police might not have started clash with us. Then the administration must be compelled to let us observe the programme.

"If the police dare engage conflict with the party men, the angry people must take to streets to protest that," they said.

They said, nowadays protest in streets means popularity among people. If any party failed to show its strength, the people become skeptical on their true capability.

In such circumstances, our leaders are playing defensive role since one eleven in 2006.

The people had seen that the defensive role failed to give us any good result in national politics.

In the coming year of election we need to overcome all the past's weaknesses taking strong decisions.

But our central leaders failed to play such a role. It has disappointed us as the people want a change in the state power.

When contacted, BNP Standing Committee Member Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told The New Nation, "The party men across the country tried to observe the day. Some where they became successful, some where not. The party has outlined a programme in protest of the government's refusal to permit us to hold rally. It is our party decision. I have nothing to say about it."
US suspends $900m assistance to Pakistan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) :

The United States said on Thursday it was suspending at least $900 million in security assistance to Pakistan until it takes action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network militant groups.

The U.S. State Department announced the decision, saying it reflected the Trump administration's frustration that Pakistan has not done more against the two groups, which have long used sanctuaries in Pakistan to launch attacks in neighboring Afghanistan that have killed U.S., Afghan and other forces.

The department declined to say exactly how much aid would be suspended, saying the numbers were still being calculated and included funding from both the State and Defense departments. U.S. officials said two main categories of aid are affected: foreign military financing (FMF), which funds purchases of U.S. military hardware, training and services, and coalition support funds (CSF), which reimburse Pakistan for counter-terrorism operations. They said they could make exceptions to fund critical U.S. national security priorities.

CSF funds, which fall under Defense Department authority, are covered by the freeze, said Pentagon spokesman Commander Patrick

Evans, saying Congress authorized up to $900 million in such money for Pakistan for fiscal year 2017, which ended Sept. 30. None of that money has yet been disbursed. The freeze also covers $255 million in FMF for fiscal year 2016, which falls under State Department authority and whose suspension has already been announced, as well as unspecified amounts of FMF that went unspent in earlier fiscal years.

Briefing reporters, U.S. officials stressed the suspension did not affect civilian aid to Pakistan and that the money could go through if Islamabad took decisive action against the groups.

"Our hope is that they will see this as a further indication of this administration's immense frustration with the trajectory of our relationship and that they need to be serious about taking the steps we have asked in order to put it on more solid footing," a senior State Department official told reporters.

"We're hoping that Pakistan will see this as an incentive, not a punishment," he added.

The Trump administration briefed Congress on its decision on Wednesday.

Pakistan has long rejected accusations that it fails to tackle the militants battling the Kabul government and foreign forces from sanctuaries on the Pakistani side of the border. It is largely shrugging off the proposed U.S. aid cuts but frets that Washington could take more drastic measures to deter what it sees as Pakistan's support for the Taliban. Tense ties between the uneasy allies nosedived on Jan. 1 when U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out on Twitter against Islamabad's "lies and deceit" despite $33 billion in aid and the White House warned of "specific actions" to pressure Pakistan. Trump's frustrations are shared by some U.S. lawmakers, who accused Pakistan of playing a double game by allowing militant groups sanctuary - which Islamabad denies - despite promising to crack down on them. "Pakistan is one of the most duplicitous governments I've had any involvement with," Senator Bob Corker, Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters. "Their, in essence, support of the Haqqani network, or ... allowing them to have safe harbor in their country when they're the greatest threat to our men and women in uniform."

South Asia expert Christine Fair of Georgetown University voiced concern that Pakistan might retaliate for the suspension by closing the highways from the port city of Karachi on which equipment is trucked to land-locked Afghanistan and the airspace through which supplies are flown to U.S.-led international forces there.

"What is the plan if they close the GLOCs?" she asked, using the military acronym for Ground Lines of Communications. "What if the Pakistanis shut down the ALOCs (Air Lines of Communications). How do you keep supplying the ANSF?" she asked, referring to the Afghan national security forces.

"Pakistan could be within their rights if they tell us you don't have flyover rights anymore," she said.


Comilla Medical College shut after BCL infighting

Staff Reporter :

The Comilla Medical College has been declared closed until January 11 on account of a clash between two factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) over establishing supremacy on the campus.

At least 10 BCL leaders and activists were injured during the Friday's clash. They were taken to different hospitals and clinics of the Comilla city.

Students have been instructed to vacate the campus by Friday afternoon.

Principal of the Comilla Medical College Mohiuzzaman Chowdhury said the

decision to shut the college was taken in an emergency meeting on Friday as normal academic activities might not be possible.

"Additional law enforcers have been deployed in and around the college to avert any more untoward incident," he said.

Vice-Principal Jahangir Hossain Bhuiyan said that the clash broke out late on Thursday following disagreements over the fresher's reception. "All activities have been suspended until Jan 11. Students have to leave dormitories by 4pm."

An inquiry has already been at sight, he said.

Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Model Police Station Abu Salam said, the clash ensued at Sheikh Russel Hall around 2:30am on Thursday between two rival groups loyal to former President of BCL's Comilla Medical College unit Abdul Hannan and another former President of the unit Habibur Rahman.


Haley hosts reception for 64 countries that voted against UN Jerusalem resolution

JTA News :

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, hosted a reception for the 64 countries that voted against or abstained from voting on a resolution condemning President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The "Friends of the U.S." reception was held Wednesday night in New York at the U.S. mission to the United Nations.

"It's easy for friends to be with you in the good times, but it's the friends who are with you during the challenging times that will never be forgotten. Thank you to the 64," the U.S. mission posted on Facebook along with photos of some of the attendees.

Haley extended the invitation after the General Assembly passed a resolution Dec. 21 condemning Trump's Jerusalem pronouncement two weeks earlier. Nine countries voted against the resolution, including Israel, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras and Togo, and 35 abstained, including the six EU member states Poland, Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Croatia and Latvia.

The rest of the European Union was among the 128 nations that voted in favor. The representatives of 21 countries were absent from the vote, which was the 10th time in U.N. history that the General Assembly was convened for an emergency vote.

They included Kenya, which was the fifth-largest recipient of U.S. aid last year, Georgia and Ukraine, all of which have close ties with the United States. Trump greeted the guests in a prerecorded video, The Jerusalem Post reported, saying the votes by their countries were "noted and greatly appreciated."

He also said the United States "remains committed to achieving lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians."
Another year of no concern for public suffering

Editorial Desk :

Political parties of the country, both from the ruling and opposition camps appear to have failed to meet people's expectations in 2017 over issues of political and public interests. Peoples' sufferings on many fronts had increased with the political parties taking hardly any initiative to deal with the crucial issues.

People had a common expectation for a political consensus among the political parties over holding a free, fair and all-inclusive general election to restore normalcy and institutionalise democracy in the country, and less than a year to go, it now seems like the country is quickly heading towards another no-election victory.

For instance, the very manner in which the ruling party celebrated its 4th year in power last Friday clearly indicated - its hell-bent to remain in power unless it's toppled. Speeches, processions, to the countrywide programme it arranged - not even for once mentioned what was the government's plan about holding a credible and all-inclusive election. On the contrary rampant wild celebrations and hooligans took the streets hostage by creating easily avoidable traffic jams.

However, in the wake of Dhaka being the most expensive city to live in South Asia, manmade price-hikes of commodity and utility services,

plundering of the banking sector, enforced disappearance, abduction and spreading question paper leaks in academic and recruitment exams - neither the ruling Awami League nor any of the opposition parties, particularly the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) played any visible effective role in addressing public sufferings.

It became evident as the present parliament held no effective discussion or debate on public issues like price hike, gas and power tariff increase, enforced disappearance, and abduction and question leaks. Some lawmakers, however, strongly criticised the imposition of uniform 15 per cent VAT on everything and increase of excise duty on bank deposits. That's all.

BNP, once more proved inept as a political force because of its proven organisational weakness and fighting cases in the courts. In fact, if the ruling party had succeeded on any front - it was to have effectively isolated BNP from the people. The left-leaning political parties had enforced general strikes against gas and electricity tariff increase and tried to lay siege to Bangladesh Bank against looting of banks but with little impact while BNP only staged a sit-in demonstration for price hike of gas, power and essentials.

On the whole, people did not find opposition amid prevailing limited scope for carrying out any significant programme on issues of public importance like price hikes and anarchy in banking and academic sectors. Overall political activities in the country were limited. Most significantly, The Prime Minister's rejection at a news conference in December 2017 of any chance of dialogue with BNP over poll-time government pushed the political situation into uncertainty to a greater extent.

We do not see any hope for change in the bitterness for selfish power struggle.


Teachers call off hunger strike after PM`s assurance

Non-MPO teachers and employees who went on hunger strike for enlistment under govt MPO facilities called off their strike and showing V-sign (inset) after PM\'s assurance is made to meet their demands with a time frame on Friday.

Staff Reporter :

The teachers of non-government schools, colleges, madrasas and technical institutions called off hunger strike unto death on the sixth day on Friday after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assured them of bringing under Monthly Pay Order (MPO) scheme.

Additional Secretary Sajjadul Hasan, PS-1 to PM, remitted the assurance message of the PM to the teachers agitating in front of the Jatiya Press Club.

He said that details would be briefed soon.

President of Non-MPO Educational Institutions' Teachers and Employees Federation Golam Mahmudunnabi told The New Nation with optimism that the PM's assurance would be effective soon. They depended on the PM only.

"I congratulate the PM for her benevolence and showing respect to the teachers. I also hope that the process to bring the non-MPO teachers under MPO scheme will begin as early as possible," he said.

The teachers said that they have been waiting for MPO for long.

It was their one of the happiest moment in life.

Earlier on Tuesday, the agitating teachers and the employees of non-MPO educational institutions rejected outright the education minister's assurance of bringing their institutions under MPO after discussion with different quarters.

About one hundred teachers fell sick till yesterday who were under treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The teachers took recourse to their protest with hunger strike on December 31, as their sit-in on the street in front of National Press Club from December 26 failed to melt ice.

There are about 80,000 teachers in 5,000 non-government schools, colleges and technical institutions outside the purview of MPO.

Currently, more than four lakh teachers and employees of above 26,340 secondary schools, colleges, madrasas, and technical institutes are receiving MPO facilities.
5-day drama festival begins at JU today

City Desk :

A five-day drama festival begins on the Jahangirnagar University (JU) campus today (Saturday).

With the slogan 'Unmukta Kori Somoyer Ruddho Dar', Jahangirnagar Theater, a renowned cultural organisation of the university, is organizing the festival.

General Secretary of the organisation Hafizur Rahman Rana told media.

A total of 5 dramas- Jon Mack, Tiner Talwar, Nityo Puran, Massacre and Proyojoner Akkhan--- will be staged at the Selim Al Deen Muktamancha in the every evening during this festival, he said.

The drama festival will end on January 10.
Todays Events

City Desk :

Discussion

Democratic Movement organises a discussion on 'Acceptable Election to Overcome National Crises: Citizens' Thoughts' in the Conference Lounge of the Jatiya Press Club at 11 am.

Seminar

A seminar on 'Social Compliance in RMG Sector of Bangladesh' organised by Industril Relations and Labour Studies will be held in the auditorium of the Institute of Social Welfare and Research of Dhaka University at 10 am.

Reunion

The reunion of Alumni Association of Bangla Department of Dhaka University will be held in the auditorium of TSC of DU at 9:30 am.

Council

The triennial council of Muladi Upazila Samity, Dhaka will be held at Sky City Hotel in the city's Malibag at 3 pm.

Human chain

International Dialogue Aid Foundation will form a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club at 11 am with a call to stop extra-judicial killings.




Limitation of High Court Jurisdiction

(From previous issue) :

5. It is further stated that during the tenure of the Respondent No. 6 as Chief Engineer of LGED, numerous allegations of corruption, bribery and dishonest practice had been raised against LGED by various groups, including Transparency International Bangladesh and leading daily newspapers of Bangladesh, in some of which the Respondent No.6 was personally implicated. It is further stated that the Anti-Corruption Commission of Bangladesh is decided to launch an investigation against the Respondent No.6 with respect to the allegation of bribery and corruption against him.

6. It is further stated that the Respondent No.6 will be 60 years old on 11-12-2013 and on the said date he is liable to go on retirement and the Respondent No.1 Ministry and LGED are under obligation to select and appoint a successor who can be promoted to the post of Chief Engineer after the retirement of the Respondent No.6. The petitioners as Additional Chief Engineers of LGED have a legitimate expectation to be considered for promotion to the said post of Chief Engineer.

7. It is further stated that the Respondent No.1, Ministry decided to retain the Respondent No.6 as Chief Engineer of LGED even after his retirement from service by giving fresh appointment on contractual basis pursuant to Section 5(3) of the Public Servants (Retirement) Act, 1974 . It is further stated that on the issue of appointing public servants after retirement on contract the Hon'ble President of Bangladesh gave directions, published by the Respondent No.3, Ministry, previously known as Ministry of Establishment, under Memos dated 19-5-1975 and 26-1-1976 that public servants should only be appointed after retirement on contractual basis where there is scarcity of qualified people possessing the requisite technical skills and in all other cases where qualified people are available, such appointments should not be made. The Hon'ble President also directed certain Ministries/ Divisions /Departments/ Organizations for submitting proposals for appointment of a public servant after retirement on contractual basis to lodge documentation along with the proposal evidencing details of all actions taken by them to replace the public servant going on retirement etc.

8. Following reasons was cited in the proposal in favour of appointing the Respondent No.6 :

(i) The Respondent No. 6 has a strong personal relationship with foreign donors such as, World Bank, ADB, JAIKA, IDB, IDA, DFW, SFD, IFAD etc. Respondent No. 6 going on retirement may jeopardize future disbursements of loan promised by the donors.

(ii) The Respondent No. 6 is a brave freedom fighter.

(iii) The Respondent No. 6 going of retirement may jeopardize the continuation of progress and development carried out by LGED during the tenure of the present government. So it would be imprudent to appoint someone new as Chief Engineer of LGED near the end of tenure of the present government lest the rate of progress achieved by LGED is temporarily slowed.

9. Thereafter. the Respondent No.3, Ministry by order of the Hon'ble President issued the impugned Memo dated 3-11-2013 under the signature of the Respondent No.4 appointing the Respondent No.6 as Chief Engineer of LGED on contractual basis for a period of one year from 11-12-2013 or from the date of joining.

10. Being aggrieved, the petitioners have come to this Court and obtained the present Rule.

11. The Rule is being contested by the respondent Nos.1, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, Government of Bangladesh, respondent No.3, Ministry of Public Administration of the Government of Bangladesh and the Respondent No.6, Chief Engineer of LGED by filing Affidavits-in-Opposition stating inter alia that the Respondent No.6 was in fact a freedom fighter and an elected Vice Chairman of Bangladesh Muktijoddha 5angsad. It has been further stated that the Respondent No.6 was appointed as Chief Engineer of LGED by the Hon'ble President on contractual basis after his retirement in the public interest to accomplish the ongoing development works of Local Government and Engineering Development (LGED) as he has a strong relationship and experience with World Bank, ADB, JICA, IDB, IDA, KFW, SFD, IFAD etc:

12. It has been further stated that under Section 5(3) of the Public Servants (Retirement) Act, 1974 the President may in the public interest employ a public servant on contract after his retirement and in the instant case the President has appointed the Respondent No.6 as Chief Engineer of LGED as per the aforesaid section of the Public Servants (Retirement) Act, 1974 after his retirement on contractual basis. It has been further stated that the petitioners have no locus-standi to challenge the Notification dated 3-11-2013 (Annexure A to the Writ Petition) as they themselves do not have qualification to be promoted as Chief Engineer of LGED as they have neither completed 3 years as Additional Chief Engineer nor 26 years of service as first class gazetted officer as stipulated at serial No.1 of the Schedule read with Rule 3 of the Local Government Engineering Department (Officers and Officials) Appointment Rules, 2009 and in that view of the matter, the petitioners cannot be considered as aggrieved persons to file the instant Writ Petition. It is further stated that the petitioners are public servants who are contenders for promotion to the post of Chief Engineer of LGED and promotion being part of the terms and conditions of the service, a grievance in respect of the same undoubtedly falls within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Administrative Tribunal and, as such, the instant Writ Petition is not maintainable. It is further stated that the instant Writ Petition in the form of certiorari is not maintainable in its present form and nature and, as such, the Rule is liable to be discharged and the impugned order calls for no interference by this Court.

13. Mr Rokonuddin Mahmud, the learned Advocate appearing with Mr Mustafizur

Rahman, the learned Advocate for the petitioners has drawn our attention to the Public Servants (Retirement) Rules, 1975 and submits that this Rules have been made pursuant to Section 11 of the Public Servants (Retirement) Act, 1974 which empowers the Government by Notification in the official gazette to make rules for carrying out for the purpose of the Act. In this respect the learned Advocate submits that although under Section 5(3) of the Public Servants (Retirement) Act, 1974 the President has the power to appoint a public servant on contract after his retirement in the public interest as has been claimed in the instant case in respect of the Respondent No.6, such employment has to be done in accordance with the Public Servants (Retirement) Rules, 1975. The learned Advocate then has drawn our attention to Rule 8(1) where it is stated that every proposal for employment by the President under sub rule (3) of Section 5 of a public servant after his retirement shall be made and processed through the Establishment Division (now Public Administration Ministry) and in the instant case he has drawn our attention to Annexure H of the Writ Petition which is a summary sent to the President by the Ministry of Local Government and Engineering Department proposing the appointment of the Respondent No.6 which the learned Advocate for the petitioners submits is contrary to the rules. The learned Advocate for the petitioners has drawn our attention to the contract of proposal Annexure H and indicates that the reasons given therein do not show that the appointment has been made in 'the public interest and, as such, is liable to be set aside for that reason as well. The learned Advocate further submits that since there are allegations of corruption and bribery against the Respondent No.6 it cannot be in the public interest to appoint him for a further period of one year on contract and if the proposal was sent through Ministry of Public Administration as stipulated in the 1975 rules, such matters would have been evident and the President would have been to make the appropriate decision. The learned Advocate further submits that there are other qualified candidates with requisite technical skills of the Respondent No.6 which includes the petitioners and in derogation of the legitimate expectation of such qualified candidates the Respondent No.6 has been appointed to the post of Chief Engineer of LGED and he submits that the said appointment is therefore liable to be set aside.

14. As against this, Mr AF Hasan Ariff assisted by Mr AM Aminuddin and Mr Md Liton Ahmed, learned Advocates appearing for the Respondent No.6 and Mr Murad Reza, the learned Additional Attorney General assisted by Ms. Kazi Zinat Hoque DAG Mr Shams-ud Doha Talukder AAG appearing for the Respondent Nos.1 and 3 have submitted in one voice that the instant Rule is not maintainable as the petitioners have no locus-standi to corne to this Court with the instant matter under Article 102 of the Constitution.

15. The learned Additional Attorney General has shown us a number of references and citations in support of his submissions that the Rule is not maintainable. Firstly, he submits that this is not a public interest litigation and the petitioners are not espousing a public cause but they are simply claiming to be aggrieved by the appointment of the Respondent No.6 to the extent of saying that they are being deprived of their legitimate expectation. In this respect he has cited an unreported decision of this Court in Writ Petition No. 881 of 2001 between Shahjahanur Rahman vs the Government of Bangladesh and others wherein it has been held that "Even in the case of the present petitioner his promotion of the next higher grade was not considered by the authority but he did not challenge that action of the authority. Curiously enough, he has now corne before this Court to challenge the re-employment of a person to the highest post of the company. So, the question of his being aggrieved as an individual does not arise."

16. The learned Additional Attorney General points out that the recommendation to the Hon'ble President by the LGED as alleged by the petitioners is an inter-ministerial communication and the petitioners cannot be aggrieved by the same. He further points out that all the procedures for the appointment of the Respondent No.6 are deemed to have been done in accordance with law and unless the petitioners can show a departure from the legal procedure they do not have a case.

17. Mr AF Hasan Ariff with Mr AM Aminuddin, the leamed Advocate appearing for the Respondent No.6 submits that the impugned Memo relates to the terms and conditions of service of the petitioners and their appropriate remedy would be before the Administrative Tribunal and in this respect he has drawn our attention to the case of Delowar Hossain vs Government of Bangladesh reported in 52 DLR (AD) 120. He further submits that the petitioners have not even completed the requisite period in their service i.e. 3 years as Additional Chief Engineer and 26 years as permanent gazetted officer which is required, to be appointed as Chief Engineer of LGED and, as such, the question of being aggrieved by the appointment of the Respondent No.6 does not arise.

18. All the learned Advocates for the Respondents have drawn our attention to the case of Mojibur Rahman vs Government of Ballgladesh reported in 44 DLR (AD) 111 (para 48) which clearly stated that the terms and conditions of service the appropriate forum is n the Administrative Tribunal and in the instant SI case the petitioners have no locus-standi to complain about the appointment of the Respondent No.6 for depriving them from being appointed to the said post or contrary to the law.

19. As against this, Mr Rokonuddin Mahmud, the learned Advocate for the petitioners has drawn our attention to the case of Mian Fazal Din vs The Lahore Improvement Trust reported in 21 DLR (SC) 225 where the judgment of Justice Kaikaus in the case of Montgomery Flour and General Mills Ltd. was approved by saying "a right to acquire or hold property, a right to carryon a profession, a right to move about freely, etc. are not rights in the strict sense because they do not cast any corresponding duties on any person. They are what writers on jurisprudence call "liberties". In wider sense these too are recognized as rights by jurisprudence and they can form the basis of a writ petition."

20. In the said decision it has been said that "the right considered sufficient for maintaining a proceeding of this nature is not necessarily a right in the strict juristic sense but it is enough if the applicant discloses that he had a personal interest in the performance of the legal duty which if not performed or performed in a manner not permitted by law would result in the loss of some personal benefit or advantage or the curtailment of a privilege or liberty of franchise. "

21. The learned Advocate submits that all that he requires for certiorari is to show that he has a substantial interest in the subject matter. In the instant case the learned Advocate admits that this is not a public interest litigation but the petitioners do have sufficient interest in the matter and have the locus-standi to file the instant Writ Petition due to the illegal way in which the impugned order was passed and the file not being processed by the Ministry required by law. The learned Advocate further submits that in the Rule the petitioners have not claimed promotion but they have a legitimate expectation as well as a right to be considered for promotion which is not a bar to file an application under Article 102 of the Constitution.

22. Since the maintainability of the Rule has been challenged we want to address this matter first.

23. The petitioners are Additional Chief Engineers in the Department of LGED. They have impugned the appointment of the Respondent No.6 by the said Ministry. Article 102 of the Constitution clearly states that "(i) the High Court Division on the application of any person aggrieved can give directions or orders to any person or authority ........."

24. This means that petitioners filing an application under Article 102 before this Division must be aggrieved persons. In the old case of Ex parte Sidebotham reported in 4 Law Reports 1880 14 Chancery Division 458 it has been held that a "person aggrieved" must be a man who has suffered a legal grievance, a man against whom a decision has been pronounced which wrongfully deprived him of something, or wrongfully refused him something, or wrongfully affected his title to something. It cannot, it is said mean a person "who is disappointed of a benefit which he might have received if some order had been made."

25. The petitioners neither represent a section of the public nor claim that any section of the public has been aggrieved by the impugned appointment. This is therefore not a Public Interest Litigation.

26. In the instant Writ Petition it has been stated in ground No. VI that "qualified candidates with requisite technical skills, such as the petitioners, are already available at LGED ready to replace the Respondent No.6 after his retirement and, as such, there is no scope for giving appointment to the respondent No.6 on contractual basis after his retirement to the derogation of the legitimate expectation of such qualified candidates, including the petitioners, for being considered for such appointment."

27. Ground No. VII states "the appointment of respondent No.6 under the impugned memo was without lawful authority and of no legal effect inasmuch that the petitioners, being Additional Chief Engineers at LGED, have a legitimate expectation to be considered for promotion to the post of Chief Engineer which is being breached by the decision taken under the impugned order."

.28. All persons in the service doing a job has a legitimate expectation for getting something better but mere expectation does not crate a legal right to something. In this particular case simply because the petitioners have/had mere legitimate expectation to be given promotion or even to be considered for promotion does not give them locus-standi to come to this Court under Article 102 of the Constitution. They cannot be called aggrieved persons for the purpose of Article 102. If however they have been deprived from being considered for promotion they may claim relief from the Administrative Tribunal as this remedy has been clearly provided in Article 117 of the Constitution. In Mujibur Rahman us the Government of Bangladesh reported in 44 DLR (AD) page 111 (para 48) it has been clearly stated that an aggrieved person wanting to claim any benefit in relation to his terms and conditions of service must seek relief from the Administrative Tribunal under Article 117 of the Constitution.

29. This has been affirmed even in 52 DLR (AD) 120 in the case of Delowar Hossain vs the Government of Bangladesh and others where it has been held that even in the case of fundamental rights the Administrative Tribunal is empowered to adjudicate matters. Here in the instant case even if legal right or even a fundamental right is infringed still the doors of the High Court Division is closed to the petitioners under Article 102 of the Constitution. They must seek their relief in the Administrative Tribunal.

30. Furthermore simply because the petitioners in the instant case did not challenge their own case of not being considered for promotion to the post of Chief Engineer but have challenged some other person's appointment does not make the Rule maintainable. What cannot be done directly cannot be done indirectly. Finally since the petitioners are not claiming that they are a class of the public or that due to the appointment of the Respondent No.6, a section of the public is suffering a loss or is being aggrieved, this cannot be called a public interest litigation.

Thus since the Rule is not maintainable we do not wish to go into the merits of the case. Accordingly, this Rule is discharged without any order as to costs.

(Concluded)
Kyrgios moves into semifinals at Brisbane International

AP, Brisbane :

Nick Kyrgios rebounded after dropping serve twice in the first set to reach the Brisbane International semifinals with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over former finalist Alexandr Dologolov on Friday.

The third-seeded Kyrgios had his left knee heavily taped but didn't appear to be hampered as he worked his way into the match after dropping the first set in 22 minutes.

In his first semifinal on home soil, Kyrgios will play either defending champion Grigor Dimitrov or Kyle Edmund for a spot in the final. Teenage wild-card entry Alex De Minaur followed up his upset victory over Milos Raonic with a routine 6-4, 6-0 win over Michael Mmoh to reach his first tour-level semifinal. He'll play the winner of the later quarterfinal between Denis Istomin and Ryan Harrison.
Reliance Jio to buy RCom's wireless assets in $3.75b deal

Reuters :

Debt-laden Reliance Communications has signed a deal to sell its wireless assets to Reliance Jio Infocomm for nearly 240 billion rupees ($3.75 billion), two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

The two companies had announced late on Thursday that Reliance Communications, backed by businessman Anil Ambani, would sell all its spectrum, tower, fibre optic and other telecom infrastructure assets to Jio, which is owned by Reliance Industries and is controlled by Anil Ambani's elder brother Mukesh Ambani, India's richest person.

They firms did not give the value of the deal. Jio and Reliance Communications, or RCom as the company is known as, did not respond to messages seeking comment on the value of the deal.

The sale, if finalised, would mark a big step in RCom's quest to cut down debt, which had sent its shares to record lows earlier this year and led creditors such as China Development Bank (CDB) to start insolvency proceedings over missed payments. RCom had a net debt of 450 billion rupees at the end of October, putting it among India's most indebted companies. CDB told Reuters late on Thursday it is in talks with RCom.

RCom shares rose as much as 29.9 percent on Friday while Reliance Industries rose as much as 0.9 percent.

The sale would also mark the return of the telecom operations back into the fold of Reliance Industries, which forayed into telecoms in 2002, spearheaded by the elder Ambani, under the name of Reliance Infocomm Ltd.

A feud between the two brothers in 2005 led to the split of Reliance Industries, with Mukesh Ambani keeping the cash cow oil and gas business and Anil Ambani walking away with telecoms and power.

But Mukesh Ambani has re-entered the telecoms space with the launch of Jio in September 2016, upending the sector with cut-price data and free voice service and pushing RCom into a debt spiral.

Analysts said the deal would serve both brothers, allowing Jio to expand its footprint in India's cutthroat telecom sector, while allowing RCom to pare debt.

On Tuesday, Anil Ambani had said the wireless provider was seeking to slash debt by 390 billion rupees, including through the sale of assets, sparking a rally in RCom shares which have more than doubled since the plan was unveiled.

Morgan Stanley analysts said the deal would allow Jio to further expand into India's telecom space, though it would also add to its debt.

"Acquisition of RCom's telecom infrastructure should bring synergies and lower costs while raising clarity on growth capex. The deal could potentially raise balance sheet leverage by 10-12 percent near term," Morgan Stanley wrote in a note on Friday.

Jio's entry has hurt profits at competitors such as Bharti Airtel Ltd, India's largest phone carrier, and the India unit of Vodafone Plc and sparked a wave of consolidation in the sector.

Reliance Jio is India's fastest growing telecoms company with a subscriber base of close to 140 million. Through the deal, Jio gets access to four bands of spectrum and 43,000 telecom towers and a countrywide fibre optic network.

For RCom, the deal could mark a big step in its months-long effort to reduce debt as it retreats from the consumer telecom space to focus on its enterprise business.

Under the plan unveiled on Tuesday, RCom has said it was aiming to raise about 250 billion rupees through the sale of some of its assets, as well as shift 100 billion rupees of debt into a special purpose vehicle. It also hopes to receive investments from private equity players.




Pascal Lamy due today to rally support

UNB, Dhaka :

Former World Trade Organization (WTO) director general Pascal Lamy arrives here on Saturday on a two-day visit representing France to seek Bangladesh's support to host World Expo 2025.

Four countries are candidates to host the World Expo 2025 - France (in Greater Paris), Japan (in Osaka), the Russian Federation (in Ekaterinburg),

and Azerbaijan (in Baku). The bid was submitted on September 28 to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the intergovernmental organization in charge of overseeing and regulating World Expos. The 170 member states of BIE will elect the host country at the 164th General Assembly in November 2018. Lamy will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed and Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister AKM Shajahan Kamal during his visit, a senior foreign ministry official told UNB. Meanwhile, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) will host a public lecture on Saturday afternoon where Lamy, the two times former WTO DG and special envoy of the French government, will deliver speech on the theme "Knowledge to Share, Planet to Care."

The theme chosen for this expo is "Knowledge sharing and protection of the planet," which reflects the priorities of the international action to protect the planet, while 2025 will coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement. France had hosted five major world exhibitions in the 19th century, and hosted an international exhibition on modern art and technology in 1937.

France thinks the World Expo is also an opportunity for French citizens and the country to redesign their openness to the world and French adherence to the universal values. "We have strong arguments and undeniable strengths to support our bid to host this major event, which will further enhance our country's appeal one year after hosting the Olympic Games in 2024. The goal is to attract 40 million tourists to visit this expo," said Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian recently.
8 held with 5 lakh Yaba pills in Cox's Bazar

Eight drug peddlers were arrested by RAB-7 with five lakh Yaba tablets worth about TK 20 crore from a fishing trawler in Cox\'s Bazar deep sea on Friday.

UNB, Dhaka :

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-7) arrested eight people with 5 lakh Yaba pills worth Tk 20 crore from the Bay of Bengal near Cox's Bazar coast on Friday morning. Tipped-off that a gang of smugglers are entering into Bangladesh territory from Myanmar with a large consignment of Yaba tablets, a team of Rab-7 intercepted a fishing trawler on its way to Cox's Bazar from neighbouring Myanmar around

6:45 am, RAB said at a press release. The elite

force, later, recovered 5 lakh Yaba pills worth Tk 20 crore after searching the trawler and arrested the eight people on board. The arrestees, during primary interrogation, said that they were heading towards Cox's Bazar along with the consignment of huge contrabands from Myanmar.
Democratic leaders nowhere fight against judiciary`s independence :Mainul Hosein

Staff Reporter :

Democratic leaders anywhere do not fight the judiciary to undermine its independence because they know how essential it is for good governance. Suhrawardy, AK Fazlul Haq or Nehru (of India) never thought of interfering with the independence of the judiciary. But in our country, fight to deny independence to the judiciary has been persistent, so said Barrister Mainul Hosein in a talk show, Tritiyo Matra on Channel-i TV yesterday moderated by Zillur Rahman. The other participant was Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar of SHUJAN.

Using the rules making power of the President, promotion, transfer and taking disciplinary actions against the judges of the lower judiciary have been kept under the control of the executive. The rules, accepted by the Appellate Division after refusing to do so for a long time, though require consultation with the Supreme Court but this has created a conflicting situation when read with



Article 109 of the Constitution which mandates High Court Division to have superintendence and control over the lower courts, he pointed out and concluded that without the power of posting, promoting and punishing the lower court judges the constitutional responsibility under Article 109 ceases to be meaningful.

Barrister Hosein explained that a bureaucracy-dominated government anywhere cannot accept constitutional checks and balances or independence of the judiciary and our government being in the grip of bureaucracy is fast shedding its democratic nature. He said our bureaucracy-led government known elsewhere as civilian martial law not to tolerate independence of the judiciary. The opposite of democracy is autocracy.

We have also an arrangement of things done or said through intimidation. Who are responsible not known. But the nation is living with terror-phobia.

Barrister Hosein expressed his bafflement as to how the High Court Division will effectively supervise and control the activities of the lower courts when the power of posting, transfer and punishment will be exercised by President or the law ministry if the President so arranges.

On the question of coming general election Barrister Mainul has made his view again clear that without dissolving the parliament no condition for parliamentary election exists. It is not also level playing field for the election to be free and fair under the party government in power.

Citing examples of parliamentary practice in other countries, Barrister Mainul said in those countries the existing prime minister is accepted to head the election time care taker government because the prime minister is trusted for not stealing the election.

He said it categorically that Election Commission is in no position to hold free and fair election and blaming it is not the solution.

Mr Majumdar is disappointed with the conduct of the judges of the Appellate Division in accepting the rules which were earlier refused. He was shocked to know the five judges telling the former Chief Justice not to sit with him in court before he was found guilty. He made this observation feeling concerned for their high position of public faith.

He has placed his high hope about the possibility of reaching a political compromise over the election.

Majumdar expects the Election Commission to say boldly that condition for a free and fair election is not available with the government fully in control of the administrative machinery.
Massive winter storm `bomb cyclone` kills 17

Evening Standard :

The icy weather pattern has also left Brits' travel plans in tatters due to a series of flight cancellations - with all flights into JFK suspended for hours due to the adverse conditions.

Conservationists have warned the animals are being trapped as they become stranded in shallow waters while seeking warmer areas off the east coast of America. Distressing images posted by the Atlantic White Shark conservation group show sharks washed up on beaches covered in ice and snow as the extreme cold snap continues. Alongside images of several sharks on a beach in Cape Cod, the group wrote on Facebook: "Both of these male sharks were nearly the same size and likely stranded due to cold shock."

Other experts have also linked the deaths of thresher sharks washing up on beaches or in shallow waters to the cold conditions. Greg Skomal, a scientist from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, told the New York Times: "If you've got cold air, that'll freeze their gills up very quickly.

"Those gill filaments are very sensitive and it wouldn't take long for the shark to die." Speaking to the website Boston.com, he added: "The rapid cooling associated with this cold snap and water temps is forcing the sharks to move south at a faster pace, and the landmass of Cape Cod is contributing to them getting stranded in shallow water."

It comes as a massive winter storm known as a "bomb cyclone" killed at least 17 people and wreaked havoc across the East Coast of the US, as well as in usually mild southern states. In Florida, shocked residents also reported iguanas falling from trees in a 'frozen' state, also apparently due to the freak cold.

Green iguanas, like all reptiles, are coldblooded animals, so they become immobile when the temperature falls to a certain level, said Kristen Sommers of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Under 50 degrees Fahrenheit, they become sluggish. Under 40 degrees, their blood stops moving as much, Sommers told the Washington Post. They like to sit in trees, and "it's become cold enough that they fall out."

The freezing conditions are expected to continue into the weekend, and have caused chaos in recent days as they grounded thousands of flights. Flights from New York's John F Kennedy airport were due to resume at 12pm today after being suspended for up to 16 hours. Meteorologists have said parts of the US could experience their lowest temperatures on record over the course of Friday and Saturday. Weather warnings are in place across a huge swathe of the US, from Maine to Georgia. "Heavy snowfall rates will spread northward across NH and through southern/central ME through early this evening," said the National Weather Service.

"In addition to heavy snowfall rates, the intensifying storm will result in strengthening winds, producing blizzard conditions for coastal regions of New England." Forecasters have also warned that hurricane force winds of up to 60mph are to batter much of the north-eastern coastline. The storm has resulted in thousands of cancelled flights at major airports such as Boston's Logan International Airport and New York's LaGuardia Airport and disrupted the schedules at regional airports. Amtrak planned to operate a modified schedule between New York and Boston on Thursday. Northeast Regional Service between Washington, DC, and Newport News/Norfolk, Virginia, was cancelled for Thursday.




Country

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Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
JONESBORO  Union County officials are getting set to host a stalking awareness event to call attention to this crime and the fact that January is National Stalking Awareness Month.

This public education and awareness event will be at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10, in the Community Room at the Union County Courthouse in Jonesboro,

Guests will learn more about stalking and how law enforcement is encouraging people to help combat it. Anticipated presenters are Scott Harvel, Union County Sheriff; Cathy McClanahan, executive director of the Women's Center in Carbondale; and Tyler Edmonds, Union County State's Attorney.

Stalking affects 3.4 million victims a year, Edmonds said in a news release.

Stalking is a crime in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, yet many victims and criminal justice professionals underestimate its seriousness and impact, the news release states.

In one of five cases, stalkers use weapons to harm or threaten victims, and stalking is one of the significant risk factors for homicide in abusive relationships. Victims suffer anxiety, social dysfunction and severe depression at much higher rates than the general population, and many lose time from work or have to move as a result of their victimization.

Stalking is difficult to recognize, investigate, and prosecute. Unlike other crimes, stalking is not a single, easily identifiable crime but a series of acts, a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause that person fear.

Stalking may take many forms, such as assaults; threats; vandalism; burglary; animal abuse; or unwanted cards, calls, gifts or visits.

One in four victims reports that the stalker tracks their daily activities, by using such technology such as computers, GPS devices and hidden cameras.

Stalkers fit no standard psychological profile, and many stalkers follow their victims from one jurisdiction to another, making it difficult for authorities to investigate and prosecute their crimes, according to the news release. Communities that understand and recognize stalking, however, can support victims and combat the crime.

The Union County States Attorneys Office encourages community members to report incidents of stalking and promote awareness and public education about stalking during the annual observance.

For more information, please contact the States Attorneys Office at 618-833-7216.
MUPRHYSBORO  A packed Jackson County Courtroom on Friday expected Circuit Judge Mark Clarke to set a trial date for Gaege Bethune, who is facing first-degree murder charges in the death of 19-year-old Pravin Varughese.

Instead, Bethunes defense attorney, Michael Wepsiec, told the judge he was going to file a motion for a change of venue.

Wepsiec told the court he planned to file the motion in two weeks as he was about 90 percent finished with the document. He cited information in discovery along with social media discussions as part of his basis for wanting to move the trial.

Illinois states attorney appellate prosecutor, David Robinson, said the state will be objecting to the change of venue, saying most of the social media chatter Wepsiec was referring to didnt come from Jackson County.

He (Bethune) can get a fair trial anywhere  even Jackson County, Robinson said.

Robinson went on to say he fears the exchange about a new venue could cause the trial to be pushed out for possibly be a year.

Justice delayed is justice denied, Robinson said quoting Wepsiec from a previous case.

Wepsiec said he is playing catch-up to the prosecution in the case since he only started working on it when the indictment on Bethune came down in July, while the prosecution has worked on the case for three years. He also cited working on other cases and still trying to interview witnesses.

A little more than a year after Varugheses death in February 2014, a Jackson County grand jury returned the no true bill for first degree-murder charges against Bethune, meaning no charges were filed. At the time, Jackson County States Attorney Michael Carr said from his perspective, the criminal investigation was over.

Shortly after the grand jury, Carr recused himself from the case, and a special prosecutor was appointed to look into the case.

Bethune has the right for his (defense) to do a full investigation, Wepsiec said.

Judge Clark inquired about where the trial could happen outside of Jackson County without completely breaking down the courts system. Wepsiec said he would favor somewhere in the northern 20 counties.

Clark set a case management conference to rule on the change of venue motion at 9 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 16.

Lovely Varughese, Pravin Varguhese's mother, said the change of venue doesnt bother her.

He can take this case wherever he wants, she said. Pravins case is known all over the world, so I dont know what is his reason for taking it elsewhere. I personally think it will attract more media attention.

Varughese went missing the night of Feb. 12, 2014. His body was found six days later in a wooded area off the 1400 block of East Main Street.

Police said they learned the 19-year-old got a ride that night, reportedly getting into a pickup truck in the 600 block of West College Street. After an altercation with Bethune  the driver of the vehicle  Varughese got out and ran into the wooded area where his body was later found.
A familiar face will lead the charge for Carbondale Elementary School District No. 95.

Carbondale Community High School Principal Daniel Booth was hired by the school board Thursday to a five-year contract with a salary of $150,816. His tenure as superintendent will begin July 1.

Booth came to Carbondale to attend Southern Illinois University in 2002. He obtained a bachelors degree in 2006 in health education and in 2010 received a masters degree in education administration.

He was hired by CCHS in 2006 as a health and drivers education instructor. He was promoted to dean of students in 2009 and became assistant principal in 2010. In 2011, he was promoted to principal.

Booth said Carbondale is his home and he is excited to hit the ground running in the new district.

I was eager to talk to the board about my vision what this district can be with great leadership, he said. We were on the same page and here we are today.

He said this is an opportunity for Carbondale to begin succeeding, starting with its youngest minds.

Im most excited about what the future holds for Carbondale, he said. Its a great opportunity for Carbondale to reach its full potential at the elementary level.

This could be a model district in the state of Illinois. We will exceed expectations. It will take time and hard work, but we are not running away from hard work.

Booth takes over the superintendent job from interim superintendent Elizabeth Lewin, who has been in charge since May when former superintendent Michael Shimshak retired.

Booth wasnt the only person happy to see the district make this move, as School Board Chairman John Major said District 95 is trending in the right direction with new hire.

I think our district has made the turnaround already tonight, he said.

The teachers in the audience on Thursday were also pleased with the hire, as several times throughout the meeting, there were pauses for applause.

Sharonda Marshall, third grade teacher at Thomas School, said Booth is exactly with the district needs.

He is a person who is going to come in and change the culture of our district, she said. He came in and talked to the Carbondale Education Association, and you saw nothing but smiles and happiness all around.

Booth addressed the teachers during the meeting, saying he looks forward to helping them feel special and important.

Because this district will not be anything without you guys and I appreciate what you do every day, he said.

The only negative comments came from two board members Carlton Smith and Gary Shepherd, who both said it was concerning the board only saw the contract from the first time Thursday night, and didnt get to participate in what terms went into the contract.

However, both members also said their concerns did not reflect their feelings toward Booths qualifications for the job.

CES 95 is home to Parish Elementary, Thomas Elementary, Lewis Elementary and Carbondale Middle Schools.
The Trump administration's proposal to expand offshore drilling is "horrible public policy," a Republican lawmaker from coastal South Carolina says.

State Sen. Tom Davis of Beaufort County told The Associated Press that he worries exploratory efforts including seismic testing could harm marine life, as well as the state's $20 billion tourism industry, much of which is based in and around the lush coastline.

The third-term senator who served a delegate for Donald Trump at last year's GOP convention also said infrastructure needed for offshore exploratory efforts, including refineries and construction yards, "is dirty and highly industrial."

"This is simply not compatible with coastal South Carolina," Davis said.

The proposal unveiled by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke would vastly expand offshore drilling and open up federal waters off the California coast for the first time in more than three decades.

The new five-year drilling plan also could open new areas of oil and gas exploration off the East Coast from Georgia to Maine, where drilling has been blocked for decades. Many lawmakers in those states support offshore drilling, although the Democratic governors of North Carolina and Virginia oppose drilling off their state coasts.

Drilling-related issues have always garnered lots of attention of South Carolina, a deeply conservative state with nearly 190 miles of ocean coastline, and where some groups and local governments have passed their own resolutions opposing drilling.

Eddy Moore of the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League said a spill like 2010's Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf would "devastate" the state's rich beaches, rivers and salt marshes.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, one of Trump's earliest and most ardent supporters, has been cool to drilling and seismic testing, telling an economic development group he had "serious deep concerns." In April, when the Trump administration announced it would revisit plans for more offshore exploration, McMaster said he wanted to protect natural resources and had questions about the proposals.

Lt. Gov. Kevin Bryant, who is challenging McMaster for this year's GOP nomination, said, "We need to explore what we have off the coast" but cautioned against taking reckless action.

The state's congressional delegation has had mixed feelings on drilling. Rep. Jim Clyburn, South Carolina's only congressional Democrat, said Thursday on Twitter that he had always opposed drilling and urged Congress to "act quickly" to block the expansion.

But even South Carolina's congressional Republicans have been split on offshore drilling. Rep. Mark Sanford, the state's former two-term governor, called it a "big win" for coastal communities in January 2017 when the Obama administration blocked seismic surveys in the Atlantic.

Months earlier, when federal officials barred oil drilling off the Atlantic Coast, Rep. Tom Rice  whose district includes Myrtle Beach, the heart of South Carolina's $19 billion tourism industry  said that, given discoveries of more onshore oil using technologies like hydraulic fracturing, "tapping new reserves in the Atlantic has become less and less feasible." On Thursday, Rice reiterated his previous opposition to drilling off South Carolina's coast.

In a statement to AP, U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy called it "critical" to take precautions to protect the environment

In a release, U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan called the plan "tremendous news for American energy independence, economic development, and job creation."

In a statement to the AP, Republican Sen. Tim Scott's office said he supports offshore energy exploration, but also believes officials should get buy-in from more coastal residents before moving forward.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who said after Trump's executive order that "there are ways to drill offshore that would not hurt tourism," didn't immediately comment Thursday.

Ralph Norman and Joe Wilson didn't immediately return messages seeking comment.

The announcement by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke launched the process to open 90 percent of offshore waters in the continental United States. Only some waters off Alaska are excluded.

The change comes a little more than a year after the Obama administration had closed Atlantic waters offshore after a massive outcry from coastal residents and businesses. Conservation groups already have been re-rallying that opposition.

The leasing would be from 2019-2024. The proposal now goes to a review, including public hearings.

"This is going to be the future of our country," Zinke said, adding that revenue from the off-coast work could be re-invested in public lands. "This is the largest number of lease sales ever proposed."

The move is almost certain to face legal challenges.

"Offshore drilling threatens local communities, economies, and everything that makes the South a special place," said Sierra Weaver, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.

"In 2016, Southern communities along the Atlantic coast successfully fought off an attempt to bring offshore drilling to their coasts, and they will do the same again, Weaver said.

Obama closed off much of the Atlantic to drilling and did not approve leasing off the Southeast during the 2017-2022 period. In April, Trump ordered a review of those decisions.

The re-opening follows the administration's call for easing restrictions on oil rig operations and streamlining the reviews that protect marine animals during the leasing process. The lengthy process can seriously delay and restrict the work, and conservation groups used those delays as a tool to help derail leasing under Obama.

The re-opening also comes after a 2017 study that seismic blast testing for the oil and natural gas  the first step to drilling  harms not only wildlife but also elemental food source species such as zooplankton.

On the East Coast alone, opposition to the drilling and testing  which rose largely from protests in South Carolina  has grown to millions of East Coast residents, more than 120 municipalities, 1,200 elected officials, 41,000 businesses and a half-million fishing families.

For many, the fight over drilling cuts to the heart of coastal life, where interests are divided between exploring for the potential economic benefit of fossil fuels, to restricting exploration to protect marine life and a billion-dollar tourism economy.

S.C. House members formed a subcommittee last spring  the Off-shore Drilling Ad Hoc Committee  to look at the pros and cons of leases for offshore testing and drilling. The subcommittee will report back to the Legislature.

Previous lease decisions have hinged partly on support of the onshore state government.

The committee has wrapped up hearings, and its report is expected to be submitted later this month.

Meanwhile, the stakes might soon climb in South Carolina. Zinke noted the country would soon be a major exporter of liquid natural gas.

A natural gas pipeline pumping 1.5 billion cubic feet per day is in the works to run from from West Virginia to the North Carolina-South Carolina border near Interstate 95. It's among a web of other gas pipeline expansions plotted through or near the Palmetto State.

Conservationists fear the new push to open the Atlantic offshore of South Carolina to oil and natural gas exploration and drilling has less to do with what could be found, and more to do with getting the onshore industry in place to export from those pipelines to Europe.

After decades of running natural gas out of the Gulf of Mexico to feed the country, fuel companies are now running natural gas and crude oil fracked from shale supplies in the Midwest and Northeast. The surplus is getting exported out of the Gulf of Mexico.

Those companies are looking to export to Europe from Atlantic ports such as Charleston. And that means money for local and state governments.

The move could be especially controversial on the Pacific coast where the decision would open federal waters off the coast of California for the first time in more than three decades.
A Denmark man has been accused of illegal sexual activity involving a minor teen, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

SLED charged David Lee James III, 41, of Denmark with:

 First-degree assault and battery

 Two counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor, second degree

 Two counts of criminal sexual conduct, third degree

 Criminal sexual conduct with a minor, third degree.

James was booked at the Barnwell County Detention Center.

SLED investigated the case at the request of the Aiken County Sheriffs Office.

The case will be prosecuted by the Second Circuit Solicitor's Office.
Following a week of record-setting low temperatures, the importance of reliable, abundant and inexpensive energy is now more obvious than ever. It was certainly appropriate that the 2017 National Security Strategy, released on Dec. 18, three days before the start of winter, emphasized energy security.

To Promote American prosperity, one of the vital national interests identified in the NSS, the strategy asserts that our Nation must take advantage of our wealth in domestic resources. One of the most important of its domestic resources, which America is no longer taking full advantage of, is its vast coal reserves.

Testifying on Nov. 28 at the Environmental Protection Agencys public hearing on the withdrawal of the Clean Power Plan in Charleston, West Virginia, Robert E. Murray, president and CEO of Murray Energy Corp., summarized the situation: Prior to the election of President Obama, 52 percent of Americas electricity was generated from coal, and this rate was much higher in the Midwest. That percentage of coal generation declined under the Obama administration to 30 percent. Under the Obama administration, and its so-called Clean Power Plan, over 400 coal-fired generating plants totaling over 100,000 megawatts of capacity were closed with no proven environmental benefit whatsoever.

Former President Barack Obamas dedication to the climate scare contributed significantly to coals decline. Besides the impact of the Clean Power Plan, coal has been hammered as a result of a 2015 EPA rule that limits carbon dioxide emissions on new coal-fired power stations. The result is that the U.S. can no longer build modern, clean and efficient coal plants to replace older stations, as is happening in Europe, China and India. Heres why:

The 2015 EPA rule, entitled Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From New, Modified, and Reconstructed Stationary Sources: Electric Generating Units, limits CO2 emissions on new coal-fired stations to 1,400 pounds per megawatt-hour of electricity generated. The EPA maintained that supercritical pulverized coal stations could achieve this standard if they captured about 20 percent of its carbon pollution.

By calling CO2 carbon pollution, the Obama EPA encouraged the public to think of the gas as dirty, like graphite or soot, which really are carbon. Calling CO2 by its proper name, carbon dioxide, would have helped people remember that it is actually beneficial, an invisible, odorless gas essential to plant photosynthesis. And many scientists do not support the hypothesis that our CO2 emissions will cause dangerous climate change.

Regardless, the technology of CO2 capture on a full-scale power plant is still a technological fantasy. So the EPA regulation was actually banning the construction of even the latest, very clean coal-fired stations because their CO2 emissions are at least 20 percent above the EPA limit.

Considering that the U.S. has 22.1 percent of the worlds proven coal reserves, the greatest of any country and enough to last for 381 years at current consumption rates, it is a tragedy that America can no longer build modern coal-fired power stations to replace its aging fleet. Clearly, the rule limiting CO2 emissions from new coal-fired power stations must be canceled as soon as possible.

The Obama administrations 2015 NSS listed Climate change ahead of Major energy market disruptions in its list of top strategic risks to our interests. That made no sense. Arresting climate change, to quote from Obamas NSS, is not possible. Climate is, and always will be, variable. There is nothing we can do to stop it. President Donald Trump was right to make only passing reference to climate change in the 2017 NSS.

To ensure energy security and restore Americas advantages in the world and build upon our countrys great strengths, (re-NSS fact sheet), the Trump administration must continue to promote coal. And to effectively boost coal, the climate alarm must be thoroughly debunked.
A mother of three in the Georgetown area was expected to ring in the Christmas season on a higher note, after receiving some much needed help recently.





Ms. Davenet Blake and her boys, ages seven, three and one year old  one of whom has Down Syndrome - were treated to some Christmas cheer and hands-on assistance as staff from CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank came together to paint the interior and exterior of her home, clean, and supply some interior decorating and gift the home with a stove, some chairs, linens, a food basket, a Christmas ham and other presents.





Ms. Blake expressed her thanks and gratitude to the management and staff of CIBC FirstCaribbean.





Country Head of CIBC FirstCaribbean Shelly-Anne Samuel said, "We know the holiday season can be a difficult time of year for anyone, especially for those who are in need. We at CIBC FirstCaribbean are proud to be the champions of such a programme, where cooperation and human effort - rather than purely financial resources - are employed to make a positive difference and give back to our communities.





She explained that, "We list legitimate causes that donors choose to adopt, and encourage staff involvement in many of our community activities, but through the unique Adopt-A-Cause programme, employees get the opportunity to identify projects in their immediate surroundings that they can become involved in. (Contributed)




by HAYDN HUGGINS





Outgoing Acting Commissioner of Police Renold Hadaway is advising police officers to uphold the integrity of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF), at all times.





Hadaway proceeded on pre-retirement leave Tuesday, January 2. He told THE VINCENTIAN on Wednesday that the vast majority of Police officers are hardworking and dedicated, and is urging that to continue in this vein.





But he is asking the few who have been giving less than what is expected of them, to think seriously about the job to which they have sworn.





"Law enforcement is for persons who are serious about providing the highest standard and quality service. It is for persons whose ultimate desire is to uphold the goals and objectives of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force. It should not be a means to an end. You must have a passion to uphold the integrity of the organization, hadaway posited.





The outgoing Acting Police Chief is also looking forward to closer collaboration between the police and the public, something of which he was very passionate.

"During my tenure, we continued to have a close relationship with the public, but improvement in this regard will help to enhance our crime fighting efforts, he underscored, adding that "crime fighting involves a holistic approach.





Open door and awards





Hadaway pointed out that as Acting Commissioner, he continued the open door policy to all.

"There was no need for anyone to make an appointment to see me. Once you turned up at my office and the time was available, I would entertain you, because I recognized that I was doing a service to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and appointments will not always fulfill a persons desires or needs. When someone has a complaint, their desire is to have the issue addressed in the shortest time.





Hadaway said he sought to raise the standard of the service delivered to the public generally, and this was achieved to a great extent, but "there is still room for improvement.





He noted that one of his innovations in this regard was to have awards at the recent Police Awards Ceremony, for the Best Customer Service Police Station (won by the Questelles Police Station), as well as the Best Section of the Police Force (won by the Coast Guard).





"The main thrust behind this innovation is to reduce the incidents and allegations portraying the police as inefficient and unprofessional, in responding to complaints from the public. The main focus is to engender the need to embrace the public more professionally. As we go forward, it is my hope that the organization would build on this initiative, and if possible, a police division will be awarded Best Customer Service Division, at the next Police Awards Ceremony.





The Police Force has to embrace the community, Hadaway stressed, and expressed the view that such initiatives will augur well for law enforcement and crime fighting.





No regrets





As he leaves the constabulary with just over 36 years experience, Hadaway has absolutely no regrets.

"I feel a great sense of satisfaction having served the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for that period. It is a job that I enjoyed doing. It is a job to which I have dedicated every day of my career to serving the people of this country.





Renold Hadaway joined the constabulary on January 31, 1982. He worked Beat and Patrol, Special Services Unit (SSU), rising to head that Unit. He also served as Commandant and Instructor at the Police Training School.





His knowledge and training saw him being seconded to the Regional Security System (RSS) as an instructor and training team Sergeant Major.





He performed Peace Keeping duties in Grenada in 1983 and in Haiti in 1981.

He assumed the office of Commissioner of Police (Acting) in August 2016, when then Commissioner Michael Charles proceeded on retirement leave.





Hadaway attended several training courses regionally and internationally, and holds a degree in law.
Esther Davis - founder of the Hearts of Charity  interacting with one of the children who received a special 2017 Christmas cheer.

For the third consecutive year, over 100 children from the North Leeward constituency benefitted from Christmas treats, distributed by members of Vincentian- New York based group Hearts of Charity.





On Sunday, December 17th , some 120 children from Chateaubelair, Spring Village, Fitz Hughes and surrounding areas gathered at the Chateaubelair Methodist School, to be a part of the Third Annual Kids Christmas Party, with much to eat, drink and celebrate.

Founder of the group Esther Davis said though her charity "is relatively young, it is her intention to extend beyond Chateaubelair, going into even more communities across St. Vincent and the Grenadines; assisting where possible to ensure that the less fortunate kids here are able to unwrap at least one gift and toy on Christmas Day.

Meanwhile, over 50 gift bags containing food and clothing were distributed to needy children and teens in Vermont, with an additional 50 plus residents in the Sion Hill area all sharing in Davis goodwill.





The Hearts of Charity founder said growing up in a household where her parents were not able to provide very much to her and her siblings, she always had a desire to improve her living conditions and help others who are not able to help and provide for themselves.





Davis also expressed much thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Cuthbert James of Chateaubelair, who have been coordinating the activities locally for the past 3 years.




Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves could take the credit for having initiated the marijuana discussion at the CARICOM Heads of Government level.

This country is expected to take steps towards establishing a medical marijuana industry.





Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves gave indication of this when, at a press briefing on Tuesday 2nd January, he said that he was hoping to present a Bill in Parliament on the issue, by the end of the first quarter of 2018.

He disclosed that he had spent some time last weekend with Agriculture Minister Saboto Caesar and a legal consultant, discussing the issue of establishing a medical marijuana industry here.





"I am not talking yet about decriminalization of small amounts for recreational or religious use that is for a much longer debate. I want to see us have a business in medical marijuana, he told media practitioners.

According to Dr. Gonsalves, he wanted to focus on medical marijuana as an industry, and was desirous of seeing, encouraging, both foreign and domestic investment.





Marijuana as a plant, has many beneficial uses, he acknowledged, but given its narcotic properties, it has been misused and abused, and that is why the law has been addressing the misuse of the plant.

The process at this stage, he explained, dealt with what he described as "the beneficial use, adding that certain pre-requisites had to be put in place, e.g. a regime that would dictate the cultivation of the plant and laboratory facilities to extract the useful elements.





He reiterated that the government was serious about the medical marijuana issue, and he called for serious discussion on the issue.





"I just cant wait indefinitely, he said.





THE VINCENTIAN is aware of the many inquiries and overtures that have been made of and to this country with respect to its potential to capitalise on an already established marijuana cultivation, albeit illegal.

A recent as November, a party of Canadian interests visited SVG and held discussions with a wide range of stakeholders, including the Minister of Agriculture.





The proposed action by SVG on the issue of marijuana use follows on steps taken by other CARICOM members  Jamaica, Belize - to decriminalise the use of small amounts of marijuana and, in the case of Jamaica, the setting in place of a legislative structure/regime and processes establishing a medical marijuana industry.





All of this comes amidst the deliberations of a Regional Commission on Marijuana that was established by the decision of the Twenty-fifth Inter-Sessional Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government, in March 2014 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.





The Commission, headed by Prof. Rose-Marie-Bell Antoine, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, was mandated, inter alia: to conduct a rigorous enquiry into the social, economic, health and legal issues surrounding marijuana use in the Caribbean, and to determine whether there should be a change in the current drug classification of marijuana, thereby making the drug more accessible for all types of usage (religious, recreational, medical and research); to recommend, if there is to be a re-classification, the legal and administrative conditions that shall apply.





Dr. Gonsalves had taken the lead in galvanizing this action by the Heads of Government of CARICOM members.




Oswald Robinson, President of the SVG Teachers Union, vehemently responded that his union did not receive an invitation to the budget consultations involving trade unions here. (Photo: WEFM)

"We are a professional organization.





The words of President of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Union (SVGTU) Oswald Robinson in response to the comment made by Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, that he (Gonsalves) was disappointed with the no show by the union at the budget consultation exercise.





Dr. Gonsalves made the comment on Tuesday during a press briefing.





He said that the meeting was called by the Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves, and that he was unaware of the reason why the SVGTU was absent.





"I am not sure if they did not receive their notification, or got it on time or what, he said.

When contacted, Robinson explained that the SVGTU did not receive an official invitation from the Ministry of Finance, to be a part of the consultation, as is the norm.





"They are supposed to write to us, he told THE VINCENTIAN.

According to the unions president, the issue was raised at the consultation process preceding the 2017 budgetary presentation.





And those representing the union then expressed their disappointment it having not received a formal invitation.





He further explained that he is in constant contact with the unions office, and would be informed of any piece of mail or messages, but there was no official notification inviting them to be a part of the consultation process.





Meeting recorded





While speaking on the issue of consultations, the Prime Minister said that it had been brought to his attention that the budgetary discussions with the unions were secretly recorded.





"You cant have an honest, open discussion if one side is surreptitiously going to tape the conversation as has happened, as we see now it has emerged, Dr. Gonsalves said.

According to the Prime Minister, in the 17 years that he has been conducting consultations, this was the first time that there was such an occurrence.





"If somebody tapes it, without your knowledge, it means that they are very guarded in what they are going to say, so the conversation is not honest, he explained.





"We need to observe certain elementary courtesies and protocols, because if I have a meeting with somebody and I dont know the conversation is being taped, I will find that what you are saying may not be your free expressions, but speaking for some other purpose, Dr. Gonsalves continued, adding that it was an issue that ought to be dealt with. (DD)
We are on the threshold of a new year filled with some old and some new challenges, as we prepare to mitigate the effects of nature at its worst .





2017 had its challenges, some of which will spill into 2018 and beyond, especially as it relates to the rebuilding process in Dominica, the result of an event still fresh in our minds.





Going forward, however, we need to pause and reflect on what it would have been if it was our beloved SVG that was traumatized by Maria or some other major hazard. Are we really prepared?





During 2017, the RRL and its volunteer members participated in a number of events ranging from safety (drills) at sea, operating from kayaks for an open water swimming event, emergency communications at motor sporting events, assisting the School of Nursing (DNE) with emergency communications during a mass casualty(simulation) event, staging in house simulations, as well as conducting two ham radio courses leading up to a Technician Class licence.





Highlight of the year





The highlight of the year, however, was our involvement with a medical and emergency communications relief mission to Dominica, just one week after Maria left a trail of damage and destruction.





Our arrival in Dominica was timely and effective. Our multi-disciplined team targeted the needs of that country at that time. We brought medical supplies along with the services of a doctor, nurse and pharmacist(RO); a certified small engine specialist cum chainsaw operator (RO) and an emergency communications specialist.

While in Dominica we put aside one day just to clear blocked roads, covering a distance of a little over a mile in the Wesley area, to the main airport RO = radio operator.





The communications team played a vital role in coordinating the arrival of visiting medical teams, as well as food and medical supplies. ROs in neighbouring islands, notably Anguilla, St. Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, Montserrat, Antigua and T&T, played a critical role in relaying messages into and out of the affected areas.

The lack of fuel in the immediate aftermath of Maria somewhat compromised our effectiveness. The lack of transportation and in many cases blocked roads, meant that the injured could not reach medical centers, neither could medical staff reach out to those affected especially in remote communities.





Suggestions for infield emergency measures





This highlighted the need for bicycles with luggage racks and/or small electric bikes recharged by solar energy, to be used to reach these remote locations. Luggage racks will allow doctors or nurses to carry a limited amount of medications and sterilised dressings. It is easier to use bicycles in most situations, as a bicycle can be lifted/taken over fallen trees and landslides blocking roads, whereas motor vehicles will be stranded. Bicycles could also be used by other First Responders where vehicular access is blocked or restricted.





Radio communications was and will always be a problem, once people do NOT have a radio. Cell phones are useless for communications in the aftermath of a disaster, but could be useful for taking photographs of damage without jeopardizing the safety of the person taking the picture. But situations can arise during the exercise of photographing. For example, you may be standing on a river bank taking a picture of a house being washed away, unaware that the area on which you are standing has been undermined by the water. That area is likely to collapse under your weight and you end up being a victim. Therefore, there must be a concerted effort to train as many radio operators from every community to offset the lack of cell phone and landline service, especially during emergencies. Medical teams should also be trained to use two-way radios.





The RRL going forward





We are living in perilous times, and our watch words must be readiness at all times. Secondly, we must be prepared to respond to the needs of our neighbours, as sometimes the impact can be so severe that even well-prepared countries can still reel under the adverse effects of nature. We need, therefore, to train in and learn others terrain during "peace time. Prior knowledge of another country would make responding to their needs more immediate and effective.





The RRL Inc. needs the support of corporate society. We do not have the financial resources to purchase response vehicles for land, sea and air. If our work is to be effective, we will need the tools of the trade. If for example, an aircraft crashes into the sea, we do not even own a row boat, so our service, if any, in that situation, will be compromised by the lack of equipment.





Therefore, we NEED these assets if we are to deliver a proper service, not only to SVG, but to the wider Caribbean including our immediate neighbours.

And finally, a big "THANK YOU to our sponsors this year, including but not limited to BOSVG, NTRC, SVGAIR, RUBIS, and all persons and agencies that contributed to the success of our mission to Dominica.

With the help of corporate society, a construction team hopes to return to Dominica in 2018 to repair the roofs of five homes destroyed by the hurricane.

The Directorate of the RRL Inc. join in wishing all Vincentians and readers in general, a healthy and accident free 2018 and well beyond that.





Report submitted by:

Donald A. De Riggs 

Director  RRL Inc.
Bishop Merton Cumberbatch (3rd from R) and his wife (4th from R) receive Humanitarian Award. Also pictured are pastor Robert McBarnett (2nd from R) and members of the St. Matthias Charities, Inc.

The Bronx, New York-based St. Matthias Charities, Inc. recently bestowed its Humanitarian Award on a Vincentian-born Spiritual Baptist bishop in Brooklyn.





Bishop Merton Cumberbatch, pastor of the St. Anthonys Divine Church of Healing in Brooklyn, New York, received the award during the St. Matthias Charities, Inc.s 6th Annual Prayer Breakfast at the Friends of Crown Heights Educational Center in Brooklyn.





"I was extremely honored and humbled by the recognition I received from St. Matthias Charities, Inc., Bishop Cumberbatch told THE VINCENTIAN after the award ceremony. "I am grateful for the recognition obtained, but this could not have been possible without my wife, Rev. Cumberbatch, who is the brain behind this ongoing project.

"Together, we continue to extend a helping hand to anyone in need, hoping that, in so doing, we could make a positive impact on everyone we come into contact with, he added. "Our mission and desire to help wherever there is a need continues. And your thoughtfulness and kind gesture [St. Matthias Charities, Inc.] are rare within our community. And for that, your consideration was truly appreciated.





"I sincerely thank everyone involved in making this decision, and I pray that we all continue to work together, supporting each other in making a difference within our community, Bishop Cumberbatch continued. "Our mission work has just begun, and united together we can and will make a difference in the lives of the vulnerable and less fortunate.





Never forgot home

Bishop Cumberbatch, who was born in Belair, received his elementary education at Belair Government School and his secondary education at the then Boys Grammar School in Kingstown.





At a young age, Cumberbatch said he demonstrated leadership qualities, adding that, through his active participation in youth activities, he became president of Belair 4-H Club and the Belair Anglican Young Peoples Association.





Cumberbatch said he was called and accepted baptism at 17. In 1973, he migrated to the United States, becoming a deacon ten years later and a minister in 1989. In 1995, he was consecrated to the office of Bishop.





Despite being far from home, Cumberbatch said he never forgot St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and his love and desire to give back to his homeland.





With Gods blessing and anointing, Cumberbatch said he married his wife Elect-lady, Rev. Rita Cumberbatch, co-pastor of St. Anthonys Divine Church of Healing, Overseer of St. Francis Spiritual Baptist Church in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and affiliated minister at St. Joseph Spiritual Baptist Church in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.





Together, Cumberbatch said they started a mission to "help the beautiful islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.





With their determination to reach out to the less fortunate, they said they started meeting the needs of the "shut-ins in various villages and communities by providing necessities.

"This ignited a fire and the desire to do more, Cumberbatch said, adding they also started donating "supplies and necessities to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital in Kingstown, and the Lewis Punnett Home for the Aged and the Mental Health Center in Glen.





In addition, Bishop Cumberbatch said he and his wife provide "sponsorship, through transportation, food, books, clothing and funds for extracurricular activities, to one or two less fortunate children with great potential that lack financial support in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.





Cumberbatch said he continues to share his passion and spiritual insight in "the word, standing on the truth of the scriptures and the calling he received at 17.





The bishop said he and Elect-lady Rev. Cumberbatch "have been doing this for over 30 years, and are looking forward to 30 plus more years of helping individuals in dire need.





The couple said they also distribute bibles throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and make annual pilgrimages to the country, "whereby the word and gospel of Jesus Christ can be ministered to Gods children.





St. Matthias Charities, Inc





The Prayer Breakfast  which was graced by the presence of St. Vincent and the Grenadines New York Consul General Howie Prince and his Grenadian counterpart Rosemary Welch  also featured Jamaican gospel artiste Crosswell Daley, as the top act; and Christmas and gospel selections from Zita Adams, a publicschool teacher in Brooklyn.





In May, the St. Matthias Charities, Inc., founded and headed by Vincentian Spiritual Baptist pastor Robert McBarnett, completed a mission to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, distributing over 200 cases of pampers for patients and residents at the Mental Health Rehabilitation Centre and Lewis Punnett Home for the Aged, respectively.





The group also handed over two EKG machines  one to the Levi Latham Hospital in the Marriaqua Valley and the other to the Georgetown Hospital, McBarnett said.





In August, the group donated toothbrushes, toothpaste, body wash, soap and other supplies to the Mental Health Rehabilitation Cenrer and the Lewis Punnett Home for the Aged.





Members were on the ground in St. Vincent and the Grenadines before Christmas to hand over four commercial washing machines, one dryer and three television sets to the Lewis Punnett Home for the Aged and the Mental Health Rehabilitation Center.
Emirates NBD (ENBD), a leading bank in the region, today announced the signing of an agreement to offer clearing services to UAE-based brokerage firm Shurooq Stocks & Bonds.



Emirates NBD is the first UAE-based financial services entity to be approved by SCA - Securities and Commodities Authority as a General Clearing Member providing clearing and settlement services to trading participants of the UAEs equity markets.



The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Khalid Al Shaikh, SCA head of Licensing, along with senior officials from Dubai Financial Market (DFM), Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), Emirates NBD and Shurooq Stocks & Bonds.



Being the first qualified General Clearing Member in the UAE, Emirates NBD offers an unparalleled financial proposition to trading members and brokerage firms in the country, providing them with the services needed to enhance their operational and cost efficiencies. With a stronger regulatory environment in place designed to help trading members, we are pleased to welcome onboard Shurooq Stocks & Bonds and expect more brokerage firms to avail our services going forward, said Tariq Bin Hendi, executive vice president and head of Products & Advisory, Emirates NBD Group.



Hassan Al Shamsi  chairman of Shurooq Stocks & Bonds, said: We want to thank Emirates NBD for their integrated approach to stock market settlements which will add depth to the UAEs equity markets. We look forward to working closely with the bank on our transactions.  TradeArabia News Service
The market for HVAC-R systems in Saudi Arabia is estimated to reach $3.33 billion in 2017, and is expected to double to $6.36 by 2022 at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of around 13 per cent, said the organiser of the upcoming HVACR Saudi Expo in Jeddah, citing a TechSci Research report.



Saudi Arabias largest dedicated indoor climate and refrigeration event runs from January 14 to 16 at the Jeddah Centre for Forums & Events.



The report entitled An overview of the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC-R) Market in Saudi Arabia highlights the favourable market drivers such as the rapid development of new economic zones seeing a surge in construction as well as the need to manage extreme climate conditions.



Other forces generating a surge in the HVAC-R market include the increasing demand for cold chain infrastructure to support food imports, as well as the call from government for more energy efficient solutions which is seeing the replacement of conventional cooling systems across the country.



One of the biggest HVAC projects in the world, the overview lists the installation of air conditioning systems in the holy mosques of Makkah and Madinah carried out by Al Salem Controls, highlighting the impact that religious tourism has upon the HVAC-R market.



On the back of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan to diversify the countrys economy, the government has initiated many construction projects valued at around $ 80 billion which are also anticipated to increase the demand for HVAC-R systems. A part of the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030 plan will be to create avenues for new energy-saving technologies in the local HVAC-R industry.



Event director for HVACR Expo Saudi Roni El Haddad said: Saudi Arabia has emerged as the largest market for indoor cooling and refrigeration in the GCC, making up close to 50 per cent by value. The lucrative market has attracted many top companies from across the globe to expand their operations in the region.



With that said, it is no surprise that next months HVACR Expo Saudi will be 20 per cent larger than the last edition in terms of exhibitors. The products on display will show a clear shift towards green and smart technology in the Saudi Arabia HVAC-R market, he added.



HVACR Expo Saudi brings together the most innovative HVAC-R solutions and equipment from local and international manufacturers and is an unmissable platform for HVAC-R industry professionals to network, do business and discover new technologies and trends. There are multiple product launches expected at the event from experienced companies operating within the most populated areas of the kingdom.



More than just an exhibition, the event offers a broad education agenda featuring 18 free to attend and CPD-certified (continued professional development) workshops curated by trusted regional experts. They will share insight into some of the industrys most pressing issues from reducing energy costs to meeting new specifications, codes, and regulations, and the evolution towards smart HVAC with the emergence of the Internet of Things.



The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) are supporting the event, and will be on-site throughout to provide up-to-date information and guidance to visitors.



Platinum Sponsor Carrier, winner of Climate Control Awards for GCC Region Manufacturer of the Year, Innovative Manufacturer of the Year (Chillers), and Manufacturer of the Year (Air  Treatment), will come together alongside with Gold Sponsor Zamil, Product Launch Partner Samsung, Registration Sponsor Media and HH Shaker, and Workshop Sponsor Johnson Control.



HVACR Expo Saudi is organised by MICE Arabia, co-organised by dmg events Middle East, Asia & Africa, and co-located with FM Expo Saudi and Saudi Clean Expo. - TradeArabia News Service
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has opened Rashidiya Bridge on Airport Street for traffic on January 5.



It will ensure a smooth traffic flow in the direction of both Deira and Al Khawaneej, said the statement from RTA.



Being developed as part of Rashidiya Interchanges Improvement Project, the bridge on Airport Street comprises three lanes in each direction.



The project is expected to significantly reduce the waiting time at intersections of Airport Street, it added.-TradeArabia News Service


Qatar will supply Sudans State of Khartoum with 505 buses as part of a trade agreement, revealed the Qatari Ministry of Transport and Communications.



This follows talks between Qatar's Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti and the Khartoum States Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation Eng Khalid Mohammed Khair, said a Middle East Monitor report.



The ministers alos discussed the implementation of a MoU signed between the Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar) and the Port of Port Sudan to develop the Port of Suakin on the Red Sea, making it a key seaport for cargo transportation.



They discussed the commencement of concrete discussions and development works at the port, which is considered a lifeblood for the Port Sudan area. The meeting directed the work team to complete the necessary studies in the shortest possible time.
SGI Dubai 2018, a leading imaging and printing trade show, will feature exclusive textile focused brands that will showcase their equipment to cater to the needs of Saudi textile industry stakeholders, said event organisers.



The 21st edition of the show will be held from January 14 to 16 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.



The SR15 billion ($4 billion) Saudi textile industry is on the threshold of several major advantages due to the current reforms in the country and rising population. The Saudi textile imports are increasing at 13-15 per cent annually as per reports and this in another indicator of the robust growth and demand that the industry is witnessing. Textile printing therefore, becomes an extremely competitive tool for the industry when compared with global markets.



Event organisers International Expo Consults (IEC) part of Falak Holding, stated that the LED and textile printing industry is slated to grow exponentially in 2017 across the UAE and the Middle East region and is set to propel the retail sector. SGI Dubai is one of the most eagerly awaited events of the year in the region that caters to the needs of exhibitors and visitors in the textile printing industries apart from signage, outdoor media, screen and digital printing industries.



The Saudi consumers are evolving and so is the countrys retail market. They are looking at modern retail environments, state-of-the-art designs and high-quality fabrics in their home country, said Abdul Rahman Falaknaz, chairman, International Expo Consults.



Textile industry is further triggered by its growing population and their purchasing power. This makes Saudi Arabia one of the most promising and sought-after growth markets. While the pursuit of artificial intelligence has endured for the past several decades, it is only recently that dramatic technological enhancements have truly triggered the march of the machines. This will have a definite impact on textile printing industry as well.



As per the Global Industry Analysts report, printed textiles market is projected to touch 29.8 billion sq m by 2020, due to the technology enhancements aimed at improving print speeds, design and efficiency.



This region was earlier known as the trading hub but is transforming itself as the manufacturing hub and will soon entail manufacturing and exporting of textiles. The textile printing industry is all set to flourish in Saudi Arabia and the greater Middle East region in the next few years, added Falaknaz.



SGI Textile 2018, an integral part of the SGI Dubai show will display and introduce innovative textile printing technology products. The worlds leading textile printing entrepreneurs will converge at the show to provide the stakeholders with the right insights to lead the industry. Some of the key highlights of SGI Textile 2018 will include; heat transfer printing; digital textile printing; other fabric printing; custom flags for tradeshows and conventions; POS displays; table covers with logos and banners and; wall graphics among others.



Sign and Graphic Imaging (SGI Dubai) is a key platform where visitors can reach out to exhibitors who comprise of architects, sign makers, print and production manufacturers, media agencies, real-estate developers, brand and image consultants among others. The show is a globally recognised business forum which entails seminars and workshops led by industry pioneers.



SGI Dubai 2018 is roping in exhibitors and trade visitors across the globe including, the US, the UK, Germany, China, Japan and close to 70 plus countries.



Billion-dollar contracts were signed at the three-day show last year. The exhibition also hosted seminars and workshops conducted by industry experts. The show welcomed over 400 global exhibitors from across 36 countries spread over 22,000 sq m and registered over 40 new exhibitors.  TradeArabia News Service


The TransGriot is available for speaking engagements, college lectures, panel discussions, media interviews, conferences or Trans 101 education efforts for your school, business or professional organizations.



For local Houston area, Texas or national events, you can e-mail me at transgriot@yahoo.com



For events outside the Houston metro area, I ask that my travel and lodging expenses be covered.



This is separate from my speaking fee.



If you are interested in having me appear as a speaker or panelist, you can e-mail me with the date and details of your proposed event.

Please book as early as possible because my speaking and event calendar slots during the year rapidly fill up.
Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village
BISMARCK, N.D.  A Casper-based company that illegally dumped oilfield waste in western North Dakota has paid the state more than $950,000 after the state Supreme Court affirmed the fine last month.

Black Hills Trucking paid $951,526 to the North Dakota Industrial Commission last week, Department of Mineral Resources spokeswoman Alison Ritte said. Its the largest fine ever collected by the regulatory group.

The company earlier unsuccessfully appealed the fine to the North Dakota Supreme Court, arguing it had already paid a $200,000 fine to the state Health Department for the same incident. Justices ruled the Industrial Commission acted within the law.

The company was accused of illegally dumping saltwater on a gravel road near Tioga in the spring of 2014. Saltwater is a waste byproduct of oil production and must be disposed of under state rules that aim to prevent environmental damage.

Nearly all of the Industrial Commission fine will go into a state fund thats used to restore abandoned oil well sites.

The Industrial Commission has issued larger fines to other companies for oil and gas violations, but it has not collected those fines. For example, the state agency fined Halek Operating $1.5 million for violations related to a saltwater disposal well near Dickinson, but has been able to collect only $140,000 in bond money from the company that is now dissolved.
A Natrona County judge will try to bring some clarity to a complicated court case related to restitution for damage caused by the Cole Creek Fire by sending out two letters informing affected homeowners of their rights.

The letter is part of a request for an interpleader action brought by the City of Casper. The legal action asks that a judge determine whether the city is liable for the destruction caused by the 2015 fire, which ignited in the municipal landfill and destroyed homes, outbuildings and killed livestock in rural Natrona County.

If Judge Catherine Wilking rules that Casper is liable, the citys insurance money will be held by the court for distribution to people impacted by the blaze. Wilking would also be responsible for determining how to reimburse claimants.

The judge said Thursday that she had nearly two pages filled with the names of affected citizens who likely have no legal representation during the case. As a result, she will send a letter that explains how those people can remove themselves from the legal action if they do not want to be involved. It will also inform them of the legal consequences of taking such action, which could mean an inability to receive any restitution from the city at all.

The judge will also send out another letter telling potential claimants how to file a written notice of a financial claim in the case.

A number of people have already asked to be removed from the action, which the citys attorney in the matter, Jay Gilbertz, chalked up to a limited amount of money available under the states Governmental Claims Act. The law caps total payments at $500,000.

Claims are believed to far exceed a half-million dollars, the citys former attorney for the matter, Craig Silva, said in September.

It is up to Wilking to determine who is liable for the fire, the result of which could impact whether the city receives federal money as reimbursement for what it spent battling the blaze.

A total of 61 property owners filed claims with the city of Caspers insurance agency in relation to the fire. The deadline to file such claims was Oct. 11.

A number of the defendants named in the interpleader have also filed counterclaims that could require the city to pay out money beyond any insurance payments.

The fire began after smoldering debris from a grinder at the municipal landfill ignited a woodchip pile, a state report concluded.

Landfill workers tried twice to extinguish the smoldering debris from the grinder, according to the report, which was produced by the Wyoming Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety. The debris was pushed back into the woodchip pile once employees believed it was no longer burning.

However, the debris was still smoldering and ignited wood in the brush pile. Firefighters responded and kept watch overnight but lost control of the fire the following afternoon in high winds.

The fire burned almost 10,000 acres of land, destroyed 14 homes and killed livestock and pets before it was put out. Nearly 1,000 people were temporarily displaced by the five-day blaze.

The report examined the fires origins, but did not consider whether negligence played a role in its ignition. That question will be left to the courts.

Obviously, there is a little bit of negligence there, Eric Siwik, a fire investigator for the states Fire Prevention Department, told the Star-Tribune at the time. Its just, how much and could it have been avoided.
Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies will hold a mobile pantry food distribution from 10 a.m. to noon on Monday at the Glenrock Volunteer Fire Department.

Located in Converse County between Douglas and Casper, Glenrock has been hit particularly hard by the energy slowdown in the last two years. Its also home to a large percentage of senior citizens, many of whom find it a hardship to travel to Douglas or Casper regularly for staples.

The food bank, with help from an anonymous sponsor, is planning to have enough food for 175 families. Items included are fresh fruits and vegetables, spaghetti and sauce, macaroni and cheese, diced peas and carrots, applesauce, toothpaste, coffee, cereal bars and personal items.

The food bank expects to distribute approximately 3,000 pounds of food, equivalent to 2,425 meals, to Converse County families in need.

The group is in need of volunteers. If youre interested in helping, please contact Ashley Nickolai at 307-232-4016 or anickolai@foodbankrockies.org.

WFBR is the only food bank in Wyoming. It distributed 10.1 million pounds of food, equal to 8.1 million meals, throughout the state in fiscal year 2017 in partnership with 245 pantries.
Casper Police Department released images Friday of a man suspected of robbing a Casper hot wings restaurant on Dec. 29. Police believe the man may also have been involved in an armed New Years Eve gas station robbery.

The photos, taken from Wyoming Hot Wings security camera footage, show a black man wearing a light-colored hooded sweatshirt, matching pants and a tan jacket. He is wearing dark shoes and carrying a multi-colored bag. Police previously said the man was about 5-feet 10-inches tall.

Police also released a short video clip showing the man entering the restaurant. He leaves the screen and shortly after can be heard demanding money.

The two robberies, which took place on East 12th Street within a half-mile of each other, are still under investigation. Casper police have not yet made any arrests in the case.

Police have said that no one was injured during the commission of the two crimes.

Anyone with knowledge of the crime can contact Casper police at (307) 235-8278.
Glenrocks school district plans to institute layoffs and is considering a four-day week and renting out building space as it attempts to grapple with a deficit thats already taken $850,000 from its budget.

Converse County School District No. 2 has so far been able to blunt some of the impact, partially by eliminating an administrative position and using donated beef to cut food service costs. With more reductions looming, its crowdsourcing solutions to the deficit.

But even with the proposed strategies, the district will still shed jobs, said Superintendent Coley Shadrick. He was unable to predict the number of employees who would receive pink slips, given that a number of factors  like the severity of the cuts  remain unclear.

Even in the best case scenario, we will be forced to reduce staff, he said Thursday.

That best scenario is a $500,000 cut, which represents a nearly 5 percent reduction. Last year, the district cut $850,000 out of its then-$11.5 million budget.

The worst-case scenario is a cut of $1 million, nearly 10 percent of the remaining budget. According to a recent Wyoming Department of Education report, the school district serves 572 students.

The district  along with the 47 others across the state  is waiting for the results of recalibration, the process through which a group of lawmakers and consultants study the states education system from top to bottom.

The review could mean a cheaper funding model. It could also mean a more expensive one, an unappealing possibility for some lawmakers who hoped the process would help cut costs.

Another factor is the legislative session. Lawmakers on the Joint Education Committee have already sponsored a bill that would cut more than $16 million from schools. Many lawmakers and educators have wondered if legislators will institute a cut that would roll out even larger reductions. Superintendent Steve Hopkins, of the Natrona County School District, has said he has only heard talk of more reductions, not less.

To consider options to deal with the looming cuts, the Glenrock school district brought in members of the public to form a cost-saving task force, which has met twice so far. The community as a whole has suggested roughly 450 ideas. Similar Google documents have been created in other districts to crowdsource cost-saving measures.

Among the options the district is seriously considering is trimming the school week to four days, an increasingly popular measure statewide that is also in place at Natrona Countys Midwest School.

Shadrick said cutting the school week would save about $35,000 a year on substitute teachers being brought in on Fridays. The districts four schools could also be used for community events, which could bring in more money.

Still, other districts have warned that having students in school from Monday to Thursday is not a big driver of savings. Thats because much of a districts budget is tied up in personnel costs, which a shortened week alone would not address for permanent staff. Some of the districts that have implemented four-day weeks have done so to cut down on the absences of students participating in activities.

Going to a four-day week also presents the problem of what parents who work would do with their kids on Fridays. The district is currently working with the Boys and Girls Club to address that problem, Shadrick said.

Converse 2s budget is 85 percent personnel costs. With more cuts almost certain, the district wont be able to avoid layoffs this time around, Shadrick said.

We had made $850,000 worth of cuts last year, he said. Kind of trimmed the fat. ... To take it to the next level is really going to be a challenge for us.

Another option the district and its cost-saving task force is considering is moving some students to other schools, such as transferring seventh- and eighth-graders to the high school. The move would open up space to bring in community events and groups, who would pay the district to utilize the space.

Elsewhere, the district received donated beef, which helped it cut down on food service costs.

Unlike Natrona County, the district in Converse County is not considering closing schools, Shadrick said.

Our school system is definitely the heart of our community, he said.

Theres no single solution to solve Converse 2s budget situation. Shadrick said the effort would chip away at the deficit and would ultimately add up to what is needed. It will also help stave off the impact elsewhere. For instance while the four-day week may save only $35,000, thats more than three quarters of a teachers salary.

If I can save one teacher, its worth it, Shadrick said.
On the first day of this new year, A.G. Sulzberger, new publisher of The New York Times, issued a public statement of purpose. He quoted approvingly the vision of the papers founder, Adolph Ochs: To give the news impartially, without fear or favor, regardless of party, sect, or interests involved. And he reiterated the importance of the press to the public at large: Our founders understood that the free exchange of ideas and the ability to hold power to account were prerequisites for a successful democracy.

Sulzbergers take on the challenges facing the Times and other media is another example of the medias myopic lack of self-awareness. He writes:

(A) dangerous confluence of forces is threatening the presss central role in helping people understand and engage with the world around them. ... Misinformation is rising and trust in the media is declining as technology platforms elevate clickbait, rumor and propaganda over real journalism, and politicians jockey for advantage by inflaming suspicion of the press. Growing polarization is jeopardizing even the foundational assumption of common truths, the stuff that binds a society together. Like our predecessors at The Times, my colleagues and I will not give in to these forces.

Cue the skeptical chortle here. Nowhere in Sulzbergers message is any express recognition of the press own role in undermining public confidence in them. In Sulzbergers view, thats been caused by politicians jockey(ing) for advantage.

By politicians, I assume Sulzberger means  primarily  Donald Trump. But Trump did not inflame public suspicion of the press as much as he validated it. And Trumps willingness to call the media out has been the gift that keeps on giving. An increasingly woke public is now paying acute attention to instances of media bias and preference for narrative over news. And those instances are many. Consider just a few:

Rolling Stone magazine and reporter Sabrina Rubin Erdely lost a defamation suit brought by a dean at the University of Virginia, after Erdely wrote an article about rape at UVA that was riddled with errors and easily refutable falsehoods.

Former CNN contributor Donna Brazile infamously gave Hillary Clintons campaign presidential debate questions in advance.

Former CNN producer John Bonifield was caught on tape referring to the Trump/Russia investigation as mostly bull and a witch hunt to drive up ratings. (Fellow CNN contributor Van Jones was also caught referring to the entire investigation as a nothingburger.)

The press tendency to let their political views get in the way of doing their jobs has been ratcheted up several notches when it comes to Trump, as some journalists have noted with concern. In a scathing piece written for The Intercept last month, Glenn Greenwald excoriated the entire U.S. media for what he called the most humiliating debacle in ages. CNN (followed by most other major media installations) had published yet another Trump/Russia/collusion bombshell  this one about emails allegedly sent to Donald Trump Jr.  that turned out to be utterly false (and easily debunked). Greenwald observed:

(T)his type of recklessness and falsity is now a clear and highly disturbing trend  one could say a constant  when it comes to reporting on Trump, Russia and WikiLeaks. I have spent a good part of the last year documenting the extraordinarily numerous, consequential and reckless stories that have been published  and then corrected, rescinded and retracted  by major media outlets when it comes to this story.

Journalists who do take stories wherever the facts lead them quickly find themselves marginalized. Emmy Award-winning correspondent Sharyl Attkisson left CBS in 2014, frustrated with the networks efforts to thwart Attkissons reporting into the 2012 Benghazi attacks and the Obamacare fiasco. More recently, Politicos Josh Meyer wrote a shocking expose of the Obama administrations deliberate derailing of an investigation into Hezbollahs drug and weapons trafficking and international money-laundering schemes. That investigation apparently conflicted with President Obamas desire for a nuclear deal with Iran, Hezbollahs patron. Meyer was immediately targeted as a traitor to the progressive cause, in what one publication described as an echo chamber beat-down. (Relatedly, former Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes bragged at the time about how he misled the press by feeding them a false narrative about Obamas deal with Iran.)

Standing in stark contrast to Sulzbergers rah-rah anthem to media integrity is National Review contributing editor Andrew McCarthys lengthy piece published the same day. McCarthy slowly and painstakingly picks apart the New York Times contortions to pin a collusion charge on President Trump, changing the story and moving the goal posts each time facts emerge that refute their prior stories.

It is the press job to hold powerful people in check. But the press have themselves acquired great power, and there is no one to hold them in check.

Toward the end of his note, Sulzberger says, We will continue to put the fairness and accuracy of everything we publish above all else  and in the inevitable moments we fall short, we will continue to own up to our mistakes, and well strive to do better.

He  like much of the rest of the media  has his work cut out for him.
DENVER  Investigators found several firearms in the apartment of a man who killed a Colorado sheriffs deputy and wounded six people, including four other officers, authorities said Thursday.

Douglas County sheriffs spokeswoman Lauren Lekander declined to describe the number or type of weapons found in Matthew Riehls apartment, but authorities said earlier that at least one was a rifle.

Lekander also declined to say what kind of weapon or weapons Riehl used in two gunbattles with officers on Sunday.

Riehl bought at least 11 firearms between 2010 and 2013 from Daves Guns in Laramie, according to Laramie police. The weapons included seven handguns, one shotgun, one rifle and two receivers, the part of a firearm that includes the firing mechanism but not the barrel.

Gun shop owner David Smith declined to comment. Lekander would not say whether investigators found any of those weapons in Riehls apartment.

Riehl, 37, opened fire on deputies who responded to a 911 call he made from his apartment in Highlands Ranch, 16 miles south of Denver. Deputy Zackari Parrish was killed.

Sheriff Tony Spurlock described the attack as an ambush. A SWAT team arrived later and killed Riehl in the second gunfight.

Authorities say he fired more than 100 rounds. In a rambling video before the shootings, which Riehl streamed live online, he suggested he had stockpiled ammunition.

Maybe I bought over 1,000 rounds of ammunition from Walmart. Its not illegal, he says on the video, obtained by KUSA-TV.

Authorities have not disclosed how much ammunition they found.

Riehl was an attorney and an Army veteran. Police reports and a Veterans Affairs Department document say he had suffered from mental illness for at least 2 years, but the VA said there was nothing in his records indicating his mental problems were related to his military service.

The VA has declined to give any details of Riehls illness, citing privacy concerns.

The VA refused to say whether Riehls illness was serious enough to legally disqualify him from owning firearms.

Riehl served in the Army Reserve and Wyoming Army National Guard from 2003 to 2012, when he received an honorable discharge. He was a medic who spent a year deployed in Kuwait and Iraq.

He began classes at the University of Wyoming College of Law in 2007 and graduated in 2011. He finished a year behind his first-year classmates because of his military deployment.

Its not clear when Riehl first showed signs of mental illness, but some classmates have described his behavior in law school as odd.

He suffered a psychotic episode in April 2014 and was hospitalized in the mental health ward of the Sheridan veterans hospital, the VA document said. He escaped but was found and returned, the document said.

Riehls brother told University of Wyoming police that Matthew Riehl had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Leaders in southwest Wyoming appear willing to overlook the troubled history of a private prison company attempting to build an immigration detention facility outside Evanston in order to bring what they say the community needs most  jobs and revenue.

The company, Utah-based Management & Training Corporation, approached Uinta County and Evanston officials earlier this year with a proposal to construct the facility, company spokesman Issa Arnita said in an email. If built, the center would house approximately 600 detainees for the Salt Lake City office of the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which serves Utah, Nevada, Idaho and Montana.

Local officials see the proposal as an opportunity to bring jobs to the 20,000-person county and tax money into its coffers. Both the Uinta County Commissioners and the Evanston City Council noted those needs when they passed resolutions in support of MTCs detention facility over the summer.

Weve been in such a depressed economy for so many years, Evanston Mayor Kent Williams said. Weve cried for economic diversity, and in my mind this is diversity.

The vast majority of the community seems supportive of bringing the detention facility to the area, Williams and County Commissioner Wendell Fraughton said. But immigration advocates and some local residents have concerns about the companys history and its potential impact.

In fact, MTC has already run into problems in Wyoming. The company has operated a Job Corps center  a free career training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor  in Riverton since 2015. The company is currently fighting a lawsuit in federal court alleging that its employees there discriminated against Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribal members hired to work for the program.

In Texas, an MTC-operated immigration detention facility faced allegations of understaffing, tainted food and sexual abuse of detainees by guards. At least two of the guards there were convicted of crimes committed inside the facility. At another detention center in New Mexico, inspectors with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security found that the MTC facility did not meet multiple federal standards, including failing to properly clean moldy bathrooms and misuse of solitary confinement.

The for-profit private prison system, including privately operated immigrant detention facilities, have been marked by substandard and inhumane conditions, broken financial promises to local rural communities, and a lack of transparency and accountability when problems have arisen, Sabrina King, Policy Director for the ACLU of Wyoming, wrote in a letter to the editor. One of the worst offenders has been MTC, the third-largest private prison company in America and one with a disturbing history of corruption and a disturbing record of abuse and neglect at its facilities.

Both the mayor and the county commissioner said they were aware of the problems reported in Texas but had not heard of the inspection in New Mexico. Nonetheless, both officials said the companys history did not alter their support for the project.

Undoubtedly with these kinds of things there will be issues that arise that will have to be dealt with, Williams said. But Im not going to judge them for that and trust that they will respond appropriately. Does that shine negatively on MTC in my mind? No it doesnt.

Williams said he was not aware of the Wyoming lawsuit and did not want to comment on it without further information.

The proposed facility is an answer to a federal request for a detention facility near Salt Lake City in response to President Donald Trumps executive order expanding the countrys capacity to detain immigrants. The space will be necessary as immigration enforcement continues to arrest an increasing number of undocumented immigrants, another priority of the president. Between Jan. 22 and April 29, deportation officers arrested 41,318 people  37 percent more than during the same period in 2016, according to ICE.

Those held in one of the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcements more than 100 detention facilities  like the proposed Uinta County center  are held in civil, not criminal, custody while awaiting proceedings in federal immigration court. The custody is not supposed to be punitive and detainees are not charged with a crime, though they are not allowed to leave the facilities, according to Department of Homeland Security. Some of the ICE detainees have been convicted of a crime, served their sentence and are now awaiting deportation proceedings. Others have no criminal record.

MTC operates three other ICE detention facilities: the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico, California; Otero County Processing Center in Chaparral, New Mexico; and IAH Detention Center in Livingston, Texas.

Progress on the Uinta detention center is stalled until ICE decides whether the rural Wyoming county is suitable for the project. If federal immigration officials approve the site on unincorporated county land, the county will then decide whether to proceed in negotiations with the company.

When I first heard about it, I was pretty skeptical, Fraughton, the county commissioner, said. But after meeting the MTC people and doing some research I think it will be a good boost for the county.

Fremont County lawsuit

In May 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded MTC a $41 million contract to operate the Wind River Job Corps Center for five years. The program offers young people free training in manufacturing, welding, construction and other fields as well as career guidance and life skills.

Both the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes helped the company earn the contract, according to the December 2016 suit and the companys response to it. According to the lawsuit, filed by former employee Garrett Collins, MTC promised that Collins would have a leadership role at the program in exchange for his help gaining the tribes support for the company. Collins is a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe and previously served as the tribes chairman and liaison to the governors office.

After the company won the federal contract, it hired Collins as a business community liaison and work-based learning director. However, Collins soon noticed that MTCs program director, Julie Gassner, treated him differently than the white employees. He further alleges he was subjected to unfair treatment including ridicule and harassment due to his Native American ancestry, according to the suit. Three other Native American employees also brought complaints about a hostile work environment to the program leadership, the suit states. Two of those employees left their jobs due to that environment.

Collins states that he used his tribal connections to make sure there was a Native American presence at the centers grand opening, at the request of national Job Corps leadership. However, Collins alleges that Gassner had already made plans to fire him and the other sole Native American employee after the ceremony was complete. Gassner allegedly told another employee that she needed to keep the two men around until after the ceremony because they needed tribal participation.

Ten days after the ceremony, Gassner terminated Collins employment without explanation and hired a white woman to replace him, the suit states.

The suit alleges that the company lied to Collins in order to use his tribal connections to secure support before wrongfully terminating him when he was no longer needed.

In their response to the suit, MTCs attorneys admit that Collins helped the company establish relationships with tribal leadership but deny that Collins was ever promised employment with the program.

The company denies all allegations of harassment or discrimination and states that it was never made aware of complaints of a hostile work environment. It also denies that Gassner planned to fire Collins before the ceremony and that he was given no cause for his termination.

MTC declined to provide further comment on the allegations beyond its filed response.

The lawsuit was transferred to the U.S. District Court of Wyoming in February, where the proceedings continue.

Meanwhile, MTC is facing criticism elsewhere in the country for its management of a New Mexico immigration detention center.

Peeling paint, spoiled food

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Inspector General began a review of five ICE detention facilities in response to concerns about living conditions from immigrant rights groups and complaints through the offices hotline. The office found that four of the five surveyed facilities  including MTCs Otero County Processing Center  were not meeting federal requirements and providing safe living conditions for detainees.

Overall we identified problems that undermine the protection of detainees rights, their humane treatment, and the provision of a safe and healthy environment, the Office of the Inspector General wrote of the four facilities in its Dec. 11 report.

At each of the facilities, staff with the inspector generals office made unannounced visits and examined the centers medical units, food areas, processing areas and housing units. The inspectors also evaluated complaint procedures, interviewed staff and detainees, and reviewed documentation.

At MTCs Otero facility, which is owned by the county but operated by the company, inspectors found that staff were violating federal standards regarding the use of solitary confinement and other forms of punishment. Some detainees were placed in solitary confinement without an explanation and were not given a chance to appeal that punishment. Documentation related to the punishment was also found to be nonexistent or incomplete.

Inspectors also found mold and peeling paint in detainee restrooms and showers. In the kitchen, inspectors found spoiled food and moldy produce as well as food past its expiration date.

Ultimately, the report recommends that ICE mitigate and solve some of the issues through increased engagement and interaction with the facilities and their operations.

MTC disputes the inspectors finding. The company follows all national standards regarding solitary segregation and keeps its bathrooms clean (and even recently repainted all the showers), Arnita, the spokesman, said.

The Otero facility, which opened in 2008, was also the focus of a 2011 report by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico. The report, based on interviews with detainees and a review of documentation, states that many people held in the facility reported a lack of food, long waits for medical attention, difficulty obtaining necessary medications, a lack of respect from the guards, and a fear of retaliation if they submitted a formal complaint about conditions. Some reported that the guards used racial or ethnic epithets and, in a few cases, physically abused the detainees.

The issues at the Otero facility are common in other privately-operated immigration detention centers across the country, the ACLU contends in the report.

For many, the Otero County Processing Center represents a national trend in immigration detention that relies on facilities built in remote locations, lacking legal and community resources for informal oversight, and managed by private, for-profit corporations, the report states.

The company denies the ACLU reports findings as well. Contrary to the report, Arnita said the company provides nutritious meals, provides timely medical and dental care, and trains its staff to respect detainees.

These allegations are without merit, Arnita wrote.

Trouble in Texas

Across the country, another rural county facing economic struggles is deciding whether to let MTC reopen an immigration detention there.

Willacy County in Texas contracted with MTC in 2006 to run the Willacy County Processing Center as an ICE detention center. The agreement stipulated that the county would pay the company a set amount of money determined by the number of inmates held.

Tens of thousands of immigrants cycled through the facility over the next five years. Multiple human rights and legal groups visited the center and reported a number of troubling conditions. In 2007, immigration officials found tainted food at the facility. A delegation from the American Bar Association visited the center in August 2007 and found the facility was understaffed, the windowless tents used to house the detainees leaked and inmates experienced long waits for access to the legal library. Detainees told the delegation that some of them had been issued used towels and underwear that had not been washed.

Similarly, a delegation from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights visited the center in July 2009 and found the facility understaffed, especially in the medical and mental health services. The medical director told the delegation that 12 of the centers 29 medical posts were vacant and that she was the only physician on staff to care for more than 1,300 detainees, according to the groups report. Detainees also told the delegation that they were underfed and sometimes fed moldy foods. A former nurse told the group that prisoners were frequently given antacids to calm hunger pains while she worked there.

An October 2011 Frontline documentary included interviews with former Willacy County staff and detainees who said they experienced or witnessed guards sexually and physically assaulting detainees. According to the documentary, the reporters found at least a dozen reports of sexual abuse by guards.

In 2009, a security guard at the facility was found guilty of selling cocaine to detainees and sentenced to five years of supervised probation, court documents show. A security guard was charged in 2011 with sexually abusing a female detainee at the processing center in 2008. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 14 months in prison, court documents show.

In 2011, ICE ended its contract with MTC. County officials were disappointed in the amount of income the detention center brought in, according to local news reports at the time.

MTC then contracted with the Bureau of Prisons to host federal prisoners, renaming the facility the Willacy County Correctional Center. Concerns about the conditions at the prison persisted, though MTC continued to deny the allegations.

In 2015, the prisoners rioted in protest of the conditions. The riots damaged the county-owned prison and the Bureau of Prisons canceled its contract and closed the buildings, rendering all of its staff unemployed. In December 2016, Willacy County sued MTC alleging that the company mismanaged the facility and cost the county millions of dollars.

MTC had the duty to run and operate the Prison, but MTC breached its duties and mismanaged the operation, causing the County tens of millions in damages, the lawsuit states.

The county also claimed that the company misrepresented its intentions while negotiating a later version of the contract. The county stated in the suit that MTC would create an operating plan that would meet all requirements and would keep the facility in good repair.

In its response to the suit, MTC denied the claims or said it did not have sufficient information to respond.

The representations were false and MTC knew it, the suit states. MTC had no interest in developing or intent to develop an Operating Plan or keeping the Prison in good repair, but instead was only interested in the money flowing from the County from an overcrowded Prison.

The county agreed to dismiss the suit in March, court documents show. While the filings dont state why the county dismissed the suit, the county is now working hand in hand with MTC to reopen the facility, which has since been repaired, Arnita said. County officials interviewed by reporters from local and national news outlets stated that the area needs the jobs and revenue created by the facility and were hopeful that the center would reopen.

We have a very good relationship with the county and local community, and theyre supportive of our efforts to rehabilitate individuals in our care and at the same time boost the local economy through good, solid jobs, Arnita wrote.

A waiting game

Now, local officials and MTC continue to wait for ICEs decision on whether Uinta County is a suitable location for the detention center. Arnita, the MTC spokesperson, said the company did not know when ICE would make the decision or, if Uinta County was selected, how long it would take to build and open the facility.

If ICE awarded MTC the contract, the company would then contract out the construction of the facility, Arnita said. Generally, locals are hired for some of that work, he said. The company would need between 170 and 200 employees to run the facility. Arnita said the company expects to fill about 80 percent of those jobs locally.

Fraughton, the county commissioner, said the county needs those jobs, both in short-term construction work as well as long-term employment at the complete facility. The number of jobs and personal income in the county has declined steadily since about 2010, according to the states economic analysis division. The other two county commissioners did not respond to calls for comment for this story.

Additionally, the company would lease land from the county and pay taxes, creating additional revenue, though Fraughton said he didnt know exactly how much money the project could net for the county and its residents. A wide majority of people hes spoken to said theyre in favor of the detention center, he said.

The negative comments have been at a minimum, he said.

Fraughton had not researched MTCs problems in Texas beyond reading some letters to the editor. He said he was not worried about a riot similar to what happened in Texas because the detainees at the proposed detention center would be staying for shorter periods of time and many would not be convicted of crimes.

Mayor Williams echoed that sentiment: In my mind, its an apples and oranges kind of thing, he said. I dont know that its a fair assumption to say that because of (the problems in Texas) that were going to have problems.

Arnita also noted the difference between the Bureau of Prison inmates who caused the Texas riot and the detainees that would be held at the Uinta County facility.

There is a great distinction between the two populations and the risk levels they pose, he wrote.

Neither Fraughton nor Williams had heard of the issues at the companys New Mexico facility, but the description of them did not appear to particularly concern them.

Anywhere, theres going to be some mismanagement, Fraughton said.

Uinta County officials reached out to county leaders and law enforcement in California, which also host MTC immigration detention centers, Fraughton said. Those officials gave no negative feedback, he said. Uinta County officials also plan to visit the MTC facility in Calexico, California.

But a looming legal question remains. As reported by WyoFile, Wyoming statute requires that local governing bodies obtain the approval of the states five elected officials  the governor, treasurer, auditor, superintendent of public instruction and secretary of state  before contracting with a private prison company. However, the governors office told the nonprofit news organization that MTCs proposed facility does not need that approval.

Neither the governors office nor the attorney generals office gave Wyofile further details. A spokesman for the governor referred a question from the Star-Tribune asking for clarification to the attorney generals office, which did not respond before publication.

In the meantime, the states immigration rights groups are organizing. The WyoSayNo coalition  comprised in part by Cheyenne-based Juntos, University of Wyoming group Mecha, the ACLU of Wyoming, the Equality State Policy Center, Wyoming Equality and the Immigration Alliance of Casper  is working to stir grassroots opposition to the proposed detention center. The coalition is hosting a rally in Cheyenne on Jan. 13 and groups across the state will host satellite events, including in Lander, Salt Lake, Laramie and Casper.

Antonio Serrano, chairman of Juntos and a lead organizer of WyoSayNo, warned that none of the ICE detention facilities run by private companies are as safe or clean as the companies claim. The facility wont make the state safer, he added, because many of those held there wont be criminals.

I love Wyoming: the wind, the snow, the community, the Wyoming native said. This will only cause more divisions. Its going to be a bad mark on the state.
WASHINGTON  The acrimony surrounding former White House adviser Steve Bannons very public break with President Trump escalated Thursday, suggesting a permanent split between the president and the pugilistic strategist who helped put him in the Oval Office.

The new fissure in an already fractious Republican Party cast doubt on Bannons hopes to foment a movement centered on Trumpism without Trump.

It already has cost him a key backer. Rebekah Mercer, the billionaire GOP donor and Breitbart co-owner, issued a statement Thursday distancing her family from Bannon.

I support President Trump and the platform upon which he was elected, she said. My family and I have not communicated with Steve Bannon in many months and have provided no financial support to his political agenda, nor do we support his recent actions and statements.

White House officials described the president as furious at Bannons criticisms, laid out in an explosive new book that quoted the former aide as questioning Trumps competence and describing a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between Donald Trump Jr., Trump campaign aides and a Russian lawyer as treasonous and unpatriotic.

A parade of administration officials and allies worked to discredit Bannon as a disgruntled has-been. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders went so far as to suggest that Bannon ought to be booted from Breitbart, the populist website he helps run.

I certainly think that its something they should look at and consider, she said.

Bannon had helped Trump form a coalition of anti-establishment Republicans, blue-collar working class and economic nationalists that launched him to the White House, but Trump had long ago grown frustrated that Bannon seemed to be overstepping his role as a staffer.

The self-appointed keeper of Trumps nationalist flame during the presidents first six months in office, Bannon had soured on the president even before he was pushed out of the White House for feeding the perception that he was Trumps puppeteer.

None of Bannons close associates was willing to speak publicly about the fallout but privately conceded that the explosive comments may forever tarnish his brand. Bannons political appeal had been deeply tied to the perception that he was an ally of Trumps. Those close to Bannon feared that the connection had been permanently severed.

Bannon was preparing to launch a nonprofit organization designed to help give Trumps brand of conservatism populism a permanent base. Its unclear how Bannons new rift with the president, and the related impact on major donors, will affect the organization, dubbed Citizens of the American Republic.

Current and former White House officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations, said Bannon had miscalculated by attacking the president and his family. Much of Bannons political clout, they argue, stemmed from the assumption that he was acting with the imprimatur of the president, even if Trump wasnt visibly in lockstep.

Some Trump allies also expressed satisfaction that Bannon appeared to be finally cast out of the presidents inner circle.

Bannon has no contingent, former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Wednesday between media interviews to defend Trump. On Thursday, Gingrich echoed Trumps charge that Bannon had lost his mind.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a longtime punching bag for Bannon, reveled in the aides break with the president. Id like to associate myself with what the president had to say about Steve Bannon yesterday, he said mischievously Thursday.

Since leaving the White House, Bannon spent much of his time courting donors to help finance his self-declared war on the Republican establishment. He vowed to find Republican challengers for virtually every GOP senator seeking election this fall, chiefly for the purpose of electing candidates who would remove McConnell as majority leader.

Bannon publicly backed conservative challengers in Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Mississippi and New York, where House challenger Michael Grimm issued a statement denouncing the ex-advisers comments as baseless attacks that were beyond disturbing.

Others who have received boosts from Bannon, including Arizona Senate candidate Kelli Ward and potential Mississippi Senate challenger Chris McDaniel, were more circumspect, wary of alienating either faction of the partys insurgent grassroots.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  As nationwide protests have shaken Iran over the last week, the Islamic Republic increasingly has blamed its foreign foes for fomenting the unrest.

So far, Tehran has not offered any evidence to support that claim, though Irans opponents throughout the Middle East and elsewhere are looking on at the demonstrations with hope theyll force changes in its theocratic government.

Heres a look at whats been said, whats known and what remains unknown:

SUPREME LEADER AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, in a speech to veterans and their families: The enemy is waiting for an opportunity, for a crack through which it can infiltrate. Look at the recent days incidents. All those who are at odds with the Islamic Republic have utilized various means, including money, weapon, politics and intelligence apparatus, to create problems for the Islamic system, the Islamic Republic and the Islamic Revolution. 

THE FACTS: Protests began Dec. 28 in the northeastern city of Mashhad, sparked by a jump in food prices, and initially focused on economic issues. The U.S. government believes that hard-liners initiated the demonstrations as a means to pressure President Hassan Rouhani, a relatively moderate cleric within Irans political system.

The protests then went nationwide, with calls for the overthrow the entire government. They spread to smaller and smaller towns and cities in the Iranian countryside, and peaceful protests also gave way to violent unrest in some places.

Iran on Thursday directly blamed a CIA official for the protests. The Trump administration has denied having any hand in the protests, and the CIA declined to comment. President Donald Trump has thrown moral support to the protesters in tweets and has promised more concrete backing, floating possible new sanctions against Iran if it violates human rights in cracking down. But so far, his administration has taken no steps.

Iranian authorities announced the arrest of a protest leader initially described as European who later was identified as an Iranian dual national. Dual nationalities are not uncommon in Iran, so the arrest would hardly be proof of meddling by foreign powers. However, the Iranian exile group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, supporters of exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and other activists abroad have sought to keep up the protests momentum by using social media to spread videos and calls for people to join. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, long a hawk on Iran, also has been applauding the protests.

IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF, in a tweet: Irans security and stability depend on its own people, who ... have the right to vote and to protest. These hard-earned rights will be protected, and infiltrators will not be allowed to sabotage them through violence and destruction.

THE FACTS: In Iran, protests must receive prior approval from the Interior Ministry, which oversees its police. None of the peaceful protests in Iran this past week appear to have received that permission.

Iran also violently suppressed the 2009 mass protests that followed the disputed re-election of then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a crackdown that saw thousands detained, dozens killed and others tortured. The protest movements leaders remain under house arrest years later.

Iran does allow some labor strikes or unauthorized demonstrations to take place, like when coal miners angry over the deaths of at least 42 of their colleagues in an explosion in May confronted Rouhani during his presidential re-election campaign. Irans government also organized two days of mass demonstrations across the country Wednesday and Thursday as a sign of strength and to reassure those worried about the unrest.

Iranians do vote in elections for president and parliament, but unelected cleric-led bodies vet would-be candidates and bar from running those they dont approve of. Final say on all matters of state rests with the supreme leader.
TOPEKA, Kan.  Voting rights advocates and some state election officials cheered President Trumps announcement that he was disbanding his election fraud commission, but their celebration could be short-lived.

Trump spiked the commission late Wednesday amid infighting and refusals by numerous states to cooperate, but at the same time transferred its mission to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. That concerns some election officials and experts who had been critical of the commission.

DHS could have broad legal authority to conduct an investigation into Trumps unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud. Thats because of a declaration at the end of President Obamas administration that election infrastructure is vital to national security.

I am deeply concerned that the work is being shifted over to DHS where it can be done behind closed doors and without the sunshine offered from open public scrutiny, Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos, a Democrat, said in a statement Thursday to The Associated Press.

Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday that the White House would send the commissions preliminary findings to the department and make determinations on the best way forward from that point.

Asked why the task was going to Homeland Security and not another agency, Sanders said: That was the agency that was best determined by the administration and were moving forward and letting them take over the process.

Condos said the move only fuels fears of a federal takeover of elections, which are overseen by the states and carried out by thousands of local jurisdictions. The decentralized nature of the countrys elections has been seen as a buffer against attempts at widespread manipulation.

The commissions vice chairman, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, said the work done by DHS is likely to be less public.

Trump convened the commission in May to investigate the 2016 presidential election after repeatedly making unsubstantiated claims that between 3 million and 5 million illegally cast ballots had cost him the popular vote. Trump won the Electoral College.

It wasnt immediately clear what direction the Department of Homeland Security would take.
To continue recognizing the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, several Tucson churches that are part of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod will host an event on Christian freedom 7:30 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Jan. 13 at the University of Arizonas Campus Christian Center, 715 N. Park Avenue.
Bishop Gerald Kicanas, bishop emeritus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, took over the role as chair of the board of the National Catholic Educational Association at the start of the new year, according to press materials.

Last year, Kicanas stepped down as leader of the local diocese as is required for bishops at the age of 75. He was replaced by Bishop Edward Weisenburger, who came to Tucson from Kansas. Kicanas still serves with a number of other national organizations including on committees with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and as a board member for the Catholic Legal Immigration Network.
PONTATOC RIDGE TRAIL

The city lies at your feet. The mountain guards your back. Your route switchbacks toward the sky.

Thats the scenic setting on the Pontatoc Ridge Trail in the Catalina Mountains north of Tucson.

A vigorous jaunt up the 2.6-mile trail delivers a yin-yang mix of wilderness and urban vistas  not to mention a chance to work off some of the blubber many of us pack on during the calorie-dense holiday season.

Another plus: You wont burn up lots of precious gasoline to reach the trailhead; the route begins at the easy-to-reach northern dead-end of Alvernon Way.

Youll want to watch for two important trail junctions to make your way onto the Pontatoc Ridge Trail.

The first comes just a minute or two into the hike at the crest of a small ridge. The Finger Rock Canyon Trail goes to the left. You want to take the right fork  which begins as a shared route for the Pontatoc Canyon and Pontatoc Ridge trails.

Less than a quarter-mile up the trail, youll pass some easily accessible rock outcrops providing a good vantage point to marvel at  or bemoan  the cluster of large, high-end homes that have sprung up near the trailhead.

The hiking route, which traverses a rich botanical mix of saguaros and other Sonoran Desert vegetation, passes through a drainage and switchbacks up a rise to a second junction. Here, the Pontatoc Canyon Trail is the left fork. Take the right fork to ascend Pontatoc Ridge.

A few hundred yards after the junction, the trail leads around a ridge to expose views of the sprawling Tucson Valley. It then ascends  sometimes steeply, sometimes not  up Pontatoc Ridge. Along the way hikers pass through zones of enormous saguaros and dense stands of cholla.

High on the ridge, a bit more than two miles into the hike, youll reach an overlook point that perfectly exemplifies the dual personality of the trail. Looking south, youll be peering down at Swan Road and a vast expanse of Tucson. Turn around, look north, and youll see Finger Rock and the rugged wilderness surrounding it.

At the end of the trail, having ascended about 1,300 vertical feet, youll come to a sign marking the end of the hiking route. Its a good idea to heed the sign and turn around. Steep terrain and old mine diggings beyond the sign make it potentially dangerous to continue uphill.

If you go

Drive: Follow East Skyline Drive to North Alvernon Way. Turn north on Alvernon and follow it to a parking lot for hikers at its northern dead end.

When: Daylight hours. Early-morning and late-afternoon light can enhance views from the ridge.

Cost: Free.

Et cetera: Some segments of the Pontatoc Ridge Trail pass over slabs of bare rock. Cairns, or little piles of stones, will help you find the way over some of the bare-rock sections. Carry plenty of water, even in winter, because there is no permanent water source along the route. Shade is scarce, so bring sun protection.

BIRDING TRAIL

Birds, as far as we know, cant read.

But take a trek on the Birding Trail in Catalina State Park and you might begin to wonder.

So many birds fly, perch and nest along the route that its almost as if theyve taken note of signs identifying the trail  and felt obliged to make it their home.

The trail is just a beautiful area for birds, all kinds of birds. You never know what you might see, said Sara Pike, an avid bird-watcher.

A mile-long loop route in the park north of Tucson, the Birding Trail attracts a rich mix of species, thanks to its varied terrain.

Along a riparian, or stream-side, segment of the trail with lush growths of cottonwood and velvet ash trees, you might see verdins, towhees or a Coopers hawk nesting site.

The trail climbs a gradual slope to a desert hilltop in a zone of vegetation known as desert scrub. Here, along with grand views of rugged Pusch Ridge, you might see a Gila woodpecker, cactus wren or black-throated sparrow.

Nearby, in a mesquite thicket known as a bosque, the winged residents include thrashers, phainopeplas and pyrrhuloxias.

The trail is especially nice because of these different types of terrain and different elevations, Pike said. Keep an eye out along the way for birds nests as well as birds  but take care not to disturb the nests.

If you go

Drive: To reach the Birding Trail from Tucson, go north on Oracle Road, which becomes Arizona 77. Watch for the signed entrance to Catalina State Park at Milepost 81.

Cost: Enter the park, where youll pay a $7-per-vehicle admission fee, and drive to a parking area at the end of the main park road. The trailhead is across the road from the parking area.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some Jan. 5 papers in history. With a subscription to newspapers.com you can search the Arizona Daily Star and many other newspapers using keywords or dates, and download articles or pages.
Flu season has hit early and its hitting hard.

Nearly 1,000 influenza cases have been reported in Pima County so far this season through Dec. 30  10 times more than the number of cases reported through Dec. 31 last year.

The number of flu cases normally peaks here and elsewhere between January and February.

Arizona is one of 21 states in the country reporting a high number of outpatient visits due to flu in the previous week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. And its one of 36 states where flu activity is considered geographically widespread.

The Tucson Medical Center emergency department is currently experiencing a 10 percent increase in patient volume over the previous year, said hospital spokesman Jim Marten, when asked about how flu cases were affecting the hospital.

Statewide totals are up significantly as well. About 2,500 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported the week of Christmas, bringing the number by the end of 2017 to nearly 8,000, according to an Arizona Department of Health Services report.

The number of reported cases represent a small proportion of the true number of cases of influenza. Many people do not visit the doctor when ill and doctors should not be expected to run tests on all patients exhibiting influenza-like symptoms, state health officials said.

Nationally, there have been 12 pediatric deaths from the flu. One was in Maricopa County, according to the report.

The numbers appear alarming because last years flu season arrived late, and this years is unusually early, said Aaron Pacheco, spokesman for the Pima County Health Department. But its hard to compare one flu season with another, he said.

Its a little too early to tell, what kind of flu season were going to have, he said.

The most important thing to remember for local residents, particularly if you are in a high-risk group such as aging adults or pregnant women, is that its not too late to get a flu shot, health officials stressed.

The CDC recommends that anyone over 6 months of age get a flu shot.

People who get a flu vaccine may still get sick, but the vaccine may help minimize the symptoms, and may also help people overcome the flu more quickly, Pacheco said.

One flu shot should last the whole season and typically takes about two weeks to become effective.

Stay home from work if you are sick and cover your mouth when you cough with your sleeve or a tissue.

Dont touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean, said Brandie Anderson, director of infection prevention at Banner-University Medical Center. Wash your hands frequently, especially when youre out in public using a grocery cart or gas pump, for example.

Patients experiencing flu symptoms should see a health provider, including primary care or urgent care, as soon as possible, because there is a prescription medicine that can reduce the duration and symptoms. Marten said. Patients experiencing acute symptoms should seek treatment at the nearest emergency department.
The Sacaton rest stop on Interstate 10 south of the Phoenix area will close Jan. 8 for a $4 million renovation.

The closure will last about six months.

Work planned for the rest area, located on both westbound and eastbound I-10 between Casa Blanca Road and Arizona 387 near Casa Grande, includes upgrades to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, replacing a water line, replacing the septic tanks and sewer lines, upgrading the electrical and mechanical systems and painting.

The closure was scheduled to begin in November, but septic tanks custom-ordered for the renovations took more time to arrive than expected, says a news release from the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Work was put on hold until now to also allow the rest area to stay open for holiday travelers.

During the closure, the nearest rest stop facilities will be in the Phoenix and Casa Grande areas and on the Gila River Indian Community.

ADOT has made improvements to rest areas in recent years to repair and replace infrastructure up to 50 years old.

The Canoa Ranch rest area on Interstate 19 south of Tucson is scheduled for renovations in the spring.
The Tucson woman who led the campaign against Arizonas minimum wage increase in 2016 said it would have a devastating financial impact.

The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry considered the new minimum wage such a bad thing that in response, it launched a successful effort to make it harder for citizens to put initiatives on the ballot.

Never again should we voters have the right to inflict such devastation on Arizonas economy. Right?

Wrong.

The minimum wage increase was steep. It went from $8.50 to $10 last January, and this week the wage rose again, to $10.50. But there have been few signs of the devastation that Lea Marquez Peterson, who then headed the anti-Prop. 206 campaign, spoke of.

Shlomo & Vitos New York Delicatessen & Pizza Kitchen closed, and the owner of the Catalina Foothills deli blamed it in part on the increased minimum wage. So did the owners of Neo Malaysian Kitchen and Sushi, on East Broadway, which closed in June. But such reports have been relatively rare.

In fact, the restaurant industry has been one of the strongest parts of Arizonas economy. The number of jobs in restaurants and bars increased by more than 12,000 from November 2016 to November 2017, the latest state jobs report shows, a 5.3 percent increase in one year.

The minimum wage increase has also been a factor in the areas increasing personal income, as George Hammond of the UAs Eller College mentioned in his 2018 forecast last month. Heres what he said about personal income in the Tucson area:

Income growth is actually going to accelerate a bit. Its driven by this steady job growth above the national rate. Well keep driving the unemployment rate down. That means employers are going to work harder and harder to find the skilled labor that they need. That will eventually lead to increasing wage offers. The increase in the state minimum wage that well see over the next couple of years will also contribute to that income gain.

When I reached him Thursday, Hammond explained that this wasnt narrowly a comment on the minimum wages effects, but that it appears the growth in wages per worker is not offset by losses in employment.

What does that mean? While there were some job losses due to the minimum wage, they werent enough to neutralize the positive effect on income of minimum wage earners.

In other words, the voters knew better than the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and others who catastrophized about how the minimum wage increase would affect the economy. Too bad that the chamber was able to punish us for being right and reward themselves for being wrong.

Flake tested on DACA

Last month, Sen. Jeff Flake agreed to vote for the Republican tax bill, despite misgivings about how it adds to the budget deficit, because he was able to get an $85 billion budgeting gimmick removed and because he was assured a vote on a bill for DACA recipients would occur this month, January.

Will it?

A vote this month  at least a successful one  seemed far-fetched after President Trump met Thursday with a group of Republican senators that did not include Flake. Trump demanded four massive conditions for legalizing the status of those who have received DACA protection because they were brought to the country illegally as children and have maintained a good record.

They are: funding for his border wall (the one he said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for), more money for immigration enforcement, an overhaul of family-based immigration that he calls chain migration and an end to the diversity visa lottery system.

For now, Flakes trade of his vote for the tax bill in exchange for a DACA vote this month seems too trusting. Or maybe he just really wanted to vote for the tax bill and found a justification in the DACA promise.

Sonoran official

re-jailed

The arrest of Carlos Villalobos Organista last April woke some Sonorans up to the reality that Arizona would not serve as a haven for accused ex-officials. But in December he was briefly released, then re-arrested by ICE.

Villalobos Organista had served in former Gov. Guillermo Padres administration and is accused of diverting hundreds of millions of pesos in Sonora.

Since his initial arrest in Phoenix, Villalobos Organista has been fighting to have bond set so he could pay it and be released. But ICE, which considers him an extreme flight risk, has been trying to keep him imprisoned.

With the help of Tucson attorney Jesse Evans-Schroeder, Villalobos Organista briefly won release on bond Dec. 28 but then ICE won a stay of the order and re-arrested him Dec. 29. He remains held at the Eloy detention center.

Ex-DES chief Jeffries ponders run

Timothy Jeffries had an unusual run as director of the states Department of Economic Security.

Gov. Doug Ducey, who appointed Jeffries, ended up firing him in December 2016 after reports of strange practices piled up. Jeffries sometimes forced employees to watch inspirational messages from him on their computers before they could work; he fired some employees for minor deviations from doctrine; he encouraged lower-level employees to report supervisors who acted like bullies; he called out critics as haters on emails sent to all employees. And yes, the department stocked guns and ammunition in the basement under his directorship.

Now he wants to be governor.

Jeffries has been floating word of his potential run for months, and this week he sent out a poll that attempted to show there is strong public appetite for an independent candidate for governor. Jeffries also has sued the state for libel and defamation over a report on the seizure of guns and ammunition, a suit the state has asked to have thrown out.

Jeffries said he plans to announce his decision Thursday, Jan. 11. Its unlikely to make any difference.
WASHINGTON (AP)  In bountiful tweets and self-praise, President Donald Trump plays up "tremendous progress" in improving care for veterans in his first year. His claims fall short of reality.

Trump's initiatives have yet to show meaningful impact, and his campaign promises of expanding access to doctors and adding mental health specialists are unfulfilled.

Several of the 2017 accomplishments highlighted in a Trump tweet this week are largely symbolic  proclamations routinely signed by presidents or initiatives that haven't taken full effect or were later acknowledged by the Department of Veterans Affairs to be largely unneeded. In the meantime, wait times for veterans seeking treatment at VA medical centers haven't improved much, as Congress remains deadlocked over a long-term fix aimed at expanding access to doctors, in part due to rising costs.

The VA also admits it fell short of adding 1,000 new mental health professionals last year, even after Trump singled out mental health as especially in need of attention during the campaign and pledged a hiring surge.

Trump speaks often about his commitment to veterans, a group that backed him by nearly 2-to-1 over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

A look at his rhetoric on veterans and White House statements marking his first year in office:

TRUMP: "We will not rest until all of America's GREAT VETERANS can receive the care they so richly deserve. Tremendous progress has been made in a short period of time."  tweet Tuesday, with an Instagram video describing eight accomplishments that show Trump is "fighting for our veterans."

We will not rest until all of Americas GREAT VETERANS can receive the care they so richly deserve. Tremendous progress has been made in a short period of time. Keep up the great work @SecShulkin @DeptVetAffairs! https://t.co/ir25vW15hx pic.twitter.com/OtuzIgxMn6  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018

THE FACTS: The video with catchy music overstates the impact of these steps.

Of the eight achievements cited, two are ceremonial proclamations recognizing National Veterans and Military Families Month and National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

Two are pieces of legislation that extended the troubled Veterans Choice program on a temporary basis. This became necessary because the Trump administration repeatedly miscalculated the amount of taxpayer dollars available to pay for care from private doctors outside the VA system when veterans had to endure long waits for treatment at VA medical centers. The department's poor budget planning caught lawmakers off guard.

A fifth claim involves "telehealth," a step letting doctors practice medicine across state lines using digital technology. Announced in August, it has yet to take full effect because a proposed VA regulation hasn't been completed. The VA wants authority to practice across state lines to come from legislation, not a regulation. On Wednesday, the Senate approved a telehealth measure that now goes to the House.

A sixth claim refers to legislation that streamlines the appeals process for disability compensation claims within the VA. This step has had limited impact so far because it applies to new disability claims, not the 470,000 pending claims.

The other two initiatives mentioned make it easier for the VA to discipline employees. The department has pointed to more than 1,300 employees who have been fired under Trump's watch. Because their infractions are not detailed in public documents, the impact on veterans' care is not fully known.

TRUMP: "The VA was a mess." Before, "you couldn't fire anybody at the VA, if they were sadists, if they were horrible people. ... Now we look at them, they're no good  we say, 'You're fired. Get out of here.'"  Dec. 8 rally in Pensacola, Florida.

THE FACTS: It's wrong to say VA employees were never fired before Trump took office. In fact, more were fired in President Barack Obama's last budget year than in Trump's first.

In fiscal 2017, covering Obama's last three months and Trump's first nine months, 2,061 VA employees were removed for discipline or performance. About 1,419 firings took place since January 2017, when Trump took office, to present. That's down from 2,662 in the previous fiscal year, according to Office of Personnel Management information on the agency's data archive FedScope.

However, it's true that it often took longer for terminations to become final under an appeals process that has been shortened under Trump. Because a new accountability law making it easier to fire VA employees did not take effect until late June 2017, about 500 of the firings last year occurred under the former appeals system, which remains in place at other federal agencies. The new law shortens the length of time to challenge a disciplinary action and lowers the burden of proof needed to fire VA employees.

TRUMP: "Why would smart voters want to put Democrats in Congress in 2018 Election ... People are much better off now not to mention ISIS, VA ..."  Dec. 31 tweet.

Why would smart voters want to put Democrats in Congress in 2018 Election when their policies will totally kill the great wealth created during the months since the Election. People are much better off now not to mention ISIS, VA, Judges, Strong Border, 2nd A, Tax Cuts & more?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017

THE FACTS: He's entitled to his politics, but the tweet masks the fact that each veterans' bill signed into law by Trump won approval with strong support from Democrats as well as Republicans.

House Democrats did block one VA Choice emergency funding bill after major veterans groups complained it focused too much on private care without also investing in core VA programs. The bill was revised to add the money, was overwhelmingly approved and was signed by Trump on Aug. 12.

The bipartisan display began with David Shulkin, a holdover from the Obama administration confirmed unanimously by the Senate to serve as VA secretary in February. Trump calls Shulkin the "100-to-nothing man" because of that vote, since he is the only Trump Cabinet member to achieve that.

WHITE HOUSE: "Secretary Shulkin has expanded access to urgent mental health care to former service members with other-than-honorable discharges."  Nov. 9 press release.

THE FACTS: This claim glosses over VA's difficulty in hiring mental health professionals and providing counseling support to higher-risk veterans, due in part to a tightening VA budget. Trump cited mental health care as a top priority for fixing VA during the presidential campaign and pledged a hiring surge. But the VA only netted about 258 new personnel as of late November, far below the 1,000 additional mental-health specialists it had targeted for 2017.

In March, Shulkin announced an initiative to expand urgent mental health care to those with other-than-honorable discharges with much fanfare, but soon after, he revealed he wouldn't be asking Congress for additional money to pay for it. The program provides mostly emergency care, something that had been offered already to any veteran, not preventive services.

To reduce suicide rates, VA is seeking to establish "telehealth" hubs in rural areas to provide veterans with mental health assistance. It has launched a new predictive model to analyze veterans' health records to identify those at risk. Roughly 20 veterans take their lives each day.

WHITE HOUSE: "President Trump signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 to authorize $2.1 billion in additional funds for the Veterans Choice Program."  Dec. 22 press release.

THE FACTS: The money was quickly used up. Weeks after Congress approved the $2.1 billion in emergency funding to keep the VA Choice private-care program running, the VA acknowledged in September the program would again run out of money earlier than expected. The VA asked Congress to approve a long-term fix to its VA Choice program that could cost as much as $54 billion over five years, but divided lawmakers in December decided instead to approve another stopgap measure of $2.1 billion, punting the bigger issues until later.

The delay means that a larger overhaul of VA Choice  which Shulkin says will help significantly reduce wait times at VA medical centers  isn't likely to be fully implemented until 2019 or later.

The VA Choice program was put in place after a 2014 wait-time scandal that was discovered at the Phoenix VA hospital and elsewhere throughout the country. Veterans waited weeks or months for appointments while phony records covered up the lengthy waits. The program allows veterans to go to private doctors if they endure long waits for VA appointments, but it has suffered extended wait times of its own.

Last year, Shulkin said veterans were waiting more than 60 days for new appointments in about 30 VA locations nationwide.

___
A roundup of some of the most popular, but completely untrue, headlines of the week. None of these stories are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked these out; here are the real facts:

NOT REAL: Fire Dept: Room Full Of Servers, Hard Drives Destroyed In Clinton House Fire

THE FACTS: A conspiracy-oriented site published this account of a small fire on property owned by Bill and Hillary Clinton in Chappaqua, New York, anonymously quoting a fire official who said "smashed-up hard drives" and burnt paper were found at the scene. A town official said the fire was likely caused by a broken ceiling fan and damaged only the ceiling in a room used by the U.S. Secret Service. Hillary Clinton faced heavy criticism throughout her presidential campaign for her use of a private email server that was located at the Clinton home.

NOT REAL: Trump Orders to Remove Obama Highway Name and Get Back The Previous Name of 'Old Dixie' Highway

THE FACTS: A spokesman in Riviera Beach, Florida, said there are no plans to remove Obama's name from a stretch of highway it has been on since 2015. Several conservative sites, including JournalUnited and TrumpFriends, shared stories with the headline that the highway would return to its former name. The text of the story does not address the headline claim and expressed opinions on the removal of Confederate statues and symbols across the country. The story was accompanied by a picture appearing to show a sign being taken down; it actually shows the sign being erected in 2015.

NOT REAL: First Baptist Dallas Members Melt Golden Jewelry Down Into Towering Donald Trump Statue

THE FACTS: The Jan. 2 story by a Christian satire site Babylon Bee, reporting that Pastor Robert Jeffress asked members of his congregation to melt down their jewelry to build a statue to the president, went viral this week. It was accompanied by an altered photograph of Trump giving the thumbs-up with Jeffress in the background. Trump and Jeffress did appear together in July at a Kennedy Center event in Washington, but Trump was at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida the previous weekend. The church said it wouldn't comment, because it's a satirical piece.

NOT REAL: Federal Judge Nullifies Alabama Senate Election: 'It's Nothing But Fraud'

THE FACTS: No judge threw out the results of the Dec. 12 special election in Alabama won by Democrat Doug Jones, who was sworn into office as a U.S. senator this week. The story is one of many false accounts circulating after Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore. The story shared by groupviral, among other sites, attributes the ruling to U.S. District Judge Alejandro Wilson, who is not listed as a federal judge in any of the state's three districts.

NOT REAL: Scientists expect chocolate to go extinct by 2050

THE FACTS: Widely shared stories on dozens of sites caused alarm among chocolate lovers, but the headlines go farther than the studies the stories cite. The accounts cite the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which does say climate change will threaten cocoa production across the world. NOAA also referred to a 2014 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which predicted "considerable reduction" in terrain suitable for cocoa production in Ghana and the Ivory Coast by 2050. But neither organization predicts the extinction of chocolate.

___
The fate of some 700,000 DACA recipients, the Dreamers, has been suspended since the ascendency of Mr. Donald Trump in 2017, even though he and GOP leaders like Sen. John McCain agreed that the undocumented status of the Dreamers is not of their own fault. Decent human beings know that holding innocent persons in suspense is violating their basic human rights. Should children be punished for the actions of their parents?

Nevertheless, the president and his team in Congress are using the Dreamers as bargaining chips for securing funds to build a border wall. We all know that exchanging someone elses freedom for money is hostage taking, no different from kidnapping, human trafficking and pimping. Is the USA a nation of pimps? I hope and pray that enough American voters will rise above the depraved value system of Mr. Trump and his team in Congress. God have mercy on US!
The letter left out Obama's greatest accomplishment: He paved the way for Donald Trump to become president. That should tell readers everything they need to know about Barack Obama.
Qualified Arizona Students are unable to attend the University because of cost, and, when in attendance, are skipping meals because of cost as well.

This will only change when Arizona Voters remove Republicans from the Legislature and the Governors Office replacing them with individuals that will reshape a Bloated University Administration/Faculty with NO Cost to Qualified Arizona Residents to Attend the University. The "For Profit" Student Union Cafeteria Services should be replaced by Cafeteria Services provide by the University.
Children across scotland have been waiting at least a collective 1.2 million days extra to be seen by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). At least 18,000 have had their referrals Rejected, new figures obtained from research by the Scottish Labour party have revealed.

What is the target time for accessing services?

As of December 2014, the Scottish government set a maximum wait of 18-weeks for a child's treatment by the NHS in at least 90 percent of cases across Scotland but instead, the children referred have collectively waited at least 285,590 days longer since April 2016 alone and 1.2 million days too long in total.

Which NHS boards met the target and which didn't?

The 18-week waiting time standard was only met by six of Scotland's fourteen NHS boards in the last three months and the health boards of Lothian, Tayside and Grampian actually cut funding on CAMHS by 390,000, 80,000 and 80,000 respectively.

NHS Lothian, which cut funding the most saw just 57 percent of referrals within the 18-week target in the last three months whilst NHS Grampian met just a third of cases and had an average wait time of 21 weeks, according to the response of a freedom of information request made by Dr. Richard Simpson, the former Labour Public Health Spokesman. He is also Honorary Professor of Health Sciences at the University of Stirling.

Comparatively, Glasgow and Clyde saw almost all patients within the target time at 97.8 percent.

How many referrals have been rejected all together?

Meanwhile over 17,843 of these referrals have been rejected altogether. The figure includes 3,423 rejections since March 2017, when the Scottish government promised to conduct an audit of the referrals.

However, Scottish Labour said that there is a lack of clarity on what progress the audit is making, or if it has even started.

Why are there so many rejections?

Despite the massive number of rejections, there is still a lack of understanding of why they are rejected, what happens to the children and young people moving on and what happens to them in the future.

How much does the NHS spend on CAMHS?

The news comes after figures obtained from an answer to a Parliamentary Question last month revealed that only 0.48 percent of the entire NHS budget is spent on CAMHS and only 6.34 percent of the total mental health budget, amounting to approximately 54 million.

How many children and young people in Scotland have mental health issues?

This is despite the fact that roughly 10 percent of children and young people, aged from five to sixteen have a clinically diagnosable mental health issue or roughly three pupils per classroom, according to recent research.

What is the Scottish government's response?

Scottish Mental Health Minister, Maureen Watt said that the government is committed to ensuring that children and young people have access to high-quality mental health services.
As a first-time college student, one is confronted by the pathway to success. What it means seems pretty clear, but looking deeply, the path is neither comprehensible nor straightforward to follow. The role played by the professors, the successful model, is the more erudite and smart cast. However, nobody in this world is free of being an ordinary human, and it reveals that nobody is erudite and smart at all times. A student must face his professors as ordinary human beings, and sometimes it is a disappointment hard to manage.

Consequently, a student may ask: "Do I really want to be smart, erudite, and successful?" A no answer can be a way full of accomplishments, even though it doesnt mean that joy is the pathway to college accomplishments.

Frustration is supposed to share a substantial time with academic life, henceforward perseverance and patience are necessary.

What is it standing upon?

We are living strange days, and It's not clear what these days are standing upon. The importance of professors has its roots in old Greece and the philosophers, who were always searching for the greatest knowledge without disturbances of ordinary-interests. They used to have many pupils, or currently speaking students, and the relationship between them was so deep that the latter commonly bathed their professors. Alternatively, the philosophers received substantial wealth from richer students. Whether it was bath, wealth, or everything else, the relationship between them was very close, and the professors, who never failed to attract respect and admiration, constantly made efforts to be the model of success that every student wished for.

Contrarily, the current professor aims for a monthly payment. No one is a sinner because they want a salary, which is necessary to survive, but it is not clear and it is a source of misunderstandings. For instance, if any professor is more concerned about his bank account than about his students learning, he might be fired, then he keeps lying about his concerns.

The lack of honesty is called hypocrisy, which is turning our days into strange days. What are these days actually standing upon?... Greek-philosopher...? British-pirate...?

Surely, nowadays most students are really concerned about finding the British-pirate's treasure. Even though somebody is still concerned about finding the cure for diseases, bringing equality to world's wealth-distribution, solving conflicts peacefully...

briefly, somebody is following the Greek-philosopher's pure knowledge.

When somebody attends college, he believes in accomplishing something great, and starts looking for any research free of ordinary-interests like money or social status; yet, everything is supposed to generate patents, and improve technology available in stores and advertised in media. "Professors might be apart from these ordinary-interests; they might be accomplishing something great", he thinks, notwithstanding, he finds another disappointment.

The main issue

He has to manage this disappointment taking forward his career in college, and also to assume that the college is not exactly what it was supposed to be. It is not a place of Greek-philosophers, nonetheless, a useful place for possible accomplishments.

The professors are neither Greek-philosophers nor British-Pirates; they are just human beings with ordinary-interests like bank accounts and social status. Finally, the Greek-philosophers lived in a remote time, and there isn't room anymore for them in these strange-days.

Somebody needs to be neither a Greek-philosopher nor an example of success. He just needs to be himself, and that is the main issue. Everything else has already been done. The path to success was previously defined. The Greek-philosophers and the British-pirates behavior is widely documented in history books. But now, to be yourself is a genuine story that has never been written by anybody else. In short, the main issue is hard to reach, notwithstanding, it is full of accomplishments.

The ingredients

To find yourself, whether inside yourself or elsewhere, is not an easy task to undertake, rather it is going to demand two ingredients:

1- To persevere and be patient.

2- to hone the rough stone.

The recipe

Following the latter ingredient, one understands that all disappointment, regarding either College as a place to accomplish something great or professors as Greek-philosophers, are not a disappointment at all. Neither are they exactly what one expected to be, nor oneself is exactly what expected to be. Then there is an open field to hone the rough stone, it means facing what College, professors and yourself really are, instead of what those are expected to be. By the way, all they are in a sort of honing process; everybody is writing a story, which may turn into accomplishments in college when mixed with the former ingredient.

The former ingredient is important because expectations and reality do not match very often, and possible disappointment is connected to it. But this emotional experience is not an insurmountable barrier. To persevere and be patient, regardless whether the college or professors correspond to expectations. To persevere and be patient even when everything doesn't work well as it was supposed to. To persevere and be patient because all above won't last for a long time; and despite the short span of disappointment, frustration, pleasure, and joyfulness, you need to keep going. And this is the complete recipe to undertake the task.
Michael Wolff is an author who has penned a new book entitled Fire And Fury: Inside the Trump White House, and things were not looking promising for the poor tome when the legal eagles that represent US President Donald Trump sent a letter to its publisher threatening legal action if they were to release it. But now, it looks like that letter has been rightfully ignored, as theyve moved up the books release to this Friday.

So, like when the FBI told off NWA for saying defamatory things about law enforcement institutions in their track F*ck the Police, the meddling from the White House to prevent this book from hitting shelves across the United States has only served to provide it with extra, invaluable publicity.

Readers are realising that if the White House wants to prevent the publication of this book so badly, then there must be something pretty damn incriminating within its pages.

Fire and Fury casts doubt on whether Trump is suitable for the role of President

Among other things, Fire and Fury serves to cast a shadow of doubt on the idea that Trump is fit to be the President of the United States. Surely it doesnt take a whole book to see that, though. But what distinguishes this is insider knowledge and stories that weve never heard before. The book goes, as it claims in its subtitle, Inside the Trump White House. If the book has enough dirt in it to scare the Trump administration, then it must at the very least be worth a read.

In the letter to the publishing house from the White House lawyers, they claimed that the book is filled with false and misleading accounts, based on the excerpts that were revealed exclusively in The Guardian recently. But then, Mr. Trumps rhetoric is filled with false and misleading accounts, so they can talk. So, lets hear both sides of the story.

Then well decide which is false and misleading. Methinks the Trump administration doth protest too much to Michael Wolffs book.

Fire and Fury aims to expose all the backstage chaos and upset thats going on behind the scenes of Trumps Presidency, with the endgame of finally showing the world definitively that this guy, the guy from The Apprentice, is not suited to the office of President of the United States.

And frankly, its about bloody time. Trumps lawyers were trying to get the publication of the book cancelled, but instead, the fruits of their efforts have been that the publication has in fact been moved up.

Books author tweets, Thank you, Mr. President

Since Trumps lawyers and their meddling have made the publication of Fire and Fury even more possible than before, the author of the book, Michael Wolff, tweeted on Thursday, Here we go. You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. President. Thats ironic, how drastically things backfired for Trumps White House. In the words of Jez from Peep Show, the worlds not all wrong sometimes.

The legal team over at the White House went nuts when the excerpts from Fire and Fury became public in a Guardian article.

Everything that they keep safely and comfortably under wraps was suddenly in a popular newspaper, with more on their way in the form of an entire book. For starters, Trump began by calling out Steve Bannon, his former buddy, as a self-magnifying douche who has nothing to do with me or my Presidency.

The President added that when he fired Bannon, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has reiterated Trumps statements, saying that he is furious and disgusted with Bannons recent behaviour, as well as the comments that he made about Trumps family, like calling Donald Trump, Jr. treasonous and unpatriotic (which he is).
When Michael Wolff first asked for access to the White House in order to write about the inner workings of the Donald Trump administration for his new book Fire And Fury, which the White House has been trying to block from publication, the US President accidentally gave him almost unlimited access to the West Wing. The President sort of grumbled a bit about right-wing writer Ed Klein and then let Wolff stay, and this non-disapproval that meant that the author could plant himself in the West Wing, day after day, soaking up material for his book.

Trump wanting to lose election confirms long-held theory

Theres a long-held theory that was formulated by a lot of people around the time of the 2016 Presidential election debates that Trump was trying to lose. This became a storyline on South Park for a few weeks. Based on the way he was talking and the reckless bluntness of his statements, it was believed that there was no way he was actually trying to win.

Well, Wolffs book has confirmed that he wasnt. He wanted to lose. By the end of 2016, President or not, Donald Trump was the biggest celebrity in the world. The plan was for him to lose and then go back to the comfortable world of business, away from all that confusing politics malarkey, and monopolise on his newfound celebrity.

He was going to start his own television network, like Oprah Winfrey. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were going to monopolise on their own newfound celebrity, Kellyanne Conway was going to build a career in cable news, and Steve Bannon was going to try for leader of the Tea Party.

Instead, Trump won, their plans went awry, everyone was surprised, and all of these people found themselves in the White House without a clue what to do.
Donald Trump set the ball rolling with a tweet that outraged pakistan. He accused the Pak government of harboring terrorists. He pointed out that in return for billions of dollars in aid Pakistan had given back only nothing. These are strong words and a look back will show that at no stage had any American president used such strong language against Pakistan.

The wheel is now turning as the USA has realized that Pakistan is not playing ball in Afghanistan. General Mattis, in a recent visit to Afghanistan, had told troops that the USA had put Pakistan under notice.

NBC has reported that Trump's tweet has unnerved Pakistan, which had given a safe haven to men like Mullah Omar and Osama Bin Laden, who were being hunted by the US armed forces.

Trump accuses

Trump has called a spade a spade when he said that the USA had foolishly given Pakistan 33 billion dollars and in return, the Pak government had done precious little. On the contrary, he accused the Pak government of lies and deceit According to Agency France Presse, Trump has hinted that he is considering cutting off aid to Pak for good.

Pakistan joined the US military alliances against Communist Russia and China in 1954. But right from that time, the Pak army and political leadership were not concerned about communists but used the aid and weapons given by the USA to fight India.

It's another story where Pakistan failed and in 1971 the eastern part of Pak broke away and a new state, Bangladesh was created.

Pakistan had its moment in the sun during the Russian occupation of Afghanistan when it became frontline state against Russia and the Americans poured in billions of dollars worth of arms and aid.

After the Russian defeat, Pakistan sided with the extremist Taliban that ruled Afghanistan. The Taliban had declared the USA as its enemy number one.

Relations have been going downhill since 2011 after an American military operation neutralized Osama bin Laden, inside a safe house close to the Pak military academy about 100 miles from the capital Islamabad.

Trump has warned Pakistan and now the American permanent rep to the UN Nicky Halley, has also singled out Pakistan for being an unreliable ally.

Last word

The New York Times has reported that the White House was considering whether to withhold $255 million aid to Pakistan because of its failure to target terror groups hostile to the US and Afghanistan.

Pakistan has denied the allegations but it will take more than mere denial to get back into the good books of America.

.
The United States and China are trying to prove their might in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) because it is expected to be the driving force of the future. The application of Robotics is increasing and it depends on the fine tuning and reining in of the powers of AI.

CNBC reports that China plans to set up a $2.1 billion technology park to develop artificial intelligence. The country is determined to spread the concept of AI and use it in different spheres, including the military. The government has already announced its broad plans of leading the pack with hopes of introducing major breakthroughs by 2025.

The broad plans

The location of the artificial intelligence park has been tentatively finalized. It will be in western Beijing and will occupy an area of approximately 55 hectares to accommodate nearly 400 businesses. The park will involve like-minded people from universities in the country and abroad apart from large enterprises who will set up research hubs.

The park will also have an artificial intelligence lab, and its main focus will be the commercial applications of AI in China in various areas that could include the military. It could also be a matter of concern for the international community.

The United States has taken note of these plans, and venture capitalist Jim Breyer feels that it is difficult for China to be No.

1 in the field. This is because The United States has a huge bank of talent, coupled with genius and creativity in its Silicon Valley.

Applications of artificial intelligence

The best example of applied artificial intelligence is NASAs Curiosity rover that has been on Mars for over five years. It has been on its own and is programmed to make independent decisions to carry out its assigned tasks, around the clock.

AI is linked to robotics, which is a branch of technology that is expanding at a fast pace, as is evident from competitions that are held to encourage robot lovers to exhibit their skills.

According to The Guardian, China wants to catch up with the United States and USSR in the space race by deploying its AI technology. One of its plans is to land on the far side of the moon which no other country has attempted till now.

It also has programs of lunar exploration and several robotic moon missions that will try to land humans on the moon within 15 years.

It seems the European Space Agency (ESA) is in talks with the Chinese National Space Administration to explore the possibilities of future collaboration on robotic exploration missions.
As part of their annual year end tradition, TIME Magazine has announced their "Person of the Year." When the announcement was made, it didn't come as a surprise that Donald Trump faced some serious trolling for not claiming the top spot.

Trump on TIME

For 90 years, starting in 1927, TIME Magazine has named their "Person of the Year," giving the honor to a person or group who influenced the news the most, whether it be for a positive or negative reason. Over the years, multiple United States presidents have been at the top of the list, including Franklin D.

Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama. Several women have also been given the honor, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Queen Elizabeth II. The list has also included controversial figures like Russian President Vladimir Putin, Supreme Leader of Iran Ruhollah Khomeini, and even Adolf Hitler. Earlier this month, Donald Trump tweeted out that he was under consideration to be the 2017 TIME "Person of the Year," but ripped into the magazine for not giving him a guarantee that he would be the top pick. After the publication released the list of the finalists earlier this week, the winner was announced during the December 6 edition of "TODAY," which was met with celebration from critics of the president.

Times announcement that "The Silence Breakers" have been named #TimePersonoftheYear was made on NBCs Today show, where host Matt Lauer was fired last week amid harassment allegations. https://t.co/RtHGYnCSBw  The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) December 6, 2017

The 2017 TIME "Person of the Year" has been awarded to the "silence breakers," comprised of the the hashtag "Me Too" movement for bringing attention to sexual assault.

The "Silence Breakers" came away with the win, beating out others on a list that included Chinese President Xi Jinping, special counsel to the Russian investigation Robert Mueller, , "Wonder Woman" director Patty Jenkins, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Donald Trump came close to repeating as the winner by finishing in second place.

See why Donald Trump was named as the first runner up for TIME's Person of the Year 2017 #TIMEPOY https://t.co/vmnoTLX2Zt  TIME (@TIME) December 6, 2017

Twitter reacts

In response to the "Silence Breakers" finishing ahead of the president, those who oppose Donald Trump wasted no time firing back."Trump isnt Person of the Year, but TIMEs piece on The Silence Breakers calls Trump a precipitating factor in the Me Too movement. In this case, you had Harvey Weinstein, and before that you had Trump," MSNBC producer Kyle Griffin tweeted.

Trump isnt Person of the Year, but TIMEs piece on The Silence Breakers calls Trump a precipitating factor in the #metoo movement. In this case, you had Harvey Weinstein, and before that you had Trump. https://t.co/fYaJLcTgq6  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 6, 2017

President Trump's name appears in the 'Time Person of the Year' issue 8 times, and all 8 times it refers to him as an abuser of women! This is why Time wanted a photoshoot with Trump. Congratulations, you did make the #PersonOfTheYear issue!



Congrats to the Silence Breakers!  Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) December 6, 2017

"President Trump's name appears in the 'Time Person of the Year' issue 8 times, and all 8 times it refers to him as an abuser of women!" another tweet read.

"Not only is Trump not Person of the Year, he is mentioned in the piece as both a harasser and a motivation to speak out," Philip Bump wrote.

Not only is Trump not Person of the Year, he is mentioned in the piece as both a harasser and a motivation to speak out. https://t.co/Fs9fNfecD6  Philip Bump (@pbump) December 6, 2017

Donald Trump made it into Times Person of the Year issue after all: As one of the accused.



The Silence Breakers #PersonOfTheYear https://t.co/EdWLKjhVqs  Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) December 6, 2017

Now we know why Time wanted to do a photo shoot with Trump for its Person of the Year story https://t.co/YWFO05QE4P  Ben Wikler (@benwikler) December 6, 2017

"Donald Trump made it into Times Person of the Year issue after all: As one of the accused," Shannon Watts wrote.

"Trump must be fuming over this....the women that stood up against his sexual assaults are the person of year," yet another tweet added.

Looking ahead

While Donald Trump might not be happy with not coming away with the honors of "Person of the Year," he has many other issues on his plate as president. Over the weekend, Trump was able to celebrate as the Senate passed his controversial tax reform bill, though questions still remain on issues dealing with health care, all while the current investigation into Russian election interference moves forward.
Journalist Michae Wolff is set to release his new book detailing the behind the scenes drama of Donald Trump's campaign and first year in office. As expected, the president has decided to lash out on Twitter.

Trump on "Fire and Fury"

Earlier this week, excerpts were released from the upcoming book by Michael Wolff titled "Fire And Fury: Inside the Trump White House." Wolff was given access into the White House on multiple occasions, interviewing various members of the administration in an attempt to put together a comprehensive look at the Donald Trump administration.

The main source of information came from Steve Bannon, the current head of Breitbart News who served as Chief Strategist to the president until last August. Once select excerpts were released, it revealed that Bannon had turned on Trump, bashing not just staff and administration, but also insulting members of the president's family, including referring to First Daughter Ivanka Trump as "dumb as a brick" and calling a meeting at Trump Tower with Donald Trump Jr. and Russian officials as "treasonous." In response, Trump went on to deny the validity of the book and attacked Bannon. As seen on his Twitter feed on January 4, Trump was back on the defensive.

I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018

Taking to Twitter on Thursday night, Donald Trump went off on Michael Wolff over the release of his book, before taking time to give Steve Bannon a new nickname.

"I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book!" Trump said.

"I never spoke to him for book," Donald Trump went on to tweet, claiming the "Fire and Fury" book was "Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist." In conclusion, Trump went on to add "Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!"

Trump's deflection

In an attempt to move forward, Donald Trump tweeted out just a few minutes later by ripping into the news media.

"The Fake News Media barely mentions the fact that the Stock Market just hit another New Record and that business in the U.S. is booming...but the people know!" Trump tweeted, before adding. "Can you imagine if 'O' was president and had these numbers - would be biggest story on earth! Dow now over 25,000."

The Fake News Media barely mentions the fact that the Stock Market just hit another New Record and that business in the U.S. is booming...but the people know! Can you imagine if O was president and had these numbers - would be biggest story on earth! Dow now over 25,000.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018

Next up

On Wednesday night, Donald Trump's legal team threatened potential legal action against Steve Bannon for allegedly violating a nondisclosure agreement when he left his job at the White House. Trump also pushed for Michael Wolff not to release his book, but due to popular demand, "Fire and Fury" had its release date bumped up to this Friday.
Scheana Marie's actor boyfriend, Robert Parks-Valletta, told his fans and followers several weeks ago that he and the "Vanderpump Rules" star were no longer dating. However, according to the longtime reality star, her relationship with the actor is far from over and one day, she claims, they will tie the knot.

Following Monday night's premiere (Dec. 4) of "Vanderpump Rules" Season 6, which featured Scheana telling the cameras that she would be able to get married as soon as her divorce from mike shay was finalized, the waitress is speaking out about her future.

We have every intention of getting married one day and having a family, Scheana Marie told Page Six of herself and Robert Parks-Valletta on December 5.

Scheana Marie has a story for her grandkids

As the "Vanderpump Rules" star explained, she and Robert Parks-Valletta are going to have an amazing story to tell their grandkids years after they wed. "Grandma and grandpa couldnt get it together for 13 years, but now theyve been married for 50, she said. Scheana Marie went on to reveal that while she is quite sure about her future with the actor, she and Parks-Valletta are currently in different places due to his career as an actor and producer and her career as a reality star. As she explained, she's headed to Las Vegas for the next several months to work on a new project and her ex-boyfriend is currently in the midst of producing and hosting two different shows in San Francisco.

Scheana Marie already knows where her honeymoon will take place

Scheana Marie may not be in a committed relationship at this time but according to her, she and Parks-Valletta know that they want to honeymoon in Bora Bora. As she revealed, they joke about doing so all the time and when it comes to getting married, she said that she would never consider anyone other than the actor.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star also said that he would never consider marrying anyone but her.

The couple began dating one another several months ago after she split from former husband Mike Shay. As "Vanderpump Rules" fans will recall, she announced her split from Shay last November.

To see more of Scheana Marie, her former boyfriend Robert-Parks-Valletta, and their co-stars, including Lisa Vanderpump, Kristen Doute, Stassi Schroeder, Jax Taylor, Tom Sandoval, Katie Maloney, Lala Kent, James Kennedy, and Tom Schwartz, don't miss new episodes of "Vanderpump Rules" Season 6 on Mondays on Bravo Tv.
Lala Kent just bared her backside to her hundreds of thousands of fans on Instagram. Days after the "Vanderpump Rules" star finally confirmed her relationship with movie producer Randall Emmett, Kent returned to Instagram on January 4 and shared an image of herself standing completely naked in front of a painting with nothing more than a star emoji covering her bare chest.

With Lala Kent's racy image, the "Vanderpump Rules" star and SUR Restaurant hostess shared a Rod Serling quote with readers. Right away, the photo caught the attention of tons of Kent's followers and within just one hour, the image received over 5,000 likes.

Lala Kent celebrated the New Year with Randall Emmett on the east coast

Following a trip to Las Vegas with several of her "Vanderpump Rules" co-stars, including James Kennedy, Kristen Doute, Tom Schwartz, and Katie Maloney, Lala Kent boarded her boyfriend's private jet and headed to the east coast to ring in the New Year in Miami. During her trip, Kent went public with her relationship with Randall Emmett for the first time on Instagram with a photo of the movie producer planting a kiss on her right cheek.

Prior to his relationship with the reality star, Randall Emmett was married to Ambyr Childers and the former couple shares two children, London and Rylee. As fans may have seen, Emmett revealed his two girls would be joining him in Miami prior to his arrival.

Lala Kent recently released a line of lip glosses

Around the time of the "Vanderpump Rules" Season 6 premiere, Lala Kent released a line of lip glosses and immediately caught the attention of many, with the controversial names of several of the items. As some may have noticed, Kent named one gloss after her boyfriend, "Randy," and poked fun at the way their romance was rumored to have begun by naming two other shades "The Affair" and "Mistress." As "Vanderpump Rules" viewers will recall, Kent was rumored to be dating a married man for over a year before confirming her relationship with Emmett just days after his divorce from Ambyr Childers was finalized.

That said, Kent always denied the allegations against her.

To see more of Lala Kent and her co-stars, including James Kennedy, Katie Maloney, Tom Schwartz, Brittany Cartwright, Jax Taylor, Stassi Schroeder, Scheana Marie, Kristen Doute, Tom Sandoval, Ariana Madix, and Lisa Vanderpump, don't miss new episodes of "Vanderpump Rules" Season 6 on Mondays at 9 PM on Bravo TV.
On Sunday (Dec. 31), WND reported that an Israeli commerce news agency, the Globes, recently exposed a new taxing authority department in France that specifically focuses on French Jews, a tactic, unheard of in any other western nations.

The revelation that such a department exists has caught the citizens of France by surprise in which they are calling it, discriminatory at the highest level, raising questions as to why only Jewish citizens are being selectively targeted.

Tax expert weighs in

A tax expert, who spoke with Globes, stated that this is something new and very questionable, and very much so does discriminate against French Jews.

He added that this action by the French authorities is very uncommon and that hes not sure why they are doing this, along with employing a larger than normal amount of personnel, is extremely unconventional and unheard of. He further stated that there are no other tax equivalent departments in the western world that singles out a specific ethnic group. France has seen an increase in anti-Semitism against Jewish people as well as a mass migration of French Jews moving to Israel or buying second homes there in planning for a probable move.

Uri Goldman, of Goldman and Company law firm, stated that he views this action of creating this new secret Tax Authority department can only be viewed as a hidden agenda aimed at French Jews, either solely based on political intentions or something suspicious happening at the highest levels of the French government.

He stated that new immigrants in Israel are excluded from tax reporting and disbursement of taxes for ten years, but add that together with rich people and proprietors of companies and other material goods in France, the situation is supplementary much more complicated. He further added that when such immigrants are prosperous, there is a multifaceted situation of adjustment between the tax laws in Israel and abroad, such as in France, through the tax treaties and that this is true when capital goes unreported.

Globes reported that the new tax authority division was created sometime in 2016 and presently has 20 Hebrew-speaking personnel and that plans are in the works to employ five more personnel. Although supposedly, the French division was created to catch French Jewish tax dodgers, an unidentified international attorney that specializes in tax laws, stated that most tax specialists have one or two who speak Hebrew, but contracting nearly two dozen or more Hebrew-speaking investigators is very erratic.

Frances response to the allegations

As news spread of this secret department throughout France and the international community, the French embassy in Israel has disputed that such a department exists. A spokesperson stated that no such department exists in the most resounding way and that the Globes newspaper is doing nothing more than spreading baseless lies. The spokesperson further stated that tax legislation in France prohibits any dissimilarity between French citizens based on their origins, and that includes French Jews, where they live, and their citizenship of a particular nation or religious beliefs.
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I am a foreigner working as a teacher at an international school in Ho Chi Minh City. I signed a two-year contract with a local school from August 2017 to July 2019. I recently found out that I am pregnant and expected to give birth in late June next year. As I know, Vietnamese law allows a female employee to take six-month maternity leave. Does this also apply to female foreigners working in Vietnam? Do employers pay any salary during the maternity leave? Is my employer obliged to keep me as an employee and give me back my job after the maternity leave? Can my husband also take a paternity leave when I give birth?



According to the 2014 Law on Social Insurance, from January 1, 2018, employees that have signed labor contracts of a term of at least 1 month and those who are foreign citizens working in Vietnam with work permits or practice certificates or practice licenses granted by competent Vietnamese agencies will be covered by compulsory social insurance under the Governments regulations.



Since you have signed a labor contract for two years, you will be covered by compulsory social insurance from January next year if you possess a work permit, practice certificate or practice license as prescribed by law.



Therefore, you may enjoy all social insurance benefits when participating in compulsory social insurance in Vietnam, including the maternity leave provided for Vietnamese citizens as follows:



Under Article 31 of the 2014 Law on Social Insurance, you may take the maternity leave when you are pregnant or give birth once having paid social insurance premiums for at least full six months within 12 months before childbirth.



You may also be entitled to a six-month maternity leave before and after childbirth. If you give birth to twins or more infants, you will be entitled to an additional leave of one month for each infant from the second on. You may return to work prior to the end of the maternity leave only when meeting all the conditions below:



- Having taken a leave for at least four months;



- Notifying in advance your return to work prior to the end of the maternity leave to your employer and obtaining the latters consent.



In case you are agreed to return to work earlier than expected, you may still enjoy the maternity entitlements until the end of the maternity leave.



As per the law, a female employee giving birth is entitled to a lump-sum allowance equal to two months basic salary for each child in the month of childbirth. In case the mother gives birth to a child but only the father is covered by social insurance, the father is entitled to a lump-sum allowance equal to the two months basic salary for each child in the month of childbirth.



After taking the maternity leave and enjoying all above entitlements, you may return to work without being hindered by anyone.



According to Vietnamese law, employers may not dismiss female workers or unilaterally terminate labor contracts with female workers for the reason of pregnancy, maternity leave or breast-feeding of a child under 12 months of age, except where the individual employer is dead or declared by a court to have lost the civil act capacity, be missing or dead, or the institutional employer has terminated its operation.



When you return to work, your employer is obliged to assign you to the position in which you have previously been employed under the signed labor contract. If the employer fails to do so, the two parties are required to reach agreement on a new job and modify or supplement the signed labor contract or enter into a new one.



Assigning a female employee to another working position after her maternity leave does not mean that she is removed from the previous working position. She will continue working for the same employer but in a different working position with a salary not lower than that paid to her before the maternity leave.



Your husband may have five working days off for your giving birth if he is working under a labor contract and paying social insurance premiums.



In case you have to undergo a cesarean section or give birth to an infant at fewer than 32 weeks gestational age, your husband may leave for seven working days.



He will be entitled to a paternity leave of 10 working days if you give birth to twins, or additional three working days for each infant from the second on. If you give birth to twins or more infants by cesarean section, your husband will have 14 working days off.



His leave must be taken within the first 30 days after the delivery.- (VLLF)

, , ,
HA NOI  Viet Nam Prosperity Bank (VPBank) will target to be listed among the most valuable banks in Viet Nam by 2022, according to the banks CEO, Nguyen uc Vinh.

He said that the bank was striving to fulfil its vision of becoming one of the most friendly banks to customers by putting into use technology.

Vinh said VPBank would implement its six key development plans during 2018-22. This is expected to result in outstanding growth in current sale channels, bring in new growth momentum, expand strategic relationships, achieve redesigning and digitalisation for customers, and lead to a healthy and effective organisation to attract talented people.

Last year, VPBanks pre-tax profit was VN7.5 trillion (US$329 million), up 10 per cent from its target. Its profit in 2017 also rose by 50 per cent from VN4.9 trillion in 2016.  VNS
HCM CITY  The price of tra fish in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta has risen to its highest price over the last 20 years, leading to high profits for local farmers.

With the price at VN27,000 - 29,000 (US$1.2  1.3) a kilo last month, farmers earned a profit of VN4,000  6,000 a kilo, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments Directorate of Fisheries.

In previous years, tra fish farmers faced low prices and sales.

However, last year, farmers made a good profit because of the high price and many sales, according to a representative of the Chau Thanh District Tra Fish Breeding Co-operative in ong Thap Province.

The price of tra fish often falls in December because exporters normally complete their export contracts during that month.

Ho Kim Thoa, a tra fish farmer in ong Thap Provinces Hong Ngu District, said this was the first time the price of tra fish had increased in December.

The price of tra fish is expected to remain high because the output in the Delta has not increased much and exports will continue to be strong.

Farmer Huynh Quang Khap in An Giang Provinces Chau Phu District said he had sold two ponds worth of tra fish at a price of VN28,500 a kilo.

In recent years, the price of tra fish fluctuated, causing heavy losses for farmers. The price of tra fish increased, but not many farmers had fish to sell, he said.

Nguyen Tan Phong, director of the ai Thang Fisheries Co-operative in Hau Giang Provinces Nga Bay Town, said his co-operative had sold 200 tonnes of tra fish for VN28,500 a kilo.

The production cost of tra fish is about VN22,000 a kilo, he said.

Last year, the Delta had about 6,078 ha of tra fish with an output of 1.25 million tonnes, up 3.1 per cent in breeding areas and 5.4 per cent in output against the previous year.

Nguyen Van Cong, director of the ong Thap Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the provinces tra fish breeding area covered 1,500 ha with an output of 400,000 tonnes last year, leading the Delta in tra fish breeding.

ong Thap has improved the quality of tra fish and called on farmers to cooperate with tra fish processors to breed the fish, he said.

More than 60 per cent of the provinces tra fish breeding area is bred under Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards, he added. With these measures, most farmers and processors have made profits.

The countrys tra fish exports reached $1.8 billion last year, up 4 per cent against 2016, according to the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers.

China, the US and the EU are the countrys largest tra fish importers.  VNS
HCM CITY  Unsafe food is still widespread in the domestic market, causing concern among consumers, according to experts.

Vietnamese producers do this very well for exports, but in the domestic market consumers still face risks from unsafe food, Pham Khanh Phong Lan, head of the Food Safety Management Board of HCM City, said.

In recent years, exports of Vietnamese farm produce have increased significantly year after year.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Viet Nam earned US$36.37 billion from farm produce exports last year, a year-on-year increase of 13 per cent. Fruits and vegetables alone fetched $3.5 billion.

To achieve these numbers, Vietnamese farm produce must satisfy international quality standards, so the country can show that it has high potential for producing safe food, Lan said.

Producers still give priority to export products of good quality and distribute lower-quality products in the domestic market, she added.

The Governments regulations and management policies still have loopholes for fraudulent businesses to thrive, she said.

Also, producers have had difficulties because consumers want to have both safe and beautiful products at cheap prices, she said.

Nguyen Thai Binh, director of Trung An Hi-Tech Farming JSC, said to produce safe products, producers should comply with Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGap) standards.

There is a lack of trust among consumers about safe products, he said. To win back trust, State management agencies must improve the control of the market and strictly deal with violations on food safety, he said.

Vu Kim Hanh, chairwoman of the High Quality Vietnamese Product Business Association, said experiences from many countries showed that in addition to businesses and farmers investing in production and trade and improving product quality, government agencies, business associations and scientists should offer help to producers so they can acquire food-safety certificates and promote their products at home and abroad.

This would help businesses and farmers save on costs and minimise risks when bringing goods to the market, she said.

Lan from the citys Food Safety Management Board said HCM City had many practical programmes to develop safe food supply chains for domestic and export markets.

Developing co-operative models and supply chains towards ensuring food safety and creating favourable conditions for farmers and producers has been identified as one of the most important solutions, she added.

The co-operation model, with participation of businesses (ensuring outlets for products), cities and provinces (having land for producing safe food), and the association and the Food Safety Management Board of HCM City (for consulting, certifying and connecting farmers with businesses), will ensure a closed production chain as well as high consumption of safe food products.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a project to develop direct international flight routes to promote investment, tourism and international integration.

The project is aimed at expanding the direct international flight route network connecting Viet Nam and the countrys major markets. These include the United States, China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Russia and Germany, along with Australia, France, the United Kingdom and India, in addition to potential markets such as United Arab Emirates and South Africa.

The PM said the development of the aviation industry must be associated with the development of the tourism industry.

The expansion of direct routes is expected to enable the tourism industry to attract 17-20 million foreign arrivals in 2020. In 2017, Viet Nam received 13 million foreign visitors.

The tourism industry is expected to contribute 10-20 per cent of gross domestic product and the export value through tourism is expected to reach US$20 billion in 2020, according to the report.

Still, the report added that the expansion must ensure sustainable development.

The project encourages the opening of new international flight routes by both domestic and foreign carriers.

Accordingly, favourable conditions regarding aviation service charges and landing/boarding times will be created for carriers when they launch new routes to and from Viet Nam.

The Ministry of Transport has been asked to work with aviation authorities in major markets on removing difficulties for Vietnamese carriers when they launch new flight routes and on expanding agreements on aviation cooperation.

For the Chinese market, by 2020, Viet Nam plans to open new flight routes from a Nang, Hai Phong, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc, as well as a Lat, Hue and Can Tho to Chongquing, Dalian, Haikou and Wuhan.

Other flights will go to Ningbo, Hainan, Xian and Changchun, along with Fuzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Harbin, Lanzhou, Shenyang, Xiamen, Sipsong Panna and Zhengzhou.

The new plan will also increase transport capacity on existing routes to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming and Chengdu.

Tourism promotion will also be enhanced to attract Chinese tourists. Statistics showed that 31 per cent of the foreign investors to Viet Nam in 2017 were from China.

For the US market, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will open new direct flight routes to this country. The first destinations could be San Francisco and Los Angeles in 2018.

New flight routes will also be opened by 2020 from a Nang, Hue, Nha Trang and a Lat, as well as Phu Quoc and Can Tho, to Tokyo, Osaka, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Seoul.

Other new flight routes will include Ha Noi-Melbourne, HCM City-Brisbane, HCM City-Perth and a Nang-Russia, as well as Viet Nam-Berlin and Ha Noi/HCM City to Delhi and Mumbai.  VNS
HCM CITY  US coffee chain Starbucks on Thursday announced that it would again sell Vietnamese a Lat coffee at its stores starting from Saturday, January 6.

The Vietnamese a Lat whole bean first made an appearance at Starbucks stores in the country in early 2016 and became popular.

Patricia Marques, general manager, Starbucks Vietnam, said: Viet Nam a Lat is a popular coffee among partners and customers and is versatile in many brewing applications. Great as a brewed coffee in the morning or a delicious espresso option for your favorite espresso beverage, we are excited by its return.

It is available in all Starbucks stores across Viet Nam from January 6, she said.

The company said the brew is available at its two reserve stores in HCM City and Ha Noi, while the other stores just sell coffee powder.

To mark the return, the company is presenting a gift set of Viet Nam a Lat coffee with one Starbucks Reserve Viet Nam a Lat whole bean pack and one logo mug at VN370,000 (US$15).

According to Starbucks, a Lat offers not only an escape from the heat but also an ideal environment for the cultivation of high-quality Arabica beans.

The fertile volcanic soil, constant cool temperature and seemingly ever-present mist culminate in a coffee every bit as distinctive as the land from which it came, it said.

The beans deliver a vibrant acidity which highlights the notes of kola uts, toffee and vanilla.

The company will mark the upcoming Year of the Dog by introducing a collection with puppy-inspired designs that customers can enjoy or buy as gifts for family and friends during the holidays.  VNS




QUANG BINH  Authority in the central province of Quang Binhs Quang ong Commune has removed more than 100cu.m of soil and water contaminated with sodium hydroxide from the 19/5 Village.

The information was released on Friday by Nguyen uc Hien, chairman of the communes Peoples Committee.

The removal was conducted within two days in the presence of residents and under supervision of the commune authority.

The contaminated land and soil was treated as per regulations.

Following Typhoon Doksuri, the 10th typhoon of 2017, which hit the province at the end of September last year, several chemical wells were affected in a 1,000sq.m store in the village.

The typhoon destroyed the stores roof and the chemicals from the store spread to the environment, burning grass in the surrounding area, leading to a foul-smelling out door.

Inspection by the commune authorities revealed that the store contained different bags with the labels Caustic Soda Flakes and Made in China. There was a pile of solid slimy substance in a corner of the store.

Since residents were concerned, local authorities undertook timely treatment to ensure safety for the residents.

Sodium hydroxide is a highly caustic base and alkali, which decomposes proteins at ordinary ambient temperature and may cause severe chemical burns. Sodium hydroxide is used in many industries in the manufacture of pulp and paper, textiles, drinking water, soaps and detergents, and as a drain cleaner.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has called for strict punishments for organisations and individuals who commit violations in land-use and management.

The PM ordered that those who commited violations in handing over, leasing land or switching land-use purposes, land registration, granting land certificate must be punished strictly.

In particular, tough punishments must be imposed on heads of organisations and units which loosen management on land encroachment, transfer, illegal land-use changes and unauthorised land handovers.

Land auctions must follow regulations, especially the auction of golden land to avoid waste to State budget and corruption.

The Ministry of Defence has been assigned to work with the Government Inspectorate, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and peoples committees of provinces and cities at central level to review and investigate the management and use of defence land nationwide.

Any violations such as illegal use, lease or encroachment of defence land must be dealt with. Heads of organisations and units involved in violations will also be fined. Investigation results must be reported to the Prime Minister no later than November 30 this year.

Authorised agencies have been asked to review the use of agricultural land donated for clinics, markets, community houses and other public places. They also have plans to relocate people out of dangerous areas.

The Government Inspectorate, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and peoples committees in provinces and cities at central level have also been asked to address prolonged land disputes, lawsuits and denouncements and propose solutions.

The PM also urged the setup of a land database to reduce administrative procedures and better serve people and enterprises in assessing land to implement investment and business projects.

The PM required chairpersons of provinces and cities at central level to compile and issue detailed regulations on the implementation of Land Law, make amendments or remove expired or inappropriate regulations, or ask competent agencies to do so.  VNS
HA NOI  The agriculture sector managed to top the annual growth target despite 2017 being a year of successive extreme weather events, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong said at a review conference yesterday.

He said the sector expanded 2.9 per cent, as against the target of 2.84 per cent, thanks to favourable market conditions and product restructuring efforts.

He said 2017 was a landmark year for the sector with several new records being set as the country gradually moved away from rice as the main export product to other higher, value-added products.

Fisheries export, for example, reached a record US$8.4 billion, with wood, furniture and forestry products export following closely behind in the second place with $8 billion. Fruit and vegetable export reached $3.45 billion (a year-on-year increase of 40.5 per cent), while rice exports trailed far behind at $2.6 billion.

Total agriculture exports reached an unprecedented $36 billion, up 13 per cent compared to 2016, surpassing the Governments original target of $32-32 billion.

According to the agriculture ministry, 2,000 new businesses in the forestry and fisheries sectors have been established, an increase of 3.8 per cent over 2016s figure, bringing the total number of agribusinesses in the country to 5,600.

Humble sector

Speaking at the conference, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc reaffirmed the crucial role that agriculture plays in the economy, but added that it should increase the value of itts contribution.

With a country of three parts mountains, four parts seas, and one part field, with 70 per cent of the population living in rural areas and 42 per cent of the labour force based in the countryside, agriculture only manages to make up 15 per cent of the countrys GDP, Phuc said.

Reiterating a previous caution by Party General Secterary Nguyen Phu Trong that the sector cannot afford to rest on its laurels, Phuc urged the agriculture ministry to deal with long-standing issues that have plagued the sector.

Wide prevalence of small-scale holdings and scattered production, deforestation or clearing of forests for unnecessary purposes, degrading irrigation infrastructure and low productivity were some of the shortcomings highlighted by the PM.

He said it was highly important that the sector shows more determination in tackling and preventing violations that culminated in EUs yellow card warning over Viet Nams illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. He said actions should be taken to ensure that the warning is lifted in the first six months of the year itself.

2018 targets

This year, the sector has a growth target of 2.8-3.0 per cent, with exports of $40 billion. Agriculture production is set to increase by 2.25 per cent, forestry by 6.5 per cent, and fisheries by 5 per cent.

To achieve the targets, restructuring efforts must be scaled up with a focus on value chain development and climate change responses, the agriculture minister said.

He also called for focus on advancing new-style rural areas, with just 32 per cent of 9000 communes in the country meeting set criteria. The target for 2020 is 50 per cent, Minister Cuong noted.

Three areas must be prioritised: Promoting production, environment protection and rehabilitation, and social security and order, he added.

PM Phuc said that in 2018, the agriculture ministry must either abolish or adjust 59 business conditions to achieve the target of alleviating 50 per cent of requirements in granting business permits.

He also asked the ministry to reform its mindset and set the agricultural production on the course to hi-tech, clean, green, and smart agriculture to seize opportunities brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.  VNS
by Nguyen Viet Dung

HCM CITY  At the end of the school day, the students at The Sacred Heart in HCM City often dash home without taking the time to change their uniforms or even take a shower so they can help their parents sell lottery tickets or cassava.

The charity school, located in Tan Thong Hoi Commune in the citys Cu Chi District, was opened in the 1990s by Vietnamese nuns who belong to the Catholic congregation Sisters of Our Lady of the Mission, which is dedicated to helping poor women and children around the world.

Around 180 primary school students are taught English, maths, literature and arts in addition to Christian values at the school five days a week. Textbooks and clothes are either bought by the school or donated.

The school also pays school fees, books and clothes for 36 students who are now attending public secondary school, and if the students later decide to attend university, Sacred Heart tries to help them find jobs while they study.

Because of a limited budget, the school can provide lunch on only two days of the week.

In the past, some of the children even fainted in class because of hunger. For the past three years, donated milk has been given to students every other morning, which has helped relieve any hunger pains.

However, the school recently ran out of milk and is waiting for more donations.

Many of the childrens families are Vietnamese who were forced to flee from Cambodia where they were living.

The families cannot afford public school in Viet Nam and some of the children are not eligible for public school since their parents cannot get birth certificates for their children. Some of the childrens parents have either separated or divorced.

Because many families are poor and want their children to work, the nuns try to encourage the parents to enroll their children in school.

Sister Nguyen Thi Hao, who oversees the schools activities, said: We work really hard to educate parents about the importance of education, but some of them do not understand. Sometimes we have to support them and give them rice so their kids can go to school.

Occasionally parents just force their kids to quit school. Some kids cry when that happens. We feel sad because theres nothing we can do about it, she added.

We try to have meetings with parents to teach them how to raise their kids and encourage their kids to go to school, and give them information about family planning methods.

Students at The Sacred Heart sing Merry Christmas.  VNS Photo Viet Dung

Charitable souls

Since the school has little publicity, it often relies on word-of-mouth information. Donations are made by the nuns friends, outside sources, and past students who are now working stable jobs.

Former students also return to the school and help out with activities such as cooking, fixing electronic equipments and decorations.

Still, without stable sources of donations, the school struggles to provide for all of the children

Some children as old as 12 cannot read. When I see that these kids dont know how to read and write, I have to do what I can to teach them these skills and about morals, Sister Hao said.

Meals at the school are cooked by volunteers who refuse to accept payment, while teachers receive very little salary and often have to work extra jobs.

Tran Thi Kim Sang, a teacher who has worked at the school for 10 years, said: I used to work at a supermarket, but when I heard the school was short on teachers, I decided to quit. This school actually pays some teachers to get a higher education so we can return and be better teachers. Im 50, but I went to university to get my degree.

My family fled from Cambodia, too. We moved to Viet Nam when I was five years old. Thats why I sympathise with these kids and I want to give them love and the education they deserve.

Sister Hao said: Some people ask us how we can live since we have so little money. Its because we have very strong faith and we (nuns) pray together for hours. Because we pray a lot, we receive gifts from above. We also do not misuse donations, so donors have faith in us.  VNS
HCM CITY  HCM City plans to run a pilot car rental service for Government officials to reduce expenditures, according to Vo Van Hoan, spokesperson for the HCM Citys Peoples Committee.

The city will transfer all public cars to the Voluntary Youth Public Benefit Service Company (BESCO) for management and rental.

The pilot will begin in five State agencies and units, including the city Peoples Committee Office, Department of Finance, Binh Thanh Districts Peoples Committee, Binh Chanh Districts Peoples Committee, and the citys Food Safety Management Board.

Public vehicles with their drivers, escorts and security forces will be transferred to the company, and then departments, districts, and suburbs will rent cars and drivers.

Two cars will be arranged for each unit under a Government decision on the management and use of cars in State agencies and units.

The agencies and units must sign monthly car rental contracts with the company. During the pilot period, 26 cars will be available for use for five units.

BESCO will also arrange 10 cars for 24 hour service to meet urgent needs on weekends, overtime or public holidays. The trips will be charged per journey or by kilometre.

To reserve a vehicle, users will call a reservation centre or use the TNXP CAR phone app or computer via the internet.

The monthly fee ranges from VN20 million (US$881) to VN28 million ($1,233) per vehicle. The quota is 2,000 km per month per vehicle.

The salaries of drivers, escorts and security forces will be approved by the citys Department of Finance.

Hoan told Nguoi Lao ong (Labourer) newspaper that the pilot would save money for the city budget and improve the welfare and income of those working for the city government.

Cost savings

HCM City has an excess of around 700 public cars, most of them old and damaged. Each year, the city pays a great deal of money to maintain and repair public cars.

Currently, each agency manages 5-8 cars at a cost of about VN15 million ($660) per car per month. Each unit has only two cars, with a cost of VN20 million ($881) per car per month.

With the pilot, the city expects savings of more than VN100 million ($4,404) per month, equivalent to over VN1.2 billion ($52,842) each year.

Further savings will occur because of reduced spending on new car purchases.

The citys old vehicles will be revoked and proceeds from sales will be remitted to the State budget.

Viet Nam has about 34,241 public cars, each of which costs around VN320 million ($14,091), equivalent to VN13 trillion ($572 million) a year.

The Government plans to reduce the number of public cars in the country to 30-50 per cent by 2020, which is expected to save the state budget about VN3.4 trillion ($150 million) per year.  VNS
HCM CITY  HCM City has agreed to set up a working group to help investors navigate regulations and tweak policies where needed as part of efforts to ensure it can achieve the industrial growth target of 7.8  8.2 per cent this year.

The group will deal with investment projects coming within the jurisdiction of the city administration, studying investment proposals, ensuring projects can begin, and coming up with solutions to problems.

It will be led by the chairman of the city Peoples Committee, Nguyen Thanh Phong, and the members will include the chairpersons of several departments such as planning and investment, construction and finance.

As for projects that come under the authority of the city Peoples Council or the Government -- such as nuclear power plants -- the group will petition the Peoples Committee to seek approval.

The city plans to introduce more policies to aid the industrial sector, work with business groups to identify businesses needs and allow businesses to have a say when investing in infrastructure.  VNS
HA NOI  Many expired cars and trucks have been found for sale online at cheap prices despite being banned earlier this month, prompting concerns over traffic safety and environmental pollution.

The Ministry of Transports Vietnam Register announced a list of more than 24,400 expired cars and trucks. Of those, roughly 2,640 were passenger buses and the rest were trucks. All vehicles were produced between 1997 and 2000.

However, such cars have been marked for sale publicly both on many websites and forums and in car shops. Most were imported, had between 12 and 29 seats and had been used for between 18 and 21 years.

Noticeably, many were small vehicles used for transporting passengers or goods in rural areas. The most popular brands were Hyundai, Toyota, Daewoo, Mercedes and Ford Transit for passenger buses and Hyundai, Kamaz, Zin and Mitsubishi for trucks. All were sold at prices of between VN20-100 million (US$800-$4,400) each.

On the website banxehoi.com, a Hyundai County passenger bus, produced in 1997, was posted for sale at a price of VN50 million ($2,200). A Toyota Hiace produced in 1999 and a Toyota 16-seat-bus were advertised for sale at the same price each.

On website chotot.com, a 16-seat-bus made by Toyota was posted for sale at a price of VN55 million ($2,420). Another Toyota Hiace bus was advertised for VN42 million ($1,840). This vehicle was produced in 1998.

A seller named only as Trung said that most of these cars were still usable but in poor condition, and car owners would need to repair or upgrade them to extend their lifetimes. Usually, owners had to pay at least VN20 million ($880) to bring the car to a safe and roadworthy standard.

Trung said the number of old cars advertised for sale at less than VN50 million ($2,200) was high. The potential market for such cars was in rural areas where the average income of people remained low.

Ngo Hong He, head of the Vietnam Registers motor vehicle inspection unit said that the agency has publicised the list of expired cars on its website.

He added that expired cars would pose dangers to drivers and passengers, as well as other road users.

Currently, under the traffic law, those who drive expired cars or trucks would face fines of between VN4-6 million ($176-264), have their vehicle seized and their driving licence revoked for one to three months.

PhD Ngo Tri Long, an economic expert told online newspaper Dan Tri that the seizure of expired vehicles was necessary. It would help curb the use of such dangerous cars on the countrys roads.

In addition, measures on stopping the sale of such cars to rural and remote areas would also need to be carried out. This would prevent unexpected traffic dangers and protect the environment.

Many experts also said that it was necessary to regulate the expiry dates for four-seater cars as they were still allowed to operate after 20 years of use under the current law. It would help curbing emissions, safety risks and prevent the country from becoming a dumping ground for ancient vehicles.  VNS
A NANG  The 5.30am yoga class was over.

Hurriedly wrapping up her mat, sweaty ang Thi Quynh Nhu could not spare time for a refreshing shower. After teaching the first class of the morning, she headed straight to the hospital.

As she walked towards the oncology department of the a Nang City General Hospital, her steps hastened at the sight of a crowd gathered along a hallway in front of the hospital auditorium.

At their feet were dozens of worn out sponge yoga mats that most people would have discarded by now, just by their looks. There were peelings all over the old, faded mats, and theyd become unusually thin.

The second yoga class of the morning was special. It was free, and the students were patients battling the last stages of cancer.

The class would generally last for an hour, ending at around 7.30am three days every week  Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays  before the 25-year-old instructor rushed to her office at 8am.

The reason I choose that class time is that it is no longer too cold in the early morning, and not too hot either. It is cool, which is perfect for the patients, Nhu told Viet Nam News.

A 70-year-old patient is one of two dozen regular students of this special yoga class. Suffering from breast cancer for the last ten years, the disease had metastasised all over her body. Shed had to undergo prolonged radiotherapy and her health had deteriorated day by day. Her arms stiffened, her body ached, and there were times she could not move her body an inch.

Now, shes able to raise her arms higher than she could ever imagine. It is so simple for anyone else. But it isnt for someone one like me, she said.

Nhu, a professional yoga trainer, knows very well that yoga exercises for ordinary people are simply impossible for cancer patients.

They are in pain and their bodies are very weak. Thats why I teach them yoga therapy, with basic exercises of breathing and light moves which help to strengthen their muscles and organs, Nhu said.

The first class opened on a November morning last year. Nhu is an office worker during the day and a yoga instructor at different gym centres in the evening. She had wanted to do something meaningful in the city, so she jumped at a friends suggestion that she teaches yoga to cancer patients.

Doctors and nurses at the hospital, to her pleasant surprise, were more than supportive of her idea. They told her that the cancer patients, who were very sick and in horrible pain all the time, spent most of their time in bed and hardly got any physical exercise.

The hospital staff helped me a lot. They cleared out the chairs in the hallway and laid out the mats for the class as I did not have enough time to do it, running from my early morning class to the hospital, Nhu said.

Some patients quit in the middle of the class as it hurt so bad when they tried to do the moves for the first time, the young trainer said.

But time by time they got accustomed to the exercises, they felt their health getting better and their body movements got easier when practicing yoga. They started calling on others and encouraging others to join, Nhu smiled.

The number of the class members varied each day, between 15 to 30, as not all patients could make it to the class on a regular basis.

But if there are ones who want to practice, I will teach them, Nhu said.

I dont know about the future, but yes, I will try to keep the class running as long as I can.  VNS
The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) must enhance inspections and join hands with relevant agencies to ensure transparency and prevent health insurance fraud.  Photo Duong Ngoc

HA NOI  The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) must enhance inspections and join hands with relevant agencies to ensure transparency and prevent health insurance fraud, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue said at a meeting with the VSS yesterday.

He pointed out that social insurance coverage in the country stood at just 29 per cent of the population, far below the target of 50 per cent by 2020 set by the Party Central Committees Resolution 21-NQ/TW.

Therefore, the VSS must step up efforts to increase the number of participants, he said.

The social security agency should also collaborate with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Public Security to ensure transparent bidding for medicines covered by health insurance schemes as well as other medical commodities, Hue said.

He praised the sectors achievements in 2017, noting that the collection, estimated at VN290 trillion (US$12.8 billion), was the highest since 2007, when the Law on Social Insurance took effect.

The VSS has also had a fruitful year in its efforts to reform administrative procedures, apply information technology in management and effectively implement online public services, he said.

VSS Deputy Director Pham Luong Son reported that 13.83 million people have joined social insurance schemes, 79.9 million people hold health insurance cards, and some 11.4 million people have bought unemployment insurance.

The VSS spent VN270 billion ($11.9 million) in social, health and unemployment insurance payments. An improved inspection regime helped keep social insurance debts at below 3 per cent, the lowest level ever and down 0.8 per cent from 2016.

As social insurance and health insurance are two main pillars of the national social welfare, the VSS should work towards creating a professional, transparent, reliable and efficient system, helping spread social and health insurance coverage to all people, the Deputy PM said.  VNS
HA NOI  Soldiers from the border guard force in the northern city of Hai Phong rescued a British man stuck in a small mountain canyon in Cat Ba Districts Cat Dua Island on Thursday midnight.

Stephen James Mcauley, 49, was vacationing on the island with his family on Thursday afternoon.

At 4pm, Mcauley went around the beach when his wife and son left for kayaking, the VTC online newspaper reported.

When they returned an hour later, Mcauley was nowhere to be seen. When they failed to locate him after a frantic search, they informed the Cat Dua Islands Resort Management Board.

The boards workers also failed to find Mcauley. They then sought help from the border guard force.

Captain Nguyen Bui Quan from the guard force immediately led two search and rescue teams. The first team looked for Mcauley on the island, while the second team drove in canoes to look for him in the waters.

After several hours of searching, the guard force found Mcauley stuck in a mountain canyon close to the resort.

He said he had slipped into the canyon while climbing the mountain and was unable to get out as the canyon was quite steep.

Mcauley went back to the resort around midnight. He is in good condition.  VNS
GIA LAI  Ia Grai District authorities in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on Wednesday discovered a large amount of wood which was illegally gathered on the riverbed of the Se San 3A reservoir in Nu Village, Ia Khai Commune.

The river level of the reservoir is quite deep, so local authorities faced difficulties in fishing out the wood, said Phan Trung Tuong, vice chairman of the Ia Grai District Peoples Committee.

So far, the authorities fished out 2.7cu.m of wood of different kinds. The wood, with a diameter of some 30cm to nearly 1m, was taken to the local inspection station for maintenance.

It was observed that a large amount of wood was still on the riverbed, Tuong said.

The district leaders assigned the police, forest rangers, militiamen and the commune Peoples Committee to conduct an investigation into its origin, following legal regulations.

Puih Dinh, chairman of the Ia Khai Commune Peoples Committee, said that the commune was witness to the continuous transportation of illegal wood.

In 2016-17, local authorities discovered 17 cases and seized more than 51cu.m of wood of different kinds. Most of the cases were reported at the Se San 3A and Se San 4 reservoirs.  VNS
By Tuan Ngoc

Pa Ku San Mountain in Lao Cai Province has primitive forests covered in moss, forests full of maple trees and their colourful leaves, cliffs that startle with their steepness and, at times, all this is covered in a sea of mist.

I kept wondering about the mountain when I saw it during a trekking up Lao Than and Nhiu Co San mountains last year. The mountain has high cliffs jutting from a sea of white cloud between Lao Than and Nhiu Co San mountains.

As the cold air of winter overwhelmed the North, the image of the mountain appeared again and again in my mind, so I decided to conquer it. I searched the net hoping to find some information on the mountain. And I got some.

Primitive: The higher we climbed, the deeper we got into primitive forest and its stunning trees and plants.  VNS Photo Tuan Ngoc

The mountain is located near Nhiu Co San Village in Sang Ma Sao Commune in Lao Cai Province. Locals call it Nhiu Co San Mother Mountain. Nhiu Co San Village hosts two mountains: Nhiu Co San Father Mountain (2,965m) and Nhiu Co San Mother Mountain (2,665m), which is also called Pa Ku San Mountain or Bufallo Horn Mountain.

A map published by Viet Nam Peoples Military says Pa Ku San Mountain stands 2,665m, but, apart from this, I could find no information about trekking up the mountain. It seemed that no one had climbed that peak.

Then I met uc Le, a veteran mountain climber who inspires others. With a warm heart, he shared his experience trekking up that mountain three years ago. He introduced me to a guide, A Phu, a frank Mong man, whose house was right at the foot of the mountain. A Phu welcomed our team.

Top of the world: Mount Pa Ku San has the features of high mountains throughout Viet Nam.  VNS Photo Tuan Ngoc

A Phu welcomed us in a drizzling rain at 8 degrees Celsius. A Phu was surprised at my intention of climbing the mountain, saying he had not guided anyone for a long time.

He said he first explored the mountain with friends from the village.

He said there was no path. "We herded the buffaloes up the mountain. The buffaloes created a path, and we followed.

Fruit salad: We were all stunned with the colours of the maple forest as autumn neared.  VNS Photo Tuan Ngoc

Our team followed him while chatting. We passed the first steep hill without any difficulties. We cut plants to clear the path so that we could move easier.

We then started to go deep into primitive forest. We were all stunned at the maple forest with its bright red and gold leaves. The whole scene was so mysterious.

The higher we climbed up, the deeper we got into the primitive forest and the more we were stunned by local trees and plants.

Stimulating: I have never had so many different feelings as I did with this mountain.  VNS Photo Tuan Ngoc

We climbed over slippery steeps, passed along chasms with lots of flowers on one side and deep abysses on the other. We reached the climax of our feelings and felt in control.

I have to admit that I never had so many different feelings as I did on that mountain.

I would like to thank A Phu, our guide, his friends who helped as porters, all my friends for accompanying me and more than anyone else, thank Mother Nature for creating such wonderful scenery.

If you want to find a unique experience away from urban pollution ....to lose yourself in a natural native landscapePa Ku San is a place you should not miss.  VNS
PARIS  Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan travels to Paris on Friday for talks with Frances Emmanuel Macron aimed at improving relations with Europe, after a war of words in 2017.

The lunch and talks at the Elysee Palace are expected to take in Syria and EU-Turkey relations, but Macron is also expected to voice concern over Erdogans post-coup purges.

The visit to France will be Erdogans first since the botched July 2015 putsch and one of only a handful to Europe since the attempted army takeover.

In an interview with Frances LCI television on Thursday, he said he had got off to a "very good start" with Frances new leader.

But in an interview with Le Point magazine in August, Macron listed "having to talk to Erdogan every 10 days" as one of the drawbacks of the job.

The invitation to the Turkish strongman, who has presided over the arrest of tens of thousands of officials, academics, journalists and activists, has drawn criticism on the French left.

The French presidency has insisted on the need to "maintain dialogue" with Ankara without "covering up differences of views."

Macron and Erdogan already met at a NATO summit in Brussels and at the UN General Assembly in New York in September, and held telephone talks leading to the release of two French journalists held in Turkey.

Macron has said he will also bring up the plight of jailed Turkish reporters during Fridays talks.

Amnesty International, whose Turkey head Taner Kilic has been jailed, said Macron should "strongly remind (Erdogan) that human rights defenders are not terrorists."

High on the agenda will also be Turkeys relations with the EU, which Ankara has sought to join for the last 50 years in an epic membership saga that appeared to hit the buffers amid bitter rows in 2017.

The purges carried out by Turkey in the wake of the coup bid have dealt the biggest blow yet to its ambition of joining the European Union.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been particularly condemnatory of the crackdown.

But Macron has stressed the need to avoid a breakdown in communications with a country he calls an "essential partner" on conflicts, including Syria, where France is seeking to play a greater role.  AFP
The Pima Air & Space Museum in Pima, Arizona has just taken delivery of combat veteran Westland Lynx HAS.8 XZ722. The museum has added several ex-British military aircraft to its collection over the past year or so, with this former Royal Navy helicopter being just the latest. This particular airframe has quite a history. She rolled off the production lines at Westlands factory in Yeovil, Somerset during the spring of 1980, making her first flight on June 23rd. The Royal Navy took delivery of the Lynx on July 8th that year. 815 Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navys Fleet Air Arm was her first operational unit, and they assigned XZ722 to serve aboard the Leander Class frigate HMS Andromeda in December, 1980. XZ722 sailed for the South Atlantic on April 5th, 1982 aboard Andromeda to take part in Operation Corporate, the effort to retake the Falklands Islands after the Argentine invasion on April 2nd. Andromeda reached the total exclusion zone in May and took part in guarding the fleet. The Lynx was equipped to take on submarines and surface vessels. Interestingly though, the helicopter was also fitted with an Exocet anti-ship missile jammer, which her pilot at that time, Larry Jeram-Croft, put into action on one fateful day in late May, 1982. Click HERE to read his riveting account of that days activities while he was flying XZ722

XZ722 stayed with Andromeda through roughly March, 1984. She received an upgrade to HMA.8 configuration as a maritime attack variant in 1998, and joined the Type 23 frigate HMS Argyll, while still on the books with 815 NAS. During 2000, Argyll was heavily involved in Operation Barras, the British intervention into the civil war in Sierra Leone. Argylls Lynx, though not confirmed as XZ722, was instrumental in that action and also helped the lives of 58 people in a missing ferry boat. XZ722 remained attached to Argyll until about November, 2002, joining another Type 23 frigate, HMS Richmond, in January, 2003 which was deployed to the Persian Gulf during the opening days of the second Iraq War, staying on post until August that year. 702 NAS took over ownership of XZ722 during 2005. The squadron, stationed at the Fleet Air Arms main base RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, was responsible for training and supplying aircrew for the Lynx fleet and disbanded in 2014. XZ722 was a part of the Fleet Air Arms helicopter display team, The Black Cats during her time with 702 NAS.

The Pima Air & Space Museum currently has XZ722 in the main restoration hangar, and are set to reassemble and tidy up this significant exhibit for display in the coming months.
WATERLOO  A local department store is shutting its doors after seven decades of doing business as part of a larger nationwide closing of dozens of similar stores.

Sears, located at 2060 Crossroads Blvd. in Waterloo, is scheduled to close in early April, according to documents released Thursday by its parent company Sears Holding Company.

Sears Holding announced Thursday it would close 39 Sears stores and 64 Kmart stores nationwide by late March and early April. Kmart locations in Red Oak and Urbandale were also scheduled to be closed.

Employees were notified Thursday, according to the company.

The store manager of Sears Waterloo referred all questions to the public relations department of Sears Holdings. A voice mail message at that number referred reporters to the document of store closings.

Sears Holdings continues its strategic assessment of the productivity of our Kmart and Sears store base and will continue to right-size our store footprint in number and size, the company said in a statement. In the process, as previously announced, we will continue to close some unprofitable stores as we transform our business model so that our physical store footprint and our digital capabilities match the needs and preferences of our members.

The company also noted eligible associates would receive severance pay and have the opportunity to apply at remaining Sears and Kmart stores. The nearest ones were in Marshalltown and Cedar Rapids.

The company has been steadily closing Kmart and Sears stores  more than a quarter of its total  as it tries to stave off filing for bankruptcy. Many financial analysts, seeing Sears has been burning through more than $1 billion in cash annually since 2014, believe the companys efforts are too little, too late.

The news follows the previous closing of the Waterloo Sears Auto Center in April 2017 and the Waterloo Kmart in January of 2017.

Sears opened at Crossroads on March 24, 1969, predating the opening of Crossroads Mall in 1970. It had previously been located in downtown Waterloo for decades as the Sears, Roebuck and Company, dating back to at least the 1940s.

The manager of the Waterloo Sears store in 2011 told The Courier his store was one of the top-performing stores in the country.
CEDAR FALLS  After the success of the year-long Cedar Falls Authors Festival in 2017, organizers have decided to continue the project this year through June.

The eight-part Cedar Falls History Writers Series begins Sunday and is free to the public.

Organizers say the festival has taken on a life of its own, thanks to community response. Approximately 2,500 people participated in programs in 2017.

We spent the first year focusing on nationally known names and best-selling authors. But there are a lot of Cedar Falls authors who are no less worthy of attention, said Mary Taylor, a member of the festival steering committee.

The series highlights Iowa- related history by Cedar Falls writers and explores how to research and write on historical topics.

Last years festival focused on such best-selling authors as Robert James Waller, Nancy Price and Bess Streeter Aldrich. Now its time to celebrate authors who are out there in Cedar Falls that many of us dont know. Its amazing, said steering committee member Rosemary Beach.

Author Kenneth Lyftogt will present Cedar Falls in the Civil War at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Cedar Falls Public Library. Lyftogt is author of numerous books about the Cedar Valleys involvement and impact in the Civil War.

At 2 p.m. Jan. 20, John Johnson will discuss his project, Writing about Iowas Greatest Legal Case, Tinker v. Des Moines. Johnson is a University of Northern Iowa emeritus history professor. The program will be in Room 201 at the Rod Library on the UNI campus.

The First Amendment case involved a group of Des Moines high school students in 1965 who supported a Vietnam War truce by wearing black armbands to school. The school district suspended several students, and their parents sued the district for violating the students rights.

Gary Kelley will discuss his work on a graphic novel at 2 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Cedar Falls Public Library. The Spirit Lake Massacre in Words & Pictures explores the last Native American attack on Iowa settlements in March 1857 near Okoboji and Spirit lakes.

Other presentations in the series include:

The Opera Houses of Iowa, Act II: or, Does History Change?, featuring research by UNI professor emeritus George Glenn, 2 p.m. Feb. 18, Cedar Falls Public Library.

Historical Fiction: Bringing the Story in History to Life, Jocelyn Green, 2 p.m. March 11, Cedar Falls Public Library.

Newspapers: We Cant Live Without Them, Jack Hovelson, 2 p.m. March 25.

From May Queens to Feminists: Notable Women at Northern Iowa, UNI Archivist Jaycie Vos, 2 p.m. March 31, Rod Library, Room 301.

Brothers Blood Seven Years On  New Insights, Scott Cawelti, 2 p.m. April 8, Cedar Falls Public Library.

The Tuni Speedway Chronicles, Jim Volgarino, 2 p.m. April 29, Cedar Falls Public Library.

Lynn & Mary Nielsens Ill Be Seeing You: The Letters & Diaries of an Iowa WAC in World War II, 2 p.m. May 12, NewAldaya Main Street, The Revue Performing Art Center; reception at Elms Pub.

Stories from Cedar Falls History, David Whitsett, 2 p.m. May 20, Cedar Falls Public Library.

Going to the Woods: Ruth Suckow and the Early 20th Century Midwest, Kenneth Lyftogt, 1 to 1:30 p.m. June 9. The presentation is part of the Ruth Suckow Memorial Associations Annual Ruth Suckow Day at the library.

A reception with refreshments and book signings usually will follow each presentation.

The variety of programs should appeal to a cross-section of the community, particularly residents who remember the stories or locations, such as Tunis Speedway, Beach says.

Everyone knew it was just off University Avenue. Its part of Cedar Falls history, part of what we used to do. Id take the kids and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and wed watch the demolition derby. Cars would race around the track, but the last race was the demolition derby. We wanted to see who had the last car running, Beach recalls.

Footnotes will be the final festival offering in late spring, although plans are still being made for exactly what it will be and when it will take place, Beach says.

We want to end it properly. Weve had a really good time, and weve had really interesting people taking part. Its been good for the community, she adds.

For more information, contact Taylor, taylormary44@gmail.com or 240-0220, or Beach at 266-6140.
WATERLOO  The Union Missionary Baptist Church, 209 Jackson St., will host the 49th Traditional Dinner at 5 p.m. Jan. 20.

The menu includes pigs feet and tails, rabbit, squirrel, raccoon, fried chicken, roast beef, hogs head cheese, gumbo, collard greens, black-eyed peas, green beans, candied yams, cushaw, butter roll, corn bread, crackling bread and beverage.

Cost is $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and younger. Advance tickets for the event can be purchased at the church or from members of the congregation; people also can purchase tickets at the door.

Pastor is the Rev. Marvin D. Jenkins.

Valentine Tea

set for Feb. 10

CEDAR FALLS  The Riverview Womens Ministry will host a Valentine Tea for single women  bachelorette, divorced, widowed  from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Retreat Center at Riverview Conference Center, 439 N. Division St.

Pat Gentz will share her inspiring information about aprons, emphasizing their history, uses, changes in style and personal stories.

Tickets are $20, available through Feb. 8 at the center, by calling the office at 268-0787 or by emailing riverviewcc@gmail.com.

Food pantry

has new hours

WATERLOO  The Apostolic Pentecostal Church Food Pantry has new hours.

It will be open from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Jan. 16, the third Tuesday of the month. There will be no distribution Jan. 17.

The pantry is located at 1645 Downing Ave. Emergency food assistance will still be available on an individual basis by contacting the church office at 234-2920 or emailing a.pentecostal@mchsi.com.

MLK lecture

set at Luther

DECORAH  In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jr., Ronald Rochon, provost at the University of Southern Indiana, will give Luther Colleges annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day lecture at 7 p.m. Jan. 15, in Valders Hall of Science, Room 206, on the Luther campus.

Rochons lecture, From Revolt to Revolution: For Whom the Bell Tolls and Why We Cant Wait, is open to the public with no charge for admission.

Rochons keynote address will focus on the past, the present and also the future, relying on teaching as a metaphor.

The provost at the University of Southern Indiana for more than seven years, Rochon also serves on the executive board of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
INDEPENDENCE  A judge has declined to throw out charges against reality TV star Chris Soules in the April crash that killed an Aurora farmer.

Defense attorneys had asked the court to dismiss a felony leaving the scene charge against Soules, arguing Soules had stopped following the collision, called 911 and identified himself, and rendered aid to 66-year-old Kenneth Mosher until medics arrived.

Prosecutors said Soules, 36, of rural Arlington, left the scene before law enforcement arrived and then refused to exit his home until sheriffs deputies obtained a warrant.

Trial had been scheduled for Jan. 18 in Buchanan County District Court in Independence, but the trial was postponed during a Thursday conference, and a new date will be set later this month.

During a November hearing, defense attorney Robert Montgomery argued the charges should be thrown out because Iowa law  written before the advent cell phones  was vague as it applied to the case and was unconstitutional because it infringed on Soules right against unreasonable search and seizure and self-incrimination.

In a ruling handed down Friday, Judge Andrea Dryer declined to dismiss the charges, allowing the case to move toward trial.

Under this construction the defendants conduct does not clearly fall outside the statute. The statute is not unconstitutionally vague as applied to the defendant, Dryer wrote in her ruling.

Dryer also found the statute doesnt amount to unreasonable seizure and doesnt require self-incrimination.

The existence of a statute that imposes duties upon all surviving drivers of vehicles involved in accidents causing the death of a person as part of a chapter regulating motor vehicles and their use in this state is not a seizure under either the United States or Iowa Constitution, she wrote.

Only evidence that is testimonial in nature is protected by the Fifth Amendment.  The act of remaining at or returning to the scene of an accident causing a persons death is no more testimonial than a person in custodys submission to fingerprinting, photographing or other physical measurements, writing or speaking for identification, standing, walking, or making a particular gesture, or submission to a blood test, the ruling continued.

During the November hearing, Assistant Iowa Attorney General Scott Brown argued the law requires drivers to remain at a scene to allow law enforcement to collect information about the crash. He said Soules left after only about 14 minutes.

On Friday following the ruling, Soules attorneys issued a statement saying they plan to appeal Dryers ruling to the Iowa Supreme Court. The defense team said Soules wasnt evading liability and made sure Mosher was receiving treatment, and attorneys said the prosecution is based on a technicality in the statute.

In response to the ruling, Mr. Soules attorneys again emphasized that Mr. Soules indisputably called 911, identified himself, explained his role in this tragic accident, and tried to save Mr. Mosher. Attorney Brandon Brown noted the Iowa Supreme Court has never considered whether such actions can rightfully be punished as a hit and run, the statement read.

Last month, Brandon Brown, member of the defense team, also submitted a notice Soules may use a diminished capacity defense based on injuries he sustained.
Eighteenth in a series of stories on this years 20 Under 40 winners.

WATERLOO  Gina Weekley is a product of her environment. In the best possible way.

Weekley, 34, is a Waterloo East High School graduate who grew up in a single-parent home along with four siblings. And while she credits her mother with keeping a roof over their heads, her greatest praise goes to her older sister, Angela Weekley (a previous 20 Under 40 winner), for raising them.

My sister sought services for us and set the tone for us and wouldnt let us stray, Gina Weekley said. We were at the Boys and Girls Club daily and we spent a lot of time at the YMCA and the Salvation Army.

My brother and I were just talking about what would have happened to us without her, Gina Weekley said. She was the first to graduate from high school, the first to go to college. She made sure we were taken care of, that we put school first and set goals for ourselves. She always told us she wanted us to be better than her.

There is no doubt Angela Weekley is proud of what her younger sister has accomplished.

After starting college at the University of Northern Iowa, Gina Weekley moved to Norfolk, Va., in 2007. While there she worked for the YWCA running before- and after-school programs, managing grants and staffing.

During her stint with the Y, Weekley worked with Ruth Jones, who had a profound impact on her.

She once said to me, What would you do if fear were not a factor in your life? Weekley said. And I would answer her, and she would say, Lets do it then, together.

Even as a kid, I wanted to be like those people who helped me, she said.

That thought stayed with Weekley and manifested itself a few years later when she realized she needed to return to her roots.

I had a new-found confidence in myself, she said. God called me to give to the community.

So Weekley returned to Waterloo after eight years, picked up where she left off at UNI and graduated in May 2016.

She was hired by the Black Hawk County YMCA as the director of child care. During her tenure, which included her rising to director of youth development, Weekley implemented a number of programs  including Y Believe.

In conjunction with Operation Threshold and the Waterloo Community Schools, the YMCA established the summer learning academy to help dispel summer learning loss and build confidence and leadership skills, mostly for children in low-income areas.

We served 200 children last year, Weekley said. It includes a full day of literacy with math and STEM workshops with certified teachers and UNI students and afternoon enrichment. Every Friday the kids go on a field trip.

When youre a poor kid, you dont get to experience Heartland Farms or The Falls.

Weekley recently accepted a newly-created position with the Waterloo Community Schools. She serves as an at-risk student support coordinator.

It is along the same lines as what I was doing for the YMCA but working more directly with kids and their families, she said.

Weekley, who was named Nonprofit Leader of the Year by the Cedar Valley Nonprofit Association this year, serves on the Salvation Army Advisory Board, is a Campaign for Grade Level Reading committee member, on the Editorial Advisory Board for Teaching Young Children and is treasurer and a church board member at Ambassadors for Christ Church. She also enjoys traveling and spending time with her family. She and her partner, Aysha, (the pair recently became engaged) are raising daughter Aaliyah, 12.

Though Weekley fretted about returning to Waterloo, I am grateful my city has given me another chance, she said. My city welcomed me. Thats huge.

Im just a kid from a neighborhood on the east side of Waterloo. I could have been a statistic. But people sowed seeds of greatness into my life, and here I am.

There is a quote Weekley clings to: Youve got to go back and reclaim your past in order to move forward into the future.

Thats my life, she said. I had to come back, finish what I started.

Monday: Jim Atty
DES MOINES  When she steps to the speakers podium next week in the Iowa House to deliver her first Condition of the State address, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will spend much of her time talking about ways to boost the credentials of Iowa workers without post-high school education or training.

Helping workers improve their skills will be a top priority of her administration in 2018.

The 2018 session of the Legislature, which begins Monday, will be the first since Reynolds took over as governor this past year.

Probably my top priority is workforce (and) taxes, but its workforce, workforce, workforce. Because that provides opportunities for Iowans. It provides an opportunity for a better quality of life, Reynolds said.

Since a 2012 state report indicated Iowa does not have enough qualified workers to fill middle-skill jobs, Reynolds, former Gov. Terry Branstad before her, and state lawmakers have worked on myriad programs to

help workers obtain more education or training in order to obtain a higher-paying job.

The 2012 report, from the state workforce development department, said half of the jobs in Iowa require middle skills, but only a third of workers possess those skills.

Reynolds is pushing the states Future Ready Iowa program with the goal of 70 percent of the states workforce having post-high school education or training by 2025. Created in 2016 with a grant from the National Governors Association, the program promotes partnerships between educational institutions and businesses with middle-skill jobs.

Reynolds and legislative leaders said they regularly hear from employers that they have job openings but not enough skilled workers.

Reynolds hopes to include new funding for Future Ready Iowa in the state budget year that starts July 1. She did not specify how much she will propose, but suggested it will be in the millions of dollars. The new funding would help create grants and fund efforts to increase apprenticeships, foster public-private partnerships and more.

Thats probably one of the biggest things that I can do to get this economy growing again, Reynolds said.

Economists at Iowa State University dispute there is a shortage of middle-skill workers in Iowa. According to their analysis, the job openings actually are the result of insufficient salaries.

First, when employers say theres a skills gap, what theyre often really saying is they cant find workers willing to work for the pay theyre willing to pay, ISU economist David Swenson said in a 2015 report. If there was a skill shortage, people would be working longer hours and workers would be getting higher wages. Researchers have yet to find that evidence in several categories where people are arguing that theres a skills gap.

Still, the governors efforts have support among legislative leaders, both Republican and Democrat.

One of the things that Iowans are asking for is the ability to help them move their skill set up to the next level, to be able to build their career and increase their earning capacity for themselves and their families, said Janet Petersen, the Democratic leader in the Iowa Senate.

While there is bipartisan support for the ends, there are diverging opinions about the means.

Reynolds will do what she can as the states chief executive to promote Future Ready Iowa, and plans to introduce funding for the program.

Republicans in the Legislature may not have the stomach for new program funding in what is expected to be a tight budget year.

It seems like there might be a unique opportunity to actually implement at least some of those recommendations (from Future Ready Iowa), said Linda Upmeyer, the Republican House Speaker. They dont all look like they are high-dollar items, and I think some of those things we can take resources and change up a program a little bit and redeploy it in a little more focused fashion. Im optimistic we can get something done with that.

Petersen and Mark Smith, the Democratic leader in the House, said the focus should be on funding for community colleges.

Advocates who would like to see a pay increase for Iowas minimum-wage workers likely will be disappointed. GOP majority leaders say they are focused on creating opportunities for those middle-skill workers, not the minimum wage.

What I hear is employers are paying far above the minimum wage now, said Bill Dix, leader of the Senate Republicans.

Every state that borders Iowa, except Wisconsin, has in recent years increased its state minimum wage above the federal level of $7.25 per hour.

During the 2017 legislative session, Republicans passed a law that stopped Iowa counties from approving their own minimum wage increases.

Politicians like to talk big about improving wages, but last year the Legislature literally voted to lower wages, said Matt Sinovic of the progressive advocacy group Progress Iowa. With Iowas low unemployment rate, the problem isnt a lack of jobs, its a lack of good-paying jobs and the workers to fill them. Raising the minimum wage would make it easier to keep workers in Iowa and boost the local economy. Its time for Gov. Reynolds and Republicans in the Legislature to not only talk the talk, but take action to raise wages.

Reynolds said she , would be willing to entertain a minimum wage increase if legislators approve one.
DAVENPORT -- Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is asking state lawmakers to eliminate fees that credit rating agencies can charge customers for a security freeze.

The request comes four months after the Equifax data breach that exposed 143 million people nationwide. Miller says 1.1 million Iowans were affected.

"I just don't think these fees are fair to Iowa consumers, and the Equifax case is exhibit A," Miller said Thursday. "If a company you have no control over exposes your personal information through negligence as a result of someone else's criminal act, you shouldn't get left holding the bag simply because you want to protect yourself from identity thieves through credit freezes."

The proposal would limit fees on placing, removing, temporarily suspending or reinstating a security freeze. In addition, the proposal requires that credit rating agencies move faster to enact and suspend freezes and expands the way to request them. It also allows for freezes to be applied to other credit rating agencies.

Experian and TransUnion are the other nationwide credit rating agencies.

Equifax announced the breach this past September and took a number of steps in the aftermath to deal with the issue, including waiving fees to freeze or unfreeze accounts. That waiver, though, is scheduled to end Jan. 31.

Miller says that Iowa law allows agencies to charge customers $10 to freeze an account, $10 to lift the freeze and $12 to temporarily lift the freeze. The latter, Miller said, is the highest fee for a temporary lift in the country.

He notes those costs would be tripled to cover all three nationwide reporting agencies.

Officials at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion could not be immediately reached Thursday afternoon to comment on Miller's proposal.

Individual states have their own laws dealing with credit freezes. Iowa and other states don't allow fees if a consumer is the victim of identity theft, according to a chart provided by the attorney general's office. But some states have banned fees even when security freezes are requested by people who haven't been victimized.

The Illinois House passed a bill in October that would prohibit fees for freezing and unfreezing a credit report, but it has not been acted upon by the Senate.

This past year, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, introduced a bill in Congress to prohibit fees.
WATERLOO  Its a time for unity.

So says the Rev. Frantz Whitfield, pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church and president of the Iowa chapter of the National Action Network.

Hes organizing the chapters annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at 6 p.m. Sunday at Union Missionary Baptist Church, 209 Jackson St. The Rev. Marvin Jenkins will be guest preacher. The event is open to the public.

This is our annual unity service, said Whitfield, who has rotated the event among various churches for several years. I think during this particular time, in the life of our country, I think unity is something thats needed more than weve ever needed it before. ... This is an opportunity for people of different races and different religious backgrounds to come together in the community and stand for justice, which King exemplified.

We say thank you to him for the sacrifice that he made, to the point of giving his own life to see that we might have a better future. Not just African Americans, but all people, Whitfield said.

Awards will be given to local rights activist David Goodson for community service and Cora Turner of the Waterloo Schools in the area of education. The Rev. MarShaundus Robinson, pastor of Corinthian Baptist Church, will receive a pastor of the year award.

Gift of Life Church will receive a church of the year award.

Funds also will be raised at the event for a scholarship fund named for former longtime Waterloo City Council member Willie Mae Wright.
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Jan 5, 2018 | By David

When it comes to treating injured animals, 3D printing technology is starting to establish a serious reputation for itself. Our furry and feathered friends have found their own friend in 3D printing, which has been used in crucial veterinary surgery as well as to make prosthetics for dogs and penguins, amongst other creatures. The latest critter to be put back together with the help of the technology is an Arkansas-based duck known as Peg, who received a 3D printed replacement leg to help him waddle again after a mysterious attack that possibly involved a violent turtle.

We found Peg sitting on the bank and he hadnt been hatched long, his new owner, Patsy Smith, told Arkansas TV company KAIT. Smith has raised ducks for years, but none of them were in quite the shape that the now eight month-old Indian Runner Duck was when she found him. When I picked him up I noticed his foot was gone and was in horrible condition. Evidently a turtle had bitten his foot off. As the duck grew older, the problem only worsened, and the injured foot, or what was left of it, became irritated.

Smith reached out to various animal rescue operations to help restore Peg back to the way nature intended, but the injured aquatic bird was eventually saved by a group of plucky eighth-graders from Armorel High School in northeastern Arkansas. A new prosthetic leg was made for the duck by three technically-minded students at the school, Abby Simmons, Matthew Cook and Darshan Patel, all aged 14 or 15. The students spent months 3D printing a prosthetic leg for Peg, after having already experimented with making other things using the 3D printer in the schools lab.

We already were looking into ways of creating sophisticated creations with our 3D printer and we saw that we could do just that for a duck, said Alicia Bell, EAST Lab facilitator. Animals bring everyone together and this was just a great way to show how work in the classroom can impact real life.

If you think that putting a duck back together using 3D printing is easy, then youre wrong. In fact, the opposite is the case. It took the students 30 tries before they eventually nailed the perfect prosthetic for Peg, with no small amount of frustration and heartbreak along the way. We thought it was just going to be a shaft with a hole in it connected to a foot but it was much more complicated than that, said Cook. According to Simmons, It was really frustrating because we had to make sure it fit him perfectly and we had to start over due to some issues with the printing but it all worked out in the end.

Images: KAIT

Sometimes the journey is the destination, but this time there was also a destination, which was the restoration of Pegs waddling ability. The Indian Runner might not quite be living up to the second part of his name, but hes definitely more mobile than before, and he has 3D printing to thank. As for the students, they are all a lot wiser for the experience, and wed be surprised if this is the last we hear of Armorel EAST Labs 3D printing expertise.

Smith couldnt be happier about what happened, and is amazed at how 3D printing and animals can really bring out the best in people. ''Not only is it heartwarming but it is exciting and I am just so grateful that there are people that truly care and they have gone out of their way to do all they can to make it as comfortable for the duck.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Ann Hulbert in Harvard Magazine:

In the fall of 1909, when two wonder boys converged on Harvardamong the first, and for a time the most famous, prodigies of the modern eratheir parents proudly assumed a Pygmalion role. Norbert Wiener, the nearly 15-year-old son of the universitys first professor of Slavic languages, Leo Wiener, arrived as a graduate student in (at his fathers direction) zoology. William James Sidis (namesake and godson of the renowned Harvard psychologist who had been a mentor to his father, Boris Sidis) was admitted at 11 as a special student after strenuous lobbying by his father. The two superprecocious sons of two very upwardly mobile Russian immigrants, outspoken men with accents and bushy mustaches, inspired suspense. The arrival of these brilliant boys with unusual pedigrees fit the mission of Harvards outgoing president, Charles William Eliot, a liberal Boston Brahmin and staunch believer in equality of opportunity. He aimed to open the universitys doors to men with much money, little money, or no money, provided that they all have brains. And not just brains, Eliot warned complacent WASPs, who mistook an indifferent good-for-nothing, luxurious person, idling through the precious years of college life for an ideal gentleman or scholar. Eliot had in mind an elite with the capacity to prove by hard work that they have also the necessary perseverance and endurance.
Editorial in Nature:

There is a classic narrative that stresses the importance and value of fundamental science. To make progress, one must take persistence by researchers, mix in patient financial support and then add creative imagination and logic (important for creating hypotheses and testing predictions). Then sprinkle on some unpredictable outcomes and stew for a century, or perhaps even longer. The 2016 announcement of the detection of gravitational waves is a fine product of this recipe for success. It was borne of theories of relativity that were esoteric but which now, unforeseeable at the time of their origin in 1916, underpin technologies such as global navigation. Readers of Nature probably have their own favourite examples of such success stories. Support for fundamental research remains essential, both as a signal of cultural values and as a driver of future societal progress. But research with a shorter-term or more-local vision of practical outcomes deserves reward and prestige, too  a fact perhaps taken for granted by engineers or clinical scientists, but less so in some other disciplines.

Take, for instance, the way in which regulatory authorities, commercial organizations and physical geographers at the University of Leeds, UK, collaborated to boost water quality and company performance by developing innovative catchment-management strategies in the north of England. Another example is how local health authorities partnered with a digital-media-production company to disseminate content related to a self-help technique developed by psychiatry researchers at Kings College London to combat bulimia. Both these examples are included in a database of case studies collected by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in its pioneering 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF; see go.nature.com/2zags87). The council assesses the impact of research retrospectively, and rewards high performers with extra funds. This approach has increased financial support for some universities that pursue useful research, but that did not fare well in previous, more-traditional funding frameworks. The next REF, which will be conducted in 2021, will allocate more weight (25% up from 20%) to impact assessments  a move that Nature supports. Other funders have signalled that they believe in direct impact, and demand a prospective view of such benefits in funding applications. The database of REF case studies is interesting partly because it highlights straightforward ways of documenting impacts through explicit description and endorsement by researchers partners in delivery, and partly because it reveals the variety of pathways to impact.

More here.
James Risen in The Intercept:

My case was part of a broader crackdown on reporters and whistleblowers that had begun during the presidency of George W. Bush and continued far more aggressively under the Obama administration, which had already prosecuted more leak cases than all previous administrations combined. Obama officials seemed determined to use criminal leak investigations to limit reporting on national security. But the crackdown on leaks only applied to low-level dissenters; top officials caught up in leak investigations, like former CIA Director David Petraeus, were still treated with kid gloves.

Initially, I had succeeded in the courts, surprising many legal experts. In the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Brinkema had sided with me when the government repeatedly subpoenaed me to testify before a grand jury. She had ruled in my favor again by quashing a trial subpoena in the case of Jeffrey Sterling, a former CIA officer who the government accused of being a source for the story about the ill-fated CIA operation. In her rulings, Brinkema determined that there was a reporters privilege  at least a limited one  under the First Amendment that gave journalists the right to protect their sources, much as clients and patients can shield their private communications with lawyers and doctors.

But the Obama administration appealed her 2011 ruling quashing the trial subpoena, and in 2013, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a split decision, sided with the administration, ruling that there was no such thing as a reporters privilege. In 2014, the Supreme Court refused to hear my appeal, allowing the 4th Circuit ruling to stand. Now there was nothing legally stopping the Justice Department from forcing me to either reveal my sources or be jailed for contempt of court.

But even as I was losing in the courts, I was gaining ground in the court of public opinion. My decision to go to the Supreme Court had captured the attention of the nations political and media classes. Instead of ignoring the case, as they had for years, the national media now framed it as a major constitutional battle over press freedom.

More here.
Marilynne Robinson at the American Scholar:

The idea of conscience as we think of it is reflected in the Greek of the New Testament. It is to be found in Plato as self-awareness, a capacity for self-appraisal. In the Hebrew Bible, it is pervasively present by implication, an aspect of human experience that must be assumed to be reflected in the writing of Paul and others. In Genesis a pagan king can appeal to the Lord on the basis of the integrity of his heart and the innocence of his hands, and learn that God has honored his innocence and integrity by preventing him from sinning unintentionally. The kings sense of himself, his concern to conform his conduct to the standard he brings to bear on it, which is a standard God acknowledges, is a kind of epitome of the concept of righteousness so central to the Hebrew Bible. That the king is a pagan, a Philistine, suggests that Torah regards moral conscience as universal, at least among those who respect and cultivate it in themselves.

Beyond the capacity to appraise ones own actions and motives by a standard that seems, at least, to stand outside momentary impulse or longer-term self-interest and to tell against oneself, conscience is remarkably chimerical. An honor killing in one culture is an especially vicious crime in another. The effective imprisonment at forced labor of unwed mothers, or of young women deemed likely to stray, was practiced until a few decades ago in a Western country, Ireland, despite the many violations of human rights this entailed.

more here.
A few newsy tidbits you may have missed this week.

The Walt Disney Family Museum is a stoner's paradise. (@thegingerpinup)

SF Spots to Visit Stoned Now That Recreational Marijuana Sale Is Legal, Curbed SF

Head out to these colorful, sparkling, and soothing locales to make the most of your stoney adventures. Read more.





More Banks Are Welcoming Marijuana Businesses, Federal Data Shows, Forbes

Despite of number of conflicting signals, the cannabis industry is growing, as is the number of banks and credit unions willing to open accounts for the new wave of businesses. Read more.





4 Things to Know About Raw Water, Silicon Valley's New Fad Beverage,SF Eater

Live water is all the rage, and people are paying top dollar for it. The untreated water is said to be free from additives like fluoride and also brimming with natural probiotics...and animal poop. Read more.





Meet the Real-Life Mexican Grandma Who Was the Model for Miguel's Abuelita in 'Coco',Remeszcla

The vision of an elderly woman holding a sandal can incite more fear than you'd think. Just ask 88-yaer old Pueblito Guzman, mother of 10, who isn't afraid to use a chanclaor stick for that matterto put her kiddos in check. She was brought on to the set when her grandson in-law, Coco's directing animator, needed real-life inspiration. Read more.





East Coast Winter Weather Cancels Dozens of Flights at San Francisco International Airport,ABC7

As of last night, there were nearly 100 cancelled flights between SFO and other major northeast hubs, with JFK being shut down entirely. Luckily, tech came to the rescue. Read more.
Tamil Nadu politics is seeing new faces, comments and opinions and also the entries. These days, two names are very much in news and those are Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth. Both are superstars and both have made their name in film industry. Whereas, Rajinikanth is still on a diplomatic mode, on the other hand actor Kamal Haasan is on aggressive mode. He alleged that money power was behind TTV Dinakarans win in the RK Nagar by-elections, drawing sharp rebuke from the sidelined AIADMK leader who accused the star of maligning voters.

Amidst accusations of money distribution by rival sides  the AIADMK and the Dinakaran camp  the former Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MP, contesting as an independent, had trounced the ruling party candidate E Madhusudhanan. He won by a margin of 40,000 votes, giving a jolt to the Chief Minister K Palaniswami led dispensation. Both Dinakaran as well as the ruling party have denied charges of money distribution. Dinakaran hit back reproving the star of maligning voters. He said the actor was making such allegations as he could not digest his win in the by-poll.

Haasan described the by-poll, held due to the demise of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, as a stain on Indian democracy. Without naming Dinakaran, Haasan said that the RK Nagar by-poll win was a purchased one, alluding to alleged money distribution by the rebel camp. Haasan charged that both the independent is the ruling side fixed rates for voters; alleging that people had voted for money. Haasan, who has announced his intentions of entering politics, has been vocal on a number of issues ranging from corruption to right-wing extremism.

He took news space to micro blogging to stern his attack on rival politicians. Whereas, Rajinikanths political entry played out like a script, right out of one of his movies. There was years of build-up to this moment. And the political situation in Tamil Nadu is volatile due to the power vacuum left behind by the passing of J Jayalalithaa. Now more than ever, people in the state need a stable political party and a leader that they can follow. Amid of growing desperation and anticipation, Rajinikanth promises of fixing the broken system.

Kamal Haasan openly welcomed Rajinis sense of social responsibility and political entry. While the Thalaivar took his own time to take the plunge, Kamal beat him to it. It wont be wrong to say that Kamal blindsided everyone by becoming active in politics. And he also wasted no time in announcing his intentions to contest the next state assembly elections. The political world, people and the media, however, had to wait more than two decades for the politician Rajinikanth to reveal himself. The iconic Rajinikanth-Kamal Haasan rivalry will continue now in the political realm too.

Kamal, once suggested that he spotted a rival in Rajinikanth the moment he saw him at the office of legendary director K Balachander. After getting trained at the film institute in Chennai, Rajinikanth went to Balachander, seeking a chance to act in movies. Kamal, who was already a star at the time, was afraid that this novice might bag an interesting role in his mentor Balachanders next film. A person of Pune film institute was also there. For some reasons, he did not impress Balachander. But later on he ruled Tamil film industry and today he is the super hero in this trade.

The climate in Tamil Nadu, may not be suitable for Kamal. The BPL people in Tamil Nadu feel happy with every election. Election year is a bonus year for them. Both the Dravidian parties have sensed the mood of the people. They engage people in a different way, and they have many committed voters too. Kamals resource factor and mind-set too, are different from these two parties. If he is interested in real politics, he may have to lose his lifetime resources before the election. He should look for another choice of life, which may be different from the present way of living. Certain erstwhile leaders have done it. They came to the political spectrum with a Big bang. They donated all their properties to the people, before entering politics, and this worked well. That was an opportune moment to do so. This is a different environment, people may look for different options, and the same need not work.

Let Kamal ascertain the mood of the people, by organising public meetings. Holding office is different from public interaction. He should confirm that he can take the people with him. So far he has not tested the peoples support for him. Media hype is not peoples support. Many of the people are, influenced by caste and religion, and most of the voting patterns were also such. Support for Kamal may not come from these sectors. No one will enter politics to support him, if corruption is removed. Money laundering is the main aim for most of the individuals and groups. Without that, politics will not survive. Making a major change is possible, only at the national level.

The center can do anything and everything to control states. It is already visible here. Kamal is too immature for politics and administration. Even among public, he does not have that much good image to be elected as a leader. Tamil people do also take in account of conduct in personal life. His playboy Image in personal life, living together and recent clash with Gautami, his partial behaviour in Big Boss show, his emotional blackmail of leaving India during Vishwaroopam Issue, all points to negative results for him in his political career.

Though he is more learned than Rajini, politics doesnt require that. His caste tag would be used against him fiercely. Rajini is a Maratha and have backward class with him, which would work in his favour. Kamal faces a double challenge  he is considered high-brow and notwithstanding his agnostic stance he would be dubbed a Brahmin by the Dravida parties who have been using anti-Brahminism as their plank to fool Tamils to support all their parties dominated by non-Tamils! To become the CM, one needs to be the head of the largest party in Assembly (preferably party with simple majority, but at least being the largest party would help). Kamal doesnt have a party of his own till date. He has four years to go for the next election, but I doubt if he could start something and get it that big by 2021.

This is the first part of the editorial. The remaining part will continue on Monday.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com)
Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena on Friday asserted that they will continue their protest against Padmavati movie and demanded the resignation of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasoon Joshi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

Protest against Padmavati will continue across India and during the demonstration we will burn the effigies of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasson Joshi. We also demand his resignation, said Karni Sena leader Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi during a press conference.

Gogamedi added, Rathore should resign as he was born in the land from where Queen Padmavati belonged and urged him to stand with them in the ongoing protests against the movie.

Demanding the film to be banned across the country, Gogamedi also questioned the permission given to Sanjay Leela Bhansali to screen the film in UK.

Earlier, Gogamedi had threatened to vandalise all the cinema halls showcasing Padmavati.

The CBFC had late last month, suggested few modifications in the controversial movie Padmavati, which include changing of the films title to Padmavat, after which it would be given a UA certificate.
Pakistan on Thursday rejected as propaganda reports that China was going to establish a military base near the strategic Gwadar port in southern Balochistan province.

There is no proposal of building any Chinese military base near Gwadar. This is all propaganda against the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and strengthening of relations between Pakistan and China, Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Mohammad Faisal said.

The nearly $50 billion CPEC  a flagship project of Chinas prestigious One Belt One Road  passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

It links Chinas restive Xinjiang region with Pakistans Balochistan province. India has objected to CPEC as it traverses through PoK.

Responding to a question about India test-firing an interceptor missile, Faisal said Pakistan always maintained that anti-ballistic missile systems entail destabilising effects, especially in the regional context and can provoke an arms race.

We have proposed several missile and nuclear restraint measures to India that include the commitment not to deploy ballistic missile defence systems. Pakistan will continue to follow a policy of restraint and responsibility while taking all necessary measures to ensure our national security, he said.

Faisal said Indias attempts to attribute ulterior motives to the basic security protocol for Indian death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav are testament to their double standards.
The Bhima-Koregaon violence incident and the Maharashtra bandh called by Dalit outfits are likely to alter caste equations in the state. According to sources, NCP leader Sharad Pawar is the mastermind for fuelling the violence to drift away Dalit voters from BJP. Through this act, Pawar is trying to make opposition stronger against the ruling party BJP. With an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Pawar is keen to have alliance with various political parties to upset BJPs chances of retaining power in the centre. He already has sharpened the attack against right wing outfits and blamed them for the violence incidents. Dalits, who had traditionally known for voting for Congress and NCP, had shifted their loyalties towards BJP during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. BJP also had joined hands with Ramdas Athawales Republican Party of India (A) which enabled the party to win Dalit votes at several places. However, the scenario has changed after the Bhima Koregaon violence as Dalits have distanced themselves from BJP. Since BJP doesnt have a prominent Dalit face in Maharashtra, the party will have to rely on Ramdas Athawale to woo the community. After the recent violent incidents in Maharashtra BJP faces an uphill task to lure Dalits.

When AV spoke to Nawab Malik, NCP spokesperson he said, All the allegations made against Sharad Pawar are baseless. BJP is spreading rumours to conceal their failure to control the agitation. There is no valid proof that Pawar had orchestrated the Bhima Koregaon agitation.

Sanjay Nirupam, Mumbai Congress Chief said, No other person except Pawar can assure if he really wants opposition to come together and emerge stronger against BJP on the recent Dalit agitation issue. Bhima Koregaon violence is a pre-planned attack initiated by RSS and BJP against Dalits. Dalits were just celebrating the victory of Bhima Koregaon battle and this attack on them was totally condemnable. RSS follows anti-Dalit philosophy and they dont want them to progress, be happy and come forward in the society. People who are arrested or whose names feature in FIR list belong to either RSS or BJP.

Dalits are also upset with the manner in which the government handled the violence and bandh incidents.

Abu Azmi, Samajwadi Party leader said, The statement issued by Sharad Pawar about Bhima Koregaon incident is right. Hindutva outfits consider Brahmins superior to Dalits and Muslims and the recent agitation shows how government has failed miserably as entire Mumbai had come to a standstill and police officials remained mute spectators all during the bandh day. If the government is concerned about the welfare of Dalits and Muslims, then they should increase reservation provided to them. If Dalits and Muslims unite against Hindutva groups in Maharashtra, then all these chaos creating groups will be powerless in the state. Dalits constitute around 10 per cent of the states population and can play a decisive role in turning around political parties fortunes in the 2019 general election.

Kashiram Vechan Pawara, Congress MLA said, I am not well aware about the agitation that happened across Maharashtra and comments made by Pawar. However, I dont feel that there is any possibility of Pawar being the mastermind of Bhima Koregaon agitation.

Ashish Shelar, Mumbai BJP chief said, Whatever speculations are being made about Pawar needs to be verified first before commenting.
If we put dance on a platform, then on one side of the platform there are dancers and on the other side is Padma Vibhushan Sonal Mansingh. She is unique, she is different, she is dynamic, she is exceptional and she is an encyclopaedia in herself. I am humbled to say that she calls me her son and for me she is my dancing Mother. Today I feel honoured to tell you that my dancing mother has created Divyalok. A breathtaking show that makes us witness the ideal way of living, what life should be for us and what kind is for us in todays high paced world.

Sonal Mansingh is a person I have always looked up to even when I had never met her. She is one who has influenced my life in many ways. She is Maa in the true sense, who loves, cares, cresses, kisses, shouts, slaps, fights and more than that makes us learn lessons to be a good human being inside out.

The colourful show with lots of underlined messages was attended by eminent guests like Ms Uma Sharma (renowned Kathak dancer), Shri Baldeo Bhai Sharma (Chairman, NBT), Shri Vasudev Kamath (President, Sanskar Bharati), Shri Ram Bahadur Rai (Chairman, IGNCA), Shri Sachchidanand Joshi (Member Secretary, IGNCA), Shri Adwaita Gadanayak (Director, NGMA) and many more. The show was divided into three parts, the house full audience when back home with myriad messages from each of these three stories.

Purvarang  Devi begins creation from Devi Bhagvat  the unmanifest energy Devi desired to create. She made a male form but without consciousness. Then she divided it into three, thus creating Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. She explained to them their responsibilities in the forthcoming creation process. The three sat in meditation to gather energy for the task ahead. Devi wished to test them. Assuming frightful form she went to Brahma. Frightened Brahma turned away but saw her in all four directions. Thus becoming four faced he ran away. Vishnu escaped into deep waters. But Mahesh remained unmoved. Devi was pleased and gave a boon. Cleverly Mahesh asked her to be born as a woman and meet him. Devi understood his intention but did not withdraw her boon. She predicted events which would separate them, then again bring them together eternally. This has been going on, Mans Cunning and Womans Giving.

Kaaliya Mardan  Example of pollution control from Bhagvat Puran  the story of Kaaliya, the deadly and poisonous King of the Cobras, who poisoned the river Yamuna killing all forms of living creatures and threatening life itself. The episode shows Krishna taking on the Cobra King in a feisty battle and subduing him. Krishna pardons the defeated and remorseful Kaaliya but orders him to go far away from habitation and make home in the deep ocean. In the modern context the serpent represents pollution, which is a threat to existence and has to be kept under check.

Asura and the Enchantress  how to destroy ego of those who want to destroy creation from Shiva Puran  great emperors and kings, even sages with deep knowledge become tamasik or demonic when arrogance subdues their better sense. By doing terrific penance for many thousand years this Asura-King acquired desired boon from Shiva which would imbues him with the power of burning every-and-anything to ashes as soon as he would put his hand on the person, object, bird, beast, even gods. Pleased with his new-found power, the Asura was ready to test its efficiency on Shiva himself. As he advanced, Shiva left the scene in great alarm but Asura chased him. Suddenly Asuras attention was diverted by entry of a peerless beauty who enticed him to a dance-competition in which the victorious Asura would claim her in marriage! On the frenzied movements of dancing Asura followed her, even the motion of hand being placed on his own head. In a trice Asura burnt to ashes. She, the beauty revealed her true form as Vishnu. Over-indulged in self-interest and arrogance truly can lead to destruction.

This mesmerising show is something one should not miss at any cost. I asked Sonal Mansingh what it took for her to create a show such as Divyalok:

You have made some legendary shows before, what is special about Divyalok?

The first episode, Purvarang is the first chapter of Shri Devi Bhagvat, complied by Sage Veda Vyasa. It describes how creation came about. The text/verses are totally different from long-held views and beliefs perpetuated by generations of male-oriented commentaries. It is awesome and amazing. Wider understanding and acceptance of a diametrically opposite concept is necessary to enlighten us.

How difficult was it to make this production?

It was very challenging because there is a different thread of controlled, deeply felt, grand story-line. First step was to meditate on it, then to visualise music and choreography which had to be somewhat abstract as the episode begins with narration in total darkness, The creation was not created yet. Time had not started to spin its web; our story begins from then..

Any memorable incident during the entire process of Divyalok, that makes your heart warmer?

Many moments of experimentation, specially creating male figures without consciousness is an experience that I will always remember.

You are one person who is always springing with new ideas, now that Divyalok has been premiered, what is next on your plate?

We have many shows lined up for Divyalok in North-East cities like Guwahati, Shillong and 3-4 other venues in 2018 plus negotiations are on for other cities in India as well. Up next is to take this same story forward, again from same book  The Devi Bhagvat.

I would suggest dont just look at Divyalok as a dance show telling stories of God and Goddesses, rather look at it from the eyes of the Dancing Diva herself, the message of lifetime that she gives through each of her stories is something that will make us better souls and the environment we live in a better place. How I wish the Divyalok presented by the illustrate dancer can actually be a place we can live in.

Sandip Soparrkar
The US has placed Pakistan on a special watch list for severe violations of religious freedom, the State Department said.

The announcement came as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson decided to re-designate about 10 countries as Countries of Particular Concern.

The secretary also placed Pakistan on a Special Watch List for severe violations of religious freedom, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said. No other explanation on Pakistan was available immediately.

Too many places around the globe, people continue to be persecuted, unjustly prosecuted, or imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief, Nauert said in a statement.

Today, a number of governments infringe upon individuals ability to adopt, change, or renounce their religion or belief, worship in accordance with their religion or beliefs, or be free from coercion to practice a particular religion or belief, she said.

In accordance with the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, she said the secretary of state annually designates governments that have engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom as Countries of Particular Concern.

Today, the Department of State announces that the Secretary of State re-designated Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) on December 22, 2017, she said.

Noting that the protection of religious freedom is vital to peace, stability, and prosperity, Nauert said these designations are aimed at improving the respect for religious freedom in these countries.

We recognise that several designated countries are working to improve their respect for religious freedom; we welcome these initiatives and look forward to continued dialogue, Nauert said.

The US remains committed to working with governments, civil society organisations, and religious leaders to advance religious freedom around the world, she added.

In November, Congressmen Randy Hultgren and James P McGovern, Co-Chairs of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, in a letter to Tillerson had urged him to designate Pakistan as CPC alleging it has engaged in systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has been advocating for designating Pakistan as a CPC since 2002.

It has argued that the government of Pakistan continues, To perpetrate and tolerate systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations. Religiously discriminatory constitutional provisions and legislation, such as the countrys blasphemy and anti-Ahmadiyya laws, continue to result in prosecutions and imprisonments.

In a report last year, the Pew Research Center determined that over an eight-year period Pakistan is one of a small group of countries that stand out as having the most restrictions on religion  when both government restrictions and religious hostilities are taken into account.
South African Airways Cargo (SAA Cargo) has once again partnered with the Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa Team to provide transportation services ahead of the 2018 Dakar Rally.

The partnership, which has been running since 2012, sees SAA Cargo transport three vehicles and spares, weighing about 7,941 kg in total, with each car weighing around 2,000 kg.

The vehicles are transported from South Africa to Sao Paulo, Brazil, en route to Lima, Peru, for the start.

In total, it takes about 16 hours for the shipment to reach its destination with 11 hours spent on the aircraft.

The racing vehicles are designed in line with size restrictions for commercial cargo holds and built in such a way they can be disassembled to the size of a cargo pallet and container to be used.

It takes about three hours to disassemble each car and six hours to reassemble.

SAA Cargo general manager Tleli Makhetha said: Our partnership remains key to us as the airfreight division of the national carrier. We get the opportunity to showcase SAA Cargos operational capability on a world stage.

There is about two months preparation before the vehicles are transported to ensure that the vehicles get there without any hassles.

Our priority is the needs of the client as without them we do not have a business. All of this is achieved through team effort and hard work.

In motor racing, development of the race vehicle is critical, added Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Team Principal, Glyn Hall.

Development takes time, and our partnership with SAA Cargo means that we dont have to rely on sea freight to send our cars to South America. This gives us a significant advantage in our development strategy.

The 40th edition of the Dakar Rally will start in Lima, Peru, proceed to La Paz, Bolivia, and end in Cordoba, Argentina, on 20 January 2018.

The event takes place over a period of 15 days and 14 racing stages; and the 450 cars, trucks, motorcycles, and quads will cover a total distance of some 9,500 km, of which 5,000 are against the clock.

The race originally took place in Senegal, but in recent years has transferred to South America because of security concerns in the African country.

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Birmingham Water Works customers could receive some protection over rising rates under legislation state Rep. Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills, plans to sponsor in the 2018 legislative session.

The bill would give the Alabama Public Service Commission the statutory authority to regulate water rates, Williams said.

PSC was ordered to regulate water rates in an agreement between the city of Birmingham and Water Works in 2002 following litigation over Water Works assets. Later, though, PSC determined it didn't have the authority to regulate water rates, Williams said.

Williams said his bill is attempting to fix something that "fell through the cracks."

The legislative session is set to start on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

Williams' bill is one of a few that is expected to directly impact Birmingham and Jefferson County this session.

Neither the Birmingham City Council nor the Jefferson County Commission have set a legislative agenda for this year's session.

"The county commission has no formal agenda to promote," said Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens. "We will work with Birmingham and local municipalities to improve the quality of life for our citizens. We plan to meet with our legislative delegation to discuss any proposed local legislation and communicate and coordinate our actions."

State Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, is sponsoring a local bill to amend Birmingham's Mayor-Council Act. She said the bill would require the mayor, city council and city school board members to be sworn in on the third Tuesday in November during an election year.

Most municipalities across the country already have their elected officials take office on the same day, she said.

This year newly elected Birmingham city councilors and Birmingham Board of Education members took office on Oct. 24 while the new mayor didn't take office until Nov. 28.

Givan is also challenging the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017 after controversary surrounding the Confederate monument in Birmingham's Linn Park.

The law prohibits local governments from moving historical monuments on public property that have been in place for 40 years or more. It also prohibits renaming buildings and streets with historical names that have been in place at least 40 years.

The state of Alabama sued Birmingham after then-Mayor William Bell ordered a Confederate monument in Linn Park, a city-owned park, covered by plywood in August.

The monument remains covered while the case is pending in court.

Givan filed two bills, one that would repeal the act and another that would allow cities to opt out.

The legislator said she would like to see the law repealed because the state shouldn't have the authority to tell municipalities what they can do with its public parks.

If the law isn't repealed, she wants municipalities to be able to decide, either by commission or council resolution or by referendum, whether Confederate monuments on public land should come down.

"We need some type of legislation in place that give people the opportunity to vote," Givan said.

Rep. Allen Farley, R-Calla, is sponsoring a bill that would allow the city of Pleasant Grove to tap into a restricted use fund, which came from the city's sale of its gas and water system in 1991, to compensate for lost tax income following the 2011 tornados.

Pleasant Grove Mayor Jerry Brasseale said being able to pull a small percentage from the principal will help the city maintain funding to police, fire and other essential services.
An Attalla man is under arrest, accused of having pornographic images of children on his cell phone.

Zachary Loy Whitworth, 43, was arrested Dec. 28, Etowah County authorities said on Thursday.

Sheriff's investigators interviewed him after they received a tip that he was in possession of the images. At that time of his interview, said Investigator Stephen McGlathery, Whitworth admitted to looking at child porn on his phone.

Detectives then carried out a search at the hotel where Whitworth had been staying in Attalla and seized the phone. He is charged with felony possession of child pornography.

He remains held in the Etowah County Detention Center on a $25,000 cash bond.

The Tennessee Valley Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory, the FBI and the Alabama Internet Crimes against Children Unit took part in the investigation.
A band of juveniles was arrested early Friday after a car lot break-in and subsequent chase.

Opelika police responded to a burglary call at 2:09 a.m. to Car Mart on Columbus Parkway. Once on the scene, they nabbed several suspects, but others fled.

Officers gave chase, and more youth were taken into custody. Authorities arrested a total of eight suspects. Two 16-year-olds, three 15-year-olds, a 14-year-old and a 12-year-old were the juveniles charged.

One adult was arrested. Police identified him as 19-year-old Raheem McClam of Columbus, Georgia.

All of the suspects are charged with multiple offenses including burglary, theft, attempting to elude and bringing stolen property into the state of Alabama.

Anyone who has additional information on this case is asked to call the Opelika Police Department's Investigative Services Division at (334) 705-5220. Tipsters may also call the Secret Witness Hotline at (334) 745-8665.
A former east Alabama prosecutor arrested last year amid accusations he embezzled thousands of dollars from a teen's bank account is back in jail again.

Roland Lewis Sledge, a 64-year-old former Chambers County assistant district attorney, was arrested Wednesday on a charge connected to an October fire at his Valley home on U.S. 29, court records show.

Sledge is charged with second-degree arson. The fire happened about 9 a.m. on Oct. 21. Court records do not indicate a possible motive in the arson.

At the time of his arrest Wednesday, Sledge already was awaiting trial after he was charged last year with two counts of first-degree theft of property, accused of embezzling $16,000 from a juvenile's bank account that Sledge had conservatorship over.

Court documents in those cases said Sledge did "knowingly obtain or exert unauthorized control over" a Farmers and Market Bank account belonging to the juvenile while Sledge was acting as a conservator over the account on two occasions last year. A conservator is someone appointed by a judge to care for the finances or estate of someone who has certain limitations, such as mental capacity or age.

Court documents state that Sledge took $6,000 from the account on Feb. 11, 2016 and $10,000 on March 21, 2016. The State Bureau of Investigations confirmed that it and the Alabama Attorney General's Office investigated the case.

The Alabama Attorney General's Office on Wednesday filed a motion to revoke Sledge's bond in the theft cases, saying that while out on bond, he "has committed or been an accomplice to an additional criminal offense of arson." That, according to request, violated the terms and conditions of his bond.

Additionally, authorities noted, Sledge has made statements to law enforcement that indicate he may be a danger to himself. According to court records, the bond revocation hearing is set for Jan. 30.

The Chambers County Jail website shows he is being held without bond.
Flu is on the rise in north Alabama, and Madison County's four hospitals are asking anyone with symptoms to stay home and not visit patients.

Huntsville Hospital, Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children, Madison Hospital and Crestwood Medical Center issued a joint statement Thursday urging people with these symptoms not to visit: fever, runny nose, coughing, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue.

People at high risk for the flu, including pregnant women, people with a chronic medical condition, those over 65 and under 12 are also encouraged not to enter a hospital except to receive medical care, the statement said.

"All residents are encouraged to continue to practice good hand hygiene and other flu prevention habits, such as sneezing and coughing into your sleeve. Ask for a mask when visiting the hospitals and staff will be glad to provide one for you. Remember also, it is not too late to get the flu vaccine," the statement said.

According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, significant influenza activity has been reported in 55 of the state's 67 counties, including Madison, Morgan, Limestone, Jackson and Marshall counties.
Alabama legislators got some good news, at least for the short term, from the Alabama Medicaid Agency today.

Medicaid, the biggest consumer of dollars in the state's General Fund, expects to carry forward $53 million into next year, offsetting the need for an increase in state funding for 2019.

Medicaid Commissioner Stephanie Azar made a presentation today at a legislative budget hearing in Montgomery. Lawmakers are preparing for their annual session, which starts Tuesday. A key task will be to pass a state budget for 2019.

Legislators also heard from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the departments of Corrections, Mental Health and Public Health.

For this year's budget, the Legislature appropriated $701 million from the General Fund to Medicaid, plus $105 million in one-time money from a BP oil spill settlement.

There's no oil spill money available for the 2019 budget.

Azar said Medicaid's state funding need for 2019 would be $810 million, but with the carryover, the General Fund request is $757 million. That's less than the combined amount of the General Fund and BP money for this year.

"The major reason for that carry-forward was that in 2017 drug costs went significantly down than what was previously estimated," Azar said.

Also, Medicaid enrollment, which had been on the rise, has leveled off and actually decreased slightly.

"It has remained flat, which is really good news," Azar said.

Azar said it's hard to say whether that will become a long-term trend.

"Hopefully if our economy continues to do well in Alabama then that enrollment may stay that way," Azar said.

Medicaid is a massive program, consuming more than one-third of the $1.8 billion General Fund this year. About one million Alabamians receive some services from Medicaid. About half are children up to age 18 who live in families with incomes below 146 percent of the federal poverty rate. Other main groups include the disabled, the blind, adults over 65 in poverty and pregnant woman.

Federal funds pay about 70 percent of the cost. Still, because of the size of the program, $6.5 billion in 2017, covering the state's share of the cost has forced lawmakers to borrow or rely on one-time funding sources in recent years.

But the outlook for 2019 is better, at least for now.

"It was good to get some temporary good news from Medicaid," Rep. Steve Clouse, chairman of the House Ways and Means General Fund committee, said after today's hearing. "They had some cost savings on drug costs. Enrollment went down slightly."

Last year, when the Legislature passed the 2018 budget that's now in effect, they set aside $93 million for contingencies, such as changes to Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program and the prison system.

Clouse said that is going to make the 2019 budget more manageable. A key uncertainty remaining is whether Congress will renew full federal funding of the Children's Health Insurance Program, known as ALL Kids in Alabama, as it has the last two years.

The Alabama Department of Public Health requested a $53.6 million increase in its General Fund appropriation in case Congress requires the state to provide a 20 percent match for CHIP, which serves about 84,000 children up to age 19 in Alabama.

"We feel like we're getting some positive vibes from Washington but they still haven't come through with it," Clouse said. "Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we'll have some positive answers there."
Leigh Corfman, who claimed that former Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore molested her when she was 14 years old, has filed a defamation lawsuit against him.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Montgomery County Circuit Court, also names Moore's campaign as a defendant.

Moore and his campaign committee "have defamed Ms. Corfman, repeatedly and in all forms of media, calling her a liar and questioning her motivation for publicly disclosing that Mr. Moore sexually abused her in 1979 when she was a 14-year-old high school freshman and he was a 32-year-old assistant district attorney."

The allegations by Corfman, first reported Nov. 9 by The Washington Post, were the centerpiece of a scandal that plagued Moore's campaign over the final month, which ended with a narrow loss to Democrat Doug Jones.

Moore has repeatedly denied the allegations made by Corfman and other women of unwanted romantic or sexual advances.

Corfman has confirmed the Post's account to AL.com.

"The decision to sue Mr. Moore and his campaign committee was difficult, but they need to be held responsible for their actions," Corfman said in a written statement to AL.com. "Mr. Moore sexually abused me when I was only 14 years old. Then he and his campaign called me a liar and immoral when I publicly disclosed his misconduct. They ignored my requests to stop attacking me and to acknowledge the truth. Just last week, after the election, they filed a lawsuit in which they once again called me a liar. By this lawsuit, I seek to do what I could not do as a 14-year-old--hold Mr. Moore and those who enable him accountable."

A phone message left by AL.com at the office of Moore attorney Trent Garmon was not immediately returned Thursday.

The 29-page lawsuit seeks for the defendants to retract all defamatory statements made against Corfman, to publicly apologize for those statements and to refrain from further defamatory statements as well as to pay the costs and expenses of the lawsuit. The suit also asks for "further relief as permitted by law and as the court deems appropriate."

The lawsuit also pointed to the legal filing by Moore and his campaign on Dec. 27, 2017 that was an effort to stop the election results from being certified by the state of Alabama. In that document, Corfman's allegations were described as "false and malicious."

Corfman's lawsuit also raised the issue of a Nov. 28 open letter from her to Moore provided to AL.com that "asked him to stop denying his sexual abuse of her in 1979, to acknowledge his misconduct, and to apologize."

"Instead, the lawsuit said, "Moore continued his attacks, accusing Ms. Corfman of lying and having improper purposes. He made these statements at campaign rallies, in interviews, on the internet, on the radio, on television, and in newspapers. Mr. Moore has claimed, among other assertions, that Ms. Corfman's account is 'completely false,' 'malicious,' 'politically motivated,' that it reflects 'the immorality of our time,' and that 'there is not one ounce of truth in her accusations.'"

The lawsuit said that as a result of the statements made by Moore and his campaign, Corfman took a temporary leave of absence from her job without compensation.

Corfman said she has not received any compensation from The Post or any other source for disclosing her encounter with Moore.

"Ms. Corfman is a private citizen whose only motivation is to clear her name and to stop Mr. Moore and the Moore Campaign Committee from continuing their defamatory attacks on her," the lawsuit said. "Ms. Corfman wishes that defendants had heeded her requests to cease their defamation of her and seeks judicial intervention as a last resort to hold Defendants accountable for their misconduct, including a declaration that defendants' denials of Mr. Moore's sexual abuse of her and their characterization of her account of this abuse as 'false,' 'malicious,' and 'immoral,' among other untrue statements, are defamatory, as well as injunctive relief against these statements. Mr. Moore and the Moore Campaign Committee will likely continue their defamation of Ms. Corfman unless this Court orders them to stop."

The lawsuit outlines 11 instances in which Moore publicly denied Corfman's allegations or denied knowing her altogether.

"All these statements by Mr. Moore are defamatory," the lawsuit said. "Mr. Moore sexually abused Ms. Corfman in 1979, when she was 14 years old and he was in his early 30s, and Mr. Moore's denials of these facts are false and his characterizations of Ms. Corfman and her motivations are untrue. Mr. Moore knew or should have known that Ms. Corfman's account is truthful because he was the perpetrator in the events she described. At a minimum, Mr. Moore was reckless in

making these statements."

Regarding the Moore campaign committee, the lawsuit identified five people "have repeated Mr. Moore's false denials of sexually abusing Ms. Corfman when she was 14 years old and Mr. Moore's reckless accusations of improper motivations."

Those five individuals associated with the campaign: Manager Rich Hobson, Chairman Bill Armistead, attorney Benjamin Dupre, spokeswoman Janet Porter and strategist Dean Young.

Story updated today, Jan. 4, 2018, at 5:19 p.m. with more information.

Leigh Corfman's suit against Roy Moore by Jeremy W. Gray on Scribd
The wife of former U.S. Senate Republican nominee Roy Moore has revealed the identity of the Moores' "Jewish attorney" she mentioned in a Dec. 11 speech.

It's not the person everyone speculated that it was, Kayla Moore said. Several publications, including the Jewish publication Forward and the Washington Examiner, have claimed that the attorney she was referring to was Richard Jaffe, a Jewish attorney who represented Roy and Kayla's son, Caleb Moore, in a case several years ago.

Jaffe, in an interview with AL.com, had said he wasn't sure he was the attorney she was referring to, and that he had never handled cases for Roy Moore, only his son. Jaffe said he was offended by Kayla Moore's reference to a Jewish attorney.

Kayla Moore today explained why she made that reference.

"We read where we were against Jews - even calling us Nazis," she wrote in an email to AL.com. "We have a Jewish lawyer working for us in our firm - Martin Wishnatsky. Judge hired him while Chief Justice, then I hired him at the Foundation."

Wishnatsky, in an interview with AL.com, said he graduated from the law school at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., in 2012, was admitted to the Virginia Bar Association in October and interviewed with Moore after he was re-elected as chief justice in November 2012. Moore hired Wishnatsky and two other Liberty University School of Law graduates as full-time clerks in 2012, the first State Supreme Court clerks in the school's history, according to a Liberty University press release.

Wishnatsky worked as a staff attorney at the Alabama Supreme Court from January 2013 until Moore was removed from office in 2016. Then he went to work as a staff attorney for the Foundation for Moral Law, which was founded by Roy Moore and where Kayla Moore works as president.

"I just moved down the street," Wishnatsky said.

Wishnatsky, 73, said that he was born July 13, 1944, grew up in Asbury Park, N.J., attended Hebrew school at a Conservative synagogue and went through a bar mitzvah, but he considered his family secular, ethnic Jews, who were not very religious.

"My background is 100 percent Jewish," he said. "My grandparents immigrated from Eastern Europe, and came through Ellis Island. My parents were born in Brooklyn during World War I. There were no manifestations of faith; we were Jewish, that's why we went to synagogue and not a church. It was just an ethnic characteristic."

But Wishnatsky said he accepted Christ in his thirties. "I had an experience of the reality of God at 33," Wishnatsky said. "I knew God was real but I wasn't sure who he was."

He became a Mormon first, then later became an evangelical Protestant Christian.

"I'm a Messianic Jew," Wishnatsky said. "That's the term they use for a Jewish person who has accepted Christ."

As part of his early spiritual search, Wishnatsky wrote a letter to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, and they sent missionaries to visit him at his home in New Jersey. "I was trying to figure out what the truth actually was," he said. "It was the first church I ever attended."

He attended a branch of the Latter-day Saints Church in New Jersey, and after a year was allowed to take part in an endowment ceremony at a Mormon Temple in Washington, D.C.

The ceremony's masonic ritual overtones turned him against Mormonism, he said. "It was so bizarre," Wishnatsky said. "That made me realize it was a fraud."

He spent time researching Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter-day Saints. "I published a book, 'Mormonism: a latter-day Deception,'" he said.

Wishnatsky graduated from Phillips Academy Andover in 1962, then got a bachelor's degree in government from Harvard University in 1966, did a fellowship at the London School of Economics, and got a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard in 1975.

After he rejected the Latter-day Saints, Wishnatsky didn't give up on church. "I had experienced something false; that doesn't mean the truth doesn't exist," he said.

He began attending an evangelical church in Hoboken, N.J., he said.

"I found the presence of the Lord was still with me," he said.

Wishnatsky now attends Centerpoint Fellowship Church in Prattville, he said.

His career included stints as a college instructor, a stockbroker and a Wall Street analyst.

"I taught at UCLA for two years, American foreign policy in the political science department," he said. "I had two one-year contracts. It wasn't renewed. I had to look for a job outside academia for the first time in my life. I ended up being a stockbroker for three years in Los Angeles. I came back to Asbury Park, N.J., and worked on Wall Street for about 10 years with a consulting firm that worked with banks and brokerage houses, big financial institutions, when they had transaction and processing problems."

He lost that job while spending time in jail for his abortion protests, he said.

He has been an active anti-abortion activist since the 1980s, when he joined the Lambs of God rescue movement. He was arrested in front of abortion clinics in New York, North Carolina and North Dakota.

The Lambs of God would do sit-ins in front of clinics, blocking entrances.

"We thought we were saving lives by blocking clinic entrances," Wishnatsky said. "We were peaceful, willing to be arrested to save babies."

He spent a total of 18 months in jails and prison after his arrests. After his last conviction, a Class A misdemeanor for violating an injunction that barred protests within 100 feet of the clinic in Fargo, he was sentenced to 10 months at the North Dakota State Penitentiary, he said.

When he got out of prison in 1992, pro-life activists gave him a job and a place to live. He stayed in Fargo for another 18 years, working as a pro-life paralegal, at a Christian maternity home and as a credit counselor.

In 2007, Wishnatsky and others started a petition to prevent the removal of a Ten Commandments monument on Fargo city property.

For the pro-Ten Commandments monument movement in Fargo, Roy Moore was a hero. Moore became a national celebrity in evangelical circles in 1994 when the ACLU sued him, trying to get the Etowah County judge to stop praying in court and to take down his hand-made Ten Commandments plaque.

"I first met him 1996," Wishnatsky said. "He came to Fargo to speak at a banquet for a Christian maternity home. He was becoming known around the country at that time for his stance on the Ten Commandments display in his courtroom. I drove him to the airport."

Wishnatsky said he next spoke to Moore interviewing for the job with the Alabama Supreme Court.

At the Foundation for Moral Law, Wishnatsky primarily writes amicus, or friend-of-the-court, briefs in cases related to culture war issues such as abortion, religious freedom, gay marriage and transgenders.

"I love it," Wishnatsky said. "It's a extension of my faith."

He remains an admirer of Roy Moore and believes his bid for the U.S. Senate was politically sabotaged by opponents who made allegations of improper sexual conduct against him.

"The character assassination orchestrated against him was critical," Wishnatsky said.

He said he doesn't believe the accusations were credible. "No, I don't," he said. "They're implausible to me because of my experience with Judge Moore," he said. "The allegations themselves are implausible. Why would he date (teen girls)? If you graduated from West Point, spent five years in the Army, served in Vietnam, graduated from law school, became a lawyer, were appointed district attorney, then your next step would be to take your clothes off with a 14-year-old? Does that make any sense? No, it doesn't."

As for questions about whether an ethnic Jew who converts to Christianity is a Jew or a Christian, Wishnatsky replies:

"You're both," he said. "You're a Jewish person that's accepted Christ. Jesus was a Jew. Most Jews are not religious. That's how I grew up. There are the Orthodox who are very serious about Judaism. It's about whether you think God is real, and whether you're accountable to him. It's whether you take God seriously. It took me quite a few years to take God seriously."

The man many people thought Kayla was referring to as the "Jewish attorney," Jaffe, a member of a Birmingham synagogue, has been a longtime friend and supporter of U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, the Democrat who defeated Moore.

Wishnatsky has harshly criticized Jones. He wrote an opinion essay for the Alabama Political Reporter on Dec. 1 attacking Jones for his "wholehearted embrace of the abortion holocaust," saying that "Jones's candidacy is a stark reminder of how ungodly the Democratic Party has become."
President Donald Trump got a high-ranking White House lawyer to push Attorney General Jeff Sessions into not recusing himself from the Russia investigation but grew angry after Sessions could not be convinced, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

Special prosecutor Robert Mueller is aware of the incident, according to the Times, which sourced the story to "two people with knowledge of the episode."

Trump reportedly ordered top White House attorney Don McGahn to pressure Sessions into staying in charge of the Russia probe and that the president believed his attorney general was supposed to protect him.

McGahn tried to persuade Sessions into not recusing himself by saying that Sessions did not have to do so until the investigation was more established and that Democrats would still be criticizing him over misstatements about meetings with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

When Sessions told McGahn that Justice Department attorneys advised him to recuse himself, McGahn no longer pushed the attorney general. Sessions recused himself in February.
The Alabama NAACP has announced their support for a black teenager who was seriously injured in a police encounter last month.

Police said Ulysses Wilkerson, 17, was walking near a closed business in Troy on December 23, and ran when officers approached him. Officials with the Troy Police Department said Wilkerson reached for his waistband, and officers used physical force to subdue the teen.

"The Alabama NAACP supports the Wilkerson family as they demand the footage from body cameras of Troy police officers who brutality beat their son unconscious," a press release from the state's NAACP chapter said.

Wilkerson's family is seeking answers in what they have called the "brutal beating" of the teen. The State Bureau of Investigation is handling the case, after Troy police Chief Randall Barr requested for the agency conduct an investigation into the officers' use of force in the incident.

"Wilkerson suffered multiple injuries at the hands of police officers, including massive swelling to the brain, massive facial swelling and a cracked eye socket in three places - all while possible in handcuffs," the NAACP release said.

Wilkerson was hospitalized and underwent surgery for his injuries.

"We support the local efforts of the community and the Pike County Branch of the NAACP. Not only do we want answers, but we want police officers to stop killing and brutally attacking our young children just because they can," Benard Simelton, president of the Alabama NAACP, said. "We want police officers to stop using the excuse that they feared for their lives, only to do irreparable harm to our community. It seems that police officers want to know what it feels like to kill or harm a black person. Police can make a choice; they can make a conscious decision and do the right thing if they want to. This has to stop, and we demand it to stop."

He added, "Furthermore, these attacks are no different than terrorist attack on the black community."

According to the release, the NAACP is working with communities and police departments across the country to curb what the group calls "inhumane policing of our communities."

"If we have to rally, then we will rally, if we have to protest, then we will protest, if we have to boycott, then we will boycott and if we have to kneel, then we will kneel," Simelton said.

An official from the SBI in Pike County said due to Wilkerson's age, information about the case will not be released by SBI until the investigation is closed and the case has been presented to the district attorney.
What do you do when your state's the poster child for corruption, when your top politicians are drummed from office for ethical and moral lapses and the world peers at you like one of those mugshot magazines on the counter of the Quick Mart?

If you're Alabama, you double the heck down.

Bring it. Bring it on.

What do you do when your prison system is a cage match for inmates and correction officers alike, where prisoners are stacked like kindling, where conditions are third world, a federal judge calls your prison mental health care "horrendously inadequate" and the best hope for medical treatment is to hope you don't need any?

If you're Alabama you gamble. Because hey, look at the odds. How many times can this state keep rolling craps?

A lot, people. A lot.

Take a look at Wexford Health Services, the Pittsburgh company the Alabama Department of (In)Corrections has chosen to provide medical care to inmates - a contract that could surpass $150 million. Wexford was chosen in December over several other companies, even though Alabama prison folks knew it was tied to a Mississippi corruption scandal so ugly it would make a Montgomery lobbyist blush.

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood last year sued Wexford and others, saying it and a company it used for administrative services for years paid millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks, through a middle man, to former Mississippi prisons chief Christopher Epps. Epps in turn directed state contracts worth $290 million to the companies, according to the suit.

Epps and the middle man wound up pleading guilty and both were sentenced to prison. Hood is trying to recover all $290 million for which he says Mississippi was defrauded.

And the Alabama Department of Corrections knows all this. Alabama Prison Commissioner Jeff Dunn knows all this.

And picked Wexford anyway.

Because all companies, he says, have their strengths and weaknesses.

That's what Dunn said Thursday morning, anyway, when a GOP lawmaker asked him about the Mississippi problems during a DOC budget hearing (in which DOC is asking for more money). It's pretty much what Dunn said when the company was chosen in December - after complaints that the whole selection process was flawed. The decision to hire Wexford came down to quality and cost, he said.

But this is Alabama, where the corruption breeds like bunnies and it always ends up hopping all over us. This is Alabama, where we ought to know better.

(Julie Bennett)

A prison spokesman argued last month that Wexford itself wasn't accused of doing anything wrong, and a Wexford spokeswoman said in a statement to AP that the company was simply ensnared in the Mississippi lawsuit because it unwittingly employed a consultant tied to the investigation.

But Mississippi's AG sees it differently.

Hood argued in court filings that the former prison commissioner has a "backroom" relationship with Wexford and the Bantry Group Corporation, which Wexford used for administrative work. Those companies paid a former state Representative named Cecil McCrory "so-called 'consulting fees" that McCrory passed along to Epps in exchange for all those lucrative contracts to Wexford and Bantry.

"Defendants Wexford and Bantry were willful participants in the scheme insofar as they knew - had every reason to know or should have known - that the money they were paying McCrory was being used to pay bribes and kickbacks to Epps for the purpose of obtaining and retaining public contracts."

If they didn't know they should have.

Just like Alabama. If it doesn't know better than to simply avoid the appearance of absurdity, it should by now.

It should know better.

John Archibald's column appears in The Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register and AL.com. Write him at jarchibald@al.com.

Wexford lawsuit by John Archibald on Scribd
Jeff Sessions

Attorney General Jeff Sessions listens during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017 in Washington. Sessions is leaving open the possibility that a special counsel could be appointed to look into Clinton Foundation dealings and an Obama-era uranium deal. The Justice Department made the announcement Monday in responding to concerns from Republican lawmakers. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

(Alex Brandon)

I really don't want to defend Jeff Session, but I must.

However, before I get into what he's doing right, let me get through all the things he's doing wrong.

Marijuana.

More than 30 states have legalized cannabis in some form or fashion, and guess what happened? Not a thing. Certainly, there's a learning process. Since complete legalization took effect, Colorado has had to take steps to protect children from edible forms of marijuana, but the benefits of legalization there (including a new source of state revenue) have outweighed the risks, and the rest of us have been left to ask, what were we really doing all this time?

It was only after Coloradans lit up that the smoke began to clear. The war on drugs has largely been a failure -- conscripting petty criminals into a system that alienates and hardens them, that does as much to ruin lives and destroy families as the controlled substances themselves. But the criminalization of marijuana has been the greatest misstep, taking a relatively harmless drug and turning it, not into a gateway to other drugs (which it never was any more than alcohol) but rather, a gateway to prison. The rationale was nothing but fear.

No matter, Jeff Sessions is still against it. This week he rescinded an Obama-era policy for the federal government to look the other way while states experimented with better policies.

Civil Asset Forfeiture.

This is a tough-on-crime policy that essentially allows law enforcement to take your stuff without due process of law. Ostensibly, this was meant to allow law enforcement to crack down on drug kingpins, but what it really did was give those agencies a way to enrich themselves at the expense of civil liberties.

Last year, AL.com reporter Chris Harress exposed how the south Alabama town of Castleberry had taken the leap from speed trap to highway robbery -- taking drivers' property and money without ever charging them with crimes.

Civil liberties groups -- both conservative and liberal -- have decried the practice and called for it to be outlawed.

But not Jeff Sessions. He wants to expand it.

Sentencing guidelines

While even ardent conservatives have come around to the realization that mandatory minimums took discretion out of the hands of judges and filled prisons unnecessarily, Sessions has argued in favor of those policies.

And in what's becoming a theme of his tenure at the Justice Department, Sessions seeks to rescind and repeal almost everything the Obama administration did, no matter the rationale behind those initiatives -- including guidance to state and local jurisdictions, telling them that it's unconstitutional to jail someone when they are unable to pay a fine.

Jeff Sessions' only approach to crime is to incarcerate as many people as possible, even if it's just for being poor.

Stuck on stubborn

Jeff Sessions would have made a pretty typical attorney general 25 years ago. The policies he advocates were popular in the early 1990s, but most of them have been tested since then and many found to create their own, new problems.

The prudent thing to do would be to evaluate where we are now and adjust accordingly, but Sessions is bent on taking us back in time and trying the experiment again with the expectation of some different -- or perhaps, indifferent -- result.

It shouldn't be any surprise then that DC lawmakers are calling for Sessions to step aside or be fired, except they've seized on all the wrong reasons -- really, the only wrong reason.

In an op-ed in Washington Examiner, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-N.C., and Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Ohio, called for Sessions to resign or be fired for ... recusing himself from an investigation in which he might find himself a related party, or maybe even a target.

It's these two chuckleheads who've put me again in the position of defending someone I disagree with 90 percent of the time.

Despite prying guilty pleas from Michael Flynn and George Papadopoulos, and despite convincing a grand jury to indict Paul Manafort and Rick Gates -- Jordan and Meadows call all of this Russia stuff "hysteria." And they blame Sessions for it.

Despite Robert Mueller keeping the grand jury hermetically sealed to the press, even keeping Papadopoulos' guilty plea secret from the press for months, the two Freedom caucus members blamed Sessions for leaks to the press.

But they aren't the only ones. Meadows and Jordan, it seems, are only doing their master's bidding. The New York Times reported Friday that, not only was Trump unhappy that Sessions recused himself from the case, but he had also ordered his White House counsel to stop Sessions from doing so.

Sessions did it anyway -- a move he made out of professional principle and a dedication to the rule of law.

And God bless him for it, because it seems he's the only person holding the line between democracy and a Banana Republic autocracy.

Sessions, it would seem, is immovable in more ways than one.

Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for the Alabama Media Group. You can follow his work on Facebook through Reckon by AL.com.
Cyril Ramaphosa, the newly elected president of South Africas governing African National Congress (ANC) is in a race against time to unite, renew and rebuild trust in Africas oldest liberation movement before the countrys 2019 national elections. This is going to be a hard task following the ANCs decisive 54th conference where the party emerged as almost two separate parties.

The ANC under President Jacob Zuma, weighted down by corruption, scandals and government failure, have fractured, and lost electoral support in key cities and traditional constituencies. It is in danger of losing the next national elections in just over 12 months.

At last months conference, ANC leaders successfully managed to prevent the party from formally splitting into two, following the bruising party leadership contest between Ramaphosa and his losing opponent Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the former African Union head and former wife of South African President Jacob Zuma. In 2018, the big challenge for Ramaphosa and the ANC will be to overcome the deep divisions between these factions.

Differences over whether to get former ANC President and current South African President Jacob Zuma out of the state presidency early in 2018  as Ramaphosa wants to do  rather than let him complete his term  as the Dlamini-Zuma/Zuma group wants  is going to be the first obstacle the new party leader will be facing in the new year.

Ramaphosa knows that he needs to get rid of President Zuma as quickly as possible, preferably before South Africas political year starts in February 2018 with the annual State of the Nation address by the state president, if he wants to restore waning public and investor confidence in the ANC. Ramaphosa also needs to quickly take full control of the government, appoint his own Cabinet team and introduce his priority policies to restore public and investor confidence ahead of the 2019 elections.

Resuscitating South Africa's distressed economy should be another priority for Ramaphosa if he wants to restore the ANC's fortunes. by

However, because the pro-Zuma group has such a powerful grip on the ANC, Ramaphosa would not be able to fire Zuma immediately, but will have to negotiate an exit settlement, which may be protracted, as Zuma and his allies may want to secure safeguard guarantees. Furthermore, Dlamini-Zuma allies, given their strength, may demand they co-govern with Ramaphosa  meaning sharing appointments to Cabinet, government and state-owned companies. This may force Ramaphosa to appoint incompetent Dlamini-Zuma allies to key positions to maintain party unity, which may undermine his reform agenda.

If he wants to win back the declining support for the ANC, Ramaphosa needs to be seen tackling rampant corruption in 2018. However, he is likely to find this difficult to achieve without facing fierce resistance from Zuma and his allies. This may even cause the party to split in two, as Zuma allies still control at least half of the party.

The very first priority for the ANC will be to institute a commission of inquiry to investigate corruption, following a recommendation late last year by former South African Public Protector Thuli Madonsela. President Zuma has previously promised to do so, but has delayed setting it up.

What the commission of inquiry into state capture, if set-up in 2018, will investigate, will also determine whether the ANC will enter the 2019 elections even more divided than it is now. It is very likely that in order to unify the factions, party leaders from both groups will try to make the terms of reference of the commission as wide as possible, to also include corruption among South Africas white business community. This would give President Zuma a dignified way out of the myriad corruption probes currently involving him.

Resuscitating South Africas distressed economy should be another priority for Ramaphosa if he wants to restore the ANCs fortunes. The countrys economy plunged into recession in the first quarter of 2017, with some global rating agencies having assigned it junk status. Unemployment is now close to 30 percent.

In 2018, Ramaphosa is likely to try to build a social partnership between government, business and trade unions, where each of the groups agree on a set of minimum obligations that would boost investor confidence. This is likely to be based on the blueprint created early last year, when Ramaphosa managed to unite business, labour and government to agree on a minimum wage.

However, it may be more difficult for Ramaphosa to convince ANCs two main competing factions to agree on policies, as it is clear that Ramaphosa and Dlamini-Zuma/Zuma camps already differ deeply over core policies.

For example, at the ANCs conference, the two groups clashed over a proposal to amend the constitution to allow expropriation of land without compensation. The dispute almost caused the collapse of the ANC conference. Pro-Ramaphosa groups rejected it, but it was eventually carried forward with the support of pro-Zuma/Dlamini-Zuma groups.

Although Ramaphosa at the end of the conference endorsed the expropriation of land without compensation  to honour the ANC conference resolution  many of his own supporters still believe that such an approach will undermine investor confidence, desperately needed to create jobs. Just a few months ago the ANC rejected a call by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to amend the constitution to allow for this kind of expropriation of land without compensation.

To amend the constitution to allow for expropriation of land without compensation before the 2019 national elections, will need a two-thirds majority in the Parliament. Even if the EFF vote with the ANC to help secure such a two-thirds majority, a vote is likely to split ANC MPs, as many pro-Ramaphosa MPs still oppose the measure. This means that the ANC may fail to secure the necessary two-thirds majority even with the EFFs support.

Another 2018 battle between the Ramaphosa and Dlamini-Zuma/Zuma group will be over education. A day before the ANC conference, in an attempt to boost Dlamini-Zumas presidential campaign, Jacob Zuma proposed to make higher education free for poor and working-class students. The conference endorsed Zumas proposal, resolving that this measure must be speedily implemented. A special commission appointed by Zuma last year to investigate whether free higher education was financially feasible ahead of the conference said it was not viable at this moment and proposing alternative models should be investigated.

The National Treasury has said the proposal would be financially impractical right now, given the lack of public resources available, drop in tax revenue and public sector belt-tightening measures that were recently introduced. The Dlamini-Zuma/Zuma group would want to get the no-fee proposal implemented before the 2019 elections because it is a potential vote spinner among the poor  they would not care whether it undermines public finances and investor confidence.

This year, in order to maintain the unity of the ANC and to make sure that the party enters the 2019 national elections as a single body, Ramaphosa may need to slow down the organisational renewal of the ANC and the implementation of reforms that would tackle corruption and increase investor confidence in the party.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
This is not a whataboutery piece. As such, the intent is by no means to belittle or discredit what is taking place in Iran by asking what about Palestine.

The Iranian people  like most of their Arab counterparts  live under an oppressive regime that severely restricts the right to dissent, arresting and imprisoning according to Amnesty International, peaceful critics and others after grossly unfair trials before Revolutionary Courts.

This is not a matter of contention among morally serious analysts given the abundance of documentation of human rights violations by rights organisations and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Iran.

Similarly, it is also a matter of consensus among morally serious individuals that the Palestinian people have been suffering for decades under an oppressive Zionist regime and occupation that couldnt care less about international law and the human rights of the Palestinian people.

Trump: a morally serious president?

I am using the term morally serious here for two reasons.

First, it was used in reference to Donald Trump. The US presidents reckless Jerusalem decision and recent support for the Iranian protests earned him the title of a morally serious president in a recent Haaretz op-ed by Jonathan Tobin.

The second reason is that, despite the ludicrous nature of such a proposition, thinking politically within the framework of moral seriousness can be a beneficial approach to assess Trumps  and any individuals  views.

Obviously, what can be described as morally serious depends on the moral system we ascribe to. And while the notion of universal human rights as a value-system upon which the world order ought to be driven by will sound superfluous, naive and even delusional, it nonetheless provides us with a useful framework whereby political decisions can be measured based on what is commonly referred to as international human rights standards  standards that should, in principle, govern the relations of UN member states with their citizens.

Let us then try to think within this rubric about Trumps positions and give him the benefit of the doubt. Is he really a morally serious president?

The world is watching

Take the human right to freedom of expression and assembly as a starting point.

Since the outset of the recent Iranian protests, Trump offered his unequivocal support to the great Iranian people and he defended their human rights, including their right to express themselves.

Now it is reasonable to presume that a morally serious president would extend that same support to the Palestinian people. However, Trump has shown that he doesnt care about human rights violations if the perpetrator is a leadership he supports.

[Trump by 

is a useful enemy in that he offers Irans leaders an easy way out of addressing legitimate grievances, and from having to answer for their human rights violations]

When it comes to Palestine, Trump not only declared Jerusalem Israels capital with no regard for Palestinians view on the matter, but he also implemented a policy of bullying and blackmail at the United Nations, without once being bothered by Palestinian protesters legitimate grievances and frustrations.

Not even the killing of a double-amputee prompted him to denounce Israeli violence or send a tweet-in-support of oppressed Palestinians. Nor the fact that 77 children were arrested following his Jerusalem decision (between December 6 and 9). Or that an Israeli journalist, Ben Caspit, was widely seen to be insinuating violent revenge on a child  Ahed Tamimi  in detention: In the case of the girls, we should exact a price at some other opportunity, in the dark, without witnesses and cameras.

It is almost as if Palestinians do not exist in Trumps world view  except, of course, for being recipients of orders regarding what peace plan they should or should not accept, accompanied with threats to cut funding. Even though  in the case of UNRWA  this is something that could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.

Whereas Trump was quick to say that the world is watching Irans protests because he considers the Iranian regime a foe (spurring debate among commentators whether he should speak up or be quiet), little did he care for the mother of the first teen killed by Israel in 2018 who said: No one is listening to us  no one feels the pain that were going through. The world is just silently watching.

If this is presidential moral seriousness, we might be better off forgetting the concept of morality in its entirety.

Trump loves yet bans Iranians

Trump also spoke in support of the Iranian people whose bravery he applauded and whose best interests he claimed to have at heart.

Yet, by denying Iranian citizens the right to enter the US, Trump is at the same time playing games with human lives. His Muslim Ban was widely denounced as a daily reminder of Trumps discrimination, prejudice and bigotry.

As the ACLU commented, it takes away the ability of US citizens and green card holders to live with, or even be visited by, spouses, parents, children, grandparents, and other family members  it will exclude friends and family from weddings, graduations, and funerals; prevent grandparents, uncles, and aunts from holding and caring for newborns; deny final visits to ailing relatives 

Another important point is that some Iranians living in the US are unable to go home for various reasons, including the risk of arrest or imprisonment should they return. The ban prevents their family members entry to the US, and adds further hurdles and costs in their already-precarious lives.

Trump is Khameneis useful enemy

Trumps double standards and hypocrisy in dealing with internal and foreign policy issues leaves him desperately failing when it comes to his declared goal of restoring American leadership and respect on the world stage.

In fact, Trump is in many ways Ayatollah Khameneis ideal foe.

He is a useful enemy in that he offers Irans leaders an easy way out of addressing legitimate grievances, and from having to answer for their human rights violations. For example, Iranian President Rouhanis Chief of Office Mahmoud Vaezi referenced Trumps policies as evidence of the US insincere support for the Iranian people.

Furthermore, Iran has been under increasing pressure since Trump took office, with increasing sanctions and efforts to annul the Nuclear Deal  an agreement that was welcomed by the Iranian people and seen to be a harbinger of better economic times.

Trumps appropriation of Israel and Saudi Arabias obsession with Iran creates a regional environment of increased polarisation and tension, as we have seen during the Qatar crisis, and in Lebanon during Hariris Riyadh resignation. The appointment of the Dark Prince or Ayatollah Mike (Michael DAndrea) to run the CIAs Iran operations was also interpreted as the onset of a more muscular approach by the US.

All this has created or solidified a state of anticipation for war  one that suits repressive regimes who use external threats to avoid discussing domestic affairs and to justify their policies and foreign-policy choices.

If indeed the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice, there is much reason to be optimistic for a better future for Palestine, for the Iranian people, and for the Arab world more generally.

However, Trumps policies in the US and the Middle East have made the road longer, and harder, as he recklessly plays games with peoples lives.

If Trump is serious about supporting peoples struggles for freedom and for establishing societies based on the rule of law (understood in its proper sense of promoting the values of freedom, democracy, equality and non-discrimination), he should remember these timely words: Every nation that proclaims the rule of law at home must respect it abroad and every nation that insists on it abroad must enforce it at home.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Womens rights groups worry that the conservative president-elect will try to block the countrys new abortion law.

Womens rights groups in Chile are expressing concern over what the election of conservative billionaire businessman Sebastian Pinera as president will mean for a landmark abortion bill passed last year.

The bill, approved by Chiles Constitutional Court in August 2017, legalises abortion in exception circumstances.

Known as the abortion under three circumstances law, the legislation says a woman can have an abortion if there is a danger to her own life, if the fetus has a terminal condition, or if she has been raped.

In the case of rape, women may only have abortions within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

The law brought an end to the countrys absolute ban on the procedure that had been in place for nearly 30 years.

Politicians had previously struggled to pass reform legislation, as the right to life of those about to be born is enshrined in the countrys constitution.

But after sustained efforts by rights groups and centre-left President Michelle Bachelet, the law was passed.

Now, with the election of Pinera, who has in the past said the state will always be pro-life, rights groups have raised concerns over how the law will be implemented once he takes office.

I think it was inevitable that a conservative government would win, said Claudia Dides, executive director of the Miles Chile Corporation, an NGO promoting sexual and reproductive rights in Chile.

All you have to do is look at how [right and centre-right politicians] voted on the abortion law to know that there will be problems implementing it, she told Al Jazeera.

Creating obstacles

Pineras Chile Vamos (Lets Go Chile) coalition currently does not have a majority in neither the Senate or Congress, meaning he has little chance of completely scrapping the law once he takes office on March 11.

But, even without the necessary majority, there are options open to Pinera, according to Augusto Quintana, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Chile.

The most likely, is that he will establish some restrictions or additional requirements to the practice of abortion in public hospitals or, in private hospitals  whose institutional policies allow abortion, Quintana told Al Jazeera.

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The Catholic Church in Chile has already successfully lobbied for an amendment to the original bill.

The amendment allows individual medical personnel to opt out of carrying out abortions under the principle of conscientious objection.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) says it expects Pinera will attempt to push an anti-abortion rights agenda.

Beyond regulatory amendments, we expect that the implementation of the law will find practical obstacles under the new government, Jose Miguel Vivanco, the executive director of HRWs Americas Division, told Al Jazeera.

The law requires information and training of healthcare providers, and positive measures to ensure the access of women to the procedure, considering the large number of conscientious objectors that we will have in public and private hospitals, it is probable that current plans to put those measures in place will be suspended under the new government, he said.

The state will always be pro-life

Pineras stance on abortion is somewhat ambiguous.

While he has said he does not consider taking steps to save a womans life to be abortion, Pinera has also stated that under his leadership the state will always be pro-life.

[The states role is to] always favour everyones life, most especially the life of the unborn boy or girl, who is an absolutely defenceless creature and a totally innocent person, he said at a campaign event in Santiago in August of last year.

He's a businessman and he's doing business with women's dignity. by Leticia Zenevich, pro-abortion rights campaigner

Pinera has also promised to revise and perfect Chiles abortion law, saying during his presidential campaign that the state would support vulnerable women through their pregnancies.

There have been ambivalent comments from Pinera, said Leticia Zenevich, a human rights lawyer and coordinator with Women on Waves, an NGO that provides safe access to abortions for women living in countries where it is difficult or illegal to have the procedure, told Al Jazeera.

Hes a businessman and hes doing business with womens dignity.

A polarising issue, a changing society

The change in the law was considered a victory for outgoing President Michelle Bachelet, who made abortion reform a central part of her campaign.

Until then, Chile was one of only five countries to impose a complete ban on the practice, a measure that was put into place in the last year of Augusto Pinochets dictatorship in 1989.

However abortion remains extremely contentious in the predominantly-Catholic country, with some groups seeking to repeal the law, while others saying it does not go far enough.

Its a very good law and the social movements fought very hard to get it, but we also know that its not enough, Zenevich told Al Jazeera.

Weve exchanged more than 15,000 emails with women in Chile this year and received more than 1,500 requests for abortion medicines, but only a few [of these women] will fit into the three circumstances, she said.

However, according to Fabiola Torres, the Latin America director of anti-abortion rights group Save the 1, the law is a big step back for women and children in Chile.

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As an organisation we want to contribute to making abortion unthinkable in Chile and the rest of the world, Torres told Al Jazeera.

We believe in dignity and the right to life for all human beings, independent of how they came into existence. We want to show that these circumstances are human beings who need protection and support.

Additionally, in a Facebook post on December 18, Save the 1 expressed hopes that the newly-elected Pinera would take steps to repeal the three circumstances law.

We hope that Sebastian Pinera  who claims to be pro-life will act accordingly and take steps to repeal the nefarious abortion under three circumstances law, the group said.

These 'circumstances' are human beings who need protection and support. by Fabiola Torres, anti-abortion rights campaigner

The countrys influential Catholic Church also staunchly opposes the new law, which it sees as a threat to family life.

Whats serious in Chile is that the family has been attacked with great force, not from outside, but from these laws that we ourselves have passed, the bishop of San Bernardo and member of Chiles episcopal council, Monsignor Juan Ignacio Gonzalez told Al Jazeera.

Personally I would like Pinera to say definitively that he would change the law if he had a majority.





We will continue to fight

The debate around abortion in Chile reflects a country that is becoming increasingly polarised.

Despite an uncertain future, rights groups say they remain committed to ensuring that Chilean women have access to safe, legal abortions.

The law came from a very big social basis and the people that fought for the law are still there so whatever happens, people will continue to fight for access to abortion, Women on Waves Zenevich said.

Women will keep having abortions. Women in Chile are resourceful so, even if it is criminalised again, they will continue doing what they have always been doing, she said.

For Miles Chile Corporations Dides, the next four years will be challenging for pro-abortion rights activists and those who support the law.

We have mechanisms to defend the law, Dides said.

They cant repeal a law that was supported by an absolute majority and which has very high public support, she added.

But I have no doubt that there are going to be obstacles and that, for the next four years, we will need to be watching and alert every single day.
At least 30 attacks have targeted migrant homes in two Piraeus neighbourhoods since Christmas, anti-racist activists say

Athens, Greece  Racist attacks targeting the homes of migrant workers have surged in Piraeus, a port city near the Greek capital, since Christmas, according to an anti-racist activist group.

More than 30 homes where migrant labourers reside  most of whom are Pakistani nationals  have been targeted since December 25, the anti-racist group Keerfa said on Friday.

Petros Constantinou, Keerfas national director, said the sharp uptick in violence comes amid a 40-day period of attacks on migrant homes in the area.

Its been happening at least three times per week, he told Al Jazeera. They are targeting homes where it is obvious migrants are living.

The incidents have taken place primarily in Renti and Nikaia, two neighbourhoods in Piraeus with large immigrant populations.

Constantinou said anti-Muslim slogans had also been spray-painted on the entrances and walls of several homes. These appear to be organised attacks, he said, explaining that the assailants were swiftly picked up by getaway cars after the incidents concluded.

He added that similar attacks have taken place to a lesser degree in nearby neighbourhoods in recent weeks.

It seems that the attack squads of Golden Dawn are coming back and teaching new members how to attack migrants, Constantinou argued, referring to the Greek neo-fascist party that currently has 16 seats in the national parliament.

Javed Aslam, president of the Pakistani Community in Greece organisation, explained that the attackers broke the glass of windows in several homes while shouting xenophobic comments.

They are saying youre dirty, leave our country while they do it, he told Al Jazeera.

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Noting that no one has been injured yet in the recent spate of attacks, Aslam warned nonetheless: It looks like the fascists are preparing for more violent attacks [on migrants].

While Aslam said it is still uncertain who the assailants were, he also suspects that they are members of Golden Dawn.

Who else could be behind these attacks?

History of violence

In an ostensibly unrelated statement published on Friday, the Golden Dawn said that Islam is incapable of coexisting with western culture.

If Europe, and even more obviously Greece, does not realise the complete failure of the political integration of the illegal Muslim immigration to Europe and Greece which overwhelms us  we will soon be lead into enormous problems, [including] wars in our own cities, the Greek-language statement proclaimed.

In past years, Golden Dawn members orchestrated attacks on migrants, refugees and political opponents in areas across the country.

In January 2013, a pair of men linked to Golden Dawn killed Shahzad Luqman, a 26-year-old Pakistani who was on his way to work while he was fatally stabbed.

Later that year, in September, a Golden Dawn member stabbed to death Pavlos Fyssas, an anti-fascist rapper, in the Keratsini neighbourhood of Piraeus.

In 2017, Aslam explained, there was a sharp increase in attacks targeting Pakistani labourers in areas near Athens, particularly in the industrial area of Aspropyrgos.

In October, a group of black-clad men attacked a pair of Pakistani workers in Aspropyrgos, beating them with metal bars and stabbing them.

During that attack, the men threatened to burn the migrants alive, Ashfak Mahmoud, one of the victims, told local media at the time.

Between August 2016 and August 2017, the Pakistani Community in Greece recorded between 70 and 80 attacks targeting migrant workers in Aspropyrgos.

During the first six months of 2017, Greek police recorded at least 75 hate crimes, while they documented 84 hate crimes during the entirety of 2016, according to statistics provided to Al Jazeera.

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Of that total, police documented 47 hate crimes motivated by race, skin colour or national origin between January and June of last year. Comparatively, 48 such incidents took place throughout all of 2016.

The police statistics for the second half of 2017 are not yet available.

Asked about the political affiliations of the perpetrators, a police spokesperson said police do not quantify hate crimes based on ideological background of any person or groups of people who execute such attacks.

Go back to your village. Leave.

Yet, rights groups and monitors warn that official statistics can be misleading because victims often do not file reports with the police.

Tina Stavrinaki, a legal officer at the Racist Violence Recording Network, explained that several incidents in 2017 should alert us of the reappearance of group violence, referring to a wave of xenophobic violence that gripped the country in 2012 and 2013.

But it doesnt mean necessarily that this indicates a return to the same situation as 2012 and 2013, she told Al Jazeera. Nonetheless, we have to be vigilant and remain alert.

In November, a group of masked men attacked the home of an 11-year-old Afghan refugee who had gained national attention a month earlier after being prevented from carrying a Greek flag during a school parade.

The boy was identified only as Emir in the local press.

After smashing windows and throwing rocks and beer bottles at the home, the assailants left behind a letter that read: Go back to your village. Leave.

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A previously unknown group called Crypteia, a reference to a group of ancient Spartans notorious for attacking slaves, subsequently claimed responsibility for the attack on the boys home.

Crypteia is believed to be an offshoot of the Golden Dawn, which has scaled back attacks in recent years due to the ongoing trial of 69 members who are accused of running a criminal organisation.
Zimbabwe president visited opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who is suffering from cancer, at his home in Harare.

Zimbabwes new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has ruled out forming a coalition government with the opposition in advance of elections due later this year.

His comments on Friday came after visiting opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who is suffering from colon cancer, at his home in the capital, Harare.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Mnangagwa said Tsvangirai is recuperating very well and says he will soon be going back for another medical check-up to South Africa.

When asked about the prospect of a unity government with the opposition leader, he replied: We are a democratic country and people can lobby for anything. Currently, there is no need.

An image of the two leaders meeting showed Tsvangirai looking thin as he sat on a couch next to Mnangagwa.





The president was accompanied by his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, a former army chief who led a military takeover that led long-time leader Robert Mugabe reluctantly step down.

Veteran politician

Mnangagwa has not appointed any opposition figures in his cabinet.

Zimbabwes elections are expected to take place by September. Mnangagwa has previously suggested they could be held as early as March.

Tsvangirais Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party has been the biggest challenger of ZANU-PF, which has been in power since independence in 1980.

In the 2008 elections, Tsvangirai was the main challenger to ZANU-PF and managed to win 47 percent of the vote against Mugabes 43 percent. He fell short, however, of the threshold needed to avoid a second round.

Tsvangirai boycotted the runoff, alleging military-led intimidation and harassment of his supporters.

He later entered negotiations and subsequently became prime minister in a unity government between 2009 and 2013.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Ankara is tired of its sluggish European Union membership process, noting that it cannot indefinitely be requesting to join the bloc.

His comments on Friday came during a visit to Paris, where he held talks with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.

We cannot continuously ask the EU, please take us, too now, Erdogan said during a joint news conference, accusing the bloc of leaving Turkey waiting outside the door of the bloc for decades.

Turkey applied for membership in the European Economic Community, a precursor to the EU, in 1987. It became eligible for EU membership in 1997 and accession talks began in 2005. However, these negotiations have been practically frozen, with no progress made in recent years.

When we ask for the reason, the EU cannot tell us. And, at first they were preventing us via 15 [EU policy] chapters; later the number of the chapters regarding us was increased to 35.

In order to become a member of the bloc, Turkey has to successfully conclude negotiations with the EU in 35 policy chapters that involve reforms and the adoption of European standards.

Real focus on Turkey-EU ties

Macron also struck a pessimistic tone about Turkeys stalled EU bid, saying the dialogue between the two sides should perhaps be rethought  not in the framework of membership but maybe

of cooperation or partnership.

Recent developments and choices do not allow any progress, the French president said, noting, however, that as France, we believe that future of Turkey and Turkish people should be in Europe.

A number of EU member states has condemned the Turkish governments arrests and purges of tens of thousands of people after a failed coup attempt in July 2016. Local and international rights groups have accused Ankara of using the putsch bid as a pretext to silence opposition in the country.

The government has said the purges and detentions are aimed at removing from state institutions and other parts of society the supporters of Fethullah Gulen, a US-based, self-exiled religious leader blamed by Ankara for the attempted coup.

Turkey is ruled by law, Erdogan said at the press conference. Europe always tells us that judiciary must be independent. Well, in Turkey, our judiciary is independent. They make their own decisions independently.

For his part, Macron said democracy must be strong against terrorism because the legitimacy of the state means it must protect its citizens. But at the same time our democracies must respect the rule of law.

Erdogans visit to France was his first since the failed coup attempt, and one of only a handful to Europe. He was confronted by a dozen human rights protesters who attempted to block his arrival to Elysee Palace.

Al Jazeeras Natacha Butler, reporting from Paris, said that there was a real focus on Turkeys relationship with the EU, because it really has deteriorated over the past two years.

She added that Macron raised the issue of human rights but also noted that he is very pragmatic.

He [Macron] does not believe that that should necessarily get in the way of Turkey having a good relationship with France, and Turkey cooperating on issues such as controlling undocumented migration to Europe and the fight against terrorism,' said Butler.
A month after Nepal held landmark post-war general elections, anger is growing over a delayed transfer of power.

Students in Nepal have been taking to the streets to demand the outgoing government swiftly hand over power to a leftist alliance that swept to victory in national elections last month.

The landmark post-war poll had raised hopes that it would bring much-needed stability to the impoverished country. Yet, several weeks after the defeat of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deubas Nepali Congress, elation has given way to frustration as Nepal remains caught in a political deadlock.

With the establishment of a new government still not in sight, protesters have been rallying for days in the capital, Kathmandu, to call for Deubas immediate exit.

According to Nepals constitution, a prime minister can enter office after the formation of the Full House, which includes the House of Representatives and the Upper House. Deuba, a four-time prime minister, has maintained he will remain in his post until the election of the Upper House, where members are chosen by provincial assemblies.

But with that vote still several weeks away due to a number of administrative issues, critics accuse Deubas party of deliberately stalling for time to break up the leftist coalition in a bid to maintain its grip on power.

On Friday, the protesting students gathered in front of the parliament under a heavy police presence, chanting slogans such as Caretaker government must go. Also angered by a rise in fuel prices, on Thursday they burned effigies of Deuba and clashed with riot police outside a government school in Kathmandu.





The hold-up undermines and poses a threat to democracy in Nepal, Nabina Lama, one of the organisers of the student protests, told Al Jazeera, vowing to continue protesting until Deuba stepped down.

Deeply frustrated

The alliance of the two leftist parties  the communist UML and former Maoist rebels, led respectively by former prime ministers, KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal  won a vast majority of seats in the lower house of parliament in the November and December vote.

It also won a majority in six out of the seven newly created state assemblies at the provincial elections held at the same time.

Nearly 70 percent of some 15 million eligible voters turned out to vote in the two-phase vote, some walking for hours in the snow in remote Himalayan villages to cast their ballots.

I voted, like millions of others, with lots of excitement and jubilation, said Akhilesh Upadhyay, editor-in-chief of the Kathmandu Post, a Nepali daily newspaper.

But now, I am deeply frustrated about how the transfer of power has taken forever. Theres a huge sense of disappointment among the voters, including myself.

Chronic political instability

The polls marked a turning point for Nepal, a landlocked country between China and India, raising expectations that they would usher in an era of economic growth.

The poor Himalayan nation emerged from a bloody civil war in 2006. Two years later, it abolished its 239-year-old Hindu monarchy in favour of a federal republic.

After long and contentious delays, a new constitution was adopted in 2015, only to trigger deadly protests in the countrys southern plains, with the Madhesi ethnic minority rallying against alleged discrimination in the new charter.

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The extended period of instability produced 10 government changes in as many years, and affected recovery from a devastating earthquake that killed more than 9,000 people in 2015.

Ram Chanda Poudel, a senior official in the Nepali Congress, which assumed power in June 2017 under a power-sharing deal, said the government would step down after it completes several transitional steps outlined in the Constitution.

These include the appointment of governors to the seven newly-created provinces and the election of the National Assembly, the parliaments Upper House.

The Nepali Congress has no intention of sticking to power forever. There will be a peaceful transfer of power once due processes are completed, Poudel told Al Jazeera, without offering a timeframe.

The leftist alliance, however, said the Congress lacked the mandate to oversee such decisions.

The governments days are numbered, yet Deuba has been making several important appointments that carry long-term consequences, said Pampha Bhusal, a spokeswoman for the coalition.

This is not acceptable to us. We will revoke all decisions that were made without our consensus.

Hidden agenda

Upadhyay, the newspaper editor, said there was a hidden agenda to the delay, which he stressed was legal because of grey areas in the Constitution.

He said the longer the transfer of power takes, the Maoists, who are the leftist coalitions junior partners, may consider shaking hands with Nepali Congress and other parties, abandoning their leftist alliance and UML and form a government.





Just last week, Congress officials said they were ready to join forces with the Maoists in a government headed by Dahal, the leader of the former rebels, according to the Kathmandu Post.

Dahal, however, responded on Thursday by saying that he has not even imagined becoming prime minister at the cost of the left alliance, according to Republica, another Nepali daily.

Aditya Adhikari, a Kathmandu-based political analyst, said he was not surprised by the parties manoeuvring.

The Constitution has a very complicated set of rules about how a new government can be formed, he said, noting that due process must be followed.

The Congress is following that process, while also trying to extract favourable conditions for itself, added Adhikari.

Im not in favour of the government dragging its feet on the issue. But I think it sets a bad precedent if the steps arent followed.

The longer Deuba stays in power, the bigger the price for the Nepali Congress. by Monika Baral, Nepali voter

The delay, meanwhile, has not only angered the alliances supporters.

Monika Baral, a Nepali Congress voter, said the hold-up reinforces the idea that Deuba is completely out of touch with the public.

The governments failure to connect with the general public is the main reason why it lost the election, the 30-year-old, who is from Pokhara, Nepals second-largest city, told Al Jazeera.

The longer Deuba stays in power, the bigger the price for the Nepali Congress.

Roshan Sedhai reported from Kathmandu. Zaheena Rasheed reported and wrote from Doha.
Move comes after local newspaper accesses database containing the identity details of more than one billion citizens.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which runs the worlds largest biometric identity card scheme, has initiated a police probe into a major security breach.

The probe was ordered on Thursday after the local Tribune newspaper accessed a database containing the identity details of more than one billion citizens, which was being sold for a meagre $8, the report claimed. An anonymous seller over WhatsApp created a gateway for one of the newspapers correspondents to gain access to the database, after which any identification number, referred to as Aadhaar, could be entered and the persons name, address, photo, phone number and email displayed.

On Thursday, the UIDAI said the breach appeared to have been caused by the misuse of a grievance-redressal search facility that can be accessed by the public.

The Aadhaar data, including biometric information, is fully safe, the authority said in a statement.

But Kiran Jonnalagadda, cofounder of the Internet Freedom Foundation, said the incident revealed a serious problem with data security. The breach involved the use of a backdoor created by the UIDAI for the use of authorised parties, a definition encompassing thousands of government officials, he said.

These officials were allowed to appoint other officials with the right to access data. Its no wonder someone down the chain went rogue and started selling access, Jonnalagadda told Al Jazeera.

Growing privacy risks

Activists have warned of increasing security and privacy risks associated with the ambitious Aadhaar project and its linking with government and private services, including banking and telephone accounts.

Security protocols were clearly violated, said Pranesh Prakash, policy director at Centre for Internet and Society.

This incident shows that those who have legitimate access to the Aadhaar database have been involved in providing illegitimate access to it by creating accounts for others, like the journalist for instance. The entire Aadhaar ecosystem is leaking like a sieve, Prakash told Al Jazeera.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), meanwhile, dismissed the Tribune report as fake news.

Tribune's report suggesting the data breach at @UIDAI is fake news! pic.twitter.com/qtOzNIq7zH  BJP (@BJP4India) January 4, 2018

Last month, Indias junior information technology minister told parliamentarians that 210 government websites had mistakenly published several citizens personal data.

The UIDAI says that more than 1.13 billion people are enrolled on the database. Indias finance minister says there have been 20 reported cases of Aadhaar-related bank fraud since 2015.

Banking fraud, where peoples money is being stolen through linkage with e-payment firms, is happening because peoples personal data is available in the public, Prakash said.

The security infrastructure relies on these linkages being private information. Data leaks for the past year have shown that demographic authentication is much harder to do if everyone actually knows everyone elses Aadhaar and phone number.

The breach investigation has intensified debate over security concerns related to the ambitious national identity card project. Prime Minister Narendra Modis government has asked citizens to link their ID card to banking, phone accounts and government services, saying the project will lead to a social revolution.

The validity of the governments orders will be debated in the top court starting on January 17.

Lack of safeguards

The Aadhaar IDs record personal biometric data, including fingerprints and eye scans, which the government says allows it to ensure that welfare services are being delivered to those who really need them.

But critics say the cards can link a large amount of data, enough to create a full profile of a persons spending habits, phone records, rail bookings, property ownership and a trove of other information  all without clear safeguards for access or use by government or private companies.

Steps could be taken to minimise privacy risks, Prakash said.

Its being used everywhere senselessly. The usage of Aadhaar must be regulated. Right now, any private party can force you to disclose your Aadhaar number for any reason. Its being mandated thoughtlessly even when there isnt any identity fraud problem to be tackled, he said.

American whistle-blower Edward Snowden weighed in on the Aadhaar debate on Friday, tweeting about governments desire for the records of private lives.

History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse, he said.
Proposed changes would allow death penalty to be used against those convicted of terrorist activity.

The Israeli governments proposal to make it easier for judges to hand out the death penalty for terrorist activity has been condemned as fascist by Palestinian politicians and rights groups, who fear it will give Israel legal cover to target Palestinians.

A bill to amend existing legislation regulating the use of the death sentence passed its preliminary reading in Israels parliament, the Knesset, on Wednesday with backing from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus ruling coalition.

Aida Touma-Suleiman, a Palestinian citizen of Israel and member of the Knesset, told Al Jazeera on Friday that while the bill does not specify any group, it is intended mainly for the Palestinian people.





Its not going to be implemented against Jews who are committing terrorist attacks against Palestinians for sure, she said, describing the bills authors as extreme right.

This is a fascist bill, contributing to an atmosphere of fascism inside Israeli society, which is directed towards Palestinians.

Under existing laws, Israels civilian courts reserve the use of the death penalty for Nazis and Nazi collaborators convicted of committing murder during the Holocaust, while military courts can hand out the sentence if a panel of three judges unanimously agrees to issue the punishment.

The proposed changes will add an additional clause to Israels penal law, allowing the death penalty to be used against those convicted of terrorist activity, which is defined by the bill as a deliberate attempt to murder civilians in order to achieve political, national, religious or ideological objectives.

It will remove the requirement for military court panels to unanimously agree on issuing the punishment, instead requiring a simple majority of two of the three judges.

The death penalty is incompatible with human dignity. It constitutes inhuman & degrading treatment, does not have any proven deterrent effect & allows judicial errors to become irreversible & fatal.  EU in Israel  (@EUinIsrael) January 3, 2018

When asked by Palestinian Knesset member Ahmad Tibi on Wednesday about whether the law would apply to Jews who carry out attacks, such as those who burned the children in Duma, Netanyahu replied: In principle, yes.

Tibis reference was to a 2015 arson attack carried out by a Jewish settler in the occupied West Bank village of Duma, which left three Palestinians, including a one-year-old baby, dead and another child seriously wounded.

Dawoud Yusef of the Palestinian rights group Addameer, which advocates for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, cast doubt on Netanyahus assertion that the move would also apply to Jews.

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What weve seen in the past is that Avigdor Lieberman has been pushing for this as part of his agreement to join Netanyahus coalition, Yusef said, referencing Netanyahus defence minister and hard-right coalition partner.

Hes come out and said that this will only apply to Arabs. When he says Arabs, we assume he means Palestinian citizens of Israel and Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

Biased judicial system

Lieberman, whose party Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) put forward the bill, has in the past advocated the use of the death penalty against Arab terror, and in a Facebook post about the bill on Wednesday, the minister declared: Jewish blood is not cheap.

Yusef said if the bill ends up passing, it would represent a slippery slope.

We really see this as a pandering to the extreme elements in the Israeli government and were not sure in the current climate, where thats going to end.

Given Israel's position as occupying power, its biased judicial system against Palestinians, and precedence over the years, such a bill can only be read to target Palestinians who Israel characterises as terrorists, a term whose definition in Israel is so broad and encompassing. by Maha Abdullah, Legal Researcher at Al Haq

Maha Abdullah of the Palestinian human rights organisation, Al Haq, told Al Jazeera it would further compound Israels hold over the occupied territories.

It should be noted that most Palestinian political detainees are tried by Israeli military courts, she said.

Given Israels position as occupying power, its biased judicial system against Palestinians, and precedence over the years, such a bill can only be read to target Palestinians who Israel characterises as terrorists, a term whose definition in Israel is so broad and encompassing.

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While Israel has a long history of carrying out targeted assassinations of its opponents, judicial executions are very rare.

In 1948, the Israeli army court-martialed and executed Meir Tobianski after accusations that he had passed on intelligence to the Jordanian army, but the officer was later posthumously exonerated of the charges.

In 1962, the state executed the former SS commander Adolf Eichmann for his part in the Holocaust.

Follow Shafik Mandhai on Twitter: @ShafikFM
US hospitality chain Motel 6 provided US immigration authorities with guest lists in violation of anti-discrimination and privacy laws, according to a lawsuit filed by the Washington attorney general.

The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, says that between mid-June 2015 and May 2017, more than 9,000 people staying at six Motel 6 locations in the state of Washington had their drivers license numbers, license plates, date of birth and other forms of personal identification handed over to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, which handles deportations from the interior of the US.

After receiving the guest list, ICE agents told Motel 6 employees the guests they were interested in, sometimes by circling guests with Latino-sounding names, the suit says.

Paul Quinonez, a volunteer with the Washington Dreamers Coalition, a non-profit advocacy group for young, undocumented people living in the US, told Al Jazeera the lawsuit adds fuel to the flames of fear that have been growing for a long time.

Over the last year, US President Donald Trumps administration has initiated a crackdown on undocumented immigrants, increasing deportations of those already in the US.

According to ICE statistics, the total number of interior deportations grew by 37 percent in 2017.

ICE also dramatically increased deportations of undocumented people without a criminal record during Trumps first year in office.

Nationwide cooperation?

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Quinonez explained that rumours of motels and other businesses working with ICE have been circulating since February, when Ramon Flores-Garcia, a 43-year-old Mexican citizen, was apprehended by immigration officials while staying at a Motel 6 in Everett, Washington.

Flores wife Enedis told local media that her husband had lived in the US for more than 20 years before being deported by ICE. Flores is now in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, leaving Enedis to provide for their seven children.

In September, immigration attorneys in Phoenix filed lawsuits against Motel 6 for giving guest lists to ICE.

This was implemented at the local level without the knowledge of senior management, Motel 6 said in a statement at the time. When we became aware of it  it was discontinued.

Quinonez argued that it would be a pretty big coincidence that the same modus operandi happened in Washington as Arizona.

He added: We cant take their word for it as we discover this is happening in another part of the country.

Motel 6 had not responded to Al Jazeeras request for comment at the time of publication, and has not issued a public statement on the lawsuit filed on Wednesday.

Privacy concerns

Revelations that Motel 6 was allegedly training its employees to hand over clients information to ICE upon request are increasing fear of discriminatory tactics, according to Quinonez.

ICEs searching for Spanish-sounding surnames was discriminatory, Quinonez said, and giving immigration authorities free access to guests personal information really stabs them in the back.

The privacy policy of Motel 6, which operates over 1,200 hotels in the US and Canada, states that it is committed to safeguarding the privacy of the personal information that we gather, but it may disclose guests information in accordance with applicable law, according to the hospitality chains website.

In this case, applicable law would require a warrant or probable cause to divulge sensitive material, which ICE did not have, according to the lawsuit.

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Without either of those legal requirements for divulging sensitive information, Motel 6 violated Washingtons Consumer Protection Act, the complaint alleges.

Warrantless searches or random viewing of entire guest registries violates Washington law, Anthony Anton, president and CEO of the Washington Hospitality Association, a trade group that represents over 6,000 members of the hospitality industry in the state, told Al Jazeera.

The actions described by the lawsuit are not a standard practice, Anton said.

Hotels and lodging establishments in Washington state protect the privacy of their guests.

For Quinonez, Motel 6s cooperation with ICE in Arizona and allegedly in Washington are a call to continue working to end the terror tactics used by Trump administration.

Its all connected. This is what were fighting for.
Israeli court releases Palestinian woman on bail after appearing in a video slapping Israeli soldiers that went viral.

Nour Tamimi, a 20-year-old Palestinian charged with assaulting an Israeli soldier after the release of a viral video of the incident last month, has been released on bail.

Nour and her cousin, prominent 16-year-old activist Ahed Tamimi, were filmed slapping and kicking two Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank.

The video of the December 15 confrontation outside the Tamimis home in the village of Nabi Saleh was widely shared on social media. A few days later, the two cousins, along with Aheds mother, were arrested by Israeli forces.

On Friday, Nours father, Najm Tamimi, told AFP news agency that an Israeli military court had rejected the prosecutions appeal against his daughters release, allowing her to return home after posting a bail of 5,000 shekels ($1,450),





The 21-year-old, who studies journalism at Al Quds University, will have to sign in at an Israeli police station every Friday at noon.

She was charged on Sunday with aggravated assault and disturbing soldiers from carrying out their duties.

Court proceedings against her are set to begin on February 12.

Ahed Tamimi, meanwhile, remains in custody along with her mother, Nariman.

The teenager, a prominent activist in Nabi Saleh, faces 12 charges, including aggravated assault and throwing stones, while her mother faces five charges, including incitement for uploading the video on social media.

According to their lawyer, Ahed and Narimans charges include older incidents unrelated to the video.

The incident

The video went viral and spurred an Israeli social-media campaign demanding the arrest of Ahed, a member of a family of well-known activists in Nabi Saleh.

Nour also appeared in the video. Following the arrests, Israeli authorities summoned Bassem for interrogations and questioned him for two hours about the video.

According to Aheds father, Bassem Tamimi, the teen and Nour were attempting to push the soldiers away from their home in the video after their 15-year-old cousin Mohammad was struck point-blank in the face with a rubber bullet, which left him in a coma for 72 hours.

Bassem also said that the video was shot immediately after Israeli forces fired tear-gas canisters directly at their home.

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He said the girls were trying to protect their family.

Ahed was telling the soldiers to get away from our home, he told Al Jazeera at the time of the arrest.

She was trying to force them to leave to prevent the soldiers from hurting anyone else.

A hearing is scheduled for January 8.








Controversial book about the US president suggests close ties between Trump administration and Saudi crown prince.

US President Donald Trump took credit for Saudi Arabias political shakeup which resulted in the elevation of Mohammed bin Salman to the position of crown prince last year, according to a startling account of his administrations first year in the White House.

The suggested claim is included in Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, a controversial new book by Michael Wolff which reveals, among others, the US presidents close connections to Saudi Arabia.

Weve put our man on top, Trump is said to have claimed to friends, according to the book, after Saudi King Salman removed his nephew Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as next-in-line to the throne and replaced him with his son, Mohammed bin Salman, in June 2017.

The move marked a departure from Saudi Arabias line of succession, breaking with decades of custom maintained by the Kingdoms royal family.

The veracity of the books claims has been contested by Trump, who said on Friday Wolffs book is full of lies.

I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018

Trump visited Saudi Arabias capital, Riyadh, in May 2017 at the beginning of his first overseas tour as US president, having hosted Mohammed bin Salman in Washington, DC, two months earlier.

Mohammed Cherkaoui, a professor of conflict resolution at George Mason University, told Al Jazeera the account provided by Wolff in his book was well-researched.

This is based on scores of interviews with people inside the White House and around Trump, he said.

It explains to some extent how Trump managed to influence the decision of King Salman  [and] goes back to the period when Mohammed bin Salman visited the US in March and the Riyadh summit which Trump attended in May [when] apparently he was lobbying  [for] a powerful man, added Cherkaoui.

[Trump] was basically grooming Mohammed bin Salman.

The US president has been openly supportive of the Saudi crown prince in recent months, notably praising him after the dismissals and arrests of a number of senior ministers, businessmen and princes as part of an alleged anti-graft campaign.

I have great confidence in King Salman and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, they know exactly what they are doing, Trump said on Twitter two days after the anti-corruption crackdown began on November 4.

Cherkaoui said Trumps backing of the Saudi crown prince is a reflection of the US presidents political philosophy.

He wants to deal with individuals, not institutions and not governments, so its a one-to-one, he said.

Trump saw in Mohammed bin Salman somebody who has the right influence, and also someone who would put the Saudi-US relationship into a higher dimension, both in an economic and strategic way [and help] combat terrorism which has become the new currency of Trumpism.
State-owned media say defence forces intercepted the missile over Najran before it could hit its intended target.

Saudi Arabia says it has intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the country by Yemens Houthi rebels.

The Saudi statement came just hours after the Yemeni group claimed to have launched the attack.

State-owned TV channel Al Ekhbariya reported on Friday that Saudi defence forces intercepted the missile over Najran, a region straddling the kingdoms southern border with Yemen, before it could hit its intended target.

Al Masirah, a TV network run by the Houthi rebels, said the group claimed responsibility for the attack via Twitter, saying it had a successful launch of a short range ballistic missile at a military target in Saudi Arabia.

It said the the rebels fired a Qaher-2M missile of Soviet origin towards a military installation in Najran. The missile has a range of up to 400km.

Saudi retaliation

Al Masirah also said that within hours of the missile attack, the Saudi coalition bombing Yemen retaliated with several air raids on Saada, an impoverished Houthi stronghold.

Al Jazeera could not independently verify the networks claims.

Saudi Arabia, supported by the US and other countries, have launched more than 15,000 air attacks against Houthi targets since March 2015, while dozens of missiles have been fired into the kingdom from Yemen.





Last month, the Houthis said that one of their missiles hit a military target inside Saudi Arabia, without specifying the location.

Saudi officials, however, said they intercepted the missile.

The Saudi-led coalition has previously accused Iran of helping arm the Houthis, accusing Iran of flagrant military aggression and manufacturing and smuggling [missiles] to the Houthi militias in Yemen for the purpose of attacking the Kingdom, its people, and vital interests.

Iran has repeatedly rejected allegations of arming the Houthis, calling them malicious, irresponsible, destructive and provocative.

The war in Yemen, the regions poorest country, started in 2014 after Houthi rebels seized control of the capital Sanaa and began pushing south towards the countrys third-biggest city, Aden.

Concerned by the rise of the Houthi rebels, believed to be backed by Saudi Arabias regional rival Iran, the kingdom and a coalition of Sunni Arab states launched an intervention in 2015 in the form of a massive air campaign aimed at reinstalling President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadis government.

Since then, more than 10,000 people have been killed and at least 40,000 wounded, mostly from Saudi-led air attacks.
Officials say anti-government protests have died down, amid reports that dozens were arrested for involvement.

Supporters of Irans government have taken to the streets for a third day to rally against the unrest that has gripped the country since late December.

The protests in support of the government, which began after Friday prayers, followed the most significant anti-government outpouring since the 2009 protests against alleged election irregularities.

Almost a week of sometimes violent protests, beginning in late December, left at least 22 people dead, with Iranian authorities accusing the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia of involvement.





Those protests started in the city of Mashhad on December 28 before spreading to other cities.

Grievances seemed to revolve around Irans economic situation and its spending on groups in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza.

On Tuesday, in his first public remarks since the rallies erupted, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed external enemies for the turmoil.

Khamenei said that powers against Iran had allied and used various means, including money, weapons, politics, and intelligence services, to stir unrest.

Show of faith

Al Jazeeras Zein Basravi, reporting from Tehran, said the images of large-scale gatherings in support of the government were intended to show  both to Tehrans rivals abroad and opponents inside the country  that there was significant support for the Iranian establishment.

People are pouring out onto the streets in a show of faith in the Iranian leadership and the current establishment, he said.

On Wednesday, General Mohammad Ali Jafari, the head of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), declared the unrest was over.

Today we can announce the end of the sedition, Jafari said in a quote on the IRGCs website. A large number of the troublemakers at the centre of the sedition, who received training from counter-revolutionaries  have been arrested and there will be firm action against them.

More than 40 student activists were arrested by the intelligence ministry between Saturday and Thursday, according to an Iranian human rights watchdog.
UNs aid chief says war-torn country could become the worlds worst humanitarian disaster in half a century.

People in war-torn Yemen are facing a situation that looks like the Apocalypse, the UNs humanitarian chief has told Al Jazeera, warning that the country could become the worst humanitarian disaster in half a century.

The Arab worlds poorest country has endured nearly three years of war between Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed forces loyal to exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The conflict is having a devastating effect, causing widespread food shortages and a major cholera outbreak as well as leaving millions in need of humanitarian assistance.

The situation in Yemen  today, right now, to the population of the country  looks like the apocalypse, Mark Lowcock, the head of the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said on Friday.





The cholera outbreak is probably the worst the world has ever seen with a million suspected cases up to the end of 2017.

Lowcock said a terrible new epidemic of diphtheria, a bacterial disease which should be completely preventable by immunisation, has already affected up to 500 people with dozens and dozens of deaths in the past few weeks

That is going to spread like wildfire, he added.

Unless the situation changes, were going to have the worlds worst humanitarian disaster for 50 years.

Desperate situation

Lowcocks comments came as the UNs Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocated $50m to bolster the relief effort in Yemen, where more than eight million people are on the brink of famine.

The sum represents the largest ever allocation made by CERF and reflects the dire situation in Yemen, which was already one of the Arab worlds poorest countries before the start of the war in 2015.

Lowcock said the money would help prepare the necessary aid for the year ahead.

The fact that Im having to do that is obviously not a success measure, that is a sign of how desperate the situation is, he told Al Jazeera.





In a statement released on Friday, the UN said the money would enable scale up of urgent life-saving assistance in Yemen and would be directed towards famine prevention, as well as assisting civilians affected by the ongoing conflict.

Some of the money will also be used to support the countrys deteriorating public services.

Missile intercepted

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in neighbouring Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt to push back the Houthi, who are said to be backed by Iran, and restore Hadis government.

Aid agencies have repeatedly said the Saudi-led coalition air raids and a debilitating blockade on the countrys air and sea ports have depriving large areas of food, fuel and medicine.

The blockade, which was tightened last November, was eased three weeks later under massive international pressure.

Hospitals are also struggling to cope with demand amid the worlds worst cholera epidemic on record and supply shortages caused by the blockade.

Several medical facilities have also reportedly been destroyed in air raids.

According to the UN, the conflict has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced three million.

Fridays aid announcement came as Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a missile fired by Houthi rebels at a military installation in Najran.

This is the latest in a series of missiles allegedly fired by the Houthis, to be intercepted by Saudi Arabia, including ones which targeted the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
North and South Korean officials are set to meet for the first time in two years.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un started off 2018 by appearing to extend an olive branch to the countrys southern neighbour.

That initiative led to the first use of the so-called hotline telephone system, connecting the two governments for the first time in two years.

Pyongyang has now agreed to a South Korean proposal to open dialogue with a meeting that is scheduled for January 9.

But the two sides differ over what they plan to discuss.

Pyongyang says it wants to talk about involvement in the Winter Olympics, which are set to take place in the South Korean resort town of Pyeongchang next month.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in says the meeting should also include discussions about North Koreas nuclear and missile programmes.

How much will the upcoming talks achieve?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra

Guests:

In-Bum Chun  Retired lieutenant general in the South Korean army

Michael Penn  President of Shingetsu News Agency
President Trump has suggested that the U.S. start cutting aid to the Palestinians because of their reluctance to negotiate in good faith for peace with Israel. Like the mouse that roared, Palestinian officials are acting with outrage at the president's tweets. They seem to feel that they have a God-given right to U.S. taxpayer money.

To scope out the situation, we first need to look at how much aid (welfare) is involved. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has a budget of approximately $1.23 billion of which $355 million comes from Uncle Sam. From that, about $95 million goes to the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. On top of that, America also sends $290 million to the Palestinians through the U.S. Agency for International Development. Since 1994, this has come to approximately $5.2 billion.

UNRWA claims that nearly 20% of its budget goes toward education. This might seem like a lofty goal, but one has to wonder why anti-Israeli hate is allowed to be taught to the young Palestinians in their schools. This in and of itself is a major reason why the Palestinians are trapped in a rut of eternal victimhood.

The Palestinian Authority's new textbooks for first to fourth grade demonizes Israel and glorify "martyrdom," a report published Sunday claims, citing an "alarming deterioration" since a previous study.

The report, by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se), says that the 2016-2017 elementary school curriculum in the P.A. "teaches students to be martyrs, demonizes and denies the existence of Israel, and focuses on a 'return' to an exclusively Palestinian homeland."

Israeli officials say these textbooks, which show maps that don't include Israel and have passages in them that glorify terrorist attackers, are a key source of incitement that drives terror attacks. To this we can add that they lock in yet another Palestinian generation to the delusion that Israel doesn't exist and that someday, the Palestinians will come to have the land that is now Israel.

In February, at his first White House meeting with President Donald Trump, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said incitement is a key factor in the long-running conflict with the Palestinians. "They continue to call for Israel's destruction  inside their schools, inside their mosques, inside their textbooks. You have to read it to believe it," he said.

"I think the Palestinians have to get rid of some of that hate that they've taught from an early age," Trump said, responding to a reporter's question about concessions each side needs to make.

Apart from the schools, the Palestinians are also known to give money to the families of terrorists, whom they call "martyrs." Whose money is that?

Even when this aid is legitimately spent, it still has a downside. It relieves the Palestinian leadership from the responsibility of looking out for its people's welfare. It locks the Palestinian people into a continual state of dependency while allowing their leadership to "heroically" thumb its nose at bargaining with Israel in good faith. Looked at in this light, one can argue that U.S. aid to the Palestinians is counterproductive. It allows those Arabs to avoid reality and perpetuate their myths  myths that keep them chained to a status of permanent refugees who, in large part, have their food, shelter, and health care dependent on the generosity of others, mainly in the West. This has been going on since 1949  nearly seventy years.

Under these conditions, it is no less than obnoxious that any U.S. money goes to the Palestinians. If others want to fund them, let them. If the Palestinians want to be intransigent, let them, but not on our dime. It is to be hoped that President Trump is serious when he says the U.S. might cut aid given to the West Bank and Gaza. That money is better used at home  and the cuts could sober up the Palestinian leadership.

One last thought on this aid: When was the last time the Palestinians ever said "thank you" to America for its largesse? It seems that simple gratitude might be another virtue missing from their palette.
If you want to see how things haven't changed in the last three and a half decades, just read what the New York Times wrote about President Ronald Reagan. They are essentially pulling the same story out to write about President Donald Trump.

From the beginning of his [p]residency, Mr. Reagan and his aides have understood and exploited what they acknowledge to be the built[] in tendency of television to emphasize appearances and impressions more than information. Central to the [p]resident's overall strategy has been his unusual ability to deal with television and print reporters on his own terms  to decide when, where[,] and how he will engage them. In short, the art of controlled access. Under that broad definition, even [p]residents who have disliked and distrusted the press have met with reporters on a fairly regular basis and given spirited, detailed answers to their questions. Mr. Reagan has been an exception. During his [a]dministration, he has tended to operate in a kind of cocoon, sheltered from the press. Compared with his predecessors, he has held few formal news conferences. In public appearances, he strictly limits opportunities for questions.

The media and Democrats worried that Reagan would start World War III, but he ended the Cold War. His famous bombing comment  "My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes."  is analogous to Trump's instantly famous "bigger button" tweet.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the "Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times." Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018

The following comments about President Reagan are enlightening because they are so similar to what is said about Trump today. Maybe journalists could just substitute "Trump" for "Reagan" on old material using Microsoft Word and head to the bar. It would be a lot easier than saying the same things in different ways every day.

"Prepare yourself for some bad news: Ronald Reagan's library just burned down. Both books were destroyed. But the real horror: He hadn't finished coloring either one of them."

Gore Vidal

"For too long in this society, we have celebrated unrestrained individualism over common community. For too long as a nation, we have been lulled by the anthem of self-interest. For a decade, led by Ronald Reagan, self-aggrandizement has been the full-throated cry of this society: 'I've got mine, so why don't you get yours' and 'What's in it for me?'"

Joe Biden

"He's cutting the heart out of the American dream to own a home and have a good job ... and still he's popular[.]"

Chris Matthews, Tip and the Gipper: When Politics Worked

"We cannot build a vital economy by delivering pizzas to one another."

Jim Wright

"In Reagan's world, we have to be geared up to fight a foe that could barely feed its own people. And meanwhile, our real troubles have to be mocked. Global warming. Nuclear proliferation. Corrupt governments supported by my tax dollars and everyone's complacency."

Robert Reed, Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 108

"Despite an unimpressive first term in office, which featured huge tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and tax increases for everyone else, Reagan was re[-]elected in 1984 in an unprecedented landslide, winning forty-nine of the fifty states against hapless Democrat Walter Mondale. While he has become the patron saint of all Republicans, especially those who revel in wearing the "conservative" mantle, Reagan's record is far, far removed from his rhetoric. Despite this, the collective delusion of his supporters is best exemplified by noted Republican speechwriter Peggy Noonan's claims, regarding his 1980 campaign promises, that they were "[d]one, done, done, done, done, done[,] and done. Every bit of it."

Donald Jeffries, Hidden History: An Expose of Modern Crimes, Conspiracies, and Cover-Ups in American Politics

(Quotations courtesy of GoodReads.)

Thank goodness we have Trump, definitely not an autocrat or dictator, who knows we should enforce laws and is trying to reduce the power of an ever powerful government and give the purse and power back to the people where it belongs. Thank goodness we have Trump instead of Hillary, who would have continued to amass more money and power for the greedy government.
As more and more people who hate Trump are forced to admit his achievements as president, they are doubling down on character assassination. Even Trump voters often preface their satisfaction with Trump's actions by criticizing his tweets or his personality.

Here's an alternate take on things: Trump's character is responsible for his outstanding performance in his first year as president. If you want to know who someone is, you look at what he does. What we have: a booming economy, growing jobs, more lawful governance, fewer regulations, more global security. What character traits this took: hard work, focus, commitment, courage, honesty, independence, incorruptibility, self-confidence, love of excellence. The list of Trump's positive character traits goes on and on. You don't get achievements independent of character.

Here's another alternate approach: there's no need to point out that George Washington is a dead white male when you praise him as the father of our country. Who cares that Churchill drank too much when you are discussing his leadership in the fight against Hitler? We all understand perfectly well that we are all human, meaning we have faults. We don't need to apologize for President Trump.

I think Trump's character is excellent.

Trump's integrity in office is outstanding  the first politician in my memory who is sticking to his promises to voters. We are hugely benefiting from his promise-keeping.

His primary promise was to focus on jobs. Wow, has he delivered. Jobless claims have dropped to the lowest level in 44 years  last seen in 1973, under Nixon. Record-breaking low unemployment in 13 states. Investment reinvigorating the Rust Belt. More high-paying jobs in mining, oil, and industry  another promise kept, as President Trump has unleashed the energy sector and boosted capital investment.

Lazy, leftist, passive President Obama lectured us to accept the new normal of a stagnant economy, which was what his policies delivered. GDP growth was 1.6 percent in 2016.

Passivity and defeatism are not in Trump's nature. He is a fighter who thinks big. He believes in free enterprise in his gut, because he is himself a go-getter. He thought big for the American economy, because he believes in Americans. Trump likes to say he completed his projects on time and under budget. It was a matter of pride for him. Pride can be a good thing. Trump was scoffed at as a braggart and buffoon for promising 3-percent growth. He has already over-delivered.

The unemployment gap between blacks and whites has fallen to a record low. Trump promised the black community a better life in a better economy, and he has come through.

Unemployment for hispanic Americans is the lowest in history. Another promise kept, as our hispanic citizens have benefited from Trump enforcing our border laws and driving farm wages up.

Leftists are trying to credit the 2017 economic boom to Obama. Good luck with that. Trump boosted the economy through vigorous action: cutting regs, boosting the energy sector, restoring business confidence, dramatic corporate tax cuts, bringing back investments from overseas, and cutting job competition from illegal aliens. We now have a tight labor market, and wages are rising.

Yes, for much of the year, Trump was doing a lot of jaw-boning and executive actions, with no legislative back-up. That's the trait called leadership.

These economic achievements came from President Trump's character strengths. He is a high-focus, driven bulldozer of a man who gets things done. He's a practical man. He's a hard worker. These are not sophisticated or cultured or warm, fuzzy traits; they are traits of a strong man. We have forgotten to honor masculinity in our culture.

President Trump did more than any president in history in his first year to relieve the regulatory burden on Americans. Complying with useless government regulations costs the economy $2 trillion a year, or 21% of the average payroll per American company. Estimates are that the Obama regs slowed the economy by 0.8%. Trump's regulatory cuts, in which his administration removed 22 outdated regulations for each new one, is a big part of his doubling our economic growth in one year.

What did it take to cut the size of government and unleash the power of capitalism in this way? It was motivated not by conservative principles of small government. It was based in Trump's character. He is one hundred percent practical. He has a strong sense of fairness. He is fearless. He thrives on opposition. He has incredible guts and stubbornness, necessary to take on the federal bureaucracy. He doesn't give in when opponents fight dirty, and boy, does the Deep State fight dirty. He is not scared of the media's attacks on him as a monster destroying the planet and abandoning the poor.

He is a creative and master fighter, as we see in the his effective use of tweets and branding to encourage his supporters and sow confusion among the enemy.

Trump is characteristically unsuited to kowtow to the Deep State or to follow its methods. He does not flout the law in darkness, like the underhanded Barack Obama. Obama's DOJ and EPA created secret and illegal slush funds. The Democrat DOJ blackmailed the industries it was regulating in order to provide half a billion dollars to left-wing groups. The EPA used phony sue-and-settle tactics to hand undemocratic power to privileged leftist groups.

In sharp contrast, Trump is not a sneak. He respects the rule of law. He honors the presidency. He is open and forthright. His administration has turned the DOJ and EPA back to following the laws as written.

Obama was an unhealthy narcissist who had never accomplished anything in the real world, yet he boasted that he knew more about every topic than his top advisers. There is a business saying that A players hire A players, while B players hire C players. The mediocre surround themselves with lesser mediocrities. Obama undoubtedly did know more about foreign affairs than his right-hand national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, a speechwriter with a degree in creative writing.

Trump is different. He is genuinely confident in himself. You can tell because he is not afraid of being surrounded by top experts. He expects them to know far more in their fields than he does. Trump's pride makes him seek excellence in others. He has created an impressive Cabinet and White House staff of brilliant achievers. You don't get effective results on the economy and foreign affairs without a high-quality leader.

The importance of character to effectiveness cannot be overstated. Trump has other character traits of achievers. He is not discouraged by failures and mistakes; he learns from them. He doesn't just set goals; he follows up on results. He faces reality.

Trump does not see Americans in different categories. He cares about all Americans, black, white and brown; rich, middle-class, and poor; city-dwellers and country-dwellers; New York sophisticates and Evangelicals. He values freedom and prosperity for himself and for the rest of us. He wants to do what is best for the country, not what is best for only some identity groups or some regions at the expense of others, as in Obama and Hillary's zero- sum game of identity politics.

We barely survived eight years of a bigot in the White House: the resentful, racially obsessed President Obama, who disliked Evangelicals, rural Americans, working-class whites, white small businessmen, and Jews. At home, Obama purposefully stirred up racial hatred and violence for political gain. Abroad, Obama tried to hand over the Middle East to the Muslim Brotherhood and facilitate nuclear weapons for the mullahs as payback to America. Obama's race-baiting led to Americans dying  assassinations of our men in blue and innocent black victims of the resulting crime spree. He chose to destabilize Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and Libya, setting off an unprecedented war on Christians and a Muslim migrant invasion of Europe. Maybe I missed it, but I don't remember NeverTrumps criticizing Obama on character flaws.

Obama's fantasist efforts to reduce American power and prestige, born of his anti-colonialist anger and resentment, were passed off to us as idealism and humanity. Obama had a weird Marxist mother who raised him to despise America, and he saw his father only once. He was an unhappy child, a confused teenager, and an angry, isolated college student filled with contempt for white people other than his fellow Marxists. Then he went to Harvard finishing school and became a secretive politician who never trusted himself to speak in public without a teleprompter. His false front hid a schemer and hater.

Unlike our last president, President Trump is who he is. What you see is what you get. His candor is blunt and refreshing. He is not an ideologue, not a secret schemer, not a race-baiter, not a bitter person seeking payback. Trump had a close, loving relationship with his father. He has similar relationships with his own children. He is a happy warrior.

Trump is honest in another sense, also: he is not corrupt. Indeed, he seems incorruptible. Trump does not sell himself to certain industries or lobbying groups (think the Clinton Foundation; think Obama's wasting the trillion-dollar economic stimulus on Solyndra green schemes and payoffs to Democrat voting blocs). President Trump is a unique politician  a free man.

There's another set of admirable traits responsible for Trump's economic achievements. Trump is a warm, extroverted braggart, not a cold, withdrawn narcissist like Obama or a self-serving, power-hungry narcissist like Hillary Clinton. Although self-centered, Trump actually notices and cares about other people. His voters are real people to him, as he is real to them.

Trump has softer, heart-centered virtues. His priority on growing the economy and job promotion comes from his love of ordinary people, working-class people of all colors and all regions, whom he sees as real human beings and treats with respect. What a relief after the cold and contemptuous President Obama, who cared about power, not people. Trump's compassion and insight into working people's lives are wonderful character traits, shared by few in his class.

The president is also our commander in chief. How has Trump's character served him in this role?

Trump's love of country and patriotism are dominant character traits. Trump thinks for himself instead of accepting stale, outworn policies that are politically safe to espouse but dangerous to our country. Trump has no time at all for pretense about our national security. These are unusual character traits, different aspects of being a strong man.

Trump's personal qualities have resulted in the defeat of ISIS, our improved relations with the Saudis (now on board fighting terrorism and cooperating with Israel), restoration of our warm alliance with Israel, decertifying the odious Iran deal, and supporting the Iranian demonstrators against the mullahs. European countries are finally paying their NATO dues, illegal aliens invading our country are being stopped at the border, the H-1B visa system is being applied lawfully to protect American jobs, and terrorists are no longer welcome into the country. Trump is in the process of bullying the Chinese and the U.N. and South Korea into more effective action against North Korea, resulting last week, for example, in the confiscation of tankers breaking the oil embargo. Pace Bret Stephens, the ability to bully opponents is something you want in a president.

Thanks to his fearless and clear-sighted character, we finally have a president who will not allow North Korea or Iran to have nuclear weapons. Those of us who see that this is vital for national security are deeply grateful to have a strong president.

Trump has an abundance of character strengths as a tough guy  he is brave, he is assertive, he is an experienced fighter, and he always goes on offense. He uses punishments and threats and intimidation, as well as cooperation and rewards, to get things done, because that is what it takes to win, and he wants to win. He is unpredictable and keeps his opponents off balance. He is impervious to their outrage. He is a fierce fighter against all who attack him or his family or his country.

NeverTrumps are allergic to Trump's aggressive masculinity. This is not a matter of hating his style. They honestly see the man as evil. His commonsense thinking, bold methods, and blunt personality are toxic to them  never smart, never constructive, never heroic, never associated with his achievements. They are so blinded by their own hatred that they see Trump as a dangerous monster. They accept outright lies and miss the real man entirely.

In a mere 800-word column, Bret Stephens, conservative columnist for the New York Times, managed to call Trump, in Stephens's own words, a lying, bullying, bigoted, ignorant, crass, petty, paranoid incompetent; a disgrace; an intemperate, dishonest demagogue who requires debased toadyism from his White House and Cabinet; a man who humiliates, denigrates, and insults his own officers and agencies, who is comparable to Juan Peron and Hugo Chavez and a deviant. Stephen talks of the irremediable "stain of [Trump's] person," Trump's violence, his cult of strength (as in dictatorship), his disdain for truth, his hostility toward high culture, his conspiratorial thinking, and his white identity politics.

In the midst of the hysterical name-calling, Stephens doesn't point to a single bigoted word or action by Trump. He can't. There is none. The accusations are partisan nonsense. In Stephens's alternate universe, Trump's evident competence, his love, respect, and commitment to help his fellow Americans, goes invisible, and we are left with a racist, fascist caricature born of leftist agitprop.

Bret Stephens and his fellow NeverTrump elitists remind me of the British aristocracy in the 18th century. These rich, powerful do-nothings monopolized political power and contemptuously demeaned the merchants, financiers, and industrialists who were making their country (and them) rich, powerful, and safe while improving ordinary peoples' lives  but their manners were ill bred! They worked for a living. They hadn't gone to the right schools. Not suited for polite society.

It is a sorry reflection on our polite society that they are having conniption fits over Trump's character. They want to divide the man from his achievements, just as they successfully divided Obama from his failures. Can they succeed in besmirching Trump's character as they succeeded in sanitizing Obama's? Their megaphone is large, and their self-interest in supporting the status quo ante is strong. They have a ready-built audience. They have enlisted enemies within our own Republican camp.

We have Trump. We are winning.
In the 2014 book Princess: More Tears to Cry by Jean Sasson, the protagonist, Princess Sultana Al' Sa'ud of Saudi Arabia, recounts how "to this day there are teenage Saudi boys living in Riyadh who, taught by their fathers and the clerics, consider women to be second-class citizens and cast stones at what they consider to be an offensive sight  an unveiled female face."

The princess asserts that it is her "sincere wish that the day will come when ... an uncovered face will not cause violence in the street." She declares that "nothing reveals more to [her] of a young woman's personality than the will to fight against any injustice against women, and certainly something as personal as the face veil, which is not required by the Islamic faith, as all those who are truly familiar with our holy book will know."

She relates a tale of a young girl in a poor hamlet in Al-Kharz who aspired to be a doctor. As she was the last of four daughters, this resulted in her father saying to his wife, "I divorce you" three times (Quran 2:222-286), and the deed was done. The baby's mother, who had just given birth, witnessed her now ex-husband grab the newborn baby, shouting that he was going "to bury [her] alive in the desert." He wanted to take the "infant into the desert, where he would have scooped sand with his hands until he had created a hole large enough to hold a tiny baby, and then he would have pushed that sand over the baby so that she would have sucked sand rather than air into her lungs until she had died an agonizing death." He then "shouted for his three older daughters to line up and wait for his return as he was going to throw those three in the village well."

Fortunately, an uncle to the little baby intervened and asked that the father pass the newborn to him; instead, the newborn was "tossed on the dirt floor" while her father left. Since her father did not insist upon custody of his daughters, the unwanted child had a sliver of a chance at life. In Saudi Arabia, "if a man claims custody from the first day of a child's birth, no one will defy the father." Had the infant's father "demanded guardianship, no one would have stood in his way," and he would have murdered all his daughters.

This family's ordeal was far from over. The baby's grandparents demonstrated intense animosity to their daughter and her children. Although illiterate, this now single mother instinctively understood that if "females are forced to be ignorant, then the women have no alternative but to live the life of a slave to a man." As she recounts the bravery and perseverance of her mother, the grown-up Dr. Meena explains that although she is "the daughter of a woman who could not write her name, she is a doctor who has the training and skills to save lives."

There are changes afoot in the Arab Middle East, and they will come about because of the tenacious fearlessness of women such as Dr. Meena's mother.

In Iran, heroic women, "by risking their lives, have unmasked the faces of those trying to promote burqas and hijabs as supposed 'symbols of liberation.'" Yet these shackles are the very ones the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR, and the likes of Linda Sarsour continue to promote. Western women would do well to speak out against any individual or organization who wishes to impose sharia's anti-woman regulations, no matter how enticing the speaker sounds.

It is instructive to see what Iranian women wore before the 1979 revolution. In December 2017, Iranian officials stated that "women will no longer be arrested for not wearing a hijab." Instead, women who do not wear the hijab in public "will be forced to attend Islam educational classes."

Qanta Ahmed, who was raised as an observant Muslim in a British family, strongly supports "the right to ban the veil." Wearing of the veil is "what happens when Islamists are tolerated by a [W]estern culture that's absurdly anxious to avoid offen[s]e. This strange, unwitting collaboration between liberals and extremists has been going on for years." Her medical career took her to Saudi Arabia for two years, where she "was mandated by law to wear the hijab, covering all of [her] hair and neck."

For ... two years, I became intimately acquainted with the cumbersome nature of forced veiling and its impracticality  even seeing it imposed upon my unconscious female patients. Where the veil is mandatory, a kind of oppression is implemented: an oppression that has absolutely no basis in Islam.

In fact, "rigid interpretations of the veil are a recent invention." They are not derived from the Quran, but have become a "form of misogyny which claims a false basis in the divine."

Instead of fighting alongside these Muslim women, far too many Western feminists join Islamist terrorists. Not only do they remain mute, but their presence at certain events "actively endorses and legitimizes the rule" of those who wish to keep women oppressed. How tone-deaf is Federica Mogherini, the high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy, who visited Iran? In fact, "[w]hen Mogherini smiles in her hijab in Iran, she is delivering a strong blow to women['s] rights movements [as they] attempt to remove the compulsion of the obligatory hijab and grant women equal autonomy, education[,] and freedom. She is empowering suppression."

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown writes that "[a]s a practi[c]ing (though flawed) Shia Muslim, [she watches] ... with apprehension. So too other Muslims worldwide, the silent many, watch and tremble." Alibhai-Brown writes "about Qasim Amin who in 1899 wrote 'The Liberation of Women.' He was the John Stuart Mill of the Arab world." In the early 1920s, Egyptian women and educated Iranian women began feminist magazines and "campaigned against the veil," yet these people "have been written out of history or are dismissed as [W]estern stooges by some contemporary Muslim intellectuals." In Morocco and Pakistan in the 1960s, there were those who "rightly saw the veil as a tool and symbol of oppression and subservience." For Alibhai-Brown, "the veils represent both religious arrogance and subjugation; they both desexuali[z]e and fervidly sexuali[z]e." Hence, "a veiled female ... represents an affront to female dignity, autonomy[,] and potential."

She demands that those who do veil consider women in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and even the West, who are prosecuted, flogged, tortured, and killed for not complying. In fact, those "who are forced[] cannot speak out." How many feminists understand that "sexual violence in Saudi Arabia and Iran is appallingly high, as is body dysmorphia"? But is this any surprise when an imam in Falls Church, Virginia asserts that painful female genital mutilation (FGM) is a means to "prevent women from being 'hypersexual'"?

Female abuse is rampant. Child marriages among migrants from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa are escalating in Denmark, Sweden, and Germany with girls as young as eleven being married off. Polygamy, while illegal in Europe, is proliferating as many immigrants bring multiple wives and children with them. Britain's first female Islamic judge said, "[T]he [British] government cannot ... ask Muslims not to have more than one wife."

"Disobedient" wives undergo beatings as well as being burned alive all in the name of sharia. In 2017, an Iranian child bride was beaten by her husband and forced to give up her children. She fled to Australia. She revealed that "a person who [decides to convert] in Iran will be deemed an apostate and the punishment is death." She explains that she "hated Islam and its regressive laws in Iran ... a religion with no value or respect for women. It recogni[z]es women as only a means of sexual pleasure for men."

Instead of speaking out against such repression and violence, the fashion world is now turning the Islamic veil into a "global garment." Mattel "unveiled" the world's first hijab-wearing Barbie doll. Dolce & Gabbana is producing a collection of hijabs and abayas to Muslim customers in the Middle East. Playboy had a Muslim woman wearing a hijab. Nike released a performance hijab outfit for athletes.

Why should Western society in any way, shape or form promote any symbol of Islamic tyranny? Would a Nazi doll have been promoted in the 1940s? Greed, ignorance, and indifference aptly describe these corporate decisions.

We, who are fortunate to live in the West, are morally obligated to unequivocally state that "instead of embracing these veils, a true feminism should defend the rights and freedoms of all women." We should not support anything that endorses the repression of women.

Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will hold a public briefing on January 16 on how emergency responders should prepare for a nuclear attack on U.S. soil.

It's clearly a sign of the times when the government takes the nuclear threat from North Korea (and China) seriously enough to instruct public health officials in how to minimize deaths and illnesses.

Daily Caller:

"While a nuclear detonation is unlikely, it would have devastating results and there would be limited time to take critical protection steps," the CDC said in the description for the session. "Despite the fear surrounding such an event, planning and preparation can lessen deaths and illness." The CDC says that public health officials need to develop plans for a possible nuclear attack in order to be prepared, and that there are some misconceptions about what to do immediately following a detonation. "For instance, most people don't realize that sheltering in place for at least 24 hours is crucial to saving lives and reducing exposure to radiation," the CDC said. The sessions are titled "Preparing for the Unthinkable," "Using Data and Decision Aids to Drive Response Efforts," "Public Health Resources to Meet Critical Components of Preparedness," and "Roadmap to Radiation Preparedness." The most recent threat of nuclear attack comes from North Korea, where leader Kim Jong[-un] demonstrated a variety of missile capabilities in the past year. He may have the ability to launch a nuclear warhead anywhere in the U.S.

If nothing else, this signals that the U.S. is dead serious about taking out North Korean nukes. It is an unmistakable sign that Kim cannot ignore and ups the pressure on North Korea.

Most public health agencies, state and local, already have some plans for what to do in case of a nuclear attack. But the CDC approach seems to be fairly comprehensive, and updating those plans wouldn't hurt a bit.

The prospect of a nuclear weapon striking the U.S. anytime soon may be remote, but the odds are not zero. If the Kim regime is teetering on the edge of destruction, who knows what he will do? For that reason, being more prepared than we are now to withstand such a blow is simple common sense.

Both Trump and Kim have spoken openly of using nuclear weapons if the situation calls for it. It may not make the use of nukes more likely, but it may make their use more acceptable. When the "unthinkable" becomes "thinkable," we enter a new, dangerous world, where using nuclear weapons is no longer a last desperate option, but rather an integral part of war-fighting.
A former contractor working with the National Security Agency will plead guilty to stealing huge amounts of classified data in what some experts believe is the largest such theft in U.S. history.

Harold Martin will plead guilty to one count of "willful retention of national defense information" after it was discovered he had been stealing secrets for twenty years.

Reuters:

Authorities said they seized 50 terabytes of data from Martin's home, which officials said could be the biggest theft of classified information in U.S. history. The government has not said what, if anything, Martin did with the stolen data. He faces up to 10 years in prison on the single count. Martin has not struck a plea deal with prosecutors and could still be tried on the remaining 19 counts in the indictment, the court filings said. A lawyer for Martin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The NSA has been hit by a series of damaging data breaches in recent years. In December, former NSA employee Nghia Hoang Pho pleaded guilty to illegally taking classified information that an intelligence official said was later stolen from his home computer by Russian hackers. Martin worked for Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp[.] when he was taken into custody in August 2016. Booz Allen also employed Edward Snowden, who leaked a trove of secret files to news organizations in 2013 that exposed vast domestic and international surveillance operations carried out by the NSA. Martin was employed as a private contractor by at least seven companies, working for several government agencies beginning in 1993 after serving in the U.S. Navy for four years, according to the indictment. His positions, which involved work on highly classified projects involving government computer systems, gave him various security clearances that routinely provided him access to top-secret information, it said. The indictment also alleged that Martin stole documents from U.S. Cyber Command, the CIA[,] and the National Reconnaissance Office.

While the government tends to over-classify information, this is the NSA, where even small leaks can lead to disastrous consequences. It's a sure bet that somewhere in those 50 terabytes of data discovered in Martin's home, there is information that could severely damage our national security.

The NSA is being tight-lipped about what Martin did with the information, and legal proceedings are not likely to reveal much of anything in open court. This complicates prosecuting someone for stealing secrets but is necessary to prevent even more damage being done to our security.

The public will probably never know just how badly our security was compromised. It was nearly thirty years before we discovered the extent of the damage done to the U.S. Navy as a result of the theft of classified data by John Walker and his compatriots in the 1980s. Suffice it to say that if there had been a war between the U.S. and Soviet Union back then, our naval vessels would have become extremely vulnerable.
The Islamic State in the Sinai posted a video of a former ISIS fighter being executed for selling arms to Hamas. The group also called on supporters in Gaza to attack Hamas security installations.

This amounts to a declaration of war by ISIS on Hamas.

Times of Israel:

"[Hamas] uses its smuggled weapons to empower that which was not revealed by God. It also fights supporters of the Islamic State in Gaza and the Sinai and prevents the migration of these supporters from Gaza to the Sinai," said a speaker in the video, who is referred to as Abu Kazem al-Maqdisi, an Islamic State preacher in the Sinai, originally from Gaza. Maqdisi calls on viewers to attack the security headquarters and courthouses of Hamas in Gaza, as these are "the pillars of tyranny." At the end of the video, the narrator declares that a man, named as Musa Abu Zamat, who was once among the ranks of [the] Islamic State, was sentenced to death for "smuggling weapons to the apostates of the Izz a-Din al-Qassam Brigades," referring to Hamas's military wing. The accused is then shot in the back of the head.

The situation drips with irony. ISIS wants to go to war with Hamas because the Gazan terrorists aren't radical, violent, or extreme enough for the Sinai terrorists.

Until about a year ago, ISIS in the Sinai was bothersome but not much of a threat to Egyptian security. All that changed when ISIS began to lose badly on the battlefield. ISIS fighters began an exodus from Syria and Iraq to the Sinai. With augmented numbers, ISIS-Sinai has become a deadly terrorist organization, as it proved in late November with an attack on a mosque that killed more than 300 people.

The attack was planned with military precision and carried out with deadly efficiency  a far cry from the hit-and-run attacks on Egyptian security forces that ISIS-Sinai was known for previously.

So why is ISIS going to war against Hamas? Clearly, the Islamic State sees Gaza as prime recruiting territory, as well as a potential staging area for attacks directly against Israel. They probably aren't strong enough yet to dislodge Hamas from Gaza. And it's almost a certainty that Israel would never allow ISIS control in Gaza.

But they can create a bloody mess on Israel's border, creating problems for the Jewish state and throwing the peace process even more into doubt.
When gassy brainiacs opine on the dinosaur media, essaying to "diagnose" our amazingly dynamic 45th president without the elementary detail of a face-to-face, one must debunk their pathetic efforts, even were they in the galactic ballpark of accurate, because their posturing in a wholly political, partisan way is ipso facto unprofessional.

Fitness is determined not by one's lowest-shelf unregistered opponents. Stability, ditto.

It is in the same realm as quacks who look at a cartoon and "diagnose" a malady from an acetate or paper image.

In case you haven't been to med school in the past decade or five, any such blithe "diagnosis" isn't kosher, isn't definitive, is not even one thousandth reliable. It isn't worth the swamped out fetid air it rode in on.

A graphologist for many years, I compared President Trump's actual handwriting from before he was elected to his writing now. TV-viewers see that each time the president signs a document or deregulates another of the damaging, bizarre, and largely unvetted exec actions of the former resident of the White House, he holds up the two facing pages document. His handwriting is readily available.

Handwriting isn't rocket science. It is, however, a fairly accepted gauge of the writer's energy, health, and overall emotionality, along with many other indicia of a person. Abnormal people, mass murderers, and serial molesters all show in their handwriting, for those paying attention.

From pre-election 2016 until today, Donald J. Trump  in his clear and available signature  shows zero diminution of prowess. Easily seen, in fact, are signs of amazing robustness: his forceful, heavily ascending letters demand considerable effort and strength. His thick letters and the non-petering terminus of his signature show that this is a determined man, a man not given to letting events run his stopwatch, a man with no end of massive perseverance.

Whether you like or dislike the man, his energy and acumen have been proved a thousand times over. He speaks with few notes for an hour at a time. He hardly sleeps, as frequent tweeting indicates. He is tuned in to events overseas, and endless punditocracies have been shown embarrassingly wrong after events proved the president's statements true.

All that in the face of grievous cross-bow shooting by the ever-wrong Paul Krugmans and the stealth Democrat faux Republican Bret Stephens of the "failing New York Times."

Voters expressed doubt about the candidacy, back two elections, of Sen. John McCain. He brought in his healthy 96-year-old mother to quell doubts of his longevity. Donald J. doesn't need to haul in parents or physicians to manifest stunning strength of purpose, resilience, appetite for work, composure. His reception in world capitals show that the world takes note of his intestinal fortitude and his ability to think for himself.

In the event, a longtime graphologist is frankly awed by the robustness of his writ. The signature of the former president showed a generous dollop of blatant ego, which we all saw on a daily basis.

Without objection, this president, too, like his predecessor, shows little sign of undue humility. Trump would never have achieved this status of head of state had he been Mouseburger Milquetoast.

His signature is still firm, powerful, resolute  the signature of a sharp, capable, unimpaired "Master of the Universe" (to borrow a phrase from top cultural scribe Tom Wolfe) in full command of all his faculties.

Impairment? These critics can't handle their own ricocheting fears of missing out on the actuality of Trump's bold, if atypical, granted, accumulating achievements. He's a sane powerhouse.

Time, instead, to put the stethoscope to those clawing cacklers of catatonia, the drive-by media mumbling mavens of madness, themselves.
Like most media reporting on the story, People magazine presented disgraced teacher Mateo Rueda in a flattering light. He was recently fired from Lincoln Elementary School in Hyrum, Utah for showing young children nude "artwork." He's actually, we're to believe, an intrepid martyr persecuted by prudish, uncultured rubes who can't distinguish between porn and fine art. To prove its point, People printed a couple of the pictures shown to the fifth- and sixth-graders, one of which is a full-frontal female nude titled "Iris Tree."

Only People obscured the woman's nipples and nether region.

Apparently, adult readers shouldn't see what the children saw.

Now the magazine is trying to obscure the truth. After I and others called People out on Twitter  I wrote, "If the 'artwork' Iris Tree really is appropriate for 10-year-olds, why are you blurring out part of the picture in your article?"  the image completely disappeared from the piece.

Thanks to Internet archiving and the computer function "print screen," the evidence remains. The article originally appeared as shown here (thank you, Wayback Machine).

And here is the deforested version, with "Iris Tree" sent to the e-sawmill.

Here are the tweets that started it all:

If the "artwork" Iris Tree really is appropriate for 10-year-olds, why are you blurring out part of the picture in your article?  Selwyn Duke (@SelwynDuke) January 4, 2018

Your article censors the nudity. You just proved those opposed to their kids viewing it were correct. Excellent journalism. #howdoyoulivewiththehypocrisy  K. Petersen (@Irishimay) January 5, 2018

Unsurprisingly, People also blurred the truth behind the story (which I reported, conducting interviews with local parents) but didn't scrub from its article Rueda's posturing, moral preening, and demeaning of his adopted community. Its writer, Cathy Free, quoted Rueda as saying, "[E]ven though I was overqualified, I took the [teaching] position with an open heart to make a difference in a predominantly[] Mormon community where there isn't much culture. I hate that this controversy happened, but I stand for art, altruism[,] and enlightenment, and I'll never back down from that."

Rueda, a native of Colombia, also said, "There are a lot of skeletons in the closet of the repressed culture here ... and there is very little freedom of expression," reports Free. Rueda had earlier characterized his fellow Cache Valley residents as "cultural dead-ends" and members of a "narrow-minded community."

What Free didn't report is that, according to the parents I interviewed, Rueda forced the children to view the nudes and belittled students who complained, telling them they had to "grow up." (A local source tells me he is not getting his job back.)

The article by People's Free is now free of the Tree, but observers note the hypocrisy. As the aforementioned Twitter respondent also opined:

You are really something. First, People Magazine blurs the pubic hair and nipples in the offensive artwork they included in the article. You must have realized the hypocrisy because now it's been completely removed from the article. You lack journalistic integrity.  K. Petersen (@Irishimay) January 5, 2018

It's interesting that People didn't demonstrate its own "enlightenment" and react to the initial criticism by uncovering "Iris Tree" for all to see, but instead decided that it didn't want to be mistaken for Hustler. The only question now is whether, using descriptions Rueda and his defenders have generously applied to opponents, the people at People are best characterized as narrow-minded, repressed prudes, puritans, Nazi-like censors, or cultural dead-ends. Because the magazine knows something: certain images are too indecent for it to publish.

...but are just fine for ten-year-olds.

Contact Selwyn Duke, follow him on Twitter, or log on to SelwynDuke.com.
On his show last night, Mark Levin, whose work I usually greatly admire, spent a lot of time arguing with callers over the fairness of being able to deduct state and local taxes. The new tax bill puts a $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions, and Levin, who probably pays the top rate of 5.75% in Virginia (plus property taxes), which, given his income, probably amounts to a lot more than $10,000, feels that it is unfair not to be able to deduct such payments from federal taxes.

He points out that while someone making $100,000 in Maryland may pay lower federal taxes than someone making $100,000 in Texas, the Maryland taxpayer also has to pay a lot of state income tax that the person living in Texas doesn't.

What Levin rejects is the argument that the person living in Texas is subsidizing the person living in Maryland. But it's true. The person living in Texas, who makes the same amount of income as the one in Maryland, is contributing more to the federal government. That is what is unfair.

It doesn't matter that the person in Maryland is paying the same or perhaps even more in taxes totally when you combine state and local payments; people in every state should contribute to the federal government in the same amounts if they have the same income. To do otherwise is a subsidy, because with the SALT deduction, the federal government takes more money from Texans and less from Marylanders with the same income. There is your subsidy.

Levin makes the point that the federal government is a massive deficit-spender that wastes money (all true) but doesn't dispute that at each level of funding, people in low-tax states shoulder more of a federal burden. The fact that people in blue states also pay state taxes has nothing to do with the principle of everyone making the same income paying the same federal rate, regardless of where any given person lives.

Levin surprisingly misses the strongest policy argument for not making state and local taxes deductible. By insulating taxpayers to a degree from federal taxes, blue states have an easier time raising local taxes to fund their own income redistribution schemes. In fact, now, for the first time, we are seeing pressure on blue states to cap or lower their taxes because of the outcry over the sudden lack of deductibility of local taxes over $10,000.

Instead of condemning callers who call the deductibility of local taxes arbitrary and unfair, Levin should realize that it's an issue of treating people in all states equally and applying pressure to states to lower taxes.

Ed Straker is the senior writer at Newsmachete.com.
President Trump will on Monday grant awards to those news organizations who, through the tradition of excellence in the reporting of fake news, conform to the highest standard of dishonest reporting.

What news stories of the past year do you believe deserve consideration? Remember: this can't be any run-of-the-mill fake news; it has to be fake news of the highest quality, in the best tradition of elite journalism at outlets like CNN and The New York Times.

Here are some of my nominees:

1) The Golden Showers story. The story that Trump went to a hotel in Moscow and hired prostitutes to urinate on a bed that Michele Obama once slept in.

2) Trump eats McDonald's because he is afraid of being poisoned.

In a preview of his tell-all book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, journalist Michael Wolff claims that Trump's "longtime fear of being poisoned" has affected his dining choices. It's "one reason why he liked to eat at McDonald's  nobody knew he was coming and the food was safely premade," Wolff wrote in New York Magazine on Wednesday.

3) Hillary Clinton will win the 2016 elections by a landslide. Hillary Clinton had an over 70% chance of winning, according to the reputable FiveThirtyEight website. Other websites gave her even higher odds.

4) Trump never wanted to be president.

His ultimate goal, after all, had never been to win. "I can be the most famous man in the world," he had told his aide Sam Nunberg at the outset of the race. His longtime friend Roger Ailes, the former head of Fox News, liked to say that if you want a career in television, first run for president. Now Trump, encouraged by Ailes, was floating rumors about a Trump network. It was a great future. He would come out of this campaign, Trump assured Ailes, with a far more powerful brand and untold opportunities. "This is bigger than I ever dreamed of," he told Ailes a week before the election. "I don't think about losing, because it isn't losing. We've totally won."

5) Trump colluded with Russia...to do something...I'm not sure of.

6) Trump has banned Muslims from entering America (except from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and a few dozen other countries).

7) Trump hates black people.

"When Donald and Ivana came to the casino, the bosses would order all the black people off the floor," Kip Brown, a former employee at Trump's Castle, told The New Yorker for a 2015 article. "It was the eighties, [and] I was a teen-ager, but I remember it: they put us all in the back." Trump allegedly disparaged his black casino employees as "lazy" in vividly bigoted terms, according to a 1991 book by John O'Donnell, a former president of Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino. "And isn't it funny[?] I've got black accountants at Trump Castle and Trump Plaza. Black guys counting my money! I hate it," O'Donnell recalled Trump saying. "The only kind of people I want counting my money [is] short guys that wear yarmulkes every day." "I think the guy is lazy," Trump said of a black employee, according to O'Donnell. "And it's probably not his fault because laziness is a trait in blacks. It really is[;] I believe that. It's not anything they can control."

8) Trump hates Jews (except, presumably, his daughter; his son-in-law; his grandchildren; his Treasury secretary; and the people of Jerusalem, who are naming a train station after him).

9) Trump drinks twelve cans of diet cola every day.

10) Trump is so afraid of germs that he has to drink through a straw.

Donald Trump has said he is a germaphobe [sic] who washes his hands frequently throughout the day and needs to drink through a straw because he wants to avoid contamination. "I'd prefer drinking through a straw if I'm going to a restroom," he said. Stern asked: "Because you are afraid that the glasses can be contaminated?" "They certainly can be," Trump replied.

What "news" story do you think will win Trump's highest award for fake news?

Ed Straker is the senior writer at Newsmachete.com.
The Trump administration is set to open vast amounts of U.S. coastline for oil exploration. Green heads are already exploding, as America's huge offshore oil reserves will now be available for exploitation.

Associated Press:

The new five-year drilling plan also could open new areas of oil and gas exploration in areas off the East Coast from Florida to Maine, where drilling has been blocked for decades. While some lawmakers in those states support offshore drilling, the plan drew immediate opposition from governors up and down the East Coast, including Republican [g]ovs. Rick Scott of Florida and Larry Hogan of Maryland, who pressed President Donald Trump to withdraw their states from consideration. The five-year plan would open 90 percent of the nation's offshore reserves to development by private companies, Zinke said, with 47 leases proposed off the nation's coastlines from 2019 to 2024. Nineteen sales would be off Alaska[;] 12 in the Gulf of Mexico[;] nine in the Atlantic[;] and seven in the Pacific, including six off California. "This is a draft program," Zinke told reporters during a conference call. "Nothing is final yet, and our department is continuing to engage the American people to get to our final product." Industry groups praised the announcement, which would be the most expansive offshore drilling proposal in decades. The proposal follows Trump's executive order in April encouraging more drilling rights in federal waters, part of the administration's strategy to help the U.S. achieve "energy dominance" in the global market. "To kick off a national discussion, you need a national plan  something that has been lacking the past several years," said Randall Luthi, president of the National Ocean Industries Association. President Barack Obama blocked Atlantic and Pacific drilling under a five-year plan finalized in 2016. A coalition of more than 60 environmental groups denounced the plan, saying it would impose "severe and unacceptable harm" to America's oceans, coastal economies, public health[,] and marine life.

We have been drilling offshore for seventy years, and while there have been some accidents, the amount of damage to "America's oceans, coastal economies, public health, and marine life" has been minimal. Of course, care should be taken that the environment is not harmed excessively, and companies should be held completely liable for accidents. But overall, the record of offshore drilling shows a safe process.

The returns on opening this much coastline to drilling will be phenomenal. The U.S. has already reclaimed its position as the number-one producer of fossil fuels in the world. As Secretary Zinke said, the plan will ensure U.S. energy dominance for the foreseeable future.

How realistic are the concerns of environmentalists? The greens are fond of referring to "fragile Earth," as if our poor, helpless planet is too weak to withstand disasters like the Exxon-Valdez oil spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound and the Deepwater Horizon incident. In fact, if our Earth were really that fragile, life would have been extinguished millions of years ago. Our planet has withstood several mass extinctions caused by various catastrophic incidents far more deadly than oil spills.

The effects of meteor strikes or super-volcano eruptions can last thousands of years. The effects from the Exxon-Valdez disaster have already mitigated, and the wildlife and marine life in the sound have almost completely recovered.

Oil spills are bad and are usually caused by human stupidity or incompetence. But it takes a lot more than a few million gallons of oil to "destroy" an ecosystem. Environmentalist hysteria notwithstanding, the risk-reward from this drilling isn't even a close call.
John Warboys: sex attacker worse than Savile grooms the CPS

In 2009, London taxi driver John Worboys was given a prison sentence of indeterminate length after being convicted of rape and sexual assaults. Hes to be released on licence. The trial judge ordered Warboys to serve a minimum eight years behind bars for one rape and 19 charges of drugging and sexually assaulting at least 12 women. He has convinced the three-strong Parole Board panel that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that he remain in custody. The therapy has worked.

The problem is that police believe there are many more victims. In October 2010 detectives stated their belief that Worboys had attacked at least 102 women. The Sun says Warboys attacked 200 women. The Mirror leads with the headline that Warboys took part in 100 rapes and sex attacks. Police believe Warboys is probably Britains most prolific sex offender, says the Times. Wore than Jimmy Savile, even, the BBC DJ and TV presenter who never got his day in court but post-death was nonetheless branded the man who groomed an entire nation and one of the UKs most prolific sex offenders. Savile was a depraved criminal hiding in plain sight. But, as with Warboys, to accept each claim as proof is troubling. Theres no need to hurdle barriers to justice in court, where both sides of a case are heard, when you can announce guilt and trawl for victims.

And there are lots of victims:

Detectives told The Times that they feared he might have assaulted as many as 500 women, but his use of drugs meant that many could not recall details of what happened to them.

The Mail says police suspected him of more than 500 attacks.

Its worth looking at this BBC story from April 2009:

The Metropolitan Police was told sex offence units were overstretched months before the arrest and release of taxi rapist John Worboys, it has emerged. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating why he was released after an arrest in July 2007. A report said specialist sex offence units, known as Sapphire teams, were understaffed and overstretched. A report by Government inspectors, which was seen by Met chiefs nine months before the original arrest and release of Worboys, found that Plumstead CID, in south east London, needed urgent reform. Ch Supt Nicola Grevatt, of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, said the Greenwich borough only had six officers with specialist training to deal with sex offences. Detectives were investigating up to 20 rape investigations each, the report added. The effect had been that rape victims were losing contact with the police or withdrawing their support. Ms Grevatt also said senior officers were responsible for poor communication, in-fighting and an atmosphere of political correctness and paranoia. Worboys was held at a police station in Plumstead, south-east London, but released on bail. In February last year he was arrested for a second time, which led to the charges on which he was convicted.

Do we have faith in the police, who failed women seeking help but when talking to media believe everyone is a victim; choosing to tell rather than to listen? Do we trust the justice system? Heres an easier one: do we admire politicians? The Times makes the link between Warboys and the Labour Party explicit in its reporting. The headline tells readers: Labour law chief backed lenient term for taxi rapist John Worboys:

Baroness Scotland of Asthal, the former Labour attorney-general, decided against referring the sentence handed to John Worboys back to the courts despite an outcry over its leniency, it emerged last night Lady Scotlands decision not to challenge the sentence is one of a series of actions by legal authorities that might have enabled his early release

And:

Scotland Yard said that in the aftermath of the trial it had been contacted by 19 further suspected victims and referred their cases to the Crown Prosecution Service in October 2010. It was told that further prosecutions were not in the public interest. The director of public prosecutions was Sir Keir Starmer, now Labours frontbench spokesman on Brexit.

The Sun also notes that Starmer was in charge of the CPS as 115 new victims told police Warboys had attacked them. The Mail (page 5), thunders: How Labours Keir Starmer let him escape more charges. Starmer is accused of ignoring scores of women who claim Warboys attacked them. A senior Whitehall source opines: If Warboys had been ordered to stand trial for more attacks, it is possible he would have been convicted. If. Possible. So much for considering the facts. And do we know if Starmer had any role to play in the Warboys trial? No. The Mail concedes: It is not known if he was personally involved in the decision not to prosecute.

In the Left-wing papers, the Guardian makes no mention of Starmer and Baroness Scotland in its report John Worboys: MP demands reasons for release of black-cab rapist'. The Mirror declines to mention Baroness Scotland and Starmer in its tale of the sex beast.

Biased reporting to the fore, then, in a story about a sexual predators depravity and prisons ability to rehabilitate even the most sickening criminals.

Paul Sorene

Posted: 5th, January 2018 | In: Broadsheets, Key Posts, News, Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
(ANSA) - Pavia, January 4 - A fire raged in an industrial warehouse near Pavia from Wednesday night until Thursday afternoon and there are fears it may cause an environmental disaster.

The blaze took place at the 2,000-square-metre building at Corteolona e Genzone on the provincial road 31, sources said.

A thick plume of black smoke engulfed much of the lower Pavese area and about 100 people were evacuated.

Environmental agency ARPA has started testing dioxin levels, sources said.

ARPA said the activity in the warehouse had been "totally illegal".

It said "we think plastic was burned, but we can't be sure of that".

ARPA said that no one really knew what went on in the warehouse, precisely because it had been illegal.

The local prefect has urged residents to go for a check-up if they suffer inflammation.

The mayor of inverno e Monteleone, Enrico Vignati, ordered residents of local towns Cascina San Giuseppe, Cascina Colombara and Cascine di Sotto to stay at home and keep their doors and windows closed.

The ordinance also applied to shops and firms.

Fire services said they had the fire "under control" on Thursday at about noon.

Police said they were looking into the possibility of the fire being a case of arson.

They said the power systems in the warehouse had been turned off so an electrical fault had been ruled out.

The regional government of Lombardy said it would meet the costs of cleaning up the site once the fire had been doused, local sources said.

Lombardy Governor Roberto Maroni said he had phoned the Inverno e Monteleone mayor to "assure him we will cover all the expenses related to the environmental clean-up". "We will spend what we have to to make the area safe and secure," Maroni told reporters.

The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) said there was a "dioxin triangle" between Mortara, Cortoleona and Parona in the Pavia area.

It said there was an unusually high number of companies treating waste in that triangle.

The WWF asked for environmental agency ISPRA to monitor dioxin levels in the area after a fire at a factory in Mortara in September.

"These plants are treating a huge amount of waste materials," the WWF said.

Environmental agency ARPA said it had already started testing, but the results would not be known until three days or more.

"We're working as fast as we can," it said.


TEL AVIV - The Israeli "civil administration" in the West Bank is scheduled to approve 1,329 new homes there on January 10, of which two-thirds are located in isolated settlements, according to the independent Israeli peace movement Peace Now.



It said the Israeli Defence Ministry is also about to authorise the construction of 430 housing units in the West Bank settlement-city of Ariel.



"The government continues to behave in an irresponsible way," said Peace Now, adding that the government is doing everything it can "to destroy the possibility of reaching a two-state solution".



Peace Now said that in the small settlement of Alon (in the area of Jericho), 289 housing units are expected to be approved; 120 in Karmey Tzur (north of Hebron); with the construction of a still-unspecified number of homes yet to be approved in Ateret, in the area of Ramallah. As far as plans to extend the settlement-city of Ariel with "at least 430 homes", Peace Now said it based its statement on press reports.
TEL AVIV - A number of NGOs active in Israel on Friday launched a public appeal to Premier Benyamin Netanyahu to block new measures that aim to encourage thousands of African migrants in the country to travel back to countries including Rwanda within 90 days.

The Jerusalem Post reported that NGOS said in the appeal: "Israel is sending these refugees to an unsafe country. Many risk death". "There is no security in Rwanda. Those who have already been expelled there from Israel have been exposed to threats including abduction, torture and human trafficking. They are forced to live as refugees there as well. Few of them are able to subsequently reach a safe country".

The appeal was signed, among others, by Amnesty International, the NGO Kav laOved that works for the social rights of foreign workers in Israel and Assaf, which assists refugees. On Wednesday, Netanyahu told the Knesset that Israel has succeeded in blocking all illegal entrances by Africans in Israel with the institution of a barrier along the border with Egypt and that the phase for their return home has started. He said that 60,000 people have entered the country illegally.

"We have sent 20,000 out and the objective is to make the remaining ones leave", he added. "They have a simple choice: cooperating with us and leave spontaneously, in an honorable and human way", he said referring to economic incentives guaranteed to them. "Otherwise, we will be forced to use other means available under the law", or detention.

Most of the immigrants are from Sudan and Eritrea. Israel has received the consent of Uganda and Rwanda to welcome them back, provided they are leaving "voluntarily" and that they are not expelled. Israel is guaranteeing to give each migrant 3,500 dollars if they leave Israel.

According to press reports, such an offer will expire in three months. Those who will not take advantage of it will lose the opportunity.
Egypt: one tourist dead, 12 injured in hot air balloon crash Near Luxor. Incident due to strong wind

(ANSAmed) - CAIRO, JANUARY 5 - A hot air balloon crashed near Luxor in southern Egypt, causing the death of a South African tourist and injuring 12 others, including at least four Spanish nationals, the Egyptian interior ministry said Friday.



No Italian national was injured, the Italian embassy in Cairo said.



The victim is a ''36-year-old woman'' from South Africa, according to Mena news agency, which quoted Health Minister Khaled Magahed, who said that two of those injured are in ''serious'' condition. Tourists are of ''different nationalities'' the news agency also said.



According to initial investigations, the incident was caused by strong winds that hit the hot air balloon as it was attempting an emergency landing.



At least two of those injured were taken to the public hospital of Luxor. The online edition of Egytian daily Al Ahram said the wind hit the balloon west of the famous archeological city near the new highway in the desert.



In 2013, 19 tourists died when a hot air balloon caught fire in Egypt.



Hot air balloon flights were temporarily suspended in 2016 after 22 Chinese tourists reported minor injuries in one such flight.



Ever since then, excursions are monitored with video cameras and balloons cannot fly beyond an altitude of 2,000 meters.



(ANSAmed).




Migrants: Israeli NGOs against Rwanda expulsions 'African country is unsafe, many risk death', they say

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, JANUARY 5 - A number of NGOs active in Israel on Friday launched a public appeal to Premier Benyamin Netanyahu to block new measures that aim to encourage thousands of African migrants in the country to travel back to countries including Rwanda within 90 days.



The Jerusalem Post reported that NGOS said in the appeal: "Israel is sending these refugees to an unsafe country. Many risk death".



"There is no security in Rwanda. Those who have already been expelled there from Israel have been exposed to threats including abduction, torture and human trafficking. They are forced to live as refugees there as well. Few of them are able to subsequently reach a safe country".



The appeal was signed, among others, by Amnesty International, the NGO Kav laOved that works for the social rights of foreign workers in Israel and Assaf, wich assists refugees. (ANSAmed).




Peace Now denounces '1,329 new West Bank settlement houses' NGO calls Israeli government 'irresponsible'

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, JANUARY 5 - The Israeli "civil administration" in the West Bank is scheduled to approve 1,329 new homes there on January 10, of which two-thirds are located in isolated settlements, according to the independent Israeli peace movement Peace Now.



It said the Israeli Defence Ministry is also about to authorise the construction of 430 housing units in the West Bank settlement-city of Ariel.



"The government continues to behave in an irresponsible way," said Peace Now, adding that the government is doing everything it can "to destroy the possibility of reaching a two-state solution".



Peace Now said that in the small settlement of Alon (in the area of Jericho), 289 housing units are expected to be approved; 120 in Karmey Tzur (north of Hebron); with the construction of a still-unspecified number of homes yet to be approved in Ateret, in the area of Ramallah. As far as plans to extend the settlement-city of Ariel with "at least 430 homes", Peace Now said it based its statement on press reports. (ANSAmed).




Yemen: media, Riyadh intercepts Houthi missile in south After two launched against Riyadh in November, December

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, JANUARY 5 - A missile launched towards Saudi Arabia by Yemeni Houthi rebels, allies of Iran, was intercepted Friday by the Saudi anti-missile defense system in the southern region of Najran at the border with Yemen, according to Saudi website Arab News.



Between November and December, two missiles launched by Houthis against the Saudi capital were intercepted. Shortly before the announcement of the interception, Al Masirah television, controlled by the Houthis, said a missile had been launched against Saudi Arabia.



The attack occurred after at least 50 people, including 12 civilians, between Wednesday and Thursday were killed in air raids by the Saudi-led Arab coalition against Houthi positions in Hodeida province on the Red Sea.



Yesterday, coalition spokesman Turki al Maliki said that another missile launched by the Houthis was intercepted last Friday.



According to the spokesman, 86 missiles have been launched against Saudi Arabia by the Shiite rebels since the start of the conflict in March 2015, when the Saudi-led coalition started bombing the Houthis.



The rebels, however, continue to control vast regions and the capital Sanaa.



The US and Saudi Arabia say that Iran provides them with missiles used for the attacks, an allegation rejected by Tehran.



(ANSAmed)
ANSAmed - Weekly diary from January 8 to January 14

(ANSAmed) - ROME, JANUARY 5 - Weekly diary of the main events scheduled in the Euro-Mediterranean area from January 8 to January 14: MONDAY, JANUARY 8 No major events scheduled TUESDAY, JANUARY 9 BRUSSELS - EU, High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini and Commissioners Johannes Hahn and Christos Stylianides will receive Horst Kohler, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Western Sahara.



TUNIS - Hearing in trial of 33 people accused of the terrorist attack at the luxury resort in Sousse on June 26, 2015, in which 38 people died TUNIS - Hearing in trial for the terrorist attack at the Bardo Museum on March 18, 2015, in which 24 people died, including four Italians WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10 ROME - Southern EU Countries Summit THURSDAY, JANUARY 11 TEL AVIV - Anniversary of the death of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ROME - 8th edition of the Errichetta Festival dedicated to masters of Balkan and Middle Eastern music (until 18/1) FRIDAY, JANUARY 12 No major events scheduled SATURDAY, JANUARY 13 No major events scheduled SUNDAY, JANUARY 14 TUNIS - Anniversary of the fall of the regime of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (ANSAmed).




Erdogan in Paris to calm tensions with Europe Meeting with Macron at Elysee Palace

(ANSAmed) - PARIS, JANUARY 5 - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is on an official visit in Paris on Friday in an attempt to calm tensions and try to reopen dialogue between Turkey and Europe.



Erdogan met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace, followed by a working lunch and a joint press conference.



In a speech published on Friday in French daily Le Figaro, Erdogan expressed his willingness to "mend fences with France and Europe" following strong tensions after the attempted coup in Turkey in July 2016.



However, some were critical of the Turkish president over his visit.



Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said, "EU countries must be inflexible" with the Turkish president, especially regarding arrested journalists and the current situation of the press in Turkey.



RSF held a spontaneous protest at the Turkish Embassy in Paris over Erdogan's visit.



The demonstration lasted about 15 minutes before being broken up by French police. (ANSAmed).




Lebanon: two indicted for 'Israeli plot' Charged for alleged plan to kill premier's MP aunt

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, JANUARY 5 - Two Lebanese nationals, including a main residing in Israel, have been indicted in Beirut on charges of attempting to organize the murder of MP Bahia Hariri, aunt of Premier Saad Hariri, at the order of Israeli secret services. The murder was allegedly intended to spark a crisis in Lebanon after the premier stepped down last November.



The Lebanese newspaper Daily Star reported on Friday that military judge Riad Abu Ghayda indicted Mohammad Mustafa al Dabet on charges that he was working for the Mossad and operated at the orders of another Lebanese national, Walid al Naqouzi, who lives in Israel and was indicted in absentia.



Israel "wanted to take advantage of Hariri's resignation and asked Dabet to prepare a plot to kill MP Hariri to shake the country", according to the prosecution. The magistrate believes Dabet then was supposed to flee to Turkey.



In a surprise announcement last November 4 from Riyadh, Saad Hariri announced he was stepping down as premier. He remained in the Saudi capital for about two weeks before returning home via Paris and revoking his resignation. (ANSAmed).




PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron, in a joint press conference Friday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said there are "disagreements on our respective visions of individual liberties".



"It's important that Turkey stays anchored to the European Convention on Human Rights," Macron said.



He said the current context doesn't permit "any progress" in terms of Turkey's accession to the EU.



"It's clear that we must move away from the hypocrisy in which new chapters can be opened (in Turkey's accession process): it's not true", he said.



Erdogan, who flew to Paris on Friday in an attempt to try to mend fences with France and Europe after tensions erupted following the July 2016 coup attempt in his country, said Turkey is a "country of law".



"The West always tells us that justice must be independent, and our justice is independent and makes its own decisions, its own verdicts", Erdogan said.



"Terrorism doesn't develop on its own, there are also cultivators of terrorism: men of thoughts, of ideas, who write in newspapers. They are the ones who bring the water to the mill" of terrorism, he said, responding to criticism over arrests in Turkey.



"We have had 35,000 terrorism martyrs. I hope France never has to pay this price", he said.



Macron, however, also said that "on a bilateral, regional and international plane, we have common interests and numerous challenges to face together: the first is the fight against terrorism, and on this topic our cooperation is exemplary".



"We will continue our fight against ISIS; we will do it intensely," Erdogan said, adding that Turkey will continue to "help Syrian refugees" because "it's a humanitarian duty".



Macron said in post-war Syria it will be necessary to work together to "build peace and stability" with "a transition process chosen by the Syrian people in which all voices will be represented and will be able to express themselves".


UAE annuls ban on Tunisian women entering country Tunisia announces resuming Emirates Airlines flights

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, JANUARY 5 - The United Arab Emirates' Foreign Ministry said Friday in a statement released by Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the authorities there have decided to annul the ban on Tunisian women entering the country.



The ban was introduced on December 22 for "contingent and temporary security reasons".



It also said it would resume flights with Tunisia.



The UAE's foreign minister said he respects cooperation between the two countries, the information provided by Tunisia, and his willingness to dissipate any doubt about the state-owned airline.



The Tunisian transport minister said Emirates Airlines flights would resume in Tunisia.



The decision therefore puts an end to a certain tension between the two countries, which never developed into an actual diplomatic crisis.



However, two days after the UAE announced the ban, Tunisia decided to suspend Emirates Airlines flights in Tunisia "until the airline finds a solution to the current block, in conformity with laws and international conventions".



The situation had created controversy in Tunisia, in particular among women, who bombarded the Emirates Airlines' Facebook page with criticism and appeals for a boycott, as well as online protests under the hashtag #nowomennofly.



UAE authorities had taken the decision to ban female travelers from Tunisia based on information regarding an attempted terrorist attack allegedly planned by a women with a Tunisian passport. (ANSAmed).






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We are very pleased that flights between Egypt and Russia will now resume, as its a clear sign of the confidence that the Russian government has in the aviation and airport security standards that Egypt has introduced, says Amr El-Ezabi, Director UK & Ireland for the Egyptian State Tourist Authority. We hope this will encourage flights back to Sharm el-Sheikh from the UK so that travellers can return to the destination.

Once one of the top winter sun destinations for British tourists due to its year-round exceptional weather, beautiful beaches and value for money, Sharm el-Sheikh has suffered since flights from numerous European countries to its airport were suspended following the 2015 crash of a Russian Metrojet aircraft shortly after take-off.

Other Egyptian destinations such as Hurghada and the Red Sea Bays have worked hard to gradually replace Sharm el-Sheikh, offering the same year-round beach and diving attractions.

Russia suspended all flights to Egypt, not just Sharm el-Sheikh, immediately after the Metrojet incident, citing security concerns with the airports. The Egyptian government has since invested 20 million to raising airport security standards, working a British aviation security firm. All European countries, except for the UK, have now permitted flights to resume.

Egypts Minister of Tourism, Mohamed Rashed affirmed that the announcement was a positive step toward returning international visitation figures to Egypt to their 2010 peak by the end of 2018.

EgyptAir will initially operate services from Cairo to Moscow three times per week from February 2018, with announcements on charter flights to holiday destinations resuming expected to follow shortly.
On September 17, Qatars Minister of State for Defense, Khalid bin Mohammed al Attiyah, and his British counterpart, Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon, signed a statement of intent outlining a proposed Qatari purchase of 24 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.

Though many media outlets expressed surprise at what they described as an unexpected announcement, the Qatari deal follows several years of negotiations, and meets a long-standing Qatari requirement for at least 72 fighters that had not been completely fulfilled by recent orders for 24 Dassault Rafales in March 2016 and for 36 Boeing F-15QA (Qatar Advanced) Eagles in June 2017.

Moreover, when its fighter requirement was first unveiled, Qatar said that it would acquire new aircraft from two or even three suppliers  as reported by Arabian Aerospace at the time, with a predicted three-way split, including 24 examples each of the Rafale, F-15QA and Typhoon.

The Typhoon briefly appeared to have slipped off Qatars shortlist after a Qatari evaluation of the Eurofighter Typhoon in the UK, scheduled for April 2011, was cancelled because the personnel involved on the Qatari side were all involved in the Libyan operations, and after reports emerged that Qatar had been unhappy with the costs being quoted by the UK MoD for flying RAF aircraft.

Qatars procurement strategy has been first-rate. The Emirate opened negotiations with France first, judging that Dassault was hungriest and most likely to give the best deal. By taking out options as well as ordering aircraft, it would appear to subsequent suppliers that if they did not make a similarly competitive offer, then Qatar might just go back and order more Rafales.

The Eurofighter Typhoon was left until last, as the most expensive offering. By doing so, Qatar fortuitously found itself dealing with a Eurofighter that had lost out on a large order in India, and whose campaign in Malaysia had stalled, and where prospects for a second batch in Saudi Arabia seemed to have faded. All of the cards were in Qatars hands, and serious negotiations between Qatar and Britain began in about 2015.

Splitting a 72-aircraft order three ways is extremely unusual, and is superficially hard to understand  since it will inevitably impose higher costs and reduce any economies of scale, while also requiring more infrastructure and more complex logistics.

But for Qatar, where costs may not be the primary concern, the three-way split can be seen to make much better sense.

The three procurements will give Qatar relationships with three suppliers (and six primary customer air forces) rather than with just one, and will allow its senior officers to see different operational and support concepts at close quarters.

Qatars fighter pilots will be able to train and exercise with the Armee de lAirs Rafale squadrons, the US Air Force, and with the Eurofighter partner air forces. They will be able to pick up techniques, tactics and doctrine from all of their new allies. The three types have complementary and slightly overlapping capabilities, meaning that Qatars multi-type fleet will be more capable than a single-type would have been, while also reducing the countrys exposure to possible future embargoes.

The Typhoon has already been purchased by eight nations around the world (the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait), four of them in the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Qatars purchase will boost interoperability across the GCC.

Kuwaits order for 28 aircraft will reportedly push production out to 2023, and the Qatari order, together with an unconfirmed Omani follow-on, a still-possible Saudi second order and a long-hoped for order from Bahrain, could keep the Typhoon production line hot for another five years or more  potentially keeping the aircraft available to meet further future fighter requirements.

The Typhoon has seen extensive operational use in the Middle East, having seen action during the 2011 intervention in Libya (Operation Ellamy) and, more recently, over Iraq and Syria (Operation Shader).

The Royal Saudi Arabian Air Force has used its Typhoons operationally in its long-running campaign in Yemen, and also as part of the multinational operation against the so-called Islamic State.


Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt are coming together for Ayan Mukerjis superhero trilogy Brahmastra.

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in Tel Aviv for 'Brahmastra'.

Mumbai: Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt are coming together for Ayan Mukerjis superhero trilogy Brahmastra. The movie is backed by Alias mentor Karan Johar, as his production house Dharma Productions is producing the film.

Ranbir and Alia were spotted in Tel Aviv with their fans. Here are some of the cute pics:

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt with fans in Tel Aviv. #Brahmastra pic.twitter.com/a9Uw9hjMSN  RanbirKapoor.Net (@RanbirKapoorFC) January 3, 2018

The two were then even spotted training for the film. Ranbir and Alia seemed to be in full action mode as Alia enacted running and Ranbir looked like he was pushing someone with his hands. See it in the photo here:

#Brahmastra Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt training with Ido Portal in movement and scene design pic.twitter.com/UQcD7cT4UX  RanbirKapoor.Net (@RanbirKapoorFC) January 3, 2018

Alia also shared some absolutely pretty pictures from there. These are some of them:

Alia Bhatt's instagram story

Alia Bhatt's instagram story

Alia Bhatt's instagram story

Apart from this, Ranbir Kapoor is focusing on Dutt biopic, which will release this year. Alia will also work with Ranveer Singh in Gully Boys.
He also took digs at Kalyans political ambitions, comparing him with Rajinikanth, who recently announced his political entry.

Controversial director Ram Gopal Varma is back on Twitter after a seven month break, wasting no time in taking off on Rajinikanth and Pawan Kalyan once again. He tweeted that his comeback is inspired by PKs upcoming film Agnyaathavaasi.

RGV was earlier trolled by Pawan Kalyan fans for his comments on the actor and his then disastrous film Sarkaar 3.

His last tweet was in May 2017, after which he stuck to Facebook and Instagram for airing his views.

He also took digs at Kalyans political ambitions, comparing him with Rajinikanth, who recently announced his political entry. Greatest line said by @superstarrajini is Because of some people Tamilians have lost their prestige and I, Rajini will bring it back. I wish @PawanKalyan will contest all seats in AP like @superstarrajini doing in TN ..if he doesn't do, PKs fans will feel he doesn't have guts like Rajinikanth ..it will be an insult to Telugu peoples prestige if our Superstar has lesser guts than the Superstar of Tamil people (sic), tweeted RGV, adding, If @PawanKalyan doesnt contest with guts in each and every seat of AP, both his fans and all Telugu people will feel he's just a very ordinary star and not a SUPERSTAR like @superstarrajini of the Tamil people (sic).
The victim continued to beg release and cry for help while the bride's family tried to coerce him to cooperate, a video clip showed.

Video clips from the wedding show Vinod Kumar, the forced groom, being thrashed and compelled to perform wedding rituals in Patna's Pandarak area. (Screengrab)

Patna: A 29-year-old junior engineer from Bokaro Steel Plant, was reportedly kidnapped and forced to marry a woman at gunpoint in Bihar.

Video clips from the wedding show Vinod Kumar, the forced groom, being thrashed and compelled to perform wedding rituals in Patna's Pandarak area.

Vinod continued to beg release and cry for help while a group of women, allegedly from the bride's family, tried to coerce him to cooperate, the video showed.

On refusing to apply vermillion to the bride's forehead, her relatives were heard saying, "we are only performing your wedding, not hanging you."

Bihar: Engineer allegedly forced to get married at gunpoint in Patna's Pandarak, kept crying. (2.1.18) pic.twitter.com/8ce1JwHYAP  ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2018

According to local media reports, one of the bride's relatives pointed a pistol at Vinod after they met at a mutual friend's wedding and ordered him to marry her.

In December 2017, when Vinod did not reach home as planned, his brother Sanjay Kumar got in touch with the police and informed them about a phone call from an unknown number that intimated him about his brother's 'pakadua vivah' (forced marriage).

Ever since the incident, Vinod's family has been receiving threat calls to not seek police help and accept the marriage.

"My brother boarded Hatia-Patna express from Bokaro as he had to attend a wedding function near Patna on December 3. Surendra Yadav, the woman's brother, persuaded him to come to Mokama. He was abducted there and taken to Pandarak where my brother was forced to marry the woman," Sanjay said, according to media reports.

The allegations are now being investigated by the police, though Sanjay alleged they had refused to help earlier.

Pandarak police station in-charge Prabhakar Vishwakarma, however, denied the allegations.

"We asked the boy's family to lodge an abduction case at Mokama because the alleged abduction took place there," he was quoted as saying by the media.

Sanjay then approached Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj on whose directions Pandarak police freed Vinod from the village where he was kept after the forced marriage.

"We are looking into it and will take action against the culprits. We are also probing the role of the local police," Patna city SP Amarkesh said.

Reports show that the police received nearly 3,000 complaints of groom kidnapping in 2016, none of the which were annulled.
Lalu Prasad appeared before the court for the sentencing through video-conferencing and sought leniency through a written plea.

The 69-year-old RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav is lodged in the central jail in Ranchi since his conviction on December 23. (Photo: File/PTI)

Ranchi: Citing illness and old age, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, convicted in a fodder scam case along with 10 others, on Friday sought leniency from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court which will pronounce the quantum of punishment on Saturday.

Lalu Prasad appeared before the court of CBI special judge Shiv Pal Singh for the sentencing hearing through video-conferencing from Birsa Munda central jail and in a written plea sought leniency due to his illness and old age, his counsel Chittaranjan Prasad said.

The 69-year-old RJD leader is lodged in the central jail since his conviction on December 23.

"The judge said he would pronounce the judgement at 2 pm tomorrow," Chittaranjan Prasad told reporters after emerging from the video-conferencing hall in Ranchi.

The court had convicted Lalu Prasad for offences of cheating with criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Under the sections, Lalu Prasad can be sentenced to a minimum jail term of one year and maximum of seven years, according to Chittaranjan Prasad.

According to legal experts, Lalu Prasad would be able to apply for bail immediately at the lower court itself if the quantum of sentence happens to be less than three years.

The court concluded arguments on the quantum of punishment against Lalu Prasad and 10 others in connection with the withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deogarh Treasury between 1990 and 1994 when he was the chief minister of Bihar.

Earlier, he was awarded five years imprisonment in 2013 in a case relating to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 33.61 crore from the Chaibasa treasury.

The RJD supremo was later released on bail granted by the Supreme Court.

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

Besides Lalu Prasad, the court today heard arguments on the punishment of RJD leader R K Rana, former IAS officers Phoolchand Singh, Mahesh Prasad, former government official Subir Bhattacharya, suppliers/transporters Tripurari Mohan Prasad, Sushil Kumar Sinha, Sunil Kumar Sinha, Raja Ram Joshi, Sanjay Agarwal and Sunil Gandhi.

The court had heard pre-sentencing arguments in alphabetical order on Thursday of former IAS officer Beck Julius, Gopinath Das, RJD leader Jagdish Sharma, transporter/suppliers Jyoti Kumar Jha and Krishna Kumar Prasad.

It had deferred announcing the punishment against Lalu Prasad and others for the second consecutive day on Friday.

The court had on December 23 convicted all the 16 accused in the fodder scam while acquitting six others, including former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra.

In 1996, the Patna High Court had ordered an inquiry into the fodder scam cases and a charge sheet in the Deogarh treasury case was filed against 38 people on October 27, 1997.

Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07, a CBI official said.

On September 30, 2013, Yadav, Jagannath Mishra and several others had been convicted in another case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa Treasury in the early 1990s. The conviction on December 23 last is the second in the scam.

RJD leaders, meanwhile, asserted that none from the party made telephone calls to the special CBI judge at Ranchi as claimed by him but felt political opponents may have done so in the guise of RJD supporters.

The assertions were made by Shivanand Tiwary and senior party leader Jagdanand Singh.

Judge Shiv Pal Singh, before deferring the pronouncement on quantum of punishment on Lalu Prasad on Thursday, commented in his presence about him receiving phone calls from the RJD chief's well-wishers.

"I came to know about it (special CBI judge Singh making the aforementioned statement in court) through media reports. I can say with certainty that no RJD leader would resort to such a step, as everyone knows that such desperation can backfire", Tiwary told reporters in Patna.

He also said "the possibility of our political opponents making such a call in the guise of RJD supporters cannot be ruled out. They may indulge in such mischief to queer the pitch for Lalu".

The RJD vice president hoped the quantum of sentence in the Deogarh case will be less than the one awarded to him in 2013 since the amount involved in the present case is "much smaller" than the previous case.
Expected to pass Rajya Sabha test as most parties support it.

New Delhi: After a more than four-hour-long discussion where 18 MPs spoke, the Lok Sabha passed the High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2017, a bill to up the salaries of judges of the Supreme Court and the 24 high courts on Thursday.

The bill will now move to the Rajya Sabha where it is expected to pass muster as most parties, including the Opposition, have expressed their support to the bill. But with Friday being the last working day of the Winter Session of Parliament, if the Upper House doesnt pass the bill, the proposed salary hike for the SC and HC judges willl have to wait till the Budget Session.

Once the bill becomes a law after final parliamentary approval, the Chief Justice of India will get a monthly salary of Rs 2.80 lakh from the present Rs 1 lakh, while other judges of the apex court and chief justices of the high courts will get a monthly salary of Rs 2.50 lakh from the current Rs 90,000 and high court judges will take home Rs 2.25 lakh per month, up from Rs 80,000 per month now.

The salary hike, which is in line with the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission for officers of all-India services, will come into force retrospectively from January 1, 2016.

The bill also seeks to revise the rates of house rent allowance with effect from July 1, 2017 and the rates of sumptuary allowance with effect from September 22, 2017.

During the discussion, Lok Sabha MPs, cutting across party lines, stressed on the supremacy of Parliament over judiciary even as they underscored that the judiciary should refrain from framing laws and getting into the domain of the legislature.

Legislation should be left to Parliament... Day by day the conflict is emerging and unless it is stopped by the judiciary, in 10-15 years, there will be a direct conflict between judiciary and Parliament, Kalyan Banerjee (TMC) said.

Agreeing with Mr Banerjee, deputy speaker M. Thambidurai, who was in the Chair, said the judiciarys function is to interpret the law. They cant legislate the law.
The UIDAI on Thursday said the Aadhaar data including biometric information is fully safe and secure.

American whistleblower Edward Snowden said the Aadhaar database conceived and introduced by the Indian government can also be misused and abuse. (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi: A day after the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) denied that there was any breach of the Aadhaar database, American whistleblower Edward Snowden said on Friday the Aadhaar database conceived and introduced by the Indian government can also be misused and abused.

Retweeting CBS journalist Zack Whittaker's response on a BuzzFeed report on the breach of Aadhaar database in India, Snowden said, "It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse."

It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse. https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f  Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 4, 2018

Whittaker had earlier said, "ICYMI. India has a national ID database with the private information of nearly 1.2 billion nationals. It's reportedly been breached. Admin accounts can be made and access can be sold to the database, reports BuzzFeed."

The UIDAI on Thursday said the Aadhaar data including biometric information is fully safe and secure.

It termed The Tribune report titled 'Rs 500, 10 minutes, and you have access to billion Aadhaar details' a case of misreporting.

"There has not been any Aadhaar data breach. The Aadhaar data including biometric information is fully safe and secure," the UIDAI said in a statement.

This development has come at a time when the Supreme Court is set to begin the final hearing of petitions challenging the legality of Aadhaar programme based on privacy concerns on January 17.

In August 2017, the Supreme Court held that privacy is a fundamental right under the Constitution of India.
Home Minister Bhoopendra Singh directed Indore DIG & Indore RTO to investigate the incident and submit a report immediately.

The bus belonged to Delhi Public School and collided with the truck on Kanadia Road in Indore. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Indore: Five students of the Delhi Public School (DPS) at Indore, Madhya Pradesh were killed when their bus collided with a truck on Friday afternoon, police said.

The bus driver was also killed, while four other students were injured in the mishap at a bypass near here, they said.

"The bus was carrying students of the Delhi Public School (DPS) when it collided with the truck at Kanadiya bypass. Five students and the bus driver were killed in the accident which occurred because of a steering failure," said Harinarayan Chari Mishra, DIG (Indore).

The injured were admitted to a private hospital, he said.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Manoj Kumar Rai said the school bus was on its way to drop the students to their homes when the collision took place.

He said the front portion of the bus was badly damaged due to the impact of the crash.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Bhupendra Singh said he has sought a report on the accident from the DIG and the RTO.

Talking to the media, Minister for School Education Deepak Joshi said the government will fix responsibility on schools regarding the safety of students.

"The government had issued guidelines for schools after a school bus accident in Bhopal. We will fix responsibility on schools to ensure the safety of children," Joshi said.
Over the past couple of months, Mr Gandhi has taken to Twitter to attack the government and PM Modi.

New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday hit out at the government over the non-appointment of Lokpal. Four years have gone by, but the Lokpal has not come. The public is asking only one question  till when will you blow the tune of falsehood? Are the defenders of democracy and harbingers of accountability listening?, Mr Gandhi tweeted, using #FindingLokpal as a hashtag.

The UPA government had come under severe criticism over the Lokpal issue. Activist Anna Hazare had led a movement against the government in 2011 over the non-appointment of Lokpal, and fasted over the issue.

Protests held at Delhis Jantar Mantar seeking the immediate appointment of the Lokpal. The then UPA government constituted a joint drafting committee for the Lokpal Bill that included social activists and lawyers.

The Lokpal Bill was passed by Parliament in 2013, but though four years have passed, no Lokpal has been appointed. Mr Gandhi also highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modis December 2013 tweet on the passage of the Lokpal Bill, when the UPA was in power at the Centre and Mr Modi was Gujarat CM. Mr Modi had then tweeted: Am very proud of the positive and proactive role played by BJP MPs under the leadership of Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley in passing the Lokpal Bill.

Under the bill, the Lokpal has to be appointed to look into allegations of corruption against public officials. But the appointment has been stuck in procedural issues.

Over the past couple of months, Mr Gandhi has taken to Twitter to attack the government and PM Modi. The Congress feels while the government and the BJP make tall claims on its anti-corruption drive, it has failed to act over the Lokpals appointment. The party plans to raise this in the coming election campaigns.
The riverfront will be flanked with paintings depicting scenes from the Ramayana and Gita

Lucknow: Former chief minister Akhilesh Yadavs controversial dream project, the Gomti Riverfront, is set for a makeover.

Even as the riverfront project remains mired in allegations of financial scam and controversies over excess payment and the CBI is already probing the same, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has decided to complete the project.

UP minister for irrigation Dharampal Singh told reporters on Thursday that the disco culture of the riverfront project would be replaced with a spiritual culture.

Instead of Bollywood chartbusters, strains from the Ramayana and Gita will be played at the riverfront and the disco lights will also be replaced with more soothing lights.

The riverfront will be flanked with paintings depicting scenes from the Ramayana and Gita. The idea is to develop the project as a religious tourism destination.

We will be releasing more water in the Gomti to enliven the riverfront project. We will be installing more fountains and give the project a touch of the local folklore. Folk artists and folk songs will also be a part of the riverfront, he said.

The Gomti riverfront project had been showcased as an example of corruption in the previous SP government by the BJP during the Assembly elections last year.

A day after assuming the chief ministers office, Mr Yogi went to the riverfront to assess the progress of work and found that though `1,400 crore had already been spent, 40 per cent of the work remained incomplete. An additional `1,500 crore would be needed to complete the project. It was then that the chief minister recommended a CBI probe into the project.
Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that the book is full of false and fake information and Trump believes that it shouldnt be published.

Henry Holt, the publisher, confirmed that due to unprecedented demand, they are moving the on-sale date for all formats of "Fire and Fury," by Michael Wolff, to Friday, January 5. (Photo: AFP/File)

The White House on Thursday said that Donald Trump does not believe that an explosive book making sensational claims about his time as president should go on sale January 9.

Interestingly, the publisher responded hours later, saying they agreed, and bumped up the release by four days.

Fire and Fury has now hit shelves on Friday, January 5.

One of Trump's personal lawyers demanded on Thursday morning 'Fire and Fury,' by columnist Michael Wolff, be shelved because of what he said were maliciously false claims made in the book against the president.

Furthermore, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters on Thursday afternoon that the book is full of false and fake information and that Trump clearly believes that it shouldnt be published.

She went on to add that it is completely tabloid gossip, full of false and fraudulent claims,' she said.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, Henry Holt, the publisher, confirmed that due to unprecedented demand, they are moving the on-sale date for all formats of "Fire and Fury," by Michael Wolff, to Friday, January 5, at 9 a.m. ET.

On the other hand, Sanders had insisted that while the president believes in the First Amendment, he suggested that libel and defamation can outweigh freedom of speech.

Sanders insisted that Thursday morning's cease-and-desist letter from California attorney Charles J. Harder, known for representing pro wrestler Hulk Hogan and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner, was a demand from Trump personally, and not a command from the federal government.

Meanwhile, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has emerged as the villain in the new year's first seismic political quake, drawing condemnation and a separate lawsuit threat from the president's legal orbit.

'This book is mistake after mistake after mistake,' Sanders insisted Thursday, noting that some quoted subjects have already disputed words attributed to them and that other information presented as fact.
She was part of a shoot celebrating the new Suffragettes along with prominent women.

The issue marks 100 years since women won the right to vote in the country (Photo: Twitter)

Transgender rights and their representation in society have been major issues across the globe for a long time now. While last year saw Playboy featuring its first transgender playmate and India also witnessed a big step forward with model Anjali Lama walking the ramp at Lakme Fashion week, this year also promises a lot to look forward to.

Transgender model Paris Lees was told she will never be a girl, but she has hit back at everyone who undermined her to feature on the cover of British Vogue. She was part of a shoot celebrating the new Suffragettes along with prominent women.

The model who describes herself as a writer, presenter and campaigner can be seen alongside blogger Dina Torkia, artist Gillian Wearing and Labour MP Stella Creasy in the February issue. The issue marks 100 years since women won the right to vote in the country.

Paris Lees shared the picture on Twitter thanking Edward Enninful and slamming everyone who tried to put her down.

Thank you @Edward_Enninful for including me in @BritishVogue, and this special moment, with these strong, smart and inspiring women. As we celebrate 100 years since women have been able to vote in the UK, let's make sure we're fighting for ALL women. Our diversity is our strength pic.twitter.com/ve8M9wzfDw  Paris Lees (@parislees) January 4, 2018

Look how far we've come. It's insane that I could be in Vogue. A trans kid from a council estate. People at school told me I'd never be a girl, would never be pretty enough, would never be accepted WELL HERE I AM BEING CELEBRATED AS A WOMAN  IN VOGUE FFS!https://t.co/Wsd84E84bI  Paris Lees (@parislees) January 4, 2018

She also mentioned how careers of transgender models April Ashley and Caroline Cossey were ruined when their identity was revealed, and wrote that she was thankful that times were changing.
The court said that the litigants must exhaust all other legal remedies before approaching the high court with PIL.

The court said that the litigants must exhaust all other legal remedies before approaching the high court with PIL.

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Thursday told a petitioner that if he really cares about the scam of Nalla Safai (de-silting scam), then instead of filing public interest litigation (PIL), he should first approach the local police and if there is no action only then he should come before the high court.

The court said that the litigants must exhaust all other legal remedies before approaching the high court with PIL.

The division bench of Justice S C Dharmadhikari and Justice and B H Dangre suggested this while hearing PIL filed by activist Vivekanand Gupta seeking probe by ACB in connection with alleged scam in Nalla Safai due to which there was water logging during monsoon in 2015.

Gupta in his petition has alleged serious irregularities on part of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in construction of roads and de-silting of drains from 2013 to 2016.

Justice Dharmadhikari said that the petitioner must try to get his or her statement recorded with the police or approach a magistrate with the complaint before approaching the high court.

The high court cannot be treated like a servant, where people come and file PILs and then we have to sit and send them to the magistrate or police. This is not done, he added.

Though petitioner had filed the PIL last year and following this the Economic offences wing (EOW) had lodged a complaint against several officials of Municipal Corporation and other private persons who had begged the contract and had carried out these works.

However, when the petition again came up for hearing on Thursday the bench sought to know if the petitioner had taken any steps to register FIR against accused and after getting a reply in negative the bench suggested that Mr Gupta should first go to the police and get his statement recorded.

The bench was of the view that the citizens, especially the activists who know the law and its procedures, should exhaust all other remedies like approaching police or magistrate before filing a petition in the HC.
Mr Pawar told this paper, I am very sure that what Jadhav is saying in that video is being recorded under force, and he must be tortured.

Mumbai: Reacting to the propaganda video released by the Pakistan foreign ministry, which shows Indian former navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is in Pakistani custody since March 2017 on charges related to alleged spying and terror, purportedly confessing to being an Indian spy, his Mumbai-based family members and friends said he was coerced and tutored by his captors to say that in front of the camera.

Tulsidas Pawar, one of the closest friends of Jadhav said, When I saw his face on December 25 in a video, I could not recognise him. I cannot believe what all he must be going through but I can assure one thing, whatever he is doing, he still has not given up on the hope that he will return to his country one day.

Mr Pawar told this paper, I am very sure that what Jadhav is saying in that video is being recorded under force, and he must be tortured. Why would he speak in the favour of the people who have kept him in captivity?

Another close relative, who did not wished to be names told this paper, That meeting on December 25 was a joke. Jadhavs mother and wife were made to change clothes, and they were not even allowed to touch him.

In the video that was released by Pakistans Foreign Office, Jadhav said that he is being looked after very well in captivity and is happy that the Pakistani government let him meet his mother and wife on December 25. In the video, Jadhav added, The Indian diplomat or the Indian person who had come along with my mother was shouting on (sic) my mother the moment she stepped out, he was yelling at her.
More and his family had left the city to attend the bicentenary celebrations of Bhima-Koregaon war in Pune on January 1.

The violence was witnessed between an area near Vikhroli (west) railway station and Gulati petrol pump.

Mumbai: The polices investigation into the incidents of violence and vandalism in the Vikhroli-Chembur-Govandi belt revealed that the rumours about the reason behind the death of a man on Tuesday  who had attended the bicentennial anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in Pune on Monday  fuelled unrest in Vikhroli (west) during Wednesdays bandh.

The man, identified as Chintamani More (65), had died due to a heart attack but it was widely suspected in his neighbourhood that his demise was linked to the Mondays violence in Pune. The police eventually cited the post-mortem report findings, which confirmed he died of natural causes, to pacify his agitated neighbours.

More and his family had left the city to attend the bicentenary celebrations of Bhima-Koregaon war in Pune on January 1. Sources in the police said that More however suffered a heart attack when the family reached Pune rural. The family rushed him to a nearby hospital there, where he was declared dead.

The body was then brought to Mumbai for conducting final rites. It is alleged that rumours were spread that More had died due to mob violence at Bhima-Koregaon. Locals only had half-baked information that the family had left for Pune on January 1 morning.

A postmortem was conducted on More on January 2, and the police was with the family and supervised the last rites. However, because of the rumours, the mobs divided into separate groups and went on a rampage.

The violence was witnessed between an area near Vikhroli (west) railway station and Gulati petrol pump owing to the resentment due to the rumours.

The mob also indulged into arson and tried to set few vehicles on fire. However, fire tenders deployed in the bandobast team doused the fire in time, said a senior police officer.
It was a surprise comeback since many among us had strived to import a permanent stamp on Mian Sahibs flight from Pakistan.

They say that the Sharifs visit to Saudi Arabia was in no way linked to the scheduled general election in Pakistan. Mian Nawaz Sharifs news conference after his surprise return home had everything to do with the 2018 general election.

It was a surprise comeback since many among us had strived to import a permanent stamp on Mian Sahibs flight from Pakistan. According to the script, the Sharif brothers were to eagerly put their thumbprints on a deal that was to free Nawaz from the burden of having to take on the establishment.

The deal was to release him of his democratic bondage and provide him refuge away from the tough schedule in Pakistan that, among other nuisances, required him to frequently appear in court. Younger brother Shahbaz Sharif was, in contrast, to emerge as the one leading the PML(N)s charge towards and beyond the 2018 general election.

There was no word  neither was one sought with any urgency  about how Shahbaz Sahib himself was to escape the much feared legal juggernaut and stay relevant to Pakistani politics. It was a given that, if the Saudi monarchy so desired, he could still be the man to beat in the dash for power this year.

So sure were we that journalists and other interested citizens in Lahore started to prepare for the emotional shock of living without Shahbaz Sahib and his dynamic leadership. Few of them were ready to trade him for Hamza Shahbaz. The sense of anticipation and loss hit hard as the two Sharif brothers went through the familiar screening process in Saudi Arabia.

Various explanations were offered about the visit by the two Sharifs  the former Prime Minister following the Punjab chief minister to the land from where we Pakistanis derive so much solace and spiritual and worldly strength.

One theory that was rather easy on the mind, perhaps purely because it was based on the chronological order of things, was a remark attributed to Nawaz Sharif which was neither denied nor confirmed. It was a remark in which Mian Sahib was said to have approved of Shahbaz Sahib as his candidate for Prime Minister in the next election. The explanation said that it was this remark which had set Shahbaz Shaib off for Saudi Arabia. Mian Sahib followed him there to reconfirm with the Saudi royalty that Shahbaz Sahib did indeed enjoy his blessings.

There is, as yet, no word if this is the right explanation for the mysterious Sharif voyage to the land of bounty, or which ones of all these theories paraded in public for the last so many days have some truth to them. This may be an entirely wrong impression of the expedition, its purpose and outcome. But at the risk of sounding repetitive, let us remember that there are people here who believed from the outset that this is what Mian Sahib had been aiming for  forwarding Shahbaz Sahibs credentials for the office of Prime Minister and at the same time maintaining a tough-talking second prong with the help of Maryam Nawaz.

Considering the odds, it would appear a good enough bargain for the PML(N) to aim for. The most ardent of Mian Sahibs fans were giving him few chances to turn the tables on what appeared to be his fate. He was most unlikely to redeem himself, and quickly, to be able to lay claim to the leadership mantle in the context of the 2018 general polls.

Even Shahbaz Sahib initially appeared to have little effect on the kingmakers, summoning his most innocent, most promising expressions on the occasion with the help of his portfolio of all the development work conducted with typical severity. The children of the Sharif family as the next leaders was a proposition fraught with danger. Shahbaz Sahib had to be the best bet for the 2018 election.

Election apparently weighed heavily on Nawaz Sharifs mind as he spoke to the press corps upon his return from the soul-cleansing journey to Saudi Arabia  election and democracy which in a poll year has more to do with votes than at any other time. He did warn them that he would come out with the whole truth about what has been happening in Islamabad in the last four odd years, since he was elected Prime Minister in 2013. On the day he did speak about a common problem: the difficulties faced by a man who has to frequently show up in court. But if one were to pinpoint one salient point on which he put utmost emphasis it had to be election 2018.

Take a look. A report in news website said Sharif described how elections in Pakistan have historically not been taken seriously, preventing successive Prime Ministers from completing their term.

Because 2018 is a year for elections, he said, this worn-out rule of the past is being applied again today.

They are trying to shift the publics views ... Block the way for a certain political party, and pave the way for the[ir]) darling.

He spoke about the most recent assessment of the numbers and claimed the PML(N) was way ahead of others and its vote bank still larger than the vote bank of all other political parties combined. The ones afraid of this truth are trying hard to change the reality and turn it into something else.

I want to say in crystal clear words today that this countrys fate is linked to free and fair elections. Every political party should have equal opportunity to take part in these elections.

Secret telephone calls and deals should not be used to tie our hands, and to give the darling a new deal and new dheel (freedom).

The passionate, focused call for a level playing field for elections could well mean a concentration on polls. The stress would be misplaced unless the big brother has decided who is going to lead this thrust for power.

By arrangement with Dawn
In his words: "I am just a professional writer, which means I don't do blogs and try and get money for whatever I write."

The latest and absolutely necessary historical endeavour is the one to which Mr Tharoor has contributed.

Wise men believe in luck-

Only fools rely on it.

From The Proverbs of Bachchoo-ka-adda

At the end of each year I receive a number of long mails outlining what friends and acquaintances did or achieved over the 365 days of their historically inconsequential lives. Obviously, if I received such blogs from Narendra Modi or Donald Trump (I dont do Twitter) they might be notes to record.

To read six pages about the arthritis, its treatment and the inconveniences it causes to someone I hardly know is not, I think, historically important. But that is a subjective judgement. Later generations may judge that Jagdish Blogmantris account of his arthritis are a priceless contribution to the 56th centurys understanding of the state of the human body before ultimate-genetic-diversion (UGT) was discovered and everyone began to live for as long as they liked, including forever.

So what must we treat as history? And what evidence separates history from opinion, and even from fantasy and myth?

I am sure eminent universities set that as a philosophical question, expecting well-argued answers. But are there really any answers?

A wise Greek said victors write history. In our times academics argue over it. Shashi Tharoor writes An Era of Darkness assessing the exploitation of India by the British. My friend, the renowned historian Roddy Matthews, assures me that the book, while containing some detailed research, is fundamentally wrong-minded and perhaps a political move with some current electoral strategy in mind.

As Pope Francis said, when asked if homosexuality was a sin: Who am I to judge?

But shouldnt all of us have a historical view of where we come from or how, and through the influence of which forces, we have inherited the world we live in?

If someone says that ancient Indians knew about surgical transplanting of organs because Lord Shiva transplanted an elephants head on his son Ganesh, it should make me proud to be an Indian. I could think Yeah, bro we were there before you! but then the fact that Shiva, Parvati and Ganesh were not human, but were gods, impresses itself upon me and I think the person who said ancient Indians were, millennia ago, acquainted with surgical transplants meant precisely that!

He wasnt saying humans carried them out. He was only saying that humans knew about it as the gods had carried it out in swarg! He could have added that humans, Indians and the rest, would have to wait till Christiaan Barnard did the first heart transplant in South Africa in the 1960s  but then thats factual history and we can choose to include it, believe it or ignore it.

Most historians do all three. The latest and absolutely necessary historical endeavour is the one to which Mr Tharoor has contributed. Now Nigel Biggar, a Regius professor of theology at Oxford, joined the debate with the first publication of a five-year project called Ethics and Empire. It seeks to reappraise the pros and cons of colonialism  not from the point of view of the material profits made by the East India Company in India, but with a view on the long-term effects of the colonial episode in history.

The first paper published by his project leaned towards saying that colonialism in India, the West Indies and Africa was not all exploitative, destructive and bad. It brought with the exploitation of the raw materials and wealth, the benefits of modernisation, the introduction of democratic ambitions and systems and a language that history has turned into a sort of lingua franca (irony noted!).

As is par for this course, Mr Biggar was attacked on all sides  not least by his colleagues and a vociferous lobby of Oxford university undergraduates.

Then one Trevor Phillips, a Briton with roots in Guyana, a former head of the researching, opinionating foundation, the Runnymede Trust, and lately a chief of the Commission For Racial Equality (and, I should declare, a long-standing friend), launched into the debate in support of Professor Biggar.

Mr Phillips felt Mr Biggar was being more objective in assessment than those whose view of history was filtered through the political lenses of our time.

Mr Phillips will no doubt, being of Afro-Caribbean origin, face a barrage of denunciation and hell certainly be banned from speaking about anything, even his personal blog and where he went on his holidays, on any British university platform.

I have no intention or ability, gentle reader, to distinguish between the views of, say Mr Tharoor or Professor Biggar. I have noticed in the past that a few, very few, Afro-American, radically outrageous voices have said that had it not been for slavery they wouldnt today be American citizens demanding democratic rights under a by-and-large liberal Constitution. Afro-Americans would still be Africans living under the conditions and regimes of Africa.

It would be an unconscionable leap to conclude therefore that slavery was a good and redeeming thing. Professor Biggars project, making an assessment of the pluses and minuses of colonialism, is subject to the same ambivalences, the same process of history or happenstance.

History may provide certainty about facts and events  such and such a date, such and such a war, so many dead  but there is no certainty about evaluation.

So back to Jagdish Blogmantris blog about his arthritic year. I dont do blogs and accounts of my doings, but who knows, if I put something significant down it may become history. I can but try:

Every Christmas  and other times of the year  I cook delicious Indian meals and inevitably get yellow haldi stains on my clothes and hankies. No bleaches or stain-removers get rid of these. However, my mum told me to wet the stains with some mild acid  vinegar, lime or even lactic acid from milk  and put the clothes out in the bright sunshine. The stain disappears.

The truth, my friends, is that there is no sunshine in December in Britain, so one has to wait for British summer for the sun to chase the yellow. History?
US will now not deliver military equipment or transfer security related funds to Pakistan unless required by law.

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump in a new year tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists. (Photo: AP)

Washington: The US has suspended more than USD 1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network within its border and showing unwillingness to take "decisive actions" against them.

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump in a new year tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

Prominent among the suspended amount include USD 255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

In addition, the Department of Defense has suspended the entire USD 900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.

"Today we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance only, to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. We consider them to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters.

The US, she said, will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law.

Referring to the new South Asia Policy announced by Trump in August, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack the US and allied personnel.

Department of Defense Spokesperson Lt Col Mike Andrews said the National Defense Authorisation Act 2017 provides up to USD 900 million for Pakistan in CSF.

Of these funds, USD 400 million can only be released if the Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis certifies that the Pakistan government has taken specific actions against the Haqqani Network.

"At this stage all Fiscal Year 17 CSF have been suspended, so that's the entire amount of USD 900 million," Andrews said.

During an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis did not respond to question if he was in favour of cutting off the aid to Pakistan.

"I prefer not to address that right now because it's obviously still being formulated as policy. But I'll give my advice on it to the president. I also agree on some confidentiality there," he said.

According to a senior State Department official, no decision has been taken on the fate of USD 255 million security assistance to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017. The deadline for that is September 30 this year.

Mattis along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have travelled to Pakistan in recent months to deliver tough message to their leadership. So, this action should not come as a surprise to them, Nauert said.

"They may say it's a surprise, but what is no surprise is that the President has expressed his concerns, Secretary Tillerson has expressed his concerns, as has Secretary Mattis, and I imagine many other government officials having those conversations with Pakistan," Nauert said.

Now, the money that has been suspended at this time does not mean that it will be suspended forever, she said.

"Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps," she added.

"People have long asked, why don't you do more about Pakistan, and I think this sort of answers that question. Obviously, Pakistan is important, an important relationship to the US, because together we can work hard to combat terrorism. Perhaps no other country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan and many other countries in that part of the region," she said.

"They understand that, but still they aren't taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism," she said.

In an interaction with reporters, two senior state department officials asserted that such a move is not a punishment, but to provide an incentive to Pakistan to take more action against terrorist groups.

"We have not done anything that's irreversible here. All this funding is available to Pakistan, if they undertake to take the measures that we've asked of them," a senior administration official said in response to a question.

Noting that a country is going to react very differently to an irreversible step, the official hoped Pakistan would react differently that they would react to something which is reversible.

"Pakistanis have repeatedly said we don't care about this money. What matters I think to the Pakistani's is that it is the symbolism of doing this that it represents a deterioration of our relationship that they care about a great deal," the official said.

"So we were hoping that this is an incentive that they don't want to see this relationship deteriorate any further and that they're going to commit to working with us to try to find a way to put it on a more solid footing," the official added.

According to another senior administration official, as part of the latest decision, the US will now not deliver military equipment or transfer security related funds to Pakistan unless required by law.

"Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis if they're determined to be critical for national security interests," the official said, adding that this suspension is not a permanent cut off at this time.

"Security assistance funding and pending deliveries will be frozen but not cancelled as we continue to hope Pakistan will take the decisive action against terrorists the militant groups that we seek," the official said, adding that the US does not intend to reprogram any funds at this time.

This suspension includes FMF 2016 (USD 255 million) as well as prior year FMF that has not yet been spent or delivered.

Final figures are still being calculated, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Suspension also includes coalition support funds for Pakistan. However, the suspension does not include US civilian assistance programs in Pakistan.

"Pakistan remains an important country in the region and in the world and has historically been a vital partner for the US," the official said.

The State Department official defended the decision not to suspend civilian assistance.

"We all have no reason to believe that civilian assistance represents any form of leverage. The elements of the Pakistani government that needs to take the steps that we're talking about are not touched by civilian assistance.

So, it wouldn't make any sense to tie civilian assistance to those steps that we're asking for," the official said.

US has been holding regular talks with Pakistan, the official said, adding that they do not believe that talks are an impasse as reported in some section of the media.

"We are having conversations on a weekly basis at senior levels with the Pakistanis. Our hope is not that they will see this as the end of the road," the official said.

"Our hope is that they will see this as a further indication of this administration's immense frustration with the trajectory of our relationship and that they need to be serious about taking the steps we asked in order to put it on a more solid footing," the State Department Official said.
The Special Watch List is for countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom.

Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson announced re-designation of 10 countries as 'Countries of Particular Concern' (CPC). (Photo: AFP)

Washington: The US has placed Pakistan on a 'Special Watch List' for "severe violations" of religious freedom, the State Department on Thursday said, making it the only country to be put under the newly-formed list.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced re-designation of 10 countries as 'Countries of Particular Concern' (CPC).

"The secretary also placed Pakistan on a Special Watch List for severe violations of religious freedom," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

The Special Watch List is for countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom but may not rise to the level of the CPC.

The Special Watch List designation is being seen as a step below designating it as Country of Particular Concern, which would have automatically kicked in economic and political sanctions.

Pakistan, notably, is the first ever country to be placed in this list, which is a new category created by the Frank R Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016.

The 2016 Frank R Wolf International Religious Freedom Act amended the IRF Act to require the President to designate a 'Special Watch List' of countries deemed not to meet all of the CPC criteria but who engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom. IRF stands for International Religious Freedom.

The US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIS) which has been seeking to designate Pakistan as CPC, however, expressed its disappointment with the decision of Tillerson in this regard.

"Pakistan continues to harass its religious minorities, has state-sanctioned discrimination against groups such as the Ahmadis, and tolerates extra-judicial violence in the guise of opposing blasphemy," USCIRF Chairman Daniel Mark said.

"As USCIRF has said for many years, Pakistan should be designated by the State Department as a CPC. Given the strong stance that President Trump has taken on Pakistan recently, the failure to designate Pakistan as a CPC this year comes as a surprise and disappointment," Mark said.

The State Department defended its decision.

"The Secretary of State takes into consideration all of the information available in conducting his review. His most recent assessment is that Pakistan does not meet the criteria for CPC designation, but meets the Special Watch List criteria," a State Department Spokesperson told PTI.

"We strongly urge Pakistan to protect religious freedom for all individuals. CPC designations can be made at any time, as conditions warrant," the spokesperson said, leaving the door option for Pakistan.

"The governments that have been designated as CPCs are subject to 'Presidential Actions', such as sanctions, which may include economic or political measures directed against a government to encourage it to improve the state of religious freedom in its country," the spokesperson said in response to a question.

A former member of Pakistani Parliament Farahnaz Ispahani, welcomed the State Department's decision to place her country on a Special Watch List.

"Today, the Special Watch List designation status given to Pakistan by the US Secretary of State to Pakistan may help Pakistan's religious minorities. For too long no one has really cared within the country. Perhaps its time for external pressure to help safeguard those Pakistani citizens who are persecuted solely on the basis of their faith," Ispahani said.

Earlier in the day, Tillerson in accordance with the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, announced his designation of governments that have engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom as 'Countries of Particular Concern'.

"Today, the Department of State announces that the Secretary of State re-designated Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan as Countries of Particular Concern on December 22, 2017," she said.

Noting that the protection of religious freedom is vital to peace, stability, and prosperity, Nauert said these designations are aimed at improving the respect for religious freedom in these countries.

"We recognise that several designated countries are working to improve their respect for religious freedom; we welcome these initiatives and look forward to continued dialogue," Nauert said.

The US remains committed to working with governments, civil society organisations, and religious leaders to advance religious freedom around the world, she added.

In November, Congressmen Randy Hultgren and James P McGovern, Co-Chairs of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, in a letter to Tillerson had urged him to designate Pakistan as CPC alleging it has engaged in systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has been advocating for designating Pakistan as a CPC since 2002.
The girl, identified as Nazeeran, was speaking with her fiance Shahid in Nayi Wahi village when her uncle spotted them.

According to police, the victims were each other's cousins and the incident was a case of 'honour killing'. (Photo: Representational image)

Karachi: A girl and her fiance were gunned down, allegedly by the girl's maternal uncle after spotting them chatting in Pakistan's Sindh province, in the latest case of honour killing, a media report said.

The girl, identified as Nazeeran, was speaking with her husband-to-be Shahid in Nayi Wahi village in the suburbs of Ghotki town when her uncle spotted them.

The uncle opened fire on them out of anger, Express News reported.

According to police, the victims were each other's cousins and the incident was a case of 'honour killing'.

Two suspects, both of whom happen to be the girl's uncles, have been arrested so far.

Honour killings are pandemic in Pakistan, and women are its predominant victims.

An angry Pakistani youth allegedly shot dead his sister and her husband in Rawalpindi last month for marrying without the family's consent.

In November, a newly-wed couple in Sindh province who married without the consent of their elders were killed allegedly on the orders of a jirga (village elders).

More Pakistani women are murdered at the hands of close family members for supposed immoral behaviour than Pakistani civilians are killed by terrorism, the report said.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has reported an average of 650 honour killings annually over the past decade. But since most go unreported, the real number is likely to be much higher, the report said.
by Kamran Chaudhry

Saeeda Diep is the executive director of the Institute for Peace and Secular Studies. Each year, she organises a prayer vigil in memory of the late governor of Punjab, who was killed for defending Asia Bibi and challenging the countrys blasphemy laws. There was no statement from the bishops, priest says.

Lahore (AsiaNews)  Saeeda Diep, a famous Pakistani activist, was detained yesterday by the Lahore police in her office for seven hours.

The agents prevented her from organising a prayer vigil to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the assassination of Salman Taseer, a Punjab governor killed by his bodyguard in 2011 for defending Asia Bibi and challenging the "black law" on blasphemy.

Diep, the executive director of the Institute for Peace and Secular Studies, is a staunch supporter of human rights. Only a few days ago she defended the five intellectuals and bloggers who were exonerated of the accusation of "blasphemy on social media".

About 20 policemen arrived in my office at 3:30 pm and stayed till 10 at night, she told AsiaNews. They also cordoned off my house. They said clerics will kill me if I organise the event. What a pathetic state of affairs. Not a single member of civil society or any of my friends tried to visit me.

This is not the first time that the security forces tried to prevent her humanitarian activity. In 2015 she was attacked at the Liberty Roundabout in Lahore during a prayer vigil for Taseer. Since then, all the events that she organises are decided by mutual agreement with the police.

This year I requested security at the Liberty Roundabout, she noted. Our organisation has been holding a candle light vigil on this day every year to show solidarity with the principles of tolerance, justice and humanism for which the late Salmaan Taseer laid down his life. A peaceful assembly was our right of expression.

According to her, Taseers tragedy has changed a lot of people. Ideas are bullet proof. He spoke for a marginalised community; the countrys leaders are usually silent on such issues.

The activist's efforts have been recognised at the national level. Shaan Taseer, son of the slain governor, also praised her action. As always in eternal admiration of our comrades and patriots like Diep. My father's name scared General Zia in 1983, it scares the children of General Zia today, he wrote in a Facebook post.

Fr Abid Habib, former president of the Major Superiors Leadership Conference of Pakistan, condemned the action on Taseers death anniversary.

This is very unfortunate, said the Capuchin priest. Taseer died speaking for Asia Bibi, a Christian and our community must carry his legacy. There was no statement from the bishops. The struggle against the black laws (on blasphemy) is not only necessary for religious minorities but is also necessary to save the country.

Very few Christians attended these events, he noted. Perhaps next year, the Church should officially remember Taseer and organise the event. I will try to motivate the bishops.
Millions of people took to the streets in Baghdad, Mosul, Najaf, Basra to celebrate. For the first time in three and a half years a Mass celebrated in the former Isis stronghold. The church cleaned up and arranged by young Muslims. The five challenges for the future of Iraq. And the Iraqi Churches duty to safeguard unity to protect the future of the community.

Baghdad (AsiaNews) - In these days of Christians celebrations "millions of Iraqis, including Muslims", took to the streets and squares to mark the festivities. Not only at Christmas, but also for the end of the year "many went out on the streets", not only young people but "whole families", united in an atmosphere of joy and carefreeness.

This is how Mar Louis Raphael Sako describes the recent festivities to AsiaNews. The Patriarch of the Chaldean Church celebrated "for the first time, after three and a half years" Mass in former Islamic State stronghold Mosul, long considered the capital of the so-called Caliphate. "A special moment - adds the Chaldean patriarch - to remind everyone that we Christians are still present in the city and in the country".

The street parties not only concerned Baghdad, but other prominent centers including the holy city (Shiite) Najaf, the same Mosul "where citizens put up a Christmas tree almost 10 meters high". And again, Kirkuk and Basra in southern Iraq. "Many people - the prelate continues - came to wish us well: ministers, deputies, Shiite and Sunni religious leaders. In the past, even before the fall of the regime [of Saddam Hussein], such participation had never been seen. I also remember with pleasure the letters of congratulations from the president and the Prime Minister ".

Mar Sako recalls the message of the special adviser to Iranian President for Religious Affairs Ali Yonsi, who has praised the testimony of Christians in a world that "is hungry for understanding, reconciliation, peace and moderation".

The High Representative of the Government of Teheran also stressed the importance of the visit of Pope Francis to Myanmar and the Popes support in favor of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority persecuted in the Asian country. "I was really impressed - underlines the Chaldean patriarch - by the beautiful gesture and the fine words of the Iranian official".

However, the greatest joy for the Chaldean primate was the celebration of the Christmas Eve Mass in the Church of St. Paul, in Mosul (in the photos). "We celebrated the function - he remembers - thanks to the voluntary work of a group of young Muslims in the city, who have arranged and cleaned up the church for us. They had come a few weeks ago from Mosul to the Patriarchate, to ask if they could prepare the place of worship for the celebrations of their own initiative; according to them, without the Mosul Christians knowing. And I accepted the request with enthusiasm ".

The rite, concelebrated with the Syrian-Catholic and Syro-Orthodox bishops of Mosul, was attended by senior military officers, government officials, local administrators, Muslim leaders (Shiites and Sunnis), along with many Christian and non-Christian families. "Among these - says Mar Sako - there were 90 families who have already returned to their homes in the west sector of Mosul; others have come from the plain of Nineveh to see their church again. My hope is to be able to soon appoint a parish priest to take care of the pastoral care and the needs of the Christian families already returned ".

The atmosphere of joy and celebration is also confirmed by the UN report of these days, according to which for the first time in a month [last December, ed] there were no victims in Mosul from attacks or violent incidents of extremist matrix. "The situation is improving - confirms the Chaldean patriarch - and we see a common reaction against violence and terrorism. Even the Sunni authorities have taken a common and strong position on behalf of Christians, inviting the citizens to wish the Christians well for the feast. It really seems an opportunity for unity and reconciliation".

For the future of Iraq, Mar Sako outlines five challenges that must be faced and overcome: the fight against fundamentalism and terrorism, a "priority" issue; the fight against corruption, which is "everywhere"; the ongoing controversy with Kurdistan and the referendum "that has created so many problems"; political elections; the reconstruction of the liberated cities. "These are the challenges - he warns - on which the Iraqis must focus for stability and security. I will talk about this next January 8, in the meeting scheduled with Premier Haider al-Abadi ".

The Iraqi Church, concludes the Chaldean primate, must instead "overcome divisions and reason with a view to unity, while safeguarding the traditions of each rite. A unity that does not have to be formal, but substantial and which needs good will and a sense of responsibility ". And in all this the West "must help us to ensure the Christian presence in the region, from Egypt to Syria, so that our persecuted communities can withstand and remain". (DS)
The figures for last year published in a report by the Free Journalists Initiative (OGI). Ministry of Telecommunications blocks four news sites. Since failed coup, 81 journalists handed down a total of 183 years in prison and almost 100 thousand dollars in fines.

Istanbul (AsiaNews) - In the year that has just ended, the Turkish authorities have arrested and detained 189 journalists for questioning; of these, at least 58 were transferred to prison where they are still in custody awaiting trial. These are the figures for 2017 contained in a report published this week by the Free Journalists Initiative (OGI). A detailed analysis that confirms, once again, the witch hunt launched by the government of Ankara and the Turkish president, in the aftermath of the failed coup in July 2016.

Today the Turkish Telecommunications Ministry (Btk) also blocked access to four websites, in compliance with a court provision. The news agencies Mezopotamya (MA), the Ozgurlukcu Demokrasi, 1HaberVar and the Demokrat Haber have been targeted by the judiciary. These are mostly sites that spread pro-Kurdish information, invisible to the government.

In the "Report on press freedom violations in 2017" the heads of OGI state that to date there are 165 journalists held in prison, awaiting trial or formalization of their indictment. Last year, the authorities filed 189 complaints against as many reporters and, of these, 58 ended up in prison.

From the data contained in the report, it also emerges that last year: 35 newspapers or magazines were closed, implementing the post-coup emergency decree; access prevented to 37 websites; 25 other journalists were driven out of public institutions or government departments; the professional qualification card revoked from about a hundred journalists; A total of over 183 years in prison and $ 95,000 in fines were imposed on the 81 journalists who were put on trial.

Just over one and a half years since the failed coup in Turkey during the night between July 14 and 15 2016, which has facilitated rather than undermined the total dominion of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the campaign of repressionlaunched by the authorities against alleged accomplices or supporters continues. Among the accusations, most often pretentious, the affiliation to Kurdish "terrorist" groups or the belonging to the movement that belongs to the Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, in exile in Pennsylvania (United States).

According to Erdogan and leading authorities, he is the true mastermind of the coup in Turkey during which 270 people died and thousands were injured. In recent months, the Turkish leader - who defined the coup d'etat a "gift from God" - promoted (and won with a narrow margin and amid accusations of fraud) a referendum on expanding the presidential mandate. Now he is in fact the father of the nation.

The Turkish authorities campaign against press did not stop even during the Christmas holidays. Last December 25, 17 journalists and heads of the oldest Turkish newspaper, Cumhuriyet, were arrested bar, accused of supporting terrorist organizations.

One of the accused, the famous investigative reporter Ahmet Sk, tried to read a defensive memorandum and was thrown out of the courtroom. He had defined the dispute brought against the historic newspaper as a "conspiracy based on lies".

The day after the representative of Reporters Without Borders (Rsf) in Turkey Erol Onderoglu and some leading academics were brought to trial. Even for the latter, the indictment is that of propaganda for a terrorist organization. For many the repression promoted by Erdogan is even worse than the one triggered by the military coup of 1980.
Yesterday, the police dispersed about 900 members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, who planned another raid on January 16th. After the clashes with police the Hindus "left angry". Teachers and the government support Christians.

Vidisha (AsiaNews) - Hindu fundamentalists who have encircled a Catholic college complex in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, "will return on January 16, Msgr. Theodore Mascarenhas, general secretary of the Indian Bishops' Conference tells AsiaNews.

He is in the Indian town, where about 900 Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (Abvp) fundamentalists gathered yesterday, who wanted to enter the Catholic institute and celebrate Hindu worship for Bharat Mata, that is "Mother India". The bishop reports that "today the crowd has dispersed, but the situation remains tense. I launch an appeal to the whole world: pray for the Christian communities here".

The bishops' secretary reports that yesterday the Hindus, a youth wing of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party in government), "tried to enter St. Mary's Post Graduate College by force, but they were repelled by the policemen sent by the Minister of the Interior Rajinath Singh. There have been clashes and to disperse them the police have also used sticks ". "The fundamentalists were enraged and claimed that our priests are 'antinational'."

On learning about the highly tense situation, Msgr. Mascarenhas rushed to Vidisha "to bring comfort to the priests and nuns, who are very demoralized". Today he spoke with the teachers of the campus: "In the same enclosure there are a school and two colleges, for a total of about 300 mostly non-Christian teachers. I explained to them why we do not celebrate Hindu rites and all of them have said they agree with the college direction".

"It is not a question of Christians or non-Christians - he underlines - but a question of the law in force in the country. We are a minority institution and a mob cannot come and dictate its rules to the administration of a school. Today the fundamentalists ask to celebrate a votive ritual, tomorrow they will impose the hunting of a teacher. We cannot leave the law in the hands of these people ".

On the future of the small Christian community of Vidisha, about 3600 out of a total population of 10 million inhabitants, Msgr. Mascarenhas says: "We are worried, we will have to ask for government intervention again. Meanwhile, we thank the help of the federal and state administration, who have taken all the necessary measures ". Finally he launches an appeal: "I ask for a prayer for all of our small communities".
The charter gives the Armed Forces a quarter of seats in parliament as well as the Defense, Interior and Border Affairs portfolios. The president calls for freedom, justice, equality, and the right to self-determination for all indigenous ethnic groups. In the north of the country conflicts between rebels and the military flare up again.

Naypyitaw (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Myanmar President Htin Kyaw has called for reforms to the country's constitution. Drafted by the military in 2008, the latter gives the Armed Forces significant control over the civilian government.

In a speech yesterday to mark the countrys Independence Day, the first elected civilian to hold the office since a 1962 military coup d'etat also appealed for justice for all recognised ethnic minorities within Myanmars federal system.

Modifying the constitution to remove the Armed Forces political power is one of the most serious problems facing the country, which since 2011 has been trying to emerge from almost half a century of rigid military rule.

The debate over constitutional reform ground to a halt after the assassination in January of last year of Ko Ni, a lawyer and consultant for Aung San Suu Kyi's ruling National League for Democracy (NLD).

"As we build the Democratic Federal Republic, in accordance with the results of the political dialogues, we all need to work collectively for creating a suitable Constitution," President Htin Kyaw said in his speech marking the 70th anniversary of Myanmar's independence from Great Britain.

Under the existing constitution, Aung San Suu Kyi is banned from becoming president because it excludes candidates with a foreign spouse or child. Her late husband was British, as are her two children.

The constitution also reserves a quarter of the 440 seats in parliament and several important ministries, including Defence, Interior and Border Affairs, to the Armed Forces. This gives the latter control of all security issues and an effective veto on constitutional change.

At present, Aung San Suu Kyis NLD hold 58 per cent of seats. However, changing the constitution requires a 76 per cent majority in a parliament beholden to the military and their allies.

In his speech, Htin Kyaw also called for respect for human rights, but did not refer to the Rohingya humanitarian crisis, nor to the international condemnation it generated.

"We are working for the emergence of a democratic state based on the principles of freedom for all ethnic national races, justice, equality and right of self-determination," the president said.

"National race" is a term used in Myanmar to refer to what it categorises as indigenous ethnic groups. The Rohingya, who have traditionally lived in Rakhine, have been denied inclusion as the authorities regard them as illegal immigrants who have crossed over from Bangladesh.

Mr Htin Kyaw finally called for an end to conflict with insurgents from various ethnic minorities who have been fighting for autonomy for decades.

Clashes have flared in recent weeks between the army and guerillas in Kachin and Shan states in the north. Myanmar's minorities have long demanded self-determination within a federal system.

Some analysts believe that the military is using the various conflicts to hold on power, claiming that it is the only institution preventing the country's disintegration and the guarantor of the countrys Buddhist heritage.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

The expert on religious and social issues lists the successes and failures of 2017. On the positive side there is Putin's visit to the Orthodox Synod, the dialogue between Kirill and Filaret of Kyiv, and the return of properties to the Catholic Church in Moscow. On the negative are the anti-Jehovah's Witnesses campaign, the Jewish fault in Tsar Nicholas IIs murder, and the forgetfulness towards the Protestant Churches. For Kirill, reforming the Moscow Patriarchate entails the same problems Pope Francis faces.

Moscow (AsiaNews)  Roman Lunkin, one of the main observers of religious matters in Russia, has compiled a list of the greatest successes and failures in Russian religious life in the past year. Lunkin heads the Institute of Religion and Law, and is senior research fellow at the Centre for the problems of religion and society at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He published his findings in Religion & Law, a journal of the Institute of Religion and Law, which closely monitors the relationship between the state and religions in Russia.

State and Church "symphony"

According to Lunkin, the main positive event of 2017 was the visit of President Putin to the Orthodox Bishops Synod in November, which brought together the leaders of all the Orthodox Churches, almost like and perhaps more than the Pan-Orthodox Council held in June 2016 in Crete, which failed because of the absence of the Russian Church.

For the first time, a Russian head of state greeted Church leaders outside the Kremlin, during a visit to the Synod itself, in the manner of an ancient Byzantine emperor. It was an updated secular version of the "symphony" of old between Church and State, which, in the new Russia, seeks to be a winning formula for the whole Christian world.

Lunkin highlighted other positive elements such as the beginning of a timid thaw between the Patriarchate of Moscow and the non-canonical Patriarchate of Kyiv, following the letter of "repentance" of the Ukrainian Patriarch Filaret (Denysenko). This is one of the biggest wounds left open by the end of the Soviet Union. If healed it could help solve the tragic Ukrainian crisis. As such, it has opened a road towards a truly united Orthodox Church in the Ukraine. However, Lunkin rightly wonders for whom this would be a success. Still, he notes the important result obtained by the patriarch of Moscow Kirill, whose "humanitarian" mediation led to the exchange of prisoners between Kyiv and the Donbass region.

Despite its involvement in the grotesque controversy of the extremist reactions to the film Matilda, the establishment of a new orthodox social movement like that of the "Forty times Forty" (Sorok Sorokov) is considered an important event, which publicly sets the limelight on a political-ideological aspect that would be far more dangerous if it remained only marginal.

Finally, Lunkin considers as one of the important achievements the formal return to the Russian Catholic Church of part of the buildings of the Saints Peter and Paul Parish on Miljutinsky Lane, in central Moscow, an issue that began in 1992 and was settled after the meeting in Cuba between Kirill and Pope Francis. There is hope now that other disputes can be resolved involving the return of Catholic churches in Smolensk, Kaliningrad, Blagoveshchensk and other parts of Russia.

Anti-religious campaigns against sects

Among the negative things listed in Lunkin's text, there is the much-discussed statement by Bishop Tikhon (Shevkunov), Putins "spiritual father", following the examination of the remains of Tsar Nicholas II's family. According to Tikhon, the imperial martyrdom followed a "Jewish sacrificial ritual", a statement that sparked extreme anti-Semitic reactions in Russian society. This issue could become even more tragic in 2018, when the 100th anniversary of the assassination of the tsar will be commemorated.

The year 2017, the year of the Revolution, was unfortunately characterised by the start of a fresh anti-religious campaign, like that of the Bolsheviks 100 years ago. Several religious groups became the victims of repressive actions by the courts and police, on the basis of the infamous Yarovaya Law which limits the freedom to engage in religious propaganda. Jehovah's Witnesses, Scientology, various Baptist and Pentecostal communities and other religious groups or local "sects" have felt the weight of the new law.

Lunkin also cites the fifth centenary of the Protestant Reformation as a missed opportunity to look at the role of Protestant communities in Russia where they are very active and numerous. Formal congratulations from national leaders aside, the event went completely ignored in the countrys various regions.

Likewise, the public initiatives of the patriarchal Church do not seem to get the right attention in society and politics. Lawmakers are not shy when they go after and censor sects and "unofficial" religions, but pay very little heed to the patriarch's calls for limiting or banning abortion, or other demands in the field of public morality or the defence of the family and life.

For its part, public opinion continues to hold Church institutions in low esteem because of scandals and immoral deeds attributed to clergymen and bishops, like those exposed by Deacon Andrei Kuraev, a well-known freelance writer. One wonders how the patriarch can pursue effective structural reform given his apparent indecision in this matter. But then, such a situation is not that much different from the problems Pope Francis faces in the Vatican.
by Santosh Digal

The traditional procession of the wooden statue of Christ through the streets of central Manila on 9 January includes strict security measures. The mayor issued an order closing schools and public offices. A ban on carrying arms and selling alcohol will be in place.

Manila (AsiaNews)  Some twenty million Catholics are set to mark the end of celebrations in honour of the Black Nazarene, which began on 31 December and will end on 9 January.

This involves the traditional carriage of the centuries-old wooden statue of Christ through the streets of central Manila.

Every year, the traslacion (transfer) of the holy sculpture (pictured) from its original site at the San Nicolas Tolentino Church in Intramuros to the Quiapo Church brings the novena to a close amid millions of believers gathered in prayer, asking for a grace or a personal miracle.

In the Philippines, a predominantly Christian nation in Asia, more than 80 per cent of its population of 105 million is Catholic. The procession of the Black Nazarene is one of its most famous and popular religious events.

The statue of the Black Nazarene represents Jesus bent under the weight of the Cross. It was brought to Manila by an Augustinian priest from Spain in 1607 on a ship from Mexico.

According to tradition, the boat caught fire during the journey, but the image of Christ miraculously escaped the flames taking on the black hue. The procession celebrates the first transfer of the statue on 9 January 1767.

Quiapo Church security officials said they expect 20 million people on 9 January, 5 per cent more than last year. The ceremony last 21 hours in 2017.

The large influx of believers from around the country and abroad requires strict security measures. This year the police have not identified any direct threats to the event. About 7,000 uniformed agents and 500 soldiers will be deployed.

Manila police announced a gun ban on the whole metro area starting midnight on 8 January until midnight on 10 January. Cellular sites within a one-kilometre radius of the ceremony will also be temporarily shut down. The entire metropolitan area will also be a no-fly zone, not just for drones but for aircrafts as well.

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada also issued an executive order imposing a temporary ban on the sale, consumption, and distribution of liquor within a 500-metre radius of the procession route.

All government offices and classes in schools, colleges and universities in and around Manila will remain closed on 9 January.


(onephoto/Bigstock.com) (onephoto/Bigstock.com)

There is likely to be more strict controls on visas in Australia in 2018 with the Immigration Department introducing a new visa risk assessment programme.As well as helping to identify undesirables before they enter the country it is also good news for valid visa holders as it will make their progress faster.The programme aims to consolidate broad ranging immigration and border information that allows risks to be assessed through targeted intelligence so that undesirables are detected before they even enter the country.It will also allow officials to identify potential issues earlier to enable swifter action, such as visa cancellations, earlier in the process. It also includes the capability to identify low risk visa applicants, providing a more streamlined process and improved customer experience.'The Department and its frontline law enforcement agency, the Australian Border Force, is committed to ensuring the integrity of Australia's migration and visa programmes,' the Department of Immigration and Border Protection's annual report says.'We are engaged in regular operations around the country, targeting individuals who have overstayed their visa and companies who are either employing non-citizens who do not have work rights, or those engaged in worker exploitation across a wide range of industries,' it points out.DIBP figures show that there were 15,885 cases of unlawful non-citizens detected, including 2,268 illegal workers and 57,161 visas were cancelled for various reasons.Most newcomers to Australia were from India with 38,854 visas, or 21.1% of the overall immigration figures, followed by China with 28,293 or 14.4% of visas and then the UK with 17,038 or 9.3%.In terms of regions, Southern Asia, including India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives, accounted for 30.2% of immigration, a slight decrease from the 30.9% recorded in 2015.Chinese Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and Mongolia provided 17.1% of newcomers, up from 16.9% while the UK has seen numbers decline since 2006.Within Australia the locations were most immigrants go are led by New South Wales with 33.5% or 61,470, followed by Victoria with 25.9% or 47,549 people, then Queensland with 11.7% or 21,519 and Western Australia with 10.3% or 18,908.


(budabarl/Bigstock.com) (budabarl/Bigstock.com)

Working on farms in Australia is still popular with younger people from all over the world but they are being urged to make sure they know who is employing and paying them.The Fair Work Ombudsman said it is important for any visa holders who take up employment in Australia to establish from the outset that they will be paid lawful minimum rates and issued with pay slips.'It is crucial for backpackers working on 417 visas to establish these basics from the outset because it can help them avoid entering into situations where they can be exploited and it can help them avoid difficulties applying for a second year on their visas,' said Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James.'Any worker who finds themselves in a situation where they are concerned they are being exploited or treated unfairly should contact the Fair Work Ombudsman for free advice and assistance as soon as possible,' she added.In a recent matter, two 417 visa holders who were paid unlawfully low, flat rates while working at a crocodile farm in far north Queensland lodged requests for assistance with the Fair Work Ombudsman after becoming concerned their working arrangements might not satisfy the requirements for second year visas.After the Fair Work Ombudsman intervened, the workers were back paid their outstanding wages and one of the workers has since successfully applied for a second-year 417 visa, while the other was intending to apply.In another case 12 workers at mango farms near Darwin were underpaid a total of $35,630 over a period of just two months. The Fair Work Ombudsman investigated after getting reports that workers were not being paid the correct wages.The owner was fined and ordered to pay back the unpaid wages after it was found that the some of the workers, who were backpackers in Australia on 417 working holiday visas from Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and Taiwan picking, weeding and pruning, were paid nothing.Most camped on the mango farms while working and were hired after responding to online job advertisements or approached for work. Many were keen to earn money to support their travels and become eligible to apply for a second year on their 417 visas by satisfying the requirement to undertake 88 days' specified paid work in a designated regional area and in certain industries in their first year.As casual employees, under the Horticulture Award 2010 at the time they were entitled to be paid minimum hourly rates ranging from $19.45 to $21.61 yet individual underpayments range from $648 to $5,119.They were not given pay slips, leaving them with no proof of completing the picking work and hampering their ability to apply for a second year on their 417 visas.James said that the exploitation of vulnerable workers on Australian farms is completely unacceptable conduct. 'This type of appalling treatment of overseas workers on Australian farms is extremely concerning,' she explained.Currently the Fair Work Ombudsman's Harvest Trail Inquiry is focusing on the horticulture and viticulture sectors nationally in response to ongoing requests for assistance from employees in the sector, persistent underpayments and confusion among growers and labour hire contractors about their workplace obligations.
I just got off the phone with them and they said to ignore it. However I am trying to fill out my 40SP and I'm not getting very far because this keeps popping up.



"The related application details provided cannot be verified, check the details and amend if necessary. The applicant will not be able to continue and should review the eligibility information on our website."



Have I done something wrong or do I need to wait until his application is "received" rather than just "submitted"?



Thanks
The Automotive Fleet and Leasing Association (AFLA) has added four new board members, including Siemens fleet manager, Dejana's fleet and leasing director, the president of an influential fleet dealer, and the vice president of Fleet Street Remarketing.

The new board members, which were named in late 2017, include Katie Keeton, fleet account manager and procurement specialist of Siemens Building Technologies; Jonathan Culp, director of fleet and leasing with Dejana Truck & Utility Equipment; Kristen Napelton, president and CEO of the Napleton Fleet Group; and Steve Bender of Fleet Street Remarketing.

"We are privileged to have these individuals join our board of directors," siad Mary Sticha, AFLA's president. "Not only do they add a wide ranging breadth of experience to our organization, but they are passionate about serving AFLA and bringing value to our members."

The new members were named to roles including Keeton as secretary, Culp as director of allied, Napleton as director of dealers, and Bender as director of remarketing. They serve two-year terms from 2017 to 2019.

The first meeting of the new board was held on Nov. 30 in Orlando, which will host the 2018 Corporate Fleet Conference from Sept. 16 to 19. AFLA is based in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
A California assemblyman introduced a bill that would require all new passenger vehicles sold in 2040 to be zero-emission vehicles.

The bill, which does not apply to large commercial vehicles larger than 10,000 pounds, was introduced by California Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) primarily to contribute to the efforts of combating climate change.

Its time that we clear the path for emissions-free transportation and take significant steps to achieve our ambitious emissions reduction goals, said Ting.

Zero emissions vehicles cannot produce exhaust emissions of any criteria pollutant or greenhouse gas under any operational mode or condition, according to a release from Ting. The bill also does not apply to vehicles owned by people moving into California from other states.

In September 2017, Jerry Brown reportedly considered banning the sale of vehicles with internal-combustion engines in California.
Photo of autonomous Ioniq courtesy of Hyundai.

Hyundai and Volkswagen have signed deals with Pittsburgh-based Aurora Innovation to use its self-driving software in their bids to develop fully autonomous vehicles for commercial service.

While Volkswagen didn't give a timeline for when it would offer a self-driving vehicle for sale, Hyundai plans to offer a Level 4 autonomous vehicle in the marketplace by 2021 that can operate without human input or oversight under certain conditions.

Hyundai will show its next-generation hydrogen fuel cell vehicle at CES. It will become the first autonomous vehicle Hyundai will test on public roads starting this year. A hydrogen-powered vehicle is ideal as a self-driving car because it can "provide a stable electric power supply without concerns about driving range," according to Hyundai.

Volkswagen plans to develop a fleet of self-driving electic vehicles in cities and deploy them as a mobility service.

"Our vision is 'mobility for all, at the push of a button,'" said Johann Jungwirth, Volkswagen Group's chief digital officer. "In the future, we anticipate that people will be able to use our mobility app or digital virtual assistant to hail a self-driving electric vehicle to drive them conveniently door-to-door, or use our Volkswagen OneButton which has GPS, connectivity and a compass, as a small beautiful key fob with maximum convenience."

In the past six months, the automaker has been integrating Aurora's self-driving system into its vehicles in the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab at Stanford University.

Founders of the startup, which was launched in 2017, have roots in Silicon Valley as well as an office in Palo Alto, California. Cofounder and CEO Chris Urmson was a founding member and technical leader of Google's self-driving unit. Sterling Anderson ran Tesla's Autopilot program. Drew Bagnell was a leader in Uber's autonomy efforts.

Bagnell and Urmson worked on the entry from Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Mellon University into the Darpa Grand Challenge. In 2005, a team of Volkswagen and Stanford won the challenge.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet
Joseph Luiz can be reached at 395-7368 or by email at jluiz@bakersfield.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @JLuiz_TBC.
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A man was arrested by Bradenton Police on Jan. 3 less than an hour after he committed an armed robbery at a downtown bank location, according to police officials.

Robbery took place at Florida Central Credit Union on 9th Street West

Suspect fired rounds from a handgun into the ceiling, then stole cash and fled

Suspect located by police 30 minutes later

Police said just before 4 p.m. the suspect, identified as Julian Jimenez, 18, entered the Florida Central Credit Union location off of 9th Street West, drew a semi-automatic handgun and fired.

"He fired two rounds into the ceiling," said Bradenton Police spokesperson Lt. Brian L. Theirs. "He made several spontaneous utterances and then he jumped over the counter and took an undisclosed amount of money from one of the teller locations and then fled the bank in a Nissan Altima."

Approximately 30 minutes after the robbery, Manatee County Sheriff's Office deputies responding to a call about an individual acting erratically found Jimenez in the 2600 block of 33rd Avenue Drive East. Deputies recognized his clothing as a possible match for the description of the bank robber, and he was later identified at the scene by witnesses.

Jimenez was arrested and charged with armed robbery. Investigators found a 9mm handgun and a large amount of cash on Jimenez when they took him into custody.

The car used in the robbery was located approximately two blocks from the bank location.

No other information has been released.


A 12-year-old boy is being called a hero by a family who say he saved an elderly relative with dementia from a fire in their Palm Harbor Jan 2.

12 year old and his family staying at house that caught fire

Got 83-year-old grandfather out of the house, then called for help

Off-duty firefighter saw firetrucks en route, came to help

The boy, whose name is Seth, and his family were in town staying with Molly Williams-Hagn and her family for the holidays. Williams-Hagn's home caught fire in the early afternoon that day, and the flames spread fast.

"My whole ceiling in my bedroom is gone," Williams-Hagn said. "Everything that I've had forever is gone,"



Williams-Hagn said she and her two children werent home at the time, and neither was her mother, Valerie Williams. The only people inside were Seth and Williams-Hagn's 83-year-old grandfather.

She said Seth saw the smoke and flames, got her grandfather out of the house, and then ran and called for help.

"If Seth had not been there, my dad would not be here," Valerie Williams said. "My dad would be in his room probably laying on his bed reading the paper and would've succumbed to smoke inhalation and would be gone."

Both Molly Williams-Hagn and Valerie Williams credit this young man with saving Williams' 83-year-old father, who suffers from dementia. (Photo courtesy Molly Williams-Hagn)

The young boys quick thinking saved a life. An off duty Palm Harbor firefighter/paramedic saw the firetrucks and rushed over to help, providing mouth-to-muzzle CPR to a family pet.

"That's what's great about firefighters even when they're off duty, they have a natural instinct to want to help people," Lt. Bill Fisher with Palm Harbor Fire Rescue said.

Sadly, a puppy and family cat didnt survive the fire.

Though they lost almost everything, the family said theyre still counting their blessings.

"This is a horrible event, but if anything has come out of it we've realized how many people love us, and how many people have been there for us and supported us and we're just so grateful for that," Williams-Hagn said.

The North Pinellas Firefighters Charity group gave the family a $1,000 check to help them get back on their feet. They are still collecting gift cards and donations for the family to replace the children's Christmas toys, clothes, and food.

Gift card donations can be dropped off to Palm Harbor Fire Rescue Administration Building at 250 West Lake Road, Palm Harbor, FL.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
A Polk County man is accused of pocketing money raised from a bogus charity for military veterans.

Christopher Edwards charged with grand theft among other charges

State Attorney says Edwards ran organization called 'Power to our Vets'

Suspect held raffles, but winner rarely received prize

Reporter Stephanie Claytor has more during evening newscasts

RELATED: Volusia deputies: Veterans charity was a scam, founder arrested



Christopher H. Edwards, 49, of Winter Haven, ran an organization called "Power to our Vets" for which he asked for money to help veterans pay their power bills.



"In reality, he was stealing from local businesses and residents, including veterans, to line his own pockets," according to a Thursday news release from the Office of State Attorney Brian Haas.

Edwards held raffles at events and had a presence on social media and his own website. Authorities say money he collected from the raffles was deposited into his own accounts.

"Edwards often failed to award the prizes he offered up for raffle and failed to apply the contributions he received in a manner consistent with his solicitation," the news release said.

In one March 2016 case, according to the State Attorney, Edwards held a raffle for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The winner was never able to claim the prize despite paying a sales tax on the bike.

Edwrds was charged with grand theft and soliciting funds without a license, among other charges.

Officials said anyone who thinks they may be a victim should call 863-534-4920.
New Year's Eve celebrations in St. Petersburg took a frightening turn for an Orlando man when a stray bullet struck him in his lap.

Police say Orlando man struck in lap with stray bullet

Shot was fired New Yeary's Eve on Beach Drive NE

First-degree misdemeanor if culprit is caught



Dan Casper recalled Thursday what happened to his friend.

"The next thing you know, James (Higginbotham) bends over, and we thought that he was having a stomach cramp or something," Casper said. "Then he stands back up and holds his hand up and says, 'I've been shot.' He had blood on his hand."

Higginbotham's injuries are minor, but investigators say the case is not.

"In this case, what's particularly notable is that it was a rifle bullet," St. Petersburg Police spokeswoman Yolanda Fernandez said. "That's kind of a serious discharge. Somebody decided to fire a rifle into the air in St. Petersburg somewhere."

The incident happened just before 11 p.m. Sunday in front of the Cassis American Brasserie restaurant on Beach Drive NE.

Investigators say the shot could have been fired from a mile away. That could make tracking down the gunman difficult.

It is a first-degree misdemeanor to fire a weapon without cause in the city limits.
A Bradenton apartment fire Thursday evening displaced 17 residents and killed four pets.

Apartment fire in Bradenton

No injuries; 17 residents displaced, 4 pets killed

Cause of fire at Sun Chase Apartments under investigation

According to Bradenton Fire, the fire broke out at Sun Chase Apartments in the 6000 block of 30th Avenue West just before 6:30 p.m.

Firefighters found smoke and flames in multiple units when they arrived to the scene. Crews were able to bring the flames under control in about 20 minutes.

Neighbors said they heard what sounded like an explosion and when they ran outside, they saw the building engulfed in flames.

"With the wind, we didn't know if it was going to spread over here, we were so nervous," said neighbor Coral Swafford.

Fire crews got to the apartment complex within two minutes and were able to get every resident out safely. Assistant Fire Chief David Ezell said the weather was a challenge for firefighters.

"It was a very windy night and it was a lot of fire there. Fortunately we had crews there very quickly," Ezell said.

"Fire service is a game of speed and power, and in this case we were able to get the number of people we needed there in the time frame we needed in order to get this under control."

The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents.

Total property damage is estimated at $400,000.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Manatees have packed a popular hangout in Brevard County, seeking refuge from the cold.

Desoto Canal in Brevard is popular manatee viewing area



About 200 sea cows have packed tiny canal

Spectacle has drawn scores of people, FWC officers

WATCH: Facebook Live with reporter Greg Pallone at Desoto Canal

Wildlife officials estimate some 200 manatees are squeezed into a tiny Satellite Beach canal off Desoto Parkway.

Manatees, big and small, were huddled together in this canal to stay warm.

"Look at all the manatees, they are beautiful," says Kari Irwin, who drove down from Merritt Island with her friend to see the gathering.

"I knew they would be here," she said. "When the temperature drops, they come here."

Manatees may call the Indian and Banana rivers home. But they aren't as insulated as other marine mammals, so they can't survive in prolonged water temperatures below 68 degrees. That's drawn them to the tiny Desoto Canal, where it's a balmy 70 to 72 degrees.

"It's got to be one of the best in the state, to be able to get this close," Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission manatee expert Bill Greer said.

Sure, it's a great spot for people to see them up close. But for FWC officers, it's a great chance to check on their health, document scarring from things such as boat strikes and catch up on the animals they've seen before.

In the canal Friday were calves that weighed around 100 pounds to adults topping 1,400 pounds. So far, officials said the manatees in Desoto Canal appeared healthy and happy.

Greer was glad people were admiring the sea cows while keeping their distance.

"For the most part, people are quiet, taking a few pictures," he said.

TIME TO CUDDLE: manatees flock to balmy waters of #SatelliteBeach canal to stay warm #Brevard - story at 5 pm @MyNews13 pic.twitter.com/la0Q0F4E5B  Greg Pallone (@gpallone13) January 5, 2018

"It's so amazing to watch the animals," said Mary Holton, a friend of Irwin.

Wildlife officers were also checking on manatees in other warm spots such as the Indian River near the Cocoa power plant, where the river temperature there in that area was reportedly around 50 degrees.

In neighboring Volusia County, more than 400 manatees sought refuge in the waters of Blue Spring State Park, a popular winter viewing area for sea cows.

Facebook Live
Disney World is again offering Florida residents a discount on multi-day park tickets.

Disney offers 3-, 4-day ticket discount for Florida residents

'Florida Resident Discover Disney' ticket available till June 20



The three- and four-day "Florida Resident Discover Disney" ticket is now available.

The tickets allow guests to visit one of the four Disney World theme parks per day.

The three-day ticket costs $159, while the four-day ticket costs $179.

It's an increase from previous years, when the ticket cost $139.

The "Park Hopper" option can be added to either ticket at an additional cost and allows visits to multiple parks per day.

Tickets can be purchased now through June 20 and are valid through June 24.Tickets can be used on nonconsecutive days.

Proof of Florida residency is required to purchase the tickets.

For more information, visit the official Disney World 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.
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After experiencing success at his Jasper restaurant, Son Asian Bistro, Son Vo decided to expand in Kirbyville, opening a second eatery.

"They were doing really good in Jasper," said Mat Jones, Son Bistro's head chef and manager. "They figured why not try it here."

Vo, who is originally from Vietnam, was looking for an opportunity to begin something of his own, Jones said.

"He was a chef, and he was tired of working for somebody else," Jones said. "He wanted to do things his own way. He opened up the store in Jasper, and then two years later, they opened up this place."

Son Bistro Where: 413 N. Margaret Ave., Kirbyville

Hours: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday

Credit cards: All major

Drink situation: soft drinks, coffee, tea

Info: (409) 420-5100

Price range: $6-$12 See More Collapse

Son Bistro is known for its Asian fusion flavors with additional Cajun influences.

"We have dishes from all over Asia," Jones said. "There are some Thai dishes. We have orange chicken, pepper steak, lo mein, a few curry dishes, and we have fried fish and fried shrimp."

To start, try the 409 Fries, which come with steak, spicy sauce, Sriracha, onions and cilantro piled on fries. Or try the crab dragon, consisting of crab, cream cheese, onions, shallots and a special sauce.

Main dishes include Thai fried rice, pepper steak, garlic chicken and shrimp, and a customer favorite - sesame chicken.

Another popular selection is sushi, Jones said.

"Our menu is designed by the staff," he said. "We don't have anything raw yet. Everything we have is cooked. I was a sushi chef in Jasper for three years. These are the pick of the litter."

Sushi fans can nosh on the Asian Cajun roll, which includes crawfish and spicy crab topped with shrimp, avocado and spicy mayo or the fried Las Vegas roll, with crab, jalapeno, cream cheese, sweet soy and spicy mayo.

Lo mein noodles and fried rice dishes with choice of meat are also available.

Fresh seafood platters, including jumbo Gulf shrimp, fried catfish and combos, are served with fries and Cajun aioli.

On weekdays, $5.95 lunch specials are offered.

Jones said plans to grow are in the works.

"We're small here," he said. "The building itself is not new. We're picking up slowly, and we have more plans in the making. Give us a chance. We're pretty good."

Kara Timberlake is a freelance writer.
A Port Arthur man pleaded guilty this week to killing one man and shooting another last January.

Damarcus McGhee, 21, who has lived in Port Arthur and Houston, was sentenced to 40 years in prison Friday.
Malaysian Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed (second from left), presents an award to Mahamad Naser Disa, executive officer of the Islamic Institute of Strategic Studies Malaysia, during the Putrajaya International Security Dialogue 2018, Jan. 5, 2018.

Suspected foreign terrorists should be deported to their home nations rather than sent back to the country they just left, Malaysias counter-terrorist police chief said Friday on the sidelines of a an international conference here.

Separately, the director of Malaysias prison system told BenarNews at the same meeting that 135 militants linked to the Islamic State (IS) were taking part in a state-run deradicalization process, but only nine have nearly completed phase three of the four-phase program. It was implemented under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) in September 2015.

Under current international law, a person can be deported to the last point of flight embarkation, said Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, chief of the national polices counter-terrorist special branch. Several countries had allowed suspects to choose where they wanted to be sent and many chose Malaysia because of its easy visa rules.

From 2014 to 2017, nearly 50 suspected foreign terrorists have entered Malaysia. We have arrested and deported about 30 of them, Ayob told reporters on the sidelines of the Putrajaya International Security Dialogue 2018, a meeting in Malaysias administrative capital attended by about 1,000 representatives and experts from 20 countries.

We are still tracking the others and some may have left the country, he said.

Ayob did not specify the nationalities of the suspects.

If the country that deported them  who I cannot name  had instead informed us, the police could have detected them, Ayob said, adding that such information could have helped counter-terrorism officials arrest and deport the militants.

The two-day international conference, which runs through Saturday, is focusing on how nations can pool their experience of wisdom and moderation in countering terrorism.

Malaysias Home Ministry and Rabitah Al-Alam Al-Islami (the Muslim World League), a Saudi Arabia-based think-tank, co-organized the event, which runs through Saturday. The 18 other countries participating at the conference include Indonesia, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Australia, France and Britain.

Borneo spotlight

Part of Fridays conference program focused on the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island. Suspected militants, including many allegedly linked to the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), have been arrested in the coastal town of Sandakan, home to ferry services to the southern Philippines.

Sabah has long served as a transit route for foreign militants, including from neighboring Indonesia, Ayob said.

If they dont transit from Sabah, they can go to southern Philippines directly from their home country. But its a long journey over the Sulawesi Sea, he said. So it is much easier to transit from Sabah.

Yusoph Roque Morales, a member of the Philippines National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, said many foreign militants, especially from Indonesia and Malaysia, had made the southern Philippines their base.

Normally they have support from the locals. They give the foreigners a place to stay, [and] food, and the local communities accept them, Morales told the conference. Malaysians and Indonesians have similarities in terms of culture, food, and communities  and most of them have common social relations like a sultan [community leader]  so that is why Muslim communities in southern Philippines accept Malaysians and Indonesians with open hearts.

Because they are welcome, some remain and join IS or ASG, he said. Yusoph did not give a specific number, but said thousands of Malaysians and Indonesians had settled in the southern Philippines.

Meanwhile, a Malaysian minister called on other countries to emulate Malaysias soft approach in countering extremism.

It should be tackled in a balanced way from all sorts of angles including education and economic. In this regard, Malaysia has been a leading country when it comes to dealing with such issues compared to other countries, which are facing problems such as starvation and deprivation of education, which then leads people to extremism, said Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, the deputy minister in the Prime Ministers Department in charge of Islamic affairs.

Terrorists in Malaysia

Over the last four years, Malaysian authorities arrested 369 people for suspected links to terror groups, according to government statistics compiled by BenarNews.

In October, Ayob told reporters that 70 foreign fighters had been detained by Malaysian officials since 2013. Nine were suspected ASG members thought to have been in contact with Mahmud Ahmad, a Malaysian militant considered the IS recruiter in Southeast Asia.

In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte had declared that Mahmud was among militants killed in the southern city of Marawi during a five-month battle that left more than 1,100 people dead, including more than 900 militants.

Ayob said counter-terrorism officials are monitoring efforts in the Philippines to attract militants. The recruitment of foreign fighters to the southern Philippines is not over yet, he said Friday.

Malaysia, home to about 32 million people including 19.5 million Muslims, has foiled at least nine IS-related bomb plots since 2013, according to officials. Those foiled plots included one that targeted the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur in August 2017, police said.

But militants were successful in June 2016, when an IS-linked grenade attack injured eight people at a nightclub in Puchong, near Kuala Lumpur.

Deradicalization program

Prison Director-Gen. Zulkefli Omar said nine of the 135 people detained under POTA nearly two years ago were to be evaluated by the end January to determine if they could be placed in the final phase of the deradicalization program and reintegrated into the community.

Currently, this militant deradicalization program has not yet been successful because the process is very long and requires evaluation by POTA evaluation committee members, Zulkefli told BenarNews.

Carried out by government agencies under the Home Ministry  namely the Prisons Department, Royal Malaysia Police and the Malaysia Department of Islamic Development (Jakim)  the program consists of four phases.

Phase one, which covers the first six months, is overseen by the Prisons Department and focuses on orientation; phase two, which runs through month 12, involves de-radicalization activities broken down into three sections by the Prison Department, Home Ministry, Jakim and the police.

Phase three, which runs from month 13 to 20, concentrates on personality reinforcement and self-development; the final phase focuses on reintegrating detainees into society.

Zulkifli said none of the 135 detainees were in the fourth phase, but nine had nearly completed the third phase.

I cant reveal the identity of the nine detainees, but they are Malaysians and among those are Malaysians who were headed to Syria and students, he told BenarNews on Friday.

However, Ayob, the chief of Malaysias counter-terrorist special branch, suggested that the two-year program is not long enough to reform people who are placed into it.

In my opinion, the POTA program is too short and requires very strong evidence to allow those involved in militancy to be detained for a period of two years. But if there is no evidence, the longest a suspect can be detained is only for a month and has to be released, he told BenarNews. Police constantly monitor them so they would not be involved again in militant activities.
Philippine authorities recovered a shipment of cocaine worth 120 million pesos (U.S. $2.4 million dollars) and that washed ashore in the central region, and they suspect it may have come from a Chinese vessel that sank nearby, officials said Friday.



The stash of about two dozen bags of cocaine could have fallen from the hold of MV Jin Ming No. 16, a Chinese cargo ship that sank this week in stormy weather off the coast of Northern Samar, near the central Philippine town of Matnog, police said.



Nine Chinese crewmen were rescued from the ill-fated vessel, and they were being questioned. But police would not say whether the crewmembers were being treated as illegal drug traffickers.



According to local police spokesman Supt. Nonito Marquez, a fisherman reported finding the stash of drugs at a nearby lagoon on Wednesday. About 24 sealed packs containing a kilo (2.2 pounds) each of the white powder were found.



Laboratory tests subsequently showed that the substance was cocaine, police said.



The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency confirmed that the packs contained cocaine with a street value of about 120 million pesos, according to the police.



Investigators were looking at the possibility that the cocaine stash fell off the cargo ship, which sent out a mayday signal on Tuesday after hitting rough seas and stormy weather.



The crewmembers, mostly from Hong Kong and Taiwan, were rescued before the vessel sank. It was passing through the area and was en route to Chile when the accident happened.



The Philippines has been identified as a major transshipment hub of drugs from the Chinese triads, and President Rodrigo Duterte has launched a deadly campaign against illegal narcotics since assuming office in 2016.



Meanwhile his son, Paolo Duterte, has been accused of protecting Chinese drug syndicates allegedly involved in the shipment of methamphetamine worth U.S. $125 million.



He denied the accusation when he appeared before a Senate inquiry into the failure of the customs bureau to stop the shipment, but Dutertes allies in the chamber did not press the issue.



Recently, President Duterte reappointed the countrys disgraced customs chief as a deputy chief of the countrys civil defense office.



Various rights groups, including the Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have criticized the governments brutal war on drugs, which, they say, has left more than 12,000 suspected drug dealers and addicts dead so far.



Police, however, have disputed this figure, saying it was bloated. Official figures show that only several hundred people have been killed to date in the Philippine drug war.
Philippine Marines are transported in two trucks during exercises in Jolo, August 2016.

The Philippine military says it will intensify its campaign against terrorist groups in the countrys southern region where more than 1,500 militants were killed in 2017, including fighters inspired by the Islamic State (IS) during a five-month battle in Marawi city.

Counted in the toll were 128 Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members killed last year, while another 144 surrendered to the government and 80 more were captured, regional army commander Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. said Friday.

Another 920 militants were killed in the battle by Philippine government forces to retake Marawi from IS-backed gunman who seized the southern city on May 23.

With our intensified combat and law enforcement support operations, hundreds of weapons were recovered and seized as well, Galvez said, adding this year troops were under instructions to increase efforts to defeat more enemy combatants.

ASG commander Isnilon Hapilon, the acknowledged leader of the IS faction in the region, and several militants from Southeast Asia and the Middle East were killed in the battle, which ended with the government retaking control of the city on Oct. 23. Founded in the 1990s, ASG has been blamed for the worst terrorist bombings in the country, as well as for kidnapping and beheading foreign and local hostages.

The military in the southern region also reported killing 182 Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and capturing 24 while 37 surrendered.

BIFF is a breakaway of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), formerly the countrys largest rebel force until it signed a peace deal with government in 2014. The group, which claims hundreds of fighters, split from the 10,000-member MILF in 2008 and vowed to continue with the separatist fight by attracting younger, more hardline fighters.

Since signing the peace deal, the MILF has helped the military rout BIFF positions in central Mindanao.

Significantly, the joint security operation and strategic alliance with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front contributed to the success in the operations, Galvez said. With the continuing campaign, we are sad to report that 26 of our soldiers were killed in action while fighting the Abu Sayyaf, and seven in the operations against the BIFF.

Marawi aftermath

Meanwhile, the military said it had cleared 30 percent of Marawi citys main battle area of unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devises while rehabilitation efforts continue.

As of the end of the year, 2,853 unexploded ordnance and 415 improvised explosive devices had been recovered and defused, army chief engineer Maj. Gen. Arnold Rafael Depakakibo said.

He said more than 500 military engineers had been deployed to help in the recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation in Marawi.

We continue our limited construction support to government agencies involved in the maintenance of evacuation centers, Depakakibo said.

The fighting in Marawi began after troops and police moved to arrest Hapilon. A large force of rebel fighters, including a faction that came to be known as the Maute group, and which was backed by foreign fighters, pushed back.

The military has acknowledged that the rebels mastery of urban warfare helped them in the campaign, which saw some of the fiercest battles in modern warfare by Filipino forces.

President Rodrigo Duterte declared the city liberated from the militants on Oct. 23, days after Hapilon and other key militant leaders were killed.

Mark Navales in Cotabato City contributed to this report.
Supporters pray for King Bhumibol Adulyadej outside Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok on the day before his death, Oct. 12, 2016.

A court in Thailands Yala province sentenced a blind woman Thursday to 18 months in prison for violating the countrys strict royal defamation law, in the first Lese-Majeste case in the countrys Deep South region, according to her lawyer.

Defendant Nurhayati Masoh, 23, was convicted under the Lese-Majeste law for commenting on an October 2016 Facebook post by Giles Ungpakorn, a Thai-British academic who fled Thailand after being charged with breaking the same law in 2009, defense attorney Kaosar Aleemama told BenarNews.

She said her client had used a computer voice application to post the comment, which was deemed as insulting to the monarchy following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Police charged Nurhayati on Oct. 18, 2016, five days after King Bhumibols death and after being contacted by another visually impaired person.

The community leader informed her about the charge and she had to report to the police station with her relative, Kaosar said. She confessed there when asked about the case because she did not realize this would be a serious charge.

Nurhayati, who pleaded guilty in Yala Provincial Court prior to sentencing, has been detained at the Yala central prison since November 2017. Her lawyers had discussed a potential appeal and possible request for bail  if reasonable  with her relatives, said Kaosar, who is with the Yala Muslim Attorney Center Foundation.

The Thai Deep South is a predominantly Muslim and Malay-speaking region.

Even the prison staff and her friends would like to bail her out as it is hard to take care of her  someone needs to be with her every time she has to use a bathroom. But the bail fee is high. Her relatives cannot guarantee they can raise 350,000 baht (U.S. $10,860), the lawyer said.

The court sentenced her today to three years but reduced it by half because she pleaded guilty, Kaosar said, adding that the court case was filed Nov. 28, 2017, and Nurhayati had been detained since then.

The criminal code for Lese-Majeste states that anyone who defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir-apparent or the regent will be punished with a jail term between three and 15 years.

Since the Thai junta seized power in a coup in May 2014, as many as 1,319 people were called in to report to or were visited by the military, according to iLaw, a local human rights NGO. Of those, 597 were arrested, at least 82 were charged with violating Lese-Majeste and at least 64 were charged with sedition.

In June 2017, a military court handed down the longest prison sentence for violating Lese-Majeste. A man identified only as Wichai, 34, was ordered to serve 35 years for posting content on a Facebook account that purported to belong to another user and that was deemed as offensive to the monarchy.
Police arrive at a house in Tambon Ubeng in the southern Thai province of Pattani, before rounding up 20 men suspected of links to a bus fire, Jan. 5, 2018.

Thai security forces said they arrested 25 suspected militants on Friday in raids in the troubled Deep South, including a group that allegedly killed five people and another believed to have been involved in burning a double-decker bus.

Meanwhile, citing insufficient evidence, the military said it released two men from the Deep South six days after they were arrested on Dec. 28 in Phang Nga, a province in the Thailands upper south, on suspicion of links to an alleged plot targeting New Years festivities.

On Friday, authorities arrested two batches of suspects, including five men who allegedly conspired to kill five people and injure another person in a series of attacks in Pattani province between 2010 and 2013.

They coordinated the killings. The team included the mastermind, scout, spotter, transporter and gunman, Maj. Gen. Jatuporn Klumpasut, who commands the Pattani Task Force, told a news conference at Fort Inkayuth Boriharn in the province.

They met at a tea shop and plotted killings, and delivered guns at a mosque where they also changed their clothes before fleeing, he said.

Village raid

In neighboring Yala province, security personnel rounded up a second batch of suspects, 20 men who were taken into custody on Friday in connection with the attack on the double-decker bus in Bunnang Sata, a local district, on Dec. 17.

That day, suspected insurgents stopped the bus on a highway as it was heading to Bangkok and ordered the driver and passengers to get off before torching the vehicle, police said. Previously, a 34-year-old suspect was charged on Dec. 28, officials said at the time.

A resident of Tambon Ubeng, a cluster of villages in Bunnang Sata, who identified herself only as Ah, said security forces arrived early Friday and took 20 people way, including her son-in-law, without any explanation.

We thought they were looking for the attackers of the passenger bus, she told BenarNews.

The 20 suspects were arrested under martial law  which is in force in the Thai Deep South  and their names were released later in the day when the military said they were being held at an interrogation center in Pattani.

We would not visit them there because we know we are not allowed to meet them. But an official promised they will not be tortured, Ah said.

Following the bus attack, Lt. Gen. Piyawat Nakwanich, the armys commander in the region, said a local village chief, other area officials as well as defense volunteers and military officials could have been at fault for failing to prevent the incident.

Lack of evidence

The arrests of the 25 suspects on Friday came after army officials ordered a crackdown in late December to safeguard year-end celebrations, including in areas outside the Deep South.

The two men who were arrested in Phang Nga, a popular tourist destination north of Phuket island, were taken for interrogation at a military facility in Pattani. At the time of their arrest, authorities said materials which could be used to build bombs  including a gas tank, nails and electronic circuits  were found during a search of their residence in Phang Nga.

The two were released on Wednesday because the gathered materials lacked key components for a bomb and the men had no criminal records linking them to Deep South insurgents, Col. Pramote Prom-in, the militarys spokesman in the Deep South, told BenarNews.

Some of the 13 other suspects who were arrested on Dec. 28 for alleged links to an insurgent plot targeting New Years have been released as well, Pramote said without elaborating.

Since 2004, nearly 7,000 people have been killed in violence associated with the separatist insurgency in Thailands predominantly Muslim and Malay-speaking southern border region.
Heart Message Pauls Ship To Malta



Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' Acts 27:23, 24



A trainer at work instructed me to make myself indispensable by gaining expertise in as many jobs, tasks, and positions as possible. Whenever a task was offered her that wasnt her suit, she would cheerfully respond, no problem, its job security.



When the Apostle Pauls life was threatened through this terrible storm, he seemed to be walking in kingdom security. God had plans for his future that Paul submitted to. He had to stand trial before Caesar. He was doing his part in making himself indispensable as a worker. Of course, all analogies break down, and without pretending to come up with a formula for long life, or presumably explain why good or bad things happen to any of us, it is still notable that this ship was saved, because someone was walking in their call, and their mission was not complete.



Sometimes wisdom can be gained by inverting the situation. Had Paul not been on this ship, would God have saved the lives of those on board? No one can know for sure, but if someone put a gun to my head, and demanded that I choose the most likely answer, I would have to say no. Paul made clear that if they didnt all stay with him on board, the gracious deal that God had offered was off.



In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved." So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away.



This scripture implies that its safer to be in the will of God in a dangerous storm, than out of the will of God on dry land. Sometimes we have to cut the ropes of our own lifeboats to gain the full protection of the Lords direction and will. Lest we fear because we dont know the will of God, we can simply say everyday, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in my life, as it is in heaven. Let us risk more to follow what the Lord has spoken to our hearts, than try to play it safe because of our fears of people. Let us dream again the dreams he instilled in our hearts being willing to cast another net into the ocean, though we toiled all night catching nothing. And let us not fear the wind and waves, or loss of ship, but rather keep our focus on His will, His desire, and His purpose for our lives, knowing that He will bring us to His appointments on his calendar, in his season, and may He over flow grace to those around us.


Von: By Antje Schippmann, Angelique Geray, Ehsan Abri

The protests in Iran continue! BILD talked to protesters from ten cities.

 A female teacher from Ahvaz (1.1 million inhabitants)

It is not fair that the regime keeps attacking the poor and weak  people who cannot defend their rights. Everybody should have the right to voice their opinion freely and without fear. The people who protest against the regime in Iran want to be heard. These are young, well-educated people who still dont have a good life here. They are unemployed or earn hardly any money  like me.

We want our voices to be heard. The regime wants to kill its opponents. They filter social media. A few days ago, we couldnt even call each other.

I wholeheartedly want a change. Europe and the US cant help us; Iran would never allow that. I wish I could leave the country.

 A mother (54) from Abhar (88 000 inhabitants)

All of the protests are directed against poverty and corruption. We need an opposition leader, but we dont have one. By now, its quiet again in my city. However, this movement has helped everybody. We are no longer afraid, we now talk openly and are more self-confident.

 Runak*, journalist from Sanandaj (370 000 inhabitants)

The number of participants is constant in Sanandaj. Yesterday, people were shot at. But as far as I can see, people are still determined to continue. Of course there is a certain worry that the riots will be crushed much more severely. Especially here with us in Kurdistan.

Auch interessant

There were demonstrations in several big cities. However, we expected more in cities like Tehran. But it is important that people carry on.

The local police were very quiet in Sanandaj. Only the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij militia were violent. The Basij, in particular, are dangerous, because they can easily mingle with the crowd in civilian clothes.

The internet is crucial for organization and cooperation. Unfortunately, here in Sanandaj the net is either very weak, or it doesnt work at all. But people come to the street from 5 p.m., anyway, because they know that the demonstrations start at that time.

The pro-regime demonstration was a disappointment for the regime. That applies across the whole of Iran. They even used archive images on TV. Even if lots of people had come, everybody in Iran and abroad would have known that many of them were not there voluntarily. Civil servants have to go to these demonstrations, otherwise they will lose their jobs.

 Mohsen*, student from Sari (300 000 inhabitants)

In the beginning, there were many people on the streets, but slowly pressure and fear are increasing, so fewer people are protesting now. They first want to hear from other cities before they dare to leave the house again.

However, I think that you can also wear down the regime with a high number of smaller protests. When the politicians are worn down, well have an opportunity to liberate ourselves.

We coordinate via social media and other channels. But every time we decide online on a place and time for a protest, the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij militia also read that and are there before us.

 Maryam* (50), single mother, two children, from Tehran (8 mil. inhabitants)

People are on the street, because they want something to eat and want to continue to live. The regime is not capable of answering our demands, so we want a change. There is no way we are going back. Our aim is to overthrow the Islamic regime.

In the evening, there were still a number of people on the streets in Tehran. In other cities like Tabriz and Ahvaz, hundreds joined the protests. The movement continues.

I have the feeling that the Basij and Revolutionary Guards do not want to attack. Especially the normal people who only work for the Basij militia out of economic distress, in order to have a job, they do not attack the protesters. I have the feeling that the government is afraid. Thats why the militia are not behaving as aggressively as before.

If this movement  for whatever reason  were to diminish, it would soon come back. We no longer have a choice. I think the regime is practically dead. We only have to bury its corpse.

We do not want western governments to help us  we can manage on our own. But please, do not defend this regime any longer. Thats all we demand.

 Negar*, photographer from Rasht (640 000 inhabitants)

In my city, approximately 50 percent of the people are for, and 50 percent against the regime. Even though it is not easy, a high number of people joined the protests. The activities here are still increasing. We also prepare physically for the demonstrations.

In the big cities, people are more afraid of the regime  more afraid of going to prison, of getting killed, of losing their jobs, and so on. There are so many Revolutionary Guards and Basij militia on the streets. They try everything to subdue the protesters.

 Akbar*, factory worker from Tabriz (1.5 mil. inhabitants)

The Revolutionary Guards were prepared for the political protests in the big, but not in the small, cities. People there are, in part, even more frustrated and aggressive. The protests are more radical there. Maybe the farmers and ranchers are, for example, less afraid of the regime than people who live and work in the cities, because they are less exposed to the political propaganda in their daily lives.

Revolutionary Guards and Basij militia are people who are willing to die for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the regime. They are also not afraid of killing anyone. They will not be put in front of a court, they are free to do whatever they want to maintain the regimes power.

I dont want to support this regime, because its laws dont give us any civil rights. We are not free to decide, we must do want they want. So why would I support them?

I want western governments to support us with good internet and by putting pressure on the regime. The regime should accept the freedom of expression. We should finally have the right to hold legal demonstrations, without being afraid. Then we will see how many people oppose this regime.

 Saiede*, journalist from Tehran

There were fewer people on the street last night because the Revolutionary Guards were everywhere. They tried to scare people. In the big cities, there are a lot of riot police. It is easier to protest in the small cities. Also, people are poorer in the small cities; the differences in income are larger. We partly organize the protests via social media, but also via email and word of mouth. There are a few taxi drivers who secretly pass on information about the protests to their guests.

The pro-regime demonstrations were unreal. I saw many people leaving the demonstration again. Its a theatre performance put on by the regime. Many participants dont want to be there at all. The regime does everything to bring as many people on the streets as possible.

If the protests now withdraw, the second phase begins. People will talk to each other, they will look for safe communication channels. Towards the end of the year, they will come back on the streets, with more power.

 Reza*, artist from Kerman (530 000 inhabitants)

In Kerman, only Revolutionary Guards and Basij militia were deployed against the protesters. They are against any people, whether from Iran, Syria, or Yemen.

The regime tries everything within its power to fight social media, but people are still active. The regime does not succeed. People can change the status quo.

 Baran*, housewife from Tehran

I want the Islamic regime to go away. My apartment is my world and also my prison. I have no rights in this country, anyway. But I know things would get even worse if the protests were to fail.

Western governments should no longer support the regime. And they should provide the Iranians with free internet. They could also put pressure on Russia, Turkey, and China, because these countries help the regime.

I also want them to help the Iranians build up a democratic country in which women have the same rights as men.

 Hossein*, student from Shahin Shahr (140 000 inhabitants)

Many people here were on the streets. I think the regime is not a republic, and it is also not Islamic. It was much easier for them to crack down on protesters in the big cities, because they took much more care of security there from the beginning. They would never have thought that, one day, the movement could start in the small cities. Therefore, they hardly have any means of repression here.

We communicate via the internet, but over the past few days, it has become much slower.

Revolutionary Guards and Basij militia deny any dignity for people who think differently. They do not perceive us as human beings.

 A female activist from Kermanshah (850 000 inhabitants)

In the first few days, participation was very high in my city. However, since yesterday, it has become a bit lower due to the unbelievable increase in security forces and the violence against protesters. But we expect the protests to become stronger again.

People in the provinces are strongly affected by the economic situation. Things are a bit better in the bigger cities. I think this is why the protests are stronger in the provinces than in the big cities.

The security forces  mostly police officers  initially remained calm. When the protests became stronger, the Basij militia and Revolutionary Guards joined them. They became very violent. Protesters then tried to defend themselves. The Revolutionary Guards let us know that they have a firing order.

The internet is very weak, and the Telegram app has been blocked. However, people have software to circumvent the blocking. People will always find a way to communicate with each other.

The pro-regime demonstration in my city was not bigger than the anti-regime demonstrations of the past few days. The participants on the regime side, however, were members of the Revolutionary Guards, the Basij militia, the army, and civil servants. We expected their demonstration to be bigger, but they didnt manage that.

*All names have been changed!
Von: Julian Ropcke

Did Russia train to attack NATO during its 2017 "Zapad" (West) exercise?

On December 19, BILD reported, based on two NATO member intelligence sources, that the Russian army September drills were a dry run for a full-scale conventional war against NATO in Europe.

However, no official confirmation of BILD's reporting was provided until now due to the "very sensitive nature of the subject" as different government officials formulated it. Until now!

In an interview with BILD, Estonian general Riho Terras, gave his assessment of last year's Zapad drills - and confirmed BILD's report. Terras is the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces and highly-decorated - among others with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Lesen Sie auch

Beyond Zapad, general Terras touched upon a wide range of security-related issues in Estonia and the Baltic states, ranging from countering Russian cyber threats, preparedness for the case of an invasion from the east to the integration of Russian-speaking minority members into Estonia's armed forces.

BILD: Given the geographic vulnerability of Estonia, what contingency plans do the Estonian Defence Forces have for the theoretical case of a Russian Army invasion from the east?

Riho Terras: "It is worth of reminding that Estonia lost its independence due to a secret pact between two tyrants and without putting up any armed resistance in 1939 and 1940. We will not make this same mistake again.

Auch interessant

Estonian Defence Forces have grown to a 25 000 strong reserve force. We had a mobilisation exercise that called up 14 000 soldiers in 2015 and the lessons identified were that we can mobilise and organise the reserve units within 24 hours. At the same time it is obvious that Estonia can only effectively be defended together with the NATO allies. We have been a trustworthy and reliable ally with our troops in Afghanistan and with defence expenditures that reach beyond the 2 percent milestone."

BILD: We published an article before Christmas, reporting  based on two western intelligence sources  that Zapad 2017 secretly simulated an attack on the Baltic States and beyond. You were closely monitoring the exercise and its aftermath. What is your final assessment of it?

Terras: "Let me be clear: With the exercise Zapad 2017 Russia simulated a large-scale military attack against NATO. It was not targeted towards the Baltic states only as it was a theatre-wide series of exercises spanning from high North to the Black Sea. The scale and extent of the entire exercise was far greater than officially stated."

BILD: We heard from Estonian government officials that every few minutes a cyber attack from Russia is taking place in the Baltic states. How do you assess the threat and what do the Estonian Defence Forces do to counter it?

Terras: "Estonian Defence Forces are currently in the process of establishing a Cyber Command. We put more and more attention and resources to recruiting cyber experts to work for the Estonian Defence Forces. Being a conscription based reserve force we have introduced cyber conscription that allows us to utilise the skills and knowledge of the brightest young specialists. In addition our Cyber Defence League a National Guard type voluntary organisation brings together the best practises and experts to keep the cyber defence capabilities up to date. Cyber attacks have become a reality that are part of Russias aggressive behaviour against the West. Cyber attacks are a background noise that is always present and which you need to be ready to deal with."

BILD: 24 percent of the Estonian population speak Russian and partly sees itself as a Russian minority. How are these people integrated into the Estonian Defence Forces in terms of numbers, deployment areas and ranks they fill

Terras: "Based on the polls there is no noteworthy anti-government sentiment among the Russian speaking population. Estonian Defence Forces are open and modern military that values the contribution of all members of our society. Russian speaking minority is strongly represented throughout the structure and the ranks  up to the flag officers level. Soldiers and officers with the Russian speaking background are integral members of the units that have been deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, Central African Republic, Mali etc."

Military vehicles during the Russian and Belarusian September drills

BILD: Germany has a rotating but constant army deployment in the eFP countries. Until May last year in Estonia and now in Lithuania. How important is this deployment for you and what is the value of it for Estonia and the Baltic States?

Terras: "First and foremost the Allied troops are here to defend NATO. Their presence in Estonia and the Baltic States and Poland is an important sign of NATOs unity and resolve to face challenges together. The UK-led eFP units in Estonia, the German-led eFP units in Lithuania as well as Canadian-led eFP units in Latvia and US-led eFP units in Poland that are integrated with the Host Nation Forces and are ready to defend Alliance territory together. It is a great example of the important steps that NATO has taken to strengthen its defence and deterrence posture after the Russian aggression in Ukraine.

We have to continue to work patiently to make sure that NATOs posture in our region and elsewhere continues to develop according to the needs of collective defence and remains credible at all times. To accomplish that we have to take into account also the lessons we have learned from Zapad 2017 and other Russian exercises."
Inma will hold its 88th Annual World Congress of News Media from 3-5 June 2018, at the Mead Center for American Theater in Washington, D.C.

The Inma World Congress of News Media will take place at the Mead Center for American Theater in Washington, D.C. Image credit: Inma website

The Inma World Congress is the associations signature event, bringing together the top executives from the leading news media companies in 40+ countries to discuss business strategy  with an intense focus on audience, revenue, and brand.

Over the holidays, the organisers pushed live Inmas primary areas of focus:

1. Strategy and vision The emerging value of news brands

Alternative business models and value drivers

Differentiating journalism in the era of fake news

2. The economics of content

Content economics and the hierarchy behind revenue levers

Freemium, meter, and hybrid models: whats working and not working

Pay and stay: consumer engagement best practices

3. Product and tech

The emerging role of smart data and AI

Video strategies: global revolution vs. local bust?

Whats next in mobile beyond the smartphone?

4. New experiences in advertising

Marketing services and the new media value proposition

An advertising tour de force: native + programmatic + print

Early registration deadline is 31 January 2018, and group registrations are available to Inma corporate members. Click here to register.

The Inma World Congress is designed for management teams dedicated to their companys strategy development, building out the economics of content, product and tech, and the revenue part of the business.
Steinhoff said after the JSE's close on Thursday that Ben la Grange had stepped down as finance chief to focus on shoring up liquidity within the beleaguered retailer, which said "significant near-term liquidity" was still needed.

Steinhoff said La Grange had vacated his role "to focus on the preservation and procurement of liquidity" and to finalise the group's audited 2017 financial statements, which have been delayed due to "accounting irregularities".

Philip Dieperink will replace La Grange as acting CFO, pending his formal appointment to the board. Dieperink has been with Steinhoff in various finance positions since 2001, and will remain CFO of Steinhoff UK.

The group said it was looking for a "chief restructuring officer" in the form of an external independent debt-restructuring expert.

Further, Johan Geldenhuys, who has been with the group since 2010, will join the executive committee as head of treasury.

Steinhoff said its talks with funding partners were ongoing. "While the group has achieved some degree of stabilisation in its operating businesses, significant near-term liquidity is still required in certain of the business units."

Prior to the announcement, shares in Steinhoff closed 25.2% higher at R8.60 following reports that its European business had borrowed 180m from a US hedge fund.

The Financial Times said on Wednesday the two-year loan facility for the European business had been provided by hedge fund Davidson Kempner, citing two people briefed on the arrangement.

Steinhoff said its supervisory board "will continue to keep the governance of the group under review and a number of candidates are being approached to strengthen the independence of the supervisory board".

Management was focused on "stabilising" the business, and aimed to ensure that the intrinsic value of assets was protected.

The finance head reshuffling announced on Thursday followed changes to top management after former CEO Markus Jooste stepped down when the accounting concerns came to light.

Danie van der Merwe was earlier appointed acting CEO while Alexandre Nodale was nominated as deputy CEO and Louis Du Preez as commercial director.

Source: AFP
Nigerian startup Commissions.ng is enabling users to start businesses selling products and services in return for commission, offering each subscriber a complete, personalised e-commerce platform that comes preloaded with items they can start selling within minutes.

Fully launched in September, Commissions.ng saves subscribers the hassle of worrying about web hosting, logistics and technical details, as well as the need to plan seasonal promotions and process payments.

It provides everything its subscribers need to run a successful e-commerce platform, even offering live chat and customer care numbers.

The only thing we expect our subscribers to do is marketing and sales, co-founder Ehis Asibor told Disrupt Africa. When sales are made, we handle the order processing, liaise with the vendors, and ensure the order is fulfilled. If there are returns, complaints or issues with the order, we handle them. We completely insulate our subscribers from everything that is not marketing or sales.

To ensure the widest variety of offerings are available on each of its subscribers websites, Commissions.ng gives them the opportunity to sell more than just regular products or services.

We are currently working to allow our subscribers to sell hotel reservations and flight bookings directly from their e-commerce website. Currently, they can sell airtime recharge cards, and soon bill payment for things like cable TV and electricity will be available. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The ultimate plan is to allow them to sell almost anything for a commission, Asibor said.

He said a lot of people wanted to start businesses, but did not have the capital available to take the first steps.

Often, when they do have the capital, they are faced with the problem of trying to determine what to buy that ensures a profitable return, Asibor said.

A number of people have thought about going into e-commerce, but the logistical and operational challenges very quickly kill the business. Other times the resources to operate as an online marketplace are absent or just too expensive.

This is the gap Commissions.ng is trying to bridge.

We want everyone to be able to start an online business, selling products and services without having to incur massive upfront expenditure, said Asibor.

Evidently, the startup is coming up against more established platforms such as Jumia and Konga, as well as Shopify. But Asibor feels his company has a competitive advantage due to the branding opportunities it offers to affiliate marketers, in the form of their own websites and brand names.

For those involved in drop-shipping, the inventory-less model, plus the managed platform that we offer them, is the value we are proposing to them, he said.

Commissions.ng is to date self-funded.

Truthfully, we have not actively sought funding. We have just been focused on the business fundamentals in an attempt to find the best product-market fit. We think this is very important, especially given that our approach to e-commerce is completely novel, said Asibor.

We are quite young and there is still a lot to achieve. However, given the resources we have, then comparing this to the results we have seen, we are confident that we are on the right glide-path to completely disrupt the conventional concept of e-commerce in Africa.

There is evidence to back this up. It has already produced over 100 websites for subscribers, and gives them the chance to sell almost 4,000 products. Currently, Commissions.ng is solely focused on the Nigerian market, but Asibor said that will not remain the case.

We have received enquiries from people interested in being agents from outside Nigeria. The plan is to expand to other countries at the right time, he said.

The startup charges its vendors an annual subscription fee, while it also sells add-on products and services to its agents such as custom domain names and branded marketing materials.

In addition to revenue from subscription, we also earn commissions from every sale made. Currently, our vendors and service providers list their products for free, but ultimately listing will not be free, said Asibor.
FRANKFURT - Financial pain inflicted by natural disasters worldwide almost doubled in 2017, German reinsurance giant Munich Re said, with a new record in losses from weather-related catastrophes.

The year saw the worst hurricane season on record and major monsoon flooding, the company said, warning that as climate change intensifies it expects "extreme weather to occur more often in the future".

Losses in 2017 amounted to some $330bn for all types of natural disaster globally, the financial firm said, close to double the $175bn in mayhem inflicted the previous year.

The financial losses figure was the second-highest on record after 2011, and almost twice its 10-year average of $170bn.

But casualty figures did not rise in step with property damage, as around 10,000 people lost their lives -- around 30% more than the previous year's toll.

That was a fraction of the 10-year average of 60,000 killed annually in catastrophes.

Some 2,700 people died in severe monsoons in South Asia, with Nepal and Himalayan regions of India among the worst affected.

Meanwhile, some 50% of the global financial pain fell on the United States, with regions like Texas and Puerto Rico pummelled by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, and wildfires raging in California.

When taking into account the cash toll exacted from the rest of North America -- including Mexico, where devastating earthquakes claimed 369 lives -- the continent suffered 83% of worldwide financial losses.

Munich Re labelled 2017 as "the costliest hurricane season on record", with some $215bn of damage from a series of storms.

The havoc was "a foretaste of what is to come," said board member Torsten Jeworrek.

"Even though individual events cannot be directly traced to climate change, our experts expect such extreme weather to occur more often in the future."

The insurers also pointed to a weak harvest in Europe, where farmers lost up to 50% of their crops after an April frost damaged plants that had flourished in a warm spring, as a hint of the risks as climate change progresses.

Only 41%of the losses recorded in 2017 were insured, Munich Re said, suggesting that low levels of coverage in South Asia in particular "contributed to the humanitarian catastrophe" of the monsoon.
A custom-designed "Farmer Outreach" truck which is fully equipped to travel to far-flung rural areas throughout South Africa to help farmers find agricultural solutions in their own backyard, a system of genotyping to check whether meat samples are what they say they are, a programme of national cultivar evaluations for grain crops to ensure better yields in South Africa, and the timeous establishment of powerful collaborations to find pest solutions such as a solution to the armyworm invasion that hit the country not long ago.

skeeze via pixabay

These are just some of the achievements that South Africas Agricultural Research Council (ARC) has notched up in recent years in a bid to tackle the agricultural challenges faced by the country which include food insecurity.

Speaking during the session entitled Food Losses and Waste: Leadership for Innovation, at the third International Conference on Global Food Security held in Cape Town, ARC CEO Dr Shadrack Moephuli cited some of the innovations coming out of the ARC to assist both commercial and smallholder farmers in South Africa.

Challenges facing Africa

Even though most countries in Africa have managed to increase their agricultural yields in recent years, the continent is still battling with persistent food insecurity, Dr Moephuli said.

Citing figures from the Food and Agricultural Organisations world report on food security and nutrition, he said Africans comprise 243 million of the 815 million people who go hungry in the world. Africa has the highest prevalence of undernourishment, with 23% of the population being undernourished. This places a very difficult burden on the continent, he said. Although some people have sufficient food energy needs, there remain deficiencies in micronutrients, protein, vitamins and essential minerals.

Further challenges facing Africa are increased obesity, stunted growth in children and poor learning outcomes, while increasing urbanisation and population growth, coupled with diminishing agricultural production and productivity are all contributing to food insecurity on the continent.

All these factors have devastating impacts and we need to find solutions. Moephuli stressed that in order to find the right solutions for agriculture and food in SA, a coordinated system and not just one institution is needed. It has to be done by a range of stakeholders, engaging with each other, he said.

Agricultural innovations

Turning to the ARCs projects, he said that the Farmer Outreach mobile laboratory was able to do such advanced operations as embryo transfers and artificial insemination. The success rate of these services has been phenomenal. The pregnancy rate has been about 60% in environments where we normally have a success rate of 20%, he said.

In another example, an ARC partnership involved in breeding forage for increased animal productivity had successfully bred a new variety  Endurance - a dual purpose crop for animal and human consumption. Its soft leaves are considered very palatable for use as mfino/morogo, he said.

Further impacts of their agricultural innovations included:

 The ARC releasing 96 peach and nectarine cultivars since 1937;

 An increase of the tree planting density by 57% to 956 trees/ha; and

 16 of the top 39 plum cultivars exported from South Africa are ARC bred.

For instance, the countrys peach and nectarine industry have moved from fairly negligible amounts to a billion rand industry from which many people benefit in SA.

Moephuli said the many challenges on the continent, such as population growth, climate change, the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the growing instability associated with land, water and energy shortages bring many pressures to bear on agriculture. These challenges reinforce the critical role of innovation to make agriculture more competitive and sustainable. Innovation is the new normal in agriculture, he said.
The country is staring at a food shortage following declined maize and wheat production in the North Rift region - the country's grain basket - this season caused by disease outbreaks and erratic weather.

The Agriculture ministry estimates a 20% drop in maize yields - 32 million 90kg bags down from 37.1 million bags - setting the stage for an acute shortage of the commodity this year.

Maize production in Uasin Gishu County dropped by 25% from 4.4 million to 3.7 million bags in 2017 due to an outbreak of the fall armyworm, head smut disease and sustained drought during planting period.

Similarly, wheat yields plummeted to 430,000 bags from 466,000 bags in 2016 with agriculture experts warning that the shortfall in the harvest of the two sources of staple food will impact negatively on most households. "The anticipated shortage of the cereals will push the prices beyond the reach of most households forcing the government to sustain the food subsidy programme," said Jackson Lagat, an agricultural economist.

Armyworms

Trans Nzoia County, a high maize production region, harvested 4.7 million bags of maize down from five million bags in 2016 and the yield is expected to decline further as a result of Fall armyworms. "The outbreak of Fall armyworms led to increased cost of production and low yield while heavy rains during harvest period resulted in rotting of the crop," said Joseph Cheboi, Uasin Gishu County director of agriculture.

The pests destroyed several hectares of the crop in Kitale, Bungoma, Kakamega, Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Busia, Nandi, Kericho, Baringo and Nakuru counties.

According to Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett, the country is expected to experience maize shortage this year. "The annual maize yield could drop by 20-25% which will further complicate the already unsteady food security situation," said Mr Bett.

Uprooting crop

Most farmers in the North Rift region had not recovered from the outbreak of Maize Lethal Necrosis disease that had earlier ravaged parts of the country, forcing some of the growers to uproot the crop. A farmer in Trans Nzoia County, Edward Kiru, whose maize was invaded by the Fall armyworms said the yields were cut by half.

"In the previous season, I had harvested 30 bags per acre. But due to the armyworm invasion, I only harvested 15 bags per acre. There are a number of pesticides which I'm not sure if they are effective or not. We want the government to assure us of proper pesticides for the armyworms before the next planting season," he said.

Maurice Chepkonga, a farmer from Moiben in Uasin Gishu County, had to contend with a poor harvest, thanks to the armyworm infestation and depressed rains in the first six months of last year. Chepkonga said from his 25 acres, his harvest went down to about five bags per acre from 25 bags in the previous season.

Food security

Most maize farmers in the North Rift region have reduced acreage under maize resulting in a decline in food production.

Agriculture experts in the region said the change of land use from agricultural to commercial was threating food security as the government moves to bolster its strategic grain reserves.

Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation deputy director-general, Felister Makini, said the state agency remained underfunded. This hampers efforts to fight the Fall armyworms as scientists research biological means to contain it. "This is a serious pest and funding has been an issue, yet we have not undertaken serious research. There are inadequate funds to conduct research to get the best solutions to the control the pest," he said.
President Jacob Zuma's announcement of free higher education and training for poor and working class students will be phased in over five years to ensure the sustainability of government's financial resources, Higher Education and Training Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize said on Thursday, 4 January.

Mkhize announced that the threshold to qualify for assistance from the National Student Fund Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has been raised to students from households with a combined annual income of up to R350,000 per year. The previous threshold was R122,000. Provision has also been made for subsidised accommodation and transport.

In addition, provision has been made for the NSFAS loans of qualifying students in second and third years to be converted to bursaries.

NSFAS financial assistance will also no longer be in the form of loans but bursaries. This would be accommodated within the existing budget parameters of the Department of Higher Education and Training.

Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba has been involved in discussions by the interministerial task team, Mkhize said.

The condition for financial assistance would be for the prospective students to meet the academic criteria and requirements of the TVET colleges or universities they have applied for. Qualifying students also need to have been offered a place to study and there must be sufficient spaces at each institution to accommodate them.

The plan provides for full bursaries for tuition and study materials to qualifying poor and working-class students at public TVET colleges and universities. Subsidised accommodation or transport would capped at specific levels for those who qualified. This will start with first-time entry students in 2018 and will be phased in over a period of five years.

NSFAS packages already allocated to returning existing university students in 2018 will be converted from loans to bursaries provided they meet the requirements for academic progression.

Mkhize said NSFAS had already received more than 300,000 applications for first-year students for the 2018 academic year at universities and TVET colleges.

Students who had not applied at an institution or NSFAS and were looking for a space at a higher education institution would be assisted through the central applications clearing house. This is a government online application portal.

"Students who are in possession of firm offers from universities or TVET colleges but did not apply to NSFAS for funding, [and] who qualify for funding according to the revised criteria, will be assisted."

The minister discouraged walk-in applications at institutions.

Source: BDpro
The government has refused point-blank to reveal how much the free higher education announced by President Jacob Zuma is likely to cost, and where the money will come from, only that it will be within the approved national budget.

The president announced in December that students from poor and working-class families with a combined annual income of up to R350,000 will be fully subsidised for their Technical Vocational Education and Training Colleges (TVET) or university fees.

Briefing the media in Pretoria ahead of the release of matric results on Thursday, 4 January, Higher Education Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize said that Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba was very much part of the process and had made a plea for the government not to delve into the funding details of the new higher education funding policy.

Pressed for answers, Mkhize said: "I may not be able to give you an exact amount... I do not want to be in conflict with the finance minister. He made a plea to [Zuma] not to delve into that space.

"He made a plea to all of us, the [inter-ministerial] committee, to communicate, address issues [but to] leave the nitty-gritty to him, but the technical team assured us this is not going to affect the limits. That means this will not go beyond the approved budget voted for in Parliament."

She said there had been a due process, with Gigaba and his team at the centre, and there had been back-to-back meetings held on weekends and after hours. After all the work was done, Gigaba was the one who helped the committee make a breakthrough on the financing of free higher education for students from poor and working-class families.

She said the budgeting process started with the Fees Must Fall campaign and there were already funds identified and pumped into the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

NSFAS has already received more than 300,000 applications for first year students for the 2018 academic year at universities and TVETs.

All applicants in possession of a firm offer from a higher learning institution will be assessed for funding using the revised criteria, Mkhize said; those in possession of a firm offer from a tertiary institution but who did not apply for funding will be assisted; students who may not have applied at an institution or NSFAS and are looking for space in the post-school system will be assisted through the central applications clearing house.

Said Mkhize: "We believe this will go a long way in the fight against the perennial challenge of the skills deficit that has bedeviled the country since the dawn of our democracy.

"The investment in our youth will result in the production of a youthful workforce, armed with relevant skills critical for our endeavour as a country to create inclusive economic growth."

Source: BDpro
2018 has brought a fresh start in the once sour relationship between the SABC and radio personality Criselda Dudumashe.

It's been announced Criselda will be joining SAFM to co-host a show from Monday to Thursday, 7pm to 9pm.

In a statement released by the public broadcaster, it was confirmed she would be co-hosting the show alongside Naledi Moleo. The show tackles issues around gender issues, work life and includes regular features like relationship advice.

"This approach is informed by lifestyle demands of our listeners and that we believe these respective presenters will cater for all the lifestyle needs of our listeners. Criselda brings to the show her wealth of experience as a seasoned presenter," said acting station manager Peter Mashamba.

Hauled over the coals

Criselda was hauled over the coals last year over comments she made about former Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Mduduzi Manana after it emerged he assaulted three women outside a Johannesburg bar. He pleaded and was found guilty on three charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Criselda appeared to defend Manana and later apologised for her actions. The SABC launched an investigation and she was taken off air. She later spoke about how she felt betrayed as those close to her lambasted her on social media.

Source: The Times via i-Net Bridge.
Umeme, Eskom, the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL), the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) and Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) have submitted investment plans for 2018 to the country's Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), all of them signalling an increase in capital expenditure. The investment is expected to be recouped from power tariffs to be charged, suggesting that the cost of power will remain high next year.

These revelations came to light at a public hearing held by ERA to seek views from different businesses before announcing the tariff. The exchange rate is expected to be the biggest determinant of the movement of the power tariff considering that more than 80% of the investment costs that power firms incur are pegged on the US dollar.

All five companies see capital spend going up by at least 30% in 2018.

Eskom, the South African power utility that manages the two dams at Nalubaale and Kiira, is slated to account for the highest increase when the company invests $20.2m in 2018 compared to the $2.5m in 2017.

Umeme, the locally-listed company, where the National Social Security Fund is the major shareholder with 23%, submitted an application with a revenue requirement of $250m.

The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited said it will spend $1.52m from January 2018 to June 2019, an increase of 38% compared to the previous period.

While the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company and the Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited will spend billions of shillings in the coming year. For these two, their investments are not recovered from the tariff because ERA treats them as development costs.

Umeme

A lot of Umeme's 2018 budget is a continuation of work the company has been carrying out in 2017. Described as "work in progress", Umeme has set aside $49m for this component.

But when it comes to calculating the tariff, the bone of contention between Umeme and ERA always appears to be what should be determined as an investment cost in the network.

"In determining the 2018 end user tariffs, it is expected that ERA will aggregate revenue requirements of all sector entities (including Umeme's revenue requirement) and take account of all assumptions underlying upstream costs and distribution costs," Umeme said in a statement.

Umeme has asked ERA to consider $14m it has committed in non-network assets as part of the distribution operation and maintenance cost, which should be recovered through the tariff.

Umeme has also included $6.95m, which it says ERA over-recovered using an erroneous computation. ERA recovers money that Umeme earns beyond what was budgeted for.

Eskom

The company said it had revised the amount needed to refurbish mainly Nalubaale dam from $2m to $3.35m, the largest amount on a single component.

Eskom said the money was revised upwards due to the "cost of mobilisation of necessary equipment into the country." Negotiations for this work are currently ongoing. There have been concerns over the failure of some units to generate power.

UEDCL

The state distribution company says it will create a new planning department, which should see overall administration costs go up by 11%.

UEDCL says it intends to put in place planning software and "other assets for network investment", valued at Shs 926m in its new planning department.

UETCL

The national transmission company faces a number of challenges, right from overloaded transformers in towns to weak sub-stations and transmission lines in the rural areas.

It plans to install a new 60/80MVA transformer for Tororo, as one of its major tasks, although it does not mention how much it will spend on this.

The transformer is expected to cater for the anticipated increase in demand from the new Hima Cement factory, the new Simba Cement factory, and the expansion of the existing Tororo Cement factory, among others.

UEGCL

Since UEGCL does not invest in real assets, much of the money it has budgeted will cover staff costs estimated at Shs 8bn, with the top earner there, the chief executive officer, Harrison Mutikanga, earning a basic monthly salary of Shs 24.4m.

The biggest percentage increase, though, is for consultancy, which has gone up $259,000 from $26,400. The agency said a substantial amount of these fees - $83,300 - will go towards asset verification at the Nalubaale and Kiira power dams.

ERA is currently reviewing the applications and reserves the right to either approve the investments or block them.

There is quite a bit to read from all the investments. It would suggest that there is increased demand for electricity, with the large consumers, especially the industries, expected to increase their uptake.

Demand for electricity is expected to grow at 8% in 2018, which is more than the average 6% in 2017.

Some demand is slated to come from Kenya, with the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited saying it plans to export at least 220.51GWh by the end of the year against a budgeted figure of 35GWh.
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NEW DELHI (PTI): The move to reduce to 15 minutes the time taken to travel across the strategic Zojila pass on the national highway connecting Kashmir with Kargil and Leh, has been welcomed by a cross-section of people, including defence personnel, who feel it would ensure year-round supplies for troops.



The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared the construction of a bi-directional longest tunnel in Asia at an estimated cost of Rs 6,089 crore, a project which had been pending for the last two decades.



The 14.15 km tunnel will reduce the travel time on Zojila pass from an estimated 3 hours to 15 minutes besides providing an all-weather road to strategically important Kargil, the epi-centre of 1999 skirmishes between India and Pakistani troops.



Lt Gen D S Hooda, who retired as Corps commander of the Northern Command, feels that with the construction of the tunnel, troops deployed in the region can depend more on ground supplies rather than air.



"You see in winters, the area was cut off and everyone including the civilians, used to depend on supplies from air.



And the weather was always not that kind," Gen Hooda told PTI over phone.



He said that after the creation of the tunnel, supplies can be ensured for troops as well as civilians who have to face harsh winters as the mercury plummets even up to minus 40 degrees below zero.



Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had said the project, for which norms have been relaxed and which was secured about 10 per cent below the tender cost, will benefit the defence forces.



"Defence forces have to face hard time ensuring supplies to border post during winters. This tunnel will ensure smooth supplies," he had said.



Sanjay Jaju of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited retweeted a tweet which said, "Zojila tunnel from Srinagar will provide year-round connectivity for the Indian Army to Leh that remains cut off from the rest of the country for six months in a year."



Many of the people on Twitter hailed the project's approval, saying it will bring relief to the people in Leh, Ladakh and Kashmir.



"Zojila tunnel will be the longest bi-directional tunnel in Asia. (Its) construction period (will be) seven years because of a very difficult terrain where in some areas temperature dips to minus 45 degree Celsius. The tunnel shall be an engineering marvel as first of its kind in such a geographical area," Gadkari had said on Wednesday.



He had said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the project and work on it is likely to start this year.



Zojila pass is situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway which remains closed during winters (December to April) due to heavy snowfall and avalanches cutting off Leh-Ladakh region from Kashmir.



The Government has given its approval to the construction, operation and maintenance of the two-lane bi-directional Zojila Tunnel with Parallel Escape (Egress) Tunnel excluding approaches on Srinagar-Leh section, connecting NH-1A at Km 95 and at Km 118 in Jammu and Kashmir, on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode.



The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRT&H) through the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and is expected to be completed in seven years.



Some business community leaders also hailed the project and said it would have a positive impact on trade between the Valley and Ladakh region.



Javed Ahmad Tenga, president, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said the construction of the tunnel would be a good development.



It will definitely have a positive effect, he said.



It is a good development especially for the people of the Ladakh region as the area remains cut-off for almost six months. The connectivity will increase, Tenga said.



The KCCI president said once the connectivity is improved, it would have positive effects on the economy of the state.


It has been announced that 25 new jobs will be created in Cork and Limerick over the coming months.

Direct sales and marketing company NK Communications will take on new hires in the two counties as it expands its field sales team working on behalf of Energia.
The performance of its Irish stores was one of the only bright notes for Debenhams as it slashed its profit forecast following a poor Christmas period in the UK.

The shares, which at one stage plunged by 24%, later rallied to close 15% lower in the session.

The department store group revised its forecast after it was forced to cut prices in the UK to drive sales of Christmas gifts, illustrating the challenges facing some of UKs best-known retailers.

Shares in the 240-year-old company were down more than 14%, or 5.24p to 30.34p, after the mid-market retailer rushed out sales figures a week earlier than expected.

However, its 11 stores in the Republic delivered positive like-for-like growth during the 17 weeks until the end of December, Debenhams said, along with its Magasin du Nord business in Denmark.

Its Irish sales were 147.5m (166.2m) in the 12 months to the end of August last year, having benefited from restructuring under examinership, the firm said in October. Debenhams performance in the Christmas run-up underlines the threat to traditional British retailers from online competition, a decline in demand for clothing and pressure on UK consumer spending.

Chief executive Sergio Bucher said UK customers had come late to Christmas, and when they did start shopping its gifts were not special enough to encourage them to buy without discounts.

After John Lewis, Debenhams is second largest UK department stores group by its value of sales. John Lewis said its sales in the week before Christmas rose almost 9%. However, Christmas was a boon for German discounter Aldi in Ireland and the UK, with a 15% rise in December sales from December 2016, bringing its annual Irish and UK sales to over 10bn for the first time.

Aldi added 76 stores in 2017, bringing the total to 762. It plans 1,000 stores in the UK by 2022, with plans to open a further 70 stores this year.

Fashions retailer Next reported stronger than expected Christmas sales. Its shares fell 1% in the session. The firm said a 1.5% increase in Christmas sales was partly down to much colder weather in the run-up to Christmas.

British consumers increased their borrowing by the smallest amount since mid-2015 in the three months to November, suggesting households are slowly reining in spending, Bank of England figures showed.

UK mortgage lender Nationwide said UK house prices last year grew at their slowest pace since 2012 and fell in London for the first time since 2009.

Additional reporting Reuters
A simpler CAP is the aim of a raft of EU changes which came into force this week.

It followed the adoption by the Council of Agriculture Ministers and the European Parliament of the agriculture and rural development part of the so-called omnibus regulation.

It aims for more flexible and less bureaucratic rules and on improving environmental actions and supports for farmers.

Phil Hogan, the agriculture commissioner, said the changes will make the lives of farmers and other CAP beneficiaries easier. Stronger support for farmers in the food supply chain is one of the key improvements. The new rules include value-sharing clauses in every product sector, and giving farmers the right to ask for a written contracts, unless trading with SMEs.

The changes also feature simpler risk management tools, including improvements to insurance schemes to allow compensation for up to 70% for farmers whose production or income is cut by at least 20%.

Clauses also allow the commission to act rapidly to address market failures and target incentives for young farmers.

Meanwhile, the Government said it has no intention of ending the practice of cutting turf for domestic use, but is committed to ensuring the law is upheld in protecting nature. Josepha Madigan, Minister of State for Culture Heritage and the Gaeltacht, who gave the assurance in a written Dail reply to Limerick Fine Gael TD Tom Neville, said Irish Rural Link will start to liaise with households and a pilot scheme starts this month.

Separately, over 45,000 registered sheep and goat keepers countrywide were legally obliged to complete a census form for their animals last Sunday.
The chief of the IDA has said it was still up to Apple whether or not to build its much delayed 850m data centre at Athenry, and it was unreasonable for the tech giant to commit at this stage before planning appeals have been exhausted.

Martin Shanahan also said data centres could provide significant levels of employment in rural areas and be a catalyst to provide many more jobs if multinationals base global engineering hubs and designate their Irish bases as the main European centres to comply with new EU rules on data protection  regulations which come into force later this year.

Amid planning objections, Apple boss Tim Cook failed late last year to provide a definitive commitment to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar it would build in the Co Galway town despite confirming plans to build a second data centre in Denmark. Critics have questioned the value for money for the State because data centres consume a lot of power and employ relatively few people compared with the capital invested in the projects.

But speaking to reporters alongside Business Minister Heather Humphreys on the IDAs year-end results, Mr Shanahan said the current status is that Apple continues to consider Athenry for its future plans but still faces an appeal in the whole planning process, which has taken an extraordinarily long time.

I think it would be unreasonable to expect the company to commit to something that isnt concluded. And even when it is concluded they will have to reassess how it fits with their future business plans, said the IDA CEO.

IDA hailed reaching its highest level employment level at almost 210,450 jobs, meaning one in 10 in the workforce is now employed directly by a multinational, while many thousands more indirectly rely on foreign-owned firms for their livelihood. The number of IDA- assisted jobs increased by over 19,850 in 2017, but job losses in the year meant there was almost 10,685 net jobs created.

The IDA said it was ahead of targets in its multi-year plan but conceded that it could do more to strike a better balance between Dublin and some other regions.

At the end of 2017, at 101,222, just under half of all IDA-linked jobs were in the Dublin and Mid-East region, with the South-West having the second largest number of jobs, at almost 37,435. The West had 23,286 jobs; the Mid-West 17,787; and the South-East, which has almost 14,920, increased IDA-jobs at the fastest rate last year. The Border and Midlands, which posted the smallest percentage increases in IDA employment in 2017, have almost 11,470 and 4,330 jobs, respectively.

On Brexit, Mr Shanahan said there was a sufficient supply of offices in Dublin to meet demand but residential housing was a challenge for Ireland, as it was for many other countries. He said its Brexit campaign was going reasonably well but was yet to be reflected in jobs on the ground, as financial services, pharmaceutical, and tech firms, prepare to make announcements in the coming months.

The IDA now designates the UK as a separate market, which Mr Shanahan characterised as a practical arrangement. On the US corporate tax cuts, Mr Shanahan said the US rate was still significantly above Irelands and the effects of the cuts may not be as significant as some had feared.

He said the IDA awaited the EUs plans for European digital tax later this year.
An 18-year-old is due back in court next week after being charged with the murder of a Japanese man in Co Louth.

Yosuke Sasaki was stabbed to death on Wednesday morning in Dundalk.
An Post says Christmas was its busiest ever period for delivering parcels.

It delivered more than 1.7 million packages in the five week lead-up to Christmas.
Dublin commuters could face significant disruption due to a cancelled public meeting on the future traffic and pedestrian arrangements on College Green.

An Bord Pleanala called off a hearing due to be held next week because of an administrative error.

Dublin City Council is now planning to bring in changes in the area to prioritise pedestrians and the Luas Cross City.

CEO of the National Transport Authority Anne Graham welcomed the move.

"We've got a medievil city. We've got to try and get as many people through the city centre as possible and we want the majority of those, as they do now, to use public transport," she said.

"But we also have to provide for pedestrians and cyclists as well," she added.

Joe Heron from the Irish Taxi Federation fears the move will affect many businesses and hotels in the area.

"It is absolutely crazy to try and ban taxis from these areas," he said.

"You can't build hotels in a central city area and tell tourists 'I'm sorry you have to carry your luggage, you can't go by taxi' - it's crazy," he added.
Newstalk broadcaster George Hook has said that people rang up his sons customers and asked them why they were doing business with the "son of a rapist" following his controversial comments about the topic on his programme last September, writes Olivia Kelleher.

In an interview with the Neil Prendeville show, on Corks Red FM, Mr Hook said he readily accepted his comments were wrong and indefensible.

However, he said his family had suffered arising out of the furore that surrounded his remarks.

"I am watching my family take the brunt of it. My son -- people rang up his customers and he runs the biggest rugby tour company in this country. They rang up his customers with words to the effect of "why are you doing business with the son of a rapist?" I brought this on my family."

The broadcaster, who returns to Newstalk tomorrow, stepped down from hosting his lunchtime show in late September following comments he had made earlier that month on air during which he discussed the case of a woman who claimed she was raped by a former member of the British swim team.

In the course of the show he said "Is there no blame to the person who puts themselves in danger?"

Mr Hook said he had handled the item in an "unprofessional" manner and that it was a big item to do off the cuff. He readily accepted that he had dealt with the issue "badly" on air and that he "regretted" his words.

However, he said what really disappointed him was the "Fake News" that followed in the subsequent media reports.

"I dont think there was a true word written in the newspapers in the weeks after that event. There wasnt one sentence that was entirely true.

"It was the most extraordinary thing. Trump had brought up this thing fake news and we all said Ah nonsense, nonsense, nonsense there is no such thing as fake news. But I was reading day after day of fake news.

"I was reading it and saying the so called quality press, I can understand some mickey mouse crowd acting like this, but the quality press rang up every person who had worked with me in the last fifteen years and essentially said Have you any dirt on Hook?"

Mr Hook said that he was "very proud" that in almost 16 years of broadcasting not one person had come forward with any "dirt" on him.

He insisted that one of the ramifications of the fall out going forward involves the impact on the media of the "Twitterati."

"What is finished now for ever and the message from me and my downfall will resonate throughout radio. I am not trying to make myself in to a martyr. I think an awful lot of people who broadcast today will now look at items and say should we really do this?. Are the Twitterati going to be the determining factor of radio or television success. Are they going to decide?"

He stressed that he was "finished" by around 200 people.

"There were 150,000 people listening to me and there were probably 200 took me down. I am not defending it. I am not defending it at all. I have apologised twice. If people want me to apologise three times I will apologise three times. I know what I did. I know it was wrong. I am not happy about it. And I paid the price for it."

The Cork born broadcaster said he was grateful for the "goodwill" of people on the streets. He is still replying to letters from people who felt compelled to contact him after the controversy.

He added that Kevin Myers, whom he described as a "good mate," was really speaking for him on the Claire Byrne show.

"Because what he said was I have a right to be wrong. I was wrong there is no doubt about that. I have never denied that. I was wrong. But like Myers I was clumsy.

"We are in one of the toughest businesses of all because it is live radio so if we say something we cant take it back. There is no sub editor to say Write that a different way. We have said it. It is on the airwaves. It is done. I do radio live. I dont have any notes. I just do. And I did that off the seat of my pants.

"First of all that was unprofessional to do something as important as that because that was a big item to do it off the seat of my pants was unprofessional. I handled it extremely badly."

Mr Hook said there was "incredible opportunism" in the wake of his comments and that he bore no animosity towards his employer for how they handled the situation.

"They (Newstalk) didnt really have a lot of choice. I understood exactly. There was no animosity between me and the radio station at all. I sat there and let the cards fall where they may.

"There was incredible opportunism. The hotel group that sponsored the programme says with great integrity We cant possible continue to sponsor this man. They had two weeks left in their sponsorship.

"The radio station is a commercial operation. And a commercial radio station has to look at its advertising and everything else. I had no difficulty with that."

He also said he was not somebody who was controversial for the sake of being controversial.

"The thing is that people often said to me when I was on television or radio or whatever that I was controversial for the sake of being controversial. And I sort of said Well you never really knew me before I was on radio when I was just in a pub opinionating. So therefore I cant see George non opinionating because I have thought about that quite a lot."

He said he has spent the last few months catching up with his eight grandchildren, reading and watching shows on Netflix.

He told Neil Prendeville that being off air made him realise how hard he had been pushing himself and that he was now "better off."

However, he jokingly refuted any suggestion that he could find himself in the future line ups of Dancing with the Stars insisting that he could "never follow Dessie." (Cahill)

Mr Hook will be on air on Newstalk tomorrow with Hooks Saturday Sit-In which will be broadcast from 8am to 10am.
Campaigners have condemned the decision by one of Dublin's best known hotels to tell 15 homeless families they cannot be accommodated there any longer.

The Gresham Hotel reportedly says it will not be accepting homeless payments from Dublin City Council from the end of this month.
Update 2.05pm: The Emergency Department Taskforce will meet on Monday to discuss hospital overcrowding.

It is one of the measures announced after a meeting between the HSE and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

Figures on trolleys fell from a high of 677 on Wednesday, to 483 this morning, but according to HSE figures which do not include patients on wards, the numbers are still 14% higher than the same day last year.

INMO General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha says the meeting with the HSE was productive.

She said: "We had sought that the group CEO's be advised that they have to meet the INMO at local level in order to ensure that every possible avenue was being persued to maximise efficiencies."

Update 12.30pm: INMO representatives meeting with HSE to discuss overcrowding

Nurse representatives are meeting with the HSE to discuss hospital overcrowding.

According to INMO figures, 483 patients are on trolleys today, down from a high of 677 on Wednesday.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation says hospitals that manage patient flow well have fewer patients on trolleys.

Professor Anthony Staines from DCU says getting patients in and out of hospital smoothly is key.

He said: "There are very few people in the ED's (Emergency Departents) who don't need to be there and there isn't anyone lying in a trolley who doesn't need to be there."

Earlier: Hospitals 'in meltdown', Taoiseach must commit to necessary funding - IMO

The Irish Medical Organisation says Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Pascal Donohoe must commit the necessary funding to end the trolley crisis.

The Irish Medical Organisation says the Taoiseach and the Finance Minister must commit the necessary funding to end the trolley crisis.

The IMO says our hospitals are 'a system in meltdown' due to overcrowding.

Health Minister Simon Harris said yesterday he is committed to opening more beds and reforming the system.

IMO President Dr Ann Hogan says things will not change without real investment.

She said: "Things are only getting worse."

- Digital Desk
The performance of the Irish property sector could be undermined by Brexit, according to a new report.

Property Industry Ireland say the risks include weaker sterling affecting exports, and lower levels of economic activity having a negative impact.
A Polish man has appeared in court charged with the New Years murder of another Polish man in Co Cavan.

Marek Swider died at Cavan General Hospital on New Yearss Day morning after being stabbed at a house in Ballyjamesduff in Cavan.

Gardai believe he may have gotten into a row during a game of cards.

The 40-year-old victim was from Poland but had been living in Cavan for about 10 years.

Earlier this week, Gardai in Cork arrested a man for questioning in relation to Mr Swiders death.

This morning Tomasz Paszkiewicz from Dublin Street Ballyjamesduff appeared before Cavan District Court charged with the murder on January 1.

Sergeant John Callanan told the court the 38-year-old made no reply after he was charged and cautioned at the Bridewell Garda Station in Cork last night.

Gardai at scene of fatal stabbing in Ballyjamesduff, Cavan on New Year's Day. Picture: Lorraine Teevan.

The Sergeant said the accused had declined legal representation.

The Judge told the accused through an interpreter he was entitled to this but he again declined.

Judge Denis McLaughlin said it was an extremely serious allegation and bail could not be granted in the district court.

The accused was remanded in custody to appear before the same court again next Thursday.
More than 2,400 people spent time this week on a trolley or chair waiting for a hospital bed, nurses have said.

The first week of January, traditionally the worst days of the year for getting admitted to a ward, saw a 10% increase in the number of patients queuing for a proper bed compared to the same time last year.

The Irish Nurses' and Midwives' Organisation (INMO) said its staff counted 2,408 patients on trolleys from Monday to Friday.

The number is 221 higher than the first week of 2017 and is a record high, the union said.

INMO general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said talks with the Health Service Executive (HSE) on trying to ease the crisis overcrowding have been productive.

"We now have a clear focus on implementing patient flow measures," she said.

Following the talks the state's Emergency Department Taskforce will meet on Monday to set out immediate, medium and long-term practical approaches to the recurring problem of overcrowding.

The INMO had previously revealed a record number of admitted patients, 98,981, spent time on trolleys in hospitals during 2017.

The union said it wanted hospitals to be operating under the full capacity protocol and mandatory de-escalation policies in order to stop overcrowding spreading throughout hospitals and to reduce the risk of cross infection, poor patient outcomes and burnout amongst staff.

The INMO report on the first week in January was released alongside figures which showed hospital overcrowding had eased slightly by Friday, with fewer than 500 people waiting for a proper bed.

According to the latest morning headcounts in A&E units and corridors around hospitals, there were 483 patients on trolleys or in chairs queuing for space in a ward.

University Hospital Limerick had the worst record for the second day in a row, with 43 people waiting for a bed.

Others with high levels of overcrowding included St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny, with 34 people on trolleys, the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, which had 33, and Cork University Hospital, which had 31.

The INMO said its 8am headcount on Friday found 351 people on trolleys in A&E units and 132 waiting in corridors around wards.

The latest figures were released following calls from Health Minister Simon Harris and the Health Service Executive for people not to go to hospital if they have flu symptoms, for workers to stay at home if they think they have the virus and for children to be kept off school if they are at risk of spreading the germs.

The flu season will run for another fortnight before it is expected to peak.

Meanwhile,the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has said Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's apology for the overcrowding reflected a shocking ignorance of health services and the impact of years of austerity.

IMO president Ann Hogan said his remarks were "particularly worrying" as he is a former health minister.

"Austerity is the root cause of this crisis and investment, significant and urgent, is the only response," she said.

Dr Hogan said the Taoiseach's promises of the crisis stabilising involves a 92% bed occupancy on average; a new norm of 500 patients waiting for admission on trolleys; and almost 700,000 patients waiting for an outpatient appointment; an ever-increasing number of cancelled operations and procedures; and a GP system which is struggling to meet demand.

She said: "Is that what is acceptable to the Taoiseach as stability?"
Irish bookstores say demand is already extremely strong for a tell-all expose on Donald Trump which is not released here until Tuesday.

Fire and Fury is now on sale in the US, four days earlier than scheduled, despite the President's lawyers trying to block it.
The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is in the Bulgarian capital Sofia today for a meeting with the country's prime minister Boyko Borissov.

Bulgaria began its six-month EU council presidency on Monday.

Mr Varadkar says he will be raising Ireland's priorities for phase two of the Brexit talks during the meeting.

It follows yesterday's controversial meeting with the Hungarian Prime Minister Vicktor Orban.

The Taoiseach defended meeting the right wing populist.

He said their views diverged but 'dialogue is the best way forward'.

- Digital Desk
A 15-year-old Dublin girl is facing trial accused of attacking a garda and breaking his glasses.

The teen, who cannot be named because she is a minor, has pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to the officer and criminal damage to his glasses, as well as a charge for obstruction in connection with an alleged incident in Baldoyle in north Dublin on a date in February last year.

She was excused from attending the Dublin Childrens Court where the case listed to confirm her Jan. 29 trial date.

Judge Gerry Jones ordered that it would proceed then.

The girl had attended court at an earlier stage.

She had no response when the assault and obstruction charges were put to her but after the criminal damage charge she was cautioned and replied, I didnt break any fucking glasses.
Update 9.47pm: The Health Minister has said we will need thousands more hospital beds over the coming years.

Simon Harris apologised today for the trolley crisis which has seen a record number of patients waiting for beds this week.

The INMO says the figure has dropped to 592 today after a high of 677 on trolleys yesterday.

Minister Harris said progress is being made despite the figures.

"I've put in place the bed capacity review. That's almost ready now and I hope to bring that to Government in the next few weeks and feed it into the capital plan so we can genuinely put more beds into the health service in 2018," he said.

"We will need thousands more beds over the next number of years," Minister Harris added.

"We now have the Slaintecare Report, we didn't have that last winter and it asked me to work on an implementation plan - that's almost ready, as well," he said.

In relation to GP contracts, he said he now has permission from Government to enter talks on unwinding FEMPI, the pay cuts that GPs took during the recession.

Update 5.24pm: Simon Harris 'committed to breaking the cycle of overcrowding'

The Health Minister has said he is "committed to breaking the cycle of overcrowding in the health service".

Minister Simon Harris said he today held a teleconference with the chief executives of the country's hospitals to discuss the problems for staff and patients.

He said he thanked them for their work and the work of hospital staff.

"I [...] stressed the importance of having clinical decision makers in place in hospitals at key times to increase patient flow through the EDs," he said.

He said he asked to them ensure all beds that can be opened were opened and that availability of diagnostic services be increased.

"I also asked them to [...] continue to work to reduce the number of people who are in hospital, but could be discharged into the community.

"I assured the hospital group CEOs that all necessary resources will be made available to allow them in the coming days and weeks," Minister Harris added.

He echoed the sentiments

Read More:

"I am pursuing three priorities in 2018  increasing bed capacity using evidence provided by the bed capacity review, implementing reform through Slaintecare and increasing services provided through Primary Care by negotiating a new GP contract, he said.

Update 2.45pm: Simon Harris apologises to those waiting on trolleys

The Health Minister has apologised to the hundreds of patients waiting on trolleys this week.

The Flu season has yet to peak, with a particularly troublesome strain being seen in hospitals, this time affecting children as well.

Minister Simon Harris says he's concerned about back to school next week.

He said: "We're obviously coming up to a situation where schools resume next week; I am worried about the spread of the flu when kids go back to school.

"We're seeing a strain of flu that is affecting children this year, we didn't see last year, so I would advise parents if your child is under the weather please keep them home from school next week.

"It is important if you have the flu in general, try not to spread it. Stay at home , take advise on undertheweather.ie, consult your pharmacist or consult your GP.

Don't go to the ED unless advised to do so by a medical professional."

Earlier: The hospital overcrowding crisis has eased slightly, with fewer than 600 people on trolleys and chairs waiting for a bed.

According to the latest report from nurses, there were 592 patients in queues in A&E departments and in ward corridors.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said University Hospital Limerick had the worst record on Thursday morning, with 52 patients waiting for a bed.

Others with high levels of overcrowding included St Lukes Hospital in Kilkenny with 46 people on trolleys; the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore with 37; and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, and the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, which both had 31.

The INMO said its headcount found 414 people on trolleys in A&E units and 178 waiting in corridors around wards.

The latest figures were being released as health chiefs met to discuss initiatives to relive the unprecedented crisis.

The demand for access to hospital beds is traditionally at its peak in the first week of January, with the flu season compounding stretched resources.
Women across the country will be celebrating Nollaig na mBan, Womens Christmas, tomorrow.

The event - which is unique to Ireland - has opened up discussion of the meaning of the day and whether it should be used to highlight key issues for women.

The traditional meaning of Nollaig na mBan was to allow women a day of rest after doing the majority of work in the home over the Christmas period.

The National Women's Council of Ireland is calling on the Government to improve the representation of women in key roles by introducing gender quotas.

This year's celebrations include achieving the right to vote for women 100 years ago.

To date, women comprise just 16% of membership of ISEQ 20 company boards in Ireland.

This means we are behind the European average of 23%.

The National Women's Council is calling for 2018 to be the year we improve the representation of women at senior level on private boards.

- Digital Desk
British chancellor Philip Hammond has refused to rule out Britain being part of a customs union with the European Union after Brexit.

The Remain supporter, whose opposition to a hard exit from the bloc has angered some of his colleagues, left the door open to the UK signing up to an agreement that could restrict international trade deals.

MPs called on the Cabinet to urgently come to a decision about the key element of the upcoming negotiations with Brussels.

Mr Hammond was asked by the Treasury select committee to "explicitly rule out the UK participating in a customs union with the EU as part of its end-state relationship".

The chancellor sidestepped the question and insisted the government would be "guided by what delivers the greatest economic advantage" to the UK.

A customs union would curb the need for border checks but could also restrict the trade agreements the UK could seek outside it.

Nicky Morgan, who chairs the Treasury select committee, said: "It was widely thought that being in a long-term customs union with the EU had been ruled out by the government.

"But the chancellor's letter confirms that this is not the case.

"It is vital that the cabinet reach agreement on these central questions about the UK's future relationship with the EU, as a matter of urgency."

PA
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he is "seriously tired" of waiting for the European Union to decide if it wants his country as a member.

Mr Erdogan was in Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, part of efforts to improve his government's strained relationship with Europe.

Mr Macron confirmed that Turkey's wait for EU membership was far from over, and suggested a partnership in the meantime.

The current process "does not allow for an outcome in the coming years," Mr Macron said during a joint news conference with Mr Erdogan, adding that stringing Turkey along was hypocritical.

Mr Erdogan made it plain that Turkey would not wait forever.

"One cannot permanently implore and wait to be finally included," he said, adding that frustration might tempt Ankara to turn its back to Europe.

Ties between Turkey and Europe worsened last year amid mass arrests and firings carried out by Mr Erdogan's government following a July 2016 coup attempt.

Relations deteriorated further after authorities in several countries prevented Turkish ministers from holding political rallies to court expatriates' votes in a referendum to expand the president's powers.

Mr Erdogan unleashed a series of insults at Nato allies, accusing European officials of racism, harbouring terrorists and behaving like Nazis.

The Turkish president was less bombastic, but just as emphatic, today while discussing his country's decades-long pursuit of Europe's acceptance.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and French President Emmanuel Macron arrives for a press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris today

"Unfortunately, we did the first steps in 1963. And it's now been 54 years that Turkey has been waiting in the antechamber of the EU," Mr Erdogan said.

Mr Macron said the two leaders held "frank" talks on Turkey's bid for EU membership and the human rights situation in Turkey - a major sticking point.

"We should... see if we cannot rethink this relationship, not in the framework of the (EU) integration process, but perhaps a cooperation, a partnership," he said, adding the main goal must be to keep Turkey - a Nato member - "anchored" in Europe and its "future... built looking towards Europe and with Europe".

Mr Macron and Mr Erdogan also discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the fight against terror and the war in Syria.

France and Turkish officials also signed defence, banking and commercial deals, including the planned sale of 25 Airbus A330s to Turkish Airlines.

The trip was Mr Erdogan's first to France since his government strongly cracked down on suspected opponents following the failed coup.

About 50,000 people have been arrested and 110,000 others removed from public sector jobs in Turkey. Many have protested they are innocent.

While Mr Erdogan travelled to Paris, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is scheduled to meet with German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel on Saturday.

AP
The chairman of the UK Parole Board has apologised "unreservedly" over the failure to inform the victims of serial rapist John Worboys of his imminent release.

Professor Nick Hardwick said he fully accepts there was a problem with the parole system, and that it was believed the victims had been informed before the decision was issued.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4s Today programme he said he is still trying to establish precisely what happened and does not want to "blame anybody yet".

He said it was not the Parole Boards responsibility to inform victims, and added: "Whoevers fault it was, I fully accept this was a problem with (the) parole system.

"Im chair of the Parole Board, this would have been absolutely horrible for those two women concerned, and I apologise for it unreservedly."

London cabbie Worboys, a former stripper and adult film star, was jailed indefinitely in 2009, with a minimum term of eight years, for drugging and sexually assaulting women passengers.

"We were informed that the victims had been told" - Chair of Parole Board Nick Hardwick issues apology after some victims of sex attacker John Worboys were not told about his release https://t.co/EOiP2vVxzM pic.twitter.com/kweHtVBcXA  BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) January 5, 2018

In a statement, Prof Hardwick said he has "recently set out options for change" and that the Parole Board has a "statutory duty" under its rules which "prevents disclosure of proceedings".

"We will shortly be launching a public consultation about how we share our decision-making with the public," he added.

"I am very concerned some victims were not told about the decision; this must have been very distressing.

"There are robust arrangements in place for victims to be informed through the Victim Contact Scheme. We were told that had been done as usual in this case and released the decision on that basis."

Lawyer Harriet Wistrich said two victims had not been informed of Worboys imminent release or of his Parole Board hearing.

John Worboys

She said that they are both "shocked and horrified by this news", and said on Channel 4 News that the first they learned of the planned release was while "listening on the radio, cooking tea for the kids".

It is understood that all those who were signed up to the UKs Victim Contact Scheme were informed as soon as the Parole Board decision was made.

Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the UK Home Affairs Select Committee, has called for the Parole Board to immediately publish its reasons for allowing the release of Worboys.

She said was "really shocked" by the move and called for scrutiny of the Parole Boards reasoning before the prolific sex attacker is let out of jail.

Worboys, who became known as the "black cab rapist", was found guilty of 19 charges of drugging and sexually assaulting 12 women passengers, in one case raping a woman.

But police said in 2010 that his alleged victims numbered 102 after more people came forward following his trial and conviction.

The allegations were investigated but no further action was taken on the advice of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), police said.

Latest on #Worboys: in October 2010 CPS said in a statement "We have seen no new material since the trial and we actually considered somewhere between 35 and 40 case files at the time." So, far from clear that Met Police ever asked CPS to make further charging decisions  Danny Shaw (@DannyShawNews) January 5, 2018

The director of public prosecutions at the time of Worboys conviction, Labours Keir Starmer, has since urged any alleged victims with concerns about how their case was handled to contact the police.

Speaking outside his home in north London, the shadow Brexit secretary said: "First and foremost, its very important that if there are any allegations that anybody thinks have not been looked into, sufficiently or at all, they go to the police and make those allegations so they can be looked into.

"The second important thing is that its really important that whats said is factually accurate. As you know, the Crown Prosecution Service holds the file on this case, they made the decisions in the case, and it is really important you go to them to get an accurate read-out of the decisions that have been made."

Asked whether he thought the right decision was made by prosecutors not to pursue further allegations against the serial sex attacker, Mr Keir said: "I think these decisions were nine years ago and its very important you go to the Crown Prosecution Service and get an accurate read-out of the decisions that were made, particularly if further allegations have been made now."

He refused to answer further questions about why past cases were not brought to trial.

It is feared Worboys may have more than 100 victims and the Parole Boards decision sparked an outcry from charities and support groups when it was made public yesterday.

Charity campaigners have called the time served by the 60-year-old "woefully short" and said his release "beggars belief".

Meanwhile, Worboys ex-wife, Jean Clayton, told the Sun he should "never be let out".

Ms Cooper said Worboys crimes were "the most appalling and vile" and there were "serious questions" over the Parole Boards decision.

"Given the seriousness of this case, the Parole Board should publish their reasons immediately so both the decision and the process can be scrutinised before this man is released.

"We also need to know what information and support was given to all the victims before this decision was taken."

Really shocked by this. His were the most appalling & vile crimes. Very serious questions about this decision https://t.co/0qdmqrxoUP  Yvette Cooper (@YvetteCooperMP) January 4, 2018

Her intervention raises the prospect that senior members of the Parole Board could be hauled before MPs for a grilling over the decision.

Specialist abuse lawyer Richard Scorer from Slater Gordon said the firm represented 11 of Worboys victims and claimed they were devastated.

"Our clients have been left devastated by the shocking news that a man who mercilessly raped scores of women, denied his heinous crimes and then forced them to endure the torment of a criminal trial is to be released," he said.

"For victims not be told that he is to be freed by the Parole Board adds insult to injury.

"When we visited Worboys in jail he was clearly a very manipulative and dangerous individual.

"We are concerned he may have fooled the board into believing he is no longer a threat.

"The Parole Board must now reveal publicly whether John Worboys has finally admitted his crimes and shown any remorse whatsoever. If he still denies his crimes, then he clearly poses a continuing risk to women." @Richard_Scorer https://t.co/SfYHiZg3sf pic.twitter.com/DZ4CB4XKOq  Slater and Gordon UK (@SlaterGordonUK) January 5, 2018

"For many years after he was convicted he continued to deny even the offences for which he was found guilty.

"The Parole Board must now reveal publicly whether Worboys has finally admitted his crimes and shown any remorse whatsoever.

"If he still denies his crimes, then he clearly poses a continuing risk to women.

"If he now admits that he deliberately and systematically drugged and raped women, then the police need to look at whether there are any crimes that he was not convicted of and seek justice for those victims."

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "These were truly horrendous crimes and our thoughts are with the victims for the pain and suffering they have endured.

"In traumatic and distressing cases like this, it is right that victims decide whether and how they want to be kept updated.

"Some victims in this case chose not to be updated.

"Others chose to be informed by phone or email and were contacted immediately; others chose to be informed by letters which were sent straight away, but of course take longer.

"Our priority is to support victims and it is right that we respect their decisions about how they are contacted."

London mayor Sadiq Khan called on the Parole Board to reconsider its decision to free Worboys, which he said had further undermined victims confidence in the justice system.

The grotesque crimes of John Worboys shocked Londoners and destroyed many womens lives. Public confidence in our criminal justice system is crucial - victims & the public need answers from the @Parole_Board. pic.twitter.com/iBltm9wJoW  Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) January 5, 2018

He said the "inconsiderate, unsympathetic and inhumane" failure to inform them of his impending release amounted to a "clear breach" of the victims code.

"Public confidence in our criminal justice system is crucial, and victims and the public still need answers from the police and the CPS about the flawed investigation and prosecution," said Mr Khan.

"The Parole Board must reconsider their decision to release this man.

"They also need to be open and transparent about why they reached their decision and explain these further failings."

Prof Hardwick is to be summoned before the House of Commons Justice Committee to explain how the decision to free Worboys was reached and why victims were not informed of his impending release.

The committees chairman, Conservative MP Bob Neill, said: "What has happened here is very disturbing. It is vital that the public has confidence in Parole Board decisions."

Mr Neill added: "We will also want to ask about how the parole system can be made much more transparent, something Nick Hardwick himself has rightly called for.

"In my view, it is ridiculous that the current rules prevent the board making public the reasons for their decisions. Professor Hardwick has called for MPs to back opening the process up and we will give him the opportunity to make precisely that case."

Meanwhile, 58 MPs have signed a letter written to Justice Secretary David Lidington by Labours Stella Creasy, demanding to know whether Worboys victims were given an opportunity to make representations to the board before it authorised his release.

"The decision to release Mr Worboys, even on strict licensing conditions, cannot be considered to have been made with a full and complete understanding of the impact of his many crimes without such information," the letter said.

The letter also raised the prospect of further prosecutions being brought against Worboys, asking whether women who came forward with additional allegations following the original investigation had been contacted "given their reasonable expectation of a longer sentence".

Signatories from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru include Lib Dem leader Vince Cable and Labour MP Ms Cooper.

PA and Digital desk
An "evil" serial wife killer in the UK who met his third victim while on day release from a secure mental hospital will die in jail.

Theodore Johnson, 64, was convicted of the manslaughter of two partners in the 1980s and 90s but spent the next 15 years lying to authorities and concealing his past from his new partner Angela Best.

The mother-of-four and grandmother only found out he had killed before when she came across letters at his home and confronted him.

When she left him for another man, he attacked the 51-year-old, beating her over the head with a claw hammer and throttling her with the belt from her leopard print dressing gown.

He then jumped in front of an express train, but survived.

Wheelchair-bound Johnson pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to murdering Ms Best on December 15 2016, and was jailed for life with a minimum term of 26 years.

Judge Richard Marks QC said: "The attack by you on Angela Best was sustained, vicious and utterly brutal. She suffered an unimaginably terrible death."

His crime was aggravated by the fact it was his third killing of a female partner and that he repeatedly lied to authorities who were monitoring him in the community.

Judge Marks said: "Such repeated offending, resulting in three separate court cases, must be almost unprecedented."

Afterwards, Ms Bests sister Lorraine Jones accused Johnson of attempting to "play the system" to get away with murder.

She said: "This convicted murderer tried to play the system as he has successfully done before.

"He used diminished responsibility as the cause for his murderous actions.

"This time, however, he has eventually pleaded guilty to murder after 12 months since his arrest and subjecting our family to unnecessary additional trauma.

"He has shown in all cases he was clearly of sound mind. He knew what he was doing when he planned and executed the horrific murder of our beloved Angela."

Valerie Archibold (left) and Lorraine Jones (second left), the sisters of Angela Best, and Angela's mother Josephine (right), speak to the media outside the Old Bailey, London

Prosecutor Mark Heywood QC had told how Johnson had a violent history towards the women in his life, having been convicted of manslaughter twice before.

In 1981, he was was found guilty by reason of "provocation" of killing his wife Yvonne Johnson by pushing her off the ninth-floor balcony of their home in Wolverhampton.

Then, in 1993, a couple of years before meeting Ms Best, he was convicted of strangling his common law wife Yvonne Bennett with a belt at their home in London before trying to hang himself.

The prosecution accepted his responsibility was diminished due to depression and a personality disorder and he was handed a hospital order with restrictions at the Old Bailey.

In September 1994, Johnson was allowed out of his psychiatric unit for the first time on escorted community parole.

In mid-1995, he was given unescorted leave to spend two days a week at a City and Guilds course on furniture restoration.

It was there in 1996 that he met Ms Best, who had moved to Tottenham, north London, from Manchester.

He was let out by a mental health tribunal in October 1997 on condition he tell supervising doctors and social workers if he formed any new relationships, which he repeatedly failed to do, even though he had already been seeing Ms Best for a year.

The court heard that during a home visit, authorities spotted a "feminine wood carving" spelling out "Love" on the mantelpiece but alarm bells were not raised.

Jamaican national Johnson was last seen by a social worker and psychiatrist on December 8 2016, days before the murder, and was not found to be depressed and continued to deny being in a relationship.

He had an appointment two days before Ms Bests murder but it was put off because his social worker was sick.

During their relationship, Johnson had been abusive and "controlling" and had punched her at least once, the court heard.

In September 2016, the couple split up and Ms Best was said to be the "happiest" she had ever been with her new love even though Johnson continued to profess his "undying love daily".

Angela Best

On the morning of December 15 2016, Ms Best had gone to Johnsons home to help with an appointment with the Jamaican embassy.

Mr Heywood said: "Soon afterwards he attacked her. That attack was brutal and merciless. He struck her repeatedly around the head even as she tried to protect her head with her hands.

"He then tied a dressing gown cord around her head and knotted it.

"He did it, the prosecution say, for a simple reason, because after all that time that had gone before she was no longer prepared to stay with him."

After killing Ms Best, Johnson was seen to topple forward into the path on the oncoming 3.18pm express service, severing both arms.

When officers went to his flat, Ms Bests body was discovered on the floor of the living room, near a bloodstained claw hammer.

A post-mortem examination found she had suffered at least six blows to the head with the hammer and been strangled.

Mr Heywood said Johnson was born in Jamaica and came to Britain in 1980 and worked at a car repairers, shortly before killing his first wife in 1981.

Mitigating for Johnson, Annette Henry QC said her client was likely to die behind bars.

She said: "He does not wish to be alive. He hates himself for what happened. We recognise the devastation felt by the family members."

She said the mental health tribunals condition on Johnsons release was flawed as it relied on "self reporting" any new relationship.

She said: "This was a dilemma and the tribunal found it was fraught with difficulty in trying to monitor."

After being sentenced, Johnson made to stand up to leave the dock, but became shaky, sat down again and was wheeled out of court.

Camden and Islington NHS Trust, which was responsible for Johnsons care in the community since 2004, said in a statement: "We would like to offer our heartfelt condolences once again to the family of Ms Best for their appalling loss.

"We will be inviting them to meet us, should they wish to do so, to discuss the findings of the Trusts own independently-chaired incident report".

Detective Sergeant Danny Yeoman, of Scotland Yard, said: "We would like to offer our heartfelt condolences once again to the family of Ms Best for their appalling loss.

"We will be inviting them to meet us, should they wish to do so, to discuss the findings of the Trusts own independently-chaired incident report".
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A 24-year-old man is facing a slew of felony charges for illegal straw purchase of 21 guns at gun stores, almost exclusively in Bucks County. Leonard Truesdale was arraigned on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, on 21 counts each of making false statements on firearm purchase forms, criminal conspiracy to make false statements on firearm purchase forms and selling or transferring...
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From Buffalo to Manhattan, driverless vehicles are making inroads in New York

Cuomo spotlights pivotal role that the UB is playing in the effort

From the urban streets of New York City to the vast rural roads of the North Country, with seasons that range from steamy summer days to the coldest snowy winters, New York offers a wide variety of conditions necessary for the rapid advancement of autonomous vehicle technology.

BUFFALO, N.Y.  Support from political and business leaders. Check.

Diverse real-world testing environments. Check.

World-class scientists and dynamic research facilities. Check.

All are signs pointing to New Yorks ascendance  with the University at Buffalo playing a pivotal role as a hub for the advancement of autonomous vehicles.

As much was said Wednesday by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in his annual State of the State address, which spotlighted UBs newest tool for driverless vehicle research: a self-driving electric bus the university expects to take delivery of this winter.

With funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), UB has purchased an Olli. The bus, developed by Local Motors, can accommodate up to 12 passengers and uses sensors, including radar and cameras, to monitor the driving environment.

UB researchers will evaluate the vehicle  as well other autonomous vehicles  on campus roads. The plan is to conduct comprehensive testing, especially during inclement weather, with the goal of informing decisions regarding policy, safety, reliability and other matters.

Cuomo worked with state lawmakers last year to pass legislation that opened select New York roads to autonomous vehicle testing. On Wednesday, he said will work to extend and expand the legislation, noting it already helped prompt General Motors to plan autonomous vehicle testing in Manhattan later this year.

To expand on the success of the 2017 legislation and encourage more autonomous vehicle manufacturers to operate in New York, the State must continue to remove legal barriers and further promote autonomous vehicle operations in the state, states a plan outlining Cuomos vision that the governors office released on Wednesday.

It continued: While states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, California, Arizona and Ohio have opened their doors and lightened regulations to attract the industry, few states offer as diverse a testing environment for this technology than New York. From the urban streets of New York City to the vast rural roads of the North Country, with seasons that range from steamy summer days to the coldest snowy winters, New York offers a wide variety of conditions necessary for the rapid advancement of autonomous vehicle technology.

The Olli bus is latest example of UBs leadership in transportation research. Some other examples include:
The streets of Mumbai bore a deserted look on January 3 following the bandh called by B R Ambedkars grandson, Prakash Ambedkar. Protesting the attack on Dalits in Pune during the 200th anniversary celebration of the Bhima Koregaon battle, anger and violence had spilled into the third day across the state.
Though Islam originated in Arabia, Indias principal cultural links were with Persia, so that South Asia shaped an eclectic Indo-Persianate world whose civilisation was largely autonomous from Arab influence and that of the later Ottoman Empire. In fact, under Sufi influence, India became an Islamic sacred land, with its own rich contributions to Islamic doctrine and practice and its own pilgrimage centres, a development in which the Hindu community also participated spiritually.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has launched a public scrutiny of the finer details of the proposed $66 billion Bayer-Monsanto deal, as it feels that prima facie the deal has, or likely to have an major adverse effect on competition.

The Bayer-Monsanto deal would create the world's largest seeds and pesticide firm.
China Development Bank (CDB), the biggest foreign lender to India's Reliance Communications Ltd (RCom), on Friday withdrew a petition seeking to drag the indebted telecoms carrier into insolvency.

A lawyer for CDB told the National Company Law Tribunal that the Chinese bank had filed to withdraw the petition. The tribunal allowed CDB's plea to go forward.

CDB, which is owed around $2 billion along with two other Chinese banks, had filed the petition in November seeking insolvency proceedings against RCom, saying a large amount of loan principal and interest payments was overdue.

After RCom's debt-reduction plan, including an asset sale to Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, was announced last week, CDB told Reuters that it was in talks with RCom.

Details of the terms of a possible settlement between the Chinese bank and RCom were not immediately known. By 0847 GMT, RCom shares were trading 4.2 percent higher in a Mumbai market that was up 0.4 percent.

Last week, RCom signed a deal to sell most of its wireless assets to Jio in a deal people familiar with the matter said was worth nearly 240 billion rupees ($3.8 billion), subject to final adjustments at the time the transaction closes.

RCom has said it will use proceeds from the deal, expected to close by March, to repay part of the $7 billion it owes to Indian and foreign banks.

As part of an overall debt-reduction plan, RCom Chairman Anil Ambani said RCom would shift 100 billion rupees of debt to a special purpose vehicle housing its real estate assets, including a corporate park in a Mumbai suburb.

RCom still faces two other insolvency proceedings - one by the Indian unit of Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson and the other by public relations firm Fortuna - over unpaid dues.

RCom has struggled under heavy debt and reported a string of losses during a price war, triggered by new entrant Jio which is controlled by Anil's elder brother and India's richest man Mukesh Ambani. That prompted RCom to reduce operations by shutting down its wireless business.

As it exits the wireless telecommunications segment, it will be left with a division housing its undersea cable business and internet data centres.

The firm is also looking for an equity injection from global strategic partners for further debt reduction and is in talks to sell a stake in the scaled-down business, RCom said last week.
The Indian pharma sector's December quarter revenue is estimated to remain flat, while profits are likely to slip owing to decline in US businesses and a sharp appreciation in rupee, says a report.

According to an Edelweiss Securities report, though the October-December quarter was "action packed", earnings are likely to remain muted.

"The pharma sector's Q3FY18 (October-December quarter) revenue is estimated to remain flat year-on-year, while EBITDA and PAT are likely to decline 15 per cent and 19 per cent, respectively," it noted.

The domestic brokerage firm said weak US business and INR appreciation against US dollar/Brazilian Real/Japanese Yen/ South African Rand are expected to drag earnings of Indian pharma .

"US revenue expected to decline 11 per cent year-on-year for the sector in constant currency (CC), as faster approvals, heightened competition, and sustained pricing pressure to dent growth," it said.

The report, however, noted that domestic sales are expected to grow 12 per cent year-on-year on a low base.

During the October-December period, the USFDA granted the highest-ever approvals in a single quarter with 246 nods.

"But faster approvals have led to heightened competition and pricing pressure, suppressing overall sector's earnings," it noted.

Going ahead, Edelweiss Securities expects the financial year 2017-18 is expected to be a "challenging year".

The sector continues to grapple with structural challenges like further customer consolidation and rising competition in the US. Moreover, 2017-18 is likely to remain a disappointing year as appreciating INR will be aggravated by the US and domestic challenges, it said.

"Consensus downgrades continued, albeit tempered compared to previous quarters, with 2 per cent/3 per cent cut in FY18/19E earnings during October-December," the report added.
The State Bank of India may reduce its minimum balance requirement to Rs 1,000 from the current Rs 3,000 balance in metros, according to a report in the Economic Times.



The largest Indian bank suffered a huge backlash last week when finance ministry data revealed that it netted a windfall of Rs 17.72 billion, more than its second-quarter profit, from customers for non-maintenance of monthly average balance in savings accounts in eight months of 2017-18.



While SBI's current Rs 3,000 minimum balance requirement for urban areas is highest among all PSBs, it is the lowest among all large private banks.
After a hunt that lasted 24 years, the CBI on Friday arrested Mushtaq Ahmed, one of the main accused in the 1993 bombing of RSS' Chennai headquarters in which 11 people were killed.

Ahmed, who had eluded the CBI for 24 years, was arrested today morning from the outskirts of Chennai, CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said here.

The blast on August 8, 1993 was triggered using RDX. It brought down the multi-storeyed RSS office at Chetput in Chennai, claiming 11 lives.

Ahmed had allegedly procured the explosive material for assembling the bomb and provided shelter to the other accused, officials said.

The agency had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for providing credible information about Ahmed, one of the main accused in the case.

The agency was entrusted with the probe in 1993 and filed a chargesheet against 18 persons under the stringent provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Explosive Substances Act and Terrorist and Destructive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA).

In 2007, a TADA court in Chennai in 2007 convicted 11 persons and awarded life terms to three after a 12-year trial.

The agency continued its hunt for Ahmed -- who did not face trial as he could not be arrested -- right through.

After the trial in 2007, the special court acquitted four persons, including S A Basha, founder of the banned Al Umma, for lack of evidence against them.

Immam Ali, a suspected ISI agent who had escaped from custody in Madurai, was gunned down in Bangalore in an encounter with the police on September 29, 2002.

Another accused, Jihad Committee founder Palani Baba, was hacked to death by suspected RSS sympathisers on January 28, 1997.

Of the 431 witnesses, 224 were examined during the course of the trial which commenced on August 7, 1995.

The chargesheet was filed on June 8, 1994.
Taking to his Twitter handle, Chidambaram said that the move will bring a huge relief to the middle class, senior citizens and retirees.

"We can be legitimately proud that our protests forced the government to issue GoI taxable bonds once again. Huge relief for the middle class, senior citizens, and retirees (sic)", he tweeted.

On Thursday, the Center announced to launch 7.75 per cent savings bonds to enable resident citizens and Hindu Undivided Families (HUF) to invest in a taxable bond, without any monetary ceiling.

Commencing from January 10, 2018, these bonds are open to investment by individuals, including joint holdings and HUFs.

However, NRIs are not eligible for making investments in these bonds.

The bonds will be issued at par, i.e. at Rs. 100.

They will be issued for a minimum amount of Rs. 1,000 (face value) and in multiples thereof.

Accordingly, the issue price will be Rs. 1,000 for every Rs 1,000 (nominal).

The Ministry of Finance also specified that the bonds will be issued in a demat form (bond ledger account) only.

Further, the savings bonds will have a maturity of seven years and carry an interest at 7.75 percent per annum, which will be payable half-yearly.

Therefore, the cumulative value of Rs 1,000 at the end of seven years will be Rs 1,703.
After decades of speculation, Rajinikanth announced on New Years Eve that he was finally going to enter politics. Addressing thousands of fans in Chennai, the superstar  considered a demi-god or superhuman by many of his admirers  declared that he would form a political party and contest the state Assembly elections. About the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he said he would take a call later. Rajini later told journalists: I, too, want to create a political revolution. If there is a change now, future generations will live better. Those speculating about whether Rajinis political foray would be a dud, can take a break for now: A website launched by him on January 1 garnered millions of hits within hours and at least 300,000 registrations.
Five students of the Delhi Public School (DPS) here were killed when their bus collided with a truck this afternoon, police said.

The bus driver was also killed, while four other students were injured in the mishap at a bypass near here, they said.

"The bus was carrying students of the Delhi Public School (DPS) when it collided with the truck at Kanadiya bypass. Five students and the bus driver were killed in the accident which occurred because of a steering failure," Harinarayan Chari Mishra, DIG (Indore), told PTI.

The injured were admitted to a private hospital here, he said.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Manoj Kumar Rai said the school bus was on its way to drop the students to their homes when the collision took place.

He said the front portion of the bus was badly damaged due to the impact of the crash.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Bhupendra Singh said he has sought a report on the accident from the DIG and the RTO.

Talking to the media, Minister for School Education Deepak Joshi said the government will fix responsibility on schools regarding the safety of students.

"The government had issued guidelines for schools after a school bus accident in Bhopal. We will fix responsibility on schools to ensure the safety of children.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad's advocate on Friday filed a plea before the Ranchi Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court seeking minimum punishment for the party supremo on health grounds.

Lalu Yadav mentioned in his plea, "I have no role in this scam directly; consider minimum punishment keeping in view my age and health grounds."

On the other side, Bihar party chief Ramchandra Purve said, "Lalu Prasad Yadav has blessings of the almighty and we have faith that he will get justice. I am sure our Chief Lalu ji will attend RJD's crucial meeting tomorrow."

The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence against the RJD chief in connection with the fodder scam case today.

Lalu has been convicted in one of the cases of the fodder scam, wherein Rs 900 crore from the Bihar exchequer was siphoned off under the pretext of purchasing fodder for livestock, during the '80s and '90s.
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I magine a blood test that tells you which diseases you could get in the future even before they manifest themselves through symptoms. That is what Yamuna Krishnan, a 43-year-old chemistry professor at the University of Chicago in the United States, is working towards.
There is no proposal to review the 'Most Favoured Nation' (MFN) status to Pakistan, the government said today.

In a written reply to a question, Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar said India has accorded MFN status to all WTO members, including Pakistan, in accordance with the provisions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

"It is unfortunate that Pakistan has not fulfilled its international obligations in this regard, so far," the minister told the Rajya Sabha in his reply.

He also said that presently, no proposal to review the was under consideration.

Replying to separate question, Akbar said SAARC has been unable to achieve its potential as key initiatives, including in the important area of connectivity, were held back due to "lack of response and/or obstructionist" approach of Pakistan.

Several SAARC member states expressed their inability to participate in the 19th SAARC Summit that was scheduled to be held in November 2016 in Pakistan due to concerns arising from increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in the region and growing interference in the internal affairs of member states by that country, the minister said.

He also said that India remains steadfast in its commitment to regional cooperation, connectivity and contacts but believes that these can only go forward in an atmosphere free from terror.
There has been a 62% decline in security aid from the the United States of America (USA) to Pakistan over the last five years, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of data released by the US Congressional Research Service (CRS).
While Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth has taken a hit in 2017-18, the government hoping it would remain above seven per cent from the final quarter (January-March) of the current financial year onwards.
India lowered its forecast for the current year's economic growth on Friday before a federal budget is released next month, as businesses were hit by the chaotic launch of new nationwide tax last July.
Taking the strictest action against Pakistan, the US has announced that it was freezing most security aid and the delivery of military equipment because Islamabad continues to shelter terrorists despite several warnings from President Donald Trump and other leaders.



The move it appears is yet another sign of US frustration with Pakistans refusal to crack down on terrorist networks operating there.

"We will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan," State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said on Thursday. The freeze will be enforced "until the Pakistani Government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network", she said. Nauert said that Pakistan's failure to take action against Lakshar-e-Taiba leader Hafeez Saeed was not a factor in the action.

"To my knowledge, that has nothing to do with that."



Here are the top developments so far



1. The US has suspended more than $1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network within its border and showing unwillingness to take "decisive actions" against them.The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump in a new year tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit"+ and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for $33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

2.Prominent among the suspended amount include $255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress. In addition, the Department of Defense has suspended the entire $900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.

3. In another action against Islamabad, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson placed Pakistan on a "special watch list for severe violations of religious freedom".



4. According to the New York Times, "the move underlines how swiftly relations with Pakistan have deteriorated since Mr. Trump took office. But it echoes several previous rifts between the countries over Pakistans role as a sanctuary for extremist groups  a role that has poisoned Islamabads relations with Washington since the terrorist attacks of September 2001.Administration officials emphasized that the freeze was temporary and could be lifted if Pakistan changed its behavior. The United States is urging the Pakistani government to cut off contact with militants and reassign intelligence agents with links to extremists, among other measures."

5.The US depends on Pakistan for ferrying supplies to its troops in landlocked Afghanistan. Asked at a separate conference on Thursday if he was concerned that Islamabad might shut down access routes to US troops in Afghanistan, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said: "We have had no indication of anything like that."

6. Pakistan had been given adequate notice to shut down the terrorist networks.Trump's speech in August i had warned Pakistan against giving sanctuary to terrorists. In his first tweet of the New Year, Trump said that the US had given Pakistan $33 billion in aid over 15 years and accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorists while making "fools" of US leaders with lies and deceit. "No more," he said, of Washington's aid to Pakistan.

7.Hours before the tweet, a US Special Forces soldier had been killed in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan, and four were injured in a terrorist attack.



8.According to the Express Tribune, Pakistan has dragged India into its war of words with the US. Pakistan's foreign minister Khawaja Asif said the US is "trumpeting India's lies and deceit", that the two countries have a "nexus" and that the US "is speaking the language of Indians". "The United States and India have a nexus, they understand their interests are same in the region," said Asif, in an interview with Geo TV yesterday.



9. This decision reflects the Presidents conclusion that Pakistan has not taken the necessary decisive action, as requested by the United States and as promised by Pakistans leaders, against terrorist and militant groups in the region, said the talking points memo. Terrorists who threaten US interests and personnel continue to enjoy safe haven and support in Pakistan. The United States has not seen tangible evidence that Pakistan is evicting or lawfully detaining Taliban and Haqqani Network leaders and operatives on its soil,"it said.



10. Heather Nauert, the US departments spokeswoman, said the administration was still working out the precise dollar amounts that would be frozen. Though the move was months in the planning, officials said the announcement was rushed by a few days to catch up to Trumps Twitter post on Monday, which drew a toxic reaction from Pakistan.

(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 giant winter "bomb cyclone" walloped the US East Coast on Thursday with freezing cold and heavy snow, forcing thousands of flight cancellations and widespread school closures -- and even prompting the US Senate to cancel votes for the rest of the week.

Millions of Americans faced potential power outages in bitterly cold sub-freezing temperatures, with some 45,000 people in Virginia and thousands more in Georgia, South Carolina and Florida already affected.

Relief in the form of warmer temperatures was not expected until next week, according to the National Weather Service, and the snow was expected to only taper off by late Friday as the storm moves northeastward into Canada.

Florida -- the "Sunshine State" better known for palm trees, beaches and balmy weather -- saw its first snow in nearly three decades in northern parts of the state.

Roads were closed in northern Florida and southeastern Georgia, where Governor Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency in coastal areas.

Florida's Governor Rick Scott urged people there "to prepare for extreme cold weather conditions, including potential snow, sleet or ice accumulations."



With up to a foot (30.5 centimeters) of snow expected in New York, accompanied by powerful windgusts, schools were closed. More than a foot of the white stuff was expected in Boston.

Mayor Bill de Blasio urged New Yorkers to stay off the roads and take the storm "very seriously."



The storm could bring "very dangerous conditions," he warned Wednesday.

Wind gusts of up to 55 miles (88.5 kilometers) per hour were expected through Friday on Long Island and southeastern Connecticut, with wind chills as low as minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 29 Celsius), increasing the risk of frostbite and hypothermia from prolonged exposure.

Blowing and drifting snow reduced visibility, and downed trees and power lines were likely.

"Very anomalous and potent winter storm system currently developing as it moves northward towards New England bringing multiple hazards: moderate to heavy snow, low visibility, strong to damaging winds, coastal flooding, and hazardous seas," the National Weather Service said in a forecast discussion.

"Anticipate travel and economic impacts today and tonight with accumulating snow and white-out conditions. Expect downed trees and power lines resulting in scattered to widespread outages."



Airlines have scrapped more than 3,000 flights so far due to the storm.

Nearly 75 percent of flights out of Boston and New Jersey's Newark airports were cancelled due to the snow and other adverse weather conditions, according to flight tracker FlightAware, though only about a quarter of flights to and from New York's main John F Kennedy airport were scrapped.

Air France announced it was cancelling all flights Thursday and Friday from Paris to New York and Boston.





The storm owes its moniker to a process known as bombogenesis, in which a weather system experiences a sharp drop in atmospheric pressure and intensifies rapidly, with blizzard-like conditions combined with hurricane-force winds.

About 12 deaths have already been blamed on the frigid temperatures this week.

Winter storm warnings were in effect from the Mid- Atlantic region northward through New England, meaning that hazardous conditions were imminent.

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency. "Virginians living in the impacted areas should stay off the roadways to allow local and state road crews and first responders to do their jobs safely and efficiently," he said.

"With continued frigid temperatures expected to last for several more days, road conditions will remain treacherous beyond the expected end of the snowfall today," he added.

National rail line Amtrak cancelled service between Washington and Newport News, Virginia.

In Washington, federal agencies opened two hours late and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced the chamber would hold no further votes this week, shortening what was already a short work week due to the New Year's holiday.

Senators had only returned to the upper chamber Wednesday, and they face a series of critical votes in the coming weeks, including on funding to prevent a government shutdown and spending cuts.
US President Donald Trump's recent outburst on Pakistan will further boost economic and defence ties between Beijing and Islamabad, including China acquiring a Pakistani military base close to Iran's Chabahar port, an official media report here said on Friday.

Trump's January 1 Twitter attack against Pakistan where he accused it of providing safe havens to terrorists appears to be helping boost already close ties between Pakistan and China, a report in the state-run Global Times said.

It attributed Islamabad's decision to allow Chinese currency in bilateral trade and financing transactions as China has stepped up its investments in the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Significantly, the report quoted a Washington Times report that China is in talks with Pakistan to build its second overseas military base as part of a push for greater maritime capabilities along strategic sea routes.

The facility could be built at Jiwani, a port near Iran's Chabahar close to the border in the Gulf of Oman, and is located a short distance from Gwadar in Balochistan province which is currently being developed by China to gain entry into the warm waters of the Arabian Sea opposite the Mumbai coast.

Jiwani is located just a stone's throw from Chabahar port being jointly developed by Iran, India and Afghanistan to ensure a trade corridor for Indian exports to Afghanistan.

Observers say Jiwani could be a pressure tactic by Pakistan as China is already developing Gwadar where earlier reports said Beijing plans to station its marines.

While the official Chinese media said Trump piling pressure on Pakistan may push it closer to Beijing, analysts here point to already existing close ties between the two countries.

Pakistan's move to allow Chinese currency is not a dramatic policy change, as the yuan is already accepted by many Pakistani companies, said Dong Dengxin, director of Finance and Securities Institute at Wuhan University of Science and Technology.

He said the timing may be significant.

"This is more of a political statement in response to pressure from the US, telling the US that Pakistan has a great relationship with China and that Pakistan would become even closer with China," Dong told the Global Times.

On China establishing a military base at Jiwani, Lin Minwang, a professor at Fudan University's Centre for South Asian Studies said "both Beijing and Islamabad have the ability to build a joint naval and air facility in Pakistan, but it is unnecessary at this time".

But he said it could be a backup plan in response to the Indo-Pacific strategy of the US and its allies.

Lin believes if the US and its allies push their Indo- Pacific strategy to the extreme, China will surely carry out a plan with Pakistan to ensure the security of sea routes.

Interestingly, the Global Times said China has established its "first overseas military base in Djibouti", in the Horn of Africa in Indian Ocean.

China officially states that it is only a logistics base to service its naval personnel deployed for anti-piracy operations.

Besides Djibouti, China has also acquired the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka on a 99-year lease.




United States President Donald Trump's latest broadside against Pakistan to mend its ways on the matter of giving state support to terror elements on its soil and elsewhere, or risk facing severe financial penalties and other punitive measures, needs to be backed up by action, feels a former American envoy to Afghanistan and the United Nations.

In an article written for the website nationalinterest.org, former Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad categorically states that "Since 9/11, Pakistan has consistently played a double game, providing just enough sporadic assistance in capturing members of Al Qaeda and logistical support for our (American) forces to give an impression of helpfulness, while at the same time harboring, training, and assisting violent extremist groups such as the Taliban and the Haqqani Network that have killed thousands of American, Coalition, and Afghan soldiers and an even greater number of innocent Afghan civilians."

Accusing Islamabad of following a "duplicitous policy" and maintaining that this has been the single most important factor preventing success against terror elements in Afghanistan, Ambassador Khalilzad suggests that six important steps need to be taken to end Islamabad's support for terrorists and insurgents to reduce the threat in and from the region, contain the pernicious violence and achieve the negotiated settlement of conflict in Afghanistan.

These are as follows:

First, sanction the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and individual Pakistanis who are involved in supporting insurgents and terrorists, including bans for them and their family members on travel to the United States and freezing of financial assets. US intelligence agencies have the ability to identify everyone playing a role in Pakistan's pro-terrorist programs, including senior officials. The United States should also designate key figures as supporters of terrorism. Washington should end Pakistan's status as a major non-NATO ally, a designation that provides benefits such as preferential access for military technology and sales. We should also suspend all military assistance including military support funds.

Second, undertake unilateral US military strikes on insurgent targets in Pakistani territory. While the United States has targeted Al Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban with drone and other strikes, it has only on rare occasions attacked insurgents operating against the Coalition and Afghanistan. This has given such groups a free hand.

Third, prepare to designate Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism unless it changes course and abandons support for terrorists Such a designation will impose ongoing restrictions to assistance, bans on defense exports and sales, limitations on exports of dual-use items, and other financial restrictions.

Fourth, suspend our economic assistance to Pakistan. This should include not just bilateral assistance but also multilateral assistance through institutions such as the IMF and World Bank, where the United States has major decision-making power. Also, the Treasury should prepare a campaign of escalating financial sanctions, like those imposed on Iran before the nuclear deal, that will curtail Pakistani access to the financial system. The United States should encourage allies and partners around the world including Saudi Arabia-which has strong ties with Pakistan-to do the same. China has been supporting Pakistan to gain leverage against India and access to the Arabian Sea. We should press Beijing to make its support conditional on Islamabad ending its support for terrorists and extremists.

Fifth, together with the major regional victims of Pakistan's actions, including Afghanistan and India, we should hold Islamabad accountable before regional and organisations.

Sixth and lastly, it will be important to reach out to the people of Pakistan and document Pakistan's support for terrorists and extremists that has brought about the change in our approach to their country. We should make it clear that we look forward to cooperation and partnership with Pakistan once its government abandons its policy of support for terror and extremism.

Following these six steps, he believes will finally bring relief to the people of that country and allow American troops to come home.

Ambassador Khalilzad states, "We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting. But that will have to change, and that will change immediately. No partnership can survive a country's harboring of militants and terrorists who target U.S. service members and officials. It is time for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilization, order, and to peace."

He adds, "The Pakistani military leaders probably believe that the United States once again will get distracted by other crises and that US officials will ultimately be sufficiently fooled by the occasional helpful action to let Pakistan continue to get away with its double game. However, his tweet indicates that President Trump seems prepared to break with this pattern."

He concludes by saying that the curtailing of Pakistan's support to insurgents will result in a definitive reduction of the conflict in Afghanistan.

"With reduced levels of violence, Afghan forces should be able to handle the residual violence, greatly reducing the burden on US and Coalition forces.
Setting an example for the world to follow, this new year Iceland ensured that companies within its border do not discriminate amongst its employees based on gender. A law which was passed in June last year and came into effect on January 1, 2018, makes it mandatory for companies to demonstrate that they pay their males and female employees fairly.
Saudi Arabia today intercepted a ballistic missile over the kingdom's south near the border with Yemen, state media reported, hours after Yemeni rebels said they had launched an attack.

The Houthi rebels, locked in a war against Yemen's Saudi- backed government, said they had fired a missile at the kingdom's southwestern province of Najran in a statement tweeted by their Al-Masirah television channel.

Saudi air defences intercepted the ballistic missile over Najran, according to the kingdom's state-owned Al Ekhbariya news channel.

A spokesman for the Saudi-led military alliance fighting the Houthis in Yemen did not immediately respond to a request for further details.

Saudi Arabia, which has been targeted by multiple rocket attacks in recent weeks, has blamed its regional rival Iran for arming the Shiite Houthis in the Yemen war.

The kingdom denounced the threat of "Iranian-manufactured ballistic weapons" after it intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Yemen over Riyadh in December.

No casualties have been reported in the attacks.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of President Abedrabbo Mansur Hadi's government in March 2015, after the Houthis took over the capital Sanaa and much of the rest of the country.

But despite the coalition's superior firepower, the rebels still control the capital and much of the north.

More than 8,750 people have been killed since the coalition intervened, according to the World Health Organization.
If you want to build credibility for your ICO, there are some things you need to consider from a legal and regulatory perspective.
The US has suspended more than $1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network within its border and showing an unwillingness to take "decisive actions" against them.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said on Thursday that Pakistan could survive without United States' aid, as the similar situation had occurred in the past too.

"They did it in the past as well, which is evident from our history. They have always betrayed us in hard times," Geo News quoted Asif as saying. The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump in a new year tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for $33 billion aid over the last 15 years. Prominent among the suspended amount includes $255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress. In addition, the Department of Defense has suspended the entire $900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017. "Today we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance only, to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. We consider them to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters. The US, she said, will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law. Referring to the new South Asia Policy announced by Trump in August, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack the US and allied personnel. Department of Defense Spokesperson Lt Col Mike Andrews told PTI that National Defense Authorisation Act 2017 provides up to $900 million for Pakistan in CSF. Of these funds, $400 million can only be released if the Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis certifies that the Pakistan government has taken specific actions against the Haqqani Network. "At this stage all Fiscal Year 17 CSF have been suspended, so that's the entire amount of $900 million," Andrews said. During an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis did not respond to question if he was in favour of cutting off the aid to Pakistan. "I prefer not to address that right now because it's obviously still being formulated as policy. But I'll give my advice on it to the president. I also agree on some confidentiality there," he said. According to a senior State Department official, no decision has been taken on the fate of $255 million security assistance to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017. The deadline for that is September 30 this year. Mattis along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has traveled to Pakistan in recent months to deliver a tough message to their leadership. So, this action should not come as a surprise to them, Nauert said. "They may say it's a surprise, but what is no surprise is that the President has expressed his concerns, Secretary Tillerson has expressed his concerns, as has Secretary Mattis, and I imagine many other government officials having those conversations with Pakistan," Nauert said. Now, the money that has been suspended at this time does not mean that it will be suspended forever, she said. "Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, in the future, but they have to take decisive action.

They have to take decisive steps," she added. "People have long asked, why don't you do more about Pakistan, and I think this sort of answers that question. Obviously, Pakistan is important, an important relationship to the US, because together we can work hard to combat terrorism. Perhaps no other country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan and many other countries in that part of the region," she said. "They understand that, but still they aren't taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism," she said. In an interaction with reporters, two senior state department officials asserted that such a move is not a punishment, but to provide an incentive to Pakistan to take more action against terrorist groups. "We have not done anything that's irreversible here. All this funding is available to Pakistan, if they undertake to take the measures that we've asked of them," a senior administration official said in response to a question. Noting that a country is going to react very differently to an irreversible step, the official hoped Pakistan would react differently that they would react to something which is reversible. "Pakistanis have repeatedly said we don't care about this money. What matters I think to the Pakistani's is that it is the symbolism of doing this that it represents a deterioration of our relationship that they care about a great deal," the official said. "So we were hoping that this is an incentive that they don't want to see this relationship deteriorate any further and that they're going to commit to working with us to try to find a way to put it on a more solid footing," the official added. According to another senior administration official, as part of the latest decision, the US will now not deliver military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless required by law. "Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis if they're determined to be critical for national security interests," the official said, adding that this suspension is not a permanent cut off at this time. "Security assistance funding and pending deliveries will be frozen but not cancelled as we continue to hope Pakistan will take the decisive action against terrorists the militant groups that we seek," the official said, adding that the US does not intend to reprogram any funds at this time. This suspension includes FMF 2016 ($255 million) as well as prior year FMF that has not yet been spent or delivered. Final figures are still being calculated, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The suspension also includes coalition support funds for Pakistan. However, the suspension does not include US civilian assistance programs in Pakistan. "Pakistan remains an important country in the region and in the world and has historically been a vital partner for the US," the official said. The State Department official defended the decision not to suspend civilian assistance. "We all have no reason to believe that civilian assistance represents any form of leverage. The elements of the Pakistani government that needs to take the steps that we're talking about are not touched by civilian assistance. So, it wouldn't make any sense to tie civilian assistance to those steps that we're asking for," the official said. The US has been holding regular talks with Pakistan, the official said, adding that they do not believe that talks are an impasse as reported in some section of the media. "We are having conversations on a weekly basis at senior levels with the Pakistanis. Our hope is not that they will see this as the end of the road," the official said. "Our hope is that they will see this as a further indication of this administration's immense frustration with the trajectory of our relationship and that they need to be serious about taking the steps we asked in order to put it on a more solid footing," the State Department Official said.
on Friday said it was being treated like a whipping boy, after Washington suspended $1.15 billion in security aid and the delivery of military equipment to it for failing to clamp down on the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network terror groups and dismantle their safe havens.


Shares of telecommunication companies were in focus with the S&P BSE Telecom index rallying more than 3% on BSE, trading close to its record high.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sought from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) share transaction details of companies linked to the 2G telecom spectrum scam. It has asked the market regulator to probe these companies under its insider trading rules.
The Indian Government on Friday released 14 Bangladeshi refugees, including five children, two years after they had entered the country illegally.

According to the Dhaka Tribune, the refugees had entered India through the Jessore border, in search of jobs, and did not have valid documents.

The refugees returned home through the Petrapole-Benapole check post, which marks the demarcation of the Indo-Bangladeshi border.

Tarikul Islam, the officer-in-charge of the Benapole Immigration Police, said, "The Petrapole Immigration Police handed the refugees to us after all formalities were completed."

Motiar Rahman, a sub-inspector at the Benapole Police Station, said the police had handed the refugees back to their families.

In 2015, the refugees were arrested from a makeshift camp in Kolkata. The Calcutta High Court had later sentenced them to one-and-a-half years in jail.

The process to bring them back started following a joint intervention by the home ministries of the two countries in last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 18 people have been killed and 254 others injured in a train crash in South Africa.

According to the local media, the accident took place on Thursday after a train collided with a truck and a car near Kroonstad in South Africa's Free State province.

South Africa's transport minister has confirmed the death toll.

According to the Minister of Transport, Joe Maswanganyi, the truck driver involved in the accident was "taking chances."

"Police are investigating. The truck driver has been taken to hospital where we are going to do a blood test to verify if he was sober or not or what was the problem," Maswanganyi said.

The cause of the accident is not yet known. An investigation is underway, he added.

The train was heading to Johannesburg from the coastal city of Port Elizabeth.

The Shosholoza Meyl Rail Company, which operates long-distance trains in South Africa, said in a statement that there were 429 passengers onboard.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) continue to protest against Pakistan's exploitation of Kashmir's water resources.

Recently, the Awami Action Forum, political parties and people of Muzaffarabad staged a protest demonstration against the Kohala Hydropower project in PoK. They blocked the Muzaffarabad-Rawalpindi highway and raised slogans against the government.

The protesters demanded that the project should not commence without taking people into confidence.

Raza Mumtaz Khan of the Awami Action Committee said, "The Chinese company has not done any agreement with the Awami Action Forum and has not worked out to remove people's apprehensions over the project. The water resources of the area including Durbangarh and Narolla have dried up."

The China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC), the state-owned hydropower developer, won the right in January 2015 to develop the Kohala Hydropower Project.

The 1100 MW project is CTGC's largest investment in Pakistan, which is slated to be completed in 2021.

Construction of dams and hydropower projects in PoK has raised serious environmental concerns. Also, a large number of indigenous people have been displaced due to construction work at various sites.

People in PoK have been opposing these hydropower projects constructed by the Chinese companies as they are denied all rights including electricity and jobs.

Recently, over a hundred Kashmiri workers engaged at Neelum Jhelum Hydro Electric Project in were sacked by CGG-CMEC, a Chinese consortium.

Sacked employees carried out a massive protest against the consortium, demanding their jobs back or compensation in lieu of not being employed.

On July 7, 2007, the CGGC-CMEC (Gezhouba Gourp and China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation) was given a contract to construct the dam and power station in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a disputed territory of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The workers allege that they were sacked despite having a stay order from the court.

Despite all opposition, Pakistan has decided to build a new hydropower project of over 700 megawatts in PoK through foreign financing at an estimated cost of USD 1.51 billion by 2022.

The Azad Pattan Hydropower Project (APHP) is a run of river scheme located on the Jhelum River in the Sudhanoti district of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and about 90 kilometres from Islamabad, Pakistani media reported.

The project would be completed by 2022 for which the authorities have sought an import tariff at Rs 8.05 per kilowatts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has showed that once people of India decide to bring a positive change, nothing can stop them.

Speaking at the conference on Transformation of Aspirational Districts at Dr Ambedkar International Centre here, the prime minister said, "Once the people of India decide to do something, nothing is impossible. We showed that when the people decide to bring a positive change, it is possible to achieve it. All round and inclusive development is essential."

He further said there was a need to recognise and channelise aspirations of people who belong to 'aspirational' districts.

"We need to recognise and channelise the aspirations of the people of the 'aspirational' districts. We have called them 'aspirational' districts rather than backward or poor as the idea is to underline the seriousness in transforming these in line with the vision of New India by 2022," he said.

The prime minister interacted with the collectors and officers-in-charge of these 'aspirational' districts at the conference organised by NITI Aayog.

"The Collectors of the 115 aspirational districts have the opportunity to earn lasting satisfaction, by delivering on development objectives. Challenges are the path to achieving success in life, and these Collectors have the opportunity for that," Prime Minister Modi added.

He called for a concerted effort to achieve visible results in three months, till Babasaheb Ambedkar's birth anniversary on April 14.

"I wish to personally visit one such well-performing district in the month of April. These 115 districts can become the foundation for developing New India. The relative backwardness of some regions is an injustice to the people of those regions. This effort to develop 115 backward districts is in keeping with the vision of Dr Ambedkar, who worked for the upliftment of the under-privileged," the prime minister asserted.

"On April 14, we celebrate the anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar. Let us devote these coming three months to pioneering innovation in the less developed districts and transform the lives of the poor. He fought for the social justice throughout his life," he added.

Addressing the gathering, which also included many union ministers and senior union government officers, the prime minister said this was the first official programme at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, and therefore had a special significance.

"Now there are limitless potential, limitless possibilities, and limitless opportunities in India. Top-down solutions do not yield results, therefore, the effort is that people on the field contribute to solutions," he said.

Giving the examples of the Jan Dhan Yojana, the construction of toilets, and rural electrification, Prime Minister Modi said nothing was impossible in the country if the people had a firm resolve.

He stated, "Banks were nationalised but that did not give the poor access to these banks. We changed that through 'Jan Dhan Yojana'. Our system, the team of officials showed that it is possible to electrify villages at a record pace and it is possible to build toilets in our cities as well as villages at historic speed."

"Regional imbalances should not be allowed to increase indefinitely. Therefore, the development of backward districts is imperative. Success stories are vital to change the negative psyche and mindset in these areas and the first step is to convert this mindset of pessimism into one of optimism," he added.

He also emphasised the importance of building positive narratives and optimism in the achievement of development targets.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China on Friday called on all parties to see the positive side of the upcoming high-level talks between arch-rivals, North Korea and South Korea, scheduled to be held next week.

According to Xinhua, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said: "China has noticed the latest development. As a close neighbour, China welcomes and supports the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and ROK (Republic of Korea) in their positive moves to smooth relations."

China will hope that the international community will show support and work to find a way to ease tensions between the two countries, by increasing mutual trust, peace and resuming dialogues consistently on the Korean peninsula issue.

"China has played a constructive role to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue and advocates all parties return to dialogue amid this complex situation," Geng said.

"We hope all parties involved will work with China, play their due role, shoulder their responsibilities, and seize the positive signs in the Korean Peninsula situation to put the issue back on the track of peaceful settlement through dialogue," he added.

China on Wednesday welcomed the talks between North Korea and South Korea and thus, appreciated their effort to use the 2018 Winter Olympics for improving ties.

The decision on talks was taken following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's re-conciliatory New Year message in a televised address to the nation on Monday, over the latter's probable participation in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics next month.

The Winter Olympics is scheduled to take place at South Korea's Pyeongchang from February 9-25.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress on Friday stated that they were in favour of the triple talaq bill, but have rejected it as the current government did not give any clarity over the sustenance of the victims.

"We are totally in favour of the bill, but some provisions are objectionable. The government has not clarified about the sustenance of the victims," Ghulam Nabi Azad said, in a press conference here.

He added the government hasn't given any clarity over how women would be given monetary help.

"The Central Government is equally responsible for the chaos that was created in the Parliament. It is probably for the first time that the opposition (Congress) was ready to vote but the BJP MPs and surprisingly the cabinet ministers disrupted the Rajya Sabha," he added.

Azad also said that one of the main reasons why the winter parliament session got delayed was because the prime minister and the cabinet ministers were busy in the Gujarat assembly elections.

Attacking the prime minister and BJP, Azad said, "This new trend since the last three and a half years wherein the union cabinet minister is being given work of the election committees and campaigning is not good for the democracy and the development of the country."

He added that fighting elections was the responsibility of the state and not the Central Government.

Criticising the government, Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda said it was a government of Ordinance.

"This government is a government of Ordinance. They have given 10 Ordinances. They treat Parliament as a rubber stamp," he said.

He also said the United Progressive Alliance sent 71 per cent of bills to the standing committee, but the Modi Government has sent only 27 per cent of the Bills.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Cold wave continues to grip the northern belt of the country, and with the temperature dropping even further, the homeless are left with no option but to sleep in the open.

In Ludhiana, scores of sleeping people lined the footpath of a flyover while those awake tried keeping themselves warm by burning garbage.

Rain Basera, the night shelters provided by the government, are not an option for these homeless as they complained of unhygienic conditions there.

"I do not go to Rain Basera. there is no cleanliness there. Sometimes we get blankets from people here," one of the homeless persons told ANI.

One Raju even alleged that Rain Basera, the free of cost shelters, demand fee from occupants, "They demand fee. If you ask for blankets, they will charge Rs 30. Even the blankets they provide are not clean."

While the night shelters housed the homeless in Amritsar, there were many others who slept on roadsides.

One Gopal Giri, who has set up his abode in the open, told ANI that he did not know of any night shelter, and added, "I do not want much. All we need is a shelter to sleep at night."

Members of an NGO also came to distribute blankets to the lot.

"We brought some blankets and sweets for them. So many homeless people die because of cold. We do what we can through our NGO but we request the government to make proper arrangement for these people. They have enough resources," Harwinder Sandhu, a representative of the NGO told ANI.

"We are doing our bit for those who do not have a roof over their head. We have given blankets but the government can and should do more," said another NGO member, Sheenam Aggarwal.

Tents were also being set up in certain areas of Chandigarh by Rain Basera authorities. However, the occupancy has reached its limit, forcing people, even patients of a nearby hospital to spend the night in the open.

Sukhinder, who had come for his treatment at a hospital, told ANI that the night shelters were completely occupied.

"There should be some arrangement because we are patients and winters on top of it can worsen the health. At least there should be a shed," he added.

Meanwhile, occupancy at the night shelters in Delhi's ISBT Kashmere Gate has also increased and the occupants have expressed satisfaction with the arrangement.

"It is like a home for us. All are comfortable as we are provided with as many blankets as we need. About 60-70 people are staying here," one occupant, who has been living in the night shelter for two years, told ANI.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A major American airline on Thursday cancelled its additional 200 flights as all the airline operations were suspended at the New York's John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports due to heavy snow and strong winds.

The Delta Air Lines confirmed the same in a statement.

"Neither airport is expected to reopen until later this evening, pending the removal of snow and ice from runways, taxiways and ramp areas," the statement said.

"Delta has 200 mainline and Delta Connection cancellations on the books for Friday due to the inclement in the Northeast and New England. A reduced schedule at both NYC airports is expected Friday as the airline works to reset its operations in the region," it added.

The airline further recommended customers with flights departing from the New York area airports on Friday to check its website.

"Friday are encouraged to check Delta.com for the status of their flight and plan travel to the airport accordingly due to challenging road conditions throughout the area. At LaGuardia, MTA's Q70 LaGuardia Link bus from Roosevelt Avenue is complimentary Friday," it said.

"Those driving to LaGuardia should consider using this alternate route when approaching the airport from an eastbound direction on Grand Central Parkway," it added.

Until Thursday noon, the fast-moving, powerful Nor'easter that brought snow and ice conditions to the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic has begun impacting airports in the Northeast and New England, including at Delta's hubs in New York.

"Delta cancelled approximately 750 mainline and Delta Connection flights Wednesday and Thursday as a result of the storm for airports stretching from the southeast to Maine," the statement said.

"Additional flight disruptions are possible, pending evaluation of field conditions at airports impacted by the storm. The airline's Boston operation has been suspended for the remainder of the day Thursday with flights scheduled to resume at Logan International Friday morning, pending a facility assessment of the airfield," it added.

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The maulana of the Haj house, whose exterior walls were painted in saffron colour in Lucknow, has averred that the government should not do anything that hurts the sentiments of the Muslim community.

"I think this is not a right decision because the saffron colour is the identity of a particular religion, while Haj is associated with Islam. So the government shouldn't do anything that hurts the sentiments of Muslims," Maulana Nadeem-ul-Wajidi of Deoband told ANI.

He also said the current Uttar Pradesh Government was made out of a collective decision - of the Hindus and the Muslims.

The exterior walls of the Haj House in Lucknow, earlier in the day, were painted in saffron colour -- majorly related with the Hinduism and also associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Reacting to the incident, Uttar Pradesh Minister Mohsin Raza said the move should not invite any controversy as the building was painted saffron just to beautify it.

However, the Opposition is claiming that the BJP resorted to alleged 'saffronisation' of the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The exterior walls of Haj House in Lucknow on Friday were painted in saffron colour.

Saffron colour is majorly related with the Hinduism and also associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Reacting to the incident, Uttar Pradesh Minister Mohsin Raza said the move does not invite any controversy and the building has been painted saffron just to beautify it.

"There is no need for controversy in such things, saffron is an energetic and bright looking colour, the building looks beautiful. The opposition has no big issues against us so they raise inconsequential things," Raza told ANI.

There is no need for controversy in such things, saffron is an energetic and bright looking colour, the building looks beautiful. Opposition has no big issues against us so they raise inconsequential things: Mohsin Raza,UP Minister on Haj House painted saffron pic.twitter.com/ZsvWLJt4wv  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 5, 2018

However, the opposition is claiming that the BJP has yet again resorted to alleged 'saffroniasation" of the state.

Uttar Pradesh: Exterior walls of Haj House in Lucknow painted saffron. pic.twitter.com/xio9celKeL  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 5, 2018

Earlier, the secretariat building, which houses the offices of state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and top bureaucrats in Lucknow was also painted saffron.

Even Adityanath rolled out a fleet of 50 saffron buses last year.
Hyderabad Police busted an illegal business of banned gutkhas and tobacco, in a raid conducted at a godown in city's Kushaiguda area on Thursday.

According to police a total of 1,06,900 pouches of illegal tobacco and gutkha worth Rs 15 lakh and net cash of Rs 36,560 were seized.

Two persons namely J. Anand and G. Ravikumar were caught in this connection and handed over to Kushaiguda Police Station.

The accused were making money out of procuring banned tobacco products from Bidar district and supplying them to the paan shops and wholesale and retail shops at Kushaiguda and other places.

The accused operated from a rented house at Chakripuram.

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A Delhi Public School bus collided with a truck on Friday evening on Indore's Kanadia bypass leading to the death of four children and the bus driver.

There were total 16 students of which several have suffered severe injuries. They were later admitted to a nearby hospital.

The truck was fully loaded with goods and the speed of both vehicles was so high that the bus was crushed.

As soon as the incident was reported, the police reached the spot and with the help of people, the injured were evacuated and sent to the Bombay Hospital in Indore.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, along with State Home Minister Bhupendra Singh, was informed about the incident after which they ordered for an immediate inquiry into the matter.

Chief Minister Chouhan expressed condolences on Twitter saying, "I pray to God for the peace of the innocent children who lost their lives in the road accident in Indore and the power to families to bear this mishappening."

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan also tweeted that it was a painful incident that in her parliamentary constituency, Indore, a road accident has taken away lives of those school children and caused suffering to others.

"I have asked the police administration and my other colleagues to give as much support as possible. They have been asked to help the injured get the best treatment," the Lok Sabha speaker said.

"The bus lost its balance and rammed into a truck coming from the opposite direction on a different lane. Eight children and the bus conductor got injured and are in ICU now. Five, including the bus driver, were killed on the spot. The truck driver is yet to be nabbed and a probe is on," Manoj Rai, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Indore, told the media.

Meanwhile, it was later announced that the family of Kriti Agarwal, one of the deceased children, has donated her eyes and skin.

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Invitations for the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas, which is celebrated on January 9, will not be sent to any SAARC country except Sri Lanka.

"We are not sending invitations for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to any SAARC country except Sri Lanka," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

MEA further noted that India has invited sitting MPs of the various parliaments.

"About 270 persons of the Indian descent are sitting in various parliaments," the MEA added.

About 124 Members of Parliament (MPs), 17 Mayors of Indian origin from 23 countries, including the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America (USA), South Africa and Canada will participate in the conference.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to address the first PIO Parliamentarian Conference scheduled on the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas .

The first PIO-Parliamentary Conference is the government's way of reaching out to the Indian community overseas.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on January 9 every year to mark the contribution of Overseas Indian community in the development of India.

January 9 was chosen as the day to celebrate this occasion since it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa and led India's freedom struggle and changed the lives of Indians forever.

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Head of Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan and the prime accused in the Bhima-Koregaon violence, Sambhaji Bhide, on Friday accused Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh chief Dr Prakash Ambedkar of conspiring against him.

Bhide also appealed the Centre for a thorough inquiry into the allegations levelled by Ambedkar.

"Prakash Ambedkar blamed me for the conspiracy which is completely wrong. I demand the government to investigate the matter thoroughly and to give strong punishment to the one found guilty", said Bhide.

This comes after Ambedkar alleged that Hindu Ekta Aghadi and Shivraj Pratishthan were responsible for instigating violence against the Dalit community, in which a youth was killed.

The incident has prompted the Dalit community to hit the streets in Maharashtra and many other states.

The Battle of Koregaon was fought on January 1, 1818 between the British East India Company and the Peshwa faction of the Maratha Confederacy, at Koregaon Bhima.

The Marathas ultimately withdrew, fearing the arrival of a larger British force.

The Company troops of Indian origin included predominantly Mahar Dalit soldiers belonging to the Bombay Native Infantry, and therefore the dalit activists regard the battle as a heroic episode in their history.

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A total of 286 Bombay Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses were vandalised in two days -January 2 and 3- in various parts of Maharashtra, during protests against violence over the bicentennial celebration of the Bhima-Koregaon battle.

The stone-pelting at the buses have cost a damage worth Rs 20,51,760, informed the spokesperson of BEST.

The death of a youth in the clashes that broke out between Dalits and alleged right-wing groups over the celebration near Pune triggered violent protests across Maharashtra, wherein cases of vandalism of vehicles were reported in various areas, including Aurangabad, Pune and Nagpur.

Other incidents like road and railway blockage, and arson also took place on the day of statewide bandh called by Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) leader and grandson of B.R. Ambedkar, Prakash Ambedkar on January 3.

A total of 16 FIRs were registered by the Mumbai Police relating to statewide bandh.

The violence originated on January 1 when the right-wing groups were objecting to the observance of 'Victory Day' on the 200th anniversary of Bhima-Koregaon battle since they considered it to be an anti- celebration.

In the battle which was fought between the British East India Company, containing Dalits in its infantry, and the Peshwas, who were upper-caste Brahmins, at Koregaon Bhima on January 1, 1818, the Marathas ultimately withdrew. Since then the lower-caste communities have been viewing it as a symbolic victory for themselves.

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The Supreme Court on Friday quashed the FIR lodged against the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials for wrongly raiding the house of a sitting Odisha High Court judge in connection with the medical college admission scam case.

However, the investigating agency and its officers had apologized for the mistake to the concerned judge whose residence was raided.

The matter pertains to a medical college bribery scam against IM Quddusi (retired Orissa High Court judge) who was arrested among others, by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Quddusi allegedly used his influence to help Uttar Pradesh-based Prasad Education Trust in "settling" a matter involving their plea to set up medical colleges pending in the Supreme Court.

The Trust owned one of the 46 medical colleges barred by the central government from admitting students.

The accused were subsequently granted bail, but the same was not challenged by the CBI.

Following granting of the bail, advocate Kamini Jaiswal had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court seeking the constitution of an SIT to investigate the allegations, with a retired judge monitoring the same.

Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR) had also filed a similar petition.

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Eight MLAs, including five from the Congress party, joined People's Party (NPP) in Shillong on Thursday.

All the legislators had put in their resignations on December 29 from the Meghalaya Assembly.

The move, which came ahead of assembly polls slated next month, comes as a major blow to the ruling Congress government in the state led by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.

The legislators joined the NPP which is an ally of the BJP-led Democratic Alliance (NDA) at a public rally organised at Polo Fifth ground in Megahalay's capital.

The rally witnessed enormous crowd as supporters flocked to Polo ground to extend their support to their candidates for the upcoming 2018 Assembly polls.

The eight legislators who were inducted in NPP included Rowell Lyngdoh from Mawkyrwat, Sniawbhalang Dhar from Nartiang, Comingone Ymbon from Raliang, Prestone Tynsong from Pynursla, and Ngaitlang Dhar from Umroi constituency respectively, former UDP member Remington Pyngrope from Mawkynrew, and Independent candidates Hopeful Bamon from Sutnga-Saipung and Stephanson Mukhim from Amlarem also joined the party.

The party also announced the names of 50 candidates at the rally that will lock horns in the 2018 elections.

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The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Friday condemned the prominent Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband's new fatwa directing Muslims not to marry into families earning money through banking and related jobs drawing income from interests.

"A large number of Muslims are working in the banking sector. Issuing a Fatwa asking Muslims not marry people employed in the banking sector is wrong. People who issued this Fatwa must review this because it will lead to further rift and confusion in the Muslim society. There is no need to issue a fatwa on such things", AIMPLB executive president Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali told ANI.

The edict was issued after a person asked Darul Ifta if he should marry his daughter to a man whose father worked in a bank.

Darul Ifta had stated that as per an Islamic law, earnings through interest and any transaction involving interest particularly investment is 'haram' (forbidden).

Islam also forbids business in alcohol, narcotics, school, and weapons as well as any business undertaken with the motive of earning maximum profits, the Islamic seminary informed.

Many Islamic scholars and clerics have upheld the fatwa, contending that the religious body's stand was in line with the Islamic law.

"Darul Uloom Deoband is correct in its decision. One should avoid having any social bonds with such a person because everything including his lifestyle would be connected with 'haraam', and then it would be harmful to the person religiously, socially as well as individually", Majlis Ittehad-e-Millat General Secretary Othar Osmani told ANI.

Muslim scholar and Islamic researcher Maulana Nadimul Vajdi said that if a person, knowingly or unknowingly, has indulged in 'haram' earning, the person concerned should quit the job and find another one in which the income was not considered forbidden under the Islamic law.

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Andhra Pradesh Information and Technology Minister Nara Lokesh on Friday invited realtors to participate in developing state's capital Amaravati.

He was speaking after inaugurating three-day property show here, which is being organised by Vijayawada chapter of Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI).

"Construction of new capital Amaravati is a great chance for all of you. Most of you are into housing sector but there is also a dire need of commercial space. I appeal to you all to take up commercial constructions too," Lokesh said.

He assured the developers that there is a strong demand of commercial property in the state.

"The developers have doubts of occupancy. In fact, we are facing the problem of office space. Many companies are hesitating to set up offices in Andhra Pradesh due to lack of office space. I assure you the occupancy," Lokesh said.

He said the government has decentralised development to all areas in the state.

"IT industry is growing in Amaravati, Visakhapatnam and Raichur. Electronics industry is being developed in Rayalaseema area," the IT Minister said.

CREDAI representatives asked the minister to raise voice in the GST (Goods and Service Tax) council on behalf of them about their grievances about high GST rates and hidden costs there off. They further elaborated the problems in the realty sector.

The minister assured them of taking up the issues raised by them at the GST Council meeting.

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Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said on Thursday that Pakistan could survive without United States' aid, as the similar situation had occurred in the past too.

"They did it in the past as well, which is evident from our history. They have always betrayed us in hard times," Geo News quoted Asif as saying.

The remark comes three days after President Donald Trump made a scathing remark against its ally in the war on terrorism and accused Pakistan of lying and deceiving while receiving billions in 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!" Trump posted on Twitter on Monday.

In the latest development, the United States' State Department confirmed the stopping off the aid to Pakistan on Thursday.

As of now, they have announced suspension of only military aid, the humanitarian assistance would continue.

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Dalit leader and Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani on Friday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak up on dalit targeting.

Talking to ANI here, Mevani said, "After incidents of Una, Saharanpur, Rohith Vemula episode or Bhima Koregaon violence; time has come when Prime Minister Narendra Modi should open his mouth. Social justice must be ensured in this country and targeting of dalits should be stopped."

He also said Prime Minister Modi should not walk on the path of Manusmriti.

"Everybody in this country must rise above caste and religion and become a human. The country's prime minster should also understand this and it is expected of him to talk about constitutional values and should not walk on the path of Manusmriti," the dalit leader said.

He added that he would ask Prime Minister Modi to choose between Manusmriti and Constitution at a rally in the capital on January 9.

"On January 9, I will hold Constitution in one hand and Manu Smiriti in other hand and would like to ask Prime Minister Modi whether this county would run on Constitution or Manusmriti," Mevani said.

Mevani and Assam peasant leader Akhil Gogoi will hold 'social justice' rally to highlight various issues of dalit community, educational rights, employment, livelihood and gender justice.

He also termed registration of an F.I.R. against him in Pune for delivering inflammatory speech as a childish act of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiyia Janata Party (BJP).

"I didn't go to Bhima-Koregaon, didn't deliver inflammatory speech. Even I didn't participate in Bandh call. Despite this, a childish attempt to tarnish my image by lodging F.I.R. against me won't yield any results," Mevani said.

He added, "Jignesh Mevani is going to prove costly to them (RSS and BJP) in 2019 that is why they are targeting me. But, we will continue to fight within the ambit of Constitution and law."

An F.I.R. was registered against Mevani and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader Umar Khalid in Pune on Thursday under sections 153(A), 505 and 117 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The F.I.R. was registered after two complainants -- Akshay Bikkad and Anand Dhond - approached police and alleged Mevani and Khalid had made "provocative" comments at an event on December 31 at an event organised to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima-Koregaon.

Bhima-Koregaon violence in which a person was killed has led to protests on streets and in Parliament.

The dalit community is up in the arms over the incident. However, the Maharashtra government has denied any dalit was killed in Bhima-Koregaon where clashes broke out between two groups on Monday during an event to mark 200 years of Bhima Koregaon battle near Pune.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, the chairman of the Central Military Commission of China, has issued instructions on military training to improve combat readiness.

According to Xinhua news agency, President Xi visited the People's Liberation Army(PLA) Central Theatre Command in Baoding in China's Hebei province.

During his inspection-related visit, President Xi ordered the creation of an elite combat force through real combat training and digitalisation.

"Commanders and personnel should firmly implement the decisions and instructions by the CPC Central Committee and the CMC with a fighting spirit of fearing neither hardship nor death," Xi said.

He added, "They should also train hard in a scientific way, be brave to overcome difficulties and surpass opponents, and create an elite and powerful force that is always ready for the fight, capable of combat and sure to win in order to fulfill the tasks bestowed by the Party and the people in the new era."

The state-run Global Times quoted retired Major General Xu Guangyu, as saying, " This is the first time since the founding of the country that instructions on military training have been directly issued by the chairman of the CMC, and it shoes that improving combat rediness is now a strategic mission for the Chinese military."

President Xi reviewed assembly of soldiers on the site and training of various troops via televised devices, after the meeting.

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Australian live exporters who send animals to Jordan are meant to ensure they are protected from such treatment and that they remain within approved supply chains. In fact, it is a condition of their export permit.

But during the Festival of Sacrifice (Eid al Adha) in Jordan this year, thousands of Australian sheep were sold and brutally killed  in the streets, in filthy make-shift slaughter rooms, in driveways and in backyards  in breach of Australian law. And rather than abiding by the rules, ear tags were removed from Australian animals en mass, so that they could not be traced back to the exporter responsible.

Australian exporter  Livestock Shipping Services, who supplies animals to its parent company in Jordan  was already being investigated for evidence showing widespread and recurring breaches of live export regulations, in Jordan, in June of this year. Now a further formal complaint has been lodged with the Department of Agriculture, backed by extensive evidence gathered by Animals Australia investigators.

One of the primary reasons for the introduction of new live export regulations was to ensure animals did not suffer the consequences of being offered for private sale and slaughter. This latest terrible vision provided to the Department of Agriculture from Jordan reveals the carnage that resulted from a complete disregard for these regulations.

Inconceivably, just days after this mass slaughter, another ship laden with Australian sheep was allowed to set sail for Jordan.

Whats next?

The Department of Agriculture has confirmed that an investigation is underway. The Australian Live Exporters Council (ALEC), along with individual exporters, have joined animal welfare groups in calling for the strongest possible regulatory response to these breaches.

The Department of Agriculture has immediate powers to ensure no further animals are put at risk while an investigation is underway. Every time an exporter wants to send a shipload of animals they must apply for a permit. Before approving these permits the Department must consider the exporters past record of complying with regulations, and whether it is likely that the animals will be treated in accordance with regulations. If the Department has grounds for concern on either of these points, they have the power to deny the exporter a permit.

Australian animal protection groups have written to the Department requesting that they use their power to ensure that no more animals are placed at such grave risk of appalling cruelty in Jordan. Whats absolutely certain, is that the Department has been provided with strong evidence that shows outright contempt for Australian live export regulations.

How you can help

If it werent for Animals Australia investigators, the Australian Government wouldnt even know that live exporters had breached regulations. And animals would be suffering in silence.
Renowned Pakistani chef and media personality Zubaida Tariq passed away in Karachi on late Thursday night.

According to the Dawn, she died after a brief illness.

Fondly known as Zubaida Apa, she was popular for her culinary skills and housekeeping advice (totkas) and was a household name in Pakistan.

Pakistan's Punjab province Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered his condolences on Twitter.

"Deeply saddened by the news of passing away of renowned chef & a great human being Zubaida Apa. She was a household name, thanks to her amazing expertise in cooking. May Allah Almighty bless her soul in peace and grant patience to her family!," he tweeted.

She hosted a variety of culinary shows and penned down several cookbooks while active.

Zubaida's shows are extensively watched across the .

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Saudi Arabia on Friday intercepted a ballistic missile over the kingdom's southern province of Najran, bordering Yemen.

According to Al Masirah, a TV network run by the Houthi rebels, stated that the group claimed responsibility for the attack.

"This hostile act by Iran-backed Houthis proves the Iranian regime remains implicated in supporting the armed Houthis," the local media quoted spokesperson of the Arab Coalition, Col. Turki Al-Malki, as saying.

The Saudi-led coalition has previously accused Iran of helping arm the Houthis, accusing Iran of "flagrant military aggression," according to the reports.

Earlier in November, Yemen's Houthi rebels launched a missile targetting King Khalid International Airport.

The Saudi air defence intercepted the missile and shot it down without causing any damage.

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The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the execution of Veerendra, who was given death sentenced by the Gwalior bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court for raping and murdering an 8-year-old girl in the state.

The Apex Court also issued a notice to the state government on convict's appeal and sought a reply from it.

The trial court had earlier convicted the accused for raping and murdering a minor girl, who was his near relative as well.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court had upheld the findings of the trial court and confirmed the death penalty to the accused.

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Months after the Rajkot Police registered a case of accidental death of a 64-year-old woman by falling from her terrace; it was revealed that she was allegedly pushed by her own son.

In a video that surfaced on Friday shows a 36-year-old assistant professor taking his 64-year-old mother to the terrace of his residential building and allegedly pushing her from there.

It was on September 27, when police had registered a case of suicide after a woman named Jayshree died by falling from the terrace of Darshan Avenue in Gandhigram area, where she was living with her son and daughter-in-law.

"On 27 September, we got this information that Sandeep Nathwani's mother died after falling from the terrace. Initially, we reported it as an accidental death. But the death was doubtful, as few days before this incident took place, the lady was admitted in hospital and she was bed-ridden," the DCP Zone 2, Karan Raj said in a press briefing.

Reportedly, Sandip Nathwani, who teaches at Mody Pharmacy College in Rajkot, allegedly pushed his mother Jayshreeben to death as he was "fed up" with her illness,

The police apparently got an anonymous letter with the CCTV footage, which showed that Jayshree was not even able to walk and it was not possible for her to climb the terrace wall to jump.

The DCP said that the accused will be arrested once he is discharged from the hospital.

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The Ministry of Defence on Friday issued orders to ensure parity between the armed forces and civil service officers at the Armed Forces Headquaters, here.

A Ministry letter, dated October 18, 2016, which had brought ranks of armed forces officers a notch down compared to earlier status vis-a-vis their civilian counterparts in the Army Headquarters, has been ordered to be withdrawn.

The fresh order has been signed by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

According to the official order, the following shall take place with immediate effect:

-Ministry of Defence letter dated October 18, 2016 on the issue of equivalence between Armed Forces Officers and Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Services (AFHQ CS) Officers is withdrawn.

-The cadre restructuring of AFHQ CS as approved by the Union Cabinet shall be duly implemented. Designations to be created in consequence of the additional posts sanctioned by the Cabinet will be done in consultation with Service HQs. Local designations assigned both Service and Civilian Officers in Service Headquarters/InterService Organisations (ISOs) is hereby withdrawn. Both Service and Civilian Officers will use their respective cadre designations only.

-So far as the Channel of reporting/rendition of Annual Performance Appraisal Report (APAR) is concerned, status quo ante is hereby restored, i.e., the position which existed prior to the issue of MoD letter dated October 18, 2016 shall prevail.

The issue of rank parity between military personnel and armed forces headquarters (AFHQ) civil service officers was one of the issues that Sitharaman had taken up after taking over as the defence minister in September, 2017.

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was given a warm Indonesian traditional welcome on her arrival in Jakarta today.

She is on a two-day visit to the Indonesia, where she will co-chair the 5th meeting of India-Indonesia Joint Commission with her counterpart Retno Marsudi.

"EAM arrives in Jakarta to a warm welcome in Indonesian tradition. EAM will be holding JCM with her counterpart FM Retno later today!" India in Indonesia tweeted.

Sushma Swaraj was received by the senior officers of India Embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia.

"EAM arrived in Jakarta today. She was received at Airport by Ambassador Pradeep Kumar Rawat, Ambassador Suresh Reddy, DCM and senior officers of Embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia. EAM is scheduled to meet VP Jusuf Kalla and FM Retno Marsudi later in the day," India in Indonesia said in a second tweet.

Yesterday, Swaraj met with Foreign Minister of Thailand Don Pramudwinai and discussed issues of connectivity, security and cultural cooperation.

"Keeping up with the growing momentum of the bilateral relationship, EAM @SushmaSwaraj discussed issues of connectivity, security and cultural cooperation with Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Foreign Minister of Thailand. #ActEastPolicy," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The Thai minister also hosted a dinner in the honour of Swaraj.

Earlier on Thursday, Swaraj, arrived in Bangkok on the first leg of a three-nation tour that will also take her to Indonesia and Singapore.

The minister got a "warm welcome" in Thailand - "our geographic, historic and cultural neighbour", Kumar had tweeted.

Thailand will assume the role of coordinator country for India-ASEAN relations later this year.

Swaraj is on her first visit of the year 2018 to three South East Asian countries - Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore.

The visit is aimed at giving a further boost to bilateral relations to the South East Asian countries within the framework of India's Act East Policy.

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday left for Indonesia after having "a productive engagement" in Thailand.

The Ministry of External Affairs, Spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar informed on Twitter, "EAM @SushmaSwaraj emplanes for Jakarta after a productive engagement in Thailand. #ActEastPolicy".

During her two-day visit, the External Affairs Minister will co-chair the 5th meeting of India-Indonesia Joint Commission with her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi.

Yesterday, Swaraj met with Foreign Minister of Thailand Don Pramudwinai and discussed issues of connectivity, security and cultural cooperation.

"Keeping up with the growing momentum of the bilateral relationship, EAM @SushmaSwaraj discussed issues of connectivity, security and cultural cooperation with Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Foreign Minister of Thailand. #ActEastPolicy," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The Thai minister also hosted a dinner in the honour of Swaraj.

Earlier on Thursday, Swaraj, arrived in Bangkok on the first leg of a three-nation tour that will also take her to Indonesia and Singapore.

The minister got a "warm welcome" in Thailand - "our geographic, historic and cultural neighbour", Kumar had tweeted.

Thailand will assume the role of coordinator country for India-ASEAN relations later this year.

Swaraj has embarked on her first visit of the year 2018 to three South East Asian countries - Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore.

The visit is aimed at giving a further boost to bilateral relations to the South East Asian countries within the framework of India's Act East Policy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Scores of Muslim women on Friday protested against the Congress party for stalling the proceedings of the triple talaq bill in winter session of the Parliament, outside its premises.

They also raised slogans in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing the bill.

"We today announce that we are boycotting Congress for blocking thetriple talaq bill in the Rajya Sabha. We thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for showing courage to bringing this bill despite having been tagged as anti-Muslim. We condemn the Congress party," Farah Faiz, a protestor, said.

She added it was wrong to say that Muslim women were opposing the triple talaq bill.

"It is wrong to say that Muslim women are opposing the bill as all triple talaq victims are participating in the protest. The entire life of a Muslim woman is devastated after talaq, but they [the Congress party] are more concerned for a Muslim man going to jail for three years. Congress has repeated history what it did with the Musilm women in 1986," Farah said.

When informed that other political parties had also opposed the triple talaq bill in the Rajya Sabha, she said, "Other political parties rallied behind the Congress party when it took a lead. So, the biggest culprit is Congress."

She also objected to the Congress' suggestion of sending the triple talaq bill to a select committee, Farah said, "Why didn't Congress propose to send the bill to a joint committee?"

She, however, said there were some shortcomings in the bill.

"We wanted polygamy to be included in the bill but didn't say anything now because we wanted a beginning to be made. We thought of demanding an amendment later, but the Congress party blocked that beginning," she said.

The draft of The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, also known as the Triple Talaq Bill, says, "any pronouncement of talaq by a person upon his wife, by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form or in any other manner whatsoever, shall be void and illegal".

There is also a provision of imprisonment for a term, which may extend to three years and fine for violators. The draft bill also envisages entitling divorcee Muslim women for maintenance and has a provision for them to have the custody of their minor children. The offences under the purview of this bill will be cognisable and non-bailable.

The bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha but couldn't get the Rajya Sabha's nod as the Congress and other political parties demanded it should be referred to a select committee.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The publisher of 'Fire and Fury

"Henry Holt confirms that we received a cease and desist letter from an attorney for President Trump," Patricia Eisemann, a spokeswoman for the Publisher Henry Holt & Co. said in a statement. "We see 'Fire and Fury' as an extraordinary contribution to our national discourse, and are proceeding with the publication of the book."

The author of the book Michael Wolff took to Twitter on Thursday to confirm the release, saying you can buy the book from Friday.

"Here we go. You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. President," he tweeted.

Here we go. You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. President.  Michael Wolff (@MichaelWolffNYC) January 4, 2018

This move came by the publishers, after President Trump's lawyers sent Wolff and Henry Holt a cease and desist letter, demanding not to release the book as they claim the excerpts and other portions released from the book are defamatory.

The publisher was given until Friday to respond to the letter.

On Wednesday, the former White House chief strategist, Steve Bannon, described President Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump as "dumb as a brick" in the upcoming book.

The Bannon's observation about Ivanka was reported by The Wall Street Journal, which has reviewed Michael Wolff's new book.

Earlier in the day, Bannon, who was fired from the White House job last year during an investigation into the Russia's interference in the presidential election, had already grabbed the headlines after it was reported that he had described, in the same book, a meeting between the president's son and a group of Russians during the 2016 election campaign as "treasonous" and "unpatriotic".

Trump criticised Bannon for his comments and said the latter not only lost his job, but his mind too after being fired from the White House.

According to the Guardian, the book is based on hundreds of interviews, including the ones taken from Trump's courtiers.

Bannon also reportedly told Wolff that investigation into the Trump campaign's potential ties to Russia is centred on money laundering and claimed that "they're going to crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV".

Bannon was the chief executive of the Trump campaign in its final three months and also the White House chief strategist for seven months before he was fired off from his position.

Three congressional committees and special counsel Robert Mueller are investigating Russia's interference in the presidential election and possible collusion with Trump associates.

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Turkey on Friday detained at least 121 people of different nationalities, who were attempting to cross Europe by sea.

According to Anadolu news agency, Turkish coast guards caught the two boats of the migrants, after they were sighted at the sea.

In the first raid, an inflatable boat in Izmir's Dikili district was stopped by the coast guard teams and around 64 migrants, a mixture of Syrians, Iraqis and Pakistanis, were detained.

In another incident, another 57 migrants, all of them Syrian nationals, were apprehended in Izmir's Cesme district.

They were later transferred to migration management authorities for further questioning.

Turkey has seen a major influx of migrants who have been trying to cross Europe, especially since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War and the presence of the terrorist group, Islamic State (IS) in Iraq.

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Another Republican has opted not to seek the GOP gubernatorial nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo this year.

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced Thursday that he will not run for governor. His decision comes after a months-long exploratory effort and the formation of a campaign committee.

Molinaro has been critical of Cuomo's policies, especially the governor's economic development strategies and how he's addressed issues affecting local governments across the state.

But Molinaro decided not to take the next step and enter the race for governor.

"After much discussion, contemplation and prayer, I have made the decision that at this time I will not be a Republican candidate for governor," Molinaro said. "While I believe that state government can be a servant of the people when run well and with integrity, it's just not the right time for me to seek the governorship."

Molinaro, 42, is a former state assemblyman and has served as Dutchess County executive since 2012. He was re-elected to his current position in 2015.

He is one of four Republicans who announced last year that they were considering runs for governor. Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb is the lone candidate to enter the field. Harry Wilson, a corporate restructuring expert who was the GOP candidate for state comptroller in 2010, said earlier this week that he will not run for governor.

State Sen. John DeFrancisco hasn't decided whether he will run for governor. A late addition to the field, former Erie County Executive Joel Giambra, announced his candidacy on Wednesday.

Republicans face an uphill battle in their bid to unseat Cuomo, who will seek his third term as governor.

Democrats hold a large enrollment advantage in New York and Cuomo, who has been in office since 2011, has nearly $26 million in his campaign war chest.

With a gubernatorial campaign off the table for now, Molinaro said he will focus on his work as Dutchess County executive. He also plans to continue traveling the state to advocate for individuals with disabilities.

While he isn't running for governor, he believes New York needs new leadership.

"I will be an ardent supporter of the Republican nominee for governor, promoting the strong ideas and values that throughout my career in public service have proven to work," Molinaro said.
If Washington, and particularly the White House is serious about reining in Pakistan on its policy of supporting terrorism, there much it can do to ensure course correction and regional peace, an expert on South Asia has said.

In article written for and published by thedailybeast.com website, Bruce O. Riedel, an American expert on U.S. security, South Asia, and counter-terrorism, and currently Senior Fellow in the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, says it is essential for America and President Doanld Trump's bite to be stronger than its bark, and once and for all put to rest the belief in the corridors of power in Pakistan (civil and military), that Washington's latest broadside against Islamabad on the issue of terrorism is not again a case of "bluster".

Praising the Trump Administration for finally diagnosing the problem, Riedel, however, cautions it and the White House that now both face "the hard part (and) it won't be easy" to make Pakistan walk the talk.

"Pakistan is in the midst of a complex political meltdown, engineered by the army and others. New elections will come this year. But the need for urgency is also real, especially for our troops in Afghanistan. Congress should press for more than a tweet (by President Trump)," he says.

"A comprehensive approach that utilizes multiple tools - diplomatic, economic and covert - is best. Engagement with the elected leadership of Pakistan and also a reach out directly to the Pakistani people, the greatest victims of the ISI's blowback, should be incorporated. China and India should be consulted," he adds and suggests.

Riedel says that President Donald Trump's proclamation on Twitter is not one to be surprised about as it has been aired with regularity, pointedly and accurately over the past couple of months.

"Trump officials have been explicit and unequivocal about all this, including in the roll out of their Afghanistan policy and the overall presentation of security strategy," he says.

As far as the issue of giving USD 33 billion in aid to Islamabad over the past 15 years is concerned, Riedel says "More than $25 billion, was provided before the SEAL raid that found and killed Osama bin Laden hiding in the army cantonment city of Abbottabad in 2011. Withholding money is not much of a penalty, the $250 million in the pipeline is an insignificant threat."

Washington, he says, must alter Pakistan's assessment and take steps that are symbolic but important.

He says eight immediate steps can be taken. They are as follows:

.Washington could remove Pakistan from the category of a major non-NATO ally and deny it certain military technologies.

.The administration could also recall our ambassador and not replace him.

. Exploit President Trump's strong relationships with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as they are countries with large emigre Pakistani worker populations.

.The Trump team should press Crown Princes Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh and Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi to not only shut down the Taliban's fund raising but to prosecute their funders even if they have royal connections. Both states have close ties to the ISI.

. Washington must pressure the Saudis and their Gulf allies to be committed to fighting the Afghan Taliban in more concrete terms.

. Saudis should use their considerable influence to cut ISI aid to the Taliban.

. The Trump Administration can label Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism, like Iran. This would cut off all assistance and engagement with Pakistan. It's a draconian step but the evidence clearly qualifies for Pakistan's designation.

. An alternative approach is to rely primarily on unilateral actions by American security services.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Aurionpro Solutions lost 4.65% to Rs 251.05 at 12:09 IST on BSE, with the stock sliding on profit booking after recent rally.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 122.02 points or 0.36% at 34,091.66. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index advanced 0.68%, outperforming the Sensex.

On the BSE, 51,000 shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 44,199 shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 264 and a low of Rs 245.25 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 283.50 yesterday, 4 January 2018 and a 52-week low of Rs 103.05 on 12 June 2017.

The stock had outperformed the market over the past one month till 4 January 2018, gaining 50.37% compared with the Sensex's 3.35% rise. The stock had also outperformed the market over the past one quarter, advancing 83.42% as against the Sensex's 7.26% rise. The scrip had also outperformed the market over the past one year, surging 75.77% as against the Sensex's 27.55% rise.

The small-cap company has equity capital of Rs 23.04 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

Shares of Aurionpro Solutions had rallied 24.46% in the preceding six trading sessions to settle at Rs 263.30 yesterday, 4 January 2018, from its closing of Rs 211.55 on 27 December 2017. The stock had settled higher by 6.28% yesterday, 4 January 2018 after the company announced after market hours on 3 January 2018 that its subsidiary Cyberinc entered into a definitive agreement with KPMG LLP, USA, for sale of its Identity and Access Management (IAM) business. The transaction is expected to close on 31 January 2018.

Cyberinc's IAM business is a 190-person global team with significant presence in the US, India, Australia, and the UK, and extensive experience providing advisory, strategy, implementation services, and managed services for organizations that need to transform their enterprise or consumer identity capabilities.

Aurionpro Solutions' consolidated net profit rose 1.93% to Rs 13.75 crore on 5.13% rise in net sales to Rs 168.65 crore in Q2 September 2017 over Q1 June 2017.

Aurionpro Solutions is a global technology product and solutions provider.

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Bharti Airtel was up 1.23% to Rs 528.90 at 10:31 IST on BSE after the company announced a strategic tie-up with Samsung to bring a range of affordable 4G smartphone options to customers.

The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 4 January 2018.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 160.03 points or 0.47% at 34,129.67.

On the BSE, 1.06 lakh shares were traded on the counter so far as against average daily volumes of 78.89 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 532 and a low of Rs 518.85 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 565 on 3 November 2017 and a 52-week low of Rs 299.55 on 4 January 2017.

The stock had outperformed the market over the past one month till 4 January 2018, gaining 7.77% compared with the Sensex's 3.35% rise. The stock had also outperformed the market over the past one quarter, advancing 38.6% as against the Sensex's 7.26% rise. The scrip had also outperformed the market over the past one year, surging 66.28% as against the Sensex's 27.55% rise.

The large-cap company has equity capital of Rs 1998.70 crore. Face value per share is Rs 5.

Bharti Airtel said that the company and Samsung announced a strategic alliance to bring a range of affordable 4G smartphone options to customers. As a part of this alliance, four top models from Samsung's popular Galaxy J-series range will be available with attractive cashback offers, bringing down the effective price of the device and making them highly affordable for customers. All devices will come bundled with Airtel's special recharge pack of Rs 199 that offers 1 GB data per day and unlimited calling.

Bharti Airtel's consolidated net profit fell 63.7% to Rs 586.10 crore on 11.7% decline in net sales to Rs 21776.90 crore in Q2 September 2017 over Q2 September 2016.

Bharti Airtel is a leading global telecommunications company.

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Bharti Airtel said that the company and Samsung announced a strategic alliance to bring a range of affordable 4G smartphone options to customers. As a part of this alliance, four top models from Samsung's popular Galaxy J-series range will be available with attractive cashback offers, bringing down the effective price of the device and making them highly affordable for customers. All devices will come bundled with Airtel's special recharge pack of Rs 199 that offers 1 GB data per day and unlimited calling. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 4 January 2018.

Bliss GVS Pharma announced that board of directors will meet on 11 January 2018, for considering disinvestment of subsidiary business. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 4 January 2018.

Indian Overseas Bank said that board of directors approved to utilize the balance available in the share premium account amounting to Rs 7650.06 crore as at 31 March 2017 to write off the accumulated losses of the bank aggregating to Rs 6978.94 crore as at 31 March 2017 to present a true and fair view of the financial position of the bank and to take the same into account during current Financial Year 2017-18. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 4 January 2018.

South India Bank said that the meeting of the board of directors of the bank is scheduled to be held on 9th January 2018 to also consider a proposal to augment the paid-up capital by issue of equity shares or other securities convertible into equity shares, through one or more modes permissible under applicable laws including but not limited to, preferential allotment, qualified institutions placement, rights issue or public issue, for an amount not exceeding Rs 20 crore in nominal value, subject to the approval of regulatory authorities if any. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 4 January 2018.

Shares of public sector banks will be watched. Media reports suggested that the Lok Sabha on Thursday gave its approval to the central government's request for additional spending of Rs 80000 crore to boost the capital health of public sector banks. The latest approval of funds will be utilised by March this year. The matter will now be heard in Rajya Sabha on Friday, 5 January 2018, reports added.

HCL Technologies announced about the termination of joint venture agreement between the company and Great American Insurance Company (GAIC). The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 4 January 2018.

Varun Beverages announced that it has further deepened its relationship with PepsiCo by entering into a strategic partnership for the larger Tropicana portfolio along with Gatorade and Quaker Value-Added Dairy in territories across North and East India. This is part of VBL's strategy to expand its product portfolio through its valued relationship with PepsiCo. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 4 January 2018.

Take Solutions said that it has incorporated a step down subsidiary company Navitas Lifesciences S.A.S in Colombia on 3 January 2018. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 4 January 2018.

JSW Energy announced that it has, on 1 January 2018, incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary, JSW Solar to pursue business opportunities in the renewable energy space, energy storage systems, micro grids, etc. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 4 January 2018.

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The National Perspective Plan (NPP) was prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigation, now Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR, RD & GR) in August 1980 for water resources development through inter basin transfer of water, for transferring water from water surplus basins to water-deficit basins. Under the NPP, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component & 14 under Himalayan Component) for preparation of Feasibility Reports (FRs). The Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) of the all 30 links have been prepared and circulated to the concerned State Governments by the NWDA. After survey and investigations, Feasibility Reports of 14 links under Peninsular Component and Feasibility Reports of 2 links and draft Feasibility Reports of 7 links (Indian portion) under Himalayan Component have been completed.

Presently, the survey, investigation and preparation of Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR)/ Feasibility Report (FR)/ Detailed Project Report (DPR) is being funded through River Basin Management scheme of MoWR, RD & GR. This Ministry has constituted a Group on Financial Aspects on 12.09.2017 under Task Force for Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) to consider the financial aspects of ILR projects and to suggest the funding pattern for implementing the same. Three meetings of the Group on Financial Aspects has been held on 24.10.2017, 17.11.2017 and 08.12.2017 respectively.

Funds are being released to Indirasagar Polavaram Project through Long Term Irrigation Fund, which has been created through National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development for funding Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana projects.

Polavaram Project has provision of diversion of 80 TMC of water from Godavari Basin to Krishna Basin. The Right Main Canal of Polavaram Irrigation Project is proposed as lined canal, runs for a length of 174 km for diverting 80 TMC Godavari water to Krishna river upstream of Prakasam Barrage through the existing Budameru Diversion Channel. The canal is also contemplated to irrigate 1.29 lakh ha of ayacut (3.2 lack acre) in West Godavari and Krishna districts. Polavaram Poject has been declared as National Project by the Central Government.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh has taken up Pattiseema Lift Scheme to achieve early benefits of Polavaram Irrigation Project in order to utilize the flood waters going waste into the sea. The Pattiseema Lift Scheme is envisaged to utilize the already existing Polavaram Right Canal by lifting 240 Cumecs (8500 Cusecs) of water from Akhanda Godavari Right Bank on downstream side of Polavaram dam site near Pattisam village and dropping into Polavaram Right Canal at chainage 1.50 km. The main aspect of the Lift Scheme is to transfer 80 TMC of water into Krishna River by interlinking through Polavaram Right Canal.

The Pattiseema Lift Scheme work is completed and water is being drawn from Polavaram Right Canal from the year 2015-16 onwards.

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The export of oilmeals during December 2017 is provisionally reported at 236,000 tons compared to 301,556 tons in December 2016 i.e. down by 22%, as per the data compiled by The Solvent Extractors' Association of India . The overall export of oilmeals during April - December 2017 provisionally reported at 2,090,468 tons compared to 1,169,914 tons during the same period of last year.

On 17th November 2017, Government raised the import duty on edible oils by 12.5 to 15% across the board and increased MEIS on soybean meal to 7% from 5%. These steps has made Indian oilmeal more competitive in the world market and may result in to larger export of oilmeals during current year.

Secondly, after two difficult years, export of oilmeals has revived in the current year, but still lower than earlier years, when India used to export annually over 40 to 45 lakh tons of oilmeals.

South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Germany & Europe - Major Importers of Oilmeals:- During April - December 2017 oilmeal imported by Vietnam from India reported at 331,654 tons compared to 209,476 tons; consisting of 23,157 tons of soybean meal, 54,922 tons of rapeseed meal and 253,575 tons of De-oiled Rice Bran Extraction. South Korea imported 597,252 tons compared to 460,764 tons; consisting 209,890 tons of rapeseed meal, 362,147 tons of castor meal and 25,215 tons of soybean meal.

Bangladesh imported 120,675 tons compared to 132,588 tons; consisting 26,037 tons of rapeseed meal, 5,857 tons of De-oiled Rice Bran Extractions and 88,781 tons of soybean meal. Thailand imported 134,612 tons compared to 9,201 tons; consisting 96,358 tons of rapeseed meal, 9,454 tons of De-oiled Rice Bran Extractions and 28,765 tons of soybean meal. European countries were the major importer of Indian Soybean Meal. France imported 100,375 tons compared to 90,208 tons; consisting 95,710 tons of soybean meal and 4,665 tons of Castor meal and rest of European countries imported 329,340 tons of oilmeals, mainly soybean meal.

Port-wise Export : April - Dec. 2017 The export from Kandla is reported at 1,159,163 tons (55%), followed by Mumbai including JNPT handled 296,430 tons (14%), Mundra handled 171,255 tons (8%) and Kolkata handled 271,064 tons (13%) and others ports handled 192,556 tons (9%).

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Take Solutions gained 2.79% to Rs 175 at 11:00 IST on BSE after the company said that it has incorporated a step down subsidiary company, Navitas Lifesciences S.A.S in Colombia on 3 January 2018.

The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 4 January 2018.

Take Solutions said that Navitas Lifesciences S.A.S is fully owned by company's step down subsidiary Navitas Inc USA. The company's business will cater to lifesciences industry.

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was up 163.67 points, or 0.48% to 34,133.31. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 199.66 points, or 1.02% to 19,715.30, outperforming the Sensex.

On the BSE, 38,640 shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with an average volume of 28,263 shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 177.50 and a low of Rs 171.90 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 183.90 on 5 July 2017. The stock had hit a 52-week low of Rs 118.20 on 30 May 2017.

The stock had outperformed the market over the past one month till 4 January 2018, gaining 7.79% compared with the Sensex's 3.35% rise. The scrip had, however, underperformed the market over the past one quarter, falling 0.15% as against the Sensex's 7.26% rise. The scrip had also underperformed the market over the past one year, gaining 19.43% as against the Sensex's 27.55% rise.

The stock has gained 8.83% in five sessions to its ruling price, from a close of Rs 160.80 on 29 December 2017.

The small-cap company has an equity capital of Rs 13.32 crore. Face value per share is Re 1.

Take Solutions' consolidated net profit rose 2.71% to Rs 36.69 crore on 4.67% rise in net sales to Rs 370.93 crore in Q2 September 2017 over Q1 June 2017.

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At least five persons were killed on Friday when a school bus collided with a truck in Indore in Madhya Pradesh, officials said.

Those killed include four children besides the bus driver, Deputy Inspector General of Police Hari Narayan Chari Mishra told IANS.

The school bus belonged to the Delhi Public School here. The injured children have been admitted to the local Bombay Hospital.

Madhya Pradesh Transport Minister Bhupendra Singh has ordered an enquiry into the accident.

--IANS

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An intense "bomb cyclone" battered the US East Coast on Thursday with high winds and heavy snowfalls, leaving thousands of flights cancelled, numerous schools and offices closed and millions of Americans bracing for potential power shortages.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said Thursday three people have died in the snow storm, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The storm will produce heavy snow along the Mid-Atlantic Coast into Southern New England by Thursday morning that will move northward into the Northeast by Thursday afternoon, while ending over the Mid-Atlantic Coast by Thursday evening," the US National Service wrote in an earlier alert.

US forecasters called the ongoing winter storm a "bomb cyclone" for its rapid and rare drop in atmospheric pressure. The storm is crawling up the northeastern American Thursday morning with a threat of winds gusting as high as 60 mph and a bone-chilling blast of Arctic air.

Through Thursday, parts of New York could see five to nine inches, Philadelphia three to six inches and Washington one to two inches.

In New England, Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, could get eight to 12 inches, while Portland, Maine, could see 10 to 15 inches, the US National Service said.

The service also said Atlantic City could record up to 18 inches of snow, Delaware beach towns were facing the prospect of a foot of snow and travel has become "very dangerous to impossible" in the highly populated Hampton Roads region of Virginia, which could receive up to 12 inches of snow in places.

More than 3,000 flights were cancelled on Thursday, with airports in New York, Newark, New Jersey; Boston reporting the most cancellations, according to FlightAware, an aviation tracking website.

--IANS

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Taking a popular injectable contraceptive drug is likely to increase the risk of developing HIV infection by 40 per cent, claims a study.

The contraceptive depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is an injectables birth control shot that works by releasing the hormone progestin into the body which prevents the ovaries from releasing eggs and thickens the mucous layer around the cervix to block sperm from getting through.

In the study, researchers from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, examined animal, cell and biochemical research on the form of progestin used in DMPA -- medroxprogesterone acetate, or MPA.

Their analysis, published in the journal Endocrine Reviews, revealed that MPA acts differently than other forms of progestin used in contraceptives.

MPA behaves like the stress hormone cortisol in the cells of the genital tract that can come in contact with HIV.

Other reasons include decreased immune function and the protective barrier function of the female genital tract, said lead author, Janet P. Hapgood, Professor at the varsity

"Studying the biology of MPA helps us understand what may be driving the increased rate of HIV infection seen in human research," she said.

"Increasing availability of contraceptives that use a different form of the female hormone progestin than the one found in DMPA could help reduce the risk of HIV transmission," Hapgood added.

In 2016, there were 36.7 million people worldwide were living with HIV, according to UNAIDS -- Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV infection.

In 2015, India had approved the use of DMPA and recommended its inclusion in the national family planning programme and administered free of cost once every three months, usually on the upper arm or the buttocks.

Previously, the use of DMPA have been associated with many health problems in women including menstrual irregularity, demineralisation of bones, abdominal bloating and discomfort, mood changes, decreased sex drive, etc.

--IANS

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Security establishments have been put on high alert across India after a CRPF vehicle with Jammu and Kashmir registration was stolen from outside the staff camp of the paramilitary force here last week.

The alert was sounded as a precaution ahead of the Republic Day celebration soon after a white "TATA Sumo Vecta" with registration number 'JK 02A W5441' went missing around 12.30 p.m. from the R.K. Puram camp in south Delhi on December 30.

"We have filed a FIR with Delhi Police," Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Inspector General P.K. Singh told IANS. "There is no need to panic as the four-wheeler had no security feature.

"It was parked outside the R.K. Puram camp, where there is a hospital as well. In the morning it was found missing. It was used for ferrying medico staffs... We have informed (security) agencies who have issued an alert."

CCTV footage reportedly revealed that the vehicle, with a 'Police' sticker, was stolen by a group of at least three persons.

The CRPF has asked all its units in Jammu and Kashmir and north India to be on heightened vigil.

--IANS

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The 2018 Dakar Rally will attract over 1.5 million spectators in Peru, according to an estimate announced by the Peruvian Minister of Foreign Commerce and Tourism Eduardo Ferreyros.

About 90 per cent of the audience will be Peruvian, while the remaining 10 percent will be foreigners, mainly from Chile, Brazil and France, Ferreyros said on Thursday, reports Xinhua news agency.

The attendance estimate includes visitors to the Dakar Village Fair, an outdoor festival organised near where the rally starts, which is expected to attract more than 150,000 visitors in three days, and spectators during the six stages of the race held within Peru.

On its way to Bolivia and then Argentina, the Dakar Rally will pass through the Peruvian regions of Lima, Ica, Arequipa and Puno, where the competitors will pass by the western shore of the world's highest navigable lake Titicaca at 3,800 metres above sea level.

In addition to the Dakar Village, which will feature giant screens, official items stores, virtual reality experiences and official vehicle exhibitions, there will also be two other similar fairs in the cities of Pisco (Ica) and Puno.

The Dakar Rally is scheduled to begin on January 6 from Lima with over 337 vehicles competing in the event and will travel over 9,000 km to its finish point in Cordoba, Argentina on January 20.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A monk spear-heading a movement for Buddhist-control over the Mahabodhi temple, has urged Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama to raise the demand with Prime Minister Narender Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

"The Dalai Lama should break his silence over this issue and demand Buddhist control over the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya...he has so far disappointed by not raising this genuine demand," Bhante Anand told IANS over telephone on Friday.

Anand is the president of the Akhil Bharatiya Bhikkhu Mahasangh (ABBM) and also president of Bodh Gaya Mukti Andolan Samiti.

"It is unfortunate that the Dalai Lama has time and again exposed himself that for him Buddhist-control over the temple is not an issue.

"He has been doing his for decades. He is busy in his own agenda...," Anand said.

Anand wants to wrest free the Mahabodhi temple, the birth place of Buddhism, from Hindu-control.

Anand said: "Why do Hindus have control over Bodh Gaya temple? It is the only such holy place in the world where control of the most sacred shrine of one religion is in the hands of people belonging to another religion."

Anand has been leading the movement concerning the 1,500-year-old temple located 110 km from here, where Lord Gautam Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment.

Anand said the Bihar government has to amend the Mahabodhi Temple Management Act, 1949.

The temple is managed, on behalf of the Bihar government, by a nine-member committee headed by the District Magistrate.

Under the state government's Temple Management Act, only a Hindu can head the managing committee.

The panel comprises of four Buddhists and an equal number of Hindu members for a three-year period with the Gaya District Magistrate as its ex-officio chairman and the Mahanth of the Sankaracharya Math as ex-officio Hindu member.

The state government nominates a Hindu when the District Magistrate is a non-Hindu.

The Mahabodhi Temple was declared a World Heritage site in 2002 by Unesco. It is visited annually by thousands of tourists, especially Buddhists.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government failed to get the triple talaq bill passed in the Rajya Sabha during the winter session that concluded on Friday, pushing the controversial legislation to the budget session that begins on January 29.

Government sources ruled out any possibility of an ordinance on triple talaq as the dates for the budget session were already announced.

At the customary press briefing on the concluding day of the winter session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.N. Ananth Kumar said he hoped the Congress and other opposition parties would agree on passing the bill the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017.

"We hope the Congress will understand the public opinion on the issue, reconsider their stand and pass it in the budget session. There is anger among people on this issue," Ananth Kumar said.

The minister slammed the Congress for stalling the bill, accusing its leaders of being against the empowerment of Muslim women in India.

"The intention of the (Narendra) Modi government is clear. We want equality and respect for the Muslim women, and the Congress is opposing it. They have just shown their double standard," he said.

The Lok Sabha passed the bill on December 28, the day it was moved in the House. It was brought to the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday amid a din by the opposition.

The opposition in the Rajya Sabha, where it has more numbers than the government, insisted on referring the legislation to a Select Committee and sought voting over the issue.

The government categorically rejected the demand, just as it had done in the Lok Sabha, which led to high drama in the Upper House on two consecutive days with treasury members forcing an unusual adjournment on Wednesday to avoid voting. The deadlock in the House didn't let the discussion over the bill resume on Thursday.

On Friday, too, the bill found a mention in the list of business for the day, but the House was adjourned sine die immediately after Question Hour.

The bill seeks to make instant triple talaq a non-bailable criminal offence with imprisonment up to three years and/or fine for the husband who pronounces it. The opposition demanded reconsideration of the penal provision. They also objected to the provisions of the bill that turn a civil matter into a criminal one. But the government said it was non-negotiable.

One of the criticisms on the legislation by the opposition is that the Narendra Modi government unilaterally drafted the legislation without any consultations with the opposition or other stakeholders.

In the Lok Sabha, where the government has overwhelming majority, it got the bill passed the same day it was moved, ignoring demand from the opposition to refer the bill to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for detailed consideration.

Meanwhile, various Muslim organisations including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) have been meeting leaders of different opposition political parties, asking them to not let the bill pass in its present form.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi government is mulling requesting Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to hand over Kathputli Colony here to the city-government-administered Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) for rehabilitation of its displaced residents, informed sources said.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA), of which Baijal is the Chairman, had demolished the colony in October 2017 for redevelopment and the incident triggered violence.

The DDA had handed over rehabilitation of the Kathputli Colony, in west Delhi, to a private company, Raheja Developers, in 2007.

An official close to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told IANS that no work has been done in the colony in the past nine years and the government proposes to ask Baijal to hand over the colony's rehabilitation work to DUSIB.

"The 13 acres of land (Kathputli Colony) worth Rs 1,000 crore was handed over to Raheja Developers for Rs 6 crore and they have not done anything in the past nine years. This is a scam," the official said.

On Thursday, Kejriwal had written to Baijal asking him to hand over 333 slum clusters on DDA land in the city to the Delhi government for rehabilitation.

"Of this 13 acres (Kathputli Colony), a huge portion of land will be used by the private builder (Raheja Developers) for construction and sale of a large number of flats and commercial space in open market to private people in this prime location of Delhi," Kejriwal had written in his letter to Baijal.

The official said the developer would earn a "profit of Rs 700 crore" through this and said that if handed over to the government, they would make more flats available to the public and save crores of rupees of public money.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A few years ago, my brother from New York phoned me on the morning of January the first -- but in America it was still December 31.

I told my kids: "Your uncle is calling from last year." Their eyes widened. I explained: "It sounds weird, but it's all to do with time zones."

When the phone rang an hour later, I answered it and told the kids: "It's your great-grandma. She's phoning from 1880." They nodded sagely and muttered: "Time zones."

I like to mess with children's heads. It is called "parenting" and doctors recommend it.

This memory was triggered by the latest news. A flight from New Zealand took off in 2018 and landed in Hawaii in 2017, US news outlets reported a few days ago. The aircraft started in a city where January 1, 2018, had started but finished its journey in a place where it was still December 31, 2017.

That made headlines in the West, but it's actually pretty unimpressive to travelers in Asia, who encounter ridiculous time zone issues all the time.

When you fly from Asia to North America you often land before you take off. The Nagoya to Hawaii flight lands 12 hours before it left, which I love, because you can legitimately eat six meals that day.

My advice is to talk to your smartphone assistant as you land in Hawaii.

Me: "So, Siri, what year is it?" Siri: "2017." Me: "But earlier you said it was 2018." Siri: "I don't like you; please send me back to the factory."

There used to be a famous road tunnel in Zunyi town in China's Guizhou province which sent you back in time. You drove into the tunnel at 4 pm. As you emerged, 400 metres later, the clock on your phone would say 3 pm. This was very useful when Guizhou residents were late for something -- they just zipped through the Zunyi tunnel and were suddenly 59 minutes early.

Technicians said this was caused by a malfunctioning transmission tower but I found explanations of wormholes and time warps more believable.

These days China spans five time zones but the leaders are so bossy they make everything run on Beijing time. If you live in the west of China, you can spring out of bed at the crack of dawn - which is 10.30 am. Sunset is just before midnight. This is astonishingly inconvenient for literally hundreds of millions of people, and Beijing rulers are deeply sympathetic ha ha ha ha yeah right.

Time zones are measured in how many hours they differ from GMT, which stands for Greenwich Mean Time, the part of the UK which apparently first emerged from the Big Bang. But India and Sri Lanka insist on being 30 minutes out of step with everyone else and Nepal goes in 15-minute time zone increments.

But get this. One summer I actually went to Greenwich and decided to reset my watch. I kid you not: The time in Greenwich was GMT plus one hour! That made no sense at all -- like everything else on this planet. So I suppose it fits in just fine.

Happy New Year to everyone, including the Siri in my phone, who is still in a sulk.

(Nury Vittachi is an Asia-based frequent traveller. Send ideas and comments via his Facebook page)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A giant tuna was sold on Friday for a whopping 36.45 million yen ($323,300) during this year's first tuna auction at the world famous Tsukiji fish market here.

The bluefin tuna, weighing 405 kg and sourced from Aomori prefecture, was bought at a per kilo price of 90,000 yen by Yukitaka Yamaguchi, an intermediary for the wholesale fish merchant firm Yamayuki, reports Efe news.

At a normal daily auction at Tsukiji market, a similar tuna would sell at less than 10,000 yen per kilo but the prices jump in the first sale of the year.

The all-time record stands at 155.4 million yen ($1.37 million), paid in 2013 by Kiyoshi Kimura, owner of a well known chain of sushi restaurants.

Kimura, who has made a habit of making the biggest bids in the New Year auction over the years, on Friday bought a bluefin tuna weighing 190 kg for 30.4 million yen, at a staggering 160,000 yen per kilo.

The auction on Friday would be the last New Year auction held on the current premises of Tsukiji market, which opened in 1935 in Chuo district on the banks of the Sumida river. It will be relocated to Toyosu, a nearby artificial island, on October 11.

The market's transfer was approved in 2001.
Taking note of the critical situation of women prisoners in the country, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD), in association with the National Commission for Women (NCW), is planning to introduce new jail reforms.

"There have been many disturbing reports on how women are treated inside jails. There is a strong need of an ombudsman so that they can complain," WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi said on Friday.

The Minister said NCW has prepared a proforma with the assistance of WCD which has been already circulated in 144 central jails across the country.

"Once we get the proforma, there will representatives from the NCW, a local NGO and even state women commission representative for assistance. We had earlier given many recommendations for improvement but, unfortunately, these were never considered seriously. This time, we will get it implemented then and there," acting NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma said.

The WCD Minister further added that most of the jails were over-crowded and women inmates were often deprived of basic needs like medical facilities, sanitary napkins, education facilities and even legal awareness.

"We are also planning to approach the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in order to start some skill-oriented training programmes inside jails," Gandhi said.

The WCD ministry has also approached the National Law University, Delhi, to prepare a prison manual for women inmates.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India Inc expects the country's 2017-18 economic growth to be above the 6.5 per cent-mark due to a favourable base effect.

Its reactions came after the estimate of national income for 2017-18, released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), showed that implementation of GST and subsequent slowdown in the manufacturing sector was expected to drag down the country's growth rate to 6.5 per cent from 7.1 per cent achieved in 2016-17.

"While this gives the impression of a downturn, in reality, growth has bottomed out in the first quarter of the current year and is now on a recovery. It is possible that this number will be revised up once more data is available for the third and fourth quarter of the year," said CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee.

"It is heartening that gross fixed capital formation is on a recovery path, as a turnaround in investments is imperative for a sustained recovery to take hold."

According to Aditi Nayar, Principal Economist at ICRA: "The advance estimates for the full year have been based on limited data, which would be available for a period of 6-9 months for different sectors.

"Therefore, they are not fully factoring in the expected pickup in growth in the later months of FY2018, related to a favourable base effect and a 'catch up' following the subdued growth momentum in H1 FY2018."

"Accordingly, the advance estimates for GDP and GVA growth appear to be understating economic expansion for FY2018, in our view."

The data disclosed that sectors like 'public administration, defence and other services', 'Trade, hotels, transport, communication and services related to broadcasting', 'electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services' and 'financial, real estate and professional services' registered a growth rate of over 7 per cent.

On the other hand, growth in the 'agriculture, forestry and fishing', 'mining and quarrying', 'manufacturing' and 'construction' sectors "is estimated to be 2.1 per cent (from 4.9 per cent), 2.9 per cent (from 1.8 per cent), 4.6 per cent (from 7.9 per cent) and 3.6 per cent (from 1.7 per cent)", respectively.

The CSO used the first seven-month data of 2017-18 to extrapolate figures for the full fiscal.

"Since these estimates are based on data till November 2017, it has not captured the latest up-tick in the vehicle sales and the improvement in the steel and cement sectors; we expect the final numbers to be revised upwards as and when they happen," said Arun Thukral, Managing Director and CEO, Axis Securities.

"Given the tepid growth estimates from agriculture, it gives us a feeling that the budget 2018 will have a higher focus on agriculture and rural economy. And as the estimates are missing the RBI expectations, the central bank is likely to pause in its next policy meeting in February 2018."

Anis Chakravarty, Lead Economist, Deloitte, said the estimate for yearly GDP showed that the growth momentum was expected to improve in the coming quarters in line with expectations and signals from leading indicators.

"As such, for a broad based recovery the rural economy needs to recover and we can expect the upcoming budget to focus on alleviating some of the stress in the rural economy and concentrating on measures to augment the flow of credit in the economy," said Chakravarty.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India and Indonesia on Friday "unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms" while agreeing to work together to harness the potential of the Indo-Pacific region.

"We unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms, irrespective of its motivation and origin," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said while addressing the media after the fifth Joint Commission meeting of the two countries which she co-chaired with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi here.

"We expressed our strong opposition to any selective approaches to deal with this global menace, and called upon all countries to stop providing state sponsorship of terrorism and prevent their territories being used for establishing terrorist safe havens," she said in a veiled reference to Pakistan.

She said that during Friday's discussions, "there was clear recognition that India and Indonesia, as two close maritime neighbours, are natural partners in peace and prosperity".

"We are two major countries in the Indo-Pacific region. This region is among the most dynamic regions in the world. We agreed to develop synergetic relationship to harness the potential of Indo-Pacific region and to meet the challenges that the region faces."

This assumes significance given China's aggression in the South China Sea and its increasing influence in the Indian Ocean region.

Sushma Swaraj said that Indonesia, as one of the largest countries with a diverse democracy, and the biggest economy in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region "has a critical role to play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region".

India has been increasing its engagements with the 10-nation Asean regional bloc under New Delhi's Act East Policy.

As the biggest country in the Asean region with the largest economy, Indonesia is an important partner for India, including in trade and strategic matters.

Stating that the Indonesian Foreign Minister conveyed her country's determination to play its part and make due contributions to the ongoing efforts to strengthen rule and respect of law, Sushma Swaraj said: "I welcomed it and conveyed India's commitment for peace, security and development in the region."

She also said that both sides agreed to enhance consultations and cooperation on maritime issues including on United Nations Convention on the law of the Sea (Unclos) with a view to strengthen rule of law and to ensure the freedom of navigation and safety of sea lanes of communication.

Stating that Marsudi expressed her appreciation over the increase of Indian tourists to Indonesia, the Indian minister said that both sides agreed to expand civil aviation links to further enhance bilateral economic and tourism ties.

Sushma Swaraj said that she expressed the importance of addressing the high trade deficit that India has with Indonesia and thet she conveyed that the best way to address this issue is not to restrict trade but to increase it.

India-Indonesia bilateral trade has increased from $4.3 billion in 2005-06 to $ 17 billion in 2016-17.

"We agreed to work together for a balanced and sustainable trade by providing greater market access, both in goods and services," Sushma Swaraj said in her address.

She said both sides also discussed the increasing demand for skill development "in both our countries given that we have a large proportion of young population".

"I conveyed that India will continue its skill development assistance in the form of short term training program and scholarships."

Sushma Swaraj also expressed her appreciation that Indonesian President Joko Widodo has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation to join the Special Commemorative Summit to be hosted by New Delhi on January 25 to mark the 25th anniversary of the India-Asean Dialogue Partnership.

Leaders of all 10 Asean nations are expected to participate in the Summit and together attend this year's Republic Day celebrations the next day.

Earlier on Thursday, Sushma Swaraj arrived here from Thailand on the second leg of her three-nation tour to southeast Asia.

Prior to participating in the Joint Commission meeting, she called on Indonesian Vice President Muhammad Jusuf and engaged in discussion on "strengthening our strategic partnership", according to External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

On Saturday, Sushma Swaraj and Marsudi will jointly inaugurate the Asean-India Think Tanks Forum before the Indian minister leaves for Singapore on the third and last leg of her tour.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 60-year-old Skaneateles woman was fined $1,500 after illegally burning tires and other debris in the town.

Melody L. Smith, of Vinegar Hill Road, was convicted of unlawful disposal of solid waste on Dec. 6 in Skaneateles Town Court.

According to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the offense stems from an Oct. 21 tire fire that DEC officers responded to via the request of New York State Police and the Mottville Fire Company. Officers Don Damrath and Dan Plows observed approximately 50 smoldering tires, construction and demolition debris and other non-exempt waste at the bottom of a well-used burn pit at 4876 Vinegar Hill Road.

Following an investigation, the DEC said Smith was ticketed for unlawful open burn, a misdemeanor, and two violations  unlawful disposal of solid waste and unlawful disposal of regulated waste.

Smith was convicted of unlawful disposal of solid waste in satisfaction of all the charges. Smith was fined $1,500 plus a $90 court surcharge.
India and Indonesia discussed bilateral ties across multiple sectors during the fifth Joint Commission meeting co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi here on Friday.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted that both the leaders "reviewed trade, energy ties, defence cooperation and people-to-people links".

Earlier in the day, Sushma Swaraj arrived here from Thailand on the second leg of her three-nation tour that will also see her going to Singapore.

The visit assumes significance given India's increasing engagements with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) bloc under New Delhi's Act East Policy.

New Delhi will host a commemorative summit on January to mark the 25th anniversary of the Dialogue Partnership between India and Asean in which all the leaders of the 10 Asean nations are expected to participate.

The next day, in a unique first, all leaders will collectively attend this year's Republic Day celebrations as chief guests.

As the biggest country in the Asean region with the largest economy, Indonesia is an important partner for India, including in trade and strategic matters.

In recent times, there have been intensive engagements between the two countries bilaterally as well as plurilaterally.

Prior to participating in the Joint Commission meeting, Sushma Swaraj called on Indonesian Vice President Muhammad Jusuf and engaged in discussion on "strengthening our strategic partnership", according to Kumar.

The Indian Minister will leave for Singapore on Saturday where she will inaugurate this year's Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on Sunday.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 34-year-old Indian man has been arrested in the US for an alleged sexual assault on a woman passenger who fell asleep next to him on a flight.

The man, Prabhu Ramamoorthy, was accused of abusing a 22-year-old woman seated by the window next to him while his wife was on his other side on a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Detroit early on January 3.

Ramamoorthy, who prosecutors said was an Indian national living in the US on a temporary visa, was charged with aggravated sexual abuse and held without bail after an appearance in federal court in Michigan on Thursday, the Washington Post reported.

The victim told investigators that she woke up to discover the fellow passenger shoving his fingers inside her pants and "vigorously moving them", according to a federal criminal complaint. She said her shirt was also "unbuttoned".

Federal prosecutor Amanda Jawad said Ramamoorthy stopped after the victim opened her eyes and then the shaken woman immediately alerted flight attendants.

Two flight attendants told investigators that the victim was crying and that her shirt was untied and pants were unbuttoned when she reported the incident, 40 minutes before the plane's landing, Jawad said.

The woman was offered a different seat and Ramamoorthy was arrested after the plane landed, the court documents stated.

According to the prosecutor, Ramamoorthy said in a written statement that he had taken a pill and fallen into deep sleep. He said he hadn't done anything besides learning from his wife that "the woman was sleeping on his knees".

His wife told officials a similar version and said that they had called the flight attendants to try to change seats. But the prosecutor said that "flight attendants did not report that anyone asked them to change seats other than the victim".

According to a news report, Ramamoorthy later altered his story and told an FBI agent that he might have unclasped the sleeping woman's bra "while playing with it".

The court filing stated that Ramamoorthy also admitted that he "unzipped the woman's pants part-way and put his finger inside".

Prosecutor Jawad said Ramamoorthy gave "conflicting reports" about what happened with the victim. Magistrate Judge R. Steven Whalen ordered Ramamoorthy to be held pending trial.

Stephen Schuler, a spokesman for Spirit, said it was cooperating with law enforcement on the incident.

Ramamoorthy made a request to contact the Indian consulate regarding his case.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iran and Pakistan held talks on defence cooperation following US President Donald Trump's Twitter spree voicing support for the anti-government riots in Tehran and lashing out at Islamabad for supporting terrorists.

Iranian Defence Minister Brigadier General Ali Hatami hailed growing cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad in a telephone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Khurram Dastgir-Khan on Thursday, Press TV reported on Friday.

"The latest developments in the region and in the Islamic world necessitate more interactions among officials of Iran and Pakistan, as two major countries in the Muslim world," Hatami said.

"The Americans always blame the others over their own failures in different parts of the world and they pursue the strategy of the Zionist regime (of Israel) to destabilize the region.

Hatami blamed the "evil and stupid policies of the US" as the root cause of deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and the deaths of innocent civilians in Yemen, Iraq and Syria.

"Iran and Pakistan should utilize such capacity to enhance their economic growth and security, said Hatami, pointing to the potentials for military cooperation between the two nations.

The Pakistani Defence Minister welcomed the promotion of military cooperation with Iran with regard to the regional issues. Dastgir-Khan also criticised Trump's tweets against Pakistan and underlined the importance of the Muslim nations' sovereign right to provide their own security.

Trump posted a series of tweets earlier this week, in which he voiced support for anti-government protestors in Iran and bashed Pakistan for lying and harbouring terrorists.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Shree Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena on Friday demanded a ban on "Padmavati" after slamming Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani and censor board chief Prasoon Joshi for allowing its release with a U/A certificate.

"I want to ask the central government what benefits will they get by supporting this movie? All the Hindu parties from whom we learnt about Hinduism are quiet on this film," Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, President of Karni Sena, told the media here.

"The central government is mum on this film as Viacom18 Motion Pictures, which is a foreign company, made it during the time of demonetisation. During a time when we were not able to get Rs 4,000, how come (Sanjay Leela) Bhansali managed to get 160 to 180 crore rupees."

"Bhansali has even got a certification from Britain through (David) Headley, who is currently in jail. I want to know why Bhansali has not been jailed? Why is he not being quizzed about (his) anti-national (activities)?"

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) last week announced its decision to grant the certification to the controversial Bhansali directorial -- subject to five modifications including a title change.

The decision was arrived at following a meeting in the presence of Joshi and a special panel comprising Arvind Singh from Udaipur, historian Chandramani Singh and Professor K.K. Singh of Jaipur University.

However, Gogamedi said: "After watching 'Padmavati', Arvind Singh and K.K. Singh said this film will ignite protests. Despite that, Prasoon Joshi has given the green light to the movie.

"If CBFC wanted to take a decision on their own, why they did they invite people from our community? We will soon protests against this movie and will burn effigies of Smriti Irani and Prasoon Joshi."

Joshi has said the special panel was only for an advisory purpose.

"Padmavati" was earlier slated for release on December 1 but it got caught up in a major row after leaders of the Rajput community claimed the film insulted their history. The makers are yet to make any announcement about the film.

The film features Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's personal challenge for 2018 is to "fix Facebook" when it comes to dealing with abuse and hate, fake news or interference by nation-states on the platform.

In a post late Thursday, Zuckerberg said the world feels anxious and divided and Facebook has a lot of work to do when it comes to protect its over 2 billion-strong community.

"My personal challenge for 2018 is to focus on fixing these important issues. We won't prevent all mistakes or abuse, but we currently make too many errors enforcing our policies and preventing misuse of our tools. If we're successful this year then we'll end 2018 on a much better trajectory," he posted.

Facebook last year told US lawmakers that 126 million of its users might have seen content produced and circulated by Russian operatives during the 2016 US election.

Facebook, along with Twitter, has also been warned of sanctions if it fails to provide all the necessary information to a British Parliamentary committee investigating Russian interference in the European Union referendum.

Facebook has time until January 18 to hand over information the committee has requested.

According to Zuckerberg, the current issues touch on questions of history, civics, political philosophy, media, government and technology.

"I'm looking forward to bringing groups of experts together to discuss and help work through these topics," he said.

The Facebook CEO also said he will "make sure that time spent on Facebook is time well spent".

Facebook recently introduced Messenger Kids for under-13 children to video chat and message with family and friends when they can't be together in person.

Joining the chorus against the messaging app exclusively for kids from Facebook, British Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned the social media giant to stay away from his children.

"Facebook told me they would come back with ideas to prevent underage use of their product, but instead they are actively targeting younger children.

"Stay away from my kids please Facebook and act responsibly!" Hunt tweeted.

Rolled out in the US for the moment, Messenger Kids is a stand-alone app that will be available on kids' tablets or smartphones but can be controlled from a parent's Facebook account.

"Not sure this is the right direction at all," Hunt tweeted.

Britain recently said it will set the minimum standards for the content for younger users that social media giants, including Facebook and Twitter, have on their platform.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gujarat Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani on Friday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi if Dalits in the country had a right to hold peaceful protest rallies and urged him to speak up on the violence against the community in the last three years.

"Dalits were attacked when they held peaceful rally in Bhima-Koregaon. Why is Modiji silent on violence against Dalits? He must clarify his stand," he said while addressing a press conference here.

The Gujarat MLA recalled instances of Dalit atrocities in the past three years such as the Rohith Vemula suicide case, thrashing of Dalit youths in Gujarat's Una, and Saharanpur caste clash.

"Modiji calls himself an Ambedkarite, a follower of (B.R.) Ambedkar. Then why has he not spoken a word in these cases yet. There has been no action either. Why are Dalits not safe?"

"Do Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party government have any commitment to the annihilation of caste, which was Ambedkar's ultimate goal," Mevani asked.

Rubbishing the charges of inflammatory and provocative speech at Bhima-Koregaon which allegedly triggered caste tension between Dalits and Marathas, he said filing of an FIR against him was "a childish move" to tarnish his image.

Mevani said he had neither visited the Koregaon-Bhima event site, where violence on January 1 left one person dead, nor made any inflammatory or provocative speech.

He said the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were threatened due to his growing popularity and were worried about 2019 elections.

Dalits would have to take to the streets if they were to fight fascist forces in the country to stop their exploitation, Mevani said, adding the Maharashtra government's decision to file cases against him may anger Dalits, leading to more violence.

He made an appeal to the Dalits to maintain peace. Mevani said he would hold a Yuva Hunkar rally in Delhi on January 9.

"After the rally, I will go to Prime Minister's Office with Manusmriti (the laws of Manu) in one hand and the Constitution (of India) in the other. We will ask Modiji 'what do you choose'," he said.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
NASA has announced that it would launch two missions to explore a little-understood area 96 km above Earth's surface.

The Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission will be launched aboard a commercial communications satellite in January 2018, and the designed spacecraft Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) will be launched later this year, the US space agency said on Thursday.

GOLD and ICON will team up to explore the ionosphere, a boundary area between Earth and the space where particles have been cooked into a sea of electrically-charged electrons and ions by the Sun's radiation, reports Xinhua news agency.

These layers of near-Earth space are increasingly becoming a part of human domain as it is home to radio signals used to guide airplanes, ships and Global Positioning System satellites.

NASA said the two missions were complementary. ICON in low-Earth orbit, at 560 km above Earth, flies through and just above the ionosphere, like a close-up camera.

GOLD runs in geostationary orbit over the Western Hemisphere, about 35,398 km above the planet's surface. It will build up a full-disk view of the ionosphere and the upper atmosphere beneath it every half hour.

The two missions can cooperate with each other when ICON passes through GOLD's field of view and each mission can get a snapshot of the same region. This overlap in their data makes it easier to identify what caused a certain change to the upper atmosphere at a given time, NASA said.

One of the missions' goals is to measure how upper atmosphere changes in response to hurricanes and geomagnetic storms.

"We used to think only solar wind could affect the ionosphere, and only the lower atmosphere was affected by terrestrial weather," said Doug Rowland, ICON mission scientist at NASA.

"But now we're going to get to see how that energy couples together."

The solar wind is the Sun's constant outflow of charged particles and magnetized material.

GOLD will also explore how the upper atmosphere reacts to geomagnetic storms, which are temporary disturbances of Earth's magnetic field set off by solar activity.

During night-time, GOLD will examine disruptions in the ionosphere, which are dense, unpredictable bubbles of charged gas that appear over the equator and tropics, sometimes interfering with radio communications.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Women are now eligible to serve in the Territorial Army as the Delhi High Court on Friday said that any provision of any Act that bars or discriminates women in the recruitment transgresses the fundamental rights of equality provided under the Constitution.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar gave the go ahead to recruitment of women in the TA, the second line of defence after the regular Army, saying the restriction is "neither reasonable nor rational".

"It is declared that 'any person' mentioned in section 6 of the Territorial Army Act, 1948 includes both males as well as females," said the court, adding that government has "failed to show any decision of policy, let alone binding policy, enabling them to deny opportunity to the women to serve in all units of the TA".

"No rationale has been offered to justify or sustain the action of the respondents (government) enforcing a bar against recruitment of women through their advertisements," said the order.

Quashing advertisements issued in the year 2015 and 2016 inviting application from men only for joining TA, the bench said: "The impugned advertisements to the extent they exclude women from appointment to the Territorial Army and the claimed policy in this regard are ultra vires of Articles 14, 15, 16 and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution of India and are hereby quashed."

It added that these advertisements imposing a blanket bar on appointment of women to both departmental and non-departmental battalions of the TA "without any credible, reasonable or compelling justification for imposing such restrictions".

TA comprises volunteers who get military training in order to be mobilised for the country's defence in case of an emergency.

It is part of the regular Indian army and its present declared role is to relieve the regular army from static duties and assist the civil administration in dealing with natural calamities and maintenance of essential services in situations when life of communities is affected or the security of the country is threatened as well as to provide units for the regular army as and when required.

The court's order came on a PIL filed by petitioner Kush Kalra, who alleged institutionalised discrimination against women for not being recruited in the TA.

Kalra had contended that the government has a duty to ensure that there is no discrimination practiced by anyone in the country and non-recruitment of female candidates who are gainfully employed is against the spirit of the Constitution.

The bench in its order also stated there is not an iota of empirical or statistical data or any scientific study or analysis produced by the government to justify such policy prohibiting recruitment of women as manifested by the impugned advertisement.

--IANS

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Director Paul King is amazed with the number of photographs actor Hugh Grant has of himself.

Grant has joined the cast of "Paddington 2" and plays a villain named Phoenix Buchanan who is self-obsessed and has hundreds of photographs of himself in his house.

"We needed a hundred pictures of Hugh. Hugh said he had a few and he came in the next day with various portraits and charcoal sketches of himself that had been given to him by fans," King said in a statement.

"Nobody has ever sent me a charcoal sketch of (himself) reclining on a couch semi-naked. But then, I'm not an international sex symbol," added the director.

On a lighter note, Grant said: "I thought everyone had head shots in their house. I may have a wallpaper too."

"Paddington", released in 2014, recreates the magic of British author Michael Bond's best-selling series of children's stories. It follows the comic misadventures of a young bear with a passion for all things British.

In "Paddington 2", the enthusiastic bear will be seen devoting himself to buying a present for his aunt Lucy's 100th birthday and tell a story on how he ends in prison for a crime he didn't commit.

Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin are returning as the lead cast of the film. Ben Whishaw is also returning as the voice of Paddington and Imelda Staunton as aunt Lucy.

The sequel to "Paddington", being brought to India by PVR Picture, will release in the country on January 12.

--IANS

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Film: "Pitch Perfect 3"



Director: Trish Sie



Cast: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Hana Mae Lee, Ester Dean, Alexis Knapp, Chrissie Fit, Kelley Jakle, Shelley Regner, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins, John Lithgow, DJ Khaled and Ruby Rose;



Rating: **

"Age wrinkles the body and quitting wrinkles the soul," enthusiastically blurted by one of the Bellas simply puts into perspective the continuation of this series.

Five years after its first appearance as a teen musical to impose its voice in the panorama of adolescent cinema, this series seems to lose its sheen.

In 2012, when "Pitch Perfect" was released, the Bellas, an-all female A Cappella (singing without instrumental accompaniment) group from Barden University in the US made its appearance in a singing competition, they were marvelled at and hence "Pitch Perfect 2" was an organic expectation.

"Pitch Perfect 2" was able to prolong the achievements of the first and give the team a new dimension by expanding their ambitions. But the third instalment, with its cardboard thin plot, seems like a lazy automation of sequels.

The film begins with an action-packed sequence on a yacht somewhere off the coast of France and then flashes back three weeks earlier to give us an insight into what led to that disastrous incident.

It is three years after their last performance. The Bellas have graduated university and moved on in the real world trying to find a foothold in various careers. So when Emily (Hailee Steinfeld), now a senior at Barden and leader of a group, invites the Bellas for a performance, they are all excited. But upon arriving at the event, they are told that the reunion wasn't for the Bellas to sing together, but to watch Emily perform with the new Bellas.

Disappointed at the turn of events, they realize that their lives are miserable without being part of the team. So when Aubrey (Anna Camp) tells them about the overseas, "four country-four days" performance accessed by her Army officer father, they agree to participate. On arriving at the venue, they realise that the performance in actuality is a competition where the winner gets to open for the renowned DJ Khaled.

The others in the competition are the all-female rock band Evermoist helmed by the striking Australian actress Ruby Rose, a western-country band and a hip-hop duo.

Between the musical numbers and romantic flirtations, the Bellas are forced to deal with Fat Amy's long estranged father (John Lithgow), whose desire to reconnect with his daughter has ulterior motives.

In general, the script by Kay Cannon and Mike White, tries to be very different, injecting family aspects, action sequences and in a military setting. They are all half-heartedly induced making the plot seem like too much of a departure from its predecessors.

The humour may appeal to the fans of this trilogy, but many of them are sadly just repeats from past films. The only saving grace is the performance of the cast and their group chemistry, despite the romance tracks being perfunctory.

Overall, despite its excellently performed and choreographed song-and-dance numbers and decent technical and production values, director Trish Sie, who in 2014 had given us "Step Up: All In", fails to impress us with this film.
A winter storm with Arctic air passing through Cayuga County and other parts of central New York Friday through Sunday is marking the coldest this winter, according to the National Weather Service. And the addition of heavy lake effect snow has led to treacherous driving.

Southern Cayuga, Onondaga and Madison counties south of the Thruway corridor were expected to get up to an inch of snow per hour throughout the evening Friday. Onondaga County issued a travel advisory Friday afternoon through 12 a.m. Saturday. The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office issued a travel advisory Thursday night cautioning drivers about hazardous conditions.

Cayuga County 911 Dispatch said on Friday that motorists were heeding travel warnings, keeping accidents to a minimum. Nearly two dozen schools across the county were closed Friday, in addition to about 10 businesses and organizations. Closures continued to be reported throughout the day.

Besides snowfall, blustery conditions and falling temperatures are keeping the region in a deep freeze.

The lowest wind chills were expected Friday night into Saturday morning, with NWS predicting temperatures 23 degrees below zero in Auburn on Saturday. Wind chill temperatures Friday were already below that prediction, reading 27 below zero as of 4:50 a.m. and -28 in Venice Center as of 5:35 a.m., according to the NWS out of Binghamton.

Without wind chill, Auburn's coldest temperature Friday was -3, with a high of 21. Frigid temperatures increase the risks of hypothermia and frostbite for those venturing outdoors.

More than 7 inches of snow fell in Auburn Thursday, with another 5 Friday morning. The National Weather Service reported that Sempronius got 3.5 inches. Onondaga County had a wider range of snowfall totals, with Camillus reporting the highest at 14 inches.

Southern Cayuga, Tompkins, Seneca, Madison, Southern Oneida and Cortland counties are under a wind chill warning until 7 a.m. Sunday, and a winter weather advisory until 6 p.m. Saturday.

Northern Cayuga County has both a lake effect snow warning and a wind chill warning until 7 a.m. Sunday. Wind chills are expected to be between 10- and 30-degrees below zero with snow accumulations of 5 to 9 inches. Northern Cayuga County is expected to get between 18 and 24 inches of snow by 7 a.m. Saturday. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. Onondaga County is also in a lake effect snow warning until 6 p.m. Saturday and a wind chill warning until 7 a.m. Sunday.
Samsung India is set to refresh its Galaxy "On" series in India with the launch of "Galaxy On7 Prime" in the second week of January, exclusively on Amazon.in.

Industry sources told IANS that the smartphone will come with a 13MP front and 13MP primary camera with an aperture of f/1.9.

The device will sport a 5.5-inch full-HD display and an 8-mm metal unibody design, the sources added.

"Galaxy On7 Prime" will be priced at around Rs 15,000 -- a key mid-price segment in the highly-competitive Indian market.

The new smartphone will be available in two versions -- 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage and 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage.

Samsung India had launched "Galaxy On Max" for Rs 16,900 in the country in 2017.

With the new "Galaxy On7 Prime", Samsung will look to strengthen its mid-range segment where it has witnessed strong competition from Chinese brands.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court on Friday said it was not a "super guardian" as it allowed a woman, who is legally an adult, to stay with her father in Kuwait and pursue her career, rejecting the mother's plea that she was in his illegal custody.

"The daughter is entitled to enjoy her freedom as the law permits and the court should not assume the role of a super guardian being moved by any kind of sentiment of the mother or the egotism of the father. We say so without any reservation," said the bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud.

"It needs no special emphasis to state that attaining the age of majority in an individual's life has its own significance. She/he is entitled to make her/his choice. The courts cannot, as long as the choice remains, assume the role of parens patriae," said the order pronounced by Chief Justice Misra.

The court order came after the woman, who became an adult on September 19, 2016, told the court that she was pursuing graduation from the Indira Gandhi National Open University and doing an internship in Huawei Technologies Kuwait Co. W.L.L. and wanted to go back to Kuwait to pursue her career.

She conveyed her choice in person as the court, in its earlier order, had asked her to be present in person.

The court was hearing a plea by Soni Gerry, the woman's mother, who had alleged that her daughter was in illegal custody of her (Soni Gerry's) husband Gerry Douglas.

The court did not accept the contention of the lawyer appearing for the mother that the woman's "opinion was not an informed one as she has been pressurised by the father".

"In such a situation, we are of the considered opinion that as a major, she is entitled to exercise her choice and freedom, and the court cannot get into the aspect whether she has been forced by the father or not," the court said.

"There may be ample reasons on her behalf to go back to her father in Kuwait, but we are not concerned with her reasons. What she has stated before the court, that alone matters and that is the heart of the reasoning for this court, which keeps all controversies at bay," the court said.

The court directed the husband to pay Rs 50,000 to Soni Gerry when their son comes to Kerala, where she lives, to spend his summer vacation with his mother. The son studies in Kuwait.

Earlier, the Kerala High Court had rejected Soni Gerry's habeas corpus plea, holding that daughter has attained 18 years of age in 2016.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Six persons were arrested on Friday in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district for allegedly faking Army documents to obtain mobile phone SIM cards, police said.

The arrested persons were working as overground module of militants, a police officer said.

Acting on inputs provided by the Military Intelligence, the six were taken into custody for faking the Army documents using forged stamps.

--IANS

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A former US Marine suspected of plotting a Christmas holiday terror attack on a popular San Francisco tourist destination was indicted by a grand jury, the media reported.

Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, of Modesto, California, was indicted on Thursday on one count each of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation and distribution of information relating to destructive devices, reports CNN.

Jameson said he wanted to use pipe bombs to "funnel people into an area in order to shoot them" at Pier 39, according to the federal indictment. He was arrested on December 22.

Jameson was mentally ill and did not have the means to carry out the attack, said public defender Charles Lee.

According to court documents, Jameson said Christmas Day "was the perfect day to commit the attack", which would be styled after the October 31, 2017 attack in New York city in which a man killed eight people when he drove a truck down a bike lane.

He expressed loyalty to the Islamic State terror group and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and offered to donate money and contribute his firearms skills.

Jameson is being held in the Fresno county jail without bail pending his trial.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a strong attack on the Maharashtra government, Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar on Friday said if it does not act against those guilty of the Pune violence, "no one will be able to stop Hafiz Saeeds from being born among the Hindus".

"If you want to stop this, then act against those guilty of the violence," he said at a rally of opposition parties called by the Akhil Bharatiya Mahatma Phule Samta Parishad here.

Ambedkar, who is the grandson of Indian Constitution's architect B.R. Ambedkar and had called Wednesday's Maharashtra shutdown against caste violence on January 1, accused the Maharashtra Police of tormenting the victims instead of acting against the perpetrators of the violence.

He alleged this was being done at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's behest. Calling for a social democracy, he asked all deprived and backward sections to unite for securing their rights.

Expelled Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav, who also attended the rally, said the condition of the country was alarming and urged the low caste to unitedly take on the fundamentalists.

"The question is aren't low castes Hindu too? Why should Hindu fundamentalists attack them," he asked, adding that when the regime supports the guilty, who can hold them accountable.

"That is why I say the situation in the country is alarming."

Many other opposition leaders, including Congress state President Arun Yadav, were at the rally.

On January 1, violence erupted between two groups in Bhima-Koregaon of Pune during the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Anglo-Maratha War of 1818. A youth was killed in the riots.

--IANS

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Highlighting on bilateral co-operation to promote and foster trade and multilateral relations between Canada and India, its envoy to India said trade between the two countries was up by 30 per cent.

High Commissioner Nadir Patel was speaking at an event where an MoU was signed between the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Indo Canadian Business Chamber (ICBC) in order to further enhance bilateral co-operation to promote and foster trade and multilateral relations.

Patel said that bilateral relation is booming with two-way trade up by 30 per cent.

Canadian investment in India has also exceeded by $15 billion. While there are about 400 active Canadian companies in India, many more have serious plans of investing in India, he said.

While three non-stop flights are already plying between India and Canada, there has been a major boost to tourism and educational ties between the two countries, he said.

Patel also indicated that West Bengal has enormous potential for Canadian companies who are already operating in India and also for such companies who would like to set up base in India.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With the Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die on Friday, the controversial triple talaq bill was pushed to the budget session that begins on January 29.

Government sources ruled out any possibility of an ordinance on the bill, stuck in the Rajya Sabha.

The bill, already cleared by the Lok Sabha, could not be passed in the upper house due to a deadlock over opposition's demand seeking its reference to a Select Committee for close scrutiny.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said he hoped that the Congress and other opposition parties would agree on passing the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights in Marriage) Bill, 2017. The legislation proposes to criminalise instant triple talaq and suggests up to three years in jail as punishment for a Muslim husband who divorces his wife by uttering "talaq" thrice.

Asked about a possibility of bringing in an ordinance till the bill cleared, Ananth Kumar parried a direct reply and said: "The dates for the budget session have already been announced.

"We hope the Congress will understand the public opinion on the issue, reconsider their stand and pass it in the budget session. There is anger among people on this issue."

The minister slammed the Congress for stalling the bill. He said they were against the empowerment of Muslim women in India.

He said the government was committed to passing the legislation, also opposed by various Muslim groups.

"The intention of the (Narendra) Modi government is clear. We want equality and respect for the Muslim women, and the Congress is opposing it. They have just shown their double standard.

--IANS

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US President Donald Trump on Thursday demanded publisher immediately stop release of a forthcoming controversial book about his administration, one day after he lambasted former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon over book quotes.

In a letter sent to publisher Steve Rubin and author Michael Wolff by Trump's legal team, the president also demanded "a full and complete retraction and apology", Xinhua news agency reported.

"(Mr.) Trump hereby demands that you immediately cease and desist from any further publication, release or dissemination of the book," attorney Charles J. Harder wrote in the letter obtained by US local media outlets.

Harder requested the publisher send him a full copy of the book. Meanwhile, he argued in the letter that the book includes "false/baseless statements" which could be "defamation by libel."

The cease and desist letter came one day after The Guardian newspaper revealed that Bannon, quoted from excerpts of the book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," described the 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between a Russian lawyer and Trump's son and son-in-law as "treasonous" and " unpatriotic."

"Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind," Trump was quoted as saying.

Later on Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders fiercely slapped Wolff's book, accusing it is "filled with false and misleading accounts."

She also said the president felt "furious" and" disgusted" about Bannon's comments in the book.

The book is set to be published on January 9.

--IANS

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Two Hindu grain traders were shot dead by robbers in Sindh province of Pakistan on Friday.

The victims were brothers and identified as Dileep Kumar and Chandar Maheshwari. The incident took place when they opened their shop in the grain market in Tharparkar district, the Express Tribune reported.

According to the police, the robbers came on a bike and tried to snatch the money from the brothers. When they resisted, the robbers shot them dead.

"Thar is the only peaceful place in Pakistan where no theft and dacoit incident take place. This is first such incident," the daily quoted a resident as saying.

Traders shut their business in the Hindu-dominated areas in the district in protest. People blocked all main roads and staged sit-ins, the daily said.

--IANS

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The Uttar Pradesh government is expecting to sign MoUs worth Rs 1 lakh crore for investments during the upcoming investors' summit scheduled to be held in February, an official said here on Friday.

"The MoUs worth Rs one lakh crore of investments are expected to be signed during the summit," state Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey told reporters here after a road show for the investors' summit, organised in association with CII.

He said the state has come out with an overall industrial policy and 14 sectoral policies including in textiles, civil aviation, IT, MSMEs, food processing and among others.

"There are some futuristic policies that are coming in the next 15 days and these policies will be in the areas of electric vehicle, logistic and warehousing, defence manufacturing and pharmaceuticals sector," he said.

The state will shortly unveil electronic clearance system which would not require any human interface and the system will be up and running before the summit, Pandey said while addressing the potential investors in the road show here.

State Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahana said he has planned to organise a global road show after the summit which will be held in Lucknow from February 21-22 and be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The state agencies has land banks of 10,000 acres which are ready for giving possession to industries, Pandey said, adding the state has come out with a policy for "private land banks" because somebody might find it cheaper to buy land in comparison to acquiring land and giving compensation.

Inviting investors to join the summit, Mahana said the state has large chunks of land for big industries.

"We have large chunks of land and particularly in the side of the Yamuna Expressway we have the biggest chunk of land. We are in process to acquire or purchase land on both sides of express highways on mutual understanding," he said.

Pandey said the state officials met industrialists from Kolkata and got positive response from them.

"Companies like ITC have expressed interest in setting up a food park and solar park in the state. Srei group has expressed its desire to invest in urban infrastructure," he said.

According to a statement, industrialists at the Kolkata road show have expressed intention of investing Rs 35,000 crore.

"Srei Infrastructure Finance will invest Rs 25,000 crore in UP in next two years. The company evinced its interest in up-gradation of urban infrastructure and road construction on BOT basis.

"Similarly, Rs 2,000 crore will be invested in setting up of mega solar plant in Bundelkhand in next two years. Besides, the Century Ply will invest Rs 600 crore in the state," it said, adding that Kolkata-based industrialist Harshvardhan Neotia showed interest in constructing a hotel in Varanasi.

The state government had organised four road shows in Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad to attract investments and after the one in Kolkata, another road show would be held in Ahmedabad.

The state is focusing on logistics sector as the dedicated freight corridors -- the Western Corridor running between Delhi-Mumbai and Eastern Corridor from Amritsar to Kolkata -- lie in Uttar Pradesh.

"We are planning to develop a number of industrial integrated townships across the highways and these could be linked to these highways," Pandey added.

As many as 15 airports are being developed in the state and under the regional air connectivity scheme, the state has guaranteed viability gap funding to the airlines for running flights in these routes, he said.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Rochester man facing two grand larceny charges in Orleans County now has another from Cayuga County to add to the list.

The Auburn Police Department said 40-year-old Adrian R. Taylor Sr., of 480 Upper Falls Blvd., was wanted on an arrest warrant for stealing 41 items in February last year from Walmart on Grant Avenue in Auburn. Police could not provide details of what items were stolen, but they said it was in excess of $3,000.

Taylor is currently an inmate in Orleans County Jail in connection with two third-degree grand larceny charges in that county. Auburn police arrested Taylor Jan. 4 on the same charge for Cayuga County. Third-degree grand larceny is a class D felony.

He was remanded back to Orleans County Jail. The jail confirmed Friday that he is still an inmate there.
The US Treasury Department has announced sanctions against five Iranian entities.

The Treasury Department said late Thursday the five Iran-based entities were subordinate to a key element of Iran's ballistic missile programme and the US action targeted Tehran's "destabilising weapons systems", reports Xinhua news agency.

As a result, US citizens are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.

Foreign financial institutions that knowingly facilitate significant transactions for, or persons that provide material or certain other support to, the designated entities risk exposure to sanctions that could sever their access to the US financial system or block their property and property interests under the American jurisdiction.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the US will continue to counter Iran with "additional sanctions".

Last week, riots broke out in some Iranian cities in protest against price hikes and economic woes.

US President Donald Trump and a number of other American officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, have sided with the protesters.

Iran's Ambassador to the UN Gholamali Khoshroo on Wednesday slammed the US government's attempts to intervene in the domestic affairs of the Islamic Republic.

"The current US administration has crossed every limit in flouting rules and principles of international law governing the civilised conduct of international relations," Khoshroo said in a letter to the UN Security Council and to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Khoshroo added that Iran expects all states to condemn such dangerous statements and policies and urge the US government to act responsibly and adhere to principles of the UN Charter and international law.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A young couple who had secretly married but feared their families won't accept the relationship committed suicide here on Friday, police said.

The body of Ojas Tiwari, 22, was found on the terrace of Surajdeep complex while Kajal Pandey, 20, was found in a pool of blood in the ground floor parking lot after jumping from a five-storey building.

Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar said Pandey's uncle had lodged a complaint with police on Thursday midnight accusing Tiwari of eloping with Kajal.

Both were students and lived in the same locality in the old city area of Maqboolganj.

Police believe they had married secretly at a city court some time back but feared that their families would not accept the relationship.

A police officer told IANS that prima facie it appeared that the couple was in a death pact and there were no sign of any struggle or resistance.

A mobile phone without a SIM card was recovered from the crime scene.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rajya Sabha today expressed concern over the theft of luggage of two woman MPs while travelling in the first class of long-distance trains.

Raising the issue in Rajya Sabha, Jharna Das Baidya of the CPI(M) and Sarojini Hembram of the BJD separately said they lost their luggage while travelling in long-distance trains.

Baidya, who lost her belongings when travelling to Kolkata, wondered what the plight of the common man would be if even luggage of MPs is stolen.

Hembram lost her belongings from the first class compartment on a train from Shirdi to Bhubaneshwar.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said in Rajya Sabha that it has come to his notice that some gangs operate on trains but expressed helplessness to check the crime as thieves buy tickets and travel by trains to carry out the task.

Goyal said the government is planning to set up nearly two million CCTV cameras which will cover passenger trains, railway stations, railway offices and colonies in the country.

"We are trying to bring the entire rail network into a CCTV surveillance network. The feed of that will be given to the local police station. On trains we are planning CCTV cameras stream which will go to guard and the driver," he said, adding that cameras are now installed at 394 railway stations.

He also disclosed that there have been a total of 14,934 cases of theft of passenger belongings and 219 cases of drugging reported in 2016, including a maximum of 40 such cases reported in central railway.

He said this year there had been 19 cases of drugging in Northern Railway, 10 in North-Central, 23 incidents in North- Eastern Railway which were connected to Delhi.

Steps to prevent such acts are being taken with the help of Railway Protection Force and the Government Railway Police which is under states, he said.

Earlier, Trinamool Congress members and those from the CPI(M) also objected to the minister's remarks that if Biadya's luggage was stolen in West Bengal, one could understand the state of law of order in the state and would write to the state government to expedite her case.

In a written reply, the minister also disclosed that there were a total of 35 cases of dacoity, 413 robberies in 2016 reported in the Railways across the country.

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With the arrest of three men, police today claimed to have solved the case of gangrape of a 16-year-old girl in a park in northwest Delhi's Shalimar Bagh on December 16.

The three accused were identified as Shivprasad alias Babua (33), Arun Yadav (36) and Kamlesh alias Baba (28), Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Aslam Khan said.

Shivprasad is an auto driver, Arun Yadav is distributor of pesticides and Rajesh is a school dropout, she added.

The girl, who worked as a domestic help, was sitting in a park near Haiderpur slums with a male friend when the three accused picked up a fight with him.

She was raped after she tried to stop them from beating her friend. They also threatened her with dire consequences if she told anyone about the incident.

Earlier, the police were suspecting that the victim's friend might know the accused but it was found that this was not the case.

The incident had occurred on the fifth anniversary of the "Nirbhaya" case in which a physiotherapy student was gangraped in a moving bus, and dumped on the streets under the cover of darkness in south Delhi, sparking outrage at home and abroad, with many citizens taking to streets demanding proper security for women.

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Four transgenders were arrested today by the Delhi Police in connection with the murder of their 25-year-old roommate, whose body was dumped near a CNG pump in Rohini area in north Delhi.

According to the Delhi Police, the deceased was identified as Mohit. Mohit used to live with the transgenders.

A senior police officer said that murder charges have been slapped against the transgenders -- Kuldeep, Sandeep, Ajay and Anil, all residents of Delhi.

The senior police officer said the accused were apprehended on a tip-off.

During interrogation, they told police that Mohit had stolen some money from Kuldeep's house.

On December 15 last year, the accused took Mohit to Sandeep's house. Then, they beat Mohit to death.

The body remained in their house the next day and in the intervening night of December 16-17, they dumped it near the CNG pump in Rohini Sector-22.

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As many as 56 establishments, including showrooms of automobile majors, in south Delhi's Vasant Kunj were today sealed for "misuse" and "encroachment" of property, the area's civic body today said.

The action was taken on the instruction of a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee.

"As per the instructions of the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee, a massive sealing action was taken against 56 major establishments at Aruna Asif Ali Road, Vasat Kunj," the SDMC said in a statement.

Various hotels, showrooms of major global automobile brands, banquet halls, workshops, offices and other buildings were "sealed after the DDA officers present there verified the shops and establishments and confirmed the violations about misuse and encroachments," it said.

Meanwhile, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) also sealed 17 illegal shops in Karol Bagh. The civic body today also sealed "18 illegal meal shops", the statement said.

These shops were being run from many years. In addition to this, a diesel generator was also removed in order to curb pollution, it said.

"Besides, 1,000 shopkeepers in Karol Bagh Zone of the NDMC have been given show cause notices regarding encroachment outside their shops. If they do not remove it, strict action would be taken against them," the statement said.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) reacted strongly to the ongoing sealing drive alleging that the corporations are sealing properties in "utter violation" of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, which was passed by Parliament as a statutory Act.

"The CAIT is all set to submit an exhaustive charge sheet to Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Lt Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal to take action against erring officials," CAIT, Secretary General, Praveen Khandelwal said in a statement.

"The drive of sealing of commercial establishments in Delhi will destroy the distributive character of trade of Delhi and will put lakhs of traders and their employees out of job, if immediate steps are not taken by the MCD and both the central and the Delhi government to protect the traders," he said.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here.

According to sources in the state government, the chief minister apprised the prime minister of a proposed investors' meet being planned in Lucknow.

Functionaries in the UP government did not rule out that the two could have discussed campaigning by Adityanath in Karnataka and Tripura ahead of the assembly polls there this year.

The chief minister was in Varanasi yesterday to review the developmental projects in Modi's Lok Sabha constituency.

The Prime Minister's Office tweeted their photograph in which Adityanath was presenting Modi with a copy of the book 'Geeta Rahasya'.

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Bank officers' union AIBOC has questioned imposition of prompt corrective action (PCA) by the Reserve Bank on some public sector banks and said these lenders are already "feeling the heat".

"Banks which have been placed under restrictions by the RBI to improve their financials have already started feeling the heat, as their deposit growth has fallen below the industry average, indicating that wary customers are shunning such banks," All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) said in a statement.

Deposits of these six banks fell in June 2017 from March last year and saw further dip again in September after the RBI imposed PCA on them, it said.

Citing example, AIBOC said IDBI Bank's deposits fell 9.4 per cent while that of Dena Bank by 6.3 per cent and UCO Bank's deposits fell 3 per cent in the quarter ending June 2017 over March last year.

"But, it is not the customer alone which gave a panic reaction. The zonal manager of one of the banks proposed to suspend the salary of staff of 11 loss-making branches," it said.

It is also pertinent to note that most of the loans which have become NPAs are large advances, sanctioned at board level consisting of RBI representatives and members nominated by the government and the employees and officers of these banks had little to do in this regard.

"Further, the post of Officers' and Workmen's Director in the Banks' Board is also lying vacant for the last three years and the government seems to be in no mood to appoint them. Unfortunately, now, the burden of the NPAs is shifted on the banks and the staff has to suffer," it said.

Now, it said, the new strategy of the RBI is again emphasising to curb the recruitment in banks which will further aggravate the situation of man-power crisis in these banks hampering the customer service and all.

"This is really worrisome as far as these banks are concerned. Our Confederation condemns this step on the part of the government and the RBI and demands for its immediate reversal," it added.

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A controversial plan to expand public water service in Sennett has been shelved.

Sennett considered forming a new water district, Water District No. 8, for much for 2017. This project, which was officially discontinued in the fall, would have installed over 56,000 linear feet of waterline in the Mandy Rue area.

Town officials said that properties currently depending on wells, with historically low yields of poor quality water, would have gained public water access.

We want to be progressive in the town of Sennett, we want to offer our residents water, Town Supervisor Peter Adams said.

The effort marked the second such attempt by the town to create a water district in that area in less than a decade. This time around, the project's coverage area expanded from its first attempt back in 2010. When the project emerged again, people came to Adams requesting an expansion of the proposed district. One request came from a farmer who, Adams said, has to truck his water to his farm every day.

Increasing the coverage of proposed Water District No. 8 kept the project around the same initial cost, which Adams said was around $3.5 million.

Water District No. 8, however, was met with some resistance.

The administration tried to push it through with unpopular means, said Adam D'Amico, a Franklin Street Road resident who lives in the area targeted for the project.

Some residents were unhappy about the town's decision to secure property owners' approval for the project via a petition, which weighed signatures in accordance to property assessment. The more your property was worth, the more your signature was worth. In order to move forward with the project, the town needed signatures representing 51 percent of the total assessed value.

Unhappy about the town's petition method, especially since the cost of the project would have been split equally among all the affect property owners, some residents put signs in their yard saying Where's the vote? Vote by petition is unfair. Residents went door to door with a petition of their own, demanding a typical vote on the project, and it received more signatures than the water district petition in the town's office, D'Amico said.

They were very 'hush hush' about the whole thing, especially after receiving opposition, D'Amico added.

Earlier in the year, at a town board meeting when they announced the petition for the water district, Adams stood up and said 'we're going to give this two weeks', D'Amico said.

About a month later, residents received a postcard in the mail reminding them to go to the office to sign, or not sign, the petition.

We tried to be as open as possible, Adams said, mentioning that there were three public meetings held to discuss the project, with engineers explaining it all and handouts outlining the project and the cost, as well as the postcards. Adams added they were open for any questions or concerns from residents to be heard during the meetings, as well.

It needs to be democratic in my opinion, Adams said. It's not something I'm going to mandate; it's OK either way.

At the moment, the cost isn't what residents want to pay and that's fine, I'm OK with that.

Adams explained Sennett is still actively seeking outside funding for the creation of Water District No. 8, with the help of U.S. Rep. John Katko and state Sen. John DeFrancisco, and hopes they can get funding and come up with a new plan residents will be happy with. Sennett tried getting funding for the project in 2017, but the average income of residents was too high to qualify for a grant. If the average income was below $58,000, and if Sennett was not considered a middle/upper class income category in the region, they could have qualified for some funding or lower-rate federal loans, Adams explained.

Some important benefits to creating the water district would be more fire protection with the implementation of hydrants, more reliably safe water compared with wells and an increase in home resale value since properties with public water are more desirable, Adams said.

We didn't kill the project, we shelved the project, Adams said. We start over, we don't quit or give up.
Four people have been arrested in connection with the killing of an alleged cow smuggler, who was found dead near a railway track in Rajasthan's Alwar district in November, the police said today.

Dashrath Gurjar (24), Khushiram Gurjar (35), Rohtash Gurjar (24) and Bunty alias Surajbhan (50) have been arrested, Circle Officer, Alwar South, Anil Beniwal said.

The body of 35-year-old Umar Khan was found near a railway track on November 12 last year in the district's Rampur area.

With this, eight people have been arrested in the case, the police said.

Two country-made pistols were also seized from Bunty and Khushiram, Beniwal said.

Dashrath, Khushiram and Rohtash were arrested on January 3 while Surajbhan was arrested today. So far, eight people have been arrested in the case, he said.

Station House Officer, Govindgarh, Dara Singh said that they have been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rioting, murder and attempt to murder.

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BJP president Amit Shah met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat here today, the first between the two after the saffron party retained power in Gujarat and wrested Himachal Pradesh from the Congress.

What transpired at the meeting was, however, not immediately known.

The meeting took place this evening at the Madhav Seva Nyas Bhawan on the sidelines of a meeting of senior RSS functionaries, Sangh sources said.

Shah landed at the helipad here from Indore shortly after 5 pm and proceeded to meet Bhagwat, who is here for the RSS meeting, sources said.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was also present at the venue, they said.

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The government may impose anti-dumping duty for three years on a chemical mainly used in rubber industry and imported from China and Japan.

The duty was recommended by the commerce ministry's investigation arm DGAD that has concluded in its probe that 'Resorcinol' was exported by these two countries below its normal value which has resulted in dumping.

The domestic industry has suffered material injury due to the dumping of the product, the Directorate General of Antidumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) has said in a notification.

The duty, if imposed, would help in guarding domestic players from cheap imports from these countries.

While DGAD recommends the duty, finance ministry imposes the same.

The authority "recommends imposition of definitive anti- dumping duties on the imports" from China and Japan and the duty payable would be the difference between the landed value of the chemical and $5,461 per tonne.

Atul Ltd had filed an application before the DGAD for imposition of the levy.

As per the notification, imports of the chemical has increased to 3,343 tonne in 2015-16 from 2,470 tonne in 2012- 13.

It has also stated that the growth of the domestic industry cannot be termed as positive as profits as well as return on capital employed (ROCE) remained negative during 2015-16, the period of investigation, despite a significant increase in the demand.

Countries carry out anti-dumping probe to determine whether their domestic industries have been hurt because of a surge in cheap imports.

As a counter measure, they impose duties under the multilateral regime of WTO.

The duty is also aimed at ensuring fair trading practises and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers with regard to foreign producers and exporters.

India has already imposed anti-dumping duty on several products to check cheap imports from countries including China.

The country has imposed the duty on as many as 98 products, as on December 27 last year, imported from China.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has set a March 31 deadline for construction of toilets in every home in the state and threatened to sit on a dharna and hunger strike is the target was not achieved.

"I will sit on a silent dharna. I will also observe a day-long fast. At least then you (people) will show some pity (on me) and build toilets," Naidu said, terming sanitary latrine a fundamental and birthright.

He set March 31 as the deadline for all households in the state to have individual sanitary latrines (ISL) so as to make AP completely open defecation-free (ODF).

"My aim is to have a Swachh Andhra Pradesh, a healthy Andhra Pradesh. I have taken up this task as a spirited movement," the Chief Minister said, addressing a 'Janmabhoomi' meeting at Itchapuram, bordering Odisha, late last evening.

'Janmabhoomi' is a mass contact programme of the TDP- led government.

"If you don't build a toilet...if you don't have self- esteemI will come to your village. I will visit your house. I will spend day and night till you all build toilets and only then return to Amaravati (the state capital)," Naidu said, driving home the need for every household to have a lavatory.

"The states prestige is being lost and your health is getting affected (due to lack of ISL). Let us all think of a Swachh Andhra Pradesh," the Chief Minister said.

He exhorted people to undertake "aatmagourava deeksha" (resolve for self-respect) to achieve this.

Naidu said every caste and religion should propagate the need for toilets. "If the need for toilets is propagated in temples, churches and mosques, people's belief will increase. It will contribute to the success of the programme."



Of the 13 districts in the state, six had already achieved 100 per cent toilet construction, he said. "The other seven (four in Rayalaseema and three in north coastal Andhra) are yet to accomplish this."



Referring in particular to Srikakulam district, where he addressed the gathering, the Chief Minister said of the 4,09,204 households only 1,71,624 had toilets now.

"By March 31, I should not hear that there is any village or a house without a toilet. If there is no space for building ISL, community toilets should be built," the Chief Minister told the district collector.

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Senior officials of the US-based iPhone maker Apple today called upon Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu.

The meeting assumes significance as the technology giant is seeking concessions like duty exemptions to set up manufacturing unit in India.

"CIM @sureshpprabhu in meeting with Mr. Nick Amman, Director, Government Affairs and Ms. Priya Balasubramaniam, Global Vice President, Operations, Apple Inc,"



a tweet of the commerce minister said.

When contacted, Apple India spokesperson declined to comment on the meeting.

The company has sought concessions including duty exemption on manufacturing and repair units, components, capital equipment and consumables for smartphone manufacturing and service/repair for a period of 15 years.

It also wants reduction in customs duties on completely- knocked-down and semi-knocked-down units of devices that are to be assembled in the country.

In March, the then Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had informed the Rajya Sabha that the government had not accepted most of the demands of Apple.

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Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Governor Brig (Retd) B D Mishra today extended greetings to the people of the state on the occasion of Si-Donyi, a festival celebrated among the Tagin tribe for good harvest.

The governor, in his message, said that the festival, deeply rooted in the cultural ethos, plays a significant role in defining the strong bond between nature and people.

The fest, with its unique customs and traditions, brings the people of this community together, he said.

"With its religious, cultural and emotional importance, Si Donyi is the most important festival of the Tagin tribe. Blended with unique customs and traditions of the tribal communities, the festival is cherished by one and all," he said.

Khandu, in a message, said Arunachalees should take pride in their indigenous culture.

"Ours is a distinct state with several tribes and communities residing side by side for ages and maintaining their own unique indigenous culture and traditions," he said. This cultural mosaic has to be maintained, preserved and propagated at all costs, the CM said.

"I believe the Si-Donyi celebration would prove a major catalyst towards achieving this goal," Khandu added.

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Industry body ASSOCHAM has sought the government's intervention on Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) recommendation of shutting down all coal-based industrial units in Delhi-NCR for a fortnight from January 15 to contain air pollution during the upcoming ASEAN summit.

The ASEAN summit is scheduled to take place between January 19 and 30 in the national capital.

"While combating air pollution is important as it poses grave threat to human health, complying industrial units should not suffer because of administrative failure," the body said in a communication to Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan.

"It being the last quarter (January-March) of the ongoing financial year and the industry is required to meet production or sales targets committed to bankers or financial institutions, failure in doing so would cost them dearly," D S Rawat, secretary general of ASSOCHAM said.

Rawat said normalising operations would become very difficult if these industrial units are termed as non- performing assets (NPAs).

"Thus, the government must consider withdrawing CPCB recommendations for the benefit of industry," the ASSOCHAM secretary general said.

"The industry is not solely responsible for air pollution as construction activity, road dust, vehicular pollution, waste burning and other such factors are majorly responsible for deteriorating air quality, not just in Delhi-NCR but also in other urban centres across India," he said.

Expressing concern over the proposed shut down of industrial activity, ASSOCHAM in its communication said it would not only result in financial loss but will lead to unemployment and loss of productivity.

"The decision would hit livelihood of lakhs of labourers in Delhi-NCR thereby posing grave threats to industrial peace, law and order," it noted.

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PFRDA-run Atal Pension Yojana (APY) has reached a subscriber base of 80 lakh, an official statement said today.

"Now, the subscribers' base under the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) has reached more than 80 lakhs and growing at a good pace," the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority of India (PFRDA) said in a statement.

Uttar Pradesh is the highest contributing state at 11.41 lakh APY subscribers, followed by Bihar and Tamil Nadu at 8.87 lakh and 6.60 lakh respectively.

PFRDA said it has taken various initiatives for expansion of outreach and easing operations under APY such as account statement view and e-PRAN (permanent retirement account number) so that customers can easily access their accounts.

The authority said it is promoting digital initiatives for the convenience of subscribers and they can register for the scheme online as well to eliminate the need for furnishing physical documents.

APY became operational from June 1, 2015 and is available to all citizens of India in the age group of 18-40 years.

Under the scheme, a subscriber would receive a minimum guaranteed pension of Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 per month, depending on his contribution, from the age of 60 years.

APY follows the same investment pattern as applicable to the NPS contribution of central government employees.

"During the year 2016-17, it has earned a return of 13.91 per cent," PFRDA said.

PFRDA-managed NPS and APY schemes have a subscriber base of 1.91 crore (at the end of December 2017).

The overall assets under management (AUM) stands over Rs 2,17,000 crore.

"PFRDA's endeavour is to significantly scale up these segments during the ongoing months," it added.

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Bangladesh Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu has expressed hope that the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from his country to Myanmar will start "very soon".

Myanmar had in November last year agreed to take back tens of thousands of Rohingyas who fled to Bangladesh following a military crackdown.

"There is an agreement between the Myanmar and Bangladesh governments. We hope the repatriation will start very soon. Although there is no time frame but those who have recently crossed over to Bangladesh, they have been scrutinised and Myanmar has agreed to take them back," Inu told reporters here last night.

He lauded Bangladesh Prime minister Sheikh Hasina's leadership for the way it tackled the Rohingya crisis.

Any refugee crisis is a stress on the economy, but the Bangladesh government has passed the test, he said.

Over 6,00,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's violence-hit Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh since August 2017 when the military intensified crackdown on their alleged militant outfits.

Asked about the updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, Inu said there had been no incident of violence in bordering districts of Bangladesh which might have forced migration to India in the last 40 years.

"There has been no major incident of violence in the last 40 years that might have forced migration from bordering districts of Bangladesh to Assam or Tripura. Also, there are no family connections (relatives) in those areas," Inu said.

The NRC of 1951 is being updated in Assam under the supervision of the Supreme Court to identify original residents of the state in order to check illegal migration.

On the issue of terrorism, Inu said Bangladesh had adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and Dhaka would not allow its soil to be used for terror acts against any country.

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A four-day Bangladeshi Film Festival began in the city from today.

Altogether 24 Bangladeshi films are being screened at the state-run theatre Nandan for the festival, which will end on January 8, Bangladesh Information minister Hasanul Haq Inu told a press meet here.

The inaugural film was 'Bapjaner Bioscope', directed by Reazul Mawla Rezu. The film had won multiple awards in Bangladesh.

Some other Bangladeshi films to be screened are 'Guerrila', 'Aynabaji' and 'Amar Bondhu Rashed'.

Inu said to boost cultural ties and to cater to the large Bengali audience in West Bengal and Bangladesh he was hopeful about more joint film productions between the two countries for making content-rich films in future.

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Activists of the Bheem Army, a Dalit group, protested violence against members of their community in Maharashtra, at the collectorate here.

A large group of protesters staged a sit-in and raised slogans against the Maharashtra government here last evening. Led by their leader Vaibhav Bawra, they gave a memorandum, addressed to the president, to the district magistrate.

In the memorandum, they demanded that the Maharashtra government be removed over its failure to protect Dalits in the state.

Violence had erupted in Pune on January 1 when Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in which the British defeated the Peshwas of Maharashtra.

Dalit leaders commemorate the British victory, as it is believed that soldiers from the Mahar community were part of the East India Company's forces. The Peshwas were Brahmins, and the victory is seen as a symbol of assertiveness by Dalits.

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Pro-Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide, accused of instigating the violence against the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Bhima-Koregaon battle, today denied that he had any role in the episode.

The violence that occurred near the war memorial at Bhima-Koregaon in Pune district on January 1 had triggered a sharp reaction from Dalit organisations, which called for a shutdown in Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra.

Bhide, who heads the Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan outfit, said he was willing to face any inquiry in this regard.

"Order a judicial or a CBI probe. Appoint Lord Yama himself to head any machinery to probe the violence. I am prepared to face any probe. All allegations against me are baseless and the truth will come out after the probe," the octogenarian told reporters at Sangli in western Maharashtra where he had a considerable following.

On January 2, a day after the violent clashes, the Pune police had lodged a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Bhide and others.

Dalit leaders celebrate the victory of the forces of the East India Company over the Peshwa's army in the battle of Bhima-Koregaon in 1818 as the British forces also had Dalit Mahar soldiers in their ranks.

Some pro-Hindutva outfits had opposed the celebrations this year.

In a related development, the Cantonment police in Aurangabad, which had registered a case against Samast Hindu Aghadi leader Milind Ekbote and Bhide in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence, today transferred it to the Shikrapur police station in Pune district, where cases were already lodged against the two.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Vinayak Dhakne said as per the complainant, Jayashree Ingle, when she was visiting Bhima-Koregaon for paying obeisance at the war memorial, some 20-25 people hurled stones at the vehicle, in which she and her family were travelling.

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Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today accused the BJP of implementing the RSS' agenda and claimed that the "ultimate aim" of the saffron brigade was to amend the Constitution and allow a only single religion in the country.

He lashed out at the BJP-RSS for their alleged involvement in dividing the people of the country and called them "the agents of the devil".

Sangma claimed that the RSS had failed to include their single-religion ideology into the Constitution when it was framed because of the Congress and its leaders.

"So, to achieve their agenda, they even got Congress leaders eliminated," he alleged.

Stating that the RSS was trying to "eliminate the Congress, which is still there", Sangma said the "Congress- mukt Bharat" campaign of the BJP was aimed at preventing the party from coming in the way of fulfilling the agenda of the saffron brigade of amending the Constitution.

"They (BJP-RSS) have been trying to amend (the Constitution) for a long time...to make India a country of one religion. They have not been sleeping since 1947.

"The (aim of the) NDA is to implement the agenda of the BJP and that of the BJP is to implement the agenda of the RSS...Their ultimate aim is to amend the Constitution. They now need the numbers in the Rajya Sabha," the senior Congress leader said while addressing a party meeting, in which the newly-appointed Meghalaya PCC president took charge.

Keeping up his vitriolic attack, Sangma said, "It is the RSS which dictates, it is the RSS which decides. The prime minister does not have the power to decide on his own and even as regards who should be a minister...This is how this NDA government is working, that is why you see what you see."



He claimed that the country would "surely disintegrate" if the BJP was allowed to implement its programme.

"We have to fight against the agents of the devil. I am calling them agents of the devil because they want to divide the people, make them fight among themselves and kill each other," Sangma said, adding that the BJP and RSS were successful in engaging in these agendas because the people were not alert and were complacent.

He also alleged that the RSS had started dividing the Garo people of Meghalaya by saying that their culture and tradition were different from those of the Christians and that they were like the members of the organisation.

"But how is it that our people (Garos) are like them (RSS members)? We are tribals, we are non-vegetarian and our people eat everything that moves," he said, in an oblique reference to the BJP-ruled South Delhi Municipal Corporation's proposed ban on the display of non-vegetarian food outside eateries.

Sangma said he had to write to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh before Christmas, following requests by parents whose children were living in other parts of the country and allegedly facing threats.

The ruling Congress had to live up to its promises on the law-and-order front, which were made ahead of the 2013 state Assembly polls, the chief minister said and urged the people to remember the help they got from his government.

The Assembly election in Meghalaya is due this year.

Sangma also called on the pro-Inner Line Permit (ILP) activists in the state to protest against the BJP-RSS.

"The ILP-walas should first stop these people (RSS) from coming to the state because they are already making social and cultural invasions to divide our people and it is dangerous for us," he said.

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Threatening to launch a nationwide stir against BJP government, the Samjawadi Party accused the ruling party of unleashing atrocities on minorities, Dalits and other backward castes.

Senior SP leader and leader of Opposition in UP Assembly Ram Gobind Chaudhary alleged that the BJP, both in the Centre and Uttar Pradesh, are working at the behest of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

"Since the formation of BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh, atrocities have been unleashed on the minorities, Dalits and people hailing from other backward castes at the behest of RSS," Chaudhary said while speaking to the reporters here yesterday.

Alluding to the recent violence in Maharashtra, Chaudhary said the incident has exposed the "anti-Dalit face of BJP".

"The BJP, as a part of a strategy, is hell bent on decimating the the minorities, dalits and people hailing from the other backward castes.

"As soon as the UP government was formed, it started harassing the Muslims in garb of closure of the abattoirs," he said.

He also talked about the triple talaq bill, which he alleged is a legislation brought by the government to harass Muslim women.

"SP will fight against the repressive policies of the BJP government in a non-violent manner," the SP leader added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The CPI(M) today alleged that the BJP was misusing power and resorting to "dirty tricks" to destabilise the Tripura government, led by the Left party.

The charge comes a day after the saffron party urged the Election Commission (EC) to appoint the micro-observers in poll-bound Tripura from outside the state and deploy a maximum number of paramilitary forces, alleging that an atmosphere of fear was prevailing in the north-eastern state.

"The BJP-RSS is misusing power to destabilise the Tripura government through dirty tricks," CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat told PTI.

Tripura, she said, was a symbol of peace and harmony in a region which had a history of ethnic conflicts.

The CPI(M) government in Tripura had done better than the BJP-ruled states as far as the social and development indicators were concerned, Karat added.

"False charges, manufacturing lies and the abusive statements of BJP leaders will cost them heavily in the coming election (in Tripura), in which the Left Front will emerge even stronger," she claimed.

The BJP had yesterday said only those government officials should be deployed on poll duty in Tripura, who gave a declaration that they were not members of any political party or any trade union, affiliated to a political outfit.

"The micro-observers should be appointed from outside the state, because the CPI(M) has started giving membership to the state government employees. Polls cannot be held with the members of the Left party inside the booth," BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma had said in New Delhi.

"We also request the EC to deploy a maximum number of paramilitary forces in the state to ensure a free-and-fair election," he had said.

Sarma, a minister in the BJP government in Assam, is also the convener of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), a coalition of the BJP and regional parties from the north-east.

The CPI(M) has been ruling Tripura since 1993 and elections in the north-eastern state have traditionally been two-cornered contests between the Congress and the Left party.

The BJP's bid to emerge as a force to reckon with in the state got a boost last year with seven MLAs -- six from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and one from the Congress -- joining the saffron camp.

Sarma had also claimed that the BJP would sweep the Tripura polls, following which the number of CPI(M) members would be reduced to less than 10 in the 60-member Assembly.

The current term of the Tripura Assembly is scheduled to come to an end on March 6.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
National Award-winning director Suman Ghosh today said the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has agreed to release his documentary on Nobel laureate Amartya Sen in its entirety, including the four words that the board's regional office had objected to in July last year.

The hour-long documentary had courted controversy last year when the director refused to abide by CBFC Kolkata diktat of beeping the four words -- cow, Gujarat, Hindutva and Hindu.

"CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi watched 'The Argumentative Indian' in Mumbai yesterday along with other board members and gave his consent to the words.

"After seeing the film yesterday, Joshi held a discussion with me and said 'the film can be released without any cuts,'" Ghosh told PTI here.

The director further said she was hopeful of getting a written communication from the board soon on the matter.

The film, shot in two parts in 2002 and 2017, has Sen talking about the social choice theory, development economics, philosophy and the rise of right-wing nationalism across the world, including India.

"I am happy that the CBFC respects the freedom of expression in arts. Joshi told me he got to learn a lot about the Nobel laureate through my documentary," Ghosh said.

Sources in CBFC Kolkata said the issue was being handled by the chairman and that the regional office had no say in the matter now.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
National Award-winning filmmaker Suman Ghosh today said the censor board, in a letter, had sought the removal of the word "Gujarat" from his documentary on Nobel laureate Amartya Sen.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), however, had agreed to retain the other three words that its regional office had objected to in July last year, he added.

The four words CBFC Kolkata had objected to were -- Cow, Hindu, Hindutva and Gujarat.

Earlier in the day, Ghosh had told PTI that CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi had watched his hour-long documentary, "The Argumentative Indian", in Mumbai yesterday and claimed that he had given a "verbal assurance" that it would be cleared "without any cuts".

However, subsequently, the filmmaker said, "I received a formal letter from the CBFC this evening. It said the three words -- Cow, Hindu, Hindutva -- could be retained but 'Gujarat' needed to be removed."



The hour-long documentary had courted controversy last year when the director refused to abide by CBFC Kolkata's diktat of beeping the four words.

Asked if he would follow the CBFC direction and remove the word "Gujarat", Ghosh said, "I am happy with Joshi's response but I need to think about it. I will formally respond to the CBFC tomorrow."



The film, shot in two parts in 2002 and 2017, has Sen talking about the social choice theory, development economics, philosophy and the rise of right-wing nationalism across the world, including in India.

Sources in CBFC Kolkata said the issue was being handled by the chairman and that the regional office had no say in it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Clamping down on unfair trade practices in pharma business, the Competition Commission has imposed a total penalty of over Rs 12 lakh on two Gujarat- based chemists groupings.

The two associations are -- Chemists and Druggists Association of Baroda (CDAB) and Federation of Gujarat State Chemists and Druggists Association -- responsible for limiting and controlling the supply of drugs and medicines.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI), which has been making efforts to sensitise the public on unfair ways in the pharma industry, has also asked the two associations and their respective office bearers to cease and desist from indulging in anti-competitive practices.

In an order passed on January 4, the fair trade regulator found the CDAB and the Gujarat Federation to be in contravention of the provisions of the Competition Act.

Accordingly, it slapped a fine of Rs 1.08 lakh and Rs 11.11 lakh on the CDAB and the Federation of Gujarat State Chemists and Druggists Association, respectively, under the provisions of the Competition Act, 2002.

Besides, the CCI has levied a penalty of Rs 34,048 on CDAB president V T Shah and Rs 62,144 on Gujarat Federation president Jashvant Patel for their anti-competitive practices.

"Despite several orders of the Commission proscribing the anti-competitive practices of state and regional chemists and druggists associations in, inter alia, mandating NOC (No Objection Certificate) for appointment of stockists and demanding PIS (product information service) charges prior to launching of new drugs in the market, these associations are continuing to indulge in such practices," the regulator noted.

The Finance Ministry in a tweet said that the CCI will keep a close watch on all such entities.

"Given the widespread and continuing indulgence in the anti-competitive practices, the Competition Commission of India will be keeping a close watch on the conduct by all such entities in various parts of the country and would not hesitate to take action, wherever deemed necessary," the ministry tweeted.

"Considering larger public interest involved in the distribution of drugs/medicines, the Competition Commission deprecates such a conduct and its perpetration in any form by those responsible, be it associations, stockists/ distributor/wholesaler/retailer and pharmaceutical companies," it added.

The CCI's order has come following allegations by one Gujarat-based Reliance Agency that the associations were mandating the requirement of NOC prior to appointment of stockists by pharmaceutical companies.

The Commission held CDAB responsible for mandating the requirement of NOC prior to the appointment of stockists which resulted in limiting and controlling the supply of drugs and medicines in Vadodara.

Further, the regulator said that Gujarat Federation is carrying on the practice of NOC/approval required to be taken from it prior to the appointment of a new stockist by pharmaceutical companies, resulting in limiting and controlling the supply of products/medicines in Gujarat.

By indulging in such activities, the two associations have violated the provisions of the Competition Act, the Commission said in the order.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A new type of naval destroyer equipped with anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons is being built by China, state media reported today.

Workers are installing conduits and cables in the 10,000 -tonne vessel at Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) in Shanghai, state-run Xinhua reported.

It will be equipped with new air defence, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons, the report said.

Construction of the destroyer has focused on improving the ship's fighting capability, a military representative, Leng Jun, was quoted as saying in the report.

After soliciting opinions from military officers and soldiers, designers changed the original plan for helicopters on the warship, increasing the height of the cabins to improve the passing efficiency, a report by PLA Daily the official organ of the Chinese military said.

A new welding technique was explored and used in building the outer hull, which was made of a new type of material, the report said.

To provide a more comfortable environment for soldiers on the ship, workers used new materials to protect against shock and noise and increased ventilation equipment in the destroyer's living cabins.

The vessel will have to undergo planned testing, including equipment operation, berthing and sailing, before it is commissioned for use, it said.

China recently has assigned a major role for the navy over and above the army as it expanded its global influence.

It has commissioned one aircraft carrier and building two more.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China today tightened its export and import regime banning steel and other metal exports to North Korea and warned its citizens and firms of strict penalties for violating UN Security Council sanctions against Pyongyang.

China's ministry of commerce banned steel and other metal exports to North Korea and limited exports of crude oil and refined oil products.

The move, in line with the UN Security Council resolutions, will be effective from tomorrow.

China will halt exports of industrial machinery, certain vehicles, iron, steel and other metals to North Korea, the ministry said on its website.

Exports of crude oil will not exceed four million barrels (525,000 tonnes) during any 12-month period, and exports of refined oil products will cease when the total approaches a ceiling of 500,000 barrels.

The ministry will also ban imports of grain, farm produce, certain types of minerals, electric devices and other products from North Korea.

The decision came after the UNSC resolution 2397 to tighten sanctions against North Korea in response to its latest ballistic missile launch.

China also warned its citizens and firms of strict penalties if they engage in activities that violate UNSC resolutions amid allegations that some Chinese ships are stealthily supplying oil to North Korea.

"We have noticed the relevant reports," foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said here in response to media reports that few Chinese ships had changed their flag country and registration place, to conduct activities that ran counter to Security Council resolutions.

China would impose serious penalties on anyone that had been confirmed as violating Security Council resolutions, he said.

"China has always comprehensively and strictly implemented the UN Security Council resolutions and carried out its due international obligations," he said.

"The international shipping industry is open, and it is common for ships to change flag country, registration place or charter to other parties," Geng said.

China, a major supplier of oil to North Korea has put a squeeze on oil exports in recent months strictly observing UNSC resolutions as the US has ramped up pressure on Beijing to curtail energy supplies to force Pyongyang over its nuclear programme.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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The government on Friday said that the annual production target of state-owned CIL has been kept at 630 million tonnes (MT) for the upcoming financial year.

"As per Annual Plan proposal for 2018-19, the production target of CIL (Coal India) has been kept at 630 MT (million tonnes) with five per cent growth over the target of 2017-18," Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

Against the target of 408.6 MT, CIL produced 385.6 MT of coal till January 1 in the ongoing financial year, the minister said.

In the Annual Plan of CIL for 2017-18, the production target has been pegged at 600 million tonnes.

From the production level of 554 million tonnes in 2016- 17, the PSU has envisaged to enhance its coal output to one billion tonnes by FY'20.

CIL has identified mines with a production capacity of 908 million tonnes so far.

Considering the demand for coal from various segments, while finalising the Annual Plan of 2017-18, CIL was given the offtake target of 600 MT by the coal ministry.

"In the period April 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017, offtake of 421.41 MT(provisionally) has been achieved," the minister said.

In a bid to achieve the annual target, CIL is required to increase its daily production to more than two MT during the remaining day of the ongoing financial year.
Top police officers of the country will discuss issues such as cyber terrorism, impact of social media and radicalisation of youth at a three-day conference in Madhya Pradesh that will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval will also take part in the conference, to be held at the BSF academy in Tekanpur from tomorrow.

The meet would be attended by the officers of director general of police (DGP) and inspector general of police (IGP) ranks from all the states and central police organisations, a home ministry official said.

They would deliberate on cyber terrorism, the impact of social media on society, cross-border terrorism, radicalisation of youth, besides a host of other issues, he added.

While the prime minister was expected to speak on new-age crimes like cyber terrorism and radicalisation of youth, Singh would give an assessment of the internal security situation and Doval would talk about cross-border terrorism, the official said.

About 250 senior police officers are expected to attend the conclave, which will discuss issues such as the security situation in the major combat theatres of Jammu and Kashmir, Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and north-east.

Issues of curbing black money and narcotics in the wake of demonetisation were also expected to be on the agenda, the official said.

The implementation of decisions taken at the previous conferences will also be reviewed at the meeting.

The cancellation of licences of NGOs registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and others could also be on the agenda, the official added.

The conference of the DGPs and IGPs is an annual affair, where senior police officers of the states and Centre meet and discuss issues.

The Modi government has been organising the conference outside the national capital since it came to power in 2014.

The last three conferences were held in Guwahati, Rann of Kutch and Hyderabad.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A city court today cancelled the non-bailable warrant (NBW) against VHP leader Pravin Togadia in a 1996 attempt to murder and rioting case.

Metropolitan Magistrate J A Barot cancelled the NBW after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader appeared before it.

After coming out of the court, Togadia said there was a "conspiracy" to arrest him and "silence his voice" at a time when he was demanding enactment of laws for building a Ram Temple in Ayodhya and banning cow slaughter across the country.

The Magistrate had issued NBWs against Togadia and 37 others yesterday in the case after they failed to appear before him despite being summoned multiple times.

Babu Jamuna Patel, the BJP MLA from Daskroi in Ahmedabad district, was among those against whom NBWs were issued. He also appeared in the court which cancelled his NBW.

Togadia claimed he never received any summons from the court.

"This is a conspiracy to silence me when I am taking up important issues like pressing for a law for the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya when the BJP has a majority in the Lok Sabha, a law for banning cow slaughter, implementation of Uniform Civil Code and resettlement of displaced Kashmiri Pandits at their homes," he told reporters.

The VHP international working president said he had full faith in the court.

Togadia said he would reveal at an "appropriate time" who wanted to silence his voice.

Speaking about the more than two-decade old matter, Togadia said it was a political case, and claimed he was not involved in the incident.

"Why did I not receive any summons when the court has issued five summonses in my name so far?" Togadia sought to know.

The case pertains to a political event of the BJP at the Sardar Patel Stadium here on May 20, 1996.

At the event, the BJP's Atmaram Patel and several other leaders were attacked allegedly by supporters of former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel.

Atmaram Patel was considered close to Shankarsinh Vaghela, who had rebelled at that time after the first BJP government was installed in Gujarat in 1995.

The BJP had then made Keshubhai Patel the chief minister instead of Vaghela, who was also a strong contender for the post.

Atmaram Patel, then a minister, was stripped and attacked allegedly by Keshubhai Patel loyalists.

A complaint in this regard was lodged by Atmaram Patel with the Naranpura police station. Police had registered a case of attempt to murder and rioting against 38 people, including Togadia, who was present at the function.

The investigation was later handed over to the Ahmedabad City Detection of Crime Branch (DCB).

The court had issued several summonses in the case, but none of the accused responded after which it issued NBWs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The CPI today declined to comment on Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's statement on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un but said Pyongyang is facing threat from the US for the past few decades.

Vijayan, a veteran CPI-M leader, had lavished praise on the North Korean leader for taking on the US. The CPI is a junior ally in the CPI-M-led government in Kerala.

When asked about Vijayan's statement, Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy said there was no need to approve or disapprove it.

"I don't like to comment on Vijayan's statement. Why should I approve or disapprove (his statement)," Reddy told PTI.

"But what I feel is there is a lot of pressure by the US on North Korea. Unfortunately, by putting a lot of Army and South Korea (against the North), and continuously threatening for five-six decades...(by the US)...

"So, now, it's a life and death battle for them (North Korea). It's Americans who are responsible for this type of reactions from North Korean leaders," he said.

Addressing a CPI(M) district committee meet in Kozhikode on Wednesday, Vijayan had praised the North Korean leader for putting up a "tough" resistance against "imperialist" America better than the Communist-ruled China.

Vijayan had also said there was a general criticism that China's fight against imperialist forces was not living up to the expectations of people.

"North Korea has been adopting a tough anti-US stand. North Korea has successfully withstood the pressure exerted by the US," the Kerala Chief Minister had said.

Reddy, however, expressed the view that North Korea and China are in "different positions", hinting the resistance against America by the two countries cannot be compared.

"They (China) are not having that big pressure from America (compared to North Korea)," Reddy said, noting their "par" status being members of the UN Security Council.

"So, their (China's) case is different. North Korean case is a different type of thing.

"It is the Americans who should take the initiative to clear doubts that North Korea will not be attacked. (Then) these complications and this atmosphere (of hostility) can be reduced," he said.

Kim, in his New Year's Day address, said North Korea's nuclear weapons can reach anywhere in the US and threatened that he has a nuclear button on his desk.

Hitting back, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned that his "nuclear button" is "much bigger and more powerful" than the one controlled by Kim as the White House said it was keeping all its options on the table to curb Pyongyang's missile and atomic programmes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Credit Enhancement Fund, announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley last Budget, is expected to be operational by the end of this fiscal, a senior Finance Ministry official said.

The IIFCL-anchored fund will help raise credit rating of bonds floated by infrastructure companies and facilitate investments from long-term investors.

"To ease flow of institutional credit to infrastructure projects, what the government has been thinking in this regard is credit enhancement. IIFCL is playing a lead role in that proposed institution," Kumar V Pratap, Joint Secretary (Infrastructure Policy and Finance) in the Finance Ministry said.

"We had a meeting yesterday with RBI and the credit rating agencies. So we hope to launch this fund within this financial year. Mechanics are being worked out," he said at an event organised by India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL) on the occasion of its 12th foundation day.

Raising the credit rating of these companies would help easier access to institutional financing, he said.

Jaitley in 2016-17 Budget speech had proposed that LIC will set up a dedicated fund to provide credit enhancement to infrastructure projects.

However, LIC could not anchor the proposed company because of regulatory issues.

Some public sector banks, including SBI and Bank of Baroda, have evinced interest in picking up stake in the fund.

Public sector LIC, General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) also plans to pick up stake in the credit enhancement fund.

IIFCL Deputy Managing Director Sanjeev Kaushik said the RBI has agreed to most of the suggestions and the final guidelines on Credit Enhancement Fund should come out soon.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Security agencies have flashed an alert after an SUV with a "JK" numberplate belonging to the CRPF was stolen from outside a camp of the force late last month, official sources said.

The alert, warning against misuse by terrorists ahead of Republic Day celebrations on January 26, has been issued by multiple agencies, including the Delhi Police, the CRPF and central agencies.

Official sources said a white Sumo Victa of the Central Reserve Police Force was stolen from outside a camp of the force in R K Puram area on the intervening night of December 29-30.

The official number plate of the stolen four-wheeler is 'JK 02A W5441', they said.

The vehicle, with a 'Police' sticker, was stolen by at least three people that night, sources said, referring to CCTV footage of the incident.

The alert issued by security agencies, especially to agencies and forces based in Kashmir, said the vehicle could be misused for a possible sabotage attack or fidayeen raid.

Intelligence inputs have already stated that "militants can use a vehicle laden with explosives to attack a camp (of security forces/agencies) in the run up to Republic Day celebrations...", it said.

The CRPF, too, issued an alert and asked all its units in Jammu and Kashmir and north India to be on heightened vigil and take extra precautionary measures.

"No unidentified vehicle should be allowed to enter in the camp without proper identification and anti-sabotage checks," stated the alert, issued by the CRPF headquarters in Delhi and accessed by PTI.

The force has asked all its unit commanders to share the message with the "last man on ground" so that the possible misuse of the stolen vehicle does not impact their security.

It also asked all its units in the country to "review" and fortify camp security.

The threat of the stolen vehicle has been escalated to the level of "high alert" in the wake of the recent attack on the CRPF camp in Pulwama, sources said.

Four CRPF personnel were killed on December 31 when heavily armed terrorists launched a pre-dawn attack on a camp of the force in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A post-graduate student of a medical college here today tried to end his life, police said.

College authorities denied the reports that he tried to take the extreme step as being a Dalit, he was facing discrimination.

Dr M Mariraj, who hails from Tamil Nadu, is a third year student of the Master of Surgery (MS) course at the government-run B J Medical College here.

"It is true that Mariraj is a Dalit. He tried to end his life by consuming sleeping pills at his hostel room. He is now out of danger. As he hasn't yet given a statement, it is not clear what prompted him to take such a step," said inspector A K Patel of Shahibaug police station.

Some reports said he was upset because he was not allowed to conduct surgeries by his teachers who discriminated against him as he is a Dalit.

However, Civil Superintendent Dr M M Prabhakar of the civil hospital -- to which the college is attached -- refuted the reports.

"There is no truth to these rumours. There are various levels of surgeries, and Mariraj is still a student. It is up to teachers to decide whether a student can perform a particular surgery or not as a part of his course. No student can demand it (the right to conduct surgeries)," said Dr Prabhakar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 63-year-old man, who was kidnapped from Lakhipur town in Goalpara district of Assam on Tuesday, was rescued today from Mansinggre Rongnak village in North Garo Hills of the state, a senior police officer said.

A joint team of Assam and Meghalaya police rescued Sukur Ali, a resident of Goalpara district of the neighbouring state, and nabbed four members of an inter-state gang that had kidnapped him, he said.

Two more were arrested from Assam yesterday, taking the count to those held in the case to six, the officer said.

"The rescue of the 63-year-old man was made possible by Assam police. They had managed to nab one of the kidnappers in their state and found out from him the names of other members of the gang," Superintendent of Police, North Garo Hills, Dalton Marak, explained.

The motive behind the kidnap, however, is not clear as yet, Marak said.

"During the early morning operation, there was a brief exchange of fire but no one was injured," the SP said, adding that two country-made revolvers and nine rounds of ammunition were recovered from the gang.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today slammed the conviction in the US of a top Turkish banker in a trial on Iran sanctions busting, saying it was part of a "chain" of plots against his nation.

"What we are seeing in America is a chain of serious plots," Erdogan told reporters at Istanbul airport after the conviction of Mehmet Hakan Atilla, deputy chief executive of Turkish lender Halkbank.

"If this is the US understanding of justice then the world is doomed. There can be no such understanding of justice.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has met the acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and made a formal request to name a sitting high court judge to head the probe into the caste violence in Pune district, official sources said today.

Fadnavis met Acting Chief Justice Vijaya Tahilramani here and requested her on behalf of the state government to appoint a high court judge to lead the inquiry into the January 1 violence near the war memorial at Bhima-Koregaon in Pune district, they said.

The Fadnavis-led government had earlier announced a judicial probe into the violent clashes and vandalism that resulted in the death of a local resident and destruction of property.

Violence erupted when Dalit groups were celebrating victory of East India Company forces over the Peshwa's army in the battle of Bhima-Koregaon in 1818, as the British forces included Dalit Mahar soldiers.

Some pro-Hindutva outfits had opposed the celebration this time.

Dalits commemorate the British victory as it is believed soldiers from the Mahar community were part of the East India Company's forces. The Peshwas were Brahmins, and the victory is seen as a symbol of assertiveness by Dalits.

The New Year clashes at Bhima-Koregaon, blamed on the right-wing groups, had triggered violent protests by Dalits in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.

A clutch of Dalits outfits, led by the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) of Prakash Ambedkar, had enforced a state-wide bandh on January 3 during which normal life was crippled in Mumbai and other parts of the state.

The bandh also saw attacks on police personnel and damage to public and private property by protesters.

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Former big game hunter, motor racer and son of a legendary barrister from Bihar, Tootoo Imam, has died aged 98, his family said.

Born in 1920, Syed Askari Hadi Ali Augastien Imam, or Tootoo Imam as he was famously known in India and abroad, died at a private hospital in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh on January 4, his son said.

"He was a fit man even in his late 90s and walked and swam. This year he would have completed his 98 years and we were expecting him to complete his 100, but so is fate.

"He contracted an infection in his hand which then spread to his blood and claimed his life," his eldest son, Bulu Imam told PTI over phone from Hazaribagh.

With his demise, the last direct link with the great Imam brothers -- his father Hasan Imam and uncle Sir Ali Imam -- has also vanished.

"It is indeed an end of an era. He was the last surviving member from the immediate generation after the Imams, the one who saw them and grew up in their care. And, his own life was nothing short of extraordinary, making a name for himself as a motor racer, then a big game hunter, and also as an author and filmmaker," Bulu Imam, (76), a renowned environmental activist, said.

He said, his father was baptised as a child, and he was buried yesterday in the compound of his home 'Kehilaan', reflecting the love he had for horses. 'Kehilaan' means an Arab breed of horse.

He is survived by wife Shahbat Imam, and another son Syed Hasan Francis Imam (named after his grandfather) and Nattie Yadav (named after her grandmother).

Tootoo Imam earned his reputation of living a flamboyant and rather quixotic life, and to his last days, dressed up as an aristocrat, an inheritance from his Imam lineage, and guests came to him from near and far, for big game hunting, till it remained legal in India.

His father, Syed Hasan Imam was a leading barrister of his days and later a Calcutta High Court judge and also served as the president of the Indian National Congress. And, his uncle, Sir Ali Imam too was a legal luminary, and both brothers were among the main architects behind the creation of the Bihar province in 1912.

"My father was born in a place called 'Hillside' in North Darjeeling. And, he used to spend time in Patna at the palatial 'Hasan Manzil' on Fraser Road and used to go to Darjeeling during summer holidays, where Hasan Imam, also had a property," Bulu Imam said.

"He was son of Hasan Imam through his second wife Nattie Imam, who was of Indo-French descent. But, my father's work as an author and documentary filmmaker and his life itself, means, he leaves a legacy of his own behind," he added.

Younger son, Syed Hasan Francis Imam, recalling his father's legacy said, "In 1956, he won the Indian Grand Prix in Calcutta, at a young age and shot to fame. And, his books 'The Brown Hunter', his love horses, and other books will be remembered for long."



Condolences poured in on social media following the of his death. The family said they will soon hold a memorial service in Hazaribagh.

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Four people were caught and five kilos of opium was seized from them in an operation by the city police here today.

Police officials said that the West Zone team of the Commissioners Task Force, acting on a tip-off, nabbed the four while they were trying to sell the contraband near Victoria hotel in Tolichowki, Golconda.

Police said that a case had been registered, adding that one more accused is yet to be caught.

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Four students of the Delhi Public School (DPS) and the bus driver were killed while 10 others injured when their bus collided with a truck here this afternoon, police said.

Additional Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Rai said that after the driver lost control over the bus, it broke through the road divider in the city's Kanadia area and collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction.

The children were on their way home from school, he said.

"Earlier we had the information that six persons were killed. Later, it was clarified that four school children and the bus driver died in the accident. Another student is in a critical condition and on life support. The bus driver's assistant is also in a critical condition," Rai said.

A hospital official said that the children killed in the accident were identified as Harpreet Kaur (8), Shruti Ludhiyani (6), Swastik Pandya (12) and Kriti Agrawal (13).

The bus driver was identified as Rahul Sisodiya (35).

Front portion of the bus was badly damaged in the collision, the police official said.

"We have seized the truck and are searching for its driver who fled from the spot," the ASP said.

District collector Nishant Warwade said a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bhupendra Singh said he has asked for a report from the Deputy Inspector General of Police as well as transport authorities.

Minister for School Education Deepak Joshi said the responsibility of schools in such cases would be fixed to ensure children's safety in the future.

"The government had issued guidelines for schools after a school bus accident in Bhopal. We will fix the responsibility of schools to ensure the safety of children," he said.

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Time's Up pin is the most coveted accessory this awards season as both male and female stars are expected to wear the pin to draw attention to the sexual harassment scandal that has engulfed Hollywood.

Prominent Hollywood A-listers such as Shonda Rhimes, Reese Witherspoon, Eva Longoria, Kerry Washington and others got back together to launch the 'Time's Up' initiative on January 1 to fight sexual harassment in the industry.

Witherspoon had approached stylist and costume designer Arianne Phillips, who has worked on films such as "Kingsman" and "Nocturnal Animals", to design the pin.

"Reese asked me to come to the actors' group, and told me they were going to be wearing black and would I consider creating a pin for the nominees and male presenters. We were up against the holidays, but I said I could do it, and the first person I called was my partner-in-crime, (Los Angeles jewelry designer) Michael Schmidt," said Phillips.

Phillips has also reportedly encouraged the fashion world to donate to the Time's Up legal defence fund, designed to help less privileged women to protect themselves from sexual misconduct and harassment in all spheres of their professional life.

The Golden Globes Awards will witness a rare moment in history with many prominent Hollywood A-listers, including men, donning black to protest against gender inequality and sexual harassment in Hollywood.

It has been reported that many women actors, such as Meryl Streep and Emma Stone, are planning to wear black gowns at the annual ceremony as a mark of protest, and will be joined by their male counterparts.

A New York Times article first exposed producer Harvey Weinstein's history of sexual misconduct, encouraging powerful women to open up about the producer.

The expose had a domino effect with other major names such as Kevin Spacey, Brett Ratner, James Toback, Jeremy Piven and Dustin Hoffman being accused of similar misdeeds.

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The Kerala government has ordered the closure of a private school at Kochi for having contents in its syllabus that goes against the country's secular policies.

The order for the school's closure, issued yesterday, said it was highly necessary to stop the operation of such institutions "to prevent the Muslims from joining IS (Islamic State) activities."



Enquiries revealed that the textbooks at the Peace Foundation International school, were aimed at the propagation of ideas contradicting the country's secular policies besides trying to spread propaganda which was against the country's policies, an order said.

"Hence in order to prevent the Muslims from joining IS activities, it is highly necessary to stop the operation of such institutions," the order said.

It also said the government has not issued no objection certificate (NOC) to the school and that it has no Central Board of Secondary Board (CBSE) affiliation.

The school at Thammanam in Ernakulam came under the scanner in October 2016 after the district educational officer filed a complaint against the school on the contents of the textbooks.

The Secretary to the Director of Public Instruction issued the order under the Right to Act to close the school and transfer students to neighbourhood schools.

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Notwithstanding the Opposition stalling the passage of the contentious triple talaq bill, the government is set to push for its nod in the Rajya Sabha in the Budget Session, asserting that it is committed to it.

Briefing reporters at the conclusion of the Monsoon Session, parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar also attacked the Congress, which had not opposed the bill in Lok Sabha but voiced its strong opposition in the Upper House.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi talks about woman empowerment but "runs away" when it comes to acting on this, Kumar said.

In the Rajya Sabha, the Congress everyday came with an excuse to stall the bill, he alleged.

However, the government is "committed to passing the law and empower our Muslim sisters", Kumar said.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, which criminalises instant talaq and provides for up to three years of imprisonment for accused Muslim men was passed by the Lower House on December 28.

A united opposition, however, stalled it in the Rajya Sabha with the Congress moving a motion that the bill should be sent to a select committee for further scrutiny, a move strongly opposed by the treasury benches.

When the Budget Session starts on January 29, the motion, which was moved by senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, will be taken up for consideration.

Government sources said they would seek its passage in the first phase of the session and would be holding talks with opposition parties to arrive at a consensus.

With the government recommending a schedule for the Budget Session, it is unlikely to bring in an ordinance over the issue and will seek the bill's passage in the next session, official sources said.

Treasury benches had also cited a Supreme Court order, which had invalidated the practise of triple talaq, to push for a law to criminalise the practise.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had told the Lok Sabha that the practice of instant triple talaq has continued despite the apex court's order, making it imperative for the government to bring a law.
The government today termed as "erroneous" a World Health Organisation (WHO) report which claimed that 57 per cent of allopathic doctors in India do not have medical qualification.

"The report is erroneous since MBBS is the minimum qualification for enrolment as registered medical practitioner in a state medical register to practice medicine, and hence all registered doctors have medical qualifications," Union Minister JP Nadda told the Lok Sabha in a written reply to a quesion.

He further said Section 15 of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 prohibits a person other than medical practitioner enrolled on a state medical register to practice in the state.

Since health is a state subject, the primary responsibility to deal with cases of quacks (fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill) lies with respective state governments, he said.

Keeping in view the above, the Central government has requested the chief ministers of all states to take appropriate action against quacks and evolve suitable policies to ensure availability of quality health workforce in rural areas, he said.

A WHO report released in 2016, had claimed that 31 per cent of those who claimed to be allopathic doctors in 2001 were educated only up to the secondary school level and 57 per cent did not have any medical qualification.

The study also highlighted that just 18.8 per cent of allopathic doctors in rural India had medical qualification.

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The Haryana government plans to tap corporate social responsibility (CSR) spending of corporate houses to fund several of its welfare schemes.

To begin with, 21 top companies in private and public sector would be identified for this purpose, a release said.

The responsibility of establishing liaison with them will be entrusted to 21 senior officers who would be provided institutional support by the Haryana Financial Corporation, this was disclosed at a meeting held here today.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar asked the officers to list department-wise works which could be undertaken with the help of CSR funds.

The officers would also convene a meeting beforeJanuary 31with companies which are being identified. These companies would be requested to set priorities for spending their CSR funds.

The money could be utilised to fund various state government-run skill development programmes, Kanya Kosh Fund, Sweh Prerit Adarsh Gram Yojana, development of native villages and others activities, the release said.

Apart from top companies, banks too would be requested to spend their CSR funds on various development activities in the state.

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The Delhi High Court today described the non-payment of salaries of MCD school teachers as a "hopeless condition" and asked the East and North civic bodies to clear their current month salary in a week.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar further directed the two corporations to clear arrears of the primary school teachers in one month.

It, however, expressed concern over the contention of the counsel for the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) that they did not have enough funds to pay the salaries and they were poorest among the three corporations.

"This is not a first plea in which the EDMC has expressed inability to pay salaries. Earlier, also we heard about non- payments of salaries to the EDMC's safai karmacharis who went on strike on various ocassions...

"This could not have been the intention of trifurcation of the MCD. If this is true, it needs serious examination by the authorities concerned, as every citizen of Delhi expects optimal services from the corporation," the bench observed.

It observed that the South Delhi Municipal Corporation is not facing such financial problems.

"The three municipal corporations should be identically placed," the bench noted and directed that the issue be brought to the notice of the ministry concerned which shall examine the difficulties faced by the Delhi MCD.

The court's direction came on a PIL filed by an NGO, Social Jurist, which through its counsel Ashok Agarwal, informed the bench that the EDMC for last three months has not paid salary to primary schools' teachers.

It also said that the North Delhi Municipal Corporation has not paid salaries to its regular teachers for the last two months.

"Untimely payment of salaries of 13,500 regular teachers employed in these schools is affecting the primary of the lakhs of children studying in these schools, belonging to the most downtrodden class of the society," the NGO's counsel claimed.

The bench observed "certainly a employee cannot impart serious service without their salaries, which is their lawful entitlement."



It said it was very painful to see that over 1,000 families behind these teachers were also suffering due to non-payment of salaries.

The bench also said, "Handover the to the Delhi government. As not only teachers and safai karmacharis are struggling for their payments, but doctors were also not paid in the past".

The bench directed the two municipal bodies to file their status report with regard to compliance of its direction before the next date of hearing on April 23.

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The Orissa High Court today granted conditional bail to Sudha Sethy, a doctor at the SCB Medical College and Hospital here, who was arrested by the vigilance department on corruption charges.

Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo allowed the bail application of Sethy, who was working as an associate professor at the hospital's clinical hematology department.

The HC granted Sethy bail looking at the nature of allegation and the role played by her and since her custodial interrogation is over.

Sethy was directed to furnish a bail bond of Rs 2 lakh with two local solvent sureties each of like amount to the satisfaction of the trial court.

The High Court further directed that granting of bail order to Sethy shall not be treated as a claim of parity for the other co-accused person(s).

She was arrested on December 13 last year for her alleged role in getting pecuniary advantages from multi-national pharmaceutical companies in lieu of showing undue favour to them by prescribing their expensive medicines to patients.

The vigilance sleuths had also arrested Sethys colleague and department head Rabindra Kumar Jena on similar charges.

Blaming Jena for the corruption, Sethy's counsel told the court that she was only a nodal officer of the department and the main allegation was against Jena.

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Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Recently, Intermediate People's Court of Chengdu City of Sichuan Province adjudicated in the first trial that Ford Motor (China) Ltd. (Ford China) should stops any move infringing Sichuan Yema Automobile Co., Ltd (Sichuan Yema)'s exclusive right to use the registered trademark of "Yema". Besides, Ford China should pay RMB 1,000,000 to Sichuan Yema as the compensation for economic loss and make a statement on the official website of Ford Motor that Ford's brand Mustang will no longer use Yema as its Chinese brand name. (In Chinese, yema means mustang).



In early 2016, Sichuan Yema filed a lawsuit against Ford China's trademark infringement that the Chinese name of Ford's Mustang" was same with Sichuan Yema's brand name. Sichuan Yema stated that it had applied for the trademark registration of Yema as early as 1986, and applied for registration of several icons and word trademark of Yema afterwards. In April, 2014, it officially changed its company name as Sichuan Yema Automobile Co., Ltd.

Mustang is a high-performance vehicle of Ford that presently is sold as imported vehicles in China. After 2000, Ford Motor Company also applied a registered trademark name as Ford Yema" in Chinese for Mustang brand in China. Focusing on the ownership of Yema brand, the two companies confronted with each other at court.

In recent years, multinational automakers often encounter disputes about intellectual property in China's market. At the inception of Chinese local brands, they prefer to design vehicles on the basis of mature vehicle framework from foreign auto enterprises. Hence, disputes caused by the similarity of vehicle exterior happen a lot. The lawsuit between Ford China and Sichuan Yema is associated with trademark ownership which, nevertheless, occurs infrequently.
The Maharashtra government should cut down red tape and procedural technicalities while awarding monetary compensation to rape and acid attack victims, the Bombay High Court said today.

A division bench of Justices R M Borde and R G Ketkar was irked when it was informed that a girl, who was attacked with acid in 2012, has not been given compensation and her medical expenses have not been met with as mandated under the state government's 'Manodhairya' scheme till date.

Under the 'Manodhairya Yojana', rape and acid attack victims are to be compensated up to Rs 10 lakh. Besides, their medical expenses are also to be borne by the government.

The scheme also provides for counselling and vocational training of the victims.

The bench was informed by government lawyer Neha Bhide that an amount of Rs four lakh was kept towards the petitioner victim's medical expenses.

"However, the amount could not be disbursed as the victim failed to submit the hospital bills. She (victim) submitted the bills later. Now we are unable to trace the victim to record her statement," Bhide said.

Irked with this, the court sought to know why the victim's statement needs to be recorded when she has already submitted all the bills.

The court said the government should have sent the money directly to the hospital concerned.

The bench also noted that under the scheme, the victim is to get compensation over and above the medical expenses.

"Shouldn't the government cut down the bureaucratic and procedural technicalities and help the victim? You (government) are so insensitive. In this particular case, the petitioner has already suffered physically...and now she is before this court for three years waiting for compensation," Justice Borde said.

"In such matters, the high court and even the Supreme Court have in the past said the government should not get stuck in technicalities. You (government) are not doing any favour to the victims. How can you insist on formal technicalities?" the court said.

The court said the government showed the same attitude towards the families of farmers who commit suicide, as they have to wait for years to get a compensation of Rs one lakh.

The court added that if this was the attitude of the state government's Women and Child Welfare department, it would pass orders directing that the compensation amount be recovered from the personal account of its principal secretary.

After being pulled up, Bhide said the department was ready to make the payment towards medical expenses within ten days after verification of the bills submitted by the victim.

The court accepted her statement and directed the government to also pay the petitioner a sum of Rs three lakh as compensation under the scheme within three weeks.

The bench posted the petition for further hearing after three weeks and asked the government to submit a compliance report.

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The Delhi High Court has upheld the life imprisonment awarded to a police constable for custodial violence against a man who later succumbed to his injuries, saying it was a classic case where "the guardians of the law became its transgressors".

A bench of justices G S Sistani and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal also upheld the five-year prison term given by the trial court to a sub-inspector of the same police station for the offence of culpable homicide as he had detained the victim in his room for an entire night and permitted every policeman who entered to beat up the man.

The high court, however, acquitted then station house officer, R S Dahiya, of the Lahori Gate Police Station, saying though there was evidence that he "tinkered with the evidence" it was insufficient to hold him guilty of culpable homicide as was done by the trial court.

The bench also said that if any disciplinary proceedings have not been initiated against the three policemen, such action be taken against them.

The high court's ruling and directions came on the appeals of the three policemen against the trial court's January 6, 2004 order convicting and sentencing them for various offences.

The bench relied on the testimony of the deceased's father, Teg Bahadur, to uphold the conviction and jail term of then constable Anil Kumar for murder and then sub-inspector Sher Singh for the offence of culpable homicide.

According to the prosecution, Jagannath was picked up by the police for questioning on the intervening night of May 1- 2, 1991.

According to the father of the deceased, he saw his son, who worked as a peon-cum-night watchman, the next day in a badly beaten condition in the police station and right before his eyes Anil Kumar had repeatedly and mercilessly beaten him up.

Bahadur had also contended that when his son's condition deteriorated, the policemen were slow to take Jagannath to a hospital and only after the intervention of his employer (a lawyer), the victim was taken to St Stephen's Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries 10 days later.

Accepting the contentions of the deceased man's father, the bench said that Bahadur's testimony "portrays a harrowing tale wherein his son Jagannath was mercilessly beaten to death by the officers of Lahori Gate Police Station."



"The situation is aggravated by shoddy investigation and hostility of witnesses as the prosecution is also undertaken by the kith and kin of the accused," the high court added.

In its 108-page judgement, it said that "this is a classic case when the guardians of law became its transgressors and the whole might of the State came down upon one individual, who belonged to a weaker section of society, inevitably causing his death".

The bench said it was "spine-chilling" to even imagine the plight of a father "witnessing first-hand his son being beaten to a pulp by those in uniform".

It noted that constable Kumar was not motivated by the desire to save the life of the deceased as he did not attempt to provide medical aid and only took the victim in a rickshaw from doctor to doctor only "to save his own skin".

"In the whole story, all the police officials acted in a ruthless manner with the sole aim of saving themselves from any liability," the bench said and added that appreciation of evidence in a custodial violence or death case is never an easy task as the police witnesses "often stay true to their brethren than the truth".

"They even resort to making false records and entries. Where there are public witnesses, they face the hardships in deposing against the 'khakhi' colour and may be dissuaded from coming forward.

"The investigation is also undertaken by other police officials, whose interests lie in...obscuring the truth leading to faulty investigations," the court said.

It said that in the instant case, the beatings given to the man could not be labelled as being lawful or necessary.

It said, "Even a constable cannot be under the belief that custodial violence for the purpose of interrogation is necessary, let alone lawful. The act was wholly unlawful.

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He may have now become one of the most bankable actors in Hindi film industry, but during the initial days of his career in Bollywood Akshay Kumar said he was treated like an outsider.

The 50-year-old actor, who has given some major blockbusters such as "Special 26", "Baby", "Airlift" and "Rustom" in past one decade, said an actor's luxury on a film's set depends on the number of hits and flops.

"Yes, I was made to feel (outcast). I remember while doing a two-hero film, my three-four films didn't work, but his (the other hero) did. We were having an equal role but he gets a suite room and I get a single room. He gets an amazing car, but I get that 'you come in the bus,' yes it really happens," Akshay said in a media interaction.

The actor said the moment his films started working, his equations with a lot of people in the industry changed.

"If my films work, I would get a bigger room. Sometimes from business class I was shifted to the first class when my films were running. When my films were doing exceptionally well I would get a private jet as well," he added.

Akshay said in his "27 and a half years" long career he has had low phases "three to four times" but failures did not bother him.

"Never take lull or success seriously. They will come and go. It (the ups and down) is bound to happen."



The actor is now geared up for the release of his first film of the year, "Padman", scheduled to hit the screens on January 25.

The film, directed by R Balki, chronicles the inspiring story of Arunachalam Muruganantham, who created affordable sanitary pads.

On government's decision to levy GST on sanitary pads, Akshay said they should be made free.

"People ask me what do you feel about GST (on sanitary pads). I say, why should there be a GST? It should be free! There are countries which give it for free, there's no GST on it. It's an essential thing to make the women strong. I feel it should be free for women.

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India imported Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) worth Rs 18,372.54 crore in 2016-17, of which the maximum was from China, Parliament was informed today.

APIs estimated to be worth Rs 12,254.97 crore were imported from China followed by the US at Rs 820.18 crore and Italy at Rs 701.85 crore in 2016-17, the Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey said in the Lok Sabha.

APIs worth Rs 485.11 crore were imported from Germany while APIs Rs 422.01 were imported from Singapore.

API is the term used to refer to the biologically active component of a drug product.

In 2015-16, the country imported APIs worth Rs 21,225.97 crore with ingredients worth Rs 13,853 being imported from China, followed by Germany at Rs 1054.71 crore and the US at Rs 980.38 crore.

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India and Israel are expanding bilateral ties beyond defence space to other sectors like agri, healthcare and technology supply, an official said today.

Stating that the entire spectrum of defence relationship with Israel is undergoing a change, Lt Gen Subrata Saha (Retd), Director General, Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), said the two countries are striving to move towards a relationship of strategic reliance, which is not necessarily only hinging on supply of arms.

"We are moving away from just arms supplier relationship with Israel to much wider scope of relationship such as depending on them for technology supplying and joint ventures," Saha told reporters here.

He was speaking at a panel discussion on 'Building a transformational partnership' between India and Israel.

India Israel CEOs Forum Member Shiv Khemka said, out of the 8 million population of Israel, only 2 million people are part of the productive economy who have created the economic miracle of USD 390 billion and therefore it's pertinent to utilise their human capital for India's growth.

"It is enlightening to see how such a small nation has created such huge commercial wealth," Khemka, who is also Member of CII International Council and Vice Chairman of SUN Group, said.

He further said India has tremendous opportunities to be a part of Israel's innovation as they have a very small market to showcase their work and therefore the business ideas of Israeli companies in the field of agri and healthcare, among others using AI, big data can be scaled in India.

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The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered that complaint committees be set up in all educational institutions, including state-run and private degree colleges, to look into and prevent sexual harassment of women working there.

Minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari directed officials to make it mandatory to constitute internal- complaint cells (committees) in the institutions at a meeting here.

"We have ordered the constitution of complaint committees in all educational institutions, including government and private degree colleges, to look into and prevent sexual harassment of women working there," he said.

Instructions have been already issued by the department. The minister has proposed that these panels be accountable in regard to action, disposal and prompt redressal of grievances.

College heads will intimate director colleges and nodal principals about the composition of the complaint committee, complaints received and action-taken after their disposal, the minister said.

He asked the school department to follow the suit in due course and constitute similar cells in higher secondary and high schools.

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Batting strongly for regional councils in three regions of Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress today accused the BJP of deceiving the people of Jammu and said it had surrendered before the PDP the due share of employment and development of the region.

"The BJP has compromised on its core constituency of Jammu, which gave it 25 seats in the assembly. It has completely surrendered before the PDP by selling Jammu's due share of employment and development. The BJP has deceived Jammu people," senior vice president of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) and former minister Sham Lal Sharma told reporters here.

Sharma released an 11-point charge-sheet against the government and the BJP, and asked the saffron party to clarify its stand on alleged discrimination with Jammu region on various fronts by the BJP-PDP government.

"The BJP got huge mandate from Jammu and is now playing hide and seek when it comes to the rights of the youth of the region," he said.

Sharma said the government appointed just a few hundred Special Police Officers (SPOs) in Jammu region whereas thousands of SPOs were appointed in the Kashmir valley.

He sought the BJP's reply on alleged discrimination in appointments of assistant professors and teachers in the two regions.

Sharma lashed at the BJP and the government for their stand in the Supreme Court against the grant of minority commission in JK for the minority Hindus and said the BJP was playing with the sentiments of the minorities in the state.

"How is it that the BJP-PDP does not consider the minority Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhist as minorities in the state," he asked.

Kashmir was getting the lion's share of all funds in every sector, but the BJP was silent, Sharma said.

"To end this discrimination with the Jammu region, we demand the creation of regional council for all the three regions of Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu with separate financial and decision making powers," Sharma said.

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Killing of two journalists within two months rocked Tripura in 2017 that also witnessed a number of political developments ahead of elections scheduled this year.

Shantanu Bhowmick (28), a journalist of local TV channel-Din rat, was stabbed and beaten to death when he went to Mandai in West Tripura district on September 20.

Police said Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) and CPI-M's tribal wing Tripura Rajaer Upajati Ganamukti Parishad (TRUGP) gathered at Mandai where prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) were promulgated to maintain peace.

Sudip Datta Bhaumick (50), a crime reporter with Bengali daily Syandan Patrika and TV channel Vamguard, was killed inside the headquarters of the 2nd battalion of TSR at RK Nagar on November 21.

The killings drew widespread condemnation including from the UNESCO.

On the political front, the BJP's bid to emerge as a force in the state got a boost with the joining of seven MLAs.

Six of them were from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and one from the Congress.

According to Chairman of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma, nobody can stop the BJP from forming the government in Tripura.

"People have become euphoric of forming BJP government. I am sensing that our party would sweep the elections in the state and would be difficult for the CPI-M to even win 10 seats in the 60-member House," he claimed.

The Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), an anti- left ultra tribal party, had long been campaigning for a separate state by carving out the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), which constitute two third of the state territory and is the home to the tribals, who form one third of the states 37 lakh population.

All the major political parties in the state including those in the ruling Left Front, Opposition BJP, Congress and another anti-left tribal party Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) have rejected the demand as divisive and impracticable.

However, the demand for more autonomy of the tribal council has come to the fore to empower it.

The IPFT also suffered a split when the dissident faction led by Budhu Debbarma formed a separate committee and declared on April 16 that they are the real IPFT.

The issue of more autonomy to the tribals and empowering the TTAADC became an import issue in the state ahead of the assembly elections.

Not a single insurgency-related incident was reported in 2017. Tripura is now free from insurgency, which devastated the state for the last three decades.

During the year gone by, India decided to throw open its border roads to help Bangladesh construct border outposts in Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT), known for its inhospitable terrain.

Some areas in Chittagong, bordering Tripura and Mizoram, have no motorable roads and India decided to allow the Bangladesh border guards to construct 13 border outposts using the road connectivity available in the two states.

Chief Minister Manik Sarkar inaugurated Indo-Bangla Friendship Park at Chottakhola in South Tripura district, around 130 km from here on December 16.

The foundation stone for the 20.20 hectare park, which encompasses seven hillocks and a lake near the Trishna wild life sanctuary, was laid by the then Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni in November, 2010.

Two statues of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Indira Gandhi, were put up in the park which was earlier a base for Bangladeshi freedom fighters from where they launched operations against the Pakistani army in Noakhali, Feni and parts of Comilla district of Bangladesh.

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today warned of stringent action against those instigating "communal sentiments" in the state, as the coastal region remained on the edge over a spate of killings of Hindu activists.

The opposition BJP has been demanding a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its political wing Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), holding them responsible for killings of Hindu activists in the coastal Dakshina Kannada district.

"Not only PFI, we will take action against all communal organisations," Siddaramaiah told reporters at Mudigere, near here.

"Let them be from any religion -- whether it is PFI or Bajrang Dal or Muthalik's organisation (Pramod Muthalik is chief of right wing Sri Rama Sene) or any organisation that instigates communal sentiments and creates communal violence, we will take stringent action against them," he said.

In the latest incident, 28-year-old Deepak Rao, who was associated with the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, was hacked to death by a four-member gang on Wednesday, following which simmering tension prevailed in the district.

Hundreds of activists of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal were today taken into police custody at Mangaluru after they staged a road roko here protesting Rao's killing.

A bandh was observed in Surathkal and Katipalla areas in the coastal district yesterday.

Asserting that life is precious, Siddaramaiah assured strict action against those behind the killing.

"We have sympathy towards his family, they need to be consoled and they have to be given compensation. The government will do whatever it has to," he said.

Accusing the BJP of playing "communal politics" for terming the death as that of a Hindu, Siddaramaiah questioned "....have they taken Hindutva on lease? Aren't we Hindus?"



The BJP has claimed that with Rao's killing, the number of Hindu activist who have fallen to the "murderous agenda of jihadi forces" has risen to 22, and targeted the Congress government for being "soft" towards "jihadi forces".

Trashing the BJP's charge, the government accusing it of trying to polarise the situation ahead of Assembly polls early this year.

State Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy has said 19 people associated with the BJP, RSS or Bajrang Dal have been killed in the state over a period of time, but in at least eight cases, the reasons were personal.

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The government today informed parliament that a report in Lancet Global Health Medical Journal states that there were around 1.56 crore abortions in India in 2015, but the study is not representative of the entire country.

"A report published in Lancet Global Health Medical Journal mentions about 1.56 crore abortions took place across India in 2015. The study is based on a sample of six states and is not representative of the country," Minister of State for Health Ashwani Kumar Choubey told the Lok Sabha.

He said the government provides safe and comprehensive abortion care services to women in healthcare facilities.

"There are various reasons for unsafe abortions like confidentiality, stigma, need for anonymity, provider bias, self-medication. Disaggregated data on various methods of abortion is unavailable," the minister said.

National Health Mission provides support to the states for provision of services for comprehensive abortion.

Guidelines on Comprehensive Abortion Care services and Medical Methods of Abortions have been provided to all states to facilitate implementation of these services, Choubey said.

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French President Emmanuel Macron told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan today that democratic nations must respect the "rule of law," criticising the jailing of dozens of journalists in Turkey in recent months.

"Democracies must fully respect the rule of law," Macron told a joint press conference with Erdogan, adding that the two men had discussed a list of individual cases of jailed journalists during their talks.

Erdogan's government has also arrested tens of thousands of officials, academics and activists in the wake of a botched coup attempt in 2016, drawing criticism from rights advocates.

Macron had pledged to raise human rights concerns ahead of Erdogan's visit, one of only a handful he has made to Europe as relations with the West soured in the wake of the post-coup crackdown.

According to the P24 press freedom group, there are 170 journalists behind bars in Turkey, most of whom were arrested under the state of emergency in place since the July 2016 coup attempt.

Turkey is ranked 151st of 180 countries in the 2016 World Press Freedom index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

In one of the latest cases, Turkish prosecutors in December sought life sentences for three veteran journalists accused of links to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara says orchestrated the failed bid to oust Erdogan.

The journalists have been charged with having known the coup bid was imminent and with being involved in the sending of subliminal messages it was to happen.

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An ambitious farmers loan waiver scheme, resignation of former chief minister Narayan Rane from Congress and Lok Sabha member Nana Patole from BJP dominated the political landscape of Maharashtra in the year gone by which also saw a horrific fire tragedy and stampede.

In September, 23 people died in the stampede on a foot overbridge linking the Elphinstone Road and Parel stations.

And as the year was drawing to a close, tragedy struck again when a massive fire swept through a plush rooftop pub in downtown Mumbai during a birthday bash before swiftly raging through the building, leaving 14 people dead and 21 injured.

Mumbai was also hit by floods due to torrential rains that claimed 10 lives in the city and the neighbouring districts of Palghar and Thane in August.

In June, farmers in the state went on a strike to press for their demands like loan waiver and free electricity.

The stir was withdrawn after they met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who promised a series of measures to meet their demands.

The same month, the state government announced the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana scheme for waiving loans of Rs 34,022 crore of 89 lakh farmers. Lengthy procedures and rescinding of a faulty list later, it finalised a first list of just 239,000 beneficiaries on October 27.

The Opposition criticised the government, saying the scheme demanded a digital application from farmers, as many were unused to online transactions.

In December, BJP veteran Yashwant Sinha was detained by police in Akola while protesting against the government for its alleged apathy towards cotton and soybean cultivators.

BJP MP Patole, a critic of the central and state governments' handling of the agrarian issues, resigned from the party and the Lok Sabha in December, accusing it of failing to keep the promises it made to the people.

Patole announced his decision a day before the first phase polling in Gujarat and joined Congress president Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Ahmedabad on December 11.

In September, the state Congress unit received a setback when senior leader and former chief minister Narayan Rane quit the party and his Legislative Council seat.

In October, Rane launched a new party called the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksh, announcing that he was joining the BJP-led NDA. There was speculation that he would be inducted in the state cabinet but that hasn't happened yet.

Rane, who was the chief minister in 1999 while in the Shiv Sena, did not contest the council bypoll in December. BJP nominee Prasad Lad, considered close to Fadnavis, won the election with a handsome margin.

In September, farmers leader and Lok Sabha member Raju Shetti left the NDA, saying farmers were cheated by the Modi government which promised them double input cost as minimum support price for their produce.

Following his ouster from the Shetti-led Swabhimani Paksha, Maharashtra minister Sadabhau Khot launched his own party, Rayat Kranti Sanghatana, in September.

The year 2017 began with a keen tussle between BJP and Shiv Sena for control of the Mumbai civic body, in the February election to the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the country's richest civic body.

The Shiv Sena won 84 seats. The BJP was close behind, winning 82 seats, while the Congress was a distant third with 31 seats.

The two major parties failed to achieve the majority of 114 seats, which led to a deadlock over election of Mumbai mayor.

After days of speculation and backdoor negotiations, Fadnavis made a surprise announcement, saying the BJP won't field candidates for the post of mayor, deputy mayor or standing chairman in the civic body.

After bypolls in the later part of 2017, the BJP now has 83 corporators while the Sena is marginally ahead with 85.

The BJP also registered an impressive performance in elections to various local self government bodies in the state this year.

In September, the Congress won 73 out of 81 seats in the Nanded Municipal Corporation, the home turf of state Congress president Ashok Chavan.

In a huge blow to the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), the Hyderabad-based party drew a blank in the Nanded poll.

In December, Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule was briefly detained in Nagpur, while participating in a 'Halla Bol' padyatra (march) against the Fadnavis-led government's 'anti-farmer' policies.

The march had started from Yavatmal, a district in the Vidarbha region prone to farmer suicides.

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's son Aaditya Thackeray in December said the party will snap ties with BJP in a year. Sena, the junior partner in the BJP-led coalition government, had threatened several times in the past to walk out of the government.

Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2014, the BJP and the Sena parted ways but that separation was short- lived as the latter joined the BJP-led government in December the same year.

The two parties have been at loggerheads ever since, with Sena mouthpiece often penning editorial critical of the BJP and the Modi government's performance.

As 2017 came to a close, Fadnavis, having successfully staved off challengers from within his party during the last three years as chief minister, appeared on a strong wicket.

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A man today filed a complaint against a youth in his neighbourhood accusing him of molesting and harassing his daughter, forcing her out of school and blocking her marriage prospects, police said.

According to the complaint filed by the girl's father, a Dadri resident, the youth used to harass and molest her whenever she would go to school. The man said he stopped sending her to school due to this, police said.

The father said that he had fixed the girl's marriage but the accused met her prospective in-laws and showed them fabricated photographs of the girl, thus getting the marriage cancelled.

Dadri SHO Ram Sen Singh said a complaint has been received and the matter was being investigated.

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A Goa court has permitted a plea by Ireland-based Andrea Brannigan to intervene in the trial of her daughter Danielle Mclaughlin's rape and murder here last year.

The plea in the case of the 28-year-old British passport holder, whose body was found in Canacona in north Goa on March 14, 2017, was allowed by the court yesterday.

The trial has begun before District Judge Sayonara Teles Lad in Margao, south Goa.

Police had booked and chargesheeted a man named Vikat Bhagat for rape, murder, theft and destruction of evidence.

Senior counsel Vikram Varma moved Mclaughlin's mother Andrea Brannigan's application, seeking intervention in the case.

The 46-year-old said in her application that she is an "aggrieved and an interested party...".

According to Varma, Brannigan is within her rights to be informed of the proceedings in the matter as well as assist the prosecution and file written arguments on closure of evidence.

"As the applicant intervenor is presently in Ireland and unable to present herself in person before the court, she has lawfully appointed and empowered a local lady Sapna Naik to act on her behalf," the application states.

The chargesheet, running into almost 700 pages, states that the accused had befriended the British-Irish tourist while she was holidaying in Goa.

On the day of the crime, he allegedly initially tried to rape her at an isolated place between Canacona and Agonda.

Police investigations revealed that as the 28-year-old resisted his attempt, he allegedly hit her on the head with a beer bottle and sexually assaulted her before strangulating her to death.

The accused also smashed her face with a stone to destroy the evidence, police said in the chargesheet.

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Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said today that those booked in alleged manipulation of score sheets in the recruitment of teachers in 2008-09, will prove innocence in the court of law and that he has faith in judiciary.

Acting on the orders of the Meghalaya High Court, the CBI had booked Meghalaya's PWD minister Ampareen Lyngdoh and state's Additional Chief Secretary P S Thangkhiew over alleged manipulation of score sheets in the recruitment of teachers in 2008-09.

The CBI registered the FIR under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy, forgery, criminal breach of trust against Lyngdoh, who was the then education minister and Thangkhiew, a 1984-batch IAS officer, who was the then principal secretary education.

"(The) Law will take its own course. They (accused) will prove they are innocent," Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told reporters at the sideline of a program of the party.

He said, "The concerned officer and the minister will know how to defend for themselves and proof to the world their innocence. We have to have faith in our judiciary system.

The Chief Minister was attending a program of the Congress where the newly appointed state president took over the reign of the party from veteran Congress leader DD Lapang.

Ampareen Lyngdoh, who is PWD minister, on the other hand said the registering of the case by the CBI was a "well-calculated move" just when the polls are round the corner.

"It is a well-calculated move. I am ready to face any probe. I too want justice and it is my desire to see the closure of the case (at the earliest)," she told PTI.

She also informed that the CBI did not interrogate even as the CBI had presented a 107-page report to the Court.

The additional chief secretary was not available for comments.

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Prime Minister on Friday shook hands with former Prime Minister soon after the was adjourned sine die.

The cordial "handshake" came barely weeks after the duo had been locked in a bitter war of words over Gujarat elections.

As soon as Chairman M Venkiah Naidu adjourned the House sine die and 'Vande Mataram' was rendered, Modi was seen moving towards the opposition benches shaking hands with some members, including his predecessor.

He reached the seat of the former premier, shook hands with him for quite some time and spoke to him.

Among others with whom the Prime Minister was seen shaking hands were Deputy Chairman P J Kurien and veteran leader Karan Singh, who was bid farewell by the Upper House today as his tenure ends on January 27.

The show of cordiality between the incumbent and the former premier follows a rare row that broke out last month after Modi insinuated that had colluded with Pakistan in the Gujarat polls and latter hitting back saying a "dangerous precedent" was being set by such accusations and seeking apology.

Both the Houses had witnessed stormy protests over the issue with an adamant opposition seeking apology from Modi for his statement during Gujarat poll campaign and the sticking to its point that PM would not apologise.
A 43-year-old farmer allegedly committed suicide today afternoon by consuming poison at his farmland, police said.

Shahpur police station in-charge Jitendra Bhaskar said that the farmer, identified as Gokul Singh Chouhan, committed suicide by consuming poison at his farmland in Chondi village, about 30 kilometres from the district headquarters.

"The exact reason for his step would be known after investigations," Bhaskar said.

Danlu Chouhan, the farmer's elder brother, said the deceased was unable to repay an old loan and was distressed as his land was falling in the submergence area of a project.

Devendra Singh, manager of Sewa Sahkari Samiti, a credit society at Mohad, said that the farmer's mother had taken a loan of Rs 53,000 in 1999 from the credit society but the amount had spiralled to Rs 2.10 lakh due to non-payment.

He added that the onus of repaying the loan fell on Chouhan after his mother passed away.

District Collector Deepak Singh, however, said it had to be investigated as to how this old loan was still pending.

Singh also said that no process of land acquisition was in progress for any project in the district.

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A parliamentary panel has asked the government to "remove stumbling blocks" in resolving outstanding issues with Pakistan through dialogue, and pitched for a National Security Framework (NSF) and a coherent strategy towards the neighbouring country.

The Committee on External Affairs also noted the fact that by neither publicly accepting not acting against terrorism emanating from its soil, Pakistan has displayed its unwillingness to create conducive environment for improving bilateral ties.

"However, this should not deter the government of India from taking steps from its side so that the situation of stalemate does not linger," it said in its report on "Indo-Pak relations" presented in Lok Sabha today.

Noting that the government has reiterated its readiness for resolution of all outstanding issues peacefully and bilaterally, the report said, however, the government has not mentioned any fresh initiative undertaken by neither side to create conducive environment for engagement.

"In the committee's view, the government of India as a responsible and credible stakeholder should continuously endeavour to utilise its diplomatic clout to create a conducive environment and to remove the stumbling blocks in resolving outstanding issues through dialogue and enforcement of the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration in letter and spirit," it said.

The panel also stressed on the need for India as well as Pakistan to engage afresh and proceed with a step-wise process to dialogue, moving from peripheral to core issues.

It said, "In view of the repeated existence of multiple crises resulting from militancy, insurgencies, terrorist attacks, unsettled border disputes etc, the Committee had strongly felt the need for a NSF and a coherent strategy towards Pakistan."



The panel also took note of the numerous threats like ceasefire violations, border incursions and drug trafficking that have serious implications for country's border security, and said the government should ensure proper and all-weather connectivity roads along the border to strengthen security.

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Northeastern states are keeping a strict vigil to check a possible influx of illegal migrants into their territories following the publication of the first draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, administration and police officials have said.

The NRC, first prepared in 1951, is being updated in Assam under the supervision of the Supreme Court to weed out illegal migrants. The first draft of the updated version was published on December 31.

Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur have taken measures to prevent illegal migrants from entering their territories.

In Arunachal, superintendents of police of all border districts have been directed to liaise with their Assam counterparts regarding the matter, according to an official release.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu had sought information from the state director general of police on the situation in the border areas in the wake of the publication of the NRC first draft.

He also directed the DGP to maintain a strict vigil at border outposts to check the possible influx of illegal immigrants, the release read.

The Meghalaya Police tightened surveillance along the border with Assam following publication of the NRC first draft, state Director General of Police SB Singh said today.

"We have taken precautions to check any infiltration of anti-national elements right from December last week," DGP SB Singh told PTI.

The home department had on December 22 directed the state police to step up vigil and conduct checks in the border areas, he said.

Special police teams have been deployed at the Jiribam Babupara Bazar in Manipur and along the Barak river bordering Mizoram, the Manipur Police said in a statement.

The Barak originates in Manipur, flows through Mizoram and Assam and enters Bangladesh, where it forks into the Surma and Kushiyara rivers.

Police teams have been deployed at Mao Gate in Senapati district bordering Nagaland and the Tamei-Haflong road in Tamenglong district bordering Assam to check the entry of migrants into the state, the release read.

Nagaland Home Commissioner Abhishek Singh was confident of preventing possible spillover of illegal migrants into the state.

With the Inner Line Permit system in the state and police personnel manning check gates, illegal migrants cannot enter Nagaland, he said.

State Home Minister Kuzholuzo Azo Nienu, however, said the matter had not yet been throughly discussed in his department.

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The election to Nepal's National Assembly will be held on February 7, paving the way for formation of the new government after recent provincial and parliamentary polls, the government said today.

The decision was taken at an emergency Cabinet meeting held here.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had held discussions with five national parties yesterday to finalise the date for the election to the upper house of Parliament.

Earlier, the Election Commission had recommended holding the National Assembly election on February 8.

The upper house will have a total of 59 members. All seven provinces will elect 8 members each through an electoral college comprising of members of state assemblies and chief and deputy chiefs of local bodies while the president will appoint three members.

The Left alliance of CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) has been demanding election to the National Assembly at the earliest for formation of the new government.

The alliance had secured 174 seats in the 275-member Parliament in the recently-concluded historic polls that many hope will bring much-needed political stability to the Himalayan nation.

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Since Chef Roy Choi opened the first gourmet food truck in Los Angeles in 2008 to sell Korean barbecue tacos, the industry has rocketed. From 2011-2016, the mobile food sector has grown almost four times faster than the steadily growing restaurant industry based on national from market research firm IBISWorld. Locally, the inaugural Flagstaff Food Truck Festival was held this past summer and drew large crowds to the City Hall parking lot to get a taste of food from local trucks as well as some from Phoenix and Tucson.

One of the newest additions to the mobile eatery scene in Flagstaff is Alejandros Mexican Food. Owner Georgette Quintero got the idea to start a business after spending the past 14 years as a high school teacher and cooking for her family.

My kids were always asking me to cook. Even when we did have money to eat out they never let me get a break, she says. Instead of going out anywhere they wanted me to cook.

It took two years for her to figure out the logistics of getting a loan and then purchasing the trailer before the dream became a reality, she says.

Named after her oldest son, the food truck first began serving authentic Mexican food in the beginning of October 2017 after securing the permits necessary to park at C-A-L Ranch. They then celebrated their official grand opening on Oct. 21 at the Flagstaff Farmers Market on 4th Street with mariachi bands and experimented with a late-night schedule downtown in the parking lot of Vino Loco and Late for the Train before ending up at Tractor Supply.

We actually just came in here for propane and the manager said, Hey, come park out here, she says. We wanted to find a regular place so Tractor Supply has been really good to us. We really like it here.

The dark blue food truck advertises tacos, burritos and carne asada fries to the busy stretch of East Historic Route 66 at Arrowhead Avenue, beckoning hungry travelers to their kitchen.

Their menu sticks to the basics, offering street tacos and burritos wrapped in tortillas from the Tortilla Lady, chimichangas with the option of five different meats seasoned to perfection, quesadillas and fries, all for under $10 each, making it a reasonable stop for budget diners. They also offer menudo and tamales on occasion.

Half of the reviews on their Facebook page are in praise of the carne asada, one of their more popular menu items. Quintero was the reigning queen of carne asada, but when she began looking for a cook to work in the food truck, she wanted someone who could beat her in a taste test. She was impressed by Simon Alberto Ramirezs work at Monsoon downtown and asked him if hed be interested in cooking for her.

I invited him over to the house for a barbecue, and his challenge was beating me at carne asada, she says. It was close, but he was really, really good so thats kind of how he got the job.

From there, they worked together to build the menu and continue to adjust it as they learn what items are well-received.

We let our customers sort of define what our menu is going to look like, Quintero explains. If it doesnt sell then it kind of drops off the menu, [but] if it does sell then it starts to get more attention from us and we put it out more.

Alejandro, her younger son Joey and her daughter Ariana help out the business by taking orders from customers, and Quintero hopes they might each run their own locations someday.

I want this to be a family owned and operated business, she says. Were a really close-knit family.

[Ramirez] is like a jack of all trades, and hopefully hes running a truck or cooking for them and distributing the food, she adds. Hes become an instant part of the family and helps out with everything. Hes the cook, the mechanic, the driver.

With plans to expand, get into catering and hire more employees, Quintero doesnt see herself slowing down anytime soon. They even parked at the Museum Club during their busy weekend-long New Years reopening party which saw over 800 people through the door of the venue the first night.

Our next challenge is eventually getting a brick and mortar [location], Quintero says.

In the meantime, people can find Alejandros Mexican Food parked at Tractor Supply, 2020 Historic East Route 66, from roughly 2-10 p.m. Find them on Facebook or call (623) 694-2108 for updates on locations and operating times.
The government does not propose to introduce a system of single window clearance for industries by relaxing the environmental protection laws, the Lok Sabha was told today.

Minister of State for Mahesh Sharma said that the government also does not propose to amend the protection laws to promote major projects.

"The government does not proposes to amend the protection laws so as to promote major projects.

"The government does not propose to introduce a system for single window clearance for industries all over the country by relaxing the environmental protection laws," he said.

However, he maintained that to bring more transparency in the environment, forest and wildlife approval processes for development projects, the ministry has rolled out a single window system for submission of application from July, 2014 at the central level.

It also rolled out a single window system for submission of application from July 2015 at state level in the state Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and on June 18, 2016 at district level in the District level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA).

Environment ministry is the nodal ministry for implementation of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981 and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 for enforcing environmental protection, he said.

Asked whether the government has conducted any study regarding the functioning of the green tribunal, he replied in the negative.

He said the structure, procedure and functioning of National Green Tribunal are governed by the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 and the National Green Tribunal (Manner of Appointment of Judicial and Expert Members Salaries, Allowances and other Terms and Conditions of Service of Chairperson and other Members and Procedure for Inquiry) Rules, 2010.

"There is no amendment proposed in the Constitution and functions of the National Green Tribunal.

"The relevant provisions under the NGT Act, 2010 have been amended vide Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal and other Authorities (Qualifications, Experience and other Conditions of Service of Members) Rules, 2017 notified on 01.06.2017 by the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance under the Finance Act, 2017," he said.

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Export of oilmeal, used as animal feed, dropped by 22 per cent to 2.36 lakh tonnes in December from 3.01 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period, but total shipments this fiscal are likely to remain higher, industry body SEA said today.

Oilmeal shipments during April-December of the current fiscal rose to 20.90 lakh tonnes from 11.69 lakh tonnes in the same period of the last year, it said in a statement.

The recent government initiatives have made "Indian oilmeal more competitive in the world market and may result in larger export of oilmeal during the current year," Mumbai- based Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA) said.

The government has hiked import duty on edible oils and raised incentives under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) for soyabean meal to 7 per cent from 5 per cent.

SEA said that oilmeal export has revived this year, after two difficult years, but is still lower than earlier years when annual shipments stood at 40 to 45 lakh tonnes.

Of the total oilmeal exported in December 2017, soybean meal stood at 1.68 lakh tonnes, rapeseed meal at 32,832 tonnes , groundnut meal at 5,015 tonnes, ricebran extraction at 5,200 tonnes and castorseed meal at 24,052 tonnes.

Vietnam, South Korea, France, Bangladesh, Thailand and Germany are major export destinations.

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activity in December registered 13 per cent year-on-year growth, but there was a marginal decline on monthly basis, says a report.

However, the outlook looks bullish and job scenario is expected to improve this year, the report said.

The Monster Employment Index for December stood at 291, registering a jump of 13 per cent from the corresponding period last year, while e-recruitment activity saw a 2 per cent decline over November 2017.

"Monster Employment Index is exhibiting a relative slowdown in the pace of hiring activity in December 2017," Sanjay Modi, Managing Director, Monster.com, APAC & Middle- East said, adding that the bearish response towards recruitment activities also reiterates the growing need for up-skilling in the country.

Modi said India's hiring outlook in 2017 was dampened due to the introduction of radical reforms such as demonetisation, implementation of GST and a new bankruptcy regime. But these reforms would help Indian economy in mid to long term with creation of more jobs, he said.

"The biggest expectation out of the Union Budget 2018-19 would be a higher focus on job creation in key labour intensive industry sectors like manufacturing and infrastructure. We are quite optimistic that job scenario will improve in 2018," he said.

As per the report, online demand surpassed the year-ago level in 19 of the 27 industry sectors monitored by the Index. Sectorwise, Home Appliance continued to lead the year-on-year growth chart, followed by Banking/ Financial Services, Insurance space.

City-wise data showed that, Kolkata (up 50 per cent) recorded the most notable annual growth rate among all monitored cities, followed by Baroda (up 36 per cent) and Jaipur (up 32 per cent). Amongst metros, Delhi NCR (up 4 per cent) witnessed the slowest growth in e-recruitment activity.

The Monster Employment Index is a broad and comprehensive monthly analysis of online job posting activity in India conducted by Monster India.
Shri Rajput Karni Sena chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi today called upon the community members to gather in Chittorgarh on January 27 and push for a complete ban on the controversial Sanjay Leela Bhansali film 'Padmavati'.

"Members of the Rajput community will gather in Chittorgarh on January 27 to give a clear message that the sacrifice of Rani Padmavati has not gone in vein. Anyone who supports our call of banning the film can join us in Chittorgarh," Kalvi said at a press conference here.

He said that they will not let the film to be released at any cost.

A panel that reviewed the film in a special screening has expressed views that some of the facts presented in the film can upset the Rajputs and the Muslims both, but the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief has ignored that, he added.

Kalvi said that it was high time the Centre and the state government set an example by not allowing the film to release.

He said that Bhansali had earlier maintained that the film was based on history, later he said it was a period drama and now he has said that it was a fiction.

"Till now, he has not been able to clarify his point," he added.

On December 30, the CBFC, headed by Prasoon Joshi, had announced that the Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone-starrer 'Padmavati' would be given a U/A certificate and suggested that the director changed the film's title to 'Padmavat'.

It had also suggested certain modifications in the disclaimer of the film, making it clear that it did not glorify the practice of "Sati", and relevant changes in the song, "Ghoomar", to befit the character portrayed in it.

The CBFC had clarified that the U/A certificate would be issued to the film once the modifications were carried out and the final material was submitted.

The film got stuck in a controversy after various Rajput groups alleged that it distorted history, a claim repeatedly denied by Bhansali.

As the anti-Padmavati protests spread across various states, the film's December 1 release was deferred as it did not have a clearance from the censor board.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US has appeared unperturbed that its suspension of security aid to Pakistan would bring Islamabad closer to China and insisted that the two relationships are different.

"I believe they (Pakistan) do want to build strong relations with both countries. But what they get from China is not necessarily going to be the same thing to get from the US and vice versa," a State Department official told reporters.

"We (US) don't have the capacity to direct state banks and state companies to invest USD 55 billion dollars in Pakistan. But at the same time China does not have the capacity to provide the highest quality military equipment in the world," the official said.

The official was responding to question that the latest American move would push Pakistan towards China.

"We have no problem with Pakistan and China's relationship. China has invested a significant amount and plans to invest significant amount more," the official said.

"Pakistan is in need of economic development and economic growth. In so far as China's able to contribute to that that will contribute to Pakistan's stability and security and economic well-being. And that's perfectly. That's totally fine. That's a good thing," the official said.

Noting that Pakistan and China have had a longstanding and very strong relationship, the official asserted that that relationship has never come at the expense of US-Pak ties.

"I think Pakistan clearly understands that our relationship and what we bring to the table internationally is different than China. And they shouldn't want to choose between China and the United States and they do want to build strong relations with both countries," the State Department official said.

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The Pakistani Army today resorted to shelling and also fired from small arms and automatic weapons along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

The Indian Army retaliated strongly.

"Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked firing of small arms and automatic weapons and also shelling from late this afternoon in Shahpur sector of Poonch district along the LoC," a police officer said.

Indian troops replied back, he said.

On the night of January 3, Pakistan troops had resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatic weapons and mortars along the LoC in Rajouri sector.

The same morning, Pakistan Rangers violated the ceasefire and resorted to sniper fire on a forward post along the International Border (IB) in Hiranagar sector of Samba district killing BSF Head Constable R P Hazra.

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Capping airfares will push up ticket costs, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said today after a Parliamentary panel recommended "fixing an upper limit" for air tickets and restricting cancellation charges to 50 per cent of the base fare.

The report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture noted that "airlines are charging more than ten times of the advance booking fare" and that "deregulatory environment does not mean unlimited freedom of exploitation", while urging the government to intervene.

"The Ministry of Civil Aviation, though aware of the rampant exploitation is not showing any proactive role in regulating the airfares.

"The committee therefore recommends that Ministry of Civil Aviation to consider fixing an upper limit of the air ticket for every sector," says the report which was tabled in Rajya Sabha yesterday.

The Aviation Minister told reporters that there were only 1.7 per cent of cases where fares were higher than normal, and putting a cap on them will result in pushing up fares for 98 per cent of the cases.

"We did an analyses and we took up ticketing of an entire year and we realised 1.7 per cent of the ticketing was a matter of concern and that was mostly on certain sectors. If we go into floors and caps, we will be pushing up the cost for 98 per cent to reduce the cost for less than 2 per cent," Raju told reporters outside Parliament.

Junior avaiation minister Jayant Sinha said that dynamic pricing practiced by Indian airlines is a global practice.

"Dynamic pricing in our country is a global practice and we have not seen that our airlines are doing anything apart from global practices," he said.

He added that if anyone had a complaint they could approach the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Competition Commission of India.

The Parliamentary panel has said that "pricing mechanisms applicable in the developed countries may not be suitable for India", adding that despite a fall in ATF prices, airlines have not passed on the benefits to the passengers.

The report has also highlighted "arbitrary" cancellation charges.

"There is no uniformity or minimum standards to impose charges for rescheduling, cancellation and no-show. Attractive offers by private airlines veil the fact that passengers are charged the entire ticket amount if they want to cancel the tickets.

"The airlines must be restricted to charging not more than 50 per cent of the base fare as cancellation charges," said the report titled "Issues related to improving consumer satisfaction of airlines".
A Parliamentary panel has slammed low-cost carrier IndiGo for "discourteous and rude" behaviour of its employees towards passengers, saying it was an "institutional" problem, and urged the 'market leader' to adopt a consumer-friendly approach.

The observations, made in the report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, follow a video that went viral last year showing IndiGo ground staff allegedly assaulting a passenger.

"The Committee observes that the problem affecting the airlines are not personal, it is institutional. An institution like IndiGo has to develop a consumer-friendly approach in dealing with their passengers," said the report tabled in Rajya Sabha.

It added, "the Committee believes that being a leader in market share, IndiGo needs to look inward and find out the reasons for the discourteous attitude and rude and indifferent behaviour of their employees, whether it is their cabin crew or the ground staff."



The panel emphasised that the "arrogant behaviour of employees should stop".

Responding to media queries regarding the panel's observations, Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju merely said, "everyone should behave properly".

A member of the committee, while making a general observation about various airlines, said, "the attitude of airline staff is as if they are on some high ground and the passengers are like herds, as if passengers are uneducated and illiterate ones who do not know anything, who have not flown before."



"Occasionally, the airlines staff murmur 'please' and 'thank you' but beyond that their attitude is rude," the member said, alleging that the ground staff "is worse" than cabin crew.

A scuffle took place between a passenger and an IndiGo ground staff in October on the Delhi airport tarmac.

The government has told Parliament that the regulatory body Directorate General of Civil Aviation came to know of the incident only after almost a month through the social media and ordered an inquiry.

In a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, IndiGo had apologised for the incident.

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The Press Council of India (PCI) has sought a report from the Uttarakhand government over its order banning the entry of "outsiders" in government offices at the secretariat.

The Uttarakhand government had claimed that the decision was taken in view of the agenda of Cabinet meetings being leaked to media on several occasions in the recent past.

The local media, however, interpreted the order to be a move to reduce systemic transparency. Members of the media felt the order was meant to deny them direct access to information by the government.

"Taking suo motu cognisance of the issue, the PCI chairman had ordered to immediately call a report in the matter from the chief secretary of Government of Uttarakhand," a PCI release said.

PCI chairman Chandramauli Kumar Prasad "felt that prima facie, the action of the Uttarakhand government impinged on the freedom of the press," it said.

The order states that outsiders cannot directly make an entry into government offices at the state secretariat.

In case of an urgency, they can meet the employee or official concerned at the reception, it says.

Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh, however, had clarified that the directive was issued to ensure that only authentic information reached the media and was not an attempt to withhold information or to reduce systemic transparency.

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The of religion, if not checked, could give rise to "many Hafiz Saeeds" among Hindus, Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar said here today.

"The of religion can become uncontrollable if it is not checked and it can give rise to many Hafiz Saeeds among the Hindus," he said, referring to the Pakistan-based co- founder of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba.

"This new order, in the name of religion, that is coming into existence is like Hitler-shahi (Hitler's rule)," Ambedkar said, addressing the gathering at a programme, organised to mark the birth anniversary of former Satna MP, late Sukhlal Kushwaha.

Referring to the recent violence in Maharashtra over the 200th anniversary celebrations of the battle of Bhima- Koregaon, Ambedkar, who had subsequently called for a bandh which brought life in Mumbai and elsewhere in the state to a halt, said, "People belonging to Hindutva organisations attacked those from the backward classes.

"We are demanding that the (Maharashtra) government arrest those who were involved, but the government appears to be helpless. It is the government's responsibility to act and if not checked immediately, it (violence against Dalits) may spread to the other states."



He urged the backward class communities to recognise their electoral strength and vote only for backward class, Dalit and tribal candidates, so that they could control the reins of power.

Referring to the BJP-led government at the Centre, Ambedkar said, "If it comes to power again, even the right to speak, which we are enjoying now, will be taken away. Therefore, we have to fight to save this right and the Constitution."



The former MP, who is the grandson of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar, urged the Congress to declare backward class leader and the president of the party's Madhya Pradesh unit, Arun Yadav, its chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming state Assembly election.

"If the Congress fails to do so, we will have to choose our own way," he said.

Arun Yadav and former JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav were also present at the meeting.

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A Flagstaff hunting outfitter was order to pay $30,000 in restitution after allegedly failing to provide services to 10 consumers, according to the Arizona Attorney Generals Office.

The consumers all filed complaints to Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich against Sonoran Outfitters Adventures LLC, and its owner, Todd Basil Rice.

The local company advertised and sold hunting, guiding and trophy delivery services in Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and Mexico. Sonoran Outfitters Adventures failed to delivery those services to at least 10 customers, according to the Attorney Generals Office.

All of the customers live out of state and planned to travel to Arizona and Mexico for guided hunts for deer and bighorn sheep.

Rice's lawyer, Kathryn Mahady of the Flagstaff law firm Aspey, Watkins and Diesel, said the settlement with the attorney general's office was the most "economical means of resolving the case," and that Rice and his company are not admitting any wrongdoing.

"Sonoran Outfitters did not admit to fraud in the judgment it entered with the Attorney General and there is, of course, very much more to the story than the one document provides." Mahady wrote in an official statement sent via email. "Sonoran Outfitters determined that settling the matter was the most economical means of resolving the case, which had been pending for over a year and was making it very difficult for the company to continue running its small business based out of Flagstaff."

The order also requires the hunting company to pay $30,000 in restitution to any new customers who file valid consumer fraud claims against the company within 90 days.

The consent judgment resolves a consumer fraud lawsuit filed against Sonoran Outfitters by the Attorney Generals Office in 2017. The judgment bars Sonoran Outfitters from performing future hunting, guiding and trophy delivery services as promised to consumers unless Sonoran Outfitters fully refunds all payments. Sonoran Outfitters must also adequately explain in writing all terms of any non-refundable deposit and pay another $10,000 in civil penalties to the state.

However, Mahady wrote that the statement Sonoran Outfitters can not operate until restitution is paid was inaccurate.

"Sonoran Outfitters is operating, has many hunting trips booked for clients in 2018 and provided hundreds of successful hunting trips in 2017, 2016, and since its inception in 2005," Mahady wrote. "The company will pay the restitution identified in the judgment as soon as possible and does not intend to appeal the judgment."

Attorney General Spokeswoman Mia Garcia said that Sonoran Outfitters could operate as long as the company full refunds any cancelled trips.

To file a complaint against Sonoran Outfitters Adventures, or if you believe you have been the victim of consumer fraud, you can file a consumer complaint by contacting the Attorney Generals Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6648, or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at (800) 352-8431. Bilingual consumer protection staff members are available to assist. Consumers can also file complaints online by visiting the Attorney Generals website at https://www.azag.gov/complaints/consumer.
A Delhi court will pronounce on December 8 its order on granting bail to two persons arrested in a case of alleged corruption in the Rs 2,150 crore re- development project of ITPO Complex at Pragati Maidan, in which NBCC chairman-cum-managing director Anoop Mittal has been made an accused.

Special judge Arvind Kumar reserved order on the bail applications of Sanjay Kulkarni, managing director of Capacite Structures, and Ghaziabad-based middleman Rishabh Agrawal, after hearing arguments from defence advocates and the CBI.

In their applications, both the accused had submitted that no purpose will be served by keeping them in further custody.

Kulkarni's advocate Vijay Aggarwal told the court that his client was not required for further custody.

The probe agency opposed the applications saying that the accused might hamper the investigation which it claimed was in initial stage and cited the possibility that both might flee from justice.

The agency had booked Mittal, Kulkarni, Agrawal, and two others -- public servant Pradeep Mishra and Akashdeep Chouhan, who allegedly delivered the bribe -- in case on December 22.

It alleged in the FIR that the contract to redevelop the prime land at Pragati Maidan was awarded to Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Pvt. Ltd. and Shapoorji Pallonji Qatar WLL for Rs 2,149.93 crore by NBCC, and Mumbai-based Capacite Structures was trying to get that work from Shapoorji Pallonji on sub-contract.

Kulkarni had approached Agrawal, the middleman, having good contacts with public servants for getting the sub- contract in favour of the company, it alleged.

The FIR alleged Agrawal approached Pradeep Kumar Mishra, a public servant in an intelligence agency who was on deputation and was also close to certain senior functionaries of NBCC Ltd.

Under the influence of Mishra, Mittal "strongly directed" the executive director of NBCC to settle the matter in favour of Capacite Structures, it alleged.

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Congress president Rahul Gandhi today met a delegation of Communist Party of China leaders and discussed various issues.

"Met with the CPC Delegation led by Mr Meng Xiangfeng, member of the CPC Central Committee for a meaningful exchange of views," Gandhi tweeted.

He also posted two pictures of his meeting on the micro blogging site.

Gandhi had earler stroked a controversy when he met the Chinese ambassador in Delhi at the height of Doklam border standoff between the two countries.

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The Rashtriya Kisan Manch today accused the Uttar Pradesh government of being anti-farmer and alleged that it was not allowing farmers and organisations to raise genuine issues.

Rashtriya Kisan Manch chairman Shekhar Dixit told reporters here that the Sitapur district administration had denied permission to the organisation to hold a peaceful demonstration against a private sugar mill.

"The denial of permission to hold the peaceful protest shows the dual face of the UP government. On one hand, it talks about doubling farmers' income, on the other, it does not provide opportunity to farmers and bodies working for the welfare of farmers to raise genuine issues," he claimed.

He said the organisation would hold a peaceful protest outside a private sugar mill in Biswa area of Sitapur on Sunday.

"It is very painful to see farmers standing outside the mill with sugarcane braving cold weather, but the factory management is least bothered about them," he alleged.

The Rashtriya Kisan Manch chief also warned that they would gherao the UP Assembly in the future, if the state government did not change its attitude towards the farmers.

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Disney is in negotiation with director Ridley Scott to helm "The Merlin Saga".

Oscar-winning screenwriter Philippa Boyens has written the script for the film, which is based on T A Barron's books.

The series follows the story of a young Merlin who would go on to become the mentor of the classic literary character King Arthur.

Disney is also in talks with Scott's production company Scott Free to produce the project along with Gil Netter, reported Variety.

Tendo Nagenda and Foster Driver are overseeing the project for the studio.

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Rajya Sabha today bade farewell to three of its veteran members --Karan Singh, Janardan Dwivedi and Parvez Hashmi, who would be retiring later this month.

Speakers from both sides showered praise on them for their contributions in the House.

All the three retiring MPs were elected from Delhi. The farewell was held today on the last day of the Winter Session as their actual retirement date of January 27 would fall in the inter-session period.

Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said his veteran party colleague Karan Singh had become the Head of State of Jammu and Kashmir at the age of 18 years and was probably the youngest person in the world to be elected such a post.

Hashmi was not present in the House at the time of farewell.

During his 57 political career, 86-year old Karan Singh got the opportunity to interact with all the Prime Ministers, right from Jawaharlal Nehru till Narendra Modi, Azad said, adding that he had either been in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha for four terms each.

Despite being born in a royal family and holding high political posts, Singh never touched liquor, cigarettes or even paan throughout his life and always remained humble, Azad said.

He also recalled Dwivedi's association with the socialist movement. Dwivedi, 72, completed his third term as Rajya Sabha MP.

Regarding 63-year old Hashmi, Azad said he hoped his retiring party colleague would remain active in in future too.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the three retiring members have contributed significantly to the deliberations of the House and parliamentary committees.

They have also contributed in the process of "nurturing and strengthening" parliamentary democracy and enhancing the dignity and prestige of the Rajya Sabha.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad recalled his interactions with Karan Singh and Dwivedi.

The minister said in Karan Singh, he saw a 'philospher King', as envisaged by Aristotle. Of late, he said, Singh has stopped writing and urged the veteran Congress leader to continue writing.

Prasad showered praises on Dwivedi for promoting Hindi in a simple and easy way.

In his brief speech, Karan Singh said Parliament has evolved in the last 50 years, but all changes have not been positive.

Stating that earlier both the Houses used to witness brilliant debates, Singh said now such "debates have become rare and disruptions have become more frequent", and called upon the members to introspect.

He said he got opporutunities to interact with Nehru till Modi and all of them worked in their own ways to build a New India, as envisaged by the first Prime Minister.

He said he came to Delhi as a young man of 36 and was retiring as an "idealistic old man".

As Karan Singh completed his speech, Naidu commented that hearing him was a "feast".

Dwivedi, who completed three terms as a Rajya Sabha MP, said generally farewell became like an "obituary reference" but today was different. He said he had spent 57 years in ever since he entered Allahabad University in the 1960-61 academic session.

Dwivedi said he had a great respect and regard for those who were born in poor families and emerged as successful persons, as also for the ordinary party workers who become big leaders.

"From a philosophic point of view, our sympathy and goodwill could be with the pain and sufferings of the poor. But if one has not lived that pain or suffered it, then one cannot become a true and complete leader. Nor can one become a complete intellectual. I have held this belief right from the beginning, Dwivedi said.

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Russia today requested closed-door talks ahead of a UN Security Council meeting called by the United States to discuss anti-government protests in Iran, diplomats said.

Moscow is accusing Washington of interfering in Iranian affairs and opposes discussion of the demonstrations at the top UN body.

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Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov today said Washington is "looking for reasons" to pressure Iran on its nuclear programme.

Ryabkov was responding to US Vice President Mike Pence who this week said Washington will "not remain silent on Iran" and called for a replacement to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.

"If (the US) is looking for reasons to increase pressure on Iran that have nothing to do with the (nuclear) deal, and that's how it looks like from what we see, then this is an unworthy method that should not be used by a great power," Ryabkov said.

The 2015 Iran deal gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.

"We see no reason whatsoever to change the Iran deal," he added.

Earlier this week Ryabkov warned Washington against interfering in Iran's "internal affairs" after US President Donald Trump pledged to help Iranians "take back" their government following protests.

US President Donald Trump tried to ramp up pressure on what he called a "brutal and corrupt regime" in Iran amid anti-government protests in the country this week.

Much of Trump's response has focused on playing up perceived errors in foreign policy by the Obama administration, including the 2015 Iran deal.

The United States imposed sanctions on five Iranian companies it alleges are working on part of the Islamic republic's illegal ballistic missile programme.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin linked the measure to recent anti-government protests, arguing that Iran ought to spend more on public welfare than on banned weapons.

Protests over economic problems broke out in Iran's second largest city Mashhad on December 28 and quickly spread across the country, turning against the regime as a whole.

Tens of thousands of Iranians took to the streets in several cities on Wednesday for pro-regime rallies.

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As part of its corporate social initiative (CSR), country's largest lender State Bank of India today donated Rs 23.74 lakh to an NGO, Save the Children India, for the purchase of school bus.

The NGO runs a school for the betterment of children with special needs in the city.

"Through this initiative, we aim to encourage among underprivileged students with special needs. We believe that providing them with the necessary resources will not only help them build a better future for themselves, but also give them a sense of independence," the bank's managing director (retail and digital banking) P K Gupta told reporters here today.

The bus will make hassle free commute for these students who travel to the school from different locations in the city, he said.

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The Supreme Court today defreezed three bank accounts of Mumbai-based Adarsh cooperative housing society allowing it to withdraw amount of around Rs one crore for maintenance and litigation cost.

The bank accounts, which the society claimed to have opened to meet litigation cost by the members, were frozen by CBI during the probe into the 2010 Adarsh scam.

A bench of Justices J Chelameswar and Sanjay Kishan Kaul said that bank accounts will be defreezed and the society will deposit security of immovable assets to the satisfaction of special court at Mumbai.

Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora said that the amount lying in these bank accounts had nothing to do with the investigation as it was collected by the members of society to meet litigation cost.

She said that after first FIR was registered in the case, the society members came forward to contribute Rs 2 lakh each to meet the expenses of litigation.

The arguments were opposed by the counsel appearing for the CBI, who said that amount need not be allowed to be withdrawn as it is very important to establish the money trail.

He said that Adarsh society is a "building of shame" and several benami properties were found.

"These accounts had benami transactions and if money is allowed to be withdrawn then it will be very difficult for the agency to prove the cash trail," he said.

The bench, however, said that the CBI can easily establish money trail as nothing can be erased from the transaction details, and defreezed the bank accounts.

The Adarsh scam had kicked up a political storm leading to the resignation of the then Congress chief minister of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan. The 31-storey Adarsh apartments was built at Colaba in posh South Mumbai locality for 1999 Kargil war heroes and war widows.

The Bombay High Court had earlier ordered demolition of the apartments and sought initiation of criminal proceedings against politicians and bureaucrats for alleged misuse of powers, holding that the tower was illegally constructed.

It had asked the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to carry out the demolition at the expense of Adarsh Society.

It had also asked the Centre and Maharashtra government to consider initiating civil and criminal proceedings against bureaucrats, ministers and politicians for misuse and abuse of power to get plots under the scheme, originally meant for Kargil war heroes and war widows.

The top court in July last year had said that the Adarsh apartments would not be demolished for the time being and asked the Centre to secure it after taking its possession from the housing society.

In 2011, the Maharashtra government had set up a two- member judicial commission headed by Justice J A Patil to inquire into the Adarsh scam.

After probing the issue for over two years, it submitted its report in 2013, which found that there had been 25 illegal allotments, including 22 purchases made by proxy.

Later, the CBI, the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate (ED) also investigated the scam.

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The Supreme Court today expressed "shock" over the fact that criminal appeals at Allahabad High Court are pending since 1980s while the Madhya Pradesh High Court has a pendency of over 70,000 cases since 1994.

Concerned over the figures on pending cases cited in the reports of Allahabad and Madhya Pradesh high courts, the top court said that "something needs to be done" to contain the alarming situation.

"We at present don't know what could be done but certainly we will try to do something. This is very concerning situation. Some of the matters are taken up for hearing in two to three decades," a bench of justices J Chelameswar and Sanjay Kishan Kaul said.

In its report, the Madhya Pradesh High Court said that it has total of 71,474 cases pending since 1994, in its three branches--Jabalpur, Indore and Gwalior.

The total number of appeals where the sentence is life imprisonment are 15,424.

As many as 21,662 appeals where the sentence is up to three years for petty offences are pending since 1995 while appeals where sentence is more than than three years and up to five years are 8,442.

Appeals of convicts, who have challenged their sentence of more than five years and less than life imprisonment are 15,040 which are pending since 1994.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has three pending appeals challenging capital punishment including two at its principal bench at Jabalpur which are pending since 2017.

The total number of other criminal appeals including state appeals are 10,903.

The high court said that last year till September 30, 2017, it had decided 4,118 such appeals and that now a dedicated bench sits on Saturday of every week to adjudicate the criminal appeals.

"This Saturday benches has enabled for speedy disposal of 944 such appeals pending since decades. There is shortage of judges which has to some extent resulted in backlog of cases," counsel appearing for the MP High Court said.

The apex court, however, said that in some high courts the situation is better like in Madras and Andhra Pradesh high courts.

The court was hearing two petitions including one filed by an individual and an NGO 'Lawyers for Justice' and appointed senior advocate M N Rao as amicus curiae to assist in the matter.

The top court had earlier appointed senior advocates C U Singh and Shyam Diwan as amicus curiae to assist in the matter.

Advocate Navin Prakash appearing for the NGO said that this situation has resulted in convicts completing maximum sentence for the offence in jail with their appeal challenging their conviction still pending in high courts.

Advocate Dushyant Prashar appearing for petitioner Ramu said that he is languishing in jail for the past 12 years with his appeal still pending in Allahabad high court.

The bench then called for a report of superintendent of Unnao district jail in Uttar Pradesh with regard to Ramu, who is an accused in a murder case.

On September 4, last year, the top court had said that it is a "troubling situation" and sought a report from registrar general of Madhya High Court on the pendency of cases before it.

In March last year, it had sought report from the Allahabad High Court on the status of criminal appeals pending with it.

The petitioners have sought bail for those convicts whose pleas are not likely to be taken up for hearing by the high court in near future.

The NGO had challenged the order of Madhya Pradesh High Court holding that pendency of appeals cannot be the only ground for grant of bail.

It had said that by the time the appeals are taken up for hearing, the convicts would have served the maximum sentence for the offence and their petitions challenging conviction becomes infructous.

The apex court had earlier identified Allahabad High Court as its pilot project for the implementation of guidelines suggested by amicus curiae.

"It is a common experience that the jails in the country are generally overcrowded and the living conditions thereof, barring a few, are poor, nay pitiable, very often exposing the inmates to dehumanising compulsions," the apex court had said.

It had said that there are instances where the criminal appeals against conviction have been rendered infructuous as the convict during the pendency had served the terms of imprisonment imposed on them.

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PHOENIX  About one in five, 43.8 million, or 18.5 percent: Those represent the number of people in the United States who experience mental illness in a given year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death in young people ages 10 to 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Despite these numbers, there are no standards for mental health education in Arizona schools. Each school district decides whether or how it will teach mental health in health classes. Several organizations and schools within the state and elsewhere the U.S. are trying to change the conversation for their students.

The southern Arizona chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness recently received a planning grant. The next step is a supplemental grant to build the program statewide.

Ending the Silence

According to NAMI Southern Arizonas website, its main goal is to educate and overcome the ignorance, misinformation, misconceptions and apathy that prevent true understanding and meaningful help from reaching persons with serious mental illness.

I think that our perception is that many, if not all, of the underlying difficulties that individuals who have mental illness struggle with ultimately stem from stigma surrounding those disorders, H. Clarke Romans, executive director of NAMI Southern Arizona, said when asked why he and his chapter wanted to develop a statewide mental health education program.

The Tucson-based David and Lura Lovell Foundation, which supports mental health and education issues, funded the development in August of a research-based, data-proven program for Arizona schools.

The national NAMI group has created a program, Ending the Silence, that has been used in several districts in the Tucson area. But the NAMI chapter needs money to expand the program across Arizona. It will learn in January whether it received the funds to turn its proposal into reality.

Ending the Silence is a classroom presentation for middle and high school students designed to raise awareness and reduce stigma surrounding mental illness.

This education program was originally developed by a NAMI affiliate in a suburb of Chicago, Romans said. The way they implemented the program there, in those middle schools and high schools, was to give a classroom presentation that consisted of two people.

One of those people is a young person who has experienced mental health struggles while in school. The other person gives out general information about what mental illness is, what the prevalence is and some resources. About six weeks after these presentations, the program does a follow-up survey to see what the students have retained and if they have put this new knowledge into action.

The very encouraging feedback was that these follow-up surveys were showing that about 16 to 19 percent of the students were actually taking some action, Romans said.

After hearing these results, Romans said NAMI took the program and distributed it to affiliates across the country. NAMI has about 900 affiliates.

Romans and the southern Arizona chapter have already been presenting the program to schools for years. Thats in part why his chapter was awarded the grant to revamp and prove the program can work across all Arizona schools.

He said NAMI Southern Arizona recently participated in a data-gathering research study by the University of Hartford in Connecticut to formalize the results of the Ending the Silence program.

As one of the affiliates participating, NAMI Southern Arizona went through all of the steps in the original program, but added a control group to help ground the research and take the circumstantial phenomena out of the equation.

One of the reasons they needed this control group is, for example, if there is a shooting in Columbine, Colorado or Tucson, Arizona, at least for a small amount of time, the awareness and discussion of mental illness will go up, Romans said. Then after a month later it may go down to what Ill call normal levels of awareness and discussion.

Lisa Cole, 32, a young adult presenter with Ending the Silence, calls the program quite remarkable. Her role is to provide the personal perspective of someone who struggled with mental health growing up.

I go as far back as 7 or 8 years old because I know for me personally, thats when my symptoms really started to show themselves, Cole said. I talk about how I felt in high and middle school and how much I struggled. I continue from there to talk about my 20s when I was finally diagnosed correctly with bipolar disorder.

Cole said her father accompanies her to these events because she also has cerebral palsy. She said for her dad, hearing Cole speak has a profound effect on him each time.

He shared recently that he really wishes that something like Ending the Silence had been available to him when he was young, she said.

She said being a speaker with NAMI Southern Arizona has helped her own recovery, as recovery is not linear in any way. She said talking with young students is very important to her.

The earlier a problem is addressed the more likely someone is to find the appropriate resources and get better, Cole said. I think thats kind of at the forefront for me anyway. If theyre not exposed to it, then their symptoms are going to keep escalating and get worse.

Mental health in the classroom

Gerald Todd, a content specialist for health and physical education in the Phoenix Union High School District, said having a health education requirement is important to his district.

Each district has a certain amount of electives they can use to determine what they want to use as far as graduation, Todd said. Health is one of those classes that the Phoenix Union has determined that you must have to graduate.

Health education in the district is a half-credit requirement taken for one semester. Todd said in health classes, students talk about several facets of mental health and even include an assessment for students to learn about their individual personalities and possible predispositions.

That lets our kids kind of have an idea of what possible things may affect them or that they may fall in line with, Todd said. We say this is not a professional assessment  because we dont have the right to diagnose  but that this is an assessment that kind of gives you an idea of something you may possess.

Health classes are introduced to students at the ninth-grade level and Todd said organizations come into classrooms to have conversations with students, similar to Ending the Silence. One of those programs is called Bloom 365.

They came into several of the schools last year, he said. They do their program for seven days and they talk about everything from mental to physical health. And from reports I have seen, it seems to be received really, really well.

Jo Ann Hoffert, who speaks in classrooms as part of the Ending the Silence program, said sometimes students are squeamish.

I think some people are really uncomfortable with it and theyll get up and walk out of the room, said Hoffert, whose adult daughter had a psychotic break. I think that if we emphasize more to the younger children that its OK and theres help, that maybe theyll feel more comfortable with it and be able to help themselves.

Students also can take handouts home to their families.

Well say, Please take them home because you probably know more about mental illness now than your parents do, she said. There was never any education about it.

Creating the conversation

The 2016 Arizona Child Fatality Review from the Arizona Department of Health Services reported that 768 children in Arizona died the previous year and 47 were from suicide. Of those 47 deaths, 98 percent were determined to be preventable.

Suicide is an epidemic. Its the number two killer of all kids right now. Thats so scary, said Jennifer Vogel Rogers, co-founder of Speak Up, Stand Up, Save a Life. That means people arent talking about it.

Similarly to Romans, Rogers and her other two co-founders, Gina Godbehere and Lily Matos DeBlieux, saw a need to create a conversation in Arizona about students mental health.

They created a student-led, one-day annual conference at Grand Canyon University that includes Valley educators, law enforcement personnel, parents and middle-school and high-school students.

The kids talk about what their biggest issues are and its basically conflict solution, Rogers said. So what are the issues that are surrounding your school or you personally? And then what are you going to do to speak up about it? How can we communicate with you?

The conference began when the three co-founders attended a Leadership West event where West Valley police and fire chiefs gathered on a panel to talk about serious issues including school violence, suicide and Black Lives Matter.

The panel discussion came six days after a student murder-suicide at a Glendale high school.

Rogers, a police chief, prosecutor and others said the warning signs had been on social media but no one talked to someone who could have stopped it.

Theres always people talking and communicating. Our problem is, how do we get them to talk to us? Rogers recalled of that moment.

That led to the first Speak Up conference in January. She said they are expecting 5,000 participants at the January 2018 conference.

People say, Oh, is your conference about drug abuse or suicide prevention? Its really about communication. Thats why speak up is the first thing, Rogers said. We have to be good listeners. Communication is not about talking at someone.

She said they felt the student-led conversation was important as it allowed the students to connect with one another.

The future of Silence

Of the estimated 205,000 children ages 3 to 17 in Arizona who live with mental/behavioral health conditions, only about half of them receive treatment, according to the 2016 National Survey of Childrens Health.

According to Mental Health America, in a ranking of states and Washington, D.C., to determine which offered the highest rates of access to mental health care by how prevalent mental health issues are in each state, Arizona ranked 50 out of 51.

The planning grant NAMI Southern Arizona received in August is designed to improve these Arizona numbers, but more importantly, the hope is it will make mental health discussions common and stigma free.

Romans said a part of the planning, called The Collaborative, is to include voices from the community who feel ending the stigma is worth the effort.

A key objective of the proposal is to find several schools across the state that are excited about it and are willing to integrate it. Their main concern isnt that it be in every Arizona high school in three years. Its just important that it does grow.

If we can get 20 school districts to be what Ill call early adopters then I think we will have succeeded, Romans said.

The planning grant will end in January, at which time the chapter will present its findings to the Lovell Foundation board for approval.

I just want the kids to learn about this because Ive been doing this for 40 years and many things have changed, but stigma still remains huge, Romans said.
The Supreme Court today sought the Centre's response on the Kerala Haj Committee's plea alleging that the policy to grant state-wise quota for Haj pilgrims is discriminatory.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud asked the Central government to file its response on the plea within two weeks and posted the petition for hearing on January 30.

The Kerala Haj Committee said the Union of India has been allowed by the UAE government to send 1.7 lakh Haj pilgrims every year and the Central government distributes quota on the basis of the Muslim population in each state.

The Haj committee referred to the example of Bihar and said it gets 12,000 Haj seats against the total number of applicants of 6,900.

In stark contrast, Kerala gets 6,000 seats against 95,000 applicants desirous to go for the Haj pilgrimage, said lawyer Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the committee.

"As a result, every applicant in Bihar gets the opportunity to go for Haj. However, in Kerala, the situation is unpleasant," he said.

He added that there should be an all-India draw of lots to decide who will go on Haj.

The Kerala Haj Committee alleged that the present quota system is discriminatory.

Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, justified the present quota policy saying it had been devised by the Central Haj Committee after considering the suggestions of 31 different state Haj committees.

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The Shiv Sena has hit out at Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for his remarks on sharing river Mahadayi water with neighbouring states, including Karnataka.

Sena's Goa spokesperson Rakhi Prabhudesai-Naik yesterday said, "the chief minister's agreement to give river Mahadayi water to Karnataka was a shocking move for the coastal state, which trusted Parrikar's leadership."



"To make India 'Congress-mukt' (Congress free), BJP and Parrikar are all set to make Goa 'Mahadayi-mukt (Mahadayi free Goa) by stooping down to the lowest level of compromise over the (sharing of) river (water)," Prabhudesai-Naik said in a veiled reference to the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls.

Parrikar had recently said that sharing the water of the Mahadayi river with other states was "inevitable".

"One has to understand that 52 kms of the river runs through Goa, 35 kms through Karnataka and 16 kms through Maharashtra. As such, sharing of water of the Mahadayi river is inevitable as it is passing through all the three states," he had said.

She said the Sena had expected Parrikar to "fight like a real son of the soil" against all the attempts to share even a drop of water from the Mahadayi river.

"The statement by Parrikar that it is inevitable for Goa to give share of Mahadayi river water to Karnataka has completely exposed him and his party," the Sena spokesperson said.

She said her party disagreed with Parikar's stand on the issue.

"The explanation given by Parrikar on why he has toned down his stand is completely unacceptable. It clearly smacks of his party politics and urge to win Karnataka elections," she alleged.

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BJP chief Amit Shah will be on a three-day tour to the poll-bound north eastern states, Meghalaya and Tripura, starting tomorrow.

Shah will reach Meghalya tomorrow and address a public rally and inaugurate the party's office in Shillong.

He is also expected to address two rallies and attend party meetings in Tripura during his two-day stay on January 7 and 8, a party leader said.

The polls in Tripura and Meghalaya, which have 60 assembly seats each, is likely to be held next month.

In Tripura, the BJP has emerged as the main challenger to the ruling CPI (M), while in Meghalaya it is in contest with the Congress.

Several MLAs, including those from the Congress have joined the BJP ahead of the polls.

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Major Archbishop Cardinal George Alencherry, the head of the Syro-Malabar Church that traces its origins to 42 AD, will formally dedicate the Shamshabad diocese to the Church on January 7 at a function here that will be attended by over 55 bishops and many other dignitaries.

The Pope Francis had announced the creation of the largest Syro-Malabar diocese in the country--the Eparchy of Shamshabad in Hyderabad on October 10 last year.

The diocese has jurisdiction over all the Syro-Malabar Christians in 23 states and two Union territories, excluding those in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and in the jurisdictions of the Kalyan and Faridabad dioceses, making it the largest in the country, the officials of the new diocese said here today.

The other key dignitaries attending the function will be Catholics Bishops Conference of India president Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, over 55 bishops and the sitting Supreme Court judge Kurien Joseph, it said.

The Syro-Malabar Church has 31 dioceses in the country and four outside-in the US, Canada, Australia and Britain- serving over 5 million faithful.

"The new diocese which will be officially inaugurated with the enthronement of its first bishop, Raphael Thattil, will be held at 0930 hrs on January 7, and will serve its 1,30,000 faithful spread in almost 100 cities. It has 11 functional churches and seven under construction and 88 priests," the church said.

Though there are more Syro-Malabar dioceses in the country such as Ujjain, Gorakhpur, Chambal and Satna among others, they are considered mission eparchies managed by Syro-Malabar priests and nuns.

The Syro-Malabar Church is one of the most ancient among the Catholic Churches globally, founded by Apostle Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus, who arrived in Kerala in 52 AD.

This church is also the third-largest church under the Vatican after the Latin Church and Ukrainian Catholic Churches and the name Syro-Malabar is coined from the words Syriac, referring to the East Syriac liturgy and Malabar, the historical name for Kerala.

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today called on Indonesian Vice-President Muhammad Jusuf Kalla and held talks with her counterpart to discuss ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two nations.

Swaraj, who arrived here from Thailand on the second leg of her three-nation tour, was given a warm welcome.

"Engaging discussion on strengthening our strategic partnership, EAM @SushmaSwaraj called on Vice-President of Indonesia, Mr Muhammad Jusuf Kalla #ActEastPolicy," Raveesh Kumar, the Ministry of External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, tweeted after the meeting.

She will also co-chair the fifth meeting of the India- Indonesia Joint Commission with her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi. The ministers will also inaugurate the second meeting of ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks.

"EAM @SushmaSwaraj had a tete-a-tete with Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia ahead of the India-Indonesia Joint Commission Meeting in Jakarta. Reaffirmed our desire to enhance partnership across all sectors," Kumar tweeted.

Swaraj will also call on Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and have other official engagements, including an interaction with the representatives of the Indian community.

As the biggest country in the ASEAN region with the largest economy, Indonesia is an important partner for India including in trade and strategic matters, the Ministry of External Affairs had said before the meeting.

Swaraj will also visit Singapore and there she will inaugurate the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) of ASEAN countries on January 7.

Her three-nation visit is the part of New Delhi's efforts to hold bilateral interactions in various sectors with the countries of South East Asian region within the framework of India's Act East Policy.

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A march by the faithful to the 'Kurishumala' (Mount of the Cross) in nearby Bonacaud today turned violent leading to lathicharge, the police said.

Priests and the faithful under the Neyyantinkara Latin Catholic Diocese took out a procession to instal a new holy cross in the place of one which got damaged a few months ago.

Authorities had yesterday itself informed the Church that they would not be allowed to enter the forest land in violation of rules.

Trouble started as the protesters broke the police barricade and started pelting stones at police, the police said.

The agitators ran helter-skelter when police used lathis to disperse them.

A few policemen and 11 protesters were injured in the melee, the police said.

The injured protesters have been admitted to the medical college hospital here.

The district authorities held talks with the priests present to find a solution to the issue.

The local people consider 'Kurishumala' to be a pilgrimage centre and the faithful visit it on the first Friday of every new near.

The wooden cross was found destroyed in November last year under mysterious circumstances.

Police and forest officials had then stated that the cross got damaged in lightning.

A case is also pending in the Kerala High Court on the matter.

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Police today said that three naxals, including a woman, were apprehended from Eurnagaram area of Jayashankar Bhupalapally district in Telangana.

Police said that 29-year-old Madvi Pande alias Susheela alias Laxmi was the "protection platoon commander" of Katakam Sudharshan, a member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).

She was caught while returning from Mulugu village after getting treatment for an injury she sustained recently, police said.

A police release said that she had participated in several offences in Chhattisgarh and Telangana.

Maoist literature and Rs 35,000 in cash was recovered from the rebels, police said.

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The truncated winter session of Parliament ended today during which the Lok Sabha passed 12 bills and the Rajya Sabha 9, even as the two chambers lost 15 and 34 hours respectively due to disruptions.

The session that started on December 15 ended today with the adjournment of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sine die.

Prime Mnister Narendra Modi was present in both the Houses when they were adjourned.

The highlight of the Lok Sabha proceedings was the passage of the 'triple talaq' bill that seeks to criminalise the practice of instant divorce among Muslims with imprisonment up to three years for the errant husband.

Announcing the adjournment of the lower house, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the session held 13 sittings spread over 61 hours and 48 minutes and lost about 15 hours due to disruptions and adjournments.

"In this session, while we lost over 14 hours and 51 minutes of time due to interruptions followed by forced adjournments. The House also sat late for 8 hours and 10 minutes to discuss various important issues," she said.

In the Upper House, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said though Parliament was a political institution, it "cannot be an extension of politics in its typical sense which is marked by deep divisions and acrimony."



He also urged members to seriously introspect on their conduct in the House which lost almost 34 hours due to frequent disruptions.

Ahead of adjourning the House sine die at 1 PM, Naidu said the session had its highs and lows, but lamented that it ended up "losing some degree of esteem" on account of disruptions.

"It is unfortunate that despite discharging its responsibilities to a great extent, the august House ends up losing some degree of the esteem of the people on account of disruptions and substantial loss of functional time.

"Intense and passionate submissions and debates are the order of democracy, but disruptions are certainly not. I urge upon members to seriously introspect in this regard," he said.

Naidu also said it was "an opportunity for all of us to review, recall and introspect" about how the proceedings have been conducted in the House.

This, he said, was the first full session after he took over as the Chairman, and it could have been better than what it proved to be.

Parliament, he said, is an important institution for furthering the shared socio-economic goals of the nation which are critical to fulfilling the aspirations of the citizens who are the chief patrons of our parliamentary democracy.

"The legislatures of our country including the apex Parliament need to quickly evolve in the way we conduct our proceedings so as to meet the needs of our evolving nation," he said.

Recalling the highs and lows, Naidu said one high point was that the government and the opposition reiterated their commitment to respecting and upholding the high office of the prime minister and ex- prime minister, and hoped this spirit prevails in future.

Another high point of the session, he said, was the way all sections of the House spoke in one voice in a restrained way about Kulbhushan Jadhav meeting his family members in Pakistan.

"This has been an exemplary case of members going beyond party lines on larger issue of common concern," he said.

Naidu said he was glad that leaders of all parties in the House created a record by taking up all listed starred questions on January 2, 2018 after 15 years. The need of the hour is to carry this spirit into the future, he said.

The Lok Sabha passed several important bills during the session including those for raising the salaries of judges, central road fund (amendment) bill, the requisitioning and acquisition of immovable property bill, the national capital territory of Delhi laws (special provisions) second (amendment) bill and the goods and services tax (compensation to states) amendment bill.

The Speaker said 16 bills were introduced by the government in the session.

During the session, she said, 280 starred questions were listed, of which 45 were answered orally. Written replies to the remaining starred questions along with 3220 unstarred questions were tabled.

About 198 matters of urgent public importance were raised by the members who sat till late in the evening.

Standing committees presented 41 Reports to the House.

The Lok Sabha held a short duration discussion on natural calamities in various part of the country, with special reference to cyclone Ockhi in south India.

In the Rajya Sabha, 19 Private Members' Bills were introduced and one was discussed at length. The House also deliberated on important issues like the state of economy and employment generation, besides the high levels of air pollution in Delhi.

The Rajya Sabha also bid farewell to three members - Karan Singh, Janardan Dwivedi and Parvez Hashmi, representing the National Capital Territory of Delhi, who would be retiring on January 27.

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Two Hindu brothers were today shot dead outside their grain shop by bike-borne robbers in Tharparkar district of Pakistan's Sindh province, triggering protests from the minority community.

The victims, identified as Dileep Kumar and Chandar Maheshwari were grain traders and opening their shop in the grain market in Mithi area of the district when the incident took place, the Express Tribune reported.

According to police, in the first ever dacoity incident in the city, bike-borne dacoits tried to snatch the money from the brothers, but when they resisted, the robbers shot them.

Following the incident, traders shut their business in Hindu-dominated areas in the district in protest and people blocked main roads and staged sit-ins, the report said.

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Madrassas in Uttarakhand are yet to comply with a state government order asking educational institutions to install a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi inside their premises, citing "religious considerations".

The order, issued to all government-run educational institutions after the Independence Day last year, asked them to install a picture of the prime minister inside their premises and to take a pledge to implement Modi's vision of building a new India by 2022.

"Madrassas in the state have not installed pictures of the PM because of religious considerations as Islam prohibits installation of pictures of living beings in mosques and madrassas," Deputy Registrar of Uttarakhand Madarsa Board Akhlaq Ahmad told PTI.

However, he said the refusal to install the picture of the prime minister should not be interpreted as their opposition to an individual.

"They aren't opposed to any individual in particular. It is purely due to religious beliefs. Islam does not permit us to install pictures of living beings or individuals, including religious leaders inside mosques or madrassas," Ahmad said.

He said the order was issued by the state government in August last year and was passed on immediately by the Uttarakhand Madarsa Board to the district minority welfare officers for follow-up action.

"We have nothing against any individual. There is a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Uttarakhand Madarsa Board office here and all the board offices in the districts," Ahmad said.

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The UN Security Council went into closed-door talks today on the deadly protests in Iran with Russia and the United States at odds over whether the top UN body should discuss the demonstrations.

Russia requested the consultations and was set to call for a procedural vote to try to block an open meeting requested by the United States on the anti-government demonstrations, which President Donald Trump has openly supported.

Heading into the council chamber, US Ambassador Nikki Haley gave reporters a thumbs-up and answered "yes" when asked if she had the nine votes needed for meeting to go ahead.

For a new agenda item to be discussed at the Security Council, at least nine of the 15 council members must support holding the meeting. No vetoes apply.

Russia accuses the United States of interfering in Iran's national affairs and maintains the protests are not a matter for the council, which deals with threats to international peace and security.

A total of 21 people have died and hundreds have been arrested since December 28 as protests over economic woes turned against the Iranian regime, with attacks on government buildings and police stations.

Pro-regime rallies were held in Tehran after Friday prayers, the third straight day of marches in support of the government, which has declared the unrest over.

Over the past days, the United States has lobbied hard to win support for the Security Council meeting, especially from the six new non-permanent council members, diplomats said.

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The US today said it is concerned about the release of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed from house arrest in Pakistan, but made it clear that this has got nothing to do with the suspension of over USD 1.1 billion in security assistance to Islamabad.

Saeed, the chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), was recently released from house arrest. The US has labelled JuD and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) the "terrorist fronts" for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a group Saeed founded in 1987 and which Washington and India blame for the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people.

"We have certainly expressed our concern about the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks being let out of house arrest in Pakistan. To my knowledge, that has nothing to do with that," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters at her daily conference.

Nauert was responding to a question if the suspension of security assistance was related to Saeed's release.

"There is a USD 10 million reward out for information leading to his re-arrest, the person who is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks who was let go in Pakistan. So we've been very clear about our displeasure with that individual being let go," Nauert said.

A senior State Department official told reporters that the US continues to have conversation with Pakistan not only on the Haqqani network, and Taliban, but also on India-centric terrorist groups like the LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

"We can't continue to have a relationship that has a business as usual with Pakistan. This conversation is not new to this administration. There have been concerns about Pakistan's issue of sanctuaries for the Haqqani network and the Taliban. But we have concerns about their nuclear programme. We have concerns about the ability of anti-India groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish e Mohammed to fundraise and operate," the official who spoke on anonymity said.

"This administration felt that we needed to take additional steps to underscore that we're not going to be able to continue the relationship on autopilot. We can't continue a status quo relationship. We need to be able to move beyond these challenges and put our relationship on a more solid footing," the official said.

Responding to a question, the official disputed the general impression coming out of Pakistan that it will not re-arrest Saeed as being demanded by the US.

"I have not seen them say they're not going to take any of these steps. What the Pakistani government has objected to is our characterisation of the situation on the ground. But I have never heard the Pakistani government say they're not going to re-arrest Hafiz Saeed or they're not going to prosecute him," the official said.

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The Trump administration's decision to suspend over USD 1.1 billion security assistance to Pakistan has nothing to do with Islamabad not taking action against Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, a US official has said.

"We have certainly expressed our concern about the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks being let out of house arrest in Pakistan. To my knowledge, that has nothing to do with that," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters at her daily conference.

Nauert was responding to a question if the suspension of security assistance was related to Hafiz Saeed, the Mumbai attack mastermind who was released by Pakistan on November last year.

"There is a USD 10 million reward out for information leading to his re-arrest, the person who is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks who was let go in Pakistan. So we've been very clear about our displeasure with that individual being let go, and that's why we like to remind people that there is a USD 10 million Rewards for Justice program out for him," Nauert said.

A senior State Department official told reporters that the US continues to have conversation with Pakistan not only on Haqqani network, and Taliban, but also on India-centric terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

"We can't continue to have a relationship that has a business as usual with Pakistan. This conversation is not new to this administration. There have been concerns about Pakistan's issue of sanctuaries for the Haqqani network and the Taliban. But we have concerns about their nuclear programme. We have concerns about the ability of anti-Indian groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish e Mohammed to fundraise and operate," the official who spoke on anonymity said.

Hafiz Saeed who was recently released from house arrest is among the issues that have been a feature of America's conversation with Pakistan for many years.

"This administration felt that we needed to take additional steps to underscore that we're not going to be able to continue the relationship on autopilot. We can't continue a status quo relationship. We need to be able to move beyond these challenges and put our relationship on a more solid footing," the official said.

Responding to a question, the official disputed the general impression coming out of Pakistan that it will not rearrest Hafiz Saeed as being demanded by the US.

"I have not seen them say they're not going to take any of these steps. What the Pakistani government has objected to is our characterisation of the situation on the ground. But I have never heard the Pakistani government say they're not going to re-arrest Hafiz Saeed or they're not going to prosecute him," the official said.

The Pakistani's have clearly indicated that they are unhappy with the public rhetoric of the Trump administration.

"What I would say to that is we had a number of months where we have had very serious conversations and private discussions with them and have not seen the responsiveness that we need. And at some juncture they knew that we were going to take additional steps if they did not respond to the requests that we made to them," the State Department official said.

Appreciating the help of Pakistan in the release of Coleman family, the official said at the same time if there is an ongoing relationship between elements of the security forces in Pakistan and the group that took the Colin Boyle family hostage that is a concern.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Donald Trump is "frustrated" with Pakistan for supporting terror groups and using them as an arm of their foreign policy, US National Security Advisor H R McMaster said, underlining that their relationship can no longer bear the weight of contradictions.

The US and others have long complained that Pakistan offered safe haven to the Afghan Taliban and their allies, the Haqqani Network, allowing them to carry out cross-border attacks in Afghanistan.

Pakistan denies allegations but Trump has escalated the criticism against the country since he took office last January.

"The president is frustrated, and he values what we hope would be a partnership with Pakistan. But he is frustrated at Pakistan's behaviour in that it continues to provide support for these groups, it goes after terrorist groups, really, very selectively, and uses others as an arm of their foreign policy," McMaster was quoted as saying by Voice of America, a Congress-funded US media-outlet.

McMaster was responding to a question on the New Year tweet by Trump in which he said that the "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than USD 33 billion in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools".

The US today suspended over USD 1.15 billion in security aid and the delivery of military equipment to it for failing to clamp down on the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network terror groups and dismantle their safe havens.

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes after President Donald Trump in a New Year's Day tweet.

The suspended amount also include USD 255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

The top national security advisor was interviewed after the tweet, but before the US announcement of suspension of security assistance to Pakistan.

McMaster said Trump has great sympathy for the Pakistani people and in particular, how much they have suffered at the hands of terrorists who have victimised so many Pakistanis with mass murders.

"I mean, so, he empathises with the Pakistani people, and he wants to see the Pakistani government go after these groups less selectively. This is not a blame game, as some would say," he said.

"This is really our effort to communicate clearly to Pakistan that our relationship can no longer bear the weight of contradictions, and that we have to really begin now to work together to stabilise Afghanistan," McMaster said.

"What is frustrating at times is we see Pakistan operating against the interests of its own people by going after these groups only selectively, by providing safe havens and support bases for Taliban and Haqqani network leadership that operate out of Pakistan as they perpetuate hell in portions of Pakistan and in Afghanistan," said the top White House official.

Responding to a question, McMaster appeared to be unworried about China stepping in amidst its deteriorating relationship with the US.

"Well, I don't think...who's going to step in now, I think, and want Pakistan to continue its support for terrorist groups like the Haqqani network, for groups like the Taliban? I mean, certainly it's not in China's interest," he said.

McMaster said China has a terrorist problem on its southern border, a terrorist problem that does have connections back into Pakistan.

"It is not going to be any other country in the region, certainly, who will want Pakistan to continue this, really, pattern of behaviour that we have seen, where it goes after these groups only selectively, while it sustains and supports others who act as an arm of its foreign policy," he said.

Responding to another question, McMaster said that it would "just be unwise" for any Pakistani leader using nuclear weapons "to extort or for blackmail".

Pakistan, he noted, does not want to become North Korea.

"I mean, does Pakistan want to become North Korea? Doesn't look too appealing a model to me. So, I think Pakistan could be on a path to increase security and prosperity, or it could be on a path to replicating North Korea. I think that's an easy choice for Pakistani leaders," McMaster said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A top American Senator has announced that he will introduce a bill that would eliminate US aid to Pakistan and set the money aside for infrastructure funds to build roads in the US.

"I'm introducing a bill to end aid to Pakistan in the coming days. My bill will take the money that would have gone to Pakistan and put it in an infrastructure fund to build roads and bridges here at home," Republican Senator Rand Paul said after Trump Administration announced its decision to suspend its security assistance to Pakistan.

"US should not give one penny to countries that burn our flag and chant Death to America. Countries like Pakistan that stonewall access to key information in fighting terrorism don't deserve our money," he said.

"We should stop now sending hard earned tax dollars to Pakistan. We sent Pakistan over USD 33 billion since 2002. What did we get for? Pakistan didn't even help us find it Bin laden even though he was living in one of their cities for years," he alleged.

"Then they jailed the informant who helped us to get bin Laden.

They've allowed suspected terrorists to operate in their country. Some say Pakistani intelligence agents actually aid and abet the terrorists. It's wrong," he said.

Paul said he has been fighting to Pakistani aid for years but now there has been a breakthrough.

Trump has publicly called to end their aid and, the Kentucky Senator said.

"I want to end all of it. I'm introducing a bill to do just that in the coming days. My bill will take the money that would have gone to Pakistan and put it in an infrastructure fund to build roads and bridges here at home. We need to build our nation, not other countries. It's time for America first policy an end to foreign aid," Paul said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Members of Dalit and non-Dalit communities at Vadhu Budruk village in Pune district have decided to rebuild the 'samadhi' (tomb) of Govind Gaikwad, which had been vandalised.

The animosity generated by the incident preceded the violence against Dalits visiting the nearby Bhima-Koregaon war memorial on January 1.

The complainant has filed an affidavit in the court stating she is withdrawing the case filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against 49 people from Vadhu Budruk village.

Sushama Ovhal, in her affidavit on December 31, said, "We (both communities) have cordial relations and to avoid any disharmony and to maintain peace in the village, we are withdrawing the cases registered against each other."



Rajendra Gaikwad, a descendant of Govind Gaikwad, said it has been decided that both communities will rebuild the 'samadhi', and a meeting in this regard will take place in the presence of Superintendent of Police Suvez Haque.

Haque confirmed the development today.

On December 30, a board was put up near Gaikwad's samadhi, saying it was Gaikwad -- a Dalit Mahar -- who defied Aurangzeb's orders and performed the last rites of king Sambhaji (Chhatrapati Shivaji's son). The Mughal Emperor had ordered Sambhaji's execution upon his capture in 1689.

The board led to a dispute, as some members of a non-Dalit community claimed that it was their ancestors who performed Sambhaji's last rites.

Following which, some unidentified persons vandalised the board as well the canopy of Gaikwad's samadhi.

This led to registration of police case, creating tension in the area.

On January 1, as Dalit leaders visited the nearby Bhima-Koregaon war memorial, there was violence, leading to a call for Maharashtra Bandh on January 3.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Journalist Michael Wolff says his explosive book about is accurate, despite the US president describing it as a "phony" one "full of lies".

Trump's lawyers had tried to block publication of 'Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House', alleging it contained many falsehoods.

The president himself tweeted today that the "phony new book" was being pushed by the media and to hurt him. He added: "They should try winning an election. Sad!"



But Wolff says he appreciates all the free promotion from the president.

"Where do I send the box of chocolates?" Wolff asked playfully in his first interview about the book, which became the country's hottest book in the last two days.

NBC News' "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie asked: "You think he's helping you sell books?"



"Absolutely," Wolff said, and "he's helping me prove the point of the book."



Wolff told "Today" on Friday that he "absolutely spoke to the president" while working on the book.

"Whether he realised it was an interview or not, I don't know, but it certainly was not off the record," Wolff said. "I've spent about three hours with the president over the course of the campaign, and in the White House. So, my window into is pretty significant."



But Trump says he has not spoken to Wolff.

"I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don't exist," Trump tweeted.

The book cites former top White House aide Steve Bannon as describing a meeting at Trump Tower in New York between a Russian lawyer and Trump election campaign officials, including Trump's son Donald Jr, as "treasonous".

It also portrays Trump as being surprised at winning the presidency last year.

Wolff's book makes many claims, including that his daughter, Ivanka, had a plan with her husband, Jared Kushner, that she would be "the first woman president"



White House aides have depicted the book as a work of fiction.

"This author is quite frankly a crackpot fake news fantasy fiction writer," deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley told CNN.

Wolff says he has receipts: "I work like every journalist works. I have recordings, I have notes. I am certainly and absolutely, in every way, comfortable with everything I've reported in this book."



Wolff has a controversial track record. He has racked up scoops over the years, but critics have at times accused him of sloppy or unethical reporting practices.

The book soared to No. 1 on Amazon's best selling books list on Wednesday and has remained there ever since, CNN reported.

One bookstore in Washington even held a midnight release party for the tell-all.
A skill development programme with World Bank assistance of $500 million will be implemented in the country under a six-year schedule, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Friday.

Jaitley said in Lok Sabha that Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood (SANKALP) is a project worth $675 million, including World Bank assistance of $500 million, in two tranches of $250 million each, with a six-year implementation schedule.

"The first tranche has been approved for implementation. Accordingly, a loan agreement with International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) for an amount of $250 million has been signed by the government on December 13, 2017," he said during Question Hour.

The total repayment period for this loan amount is 18 years including a grace period of 6 years.

SANKALP is an outcome-oriented project, where the outcomes will be measured through Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs).

The minister said the loan amount will be disbursed in phases, upon achievement of DLIs like successful completion of skill development programmes by trainees, the percentage of graduates employed within six months of completion of the programmes, number of trainers and assessors trained.

Jaitley said India has contributed to the paid-in capital of IBRD and International Finance Corporation pursuant to the last capital increase of the World Bank that was agreed to in 2010.
You need to stop going to those websites.

That was a friends response when I offered a comment about the very strong likelihood that special counsel Robert Mueller and his team will find there was coordination between Donald Trumps presidential campaign and Russian oligarchs with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This exchange brought home the realization that many Americans still regard the Russian connection as the stuff of left-wing conspiracy theorists, not the obvious conclusion from a thorough reading of months of documented revelations carried in mainstream media, and even in some business and conservative sources.

The cast of characters with whom Trump surrounded himself in recent years, who then migrated into various roles in his campaign, can be most generously described as colorful. They also share another characteristic: close ties to Russians, involving huge amounts of money.

The recently-indicted Paul Manafort chaired the Trump campaign from May to August 2016, but he hasnt confined his campaign management to American elections. For example, he engineered the successful multi-year makeover of a previously defeated Ukrainian politician named Viktor Yanukovych. Under Manaforts tutelage, Yanukovych won election as Ukraines president in 2010. Then, in 2014, as he tried to move Ukraine away from closer ties with Europe and increase its dependence on Russia, the people took to the streets of Kiev and Yanukovych fled  to Russia and the protection of Putin.

Manafort resigned from the Trump campaign on Aug. 19 after The New York Times carried a story about a secret ledger found in Yanukovychs former office in Kiev showing Manafort had received $12.7 million in cash. Manafort claimed he had not received the money, but still resigned. While running the Trump campaign, Manafort, who refused a salary, offered private campaign updates to Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, who is known to have close ties to Putin.

One of the things the FBI and Mueller are probably checking is whether Manafort was being paid outside the campaign. Text messages from one of his daughters to a friend indicate he continued to run the campaign even after he formally resigned.

Carter Page, a Trump campaign foreign policy adviser, worked for a time in Moscow for Merrill Lynch. On a trip there during the summer of 2016, while working for Trump, he allegedly met with Igor Sechin, head of Russias giant oil company, Rosneft and a close ally of Putin. There is general agreement in most news stories that Page, who comes across in interviews as somewhat goofy, was targeted for recruitment by Russian intelligence. He figures prominently in the Trump dossier compiled by former MI6 spy Christopher Steele.

Then, of course, there is Michael Flynn, who was Trumps national security adviser for 24 days. He recently pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI regarding his conversations with the Russian ambassador. The most famous picture of Flynn shows him seated next to Putin at a dinner for RT, a Russia-financed channel that carried many stories questioning Hillary Clintons health during the campaign.

Former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the FBI at a D.C. federal courthouse on Friday morning. Its the first guilty plea by any of the four former Trump advisers charged in an investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller.

None of the colorful characters around Trump surpasses Felix Sater, a convicted felon who served a year in prison. He was born in Russia, but grew up in Brooklyn with Michael Cohen, Trumps personal attorney. Several years ago, Sater appeared to be on his way to a much longer prison sentence for major securities fraud in a pump and dump scheme. However, he avoided prison by providing valuable information about organized crime.

Although Trump seems to have trouble remembering who Sater is nowadays, Sater escorted Trump kids Ivanka and Donald Jr. to Moscow in 2006, even demonstrating considerable pull by arranging a picture of Ivanka at the Kremlin sitting in Putins desk chair. As a part of Bayrock Group, he worked for the Trump organization with an office two floors below Trumps own office in Trump Tower. One of his useful skills was coaxing rich Russians, some with clear Russian organized crime connections, to buy trophy condos in various Trump properties in New York, Florida and in other countries.

On Nov. 3, 2015, Sater wrote an email to Cohen: Buddy our boy can become President of the USA and we can engineer it. I will get all of Putins team to buy in on this. The buy in was possibly in reference to a new Trump Tower in Moscow, which was never built.

It is perhaps appropriate to conclude with Trumps son, Donald Trump Jr. In 2008, speaking at a real estate conference, Trump Jr. said, Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of our assets. We see a lot of money flowing in from Russia. According to USA Today, one broker, Dolly Lenz, claimed to have sold 65 properties in Manhattans Trump Tower to Russians.

Even without knowing what evidence was behind the conclusions stated by each of our three top intelligence agencies  the CIA, FBI and NSA  that Russia, at the direction of the highest level of its government, tried to interfere in our presidential election in favor of Trump, Americans still have plenty of information at their fingertips to know that something unusual, and quite possibly sinister, took place.

We can all hope there are innocent explanations for all of these seemingly suspicious activities, although that now seems improbable. It would be tragic if Muellers investigation were cut short for partisan political reasons. Our country needs well-documented answers in order to either regain faith in our election system or to repair its vulnerability to foreign manipulation.
Amid efforts by and to improve their ties post-Doklam, a Chinese delegation headed by Meng Xiangfeng, a close confidant of and senior leader, held talks with Minister of State for External Affairs here on Friday.

"Sustained engagement with . Singh meets delegation of the International Liaison Department of the of (IDCPC) on a visit to under the MEA-IDCPC Exchange Programme. Delegation is led by Meng Xiangfeng, Member of CPC," ministry spokesperson tweeted.

The exchanges between the CPC and the MEA followed the visits of Chinese Foreign Minister and top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi to last month.

Wang's talks with External Affairs Minister and other officials on the sidelines of the Russia-India-China Foreign Ministers' meeting last month set the stage for a broader dialogue on improving the relations this year.

The two neighbours had a roller-coaster relationship in 2017 which was repeatedly blighted by issues like the standoff, blocking of India's NSG membership bid and moves to declare the Jaish-e-Muhammad chief a terrorist.

The standoff began on June 16 after the People's Liberation Army began building a road in area claimed by . The Indian troops intervened to stop the road as it posed a security risk to Chicken Neck, the narrow corridor connecting with its north-eastern states.

The standoff ended on August 28.
Former Janata Dal (U) president Sharad Yadav today called for unity among tribals, OBCs, Dalits and Muslims to gain political power.

He said these social groups constitute almost 80 per cent of the electorates in the country and make them a formidable contender for power.

"Eighty per cent of the voters in the country comprise tribals, OBC, Dalits and Muslims. If they get united, then power will be in their hands. It offers everything like the posts of PM (Prime Minister) and CM (Chief Minister).

"Therefore, you should unite 'jaat' (caste) to become 'jamaat' (major force)," Yadav said.

The former Union Minister was addressing a programme organised on the occasion of birth anniversary of former Satna MP Sukhlal Kushwaha.

Dalit leader from Maharashtra Prakash Ambedkar was also present on the occasion.

Yadav said chief Constitution maker Bhimrao Ambedkar regarded Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, a social former and champion of the downtrodden, as his guru to unite Dalits, tribals and farmers.

"Everything, including political power, can be achieved with this unity. This unity will give a befitting reply to those who are doing politics 24 hours in the name of religion and cow. Even higher society (upper caste) people will stand with you for this change."



He said the mandir and masjid (temple and mosque) issue has nothing to do with politics. Politics is a medium to serve the people and improve their lives.

Targeting the Modi government, he said it has failed to fulfil the promises made to the people in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Instead of creating jobs, the government announced demonetisation which led to loss of employment, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Commerce Ministry said on Friday it will limit exports of crude oil, refined oil products, steel and other metals to North Korea, in line with tough new sanctions imposed by the United Nations for Pyongyang's missile tests.

The statement comes after the U.N. Security Council last month unanimously voted in favour of new penalties on North Korea for its recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, seeking to limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil.

The move by China will be effective on Jan. 6, it said.

It also follows an agreement on Friday by North Korea to hold official talks with the South next week, the first in more than two years amid rising tensions over its nuclear and missile programmes.

On Tuesday, the Chinese government said it would continue to adhere to the recent U.N. sanctions.

In November, China, one of North Korea's top trading partners, exported no oil products to the isolated country, apparently going above and beyond the U.N. restrictions.

Among the measures in the December resolution, the U.N. prohibits nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea by capping them at 500,000 barrels a year and limits crude oil supplies to 4 million barrels a year.

Link to the latest U.N. resolution: http://bit.ly/2BUze4K

(Reporting by Josephine Mason; Editing by Mark Potter)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Kane Wu and Matthew Miller

HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) - Talks have been called off between HNA Group and Value Partners Group over the Chinese conglomerate's purchase of a stake in the Hong Kong-listed asset manager, people familiar with the situation said.

The dropped deal comes as HNA faces financing strains following $50 billion of acquisitions over the past two years which have sparked scrutiny of its opaque ownership and use of leverage.

Talks between HNA and Value Partners' two founders, Cheah Cheng Hye and V-Nee Yeh, began last May, according to a stock exchange filing by the Hong Kong company. The fund manager did not disclose the size of the stake proposed to be sold.

Neither that filing, nor one announcing the talks' end on Thursday, named HNA but people familiar with the matter confirmed the talks were with the Chinese conglomerate.

Cheah and Yeh own 19.2 percent between them. Cheah Company Ltd, a family trust, owns an additional 21.80 percent stake in Value Partners. The combined 41 percent stake was worth $820 million at market close on Thursday.

A stake in Value Partners, among Asia's largest independent asset managers, was one of series of equity deals in financial groups being pursued by HNA as it looks to expand beyond its base in airlines, tourism and logistics.

The ending of talks was "solely a result of the parties' commercial consideration in respect of the possible transaction", Value Partners said in its exchange filing on Thursday. It did not elaborate.

Shares in Value Partners were down 3.9 percent at 0604 GMT, while the Hang Seng index was 0.1 percent lower.

Prices of HNA's bonds were unchanged, while bond traders said HNA's need to roll over its existing financing would have made any deal difficult to finance.

"Our base case assumption was this deal would not go through," said a bond trader at a U.S. bank. "Any fresh financing is not a wise move for them as they have to go to the same banks they need to go to for rolling over."

Value Partners and HNA declined to comment.

REGULATORY SCRUTINY

HNA last year started a push into financial services, buying large minority stakes in the U.S. operations of Old Mutual Asset Management and also in Deutsche Bank.

It also bought New Zealand's largest non-banking lender, UDC Finance, and a controlling interest in hedge fund platform SkyBridge Capital in the United States.

New Zealand's regulator blocked the UDC deal last month and the SkyBridge deal has not yet closed.

In November the conglomerate also suffered a downgrade in its creditworthiness, as measured by S&P Global Ratings, as a result of its "aggressive financial policy".

An HNA executive told in December that the conglomerate was not facing a liquidity crisis and characterised its high-profile investments - such as Deutsche Bank and hotels group Hilton - as successful.

Financial services accounted for about 17 percent of the group's operating revenue of 183 billion yuan ($28.22 billion), and more than 40 percent of gross profit in 2016, led by its financial leasing operations, an HNA Group bond filing shows.

($1 = 6.4841 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Additional reporting by Jennifer Hughes and Umesh Desai in Hong Kong; Writing by Sumeet Chatterjee; Editing by Stephen Coates)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(Reuters) - Researchers from Google, academia and cybersecurity firms discovered two flaws in computer chips that affect nearly all modern computers.

* "Meltdown" is a flaw that affects laptops, desktop computers and internet servers with Intel chips and could let hackers steal data, such as passwords saved in Web browsers. Microsoft Corp, Apple Inc and Linux, the three major operating systems, are all issuing updates, though the Apple and Microsoft have not said precisely when.

* "Spectre" affects chips in smartphones and tablets, as well as computer chips from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. Hackers can trick apps into leaking sensitive information.

* Spectre is less dangerous than Meltdown, but will be more difficult to patch.

* Consumers should check with their device maker and operating system provider for security updates and install them as soon as possible.

* Alphabet Inc's Google said Android phones with the most recent security updates are protected, and users of popular web services like Gmail are also safe. Chromebook users on older versions will need to install an update whose release date has not been set. Chrome web browser users are expected to receive a patch Jan. 23.

* Researchers say an update is in the work for Apple laptops and desktops, but it is not yet clear whether the company's iPhones and iPads are at risk.

* Major cloud services aimed at business customers - including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure - say they have already patched most of their services and will fix the rest soon.

For more information:

* Google's security blog: http://bit.ly/2qiRQJn

* Amazon Web Services: http://amzn.to/2EPHzaZ

(Reporting by Stephen Nellis, Salvador Rodriguez and Paresh Dave in San Francisco; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

(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.)
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's oilmeal exports in December fell 22 percent from a year earlier to 236,000 tonnes, a trade body said on Friday.

For the full statement, click on: http://bit.ly/2CV2MQ8

(Reporting by New Delhi newsroom; Editing by Malini Menon)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Douglas Busvine and Stephen Nellis

FRANKFURT/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Security researchers on Wednesday disclosed a set of security flaws that they said could let hackers steal sensitive information from nearly every modern computing device containing chips from Intel Corp, Advanced Micro Devices Inc and ARM Holdings.

One of the bugs is specific to Intel but another affects laptops, desktop computers, smartphones, tablets and internet servers alike. Intel and ARM insisted that the issue was not a design flaw, but it will require users to download a patch and update their operating system to fix.

"Phones, PCs, everything are going to have some impact, but it'll vary from product to product," Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said in an interview with CNBC Wednesday afternoon.

Researchers with Alphabet Inc's Google Project Zero, in conjunction with academic and industry researchers from several countries, discovered two flaws.

The first, called Meltdown, affects Intel chips and lets hackers bypass the hardware barrier between applications run by users and the computer's memory, potentially letting hackers read a computer's memory and steal passwords. The second, called Spectre, affects chips from Intel, AMD and ARM and lets hackers potentially trick otherwise error-free applications into giving up secret information.

The researchers said Apple Inc and Microsoft Corp had patches ready for users for desktop computers affected by Meltdown. Microsoft declined to comment and Apple did not immediately return requests for comment.

Daniel Gruss, one of the researchers at Graz University of Technology who discovered Meltdown, called it "probably one of the worst CPU bugs ever found" in an interview with .

Gruss said Meltdown was the more serious problem in the short term but could be decisively stopped with software patches. Spectre, the broader bug that applies to nearly all computing devices, is harder for hackers to take advantage of but less easily patched and will be a bigger problem in the long term, he said.

Speaking on CNBC, Intel's Krzanich said Google researchers told Intel of the flaws "a while ago" and that Intel had been testing fixes that device makers who use its chips will push out next week. Before the problems became public, Google on its blog said Intel and others planned to disclose the issues on Jan. 9. Google said it informed the affected companies about the "Spectre" flaw on June 1, 2017 and reported the "Meltdown" flaw after the first flaw but before July 28, 2017.

The flaws were first reported by tech publication The Register. It also reported that the updates to fix the problems could causes Intel chips to operate 5 percent to 30 percent more slowly. (http://bit.ly/2CsRxkj)

Intel denied that the patches would bog down computers based on Intel chips.

"Intel has begun providing software and firmware updates to mitigate these exploits," Intel said in a statement. "Contrary to some reports, any performance impacts are workload-dependent, and, for the average computer user, should not be significant and will be mitigated over time."

ARM spokesman Phil Hughes said that patches had already been shared with the companies' partners, which include many smartphone manufacturers.

"This method only works if a certain type of malicious code is already running on a device and could at worst result in small pieces of data being accessed from privileged memory," Hughes said in an email.

AMD chips are also affected by at least one variant of a set of security flaws but that it can be patched with a software update. The company said it believes there "is near zero risk to AMD products at this time."

Google said in a blog post that Android phones running the latest security updates are protected, as are its own Nexus and Pixel phones with the latest security updates. Gmail users do not need to take any additional action to protect themselves, but users of its Chromebooks, Chrome web browser and many of its Google Cloud services will need to install updates.

Amazon Web Services, a cloud computing service used by businesses, said that most of its internet servers were already patched and the rest were in the process of being patched.

The defect affects the so-called kernel memory on Intel x86 processor chips manufactured over the past decade, The Register reported citing unnamed programmers, allowing users of normal applications to discern the layout or content of protected areas on the chips.

That could make it possible for hackers to exploit other security bugs or, worse, expose secure information such as passwords, thus compromising individual computers or even entire server networks.

Dan Guido, chief executive of cyber security consulting firm Trail of Bits, said that businesses should quickly move to update vulnerable systems, saying he expects hackers to quickly develop code they can use to launch attacks that exploit the vulnerabilities. "Exploits for these bugs will be added to hacker's standard toolkits," said Guido.

Shares in Intel were down by 3.4 percent following the report but nudged back up 1.2 percent to $44.70 in after-hours trading while shares in AMD were up 1 percent to $11.77, shedding many of the gains they had made earlier in the day when reports suggested its chips were not affected.

It was not immediately clear whether Intel would face any significant financial liability arising from the reported flaw.

"The current Intel problem, if true, would likely not require CPU replacement in our opinion. However the situation is fluid," Hans Mosesmann of Rosenblatt Securities in New York said in a note, adding it could hurt the company's reputation.

(Reporting by Douglas Busvine in Frankfurt and Stephen Nellis and Salvador Rodriguez in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Jim Finkle in Toronto and Laharee Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Henderson and Lisa Shumaker)

(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.)
Facebook Inc Chief Executive said on Thursday his goal for 2018 was to put the business he co-founded on a more solid footing, a break with his longstanding practice of setting a purely personal annual goal.

"The world feels anxious and divided, and Facebook has a lot of work to do," Zuckerberg, at 33 one of the world's wealthiest people, wrote in a post on the No. 1 social media network. In past years, his New Year's resolutions have included learning Mandarin, reading two books a month and traveling to U.S. states he had not yet visited.

This year, his post described Facebook as standing at a crossroads that required his attention. He cited the spread of hate speech on social media, use of Facebook by Russia and other countries to disseminate propaganda and criticism that the platform can be an addictive waste of time.

A new law in Germany requires social networks such as Facebook and Twitter Inc to remove online hate speech or face fines. In the United States, lawmakers have criticized Facebook for failing to prevent Russian operatives from using its platform to meddle in the 2016 U.S. elections.

In addition, ex-Facebook executives have publicly questioned whether using the network leads to unhealthy behaviors.

Zuckerberg said his "personal challenge for 2018 is to focus on fixing these important issues." He added that the pledge "may not seem like a personal challenge on its face," but that he would learn a lot. He did not say what he would do.

"We won't prevent all mistakes or abuse," he wrote, "but we currently make too many errors enforcing our policies and preventing misuse of our tools."

The issues Zuckerberg mentioned have created public relations and regulatory challenges, but have not made much of a dent on Facebook's bottom line. The social network reported $16 billion in net income on $36 billion in sales during the 12 months that ended on Sept. 30.

Shares on Thursday traded at $184.94, up 0.1 percent.

(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.)
WASHINGTON (AP)  There was no violence in the midterm elections last week, and many election deniers lost and quietly conceded. Few listened when former President Donald Trump tried to stoke baseless allegations of electoral fraud. For a moment, at least, a familiar sense of normalcy fell over a nation on edge as the extremism that consumed U.S. politics for much of the last two years was replaced by democratic order. The post-election narrative has instead been focused on each partys electoral fate. Republicans are disappointed that a red wave did not materialize, while Democrats are bracing for the likelihood of a House Republican takeover. At least for now, the serious threats that loomed over democracy heading into Election Day have not materialized.

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Infosys' independent board member Kiran Mazumdar Shaw on Wednesday said that company's newly-appointed CEO and MD Salil Parekh would receive a package of Rs 16 crore. "Infosys CEO Salil Parekh will be paid a fixed salary of Rs 6.5 crores. He would be eligible for variable pay of Rs 9.75 crores at the end of the fiscal year," Shaw told PTI. According to her, Parekh would also receive Rs 3.25 crores in restricted stock units and Rs 13 crores in annual performance equity grants.

Infosys appointed Parekh last year in December. He replaced Vishal Sikka, a high-profile techie who put down his papers following the differences between the Infosys Board and the founders. One of the reasons Sikka left Infosys was constant attack from the company founder NR Narayana Murthy over top executives' hefty pay.

Parekh's annual package is one-third of what his predecessor Vishak Sikka got during his tenure at Infosys. Sikka drew an annual package during 2015-16 of a whopping Rs 49 crore which was much higher than his counterparts in other Indian IT companies. During the same fiscal, the then TCS chief N Chandrasekaran was paid a package of Rs 25.6 crore and Wipro CEO Abidali Neemuchwala's annual pay was Rs 12 crore.

Sikka's salary was revised from $7.08 million to $11 million with effect from April 2016, a move that did not go down well with NR Narayana Murthy and Mohandas Pai. Infosys founder Murthy wrote to the board expressing his concerns about Sikka's pay rise. He has been at the forefront in criticising the board over unusual rise in top executives' salaries.

In a letter to the Infosys board, Murthy said that giving nearly 60 per cent to 70 per cent increase in compensation for a top-level person when the compensation for most of the employees in the company was increased by just 6 per cent to 8 per cent was not proper.

"This is grossly unfair to the majority of the Infosys employees including project managers, delivery managers, analysts, programmers, salespeople in the field, entry level engineers, clerks and office boys who are toiling hard to make the company better. The impact of such a decision will likely erode the trust and faith of the employees in the management and the board," he had said. This letter came against the backdrop of proposed 35 per cent hike in COO Pravin Rao's annual pay.

Murthy wasn't alone in raising salary hike issue. Earlier, former board member V Balakrishnan had also asked the board that why pay obnoxious salaries to top management. In an interview to Economic Times, Balakrishnan said that it wasn't appropriate for the top executives to ask their subordinates to compromise and take 40-50 per cent salary hike for themselves.
Business Today is hosting the fifth edition of MindRush - India Today Group's annual flagship business event. The one-day conference is being held at St Regis, Mumbai. The business conclave is designed as a thought exchange platform and brings together a galaxy of international thought leaders and industry captains. The objective of this integrated platform is to shape the industry agenda and engage politicians, business leaders, academicians and opinion makers to collaborate on finding solutions to challenges faced by the industry.

This year's edition will include detailed Master Classes by international domain experts like Eduardo Briceno - Mindset Master, Growth Mindset and Improvement Expert; Lisa Gill - Learning Disrupter; Incredible Mountain Ranger Mark Inglis among many others.

The day-long event will have sessions targeting contemporary business problems like workforce management through discussions on How to Make Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers, Millennials Work in One Frame, etc., by invited panelists including S.V. Nathan, Partner, Deloitte; Rajkamal Vempatti, CHRO, Axis Bank; Sunil Lulla, Chairman & MD, Grey Group; Abhinav Chopra, CHRO, Viacom 18.

The second half of the event will start with session on Life Post Demonetisation and GST by panelists Ajit Ranade, Chief Economist, Aditya Birla Group; RS Sodhi, MD and CEO, Amul; Nimesh Shah, MD and CEO, ICICI Prudential AMC; Saugata Gupta, CEO, Marico; Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Chief Economist, SBI.

The earlier editions of the conference have hosted international luminaries like Jimmy Wales, Ram Charan, John Kao, Peter Docker, Devdutt Pattanaik, Ashwin Sanghi, Jamling Tenzing, Murali Doraiswamy, among others. The delegates can log on to www.businesstodaymindrush.com and register for Business Today MindRush.

The Business Today MindRush was introduced in 2013 to bring the Indian business community in closer contact with global thought leadership. It was conceived as a platform for young CEOs and senior executives, where they can come together and interact with global management gurus, top Indian thought leaders, executive icons, and spiritual gurus.
Sensex and Nifty closed at all time high on Friday at 34,153.85 and 10,558.85 respectively. Optimism about December quarter earnings helped Sensex gain 184 points in today's trade. Markets were helped by surge in liquidity due to sustained buying by foreign and domestic investors. Moreover, government's move to obtain Parliament's approval for additional Rs 80,000 crores for bank recapitalization lifted sentiments.

Except energy and oil, all BSE sectoral indices gained with BSE Telecom Index gained the most by 2.75 per cent followed by consumer durables (1.25 per cent) and consumer discretionary goods (0.96 per cent). Idea Cellular leads the gains in BSE Telecom Index and surged by more than 10 per cent on fund raising plan. The company will sell shares worth Rs 3,250 crores to its promoters via preferential allotment.

Yes Bank (5.03 per cent), Adani Ports (3.71 per cent) and Bharti Airtel (3.36 per cent) are the top gainers in Sensex. Indian Overseas Bank gained close to 5 per cent after its board approved the plan to write off Rs 7000 crores of accumulated losses.

Out of 3063 shares that are traded on BSE today, 1709 shares advanced whereas 1226 shares declined. 128 stocks remains unchanged. Among the A category stocks of BSE, Symphony gained the most (17 per cent) followed by Idea Cellular (10.67 per cent) & Lakshmi Machine Works (9.56 per cent).

Both mid-cap and small-cap stocks extended gains with midcap index rose 123 points or 0.69 per cent and small-cap index gained 179 points or 0.92 per cent from the yesterday's trade. More than 67 per cent of the constituent stocks of BSE Mid-cap index gained, whereas in case of BSE Small-cap, over 56 per cent of the constituent stocks gained today.

The rally in Indian markets was also fuelled by yesterday's gain in US markets. Strong US jobs data revived hopes of a firm economic recovery and helped DJIA scaled 25000 for the first time in Thursday's trade. In addition, investors were cheered by gain in Asian markets with Nikkei touched 26 year high whereas HangSeng Index hit 10 year high. South Korea's KOSPI witnessed steep gains amid news that North Korea will meet with South Korea for talks on January 9.
A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture pulled up IndiGo and other private airlines and reprimanded them for their recent cases of manhandling passengers and unsavoury behaviour. The committee called the airlines staff "uncooperative and condescending". "The problems afflicting airlines are not personal but institutional", the committee mentioned. "An institution like Indigo has to develop a consumer friendly approach in dealing with their passengers", the committee further added.

One member of the committee said, "The attitude of airlines staff is as if they are on some high ground and the passengers are like herds, as if passengers are uneducated and illiterate ones who do not know anything, who have not flown before. Occasionally, the airlines staff murmur 'please' and 'thank you' but beyond that, their attitude is rude. The ground staff is worse than the cabin crew of the airlines".

The president of IndiGo Airlines, Aditya Ghosh said that young people from villages do have the necessary skill set to work in the consumer service industry. "We have lot of young people with so many degrees but the talent we require is not there," he said. Ghosh further added that although IndiGo is hiring people from tier-II and tier-III cities and creating jobs there, people who studied in government schools in mohalla or village areas cannot be trained to speak fluent English within four to five weeks.

The committee objected to the statement and said, "Government schools and colleges produce the best students of the country and we have a duty to nurture and promote such students to achieve their full potential. If a particular airline has grown exponentially, they should deploy a proportionate amount to the training of their staff instead of misbehaving and manhandling the passengers or blaming the youngsters from tier II and III cities and government schools".

Following that secretary of Ministry of Civil Aviation, Rajiv Nayan Choubey assured the committee any employee exhibiting violent behaviour would be debarred from entering any civil aviation airport in the capacity of an employee.

The committee urged all private airlines to train their employees in soft skills.

The image of a lot of private airlines, especially IndiGo took a beating when multiple cases of manhandling and rude behaviour by airlines staffers emerged last year. In one of the most disturbing cases, a man was manhandled by IndiGo ground staff at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The video of the passenger getting thrashed went viral and IndiGo was forced to issue an apology.
Reliance Jio, as part of its 'Happy New Year' offer, has announced 1GB per day data usage at a recharge of Rs 149, which is Rs 50 lower than its earlier plan. The company said all existing 1GB packs would be enhanced with two additional options - 50 per cent more data or Rs 50 discount on the price plans. Reliance Jio's flagship plan of Rs 399 would provide 20 per cent additional data, increasing the current validity from 70 to 84 days. These plans will be available to the customers from January 9.

Before this, Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio had announced Christmas and New Year bonanza with surprise cashback offers of up to Rs 3,300 on Rs 399 recharge and above. The offer is valid till January 15 only. The company has come up with several similar cashbacks to its customers in the past too, giving its rival companies like Airtel and Vodafone a run for the money. The price war started by Reliance Jio after its launch in 2016 has disrupted the entire telecom industry, leading to huge losses incurred by many companies.

The company has also been criticised for its dirt-cheap data plans, but as per Mukesh Ambani, "profits and losses are risks businesses take and it is more important to find out if the country and the consumers gained after Jio". He earlier said "businesses must stop looking at regulators and governments to guarantee their profits". According to Mukesh Ambani, the company is ahead of schedule on turning profitable. "Jio results are declared every quarter now. You can see the trend. You watch the next few quarters. You will learn in January and you will learn in March."
FILE - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Thomas S. Monson leaves the morning session of the two-day Mormon church conference Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016, in Salt Lake City. Mormon leaders are set to deliver guidance to their worldwide membership in a series of speeches this weekend during the religion's 186th semiannual conference in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/George Frey)

LOGAN  Countless people are remembering the life of Thomas S. Monson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who died Tuesday at the age of 90.

One local resident with many personal memories is Craig Jessop, dean of the College of the Arts at Utah State University. Jessop met Monson while he was a teenager and recalled how excited he was to be at an event where he shook hands with Monson, who was then a counselor to the president.

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I have memories as a boy of President Monson and meeting him, he said. We lost a great leader and a great leader and a great Christian soul whose entire life was one of love and service and helping other people.

Later, when Jessop became director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, he got to know Monson personally.

We would meet almost monthly with the first presidency and that is when I really go to know him, he said. He was also a close friend of my wife Renees parents and he spoke at both of their funerals.

Jessop said it was a real honor to work with and visit with him on many occasions.
LOGAN  With the holidays over and a new beginning, a lot of people are back to their regular work schedules. For members of the Utah State Legislature there are hundreds of bills to study and analyze before the session begins several weeks from now.

Logan Republican State Senator Lyle Hillyard said he expects a lot of time will be spent on tax reform and that it will undoubtedly get complicated because of partisan battles. He recalled how Obamacare got passed the first time by Democrats with no Republican votes.

Republicans are doing the same on the tax reform and they are going to have the same consequences, he said. They are going to have little but in from the other side and I think people are finding that the tax reform that the Republicans passed is not this horrible thing being painted by the Democrats nor is it as good as the Republicans portrayed it. It would be a lot better if people could sit down and share ideas and talk about ideas and see what works.

Hillyard said hopefully this year will be a year with more working together so more is accomplished.
January 4, 2018 at 3:08 pm

Following coordination with the United Arab Emirates, Egyptian forces arrived in Eritrea today, Al Sharq has reported. The forces are armed with modern technology and heavy armoured vehicles. Sources told Al Sharq that a meeting was convened between the UAE, Egypt and the Sudanese opposition representing groups in Darfur and eastern Sudan. There are no reported military confrontations.

The military presence in Eritrea may be a response to Sudan allowing Turkey to take over Suakin Island in Sudan temporarily last year, as part of a broader Turkish engagement policy in Africa. Suakin was once Sudans largest port and governed by the Ottoman Empire but has fallen into disuse since the creation of Port Sudan in the 20th century just 60 kilometres to the north.

Al Sharq reported that, according to diplomatic sources, Turkey is planning to build a military base on Suakin Island. It opened a military base in Somalia last year, deploying 200 troops to train local Somali forces. Relations between Abu Dhabi, Cairo and Khartoum have been strained as a result of Turkeys presence in Sudan.

An Egyptian military source denied that there were plans to establish a base in Eritrea back in May last year. Media reports in Sudan claimed that Egypt communicated with Somalia and Djibouti to establish a base for 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers.

Throughout 2017, Egypt was trying to put together an African lobby in a bid to defend its position on Ethiopias Renaissance Dam. Egyptian experts claim that the dam will harm Cairos access to 55.5 billion cubic metres of River Nile water. However, Ethiopia insists that the project will have a positive effect by assisting Egypt and Sudan with electricity generation.

The construction of the dam began in 2011. It is located 15 kilometres east of the Ethiopia-Sudan border and has been a major cause of political tension between Egypt and Ethiopia. The reservoir of the dam is expected to hold 70 billion cubic metres of water, which will help to solve Ethiopias own power shortages. Once in operation, the dam will be Africas largest hydro-electric power station.
Thursday, January 4, 2018 at 10:28PM

Rumour has it Apple Music is losing one of the key figures that has helped the service grow to over 30 million paying subscribers. Its said Jimmy Iovine is set to leave Apple in August when his shares have fully vested. Iovine, the former Interscope CEO, joined Apple back in 2014 after he, together with Dr. Dre, sold Beats, both the electronics business and music service to Apple. But Iovines relationship with the company started back in 2003 when he first met Apple founder Steve Jobs and exec Eddy Cue. Hes considered a key proponent of Apples iTunes and iPod.

While neither Iovine nor Apple commented on the report, Billboard asked Iovine back in a September interview what he planned to do after Apple Music, he spoke about bringing music streaming up to speed. He disputes a report by Goldman Sachs that predicts subscription streaming would turn the global record business into a US$41 billion business by 2030. He says, Im 64 years old. I have no idea [what Im doing next]. Theres just a problem here that needs some sort of solution, and I want to contribute to it. Goldman Sachs may think its solved, but I dont. Were not even close.

Source: Billboard
The now estranged business partners who have complained about the deal and lost money still believe the McCourts were trying to set up a genuine business as oil brokers, but believe their money, not the McCourts, was being used to land the first deal.
"It is going to be hot, we encourage people to take it easy, take care of yourselves, take care of your mates and if you need it, we will be here to take care you of as well."
Troubles in the Nebraska State Patrol that led to the firing of its then-superintendent Brad Rice, a review of the agency and disciplining of troopers and administrators, could be addressed in part by the Legislature this session.

Sen. Laura Ebke, chairwoman of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee, introduced two bills Thursday at the request of Gov. Pete Ricketts, that are said to seek to increase officer accountability and remove conflicts of interest from the investigative process.

The State Troopers Association of Nebraska opposes both bills, said Kurt Frazey, the association's legislative liaison and a trooper.

"We're disappointed that the governor feels it's necessary to introduce legislation that will supercede collective bargaining," Frazey said.

The governor got support from the union in his election based on his agreement to support collective bargaining, Frazey said. And these bills are a threat to that process.

Ricketts spokesman Taylor Gage said the governor's office offered last fall to work with union officials to address the issues, but they refused to negotiate.

"These additional reform proposals are narrowly tailored to address the concerns of misconduct that were raised in the report this summer," Gage said.

One of the bills (LB792) would give the Nebraska Crime Commission the power to compel internal-affairs files and personnel files of law enforcement officers who are terminated or resign following misconduct. That could include incompetence, neglect of duty, incapacity, final conviction or pleading guilty or no contest to a felony, dishonesty or other violations.

The bill would also require a previous Nebraska law enforcement officer who seeks another job in law enforcement in the state to provide a signed waiver to the prospective employer to be able to get copies of any record on the circumstances surrounding his or her termination or resignation. The potential employer could not hire the officer if the record showed they are not fit to serve in law enforcement.

The bill also would strike from law that the attorney general must defend all civil and criminal actions against the superintendent or any employee of the Nebraska State Patrol arising from that employment.

That addresses the conflict of interest Attorney General Doug Peterson said he had in investigating potentially criminal actions by troopers or administrators in the patrol.

The other bill (LB791) would make changes to the patrol's collective bargaining law, putting sergeants into the category of supervisors and removing disciplinary and investigatory procedures from labor contract bargaining.

A letter from state Chief Human Resources Officer Jason Jackson, who did the State Patrol review, said the internal investigative process is "severely limited" by the union contract. It requires, for example, investigators to share all evidence of misconduct with suspected officers before they give their statements. It also prohibits the patrol from informing victims of sexual harassment about the resolution of investigations into their allegations.

Frazey said 95 percent of internal-affairs investigations pertain to things such as an officer backing into a light pole with his patrol vehicle or a citizen complaining about a trooper's driving on the interstate.

While sergeants conduct most of internal-affairs investigations, most are minor, he said, with larger investigations investigated by troopers with a rank of lieutenant or higher.

The bill is a threat against unions and labor in general, a way to weaken union membership, he said.

Frazey said the union is confident it has support that will allow talks with senators and the governor's office for a resolution without the bills being passed.

"I think there's a definite middle ground that we could come to to try and achieve some of the things that the governor's office wants to achieve and still respect the collective bargaining process," he said.
Aubrey Trail, who is a person of interest in the death and disappearance of Sydney Loofe, has been transferred from the jail where he was being held on unrelated federal charges.

Trail, 51, was transferred to Leavenworth Detention Center, a maximum-security facility in Leavenworth, Kansas, on Wednesday evening, according to the Saline County Sheriff's Office and the prison.

But Saline County Sheriff's Office officials declined to provide further details on why Trail was moved.

A spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed Trail remains in its custody but wouldn't provide further information.

"The U.S. Marshals Service does not disclose any personal information, location held, court scheduling, transportation details or other inmate information, other than to verify an inmate is in federal custody," Deputy U.S. Marshal Carlos Najera said in an email.

Trail's attorney, Korey Reiman, said it's not uncommon for the federal agency to transfer people in its custody between jails where it houses federal detainees.

A spokesman for the FBI, which is leading the investigation, referred questions to the U.S. Marshals Service.

Trail's girlfriend, 24-year-old Bailey Boswell, remained at the Saline County jail in Wilber on the same charges.

Both had been held there since Nov. 30 on pretrial detention on federal charges accusing them of transporting stolen property from Hiawatha, Kansas, to Beatrice.

Investigators believe Trail and Boswell were the last two people to have seen the 24-year-old Loofe alive on Nov. 15.

Loofe went on a date with Boswell, whom she met on the dating application Tinder, that night.

She was reported missing by her family Nov. 16 after she failed to show up for work.

Her body was found off a country road southeast of Clay Center on Dec. 4.

Investigators suspect foul play in her death but haven't provided further detail in the case since a Dec. 5 news conference.

Boswell and Trail remain persons of interest in the case, though no charges have been filed against them in Loofe's death or disappearance, according to an FBI spokesman.
Jean E. Tichy

Jean E. Tichy, 74 years of age, of Omaha and formerly of DeWitt passed away at Hickory Villa in Omaha on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018. She was born on April 28, 1943 in Herkimer, Kan. to Arthur and Leona (Behrens) Stohs. Jean graduated from Marysville High School in 1961 and graduated from Emporia State Teachers College in 1965. Jean and Norman R. Tichy were married on Oct. 20, 1965 and they lived in the Beatrice and DeWitt area until Jean moved to Omaha in 2015. She was a teacher in Lincoln, she worked for DeWitt Public School and taught science at Tri-County Public School for 36 1/2 years. Her students were her pride and joy. She truly enjoyed seeing her students learn and grow. And with her eccentricity, Jean showed students that it was all right to be different.

Jean spent hours reading, doing research and writing letters to friends across the country. She continued to teach and share her knowledge her entire life. Jean and Norman gave their hearts and lives to Jesus one summer in Jackson Hole, Wyo. The difference between religion and knowing Jesus personally became a reality for them. They were members of the Family Worship Center in Louisiana since 1993. They spent their summers and holidays traveling, making Jackson Hole their second home.

Jean is survived by her friends and by her many students and co-workers at Tri County Public School. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Norman (2014); and her brother, Ronald.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018 at the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice. Interment will be in the Oak Grove Cemetery in DeWitt. The body will lie in state on Monday from 2-7 p.m. at the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice. A memorial has been established to the Oak Grove Cemetery, with the funeral home in charge. Sign Jean's online register book at www.ghchapel.com.

These services have been entrusted to the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice.
Under the helm of Andy Palmer, Aston Martins revival continues with sales, deliveries, and revenues all rising throughout 2017.



Last year marked the carmakers highest selling 12 months in nine years, thanks largely to demand from North America, the UK, and China. A total of 5117 Aston Martins were sold in 2017, the first time a figure in excess of 5000 has been achieved since 2008.

The company has yet to provide a detailed breakdown of sales for all its models but reports sell-out demand for the DB11, limited-run Vanquish Zagato, and Vantage GT8.

Thanks to the 58 per cent year-on-year increase in detail sales, Astons wholesale supply rose by 38 per cent and the company expects at least 840 million ($1.13 billion) in revenues by the time it reports its full 2017 earnings in March.

We continue to perform ahead of expectations, both in terms of financial performance and in meeting our targets for the DB11 and special vehicles, Aston Martin president and chief executive Andy Palmer said.

This strong sales performance shows that our Second Century transformation plan is building momentum. Phase Two of the programme will be largely completed in 2018 with the introduction of the Vanquish replacement and production of the new Vantage, contributing to continued sustainable profitability at Aston Martin.

PHOTO GALLERY
California state assemblyman Phil Ting has finally introduced his bill in the legislature which seeks to ban the sale of new vehicles powered by gasoline and diesel engines.



Ting has been talking about the bill for months and were learning more about what could happen if it eventually becomes law.

The bill is called the Clean Cars 2040 Act and it would prevent the state from accepting original registrations for vehicles that are not zero emissions. The bill would go into effect after January 1st, 2040 and it would effectively ban the sale of vehicles that dont use electric or fuel-cell powertrains. The bill goes also specifies zero emissions vehicles cannot produce exhaust emissions of any criteria pollutant or greenhouse gas under any operational mode or condition.

The heart of the bill is only a couple sentences long and it doesnt apply to large commercial vehicles that weigh over 10,001 pounds (4,535 kg). It also does not apply to vehicles owned by people moving into California from other states.

In a press release, Ting said California has long led the nation in promoting environmental protection and public health through visionary policies and technological innovations but its time that we clear the path for emissions-free transportation and take significant steps to achieve our ambitious emissions reduction goals. He went on to claim that vehicles running on fossil fuels are responsible for nearly 40 percent of Californias greenhouse gas emissions and the bill is a mechanism to ensure a healthier future for Californians and the entire region.

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Chrysler introduced the Portal concept at the Consumer Electronics Show last year and the company is returning in 2018 to showcase of host of new features.



The main attraction will be the 2018 Jeep Wrangler which recently debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is bringing it to CES to highlight the models high-tech features which include 4G LTE connectivity and an 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility.

The brand will also be showcasing their new Jeep Adventure Reality app for late model iOS devices such as the iPhone 7, 8, and X as well as the iPad Pro. The app is currently available and its an augmented reality configuration tool which allows users to build their own 2018 Wrangler and then see what it would look like in their driveway.

Besides the Wrangler, FCA will be touting their new Uconnect smartwatch app which is available for Apple Watch and Android Wear devices. The app allows users to remotely start their vehicle, lock / unlock doors, and honk the horn if they need to find their vehicle in a crowded parking lot.

Another new technology feature is FCAs Family Alerts which allow owners to monitor their vehicle from the Uconnect smartphone app. Owners can set a variety of alerts including a Boundary Alert, a Curfew Alert, and a Speed Alert. Theres also a Valet Alert which will notify owners if their vehicle is driven outside a 0.25-mile radius of its drop-off location.

Another new feature is called Drive n Save and it is available on 2018 models equipped with Uconnect Access or SiriusXM Guardian. The system collects data on how the vehicle is being driven and owners can then use that information to try to get a discount on insurance.

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Rolls-Royce introduced the 102EX concept in 2011 but the company hasnt followed up with an electric vehicle.



Thats going to change as BMW board member Peter Schwarzenbauer recently told Automotive News Europe that theres no doubt in my mind you will see an electric Rolls-Royce. Schwarzenbauer says a number of owners have been asking about an EV since the company unveiled the new Phantom but he concedes it will take awhile to develop one as an electric powertrain cant be fitted to the companys aluminum spaceframe platform dubbed the Architecture of Luxury.

Schwarzenbauer went on to say an electric Rolls-Royce would have to use a different platform but it wouldnt have to entirely all-new as they could simply make a major adaption.

Theres no word on when the model could arrive but the board member said the company is asking customers a lot of questions about an electric vehicle and they want to the model to have a range of between 500 and 600 km (310-372 miles). Schwarzenbauer also suggested the car could look slightly different than a conventionally-powered Rolls-Royce but he doesnt think the companys iconic grille is going away anytime soon.

Besides talking about the EV, Schwarzenbauer said we shouldnt expect a Rolls-Royce with Level 5 autonomy for at least 10-15 years. Furthermore, he said the upcoming BMW iNext will be launched with a Level 3 semi-autonomous driving system instead of the Level 5 system that has been promised. He said the car will technically have a Level 5 capability but We dont believe that the world will be ready for a big rollout [of Level 4 or 5 technology] in 2021.

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Remains/iStock/Thinkstock(ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.) -- A Florida grandmother is saying thank you in a big way to a nurse who used creativity and kindness to get her grandson to undergo three shots without crying.



Tiffany Marshall posted a video on Facebook late last month of a nurse in St. Petersburg, Florida, helping her grandson, Dimitri. The video now has 20 million views and growing.



Marshall promised her grandson $5 if he could get through the shots without crying.



The nurse, who was not identified, started the process by telling Dimitri she was going to do a magic trick. Once blood was drawn in a finger prick, the nurse let Dimitri paint on a card.



An engaged Dimitri exclaims throughout the video how excited he is that he didnt cry.

When it came time for Dimitris three shots, the nurse pulled him close in a hug and told him is strong and a big boy.



Though Dimitri screamed, he did not cry and the nurse handed him a $5 bill from Marshall. Dimitri celebrated with a dance.



"This nurse was absolutely phenomenal," Marshall, who could not be reached by ABC News, wrote on Facebook.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Liam S. Fitzwater

On Aug. 29, 2017, Liam Scott Fitzwater was born to Ben and Anna Fitzwater in Lincoln. On Dec. 31, 2017, we returned him to the Father in heaven. Liam enjoyed life to the fullest every day and could make anybody smile. In every moment of his life, he knew only love and happiness. His time here on earth was cut short by an unexplained medical event that occurred during a nap at daycare. Despite the best efforts of all involved, Liam was unable to recover.

We would like to thank those that provided the skilled and dedicated care for Liam. You will forever have our gratitude  his beloved daycare provider, Seward Police Department, Seward Volunteer Fire Department, Dr. Novak and staff at Seward Memorial Hospital, Star Care transport team, Dr. Mysore and Dr. Miller and their incredible, caring staff at Nebraska Medicine PICU. We would also like to thank everyone for the thoughts and prayers that continue to carry us through this extremely difficult time.

We ask that everyone stays strong in their faith. We did not receive the outcome so many prayed for, including us, as we didn't get to keep our son here. We will never understand why this happens to anyone, particularly to a baby so healthy and happy. We did, however, get three additional days with Liam that were worth every minute. We saw thousands of people come together to support our family in a time of need. Liam was our little, perfect miracle, and in four months, he changed our lives for the better in ways that we never imagined. Liam touched many lives and will continue to do so with his story. He will be missed until we are one day reunited.

He was preceded in death by his great-grandparents, Robert Burcham, Donald Fitzwater, Carl Geis and Robert Mann; his great-aunts, Suzanne Kolterman and Tammie Rasmussen; his cousins, Ollie Fitzwater and Amanda Rasmussen; as well as numerous great-great-aunts and uncles.

Survivors include his parents, Ben and Dr. Anna (Geis) Fitzwater; his grandparents, Scott and Janene (Mann) Fitzwater and Ronald and Cynthia (Burcham) Geis; his aunts and uncles, Robert and Amanda Fitzwater, Dr. Jacob and Dr. Carolyn Geis, Joe Bob Geis and Leah Geis; his great-grandparents, Ivadell Burcham, Evalyn Fitzwater, Adeline Geis and Betty Mann; his great-aunts and uncles and their families, Chad and Lisa Beckius, David and June Burcham, Todd and Patty Fitzwater, Alan and Aranya Geis, Douglas and Kimberly Geis, Richard and Barbara Jacobsen, Pam Johansen and Michael Martinez, Mark Kolterman, Dr. Kenton and Cyndee Mann, Michael and Kay Mann, Randy and Shelli Rasmussen, Bruce and Rochelle Sorensen, Ken and Rebecca Wright; as well as numerous great-great-aunts and uncles, family and close friends.

There will be a private family service. A community life celebration to bring together everyone who loves and cares for us and Liam, or who has been touched by our story, will be held at a later date in Seward.

Memorials will be to the family for now and then later distributed to organizations to benefit infants and children. Harman-Wright Mortuary, Beatrice in charge of arrangments
Liu Jians Have A Nice Day, a 2D animated feature that ran afoul of Chinas government authorities and was barred from screening at Annecy last year, is set to debut in the United States later this month.

Strand Releasing will open the film in New York City on January 26, and February 2 in Los Angeles, followed by a limited release in other cities across the United States.

Below is the films official English-subbed trailer:
With our little country being a dwarf among the huge countries, examples are China, USA and Russia, where should our military priorities lay? Should we not spend wisely?

We can learn from the little country of Switzerland since being neutral and secure within itself seems to be the most frugal way. Every Swiss man has an obligation to the nation to belong to the military, have an army kit at home and spend two weeks in a military exercise each year until he retires. Their military aim is for home defense not involving themselves in other countries politics or taking out their leaders to obtain their oil or resources as do other countries. Many of their tools for the military is purchase/made at home.

Why did we spend $30 billion of Canada's funds in Afghanistan and to what end? We purchased most of the supplies from offshore and paid high dollars for them. We lost many young men both killed, wounded and mental illness from that exercise. Now our government will not acknowledges the soldiers illness from attending to this folly.

If Russia did nine years of pure hell fire in Afghanistan and could not subject the Afghanistan citizens to their will, why would the USA and their friends such as Canada and others, think in their little head that 14 more years of hell fire and brimstone would change anything in Afghanistan?

It is time to rethink Canadas place in the world, neutral and stay home to polish the old gun. Spend our funds at home not at other stores.

Jorgen Hansen
Carol, in a perfect world everyone with a sidewalk used by the general public would be young, healthy, strong, male, only because men's centre of gravity is from their chests up, as compared to women whose center of gravity is around their waist, middle section for bearing children. Hence when women are forced to shovel snow they have to lift their own body weight, plus the weight of the snow on the shovel and factor into the equation is the shovel aluminum, steel, iron, and if she is really, really, really lucky, plastic. Well having said all this, I think you have my point. Oh and not all females have extra money to hire men to shovel snow, or use a machine to do so.



Personally rather than fine the homeowner, check to see their circumstances first. If you don't see a man or men around, then get your grandkids to burn off their bent up energy while visiting you to help old, senior, handicapped, house bound women to clear their sidewalks so you can sashay along your way!

Catherine Knox


Photo: The Canadian Press ALS patient Cliff Barr, left, with Dr. Lawrence Korngut, in Calgary.

Cliff Barr has no illusions about how his life is going to end  but he still has hope.

The 70-year-old from Okotoks, Alta., is one of 100 patients taking part in a new Canada-wide clinical trial to treat ALS  a debilitating and ultimately deadly neural disease that has few treatments and no cure.

"It is a difficult and an awkward disease," Barr said Thursday at the University of Calgary, which is running the trial. "I found the idea of the clinical trial promising. It gives you a little more hope."

Barr was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrigs disease, in October. It causes paralysis because the brain is no longer able to communicate with the body's muscles.

Over time, as the muscles break down, an ALS patient loses the ability to walk, talk, eat, swallow and, eventually, breathe. Experts say one in 400 Canadians will die of ALS.

Even on good days, Barr said, the disease is always there.

"The disease kind of reared its head, and I'm a little weaker than normal," said Barr, who retired 10 years ago. "This morning, I couldn't do my pants up. I couldn't brush my hair."

Dr. Lawrence Korngut from the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine is running the clinical trial over the next 1 1/2 years at nine different Canadian universities.

He said an anti-psychotic drug called pimozide slowed down the disease in zebra fish, worms and mice, as well as in humans with ALS in a limited six-week trial a couple of years ago.

Korngut said the drug doesn't address the primary cause of the disease, which destroys nerves. But he adds that it's now believed that there's an electrical failure that accompanies the breakdown.

"This treats that electrical failure. We're hoping by preserving that electrical function, even if the cable keeps breaking down, that will buy people time."

Korngut said people shouldn't jump to any conclusions about how well the trial will turn out and he's only "cautiously optimistic."

"We've been through this before. We know that sometimes animals behave very differently from humans and we just have to do things properly and find out these answers."
Photo: The Canadian Press

The renowned co-founder of one of the country's leading theatre companies resigned Thursday, just days after four actresses alleged in lawsuits that he had sexually harassed them with impunity for years.

In a statement, the board of directors of Soulpepper Theatre Company, which previously said it had relieved artistic director Albert Schultz of his responsibilities pending an investigation, said it had accepted his resignation effective immediately.

"Mr. Schultz's resignation will allow Soulpepper to focus on its core mission: to provide a safe community for its exceptionally talented group of professionals," the statement said.

"While this has been a tremendously difficult chapter in Soulpepper's history, (the) decision ensures the organization is able to move forward with confidence and remain a leading Canadian theatre company."

Neither Schultz, who had said he would defend against the allegations "vehemently," nor his lawyer have responded to requests to comment.

The resignation came hours after the four actresses  Kristin Booth, Hannah Miller, Diana Bentley and Patricia Fagan  held a news conference to lambast Schultz and Soulpepper, saying the company's failure to deal with their repeated complaints had prompted them to go public.

"Albert Schultz is the face of Soulpepper: He had the power to cast or not cast an actress," said Tatha Swann, a lawyer for the women. "There was fear to make a complaint. The power dynamic was extreme."

In their four statements of claim filed this week in Ontario Superior Court, the women allege Schultz groped them, exposed himself, pressed against them, or otherwise behaved inappropriately.

None of their allegations has been tested in any court and neither Schultz nor Toronto-based Soulpepper has filed a statement of defence.

The lawsuits also prompted Schultz's wife and company executive director, Leslie Lester, to step down, the directors said on Wednesday.

The allegations against Schultz and the theatre company's alleged failing to deal with them came after Soulpepper revealed in October that it had severed ties with longtime guest artist Laszlo Marton, who it said had engaged in sexual harassment.

On Thursday, Booth derided Soulpepper for bragging publicly in October about its policies against sexual harassment.

"I never once saw a policy on sexual harassment," Booth said. "Knowing the culture there, the hypocrisy of that statement is what motivated me to come forward so that this does not happen to one other young woman coming up into that company."

Miller said working conditions at Soulpepper are not safe for actors whose jobs lead them to be open and vulnerable.

Soulpepper bills itself as Toronto's largest not-for-profit theatre company and Schultz has played a key role in its repertoire. He is also executive producer on the hit CBC TV series, "Kim's Convenience," a television actor with roles on shows including "Street Legal" and "Alias Grace," and was honoured with an Order of Canada in 2013.

Soulpepper also provides training for aspiring actors and theatre artists.
Photo: Contributed

The first full-service film and television studio in the Okanagan transformed the former Far West building on Kosmino Road in Vernon into a massive studio last year.

Okanagan Film Studios aimed to lure television series produced by Amazon or Netflix that could be shot in the Okanagan.

But the renovated building is now up for sale for $5.75 million.

There's been a large investment put into this ,and you know they say 'build it and they will come' ... that's what the hope is, general manager Tim Bieber said after transforming the space last year.

The 3.71-acre property includes two buildings totalling 50,916 square feet.

Okanagan Studios bought the property in response to record-breaking demand for B.C. production resources.

The company was unavailable for comment on Thursday.
Photo: Contributed Nugget is a 100-pound lap dog in need of surgery.

A big, loveable pooch will be getting vital surgery after donations from the public poured in.

Nugget became the Belle of the ball this week when people learned the 100-pound lap dog needed surgery to repair two ruptured cruciates.

The fawn-coloured mastiff mix sometimes wags her tail so hard, she injures herself, and the damaged ligaments affect her ability to walk.

Chelsea Taylor, Vernon SPCA manager, said the surgery and other care needs for Nugget, such as getting spayed, comes to around $9,000.

But one Okanagan veterinarian is willing to do the crucial surgery for $6,000.

Marco Veenis with the Okanagan Veterinary Hospital, said he would be happy to help the dog.

At my hospital, we take a special interest in orthopedic cases and perform large numbers of these surgeries, said Veenis in an email to Castanet.

Taylor said $5,825 has been raised for Nugget from public donations.

There has been a huge jump in donations since the story went out, said Taylor. It's very exciting to know that we are going to be able to provide her with everything she needs while in our care.

Taylor said she has left a message with Veenis to talk about Nugget.

And if Nugget gets more money than is needed, the leftover funds will go towards helping other animals, like Mac.

Mac is a border collie cross who also needs surgery.

Mac is just the sweetest thing you will ever meet, said Taylor, adding Mac is in need of hip surgery.

The surgery and other needed care, such as being neutered, will come in at around $3,000.

So far, $750 has been raised to help the black and white dog.

Donations for Nugget, Mac and other animals at the Vernon SPCA can be done online.
Photo: CTV

A hatchet was the weapon of choice during an attack at a Surrey mall, Thursday.

CTV reports a man was attacked at Central City Mall shortly before 1 p.m.

Witnesses say the 50-year-old victim was struck in the head and neck before stumbling into the mall's food court. He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The suspect, a 34-year-old man, was apprehended at a nearby bus stop.

A hatchet was visible inside an evidence bag on the hood of an RCMP vehicle.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: RCMP

A man facing two charges of second-degree murder in the deaths of his young daughters made a brief appearance Thursday in a Victoria courtroom.

Andrew Berry's case has been adjourned until Feb. 1 after British Columbia provincial court heard he needs four weeks to retain legal counsel.

The 43-year-old was wearing a grey hoodie and did not speak during his court appearance.

Police have said they were called to a residence in Oak Bay on the evening of Dec. 25 where officers discovered the bodies of six-year-old Chloe Berry and her four-year-old sister, Aubrey.

A family friend has said the girls' mother, Sarah Cotton, called police after their father didn't return them as scheduled on Christmas Day.

Court documents show Berry was granted parenting time with his children following a custody hearing last year between the estranged common-law couple.
Photo: Hugh Corne

UPDATE: 10: 20 p.m.

A travel advisory has been added for the Trans-Canada Highway.

Freezing rain is forecast through Friday on Highway 1 between Hope and Lytton, DriveBC reports.

Travellers are advised to use caution and be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.

ORIGINAL: 4:50 p.m.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the Coquihalla and Crowsnest highways due to a risk of freezing rain on Friday.

A system with warm, moist air will move over a layer of arctic air on Thursday night, according to Environment Canada.

As a result, freezing rain is expected to form briefly Friday afternoon over Highway 5 between Hope and Merritt, and possibly over Highway 3 between Hope and Princeton.

The freezing rain is expected to turn into flurries by Friday night.

The warning comes after freezing rain battered the Fraser Valley last week, resulting in power outages to more than 120,000 BC Hydro customers.

Information on road conditions can be found here.
Photo: Contributed

A lot of investors in cannabis futures were left holding the bag Thursday after watching marijuana stocks go up in smoke.

The unexpected dip came after The Associated Press reported U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will rescind an Obama-era policy that generally barred federal law enforcement officials from interfering with marijuana sales in states where the drug is legal.

The move is likely to add confusion about whether it's OK to grow, buy or use marijuana in states where the drug is legal.

"That's added huge volatility today to the marijuana stocks," Norman Levine, managing director of Portfolio Management Corp. told the Canadian Press. "They all sold off huge in the morning, came back part way during the day and seemed to be cooling off again."

Shares of many major licensed Canadian cannabis producers were down at the close of markets Thursday.

However, the news barely affected Vernon-based True Leaf Medicine International Ltd., whose stock actually finished the day up on the Canadian Stock Exchange.

"I think it went up primarily because when investors look at our company they realize that we have taken this different angle," explained True Leaf CEO Darcy Bomford. "We are 100 per cent legal on both sides of the border."

Unlike some of True Leaf's competitors, the company doesn't use CBD, a substance which is still regulated in the U.S. and Canada, but uses the fully-legal hemp seed.

"Because we have taken this 100 per cent legal route, we are not affected by any of those rules and that actually helps us in a way, I guess, because the states that are selling our products can continue to do so without being affected by it."

Apart from an increase in investor confidence, the medicinal marijuana company has other reasons to smile as of late.

On Tuesday True Leaf announced it was purchasing 40-acres in Lumby to build a new state-of-the-art facility.

"We are excited and I think Lumby is excited to have us there. It has suffered over the last few years with a lot of businesses pulling out ... and we have great plans for the site."

Those plans include an initial 16,000-square-foot grow building that will be anchored by a 9,000-square-foot central hub, which will house the offices, warehouse and production area.

Bomford said they will be looking to hire around 10 people, if not more to start, but as the company grows it will add more employees.

"From what we understand, a facility 50,000 square feet is around 50 employees."

Bomford said Canada is really leading the way for the rest of the world by becoming one of the first G7 countries to establish a federally sanctioned program.

"Because we are the first, I really believe it is the beginning of a new era for the hemp plant and cannabis in general."
Two Valley First employees in Penticton raised $3,400 for charity this summer by climbing Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro.

Jim Lamond and Kevin Tom decided to challenge themselves by climbing the mountain, and spent nine months preparing.

"Regular training was three to five times a week, obviously always climbing a hill, and on weekends we did longer hikes at higher elevation," Lamond said.

In the summer, they asked their coworkers to pledge money based on how high up the mountain they reached, with all proceeds going to Penticton Search and Rescue and towards building wells in Uganda.

The men reached the summit after six days of hiking and battling altitude sickness, and split their $3,400 earnings between the two charities  which financed two wells.

"We felt very accomplished (doing the hike), but it was also very satisfying to provide that money back out into the community," Lamond said.

This was Lamond's first major hike, but he says he's hooked, and he and Thom will definitely be going on more.

"We've both got the bug now," Lamond said.
Photo: RDOS The Oliver landfill, a third option for a regional compost plant, was mildly discussed by the RDOS on Thursday.

The Regional District Okanagan Similkameen is back to square one for plans to build a regional compost and biosolids facility, and a 45-minute discussion on Thursday showed board members aren't anywhere near agreeing on what should be done next.

Four options were included in a report from RDOS staff for where the compost plant could go  including the Oliver landfill, the Senkulmen Business Park in the Osoyoos Indian Band, the Campbell Mountain landfill in Penticton and the Penticton Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant.

All four options, however, either are too small or are not financially viable, according to RDOS staff.

Locations in Summerland and Marron Valley, considered better fits for the facility, were both rejected in 2017 as potential sites.

"Staff is at a loss in how to proceed," Cameron Baughen said, solid waste management coordinator for the RDOS.

"We've spent seven years. We've done two expressions of interest for private sector properties. We've looked at every public sector property that we currently have as an option. We've also done request for proposals, including working with realtors to find property."

RDOS chair Karla Kozakevich asked if staff could reach out to Chief Chad Eneas and Penticton Indian Band, as council was overhauled in November.

"That's certainly an option that we can consider," Janine Dougall said, RDOS public works manager.

Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff mentioned that it might be more palatable to have two smaller facilities rather than one big one, but RDOS staff pointed out costs of capital and infrastructure as barriers for doing that.

Area D director Tom Siddon added that the board should look into hiring a consultant for feedback on what steps to take next.

"Every single site is going to create opposition, every single site. It's not just a matter at looking at one more site," Area F director Michael Brydon said.

He added that the RDOS should look into Summerland and Marron Valley as options once again.

"If we don't, we're going to be stuck with a terrible decision... Yes, there'll be screaming and public opposition every step of the way regardless of the site. We need to get over that and make a decision that's good for the long term."

A motion was made by Penticton Coun. Helena Konanz to re-engage in the options of Marron Valley or Summerland for the facility, which was left on the floor.

"The way we're doing it right now, it's just going to be a furious onslaught of resistance for both those areas," Summerland Mayor Peter Waterman said.

"If I were these people who live in these two areas, I would be doing cartwheels right now. I would feel like I had such leverage to ask for the moon right now," Konanz responded.

With a full agenda still ahead on Thursday, board members eventually voted to defer compost discussions until the next board meeting on Jan. 18.
Photo: The Canadian Press

You could consider ignorance bliss, but one thing it is not, is a disease.

You might be forgiven for thinking it is when we hear time and again of politicians who are called in front of the ethics commissioner for various wrongdoings.

Ignorance is pure laziness in most respects and, in politics, I would suggest it is even 100 per cent laziness.

All the guidelines for conduct at a political level are available to every politician. Whether they choose to read them or not is a matter of priority for each individual.

If they choose not to, it is a conscious decision to support the lazy option.

When I was in municipal politics, it was very clear what was expected of each individual as a councillor, including not accepting Christmas gifts or such from various people who were, or would likely be, transacting some form of business or relationship with the municipality.

When one runs for office, it is incumbent to become familiar with those rules and regulations in order to mitigate potential challenges in the future.

On one occasion, I called the editor of the local newspaper to advise her that I would be in a conflict of interest at an upcoming vote and explained why.

She was shocked that I would expose myself willingly to what became a front-page story. In reality, the story had its day in the sun and died a quick death because I was doing the right thing.

What is frustrating is that a group of what we would assume are well-educated, bright people lining up at the ethics commissioner's office to get their wrist slapped and, in many instances, apologizing publicly to go back and do it again.

Bottom line, ignorance is laziness not bliss.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
After spending a couple of days in the Okanagan, BC Green Party leader Andrew Weaver joined his party's candidate in the upcoming Kelowna-West byelection, Robert Stupka, at a townhall meeting in downtown Westbank Thursday night.

While Green Party candidate Robert Mellalieu garnered just 13 per cent of the vote in the Kelowna-West riding in the 2017 election, both Weaver and Stupka are confident in their chances in the upcoming byelection, which is expected to occur in early February.

The premier ran in Kelowna-West last election and it's a hard slog for any candidate to run against the premier of this province, said Andrew Weaver.

Robert (Stupka) represents everything that's new, everything that's innovative, everything that Kelowna is going to become.

Stupka, a professional engineer and business owner, said because of the Green Party's co-operative agreement with the BC NDP, he will be able to have influence in the legislature for the region.

Audience questions at the townhall meeting revolved around proportional representation, the expansion of the Kinder Morgan pipeline and the recent NDP decision to proceed with the construction of the Site C dam.

The single most compelling argument, which I cannot understand to this day why the BC NDP made the decision they did, was the economic argument, Weaver said on the subject of the Site C dam. You're going to amortize this $15-billion dam, which is what it's going to be, over 70 years and the rate payer is going to pay for it.

Weaver said he'd be very surprised if the byelection was not called within the first three days of next week.

Former Premier Christy Clark won the Kelowna-West riding for the BC Liberals in 2017, but gave up her seat after the BC NDP took power in June, with the support of the three Green Party MLAs.

Stupka will run against BC Liberal Ben Stewart, NDP Shelley Cook and Libertarian Kyle Geronazzo.
Photo: The Canadian Press

A massive and powerful storm pummelled Atlantic Canada on Thursday, shutting down everything from schools to bridges as wind, rain and snow thrashed the region.

"This is a very large, very intense storm," said Darren Borgel, a meteorologist with Environment Canada. "This one will definitely be memorable for its extreme winds, especially in Nova Scotia."

Social media images showed one Halifax house with its roof gone, and another building that had partially collapsed.

At high tide, the storm surge flooded parts of Halifax's famed waterfront boardwalk, moving a Canada 150 sign and lapping at an ice cream outlet. Water also poured into an excavation site of a massive hotel/office complex.

And 20 minutes before high tide, the surging ocean had swallowed a dock at Halifax's Dingle Park and flooded the short causeway connecting the nearby Armdale Yacht Club to the mainland.

While parts of Nova Scotia were whipped by wind and rain amid temperatures well above freezing, New Brunswickers faced heavy snow that made it impossible to see across the street.

"If you are in your home and don't need to travel, don't travel," said Greg MacCallum, director of New Brunswick's Emergency Measures Organization, who called it a "serious storm."

Environment Canada said high waves combined with storm surges could cause damage along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia and in Prince Edward Island later in the evening, and that flooding was also likely in those areas.

The weather agency said high waves would persist overnight and may cause further flooding and pounding surf near high tide on Friday morning for southwest facing coastlines.

Environment Canada said the storm  which was being dubbed a "bomb cyclone"  was expected to continue its northerly trek, with snow and strong winds in expected parts of Newfoundland and Labrador Thursday evening and into Friday.
Photo: WKFR

One resident of a West Kelowna mobile home had to escape through a bedroom window during a fire Thursday that West Kelowna Fire Rescue is calling a total loss.

Firefighters responded to the blaze at Westgate Village Mobile Home Park on Old Boucherie Road just after 1:30 p.m.

The home was fully involved in flame when crews arrived, and smoke towered over Westbank as the fire threatened to extend to neighbouring units.

Residents narrowly escaped the flames, and one resident escaped through the bedroom window when the fire blocked his path to the door.

Firefighters protected the neighbouring homes and knocked down the flames, but the structure is a write-off.

Because the park is not serviced by municipal water or fire hydrants, a tender from the Lakeview Heights firehall was brought in to provide water for the fire fight. An engine from the Rose Valley hall also stretched a supply line to a hydrant in a neighbouring mobile home park.

An excavator was called in to pull down the remaining structure as it was severely compromised and posed a significant danger of collapsing. The home is believed to be fully insured.

The cause of the fire is undetermined, and due to the demolition, investigation will be limited to witness statements, video and pictures, says assistant fire chief Darren Lee.

The two residents who fled the flames were treated at the scene by paramedics and released. Emergency Support Services is caring for the four adults who lived there.

WKFR responded with three engines, a water tender, ladder truck and two command units, with 17 firefighters. RCMP, WFN Police, BC Hydro and Fortis Gas also attended the scene.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Two B.C. cities that mandate gas stations employ attendants to pump fuel are outliers in a nation where most citizens are accustomed to do-it-yourself fill ups.

Richmond and Coquitlam have prohibited self-service stations for decades and against multiple waves of industry pushback, including a recent salvo by Chevron Canada Ltd. for Coquitlam to revoke its regulation.

Their choice is once more in the spotlight as Oregon shifted this week to permit some gas stations to allow drivers to refuel their vehicles without assistance.

Oregon passed the bill, which took effect Jan. 1, in counties with populations of 40,000 or less  much to the chagrin of some locals, with those who vehemently oppose the change saying they don't know how to pump gas, fear for their safety when doing so, or aren't keen on smelling like fuel.

Richmond adopted its bylaw in 1966 primarily due to the fire chief's safety concerns, said spokesman Ted Townsend in an email.

"The principle objection to this type of service is the danger to life and property from fire due to lack of supervision by competent persons," then-fire chief R.J. Snowden wrote in a letter to city officials.

At the time, some neighbouring municipalities had already passed by-laws outlawing self-service stations, according to a council report. Coquitlam, which still enforces the rule, started to do so years earlier in 1959.

The Canadian Fuels Association, which represents the nation's transportation fuels industry, has had discussions with each city in the past, said spokesman Rob Hoffman.

"We prefer for the market to decide, and the market has done a very good job of deciding that all over," he said.

At the close of 2016, there were 11,931 retail gas stations in the country. About 76 per cent were self-service, 7.7 per cent split-service and 15.6 per cent full-service.

Recently, Chevron filed an application to amend Coquitlam's bylaw and permit self-service stations.

That application is currently in process, said the city's director of development services George Fujii in an email. Staff will provide city council with a recommendation in a report expected later this quarter.
Photo: Contributed

Two Quebec law firms are seeking authorization to file a class-action lawsuit against Apple for allegedly violating the province's consumer-protection law.

They filed a motion in Quebec Superior Court last Dec. 29 after Apple acknowledged having secretly slowed down older iPhones.

The company said the move was necessary to avoid unexpected shutdowns related to battery fatigue.

LPC Avocats et Renno Vathilakis Avocats allege the one-year warranty offered to Quebec consumers for batteries is not reasonable, given the price and the expected use.

The law firms also allege the "AppleCare" extended warranty is not more advantageous than the legal guarantee under Quebec's Consumer Protection Act and that "its price is disproportionate to the point of causing the objective lesion to all AppleCare purchasers."

They are seeking yet to be determined compensatory damages as well as punitive damages of $300 per class member.

The application was filed on behalf of Quebecers who bought an Apple product, including iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads, iPods or MacBooks. It also covers people who purchased "AppleCare" or "AppleCare+" for an Apple product and were not informed of their legal warranty.
Photo: CTV

You've heard of beer on tap, how about getting your milk on tap?

People on Vancouver Island can now head to Morningstar Farm in Parksville to purchase milk on tap for two dollars per litre.

The milk comes from grass-fed cows and Morningstar is one of about half a dozen farms in the province that process its own dairy products, producing roughly 1,700 litres a day.

The farm purchased the milk dispenser from Switzerland and had it installed in August.

"Milk dispensers in Europe are pretty common but in Canada, this is the first one, said co-owner Raymond Gourlay. You come with your own jug or jar, or you can buy one of our reusable glass bottles here in the store and you just fill it up on tap."

Raw milk sales are not legal in Canada and milk has to be pasteurized before its sold.

Gourlay believes thats why other farms havent followed suit.

"Its non-homogenized, its cream top, its full fat and grass-fed and really fresh, added Gourlay.

The B.C. man says their new business strategy gives people the option of buying local while reducing packaging and waste.

-with files from CTV Vancouver Island
You cant have it both ways. Our parents told us that. We learned it from sometimes-painful experience. Yet, we often forget and think maybe this time it will be different.

The 2018 Legislature is back at work and the Governor is saying that he wants to provide meaningful tax relief for all Nebraskans while closing a $200 million gap in the state budget. Pardon me while I ask, again, what is the largest source of state revenue? Taxes? Do you see my confusion here?

Perhaps there is a magic pill. Maybe a magic wand that is yet to be waved. Or maybe its just the Kansas way, keep cutting the budget until it hurts really bad.

With his own tax plan trapped by a legislative filibuster last session  and still awaiting floor action  Gov. Pete Ricketts said hell be pushing for a revised version of that tax reduction package that would combine corporate and personal income tax cuts with reductions in the valuation of ag land for local property tax purposes.

Some state senators, frustrated by last years less-than-successful effort, are sponsoring a bill to provide an estimated $1.1 billion in annual property tax relief by reducing the local school property tax load by up to 50 percent. If that fails, they are mounting a petition drive to put the question to voters in November.

Ricketts has raised a warning flag about that, noting the cuts that would have to be made to cover the $1.1 billion reduction. But proponent Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard said state budget reductions could be accompanied by elimination of some sales tax exemptions as a dual means of supplying revenue needed to help fill the gap in tax support for schools.

The governor doesnt like the potential option of attempting to increase revenue without hiking tax rates, a pathway that could be opened by elimination of some sales tax exemptions or business tax incentives. He said Nebraska is already a high-tax state. His option? Creating an environment that will cut red tape and create more job opportunities while controlling spending.

In his New Years message to the state  it was a press release that you may have seen  the governor said, In good times and in bad, Nebraskans work together to get things done and move our state forward. When we see a need, we go out and meet that need.

That sounds like teamwork. Heres hoping that spirit will prevail in the weeks ahead because the tax and budget concerns, while the biggest the state faces, arent all the problems that need to be addressed.

Ricketts said he has been in extensive negotiations with tax reduction proponents along with Revenue Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion. But he has vowed to work with all senators on the priorities Nebraskans want. It will be interesting to see how many of those other priorities can be addressed in a short session.

He spoke of the teamwork experienced in the 2017 session and said, Working together, we can accomplish great things.

Remember, this is an election year, and half of the legislative seats (the even-numbered districts) and the governor are on the ballot. That changes the mood and the drama in the legislative chambers.

Lets hope that enough senators are on board with Ricketts teamwork idea to make good things happen, without giving away the farm.
Photo: The Canadian Press

A Winnipeg woman who walked away from a hospital and was later found dead outdoors in frigid temperatures was two months pregnant, her mother says.

Eleanor Sinclair says she found out during a meeting with officials from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority on Thursday  one week after the body of her daughter, Windy Sinclair, was found outside an apartment building.

"At the end, they asked me, 'One of the tests that was done on your daughter, did you know that she was two months pregnant?' I just broke down," Sinclair said Friday.

"She probably didn't even know herself."

Windy Sinclair, a 29-year-old mother of four, was struggling with crystal meth addiction and had been hallucinating and talking to herself following a family Christmas dinner, her mother said. The younger woman called 911 and was taken by ambulance to Seven Oaks General Hospital.

Real Cloutier, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's interim president and CEO, said she was being treated and had undergone tests. But when staff returned to her room to share the results, Cloutier said she had left.

"Staff searched the area for her, but were unable to locate her," he said in a written statement. "Calls to the number on Ms. Sinclairs file were unanswered."

Eleanor Sinclair said she and other family members were not notified, and when they called for information the following day, were initially told her daughter had been treated and released.
Photo: RDOS The RDOS approved a temporary use permit for farmers near Osoyoos to use part of their land for a row of boat storage.

A proposal from Osoyoos-area farmers to charge customers for storage on their land gained partial approval from the Regional District Okanagan Similkameen board members on Thursday, despite mixed reviews.

The RDOS granted a three-year temporary use permit to allow landowners at 8715 Road 22, just north of Osoyoos Lake, to store a row of boats and boat trailers on part of their property.

Staff with the RDOS had recommended that the board deny the permit request, noting in a report the storage space would be "uncharacteristic of the area," since it is designated for agricultural use.

The original proposal from landowners Grant and Elain Lyver was to use the section of their land for RV and boat storage.

The applicant for the permit, Brad Elenko, spoke before the RDOS board on Thursday and indicated the Lyvers were committed to remove the RV component if needed. The board eventually decided that RV's would be too tall, and determined only boats were suitable.

Elenko said the temporary use permit will allow the RDOS to "test drive" the land use for outdoor storage.

"This is an ideal way to test the land use for neighbourhood compatibility. If it doesn't work, the permit doesn't get renewed," Elenko said.

The Lyvers submitted several letters of support from neighbours to the RDOS. Some said they understood the need for farmers to be financially creative to make ends meet.

One self-storage facility owner in Osoyoos expressed opposition to the plan, citing the competition and the advantage the Lyvers would have by paying less property taxes since their land is zoned differently.

Directors Elef Christensen, Tom Siddon and Ernie Marven opposed the permit's approval. Only rural board members were able to vote.
Photo: Twitter

An elderly woman who went to check on her husband on their southwestern Ontario property died outdoors from extreme cold this week, while her spouse was found dead after a medical episode.

Ontario Provincial Police say officers were called to check on the well-being of the couple in the Exeter area around 9 a.m. on Wednesday and found their bodies.

They say the body of 90-year-old Grant Triebner was found just inside an open barn on the property.

An obituary posted on a funeral home website says he died from a massive heart attack.

Police say his wife, 83-year-old Ada Triebner, had gone outside to check on her husband, but died due to the extreme cold, which has enveloped much of Ontario.

They say foul play is not suspected.
Photo: Cannery Brewing

Penticton has been selected by Canadian Expedia users as one of the top 18 cities to visit in 2018.

The travel website surveyed 1,000 Canadians, who overwhelmingly selected BC as the place for other Canadians to visit. Penticton, Qualicum Beach and Squamish were picked as the province's top destinations.

You wouldnt believe how many survey-takers recommended British Columbia as a top spot to visit in 2018, the Expedia article says, touting Pentictons epic craft beer scene, the Okanagan Fest of Ale and Super League Triathlon this summer.

Qualicum Beach was highlighted because of the Horne Lake Caves and local skydiving company. Squamish was featured for its rock climbing, endurance racing and special events.

Other cities on the list include Toronto, Fredericton, Tokyo, Lahaina, Hawaii and more. The full list can be found here.
Photo: Facebook Rori Hache

Police east of Toronto say body parts found with an undetonated explosive in an Oshawa, Ont., basement in late December were those of an 18-year-old woman, whose torso was found in Lake Ontario three months earlier.

Durham regional police say a man was charged with indecent interference to a body in connection with the case after officers safely detonated the explosive on Dec. 29.

Police have not said whether there is any relationship between the victim, identified as Rori Hache, and the man charged in the case, 45-year-old Adam Jeffrey Strong.

Hache's torso was found in Lake Ontario on Sept. 11.

A cause of death has not been released.

Police say more information will be released as the investigation progresses.

Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives with Durham's homicide unit.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Almost two dozen scientists from around the world are issuing a warning about an often overlooked side-effect of climate change and pollution.

They say oxygen is disappearing from increasingly large areas of ocean and threatening marine life.

Researchers say in a paper published this week that the problem has been growing since the 1950s, and 4.5 million square kilometres of coastal and deep-sea water is now affected.

That includes oceans off Canada's West Coast and in the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The research was sponsored by an international body affiliated with UNESCO, the United Nations' scientific and cultural body.
There is a lot of work ahead in the new year. Before we undertake a fresh set of challenges, it is good to take stock of the many positive outcomes and accomplishments of 2017.

Tax reform becoming law was one of the years most celebrated victories. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, it has been a privilege to be part of this years-long effort to overhaul our broken and overly burdensome tax code for the first time in a generation.

The economy is already responding. More than 100 companies across the country, including Nelnet and Pinnacle Bank in Nebraska, have announced bonuses and wage increases for employees, as well as new charitable giving and investments. With lower tax rates, Americans can look forward to higher paychecks, simpler compliance and a growing economy.

Additionally, our tax reform bill finally eliminated Obamacares individual mandate penalty, allowing Americans to make their own health insurance decisions, rather than being required to seek the approval of the federal government or face a bill from the IRS.

The confirmation of Justice Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court marked another important 2017 achievement. President Trump promised Americans he would fill the vacancy left by the late Justice Antonin Scalia with a conservative jurist committed to upholding the Constitution, and he fulfilled this promise quickly with an impressive judicial leader.

The Trump administration also followed through on its commitment to roll back regulations. Despite an initial promise to eliminate two regulations for every new one created, the administration actually brought an end to 22 regulations for each new one. Congress also passed 15 Congressional Review Act bills, signed into law by the president, to cut through the maze of red tape put in place by the Obama administration.

I had the opportunity to join President Trump, along with Sen. Fischer, at the White House in February for the signing of an executive order to roll back the Waters of the U.S. rule, known as WOTUS. This put a stop to a dangerous overreach which would have given the Environmental Protection Agency the power to dictate local land use decisions and farming practices nationwide.

Regulatory impediments to infrastructure projects have also been on the chopping block, which is especially important as we work toward modernizing our countrys aging infrastructure. President Trump signed an executive order to reduce the average time it takes for infrastructure project permits to be approved from 10 years to two years.

For those traveling by air, new Essential Air Service providers were confirmed for Kearney, North Platte and Scottsbluff, and will soon begin serving passengers.

Due to ongoing issues with cancelled flights, I introduced two amendments to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill. One would direct the U.S. Government Accountability Office to study the state of the aviation workforce, including current barriers to entry and ways to encourage growth. The other would expand opportunities for prospective pilots to accrue training hours to qualify for piloting commercial flights. As Congress considers FAA reauthorization this year, I will keep working to ensure access to commercial air service for Nebraskans.

Last year, we also passed multiple bills, which were signed into law, to better serve veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act provides the VA Secretary increased flexibility to remove VA employees for poor performance or misconduct, while also strengthening whistleblower protections. The HIRE Vets Act creates incentives for companies to hire veterans, and the Forever GI Bill eliminates the 15-year time limit for veterans to use their GI bill benefits, providing greater opportunities for professional and workforce development.

There is no question 2017 was an eventful year. 2018 promises many challenges and victories of its own, and we are committed to delivering more beneficial solutions for Americans.
Dr. Flora Tydings, chancellor for the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), will be the speaker at the Rotary Club of Cleveland luncheon on Tuesday, at the Museum Center at 5ive Points. Prior to the Rotary meeting, Chancellor Tydings will also have an opportunity to meet with President Seymours cabinet at CSCC.



Originally, this came about when I was asked to sponsor a program for our club, said Dr. Bill Seymour, CSCC president. I thought rather than me personally doing another presentation that I would invite the chancellor, and I was pleased that she accepted our invitation.



Dr.. Tydings will be providing a general update on The New TBR after the FOCUS Act changes including some of the systems new priorities and the impact this will have on CSCC. Dr. Tydings will also include a status report on the funding request for the new building and renovations on CSCCs campus. The TBR recommended $25 million for Cleveland State campus revitalization project that included a new Health and Sciences building and renovation of the Mary T. Barker Humanities Building.



In addition, she will also be discussing the new warranty for graduates of its colleges technical programs that was approved at the TBR quarterly meeting last month. This warranty guarantees that future graduates of technical training programs demonstrate skills identified in their curriculums and provide tuition-free retraining for those who dont. The warranty is valid for one year from the date of graduation.



Dr. Seymour said, We are excited that the chancellor is coming to Cleveland. This is our first Rotary meeting of 2018, and I think its a great way to start the new year.



Dr. Tydings was appointed chancellor by the Tennessee Board of Regents in a unanimous vote on Dec. 27, 2016, effective Feb. 1, 2017. As chancellor, she is chief executive officer of the Board of Regents system, managing operations of the system office and providing strategic leadership for the systems institutions in accordance with the boards policies and direction and with Tennessee law. She arrived as the board and its institutions continue the transition into a more unified community and technical college system under the FOCUS (Focus on College and University Success) Act of 2016. The TBR system is also the primary driver in Tennessees Drive to 55 initiative.

Dr. Tydings earned her Doctor of Education degree in Occupational Studies at The University of Georgia; her Master of Education degree at Mercer University, and her Bachelor of Science degree in education, with an emphasis in behavioral science, at Georgia Southern University.

Her career in higher education leadership began in 1996 as director of curriculum and staff development at Macon Technical Institute. She became vice president for academic affairs at Central Georgia Technical College two years later, and served in that position until her appointment as president at Athens Technical College in 2003. She served there until moving to Tennessee in 2015 as president of Chattanooga State Community College.
Brenntag has signed an agreement to acquire Quimitecnica.com  Comercio e Industria Quimica S.A., Portugal (Quimitecnica). As a service provider, Quimitecnica has a strong focus on offering a wide range of chemical products, blends, logistics and storage services to various industrial business segments in Portugal, the North of Spain and several African countries.

Karsten Beckmann, Member of the Board of Management of Brenntag Group and CEO Brenntag Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA): The acquisition of Quimitecnica is an excellent strategic fit to Brenntags existing distribution activities in Iberia as we gain access to key customer industries in Portugal and in the area of North of Spain. We thus expand our value-added service offerings to our regional customers and suppliers.

Quimitecnica has a strong position in the markets for industrial chemicals, water treatment, pulp and paper and specialty chemicals.

Anthony Gerace, Brenntag Groups Managing Director Mergers & Acquisitions: With a wide product range targeting various industry segments and six strategically located sites offering customized logistics services and inventory management, Quimitecnica serves as an excellent platform to expand and diversify our distribution activities in Portugal and Spain.

The acquired business generated sales of 37.0 million EUR in the financial year 2016. Closing of the transaction is subject to certain contractual closing conditions and regulatory approvals and is expected to occur in the course of the next weeks.
The Eastern Washington University Downtown Student Gallery will kick off 2018 by hosting the exhibit Song of Silence: Embroidered Tapestries of Kyrgyz Nomads. The student gallery is free and open to the public beginning Monday, Jan. 8.

EWU student Angeline Nesbit will curate the gallery exhibit with Kyrgyzstan tapestries from Anne Marie Burks collection located in Spokane. Nesbit is interested in showing the tapestries as a marker of the countrys history, the different influences on their design and the craftsmanship by the Kyrgyz women who created them.

The tapestries are attributed to women in Kyrgyzstan who worked individually and in groups to create these uniquely patterned pieces for their homes. The embroideries created by nomadic women spanning over 100 years are a reflection of the individual and are a unique opportunity to see the culture of Kyrgyzstan and their historically practiced skills. The exhibit will run from Jan. 8 through Friday, Feb. 9. A reception will be held from 46:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 25. Refreshments and hors doeuvres provided.

The gallery is located at 404 Second St. in Cheney.
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Something will be missing when 82-year-old suburban Chicago water treatment company Culligan runs its first national TV commercial in decades during Sundays Golden Globes telecast on NBC.

Looking to broaden and modernize its appeal to millennial consumers, Culligan is dropping man from its 60-year-old Hey, Culligan Man! slogan.

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Whether theyve seen it recently or not, a lot of consumers remember Hey, Culligan Man! fondly, said Larry Holzman, senior vice president for Culligan, who oversees the companys North American dealer network. But the man part of it in todays environment doesnt necessarily relate real well to a younger consumer.

The new commercial, created by Minneapolis ad agency Fallon, features actor Cary Elwes referencing his role from The Princess Bride and repeating his famous as you wish line while demonstrating the many applications of Culligan treated water  from bathing to cooking and drinking.

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It also introduces a new brand name, Culligan Water, to make it clearer to younger consumers exactly what the company does, Holzman said.

Culligans longtime slogan is never uttered, but it shows up at the end of the ad to steer viewers to the companys HeyCulligan.com website.

The national campaign is backed by $20 million in funding from Culligan and its dealer network, nearly doubling the companys annual advertising expenditure to about $50 million for 2018.

The private company, which moved its headquarters from Northbrook to Rosemont in 2007, has 620 dealers in the U.S. and Canada that sell water softeners, filtration products, whole-house systems, and bottled water for homes and offices. Culligan had international sales of about $600 million last year.

But its core water softening business is flat, and the company has foundered at times in recent years, changing hands frequently, falling into bankruptcy and trying to branch out into the more lucrative drinking water purification business.

Founded in Northbrook in 1936 by Emmett Culligan, the family-owned water softening business grew to national prominence on the backs of a widespread dealer network and an ad campaign that first aired on a Los Angeles radio station in 1958 and proved hard to ignore.

The ad ended with a woman misinterpreting instructions to call the company and instead yelling Hey, Culligan Man! It caught on and was picked up by Culligan nationally, including in a cartoon TV commercial that ran in various incarnations through the 1970s.

Actor Cary Elwes stars in Culligan Water's new ad campaign, part of a $20 million blitz set for 2018. (Publicis Group)

The family sold the business in 1978 to Beatrice Foods, and it went through several ownership changes before landing in bankruptcy in 1992. Culligan emerged under the control of famed investors Carl Icahn and Leon Black.

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A series of ownership changes followed, including a 2012 purchase by New York private equity firm Centerbridge Partners in a restructuring deal that avoided another bankruptcy. Advent International, a Boston-based private equity firm, bought Culligan for a reported $915 million in December 2016, a figure the company declined to confirm.

Culligan remains profitable and is seeing double-digit year-over-year revenue growth, with water softening representing about two-thirds of that revenue, Holzman said.

The new ad campaign reflects Advents investment in a new strategy for growing the company: tapping into millennials thirst for purified drinking water, he said.

Industry trends support the strategy. Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based research company, projects the U.S. consumer water treatment market to grow by 4.4 percent a year to $1.6 billion by 2021, driven in part by growing concern about drinking water quality.

The media coverage of water quality issues throughout the U.S. has really opened peoples eyes, said Dan Debelius, an industry analyst with Freedonia, who cited the 2014 lead contamination in Flint, Mich., as a turning point. People are becoming more aware and more willing to see what they can do about getting cleaner water in their home.

Debelius said water purification represented nearly 80 percent of the industrys $1.3 billion in residential revenues in 2016, with water softening accounting for the rest. He said he thinks Culligan can make significant inroads against other water purification companies, such as Brita, Pur and GE Appliances.

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Culligan is well-established in water softening, Debelius said. Theres a lot more competitive opportunities in some of the purification segments, especially with their brand name.

Walking away from at least a part of that brand equity by dropping the man from Hey, Culligan Man! was scary at first for Holzman and the company, but extensive research said the shortened slogan, and its relatively low profile, should do the trick for older consumers.

Meanwhile, by evoking The Princess Bride, an empowering 1987 romantic comedy that fueled many millennial childhood dreams, Culligan is hoping to make a splash with a new target customer.

When you put it in front of a younger female consumer, whos obviously a prime target for us, they dont want to just yell for help or be a damsel in distress, Holzman said. So Hey Culligan seems to be much more relatable to that audience.

rchannick@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @RobertChannick
Pueblo voters give big support to public safety tax to fund police

75% of votes are in favor of Pueblo Measure 2B, collecting millions of dollars a year to fund 20 Pueblo Police Department officers and four sergeants.
The Three Body trilogy, a popular Chinese science-fiction novel trilogy by Liu Cixin, has been published in more than 10 languages, according to a Chinese publishing company. The three-part saga depicts the human race's contact and conflict with an alien civilization. Its finale, Dead End, was released in 2010.









The trilogy has sold more than 7 million copies in Chinese and has been translated into more than 10 languages, including English, Spanish and German, according to China Educational Publications Import and Export Corp Ltd.





The English version was released in the United States in 2014, and about 700,000 copies have been sold.





The sales of the French, Spanish and German versions have each exceeded 30,000 copies.





In 2015, the trilogy won the 2015 Hugo Award, generally considered the highest honor for sci-fi works. It also won six other international fantasy-novel awards. Its Spanish-language version won the latest Ignotus Award in the best foreign novel category.








British fashion brand Topshop is opening its first flagship store in China in Shanghai this September.





The British company, owned by the Arcadia group, said the expansion follows the acquisition of its Chinese mainland franchise by Beijing-based luxury online retailer Shangpin.com. Arcadia also owns the Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge, Wallis, Evans and Burton brands.





The Shanghai store is expected to cover over 3,400 square meters, encompassing three floors in the city center.





The fashion brand will have more brick-and-mortar stores in the first and second-tier cities of China and further expand its online presence. Shangpin.com will position the brand's online and offline development and sales while Topshop will focus on product research and development and branding on a global basis, Shangpin said in a statement.





The Beijing firm said it plans to open more than 100 Topshop and Topman retail stores on the mainland in the next five years. It has already worked with more than 1,400 top fashion brands.





This is, however, not the first time that the British fashion brand has tried to enter the Chinese market. Topshop set up its stores in Galleries Lafayette department store in Beijing and was involved with a pop-up store in Shenzhen.





"We acquired the franchising business of Topshop to explore the Chinese market," said Zhao Shizhong, CEO of Shangpin. The firm has already worked with Topshop during the last three years as an online retailer of the British brand.





Globally, Topshop accounts for 0.1 percent of the women's wear market, according to Euromonitor International, a market research provider.





China's women's wear market has seen steady growth in recent years and achieved a market size of 872.8 billion yuan ($134 billion) in 2016. Total size of the market in 2017 is expected to be around 896.9 billion yuan and will increase to 963.1 billion yuan by 2021.





Bestseller A/S took the top slot in the global market with a 2 percent share and was followed by Shanghai La Chapelle Fashion Co Ltd with 1.2 percent and Fast Retailing Co Ltd at 1.1 percent.





Inditex, the parent of fast fashion brands including Zara and Massimo Dutti, was ranked fifth with 0.9 percent share.





Fast fashion brands Zara and H&M already have a firm presence in China and it is doubtful whether Topshop will be able to make any significant changes in the market, said industry experts.








Nearly 98 percent of products traded between China and Chile will have zero tariffs attached when the new China-Chile free trade agreement is implemented in 2018, according to the Guangdong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, reports Chinanews.com.





The China-Chile free trade agreement was the first of its kind between China and a Latin American country. Since the initial agreement came into effect in 2006, bilateral trading relations between the two countries have rapidly developed.





Signed in November 2017, the new agreement will see 24 competitive products from China including home appliances, textiles, and garments be immediately exempted from tariffs by Chile. This will affect a total of 4 million U.S. dollars of Chinese exports to Chile. This will not only enhance the competitiveness of Chinese products in Chile, but also enable Chinese companies to tap into Chilean markets and other emerging markets in South America.





The new agreement also has improved procedures regarding rules of origin, making it more convenient for companies from the two sides to enjoy preferential policies. Under the agreement, there will be a looser standard for rules of origin, and a more convenient certification process.




Heavy snow has swept cities across China since Wednesday night, with snow and rain in some areas setting records for January.





The snowfall in six cities in Hubei province, including Xiangyang, Suizhou and Shiyan, has matched or even surpassed the previous record.





Up to 10 centimeters of snow has fallen in 11 cities across the province.





Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, raised its orange alert for blizzards to red - the highest level - in Pukou and Luhe districts around 2 pm on Thursday.





It is the first time in a decade the city has issued a red alert, which means the snow is expected to reach a depth of 25 cm.





The National Meteorological Center issued another orange alert - the second-highest warning - on Thursday morning, forecasting that for 24 hours starting 2 pm on Thursday blizzards could result in up to 16 millimeters of precipitation from melted snow in Anhui and Jiangsu provinces.





Snow in some areas of Shaanxi, Henan and Hubei provinces may reach 15 to 33 cm, according to the authorities.





The cold, wet weather has created hazardous conditions for motorists and pedestrians in many cities. Several high-speed trains from Shanghai were canceled on Thursday, including services to Beijing, Tianjin and Chongqing, while some were terminated at Nanjing.





Bullet trains from Beijing to Wuhan, Xi'an and Handan were also affected, and those passing through Henan and Sichuan provinces were either delayed or canceled.





Passengers have been told they can get a refund on their tickets without a service charge within 30 days. The network operator, China Railway Corp, said it is also organizing workers to repair equipment and guarantee services.





Bus services have also been disrupted. In Nanjing, drivers with less than three years of experience were removed from duty on Thursday, with only veteran drivers allowed to helm city buses.





Highways were closed in Jiangsu, Henan, Shaanxi and Hubei provinces. Nine airports across China also experienced large-scale delays, while two - in Shandong province's Jining and Anhui's Fuyang - were closed.





Some cities have suspended classes at kindergartens and schools. Hefei, the capital of Anhui, has opted to close schools from Friday to Wednesday.





The ceilings of several bus stations in Hefei collapsed on Thursday morning, causing at least one death and more than 10 injuries.





"The stations have been cordoned off and bus company workers have been sent to clean the snow from other ceilings," an employee surnamed Zhang with the Hefei bus company said.





Jia Jianyin, an assistant professor of atmospheric sciences at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, said compared with northern China, the snow in other areas - including Nanjing - melts faster due to the higher land surface temperature.





"The snow in the north is also thicker due to its dry air," she said. "The snow in cities will melt quickly due to the urban heat island effect."





The National Meteorological Center lifted the orange alert at 6 pm on Thursday, saying fewer areas will see heavy snow on Thursday night and Friday.




This winter, Beijing has seen fewer smoggy days than in the past few years thanks to favorable weather conditions and preventative measures taken by authorities.



Yet, compared to international standards on hazardous fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, the city still has a long way to go in its battle against air pollution.

According to Beijing's general development plan for 2016 to 2035, the city has promised to improve its air quality in two decades' time. But for many parents, thats too long to wait.

Indoor air quality at schools is especially worrisome because children have to spend long periods of time in classrooms. "Smog has become common in winter, and our children have to study in such a heavily polluted environment," a netizen complained on microblogging platform Sina Weibo in November, just after Beijing entered the winter season.

A study conducted by Tsinghua University may come as a relief to concerned parents. It found that treating air quality indoors is much easier than doing so outdoors.

The study discovered that the same amount of investment in filtering devices can produce air that is 137 times cleaner inside than outside. If enough filters are installed in a classroom, the indoor air quality can be fairly good even when it is heavily polluted outside.

And the improvements would not come with a heavy price tag. According to the study, a 55-square-meter classroom accommodating 50 children would only requires 16.3 yuan (US$2.51) per student each year in order to meet the standard for air quality set by the city for 2035.

Authorities have already begun studying the feasibility of installing air cleaners in classrooms. Last January, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission launched a trial program installing air cleaners in kindergartens, primary schools and middle schools.

But one year has passed, and there has been no news on a full implementation of the project. "Children are the future of the country. We can't afford to have their health harmed," said Dr. Kevin Mo, managing director of the Paulson Institute Representative Office in Beijing.

Although the government has recognized the necessity of installing air cleaners in schools, Mo said, it still hasnt found a way to implement the project on a large scale due to issues of funding, evaluation and public satisfaction.

Mo said he thinks the key for the government to solve these problems is to change its mindset.

Authorities should devise a method to accurately assess the results of their programs, and ensure that funds go to schools whenever a new investment is made to improve air quality, Mo suggested.

Given that there is no national standard on indoor air quality, the city government should take the lead in setting an upper limit on air pollutants in classrooms, and make it mandatory for new school buildings, he said.

Mo advised that authorities would be better off purchasing services instead of equipment. Focus should be given to the results of improvement efforts rather than the specific technologies schools use.

He proposed that there should also be a long-term, real-time monitoring mechanism to supervise the service providers, and the data should be provided to parents to relieve their anxiety.

"We can't slow down our pace because smog is not as frequent as before," Mo warned. "On the contrary, we must be fully aware that treating air pollution is a long, arduous task, and we must gather our pace to improve air quality in schools."




Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited New Delhi in December last year to attend the India-China-Russia trilateral talks. This was the first top-level official Chinese visit to India after the Donglang (Doklam) standoff that brought the two Asian giants to the precipice.

It was a powerful signal that China was ready for a new beginning in ties by moving forward from the border tensions of 2017. The visit also reflects China's traditional commitment to a peaceful neighborhood, needed to maintain the trajectory of growth.

Wang spelled out policy in an article published in the Indian newspaper Deccan Herald on December 11, writing that China was working "to maintain stability in our neighborhood and the sound momentum of regional cooperation." He also said China was willing to build sound ties with all neighboring nations, including Japan and South Korea.

Wang used warm words in talking about India, arguing that "both being big developing countries, China and India have far greater shared strategic interests than concrete differences, and far greater need for cooperation than partial frictions."

China "values the good-neighborliness and friendship between the two countries as we are each other's big neighbors and both ancient civilizations."

The Chinese foreign minister predicted a great future for ties if there was good communication between the two countries. "We believe that, as long as we continue to engage in in-depth strategic communications and promptly dispel strategic misgivings, the strategic value of China-India cooperation will speak for itself, and there will be a prospect of 'the Dragon and the Elephant Dancing Together' and the '1+1=11' effect as expected by our leaders."

These were indeed warm words far removed from the Donglang incident, which fortunately was handled peacefully. There's no doubt that China and India can offer a lot to their own people, the region and the world, if they make joint efforts for peace and prosperity.

However, this may be too big an expectation in the prevailing conditions. China is developing fast and will soon graduate as a major power and take up several roles in the coming years, previously reserved for the United States. After managing its economic advance, China is spreading out and the success of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a powerful testimony to that.

India is also aspiring for a large role with the improvement in its economic statistics. However, it has a long way to go in terms of realizing its right place in the world. Though, its size and future economic prospects, along with the resurgence of Hindutva nationalism and love for certain past glories keep it from pursuing a global role.

It has played cards well by using American influence and propaganda power in its favor, but it may not be able to fulfill American wishes for a strategic role of Washington's choice. The Americans have a bad habit of mercilessly using their allies for its own vested interests and then shifting sides in case of failure or strong strategic disagreement.

Recently, India has been in the forefront in opposing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is a flagship project under the BRI. Already several schemes under the CPEC are nearing completion.

It has helped Pakistan to manage chronic electric power shortages in record time of less than five years. Several mega infrastructure projects are also changing the Pakistan landscape.

The CPEC is an economic and strategic project offering China its shortest link with the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. But China has said the CPEC is not limited to Pakistan, and other nations can join it. If India, Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asian States became part of it, the entire outlook of South and Central Asia regions would change.

India should realize that, by opposing the CPEC, it is playing a strategic game potentially good for some living far away but not for the region. So, Indian leaders have to make a choice. Hopefully India can adjust its policies, as traditionally it has avoided acting as proxy for big powers and should do so again.

A truly cooperative Sino-India relationship would be good for both and the periphery. Let us see if India becomes part of efforts to contain China or maintains freedom of action. India's polices will determine the nature of its ties with China in 2018 and afterwards.

Sajjad Malik is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SajjadMalik.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
Political transitions in two major Southern African states at the end of 2017, and how they are handled in 2018 and beyond, will drive the pace of much-needed change on the continent.

However, much will depend on how the former liberation movements come to grips with the very fluid dynamics of the politics of governance amid growing popular expectations.

In Zimbabwe and South Africa, leadership changes at government and ruling party levels have again underlined that, decades after liberation wars were won, the politics of national transition is less about race and more about economics.

Thirty-seven years after Robert Mugabe and the ZANU-PF assumed political power in Zimbabwe, and 23 years after Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress (ANC) did likewise in South Africa, apartheid and white minority rule are a distant memory.

Yet, in both cases, political leaders have awoken to the fact that, unless there is fundamental economic change, the black majority will continue to complain about the slow pace of progress decades after the respective national liberation movements transitioned to state power.

In Zimbabwe, new President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reversed Mugabe's controversial decision to seize white-owned farms and hand them to former freedom fighters, by inviting the former owners to return to many farms. In South Africa, new ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa, as the likely next president, has promised to give priority to national economic plurality.

In both countries, politicians have learned the hard way that capitalism is not wished away by dreams or with words, and true economic emancipation is a long process.

The black majority in both nations has over time come to accept that whites also have equal rights in the new national dispensation. The focus of blame for sloth in delivery on election promises has therefore been focused more on their leaders, than on the capitalist system that kept most in economic bondage for longer than expected.

Mnangagwa, a former Mugabe deputy president with a strongman reputation, as the new ZANU-PF leader and President of Zimbabwe, is quite aware that his honeymoon period is under intense scrutiny at home and abroad. His people have demonstrated their will to wait, but not forever.

Ramaphosa, the former chief negotiator for the ANC in the transition talks to end apartheid, now a billionaire supported both by trade unions and South Africa's business class, knows quite well that as ruling party leader, he cannot wait until President Zuma eventually departs to give the majority confidence that he can make the decisive difference for which they have long yearned.

And Zimbabwe and South Africa are not the only two Southern African states under scrutiny. Angola, Mozambique and Namibia are also under international watch amid allegations of corruption and nepotism against the former liberation fighters leading the new political process.

All know words must be replaced by deeds that will eventually help the perennial poor.

Rich national mineral resources continue to be dominated in most cases by the same traditional multinational corporations that existed during the liberation struggles, even under new arrangements that have significantly improved and increased the national share of extracted wealth.

Yet, it's how that new wealth is handled that matters most. In cases where it is seen as concentrated in the hands of a new powerful minority, it will only be a matter of time before the deprived majority erupt.

Today's leaders, as former liberation fighters, will have to aim their proverbial guns at changes in the national economic models, with an emphasis on meeting the economic, social, cultural and other needs of the majority.

Technology and innovation will have to replace traditional norms in planning and new national plans must necessarily extend beyond electoral terms to be effective.

The place and role of youth and the generations born after the victorious liberation struggles must not be overlooked, for their expectations differ widely from that of their parents and grandparents.

Likewise, the role of women is another important factor. Women play essential roles in political mobilization for elections, but, as history has shown in Africa and almost everywhere else, they are hardly ever entrusted with political leadership.

Much will also depend on the ability of the ruling parties in Zimbabwe and South Africa, in particular to resist, reject and overcome encouragement, from within and without, to pursue agendas that will hasten changes simply with impending national presidential elections in mind.

For example, criticism of Mugabe's retirement package and pressure to fast-forward Zuma's departure can result in more divisions at a time when unity is essential to pursue national agendas that will, in each case, finally change lives for the majority, for the better.

Earl Bousquet is a contributor to china.org.cn, editor-at-large of The Diplomatic Courier and author of an online regional newspaper column entitled Chronicles of a Chronic Caribbean Chronicler.





Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
 Flash

Wildlife authorities and experts in Botswana on Thursday hailed an ivory trade ban in China as a vital step to reducing the slaughter of the endangered animals.

In a telephone interview with Xinhua, Botswana's Environment, Natural Resources Conversation and Tourism Minister Tshekedi Khama said the move offers hope for the future of elephants in Botswana and the better part of Africa.

China closed doors to the ivory trade on Dec. 31, 2017, as it became illegal to trade in ivory and its products in the world's most populace nation.

China has taken the eradication of ivory trade upon herself and public awareness campaigns featuring celebrities have helped boost awareness of the bloody cost of ivory.

According to Khama, it is estimated that 30,000 elephants are killed by poachers in Africa every year with Botswana bearing the brunt since her economy is hinged on tourism.

He said tourism is an increasingly important industry in Botswana, accounting for almost 12 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

"It (ivory trade ban) is the greatest single step toward reducing elephant poaching and ensuring that our tourism increases the revenue to the government coffers," said Khama.

Khama hailed China for a full closure of the door on ivory trade.

Kenneth Sechele, a board member with Elephants Scents - a non-governmental organization responsible for protecting elephants from extinction - said the ban on all ivory sales has already led to an 80 percent decline in seizures of illegal ivory entering China.

"A 65 percent decline in raw ivory prices has also been realized in China. This shows that China had taken a decision that qualifies to be a historic one world over," he said.

Sechele said the ban on imports of African ivory carvings will boost the fight against wildlife crimes in Botswana and the region.

"The move by the Chinese government is a strategic decision that will rejuvenate the fight against poaching in the country and the region. China has inspired governments and individuals campaigning for the stemming of wildlife crimes," Sechele told Xinhua in a telephone interview.

Executive Director of Our Elephants, Our Pride, a non-governmental organization in Botswana, Monwametsi Mothibi, praised China's ban on ivory trade as a revolutionary stride.

Mothibi said his organization is very grateful that the Chinese government has found in its heart to stop trading in this commodity.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the population of African elephants declined by 111,000 over the past 10 years.

The overall trends in the poaching of African elephants show a decline from the 2011 peak, but are still at levels too high when viewed continent-wide.




 Flash

The Iranian and Pakistani defense ministers held talks on defense cooperation amid U.S. President Donald Trump's recent Twitter spree against both nations, Press TV reported on Friday.

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ali Hatami hailed growing defense cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad in a telephone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Khurram Dastgir-Khan on Thursday.

The latest developments in the region and in the Islamic world necessitate more interactions among officials of Iran and Pakistan, as two major countries in the Muslim world, Hatami was quoted as saying.

"The Americans always blame the others over their own failures in different parts of the world and they pursue the strategy of the Zionist regime (of Israel) to destabilize the region," Hatami said.

The "evil and stupid policies of the United States" are the root cause of deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and the deaths of innocent civilians in Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, he said.

The two countries should utilize such capacity to enhance their economic growth and security, Hatami said, pointing to the potentials for military cooperation between Iran and Pakistan.

The Pakistani defense minister welcomed the promotion of military cooperation with Iran with regard to the regional issues, noting that the two countries should further enhance such cooperation given the rapid pace of changes and regional developments.

Dastgir-Khan also criticized Trump's repeated tweets against Pakistan and underlined the importance of the Muslim nations' sovereign right to provide their own security.

Trump posted a series of tweets in recent days, in which he voiced support for the scattered riots in Iran and lashed out at Pakistan for supporting terrorists.




Chinese Christians such as these are

often harassed by authorities.

(Photo: ChinaAid)

ChinaAid

(Yining, XinjiangJan. 5, 2018) Residents in Chinas northwestern Xinjiang turned in their neighbors for holding festivities on Christmas Eve, resulting in the lengthy questioning of one of the attendees.

Lou Yuanqi spent 10 hours on Christmas Day at the police station for his churchs activities the night before after many people living in the vicinity reported them to the officials, who told Lou too many attended the gathering. They day before, government agents warned Christians not to meet in places unapproved by authorities and even threatened to destroy Lous churchs building.

This is not the first time Lou has been targeted for his faith. In mid-February last year, Xinjiang police asked Lou to sign a Letter of Undertaking that guaranteed he would not leave the locality. If he wants to travel, he must first apply for the polices permission.

A local Christian informed ChinaAid that Three-Self Churches in the area have been greeted by the government and warned not to celebrate Christmas, which the Communist Party views as a dangerous holiday due to unfounded fears that Western countries are trying to infiltrate China via religion.

The attack on house churches came just a few days after Ma Huichao, a Xinjiang Christian, was sentenced to three years in prison on Dec. 21 for allegedly gathering a crowd to disturb public order.

ChinaAid exposes abuses, such as those suffered by Lou Yuanqi, in order to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians and promote religious freedom, human rights, and rule of law.

ChinaAid Media Team

Cell: +1 (432) 553-1080 | Office: +1 (432) 689-6985 | Other: +1 (888) 889-7757

Email: [email protected]

For more information, click here
China Aviation Daily | Jan. 05, 2018

Flying Colours Corp., the North American MRO business has commenced work fulfilling a long-term paint contract with MHI Canada Aerospace Inc., (MHICA), which is anticipated to last five years. Under the terms of the partnership, Flying Colours will paint over 40 center fuselage sections of the Bombardier Global 5000/6000 aircraft at the company's Peterborough, Ontario facility each year. MHICA, a group company of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, is a Tier 1 manufacturer of major aircraft structures and assemblies based in Mississauga, Ontario.

To support the agreement, Flying Colours has invested over US$1 million constructing a new, dedicated paint facility specifically designed for the project. The separate unit adds over 4,000 square feet to the existing paint shop footprint, and features two separate paint bays designed to allow easy access and egress of the fuselage component. It also incorporates a management and oversight office, as well as storage for the required primers, paint and coatings.

Each shrink-wrapped fuselage is delivered to Flying Colours from the MHI Canada Aerospace 270,000 square foot production facility in Mississauga. On arrival, the fuselage undergoes a pre-paint inspection before Flying Colours begins an eight-stage process that includes preparing the fuselage, priming for paint work, applying corrosion inhibitors and fuel barriers, before final paint spray application. Upon completion, the inspected fuselage is shipped back to MHICA, where it becomes part of the fuselage assembly line.

Flying Colours Corp. was selected for the project owing to its extensive experience working across the Global family of business aircraft. It is also a Bombardier Authorized Service Facility and Bombardier preferred completion centre. "We have worked with this aircraft for more than 10 years which has given MHI Canada Inc. the confidence in Flying Colour's ability to fulfil the required mandate," says John Gillespie, President, Flying Colours. "This is an exciting and significant new business activity for us. We have invested significant time, money and planning into making this project a long-term success. It also demonstrates we have an expert team that can fulfil extensive long term paint projects of this nature, wherever they come from in the world."

Contributed by Flying Colours Corp
Chinese ride-hailing platform Didi Chuxing bought a controlling stake in Brazil's 99 on Thursday, Uber's main rival in Latin America's largest economy, marking the company's first cross-border acquisition on its drive toward globalization.

Though the company did not disclose the stake acquired or its value, local media Valor Economico reported that the deal valued 99 at $1 billion and the New York Times said Didi is investing $600 million into 99, giving it "complete control" of the company, and will add additional cash on top of that.

The move came after Didi spent around $100 million to obtain a minority stake and some management rights in the Brazilian company last year.
Military physician's manual, based on his experiences, offers guidance to teams visiting Africa

"He called us 'my doctor' and then shook hands three times with each of us, the highest courtesy when welcoming guests in Zambia," said Zhai Wenliang, recalling his meeting with Kenneth Kaunda, the first president of Zambia.

Kaunda's sitting room was decorated with Chinese paintings and calligraphy. Every visiting Chinese doctor has brought Kaunda some Chinese medicine, which is why he calls us "his doctors", Zhai said.
This essay was the first place winner of the 2017 CT Science Writing Contest.

The scientific revolution hit Western Christendom hard.

Nicolaus Copernicus hypothesized that Earth was not at the center of the universe and, with the emergence of his 1543 publication De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium, a bitter struggle ensued between Christianity and science to shape the reigning worldview. Science came to dominate from the Enlightenment forward.

Or so weve been told.

But in fact, a Lutheran minister and theologian named Andreas Osiander was the one who published Copernicuss seminal piece. That should be our first clue that the story of enmity between Christianity and science has often been distorted and overstated, leading us to forget some of historys most influential science advocates and fueling a false dichotomy that unnecessarily polarizes scientific debates today.

The prevailing narrative that Christianity is inherently anti-science gained acceptance in 1896 with Andrew Dickson Whites A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology and Christendom. White singled out prominent Protestant pastors such as John Wesley and Increase Mather for promoting an attack on the new science. From the first to last, White wrote, a long line of eminent divines, Anglican and Calvinistic, strove to resist new thought.

At other points, Wesley had been singled out in 19th-century historiography for opposing scientific reasoning in support of the orthodox Christian faith, as though the two were inherently at odds. Meanwhile, Wesleys many publications engaging with the science of the time as he advocated for the usefulness of electricity, explored natural philosophy, and promoted natural solutions for curing disease (rather than merely spiritual solutions) were conveniently ignored.

White is correct in at least one regard: If a war had been waged between theology and science, prominent Enlightenment-era pastors would certainly have been leading the charge.

Yet, when we delve into the history of 18th-century clergy, we discover a different story of their involvement in the rise of modern science. We discover pastors who engaged the latest scientific discoveries and experiments in a variety of ways and with a predominantly receptive attitude.

Whats more, the very idea that science and Christianity inherently conflicted would have defied these pastors theological mindset. Pastors after the scientific revolution viewed engagement with new science as an opportunity to understand God as Creator with greater depth in order to bring him greater glory. And so, the clergy were frequent promoters rather than detractors, enthusiasts and participants rather than fear mongers. Their observations and contributions through publishing, preaching, and their own scientific pursuits helped enable the advancement of modern science in Western communities. Their examples also model for us the value and necessity of Christian engagement in scientific pursuits and discoveries.

New Science and Hot Protestants

If there were any group of clergy opposed to the new science, surely it was Puritans.

The well-known Hawthornesque rendition of the cold, rigid, and judgmental Puritan is image-defining.

In their origins, however, Puritans were not considered cold by their contemporaries. Rather, they were maligned as hot for wanting to loosely follow what they considered the rigidity of the Church of Englands liturgy out of the desire to lead worship extemporaneously. Paradoxically, they were stubbornly determined to be sensitive to the free movement of the Holy Spirit.

Though not without their blind spots, Puritans defy common stereotypes and expectations when it comes to new science. Historian George Marsden has shown in his biography of Jonathan Edwards that the Newtonian worldview was embraced by the New England clergy (i.e., that God can work through secondary causes) as were many other important scientific advancements, and they frequently made their positions public. Marsden writes, New England clergy, being the best educated persons in their communities, were often the chief interpreters of the new science.

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Consider the story of Increase Mather, contemporary of Isaac Newton, a minister, and the sixth president of Harvard. His name is often linked to the Salem witch trials, during which Increase made efforts to curb the hysteria (not without criticism) by discounting the use of spectral evidence in the courtroom. Increase promoted new science by helping to found the Boston Philosophical Society and stringently advocating for pioneering preventative approaches to disease along with his son, Cotton.

In 1721, 60 percent of Bostons residents contracted smallpox. The medical community was not in support of smallpox inoculation, or the variolation method, yet, which was a practice that inserted scabs or fluids of smallpox disease (or variola) underneath the skin through a small cut in order to immunize. When public debate over the risks versus benefits of the procedure came to the forefront in the citys newspapers, it was the clergy who advocated on its behalf. David Copeland called it the most heated newspaper debate in colonial America. Although inoculation did reduce the risk of dying from smallpox, survival was not an assured outcome (as Jonathan Edwards would discover in 1758).

Increase published two pieces on the subject that year including the elaborately titled Several reasons proving that inoculation or transplanting the small pox, is a lawful practice, and that it has been blessed by God for the saving of many a life. When Cotton wrote the first pro-

inoculation piece for the Boston Gazette, Increase and four other Boston clergy signed it.

Expressing a pro-inoculation position in such a public manner was fairly courageous. An unsuccessful attempt was made on Increases life when a bomb was planted in his home. In the end, many lives were saved and much suffering prevented because of pastoral involvement.

The Mathers promoted the new science in the colonies in other ways too. As one of the leading Puritan clergymen of his generation, Cotton also gained widespread acclaim for his observations in botany and writings on nature and was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of London for his 1721 work, The Christian Philosopher: A Collection of the Best Discoveries in Nature, with Religious Improvements. There the function, use, beauty, and order of vegetables garnered his attention. Even matters as seemingly monotonous as the acclimatization of wheat led Cotton to enthusiastically declare Gods goodness and his admirable design.

This passion for new science was later modeled by Edwardsclerical leader of the Great Awakening and president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). As a young man, Edwards spent considerable time studying arachnids. In his words, Of all insects, no one is more wonderful than the spider, especially with respect to their sagacity and admirable way of working. As his personal notebooks attest, Edwards nurtured a lifelong interest in natural science where he reflected on Newtons theories, including those regarding rainbows and motion.

In these ways and more, prominent Puritan leaders helped to promote modern science.

Meanwhile, the new science was also making headway across the pond in the Calvinist city of Geneva.

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New Science and the City of Calvin

Imagine sitting in your pew Sunday morning and listening to your pastor expand on the intricacies of quantum mechanics while exegeting the text. Hearing science in the pulpit was not an uncommon experience for the 18th-century Genevan congregant. In a city where roughly 3,000 worship services were held each year, the sermon was a pivotal means of public communication in shaping theological and biblical understanding, and it provides important insight into cultural mentality.

In his sermon on the importance of Christs resurrection, pastor Pierre Mouchon stressed the human inability to escape from sin by comparing sin to corrupted blood that circulates throughout the body. His explanation reflects the perspective of the time that diseases resulted from fluids like blood (hence the practice of bloodletting) rather than viruses. With this, Mouchon took the orthodox theological understanding of inherited sin and grounded it in physiological explanation.

Pastor Ezekiel Gallatin also incorporated scientific examples into his preaching. Gallatin turned to the telescope, microscope, and gravity to illustrate the meaning behind 1 Corinthians 13:912 (that we see now through a glass dimly). Without the telescope, the naked eye would never have discovered the vast expansiveness of the universe. Similarly, the microscope allowed the discovery of microorganisms 20,000 times smaller than could be seen by the human eye. Yet, even with this, human understanding grasps only a small part of what God has achieved. Even with the telescope and the microscope, we literally look through a glass dimly. For Gallatin, this was not an opportunity to wallow but to revel in Gods revelation through his Son and the promise that our human curiosity and knowledge will be fully satisfied at the end of the age.

Just as science was welcome in the sermon, so clergy were welcome in the academys scientific posts. The vast majority of professors holding posts in the new sciences at Genevas Academy (today the University of Geneva) were ordained pastors. Genevas first chair of mathematics, established in 1704, was held by the ordained pastor Francois-Etienne Jallabert. His son, Jean Jallabert, was also an ordained Genevan pastor and professor of experimental physics, mathematics, and philosophy.

Founded by John Calvin as a seminary and law school, Genevas Academy grew in prestige over the century as it embraced experimental philosophy and mechanistic physics. Supported by Genevas Company of Pastors, Jean Jallabert worked at the forefront of experimenting with electricity to treat illness. In fact, his electrotherapy is the reason that Mary Shelleys Frankenstein was set in 18th-century Geneva. The clergy also supported the establishment of astronomy in the city by raising funds for an observatory and a professor of astronomy. Their support opened the door for the construction of a meteorological building followed by the establishment of a chemistry laboratory. Finally, although White makes a blanket claim about clerical resistance to the addition of lightning conductors within 18th-century cities, Genevas clergy caused no such opposition when professor Horace-Benedict de Saussure planted a lightning rod in Geneva.

The emergence of the new science was not regarded by the clergy of Geneva as revolutionary, and by 1791, Thomas Jefferson had declared, On the continent of Europe, no place is comparable to Geneva. The sciences are there more modernized than anywhere else. Without a doubt, the advancement of new science was considerably due to the role of Genevas clergy.

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New Science in the 21st Century

The notion that Christianity worked tirelessly to block the progress of science from its inception is a difficult perception to dispel, but time and again it does not reflect the historical record.

Eighteenth-century clergy consistently helped their communities understand and interpret the new science transforming their world. They modeled and advocated engagement with science as they integrated it into their ministry.

Even in the post-Darwinian era, theologian-pastors Charles Hodge and B. B. Warfield embraced scientific evidence in favor of evolutionary theory, but they also reframed those results theologically and in light of the doctrine of God.

The intersection of science and Christianity is not inherently and historically antagonistic, as the groundbreaking recent publication of the Dictionary of Christianity and Science nuances for the interested reader.

At the same time, we live in a rapidly changing scientific age when boundaries are being crossed that were once never imagined possible: from genetically engineering pigs to grow organs for human transplant to permanently changing the DNA germline of human embryos. The expectation of a robotically driven economy is coupled with extreme efforts to create artificial intelligence that will supposedly function like a deity.

In this day and age, we need Christians in the field of science and in our churches who are able to engage actively and effectively in scientific advancement as well as provide theological and ethical perspectives that can reframe, redirect, and advance discoveries and understandings adeptly in light of Scripture and the claims of the Christian faith. At the very least, first acknowledging that all truth is Gods truth will go a long way toward encouraging a needed posture and practice of listening, embracing, cautioning, and contributing to the new science of our 21st-century world.

Jennifer Powell McNutt is associate professor of theology and history of Christianity at Wheaton College, a fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She is the author of Calvin Meets Voltaire: The Clergy of Geneva in the Age of Enlightenment, 16851798 (Routledge, 2014).

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In his superb biography of Francis Schaeffer, An Authentic Life, Colin Duriez tells us that Schaeffer was known for his kindness. In Escape from Reason, Schaeffer recounts meeting a young man who attended one of his lectures. He lovingly describes him as having a good-looking, sensitive face, long curly hair, sandals on his feet and ... wearing blue jeans. Schaeffer greeted him the next day, provoking this response: Sir, that was a beautiful greeting. Why do you greet me like that? The great evangelist and apologist replied, Because I know who you areI know that you are made in the image of God. He goes on: We then had a tremendous conversation.

Greetings matter. Jesus knew this:

And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? (Matt. 5:47)

Character is largely formed through manners, even by how we acknowledge the presence of others. Virtues and vices begin small and grow larger through habits. Virtues and vices may take over, making us a saint or a devil. Who, having read C. S. Lewiss The Weight of Glory, could forget this?

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizationsthese are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploitimmortal horrors or everlasting splendors.

Even in seemingly small ways, we contribute to each others destiny through our speech and our silence. As we begin a new year, a time in which we re-evaluate many of our habits, we might ponder this: How might one develop good habits in greeting these immortal beings? Here are some reminders I find helpful.

Throughout the day, we can pronounce a silent blessing on many we encounter. I often pray, May God bless you and keep you, make his face shine upon you, and give you peace. The Bible is packed with blessings and benedictions for our discovery and use. Thinking and praying this way opens us up to greeting people with heartfelt good wishes and without fear.

In a Western cultural context, we may not greet everyone we see with words, but we can at least acknowledge them with brief eye contact or a smile. I must discipline myself to do this, but I am improving. Of course, I am often lost in thought (which means I have lost my car, my keys, my phone, my briefcase, my textbooks, and more), and may not notice my fellow immortals. If so, shame on me. Being a philosopher is no excuse for being aloof or rude.

Other settings call for more involvement, as when we meet our waiter, checker, or barista. These are immortals, not mere functionaries or means to our ends. The German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, had it right in one of his formulations of the categorical imperative:

Always act in such a way that you treat Humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of another as an end in itself and never merely as a means.

One need not exchange names to recognize a person as valuable in their own right or a center of irreplaceable worth. A sincere hello and a smile may be enough. Perhaps one could say something complimentary to the person but without being too personal. Too many busy, multitasking clods barely acknowledge the humanity of their servers, especially in settings of rapid delivery, such as Starbucks.

When being introduced to an image-bearer of God, kindness leads us to make eye contact, smile, and offer appropriate touch, which is usually a handshake. Those from non-American cultures will have different sensibilities, and this should be kept in mind. (In some cultures, it is forbidden for men to touch women in public.) I have found that after being introduced or introducing yourself, saying something kind (but not silly) will tend to put people at ease.

We often recoil in the presence of those radically different from us. But we should not be allergic to human beings. We may be rankled by their tattoos, piercings, body odor, gaseous perfume, tattered and putrid clothes worn by the homeless, immodest dress, or whatever is your particular point of offense. But they are all, like us, made in Gods image. Therefore, we should put ourselves out to demonstrate love in action.

We may not give money to someone begging on the street, but we can acknowledge him or offer him some bottled water or even stop and talk (if safe). I try to offer roadside solicitors a bottle of water, a handshake, well wishes, and the promise of prayer. (I do so immediately after.) I ask them their names. They have names, you knowand histories and tragedies. If possible, we should greet them, even if we cannotthen and thererestore them to their rightful place in society. I know a man who hands out umbrellas to homeless folks caught in the rain.

It seems like a small thing, but it really isnt. How we greetor fail to greetothers says much about our character. But in the power of the Holy Spirit, we may practice the presence of people by acknowledging and recognizing them for who they are: creatures made in Gods image.

Douglas R. Groothuis is professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary. He is the author of Walking through Twilight: A Wife's Illness, a Philosopher's Lament (InterVarsity Press), publishing November 2017.
Grand Canyon University Submits Application to Return to Non-Profit Status -- Possibility Being Looked at to Ensure Long-Term Stability, Legacy of Institution Contact: Bob Romantic, Grand Canyon University, 602-639-7611



PHOENIX, Jan. 5, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- Grand Canyon University, a comprehensive regionally accredited university owned and operated by Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (GCE), has submitted an updated application to the Higher Learning Commission to re-establish the institution as a non-profit university upon its purchase of certain academic-related assets from GCE. Following the sale, GCE would operate as a for-profit third-party provider of educational and related services to GCU and potentially, in the future, to other universities. GCE filed an 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission to this effect today and is meeting with all employees to discuss the proposed transaction. The HLC could act on this application as soon as the next HLC Board meeting in February.



Brian Mueller, president and CEO of GCU, issued the following statement regarding that decision: "The Board of Directors of GCE, together with the Board of Trustees of GCU, are again considering the possibility of returning the university to its historical non-profit status, which it held from 1949-2004. We believe this development would be in the best long-term interests of our students, faculty and staff, the community and our investors, in that it would: Provide faculty and students equitable opportunities to participate in academic and co-curricular opportunities with our peer institutions without being segregated based on tax status.



Open up the world of non-profit philanthropic giving, grant writing and research opportunities.



Better enable the University to continue to hold the line on tuition  which has been frozen on the ground campus for 10 years  and keep higher education affordable for all socioeconomic classes of Americans.



Allow the university to continue to invest in infrastructure and maximize opportunities for faculty/staff growth.



Maximize opportunities for continued investments in the community.



Provide the opportunity for the University to become a full voting member of the NCAA.



Allow GCE to continue as a publicly traded educational services company that has the potential to provide services to other institutions in addition to GCU. "In short, this return to our historical non-profit status would convey an accurate reflection of who GCU is today and will be in the future, and brings the University full circle as it continues its transition into one of the driving forces in higher education today.



"GCU was a small non-profit private university for 55 years, but in 2004 found itself $20 million in debt and about to close its doors. Without a large donor base to turn to or the ability to rely on tax dollars, the University remained afloat by becoming a for-profit institution, securing investor funding and adding an online component to its academic offerings. In 2008, in order to develop a state-of-the-art online learning system, grow out the ground campus and ensure long-term stability, GCU went to the public markets for an infusion of capital to invest into the university. As a result of those investments, GCU today has a strong hybrid campus model that has enabled it to grow enrollment on the ground campus from less than 1,000 in 2004 to approximately 19,000 today, and create an online campus that now has more than 70,000 students, with more than half of those studying at the graduate level.



"That growth has also had a huge impact on our community. A 2015 study performed by Elliott Pollack & Company found that, from 2010-2019, GCU will: Generate an estimated $450 million in city, county and state tax revenue, in addition to an estimated $650 million in federal income taxes.



Generate an average of 10,490 jobs on an annual basis, with wages totaling $487.7 million.



Provide an economic impact of $11.1 billion to the Phoenix area. "GCU has further distinguished its innovative approach to higher education in that it has never paid a dividend to its shareholders since becoming a publicly traded institution in 2008. Those shareholders have received a return on their investment via increases in the value of the stock price that are a result of the University's continued success. Further, GCU has invested more into its campus infrastructure and technology -- $1 billion over a 10-year period  than it has made in after-tax profits during that time. No other university has used a publicly traded for-profit business model to develop a hybrid university with both ground and online campuses. In addition to investing in its outstanding academic programs, the University has developed all of the trappings of a traditional university, including music, dance, theater, debate, intramural and club sports, and a Division I athletic program.



"Today, GCU has a very strong financial model and there is no need to go back to the public markets for further capital. The current proposal to the HLC provides the best of both worlds by re-establishing a non-profit regionally accredited university that can continue to grow and meet the demand of families interested in affordable, private Christian education, while allowing GCE to continue as a tax-paying, multi-billion dollar market cap, publicly traded company in the fast-growing educational service market industry, with its headquarters in Phoenix.



Details of the HLC proposal

"These FAQs (news.gcu.edu/2018/01/faqs-proposal-re-establish-gcu-non-profit-institution/) go into greater detail about the structure of the proposed transactions and its implications. It is important to note that the proposal is NOT being done to escape current regulations that are imposed only on the for-profit sector. For example, because GCU maintains affordable tuition, none of its programs failed the gainful employment regulations. GCU's loan default rate will be an estimated 6.5% for the most recent cohort  well below federal guidelines. For the 90/10 rule, GCU sits at 72.3% (and dropping). The University supports measures that ensure educational institutions are meeting recognized standards -- particularly as it relates to student support services, academic integrity and financial transparency  and believes those measures should apply to all institutions (for-profit and non-profit).



"GCU also has an exemplary record of regulatory compliance, including visits from six major accrediting bodies within the past two years. GCU met those comprehensive reviews with 100 percent compliance, including a visit from HLC in which the University's accreditation was reaffirmed for an additional 10 years, which is the maximum extension of accreditation the HLC offers. In addition to the HLC accreditation, GCU recently received the maximum 10-year accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education; completed the four-year transition to NCAA Division I athletics; completed a Veterans Administration audit with no findings; received a 10-year reaccreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs; and has been granted associate membership of the Association of Theological Schools as it completes the process for full accreditation.



Why now?

"GCU initially explored reverting to its nonprofit status in 2015-16. That application was denied by the HLC, in part, based on its view that it did not have the necessary guidelines in place to evaluate the type of shared services agreement that GCU proposed. In May 2017, GCU became aware that the HLC was considering adopting new accreditation guidelines that would allow HLC-accredited institutions to engage in shared services arrangements. Following the HLC's adoption of those guidelines in November, GCU submitted its updated application on Dec. 18, 2017.



"The structure that GCU proposed initially in 2015-16, and again in 2017, is similar to the proposed structure in which Purdue University hopes to acquire the education assets of Kaplan University (a for-profit university), with Kaplan becoming the service company for the new Purdue NewU online platform. Further, the educational services that GCE would provide to GCU in the proposed structure would encompass services that are similar to those that are currently provided in outsourcing agreements that well-known service companies have in place with hundreds of regionally accredited universities throughout the country.



"We are hopeful the application will be looked upon favorably and we continue to review federal and state regulatory issues that could impact the viability of the proposal. That review is not completed at this time and we will not enter into any definitive agreements until those issues have been resolved and any regulatory approvals have been received." Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This statement contains "forward-looking statements," including statements relating to the proposed transaction discussed above. Words such as "may," "should," "could," "would," "predicts," "potential," "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar expressions, as well as statements in future tense, identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made or management's good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to: the failure of the proposed sale transaction to be approved by the HLC or any of our other regulators or accreditors; the failure of GCE and New GCU to reach agreement on key terms of the sale transaction and to execute definitive agreements; the possibility that any or all of the various conditions to the consummation of the transaction that may be set forth in definitive agreements may not be satisfied or waived, including the failure to receive any required regulatory approvals from any applicable governmental entities (or any conditions, limitations or restrictions placed on such approvals); the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of any definitive agreement once executed; the effect of the announcement or pendency of the transactions contemplated herein on GCE's ability to retain and hire key personnel or its operating results and business generally; risks related to diverting management's attention from GCE's ongoing business operations; the risk that stockholder litigation in connection with the transactions discussed herein may result in significant costs of defense, indemnification and liability; and other factors discussed in GCE's reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Factors or events that could affect the transactions contemplated herein or cause GCE's actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for GCE to predict all of them. GCE undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable securities laws.



Share Tweet Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis statement contains "forward-looking statements," including statements relating to the proposed transaction discussed above. Words such as "may," "should," "could," "would," "predicts," "potential," "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar expressions, as well as statements in future tense, identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made or management's good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to: the failure of the proposed sale transaction to be approved by the HLC or any of our other regulators or accreditors; the failure of GCE and New GCU to reach agreement on key terms of the sale transaction and to execute definitive agreements; the possibility that any or all of the various conditions to the consummation of the transaction that may be set forth in definitive agreements may not be satisfied or waived, including the failure to receive any required regulatory approvals from any applicable governmental entities (or any conditions, limitations or restrictions placed on such approvals); the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of any definitive agreement once executed; the effect of the announcement or pendency of the transactions contemplated herein on GCE's ability to retain and hire key personnel or its operating results and business generally; risks related to diverting management's attention from GCE's ongoing business operations; the risk that stockholder litigation in connection with the transactions discussed herein may result in significant costs of defense, indemnification and liability; and other factors discussed in GCE's reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Factors or events that could affect the transactions contemplated herein or cause GCE's actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for GCE to predict all of them. GCE undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable securities laws.
home World Iranian Christians slam bishop for claiming they are not being persecuted by government

A Christian media outlet has denounced a prominent bishop for reportedly claiming that Christians in Iran enjoy complete freedom and are "not being persecuted in any way."

Bishop Sibo Sarkisian, Armenian-Orthodox Bishop of Tehran, had claimed in an interview with Spanish news agency EFE that the Iran government allows Christians to freely practice their faith.

"[W]e have freedom of religion in Iran and the Islamic government grants its Christian citizens every right to practice their faith, including observing their feasts such as Christmas. They're just not allowed to share their faith publicly as it is forbidden under the Islamic government's law," the bishop said.

Sarkisian also noted that he does not approve of the "idea of evangelism," adding that "each individual should adhere to their own religious, national and ethnic identity."

Mohabat News, which describes itself as the news agency of Iranian Christians and a group of "Bible-believing Christians who believe in propagating the word of God," took issue with the bishop's remarks.

The news agency pointed out that evangelism is not just an idea but a commandment of Jesus Christ to all His followers.

It went on to explain that millions of believers, including those in Iran, view evangelism as an essential part of the faith, and that the restrictions against it prove that Christians do not have complete freedom in the Islamic regime.

The agency also accused the bishop of being one-sided for suggesting that Christians should adhere to their own religious identity while failing to speak against the government's public announcements when a non-Muslim converts to Islam.

Mohabat further noted that the Armenian Orthodox Church in Iran has been stripped of its autonomy to make its decisions since the Islamic Revolution. It pointed out that the bishop's remarks were the "perfect example" of the Church's lack of freedom in adhering to biblical teachings in Iran.

Several reports this past year have indicated that Iranian authorities have been targeting Christian converts with arrest and imprisonment.

According to the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), the Revolutionary Court in Tehran has handed down long prison sentences to at least 11 Christian converts since June 2017.

CHRI's executive director Hadi Ghaemi noted that while the Iranian Constitution recognizes Christians as an official religious minority, the state continues to persecute believers of the faith, especially converts.

"The state must respect its own laws and international obligations and allow Christians and all religious minorities full freedom of worship," Ghaemi said.

Due to the government's restrictions on non-Muslims, Open Doors USA has ranked Iran in the 2017 World Watch List as the eighth worst country when it comes to the persecution of Christian.

Iran was also listed by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom among the top five worst-scoring countries on blasphemy laws made to protect Islam.
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Parker School Uniforms terminated all of its employees Wednesday evening and has yet to pay them for work completed at the end of 2017, a Dallas-area manager says.

The manager, who asked to remain unnamed for fear of retaliation from future employers, said employees awoke to an email Wednesday morning telling them not to come to work. The company was experiencing financial issues, the manager said Friday.
Authorities are searching for two men who were involved in slitting a man's throat and trying to kidnap his wife outside a Whataburger in northwest Houston, according to a Houston police.

The incident occurred around 1 a.m. on Dec. 18 in the 400 block of West Little York, according to a press release from the Houston Police Department. One suspect approached the man with a handgun and held a knife to his neck, while he ordered the victim to hand over his wallet and cellphone.
The new year brings fun new things to do in the Houston area, whether you love seeing movies, dining out, sampling microbrews or jumping around on a trampoline.

As new retail centers grow in neighborhoods such as Cypress, the Heights and New Caney, residents in these areas have lots to look forward to.
Susan Walsh/STF

Sen. Ted Cruz was fighting an uphill battle when he jumped into the years long fight over ethanol on behalf of Gulf Coast refineries.

And things aren't getting any easier, judging by early reviews on his proposal to fix the market for Renewable Identification Numbers or RINs - the mechanism by which energy companies prove they are complying with the federal ethanol mandate.
A teenager shot his girlfriend inside an apartment while fooling around with a gun just after midnight Friday, Houston police said.

The 16-year-old girl was sitting with her boyfriend in a third-story apartment in the Golden Bamboo Village II apartment complex on Mills Road, said Officer Mike Barrow of the Houston Police Department. Barrow said the boyfriend was "messing around" with the gun, recording and sharing videos involving it when the gun went off, striking the 16-year-old girl in the torso.
It's not often that restaurants, especially popular ones, get a head-to-toe menu revamp. But a culinary overhaul seemed appropriate for Sud Italia Ristorante when it hired Maurizio Ferrarese, former executive chef of Quattro at the Four Seasons Hotel Houston, as the head toque of the Rice Village restaurant.

Just over a month into his new stint as executive chef, Ferrarese has unleashed his extensive background in fine dining and Italian fare on the intimate, neighborhood boite. Sud Italia is now super "sud," with an entirely new menu that celebrates the southern regions of Italy including Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily. It's fare Ferrarese knows well. The 41-year-old chef was born and raised in northern Italy (his mother is from Basilicata region) but has cooked throughout the country.

Now Playing: Chronicle critic Alison Cook compiles the best dining the city has to offer. Video: Houston Chronicle

The move to Sud Italia after seven years at Four Seasons in downtown Houston (and 17 years cooking throughout the world for the luxury hotel chain) was a dramatic change for the chef. But it was one that Ferrarese said he was eager to make as he explored a new chapter in his life. He said he came to a point where he responded to the self-imposed question, "What do you want to do when you grow up?"

While his answer involves several projects, it also included making a new start in the profession he's embraced for 25 years. And his passion for "the beautiful regions" of the Italian boot is being expressed in his new menu at Sud Italia. He said the dishes are marked by a lighter, brighter, and more elegant focus. "I love the simplicity of the dishes," he said. "Each ingredient has to pop, from the color, to the flavor to the way they play together."

That's seen in dishes such as limoncello-cured ahi tuna with eggplant; baked Gulf snapper with heirloom tomatoes, olives and capers; Gulf shrimp ravioli with a sauce flavored with thyme and black garlic; and zuppa di mare featuring sea bass, black mussels, fingerling potatoes, carrots and black olives lavished in "acqua pazza" (a simple water broth of tomatoes, garlic and basil).

His pasta options include strozzapreti with short rib ragu; cocks comb-shaped pasta with an eggplant and tomato sauce and ricotta salata; and tube-shaped pasta with a cheese and black pepper sauce. Mains: grilled tuna steak with stewed vegetables; salmon with lentils; seared veal with marsala wine and mushrooms; and grilled lamb chops with roasted cauliflower.

Starters include Sicilian meatballs with fresh marinara; arancini with mushroom sauce; fried shrimp and calamari; heirloom tomato and burrata salad; and a winter salad of shaved beets, fennel, avocado and cheese.

In February the restaurant will begin a once-a-week, family-style dinner limited to 20 guests. Ferrarese will set out an abundant antipasto of house-jarred and pickled vegetables, salumi and cheeses followed by pasta. It's a serve-yourself feast that Sud Italia owner Shanon Scott will pair with appropriate wine.

"I thought our operation was too small for him, but it worked out perfectly," Scott said. "We're letting him create. Now we're seeing more defined flavors."

Sud Italia Ristorante, 2347 University Blvd., 713-664-7571; sud-italia.com.

NOTE: Sud Italia will host "A Night In Campania" wine dinner and tasting menu by chef Mauizio Ferrarese on Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. Seating is limited; $59 per person.
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Law authorities are investigating an early morning fire Friday that damaged a rental home in the Houston Heights at the center of a legal dispute over the rightful owner of the property  and a known haven for squatters.

Investigators say the fire may have been intentionally set, according to Angelique Myers, a spokeswoman for the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable's office.

A Houston Fire Department spokesman said investigators did not find any "accidental causes" for the fire.

The one-story, three-family home in the 500 block of Frasier, near White Oak, was charred Friday after Houston firefighters doused the one-alarm blaze, which broke out about 6:45 a.m.

The fire had started in the back, barely making it to the front of the home and instead spreading to the small backyard that had become more of a dumping ground, full of old furniture and random abandoned belongings such as a purple button-up shirt and fluffy pillows.

From the back porch looking in, bottles of cleaning supplies were about all that remained on the charred floor.

The home was supposed to be vacant, but the household items and random articles of clothing strewn about were perhaps the most obvious hints that it wasn't.

Myers said several squatters have been known to sleep in the home since the owner, Dale Buell, died in March 2017. She said it was not immediately clear to investigators whether any squatters were in the house at the time of the fire.

"They've been asked to leave several times in the past," Myers said, "but we haven't been able to remove them because the property is involved in probate court right now."

The legal dispute is between George Baiamonte, who has applied to be executor of Buell's will. He is being challenged by Joseph Hoyt, who according to court records, claims to be Buell's equitably adopted son.

While Baiamonte was named the sole beneficiary in the will, Hoyt argued in court documents that Baiamonte may have falsified the will and is not eligible to be executor under Texas law.

A temporary administrator, Nicole Davis, was appointed on Dec. 22 to oversee Buell's assets, including the home on Frasier. Previous tenants who had been kicked out in March after Buell died are believed to have returned to the property, she said.

"It was in terrible condition," she said. "They kept coming back, no matter what anyone did. Neighbors kept calling the cops, but there weren't any signs out in the front of the house to indicate there was no trespassing allowed."

Cecelia Ottenweller, who lives two doors down from the burned house, said that she has often seen people walking to the home from a nearby homeless encampment. Sometimes, she said, they would carry suitcases.

She once stopped one of them, asking the woman whether she understood that neighbors had the perception that she and others were squatting inside the house.

"She replied, 'We have a lease,'" Ottenweller recalled. "I don't know how they would, because once the owner died, there's been a lot of questions about who owns the place."

The three-unit home used to operate like a halfway house, Ottenweller said, and plenty of nice people who had difficulty finding other places to live called it home.

Now, though, "There have been so many people going in and out that we don't understand what's been going on," she said. "Not since Buell died. We have no idea."

To deter the squatters, Davis, the administrator, put up a "no trespassing" sign. She had a locksmith board up the home and had the home's gas supply cut off. She went back to the home just last Friday.

"They had broken and pulled off my plywood somehow," she said. "These people are relentless."

She woke up to a call from the Houston Fire Department Friday morning.

Davis said that she does not expect the fire to complicate the dispute over Buell's will. She had planned to sell the house and was waiting to hear from Baiamonte and Hoyt's lawyers about whether they would agree to the sale.

The home was appraised at $360,000 last April, according to the Harris County Appraisal District.

Baiamonte, a two-time convicted felon and sex offender, according to criminal court records, was living in one of Buell's properties at the time of his death, according to claims Hoyt has made in probate court records. The Texas Sex Offender Registry confirms Baiamonte's address at a property on Studemont, one that Buell also owned.

Hoyt claims that his father "was under Baiamonte's undue influence" at the time the Jan. 27, 2017 will was prepared, less than 60 days before Buell died.

In the will, Baiamonte is listed as the sole beneficiary of two of Buell's cars, his two properties on Frasier and Studemont, more than $50,000 in assets and Buell's music collection. Baiamonte is described in the will as Buell's friend.

Baiamonte was convicted of sexual assault of a child between 14 and 17 years old in 2004, and convicted of felony assault of a family member in 2014, according to Harris County court records.

Under Texas estate law, a person is not qualified to serve as the executor of a will if he or she has been convicted of a felony, as Hoyt points out in his legal argument.

Baiamonte's attorney, Bradley Coplen, said that if a judge finds that Baiamonte is not qualified to be executor, he doesn't expect that to impact his role as sole beneficiary.

As for Hoyt's allegations, Coplen said, "They're just allegations. We're more than comfortable proving up the case in court."

Hoyt's attorney, Sarah Menotti, said she had not heard of the fire about noon Friday and intended to look into it before commenting.

Davis said her next step will be obtaining court approval to sell the home, and determining whether the City of Houston will agree to condemn the property, given its condition, despite it being in an historic Heights area.

The neighbors, she said, have ended up being the most affected by the vacant house's various nuisances: squatters, repeated break-ins, and now, a charred home next-door.

"Had it burned down, that may have been more of a blessing to the neighbors than what happened, actually," Davis said.
A former food service worker at Seven Lakes High School was sentenced to federal prison Thursday in Houston for possession of child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller sentenced Allan Wayne McNeill, 53, of Katy, to just over eight years in prison to be followed by 10 years on supervised release. The judge explained that he could not go near parks, schools, playgrounds because of his conviction.
Police are searching for Stephanie Renee Falchetti, 42, who was last seen on Dec. 30.

Falchetti was last seen in Houston around 11:45 p.m. walking toward Valero on Kieth Harrow and Highway 6, according to a release. She was wearing a blue shirt, blue jeans, a black Guess trench coat and a white beanie with red threading. Falchetti was also wearing black rain boots.
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A Sugar Land woman pleaded guilty in Houston federal court Thursday to managing a lucrative kush manufacturing lab that raked in millions of dollars from the sale of synthetic drugs at local retail outlets.

Handcuffed and shackled in olive green jail clothing and wearing a black hijab, Ayisha Khurram, 42, told U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller she was guilty of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 813 pounds of the street drug known as kush or K2. The drugs were found in black plastic garbage bags by federal agents who raided a U-Haul at the lab she ran near Huntsville.

Khurram is the tenth defendant to plead guilty to aiding in a drug conspiracy revealed after a massive criminal sting that swept up a University of Houston-Victoria professor for running an illegal money transferring portion of the drug distribution endeavor. The professor is now serving a prison sentence.

READ ALSO: State closes Houston market accused of selling Kush

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Khurram also admitted to helping run a five-person kush lab on a property she co-owned with her boyfriend Muhammad Shariq Siddiqi, 48, who also pleaded guilty Nov. 2 to possession of the drugs, admitting he supplied $14 million of kush to retail stores in Houston. Both Khurram and Siddiqi were married to other people at the time of their arrests.

Khurram faces a maximum sentence of 20 years and up to three years of supervised release at sentencing. Prosecutors agreed to drop additional charges if she sustains her guilty plea and assists them according to the plea agreement.

Khurram's attorney David A. Breston and two family members present in court declined to comment on her plea.

READ ALSO: K2 problem invades Texas prisons

The 2016 raid by federal agents targeted several independent players believed to manufacturing, distributing or aiding in transactions related to kush--a leafy substance that's soaked in a chemical mixture that mimics the effect of marijuana.

According to federal investigators, Khurram helped run the manufacturing end of the business with Siddiqi, who owned three gas stations, two smoke shops, multiple cars and had purchased six new properties worth $3 million in a two-year span. The two Pakistani natives oversaw a team of workers who produced the drug in cement mixers at a farm near Huntsville, according to court testimony.

Participants amassed so much money from selling synthetic cannabinoids, they couldn't get rid of it fast enough. A Drug Enforcement agent testified that police were summoned to the school Siddiqi's son attended because the boy was handing out $20 and $100 bills to classmates.

Gabrielle Banks covers federal court for the Houston Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter and send her tips at gabrielle.banks@chron.com.
Abilene Christian University is urging students not to apply for a job at a new Hooters location that is just weeks away from opening.

According to local Abilene new station KTXS, the director of public and media relations for the Texas university told them that the campus has asked students to avoid working for the establishment.
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A Harris County man convicted of helping notorious serial killer and sadist Dean Corll lure at least 28 boys to their death is up for possible release following a Thursday hearing.

David Owen Brooks has gone before the parole board roughly 20 times in the more than four decades since he was sent to prison for his role in the Houston Mass Murders between 1970 and 1973. But now, thanks to a new law passed in 2015, if he isn't released this time it could be another ten years before he's up for parole again.

"The bottom line is serial killer and parole are oxymoronic terms to begin with. And in this case there's no compelling reason to release him," said city of Houston victim advocate Andy Kahan, who headed up to Angleton for the hearing this week along with the parents of Stanton Dreymala, believed to be Corll's last victim.

BACKGROUND:For murder victim's parents, an agonizing ritual

"We're 99.9 percent confident he'll be denied, so we were really just pursuing getting the maximum set-off," Kahan said. A decision is expected in several weeks.

James Dreymala was more cautious.

"This is not first time we've gone through this so we know that, again, it's not over till it's over," he said. He and his wife Elaine are believed to be the last surviving parents of Corll's victims.

The killings came to light in 1973 after 17-year-old Elmer Wayne Henley called police to say that he'd shot Corll, the 33-year-old electric company worker who'd masterminded the gruesome 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 a stall 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. Eventually Henley admitted that he'd helped lure the unsuspecting victims, along with the help of then-18-year-old David Owen Brooks.

LAST TIME:"Houston Mass Murders" killer denied parole

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. Eventually, police probed other sites 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."

Brooks was first eligible for parole in 1979 and Henley the following year. They've since been up for release every 18 months to 3 years, though Henley was given a 10-year set-off in his last parole review in 2015.

Though the Dreymalas expressed concern about the possibility of Brooks' release, Kahan was more confident and said it only boiled down to a question of whether the set-off would be ten years or something less than that.

"I have a better chance of growing my hair back than he does of getting parole," Kahan said.
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It's a mystery that a Rice University historian and online commenters can't seem to figure out: Where was this photo of Houston taken around 1915?

Melissa Kean, historian at Rice University, posted a photo from Elmer Shutts' scrapbook from Rice's archives on the Rice History Corner blog on Wednesday. Though the post is titled "City of Houston from Rice, c1914-15," Kean told Chron.com that the photo probably wasn't taken from Rice.

PRAISE FOR RICE: Rice University is among the best-value colleges for 2018, according to Kiplinger

"Whoever labeled the picture was wrong!" Kean said. "On close inspection, there's no way that shot was taken from the top of Lovett Hall."

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Kean posted the photo on her Facebook page, pushing online sleuths to guess where the photo was taken.

I found this recently in a scrapbook that was kept by Elmer Shutts '16: It looks great but unfortunately things have... Posted by Melissa Kean on Wednesday, January 3, 2018

The biggest guess so far is that Shutts meant the Rice Hotel.

"Could 'Rice' have meant Rice Hotel. Nothing in the photo remotely looks like the area around the university," commented Philip Walters.

"I'm thinking Rice Hotel, too, in part because what appears to be a bayou winding through the right 1/3 of the image," commented Rachel D Vor. "Most of downtown Houston was residential at that time."

BEAUTIFUL: Brand new Rice University building gets recognized for its stunning design

In a follow up post written on Thursday, Kean notes that some of the sentences on Shutts' photos are more faded than others, indicating that he may have mislabeled his photos as he got older.

"This makes me suspect that the older Shutts just didnt look all that closely or didnt remember accurately where hed taken that photo," Kean wrote.

So what do you think, Chron.com readers? Where was this photo taken?

Scroll through the gallery above to see more historic photos of the areas around Rice and West universities.

Will Axford is a digital reporter for Chron.com. Read more of his stories here and follow him on Twitter.
A longtime member of the staff for U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, is going to work for The Woodlands as the township's manager of Internal Governmental Relations.

According to a press release from Brady's office, Todd Stephens has left his job as district director for the popular Montgomery County Republican congressman to join the staff of The Woodlands Township.

Stephens was welcomed to his new role by Gordy Bunch, chairman of The Woodlands Township Board of Directors, during a special meeting of the board on Thursday night.

Bunch praised Stephens for his previous work, describing him in a statement as "an asset to our hometown working with Congressman Brady's office" after Hurricane Harvey hit.

"(Stephens) was instrumental in making sure our county was added to the state and federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Harvey, providing The Woodlands Township with federal updates and working with Harris county toll road authority to move the Ironman TX race onto the Hardy toll road," Bunch said. "Todd's connections at the local, county, state and federal levels will be a huge benefit to our hometown as he moves into his new role with TW Township."

Brady had released a separate statement announcing that Stephens was leaving his position as his district director to join the township. Stephens had worked on Brady's staff for 13 years.

"District Eight is lucky to have community leaders like Todd Stephens," Brady said in a statement.

Stephens deferred comment after being welcomed by Bunch and the rest of the township board, instead referencing his statement released through Brady's office.

"As Congressman Brady has always said, 'He went to Washington to tackle the big issues' and I have enjoyed working alongside him on issues important to helping Texas families from pension reform to hurricane recovery following Rita, Ike and now Harvey to once-in-a-generation tax reform," Stephens said in the statement. "I love this community and the people who call it home, and it has been an honor serving them and Mr. Brady."

Heather Washburn has been named to replace Stephens. Brady described her as a lifetime resident of Montgomery County and as having "established involvement in the community and strong public service background,"
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In an attempt to get his client a new trial, an attorney for a man convicted in the grisly 1998 dragging death of a Jasper man argued in federal court Thursday that the killing was a "backwoods drug deal gone bad," not a racially-motivated killing.

John William King, 43, was the first of three white men convicted of capital murder for killing James Byrd Jr. almost two decades ago. Byrd, 49, was chained by his ankles to the bumper of a truck and fatally dragged on an old logging road on the outskirts of town.

At a hearing at the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans Thursday, King's attorney, A. Richard Ellis, argued that his client's trial lawyers were deficient and failed to present evidence that would have proven King's innocence.

Now Playing: Texas News & Crime Video: Houston Chronicle

> > RELATED: The dragging death of James Byrd Jr.

King, who is on death row at the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, was not present at the hearing. He was defended at trial by Sonny Cribbs, who died in June, and Brack Jones, who has previously declined to comment on the appeal.

During the trial, King's tattoos, including one of a black man hanging from a tree, were used as evidence that the killing was racially motivated. Ellis argued Thursday that more than one of the tattoo artists who drew King's tattoos should have been called as a witness to prove that the tattoos were not racist.

Ellis described the tattoo as "just a person hanging from a tree" who was drawn in black ink, a claim the state's attorney refuted by quoting testimony from King's trial that he had previously described the tattoo by using racial slurs.

> > Scenes from Lawrence Russell Brewer's execution

Ellis also argued, as he has previously in court filings, that Cribbs and Jones did not thoroughly investigate and challenge claims of who owned the sandals found in King's apartment with Byrd's blood on them, or the DNA on a cigarette butt used as evidence to tie King to the crime.

Jason LaFond, assistant solicitor general for the Texas Attorney General's Office, called King's claims "meritless" and said the appeal is nitpicking the work of his attorneys without actually presenting any new evidence.

He said evidence that Ellis argued should have been presented at trial didn't prove anything new and could be contradicted by other evidence presented at trial, including King's own words and statements.

LaFond also argued that the claims of ineffective assistance of counsel have already been exhausted in previous appeal proceedings, and cannot be appealed again, while Ellis said the issues of evidence and failure to prove innocence are separate from previous rulings.

Three federal court judges will rule on the case, after considering the oral arguments and filed motions.

Both attorneys declined to comment further after the hearing.

> > Texas death row inmates won't receive last meals after Jasper killer's final request

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/LizTeitz
A Tomball man found in downtown Houston hotel room along with a small stash of guns and ammo that sparked concerns of a possible Las Vegas-type shooting plot on New Year's Eve is expected to be released from jail after a Harris County judge reduced his bail Friday.

Russell Lawrence Ziemba, 49, was arrested Sunday at the Hyatt Regency Houston after hotel staff called police over Ziemba's allegedly drunken behavior - and officers then found an AR-15, shotgun and handgun in his hotel room.
A man driving a Jaguar led police on a high-speed chase across Houston before crashing and attempting to flee early Friday morning, police said.

Police attempted to stop the man at Griggs near Lyons for what they claimed was a defective tail light, but instead he took off, taking the Eastex Freeway northbound all the way to Kingwood, reportedly driving upwards of 90 miles an hour.
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Ask any teacher: strong fundamentals are the building block to a good student.

That's why a solid early education is just as important, if not more, than schooling received later on in life.

Children at Risk, a nonprofit organization that studies Texas' public education system, recently released its annual rankings for the Lone Star State's best elementary schools.

RANKED: Which Houston area school districts pay their teachers the most?'

Now Playing: TEA underfire for releasing information about special needs students without notifying parents Video: Fox 26 Houston

Their data show that schools within the same district can vastly differ in their quality of education.



The rankings can serve as a handy evidence-based tool to narrow down the cream of the crop in public education.



In order to rank the schools, researchers examined standardized test scores as well as student achievement.

RECOGNITION: Six Houston-area school districts named to AP District Honor Roll

In addition, researchers compared campuses across the state with similar levels of poverty to eliminate bias against economically disadvantaged schools.

Dozens of school districts in the Houston area were ranked against each other, as well as schools around the state.

Above: See the Houston-area's best elementary schools.

Fernando Ramirez is a reporter for Chron.com and the Houston Chronicle. You can read more of his stories here and follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93.
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A Frisco man learned his fate Wednesday, almost four months after he pleaded guilty to assaulting and robbing men because they were gay, officials said.

Nigel Garrett, 21, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.

According to the plea deal, Garrett admitted to targeting gay men through the dating app Grindr.

RELATED: BCSO: Woman accused of stabbing boyfriend in the neck escaped jail

Garrett, along with three other conspirators, faced charges of hate crimes, kidnappings, carjackings and the use of firearms to commit violent crimes. The indictment also charged them with conspiring to cause bodily injury because of the victim's sexual orientation.

According to the press release, the four defendants would use the app to arrange meet-ups with gay men. When they'd enter the victims' homes, they would tie them up, assault them, rob them and make derogatory statements about their sexual orientation, authorities said.

The four defendants were responsible for four home invasions in Plano, Frisco and Aubrey, the release says.

"Violence, in any form, is an affront to the American principles of freedom and safety that our communities are entitled to," said Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. "The Department of Justice has made prosecution of violent crime a priority. The Eastern District of Texas, in prosecuting this case and others like it, intends to demonstrate that this priority is something more than just a slogan."

The three other suspects, Anthony Shelton, Chancler Encalade and Cameron Ajiduah, are still awaiting sentencing, according to the release.

Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @FaresInSA
JOHANNESBURG - A passenger train carrying people home after the holidays slammed into a truck in rural South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 18 people and injuring about 260 others, authorities said.

Officials said the truck driver allegedly tried to cross the tracks just ahead of the oncoming train, part of which burst into flames after the collision, trapping some passengers in carriages. Those who were able to escape with their luggage hurriedly dragged bags from the smoking wreck to a nearby road.
Taxpayers don't have to panic about footing the bill for some members of the U.S. House of Representatives to travel to far flung places like the Middle East; non-government entities including Columbia Law School, Progressive Congress, Catholic Relief Services, American Israel Education Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts and the Advanced Security Training Institute paid for lawmakers to travel, according to data provided by the Office of the Clerk at the U.S. House of Representatives.

TEXAS POLITICS IN 2018: With ballots set, Texas political landscape could be reshaped in 2018
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
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Press issues delay delivery of todays Chronicle Times Due to press issues, print subscribers will not receive the Nov. 16 issue of the Cherokee Chronicle Times in the...

Galva man charged with his brothers murder A Galva man with an extensive criminal history in Storm Lake was arrested on Sunday night for allegedly killing his...

Cherokee enrollment up 10% over 7 years Enrollment at most of Buena Vista and Cherokee Countys school districts increased across-the-board, according to estimates submitted to the Iowa...

Book Basket Project underway at library The 23rd-annual Book Basket Project is up and running at Cherokee Public Library. This silent auction launched on Monday and...
Fundatia de Binefacere Caritas Moldova solicita oferte de pret de la companii cu privire la dezvoltarea designului pentru Sala Events & Sufragerie
Operating a vehicle under the influence, East Bagley Road-Beech Street: A Cleveland woman, 33, was arrested at about 1 a.m. Dec. 30 after she slammed her Volkswagen into a tree.

Another driver called police to report the crash. The driver said the woman was trying to push her car away from the tree, which was in the median. The driver said the woman smelled like alcohol.

The woman told officers she was driving home and wasn't sure how she crashed her car. She initially admitted drinking one Jagermeister and Red Bull, but later said she had consumed three shots of Jagermeister.

Counterfeiting, West Bagley Road: Police are tracing the origins of a fake $100 bill that was used to buy pizza Dec. 30 at Marco's Pizza, 435 West Bagley.

A Marco's manager said the restaurant had received only one $100 bill from a customer that night. The manager showed the receipt - which contained the customer's name and address - to police. Officers visited the customer in Olmsted Falls. The customer said her son had given her the $100 bill to buy pizza.

The customer's son said he had received the $100 bill from his employer, a bar-restaurant in Berea, on Dec. 24. The bill was part of his $300 pay, which was all in cash. He thought it was odd that his employer had given him a $100 bill because he usually pays him in smaller denominations.

Police visited the bar-restaurant and asked to speak to the manager who had passed the fake bill. The manager wasn't there. Police called the manager but so far haven't reached him.

Theft, West Bridge Street: A Berea woman, 29, was arrested at about 1:15 p.m. Dec. 29 after she was caught stealing three bags of groceries from Giant Eagle, 50 West Bridge.

A store security guard saw the woman slip groceries into the bags and called police. The guard said that according to Giant Eagle, the woman had shoplifted from the store previously but had never been identified or arrested.

Once the woman was outside the store, the guard ordered her to stop. The woman dropped the grocery bags and ran. Officers nearby saw it happen and caught up with the woman.

Theft, West Bridge Street: A Berea woman, 79, was arrested at about 4:30 p.m. Dec. 31 after she was caught stealing a cartful of groceries from Giant Eagle, 50 West Bridge.

A store manager said he saw the woman buy two lottery tickets at the front desk. Then she pushed a cart filled with groceries outside without paying. The manager stopped the woman. He suspects the woman had shoplifted from the store in the past.

Marijuana possession, Front Street: A Seven Hills man, 28, was arrested at about 11 p.m. Dec. 30 after police saw him drive his BMW past a stop sign on Front at North Rocky River Drive.

The man did not have a driver's license. He told police he was wanted for a tax-related offense. After checking his identification, police learned he was wanted in Seven Hills, and that his driver's license had been suspended.

The inside of the BMW smelled like marijuana. The man said there was no marijuana in the car, but police found a small bag of marijuana above the moonroof visor and a marijuana grinder under the driver's floor mat.

Operating a vehicle under the influence, Front Street: A Euclid man, 42, was arrested at about 1:35 a.m. Jan. 1 after police saw his Nissan Altima drift left of center on Front near Bagley Road.

The Altima also veered into the bicycle lane on Front. The man swerved his car to avoid hitting a stop sign on Front at West Center Street.

The man smelled like alcohol. He admitted consuming just one alcoholic drink at a party, but he failed field sobriety tests.

Operating a vehicle under the influence, West Bagley Road: A Berea man, 63, was arrested at about 1:10 a.m. Jan. 1 after police saw his sport-utility vehicle weaving on West Bagley near Lindberg Boulevard. The man smelled like alcohol but admitted drinking only two beers. He failed field sobriety tests.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Thursday's crime and courts comments section.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A city of Cleveland attorney on Thursday asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a robber paralyzed by a city police officer's bullet in May 2014 because the man lied in a deposition about where he stashed a gun prior to the shooting.

Alex Littlejohn, 24, said in a 2016 deposition that he gave a gun he used to rob a Family Dollar to his accomplice and half-brother John Tisdel.

Littlejohn claims that officer Ronald Myers grabbed him after he left the store and they struggled before Littlejohn ran away. Myers fired a shot that hit Littlejohn's lower back.

Littlejohn told his attorney Paul Cristallo after his deposition that his recounting of the altercation wasn't entirely true. Littlejohn said he had not given the gun to his half-brother, but rather threw the gun after he ran out the back of the store.

That revelation, which the city found out through a statement Littlejohn wrote on Dec. 11, warrants sanctions, wrote John Bacevice Jr., a city attorney representing Myers.

"Plaintiff's note directly contradicts his prior sworn deposition testimony and declaration and is tantamount to an admission that he committed perjury," Bacevice wrote.

Bacevice wrote that the only appropriate sanction is the dismissal of the case, and he urged U.S. District Judge Dan Polster to take action.

"Indeed, allowing Plaintiff to continue this lawsuit with his action would encourage a similarly situated incarcerated party to provide false testimony knowing that, even if discovered, there is no real penalty for defrauding the parties and the court," Bacevice wrote.

(You can read the full motion and Littlejohn's written statement here or at the bottom of this story.)

Cristallo said Thursday that he consulted with an ethics attorney for guidance on how to proceed after Littlejohn revealed that he lied in his deposition. He said the ethics attorney advised him to have Littlejohn write a statement and to give it to the judge, and Littlejohn did just that.

Despite the quandary of a client changing his story, Cristallo believes the judge should not dismiss the lawsuit since Littlejohn was still unarmed during the confrontation with the police officer.

"It doesn't change the fact that he wasn't armed when Myers shot him," Cristallo said.

Littlejohn is currently serving a 28-year sentence at a prison in Orient for robbing the Family Dollar at Payne Avenue and East 34th Street that led to him being shot, as well as a previous robbery.

Police said at the time that Myers fired a shot after he thought Littlejohn reached for a gun that fell from his waistband.

Both Polster and a federal appeals court said a jury should decide whether Myers should be held liable for Littlejohn's injuries.

Littlejohn tried to have a judge dismiss the case in September, arguing that illness and the death of his stepfather meant he was not in the emotional and mental state to pursue the lawsuit. Polster denied that request.

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Friday's crime and courts comments section.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Shrouded in secrecy so far, a special bipartisan working group of state legislators could present a plan soon to change the way congressional district lines are drawn in Ohio.

If the full General Assembly likes the group's plan, the legislature might race to the ballot to seek voter approval this spring - beating to the punch a separate citizen-led petition effort that could not be presented to voters before November.

But will the legislative-led effort be real reform, or some watered-down proposal designed to head off the petition effort being led by the Ohio League of Women Voters, Common Cause Ohio and other groups?

And will it be good enough to rid Ohio of politically motivated gerrymandering, something that both Democrats and Republicans have said is bad for Ohio and its voters?

Here are some tests to apply:

1. Will the politicians keep their hands on the map drawing?

Other states, such as Arizona, California and Iowa keep the politicians totally, or largely, out of the map drawing process.

"The representatives don't choose their voters anymore," Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, an expert on politics and elections at the USC Price School of Public Policy, said of California's new system.

Arizona and California use independent commissions as detailed here and here. Iowa uses its non-partisan Legislative Services Agency as detailed here.

Currently in Ohio, like in many states, the process is controlled by elected officials.

Last time around, as detailed by this report from the Ohio League of Women Voters, people hired by the Republican majority drew the maps in a secret hotel room, and election results have turned out exactly as planned.

Here's the map Iowa produced with its independent state agency.

Iowa's congressional map, created by a non-partisan state agency.

2. Will there be requirements to create "local" districts?

Right now, there are no map-drawing rules in Ohio requiring that districts make geographic sense. The congressional districts split cities and counties, and often meander illogically across the state.

Two districts could cover all of Cuyahoga County. Instead, it is split four ways. Marcy Kaptur represents both Cleveland and Toledo, thanks to a narrow connection drawn along Lake Erie.

The proposal being offered by by the Ohio League of Women Voters, Common Cause Ohio and the other groups circulating petitions would end this by setting in place rules to limit how communities could be split.

That's what Iowa has in place. Compare Iowa's map above to the last two sets of Ohio congressional maps shown below.

Ohio's congressional districts for 2002-10 and 2012-20.

3. Will the minority party have a seat at the table?

Right now, the majority rules in Ohio. Though some Democrats in the minority did vote for the last set of maps in 2011, the majority could approve the maps without help from the minority party.

One proposal being offered by the groups circulating petitions calls for more representation by the minority party.

A minimum of two votes from the minority party in a group of seven elected officials and their appointees would be required to approve the next set of maps.

Of course, this question could be rendered moot if the work is handed over to a truly independent commission.

4. Will the concerns of incumbents be placed ahead of the voters?

In the past, where incumbent congressional members live has been a factor in drawing the new maps. Politicians generally don't like to create situations where incumbents of the same party run against each other.

But avoiding those situations places the concerns of politicians ahead of creating districts that make the most sense for voters.

"If we have a set of existing representatives who have benefited from past gerrymandering, then giving their places of residence protection or preference under a new drawing scheme will allow the gerrymander creep into the new set of maps," Ned Hill, a professor of public affairs from Ohio State University, said in testimony to the legislature.

For more, read cleveland.com's series Out of Line: Impact 2017 and Beyond, which explores ways to eliminate gerrymandering in Ohio.

Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Follow on Twitter @RichExner.
AKRON, Ohio -- A judge in Summit County sentenced an Akron man to prison Thursday for failing to disclose to a sexual partner that he had a sexually transmitted disease.

Common Pleas visiting Judge Richard Reinbold sentenced Dominique Ely to seven years in prison for not disclosing that he had HIV when he had sex with a University of Akron student, according to court records.

The 26-year-old Ely was charged with felonious assault after he and the 24-year-old student had sex at a local motel after meeting at a nightclub, authorities said. Ely pleaded guilty to the charge Dec. 7.

Ely was on parole for sexual battery out of Cuyahoga County, officials said.

Prosecutors did not know if the man had contracted the virus from Ely.

To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
A Billings woman who admitted selling meth will spend five years in federal prison.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters on Thursday sentenced Renae Dawn Bighorn, 42, to the minimum mandatory term as recommended by both the prosecution and defense.

Bighorn apologized for her actions and said she is in recovery programs and is committed to changing her life.

Watters noted that Bighorns participation in mental health treatment and substance abuse recovery programs indicates she takes her crime and issues seriously.

Bighorn pleaded guilty earlier to possession with intent to distribute as part of plea agreement to dismiss other charges.

Prosecutor Jeffrey Starnes of Great Falls said earlier that in April 2015, an undercover agent with a drug task force in Billings contacted Bighorn about buying meth and made a deal to buy one ounce.

On April 8, 2015, the undercover agent went to Bighorns home, where Bighorn got into the agents car for a drug deal. The agent gave Bighorn $1,700 and she gave the agent a bag of meth that contained about 26 to 27 grams of pure meth.

Watters allowed Bighorn to self-report to prison.
Networking News

Cisco Investigating Dozens Of Routers, Switches, Servers That May Be Affected By Spectre, Meltdown Exploits

Matt Brown

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Cisco Systems is putting dozens of routers, switches and servers under the microscope to find out whether any of them may be affected by the Spectre or Meltdown exploits impacting processors worldwide.



In a security advisory issued Thursday night, the networking giant said the majority of its products are closed systems and therefore not vulnerable to the exploits. The Spectre and Meltdown security flaws affect chips from multiple vendors, including market leader Intel.



Intel argues that the exploits are not a problem for networking, but Cisco isn't taking any chances.



[Related: Here's How 17 Security Vendors Are Handling The Meltdown And Spectre Vulnerabilities]



"A Cisco product that may be deployed as a virtual machine or container, even while not being directly affected by any of these vulnerabilities, could be targeted by such attacks if the hosting environment is vulnerable," the company advised, adding that it would release software updates to combat that prospect.



In the meantime, the San Jose, Calif., company suggests that customers "harden their virtual environment," and "ensure that all security updates are installed."



The company said it is investigating its Cisco Cloud Services Platform 2100; ASR, NCS, XRv9000 and Industrial Integrated Service routers; Nexus series switches including blade and fabric models; as well as UCS B- and C-series blade and rack servers.



None of the products are known to be vulnerable, Cisco said, and the company has confirmed that its 1000 Series Connected Grid routers are not affected.

Other networking vendors are also keeping a close eye on the exploits. HPE Aruba issued a notice saying its "products are not affected by these vulnerabilities." An advisory from Juniper Networks says the company is "actively investigating the impact on Juniper Networks products and services."

The Spectre and Meltdown exploits have ignited a firestorm in the IT industry because the vulnerabilities, if ever exploited, could be used to expose sensitive data on most modern processors  including mobile devices, desktops, laptops and servers running in cloud environments.



The upshot of Spectre and Meltdown is that they give Cisco partners an opportunity to deepen relationships with customers, and they should jump on that opportunity right away, Nirav Sheth, Cisco vice president of sales and systems engineering, told CRN in an email.



"Immediately we want our partners to work with their customers who need assistance remediating," Sheth said. "Secondly, it presents another opportunity for our partners to ensure that they are holding ongoing discussions with their customers regarding their security posture - and why security is not a standalone discussion but should be embedded across everything our customers are thinking about."





"Customers have workloads everywhere  on-prem and in the cloud  and our partners will be successful with Cisco as we are the only one in the industry that can provide best-in-class private cloud, marry that with any public cloud customers leverage and further secure and optimize that end-to-end environment," Sheth said.



Mark Melvin, CTO of ePlus, a Herndon, Va., solution provider that works with Cisco and other vendors, said the Spectre and Meltdown exploits are unlikely to become a network problem, especially for Cisco, although some Cisco servers will almost certainly be affected.



"It could impact every vendor out there, and others are probably impacted more [than Cisco]," Melivin said. "There are vendors that do networking on white boxes, and they're much more likely to be impacted because they're going to have x86 chips in them. Cisco is built on somewhat proprietary architecture."



For now, it's much too early for solution providers to tell what exactly customers will require and how vendors will handle those fixes, Melvin said. "It's too early to speculate on what the fix will be, or what the efforts to remediate will require, whether it's Cisco or Intel or any vendor. It's definitely come up in conversation, and we've had [customer] inquiries," Melvin said. "Everybody is saying let's figure this out and do what we need to do when things are available."
Security News

Cloud Giants AWS, Google And Microsoft React To Meltdown; Solution Providers Remind Customers To Update, Patch Systems

Gina Narcisi

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Cloud leaders Amazon Web Services, Google, and Microsoft have told partners and customers that they are working on updates and patches to their platforms and services to protect against the two significant chip-level security vulnerabilities  Meltdown and Spectre  that were revealed this week by researchers and academics.

Meltdown is a hardware vulnerability affecting laptops, desktop computers and internet servers using Intel x86 microprocessors. The flaw is said to allow unauthorized access to user data, including passwords and cached files.

Spectre, the less serious of the two security flaws, is a bug affecting smartphones, tablets, and computer chips from several vendors, including Intel, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) and ARM. Spectre lets hackers manipulate applications into leaking sensitive information. Researchers that discovered the vulnerabilities on the chips said that between Meltdown and Spectre, nearly every modern computer and mobile device is impacted.

AWS, Google, and Microsoft communicated to partners and end users that they are aware of the security issues and have been working to prevent exploitation of their offerings. Solution providers can help protect their end customers by supporting a modern security patching infrastructure that includes regular firmware updates from device manufacturers and software providers.

[Related: Intel Downplays 'Inaccurate' Chip Security Flaw Report]

"Its just another reminder that in 2018, partners need to be helping customers move to a model in which features are introduced monthly or quarterly, and security patches are introduced daily or weekly," said Reed Wiedower, chief technology officer for New Signature, a top Microsoft Azure partner.

The solution providers that support regular updates will be generally well protected from Meltdown and similar exploits, Wiedower said.

"By contrast, partners and customers that dont patch their operating systems on a real-time basis are going to be put into a bit of a bind as they move forward," he added.

Microsoft told CNBC on Wednesday that it has been working closely with chip manufacturers to develop and test mitigations to protect its customers. The company is also making sure that Azure users aren't being exposed to vulnerabilities.

"The majority of Azure infrastructure has already been updated to address this vulnerability. Some aspects of Azure are still being updated and require a reboot of customer VMs for the security update to take effect," Microsoft said in its blog post about the chip flaws.

As a further precaution, Microsoft told customers that it decided to accelerate its planned maintenance and began automatically rebooting the remaining impacted VMs on Wednesday afternoon. However, the company said that the majority of Azure customers wouldn't see a noticeable performance impact with the latest update.

In addition to its cloud patching efforts, Microsoft also said that it is updating its Edge and Internet Explorer browsers.

Open Systems Technologies (OST), an AWS partner and Microsoft Direct CSP and Gold Partner, is reaching out to its end customers and vendor partners as more information on the vulnerability comes to light, Michael Lomonaco, director of marketing and communications for OST, told CRN.

Grand Rapids, Mich.-based OST has been proactive on both real and perceived vulnerabilities that the security flaw may have created within its diverse customer environments, Lomonaco said. OST is a AWS Alexa for Business partner, and on the Microsoft side, the solution provider has customers on the Azure platform.

Lomonaco said that OST has been "feverishly" communicating via email and making personal calls to both customers and partners in order to make sure any impact is minimized, and any new information is shared.

"We [are] working to ensure necessary updates are made in a timely manner in order to minimize any potential exposure, slowdowns to workloads, and overall performance," Lomonaco said.

HighVail Systems, a Toronto consulting firm and Microsoft Azure partner, is still trying to get to the bottom of how Meltdown and Spectre will impact its customers. In the meantime, the solution provider is encouraging customers possibly impacted by Meltdown to "patch, patch, patch; and set up your infrastructure to be ready to quickly respond to these challenges," according to Bradley Brodkin, president and CEO of HighVail.

For Spectre, Brodkin is suggesting customers upgrade their servers when the next generation of hardware arrives, and to be "cautious about retiring [those older servers] and moving to the cloud."

Cloud giant AWS in a blog post called the vulnerability an issue that "has existed for more than 20 years in modern processor architectures like Intel, AMD, and ARM across servers, desktops, and mobile devices."

AWS assured partners and customers that all but a "small single-digit percentage" of instances across the Amazon EC2 fleet are already protected. At the time of the blog post on Wednesday, AWS said that the remaining unprotected instances would have been updated by Wednesday evening. The company added that in order to be fully protected against Meltdown and Spectre, customers must also patch their own instance operating systems.

Updates for Amazon Linux have also been made available to partners and end customers to update their instances.

Google, which Intel said was the first company to alert it to the vulnerability, said that it updated its public cloud service, Google Cloud, to prevent attacks related to Meltdown and Spectre.

"We used our VM Live Migration technology to perform the updates with no user impact, no forced maintenance windows and no required restarts," Ben Treynor Sloss, Google's engineering vice president wrote in a blog post. However, customers will need to update the operating systems they use on the Google cloud, the provider said.

Google also said that it is "actively working" with its technology partners to ensure that its other cloud-based offerings are updated and patched.
The line that once divided Montana into two U.S. House districts, east from west, is 26-years gone and yet still visible to Joe Lamson like an old surgical scar.

A political cartographer of sorts, Lamson was tracing the old boundary last week, as once again the possibility has been raised of Montana regaining a U.S. House seat. The Helena resident has twice helped redraw state legislative districts. Lamson was state director for Democrat Pat Williams when Montana went from two districts to one in the 1992 election, prompting a showdown between Williams and Eastern Montana Republican Rep. Ron Marlenee. Williams prevailed.

It would be historic, Lamson said. I dont think any state has gained a seat after going down to one.

The political consulting firm Election Data Services recently reported the possibility of Montana gaining a congressional seat after the 2020 U.S. Census. The forecast assumes that Montanas population will continue growing at its current pace, in which case the state would have enough people for two House districts with about 2,400 people to spare.

Other models based on longer-term growth trends suggested Montana would once again come up short and remain the most populated House district in the country. At just more than one million people, Montanas at-large district is by far the nations most populated and nearly twice the population size of the two House districts representing Rhode Island, which are the nations smallest.

Montanas political parties have argued for three decades that by having only one House seat the state is underrepresented and that the size of the district  more than a 10-hour car ride east to west  is unworkable.

The old line, which paralleled the rocky Mountain Front, ran south toward Livingston. It put Republicans in control of the east and Democrats in control of the west.

Montanas interests both socially and economically east to west are too different to be represented by just one person, said Jeff Essmann, a state legislator from Billings and past chairman of the Montana Republican Party. Two representatives would be significant regardless of how the seats were politically aligned.

The gains for the state, No. 1, would be having more representation on more committees in Congress and thats really important to the State of Montana because our economies are very diverse, Essmann said. Just sitting on the Agriculture Committee and Natural Resources, or whatever, the Armed Services Committee, just doesnt cover the bases anymore.

The second important gain would be having more congressional staff. Representatives in the House, regardless of the size of their districts, receive a fixed number of staff and funding for a handful of offices. There arent enough resources to put an office in each of Montanas seven largest cities, let alone the next tier of rural hubs like Glasgow, Sidney and Miles City.

Former Rep. Williams recalled that in a strange twist, his travel budget actually decreased after he became the states only representative. Williams had represented the western district, which ended in Bozeman.

Back then the travel budget was based on your distance from Washington, D.C. So the other side of Miles City was closer to D.C. than Bozeman, and as a result, according to rule, I needed less money, Williams said.

The consequence of having one district representing Montana is that a large segment of the population never gets its preferences represented in the House, Williams said.

Both after the census of 2000 and 2010, Montana appeared close to gaining a second seat. And after the 1990 census, the state sued, arguing that its citizens were underrepresented.

Montana challenged the square-root formula used to determine which states received additional seats. There are 435 House seats. After every state gets one, the next 385 are awarded according to mathematical formula. In October 1991, a federal panel blocked national redistricting so Montana could make its case for a new formula.

The state's case was argued by then-Montana Assistant Attorney General Beth Baker, who is now a judge on Montana's Supreme Court.

The argument was that Montanans were being denied the Constitutional right to equal representation. That year, the 1990 Census determined the ideal congressional district would have 572,000 people. Montana's at-large district had 800,000 residents.

It didnt matter. The same mathematical formula used since 1941 was again applied, as it still is. That formula has left Montana a few thousand people short of a second seat for going on 30 years. The state has never grown fast enough to beat the math.

If Congress added another three or four seats, they would go to places like New York and California. We just can't make that climb enough, Williams said.
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Ryan Schneider took over as Realogy Holdings CEO last week and on Friday announced wholesale changes in the leadership of the company, including at the top of Danbury-based Cartus.

Realogy, the parent company of Cartus, announced Friday that Kevin Kelleher, CEO and president of Cartus since 1997, has been moved to the role of executive adviser to Schneider. Realogy announced it has launched a search for a new president and CEO for Cartus. Scott Becker, currently director of Cartus affinity business will serve as the interim leader.

Cartus has always been a strong community and business partner under Kevin, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said. Hes done a great job over the years and shown great leadership. I wish him well in his new position.

Schneider also replaced Bruce Zipf as president and CEO of NRT, another large division of Realogy. Zipf was also given an advisory position.

Bruce Zipf and Kevin Kelleher helped build NRT and Cartus into the companies they are today, Schneider said in a statement. We thank them for their decades of leadership within our company.

Cartus did not comment Friday on Kellehers departure.

Realogy is based in Madison, N.J., and operates real estate brands such as Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Sothebys International Realty and NRT. It also has a large presence in Texas. Cartus is the corporate relocation services division and is one of the largest employers in Danbury.

Last month, Cartus confirmed that it asked for volunteer layoffs from its employees, but did not specify how many positions it sought to eliminate. It was also unclear if additional cuts would follow.

At the time, Amy Meichner, senior vice president of human resources at Cartus, said the layoffs were in response to the changing needs of our clients and their volume projections.

In April 2014, Cartus announced it was staying in Danbury after being courted by officials from Texas and New York. Gov. Dannel Malloy visited Cartus headquarters on Apple Ridge Road then to announce a $6.5 million loan from the states Department of Economic and Community Development. The money was used as part of a $15.4 million expansion of its Danbury headquarters.

About $1.9 million of the principal on the 10-year, 2 percent interest loan would be forgiven if Cartus retains 1,275 employees through July 2019. Half the principal would be forgiven if Cartus adds 100 jobs, and the entire loan would be forgiven if it adds 200 jobs by July 2019.

Cartus did not respond to a request for the number of employees currently at its Danbury location and the DECD does not have current job audit numbers on the company. In May, a Cartus official estimated the number of employees to be about 1,500.

Schneider, a former executive at Capital One, replaced Richard Smith as CEO of Realogy on Dec. 31. Among the other moves he made Friday were: naming Ryan Gorman president and CEO of NRT; promoting John Peyton to president and CEO of Realogy Franchise Group; and letting go of Stephen Fraser as senior vice president and chief information officer.

The intent of these organizational changes is to drive better results while accelerating the pace of change required to transform our company. We are moving forward quickly, Schneider said in a statement. We expect to drive our business forward and enhance shareholder value with an aggressive strategy serving and supporting agents, increasingly leveraging technology and data, and utilizing the power of our great brands.

Realogy stock prices were up more than half a percent to $26.68 in afternoon trading Friday.

cbosak@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3338
BRIDGEPORT - Local political activist and former NAACP leader Carolyn Nah has filed a $1 million lawsuit against a Trumbull health care facility after she claims she was sexually assaulted while a patient there.

In her lawsuit, filed in Superior Court against the Maefair Health Care Center, Nah claims she was sexually assaulted by a male patient while she was recovering from knee surgery.

The facts of this case are very disturbing and should be alarming for anyone who entrusts their care or that of a loved one in a facility only to be assaulted by anyone allowed to roam freely and unsupervised, said Nahs lawyer, Thomas Ganim.

Although it is the policy of Hearst Connecticut Media not to use the names of sexual assault victims, Nah and her lawyer asked that her name be used.

Nah served as executive director for the Greater Bridgeport NAACP for more than a dozen years and also worked for the citys Board of Education. She recently retired as a bail bondsman.

Officials of the health care facility declined comment on the lawsuit.

The police report of the incident, obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media, states that on July 12, Trumbull police were dispatched to the health center on Maefair Court for a complaint of a sexual assault.

The 72-year-old Nah told officers she had been asleep in her room at the health center following surgery when a male patient put his hand under her bed sheet and touched her genital area, the police report states. Nah woke up and the man, who was in a wheelchair, left the room.

The police report states that Lisa McDougall, the centers director, told officers that the man is very religious and likes to place rosary beads on new patients.

Police stated that McDougall subsequently had Nah transferred to another part of the center where she would no longer have contact with the male patient. Police said the male patient, who had very limited use of his hands and arms, was not arrested.

The lawsuit asserts that the health care facility was careless and negligent in its standard of care to its patients and that the facility failed to provide security to patients while they were asleep in their rooms.

Because of the defendants carelessness and negligence, the plaintiff has suffered severe, traumatic, physical and emotional effects from this assault upon her body while helplessly asleep in her room, the suit states.
NORWALK  The town police department released some post-storm safety tips that can apply to all of Fairfield County after Thursdays snowfall.

Though the worst of the storm may be over, Lt. Terry Blake said its still important to adhere to cold weather safety.

Blake said residents should not hit the roads until its safe to do so. The Department of Public Works in all towns and cities are effectively working to clear and treat all roads.

If you dont need to drive, please stay home, Blake said  a plea many officials made Thursday prior, during and after the storm.

Residents who have to drive should clear their vehicles of all snow, especially window obstructions. Snow or ice flying off a vehicle can affect other drivers and even cause accidents, Blake said. And, dont forget, its illegal.

Any residents that experience a power outage post-storm are still encouraged to report it to their power company.

Dont assume they know or that your neighbors have called, Blake said. And even though it can be tempting to heat a home using a gas stove or by moving a generator inside, Blake said not to do that. These can cause carbon monoxide poisoning which can be fatal.

Blake said residents should check on friends, family and neighbors who are ill or elderly.

To help towns and cities help residents, Blake said it would be helpful if residents could clear fire hydrants. A three-foot radius is suggested for clearance around the hydrants.

For Norwalk specifically, Blake said city ordinance requires sidewalks be cleared within 24 hours of the end of snowfall.

Dont shovel with your back, Blake warned. Try to push the snow rather than life it. But if you have to life it, dont fill the shovel all the way. Also, lift with your legs to prevent injury. Make sure to take breaks often.

More tips can be found at www.ready.gov.

Be sure to enjoy the snow, but make sure you take the proper precautions to stay safe, Blake said.
BRIDGEPORT  A city man faces up to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty Wednesday to distributing heroin and fentanyl to an overdose victim, the Department of Justice said.

Perry Deshazo, 27, of Bridgeport  also known as Hov and Amafia Hov  pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of heroin and fentanyl.
Montana's high school graduation rates nudged up in 2017.

The Office of Public Instruction released the rates Thursday afternoon.

Graduation rates have generally trended up this decade, rising from 82.2 percent to a peak of 86 percent in 2015. Rates dipped to 85.6 percent in 2016 before inching up to 85.8 percent in 2017.

In Billings, Skyview High registered a record-high rate for Billings high schools since a new graduation rate formula took hold in 2011, hitting 88.47 percent  almost a 2 percent increase from the year before.

West High's rate improved from 84.5 to 85.8 percent, while Senior High dropped from 81.5 to 80.2 percent.

Nationally, student achievement strongly correlates with poverty; Senior High, as School District's 2's poorest high school, typically has the lowest graduation rates.

Graduation rates have gained increasing prominence in education debates. The national rate hit a record high of about 84 percent in 2016.

Montana focused on the issue through Graduation Matters, a grant program that funded local-level efforts to get students through school, under previous Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau.

Current Superintendent Elsie Arntzen has rolled out a similar initative in conjunction with several other education groups, iGraduate, which will "build on the work of Graduation Matters," according to a release from Arntzen's office.

Montana's completion rate, which includes students outside the usual four-year high school track, increased to a five-year high of 86.6 percent. The completion rate has gone up each of the past five years.

Each of Billings' high schools had an improved completion rate. Senior's improvement was best, from 81 percent to 82.5 percent.

The state's dropout rate, measuring students who leave high school regardless of grade level, dropped .06 percent to 3.33 percent. The lower the rate, the fewer students drop out.

Dropout rates at West and Skyview ticked up, to 3.25 and 3.48 percent. Senior's rate dropped for the second year in a row, down to 5 percent.

In an emailed press release, Arntzen focused on funneling students to job opportunities.

It is crucial that Montana students have pathways to future success after they receive that high school diploma, Arntzen said. I am working with our partners in higher education and private sector industries to expand career pathways so that all Montana students can succeed after high school.

Skyview

Skyview Principal Deb Black couldn't put her finger on the reason for record-high graduation rates at her school.

In my eyes, were not doing anything differently than we have all along, she said. I think were just building on the relationships that we have with our kids and our parents ... our custodians, our teachers, our counselors, our secretaries, all our staff."

Graduation rates don't just measure high school dropouts that stay in a community; if students go to a different school and don't inform their previous school, they can be listed as a dropout. And as students move into a school during the school year, they become part of that school's statistics.

Skyview has introduced some new initiatives in the past several years, like a program designed to hound students about unfinished homework and offer academic support, but implementation has been uneven.

Black recalled talking to Billings Superintendent Terry Bouck about anticipating the rates' release.

I said 'Terry, I have no clue,'" she said.

That's not to say that Black wasn't ecstatic about Skyview's rate this year; she said she'd be doing cartwheels if it weren't for a recent knee surgery. But she also acknowledged that rates could easily go down next year.

Every year its a surprise, she said.

Achievement gaps

The graduation rate among American Indian students saw a significant increase in 2017, improving more than three percent to a 5-year high of 69.4 percent.

Montana has long-held achievement gaps between the overall student body and Native American students, which also often reflect economic status. The 18.9 percent gap in 2017 is the smallest it's been in five years.

"While looking at the achievement gaps it is important to consider factors of opportunity gaps, causes for students failing to thrive, and the supports that schools, communities, and partners can provide to remove barriers," a 2017 report on Montana American Indian student achievement notes.

The 2017 rate for African-American students was 80.1 percent. The rate for Hispanic students was 79.8 percent.

Students who qualify for free and reduced lunch  long used a proxy for economic status  also typically have lower graduation rates and test scores than their wealthier peers.

In 2017, the graduation rate for students qualifying for free lunch was 76.6 percent, up about .2 percent from 2016. The rate for students not in the free lunch program was 94 percent, up about .4 percent.

The rate for special education students was 76.7 percent, compared to 87.1 percent for students not in special education programs.

The rate for homeless students dipped to 61.9 percent, down from about 66.3 percent and a five-year low.
The newest member of the Montana Supreme Court took the oath of office Friday in her hometown of Billings in a room packed with family, friends, attorneys and judges.

Ingrid Gustafson, a district court judge for 14 years in Yellowstone County, was appointed by Gov. Steve Bullock in December to succeed retiring Justice Mike Wheat, who left office Dec. 31, 2017.

Presiding over the ceremony was U.S. District Judge Susan Watters. Sitting judges for the 13th Judicial District participated, minus Judge Don Harris, who had court proceedings at the time. U.S. Magistrate Timothy Cavan was present, as was Russell Fagg, retired district court judge.

It was a celebratory day in the courtroom, with no shortage of lighthearted moments. Gustafson joked about the "Hogwarts robes" judges must wear, and said it was a "truly rare occasion" that her husband donned a suit, as he did for the ceremony Friday.

Watters, who met Gustafson at law school at the University of Montana in the 1980s, performed the swearing in. She also spoke about Gustafsons work ethic, saying that despite 13th district judges having the highest caseload in the state  roughly 1,600 cases annually  Gustafson had achieved one of the highest rates of on-time case resolutions in the state.

Billings attorney Randy Bishop also spoke on Gustafson's behalf, saying she would bring to the job the discipline characteristic of an All-American athlete, together with the talent for critical thinking, independent thought, thorough research, careful analysis and humane common sense.

Gustafson later joked that Bishops comments overwhelmed her.

I will work for greatness, but Im not guaranteeing anything, she said.

Gustafson teared up while thanking her family, friends, colleagues and staff for their support, and spoke briefly about her judicial philosophy.

And Ive learned there are many unintended consequences of some of the work that we do that cost taxpayers a lot of money and dont reduce recidivism, she said.

Gustafson added that society cannot punish the addiction out of people, and called for greater substance abuse treatment resources.

People respond better to incentives than they do sanctions, she added.

Gustafson, a West High graduate, was appointed by then-Gov. Judy Martz in 2004, won election to retain the post that year and has been re-elected twice since.

She started the 13th Judicial Districts first felony drug court in 2011 and spearheaded a pilot project that was later implemented at other sites throughout Montana to increase family reunification rates and speed up resolutions on child abuse and neglect cases.

Due to the heavy caseload in Yellowstone County, Gustafson wont leave her Billings job immediately. Shell continue to manage the districts adult drug court and her departments active child abuse and neglect cases. Judge Harris will eventually take over administration of the adult drug court.

Gustafson must run for election this year to retain her seat. If successful, she will serve the remainder of Wheats term, which expires in January 2023. The position pays $144,066.

Supreme Court officials hope to have a new judge in Gustafsons department by April. The Judicial Nomination Commission is accepting applications until Jan. 22. As of Friday afternoon, no applications for the position had been posted.

Yellowstone County has seen considerable turnover on the bench in recent months. In October, Harris was appointed to succeed Fagg, who retired to launch a campaign for U.S. Senate. Additionally, two new judges will take office in Yellowstone County at the start of 2019 after being selected by voters in the November 2018 election.

The two new judges were funded by the Montana Legislature in response to growing caseloads. The 13th Judicial District, which covers Yellowstone County, is the busiest judicial district in the state. It needs an additional seven judges  or 6.7 full-time equivalents  according to the most recent workload review office of the Montana Supreme Court administrator, although lawmakers approved funding for just the two new judgeships.
BOSTON  Most of the largest U.S. public universities do not track suicides among their students, despite making investments in prevention at a time of surging demand for mental health services.

The Associated Press asked the 100 largest U.S. public universities for annual suicide statistics and found that 46 currently track suicides, including 27 that have consistently done so since 2007. Of the 54 remaining schools, 43 said they don't track suicides, nine could provide only limited data and didn't answer questions about how consistently they tracked suicides, and two didn't provide statistics.

The Curry Health Center at the University of Montana does not systematically track suicides, although counseling director Mike Frost said he personally keeps a file of those deaths. Frost said the low numbers make campus trends difficult to parse, with no deaths by suicide counted in 2013-14, three in 2014-15, and one last school year and one this year.

"It's hard to see a trend when you see a number from zero to three," Frost said.

At Montana State University 10 students died by suicide from the 2011-12 academic year through the 2016-17 year, said Betsy Asserson, MSU director of Counseling and Psychological Services.

A grant from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration helped to create a formal tracking system through the universitys Counseling and Psychological Services office in 2014, Asserson said.

At Montana State University Billings, one student died by suicide in 2012, spokeswoman Shannon Wilcox said. The schools Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs coordinates the tracking of these incidents from multiple sources, relying on police reports on and off campus.

Tabulating student suicides comes with its own set of challenges and problems. But without that data, prevention advocates say, schools have no way to measure their success and can overlook trends that could offer insight to help them save lives.

"If you don't collect the data, you're doing half the job," said Gordon Smith, a former U.S. senator from Oregon who became a prevention advocate after his son, Garrett, took his life in 2003 while attending college. "We need information in mental health if we're actually going to be able to better tailor health and healing."

Montana has one of the highest suicide rates in the country, and UM's Frost said the state's suicide prevention coordinator conducts psychological autopsies on deaths by suicide. But he said those investigations do not take place on the campus level, and tracking student deaths is challenging.

A couple of years ago, for instance, a then-recent UM graduate died by suicide, but the graduate was no longer enrolled, Frost said. "Are they a student? I don't know. But it certainly had an impact." Also, he said, if a student dies over winter break, does that count?

"What we do know is that for a campus our size, generally, the rates would be one to two deaths by suicide in a year," Frost said.

Better tracking needed

Schools that don't track suicides include some of the nation's largest, including Arizona State University and the University of Wisconsin, which have both dealt with student suicides in the recent past, according to news reports. There were at least two suicides at Arizona State in 2017. Health officials at Wisconsin said they're finalizing a database to track the causes of student deaths.

"We will create a formal model to accurately document all student deaths at UW-Madison," Dr. Agustina Marconi, an epidemiologist at the university, said in a statement. "Our findings and the standards we create will benefit other universities moving forward."

The issue has come to the forefront as some schools report today's students are arriving on campus less prepared for the rigors of college. Many schools have increased spending on mental health services to counter what the American Psychological Association and other groups have called a mental health crisis on campuses.

Surveys have found increasing rates of anxiety and depression among college students, but some experts say the problem only appears to be worsening because students who might have stayed silent in the past are taking advantage of the increasing availability of help.

"It's unfortunate that people are characterizing this outcome as a crisis," said Ben Locke, who runs a national mental-health network for colleges and leads the counseling center at Penn State. "It's counterproductive because it's criticizing the exact people we've encouraged to come forward."

Adding to the skepticism is that young adults in college have been found to have lower suicide rates than their peers. But they are also at an age when disorders including schizophrenia and bipolar depression often start to develop.

At UM, Frost said the health center screens for depression during primary care visits, one of Montana's strategic initiatives and an effort that's increasing among campuses nationally. The patient's answers then lead to different "pathways of care" based on the individual's needs, such as for psychiatric services.

Frost serves on a task force for the Montana University System that's investigating student mental health and suicide prevention. The work is time-consuming, he said, but the group has made recommendations for the system, and one goal is that support is broadly woven into the community.

"How do you do gatekeeper training? How do you get those skill sets in your community over time?" Frost said.

In 2016, the task force recommended to the Montana Board of Regents that the university system adopt a universal tracking system for suicide attempts and completions.

This semester, UM is evaluating its care pathways and wants to expand them. But the campus has been in a budget crisis, and Frost said the health center isn't going to hire more personnel, so growing the program is a challenge.

"How do you try to provide more ranges of care?" he said.

Addressing the issue

Federal health officials have sought to encourage data collection as part of a grant program named after Smith's son, which has awarded $76 million to more than 230 colleges since 2005. Schools have separately spent millions on their own, often adding programs that teach basic life skills and training staff across campus to identify students in need.

UM conducts prevention training for students as well as for faculty and staff, and it also directs members of the campus community to education in the general Missoula community, Frost said. But he said training around suicide isn't mandatory at UM.

"We have not crossed over to that requirement at this point because we have several other required trainings for folks around sexual assault and violence prevention and alcohol education," he said.

UM also provides support to survivors, Frost said. In some cases, a death might bring several people into the counseling center, and at times, counselors work directly with faculty because of the nature of the suicide.

Last year, the Associated Students of the University of Montana went to bat for an increase in the health fee, Frost said. He said their support helped keep funding level for mental health services.

But Frost said the campus doesn't act in isolation, and prevention must involve entities beyond UM.

"It's also connecting with the community partners," he said.

Montana State Universitys formal tracking strategy began with a suicide prevention grant. With that, the Counseling and Psychological Services office began collecting student suicide data, checking the universitys tracking of all student deaths with its own records. The program tracks suicide attempts, too, Asserson said.

In the event of a death, Counseling and Psychological Services also leads a post-vention effort, Asserson said.

At MSUB, the reliance on police reports is due in part to the larger-than-usual number of students who live off campus, Wilcox said. When there is a suicide, the Student Affairs office acts as the liaison among the university, family members and the campus community.

Darla Tyler-McSherry, director of MSUB Student Health Services, said that while the number of recorded cases is low, her office was eager to participate in developing a system among all Montana universities.

We have been fortunate. We havent experienced this very often, she said. Its been a very individualized, case-by-case situation.

Representatives for both universities stressed that prevention strategies and access to mental health care also plays a role in the larger issue of suicide.

Gathering information

The U.S. Education Department asks colleges to collect data on student deaths but not suicides specifically, and a variety of factors can discourage schools from tracking it.

Often it's difficult to confirm the cause of death, and medical examiners don't always notify universities when a cause is determined. There are concerns about legal liability. Some families prefer to keep it private. Even schools that collect data differ on whether they count suicides that occur away from campus or during breaks.

And if the statistics become public, some schools fear it could damage their reputations.

"No school wants to be known as a school with multiple suicides. It's not good for business," said Nance Roy, chief clinical officer for the Jed Foundation, a nonprofit that works with colleges and high schools on prevention.

Advocates in at least three states  in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington  have pushed to require universities to collect suicide data, but without success so far.

After the 2014 suicide of freshman track star Madison Holleran at the University of Pennsylvania, one of her former teachers in her hometown of Allendale, New Jersey, was surprised to learn many universities don't report suicide statistics. He pushed for a law that would have required the state's public universities to collect and publicize annual numbers, but the effort never made it to a vote amid pushback from schools.

"He felt that it was something that the public had every right to know," said Pam Philipp, a New Jersey mental-health advocate who lobbied for the legislation along with Holleran's former teacher, Ed Modica, who died in 2017 at age 66.

A similar proposal by a state task force in Washington was sidelined amid budget woes last year, while lawmakers in Pennsylvania have yet to vote on recommendations to improve data collection.

National studies have found that suicide rates are on the rise in the United States, reaching 13 per 100,000 among all Americans and 12.5 among those ages 15 to 24. Much of the data on suicide comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which does not specifically track college suicides.

The gap in information led Dr. James Turner to seek funding for a national reporting system for student deaths in 2009 when he was president of the American College Health Association, but the National Institutes of Health didn't see the value, he said, and it never happened.

"I became puzzled, because we as a society are so interested in the health of college students," said Turner, who is now retired from the University of Virginia. "Why is it we don't have a comprehensive way of approaching this?"

The NIH declined to comment for this article.

A total of 27 schools provided statistics to the AP that they say were consistently tracked from 2007 through 2016, amounting to an overall suicide rate of about 4 per 100,000, although numbers from some universities were so low that experts including Roy at the Jed Foundation questioned their accuracy. The University of Arizona, for example, averaged more than 40,000 students per year over the decade but reported just three suicides, a rate of 0.7 per 100,000.

Earlier studies have found average rates between 6.5 and 7.5 per 100,000 among college students. Schools that provided data to the AP had rates ranging from 0.27 to 8. Because of the inconsistency in responses, The Associated Press is not publishing figures for colleges that provided data.

Schools that do track suicides, however, often use their data to refine prevention efforts.

Making changes

After Clemson University started gathering more data in 2015, campus officials noticed an increased suicide rate among transfer students. The school is now redoubling efforts to connect those students with campus services.

Data at other universities have led officials to secure access to certain rooftops.

Among the oldest examples is at the University of Texas at Austin, where officials in the 1990s installed iron barriers atop a clock tower that had previously been closed following several student suicides. The 10-year rate on that campus is in line with averages found in earlier studies, its data show, and has decreased in the second half of the past decade, even as national rates increase.

The university system in Montana also uses "means reduction" to prevent deaths by suicide, Frost said: "What are the means by which people are taking their lives, and is there something we can do to delay access to means?"

In other places, people have jumped off bridges, for example, and restrictions have been put in place, he said. UM requires students to store firearms with campus police, another way to delay access; he said guns and asphyxiation have probably been the most common means in the last five or six years.

As part of the same effort, MSUB opened an armory in the fall of 2017 so its students can store their weapons on campus. Means reduction was one theory behind the student-led effort.

But Chris Brownson, the counseling center director who analyzes the university's suicides, said it's hard to celebrate success when every new case brings so much pain.

"One death is one death too many," he said, "and that's why we come to work every day  to do the things that we do here to try to prevent any of those from happening."
WHITEFISH  The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy is trying to prevent a commercial building in northwestern Montana designed by the famed architect from being demolished.

The Chicago-based conservancy is trying to find someone to pay $1.7 million for the former medical center in Whitefish. The brick building was designed by Wright in 1958, a year before he died.

The conservancy says developer Mick Ruis agreed to sell the building if he gets the money by Jan. 10. He bought it for $1.6 million in 2016 without knowing its history.

An attorney for Ruis told the Daily Inter Lake newspaper that asbestos removal is underway at the Lockridge Medical Clinic Building in preparation for its demolition.

The conservancy has been working with the Montana Preservation Alliance and other groups.
Most of my generation have long grown used to the fact that computers have transformed our world in ways we would have dismissed in our youth as outlandish fantasies from the wildest shores of science fiction.

We accept with a shrug that Google, Amazon, Facebook and Co know a great deal more about us  our interests and shopping habits, weaknesses, likes and dislikes  than even the closest of our near and dear.

We realise that the greatest of human grandmasters will never again be a match for the latest generation of chess-playing software programmed with Artificial Intelligence.

Most older people acknowledge computers have transformed the world, file photograph

Young people are hopelessly addicted to their mobile phones and laptops

Meanwhile, we see a generation growing up around us hopelessly addicted to the internet  unable to spell or read maps, incapable of distinguishing between truth and fake news, swept along and battered by every passing Twitterstorm. Permanently plugged into electronic devices and antisocial media, they seem increasingly cut off from human interaction in what we once thought of as the real world.

But though much of this may worry and sadden us, we bear it all as philosophically as we can, reminding ourselves of the huge benefits the new technology has brought mankind.

We may mourn the slow death of the High Street, but, lets face it, increasing numbers of us have been unable to resist the convenience of shopping online, making us complicit in its murder.

Its the same with public libraries. In this age when so much of what they contain is available at the click of a mouse, when did most of those who campaign so vociferously to save them last actually use them?

As for the computerisation of banking and every other area of commerce, we may shake our heads sagely and warn that this makes us hugely vulnerable to fraud and cyber-attack, which could destroy the economy faster even than Jeremy Corbyn  but, oh how much simpler the hole-in-the-wall cash machine and the plastic card have made our lives.

And who needs to know how to spell or read maps when we have spellcheck and satnav to save us the bother?

Indeed, if youre anything like me, you will have told yourself constantly that its as pointless to complain about the march of electronic science as it was for our ancestors to bemoan the arrival of the railways and the steam-powered cotton mill.

Yes, these labour-saving inventions changed the economy radically, but predictions that they would throw future generations out of work proved groundless.

As it turned out, new jobs sprang up in ever greater numbers to replace those killed off  to the point where, today, more people are employed in Britain than at any time in our history.

Though never noted for my optimism, I strongly suspect the doomsayers who fear Artificial Intelligence robots will put us all on the dole will prove equally wide of the mark. As in the Industrial Revolution, I dare say well find other ways to keep ourselves busy.

And look on the bright side. If the march of science continues at its present dizzying pace, there may even come a day when some towering genius works out how to solve Network Rails perennial signalling problems, which hold up my train almost every morning and evening of my life.

(Perhaps someone who works there can explain why, in an age when computers make it possible to perform keyhole surgery in Kuala Lumpur from a desk in Aberdeen, nobody can yet manage to change a signal on the line from West Croydon to Victoria.)

All this I have told myself, again and again, resolving to embrace the latest advances and suppress my natural inclination to rail against them.

Nissan is working on a system to read the brains of motorists to speed up reactions

That was until this week, when I read of a new development so terrifying in its implications that Ive decided enough is enough.

Stop the world, I want to get off!

This was the news that scientists at the Nissan Research Centre in Japan are developing a car capable of interpreting signals from drivers brains, via what looks like a bathing cap studded with sensors.

If I understand it correctly, the idea of the brain-to-vehicle (B2V) technology is to improve road safety by monitoring brain wave activity for signs that we are about to make a movement, such as turning the steering wheel or braking.

The car then begins the manoeuvre automatically, before the signal has had time to travel from our brain to our arms or legs. Thus, the technology beats us to it, knocking up to half a second off our reaction times  a saving that, in an emergency, could mean the difference between life and death.

When the car is in autonomous mode, driving itself, the system is also said to be able to detect any human discomfort, slowing down if we think were going too fast or speeding up if were in a hurry. As Daniele Schillaci, Nissan executive vice-president explains: When most people think about autonomous driving, they have a very impersonal vision of the future, where humans relinquish control to the machines.

Yet B2V technology does the opposite, by using signals from their own brain to make the drive even more exciting and enjoyable.

This may all sound innocent enough. But then so did experiments with splitting the atom, before they led to the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagaski.

What scares me stiff is the question: if B2V is already capable of reading a drivers mind  and Nissan hopes to have it fully ready for fitting in its cars within five or ten years  what other uses will be found for the technology?

Indeed, research leader Lucian Gheorghe is putting it mildly when he says: The potential applications are incredible.

I find it unnerving enough that I need only speak a command to my Amazon Echo, or ask it a question, and at least seven times out of ten it will do my bidding.

How long before I have only to think something before its brain, Alexa, obeys  or, worse still, if she blabs my thoughts aloud for everyone in the room to hear?

Were all well enough used to the internet giants gathering every scrap of personal information they can glean from our social media accounts and online surfing and shopping habits. But if they learn to read our minds as well, every last vestige of our privacy will be gone.

To a huge extent, I reckon, harmonious social interaction depends on keeping our innermost thoughts to ourselves. Already, I often wish the internet hadnt eroded so many inhibitions, encouraging people to express every stupid, lascivious or murderous thought that flits into their brains.

How much worse, though, if machines could reveal what were really thinking, when we tell our wives they look lovely in that dress or the fishcakes are delicious.

And what if our bosses could fix high-tech bathing caps on our heads and discover our true thoughts about their general unfitness to inhabit planet Earth? Civilised life as we know it would collapse.

Worst of all, if the police could read every fantasy or politically incorrect notion that has ever entered our heads, thought-crime could become a hideous reality.

Heaven knows, we suffer enough restrictions these days on what we are allowed to say. How many of us would escape arrest if we could be prosecuted for what we think?

You think it could never happen? Well, perhaps youre right.

But what if Id told you, 50 years ago, that by 2018 wed be living in a world of smartphones, satnav, voice-activated technology, internet shopping, Google and B2V. I bet youd have called me something unthinkable.
It's no secret that Dolce & Gabbana are fans of Princess Diana's niece, Lady Kitty Spencer.

The blonde socialite, 27, made her catwalk debut for the Italian designers at Milan Fashion Week last year - looking stunning in a floral embroidered dress accessorised with a heavily embellished crown.

But now she's taken her burgeoning fashion credentials to a whole new level, having been shot for Dolce & Gabbana's spring campaign.

In these exclusive images Lady Kitty can be seen tucking into a plate of spaghetti with gusto, while in another, she strides through Venice's famous Piazza San Marco flanked by equally glamorous - and blue-blooded - It Girls.

Appearing alongside Kitty in the vibrant campaign are Lady Sabrina Percy, whose ancestral home, Alnwick Castle, doubled as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films, and model Frankie Herbert, whose uncle is the Earl of Carnarvon.

La Dolce Vita: Lady Kitty looks impossibly glamorous while tucking into a plate of spaghetti in a black lace dress that is unmistakably Dolce & Gabbana

Society girls: Lady Kitty (second from right) strides through Venice's Piazza San Marco flanked by (left to right) model Frankie Herbert, heiress Isabel Getty, and illustrator Lady Sabrina Percy

Clearly reveling in her new role, Lady Kitty has been posting snaps from the shoot on social media, including one in which she can be seen posing in sultry fashion on a gondola alongside models Bea Fresson and Frankie Herbert.

Displaying a flawless make-up look, Kitty's chic ensemble was finished off with a pair of oversized bauble earrings.

Sharing the picture on Instagram, she wrote: 'Talk about ending 2017 on a high! The first picture from the new @dolcegabanna campaign we shot in Venice! What an HONOUR.

'Thank you to some of the most talented and lovely people I know'.

Referring to her fellow models, she added: 'And you two beautiful angels @beafresson & @frankieherbert - you both look like absolute goddesses! So happy to be trying to keep that gondola balancing with you!!

Specs appeal: Lady Kitty Spencer models eyewear in the Italian label's Spring 2018 campaign

'What a day, I wish we could do it all again  In fact, I wish I could do the whole year again.'

In September, Kitty shared several behind-the-scenes pictures from the shoot in Venice, including one of her wearing a stunning black lace dress.

In another, she is seen posing in a feminine printed frock from the brand's Spring/ Summer 2018 collection.

Last year, Kitty stormed the catwalk for D&G in Milan as part of their 'Millennials' campaign.

She also appeared in a special catwalk show at Harrods for the designers in December, alongside the likes of Pixie Lott and and Lottie Moss.

It appears that Kitty has moved on from her split with property Niccolo Barattieri at the start of the summer, throwing herself into her fashion career.

She's not the only one with royal connections to feature in campaigns for D&G, with Lady Amelia Windsor also previously modelling for the brand.

Kitty made her catwalk debut for D&G at Milan Fashion Week in February last year
An ear-shattering bang, and then screams. Death and pain. Sadly, the horror of terrorist attacks has become all too present in our lives.

For many dramatists its been a subject too painful to touch, so new six-part ITV drama Next Of Kin comes as a surprise.

Its a contemporary story about a family whove not only had a loved one murdered, but who also find a loved one under suspicion of terrorism.

Its a hugely difficult subject to tackle but its handled brilliantly by an experienced team who have produced a compelling, Homeland-style thriller out of this most pressing of contemporary problems.

Archie Panjabi as Mona and Jack Davenport as Guy star in the new six-part ITV drama Next of Kin with the writers imagining the lives of the families of terrorists

Created by Paul Rutman, who wrote Channel 4 period drama Indian Summers, and his author wife Natasha Narayan, Next Of Kin was inspired by the attack in Paris in 2015 when 12 people were killed by Islamist terrorists who burst into the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

The writers were intrigued by what inspired the killers, and how it must feel to be members of their families.

There have been shows that have covered terrorism from the perspective of the security services, but we wanted to explore the experience of a family at the centre of an investigation, says Natasha. We wondered what it would be like to experience an act of terror from the inside.

Pakistan-born Mona Harcourt, played by Archie Panjabi, is a GP married to an English political lobbyist named Guy (Jack Davenport), with whom she has a nine-year-old son. Her widowed mother, a traditional Muslim played by Indian star Shabana Azmi, lives with them.

Mona moved to the UK with her parents when she was two and feels British, as do most of her family. She has a brother Kareem, also a doctor, and two other siblings.

The story starts when Kareem is due back home after several months in Pakistan where he runs a charitable clinic.

Viveik Kalra as Danny goes missing following a terror attack

But then, in quick succession, Kareem is kidnapped in Pakistan and executed, while in London a bomb goes off. As the family grieve for Kareem, and watch the rolling news about the latest terror attack, Mona realises that Kareems 19-year-old son Danny (Viveik Kalra), a student, is missing, and not just ignoring her phone calls.

His mother died when he was young and his father is now dead, so shes responsible for him.

At the start you get the impression that life couldnt be any better for Mona, says Archie, a London-born actress best known for her Emmy award-winning performance in American hit The Good Wife.

But then these incidents throw the family into complete turmoil and put an immense strain on all her relationships.

'Over the course of the six episodes we get to see how strong those relationships are.

When it transpires that the security services have been monitoring Danny, and that the finger of suspicion for the London bomb starts to point at him, Mona is torn. At first she believes 100 per cent that her nephew is innocent, but then she learns more, says Archie

We dont even know whether hes radicalised or not but the mere fact hes suspected affects all of their lives. Mona carries the weight of that most because shes the one fighting tooth and nail for him. My instinct from the moment I read the first scripts was it was something

'I had to do because theyre so brilliant. It has a family I can really relate to. One of the great themes of the story is family, love and loyalty. It asks, How far would you go to protect the ones you love?, and I think people watching will ask themselves what they would do in that situation.

Jack Davenport adds that the stress on Mona affects them all. Obviously when the situation starts to go bad the family find themselves in a living nightmare, he says.

The series was inspired by the attack in Paris in 2015 when 12 people were killed by Islamist terrorists who burst into the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Pictured: A sponsored silence following the attack

The writers were smart about showing the way my character Guy almost unconsciously reacts. He wonders where his wifes loyalties lie. And they have a child themselves who is innocent in all this. Its a very interesting tension to explore.

As part of their research, the writers talked to experts, including Richard Walton, former head of the Metropolitan Polices Counter Terrorism Command, to ensure that the polices response in the series mirrored that of a comparable real-life situation  even showing how their work can be hampered by paperwork and red tape.

Meanwhile, Muslim counter-extremist activist Sara Khan and Muslim chaplain Kalsoom Bashir helped to make sure that the family dynamics, behaviour and religious politics felt accurate.

Its a timely piece and I think it shines a light in that area, it will provoke discussions, says Archie.

One of the things the show doesnt do is seek to explain or understand the reasons why. Its such a complex thing; the focus is very much on the effect. What happens to a family when a younger member of that family is suspected of being radicalised? Mona has to make heartbreakingly difficult decisions along the way, and each of those choices has an impact on a member of her family.

While some of the filming took place in India, standing in for Pakistan, much of the action happens in London, and the team were filming in the capital when eight people were killed in the terrorist attack at London Bridge in June.

There was a weird energy on set the next day, says Archie. On one hand were using art to talk about a subject thats happening right in front of us. On the other hand, people have just died because of this subject. It was sad and I think it made us all reflective.

Jack says the cast felt they had no alternative but to continue. We responded with no more or less alarm than anybody else, he says.

Then, after a certain amount of time, like everybody else in the country, you say, We have to continue as before. Get on with life as usual. Otherwise the terrorists have succeeded on some level. Drama is a good way of reaching a large number of people in a short space of time, of presenting a complicated idea in a way that speaks to people.

Next Of Kin explores one side of the horror of the terror attacks and the fundamentalism that have become a common affliction in our society, but it doesnt try to explain it. How could it, asks Archie.

Its a fictitious story which is timely but doesnt pretend to explain it. Its reflecting the world we live in today. Its very difficult to understand and comprehend, but we have to talk about it.

Next Of Kin starts on Monday at 9pm on ITV.
A Lodge Grass man admitted he tried to rob a Billings Gazette employee who was delivering newspapers and that he told the employee, This is a nice-ass car, homie, I want your car.

Cameron Emmanuel Falls Down, 22, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery during a hearing on Thursday before U.S. District Judge Susan Watters in Billings. There was no plea agreement.

Falls Down is among four people indicted in the case and the second to plead guilty. Jerray Eugene Rowland pleaded guilty in November, while PearlieJo Samantha Old Dwarf and Jaylen Migual Medicine Bull have pleaded not guilty and are set for a March 12 jury trial.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek said the attempted robbery happened at 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 2, 2016, when a longtime Gazette employee was delivering newspapers to the IGA in Lodge Grass on the Crow Reservation.

The Gazette employee, who was driving a 2006 Chevrolet sedan, pulled up to the IGA and heard and saw the defendants running at him and yelling, Suek said.

The employee dropped the papers, got back into his car, locked the doors and put it in gear.

The four defendants surrounded the car and Falls Down, who was standing by the drivers window, said, This is a nice-ass car, homie. I want your car, Suek said.

Rowland, who was on the passenger side of the car, thumped the vehicle and shone a flashlight in the employees eyes.

The employee waited until no one was standing in front of his vehicle and then he drove away, Suek said.

As he left, Falls Down pulled out a C02 pistol and fired at the car, Suek continued.

The employee heard a popping noise and thought it sounded like a .22-caliber gun, Suek said.

Only later, when the employee inspected his car and saw a dent did he realize that a real gun probably did not make the popping sound, Suek said.

A video surveillance camera mounted on the outside of the IGA store recorded the crime.

In interviews later with investigators, some defendants admitted statements were made to the effect of, should we roll him, should we get a car, show me how its done and hey home boy, I like your car, Suek said.

Falls Down told the judge he was under the influence of alcohol at the time and was trying to scare or intimidate the Gazette employee.

Falls Down faces a maximum 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Watters set sentencing for May 9. Falls Down remains in custody.
Gary Oldman takes on the role of Winston Churchill in new film Darkest Hour

When Gary Oldman was first offered the role of Winston Churchill in his new movie Darkest Hour, he turned it down.

I thought, What could I do with it that would be new?, says the man who has appeared in such diverse films as Sid And Nancy, The Dark Knight trilogy and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Whoever took the part was not only being asked to walk in the shoes of arguably the greatest Briton who ever lived, but he was also walking in the shoes of all those other actors who have played him so well, like Albert Finney and Robert Hardy.

In the end his wife Gisele and his business partner  and the films producer  Douglas Urbanski ganged up on him to persuade him to do it.

They got together and said, Look, youre going to get the chance to say, Blood, toil, tears and sweat, and, We shall fight on the beaches.

'I realised playing Churchill is like playing Falstaff or King Lear, one of the greats. I thought, Maybe Im looking a gift horse in the mouth here. And, thankfully, I was able to step out of myself and into the part.

And so began the making of Darkest Hour, the nail-biting true story of the precarious early days of the Second World War when Europe was falling to Hitler and fierce pressure was on Britain  and on Churchill as its newly appointed prime minister  to make a peace deal.

That Churchill himself fought fiercely against capitulation is well known, but what is not is that he came closer to agreeing than many people know, even going as far as to order a draft of the terms of appeasement.

Its a story Im surprised more people dont know about, says Gary. I can understand why Americans dont know intimately of the three or four weeks in 1940 that are the main story of the film, but I found when we screened it for British people they didnt know either.

By June 1940, Britain was in a perilous position. Hitler had invaded Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Poland and Norway; Neville Chamberlain, the prime minister blamed for insufficiently preparing the country for war, had resigned and Parliament was in chaos.

Gary (pictured in the Churchill War Rooms) says he was initially reluctant to take the role and it was his wife and business partner who convinced him to take it on

Lily James takes the role of Churchill's secretary Elizabeth who is witness to some of Churchill's more 'controversial' behaviour

Hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers were surrounded on the beach at Dunkirk and most in the Cabinet thought the only possible way to save them  and avoid annihilation for our beleaguered island  was to begin peace talks with Hitler and Mussolini.

But it appeared otherwise to our new prime minister, the colourful and controversial Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill. He hated Hitler with every ounce of his being, says Gary.

Ever since he visited Germany in 1932  he was there researching his ancestor, the Duke of Marlborough. He didnt meet Hitler, but he could see what was happening on the streets.

'He later talked about young men in brown shirts with hope in their eyes, who werent looking for status, but looking for weapons.

'He got a real sense of what Hitler was and of what they were doing, and he came back to England and said in Parliament, flat out, that Hitler was killing the Jews, and that he would be coming to Britain to kill us.

Shockingly, this fell mostly on deaf ears. It wasnt a very popular stance  a lot of people at the time were quite naively pro-Hitler. People were war-weary after the First World War, nobody wanted another.

'The atmosphere of pacifism was universal and when Churchill came home with this battle cry, he was called a warmonger, and to many he probably was.

The man himself on a trip to Paris in 1947

'Even his own people, the aristocracy, didnt care for him  a lot of them actually favoured Fascism because they thought the alternative was Communism, which wouldve meant theyd have all their land and money taken away.

'But Churchill kept on, he kept saying, This is a dangerous time, we need to re-arm, which was the last thing anyone was doing  except for Hitler! Churchill knew in his core what the right thing to do was  to eradicate Nazism and Fascism. Thank heavens for him.

Gary says growing up in London in the 1960s, the presence of Churchill was still keenly felt. When I was born in 1958, it was only 13 years after the war, and you still felt it in the air.

'My sons, who are 18 and 20, look at that time as being in the far mists of history, but for me it was very much present.

'We were still experiencing the aftermath of the Blitz  youd walk down the street and thered be houses missing. Churchill was our hero  the man who won the war and saved us from Nazi Germany.

Garys performance as the legendary leader has won him rave reviews and already theres talk of an Oscar nomination, which he characteristically shrugs off.

I like to disappear into a role, is all he says, modestly. But he does reveal that in order to research the part, he embarked on a years intensive study of all things Churchillian, including visiting all the key places  Blenheim Palace, where Churchill was born, Chartwell, where he lived for most of his adult life with his beloved wife Clementine (played in the film by Kristin Scott Thomas), and the famed Cabinet War Rooms.

Theres a wooden chair there where he used to sit, and I was allowed to sit in it too. What struck me was on the left arm of the chair were huge divots that hed made with his fingernails, and on the right arm were scratches where hed knocked his ring against it.

'That gave me a sense of the enormous stress and anxiety hed been under throughout that time. Its easy to forget that at the time he only had 300,000 men and he almost lost them entirely at Dunkirk.

'Meanwhile, Hitler had five million. Yet Churchill was refusing to enter into peace talks with him. I cant even imagine what sort of stress that situation would give one.

After studying the great man, he remains in awe. He was extraordinary. He wrote around 50 books  thats more words than Shakespeare. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

'He created 544 paintings, had 16 exhibitions at the Royal Academy, was commended in four wars and spent 50 years in politics as a conservative as well as a liberal. The list goes on. Theres really no one else like him.

He was also, the actor admits, at times controversial  the film shows him, for instance, starting his day with a healthy slug of whisky over breakfast in bed, and at one point leaping naked from his bath in front of his secretary Elizabeth, played by Lily James.

But Gary thinks he was a more likeable character than he has sometimes been portrayed. Hes been represented as a bit of a curmudgeon, an old guy shuffling around in a bad mood, smoking a cigar and chugging back a whisky.

'But the Churchill I saw at this period of his life was dynamic, with a lust for life. He was a man on a mission with a real sparkle in his eye and a grin on his face. That was quite a revelation to me, especially as he was 65 then.

And did that bathroom scene really happen? I never read about it in any of my own research. I know Roosevelt once walked in on him and was shocked to find him naked.

'Churchill said, I have nothing to hide from the President of the United States. Would we now consider that inappropriate? I guess so. But we have to look at him through the prism of time and remember weve come a long way.

What of his famously cutting tongue? You have to realise this was a man on a mission to eradicate Nazism. He wanted perfection, excellence, and for everyone to be committed to the cause as much as he was.

'If he felt you were not with him 100 per cent, hed give you a tongue lashing. Western civilisation was at stake, I think we can forgive him for being a bit grumpy.

Besides, he adds, the man had a softer side. We used a line he actually said once, which was, Im a bit of a blubber, and youll have to get used to it. And he was  he went to areas of London that had been bombed and he did cry.

'Theres a lovely story of a game the family were playing once at home where they asked who youd like to be if you werent you. When it came to his turn he looked at Clementine and said, I would like to be Mrs Churchills second husband. Thats a beautiful thing for a man to say about his wife.

For the slim and angular-faced Gary, the physical transformation into Churchill was a radical one.

The biggest challenge for me was stamina, he says. The make-up took four hours to apply, so for 48 days Id come in four hours earlier than everybody else and then work a 12-hour day, driving almost every scene like a locomotive, and then spend another hour taking the make-up off.

'But it turned out fine, and after all my original hesitation I loved playing the role. Loved it.

Darkest Hour is released in cinemas on Friday, 12 January.
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Cats are thought to dislike water, but try telling that to the fishing cat of southern Asia. This rarely seen predator wades into water when it hunts and dips its long whiskers just below the surface.

Most cats use their whiskers to pick up disturbances in the air. But the fishing cat, which looks like a muscular tabby with a blunt tail, can sense when a meal is swimming into reach of its claws  and time its pounce to perfection.

This talent isnt completely instinctive. It has to be taught by a mother to her cubs, and the BBCs Big Cats team were able to film one female doing just that.

Her two cubs are eager learners, but catching fish isnt as easy as it looks. Most of the time the babies emerge from the water with nothing but a mouthful of weeds.

A new BBC series looks at the facinating lives of the world's big cats. Pictured: Bengal tigers take a dip in the heat

Luckily, Mum can catch enough to feed the whole family. Shes helped by two adaptations  her paws are webbed like an otters, and under her striped grey coat is a secondary layer of insulating fur that acts like a wetsuit.

Down in the far south of Argentina, producer/director Nick Easton heard that pumas were hunting Magellan penguins on the beach, but he didnt quite believe it. Locals claimed that when the penguins came ashore to nest for six weeks around Christmas every year, the big cats were picking them off like... well, sitting ducks.

Extraordinary animal behaviours are usually first reported in scientific journals. But the pumas new-found taste for penguins was a secret, until a BBC2 documentary team visited to film the series Patagonia: Earths Secret Paradise three years ago. A national park warden mentioned that cats were coming down to the beach to hunt, and suggested the crew should come back to film it.

CAT FACT - Just like a domestic moggy, a jaguar needs to eat 50 per cent more food than usual when she is pregnant

That was easier said than done. Brutal, is how Nick describes the shoot, which was done over two trips either side of Christmas. When we got there, it was obvious that the reports were true, he explains. From the puma tracks and the evidence from camera traps.

But Patagonias apocalyptic weather was against them. No sooner were their hides set up than a sandstorm destroyed them. A second storm, and then a third, kept the crew pinned down in their bivouacs. The wind was endless, says Nick. And then a flash flood ripped through our site and cut it in two. Half the team were on one side, and half on the other.

URBAN WARRIORS: THE SERVALS THAT ARE MORE AT HOME IN THE CITY Around the world, wild cats are in decline as mankind strips away their natural habitats. But cats are the most adaptable creatures, and in some places they have learned to take advantage of man-made landscapes. In South Africa, the serval population is booming at the Secunda industrial complex. With its pylons and power generators it looks like the backdrop for a sci-fi movie, but the long grass between the chimneys belching steam provides a rich hunting ground for the serval, a long-legged cat that looks like a cross between a leopard and a hyena. The cats enjoy an extra advantage: humans are afraid to venture on to the site because of the chemical clouds, and bigger cats are kept out by the wire-link fence that surrounds it. The servals have crept in, and now they can hunt and breed unmolested  theres a greater concentration of them here than in any other habitat in Africa. Advertisement

To make matters worse, the pumas seemed to be mocking them. Theyre very confident cats and wed see them eyeing us up, coming towards us  but never when the cameras were present. It was so frustrating that when the second shoot came to an end and we still didnt have the footage we wanted, we decided to stay on for three more days.

At last their luck changed. Nick spotted a female puma slink over the brow of the hill along the edge of the beach, and felt instinctively that this time they would see a hunt.

The big cat strutted right past them, before launching a ruthless raid on the beach. Patagonia is at the end of the earth, and it really feels like it, Nick says. Its such a tough place. But we filmed a behavioural first that reveals the sheer adaptability of big cats.

CAT FACT - The kittens of the fishing cat mew, but the call made by the adults is a grating quack, like a duck

Four thousand miles north, another cat has found a happy hunting ground on the beach. Its a rare event when food shows up  but for the jaguars on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, the arrival of the olive ridley turtles promises a feast.

Adult turtles are safe from most predators, protected by their thick shells, but jaguars have the most powerful jaws for their size of any cat. They can crush the skull of an alligator and drag it from a swamp. So a turtles inch-thick armour doesnt offer much in the way of protection.

Scientists are especially excited by the implications of the turtle hunt: it means the jaguars have adapted to take advantage of rare and unpredictable events. No one can know exactly when tens of thousands of turtles will haul themselves up the beach to lay their eggs before disappearing back into the water.

But one jaguar in particular knows exactly what to do. A heavily pregnant female, she saunters onto the beach and picks a meal. There is no need for her even to break into a run  after all, the slow-moving turtles cant escape.

TRY TO SPOT THE PALLASS CAT Until the Big Cats team went to Mongolia, the only existing footage of Pallass cats had been shot with motion-sensitive camera traps. Thats because these grey cats with mesmerising yellow-green eyes are not merely rare  theyre practically invisible. Their ears lie low on their heads, and their bodies are boxy... so when a Pallass cat is lying still its almost indistinguishable from a rock. And on the steppes of Mongolia, there are a lot of rocks. In the West these cats are barely more than rumours and, to have any chance of catching them on film, producer Paul Williams and camerawoman Sue Gibson enlisted the help of local scientists whove been studying Pallass cats for almost 20 years. Their researchers are all descended from nomadic herdsmen, and use traditional yurts, or native tents, as their base. The yurt is a masterpiece of engineering  on warm days its sides can be raised, but during the steppes frequent storms they provide complete protection from the elements. The problem for Paul and Sue is that Pallass cats live in burrows, not yurts, and they are much more exposed to the weather. So no sooner did the team track down a mother with four cubs that were barely a couple of months old, than a tremendous storm blew in and drove the cats away. Finding them again took weeks. We used all our hi-tech equipment to scan the plains, but it was useless, says Paul. Only the scientists could see these cats. They were raised on the steppes, herding cattle and horses, and were trained from a very young age to spot movements in the far distance. With their ancient Russian-made binoculars, they were able to see the cats when we simply couldnt. Advertisement

The turtles arrive at night, which is no problem for the jaguar: her eyes are six times more sensitive to light than ours. But for the crew, that meant using night-vision cameras with thermal technology. Executive producer Mike Gunton believes the footage is some of the most striking in the entire series.

Traditionally, units filming at night have had to use low-level light from stars or infrared technology, he explains.

But with thermal cameras using heat-activated lenses that were originally developed for the military, you need no light source whatsoever. Anything alive generates heat, so the images are created by the thermal signatures of the animals. The pictures are so intensely detailed, the effect is simply elegant. You can even see the clouds of warm breath around the jaguars nostrils.

CAT FACT - Though Bengal tigers are now very rare, they were once found all over the Indian subcontinent. The oldest Bengal tiger fossil was found in Sri Lanka, 1,000 miles south of the Sundarbans

Thermal cameras have one disadvantage: as yet they dont come with powerful zoom lenses. That means close-ups are only possible when the team really do get close up. So when the footage shows the jaguars face filling the screen, thats because she suddenly became aware of the crew in their hide and came to inspect. It was a heart-in-mouth moment... but the pictures are mesmerising.

Jaguars will get their fur wet if it means catching a caiman crocodile. In the Sundarbans of India, a coastal wetland near Kolkata, much bigger cats live surrounded by water  Bengal tigers, or swamp tigers. These are almost indistinguishable from the Siberian tiger, the biggest cat of all, which is found further north on the border with China.

Swamp tigers are usually invisible among the mangroves, and come out twice a day at low tide to hunt at the waters edge and leave scent markings for other tigers to find. Until recently, conservationists hoped that there were at least 450 of the tigers in the area, but camera traps have revealed that in fact there are barely 100.

TINY TERROR IN THE SHADOWS The black-footed cat, which lives in the deserts of southern Africa, is one of the worlds smallest felines. It weighs barely more than a kilo but possesses inexhaustible energy. In a single night it can roam 20 miles in search of its staple food  locusts, though it loves to eat gerbils and small birds as a delicacy. This species of cat has never been filmed before, says film-maker Paul Williams, and we spent three weeks with a team of scientists from Germany tracking one particular animal via its radio collar. She was so tiny that night after night we couldnt find her  we could just hear the faint bleep of her collar in the darkness. When we did catch up with her, she was so fast it was difficult to keep the camera on her. At one point, we saw she was stalking a flock of birds roosting on the ground. We set up the shot, but when she pounced the birds lifted off  and the cat was expecting it. Instead of leaping forwards, as we expected, she went straight up, and vanished out of the frame! Advertisement

Similar to a house cat a jaguar needs to eat 50 per cent more food than usual when she is pregnant. Pictured: A jaguar resting on a branch in the Peruvian jungle

Director Paul Williams was determined to capture footage of the swamp tigers, but it wasnt going to be easy with them living in one of the world's most isolated tiger populations

These rarely sighted big cats are protected, but their reputation as man-eaters puts them in peril. Local villagers are not supposed to visit the Sundarbans, but fishermen come to lay crab traps and humans have occasionally been mauled and killed.

Director Paul Williams was determined to capture footage of these rarest of tigers, but it wasnt going to be easy. This is a very large and inaccessible area of mud and mangrove, he explains, with one of the most isolated populations of tigers in the world. The habitat is pristine, completely untouched. But it was impossible for us to go ashore, not least because it would have been seriously dangerous.

CAT FACT - Photographs of Pallass cats have gone viral online, because they have such characterful faces. In other words, they appear wonderfully grumpy...

Instead, they filmed from a high-sided boat. The park rangers use these vessels because if a tiger does attack, the wall of wood offers some protection. But the tigers had no intention of attacking, or even showing themselves. We went round the islands, following the tides, for 400 hours, says Paul.

At the end of five weeks, trying to film during every hour of daylight, all we saw was mud and an occasional deer. And then finally, just once, we saw a tiger. It sat in the sea, 60 or 70ft in front of the boat, looking at us, before it got up and carried on its walk.

Even then, the gods of wildlife telly were not inclined to be helpful. For five weeks the water had been as flat as glass, but suddenly it was choppy and the camera was wobbling all over the place. We had to work so hard just to keep it from falling into the swamp. To make matters worse, the engine broke down and we had to transfer to our back-up while continuing to film.

But he and the team never considered giving up. We were working with scientists, conservationists and a local cameraman who had devoted their whole lives to catching glimpses of tigers. We kept each other motivated. And we never forget what a privilege it is simply to be in a place like the Sundarbans. A tiger is simply a bonus. n

Big Cats, Thursdays, 8pm, BBC1.
With a royal wedding imminent, a new Prince or Princess on the way and The Crown ruling Netflix, it's no wonder that there's a flurry of interest in all things regal - and it seems some royal fans are prepared to splash out to show their devotion.

Jewellery brand Pandora, known for its charm bracelets, has launched its most expensive ever adornment; the Majestic Crown.

The 565 charm is made with 14ct gold and set with 0.108ct diamonds, and despite the hefty price tag, it's currently sold out in the UK.

Pandora's most expensive charm ever, a 565 14ct gold and diamond crown is 20 times the price of its regular adornments, which start at 15

While Pandora's charms typically retail around the more purse friendly 25 to 50 mark, the Majestic Crown has proved hugely popular despite costing around 20 times more.

But limited edition charms from the popular retailer can easily sell on for a healthy profit, with the Gold Diamond Destiny 10th Anniversary Charm currently being offered for 500 to 700 on eBay.

Meanwhile, Pandora 14ct Gold Pave Heart Clip Charms are currently being offered for 639.

Started as a small family venture in Copenhagen 34 years ago, the incredibly popular Pandora brand is now worth an estimated 11.5billion.

Despite its hefty price tag, the 565 charm is sold out in the UK

The tiny trinket is made with 14ct gold and set with 0.108ct diamonds

Its accessible price points appeals to the mass market, starting at just 15 for an intricately-shaped silver charm.

It caps at 2,900, with a 14ct gold necklace appealing to the more affluent customer.

Today its products are sold in more than 70 countries on six continents through over 10,300 points of sale, including around 900 concept stores.
One terraced house in a Liverpool street, first occupied in 1841. Who lived in it first? Whos lived in it in the 177 years since? And what dramas, triumphs or tragedies befell them?

Thats what the fascinating four-part BBC documentary A House Through Time set out to discover.

As Weekend revealed last week, the series charts the lives of everyone who lived at 62 Falkner Street, a handsome four-storey Georgian terraced property a mile from Liverpools centre, starting with bachelor Richard Glenton, who bought it for the then princely sum of 1,000.

Deborah Sugg Ryan, a Professor of Design History, gives her insight on how to find out more on the history of your home

The stories revealed as the years progress are compelling  encompassing financial ruin, broken marriages and an astonishing tale of rags to riches.

Of course, piecing it all together was painstaking  but as the series consultant Deborah Sugg Ryan points out, we can all discover the history of our own homes.

The first thing to do is look at the deeds, says Deborah, Professor of Design History at the University of Portsmouth. Deeds may be held by your solicitor, or the mortgage company.

If youre researching the history of your house, the deeds will tell you when the house was built, but there is lots more information in them as well.

'Theyll tell you of any changes to the boundaries, and most important of all theyll tell you the names of the previous owners and the dates when they bought it and sold it. Once you have names, youre on your way.

The names are important. The story of your house is really the story of all the people who lived in it. The subtitle of the series could be, If Only Walls Could Talk, says David Olusoga, the historian who presents the series.

Every house has a history. It doesnt have to be particularly old. If you live in a 1930s semi-detached, 100 different people may have lived there in the 80-odd years since it was built. Thats 100 different life-stories to investigate  and they might lead you anywhere.

David Olusoga presents A House Through Time, exploring the history of one Liverpool terrace over 100 years

By 1853 the owner of 62 Falkner Street was Eliza Steele, who lived with her 25-year-old son Wilfred, a cotton-broker. His business depended on imports of slave-grown cotton from America; but in 1857 Wilfred went bust  and was jailed for debt. Bizarrely, after his release, he ended up in America fighting for the Northern, anti-slavery, side in the Civil War.

Liverpool was a great trading port, the greatest in the world at that time after New York, says David. Later it became one of the poorest places in Europe  and the fortunes of the house, and its tenants, declined with it.

Deeds will give you names, census returns can bring the names to life. The national census was taken every ten years from 1801, says Deborah. It can be searched by address as well as by name.

A good place to start is the internet, at nationalarchives.gov.uk. Or try ancestry.co.uk, a pay-for site, which has put many years of census returns online.

Invaluably, the census gives the occupations of the people who were living there at the time. This can tell you about their social standing, their probable wealth or poverty, how they spent each day.

Follow that trail, research the history of, say, the 1850s cotton trade  and discover that cotton prices collapsed in 1857, the very year that our house-owner went bankrupt. By no coincidence, the house was sold to new owners in the same year.

Deborah adds some warnings though. The census shows everyone who was living in that house on the night the census took place. But if it was a wealthy household, the children might have been at boarding school so would not have been recorded.

Do not assume a married couple were childless because no children are shown.

Similarly, large houses of even moderate status would have had one or more servants living in. The more servants, the richer the household. Researching their lives can be every bit as rewarding as those of their employers.

The local library is a good place to visit early in your research, says Deborah. They may have trade directories for your town, which would list the business carried on at your address if there was one.

Kellys Directory was one from the 1830s. The University of Leicester has put many trade directories online  see specialcollections.le.ac.uk  if the library cant help.

DECOR FROM DECADES PAST If you want to get an idea of what furniture might have been in your house at different times, its worth visiting one of the living history museums around the country, says Deborah Sugg Ryan, consultant for the TV series. These include the Geffrye Museum in London, the Weald and Downland museum in West Sussex and the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley in the West Midlands, which provided a wealth of information for the TV programme. Catalogues from the big stores and mail order companies are another useful source, says Deborah. For example, try Freemans catalogues, which began in 1905. Look online or in libraries to track them down. Or visit the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture, www.moda. mdx.ac.uk, which is part of Middlesex University and has an internationally renowned collection of wallpapers, textiles, and magazines from the 19th and 20th centuries to help show you what the interior of a house or flat would have looked like. But if youre trying to work out how a room would have appeared at any particular time, remember that furniture lasts and is used for many years, says Deborah. Most people lived with furniture from a mix of ages: a Victorian sofa, a 1920s set of dining chairs, an occasional table from another period Advertisement

Libraries also often have sections devoted to genealogy, and staff who are knowledgeable on the history of the local area and happy to help you, says Deborah.

They may also have early maps. If a map of the 1830s shows farms and fields, and one of the 1850s shows newly built streets, then your house was part of the great building boom of Victorian times.

Developers wanted to build grander houses for wealthy buyers, says David. But as times changed, and hard times came, those big houses may have been divided up into flats or tenements or used as boarding-houses, where a landlady cooked for residents  often working bachelors  who had a room apiece.

People used to share houses much more than now, he says. When a spacious family house was divided into multiple occupancy, that usually signalled the decline of the area. The wealthy deserted it and poorer families moved in, to cramped conditions.

This could happen at any time in a houses history. With our Liverpool house, a Housing Trust took it over in the 1970s, and split it into flats, says David.

Photos show they stripped out most of the original features, the cornices and doors and so on; but then again the photographs show they were probably in very bad condition by that time.

If the area rose again, the reverse happened  the flats were converted back to a single-occupancy house again  as happened in Falkner Street.

Architecture can tell you much. Fireplaces will tell you about the houses status when it was first built. The size of the grate or an ornate marble surround speak of wealth and status.

The series charts the lives of everyone who lived at 62 Falkner Street, a handsome four-storey Georgian terraced property a mile from Liverpools centre

Before gas and electricity, in larger houses the kitchen was usually in the basement, says Deborah. Bedrooms were private places, so not lavish. The most important room, the one which you would use to impress visitors, was on the first floor at the front.

'Thats where the biggest fireplace would be. Today those rooms are often used as the master bedroom. So if the main bedroom of your house has a huge open fireplace and mantelpiece, or just a large chimneybreast, thats the reason.

A change took place with gas and electricity. Gas arrived first, says Deborah. In smaller terraced houses, the kitchen with its coal-fired range, at the back of the house on the ground floor, would have been the warmest place, so the family lived as well as cooked in the kitchen.

'Gas cookers did not warm rooms, so when they came in, people had to keep another room warm as well, so you get open fireplaces in the room next to the kitchen, and that became the main room where the family spent time.

Electricity became widespread only later. Voltages were different in different parts of the country. If you bought an electric iron in Birmingham, it might not work in London. Only when they were standardised in the 1930s could it be widely used. Fridges werent common until the 1950s.

'Fitted kitchens didnt take off until the 1960s. Before that the freestanding kitchen cabinet  full-height, with a flap that pulled down as a work surface and with storage above and below it  was standard.

It can be hard to research the interiors of ordinary houses, adds Deborah. Grand houses were photographed a lot; and social reformers took photographs of slum houses.

'But ordinary box cameras wouldnt work indoors, so middle-class interiors were much less photographed until flash photography became affordable in the 1950s. She recommends visiting museums for inspiration.

If an owner fell on hard times or died his possessions might have been sold at auction. The auctioneer would have made a catalogue of the furniture in the house.

For the Liverpool house the programme-makers struck lucky: they found an inventory for the very house they were researching, listing sofas, armchairs and beds.

Richard Glenton, the first owner, was living a life of luxury, depending upon his father for regular subsidies. When his father died in 1844, Richards world came crashing down. He had to sell the house and auction the furniture. The auctioneer advertised the sale in the Liverpool Mail, listing the items on offer.

The programme makers tracked down that issue of the newspaper. We know Richard furnished the house with a rosewood couch, a set of Trafalgar-pattern dining chairs, two card tables and blue damask curtains.

If you live in a house thats Georgian or older, the will of an early owner may also have an inventory of the furniture.

All wills from the past are publicly available. Start by looking online at gov.uk.

Everyone whos ever lived in a house thats not brand new has wondered Whose bedroom was this before it was mine? says David. Salesmen described used cars as pre-loved. Thats what houses are as well.

A House Through Time, Thursday, 9pm, BBC2.
A barber has shared powerful photos of a woman who came to his shop looking for a fresh start, after she said she survived horrific domestic abuse at the hands of her violent partner.

Barber Andy Mendoza took to Instagram last week to share photos of Chelsea Damboise, 21, after she visited her shop in Bristol, Connecticut.

Damboise came in with a large part of her long, purple hair shaved off, bruises on her face, and a bloodshot eye with a red ring around its iris.

Images: Barber Andy Mendoza shared photos of Chelsea Damboise, 21, after she visited her shop in Bristol, Connecticut and said her boyfriend had violently attacked her

Change: Damboise told authorities her boyfriend had cut off some of her purple hair during the attack; Mendoza said she walked into his shop determined to shave it all off (pictured)

When Mendoza asked about Damboise's wounds, he asked jokingly, not knowing anything about her, if she had gotten in a fight.

Damboise, according to Mendoza, told the barber her boyfriend had tried to kill her, as Mendoza told the Republican-American.

'Oh great, Andy,' Mendoza thought to himself. 'You and your big mouth.'

But he and Damboise ended up sharing an important conversation, and Mendoza gave her the haircut she wanted for a fresh start after the traumatizing events.

On the night of December 16, Truskauskas 'started throwing [Damboise] around the apartment like a rag doll', Damboise said according to an application for an arrest warrant.

She went on to say that her boyfriend had punched her in the face, tried to break her fingers and wrist, shoved paper towels as well as his own fingers down her throat, and at one point choked her so hard she thought she would become unconscious, the Republican-American also reported.

Truskauskas, according to Damboise, also held a kitchen knife against her neck, causing her to fear for her life, and pushed her down the stairs.

The boyfriend also pinned his partner on the bed and cut off some of her hair, Damboise said, adding that Truskauskas had told her she couldn't 'be a whore if she didn't have nice hair'.

Damboise's mother told the police she could barely recognize her daughter's face after the attack.

Truskauskas was charged with second-degree assault, disorderly conduct, second-degree threatening, second-degree strangulation, violation of a protective order, possession of less that four ounces of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and first-degree kidnapping, the newspaper wrote.

New start: The barber was reluctant to give Damboise such a drastic haircut at first, but she made it clear she was ready for a change

Mendoza took to Instagram last week to say Damboise had visited his barbershop earlier in the day.

Case: Michael Truskauskas (pictured in a mugshot) is accused of second-degree assault among other charges

He posted two photos of the woman with her partly shaved head, and two images of her donning a fully shaved skull with a personalized design on the left side.

The barber, who said his mother is also a survivor of domestic abuse, wrote that Damboise had given him permission to share her photos and wanted everyone to know she is 'happy to be alive'.

Damboise walked into the salon telling Mendoza she wanted to go for a fully shaved look, but the barber initially suggested she try to regrow some of her hair, in order to avoid taking a drastic step.

'I told her I didnt want to do something "dramatic on top of traumatic" but she didnt want anything to do with wigs,' Mendoza told Metro. 'She said she wanted a new start and wanted to embrace the length of her hair (that was remaining).'

Mendoza ended up giving Damboise the short haircut she wanted.

'The actual cutting of her hair was very tense for everyone,' Mendoza told Metro.'The few barbers that remained were watching in silence, you could hear a pin drop.'

Damboise and Mendoza ended up connecting, with him telling her about his love of art while she told him how much she loves reptiles. In the end, Damboise smiled when she looked up and saw herself with her new haircut.

Mendoza urged other people to look out for victims of domestic abuse.

'No woman ever deserves this! My mother was a victim of abuse, and I remember it vividly! SPEAK UP AND TELL SOMEONE!' he wrote, adding: 'Guys PLEASE if you or someone you know is suffering from domestic abuse do not hesitate to contact someone for help.'
YouTube subscribers are urging two vloggers to start dating after the pair traveled around Europe together.

Despite having never met in person, Vanessa Martinez, 21, from Arizona and Jarl Andersen, 20, from Norway, decided to travel to London, Tenerife and Paris over a period of eight days after they began chatting online.

While the relationship started out as purely platonic, it seems the photogenic pair took have fallen hard for each other, taking to their separate YouTube channels to declare their feeling for each other.

Scroll down for video

Love story: Vloggers Vanessa Martinez , 21, from Arizona and Jarl Andersen , 20, from Norway, decided to take a trip together despite having never met in person

Globe trotters: The photogenic duo documented their trip which took in London, Tenerife and Paris on their YouTube channels

Pillow talk: The pair started off as friends but their relationship went from platonic to romantic over the course of the trip

And since they posted their respective videos, both vloggers have been inundated with requests from fans to make it official.

Speaking about how they got together, Jaul revealed all in his video, The Truth About Simplynessa15, the name Vanesssa goes by on YouTube.

'Me and this other YouTuber had been talking for a while, we were both just talking about travelling and we very quickly found out that we had a lot of the same interests so then all of a sudden we're on the topic of travel and I told this person I want to travel so bad but there's no one to travel with,' he shared.

He said Nessa responded with 'try me' and 'the next thing you know, we have everything set up'.

However, Jaul explained that he was 'freaking out at this point' and three days before leaving for the trip he couldn't sleep and his 'heart was pounding like crazy' because the whole thing was so spontaneous and he hadn't met the person he was travelling with before.

And although he has met other YouTubers before, he also explained that sometimes when they meet it's 'kind of weird' so he decided to not look up too much about Vanessa so he could meet her and get to know her in person.

'It was almost meant to happen. Some people are meant to come into your life,' he shared about his experience.

Gushing about his new traveling companion, he also added: 'She is such an amazing human being, she's so normal'.

The vloggers decided to meet in London for the first leg of their trip and Jaul said it was a great city to break the ice and despite hitting it off immediately, he kept waiting for something bad to happen.

They went to Tenerife next so they could get away from 'the norm' and he said in two days it felt like they had known each other for a couple of years.

Jaul also shared that while they were there they had lots of 'amazing' and 'real' conversations and it was very new to him to have those kinds of feelings.

Their next destination was Paris and it was in the city of love that the pair turned their friendship into something more.

Speaking to the camera, he said 'this leaves us with the question All I can say is we're very happy right now. I feel like it was too good to be true. It was like a dream'

And when he returned home, he felt confused and couldn't sleep because he had never met someone and connected with someone that instantly. .

Revealing that he wanted to keep some details private, he shared with his followers that the future is unknown but he's exited for 2018, and feels that he finished 2017 with a bang.

In the comments section, Kara Morgan wrote, 'Omg Nessa deserves all of this, I love this so much!! She deserves someone who truly cares and takes care of her for once and it seems like you could be that person.'

And Nappy Fish wrote: 'Can't sleep at night' 'she makes u feel safe' 'body playing games' sounds like LOVEEEEE'.

A sentiment shared by Laura Langballe who shared: 'I cant sleep, im confused and I don't even make sense ' ... That's called being in love Jarl'.

Bond: Both Vanessa and Jarl revealed that their connection was instant and they got to know each other by having deep conversations during their trip

Couple goals: Since revealing their blossoming relationship on their YouTube channels, fans have been urging the pair to make things official

Blind date: Although they have both made a career out of vlogging, both have said they want to keep elements of their relationship private

Marissa Strong shared: 'This whole love saga has made me love you and her individually even more but you two together is all I want to see soooo make it happen'.

While 'Xuxa_la_xicana typed: 'I am so happy she found you. I have watched her struggle for years with the fake people you mentioned and other issues and always thought it was unfair because I can tell she is a genuinely sweet person. And I can tell you two will have a strong relationship because you guys can also get along on the friendship and emotional level as well.'

Subscriber Anastasia Cekic also saw the pair having a future together. She wrote: I'm just telling u u should get married'.

Vanessa also made YouTube videos to describe how the trip came about and how she felt after the trip.

She said that the entire time they were chatting and getting to know each other she always thought he was cute so when he asked her if she wanted to go travelling with him, she took a chance and said yes.

She revealed that her mom thought she was crazy at first, but supported her as she explained she wanted to have some life experiences.

She was also nervous and 'had knots' in her stomach ahead of the trip, but afterwards called it one of the 'best experiences' of her life.

'I'm sad now to be home' she shard, explaining that she had also cried as she missed Jarl so much.

She also said she was trying to keep certain things private as she didn't want people in her business but she did share that she felt like she was 'having withdrawals'.

'It's only been a day and I'm not into lovely dovey sh*t but I miss him a lot. I feel empty. It's so weird. I had an amazing time , that trip was probably one of the best moments of my entire life,' she told the camera.

'I can't wait to see him again and go more places and do more things. I've never met somebody I've connected so much with in my life. It was too perfect, he's too perfect.'

In the comments section, her fans have also been urging the pair to couple up. YouTube subscriber Su.i wrote: 'This a f**king love story. '

While Lauren Hammond typed: 'We have just witnessed two people fall in love.'

And Smexy Diamond said: 'They're in love with each other and don't even know it.'

Rikki Todd even urged her to consider relocating to Norway. She wrote: 'So who movin' you or him? Because even my own mother dont fw long distance relationships boo. YOU BETTER GO GET YOUR MAN!!.'

However, with such a huge distance between them, Vanessa also revealed that she felt slightly uneasy about what the future holds.

'I just feel weird now, I feel really weird and I don't like this feeling at all,' she said.
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions  and only accept THE definitive answer. This week its the turn of actor Christopher Biggins

Christopher Biggins is in this week's hot seat for the definite article

The prized possession you value above all others My paintings. Ive been collecting for 50 years and have over 300  ranging from David Hockney to amateur works by friends.

The biggest regret you wish you could amend Not being cast as George, the Prince of Wales, in the TV mini-series Prince Regent in 1979. I was tailor-made for it  not least because of my big calves  but it went to Peter Egan who had to wear padding on his legs!

The temptation you wish you could resist Bread. My favourite meal is toast and my biggest mistake is ruining my main course in a restaurant by filling up on delicious bread.

The book that holds an everlasting resonance Silence Of The Lambs by Thomas Harris. I read it at a friends house in Tuscany in the 1990s and I was so terrified as I finished it in bed that I couldnt get up to close the door.

The pet hate that makes your hackles rise... Cyclists in London. Theyre arrogant and they break the law.

The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day Id spend the day with David Beckham. I met him at The Ivy once and he was enchanting. He said he was thrilled to meet me as he loved On Safari and Rentaghost when he was growing up.

If he could get away with it Christopher would steal the Grand Canal by Claude Monet

The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity Stamps. I collected thousands from when I was seven to 16 and a Penny Black was my jewel. The collection went missing years ago, but I still love stamps.

The film you can watch time and time again The Sound Of Music never fails to reduce me to floods of tears  its a classic.

The person who has influenced you most Ronnie Barker. I was Lukewarm in Porridge from the first series in 1974 and Ronnie was wonderful. He was such a generous actor who cared about what worked for the whole show. He didnt want all the great lines for himself.

The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child Love everything you do  its the secret to a happy life.

The figure from history for whom youd most like to buy a pie and a pint Nero. I played him in I, Claudius in 1976. He did terrible things, but I have a real affinity with him. Id like to experience having 150 slaves.

The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again A Royal Worcester figurine of a 1930s woman, which my father Bill gave to me in the 1970s. I later knocked it over and it smashed to pieces. I was devastated.

The unending quest that drives you on To maintain my joy of life. I love my friends and everything I do. Its fantastic and Im so lucky. Im 69 now and I want to keep enjoying myself.

The poem that touches your soul If by Rudyard Kipling, which my great-aunt Vi read to me when I was nine.

The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase That since Im always laughing, I must be shallow and frivolous. I have different depths  that doesnt mean you cant have fun.

The event that altered the course of your life and character For an ageing gay man to win Im A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2007 was most unexpected and extraordinary. I got love and affection from people across Britain, which still continues.

The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it Id steal a Monet painting of Venice and put it in my drawing room. Stunning.

The song that means most to you Theres No Business Like Show Business by Ethel Merman. Its the anthem to show business, which is my life.

The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions... Id spend it with my partner Neil beginning with breakfast at Soho House in New York. Id have pancakes with bacon and maple syrup.

Wed have coffee at Skylon Tower overlooking Niagara Falls, then lobster at Cafe Sydney by Sydney Harbour. Wed fly the magic carpet to The Ritz in London for afternoon tea.

Id start the evening with a Singapore Sling at Bujera Fort in Udaipur, India, and then go to El Celler de Can Rocca in Girona, Spain, for dinner. Id end the day at the Four Seasons in Florence.

The happiest moment you will cherish forever Meeting Neil. Our first date was seeing Ghostbusters on Valentines Day in 1985 and we had a civil partnership in 2006.

The saddest time that shook your world Doing a walking pilgrimage to all the Stations Of The Cross in Jerusalem last year. It was so poignant and had a big impact on me. Im a Christian so it was incredibly moving.

The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you To play the piano. I had lessons until age 16, but I mostly gossiped with my teacher, Mr Lewis.

The philosophy that underpins your life Dont be stupid and put on airs and graces  just be yourself.

The order of service at your funeral Everyone must be in bright colours. I want my friend Peter Delaney, retired Archdeacon of London, to officiate a simple service at St Bartholomew-the-Great church in London, featured in Four Weddings And A Funeral. Ill be cremated and as the curtain closes My Way by Frank Sinatra will be played.

The way you want to be remembered For laughing all the time.

The Plug Christopher Biggins plays Widow Twankey in Aladdin at Richmond Theatre until 14 January.
Colourful plates of food, heavenly vacation spots and outfits that are to die for - Instagram influencers seem to be living the life we all dream of.

One well-known Australian Instagrammer, Ellie Bullen, 24, has let us in on a portion of her life - as she has shared how she edits her photos.

'I like to make my feed pretty colourful and exciting, so I try to make my photos really bright and fun without making them look oversaturated,' the vegan food blogger told FEMAIL.

'I also try to make my feed look balanced by spacing out my travel and food photos and making sure there aren't photos that are similar in colour, style or location near each other.'

Well-known Instagrammer, Ellie Bullen , 24, (pictured) has let us in on a portion of her life as she has shared how she edits her photos

The 24-year-old blogger (pictured) prefers to shoot on a camera instead of an iPhone

Ellie loves shooting travel fashion and food shots with her identical twin sister, Lauren Bullen, who is one half of the hugely popular travelling duo behind the Gypsea Lust Instagram account.

'My favourite thing to shoot is definitely my vibrant food photos because I can just visualise how its going to look edited up and on my page,' she explained to FEMAIL.

'But the content that receives the best engagement is travel photos in really unique and amazing locations.

'All of my top posts have been travel photo or big life events. My top posts include my engagement in Joshua tree, banana stalls in Bali, breakfasts in Santorini with views, cliff views, and me holding puppies or piglets.'

 Slide me  Here is one of Ellie's colourful food shots pictured before and after

Ellie shoots on the Canon 5D Mark IV and although it's pricey, it's her favourite camera

SHOOTING

If you are trying to chase the online blogger dream, Ellie has some heartbreaking news: she hardly ever uses her iPhone to take photos for her Instagram feed.

'Unfortunately if you want to create photos like mine, you'll want to invest in a good camera set-up,' she said in a blog post.

'You definitely don't need to splash a lot of cash, but at the least I would recommend getting a camera that shoots "RAW" files and have access to a desktop/laptop computer to edit.'

Ellie shoots on the Canon 5D Mark IV and although it's pricey, it's her favourite camera.

If you are just starting out she recommends opting for a lower range camera and upgrade your setup as you feel you need.

'For almost all of my Instagram stories and a couple of posts on my Instagram I have used my iPhone and edited using VSCO filters - a great app for beginners in photography and Instagram,' she added.

'But the content that receives the best engagement is travel photos in really unique and amazing locations,' she told FEMAIL (pictured before editing)

If you are trying to chase the online blogger dream, Ellie has some heartbreaking news: she hardly ever uses her iPhone to take photos for her Instagram feed (pictured after editing)

STORAGE AND IMPORTING

The next step for Ellie is to transfer all of her photos from her camera to her laptop before importing them into Abode Lightroom, which is an application Ellie strongly recommends.

'I store them all on my external hard drives, in folders so that I can organise my photos into either months or trips/countries,' she wrote.

'I use external hard drives because the files are large and will fill your computer up very quickly and your computer will be snail pace.. or that dreaded rainbow circle of death from apple operating systems. AAGGGHHHH.'

Ellie stores her photos on external hard drives in folders so that she can organise her photos into either months or trips/countries (pictured before editing)

Ellie applies her own custom presets that she created on Lightroom - presets being filters (pictured after editing)

Using presets means you don't have to waste hours trying to figure out how to get your photos like the influencers you love (pictured before and after editing)

PRESETS

Ellie Bullen's top tips for food photos Aim for a balance of colours

Making things pop in the photo

Do the occasional flat lay

Include trendy items such as avocado or dragonfruit

Shoot using a Canon camera

Post frequently to gain more followers

Make sure your theme is fresh and different

Be passionate about what you're doing Advertisement

Once she has done this, Ellie applies her own custom presets that she created on Lightroom - presets being filters.

'These are presets that I have developed over the past two years, as I have experimented and refined my editing style into what you see on my Instagram feed and blog currently,' she explained.

'Presets are absolutely essential if you are just starting out OR want to create your feed to look somewhat like someone else's feed that you like, without wasting hours trying to figure out how to get your photos like theirs, and most likely you'll never be able to recreate their edits unless you have their presets.'

Ellie recommends practicing with presets until you feel comfortable before you start to tweak them to suit your editing style.

Luckily for those wanting to replicate Ellie's Instagram style she has decided to share her presets in a 'FOODIE' pack, which includes ten of her favourite presets that she uses on all of her photos.

Ellie travels all over the world and posts photos so people can keep up with her adventures (pictured before editing)

'Presets are absolutely essential if you are just starting out OR want to create your feed to look somewhat like someone else's feed that you like,' she said (pictured after editing)

Luckily for those wanting to replicate Ellie's Instagram style she has decided to share her presets in a 'FOODIE' pack (pictured before and after editing)

 Slide me  Ellie recommends practising with presets until you feel comfortable before you start to tweak them to suit your editing style (pictured before and after editing)

EXPORT AND TRANSFER

'Once I apply my filter, and make any minor adjustments, if necessary, and I am happy with my image, I will export the file to a folder on my desktop and airdrop it straight to my iPhone,' Ellie said.

'If you don't have Apple, and don't know about AirDrop... then wow!! It saves me SO much time!

'Instant photo sharing to my phone is sooo much quicker then trying to email high resolution images to myself. Thank-you Apple for this feature!!'

'Once I apply my filter, and make any minor adjustments, if necessary, and I am happy with my image, I will export the file to a folder on my desktop,' she said (pictured before and after editing)

Ellie likes to give her photos one final edit using the VSCO app and sometimes, but not always, adds a filter (pictured before and after editing)

Ellie's advice with Instagram is to post frequently, be passionate about what you're posting about and find your niche (pictured before editing)

When it comes to the perfect foodie shot, Ellie has said you need to make sure you get a 'balance of colours' (pictured after editing)

iPHONE EDITING APPS

As you can see the process behind Ellie's Instagram account isn't simply pointing and shooting from an iPhone and uploading straight away with an Instagram filter.

'I like to give my images a last little edit using the VSCO app. I sometimes, but not always, add a filter but reduce it to about 4/12,' Ellie shared.

'Otherwise they can make my photos look too filtered. My favourite ones are the "A" series and I often add a little bit of extra grain, especially to my travel photos.

'This is also how I edit my iPhone photos for my Instagram story - except I will also play around with the contrast exposure, grain, and temperature on these images as they haven't undergone my Lightroom presets.'

Finally after all of these steps Ellie's photo is ready to be posted, which she chooses to do directly instead of using a scheduling app.

'The only last minute adjustments I might make are cropping or tilting and straightening,' she shared.

'I add my caption, geotag and tag any relevant accounts and POST! Some of you are probably reading like "are you efffinnggg kidding, all that for a photo on Instagram!?"

'YEP! don't worry, it's actually not that long of a process when I'm in the groove.'
One hundred years ago, the Fourth Reform Act was passed in Parliament extending voting rights to all men over the age of 21 and, for the first time, allowing women the vote  but only if they were over the age of 30 and owned property in their own right.

Women did not obtain full voting rights until 1928 when a Conservative government (yes, snowflakes, a Conservative government  can you believe it?) passed the Equal Franchise Act, placing women on a par with men in terms of their democratic rights. Nevertheless, the centenary is an important one.

It marks the culmination of the extraordinary efforts and, in many cases, personal sacrifice, of all those suffragettes imprisoned by Asquith's Liberals (yes again, snowflakes, that's a Liberal government) because of their campaigning for the right to vote.

These suffragettes suffered appallingly for their cause: in some cases they went on hunger strike and were held down and force-fed with tubes in jail  a process which was incredibly painful and often caused life-long injuries.

It makes my blood boil to see the suffragette movement reduced to a fashion spread in the pages of Vogue magazine, which yesterday named seven women their 'new Suffragists' (the 'suffragists' were those who believed in peaceful protests, while the suffragettes believed in direct action and even violence), writes Sarah Vine

One, Emily Davison, even died after being trampled by the King's horse Anmer at the Epsom Derby in 1913 when she walked on the track to protest.

Most of these women were jeered at, belittled and told their cause was fruitless  yet they never gave up.

They included early pioneers of women's rights such as Millicent Fawcett (who led one of the biggest suffragette movements) and her sister Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first woman in Britain to qualify as a doctor and a surgeon.

This centenary also marks the start of the modern feminist movement: all the battles that have been fought in the name of women's equality, all the changes that have taken place over the past century, all the victories, large and small, that women like me have benefited from.

Which is why it makes my blood boil to see the whole lot reduced to a fashion spread in the pages of Vogue magazine, which yesterday named seven women their 'new Suffragists' (the 'suffragists' were those who believed in peaceful protests, while the suffragettes believed in direct action and even violence).

Pictured: This month's front cover of Vogue, celebrating 100 years of women having a vote

This title was pinned to the most self-satisfied line-up of preeners (with the exception of Labour MP Stella Creasy) who, far from being, as the magazine puts it, the nation's leading 'suffragists' I don't believe have the first idea what it means to be truly oppressed.

Take Gillian Wearing, OBE. Darling of the Young British Artists, the most over-hyped and over-priced art movement the world has ever seen, who said in the accompanying interview that although Fawcett managed to win the vote with hard work, what there is left to do is 'harder'.

'We need to change people's inner stereotypes of women. And, that's harder than fighting for the vote,' she added.

This beggars belief! How can she think it's harder than being force-fed in cells and belittled and traduced at every turn  as the 19th-century suffragettes were?

Liv Little (pictured), founder of Gal-dem, a 'creative collective comprised of over 70 women and non-binary people of colour', was one of them

Then there's Liv Little, founder of Gal-dem, a 'creative collective comprised of over 70 women and non-binary people of colour', Sophie Walker, leader of the most pointless political party ever started, the Women's Equality Party (she got 5 per cent of the vote in the London mayoral election), Paris Lees, leading light of the trans lobby, and Dina Torkia, who runs a blog for Muslim fashionistas, and Reni Eddo- Lodge, the author of Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race.

There they are, dressed in black (black being the new black when it comes to feminist virtue-signalling, as we are about to see at this weekend's Golden Globes where a host of A-list actresses are promising to wear black to raise awareness of sexual harassment in Hollywood), their features carefully arranged into expressions of sisterly compassion/defiance.

Sophie Walker (pictured), leader of the most pointless political party ever started, the Women's Equality Party (she got 5 per cent of the vote in the London mayoral election), also featured

Maybe if you're the sort of person who hangs out in the bars and restaurants of London's achingly fashionable East End, drinking 15 cocktails and chomping on kale crisps while discussing the relative merits of re-birthing vs veganism, these women represent the coalface of modern feminism.

But if you're a woman in the real world  a working mother, a young girl growing up in poverty, an old woman trying to decide between food and fuel, or just your average run-of-the-mill female with split ends and 427 problems to deal with before breakfast, what possible relevance to your life could these women have?

Was there really no female titan of industry or leader of a charity that Vogue could have celebrated  and no one they could have found that didn't have a Left-wing viewpoint?

Whose lives have they ever really benefited except for their own? (Again, I exonerate Stella Creasy (pictured) from this: she's not my political cup of tea, but she is a good MP)

More to the point, whose lives have they ever really benefited except for their own? (Again, I exonerate Creasy from this: she's not my political cup of tea, but she is a good MP.)

They are, like so much that is celebrated in the modern world and, in particular, in the world of fashion, the triumph of hype over substance.

Sorry, ladies. You don't get to call yourself by the same name as feminism's trailblazers simply by belonging to a gender, ethnic or religious minority, or because you happen to go to the right dinner parties.

You don't get to be a suffragist  or even a suffragette, for that matter  just because you have a few thousand followers on Twitter, or because you thought of a catchy name for your blog, book or political party.

Pictured: One of Vogue's new suffragettes, Paris Lees, leading light of the trans lobby

And you certainly don't get there because the editor of Vogue puts you there.

A suffragist is someone who is prepared to put their life on the line for what they believe in.

To risk death, imprisonment, torture. Women in Iran who dare to stand up to that country's hardline Islamic regime: they are suffragists.

The young Yazidi woman, Nadia Murad Basee Taha, who testified to the United Nations Security Council about her treatment at the hands of ISIS: she's a suffragist.

Dina Torkia, who runs a blog for Muslim fashionistas, was another of Vogue's super seven

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who has campaigned tirelessly against the barbaric practice of female genital mutilation: she deserves to call her self a suffragist.

Even one of the contestants on this series of Big Brother, Maggie Oliver, the DI whose determination to help the vulnerable young girls caught up in the Rochdale grooming scandal brought an end to her own ambitions, has more right to call herself a suffragist.

Trouble is, understanding that requires a depth of knowledge. And this time Vogue missed the mark.
These days we are constantly switched on, with our jobs and social lives requiring us to check in to our phones and computers almost 24/7.

But being 'on' all the time can have a serious effect on our mind and our bodies, which is why a world-famous personal trainer and health author has shared his tips to help you to have a digital detox.

Adelaide-born PT, James Duigan, 42, is the former personal trainer of Elle Macpherson and his words are often treated as gospel as he has also worked with the likes of Emilia Clarke, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Lara Stone.

In a blog post on his website Bodyism, James revealed what his top three tips for a digital detox are.

Adelaide born James Duigan (pictured), 42, shared his tips on how to have a digital detox

James is the former personal trainer of Elle Macpherson (pictured) - he has also worked with the likes of Emilia Clarke from Game of Thrones and model, Lara Stone

Although many of us communicate with people online and check into social media, James believes we've never been lonelier:

'The primary culprit is social media and our mobile phones. They can bring global communities together and provide a ceaseless source of inspiration at their best,' he said.

'But at their worst, they can be a constant nuisance, a constant distraction and stop you living in the present.

'Even a quick scroll before bed can keep you awake at night or send your self-esteem plummeting as youre barraged with Insta bums and impossible abs.'

Although many of us communicate with people online and check into social media, the creator of Bodyism, James (pictured), believes we've never been lonelier

'Use an app called Freedom to block your Instagram, Facebook and Twitter apps for as long as you need  or can bear,' James suggested (stock image)

JAMES'S TIPS FOR A SOCIAL MEDIA DETOX Time out

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James explained that social media platforms have been purposefully built to be addictive as each notification brings along the 'happy hormone' with it.

As with any cold turkey experience, it can be hard to wean yourself off social media - but the trick is to replace the addiction with something else.

'Use an app called Freedom to block your Instagram, Facebook and Twitter apps for as long as you need  or can bear,' James suggested.

His words are often treated as gospel as he has also been the personal trainer for Emilia Clarke (both pictured together)

The app allows you to choose how long you want to block certain apps for - which means you can slowly coax yourself into blocking them for longer.

His second step is simple: just log out.

'Creating that extra step between you and your "feed" will help you resist the lure of mindless scrolling when your resolve is wearing thin,' he said.

His third and final step is to be in the moment and make sure you're tuned in on what is going on around you (pictured: Elle Macpherson and Lara Stone)

James's third and final step is to be in the moment and make sure you're tuned in on what is going on around you.

'No pictures. No selfies. No boomerangs. No Snapchats. For one day at least. Don't lose the moment by trying to capture it,' he said.

'Live in the moment and it will live long in the memory.'

To read more from James Duigan, you can visit the Bodyism website here.
A change in federal guidance on marijuana enforcement leaves questions about whether Montana's rebounding medical marijuana industry will be affected.

A memo released by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday rescinded Obama-era policies that guided federal drug enforcers away from people who use marijuana legally under state law.

The determination on how to carry out Sessions' guidance is up to the country's 94 U.S. attorneys.

Kurt Alme, U.S. Attorney for Montana, told The Gazette on Friday that his office will follow the laws set by Congress.

That includes a provision called the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, which has for years been attached to budget bills and prevents the use of federal money to interfere with state medical marijuana programs.

However, the amendment has to be passed annually, and its future is uncertain. It hangs in the balance alongside federal budget negotiations, and the current deadline for a budget decision is Jan. 19.

Alme declined to comment on what might change if lawmakers fail to renew the amendment.

"We would cross that bridge when we get to it," he said.

In a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Montana, Alme said that marijuana enforcement would focus on the most serious offenders, but he didn't specifically address the medical industry.

"The United States Attorneys Office in Montana is guided by these principles in marijuana prosecutions  focusing in particular on identifying and prosecuting those who create the greatest safety threats to our citizens and communities," Alme said in the statement. "Consistent with the attorney generals latest guidance, we will continue to take this approach in all of our work with our law enforcement partners throughout Montana.

Twenty-nine states, including Montana, have legalized the medical use of marijuana. Eight of those states have legalized recreational use. This has created a clash with federal law, which bans the use of marijuana for any reason.

While a flourishing recreational marijuana industry has received the most focus in light of Sessions' memo, officials haven't differentiated between drug enforcement for recreational and medical producers.

Montanas medical marijuana industry saw a resurgence in 2017 after a successful ballot initiative removed some restrictions on the program. State legislators passed a regulatory bill in the spring, creating numerous new accountability rules for the growers.

The number of registered medical marijuana patients in Montana nearly tripled from November 2016 to November 2017. The latest count from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services is 21,881 patients.

At times, federal prosecutors have stepped in with medical marijuana providers who are accused of stepping beyond the bounds of the Montana Medical Marijuana Act.

We certainly continue to see individuals who are distributing substantial amounts of marijuana well in excess of whats permitted by state law, Alme said.

The state took in $395,000 in tax revenue over the first three months of collection  part of the millions of dollars in gross revenue for medical marijuana providers. The deadline for the next collection quarter is Jan. 15.

The U.S. Department of Justice released a statement to The Gazette saying that it wont violate federal law to pursue marijuana-related activities, as it pertains to medical marijuana and specifically appropriations riders in Congress.

The comment seems to reference to the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, which has protected medical marijuana from federal intervention but faces an uncertain future. U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-California, has kept the amendment in place since 2014.

The medical marijuana industry did receive a boost when the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment in 2016. The circuit includes Montana.

A spokesman for Montana Attorney General Tim Fox said that the office would focus on enforcing state marijuana laws and that Sessions' memo "does not affect our treatment" of the state medical marijuana industry.

"We will continue working with local law enforcement agencies to enforce Montana laws governing marijuana," said Eric Sell, Montana DOJ spokesman. "Sessions action is a directive to federal officials, primarily the U.S. Attorneys office.

Both federal and Montana law makes it illegal to use marijuana outside of the medical program.

For its part, the state health department released a statement saying that its work is tied to state laws that allow the medical use of marijuana.

Montana citizens have twice made it clear how they feel about this issue through the citizens initiative process, said Jon Ebelt, health department spokesman. Our agency intends to follow state laws so that people with debilitating medical conditions can continue to access the medicine they need.
You would be forgiven for thinking Tatler devotees would consider nothing less than the very best private schools when it came to their children's education.

But even the society bible's well-heeled readership are finding themselves balking at the cost of the nation's most selective institutions.

It is for this reason that Tatler launched its guide to state education in 2014, and this year's edition, published in the current issue, offers parents 30 non fee-paying schools that offer 'gold star' quality education.

'Stupendously successful': Peter Symonds College, Hampshire, is among Tatler's pick of the top 20 state secondary schools in Britain. It has 4,000 pupils aged 16-18

Celebrity alumni: Sir Ben Ainslie, left, and Alexa Chung both attended Peter Symonds College

State-of-the-art facilities: Nonsuch High School for Girls, in Surrey, boasts 22 acres of parkland. Students can take Greek and astronomy - and the school has its own observatory

As it explains: 'When we first published our first State Schools Guide the reaction was one of flabbergasted amazement... Wake up, world: these days, most "People Like Us" a) can't necessarily afford to send our children to private schools and b) don't necessarily want to.'

Among the 20 secondary schools selected this year - 10 primaries are also chosen - are Peter Symonds College, in Hampshire, which counts Sir Ben Ainslie and Alexa Chung among its former pupils and Surrey's Nonsuch High School for Girls, which offers classes in Greek and astronomy and has its own observatory.

But while the schools might not cost anything to attend, many do still have catchment areas that fall within some of the country's most affluent areas.

Sought-after post code: Families splash out to live in affluent Birmingham village of Knowle just to get their children into the catchment area for in-demand Adren Academy, pictured

Music stars: Jess Glynne and Girl Ray both attended Fortismere School in north London

Arden Academy, for example, is situated in Knowle, a village in Birmingham's 'stockbroker belt' where families 'swallow inflated property prices to get into catchment for the much sought-after non-selective'.

Meanwhile to have a chance at bagging a place at the excellent Beaumont School in St Albans, families have to live 'under 987 metres' from the school gate, according to one parent.

Once pupils are in though, they are offered specialisms in maths, computing and languages.

Tight catchment area: Families need to live within '987 metres' of the school gates to get into Beaumont School, in Hertfordshire, pictured, according to one parent

The list also acknowledges schools with strengths outside of traditional academic subjects like Mullion School on Cornwall's Lizard Island, which specialises in performing arts.

A testimony from one parent about King James's School in North Yorkshire reveals how the quality does not end with the teaching.

'My husband went to boarding school from the age of eight and said the facilities at King James's are better than anything he had,' one proud mother told Tatler.

The school offers pupils a wide range of clubs including handbell-ringing and charity opportunities.

Read more in the February issue of Tatler, on sale now.

Varied interests: Mullion School in Cornwall, pictured, excels in the performing arts
A mother-of-two was left 'furious' after discovering washing instructions inside her teenage daughter's hat by popular online retailer Missguided, suggesting that 'mum' does the washing.

Sian Robson, 52, from Ashford, Kent, was shown the 'sexist' instructions by 13-year-old daughter Caitlin at the beginning of January, and told of her disappointment with the brand, which she said is 'all for promoting girl power'.

The mum called out the brand on Twitter, posting a snap of the offending label with the caption: 'Maybe it's just possible dad is capable of putting a wash on too?!' She added the #everydaysexism hashtag.

Although she is aware the instructions were intended as a joke, the Kent University manager is calling for the fashion retailer to remove the label from its 10 hats, which reads beneath the standard washing machine guidance: '...or give this to your mum she'll wash it'.

Sian Robson, 52, from Ashford, Kent, was left 'furious' after discovering her teenage daughter's hat included instructions which suggested 'mum does all the washing'

Sian said: 'At first I didn't believe that a female fashion brand would put something like that on a product.

'My daughter told me to look at the washing instructions in her hat because they are awful. It's not something you would expect to see.

'It just didn't sit right with me. I looked on the Missguided website and I noticed they were all for promoting girl power.

'They seem like a brand that want to encourage young women to break stereotypes so I'm not sure why they would have something like this in their clothing.'

The mother-of-two took to Twitter to express her outrage at the instructions which read '...or give this to your mum she'll wash it'

She continued: 'Although the hat is for adults a lot of their customers are young teens, they should be encouraging them and showing them that men can also do the household chores.

'I understand it was probably just a joke but I think it is quite insensitive. Especially in this day and age, it isn't the sixties anymore.

'I just don't think it needed to be in there, even if they just put 'parents' it's still not really needed. I know they're trying to be funny but it's a bit naff.

'I'm sure that a lot of men and dads would admit that they also help with the washing, it isn't something to be embarrassed about.

'I'd just rather they remove it from the hat, it isn't needed.'

On their website Missguided claim their mission is to empower females globally to be confident in themselves and be who they want to be.

She was shown the sexist washing instructions by her 13-year-old daughter Caitlin, and is disappointed in the fashion retailer Misguided which prides itself on girl power

Sian also expressed concerns is insensitive to those customers who may not have a mum at home to do their washing for them.

Since spotting the instructions the mum-of-two tweeted Missguided but is yet to receive a response from the clothing brand.

Sian said: 'There are people out there who might not have a mum or parents who can do their washing for them so it is just extremely insensitive.

'I did tweet them and they seem to be really responsive on there. I haven't had a reply yet but there is still time.

'I'm not a person who complains a lot about things being sexist but I can see that these instructions aren't right. Even if it is just meant to be a joke.'

Missguided declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.
A series of incredible photographs have been praised for their honest depictions of childbirth and motherhood.

Birth photographer Lacey Barratt, from Melbourne, has released a number of her favourite pictures from the past year, which show women during labour and moments after giving birth.

One striking image shows a woman being handed her baby before the umbilical cord was cut, not realising she had already given birth.

Another shows a woman in the midst of labour while in a birthing pool, with her husband trying to make her drink from a water bottle.

Lacey, who is also a doula, has received global acclaim for her photographs that show the reality of childbirth.

Here, she tells the stories behind some of her favourite pictures over the past year...

CHANTELLE WATT

Birth photographer Lacey Barratt, from Melbourne, has shared some of her favourite pictures from the past year. Pictured is the a baby being delivered by C-section in the operating theatre

'I don't always get allowed into theatre, so when I do, I always make sure to ask if they can lower the drape or I can come on the other side,' Lacey explained.

'That isn't exactly greeted with the best of responses, but as my job, I have to ask. This team was so supportive of mum having pictures.

'She lowered the drape and motioned for me to grab a pic and help up her baby just perfectly.'

MADDISON GORE

Mother Maddison Gore is pictured the moment she was handed her baby, not having realised she'd already given birth

'Maddison's birth in the hospital was so special because her boy was born so quickly that when the staff handed him to her she didn't realise he had been born,' the photographer recalled.

'This image captures the moment she realised she did indeed have a baby, and the ride was coming to a close.'

MICHELLE SIMMONDS

Another of Lacey's clients, Michelle Simmonds is pictured in the birthing pool with her husband, who is trying to make her drink water

'We don't see dads talked about a lot in birth spaces, but I really love to capture the connection between mothers and fathers,' Lacey said.

'They are integral in making the woman feel safe and loved and raising oxytocin.

'Here you can see how Michelle's husband was totally submerged in her everything and dedicated to serving her however he could.'

AMY O'BRIEN

New mother Amy O'Brien is seen crying with relief and happiness moments after giving birth

'Amy kept control of every aspect of her birth. She was not swayed and not once bullied into alternate forms of intervention,' she commented.

'This was right after her girl was born standing and she raised her to her chest. This is the moment of relief and happiness.'

UNNAMED MOTHER

This unnamed mother is pictured gently guiding her baby while in a birthing pool

'This was my last birth for 2017 and this mama gently guided her own baby earth side. Not enough women are touching their babies, so I love this,' Lacey commented.

'There is way more about birth that isn't normalised than what is normal. I fight really, really hard against social media to make sure my images stay up and aren't removed.'

BRITTANY ATTARD

Lacey said she was struck by how much hair mother Brittany Attard's newborn baby had

'Brittany's babe was born with so much hair,' the photographer recalled.

'I remember seeing her and thinking how she looked like Rapunzel out of the womb.'

SELF-PORTRAIT

Lacey also shared a self-portrait showing her with her baby, which she explains 'marked the rebirth of herself into a new mother'

'This is a self portrait that I released of myself exactly 12 months ago,' Lacey said.

'It marked the rebirth of myself into a new mother, new wife and new human.

'This was to explain not everyone feels connected to their babies at first, and that's OK.'
A self-styled 'financial dominatrix' says she rakes in over $200,000 (156,000) a year insulting men who buy her handbags, expensive cars and far-flung getaways.

'Princess Meggerz', 30, from Brooklyn, New York, works in a corner of the fetish world where men get thrills out of paying for her lavish lifestyle.

She launched her career in 2007 as a student and now claims to be paid up to $50,000 (36,000) on a good day, with her salary enabling her to buy three properties.

Meg, who boasts that she has 'broken many men and destroyed [her] fair share of wallets' meets men online who pay for her nights out, dinners and all-inclusive getaways.

The 'top domme' regularly receives gifts detailed on her Amazon Wish List and says the most expensive item she has ever received was a plush BMW M3 worth $70,000 (55,000).

'Financial dominatrix' Meg, who has not disclosed her real name, works in a corner of the fetish world where men get thrills out of paying for her lavish lifestyle

'Ruthless' Meg said: 'Being a financial dominatrix means I have these guys that get turned on by giving me large amounts of money.

'Everyone has their own fetish or fantasy, for them they like giving a woman money and knowing their money is going to someone who deserves it.

'I deal with young guys right up to old men, people without a lot of money to those who have millions of dollars.

'We have a relationship where they pay me a certain amount every week or month, I have to push them from there to see what their limit is.

'I'm not technically taking their money, I set a price and they are either willing to pay it or not, it's not blackmail or extortion they are willing to pay what I demand.

'It's a turn-on for them and gets them off, I feel like some of the guys just want to be owned by a successful financial dominatrix, they like the prestige.'

Just another day in the office: Meg insists her family have no qualms about her profession and that her friends love benefiting from the men who pay for her nights out and dinners

Lap of luxury: 'Princess Meggerz' has had gifts of everything ranging from an expensive car to all inclusive getaways in Egypt, Turkey, Greece and more paid for by her clients - called 'subs'

A $70,000 car gifted to Meg by one of her clients or 'subs'. Meg says her life as a financial dominatrix has plenty of benefits, from the regular income to being bought lavish gifts and even trips abroad

She added: 'Some of the guys like to pay for my drinks when I'm out or when I go out for dinner, so me and my friends get a lot of benefits from that.

'My subs also love it when I brag about the things they buy me, one of the guys purchased a $70,000 car and others have paid for me to go on holiday.

'Some people can't believe what I do for a living and others ask for tips to do it themselves, I don't hide what I am, you either take it or leave it.'

Meg says her life as a financial dominatrix has plenty of benefits, from the regular income to being bought lavish gifts and even trips abroad.

She even has her evenings out with friends paid for by her clients, who are called 'subs' referring to them being submissive, and that she's very open about her profession.

Meg enjoying a lavish dinner paid for by one of her 'subs'. Explaining her unusual profession, she said: 'Being a financial dominatrix means I have these guys that get turned on by giving me large amounts of money'

Meg on a recent trip to Egypt, funded by a client. She said: 'Some people can't believe what I do for a living and others ask for tips to do it themselves, I don't hide what I am, you either take it or leave it'

Meg said: 'I don't hide what I do, I have told a lot of people, some of the girls I know want to start doing it too.

'My family know about my work but don't want details, they are just happy knowing I'm safe, but with friends I tell them a lot.

'There are a lot of perks, one of the guys paid for me and my boyfriend of the time to go to Turkey, Germany and Egypt, another sub paid for me and a girlfriend to go to Greece.'

With the money she's made from being a financial dominatrix, Meg has invested in property instead of purchasing throwaway items.

Speaking about her clients who pay for her getaways (pictured on a recent jaunt), Meg said: 'Some feel quite inadequate and so giving money makes them feel better about themselves, knowing they have proven themselves worthy of my attention gives them a thrill'

Lucky: Meg was surprised that she could turn her hobby of chatting to strangers online into a profession but says she doesn't regret it because of the lifestyle it has afforded her

Meg said: 'I started investing in multifamily homes, so I have three properties now.

'I don't spend my money on frivolous items, I've always been someone who saves and I invest my money wisely.

'With my subs, I prefer getting paid in cash but I do get a lot of gifts too, I have an Amazon wish list, which they will choose gifts from.'

Despite working between 15-20 hours a week, Meg says being on call is a 24-7 job, she believes her main talent is being able to read people.

Meg said: 'Some feel quite inadequate and so giving money makes them feel better about themselves, knowing they have proven themselves worthy of my attention gives them a thrill.

'Then when I brag about what they have bought or the amount they have given me, it makes them feel special too.

'It's my job to know how to read people, there are some guys who want me to be more demanding and others are more relaxed, in real life I'm laid back and pretty chill.'

Hard work: Despite working between 15-20 hours a week, Meg says being on call is a 24-7 job, she believes her main talent is being able to read people

Raking it in: Meg says of her unexpected success, 'I just looked at it as something fun and easy, I never expected it to go anywhere, I was still in school back then, it was just money on the side'

'I act responsibly about it too, with some guys they tell me they are getting in too deep so I stop taking money from them, I'm not out to destroy any body.

'If there wasn't a demand I wouldn't be able to do what I do, I'm not forcing anyone to pay me, these guys are all willing.'

Meg was surprised that she could turn her hobby of chatting to strangers online into a profession but says she doesn't regret it because of the lifestyle it has afforded her.

She added: 'I never expected to be making a living out of what I do, talking to people online was just something I used to enjoy while I was growing up.

'When I started being a financial dominatrix, guys were willing to pay me for my attention and from there I kept upping the price.

'I just looked at it as something fun and easy, I never expected it to go anywhere, I was still in school back then, it was just money on the side.

'Now I don't take this for granted at all, I feel like it's one big adventure.'

For more info visit: meggerz.com [CONTAINS EXPLETIVES]
A beauty vlogger created a powerful make-up tutorial that saw her write 'pig', 'fat' and 'ugly' on her face to reflect the insults directed at her by online bullies.

Nabela Noor, a Bangladeshi-American YouTuber, shared the powerful clip on her Instagram account a few days ago.

The vlogger, 26, started her video as she often does, by applying a shimmering pink primer onto her face.

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Words: Vlogger Nabela Noor created a powerful make-up tutorial that saw her write 'pig', 'fat' and 'ugly' on her face to reflect the insults directed at her by bullies

Powerful: The YouTuber, 26, started her video as she often does, by applying a shimmering pink primer onto her face, but continued by scrawling the words on her forehead and cheeks

Harmful comments: 'In 2017, I was called a pig, fat, ugly, a monster... I was told I should kill myself because of how I look,' Nabela wrote on Instagram

But she then used a brown product, likely a contouring cream, to scrawl 'pig' across her forehead, followed by 'fat' and 'ugly' on each of her cheeks.

'In 2017, I was called a pig, fat, ugly, a monster... I was told I should kill myself because of how I look,' Nabela, of Pennsylvania, wrote in an Instagram post in which she shared the clip.

'I received thousands of messages like this all year & there have been times where I let those words destroy me.

'But as my confidence strengthened, I became a fortress of self-love that could not be broken by the words of unhappy people.'

Tears welled from Nabela's eyes after she wrote the hurtful words on her own skin, but the beauty vlogger promptly wiped them off and continued her video.

Using a different product, she crossed out the insults. Then, she erased them with a blending sponge, and wrote 'I [heart] me' across her face in the same spots.

Carrying on: Tears welled from Nabela's eyes after she wrote the hurtful words on her own skin, but the beauty vlogger promptly wiped them off and continued her video

Positive: Using a different product, she crossed out the insults. Then, she erased them with a blending sponge, and wrote 'I [heart] me' across her face in the same spots

Confidence: 'I learned quickly that happy people dont say hurtful things. And that happiness begins with self-love,' Nabela (pictured with her husband) added on Instagram

Sharing: Nabela has in the past opened up about her childhood as the children of Bangladeshi parents who immigrated to New York City before she was born

Nabela also grabbed a red pen, which she typically uses for color correcting underneath her foundation, and traced the words 'XoXo' on her chin.

She then blended everything away and completed her glamorous make-up look, ending the video on a positive note.

'I learned quickly that happy people dont say hurtful things. And that happiness begins with self-love,' Nabela added on Instagram.

'The girl I see in the mirror is beautiful with and without make-up, whether I am a size six or a size 16.

'So as 2018 begins, Im leaving behind all of the words that once hurt me all of the doubt that once controlled me. No one can tell us who we are. We are glorious. We are beautiful. We are worthy.'

Nabela has in the past opened up about her childhood as the children of Bangladeshi parents who immigrated to New York City before she was born and later moved to Pennsylvania.

She previously revealed that as a child, she lost friends after 9/11 because some parents had told their children they could no longer play with her, owing to her Muslim faith.
She's been sporting a ring made from Princess Diana's own diamonds since November, but Meghan Markle won't be borrowing from the Queen's royal collection until she's officially part of the family.

The bride-to-be has been welcomed into the fold with unprecedented speed ever since Prince Harry, 33, got down on one knee, but it seems access to the monarch's jewels is a privilege Meghan, 36, will have to wait for - as it's reserved solely for members of the Royal family and married women.

While the Duchess of Cambridge, 35, is now often seen wearing tiaras at state dinners and other formal occasions, it was only after she and Prince William exchanged vows in 2011 that she was allowed to borrow the Queen's jewels.

Meghan Markle won't be borrowing from the Queen's royal collection until she's officially part of the family, as access to the Royal jewels is a privilege reserved solely for members of the Royal family and married women

Meghan will only be allowed access to the Royal heirlooms after she marries Prince Harry on the 19th May 2018 at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle

And the same rule will apply to Meghan, who is set to marry Prince Harry on the 19 May at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Diana Mather, a senior tutor for The English Manner etiquette consultancy explained the tradition dates back centuries to when only married women were allowed to wear tiaras, signifying that they were taken.

Speaking to the BBC, she said: 'Flashy diamonds and tiaras are not worn during the day, and only married ladies wear tiaras.'

Etiquette expert Grant Harrold, known as The Royal Butler, added: 'For married ladies it was a sign of status and would show you were taken and not looking for a husband.

'For the gentleman it was a clear sign not to make advances toward the lady in question.'

While the Duchess of Cambridge is now often seen wearing tiaras at state dinners and other formal occasions, it was only after she and Prince William exchanged vows in 2011 that she was allowed to borrow the Queen's jewels. Pictured, in the Cambridge Lover's Knot tiara last July

The Cambridge's Lover's Knot tiara was a favourite of Princess Diana, seen wearing it in 1983

The Duchess of Cambridge first wore a tiara on her wedding day in April 2011, when the Queen loaned her the Cartier Halo Scroll tiara.

The 1000-piece diamond tiara was initially bought in 1936 as an anniversary gift from King George VI to his wife in 1936, and it is thought Meghan will also wear this tiara when she ties the knot in Windsor in May.

Since then, Kate has worn a tiara just five times.

In 2013, the Duchess wore a tiara for the first time since her marriage when she arrived for a diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace wearing the Queen Mother's fan-motif tiara, more commonly known as the Lotus Flower tiara.

Royal privilege: The Duchess of Cambridge first wore a tiara on her wedding day in April 2011, when the Queen loaned her the Cartier Halo Scroll tiara, pictured

A favourite of Princess Margaret during the later years of her life, the jewels were first configured as a necklace before being turned into the exquisite headpiece.

Two years later, the Duchess paired the tiara with a glittering red gown for a banquet held in honour of a State visit by China's president, Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan.

In December 2016, the Duchess wore a tiara that beloved of Princess Diana, the Cambridge Lover's Knot, to Buckingham Palace's annual Diplomatic Reception in December 2016.

The tiara was passed down from Queen Mary, to Queen Elizabeth II, to Princess Diana, and was kept in a safe at Buckingham Palace after her 1997 death before it was handed to Kate.

In 2013, the Duchess wore a tiara for the first time since her marriage when she arrived for a diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace wearing the Queen Mother's fan-motif tiara, more commonly known as the Lotus Flower tiara, pictured. She also wore the piece in 2015

The duchess wore the tiara again in July 2017 when she attended the State banquet in honour of King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain.

Its last outing was just last month, when Kate, who is expecting her third child in April, once again wore the tiara to the annual Diplomatic Reception.

While Meghan will have to wait until at least her own wedding day before she wears a tiara, elements of royal protocol have been relaxed in her favour up until this point.

Most recently the Suits beauty spent the festive season at Kensington Palace, having been invited to spend Christmas with the Queen at Sandringham even though she is yet to become Harry's wife.

She had, unusually for a royal fiancee, been invited by the Queen to join the official festivities, a privilege usually reserved for married women or members of the family.
Manuka honey has been hailed as 'liquid gold' with the power to delay ageing and help with skin repair, coughs and colds -and even fight the bacteria that cause stomach ulcers.

But now it's got competition in the form of Jarrah honey, a rarer product harvested from a species of eucalyptus tree, which is found only in the most remote parts of Western Australia.

Research by the Australian government has found that its level of antibacterial activity is higher than that of Manuka honey, and that's it's effective against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus - which causes bugs such as MRSA - as well as being a natural treatment for wounds, burns, sunburn and skin infections.

It has two to three times higher levels of antioxidants compared to Manuka, which makes it an ideal natural anti-ageing treatment for boosting collagen and elastin production and supporting cell renewal.

Jarrah honey from Western Australia contains three times the antioxidants of popular Manuka honey and has a higher level of antibacterial activity

Other studies have shown the honey to be more effective against Candida fungi, which causes wound infections as well as oral and vaginal thrush, than Manuka.

Better still it tastes even sweeter as its naturally occuring hydrogen peroxide doesn't affect the taste.

By comparison, Manuka's active component methylglyoxal, gives it an earthy and more bitter flavour.

HOW HONEY FIGHTS DISEASE All honey has anti-bacterial properties because of the hydrogen peroxide it contains, and the fact its sugar molecules soak up water, which starves bacteria of the moisture they need to survive. Unlike ordinary hydrogen peroxide, used as a disinfectant, the hydrogen peroxide in honey stays active over several days, killing bugs and preventing others growing. Advertisement

Despite the sweeter taste, the raw honey is high in fructose and low in glucose, and its low GI index means it doesn't spike the blood sugar.

'It's quite a unique honey compared to all other eucalypts,' Dr. Rob Manning told Vogue.

The former researcher for Australia's Department of Agriculture and Food spent 30 years studying Jarrah honey and comparing its benefits with New Zealand Manuka honey.

It now costs around 22 a kilo because of high demand and limited quantities, but can be purchased in the UK from Amazon, some health food stores and Ocado.

It costs 24.99 for a 240g jar with a Total Activity (TA) level of 20, which indicates its antimicrobial strength - a similar price to an equivalent jar of Manuka honey.
There's no greater office faux-pas than stealing a colleague's food from the communal fridge.

That's something marketing professional Shaina Walker, 29, from North Carolina, discovered when she returned to her office after a period of illness to find that her colleague's cheesecakes had been stolen.

Shaina live-tweeted the unfolding drama, which quickly went viral - and she ended up cracking the whodunnit.

Marketing professional Shaina Walker live-tweeted a captivating drama in her office surrounding six stolen cheesecakes - and it quickly went viral

Shaina, who did not disclose where she works, revealed in her first tweet that one of her colleagues had left six cheesecakes in the office fridge to take to a work event.

But during the Christmas holidays, they had mysteriously vanished.

Shaina, who is also a freelance PR and digitial marketing guru, was off work sick during the time of the theft.

She came back to a group email from her colleague, who she did not identify, accusing someone in the office of stealing the treats.

She then started to live-tweet every twist and turn in the drama surrounding the missing cheesecakes.

Shaina was gripped by her colleague's fury over missing cheesecakes and was determined to crack the case

Shaina was determined to solve the mystery, and highlighted that certain fiends in her office had been known to pick off the icing on communal doughnuts.

By chance, the marketing expert managed to crack the case when another colleague casually asked her if she had eaten a cheesecake that had been left in the fridge.

The unidentified thief then told Shaina that she believed the cheesecakes had been left in the fridge for workers to take home as a treat for the Christmas holidays.

She believed that the six left in the fridge were leftover treats that had not been taken by other colleagues already, and so took all of them home for family and friends, she said.

Shaina tweeted that she couldn't believe that the thief had revealed herself so brazenly and asked the culprit several questions about why she took them.

In the end, the unsuspecting cheesecake thief revealed herself to Shaina - who then dobbed the culprit into the poor cheesecake victim

Unsure whether to believe the thief's story about it being an innocent mistake, she debated about whether to tell the victim of the theft about the identity of the culprit.

However eventually she decided to tell her colleague who it was that had stolen her cheesecakes.

'She should have shared!!!' she finally tweeted.

Shaina's followers couldn't get enough of the cheesecake mystery and each tweet has racked up thousands of likes after the thread went viral.

One user told her: 'You are doing the Lord's work'.

It's not yet known what the repercussions were for the unsuspecting cheesecake thief.
Suffering from cold hands and feet will be hard to avoid this winter as temperatures reach record-breaking lows causing your blood vessels to constrict.

Improving circulation to these extremities can be as easy as wearing mittens instead of gloves, trying spicy foods or giving yourself a quick massage.

Wisconsin-based internist Dr John Brill of Aurora Health Care told Daily Mail Online that these small tips including staying away from cigarettes and replacing coffee with water will get your blood flowing to get you warm faster.

However, Dr Brill warned that if you just can't warm up after coming from the cold or see color changes to the skin it could mean something far more serious.

Eating spicy foods, staying hydrated and getting active can open up your arteries making it easier for blood to flow to your cold hands and feet, according to a Wisconsin-based doctor

1. Loose-fitted clothes act as a space heater

Dr Brill said the most important thing is to keep your hands and feet covered in cold weather.

'Things that are more loose-fitting are better to keep your warm, like mittens instead of gloves,' he said.

A loose fit allows your body to heat up the extra air space, acting as an insulator.

Dr Brill suggests layering up with a tight pair of socks underneath a looser, thick wool sock or wearing a tight shirt underneath an oversize sweater.

2. Try spicy foods

Spicy foods can promote good circulation by opening up the blood vessels.

When you eat spicy foods your body temperature raises, getting your heart pumping and increasing blood glow.

Good circulation depends on a number of factors including a strong heart and arteries.

Peppers are high in vitamins A and C which help strengthen arteries and blood vessels that can prevent numbness from poor circulation.

Spicy foods such as chili peppers are high in vitamins A and C which help strengthen blood vessels and improve circulation to the hands and feet

3. No cigarettes, coffee or alcohol

The three main things to avoid in the winter time are nicotine, caffeine and alcohol, according to Dr Brill.

Both nicotine and caffeine cause blood vessels to constrict, making it harder for blood to circulate to your cold hands and feet.

He added that aside from making you dehydrated, a big misconception about alcohol is that it makes you warm.

'In fact, alcohol creates the perception that you're warm which is very dangerous,' said Dr Brill.

'You're not getting warmer, you're just less ware of how cold you are,' he said.

4. Eat fish and leafy greens high in iron

Taking supplements or eating foods high in fish oil, niacin and iron all open up the arteries allowing blood to flow freely through your body.

Fish is high in the fatty acids omega 3 and 6 that have been shown to improve circulation.

Leafy green vegetables and red meat are all rich with iron that is also known to increase circulation.

Dr Brill said taking a niacin supplement has also helped people in the past.

'Niacin is a supplement used to slow the narrowing of the arteries but can cause flushing sensation,' Dr Brill said.

Leafy green vegetables and red meat are all high in iron which has be shown to increase circulation

5. Stay hydrated even when you don't feel thirsty

Your circulatory system nourishes all the cells in your body, so its important to keep it hydrated.

Staying hydrated helps regulate body temperature and is essential to keep the circulation going, said Dr Brill.

Unlike in the summer, dehydration is much less noticeable in the winter and you might not even notice when you feel thirsty.

One of the main reasons people suffer hypothermia is that they become dehydrated while staying outside for a long period of time.

Drinking hot beverages will keep you hydrated while warming you up from the inside.

6. Get active

'Doing some movement will increase blood flow so get up and walk around in your house after coming from outside,' said Dr Brill.

He added that blood flow is generally better in someone thats fit, however the feeling of cold isnt necessarily dependent on someones fitness level.

Therefore it is important for someone with more body fat to improve circulation because they may not feel as cold though their hands and feet are lacking blood flow.

He said rubbing your hands and feet in circular motions will get the blood moving to your finger tips and toes.

'If your hands and feet are cold or have cold injury put them into warm or hot water for a half hour until the color returns to normal,' Dr Brill said.

7. What does it mean if you are still cold?

If you just can't seem to warm up or experience pain in the hands and feet along with cold, it could mean you have a blocked artery or other medical condition.

Dr Brill said to look for signs of an ulcer or color changes in the hands and feet that take more than a few second to go away after getting warm.

'If someone is always cold it can be a sign of blockage of circulation, anemia or the Raynaud's phenomenon,' he said.

Raynaud's is a condition in which some areas of the body feel numb and are discolored when exposed to cold.

Dr Brill said that if none of the above remedies work to get you warm to visit your general practitioner.
An onion farmer caught pneumonia after breathing in life-threatening fungi from the vegetable's peel.

The unnamed man, 62, believed to be from Japan, went to hospital after suffering from a dry cough, fatigue and shortness of breath for two weeks.

Despite being an onion farmer for several years, he became unwell after using an air compressor to clean the surface of the vegetable. Air compressors use pressurised air to forcibly clean products.

The fungi responsible, called Aspergillus fumigatus, is associated with a condition known as farmer's lung, which causes lung inflammation after inhaling dust from hay, mould or other agricultural products.

Air compressors are thought to spread fungi and lead to the pathogen's repeated inhalation, causing the patient to be diagnosed with hypersensitivity pneumonia.

He is thought to have made a full recovery and returned to work.

An onion farmer caught pneumonia after breathing in dangerous fungi from the peel (stock)

WHAT IS HYPERSENSITIVITY PNEUMONIA? Hypersensitivity pneumonia occurs when lungs develop an immune response to something a person breathes in, leading to tissue inflammation. This could be mould on hay, straw or grain; or particles on feathers or bird droppings. Symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, fever and joint pains. If these appear suddenly, the symptoms should disappear providing the cause of the problem is avoided. When symptoms come on more gradually, it suggests permanent scarring of the lungs. The cause is often unclear in such cases. Treatment focuses on avoiding the trigger. Anti-inflammatory medication may help. Source: British Lung Foundation Advertisement

Crackling sound in the chest

Physical examinations of the patient's head, neck and abdomen all came back clear, however, a crackling sound was produced when the patient inhaled.

X-rays revealed an abnormal air space in the upper part of one of his lungs, as well as tissue thickening and partial lung collapse.

The patient, who had previously been treated for high blood pressure and smoked for 35 years, also had swelling in his lung tissue and a reduced ability to exhale.

Onion peels to blame

After a week in hospital, the patient's symptoms improved without any treatment.

Doctors suspected he picked up an infection at home or work and asked him to stay at home for one day, clean onion peels via an air compressor on the second day before returning to hospital on day three.

Upon the patient's return to hospital, he complained of suffering a cough and fever just three hours after cleaning the onions.

After the patient was discharged for a second time and went home without cleaning any onions, he suffered no symptoms.

Blood tests revealed the patient's immune cell count was high, suggesting he was fighting an infection, as well as inflammation. A further X-ray showed his lungs had deteriorated.

Farmer returned to work

After leaving a petri dish out overnight, fungal colonies were discovered at his workplace.

The patient continues to work as an onion farmer but now wears a mask.

The findings were published in the journal Respiratory Medicine Case Reports.
CHEYENNE, Wyo.  Recommendations from a group created by Gov. Matt Mead to explore how Wyoming can diversify its economy beyond fossil fuels include state investment in infrastructure, new business development and education and workforce training.

The ENDOW executive council released its preliminary findings and recommendations after months of meetings. ENDOW is short for the group's formal name  Economically Needed Diversity Options for Wyoming.

Its recommendations would require $36.35 million, most of which would go toward improving and expanding air service and broadband capabilities around the state.

It also recommends that the state establish a venture capital fund for entrepreneurial initiatives. The council suggested that $20 million be taken from the Permanent Wyoming Mineral Trust Fund to start the fund.

The recommendations will be considered by the Legislature, which meets next month.
The parents of a three-year-old boy are desperately searching for a cure after their son was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease that is only known to affect 20 people in the world.

Ethan Rosenberg was born with spastic paraplegia 47 (SPG47) a neurodegenerative disorder causing malformation of the brain that has left him unable to talk and with severe motor development.

The disease is classified as 'ultra-rare' as it was first diagnosed in 2011 making Ethan the only person in his home state of Texas to have this disorder and one of six in the US.

Now the boy and his family raising money to fund research for the cure that can save the use of his legs as doctors predict he will lose the ability to walk by the age of 10.

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Ethan Rosenberg, three, was diagnosed with an 'ultra-rare' neurodegenerative disease last year and will lose the ability to walk if a cure is not found

He is one of six to be affected in the US and the only person to have the disease in his home state of Texas as the disorder was first discovered in 2011

Ethan's parents Suchan and Matthew Rosenberg noticed that their son had failed to reach his milestones at two and four months old.

Then, at 10 months old, he began having breath-holding spells that turned him blue and landed the boy in the emergency room.

Eventually an MRI revealed a brain bleed along with other damage and by one year his head stopped growing, diagnosed as microrocephaly.

At 22 months old, doctors told the Rosenberg's their son was autistic and they put Ethan in speech and physical therapy.

'We just thought some kids are delayed and not everybody follows the same timeline so we thought at that point we were just getting some extra help for him,' Suchan, who works in mortgage compliance, told KVUE.

However, by two years old Ethan still wasn't walking or talking, prompting the couple to sign up for a study at Columbia University Medical Center.

It was there that a DNA sample from both parents determined that Ethan had spastic paraplegia 47 (SPG47) in December 2016.

The condition resembles cerebral palsy in that it causes severe, progressive spasticity and muscle weakness, especially in the lower limbs, and restricts motor and speech development.

WHAT IS SPG47? Spastic paraplegia-47 (SPG47) is an extremely rare, newly recognized genetic disorder resembling cerebral palsy. SPG47 is present at birth and causes severe, progressive spasticity and muscle weakness, especially in the lower limbs. In infancy, children with SPG47 have very low muscle tone. As they grow, they develop spasticity (tight, stiff muscles that make movement difficult), together with cognitive deficits. SPG47 is a recessive disorder caused by two copies of a mutation in a gene called AP4B1, one inherited from each parent. It is thought that these mutations affect the ability of cells in the nervous system to process proteins. Since very few cases have been reported to date, the understandings of the full effects of SPG47 are still emerging. Source - Boston Children's Hospital Advertisement

This disease is extremely rare and was only first recognized in 2011, so life expectancy is still unclear although some patients have reached their early 20s.

Children with the condition often lose their ability to walk independently, becoming wheelchair-bound before their teen years.

Ethan's condition was caused by an abnormal gene that was passed down by both parents.

He entered full-time therapy last year and has since learned to walk but still does not talk.

His mother told the local news station that he loves to jump on a trampoline, enjoys being read books and playing with cars.

'For him, I want him to keep all of the skills that he's learned and I want him to keep walking and I hope to see him running one day and climbing a tree and learning words,' said Suchan.

However, he could lose all of his progress if a cure is not found by the time the brain disorder takes over his legs.

The family from Georgetown, Texas, has been involved with the nonprofit organization Cure SPG47 to raise money for a cure.

It has raised $450,000 in one year and there is now an anonymous match of up to $100,000 for every dollar raised until January 31.

They have also created a GoFundMe that will fund research by two teams working to find a cure.

The organization's website says: 'Dr Darius Ebrahimi-Fakhari of Boston Children's Hospital is pursuing a drug screening experiment on fibroblasts derived from SPG47 patients. The process begins with obtaining skin cells from the patient and the same gender parent. The goal of the project is to test whether various compounds which are FDA-approved for other disorders might offer some benefit to the cells affected by SPG47.'

Doctors believe that there could be many more patients who have this disease but may be misdiagnosed with cerebral palsy because they share similar symptoms.



Ethan will start horseback riding therapy this month to help with balance but his parents are hoping for a cure soon so his progress doesn't begin to decline.

'We don't know if he'll cognitively start to decline but that's a prediction, so our main focus is just to make sure that we can raise awareness and funding so that these doctors can find a treatment to help halt the progression since it is degenerative,' Suchan said.
The NHS is bracing itself for a flu epidemic following a surge in cases at hospitals and GP surgeries.

The number of patients admitted to hospital with the virus have trebled in a week and family doctors say they are overwhelmed.

Last night, health officials urged the public to follow basic hygiene principles such as washing their hands and disinfecting stair railings and doors.

They are particularly worried because France has already declared a flu epidemic and the virus has claimed 31 lives since November.

Many patients there are succumbing to the same flu strain, H3N2, which was responsible for the worst flu outbreak in Australia for a decade.

The number of patients admitted to hospital with the flu virus have trebled in a week and family doctors say they are overwhelmed

Hospitals here are already under pressure following a surge in A&E admissions after Christmas. Yesterday it emerged that:

 Almost half a million patients called the NHS 111 helpline last week  its highest ever number;

 16,900 patients waited in ambulances for 30 minutes or more last week;

 Theresa May apologised to thousands of patients whose operations will be cancelled to free up beds;

 Health leaders said the pressures were 'intolerable' and called for a 'funding solution' for the NHS.

Figures from Public Health England yesterday for the week up to December 31 showed that 421 patients had been admitted to hospital with confirmed flu.

This works out as a rate of 6.82 per 100,000 of the population, a three-fold increase compared to the previous week when it was 2.33 per 100,000.

The true number of sufferers is likely to be much higher, however, because these figures only represent cases where the flu virus was confirmed by laboratory tests.

Another 114 flu patients are in intensive care, up from 61 the previous week, most of whom are elderly.

Meanwhile GPs said patients were 'waiting in reception for hours' and surgeries were being kept open into the evening to ensure that everyone was seen.

Dr Kieran Sharrock of the Lincolnshire Local Medical Committee, a regional body of GPs, told Pulse magazine that surgeries had been 'flooded with winter-related illnesses and are finding it hard to cope'.

'Reports of patients waiting in reception for hours are not unusual,' he said. 'I heard from some practices that reception staff and GPs have not been leaving their surgeries for up to two hours after official closing.'

It has emerged that 16,900 patients waited in ambulances for 30 minutes or more last week

Rob Lambkin-Williams, of the hVIVO Group, a virus research company, said: 'It is a big rise in cases.

In Australia it is the worst flu season they have had since 2009 and that may be what we are going to get now. We are already well above what is expected. It is likely to get worse.

'A lot of people have mixed just after Christmas and it is a classic time of year to get a spike.

'Kids go home and spend time with grandparents  that is one of the reasons we are vaccinating children now, to try to break that chain of infection.'

Paul Cosford, medical director at Public Health England said: 'People suffering with flu-like symptoms should catch coughs or sneezes in tissues and bin them immediately, wash their hands regularly with soap and warm water and frequently clean regularly used surfaces to stop the spread of flu.

'Avoid having unnecessary contact with other people if you or they have symptoms of flu.'

On a visit to Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey yesterday Theresa May (pictured left) apologised to patients and said the Government and NHS is doing all it can to re-book operations that had to be cancelled due to overwhelming numbers

He urged patients to get the vaccine if they hadn't already, either on the NHS or privately.

The NHS offers free flu jabs to the over-65s, pregnant women, children aged two to eight and those with long-term health conditions such as asthma and diabetes.

NHS England  which runs the health service  has been bracing itself for a surge in flu cases and on Tuesday urged hospitals to cancel up to 55,000 operations.

They instructed managers to postpone non-urgent surgery until February to help free-up beds and staff.

Yesterday Theresa May apologised to patients.

During a visit to Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, she said: 'I recognise that it is difficult if someone is delayed on their admission to hospital, or if somebody has an operation postponed.

'We will hope to ensure that those operations can be reinstated as soon as possible. I know it's frustrating, I know it's disappointing for people, and I apologise.'

Last night, health officials urged the public to follow basic hygiene principles such as washing their hands and disinfecting stair railings and doors. The NHS offers free flu jabs to the over-65s, pregnant women, children aged two to eight and those with long-term health conditions

Separate figures from NHS England yesterday showed that 16,900 individuals last week were forced to wait in ambulances outside hospitals for 30 minutes or more,

This was up by 21 per cent on the previous week and included 4,700 patients who waited for more than an hour.

The NHS 111 helpline fielded 480,000 calls, the highest since it was created in 2013.

Responding to the figures, Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS managers said: 'The pressures are becoming intolerable.'

The Royal College of Physicians  which represents 33,000 senior doctors  has written to the Prime Minister calling for a 'long-term financial settlement for the NHS'.

Professor Jane Dacre, the college's president said: 'Our physician members, who are doing a fantastic job despite the difficulties, have told us that the NHS is in a state of perennial winter  we need long-term solutions, not short-term fixes.'

The NHS is using a flu jab that does not work for the elderly even though a better one has been available for 20 years.

Public Health England has approved the use of the new vaccine  called Fluad  which experts say could save up to 1,700 lives annually.

But it won't be available until the autumn, even though it has been offered in Italy, Germany and Luxembourg for almost 20 years.

The delay has come about because the company behind the better jab, Novartis, didn't think it would be profitable here.

The Swiss firm sold the vaccine to UK firm Seqirus in 2015, which applied for a licence last year.
A former soldier died of a suspected heart attack after waiting 98 minutes for an ambulance, it emerged yesterday.

Peter Wilkinson, 61, dialled 999 at 6.07am on Tuesday complaining of chest pains.

The call was flagged as a 'category two' because Mr Wilkinson was conscious and breathing - meaning the target response time is 18 minutes.

But paramedics didn't arrive at his home, in Chorley, Lancashire, until almost an hour and a half later  at 7.45am. By then it was too late.

Last night ambulance bosses apologised to Mr Wilkinson's family, who had no idea of the delay until contacted by the Daily Mail.

Peter Wilkinson (pictured), 61, dialled 999 at 6.07am on Tuesday complaining of chest pains. But paramedics didn't arrive at his home, in Chorley, Lancashire, until almost an hour and a half later  at 7.45am, by which time it was too late

His daughter, Rosie, 22, said: 'When the paramedics did arrive they tried to resuscitate him.

'Maybe if they had been quicker they might have saved him. They must have thought there was a chance.

'He was waiting so long for an ambulance that we will never know if he could have been saved.'

She added: 'The worst part of it all is that he suffered alone for 90 minutes.

'He would have been frightened and scared. That is very upsetting. I feel sad that he suffered for so long without any help.

'When the police came to my house to tell me he had died, there was no mention of the delay. They didn't tell me a thing.'

Officials have estimated that this could lead to up to 55,000 deferred operations, although cancer operations and time-critical procedures should go ahead as planned.

In the days before Mr Wilkinson's death the ambulance service in his local area was very stretched, with many vehicles waiting outside A&E departments for over an hour  the worst wait time in England  to hand over patients.

Figures revealed that on New Year's Eve, 48 emergency patients had to wait more than an hour in an ambulance outside Lancashire Teaching Hospital, in Preston  one of the closest to Chorley where Mr Wilkinson lived - before being handed over to accident and emergency staff.

Mr Wilkinson, a father-of-five, was an ex-paratrooper who survived an IRA bomb attack on his van while serving in Ireland.

A keen motorbike enthusiast, the grandfather worked part-time as a mechanic at a friend's garage.

In the days before Mr Wilkinson's death the ambulance service in his local area was very stretched, with many vehicles waiting outside A&E departments for over an hour  the worst wait time in England  to hand over patients. File image used

Miss Wilkinson, who works for the police, said she had lodged a formal complaint to the coroner about the ambulance delay and her father's treatment at his local GP surgery.

She said he had visited the surgery complaining of chest pains in between Christmas and New Year but a nurse told him not to worry. As a precaution she booked him in for tests later this month.

'He went just before New Year with chest pains and she sent him away with a flea in his ear,' Miss Wilkinson said.

'The doctor said as a precaution they would do an ECG and take his blood on January 22. My dad died from a cardiac arrest after the nurse told him he was fine.'

She added: 'It is not about money.

'We don't want money. Money won't bring dad back.

'It's about someone taking responsibility and being accountable, so this doesn't happen to another family.'

A spokeswoman for the NWAS admitted the response time was 'not as quick as we would like.'

She apologised and added: 'We are making attempts to contact the family as part of our investigation into the incident.'

Details of Mr Wilkinson's death emerged as NHS England announced this week drastic measures to free up hospital staff and beds.

They have advised hospitals to delay pre-planned operations and routine outpatient appointments until the end of the month due to severe winter pressures.

They also said the deferral of non-urgent inpatient elective care - such as hip replacements - should be extended until January 31.
His Twitter account has been churning out criticism of the Government over the NHS crisis.

But as ministers have been active and Theresa May went to hear the problems of hospital staff yesterday, Jeremy Corbyn was relaxing in sunny Mexico.

The Labour leader has attacked Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt for going missing, while he has been more than 5,000 miles away over Christmas and New Year.

Yesterday he issued a message saying: 'It is not good enough for Theresa May to say NHS problems are 'frustrating' and 'disappointing' when the Tory Government has caused this crisis.

Nurses, doctors and patients are pleading with her to properly fund our health service, but she is ignoring them.'

Mr Corbyn jetted off to Mexico on Christmas Day and was still there yesterday morning. He is pictured with wife Laura Alvarez centre, Irma Erendira Sandoval second left, and John Ackerman right

The Prime Minister visited Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey yesterday, and apologised for cancelled operations.

She said: 'I recognise that it is difficult ... I know it's frustrating, I know it's disappointing for people, and I apologise.'

Mrs May spent an hour and a half speaking to staff and patients at the hospital, which had 99.8 per cent occupancy on New Year's Eve, and thanked those who worked over the Christmas period for their efforts.

Mr Hunt also apologised to patients for the wave of cancellations on Wednesday, saying it was 'absolutely not what I want'.

Meanwhile, Mr Corbyn had jetted off to Mexico on Christmas Day and was still there yesterday morning.

Labour declined to say when he might return to work, although sources last night suggested he was no longer in the North American country.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said Mr Corbyn had no right to criticise hardworking ministers while he was enjoying a break in the sun.

He added: 'This is the rank hypocrisy of the Left at its most breathtaking. It is shameless.'

Mr Corbyn appeared keen to keep details of his holiday secret, with aides ordered to give no details of his whereabouts.

The Prime Minister (pictured right) visited Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey yesterday, and apologised for cancelled operations. She said: 'I recognise that it is difficult...I know it's frustrating, I know it's disappointing for people, and I apologise.'

His official Twitter account gives no indication he is abroad, instead providing daily criticism of the Government.

But other Twitter users posted pictures suggesting Mr Corbyn has spent most of the festive period on holiday.

On Christmas Day, Luke Leighfield posted an airport picture of himself with the politician, saying: 'Merry Christmas from us and Jeremy Corbyn. We're all off to Mexico!'

Yesterday, Left-wing academics John Ackerman and Irma Erendira Sandoval posted pictures of themselves with Mr Corbyn at a restaurant in Mexico.

The party leader's wife, Laura Alvarez, is Mexican. Mr Corbyn made a similar trip last year, departing Britain on Christmas Day to enjoy a break in the sun.

Labour has previously denied reports that he insists on days off in lieu if he has to work over a weekend and that he likes to take a nap in the afternoon.
A woman has written an open letter to the Prime Minister after her 84-year-old father waited in an ambulance for three hours at a hospitals A&E department.

Annie White has also posted an eye-opening video showing 15 ambulances waiting outside the casualty unit at the Leicester Royal Infirmary.

The trainee jeweller penned a Facebook note to Theresa May following her fathers delay after he fell at his home in Barwell, Leicestershire, on Tuesday.

Ms White, 24, posted it alongside a 12-second clip of ambulances stacked up outside the hospital. The footage lays bare the current crisis in the NHS.

Unprecedented winter pressures have seen ambulance delays hit their highest total this winter, with 16,900 forced to wait for 30 minutes in the week before Christmas.

Mrs May has denied there is a crisis, but yesterday apologised to those patients who face a delay after NHS bosses announced 55,000 operations will be postponed.

Ms White, from Hinckley, hopes the open letter will 'force the Government to listen to the NHS', with staff desperately crying out for extra-funding.

She wrote to Mrs May: 'I have been at the Leicester Royal Infirmary accident & emergency for five hours now.

Scroll down for video

Annie White has also posted an eye-opening video showing 15 ambulances waiting outside the casualty unit at the Leicester Royal Infirmary

The trainee jeweller penned a Facebook note to Theresa May following her fathers delay after he fell at his home in Barwell, Leicestershire, on Tuesday

'Three of which were spent waiting inside the back of an ambulance after my dad took a nasty fall this evening at home.

'Here is a video of the ambulance bays outside A&E where you will see around 15 Ambulances having to re-park their vans over the designated parking bay lines to line up closer to each other to make room for the queue of more ambulances with patients waiting to be seen to.

'Meanwhile there is an A-board erected at the front reception of A&E declaring "the current 6-7 hour" assessment waiting time with around 175 people filling the seats.

'There is also no denying that our hospitals are understaffed and overstretched. This night has been an upsetting eye-opener confirming that our NHS is under-funded and unsupported.'

She added: 'Our NHS works tirelessly 24/7 and 365 to save and look after us, it is a national treasure which we need to keep as nationalised as we can, at all costs.'

Her eye-opening clip, which highlights the crisis overstretched casualty units are facing on a day-to-day basis, has been viewed more than 23,000 times.

Ms White said that her father, whose name is unknown, was well looked after by the medics throughout his stay in the ambulance and in the hospital.

She continued: 'Dad was great. He was in really good spirits. But he was getting very tired with waiting and a lack of sleep.'

Her eye-opening clip, which highlights the crisis overstretched casualty units are facing on a day-to-day basis, has been viewed more than 23,000 times

Ms White, from Hinckley, hopes the open letter will 'force the Government to listen to the NHS', with staff desperately crying out for extra-funding

Mrs May has denied there is a crisis, but yesterday apologised to those patients who face a delay after NHS bosses announced 55,00 operations will be postponed

GRANDMOTHER, 88, DIES AFTER WAITING TO BE SEEN FOR 7 HOURS - INCLUDING 5 IN AN AMBULANCE A tearful family have told of their devastation after their loved one died from a heart attack after waiting seven hours for hospital treatment. Josephine Smalley, 88, was at home when her son called an ambulance on December 30 at 11.45pm as she was 'struggling to breathe'. Just 26 hours later she passed away on New Year's Day after enduring a five-hour wait in an ambulance and two hours on a trolley in a corridor at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth. An investigation has been launched by the hospital which hit the headlines for the chaotic scenes there on New Year's Eve  as more than 20 ambulances were forced to wait for up to five hours 26 minutes to hand over patients to the care of doctors. Bosses declared an 'internal incident'  which is a higher status than an extremely serious 'black alert'  and blamed a spike in patients and staff shortages. Josephine Smalley's family say they felt let down after she had to wait a total of seven hours for treatment after 'struggling to breathe' Portsmouth's Queen Alexandra Hospital declared an 'internal incident' on Sunday  after more than 20 ambulances were forced to queue for up to five hours to hand over patients Advertisement

Ms White said her father was discharged from the hospital the next day after staying in overnight.

She said: 'I know it was not a normal night but they were understaffed. The open letter to the Prime Minister is to try to force the government to listen to the NHS.'

Hundreds of patients were left waiting in ambulances outside the Leicester Royal Infirmary over Christmas and New Year as medics struggled to cope.

PENSIONER, 81, FOUND DEAD IN HER HOME A pensioner was found dead in her house after waiting almost four hours for an ambulance to arrive. The 81-year-old woman called 999 complaining of chest pains on Tuesday, according to a union. Paramedics arrived hours later and forced entry to her property in Clacton, Essex, but she had already died, the GMB said. East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) said crews arrived three hours and 45 minutes after the initial call. Dave Powell, regional officer for GMB, said the incident is 'another example of how we are not coping' with the NHS winter crisis. 'My concern is now that we are actually suffering deaths whilst people wait for ambulances,' he added. 'On arrival, the crew had sufficient concerns to force entry to the property as the control room could not contact the patient via telephone. 'Unfortunately, the patient was found deceased in the property and there was nothing the crew could do for her. 'Im sure this case is much more widespread than the public is aware of.' EEAST previously said it has had to rely on taxis to take patients to hospital after struggling to cope with a surge in demand over the holiday period. Advertisement

However, it isn't the only hospital that has succumbed to the adverse pressures and 'battlefield' conditions placed on the NHS this winter.

NHS England data shows that 12 hospital trusts had no beds on the New Year's Eve - the last day figures have been collected for so far.

This figure is double that of the same day in 2016, when just six were recorded. The Red Cross branded the situation last winter a 'humanitarian crisis'.

The figures also showed an extra 4,734 ambulances had a wait of at least an hour during the same week - more than doubling in the space of seven days.

Usually, it should take up to 15 minutes to transfer patients from an ambulance into hospital. Delays can happen when there isn't enough A&E staff to take the patient.

Sick people were also told to drive themselves to hospital as 24 ambulances queued for up to five hours to hand over patients at an A&E in Portsmouth.

A spike in patients and staff shortages plunged Portsmouth's Queen Alexandra Hospital into chaos on New Year's Eve. It declared an 'internal incident'  which is a higher status than an extremely serious 'black alert'.

Families have also been asked to look after elderly patients at home to free up beds as hospitals struggle to cope with the ever-increasing pressure.

The advice was issued at three hospitals, Northampton General Hospital, Bedford Hospital and Western Sussex earlier this week.

John Adler, chief executive at Leicesters Hospitals said: 'Like every hospital across the country we have been very busy through the Christmas and new year period.

SHOCKING CLIP SHOWS PATIENTS CRAMMED IN CORRIDORS A shocking video showing patients crammed into hospital corridors has laid bare the current NHS crisis. The footage, taken by a patients friend at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent, has gone viral and viewed online more than 20,000 times on social media. Alisha Owen shot the scenes, showing elderly and sick people lined up on trolley beds in hallways, as her friend waited five hours for a brain scan. The footage, taken by a patients friend at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent, has gone viral and viewed online more than 20,000 times on social media It comes as Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was forced to apologise after tens of thousands of NHS operations were cancelled until the end of January. Ms Owen posted on Facebook: 'This is a post from the William Harvey Hospital. 'We took a friend there and it was five hours before he got a brain scan after he suffered a major fit and had hit his head. 'I am so sad our hospitals are now like this. There was at one point no room in the corridors they kept people in the ambulance please share and make our government aware.' Advertisement

The crisis has prompted Prime Minister Theresa May to apologise for delays many patients will face after bosses announced 55,000 operations will be postponed (pictured talking to patient Sandra Dunn during a visit to Frimley Park Hospital near Camberley earlier today)

'We have seen many very sick people, predominantly frail older patients and people with respiratory problems.

'Many have needed to be admitted to one of our hospitals.

HOW HOSPITALS WILL TACKLE THE CRISIS CANCELLED OPERATIONS Non-urgent operations and hospital appointments scheduled for the rest of January are to be postponed.

Cancer operations and time-critical procedures should go ahead as planned.

Hospitals should contact patients to tell them if their appointments are cancelled. MIXED SEX WARDS NHS rules banning mixed sex wards will be temporarily lifted to help hospitals use all available beds.

Usually hospitals are fined 250 every night that a patient has to stay in a mixed ward, but this will be waived.

Patients can request a move if they have strong objections. DOCTORS ON THE DOORS Consultants whose appointments are cancelled are expected to pitch in by manning the doors of A&E.

Patients could be questioned by doctors as soon as they arrive at hospital.

They will then be told to wait for a full examination, be seen immediately, or be given advice and sent home. Advertisement

'I would like to apologise to anyone who has had to wait longer than normal for treatment in our Emergency Department.

'During 2017 we made huge improvements in our ambulance handover times and we will continue to work with our partners at East Midlands Ambulance Service to carry that good work into 2018.'

It comes after 24 trusts issued 'black alerts' on Wednesday - deemed the highest level of concern, signalling beds are full or nearing capacity.

Calls to NHS 111, the non-emergency hotline, have also soared by 21 per cent in the space of a week, with 480,400 calls recorded, figures have also revealed.

The crisis, which has also been denied by Professor Keith Willett, NHS England's director for acute care, has been described as the worst since the 1990s.

A&E staff have taken to social media to condemn the situation, revealing they are 'ashamed' over the 'substandard care' the NHS is offering.

Others have branded the crisis as 'battlefield medicine' and warned it is unusual for the winter pressures to begin so early.

A&E doctors also warned of severe risks to patient safety as at least 16 hospital trusts said they were on the highest alert.

Doctors say the conditions in A&E are the worst they have seen and patients are being treated in corridors due to a bed shortage.

The first week in January is normally very busy for hospitals, but this year many more patients are succumbing to severe chest infections and flu.

The pressures are likely to intensify later this week, with the return of freezing temperatures predicted across the UK.

Experts are particularly worried about an aggressive flu strain, H3N2  responsible for Australia's worst flu epidemic in 50 years.

The main reason A&E units are overcrowded is because hospital wards are extremely full, so anyone arriving to A&E who needs to be admitted must wait for hours on a trolley until a bed is free.

Many of the patients occupying hospital beds are elderly and medically well enough to go home. But doctors cannot discharge them due to a lack of social care.
More than 30 hospitals had no free beds for patients at some point during last week, an analysis of official NHS statistics reveals.

Between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve, some 22 hospital trusts reported they were full and operating at 100 per cent capacity.

Those trusts which announced they had no space on at least one day over the seven-day period are responsible for running 33 hospitals.

Occupancy levels should never exceed the 85 per cent safe level, as above this can have serious health risks, officials warn.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust reported it had no free beds on five occasions during the seven day period, according to the NHS England figures.

While four other trusts scattered across the country had reached maximum capacity on four separate days, MailOnline can reveal.

The damning statistics, released yesterday, showed that 12 trusts had no spare beds on New Year's Eve - the last day of the captured NHS data

They were: James Paget University Hospitals FT, North Middlesex University Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn, FT and Bolton FT.

The damning statistics, released yesterday, showed that 12 trusts had no spare beds on New Year's Eve - the last day of the captured NHS data.

This figure is double that of the same day in 2016, when just six were recorded. The Red Cross branded the situation last winter a 'humanitarian crisis'.

Bed occupancy rates averaged 91.7 per cent for England across the week, climbing as high as 93.5 per cent on New Year's Eve.

The figure was a stark 2.6 per cent jump on the previous week, when 90.9 per cent of beds were taken up by patients - still above safety guidelines.

Patients are believed to be more likely to die from infections or neglect when wards are above the safe level of 85 per cent - a level set by NHS bosses.

It is believed that doctors and nurses may not always have time to wash their hands between patients.

THE TRUSTS WITH NO FREE BEDS LAST WEEK Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - 2

Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - 2

James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - 1

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust - 1

Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Foundation Trust - 1

Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust - 1

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust - 1

West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust - 3

Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust - 1

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust - 1

Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust - 1

Weston Area Health NHS Trust - 1

Wrightington, Wigan And Leigh NHS Foundation Trust - 2

East Cheshire NHS Trust - 3

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust - 1

Norfolk And Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - 2

Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust - 1

North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust - 1

Southport And Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust - 2

The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

Bedford Hospital NHS Trust - 1

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust - 3 Between these 22 trusts, they run 33 hospitals. Advertisement

While there is also a danger that staff do not thoroughly clean beds in between patients as they are so busy.

But many warn this is becoming increasingly difficult to attain, with the NHS being over-stretched amid fears of its worst winter on record.

Many of the patients occupying hospital beds are elderly and medically well enough to go home. But doctors cannot discharge them due to a lack of social care.

NHS bosses made the controversial decision to postpone 55,000 operations in a desperate attempt to cope with the crisis on Wednesday.

Managers will be allowed to put patients on mixed-sex wards and consultants will be assigned to casualty units to assess patients on arrival.

And patients coming into A&E will be assessed by a consultant on the door to establish very quickly whether they are seriously ill.

Professor Derek Alderson, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, warned that cancelling operations was a 'necessary evil'.

But he slammed the statistics, which showed many hospitals are still struggling to find space for patients - even after the unprecedented move by chiefs.

He said: 'The fact many hospitals have full wards, even after cancelling operations, shows we simply dont have sufficient numbers of beds in English hospitals.'

Families have also been asked to look after elderly patients at home to free up beds as hospitals struggle to cope with the ever-increasing pressure.

Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday apologised to the patients facing delays to their operations - despite refusing to admit the NHS is in a crisis.

Her comments followed an apology for the patients affected by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt after pressure from critics for him to speak out about the move.

A&E staff have taken to social media to condemn the situation, revealing they are 'ashamed' over the 'substandard care' the NHS is offering.

Others have branded the crisis as 'battlefield medicine' and warned it is unusual for the winter pressures to begin so early, with a spike in flu cases to blame.

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, warned the NHS is starting 'to buckle under an unbearable level of pressure'.

'Hospitals have unsafe levels of bed occupancy. People can get stuck in them because there is nowhere for them to be cared for in the community.'
A Los Angeles County woman became the fifth person in the US to contract the virus through sexual intercourse in the past year, and the first in her home city.

The woman's partner had traveled to Mexico earlier this year, and developed signs of the infection in November.

She did not accompany him on the trip, but shortly after her partner's trip, the woman was also diagnosed.

Zika diagnoses were a fraction as common in 2017 as they were in the previous year, but experts warn that sexually transmitted cases are likely under-reported.

Zika can be passed from person to person through sexual contact, though most are infected through mosquito bites while travelling abroad

So far, an estimated 51 people have gotten the virus from having sex with an infected person, accounting for under one percent of 5,548 diagnoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

California alone has has cases of Zika, though no reported infectious mosquitoes.

But travelers who get bitten while abroad can typically pass the Zika virus on, and the CDC advises women who develop symptoms to wait at least eight weeks before trying to get pregnant.

Zika is rarely sexually transmitted and women are more vulnerable to catching the virus that way than men are.

'The virus is systemic so lots of different tissues become infected including testes, semen,' says Dr Laura Kramer, director of a lab that studies Zika at the University of New York at Albany.

'It gets into bodily fluids - including saliva, though theres been no evidence of transmission by saliva - and into mucus in vaginal tract, which is how women get infected by it,' in sex she says.

When women come into contact with a man's infected sperm during intercourse, they may contract the virus.

'The concentration of the virus is detectable in semen for probably 24 days at longest, though one in one case it was 44 days,' says Dr Kramer.

The CDC recommends that if a man has been exposed to Zika, he wait six months before having sex without a condom.

'There are examples in all directions, but most commonly the [person that transmits it] is the man,' Dr Kramer says.

'It probably has something to do with the amount of virus in vaginal mucosa, versus in semen, I suspect,' but Zika has been so rare that the exact concentrations have not been studied.

The virus poses a particular risk to women who contract it sexually because if they get pregnant, there is a 45 percent chance that they will pass Zika to the infant, leading to potentially devastating birth defects like microcephaly and brain development delays.

Zika is often asymptomatic, though its impossible to know how many people are infected if they never show signs.

This makes it even more likely that people could transmit it to partners.

'I think they will keep on occurring, but we're not going to have a [Zika] epidemic initiated by sexual transmission,' Dr Kramer says.

'The level of immunity is so high in America and there is a very low level of transmission. It's there, and not going to go away, but I don't think we'll see another large outbreak [unless] immunity drops to levels like in Latin American countries, where the virus is more endemic,' she adds.
With motorists told they will have to forget buying a new solely petrol of diesel car by 2040, is the UK really ready for an electric vehicle takeover?

Not according to a new report, which found that less than one new public charger was added to the road network last year for every six electric and plug-in hybrid car bought by Britons in the same period.

Motoring title Auto Express said a total of 3,178 public connectors of varying charge speeds were installed in 2017 - to a network already considered to be lagging behind where it should be - while more than 20,000 new plug-in vehicles were registered between January and the end of September.

One charger for every 22 electric cars: Auto Express said the West Midlands had the fewest public plug-in points per low-emissions vehicles in the region

At the beginning of 2017, there were 10,986 public charging points in 4,042 locations in the UK.

Fast forward 12 months and those numbers rose to 14,093 individual chargers across 918 new locations taking the total to 4,960 places where you can replenish the batteries of your low-emissions car, according to data from charging infrastructure site Zap-Map.

Not all of the new installations are the same with more than 40 different providers looking after the charging network up and down the country with varying costs associated.

How does this compare to the number of plug-in vehicles on our roads?

According to Department for Transport stats, some 113,000 low-emissions plug-in vehicles have been bought by Britons - but that's excluding quadricycles like the Renault Twizy and electric-powered cars and vans.

These figures are based on the vehicles sold that were eligible to apply for the government-funded plug-in car grant.

This offers to pay 4,500 towards models that produce less than 50g/km of carbon dioxide and can travel for more than 70 miles using electric power or 2,500 towards the price of a plug-in car emitting the same level of CO2 and covering more than 10 miles under zero-emissions power.

These are all the electric charge points currently installed in the UK according to Zap-Map. Zoom out to this level and it looks like a lot, but many people do not live or work within walking distance of a charging point

Just 3,178 public connectors were installed into the UK infrastructure last year, while drivers bought more than 20,000 cars capable of using them

When you do factor the entire public charging infrastructure, there is just one plug-in post per every eight vehicles that need to use them. Even in Britain's major towns and cities many people do not live or work within walking distance of a charge point.

Charging problems could have been a worse case if more UK drivers switched to zero-emissions vehicles, as they have in other European countries.

In fact, there were more electric and hybrid cars sold in Norway last year than new petrol and diesel models, with low-emissions cars accounting for 52 per cent of all 2017 registrations.

In November, chancellor Philip Hammond committed a 100 million investment for the continuation of the plug-in car grant and promised a further 400 million of government spending to go towards boosting the nation's charging infrastructure.

WHICH AREAS HAVE THE MOST CHARGE POINTS PER PLUG-IN CAR? Rank Region Cars per connector Licensed plug-in cars Total locations Slow chargers Fast chargers Rapid chargers 1st Scotland 2.97 5,995 775 134 1,318 564 2nd North East England 3.17 2,524 303 101 546 122 3rd Northern Ireland 3.46 1,610 229 14 414 37 4th Greater London 3.9 11,097 654 995 1,740 106 5th Wales 5.65 2,365 220 120 246 52 6th North West England 6.44 6,176 372 127 664 167 7th East Midlands 9.62 5,725 208 190 332 73 8th South West England 10.64 11,863 478 220 686 208 9th Yorkshire and Humber 10.81 7,236 276 104 450 115 10th South East England 12.25 21,950 613 327 1,034 430 11th East of England 18.76 17,303 376 181 612 129 12th West Midlands 21.98 16,271 290 138 472 150 Isle of Man N/A N/A 10 23 18 0 Source: Auto Express and Zap-Map

What do the charging points offer?

Not all the existing plug-in points are the same and can be broken down into three different categories:

Slow chargers that use a traditional three-pin socket connection

Fast chargers that provide between 7 and 22 kilowatts of charging power

Rapid points with the shortest plug-in periods with 50kW or higher capacity

Teslas Supercharger network, which is only available to owners of the American brand's expensive vehicles, was omitted from the research.

North East England has the second most chargers per EVs in the region, but Scotland has more, according to research by Auto Express magazine

Auto Express said that Scotland was currently in the strongest position, mainly thanks to its investment through ChargePlace Scotland.

Around six per cent of all UK licensed plug-in cars belong to Scottish owners, however 15 per cent of all fast and rapid chargers are located north of the border.

It said the figures made 'grim reading for early adopter in Wales', which has just a tenth of the total number of the most powerful charge points compared to Scotland.

But it was the West Midlands that came out worst overall - the figures showed that there was just one public plug-in point per every 22 vehicles in the area.

Not all the connectors added are the same - some are free to use while others are pay-as-you-go or require a subscription

Chargmaster ceo David Martell said the figures were not entirely representative as they didn't include the number of charge points installed at places of work and at electric-car owners' homes

David Martell, chief executive of Chargemaster - the UK's largest public charging network provider - said the figures are not entirely representative of the current infrastructure, as it doesn't take into account the number of home charge points and plug-in installations at work places all over the country.

'There are well over 100,000 dedicated EV charging points in total when home and workplace units are taken into account,' Martell told Auto Express.

'By 2022, we expect there to be around 100,000 public charging points, with around 20 per cent of these being rapid chargers.'

You can find out how much it costs to charge an electric car at home by reading our guide.

Commenting on the Government's announcement last year that all new cars sold by 2040 would have to be part or fully electric, RAC roads policy spokesman Nicholas Lyes said: 'Right now public charging facilities are patchy, there is very little on-street charging in residential areas and, unlike filling up a car with petrol or diesel, drivers cannot recharge a vehicle in a matter of minutes.'

In November, Ubitricity confirmed it would be installing 50 new street lamp charge point conversions in London to boost the capital's infrastructure.

These 'SimpleSockets' swap the lamp bulbs for low-energy LED replacements and then tap into the unused power taken from the grid to provide an on-street charging solution for electric cars without the addition of new road furniture.
Three bankers at the heart of some of the world's biggest deals have shared a 63.3million profit after a bumper year.

Sir Simon Robey, Simon Warshaw and Philip Apostolides have made their investment bank Robey Warshaw an essential player in the mergers and acquisitions market since it launched four years ago.

Its most recent accounts include fees for advising brewing behemoth SABMiller on its 79billion sale to rival AB InBev, and for helping Japan's Softbank buy UK microchip maker Arm Holdings for 24.3billion.

Simon Warshaw spent 27 years working at Swiss bank UBS, becoming a top dealmaker. The 52-year-old's contacts book is thick  a FTSE 100 boss has described him as 'like family' after long years of working together. As the son of Michael Warshaw, who built hair salon Molton Brown into a luxury cosmetics giant, business success runs in his family. Sir Simon Robey, 57, changed the face of deal-making when he founded Robey Warshaw in 2013. He joined Lazard in 1983 and shot to prominence in 1995, defending medical research giant Wellcome from a takeover by GlaxoSmithKline. Oxford-educated, the married father of three chaired the Royal Opera House, and was knighted for his work in the arts.

These mega-deals helped push the firm's profits up 73 per cent in the year to March 31. This cash was split between the trio, with the highest-paid of the three getting 37.3million.

The bank's other 13 employees took home 8.9million in wages, or an average of 685,000 each.

Clients value Robey Warshaw for its discretion and bulging contacts book and its reputation is such that its office  in the basement of a townhouse in London's upmarket St James's  was where the bosses of SABMiller and Inbev secretly met face to face to agree their deal.

A similar silence was maintained around Softbank's takeover  struck when its boss Masayoshi Son flew to Marmaris in Turkey, where Arm chairman Stuart Chambers was on a sailing holiday.

The pair had a private lunch in a restaurant, reserving every seat to avoid prying eyes, and a breakthrough was reached.

Other triumphs in the year included National Grid's sale of a majority stake in its 8.5billion gas distribution business, and a 10.6billion tie-up involving mobile phone firm Vodafone's Indian business.

Investment banking profits fluctuate wildly from year to year depending on how many deals are made, and they are expected to be lower in Robey Warshaw's next accounts due to a drop in activity.

Its fees for helping consumer goods titan Reckitt Benckiser during a 13billion takeover of baby formula maker Mead Johnson will be included in next year's figures.

David Buik of stockbroker Panmure Gordon said: 'Robey Warshaw has made itself indispensable for major deals in recent years. People trust them and know they can deliver.

'It goes to show that whatever anybody tells you about this new age of technology, there's nothing to beat personal relationships.'
One after the other, five women slowly shuffle into the courtyard of a Sydney terrace house, each nurturing a cup of coffee as they make small talk over cigarettes.

At one end of the wooden table a transgender woman slips on a gold necklace to match her blue dress as an elderly woman suffering from brain damage compliments her outfit.

Nearby, a middle-aged woman who has been homeless for three years and a blonde woman battling a 24-year-long heroin addiction chat as they await their lunch of Shepherd's pie.

Inside the three-storey home in Kings Cross, a young woman who had just admitted to trying to commit suicide awaits an ambulance with social workers at her side.

The scene is just an average day at Lou's Place, a safe haven for women battling homelessness, addiction and domestic abuse.

Lou's Place, in Sydney's Kings Cross, is a safe haven for homeless women (pictured) and those fleeing abusive relationships, offering free food, a place to shower and social services

Started and run by a group of local women, the drop-by centre depends on donations from the community to cater to the 25 to 50 women that walk through the door every day

The women who rely on Lou's Place come from a variety of backgrounds and situations, but all have one thing in common - trauma

Started and run by a group of local women, the drop-by centre offers free breakfast and lunch for women of any age, as well as a place for them to shower and do laundry.

They can preoccupy their time with art classes and yoga, or seek help from two social workers who are on site every day.

On an any given day the non-government funded shelter sees 25 to 50 women walk through its doors.

'Without this place I don't know what people would do,' a middle aged woman with short brunette hair told Daily Mail Australia.

The woman, who declined to give her name, spoke of how losing her partner led to her becoming homeless and being shuffled between shelters for almost four years.

After finally being placed in a permanent home, the woman said she turned to Lou's Place again in December after her daughter died.

'I like the social workers here, they're really good,' she said.

'You just come in, have a bit of lunch and talk to the women here. It gets you out of the house for a while and you meet new people.'

Women can preoccupy their time with art classes and yoga, or seek help from two social workers who are on site every day

A woman can be seen preparing the upstairs work space to paint

Pictured are Jenny Holmes (centre) and Ali Wardill (left), the centre's two case managers, and Nicole Yade, the general manager of Lou's Place (right)

The refuge, which will celebrate its 19th anniversary this year, receives no government funding

Lou's Place was started by a group of local women who continue to oversee the drop-in centre

The largest number of women who use the services are living in women's refuges or backpacker accommodation, but all have one thing in common  trauma, Nicole Yade, the general manager of Lou's Place, told Daily Mail Australia.

Jenny Holmes and Ali Wardill, the centre's two case managers, said every woman who seeks help has experienced domestic violence in some way, whether they were children or adults.

'It's such normalised behaviour that it's seen as that's how life is,' Ms Holmes said.

'That's all they know and if they're not treated that way there's something wrong with them.'

A woman poses with her finished artwork on Wednesday afternoon

Jenny Holmes (right) and Ali Wardill (left) said every woman who seeks help has experienced domestic violence in some way, whether they were children or adults

Ms Yade stands out front of Lou's Place in Sydney's Kings Cross

Ms Holmes and Ms Wardill said the most frustrating part of their job is trying to navigate through government services to find help and accommodation for the women in need.

'It is frustrating of not being able to get them the help when they need it, not being able to get them accommodation, not being able to get them linked into a service that they need straight away,' Ms Holmes said.

'They can't wait three months, they can't wait seven days for somewhere to go.'

'One woman we had escaped severe domestic violence but has no ID so she's going to get cut off Centrelink if she can't come up with passport and birth certificate. They're not the things you're thinking off when you're escaping for your life.'

'She knew she would die that day if she didn't get away and now you have to deal with all the bureaucracy,' Ms Holmes said.
As a retired psychiatric nurse and concerned citizen, I am alarmed at reading the recently published book, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump. In one article titled "Sociopathy," Lance Dodes, M.D. describes behaviors typical of the sociopath: "Deceitfulness as indicated by repeated lying; failure to plan ahead; reckless disregard for the safety of self or others; consistent irresponsibility indicated by failure to honor financial obligations; and lack of remorse indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing have hurt, mistreated or stolen from another."

Dr. Dodes further states: " ... successful sociopaths may not look very 'crazy' but their capacity to lose touch with reality shows up when they are stressed by criticism or disappointment. Later when they are less stressed, they explain their loss with reality with rationalizations or simply more lies." (p. 86-87)

We know from published reports and TV coverage, Trump lies on an hourly basis, he is well-known for stiffing contractors, employees and lawyers. He has a hard time hiring reputable attorneys because it's well known he doesn't pay his bills.

The president has behaved in an inept, unseemly manner when visiting foreign countries, for example pushing aside the leader of another country so he could be in front for a photo, making fun of the customs of people in Japan and China. Our allies generally see him as dangerous and a fool. His dangerousness is exemplified by his threatening the narcissistic, unstable leader of North Korea, a country now armed with nuclear weapons.

In less than a year the president has managed to alienate both a majority of Americans and a majority of countries with the exception of Russia. Talk has begun throughout the nation that this president is so incompetent, inept and dangerous that impeachment should be considered. This will not happen with the Republicans in control.

This is the case even though off the record many express their distrust and dismay at his behavior. The GOP, including our Sen. Daines, is happy with their tax cuts for the rich people and corporations.

Merry Christmas, but don't expect a happy new year.

Jan Buehler

Billings
Scotland Yard has asked the Home Office to pay 38m for its investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire.

The Metropolitan Police has made a request to the Home Office to fully fund the 27 million cost of the inquiry in the coming financial year.

It has also submitted an 11.1m claim to cover overtime and extra costs in 2017-18.

Around 200 officers from the Met are continuing to work on the criminal probe into the fire, which killed 71 last June.

Scotland Yard has asked the Home Office to pay 38m for its investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire

Under current rules, a police force can apply for a special grant to help foot the bill of an investigation once it exceeds one per cent of their budget.

Given how many officers Scotland Yard faces committing to the Grenfell Tower investigation for a second year, it has asked the Home Office to go further.

The London Assembly's budget and performance committee was told the department had provided assurances their request was being given 'serious consideration'.

Lynda McMullan, the Met Police's director of finance, told the hearing: 'The impact of Grenfell, that has had a very significant impact and we've put in a special grant claim for the current year for 11.1m, in terms of the additionality of cost to do with the incident for the current financial year.

'We have also indicated that we would like - we estimate that we will be spending - close to 27m on that particular investigation.

'We are asking whether or not we can have dispensation, not just simply the 1% referenced, but we also want to claim the full cost of our officer time for that investigation, not just the additionality, the overtime, in effect.

'We don't think it would be reasonable for us to pick up the full costs, as we know that the investigation will go on for some time.'

The force has been told by Home Office officials the matter will be put before ministers to decide whether to sign off on the additional funding, the committee heard.

The investigation into the blaze was one of the biggest and most complex inquiries in the force's history

The size of the Grenfell Tower probe has previously been described as 'unprecedented', involving many months of evidence removal from the west London block, as well as the seizure of millions of documents.

Offences, including misconduct in public office, manslaughter, corporate manslaughter and breaches of fire safety regulations are being examined by detectives.

Suspects are not expected to be interviewed until later this year in relation to the disaster, while Scotland Yard expects to hand the tower  still a crime scene  back to Kensington and Chelsea Council in the spring.

Ms McMullan continued: 'We would like to have full costs rather than incremental costs for the next year because of the fact given, after a reduction in the number of officers, it doesn't seem reasonable we would absorb that full cost of those 200 officers.

'We have got assurances it is being serious consideration.'

A Home Office spokeswoman said: 'Given the unique and tragic circumstances of this event, we will consider any application we receive for funding from the Metropolitan Police as a matter of priority.'
The United States announced Thursday it was suspending security assistance to Pakistan for failing to take 'decisive action' against Taliban militants targeting U.S. personnel in neighboring Afghanistan.

The State Department's declaration signaled growing frustration over Pakistan's cooperation in fighting terrorist networks, but it was not immediately clear how much money and materiel was being withheld.

The vague details suggested the primary goal was to substantiate President Donald Trump's surprising New Year's Day tweet that accused Pakistan of playing U.S. leaders for 'fools.'

Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the restrictions covered security assistance above and beyond the $255 million for Pakistani purchases of American military equipment that the administration held up in August.

Nauert said details were still being worked out on the additional funds, and referred questions to the Defense Department. Earlier Thursday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the policy on military aid was 'still being formulated.'

How it began: Trump, who spent the day at the White House, voice anger on New Year's Day with Pakistan, apparently leading to a rushed policy process

President Trump sent out morning tweets about Pakistan and Iran on New Year's Day and the move by the State Department appears to be an attempt to substantiate those

Met with protests: Trump was the target of anger in Pakistan after the New Year's Day tweet

Nauert made clear the $255 million was still blocked. The new action targets payments of so-called Coalition Support Funds that the U.S. pays to Pakistan to reimburse it for its counterterrorism operations.

Those funds are typically paid later in the year, and already require U.S. certification, so the effect of Thursday's announcement was unclear.

On Monday, Trump said the U.S. had 'foolishly' given Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid in the last 15 years and had gotten nothing in return but 'lies & deceit.' He reiterated longstanding allegations that Pakistan gives 'safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan.'

Trump unveiled in August a South Asia strategy aimed at ending the stalemate in the U.S. war in Afghanistan, now entering its 17th year.

Nauert said that despite sustained high-level engagement with Pakistan's government, 'the Taliban and Haqqani network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilize Afghanistan and attack U.S. and allied personnel.'

She told reporters that until Pakistan takes 'decisive action' against those groups, security assistance was suspended.

Civilian development and economic assistance to Pakistan is not affected.

Also Thursday, the State Department accused Pakistan of severe violations of religious freedom. It announced that it was placing Pakistan on a special watch list, pursuant to 2016 legislation. The step does not carry any serious consequences.

Pakistan's embassy in Washington and mission at the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

But on Tuesday, Pakistan called Trump's tweet 'completely incomprehensible' and at odds with recent 'trust-building' visits by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Mattis. It accused the U.S. of scapegoating Pakistan for its own failure to bring peace to Afghanistan.

The haphazard nature of Thursday's announcement suggested it had been hastily arranged rather than developed through a traditional policy process.

Even after members of Congress had been notified of an impending aid suspension, White House and State Department officials were still hammering out details for who would announce it and when.

Pakistan called Trump's tweet 'completely incomprehensible' and at odds with recent 'trust-building' visits by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis

As recently as October, Trump credited U.S.-Pakistani cooperation for winning the release of an American woman, her Canadian husband and their children who had been held by Haqqani militants for five years.

U.S. assistance to Pakistan, which rose sharply after the 9/11 attacks, has been declining since 2011 when American commandos killed Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan, straining relations.

Pakistan has increasingly turned for economic support to northern neighbor China, which is investing tens of billions in transportation links and power generation as it extends its strategic footprint across Asia.

Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Wilson Center's South Asia program, said suspension of U.S. security assistance to Pakistan would not torpedo relations but it was a significant step backward.

He said Pakistan could fall back on Saudi Arabia and China for military supplies, but it still depends on the U.S. for certain types of high-end equipment.

'There are considerable risks for the U.S. because Pakistan could retaliate in ways that would be very problematic for U.S. regional interests,' he said, such as curtailing intelligence cooperation and U.S. supply lines into Afghanistan.

'No matter what, the relationship is in a bad spot right now.'
An Arizona man who was arrested, transported cross-country and jailed for a robbery he didn't commit filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Iowa county and prosecutor responsible for charging him.

Joseph McBride, 23, spent two months in custody after authorities arrested him at his Phoenix apartment on August 24.

McBride was among three people charged for a January 1, 2017, home invasion in his former hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa - even though he had proof he was 1,500 miles away and investigators never spoke with him before his arrest.

McBride's lawsuit details a shoddy investigation by the Cedar Rapids Police Department that implicated McBride based on the mentally ill victim's 'own investigation,' which relied on Facebook photos.

Joseph McBride, 23, spent two months in custody after authorities arrested him at his Phoenix apartment on August 24. He is suing the Iowa county and prosecutor responsible for charging him

It alleges that the complaint signed by Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden falsely contended the victim 'positively identified' McBride as a suspect and that police had 'phone records and social media' suggesting he conspired with the other two suspects.

McBride, who works at an Arizona dog treats factory, is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for violations of his constitutional rights.

Vander Sanden said Thursday the charging decision was based on a 'good-faith belief that the victim was correct in the identification' of McBride and that prosecutors acted promptly to release him when his alibi checked out.

The case stems from the robbery of 27-year-old Tristan Hermanson, who told police that an acquaintance he knew as Elizabeth came to his apartment before two men forced their way in, beat him with a handgun, and stole money and his cellphone.

Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden (left) is named in the lawsuit. Vander Sanden said the charging decision was based on a 'good-faith belief that the victim was correct in the identification' of McBride (whose mug shot is seen on the right)

Hermanson, who suffered facial injuries, soon identified the woman as 22-year-old Elizabeth Navarro and said she set him up.

Hermanson, who is bipolar, told police days later that he 'had done his own investigation' and believed the men involved were Navarro's boyfriend, Austin Foster, and a man whose Facebook account called him 'Jody Holliday.'

Investigators found 'Jody Holliday' didn't exist but used photos and the birthdate to link the account to McBride, a 2013 graduate of Cedar Rapids Washington High School.

They were unsuccessful in finding him in Cedar Rapids, apparently unaware he had moved to Phoenix in November 2015.

They obtained Navarro's phone records, which showed communications with Foster and another man around the time of the robbery but no connection to McBride.

The county attorney charged Navarro, Foster and McBride with first-degree robbery, which carries up to 25 years in prison.

The complaints claimed Navarro 'appeared to have collaborated with Foster and McBride to coordinate the robbery.'

McBride was among three people charged for a January 1, 2017, home invasion in his former hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa - even though he had proof (above) he was 1,500 miles away in Glendale, Arizona and investigators never spoke with him before his arrest

McBride's lawsuit calls that a 'materially and recklessly false statement,' saying his only link to Navarro was that they were Facebook friends.

McBride was jailed in Phoenix on $50,000 cash-only bond before being transported to Iowa on a private prison van that stopped at jails in Nevada, Colorado and Missouri.

Even before he arrived in Cedar Rapids on September 19, he insisted he was innocent and had cellphone photos proving he was in Glendale, Arizona, hours before the robbery.

McBride's attorney filed notice of the alibi defense October 9, providing names and contact information of witnesses.

One attested that he celebrated New Year's Eve with McBride in Phoenix and spent the next day with him rearranging a storage unit.

The charge against McBride was dropped on October 31, a day after Navarro identified another man as the third suspect. That man hasn't been charged.

McBride's attorney, Tom Frerichs, declined comment on the damages he's seeking.

He recently negotiated a $285,000 settlement with another Iowa county for a client who spent 16 days in jail for a crime he didn't commit.
Migos rapper Offset was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, his G.E.D (General Equivalency Diploma) and attend rehab after failing to comply with his probation conditions, newly uncovered court documents reveal.

Details of his stint have been exposed for the first time by DailyMail.com and show the rapper, who is one third of the flashy Atlanta rap trio, was living far from a 'bad and boujee' lifestyle in 2011.

Offset, real name Kiari Kendrell Cephus, was arrested and charged with one count of theft by receiving stolen property during a Gang and Narcotics Unit operation in the parking lot of a strip mall in Decatur, Georgia.

According to court papers, detectives responded to a call at 2385 Wesley Chapel Road on the night of October 27, 2011, in reference to two stolen vehicles in the parking lot.

Before he was 'bad and boujee': Offset, real name Kiari Kendrell Cephus, was charged with one count of theft by receiving stolen property during a Gang and Narcotics Unit operation in 2011. He is pictured in his 2011 booking photo left

No stolen cars here: The Migos rapper celebrated his 26th birthday last month when he was given a $300,000 Rolls-Royce by his fiancee Cardi B

Detectives responded to a call at 2385 Wesley Chapel Rd, the parking lot of a Kroger grocery store, in reference to two stolen cars. Offset fled on foot, but was later arrested

Police ran the cars' license plates and learned the two vehicles had been stolen in a burglary in Gwinnett County - about 30 miles from the site.

'Detectives saw the individuals get into the vehicle and drive off. The defendant [Offset] came to a location where he parked the car, saw the officers....and then fled on foot. Officers were subsequently able to arrest and charge him accordingly, court papers state.

The Migos star, who was 20 at the time, was represented by a public defender and only charged with a misdemeanor offense.

He was initially recommended to undergo two years of probation, 100 hours of community service, pay a $1,000 fine, and complete his G.E.D.

The county judge, however, decided not impose the fine due to his 'financial condition.'

Records show the rapper did reach the 12th grade but did not graduate, was unemployed, living with his mother and stepfather, and had a toddler son at the time.

Cephus was accused of violating his probation months later in March 2013 after he failed to keep his probation officer informed of his home address which made it difficult to conduct required visits.

The rapper also failed to complete any of his community service hours, tested positive for marijuana, and failed to seek alcohol and drug evaluation and treatment as instructed.

Atlanta-based rap group which consists of family members Quavo (left) 26, Offset (center) 26, and Takeoff (right) 23, have risen to fame over the last few years and are known for their flamboyant lifestyle

Offset and rapper Cardi B began dating in early 2017 and became engaged in October. The rapper proposed with an 8-carat diamond ring worth $550,000 (right)

He also failed to submit to a random drug screen at his probation office and failed to provide proof of enrolling or completing a G.E.D. program.

A warrant for Offset's arrest was issued by the judge in January 2013.

Cephus served eight months behind bars beginning in February 2013 for violating his probation.

A motion filed in July 2013 shows Cephus was ordered to complete Dekalb County Jail's START program, a free program 'that targets inmates with felony drug abuse charges and histories of repeat offenses,' and offers G.E.Ds, according to the website.

He was also admitted to Foundations Recovery Network, a five day per week intensive outpatient program in Roswell.

Migos, which consists of family members Quavo (Quavious Keyate Marshall) 26, Offset, 26, and Takeoff (Kirshnik Khari Ball) 23, first rose to fame with their breakout single Versace, in 2013 - while Cephus was in jail.

However, in an interview with The Fader conducted just hours after his release in October that year, the rapper claimed he served time for violating his probation for possession of firearms charges, which the interviewer noted in the article was incorrect.

He was actually charged for that offense two years later in April 2015, when the group were arrested for possession of marijuana and firearms after a performance at Southern University.

The trio, originally from Lawrenceville, Georiga, have become known for their flamboyant lifestyle.

Offset announced his engagement to rapper Cardi B, 25, in October after dating for less than a year. He proposed with an 8-carat diamond ring worth $550,000.

Last month, the female rap star gifted her rapper fiance with a $300,000 red Rolls-Royce Wraith along with a Rolex watch on his 26th birthday.
Matthew Riehl, 37, was killed Sunday after shooting more than 100 rounds at deputies who responded to a 911 call by him in Denver

Investigators found several firearms in the apartment of a man who killed a Colorado sheriff's deputy and wounded six people, including four other officers, authorities have said.

Douglas County sheriff's spokeswoman Lauren Lekander declined to describe the number or type of weapons found in Matthew Riehl's apartment, but authorities said Thursday that at least one was a rifle.

Lekander also declined to say what kind of weapon or weapons Riehl used in two gun battles with officers on Sunday.

Riehl, 37, opened fire on deputies who responded to a 911 call he made from his apartment in Highlands Ranch, 16 miles (25 kilometers) south of Denver. Deputy Zackari Parrish was killed.

Sheriff Tony Spurlock described the attack as an ambush. A SWAT arrived later and killed Riehl in the second gunfight.

Authorities say he fired more than 100 rounds. In a rambling video before the shootings, which Riehl streamed live online, he suggested he had stockpiled ammunition.

Investigators process evidence at the apartment where Matthew Riehl fatally shot Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy Zackari Parrish and wounded six others.

"Maybe I bought over 1,000 rounds of ammunition from Walmart. It's not illegal," he says on the video, obtained by KUSA-TV.

Authorities have not disclosed how much ammunition they found.

Riehl bought at least 11 firearms between 2010 and 2013 from Dave's Guns in Laramie, Wyoming, according to police in Laramie. The weapons included seven handguns, one shotgun, one rifle and two receivers, the part of a firearm that includes the firing mechanism but not the barrel.

Gun shop owner David Smith declined to comment. Lekander would not say whether investigators found any of those weapons in Riehl's apartment.

Riehl was an attorney and an Army veteran. Police reports and a Veterans Affairs Department document say he had suffered from mental illness for at least 2 years, but the VA said there was nothing in his records indicating his mental problems were related to his military service.

Just two weeks ago, Riehl (left and right), recorded himself ranting about one of the Douglas County Sheriff's deputies, Brian Briggs. In the bizarre YouTube video, Riehl can be seen holding up Briggs' business card as he calls him a 'pimp' multiple times

Deputy Zackari Parrish, 29 (pictured) was shot and killed while responding to a verbal disturbance at an apartment complex near Denver. He is survived by his wife and two young daughters

The VA has declined to give any details of Riehl's illness, citing privacy concerns.

The VA refused to say whether Riehl's illness was serious enough to legally disqualify him from owning firearms.

Riehl served in the Army Reserve and Wyoming Army National Guard from 2003 to 2012, when he received an honorable discharge. He was a medic who spent a year deployed in Kuwait and Iraq.

He began classes at the University of Wyoming College of Law in 2007 and graduated in 2011. He finished a year behind his first-year classmates because of his military deployment.

It's not clear when Riehl first showed signs of mental illness, but some classmates have described his behavior in law school as odd.

He suffered a psychotic episode in April 2014 and was hospitalized in the mental health ward of the Sheridan, Wyoming, veterans hospital, the VA document said. He escaped but was found and returned, the document said.

Riehl's brother told University of Wyoming police that Matthew Riehl had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Four people have been charged with raping and brutally assaulting a teenage girl in what police described as a 'torture chamber' basement.

Police say the 16-year-old girl had her hair shaved off and was brutalized with a machete and lit cigarettes when she was taken hostage and held in the basement of a home in Auburn, Massachusetts last week.

The victim, who had runaway from New Jersey, was tortured until police found her in the basement on December 27.

Krystal Lugo, 23, her brother Christopher Lugo, 19, her boyfriend Yariel Torres-Abee, 22, and Yuleny Ortiz, 19, have been charged with a range of offenses including kidnapping and assault.

Yuleny Ortiz, Yariel Torres-Abee, Krystal Lugo, and Christopher Lugo (left to right) are accused of torturing a 16-year-old girl in a home in Auburn, Massachusetts last week

Christopher Lugo is also charged with raping the girl.

Police said the victim was targeted by the suspects after they believed she set up and knew who was responsible for an invasion inside the home earlier that day when two men allegedly stormed in and demanded marijuana.

The suspects allegedly refused to let the teenager leave the home and duct-taped her to a chair to interrogate her, according to police.

The victim told police her attackers pressed a machete to her throat and burned her with cigarettes.

They shaved her head and police later found her hair in a Christmas bag.

The victim, who had runaway from New Jersey, was tortured until police found her in the basement of the home in Auburn (above) on December 27

Krystal Lugo, 23, and her brother Christopher Lugo, 19, have both been charged with kidnapping and other offenses in relation to the attack

The runaway girl had allegedly been picked up by Krystal Lugo and Ortiz on Christmas Day.

She told police they had given her marijuana laced with Xanax and they took turns sexually assaulting her.

The girl was inside the home when two men stormed in two days later and demanded 'weed' and gunshots were fired.

Believing the victim was behind it, they started interrogating her to find out the names of the two men.

The runaway girl had allegedly been picked up by Krystal Lugo and Ortiz (right) on Christmas Day. The victim told police she was later raped by Christopher Lugo (left)

Police raided the home and found the girl after two informants notified authorities.

All four suspects appeared in Worcester District Court on Wednesday to determine whether they can be held without bail.

Krystal Lugo was held without bail, while the hearings for the three males will continue until Friday.

Krystal Lugo is charged with kidnapping, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery and larceny under $250 and her brother is charged with kidnapping, rape and drug to confine.

Torres-Abee is charged with kidnapping and assault and battery, while Ortiz is charged with kidnapping.
Sean Spicer admitted Thursday that he 'screwed up' in the role of White House press secretary, sacrificing his credibility by committing unforced errors.

But he insisted that he never knowingly or purposely lied to reporters or the rest of the nation.

'At no time did I go up and say something that was, as you say, demonstrably false intentionally,' Spicer told HLN network host S.E. Cupp in an hour-long cable appearance.

Yet, he conceded, 'there were times where I screwed up. There's no question about it.'

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Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer admitted making mistakes during his gaffe-prone six months on the job but said Thursday that he never intentionally lied to the press or the American public

HLN host S.E. Cupp reminded Spicer that he had falsely claimed Donald Trump's margin of victory over Hillary Clinton in the Electoral College was the largest since Ronald Reagan  but Spicer couldn't recall ever having said that

Spicer also took lumps for falsely claiming Trump out-drew all other presidential inaugurals 'both' in person and on television, even though the word 'combined' might have saved the day

Spicer famously began his tenure at the White House briefing podium by claiming President Donald Trump attracted a larger audience to his inauguration than any of his predecessors.

Columnist Michael Wolff alleges in a new book that Spicer's mantra around the West Wing was 'You can't make this s*** up'

'This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration  period  both in person and around the globe,' he lectured reporters on the first full day of the new administration.

In a book due out tomorrow, columnist Michael Wolff claims Spicer left the briefing room that day uttering what would become his West Wing mantra: 'You can't make this s*** up.'

On Thursday, however, nearly six months after his departure, he claimed he was misunderstood  while getting his own words confused yet again.

'What I said is, "The largest audience to ever witness an inauguration in person or around the globe," Spicer told Cupp, insisting that 'we were careful in the statement' to use those words.

Spicer, however, omitted the word 'both' from his January 2017 statement.

The White House at the time argued  driven by Trump's personal views  that his in-person inauguration crowd was larger than President Barack Obama's. Overhead photography confirmed that this wasn't the case.

Spicer tried instead to suggest, more credibly, that a generous global attention on the event drove television and online audiences and pushed the combined viewership to historic levels.

But that word  'both'  ceded the point to Trump's critics who saw it as a continued claim that Trump out-drew Obama 'both' on TV and in person.

It also underscored an imprecision with language that would get Spicer into trouble over and over again.

'We focused too much on the pictures,' Spicer said Thursday. 'That's my bad. we should have focused on the totality of the audience that witnessed the inauguration.'

 Slide me  The historic National Mall is pictured during Trump's inauguration (right); at Obama's 2009 inauguration (left) there were an estimated 1.8 million people in attendance

Spicer quit the White House last summer when Anthony Scaramucci was announced as the new communications director; his strained relationship with facts has put him on uneasy post-White House footing, unable to land a TV analyst job that he'd hoped for

'I regret some of the things that I could have done a better job in,' a contrite Spicer said.

'I'd like to go back and talk about specific instances. There are some that I'd say, "Wow, I really wish I could get a Mulligan on that one. I screwed that one up, and I'm embarrassed on behalf of myself, my family and the president." There are some of those things. Absolutely.'

Cupp challenged Spicer to admit that he'd lied about the president's margin of victory over Hillary Clinton.

'Trump didn't have the most Electoral College votes for a Republican since reagan either. And you had Google,' she said.

'Did I say that?' Spicer asked?

Indeed, during a January 24, 2017 press briefing at the White House, Spicer said that Trump 'won overwhelmingly with 306 electoral votes, the most since any Republican since Reagan. He's very comfortable with the depth and breadth of the support that he got from the American people and the 33 states that voted for him.'

'This is wrong,' Cupp challenged him.

'If I said that, I get it,' Spicer shrugged. 'I would love to see the cite where I said that it's the largest Electoral vote.'

Spicer also admitted an own-goal during an April 11, 2017 press briefing in which he condemned Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad for using chemical weapons on civilians, botching a comparison by claiming that not even Adolf Hitler was 'using the gas on his own people.'

'I was trying to talk about how evil Assad was,' Spicer said Thursday, 'and I screwed that up royally.'

'You brought up Hitler, right?' Cupp recalled.

'Thank you for reminding me,' he grumbled.

'When I screwed up, it felt really bad,' Spicer said, 'because you're realizing that you're tarnishing your personal reputation, your family's reputation, your friends who like you and support you.'
A man is on the run from police after a dramatic chase ended when an allegedly stolen Holden Commodore crash into a private Sydney school.

Police officers attempted to stop the car just before 11.45pm on Thursday in Doonside, western Sydney.

A chase ensued after the car failed to stop, and the driver of the Holden lost control, mounted the curb and smashed through a fence at Mountain View Adventist Primary and Junior High School.

A man is on the run from police after a dramatic police chase ended when a stolen Holden Commodore crash into a private Sydney school

Police officers attempted to stop the stolen car just before 11.45pm on Thursday in Doonside, western Sydney

New South Wales Police said two men then got out of the car and ran away.

After a chase on foot, a 51-year-old man was arrested and taken to Blacktown Police Station.

He was charged with be carried in conveyance taken without consent of owner, possess housebreaking implements, and custody of knife in public place.

The man was granted conditional bail to appear at Blacktown Local Court on January 25.

The driver of the Holden lost control, mounted the curb and smashed through a fence at Mountain View Adventist Primary and Junior High School

NSW Police said inquiries into the incident are still ongoing.

Photos from the scene show the damage caused in the wake of the chase, with the Holden Commodore parked on grass at the school.

A fence has been bowled over and smashed, with pieces of it strewn around the perimeter of the school.
Black cab rapist John Worboys will be freed by the end of the month in a move that has provoked fury among victims' groups and led to calls for reform of the parole system.

John Worboys is feared to have attacked up to 200 women during a horrific spree of sex attacks he carried out on women he drugged in his cab.

Despite getting a sentence which could have seen him locked up for life, he has been freed just eight years in after a controversial parole panel decision he is no longer a danger to women.

The ruling has led to widespread claims of 'soft justice' and fears his victims, some of whom only found out about his release through radio news, are being let down by the system.

It emerged today that Worboys will be moved straight from a high-security jail into a bail hostel where he will be monitored by the end of the month.

Taxi driver John Worboys was jailed for raping and sexually assaulting passengers in 2009. John Worboys married Jean Clayton in 1991, right, before divorcing four years later. Ms Clayton today slammed the decision to free her ex-husband

Worboys' ex-wife, Jean Clayton, 60, today described her ex-husband as a 'dangerous man' and hit out at the parole board's decision to recommend his release.

Speaking to The Sun, Ms Clayton said: 'He should never be let out. The next step would have been murder.

'Its very scary. He was the biggest mistake of my life. No one knows what I went through.

'He was the worst husband a woman could ever ask for. I realised during our honeymoon that I had made a mistake.'

The pair married in 1991 and Ms Clayton said 'sex-addict' Worboys spied on her teenage daughters as they got dressed.

Worboys was jailed in 2009 for raping and sexually assaulting young women in his black cab.

Police suspect the 60-year-old, who was labelled a 'repetitive, predatory sexual offender' in a probation report, may have abused as many as 200 women.

The Parole Board recommended Worboys' release in a decision which has provoked outrage among campaigners against sexual violence.

The head of the parole system was today also forced to apologise for not contacting some of his victims, who found out he was being freed from radio news.

Jean Clayton met Worboys in 1988 at a pub in Hackney, east London where he worked as a stripper. The pair married shortly after before splitting in 1995

Karen Ingala Smith, chief executive of women's sexual and domestic violence charity, Nia, said: 'The police believe that Worboys may have raped more than 100 women, others think this is a conservative estimate.

'He's served nine years and nine months, that's just over a month per rape victim. How can we say justice has been served?

'On top of this, according to the CPS, the proportion of rape reports ending in a conviction has more than halved over the last seven years.

'Whilst this in part reflects increased reporting, it seems to me that the law is failing to deliver justice to too many women victims of sexual violence.

'The rehabilitation of offenders is as important principle, but the law should function to protect liberties and rights of the population and should act as a deterrent.

'Six weeks per rape victim? What sort of a message does this send? I struggle to think anything other than women will be less safe with Worboys on the streets.'

Carrie Symonds (left) was singled out as she waited for a night bus in Chelsea in July 2007. Shown right, one of Worboys' rape kits, including alochol and cups he used to drug victims

At his sentencing Worboys was told he must serve a minimum of eight years in prison for his attacks and would not be released until officials were convinced he did not pose a threat to women.

Yet the 60-year-old's release has been signed off by the Parole Board, despite a pre-sentencing report in 2009 finding that he was 'a repetitive predatory sexual offender'.

Police believe Worboys may have carried out more than 100 attacks, despite convictions for just 12.

Campaigners are now likely to question why further convictions were not sought, as Worboys would likely have been given a much longer sentence preventing him from being released in 2018.

The decision not to pursue new charges and a therefore lengthier sentence would have fallen to Labour MP and shadow Brexit minister Kier Starmer, who served as Director of Public Prosecutions at the time.

Worboys is a former porn actor and stripper who called himself Terry the Minder (left). Shown right, the Hackney flat Worboys shared with his former wife Jean Clayton

Police found a rape kit in the back of Worboys' taxi which including sleeping tablets, condoms and an ashtray he used to crush the drugs (top right)

Who is who in the Worboys case? Sir Keir Starmer Sir Keir, now a Labour frontbencher was the director of public prosecutions at the time of Worboys' conviction. He was probably involved in the decision not to push for more charges. Nick Hardwick Professor Hardwick chairman of the Parole Board, three of whose members decided Worboys should go free. He has defended the work of the Board, but agreed that reform of the system was needed to make it more transparent. Baroness Scotland Baroness Scotland was Labour's Attorney General at the time of the case. The position gave her the power to have the sentence reviewed and potentially increased, but she did not do so. Sir David Penry-Davey The late Sir David, formerly Mr Justice Penry-Davey, sentenced Worboys to the indeterminate sentence. He told him after conviction that he had used a sophisticated approach to carry out his crimes and was a serious risk to the public. Advertisement

Worboys will now have to report to probation staff each week, having spent ten years behind bars and a period on remand.

In 2010, Worboys appealed his conviction, but it was thrown out by the Court of Appeal, as Lord Justice Moses labelled his offences as 'appalling'.

Worboys, a former porn actor and stripper, attacked numerous women during a five-year period between 2002 and 2008.

On several occasions he offered to drive a woman home for a fraction of the normal cost, or even for free, claiming that he lived in their direction.

But once he had them secure in his taxi, the driver  who occasionally used the name Paul or Tony - would put his plan into action.

His constant theme was sex and often asked the women if they would perform sex acts for varying amounts of money, or exposed himself.

He took trophies from his victims, including a wristband from one and scribbled the names and addresses of several others in a notebook.

During the seven week trial, victim after victim told how they felt safe with the middle-aged driver because they were stepping into a registered black London taxi.

Labour's Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the Parole Board's decision

The decision not to pursue new charges and a therefore lengthier sentence for Worboys would have fallen to Kier Starmer, who served as Director of Public Prosecutions at the time

Most of the women were young professionals  lawyers, insurance brokers, office workers or journalists.

One victim was a new mother out celebrating for the first time with her friends.

He offered the women cheap lifts home after nights out, telling them he had just won thousands on a bet and wanted to celebrate.

To aid his pretence, Worboys kept as much as 4,000 in cash stashed in a plastic bag which he showed his victims as evidence of his win.

The rapist would convince the women to share a glass of wine or champagne with them, spiking the drinks with sleeping pills.

The drugs left the women insensible and unable to protect themselves as he pounced on them in the back of the vehicle.

Police also found a 'rape kit' in the back of his taxi which including sleeping tablets, condoms, gloves and an ashtray he used to crush the drugs.

Worboys, who called himself Terry the Minder, was jailed indefinitely in April 2009 with a minimum tariff of eight years.

A report published after his conviction found there was a 'mindset' among police that the driver of a black cab was unlikely to be responsible for a sex attack.

The paper by the Independent Police Complaints Commission discovered a catalogue of missed opportunities, errors of judgment and failures by Scotland Yard had left Worboys free to prey on women.

Two of Worboys' victims would go on to win human rights cases in the High Court against the Metropolitan Police in 2014.

The pair  known as DSD and NBV  claimed there had been serious failures in the investigation which led to Worboys to avoid detection and re-offend.

Another of his victims, Carrie Symonds, was singled out as she waited for a night bus after an evening out on the King's Road in Chelsea in July 2007.

Worboys offered to take the 20-year-old home to East Sheen six miles away.

She described how, after making her feel indebted to him for the lift, she drank a glass of vodka he offered her, after which she remembers little.

She thought her drink must have been spiked but had so little memory of what happened that she did not report the incident until February 2008 when police made a public appeal.

Another of Worboy's victims told the BBC today that they were completely unaware that Worboys was due to be released.

Worboys was first arrested in July 2007 after a 19-year-old student reported a sex attack in South-East London. Officers traced him using CCTV.

But instead of turning up at his house unannounced, they arrested him by appointment - giving him the opportunity to get rid of evidence such as his 'rape kit', which contained drugs and drinks.

Police also failed to search his home and taxi. The investigation was later dropped by senior officers.

Kathy Martin, who was Worboys' girlfriend at the time of the attacks said she was unaware of what he was doing in his taxi cab

Sarah Craigie encountered the evil of Worboys in May 2007 after she went to see a former boyfriend working as a DJ in a West End nightclub.

Walking near Leicester Square she was crying and 'in a bit of a state' when she came across a cab rank and Worboys asked if she needed a lift.

'I told him that I needed to get back to Dagenham but only had 30 on me and that would not be enough,' she recalled.

'He said, 'Don't worry darling... I will get you home safe.'

Within five minutes of the journey starting, Worboys had asked her why she was crying and if she had a boyfriend. Miss Craigie - who admits she was drunk - poured her heart out.

'It was then he said he had enjoyed a great day and had won thousands of pounds at the races,' she said.

'He asked me if I wanted to have a drink to celebrate. By that time I had really had enough alcohol but he offered me vodka, champagne, wine - he said he had anything I wanted to drink.

'I said I would have a soft drink and after a while he passed me a can of Coke. After that the journey became a blur. Within about 20 minutes I was feeling really nauseous and drowsy. I was just dizzy and feeling so out of it.'

Miss Craigie rang a friend who advised her to text her boyfriend. She remembers little else until she woke up somewhere near home.

'The driver said he needed to go to the toilet and he got out of the cab and was away for a few minutes,' she added.

The rapist's ex-wife Jean Clayton is pictured left, near her home in Yambol, Bulgaria. Right, Worboys arrives at Sutton Magistrates Court ahead of a preliminary hearing into his rape trial

'The next thing I remember was him being in the back of the taxi with me. He had a white plastic carrier bag full of cash - I have never seen so much money - and he was sipping champagne from a glass.

'He then came towards me - really close and I felt very intimidated and vulnerable.

'Worboys just kept on invading my personal space and it was then I then got angry.

'I shouted at him, 'This just isn't right - you should not be drinking. Just take me home.''

Bungling police who didn't believe black cabbie could carry out crimes A victim of Worboys called for police officers who laughed at her and left her feeling like a criminal to be sacked following his conviction. The former Greenwich University student, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was attacked in the back of Worboys's black cab in July 2007. She passed out after drinking spiked champagne and being forced to swallow pills. The woman cannot remember any of her ordeal as she travelled from a Covent Garden party to her New Eltham digs. She spoke after a damning report found a series of appalling police blunders left Worboys free to attack dozens of women. Police found a 'rape kit' in the back of his taxi which including sleeping tablets, condoms and gloves The report found there was a 'mindset' among police that the driver of a black cab was unlikely to be responsible for a sex attack. A paper by the Independent Police Complaints Commission also found a catalogue of missed opportunities, errors of judgment and failures by Scotland Yard left Worboys free to prey on women. The woman said two officers 'just laughed' at her when she told them. She said the uniformed officers were 'intimidating' and 'patronising' and did not take her seriously as they delayed taking her statement and were late collecting CCTV. The woman added police could have stopped Worboys 'a very long time ago' if officers had 'done their job better'. She said she was also poorly treated by a specialist sexual offences investigative techniques officer who gave her false information about the progress of the case. Two crucial opportunities to stop him sooner were missed - in 2003 when a key witness was not interviewed and in July 2007 when his arrest was bungled, his taxi was not searched and he was allowed to go free. The IPCC report said seven women were attacked between July 2007 when he was first arrested and February 2008 when he was finally caught. But police estimate that Worboys, who was known to attack up to three women per night, could have attacked 40 victims in that period. The watchdog found detectives refused to believe victims and one woman said she was laughed at, intimidated and 'made to feel like a criminal' when she reported the attack. Five officers have now been disciplined, but no one has been sacked over the botched inquiry. Instead they received written warnings and 'words of advice' to the outrage of victims who say scores of lives have been ruined unnecessarily. Advertisement

Fay Maxted, chief executive of The Survivors Trust, called Worboys' crimes 'calculated' and 'deliberate' and said it will likely take 'significant resources' to monitor him as he settles back into society.

She said: 'I doubt whether the victims will feel Worboys has served a sentence that reflects the seriousness of his crimes or, at a time when specialist rape and sexual abuse services are struggling with lack of funding and huge waiting lists, that society has supported the victims as much as they needed.'

Sophie Walker, leader of the Women's Equality Party, said: 'The parole board may have satisfied itself that he can be prevented from ruining even more lives, but that will come as little comfort to the more than 100 women who he is thought to have attacked.'

Sarah Green, from the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said: 'The decision to release John Worboys beggars belief. It is likely to be the product of a justice system and a society that cannot and perhaps will not deal with rape.'

It is understood all those who were signed up to the victim contact scheme were informed as soon as the parole board decision was made.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper insisted the Parole Board's reasoning behind the decision should be published to allow scrutiny.

She said: 'There are many serious questions why this dangerous man has been given parole after serving such a short sentence for his attacks against women.

'Given the seriousness of this case, the Parole Board should publish their reasons immediately so both the decision and the process can be scrutinised before this man is released. We also need to know what information and support was given to all the victims before this decision was taken.'
The horrific moment a man was hit by a speeding car in the middle of the afternoon has been caught on camera - but it is the footage following the collision that has shocked police.

The video shows a white hatchback, without number plates, collide with a man wearing a hooded jumper and long pants in Kilsyth, Melbourne on Wednesday afternoon.

The man appeared to bounce off the hood of the car before landing on the nature strip just out of view of the camera.

The horrific moment a man was hit by a speeding car in the middle of the afternoon has been caught on camera

The car then did a quick u-turn over the nature strip and back onto the road before stopping in the street facing the gutter.

Just moments later the pedestrian, who appeared hurt by the smash, is seen crawling towards the car.

He opens the passenger side door and hops into the car in a move which has shocked police.

Sergeant Lee Nichols, from Mooroolbark Police Station, told 3AW Breakfast there had been reports of the pedestrian loitering in the area before the accident.

The car then did a quick u-turn over the nature strip and back onto the road before stopping in the street facing the gutter

'I'd say he has been waiting for this person, which as you can see flies in at a ridiculous speed and cleans him up before you see he gets into the vehicle and drives off,' Sgt Nichols said.

'It is quite amazing footage to watch.'

Police still don't know if the driver meant to crash into the pedestrian or if it was an accident.

They are appealing for information from the driver or the man hit in the incident.
I have a story about me and my transformation from babbler to minimalist. Unfortunately, it was a painful experience. But those are often the best kind.

At the high school I attended near the Canadian and Montana borders, we had an English teacher by the name of Edna Danielson, who was phenomenal at a couple of things: She excelled at teaching English and she was an expert at putting anyone and everyone who deserved it in their place.

She could sense arrogance, cockiness, laziness and unruliness from miles away and that, in combination with her ability to see out of the back of her head, molded her into nothing short of an authoritative artisan.

Students foolish enough to engage in horseplay in her queendom suffered the repercussions of her very sarcastic and embarrassing verbal wrath, to the point that theyd never consider engaging in that or even a semi-similar exercise.

As for me, my life-changing moment, involving Mrs. Danielson, came about in English class after she had given us a topic to write about and then granted us the class period to do so. We were required to hand-in the completed assignment for overnight grading.

I dont remember the topic, but I do remember that I felt like I was drawing water from a dry well. The inspiration, at least that day, was just not there. However, that didnt prevent me from scratching out a page full of nonsensical diatribe.

The next day our graded papers were returned to us and at the top of mine, handwritten in red ink, Mrs. Danielson had this to say: Kevin, you can say less with more words than anyone I know.

At first glance, I took it as a compliment, until I saw the grade next to it. Then I quickly realized that I had been artistically dressed-down in a life-changing, crossroads kind of way.

How was it possible for someone to say so much, cover so much ground, and at the same time alter the course of a life with one simple sentence, I wondered? Now thats power.

From there, I went on to the University of North Dakota, where my freshman English class was good, but it was a step down from that which Id just experienced in high school.

Years later, I was living in Manhattan Beach, Calif., and I had just heard Jim Tracy, manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, being interviewed for television. In the process, he babbled on and on and, in the course of doing so, said nothing of consequence.

It prompted me to write a letter to the editor of the Los Angeles Times, telling about how Tracys interview reminded me of the time my English teacher told me that I could say less with more words than anyone she knew.

The letter was published in the Los Angeles Times; I tore out the page, circled the letter and sent it to Mrs. Danielson back in North Dakota with a note that said, There, now youre in the Los Angeles Times.

Whats the moral of that story? You can never predict how far the waves from one little stone thrown in a pond might travel.
The former military officer father of media personality Erin Molan says if resources were cut off Australia's armed forces could become 'impotent' in less than a week.

Retired Australian Army General and Liberal Senator Jim Molan wrote in The Australian on Friday the current defence forces are not adequately equipped to fight overseas and face a potential crisis should their access to fuel be ceased.

'We need to address our critical vulnerabilities around fuel security and high-end weapons holding,' he wrote in the newspaper on Friday.

'Without doing so, we could be reduced to impotence in less than a week.'

The former military officer father of media personality Erin Molan says if resources were cut off Australia's armed forces could become 'impotent' in less than a week

Retired Australian Army General and Liberal Senator Jim Molan said the current defence forces face a potential crisis should their access to fuel be ceased

Molan served in the Australian Army for 40 years, commanding battalions across the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott brought the decorated veteran in as a special envoy for Operation Sovereign Borders and was a large part of the Stop The Boats immigration policies.

The 67-year-old will replace Fiona Nash, another victim of the citizenship saga, in the Senate, and has immediately identified the need to increase funding of the military, particularly as America's army continues to shrink in influence and numbers.

'We have an expectation (not a right or guarantee) that the US will come to our aid in an extreme scenario,' he said.

'There seem to be very strong grounds to question that expectation and to adjust our defence policy accordingly while remaining the staunchest of US allies.'

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott brought the decorated veteran in as a special envoy for Operation Sovereign Borders and was a large part of the Stop The Boats immigration policies

He also says the government's plan to increase military funding to 2 per cent of GDP by 2021 is based off an old model and may not be sufficient in the modern climate

He also says the government's plan to increase military funding to 2 per cent of GDP by 2021 is based off an old model and may not be sufficient in the modern climate.

'If 2 per cent was an appropriate level of defence spending for Australia when America dominated the world, the question I have is whether that same level of defence spending is appropriate now when American power itself has relatively declined,' he said.

'But still we need to defend our national interests independently. In particular, we need to address our critical vulnerabilities around fuel security and high-end weapons holding.'
Holly aims to raise $9000 for her charity trip to Africa to work with those in need

The council has enforced the fine even after Carol wrote an explanatory letter

She donated leftovers to an opp shop, but was fined for parking outside the shop

Carol, 55, had thrown a garage sale to help fund her daughter Holly's charity trip

A kindhearted mother has been slapped with a $159 parking fine after she pulled over to donate her clothes to a charity shop in Melbourne.

Carol Glavich, 55, had thrown a garage sale with her 16-year-old daughter Holly to help her raise $9000 for a humanitarian trip to Africa.

'After the garage sale, we were left with lots of things that hadn't sold, so we took them down to the local Williamstown op shop,' Ms Glavich explained to 3AW.

Carol Glavich was fined $159 donating clothes to help her teenage daughter Holly raise money

Ms Glavich (left, with daughter) was fined $159 (right) for leaving her car outside a charity shop while she donated items

'I parked in the centre of the street, went into the opp shop, and the lady said, "If you keep your boot open and it's obvious that you're dropping off donations it'll be fine",' Ms Glavich said.

'I was in and out in five minutes. A few days later I received a $159 fine in the mail and a photo of my car with the boot up...It was absolutely very obvious to everybody that I was donating to the op shop.

'I'm very upset to have been penalised in such a harsh way for an act that benefits the local community.'

Carol Glavich (left) was dropping off the clothes after holding a garage sale with Holly (right)

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Friday, Holly called the fine 'really unfair' and said that her mother was simply trying to make a donation to charity.

Calling the Hobsons Bay City Council 'heartless' in a passionate Facebook post, Ms Glavich said that she sent a 'lengthy email' to the council protesting the fine.

'Today I received another merciless bureaucratic latter saying I have to pay!' she revealed, adding that she was told she did not have 'exceptional grounds for appeal'.

'Hobsons Bay City Council...How do you sleep at night?'

While donating clothes after the garage sale to help Holly (right) raise money for her charity trip, the council sent Carol a picture of her car with the boot up (left) and a $159 parking fine

Hobsons Bay Council sent Ms Glavich a letter saying she had no 'exceptional circumstances'

Speaking to Tony Jones on the radio about the experience, she added that for years people had been allowed to park outside the opp shop and it had only recently become a loading zone.

Appealing to the council to 'lift their game', Mr Jones agreed that Ms Glavich had been 'hard done by' because 'there's $159 that could have stayed with your daughter to help her on her way to Africa to help those who are desperately in need'.

On the fundraising page for her charity trip, Holly wrote: 'I am a 16 year old fundraising to participate in the World Challenge trip to Swaziland and Mozambique in Africa 2018.

'I will be developing neighbourhood care points to support communities caring for their own orphans and vulnerable children.

This money will be going directly to the World Challenge organisation and then passed onto people in Swaziland and Mozambique in need. Please help me travel to Africa to help these children. Every cent counts.'

You can donate to Holly Glavich on her GoFundMe page.
Incredible footage of an alien like spider with dozens of legs and big beady eyes has surfaced online.

The stunning video shows the huge hairy spider slowly moving its legs as the Victorian family film the ordeal.

The seven-minute video captures the moment the spider goes from having 16 legs, to eight as it sheds its skin.

Scroll down for video

Incredible footage of an alien like spider with dozens of legs and big beady eyes (pictured)

The intriguing video surfaced online showing the a spider in a way many people don't see

More than 13,000 people viewed the video after it was shared to a Facebook group Thursday.

The captivating footage shows the spider, believed to be a male huntsman, use a huge amount of effort to free itself from its old skin.

After one final push, the spider is free and appears lifeless after the almighty work of nature.

The spider laid still for about five minutes, making the woman who filmed the spider at a home in Sebastopol, a Ballarat suburb, think 'he had died'.

Dozens of people took to social media to share their thoughts on the spider's skin shedding process, many of them describing it as 'amazing' and 'magic'.

'Wow! I always find their moults but never caught one in the act before. How disgustingly fascinating,' one person wrote.

The seven-minute video captures the moment the spider goes from having 16 legs, to eight as it sheds its skin (pictured)

The captivating footage shows the spider, believed to be a male huntsman, use a huge amount of effort to free itself from its old skin (pictured)

More than 13,000 people viewed the video after it was shared to a Facebook group Thursday

'I have a huntsman called Heather who shares my house but I have still never been lucky enough to see this before!,' another shared.

'Were any of you getting worried about Spidey jumping out at the camera? I was on the edge watching this!' one wrote.

'Like taking off skinny jeans after a big night,' someone else posted.

After one final push, the spider is free and appears lifeless after the almighty work of nature

The spider laid still for about five minutes, making the woman who filmed the spider at a home in Sebastopol, a Ballarat suburb, think 'he had died' (pictured)
A watchdog has warned Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat to tighten up their age controls and clamp down on underage users.

The Information Commissioner's Office stepped in after it emerged that the social media platforms were letting millions of British children on to the platform before they were 13.

New ICO guidelines state that social media giants must examine whether they put children at risk  by showing minors adverts for alcohol or gambling, for example.

The guidance, which is under consultation, also calls on the firms to do a better job of kicking underage users off their platforms, and to stop or deter children from sharing their information online.

The Information Commissioner's Office stepped in after it emerged social media platforms including Faceebook (above, file photo) were letting millions of British children on to the platform before they were 13

Elizabeth Denham, the Information Commissioner, said: 'Whether designing services to provide protection for children or having a system to verify age, organisations, including social media companies, need to change the way they offer services to children.

'It's also vital that we ensure children's interests and rights are protected online in the same way they are in all other aspects of life.'

The ICO is acting as fears grow that children are signing up to social media websites long before they are emotionally equipped to use them.

In November, a damning Ofcom report revealed that half of British 12-year-olds and more than a quarter of ten-year-olds have their own social media profiles.

In a story on the Mail's front page yesterday, Anne Longfield, the Children's Commissioner for England, warned that youngsters faced an 'avalanche of pressure' online. She said children as young as ten depended on social media 'likes' for their sense of self-worth.

New ICO guidelines state social media giants must examine whether they put children at risk

At the moment, all the major web giants demand that users are over 13 before they get an account  but they do next to nothing to enforce that rule.

Facebook and Snapchat ask users to enter a birth date, but do not ask for verification, so children often trick the system.

Twitter, and the Facebook-owned platforms Instagram and WhatsApp are even more lax.

They simply tell the user that they have automatically agreed to terms and conditions by signing up for an account.

Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat insist it is unrealistic to have to verify the age of users under the age of 18.

But anyone with a government ID, such as a passport, can access security 'tokens' to prove their age online.

Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) made it his New Year's resolution to fix a problem with fake news

Web giants could also force under-age users to get permission from a parent, who must prove their own age and identity.

The crackdown was welcomed by campaigners.

John Carr, of the UK Children's Charities' Coalition on Internet Safety, called it an 'unprecedented breakthrough', while Andy Burrows, of the NSPCC, said: 'Social media sites must be forced to prove that they're age appropriate and safe.'

Facebook said: 'If an under-age user is reported to us, we remove their account.'

Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg yesterday made it his New Year's resolution to fix a problem with fake news.

In a post, he said it was his 'personal challenge' for the year to crack down on hate speech and 'interference by nation states', adding: 'We make too many errors enforcing our policies and preventing misuse of our tools.'
The problem with silly old fools is that they never realise how silly or old or foolish they are being. Just like Ukip leader Henry Bolton, who has officially left his second wife for a blonde model half his age.

Do you know what? It is love, people. True love, I tell you. So please put down the scoffing horn, shush the mocking birds and open your heart to the possibility of molten romance as two unlikely people are drawn together by craven stupidity  sorry, I meant mutual political interests. As Shakespeare almost put it; thou Cupid is a knavish lad, his love horn makes Ukippers mad.

A twice-married, 54-year-old former Army captain and retired policeman, the greying, balding, fading, waning Henry has found passion with 25-year-old Jo Marney, a blonde who describes herself as a presenter, model, actress, music journalist and Brexiteer  what a busy, busy girl!

Ukip leader Henry Bolton has officially left his second wife (pictured together) for a blonde model half his age

One wonders where in her kiss-me-quick and get-me-famous schedule Jo has found the time to fall in love with a hopeless little specimen like Henry, but love blossoms in the unlikeliest of places.

What is Jo like? When she is not posing in tiny knickers and no bra, she is posting pictures of herself posing in tiny knickers and no bra on social media. She also chronicled her blossoming relationship with Henry over the festive season on Twitter, in case anyone hadn't noticed. There were cosy pictures of them having 'fantastic' Christmas drinks together, followed by paparazzi shots of them leaving a Folkestone hotel together.

Soon The Sun newspaper knocked on her front door, and inevitably found the chief Ukipper inside in his slippers.

'I'm here just visiting,' he told reporters. 'My wife is fully aware of what's been going on.' Yesterday morning Henry was filmed leaving Jo's Kent home in a pair of mustard cords and a wry expression. Meanwhile, she hovered in the background, making sure she was in shot.

Ukip members, perhaps fed up with their flaky leaders not coming up to scratch, are furious. Some have called him an 'old perv', while Miss Marney is 'a disgrace' and worse. 'Is this because I am young and good-looking? If I was 49 stone you wouldn't have thought twice,' she fumed online. No, darling, but neither would he, which is entirely the point.

Henry has found passion with 25-year-old Jo Marney (pictured with Bolton) , a blonde who describes herself as a presenter, model, actress, music journalist and Brexiteer

Sad but true: middle-aged men like the Bolton Wanderer often become fixated by the packaging, not what is inside the parcel. While women are more tolerant of and affectionate towards the affronts of age vested upon the opposite sex, men can't see further than the next pair of stupendously firm bosoms or glacier thighs. Their eyes whorl like cartoon kaleidoscopes. Their tongues shoot out like a panting spaniel marooned in the Sahara. Reason flies out of the window, as Larry Libido steamrollers into the picture.

Kindly, child-rearing women of character, intelligence and home-making skills become invisible, while flinty, babelicious schemers with soft-porn lips and welcoming hips block out the sun.

Men are idiots, aren't they? The put-upon wives of philanderers such as Paul Hollywood, Dermot Murnaghan, Rowan Atkinson and Ewan McGregor will all testify to that.

My problem with men like Henry Bolton is that even though their story is as old as the hills, they never stop to think of their wives or their children, only of themselves.

Will this affair with a random blonde be embarrassing, humiliating and mortifying for my nearest and dearest? Yes, big guy, it will. However, they just plough ahead anyway, with their brains in their pants and their rose-tinted glasses welded on.

Mr Bolton has three children, one aged 32 from his Danish first wife, and two  aged four and one  from his second wife Tatiana Smurova-Bolton, who is from Moscow.

What? A one-year-old! The poor wee thing, born of a marriage that seems to have had a shorter timespan than the shelf-life of a tin of caviar. Tatiana even gave birth to her on board a train at St Pancras station, but even such stoic heroics could not keep her marriage intact.

Over to Miss Marney, who has answered critics by saying that her lover's wife was making him 'completely miserable'  which I thought an intolerably cruel remark.

Jo Marney won't be the first or the last mistress to publicly denigrate a deserted wife and mother, but such a lack of respect for a wife's dignity, or sympathy for her heartbreak does our Jo little favours.

Meanwhile, Henry is doing his best to get down with the kids, despite his mustard cords and well, everything. Sounding like a third-former who has just kissed a girl for the first time, the old fool has updated his relationship status on social media and said that Miss Marney has become 'increasingly important' to him.

He also believes the romance 'in no way distracts' or detracts from his job as Ukip leader. Dearest, darling, lovely readers  will you tell him, or shall I?

Is Widdy right about Weinstein?

Celebrity Big Brother is celebrating 100 years since the first British women won the vote by having a feminist fiesta, woo hoo. For the first time in its history, the house has an all-female cast and is sponsored by Pink Casino Bingo. Haven't we come far?

Former shadow cabinet minister Ann Widdecombe and ex-Coronation Street soap actress Amanda Barrie are perhaps the only two faces many viewers will recognise among the rabble of fame whores and zeppelin-breasted wannabes crowding into the CBB house this year.

Former shadow cabinet minister Ann Widdecombe (pictured) and ex-Coronation Street soap actress Amanda Barrie are perhaps the only two faces many viewers will recognise

Already there has been a row about towels on beds, and one contestant was nearly in tears because she broke an acrylic nail. I think it is fair to say that neither of these events will much further the cause of feminism, although I did like 82-year-old Amanda explaining to the youngsters that she used to be beautiful and attractive 'before the tide went out'.

It wasn't too long before the women turned their attention to one of the big issues of the day; the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Soon, a clear CBB divide opened up along age lines: after more than five decades in showbusiness, Amanda's attitude to the casting couch was robust. 'It's not really worth it, darling, I'd rather not get the part,' she said.

'I tend to agree, there was a choice there,' nodded 70-year-old Widders.

There was much horror at this from younger contestants  and viewers  who have accused the two veterans of 'victim blaming' and worse. But while Weinstein was clearly a monster and a bully, haven't the oldies got a point?

Why shouldn't Amber Rudd have her own stylist?

Eyebrows have been raised at the notion of Amber Rudd employing a stylist. Especially if that stylist is Isabel Spearman, the glossy, poshette lover of chiffon and pussy-bows who was awarded an OBE and a 60k taxpayer-funded salary for helping SamCam look cool.

But what else can gallumphing Amber do? It is not fair that male politicians can slip into the anonymity of Savile Row tailoring or high street suiting, and no one complains about cost or lack of imagination and style.

Eyebrows have been raised at the notion of Amber Rudd employing stylist Isabel Spearman (pictured)

At the other end of the scale, Ken Clarke can wander around Westminster looking like an accordion that has just had a fight with a tuba and lost, before being peppered by a blunderbuss filled with cigar ash and gravy pellets  and no one says a word.

When Amber wore a wrinkled suit to a meeting in Paris last year, there was nearly an international incident. Once again, women have to be three times as good as men to be judged half as fairly, and even then, the double standard still applies.

Yet the other day I saw Miss Rudd in a terrific navy suit. Her hair looked good, her jacket was neat, her trousers were just the right length, matched by her perfect heel height.

She looked groomed, focused, capable, comfortable, professional and formidable  with nothing on her mind except the job in hand. If Isabel S is responsible for that quiet transformation, then she is worth every penny.

France's First Lady Brigitte Macron (pictured with her husband, French President Emmanuel Macron) is insisting on standing next to her husband, not behind him as protocol dictates

France's First Lady Brigitte Macron is insisting on standing next to her husband, not behind him as protocol dictates.

She finds it demeaning and sexist for a woman to stand behind a man on a national stage, 'cos what are we all, les sauvages?

Certainly, I would love to see more of Madame's fab Dior wardrobe and her amazing Legs That Defied Age, but the French people elected her husband to office, not her.

Her subordinate position has nothing to do with feminism and everything to do with respect, custom and etiquette.

Prince Philip, Philip May and Plus Ones everywhere of either sex know their place is two steps behind the lead act, and their role is to show up and shut up.

Brigitte isn't helping women  she's just making life worse for everyone. Especially her poor hubs.

'I don't want to hear about the silence of me. I want to hear about the silence of Melania Trump,' Meryl Streep (pictured) said this week

Hated the sneaky campaign against Meryl Streep, who was accused of knowing about Weinstein's behaviour but keeping quiet to save her career. However, I have lost all respect for her now she has turned the same tactic onto the President's wife.

'I don't want to hear about the silence of me. I want to hear about the silence of Melania Trump,' said the Tinseltown diva this week.

Meryl! To me you were once a goddess. But this deflection of attention onto Melania is the cheapest of shots. If this nonsense carries on, hardly a soul in Hollywood will come out of this scandal with their reputation intact.

Tolerance is a two-way street

When male taxi driver Les Ede from Hull began the transgender journey to become Melissa 12 years ago, not everyone was pleased with her transformation. Her parents, who died last year, never spoke to her again and her four children rejected her. That must have been painful.

Now Melissa has won 4 million on a scratchcard and vows not to give a penny to her four kids  aged 19 to 39.

Her bitterness is perhaps understandable, but is she right not to share her good fortune? Life-changing decisions like hers can be overwhelming for close family.

When Daddy became Mummy, Melissa's youngest was only seven and the two middle ones were teenagers.

Melissa Ede (pictured) has won 4 million on a scratchcard and vows not to give a penny to her four kids  aged 19 to 39

The children lost their father, her parents lost a son; for all of them, it was a confusing, chaotic bereavement  one that irrevocably changed their own sense of identity, too.

What was urgent and irrepressible for Melissa was perhaps less comprehensible for them and surely, somewhere in her heart, she should acknowledge that? Yet, absorbed by her own difficult journey, she is unable to accept the collateral damage her transition may have caused.

In some ways, this selfishness is wholly understandable. After marrying a childhood sweetheart and living much of her life as a man and a husband, Melissa had full gender reassignment surgery in 2011.

No one embarks upon this fraught voyage unless there are deep reasons for doing so  pre-transgendered adults often feel suicidal, trapped in the wrong bodies, suffocated by themselves. There is a huge difference between their plight and that of the modish few who identify as gender fluid and complain about lack of public toilets to accommodate their issues.

I think it is fair to say that since Melissa's successful surgery, she has been living it large. She's been on Jeremy Kyle, appeared in front of Judge Rinder and makes YouTube videos celebrating her new identity. Shortly, she is about to marry a woman she fell in love with before her scratchcard win.

I'm really glad Melissa is able to live her life in the way she wants, and proud we live in a society that allows her to do so.

But she would be a bigger and better woman if she could find it in her heart to make her children part of her triumph, instead of crowing over her good fortune at their expense. It hasn't been easy for them, either.

Tolerance is a two-way street, even for the transgendered.
The internet is going wild over a photo of the openly gay son of newly sworn-in Senator Doug Jones staring icily at arch-conservative Vice President Mike Pence.

Jones, a Democrat, took the oath of office on Wednesday after his surprise victory over Republican Roy Moore in last months special elections for the Alabama Senate seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

American political tradition holds that the vice president, whose constitutional powers make him the president of the Senate, conducts the swearing-in ceremony for each new senator elected to the chamber.

In the viral photo taken Wednesday in the Senate, Jones is seen raising his right hand and placing his left hand on a bible held by his wife, Louise Jones.

Pence is seen to the far right reading from a book.

Scroll down for video

The internet is going wild over this photo showing the openly gay son (second from left) of newly sworn-in Senator Doug Jones (far left) staring icily at arch-conservative Vice President Mike Pence (far right). Doug Jones' wife, Louise, is seen next to Pence

Standing in between Jones and his wife is Carson Jones, their 22-year-old son who works as a zookeeper and lives in Colorado.

Social media was quick to seize on the photo because Carson is seen giving Pence side-eye.

The vice president has spent his entire political career as a staunch religious conservative who has supported legislation considered by gay rights advocates to be discriminatory.

Pence has opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage and extending protections to those who identify as LGBT.

Senator Jones' son, Carson Jones, 22, works as a zookeeper. He lives in Colorado

Last month, Carson Jones confirmed that he was a homosexual. He said he couldn't be prouder of his father for his victory in the special election, defeating Roy Moore to become Alabama's senator

Carson fueled speculation as to what was going through his mind at that moment. On his Instagram page, he included the photo with the caption #nocaptionneeded

As governor of Indiana, Pence signed a controversial bill into law that allowed businesses to legally discriminate against homosexuals and transgender individuals.

The symbolism of Doug Jones gay son staring down Pence was not lost on Twitter.

Photo of the decade: Doug Jones being sworn in, while his openly gay son QUIETLY DISINTEGRATES THE SOUL OF MIKE PENCE, tweeted one Twitter user.

If you could take one photo that represents the concept of justice, this photo of Doug Jones being sworn into office standing next to his openly gay son and ummm Mike Pence facilitating the ceremony would be the one, wrote another Twitter user.

Carson fueled speculation as to what was going through his mind at that moment.

On his Instagram page, he included the photo with the caption #nocaptionneeded.

After his father shocked the political world by defeating the controversial Moore, Carson told The Advocate that he couldnt be prouder.

I am obviously thrilled with my dads victory, said Carson Jones.

We have been overwhelmed by the support of so many people that made this happen. Alabama made a really big statement that unity wins out. I couldnt be prouder of him or my home state!

Carson confirmed to the The Advocate that he is a homosexual.

Even before the confirmation, a number of gay bloggers and web sites paid homage to the photogenic hot gay son of Alabamas first Democratic senator in a quarter-century.
Mark Latham has renewed his calls to keep Australia Day on January 26, launching a full-scale advertising campaign he dubs 'Save the Date'.

The former Labor leader claimed there 'was no invasion' in 1788 and argued 'a large number' of Aboriginal people celebrate Australia Day each year.

'There was no organised military resistance or organised military conflict in terms of a war... There was no invasion,' he told 2GB Radio on Friday.

'There were some terrible things that were done to Indigenous people in the early 19th and 20th centuries. But you can talk about the past as much as you like.'

Mark Latham has launched a full-scale advertising campaign which he dubs 'Save the Date'

The former Labor leader claimed there 'was no invasion' in 1788 and argued 'a large number' of Aboriginal people celebrate Australia Day each year (stock image)

Mr Latham said the problems many disadvantaged Indigenous Australians face would not be solved by moving the date of Australia Day.

He also argued the housing, employment and education benefits some Aboriginal people receive are the result of 'western civilisation [coming] here on the 26th of January, 1788.'

With the support of Alice Springs Indigenous Councillor Jacinta Price, Mr Latham has launched a television, radio and social media advertising campaign top support his cause.

'All the elites in Australia want to abolish Australia Day on January 26th,' he said in a Facebook video uploaded on Friday.

With the support of Alice Springs Indigenous Councillor Jacinta Price (pictured), Mr Latham has launched a television, radio and social media advertising campaign

'Well here at Mark Latham's Outsiders we're putting the alternative case... It would be a very, very sad and unfortunate thing if we lost our Australia Day.'

Mr Latham released a clip of a television advertisement which will soon air across the country.

The outspoken commentator said it demonstrates what things would look like in Australia if the 'loony left got their way'.

The advertisement shows a young girl handing an Australia Day card to an actor who plays her mother.

A TV advertisement shows a young girl handing an Australia Day card to an actor who plays her mother

In the advertisement, the mother takes the Australia Day card to a shredder and destroys it

Alarmed, the woman takes the card to a shredder in the kitchen of the family home and destroys it.

Ms Price then says: 'Australia Day is under serious threat. How sad is that? Save Australia Day. It will be a sad day if we lose it.'

Mr Latham is asking for donations to help fund the campaign.
Over a thousand children were rescued from locked cars in Queensland last year, new figures reveal.

There were close to 1200 rescues across the state in 2017, with emergency services rescuing 13 children from hot cars in a single day.

The temperature inside a locked car can climb 30 degrees hotter than outside temperature in just minutes.

On a 30 degree day, children and pets trapped inside locked cars risk death as temperatures can reach 60 degrees inside the vehicle, NRMA said.

There were close to 1200 rescues across the state in 2017, with emergency services rescuing 13 children from hot cars in a single day

Motorists have been urged to contact emergency services immediately to rescue their child or pet (pictured: police were forced to smash a cars windows in 2017 after a parent allegedly left their child inside)

Queensland's leading motoring body, the RACQ, recently released the figures to highlight the dangers of leaving children in cars.

A staggering amount of pets were also rescued over the year, with two dogs on average being taken from hot vehicles each day.

Brisbane recorded the highest number of rescues for the state, with 406 children and 161 pets trapped in cars.

Steve Spalding, RACQ's Head of Technical and Safety Policy warned motorists to take more care with children and animals around their car.

'The majority of cases where children are locked in cars are accidental and avoidable,' Mr Spalding said.

'Parents or carers will hand the keys to their child to play with while they unpack the shopping or load their vehicle, and they inadvertently press the lock button.'

Brisbane recorded the highest number of rescues for the state, with 406 children and 161 pets trapped in cars (pictured: a police officer photographs a car after a child was rescued)

Over a thousand children were rescued from locked cars in Queensland last year, new figures reveal

Mr Spalding said there was never a safe time to leave a child or animal alone in a vehicle.

'It doesn't matter if you're parked in the shade or your windows are slightly down,' he said.

Car temperatures can reach 40 degrees in just seven minutes, experts have said.

The RACQ said 75 per cent of the heat occurs within the first five minutes and 90 per cent within 15 minutes.

Motorists have been warned not to break windows to rescue children or pets, as the glass may cause more injury, and to call emergency services immediately.
A trove of Woody Allen's personal archives, which have been stored at Princeton University since 1980, have been fully read for the first time, and it is filled with musings about men falling for teenage girls.

According to the Washington Post, the archive is 56 boxes of 57 years of Allen's scrawlings, drafts and screenplays, and, according to Princeton, no one has ever read the Allen files in full until now.

One of the more lurid drafts is a script written by Allen, in which the eponymous lead male is a part-time porn director, titled 'The Filmmaker.'

The script, written in the 60s or 70s has the Allen character becoming obsessed with a much younger, schizophrenic woman named Jennifer. He ultimately leaves his wife for her.

Woody Allen's archives, stored at Princeton University, have been unread until now (pictured in a scene from his film 'Manhattan' in bed with 17-year-old actress Mariel Hemingway)

In the archives, which include drafts, screenplays and notes from the director, Allen comes off as obsessed with teenage girls, and writes extensively about teens in various relationships with obsessed, older men

Allen has starred in several of his own works, including the film 'Manhattan' in which Allen plays a 42-year-old comedy writer who is dating a 17-year-old played by Mariel Hemingway.

In Hemingway's own biography, 'Out Came the Sun', she wrote that Allen invited her to Paris, but she eventually declined when at 17, she realized she would not have her own room once she got there.

The freelance author, Richard Morgan, who digested the full work of scrawlings by Allen says: 'From the very beginning to the very end, Allen, quite simply, drips with repetitious misogyny.'

Morgan writes of Allen's archive: 'Allen, who has been nominated for 24 Oscars, never needed ideas besides the lecherous man and his beautiful conquest.'

Morgan adds the archives are brimming with a 'vivid obsession with young women and girls.'

Another short story involves the relationship between a 'wealthy, educated, respected' male character and his 21-year-old Indian lover.

While yet another features a 53-year-old man falling for his 17-year-old neighbor, and begging her to come over for a drink.

The works, in full breadth, are described as 'Freudian' and almost always feature a relationship on the brink of failure, in which the male character who is usually some version of Allen himself, falls for an outsider. The outside is almost always a much younger woman.

A short story from the archives is quoted, titled 'My Apology.'

Years of lurid allegations against Woody Allen are again being dredged up in light of the MeToo movement

Allen writes: 'Of all the famous men who ever lived, the one I would most like to have been was Socrates. Not just because he was a great thinker, because I have been known to have some reasonably profound insights myself, although mine invariably revolve around two eighteen year old cocktail waitresses and some rope handcuffs.'

And in yet another draft, titled 'My Speech to the Graduates,' he bemoans that 'science has failed us. True, it has conquered many diseases, broken the genetic code, and even placed human beings on the Moon. And yet when a man of eighty is left in a room with two eighteen year old cocktail waitresses, nothing happens.'

Young starlets who have worked with Allen in the past several years have found themselves trying to defend their choice to work alongside a man who married his girlfriend Mia Farrow's adopted daughter, Soon Yi, and whose own adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow, has alleged he molested her when she was seven.

Selena Gomez, when asked in a November interview with Billboard, if she had thought of the allegations against Allen while auditioning for 'Rainy Days,' responded: 'That's something, yes, I had to face and discuss. I stepped back and thought, ''Wow, the universe works in interesting ways.''

However, actress Ellen Page, who did 'To Rome With Love' with Allen in 2012, recently hailed the decision as 'one of the biggest regrets' of her career.
A man is in a critical condition and was pulled from the water at a Sydney beach after suffering a heart attack.

The 67-year-old swimmer was saved by fellow beach-goers at Shelly Beach in Manly about 8.30 on Friday morning.

He was swimming with his friends before suffering the heart attack, and he was pulled to shore, according to the Daily Telegraph.

A man is in a critical condition after being pulled from the water at a Sydney beach while suffering a heart attack

The 67-year-old swimmer was saved by fellow beach-goers at Shelly Beach in Manly about 8.30 on Friday morning

An off-duty Northern Beaches lifeguard happened to be at the beach with her son, and she helped perform CPR on the man along with other bystanders before paramedics arrived.

A New South Wales Ambulance spokesman said paramedics continued to perform CPR on the man before he was flown by helicopter to Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition.

The beach was cleared so the helicopter could land safely and pick up the man.

Six paramedics attended the scene and helped transport the man to hospital on board the helicopter.

A Surf Life Saving NSW spokesman said the man was not part of the popular Bold and Beautiful organised swim.

The swimmers in 'pink caps' swim from Manly to Shelly Beach and back each morning at 7am.
A New Salem native who served 30 years in the U.S. Navy is working as Morton Countys new veterans service officer.

Mitchell Erhardt, of Bismarck, is replacing Ronald Otto, who is retiring in March after serving more than 30 years in the role.

The veterans service office assists veterans, their survivors and dependents through the process of obtaining benefits for which they qualify.

Erhardts military career lends itself well to this position. As a command master chief petty officer for 15 years, he worked as a liaison between the commanding officer and the enlisted ranks, serving as the senior enlisted leader. It was his job to assist the commanding officer in issues of quality of life, discipline, training and morale.

As the command master chief, a lot of time was spent helping sailors fix what was, to them, an insurmountable problem, Erhardt said. Most of the time, it was just knowing what resources were available to put them in contact with.

In December 2015, Erhardt retired from the Navy, closing a chapter of his life that began shortly after high school graduation.

He went on to work for the North Dakota National Guard as a family readiness support assistant, helping military families to become resilient during times of deployment.

Erhardt most recently worked as the states military funeral honors coordinator, ensuring that eligible veterans receive respectful and honorable last honors. He assisted with 851 military funerals this past year.

Wanting to give back to those veterans who came before him, Erhardt said he applied for the veterans service officer position.

Morton County has a little over 2,000 veterans, and Im looking forward to meeting them and ensuring they get the benefits they earned, he said. I'm excited to be a part of the team.

Mitch has a genuine desire to reconnect with the veteran community and brings a true servant leadership style to his work, said Wendy Bent, Morton County's human resources director.

Erhardt is married to Charlotte and the couple has two grown children, Patricia (Thompson), of Florida, and Travis, of Washington.

During their free time, the couple enjoys floating down the river on a pontoon and taking their Harley Davidson motorcycles out for a spin. Erhardt also enjoys woodworking.
Army chiefs have told troops they must no longer answer the phone saying How can I help you Sir  as they cannot be sure of the gender of the person on the line.

Colonel Steve Davies said the greeting was outdated and unnecessary after a soldier raised concerns they could be offending comrades by assuming they were male.

He said soldiers should instead say their rank and name followed by how can I help you?

Army chiefs have told troops they must no longer call be 'Sir'. Pictured: Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson with members of the Household Cavarly at Horse Guards

A soldier had complained in a letter to a military magazine that despite the Army correctly placing importance on inclusion and gender-related issues, troops were still answering the phone with Sir.

The soldier also claimed troops feared risking offence by greeting an officer with the word Sir or Maam when the officer could be gender neutral.

It comes just days after it emerged that military top brass were also ordering troops to use gender-neutral words at a top training base. Phrases such as mankind and sportsmanship were banned amid fears they upset women and trans groups.

In a two-page guide, written by the Joint Equality Diversity and Inclusion unit  nicknamed Jedi  soldiers were asked to say shopper or homemaker instead of housewife, while fairness was deemed an apt alternative to sportsmanship.

In the latest letter, published in Soldier magazine, the unidentified soldier wrote: Isnt it about time the Army considered abolishing these Victorian-style greetings? I believe a new system should be looked at which is more up to date and lessens the risk of embarrassment or offence to us all.

The soldier noted that the MoD had correctly placed importance on diversity, inclusion and gender-related issues and said it was vital to bring everyones attention to the way we greet and speak to each other. The soldier added: For example when the telephone rings I must answer with the name of my department, my name, followed by how can I help you Sir?

A Colonel called the greeting 'Sir outdated and unnecessary after a soldier raised concerns assuming gender could be offensive. Pictured: Trooping of the Colour 2013

Presumably we say sir because regimental sergeant majors and officers were once all male, harking back to a time when only men were allowed to serve in the military.

The soldier also took issue with the convention of junior ranks addressing officers as Sir or Maam, writing: Secondly, when I see an officer walking through the barracks I must greet them with the word sir or maam but am I not risking offence here by assuming someones gender or implying that they actually see themselves as having a gender?

Colonel Davies, assistant head of employment in the Army responded by saying he disagreed with the point on addressing officers as Sir or Maam.

In a two-page guide soldiers were also asked to say shopper or homemaker instead of housewife. Pictured: Prince Harry marching with soldiers in the 52nd Brigade

But he conceded that the convention of answering the telephone using Sir was indeed old-fashioned.

He replied to the soldier: The use of gendered terms when greeting officers as you walk around barracks reflects a convention that is used in many important sectors of British society, including the monarchy, judiciary and parliament.

I would disagree that the British Army is somehow out of step with the community in this regard. And Colonel Davies said that using the term Sir or Maam was both appropriate and polite.

He added: However I agree that the convention of answering the telephone using sir without knowing who one is speaking to is now considered outdated and arguably unnecessary. The opening gambit of saying your rank and name followed by how can I help you? is both respectful and applicable to all callers and should be adopted.
A marijuana grower was convicted on Thursday of kidnapping, torturing and hacking off the penis of a pot dispensary owner he mistakenly thought had buried $1million in cash in the California desert.

Kyle Shirakawa Handley was found guilty of a grisly 2012 assault that included burning the then-29-year-old victim with a blowtorch, shocking him with a Taser, dousing him with bleach and mutilating his sex organ, before leaving him for dead in the Mojave Desert.

'We hope this verdict provides some solace to the victims in this case,' prosecutor Matt Murphy said.

Guilty: Kyle Shirakawa Handley (pictured in court Thursday) was found guilty of kidnapping, torturing and hacking off the penis of a pot dispensary owner in 2012

Accomplices: Naomi Rhodus (left) and her ex-husband Ryan Kevorkian (right) have pleaded not guilty in the kidnapping and assault case and are facing trial

Handley, 38, of Fountain Valley, is one of four people who were accused of kidnapping the Newport Beach marijuana dispensary owner, who has not been named because he is believed to be the victim of a sexual assault.

Handley, who had befriended the victim, made trips to Las Vegas with him and came to believe that he had stashed proceeds from his cash-based pot business in the Mojave Desert, prosecutors said.

In reality, the victim was looking into an investment deal in the area.

'Mastermind': Hossein Nayeri, 39, the accused ring leader behind the failed extortion plot, fled to Iran after the attack but was captured in Prague 2013

An extortion plot was hatched that used surveillance cameras and a GPS tracker to keep tabs on the dispensary owner for months, both at his home and when he made trips to the desert, authorities said.

On October 2, 2012, the kidnappers took the man and his roommate's girlfriend, then aged 53, from their Newport Beach home, drove them to the desert and then tortured the man to make him reveal where he had buried money, prosecutors said.

At trial the dispensary owner testified that they continued to torture him even though he told them he hadn't buried any cash. Finally, after being convinced he had no money, the kidnappers severed his penis and threw it from the window of the getaway van as they laughed at him. Authorities never recovered the organ.

The kidnapped woman eventually was able to cut herself free of her bonds using a knife the kidnappers left her. She staggered barefoot to a highway and flagged down a Kern County sheriff's deputy.

'Thick as thieves': Nayeri (left) and Handley (right) first met and befriended each other in high school, and prosecutors sai the pair were 'thick as thieves'

Authorities connected the four suspect to the crime after a 'thorough extensive investigation'.in

Initially, police pegged Handley because the white pickup truck neighbors reported seeing outside the victim's home was registered to him.

The other three were linked to the crime through DNA evidence.

On Thursday, the dispensary owner breathed a sigh of relief as Handley was convicted of kidnapping for ransom, aggravated mayhem and torture. His fiancee held his hand and rubbed his shoulder, the Orange County Register reported.

Handley is facing life in prison without chance of parole when he is sentenced on March 23.

Two other men, Ryan Kevorkian, 38, and Hossein Nayeri, 39, and Kevorkian's ex-wife, Naomi Rhodus, have pleaded not guilty and are facing trial in the case.

Prison break: Nayeri also is facing charges for escaping from the Orange County Jail in 2016. The escape was captured on a smuggled cellphone and was made public by Nayeri's attorney last year (pictured)

'These people were ruthless and they were efficient in the way that they carried out the crime,' Murphy said, according to reporting by NBC4.

Nayeri, the alleged mastermind of the failed desert heist and a high school friend of Handley's, fled to Iran after the attack. The FBI and Czech authorities arrested him at the Prague airport in 2013 on his way from Iran to Spain to visit family.

Nayeri also is facing charges for escaping from the Orange County Jail in 2016. He and two other inmates cut through a metal screen on a wall, crawled through plumbing shafts and rappelled from the roof. They were recaptured after a statewide manhunt.

The escape was captured on a smuggled cellphone and was made public by Nayeri's attorney last year.
One in seven adults will cut up a credit card this month after the Christmas spending binge.

And four out of 10 will resolve to reduce their weekly food bill and eat out less.

Switching and ditching utilities and other suppliers is another popular move, which can save 75 a month, a poll of 2,000 people for car buying site carwow found.

A third of adults (34 per cent) say they will negotiate for a better TV and broadband package, 23 per cent will choose a new phone package, 16 per cent say they'll take fewer holidays and seven per cent will trade in a car to reduce monthly payments.

After the Christmas splurge many people decide to cut back on spends by chopping up their credit cards, swapping broadband deals and look to buy items they need for 2018 at post-festive prices

One in seven (14 per cent) say they will cancel credit cards or switch a credit card balance, and one in 10 say they will cancel old insurance policies.

One in six say they'll break away from the festivities early this year to focus on the serious business of saving money after a tough 2017.

Many reckon it's the only downtime they have to think seriously about saving money.

Top 10 resolutions for 2018: 1. Save more money 2. Do more exercise 3. Eat more healthily 4. Lose weight 5. Spend more time with friends and family 6. Have better life/work balance 7. Learn new skill/take up hobby 8. Spend less time on phone 9. Drink less 10. Give up smoking Advertisement

Three in five (60 per cent) will look to buy the items they need for 2018, at post-Christmas prices.

One in three (32 per cent) will try to access the best prices on big ticket items such as white goods.

According to carwow's customer data from its 2.5million website visitors per month, the numbers of people seeking a new car rises in January as people start to research their new car options, with a rise in traffic of 71 per cent reported between December 2016 and January 2017.

Alex Rose, head of trading at carwow, said: 'January is the time of year when people are looking to make changes - often big ones.

'People are taking the time over the Christmas period to look at where their money goes each month and start the new year with a financial clean bill of health.'
The backpackers who almost died from snorting a seasickness drug believing it was cocaine will have to pay for their hospital treatment.

One of the nine tourists is still fighting for his life after the group were found in a 'zombie-like' state at their Perth share house on Tuesday night.

They were only saved from death when another housemate returned home to find them 'rolling around' on the floor and called triple-0.

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The backpackers who almost died from snorting a seasickness drug believing it was cocaine will have to pay for their hospital treatment

A total of nine people were found unconscious at a home in Perth about midnight on Tuesday. When paramedics arrived at the home members of the group were 'rolling around' on the floor

The backpackers include five French citizens, aged between 21 and 24, two Germans, aged 21 and 22, an Italian, 25, and a 24-year-old Moroccan.

As foreign nationals, all but one of them will be hit with thousands of dollars in medical bills for their treatment as they are not eligible for Medicare.

The Italian will be exempt as Australia has a reciprocal healthcare arrangement with the country, allowing each other's citizens free essential treatment.

Australia also has agreements with Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden and Britain.

The others will be slugged $275 for visiting emergency and $2,586 for each night they were admitted - plus fees for the ambulances that rushed them to hospital.

One of the backpackers said he would talk to the media once the final three of the group still in hospital, one of whom is still fighting for life, returned home safe

Six of the backpackers have been released, some seen around the house again on Wednesday and Thursday smiling and looking relaxed but did not want to comment

On top of that would be any medications they were given, and any tests or surgeries that were necessary - such as the induced coma several were put in.

The backpackers likely wouldn't be able to rely on their travel insurance as claims arising from excessive drinking or drug taking were generally rejected.

'There's an expectation by the insurer the traveller will do his or her best to not get into trouble,' Insurance Council of Australia's Campbell Fuller told the ABC.

'Therefore insurers have very strong exclusions around the use or overuse of alcohol, and the use of illicit, illegal or misuse of prescription drugs.'

The Western Australian health system has invoicing and debt recovery procedures to bill the eight backpackers and chase them up.

However, such expenses frequently go unpaid as tourists either can't afford them or simply fly back home, leaving taxpayers to pick up the tab.

At least one of the backpackers was taken for questioning by police as they try to get to the bottom of what happened on Tuesday night

Six of the backpackers have been released, some seen around the house again on Wednesday and Thursday smiling and looking relaxed but did not want to comment.

A Frenchman was still in critical condition at Royal Perth Hospital, along with a compatriot who was stable, and a German woman was at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in a critical but stable condition in an induced coma.

The drug was on Thursday identified as motion sickness medication hyoscine, which is also used as a date rape drug as it puts victims into a 'zombie-like' state.

One of the backpackers said he was 'trying to scream for help' but his mouth wouldn't move throughout the 'terrifying' ordeal.

The young man said he thought the white powder sent to the house from New York by mistake was cocaine.

The drug was addressed to someone who never lived at the house, apparently by mistake, but the backpackers snorted it anyway.

It had a pamphlet inside with the word 'scoop' printed across it and a piece of paper glued down with a lightning bolt symbol, according to Seven News.

They were only saved from death when another housemate returned home the the Perth share house (pictured) to find them 'rolling around' on the floor and called triple-0

Ambulance officers who attended the scene told of their shock at finding the group in a zombie-like state, 'rolling around' on the ground of the home when they arrived.

Paramedics had to sedate all nine people at the home due to them 'punched' and 'kicking' at emergency services as they tried to help.

Doctors said the victims would have died if ambulances hadn't been immediately called.

Royal Perth Hospital clinical toxicologist Jessamine Soderstrom said overheating bodies were eventually fatal.

'You go into multi-organ failure and patients die from that,' she told reporters.

'If it wasn't for the timely call of the resident, some of those patients inevitably would have died.'

Doctors said it was too early to tell if any of the victims would have permanent organ damage from the overdoses.

Paramedics had to sedate all nine people at the home due to them 'punched' and 'kicking' at emergency services as they tried to help

Doctors have not yet determined which drug the group had taken, but said they were acting as though they didn't know where they were when paramedics arrived

The house also has a large pool in the backyard

Royal Perth Hospital emergency doctor David McCutcheon said the patients arrived hallucinating, ill and in a state of agitated delirium and, most seriously, had racing hearts and overheating bodies.

'Several of them have had to be put in a medically induced coma,' he said.

'I need to emphasise how seriously unwell they are. It was lucky there was someone on scene who could call an ambulance, because their lives were in danger.

'It appears the patients didn't know where they were, they were rolling around on stretchers and at the scene as well.'

Police acting deputy commissioner Gary Budge said the investigation into the source of the drugs was continuing.

The owners of the Colombo Street house were being investigated by the Victoria Park council, due to it apparently being used illegally as a backpacker hostel.

A neighbour told the ABC the house was like a backpackers 'bed and breaskast'

The large wood-finished home has five bedrooms, three bathrooms and a battle-axe driveway that leads to off-street parking

Neighbours who watched on as the group was helped from the house described the chaotic scenes as 'really, really scary.'

'They were all coming past in a line, it was so scary and they had glassed eyes and they were like in a different world, it was so scary to look at a lot of them were having seizures,' Sophie Barnet told the ABC.

'There was one guy that was really violent on the stretcher, he was like punching the air and everything.'

Another local resident described the house as a backpacker's 'bed and breakfast', and said the victims were acting in an almost zombie-like state.

'It was just absolutely crazy. People just started coming out in stretchers, most of them were in like an unconscious state, but one of them was kicking and having almost like a spasm.'

Police seized substances from the home and Organised Crime were notified of the presence of drugs.

The large wood-finished home has five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a battle-axe driveway that leads to off-street parking, and a large pool in the backyard.
Eurosceptic Tories are urging Theresa May to remove Philip Hammond from the Treasury in next week's reshuffle to prevent him 'frustrating' Brexit.

The Chancellor was widely seen to have saved his job with a well-received Budget in November in which he set aside 3 billion to help prepare the UK for leaving the EU.

But some Tory MPs are still urging Mrs May to sack him, warning that his lukewarm stance on Brexit risks wrecking the Government's central mission.

Some Tory MPs are still urging Theresa May (pictured) to sack Philip Hammond, warning that his lukewarm stance on Brexit risks wrecking the Government's central mission

One senior Eurosceptic said: 'All that matters in the reshuffle is that she moves the Chancellor.

'She has the authority to do it and she must. No government ever succeeds if the prime minister and chancellor are at daggers drawn.

'Their relationship seems so poisonous that we will end up in a situation where the government cannot function.

'He can obstruct everything she wants to do and vice versa. We are already seeing that  he wants to build on the Green Belt and she blocks him, so housing policy gets gummed up.

'The health service needs an extra 10 billion, but if the Chancellor doesn't want it, it doesn't happen.

'Most importantly he's involved in all the key decisions on Brexit, acting as a drag on what needs to be done.

'She doesn't have to sack him, but she does have to move him and put someone in the Treasury who shares her views on what needs to be done.'

Another MP said: 'The Prime Minister does need to move the Chancellor if she is going to make a success of Brexit  he's a dead weight on everything.'

Mr Hammond is the Cabinet's leading Remainer, whose gloomy warnings about Brexit have angered colleagues.

But allies insist he has shifted his position significantly in recent months and is now fully behind the PM's drive to take the UK out of the single market.

Mr Hammond (pictured) is the Cabinet's leading Remainer, whose gloomy warnings about Brexit have angered colleagues. But allies insist he has shifted his position significantly in recent months and is now fully behind the PM's drive to take the UK out of the single market

Mrs May is set to carry out a reshuffle in the coming days following the sacking of her deputy Damian Green over sleaze claims last month.

Tory Party chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin is also set to be pensioned off.

Government insiders say she has yet to make up her mind about whether to take the opportunity to conduct a wide-ranging reshuffle or keep it to a more limited affair.

Mrs May has a prickly relationship with Mr Hammond and considered sacking him last year. But, with her position still week, most now expect him to keep his job.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is the frontrunner to replace Mr Green, who played a key role at the heart of government, but the PM has yet to decide whether to reward him with the title First Secretary of State.
Sir Keir Starmer dodged questions this morning over the decision not to prosecute John Worboys for dozens more sex attacks.

The Labour frontbencher was accused of ignoring scores of women who came forward after the taxi driver's conviction in March 2009.

Sir Keir  now Shadow Brexit Secretary  was then the country's top prosecutor.

Challenged over the issue outside his home this morning, he said: 'I think those decisions were made nine years ago.'

Former Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute John Worboys over dozens of more sex attacks. Speaking outside his house today, he said: 'I think those decisions were nine years ago'

Sir Keir added: 'It's important you go to the Crown Prosecution Service and get an accurate read out of the decisions that were made and particularly if further allegations are likely to be made.'

Sir Keir also urged victims with concerns about the case to contact the police, before he went inside without answering any more questions.

The then Labour Attorney General, Baroness Scotland of Asthal also failed to use her powers to refer the lenient sentence back to the courts.

According to The Times, Lady Scotland 'considered the case in detail' before deciding against appealing the leniency of the sentence.

Worboys, a former stripper and porn actor, was convicted of attacking 12 women. He was jailed indefinitely after being found guilty of one rape and 11 sexual assaults.

Many of his victims were young women who he picked up and plied with champagne spiked with powerful sedatives, claiming he was celebrating a lottery win.

Baroness Scotland, who was the Labour Attorney General could have used her powers to refer the lenient sentence back to the courts

Who is who in the Worboys case? Sir Keir Starmer Sir Keir, now a Labour frontbencher was the director of public prosecutions at the time of Worboys' conviction. He was probably involved in the decision not to push for more charges. Nick Hardwick Professor Hardwick chairman of the Parole Board, three of whose members decided Worboys should go free. He has defended the work of the Board, but agreed that reform of the system was needed to make it more transparent. Baroness Scotland Baroness Scotland was Labour's Attorney General at the time of the case. The position gave her the power to have the sentence reviewed and potentially increased, but she did not do so. Sir David Penry-Davey The late Sir David, formerly Mr Justice Penry-Davey, sentenced Worboys to the indeterminate sentence. He told him after conviction that he had used a sophisticated approach to carry out his crimes and was a serious risk to the public. Advertisement

At the time of his conviction, 83 women had come forward with complaints against him. Another 19 have come forward since then.

But the Crown Prosecution Service declined to bring any more charges  despite Scotland Yard passing files on the cases to prosecutors. Instead the CPS ordered 'no further action' (NFA).

At the time, Sir Keir was head of the CPS as Director of Public Prosecutions. It is not known whether he was personally involved in the decision not to prosecute, but it was one of the most high-profile cases the CPS dealt with at the time.

It is understood that one reason for the NFA decision was that Worboys had been given an indefinite prison sentence by the judge at his trial.

But critics last night said that if he had been hauled back to court to face more charges and was found guilty, he might have been kept behind bars for longer.

Criticising Sir Keir, Conservative MP Priti Patel said: 'This is an appalling reflection on someone who is now a Labour shadow minister of their "soft on crime" stance and lack of interest in wanting to prosecute such horrendous crimes against women because Worboys was in prison. There are serious questions to answer as to why this was not taken further, why he failed to look into the allegations and why he failed to act.'

A senior Whitehall source said: 'If Worboys had been ordered to stand trial for more attacks, it is possible he would have been convicted and given a longer sentence. That means many victims would not have been denied justice Hopefully, for the sake of the victims, Sir Keir might provide the answers.'

The cabbie offered them Champagne spiked with powerful sedatives to celebrate a fictional lottery win, backed up with a carrier bag stuffed full of cash

A Scotland Yard spokesman said of the accusations following Worboys's conviction: 'All allegations were investigated and on the advice of the CPS all were subsequently NFA'd. Victims were fully appraised of the situation at the time.'

Yvonne Traynor, of Rape Crisis South London, said: 'It feels far too soon for this dangerous and manipulative perpetrator to be released into the public having served this woefully short time in prison the women he raped will never be totally free from his despicable actions.'

In 2014, Women Against Rape accused Sir Keir of 'building a career as the victims' champion', while presiding over the CPS when more vulnerable women and girls were being prosecuted.
Steve Bannon once openly suggested that President Donald Trump was so mentally unfit for office that the U.S. Constitution's 25th Amendment might be needed to remove him.

The 25th Amendment allows for a majority of the president's cabinet, or 'such other body as Congress may by law provide,' to decide if an Oval Office occupant is unable to carry out his duties  and then to put it to a full congressional vote.

The vice president also has to agree before a president can be relieved of duty, which could either slow down the process or speed it up, depending on how ambitious the number-two might be.

In a book due out Friday, columnist Michael Wolff claims Bannon, then in his final days as the White House's chief strategist, raised the idea following Trump's foot-in-mouth moment in the wake of a deadly white supremacist protest in Virginia.

Steve Bannon said during his last days at the White House that Donald Trump's remarks about a deadly race riot in Charlottesville, Virginia could be enough to trigger the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and end his presidency

Trump had told reporters in August that 'both sides' shared blame for the violence that left one counterprotester dead when a neo-Nazi rammed his car into a crowd

Columnist Michael Wolff (left) is set to release 'Fire and Fury' on Friday, the most eagerly anticipated political page-turner of the new year

Trump had blamed bad actors on 'many sides' for the violence in the college town of Charlottesville, where a racist zealot plowed his car into a counterprotester and left her for dead.

'I think there is blame on both sides,' Trump told reporters during a contentious press conference in the ensuing days.

By all accounts, the episode left West Wing aides frustrated  some to the point of considering submitting resignations.

Bannon, according to a section of the book 'Fire and Fury' published Friday by the Times of London, saw the crisis as a sign that Trump was unfit to be president.

'The debate, as Bannon put it, was not about whether the president's situation was bad, but whether it was 25th-Amendment bad,' Wolff writes.

As excerpts from the book dribble out, reporters have pressed the White House about whether Trump has all his marbles.

The August 11, 2017 'Unite the Right' rally in Virginia became a magnet for neo-Nazis, the KKK and other fringe racist groups

When the dust cleared, one counterprotster was dead and others (pictured) were taken to hospitals after a white man mowed down a crowd with his car

Trump was widely criticized for his comments four days later, in which he suggested that some of the right-wingers were peaceful and only wanted to speak on behalf of keeping Confederate monuments in southern states like Virginia

Press Secretary Sarah Sanders pronounced the question 'disgraceful and laughable' on Thursday.

'If he was unfit, he probably wouldn't be sitting there, and wouldn't have defeated the most qualified group of candidates the Republican Party has ever seen,' she insisted.

'This is an incredibly strong and good leader. That's why we've had such a successful 2017 and why we're going to continue to do great things as we move forward in this administration.'

Bannon, who has earned no end of misery from collaborating with Wolff and easiing his path to White House access, left the administration in August, just days after delivering his quip about the 25th Amendment.

Wolff writes that just months later, back at the helm of the Breitbart News website, he was issuing ever more dire predictions about his former boss's Oval Office prognosis.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Thursday that questions about the president's mental health are 'disgraceful and laughable'

The author misses the fact that Bannon was no longer on Trump's staff at the time, but paints a bleak picture of the president's ability to escape the special counsel's Russia investigation unscathed.

'By October Steve Bannon, the White House chief strategist, was telling people that he thought there was a 33.3 per cent chance that the Mueller investigation would lead to the impeachment of the president, a 33.3 per cent chance that Trump would resign, perhaps in the wake of a threat by the cabinet to act on the 25th Amendment, and a 33.3 per cent chance that he would limp to the end of his term,' Wolff writes.

'In any event, there would certainly not be a second term, or even an attempt at one. "He's not going to make it," said Bannon at the Breitbart Embassy [his office]. "He's lost his stuff".'

That anecdote has some currency, as it closely parallels one described by Vanity Fair in October, which reported Bannon had 'told Trump that the risk to his presidency wasn't impeachment, but the 25th Amendment.'

The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Section 4 'Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President. 'Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. 'Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.' Advertisement

'When Bannon mentioned the 25th Amendment, Trump said, "What's that?" the magazine wrote.

'According to a source, Bannon has told people he thinks Trump has only a 30 per cent chance of making it the full term.'

Legal scholars tend to agree that when the Constitution's framers first provided for the replacement of a president with an 'inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the Office,' they weren't talking about eccentricities or unusual attitudes.

And when the 25th Amendment was sent to the states for ratification in 1965, the Senate agreed that 'inability' meant a president was 'unable to make or communicate his decisions' and suffered from a 'mental debility' rendering him 'unable or unwilling to make any rational decision.'

Trump came out swinging against Bannon this week following publication of the first excerpts from 'Fire and Fury.'

'Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my Presidency. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind,' the president said in a formal statement.

'Steve pretends to be at war with the media, which he calls the opposition party, yet he spent his time at the White House leaking false information to the media to make himself seem far more important than he was. It is the only thing he does well,' Trump said.

'Steve was rarely in a one-on-one meeting with me and only pretends to have had influence to fool a few people with no access and no clue, whom he helped write phony books.'
Rep. Warren Love called for the vandal of a Confederate monument to be 'found and hung from a tall tree' - but will not be punished

A Missouri lawmaker who called for the vandal of a Confederate monument to be 'found and hung from a tall tree' will not be punished, it has emerged.

Republican Rep. Warren Love, of Osceola, Missouri, faced claims that his Facebook post in August evoked images of lynchings of black people.

But the 67-year-old said he was using old cowboy jargon for saying he hoped the person who vandalized the monument in Springfield, Missouri, would be prosecuted.

On Thursday, he left a Thursday ethics hearing unpunished after his Republican colleagues voted down their only option to continue pursuing discipline against him.

By simply disagreeing with the House Ethics Committee's recommendation that he be reprimanded and stripped of his committee assignments, Love derailed that effort.

His fellow Republicans on the committee then voted down an opportunity to revive that possible punishment by continuing the ethics review.

House Democratic Leader Gail McCann Beatty, who filed one of the complaints against Love, is now calling for action by Republican House Speaker Todd Richardson, who could still discipline him.

Richardson did not immediately respond to Associated Press requests for comment Thursday.

During the ethics hearing, Love apologized again but said he doesn't deserve to be punished.

'I'm not admitting I did anything wrong,' Love said. 'I am admitting that I made a statement that was taken out of context and offended certain people that took it to mean something that it did not mean, and I'm sorry for that.'

Love made the controversial remarks in an August Facebook update and later faced calls to resign

Suburban St. Louis Republican Rep. Marsha Haefner told Love during Thursday's hearing that she finds it 'almost impossible' he didn't connect the dots with a lynching, and noted his comment came amid a nationwide controversy over Confederate monuments and white nationalist rallies.

'I just think you're smarter than thinking it has no meaning in regards to race,' she said. 'Where I come from, this is not cowboy talk. It's not acceptable.'

Haefner voted to reprimand Love, but later voted against continuing the review.

If Love continues to go unpunished, reaction to his Facebook post will stand in contrast to treatment of a suburban St. Louis Democrat who also faced backlash for a social media comment.

The Confederate monument at the Springfield National Cemetery that was vandalized

Numerous top Republican and Democratic officials in Missouri called on Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal to resign after she wrote 'I hope Trump is assassinated!' on her personal Facebook page in August and later deleted it. She has said the remark was made in frustration over Trump's response to a white nationalist rally in Virginia that descended into violence.

Senators in response formally reprimanded her in September, and the Senate Democratic leader took away her committee memberships.

'It seems there is one standard for black, Democratic women and another for white Republican men,' McCann Beatty told the ethics panel.
Chaos erupted on Oxford Street when a giant white art installation blew out of control in 60mph winds.

The piece, which looks like an oversized balloon, was compared to the Death Star spaceship as it swayed close to double decker buses in central London this evening.

Police were forced to close lanes of traffic, as high winds threw it across the road, over fears of possible crashes.

Chaos erupted on Oxford Street when a giant white art installation blew out of control in 60mph winds

The installation has been erected to mark the Lumiere Light art festival on January 18, but some shoppers did not think the orb would make it to the opening.

Many took to Twitter to poke fun at the odd looking decoration, with one tweeter quipping: 'Oxford Circus being closed off - guessing they're bringing Skywalker in to deal with the Death Star?'

Another commented: 'Who could predict that installing a giant balloon above Oxford Circus on the windiest day of the year would go horribly wrong.'

Shoppers were shocked to see the giant orb swaying close to traffic on Oxford Street

One said: 'Why exactly is there a giant ball in Oxford Circus? What purpose could it possibly have worth holding up all that traffic for?'

Another joked: 'Someone in Oxford Street has really dropped the ball tonight.'

Workers were seen taking down the ball just before midnight, in an apparent safety precaution.

During the Lumiere festival pieces will be erected across the capital, with installations in King's Cross, the West End, Westminster, Victoria and the South Bank.

More than 40 artists will showcase their work, and according to the event's website, installations will include 'illuminated singing see-saws in Mayfair, a meditation on time from the Industrial Revolution to the present day on Regent Street, and a Matisse-inspired animation dancing across the facade of the Royal Academy of Arts on Piccadilly.'
A private music college that offers degrees in songwriting received a third more student loan cash than the London School of Economics last year.

The British and Irish Modern Music Institute got 24.4million in taxpayer-backed tuition fee loans in 2016/17 after trebling its number of students over three years.

Just 18million was handed to LSE, which is ranked in the worlds top 30 universities and sees a large proportion of its graduates gain jobs in the business and banking sectors.

Bimm courses include BA degrees in songwriting, professional musicianship in bass guitar, and music journalism. It also offers degrees in event management and music business.

London School of Economics received 36% less student loan cash than the British and Irish Modern Music Institute which trebled its number of students over three years

The figures prompted concern that too much public cash is spent on courses that do not provide good value for taxpayers and students. Chris McGovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, questioned whether a degree was needed for success in music.

Many taxpayers will be sceptical of the need for such a degree and consider it a money-raising racket that may leave young people in considerable debt, he said. It is up to the providers of such courses  to demonstrate how they are not ripping off young people.

Private providers of higher education do not receive government funding  in contrast to traditional universities. But UK and EU students can take out taxpayer-funded tuition fee loans to attend them.

Only graduates earning over 25,000 will repay the loans  and after 30 years debts are wiped. It means the taxpayer picks up the bill for courses with low-earning graduates. Bimm, a for-profit institution founded in 2001 as the Brighton Institute of Modern Music, charges 7,250 a year in tuition fees.

Chris McGovern (pictured), of the Campaign for Real Education, questioned whether a degree was needed for success in music

The 24.4million it got last year  36 per cent more than the LSE  for 4,183 full-time students made it the biggest recipient of Student Loan Company funding among private institutions. In 2013-14, it took 7.2million for 1,372 students.

Along with LSE, which charges 9,250 a year, other mainstream universities receiving less than Bimm last year include the School of Oriental and African Studies at University of London, with 16.6million, and Harper Adams University on 13million.

Bimms expansion follows investment by private equity firm Sovereign Capital, which acquired a majority stake in 2010. Bimm now has 6,500 students after opening sites in Dublin, Manchester, Berlin and Birmingham on top of Brighton, Bristol and London bases, the funds website says.

Sovereign Capital also owns Greenwich School of Management, which got 19.9million, the second-highest SLC funding of a for-profit provider in 2016-17. Bimm chief Adam Carswell told Times Higher Education the institutes growth was due to value-for-money fees highly vocational courses and strong connections to creative industries.

David OConnor, marketing director at Bimm, said its provision was commended by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in 2016. He said 82 per cent of Bimm alumni are in work six months after graduating and, of those, 72 per cent are in music or wider creative industries.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, said: The rapid increase in the sums of money making their way to private equity firms with little checks or balances is quite extraordinary.
Special counsel Robert Mueller is aware of an unsuccessful attempt by President Donald Trump to lobby Attorney General Jeff Sessions not to recuse himself from the Justice Department's Russia probe, The New York Times reported Thursday.

The Times, citing two people with knowledge of the episode, said Trump had ordered White House counsel Don McGahn last March to stop Sessions from recusing himself from oversight of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Trump's reported attempt to have a political ally maintain control of an investigation into his associates would add to a list of possible examples of Trump seeking to influence the Justice Department -- and opening himself up to potential obstruction of justice claims.

Ty Cobb, a lawyer for the President, told CNN tonight he "respectfully declines to respond."

At the time, Sessions faced mounting calls for recusal given his support for the Trump campaign and the revelation of an omission during his confirmation hearing about contacts with Sergey Kislyak, who was the Russian ambassador to the US at the time.

While widely reported on, the government did not confirm the existence of the investigation until then-FBI Director James Comey told the House Intelligence Committee later in March 2017 that there was an ongoing investigation into potential coordination between Trump's associates and Russia to influence the 2016 election.

The Times also reported that, "Two days after Mr. Comey's testimony, an aide to Mr. Sessions approached a Capitol Hill staff member asking whether the staffer had any derogatory information about the FBI director," a claim that the Justice Department denied. "The attorney general wanted one negative article a day in the news media about Mr. Comey, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting," the Times reported.

But Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores told CNN: "This did not happen and would not happen. Plain and simple."

New York Rep. Jerry Nadler, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, released a statement in the wake of the report, calling McGahn's reported conduct "completely unacceptable" and saying McGahn should make himself available to the committee.

"Congress needs to know exactly what efforts Mr. McGahn took to 'lobby' the Attorney General in this case, and what President Trump's role was in those efforts," Nadler said.

Sessions announced he would recuse himself from all matters relating to the investigation in early March. Politicians, including Republicans, praised the decision at the time, but Trump has publicly rebuked his attorney general and said he wished Sessions had not recused.

The Times reported Thursday that after McGahn was unsuccessful at getting Sessions not to recuse, Trump became angry and said he needed an attorney general to protect him.

Sessions' recusal left Justice Department oversight of the probe to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed former FBI director Mueller to be special counsel after Trump fired Comey in May 2017.

Sessions said in summer 2017 he was "confident" he had made the right decision about recusal -- and as some Republicans called Thursday for his ouster, some top Democrats, in a major shift, have suggested Sessions should stay to avoid interference with the special counsel probe.

CNN's Laura Jarrett contributed to this report.
Police were warned to stay away from a Kurdish street said to be under the control of gangsters, a court heard.

Officers investigating the sale of illegal cigarettes, drug dealing and human trafficking were offered bribes to turn a blind eye.

But they refused and the Mini Market shop in Hyson Green, Nottingham was repeatedly raided by police and city council trading standards officers determined to tackle criminal behaviour on a commercial scale.

Police were investigating crime centred on this Nottingham mini market, pictured

A judge at Nottingham Magistrates' Court ordered the mini market closed for three months

During the raids, illegal tobacco worth 34,640 was seized, Nottingham Magistrates Court was told.

An illegal immigrant was found being kept as a slave in a hole with the sole job of passing up illegal cigarettes to the shop.

PC Lee Wilson said: Illicit tobacco was being used to fund criminality, primarily drug supply and human trafficking. Senior members of Kurdish organised crime have been using it to fund criminality in the Radford Road area.

A Kurdish businessman offered us 5,000 a month to cease the tobacco investigation.

With others involved in the operation, we had a search dog and were told, police are not welcome on the street. It was described as a Kurdish street.

There is the perception that all the shops on this particular street are controlled by gangsters.

It is an open secret these shops exist to supply tobacco.

It is the perception by local residents that the drug supply is by Kurdish gangsters.

PC Wilson told the court shops filled shelves with tinned goods and pickled items to create an illusion.

He said intricate hiding places were made for the illegal cigarettes, with new spots created after raids.

One hideout was controlled by a fake fuse box and could only be opened when a switch was thrown which turned off a magnet controlling the locks.

False walls were built and some cigarettes were hidden in fruit juice containers.

The judge made an order to close the Mini Market shop for three months.

District Judge Leo Pyle said: There are no no-go areas in this land. There will never be streets or shops where criminals can go about their business with impunity. Every citizen is subject to the rule of law. There is no such thing as a Kurdish street.

Trading standards officer Paul Wheddon told how a secret cellar was lined with cigarettes. Sitting in the cellar was a failed asylum seeker with no rights in the UK who had the task of passing up cigarettes to the shop.

When found, he was placed in the care of an anti-slavery team, the court heard.

Mr Wheddon said: He said he was dropped into the hole and would be given some money to stay there for eight hours.

The judge said: Effectively it was a cell. He couldnt get out of it. There was no escape had there been an emergency.

That shows the callous indifference for the safety of illegal workers.

After the hearing, city council chief trading standards and anti-social behaviour officer Richard Antcliff said: We see this as a landmark decision by the court which gives us the opportunity to use closure powers on other premises involved in the sale of illegal tobacco products.

The message to those engaged in this criminal activity is clear: if you continue, it is highly probable that we will close you down.

Chris Larkin, from Nottingham City Council, said: This is one of the clearest examples of criminal behaviour [as] shown by the council. The evidence of the police and trading standards shows the wider impact of the criminality on the public.
A young woman showed her true Aussie spirit when she helped rescue a fellow Australian man looking worse for wear on a flight to Dubai.

Grace Cheatley told Daily Mail Australia she spotted some commotion surrounding Boris, who was stumbling around the cabin with his pants falling down as he went to get his overhead luggage off the plane.

The youth worker student caught up to Boris, who tripped down the stairs getting off the plane, and gave a helping hand once they got on a connecting bus after their flight from Switzerland.

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Grace Cheatley (pictured) showed her true Aussie spirit when she helped rescue a fellow Australian man looking worse for wear on a flight to Dubai

Ms Cheatley filmed Boris trying to get his over head luggage off the plane while his pants were falling down (pictured)

The 23-year-old (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia she spotted some commotion surrounding Boris, who was stumbling around the cabin on the flight from Switzerland

Boris can be heard saying in the video that he was 'pretty f***ing sloshed' after eight drinks

The youth worker student (left) caught up to Boris (right), who tripped down the stairs getting off the plane, after she heard him say he was from 'straya mate'

'After overhearing him say he was from 'straya mate' I couldn't help but introduce myself and help him out!!,' Ms Cheatley said.

'He was helping people step up onto the bus, including older guys who were very confused, which I thought was hilarious and I knew he was obviously a lovely bloke.

Ms Cheatley said despite his state after drinking eight alcoholic beverages, Boris, from Western Australia, had been making conversation with everyone on the bus and almost sat on a woman at one point.

The Victoria woman said Boris, who can be heard in the video Ms Cheatley filmed saying he was 'pretty f***ing sloshed', was happy to have a 'fellow Aussie by his side'.

'We walked through the terminal together arm in arm, I held his hand for most of it,' Ms Cheatley told Daily Mail Australia.

'We had to make a few stops here and there to make sure we had his phone wallet and passport safe ... I was a bit worried about surrounding security guards at one stage when he was on the ground but I quickly got him up.'

'He was helping people step up onto the bus, including older guys who were very confused ... I knew he was obviously a lovely bloke,' Ms Cheatley (right) told Daily Mail Australia

The Aussie hero, who Boris deemed 'Wonder Woman', said he was great with security, despite having to take off his shoes, and they 'luckily' made it through

The young traveller helped Boris to his gate and got him a toastie and water before going on her own way when he made new friends before his flight back to Western Australia

The Aussie hero, who was deemed 'Wonder Woman', said Boris was great with security, despite having to take off his shoes, and they 'luckily' made it through.

After passing through security, the 23-year-old found her new mate's gate for his connecting flight home in November last year.

'I sat him down and said 'sit down and do not move, if I get back and you're gone you'll be in big trouble' ... I felt like his mum,' she said.

The Aussie 'wonder woman' went and got Boris a toastie and water and by the time she got back, he had made some new friends so she went on her own way.

'I loved him he was so funny and lovely, it made my stop over so bearable!,' Ms Cheatley said.
A woman who was allegedly bashed to death by her partner of 18 years has been described as a 'princess' and 'special angel' by her devastated mother.

Margaret Indich died in a Perth hospital on Wednesday with her mother Irene by her side.

The 'miracle' woman was aged just 38 - but her family told 7News she was born with a hole in her heart and was expected to die as a baby.

Margaret Indich, pictured, died in a Perth hospital on Wednesday with her mother Irene by her side

It is alleged Ms Indich's partner stopped paramedics from trying to help the woman - after they were called at about 8pm

Ms Indich's mother had told her to leave her long term partner in the past but said her daughter always went back because 'she loved him'.

It is alleged Ms Indich's partner stopped paramedics from trying to help the woman - after they were called at about 8pm.

Police arrived to help control the situation but the man had already left the home.

A 40-year-old man was arrested following an eight-hour manhunt but charges haven't been laid.
President Donald Trump doesn't think much of his two adult sons' intellectual abilities, according to new claims made in the controversial Fire and Fury book.

The tell-all book - which Trump quickly dubbed as 'false and fake' - claims the President would regularly make fun of Eric and Don Jr's intelligence.

'Their father took some regular pleasure in pointing out that they were in the back of the room when God handed out brains,' author Michael Wolff writes.

'But, then again, Trump tended to scorn anyone who might be smarter than he was.'

President Donald Trump doesn't think much of the intellectual abilities of his two sons Eric and Don Jr., according to new claims made in the controversial Fire and Fury book

The book suggests the two men, who worked for their father at the Trump Organization before taking over when he became President, 'existed in an enforced infantile relationship with their father'.

It says the role embarrassed them, but they still embraced it professionally.

Don Jr. and Eric both declined on Thursday to comment on the book's claims.

The book goes on to say their sister Ivanka was the 'designated family smart person' even though she was 'certainly no native genius'.

Eric and Don Jr. have both been the victims of Saturday Night Live mockery in the past with various sketches poking fun at their intelligence.

The book goes on to say that the brothers eventually grew into 'reasonably competent' executives within their father's company because Trump had no patience to run it.

The book suggests the two men, who worked for their father at the Trump Organization before taking over when he became President, 'existed in an enforced infantile relationship with their father'

Eric and Don Jr. have both been the victims of Saturday Night Live mockery (above) in the past with various sketches poking fun at their intelligence

Later, Trump's success as the Republican candidate caused some disruption in the family dynamic when others, including Jared Kushner, expressed desire to be Trump's main guy, the book alleges.

But Don Jr supposedly pushed to become his father's replacement.

Wolff claims Don Jr., Jared and Paul Manafort's infamous meeting at Trump Tower for dirt on Hillary Clinton was Don's way of trying to impress his father.

'When this meeting became public 13 months later, it would, for the Trump White House, encapsulate both the case against collusion with the Russians and the case for it,' Wolff writes.

'It was a case, or the lack of one, not of masterminds and subterfuge, but of senseless and benighted people so guileless and unconcerned that they enthusiastically colluded in plain sight.'

The White House is furious over allegations found in author Michael Wolff's new book

One of Trump's personal lawyers demanded on Thursday morning that the book be shelved because of what he said were maliciously false claims.

Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters on Thursday afternoon that the book is 'full of false and fake information' and that Trump 'clearly believes that it shouldn't be' published.

'It's completely tabloid gossip, full of false and fraudulent claims,' she said.

Sanders had insisted that 'the president absolutely believes in the First Amendment,' but suggested that libel and defamation can outweigh freedom of speech.

Trump 'believes in making sure that information is accurate before pushing it out as fact,' she said, and in this case 'it certainly and clearly is not.'
In 2015, the couple sold all their possessions and island home in favour of a constantly travelling existence

They are using TrustedHousesitters.com to look for holidaymakers seeking people to care for houses and pets

Ian Usher and Vanessa Anderson have spent the last 4 years housesitting as way to affordably travel the world

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Calling themselves 'global nomads', Ian Usher and Vanessa Anderson have spent the last four years globetrotting for free - by staying in other people's houses.

'House sitting offers the opportunity to enjoy a lifestyle of freedom and choice,' Ian said. 'We love living in this way and would encourage anybody to at least give it a try. And as a bonus we get to cuddle up with pets that we can no longer have now that we travel so extensively ourselves.'

They use TrustedHousesitters.com - a service now available to Australians that matches people who are looking to have their pets looked after with animal-lovers who are looking to holiday locally or overseas.

In return for caring for their pets, traveler get to stay in their accommodation - for free.

Ian Usher and Vanessa Anderson have spent the last four years globetrotting for free - by staying in other people's houses

The travelling couple have experienced life on multiple continents from Texas (left) to Everest Base Camp in Nepal (right)

In 2014, the couple sold all their possessions and wandered the beautiful National Parks of Texas and Southwestern America

The most important thing for people wanting to start living the 'house-sitting lifestyle' is to be comfortable living with no physical ties and very few possessions, Ian explained.

He made international headlines in 2008 when he 'sold his life' on eBay and took to a life of travelling where he challenged himself to tick 100 things of his personal bucket list in 100 weeks.

When Walt Disney purchased the rights to his life story for an upcoming film called 'A Life Sold', he used the money buy a small Caribbean island of the coast of Panama. Then, he met Vanessa Anderson, who decided to join Ian in his unconventional lifestyle.

'Ten years ago, I had no idea that my life was about to become filled with travel, adventure and experience,' Ian said. 'I have no idea where my life will take me over the next ten years. But I do know that Vanessa and I are always making conscious choices that will take us further down the path of the amazing life we are creating for ourselves.'

'Our house sitting adventures began in Panama in 2013, where we looked after several of our neighbours properties while they travelled,' Ian explained. 'We also experienced house sitting from the other side of the equation, using sitters on several occasions to look after our own island property.'

The couple sold their island in 2015, wanting to completely free themselves from physical ties to live a lifestyle of global wandering. Since, they have enjoyed house sitting assignments on several different continents.

In 2014, the couple sold all their possessions and wandered the beautiful National Parks of Texas and Southwestern USA in an RV. This was followed by a year teaching English in Shenzhen, China to 'top up the travelling funds'.

Ian and Vanessa celebrate Ian's birthday in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico with cocktails at a rooftop bar followed by dancing

The intrepid couple have had no physical home since 2015, when they sold the small Caribbean island off the coast of Panama

At the end of 2015, they left China for a few months in Australias Victorian Alps, six weeks in Fiji and then six months in Perth before flying to the UK followed by Central America where they spent the rest of 2016 in Mexico, Panama and Nicaragua.

'Hopefully we might inspire you to make some changes in your life. Where do you want to be ten years from now? The choices you make today will create the life you get to live in the future.'

But you don't even have to leave the country to live the jet-setting lifestyle - check out the ten best housesitting opportunities that Australia has to offer.

Southport, Gold Coast, Queensland

Southport is at the northern end of the Gold Coast, close to the beautiful Broadwater and magnificent Gold Coast beaches

'Our cat needs a friend to look after him,' wrote Phillipa and Mark wrote on the site ahead of their three-week trip to Europe

Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Homeowners in Cairns are looking for an experienced and active dog handler to mind their happy but boisterous rescue dog

The tropical, spacious home includes three bedrooms, a study, an outdoor entertainment area with a BBQ and medium pool





Helensvale, Queensland

The owners of this stunning Helensvale property don't want to leave their two dogs in a kennel for the time that they are away

They are seeking someone who is happy to water the garden, collect mail, feed the pets and and generally enjoy their home

Samford Valley, Queensland

Victoria describes her beautiful property as a 'tropical oasis with its own domestic zoo' near the stunning Samford Valley

Describing her three pets - a dog and two cats - as her 'fur-babies', she is seeking a housesitter to care for her beloved animals

Draper is situated in the stunning Samford Valley, but it's not too far from the action at with just a 40 minute drive to Brisbane

Aside from looking after the home and gardening, Victoria wants someone who is very experienced with large breed dogs

New Farm, Queensland, Australia

A professional inner city middle aged couple are looking for a housesitter to mind the home that they designed themselvse

The couple request that their elderly dog Nelson (right) is looked after, fed, kept company and helped up the stairs if needed

The couple note that every mod-con and convenience is available - and all they ask that our house is left as you first found it

Leura, Blue Mountains, New South Wales

This Leura property was renovated recently and has a small walled pretty garden at the back, with large sun drenched deck

The house has lots of light, a spacious living room and eat in kitchen with large bedroom and bathroom for the housesitters

Leura is in the Blue Mountains an hour and a half by car and train to the city of Sydney with plenty of local attractions nearby

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

A family of three living in West End in Brisbane are looking for someone to watch their house and dog while they are away

The homeowners ask that their dog Maggie, who is two years old, be fed and taken for walked every day in the Brisbane area

Housesitters are advised that nearby to the house is Hardgrave Road, which has some great Vietnamese and dumpling bars





Brooklet, Byron Bay, New South Wales

Simone, who owns a cottage which normally rents out for $300 per night, says it's free to someone who will feed her Kelpie

Housesitters must collect mail, put the bins out for collection, feed Jasper the Kelpie, walk him and make sure he has water

The property is located close to world acclaimed Byron Bay restaurants, beaches and shopping precincts near the hinterland

Albany Creek, Queensland, Australia

Lisa, the owner of this stunning Albany creek property, needs someone to keep her pets happy while she travels for her work

Lisa's dogs love walking, chasing after a ball and swimming in the pool - both of them need to be kept active while she is gone

Two birds need to be fed fresh fruit and veg each day and the cage needs to be cleaned each day and then covered up at night

The private house backing onto park-lands is a great environment for taking it easy, Lisa says, and is also very close to shops

Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia

Ambah is looking for someone to take care of her modern, beautiful home and will be able relax in a huge master bedroom

Housesitters must; water indoor plants, bring in mail, water the small garden and care for her adorable 9-year-old dog Nova

Preference will be given to applicants who have had previous experience, have verifiable references and can provide an ID

Riverview, Lane Cove, New South Wales

Leanne's beautiful home in Lane Cove is located in a A lovely leafy, quiet area only about 6km north of the busy city of Sydney

Housesitters must be willing to walk Truffles (left) for 30 minutes each day, water the garden and generally care for the house
A mother was disgusted to find what she thought was mould in a Coles pizza base - but she claims it turned out to be much worse.

Heather Judson said she bought a pack of the supermarket's thin & crispy pizza bases and noticed a 'greenish mark' on one of them.

'But after closer inspection, I was furious to find that it was not mold but a big piece of braided steel wire,' she wrote in an angry Facebook post.

Heather Judson claimed to find steel wire in her Coles pizza base

'How in the heck does this end up in a pizza base, which could have been eaten and caused major health complications when digested?'

Ms Judson questioned how many other Coles pizza bases and other products could have a 'steel surprise' due to manufacturing errors.

'I thought this pack of pizza bases were a steal for $6, but not this much of a steel. My multivitamin gives me enough iron for the day thank you very much,' she said.

She bought a pack of the supermarket's thin & crispy pizza bases and noticed a 'greenish mark' on one of them which she initially though was mould

Coles social media monitors replied to the post and asked for more details, and have since begun investigating.

'We have been in contact with the customer and are investigating the matter with our supplier,' it said.

Other customers suggested the wire was likely from a machine component and the whole batch would probably have to be recalled.
Police have slammed two 'hoons' who left their friend to die in the back seat of a car.

Emergency services were called to Bindts Road in Wollert, Victoria about 6am on Friday after a dark-coloured Subaru Impreza was seen crashed into a pole.

A dead man aged between 25 and 30 was found in the back seat of the car, and Victoria Police said he is yet to be identified.

Police have slammed two 'hoons' who left their friend to die in the back seat of a car

Emergency services were called to Bindts Road in Wollert, Victoria about 6am on Friday

Police are investigating the crash, and believe a group of people were in the car before fleeing the scene.

Victoria Police are searching the area and have asked anyone with information to come forward.

Major Collision Investigation Unit Detective Inspector Stuart McGregor told the Herald Sun a driver and a front seat passenger were in the car at the time of the crash.

'What they were doing at the time was probably hooning. They've made a clear choice to leave the car and leave the person in the back of the car while he died,' he said.

A dead man aged between 25 and 30 was found in the back seat of the car

'I don't understand how a person can just walk away from their mate when they're dying in front of them. If we had got to him sooner, he may be alive today.'

Police believe the car was moving at an excessive speed when it spun out and hit the pole.

The car was understood to be fitted with incorrect plates.

'We don't stop until we catch you, we will catch you, we will determine who you are and before you know it, we'll be knocking on the door,' Mr McGregor said.
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The drug that led to a mass overdose involving nine backpackers in Perth is known in Colombia as 'The Devil's Breath', a substance that destroys free will, wipes memories and can be lethal.

Hyoscine, also known as scopolamine or burandanga, is nicknamed the world's most dangerous drug because of the ease in which it is administered and the incapacitating effects it condemns upon its victims.

Stories surrounding the drug are the stuff of urban legends, with some telling horror stories of being raped, forced to empty bank accounts, and even coerced into giving up organs.

Hyoscine is found in house hold brands including Travacalm and Kwells, medication often used by travellers to treat nausea and vomiting.

Neighbours described the victims found in Victoria Park on Tuesday night 'kicking' and 'punching' the air as they were carried out of the five-bedroom house on stretchers, with three of the 'glass-eyed' individuals being rushed to hospital in a life-threatening condition.

The drug that led to a mass overdose involving nine backpackers in Perth is known in Colombia as 'The Devil's Breath', a substance that destroys free will, wipes memories and can be lethal

Hyoscine, also known as scopolamine or burandanga, is nicknamed the world's most dangerous drug because of the ease in which it is administered and the incapacitating effects it condemns upon its victims

Hyoscine is found in house hold brands including Travacalm and Kwells, medication often used by travellers to treat nausea and vomiting

Neighbours described the victims found in Victoria Park on Tuesday night 'kicking' and 'punching' the air as they were carried out of the five-bedroom house on stretchers

Hyoscine can be naturally found in 'borrachero' trees, native to Colombia. Such are its terrifying effects, parents have been known to warn their children not to fall asleep below the beautiful white, yellow and orange flowers of the borrachero.

The substance is sourced from the fruit hanging off the trees, which is then ground up into pills, capsules or powder. One gram is enough to kill 10-15 adults.

Abuse of the drug dates back to the 20th century, as 'Devil's Breath' was experimented with by Nazi Germany in the 1930s as an interrogation method, and harnessed again by the CIA during the Cold War.

It has now become the tool of choice for criminals in Colombia's underbelly, largely because of its covert application and lack of scent and taste.

Unsuspecting people often have the drug simply blown on their face, putting them under the spell of their captor within minutes.

Victims are then able to be mindlessly led away, physically unable to stop an imminent theft or attack, the terrifying reality of the deadly date-rape drug.

Hyoscine can be naturally found in 'borrachero' trees, native to Colombia. The substance is sourced from the fruit hanging off the trees, which is then ground up into pills, capsules or powder. One gram is enough to kill 10-15 adults

Such are its terrifying effects, parents have been known to warn their children not to fall asleep below the beautiful white, yellow and orange flowers of the borrachero

The substance is sourced from the fruit hanging off the trees, which is then ground up into pills, capsules or powder

A woman told Vice in a 2012 documentary that a man approached her on the street asking her for directions.

Since it was close by, she helped take the man to his destination, where they drank juice together. It was there he administered the drugs into her drink.

She then took the man to her house and helped him gather all of her belongings, including her boyfriend's cameras and savings.

'It is painful to have lost money,' the woman said,'but I was actually quite lucky. If they had been even worse people I might have been raped in my apartment.'

Demencia Black, a drug dealer in the nation's capital of Bogota, said Hyoscine is 'worse than anthrax'.

'You can guide them wherever you want,' he explained. 'It's like they're a child.'

Mr Black also said the drug is similar in appearance to cocaine, which would explain why the nine Perth backpackers mistook it for the recreational drug

The backpackers include five French citizens, aged between 21 and 24, two Germans, aged 21 and 22, an Italian, 25, and a 24-year-old Moroccan

Mr Black also said the drug is similar in appearance to cocaine, which would explain why the nine Perth backpackers mistook it for the recreational drug.

The backpackers include five French citizens, aged between 21 and 24, two Germans, aged 21 and 22, an Italian, 25, and a 24-year-old Moroccan.

One of the backpackers said he was 'trying to scream for help' but his mouth wouldn't move throughout the 'terrifying' ordeal.

The young man said he thought the white powder sent to the house from New York by mistake was cocaine. It can be purchased online through the dark web, an untraceable, anonymous corner of the internet where illegal purchases can be made.

The drug was addressed to someone who never lived at the house, apparently by mistake, but the backpackers snorted it anyway.

It had a pamphlet inside with the word 'scoop' printed across it and a piece of paper glued down with a lightning bolt symbol, according to Seven News.

Six of the backpackers have been released, some seen around the house again on Wednesday and Thursday smiling and looking relaxed but did not want to comment

Neighbours who watched on as the group was helped from the house described the chaotic scenes as 'really, really scary.'

'They were all coming past in a line, it was so scary and they had glassed eyes and they were like in a different world, it was so scary to look at a lot of them were having seizures,' Sophie Barnet told the ABC.

'There was one guy that was really violent on the stretcher, he was like punching the air and everything.'

Another local resident described the house as a backpacker's 'bed and breakfast', and said the victims were acting in an almost zombie-like state.

'It was just absolutely crazy. People just started coming out in stretchers, most of them were in like an unconscious state, but one of them was kicking and having almost like a spasm.'
The family of seaplane pilot Gareth Morgan, say they are devastated by his death.

Family of the pilot who died alongside his five passengers when their seaplane plunged into a river have arrived in Sydney to claim his body.

Gareth Morgan was flying the DHC-2 Beaver in the disaster that wiped out an entire family on New Year's Eve when he lost control.

The 44-year-old's family thanked emergency services and four fisherman who tried to save his life along with the passengers minutes after the crash.

'Also Gareth's friends and colleagues in Australia who have helped us through the last few days,' they said.

'Gareth was a wonderful and caring son and brother who never ceased to make us proud. His loss is devastating.'

Mr Morgan died along with high-profile British CEO Richard Cousins, his two adult sons Edward and William, his fiancee Emma Bowden, and her 11-year-old daughter Heather.

His four family members arrived on a flight from Canada, where he grew up, just before 11am on Friday, a day after the plane was hauled from the Hawkesbury River

Mr Morgan was flying the DHC-2 Beaver in the disaster that wiped out an entire family on New Year's Eve when he lost control

His four family members arrived on a flight from Canada, where he grew up, just before 11am on Friday, a day after the plane was hauled from the Hawkesbury River.

Police were investigating Mr Morgan's state of mind, searching his Sydney home and probing his religious and political leanings and social behaviours.

Mr Morgan's flatmate Luke Thornley said police had on Wednesday requested to inspect the Enfield property, in Sydney's inner-west, and the pilot's bedroom.

'As far as we are aware, Gareth was fine and happy and didn't give the impression anything was wrong,' he told the Daily Telegraph.

'He went for runs every morning, even on New Year's Day and was excited at the prospect of becoming a commercial pilot for Qantas and was studying for exams.'

The crash killed high-profile UK businessman Richard Cousins (right), 58 and his family

Victims Emma Bowden, 48, and her 11-year-old daughter Heather in front of Sydney Opera House days before the doomed plane plunged into the Hawksbury River

Mr Cousins' sons Edward, 23 (left) and William, 25 (right) were also killed when their seaplane plunged into the Hawkesbury River

The pilot's devout Christian father, Dudley Morgan, was said to have told friends: 'I never envisaged burying our son, the whole process is incomprehensible.'

A post-mortem was performed on Wednesday to determine Mr Morgan's cause of death and whether drugs, alcohol or medical reasons caused him to lose control of the aircraft.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is working to determine why the seaplane went down. One possibility is the plane stalled.

Aircraft maintenance engineer Michael Greenhill said though it was not mandatory in Australia for Beaver planes to have stall warnings installed, most did.

'A stall is when the airflow over the aircraft's wing becomes insufficient enough to produce lift,' Mr Greenhill said.

'So basically the wing stops flying.'

The seaplane was on Thursday hauled from the Hawesbury River as the ATSB investigated the crash

Mr Morgan's four fisherman who heroically tried to save his life along with the passengers minutes after the crash

Investigators hope data will be recovered from the plane's avionics instruments and any smartphones or cameras which were on board to piece together the final moments before the crash.

The Seaplane Pilots Association Australia said the aircraft involved in the crash is considered safer than other small planes because of its capacity to land on water in an emergency.

But it is believed the plane nosedived suddenly, leaving the pilot no time to make a mayday call before it plunged into the river.
Hollywood was in an uproar following rumors of a Harvey Weinstein sighting at a Beverly Hills hotel just days ahead of the Golden Globes.

It is anticipated that women in attendance for the awards ceremony are planning to wear black in support of sexual harassment victims. Naturally, a sighting of Weinstein, the prime spawn of the #MeToo movement, showing his face before such an event and at such location, would cause outrage.

The rumor was further circulated by one of Weinstein's many accusers, actress Rosanna Arquette, who shared to Facebook: 'It is Very strange, that Harvey Weinstein is at the very same hotel in Beverly Hills that the golden globe press is being done at. I smell a Rat.'

A rumored sighting of disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein (pictured in October) in Beverly Hills- just days ahead of the Golden Globes, quickly spread

Weinstein (pictured in October) was thought to be in Los Angeles, and with the Golden Globes days away, the supposed sighting sent the Hollywood rumor mill into overdrive

Actress Ellen Barkin added to the growing chorus, responding to the rumor on Twitter: 'Is serial rapist harvey weinstein in los angeles? on the wknd of the Golden Globes. Why? WHy? WHY?' and also, 'I forgot to say ''alleged'' because i know better.'

According to Page Six, however, Weinstein's reps said the rumor that he is currently in LA is 'false.'

And TMZ posted a photo that they say was taken at 4pm Thursday showing Weinstein is in Arizona, hundreds of miles away, and has no plans of leaving anytime soon.

The disgraced media mogul was in Arizona in a sex rehabilitation clinic, but it is unclear if he is still there, or still in Arizona for that reason.

Weinstein has been accused of varying degrees of sexual misconduct, including several women who have alleged he raped them. His team has repeatedly denied he has ever raped anyone.

Rosanna Arquette shared to Facebook that she had heard Weinstein was in Beverly Hills

I smell a rat: 'It is Very strange, that Harvey Weinstein is at the very same hotel in Beverly Hills that the golden globe press is being done at' she shared

'Any allegations of nonconsensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein,' his team has repeated.

With the cloud of sexual harassment hanging over Hollywood's annual round of self-congratulations, the Golden Globe ceremony on Sunday marks the first test of how the industry will handle live on the world's stage a scandal that has rocked show business.

'This is an issue that is center stage in Hollywood and is playing out at the award shows,' said Tom O'Neil, founder of awards website GoldDerby.com.

Celebrities and filmmakers who were once major players during awards season have been shunned, written out of shows or snubbed in nominations.

A major talent agency has canceled its annual Golden Globes party to instead fund legal defense for victims; and the Screen Actors Guild Awards later in January will feature all female presenters.

The mood ahead of the Oscars on March 4 ranges from nervousness to eagerness to take a stand.

'Everyone I have been talking to is relishing the opportunity to make this kind of visibility and attention more meaningful than simply about the glorification of a single profession,' actress Michelle Williams, who is Golden Globe nominated for 'All the Money in the World.'

More than 30 men have accused Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct and more than 70 women have made allegations against film producer Weinstein.

Dustin Hoffman, comedian Louis C.K. and Jeffrey Tambor are among dozens of other celebrities, politicians and businessmen who have been accused of sexual impropriety.

Spacey apologized to one of his accusers but was erased from 'All the Money in the World' and written out of his TV series 'House of Cards.'

Ellen Barkin added to the fever pitch, sharing to Twitter concerns about why Weinstein would be in town ahead of the Globes

After this tweet, the actress added, 'I forgot to say ''alleged'' because i know better'

Hoffman and Tambor have denied any wrongdoing. C.K. admitted past misconduct and his movie and TV projects have been dropped.

On Sunday, all eyes will be on Golden Globes host Seth Meyers and how he navigates what is traditionally a boozy celebration and the elephant in the room.

'He's got an impossible job. He can't ignore the hot button issue in Hollywood. He's expected to lead a jokathon but it's not a laughing matter,' said O'Neil.

Hollywood is also at odds with itself. Matt Damon was slammed in December for suggesting that allegations of rape and inappropriate touching should not be conflated. Talk show host James Corden was criticized for joking about Weinstein at a Beverly Hills event in October, and Rose McGowan accused Meryl Streep of remaining silent about Weinstein's alleged behavior. Streep denied the accusation and called for women to unite.

'This is getting to be a whole internecine battle in Hollywood. I think they are all very nervous,' said Pete Hammond, awards columnist for Deadline.com.

The Golden Globe awards for film and television will be televised live from Beverly Hills on NBC on Sunday Jan. 7, starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m.
MINOT -- Minot city council members are debating how "mandatory" to make the city's residential garbage service after hearing condominium and fourplex owners plead to keep their private collection services.

Council members, meeting in committee session Tuesday, began a garbage standardization review that had been promised last summer when the council passed an ordinance making city service mandatory beginning July 2018. Exceptions exist for mobile home parks, apartments of more than four units and multi-level condominiums or townhomes with no individual ground-level floor exits.

The council had agreed to revisit the ordinance before it took effect and after the city gained experience with its new automated garbage collection system.

Jason Sorenson, assistant public works director, presented information to the committee regarding neighborhoods that have opted out of city service, leaving a patchwork of city and private hauler service areas that often bear few differences in terms of type of housing or streets.

Currently, the city serves 262 duplexes, 56 triplexes, 131 fourplexes and about 12,700 single-family homes. Private haulers serve 10 duplexes, seven triplexes, 159 fourplexes and 318 single-family residences, which consist largely of condos and townhomes. In total, 994 individual residences are served by private haulers.

Using the nationwide average of 50 pounds of trash created each week by a typical household, Sorenson said the city is estimated to be collecting $51,688 in landfill tipping fees a year from contracting collecting garbage from Minot residents. Should those residents be required to use city service, the city would annually collect $193,472 in monthly fees.

Sorenson also said the council might consider requiring private contractors to obtain city franchise agreements, giving the city more quality control and say over type and frequency of the services being offered.

Mayor Chuck Barney said it would be difficult for the city to offer services in some areas. He said the $193,472 in projected income doesn't include the costs the city would incur in buying dumpsters, lighter trucks and additional equipment to be able to serve areas where existing trucks and containers aren't feasible.

Dan Ruby, president of Circle Sanitation, said a city takeover would take customers away from private businesses and eliminate an option for apartment and condo owners who may wish to have dumpsters or who have private roads not built for heavy garbage trucks.

Private haulers have brought in pickups when requested by customers with private roads.

"If the city believes it's inefficient, that's fine. That's why the flexibility with the private hauler is the answer," Ruby said.

Ruby also objected to franchise agreements, questioning whether the city would take the same approach with mowing and snow removal companies that provide services similar to the city's.

Clarice Bernsdorf, a condo owner, spoke of her association's desire to keep its contract with a private hauler. She said her association's senior members would be concerned about being able to maneuver the city's required containers and they do not allow heavy vehicles, such as garbage trucks, on their private roads.

Other condo owners and fourplex owners also spoke against a city mandate. Matt Watne, a property manager, noted dumpsters often work best for fourplexes.

"Unless the city is into the dumpster service, I think you are best letting the private haulers do that," he said.

Oley Larsen of Minot spoke of a need for more privatization in government.

"I think Minot, the Magic City should be visionary, and I think they should take a real hard look at where we can privatize and save some money. There's many areas out there, and this is just one of them," Larsen said.

The committee supported a motion of council member Josh Wolsky to direct the city attorney to draft an ordinance giving triplexes and larger units as well as condo associations the ability to choose their hauling services. The committee will discuss the proposed ordinance when it takes up garbage issues again at its Feb. 27 meeting.
Martin Wishnatsky, 73, was revealed to be Roy Moore's 'Jewish attorney' on Thursday - even though he is no longer Jewish

Roy Moores wife revealed on Thursday that not only has the man thought to be her husbands Jewish attorney been misidentified, but he isnt even Jewish.

Kayla Moore, the wife of the defeated Republican nominee for the Senate seat from Alabama, told a news site that Martin Wishnatsky, 73, was the person she was referring to as the couples Jewish lawyer.

Kayla Moore made the remark just hours before the December 12 election which her husband lost to Doug Jones, the Democrat.

She made the comment in an effort to refute allegations that her husband was anti-Semitic.

Since that remark, it was widely speculated that the Jewish attorney she was talking about was Richard Jaffe, a Birmingham-based lawyer who represented the Moores son, Caleb Moore, in 2015.

Since 2011, Caleb Moore, 27, has been arrested nine times, including for alleged drunk driving, drug possession, and trespassing, according to AL.com.

A number of media outlets have profiled Jaffe, particularly since he revealed he is a friend of Jones and that he voted for him, and not Moore.

Roy Moores wife, Kayla (seen above with her husband in Midland City, Alabama on December 11) revealed on Thursday that not only has the man thought to be her husbands Jewish attorney been misidentified, but he isnt even Jewish

But Kayla Moore set the record straight on Thursday about the real Jewish attorney.

We read where we were against Jews - even calling us Nazis, she wrote in an email to AL.com.

We have a Jewish lawyer working for us in our firm - Martin Wishnatsky. Judge hired him while Chief Justice, then I hired him at the Foundation [for Moral Law].

The Foundation for Moral Law is a Montgomery-based religious-right wing legal advocacy group founded by Roy and Kayla Moore.

Wishnatsky told AL.com that he was hired by Roy Moore in 2012 as a clerk when Moore was chief justice of the Alabama State Supreme Court.

Wishnatsky had just completed his law degree from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

He worked as a staff attorney at the state supreme court from January 2013 until 2016, when Moore was removed from office.

It was widely speculated that the Jewish attorney she was talking about was Richard Jaffe (above), a Birmingham-based lawyer who represented the Moores son, Caleb Moore, in 2015

Since then, he has worked for the Moores at their foundation.

Wishnatsky told AL.com that he had come from a Jewish family and lived his life as a secular Jew before accepting Christ as a young adult.

My background is 100 percent Jewish, he said.

My grandparents immigrated from Eastern Europe, and came through Ellis Island. My parents were born in Brooklyn during World War I.

There were no manifestations of faith; we were Jewish, that's why we went to synagogue and not a church. It was just an ethnic characteristic.

He revealed that his family sent him to a Hebrew school at a Conservative synagogue in his hometown of Asbury Park, New Jersey.

Wishnatsky said he even had a bar mitzvah.

But when he reached his thirties, something changed.

I had an experience of the reality of God at 33, Wishnatsky said.

I knew God was real but I wasn't sure who he was.

First, he turned to Mormonism. He then became an evangelical Protestant Christian.

A number of media outlets have profiled Jaffe, particularly since he revealed he is a friend of Doug Jones and that he voted for him, and not Moore. Jones, the Democrat, defeated Moore in last month's special election

I'm a Messianic Jew, Wishnatsky said.

That's the term they use for a Jewish person who has accepted Christ.

After working as a college instructor, a stockbroker, and a Wall Street analyst, Wishnatsky became an anti-abortion activist.

He was so passionate about combating abortions that he was arrested for taking part in sit-ins and blocking the entrance to clinics in New York, North Carolina, and North Dakota.

"We thought we were saving lives by blocking clinic entrances," Wishnatsky said. "We were peaceful, willing to be arrested to save babies."

He said he first met Roy Moore in 1996, the year he made a name for himself as an advocate for displaying a Ten Commandments monument on government property.

As a lawyer for the Foundation for Moral Law, Wishnatsky says he usually writes briefs in cases related to culture war issues, like abortion, religious freedom, gay marriage, and transgenders.

I love it, Wishnatsky said. It's an extension of my faith.

He said Roy Moore lost the recent election because of character assassination by a group of women who accused him of assaulting them when they were teens.

[The allegations by the women are] implausible to me because of my experience with Judge Moore, he said.

The allegations themselves are implausible. Why would he date (teen girls)? If you graduated from West Point, spent five years in the Army, served in Vietnam, graduated from law school, became a lawyer, were appointed district attorney, then your next step would be to take your clothes off with a 14-year-old? Does that make any sense? No, it doesn't.

When asked if he was a Jew or a Christian, Wishnatsky said: You're both.

You're a Jewish person that's accepted Christ. Jesus was a Jew.

Most Jews are not religious. That's how I grew up.

There are the Orthodox who are very serious about Judaism.

It's about whether you think God is real, and whether you're accountable to him.

It's whether you take God seriously. It took me quite a few years to take God seriously.
Advertisement

A sign painted above the intake section of Australia's largest prison  the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre, west of Sydney  greets every new inmate.

'Welcome to the MRRC. Respect every person you meet in here, and they will also respect you,' it says.

Respect in this place can be hard won. Another sign on a cell door says of the wild-haired inmate wearing only underpants staring out from inside: 'Use caution, assaulted nurse on 07/06/17.'

That date has then been crossed out and '25/06/17' added.

Scroll down for video

One inmate shows off while another hides his face at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre, west of Sydney

This mentally-ill inmate came to his cell door at Silverwater prison dressed only in underpants then hid under his blanket

Officers stick warnings about violent inmates outside their cell doors at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre

'I shouldn't be in here': This inmate pleaded with Daily Mail Australia to get him out of the maximum security prison

The MRRC, part of the Silverwater Correctional Complex, is the main entry point into the New South Wales prison system. It processes about 18,000 men a year.

On Tuesday Corrective Services NSW will be marking 20 years since the MRRC's opening, taking over the remand and reception role from Long Bay, in Sydney's east.

Most of the notorious killers, rapists and bikies to have been refused bail in NSW over the past two decades have passed through this prison's doors.

So too the crooked politicians, paedophile priests and drug barons who have made headlines since 1997. Some of them were there when Daily Mail Australia visited this week.

The MRRC currently houses 1,179 inmates and employs 322 staff. Most inmates are awaiting court hearings or classification to other jails.

The prisoner population is transient, but some of the staff have served much longer than the average murder sentence. Almost 50 have been there from the start.

This inmate is a recent arrival at Silverwater's Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre, which opened in July 1997

The inmate in this cell assaulted a nurse earlier this month and warnings advise that he must be treated with extreme caution

An inmate covers his face as he uses a phone while another prisoner waits his turn to make a call at the jail in Sydney's west

This inmate is on protection, with a Special Management Area Placement (SMAP) card seen outside his cell

Senior Correctional Officers Sindy Lesko, Vesna Mijatovic and Ian McLuckie were all at the MRRC when it opened on July 4, 1997.

Much has changed in those 20 years. Much has stayed the same.

There has been an increase in education, mental health treatment and inmate programs addressing issues including violent behaviour and drug use.

There has also been a rise in gang-affiliated inmates, prisoner numbers and offending attributed to drugs  particularly ice.

The inmates still wear green. The officers still wear blue. Many of those in green present a constant danger. All of those in blue are permanently on guard.

Inmates roaming the yards attacked to Darcy Block 1 and 2 at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater

These men are subject to the highest security classification in Silverwater's Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre

The inmates in this section of the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Prison include alleged killers and bikie gang members

Warning sign: 'Inmate displays aggressive non-compliant behaviours, inmate is an extreme risk to staff and other persons'

SCO Mijatovic said there was not the constant confrontation between staff and inmates of 20 years ago.

'Twenty years ago it was more like green against blue,' she says.

'Whereas now you communicate more with them, you're involved with them. Now we're more trained to talk inmates down. To defuse the matter verbally rather than physically.

'Interaction with the inmates is a big change. The type of inmates that come into custody has changed too. The culture of inmates has changed.

A carton of milk sits on a gate at the intake section of the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre in Sydney's west

This inmate peers through the perspex door of a holding area at Silverwater's Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre

Graffiti, much of it referring to outlaw motorcycle gangs, surrounds a telephone in a segregated area of the prison

The number of bikies including Finks has increased in recent years at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre

'Programs have made a massive change over that time.'

Governor Tom Woods took control of the MRRC in September last year and is happy to see the place generally not in the news.

'We're doing exceptionally well considering the increase in numbers,' Mr Woods says.

'Certainly the volume of work is bigger than in other centres. We get all sorts coming through here.

'The staff are the backbone of the centre. I commend them for doing such a marvelous job in an environment that is confrontational on a regular basis.'

Mr Woods is proud of the programs the prison now offers inmates.

'One of the things we're working hard on at the moment is to address domestic violence. We're getting great results.'

The 'pods' in the maximum security Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre in the Silverwater complex are kept clean

Some of the inmates in Darcy Block are kept in safe cells with perspex fronted cells so they can always been seen from outside

The red card outside this inmate's cell means he is on suicide watch, while the orange card next door means that prisoner is detoxing

This inmate in Darcy Block is well known to staff at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre, Australia's largest prison

SCO McLuckie also talks about the benefits of educational and rehabilitation programs.

'There's a program for everything,' SCO McLuckie says. 'If you can teach them the skills and show them the pathways, when they decide to change their ways they have the skills necessary to do it.'

SCO Lesko remembers when mental health assessments were rudimentary and places such as the main reception area, Darcy 1, were medically understaffed.

'When this jail opened there'd be one nurse,' she says. 'They've really gone into addressing those issues.'

Upon reception, an inmate will be searched, photographed and have their irises scanned. They will see a nurse and a welfare officer.

Phone calls to the outside world are a welcome break from life inside the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre

Inmates move through a corridor in the maximum security Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater

An inmate works out on a gym set in a yard within the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre, west of Sydney

Some of the inmates in Darcy Block of the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre are kept 'two-out' due to fears for their safety if left alone

Consideration is given to the inmate's family circumstances - sometimes children may have been left alone upon his arrest. The RSPCA will be informed if the prisoner has an unattended pet.

Better facilities and treatment don't mean all the inmates are better behaved. The men in Darcy 1 can be hard mainstream prisoners who have been transferred to the MRRC, vulnerable inmates who need protection or drug-crazed offenders straight off the street.

Some are forensic patients bouncing between hospitals and jail.

'You've got mains. You've got three types of protection. You've got inmates on assessment who want to kill themselves,' SCO Lesko says.

The mix means they all have to be kept apart. 'It's a full-on juggling act,' SCO Lesko says.

An unoccupied cell in the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre's Darcy Block, whose occupants can be hard mainstream prisoners, vulnerable inmates who need protection or drug-crazed offenders straight off the street

Facilities are basic in the Darcy Block of the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre, which opened in July 1997

Inmates in the intake section of the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre where prisoners arrive by truck

Prisoners wait in the intake section of the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre, which is marking its 20th anniversary

'A lot of them are aggressive and abusive. You've really got to be switched on down here.'

At night, it only gets worse.

'It's full-on yelling and screaming. They're rubbing s*** on the walls, head-butting walls.'

When Daily Mail Australia visits, a prisoner pleads through his door: 'Chief! chief! Chief, I want to talk to you, man. I shouldn't be here. Sir, can you get me out of here?'

Like his fellow inmate next door who recently assaulted a nurse, this inmate is clearly mentally unwell.

SCO McLuckie says Darcy 1 is much better than the old days. 'When the jail opened, we were cutting down bodies every day.'

Poor planning meant there were hanging points where there should have been none.

Darcy Block at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre is difficult to manage during the day but at night it gets far worse

The red cards outside these cells in Darcy Block mean the occupants are considered at risk of committing suicide

Two correctional officers are seen heading towards the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre's control tower

Access to the control tower at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre, west of Sydney, is very tight

There were far less serious teething problems while the prison was still being constructed.

In the beginning, inmates were sometimes not being put to bed until midnight and were up at 4.30am to get on a truck to court.

'I remember finding an electrician that had accidentally locked himself in a segregation cell in Darcy Unit,' SCO McLuckie says. 'He'd been there for hours when I found him.'

SCO Lesko remembers her first day. 'I went into the store room and there was a barbecue, barbecue tools, an iron and an ironing board. Can you imagine what you could do to someone's face with an iron?'

The place runs far more safely and efficiently now. It rarely makes the news, despite the men who fill its cells. It doesn't even have a decent nickname.

Prisoners awaiting transfer inside Darcy Block of the 20-year-old Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre in west Sydney

An inmate peers out through his cell in the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater prison

An inmate touches up a brightly-coloured mural he has painted within the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre

The hardest mainstream cases in the MRRC are in Pod 14 of G Block. They all have the highest security classification below terrorists and some can expect to be held here for up to three years.

On Thursday, in the cell of a Comanchero heavy, was a copy of Australia's Most Murderous Prison, about Goulburn jail.

Horse racing was showing on his television. There were 15 apples and a banana on a shelf near his bed, food left over from Ramadan.

The inmates in this pod are the 'bad, bad, naughty boys', SCO Lesko says.

Making this section run smoothly means recognising a leader who the other inmates will respect and listen to.

When Daily Mail Australia visits, the inmates here are talking in groups and playing ping pong. Boisterous but well-behaved.

Suits are placed in garment bags and tagged with the names of inmates, so they can be worn for court appearances

Inmates can change into their own suit for court or borrow one from a collection held in the intake section of the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre

Every inmate at the maximum security prison is issued with a pair of these green Dunlop runners with Velcro ties

Stalls in which prisoners can get changed at the intake section of the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater

Pies are kept in a warmer ready as a snack for inmates entering the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre

'It's all in the way you treat them,' SCO Lesko says.

Her colleague SCO Mijatovic says being a woman can help with that.

She was the first female member of the prison's Security Emergency Response Team, now known as the Immediate Action Team. They are the group called upon when there is serious trouble inside.

'It's such an unpredictable environment,' she says. 'An incident could occur at any second.'

'I used to go on situations with [the Security Emergency Response Team] and as soon as they saw a female it would calm right down,' she says.

But what helps most is being part of a strong team.

'You're always going to be here for each other,' SCO Mijatovic says. 'You've always got someone watching your back.'

View from the tier above Darcy Block in the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater Correctional Complex

Inmates peer through a holding yard door while one uses a telephone at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre

This segregated section of the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre houses the prison's most vulnerable inmates

A cell inside the segregated Darcy 3 section of the maximum security prison, where the most vulnerable inmates are held

The inmate occupying this cell in Darcy 3 section is among the most vulnerable in the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre

The job has other advantages. From the control tower, SCO McLuckie points out ANZ Stadium. 'When the big bands are playing over there we can hear them. AC/DC was unreal.'

Most of the officers at times talk light-heartedly like this but all are constantly aware of everything going on around them.

Officers are far more likely to encounter someone trying to get contraband inside than an inmate getting out. Six cells in every pod are searched every day. 'Just to let them know we're having a look,' SCO Lesko says.

The prison is so secure it took a helicopter to affect an escape.

In March 1999, two years after the MRRC opened, armed robber John Killick escaped from the prison when his mistress Lucy Dudko forced a helicopter pilot at gunpoint to pick Killick up from the oval.

SCO Lesko was there that day. 'It was the most exciting day of my career,' she says. 'It was the most bizarre thing I've seen in my life.'

Inmates play table tennis in a section of the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Prison reserved for prisoners with the highest security classification

Officers remove a handcuffed inmate from a truck at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre, west of Sydney

Prisoners, who have recently arrived at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre and have been dressed in green

Inmates are seen as they relax in a yard at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater, west of Sydney

SCO McLuckie says one of the most dangerous parts of the prison is the acute crisis mental health unit.

'They'll come up to talk to you and then they'll just king hit you,' SCO McLuckie says. 'And they won't remember they did it.

The most vulnerable and violent inmates are kept in Darcy 3 and Darcy 4, respectively.

The prisoners here are at risk due to reasons including gang affiliations, their high-profile and direct threats to their lives. Some are Crown witnesses giving evidence against other prisoners.

There have recently been members of the Comanchero, Bandidos and Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle clubs in these cells. There are gangland killers and at least one former politician in here when Daily Mail Australia visits.

'They do not mix with anyone,' SCO Lesko says. 'No one mixes with anyone down here.'

Shoes and prison greens are issued to inmates upon their arrival at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre

An inmate reads a book in his cell in Darcy Block of the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater

Inmates, who still dress in green as they did when the prison first opened, play up for the camera inside the prison

An inmate carries his belongings in a clear plastic bag in the intake section of the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silerwater

The inmates here wear orange overalls rather than standard prison greens and are always handcuffed when moved.

'Orange is the new green,' SCO McLuckie says.

Part of every officer's job is paying attention to the news.

'A drive-by at Wetherill Park last night will impact on the jail the next day,' SCO McLuckie says. 'They'll hear about it in here and it's on for young and old.

'The dynamics change weekly.'

Standing in the visitors section, where inmates in white overalls sit with partners and friends, SCO McLuckie says even this area of the prison can be dangerous.

Officers have to be aware of who is who and keep potentially warring inmates and visitors apart. Like the Wetherill Park scenario, reasons for recrimination can arise overnight.

Visitors sit with inmates in a yard at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre, west of Sydney, on Thursday

When the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre in Sydney opened 20 years ago, visits were far more intimate

Before inmates were required to wear white overalls, visits with their wives and girlfriends could turn into sex

'We've had gangs show up at the same time,' SCO McLuckie says. 'Every officer has to be on guard.'

Rules in the visitors area have changed over the years, much to some inmates' disappointment.

'When this first opened, they didn't have overalls and it was an absolute sex-fest,' SCO McLuckie says. 'It was like an episode of Penthouse Couples every day.'

What hasn't changed is that paedophiles  or 'rock spiders' - are still at the bottom of the prison pile, according to SCO Lesko.

'They won't tolerate paedophiles or crimes against old people,' she says.

At the top are the outlaw motorcycle gang leaders, replacing the old school independent gangsters who commanded respect and could wield power on their own.

An inmate sits on a table in a yard at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater, west of Sydney

Inmates, who are dressed in prison greens, are seen awaiting transfer at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre

A view looking down from the control tower in the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater

A once notorious armed robber and escapee from the 1980s recently passed through the MRRC thinking he was still a big player but was treated as a nobody.

'It's all about who you associate with in jail,' SCO Lesko says.

One group that has no choice about who they associate with is the prison's paedophile population. They live only among their own.

They are older than the average inmate, tend to be better educated, and their offences disgust even those required to oversee murderers and drug importers whose crimes have cost young lives.

SCO Mijatovic says: 'You've just got to put it out of your mind.'
A 38-year-old man has been taken into police custody after a five-hour siege in Newcastle on Friday.

The man had reportedly locked himself inside the West Waratah house with a gun since 11am.

The man was allegedly seen biting police officers as he was escorted to a police vehicle around 4pm, according to the Newcastle Herald.

Tactical police in an armoured vehicle surrounded the home before taking the man into custody, where he is assisting police.

At least 15 police officers are on the street outside the house in West Waratah with guns drawn (pictured)

Armed police in an armoured vehicle have surrounded a house in Newcastle in a siege lasting more than four hours so far

At least 15 police officers stood outside the house in West Waratah with guns drawn, blocking off Morpeth and Christo roads.

Officers shouted at people inside through a megaphone while a 'BearCat' amoured personnel carrier sat in the driveway on Christo Road.

Neighbours said officers told them a man had locked himself inside with a gun and they we 'were safest inside'.

Another resident said police were yelling 'come out the front door with your hands behind your head and we guarantee your safety'.

Police dogs were also on the scene and an ambulance on standby.

Residents were told to stay inside during the siege and others to avoid the area, though police would not reveal any details about what was going on.

'Newcastle City Police are conducting an operation near Morpeth Rd and Christo Rd, Waratah West. Road closures in place. Please avoid this area,' police said.

Armed officers patrol the grounds outside the home as the siege enters into the fifth hour
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For $500,000 Australians can buy in Sydney or on the Gold Coast  but the location is key when determining just how much they get for their money.

For half a million in Paddington, Sydney you can buy a 'sun drenched' studio apartment, according to a recent listing on Domain.

The small studio space includes an ensuite-style bathroom, and a total floor space of 4.6metres by 3.3metres which means the bed is very close to the kitchen table.

This studio apartment is so small the bedroom shares space with the kitchen and dining areas

This sprawling family home on the Gold Coast has been sold for $500,000 right in the middle of the studio's asking price

The home had four bedrooms, a media room, large backyard and even a playground and garden

The apartment comes with mirrored wardrobes  and water views, according to the advertisement  and is only two kilometres from the city's CBD.

On the Gold Coast  the same amount of money can acquire a sprawling family home, complete with four bedrooms, a rumpus room, a media room for movie lovers, a pool and a large 700metre square backyard.

Bonus features of the huge two-storey home include a kids playground and views of the hinterland.

The view from the bed in the studio unit - the bed looks over the small kitchen and dining area

The Paddington apartment is just two kilometres away from the city's central business district

The compact bathroom is situated near the kitchen bench in the small fourth-storey apartment

The master bedroom has an ensuite and there are family bathrooms on each level. The home is a 30-minute drive from the Gold Coast CBD which is a popular tourist destination.

Photographs of the studio apartment show a cosy space with a nook tucked beside the bathroom for the kitchen sink.

The dining table has been set out underneath the window which appears to overlook part of the city - to the right of this table is the kitchen worktop which is set above the oven.

The home on the Gold Coast is 30 minutes away from the city's CBD and has views of the hinterland

The huge living spaces flow onto a back patio overlooking the swimming pool and manicured yards

The spacious living area included a fireplace - and large entertainer's kitchen

The veranda on the top storey extends the living areas and makes the most of the hinterland views

A small basin and shower with a curtain are pictured to show off the ensuite - the basin is of a sleek design with a mirror flush to the wall making conservative use of the space.

The photographs of the home, which has a floor area of more than 300 square metres, appear much more spacious.

The home appears to have large verandas adding to the expansive living areas in the home.

The photographs of the home, which has a floor area of more than 300 square metres, appear much more spacious

The media room is set up like a cinema - complete with a projector and a screen

There are two family-sized bathrooms in the home as well as an ensuite off the main bathroom

The backyard is set across two levels with a play equipment set up on the bottom section of the lawn - overlooking the family-sized swimming pool.

Another photograph shows off the media room - where there is a screen and projector set up to provide a movie-style experience.
Curiosity may have been the downfall for one unlucky crocodile who was found floating in a Queensland river on Wednesday afternoon.

Several residents of Innisfail spotted the five-metre reptile drifting down the Johnstone River on its back.

Resident Shaw Rihari managed to snap a photo and upload it to social media before alerting the authorities.

Mr Rihari said that the croc had a crab pot stuck to its mouth, told the Cairns Post that the huge creature appeared to have drowned in the river.

A dead croc was found in the Johnstone River

The crocodile was found with a crab pot around its mouth, and is assumed to have drowned

Despite sending wildlife officers to search the waters near Innisfail Hospital, a Department of Environment and Science spokesperson said that there was no sign of the animal.

It's not uncommon for crocodiles to be caught in crab pots, as the giant predators are often attracted by the prey snagged inside the nets and cages.

It was initially feared the Johnstone River croc had fallen victim to another illegal hunter, after a 4.4m saltie was found with bullets in its head in the Mulgrave River.

A man has been charged over the fatal shooting of a 5.2 metre crocodile near Rockhampton

The 31-year-old suspect will front court in January and faces a maximum fine of over $28,000

A 31-year-old man was also charged in December over the shooting of a 5.2 metre crocodile near Rockhampton in Queensland earlier this year.

After the police searched his Etna Creek residence and finding guns, rifles and ammunition, the man was taken into custody and charged with one count of unlawfully taking a protected animal.

He will front Rockhampton Magistrates Court on January 12, and faces a maximum fine of more than $28,000. Under the Nature Conversation Act of 1992, it is an offence to kill a crocodile without authorisation.
President Donald Trump says he gave zero White House access to Michael Wolff for his bombshell new book, despite the author insisting he was able to be a fly on the wall.

Trump, who dismissed the Fire and Fury tell-all book as fake, tweeted angrily on Thursday night as excerpts emerged that portrays an inept president in a fumbling White House.

'I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book,' he tweeted.

'Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don't exist. Look at this guy's past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!'

Trump tweeted angrily on Thursday night as excerpts emerged that portrays an inept president in a fumbling White House

Trump says he gave zero White House access to Michael Wolff for his bombshell new book, despite the author insisting he was able to be a fly on the wall

It comes after Trump's lawyer threatened legal action against former top aide Steve Bannon over 'defamatory' comments in the book earlier on Thursday.

The book, which is due out Friday, set off a political firestorm with its portrayal of Trump as not particularly wanting to win the US presidency in 2016 and unprepared for the job.

Trump's latest tweets contradict Wolff's version of events who told friend he has dozens of tapes to back up his interviews, including with Bannon.

Amid continuing reverberations from the release of explosive excerpts, Wolff laid out some of his reporting techniques in an excerpt in the Hollywood Reporter.

He describes a conversation with Trump where he made a pitch to produce a fly on the wall account of the White House.

Michael Wolff has tapes of dozens of hours of interviews for his new book, according to a report

''A book?' Trump responded, according to Wolff. 'I hear a lot of people want to write books.' The president's vague answer ended up serving as an effective green light.

'Since the new White House was often uncertain about what the president meant or did not mean in any given utterance, his non-disapproval became a kind of passport for me to hang around,' Wolff writes.

The New Yorker native checked in each week at the tony Hay-Adams hotel across Lafayette Park from the White House.

The location is so proximate that TV networks use its roof to broadcast pictures of the White House.

Wolff said he made appointments with White House staffers who put his name in the system, then wandered across the street to plunk himself down on a West Wing couch.

A New York magazine excerpt describes him as taking up 'something like a semi-permanent seat on a couch in the West Wing.' The excerpt claims he conducted more than 200 interviews.

Author Michael Wolff stands in the lobby at Trump Tower in New York, NY on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017

LOCATION, LOCATION: Cars stand outside the Hay-Adams Hotel on November 14, 2013 in Washington, DC. It is across Lafayette Park from the White House

COUCH POTATO: The West Wing lobby of the White House is seen after a renovation in Washington, U.S., August 22, 2017. Wolff says he took up residence on a West Wing couch

Attorney Charles Harder, who represents Trump and successfully sued Gawker, has already fired off a cease-and-desist letter to Bannon, citing breach of a campaign non-disclosure agreement with his 'outright defamatory statements' to Wolff.

Trump's lawyers may go after Wolff today, Axios reported.

Trump responded to the book with a remarkable statement hitting back at Bannon, who reportedly called a Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer attended by the president's son Don Jr. and top staff 'treasonous' and 'unpatriotic.'

'Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency,' Trump said in a statement provided by the White House. 'When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind.'

Trump's press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, then told reporters that the president was 'furious' and 'disgusted' by Bannon's assault on the president's son and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who also attended the Trump Tower meeting.

The White House issued a separate statement from Sanders before her daily news conference trashing the expose.

'This book is filled with false and misleading accounts from individuals who have no access or influence with the White House,' Sanders said.

'Participating in a book that can only be described as trashy tabloid fiction exposes their sad desperate attempts at relevancy,' she added.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange may be able to return to the US without fear of arrest, according to a new report.

The article by InfoWars cites a WikiLeaks retweet which reads: 'US government on why it has decided to close its eight year long grand jury proceedings against @WikiLeaks (expanded in 2017 to cover our series on the CIA). Wait, what?.'

WikiLeaks was retweeting a State Department tweet from January 2, which includes a clip of spokesperson Heather Nauert during a press briefing.

She says: 'We support a freedom of the press. When a nation clamps down on social media, we ask the question  what are you afraid of? We support the people of Iran, and we support their voices being heard.'

The report goes on to say that WikiLeaks is suggesting that there is coded communication within the tweet.

The 'code', according to InfoWars, means the State Department's reference to free speech in Iran extends the umbrella of free speech and press rights to WikiLeaks.

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A new report out suggests the government is readying to pardon WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

'Coded communications' from the US federal government exist in this tweet, the report says

The report goes on to say that extending the free speech and press rights to WikiLeaks is a 'clear reversal of the policy in which both CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Sessions have argued that arresting Julian Assange is a priority.'

The report suggests that Assange has not violated national security laws regardless of if it can be proven he published U.S. national security classified documents.

The report continues further, reporting that a motion was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Dec. 29, 2017, in the case of Roy Cockrum vs. Donald J. Trump for President.

The report says a motion filed by attorneys for Trump's campaign are also a factor in a potential Assange pardon

In the motion, InfoWars reports, Trumps attorneys had argued Assange had a right under the First Amendment to publish the DNC and John Podesta emails, even if the emails were stolen.

In essence, Infowars says, that with that motion pending, President Trump's campaign lawyers are paving the way for pardoning Assange, which would be a precursor for him being allowed to leave the Ecuadorian Embassy in London without fear of arrest by U.S. federal authorities.
The mystery blonde filmed kissing and cuddling Salim Mehajer has been revealed as a model and business graduate.

Melissa Tysoe works as a marketing and event coordinator for a medical practice on the New South Wales Central Coast, and as a marketing analyst.

Going by the name Missy X, her social media profiles suggest she will be modelling in Los Angeles and Fiji during the first two months of 2018.

The mystery blonde (pictured) filmed kissing and cuddling Salim Mehajer has been revealed as a model and business graduate

Melissa Tysoe (pictured) works as a marketing and event coordinator for a medical practice on the New South Wales Central Coast, and as a marketing analyst

Going by the name Missy X, her social media profiles suggest she will be modelling in Los Angeles and Fiji in the first two months of 2018

The disgraced former Auburn deputy mayor posted a series of videos (pictured) of himself with Ms Tysoe on Thursday and Friday, just days after declaring his love for ex-girlfriend

As well as serving as a member of the University of Newcastle's Academic Senate, Ms Tysoe is involved in the Lucy Mentoring Program for female students.

The disgraced former Auburn deputy mayor posted a series of videos of himself with Ms Tysoe on Thursday and Friday, just days after declaring his love for ex-girlfriend.

His former partner Constance Siaflas has repeatedly and emphatically denied being in a relationship with Mehajer, despite him recently posting intimate images of the pair.

Some of those photos have since been removed, and Mehajer has now edited his Instagram account so it no longer contains Ms Siaflas' initials.

Mehajer's (pictured with Ms Tysoe) former partner Constance Siaflas has repeatedly and emphatically denied being in a relationship with him

As well as serving as a member of the University of Newcastle's Academic Senate, Ms Tysoe (pictured) is involved in the Lucy Mentoring Program for female students

Some of those photos have since been removed, and Mehajer has now edited his Instagram account so it no longer contains Ms Siaflas' initials (pictured is Ms Tysoe)

Only four days after posting the last photo of himself with the 25-year-old flight attendant, Mehajer put up a series of videos featuring Ms Tysoe (pictured) on Snapchat

Mehajer (pictured with ex-wife Aysha Learmonth) made headlines for his extravagant wedding

Only four days after posting the last photo of himself with the 25-year-old flight attendant, Mehajer put up a series of videos featuring Ms Tysoe on Snapchat.

The first clip from Thursday night showed him and Ms Tysoe kissing in a car, their faces half-obscured by huge love heart emojis.

The disgraced councillor, 31, posted several other videos of Ms Tysoe throughout the night and early Friday morning.

The first clip from Thursday night showed him and Ms Tysoe (pictured) kissing in a car, their faces half-obscured by huge love heart emojis

The disgraced councillor, 31, posted several other videos of Ms Tysoe (pictured) throughout the night and early Friday morning

Ms Tysoe (pictured), who graduated from the University of Newcastle in 2016, can be seen wearing a white robe while Mehajer stands in the background

'You snooze you lose, marry me tomorrow,' the caption read, a bizarre contrast with Mehajer's claims last week he and Ms Siaflas were 'religiously married' (pictured is Ms Tysoe)

Ms Tysoe, who graduated from the University of Newcastle in 2016, can be seen wearing a white robe while Mehajer stands in the background.

'You snooze you lose, marry me tomorrow,' the caption read, a bizarre contrast with Mehajer's claims last week he and Ms Siaflas were 'religiously married'.

The caption matches the theme of a photo of a set of diamond rings shared to Instagram 10 days ago which has since been deleted.

The caption matches the theme of a photo of a set of diamond rings shared to Instagram 10 days ago which has since been deleted (pictured is Ms Tysoe)

One short video showed a photo of Ms Tysoe (pictured) wearing a blue one-piece swimsuit as she sat in front of green foliage

'Lesson learnt - date a girl with a degree, not only looks,' he wrote in the caption accompanying the video (pictured is Ms Tysoe)

Another photo shows Ms Tysoe (pictured) sitting by the ocean wearing a purple bikini, and a video of the pair on the back of a motorbike wearing their white dressing gowns

One short video showed a photo of Ms Tysoe wearing a blue one-piece swimsuit as she sat in front of green foliage.

'Lesson learnt - date a girl with a degree, not only looks,' he wrote in the caption accompanying the video.

Another photo shows Ms Tysoe sitting by the ocean wearing a purple bikini, and a video of the pair on the back of a motorbike wearing their white dressing gowns.

'I want to sleep, but I can't. Her personality is addictive,' Mehajer wrote at 1.22am on Friday (pictured is Ms Tysoe)

The disgraced former deputy mayor made headlines in 2015 when he married ex-wife Aysha Learmonth (pictured is Ms Tysoe)

Mehajer asked Ms Tysoe (pictured) why she was 'quite nervous' to 'make her way here'

Ms Tysoe (pictured) then replied saying she was 'scared', to which the 31-year-old responded: 'scared, stupid, media thank you'

Mehajer faces charges of breaching an AVO taken out by his estranged ex-wife Ms Learmonth after their marriage lasted what is believed to have been less than a year (pictured is Ms Tysoe)

'I want to sleep, but I can't. Her personality is addictive,' Mehajer wrote at 1.22am on Friday.

The disgraced former deputy mayor, who made headlines in 2015 when he married ex-wife Aysha Learmonth in what was dubbed the 'wedding of the century', asked Ms Tysoe why she was 'quite nervous' to 'make her way here'.

Ms Tysoe then replied saying she was 'scared', to which the 31-year-old responded: 'scared, stupid, media thank you'.

Mehajer faces charges of breaching an AVO taken out by his estranged ex-wife Ms Learmonth after their marriage lasted what is believed to have been less than a year.

On her Instagram Ms Tysoe (pictured) lists her occupations as model and digital marketer
President Donald Trump is making preparation for a nuclear holocaust great again.

The freewheeling Trumps tweets threatening North Korea with nuclear war is making some Americans increasingly nervous  so much so that they are taking precautions.

The so-called prepper business, which markets emergency kits for doomsday scenarios like an atomic bomb explosion or a nuclear meltdown, has been flourishing thanks to Trump, BuzzFeed News is reporting on Thursday.

One web site has seen orders for potassium iodide pills  which have been approved by the FDA and are used to prevent radiation poisoning  increase tenfold.

Potassium iodide products, which can be obtained over-the-counter at a pharmacy, work by blocking radioactive iodine from depositing in the thyroid.

President Donald Trump is making preparation for a nuclear holocaust great again. The freewheeling Trumps tweets threatening North Korea with nuclear war is making some Americans increasingly nervous  so much so that they are taking precautions

They were used to help children in Eastern Europe ward off thyroid cancer after the 1984 Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe.

Donald Trump has been very good for the prepper business, Troy Jones, the owner of nukepills.com, told BuzzFeed.

Jones, whose business is based in Mooresville, North Carolina, credits Trumps unusual brand of Twitter diplomacy.

It's the tweets, he said. Our orders just explode.

Ever since tensions have ratcheted up with North Korea over that countrys nuclear arsenal, orders for potassium iodide pills are coming in at substantial numbers from Hawaii and the West Coast  the areas that are supposedly the most at risk from one of Kim Jong-Uns atomic weapons.

One web site has seen orders for potassium iodide pills  which have been approved by the FDA and are used to prevent radiation poisoning  increase tenfold

People are also increasingly buying 'radiation protection kits' which include a water filtration straw, gloves, decontamination wipes, and radiation detectors

The North Korean ruler threatened the US territory of Guam in the Pacific last summer.

The prospect of nuclear war with North Korea becomes dangerously nearer with every tweet by Trump.

I dont need to follow the news. The orders start coming, and I just say, What has he said now? Jones said of Trump.

Jones said customers order the potassium iodide pills as well as emergency kits that offer protection from radiation.

According to nukepills.com, one typical radiation protection kit includes a radiation detector, a water filtration straw, an 8-ounce bottle of Iodowash for radioactive iodine decontamination, a face mask used to prevent inhalation of alpha and low-energy beta particles, a waste bag to throw out contaminated gloves and clothing, disposable vinyl gloves, and wipes used for radiation decontamination.

If youre feeling really apocalyptic and have some $50,000 to spare, you can buy yourself a high-end bomb shelter from Rising S Company, a Texas-based firm

If youre feeling really apocalyptic and have some $50,000 to spare, you can buy yourself a high-end bomb shelter from Rising S Company, a Texas-based firm.

The companys owner, Gary Lynch, says that his clients are coming to him because of overall anxiety not just about Trump but the prospect of US society disintegrating.

Certainly anxiety over North Korea or Iran plays a part in the decision to build a shelter, Lynch said.

A lot of people we talk to are concerned about society in general, the national debt, riots, and they see a shelter as a prudent decision.

American companies aren't the only ones trying to cash in from the specter of annihilation.

An Israeli company, Pluristem, is using Trump's tweets about a 'nuclear button' to promote an antidote to radiation treatment that was initially marketed to cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.
The chairman of the Parole Board has apologised 'unreservedly' over the failure to inform the victims of serial rapist John Worboys of his imminent release.

Professor Nick Hardwick said he fully accepts there was a problem with the parole system, and that it was believed the victims had been informed before the decision was issued.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme he said he is still trying to establish precisely what happened and does not want to 'blame anybody yet'.

He said it was not the Parole Board's responsibility to inform victims, and added: 'Whoever's fault it was, I fully accept this was a problem with (the) parole system.

'I'm chair of the Parole Board, this would have been absolutely horrible for those two women concerned, and I apologise for it unreservedly.'

But he stood by the decision of the parole panel, adding: 'We have to make unpopular decisions.'

Taxi driver John Worboys was jailed for raping and sexually assaulting passengers in 2009. Chairman of the Parole Board Professor Nick Hardwick (right) today admitted victims of Worboys were not even told that he was going to be freed

Professor Hardwick admitted the system needed reform and said he hoped this case would help bring that about.

Worboys, a former stripper, was jailed in 2009 for drugging and sexually assaulting 12 passengers.

He preyed on lone females making their way home, luring them with offers of a safe ride before drugging them.

But more than 100 women came forward to say he had assaulted them  and police suspected him of more than 500 attacks.

At the time of his conviction, he was given an 'indeterminate' sentence  with a minimum term of eight years. It meant he could be kept in jail for as long as he posed a threat to the public.

But yesterday, it emerged the Parole Board had cleared him for release, deciding he no longer presented a risk.

Harriet Wistrich, a solicitor for two women who brought claims against police over failure to investigate Worboys, said his victims were 'sick, disgusted and shocked to the core'.

Carrie Symonds (left) was singled out as she waited for a night bus in Chelsea in July 2007. Shown right: One of Worboys' rape kits, including alochol and cups he used to drug victims

She told Channel 4 news the first they learned of the news was while 'listening on the radio, cooking tea for the kids'.

She added: 'They've already been let down very badly by the criminal justice system. Neither of them had been informed.'

It is understood that women who were signed up to the Victim Contact Scheme were informed.

Worboys, now 60, was prosecuted for one rape and 11 sex assaults and drug charges at Croydon Crown Court in March 2009.

The amateur porn star had been stalking victims for 13 years since he started working as a London cabbie, officers believe.

Worboys is a former porn actor and stripper who called himself Terry the Minder (left). Shown right, the Hackney flat Worboys shared with his former wife Jean Clayton

Who is who in the Worboys case? Sir Keir Starmer Sir Keir, now a Labour frontbencher was the director of public prosecutions at the time of Worboys' conviction. He was probably involved in the decision not to push for more charges. Nick Hardwick Professor Hardwick chairman of the Parole Board, three of whose members decided Worboys should go free. He has defended the work of the Board, but agreed that reform of the system was needed to make it more transparent. Baroness Scotland Baroness Scotland was Labour's Attorney General at the time of the case. The position gave her the power to have the sentence reviewed and potentially increased, but she did not do so. Sir David Penry-Davey The late Sir David, formerly Mr Justice Penry-Davey, sentenced Worboys to the indeterminate sentence. He told him after conviction that he had used a sophisticated approach to carry out his crimes and was a serious risk to the public. Advertisement

He targeted lone females and claimed he had won thousands of pounds on the lottery or in a casino, showing them a bag of cash.

He would invite them to help celebrate, supplying champagne or vodka which he had spiked with a powerful prescription drug and an over-the-counter medicine, a cocktail that left the women so incapacitated he was able to rape and sexually assault them.

Police also found a 'rape kit' in the back of his taxi which including sleeping tablets, condoms, gloves and an ashtray he used to crush the drugs.

When they woke, many of the victims could not remember what had happened.

One victim came round to find Worboys raping her.

The next day day, the rapist put an envelope through her door containing 10 and a note wishing her a happy Christmas.

He took trophies from his victims, including a wristband from one and scribbled the names and addresses of several others in a notebook.

During the seven week trial, victim after victim told how they felt safe with the driver - who occasionally used the name Paul or Tony - because they were stepping into a registered black London taxi.

On several occasions he offered to drive a woman home for a fraction of the normal cost, or even for free, claiming he lived in their direction.

Most of the women were young professionals  lawyers, insurance brokers, office workers or journalists.

One victim was a new mother out celebrating for the first time with her friends.

Jean Clayton met Worboys in 1988 at a pub in Hackney, east London where he worked as a stripper. The pair married shortly after before splitting in 1995

Carrie Symonds was 19 when Worboys spotted her waiting for a night bus after an evening out on the King's Road in Chelsea in July 2007.

Worboys offered to take the 20-year-old home to East Sheen six miles away.

She described how Worboys had boasted about winning a large sum of money from gambling.

She told the BBC in 2009: 'He then gave me a glass of champagne. There was always the slightest doubt this could be spiked so I had a sip but then poured the rest of it on to the floor.'

Ms Symonds, who is now director of communications for the Conservative Party, said Worboys stopped the cab and asked to join her in the back to celebrate his win.

She said: 'He seemed quite friendly. I didn't feel worried by him.'

Police found a rape kit in the back of Worboys' taxi which including sleeping tablets, condoms and an ashtray he used to crush the drugs (top right)

He bet her 50 she could not drink a shot of vodka and said he would then take her home for free. She couldn't throw it away without him seeing, so drank it.

She recalled: 'I can't remember anything from that point onwards and that's what is so worrying. I believe he got in to the front of the cab and did drive me back then straight away. I feel that if I was assaulted I would instinctively know. That's what I hope. I can 99 per cent say nothing happened but to have that 1 per cent of doubt is terrifying.'

Sarah Craigie encountered the evil of Worboys in May 2007 after she went to see a former boyfriend working as a DJ in a West End nightclub.

Sarah Craigie (pictured) encountered the evil of Worboys in May 2007

Walking near Leicester Square she was crying and 'in a bit of a state' when she came across a cab rank and Worboys asked if she needed a lift.

'I told him that I needed to get back to Dagenham but only had 30 on me and that would not be enough,' she recalled.

'He said, 'Don't worry darling...I will get you home safe.'

Within five minutes of the journey starting, Worboys had asked her why she was crying and if she had a boyfriend.

Miss Craigie - who admits she was drunk - poured her heart out.

'It was then he said he had enjoyed a great day and had won thousands of pounds at the races,' she said.

'He asked me if I wanted to have a drink to celebrate. By that time I had really had enough alcohol but he offered me vodka, champagne, wine - he said he had anything I wanted to drink.

'I said I would have a soft drink and after a while he passed me a can of Coke. After that the journey became a blur. Within about 20 minutes I was feeling really nauseous and drowsy. I was just dizzy and feeling so out of it.'

Miss Craigie rang a friend who advised her to text her boyfriend. She remembers little else until she woke up somewhere near home.

'The driver said he needed to go to the toilet and he got out of the cab and was away for a few minutes,' she added.

Kathy Martin, who was Worboys' girlfriend at the time of the attacks said she was unaware of what he was doing in his taxi cab

'The next thing I remember was him being in the back of the taxi with me. He had a white plastic carrier bag full of cash - I have never seen so much money - and he was sipping champagne from a glass.

'He then came towards me - really close and I felt very intimidated and vulnerable.

'Worboys just kept on invading my personal space and it was then I then got angry.

'I shouted at him, 'This just isn't right - you should not be drinking. Just take me home.''

She recalled that Worboys then became aggressive and replied: 'Don't get out of your f***ing pram - I only wanted to celebrate my good fortune with you.'

He drove her home and Miss Craigie recalled her relief at seeing her boyfriend waiting outside her home. 'He literally pulled me out of the cab.'

Worboys drove off at speed. Miss Craigie believes the journey home, which should have lasted only 30 minutes, had taken two hours.

The decision not to pursue new charges and a therefore lengthier sentence for Worboys would have fallen to Kier Starmer, who served as Director of Public Prosecutions at the time

Meanwhile Worboys' ex-wife, Jean Clayton, told The Sun he should 'never be let out'.

Ms Cooper said Worboys' crimes were 'the most appalling and vile' and there were 'serious questions' over the Parole Board's decision.

Carrie-Ann, the daughter of Worboys' ex-wife, added: 'I caught him spying and he tried to give me massages. He was creepy, conniving.

'He made our family's life a misery. I can't imagine what these women are feeling. Nine years and out isn't justice. It's awful.'

Another of Worboy's victims told the BBC they were completely unaware Worboys was due to be released.

One of Worboys' first victims, just 19 when drugged and molested in 2007, said last night: 'This decision is an utter mockery of everything that's happened to all of us.

'In 2009 I said it was pathetically lenient, and it is. It's a joke. Just thinking about him coming out is making me feel ill.'

The rapist's ex-wife Jean Clayton is pictured left, near her home in Yambol, Bulgaria. Right, Worboys arrives at Sutton Magistrates Court ahead of a preliminary hearing into his rape trial

How Labour's Starmer let him escape more charges Sir Keir Starmer was facing serious questions last night over the decision not to prosecute John Worboys over dozens more sex attacks. The Labour frontbencher was accused of ignoring scores of women who came forward after the taxi driver's conviction in March 2009. Sir Keir  now Shadow Brexit Secretary  was then the country's top prosecutor. Worboys, a former stripper and porn actor, was convicted of attacking 12 women. He was jailed indefinitely after being found guilty of one rape and 11 sexual assaults. At the time of his conviction, 83 women had come forward with complaints against him. Another 19 have come forward since then. But the Crown Prosecution Service declined to bring any more charges  despite Scotland Yard passing files on the cases to prosecutors. Instead the CPS ordered 'no further action' (NFA). At the time, Sir Keir was head of the CPS as Director of Public Prosecutions. It is not known whether he was directly involved in the decision not to prosecute. It is understood that one reason for the NFA decision was that Worboys had been given an indefinite prison sentence by the judge at his trial. But critics last night said that if he had been hauled back to court to face more charges and was found guilty, he might have been kept behind bars for longer. Criticising Sir Keir, Conservative MP Priti Patel said: 'This is an appalling reflection on someone who is now a Labour shadow minister of their 'soft on crime' stance and lack of interest in wanting to prosecute horrendous crimes against women  because Worboys was in prison.' A senior Whitehall source said: 'If Worboys had been ordered to stand trial for more attacks, it is possible he would have been convicted and given a longer sentence.' Advertisement

At the time of Worboys' conviction, police said that 83 women had come forward with complaints against him.

Another 19 women have come forward since that time.

But police fear he may have attacked more than 500 women as he worked seven nights a week and was known to have targeted up to three women a night.

Despite this, the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute him with more offences.

Sir Keir Starmer, who was then director of public prosecutions, has been urged to explain why further allegations against Worboys were not looked into.

Conservative MP Priti Patel told the Mail: 'There are serious questions to answer as to why this was not taken further, why he failed to look into the allegations and why he failed to act.'

Sir Keir, now Labour's shadow Brexit secretary, told Sky News today: 'First and foremost it's very important that if there are any allegations that anybody thinks are not being looked into sufficiently, or at all, they go to the police to make those allegations so they can be looked into.

'The second important thing is that it's really important that what's said is factually accurate.

'The Crown Prosecution Service hold the file on this case.'

It is not yet known if he was directly involved in the CPS's decision not to pursue further allegations.

The parole panel took the decision to release Worboys on Wednesday morning, but it emerged only yesterday.

Last night a Government inside said 'to say we are surprised is a massive understatement'.

Victims' rights campaigner Harry Fletcher said the move was 'extraordinary however the authorities are under intense pressure to get out of prison these IPP prisoners who have passed their minimum sentence'.

Karen Ingala Smith of women's charity Nia said: 'He's servedjust over a month per victim. How can we say justice has been served?'

Yvonne Traynor of Rape Crisis South London described the time Worboys spent in prison as 'woefully short'.

Yvette Cooper, of the Commons' home affairs committee, said it was a 'shocking decision' and 'deeply upsetting'.

Fay Maxted, chief executive of The Survivors Trust, called Worboys' crimes 'calculated' and 'deliberate'.

She said: 'Naturally the victims are going to feel, I think cheated that he is being released ... you think you're going to be safe when you're in a taxi, so it will be very frightening for his victims to know that he is being released.'

Sophie Walker, leader of the Women's Equality Party, said: 'The parole board may have satisfied itself that he can be prevented from ruining even more lives, but that will come as little comfort to the more than 100 women who he is thought to have attacked.'

Sarah Green, from the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said: 'The decision to release John Worboys beggars belief. It is likely to be the product of a justice system and a society that cannot and perhaps will not deal with rape.'

It emerged last night that only four of his victims had been contacted beforehand of the parole decision as they had signed up to the victim contact scheme.

A report published after his conviction found there was a 'mindset' among police that the driver of a black cab was unlikely to be responsible for a sex attack.

The paper by the Independent Police Complaints Commission discovered a catalogue of missed opportunities, errors of judgment and failures by Scotland Yard had left Worboys free to prey on women.

Two of Worboys' victims would go on to win human rights cases in the High Court against the Metropolitan Police in 2014.

The pair  known as DSD and NBV  claimed there had been serious failures in the investigation which led to Worboys to avoid detection and re-offend.

Worboys was first arrested in July 2007 after a 19-year-old student reported a sex attack in South-East London. Officers traced him using CCTV.

But instead of turning up at his house unannounced, they arrested him by appointment - giving him the opportunity to get rid of evidence such as his 'rape kit', which contained drugs and drinks.

Police also failed to search his home and taxi. The investigation was later dropped by senior officers.

He gave me vodka... I'm sure it was spiked: Worboys victim speaks out Carrie Symonds believes that Worboys spiked her drink in 2007 Carrie Symonds was waiting for a night bus after an evening out in Chelsea in 2007 when she was approached by Worboys, who offered to take her home in his cab. Tipsy after several drinks, the 19-year-old accepted his lift back to East Sheen in west London, six miles away. On the journey Worboys, who appeared 'friendly and very genuine', persuaded her to drink a glass of vodka. The next memory Miss Symonds had was waking up at 3pm the next day after being violently sick and passing out in the bath at home. She thought her drink must have been spiked but had so little recollection of what happened that she did not report the incident until February 2008, when police made a public appeal for victims. Miss Symonds, who waived her right to anonymity, said previously: 'I'll never be able to get in a black cab againit is terrifying to think what might have happened to me. I think I would instinctively know if I had been sexually assaulted and I'm 99 per cent sure I was not, but that 1 per cent of doubt is always there.' Miss Symonds was one of 14 women who gave evidence against Worboys in court. She said: 'He offered me a cigarette which I accepted  he told me he'd won a lot of money and showed me stacks of cash. I thought the conversation was seedy but  I wasn't too worried. I just thought he was weird.' Worboys offered her champagne but she poured it on the floor. She downed the vodka only after he promised to pay her 50 and give her the lift home for free. She added: 'He puts you in a position where you feel indebted to him  He's a professional conman.' Advertisement
As airports go, its hard to beat the short lines and wait times at Bismarck Municipal Airport. But flying out three days before Christmas, the 30 minutes or so I spent in line allowed me to meet two remarkable young ladies.

Twin sisters Morgan and Brittany Williams were ahead of me in line and then also ended up across the aisle on the plane.

Like me, they were traveling to be with family for Christmas. I dont know if it is the salesman or journalist in me, but I like to hear peoples stories, and these two young ladies have a great one.

I was curious, what would bring two Chicago area natives to North Dakota?

Both are licensed clinical social workers and both have master's degrees in social work, from the same university, of course.

Their careers have largely tracked one another, which recently brought them to North Dakotas Home On The Range in Sentinel Butte.

For those who may not know, the facility provides a safe home for youth who have experienced physical or emotional trauma.

They are excited and challenged by the work, which they describe as their calling. Its what they are meant to do and they wouldnt want to be anywhere else.

With only 40 or so students at a time they are able to get to know the students and their families.

There is no doubt they deal with some very sad and difficult situations, but the duo knows they are making a difference in the lives of their students.

I was vaguely familiar with the facility, having seen the signs for it along the highway, but their enthusiasm caused me to look it up and learn more about it.

Mr. and Mrs. Edward Lievens, ranch owners, donated the 960-acre ranch to Father Elwood Cassedy in 1950 to promote his vision to help teenage boys. Since 1990 the facility also has served teenage girls.

The program is fully accredited and licensed and operates as a not-for-profit organization.

You may find more information about this wonderful program at https://hotrnd.com/

Thank you, Morgan and Brittany for brightening an otherwise uneventful travel day, and for sharing your enthusiasm for your work.

I look forward to visiting.

* * *

On another note, four copies of the book Forgiven, which I wrote about on Dec. 22, remain in our reception area. You are welcome to take a copy and share it with someone when you have read it.
A Ryanair passenger facing a 40,000 fine for trying to leave a plane by forcing an emergency exit and climbing onto its wing, has apologised for his actions.

Romuald Graczyk, from Poland, made headlines round the world earlier this week when he was filmed making the shock exit after his plane from Stansted landed at Malaga Airport.

The 57-year-old told police who took him off flight FR8164 that he had felt 'stressed' at an hour-late take-off and a further 'unexplained' 30 minute wait inside the plane for the doors to open after it reached Malaga late on Monday.

Today he blamed his drastic action on an attack of claustrophobia but admitted: 'I'm ashamed. It was a mistake.' He said others on board started to 'applaud' and encouraged him by 'doing the thumbs-up'.

Ryanair passenger Romuald Graczyk, who is facing a 40,000 fine for trying to leave a plane by forcing an emergency exit and climbing onto its wing, has apologised for his actions

He said: 'I hadn't arranged to meet anyone and I wasn't late for anything.

'I don't know what came over me. I felt a little bit of claustrophobia. I became nervous, I didn't understand why we were in Malaga and couldn't leave the plane, so I saw a door that said "Exit" and left.

'People began to applaud me and encourage me by doing the thumbs-up.

'I wasn't going to jump. When I reached the edge of the wing I saw it was too high so I went back inside the plane.'

Revealing he had travelled to the UK to see three nieces who live in London and paid for his ticket, the 57-year-old expat told Malaga-based paper Sur: 'I flew to London on December 23.

'When I arrived at my niece's house and they opened the door, my brother and my mum who I hadn't seen for seven years were there. It was a lovely surprise.

'My relatives have found out about what I did and they're worried about the fine. My nieces have asked me to ring them every day to check I'm okay.

'I've been in Spain for seven years without having a problem and now this, on the first day of 2018. In Poland they say the rest of the year is like the way you start it.'

Malaga Airport Civil Guard chief Miguel Sanchez revealed on Wednesday Romuald, who moved to Spain from the north of Poland to work as a painter on a building site, could face a 40,000 for a serious air security infraction.

Officers have passed on his details to the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA) who will decide on the size of the fine.

Romuald Graczyk, from Poland, made headlines round the world earlier this week when he was filmed making the shock exit after his plane from Stansted landed at Malaga Airport

After his bizarre plane exit, it emerged Mr Graczyk, an accomplished musician who played guitar in a band with friends now based in Birmingham who he also visited during his Christmas trip to the UK, had given police a homeless hostel in Malaga as his address.

He lived in the Caritas-run hostel - Hogar Pozo Dulce - for around two years up to a year ago but is now living in a shared flat in a working-class area of the Costa del Sol city owned by the Roman Catholic charity.

Before that he slept rough in the resort of Fuengirola and in a municipal hostel in Malaga after his work as a painter dried up and he had problems with alcohol.

He occasionally busks for tourists outside Malaga Cathedral to make some pocket money.

Today he had just 18 cents - the equivalent of 16 pence - in his wallet and another 50 pence he had left at home.

He said: 'I didn't know I had been fined but how am I going to pay such a large amount?'

It is not clear when he will be told how much the fine is, and his dire economic situation makes it unlikely Spanish authorities will ever get any money out of him.

Today, Romuald Graczyk blamed his drastic action on an attack of claustrophobia

A source at the hostel he used to live in, which houses people deemed to be 'at risk', said Mr Graczyk had been permanently based there for more than a year until around a year ago, paying 140 a month for a bed and three meals a day.

He said: 'He seemed nice enough but seemed pretty private. Everyone who comes here has very little resources but I didn't know his life story. There were never any problems while he was here.'

Malaga Airport Civil Guard chief Mr Sanchez said: 'When we got the call from Ryanair cabin crew and sent officers out, we found he was no longer on the wing of the plane when we reached it.

'Officers boarded the plane and found him sat down. He seemed calm and wasn't at all aggressive.

'We identified him and took him to the airport police office so he could be informed he was being reported for a breach of the law covering airport security.

'He wasn't arrested because no damage had been done and no-one was in danger.

'The Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA) are the state body which has to decide the size of the fine but the maximum fine is EUROS 45,000 and my feeling is that this breach will be considered as one of the more serious types.'

Spaniard Fernando del Valle Villalobos, who got out his phone to record the dramatic moment Mr Graczyk exited the packed plane, said: 'He came from the front of the plane and seemed to be asking people very politely to let him past.

'None of the flight crew saw anything because they were by the cockpit.

'I thought he wanted to look out the window to see if the bus to take us back to the terminal had arrived but the next minute he opened the door using the lever and poked his head out.

'He had a look around and then turned round to pick up his rucksack before walking out onto the wing.

'Everyone was totally flabbergasted. No-one saw it coming and so there wasn't time to say anything.

'He sat down on the end of the wing and was there for around five minutes while we were inside the plane until he was persuaded to return by ground staff.

'He then attempted to walk off with the rest of us when we were given the okay to leave but the pilot stopped him and asked him in English why he had done what he did.

'He replied in Spanish, saying that it had just got too much for him having to wait so long without any explanation as to why we were being kept inside the plane.

'The word he used in Spanish was that he felt 'agobiado.'

'We had left Stansted late and we were then kept waiting a long time after we landed but it was obviously a very drastic measure to take. I still can't quite believe what happened.'
Australia is set to swelter through a killer heatwave with scorching temperatures and 'catastrophic' conditions which experts have described as like a 'blast furnace'.

Victoria will suffer the worst of the searing heat while parts of South Australia and western Sydney are forecasted also sweat through temperatures above 40C.

The hot and dry air will be dragged across southern Australia this weekend by northwesterly winds, bringing both extreme heat and high risk of fire.

Victoria will suffer the worst of the searing heat while parts of South Australia and western Sydney are forecasted also sweat through above 40C mercury (Beachgoers pictured in Melbourne)

The hot and dry air will be dragged across southern Australia this weekend by northwesterly winds, bringing both extreme heat and high risk of fire (Melbourne pictured)

Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino said the combination of wind speed, temperature and humidity could result in the worst bushfire conditions since Black Saturday in 2009 - which killed 173 people and injured 414.

Fire bans are in place across Melbourne and Adelaide and Victoria's ambulance commander Paul Holman has even warned residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary.

'It's going to be like a blast furnace tomorrow and you need to adjust what you do. You need to take care. So put off the sporting events, put off the outside events, stay inside,' Mr Holman told reporters on Friday.

Outside of Melbourne in Swan Hill, Echuca, Warracknabeal and Mildura it will be the hottest with mercury hitting around 44C at its peak.

Fire bans are in place across Melbourne (Pictured) and Adelaide and Victoria's ambulance commander Paul Holman has even warned residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary

Outside of Melbourne (pictured) in Swan Hill, Echuca, Warracknabeal and Mildura it will be the hottest with mercury hitting around 44C at its peak

Beachgoers (pictured) at Kerferd Road beach, Melbourne, Friday, January 5, 2018

Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino said the combination of wind speed, temperature and humidity could result in the worst bushfire conditions since Black Saturday in 2009

Meanwhile, Adelaide's top temperature will reach 41C and the scorching heat combined with high winds will be a 'recipe for fire'.

The fire-rating across the region has been switched to 'catastrophic' and the state will face a very serious bush-fire threat.

'At the moment it's looking as though the weather events for tomorrow could be some of the worst weather for bushfire conditions since the Pinery bushfire,' he told media this afternoon,' Emergency Services Minister Chris Picton told media on Friday.

Sydneysiders will also swelter through a scorcher of a weekend with most of the state tipped to suffer above-average temperatures for this time of year.

Western Sydney will bear the brunt of the searing heat as Penrith is set to hit 42C on Saturday and a staggering 45C on Sunday, while Campbelltown and Liverpool will reach a top of 39C.

People sunbath as they enjoy the warm weather at St Kilda Beach in Melbourne

Melbourne (pictured) temperatures are set to climb to 41C on Saturday

They are also reminding people it is an offence to leave children or pets unattended in vehicles in the warm weather

Hot, gusty conditions in NSW will also spark danger of fires but the state has avoided a total fire ban.

New South Wales Police are advising residents to be prepared for heatwave conditions.

They are also reminding people it is an offence to leave children or pets unattended in vehicles.

Recently a dog died after being left in a car at Rose Bay, while a 32-year-old man was arrested and charged at a Guildford hotel after allegedly leaving a six-year-old boy in a car.

Weekend weather forecast SYDNEY FRIDAY: Max 28, sunny SATURDAY: Min 20, Max 31, sunny SUNDAY: Min 23, Max 38, hot and mostly sunny CANBERRA FRIDAY: Max 33, sunny SATURDAY: Min 15, Max 36, sunny SUNDAY: Min 21, Max 38, hot, shower or two developing PERTH FRIDAY: Max 27, partly cloudy SATURDAY: Min 12, Max 29, sunny SUNDAY: Min 16, Max 31, sunny BRISBANE FRIDAY: Max 30, partly cloudy SATURDAY: Min 20, Max 31, mostly sunny SUNDAY: Min 20, Max 32, mostly sunny MELBOURNE FRIDAY: Max 29, mostly sunny SATURDAY: Min 20, Max 41, hot, late cool change SUNDAY: Min 17, Max 21, partly cloudy ADELAIDE FRIDAY: Max 37, sunny SATURDAY: Min 25, Max 41, very hot and sunny SUNDAY: Min 15, Max 26, partly cloudy HOBART FRIDAY: Max 21, morning showers SATURDAY: Min 19, Max 33, hot, whoer or two SUNDAY: Min 15, Max 23, cloudy DARWIN FRIDAY: Min 32, showers, storm likely SATURDAY: Min 25, Max 31, shower or two, possible storm SUNDAY: Min 25, Max 30, rain, possible storm Source: Bureau of Meterology Advertisement

Hot, gusty conditions in NSW will also spark danger of fires but the state has avoided a total fire ban (Sydney pictured)

Meanwhile, Adelaide's (pictured) top temperature will reach 41C and the scorching heat combined with high winds will be a 'recipe for fire'

The fire-rating across the region has been switched to 'catastrophic' and the state will face a very serious bush-fire threat (Adelaide pictured)

'It's going to be like a blast furnace tomorrow and you need to adjust what you do. You need to take care. So put off the sporting events, put off the outside events, stay inside,' Mr Holman told reporters on Friday (Melbourne pictured)

The nation's capital in Canberra will also see sizzling temperatures at 36C on Saturday and Sunday will be the hottest at 38C.

Launceston and much of Tasmania is also expected to reach at least 32C on Saturday with a forecast of hot and gusty winds too.

Brisbane will be mostly sunny all weekend with temperatures in the early 30s, with light winds.

Perth will reach 29C on Saturday and 31C on Sunday, with clear skies and some winds predicted for the weekend.

In Sydney, it will be a hot and sunny weekend with the mercury set to soar to 31C on Saturday

New South Wales Police are advising residents to be prepared for heatwave conditions
The distressed father of a 22-year old New South Wales man who went missing after a heated argument with a friend on New Year's Eve just wants his son home safe.

Jayden Penno-Tompsett disappeared near a Charters Towers roadhouse in far-north Queensland in the early hours of December 31 after being left behind by his friends.

His father, Brendan Tompsett, says he doesn't care about the 'sketchy' details that led to his son being abandoned - all he wants is to know is if Jayden's okay.

'What we really want is we need to know that he's okay, as you can imagine the worst thing is the not knowing. We don't care what the issues were, that's really secondary at this point...Just let us know he's safe,' Mr Tompsett told News.com.au.

Brendan Tompsett (pictured) says he doesn't care about the 'sketchy' details that led to his son being abandoned in far-north Queensland - all he wants is to know is if he's okay

'To not be in touch with some of his mates and to not let anyone know ... From what police have told me he hasn't used his bank account so that is fairly concerning. It's got scary.'

A large land and air search was conducted by Queensland police in the Tower Hill area Thursday, but was scaled back after authorities failed to find Mr Penno-Tompsett or any items of interest.

Mr Penno-Tompsett, from New South Wales, planned the trip for months before setting off with a group of friends from Newcastle, north of Sydney.

Jayson Hungerford was the friend that contacted Jayden's father to tell him of his disappearance, which he described as 'out of character'.

Jayden Penno-Tompsett disappeared near a Charters Towers roadhouse in far-north Queensland in the early hours of December 31 after being left behind by his friends

'I think it was just the argument with his mate and because it was his mates car I'm thinking he just didn't want to get back in his car cause they were fighting...But it is out of character for him,' he said.

The young adult was hoping his pal was simply hitch hiking his way home and was unaware of the panic his long journey was causing.

Mr Penno-Tompsett's father said he didn't care what was going on, he just needed to know his son was alright.

The distraught father said it was the 'worst thing ever' to have his child missing and to have no answers - especially with him now gone for five days.

Mr Penno-Tompsett has not made contact with friends or family since he was last seen near a Charters Towers roadhouse (pictured) in the early hours of December 31

Mr Penno-Tompsett planned the trip for months before setting out with a group of friends from Newcastle

The group planned to celebrate New Year's Eve in Cairns, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The missing man's father Brendan Tompsett said his son had an argument in a car with a friend shortly before his disappearance.

'We don't really care what the issues are, we don't care about any of that, we just need to know he's safe,' Mr Tompsett said.

'Anything that's gone on doesn't really matter at this point - we just need to hear from him. It's a parent's worst nightmare. It's horrible, it really is horrible.'

He described his son as 'just a wild Newy boy' who had been working in the demolition industry.

A search covering a huge land area in the Tower Hill region is underway and expected to continue at first light on Friday.

Senior Sergeant Dean Cavanagh described the terrain as 'quite rocky and hilly' but said it was 'almost impossible' to get lost in the area where the 22-year-old was last seen because of the large number of properties.

Mr Penno-Tompsett was last seen wearing a black singlet, navy blue board shorts, and black and red thongs.
Sammy Wilson, the DUP Brexit spokesman, said the Tories had agreed to 'closer liaison' between the two parties

Ministers will now meet with the DUP 'almost weekly' to ensure they keep propping up Theresa May, it emerged today.

Sammy Wilson, the Brexit spokesman for the Northern Ireland party, said the Tories had agreed to 'closer liaison' between the two parties.

The new agreement comes weeks after DUP leader Arlene Foster pulled Theresa May out of Brexit negotiations by refusing to support a draft divorce agreement.

The extraordinary intervention almost collapsed the entire Brexit negotiation and underlined the weakness of the Prime Minister in Parliament.

The DUP and its 10 MPs signed a 'confidence and supply' agreement with the Conservative Party after Mrs May threw away her Commons majority last year.

The agreement guarantees support on crucial votes and is the only thing protecting Mrs May from routine defeat and the collapse of her Government.

DUP MPs negotiated an extra 1billion in spending on Northern Ireland as their prices for the deal last June.

Demands for closer ties will fuel critics' warnings that the party will now ask a higher a price for continued support.

Mr Wilson, the East Antrim MP, revealed the new arrangement to Politico.

He said: 'We expect that on an almost weekly basis we will be meeting with them to talk about these issues as the matters arise'.

The new agreement comes weeks after DUP leader Arlene Foster (pictured with her deputy and Westminster leader Nigel Dodds) pulled Theresa May out of Brexit negotiations by refusing to support a draft divorce agreement

The DUP agreement guarantees support on crucial votes and is the only thing protecting Mrs May (pictured yesterday at Frimley Park Hospital) from the collapse of her Government

Balancing the DUP demands with the rest of her agenda will be Mrs May's most delicate task this year.

If Mrs Foster's party refuses to countenance any agreement with the Irish government over Brexit everything could collapse.

A new row has already emerged this year after Irish premier Leo Varadkar made a new hint he hoped for a united Ireland after Brexit.

And in November Mrs Foster accused Irish Foreign Affairs Minister and Mr Varadkar's deputy, Simon Coveney, of 'aggressive' behaviour after he spoke of his desire for a United Ireland.

There is a further impasse over the Northern Ireland Executive, which is currently suspended after the DUP and Sinn Fein failed to strike a new powersharing agreement.

Mrs May's Government is attempting to broker a way out of the year-long crisis but is not seen as an honest partner by Sinn Fein because of its relationship with the DUP in Westminster.
A 13-year-old girl has died and 41 people were poisoned by carbon monoxide poisoning at a New Jersey apartment building, authorities said.

Three relatives of the girl - a man in his 40s, a 21-year-old woman and a 14-year-old girl all remain in critical condition after the exposure to carbon monoxide in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, on Thursday around 4pm.

Among the 41 people treated for poisoning at the 12-unit apartment building were 27 police officers, which amounts to 20 per cent of the force.

A 13-year-old girl was killed and dozens of people were poisoned by a carbon monoxide leak at a 12-unit apartment building in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, on Thursday afternoon. Pictured above, fire officials at the scene

Authorities found several people in cardiac arrest when they arrived at the building after receiving a call about an unconscious person.

'We immediately knew it was some sort of toxin,' Perth Amboy Deputy Police Chief Larry Cattano told NBC New York.

The entire building had to be evacuated in freezing conditions, and some residents were taken to a building across the street while authorities searched for the leak.

'We proceeded to evacuate the entire building which required them to kick in several doors, there's 12 apartments in the building,' Chief Roman McKeon, Perth Amboy Police told ABC.

Among the 41 people treated for poisoning at the 12-unit apartment building were 27 police officers, which amounts to 20 per cent of the force

Firefighters are investigating the leak and the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office is looking to see if carbon monoxide detectors in the building worked.

Officials said that several detectors failed to go off, adding that it is being treated as a criminal investigation.

'When it's cold, temperatures like this people will use space heaters and alternative methods to stay warm if they're heating systems aren't working,' Perth Amboy Fire Chief Edward Mullen told CBS. 'They're important to have a carbon monoxide alarms and every apartment.'

The city is offering shelter to the residents who were displaced by the poisoning.
A drunk New Year's Eve reveller took a 1,643 cab from Denmark to Norway, via Sweden, before running off without paying.

The unruly party-goer's car travelled more than 370 miles through three Scandinavian countries.

The man, who was in his forties, hailed the cab in Copenhagen and saw in the new year on his way to Oslo where he arrived after midnight.

He travelled up the coast of Western Norway past the city of Gothenburg.

But when the inebriated man arrived at his destination in the Abilds neighbourhood, in the Norwegian capital, he tried to avoid paying the now enormous fare.

A drunk New Year's Eve reveller took a taxi more than 370 miles from Denmark to Norway via Sweden in a 1,643 journey before running off without paying

Danish police received a call from the ranting taxi driver at about 1am on January 1, according to a report.

They arrived to discover the drunken man had entered his property and passed out on his bed.

The reveller, who police revealed did not have a criminal record, was quickly shaken awake.

He then coughed up a whopping 18,000 Norwegian kroner (1,643) for his extended taxi ride.

'The driver saw the man had disappeared into the apartment. We were subsequently able to contact the man. He was sleeping in his own bed,' Oslo Police operation leader Vidar Pedersen told The Local DK.

Final destination: The man, who was in his forties, took a taxi all the way from Copenhagen to Oslo, where he arrived after midnight

Taxi trips as long as this are uncommon, said Norwegian Taxi Association director Roar Refseth, who warned drivers to make sure they recieved payment upfront on such journeys.

'It is important [for taxi drivers] to ensure payment upfront [for long journeys], either at the time of reservation or through card or cash payment,' he added.

Adding insult to injury, Oslo Police revealed on Twitter that the Danish taxi driver then had to wait for a recovery vehicle as his car battery had run flat while it idled outside the unruly passenger's flat.
David Glass, pictured at Dundee Sheriff Court yesterday, sexually assaulted three boys

A sexual predator who infiltrated a family in order to groom their children as part of a campaign of 'horrific' abuse has been jailed for only five years.

David Glass sexually assaulted three boys after befriending their parents and winning their trust.

The 59-year-old was yesterday branded 'a danger to children' by a sheriff, who sentenced him to five years for a catalogue of abuse over almost a decade.

Glass befriended his victims' parents when they were suffering 'personal difficulties', Dundee Sheriff Court heard.

He became a trusted friend and was allowed to spend time alone with the youngsters.

But he subjected two victims to repeated sexual assaults at his caravan in the East Neuk of Fife.

The abuse happened over almost two years in the late 1980s, only ending when one of the children died in an accident in 1989.

The court also heard that in the mid-1990s, Glass targeted another boy, abusing him from the age of nine until he was 11.

Glass comes from the coastal village of Anstruther in the East Neuk of Fife (file picture)

The child was molested and forced to bathe with Glass.

Glass denied all the charges against him but a jury found him guilty of four charges of indictment of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour.

Simon Collins, defending, said: 'He denied the offences at trial and maintains that denial now.'

Glass, from Anstruther, Fife, was convicted of a string of virtually identical offences at Dunfermline Sheriff Court in September 2014.

The crimes were committed in the East Neuk area over eight years, beginning in 2004. He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years and released in early 2016.

One child was molested and forced to bathe with Glass, who denied the charges at court

Speaking outside court yesterday, one of Glass's victims, who cannot be named, said: 'I'm still shaking, even now, after having to give evidence. I'm glad he's been given a long sentence. He has caused us all kinds of problems.'

A family member said: 'He tried to make out in court that he was a businessman being targeted by the boys for money. This happened in a small community and he had people believing him  now they will know the truth.

'The boys were so brave to stand up and tell the jury what happened to them. The jury believed them  they didn't believe Glass. When he gets out next time he won't be welcome back in the area. He has been exposed now.

'He was a very arrogant man. He believes he did nothing wrong.'

Glass will be subject to one year's extended licence upon his release and was put on the sex offenders' register for life.

Sheriff Tom Hughes said: 'You groomed them, purchased them gifts and won their confidence and carefully manipulated them into a situation where you could carry out this criminal conduct  conduct no child should ever have to endure.

'You take no responsibility whatsoever and you blame others for the position you find yourself in.'

He added: 'There is no merit in your denials. In my view you are a danger to children. Your offending has had a catastrophic effect on your victims in this case.'

A spokesman for NSPCC Scotland said: 'The sentence passed will hopefully provide a sense of justice to his victims, who should be praised for having the bravery to give evidence.'

Detective Inspector June Peebles, of Fife's public protection unit, said: 'Glass is a deviant who preyed on young children and he has been brought to justice thanks to the bravery and strength of the victims.

'We take all reports of sexual abuse very seriously, regardless of how much time has passed, and have detectives who are committed to thoroughly investigating these despicable offences.'
The head of the iconic Colman family is calling for justice for factory workers after owners Unileaver announced they would be shutting their Norwich plant.

Sir Timothy Colman insisted that multinational giant must be generous to the shattered 113-strong workforce at the city's doomed Carrow Works.

He said: 'This news is very sad indeed. I'm deeply sympathetic to those who will be affected.

'Unilever has made this decision for their own advantage and they will be judged on the generosity of their support for the employees affected.'

Sir Timothy Colman insisted that multinational giant must be generous to the shattered 113-strong workforce at the city's doomed Carrow Works

The firm says it will continue to make mustard powder in the area. Right: The production line

Sir Timothy is the great-great-grandson of James Colman, nephew of powerhouse entrepreneur Jeremiah Colman.

Brilliant businessman Jeremiah set up the celebrated business near Stoke Holy Cross in 1814, 204 years ago.

It was taken to the present Carrow Works site in 1858 by Jeremiah James Colman, Sir Timothy's great-grandfather.

'I do recognise that businesses have to keep up to date with the trading circumstances of the markets in which they operate,' added Sir Timothy.

'The immediate reaction of everybody is that if this has to happen, we are deeply concerned that Unilever is fair and generous in how it treats its employees.'

When Unilever first announced its review of the Norwich factory in October, Sir Timothy's furious son James suggested Unilever had put profits above tradition with 'the hard-nosed pragmatism of big business'.

'I believe our fine independently-minded city deserves better treatment than this,' James Colman said at the time.

'In the overall scheme of Unilever's masterplan this is small scale but the impact felt will be significant.

'It will score into the identity and culture of our past present and future.'

Sir Timothy is a former Lord Lieutenant for Norfolk and was chairman of Eastern Counties Newspapers Group from 1969-1996.

The local MP has said he is 'absolutely gutted' that the brand's owner are pulling out of the city

He worked in the family business himself, becoming manager of the Carrow factory under Reckitt and Colman, and later joining the board as a non-executive director.

The Colman family's involvement in the senior management of the business ended in 1995, the year it was sold to Unilever, when Sir Michael Colman's tenure as chairman came to an end.

Meanwhile, Norwich South MP Clive Lewis vowed to seek answers in Parliament over why the government failed to keep soft drinks giant Britvic and Unilever in Norwich.

The top Labour MP spoke out as Unilever said it would shut Colman's Mustard factory in Norwich in 2019, with production moving to Burton-upon-Trent, Staffs, and Germany.

Unilever said all 113 jobs at the Carrow Works site would be affected and at least 45 people faced the axe.

While part of the production will move out of the county, the packing of mustard powder and the milling of the seed will remain in the Norwich area.

It follows the announcement by Britvic, which shares the site near Trowse, that its factory would also close with about 240 jobs lost.

The mustard brand is world famous and even escaped rationing during the Second World War

That plant, which produces Robinsons and Fruit Shoot, is due to shut next year, with manufacturing switching to Rugby, Warks, east London and Leeds.

Business secretary Greg Clark said the government was in 'close contact' with factory bosses.

Mr Clark had also promised to try to persuade Unilever to keep the world-renowned mustard plant in Norfolk.

But Mr Lewis labelled it a 'truly awful festive period' for workers as he slammed the government's efforts.

'Greg Clark didn't even have the decency to accept my invitation to come to Norwich and meet with us all here to find a way to keep the jobs in our city.

'This government has failed to understand the lessons of the past 35 years that government cannot be a spectator when it comes to industry,' stormed the firebrand left-wing MP.

'No one is asking Greg Clark to 'pick winners' - simply to support key sectors - like the food and drink manufacturing industry - the way the Scottish government has with strategic investment in new plant and machinery.

'The reality is that hundreds of workers in Norwich have been cast adrift by a government and economic system that has let all of us down again.

'I applaud the valiant efforts of the Unions, Norwich City Council, Norfolk County Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership in trying to find an a viable solution to keep these jobs in Norwich.

'I cannot say the same for this government. A government that has sat on its hands these past few months.

'I'll be seeking answers yet again in Parliament next week on why this government has failed Norwich and its Britvic/Unilever workers and what it plans to now do support those affected.

Take the Tower from London, the RSC from Stratford and the potteries from Stoke, but leave our mustard in the Fine City

'It didn't have to turn out like this and it's not an inevitability that we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past.'

Norwich North Tory MP Chloe Smith said she was 'fundamentally disappointed' that both Unilever and Britvic were pulling out of Norwich.

Ms Smith said: 'Senior figures in government have stood with us throughout the last few months to try to keep these historic brands in Norwich.

'The grassroots campaign has been a credit to the city and that has its reward in that the Colman's brand will remain in Norwich and the supply chain may remain in place.

'My first thoughts are with those constituents who may lose their jobs.

'My focus for the longer term will be that major employers should continue to see Norwich as a great place to be.'

Actor and TV presenter Stephen Fry said the shock move to close the Colman's Mustard factory was a 'sad day'.

Shocked: Susan Clodd, 68, (left) and Nando's manager Paris Hammont (right)

Fry, who lived in Norfolk when he was younger and went to Norwich City College, tweeted: 'Norwich without Colmans?

'Take the Tower from London, the RSC from Stratford and the potteries from Stoke, but leave our mustard in the Fine City. A sad day. A sad day.'

Speaking to MailOnline in Norwich today, residents and former workers spoke of their shock following the news.

Susan Clodd, 68, used to work as a packer in the Colman's factory and said: 'I used to work there, about 42 years ago until I was pregnant- I must have worked there five or six years.

'We've got no industry left in Norwich now. Moving just isn't warranted.

'Colman's originated here, people want and like things locally resourced, not from another country.

Pictured: Susan Clodd, aged 68

'I do think it is really, really sad- a big shame.'

A source who works at the Colman's factory, who did not wish to be named, said: 'I've been working here 21 years- I know all of the staff, that's how bad it is.

'I know their wives and their children, I know all their families.

'Of course it's a shame, but it will all come out in the wash, in time.'

In Norwich town centre, Jane Scott, 69, who is retired, said: 'The good thing is that the mustard will stay farmed locally.

'I think there are around 10 local farmers who have been enlisted so thats good.

'I know there's a large number of jobs lost- the good thing is that Norfolk is. very agricultural district at least.

'I'm not saying it's good that it's moving, I just do think we have to go with the flow.'

Linsday Eglington, 42, works in the Norwich and Norfolk Hospital- and her mother worked in the Colman's factory around 50 years ago.

Lindsay said: 'This is all because of money- money is all the the owners care about, the don't care about the tradition.

'It's here that Colman's is from and it's here that it's sourced.

'When people think of Colman's they think of Norwich- and now they're getting rid of that tradition because of money, it's as simple as that.'

Susan Peck, 68, who has lived in Norwich all her life and is now retired, said: 'It is changing around here- there's no industry here anymore.

'I do definitely think it's a shame, considering it started in Norwich- I think my grandmother might have worked there, you know!

'They don't seem to have any thought that this is where it all started.'

Susan's husband, Albert George Peck, 77, who used to be a lorry driver, said: 'I think it's about money, but that shouldn't be the only consideration here, what about people's jobs, what about Norwich's industry?

'It's all completely different around here now, we haven't even got a shoe shop here anymore!'

Paris Hammond, 30, is a manager at Nando's and said: 'I think it's a bit sad that a company that has been here longer than I've been alive, is moving.

'I've only lived in Norwich two years, but I think it's a tradition that is being broken by them just going and moving!

'The council should have intervened sooner, they should have sone something more- it's about the workers who will all lose their jobs.'
The leader of Ukip has left his family devastated after leaving his wife and two children to for a blonde less than half his age, his mother said.

Henry Bolton, who is 54, told party members this week that he was in a relationship with 25-year-old Jo Marney.

Denying that he had had a 'clandestine affair', Mr Bolton said Miss Marney is 'somebody who has become increasingly important to me'.

Senior Ukip sources also said Mr Bolton's marriage to Tatiana Smurova-Bolton, which whom he has two children, had finished last summer.

Ukip leader Henry Bolton, 54, and Jo Marney, the 25-year-old he is now dating, emerged from her family home in Maidstone today after Miss Marney insisted they 'make each other happy'

Mr Bolton, 54, has left his wife for party activist and model Miss Marney (left, the couple together last month and right, Miss Marney in a photo she posted online)

Mr Bolton, a former army officer, with his wife Tatiana Smurova, with whom he has two children

Sources added that he had had met Miss Marney at a Ukip Christmas party on December 16.

But Mr Bolton's mother, Sheila Bolton, 79, told the Daily Telegraph that her family had been devastated by her son's behaviour.

She said: 'I am not going to make any comment but his three siblings - I have got four children - are devastated.'

Ex-journalism student Miss Marney described herself as 'the bad girl of Brexit' on Facebook

Miss Marney posted this picture of the couple together for drinks on Boxing Day on Instagram

Asked whether she thought her son's relationship with a woman nearly 30 years his junior was embarrassing, she added: 'You might say that. I couldn't possibly comment. I'm not going to make a bad situation any worse.'

Mr Bolton became the party's leader after being elected in September.

His wife works in Vienna and has previously spoken of the strain his appointment has put on their marriage.

After posting a photo of she and Mr Bolton online, Miss Marney defended their relationship

She insisted that they 'make each other happy' and he was previously unhappily married

She has previously posed for pictures with rockstars Tom Jones and David Gilmour (right)

She regularly posts photos online from her shoots, as well as pictures of her by the pool

Miss Marney, who describes herself as a 'model, actor and journalist and Brexiteer', spent much of Christmas with Mr Bolton. She is pictured outside a pub in Westminster last year

She gave birth to their second child at St Pancras Station in London after going into labour on a train.

UKIP activist Miss Marney has described herself as the 'Bad Girl of Brexit', has posted pictures of herself to social media and differing poses and not always while wearing much clothing.

Miss Marney, who worked as a journalist and television presenter as well as a model, defended her relationship on Facebook yesterday.

She wrote: 'He was in an unhappy marriage and was estranged from his wife. He started dating me and we found that we made each other happy. What's your issue?'

'So in your world, no one is allowed to split from their partner? Or is this all because I am young and good looking?'

She has been criticised for 'toxic' posts on social media, once claiming that Grenfell Tower 'was a nest of illegal immigrants' which was why authorities had been unable 'to identify most of them'.
President Trump directed his White House counsel to tell Attorney General Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Department's Russia investigation.

When Don McGahn, the president's White House counsel, was unsuccessful, the president erupted in anger in front of multiple White House officials, telling them that he needed an attorney general who would protect him  the way Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy protected his brother, President John F. Kennedy, according to details in the New York Times.

The president then asked, 'Where's my Roy Cohn?' referring to his long-dead former lawyer, who had ben Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy's chief counsel during the lawmaker's controversial hunt for Communists in the 1950s, the Times reported.

President Trump (left) asked White House Counsel Don McGahn to lobby Attorney General Jeff Sessions (right) not to recuse himself from the Russia investigation

The New York Times reported that President Trump yelled at his aides that he wanted an attorney general like Robert F. Kennedy (left), who the president said protected his brother, President John F. Kennedy (right)

White House Counsel Don McGahn was directed to pressure Attorney General Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Russia investigation, which he did, leading the president to have an outburst in which he yelled, 'Where's my Roy Cohn?'

The Times was the first to report that Trump had McGahn lobby Sessions, however the Associated Press spoke to three people on the condition of anonymity who corroborated the newspaper's report.

The conversation between McGahn and Sessions took place on the president's orders and occurred just before the attorney general announced he would step aside from the ongoing inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, according to an Associated Press source with knowledge of the interaction.

Two other individuals confirmed details of the conversation to the AP.

The episode is known to special counsel Robert Mueller and his team of prosecutors and is likely of interest to them as they look into whether Trump's actions as president, including the May firing of FBI Director James Comey, amount to improper efforts to obstruct the Russia investigation.

Investigators recently concluded a round of interviews with current and former White House officials, including McGahn and former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus.

Reached Thursday evening, Trump personal attorney John Dowd said, 'I know nothing about that,' and hung up.

Jay Sekulow, another of the president's personal lawyers, did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment.

The White House also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sessions announced on March 2 that he would recuse himself from the Russia probe.

He said at the time that he should not oversee any investigation into a campaign for which he was an active and vocal supporter, though the recusal also followed the revelation that he had had two previously undisclosed interactions during the 2016 campaign with the Russian ambassador to the United States. At his Jan. 10 confirmation hearing, he had said he had no meetings with Russians.

But soon before the announcement, with White House officials anticipating that Sessions might be poised to step aside, McGahn spoke to Sessions by phone and urged him against recusing himself from the investigation.

During the conversation, according to people familiar with the matter, McGahn argued to Sessions that there was no reason or basis at that time for him to recuse.

One person said McGahn also told him that recusal would do nothing to resolve concerns over whether Sessions had given a misleading answer at his confirmation hearing.

Sessions ultimately declined the urging, and McGahn ultimately accepted the conclusion of officials who believed that Sessions should recuse.

Sessions' recusal left Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in charge of the Russia investigation.

But once Trump fired Comey two months later, Rosenstein appointed Mueller, the former FBI director, to run the investigation and to report to him.

Four people, including Trump's former campaign chairman and national security adviser, have been charged so far in the investigation.

The Sessions recusal has been a sore spot for Trump for months, with the president publicly deriding the decision and lamenting his selection of the former Alabama senator as his attorney general.

In a July interview with The Times, Trump said, 'Well, Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job, and I would have picked somebody else.'
Abraham Kuyper, who served as prime minister of the Netherlands from 1901 to 1905, was also a journalist and theologian. Kuyper wrote expansively on public theology in an effort to engage culture through the lens of a Christian worldview, covering topics such as common grace, the kingship of Christ, and the roles of the church and family. In collaboration with the Abraham Kuyper Translation Society, the Acton Institute and Lexham Press have teamed together to publish the Abraham Kuyper Collected Works in Public Theology, a collection of Kuypers theological writings translated in English for the first time. On Islam, is the latest in this 12-volume series of translated works by Kuyper, detailing Kuypers observations while traveling in the Mediterranean.

This latest book is a combination of travelogue, historical analysis, and reflections on the significant role Islam was playing at the turn of the 20th century, writes Chris Meehan. By encountering all that he did, Kuyper stepped out of his life in Europe to get a wider view in which he saw and experienced cultures and religions at work helping to shape world events  for good and for bad.

Meehan describes how Kuyper was able to observe the Eastern cultures with humility and appreciation, writing that while he was encountering Islam for the first time, Kuyper had to confront his own stereotypes and the prejudices he held regarding the religion.

Read Meehans full book review, Abraham Kuyper on Islam and Christianity.

Featured image: (By Derzsi Elekes Andor (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons)
JFK's nephew who is hoping to be governor of Illinois has claimed Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel is trying to force black people out of the city.

Chris Kennedy, son of late US Senator Robert Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, accused the mayor of leading a 'strategic gentrification plan' in the city.

Critics believe the plans will lead to black and minority communities being forced out of the city.

Chris Kennedy (left), son of late US Senator Robert Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, accused the Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel (right) of leading a 'strategic gentrification plan' in the city

Kennedy, 54, said at a press conference: 'I believe that black people are being pushed out of Chicago intentionally by a strategy that involves disinvestment in communities being implemented by the city administration, and I believe Rahm Emanuel is the head of the city administration and therefore needs to be held responsible for those outcomes.

'This is involuntary. That we're cutting off funding for schools, cutting off funding for police, allowing people to be forced to live in food deserts, closing hospitals, closing access to mental health facilities. What choice do people have but to move, to leave?

He added: 'And I think that's part of a strategic gentrification plan being implemented by the city of Chicago to push people of color out of the city. The city is becoming smaller, and as it becomes smaller, it's become whiter.'

Emanuel, who came into office in 2011, has seen his approval rating improve recently despite a soaring homicide rate in the city.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the mayor's office called the comments 'decisive' and 'politically motivated'.

Critics believe the plans will lead to black and minority communities being forced out of the city. Pictured: Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel

Spokesman Matt McGrath said in a statement. 'His divisive comments today are a direct assault on one of this city's greatest strengths - our diversity.'

He said Kennedy's comments 'ignored work being done in neighborhoods across the city' to 'improve the quality of life for everyone who calls Chicago home.'

The businessman announced in February that he will run for Illinois governor in 2018.

He is aiming to appeal to African-American voters as he attempts to plot a victory over Chicago businessman J.B. Pritzker in the March 20 Democratic governor primary.

Kennedy, who has previously said Illinois is heading 'in the wrong direction', will bring instant name recognition because of his family's political legacy. This still carries resonance among older black voters who remember the family's role in the 1960s Civil Rights movement.

The former chairman of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, Kennedy founded and now leads Top Box Foods, a nonprofit organization that provides affordable, healthy food to Chicago neighborhoods.

He also serves as chairman of Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises Inc., the Kennedy family's investment firm.

He previously managed a real estate company whose holdings included Chicago's Merchandise Mart.

Kennedy, who lives in Kenilworth with his wife and four children, has flirted with running for public office before - including a bid for U.S. Senate - but didn't follow through.

He surfaced as a top contender for governor after he spoke to the Illinois delegation to the Democratic National Convention in summer 2016.

Emanuel, who came into office in 2011, has seen his approval rating improve recently despite a soaring homicide rate in the city.
This dramatic footage shows a huge chunk of Britain's iconic white cliffs plunging into the sea during Storm Eleanor.

The footage was taken at the Seven Sisters beauty spot at Birling Gap, East Sussex, during the height of the storm, which battered the UK with winds of up to 80mph.

It shows a section of the chalk cliff-face - thought to be up to 10ft deep - detach and plummet into the sea.

The land at Birling Gap is owned and managed by the National Trust and the Seven Sisters cliffs attract hundreds of thousands of tourists from across the world each year.

This dramatic footage shows a huge chunk of Britain's white cliffs tumbling into the sea after being battered by waves during Storm Eleanor

The footage was taken at the Seven Sisters beauty spot at Birling Gap, East Sussex. It shows waves pounding the cliffs before a section detaches and falls into the water below

The section of the chalk cliff-face - thought to be up to 10ft deep - comes loose as Eleanor's high winds caused massive waves to smash against the coast

A National Trust spokesman said: 'During the recent storm, there was a cliff fall on the chalk cliffs at the Seven Sisters. This was captured on video by a member of the National Trust team.

'This stands as a reminder of the danger of standing near the cliff edge and we advise visitors to act sensibly when visiting the area.'

In recent years the cliffs at Birling Gap have experienced possibly the worst coastal erosion in the UK. Over the years several cottages at nearby Cuckmere have disappeared as the cliffs have gradually been eroded.

Last year authorities warned people not to get close to the edge after a student plunged to her death while trying to take a photo.

Hyewon Kim, 23, had asked a stranger to take her picture but lost her footing as she landed and fell over the edge.

The South Korean, who had come to Britain to improve her English, suffered catastrophic head injuries in the fall.

The world-famous cliffs attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year but coastal erosion remains a serious problem

The wild weather caused the section of the cliff face to collapse and plunge into the sea

The shocking footage has led to the National Trust, which looks after the cliffs, to issue fresh warnings to tourists about steering clear of the cliff edge

Photographs found on her mobile phone showed the student happily posing with her back to the cliff-edge in the seconds before her death.

Lifeboat coxswan Paul Legendre said: 'We advise people to stay well away from both cliff edges and the base of cliffs, as these falls are a natural part of coastal erosion.

'This incident shows that cliff falls do not just happen in bad weather, they can happen at any time without warning and pose a major risk to people both on top of cliffs or exploring the beach below.'

The National Trust looks after 775 miles of coastline around England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

More than 350,000 people visit the cliffs at Birling Gap and Seven Sisters cliffs each year.
Satellite images of one of North Korea's main rocket launching sites indicates that dictator Kim Jong-Un is preparing for another missile engine test in the near future.

The images show vehicle tire tracks and that a weather shelter has been moved from a test stand at a facility in Sohae, North Pyongan province, where all of the North's satellite launches have taken place since 2012.

Analysts with the website 38 North, which tracks North Korea, also noted that office buildings likely related to 'launch support operations' is being built by the launch pad.

 Slide me  Changes: These images taken in November and on New Year's Eve show vehicle tracks by the launch pad and that an environment shelter has been moved from the test stand at Sohae

Images taken in November and December show that there is significant work being carried out at the Soahe site.

'As noted in previous reports, the shelter has been moved to its current position on the concrete apron either to permit the receipt and preparation of rocket engines prior to testing or to unload them after a test,' 38 North reports.

'Both color and near-infrared imagery, however, show no indications that an engine test has taken place since November 23, suggesting that if the current activity is test related, it is likely preparations for a future test.'

The analysts at 38 North, which is part of Johns Hopkins University add that the tracks and moving the coverage could be maintenance activity, however they also point to a new building being constructed some 165ft from the launch pad.

 Slide me  Building works: A nw structure, most likely an office building, can be seen to the left being under construction near the launch pad

 Slide me  These images show a These images show a new structure complete at Horizontal Processing Building at Sohae

 Slide me  In honour of Kim: A new monument and garden have been completed at the site's Satellite Control Building

The building appears to be an office building, with 38 North stating that 'its close proximity to the launch pad and processing buildings may mean that it is related to launch operations support.'

Meanwhile, South Korean political analysts have warned that Kim Jong-Un could be laying a trap for the US and the South with his apparent olive branches towards Seoul in his New Year's speech.

They warn that Pyongyang's ultimate goal is to divide their 70-year alliance.

Trigger happy: The images indicate that dictator Kim Jong-Un is preparing for another missile engine test in the near future

 Slide me  Bringing it down: Building being razed at support and warehouse area at the launch site

North and South Korea agreed on Friday to hold their first talks in more than two years, hours after Seoul and Washington decided to defer joint military exercises which always infuriate Pyongyang until after the Winter Olympics.

The meeting, the first since December 2015, will take place on January 9 in Panmunjom, the truce village in the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula.

'It's quite obvious that Kim's New Year speech is aimed at driving a wedge between the US and the South,' Handong University political science professor Park Won-Gon told AFP.

'What is important for the South is not to play into the hands of the North.'
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These pictures give an insight into the daily lives of the heavily tattooed indigenous tribesmen of Mentawai in Indonesia - who decorate their homes with the skulls of their prey and use bark and leaves as clothes.

Incredibly, they have managed to live separate from the hustle and bustle of modern society for centuries.

Photographer Danan Wahyu Sumirat travelled deep into Mentawai island, the homeland of the tribe 90 miles from the coast of West Sumatra, to document the lifestyle of its 64,000 inhabitants.

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Photographer Danan Wahyu Sumirat travelled to Mentawai, the homeland of the tribe 90 miles from the coast of West Sumatra, to document the lifestyle of its 64,000 inhabitants

The semi-nomadic people still hunt fish and animals with poisoned arrows and live in bamboo houses called Umas which they decorate with skulls of their hunted prey.

The tribe believe every living object has a spirit and worship nature, particularly the river. They think damaging or polluting the water source is a sin.

Their days are spent hunting and fishing and these tasks are divided by gender. While hunting is for men, fishing is predominately a woman's chore.

The semi-nomadic people still hunt fish and animals with poisoned arrows and live in bamboo houses called Umas that they decorate with skulls of their hunted prey

Danan said: 'I had always wanted to document this tribe.

'They are very fascinating people. I always wondered how they live happily and peacefully, away from the busy cities and towns.

'Watching the life of the Mentawai people up and close has made me realise that life is actually very simple if we are in love with nature.'

The Mentawaian's social life revolves around their clans, and at the centre is the communal long house.

The clans vary in size between 30 to 80 members and every person has a job to do.

The Mentawaian's social life revolves around their clans of 30 to 80 people, and at the centre is the communal long house

Danan said: 'I realised Mentawai people are very organised.

'Their work is divided according to the gender. There are some jobs only done by men, one of them is hunting.

'Since the age of five years, the boys are given bamboo poles to shoot.

'After reaching the age of 10 years, they are introduced to poisoned arrows to hunt in the forest.'

The tribe has a custom of throwing a feast for everyone before the first hunting by a boy to avoid any bad omen.

The women use Panu, a rod made of two three centimetre long blades, to catch fish in an act they call Manino.

Since they are not familiar with weaving techniques, they still use bark and leaves to cover their privates while they allow their upper body to remain uncovered

Since they are not familiar with weaving techniques, they still use bark and leaves to cover their privates while they allow their upper body to remain uncovered.

Danan said: 'Whether men or women, they remain bare-chest. The women wear a skirt made of leaves while men cover their modesty with a flattened bark.

'They select branches and leaves as per the size of the person and without breaking the tip, they slash them with a machete.

After getting the bark, the outer and inner skin is separated and smoothly-edged to create a Kabit.'

Their days are spent hunting and fishing and these tasks are divided by gender. While hunting is for men, fishing is predominately a woman's chore

The Mentawai people use the night to indulge in spirited recreation, losing themselves in a trance-like state as they dance

Mentawai men, women and children all love to dance, depicting their love for nature through a set of movements called Laggai Turuk

After a hard day hunting and fishing, the Mentawai people use the night to indulge in spirited recreation, losing themselves in a trance-like state as they dance together.

Mentawai men, women and children all love to dance, depicting their love for nature through a set of movements called Laggai Turuk.

They wear colourful headdresses, pearls, feathers and leaves.

The photographer added: 'Nature cannot be separated from the life of the Mentawai people. In addition to the source of life, nature gives them the inspiration of art.

They wear colourful headdresses, pearls, feathers and leaves. The photographer added: 'Nature cannot be separated from the life of the Mentawai people. In addition to the source of life, nature gives them the inspiration of art'

The only specialist in the Mentawai community is its medicine man who is responsible for communicating with the spirits and the souls

'The tattoos that adorn their skin are in the pattern of plants or animals. While dancing they imitate the behaviour of animals.

'It is more like a meditation ritual for these people. They are lost when in trance when they dance.'

'This kind of turuk show was not part of the treatment process but we were acquainted with their ancestors so we were spared the disease and the calamities.

The only specialist in the Mentawai community is its medicine man who is responsible for communicating with the spirits and the souls. In cases of misfortune or illness, he is called in to restore harmony within the group.
PC Ares Michaelides has been cleared of sexual assault after flirting with a woman who invited him into her home

A police officer who flirted with a woman after being invited into her home for a cup of tea wept after jurors took cleared him of sexual assault in less than an hour.

PC Ares Michaelides, 49, was accused of stroking the 22-year-old's thigh whilst out delivering crime prevention kits to residents in Enfield, north London, on 23 November 2016.

He was on duty handing out Smartwater Home Security Packs, containing invisible liquid that can mark valuables so they can be traced back to their owner.

Michaelides, who has spent 12 years in the force, was arrested by colleagues and placed on restricted duties after the woman made a complaint later that day.

His accuser claimed the officer, recently divorced from his wife, who also works for the police, invited himself in before asking for a hot drink and molesting her after remarking: 'You're turning me on.'

Michaelides admitted flirting with the woman and telling her: 'It's not often I get gorgeous girls like you coming to the door.'

But he insisted the complainant 'giggled' at his jokes and told him he should give her a call some time.

He denied the claims, insisting the woman was 'upset' after she saw his wedding ring

Describing the friendly exchange as 'banter', he branded the claims 'ridiculous' and said the most he could be accused of was 'being an idiot and unprofessional'.

Jurors at Southwark Crown Court retired to consider a single charge of sexual assault against the policeman this afternoon before asking to listen to the woman's 999 call again.

She could be heard telling the operator Michaelides commented on her figure before stroking her leg and trying to hold her hand.

But within 20 minutes of hearing the tape, the jury returned with a unanimous verdict of not guilty.

Michaelides, of Barnet, north London, blessed himself in the dock moments before the eight men and four women came in and burst into tears thanking them after the verdict was read out.

A jury Southwark Crown Court took less than an hour to acquit the PC of the charge

Recorder Edward Brown QC discharged him from the dock and the officer left court flanked by two colleagues.

The Met Police said after the verdict: 'The officer was placed on restricted duties throughout the judicial process.

'Now that the criminal proceedings are complete the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) will commence a misconduct review of the incident.'
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An adorable pup that was the first to be left at a rescue in 2018 has found a happy ending after being inundated with adoption offers.

Eight-week-old mongrel Ronnie was left at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in south London on January 2 after he was given as a Christmas present.

The poor pup was dropped off at the rescue so far this year after his owner lost their home and was unable to look after him.

Since posting online about the pooch social media has gone wild for little Ronnie, with plenty of offers to adopt him being made.

Eight-week-old mongrel Ronnie was left at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in south London on January 2 after he was given as a Christmas present

Commenters on Facebook wished they could take the adorable pooch themselves, and put themselves forward to take him

The poor pup became the first unwanted pet to be dropped off at the rescue so far this year, after his owner lost their home and was unable to look after him

Battersea Cats and Dogs Home's Facebook page had plenty of commenters inquiring about whether or not the pup was still available last night.

Ronnie is undergoing medical checks, with Battersea telling MailOnline that the pup is currently staying with staff member Alice Holt, but could be ready for rehoming by next week.

It is not yet known which lucky household will take him, but Battersea have said there is a 'long list' of potential future homes.

In the process of rehoming Ronnie, the team at Battersea will search through every applicant who registered to adopt him to make sure the dog and the home are a perfect match.

They look into things such as the personality of Ronnie, whether or not the home has any other animals (and if his personality will clash with their pets), and if they have any children.

Once they match Ronnie with a home, Battersea will organise for the potential owners to meet the pooch. They might meet several times before an adoption happens, or just the once, but if it all goes well Ronnie will be heading off to his new forever home sooner rather than later.

Ms Holt told MailOnline: 'Ronnie has only been at home with me for one night but he is settling in so well.

'He's so affectionate, even with new people, and loves a cuddle and a fuss. He also loves playing with toys and running around the kitchen. He's such a sweet boy.'

Home intake manager Steven Craddock said: 'It doesn't shock any of us that the first dog through our doors in 2018 was bought online.

'Ronnie is just one of many thousands of dogs who will be bought off an unregulated website in the coming months and end up in a home where the owner is unprepared and unable to take proper care of them.

'His new owner did the right thing by bringing him into us where we can look after him and find him a loving new home, which we doubt will take long as he's such a lovely boy.

'However, this doesn't change the fact that he never should have been sold online in the first place.

'We believe he may have been taken from his mother far too young and likely sold by a breeder with absolutely no regard for his welfare.

One individual expressed their confusion as to how anyone could ever let Ronnie go, but unfortunately his owner had to make the tough decision to take him to Battersea after becoming homeless

Dr Daniel Allen, an animal geographer, got more than 1,200 retweets when he posted about Ronnie's 'dubious honour'

Ronnie is now undergoing assessment at Battersea and will be vaccinated and microchipped before he is ready to go to a loving new home

Ronnie's adorable face might have even converted one Twitter user into a dog person, while another reiterates that a dog is for life not just for Christmas

'It's so easy to sell a dog online and this is one of the biggest challenges that Battersea faces today.'

Many Twitter users tweeting about Ronnie have been using the hashtag #AdoptDontShop to encourage others to consider adopting some of the other animals left at rescue centres rather than buying online.

It comes as Battersea launched their In From The Cold fundraising campaign in order to help stray pets this winter.

Over 20,000 pets in the UK will be abandoned over the course of this winter, with Battersea Dogs and Cats Home looking after 550 dogs at any given time.

Mr Craddock added: 'I'd encourage anyone thinking of welcoming a new pet into their lives to consider rescue over shopping online.'

Ronnie is now undergoing assessment at Battersea and will be vaccinated and microchipped before he is ready to go to a loving new home.

The New Year luck has rubbed off on plenty of pets searching for a home at Battersea - including Charlotte the British shorthair.

Charlotte was the first cat to arrive at the London Battersea site on New Years Day. The five-month-old was sadly being advertised for free online until her owners bought her to the animal shelter.

Luckily, the adorable moggie has a new home lined up already after Battersea posted about her online.

Since New Year's Day Battersea Cats and Dogs Home have rehomed 27 dogs and 13 cats across their three sites in London, Windsor and Brands Hatch in Kent.

Charlotte, a British Shorthair, was the first cat to arrive at the London Battersea site on New Years Day, but luckily she now has a home lined up

Meet the lovable dogs and cats looking for a home in 2018

Dogs and cats walk in and out of the Battersea centre everyday, with 2018 proving to be yet another busy for the team in south London.

In fact, 899 Staffies alone were left at Battersea in 2016 - 53 per cent more than the next most left breed, mongrels, at 425.

Since New Year's Day, the Battersea team have welcomed four more additions - one of which is the young pup Ronnie.

Lexi (left) is three-year-old Beagle which arrived at Battersea's sister site in Brands Hatch on Wednesday. Buddy Bear (right), a Bengal cat, arrived at the Battersea site on January 2, after his owner could no longer look after him due to having a baby

Buddy Bear, a Bengal cat, arrived at the London Battersea site the next day, after his owner could no longer look after him due to having a baby. He is still available.

And then there is Lexi, a three-year-old Beagle which arrived at Battersea's sister site in Brands Hatch on Wednesday.

His owners separated and could no longer find the time to look after him. He is is undergoing assessment and medical checks before finding a new home.
Blaine Taylor embarked on a drug-fulled crime spree across the Gold Coast

A brazen car thief's getaway was derailed completely after the vehicle he stole became stuck on tram tracks.

Blaine Phillip William Taylor was at the beginning of a drug-fuelled crime spree when he foolishly lodged his girlfriend's stolen Toyota Corolla on the tracks in Southport, Queensland.

The 27-year-old spent New Year's Eve completing a string of break-ins and burglaries - including breaking into a woman's home and stealing an electric bicycle - which came to a grinding halt at 3.40am, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports.

Blaine Phillip William Taylor (pictured) was at the beginning of a drug-fuelled crime spree when he foolishly lodged his girlfriend's stolen Toyota Corolla on the tracks in Southport, Queensland

The 27-year-old (pictured) had spent New Year's Eve completing a string of break-ins and burglaries

Taylor, from Oxenford on the Gold Coast, had taken the vehicle from his girlfriend Gemma Redstone after midnight and began his unbridled crime expedition across the city.

The man left the car and headed on foot southeast to Arundel, where a woman reported being woken up to Taylor standing menacingly above her bed.

He then fled to Labrador where he broke into another home and stole an electric bicycle which was used to evade police capture.

Police finally caught up with Taylor back at his Oxenford address where they found him in possession of a stolen mobile phone and a glass pipe.

Taylor, (pictured) from Oxenford on the Gold Coast, had taken the vehicle from his girlfriend Gemma Redstone after midnight and began his unbridled crime expedition across the city

The car was left stuck on tram tracks at Queen St Station in Southport for an hour from 3.40am - causing chaos for New Year crowds trying to head home.

It was safely removed and Taylor's girlfriend only reported her car as stolen after being prompted by police.

Magistrate Gary Finger told the court it was 'a minor miracle within itself' that no one was hurt during the incident.

Taylor's lawyer Campbell MacCallum said his client urged Ms Redstone to call the police to remove the car from the tracks.

Mr MacCallum read a letter from Ms Redstone which defended her partners actions and described Taylor as having 'a good heart'.

The car was left stuck on tram tracks at Queen St Station (pictured) in Southport for an hour from 3.40am - causing chaos for New Year crowds trying to head home

'He said how much he wanted to live a normal life. I know he has a good heart,' the letter, read according to the Gold Coast Bulletin.

She also spoke of how Taylor turned into a 'completely different person' whilst under the influence of drugs.

Taylor pleaded guilty to seven charges including one count each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, entering a premises in the night, burglary, enter premises, stealing a vehicle, disqualified driving and possessing utensils related to drugs.

He will be remanded in custody until a decision has been made at the Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is 'as ambitious as Lucifer' and many in Trump's inner circle worry that she could could be the heir to the presidency, Michael Wolff's new book about the White House has revealed.

Haley had decided by October 2017 that 'Trump's tenure would last, at best, a single term', and thought she could be his heir apparent - something the president's inner circle has seen as a danger.

A top Trump aide worried that Haley 'is so much smarter than [Trump]', while others jumped in to protect Trumpism from the influence of the moderate-leaning Republican, Wolff writes in Fire And Fury: Inside The Trump White House.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley had decided by October 2017 that 'Trump's tenure would last, at best, a single term', and decided she could be his heir apparent, writes Michael Wolff in his new book about the White House, Fire and Fury

Haley was also groomed by the president in a 'notable amount of private time' on Air Force One, Wolff claims

During her first year in the White House, Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, befriended Ivanka Trump to be brought into the family circle.

She was also groomed by the president in a 'notable amount of private time' on Air Force One, Wolff claims in an excerpt obtained by The Times.

While she was being mentored in Trumpian ways, top aides worried her smarts could influence the president.

Fearing this, former campaign manager Steve Bannon pushed CIA's MIke Pompeo for secretary of state if Rex Tillerson were to resign.

'This was all part of the next stage of Trumpism  to protect it from Trump,' Wolff writes.

Haley was reportedly considered for secretary of state before Trump decided on the UN Ambassador position.

Trump appointed Haley as the ambassador to the United Nations in November, calling her a 'proven dealmaker'.

During her first year in the White House, Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, befriended Ivanka Trump to be brought into the family circle. The women are pictured above at the Broadway debut of Come From Away in New York in March 2017

Fearing Haley's influence, rival aides worked every way possible to protect Trumpism, Wolff writes. As part of the plan, former campaign manager Steve Bannon pushed CIA's MIke Pompeo instead of Haley for secretary of state if Rex Tillerson were to resign

Trump has called Wolff's explosive new book about the first year of his presidency is full of 'lies, misrepresentations and sources that don't exist'.

Mr Trump was writing on Twitter a day before the release of Fire And Fury: Inside The Trump White House  a book which is said to paint the businessman as a leader who does not understand the weight of the presidency.

Although Mr Trump did not name the book's author Michael Wolff by name, he wrote that he 'authorised Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times)'.

'Look at this guy's past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!,' he added, in an apparent reference to former White House strategist Steve Bannon.

White House officials described the president as furious at Mr Bannon's criticisms, and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders went as far as to suggest that Mr Bannon ought to be ousted from Breitbart, the populist website he helps run.

'I certainly think that it's something they should look at and consider,' she said.

Nikki Haley: The moderate-leaning Republican who was first tipped to be secretary of state before taking a role as UN ambassador President Donald Trump appointed Nikki Haley as the ambassador to the United Nations in November 2017, calling her a 'proven dealmaker'. At the time, Haley said in a statement: 'Our country faces enormous challenges here at home and internationally, and I am honored that the President-elect has asked me to join his team and serve the country we love as the next Ambassador to the United Nations.' From 2005-2011 she was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. President Donald Trump appointed Nikki Haley as the ambassador to the United Nations in November 2017 She is the daughter of Indian Sikh migrant parents. She now identifies as Christian and her husband, Michael, is an officer in the Army National Guard. Haley, who graduated from Clemson University with a degree in accounting, was the first woman of Indian descent to serve as a US governor. She was also the first woman to govern South Carolina and the youngest sitting executive of any state. From 2005-2011 she was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. In 2016, Time Magazine named her among 'The 100 Most Influential People' of 2015 for leading with 'determination, grace and compassion' during a challenging year for South Carolina which saw the killing of nine black worshipers at a South Carolina church and a catastrophic flood. Haley also oversaw the removal of the Confederate flag after it had flown for 54 years at the South Carolina Capitol grounds. Although she has criticized Trump for his proposed Muslim ban and supported Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in the GOP primary, the mother-of-two is pro-life and supports lower taxes in her state. The former governor did not have any foreign policy background before taking the ambassador position. Advertisement
Stovin Hayter, 59, was head of online content for publishing giants Haymarket Media

A former publishing boss behind the websites Nursery World and Children & Young People has escaped prison after he was caught with more than 100 child pornography films.

Stovin Hayter, 59, was head of online content for publishing giants Haymarket Media, having previously been editor of their magazine Children Now.

Yesterday he was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment, suspended for two years and must complete 200 hours community service work.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing child pornography he had downloaded at his home of twenty years that he shares with his husband in Acton, London.

Hayter, a graduate of South Africa's University of KwaZulu-Natal, joined Haymarket in 2001 and also edited the magazine Young People Now before becoming online chief in 2006.

Isleworth Crown Court heard he downloaded 109 of the most serious hardcore movies, plus two stills, a further 48 movies and two stills in the medium range and one still at the lowest range.

The material involved young boys, some as young as twelve years-old.

The court made Hayter subject to a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and he must sign the sex offender register for the same period.

'His husband describes him as a broken man,' said Mr. Alistair Polson.

'For people who know him well for a long period of his life they are shocked and appalled by his behaviour.'

Prosecutor Mr. Bill McGivern said police raided Hayter's home on November 22, 2016 while he was there with his husband and when asked if he knew anything about underage indecent images he replied: 'I do.'

Computers and other electrical devices were seized, with Hayter giving police his passwords to access the disgusting images of child abuse.

'There had been deliberate online searches of images of young or adolescent boys, some as young as twelve years-old,' said Mr. McGivern.

Isleworth Crown Court (pictured) heard he downloaded 109 of the most serious hardcore movies, plus two stills; another 48 movies and two stills in the medium range and one still at the lowest range

When quizzed by police Hayter told them: 'I do not deny these devices belong to me. I am truly sorry for my actions, I don't dispute these allegations.'

Hayter had been downloading the indecent images from 2003 to a month before his arrest, describing it as an 'addiction.'

He sought counselling after his arrest, but due to the extent of his behaviour had to move on to a psychotherapist.

'Although broken, he is a man who can be put together again,' said Mr. Polson.

Judge John Denniss told Hayter: 'These offences are very serious. It is said one can make their way to the open prison gates with six clicks of a computer mouse.

'The courts must try to halt the industrial abuse of children and their evil exploitation of children as young as twelve, which you watched.

'You were addicted to pornography and have taken every step you can to deal with that addiction and offending,' he added, ordering Hayter to also pay 300 costs.

Speaking after the sentencing, an NSPCC spokesman said: 'For indecent images to be created online a child has been abused in the real world and Hayters actions have helped fuel this vile trade over a considerable period of time.

'The effects of sexual abuse can last a lifetime and it is right that Hayter has now faced justice for his actions.

'Tech companies, government, law enforcement and charities like ours are working together to tackle this growing issue, but more needs to be done to rid the online world of this sickening material.'
The Egyptian branch of ISIS has declared war on Palestinian terrorist group Hamas for failing to stop Donald Trump declaring Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

In a brutal propaganda video - purporting to show the execution of a Hamas affiliate - the jihadi group declared war on the Palestinian terror group, which controls much of the Gaza Strip.

Tensions between the rival terrorist organisations have spiralled since 2015, when ISIS released a video saying it would overthrow Gaza's 'tyrants' for their apparent lack of religious fundamentalism.

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The Egyptian branch of ISIS has declared war on Palestinian terrorist group Hamas after it failed to stop Donald Trump from controversially moving the US embassy to Jerusalem

In a brutal new propaganda video purporting to show the execution of a Hamas affiliate, the jihadi group declared war on Hamas, the armed group which controls much of the Gaza Strip

ISIS's most recent video released on Wednesday shows the man, accused of selling weapons to Hamas, on his knees in an orange jumpsuit.

In the footage the group says it had also declared war on Hamas for its crackdown on small ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim Salafi groups in Gaza.

According to Site, a US monitoring agency that keeps track of jihadi platforms, the 22-minute video shows a man, identified as Abu Kazem al-Maqdisi, urging Islamic followers in Gaza to mount attacks on Hamas.

Maqdisi, who is originally from Gaza but now preaches hate in Sinai, says in the footage: '[Hamas] uses its smuggled weapons to empower that which was not revealed by God.

'It also fights supporters of the Islamic State in Gaza and the Sinai and prevents the migration of these supporters from Gaza to the Sinai.'

According to Site, a US monitoring agency that keeps track of jihadi platforms, the 22-minute video shows Abu Kazem al-Maqdisi (pictured centre) urging Islamic followers in Gaza to attack Hamas

Towards the end of the recording, the narrator identifies the Hamas collaborator as Musa Abu Zamat.

Zamat is then shot in the back of his head at point-blank range by an Islamist holding a pistol, reports the International Business Times.

One militant steps forward, saying: 'Never surrender to them. Use explosives, silenced pistols and sticky bombs.

'Bomb their courts and their security locations, for these are the pillars of tyranny that prop up its throne.'

Towards the end of the recording, the narrator declares a man named Musa Abu Zamat as the Hamas collaborator. Zamat is then shot in the back of his head at point-blank range by an Islamist holding a pistol

The propaganda video cuts to images of Khaled Meshaal, the former Hamas leader who stepped down in April this year, alongside Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has publicly backed the Palestinian group in recent years, providing it with missiles and funding its extensive tunnel network it uses to enter Israeli territory, reports Newsweek.

Hamas has fought three wars with Israel, the last of which was in 2014.

While some thought Donald Trump's December decision to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would ignite a fourth war Hamas' response has been muted.

Iran has publicly backed the Palestinian group (pictured) in recent years, providing it with missiles and funding its extensive tunnel network it uses to enter Israeli territory

Both the US and the European Union have designated Hamas (pictured) as an extremist organisation

Jerusalem is contested ground and hosts holy shrines valuable to both Islam and Judaism

Both the US and the European Union have designated Hamas as an extremist organisation.

Israel's far-right often compares the group to ISIS for its radical interpretation of Islam. However, the group stops short of calling for Sharia law.

But like ISIS, the group has carried out public execution on the streets of Gaza. It claims it only does to punish those who collaborate with its nemesis Israel.
For the first time in its history, the EU has invoked Article 7, a provision of its constitution intended to censure and punish a member nation for violating European values. Just before Christmas, the European Commission took the first step in the process against Poland over a series of laws taken by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) that it says threatens the independence of the judiciary. Ultimately, the EU could set out changes it expects Poland to make to its national laws or face sanctions and the loss of voting rights. Financial incentives may matter most to Poland, which is the largest recipient of the EUs structural and cohesion funds.

Beneath the drama of the clash between the EUs supranational government and Polands populist government lies a vital struggle for those who favor the rule of the law, according to Marek Tatala, the vice president of the Civil Development Forum (FOR Foundation, a pro-free market and pro-liberty think tank based in Warsaw. Tatala breaks down the governments policies in a new essay at Actons Religion & Liberty Transatlantic website.

Many of [the governments] policies have been unconstitutional attempts to change or circumvent the Polish Constitution, he writes. Even without any criticism by the European Union or foreign institutions, this is something that should be opposed by Polish civil society as a violation of the principle of justice  something, as we shall see, that was spoken of by Pope John Paul II.

Tatala explains the substance of the legal changes within the context of the Polish political landscape, dating back to the Law and Justice Partys ascension to power in 2015. He details the exact legal mechanisms that changed, placing the judiciary increasingly under political control. This violates one of the most fundamental of all Western principles: the rule of law and the impartial administration of justice. He writes:

All these legal changes infringe upon the independence of the judicial system and encroach upon Polish citizens fundamental right to justice. As Pope John Paul II wrote in Centesimus Annus, in government it is preferable that each power be balanced by other powers and by other spheres of responsibility which keep it within proper bounds. This is the principle of the rule of law, in which the law is sovereign, and not the arbitrary will of individuals. The Law and Justice Partys policies shift all powers under the control of the arbitrary decisions of the ruling partys leadership. As a respected advisory body of the Council of Europe, the Venice Commission, emphasized in its opinion on the matter, the changes proposed by the government have a striking resemblance with the institutions which existed in the Soviet Union and its satellites, despite the partys anti-communist rhetoric.

However, Tatala believes that the real opposition to these legal changes must come from Polish citizens themselves. Poles must take the lead in preserving the rule of law  something that will also deprive the government of the ability to cast itself as a defender of Polish sovereignty against the EU mammoth state. The EU process may stall or be circumvented by Polands allies, such as Hungary, he writes:

But even without these steps, the Polish governments role in the EU will be marginalized. Undermining the Polish position in the EU is bad foreign policy, weakening our influence on EU rules and future reforms. But most importantly, the Polish governments policies are bad for Poland. Brussels will not do the job that Poles  including civil society, NGOs, opposition parties, entrepreneurs, lawyers, academics, and others  must do to defend the rule of law and the myriad of freedoms that are endangered when the rule of law is dismantled.

To be sure, reasonable people can disagree about the matter. The Polish governments defiance of the EU on other policies, especially migration, likely plays an influencing role. But Tatala lays out an engaging and compelling case from inside Poland that demands consideration.

Read his full essay here.

(Photo credit: Public domain.)
This is the horrifying moment a gang of teenage girls threw hot tea at a disabled man and his wife as the couple sat outside Starbucks.

Aidan James, 28, was drinking coffee with his 27-year-old partner Natasha Stevens when the group launched their 'despicable' attack in Camden, north London.

The girls - who are thought to be aged between 12 and 14 with one of them the daughter of a famous actor - threw a hot drink before launching an ashtray, chewing gum, chairs and empty cups at the couple.

The row started after the girls forcefully grabbed a chair from marketing worker Natasha's table and threw it across an outdoor seating area.

They then attacked her husband, who is in constant pain after being diagnosed with nerve damage and partial paralysis.

The girls threw a hot drink before launching an ashtray, chewing gum, chairs and empty cups at the couple

Natasha - who is musician Aidan's full-time carer - started recording the shocking incident, which she says is the latest in a catalogue of public abuse received by her husband.

In shocking footage of the incident on December 29th, the girls can be seen hurling abuse at the couple.

At one point Aidan tries to shoo the youngsters away with his crutches - with the gang branding him 'racist' in response.

A man who appears to be a Starbucks worker can be seen coming to the couple's aid as the group continues to scream and shout.

Meanwhile, a group of boys can be seen helping the pair by shouting the names of the girls so they can be reported to police.

A man who appears to be a Starbucks worker can be seen coming to the couple's aid as the group continues to scream and shout

According to the couple the girls ran away after five minutes with Aidan left cowering inside Starbucks on the phone to police.

Officers have now launched a probe and are trying to track down the girls.

Natasha - who met Aidan in 2011 after moving to the UK from Canada and married him the next year - told MailOnline: 'The kids punched me in the back of the head, threw a hot chai latte on my disabled husband and tried to steal our phones and bags.

'When that didn't work they threw ashtrays, gum, chairs and empty cups at us.

'Why? Because we were sat outside Starbucks on Parkway enjoying a coffee and I looked at them because they were screaming and shouting and throwing chairs next to us.'

According to the couple the girls ran away after five minutes with Aidan left cowering inside Starbucks on the phone to police

She continued: 'It went on for about five minutes, then they ran away and we waited inside while we called the police as we were too scared to go out.

'The girls are notorious in the area, we've had loads of messages from other people saying they've had trouble with them.

'We don't condone violence against violence, but they need to know their behaviour is unacceptable.

'A few of the perpetrators have contacted me on Facebook trying to deflect blame for their actions but the police have all the evidence necessary to prosecute.'

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'Police were called to Parkway, NW1 at 19.13 on 29 December to reports of an assault.

'At the scene a man and woman, both aged 27, had been assaulted by a group of four teenaged girls.

The row started after the girls forcefully grabbed a chair from marketing worker Natasha's table and threw it across an outdoor seating area

'The female victim was struck on the head and the male had coffee thrown at him. Neither victim suffered serious injuries.

'Enquiries are underway to identify those responsible. Officers from Central North Command Unit are investigating.

'There have been no arrests at this time and enquiries are ongoing.'

In early 2013, Aidan began to get excruciating stomach pain, which led to 'non-epileptic seizures'.

Following a series of tests he was eventually diagnosed with mould poisoning as well as calcification of the brain.

It has led to nerve damage in his sciatic nerve and stomach, leaving him with no feeling in his left side.

In late 2013 Natasha went freelance to become his full-time carer after he was found passed out at work.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'Police were called to Parkway, NW1 at 19.13 on 29 December to reports of an assault. At the scene a man and woman, both aged 27, had been assaulted by a group of four teenaged girls'

But Aidan has been subjected to abuse in Camden, the area where the couple live, while walking out in public.

According to Natasha he was almost shoved in front of a train and has been spat at on public transport.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman told MailOnline: 'Police were called to Parkway, NW1 at 1913hrs on 29 December to reports of an assault.

'At the scene a man and woman had been assaulted by a group of four teenaged girls.

'The female victim was struck on the head and the male had coffee thrown at him. Neither victim suffered serious injuries.

'Enquiries are underway to identify those responsible with officers from Central North Command Unit investigating.

'There have been no arrests at this time and enquiries are ongoing.'
Six senior Conservative MPs today demanded Theresa May gives up on counting foreign students in the immigration target.

The group is big enough to force the issue and defeat the Government on new immigration laws due to be debated in Parliament this year.

New laws are needed to set up a post-Brexit immigration system so Mrs May will have little choice but to confront the issue.

The MPs insist there is no good reason to count foreign students within the 100,000 a year net migration target and would back a vote removing them.

Six senior Conservative MPs (including Nicky Morgan, left, and Sarah Wollaston, right) today demanded Theresa May gives up on counting foreign students in the immigration target.

Mrs May (pictured in Surrey yesterday) has resisted the call for years as both Home Secretary and Prime Minister, insisting there is no cap on the number of foreign students allowed to come to Britain

The group includes Nicky Morgan, chairwoman of the Treasury select committee, Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, Sarah Wollaston, chairwoman of the health committee and Bob Neill, chairman of the justice committee, plus backbenchers Stephen Hammond and Johnny Mercer.

New year reports the reform could be made were also welcomed by Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, who said counting the students was 'distortive, counterproductive and sends out entirely the wrong signals'.

Ms Morgan said she represented a 'large, international-facing university in Loughborough' and said students were part of the 'global Britain' brand.

She argued that even people whopushed most ardently for immigration caps or limits to free movement did not think students should be included in any crackdown.

'People realise that students are in a group of their own,' she told the Guardian, describing the sector as a key British export.

Ms Wollaston added: 'I strongly support and have always supported taking students out of the immigration numbers.

'I think it is an important principle and sends a clear message that Britain wants to welcome students and they are a key part of our culture.'

At the most recent set of migration statistics, net migration was at the lowest level for three years after tumbling in the wake of the EU referendum - but it is still running at 230,000 a year

Mrs May has resisted the call for years as both Home Secretary and Prime Minister, insisting there is no cap on the number of foreign students allowed to come to Britain.

In the past, the Prime Minister has insisted it would amount to 'fiddling the figures' to exclude students from net immigration.

She is backed by some experts who say because few foreign students stay in Britain long term, they make little difference to the net migration figures anyway.

Downing Street denied reports this week it had any intention of making a change.

On Tuesday, the prime minister's spokesman insisted that the position had not changed, arguing that the international definition of an immigrant was someone who arrives for a period of more than 12 months.

At the most recent set of migration statistics, net migration was at the lowest level for three years after tumbling in the wake of the EU referendum - but it is still running at 230,000 annually.

New year reports the reform could be made were also welcomed by Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, who said counting the students was 'distortive'

Official figures from November show 230,000 more people came to the UK than left in the year to June - down from a record high of 336,000 in the 12 months before the historic Brexit vote.

It is the largest decrease in net long-term migration in any 12-month period since records began in 1964. Long-term immigration was 572,000, while emigration was 342,000 over the period, giving an overall figure that is the lowest since 2014.

More than three-quarters of the decrease was accounted for by EU citizens, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The news was a welcome boost for Mrs May, who has pledged to make curbing free movement a red line in Brexit negotiations. However, the rate is still more than double the government's targets of below 100,000.

Meanwhile, the number of EU nationals applying for British citizenship has more than doubled to 32,856 in the year ending in September.
A man wearing a Santa hat was captured on film shooting at a car, but passersby were completely undisturbed by the scene.

The shocking attack happened on Christmas Day in the Tenderloin area of San Francisco.

The man shot at a black car, which sped off as he was firing bullets while standing in the street.

A silver car drives past the shooter, who was wearing a Santa hat, on a road in the Tenderloin area of San Francisco (passersby circled)

Passersby (circled) were not particularly panicked by the shooting

While his gun is still raised, another car drives around him to get past the scene.

The shooter then nonchalantly puts away his gun as he walks down the pavement as if nothing had happened.

People on the street of the shooting do not appear particularly panicked by the bullets being fired.

The shooter then put away his gun as he nonchalantly walked away from the scene

Passersby was similarly unruffled by the incident, which happened in the Tenderloin Area of San Francisco

One person who was walking next to the incident shies away from the shooting, but does not run away, and carries on walking calmly afterwards.

Another pair stood on the pavement walk away when the shots are fired.

Police are currently searching for a suspect, and do not know if anyone was harmed during the shooting.
Saudi Arabia intercepted a ballistic missile near the border with Yemen, state media reported, hours after Yemeni rebels said they had launched an attack.

The Shiite Houthi rebels, currently at war with the Saudi-led government coalition, said they fired a missile Friday targeting a military camp in the southwestern Saudi city of Najran.

Saudi Arabia claims that the kingdom's air defences intercepted the ballistic missile over Najran, while the Houthis announced that the 'successful' firing hit its target with 'high accuracy.'

The kingdom's official news agency SPA said that the only destruction was 'minor damage' to the private property of a Saudi citizen due to missile parts that dispersed once the missile was intercepted, and added that there were no deaths.

A video has since emerged online which claims to show the Houthi rocket being shot down over the Yemeni border by Saudi forces.

The Houthi rebels later said they fired another missile targeting Saudi-backed forces along Yemen's western coast.

The Houthi have previously fired missiles targeting the Saudi mainland, including the capital, Riyadh, the city's international airport and a royal palace - all of which were intercepted by Saudi forces.

The coalition backs Yemen's internationally recognized government and has been at war with the Iran-backed Houthis since March 2015. The U.S.-backed coalition has repeatedly accused Saudi rival Iran of arming the rebels.

This video reportedly show the missile being fired across the border at a military camp in the southwestern Saudi city of Najran

Two sides: Since March 2015, the Saudi-led military coalition has been supporting pro-Yemeni government troops and carrying out airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen

In December, the United States said it has 'undeniable' evidence that Tehran is violating international law.

U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley showed off missile parts to cameras at a military base near Washington, saying the projectile was supplied by Iran and launched by Yemen's Houthis at the airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

Iran dismissed it as a 'fake and fabricated' claim. Tehran denies arming Yemen's rebels in the war with Saudi Arabia.

The nearly three-year stalemated war in Yemen has killed more than 10,000 people, displaced 3 million, damaged critical infrastructure, fuelled a cholera outbreak and pushed the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of famine.
A woman was sexually assaulted while in labour at a hospital in Rome, by a man who had stolen a nurses uniform to sneak onto the delivery ward.

The attacker, a 38-year-old Somali man reportedly walked into the delivery room, where he groped the woman's thighs and genitals and began masturbating, Italian media reports.

The 43-year-old victim fought off her attacker and screamed for help and hospital staff came to her aid.

Alleged attack: 38-year-old Somali man reportedly walked into a delivery room at Sant'Eugenio Hospital in Rome, where he groped the woman and began masturbating

According to several local newspapers, the Somali man had walked into Sant'Eugenio Hospital on New Year's Eve and managed to steal a set of nurses' scrubs from a cupboard.

He does not appear to have been challenged by staff as he made his way into the labour ward where he is said to have sexually assaulted his victim.

He was arrested at the scene and has been charged with aggravated sexual violence and theft.

Security breach: The attacker allegedly stole a nurse's uniform from a storage room at the hospital and made it onto the labour ward (stock image)

The attacker has been living in Italy for five years on a residents permit, but reportedly has a criminal record.

When asked during a court appearance why he was at the hospital on New Year's Eve, he replied 'Only God knows', La Stampa reports.

The newspaper adds that the Somali man will undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

The trial has been scheduled for January 10.
Four gruesome decorative masks made in prison art classes by Ronnie Kray have gone up for sale for 2,000.

The menacing looking pieces were made during the gangster's brief time at Durham prison soon after his conviction for murder in 1969.

Made from papier mache, the masks offer a unique insight into Kray's deranged and erratic mind.

Kray, who with twin brother Reggie brought fear and terror to London's East End in the 1950s and 1960s, gifted six monster-like masks to a prison warden when he left Durham in 1970 to move to Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight.

Ronnie Kray was one half of the Kray twins who were English gangsters in the East End of London during the 1950s and 1960s. While in prison he created these grotesque masks

He created the masks using paper mache during art classes at Durham prison soon after his conviction for murder in 1969

Wray (pictured) gave the masks to a prison warden when he left Durham in 1970 to move to Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight

Joe Rix, who got to know the gangster fairly well, hung them on the wall of pub he owned near to the jail.

They remained there for several years, with two becoming lost and damaged, before Rix himself gave the remaining four to a hospital worker he had met.

She has kept them for several years but has now decided to sell her unique possessions.

The masks are being sold by Eastbourne Auctions, East Sussex, who are expecting them to achieve up to 500 each.

Jeanette May, a specialist with the auctioneers, said the sinister-looking masks were in contrast to idyllic flowery scenes Ronnie Kray painted in jail.

She said: 'These are really strange and dark items that offer an insight into the mind of a man who was later sectioned.

'They are a world away from previous Kray artwork which has sold, which was a lot more flowery and generally just paintings of boats and things like that.

'They were made in 1969 and considering they were made by a London gangster the attention to detail is amazing.

Warden Joe Rix hung the masks on the wall in his pub before gifting them to a hospital worker who has since decided to sell the unusual pieces. They are expected to reach 500 each

Jeanette May, a specialist with the auctioneers, said: 'These are really strange and dark items that offer an insight into the mind of a man who was later sectioned'

'They're basically 3D models and the story behind them is really great.

'From Joe Rix being given them, to him then giving them to a woman he met at hospital, it's all really interesting and there is always a huge market for items relating to Ronnie and Reggie.

'We've sold some of their paintings in the past and they have always done well but these are just really unique and shocking.'

The brown painted masks all largely follow the same theme. They appear dark, spooky and ugly with three of them revealing long yellow teeth.

Two of the masks appear to be based on humans, however one is a devil and another a rather peculiar looking Walrus-like creature.

There is some evidence of wear and tear including missing paint, and the top teeth are also missing from one mask - possibly as a result of someone throwing something at it during its pub days.

Mrs May added: 'They're definitely unusual to look at and if you look closely at one of them it's missing a row of teeth.

'My guess would be that someone threw someone at it while it was hanging in the pub.

'Regardless, we're still expecting these masks to attract a fair bit of interest. It will be interesting to see if we get any underworld characters crop up and show an interest.'

The sale takes place on Jan 11.

Ronnie Kray (left) with his mother Violet (centre) and brother Reggie (right) outside their Bethnal Green home in 1965. Ronnie also later painted idyllic flowery scenes in jail
Furious air passengers have lashed out on social media after being left stranded as a massive snow storm on America's East Coast continues to cause travel chaos.

Thousands have had their plans disrupted as blizzards cancelled numerous flights to the US - and forced others to return to the UK while over Atlantic.

Hundreds of passengers were believed to have been stranded at Washington DC's Dulles International Airport overnight after the snowstorm caused a New York-bound flight to divert.

One, Gareth Bird, claimed Norwegian Air had 'dropped us here then '****d off' after a journey from London Gatwick that was supposed to end at JFK.

Others desperately tried to make contact with their airlines via Twitter having been stranded with no access to their luggage.

But one traveller, Niall Conroy, made light of his own situation, writing: 'Trapped in Heathrow. Left all my sharp equipment at home. Survival may be difficult. I may have to engage with nearby settlements. The staff at WHSmiths look approachable'.

This was the scene at Washington DC's Dulles International Airport overnight after severe disruption caused by the snowstorm

Passengers slept on the floor at the terminal in Washington DC. Hundreds of Britons are said to have been stranded there when a Norwegian Air flight was diverted

Flights were temporarily suspended at JFK airport in New York, pictured, due to the snow

Niall Conroy, made light of his own situation after revealing he had been 'trapped in Heathrow'

Some disappointed passengers gave up their travel plans and simply returned home amid dire weather warnings

Lionel Girod said he had been trying desperately to get on a waiting list for a flight to New York

Norwegian Air passengers travelling on flight DY7015 from London Gatwick to John F Kennedy Airport were rerouted to Washington DC, 260 miles away, due to the extreme weather.

But when their Boeing 787-9 landed at around 9.30pm local time on Thursday they were held on the runway for two and a half hours before being told their luggage would not be unloaded that night. Pictures show people sleeping on the floor at the terminal.

One stranded traveller, who asked not to be named, said: 'It's a complete mess. No one has a clue what to do because we've been given zero information.

'A manager at the airport told us the crew and pilot are staying at a nearby hotel which is a slap in the face when Norwegian haven't organised anything for us.'

A Norwegian spokesperson said the diversion was to 'ensure the safety and security of our passengers and crew' amid adverse weather.

Bus transportation and meal vouchers have been arranged for affected passengers, who have been sent text messages with details, the airline said.

Yesterday a British Airways Boeing 747 was forced to abandon its journey to New York less than two hours into its crossing.

The jumbo jet, which left Heathrow at 8.40pm turned back around 150 miles west of the Irish coast.

Airports in New York and New Jersey were forced to close for several hours yesterday due to whiteout conditions, with Newark International reporting that by noon local time, more than 70 per cent of flights had been cancelled.

Ten U.S-bound flights from Heathrow due to depart on Thursday had been cancelled, including two Virgin Atlantic flights and three BA flights to Boston Logan International and John F Kennedy International in New York.

British Airways confirmed that a New York departure from Gatwick - BA2273 - had also been cancelled.

Twitter user Anastasia said she had been at JFK for 24 hours and that her suitcase had been on a plane for half of that time - despite flights being cancelled until the morning

Beci Carver said she was 'sent back to Heathrow' because of the weather but joked that at least her hotel had 'jasmine and cedar wood soap'

A woman curls up and tries to sleep on the floor at Dulles International Airport in Washington DC. Many others were forced to camp out in the terminal as they waited for news about flights

Passengers put cardboard on the ground and slept under rugs as they waited for updates at Dulles International

Passengers have been warned to contact their airlines before arriving at the airport

The apron outside Terminal Five at JFK was covered in snow as a result of today's storm

One British Airways flight was forced to return to Heathrow off Ireland's west coast because of the poor predicted weather conditions along the US east coast which caused massive delays

Aircraft planning to land in New York have chosen to divert to alternative airports

Delta and United cancelled Boston and New York-bound flights from Heathrow due to depart on Thursday afternoon, according to Flightaware.com, and Norwegian said that its passengers should expect disruption.

Earlier yesterday, all flight operations were suspended at JFK and LaGuardia airports due to wind and whiteout conditions.

Several aircraft abandoned attempts to land in the New York area and diverted to Washington, Detroit and even Chicago.

In New Jersey, some 867 flights had been cancelled at Newark Liberty Airport by noon - some 73 per cent of its activity

Two thirds of all flights at Port Authority of New York and New Jersey airports were cancelled.

Passengers were being urged to call their carrier before going to the airports this week and also should not go to the airports unless they have a reservation.

The snowstorm hitting the Northeast is expected to drop 6 to 10 inches of snow in the New York City area.

British Airways said in a statement: 'We're very sorry that some of our customers' travel plans have been affected by the snow forecast across the East Coast of the US.

'We're doing everything we can to minimise the disruption and are advising customers to check ba.com for the latest information about their flights.'

A satellite image showed the extent of the storm which closed down much of the East Coast

Aircraft arriving to JFK have been diverted as far away as Chicago according to Flightradar 24

Passengers at Heathrow Airport were outraged their flights to New York were delayed

Some people arrived at the airport only to discover their flights had been cancelled

Hundreds of flights were cancelled across the New York region today due to the storm

Virgin Atlantic also advised its customers to check the status of their flights.

It said: 'Due to adverse weather conditions on East Coast of the United States our flights to and from Boston and New York City are subject to cancellations and delays.

'We are contacting our customers and rearranging their travel arrangements as required. We'd like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding and ask they continue to check their flight status on our website for the latest information before travelling to the airport.

'In view of the forecast weather conditions, customers booked to travel to, from and through Boston, New York  JFK and Newark - on 4th or 5th January who prefer to rebook, may do so for travel up to and including 12th January 2018, subject to availability. Customers should contact their travel agents or for direct bookings only, call our flight disruption line on UK 0344 209 8711 or US 1 800 862 8621.'

A spokesperson for Norwegian advised its customers to check Norwegian.com for flight updates, adding that 'it is likely that some transatlantic flights will be cancelled to ensure the safety and security of passengers'.

Gatwick Airport also issued a statement, saying: 'We advise all passengers flying to the US East Coast to check with their airline for the latest information regarding their flight before travelling to the airport.'

Some aircraft turned around in midair because of the conditions over New York

Some twitter users admitted booking a flight to New York in early January was optimistic

British Airways confirmed that its Thursday New York departure from Gatwick has been cancelled

JFK Airport has warned passengers to check with their airline before heading to the airport

Abta, meanwhile, advised customers to check whether they'll be able to claim compensation for cancelled flights.

It said: 'Customers currently in the USA who have missed their return flight due to cancellation will be entitled to accommodation and food and refreshment at their airline's expense under EU regulation 261 until they are placed on an alternative flight, but only if the airline they have travelled with is based in the EU. They will not be entitled to additional compensation.

'If their airline is not based in the EU they will need to check what, if any, welfare provisions will be offered by the airline.'

In the U.S airlines have cancelled more than 2,700 flights for Thursday thanks to the major winter storm that will bring blizzard conditions from the coastlines of Maine all the way to Virginia.

Many of the large domestic carriers, including American, Southwest, United, Delta, and JetBlue, announced travel waivers for more than a dozen East Coast destinations.

Ten U.S-bound flights from Heathrow (pictured) due to depart on Thursday have been cancelled, including two Virgin Atlantic flights and three BA flights to Boston Logan International and John F Kennedy International in New York

The bitter cold temperatures in New England have caused the formation of slurpee waves, or waves that have almost frozen over entirely

Ice formed on the water fountain in Forsyth Park as snow and cold weather blanketed Savannah, Georgia, which is believed to have been hit by one of the snowiest days in the city's history

A local skis behind a car on Waterway Blvd while heavy snow comes down on the Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on Wednesday

Most of the flight cancellations were for flights scheduled to depart or arrive at some of the large Northeast airports, including Boston's Logan International Airport, New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark International Airport.

Meteorologists have been using the term 'bomb' to describe storms for decades, but the phrase went viral on social media this week. A storm bomb - or bombogensis - happens when a storm's barometric pressure drops by 24 millibars in 24 hours, greatly strengthening the storm, the New York Post reported.

The effect is seen along the northeastern coast every winter, but this storm will be particularly powerful, said Judah Cohen, a visiting scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

'This one is unique in how quickly the pressure is going to fall,' Cohen said.

'The pressures could rival a Category 1 or Category 2 hurricane.'

Passengers scheduled to fly on Friday either into or out of the East Coast will not be charged a fee - which is usually $200 - if they wish to re-schedule their flights, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Tony Blair has warned the EU it faces being destroyed by populist uprisings like Brexit as he is branded 'delusional' for his latest desperate bid to keep Britain In.

The ex-PM warned Brussels that the 'anxieties' of Britons were not unique to the UK and could fuel anti-EU sentiment elsewhere.

Mr Blair's new warning in a German newspaper emerged a day after he launched a new onslaught intended to halt Brexit in the UK.

Lord Norman Lamont today branded Mr Blair 'delusional' after he published a 32-page blueprint on how to subvert the referendum.

Tony Blair (pictured yesterday at the BBC) has warned the EU it faces being destroyed by populist uprisings like Brexit

The ex-PM (pictured posing with a member of the public yesterday) has been branded 'delusional' for his latest attacks on the Brexit vote

In his new warning, Mr Blair told Die Walt: 'Let's be clear: the anxieties of the British people that led to Brexit are not confined to Britain.

'With strong leadership we would seize the moment of Brexit also to deal with those underlying issues which are not only the preoccupation of the British people but are the preoccupation right across Europe.

'Because otherwise, this populism will get fuelled.'

Mr Blair said there was a difference between EU free movement and migration from outside the bloc.

Lord Lamont, the former Tory chancellor and leading Brexiteer, ridiculed Mr Blair's claims today

He said the latter was a much more widely held concern and highlighted Holland, Denmark and Sweden as places where 'people aren't sure the people coming are sharing our values'.

Mr Blair yesterday used a round of media interviews to try and rally his party against Brexit.

He claimed even Jeremy Corbyn - who he bitterly opposes - could beat the Tories if he took up the anti-Brexit cause.

Lord Lamont, the former Tory chancellor and leading Brexiteer, ridiculed the claims today.

He told the Telegraph: 'This is not about examining the terms of a deal. It's about opposing withdrawal at all costs.

'The giveaway is that within hours of the referendum result, people had a petition asking for a second referendum. Are we to have a third, a fourth referendum? When does it stop?

'He's delusional. This is Project Fear mark two and the plan for sabotaging the referendum.

'The reality is that the forecasts made for the British economy at the time of the referendum have largely not materialised.

'We were told there would be an immediate recession; it hasn't happened. This is just another attempt to chill the blood.'
The whereabouts of hundreds of Britons in the Middle East fighting for jihadist groups is unknown, the security minister has admitted.

Around half of the estimated 850 people from the UK who went to Syria and Iraq have returned home, but Ben Wallace said the Government 'don't know where' those still in the region are.

Many have been killed in fighting, some are returning to Turkey, but it is unclear whether others are now living, he admitted.

The security minister has admitted the UK doesn't know where some of the jihadis who went to fight in Syria are now hiding out. Imran Khawaja is one of those who was picked up by police and jailed for 12 years in 2015

Mr Wallace denied that the authorities had 'lost track' of the suspected terrorists, adding: 'They went into a very hard part of Syria to reach into the Euphrates valley and then were dispersed from there.'

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'What we do know is about half have come back to the United Kingdom of the original 850-odd that went out of concern.

'About 15% to 20% we think have died out there either in military action, and at the moment we are seeing in dribs and drabs some of them coming into Turkey, maybe some of them trying to get back to us here, but there's a significant number that at the moment it is hard to actually tie down exactly where they are.'

British fighters have been among the most high profile members of the terror group, whose influence in the Middle East is now dwindling.

Mohammed Emwazi, dubbed 'Jihadi John', appeared in the group's horrific execution videos before was killed in a US airstrike in 2015.

British fighters were among the most high-profile in the group. 'Jihadi John' Mohammed Emwazi and Junead Hussain (left) were both killed in US airstrikes

Junaid Hussain, from Birmingham, was meanwhile involved in recruiting British radicals to the group's cause and plotting cyber hacks.

He was killed in 2015 at a petrol station in Raqqa by a US airstrike.

A fierce debate has raged about how to deal with the estimated 360 battle-hardened jihadis who have returned to Britain after fighting with Islamic State in Syria and Iraq and the ones who may come back now after the fall of the so-called caliphate.

Terror law watchdog Max Hill QC caused a storm earlier this month when he said 'naive' teenagers should be allowed to reintegrate into society, while Foreign Office Minister Rory Stewart said most followers of IS's 'hateful doctrine' posed a 'serious danger' to the UK and should be killed.
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Western civilisations tend to make promises until death do us part, but for this small community on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi a burial does not break any bond.

Fascinating images show the local Toraja people celebrating the ancient 'Ma'nene' ritual, which roughly translates into The Ceremony of Cleaning of Corpses.

Every year, families visit the tombs of deceased relatives and dig up their remains before cleaning the corpses, dressing them in fresh clothes and parading them around the village.

Tradition: Every year the Toraja from Sulawesi island exhume their dead, who they wash and dress in fresh clothes and then pose for family photographs in a festival known as Ma'nene. In this photo, a local holds the hands of a female child corpse

Smoke up: A young man named Sam lights a cigarette for the corpse of his grandfather who died in 1977

Rituals: Two relatives cleaning the corpse of Ne Todeng, a man who died in 2009 in Tana Toraja

While Indonesia is predominantly a Muslim country, the people of Tana Toraja are mostly Protestant Christian.

However, despite their Christian faith, they continue to adhere to old traditions whose roots trace back to animistic beliefs, such as Ma'Nene.

The Toraja Church has made several efforts to put a stop to the tradition, but the ancestral cult is deeply anchored in the culture of the Torajans.

Unlike some other cultures, death is barely a parting for those in Toraja.

House Of Death: The 'Tongkonan' are houses that the family does not usually live in. Instead, they serve a ceremonial role and are used to store the embalmed corpse while the family has a chance to save up enough money for the funeral, costing thousands, or even tens of thousands. That process can take months, or even years

Process: A family is seen taking care of their deceased relatives during the ritual of Ma'nene at Balle graveyard

Putting on a show: A family performs Ma'nene after which the family are put in their coffins and ready to rest in the family's mausoleum until next time

Buffalo soldiers: A funeral in honour of an the elderly couple who died only three months apart from each other in Indonesia. Provisionally, an arena made of bamboo has been set up during the previous months, to accommodate the extended family, as well as other guests. Roughly 800 guests will be attending the five-day event. The last breath of one of the water buffalo marks the official death the person after which the soul of the deceased will finally rise to heaven. The more buffalo to be sacrificed, the wealthier the family and the faster a soul will find its way to heaven. Normally, 24 is the suggested number of sacrificial buffalo, but some guests will bring additional buffalo as a gift. In this case, it's an unwritten law for the family to pay back a buffalo in the same price range at the next funeral

Time to part: Ne Duma Tata is waiting to return his deceased wife corpse to the mausoleum. Ludia Rante Bua, far right, died in 2010. She stands alongside her sister's corpse

Military man: Djim Sambara, who died in 2015 aged 90, was honorably buried in his military uniform

Presentation: Djim Sambara's family are seen with the corpse, having cleaned it and changed his outfit

The deceased are mummified and housed in ornate, colourful coffins and spend several months or even years in their own homes before receiving a funeral and burial, in order to give the family of the deceased time to raise enough money for the feast.

Many families go deeply into debt in order to hold an extravagant funeral ceremony.

In the time before a burial, relatives talk to the deceased, offer them food and drink, and involve them in family gatherings, as if they are still alive.

Favourite things: This man passed away aged 85, and has been buried in his favorite suit, together with his favorite belongings, like the mobile phone and glasses

Cleaning: Going to heaven also means entering the afterlife ans in order for the dead relative to continue with the living standards they had in live, it is customary for the Torajans to put a gift in the coffin of their ancestor, before locking it into a family mausoleum or the traditional stone grave. For some, a bracelet or a watch would do, while the highest cast might even bury a diamond

Solemn: A child stands next to the corpse of her deceased grandparents. Yohanis Tottong Tikupadang, who was 77 years old and passed away two weeks before the photo was taken; his wife Alfrida who died five years ago aged 65

Care: A man named Andreas holds the corpse of his daughter who died in 2010, left, and right, Yohannes Kara Eng gently cleans the face of his wife who died two years ago

Posing up: Once the coffins have been dragged out of the family's mausoleum, the body is brushed and cleaned. After this, the family cut away old and damaged clothes before making the body stand to dry in the sun. They then dress the body in new clothes and often pose for photos with the corpse

The Ma'nene ritual is also a time where coffins are repaired or replaced to stop bodies from decomposing

Relatives visit Nene' Tiku who passed away 3 days ago at the age of 106. Torajans learn from a very young age to deal with death and to accept it as part of the journey. In Toraja, it is customary to feed the deceased every day and to keep the corpses cozily bedded in a separate room of the family house until the family can afford a proper funeral

The deceased are mummified and housed in ornate, colorful coffins and spend several months or even years in their own homes before receiving a funeral and burial, in order to give the family of the deceased time to raise enough money for the feast.

Many families go deeply into debt in order to hold an extravagant funeral ceremony.

In the time before a burial, relatives talk to the deceased, offer them food and drink, and involve them in family gatherings, as if they are still alive.

Ribka Tanduk Langi died 2 months ago at the age of 53, because of liver failure. Her son has put a bowl of rice out for her and turned on a fan over the corpse. The funeral for the mother-of-eight will most likely not take place until June next year when her children can all attend and they have enough money to pay for it

Starting off: A family has just opened the coffin to get rid of the smell. Shortly after, they will start the cleaning ritual of their deceased relative's corpse

Relatives while cleaning the corpse of Nene Datu who died 35 years ago in Tana Toraja
Pictures taken at the scene of a fatal crash on Friday morning show the crumpled remains of a car where two hoons left their mate to die.

The dark-coloured Subaru Impreza slammed into a power pole in Wollert, in Melbourne's northern suburbs about 6am.

Police slammed the driver and passenger - believed to be a man and a woman - who ran from the scene, leaving one man to die in the back seat.

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Pictures of the scene of a fatal crash on Friday morning show the crumpled remains of a car (pictured) where two hoons left their mate to die

The dark-coloured Subaru Impreza (pictured) slammed into a power pole in Wollert, in Melbourne's northern suburbs about 6am

Emergency services were called to Bindts Road after a passerby found the man, aged between 25 and 30, trapped in the wreckage, his seatbelt still on.

Paramedics were unable to save the man's life, but police say he could have survived if the driver and passenger had stayed to help, Seven News reported.

Major Collision Investigation Unit Detective Inspector Stuart McGregor said he could not understand how the pair could walk away with their friend 'literally dying'.

'They didn't call for an ambulance, they didn't let emergency services know, they didn't let the police know. If we had have got to him, he may be alive today,' he said.

Police slammed the driver and passenger - believed to be a man and a woman - who ran from the scene (pictured), leaving one man to die in the back seat

Emergency services were called to Bindts Road after a passerby found the man, aged between 25 and 30, trapped in the wreckage (pictured), his seatbelt still on

Victoria Police are searching the area and have asked anyone with information to come forward, but no arrests have been made so far.

'What they were doing at the time was probably hooning. They've made a clear choice to leave the car and leave the person in the back of the car while he died'.

'I don't understand how a person can just walk away from their mate when they're dying in front of them.'

Emergency services were called to Bindts Road in Wollert, Victoria about 6am on Friday

Police believe the car was moving at an excessive speed when it spun out and hit the pole.

The car was understood to be fitted with incorrect plates.

'We don't stop until we catch you, we will catch you, we will determine who you are and before you know it, we'll be knocking on the door,' Mr McGregor said.
These shocking images show the injuries a 98-year-old great-grandmother suffered after being attacked twice in 30 minutes by a fellow care home resident.

Frail Monica Holt was left with severe bruising and swelling to her face and body after she was assaulted while asleep in her bed.

The retired nurse, who struggles to speak, gestured punching movements to her family to explain the brutal incident which is being investigated by police.

They claim they weren't contacted until eight hours after the attack and are now seeking legal action against the home where Mrs Holt has lived for the last four years.

Bosses at Heathercroft Care Home in Warrington, Cheshire - which last year received a 'requires improvement rating' - say they are taking the incident 'very seriously'.

Frail Monica Holt was left with severe bruising and swelling to her face and body after she was assaulted while asleep in her bed

The severe injuries on 98-year-old Monica's arm are shown in shocking photos released by her family

The attack unfolded at around 4am while Mrs Holt, from Lymm, Cheshire, was asleep in her bed at the care home on December 13 last year.

Mrs Holt's family decided to share photographs of her injuries after being 'disgusted' by the response of the care home so far in the wake of the horrific assault.

Her grandson Lance Holt, 46, said: 'I was disgusted as it's on her file that I can be contacted 24 hours a day.

'When they called I was just told she had bruising to her face. When I saw her for the first time I was shocked.

'My grandmother knows what has happened but she is not in a state where she can sit there and have a conversation with you.

'She will gesture and she has shown me the punching movements to her face.'

Lance says he is fighting for justice for his grandmother who is unable to fight for herself.

'It's not about money and it's not about compensation,' he added.

'She is 98 and I'm her power of attorney. She can't fight for herself. She can't even have a conversation.

Mrs Holt's family decided to share photographs of her injuries after being 'disgusted' by the response of the care home so far in the wake of the horrific assault

Mrs Holt, who is a mum-of-two and has three grandchildren and several great-grandchildren, remains at the care home

'If I don't do anything then I won't be doing her justice. It's about fighting for what is right.

'There is no malice towards the gentleman. It's not him - he probably didn't have the mental capacity, but it's the care home.'

Lance initially shared the photos on Facebook along with a damning post.

It read: 'This is my grandmother who is 98 years old.

'She is 99 in February and was attacked at 4am while asleep in her bed in the care home where she should have been safe.

'This was done by another male resident while she was asleep in her bed at 4am.

'May I also add that I have nothing but respect for the staff at Heathercroft as they have been fantastic.'

The Care Quality Commission, which regulates care homes, has been informed of the incident and advised Lance to contact the police

The family sent a letter of complaint to the 88-bed care home - which specialises in Alzheimer's care - but say they have not yet received a reply.

Mrs Holt, who is a mum-of-two and has three grandchildren and several great-grandchildren, remains at the care home.

The care home had been ordered to improve in December after inspectors found that a 'significant' shortage in staff had led to a number of failures.

The Care Quality Commission, which regulates care homes, has been informed of the incident and advised Lance to contact the police.

Nigel Denny, managing director of Ashberry Healthcare, which is the company in charge of the care home, has confirmed that an investigation is underway.

A Cheshire Police spokesman confirmed they have received a report of an assault at the care home and investigations are ongoing.
Thailand's fugitive former prime minister is said to have been spotted outside Harrods in London on Thursday, five months after she fled her home country on corruption charges.

Mystery has surrounded ousted premier Yingluck Shinawatra's whereabouts ever since she stunned the kingdom by failing to turn up for the Supreme Court verdict in her negligence trial in late August last year.

It later transpired that she had slipped out of the country by fleeing, via Cambodia, briefly to Dubai and then supposedly on to the UK.

A photo claims to show Shinawatra smiling outside Harrods department store, in London's Knightsbridge. It was shared on social media after a tourist reportedly recognised her.

Spotted: Thailand's fugitive former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra (right) is purportedly seen smiling outside Harrods department store in London on Thursday

The new image comes just 11 days after Shinawatra was also reportedly spotted at Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush on December 26.

The former prime minister, whose elected government was toppled in a 2014 coup, was sentenced to five years in prison in absentia on September 27 for failing to stop graft in a government rice policy - a case lambasted by her supporters as part of a broader junta effort to drive the ex-premier's family out of politics.

Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said on Friday, after the Harrods photo emerged, that the Royal Thai Police Office will approach UK authorities through Interpol,The Bangkok Post reports.

Pol Maj Gen Tawatchai Mekprasert, director of the Central Police Forensic Science Division, said the picture is not believed to have been doctored.

Thailand revoked Shinawatra's passports in October. She had four Thai passports, two personal and two diplomatic, according to authorities.

First sighting? Fugitive Shinawatra (left) was also reportedly spotted shopping at Westfield in Shepherd's Bush, London, on December 26

Ousted Yingluck Shinawatra is pictured arriving at her corruption trial in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 20 last year. She vanished from the kingdom just weeks later before her verdict was read

Yingluck's elder brother Thaksin, who was ousted as prime minister in a 2006 coup, has been living in self-exile for years to avoid a graft conviction.

He has a home in Dubai and junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha said in late September that Yingluck was also in the emirate.

However, there have been widespread reports the former premier is now seeking asylum in Britain.

Analysts believe the junta likely cut a backroom deal with the politician to whisk her out of the country - a charge the generals deny.

The Shinawatras are wildly popular in Thailand's rural heartlands, where voters wooed by their welfare schemes have helped them dominate elections for the past decade.

But they are loathed by Bangkok's traditional army-allied elite, who have branded them as corrupt opportunists and repeatedly cut down their governments with coups, court rulings and protests.

The ruling junta has vowed to hold elections in November 2018, though a tight ban on political activities remains in place.

Elections will not restore the same level of democracy the kingdom enjoyed before the coup.

Under the junta's new charter elected politicians will be straitjacketed by an appointed Upper House and requirements to stick to a 20-year master plan.
It seems like a lot of effort to go to just to steal two bottles of soft drink.

Police are hunting for a pack of thieves after a brazen pre-dawn ram-raid on a NSW mid-north coast shop.

A silver Subaru smashed through the front of a shop at Kempsey on the NSW mid-north coast just before dawn on Friday.

Police are hunting for a pack of thieves who ram-raided a Kempsey store early Friday morning and stole two bottles of fizzy drink

Three men entered the store, grabbed two bottles of soft drink and fled in the vehicle, police said.

'Bloody idiots must have been off their faces from something else just to take two bottles of soft drink,' one local wrote on Facebook.

'Must have been thirsty,' another person wrote.

Someone else added: 'Why would you steal soft drink when you have access to servo pies???.'

A silver Subaru smashed through the front of the shop on Forth Street in Kempsey, on the NSW mid-north coast, just before dawn

The targeted store was a tobacconist shop near the town's Woolworths supermarket, according to locals who claimed to see the aftermath.

CCTV images show the rear of the car smashed through the front of the shop, rear-end first, leaving broken glass and scattered debris.

Officers from Mid North Coast Local Area Command attended and established a crime scene.

Police have urged anyone with information about this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page.
Cleared: Derrick Williams, 48, was found not guilty on Thursday of his elderly mother's 2016 murder by reason of insanity

An Ohio man who reportedly believed veteran Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak instructed him to kill his elderly mother by beating her beyond recognition has been found not guilty by reason of insanity.

A judge made the ruling Thursday in the murder case against 48-year-old Derrick Williams.

Defense attorney Brian Pierce says the Williams believed he was getting messages from the TV game show when in December 2016 he heard his hometown mentioned. He thought Sajak was telling him to kill his mother when the host said, 'Do it.'

Pierce says Williams was off his medication and 'clearly was psychotic,' reported Akron Beacon Journal.

Williams' sister called 911 on the night of December 15, 2016, after discovering her mother's lifeless body on the kitchen floor at the home on Hartford Avenue in Akron that she shared with her son.

The elderly woman's face had been bashed in with a lead pipe to the point that her daughter could not even make out her features. The cause of death was multiple blunt force trauma.

The victim's daughter told 911 dispatchers her brother was mentally ill and likely responsible.

Williams believed veteran Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak (pictured on the show) instructed him to kill 78-year-old Alaine Williams by saying on the show, 'Do it'

'My brother killed her,' Derrick Williams' sister sad on the 911 call. 'Hes mental. I told her not to let him stay here.'

The suspect was arrested at his slain mother's home three days later, having returned to the scene of the crime after initially fleeing.

Williams was charged with murder and felonious assault, and his trial was scheduled to get under way a Tuesday after three separate mental health evaluations had found him competent but determined that he was mentally ill at the time of his mother's murder.

His defense attorney told the court his client and the victim were arguing about the microwave when he grabbed the lead pipe and began beating her. According to Pierce, Derrick thought he saw the head of a neighbors dog on his mother's body.

The man has been struggling with mental illness, paranoid thoughts and depression for the past two decades.

Derrick's sister discovered their mother's lifeless body on the kitchen floor at the home on Hartford Avenue in Akron, Ohio (street pictured), in December 2016

In 2005, Derrick was charged with domestic violence and felonious assault after attacking his mother, but was cleared by reason of insanity and committed to an institution for a couple of years.

He remained under supervision until 2014, at which time he moved into Alaine Williams' home in Akron.

Derrick Williams is due back in court for a commitment hearing on January 18.
The theft of a baby's body on Christmas Eve has been linked to a satanic sect.

The parents of one-year-old Ciro Aranda discovered that the remains of their son had been stolen from a cemetery storage room the day before Christmas following the infant's death on December 10.

Now the parents' lawyer claims to have evidence pointing to a satanic cult in the small town of Otamendi, situated about 25 miles from the city of Miramar, in the Buenos Aires Province of Argentina.

The theft of a baby's body on Christmas Eve has been linked to a satanic sect. The parents of one-year-old Ciro Aranda discovered that the remains of their son had been stolen from a cemetery storage room the day before Christmas following the infant's death on December 10

Alberto Aranda and his wife Mara went to visit their son Ciro's coffin to place flowers. The baby boy died of pneumonia earlier in the month aged just one year and two months old

Alberto Aranda and his wife Mara went to visit their son Ciro's coffin to place flowers. The baby boy died of pneumonia earlier in the month aged just one year and two months old.

As the cemetery did not have any available niches, the parents agreed to store their son's remains in a small locked room on the grounds until new spaces become available in the summer.

Dr Ana Maria Caro, the leading prosecutor in charge of finding the body, reported that authorities are presently searching local farms and surrounding countryside. 'The operation continues,' she told local media.

Dr Caro also stated that initial investigations point to a 'likely avenue'.

Alberto Aranda and his wife Mara went to visit their son Ciro's coffin to place flowers. Their baby boy had died of pneumonia earlier in the month aged just fourteen months

After several residents broke their silence, the prosecutor said: 'There is a known satanic sect that operates in the Otamendi area and carries out rituals. We hope that our searches will bring results very soon.'

This is not the first time that a case involving a demonic cult has happened in Argentina.

Last month, officials arrested Miguel Angel Jimenez at his home in Quimili in the northern province of Santiago del Estero.

The cotton producer was accused of being the main priest behind the sexual abuse and dismemberment of 11-year-old Mario Salto, which took place in the town of Santiago in July 2016.
Philip Queree, 37, pictured, met the woman on Tinder and they had what was described as 'rough' sex on their second date. She has not been named for legal reasons

A medical student convicted of indecent assault for grabbing a woman's breasts during consensual sex has had his conviction quashed.

Philip Queree, 37, met the woman on Tinder and they had what was described as 'rough' sex on their second date. She has not been named for legal reasons.

But Queree was later taken to court in Jersey for repeatedly grabbing her breasts too hard and pulling her hair while they had intercourse.

Despite consenting to sex with Queree, the victim told him she did not want her breasts touched.

She accused him of using 'excessive force' and causing her pain and bruising even after she told him to stop.

Queree's promising career in medicine was left in ruins and he was placed on the Sex Offender's Register for five years after the trial last August.

But Jersey's Royal Court this week quashed the conviction after ruling that the magistrate in the original case had 'gone wrong in a material way'.

During the trial the woman said: 'I was in a lot of pain. I felt he had been rough with me. I had never experienced anything like this in my life, I had never felt pain in my breasts during sexual intercourse.

'Having my breasts grabbed to me that is not normal behaviour.'

In the Royal Court on Thursday, Advocate David Steenson, who was representing Queree, said that the appeal was based on a matter of law and that there was insufficient evidence in the case for Magistrate Bridget Shaw to have come to the decision she did.

He said that the charge of indecent assault was never appropriate for the case and that his client should have been charged with common assault or grave and criminal assault instead.

The advocate added: 'Her complaints to the defendant did not amount to a complete prohibition of touching her breasts. She was demanding he was more gentle with her not that he wouldn't touch her breasts at all.

Queree was taken to court in Jersey for repeatedly grabbing the woman's breasts too hard and pulling her hair while they had intercourse. His conviction has now been quashed

'Right-thinking members of society wouldn't think that touching your partner's breasts during consensual lovemaking would be indecent. It is nothing out of the ordinary, it is implicitly accepted.'

Advocate Steenson told the court that the main point the prosecution made at the time of the trial was that the assault had been indecent because the woman had forbid Mr Queree from touching her breasts.

He however doubted that 'that kind of script' was given during a sexual encounter he described as 'vigorous sex making.'

He added: 'It's really inconceivable that if the defendant had touched the complainant's breasts extremely gently in the way she enjoyed she would have objected to it. That's a matter of common sense.'

Advocate Steenson said that the issue at the heart of the case was the force used and that therefore the proper charge for it was that of 'conventional assault', not an indecent one.

The original case was heard at Jersey Magistrate's Court, pictured

Crown Advocate Conrad Yates, for the prosecution, told the court that Magistrate Shaw's decision was not a 'snap' one but rather the result of a 'careful reasoned judgment.'

He added: 'The important issue is not whether the injuries were caused before consent was withdrawn, but whether consent was indeed withdrawn and if the defendant continued to grab her breasts in that knowledge.'

He maintained the assault was indecent because Mr Queree had been touching a part of the complainant's body that is 'sexual.'

Mr Yates said that the sex had only been consensual 'to the extent that she told him not to grab her breasts.'

He added that conditional consent was given when the pair carried on having sex, saying the victim was 'willing to carry on if he didn't touch her breasts.'

Returning the Court's judgment, the Bailiff Sir William Bailhache said that the court was satisfied that the 'Magistrate went wrong in a material way' and set aside Queree's conviction.

The reasons behind this decision will be published at a later date.

Speaking after the successful appeal, Mr Queree's dad Norman said the family did not want to comment.

He previously said: 'This has been very upsetting and traumatic enough. I don't think we want any more publicity.'
A victim of the London Bridge terror attack is facing jail after he was caught with more than 1,000 pictures and 100 videos of children on his phone and computer.

Adam Harris, 38, who was severely injured in the atrocity that left eight people dead and 48 injured, admitted three counts of making indecent images of children.

The court heard how Harris was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after being stabbed twice in the attack on June 3 last year.

Adam Harris, a victim of the London Bridge terror attack, faces jail after he was caught with more than 1,000 pictures and 100 videos of children on his phone and computer

Patricia Deighan, for the prosecution, told Blackfriars Crown Court the images 'include moving images and they include very young children...a boy of 11 or 12, a girl nine or ten and an indecent image of an infant.'

In total police recovered 225 category 'A' images, 345 category 'B' images and 719 category C images.

Neil Fitzgibbon, defending, said: 'This gentleman has limited convictions but he was involved in the London Bridge terrorist attack and was stabbed twice in one of the bars where the waitress was stabbed in the back and he is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

'You're dealing with a defendant who has been through the most traumatic experience and I think one would have to step back and say this is someone, having gone through what he's been through - irrespective of the crime - who requires a pre-sentence report.'

The court heard how Harris moved back to Northumberland to live with his mother after the attack, as it affected his ability to work and he was prescribed anti-depressants.

Harris was charged by police five months before the London Bridge and Borough Market terror attack.

Jihadists Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30 and Youssef Zaghba, 22, were all shot dead by police after their murderous rampage.

Harris, 38, who was severely injured in the atrocity that left eight people dead and 48 injured (pictured: Borough Market after the attack)

Harris featured on a JustGiving page on July 6, which has raised more than 7,000.

It read: 'Adam Harris was severely injured in the London terrorist attacks on June 3.

'He was stabbed during the attack and has undergone surgery at St Thomas' Hospital. Adam showed tremendous bravery to protect friends during the attack.

'This fund is a small gesture of support to help Adam and his family at this difficult time.'

The judge, Mr Recorder Julian Malins told him: 'You have been sent here for sentence by Highbury Magistrates' on three very serious offences and, particularly the category A and category B type images.

'They are plainly offences - even though you have got no previous sexual offences on your record - which could nonetheless lead to a sentence of imprisonment and it may very well be that the sentencing judge will send you to prison.

'You must not think that because I have adjourned this case for the production of a pre-sentence report, that because I am doing that whoever comes to sentence your case is inhibited from sending you into immediate custody.

'I bear in mind how you were yourself the victim of serious assault and are undergoing treatment for that and I bear in mind that you're 38...I am going to adjourn.'

Harris, from Ashington, in Northumberland, will return for sentence at Blackfriars Crown Court on February 2.
Author Michael Wolff said Friday that '100 percent of the people around' President Donald Trump question his intelligence and fitness for office, with some calling him a 'moron' and an 'idiot.'

Even Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, the president's son-in-law and elder daughter, both of whom are senior White House advisers, have moved out of the way to let the bus roll over the former Trump Organization executive, Wolff said.

'They all say he is like a child. And what they mean by that is he has a need for immediate gratification. It's all about him,' Wolff told 'Today' on Friday. 'They say he's a moron, an idiot.'

The suggestion from his sources, Wolff said, purportedly quoting Steve Bannon, is: 'He's lost it.'

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Author Michael Wolff said Friday that '100 percent' of the people around President Donald Trump question his intelligence and fitness for office, with some calling him a 'moron' and an 'idiot'

Even Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, the president's son-in-law and elder daughter, both of whom are senior White House advisers, have moved out of the way to let the bus roll over the former Trump Organization executive, Wolff said

The suggestion from his sources, Wolff said, purportedly quoting Steve Bannon, is: 'He's lost it'

An excerpt from Wolff's book that ran in the Times of London on Friday has Bannon saying, 'He's lost his stuff.'

Former White House deputy chief of staff Katie Walsh is also quoted as saying that working for Trump was 'like trying to figure out what a child wants.'

Walsh denies making the comments in the book that were attributed to her. Bannon has not disputed any of the quotes that Wolff says he provided, so far.

The White House claimed Thursday that the book is 'complete fantasy' and 'full of lies.' President Trump said in a late-night tweet that the book is 'phony' and cites sources 'that don't exist.'

On NBC on Friday, Wolff said he was 'certainly and absolutely, in every way, comfortable' with his reporting.

'My credibility is being questioned by a man who has less credibility than perhaps anyone who has ever walked on earth at this point,' Wolff asserted.

Look at Jared and Ivanka, they are doing as much as they can to distance themselves from the president's missteps, he claimed.

'In their current situation, which is a deep legal quagmire, they're putting everything on the president. "Not us. It's him," ' Wolff said.

Wolff claimed there's a 'competition to sort of get to the bottom line here of who this man is' within the White House.

'This man does not read, does not listen. So, he's like a pinball, just shooting off the sides.'

The president blasted Wolff's book as 'phony' in a tweet on Friday morning

Bannon has not disputed any of the quotes that Wolff says he provided so far. The White House claimed Thursday that the book is 'complete fantasy' and 'full of lies.' Trump called the book 'phony' in a late-night tweet

Take the cease and desist letter the president's personal attorney sent his publisher yesterday, Wolff said. Claiming he still has sources in the White House, Wolff proclaimed: 'I know everybody was going, we should not be doing this. This is not smart.

'And he just insists. He just has to be satisfied in the moment,' Wolff said of Trump's knee-jerk reaction to his book on Today.

Shortly after Wolff appeared on 'Today' in New York, the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, went on 'Fox & Friends' to rebut him

Sanders said, 'It's absolutely outrageous to make these types of accusations and it's simply untrue, and sad that people are going and making these desperate attempts to attack the president.'

The White House spokeswoman had slapped down speculation that the president is 'unfit' for office on Thursday after anecdotes in Wolff's bombshell book about the first year of Donald Trump's presidency raised new questions about the 71-year-old's mental acuity.

'It's disgraceful and laughable. If he was unfit he probably wouldn't be sitting there, wouldn't have defeated the most qualified group of candidates the Republican Party has ever seen,' Sanders said.

A news report had also revealed on Thursday that congressional Democrats invited a Yale psychiatrist to provide them with an assessment of president's cognitive state.

Wolff claimed in a Thursday essay in the Hollywood Reporter that Trump is increasingly forgetful, repeating stories word-for-word inside 10 minutes and failing to recognize old friends.

The essay is based on his explosive book, Fire and Fury, and includes other material.

To hide his failings from the public, Wolff claims the White House hatched a plan last fall to have interviewers submit their questions beforehand.

To hide his failings from the public, Michael Wolff claims White House Communications Director Hope Hicks (left) hatched a plan last fall to have interviewers submit their questions to President Trump beforehand. They're seen aboard Air Force One in November

Trump took a slap at Steve Bannon, a former White House aide, for his part in the book on Thursday at the White House

From erratic tweeting to slurred speech, Trump's mental state has continually been questioned by Democrats, some of whom are trying to impeach him.

'Morning Joe' host Joe Scarborough also assessed after a set of recent incidents that Trump appears to be suffering from dementia.

Retiring Sen. Bob Corker also drew blood in August when he asserted that Trump has not shown the 'stability nor some of the competence' that's necessary for him to be successful in his position.

Wolff delivered another blow to the president when said in a Thursday column of the Trump White House, 'Everybody was painfully aware of the increasing pace of his repetitions. It used to be inside of 30 minutes he'd repeat, word-for-word and expression-for-expression, the same three stories  now it was within 10 minutes. Indeed, many of his tweets were the product of his repetitions  he just couldn't stop saying something.'

'At Mar-a-Lago, just before the new year, a heavily made-up Trump failed to recognize a succession of old friends,' Wolff writes.

The author, who says he was provided widespread access to the White House after running his book pitch by Trump himself, says the president's advisors and family 'all  100 percent  came to believe he was incapable of functioning in his job' within months of Trump taking office.

Wolff claimed in a Thursday essay in the Hollywood Reporter that Trump is increasingly forgetful, repeating stories word-for-word inside 10 minutes and failing to recognized old friends. He's seen on NYE at his Palm Beach resort celebrating the holiday with friends

White House Communications Director Hope Hicks is especially 'attentive to his lapses and repetitions' and 'urged him to forgo an interview that was set to open the fall season' of '60 Minutes, 'he claims. That is how Fox News' Sean Hannity landed an Oct. 12 interview with Trump.

Wolff says White House insiders told him that Hannity offered to 'supply the questions beforehand,' setting a new standard in the Trump administration.

'Indeed, the plan was to have all interviewers going forward provide the questions,' Wolff wrote in the Hollywood Reporter, which employs him as a columnist.

Hannity disputed this claim through a spokesperson, telling DailyMail.com: 'I never provided questions ahead of time to President Trump and never said I was going to quit my longtime, successful TV and radio career to work for his administration.

As copy from Wolff's unreleased book circulated on Wednesday, a fresh inquiry was raised about Trump's mental stability following a tweet the president sent needling North Korea's 33-year-old tyrant.

Kim had said that he has a 'nuclear button' that can launch missiles capable of hitting targets anywhere in the U.S.

'Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!' Trump on Tuesday evening responded.

20 MOST JAW-DROPPING CLAIMS IN EXPLOSIVE TRUMP BOOK Steve Bannon described Don Jr's Trump Tower meeting with Russians as 'treasonous and unpatriotic' and thinks he will 'crack like an egg' under the pressure of the Russia investigation

Bannon said there's 'zero' chance Donald Trump didn't know about the meeting and said Don Jr likely 'walked them to his father's office'

First Lady Melania Trump openly wept on the night her husband won the election - and the tears 'were not of joy'

The whole campaign from the top down thought Trump would lose and everyone had planned for defeat, with Trump himself planning a TV network because he would be 'the most famous man in the world'

Trump and Melania sleep in separate bedrooms and he demanded a lock on his bedroom door against the wishes of the Secret Service

Trump orders McDonald's so he's not poisoned, told staff not to touch his toothbrush and strips his own bedsheets

Trump regularly sits in bed eating a cheeseburger at 6.30pm while calling his friends and watching three TVs

Rupert Murdoch called Trump a 'f***ing idiot' after a phone call and billionaire backer Tom Barrack said 'he's not only crazy, he's stupid'

Trump's aides say he doesn't read and 'for all practical purposes is no more than semi-literate'

Trump would try to bed his friends' wives by goading their husbands to cheat while the wife listened in on speakerphone

White House Communications Director Hope Hicks dated married Corey Lewandowski and Trump later told her: 'You're the best piece of tail he'll ever have.'

The president called acting attorney general Sally Yates a 'c***' after she refused to enforce his immigration ban

Sean Spicer, then press secretary, said 'you can't make this s*** up' after his first briefing and went on adopt the phrase as his personal mantra

Trump tells the same stories three times in ten minutes and forgot a succession of old friends' names at a Mar-a-Lago party

He called Jared Kushner a 'suck-up' and said he should never have let Ivanka and her husband move to Washington

Among his verdicts on his staff: Bannon 'looked like s***', Reince Priebus was a midget and Kellyanne Conway was a crybaby

Among his staff's verdicts on him: 'dope', 'dumb as s***', 'hopeless idiot', 'just a f***ing fool', 'lost his mind', 'incapable of functioning in his job'

Trump wondered what a 'golden shower' was after reading reports about the notorious Russian dossier

Trump offered to marry Morning Joe's Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough - and mocked Jared Kushner for saying he'd do it

Ivanka Trump jokes with friends about her father's hair secrets: He had a scalp reduction, combs over from the sides, and uses Just for Men badly

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Kim Jong-Un's New Year address included a warning to the US that he has a 'nuclear button' on his table, prompting a furious response from President Trump via Twitter (above). Trump's response forced the White House to address his mental competency on Wednesday

NBC White House Correspondent Peter Alexander subsequently asked the White House if Americans should be 'concerned about the presidents mental fitness.'

'I think the President and the people of this country should be concerned about the mental fitness of the leader of North Korea,' Trump spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders fired back.

Swatting the line of questioning down at the televised news conference, Sanders said: 'This is a President whos not going to cower down and hes not going to be weak, and is going to make sure that he does what hes promised to do, and thats stand up and protect the American people.'

Asked about Trump's mental state again on Thursday, Sanders said, 'This is an incredibly strong and good leader that's why we've had such a successful 2017 and why we're going to continue to do great things as we move forward in this administration.'

More than a dozen Democrats and one Republican senator were briefed last month by a Yale psychiatrist, Politico revealed on Thursday. Trump's tweets were the impetus.

Former White House strategist Stephen Bannon has termed a June 2016 meeting between Trump campaign officials and Russians 'treasonous' in Wolff's book. He also claimed that Trump has 'lost his stuff'

'We feel that the rush of tweeting is an indication of his falling apart under stress. Trump is going to get worse and will become uncontainable with the pressures of the presidency,' Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee told the publication.

Scarborough, an ex-Republican congressman who now co-hosts an MSNBC program, has also evaluated Trump's durability.

In a Friday am tweet, Scarborough stated outright that Trump is 'mentally unfit' to be the president.

'Those trying to make this book about a Trump v. Bannon fight are missing the bigger truth again revealed: Donald Trump is unfit mentally and temperamentally to lead America,' he wrote.

Noting that the president has demonstrated cognitive interruptions similar to the behavior he has observed in his own mother, Scarborough has previously said during a December show, 'Unfortunately in the case of my mother, I can move that to the side and I am totally fine with that.

'In this case, Donald Trump has control of nuclear weapons,' the former congressman from Florida added.

On another program, Scarborough said Trump is in the 'early stages of dementia.'

'Everybody around Donald Trump knows hes not stable. Everybody around Donald Trump knows hes not stable now. Everybody,' Scarborough stated.

Wolff hinted at at similar complaints in the of his book, which hit stands early on Friday, in an extracted column that ran Thursday in the Hollywood Report.

He repeated himself on Friday, saying once more than Trump tells the same stories every 10 minutes these days, when it used to be every 30 minutes.

'I will quote Steve Bannon: "He's lost it," ' Wolff told Today show host Savannah Guthrie after she asked him to clarify his argument.

In the book, Bannon says a meeting that Trump's eldest son, Don Jr, and Kushner took in Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer that's come under scrutiny from congressional investigators and the feds was 'unpatriotic' and 'treasonous.'

The Brietbart News executive backed off his criticism this week after the president chewed him up and spit him out, claiming he had no access anymore and had very little to do with his shock victory in the 2016 election in the first place.

Trump mocked Bannon Thursday for his change of heart as he followed up on a statement a day before that when former chief strategist was fired. 'He not only lost his job, he lost his mind,' the president had said.
Tens of thousands of government supporters rallied across Iran on, swearing allegiance to the clerical establishment and accusing arch enemy the United States of instigating the largest anti-government protests in nearly a decade.

Tehran's Friday prayer leader called on authorities to deal 'firmly' with those responsible for igniting over a week of illegal rallies, in which 22 people were killed and more than 1,000 people were arrested, according to Iranian officials.

'But those ordinary Iranians who were deceived by these American-backed rioters should be dealt based on Islamic clemency,' cleric Ahmad Khatami told worshippers at Tehran university, TV reported.

Iranian pro-government protesters take part in a march held after the weekly Friday prayers in central Tehran

Khatami also called on the government to 'pay more attention to people's economic problems.'

The anti-government rallies erupted on December 28 in Iran's holy Shi'ite city of Mashhad after the government announced plans to increase fuel prices and dismantle monthly cash handout to lower-income Iranians.

The protests spread to more than 80 cities and rural towns, staged by thousands of young and working class Iranians angry about official corruption, unemployment and a deepening gap between rich and poor.

The authorities have produced no evidence to support assertions of U.S. involvement in the protests, which lacked a unifying leader.

Iranian pro-government demonstrators set a makeshift US flag on fire during the march

Residents contacted by Reuters in various cities said the protests had shown sign of abating since Thursday, after the establishment intensified a crackdown on the protesters by dispatching Revolutionary Guards forces to several provinces.

Iran's elite Guards and its affiliated Basij militia suppressed the country's 2009 unrest over alleged election fraud, in which dozens of pro-reform Iranians were killed.

Iranian officials said the protests were the result of foreign instigation and mocked U.S. President Donald Trump's support of protesters against what he called a 'brutal and corrupt' establishment.

On Friday rallies, protesters chanted 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel', carrying pictures of Iran's top authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and waved Iranian flags.

Television footage of rallies in several cities showed people chanting 'We support Imam Khamenei ... We will not leave him alone in his fight against enemies'.

Iranian worshippers at the at the Imam Khomeini mosque raise their fists in a show of support for the government

'Demonstrators demand the punishment of those behind foreign-linked riots which insulted religion and our authorities,' state television reported, referring to the anti-government protests in which social media footage showed protesters tearing down pictures of Khamenei.

Khatami also called on the government to 'pay more attention to people's economic problems.'

To allay tension, the government has suspended its plans to cut cash handouts and increase fuel prices.

Ianians hold up a copy of Kayhan newspaper with the headline referring to the anti-government protests last week as 'sedition'

'There are workers who say they have not received their salaries for months ... These problems should be resolved,' Khatami said, according to state TV.

Fearing that further unrest could undermine the Islamic republic altogether, Iran's faction-ridden political elite has displayed a united front.

But Khamenei and his hardline allies have criticised Rouhani for failing to revive the economy after most sanctions on Iran were lifted in 2016 under a nuclear deal reached between Tehran and major powers aimed at curbing the country's nuclear programme.

Rouhani secured the deal in 2015, raising hopes of better economic times among many Iranians, but discontent has since risen over the lack of broad improvement in living standards.
Labour peer Andrew Adonis last night openly declared he wants to 'sabotage' Brexit.

The ex-Cabinet minister insisted he was a 'democrat' but would work to unpick Britain's vote to leave the European Union.

Lord Adonis' astonishing claim comes days after he quit a Government post with a tirade against Theresa May and her negotiating plans.

His startling declaration lays bare the intent of some Remain campaigners to defy the will of the people 18 months after the referendum vote.

The intervention comes after Tony Blair launched a new onslaught against Brexit yesterday, insisting it can still be stopped.

Labour peer Andrew Adonis (pictured on LBC last night) has declared he wants to 'sabotage' Brexit days after quitting a Government post with a tirade against Theresa May

The ex-Cabinet minister insisted to host Iain Dale last night (pictured) he was a 'democrat' but would work to unpick Britain's vote to leave the European Union

Lord Adonis launched his new attack on Brexit less than a week after resigning as the Government's infrastructure tsar with an explosive letter.

He told LBC Radio last night: 'I absolutely want to sabotage Brexit, but I do not want to do so in an undemocratic way because I am a democrat.

'I believe passionately in the workings of our democratic institutions - I'm a parliamentarian!'

...AS PRODUCTIVITY HITS 7-HEAR HIGH Productivity in factories and offices has risen to its highest level in more than six years. Business became more efficient in the three months to September, official figures show, opening the door to bigger pay rises and greater wealth. The improvement will be greeted with relief by the Treasury, as a more productive workforce means a higher tax take and could hasten the end of austerity. It topped a week where the blue chip FTSE 100 stock index broke records. And it was also revealed that the nations burgeoning technology sector struck deals worth 3 billion last year  nearly double the 2016 figure and four times more than Paris, its closest rival. Output per hour, per worker grew at 0.9 per cent in the three months to September, according to the Office for National Statistics, the best performance since the second quarter of 2011 when growth was 1 per cent. The productivity increase was triggered by staff working fewer hours but doing more during each of them, according to the ONS. The figures come after surveys showed continued solid growth in the manufacturing and services sectors last month. Analysts at Capital Economics said it pointed to healthy growth of 1.8 per cent in the economy last year. Advertisement

He added: 'When [the people] see the terms, that it's less good than the status quo then I think we can stop this.'

Brexiteer Tory Damien Moore told MailOnline: 'This shows complete contempt for the verdict of the British people after the referendum in October 2016.

'It also undermines all the work that the Government are doing to make it a success in order to help ordinary people.'

Conservative Ben Bradley warned the Labour and Lib Dem alliance in the House of if Lords were determined to make a 'mess of Brexit.

He added: 'Sadly I don't think he is the only one. Particularly on the Labour benches in the Commons, there are a number who are very clear that their intention is to frustrate the process.

'It's pretty clear people like Lord Adonis have no concept whatsoever about the views of normal people in constituencies like mine who are outraged by his comments.'

Lord Adonis' argument echoes Tony Blair's claims yesterday, with the ex-Prime Minister calling for the public to be allowed to 'rethink' Brexit once a deal is struck.

Mr Blair said he 'accepted entirely' the result of the referendum but added that 'democracy doesn't just stop on one day'.

'I'm simply saying one very, very simple thing, which is that in 2016 you knew you wanted to get out of the European Union but you didn't see the terms of the alternative relationship,' he said.

'If when you see those terms you think it is better to stick with Europe you are entitled to have that say.'

Tony Blair (pictured yesterday at the BBC) has warned the EU it faces being destroyed by populist uprisings like Brexit

Lord Adonis' astonishing claim comes days after he quit a Government post with a tirade against Theresa May and her negotiating plans

In a leaked draft of his resignation letter last week, Lord Adonis complained Brexit was a 'dangerous, populist and nationalist spasm worthy of Donald Trump'.

He told Theresa May that future generations would 'marvel at your wanton destruction' if she continued to push through a Brexit defined by the 'voice of Ukip'.

Mrs May - who re-appointed him in April - declined to fire the peer in July when he compared Brexit to Nazi appeasement.

Lord Adonis told the PM: 'Brexit is a dangerous populist and nationalist spasm worthy of Donald Trump.

'After the narrow referendum vote for an undefined proposition to 'leave the EU,' it could have been attempted without rupturing our essential European trade and political relations.

'However, by becoming the voice of UKIP and the extreme nationalist right-wing of your party, you have taken a different course, for which you have no parliamentary or popular mandate.'
A serial killer who was twice freed to kill again has finally been jailed for life today as his third victim's family accused him of 'playing the system'.

Theodore Johnson, 64, killed his first wife Yvonne Johnson in 1981 by pushing her off the ninth-floor balcony but avoided a murder conviction by pleading 'provocation'.

After he was freed from a manslaughter jail term, he killed his second wife Yvonne Bennett in 1993, but again avoided a life term by pleading diminished responsibility.

Ms Best's family said she was a generous and loyal person and the 'life and soul of our family'

While out on day release from a mental health unit just two years after his second sentence, he met Angela Best, who he later beat to death with a claw hammer.

In a case described as 'almost unprecedented' by a senior judge today, Johnson was finally convicted of murder and handed a minimum 26-year term.

Ms Best's heartbroken family said outside court that triple killer Johnson had tried to 'play the system'.

Triple killer Theodore Johnson met his third victim, Angela Best, while on unescorted leave from a mental health unit. He later murdered her with a clawhammer

Ms Best's sister Lorraine Jones spoke outside the Old Bailey: 'This convicted murderer tried to play the system as he has successfully done before.

'He used diminished responsibility as the cause for his murderous actions.

'This time, however, he has eventually pleaded guilty to murder after 12 months since his arrest and subjecting our family to unnecessary additional trauma.'

Johnson met his third victim Ms Best while he was on unescorted day release from a psychiatric hospital.

Astonishingly, he was trusted to tell authorities if he embarked upon a new relationship.

Instead, he kept his relationship with Angela Best a secret for 15 years and did not let on about his past to his new partner until after she confronted him with letters about it.

When she left him and started a new relationship, he attacked the 51-year-old mother-of-four and grandmother, beating her over the head with a claw hammer and throttling her with her leopard print dressing gown belt.

He then jumped in front of an express train at Cheshunt station in Hertfordshire.

Family members of Johnson's third victim, Angela Best, attended today's court hearing

As he was being treated for severe injuries, police went to his flat and found Ms Best dead in the living room.

Family accuse triple killer of trying to 'play the system' Ms Best's sister Lorraine Jones spoke outside the Old Bailey surrounded by family members to read a statement on their behalf. She said: 'This convicted murderer tried to play the system as he has successfully done before. 'He used diminished responsibility as the cause for his murderous actions. 'This time, however, he has eventually pleaded guilty to murder after 12 months since his arrest and subjecting our family to unnecessary additional trauma. 'He has shown in all cases he was clearly of sound mind. 'He knew what he was doing when he planned and executed the horrific murder of our beloved Angela.' She added: 'Despite our families' immense pain and suffering, our hearts and thoughts go out to the other two families who have also suffered as a result of his evil and calculated actions. 'Angela was an inspiration to everyone who came into contact with her. 'She was kind, loving, very very caring and she was always smiling and radiant. 'It was never any trouble for Angela to offer help to anyone who needed it because it was her nature.' Advertisement

Johnson, who is now confined to a wheelchair, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to murdering Ms Best on December 15 2016, and was jailed for a minimum term of 26 years.

Judge Richard Marks QC said: 'The attack by you on Angela Best was sustained, vicious and utterly brutal. She suffered an unimaginably terrible death.

'Such repeated offending, resulting in three separate court cases, must be almost unprecedented.'

Johnson, who was born in Jamaica and moved to the UK in 1980, was first convicted of manslaughter in 1981.

He was living with his wife Yvonne Johnson and their two young children at a flat in Wolverhampton when he lost his temper during an argument on 18 May 1981.

Johnson hit her with a glass vase and pushed her off the balcony of the ninth floor flat.

He was jailed for just three years at Stafford Crown Court on 4 November 1981 after jurors cleared him on murder and convicted her of the lesser charge on the basis of provocation.

Johnson moved from Wolverhampton to London with the second victim Yvonne Bennett in 1986.

Ms Bennett, who worked at an old people's home, ended the relationship in 1992 after he became violent and she started seeing another man.

On 20 September that year he strangled her with a belt during a row at her flat in Fallowfield, Six Acres Estate, Finsbury Park.

Johnson then tried to hang himself from a tree but failed after the string he used snapped.

He admitted manslaughter again on 5 March 1993 after pleading guilty at the Old Bailey on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Johnson was taken into court in a wheelchair after a failed suicide bid left him disabled

Doctors concluded Johnson was depressed and had a personality disorder and he was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order under sections 37 and 41 of the Mental Health Act.

He was spending two days a week at a City and Guilds course for furniture restoration, where he met Ms Best.

Johnson was regularly seen by a social worker and consultant psychiatrist after his release, but did not mention at any point that he had a relationship.

They saw him a week before the murder on December 8, 2016 and he told them he was lonely, but did not seem depressed.

He said a friend might be going away, and he had little contact with his sons from his first marriage.

Ms Best was found dead at a flat in Dartmouth Park Hill, north London in December 2016

A further appointment was made for December 13 - two days before the killing - but it was cancelled because the social worker was sick.

Johnson was first given escorted leave from hospital in September 1994 and then unescorted leave from mid 1995.

His first application to the mental health tribunal for conditional discharge was refused on 10 May 1996.

He was discharged on 30 October 1997 on condition he reside in a halfway house, attend all appointments with medical staff and social workers and disclose any relationship with a woman.
At least 18 classified emails from an account belonging to Huma Abedin have been found by the FBI on the top Hillary Clinton aide's estranged husband Anthony Weiner's laptop, a conservative group claims.

Five previously unreleased classified emails were among 147 documents released by the State Department last week, conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch said on Thursday.

'It wasn't just low-level classified materials that were found in the Clinton email server,' Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton told Fox News' Tucker Carlson Tonight on Thursday.

Five previously unreleased classified emails were among 147 documents released by the State Department last week, conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton (pictured) said on Thursday

The emails were found on an account belonging to top Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin on a laptop belonging to her estranged husband Anthony Weiner

Watch the latest video at <a href="http://www.foxnews.com">foxnews.com</a>

He added: 'There were highly top secret documents of the most secure type and it would have resulted in a criminal prosecution, I guarantee you, if you were anyone else but the Democratic nominee for president.'

It was unclear whether the emails were deemed classified at the time they were sent or when the State Department was preparing them for release.

Fitton said: 'These are classified records that [Former FBI Director] James Comey and his colleagues... knew were on the Weiner laptop, but didn't take seriously enough to pursue criminal charges against Abedin or Clinton for allowing this egregious abuse of trust that the American people placed in them.'

The State Department said it 'carefully reviews the content of records requested through FOIA to determine whether any information is sensitive or classified,' and some of the documents released Friday have 'classified information that has been redacted.'

The FBI found thousands of emails exchanged between Clinton and Abedin while searching Weiner's laptop.

The FBI found thousands of emails exchanged between Clinton and Abedin (pictured together above) while searching Weiner's laptop

Former FBI Director Jim Comey has said the FBI had concluded that neither Weiner nor Abedin had committed a crime in their handling of the email

The search came after the FBI launched an investigation into Weiner's sexting with a high school student, which was revealed by DailyMail.com in 2016.

The discovery of the emails led then-FBI Director James Comey to announce in late October 2016, as Clinton's run for the White House was in its final stage, that he was reopening the probe of her use of a private computer server.

Then two days before Election Day, the FBI declared there was nothing new in the emails. Clinton has called Comey's intervention 'the determining factor' in her defeat.

The FBI has since said that only a small number of the emails found on the laptop had been forwarded while most had simply been backed up from electronic devices, including most of the email chains containing classified information.

Comey said the FBI had concluded that neither Weiner nor Abedin had committed a crime in their handling of the email.

Weiner started a 21-month sentence in December after being convicted of sexting a 15-year-old girl.

Abedin announced last year that she was divorcing Weiner, with whom she has a six-year-old son.
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A heartbroken family whose 27,000 Grand Designs eco-house burnt down in a New Year's Day lost their first 3,000 straw-bale home in a fire, it has emerged.

Simon and Jasmine Dale are staying with friends 40 miles away while they consider their future after being made homeless by the blaze in the Welsh countryside near Crymych in Pembrokeshire.

The couple's home, which was built for 27,000 and featured on Channel 4's Grand Designs, is still smouldering but nothing can be salvaged from the wreckage in the sustainable community of Lammas Ecovillage.

Their first eco-property, known as The Hobbit House, was built in 2003 using 3,000 worth of materials - including straw bales.

The eco-house in Pembrokeshire that was featured in Channel 4 programme Grand Designs has been destroyed in a fire

The home is still smouldering but nothing can be salvaged from the wreckage in the sustainable community of Lammas

The heartbroken family can't face returning to the gutted remains of the dream home they built with their own hands

Firefighters spent more than six hours tackling the blaze on New Year's Day, but the home was 'burned to the ground'

The Dales's first eco-property, known as The Hobbit House, was built in 2003 using 3,000 worth of materials - including straw bales

Despite their latest lost, the pair and their two children aged 14 and 13 have been given some hope, with well-wishers already raising more than 15,000 of the 20,000 they need for a rebuild project through the JustGiving website.

Mrs Dale, 43, was home alone when a faulty electric heater sparked the blaze. Mr Dale, 39, and the children - whose possessions and school work were all destroyed in the fire - were visiting relatives a few miles away.

She told The Telegraph: 'We're still in complete shock, I can't say how I feel. But we know the feeling, our first home burnt down so we have been here before I suppose.

'We're trying to hope that this will be a blessing in disguise and we have received so much love, but we know we won't be able to recreate this home.'

Their close friend and neighbour Andy Wells, 51, said: 'She managed to get out safely then had to stand there as the home they built and loved disappeared in a short time.

'We got in touch with Simon but we told him not to come - it would have been too much for him and the children to see.'

With the help of up to 100 volunteers the couple created a home of great beauty in Carmarthenshire, where they have lived happily for six years.

Mr Dale is the driving force of a community of nine stakeholders who share a 76 acre site, all doing their best to live off the land, growing their own vegetables and rearing sheep, pigs and poultry.

Simon and Jasmine Dale, pictured with Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud, are staying with friends 40 miles away

The family have been made homeless by the horrifying blaze in the Welsh countryside near Crymych in Pembrokeshire

Mrs Dale, 43, was home alone when a faulty electric heater sparked the blaze at the house, which was built for 27,000

Mr Dale is the driving force of a community of nine stakeholders who share a 76 acre site in Pembrokeshire

Mr Dale and the children - whose possessions were all destroyed in the fire - had been visiting relatives a few miles away

They have broadband and mobile phones although TVs are not popular with the 30 or so residents.

Mr Dale is seen as the most practical tenant at Llamas. He designed and built a hydro electric power scheme that provides cheap and sustainable electricity.

Former Sheffield steelworker Mr Wells, one of the stakeholders, said: 'We have done everything by the book here, we have all developed sustainable businesses.

'But no one does it better then Simon and Jasmine, they are the models here and themes valuable members of the community.

'Losing their home is a terrible shock for them but it's affected us all. They put six years of their lives into it, it is very emotional for them.'

The home's owner Mr Dale designed and built a hydro electric power scheme that provides cheap and sustainable electricity

The community have broadband and mobile phones although TVs are not popular with the 30 or so residents

The couple had 500 in the bank when they started the project and used earth, local timber and straw for the construction

The community share a 76 acre site, all doing their best to live off the land, growing their own vegetables and rearing sheep

People have poked fun comparing their eco home to the house of straw built by the three little pigs in the children's fairy story. But the straw was the last to go when the fire took hold at 1.30pm on Monday.

Mr Wells said: 'Straw is so tightly compacted that air can't get into it - it was nothing to do with the nature of the building.

'The house went up like any other property would - the only difference is that Simon and Jasmine built it themselves.'

Up to 20 firemen spent six hours battling to save the house, described as 'Britain's cheapest home' in the Grand Designs show in 2016. The fire was stopped before it reached the eight other houses in the village.

The couple had just 500 in the bank when they started the project and used earth, local timber and straw for the construction, furnishing it with purchases from car boot sales and eBay.

With the help of up to 100 volunteers the couple created a home of great beauty in the Pembrokeshire countryside

Well-wishers have already raised 15,000 of a 20,000 target for the family. Another house in the eco-village is pictured

The couple have been given a temporary home 40 miles away while they come to terms with losing their unique home

A page has been set up on JustGiving to raise 20,000 for the couple, who have two children, to rebuild the property

Mr Wells said: 'It is a tragedy that this happened to them, they are the embodiment of what we are trying to do here.

'We all hope they come back, we are already missing their capabilities, their resourcefulness and their thoughtfulness.'

The couple, their 14-year-old son Cosmo and daughter Elfie who had her 13th birthday yesterday, have been given a temporary home 40 miles away in St Davids, while they come to terms with losing their unique home.

Neighbours, who live in a log cabins, a yurt and touring caravans, are feeding they couple's animals and raising funds to help them get back on their feet.

Jane Wells, who set up the JustGiving page said: 'I have been moved to tears by people's generosity, it has been overwhelming. Some people have sent 3 but it all counts and we are son grateful.

'Simon and Jasmine haven't been back to see what is left of their home and we want them to have the peace to come to terms with what has happened.

Before the blaze: The family started building the house with 500 in the bank and spent a mere 27,000 on its construction

The mezzanine level of the property in Pembrokeshire featured a small study with reclaimed wooden units

'My personal hope is that they come back and start again but for now we are helping and supporting them with whatever they feel is right for their family. It is for them to rebuild their lives; not specifically to rebuild their home.'

The page says: 'Simon, Jasmine and their two children have been residents at Lammas eco village, Pembrokeshire, since the start of the project. They have been working on their family home for the last six years.

'This beautiful building was featured on Grand Designs last year. Sadly a fire started on New Year's Day and their beloved home was burned to the ground. Luckily no-one was hurt but, as you can imagine, the family are devastated.'

A post on the Lammas Community Hub Facebook page said the blaze was 'a suspected electrical fire'. 'Their huge greenhouse escaped, as did Simon's workshop, and their little roundhouse is still fine too,' it continued.

'Huge amount of work that went into the creation of the building, and the kids' rooms, all destroyed. Thankfully no-one was hurt, which is a miracle.'

The couple's home was built on the sustainable Lammas community in Pembrokeshire. Pictured: Their son's bedroom

The couple managed to add to their funds throughout the project but still ended up spending only 27,000

The timber beams were all grown, felled, prepared and sawn as seen in the couple's daughter's bedroom (pictured)

Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud previously hailed the house as a shining example of sustainable living. He said: 'This isn't just an example of how we could and should live. This is a clarion call.'

In the programme, Mr Dale, who previously built a Hobbit-house, was seen in the show talking about his love of timber. He said: 'I love being surrounded by natural materials. I love the character I can see in stone.

'I love the wiggly bits of wood and what they evoke for me, and the fact that I can remember each one as a tree on the day I cut it down.'

The eco-village was created in 2009 to promote sustainable living after being given permission by the Welsh Government.

Dai Swan, group manager for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said the straw material made it difficult to extinguish the fire-ravaged home.

He said: 'It's utterly heartbreaking for the crews seeing how much workmanship has gone into these frames. Each piece of this building is bespoke, it's done to a beautifully high standard and to see it damaged by fire is just heartbreaking.'
Marilyn Roberston pictured leaving Perth Sheriff Court after admitting to driving nearly four times over the limit with a baby on her lap

A Drink-driver has avoided prison after being caught almost four times the legal limit  with a baby on her knee.

Marilyn Robertson was approached by police after she was caught behind a serious road accident she was not involved in in September.

They hoped she might be a witness to what had happened but when she rolled down her window they were assailed by the strong smell of alcohol.

Perth Sheriff Court heard officers had found a baby sitting on her lap, while a second child was also in her vehicle.

Depute fiscal Bill Kermode said: 'The accused was travelling in a car with two young children.

'She was forced to come to a halt because of a road traffic accident where two vehicles had collided in the road.

'Numerous police units attended and an inspector approached the accused's vehicle to ask if she had seen anything.

'She appeared irrational and was acting in what he describes as a bizarre manner.

'He reports that she was also smelling strongly of alcohol.

'She placed her vehicle in reverse and began to drive backwards. There was a child in her lap at the time.

'The inspector asked her to stop and she did. He then reached through the driver's window and took the keys from the ignition.'

Mr Ralph his client had an alcohol problem but said she had self-referred to Tayside Council on alcohol and was seeking help. Pictured: Perth Sheriff's Court

Mr Kermode said the 35-year-old, of Murthly, Perth and Kinross, had given a positive breath test at the roadside. She had 87 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 ml of breath, the legal limit is just 22.

Solicitor Paul Ralph told the court: 'I understand that it was a serious road accident.

'A number of vehicles had been stopped for some time and that is why the child was out of their car seat.

'She was reversing slowly with the child in her lap.'

Mr Ralph accepted his client had an alcohol problem but said she had self-referred to Tayside Council on alcohol and was seeking help.

Robertson, of Murthly, admitted driving a car with excess alcohol on September 1 on the B9099 at Murthly.

Robertson, of Murthly, admitted driving a car with excess alcohol on September 1 on the B9099 at Murthly (pictured)

Sheriff William Wood told Robertson, who has a previous conviction for drink-driving: 'The fortunate thing about this incident is that you got caught.

'You may think it unfortunate but getting caught has led to intervention that may benefit you greatly.'

He placed Robertson on a community payback order requiring her to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work and disqualified her from driving for three years.

She was also placed under the supervision of social workers for the next nine months.

'I am concerned that without supervision you may commit more alcohol-related offences,' the sheriff added.
Pictured: Pippa Middleton

Pippa Middleton has been slammed for suggesting her avocado tortilla recipe as a good breakfast for disadvantaged children.

The socialite has been working with charity Magic Breakfast which aims to help struggling parents give their children a good start to the day.

But online readers said the recipe, which requires olive oil and fresh avocados, was too expensive and out of touch with families on the poverty line.

The Duchess of Cambridge's sister was also mocked for using the interview to 'brag' about her most memorable early morning meal.

Speaking to the i newspaper, she said her best breakfast she enjoyed was sitting high up in the mountains at a luxury French ski resort.

Her response was found to be jarring by some readers who pointed out that half a million children arrive at schools hungry in the UK every day.

Statistics show one in eight Britons have never left the country, with the poorest least likely to be able to afford summer - let alone - winter holidays.

The Celebrate author said: 'It was up a mountain in the Trois Vallees ski region of France, with beautiful views, snow all around and crisp, fresh air to heighten the senses.'

'Expensive': The Duchess of Cambridge's sister suggested an avocado tortilla would be a great start to the day for disadvantaged children

A reader responded witheringly: 'What better way to highlight the plight of underfed children by showing the disconnect between them and Pippa Middleton; here regaling us of her most memorable breakfast, "Up a mountain in the Trois Vallees ski region of France, with beautiful views, snow all around and crisp, fresh air to heighten the senses".'

Before adding: 'I'm sure those kids are right there with you...'

Pippa's recipe, billed as a healthy start to the day, accompanied the piece but it attracted further criticism for using expensive ingredients.

The socialite's egg and avocado tortillas take around 12 minutes to make in total.

Criticism: The Duchess of Cambridge's sister came under fire for her choice of recipe

But critics say it isn't the time, but rather the cost that will make the meal unsuitable of those on the poverty line.

Avocados have surged in popularity in recent years but are known as one of the more pricey fruit on supermarket shelves. Two ripe avocados cost around 2.

The future King of England's aunt also suggests parents use olive oil and serve the pancakes with a handful of fresh coriander and natural yoghurt.

One woman blasted: 'Avocado? Tortilla? For kids who didn't get breakfast? How silly can people be. I think baked beans or tinned tomatoes might be more popular, have good nutrition and cost a lot less and be easier to prepare.'

'I'm sure those kids are right there with you..': One man mocked Pippa's comments about her 'best breakfast' at a luxury ski resort in France

The future King of England's aunt suggests parents use olive oil and serve the pancakes with a handful of fresh coriander and natural yoghurt

The interview focused solely on questions relating to breakfasts. One reader tweeted he was surprised Pippa didn't say 'let them eat cake!' (above)

And another said he was glad Magic Breakfast's appeal to help provide breakfasts for children had reached its target but said the moment was marred by publishing Pippa's recipe.

He said: 'The effect is somewhat spoilt by publishing a recipe for Pippa Middleton's breakfast favourite of Egg and Avocado Tortilla.'

Pippa was speaking to the i newspaper to promote campaign Magic Breakfast, after raising money for the charity while taking part in a 56-mile cross-country ski race in Switzerland.

Pippa told the paper: 'I always have breakfast. I can't start the day properly without it.

'My usual breakfast is either plain yoghurt with chopped fruit and toasted seeds, oats and nuts or toasted rye bread with eggs or avocado.'

The 34-year-old said added she would 'never' eat pancakes with bacon and maple syrup as it 'doesn't do it for me'.

She recommended making a batch of Bircher muesli with fresh berries for a week of healthy breakfasts.
A Native American lecturer has been found to have discriminated against and harassed a white student at San Diego State University.

A six-month investigation by the California Department of Justice concluded that then-student Crystal Sudano was discriminated against based on race and faced racial harassment and retaliation after challenging the professor's views.

Sudano reportedly filed four complaints against Native American and Chicano professor Oscar 'Ozzie' Monge accusing him of racial harassment and retaliation, and discrimination based on a disability and race, reported the university's newspaper, The Daily Aztec.

The two had argued over the university's Ascot mascot and Monge later declared that '"whiteness" is synonymous with evil'.

Native American lecturer Oscar 'Ozzie' Monge (pictured) has been found to have discriminated against and harassed a white student, Crystal Sudano, based on race at San Diego State University

According to the investigation's report, Monge sent Sudano (pictured) at least 15 offensive Facebook messages, including one that threatened to lower her grade after she voiced her views about the school's Aztec mascot

According to the investigation's report, Monge sent Sudano at least 15 offensive Facebook messages, including one that threatened to lower her grade after she voiced her views about the school's Aztec mascot.

Monge has become well-known on campus as a proponent of retiring the Aztec mascot and moniker, accusing the school of cultural appropriation.

He reportedly told Sudano that her T-shirt, which bore a stylized SDSU logo with a spear through it, was 'racist' and accused her of cultural appropriation when she wore her hair in braids.

The investigation allegedly found that Monge sent Sudano at least 15 offensive Facebook messages, including one that threatened to lower her grade after she voiced her views about the school's Aztec mascot.

Monge, according to the Washington Examiner, is a vocal advocate of getting rid of the university's Aztec mascot and moniker, alleging they represent cultural appropriation.

Monge is a vocal advocate of getting rid of the university's Aztec mascot (pictured) and moniker, alleging they represent cultural appropriation

The University Senate voted in November to end the use of the mascot, but the vote was disputed because it came just seven months after the Associated Students council voted to keep it, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The student challenged the professor's views, saying that 'The idea is that everyone no matter how low on the totem pole you are, shared governance is what gives the lowest man the right to share his opinion and for that opinion to be heard.'

Monge then criticized Sudano, saying she should not use the phrase 'totem pole' and went on to criticize other students in the group, calling one an 'Uncle Tom' and others 'Frat Bros and Sorority Sisters...who do not easily empathize with non-whiteness,' the student paper reported.

Sudano was enrolled in Monge's course during the spring 2017 semester but dropped the class after tensions escalated between the two after she began to investigate the claims he made in his heralded 'Fail Montezuma' thesis.

That thesis, presented in 2015, earned him a master's degree and has since been used to work to get the mascot changed. Last November, San Diego State's academic senate, made up mostly of professors, passed a resolution calling on administration to abolish the Aztec mascot.

Monge denied any wrongdoing, writing to the investigators that 'It is quite easy to argue that "whiteness" is synonymous with evil' (Pictured, San Diego State University)

As for Monge, he threatened to lower Sudano's grade over her research into his thesis, the report found.

Monge denied any wrongdoing, writing to the investigators that 'It is quite easy to argue that "whiteness" is synonymous with evil.'

San Diego State released a statement about the investigation, but did not address the probe, stating only that it 'does not discuss pending matters due to privacy rights of all parties involved and to protect the integrity of the review process.'
A 78-year-old Ohio man has been sentenced to five years in jail for raping a 20-year-old woman who later posting a Snapchat video of herself being attacked.

James Allen told a judge in Ottawa County on Thursday that he had been drinking and didn't know what happened until his lawyer showed him the video.

He pleaded guilty to rape and had faced up to 11 years in prison but asked for the minimum of three years.

James Allen, 78, was arrested for rape last August - the day after a Snapchat video of of the attack was posted online

Authorities claim Allen had engaged with unwanted sexual conduct with his 20-year-old victim by plying her with alcohol. Pictured: The neighborhood block where the incident took place

The rapist told the court that no prison term was as bad as the punishment he had inflicted upon himself.

'The fact is, no matter what sentence you give me, I've already given myself the worst sentence a man could ever have,' Toledoblade.com quoted him as saying.

'Because for 78 years I've been known as a good man and now in less than one minute in time, in the hearts and minds of my family, my friends, and my business acquaintances, I've changed from good to despicable, and no prison term can ever change that.

'There's no doubt in my mind that I committed a crime against her, and there's no justification for it.'

Allen's lawyer says the Marblehead man plans to appeal against the sentence.

Police in Danbury Township arrested Allen in August after the woman's friend saw the Snapchat video and alerted them.

A prosecutor says the video clearly shows a sexual assault of the woman taking place.

In the footage she can be seen protesting against the encounter several times.

Allen had plied the young woman with alcohol the evening beforehand, police claim.

They said that the victim was staying at the same house as Allen at the time of the incident.

It's unclear whether the young woman live-streamed the attack or posted the video shortly afterward.

Allen was required by the court to register as a sex offender every 90 days for life and will be subject to five years of post-release control if he is released from prison on parole.
Carl Edward Brewer, 18, (pictured in his mugshot) who is accused of murdering his adoptive parents was brutally disciplined, forced to sleep on concrete floor, starved and tortured, court documents show

An adopted Russian teen accused of murdering his American pilot father and mother, was brutally disciplined, forced to sleep on concrete floor, starved and tortured, according to court documents.

Carl Edward Brewer, 18, is accused of murdering American Airlines pilot Troy Gene Brewer, 60, and his wife Mary Brewer, 64, in their house in Crowley, Texas, in November.

But the teen's lawyer Jack Strickland insists there are 'two sides' to the story, and that Brewers adoptive parents were brutal disciplinarians, the Star Telegram reports.

Teacher from Deer Creek Elementary School in Crowley, where the teen went to school, told investigators that the defendant was punished at home by being forced to sleep on the concrete floor in the garage.

One educator said the boy's parents would also starve him as punishment, which once resulted in Brewer fainting a school. Another saw the 18-year-old being forced to stand in the front yard, holding two buckets as his arms shook and his father warned him not to drop them. They said they saw the cruel test on several occasions.

Another said Brewer was so 'starved for attention' that when she gave him a hug he 'just melted,' court documents state.

American Airlines pilot Troy Gene Brewer, 60, (left) and his wife Mary Brewer, 64, (right) were found dead in their own Texas home

Scene of the crime: Gene Brewer, 60, was found in the master bedroom of their Crowley home (pictured); wife Mary, 64, was found in a trash can in the living room

Several teachers, one of whom described his parents as 'very military' and 'not very loving,' said they reported the abuse to Child Protective Services.

But a CPS spokesperson confirmed they were not involved 'in the investigation into the parents.'

Many of the teachers described the teen as 'very intelligent' and someone who gave them 'very little trouble,' according to the court documents.

Police were alerted to the double homicide on November 28, when one of Brewer's friends called them saying that the teen had admitted to killing his parents while they were smoking weed together.

Officers arrived at the home that day to check and didn't see anything amiss - but noted they couldn't make contact with the Brewers. The case was passed on to the night shift, but when officers followed up, they smelled the 'odor of death' coming from the house, Lt Robert Gray said.

Brewer's teachers say Mary and her husband (pictured together) were 'very military' and 'not very loving'

Troy spend many years as a U.S. Marine fighter pilot (pictured in uniform in an undated photo)

After retirement from the U.S. Marines, Troy worked as a pilot with American Airlines, flying multiple airplanes including the MD80 and Airbus 320

Mary worked in nursing, and joined the U.S. Air Force Reserve as a flight nurse

Brewer, 18, (left and right) was arrested after his police fired tear gas into the home

SWAT were called in and found Brewer - who was adopted from Russia by the couple - barricaded into an upstairs room and unwilling to talk.

Mary's body was stuffed into a trash receptacle, WFAA said.

A search warrant said that the couple were believed to have been killed sometime between 6:30pm November 27 and 4:35pm November 28.

If that's the case, Brewer spent hours in the house with the couple's bodies.

Houses on the street were evacuated while SWAT tried to talk Brewer into giving up, but he only surrendered, 12 hours later, when tear gas canisters were fired.

Teachers say Brewer was starved of food as punishment and once even fainted at school

He was not 'combative,' police chief Luis Soler told the Star-Telegram. 'He was very calm.'

Johnny Griffin, who lives next door, said the evacuation 'scared my girls to death,' and added that he'd 'seen the police over here several times.'

'You kind of figure anything can happen over there.' he said Griffin. '[The police] were over there quite a bit.'



Brewer and his parents were the only ones living in the house. His two older brothers live out of state.

A pastor who knew the parents, said that Brewer and his two older biological brothers - who were all adopted by Mr and Mrs Brewer at a young age - had a history of 'outbursts'.

'They did have outbursts from time to time from what the boys experienced before adoption in Russia,' said CB Glidden, who had been forced to expel Brewer and one of his brothers from the Nazarene Christian Academy for bad behavior.

'That seemed to really impact the choices they made here. This just wasn't the right place for them.'

Troy spend many years as a U.S. Marine fighter pilot. After he retired, he worked as a pilot with American Airlines, flying multiple airplanes including the MD80 and Airbus 320. His wife Mary was a nurse and joined the U.S. Air Force Reserve as a flight nurse.

The couple were both actively involved in the local church. They are survived by adopted sons, Christopher Shawn, Celyn Connor and Carl Edward.

Police aren't saying how the Brewers were killed, but the search warrant said police were looking for two guns that has previously been reported stolen.

Mr Brewer's body was in the master bedroom, according to police, while Mrs Brewer's body was found in a 'trash receptacle' in the living room.
The Italian porn star who promised oral sex to anyone who voted against the country's Prime Minister has revealed the horrific facial injuries she suffered in a vicious dog attack.

Paola Saulino, 28, was left with bite marks on her nose, cheek and lips after her friend's dog jumped up and mauled her as she tried to stroke its face at a Halloween party in October.

One shocking photo shows the dazed-looking adult actor with a bloodied nose and bandages across her face.

In another she poses with the bandage removed revealing a blackened scab stretching across the bridge of her nose.

Paola Saulino, 28, (pictured) was left with bite marks on her nose, cheek and lips after her friend's dog mauled her at a party

One shocking photo shows the adult actor with a bloodied nose and bandages across her face. In another, she poses with the bandage removed revealing a blackened scab stretching across the bridge of her nose

She had vowed to perform a sex act on everyone who voted 'no' in an Italian referendum in 2016.

Ever since the no vote won with 59 percent she claims to have been on tour and by March last year Saulino said she had pleasured 400 men.

But the Pompa Tour, which translates from Italian to Oral Tour, is on hold after doctors told her to rest her mouth after a dog mauled her.

She told The Sun Online: 'Pompa Tour is still going. I mean Pompa Tour actually is my life-style. It's my way to be free.

'The doctor suggested me to not do big movements with my mouth for several months.

'Reducing physical activity of my face helps it heal better, to cure the scar on the inside.'

Her face was badly injured when a friend's dog jumped up and bit her in the face as she stroked it on the back at a Halloween party back in October.

Saulino's nose was cut as well as her mouth and lips, but doctors have said the wounds on the inside and outside of her mouth will heal in nine months.

Once she is healed up, she plans on getting back on the horse to continuing her tour and has said she would like to add a British leg to the trip.

Ever since the no vote won with 59 percent she claims to have been on tour and by March last year Saulino said she had pleasured 400 men

She had vowed to perform a sex act on everyone who voted 'no' in an Italian referendum in 2016

Paola Saulino burst onto the scene in 2016, saying she was a 'woman of [her] word' after announcing tour dates in 10 Italian cities in December.

She posted a photograph of herself on Instagram along with the caption: 'First step of Pompa Tour is gone. A little bit tired, but everything is okay.'

The actress and glamour model added at the time: 'This year is started in a best way as possible.'

Saulino, whose Instagram page features a number of suggestive shots, had flown from her home in Los Angeles to begin the first leg of her Pompa Tour.

She initially made the promise to perform a sex act on everyone who voted no in Italy's referendum on November 23, before announcing tour dates in December.

Ms Saulino said she would be visiting Rome, Florence, Bologna, Verona, Milan, Turin, Naples, Bari, Lecce and Palermo this month for the first leg of her tour, urging people to fill in a booking form if they had voted No.

But the Pompa Tour, which translates from Italian to Oral Tour, is on hold after doctors told her to rest her mouth after a dog mauled her

She posted a photograph of herself on Instagram (left), along with the caption: 'First step of Pompa Tour is gone. A little bit tired, but everthing is okay'

Her face was badly injured when a friend's dog jumped up and bit her in the face as she stroked it on the back at a Halloween party back in October

Some dismissed the tour as a publicity stunt, with several Instagram users asking for 'evidence' that she had kept her promise.

However, others defended the actress and told critics to 'stay quiet' if they didn't know - adding that photographs were not permitted to be shared online.

Italy's Prime Minister Matteo Renzi had called a referendum on constitutional reforms, which became a vote on confidence in his government.

But the move backfired and he resigned shortly after exit polls in at the start of a December indicated a 'no vote'.
This article by John Funk originally appeared in The Plain Dealer on January 27, 2010.

The high monthly service charges that natural gas customers pay are acceptable and even fair, the state's top court ruled Tuesday.

The Ohio Supreme Court decision means customers will continue to pay between $15 and $25 per month in service charges, three to four times what they traditionally paid -- even if they conserve gas.

Utilities in 2008 raised the service charges and reduced monthly delivery charges, which are based on the amount of gas used. So now customers' delivery fees won't rise dramatically in the winter, but their summer bills will continue to be higher than they once were.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio came up with this radically different rate plan in 2008 when Dominion and Duke Energy of Ohio, which serves Greater Cincinnati, asked for a simple increase in delivery rates. Utilities' profits are based only on the delivery fees and the monthly service charge, not the sale of the gas itself.

Lower deliveries, driven down by energy efficiency measures, mean utilities get less money to pay operating expenses-- and lower profits than they are authorized to collect.

The commission discovered that conservation by consumers over decades had cut residential gas consumption by about a third, sharply reducing the amount of money utilities had to cover fixed costs.

The Ohio Consumers' Counsel and Findlay-based Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy appealed the new rate structures to the Supreme Court.

They argued that the new plans punished consumers who had invested in conservation, and gave a break to high-use consumers. They urged the PUCO to continue the old rate Patterns.

Consumers' Counsel Janine Migden-Ostrander Tuesday said the court ruling affirms a policy that "puts a disproportionate burden on low-income customers to subsidize higher income customers" because there is a direct correlation between income and the amount of gas a family uses.

She said without annual rate "true-ups" for which she argued, utilities can make more profits than authorized. Under her plan, delivery rates would be cut if a utility made too much.

The PUCO followed the same rate pattern in rulings for Columbia Gas of Ohio and Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio (Dayton area) while the Supreme Court was considering the matter.

In a 22-page opinion by Justice Paul Pfeifer, the court deferred to the PUCO's expertise.

It agreed with the PUCO's line of thinking and said that under the old rate plans, high-use consumers were paying more than their fair share of the utility's fixed costs than were consumers who conserved.

"High-use customers were overpaying . . . and subsidizing low-use customers," the decision reads in part.

"The [new] rate design addresses this problem by spreading fixed costs more evenly among all customers and thereby requiring low-use customers to pay a more proportionate share of those costs."
The White House on Friday blasted mental health professionals who have claimed Donald Trump is psychologically unfit for office.

Several psychiatrists have gone on the record this week, saying the president suffers from a mental illness that might disqualify him for continuing in office.

'I think it's absolutely insane to think all of these individuals, reporters and others now all of the sudden have a medical degree and think that they can diagnose somebody, many times that they have never even had a conversation with,' press secretary Sarah Sanders said on 'Fox & Friends.'

'It's absolutely outrageous to make these types of accusations and it's simply untrue, and sad that people are going and making these desperate attempts to attack the president.'

'What I think is really mentally unstable is people that don't see the positive impact that this president is having on the country,' she said.

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White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Friday that it's 'absolutely insane' to claim Donald Trump is mentally unfit to be president

'What I think is really mentally unstable is people that don't see the positive impact that this president is having on the country,' Sanders said

President Trump's enemies have increasingly suggested that he lacks the mental stability to be in the Oval Office

Dr. James Gilligan, an expert on the criminally insane who has served as director of the Harvard Institute of Law and Psychiatry, said Thursday on CNN that Trump is 'dangerous both to our country and to the world.'

'Whether this is because of his mental illness or not is beside the point. ... The question is not whether he is mentally ill. It's whether he is dangerous,' said Gilligan, who is married to liberal psychological theorist Carol Gilligan.

Also Friday on 'Fox & Friends,' former Trump deputy campaign manager David Bossie snarked that 'the leadership of the Democrats need a mental health evaluation themselves.'

'They said these things about Ronald Reagan, and they weren't true about him, and they're not true about Donald Trump,' said Bossie.

Sanders insisted Thursday during a press briefing that the 71-year-old president's mental competency shouldn't be questioned.

'It's disgraceful and laughable. If he was unfit he probably wouldn't be sitting there, wouldn't have defeated the most qualified group of candidates the Republican Party has ever seen,' Sanders said.

Dr. James Gilligan, an expert on the criminally insane, said Thursday on CNN that Trump is 'dangerous both to our country and to the world'

Former Trump deputy campaign manager David Bossie snarked on Friday that 'the leadership of the Democrats need a mental health evaluation themselves'

A news report revealed Thursday that congressional Democrats invited a Yale psychologist to provide them with an assessment of the president's cognitive ability.

Author Michael Wolff claimed in a Thursday essay in the Hollywood Reporter that Trump is increasingly forgetful, repeating stories word-for-word inside 10 minutes and failing to recognize old friends.

The essay is based on his explosive book 'Fire and Fury.'

Wolff claims the White House hatched a plan last fall to have interviewers submit their questions beforehand in order to hide his mental failings from the public.

The president has given unscripted interviews since then, most notably to The New York Times.

From erratic tweeting to slurred speech, Trump's mental state has continually been questioned by Democrats, some of whom aim to impeach him.

'Morning Joe' host Joe Scarborough also claimed after a set of recent incidents that Trump appears to be suffering from dementia.

Michael Wolff claims White House Communications Director Hope Hicks (left) hatched a plan last fall to have interviewers submit their questions to President Trump beforehand in order to hide his failings from the public,

Wolff claimed in a Thursday essay in the Hollywood Reporter that Trump is increasingly forgetful, repeating stories word-for-word inside 10 minutes and failing to recognized old friends

Retiring Sen. Bob Corker also drew blood in August when he asserted that Trump has not shown the 'stability nor some of the competence' that's necessary for him to be successful in his position.

Wolff delivered another blow to the president when he said in a Thursday column that 'at Mar-a-Lago, just before the new year, a heavily made-up Trump failed to recognize a succession of old friends,' Wolff writes.

The author, who says he was provided broad access to the White House after running his book pitch by Trump himself, said Friday morning on the 'Today' show that '100 per cent of the people around him' have questioned his fitness.'

'They all say he is like a child,' he said.

'They say he's a moron, an idiot.'

Steve Bannon once openly suggested that Trump was so mentally unfit for office that the U.S. Constitution's 25th Amendment might be needed to remove him,' Wolff claims in his book.

The 25th Amendment allows for a majority of the president's cabinet, or 'such other body as Congress may by law provide,' to decide if an Oval Office occupant is unable to carry out his duties  and then to put it to a full congressional vote.

White House Communications Director Hope Hicks is especially 'attentive to his lapses and repetitions' and 'urged him to forgo an interview that was set to open the fall season' of "60 Minutes",' he claims.

NBC asked the White House if Americans should be 'concerned about the presidents mental fitness.'

'I think the President and the people of this country should be concerned about the mental fitness of the leader of North Korea,' Trump spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders fired back.

Swatting the line of questioning down at the televised news conference, Sanders said: 'This is a President whos not going to cower down and hes not going to be weak, and is going to make sure that he does what hes promised to do, and thats stand up and protect the American people.'

Asked about Trump's mental state again on Thursday, Sanders said, 'This is an incredibly strong and good leader that's why we've had such a successful 2017 and why we're going to continue to do great things as we move forward in this administration.'

More than a dozen Democrats and one Republican senator were briefed last month by a Yale psychiatrist, Politico revealed on Thursday. Trump's tweets were the impetus.

'We feel that the rush of tweeting is an indication of his falling apart under stress. Trump is going to get worse and will become uncontainable with the pressures of the presidency,' Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee told the publication.

Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman who now co-hosts an MSNBC program, has also evaluated Trump's durability.

Scarborough said Trump is in the 'early stages of dementia.'

'Everybody around Donald Trump knows hes not stable. Everybody around Donald Trump knows hes not stable now. Everybody,' he stated.
Tony Conway, 49, was killed by three teenagers who robbed him inside his Florida apartment and then shot him in the stomach

Three teenagers in Florida have been charged with first-degree murder after police say they waited inside a man's apartment for him to return and then robbed him and fatally shot him in the stomach.

Police were called to the Silver Blue Lake Apartments in Miami-Dade County around 3pm on Wednesday.

When they arrived, 49-year-old Tony Conway was dead from a gunshot wound to the stomach.

Miami-Dade police said in a press release that two teenage girls and a teenage boy were arrested Thursday in connection to the murder.

The teens have been identified as Dashera Davis and Shawntera Jackson, both 16, and Travis Charlite, 17.

They have each been charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery.

Police said the teen suspects, Dashera Davis, Shawntera Jackson and Travis Charlite, waited inside the victim's apartment for him to return

Police said one of the teens had agreed to meet Conway on Wednesday afternoon, according to Local 10 News.

When they arrived to his northwest Miami-Dade apartment they used a key hidden outside to get in and then agreed to wait for him to return and rob him.

Conway was shot in the stomach when he returned to his apartment.

An arrest report states that he was able to run out of the apartment before collapsing in the common area of the complex.

Police have not said how long the teens waited before they ambushed the victim. It's also not clear how Conway was connected to the teens or what the motive was behind the robbery and murder.
A first-time Airbnb host has been forced to refund her guests half of what they paid because they found cockroaches crawling through her home during their stay.

Single Sydney parent, Sara Mulcahy, was ordered to pay back $740 after British guests complained about the insect infestation in the $345 per-night terrace.

The tourists weren't happy about the intruders in the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in the inner-city suburb of Surry Hills, so lodged a complaint through Airbnb, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Single Sydney parent, Sara Mulcahy, was ordered to pay back $740 after British guests complained about the insect infestation in the $345 per-night terrace

Ms Mulcahy claimed she had her home treated for roaches just a month prior, but said the pests were an inescapable part of city living throughout summer months.

The mother said it was 'ridiculous' the travelers had received such a large discount over an unavoidable issue.

'No one likes them but all Sydneysiders know cockroaches are part of life here, especially in the summer months,' she said.

'Maybe that comes as a shock to travellers, but giving them a 50 per cent reduction based on the fact that they spotted a few is ridiculous in my opinion. It's like going to London in March and complaining about the rain.'

The home is described on the house sharing website to have 'period elegance and contemporary comfort'.

Ms Mulcahy claimed she had her home treated for roaches just a month prior, but said the pests were an inescapable part of city living throughout summer months

Ms Mulcahy's Airbnb case worker detailed she would need to sacrifice the funds because she failed to provide bug spray, leaving guests to 'deal with the situation on their own.'

'We do expect our hosts to make an effort when a guest has a complaint about the listing, to remedy the situation or try and work out a reasonable solution for both parties,' a private message addressed to Ms Mulcahy read.

'While we do understand that cockroaches are a fact of life in Sydney, your guests and future guests may not be used to them.'

The message also stated Airbnb would be 'covering some of the refund', and Ms Mulcahy's future payouts would be adjusted until the full amount was paid back.
A WWII famine survivor has finally found her family after being sold by her mother 78 years ago.

Wen Qimei, 90, hugged her brother for five minutes while crying as the pair were recently reunited in Shantou, southern China's Guangdong Province, according to Chinese media.

In order to find her family, Ms Wen had walked around the her county with her bound feet for over five decades. The elderly woman, now a mother of six, wept and said: 'My fortune is too good.'

Wen Qimei (right) who was sold during a famine in WWII has finally found her brother (left)

The woman had tried to find her family for five decades after being separated 78 years ago

Ms Wen was born during the turbulent times at Shalou village in Chaoyang County in Guangdong, according to People's Daily Online, citing Guangzhou Daily.

She now lives at Fugu village in Shanghang County in Fujian, the province neighbouring Guangdong. She claimed that she was born to a Chen family and her original name is Chen Yangtao.

His father died when she was little and she grew up with her mother, two brothers and two sisters.

The area was invaded by the Japanese troops in 1938, and her brother were forced to leave home to make a living by themselves.

War brought famine to the area and Ms Wen recalled not being able to find one grain of rice to eat for a week.

The elderly woman often told her children and grandchildren how she had to eat tree barks, grass roots and drink soup made with a single sweet potato every day.

Apparently she also enjoyed watching war films and would cry when she saw scenes of families being separated.

Mr Wen (pictured above), 90, managed to find her brother after uploading a post onto a forum which focuses on helping with elderly people who lost touch with their family during the war

It's said that Ms Wen's mother, who had to raise three daughters alone, had no choice. She had to sell Ms Wen who was the youngest to a middleman.

Ms Wen still remembered the painful separation from her mother and her two sisters.

She told Guangzhou Daily that her mother was wearing a floral cheongsam and she gave 12-year-old Wen half of a cake made with corn as they bid farewell.

Ms Wen said her mother told her: 'Only eat the cake when you can't deal with the hunger.'

Ms Wen was sold to a family in Fujian Province as a child-wife. Ms Wen had four sons and two daughters, but she missed her own family often. Whenever she saw the postman, she would ask them about the situation in her hometown, hoping that they would bring news.

Ms Wen started looking for her family as early as the 1960s. But because she was too young when she was sold, she couldn't even remember the name of her hometown.

It's said that she already had four children at the time and her husband's family didn't encourage her finding her parents - fearing that she would run away and never come back.

In 1980s, Ms Wen managed to obtain the address of the middleman, who was called Liumei. Liumei was said to live in Shanghang County, a neighbouring county in Fujian Province.

Ms Wen went to find Liumei a few times, but failed to see her on all occasions.

As a Buddhist believer, Ms Wen prayed in the temple often, hoping that her family would be healthy and that she would be able to see them again one day.

On August 20, 2017, volunteers took Ms Wen to Shantou in Guangdong to meet her brother

In the following decade, Ms Wen would walk 15km (9.3 miles) every day with her tiny lotus feet to a neighbouring village to seek information from a few residents who had apparently also been sold from Chaoyang County during the war.

Around year 2000, Ms Wen visited the middleman's home again, but was informed Liumei had passed away. Liumei's son however, told Ms Wen that her mother had been avoid seeing her because she had felt guilty of being a human trafficker.

Liumei's son said her mother had passed on two pieces of information to him: Ms Wen's hometown is called Shalou and she has an uncle called Chen Jincheng.

Ms Wen kept the information in heart, hoping that one day fortune would favour her.

Volunteers also held a ceremony to help celebrate the woman's reunion after nearly 80 years

In June, 2016, Ms Wen heard there was a local volunteer group which helped elderly people find their family. She immediately contacted them.

By identifying the remaining Chaoshan accent in Ms Wen's current dialect, volunteers from group 'Meng Gui Chao Shan' managed to track down a man in Shantou, who fit Ms Wen's description of her brothers.

After comparing registered information, Ms Wen confirmed that the elderly man is indeed her brother.

On August 20, 2017, volunteers took Ms Wen to Shantou to meet her sibling. The pair hugged each other and cried as soon as met.

According to Ms Wen's son, her mother became much happier after finding her brother. She has planned to spend the upcoming Lunar New Year with her brother's family in Guangdong.

Ms Wen, who's forgotten her mother tongue, is also learning to speak Chaoshan dialect.
The family of a 14-year-old girl who went missing on Christmas Eve are said to be 'very worried' about her.

An appeal has been issued by police to trace Emily Summers after she went missing almost two weeks ago.

Emily was last seen at around 6.30pm on Christmas Eve, on Waverley Avenue, in Kearsley, Bolton.

Police said she is originally from Essex, but she has been living in Bolton since summer last year.

Emily has links to Essex and London, but also often visits Gorton and Manchester city centre.

Emily Summers (pictured) went missing from Waverly Avenue in Kearsley, Bolton, on Christmas Eve at around 6.30pm. Her parents are 'very worried' about her

She is described as Thai-British, about 5ft 3in, slim, with long black hair and brown eyes, and speaks with a southern accent.

Greater Manchester Police are continuing to search for Emily and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

Det Insp Stephanie Parker, from GMP's Bolton division, said in a statement last week: 'Emily's family are understandably very worried about her and we are doing everything we can to find her.

'We want to make sure she is safe and I would urge anyone who has seen Emily over the past few days to please contact police.

'Emily, if you are reading this, then please get in touch with your family or police to let us know you are okay.'

If you have any information on her whereabouts, or believe you have seen someone matching Emily's description, you are urged to call police on 101.
One of Broadway's biggest stars is being accused of sexually harassing multiple women at a Florida theater company.

Tony-winner Ben Vereen, who starred in the original Broadway productions Pippin' and Jesus Christ Superstar, was hired to direct a new production of Hair back in 2015 at the Venice Theatre when the alleged incidents took place.

Two women tell the New York Daily News that Vereen, who starred as Hud in the original Broadway run of Hair, convinced them to strip naked and get in his hot tub after inviting them over for a private rehearsal.

'He basically told both of us, "Get over yourself. Nudity doesnt have to be sexual." If we asked questions or hesitated, we were the ones making it weird,' said one of the woman, who asked to remain anonymous.

Once naked and in the hot tub, Vereen asked the woman to perform oral sex.

'I just felt powerless because I thought I really needed his help and guidance. And when he said nudity doesn't have to be sexual, I was like, "OK, maybe this isnt even sexual,"' said the actress, who refused to perform the sex act.

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Speaking out: 'He asked, "Do you think I want to f*** you? I said "Yes," and he got angry. He said, "Well, I don't, and that's unfortunate,"' said Vereen's alleged victim Kaitlyn Terpstra (above), who was asked if she felt his erection after sitting on his lap

Victim: Ariella Pizarro (above) said that after sharing a hug with Vereen one night he texted: 'Yo [ sic ] felt so good tonight,' and later kissed her against her will

Sorry: Vereen (above) did not deny any of the allegations being made by the women and apologized for his 'inappropriate conduct'

Vereen, who was outed as a bigamist in 2016 when it was revealed he had been married to a woman for 36 years while never divorcing his first wife, did not deny the accusations made by the women.

'I would like to apologize directly to the female cast members of the musical Hair for my inappropriate conduct when I directed the production in 2015,' said Veren.

He went on to state: 'While it was my intention to create an environment that replicated the themes of that musical during the rehearsal process, I have since come to understand that it is my conduct, not my intentions, which are relevant here.

'So I am not going to make any excuses because the only thing that matters here is acknowledging and apologizing for the effects of my conduct on the lives of these women.'

At the time he was almost 69 while the women who have come forward were a third of his age.

What's more, his son Aaron was starring in the Venice production in the role his father made famous.

'He gave this whole speech about how nudity was not inherently sexual. "Thats not what its about,"' said Kaitlyn Terpstra, another woman who was lured into Vereen's hot tub.

'He made me feel that if I wasn't mature enough to understand that, I wasnt mature enough to be in Hair.'

Then, once in the tub naked, Terpstra claims that Veren told her to sit on his lap, and then asked if she had felt his erection - despite the fact that she was crying the entire time.

'He asked me, "Feel that?" It was terrifying. I said, "Feel what?" I wanted to act like I didn't. I pushed myself off with a laugh,' said Terpstra, who was 22 at the time.

'Then later, he asked, "Do you think I want to f*** you? I said "Yes," and he got angry. He said, "Well, I don't, and that's unfortunate." He made me feel like I had my mind in the gutter.'

It was Terpstra who first shed light on these allegations, posting her story about Vereen to Facebook in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

'Ben Vereen, Broadway legend, sexually harassed many people in my community theatre production of HAIR, kissed me after I said no, and threatened to use an NDA I signed (for the shows creative process) if I told anyone,' wrote Terpstra.

Actors: Vereen, 71, has been accused of sexually harassing multiple women during a 2015 production of Hair at the Venice Theater in Florida (cast above)

Legends: It was revealed in 2016 that he was a bigamist, having been married for 36 years to his second wife despite never divorcing his first (Vereen with Bernadette Peters left and Bebe Neuwirth right)

Awards: He starred in the original Broadway runs of Hair, Pippin' and Jesus Christ Superstar as well as the series Roots (Vereen with Julie Harris and Glynis Johnshis after winning a Tony for Pippin)

Ariella Pizarro said that after sharing a hug with Vereen one night he texted: 'Yo [sic] felt so good tonight.'

Things then took a turn from sexual harassment to sexual assault, with Pizarro alleging that the director kissed her during rehearsal without her permission.

'We were in a music rehearsal, and he was just walking around, and then he walked up and kissed me on the lips. It was so weird. We all knew Hair was going to be a different kind of production, like in the 60s, but he didn't even ask first. He just kissed me. I was shocked, for sure,' said Pizarro, who was 22 at the time.

'He didnt shove his tongue down my throat, but it gave me an uneasy feeling. Then he moved on. I didn't know what to do. From that point on, I kept myself at arms length with Ben.'

Other women involved in the production shared similar stories of unwanted touching from Vereen, and men in the cast backed up the stories of these women.

Vereen also stripped naked with the cast while rehearsing the play's famous nude scene, which Pizarro said 'was uncomfortable to say the least.'

The unnamed woman who had been asked to perform a sex act on Vereen in his hot tub said that during this rehearsal he walked over to her and said: 'Do you want to have sex with me?'

Both she and Terpstra said that have not acted in a theater production since their experience with Vereen on Hair.

'Acting was part of my identity since I was 8. So maybe its a pretty big deal. But if I expect Im going to have to work around people trying to abuse me, of course I will find it less appealing,' said Terpstra.

She did however get to have it out with Vereen just before the show's opening night, when she was given a robe to wear that was too short, prompting Vereen to say: 'Yours is very short. Everyone will see your cooter, not that everyone hasn't seen it anyway.'

Terpstra, in a story backed up by multiple people, screamed at Vereen to stop flirting with her, and when he asked her to speak with him in the hallway grabbed her arm so hard 'it made a slapping noise.'

She told the actor 'don't f***ing touch me,' but does not remember much beyond that.

Terpstra said the theater offered to pay for her counselling, and Pizarro has been asked back to speak about her experience.

'Going forward, my having come to terms with my past conduct will inform all my future interactions not only with women, but with all individuals,' said Vereen.

'I hope these women will find it in their hearts to accept my sincere apology and forgive me.'
Othon Maldonado had his throat slit after he was robbed at gunpoint and then the suspects attempted to kidnap his wife

A man from Houston is lucky to be alive after two men slit his throat during a robbery and attempted kidnapping outside a Whataburger.

Othon Maldonado had his neck slashed and was stabbed in the hands and neck after the suspects tried to kidnap his wife, Sandra Martinez at around 1am on December 18.

The pair had made a quick stop to grab an early breakfast, but just as they got out of their car, two Hispanic men came towards them with a gun.

As the suspect approached Maldonado, he then held a knife to his neck, ordering him to hand over his wallet and cellphone.

Maldonado complied with the mugger's orders fearing for his own life and that of his pregnant wife, but the demands did not stop.

The two suspects then instructed Maldonado's wife to come with them and attempted to pull her into their black car.

Maldonado helped police with a sketch of one of the suspects said to be between 30 and 35-years-old, between 5ft 10in, weighing 250 pounds with a 'Houston' tattoo written on his arm

Wife, Sandra Martinez, who is pregnant, ended up being dragged by the suspects into their car during the attempted kidnapping but her husband managed to pull her free

Maldonado stood telling the suspects that it was simply not an option and that they could not leave with her.

A struggle then broke out as the men tried to drag her into the car and one of the men whipped out a knife, slitting Maldonado's throat.

As he fell to the ground, both suspects kicked him in the face before making a getaway in their car.

The men left Maldanado with him gushing blood in the parking lot according to the Houston Chronicle.

The robbery and attempted kidnapping happened in the parking lot of this Houston Whataburger on December 18th just after 1am

His life was likely only saved by the quick-thinking actions of his wife who then loaded him into the back of their truck and rushed him to hospital.

The men haven't been seen since the attack but detectives are hoping someone will recognize the man in the composite drawing before the attackers strike again.

'On a threat scale of one to ten, I'd say this guy is a ten. He's just about as dangerous as they get.' Houston Police Robbery Detective Jeff Brieden said

'On a threat scale of one to ten, I'd say this guy is a ten. He's just about as dangerous as they get.' HPD Robbery Detective Jeff Brieden said to Click2Houston.

'He cut him up really bad. Which tells me it wouldn't have bothered this guy one bit if he had killed him.'

Both of the men are said to be between 30 and 35-years-old, between five feet seven and ten inches.

One weighs about 250 pounds and has a tattoo with 'Houston' written on his arm.

The other man weighs closer 200 pounds and has short hair.

Crime Stoppers is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest or charging of suspects involving in the incident.
The war against Isis is 'far from over' and more is needed to destroy the 'evil' terror group, the Defence Secretary has said on his first visit to Iraq.

Gavin Williamson visited British troops training their Iraqi counterparts at Taji and and in the capital Baghdad.

Mr Williamson met Iraq's Defence Minister Erfan al-Hiyali and announced Britain would fund a 10million counter terrorism package in Iraq.

The visit came as the Ministry of Defence confirmed British air crews flew sorties over Iraq and Syria every day of the Christmas holidays, striking a series of targets.

The war against Isis is 'far from over' and more is needed to destroy the 'evil' terror group, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has said on his first visit to Iraq (pictured)

Mr Williamson addressed British soldiers stationed at Taji (pictured) who are tasked with training their Iraqi colleagues for fighting on the front lines

Troops in Iraq are involved in training Iraqi soldiers on how to tackle improvised explosive devices (IEDs), battlefield medicine and obstacle crossing

Taji is currently home to 600 British soldiers from Charlie Company from the 2nd Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland (2 SCOTS) (pictured)

The most recent attack was last Friday when Tornadoes destroyed two terrorist positions being used to attack Syrian Democratic Forces in the east of the country.

In a press conference in Baghdad, Mr Williamson said the fight now 'enters a new phase'.

He said Britain was committed to continue working with the US-led coalition to hunt down remaining Isis fighters in Syria and elsewhere.

The Defence Secretary said the Government is determined to 'win the war online, preventing (IS) viral propaganda from recruiting yet more fanatical fighters.'

In a statement, Mr Williamson added: 'The dangers we face are changing and are intensifying rapidly.

'Eliminating the threat from terrorism is critical to our security at home and abroad.

'Our brave Armed Forces are working tirelessly, day and night, to defeat Daesh after helping to recover significant territory in Iraq.

At press conference, Mr Williamson announced Britain would fund a 10million counter terrorism package in Iraq

The Defence Secretary said the Government is determined to 'win the war online, preventing ISIS viral propaganda from recruiting yet more fanatical fighters.'

Mr Williamson held talks with with the Minister of Defence of Iraq, Erfan al-Hiyali (right) during his visit to the country

At the talks, Mr Williamson said Britain was committed to continue working with the US-led coalition to hunt down remaining Isis fighters in Syria and elsewhere

THE LATEST BRITISH STRIKES ON ISIS Tuesday 12 December  a Reaper struck a group of terrorists firing on the Syrian Democratic Forces in the east of the country. Friday 15 December  a Reaper conducted attacks on two groups of terrorists in eastern Syria, and assisted a coalition air strike that destroyed a vehicle and mortar. Sunday 17 December  Typhoons bombed a number of Daesh extremists in a building in eastern Syria. Saturday 23 December  a Reaper struck terrorists trying to conceal themselves in an outbuilding in eastern Syria. Thursday 28 December  Tornados destroyed two buildings within a Daesh defensive position in eastern Syria. Friday 29 December  Tornados dealt with two terrorist positions from which fire was being directed at the SDF in the east of the country. Advertisement

'Only by defeating this evil and barbaric group for good will we reduce the deadly threat they pose to us, which is why we won't stop until their global network is destroyed.'

In Kuwait, he met with US Lieutenant General Paul Funk the Commanding General of the global coalition as well as Major General Felix Gedney, Deputy Commander-Strategy and Support and the most senior UK officer in the military campaign against Daesh.

They discussed the success of the military campaign in both Iraq and Syria, but also reflected that Daesh have not yet been defeated as pockets of fighters still remain and will continue to pose a threat at home and abroad.

Mr Williamson triggered controversy shortly after he was appointed when he vowed those intent on bringing 'destruction, death and bloodshed' onto the streets of the UK were being 'hunted down' and that threat 'eliminated'.

He said: 'Quite simply, my view is a dead terrorist can't cause any harm to Britain.'

He added: 'I do not believe that any terrorist, whether they come from this country or any other, should ever be allowed back into this country.

'We should do everything we can do to destroy and eliminate that threat.'
A South Sudanese lawyer has publicly criticised politicians for fuelling hatred and 'scaremongering' in the issue of African gang crime in Victoria.

Police are scrambling to hunt down the offenders of repetitive violent crime across the state - but African community leader Kot Monoah said more needs to be done by federal politicians to find peaceful solutions.

Appearing on Sky News, Mr Monoah, 36, slammed Immigration Minister Peter Dutton for 'scaremongering' after he warned Melbourne people were afraid of even going out to dinner in fear of being targeted by gangs.

African community leader Kot Monoah (Pictured) said more needs to be done by federal politicians to find peaceful solutions

Mr Monoah slammed Immigration Minister Peter Dutton for 'scaremongering' after he warned Melbourne people were afraid of even going out to dinner in fear of being targeted by gangs (Pictured is Tarneit, Victoria)

Mr Monoah - who fled war-torn South Sudan at the age of four - took issue with Dutton's alarmist comments and said politicians should be working to find solutions instead of feeding public fear.

'[He is] scaremongering the wider Australian public,' the African community spokesman said.

Mr Monoah also blamed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for 'spreading hate' after he weighed in on the crime wave and accused Premier Daniel Andrews for 'growing gang violence and lawlessness'.

'This is a failure of the Andrews Labor government,' Turnbull told reporters last week.

The PM said Daniel Andrews' government was responsible for Apex and Menace to Society gangs terrorising residents following a spate of thuggery across the city's western suburbs.

Mr Monoah (pictured) - who fled war-torn South Sudan at the age of four - took issue with Dutton's alarmist comments and said politicians should be working to find solutions instead of feeding public fear

'[He is] scaremongering the wider Australian public,' the African community spokesman said of Peter Dutton (pictured)

A teenager is restrained by several police outside Tarneit Central shopping centre during a series of violent confrontations which resulted in three arrests on Wednesday afternoon

'We'd like to see a Prime Minister who is a Prime Minister for all and listen to us and find solutions. The Prime Minister is intervening politically, instead of intervening as a federal leader,' Mr Monoah said.

'We acknowledge and sympathise with a lot of victims of youth crimes in Victoria,' he said. We all came here for a better life and it is not the sort of life that we envisage our young children to pursue or undertake as a path.'

The African spokesperson eschewed from referencing the word 'gang', instead describing it as a 'youth crisis'.

'The current youth crisis has been in the making for the last 14 years,' he said.

'We should call a spade a spade but... instead of finding blame... what solutions are we offering?'

The African spokesperson eschewed from referencing the word 'gang', instead describing it as a 'youth crisis' (Pictured is an arrest in Tarneit, Victoria)

Police arrest one of three teenagers who were detained at the Tarneit shopping centre, about 25km west of Melbourne's CBD, after a violent confrontation

Police and a group of teenage males clash in the housing community of Tarneit (Pictured)

Mr Monoah defended a Victoria magistrate's decision to grant bail to a 17-year-old boy who violently assaulted a police officer in Melbourne, saying the magistrates were 'doing the best they can'.

He also blamed the federal government for the escalating situation, citing a reduction in allocations to migrant services including employment services.

Most recently, a Melbourne woman was struck across the face and forced to wait in terror as up to 14 men of African appearance ransacked her house during a vicious home invasion.

Police believe the same group also punched and kicked a 16-year-old boy they approached in a vehicle while he walking in Noblebanks Drive at Cairnlea about 12.15am on Friday.
A patient in Hong Kong was left on the operating table with an open wound for as long as three hours after the surgeon decided to leave in the middle of the surgery.

Dr Kelvin Ng Kwok-chai, a part-time employee at the Queen Mary Hospital, was responsible for supervising the liver transplant operation.

But he left shortly after having the patient's abdomen cut open because he said he had to attend another appointment in another hospital.

Dr Kelvin Ng Kwok-chai (above, file photo) left a patient with wound open for three hours

A report of the case has been released and the doctor's behaviour was deemed 'unacceptable'

The incident occurred last October, but was revealed today in an investigation report from Queen Mary Hospital.

The hospital's management said the surgeon's behaviour was 'unacceptable'.

The patient, whose name and gender remained confidential, was sent into an operating theatre in Queen Mary Hospital for a liver transplant operation at 12:12pm, October 13, reported Apple Daily.

The organ was to be taken from a deceased donor from Prince of Wales Hospital.

When the medical team was waiting for the organ to be delivered and after the patient's abdomen had been cut open, Dr Ng suddenly informed the surgery team that he had to leave for another operation at a private hospital.

The patient is closely monitored by the nursing staff and the anaesthetist until Dr Ng's back (file photo)

Chief surgeon, Dr Tiffany Wong Cho-lam, decided to put the operation on halt and waited until Dr Ng to return.

The patient was monitored by the nursing staff and the anaesthetist for three hours.

A senior anaesthetist, who refused to be named, said three hours with an open wound could increase the risk of blood loss or infection, but was unlikely to cause any long-term effect if it was done under supervision, reported South China Morning Post.

Dr Ng returned to the theatre at 6:30pm and completed the transplant at around 10pm.

The patient was recovered and discharged in November.

A four-member panel was set up for investigation after receiving a report of the disrupted operation.

Queen Mary Hospital's investigation team said Dr Ng's arrangement was 'unacceptable'

Dr Ng, a part-time associate professor, is working at Queen Mary Hospital as an honorary staff member, but the panel found Dr Ng's surgery arrangement 'improper and unacceptable'.

'As a part-time staff member, Ng had his own scheduled operations at private hospitals and he was not required to inform us,' said Dr Tong Hon-kuan, the hospital's deputy chief executive in the press conference.

However, he stated that the panel considered the three-hour halt of the operation 'unnecessary and could have been prevented'.

Queen Mary Hospital chief executive Dr Luk Che-chung said separate procedures would be followed to determine whether Ng would be punished.

'Punishment laid by the Hospital Authority could range from issuance of a warning to termination of honorary appointment.'
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Boston suffered its worst flooding in 40 years on Thursday when it was walloped by the 'bomb cyclone' winter storm - and there's an interesting reason why.

Benjamin Sipprell, a meteorologist in Boston for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, told the Daily Beast that the flooding was a result of the blizzard hitting at high tide, and the high tide being higher than usual due to Wednesday's supermoon.

A supermoon is a full moon that occurs when the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit. This happens about four to six times a year.

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Boston suffered its worst flooding in 40 years on Thursday as the city was hit by Winter Storm Grayson. Above, a car driving through floodwaters in the suburb of Lynn

Experts say that a reason the flooding was so bad was because the storm hit at high tide, which was higher than usual due to Wednesday's supermoon (seen above in Wells, England)

A wave crashes over homes on Lighthouse Rd. in Scituate, Massachusetts on Thursday as a massive winter storm begins to bear down on the region

Boston experienced historic flooding on Thursday, after a 'bomb cyclone' winter storm hit the Northeast, causing travel chaos across the region, but officials have predicted that the aftermath may be deadlier than the storm

The tides are caused by the moon's orbit, and are at their highest during full moons. Supermoons bring them even higher.

'Normal tides in Boston are between 9 and 10 feet,' Sipprell explained. 'When we get tides, we get some that go up to 12 feet or more. We were forecasting 12.1 feet with this one, but with the surge, it got bumped up to 15 feet.

'It's definitely historic.'

It ended up being a disastrous combination when Winter Storm Grayson hit the city right at high ride - flooding the Seaport district in waist deep freezing water.

It was the first time that the city had seen such flooding since the blizzard of 1978.

The situation was even worse in the coastal towns of Plum Island and Scituate.

While most people have kept their eyes on Winter Storm Grayson, the National Weather Service has predicted 'life-threatening' cold overnight Friday and Saturday for much of the Northeast. Above, a car in floodwaters in Boston on Thursday

In the next 24 hours, the Northeast will be sent into a deep freeze that could cause roads and streets to be covered with a sheet of snow and ice for days. Above, more cars in floodwaters in Boston on Thursday

A woman watches as ocean waves overtop the seawall during a winter snow storm in the Boston suburb of Lynn, Massachusetts on Thursday

Firefighter Justin Plaza pulls a rescued motorist to dry land, in Boston, Massachusetts on Thursday

The floodwaters were thigh-deep on this stretch of road in Boston on Thursday

Firefighter's on dry land help man out of zodiac boat, in Boston, Massachusetts on Thursday

The intense flooding (left) trapped some Boston residents inside buildings. Meanwhile one video showed the moment a garbage bin was knocked over as trash was washed down the street by floodwaters in Boston

On Plum Island, the high tide washed out a road connecting the barrier island to the town of Newburyport and residents had to be rescued by a National Guard high-water vehicle.

In Scituate, a town on Boston's South Shore, waves crashed over beachside homes

However, he says the biggest component of all in the flooding was the storm itself.

'The storm was the biggest thing of all,' he noted. 'The combination of the Arctic air mass surging south and the subtropical air mass going north [along with] the massive deepening low [pressure] means that we were going to deal with coastal flooding.'

There was also another component that others were blaming the flooding on - global warming.

The Boston Fire Department shared an image on Twitter of crew members saving a man whose car was floating in the ice water

'Firefighters come to the rescue of an adult male trapped by rising water,' the dept. tweeted. 'The firefighters bringing the driver to safety. Please avoid these dangerously high waters.' The first responders were then seen carrying the man (pictured) to safety

Boston firefighters work at the scene of flooding from Boston Harbor on Long Wharf in Boston on Thursday

Boston firefighters wade through a street flooded from tidal surge during Storm Grayson in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., January 4, 2018

One Boston resident shared a Snapchat video of someone kayaking through their icy street with a kayak. The video was captioned: 'Cai has fled the scene via kyak'

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh was quick to blame climate change.

'If anyone wants to question global warming, just see where the flood zones are. Those zones didn't flood 30 years ago,' he said Thursday.

And some exerts agree. Richard Alley, a sociologist at Penn State, told the Daily Beast that the sea level has been rising because of 'human-caused warming'.

'Most of the high water in Boston and elsewhere along the East Coast is from the wind, but a little bit of extra flooding can be traced to the ocean starting out higher that it was in the past,' he said.

Additionally, warmer seas cause more powerful storms.

Now that the storm has passed, the worst isn't even over for Boston yet. The storm has been followed by a blast of Arctic Air that's expect to keep temperatures well below freezing this weekend.

That means that if the flooding isn't cleaned up fast, it could freeze over and cause even more of a problem in the coming days.

The Weather Channel on-camera meteorologist Jim Cantore stands at the Sandy Bay Yacht club as he reports on severe weather in Rockport, Massachusetts

Lighthouse Road in Scituate, Massachusetts begins to flood as a massive winter storm begins to bear down on the region on Thursday

Above, another view of water crashing over homes in Scituate, Massachusetts on Thursday

On Plum Island, Massachusetts (left and right), residents were evacuated when a road connecting the island to Newburyport washed out. Residents were evacuated with a National Guard high-water vehicle

There was also significant flooding around the Plum Island Beachcoma

Da Thi Hoang and Searidang Pa wait at Logan International Airport, after successfully flying in from Los Angeles only to find their bus to Middlebury, Vermont was cancelled, during a winter snow storm in Boston on Thursday

White-out conditions are seen in Hull, Massachusetts on Thursday. Hull is located on narrow peninsula that extends into Boston Harbor and often bares the brunt of winter storms that hit the area

Deep sea fishing and scallop boats docked at the Fish pier in Boston, Massachusetts on Thursday

A news crew readies for a live shot in Copley square in Boston, Massachusetts on Thursday
The father of a baby crushed to death by a suicidal man who had jumped from a building, punched a priest after the clergyman refused to bury his son.

Exposing the religious divide in Ukraine - an Orthodox Christian country - the priest is said to have refused the burial as the child had been christened at a rival church.

Sparking a new war of words between the two branches of Ukraine's main faith, the baby's father, Roman Polishchuk, said the priest of the Moscow-led church told the family he would not perform the burial ceremony, leading him to lash out in disgust.

The father of a baby crushed to death by a suicidal man who had jumped from a building, punched a priest after the clergyman refused to bury his boy. The 21-month-old child died when a man who had allegedly jumped out of an eighth floor window landed on him (pictured: Baby, 21 months, and his father Roman Polishchuk)

'The priest said our baby was unchristened and our church was a sham,' Polishchuk told Forpost news.

'My wife cried and threw herself before him on her knees, but this did not help,' he added.

Priest Yevgen Molchanov said Polishchuk then punched him and a small brawl broke out inside the church before the family was forced to leave.

The parents eventually took the baby's body to the church where he was christened to perform the burial rights.

Priest Molchanov said he had no choice because those were the rules of his faith.

'I am very sorry. I feel for those people,' he told Forpost.

'But there are certain lines I cannot cross. A child christened by the Kiev Patriarchate remains unchristened - and the Kiev Church itself is a hoax,' Molchanov said.

Sparking a new war of words between the two branches of Ukraine's main faith, Polishchuk said the priest of the Moscow-led church told the family he would not perform the burial ceremony, leading him to lash out in disgust

The 21-month-old child died when a man who had allegedly jumped out of an eighth floor window landed on him in Ukraine.

The boy's father witnessed the moment when the 39-year-old man landed on his son.

Both the toddler and the man died at the scene despite desperate efforts by paramedics to revive them.

Local police reported that the man had jumped to commit suicide.

The boy's mother Anna Polishchuk, was reportedly saying goodbye to her parents after a New Year family celebration and only came outside a few moments after her son was hit.

The 21-month-old child died when a man who had allegedly jumped out of an eighth floor window landed on him in Ukraine

By then an ambulance had arrived and paramedics were frantically trying to save the 'crumpled' child.

Neighbor Sergey Borisov said: 'I heard a loud thump and then the boy's mother rushed out.

'She ran to the ambulance where paramedics were seeking to save the child, and understood everything instantly.

Exposing the religious divide in Ukraine - an Orthodox Christian country - the priest is said to have refused the burial as the child had been christened at a rival church

'I had to shut my windows because there was so much agonising pain in her screams. I just couldn't bear hearing them.'

A woman neighbour said: 'A paramedic came out of the ambulance, and saw us all waiting for news.

'She told us: "Pray for the boy. We are trying to save him". It was the first time in my life when I heard so many people praying out loud.'

The boy's mother Anna Polishchuk, pictured, came outside a few minutes after her son was hit and could be heard screaming as emergency services tried to save the boy

Senior paramedic Vitaly Reznikov confirmed: 'The man who committed suicide fell right onto the boy.

'The toddler crumpled from the strength of the hit. We tried to reanimate his heart and lungsbut he boy died inside the ambulance.'

The dead man has only been named as Yevgeny, a construction worker who was a neighbour of the toddler's relatives.

Scene: The boy was standing here while his parents said goodbye to their relatives when he was hit by the falling man

Neighbours said he knew the family including the toddler he killed.

A police spokeswoman said: 'We are investigating the reasons that pushed the man to suicide.

'We are checking if he could have been drunk, or if there were other reasons that made him do this.'
Migrants in Austria will be held in disused barracks and subjected to curfews in order to restore 'order', under proposals announced by the country's far-right deputy leader.

Heinz-Christian Strache said that the plan should be introduced amongst a raft of drastic measures, such as taking money and mobile phones from new arrivals, to combat Europe's 'open' migration policy.

The highly controversial proposal was unveiled just weeks after his Freedom Party (FPO) was sworn into power alongside the leading Conservatives as part of an anti-immigrant coalition government.

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Migrants in Austria will be held in disused barracks and subjected to curfews in order to restore 'order', under proposals announced by the country's far-right deputy leader Heinz-Christian Strache (pictured)

Mr Strache, who has repeatedly batted away accusations of fascism despite his party being founded by former Nazis, wants the government to usurp charities to take control of asylum issues.

Under the plan, he said that asylum seekers in Austria could be sent to live in 'underutilised' barracks and told to return to the building at a specified time every evening.

'Order is needed, as long as there is an open asylum procedure,' he said, announcing the plan.

But the call provoked fury from rival politicians who said that the policy amounted to internment whereby migrants are 'locked away' and denied the chance to 'stand on their own two feet'.

Jurgen Czernohorszky, from the opposing social democrats, described Mr Strache as 'inhuman'.

The FPO has been given control of Austria's interior, defence and foreign ministries under the coalition agreement with new chancellor Sebastian Kurz, the world's youngest elected leader.

Mr Kurz's People's Party came on top with 32 per cent of votes in the October poll, while Mr Strache's far-right party finished in third place after boosting its vote share to 26 per cent.

The FPO has been given control of Austria's interior, defence and foreign ministries under the coalition agreement with new chancellor Sebastian Kurz (pictured), the world's youngest elected leader

Despite raising eyebrows across Europe with the decision to enter an agreement with the FPO, Mr Kurz has vowed to commit to hard-line election promises on migration and asylum.

In a 182-page coalition agreement, the two parties said they would take money from new asylum seekers which would be used to cover the initial costs of care.

Mobile phones belonging to migrants would also be seized so that that data contained on the devices could be used to determine their identity and route into Europe.

The measures also outline how benefits and payments offered to new arrivals will be cut, while they will be barred from accessing many social services during their first five years.

Despite promising to appease Brussels by maintaining a 'pro-EU' agenda, the coalition has also sought to win over voters by 'fighting political Islam'.

Mr Kurz yesterday denied that he would captitalise on the growing East-West split over EU migration policy by siding with countries such as Poland and Hungary who have promised to oppose Brussels.
A South Australian man has been sacked after his employer found photos on social media of him at a wedding when he was supposed to be on sick leave.

Daniel Smyth, a former employee at Alwyndor Aged Care, applied for leave after returning from an 81 day stint in jail over driving offences.

After having his leave request was denied, he presented two medical certificates covering June 8 to July 18, 2016 - the period he had earlier sought leave for, The Advertiser reports.

Mr Smyth - who suffers from depression and bipolar - was dismissed from the company after it discovered photos of him celebrating at a wedding in India.

Daniel Smyth, former employee at Alwyndor Aged Care (pictured), was sacked after his boss found photos on social media of him at a wedding when he was supposed to be on sick leave

A South Australian Employment Tribunal decided the social media posts were reason enough for the Hove nursing home to sack Mr Smyth.

'During this period of time off, Alwyndor became aware of Facebook posts that indicated Mr Smyth was in India attending the marriage of a relative of his wife,' tribunal commissioner Paul McMahon said.

The aged care facility accused Mr Smyth of exaggerating his medical conditions to attend the occasion - which wouldn't have been the first time.

The tribunal was told he presented a sick note for the two days of his daughter's baptism in January 2016, after his request for leave was refused.

Mr Smyth said it was a coincidence the dates of his medical leave coincided with his pre-booked tickets to India for the wedding.

Mr Smyth - who suffers from depression and bipolar - was dismissed from the company after it discovered photos of him celebrating at a wedding in India

He admitted to refusing to answer questions from Alwyndor when asked if he had mislead them into giving him time off.

Travis Hill, the general manager at the time, explained how he thought Mr Smyth had exaggerated his illness just so he could attend the wedding.

Mr Hill said his former employee acted 'arrogant' in their final meeting, and behaved in a 'you can't touch me' manner.

In his decision, Commissioner McMahon said it was likely Mr Smyth suffered from genuine illness at the time of the issue, but the aged care home had reasonable grounds to suspect it was being misled.
A California man led police on a highway chase after he allegedly attempted to burn his neighbor's house down for the second time in less than a year.

David Brian Harry, 45, was arrested on Wednesday for attempted murder, arson and committing a felony while out on bail.

His neighbor in Canyon Lake called 911 after she heard a large thud and saw a wooden stake and burning road flare come flying through her living room window.

David Brian Harry, 45, was arrested on Wednesday for attempted murder, arson and committing a felony while out on bail. He was previously charged with attempted murder, arson, attempted arson and felony vandalism and pleaded not guilty in April

The attack set her curtains and carpet on fire, according to KTLA 5.

She took the flare and threw it on the driveway before her house could catch on fire.

Her neighbor had apparently struck again.

As she walked out of the house, Harry allegedly yelled 'vulgar comments' at her, and allegedly ignited another road flare and set her wooden fence on fire.

Canyon Lake police arrived at the scene and Harry fled in his white pickup truck. They managed to disable his tires on the 15 Freeway, but he continued to lead officers in a low-speed chase

Canyon Lake police arrived at the scene and Harry fled in his white pickup truck.

They managed to disable his tires on the 15 Freeway, but he continued to lead officers in a low-speed chase before he was finally stopped.

He was booked into jail and was denied bail because he had committed 'virtually the same criminal act' on the same residence

Harry was already due in court on Friday for a preliminary hearing stemming from an April incident with the same neighbors, according to the Orange County Register.

On April 8, neighbors watched Harry douse his SUV with gasoline and set something inside ablaze, and then rev the engine.

'They feared (he) intended to roll the flaming vehicle into their home to burn it down and kill them,' an investigator wrote.

He was booked into jail and was denied bail because he had committed 'virtually the same criminal act' on the same residence

The attacks occured on the 28900 block of Yosemite Place in Canyon Lake

The neighbor told investigators that Harry had previously engaged in multiple strange behaviors, including yelling derogatory statements, challenging them to a fight, spitting on them, staring into their backyard, standing on their retaining wall with a bandanna covering his face and then later charging at their home with a bat.

Harry admitted to spitting on them, but denied anything else.

He was first arrested on April 14 and investigators found multiple firearms, ammunition cans and 0.02 grams of methamphetamine.

He was charged with attempted murder, arson, attempted arson and felony vandalism and pleaded not guilty.
Police have confirmed that a body has not been taken from a 'disturbed' grave but they are treating the incident as criminal damage.

The grave belongs to John Golly Wall, who died at the age of three-months-old in 2013.

There had been fears a body had been removed when police were called to All Saints Church in Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, yesterday.

This is the child's grave 'disturbed' in Cambridgeshire. It belongs to John Golly Wall, who died at the age of three months in 2013

Upturned mud and footprints could be seen on the plot which is marked with a headstone engraved 'In loving memory of our darling son Golly John Wall'

Police have this afternoon confirmed that a body has not been taken from a 'disturbed' grave but they are still treating the incident as criminal damage

Crime scene investigators are examining the scene at All Saints Church in Cottenham, Cambridgeshire

Upturned mud and footprints could be seen on the plot which is marked with a headstone engraved 'In loving memory of our darling son Golly John Wall'.

The grey headstone also bears the words '20th August 2013 to 29th November 2013' next to a picture of a teddy bear.

Flowers, small angel ornaments, and a pram-shaped money box were placed around the base of the headstone.

A biblical inscription on the headstone was obscured by a large silver trophy inscribed 'In loving memory of Golly Wall from all who knew you, rest in peace'.

Officers left the scene this afternoon as a funeral service took place at the church.

Tyre tracks could be seen leading to the graveyard, finishing close to the child's burial plot.

Today a police officer stood guard near to the child's grave after it had been 'disturbed'

Police say the family of the deceased child have been made 'fully aware'

The grave appeared to be the newest in the graveyard, standing alone in front of five long rows of headstones.

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Constabulary said: 'Following an investigation, we are confident that a body has not been removed from the grave.

'The police cordon has been taken down and we are investigating the incident as criminal damage.'
A former Ukip and Conservative MP avoided jail today despite tricking elderly constituents into signing electoral forms backing local candidates.

Bob Spink was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court in London of four counts of submitting false signatures on nomination forms, a type of electoral fraud.

The politician - who served as Tory MP for Castle Point in Essex for five years before defecting to Ukip in 2008 - was sentenced to six months, suspended for two years.

Former Ukip and Conservative MP Bob Spink has been sentenced at Basildon Crown Court to six months, suspended for two years, after being convicted of four counts of electoral fraud

Spink, 69, of Benfleet in Essex, was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and pay 5,000 towards prosecution costs.

The politician was today sentenced at Basildon Crown Court alongside James Parkin, 39, of Canvey Island, who was Ukip's election agent at the time.

Parkin was found guilty of two counts of the same offence, and found not guilty of three. He had already admitted two counts, and was given the same sentence.

Jurors heard Spink tricked 'elderly and infirm' voters into signing the forms in April 2016, without making it clear what they were or which party he represented.

Southwark Crown Court previously heard people in Spink's constituency signed forms believing they were petitions, and having no idea they were supporting the Ukip candidate in the Castle Point Borough Council elections.

Sentencing Spink and Parkin, Judge Ian Graham said: 'This sort of offending undermines the working of democratic structures in this country.

'The democratic process depends on the good faith of those who engage in it, because a lot of what happens is of course quite difficult to police.'

Spink arrives at Basildon Combined Court today ahead of his sentencing for electoral fraud

The judge ordered both men to pay 5,000 each towards costs. The court heard the Crown's cost for the case was 6,543.75

Piers Wauchope, defending Spink, told the court his client relied on various pensions, including his parliamentary and military pensions, for his income of around 30,000 a year.

He said since being charged Spink had not been sleeping well, and that his reputation after spending years in public service had been ruined. He added: 'He says that he has been devastated by this.'

During the trial jurors heard Spink tricked 'elderly and infirm' voters into signing the forms in April 2016, without making it clear what the documents were or which party he represented.

People in Spink's constituency signed forms believing they were petitions, and having no idea they were supporting the Ukip candidate in the Castle Point Borough Council elections.

Spink said everything was above board, residents knew what they were signing, and that he only introduced the topic of the local elections once he had had gained their support for his campaign to become a police and crime commissioner (PCC).

None of the candidates included in Spink's deception won a seat on the council, although a handful finished runner-up, the court heard.

Spink was today sentenced at Basildon Crown Court in Essex alongside James Parkin (also pictured today), 39, who was Ukip's election agent at the time

Outlining the case, trial prosecutor Tom Nicholson said: 'Did he disarm voters by talk of Europe, police, his PCC nomination, the need to obtain 100 signatures, and their desire for more police on the streets?

'Did he properly inform them which party he was in fact representing? Did he use what we would suggest was a casual and misleading approach on the doorstep?

'You will hear from quite a number of witnesses whose evidence, taken together, suggests just that.'

Prosecutors also suggested that people do not always read what they are asked to sign when doorstepped, and this was particularly the case when signatories were of some age.

Mr Nicholson said there was 'no issue' with the 100 signatures obtained by Spink for him to stand as a candidate in the PCC election, during which the defendant was narrowly beaten by a Tory rival.

But he quoted local residents, whose signatures appeared on nomination forms apparently backing Parkin as a Ukip local election candidate, who said Spink and another man believed to be Parkin failed 'in various ways to explain properly what they were asking residents to sign'.

The police investigation into the Castle Point Borough Council elections began before polling day when a resident called Rupert Duke discovered his name had been added to a nomination form for a Ukip candidate called Lucy Parkin - who was a relative by marriage of the younger defendant.

Mr Duke told police he had never signed the form as he was a Tory voter 'and would never have had anything to do with Ukip'.
Harvey Weinstein will be staying put in Arizona this weekend, despite reports that emerged earlier this week claiming that the sexual predator would be returning to Los Angeles for the Golden Globe Awards.

The disgraced movie mogul was photographed on Thursday looking sad and lonely as he stood against the railing of what looked to be a parking garage in Sedona, where he has been living since October.

TMZ obtained the photo soon after rumors began to swirl that Weinstein had been spotted in Los Angeles, and given how clear the image is, it would seem that the accused serial rapist was in some way involved in distributing the picture.

There is certainly no reason for him to be in Los Angeles for the award, with The Weinstein Company completely shut out at this year's ceremony.

The men and woman attending the event will also all be wearing black as a sign of solidarity with the victims of sexual harassment and assault.

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Things are looking down: Harvey Weinstein (above) was photographed on Thursday afternoon in Arizona, standing on the edge of what looked to be a parking garage

Starting up the rumor mill: Rumors began to swirl on Thursday that Weinstein was in Los Angeles after a tweet was posted by one of his accusers, actress Rosanna Arquette (above)

Fueling: Ellen Barkin (above) then tweeted: 'Is serial rapist harvey weinstein in los angeles? on the wknd of the Golden Globes. Why? WHy? WHY?'

Weinstein accuser got the rumor mill running on Thursday when she took to Twitter and Facebook, writing: 'It is Very strange, that Harvey Weinstein is at the very same hotel in Beverly Hills that the golden globe press is being done at. I smell a Rat.'

The hotel she is referring to is The Beverly Hilton, which has long been the site of the annual awards show.

That was followed by Ellen Barkin tweeting: 'Is serial rapist harvey weinstein in los angeles? on the wknd of the Golden Globes. Why? WHy? WHY?'

Barkin then added: 'I forgot to say alleged...because i know better.'

It is unclear if Arquette personally spotted Weinstein or had herself heard a rumor about him being in town.

None for him: The Weinstein Company was completely shut out at this year's ceremony and attendees will wear black as a sign of solidarity with sexual misconduct victims

There is the possibility as well that Weinstein is in Los Angeles not for the awards but rather for questioning, with the Los Angeles Police Department reportedly preparing to send all cases they are investigating to the district attorney.

If that is the case, he may want to try and steer clear of Paul Sorvino.

TMZ caught up with Goodfellas star on Tuesday in Los Angeles, and asked him what his response was to reports that Weinstein trashed his Oscar-winning daughter to directors, including Peter Jackson, after she refused his sexual advances.

'He better hope that he goes to jail. Because if we come across [each other] I think he will be lying on the floor', said Sorvino.

'He's gonna go to jail that son of a b****. And good for him if he goes, because if he not, he has to meet me.'

He then added: 'And I will kill that motherf*****.'

Sorvino also revealed that he was unaware of Weinstein's treatment of his daughter prior to her interview with The New Yorker last year.

'If I had known it, he would not be walking, he would be in a wheelchair,' said the Goodfellas star, who described his reaction as 'furious.'
As the world teeters closer to the brink of nuclear war, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is holding a briefing on how the public can prepare for such a disaster.

Radiation experts will share their tips on how to survive a nuclear bomb, such as 'sheltering in place for at least 24 hours' which they say 'is crucial to saving lives and reducing exposure to radiation.'

The event is being held just days after a former top US military officer warned that United States is now closer than it has ever been to nuclear war with North Korea.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is holding a briefing on how the public can prepare for a nuclear bomb (a nuclear explosion at the Nevada Testing Site in 1953)

While the CDC concedes that even holding such a briefing could spark terror among many, they say it's crucial that people are prepared.

'While a nuclear detonation is unlikely, it would have devastating results and there would be limited time to take critical protection steps. Despite the fear surrounding such an event, planning and preparation can lessen deaths and illness.'

The discussion is being led by Robert Whitcomb, chief of the radiation studies branch at the CDC's National Center for Environment Health, and Capt. Michael Noska, the radiation safety officer and senior adviser for health physics at the Food and Drug Administration.

In his annual New Year speech, Kim Jong Un warned America that he has a 'button' for nuclear weapons

Despite Trump ratcheting up tension with North Korea, hit back with a mocking tweet

Donald Trump has boasted that he has a bigger and more powerful 'nuclear button' than North Korean leader Kim Jong Un - but the US president does not actually have a physical button

The Public Health Response to a Nuclear Detonation will be held on Tuesday, January 16 at the CDCs Roybal Campus in Atlanta.

It comes amid rising tensions between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and Trump who recently boasted that he has a bigger and more powerful 'nuclear button'.

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF A NUCLEAR BOMB? The impact of a single nuclear bomb depends on many factors like the weather, weapon design, geographical layout of where the bomb hits and if it explodes in the air or on the ground. About 35 per cent of the bomb's energy would be released in heat. Flash blindness, from the explosion's blast, could affect people up to 13 miles away on a clear day and 50 miles away on a clear night, they said, if the bomb is 1 megaton. Those closer by would experience burns, with third degree burns affecting those within a 5 mile radius. Most of the bomb's energy is felt in the blast, in a sudden change of air pressure that can crush buildings, which would likely kill anyone when they fell. Winds up to 158 miles per hour would affect people up to 3.7 miles away, causing dangerous objects to fly around. Provided by AsapSCIENCE. Advertisement

Trump's most recent nuclear threats came after Kim's new year address, in which he cautioned: 'The US should know that the button for nuclear weapons is on my table.'

Trump mocked the claims, tweeting on Tuesday: 'Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!'

While Kim claimed in his New Year address that 'the whole territory of the US is within the range of our nuclear strike', it remains unclear whether the nation's weapons could actually reach US soil.

Intercontinental ballistic missiles tested by North Korea in July 2017 are likely capable of reaching 3,400 miles (5,500 km), which could reach a US Naval Base in Guam.

Pyongyang is subject to multiple sets of United Nations sanctions over its atomic and missile programs, which it says it needs to protect itself against a possible invasion.

It regularly issues threats against its 'imperialist enemy' Washington, and has long sought a rocket capable of delivering a warhead to the continental United States.

The progress has accelerated in recent years after young leader Kim Jong-Un took power following the death of his father, longtime ruler Kim Jong-Il, in 2011.

Pyongyang has staged six atomic tests - including two last year - with the regime stepping up efforts to produce a nuclear warhead small enough to fit into a missile. Pictured is North Korea launching the Hwasong-15 missile, capable of reaching all parts of the US, November 29

Pyongyang has staged six atomic tests - including two last year - with the regime stepping up efforts to produce a nuclear warhead small enough to fit into a missile.

On Tuesday, Trump sounded open to the possibility of an inter-Korean dialogue after Kim made a rare overture towards South Korea in his new year speech. But his ambassador to the United Nations insisted talks would not be meaningful unless the North was getting rid of its nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, both former Vice President Joe Biden and Admiral Mike Mullen have warned that the U.S. has never been closer to nuclear war with North Korea.

HOW TO SURVIVE A NUCLEAR BOMB

With the CDC talk almost two weeks away, and nuclear war more likely than any time since the Cold War, you can check out our tips on how to survive an attack right now.

Advice, courtesy of Toronto-based YouTubers Gregory Brown and Mitchell Moffit, includes things you can do now - such as packing an emergency supply kit - and the most important steps you can take once a bomb is imminent.

PACK AN EMERGENCY SUPPLY KIT

The pair advises packing an emergency supply kit containing water and non-perishable food items.

When a nuclear bomb goes off, it sends out radiation that can ruin your mobile phone and laptop, so preparing battery-powered radios for communication is essential.

Experts expect electronic devices thousands of miles away could be affected by the electromagnetic pulse sent out by a bomb.

Most of the bomb's energy is felt in the blast, in a sudden change of air pressure that can crush buildings, which would likely kill anyone when they fell. Winds up to 158 miles per hour (255km/h) would affect people up to 3.7 miles (6km) away

FIND A SHELTER

Shelters are the next important safety step.

'There's a difference between a blast shelter and a fall-out shelter,' says Gregory Brown.

For the blast, it is important to get as much concrete between you and the blast as possible.

In a house, go to the basement, and in a high-rise, get to the middle of the building away from windows.

For the fall-out it's important to have thick walls and a thick roof, he says, and in a house it is a good idea to blockade all the windows.

It takes radioactive materials two weeks to decay, so stock up on two weeks' worth of food and water.

Those closer by would experience burns from the heat, with third degree burns affecting those within a 5 mile (8km) radius

BRACE YOURSELF

But if you are outside and know the blast is coming, you might have time to get to a better shelter, but first you should get on the ground with your hands behind your head and brace yourself.

Never look at the blast, because it can cause you to go blind temporarily.

Millions of people have been trending explaining how to survive a nuclear attack, and some of the best tips for surviving a nuclear attack have been revealed. About 35 per cent of the energy of the bomb would be released in the form of heat (diagram shown)

CLEAN YOURSELF

If you get inside remove your clothes and clean yourself straight away and blow your nose, to stop the radioactive materials from spreading, and do not use conditioner.

If you cannot have a shower, wipe yourself with a wet cloth.

After a blast you have just 30 minutes to find the best shelter, so the pair suggest finding a dedicated safe-house that can be accessed from your home and work within 30 minutes.
Former Trump strategist and campaign CEO Steve Bannon joined an exclusive club Thursday night, earning a derogatory nickname from Donald Trump.

Speaking of 'Fire and Fury' and its author Michael Wolff, the president tweeted that the political gossip tome is 'full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist.'

'Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!'

Bannon is known for dressing 'like an unmade bed and doesn't care,' a close associate told DailyMail.com on Friday, layering two polos on top of each other. He eschewed suits and other business attire outside the White House when he worked for the president.

Wolff describes Bannon's typical attire as a 'disheveled blazer' and 'signature pairing of two shirts and military fatigues.'

President Donald Trump has re-branded his estranged former adviser Steve Bannon as 'Sloppy Steve'

Bannon is often unshaven and typically wears army fatigues instead of suits

The former White House chief strategist dresses 'like an unmade bed,' a close associate told DailyMail.com on Friday, 'and doesn't care'

The president has firmly decided on a nasty nickname for Bannon, tweeting twice already about 'Sloppy Steve'

Trump famously labeled his presidential rivals with vicious nicknames.

Sen. Ted Cruz became 'Lyin Ted'; the low-statured Sen. Marco Rubio was 'Liddle Marco'; Hillary Clinton became 'Crooked Hillary' as the then-candidate harped on her classified email scandal.

Trump has repeatedly called Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a liberal Democrat, 'Pocahontas,' a dig at her unproven claim to have American Indian ancestry.

And after a choked-up Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wept while slamming Trump's travel ban in 2017, the president stamped him as 'Cryin Chuck.'

More recently, the president has rebranded North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un as 'Rocket Man' over his nuclear ambitions, using the insult during speeches to the United Nations and South Korea's national assembly.

Recipients of the Trump nickname treatment during the 2016 Republican presidential primary season included (L-R) 'Lyin Ted' Cruz, 'Liddle Marco' Rubio and 'Low-energy Jeb' Bush

(clockwise from top left) Trump called Hillary Clinton 'Crooked Hillary' because of her classified email scandal and coined 'Crazy Bernie' to describe Bernie Sanders' democratic socialism; he mocked Chuck Schumer as 'Cryin Chuck' after a weepy press conference, and has ridiculed Elizabeth Warren as 'Pocahontas' because she claims to be part American Indian

Trump cemented the newest sobriquet after financiers Robert and Rebekah Mercer cut Bannon off and stopped funding his political exploits

'Bekah' Mercer is also a part owner of Breitbart News, the conservative website where Bannon serves as executive chairman and de facto executive editor.

'The Mercer Family recently dumped the leaker known as Sloppy Steve Bannon. Smart!' Trump tweeted.

'I support President Trump and the platform upon which he was elected,' Mercer said Thursday in a statement.

'My family and I have not communicated with Steve Bannon in many months and have provided no financial support to his political agenda, nor do we support his recent actions and statements.'

The Mercers were principally driven away after Republican Roy Moore, whom Bannon backed, lost a U.S. Senate seat in the deep-red state of Alabama.

Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah, prominent conservative donors, have cut off Bannon and won't contribute to any more of his political exploits

Bannon, shown stumping for failed Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore last month, is generally a stranger to business attire

But Wolff's book may have been the final straw for the conservative donors, who initially back Ted Cruz's White House candidacy but put $5 million into Trump's campaign when the political winds shifted.

With the publication of Wolff's book, Bannon has been recast as a serial leaker, among the most active dirt-disher in the Trump White House's early months.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said this week that 'close to 95 per cent' of Wolff's interactions with presidential aides came about because Bannon asked for them.
Students who have been unable to earn their high school diplomas have long used an alternative track to finish high school: the equivalency test. Now a few states are opening additional channels to let older students complete high school.

Illinois is the latest example. Concerned that equivalency exams can hamper some young adults entry into the workforce, Illinois is developing a plan that would let them finish high school in other ways, such as passing community college courses or completing a credit-recovery program.

The states community college board is working on those plans, and hopes to offer alternatives to equivalency tests this fall, according to the State Journal-Register .

Currently, Illinois adults who havent earned their diplomas can complete high school by taking one of three equivalency exams : The still-dominant GED, or two newer equivalency exams, HiSET or TASC . They also must pass a test on the Illinois and U.S. constitutions .

Matt Berry, a spokesman for the community college board, said that the new policy could help reduce barriers for people who didnt earn diplomas but want to enter the workforce. There are 1.2 million adults in Illinois who lack high school diplomas, he said. More than 14,000 people take equivalency tests each year.

Theres a significant need for additional options in our state, Berry said. We need to look at how can we best serve this large population of adults. To fill the jobs that are out there, were going to need adults to enter our workforce.

Current discussions at the community college board focus on four new routes to high school equivalency, Berry said. In addition to completing credit recovery programs or college courses, students could opt for a competency-based approach. That method would allow students taking adult-education courses to demonstrate their skills as part of that coursework, he said. Another route would allow diplomas earned in other countries to be recognized as equivalent to an Illinois diploma, he said.

The process of creating new equivalency pathways began in 2014, after Illinois officials noted a significant decline in the participation and passing rates on the GED, Berry said.

That trend played out nationally, too: pass rates and participation declined after the GED debuted a more rigorous (and more expensive) test aligned to the common-core standards in 2014 . It was so rigorous, in fact, that the GED lowered the passing score in 2016 .

The first phase of the conversation in Illinois focused on exploring alternatives to the GED, and led to the state adopting two newer equivalency exams as additional options for students: the HiSET and the TASC .

Directed by a state senate resolution , community college board officials assembled a task force last year to explore non-testing options for high school equivalency, Berry said. That group examined practices in other states, and led to recommendations that are now shaping discussions for an Illinois plan.

One of the states the task force studied is Wisconsin, which offers various routes for students who are 18 1/2 or older to earn high school equivalency . They may pass the GED and a civics test, or pass an expanded version of the test that also includes health, civic literacy, employability skills, and career awareness. Students taking one of those tests must also demonstrate that theyve completed sufficient credits, but those can be high school or college credits.

Illinois is one of only a few states that have begun to explore high school equivalency options beyond the GED, HiSET and TASC exams. Some states have also added new options for regular diplomas for adults.

Wisconsin allows students to earn regular diplomas through demonstrations of competency . Iowa passed a law last year that lets adults earn equivalency by bundling high school and college credits together, according to the National Skills Coalition .

Minnesota created a program in 2014 that allows adults to earn regular diplomas through competency-based adult-education programs.
A severely dehydrated dog was rescued lying alongside the body of her owner who had died weeks before.

The nine-year-old Havanese, called Zsazsa, was found in a Budapest apartment on Wednesday, but is now recovering, an animal rescue group spokesperson said.

Although the dog had some dry feed to eat, vets said she would have died within a couple of days if she had not been found, explained Gabor Pataki, head of the animal rescue group Allatmento Liga.

A severely dehydrated dog was rescued by animal protection services in Hungary after being found lying alongside the body of her mistress who died weeks before. The nine-year-old Havanese, called Zsazsa, was found in a Budapest apartment on Wednesday

Police were called to the flat after neighbors reported that the elderly owner had not been seen for some time.

'The dog was lying next to the dead body, and was so weak that she could not stand up. We had to drag her away,' Pataki said.

He said many dogs would have died after such a trauma but 'yesterday she was on her feet again and even wagged her tail.'

Police said the 66-year-old woman appeared to have died of natural causes.

Although the dog had some dry feed to eat, but vets said she would have died within a couple of days if she had not been found, explained Gabor Pataki, head of the animal rescue group Allatmento Liga

Police were called to the flat after neighbors reported that the elderly owner had not been seen for some time. 'The dog was lying next to the dead body, and was so weak that she could not stand up. We had to drag her away,' a spokesperson said

In a similar case of man's best friend proving the most loyal companion, a starving nine-year-old retired racing greyhound named Dory was rescued from her home after a month inside next to her owner.

Dory, mourning her deceased owner, would not leave their side until the pet was saved by animal rescuers last December.

The pet was placed into a foster home to wait for a family to adopt her, with a carer telling a news site: 'She is doing well in her foster home; each day, she gets a little more comfortable after all the changes she's experienced lately,'
Paramedic Jared David Evans, 32, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor sexual assault after he was accused of fondling an unresponsive 19-year-old woman

A woman in California has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the city of Sacramento claiming a paramedic fondled her breast while she was strapped in a gurney en route to the hospital after having a seizure.

According to the suit, the incident happened on April 1, 2017 when two Sacramento Fire Department paramedics responded to a call about a 19-year-old woman having a seizure at her home.

The victim, who is not named in the suit, was taken to the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in south Sacramento.

The suit claims that an intern paramedic who was in the ambulance told detectives that paramedic Jared David Evans, 32, motioned toward the victim's breast during the ride to the hospital and said 'take a look', according to the Sacramento Bee.

Evans then placed his hand down the front of (the victims) shirt and pulled her breast out of the top of her shirt/bra,' an arrest warrant for Evans states.

He then commented on the victim's 'big ass nipples', the document claims. The intern told police that Evans later apologized saying he 'had to'.

The lawsuit states that the incident happened in April 2017 after a woman in Sacramento had a seizure at her home. Two paramedics, one of them an intern, responded and transported the woman to the hospital

Following the incident, the intern went to his supervisor to tell him what happened.

The supervisor alerted police.

During an interview with investigators, the female victim said her eyes were closed and she could not move but could hear what the two paramedics were saying.

She also said she felt someone reach under her clothing and expose her breast, but did not see who it was.

The woman told investigators it could have been the intern who touched her because he was seated at her side. She said if it was Evans, who was seated behind her head, she would have felt him reach across her body.

'She would have felt the arm of the paramedic seated at her head (Evans) come over her shoulder if he was the one that touched her,' a police report read.

Evans had been a paramedic with the Sacramento Fire Department for two years at the time of the incident.

He denied the allegations during an interview with police on April 28. He was later arrested and charged with misdemeanor sexual battery.

The suit claims as the woman was being taken to Kaiser Permanente Hospital (pictured) a paramedic reached under her shirt and exposed her breast while making a comment about her nipple

He's been on paid administrative leave since April.

Alex Gortinsky, the womans attorney, told the Sacramento Bee that his client remains in psychological treatment since the incident.

She still feels akin to a rape victim, he said. She still hasnt quite been able to overcome the situation of what happened to her.

Evans is scheduled to appear in court on January 16. He faces up to six months in jail if convicted.
Mark Meechan appeared Airdrie Sheriff Court in court today accused of committing a hate crime

A man who trained his dog to respond to his calls of 'gas the Jews' said the vile phrase 23 times in a short video clip uploaded onto YouTube.

Mark Meechan appeared in Airdrie Sheriff Court today accused of committing a hate crime.

The 30-year-old recorded his girlfriend's pug, Buddha, raising its paw when it heard vile statements such as 'gas the Jews' and 'Sieg Heil'.

Following complaints about the content, police were called and he was arrested to allegedly committing a hate crime by uploading the footage onto YouTube in April 2016.

The original clip had been viewed more than three million times on the popular video site.

Meechan, of Lanarkshire, is on trial at Airdrie Sheriff Court and pleads his innocence, insisting the videos were only made to annoy his girlfriend Suzanne Kelly, 29.

Prosecutors claim he shared material which would spark fear and alarm, and also stir up anti Semitic hatred.

Meechan also faces another charge of posting a video on social media and YouTube which was grossly offensive because it was 'anti-Semitic and racist in nature'. The prosecution claimed it was aggravated by religious prejudice.

The depute fiscal said: 'The video contains footage of the accused stating 23 times in total the words 'gas the Jews' in a comparatively short period of time.

'He accepts he was involved in editing and producing the footage and managed to distil it down to a short period of time.

'This is not some two and a half hour production with many shards every half hour, this is a toxic distillation of what he may call the best bits of his video.

Mark Meechan, 29, recorded his girlfriend's pug Buddha responding to statements such as 'gas the Jews' and 'Sieg Heil' and put it on the popular video sharing website

'He has made very, very, sure the phrase "gas the Jews" is repeated over and over and over again.

'He has constructed the video and he accepts that within a short time frame the noxious phrase is uttered 23 times by him.

'The phrase "gas the Jews" contains a clear threat of incitement to carry out a seriously violent act.'

They added: 'This is an exoneration to gas the Jews, people who belong to the Jewish community.

'He might just as well have said "murder the Jews" that is the effect of the toxic phrase "gas the Jews".

'The historical fact of what happened to millions of Jews in a way that frankly is difficult for a civilised society or people to comprehend.

'Any reasonable person would suffer fear or alarm having heard that awful phrase uttered over and over and over again.'

Meechan denies any wrongdoing over the video, pictured, and has gone on trial at Airdrie Sheriff Court

Mark Meechan arrives at court with his girlfriend.

The prosecutor added: 'Mr Meechan said on oath he thought the phrase "gas the Jews" was one of the most horrible phrases he could think of.

'I have him noted that the phrase was one of the most vile things that a Nazi would use.

'This was an odious criminal act that was dressed up to look like a joke.

'He is a highly intelligent and articulate individual, we are not dealing with some callow youth who is inexperienced with what is going on in the world.

'The Crown contention is that the inclusion of the dog is an attempt to muddy the waters around him making, producing and posting the video.

'He says that he knows the context of the video but in a criminal court in Scotland he does not decide the context of anything, the court decides the context.'

Meechan had told the court he only ever intended the video to be viewed by a small group of his friends on his YouTube account - and insisted he still found the video funny.

The dog is filmed visibly perking up when it hears Nazi phrases. The dog lifts its paw when it hears 'Sieg Heil' in the video, and is also captured watching a rally by Hilter at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games.

The trial continues.
A victim of John Worboys has today told of her anger at his upcoming release, saying, 'It's a sickening thought he'll be roaming the streets again'.

A parole board has recommended Worboys, who police suspect attacked up to 200 victims, be released from a high-security jail just eight years into an indeterminate sentence, in a decision which has caused uproar.

The woman, who cannot be named, said it felt like a 'betrayal' that the serial rapist would be set free when his victims would be 'forever chained to his crimes'.

Speaking to MailOnline, she said: 'I can't help but feel that the psychological mind games he won over his victims has gained him freedom here.

'He positioned himself as the victim and for him to walk free when the real victims in this case will forever remain chained to his crimes feels a betrayal.'

Serial rapist John Worboys is to be freed from jail after just eight years to the fury of victims' groups and justice campaigners. A mother of one of his victims has warned he'll attack again

The woman said that although Warboys was a 'distant memory' and she had moved away from where she previously lived it was 'alarming' he had been let out so soon.

'Regardless of his parole conditions I don't think I would feel safe,' she said. 'Indeed it's a really sickening thought that he will be roaming the streets once again.'

The uproar over the Warboys case has led to pressure being put on former Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Keir Starmer to explain why the cab driver was not prosecuted for dozens more sex attacks.

But the Crown Prosecution Service(CPS) today intervened to defend the Labour frontbencher, saying he did not have 'any involvement in the decision making'.

The CPS also said that of the 83 sex assault complaints passed to them before Warboys' trial, there was only enough evidence to bring charges in 14 cases.

A further three cases had enough evidence to prosecute, but the CPS decided against this as Warboys had already been charged with 23 offences.

After the trial, another 19 women came forward, but the CPS decided it was not in the public interest to prosecute as these were all sexual assaults, not rapes, so would not result in an increased sentence.

At least six victims want the police to reopen their cases.

Some 58 MPs have signed a letter to Justice Secretary David Lidington asking whether victims were given the chance to make representations before Worboys was cleared for release.

A total of 102 women accused Worboys of sex attacks and police suspected he had more than 500 victims.

The Metropolitan Police said this afternoon it had 'recorded and investigated' all the allegations and passed on the evidence to the CPS.

It comes as the mother of one of his victims warned that the taxi driver knows where many of the women he attacked live as he dropped them home after carrying out his sickening crimes.

She told MailOnline: 'I think it's disgusting. [He's] a serial rapist and he knows where she lives.

'I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. He could start all over again.'

The victim's mother added: 'People like that are a danger. He's never going to change. It's in him.

'He was a coward to drug them after pretending he'd won the lottery and that he wanted them to celebrate with him.

'There'll be a lot of people who never came forward who are ashamed and who blame themselves for drinking or who don't want their husband to know.

'My daughter never really spoke to me much about it. I think she felt ashamed.

'He treated her like a piece of dirt. I felt so sorry for her. She's really strong and she's a really nice person.

'She'd said she thought he seemed like a really nice guy. She'll never make that mistake again.

'I don't think that she's heard that he's being freed. I'm sure she'd have told me or I'd have been able to tell from her mood.

'But she's seemed so normal, there's no way she could have known that.'

Worboys picked up women in his cab before drugging them with champagne and attacking

Police found a rape kit in the back of Worboys' taxi which including sleeping tablets, condoms and an ashtray he used to crush the drugs (top right)

The developments came as:

It emerged Worboys will be transferred to a bail hostel later this month.

The chairman of the Parole Board apologised to victims who were not told of Worboys imminent release.

The parole chief admitted that changes need to be made to the system to allow greater access to secretive parole decisions.

He'll be summoned before MPs to explain the rationale for freeing the sex attacker.

It emerged two of Worboys' victims, left 'shocked and horrified' by his imminent release, are awaiting a Supreme Court ruling relating to police human rights breaches during the investigation.

Worboys, who became known as the 'black cab rapist', was found guilty of 19 charges of drugging and sexually assaulting 12 women passengers, in one case raping a woman.

But police said in 2010 that his alleged victims numbered 102 after more people came forward following his trial and conviction and it is feared he may have many more.

Worboys was jailed for raping and sexually assaulting passengers in 2009. His ex wife Jean Clayton (pictured, right, at their wedding in 1991) slammed the decision to free her ex-husband

THE CPS STATEMENT IN FULL During the police investigation into John Worboys, files relating to 83 separate complainants were referred to the CPS. Of those 83, 14 complainants formed part of the trial. In respect of the remaining complainants, the cases did not pass the evidential test. Prior to trial, the cases of three further complainants were assessed to have passed the evidential test. However, by that stage it had been decided that there were sufficient counts on the indictment to enable the judge to impose an appropriate sentence in the event of conviction. These decisions were taken in full consultation with the police. In April 2008 the CPS charged Worboys with 23 offences where it was deemed there was a realistic prospect of conviction based on the Code for Crown Prosecutors. He was convicted of 19 of those offences following a trial at Croydon Crown Court in March 2009. Following this conviction, we were advised by the Metropolitan police there were a further 19 complainants. The police were advised in respect of these 19 complainants that if there were any allegations of rape they should refer these cases. It would be unlikely that it would be in the public interest to prosecute Worboys in relation to allegations of sexual assault or administering a substance with intent, because of the maximum sentence available to the court. The police were advised they should consult with the CPS at any time with any concerns or for further advice. The police submitted a file in respect of one complainant who alleged a sexual assault, this file did not pass the evidential test. At the outset of this case Lord Ken Macdonald was the Director of Public Prosecutions. Sir Keir Starmer became Director of Public Prosecutions in November 2008. Neither DPP had any involvement in the decision making behind this case. Advertisement

The allegations were investigated but no further action was taken on the advice of the CPS.

Anthony Connell, the CPS lawyer who made the decision, told the Mail yesterday: Im retired now. It was ten years ago and I cant remember a lot of it.

Former detective chief inspector Tim Grattan-Kane, who led the original investigation into Worboys, said that scores of women had never reported what happened to them as they may have been too frightened or embarrassed, and called for them to come forward now.

He also criticised the Parole Boards decision, saying: He is a calculating, devious individual and it would take an awful lot to convince me it is safe to have him outside.

I would not like him to be out there, I feel that the women in my life would be at risk from a man like him.

Former senior CPS lawyer Nazir Afzal said it was in the public interest to re-open the case, while Tory MP Priti Patel said: Had prosecutions been pursued in those cases and convictions secured then it is highly likely that Worboys would not now be in the process of being released and would continue to be in custody.

Worboys is a former porn actor and stripper who called himself Terry the Minder (left). Shown right, the Hackney flat Worboys shared with his former wife Jean Clayton

Today Sir Keir urged any alleged victims with concerns about how their case was handled to contact the police.

Speaking outside his home in north London, the shadow Brexit secretary said the Crown Prosecution Service holds the file on the case, and made the decisions.

Asked whether he thought the right decision was made by prosecutors not to pursue further allegations against the serial sex attacker, he said: 'I think these decisions were nine years ago and it's very important you go to the Crown Prosecution Service and get an accurate read-out of the decisions that were made, particularly if further allegations have been made now.'

He refused to answer further questions about why past cases were not brought to trial.

Following the CPS statement, Sir Keir said he welcomed scrutiny of the decision-making process for Worboys's release and reiterated his call to anyone with concerns about allegations against the criminal to contact police.

Victim Carrie Symonds was singled out as she waited for a night bus in Chelsea in July 2007

Sir Keir tweeted: 'I'm grateful to the Crown Prosecution Service for reviewing the John Worboys' case file and for clarifying decisions taken at the time.

'As the CPS has made clear, neither I, nor my predecessor, had any involvement in the decision making behind this case.

'I welcome the decision by the Justice Select Committee to review how the Parole Board reached its decision. It is vital the public and victims of crime have the upmost confidence in the justice system.'

However, victims rights campaigner Harry Fletcher said: Sir Keir Starmer may not have made the decision but as Director for Public Prosecutions he was in charge of the organisation so he has to take responsibility. The buck stops with him.

Writing in the Guardian in 2014 after quitting the post, Sir Keir said: In 2009, John Worboys, a cab driver, was notoriously convicted of a string of very serious sexual attacks on 12 women.

Six of them only came forward after he was charged and identified. He is now serving a long prison sentence.

Former Labour attorney general Baroness Scotland also came under fire for her failure to challenge Worboys sentence. After at least two requests for referrals, she decided not to ask the Court of Appeal to review it, which a Whitehall source described as extraordinary.

The Parole Board's decision sparked an outcry from charities and support groups when it was made public on Thursday.

Charity campaigners have called the time served by the 60-year-old 'woefully short' and said his release 'beggars belief'.

Rape Crisis England and Wales said Worboys' case 'reflects more broadly the very serious failures in the criminal justice system when it comes to sexual offences'.

THE MET'S STATEMENT IN FULL A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'We worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) throughout the case of John Worboys. 'Liaison with the CPS continued post-trial, when the Met received allegations from a further 19 women. Each individual allegation was recorded and investigated. 'In June 2009 the CPS were notified of the additional complaints and they provided written advice in response. 'Each allegation was assessed by police against this advice and a decision was taken by police not to proceed. All 19 complainants were notified.' Advertisement

Meanwhile, Worboys' ex-wife, Jean Clayton, told the Sun he should 'never be let out'.

The chairman of the Parole Board Professor Nick Hardwick will be summoned before MPs to explain how the decision to free the serial sex attacker.

Professor Hardwick has apologised 'unreservedly' over the failure to inform Worboys' victims of his imminent release, something he will also be questioned about by the House of Commons Justice Committee.

He said he fully accepts there was a problem with the parole system, and that it was believed the victims had been informed before the decision was issued. However, he said the Parole Board was forbidden by law from disclosing details of proceedings.

Chairman of the committee, Conservative MP Bob Neill, said: 'What has happened here is very disturbing. It is vital that the public has confidence in Parole Board decisions.'

Mr Neill added: 'We will also want to ask about how the parole system can be made much more transparent, something Nick Hardwick himself has rightly called for.

'In my view, it is ridiculous that the current rules prevent the board making public the reasons for their decisions. Professor Hardwick has called for MPs to back 'opening the process up' and we will give him the opportunity to make precisely that case.'

Former Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer dodged questions over the case today

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Friday, Prof Hardwick said he is still trying to establish precisely what happened and does not want to 'blame anybody yet'.

He said it was not the Parole Board's responsibility to inform victims, and added: 'Whoever's fault it was, I fully accept this was a problem with (the) parole system.

'I'm chair of the Parole Board, this would have been absolutely horrible for those two women concerned, and I apologise for it unreservedly.'

Specialist abuse lawyer Richard Scorer from Slater Gordon said the firm represented 11 of Worboys' victims and claimed they were devastated.

'Our clients have been left devastated by the shocking news that a man who mercilessly raped scores of women, denied his heinous crimes and then forced them to endure the torment of a criminal trial is to be released,' he said.

Who is who in the Worboys case? Sir Keir Starmer Sir Keir, now a Labour frontbencher was the director of public prosecutions at the time of Worboys' conviction. He was probably involved in the decision not to push for more charges. Nick Hardwick Professor Hardwick chairman of the Parole Board, three of whose members decided Worboys should go free. He has defended the work of the Board, but agreed that reform of the system was needed to make it more transparent. Baroness Scotland Baroness Scotland was Labour's Attorney General at the time of the case. The position gave her the power to have the sentence reviewed and potentially increased, but she did not do so. Sir David Penry-Davey The late Sir David, formerly Mr Justice Penry-Davey, sentenced Worboys to the indeterminate sentence. He told him after conviction that he had used a sophisticated approach to carry out his crimes and was a serious risk to the public. Advertisement

'For victims not be told that he is to be freed by the Parole Board adds insult to injury.

'When we visited Worboys in jail he was clearly a very manipulative and dangerous individual.

'We are concerned he may have fooled the board into believing he is no longer a threat.

'For many years after he was convicted he continued to deny even the offences for which he was found guilty.

'The Parole Board must now reveal publicly whether Worboys has finally admitted his crimes and shown any remorse whatsoever.

'If he still denies his crimes, then he clearly poses a continuing risk to women.

'If he now admits that he deliberately and systematically drugged and raped women, then the police need to look at whether there are any crimes that he was not convicted of and seek justice for those victims.'

Lawyer Harriet Wistrich said two victims she has represented had not been informed of Worboys' imminent release or of his Parole Board hearing.

She said they are both 'shocked and horrified by this news'.

It is understood that all those who were signed up to the Victim Contact Scheme were informed as soon as the Parole Board decision was made.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman described Worboys' crimes as 'truly horrendous' and extended their thoughts to the victims for the 'pain and suffering they have endured'.

He said it is 'right' that victims decide whether and how they want to be kept updated, and that some in the cases chose not to be.

'Others chose to be informed by phone or email and were contacted immediately; others chose to be informed by letters which were sent straight away, but of course take longer,' he added.

'Our priority is to support victims and it is right that we respect their decisions about how they are contacted.'

If police were to reopen the Worboys case, they could refer any unused files of evidence to the CPS for a second time, which prosecutors would then consider with fresh eyes.

But some allegations have already been rejected as not passing the evidential test and it is unclear whether any new CPS review would change that decision.

It is therefore more likely that any fresh prosecutions would result from new victims who have not previously spoken to police. The Met Police said there was no live investigation as no new information had been received.
A Panera Bread Company restaurant in the St. Louis area where patrons for eight years had the option of paying as much or little as they wanted for a meal is closing its doors.

Panera founder and Executive Chairman Ron Shaich told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the St. Louis Bread Co. Cares Community Cafe in Clayton, Missouri, is imminently due to close because it was on a month-to-month lease and the store would have required a big investment.

St. Louis Bread Co. is part of St. Louis-based Panera, which operates more than 2,000 bakery-cafes.

Loaves of bread sits on a table at St. Louis Bread Co. Cares Community Cafe, part of Panera, in Clayton - the restaurant is closing its doors for good on Tuesday 9 January (File photo)

'The nature of the economics did not make sense,' Shaich said.

The cafe opened in 2010 in an existing Panera-run restaurant blocks from the St. Louis County government buildings.

The idea for the Clayton cafe was to encourage people who could afford to pay the suggested price or more to do so, in effect subsidizing those who were more financially stretched.

Shaich told the Post-Dispatch that in the seven years since, about 500,000 meals were served through this cafe, 'all at no set prices, as a gift to the community'.

He said customers paid, on average, about 85 percent of the suggested price, proving, he said, 'that people are fundamentally good'.

'We loved it, it worked well, it proved that the idea would work,' Shaich said.

The company opened similar cafes in Chicago, Dearborn, Michigan, Portland, Oregon and Boston. Now only the Boston location remains open.

Shaich stepped down as CEO of Panera on 1 January.

Panera was acquired by the Luxembourg-based JAB Holding Co., which also owns Krispy Kreme, Caribou Coffee and other entities, in July.
The deep-freeze striking the entire East Coast has brought snow to Florida - a weather phenomenon many residents have never seen.

Floridians, more accustomed to hurricanes than this odd white substance, rushed to publish on social media their photos of snow covering their warm-weather flip-flop footwear and outdoor swimming pools.

#snowmageddon, they called it on Twitter.

With the weather dipping below 40 degrees Fahrenheit early Thursday in parts of Southern Florida, it's been cold enough to immobilize green iguanas common in Miami's suburbs.

Tallahassee, Florida's capital in the far north of the Sunshine State, awoke Wednesday to a dusting of 0.1 inches of snow, the first significant measurement since 1989, according to the Weather Channel.

Floridians, more accustomed to hurricanes than this odd white substance, rushed to publish on social media their photos of snow covering their warm-weather flip-flop footwear and outdoor swimming pools

One young boy, dressed in a hat and boots, didn't hide his excitement when he saw a light dusting of snow - likely the first of his lifetime

With the weather dipping below 40 degrees Fahrenheit early Thursday in parts of Southern Florida, it's been cold enough to immobilize green iguanas common in Miami's suburbs

Tallahassee, Florida's capital in the far north of the Sunshine State, awoke Wednesday to a dusting of 0.1 inches of snow

The storm, which began days ago in the Gulf of Mexico and first struck the Florida Panhandle, led to the closure of roads in northern Florida.

Governor Rick Scott urged people in the northern part of his state 'to prepare for extreme cold weather conditions, including potential snow, sleet or ice accumulations'.

In central Florida, the state's largest theme parks announced that water attractions such as Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, Universal Orlando's Volcano Bay and SeaWorld's Aquatica were closed.

Temperatures are running well below normal for this time of year, and the lows are expected to hover right around freezing.

Palm Beach Post columnist Frank Cerabino tweeted a photograph of an iguana lying belly-up next to his swimming pool.

'Don't assume that they're dead,' Kristen Sommers, who oversees the nonnative fish and wildlife program for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

The storm, which began days ago in the Gulf of Mexico and first struck the Florida Panhandle, led to the closure of roads in northern Florida

Temperatures are running well below normal for this time of year, and the lows are expected to hover right around freezing

Governor Rick Scott urged people in the northern part of his state 'to prepare for extreme cold weather conditions, including potential snow, sleet or ice accumulations'

In central Florida, the state's largest theme parks announced that water attractions such as Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, Universal Orlando's Volcano Bay and SeaWorld's Aquatica were closed

'They'll fall out of trees. They'll end up in areas where your cars are, parking lots, areas where they're cold stunned,' said Emily Maple, the reptile keeper at the Palm Beach County Zoo, CBS12 reported.

'If it's just for a day or two they'll just get to where they're completely frozen in time. They're still able to breathe. They're still able to do bodily functions just very slow,' said Maple.

The cold-blooded creatures native to Central and South America start to get sluggish when temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, said Sommers.

If temperatures drop below that, iguanas freeze up. 'It's too cold for them to move,' Sommers said.

They're not the only reptiles stunned by this week's cold snap. Apparently sea turtles also stiffen up when temperatures fall.

The wildlife commission's biologists have been rescuing cold-stunned sea turtles found floating listlessly on the water or near shore, but no such rescue is planned for iguanas.

Tallahassee's 0.1inches of snow was the first significant measurement since 1989, according to the Weather Channel

In one part of Florida, a fountain froze completely over, while in other parts palm trees starkly contrasted the snow falling

The windows of cars frosted over as Florida saw freezing temperatures throughout the week

At Santa Fe College in Gainsville, Florida, ice covered a pond near campus, where the temperature hit 26F

Well-meaning residents finding stiffened iguanas are advised to leave them alone, as they may feel threatened and bite once they warm up.

Green iguanas are an invasive species in Florida known for eating through landscaping and digging burrows that undermine infrastructure.

They can grow over 5 feet long, and their droppings can be a potential source of salmonella bacteria, which causes food poisoning.

The wildlife commission has begun holding workshops to train homeowners and property managers to trap or manage iguanas.

The reptiles may be easier to catch this week, Sommers said.

Elsewhere, the storm wreaked havoc as blizzard warnings and states of emergency went into effect along the Eastern Seaboard.

An iguana that froze lies near a pool after falling from a tree in Boca Raton Florida Thursday

With the weather dipping below 40 degrees Fahrenheit early Thursday in parts of Southern Florida, it's been cold enough to immobilize green iguanas common in Miami's suburbs

'They'll fall out of trees. They'll end up in areas where your cars are, parking lots, areas where they're cold stunned,' said Emily Maple, a reptile keeper

The cold-blooded creatures native to Central and South America start to get sluggish when temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit

Wind gusts hit more than 70 mph (113 kph) in places and some areas saw as much as 18 inches (46 centimeters) of snow.

As of Friday morning, at least 14 people had been killed in the storm.

Forecasters predict that record-breaking cold air and strong winds will set people's teeth chattering like castanets from the mid-Atlantic to New England on Friday and that the frigid weather will hang around through the weekend.

The arctic blast could make temperatures feel as low as minus 15 degrees from Philadelphia to Boston on Friday and make residents of states like Maryland and Virginia shiver from temps ranging from 10 degrees to 15 degrees.

Coastal areas in the Northeast, Hurley said, may experience numbing single digits.

The storm caused school and business closings, airline and rail service cancellations or reductions and thousands of utilities outages, many of them restored quickly.

Some ferry services even had to be shut down along the Canadian coast
Doctors have warned people paying for an expensive penis whitening procedure in Thailand that the treatment risks infertility and its effects are temporary.

More than 100 men a month have been making a pilgrimage to The Lelux Hospital in Bangkok which began offering the unconventional treatment six months ago.

After a surge in the its popularity experts have warned the procedure could cause infection scarring and, in rare case, infertility.

Director of Thailand's Department of Medical Services Dr. Mingkwan Wichaidit said that a penis is bound to return to its natural color. Our bodies will continue to produce melanin, the pigment that gives our skin its distinct tone.

The future is bright: After a surge in the its popularity experts have warned the procedure could cause infection scarring and, in rare case, infertility

Over time, this natural process will reverse the expensive laser treatment. Side effects, she added, could include infection and serious scarring.

Dr. Mingkwan noted there was still no evidence to suggest the process was 100 per cent safe on any kind of genital area.

Deputy director of the Health Service Support Department Dr. Thongchai Teerahattayakorn added that penis whitening could potentially affect men's fertility.





He added that the department had instructed officials to investigate whether The Lelux Hospital had violated the Sanatorium Act which prevents private medical institutes from using a third party to advertise on their behalf.





Hospitals that do so are liable to be fined at least $620, reported Coconuts Bangkok

The much-hyped procedure, a laser treatment of the groin, has left the public both baffled and alarmed, but the clinic says they have more inquiries than ever.

'These days a lot of people are asking about it. We get around 100 clients a month, three to four clients a day,' Bunthita Wattanasiri, a manager for the Skin and Laser department at Lelax Hospital told AFP.

The procedure got wide play on Thai television and social media on Thursday after the hospital released images of a man undergoing the treatment.

'We have to be careful because it's a sensitive part of the body,' Bunthita said, adding most clients are aged between 22 and 55, with many from Thailand's LGBTQ community.

The whitening service costs around 480 for five sessions.

'I think it's a good market to enter so we offer the ultimate body treatment to our clients, either men and women,' Bunthita said.

Whitening and bleaching treatments are particularly sought after in Thailand, where skin-whitening ads have caused outrage and accusations of racism.

'The obsession... people nowadays can't embrace their own skin color,' said one Facebook user in response to the Lelax Hospital's images.

Another user Parin Ruansati posted: 'Oh god... what ever happened to the world?'

Another simply questioned; 'Why not?'.
Nicole Dufault, 38, (above in her 2014 mugshot) is being sued by the parents of six teenage boys she is accused of sexually assaulting

A New Jersey teacher awaiting trial for having sex with six teenage male students is now being sued by their parents.

Nicole Dufault, 38, was arrested in 2014 for having sex with six boys she taught at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey.

Her defense since then has been that she has a brain injury which made her powerless to stop their advances and that they were the ones who initiated the indecent relationships.

Her contact with the boys was separate, repeated and happened between 2013 and 2014 when they were all between 14 and 15.

On at least one occasion, one watched as she performed oral sex on another and filmed it with his cell phone.

While Dufault, a single mother-of-two, awaits trial, the boys' parents have filed legal action against her.

Some are demanding up to $1million from her and the school district which they say put their sons at risk by allowing her access to some of the areas on campus where some of the incidents happened during a summer program.

In one case, the parents of two underage boys banded together to file a lawsuit against Dufault and the school district in September 2016.

They are asking for $1million plus lawyers' fees to compensate the boys who they say were 'intellectually disabled' and 'vulnerable'.

In one of the lawsuits, they describe how Dufault allegedly invited the boys to spend time in her classroom during free periods.

The second was filed by the parents of a former student who was a freshman when he had sex with Dufault in 2014.

In one of the suits, the parents' lawyer described how she 'spoke with them about lewd and sexual actions, brushed up again their bodies and touched intimate and personal parts of their bodies in front of other students in the social group.'

Dufault (above at a court hearing in 2016) claims she was powerless to stop the incidents because of a brain injury she said she suffers

The woman was a teacher at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey, when she had sex with the boys on campus, sometimes in her car in the parking lot

WHAT IS FRONTAL LOBE SYNDROME? BRAIN CONDITION REVEALED Frontal lobe syndromes also known as frontotemporal disorders, are the result of damage to nerve cells in parts of the brain called the frontal and temporal lobes. The frontal lobes, located above the eyes and behind the forehead, are in charge of planning and sequencing, prioritizing, multitasking, and monitoring, correcting errors, and managing emotional responses. When functioning well, the frontal lobes allow people to avoid inappropriate social behaviors and help make decisions that make sense for a given situation. When that region of the brain is damaged, people may focus on insignificant details and ignore important aspects of a situation. The temporal lobes, located below and to the side of each frontal lobe, help people understand words, among other things, and enable them to recognize objects and relate appropriate emotions to objects and events. When the temporal lobes are misfiring, patients may have difficulty recognizing emotions and responding appropriately to them. Source: National Institute on Aging Advertisement

They say she had sex with the boys on campus and in her car.

Some say she sometimes altered their records to allow them to skip class and not get into trouble.

The third lawsuit, filed on behalf of another boy, was lodged in October this year.

It claims that he had sex with Dufault in her car in the high school parking lot. He has not specified how much he wishes to receive.

Dufault's lawyer Tim Smith maintains that she is the victim and claims she had a brain injury which stopped her from being able to say no to the boys.

Dufault (above in her driver's license photograph before she was arrested) was getting a divorce around the time she had sex with the boys

'You had a particularly overly aggressive group of students who came into contact with a teacher who suffered from brain damage,' Smith told Tap Into.

He did admit there were areas of the school where the incidents took place that were open to them and appeared to try to blame the school for the incidents themselves, claiming they never screened Dufault after a brain surgery

'You had a program that took place in an isolated part of the school where there was nobody there to control the situation, then you couple that with the fact that the school never screened her post-brain surgery.

'She also had a home front situation that was troubled with her husband having been arrested and she was taking care of the kids herself.

'You had a whirlwind of events that led to this victimization of her,' he added.

A school spokesperson said the allegations against Dufault were 'disturbing'.

'The nature of the charges are the most difficult that schools, parents and children would ever have to discuss together,' the spokesman added.

They declined to discuss the matter of the lawsuits.

'By law, administrators and Board of Education members are not permitted to publicly discuss personnel or individual student matters, ongoing litigation, or other issues requiring confidentiality.

'However, we can affirm we believe deeply in our mission to provide our students with a safe and healthy learning environment.

'We are hopeful that the process will bring closure to this painful chapter in our communitys history,' she added.
Drug charges have been dropped against a high-flying Chipotle executive after he kept clean, and out of trouble, for a year.

Mark Crumpacker, the 54-year-old chief of marketing and developing for the Mexican fast-casual chain, made headlines in 2016 when he was swept up in a massive drug bust in Manhattan.

Prosecutors said Crumpacker was caught on a wire ordering cocaine to be delivered 13 times to his $2.5million apartment on West 13th Street and spent $3,000 on the recreational drug.

In January 2017, he pleaded guilty to the drug charges filed against him in exchange for having the case dismissed if he agreed to attend a substance abuse treatment program and keep out of trouble for a year.

Now, after sticking to the program for the full course, the cocaine charges have been dropped.

Drug charges have been dropped against high-flying Chipotle executive Mark Crumpacker (pictured in Manhattan Supreme Court today) after he kept clean for a year

Crumpacker, the 54-year-old chief of marketing and developing for the Mexican fast-casual chain, made headlines in 2016 when he was swept up in a massive drug bust in Manhattan

Crumpacker, who wrapped up against the cold over his grey blazer, was spotted at Manhattan Supreme Court to hear the charges get dismissed.

Last year, his lawyer Gerald Lefcourt told the Daily Mail that the judge was 'very happy' with his client's progress. Lefcourt also revealed that the Chipotle executive has been receiving treatment at an outpatient program and was doing 'great.'

The 53-year-old is the chief of marketing and developing for the Mexican fast-casual chain.

Crumpacker had been placed on leave by Chipotle in June 2016 following his arrest but returned to work in September that same year, helping lead the chain's efforts to recover from a series of food scares.

In January 2017, he pleaded guilty to the drug charges filed against him in exchange for having the case dismissed if he agreed to attend a substance abuse treatment program

Today he was back in court to hear the charges against him get dismissed after sticking to the program for the full course

Chipotle said none of Crumpacker's drug-related activities took place during work time.

A Fox Business Network producer and a Cushman & Wakefield employee were among those netted in the cocaine bust. Accused drug peddlers in the operation were also charged.

Crumpacker made just shy of $4.3million in total compensation in 2015 in his role as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at the Mexican fast food chain, receiving roughly $45,000 for housing expenses and over $30,000 for a company car.

Of his total compensation, he received $530,000 as his salary as of 2015.

According to the district attorney, Crumpacker had asked for cocaine to be delivered 13 times to his $2.5 million apartment (pictured) in Manhattan, and spent $3,000

Crumpacker was named Chipotle's Chief Development Officer and now leads the company's real estate, design, construction and facilities functions worldwide (stock image)

Judge Edward McLaughlin said to Crumpacker and his lawyer during his first appearance: 'I don't want someone who is a purported bigshot to think they should be treated differently.'

Crumpacker was named Chipotle's first CMO in January 2009, and according to his LinkedIn page he oversees all of the company's marketing functions including advertising, design, events, public relations, social media, and research.

In 2013, Crumpacker was named Chipotle's Chief Development Officer and now leads the company's real estate, design, construction and facilities functions worldwide.

Prior to joining Chipotle, he was the founder, CEO and Creative Director at Sequence, a San Francisco-based branding and interactive agency.

The salaries of Chipotle's top executives were hit earlier this year thanks to a damaging E. Coli outbreak linked to its restaurants. Co-CEOs Steve Ells and Monty Moran had their pay cut in half in 2015.

Ells' pay dropped to $13.8m in 2015, down from $28.9 million; while Moran's pay dropped to $13.6 million from $28.1 million. They were awarded no stock.

Crumpacker's salary also took a 20 per cent hit in 2015 from one year prior.
A federal grand jury indicted a California man on charges of plotting to use homemade bombs during a Christmas Day attack on San Francisco's Pier 39.

Everitt Aaron Jameson intended to use pipe bombs to funnel people into an area of the popular tourist destination in order to shoot them, the indictment alleges.

The indictment replaces a criminal complaint against Jameson, 26, a Modesto tow-truck driver, but keeps the original charge of attempting to aid a terrorist organization.

He's now also charged with distributing information relating to destructive devices.

Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, from Modesto, California, was arrested last month for an alleged terror plot. He is pictured above in a recent Facebook profile picture

Everitt Aaron Jameson intended to use pipe bombs to funnel people into an area of the popular Pier 39 tourist destination in order to shoot them, the indictment alleges

The FBI arrested Jameson on December 22 after he allegedly talked about his plans to undercover agents, including one he thought was associated with ISIS.

The indictment and a previously released FBI affidavit say he described to agents how to build pipe bombs, described where he intended to assemble the bombs, asked for remote timers, and described how he intended to use the bombs 'to funnel people into an area in order to shoot them.'

Assistant federal defender Charles Lee said he hadn't been presented with the evidence and that his office would investigate the possibility of an entrapment defense.

Lee said the FBI found no bomb-making materials when they searched his home, and that two rifles and a handgun were legally owned by a relative and were locked in a gun case where Jameson couldn't get them.

He said the federal charges are built only on statements his client posted on his Facebook page. Lee added that his client told the FBI undercover employee: 'I also don't think I can do this after all. I've reconsidered.'

Jameson, 26, graduated from Marines training in 2009 but was later discharged for failing to tell them he had asthma. He describes himself as a 'slave of Allah' on social media

Jameson was discharged from the Marine Corps after little more than four months in 2009 for failing to disclose a history of asthma.

The FBI affidavit said he asked for a fully automatic assault rifle and noted that he earned a sharpshooter qualification.

That is a basic marksmanship qualification and Jameson was never trained as a sniper during the brief time he spent at Camp Pendleton, California, said Marine spokeswoman Yvonne Carlock.

Jameson is set for a court hearing Friday in federal court in Fresno.

Federal Magistrate Judge Erica Grosjean last week ordered him detained without bail in part because he has no substantial known financial resources.

She also found that Jameson has a history relating to drug abuse and appears to have a mental condition that may affect whether he would show up for future hearings.

FBI agents say he revealed his plot to unleash terror on San Francisco's Pier 39 (above) to an undercover agent where he would cram people into a confined space before shooting at them

Jameson, 26, graduated from the marines in 2009 and was later discharged for not telling them he had latent asthma

Police found a manifesto at his home which denounced Trump for recently declaring Jerusalem Israel's capital and they also discovered three handguns and four fireworks.

For months, Jameson had been speaking to an undercover FBI agent who he thought was a high-ranking member of a terror group.

Agents started looking into him after one of their sources flagged his Facebook profile to them. The source said they noticed him 'liking' posts in support of ISIS and terror attacks against the US.

Between October and late December, Jameson exchanged messages with the source and with a second undercover FBI agent who he thought were both high ranking members of terror groups.

Among their messages was his offer to use a truck from the tow truck company where he worked to further the 'cause'.

He also asked them for materials included a PVC pipe, ammunition, powder, nails and an assault rifle, they said.

Jameson's plan was to set off explosives at the pier to 'funnel' crowds to a certain area where he could then hurt them further by presumably shooting them, according to the documents.

Jameson, who refers to himself as a 'slave of Allah' online, said Jerusalem was Palestine's capital instead.

In his correspondence with the agents, he called himself a 'revert' meaning he had returned to Islam after not believing.

On December 16, he allegedly met with an undercover FBI agent and proposed a bomb attack on the tourist destination.

He said he was familiar with the site and sent the undercover agents maps and the photographs of it, they said.

In his manifesto, he allegedly described being inspired by the October 31 New York City attack of Sayfullo Saipov who killed eight people by mowing them down on cycle path in a rented Home Depot truck.

He is alleged to have told them: 'I was a soldier in the Kuffar army before I reverted. I have been trained in combat and things of war. In Sha Allah anything of that nature, as well as funding. Anything for Allah.'

Later, he told the agent 'they needed something along the lines of New York or San Bernardino'.

Jameson continued to speak to him over text message but, on December 18, backed out of the plot, they said.

'I also don't think I can do this after all. I've reconsidered,' he allegedly said.

The FBI searched his home on December 20 and found inside a 'last will' and a statement.

The statement read: 'I Abdallah adu Everitt ibn Gordon have committed these acts upon the Kuffar, in the name of Dar al Islam, Allahu Akbar! You all have brought this upon yourselves.

'There is no innocent Kuffar! Each and every Kuffar in this Nationalistic, Godless society has a hand in this.

'You've allowed Donald J. Trump to give away Al Quds to the Jews. Both You and he are wrong, it belongs to the Muslemeen. We have penetrated and infiltrated your disgusting country. These acts will continue until the Lions of Islam overtake you.

'Turn to Allah, make tawbah and fight with us, the soldiers who fight in the day and night. Allah SWT is most forgiving, I am not. Long live Isil, Long Live Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

'Abdallah abu Everitt ibn Gordon al-Amriki.'

During the search of his home, he allegedly admitted to supporting ISIS and said he would have been happy for an attack to be carried out.




This blog is looking for wisdom, to have and to share. It is also looking for other rare character traits like good humor, courage, and honor. It is not an easy road, because all of us fall short. But God is love, forgiveness and grace. Those who believe in Him and repent of their sins have the promise of His Holy Spirit to guide us and show us the Way.
Joe Hirst, right, pictured with his girlfriend Shannon Potter, left, was cleared of sexually assaulting a male cabin crew member on a Jet2 flight to the Canary Islands last January

A British holiday maker accused of groping a male airline steward's groin while flying to the Canary Islands has been cleared of sexual assault.

Joe Hirst, 22, of Brighouse, West Yorkshire was flying on a Jet2 aircraft with his girlfriend Shannon Potter when he was accused of holding the steward's groin in a 'cupping motion'.

Hirst, who was on his first ever flight, said he had drunk vodka and beer to soothe his nerves but was not intoxicated. He suggested he was merry, scoring two or three on a drunkeness scale of one to ten.

Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard the steward remonstrated with Mr Hirst who replied: 'Oooohhh,' in a gay-like flirtatious voice.

Hirst claimed he had drank beer and vodka as he was nervous about the flight as he had never been on an aircraft before.

The jury heard that when the aircraft landed in Fuertaventura, Hirst was escorted off the jet by Spanish police. He was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault upon his return to the UK.

Hirst pleaded not guilty to sexual assault and was cleared by the jury after three hours and 18 minutes of deliberation.

As the not guilty verdict was returned, Hirst put his head in his hands and started crying whilst his girlfriend Shannon Potter and and two male friends shouted: 'Get in.' Afterwards he said: 'I just want it to get back to normal and how it was.'

The incident occurred on January 15 last year after Hurst, a driveway builder and his girlfriend of six months Miss Potter boarded the 10am flight from Manchester for the trip which had been booked for him as a birthday present.

It was alleged trouble began two and a half hours into the flight when Hirst kept putting his leg in the aisle causing an obstruction to cabin crew as they served drinks and snacks.

The steward - who cannot be named - told the hearing: 'During the second bar service he began to reach with his arm as if getting something from the trolley and when I asked what he was doing he looked up and with the same hand he reached around and touched my thigh with an up ward stroking motion.

Hirst, right, denied holding the steward's groin area in a 'cupping motion' while the airline worker was serving drinks to passengers on the early morning flight from Manchester

Hirst, right, was arrested by police upon his return to Manchester following his holiday

'I was facing towards the rear of the plane and he was on my left. He seemed to take it as a bit of a joke - there was a little laugh and snigger. He said the word: "Ooohhh" in a flirtatious voice and then went to touch my genital area.

'Initially I was totally shocked and I couldn't even think what had just happened. I said to him: "Do you think that is appropriate," and he responded with a snigger. I tried to carry on but my colleague told me to get off the bar and I went to the front of the aircraft where I told a senior member of crew what had happened.'

Hirst told the court he was not drunk on the flight suggesting he was 'a bit merry'

But in his defence Hirst said: 'I wouldn't say I was drunk, I was a bit merry - about a two or three on a scale of one to 10. I just didn't have enough room in my seat, I am 6ft and I cannot sit still half the time in general.

'I didn't realise I was being an obstruction - I didn't mean anything by it. On the drinks round, the male crew member tripped over my leg and said I shouldn't have done that, he seemed quite annoyed but that was the end of the incident.

'I had only reached my arm out to get a drink because I was messing around. I didn't intend to touch him and I didn't touch him. My hand was a good foot away from him. When the Spanish police spoke to me after the flight I thought they wanted to speak to me about my foot. I had never been on a flight before.'

Miss Potter 22, a care assistant said: 'Joe had stuck his leg out three or four times because there was no leg room.

'At one point, the male cabin crew member got to Joe's leg and stumbled back a few steps. He said to Joe: "You shouldn't have done that," and Joe said: "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that." Joe had been pointing towards a drink on the trolley, I didn't see him make any contact.

'When we left the plane we were wondering why the police had wanted to speak to us but I thought the allegation was about him sticking his leg out and the cabin crew member tripping over it.'
This is what should be the heartwarming moment a man finds out his wife is pregnant - but his first reaction is less than excited.

The woman had set up a camera to film her husband's reaction when he came home, pretending she needed help getting the recording set up.

But when she announced the surprise, the soon-to-be dad said nothing and merely stared at the baby clothes which his wife had laid out on the sofa at their home near Washington, DC.

He also made a funny apology to his future son or daughter for the 'lack of enthusiasm' at the moment their birth was announced.

'I'm in shock, it's going to take me a while for me to process the information, your father processes things slowly,' he said.

As the young man came into the room his wife said she was 'trying to see if this video works', getting him to come nearer, before shouting 'Surprise!' and saying: 'You got me pregnant'.

When the woman announced the surprise, the soon-to-be dad said nothing and merely stared at the baby clothes which his wife had laid out on the sofa

She took the footage at the couple's home in Seat Pleasant, Maryland, U.S., just outside Washington.

The man laughed as if not sure whether she was joking or not, before going to inspect the set of baby clothes and inflatable pram which were decorating the room.

He picked up his wife's test results from her visit to the doctor's, as though hoping to find a mistake, but smiled when she said: 'You're about to be a father'.

She also revealed she had bought onesies for a boy or a girl, depending on the child's gender, and that she had suspected the pregnancy for several days.
Among the presidential appointments that Donald Trump considered  but never pulled the trigger on  were Rudy Giuliani as a Supreme Court justice and disgraced former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn as vice president.

According to a controversial new book by columnist Michael Wolff, Trump toyed with making Flynn his running mate and regretted choosing Justice Neil Gorsuch instead of the loyalist Giuliani, a well-liked former New York City mayor.

Trump questioned his closest advisers about why his Supreme Court nomination 'wasn't going to a friend and loyalist,' Wolff writes in his book 'Fire and Fury.'

'In the Trump view, it was rather a waste to give the job to someone he didn't even know.'

But senior aides reminded him that he had defused campaign-season concerns about his competency in making judicial appointments by tapping the conservative Federalist Society to compile a short list and pledging to choose from it.

Donald Trump considered making former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani his first Supreme Court nominee, according to a new political best-seller

'Fire and Fury' author Michael Wolff claims Trump considered making Gen. Mike Flynn (right) his vice president because he had good chemistry with the eventually fired national security advisor

The Senate confirmed Gorsuch, a former 10th Circuit Court of Appeals judge, to the high court in April.

But before choosing him, Wolff claims, Trump 'had run through almost all his lawyer friends  all of them unlikely, if not peculiar choices, and, in almost every case, political nonstarters.

'Fire and Fury' is the latest political tell-all, which the White House has discounted as sloppily reported and largely untrue

'The one unlikely, peculiar and nonstarter choice that he kept returning to was Rudy Giuliani.'

Giuliani was a longtime Trump friend, and Wolff notes that 'when few Republicans were offering Trump their support, and almost none with a national reputation, Giuliani was there for him  and in combative, fiery, and relentless fashion.'

Giuliani wanted to be secretary of state, however, a job that Trump had idly promised him only to offer it finally to business pal Rex Tillerson.

His potential as America's top diplomat, however, was undercut by ongoing business ties that would have been seen as conflicts of interest.

Giuliani had built a lucrative consulting career with contracts in Qatar and Canada, and also gave speeches to an Iranian opposition group  the Mujahedeen Khalq, or M.E.K.  while it was listed by the State Department as a foreign terrorist organization.

Justice Neil Gorsuch was confirmed in April but gave Trump a headache by complaining to senators about the president's attacks on the federal judiciary

Steve Bannon told author Michael Wolff that Mike Flynn 'reminds me of my uncles'  which made him both likeable and untrustworthy

The president, however, considered withdrawing Gorsuch's nomination and replacing him with Giuliani after Gorsuch expressed dismay to senators about Trump's attacks on the federal judiciary.

'Trump, in a moment of pique, decided to pull his nomination,' Wolff writes, 'and during conversations with his after-dinner callers, went back to discussing how he should have given the nod to Rudy. He was the only loyal guy.'

Flynn was another loyalist who spared no effort to back Trump on the campaign trail, and 'Trump, with his love of generals, had even for a moment wanted to make Michael Flynn his vice president,' Wolff writes.

The president ended up with two generals in his cabinet  James Mattis at the Pentagon and John Kelly at Homeland Security.

He later tapped Kelly to be his White House chief of staff.

Trump fired Flynn barely three weeks into his administration for lying to Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Russia's then-ambassador to the United States.

The disgraced military man ultimately pleaded guilty to a charge of lying to the FBI about the episode.

'Flynn had really only one supporter in the Trump administration, and that was the president himself,' Wolff writes, but even that 'buddy movie' bond wasn't enough to save him.

'I like Flynn, he reminds me of my uncles,' then-chief White House strategist Steve Bannon told him.

'But that's the problem: he reminds me of my uncles.'

The White House claimed Thursday that the book is 'complete fantasy' and 'full of lies.' President Trump said in a late-night tweet that the book is 'phony' and cites sources 'that don't exist.'

Friday on NBC's 'Today' show, Wolff said he was 'certainly and absolutely, in every way, comfortable' with his reporting.

'My credibility is being questioned by a man who has less credibility than perhaps anyone who has ever walked on earth at this point,' Wolff said.
Stephen Fry has stepped down as the host of the Bafta film awards after fronting the event 12 times.

The actor, comedian and writer's affectionate and occasionally innuendo laden teasing of celebrities as well as his unique humour had become a fixture at annual awards.

He began his first award ceremony with the words: 'My lords, ladies and gentlemen and Americans... It is my privilege, my pleasure, my erotic destiny, to welcome you all here.'

Stephen Fry presenting the Bafta awards last year. He began hosting them in 2001

The following year he introduced Olando Bloom as an actor who 'under my stern tutelage and carefully positioned guiding hand found stardom as a rent boy in Wilde'.

Last year, though, he was forced to delete his Twitter account when he referred to costume design award-winner Jenny Beavan's appearance after she left the stage.

'Only one of the great cinematic costume designers would come to an awards ceremony dressed as a bag lady,' he joked.

Despite explaining she was a friend, he was subject to abuse eventually tweeting 'christ I want to leave the planet' before deleting his account.

Last year he was subject to abuse after joking about his friend Jenny Beavan's appearance

Announcing his stepping down he said: 'Every one of the 12 Bafta film award ceremonies that I had the privilege of hosting has a place in my memory.

'The mixture of glamour, glory, drama and - occasionally - embarrassment and hiccup holds a unique place in the British film calendar.

'Over the last two decades I have especially loved watching the emergence of new young film talent behind and in front of the camera. But after so long a time I felt it only right to stand down and let others take the Baftas on to new heights and greater glories.

'I want to thank all the production staff, Amanda Berry and her wonderful Bafta colleagues, the BBC and all those who helped make every year so enjoyable.

He said the Bafta awards were a 'mixture of glamour, glory, drama and - occasionally - embarrassment'

'I reserve especial gratitude and imagination for Ivor Baddiel and Phil Kerr, whose work on the scripts was so skillful it made people think I'd written every line myself.

'What fun it will be to watch Bafta 2018 without my heart hammering, mouth drying and knees trembling.'

The new host will be announced alongside the nominations next week.

Bafta's chief executive Amanda Berry said: 'On behalf of everyone at Bafta, I would like to sincerely thank Stephen Fry for making each and every one of the Film Awards that he's presented such memorable and joyous occasions. We will miss him tremendously.

'We will reveal who our host for the 2018 Awards will be on Tuesday January 9 at our nominations press conference.'
A Utah teenager has been accused of shooting and killing his drug dealer friend after finding out he swapped his marijuana for kitchen spices.

Seth Carreras, 17, went to Hunter Woodson's house in Utah and retrieved the drugs from Woodson's girlfriend Kayla Gibson, 17.

But he was shocked to find the baggie was instead filled with 1.5 ounces of various kitchen spices.

In a rage he entered the drug dealer's Sunset house, found Woodson, 19, in his bedroom and shot him multiple times,The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Seth Carreras, 17, allegedly killed Hunter Woodson, 19, (pictured left and right) on Tuesday after he found out he substituted his marijuana for kitchen spices

Before the shooting Woodson ordered his girlfriend to hide behind the door so he could confront Carreras.

She told police Woodson said something along the lines of 'What are you going to do about it, shoot me?' Immediately Carreras fired a 9 mm handgun 'a lot of times' at Woodson causing him to fall to the ground.

Apparently Carreras stood over the body and continued to shoot multiple times.

After the shooting she said he rifled through Woodson's pockets for money before escaping and heading back home to Layton.

Police managed to track him down and they arrested him within 22 minutes of the shooting.

Sunset police chief Ken Eborn said police were summoned to to the Sunset home at around 3:15 pm on Tuesday, which was only two blocks from the police station. Eborn said Woodson was pronounced dead the scene.

When Carreras pulled a gun out Woodson said 'What are you going to do about it, shoot me?' Immediately Carreras fired a 9 mm handgun 'a lot of times' at Woodson

They then found a female witness, Gibson, who said she recalled hearing three gun shots before temporarily losing her hearing.

Apparently Woodson and Carreras are acquaintances but it is unclear how well they know each other.

Prior to the drug transaction the two smoked a joint together so Carreras could test the product. Carreras couldn't pay him then so he decided to go home, he came back later after they agreed a price of $121.

Carreras and his girlfriend Gibson are pictured here together

'We believe that the whole incident may be drug related,' Eborn said. 'One of them was apparently upset with something they got from the other one, so they came back and he fired a gun.'

Carreras has been charged, as an adult, with murder, a first-degree felony and a bail hearing in 2nd District Court is scheduled for Friday.

According to the police department homicides are quite rare in Sunset, which has unsurprisingly sent shock-waves through the local community.

The suspect's identity is not being revealed at this time because of his age.
A Manchester Metropolitan University student has died at halls of residence in south Manchester.

Police were called to Oxford Court, on Stretford Road, in Hulme, this morning by the ambulance service.

Officers arrived at 10am and discovered the body of a man.

The student was found at the Oxford Court halls of residence in Hulme, greater Manchester

The dead man was a student at Manchester Metropolitan University, pictured

Greater Manchester Police said the man's family have been informed. They have not released the man's name or his age.

His death is not being treated as suspicious and a file has been passed to the coroner.

A spokesman for Manchester Metropolitan University said: 'It is with great sadness that we can confirm the death of a student in halls of residence.

'Our thoughts are with family and friends at this difficult time.

'Professionally trained counselling staff are offering support to students and staff affected and the University has offered assistance to the student's family.'

A spokesman for IQ, which manages the halls, said: 'We are extremely sad to confirm that a student has passed away in Oxford Court, Manchester.

'Whilst we are not able to give further details at this point in time, we are supporting all parties in every way we can.'
Francisco Nieves, 20, was found shot to death in Louisiana on Tuesday, and now his older girlfriend and two friends are facing charges in his slaying

A missing 20-year-old man's bullet-ridden body was discovered in Louisiana on Tuesday, leading to the arrest of his 31-year-old social worker girlfriend and his two friends.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office announced on Wednesday the arrests of Stefanie Enciso, Archie Armstrong and Vernel Wilson in connection to the New Year's Day slaying of Enciso's boyfriend, Francisco Nieves.

Nieves' mother, Summa Perez, 35, tells Nola.com that Enciso, who had been her son's social worker at juvenile detention, was taken into custody while driving around with her pretending to be looking for the young man.

It was not until later that Perez says she found out that the car they were in was the same vehicle that her son's suspected killers had used to transport his body on Monday night.

Enciso was charged with accessory after the fact to second-degree murder and obstruction of justice to second-degree murder.

Armstrong, 21, the accused shooter, was booked into jail for second-degree murder, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm and possession of marijuana.

Stefanie Enciso, 31, Nieves' one-time social worker-turned-girlfriend, has been jailed on charges of accessory after a second-degree murder and obstruction of justice

Archie Armstrong (left), 21, the accused shooter, was booked into jail for second-degree murder. His brother Vernel Wilson (right), 22, has been charged with accessory after the fact

Wilson, Armstrongs 22-year-old brother, was also charged with accessory after the fact, obstruction of justice to second-degree murder, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm.

Summa Perez says her son grew up with Armstrong and Wilson, and she does not know what happened between them on New Years Day. So far, no motive has been released by the authorities.

The sheriff's office learned of the homicide on Tuesday morning after getting a tip from a 'cooperating witness' that a possible murder had taken place inside an apartment in the 1500 block of Avenue A in Marrero, where Armstrong and Wilson lived.

Officers searched the property and found what has been described as evidence that a crime had taken place there, which the culprits attempted to cover up by cleaning the property.

Investigators believe Nieves (pictured) was killed for an unknown reason inside Armstrong and Wilson's apartment in Marrero on Monday night, then dumped in Gonzalez

Summa Perez, 35, Nieves' mother, says Enciso (right) took her out on Tuesday searching for her missing son in the same car that she and the other suspects had allegedly used to transport his body

As the hours went by and there was no sign of Nieves anywhere, his grandmother called his girlfriend, Enciso, who reportedly told her she was 'going crazy' trying to locate him.

Later, the 31-year-old woman came by Summa Perez's home and the two went out searching for Nieves.

Then at 4pm on Tuesday, police in the City of Gonzales reached out to the sheriffs office saying that a mans body matching Nieves description was found dumped near a local trailer park.

The victims family say Francisco was a good and kind man who got in trouble as a youth and at age 13 ended up at Rivarde Juvenile Detention Center. It was there that Nieves first met Enciso, who had been assigned as his social worker and counselor.

For years, Nieves denied being romantically involved with the older woman, but when he turned 18 the pair began dating openly and moved in together.

In the wake of her arrest, Enciso has been placed on leave from her work as a supervisor at Tri-Care Valley.
A new book that portrays a dysfunctional White House also describes Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner fearfully eyeing special counsel Robert Mueller's probe out of concern their own finances could come under the microscope.

The pair became panicked, according to the book, as the FBI and Justice Department moved in that direction, fueled by Kushner's father, Charles, who started the family real estate empire.

'Ivanka is terrified,' former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon told Wolff, referring to the telegenic pair as 'the kids' in Michael Wolff's 'Fire and Fury, Inside the Trump White House.'

A new book describes Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner fearfully eyeing special counsel Robert Mueller's probe out of concern their own finances could come under the microscope

Kushner's finances came under increasing public scrutiny in the early days of the Trump administration, as Chinese giant Anbang Insurance Group pulled out of a New York real estate deal for a trophy Kushner property on Fifth Avenue.

The book recounts President Donald Trump telling 'multiple people' that Kushner could solve the Middle East problem 'because the Kushners knew all the crooks in Israel.'

The book describes Charles Kushner has having a fear 'channeled' through his son and daughter-in-law about getting wrapped up in the probe. The book describes him in a state of 'panic.'

The fears are described as a backdrop for Trump's decision to fire FBI Director James Comey despite the urgings of his chief of staff, Reince Priebus.

Kushner did not oppose the firing, and the 'Kushner side' is quoted explaining the extent of his involvement in the decision.

'Did he support the decision? Yes. Was he told this was happening? Yes. Did he encourage it? No. Was he fighting for it for weeks and months? No. Did he fight [the ouster]? No. Did he say it would go badly? No.'

Kushner and Ivanka Trump 'encouraged' Trump to fire FBI Director James Comey, according to the book. The Kushner camp is quoted only as saying he supported the decision

After Trump carried out the firing, former chief of staff Reince Priebus, who argued against the decision, is quoted saying: 'So next it's a special prosecutor!'

The White House has called the book full of 'lies.'

A December report in Bloomberg catalogued times when Kushner Companies hyped its stake in investments where the family in fact owned only a fractional percentage.

In one prominent deal, at 80-90 Maiden Lane, the stake was just 2 percent, according to the report.

Jared Kushner had to make numerous revisions to his financial disclosure reports when he joined the administration and got a security clearance.

He failed to disclose his role as a director fo the Charles and Seryl Kushner Foundation from 2006 to 2015, which funded Israeli settlement construction considered illegal at the time under international law, Newsweek reported.

The book describes Charles Kushner (l) has having a fear 'channeled' through his son and daughter-in-law about getting wrapped up in the probe.

President Donald Trump walks to Marine One prior to departing from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, January 5, 2018, as he travels for a weekend with Republican lawmakers at Camp David in Maryland

Charles Kushner did time in federal prison for tax evasion, campaign finance violations, and witness tampering.

The power couple isn't letting the scrutiny slow them down.

The president's daughter and son-in-law were among those spotted partying at President Trump's luxury hotel in Washington Thursday night, Politico Playbook reported, as a series of explosive excerpts came out and copies of the book proliferated.

Also spotted was chief economic advisor, who is described in the book as calling the president 'dumb as s***.'

A White House official told DailyMail.com Kushner and Ivanka held a 'holiday party to thank staff that was planned months in advance. Invites went out last year.'
Four women have come forward to accuse Hollywood heavyweight Paul Haggis of sexual assault.

The first woman to come forward, Haleigh Breest, filed a lawsuit in December accusing the director of rape.

Haggis then countersued Breest, a publicist, claiming her lawsuit was nothing more than a 'shakedown.'

The three other woman went public with their allegations after learning of the suit, with one of them alleging that she too was raped by Haggis.

That woman, who is also a publicist, said that she was forced to perform oral sex on Haggis and he then raped her.

The third woman said Haggis attempted to sexually assault her, while the fourth claims the director held her arms down and forcibly kissed her before following her into a cab when she tried to flee.

A lawyer for Haggis, who has been married to actress Deborah Rennard since 1997 and won two Oscars for his film Crash, said: 'He didn't rape anybody.'

Allegation: Paul Haggis (above at the 2006 Academy Awards) has been accused of sexually assault by four women

Accuser: The first woman to come forward, publicist Haleigh Breest (far right with Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, Jordyn Wieber and Kyla Ross), filed a lawsuit in December accusing the director of rape

Denial: lawyer for Haggis, who won two Oscars for his 2004 film Crash, said: 'He didn't rape anybody' (Breest's complaint above)

The three new accusers would nor share their names with the Associated Press out of fear of retribution.

All of the women said that Haggis tried to kiss them, and two noted that when they resisted he fought back by escalating his aggression.

The publicist was claims she was raped by Haggis said that the incident occurred back in 1996 while she was working with the director on a television program.

That show was likely the Canadian comedy series Due South.

He asked the woman to come in late to the office one night, and that is when the incident allegedly occurred, despite her attempts to stop Haggis.

She thought it was odd to have to go to the office so late she said, and Haggis immediately made his move once she entered the room by kissing her in an aggressive manner.

'I just pulled away. He was just glaring at me and came at me again. I was really resisting,' claims the woman.

'He said to me, "Do you really want to continue working?" And then he really forced himself on me. I was just numb. I didn't know what to do.'

Haggis then forced her into performing oral sex on her she alleges, pushed her to the ground and raped her on the floor.

Her account was corroborated by a friend she told at the time, and the accuser said that she did not report the incident because of how powerful Haggis was in the industry.

'The power, the anger, the financial resources, you feel like you are not really a match for that,' said the woman.

Another woman was pitching Haggis a television show in the early aughts, and claims that soon after she arrived at his office she was informed by the producer that he and his wife had an open relationship.

Haggis then allegedly tried to kiss the woman against her will, at which point she ran out of the office and into her car.

'How am I going to escape alive?' the woman, who was then in her 30s, said she thought to herself at the time.

'I felt like my life could have been over.'

A friend who she called as she drove off corroborated her story.

The final woman to come forward claims she was assaulted by Haggis in 2015 while the two were in Canada.

She was in her late 20s and said she new Haggis from film events.

He allegedly kissed her and held down her arms before she escaped into a cab, with Haggis following her into the vehicle.

She said that when the taxi arrived at her apartment, Haggis threw money at the driver, chased her and kissed her again before she was able to get into her residence and shut the door.

She said Haggis waved his hands at her once she was inside and sent her harassing text messages for the next 24 hours, until she blocked him.

Claims: Haggis allegedly told on of his accusers that he and his wife had an open relationship (above with Harvey Weinstein and Elizabeth Beare in 2012)

Big fans: Haggis with Crash star Sandra Bullock (left) and fellow former Scientologist Leah Remini (right)

Breest wrote in her complaint, which was filed in the Supreme Court of New York, County of New York on December 15, that she met Haggis at a film premiere on January 31, 2013.

She claims that she was working at a movie premiere on the night in question and Haggis was one on the celebrity guests in attendance for the Cinema Society screening of the film Side Effects at the AMC Lincoln Square Theater.

Other guests that night included the stars of the film: Jude Law, Channing Tatum, Rooney Mara and Catherine Zeta Jones.

Haggis offered Breest a ride home according to the complaint and then invited her into his apartment for a drink, a request she initially resisted but eventually acquiesced to because of his 'persistence' and the fact that he was a 'powerful member of the Hollywood elite who could influence her career.'

Once in the apartment, Haggis 'almost immediately began to make unwanted sexual advances and to forcibly kiss' Breest according to her court filing.

Breest claims that after Haggis forcibly kissed her, he looked at her and said: 'You're scared of me, aren't you?'

And when she later asked why he was doing this, Haggis allegedly responded: 'What do you mean? You've been flirting with me for months.'

Then, he allegedly took the young woman into the guest bedroom and raped her. Breest was 26 at the time and Haggis was 59.

'Eventually, Mr. Haggis succeeded in getting Ms. Breest into a bedroom where he began violently to try and remove her tights. She resisted, struggling to push him off, but he continued,' states the complaint.

'After multiple, forcible attempts to remove her tights, he succeeded. Mr. Haggis forced her to give him oral sex and aggressively inserted his finger into her vagina. He told her he liked anal sex. Then, he raped her.'

Breest claims she told Haggis 'no' multiple times, and shared her story with multiple friends in the following days.

She also shared her story with a psychologist in June 2017 when the doctor asked during a session if she had ever been sexually assaulted.

In her complaint, Breest asks to be compensated for her physical injuries, pain and suffering, PTSD, humiliation, embarrassment, stress and anxiety, loss of self-esteem and self-confidence, and emotional pain and suffering.

She is also asking for punitive damages and her legal fees to be covered by haggis in addition to any other reward a jury deems fit.

Haggis responded by filing a countersuit days later, alleging that Breest's lawyer had called him and demanded $9 million just before filing the complaint.

'Plaintiff, who is also known for voicing his negative views about Scientology, of which he was once a member, has many times been on the receiving line of false accusations about him,' read the complaint submitted by Haggis' lawyers.

'He is not going to allow the false narrative threatened by the Defendant to frighten him into capitulating to these outrageous and wholly baseless demands, and is instead going to confront his accuser and seek all available remedies for the harm she has inflicted (and intends to continue to inflict) on him.
Conor McGregor has again caused controversy by appearing to film himself on his mobile phone while driving.

The UFC star, 29, who revealed he had gone down with Australian flu earlier in the week, posted a video of himself laughing maniacally while sitting in a car.

It is not the first time the Irishman has invited criticism for apparently being distracted at the wheel, after he posted a similar video last April.

In the latest, brief video posted on Instagram, which appears to have been deleted, he is listening to music in the car and cackles loudly.

It is illegal in Ireland to 'hold a mobile phone in your hand or support it with another part of your body', unless there is an emergency, according to the Road Safety Authority.

Last year he posted a video of himself driving while listening to The Notorious B.I.G., according to The Sun.

In the latest, brief video posted on Instagram, which appears to have been deleted, McGregor is listening to music in the car and cackles loudly

The MMA fighter and boxer has said he has been left shaken by Australian flu, in one of the worst outbreaks of the illness in recent years.

He wrote on Instagram: 'Well that was a wild New Year's Eve. Half the family hit with the Australian flu virus and some even left in hospital with it. I've never even been to Australia wtf.

'I'll leave that with the rest of the bad behind me in 2017 and take with me the many great experiences I've had this year!'

MailOnline has approached McGregor's representatives for comment.
A Mexican man acquitted of murder in the shooting death of a San Francisco woman that sparked a national immigration debate has been sentenced to time served for a gun charge.

A judge sentenced Jose Ines Garcia Zarate on Friday to three years in state prison - none of which he will have to serve because he has already spent two and a half years in jail awaiting his trial.

The sentencing came after the judge denied a last ditch effort by Zarate's attorneys to get the conviction thrown out, based on the allegation that the jury had not been given proper instructions about the gun charge.

Jose Ines Garcia Zarate (pictured above in 2015) was sentenced to time served on Friday for a gun charge related to the 2015 accidental shooting of Kate Steinle

While Zarate won't spend any time in prison for the gun conviction, he'll stay in jail for the near future.

Zarate was acquitted in Steinle's death in November, but found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm

Federal authorities plan to put him on trial for a similar gun charge, that could send him to prison for up to 10 years - after which he may be deported back to his native country.

Garcia Zarate had been deported five times before he fatally shot Kate Steinle on San Francisco's Pier 14 in July 2015. San Francisco officials released him from jail several weeks before the shooting, ignoring a federal request to detain him for a sixth deportation in line with a 'sanctuary city' policy.

His acquittal reignited the furor of critics - mainly the Trump administration - who say Steinle's death shows the need for tougher immigration policies.

During the trial, Zarate's lawyers argued that the shooting was an accident. They said Zarate found the gun on the pier and it accidentally discharged - striking 34-year-old Steinle.

While Zarate won't serve further time for his state gun possession charge, he awaits trial on federal charges that could send him to prison for 10 years. Above, a memorial near the scene of the shooting

Zarate (left) claimed he found a gun on San Francisco's Pier 14 and that it accidentally went off - striking Steinle (right)

They asked the judge to explain to the jury what 'momentary possession' is - a legal loophole that means a convict can hold a gun or drug briefly without actually beind in voilation of the law.

Feng did not tell the jury about this because it did not apply to Zarate since he threw the gun in the water after the act, hindering police from retrieving it.

His lawyers said he was trying to stop the gun from accidentally going off again, but prosecutors say he was just trying to save his skin.

Steinle's family were not in court for the sentencing on Friday.
Lawyers for Milo Yiannopoulos are seeking to drop the controversial alt-right figure as a client in his lawsuit against a book publisher because of a 'fundamental disagreement', according to court papers obtained by DailyMail.com.

New York City law firm Meister Seelig & Fein LLP (MSF) filed a motion that requested permission to withdraw their legal representation of the 33-year-old on Friday.

There was a 'breakdown in the relationship' between Yiannopoulos and his legal team that made 'effective representation impossible', according to court papers.

Yiannopoulos had retained the firm in July to represent him in a $10 million lawsuit against publisher Simon & Schuster for terminating a deal on his book Dangerous in February.

The firm's request comes shortly after Yiannopoulos attacked editor Mitchell Ivers, who made scathing comments on his manuscript, by accusing the man of 'flirting' with him in series of texts.

In a statement released on Monday, Yiannopoulos said that the source of disagreement stemmed from Simon & Schuster wanting to keep all documents confidential and classified as 'attorney's eyes only', meaning that he wouldn't be able to see the papers.

He said that he will now be representing himself in the case in order to see the documents, adding that he looks 'forward to revealing Simon & Schusters perfidy in court.'

Milo Yiannopoulos' legal team at New York City law firm Meister Seelig & Fein LLP (MSF) filed a motion to drop him as a client in a $10m lawsuit on Friday

According to court papers, MSF claim that they attempted to resolve the issues with Yiannopoulos, but were unsuccessful in their attempts.

They were unable to elaborate on the exact nature of the disagreement but said Yiannopoulos insisted on pursuing actions with which MSF has a fundamental disagreement with.

Yiannopoulos hired MSF in July 2017 to represent him in a breach of contract suit against book publisher Simon & Schuster after they pulled the plug on his book deal earlier that year.

Yiannopoulos had received a $250,000 advance to write the book, but later lost his deal shortly after he appeared in a video in which he condoned pedophilia.

He instead decided to self publish, claiming he sold 100,000 copies in his first week.

A memorandum opposing Yiannopoulos' motion for summary judgment was submitted on December 21 and quickly went viral on Twitter for the harsh manuscript notes editor Mitchell Ivers made.

'This is a stupid way to end a terrible chapter. Not worth keeping in. DELETE,' Ivers comments after one section of the book.

He then crossed out the entire next chapter, on Yiannopoulos' grooming habits, and noted: 'DELETE ENTIRE CHAPTER.'

Elsewhere in the book Ivers wrote notes such as 'I will not accept a manuscript that labels an entire class of people "mentally ill"' and 'Do you mean that semen is being mopped up? And that the gay men spilling their seed would have produced gay offspring? Because that isnt true.'

The firm's request comes shortly after Yiannopoulos attacked editor Mitchell Ivers (pictured) who made scathing comments on his manuscript, by accusing the man of 'flirting' with him in series of texts.

No go: Four paragraphs into the first chapter Yiannopoulos is asked by Ivers to 'delete irrelevant and superfluous ethnic joke' about cab drivers using curry as deodorant

Delete: Yiannopoulos is also asked to get rid of a line comparing the 'Hollywood left' to 'high level Nazis,' with Ives noting: 'I don't like using Nazi analogies. Ever.'

Too much: 'This feel gratuitously racist, like you're just denigrating African countries,' wrote Ives after a line about AIDs in Congo and South Africa

In response to the manuscript notes, Yiannopoulos said: '"Dont quote me but you done good" is what Simon & Schuster told me about my manuscript barely two days before dumping my book in February in breach of contract. S&S executives also quoted Hollywood agents who said Id shift half a million copies and agreed with me about the "virtue-signaling" Left.

'Mitchell Ivers, the liberal gay editor Simon & Schuster put in charge of neutering its edgier conservative authors, hates Republicans and thinks they are all virulent homophobes. He told me so himself.

'Ivers said one thing in manuscript edits, but quite another when he was giggling and flirting with me. I look forward to prevailing in court.'

His publicist also sent along texts she claimed that Yiannopoulos exchanged with Ivers to support her client's claims.

Yiannopoulos was asked in the notes from Ivers to get rid of some ethnic jokes, a Nazi analogy and tone down the constant praise for his own accomplishments throughout the text.

He was also ordered to delete a story in which he stated that Hillary and Bill Clinton were practicing Satanists and told that having sex with a black person does not mean a person cannot be racist.

In particular, Ivers noted that the "Why Establishment Gays Hate Me" chapter "needs a better central thesis than the notion that gay people should go back in the closet" and the feminist chapter needed a "stronger argument against feminism than saying that they are ugly and sexless and have cats,' reads the court filing.

In response to the manuscript notes leaking, Yiannopoulos said: '"Dont quote me but you done good" is what Simon & Schuster told me about my manuscript barely two days before dumping my book in February in breach of contract'

It is just four paragraphs into the first chapter of the book that Yiannopoulos is asked to 'delete irrelevant and superfluous ethnic joke.'

That is in response to a line in which he suggests that cab drivers use curry as deodorant.

Next up on the chopping block is a paragraph about the Clintons that seemed bound to cause a number of legal problems for the publisher.

'Speaking of witchcraft, the Clintons have turned into such villains that the demons summoned through their "spirit-cooking" sessions take notes on them like it's a master class in demonic behavior,' read the manuscript.

'The demons wonder how she has done it all in one lifetime.'

Ivers, in one of the lengthier notes given to the author, wrote: "This entire paragraph is just reporting fake news. There was no blood, no semen, NO Satanism. Delete.'

A few pages later, Ives noted 'let's not call South Africa "white"' in response to Yiannopoulos' argument that celebrities only ever threaten to flee to overwhelmingly white countries.

A just a few lines later Yiannopoulos is again asked to get rid of a line comparing the 'Hollywood left' to 'high level Nazis,' with Ives noting: 'I don't like using Nazi analogies. Ever.'

Ives also had a problem with Yiannopoulos' ideas about what constitutes racism when the impish instigator wrote: 'And given my penchant for black men, denizens of the dark continent, I can't be accused of being racist either. I'm the left's worst nightmare.'

There were two notes next to that line, the first of which asked that 'dark continent' be rephrased out of fear it sounded too much like 'darkies' and would be 'misread.'

It was the second note that Ivers stressed more than any other, writing 'MAJOR POINT' before stating: 'Having sex with black people does not prove someone is racist. You will have to address the charge of racism clearly and with greater depth, preferably early in the book when you discuss Leslie Jones more fully.'
A search and rescue operation is underway in Florida after a world class fisherman was reported missing on Friday.

Professional angler Nik Kayler, 38, has not been seen over the past 24 hours after his boat capsized on Lake Okeechobee on Thursday.

CBS affiliate WPEC-TV reports that one angler on the boat was rescued following the incident. Bill Kisiah is currently being treated in Belle Glade and is in serious condition.

Professional angler Nik Kayler (pictured) has not been seen over the past 24 hours after his boat capsized on Lake Okeechobee on Thursday

Bill Kisiah (pictured) is currently being treated for sever hypothermia in Belle Glade and in serious condition

Fellow angler Mike Jones told WPEC-TV that Kisiah was found alive clinging to his boat (pictured) around 11pm Thursday nigh

The veteran anglers were competing in the Costa Fishing League Worldwide tournament when their boat overturned.

'Kisiah is a nine-year veteran boater of FLW Series competition, while Kayler had fished in 61 previous FLW events as a co-angler,' the tournament said in a statement.

The boat belonging Kisiah was discovered by search crews on Friday morning nearly 50 miles away (pictured: Lake Okeechobee)

Fishing League Worldwide alerted authorities to the situation after they failed to return to a 'designated weigh-in location' at C. Scott Driver Park, according to WPEC-TV.

The boat belonging to Kisiah, 51, was discovered by search crews on Friday morning nearly 50 miles away, close to Pahokee.

Fellow angler Mike Jones told WPEC-TV that Kisiah was found alive clinging to the boat around 11pm Thursday night.

'He had hypothermia real bad,' Jones said. 'He was really really out of it, I don't know if he even knew where he was at, when he washed up on the bank.'

The broadcaster reported that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Coast Guard continue to search for Kayler.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Coast Guard continue to search for Kayler
Two Republican senators have made the first known criminal referral from congressional investigations of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, asking the Justice Department to determine whether former British spy Christopher Steele lied to the FBI.

Steele authored a dossier of allegations about President Donald Trump's ties to Russia, a lengthy document including salacious, unsubstantiated charges that he cavorted with prostitutes in Moscow.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham say they've referred Steele to the DOJ in connection with false statements he may have made about 'the distribution of claims contained in the dossier.'

Lawmakers cannot prosecute criminal activity. But they generally refer any criminal violations they find to the Justice Department. The senators said Friday that part of their criminal referral is classified.

Grassley said in a statement that 'everyone needs to follow the law and be truthful in their interactions with the FBI.'

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (left) and Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley (right), pictured Thursday at the White House with President Donald Trump, asked the Department of Justice on Friday to investigate whether Christopher Steele lied to the FBI

Steele, a former British spy, was tapped by Democratic opposition research firm Fusion GPS to compile dirt on Trump last year  what became known as the 'dirty dossier'

Congress and a special counsel have been investigating whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russians to swing the 2016 election to the billionaire

'Maybe there is some innocent explanation for the inconsistencies we have seen, but it seems unlikely. In any event, it's up to the Justice Department to figure that out,' he added.

Graham said separately that he had reviewed 'how Mr. Steele conducted himself in distributing information contained in the dossier and how many stop signs the DOJ ignored in its use of the dossier.'

The result, he insisted, was the need for a special counsel to review Steele's conduct.

Democrats were furious that the first criminal referral in what has become known as Russiagate targeted not Trump campaign officials but an investigator who sought to blow the whistle on them.

Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, complained that committee Republicans never consulted her about petitioning the Justice Department for action on Steele.

'It's clearly another effort to deflect attention from what should be the committee's top priority, determining whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the election and whether there was subsequent obstruction of justice,' she said.

Two Trump aides, George Papadopoulos (left) and Gen. Mike Flynn (right), have pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, and Graham and Grassley say Steele should be held to the same standard

So far two Trump aides, George Papadopoulos and Gen. Mike Flynn, have pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI as a result of the special counsel probe led by Robert Mueller.

Graham may have been referring to the two in suggesting on Friday that Steele should face the same legal standard.

'If the same actions have different outcomes, and those differences seem to correspond to partisan political interests, then the public will naturally suspect that law enforcement decisions are not on the up-and-up,' he said.

The murky Democratic political intelligence firm Fusion GPS contracted with Steele to produce the dossier after receiving payments from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, which used a law firm as a middle-man.

GPS Fusion attorney Joshua Levy complained in a statement Friday that 'after a year of investigations into Donald Trumps ties to Russia, the only person Republicans seek to accuse of wrongdoing is one who reported on these matters to law enforcement in the first place.'

'Publicizing a criminal referral based on classified information raises serious questions about whether this letter is nothing more than another attempt to discredit government sources, in the midst of an ongoing criminal investigation. We should all be skeptical in the extreme,' he said.

Fusion GPS hit back this week publicly at Republican investigators, asserting that the dossier was not the basis for the FBI's investigation of Donald Trump.

Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch penned an op-ed in The New York Times in which they blasted GOP lawmakers for focusing on them and their research, rather than on a skein of ties between Trump associates and Russia.

'We don't believe the Steele dossier was the trigger for the F.B.I.'s investigation into Russian meddling,' they wrote.

Glenn Simpson (left) and Peter Fritsch (right) penned an op-ed in The New York Times blasting Republicans for focusing on them and defending their firm Fusion GPS for hiring Steele

'As we told the Senate Judiciary Committee in August, our sources said the dossier was taken so seriously because it corroborated reports the bureau had received from other sources, including one inside the Trump camp.'

'We walked investigators through our yearlong effort to decipher Mr. Trump's complex business past, of which the Steele dossier is but one chapter,'

Simpson and Fritsch confirmed their relationship with Steele as well.

'Yes, we hired Mr. Steele, a highly respected Russia expert. But we did so without informing him whom we were working for and gave him no specific marching orders beyond this basic question: Why did Mr. Trump repeatedly seek to do deals in a notoriously corrupt police state that most serious investors shun?' they insisted.

They say they have handed information over to Republican investigators.

'We handed over our relevant bank records  while drawing the line at a fishing expedition for the records of companies we work for that have nothing to do with the Trump case,' they write.

In a court filing on Thursday, Fusion GPS complained about requests from Congress 'for records of transactions between Fusion and certain media companies, journalists, and businesses.'

They say they were shocked by what Steele uncovered, but never themselves went to the FBI.

'What came back shocked us. Mr. Steele's sources in Russia (who were not paid) reported on an extensive  and now confirmed  effort by the Kremlin to help elect Mr. Trump president. Mr. Steele saw this as a crime in progress and decided he needed to report it to the F.B.I.'

'We did not discuss that decision with our clients, or anyone else. Instead, we deferred to Mr. Steele, a trusted friend and intelligence professional with a long history of fworking with law enforcement. We did not speak to the F.B.I. and haven't since,' they added.

The firm's cofounders said they 'helped' Steele when he decided to share the dossier with Arizona Sen. John McCain after the election. McCain subsequently brought the dossier to the FBI.

'The goal was to alert the United States national security community to an attack on our country by a hostile foreign power. We did not, however, share the dossier with BuzzFeed, which to our dismay published it last January,' they wrote.
A Texas couple have been found shot dead in their home in an apparent murder suicide which police say happened as their teenage son slept elsewhere in the house.

Sandra Hogg, 42, and Brian Hogg, 44, were found inside the home they shared with their son, who is a freshman in high school, on Friday morning at 8.45am.

Friends of the couple became concerned when they knocked on the door for several minutes without getting an answer.

They were then able to make contact with the couple's son, apparently waking him up.

Sandra Hogg, 42, and Brian Hogg, 44, were found inside the home they shared with their son, who is a freshman in high school, on Friday morning at 8.45am

Police say the couple died in a murder suicide and that the teenager, who is a high school freshman, slept through it

He found their bodies not long afterwards and emergency services were called.

Police have not indicated who they believe died first or whether it was their son or their friends who called 911.

'On Friday, January 05, 2018 at 8:44 a.m. officers were dispatched to 6 Lazy Lane in Bay City, Texas. Shortly before calling police, friends of the homeowners went by the residence and knocked for several minutes without getting an answer.

'They were finally able to make contact with the teenage son of the homeowners.

'The son reportedly found his mother and father deceased inside the residence after being woken up.

'Facts present at the scene lead investigators to believe that this was a murder-suicide but the investigation is ongoing,' a Bay City Police spokesman told DailyMail.com.

Police have given no indication of who they believe pulled the trigger. Their only comment on Friday was that there were 'facts' at the scene which lead them to believe the Hoggs died in a murder suicide

The alarm was raised on Friday at 8.44am after friends of the couple became concerned when they received no answer at their home despite knocking on the door for several minutes

Investigations are ongoing and police have given no indication of who they believe died first.

Mrs Hogg was a counselor for the Bay City Independent School District. Her husband was a cattle farmer.

On social media, the couple are portrayed as loving and doting parents who were proud of their only son.

They recently returned from a Christmas cruise to Mexico.

Authorities declined to answer questions on the deaths, citing the ongoing investigation.


Donald Trump's chief counsel is Donald Trump, a tell-all that's sent a jolt through the Republican's White House claims.

Trump once told MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, the book alleges, that the person he consults before makes public pronouncements is, 'Me.'

'I talk to myself,' Trump is said to have told Scarborough.

Donald Trump's chief counsel is Donald Trump, a tell-all that's sent a jolt through the Republican's White House claims. 'I talk to myself,' Trump allegedly said

Here I am with my chief counselor: Trump was alone again on the South Lawn as he headed for Camp David on Friday

Michael Wolff's 'Fire and Fury' hit book stands Friday morning as its publisher moved up the Jan. 9 release of the barnburner to accommodate demand.

Trump once told MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, the book alleges, that the person he consults before makes public pronouncements is, 'Me'

The author and columnist says of Trump: 'And he trusted his own expertiseno matter how paltry or irrelevantmore than anyone elses.'

He was so 'entirely confident of his own gut instincts and reflexive opinions, however frequently they might change' in the early days, Wolff writes, that staff assumed 'Trump must know what he was doing, his intuition must be profound.'

'He was often confident, but he was just as often paralyzed, less a savant in these instances than a figure of sputtering and dangerous insecurities, whose instinctive response was to lash out and behave as if his gut, however silent and confused, was in fact in some clear and forceful way telling him what to do,' Wolff says they came to realize.

Assessing Trump's vociferous defenses of himself, not just in the media, but in conversations with friends and staffers, Wolff says that people close to Trump were telling him to 'simmer down.'

Michael Wolff's 'Fire and Fury' hit book stands Friday morning as its publisher moved up the Jan. 9 release of the barnburner to accommodate demand

' Who do you have in there? said Joe Scarborough in a frantic call. Whos the person you trust? Jared? Who can talk you through this stuff before you decided to act on it?

' Well, said the president, you wont like the answer, but the answer is me. Me. I talk to myself. ' Wolff reveals.

That gut-check is what led the president to send former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer to haul the press in on a weekend to lecture them on Trump's inauguration crowd size.

Not only did the moment turn Spicer into a 'national joke,' Wolff says, 'To boot, the president blamed Spicer for not making the million phantom souls seem real.

'It was the first presidential instance of what the campaign regulars had learned over many months: on the most basic level, Trump just did not, as Spicer later put it, give a f***. You could tell him whatever you wanted, but he knew what he knew, and if what you said contradicted what he knew, he simply didnt believe you.'

Spicer said Thursday in an interview that he regretted making the claim at his first-ever on-camera briefing at the White House.

'There were times where I screwed up, theres no question about it,' he told HLN host S.E. Cupp.

His personal gut-check is what led the president to send former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer to haul the press in on a weekend to lecture them on Trump's inauguration crowd size.

Scarborough did not refute the passage pertaining to his conversation with Trump in the book in a Washington Post op-ed on the subject that went on the news publication's website Thursday evening.

Just the opposite, he propped up Wolff's reporting with another Trump anecdote that was intended to call the president's judgement into question.

Scarborough brings up an email that made its way into Wolf's book and purportedly described the views of his chief economic adviser Gary Cohn.

'It neatly summarizes what campaign workers and White House staff have been telling me about Trump for two years,' Scarborough says. 'He is an idiot surrounded by clowns. Trump wont read anything  not one-page memos, not the brief policy papers; nothing. He gets up halfway through meetings with world leaders because he is bored. And his staff is no better.'

Scarborough says he and co-host Mika Brzezinski met with Trump in September of 2015 after a debate where Trump did not perform well.

'I asked the candidate a blunt question. Can you read? Awkward silence,' Scarborough writes. 'Im serious, Donald. Do you read? I continued. If someone wrote you a one-page paper on a policy, could you read it? '

The television show host says that Trump was 'taken aback by the question initially.

'Trump quietly responded that he could while holding up a Bible given to him by his mother. He then joked that he read it all the time.'

The conversation, he says, backs up Wolff's claim that 'Trump didnt read.'

'He didnt really even skim. If it was print, it might as well not exist. Some believed that for all practical purposes he was no more than semiliterate,' Wolff's book states. 'Some thought him dyslexic; certainly his comprehension was limited. Others concluded that he didnt read because he just didnt have to, and that in fact this was one of his key attributes as a populist. He was postliteratetotal television.'

Wolff goes on to say that 'not only didnt he read, he didnt listen. He preferred to be the person talking.
At least two movie theaters in Wisconsin, near where a 12-year-old girl was nearly stabbed to death by friends in an attack to honor 'Slender Man,' have refused to show a new horror film inspired by the fictional character.

Representatives for the Avalon Theater and Fox Bay Cinema Grill, both located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, told KTLA that they will not be showing the film, titled Slender Man.

'Thats hitting a little too close to home,' owner of Fox Bay Cinema Grill, Roman Kelly, said. 'I just dont see us bringing it in to view because I dont know the people in Milwaukee want to see a movie about that  given whats happened.'

Two movie theaters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin have refused to show the new horror film Slender Man, due out in May (movie poster pictured above)

The Avalon (left) and the Fox Bay Cinema Grill (right) will not show the film out of respect for a local community that was rocked by a murder inspired by Slender Man

Mark Struke, who works on programming at the Avalon, added: 'Its a little bit fresh for the community to just play a basic horror film that involves this tragedy.'

The two theaters are located just over 20 miles from Waukesha, where the attack that introduced Slender Man to the greater world happened in 2014.

Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser lured classmate Leutner to a wooded park, where Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times, narrowly missing her heart, while Weier urged her on.

Leutner managed to crawl out of the woods to a path where a passing bicyclist found her. She survived the attack.

Payton Leutner (above) was stabbed 19 times in woods in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 2014 by two of her friends

Anissa Weier (left in her 2014 mugshot when she was 12) was arrested alongside Morgan Geyser (right) in 2014

Weier and Geyser told detectives they had to kill Leutner to prove to Slender Man that they were worthy of being his servants as well as protect their families (above, Payton being rushed to the hospital after the attack)

Weier and Geyser told detectives they had to kill Leutner to prove to Slender Man that they were worthy of being his servants as well as protect their families from him. All three girls were 12 years old at the time of the attack.

Geyser, now 15, pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide in a deal with prosecutors, who have asked she get at least 40 years in a mental hospital when she's sentenced in February.

Weier, now 16, was sentenced to 25 years in a mental institution last month after pleading guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide.

Weier's parents have stood by her through her arrest and trial. They told Good Morning America previously that their daughter wholeheartedly believed in the character and wanted to prove it when she attacked Payton.

When Sony recently released a trailer for the new Slender Man movie, which tells the story of his legend, Weier's father spoke out and said he didn't think the film was appropriate.

Weier (pictured in court in 2016) was recently sentenced to 25 years in a mental hospital for the attempted murder of Leutner

Geyser (above in September) is now facing 40 years in a mental institution

Her father Bill Weier (pictured in court in 2016) said he hopes local theaters won't show the movie when it's released in May

'It's absurd they want to make a movie like this,' he told Associated Press. 'It's popularizing a tragedy is what it's doing.'

'I'm not surprised but in my opinion it's extremely distasteful.'

He added that the Slender Man movie was just 'extending the pain all three of these families have gone through.'

The film is set to be released on May 18.

Already, there is a petition circulating online, calling for Sony to cancel the film's release.

As of Friday afternoon, the petition had more than 5,700 signatures of its intended 6,000 goal.

The Sony production, entitled 'Slender Man,' marks the first full-length feature built around the character

In one scene of the movie, a wall is covered with drawings of Slender Man

The film plot is described as: 'Terror strikes when unsuspecting victims cross paths with a tall, thin, horrifying figure known as the Slender Man'

The father of one of the girls who tried to kill a classmate, and has since been sentenced to 25 years in a mental hospital, says the movie is in extremely poor taste

The creepy character of Slender Man is a fairly recent invention. He was conjured up by Eric Knudson, as part of an online art contest, as a mysterious specter photo-edited into everyday images of children at play.

The image became a popular internet meme and inspired creepypasta - an online trove of horror stories based on it.

He's typically depicted as a slim, spidery figure in a black suit with a featureless white face that preys on children. He has grown into a popular boogeyman and has appeared in video games and online stories.

The Sony production, entitled 'Slender Man,' marks the first full-length feature built around the character. The picture is directed by Sylvain White, who also helmed 2007's 'Stomp the Yard,' and stars Javier Botet as Slender Man.

The studio released a trailer for the horror movie Wednesday.

The film is not based on the girl's case, but the legend of Slender Man himself.
Terrell Morgan, 17, was arrested on burglary charges after allegedly breaking into a Texas home and watching a mother and her young child sleep

A teenager has been arrested after allegedly breaking into a young family's home and leaving a mystery stain on their bed as he watched over them while they slept.

Terrell Morgan, 17, was arrested on burglary charges after allegedly breaking into a Texas home and watching a mother and her seven-year-old daughter sleep on New Year's Day.

Surveillance footage captured him waiting outside the house for an hour on New Year's Day before allegedly breaking into the home in Montgomery County.

Deputies believed the suspect entered the home through an unlocked window on the side of the house.

Once inside, he is seen on video surveillance from inside the residence entering all rooms of the house to include the master bedroom where the homeowner was sleeping with her daughter.

Morgan allegedly spent about 30 minutes inside the bedroom. The footage shows him exiting the room with his pants off wearing a dress.

Morgan allegedly entered the master bedroom where the homeowner and her seven-year-old daughter were sleeping

The homeowner told deputies that she found a mysterious stain on her bed that was not there when she went to sleep.

Authorities say they were able to identify Morgan as the suspected intruder by identifying his fingerprints after he allegedly left a water bottle that he drank from behind.

Surveillance footage captured him waiting outside the house for an hour on New Year's Day before allegedly breaking into the home in Montgomery County

Morgan allegedly spent about 30 minutes inside the bedroom. The footage shows him exiting the room with his pants off wearing a dress

Police also found mens underwear inside the victims residence which contained bodily fluids.

This was not the first time Morgan allegedly broke into the home. On November 24 the victim filed a report with the Montgomery County Sheriffs office claiming someone had entered her residence while she slept and had stolen items from inside her home.

Morgan is being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $250,000 bond.
The backbiting catalogued in 'Fire and Fury' extends beyond the White House to Don Jr. and Eric Trump, who according to the book got a nickname from Iraqi bloodthirsty tyrants.

Author Michael Wolff mentions Don Jr. and Eric, stating early in his tome that 'behind their backs known to Trump insiders as Uday and Qusay.'

The two grown Trump sons feature in Wolff's 'Fire and Fury,' though they are spared some of the most vicious accounts of infighting that envelops Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Steve Bannon, and other figures.

REPUBLICAN GUARD: Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump were called 'Uday and Qusay' behind their books, according to the new book 'Fire and Fury'

They took over control of the Trump Organization after Trump got elected, and now run it with an executive. Neither took White House jobs like their sister and brother in law Jared Kushner.

Wolff doesn't explain why they earned such an unfortunate moniker. The two Trump sons show up in a section about how Trump and Kushner family members all 'supported their business enterprises to a greater or lesser extent working in the dubious limbo of international free cash flow and gray money.'

In one of the bombshell early bombshell excerpts of the book, Steve Bannon is quoted as referring to Don Jr.'s infamous Trump Tower meeting with Russians as treasonous.

Uday Hussain commanded the Fedayeen militia and made it as the Ace of hearts on a pack of 'most wanted' Iraqis that made their way through the U.S. military.

FAMILY BUSINESS: Saddam Hussein poses with his sons Uday and Qusay (R) in a photo from the private archive of an official photographer for the regime

Uday (R) was known to be more sadistic and had a playboy lifestyle

GOLD MEDAL BRANDING: President Saddam Hussein (C) is flanked by his two sons Uday (L) and Qusay (R) in this recent file photograph, released by the Iraqi government

He was known for brutally torturing perceived enemies of his father's regime, with his passion for violence and rape matched by a playboy lifestyle.

According to his obituary in Al Jazeera he was known for ordering women he desired brought to his room and for a flamboyant lifestyle and collection of cars.

Qusay controlled Special Republican Guards units, shielded weapons, and helped plot the defense of Baghdad, and may have been responsible for more deaths than his brother, according to the Telegraph.

The aside about Uday and Qusay is just one of many bits of information Wolff sprinkled throughout a book that took political Washington by storm.

One parenthetical passage mentions the tragic death of Trump's brother, an alcoholic who Trump spoke movingly about during a session on opioid addiction.

In section on children trying to get approval from the elder Fred Trump, Wolff writes: '(Trump's older brother, Freddy, failing in this effort, and, by many reports, gay, drank himself to death; he died in 1981 at age forty-three).'

Another detail shows Trump, who never served in the military but went to military school, interviewing candidates for national security advisor after he fired Mike Flynn.

DULL: Trump said National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster 'bores the s*** out of me' after his job interview, according to the book

When H.R. McMaster came in wearing his uniform, the general known for his literary bent, launched into a lecture on global strategy.

'That guy bores the s*** out of me,' Trump said when he left, according to the book.

Then McMaster returned in a baggy suit. 'He looks like a beer salesman,' Trump said at this iteration, adding he would hire him but didn't want to have another meeting.

President Trump tweeted that the book was 'full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist.'
John Worboys models for a publicity shot from his days as stripper 'Terry the Minder'

Cruising Londons West End at night, like a shark searching for its prey, taxi driver John Worboys modus operandi was chillingly effective.

The orange light of his licensed black cab inspired trust; his friendly, courteous manner suggested someone completely unthreatening behind its wheel.

Dont worry darling  I will get you home safe, he would tell the young women he targeted as they spilled out of pubs, restaurants or clubs in the early hours.

Sometimes, he even offered to waive his fare if a lone female didnt have enough money to get home safely  like a knight in shining armour.

But Worboys, with a rape tool kit hidden in the footwell, was anything but. First came the banter, then a well-rehearsed story. Worboys would say hed had a great day  winning tens of thousands of pounds at a casino, on the lottery, or at the races.

Look, hed tell them, turning in his seat to show his passenger a carrier bag literally stuffed with banknotes or fanning them out in his hand for maximum effect.

Then, hed invite her to celebrate his good luck with him. Reaching for two glasses, hed produce a miniature bottle of champagne or other alcohol from the footwell of his cab.

Only six out of more than 80 women who came forward to police refused the drink  the others later told detectives they didnt want to appear rude because Worboys seemed such genial company; a perfect gentleman.

But with their champagne spiked with sedatives from his travelling tool kit  which also included condoms, plastic gloves and a sex toy  the women were soon rendered helpless.

One drugged female passenger woke in his cab to find Worboys raping her, another to see him naked from the waist down and another woke at home the next morning fully clothed but without underwear.

Taxi driver John Worboys, who is believed to have carried out more than 100 rapes and sexual assaults on women in London between 2002 and 2008. Pictured: His 'rape toolkit'

One victim recalled lolling about as Worboys tried to kiss her, another had flashbacks of him being on top of her and another was violently sick and felt like a rag doll.

Thirty-minute journeys would take an hour-and-a-half as Worboys took a detour with his drugged passenger. On at least one occasion he followed his victim into her home, on the pretext of helping her.

One 22-year-old who rejected his offer of champagne, only pretending to sip it, was told by a frustrated Worboys, Youve really wasted my time tonight, when he dropped her home.

Jailed indefinitely in 2009 for 19 charges of drugging and sexually assaulting 12 passengers including one charge of rape, with a minimum term of eight years, Worboys was believed to be Britains most prolific serial sex attacker.

Johannah Cutts QC, prosecuting, told the jury: His intent was to ensure they were completely at his mercy, and then to sexually molest them to render them unconscious and unable to resist his sexual advances.

Sentencing him, Mr Justice Penry-Davey, QC, said a report on Worboys found the cabbie was a repetitive predatory sexual offender who had not accepted his crimes and had shown a significant degree of sexual deviance. A further report suggested he posed a significant risk of re-offending.

More than 100 women came forward to say hed assaulted them and police suspected him of more than 500 attacks. Detectives described him as very articulate and very clever. He knew how to manipulate them.

If his victims had hoped Worboys, a former stripper and amateur porn star, would be locked away for a long time then this week brought the shocking revelation that he will soon be a free man again.

Warboys outside Croydon Crown Court in London

Yesterday, the Parole Board apologised unreservedly to all his victims for failing to inform them of its decision to release Worboys, now aged 60, after just nine years in prison.

One victim, whose case was never brought to court, said she found out while preparing dinner for her children. The woman, who was not named, told Channel 4 News: I cannot get on with my life, there is no parole for me, because this is always hanging over me. Hearing it on the news, everything was brought back like it was yesterday.

A three-person panel cleared him for release from a top security prison, on the grounds that he no longer presented a threat to the public  triggering a wave of criticism.

Yvette Cooper, chairman of the Commons home affairs committee, described the decision as shocking and deeply upsetting, adding: The Parole Board should publish their reasons immediately so both the decision and process can be scrutinised before this man is released.

The former director of public prosecutions, Labour MP Sir Keir Starmer, is also facing calls to explain why the Crown Prosecution Service took no further action when more women came forward with allegations after Worboys conviction.

Lawyer Harriet Wistrich, who represents two victims, said one of them should not have had to receive the news and see his face everywhere while cooking tea for her children.

Writer and commentator Harriet Sergeant, who knew one of Worboys victims, yesterday said the decision was proof that the legal system had gone stark, staring mad.

Sergeant says of the shy 17-year-old girl who was a friend of the family: Fortunately for her, the girl came to, vomiting all over his cab  and him. He could not get her out fast enough. But others were not so lucky.

The mother of one victim said yesterday of his imminent release: I think its disgusting. Hes a serial attacker. And he knows where my daughter lives. I wouldnt trust him as far as I could throw him. He could start all over again.

Therell be a lot of people who never came forward who are ashamed and who blame themselves for drinking or who dont want their husband to know. My daughter never really spoke to me much about it. I think she felt ashamed.

Another victim, who also wished to remain anonymous, told the Daily Mail: Regardless of his parole conditions I dont think I would feel safe. Its a really sickening thought that he will be roaming the streets once again.

Professor Nick Hardwick, chairman of the Parole Board, responded yesterday: I recognise there is a lack transparency of Parole Board processes and I have recently set out options for change.

The taxi driven by Warboys in which he would assault his victims after telling them, 'Don't worry, I'll get you home safe'

'We currently have a statutory duty under the Parole Board Rules that prevents disclosure of proceedings. We will shortly be launching a public consultation about how we share our decision making with the public.

I am very concerned some victims were not told about the decision, this must have been very distressing. There are robust arrangements in place for victims to be informed through the Victim Contact Scheme. We were told that had been done as usual in this case and released the decision on that basis.

Mr Hardwick acknowledged that the decision must have been horrible for the women but the board was confident Worboys would not re-offend. However, charity Rape Crisis described Worboys time in prison as woefully short for such a dangerous and manipulative perpetrator.

Even Worboys ex-wife, Jean Clayton, 60, who was married to him between 1991 and 1995, has claimed he should never be freed, once describing him as a sex addict. Her daughter Carrie-Ann, 40, told The Sun of her former step-father: He made our familys life a misery. I cant imagine what these women are feeling. Nine years and out isnt justice. Its awful.

Many of Worboys victims were young, attractive, educated or professional women  including a hedge-fund manager, a solicitor, an advertising executive and a financial journalist.

One was a 36-year-old new mother, on her first evening out after the birth of her baby. Worboys, his trial heard, drove her to a quiet road near her West London street where he assaulted her in the back of the cab.

Before she lost consciousness she asked why they were there, to which he replied: Because if your husband knew, hed punch me.

The mother was found by her fiance slumped by their toilet in the early hours, unable to move her legs. A police medical examination found traces of condom lubricant in her underwear.

A 26-year-old woman, who thought Worboys was a nice, generous sort of chap with my best interests at heart, told the court she woke up in the back of his vehicle with his hand up her skirt.

Warboys seen in a mug shot taken at a London police station

Another victim, a 22-year-old hedge-fund administrator, told the jury: I remember being really groggy, he was leaning over me and kept saying I had made his night. I wasnt able to communicate other than grunting.

A 23-year-old Swedish student recalled how Worboys offered her 2,000 for sex after she poured her spiked champagne away because it made her feel dizzy.

A 27-year-old virgin described to the court how she felt woozy after drinking a whisky that Worboys had given her to celebrate his 50,000 casino win.

The office worker went to police after having flashbacks of him on top of her and tests later found Worboys DNA on her underwear. He attacked her after she confided in him that she was gay, but had never been with anyone.

Many of his alleged victims, however, could not recollect accurately what had happened to them because the date-rape drugs had caused dizziness, fatigue and loss of memory.

Worboys, who had a 44-year-old girlfriend until his arrest, wept in court as he denied all the charges, insisting DNA evidence linking him to the victims was the result of consensual sexual activity.

Born and raised in Enfield, North London, he grew up with a younger sister and mother who died from cancer when Worboys was 13, leaving the children to be brought up by their father Alan. He told the court this loss had affected him deeply and he craved womens company.

He admitted offering alcohol to female passengers and inventing lies about winning the lottery to make himself sound more interesting and attract attention.

But the tool kit detectives found in the boot of his Fiat Punto and the notebooks in his bedroom told a different story. They contained addresses of women passengers and handwritten notes explaining away some of the sexual attacks, as if already preparing his defence in the event of arrest.

One note read: If I s/a [sexually assaulted] her, my DNA would be down below so she SA me.

Then there was Worboys history, which unveiled a rather more sordid alter-ego behind the respectable, courteous, cab-driving, everyman veneer.

Leaving school at 16 with four CSEs, Worboys worked as a milkman and a security guard, but aged 30 re-invented himself as Terry the Minder  a male stripper and kissogram, much in demand at hen parties and gay venues, performing to the theme tune from the Minder series - I Could Be So Good For You sung by Dennis Waterman.

After 13 years, greying, middle-aged and paunchy, demand for his services as Terry was dwindling, so Worboys took the Knowledge to become a black cab driver in 1996, earning 1,000 a week.

He bought flat in East London and also owned property in Enfield and Poole in Dorset, where he rented out his studio flat to an amateur porn film director. He even starred in some of the movies, going under the names Tony or Paul.

His victims all spoke of how Worboys turned the conversation to sex soon after giving them the alcohol spiked with either over-the-counter sedatives or those prescribed by his doctor for insomnia which  the court heard  hed stockpiled for use in his tool kit.

He told one young victim she had what it took to become a glamour model. Another he offered 1,000 for sexual favours.

First arrested in 2007 over the attack on a 19-year-old student, it later emerged that, from 2003, 12 women had told the Metropolitan Police that theyd been drugged, sexually assaulted or propositioned by a black cab driver, but the link was missed  triggering a critical incident review.

Sir David Latham, former chairman of the Parole Board, last night told the Mail: This is one of those cases which was always going to cause difficulty because it started off all wrong. The judge was hamstrung in the sentence, partly because the prosecution may well have decided to restrict themselves to their strongest cases.

We were trying to campaign for the government to get rid of these indeterminate sentences around 2009, when I was parole board chairman  the same year Worboys was on trial. I always thought they werent an appropriate sentence.

At the time it would have been deemed very long sentence and I think the judge deemed that, after Worboys served the minimum of eight years, it would have taken him a long time  maybe another eight years  to prove that he wouldnt present danger on release.

'Im struggling to imagine how he would have persuaded the Parole Board, but its not inconceivable. He must have been looked at by very experienced psychologists and psychiatrists because of the danger he apparently presented.

While he did assault these women, we dont know that he was violent  theres a small chance that was something he was able to prove while in prison.

The message thats coming across was that he was responsible not just for the 19 offences he was charged with, but a very, very large number of others.

But the parole board cant take those into account.

Theyre stuck because they cannot consider the cases that were brought against Worboys and not proved because they were not investigated by the CPS while he was in prison.

'The only way the thing can be unpicked at this stage would be if the prosecution recharged him with the other offences.

'Whether or not theyd get anywhere because of the delay, I dont know, and Worboys would be very likely to challenge the decision, but the CPS could still do it.

Perhaps, but many will feel that it is a case of too little, too late.

The injustice is best summed up by one of Warboyss victims, who said yesterday: I cant help but feel that the psychological mind games he used over his victims have won him his freedom here.

'He positioned himself as the victim and for him to walk free when the real victims in this case will forever remain chained to his crimes feels a betrayal.

Police and CPS decided not to pin more sex attacks on Worboys because they thought his eight-year sentence was 'adequate'

Officials in the police and CPS believed their job was done when Worboys was sentenced to life with an eight years minimum sentence, a report revealed.

The CPS believed that it was not in the 'public interest' to try and press more charges against the black cab driver.

Despite detectives fearing Worboys could have been responsible for 20 attacks, prosecutors only managed to convict him of one rape.

They went on to decide not to prosecute him after 19 women came forward following his conviction.

A report into police blunders, the CPS and Worboys' conviction, said his conviction 'properly reflected his criminality and enable a Trial Judge to impose a sentence which adequately protected the public', according to The Sun.

Yesterday Richard Scorer of Slater and Gordon, who represents many of Worboys victims, told the newspaper: 'Theres some suggestion Keir Starmer thought that, because he was given an indeterminate sentence, hed be in a long time and it wasnt necessary to prosecute further.

'If that was the thinking, it was obviously wrong.'

Before Woboy's trial at Croydon Crown Court in 2009, CPS lawyer Tony Connell was tasked with charging decision and prosecution strategy.

A police report revealed: 'He was intent on ensuring the indictment was not overloaded and the case as simple as it could be to present to a jury.'

It comes as victims of the cab driver claimed he fooled the Parole Board into freeing him and are calling for the case against him to be reopened.

They also claim to have been told that Worboys would likely be ruled unfit for release after serving his minimum eight-year tariff.

Lawyer Richard Scorer, who represented 11 victims who sued Worboys after his conviction, said the fiend had 'played a game' with the Parole Board.

He added: 'He is an extremely devious and manipulative individual. Although we dont know the logic behind the boards decision we are very concerned that he has gamed them  fooled them into believing he is no longer a threat.'

Mr Scorer said some of the victims asked police to reconsider other cases involving Worboys, because 'he was only prosecuted for a fraction of his crimes'.

Additional reporting: Caroline Gammell, Rebecca Camber and Lucy Holden.
One of Roy Moore's accusers has lost her home in a suspected arson attack.

Tina Johnson's home in Gadsden, Alabama, went up in flames on Tuesday morning. There was no one inside the home at the time.

Police say they have identified a suspect who is known in the area for being drunk and misbehaved.

They do not think it had anything to do with Johnson, 55, publicly accusing Roy Moore of sexual misconduct during his unsuccessful senate campaign, according to WBRC.

This is what remains of Tina Johnson's home in Gadsden, Alabama, after a suspected arson attack. Johnson spoke out against Roy Moore in November to claim he sexually assaulted her in his office in 1991

The fire destroyed the home on Tuesday morning. Neither Ms Johnson nor any member of her family was inside at the time

On Friday, she told AL.com how she had lost everything in the fire.

'I am devastated, just devastated. We have just the clothes on our backs,' she said.

Police have not released the name of the man they believe may have been involved but he is not through to have been motivated by Johnson's remarks about Moore.

On Tuesday morning, residents said they saw the man walking around the back of the home.

He asked one woman if he thought it would burn down. No arrests have yet been made.

Tina Johnson (seen in an interview in November) came forward last year to allege misconduct against Moore which she said happened in 1991

In November, Johnson gave a detailed description of how Moore allegedly molested her in his office in Gagsden in the 1990s when she went to him for his legal expertise during a custody battle over her son.

Her mother had accompanied her to the meeting but it did not stop Moore from 'grabbing' her buttocks as she left, she claimed.

'He didn't pinch it; he grabbed it,' she said at the time.

At the start of the meeting, Moore remarked on how 'pretty' she was and made her feel uncomfortable, she said.

Johnson spoke out along with other women in the hope of blocking him from taking office.

Despite being backed wholeheartedly by President Trump throughout his campaign and dismissing the allegations against him as false, Moore could not overcome them.

He lost the special election to Democrat Doug Jones on December 12, turning Alabama blue from red for the first time in 25 years.
An elderly couple have been found dead together in sub-zero temperatures near their cottage in Ontario, Canada, in a tragic turn of events.

Ada Trieber, 83, died on Wednesday night after she went searching for her husband Grant Trieber, 90, in temperatures that plummeted to lows of -14 degrees (-10C).

When police were summoned to the Bluewater home on Wednesday, to check on the well-being of the residents, they discovered Grant was dead too.

Officers revealed Grant had stepped out of their quaint property and suffered a heart attack - prompting Ada to go out and try to find him.

In a heartbreaking turn of events an elderly married couple from Ontario, Canada died Wednesday due to the extreme weather, police found their bodies Wednesday

Authorities discovered the bodies of Ada and Grant close together on the property, police documents show, according to Canada's CBC.

They say extreme cold weather definitely played a huge factor in the death of the elderly couple.

Apparently Grant was found inside an open barn outside the couple's home.

Ada, who went to check on her husband, unfortunately suffered the extreme cold temperatures that resulted in her death.

Police were summoned to the Bluewater home on Wednesday in Ontario, Canada

The Huron County OPP Crime Unit assisted with the investigation and police believe foul play is not suspected in this incident.

Apparently the elderly couple's family is asking for privacy at this devastating time to deal with the tragic losses of their loved ones.

A funeral service will be held at the Haskett Funeral Home in Exeter on Monday.
An Ohio woman charged with killing her husband and then hiding his body parts in storage containers around their home pleaded not guilty in court on Friday.

Marcia Eubank, 49, was arrested in December and charged with one count of murder for the grisly death of 54-year-old Howard Eubank.

Investigators said Marcia allegedly shot her husband several times in the head inside their Akron-area home in June, dismembered him and then scattered his body parts around the house in storage containers.

Marcia confessed in December, six months after the grotesque crime, when her son stumbled upon a bin containing his father's remains.

Marcia Eubank (left) pleaded not guilty to the June murder of her husband Howard Eubank

Marcia is charged with fatally shooting her husband several times in the head, dismembering his body and then hiding the body parts in storage containers around their Akron, Ohio home

Marcia allegedly confessed in December, six months after the crime, when their son found the containers in their home

She was arraigned on Friday and pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated murder, corpse abuse and evidence-tampering. She remains at the Summit County jail on a $1 million bond.

Investigators don't have a motive for the crime, but an attorney for the jailed wife alleges that she was physically and emotionally abused during her nearly 25 year marriage. Brian Pierce said his client will be evaluated by mental health professionals to help with the defense, according to the Associated Press.

Police were called to the home on December 9 following a 911 call from one of Howard and Marcia's sons claiming human remains were found inside.

The son had forgotten his keys and climbed through a window of the house when he spotted a crate covered in flies and maggots and opened it, Cleveland.com reports. The son texted his mother who allegedly admitted that she killed his father in June.

Marcia was arrested that same day in a parking lot outside a business near the house.

Jonathon Eubank, another of Howard's sons and Marcia's stepson, told ABC News that she went to great lengths to keep the murder a secret. He claimed that his stepmother told everyone that Howard had left her and went to Texas.

We all thought it was odd and strange that he would just up and leave, but it never crossed our mind that she would actually murder him, Jonathon said.

Howard and Marcia Eubank were married for nearly 25 years. She is seen left with her grandmother center, and the man on the right is believed to be Howard

Marcia allegedly told her and Howard's sons that he had left her and went to Texas

He told the outlet that the last time he had talked to his father was a month before the crime. The two had discussed how excited they were for Jonathon's August wedding.

And then in the middle of June, we get a message saying that he left my stepmom and went to Texas, he said. My oldest brother got a text message from my dad off his phone saying hes in Texas and hes fine.

In the months after the death, Jonathon said posts would appear on his father's Facebook page letting everyone know he was OK. He now knows the posts were written by his stepmother.

Periodically, there would be posts on his Facebook, he told ABC. One was to Marcia saying he had missed her. That was one of the last Facebook posts that we had seen from his account.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson denied Friday that he has ever questioned Donald Trump's mental capacity to be President of the United States.

Reports emerged in October that Tillerson called Trump 'a f***ing moron' after a meeting with advisers last July.

But amid claims Friday from author Michael Wolff that '100 percent of the people around' President Donald Trump question his intelligence and fitness for office, Tillerson told CNN that he's not among them.

'I've never questioned his mental fitness,' Tillerson said. 'I have no reason to question his mental fitness.'

Wolff, however, said that even Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, the president's son-in-law and elder daughter, question his suitability for the Oval Office.

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'I've never questioned his mental fitness,' Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday of President Donald Trump

Author Michael Wolff said Friday that '100 percent' of the people around Trump question his intelligence and fitness for office, with some calling him a 'moron' and an 'idiot'

To hide his failings from the public, Michael Wolff claims White House Communications Director Hope Hicks (left) hatched a plan last fall to have interviewers submit their questions to President Trump beforehand. They're seen aboard Air Force One in November

'They all say he is like a child. And what they mean by that is he has a need for immediate gratification. It's all about him,' Wolff said on the 'Today' show. 'They say he's a moron, an idiot.'

The suggestion from his sources, Wolff said, purportedly quoting Steve Bannon, is: 'He's lost it.'

Wolff's book 'Fire and Fury' is a political gossip page-turner that paints Trump as an imbecile and his top aides as uncomfortable

Wolff writes that Steve Bannon once openly suggested Trump was so mentally unfit for office that the U.S. Constitution's 25th Amendment might be needed to remove him.

The 25th Amendment allows for a majority of the president's cabinet, or 'such other body as Congress may by law provide,' to decide if an Oval Office occupant is unable to carry out his duties  and then to put it to a full congressional vote.

Shortly after Wolff appeared on 'Today' in New York, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders went on 'Fox & Friends' to rebut him.

'It's absolutely outrageous to make these types of accusations and it's simply untrue, and sad that people are going and making these desperate attempts to attack the president,' said Sanders.

On Thursday she chided reporters who dared ask questions about Trump's mental acuity, calling the queries 'disgraceful and laughable.'

'If he was unfit, he probably wouldn't be sitting there, and wouldn't have defeated the most qualified group of candidates the Republican Party has ever seen,' she insisted. 'This is an incredibly strong and good leader.'

Tillerson reportedly called Trump 'a f***ing moron' following a meeting last summer, but now seems comfortable with the commander-in-chief's mental faculties

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon suggested Trump's cabinet and Vice President Mike Pence might have to use the Constitution's 25th Amendment to remove the president from power, according to Wolff

Tillerson has never denied making the 'moron' comment, only telling reporters that he was 'not going to deal with petty stuff like that.'

The president, however, called it 'fake news'  and joked that he would 'have to compare IQ tests' with his top diplomat.

But congressional Democrats invited a Yale psychiatrist to provide them with an assessment of the president's cognitive state last month.

And Wolff claimed Thursday in a Hollywood Reporter essay that Trump is increasingly forgetful, repeating stories word-for-word inside 10 minutes and failing to recognize old friends.

'At Mar-a-Lago, just before the new year, a heavily made-up Trump failed to recognize a succession of old friends,' he writes.
A man who was killed in a freak accident when a collapsing wall crushed him against his car has been remember as an 'amazing father'.

Stephen Taylor, 25, died when a brick wall collapsed and pinned him against his car on Carthew Street in Kirward, Queensland on Thursday.

He leaves behind his six-year-old son James.

Stephen Taylor, 25, died when a brick wall collapsed and pinned him against his car

Mr Taylor's brother Mat told the Townsville Bulletin that Stephen had an 'adventurous spirit'

Mr Taylor's brother Mat told the Townsville Bulletin that Stephen had an 'adventurous spirit'.

'Stephen was both the sole provider and caregiver for his young son. He gave so much love to so many people.'

'He was a kind, caring uncle and father ... supportive brother, fierce friend and dutiful son. I cannot express how deeply saddened I am,' he said.

Friends took to Facebook to pay tribute to Mr Taylor and express their grief.

His sister Cynthia said Stephen was 'the best brother who was always there for any of us who needed him'.

Friends took to Facebook to pay tribute to Mr Taylor and express their grief

'He was one of those amazing people that actually checked off his bucket list.'

Police believe Mr Taylor was working on his car when the wall collapsed on him.

Police are not treating the death as suspicious, and are in the process of preparing a report for the coroner

Mr Taylor's family is yet to finalise his funeral arrangements.
A US Navy dentist was found shot to death in Illinois earlier this week in a suspected murder-suicide allegedly carried out by her ex-boyfriend.

Officers with the Lake Forest Police Department responded at 6.20am on Wednesday to the 600 block of North Western Avenue after getting reports of shots fired.

A man and a woman were discovered fatally shot in a parking lot behind a Dunkin Donuts in downtown Lake Forest.

On Thursday, the Lake County Coroners Office identified the man as 33-year-old Ryan Zike and the woman as 27-year-old Claire VanLandingham.

Police in Lake Forest, Illinois, believe naturalist Ryan Zike, 33 (left), possibly shot dead his former girlfriend, Navy dentist Claire VanLandingham, 27 (right) on January 3

Zike was pronounced dead at the scene, while VanLandingham (pictured) died a short time after the shoot at a hospital

Scene shot: Preliminary autopsy results indicate that VanLandingham, a US Navy officer and dentist serving at Naval Station Great Lakes, succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds

Zike was pronounced dead at the scene, while VanLandingham died a short time after the shoot at a hospital.

Preliminary autopsy results indicate that VanLandingham, a US Navy officer and dentist serving at Naval Station Great Lakes, succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds.

Zike, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, and one-time naturalist at the Heller Nature Center, died of a single gunshot wound to the head that was possibly self-inflicted.

Both families have been notified and our deepest condolences go out to them, stated Lake County Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper. This is truly an awful tragedy.

VanLandingham received her Navy commission in December 2013 and later attained the rank of lieutenant in the Navy Dental Corps. Pictured above, investigators at the scene

Evidence is seen above at the scene of the shooting. Zike, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, and one-time naturalist at the Heller Nature Center, died of a single gunshot wound to the head that was possibly self-inflicted

New life: The 27-year-old attended University of Louisville School of Dentistry and graduated from that institution in 2017

Brief stint: The Park District of Highland Park hired Zike as a naturalist last September, but the 33-year-old resigned a month later

Video courtesy LEX 18

According to the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, VanLandingham and Zike had been dating but broke up last fall. The motive behind the suspected murder-suicide is under investigation.

According to his Facebook page, Zike graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in outdoor recreation and park administration.

In September 2017, the Park District of Highland Park hired him as a naturalist, but the 33-year-old resigned a month later, around the time of his split from VanLandingham, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The 27-year-old attended University of Louisville School of Dentistry and graduated from that institution in 2017.

VanLandingham received her Navy commission in December 2013 and later attained the rank of lieutenant in the Navy Dental Corps.
Health officials yesterday came up with advice to help us cope with the winter NHS crisis  telling the public not to get ill.

Following an exceptionally busy week for the NHS, they urged people to stay well this weekend amid fears freezing conditions could worsen the flu crisis.

Advice included stocking up on medicines, wrapping up warm and trying to nip early symptoms in the bud. Many A&E units have been severely overcrowded in recent days, with patients lying in corridors and ambulances queuing outside.

Hospitals have already been forced to cancel tens of thousands of operations, and NHS chiefs fear things will only get worse as the UK faces a week-long blast of Arctic conditions, with temperatures expected to drop below freezing across the country tonight with the arrival of a bitter north-easterly wind.

Health officials have offered a top tip ahead of the freezing forecast - don't get ill - or it could worsen the winter flu crisis

On Tuesday, hospitals were ordered to cancel up to 55,000 non-urgent operations and put patients in mixed-sex wards to create more room.

The pressures are expected to intensify again next week due to rising flu levels, which are coinciding with the below-freezing temperatures. Cold weather increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and it also aggravates pre-existing conditions such as lung and liver disease.

Hospitals typically see a surge of patients with chest infections and lung conditions about five days after a cold snap.

Other advice included stocking up on medicines, wrapping up warm and trying to nip early symptoms in the bud

NHS England, which runs the health service, is worried about rising flu rates, which are twice as high as this time last year. They are closely monitoring the situation in France, where the virus has reached epidemic levels, led to 11,500 hospital admissions and claimed 31 lives.

NHS Englands alert yesterday urged the public to take basic precautions to stay well. It stated that if anyone feels unwell, they should take early action by going to their local pharmacist or visiting the NHS Choices website.

The public can take simple, common sense steps to protect themselves, the advice said.

The UK faces a week-long blast of Arctic conditions, with temperatures expected to drop below freezing across the country tonight with the arrival of a bitter north-easterly wind which has led to fears from the NHS that the crisis will worsen

Vulnerable groups such as the elderly, those with chronic heart, kidney, lung or liver problems should heat their homes to at least 18C (64F), keep mobile and take regular hot drinks and meals. They should stock up on medicines when possible. Keith Willett, NHS Englands medical director for acute care, said: The NHS is putting into practice our plan for winter but as temperatures are set to reach below freezing this weekend, the public can play their part by keeping warm, stocking up on medications and using NHS Choices and pharmacists to get advice.

If urgent advice is needed then call 111. Reports about the serious impact of the flu in France are also a reminder of how important it is for the public and NHS staff to get their flu jab to protect themselves and those they come in to contact with.

Dr Thomas Waite, from Public Health England  the Governments health protection agency  added: As the temperatures drop its really important to think about what you can do to prepare for the cold and protect more vulnerable friends and family from the ill-effects of the cold.

The flu rates are twice as high as they were this time last year. Figures show 48 people have lost their lives to 'Aussie flu' already

As well as layering-up to stay warm, he advised checking the weather forecast and wearing shoes with a good, slip-resistant grip to prevent any accidental falls on icy pavements.

He echoed warnings that taking precautionary measures was especially important for the over-65s and the very young. Figures released yesterday showed one in four patients who went to A&E in the last week of December waited four hours or more.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine said the statistics were significantly worse than for the same period last year.

Public Health England advised checking the weather forecast and wearing shoes with a good, slip-resistant grip to prevent any accidental falls on icy pavements

The first week of January is notoriously busy for the NHS as many patients seek help for illnesses they have put off over Christmas. Some staff said the pressures this week were the worst they had seen in their 30-year careers. A doctor at the Royal Stoke Hospital described his A&E unit as third world, while a consultant at Imperial College Hospital in London likened his to a battlefield.

On Thursday, Theresa May apologised to the thousands of patients whose non-urgent operations will be postponed until next month.

The Prime Minister said: I know its difficult, I know its frustrating, I know its disappointing for people, and I apologise.

Figures from Public Health England published on the same day showed that the rate of hospital admissions for flu had trebled compared with the previous week.

A quarter of these patients were affected by the H3N2 strain, which was responsible for the deadliest flu outbreak in Australia in a decade. The same strain has been blamed for the outbreak in France, which has killed 31. It has also claimed lives in Ireland.

James Price, of the TaxPayers Alliance said: When the best the NHS can do is merely advise people not to get ill any more, the time has come to have a proper conversation about the fundamentals of healthcare  calling for more money every single day is not a sustainable solution and taxpayers shouldnt be soaked to try and compensate for a failing system.
Tessa Dahl's life has been scarred by tragedy, alcoholism and drug addiction. She is seen here in a police mugshot

Her father, Roald Dahl, author of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, was one of the 20th centurys most brilliant childrens writers while her American mother, Patricia Neal, was an Oscar-winning actress.

And, at times, Tessa Dahl has seemed to have it all, being named one of the five most beautiful women in the world by Time Magazine, as well as being the mother of voluptuous supermodel Sophie Dahl.

Yet Tessas life has been scarred by tragedy, alcoholism and drug addiction. But, even in her darkest hour, the 60-year-old Dahl has eluded the shame that has now enveloped her.

I can reveal that she has been arrested in Connecticut and will appear in a U.S. courtroom next week on a charge of larceny (theft). If convicted, she could face from one to five years in prison.

The police mugshot of Tessa graphically strips bare the vestiges of her once radiant glamour.

The squalid episode began when Tessa checked into a Connecticut hotel, the Interlaken Inn, where rooms start at 140-a-night, on October 27 last year, signing in as Chantal Dahl  Chantal being the Christian name which appears on her birth certificate.

Tessa Dahl has seemed to have it all, being named one of the five most beautiful women in the world by Time Magazine, as well as being the mother of voluptuous supermodel Sophie Dahl(pictured together in London, 2001)

Tessa is pictured at the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory premiere in London in 2005

By the time she departed on November 3, she had run up a bill of 3,970  which she left without paying, prompting the hotels management to call the state police at about 6.30pm.

Later that evening, the Interlaken called the police again, to alert them that Tessa had contacted them from a nearby hotel, the White Hart Inn, allegedly announcing that she would not be paying her bill and informing the Interlaken staff that they would never see her again.

Shortly before 11pm that evening, police arrived at the White Hart, arrested Tessa, took her into custody and charged her with third degree larceny. After giving a home address in Massachusetts, she was released on payment of a 3,970 bond.

It is the latest incident in Tessas unconventional life. She has recalled how her father doped her with tranquillisers from an early age to cope with a series of family tragedies.

Tessa with her father, the legendary writer Roald Dahl

She was aged just three-and-a-half when, in 1960, she saw her brother Theos pram hit by a taxi, leaving him with brain damage. Traumatised, she began wetting the bed and author Roald found a doctor to prescribe drugs.

Tragedy struck again in 1962, when her sister Olivia died of measles aged seven. Tessa later described herself as a train wreck waiting to happen.

She dated a succession of older men including Peter Sellers, Bryan Ferry, and actor David Hemmings and had four children by three different fathers.

She became pregnant with Sophie by actor Julian Holloway when she was 19.

She married James Kelly, a businessman 18 years her senior, and gave birth to Clover and Luke but the relationship broke down. She then married financier Patrick Donovan and had a son, Ned.

Her father said of Tessa before he died in 1990: Shes by far the most complicated of my children, but shes the most interesting.

The squalid episode began when Tessa checked into a Connecticut hotel, the Interlaken Inn, where rooms start at 140-a-night

Seven years ago she began living at the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Connecticut, in preparation for life as a nun. She may now become familiar with a quite different kind of American institution  the state prison.

Mark Sherman, Dahls U.S. lawyer, said the case arose from a misunderstanding. The hotel has been paid in full and we expect a quick resolution in court.

McMafia? Nyet, insist Russians

The BBC cast Russian actors in McMafia, its gritty thriller starring James Norton, because producers felt audiences wouldnt believe fake Russian accents. But the world of dirty money, people-trafficking and forgery is not true to life  according to the Russian Embassy, at least.

It is outraged that the big-budget drama depicts Britain as a playground for Russian gangsters, and is taking pains to point out that most Russians are law-abiding citizens. Do you know how many Russian offenders there are actually in UK jails? asked the Embassy in an online poll.

The BBC cast Russian actors in McMafia, its gritty thriller starring James Norton, because producers felt audiences wouldnt believe fake Russian accents

The result  fewer than ten  was revealed yesterday, but not everyone is convinced.

Broadcaster Andrew Marr noted yesterday that McMafia reflects reality, because Moscows criminal class has become embedded here.

Dangerous men who made suspicious fortunes after the break-up of the Soviet Union stride the streets of Mayfair, he said.

Curse of Ewan McGregor...

Its the curse of Ewan McGregor. After the love rat Star Wars actor left his 51-year-old wife Eve Mavrakis for 32-year-old actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead last year he appeared in a Christmas TV ad campaign for Debenhams in a bid to boost sales.

Results out this week from the department store are woeful, with analysts labelling it the High Street loser over the festive season.

Sales fell 2.6 per cent in the 17 weeks to December 30 compared with the same period in 2016.

Not only that, ten of the groups 165 UK stores are now earmarked for closure.

Whatever Debenhams paid multi-millionaire McGregor, it probably wasnt worth it.
Repeat bouts of warming ocean waters could lead to a 'knock-out punch' that kills tropical corals.

A new study has found high ocean temperatures are harming tropical coral reefs almost five times more often than in the 1980s.

The average time between severe 'bleachings' shortened to six years in 2016 from 25-30 years in the early 1980s, research suggests.

Corals die if bleachings are long-lasting, wrecking reefs that are nurseries for fish, a source of food to millions of people and a destination for scuba-diving tourists.

Heat makes the stony-bodied creatures that make up coral reefs expel colourful algae which causes the bleaching.

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Severe bleaching outbreaks are hitting coral reefs four times more often they were a few decades earlier. They are now hit by episodes of bleaching once every six years compared to once every 25 - 30 years

PARIS AGREEMENT The Paris Agreement, which was first signed in 2015, it is an international agreement to control climate change. It hopes to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2C (3.6F) 'and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5C (2.7F)'. If the Paris agreement is successful there will still be a Great Barrier Reef, but it will look different. In June, President Trump announced his intention for the US, the second largest producer of greenhouse gases in the world, to withdraw from the agreement. Advertisement

A team of experts from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Australia looked at 100 coral reefs around the globe and how often they have suffered severe bleaching since 1980.

Bleaching is caused purely by warmer waters, when it's nearly 1C (2F) above the normal highest temperatures for an area.

'Tropical reef systems are transitioning to a new era in which the interval between recurrent bouts of coral bleaching is too short for a full recovery' of mature corals that can require 10-15 years, the researchers wrote in the journal Science.

Climate change will 'inevitably' make underwater heat waves and bleachings more frequent, they wrote.

Bleaching isn't quite killing the delicate corals, but making them extremely sick by breaking down the crucial microscopic algae living inside the coral.

Bleaching is like 'ripping out your guts' for coral, said study co-author Mark Eakin, coordinator of the Coral Reef Watch program for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Warming waters are having a devastating impact on coral reefs. The Florida Keys, Puerto Rico and Cuba have been hit seven times by bleaching and the study found that it has wide reaching implications for the ecosystems

It takes time to recover from bleaching, and the increased frequency means coral doesn't get the chance to recover before the next outbreak, Dr Eakin said.

'If you go into the ring with a heavyweight boxer, you could probably stand up for one round, but once that second round comes - you're going down,' said Dr Mark Eakin told the BBC.

Only six of the 100 coral reefs weren't hit by severe bleaching: four around Australia, one in the Indian Ocean and another off South Africa.

Georgia Tech climate scientist Kim Cobb, who studies reefs but wasn't part of this international team, applauded the research and said that as the world warms more there will be 'profound and lasting damage on global reefs.'

Guam has been one of the hardest places hit with eight severe bleaching outbreaks since 1994, four of them in the last five years, Dr Eakin said.

In the 1980s, bleachings happened during local heat waves, and then started to occur in the 1980s and 1990s during natural El Nino weather events that release heat from the Pacific Ocean

The Florida Keys, Puerto Rico and Cuba have been hit seven times.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who doubts climate change is man-made, plans to pull out of the Paris accord and instead promote U.S. fossil fuels. Australia's goals under the Paris accord are less ambitious than those of some other rich nations.

The Paris pact seeks to limit a rise in average global surface temperatures to 'well below' two degrees Celsius (3.6F) above pre-industrial times, ideally 1.5C (2.7F) by shifting from fossil fuels.

Corals are already under threat with warming of 1C (1.8F) so far, a U.N. panel of climate scientists says.

In the 1980s, bleachings happened during local heat waves, and then started to occur in the 1980s and 1990s during natural El Nino weather events that release heat from the Pacific Ocean.

100 coral reefs were looked at and only six had avoided severe bleaching. Guam has been one of the hardest places hit with eight severe bleaching outbreaks since 1994, four of them in the last five years

'Now we're seeing the emergence of bleaching in every hot summer,' said DR Mark Eakin, an author of the study at the U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, said in a statement.

Lead author Professor Terry Hughes, director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Australia, urged more action to limit greenhouse gas emissions under the global 2015 Paris climate agreement.

Professor Hughes said there was evidence that some corals could adapt to rising temperatures.

The Great Barrier Reef, the world's biggest, was not doomed if governments stepped up action.

'If the ... Paris Agreement is successful we will still have a Great Barrier Reef. It will have a different mix of coral species, but it will still function and look like a reef,' he said.
Third time became the charm for NASA's attempt to launch the Artemis I mission - the rocket was successfully launched just before 2.00am EST (7:00am GMT) Wednesday morning on a 25-day mission around the moon. The world's most powerful rocket took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida after NASA engineers quashed two earlier attempts at lift off. Artemis sees an uncrewed Orion spacecraft circle the Earth's natural satellite and return to our planet after a 1.3 miIlion-mile voyage. It is a historic launch that signals the first stage of the US space agency's goal to return people to the lunar surface for the first time in half a century. If successful, the mission will be followed by a human trip around the moon in 2024 and could lead to the first woman and first person of colour following in Neil Armstrong's footsteps the year after. The stumbling block to this has been the numerous delays NASA's new mega moon rocket has faced, with its maiden launch date repeatedly pushed back since August. However, after enduring fuel leak concerns, engine issues and escaping the clutches of not one but two hurricanes, the $4 billion (3.5 billion) Space Launch System (SLS) has finally blasted into orbit.
America's space agency wants you to head for the mountains with a smartphone and a measuring stick.

NASA's earth science arm is funding research that recruits citizen scientists on skis, snowshoes and snowmobiles to measure the depth of snow in backcountry locations in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

Their measurements will be incorporated into computer models that calculate how much water will end up in the region's rivers and reservoirs.

Researchers in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are looking for backcountry enthusiasts who want to aid a science mission. A program funded by NASA is recruiting citizen scientists to measure snow levels in mountain terrain

WHY THEY'RE DOING IT Snow telemetry stations maintained by the U.S. Agriculture Department are another important tool for measuring snow in high-elevation and other hard-to-access places, Hill said. The unmanned stations collect data using a system of automated sensors. But too few of them exist. The citizen snow-measuring program, Community Snow Observations , aims to supplement that with people. For the citizen science program, an online tutorial tells participants to find undisturbed snow, push the probe firmly to the ground, read the depth in centimeters and enter the data onto a smartphone app. Participants are asked to repeat that several times and average the measurements. Advertisement

Early results have been promising.

'Our initial model runs show that citizen science measurements are doing an amazing job of improving our simulations,' said David Hill, an Oregon State University professor of civil engineering, who is collaborating with Alaska and University of Washington researchers.

They received one of 16 NASA citizen science grants for the project.

The snowpack measurements are incorporated into computer models estimating 'snow-water equivalent,' the amount of liquid water contained in snow cover, of a watershed.

In western states, according to NASA, nearly three-fourths of annual stream flow that provides drinking water comes from spring and summer melt.

NASA in February began a multiyear research project to improve the accuracy of its snow measurements with partners in Europe and Canada, trying to solve challenges such as detecting snow through trees.

The grant awarded to Hill, Anthony Arendt of the University of Washington and Gabriel Wolken, a research geologist with the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, is not directly connected to that project but has a mutual interest, said Kevin Murphy, a program executive for science data systems at NASA headquarters.

'We decided about two years ago to start this program, which really looks at how can we harness the creativity and the capabilities of citizens to augment a lot of our satellite or aircraft measurements,' Murphy said.

Snow telemetry stations maintained by the U.S. Agriculture Department are another important tool for measuring snow in high-elevation and other hard-to-access places, Hill said.

The unmanned stations collect data using a system of automated sensors.

But too few of them exist, Hill said. 'They're expensive to install, they're expensive to maintain, so there just aren't that many.'

Measurements from citizen scientists will be incorporated into computer models that calculate how much water will end up in the region's rivers and reservoirs. Stock image

The citizen snow-measuring program, Community Snow Observations , aims to supplement that with people.

'We want to turn the public into these mobile snow telemetry stations,' he said. 'You just need a probe to do it.'

The measuring device can be as rudimentary as a yardstick, Hill said, but most people venturing into mountains already carry an avalanche probe, a 5- to 6-meter stick that folds down like a tent pole.

After an avalanche, the probes are used to feel for buried people. Probes typically carry measurement markings.

'You want to know when you actually find that person how deep they are,' Hill said. 'They're really just a big, long ruler.'

For the citizen science program, an online tutorial tells participants to find undisturbed snow, push the probe firmly to the ground, read the depth in centimeters and enter the data onto a smartphone app.

Participants are asked to repeat that several times and average the measurements.

The app records the location and time of the measurement and uploads the information.

The program accounts for measurements in continental climate locations with light, dry snow or the wet, dense snow of maritime climates.

Initial measurements were made last winter in Alaska's Thompson Pass north of Valdez, where other snow research was being conducted.

'I recruited some of the folks from Valdez Avalanche Center.

For the citizen science program, an online tutorial tells participants to find undisturbed snow, push the probe firmly to the ground, read the depth in centimeters and enter the data onto a smartphone app. Stock image

'They brought friends along,' said Wolken, the Alaska research geologist. 'That was our first go at getting sort of a grassroots, citizen science team.'

The hundreds of measurements collected far outpaced what the scientists could gather themselves.

When NASA announced grants for citizen scientist projects, the researchers jumped to apply, Wolken said.

Preliminary calculations have been 'striking,' Hill said, and the subject of a paper written by a doctoral student.

'He has results that basically show that the errors in our modeled snow-water equivalent are cut by about 90 percent with this input from public,' Hill said. 'We're thrilled about that.'

Other NASA grants in the program will use citizen scientists to collect data on mosquito populations and their breeding environments around the world, water depths in lakes in North Carolina and elsewhere, moisture in soil at various locations, changes in giant kelp across the globe, and images of clouds from the ground in Colorado.
Sex robots could make men not women obsolete, according to a top mathematician.

Dr Cathy O'Neil from Harvard University claims females of the future could get spoiled by 'dashing menbots' who also do the dishes.

It's a basic human need to want someone to love and have sex with but most women also look for someone who does their fair share of chores around the house.

The mathematician says it is 'entirely possible' that robots will outperform men and women of the future could choose to live with menbots instead.

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Dr Cathy O'Neil from Harvard University claims females of the future could get spoiled by 'dashing menbots' who also do the dishes (stock image)

RISE OF SEX ROBOTS There are around five makers of sex robots worldwide, with prices ranging from around 4,000 ($5,400) to more than 11,600 ($15,700) for a 'deluxe' model. The market for sexbots is currently 95 per cent male dominated. One US survey of 100 people that found two-thirds of males aged 20-61 would have sex with a robot, compared with a third of women. While they are becoming ever more realistic, scientists say it could be 50 years before robots are able to move and talk spontaneously like a partner and have facial expressions that look truly human. Some psychologists suggest that sexual relations with robots will 'desensitise humans to intimacy and empathy'. Advertisement

There are around five makers of sex robots worldwide, with prices ranging from around 4,000 ($5,400) to more than 11,600 ($15,700) for a 'deluxe' model.

The market for sexbots is currently 95 per cent male dominated but that could all be about to change.

'I think its the men who should be worried. Its entirely possible that robots can outperform them', said Dr Cathy O'Neil who has a PhD in mathematics from Harvard University.

'In the #MeToo age, I feel like raising standards is quite reasonable. Its called for, in fact', she said, writing for Bloomberg.

Contrary to what the name suggests, not everyone will use their doll purely for sex.

And these robots could be good at doing the dishes and other household chores, Dr O'Neil said.

Despite the dangers of hackers turning sex robots into killers she believes that would not make them more of a threat than real men.

'Given the baseline murder rate for human sexual partners, its hard to get too worried.

'Plus, if they can understand female anatomy  I mean, really understand it  maybe its worth the risk', Dr O'Neil said.

The Harvard mathemetician suggested that women and men may coexist but not cohabitate. As a result she believes this could make us stronger as a community.

'Well come together, online or in person, and be more respectful, more relaxed, less edgy. Its worth a try. So bring on the sex robots', she said.

The mathematician says it is 'entirely possible' that robots will outperform men and women of the future could choose to live with menbots instead

FICTION THAT'S BECOMING FACT Sex robots have long been a part of science fiction, and are often used by writers to show the menacing side of technology. In the 2015 film Ex Machina, programmer Nathan (Oscar Isaac) has cold and cruel sex with his creation, Ava (Alicia Vikander). However, she has the last laugh when she kills him and escapes to live covertly among humans. In the TV series Westworld, Thandie Newton plays brothel madame Maeve Millay who is frequently killed by guests during sex only to be patched up and put back to work again. In Channel 4s Humans, Anita is a domestic nanny robot. But her male owner initiates her sex program  much to the disgust of his wife when she finds out. Another robot in the show, Niska, acts as a prostitute, and later goes on to kill one of her clients. In Blade Runner, Pris, a basic pleasure model robot, goes on to become a brutal and cold killer. Sometimes, however, humans are the biggest villains. In AI, directed by Steven Spielberg, prostitute robot Gigolo Joe  played by Jude Law  is framed for murder and later killed. Advertisement

Currently men are more willing to have sex with a robot than women are. One US survey of 100 people that found two-thirds of males aged 20-61 would have sex with a robot, compared with a third of women.

While they are becoming ever more realistic, scientists say it could be 50 years before robots are able to move and talk spontaneously like a partner and have facial expressions that look truly human.

Some psychologists suggest that sexual relations with robots will 'desensitise humans to intimacy and empathy'.

This was the warning from Noel Sharkey, emeritus professor of artificial intelligence and robotics at the University of Sheffield, and Dr Aimee van Wynsberghe, assistant professor in ethics and technology at the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands, as they launched a report on the issue last year.

Dr Sharkey, who is a co-director of the Foundation for Responsible Robotics with Dr van Wynsberghe, said: 'There's a robotics revolution in all fields  service, agriculture, flying and sex. They are all part and parcel of the same thing.'

Politicians and the public need to understand and deal with the ethical issues that sex robots will pose to society and relationships, the experts urged.
It will carry the billionaire's cherry red 2008 Tesla Roadster, which will be fired toward Mars

Falcon Heavy 'megarocket' will launch from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida later this month

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Elon Musk has announced SpaceX will launch 'the world's most powerful rocket' later this month with his own electric car on board.

The Falcon Heavy 'megarocket' will fire beyond orbit from the former Apollo 11 moon rocket launchpad at the Kennedy Space Centre near Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Musk said the launch vehicle will blast off at the 'end of the month' on an unmanned mission with a unique payload - the billionaire's cherry red 2008 Tesla Roadster, which will be fired toward Mars.

The rocket will use 27 engines and three separate re-usable cores that will return to Earth after liftoff during the test flight, which is set to be one of the firm's most technically complex challenges to date.

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Elon Musk has announced SpaceX will launch 'the world's most powerful rocket' later this month with his own electric car on board. The Falcon Heavy 'megarocket' (pictured) will fire beyond orbit from the former Apollo 11 moon rocket launchpad at the Kennedy Space Centre near Cape Canaveral, Florida

FALCON HEAVY LAUNCH If all goes according to plan, the Falcon Heavy will lift off and enter Earth's orbit, before two of its booster rockets separate off and return to Earth at Cape Canaveral in controlled landings. The rocket's central core will then separate from the main module, containing Musk's car, and begin its own controlled descent back to Earth, landing on the firm's 'Of Course I Still Love You' drone ship in the Pacific Ocean. The main module will continue its trajectory into 'deep space', the billionaire said, with a destination set for the orbit of Mars 140 million miles (225 million kilometres) away. According to SpaceX founder Elon Musk: 'Destination is Mars orbit. Will be in deep space for a billion years or so if it doesn't blow up on ascent.' Advertisement

Before the maiden launch, a full test firing of the rocket's engines is expected next week, Musk said.

'Falcon Heavy now vertical on the former Apollo 11 moon rocket launchpad,' he wrote on Instagram on Thursday.

'At 2,500 tons of thrust, equal to 18 Boeing 747 aircraft at full throttle, it will be the most powerful rocket in the world by a factor of two. Excitement on launch day guaranteed, one way or another.

'Hold-down test fire next week. Launch end of the month.'

When it lifts off for the first time in late January, the Falcon Heavy will become the most powerful rocket in the world thanks to its 5.1 million pounds of thrust generated through 27 Merlin engines.

The vast rocket, which is ultimately three Falcon 9 rockets linked together, will have the combined thrust to eventually launch 140,000 pounds (63,500kg) of cargo into orbit.

The mission marks SpaceX's most ambitious project to date.

Musk founded SpaceX in 2002, with the aim of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonisation of Mars.

The 46-year-old South African is also the CEO of Tesla, and predicts Falcon Heavy's payload will stay in deep space for a while.

A photo of the unusual cargo - Musk's cherry red 2008 Tesla Roadster - was released last month.

Images released by SpaceX show an original Roadster perched on a large cone inside the Falcon Heavy on what appears to be a secure mount to keep it stationary as the rocket makes its maiden flight.

'Test flights of new rockets usually contain mass simulators in the form of concrete or steel blocks. That seemed extremely boring,' Musk said in December.

If all goes according to plan, the Falcon Heavy will lift off and enter orbit before two of its booster rockets separate and return to Earth at Cape Canaveral in controlled landings. The centre core of the rocket will then separate from the main module, containing Musk's car, and begin its own controlled descent back to Earth, landing on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean

Musk said the launch vehicle will blast off at the 'end of the month' on an unmanned mission with a unique payload - the billionaire's cherry red 2008 Tesla Roadster, which will be fired toward Mars. Pictured is the car strapped into the Falcon Heavy's main module

THE FALCON HEAVY Height: 70 meters (229.6 feet) Stages: 2 Boosters: 2 Cores: 3 Engines: 27 Payload to LEO: 63,800kg (140,660 lb) Payload to Mars: 16,800kg (37,040 lb) Total width: 12.2m (39.9 ft) Mass: 1,420,788kg (3,125,735 lb) Total thrust at lift-off: 22,819 kilonewtons (5.13 million pounds) Advertisement

'Of course, anything boring is terrible, especially companies, so we decided to send something unusual, something that made us feel.

'The payload will be an original Tesla Roadster, playing Space Oddity, on a billion year elliptic Mars orbit.'

If all goes according to plan, the Falcon Heavy will lift off and enter Earth's orbit, before two of its booster rockets separate off and return to Earth at Cape Canaveral in controlled landings.

The rocket's central core will then separate from the main module, containing Musk's car, and begin its own controlled descent back to Earth, landing on the firm's 'Of Course I Still Love You' drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.

The main module will continue its trajectory into 'deep space', the billionaire said, with a destination set for the orbit of Mars 140 million miles (225 million kilometres) away.

Musk has said the payload 'will be in deep space for a billion years or so if it doesn't blow up on ascent.'

In a Washington, D.C., speech last July the Tesla founder which said Falcon Heavy is one of the most difficult and technically complex projects SpaceX has ever undertaken.

'There's a lot of risk associated with Falcon Heavy,' he said during the 2017 International Space Station Research and Development Conference.

The rocket will use 27 engines and three separate re-usable cores that will return to Earth after liftoff during the test flight, which is set to be one of the firm's most technically complex challenges to date

The vast rocket, which is ultimately three Falcon 9 rockets linked together, will have the combined thrust to eventually launch 140,000 pounds (63,500kg) of cargo into orbit

'Real good chance that the vehicle doesn't make it to orbit. I want to make sure to set expectations accordingly.'

Musk has spent the proceeding months building up hype for the historic launch with a series of social media posts.

Last month he posted an image to Twitter of people stoof next to a landed Falcon Heavy rocket to give an idea of the vehicle's scale.

He tweeted: 'Falcon Heavy launching from same @NASA pad as the Saturn V Apollo 11 moon rocket.

'It was 50% higher thrust with five F-1 engines at 7.5M lb-F.

'I love that rocket so much.'

He also confirmed the rocket will have a 'max thrust at lift-off is 5.1 million pounds or 2300 metric tons,' adding the first mission will run at 92 per cent capacity.

'Falcon Heavy to launch next month from Apollo 11 pad at the Cape.

'Will have double thrust of next largest rocket. Guaranteed to be exciting, one way or another,' Musk originally posted.

Once the three main cores (pictured) of the rocket have separated, the main module will continue its trajectory into 'deep space', with a destination set for the orbit of Mars 140 million miles (225 million kilometres) away
It seems that, for some, looks and personality really don't matter.

Nearly one in ten people find intelligence to be the most attractive feature in a partner - a trait known as sapiosexuality.

This is according to a new study which also found men are just as likely as women to identify as sapiosexual, and an IQ of 120 was found to be the ideal level of intelligence.

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A study has found that one in ten people could be sapiosexuals. George Clooney married international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney in 2014 and said 'its good to surround yourself with anyone who is smarter than you'

SAPIOSEXUALITY Sapiosexuals are individuals that are sexually attracted to intelligence over any other feature. For individuals that identify as sapiosexual, intelligence is not just a 'desirable trait' but it is sexually arousing. Whilst some people may prefer a slim waist, bulging muscles or a defined jawline sapiosexuals are more aroused by intelligence. It is likely many people would list intelligence as a preference, but sapiosexuals are more turned-on by a sharp mind than any other feature. A study from the University of Western Australia has found that up to one in ten young people self-identify as a sapiosexual. Men were just as likely as women to be sapiosexuals, according to science. An IQ of 120 is the most attractive, but an IQ of 135+ was found to be a turn-off for most people. Advertisement

Researchers from the University of Western Australia (UWA) looked at the romantic and sexual preferences of 383 people, aged between 18 and 35.

While most people showed no significant sexual inkling towards intelligence, a small group of people responded strongly to the trait.

The author of the study, Dr Gilles Gignac from the school of Psychological Science at UWA, believes this suggests sapiosexualism is a genuine sexual orientation that exists in a small subset of the population.

Dr Gignac said in the study: 'The emergence of the popular culture notion of a sapiosexual, an individual who finds high levels of intelligence (IQ) the most sexually attractive characteristic in a person, suggests that a high IQ may be a genuinely sexually attractive trait, at least for some people.'

Participants were asked to rate, on a scale of one to five, how sexually arousing they found certain statements.

'Listening to someone speak very intelligently arouses me sexually' and 'It would excite me sexually to have an intellectually stimulating conversation with a potential partner' were two of the statements.

The term 'sapiosexual' has recently received widespread media attention and speculation as it grows in popularity.

There is now a dedicated dating app, called Sapio, which aims to help sapiosexuals meet one another.

The study also suggests that intelligence is important to most people, as it implies an improved ability to find work and a greater competence in other areas of life.

For the majority of the population, intelligence was the second most sought after 'non-physical property'.

Eighteen year-old Modern Family star, Nolan Gould (left) has been a member of Mensa since he was four. He is pictured on the left with model girlfriend Hannah Glasby. Conan O'Brien, pictured here (right) with actress wife Liza, is a successful comedian and also has an IQ of 160

MOST DESIRABLE TRAITS The study from the University of Western Australia found the top four most sought after non-physical personality traits. Kindness and understanding Intelligence Exciting Easygoing Advertisement

Kindness and understand was the most desirable, with 'exciting' and 'easygoing' coming in as the third and fourth most attractive personality traits.

Whilst just over eight per cent of people scored highly for sapiosexual traits, it turns out there is such a thing as too intelligent.

The study found that the ideal IQ was found to be 120 - that's the 90th percentile of the population - but an IQ score of 135 or over was considered too much.

An average IQ score is around 100, with a score of 120 considered 'above average'.

Mensa membership is restricted to the top two per cent of the population, with an IQ of over 140.

The research was published in the journal Intelligence.
Intel claims that its security updates will make 90 per cent of modern phones and PCs that use its chips 'immune' to the Meltdown and Spectre bugs.

The security updates will be rolled out next week in an effort to patch 'design flaws' in chips used by nearly all devices that put billions of devices at risk of being hacked.

Its chips are used in everything from PCs and smartphone to car systems and baby monitors.

Intel expects to provide automatic security updates via partner companies for most processors created within the past five years.

But experts warn the bugs result from a 'design flaw' which is 'unfixable'.

They say such patches are simply a temporary fix, and a more permanent solution will have to be physically built into future microprocessors.

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Devices hit by a massive security hole in Intel chips could 'rendered immune' by next week, according to the chip manufacturer. Intel expects to have issued updates for more than 90 per cent of processor products created within the past five years by the end of next week

Daniel Gruss, the 31-year-old post-doctoral fellow at Austria's Graz Technical University who discovered the Meltdown flaw, said he welcomed Intel's response to the issue.

However, he also warned that there were no replacements yet that could address the flaws in processors that he and other researchers uncovered.

While they may patch part of the problem this could leave room for future exploits, the information security researcher says.

Speaking to Reuters, Dr Gruss said: 'All CPUs are affected, also very recent ones.

'Software updates can fix most of the problems, leaving only a small remaining attack surface.'

Intel says it has already issued updates for the majority of processors introduced within the past five years.

The Santa-Clara, California, based firm is yet to announce a timetable for patching older chips.

Reports have suggested that up to 15 years of Intel processors may be affected and we could still be living with the threat of the Spectre vulnerability for years to come.

Future chip models will need to be redesigned to avoid incorporating the flaw and others like it.

In a written statement, a spokesman for the firm said: 'Intel will continue to work with its partners and others to address these issues, and Intel appreciates their support and assistance.

'Intel encourages computer users worldwide to utilise the automatic update functions of their operating systems and other computer software to ensure their systems are up-to-date.'

Intel believes that the performance impact of such updates will depend on the type of tasks being run.

It says that the average computer user should not experience any significant performance loss.

Testing and improvement of the software updates over time should also mitigate their impact.

Security researchers at Google's Project Zero computer security analysis team, in conjunction with academic and industry researchers from several countries, exposed the two flaws this week.

Details have emerged about two massive security flaws which put billions of people worldwide at risk of being hacked. Meltdown and Spectre could let cyber criminals steal data from nearly every computing device containing chips from Intel, AMD and Arm

Meltdown, which is specific to Intel chips, lets hackers bypass the hardware barrier between applications run by users and the computer's memory, potentially letting hackers read a computer's memory.

It was first discovered by Project Zero in June last year, when expert Jann Horn found that passwords, encryption keys, and sensitive information open in applications that should have been protected could be accessed.

A second bug, called Spectre, affects chips from Intel, AMD and Arm.

This lets hackers potentially trick otherwise error-free applications into giving up secret information.

Project Zero disclosed the Meltdown vulnerability not long after Intel said it's working to patch it.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF Intel - Chips from the past five years have been patched, more to come The chip manufacturer says it has already issued updates for the majority of processor products introduced within the past five years. By the end of next week, Intel expects to have issued updates for more than 90 per cent of processor products introduced within the past five years. The firm is yet to announce a timetable for patching Intel processors more than five years old. Reports have suggested that up to 15 years of Intel processors may be affected. Google - Patch available today On January 5, Google is issuing a security update to protect Android phones. Google-branded phones should automatically download the update and you need to just install it. With Pixel and Pixel 2 the update will automatically install too. Some Android phone manufacturers are slow to patch, so you should contact them to make sure they update it as soon as possible. The patch for Chrome will be installed on January 23 and some Chromebooks had a mitigation in its OS 63, released in December, write Wired. If don't want to wait until then an experimental feature from Google called Site Isolation can help in the meantime. This feature makes it harder for malicious websites to access data from other websites you are looking at, writes Cnet. To use this feature on Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS or Android copy and paste chrome://flags/#enable-site-per-process into the URL in Chrome. Click 'Strict Site Isolation' and then press 'Enable'. Save your work and then press 'Relaunch now'. A few Chromebooks are not expected to get the patch because they are too old. Here is a full list (look for 'no' in the right-hand column). According to Google no other products are affected by these vulnerabilities. Microsoft - Windows 10 patch available, older versions to come There is already a patch available for Windows 10 which will automatically be applied. For older operating systems a patch will be available next week. According to the company, Azure infrastructure is updated. Linux - Patch available The system has a patch. Reports suggest it can slow down Linux-based systems by as much as 17 per cent. Users can opt out if they do not want it. Amazon - Cloud services patched The company says its web services have been updated. Major cloud services aimed at business customers, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure, say they have already patched most of their services Consumers should check with their device maker and operating system provider for security updates and install them as soon as possible. Advertisement

Tech companies typically withhold details about security problems until fixes are available, so that hackers don't have a roadmap to exploit the flaws.

Both Intel and Google said they were planning to disclose the issue next week, when fixes will be available.

But Intel was forced to come clean about the problem yesterday after news of the flaw became public.

Meltdown, which is specific to Intel chips, lets hackers bypass the hardware barrier between applications run by users and the computer's memory, potentially letting hackers read a computer's memory

MELTDOWN AND SPECTRE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Researchers from Google, academia and cybersecurity firms discovered two flaws in computer chips that affect nearly all modern computers: Meltdown This is a flaw that affects laptops, desktop computers and internet servers with Intel chips. It lets hackers bypass the hardware barrier between applications run by users and the computer's kernel memory. This has the potential to let hackers access the content of this portion of a computer's memory. This would enable them to steal data, such as passwords saved in web browsers. Spectre This bug affects chips from Intel, AMD and ARM and lets hackers potentially trick otherwise error-free applications into giving up secret information. 'Spectre' affects chips in smartphones and tablets, as well as computer chips from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. Hackers can trick apps into leaking sensitive information. Spectre is a broader bug that applies to nearly all computing devices. It is harder for hackers to take advantage of but less easily patched and will be a bigger problem in the long term, experts say. Advertisement

In an interview with CNBC yesterday, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said: 'We've found no instances of anybody actually executing this exploit.

'Phones, PCs, everything are going to have some impact, but itll vary from product to product.'

However, clips on social media claim to show computer security experts using the exploit.

Michael Schwarz, who has a PhD in information security, posted on Twitter 'Using #Meltdown to steal passwords in real time', along with a GIF animation of the procedure.

Researchers say Apple and Microsoft have patches ready for users for desktop computers affected by Meltdown.

Microsoft declined to comment and Apple did not immediately return requests for comment.

Daniel Gruss, one of the researchers at Graz University of Technology who discovered Meltdown, called it 'probably one of the worst CPU bugs ever found' in an interview with Reuters.

Gruss said Meltdown was the more serious problem in the short term but could be decisively stopped with software patches.

WHY DOES THE FLAW EXIST? Modern computer processors rely on a method called speculative execution to try and optimise their performance. Both exploits target this process, which is hardwired into the design of CPUs. Chips break down data processing into a pipeline, dividing incoming instructions into a series of sequential steps. This ensures that every part of the processor is kept busy, maximising its performance. To free up space from the pipeline, modern chips try to guess what information will be needed at a given time. They load this data into the memory, even on occasion when it's unnecessary, allowing the system to access it quicker. However, this means that sensitive information may be loaded into the memory which shouldn't have been, before any security checks have been made. Once the processor realises the information isn't needed, it should remove all traces of it, but this isn't always the case. The exploits let hackers detect remnants which remain lodged in the memory. Advertisement

Spectre, the broader bug that applies to nearly all computing devices, is harder for hackers to take advantage of but less easily patched and will be a bigger problem in the long term, he said.

Intel's CEO said Google researchers told Intel of the flaws 'a while ago' and that Intel had been testing fixes that device makers who use its chips will push out next week.

Before the problems became public, Google on its blog said Intel and others planned to disclose the issues on January 9.

Intel was forced to come clean about the Meltdown problem yesterday after news of the flaw, which affects laptops like this HP, became public

Apple's iPhone is likely to be among the devices affected, as it's processors are based on a 64-bit Arm chip. There has been no public comment from the company. One researcher has suggested MacOS 10.13.2 has a fix for the flaw affecting its desktop and laptop machines

Google said it informed the affected companies about the 'Spectre' flaw on June 1, 2017 and reported the 'Meltdown' flaw after the first flaw but before July 28, 2017.

The flaws were first reported by tech publication The Register.

It also reported that the updates to fix the problems could causes Intel chips to operate five to 30 per cent more slowly, with some experts claiming this could be more like 50 per cent.

Security researchers at Google's Project Zero computer security analysis team, in conjunction with academic and industry researchers from several countries, discovered the two flaws. Google's own Home smart speakers use Arm processors

Intel denied that the patches would bog down computers based on Intel chips.

'Intel has begun providing software and firmware updates to mitigate these exploits,' the Santa Clara, California, Company said in a statement.

'Contrary to some reports, any performance impacts are workload-dependent, and, for the average computer user, should not be significant and will be mitigated over time.'

INDUSTRY'S BIGGEST PLAYERS Intel, AMD and Arm are three of the biggest names in the world of computer processors. Intel Intel, the world's leading semiconductor manufacturer, started life producing memory chips, including the first metal oxide semiconductor in 1969. The firm's introduction of the Pentium microprocessor in 1993 helped usher in a personal computer revolution during that decade. Major companies, including Dell and HP, were early adopters of Intel's chips in their PCs. Today, most laptop and desktops in the world are powered by an Intel CPU, including rival Apple Macs, which dropped its proprietary chips in favour of the industry leader's in 2005. AMD Advanced Micro Devices, better known as AMD, is Intel's only significant rival in the PC processor marketplace. Alongside Nvidia, it is also one of two dominant players in the manufacture of graphics processing units, used in PC video gaming. Both Microsoft and Sony chose AMD processors over Intel's to power their latest consoles, the Xbox One and PS4. AMD processors are also the preferred choice for many custom and home built PCs, particularly among the gaming community. Arm Arm processors have conquered the world of smart devices, thanks to their stripped back design. British company Arm Holdings develops the design of the chips, which is then licensed to other firms. Processors that use the company's RISC architecture require fewer transistors than larger personal computer chips. This makes them cheaper, use less power and give off less heat, making them ideal in smaller, more portable gadgets. This ranges from smartphones, including many Android and Apple handsets, to internet connected baby monitors. Advertisement

ARM spokesman Phil Hughes said that patches had already been shared with the companies' partners, which include many smartphone manufacturers.

'This method only works if a certain type of malicious code is already running on a device and could at worst result in small pieces of data being accessed from privileged memory,' Mr Hughes said in an email.

AMD chips are also affected by at least one variant of a set of security flaws but that it can be patched with a software update.

A second bug, called Spectre, affects chips from Intel, AMD and Arm. This lets hackers potentially trick otherwise error-free applications into giving up secret information. This image shows a Motorola video baby monitor which uses Arm chips

Patches have already been created by a number of device manufacturers and operating system creators to plug the huge security holes. This image shows Mio's DigiWalker GPS system, which also uses an Arm processor

The company said it believes there 'is near zero risk to AMD products at this time.'

Google said in a blog post that Android phones running the latest security updates are protected, as are its own Nexus and Pixel phones with the latest security updates.

Gmail users do not need to take any additional action to protect themselves, but users of its Chromebooks, Chrome web browser and many of its Google Cloud services will need to install updates.

Amazon Web Services, a cloud computing service used by businesses, said that most of its internet servers were already patched and the rest were in the process of being patched.

The defect affects the so-called kernel memory on Intel x86 processor chips manufactured over the past decade, The Register reported citing unnamed programmers, allowing users of normal applications to discern the layout or content of protected areas on the chips.

That could make it possible for hackers to exploit other security bugs or, worse, expose secure information such as passwords, thus compromising individual computers or even entire server networks.

WHAT IS KERNEL MEMORY? Kernel memory is part of the kernel layer, the central module of an operating system like Windows or Mac OS. This is the part of the operating system that loads first and starts up core processes and tasks required to run your computer. Kernel memory remains in a protected area of the system's main physical and virtual memory, which is made up of RAM chips and specially allocated areas of your hard drive. While other parts of the main memory may be overwritten, kernel memory is allocated to perform important system processes like disk, memory, process and task management, as well as for communication between hardware components and devices. As such, it contains sensitive information which is off limits to the the rest of the system, to protect any unwanted errors from occurring within the OS. Advertisement

Dan Guido, chief executive of cyber security consulting firm Trail of Bits, said that businesses should quickly move to update vulnerable systems, saying he expects hackers to quickly develop code they can use to launch attacks that exploit the vulnerabilities.

'Exploits for these bugs will be added to hackers standard toolkits,' Mr Guido said.

Shares in Intel were down by 3.4 per cent following the report but nudged back up 1.2 percent to $44.70 (33) in after-hours trading.

Shares in AMD were up one per cent to $11.77 (8.70), shedding many of the gains they had made earlier in the day when reports suggested its chips were not affected.

It was not immediately clear whether Intel would face any significant financial liability arising from the reported flaw.

'The current Intel problem, if true, would likely not require CPU replacement in our opinion. However the situation is fluid,' Hans Mosesmann of Rosenblatt Securities in New York said in a note, adding it could hurt the company's reputation.
A hole in the ozone layer that appeared above Antarctica in the 1980s has shrunk thanks to a worldwide ban on damaging chemicals, Nasa has confirmed.

Research found that levels of ozone-damaging chlorine are rapidly declining in the planet's atmosphere, a direct indicator that Earth's protective layer is on the mend.

Last year, satellite images seemed to show that the ozone hole had begun to close up, with some scientists suggesting it could fully recover by 2060.

Until now it was not clear if this was the result of the Montreal protocol, a 1989 initiative to phase out ozone-depleting chemicals called chloro-flurocarbons (CFCs).

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A hole in the ozone layer that appeared above Antarctica in the 1980s has shrunk thanks to a worldwide ban on chemicals, Nasa has confirmed. Ozone depletion varies with the weather making changes over time difficult to study. Purple and blue shows areas with the least ozone

CHLORO-FLUROCARBONS During the 1980s researchers spotted a hole forming in the protective layer, which many blamed on global usage of chemicals called chloro-flurocarbons (CFCs). CFC's were widely used in aerosols, fridges, air conditioning and packing materials until they were phased out as part of the Montreal protocol in 1989. They are broken down by the Sun's ultraviolet radiation when they rise into the stratosphere, releasing chlorine atoms that destroy ozone molecules. The new study satellite readings of the chemical composition of atmosphere to find that the hole in the ozone layer is decreasing in size thanks to a drop in CFC levels. Advertisement

'All of this is evidence that the Montreal Protocol is working - the chlorine is decreasing in the Antarctic stratosphere, and the ozone destruction is decreasing along with it,' the researchers, led by Dr Susan Strahan of Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland, wrote.

Earth's ozone layer acts like a sunscreen, shielding the planet from potentially harmful UV radiation that can cause skin cancer, cataracts, and damage wildlife.

During the 1980s researchers spotted a hole forming in the protective layer, which many blamed on global usage of chloro-flurocarbons (CFCs).

CFC's were widely used in aerosols, fridges, air conditioning and packing materials until the Montreal protocol.

They are broken down by the sun's ultraviolet radiation when they rise into the stratosphere, releasing chlorine atoms that destroy ozone molecules.

Research found that levels of ozone-damaging chlorine (blue line) are rapidly declining in the planet's atmosphere, a direct indicator that Earth's protective layer is on the mend. The black line shows the ozone change since 2005

Since 2005, Nasa has permanently monitored the hole in the ozone layer with its Aura satellite.

Ozone depletion occurs in cold temperatures, meaning it varies with the weather year-on-year, making changes over time difficult to study.

Previous research has used statistical analyses of changes in the ozone hole's size to argue that ozone depletion is decreasing.

But the new study used Aura readings of the chemical composition of the hole, finding that the hole is decreasing in size thanks to a drop in atmospheric CFC levels.

Last year, satellite images (pictured) seemed to show that the ozone hole had begun to close up, with some scientists suggesting it could fully recover by 2060. The purple and blue colors are areas with the least ozone

Ozone-damaging chlorine concentrations over the Antarctic are declining at a rate of 25 parts-per-trillion each year, equivalent to 0.8 per cent, the study found.

This resulted in a 20 per cent drop in ozone destruction since the Montreal protocol came into effect.

'CFCs have lifetimes from 50 to 100 years, so they linger in the atmosphere for a very long time,' said study coauthor Dr Anne Douglass.

'As far as the ozone hole being gone, we're looking at 2060 or 2080. And even then there might still be a small hole.'
A quarter of British honey is contaminated with pesticides called neonicotinoids that pose a serious threat to bees, research has revealed.

The news comes after the EU partially banned these pesticides in Spring 2014 on flowering crops such as oilseed rape.

Before the ban scientists found more than half of honey samples were contaminated.

However, the fact the potent insecticides remain prevalent will put pressure on the EU to ban all outdoor use of them, with a potential vote in the coming months.

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A quarter of British honey is contaminated with pesticides called neonicotinoids that pose a serious threat to bees and can attack the human nervous system in high doses, research has revealed (stock image)

NEONICOTINOIDS Neonicotinoids are neuro-active chemicals similar to nicotine that have proved to be highly effective at protecting crops from pests, especially aphids and root-eating grubs. They can either be sprayed on leaves or coated on seeds, in which case they infiltrate every part of the growing plant. Years of research have shown that under controlled conditions the chemicals are toxic to honey bees and bumblebees, causing brain damage that can affect learning and memory and impair their ability to forage for nectar and pollen. The chemicals are a key battleground in the environmental movement  with campaigners demanding a 'complete and permanent' ban on the pesticides as they are suspected to be harmful to bees. Advertisement

Neonicotinoids are neuro-active chemicals similar to nicotine that have proved to be highly effective at protecting crops from pests, especially aphids and root-eating grubs.

Years of research have shown that under controlled conditions the chemicals are toxic to honey bees and bumblebees, causing brain damage that can affect learning and memory and impair their ability to forage for nectar and pollen.

'While the frequency of neonicotinoid contaminated samples fell once the EU-ban was in place, our data suggest that these pesticides remain prevalent in the farming environment,' Ben Woodcock, at the UK's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology told the Guardian.

Only two to 20 per cent of the neonicotinoids, which are still used on crops such as wheat, are taken up and the rest is left on the soil.

The chemicals are a key battleground in the environmental movement  with campaigners demanding a 'complete and permanent' ban on the pesticides as they are suspected to be harmful to bees.

'[Our] results suggest mass flowering crops [such as oilseed rape] may contain neonicotinoid residues where they have been grown on soils contaminated by previously seed-treated crops,' researchers led by Dr Woodcock wrote in the paper published in PLOS One.

The fact the potent insecticides remain prevalent will put pressure on the EU to ban all outdoor use of the pesticides, with a potential vote in the coming months (stock image)

'The results of this national survey suggest that the EU moratorium on neonicotinoid use for mass-flowering crops has been only partially effective in reducing exposure risk to bees', researchers wrote.

Scientists tested 130 honey samples collected by amateur beekeepers and are now developing a national scheme to monitor pesticide residues.

Samples taken in October revealed 75 per cent of samples from around the world contain the chemicals.

They tested 198 honey and found three out of four were laced with at least one of the neonicotinoid chemicals.

For the study, an international team of European researchers tested almost 200 honey samples from around the world for residues left by five different neonicotinoids.

While in most cases the levels were well below the EU safety limits for human consumption, there were exceptions.

Honey from both Germany and Poland exceeded maximum residue levels (MRLs) for combined neonicotinoids while samples from Japan reached 45 per cent of the limits.

Samples from England had neonicotinoid levels that were no more than 1.36 per cent of the amount thought to be safe for human consumption.
Parts of the UK could face hosepipe bans this summer  despite the recent downpours and flooding brought in by Storm Eleanor.

Unless more rain falls in the next few months, water restrictions could be put in place by June.

The Environment Agency warned that the South East is in a period of prolonged dry weather.

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Parts of the UK could face hosepipe bans this summer  despite the recent downpours brought in by Storm Eleanor and water restrictions could be put in place by June (stock image)

LOW RAINFALL Southern Water said in a statement following exceptionally low rainfall during winter 2016-17 and during October and November 2017, Bewl currently holds less than 43 per cent of its maximum 31,000 million litres capacity. Normally it would be at 75 per cent at this time of year. Towns in Kent and East Sussex were hit by 20mm of rain in just a few hours causing flash floods. The company added Recent rains are definitely helping but we need at least average rainfall during the remainder of the winter to get Bewl back to where we need it to be. Advertisement

This is despite intense bursts of rain brought by Storm Eleanor  which ripped across Britain bringing high winds and torrential rain in most places. Some areas seeing a month's worth of rain falling in just 24 hours.

Overall, the agency said rainfall levels are much lower than average towards the end of autumn and the low rainfall levels have come on top of a dry winter last year.

Parts of south-east England now face the possibility of water restrictions such as hosepipe bans in the summer, water companies said.

The warning comes as Southern Water applied for a drought permit asking the Environment Agency for permission to pump water from Kent rivers to top up Bewl Water reservoir near Tunbridge Wells following exceptionally low rainfall.

Southern Water said in a statement following exceptionally low rainfall during winter 2016-17 and during October and November 2017,

Bewl currently holds less than 43 per cent of its maximum 31,000 million litres capacity.

Normally it would be at 75 per cent at this time of year.

Towns in Kent and East Sussex were hit by 20mm of rain in just a few hours causing flash floods.

The company added Recent rains are definitely helping but we need at least average rainfall during the remainder of the winter to get Bewl back to where we need it to be.

This is despite intense bursts of rain brought by Storm Eleanor (pictured in Port William)  which ripped across Britain bringing high winds and torrential rain in most places. Some areas seeing a month's worth of rain falling in just 24 hour

Southern Water said it needs the permit to safeguard water supplies to reduce the need to restrict water usage in the summer with hosepipe bans.

This would be a short-term measure with water taken in the winter to have less of an environmental impact.

Southern Water covers parts of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, East Sussex, West Sussex and Kent is one of three companies that fears a drought.

Another water company, Affinity Water, has warned that even with the wet December, rainfall will need to be significantly above average in January, February and March to reduce the likelihood of water restrictions later this year.

Sutton and East Surrey Water [SES] has also said the rain from a few wet days is not enough to seep down into the aquifers, which recharge in the winter months when there is less plant growth and water evaporation.

By this point in the year we would be expecting our sources to be at a higher level, ready to meet demand in the spring, the company said.

Stuart Sampson, Environment Agency water manager, said: Despite the recent wet weather at the end of December, we had a dry end to the autumn with rainfall much lower than average in the south-east of England.

Last winter saw low rainfall in the South East which means that groundwater and some reservoirs are below normal levels.

Above-average rainfall is now needed in parts of this region over the winter months to replenish groundwater supplies for 2018.

The agency was working with water companies, businesses and farmers to balance the needs of water users, and teams were ready to respond to potential impacts of dry weather on people, the environment and wildlife, he said.

And despite the recent heavy rain, people are being urged to conserve water.
Amazons smart assistant can now add cooking to its ever-expanding set of home skills.

The firm has revealed that Alexa users in the US can now control their microwave ovens with simple voice commands, by stating phrases such as: Alexa, defrost three pounds of chicken.

While the functionality is limited to microwaves for now, Amazon says support for other cooking devices, including conventional ovens, is on the way.

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Amazon has revealed that Alexa users in the US can now control their microwave ovens with simple voice commands, by stating phrases such as: Alexa, defrost three pounds of chicken. It will soon come to other appliances, including conventional ovens, as well

The new microwave functionality will first come to customers in the US, with other countries to follow.

Whirlpool has developed an Alexa skill for its connected microwaves, with plan to launch the service soon.

According to Amazon, Alexa users will be able to ask the smart assistant to set cook times, modes, and power levels, instead of relying on what the firm says can be a confusing microwave experience.

GE, Kenmore, LG, and Samsung are also working to integrate the cooking capabilities.

Amazon says there are four new capability interfaces in Alexas Smart Home Skill API  Alexa.Cooking, Alexa.Cooking.TimeController, Alexa.TimeHoldController, and Alexa.Cooking.PresetController.

On social media, reactions to the latest capabilities have been mixed, with some users commenting sarcastically on the idea that the common household appliance is 'confusing.'

And, others are focusing on the potentially dangerous ways the new capability could go wrong.

Amazons Alexa has steadily been building its skill set over the last few months.

Police are even exploring whether the devices could be used by owners to report crimes without ever leaving their couch.

The firm also revealed last month that Alexa is headed to the workplace.

The company said that Alexa is now programmed to handle a range of tedious office tasks.

Businesses can buy Alexa devices that help employees dial into conference calls, manage their calendars, find open meeting rooms and - not surprisingly - order work supplies from Amazon.

Amazons smart assistant can now add cooking to its ever-expanding set of home skills. The voice assistant now has microwave functionality. Stock image

WHICH SMART SPEAKER SHOULD YOU BUY? Gadget makers are flocking to create smart speakers. Already Samsung has revealed plans for a Bixby speaker to take on Apple's HomePod, Amazon's Echo and Google's Home. Apple's speaker will have a higher price tag than the Amazon Echo range, which begins at $49 (49) for the Echo Dot. The speaker will provide a hub for appliances via Apple's HomeKit system and establish a centre inside the home to lock people in to using other Apple services, according to the report. A speaker might help customers stay loyal to other services such as Apple Music, Apple Watch, Apple TV and AirPods. Google's $130 (105) Home speaker is triggered by the phrase 'Hey Google' while Amazon's Echo uses 'Alexa'. Amazon's $50 (40) Echo Dot puts the firm's smart speaker in a small package Amazon's smart speaker is available in two versions - the full sized $180 (145) Echo shown here, and a smaller, $50 (40) version called the Echo Dot. Amazon Echo uses Microsoft's Bing search engine to provide additional information, while Google Home uses the company's own Google Search. Both Home and Echo are continually listening for commands, though Google and Amazon say nothing gets passed back to them until the speakers hear a keyword  'OK, Google' for Home and 'Alexa' for Echo. Google Home Mini: Google's clever tech-filled $49 (34) doughnut can do almosteverything its bigger voice controlledGoogle Assistant poweredsibling can do,including answer questionsand control third-party devices. Google's Assistant software is also able to answer follow-up questions on the same topic, in a near-conversation style, but Echo as yet cannot. However, Amazon's Alexa software has a wider range of skills on offer that enable it to link up with and control more third-party devices around the home. A light comes on to remind you that it's listening. You can turn off the microphone temporarily, too. Advertisement

But, not everyone is convinced that Alexas growing reach is a good thing.

Patent applications from Amazon and Google revealed how their Alexa and Voice Assistant powered smart speakers are 'spying' on their owners.

In response, a recent report warns of an Orwellian future in which the gadgets eavesdrop on everything from confidential conversations to your toilet flushing habits.

Future versions of gadgets like the Echo and Home will use this data to try and sell you products, it says.

The findings were published in a report created by Santa Monica, California based advocacy group Consumer Watchdog.
Many holidaymakers rush to buy their flights as soon as possible to ensure they get the best deal.

But they could be wasting their time and money.

According to an online travel firm, households planning a trip to Europe could be far better off waiting to the last minute.

Travellers are best waiting for a month before travel to book flights to short haul destinations, according to an analysis

An analysis of millions of flights shows air fares to six of the top 10 most popular short-haul destinations get cheaper during the final month before travel.

Travellers prepared to wait this long can save up to 54 per cent on flights to Lanzarote, 51 percent to Majorca and 28 per cent to Rome compared with the most expensive month, the research revealed.

Pictured: Aqua Suites Hotel in Lanzarote, Spain. Travellers going to Lanzarote could save 54 percent booking a month before compared to the most expensive month

Potential savings for Malaga, Alicante and Faro are all at least 35 percent.

But long-haul flights to the most sought-after locations are best booked around six to eight months before travel.

This includes destinations such as New York, Bangkok, Tokyo and Sydney, with savings from 15 per cent.

A poll of 1,000 UK adults by online travel firm Kayak found that people on average book trips to Europe three months before departure and long-haul flights four-and-a-half months in advance.

Neil Cartwright, a travel expert at the firm, said: We always want to help travellers find the best deals and its striking just how much prices can change simply depending on when they decide to book.

Those going on long-haul flights such as New York (pictured) are best to book around six to eight months before travel

We have found that as a general rule, British travellers are booking too early when it comes to European holidays and too late for international ones.

Kayak named Czech capital Prague as the top trending flight destination of 2018, as demand more than doubled compared with last year.

It advises travellers to book flights two months before departure to get air fares that are 27 per cent lower on average.
When travelling around the world its never a good idea to insult the locals - for one thing, they might have quick tempers and carry guns.

But with rules and customs varying so widely around the world, it's easy to inadvertently cause offence.

From giving an even number of flowers as a gift in Russia to refusing a cup of tea in Ireland and making the OK gesture in Brazil - what is acceptable can be widely different between cultures.

Local people have been sharing the things that travellers should never do when visiting their country

Handily, members of online community Quora have been sharing their advice in answer to the question: What should I absolutely not do when visiting your country?

Here MailOnline Travel picks out some of the tips offered by locals.

Japan

People flock to Japan to experience the hustle and bustle of the cities and see the beautiful mountains.

But Kaz Matsune revealed there is something very important you must do if invited into a local person's home

In Japan, travellers are warned that they should remove their shoes before entering a Japanese person's home

She explained: 'Japanese culture separates the home from the "outer world". As such, taking the shoes off when entering someone's home physically signifies this notion.

'While most Japanese understand that many westerners have no such custom, everyone is expected to take their shoes off when entering a home.'

Russia

You would think that giving a gift of flowers would be widely appreciated by people across the world.

But according to Katherine Makhalova, in Russia they will only be gladly accepted if the bouquet contains a very specific number of stems.

She said: 'Don't give an even number of flowers as a gift. That's for dead folks. A proper bouquet will have 1/3/5/7/... flowers.'

If giving flowers as a gift in Russia, travellers should make sure there are an odd number of flowers in the bouquet

China

Chinese culture is well known for instilling a sense of respecting elderly people into the younger generations.

And April Li explained that visitors to China should also show the same appreciation towards older people.

She said: 'Don't enter or exit a room before people of older generations. It may be safer and much more polite to just hold the door open for everyone to go in/out before you.'

Brazil

Most people would regard making a circle with you thumb and index finger the universal sign meaning OK.

But for Maura Rodriguez, she advises never giving the gesture if visiting Brazil.

She said: Dont make the "Okay" hand gesture  making a circle with your thumb and first finger may have a positive connotation in the rest of the world but has a very offensive meaning in Brazil.

Making the OK hand gesture is completely acceptable in most parts of the world, but in Brazil it is sometimes considered offensive

Germany

It might seem good manners to wish a person happy birthday if they are celebrating their big day.

But Judith Mayer says that in Germany, you should be sure it is actually the person's birthday before wishing them many happy returns.

She explained: 'Don't wish someone a happy birthday before the day. Same for anything.

'The origin is a superstition that something bad will happen to them (they might die) before their birthday if you do, however this rule is not limited to superstitious people.

'Even bright, rational Germans will feel uncomfortable because it's just not done. I guess it feels similar to congratulating someone on passing an exam before they have taken it.'

Turkey

Tourists visiting Turkey love nothing better than sampling the countrys famous coffee.

But when enjoying a cup, visitors should never drink the residue when they get to the bottom, according to one forum member.

Sinan Ozel said: 'No Turk ever drinks that. Apparently this is a joke among some waiters working in touristic places.

Ireland

Irish people are renowned for being happy-go-lucky and offering very friendly hospitality.

But according to Caragh Maxwell, there is an easy way to offend them if you are invited into their home.

According to Irish locals, you should always accept a cup of tea or coffee when visiting someone's home

She added: If someone offers you tea/coffee or other refreshments in their home, dont keep saying no.

Irish people cant help but be accommodating to the point of forcefulness and theyll take it personally if you keep saying no.

Of course, Father Ted fans already knew this.

Israel

Thousands of tourists head to Israel each year to visit holy sites in Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

But political tensions can mean that security around the country can be very tight.

And Saul Davis advises: 'Do not joke at all with the security guards (at the airport, shopping centres etc.) Security is a serious issue in Israel and should not be taken lightly.

'Fully cooperate with the security checks: you just do what they tell you. They might have strange ideas (smelling your shampoo, asking you weird questions) but just act cool and calm.'

Belarus

Offering a round of applause is usually a way of showing your appreciation.

But in Belarus, Alex Shrestha advises against clapping while in the street.

She said: In 2011, people started silent protests against the president, and clapping became one of the means to protest. You will be jailed for it.
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The Arc de Triomphe, the Sydney Opera House and Tower Bridge are all instantly recognisable city landmarks.

But it turns out they could have all looked very different if these rejected designs had been given the go-ahead instead.

From a pyramid-like Lincoln Memorial to a futuristic-shaped Tribune Tower, GoCompare commissioned a series of illustrations showing how some of the world's best-known cities could have looked.

Arc de Triomphe, Paris

The Arc de Triomphe in Paris, left, honours France's war veterans but in 1758 there had been a plan to build a giant elephant, right, on the same spot

The Arc de Trimophe, which was formerly opened in 1836, stands proudly in the heart of Paris at the end of the Champs-Elysees and centre of Place Charles de Gaulle.

It was commissioned to honour those who lost their lives fighting for France in both the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

But many years earlier in 1758, architect Charles Ribart proposed a plan to erect a giant elephant on the same spot.

The elephant would have had three levels that would have been accessible via a spiral staircase and a drainage system that would run through the animal's trunk.

However, the French government rejected his plans, although later granted Napoleon permission to build a similar Elephant of Bastille in 1813 that was demolished in 1846.

Tower Bridge, London

Tower Bridge in London, left, is a major tourist attraction but one design for the bridge was a curved shape

For tourists, no trip to London would be complete without snapping a selfie next to the city's most instantly recognisable bridge.

But in 1876 the City of London Corporation had to wade through 50 different designs for the crossing after announcing they were to build another bridge across the Thames.

The bridge had to be built downstream of London Bridge without disrupting the busy river traffic.

And one of those designs was by F.J Palmer, who proposed featuring moveable platforms at either end of the bridge, as GoCompare's illustration shows.

However, that and 48 other designs were rejected in favour of the one by Sir Horace Jones, who was the City of London Architect and had also came up with the plans for famous London markets Smithfield, Billingsgate and Leadenhall.

Sydney Opera House

The sails of the Sydney Opera House, left, are much more pleasing than a rejected design by the conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Opened in 1973, the Sydney Opera House is one of the instantly recognisable sights Down Under.

And in 1955, an international design competition was launched for architects to submit their plans.

One of them was by Sir Eugene Goossens, the conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, who designed it with perfect acoustics.

However, it was submission 218 out of 223 by Danish architect Jom Utzon, which featured a sail boat design, that was picked as the winner.

The Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C

Those in charge of building the Lincoln Memorial preferred the design by Henry Bacon, left, rather than the one by John Russell Pope, right

In 1911, US Congress approved the building of the Lincoln Memorial with the Commission of Fine Arts recommending Henry Bacon as the prime candidate to design the landmark.

But John Russell Pope was also eager to put forward his own proposals, and the Memorial Commission gave him the opportunity to submit designs.

When Potomac Park was finally selected as the location for the memorial, Pope submitted a pyramid-like design.

However, the Memorial Commission preferred Bacon's plans despite Pope's design being highly regarded in the architecture community.

Tribune Tower, Chicago

The Tribune Tower in Chicago, left, was built to mark the 75th anniversary of the Chicago Tribune but almost ended up in a cylinder shape

To mark its 75th anniversary the publisher of the Chicago Tribune along with local politician Colonel Robert R McCormic, challenged architects to design 'the most beautiful office building in the world'.

They received submissions from over 260 architects in 23 countries, including a pyramidal design by Bruno Taut.

But the winner was a neo-Gothic design by New York architects John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood.
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Given the reputation France has for excellent cooking and the reputation England has for not-so-excellent cooking, the idea of an English couple setting up a restaurant in France might seem to many to be a harebrained scheme.

But Paul Bridgestock and his wife, Val, have done just that  and made a roaring success of it.

Their restaurant in Axat is ranked No1 in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the south of France out of 9,030 eateries. It has had 144 reviews on TripAdvisor at the time of writing, with 96 per cent of them excellent  and many from French guests, with one couple so surprised that they remarked but you are English, the food is fantastic how is that possible?

Paul Bridgestock and his wife, Val, run Restaurant Aux Quatre Saisons, pictured. It's ranked No1 in Languedoc-Roussillon

Mr Bridgestock, 57, from Cambridge, told MailOnline Travel that effort, value and British cheeses are part of the secret to the success of his 18-seat eaterie

Causing a stir in France: Mr Bridgestock is pictured here with Val having a well-earned glass of Champagne at their restaurant

Such is the restaurants growing reputation  it opened 18 months ago - that its now attracting customers from hundreds of miles away, including Paris.

Mr Bridgestock, 57, from Cambridge, told MailOnline Travel that effort, value and British cheeses are part of the secret to the success of his 18-seat eaterie - Restaurant Aux Quatre Saisons  in which he alone does the cooking and Val, from Lincolnshire, looks after the front of house.

He told MailOnline Travel: The restaurant is a life-long ambition. We put in maximum effort and care a great deal about ensuring that our clients enjoy their visit. Many of them become friends and we have lots of regular customers.

Mr Bridgestock admitted that on the one occasion a dish was sent back, he didn't sleep for three nights. Pictured is the restaurant's interior

This is the restaurant's Cote de Boeuf for two people, featured on its Celebration Menu. Val said: 'It is best served rare and cuts like butter, seared on the outside, very succulent and tender. Locally sourced. We serve it with home made fries and freshly made Bearnaise sauce'

In 18 months we have only had one dish sent back and I did not sleep for three nights afterwards. We really do care that much. Effort and value are everything in my opinion. Our most popular menu is four courses including cheese from the trolley plus four free canapes and we only charge 24.90 euros.

His dishes are French in origin but with a modern twist.

We have several specialities, said Mr Bridgestock. Slowly cooked lamb shank with garlic and rosemary is one. Also very popular are lobster with sauce americaine, emperor scallops with black pudding and gambas flambeed in Armagnac as well as our boeuf Axatois, which is superb beef slowly cooked in local red wine. We are most famous for our cheese trolley, which is a passion for me and normally boasts 20 different hand-selected cheeses.

Our cheese trolley has a superb Stilton, which is very popular with French clients, who often are surprised that there are any British cheeses at all.

Mr Bridgestock's framboisine - a raspberry sorbet with nougat ice cream on top and served with a selection of fresh fruit, whipped cream and a chocolate straw on the side

He also has some excellent wines, which go down a treat, too.

He said: My wife Val and I choose the wine together - it is great fun. This is the biggest wine production area in the world so we are spoilt for choice to a degree. We have a particularly popular local pinot noir and chardonnay. The big star of the area is Blanquette de Limoux, which is the sparkling wine from the Limoux area. Pre-dating Champagne and recognised as the first sparkling wine in the world it is superb quality and in my opinion far, far better than for instance prosecco, which of course is far better known. It is a hidden gem.

Also popular are some of the excellent Bordeaux wines that we have on the list and a cracking 2005 Gran Reserva Rioja. We try to ensure that all our wines are great value.

Given how proud the French are of their cooking, one might expect them to resent Mr Bridgestocks skills, but so far, theyve been very gallant about his achievement.

He said: Theres never any jealously. Just appreciation and respect mixed with some surprise at times. I did have one couple say but you are English! I said yes of course. And they said but the food is fantastic, how is that possible?'

Mr Bridgestock, before going professional, paid to train at Raymond Blancs Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons restaurant in Oxfordshire.

Mr Bridgestock said: 'We are most famous for our cheese trolley, which is a passion for me and normally boasts 20 different hand-selected cheeses'. Customers receive a complimentary glass of tawny port with the cheese, 'which as we English know is the perfect accompaniment'

He said: It was an amazing experience but at that time I never expected to have the chance to work as a professional chef due to the pressures of earning a living. I used to cook whenever possible in two local restaurants owned by friends, cooking in return for meals, but the main reason was that I just loved cooking and to give me experience. On one evening I turned up on a Saturday evening to find that all the staff had been sacked for theft and that I was the only chef instead of the normal four! It all went well but I did gain some grey hairs.

In 2005 he moved with Val to France to escape the rat race and restored the old stone house  bought 20 years previously - the restaurant is in.

The building, which is also their home, was in a dreadful condition, but it's been transformed, along with their standing in the French culinary community.

Mr Bridgestock added: Axat is a very friendly place and we have been accepted and welcomed by locals. We absolutely love it here and have lots of friends, it is a lovely place to live.

And now the restaurant is attracting more people from places such as Limoux, Carcassonne, Perpignan and even Toulouse and Paris.
She has been honest about her husband's affairs with six women, including a Russian teenager and a masseuse.

But Sharon Osbourne seemed more loved-up than ever with Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy as they enjoyed a family holiday to Hawaii.

During a new episode of 'Ozzy and Jack's World Detour', the 64-year-old appears besotted with her husband as they join their son, 32 and his wife Lisa, along with their grandchildren Pearl and Andy Rose, on the idyllic getaway.

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Loved-Up: Sharon Osbourne, 64, appears besotted with her husband during their Hawaii break with their son Jack, 32 and his wife Lisa, along with their grandchildren Pearl and Andy Rose

Smooch! Sharon Osborne looked more loved-up than ever with the Black Sabbath frontman as they enjoy a family holiday to Hawaii - following their brief marriage split last year

The X Factor judge returned to the tropical island with her husband during the episode - which marks the picturesque setting where they first tied the knot in July 1982.

With romance clearly still in the air, the pair are seen cuddling and kissing each other multiple times for the camera - proving to be more united than ever.

The family decided to go on holiday to mark the end of the father and son's cross-country trip from Florida to Alaska for their new show, 'Ozzy and Jack's World Detour'.

Scenic: The X Factor judge returned to the tropical island with her husband - which marks the picturesque setting where they first tied the knot in July 1982

Picture perfect: The couple are seen kissing and cuddling throughout the episode - proving their relationship to be back on track

Family trip: The showbiz family decided to go on holiday as Ozzy and Jack have recently finished a cross-country trip across the United States for their new reality show

Packing on the PDA during the episode, Ozzy and Sharon proved to be very close again and back on track - following their brief split in May 2016.

Ozzy moved out the family home when the news of his affair with celebrity stylist Michelle Pugh, 46, broke.

In September, Sharon then revealed her husband had cheated on her six times, with 'some Russian teenager', a masseuse in England, their own masseuse in the States, and their cook.

Back on track: The showbiz couple seem to be very close again despite their brief split in May 2016

Cheater: Sharon revealed in September her husband cheated on her six times which included 'some Russian teenager, then a masseuse'

Back together: Ozzy previously moved out the family home when the news of his affair with celebrity stylist Michelle Pugh, 46, broke

Despite their turbulent past, the pair clearly still had a lot of love for one another as they went on to renew their wedding vows last May.

Sharon told the US chat show The Talk at the time: 'Ozzy has asked me to renew our wedding vows and Id like to. Im happy, and to be honest thats all I want for Christmas this year.'

She added: 'I fell out of love with my husband and then fell back in again. I did (fall out of love) somewhere along the way, because thirty five years with someone is a hell of a long time.'

Road tripping: The family clearly have a lot of love for one another and Sharon and Ozzy renewed their wedding vows last May

Opening up: Sharon shared she got back together with her husband 'because he was trying so hard to be a better person'

Happy couple: It was reported that Ozzy showered her with gifts which included a new diamond wedding ring

When asked what made her fall in love with her husband again, she responded: 'Probably really just months ago, because he was trying so hard to be a better person.'

She continues: 'His effort was way more important to me than the results.'

It was reported that Ozzy also showered his with gifts in a bid to win back her affection, including a new dazzling diamond wedding ring.

Feeling good: Ozzy appeared incredibly upbeat as he left Bristol Farms Market in Beverly Hills after the episode aired on Thursday

Classic: The rocker maintained his typically grungy style in a plain black T-shirt and jeans, layered beneath a pinstriped blazer

Strike a pose: He accessorised with a gold necklace and his trademark round shades as he playfully posed for the camera
The dating pool is very shallow in soaps, where people prefer to select their partners from their immediate neighbours.

With such limited options, is it any wonder so many characters end up getting back together with their exes time and time again?

Coronation Streets Steve McDonald and Tracy Barlow are reviving their relationship for what feels like the hundredth time.

This is a woman who lied to him about being the father of their child Amy, tried to sell Amy and accused Steve of kidnapping Amy.

Nobody could say he isnt forgiving. Carla Connors return to Weatherfield also begs the question of which of her old flames shell be sparking up a new relationship with  and theres no shortage of candidates.

After a boozy night out Kate and Sophie are caught sharing a kiss and word reaches Rana in Coronation Street

Over in Emmerdale its only a matter of time before Cain and Moira end up back together and I wouldnt rule out a Ross and Debbie reunion either. And wholl be the first man in Walford Melanie Owen gets her claws into?

Her exes include Billy and Phil Mitchell and Ian Beale. Chances are one of them will be in for a rekindled romance in 2018.

CORONATION STREET: KATE'S CAUGHT KISSING

After a boozy night out Kate and Sophie are caught sharing a kiss and word reaches Rana. Torn between the two women, Kate does what all soap characters do in a crisis  she gets in a taxi and leaves town.

Someone who definitely should leave town is Seb who, having realised Phelan is a nasty piece of work, is on the fast track to being his next victim. This week he tells Eileen that Phelan framed Anna.

Unnerved, Eileen arranges a prison visit to Anna to hear her side of the story. Is Eileen on the brink of discovering shes married to Weatherfields biggest serial killer since Richard Hillman? I do hope so, this storys been dragging on way too long.

Mel Owen, returns to the square after 16 years away, where she catches up with Ian in EastEnders

Realising her posh boyfriend Henry is a snob, Gemma ends it with him. But shes stunned when he begs her to reconsider, saying hes fallen in love with her. Dolly-Rose Campbell, who plays Gemma, is one of the best things to happen to Corrie in recent years. Its great shes getting her own storylines rather than being a bit player in others dramas.

Simon reappears from wherever hes been hiding recently and is up to no good. He scams his family and then steals vodka from the Rovers. Hes his fathers son all right.

EASTENDERS: MEL OF A SHOCK FOR IAN

Two former residents make their way back to Albert Square this week. First to arrive is Tiffany Butcher, daughter of Bianca.

Whitney has yet again lost her job at The Vic and just as shes making plans to move to Yorkshire and revive her T-shirt business, Tiffany lands on her doorstep. Its soon clear Tiffanys in trouble and when Whitney finds a pregnancy test in the bin she confronts the teenager and discovers why shes really returned to Walford.

An even more baffling arrival is that of Mel Owen, who shows up after 16 years away. Her first port of call is the cafe where she catches up with Ian, the man she was married to for all of five minutes.

After hearing of the Whites' plans to go to Australia Robert, with the help of Victoria, snatches baby Seb from the Whites car in Emmerdale

Masood, another wanderer who recently returned, is playing the big shot, much to Ians displeasure. He boasts of being a successful businessman in the ice cream world and tells Jack hes interested in buying one of his luxury flats for cash.

But by the end of the week, things start to unravel for Masood and the true picture of his circumstances emerges.

Karen lands an interview with Mr Papadopoulos Junior at the revamped launderette. Bizarrely, he seems curiously charmed by her.

However, Karen has a rival and the two hopefuls are given a trial where the best candidate will be hired. If Karen does land the role, how will she get any work done? She cant go five minutes without lighting up a cigarette or stuffing a piece of toast into her mouth.

EMMERDALE: ROBERT AND SON ON THE RUN

Thanks to the private detective he hired, Robert learns all about the Whites plan to move to Australia.

With the help of Victoria, he snatches baby Seb from the Whites car (pictured) and goes on the run with his son.

Its not long before the Whites are in hot pursuit. Two cars, travelling at high speed  its only going to end one way, isnt it?

Bob is determined to win Brenda back after his fling with Laurel. He leaves a trail of clues for Brenda to follow thatll lead to him proposing. Perhaps he could leave a trail of clues for DS Benton and his colleagues too  those coppers couldnt catch a cold between them.
She has completely moved on from ex-boyfriend Scott Disick.

And Kourtney Kardashian shared a sweet throwback photo from New Year's Eve with her 24-year-old boyfriend Younes Benjima on her Instagram on Thursday.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashian star, 38, looked all smiles as she danced hand-in-hand with her beau under romantic illuminated trees.

Love is in the air! Kourtney Kardashian shared a sweet throwback photo from New Year's Eve with her 24-year-old boyfriend Younes Benjima on her Instagram on Thursday.

Kourtney and Younes looked like the perfect pair as they matched in all black ensembles, wearing long-sleeve shirts and flare-leg trousers.

The boxer-turned-model playfully dipped his counterpart as the two shared a sweet laugh together.

On Monday, Kourtney also shared a snap of her and Younes dancing alongside the caption, '2018. Keep it 90's R&B'.

The happy couple looked in high spirits as they gazed up at each other while dancing to the music.

One step at a time: The Keeping Up With The Kardashian star, 38, looked all smiles as she danced hand-in-hand with her beau under romantic illuminated trees

Going strong: Kourtney has been dating Younes since December 2016, and it was recently revealed that the two met in Paris just days before Kim's heist

Kourtney has been dating Younes since December 2016, and it was recently revealed that the two met in Paris just days before Kim's heist.

The TV reality star opens up about their first encounter on an episode of Season 10 of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

The mother-of-three said: 'I was just drunk, he literally grabbed my hand and was like, "Its 5 in the morning were leaving."'

Since then, Kourtney and Younes have taken their relationship to the next level by meeting her kids and siblings.

Younes celebrated the holidays with Kourtney's family, which also included her ex Scott Disick, 34.

Love birds: Kourtney and Younes have taken their relationship to the next level by meeting her kids and siblings

Part of the family! Younes celebrated the holidays with Kourt's family, which also included her ex Scott Disick, 34

Before meeting the hunky model, Kourtney was in an on-and-off relationship with Scott for nearly nine years.

The two co-parent their three children; Mason, seven, Penelope, five, and Reign, two.

Since Kourtney and Scott's split, the two managed to stay friends and he has remained close to Kourtney's mother and siblings.

Kris Kardashian has made it clear she thinks of Scott as a second son, and continues to include him in family gatherings.

While Kourtney enjoys her romance with Younes, Scott has now seemingly settled down with teen model Sofia Richie, 19.

The old days: Before meeting the hunky model, Kourtney was in an on-and-off relationship with Scott for nearly nine years
She's the down-to-earth actress who's set for another stint on Ramsay Street.

And returning Neighbours star, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, 42, shared with fans the preparations she's undertaking before she hits screens again as Erinsborough's femme fatale, Izzy Hoyland.

On Thursday, the blonde beauty shared a candid video of herself to Instagram, undergoing PicoSure laser treatment in order to remove skin blemishes.

Beauty is pain: Returning Neighbours actress Natalie Bassingthwaighte, 42, has shared a candid video of herself undergoing PicoSure laser surgery to remove skin blemishes, in the video a technician can be seen working on her shoulders and upper chest

In the video, the usually glamorous soapie star dons only protective googles for her eyes and a headband, with her shoulders and upper chest fully exposed.

The former So You Think You Can Dance presenter praises the beauty treatment, which removes sun spots and pigmentation.

'So, people have been commenting on my skin lately and I have to say a big reason is because of this machine,' she said in the post, making clear it wasn't related to an endorsement deal.

Blemish free: The multi-talented performer was open about the treatment, which can run into $500 per session, with her crediting it for her ageless look

'It's called a pico laser and I have had three sessions on my face and now I am doing my chest for sun spots or dare I say, age spots, and pigmentation,' she continued.

'I have told all my friends and now I am telling you ... It's really quite incredible!' she said, before adding,'Thanks to the chicks always. I actually can't wait to see the full results! Eek.'

It didn't stop there, with the approachable star then answering a number of questions from fans about the procedure, mostly related to recovery time.

Beauty secrets: The television star is known for her glamorous red carpet appearances and interest in health and beauty

Glamazon: The actress stunned at the AACTA Awards in Sydney last month, wearing a white gown with a sheer sleeve detail

In December, the glamourous television star has been making the rounds of the red carpet, attending the AACTA Awards in Sydney.

The actress cut a glamorous figure in a cleavage-baring gown, which featured a cinched waist and sheer puff sleeve.

Late last month, Neighbours dropped a teaser of her character Izzy's return to Ramsay Street, which sent fans into a tailspin.

Dressed in a navy blue trench coat, red leather pumps and her trademark blonde hair down, the statuesque Izzy can be seen walking down Ramsay Street, with footage juxtaposed against character Susan Kennedy restless in bed.

The teaser ending with Susan's TV husband, Karl Kennedy, checking his phone and seeing a message from Izzy, which read, 'Karl, I need to see you.'
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He admitted that competing in Dancing On Ice is a welcome distraction from his heartache, following his shock split from girlfriend of five months, Amber Davies, in November.

And Kem Cetinay seemed to be relishing honing his skills for the rebooted ITV skating competition, looking every inch the professional as he whizzed across the rink with his Alex Murphy during rehearsals on Thursday.

The Love Island star, 21, was joined by Bake-Off supremo Candice Brown, 32, who was the picture of confidence as she hit the ice with her pro partner Matt Evers during training in Hertfordshire.

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Looking good! Kem Cetinay (L) and his dancing partner Alex Murphy joined Candice Brown and her pro dancer Matt Evers looked utterly at home on the ice as they rehearsed for Dancing On Ice on Thursday

Hairdresser Kem appeared to be in his element, as he showed off a series of poses with Alex, holding her hand across his chest as they glided across the ice.

Wrapping up warm for the ice-skating session, the Essex-born reality star wore a black tracksuit and kept his hands toasty with a cosy pair of red woolly gloves.

The star seemed to be getting on well with Alex, although previously ruled out any chance of romance blossoming between the pair during a recent interview with Heat.

He insisted there was 'no chance' of anything romantic happening between him and Alex, saying he wants to stay single 'out of respect' to his former flame Amber.

Moving on: He admitted that competing in Dancing On Ice is a welcome distraction from his heartache, following his shock split from girlfriend of five months, Amber Davies (right), in November

Loving life: Hairdresser Kem appeared to be in his element, as he showed off a series of poses with Alex, holding her hand across his chest as they glided across the ice

Quite the double act! He waved enthusiastically as he skidded into co-star Jake Quickenden's rehearsal space

Double trouble: The pair appeared to be in great spirits as they donned builders hats during a break from training

He told the publication: 'I am still in love with Amber as we have just split. And anyway, Alex my partner is 10 years older than me and has a boyfriend.'

It comes after Kem revealed his stint on Dancing On Ice has simply been a welcome distraction from his breakup with Amber.

Speaking to the Mirror, he confessed it had been 'good to concentrate' on mastering the skill of skating, as it has taken his mind off his recent heartache.

Nailing it: Meanwhile, joining Kem on the ice rink was Candice, who looked utterly at home as she whizzed around with her professional partner Matt

Keeping it casual: The former PE teacher ditched her trademark vintage style for a more dressed-down vibe, rocking a simple khaki hooded sweatshirt and skintight jeans

Pals: She was joined by Donna Air (right), who wrapped up warm in a colourful navy and red gilet, layering a sleek grey poloneck top underneath

When asked whether training with partner Alex Murphy had distracted him from the split, he said: 'Yeah it's been good, even sometimes if I'm just on there on my own... just skating around, it's good to concentrate on something... really really good.'

Amber and Kem parted ways earlier this month, after falling for each other on ITV2's Love Island back in June.

Having rocketed to the heights of fame after the reality series, the pair decided to call time on their romance due to their conflicting time schedules.

Beating the blues: Stephanie Waring looked like a natural as she twisted her figure into some impressive lifts with partner Sylvain Longchambon

Elegant: The Hollyoaks star, 39, previously admitted she has never skated before and fears her lack of experience is the reason behind the accidents

Accident prone: Speaking to The Sun she said: 'Im falling over more as the weeks are going by and Im not sure if thats because Im pushing myself harder and doing more technical things'

Good team: The TV star has been partnered up with Sylvain Longchambon for the 2018 series who is married to actress Samia Gamdie from Coronation Street

Confirming the separation to MailOnline, they said: 'With sadness, we've decided to separate. We fell in love in the villa and want to thank all the fans of the show for supporting us.'

It was later claimed Amber had ended the relationship as she felt things were 'moving too fast' - with the pair openly discussing the prospect of marriage and children in the future, in a number of interviews.

Meanwhile, joining Kem on the ice rink was Candice, who looked utterly at home as she whizzed around with her professional partner Matt.

A tad awkward? Stephanie reunited with rugby hunk Max Evans, who she was seen passionately kissing at an ITV gala in November

Spot of tonsil tennis: The skating co-stars had locked lips in s passionate embrace as they enjoyed a rickshaw ride through central London

Share the joke! Bucks Fizz singer Cheryl Baker, 63, cackled as she posed alongside Jake

Here come the girls! Donna, Candice and Cheryl flashed matching grins once they had stepped off the rink

The former PE teacher ditched her trademark vintage style for a more dressed-down vibe, rocking a simple khaki hooded sweatshirt and skintight jeans.

Sweeping her dark tresses into a tousled topknot, the former Great British Bake-Off winner appeared to go make-up free for the gruelling training session.

She was joined by Donna Air, who wrapped up warm in a colourful navy and red gilet, layering a sleek grey poloneck top underneath.

Having a whale of a time: Soap star Brooke Vincent, 25, who admitted she gave up smoking to focus on training, appeared to be in great spirits as she mingled with fellow competitor Perri Shakes-Drayton

Flashing those pearly whites: Track athlete Perri, 29, didn't let her competitive side take over as she soaked up the fun of the skating show

Impressive effort: Former X Factor star Jake Quickenden looked the picture of concentration as he lifted partner Vanessa Bauer

Incredible show: The 29-year-old former I'm A Celebrity appeared to show no fear as he pulled some gravity-defying tricks with his partner

Pre-show nerves: Jake previously admitted he also found the early training sessions tough, revealing: 'Im terrified. I had my first training session yesterday - I was freezing! Ice is cold!'

Excited: He added: 'But it was amazing, the coaches are unbelievable. I just feel so lucky that Ive been asked to do it. Im so buzzing, I cant even explain. Its my mums favourite!'

The blonde beauty recently revealed she feared death for the upcoming Dancing On Ice show as she 'thought it was that dangerous'.

Despite her former worries, the 38-year-old actress went on to express her delight in taking on the figure skating role as she is 'having so much fun doing the show', and is already seeing the physical benefits.

The media personality made known of her initial fears when she took on the role: 'I really thought Id probably die doing the show... I thought it was that dangerous.'

Getting on famously: The former I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here star and 21-year-old German skater Vanessa seemed to have a great rapport

Don't look down! The singer looked utterly confident as he balanced a graceful Vanessa high above his head while an aide observed from the sidelines

Baby steps: Singer Lemar, 39, looked a tad tentative on the ice as he skated around with his French partner and stunt girl Melody Le Moal

She went on to reveal she was 'glad' at becoming a contestant for the imminent tenth series, explaining: 'I dont like being scared of things so I thought its good... Life is about experiences and I thought it would be a real experience.'

She added: 'Im so glad that I made the right decision because were having so much fun doing the show'.

Donna was right to be cautious about her safety, as among the injuries in the past series were Keith Chegwin breaking his shoulder and cracking his ribs; Jennifer Ellison cutting her head open with her own skate; and Samia Ghadie popping one of her ribs out.

Meet the gangDonna, Jake, Kem and Brooke grinned as they posed under an inflatable watermelon after a long day of training
More than a decade ago, playwright Martin McDonagh was travelling through the American South when he spotted a poster with something 'graphically horrible' scrawled all over it.

'It was accusing the cops of not doing anything about whatever it was, and I wondered what kind of a rage, despair and anger drove someone to do it,' he recalled.

The result of that casual observation is the scorching dark comedy Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. It's anchored by a brilliant performance by Frances McDormand.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is anchored by a brilliant performance by Frances McDormand (pictured)

She plays Mildred, the mother of a daughter who was molested and murdered. And she has accused the local sheriff, played by Woody Harrelson, and his dopey deputy, played by Sam Rockwell, of dragging their heels in the investigation.

McDonagh wrote and directed the film, which has garnered a lot of awards season heat. He told me he wrote the script eight years ago, with Rockwell in mind, having worked with him; and McDormand, too, though they hadn't collaborated before.

Three Billboards is dominated by McDormand's no bull**** Mildred. Most of McDonagh's stage plays, particularly The Beauty Queen Of Leenane and The Cripple Of Inishmaan, have strong female characters, though Three Billboards, his third picture, is the first film to have a woman front and centre.

Watching Mildred take down the symbols of male authority is exciting  especially in the current climate. The actress used John Wayne as a template for Mildred's physical demeanour and attitude in the film.

Most of Martin McDonagh's (pictured) stage plays, particularly The Beauty Queen Of Leenane and The Cripple Of Inishmaan, have strong female characters

'I'm more of a Montgomery Clift fan than a John Wayne fan, because of his fascist tendencies,' McDonagh admitted. 'Frances said there weren't enough female heroes in movies that she could latch onto, or who could think in the mindset of herself or Mildred, and also have their capacity for language. Mildred's going to beat them, any man, intellectually as well as forcefully.

'She's so different. You sit there thinking: 'What is she going to do next?!'

Indeed, McDonagh has created such a rich and rewarding palette of characters that Three Billboards warrants a second, or even a third, viewing. The director hailed McDormand as an 'awesome' collaborator, but noted that she could also be 'a tricky customer'.

'She'll be flinty and very sure that her way is the right way, and I'm sure there are five per cent more arguments with her about the part than with the other actors,' he said.

The arguments occurred primarily during rehearsals and the very early part of filming. 'In retrospect, I wondered if it's as much about the character she was playing  somebody who takes no s*** from men anyway, so why would she be taking it from me?

'But because I come from a playwriting background where no one can change a line, I take umbrage if it seems like something is being arbitrarily changed.'

However, about a week into production, while shooting a scene, he had an epiphany. 'I remember thinking: 'She's so good that you should stop having arguments!'

'In the first couple of weeks there was a bit of testing. But I think once she saw it was all about the work, it got easier and we got on.'

Whatever the process, McDormand gives her best performance since she won an Oscar for Fargo.

Steel's good company for Bobbi's girl

Movement director and choreographer Liam Steel has joined the creative team of the much anticipated, gender-switch production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Company.

Director Marianne Elliott and her producing partner Chris Harper contracted Steel to choreograph the show, which features Rosalie Craig in the role of thirtysomething singleton Bobbi.

Stephen Sondheim musical Company features Rosalie Craig (pictured) in the role of thirtysomething singleton Bobbi

Sondheim has allowed Elliott to re-imagine the story (as this column was first to reveal) with a woman playing the central part, rather than a man. Steel, who also directs opera, said most of Company  which he described as a 'psychological musical'  takes place in Bobbi's head.

'It's one big dream world  not quite real  which gives us room to make it as real, or surreal, as we want to,' he told me during a break from casting a return of the exciting Peter Pan which he's co-directing with Timothy Sheader at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park in May.

Steel told me that he hasn't listened to the earlier Company cast albums, but he has viewed video of a workshop Elliott organised with Craig in the central part.

Movement director and choreographer Liam Steel (pictured) has joined the creative team Company

'It means we're looking at it with fresh eyes. No looking back!' he said, adding that the new Company has also been updated from 1970 to the present day.

The musical will also star Patti LuPone as Joanne, Bobbi's married friend, who gets to sing the show-stopping Ladies Who Lunch. Steel met LuPone several years ago, when he was on his own at a Broadway opening night party.

'Because I'm short, the waiter kept walking right past me. Patti was at the party and she noticed. She piped up and said: 'Sir, can I have a drink?' We got chatting after that and shared some jokes,' Steel recalled, wondering if LuPone would remember.

She does have a pretty good memory. When I spoke to her last year she remembered something I mentioned to her in passing . . . 25 years ago.

Watch out for...

Anita Dobson, who joins Howard Brenton's play The Shadow Factory, as an aristocrat who allowed her home to be used for the wartime effort of building Spitfires, after Luftwaffe air raids had destroyed RAF factories and killed workers in Southampton.

Brenton's work is the inaugural production at Nuffield Southampton Theatres' NST City venue in the heart of the city, and will run from February 7.

Director Samuel Hodges, who is also the NST's artistic director, had already cast David Birrell, Hilton McRae, Catherine Cusack, Lorna Fitzgerald and Daniel York, as characters who ensured that the iconic Spitfire fighter planes could fly out of Southampton once more, after all manner of buildings were commandeered to keep them rolling off the production lines.
Andrew Lloyd Webber has composed a new song for a film of the musical Cats, to be directed by Oscar-winning film-maker Tom Hooper, who has spent more than 18 months developing a radical new way of bringing the story to cinema screens.

The composer is considering writing more numbers but he confirmed to me that he has already completed one: a song for Victoria, a perky white kitten.

In director Trevor Nunn's production  inspired by T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats and which has been running on a stage somewhere on the planet since 1981  the choreographer and associate director Gillian Lynne created a solo dance for Victoria. 'There's a twist involving Victoria,' Lloyd Webber revealed, 'and the song is based on that.'

Andrew Lloyd Webber (pictured) has composed a new song for a film of the musical Cats, to be directed by Oscar-winning film-maker Tom Hooper

Hooper and his producers at the Working Title film studio in London have started initial casting, to see what level of stars might be available, before the production proper is officially greenlit.

Glamourpuss Grizabella, who gets to sing the soaring ballad Memory, with lyrics by Nunn, will be one of the first of the clowder of cats to be cast.

Judi Dench was going to be the original Grizabella but had to withdraw when she tore her Achilles tendon and was, famously, replaced by Elaine Paige.

An executive cautioned: 'The film's still in development stage, but we have moved up several notches. We want to see who's out there before the big Meow.'

As this column reported back in May 2016, Hooper, who made the film version of Les Miserables, was tasked with coming up with a method for bringing Cats to the screen.

From what I understand, he and his technical collaborators have explored a way of using live actors and computer generated images. It's very early days, but I have been assured that the film will (according to an executive) have real performers singing and dancing. 'The work will be something you haven't seen before,' I was promised.

Eliot's beloved feline creations were the subject of a series of poems he sent to his god-daughter. They were read on BBC radio on Christmas Day 1937, and published two years later.

Tiffany has 'em laughing all the way to the winner's podium

For 18 minutes, Tiffany Haddish had an audience in tears . . . of laughter.

The actress, who also happens to be a comic genius, was at the New York Film Critics Awards on Wednesday night to collect a Best Supporting Actress honour for her brilliantly raucous performance in the comedy Girls Trip.

I love that the mighty NY movie critics were smart enough to recognise, and celebrate, Haddish's comedic chops. Funny guys and gals rarely walk off with the prizes during awards season, which is a crying shame.

The actress (pictured), who also happens to be a comic genius, was at the New York Film Critics Awards on Wednesday night to collect a Best Supporting Actress honour

Anyways, Haddish took to the stage at Tao in Soho, with what she termed a Tiffany Toast in a cocktail glass (grapefruit vodka, yuzu citrus and pomegranate).

'It's the Tiffany special,' she told the crowd, 'and it's delicious. I had two and I feel like magic.'

Haddish then offered thanks to God, 'because without God, my Mom and Daddy wouldn't have put their two uglies together and made me'.

I was disappointed that she wouldn't be at the Golden Globe Awards over the weekend.

But she hinted she'd like to be a presenter at the Oscars, in early March. Which would liven things up.

It would be good if she was nominated, too.

Saoirse Ronan (pictured) says she's been enjoying dressing up for the film award shows

Watch out for...

Saoirse Ronan, who says she's been enjoying dressing up for the film award shows. It made a change from Christmas, which she spent 'in my dressing gown and slippers'. The actress, who's absolutely breathtaking in Greta Gerwig's great movie Lady Bird, said she was home in Ireland after months away.

'It was the first time I was seeing a lot of family and friends; and also the first time I've been able to take a break, because I've been playing a queen!' she said, referring to her role as Mary, Queen of Scots, in the film directorial debut of Josie Rourke, artistic chief of the Donmar Warehouse.

Ronan was wearing a double-breasted jacket with gems by David Webb at the New York Film Critics Circle awards ceremony at Tao Downtown, where she won the Best Actress honour for her role in Lady Bird.

Later, she was headed to Los Angeles for Sunday night's Golden Globe Awards.
All The Money In The World

Rating:

Few movies get masses of global publicity because of who is not in them rather than who is.

But All The Money In The World  a thriller about the 1973 kidnapping of American oil tycoon J. Paul Gettys grandson  is the film that starred Kevin Spacey until he was engulfed by all those allegations of sexual impropriety.

With shooting completed and the picture only weeks from its release date, director Ridley Scott took the bold, principled, expensive (and lets face it, from a marketing point of view, rather astute) decision to re-cast Christopher Plummer in the Spacey role, as Getty.

There are many good reasons to see this film, and not least of them is to marvel at the job Plummer did, at the grand old age of 88.

Kevin Spacey was set to star as John Paul Getty in Ridley Scott's new film All The Money in The World until he was accused of historic sexual assault

Reportedly, Scott (at 80, no stripling himself) met him as soon as he decided Spacey had become a toxic brand. Within 24 hours, Plummer had read the script and agreed to do it. His co-stars Michelle Williams and Mark Wahlberg then declared themselves willing to re-shoot all the scenes theyd done with Spacey  and there are plenty of them. Im rarely inclined to heap praise on lavishly-remunerated movie folk just for working hard, but this cant have been easy.

Moreover, Plummer isnt merely good in the role, but compellingly brilliant.

Director Ridley Scott (pictured) waited for Spacey to call and explain himself but he never did. So he called upon Christopher Plummer to step into Spacey's role

He is rivetingly creepy, menacing almost, as the ruthlessly acquisitive, incorrigibly miserly, unapologetically misanthropic old mogul holed up on his English country estate, finding in his remarkable art collection a purity in beautiful things that Ive never been able to find in another human being.

He is not above buying stolen Renaissance paintings, but he flatly refuses to pay his grandsons ransom (originally $17 million) on the basis that he has 14 grandchildren, and if he coughs up a penny, Ill have 14 kidnapped grandchildren.

Eventually he relents, but only grudgingly and only once hes worked out how much of his payment can be tax-deductible, when the kidnappers post the boys severed ear to a newspaper office.

Anyway, what a slap in the face it will represent for the disgraced Spacey if Plummer now gets a raft of award nominations. But if he does, that wont be why. Or shouldnt be why.

Even without the extraordinary drama-behind-the-drama, its a remarkable and statuette-worthy performance.

There are many good reasons to see this film, and not least of them is to marvel at the job Plummer did, at the grand old age of 88

Yet its not the only one in this film. Williams is luminously excellent, too. I still think she should have won an Oscar for her grieving mother in last years Manchester By The Sea. Here, she draws from the same deep well of emotions as Gail, the mother of the kidnapped boy and ex-wife of Gettys drug-addled son (Andrew Buchan).

Gail mostly maintains an almost icy poise, but she is still everything Getty is not: a caring parent defiantly not in thrall to money, and therefore, David Scarpas screenplay implies, infinitely richer in all the ways that really matter than her former father-in-law, whom she barely knows.

Like the legend of King Midas, All The Money In The World works as a parable about the shallowness of greed.

Brian Viner says that Michelle William's (right) performance as Gaily Getty is luminous

The film is predominantly a thriller, however, and a jolly good one. Loosely based on a book about the kidnapping, it begins with 16-year-old John Paul Getty (known as Paul, and nicely played by Charlie Plummer, no relation off-screen to his on-screen grandfather) wandering around Rome late at night, confidently bantering with street-corner prostitutes.

Suddenly, he is bundled into the back of a van. A Calabrian gang have been following him and the boys voiceover explains why. My grandpa wasnt just the richest man in the world, he was the richest man in the history of the world.

A series of flashbacks then establish how the family come to be in Rome in the first place, brusquely summoned by J. Paul Getty who has decided to give his estranged son a job.

Gail mostly maintains an almost icy poise, but she is still everything Getty is not: a caring parent defiantly not in thrall to money

In a very good scene they pay an awkward visit to Gettys swanky hotel room, which is festooned with shirts drying because he refuses to pay for them to be laundered.

There is some evidence the mean old man has a heart. Once his grandson has been abducted, he sends his fixer, an ex-CIA operative called Fletcher Chase (Wahlberg), to Italy to find the boy, albeit with the brief that he wants him back as quickly and inexpensively as possible.

At first, Chase suspects that Paul might have been complicit in his own kidnapping. But gradually it becomes clear that this isnt the case.

Like the legend of King Midas, All The Money In The World works as a parable about the shallowness of greed

As Chase sees Getty for the grotesque miser he is, he and Gail become an unlikely double-act, with an even unlikelier collaborator in the form of the most sympathetic of the kidnappers, known as Cinquanta (Romain Duris), who feeds them information.

As the search for Paul begins to reap dividends, the tension escalates. Admittedly, that tension is tempered by the fact that this is a true story with a well-known ending, posing Scott challenges that he doesnt entirely overcome.

Wahlberg, giving his standard turn as an alpha-male hero, at times seems to have meandered into the wrong movie entirely, as if from some gung-ho police procedural being shot on an adjacent lot.

And most of the kidnappers appear to have come from Central Casting  Unshaven Brigands department.

But there is so much to admire, and even a few laughs as Scott pokes fun at the Italian police (hapless) and the Italian paparazzi (even more hapless).

Its a thoroughly enjoyable film, telling an amazing story and blessed with two great acting performances.

If youre intrepid enough to brave this January weather to go to the pictures, you wont be disappointed.
She stripped completely naked for viewers in William Oldroyd's 2017 drama Lady Macbeth.

But Florence Pugh vowed to never lose weight for a role on Thursday, after revealing she was once asked to be 'skinny' by a director.

Speaking to The Sun, the actress, who has been nominated for the EE Rising Star Award at this year's BAFTAs, confirmed she will never conform to such ideals, as she is only concerned with playing 'interesting women who spark conversation'.

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Strong: Florence Pugh, who stripped off for her role in Lady Macbeth (above), has vowed to never lose weight for a role on, after revealing she was asked to be 'skinny' by a director

In the wake of the recent sexual abuse scandal in Hollywood, Florence confessed she was once asked to lose weight for a role - but immediately refused to comply.

She confessed to the paper: 'I've been told to be skinny before  it's already happened, but it's up to you to either listen or say no.

'I'm not listening. It shapes who you want to be and what character you want to play. I'm looking for characters  interesting women that spark conversation.'

Genuine: While she admitted the scenes were difficult to film, Florence vowed to continue to portray 'real bodies' on screen, in order to avoid stereotype and provide an unrealistic view

'I'm not listening': Florence made the confession as she attended the EE Rising Star Nominations announcement held at BAFTA on Thursday

Florence stripped completely naked for her most recent film Lady Macbeth, in which she portrayed Katharine Lester - a young woman who is unsatisfied with her loveless marriage to an older man.

Eager to escape her oppression, Katharine instead embarks on a passionate but dangerous affair with labourer Sebastian, played by Cosmo Jarvis.

While she admitted the scenes were difficult to film, Florence vowed to continue to portray 'real bodies' on screen, in order to avoid stereotype and provide an unrealistic view.

She added: 'For me, I really appreciate seeing real bodies on screen, that variation, not the same frames we saw for the majority of our upbringing making us feel like was have to look that way.'

Controversial: In the film she played Katharine Lester - a young woman who is unsatisfied with her loveless marriage to an older man, so embarks on a passionate affair with a labourer

Standing her ground: The 22-year-old, who stripped naked in William Oldroyd's 2017 drama (above), added: It shapes who you want to be and what character you want to play'

Oxford-born Florence received critical acclaim for her role in the film - which no doubt contributed to her BAFTA nomination on Thursday.

The Marcella star was nominated in the EE Rising Star category, alongside Tessa Thompson, Daniel Kaluuya, Josh OConnor and Timothee Chalamet.

After receiving the prestigious nod, she said: 'The journey to get to this rewarding moment has been exhilarating, and so to feel recognition for doing something I love and the hard work many have put in feels very touching.'

Leading lady: Oxford-born Florence received critical acclaim for her role in the film - which no doubt contributed to her BAFTA nomination in the EE Rising Star category on Thursday

Following suit: Florence has been nominated alongside Josh OConnor, for his role in British drama God's Own Country (L) and Call Me By Your Name's Timothee Chalamet (R)

The star of the future already has various accolades under her belt - such as The Evening Standard Breakthrough of The Year Award and The Dublin Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress.

Josh, 27, bagged a nomination for his role in British drama God's Own Country last year, while 34-year-old Tessa received recognition for her appearance in Thor: Ragnarok.

Meanwhile American Timothee, 22, won critical acclaim for his role in the romance drama Call Me by Your Name, while Daniel saw international success for his role in the horror flick Get Out last year.

The coveted award has been previously been won by the likes of John Boyega, Tom Hardy, Kristen Stewart and Juno Temple.

Impressive: Daniel Kaluuya is also in the running, after finding international success for his role in the horror flick Get Out last year
The Australian model and her British rapper husband welcomed their second son Ennio just four months ago in September.

And Erin McNaught was pleased to hit the town on Friday night with her English performer beau Example.

The brunette stunner, 35, excitedly announced she was 'going out', before adding: 'First nite (sic) in over a YEAR.'

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Date night! Erin McNaught enjoys first night out in over a year with rapper husband Example in Brisbane after welcoming their second child four months ago

Example - real name Elliot Gleave - was posing with his wife in the snap, as they sat in the backseat of a car.

Dressing up for the overdue outing, Erin looked beautiful in a yellow halterneck top, which she partnered with a bold red lipstick.

The pair made humorous expressions towards the camera as they headed out in Brisbane for dinner and a concert.

Stunner! Dressing up for the overdue outing, Erin looked beautiful in a yellow halterneck top, which she partnered with a bold red lipstick

Busy parents: The Australian model and her British rapper husband welcomed their second son Ennio just four months ago in September

Example shared a video to his Instagram Story of Erin sitting across him at Brisbane restaurant Stokehouse Q.

He captioned the comedic clip: 'Date night.'

The parents then head to English grime and hip hop artist Stormzy's concert at Eatons Hill, who Example appeared to be friends with.

They shared videos side-of-stage watching the show and clips with the artist himself between sets.

Doting parents: They share two young sons together: Five-month old Ennio and three-year-old Evander Maxwell

Erin also posed with a friend during the evening, in which she claimed things got 'sweaty'.

The couple met in 2011, when Erin interviewed her future groom as part of her hosting duties with music channel MTV.

She tweeted him afterwards to thank him for the chat and from there, they hit it off, and later wed in 2013.

They share two young sons together: Five-month old Ennio and three-year-old Evander Maxwell.
Hostiles

Rating:

A remote farm on the American frontier in 1892. A man contentedly saws wood while indoors his pretty wife teaches their daughters the rudiments of grammar, and a newborn baby sleeps.

Either this is the start of an episode of Little House On The Prairie or something awful is about to happen. Its the latter. Soon, a Comanche attack has left everyone dead except the traumatised mother, Rosalie Quaid, splendidly played by Rosamund Pike.

The action then switches to a fort in New Mexico, where a tough army captain, Joe Blocker (Christian Bale with lavish facial hair) is ordered to escort Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi), a captured Cheyenne chieftain who is dying of cancer, back home to Montana with the chiefs son, daughter-in-law and grandson.

The directive has come from the White House, where President Harrison is anxious to make a goodwill gesture to Native Americans.

Escourt duty: Captain Blocker (Christian Bale) with Rosalie Quaid (Rosamud Pike)

Blocker refuses at first. He hates all Injuns, and Yellow Hawk in particular, literally with a vengeance. But he is forced to obey, and so begins the dangerous journey north.

Soon, Blocker and his small troop of soldiers encounter the grieving Mrs Quaid. Blocker, a damaged man whose humanity has been little in evidence so far, treats her with sensitivity and respect.

She joins his singular gang. Inevitably, a bond forms between the pair. So, a little less predictably, do Blocker and Yellow Hawk begin to see eye to eye, as the group is assailed by a series of violent misadventures.

Its a brutal, at times harrowing, but tremendously sturdy Western, with a fine cast also including Ben Foster and Peter Mullan. The writer-director is Scott Cooper, whose impressively eclectic list of credits already features the Jeff Bridges vehicle Crazy Heart (2009) and the terrific 2015 gangster film Black Mass.

In yet another genre, he has excelled again.

You can easily imagine this tale in the hands of great Western directors of the past, perhaps John Ford or Howard Hawks, who might have cast Robert Mitchum as Blocker.

But in a way its a story better told now, with more understanding of post-traumatic stress. Besides, Bales performance could hardly be bettered.

As a man on a journey both physical and psychological, he is superb.
Brad's Status

Rating:

Brad Pitt is one of the producers of this gently engaging film, which offers an amusing footnote, since its about a guy called Brad (played by Ben Stiller) in the throes of a mid-life crisis.

But this Brad, unlike that Brad, is conspicuously less successful than his old school friends, all of whom appear to have won the lottery of life.

He is neurotically preoccupied with the trappings of status, and his own lack of them. At the airport, his silver flyer card is not enough to get him priority boarding. When, he wonders, was the last time the smuggest of his old pals (played by Michael Sheen) flew economy?

All his materialistic grumbles froth into proper existential angst when he takes his teenage son Troy (Austin Abrams) to look at Harvard University, and broods on how things have turned out for him since his own student days.

Brad Sloan (Ben Stiller) is conspicuously less successful than his old school friends, all of whom appear to have won the lottery of life in Brad's Status, an amusing and thought provoking film

Back home in Sacramento he has a lovely wife Melanie (Jenna Fischer), and together they have raised a good-natured child, bright enough to be Harvard material, but Brad is more likely to count his neighbours cars than his own blessings. A glum voiceover, lots of plaintive violin music and occasional what-might-have-been fantasies, emphasise how belittled he feels by the achievements of his contemporaries.

In the league table of success, he considers himself relegation fodder.

Stiller plays this kind of self-absorbed malcontent, not a million miles from his recent Walter Mitty, very nicely.

And writer-director Mike White has ventured ably into what was once considered, more or less exclusively, Woody Allen territory.

I saw Brads Status with my 24-year-old daughter, who quite liked it, but didnt really get it.

Its a film for middle-aged people, and if youre one of them, I think it will make you smile and maybe even reflect on what really counts as success.
She's known for stirring the pot on the Real Housewives Of Cheshire.

And Ester Dee (Dohnalova), 33, is set to ruffle feathers Down Under thanks to her latest commentary on the first season of the Real Housewives Of Sydney.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia this Friday, Ester weighed in on why she believed the Sydney spin-off wasn't picked up by broadcasters outside of Australia last year, claiming that the women had far too many problems.

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The real reason: On Friday, RHOC star Ester Dee revealed the RHOS cast's wild tempers could be fixed with some 'good sex'

'If you've got deep issues in yourself you're probably horrible to other people,' she said.

'The girls probably need good sex or something to shut them up. They probably were very catty because there was a good reason.'

While Ester did admit she hadn't seen the Sydney franchise, she did posit that the hot Australian weather could have also been a contributing factor for the Sydney housewives' raging tempers.

She prescribes sex! 'The girls probably need good sex or something to shut them up. They probably were very catty because there was a good reason' (pictured: Lisa Oldfield from RHOS left)

'They need to eat some good food or stop drinking or it was too hot. It might be the weather as to why they were so aggressive,' she added.

The socialite also spoke about the differences and similarities between the Down Under housewives and their English counterparts.

'We are girls. We've got the same agenda,' she explained.

Just bad weather? While Ester did admit she hadn't seen the Sydney franchise, she did posit that the hot Australian weather could have also been a contributing factor for the Sydney housewives' raging tempers

'Too excessive': The news comes after the Daily Telegraph revealed American TV networks had shunned the Sydney series for being 'too extreme' and not featuring enough lighthearted moments

'But I think it's the nature of the country. They've got a little more sunshine so they may be a little happier.'

'We have to film in the rain all the time so it makes you grumpier. I think the weather affects a lot,' she continued.

It comes after the Daily Telegraph revealed American TV networks had shunned the Sydney series for being 'too extreme' and not featuring enough lighthearted moments.

To catch up on The Real Housewives of Cheshire, all six seasons are now available for download on Hayu.
Due to the three-year time hop when New Girl returns April 10 for the final eight episodes, only two out of the three couples will have settled down and started a family.

However, Zooey Deschanel teased there was 'room for growth' for her unemployed teacher character Jessica 'Jess' Day and her roommate-turned-boyfriend Nick Miller (Jake Johnson).

The ex-slacker bartender is now a published YA author coming off a successful European book tour, while Jess 'might' be a witness for a federal court case.

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Wrapping story-lines up! Due to the three-year time hop when New Girl returns April 10 for the final eight episodes, only two out of the three couples will have settled down and started a family (pictured Monday)

Bride and groom? However, Zooey Deschanel teased there was 'room for growth' for her unemployed teacher character Jessica 'Jess' Day and her roommate-turned-boyfriend Nick Miller (Jake Johnson, R, pictured December 12)

The 'adorkable' mother-of-two - turning 38 this month - discussed the seventh season of her concluding Fox sitcom at the TCA Winter Press Tour in Pasadena on Thursday.

The three-time Golden Globe nominee sported her signature bangs and brunette curls with a belted LBD featuring scalloped cap sleeves and matching patent leather flats.

'More than anything, personally, it's such a treat to get to work with amazing people for seven years,' Zooey said onstage the Langham Huntington - according to ET.

'That is so rare. All of my professional experiences have been a run of a movie, six months [at the most]. I've gotten to work with these people through so many life changes, watching everyone grow as people, as actors and as writers. It's kind of like high school, but longer.'

On set: The ex-bartender is now a published YA author coming off a successful European book tour, while Jess 'might' be a witness for a federal court case (pictured December 28)

Panel: The 'adorkable' mother-of-two - turning 38 this month - discussed the seventh season of her concluding Fox sitcom at the TCA Winter Press Tour in Pasadena on Thursday

Hipster: The three-time Golden Globe nominee sported her signature bangs and brunette curls with a belted LBD featuring scalloped cap sleeves and matching patent leather flats

Zooey said onstage the Langham Huntington: 'More than anything, personally, it's such a treat to get to work with amazing people for seven years. That is so rare. All of my professional experiences have been a run of a movie, six months [at the most]'

Deschanel continued: 'I feel this sense of camaraderie that I've never felt before, that I don't know if I'll ever feel again. I cant say enough positive things about this experience. I will forever miss that working experience'

Deschanel continued: 'I feel this sense of camaraderie that I've never felt before, that I don't know if I'll ever feel again. I cant say enough positive things about this experience. I will forever miss that working experience.'

Also speaking at Thursday's event were Hannah Simone and Max Greenfield, whose characters Cecilia 'Cece' Parikh and Schmidt are now raising their three-year-old daughter Ruth.

'I think he is completely enamored with his child and he wants to spend every waking moment with her,' the 37-year-old Golden Globe nominee said of the stay-at-home dad.

The 37-year-old British-born Canadian - whose Cece is now a modeling agent - teased a 'pretty heartbreaking' death of a 'big cast member' in the seventh season premiere.

Onscreen couple: Also speaking at Thursday's event were Hannah Simone and Max Greenfield, whose characters Cece and Schmidt are now raising their three-year-old daughter Ruth

The cat? The 37-year-old British-born Canadian - whose Cece is now a modeling agent - teased a 'pretty heartbreaking' death of a 'big cast member' in the seventh season premiere

Happily ever after: And Lamorne Morris discussed how his police officer character Winston Bishop is now married to his partner Aly Nelson and they're expecting their first child

'I fought for a final season': Speaking of babies, New Girl creator Elizabeth Meriwether (R) is seven months pregnant and she confessed production was 'lucky' to be able to make the final season a 'love letter to the fans'

And Lamorne Morris discussed how his police officer character Winston Bishop is now married to his partner Aly Nelson and they're expecting their first child.

Speaking of babies, New Girl creator Elizabeth Meriwether is seven months pregnant and she confessed production was 'lucky' to be able to make the final season a 'love letter to the fans.'

'I fought for a final season and hopefully it was worth it,' the expecting 36-year-old said. 'It was fun this season writing the characters a little bit more grown up. I dont know if it'll be fun to watch. It will be...it will be!'

Fans should not expect the return of Megan Fox's pharmaceutical sales rep Reagan, but Damon Wayans Jr., Dermot Mulroney, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rob Reiner, Tig Notaro, and J.B Smoove will appear.

The expecting 36-year-old said: 'It was fun this season writing the characters a little bit more grown up. I dont know if it'll be fun to watch. It will be...it will be!'
They celebrated the new year in style with a slew of celebrity friends in Aspen.

But Sofia Richie, 19, and Scott Disick, 34, brought their love back to the west coast for a sushi date in Calabasas, California, on Thursday afternoon.

The young model flashed her chiseled stomach in a pair of leather pants as it emerged that Scott engaged in 'a jealousy-fueled fight' with Sofia's ex-boyfriend Lewis Hamilton, according to Page Six.

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Lovers in LA: Sofia Richie, 19, and Scott Disick, 34, brought their love back to the west coast for a sushi date in Calabasas, California, on Thursday afternoon

The new report alleges the couple were party-hopping in Aspen and stopped by an event where Sofia's ex Lewis Hamilton was playing a $100,000 winner-takes-all billiards game with oil heir Brandon Davis.

'Sofia started talking to Lewis during the [pool] game,' a source told the publication. 'When Scott saw them talking, he went ballistic, crazy. He was very jealous. He insisted they leave the party immediately.'

Formula One driver Hamilton was linked to the young model from January-May of 2017. However his lawyer denied the claims.

'Although Mr Hamilton was in Aspen for the holiday, there was no jealousy, no fight, and no issue; rather, as Ms. Richie has herself confirmed, there was a perfectly friendly, polite exchange and any claim to the contrary is simply false,' Hamilton's lawyer told the publication.

Date: The young model flashed her chiseled stomach in a pair of leather pants as the doting duo walked side-by-side through the trendy marketplace.

Cute: Sofia kept warm in the brisk winter weather with a long grey blazer and sported a pair of crisp white trainers on her feet

The duo seemed to be unfazed by the weekend's events as they left Sugarfish sushi on Thursday afternoon.

Sofia's high-waisted trousers featured a long silver zipper and pockets, and were folded down to her hips to display her tanned and toned tummy.

A tight black tube top revealed more of her golden skin, with a golden pendant necklace perched atop her chest as she kept warm with a long grey blazer.

Up, up and away! Scott shared a snap cozied up to Sofia before embarking on a private plane ride to Aspen, Colorado

Scott donned a large black zipped-up hooded sweatshirt with a matching black T-shirt underneath.

He kept one hand tucked into a pocket in his forest green cargo pants and wore a pair of white sneakers on his feet.

Sofia and Scott made their relationship public in September while enjoying a romantic holiday in Miami, Florida, and have been linked together since May 2017.

Scott shares co-parenting responsibilities of his three children with Kourtney Kardashian; Mason, eight, Penelope, five, and Reign, three.
She is the Bachelor reject rumoured to have found love with last year's Bachelorette runner-up.

And Keira Maguire is working hard on toning and trimming her already enviable figure during a bush hike with her best friend.

The 31-year-old, who is currently on the Gold Coast with a gal pal, took to her Instagram story on Friday to share glamorous shots from their hike.

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Shredding for Jarrod? Keira Maguire is working hard to get on toning and trimming her already enviable figure during a bush hike with her best friend, on the Gold Coast. She showcased her slender figure in a matching black crop top and leggings, with a pair of sneakers

She showcased her slender figure in a matching black crop top and leggings, with a pair of sneakers.

But Keira wasn't without a bit of luxury in her active wear ensemble as she toted her Gucci Dionysus mini bag, valued at $1,940.

'I'm just trekking with my girl, we have no idea where we're going but this is what's happening at the moment,' she casually informed her fans in her Instagram.

Luxe bush walk: Keira wasn't without a bit of luxury in her active wear ensemble as she toted her Gucci Dionysus mini bag, valued at $1,940

'We'll show you what we get to, if and when we get there,' Keira added.

Unfortunately for fans looking to see the next installment of her bush trek, the Sydney stunner didn't show more of the journey.

Instead the former I'm A Celebrity jungle contestant and her bestie ended up at a bar meeting up with 2017 Bachelor star Tara Pavlovic.

This comes after new promotional footage featuring the blonde beauty looking dolled up on the set of Bachelor In Paradise was released.

Friends: he Sydney stunner didn't show more of the journey. Instead the former I'm A Celebrity jungle contestant and her bestie ended up at a bar meeting with 2017 Bachelor star Tara Pavlovic

Is he the one? She is believed to have found love with last year's Bachelorette runner up on the set of Bachelor In Paradise

Osher says in a voice-over: 'Your favourite Bachelors and Bachelorettes together in Paradise for a second chance at love.'

In the clip, she can be seen sauntering confidently across a footpath in a pale blue dress while pulling her hair behind her ear.

It is believed Keira, the series 'villain' from The Bachelor 2016, is currently dating The Bachelorette runner-up Jarrod Woodgate.
He's the popular blonde model who frequently makes headlines for his quirky antics.

But on Friday, sandy-haired model Jordan Barrett, 21, proved his more than just a pretty face when he uploaded video of himself on Instagram.

The Instagram story clip appears to show a shirtless Jordan attempting to steer his Volkswagen convertible while snapping selfies.

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Look, no hands! Male supermodel Jordan Barrett steers car with his knees while taking selfies

Despite not talking in the clip, the IMG-signed model shows his legs near the steering wheel, while he dances to a tune blaring out of his car stereo.

The bronzed model then shoots the camera a half smile.

In the same Instagram story, the runway model posted a clip that appeared to show him naked in a sauna.

Blue steel: Model Jordan Barrett has appeared to steer his car while taking selfies

Jordan has been in Australia for the past week, ringing in 2018 in his home town of Byron Bay.

On New Years Eve, NRL WAG Kara Ryan posted a snap of herself hanging out with the Byron Bay raised wild child, with the pair making an unlikely set of pals.

The pair were thought to have been joined by Sydney model Cheyenne Tozzi and Kara's husband, Beau Ryan.

Naked: The young model has also shared an Insta-story where he appeared naked ... again

More recently, in a bizarre turn of events, it came out that 'Human Ken Doll' Rodrigo Alves used Jordan as inspiration for his many surgeries.

Speaking to news.com.au this week, the Brazilian personality admitted that he thought Jordan's visage - particularly his eyes, were 'perfect', asking his surgeon to replicate the in-demand peepers on his own face.

'I met him once in France and I really loved the shape of his jawline, the shape of his chin,' Rodrigo revealed.

Posing: In the short clip, the IMG-signed model appears to play up to the camera while sitting in a sauna

Room with a view: In the insta-story, the sandy-haired model showed off the luxury digs he stayed at during his recent trip to Jamaica

'I loved his eyes I think he is perfect. So, I asked the doctor to try and replicate it.'

While Rodrigo admitted that he wasn't trying to be an exact replica of the Australian 21-year old he added that he was a more 'heightened'' version of Jordan.

'I don't think i look exactly like him, but if I lose weight my face will look more similar to his,' he said.

Rodrigo added: 'I am like the exaggerated form and he is the natural form.'

Home: During the Christmas period, the in-demand model caught up with NRL WAG Kara Ryan and fellow model Cheyenne Tozzi
020118SDA Pathfinders congress aims at transformation

By- Theresa Baranangko

The Seventh Day Adventist Pathfinders from the 10 Seventh day Adventist Local Mission in Papua New Guinea will be hosting a Pathfinder congress at Bautama in Port Moresby from the 7th to 13th January 2018.

According to the Bougainville Mission Pathfinder travel Coordinator, Mr Raka Benson, the 10 Local Mission pathfinders who will be attending the Congress includes, Southern Highlands Mission, Western Highlands Mission, eastern Highlands Simbu Mission, east sepik mission, Madang Manus Mission, Central Papua Mission, North East Papua Mission, North Papua Mission, New Britian New Ireland and Bougainville mission.

He said that at total of 117 members will be travelling with a total of 20 Church leaders from the Bougainville Mission to participate in the congress.

Mr Raka said that the Member for South Bougainville have funded the South Bougainville SDA pathfinder club while the other Districts in Bougainville were able to meet their own travelling cost which is a total of K1453.00 plus Registration fees which is K300 for early registration and K350 for late registration.

The Five yearly congresses is designed by the Adventist Mission to create an avenue for young Pathfinders between the ages of 10  15 where they can be spiritually mentored and spiritually directed by church leaders to find the spiritual path that would guide them in todays world.

He said that the Team of the Congress which is Chosen to serve is the highlight of the congress which means that each person are chosen by the Lord to serve in different ways at different level.

Mr Raka said that the diversity of culture during such event can be a help to the pathfinders so they can broaden their minds and understand their values and their importance in the community.

Ends//


As Victoria's Secret models, they naturally never travel without their swimsuits.

But Jasmine Tookes, 26, and Josephine Skriver, 24, surely risked frostbite as they stripped down to their swimsuits in Antarctica's South Pole on Thursday.

The Victoria's Secret models seemed in high spirits as they rolled around in the snow laughing in -3F (-17C) weather.

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Ice cold! Jasmine Tookes, 26, and Josephine Skriver, 24, made heads turn when they stripped down to their swimsuits in Antarctica's South Pole on Thursday

Jasmine showed off her fit physique in a white one-piece, while Josephine flaunted her slender figure in a bright pink swimsuit.

The lingerie-models both snapped a photo of themselves walking barefoot on the ice while posing for a picture.

Jasmine wrote, 'Call us crazy ;)' along with another caption that read, 'Only @jospehineskriver can get me in my bathing suit in Antarctica.'

Josephine seemed proud to have convinced Jasmine to join her. She wrote: 'Only @Jastookes would follow my crazy a** out here.'

Ice ice baby! The Victoria's Secret models seemed in high spirits as they rolled around in the snow laughing in negative three degree weather

Candid: Jasmine showed off her fit physique in a white one-piece, while Josephine flaunted her slender figure in a bright pink swimsuit

Effortless: The lingerie-models both snapped a photo of themselves walking barefoot on the ice while posing for a picture

Bold move! Jasmine wrote, 'Call us crazy ;)' along with another caption that read, 'Only @jospehineskriver can get me in my bathing suit in Antarctica'

The Danish model also described the event as 'epic and 'totally worth it'.

Josephine and Jasmine looked ecstatic to be sailing the ice waters of Antarctica after putting on some appropriate snow gear.

The 24-year-old made sure to take a quick selfie as she covered up in a teal beanie, multiple layered jackets, and snow goggles.

Josephine captioned her scenic photo: '50 shades of blue' along with snowflake emojis.

Selfie time: Josephine and Jasmine looked ecstatic to be sailing the ice waters of Antarctica after putting on some appropriate snow gear

So blue! The 24-year-old made sure to take a quick selfie as she covered up in a teal beanie, multiple layered jackets, and snow goggles

Warmed up! Jasmine also made sure to get warmed up with pink snow pants, a lavender jacket, and a beige beanie

Angelic: The best friends had some more fun in the powdery white snow by making snow angels together

Jasmine also made sure to get warmed up with pink snow pants, a lavender jacket, and a beige beanie.

The best friends had some more fun in the powdery white snow by making snow angels together.

Jasmine and Josephine were also joined by their boyfriends, Alexander DeLeon and Juan David Borrero.

Love birds: Jasmine and Josephine were also joined by their boyfriends, Alexander DeLeon and Juan David Borrero

The Victoria's Secret models even convinced their boyfriends to later strip down and go shirtless while in the arctic.

Before leaving to Antarctica, Jasmine penned a sweet message to fans: 'Im SO SO excited! Quite possibly the best way to start the new year!! Im currently on my way to ANTARCTICA.

'This is going to be such an exciting and incredible experience. Anyone who knows me well, knows this is a trip definitely out of my comfort zone.'

She ended: 'Proud of myself for taking the leap and trying something adventurous.. Ps.. If I see a little baby penguin like this I might pass out'

Before leaving to Antarctica, Jasmine penned a sweet message to fans: 'Im SO SO excited! Quite possibly the best way to start the new year!! Im currently on my way to ANTARCTICA

Jasmine continued: 'This is going to be such an exciting and incredible experience. Anyone who knows me well, knows this is a trip definitely out of my comfort zone'
They're preparing for a new year of classes - and Hunter is starting his first day at 'big school', aka pre-school.

And to accompany their return Roxy Jacenko's children went to the shops on Friday to get fitted for new pairs of black school shoes.

'OMG two kids both in proper school 2018 - school shoes organised and itching to start ! Thanks La and the team @shoesandsoxau for looking after @pixiecurtis & @huntercurtis14 this afternoon,' the 37-year-old wrote on Instagram.

Big steps! Roxy Jacenko's children Pixie and Hunter Curtis get fitted for new school shoes ahead of their return to classes

Pixie, six, and Hunter, three, seemed pleased to be given the celebrity treatment, with their own store assistant helping to find their size.

Roxy's lookalike daughter will begin year one this year, while toddler Hunter is believed to be making the leap to pre-school.

Previously, Roxy opened up about the hardships her daughter experienced after Oliver Curtis was jailed for insider trading in 2016.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, the glamorous PR mogul revealed that Pixie 'had a hard time' at school 'over Oli's jailing and subsequent release'.

'She was very upset and hearing that "your dad broke out of jail and is a bad person" was something I would never have wanted her to hear,' the 37-year-old said.

Sweet! Pixie, six, and Hunter, three, seemed pleased to be given the celebrity treatment, with their own store assistance helping to find their size

'She was very upset': Roxy Jacenko opened up again about Pixie Curtis being teased at school over her dad Oliver's incarceration for insider trading

However, Roxy added that the pair 'worked through it' and that Pixie is now looking forward to starting her next year of school.

Oliver, 32, was released from prison in June after serving 12 months of a two-year sentence for conspiracy to commit insider trading.

He served his time at Cooma Correctional Centre.

All better: Roxy added that she and Pixie 'worked through it' and that Pixie is now looking forward to starting her next year of school

During his imprisonment, Roxy lied to Pixie and son Hunter, three, telling them that their father was in China on business.

Speaking to Studio 10 in November, Roxy revealed Pixie had been told at school about Oliver's imprisonment.

'Pixie has been confronted by someone at school,' Roxy revealed.

'She was upset when she got home and someone had said that her father had broken out of jail.'

In the slammer: Oliver, 32, was released from prison in June after serving 12 months of a two-year sentence for conspiracy to commit insider trading

But Roxy was holding off on telling Pixie until she had completely settled into normal life with Oliver out of prison.

'The reality is, we will tell her. I don't believe I can keep it a secret forever but for now she is young,' Roxy said at the time.

'She is getting into the groove of having her father home and it is not something that needs to come up.'
They're the showbiz super couple who endured a difficult 2017.

But Bert and Patti Newton are looking ahead to 2018 and feeling fabulous.

The veteran entertainers, who have been married a staggering 43 years, were seen soaking up the sunshine on Friday, after enjoying the festive season with family.

'Life's pretty good': After a difficult 2017, in which they both endured health problems, Bert and Patti Newton appear to be approaching the New Year in high spirits, seen soaking up the sun on Friday

In an adorable snap shared to Instagram, Patti kicked up her heels while sitting in a wicker chair as her legendary husband gave her an affectionate foot rub.

The 72-year-old defied her years in a stylish floral frock and trendy designer sunglasses.

She looked to be fighting fit, after suffering a nasty fall that left her hospitalised in November.

Friends and family: Bert and Patti relished the festive season, with Patti sharing a number of snaps to her popular Instagram page

'Life's pretty good xx', Patti captioned the picture.

In the couple shot, Bert also looked his best ahead of his milestone 80th birthday in July.

The former Good Morning Australia host, commonly known as Moonface, beamed for the camera, looking more in love with his wife than ever.

Doting granddad: Bert pictured with his four young grandchildren during the festive season

The Logie Hall of Fame inductee also endured health woes last year, with a bout of pneumonia leaving him in hospital.

His five-day stay in the medical facility sparked 'rumours he was on his death bed'.

However, Bert and Patti appear to have relished the festive season with their daughter Lauren, their son-in-law Matt Welsh, and their four grandchildren.

Health battles: Last year, The Logie Hall of Fame inductee endured a bout of pneumonia that left him in hospital (pictured in 2011)

The Newton matriarch shared a number of happy snaps to her Instagram account across the Christmas period.

However, there was no sign of her and Bert's US-based son, Matthew, who is rumoured to have recently ended his engagement to Catherine Schneiderman, the daughter of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
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They're almost just as illustrious for their showstopping style as they are their esteemed acting careers.

And screen sirens Gal Gadot, 32, Emilia Clarke, 31, and Selma Blair, 45, once again dressed to impress as they attended W Magazine's Best Performance Party presented by Audi at the Chataeu Marmont in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

Wonder Woman actress Gal was among the most glamorous of guests, wowing in a long black dress with sheer paneling woven into her full skirt as she celebrated the evening with stars of stage and screen.

Leading ladies: Screen sirens [from left] Gal Gadot, 32, Emilia Clarke, 31, and Selma Blair, 45, dressed to impress as they attended W Magazine's Best Performance Party presented by Audi at the Chataeu Marmont in Los Angeles on Thursday night

Bright red woven straps held Gal's dress onto her shoulders with crimson stitching down her bodice.

She added height to her already towering 5ft10in frame with a pair of strappy black heels and tied back her chocolate brown hair into a chic bun.

Gal was joined at the festive event by her husband of nearly ten years, real estate developer Yaron Varsano.

Emilia Clarke offset her gorgeous, porcelain complexion in a strappy black dress with a delicate blue floral pattern.

Cute couple: Gal looked stunning wearing a long black dress with sheer paneling woven into her full skirt alongside husband Yaron Varsano

Stunner: Emilia Clarke showed off her porcelain complexion in a strappy black dress with a delicate blue floral pattern

Fancy seeing you here! The beauty mingled with the likes of fellow actor James Franco inside the glitzy bash

Finishing touches: Emilia paired her strappy dress with barely-there stilettos and bold statement earrings

The retro frock was perfect for flattering the actress' hourglass figure, hugging her curves in all the right places, with the beauty elongating her pins with barely-there stilettos.

Her platinum blonde hair was parted toward the side and she swiped a dark crimson shade across her lips before catching up with James Franco.

Selma Blair opted for a retro-inspired ensemble, donning a navy blue dress with black panels which featured one sweeping sleeve and a matching choker.

Gorgeous: Selma Blair opted for a retro-inspired ensemble, donning a navy blue dress with black panels which featured one sweeping sleeve and a matching choker

Hair she is! Salma's highlighted locks were equally glamorous, cascading in soft waves around her stunning face

Mixing it up: The Legally Blonde star broke up the navy number with an oxblood clutch bag and a striking red lipstick

Throwback: Salma Hayek worked the room in a black, one-shoulder frock with fringe sweeping to the floor

Hot wheels: True to form, the actress made sure she arrived in style as she pulled up in a lavish Audi

The Cruel Intentions actress - who also carried a bright red clutch by her side to match her scarlet lipstick - was clearly feeling her look as she posted a picture of her exceptional style on social media.

'Golden globe fete indeed. #Wmagazinebestperformances #chateaumarmont #gregoryrussellhair #rachelgoodwinmakeup #christiansiriano . Thank you @jacksiebert for this lovely photograph. You kids know how to do it,' she captioned the snap.

After arriving in style in a lavish Audi, Salma Hayek worked the room in a black, one-shoulder frock with fringe detailing that swept to the floor.

Offbeat: Avengers actress Elizabeth Olsen sported a cream-colored coat with hot pink stripes and darling braids in her hair

Smitten: The 28-year-old was joined at the bash by her musician boyfriend Robbie Arnett, with the lovebirds even cosying up for a sweet snap together

Rising star: Elizabeth chatted with young actress Brooklynn Prince inside the bash

Cute! Mary J. Blige opted for a city-chic ensemble, wearing a long black ruffled lace gown adorned with a large golden pendant as she covered her shoulders with a sleek leather jacket

Having a read: The music legend - who swept her blonde locks up into an elegant up-do - stopped to admire the magazine's latest edition

Avengers actress Elizabeth Olsen sported a more offbeat ensemble, displaying her fashion credentials in a cream-colored coat with hot pink stripes and darling braids in her hair.

The 28-year-old was joined at the bash by her musician boyfriend Robbie Arnett, with the lovebirds even cosying up for a sweet snap together.

Tracee Ellis Ross brought out her finest sequined ensemble as she sparkled in a matching silver set.

Shining: Mena Suvari showed off her fantastic figure with a mustard yellow strappy satin dress which she paired with black velvet platform heels

Lovebirds: Mena was pictured leaving the bash in the company of her boyfriend Michael Hope, who was every inch the gentleman as he opened the car door for his girlfriend

Sizzling: Eiza Gonzalez put on a rather busty display in a gorgeous velvet dress which boasted a bustier style fit across the torso

Out of this world! The Baby Driver actress' glam frock boasted a unique space print motif, as well as a belted waist to highlight her slender frame

Pretty Little Liars star Ashley Benson was the most casual of the guests in skinny jeans and a leather jacket, while Karrueche Tran made for a striking contrast in a vibrant yellow frock by Ekaterina Kukhareva.

The fashion-forward ex-girlfriend of Chris Brown wasn't afraid to stand out from the crowd as she wowed in the kimono style number.

The most daring look of the evening arguably came from model Ireland Baldwin who dared to bare in a mesh black top and a thigh-skimming mini skirt.

Dare to bare: Ireland Baldwin rocked perhaps the most risque look of the evening as she sported a mini dress that left little to the imagination

Pushing the boundaries: The model's showstopping look boasted intricate lace detailing across the torso and a daringly short mini skirt

Keeping it simple: Pretty Little Liars star Ashley Benson was the most casual of the guests in skinny jeans and a leather jacket

Always a style winner! Karrueche Tran made for a striking contrast in a vibrant yellow frock, offset with chic black accessories

The brighter the better! The fashion-forward ex-girlfriend of Chris Brown wasn't afraid to stand out from the crowd as she wowed in the kimono style number

Mena Suvari showed off her fantastic figure with a mustard yellow strappy satin dress which she paired with black velvet platform heels.

Mary J. Blige opted for a city-chic ensemble, wearing a long black ruffled lace gown adorned with a large golden pendant as she covered her shoulders with a sleek leather jacket.

Get Out actor Dan Kaluuya looked dapper wearing a grey wool blazer paired with a black turtleneck.

Jesse Metcalfe sported a black suit and tie next to his lovely fiance Cara Santana who rocked a see-through sparkling shirt and nude bra paired with high-waisted cream Alice McCall trousers.

Complementary styles: Bad Teacher actress Kathryn Newton rubbed shoulders with Valentino's Carlos Souza

Suave: Kyle MacLachlan looked dapper in a suede blazer, which he paired with a black shirt and trousers

Handsome: Get Out actor Dan Kaluuya looked dapper wearing a grey wool blazer paired with a black turtleneck

Stylish: Jesse Metcalfe sported a black suit and tie next to his lovely fiance Cara Santana, who wore Alice McCall pants

Sheer she is! Trendy Cara rocked a see-through sparkling shirt and nude bra paired with high-waisted cream trousers

Still going strong! The couple - who got engaged in 2016 - looked smitten as they left the star-studded bash hand-in-hand

Nice: Cody Simpson wore a black blazer and matching pants with a crisp white shirt

Deutch a beauty! Zoey Deutch made for an elegant fixture in a white dress that boasted a charming Peter pan collar

Sprightly display: The actress appeared in high spirits as she left the event in fits of giggles

Family affair: Tommy Hilfiger was joined by his wife Dee Ocleppo and his daughter Ally Hilfiger inside the fashionable event

Glitter girl: Tracee Ellis Ross brought out her finest sequined ensemble as she sparkled in a matching silver set
Keira Maguire will 'move down to Melbourne permanently' to be with Jarrod Woodgate, a source close to the pair insists.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia an insider close to the pair said 'It's only a matter of time' before Keira, 31, moves from Sydney.

After meeting on-set of Ten's upcoming Bachelor In Paradise, 'they've been inseparable ever since,' the source added.

EXCLUSIVE: Keira Maguire will 'move down to Melbourne permanently' to be with Jarrod Woodgate, a source close to the Bachelor In Paradise stars insists

With Keira spotted making the trip from Sydney to Melbourne several times since returning from Fiji, it seems her mind is now made up.

The source believes the pair's decision will further strengthen their already unshakeable romance.

Despite this, Sophie Monk reject Jarrod and Bachelor season 4 'villain' Keira have remained tight-lipped.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to both for comment.

Movin' on in! After meeting on-set of Ten's upcoming Bachelor In Paradise, 'they've been inseparable ever since,' the source added

They've been caught getting cosy with each other in Melbourne on numerous occasions over the past month.

The month before that, the first images from the Bachelor In Paradise set appeared, documenting what may well have been their first kiss.

Weeks later, Woman's Day snapped Keira at her potential suitor's home, alongside reports she was 'sneaking over to Jarrod's house,' regularly.

Here comes your man: With Keira spotted making the trip from Sydney to Melbourne several times since returning from Fiji, it seems her mind is now made up

'Jarrod is completely smitten and thinks Keira is The One,' an insider reportedly told the publication.

A source also told the publication that the blonde beauty was considering a move to Melbourne - a decision that now appears to have been made.

While they've declined to comment publicly, Vineyard Manager Jarrod has been caught 'liking' his rumoured soul mate's busty social snaps of late.

Soul mates! The source believes the pair's decision will further strengthen their already unshakeable romance

The hunk won the hearts of the nation this year, after failing to win Sophie's, their 'break-up' in the finale now one of the most famous moments in series history.

He was reduced to tears as Sophie broke the news during the episode: 'In my head, you're everything I've been looking for.'

'Absolutely everything but my heart belongs to someone else.'

Jarrod couldn't help but burst into uncontrollable tears - but everything happens for a reason, he'd later attest.
Ryan Seacrest after hosting the frigid New Year's celebration in Times Square in New York City thawed out on Thursday with bikini-clad girlfriend Shayna Taylor in Mexico.

The 43-year-old TV personality enjoyed the warmer weather along with his 26-year-old girlfriend and friends at a resort.

The Atlanta native sported a black cap, grey T-shirt and blue checkered shorts while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas.

Mexican vacation: Ryan Seacrest relaxed with girlfriend Shayna Taylor on Thursday in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Ryan accessorized with mirrored sunglasses while lounging in the shade.

Shayna meanwhile worked on her tan in a white and purple floral print two-piece.

The personal chef accessorized with sunglasses and her cute little white pooch with black ears named Panda.

Shayna put on a cheeky display while prancing around poolside.

Cute pooch: Shayna held her cute pooch Panda while soaking up the sun poolside

Cheeky display: The 26-year-old personal chef put on a cheeky display in a bikini

Kicking back: Ryan was kicking back in Mexico after hosting the frigid New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square in New York City

Cute couple: The Atlanta native and Shayna, shown in August in New York, dated a few years ago and rekindled their romance in 2017

She also showed her daring side as she jumped off lava rock into the pool.

Shayna later covered up in a long white shirt and had her blonde hair up in a high bun.

Ryan and Shayna dated a few years ago and rekindled their romance in 2017.

Feeling adventurous: Shayna launched herself off lava rock into the pool

Getting air: The model looked fearless as she jumped into the water

Going strong: Shayna and Ryan live together in New York City

Even tan: The model and personal chef showed her fit figure in the two-piece floral print swimsuit

They live together in New York City where Ryan co-hosts Live With Kelly And Ryan with Kelly Ripa.

Ryan hosted Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest on Sunday night as temperatures dropped to 10 Fahrenheit.

In addition to Live With Kelly And Ryan, the radio personality will host the American Idol revival that will premiere on March 11 on ABC.

Covered up: Shayna later covered up in a long white shirt while hanging out with Ryan
She was a stand-out star on last year's reality series Seven Year Switch.

So it's no surprise American-born Kaitlyn Isham is set to make another appearance on Australian screens.

On Friday, the 29-year-old excitedly told Daily Mail Australia that she has secured a role as a lingerie waitress in the upcoming Underbelly Files: Chopper.

Heading back to screens: Seven Year Switch star Kaitlyn Isham is set to make a steamy appearance in the highly-anticipated new Underbelly series, revealing to Daily Mail Australia she will play a lingerie waitress

The highly-anticipated Underbelly Files: Chopper is set to air on the Nine Network in the coming months and tells the true story of Melbourne stand-over man Mark 'Chopper' Reid.

'I originally auditioned for the [role of] stripper but didn't get it', Kaitlyn told Daily Mail Australia.

However, she enthusiastically added: 'But they let me be a bartender in lingerie'.

Scintillating selfie: Kaitlyn also shared a selfie with her cleavage included

One picture from the set shows Kaitlyn flaunting her curves in tight leopard-print lingerie.

A pair of pink thigh-high stockings and suggestive black heels completes her naughty on-screen look.

And, with her cleavage on full-display, the star also shared a scintillating selfie.

Brush with fame: Kaitlyn cosied up to Vince Colosimo who plays the late criminal Alphonse Gangitano in the series

The LA-based beauty also managed to get up close and personal with the show's main stars during filming.

In one image, Kaitlyn beams while cosying up to Vince Colosimo who plays the late criminal Alphonse Gangitano.

And it appears the star won't be the only alluring blonde to feature in the series, with another snap showing her posing with a bevvy of babes who share the same hair colour.

Bevvy of blondes: The series looks set to feature a number of genetically-blessed beauties

After it was announced she was set to star in Seven Year Switch, Kaitlyn's past as a webcam model resurfaced.

Sexually explicit images of the star were circulated online, prompting a statement from the Seven network which read: 'Kaitlyn is honest about her social website activity which happened several years ago during a very low point in her life.'

Kaitlyn appeared on the series with her partner Mark Pisani, and although the couple have since split, the beauty's love life has showed no signs of slowing down.

'I'm dating, like, five people, including a girl,' Kaitlyn told the OK! magazine last month.
She is known for her elaborate beauty regime and multi-million pound wardrobe.

But Tamara Ecclestone looked worlds away from her usual glamorous self on Thursday evening when she indulged in a spot of pampering.

Much to the amusement of her husband Jay Rutland, the 33-year-old Formula One heiress smothered her face in a luxurious face mask as she beamed at the camera in a cheeky Instagram snap.

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'Came home to this!': Tamara Ecclestone was mercilessly mocked by confused husband Jay Rutland when he found her wearing in a homemade face mask and posted the results on Instagram on Friday

Jay seemed thoroughly confused by the facial, captioning the shot: 'Came home to this...I have no idea what she is doing now.'

Tamara meanwhile, looked thoroughly relaxed as she lay on a bed in a cosy blue pyjama top.

She tied her glossy brunette tresses in a loose ponytail and went make-up free to allow the face mask to sink into her youthful complexion.

High maintenance: The 33-year-old Formula One heiress looked worlds away from her usual glamorous self when she indulged in a spot of pampering

The socialite is passionate about beauty and released her own high end haircare line Show back in 2012, before quitting as the boss of the brand in 2015.

The line boasted indulgent and luxurious products including a 30 dry shampoo, a 55 hair fragrance and a Swarovski-encrusted bottle of treatment oil costing an eye-watering 155.

Following her birth to daughter Sofia in 2014, Tamara Ecclestone revealed to Get The Gloss not too many heavy nights and a selection of fifty lip glosses keep her looking glamorous.

Beauty entrepreneur: The socialite is passionate about beauty and released her own high end haircare line Show back in 2012, before quitting as the boss of the brand in 2015

Opening up her Louis Vuitton makeup bag, the Formula One heiress cited Clinique's CC cream as her number one beauty buy, explaining: 'I never used to wear SPF, how bad! I used to lay in the sun and fry. So whenever I go anywhere warm, I like to have SPF on.'

Other beauty essentials in her cosmetics bag included a Tangle Teezer, Charlotte Tilbury mascara, and a Kiehl's lip balm. 'I probably have about 50 lip glosses floating around,' she added.

Tamara also revealed she swears by Dermalogica moisturiser, explaining: 'I am so particular about moisturisers. I used to have such bad skin as a teenage and I refused to moisturise because I thought it would give me more spots but that's a complete myth.'

The Milan-born beauty was joined by her sister newly-divorced sister Petra, 29, to ring in the New Year in Los Angeles.

The brunette took things to new heights during her festive break, when Petra splashed out 20,000 on having snow imported to Tamara's 148million Bel Air mansion, ensuring a white Christmas.

As they rang in Christmas Day, the daughter of billionaire Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone took to Instagram to a share shot of Sophia standing with a snowman, alongside the caption: 'When your auntie makes it snowy on Christmas Day in LA.'
She's been vocal in her condemnation of the widespread sexism in the film industry - revealing she'll be wearing black at the Golden Globes in solidarity with Hollywoods anti-sexual harassment movement.

Yet Saoirse Ronan admitted that she did not release the full extent of the problem as issues 'went over her head' whilst she worked on film sets.

The Irish actress, 23, made the confession as she joined her Lady Bird director, Greta Gerwig, 34, for a TimesTalks chat at New York's Kaufman Music Center on Thursday.

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Candid: Saoirse Ronan revealed that the widespread sexual abuse, harassment and sexism 'went over her head' in a TimesTalks chat at New York's Kaufman Music Center on Thursday

Looking back on her experiences, the former child star admitted upon hearing about the widespread abuse and harassment in Hollywood: 'I wasnt surprised, I was disappointed that this has been allowed to go on and so many people that I know and respect have felt unsafe.

'Its so important for everyone on a film set and any industry to feel safe in order to do their best work. Its made me rethink my experiences and things Ive seen on set.

'I was very lucky that I was protected by my parents and my mum was always there but its made me go back and think "oh no that shouldnt have happened", and "that producer shouldnt have told me to keep quiet about that thing," thats not ok and thats inappropriate.

'Its so crazy and dangerous to think that went over my head until we started talking about it and these incredibly brave people have come out.'

Speaking out: The Irish actress, 23, made the confession as she joined her Lady Bird director, Greta Gerwig, 34, who described the movement like 'seeing a new colour'

Greta - who directed Sairose in independent film, Lady Bird, added: 'I completely agree. It felt like all of a sudden being able to see a different colour.

'Its like Ive seen it my whole life and didnt have a name for it. I'm so grateful to the leaders of the conversation and the way its being used now to promote real change and movement. Because its just so important and so past time.'

Saoirse and Greta have revealed they will be joining a host of stars in wearing all-black attire at this Sunday's Golden Globe Awards as part of a planned anti-sexual harassment protest.

Reflecting: Saoirse said: 'Its so important for everyone in any industry to feel safe in order to do their best work. Its made me rethink my experiences and things Ive seen on set'

'I'm bringing one of my best friends with me and she'll be wearing black also,' Saoirse told Page Six on Tuesday.

'The relationships between women are so strong when you have them and it's about time that we get to experience that in our industry, too, you know?'

The talk comes fresh off their appearance at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, where Lady Bird earned best picture, and Saoirse scooped Best Actress.

Lady Bird is a coming-of-age story of a high-school senior (Ronan) and her turbulent relationship with her mother (Laurie Metcalf).
Tracee Ellis Ross isn't afraid of making a fashion statement.

And the American actress caused a stir with her outfit choice once again as she attended W Magazine's Best Performance Party presented by Audi at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

The 45-year-old actress graced the bash in a figure-hugging shimmering silver jumpsuit, showing off her ample bust with a plunging neckline.

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Making an entrance: Tracee Ellis Ross made sure she didn't pass unnoticed as she rocked up to W Magazine's Golden Globes party in Los Angeles on Thursday

Tracee complemented her silver jumpsuit with matching hoop earrings, a pair of black heels and a clutch bag.

Sweeping her dark tresses back into a stylish ponytail, the Los Angeles native looked radiant with minimal make-up and a nude lip.

Tracee was all-smiles as she posed for photos at the star-studded event, which is an unofficial party to kick-off Golden Globes weekend.

Shining bright: The 45-year-old's figure-hugging outfit featured a plunging neckline that offered a look at her ample cleavage, whilst the garment highlighted her curves

Shining star: Tracee's skintight jumpsuit also offered a look at her peachy posterior. The daughter of singer Diana Ross, is currently starring in ABC sitcom Black-ish

The Black-ish star was joined at the bash by Blue Mountain State star Frankie Shaw.

The glamorous duo posed for a picture together, with Frankie's pant suit also featuring a plunging neckline.

Both actresses are in the running to be recognised at the Golden Globes when this year's award winners are announced on Sunday night.

Strike a pose! Tracee looked phenomenal in her skintight jumpsuit and was sure to pose up a storm as she spotted the cameras inside the glamorous party

Suits you: Tracee was joined for a photo at the event by Blue Mountain State star Frankie Shaw

Sitting pretty: Tracee was a vision of beauty as she chatted away at the glamorous party

Sizzling: Tracee looked phenomenal as she posed up a storm at the stylish party

Currently starring as Dr Rainbow 'Bow' Johnson in Black-ish, Tracee will be hoping to see the ABC sitcom beat off competition from Will & Grace and Master of None to win Best TV Series  Musical or Comedy.

Meanwhile, Frankie will be hoping to win the Golden Globe award that Tracee picked up in 2017.

The 31-year-old is among the nominees for the Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series  Musical or Comedy for her role in SMILF.
040118POLICE CALL FOR EVIDENCE

By Aloysius Laukai

The Provincial Police Commander for North Bougainville KINGLEY LUA is also calling for evidence if his Police officers are involved in the escape of the eighteen prisoners on Tuesday.

He said Police cannot charge officers on rumours but would act upon reports with facts and evidence.

INSPECTOR LUA made these remarks when responding to questions by New Dawn FM that street talk was that the prisoners were aided by Police officers on night duty on Tuesday.

He said that if they have evidence then Police can allow for the his officers to be charged.

The PPC said that POLICE are carrying out their own investigations on the incident.



Ends


She's the mother of PR powerhouse Roxy Jacenko who's never far from her famous daughter's side.

But even when Doreen Jacenko travels far and wide, it appears she can't escape her offspring's influence.

While on holiday in Hawaii on Friday, the age-defying grandmother took to Instagram to share a sizzling bikini selfie which bore striking resemblance to the sexy swimsuit snaps Roxy regularly shares.

Following (swim)suit! PR powerhouse Roxy Jacenko is known for sharing selfies in her swimwear, and on Friday her devoted mother Doreen followed suit, uploading a bikini photo to Instagram

'Not sure if factor 6 is low enough ? #waikiki' Doreen captioned the steamy shot.

In the picture, the brunette lies back on the sand, pointing the camera lens directly above her, making sure her cleavage is captured within the frame.

Also demonstrating that she shares her daughter's penchant for skimpy swimwear, Doreen is seen wearing a tiny black and pink string bikini.

Look familiar? Roxy isn't a stranger to stripping down and uploading pictures of herself clad in skimpy swimwear

The Sydney-based stunner shielded her ageless visage from the tropical sun with a pair of stylish sunglasses, adding a colourful headband to complete her sunbathing ensemble.

After uploading the picture, Roxy's faithful 'clones' Grace Garrick and Gemma Oldfield were quick to leave complimentary comments.

'HOTTIE', Gemma wrote, using the caps lock button to emphasise her enthusiasm.

Dripping wet! Roxy possesses a well-known penchant for a sizzling bikini shot

Grace left a series of flame emojis, indicating she found Doreen''s physique nothing short of scorching.

Similarly, Roxy is well known for taking photos of herself sprawled out on sun loungers, soaking up Vitamin D in her various swimsuits.

Hands-on mum! It appears doting mothers run in the family, with both Roxy and Doreen known to be close with their offspring

It appears the grandmother is on Hawaiian holiday with a number of her gal pals, sharing a number of pictures from the American island.

It's no doubt a relaxing break for doting Doreen, who is fixture in the Jacenko-Curtis clan.

Indeed, Doreen lives in the same apartment complex as her daughter and is frequently seen out and about the her famous grandchildren, Pixe, six, and Hunter, three.
They've gone from strength to strength since announcing their relationship in October last year.

And former Biggest Loser host Fiona Falkiner and girlfriend Lara Creber are still enjoying the honeymoon phase.

Taking to Instagram on Friday, the pair look loved-up in a snap captioned 'date night.'

'Date night': Fiona Falkiner and girlfriend Lara Creber share loved-up snap ahead of romantic dinner

Seemingly snapped ahead of their date, Fiona was pictured in a cleavage-baring leopard print ensemble.

Lara looked ready for a night out in a dress shirt, the pair looking smitten as they cuddled-up for the photo.

'Pair of stunners! enjoy beauties xx' a fan wrote in the comments.

Smitten! The reality star and her soul mate can do no wrong it seems, their chemistry clear for all to see

The reality star and her soul mate can do no wrong it seems, their chemistry clear for all to see.

Shortly after announcing the relationship last year, Fiona took to Instagram to explain her decision to go public.

'This week reminded me of how important it is to just focus on my own happiness,' she wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post.

Easy decision! Shortly after announcing the relationship last year, Fiona took to Instagram to explain her decision to go public, saying it was finally time to focus on her own happiness

'Who cares if you are tall, short, have some wobbly bits or some muscly bits, hairy or bald, love a man or a woman, every body is unique and beautiful. Imagine the world we would live in it everyone just focused on their own happiness,' she wrote.

'Instead of casting judgement and negativity towards others. This is the world I want to live in.'

Fiona confirmed she was in a same-sex relationship after photos of the pair kissing surface online.
In the 1980s and early '90s, he and his late best pal Corey Haim proved to be a formidable force, enjoying worldwide fame as a duo of popular child movie stars.

And Corey Feldman, 46, was seen getting support from his 26-year-old wife Courtney Anne Mitchell on Thursday, as they attended a Los Angeles screening of A Tale Of Two Coreys, a new Lifetime movie about the actors' rise to fame.

The actor arrived at ArcLight Sherman Oaks in typically eye-catching style, wearing a glittering patterned blazer over a silver button-down shirt, topping off his ensemble with a matching hat and aviator sunglasses.

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Movie night: Corey Feldman and his wife Courtney Anne Mitchell attended a screening of the Lifetime movie A Tale Of Two Coreys at Los Angeles' ArcLight Sherman Oaks on Thursday

His stunning wife of one year, who plays keyboard in her husband's band Corey Feldman & the Angels, displayed her own sartorial prowess, donning a black minidress under a metallic embellished jacket, teamed with strappy heels.

With her platinum tresses styled in curls, she posed with a host of the TV movie's cast, including the four actors who play the two Corey's over the course of their rise to fame, and their experiences of the dark side of Hollywood.

Since the recent Harvey Weinstein sex scandals sparked a surge of Hollywood heavyweights getting toppled from their positions of power, Corey's previous accounts of abuse at the hands of showbiz executives have gain new traction.

Rise to fame: The TV movie follows the rise to fame of Corey and his late best pal Corey Haim. They're pictured together in 1989

Struggles: The pair became a formidable force in the movie world, before struggling as they entered adulthood. They're pictured together in 1989

Feldman first came forward with his account in his 2013 memoir, Coreyography, claiming that both he and Haim were repeatedly abused as up-and-coming actors.

He has since come out repeating his story, appearing on Dr. Oz in November as he even went as far as publicly naming an alleged abuser.

Around the same time, a National Enquirer story alleged that actor Charlie Sheen raped Haim - who tragically passed in 2010 at the age of 38 - as a minor.

Catching the eye: The actor arrived at ArcLight Sherman Oaks in typically eye-catching style

Glitter: He wore a glittering patterned blazer over a silver button-down shirt, topping off his ensemble with a matching hat and aviator sunglasses, which he removed for snapshots

Pose: The couple posed for a stream of pictures with guests as they attended the screening

Proud: The screen star posed alongside a poster of the film, featuring actors as him and Haim

Sheen, who worked on the film Lucas with Haim, has unequivocally denied the claims.

While Feldman says abuse was a repeated occurrence with many predators involved, Haim's mother Judy believes that her son was molested once by a man, and that there is not an inherent epidemic of paedophilia in Hollywood.

She also denies that Sheen, who came out as HIV-positive in 2015, was the one who raped her son.

Just the three of us: Corey posed with Justin Ellings, left, and Casey Leach, right, who play teen and adult versions of the star in the film

Thumbs up: Corey appeared to be thrilled with the film, which debuts in the US on Saturday

New heights: Corey stood on his top-toes as he posed with actress Ashley Scott, who portrays his mother Sheila Feldman in the televised biopic

Meanwhile, Corey's Goonies castmate Sean Astin has spoken out in support of the actor's account.

Late last year, Astin released a statement which said: 'Corey Feldman communicated to me at some point, what some of his experiences were,' adding, 'I remember aching for him.'

The Lord Of The Rings star continued, writing: 'Victims of sexual assault are speaking. Their bravery and willingness to subject their lives to scrutiny, of the most painful kind, should be supported. It is time for abusers to be stopped.'

Group shot: Corey and his wife posed for a group shot with the cast and crew on the night

Hair we go: A long strand of hair hung from the 46-year-old actor's hat as he posed for snaps
She is on cloud nine after her soulmate Chris Zylka popped the question with a mammoth teardrop diamond engagement ring last weekend.

And it has been claimed that Paris Hilton has taken the unusual step of hiring 24/7 security to protect her $2 million sparkler reports TMZ.

Sources close to the besotted couple reportedly told the website that heiress Paris, 36, is taking precautions due to the spate of celebrity burglaries in the past year, including the jewellery theft at her aunt Kyle Richards' house.

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Newly engaged: It been claimed that Paris Hilton has taken the unusual step of hiring 24/7 security to protect her $2 million engagement sparkler reports TMZ (pictured with fiance Chris Zylka)

Safe: Sources close to the besotted couple reportedly told the website that heiress Paris, 36, is taking precautions due to the spate of celebrity burglaries in the past year, including the jewellery theft at her aunt Kyle Richards' house

The ring features a 20 carat pear-shaped diamond on a platinum split shank halo band and is worth $2million

It was claimed that while Paris already has round the clock security at her home, a plain-clothes 'ring squad' is always with her to ensure the safety of both the blonde beauty and her precious ring.

MailOnline has contacted Paris' representatives for comment.

The pricey piece of jewelry features a 20-carat center stone set on a platinum split shank halo band which boasts another two carats of smaller diamonds, according to People.

This comes nearly one week after Paris' actor beau Chris, 32, popped the question after nearly two years of dating.

Paris confirmed the news on Tuesday on social media after Chris got down on one knee during a romantic trip to Aspen, Colorado.

'I am so excited to be engaged to the love of my life and my best friend. I have never felt so happy, safe and loved. He is perfect for me in every way and showed me that fairytales really do exist!' she gushed.

'I have never felt so happy':This comes nearly one week after Paris' actor beau Chris, 32, popped the question after nearly two years of dating

In pictures Paris posted to her Instagram Chris - an actor who has starred in The Leftovers and The Amazing Spider-Man - can be seen bending down on one knee on a picturesque ski slope.

The leggy blonde wears a star spangled ski suit and metallic beanie for the moment as Chris, 32, presents her with the $2million pear-shaped diamond.

Beaming a big smile the 5ft 8in star can't hide her joy as she gazes down at her husband-to-be.

Jeweler Michael Greene and his team designed the ring in two days, a process which normally takes several weeks.

'Paris was not involved. Chris did it all,' Greene told People, explaining that Chris wanted it ready before Aspen.

She said yes! The blonde beauty couldn't contain her joy as she gazed down at her beau of just over a year

Winter wonderland: The leggy blonde wore a star-spangled ski suit and metallic beanie for the big day

'So excited': Paris confirmed the news with a tweet on Tuesday, revealing her delight at becoming engaged to her perfect man

That's hot: The former reality star revived her famous catchphrase in another tweet following her big news

When the actor came to pick up the ring, Greene recalled: '[He] opened up the box he literally started shaking. He said, "I cant stop shaking.".

Greene added: 'He told me he had to set up a time to meet up with Paris father to ask for her hand in marriage. He did the whole thing. All the traditions.'

Before the news was announced Paris sparked rumors of an engagement as she was spotted out in Aspen on Monday with the huge rock on her left hand.

She also proudly showed off the sparkler in a New Year's Eve photo alongside pal Sofia Richie, 19.

Who is Chris Zylka? Zylka, who is from Ukranian descent, was born Christopher Settlemire and was raised in Ohio and took on his mother's maiden name as he tried to carve out a career in acting. He attended the University of Toledo before kickstarting his career with a guest appearance on 90210 in 2008. Since then, he has enjoyed a recurring role on Everybody Hates Chris, the sitcom by Chris Rock, and enjoyed guest appearances on Hannah Montana, Luther and Cougar Town. His biggest acting job to date was as Joey Donner on the TV version of 10 Things I Hate About You while his movie jobs include The Amazing Spider-Man and cult B-list movies Shark Night and Piranha. In July he got a large tattoo of Paris' name in Disney font on his forearm. In 2014 he proposed to model Hanna Beth, before they called off the engagement the following year. Prior to Beth, Zylka dated actress Lucy Hale from 2011 to 2012. Advertisement

Captioning the snap 'Ready to rock 2018!', Paris held her gloved hands in the shape of a gun, with the large diamond nestled between her fingers.

'The ring was so gorgeous and sparkling. I was shaking as I put it on. It is the most beautiful ring that I have ever seen.' she told People.

Chris also talked of his excitement at Paris becoming his fiancee as he told the magazine: 'I feel like the luckiest man in the world to be marrying my dream girl. I cant wait to spend the rest of our lives together.'

Perfect match: Chris, 32, is an actor who has starred in The Leftovers and the The Amazing Spider-Man

Paris sparked rumors of an engagement as she was spotted out in Aspen on Monday with a huge diamond on her left hand

The couple first met eight years ago at an Oscars party at Chateau Marmont but didn't start dating until 2016, finally making it official on social media in February 2017.

And Paris hasn't shied away from gushing about her man on social media.

On Sunday, alongside a black and white image of the duo, she wrote: 'Never in a million years did I think I would find someone so completely perfect for me. Someone who would make me happier than I ever dreamed I could be.

'Ready to rock': The heiress also proudly showed off the sparkler in a New Year's Eve photo alongside pal Sofia Richie

Bride-to-be: Paris hasn't been shy about showing off her love to the world as she posted this gushing tweet on Saturday

'Someone that would touch my life so profoundly & give me a whole new reason to breathe. But then I found you & realized that everything I anticipated you to be doesn't even compare to how incredibly amazing you are...'

The same day she gushed in another tweet: 'One day, someone will walk into your life & make you see why it never worked out with anyone else...'

In recent years Paris, who has made a name for herself as a global DJ, has been linked to billionaire Thomas Gross as well as DJ Afrojack, nightclub owner Cy Waits, former The Hills stars Doug Reinhardt and Brody Jenner, actor Jared Leto and rocker Benji Madden among others.

In 2006 the Simple Life star split from on-off boyfriend Greek shipping heir Stavros Niarchos.

'I feel like the luckiest man in the world to be marrying my dream girl' Chris, 32, gushed to People. The couple are pictured May 25 2017

Before that she was engaged to another shipping heir, Paris Latsis, from May 2005 to October 2005.

She was also engaged to model Jason Shaw who she dated from 2002 to 2003.

She talked of her dream of getting married in 2016, telling Closer: 'One day Id love to get married and have kids,

'I see how happy Nicky is. Thats the true meaning of life: to find the love of your life and start a family.'

Paris' younger sister Nicky, 34, married banking heir James Rothschild in 2015 and they have two children together; daughters Lily, one and Teddy born December 20.

Past love: The former reality star was previously engaged to Greek shipping heir Paris Latsis in 2005
She has been strategically hiding her left hand in a series of bikini-clad shots during her idyllic holiday in Thailand.

But Alexandra Burke ignored the swirling engagement rumours as she finally unveiled her ring-free left hand in her latest Instagram snap on Friday.

The Strictly Come Dancing star, 29, posed up a storm as she showed off her gym-honed physique in a black criss-cross bikini yet all attention was drawn to her hand.

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Engaged? Alexandra Burke unveiled her ring-free left hand as she showed off her gym-honed physique in her latest Instagram snap on Friday

The former X Factor winner, who is on holiday with long-term beau Josh Ginnelly, looked thoroughly relaxed as she beamed with happiness while posing next to a clear blue pool.

The fitness fanatic, who overhauled her lifestyle last year, unveiled her lithe limbs and sculpted arms in the skimpy ensemble.

She captioned the shot: 'I started 2018 in the best way by a beautiful pool at Nikki Beach in #KohSamui.'

Cute couple: Alexandra has refused to address ongoing rumours she is engaged to beau Josh Ginnelly (here in December 2016) but speculation started after their trip to Paris this month

Fueling rumours: The 29-year-old has been strategically hiding her left hand in a series of bikini-clad shots during her idyllic holiday in Thailand

Looking good: Alexandra looked simply sensational as she posed in an eye-catching mint green bandeau bikini during her sun-soaked break to Thailand on Thursday

Choosing to ignore speculation she is set to wed, the Bad Boys hitmaker has been distracting her followers with a slew of bikini snaps, including one of her clad in an eye-catching mint green bandeau two-piece.

The vocal talent teamed her stylish bikini with a white crochet cover up and flung her arms in an animated display, as she stopped to take a photo in front of the idyllic sea view.

Alexandra hid her ring finger, as she captioned the snap: 'Thank you Thailand for the best 10 days! Smiling and good food with great company is amazing for the soul.'

Coy: Alexandra looked sensational in an orange triangle bikini, while hiding her ring finger behind a white cocktail glass in a scenic snap

Beaming with joy: She posted an accompanying image at night, which saw The Bodyguard star's leap eagerly leap into the air in a plunging brown two-piece

In one bikini-clad image Alexandra posed on the sandy shores in a revealing brown two-piece.

Alexandra penned: 'I S L A N D T I N G Z (dont watch my long arms).'

Meanwhile, she saw in the New Year while clad in a chic strapless white bikini that made for a busty display, thanks to its keyhole design.

Still no sparkler yet? Bikini-clad Alexandra teased her fans as she won't show her ring finger AGAIN on Monday amid engagement speculation

Going for a sexy vibe, the songstress wore a semi-sheer cover-up draped over her shoulders and she let her raven corkscrew curls down on New Year's Day.She captioned the post, 'So happy to be spending my New Years Day in this beautiful place. Booked with booking.com. Happy New Year Guys xx.' (sic)

Her holiday snaps come after Alexandra found herself at the centre of speculation she is now engaged to boyfriend Josh.

The rumours first surfaced after she had jetted off to Paris with her beau shortly after the Strictly Come Dancing final in December.

The deleted snap: Alexandra fuelled speculation she is headed down the aisle after sharing and then swiftly deleting a snap that featured her left hand

While she has been keeping coy on the claims, Alexandra fuelled speculation she is headed down the aisle after sharing and then swiftly deleting a snap that featured her left hand.

In the first image, her fists were loosely clenched, concealing the appearance of any ring, but in the second the hand was missing altogether.

The change of picture didn't go unnoticed by fans, who commented: 'Sis I saw the first picture just announce the engagement', and 'You took the original pic down lol x'.

MailOnline has contacted Alexandra's representatives for comment.
She is delightedly awaiting the arrival of her first child.

And Casey Batchelor is ensuring she is in total relaxation mode ahead of the birth as she was spotted enjoying a sun-drenched getaway to Lanzarote, where she was living it up on the beach while showing off her blooming bump.

The 33-year-old Celebrity Big Brother star and model struggled to contain her surgically-reduced assets in a scalloped red bikini while showing off her bump thanks to the deeply low-cut bottoms.

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Lady in red! Casey Batchelor is ensuring she is in total relaxation mode ahead of the birth as she was spotted enjoying a sun-drenched getaway to Lanzarote, where she was spotted on the beach while showing off her blooming bump

Casey has been sunning herself abroad while showing off her changing figure in an array of swimwear - making the most of her new-found curves.

She was seen dipping her toes in the warm water while pulling her brunette locks off her face with the help of a pair of sunglasses shielding from the January wind.

The yoga guru kept her romance with her boyfriend Dane Goodson private before she announced the news she was expecting their baby in recent months.

Ever since then, Casey has been treating her 271,000 Instagram followers to updates throughout her pregnancy journey.

Bumping along nicely! The 33-year-old Celebrity Big Brother star and model struggled to contain her surgically-reduced assets in a scalloped red bikini while showing off her bump thanks to the deeply low-cut bottoms

In December, she wrote: 'The butterflies he use to give me have turned into tiny flutters of little feet. Embracing the pregnant life, no filter, no edit just a pregnant lady.'

The mum-to-be also revealed her body is going through a lot of 'new changes' as she confessed she has an 'extremely large bump' and her cleavage is 'out of control'.

In late November, she wrote: 'I have an extremely large bump for so early on, my boobs are growing out of control.

Changing shape: The mum-to-be also revealed her body is going through a lot of 'new changes' as she confessed she has an 'extremely large bump' and her cleavage is 'out of control'

'Im beginning to get lumps and bumps in places Ive never had before and my skin from all the hormones is not very happy aside from the constant nausea and tiredness.

'Ive always worked hard on eating healthy and keeping fit especially with my yoga, so the changing of my body I am learning to embrace and love every part of you and YES including my BACK FAT!

'My beautiful bump, my stupidly forever growing boobs and my back fat I Love you all, I welcome all the new changes to come throughout my pregnancy.'
Most parents receive a picture of themselves drawn by their lovely children at some point in their life.

And author Zoe Foster Blake is no different, only her three-year-old son Sonny curates sandcastles in his mother's likeness, as evidenced by his comedic father Hamish Blake's Instagram upload on Friday.

'Spot on mate,' the 36-year-old father-of-two captioned a hilarious image of the artwork.

'Spot on mate': Zoe Foster Blake's son attempts to recreate a portrait of her... with her husband Hamish Blake praising Sonny for his hilarious efforts

Sonny, wearing a pair of Baywatch-red boardshorts, a black lightning bolt rash shirt and Aztec-patterned hat, gives the camera a thumbs up next to his 'mum'.

Zoe has been immortalised as a sand sculpture, complete with a giant shell nose and a seaweed comb over.

She has yet to respond to the picture which has thousands of commenters tagging their friends, complete with laughing emojis.

Earlier this week Zoe, who gave birth to her daughter Rudy in July, showcased her trim post-baby body in a minidress, as she celebrated the New Year with Hamish.

The journalist and beauty expert took to Instagram to share a sweet snap of herself with Hamish, flaunting her trim pins in her outfit.

Gorgeous! Earlier this week Zoe, who gave birth to her daughter Rudy in July, showcased her trim post-baby body in a minidress, as she celebrated the New Year with Hamish

Legs eleven! Zoe Foster Blake shows off her trim post-baby body in a minidress as she celebrates the New Year with husband Hamish

'What a glorious way to begin 2018, with my fella and friends and the sunshine and some oesophagus-stripping cocktails,' Zoe wrote, as she enjoyed a drink with her man.

'I wish you a brilliant year! Truly I do. Let's choose to do, and be, good,' she added.

Zoe also shared some snaps of herself from the day on her Instagram story, and a video of herself dancing, jokingly captioning the post: 'Giant elbows.'

Having fun! Zoe also shared some snaps of herself from the day on her Instagram story

Living it up: She also shared a video of herself dancing, jokingly captioning the post: 'Giant elbows'

Hamish and Zoe also share son Sonny, three, together.

The clan have just returned from their holidays to the Maldives.

In a funny post, Zoe shared some pics of herself after snorkelling, making a funny face as she came out of the water.

Getaway: The clan have just returned from their holidays to the Maldives. In a funny post, Zoe shared some pics of herself after snorkelling, making a funny faces as she came out of the water

She captioned the post: '"Honey could you please grab a vid (sic) of me snorkeling?" *gets back to room and looks at camera roll.*'

At Christmas, Zoe shared a sweet snap of the clan in their festive best, with Hamish wearing a suit similar to an ugly Christmas sweater print.

'Just a bunch of turkeys wishing you a joyous Christmas,' Zoe captioned the happy snap.
Thanks to her role on the acclaimed BBC series Call The Midwife, she's often seen expertly delivering babies and caring for them.

But Helen George has admitted that while her screen experience left her confident she'd be a real-life dab hand when she welcomed the birth of her daughter Wren Ivy in October, she soon found herself out of her depth.

During an appearance on ITV's This Morning on Friday, the 33-year-old actress said of her initial approach to motherhood: 'I thought, "I've got this. I'll be fine, I know how to feed them and I know how to change the nappies." Then I had the baby and it all went out the window!'

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New mother: Helen George spoke about her new life as a mother during her appearance on ITV's This Morning on Friday

Birmingham-born Helen, who welcomed Wren Ivy with her Call The Midwife co-star and boyfriend Jack Ashton, also praised her partner for being a hands-on dad.

The blonde beauty gushed of her handsome beau: 'He's so good with her, so hands on, he shares the feeds.'

Of their romance, which blossomed after they met on the set of their show, she said: 'We're there for each other and actors get together because we understand the job,' before saying that working with him 'is good because we understand the show'.

Adorable offspring: The Call The Midwife star gave birth to her daughter Wren Ivy in October

Confidence: The 33-year-old admitted that she assumed she'd find the early stages of motherhood easy, thanks to her TV role as a midwife, which came with training

Out of her depth: However, Helen admitted that all of her knowledge 'went out of the window' after she gave birth

In October, Helen shared the news that she'd given birth, when she shared a photo of their first child with followers on Instagram, and admitted the birth came earlier than expected, some six weeks before her due date.

Captioning the shot, she wrote: When your baby turns up early for her own baby shower, welcome to the world little one.'

Helen added: 'What an amazing day, we have the best friends.

The blonde bombshell looked radiant as she shared a selection of snaps from the celebration, with her newborn daughter taking centre stage.

Interview: The stunning actress spoke with Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford on the show

Sensational: The Birmingham-born actress looked sensational in a deeply plunging floral dress

She's got plenty of sole: The actress teamed her dress with a pair of black suede Chelsea boots

One sweet image showed a beaming Helen protectively cradling her baby daughter while partner Jack cut a celebratory cake as a small group of friends looked on.

In the pictures, Helen also sported a large diamond on her ring finger, sparking engagement rumours with her boyfriend of just under two years.

Last year, Jack - who plays Reverend Tom Hereward alongside Helen's Trixie Franklin - reflected on his relationship with his co-star after their characters split on the BBC show.

Speaking to breakfast show Lorraine, he said: 'Thats the confusing bit - as long as I know where were going.'

Doting dad: During her This Morning appearance, she praised partner and Call The Midwife co-star Jack Ashton for being a hands-on dad

Happy - and early - news: Helen gave birth to her daughter six weeks earlier than expected

Immense popularity: The actress has enjoyed immense popularity on the show, alongside (L-R) Miranda Hart, Jessica Raine and Bryony Hannah

Asked when they began to date, he revealed that they got close in April, when the pair were abroad filming the Call The Midwife Christmas special.

'It blossomed in South Africa I think, around that time,' he explained.

As Lorraine told him that she met her cameraman husband at work, Jack reasoned that it's tough to meet anyone outside their field.

'Its the long hours,' he claimed. 'Its where you meet people.'

Helen previously revealed her baby bump at the TV Choice Awards in September, before sharing images of the baby gifts she had received from cast-mates prior to her maternity leave.

Wedding bells? In the pictures, Helen also sports a large diamond on her ring finger, sparking engagement rumours with her boyfriend of 18 months

Delighted: The actress confirmed the news by sharing a photo of their first child with followers on Instagram

'Beautiful send off from the best crew #callthemidwife - no plans to leave the show just a bit of time off,' she captioned the shot, adding: 'And the sex will be a surprise to us all. Boys can wear pink too.'

Helen has starred on Call The Midwife since its creation in 2012, while Jack made his debut in series three.

Jack is the first person Helen has been romantically linked with since splitting from fellow actor Oliver Boot.

The couple confirmed their separation in September following three years of marriage.

A representative for the star announced the news in a statement that read: 'I can confirm that Helen separated from her husband some time ago.'
They rang in New Year at an exclusive resort in the Turks and Caicos islands.

Yet David Beckham was headed home alongside his family on Thursday afternoon, as he arrived in Miami where his youngest, daughter Harper, six, held him close while wife Victoria put on a typically sensational display in staggering heels.

Also in tow were sons Brooklyn, 18, Romeo, 15 and Cruz, 12, who naturally cut incredibly trendy figures as the whole group sashayed through security while the patriarch, 42, graciously posed with airport staff.

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Daddy's girl: Yet David Beckham was headed home alongside his family as he returned to Miami on Thursday afternoon, where his youngest, daughter Harper, six, held him close while wife Victoria put on a typically sensational display in staggering heels

David and his four children, along with his fashion designer wife, once again chose to spend New Year's Eve as a family unit.

He cut a casual figure as he headed through the airport, showing off his usual brand of edgy cool in a short-sleeved grey T-shirt with skin-tight jeans and ankle boots.

Harper meanwhile showed off her quirky style as she sported a floating orange dress and her favoured 235 Gucci loafers while clutching a fedora.

Captivating fellow airport-goers, David was joined by a host of fans who were snapping pictures with him while Victoria and the kids went ahead.

Here come the boys: Also in tow was sons Brooklyn, 18, (left) Romeo, 15 (right) and Cruz, 12 (centre) who naturally cut incredibly trendy figures as the whole group sashayed through security while the patriarch, 42, graciously posed with airport staff

Happy days: Revealing that NYE was her favourite holiday of the year, Victoria told Vogue that the couple like to spend New Year's with their children because 'they know how to party'

The Beckhams split their time between London, Los Angeles and Miami and in 2014 they purchased the house belonging to late fashion designer Gianni Versaces mansion for a reported 36million.

In November 2016, the Beckhams reportedly viewed a property on Miamis glitzy Star Island where residents include Sean Combs and Gloria Estefan.

Though the break is now over David was reminiscing about fond memories from the luxury resort at which they're staying.

Playing around: Little Harper was having a wonderful time with her dad as she proved she has inherited her mum's chic sense of style

Meeting the fans! David posed happily with airport security who seemed delighted to snap a picture with a superstar

Here come the boys: Romeo and Cruz were borrowing style tips from their dad in their caps

He shared a compilation of selfies with his three youngest children, while Brooklyn posted about being reunited with American actress girlfriend Chloe Moretz.

Victoria recently admitted that the thought of Brooklyn being away at university in New York made her emotional.

Revealing that NYE was her favourite holiday of the year, Victoria told Vogue that the couple like to spend New Year's with their children because 'they know how to party'.

Best of friends: David and Harper are seldom far from one another during family jaunts

No smiles here: As ever, Victoria was pulling her famous pout while strutting her stuff in a simple yet chic ensemble

Hands on: David loaded up his Louis Vuitton bag, while an aide toted Victoria's luggage - instantly recognisable by the VB tag attached

Low-key: Victoria wore her hair in a simple low ponytail pulled from a centre parting

Having a giggle: Ever the family man, David was beaming from ear-to-ear as he rounded out his holiday with his beloved nearest and dearest

Happy new year: David shared a picture with his son Brooklyn as they rang in 2018 wearing novelty hats and accessories on their annual family holiday

'I love New Year's Eve,' she explained. 'We always spend New Year's Eve with the children, and my kids know how to party.

'Last year, I mean goodness they stayed up so late, they really are party animals. It's a good time to get a little bit dressed up and let your hair down, have some fun and just go for it.'

She added: 'This year, Brooklyn is coming home from New York, and I wont talk about it too much because Ill start crying. We havent seen him for quite a while. So, hes coming home, and he is good fun.'

Darling girl: The latest pictures suggest that the family have continued their holiday without him, after making sure to ring in 2018 altogether. Victoria recently admitted that the thought of Brooklyn being away at university in New York made her emotional
Last month she received the joyful news that her short film had been shortlisted for a 2018 Oscars nomination.

And former Hollyoaks actress Rachel Shenton has opened up about her inspiration behind her project The Silent Child in an interview on Friday's episode of Good Morning Britain.

The ex soap star, 30, wrote and starred in The Silent Child which is battling against 10 other films in the Live Action Shorts category.

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Oscar shortlisted: Former Hollyoaks actress Rachel Shenton has opened up about her inspiration behind her project The Silent Child in an interview on Friday's episode of Good Morning Britain

Acclaimed: The ex soap star, 30, wrote and starred in The Silent Child which is battling against 10 other films in the Live Action Shorts category

The Silent Child - tells the tale of a deaf four year old girl (played by Maisie Sly) who lives in a world of silence until a social worker teaches her how to communicate.

Appearing on the show with star Maisie, six and her father Gilson, Rachel said it was 'surreal' to be in the running for an Academy Award nomination and spoke about her personal motivation for writing the critically acclaimed film.

She said: 'My dad was profoundly deaf. He lived the last two years of his life profoundly deaf. He lost his hearing very suddenly. I saw then the first-hand effects that hearing loss can have.

'That gave me the impetus to then learn sign language, I quickly fell in love with the language and I have been heavily involved in the deaf community ever since.

Candid:Chatty: Appearing on the show with star Maisie, six and her father Gilson, Rachel said it was 'surreal' to be in the running for an Academy Award nomination and spoke about her personal motivation for writing the critically acclaimed film

Star: Rachel found fame starring as wannabe glamour girl Mitzeee Minniver in Hollyoaks from 2010-2013

'I've seen the needless struggles that deaf children and deaf people face and that gave me the impetus to write.'

'A lot of the struggles are borne from a lack of education from hearing people, people don't know how to deal with it and not knowing the best way to deal with it and that's why access to services is a constant struggle. It doesn't need to be like that

Speaking about the casting of talented Maisie, who is profoundly deaf, she said: 'That particular character was so difficult to cast, we always knew it would be because the brief was so specific

'She needed to be profoundly deaf, we did a nationwide search, saw over 100 kids in total

Inspiration: She said: 'My dad was profoundly deaf. He lived the last two years of his life profoundly deaf. He lost his hearing very suddenly. I saw then the first-hand effects that hearing loss can have'

Inspiration: She said: 'I've seen the needless struggles that deaf children and deaf people face and that gave me the impetus to write'

'Maisie walked in and we made our decision within 10 seconds, she was just perfect

Maisie was equally passionate about the experience and signed: 'It was fun, she's been like a big sister to me.'

Her father Gilson said: 'It's been amazing, it was only a year ago that we were about to start filming. It proves that young girls can do whatever they want to do as long as they're supported in the right way

'The personal attachment we have with the film is massive, I can see a lot of myself in that film.'

The Silent Child was directed by Rachel's fiance Chris Overton

Cute: Maisie was equally passionate about the experience and signed: 'It was fun, she's been like a big sister to me'

Rachel found fame starring as wannabe glamour girl Mitzeee Minniver in Hollyoaks from 2010-2013.

Rachel announced the joyous news that the film had made the shortlist by retweeting a post from the movie's Twitter account, that read: 'Cant believe were saying this - The Silent Child has made it to the Oscar Shortlist - last 10 films #GodBlessAmerica.'

She added: 'Very proud of this'.

Rachel's late father became deaf after undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer, and is an ambassador for the National Deaf Childrens Society.

Posing up: Rachel and Maisie posed for a sweet photo after the show

Speaking about her passion behind making The Silent Child, Rachel previously said: 'My brilliant father lost his hearing very suddenly when I was 12 and lived the last 2 years of his life profoundly deaf.

'I witnessed first hand the huge effects deafness has on a family. I also saw him for the first time seem vulnerable and I noticed how easy it was for people to leave him out.'

Rachel recently returned to Britain after a period of living in Los Angeles to star in White Gold.

She will play alpha female saleswoman Joanne Scott in the second series of the BBC Two comedy about an Essex double-glazing showroom in the eighties.

The new role will dash fans hopes that Rachel, who has also appeared in Waterloo Road and Holby City, might return to Hollyoaks.
040118POLICE RELEASE NAMES OF ESCAPEES

By Aloysius Laukai



North Bougainville Police have released the names of the Eighteen Prisoners that escaped from the Buka Police Station Lockup in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Provincial Police Commander for North Bougainville, KINGSLEY LUA yesterday released the names and called on the community leaders to report them to Police if they return to their communities.

We will not release their names but they are nine from the Mahari Constituency on charges for Attempted Murder,One from Tinputz is on Charges of Assault,two from Peit are wanted for Rape and the other for Incest.

One from Tsitalato is in Police custody for in possession of illicit drugs, One from Tinputz is for Armed Holdup, One from SUIR is for Incest, One from MAHARI is charged for RAPE and the other also from MAHARI is for Drugs and One from EIVO in the Kieta District.

The Provincial Police Commander is also appealing to the Escapees to surrender to Police as soon as possible.

He said by surrendering they can expect leniency from the Law whereas they will be charged with extra penalties if Police finally catch up with them.



Ends


He shot to fame as a humble vineyard manager on the 2017 season of The Bachelorette.

But it appears Jarrod Woodgate has a newly-acquired taste for the finer things in life.

Under the possible influence of his 'girlfriend' Keira Macguire, the 31-year-old took to Instagram Stories on Friday flaunting a slick new Mustang convertible.

Boys and their toys! Jarrod Woodgate shared a short video of a Mustang convertible to his Instagram Stories on Friday, a move that know doubt impressed his rumoured ladylove Keira Maguire

Trying to start her engine? It seems Jarrod has a newly-acquired taste for the finer things in life

A short black-and-white video showed the luxury vehicle - believed to be a 2017 model GT Premium Convertible- slowly leaving a garage as its engine revved loudly.

'Friday' Jarrod captioned the clip, accompanied by a 'LIT' sticker, which was complete with a smouldering flame.

It's unclear whether or not the wine connoisseur splashed the cash on the flashy automobile- believed to be worth around $65,000- but no doubt label-loving Keira would approve.

Riding in the Mustang? Keira took to Instagram in a mystery vehicle earlier this week

The 31-year-old blonde has a penchant for all things designer, and was herself seen sneaking out of Jarrod's Melbourne home into a stylish Maserati last month.

The luxury Italian brand's vehicles sell for six figures, however it's thought Keira's Maserati was a rental.

On Friday, the same day as Jarrod shared his revved-up clip of the Mustang, Keira flaunted a $2000 Gucci handbag whilst out on a bush walk.

Expensive taste! Keira flaunted a $2000 Gucci handbag whilst out on a bush walk on Friday

The pair's prominent display of finery comes after source close to the pair insists the bombshell blonde will 'move down to Melbourne permanently' to be with Jarrod.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, the insider said 'It's only a matter of time' before Keira moves from Sydney.

After meeting on-set of Ten's upcoming Bachelor In Paradise, 'they've been inseparable ever since,' the source added.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to both for comment.
James Packer has bounced back in spectacular fashion, following his taxing split with Mariah Carey.

On Saturday, it was revealed the billionaire spent the holidays in Aspen with ex-wife Erica and their three kids Indigo, 9, Jackson, 7 and Emmanuelle, 5.

'It was the best Christmas I've ever had,' he told The Sydney Morning Herald, which also claimed Erica was 'happy' he's found love with Canadian beauty Kylie Lim.

'Best Christmas ever': On Saturday, it was revealed James Packer spent Christmas in Aspen with ex-wife Erica and their three kids Indigo, 9, Jackson, 7 and Emmanuelle, 5

It was the first family Christmas James has spent with 'best friend' Erica since their shock split in 2013.

He was also pictured reuniting with first wife Jodhi Meares this past holidays, the pair remaining close friends over the years.

The father-of-three happily joked about his decision to remain close to his exes to the publication.

Blessings: 'It was the best Christmas I've ever had,' he told Fairfax, who also claim Erica 'happy' he's found love with Canadian beauty Kylie Lim (first pictured together in December)

'For better or worse, the two women who know me best are [also] my best friends,' he said.

James, 50, told Fairfax Media it was 'magical' to be back with Erica and the kids at their lavish Aspen residence, West Buttermilk Estate.

The Crown Casino magnate still co-owns the $20 million ($15.7m USD) with Erica, which was coincidentally purchased the same year they split.

Christmas miracle! It was the first family Christmas James has spent with 'best friend' Erica since their shock split in 2013

Designed by legendary designer Gregory 'Skip' Gozzo, the estate has been featured on VH1's Celebrity Real Estate Splurges as one of the four best US homes for sale.

Featuring seven luxury bedrooms and bathrooms, a state of the art movie theatre and gym the property boasts 100 year old timbers and plaster walls throughout.

There is also a library with its own bar, a spa and wine cellar for guests to enjoy.

Please explain: The father-of-three also explained his decision to remain close to his exes to the publication. Pictured with Mariah in January 2016

High profile romance: James' last relationship was with songstress Mariah, the couple parting ways in October 2016

It's unclear whether new flame Kylie spent extended time with James over Christmas and New Year, although it's claimed she has already met his kids.

The pair were first pictured together in December, snapped looking loved-up in Aspen, although they're believed to have been dating for several months.

Close: 'For better or worse, the two women who know me best are [also] my best friends,' he said of Erica and Jodhi
She experienced extreme highs and lows over the course of 2017, when her ex was sentenced to 20 years in prison - weeks after the birth of their daughter, Sunday.

And Ferne McCann cut a forlorn figure on Thursday, as stepped out with her two-month-old offspring for a lunch date at the Ivy in the London district of Chelsea.

The former TOWIE star, 27, appeared weary during her outing, failing to crack a smile as she pushed her daughter's bright pink pram through the bustling streets.

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Ladies who lunch: Ferne McCann was spotted taking her daughter Sunday out to lunch in Chelsea, south-west London, on Thursday

Despite appearing downcast, the TV personality stepped out in glamorous style, wrapping up in a light grey faux fur coat over a form-fitting black ensemble.

With her honey brown locks resting about her shoulders in a lustrous blowout, the Essex native highlighted her natural beauty with a makeup palette of rich tones.

Braving the streets amid strong gusts of wind from Storm Eleanor, Ferne kept her sole offspring entertained, attaching a colourful doll to the side of her pram.

Exhausted: The 27-year-old former TOWIE star looked exhausted during her leisurely outing

Serious: Ferne failed to crack a smile as she pushed her daughter's bright pink pram through the bustling streets of the English capital

Glamorous: Despite appearing downcast, the TV personality stepped out in glamorous style

Her outing came hours after after she but on a brave face as she returned to This Morning for the first time since her ex was convicted for the horrific April acid attack.

Ferne looked thrilled to be back to her day job as she went behind-the-scenes of Cilla: The Musical, revealing she was 'so excited' to catch up with leading lady Kara Lily Hayworth, who beat thousands of hopefuls to play the late Cilla Black.

'I'm so excited to finally be here and catch up with Kara. I can't wait to watch the show today and find out how shes' been getting on,' she said.

Beaming at the camera, Ferne oozed charisma in the TV segment as she reaffirmed her comeback as a This Morning co-presenter.

Tough year: She recently admitted 2017 had been one of the worst years of her life due to her ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins (pictured above) maiming London clubbers with acid back in April

It's a wrap: The TV personality wrapped up in a light grey faux fur coat over a black ensemble

Natural beauty: With her honey brown locks resting about her shoulders in a lustrous blowout, the Essex native highlighted her natural beauty with a makeup palette of rich tones

Last month, Ferne revealed she was ready to move on and concentrate on being a mother to daughter Sunday, following 'the most difficult chapter of her life'.

Her ex-boyfriend Arthur was jailed for 20 years last month after being found guilty of a horrific acid attack carried out in April.

Ferne has now revealed she is ready to move on and concentrate on being a mother to daughter Sunday, after 'the most difficult chapter of her life'.

Speaking to Fabulous, Ferne admitted the situation surrounding her pregnancy had been 'completely out of her control' - and that she is already concerned about how she will tell her little girl of the attack in the future.

Windy day: Braving the streets amid strong gusts of wind from Storm Eleanor, Ferne kept her sole offspring entertained, attaching a colourful doll to the side of her pram

Hair we go again: The reality star ran her fingers through her honey brown locks as she strolled

She admitted 2017 had been one of the worst years of her life due to her ex-boyfriend's shocking crime in April - but that the arrival of her daughter had kept her strong.

Looking back at the attack, she said: 'It's been the most difficult chapter of my life to date and the hardest thing I hope I'll ever have to face.

'It was all completely out of my control. The only thing I can control now is how I raise my daughter.'

Last month, Collins plead guilty to hiding a mobile phone in prison.

Meeting the team: The former TOWIE beauty brought her daughter Sunday to the This Morning studios in December

Cute: She took a maternity break after she gave birth to baby girl Sunday on November 2

Bond: Ferne revealed she was ready to move on and concentrate on being a mother to daughter Sunday, following her ex-boyfriend Arthur's conviction for a horrific acid attack

Collins, 25, stashed a mobile phone, two SIM cards, two USB sticks and a charger in a pair of crutches when he was on remand for the attack.

He needed the crutches after fracturing both his heels trying to escape police while on the run from Wringer and Mangle E8 nightclub in Hackney, east London.

He is said to have called his ex Ferne while in jail on remand when she was pregnant with their daughter.

He could be facing a further two years added to his sentence.

Acid attack: Her ex-boyfriend Arthur was jailed for 20 years last month after being found guilty of a horrific acid attack carried out in April
She has been flaunting her killer curves in a plethora of bikini-clad snaps during her idyllic Dubai break.

And Chloe Khan pulled out all the stops as she paraded her figure in a string of sexy bikinis on Friday.

The 26-year-old reality starlet made for a seriously eye-popping display as she struggled to contain her ample assets in a skimpy scallop-edged two-piece before slipping into a leopard print swimsuit.

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Sexy: Chloe Khan pulled out all the stops as she paraded her figure in a string of sexy bikinis during her idyllic Dubai break

Posing in front of a palm tree, the former Celebrity Big Brother star oozed body confidence while proudly showcasing her honed physique on the beach jaunt.

She left little to the imagination in her minimal ensemble, pairing the tiny top with tie-string bottoms.

However, the reality star wasn't without her usual glamour as she wore her voluminous brunette mane down to fall past her shoulders and favoured a flawless make-up look, complete with dramatic long lashes.

Skimpy: Donning a white top, the brunette beauty exuded sex appeal as she showcased her pert derriere in a shower

After posing up a storm on the beach, the Playboy model put on a sizzling display as she cooled off in a shower.

Donning a white top which she tied above her waist, the brunette beauty exuded sex appeal as she showcased her pert derriere in a pair of skimpy black thong bikini bottoms.

Not stopping there, Chloe then left very little to the imagination as she showcased serious underboob while slipping into a leopard print swimsuit.

Busty: Chloe then showed off serious underboob as she slipped into a leopard print swimsuit

Posing on a pier, the television personality smoldered in the revealing one-piece as she accentuated her trim waist with its cut-out design.

Sporting a pair of oversized sunglasses, Chloe looked thoroughly relaxed as she soaked up the sun.

The series of shots, captured by British international Photographer, Ajay Mittal, comes after she was seen partying up a storm with Kylie Jenner's ex Tyga while staying out in Dubai.

The duo had rubbed shoulders at BASE - a hotspot in the UAE city.

The beauty posed up a storm with the rapper while flaunting her incredible 100,000 figure in a very daring ensemble that made sure to flaunt her assets.

Chloe went braless in her plunging getup that teamed together a barely-there crop top, that left plenty of underboob and her cleavage on display, and matching shimmering skirt.

Glamorous as ever with heavy make-up and her long raven tresses, the busty reality star proved she was ready to party when she raised her sizeable wine glass.

Partying up a storm: Busty Chloe partied up a storm with Kylie Jenner's ex Tyga during festive Dubai break on Monday night

The mother-of-one has been letting her hair down as she tries to put the past year behind her.

The star has endured a tough 12 months following a slew of cosmetic surgery complications she was forced to endure.

She suffered devastating side effects following her excessive plastic surgery makeover, after going under the knife multiple times for procedures including a nose job, lip enhancement, breast augmentation, liposuction and a bottom enlargement.

Yet, Chloe was was left horrified when her rhinoplasty procedure left her unable to smell or breathe properly.

Appearing on This Morning to reveal the difficulties she has faced as a result, Chloe said back in August: 'I cant smell and I cant actually breathe through my nose anymore.

She then terrifyingly revealed: 'I woke up during surgery. It was a disaster from the get go. I have to tape it 20 hours a day with a roll of medical tape.

'I feel embarrassed to talk about it, and it's stupid, I wake up with nose bleeds, I can't smell perfume.. but it's a vanity thing.'
She's known for her charitable ways, auctioning off some of her raciest clothes for charity in October.

And Little Mix's Jade Thirlwall, 25, is back at it again with her latest thrifty venture, auctioning off her clothes in her hometown of South Shields to raise money for Cancer Connections.

The talented beauty put her clothes on sale at her local Empire New and Pre-Loved Dress Agency, and has so far raised over 6,500 for charity.

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Going once, going twice? Little Mix's Jade Thirlwall, 25, (pictured here in April 2015) is back at it again with her latest thrifty venture, auctioning off her clothes in her hometown of South Shields to raise money for Cancer Connections

Little yellow number: The talented beauty put her clothes on sale at her local Empire New and Pre-Loved Dress Agency, and has so far raised over 6,500 for charity

The Power songstress is patron of the charity and had frequent auctions over the last year.

Kerrie Katopodis, who owns the Empire store where Jade auctions her fancy garb to fans all over the world - including Mexico, America and Hong Kong - told the Shields Gazette that through the charitable process, she's become close to the pop starlet and her family.

She added: 'Jade's mam Norma said that Jade had all these clothes going to waste and the house was getting overcrowded, and said what can we do with them.

Tartan love: The Power songstress is patron of the Cancer Connections charity and had frequent auctions over the last year

Going to a good home: Kerrie Katopodis, who owns the Empire store where Jade auctions her fancy garb to fans all over the world said she's become close with the singer since the auctions

Jade wore this stunning navy blue jumpsuit with daring lace top for an X Factor live show in 2015 - she accidentally wore the same outfit as TOWIE star Lauren Pope

Glamorous: Kerrie added: 'Jade's mam Norma said that Jade had all these clothes going to waste and the house was getting overcrowded, and said what can we do with them

'Items generally sell for 25 to 30, but the most expensive item we have sold was a stage outfit for 250.

'But nearly all of them are bespoke and custom made pieces of clothing and some of the items are priceless.'

Each piece sold reportedly comes with a personalised note from the Salute hit-maker as well as a picture of Jade wearing the glam item.

Sparkles and sequins oh my! Each piece sold reportedly comes with a personalised note from the Salute hit-maker as well as a picture of Jade wearing the glam item

Good cause: Items, such as this gorgeous green sequinned gown, 'generally sell for 25 to 30, but the most expensive item we have sold was a stage outfit for 250'

Patterns galore: Jade parted ways with many of her clothes for charity - with Jade's mum Norma confessing her house had become 'overcrowded with homes'

Jade spent the festive season in her native Newcastle after completing the latest leg of Little Mix's Glory Days tour.

The four- piece pop group were the first group to win the X Factor in 2011 and have gone on to achieve global success.

2017 has been the band's most fruitful year. They have toured with US musician Ariana Grande and became the third most-streamed artists of the year, behind Ed Sheeran and Drake.

The release of their third album Glory Days was their first to go to Number 1 and in June it went double platinum.

The record became the longest-reigning Number 1 album from a girl group in over 20 years, since Spice Girls' Spice, when it returned to Number 1 for a fifth week in January.
Morena Baccarin has settled her custody battle with ex-husband Austin Chick.

As part of the settlement, the director agreed to move from Los Angeles to New York, where Baccarin now lives with her second husband, Ben McKenzie.

In return Deadpool 2 star Baccarin will pay an extra year of $5,000 a month spousal support to her ex, reports TMZ. This is in addition to the $3,500 she pays in child support.

Morena Baccarin has settled custody battle with ex-husband Austin Chick... as he agrees to move to New York

The actress and her ex will split custody of their four-year-old son, Julius.

Initially Chick had demanded their son remain in Los Angeles, where he and Baccarin lived during their failed marriage.

Baccarin married Chick in November 2011 and gave birth to their only child in October 2013.

He filed for divorce in July 2015, around the time she fell pregnant with Gotham co-star McKenzie's daughter, the now one-year-old Frances.

Baccarin wed McKenzie in the summer of 2016.

Agreement: Baccarin married Austin Chick in November 2011 and gave birth to their only child in October 2013; the two are pictured in 2014

New love: Baccarin is now married to Gotham co-star Ben McKenzie, with whom she has one daughter; the two are pictured in November 2016

Brazilian-born, Baccarin was raised in New York where she attended the famed LaGuardia High School, before the Juilliard-grad relocated to Los Angeles in 2001.

The actress has worked steadily since being cast in a recurring role in Josh Whedon's TV series Firefly in the early 2000s and has had recurring roles in TV series Stargate SG-1, Heartland and The Good Wife.

But it was her role as Jessica Brody, the wife of Marine and POW Nicholas Brody (Lewis), in Showtime's Homeland that brought her to prominence.

The part earned her an Emmy nomination and led to her being cast in the TV series Gotham and in the movie Deadpool opposite Ryan Reynolds.




It seems Paris Hilton was so distracted by her new $2 million engagement ring that she didn't immediately notice that her new fiance wasn't in the car when her driver sped away from LAX on Thursday.

The pair just returned to Los Angeles from their trip to Aspen for New Year's Eve where the actor proposed to the Hilton heiress with a giant, pear-shaped engagement ring worth $2 million dollars.

Hilton, 36, entered the awaiting SUV with her luggage before her driver bolted as paparazzi congratulated her.

Zylka, 32, was left alone on the curb.

Quick getaway: Paris Hilton accidentally left her fiance at Los Angeles International Airport after arriving back from Aspen, where he had proposed with a $2 million ring

So lonely: Chris Zylka was left stranded on the curb

Photographers teased The Amazing Spider-Man actor, 'dude, they left you behind.'

He jokingly responded, 'I'm her fiance, [they] might not want to leave me.'

After a quick trip around the airport terminal, Paris returned to pick-up her precious cargo.

Wait! 'I'm her fiance, [they] might not want to leave me, ' Zylka said as she sped off

The former reality star's diamond is so large, she's hired security guards to shadow her,' according to a source who confirmed the news to TMZ.

They were told that due to all the recent burglaries affecting celebrities including her aunt Kyle Richards. And no one can forget the Kim Kardashian robbery at gunpoint that took place in Paris in 2016.

The beauty and fashion entrepreneur is said to have 24 hour security guarding her home now.

Satisfaction: The heiress is said to have 24 hour security guarding her home now

Rock that I got: The Spider-Man actor proposed with a $2 million, pear-shaped ring

Welcome home: Someone decorated the reality star's home with balloons that say 'Congrats' and 'Yas I Do'

Chris confirmed that the couple have not yet set a date for their nuptials. No other information about the soiree is known at this time.

But if her younger sister Nicky's wedding is any indication, you can expect a large celebration.

Nicky, 34, married British banker James Rothschild at Kensington Palace in 2015. The couple have two children together.
Pregnant Bethany Hamilton enjoyed a fun day at the beach with her husband Adam Dirks and son Tobias in Hawaii on Friday.

The professional surfer, 27, is about seven months pregnant with her second child.

She was pictured riding waves last month, but has decided to put away the board for now.

She wrote on Instagram last week: 'The hardest part of pregnancy for me is not surfing! Im taking a lil break, but its soooo worth it! Grow baby grow.'

Beach fun: Pregnant Bethany Hamilton enjoyed a fun day at the beach with her husband in Hawaii this week

Taking a break: At seven months, Bethany has decided to stop surfing until after her baby is born

She also reflected on a successful year in a sweet note to her fans.

It read: 'What an awesome year! Here are a few of my highlights!!!

'My family and I traveled international 6 times and in doing so, we wrapped the 4 year filming of my upcoming Documentary @unstoppablethefilm expecting to release summer/ fall 2018. We also enjoyed our annual events with our org @friendsofbethanyhamilton and I was inducted into the hall of fame for surfing!

'But most exciting moment of the year was realizing we are growing our family! God is good and we are so thankful for the good times and the growing times. We look forward to life in 2018! Happy new year.'

Family time: She was joined by her husband Adam Dirks

Bethany and her husband, a Christian youth minister, welcomed her first child on June 1, 2015.

She announced her second pregnancy in early October with a sweet video she shared to her Instagram account.

She captioned it: 'More than thankful to share our joyous news!!! #babyinthere #babyonboard.'

Bethany and Adam married in 2013 during ceremony in Hawaii.

'What an awesome year!' The surfer reflected on her 2017 highlights in a sweet note to fans

She lost her arm in 2003 during a shark attack; she was just 13 years old.

One month after the attack, she returned to surfing.

Her story was turned into a film, Soul Surfer, in 2011.

AnnaSophia Robb took the lead role alongside Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid and Carrie Underwood.
Dylan Farrow has attacked the actresses Cate Blanchett and Blake Lively after they voiced support for the Times Up movement.

Farrow called out the two for their decision to work with film director Woody Allen, the adoptive father she claims sexually abused her as a child.

After Lively shared an image stating the aims of Times Up, Farrow responded to the tweet with the words: 'You worked with my abuser, Blake Lively. Am I a woman who matters too?'

'Am I a woman who matters too?' Dylan Farrow attacks Blake Lively and Cate Blanchett for Woody Allen links after they join Times Up movement

Conflict: Blake Lively, left, worked with Allen on 2016's Cafe Society; she is seen in October 2017; Dylan Farrow, right, is seen in 2016, while pregnant

Lively, who said she was 'proud' to back the new Times Up campaign, worked with Allen on 2016's Cafe Society.

As for Blanchett, who won an Oscar for her role on Allen's Blue Jasmine in 2014, Farrow queried a description of the Australian actress, 48, as a 'vocal campaigner against sexual harassment'.

Asked Farrow: 'Can one be a "vocal campaigner against sexual harassment" and a vocal supporter of Woody Allen? Seems a tad oxymoronic.'

Called out: As for Blanchett, who won an Oscar for her role on Allen's Blue Jasmine in 2014, Farrow queried a description of the actress as a 'vocal campaigner against sexual harassment'

Farrow, now 32, has repeatedly claimed that Allen abused her when she was seven years old.

In an op-ed published last month, Farrow wrote: 'I have long maintained that when I was 7 years old, Woody Allen... sexually assaulted me. I told the truth to the authorities then, and I have been telling it, unaltered, for more than 20 years.'

For his part Allen, now 82, has denied the claims.
He earnt himself a Golden Globes nomination this week for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in historical drama Darkest Hour.

And British great Gary Oldman's role comes after he turned down MULTIPLE offers in the past to play the former Prime Minister.

The actor, 59, is a known history buff, and has revealed the real reason he avoided the role in the past to SMH Spectrum on Saturday: 'No disrespect to those other actors, but I was thinking "oh no".'

'No disrespect to those other actors, but I was thinking oh no': Gary Oldman reveals the reason for turning down multiple offers to play Winston Churchill before accepting Darkest Hour

Gary bemoaned other portrayals to the publication, claiming: 'I was thinking "Oh no, that's not who he is! This is who is he is! He's on fire!" So that was my springboard.'

He confessed he spent a year preparing to play Churchill, watching archival footage and listening to inspirational BBC broadcasts to immerse himself in the character.

Gary had declined two other Churchill roles in the year before accepting Darkest Hour, revealing there was one main reason for doing so.

'I didn't want to gain 60 pounds and mess with my heart and my liver': Gary confessed he had turned down previous roles because it was a health risk to gain weight to play the former Prime Minister

'I didn't want to gain 60 pounds and mess with my heart and my liver,' he said, confessing the previous offers had required him to gain weight to look like the former Prime Minister.

What made Darkest Hour different, was the offer from master prosthetics expert Kazuhiro Tsuji to transform the star, which apparently took three hours each day.

After Gary received the happy news on Monday, the screen star said: 'I am amazed, flattered and very proud of my first Golden Globe nomination. I am also honoured to find myself in such company as I am a serious admirer of all the work of all the other nominees.'

'I am amazed, flattered and very proud of my first Golden Globe nomination': Gary, who is transformed into the British wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill via prosthetics in the flick, was nominated

Darkest Hour stars Gary as British wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill who showcased a jaw-dropping transformation to play the revered Briton.

Gary is joined in the historical drama by a stellar cast that includes Kristin as Clementine Churchill, Stephen Dillane as Viscount Halifax, the foreign secretary and Lily James as Churchill's personal secretary Elizabeth Nel.

The Joe Wright directed feature tells the story of how the British establishment reluctantly invited Churchill to replace Neville Chamberlain after he was weakened politically by the ongoing aggression of Adolf Hitler and the failure of his Munich Agreement.

Darkest Hour is due to hit Australian cinemas on January 11
Today's Birthday, January 5: Mary Gaudron QC, Australian lawyer, and judge, (1943-).

Mary Gaudron's life is full of firsts: the first part-time student to win the University of Medal in Law; the first female QC in NSW; and the first woman to grace the High Court.

The fierce social justice advocate has been an instrumental force in important decisions including the Mabo case, saying the past treatment of Aborigines was "the darkest aspect of the history of this nation".

Gaudron grew up in the tough northwest NSW town of Moree as the daughter of working-class parents. From a young age, she witnessed the extreme racism towards indigenous Australians, something which influenced her condemnation of all forms of discrimination.

She won scholarships to a Catholic school in Armidale and then to Sydney University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962 and then in 1965 with a Bachelor of Laws. A first-class honours student, she was the second woman to receive the University's Medal for Law.

While a student she married her first husband, engineer Ben Nurse, in 1962. She was nine months pregnant when she sat her final exams. Frank Hutley, later a NSW Court of Appeal judge, said her succession paper was the best he'd ever marked.

By the early 1970s Gaudron had a busy practice, largely in defamation and industrial law, and in 1972 she became the first woman appointed to the NSW Bar Council.

As solicitor-general, and the first woman QC in NSW, Gaudron appeared before the High Court in several significant constitutional cases.

In 1987 Gaudron became the fourth-youngest Justice and the first female Justice appointed to the High Court.

She was considered progressive due to her social justice advocacy and Labor connections.

In 2000 she accused men of power and influence of paying only lip service to the equality of women.

Aged 60 Gaudron said she didn't want to grow old and grey on the bench, and quit the court to enjoy a house she'd bought in France's Loire Valley.

She went onto to serve on the International Labour Organisation's Administrative Tribunal in Geneva (2003 - 2012).
A man is behind bars after firing a gun outside a police station in the NSW Illawarra.

The 29-year-old man got out of a car outside Lake Illawarra police station on Thursday night and fired a shot into the air, police said in a statement on Friday.

The man put the gun back inside the car which was driven away by another person. The 29-year-old then walked into the police station where he was arrested.

He was refused bail to appear at Wollongong Local Court on Friday.
A Liberal frontbencher has dismissed concerns from a retired major general and incoming senator about a potential Australian military fuel shortage.

Jim Molan has warned the federal government needed to address the Australian Defence Force's critical vulnerabilities such as fuel and weapons holdings or it could be reduced to impotence in a week.

Small Business Minister Craig Laundy hit back saying the matter was under control.

"Obviously, soon-to-be Senator Molan has a long and proud history in the military," Mr Laundy told reporters in Canberra.

"However he is not elected yet."

Defence Minister Marise Payne had previously addressed the issue in the coalition partyroom and explained defence planning arrangements and how they were sufficient to overcome any unforeseen circumstances, he said.

Mr Laundy said the incoming senator would no doubt get a briefing once he was sworn in.

Senator-designate Molan has also questioned whether the US military was strong enough to guarantee Australia's security.
Two police officers have been taken to hospital, one with concussion, after a man allegedly lashed out during an arrest in Perth.

Police say the 34-year-old was seen behaving aggressively and wielding a pole in Kardinya in Perth's south on Thursday night.

Two officers had chased him on foot over fences and through private properties, catching up to him in the backyard of a home where a scuffle broke out.

The man kicked one officer in the face causing pain and dizziness.

He kicked and punched the other officer, who used a Taser on him, but it was ineffective and he grabbed at the weapon, causing it to discharge again.

All three were taken to Fiona Stanley Hospital.

A Manjimup man has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault of a public officer and other charges.

He was due to appear in court on Friday.
Queensland Police are investigating how a 12-year-old boy who accidentally shot his five-year-old cousin in the face was able to obtain a registered rifle.

Police believe the older child accessed the unsecured gun from a shed on a rural property in Cottonvale before accidentally shooting his relative on Tuesday afternoon.

The little boy was flown to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital where he remains in a stable condition after undergoing surgery, Queensland Police said on Friday.

"Inquiries are continuing as to how the weapon came to be unsecured and circumstances surrounding the incident," police said in a statement.

Authorities have urged firearms licence holders to be mindful of their obligations under the Weapons Act to securely store their weapons.

"They're children. It's an accident - an unfortunate one. I don't know why it's happened," the boy's grandfather Tony Calvisi told The Courier-Mail.

Mr Calvisi said the children had found the gun in a place they shouldn't have been able to get to, but "children, they find things".

"They were playing with something they were always told never to touch, and I don't know why," he said.
Two people have died south of Perth after a crash in a car that police had tried to stop several hours earlier.

Just after 3am on Friday, officers had tried to stop a silver Holden Astra in Busselton, but it evaded them and could not be found.

The same car was found crashed into a tree at Parkfield at about 6.30am, and two people who are yet to be identified were found dead inside.

The deaths are the first on West Australian roads in 2018.
Tasmanians are being told to brace for hot weather on Saturday, with authorities declaring a total fire ban for much of the state.

Temperatures are expected to reach the mid-30s across Tasmania's east and south, the Bureau of Meteorology predicts.

"Grass and forest fuels are extremely dry and in abundance. Combined with hot, dry and windy weather, this makes controlling fires extremely difficult," Tasmania Fire Service state fire controller Jeremy Smith said on Friday.

Fire bans are in place for King Island and northern and southern Tasmania.
The federal opposition has blamed government inaction for Australians enduring the longest continual fall of living standards in more than 25 years.

Low wages growth paired with high underemployment and rises in the cost of electricity and other necessities have led to a "lengthy period of weakness in living standards," AMP chief economist Shane Oliver told AAP on Friday.

Dr Oliver argues Australia's falling living standards are due to several issues but Labor's acting opposition leader, Tanya Plibersek, insists the buck stops with the Turnbull government.

"We're in the longest stretch of declining living standards in a quarter of a century," Ms Plibersek told reporters in Sydney.

"In the last quarter of a century, we haven't seen a period where we've seen such a run of uninterrupted declining living standards, and Malcolm Turnbull's response (is) tax cuts for multinationals and millionaires and bugger the rest of us."

Small and Family Business Minister Craig Laundy says the government is focused on decreasing both the personal and company tax rates as well as addressing electricity prices.

"It's not one is better than all, it's the sum of all parts," Mr Laundy told reporters while describing Ms Plibersek as "the latest of Labor's economic minnows".

Dr Oliver on Friday warned the government may struggle to bring the budget back to surplus by 2020/21 as promised if it continued to cut taxes.

"Without spending cuts elsewhere in the economy it (the target) is questionable," he told AAP.
Aliaksandra Sasnovich has become the first qualifier to reach the Brisbane International women's final after pulling off a shock straight sets win over seventh seed Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia.

World No.88 Sasnovich of Belarus - ranked 72 spots lower than her opponent - proved too strong to claim a 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 victory in 93 minutes at Pat Rafter Arena on Friday.

She will play the winner of Friday night's semi-final between second seed Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic and world No.6 Elina Svitolina.
A large floating party barge will be built in the middle of the Swan River to host major functions including weddings and corporate functions.

A Perth family business has won the contract to build the barge, estimated to cost $1.5 million to $2 million, after it received environmental approval.

It would be located about 400 metres from the Elizabeth Quay area on the river and boats will take people from the jetty to the barge.

A company called Old Salt, owned by Hadyn Chrystal and his adult children Katie and Dan, will build and run what they are calling The Raft project.

The idea was the brainchild of Katie and was inspired by similar venues in Melbourne and Sydney.

"I said: this needs to come to Perth and said dad, we're bringing this to Perth," she told reporters.

The venue will be another attraction to add to the previous Liberal National government's $440 million landmark city infrastructure project of Elizabeth Quay, which is starting to take shape with restaurants and bars.

Tourism Minister Paul Papalia said the barge would add to the vibrancy, buzz and options for visitors to the city in Perth.

He also flagged plans for "further liberalisation" of WA's Liquor Control Act to provide more opportunities for hospitality businesses.

A far bigger rival bid by Barge Co and its director Guy Mouritz for a $6.7 million vessel with a pool was rejected after objections by nine government departments, but the company could come back with new plans.
It seems like a lot of effort to go to just to steal two bottles of soft drink.

Police are hunting for a pack of thieves after a brazen pre-dawn ram-raid on a NSW mid-north coast shop.

A silver Subaru smashed through the front of a shop at Kempsey on the NSW mid-north coast just before dawn on Friday.

Three men entered the store, grabbed two bottles of soft drink and fled in the vehicle, police said.

"Bloody idiots must have been off their faces from something else just to take 2 bottles of soft drink," one local wrote on Facebook.

"Must have been thirsty," another person wrote.

CCTV images show the rear of the car smashed through the front of the shop, rear-end first, leaving broken glass and scattered debris.
A 38-year-old man who allegedly barricaded himself in a Newcastle unit with a gun and ammunition is expected to face court.

NSW police surrounded the home near Morpeth and Christo Roads in the suburb of Waratah West on Friday morning. An armoured vehicle known as a BearCat was also on the scene.

The operation began about 10.30 am and ended with the arrest of Soloman Siulai, 38, at around 4pm.

He was wanted on a prior warrant.

Police said they negotiated with Siulai, who gave himself up without incident.

Police found a firearm and ammunition after searching the unit.

Siulai was taken to Waratah Police Station where he was charged with firearms and assault charges which were related to a previous domestic violence incident.

He is expected to appear before Newcastle Local Court on Saturday.
Police are investigating how a 12-year-old boy who accidentally shot his five-year-old cousin in the face in regional Queensland was able to obtain a registered firearm.

Police believe the older child got the unsecured rifle from a shed on a rural property in Cottonvale before accidentally shooting his relative on Tuesday afternoon.

The little boy was flown to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital where he remains in a serious but stable condition after two rounds of surgery to remove the bullet from his face, a hospital spokeswoman said on Friday.

"Inquiries are continuing as to how the weapon came to be unsecured and circumstances surrounding the incident," police said in a statement.

The boy's grandfather Tony Calvisi said the boys shouldn't have been in the shed, describing the incident as an unfortunate accident.

"They were playing with something they were always told never to touch, and I don't know why," he told the Courier Mail.
NSW is about to be hit with a scorcher of a weekend, prompting warnings from health authorities.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of severe heatwave conditions for much of the state across the weekend with the mercury expected to peak on Sunday.

Parts of NSW are tipped to reach 45C on Saturday including Menindee in the far west and Ivanhoe in the state's centre.

Most of the state will swelter through temperatures above 40C on Sunday, including Bulahdelah on the mid north coast which is set to reach 45C.

Sydneysiders will avoid the worst of the heat with temperatures forecast to peak at 38C in the city on Sunday when Penrith could hit 45C.

"A NSW Health study published just last month found extreme heatwaves lead to a more than 10 per cent increase in both deaths and ambulance callouts," Dr Ben Scalley, Director of Environmental Health, said in a statement on Friday.

"They put a lot of strain on the body and can cause dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke."

Surf Life Saving NSW has implored people heading to the beach to take care, given there have been 10 drownings since the beginning of December.

The RFS is warning residents of an elevated fire danger and wants people to prepare properties now.

NSW Health urged people to drink plenty of water but say they are prepared for a rise in deaths and emergencies during the heatwave.
The Great Barrier Reef is under threat from a new outbreak of coral-eating starfish detected farther south than previous spates, causing concern among marine experts.

The new outbreak of the notorious coral-eater has hit the Swain Reefs - which extend from Gladstone to Rockhampton - farther south than previous outbreaks of the species between Townsville and Cooktown.

Field officers started culling crown-of-thorns starfish in the Swain Reefs before Christmas and will continue their surveillance this month.

Divers inject starfish with a compound of sheep and cattle stomach bile, causing a fatal allergic reaction and killing the starfish, with its poisonous spines dropping off.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's director of education, stewardship and partnerships Fred Nucifora has expressed concern at finding an outbreak so far south.

Crown-of-thorns outbreaks had been occurring off the Queensland coast since the 1960s and were responsible for 25 per cent of live coral loss until mass bleaching hit in 2012.

Townsville-based Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies director Terry Hughes said bleaching has caused "unprecedented damage" to the Great Barrier Reef including back-to-back events in 2016 and 2017.

"We hope our stark results will help spur on the stronger action needed to reduce greenhouse gases in Australia, the United States and elsewhere," Professor Hughes said.
With the mercury soaring this weekend, petrol-heads at Canberra's Summernats car festival have been urged to stay well hydrated.

An estimated 50,000 people are expected to go through the gates on Saturday to check out the burnout action and admire the street machines and hot rods.

The temperature is expected to reach 36 on Saturday and hit 38 on Sunday.

Summernats organiser Andy Lopez urged patrons to go easy on the alcohol in the heat.

"Take it easy, don't drink too much," he told reporters, adding there was free water on offer across Exhibition Park.

Saturday's program includes the national burnout masters eliminations as well as a fireworks spectacular and night concert.
Former Queensland Senator Larissa Waters will launch her political comeback attempt on Saturday as she seeks Greens preselection after being disqualified from office over her dual citizenship last year.

Nominations for Queensland Greens senate preselection will open on Saturday, with anti-Adani advocate and former party employee Ben Pennings announcing he would also run.

Ms Waters, who was born in Canada, was among five senators ruled ineligible by the High Court in October after it was revealed she held dual citizenship.

Her replacement, former senator Andrew Bartlett, who ran second on the Greens ticket, will also nominate.

"It's been almost six months since I had to take that sad decision to stand down, so I've really been looking forward to the preselection process," Ms Waters told AAP.

"I reckon it's going to be a bit of stiff competition and a tough choice for our party, which is a really good place for our party to be in."

Ms Waters quit the Senate in August amid a citizenship bungle that embroiled seven parliamentarians, including her Western Australian colleague Scott Ludlam and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce.

Australia's constitution bans anyone holding dual citizenship from sitting in parliament in a section aimed at ensuring MPs do not hold split allegiances.

Announcing his nomination on Facebook on Friday, Mr Pennings appealed to disenchanted voters who had turned their attention to minor parties.

"With the right candidate we can get a Senator elected, instead of a Hanson candidate," he wrote.

"People living in outer suburbs, regional towns and rural communities will vote for us in large numbers if we focus on their needs and concerns."

Penny Allman-Payne, convenor of the Queensland Greens, said voting would open to party members from February 16, with candidates set to be announced on March 26.
Victorians have been told to stay inside as parts of the state brace for the hottest day in nearly two years.

Melbourne and Geelong are forecast to reach 42C on Saturday, with winds of up to 40km/h.

Bendigo, Echuca and Avalon are set to climb to 43C, while Mildura and Warracknabeal could soar to 45C.

"This heat is a killer. It's going to be like a blast furnace tomorrow and you need to adjust what you do," Ambulance Victoria's state health commander Paul Holman told reporters on Friday.

"You need to take this seriously. You need to take care. So put off the sporting events, put off the outside events, stay inside."

Saturday will be Melbourne's hottest day since January 13, 2016.

A fire ban has been issued statewide, with extreme fire warnings in the Mallee and Wimmera, and severe warnings in southwest and central parts.

A cool change in the late afternoon to early evening could cause the temperature to drop 20 degrees within hours in Melbourne.

People in regional areas have been urged to have their fire plans ready, while travellers need stay on top of the conditions in their area.

Authorities are pleading with people to act responsibly throughout the day.

"A lot of people will be returning from holidays this weekend and we ask that they consider simple steps such as ensuring campfires are completely extinguished and cigarette butts are not thrown from car windows on the way home," Assistant Commissioner Debra Abbott said.

"Use of farm machinery and tools such as angle grinders and welders should also be avoided."

Anyone found guilty of recklessly or intentionally causing a bushfire faces a penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment.

Lighting a fire on a Total Fire Ban day can also attract a fine of around $37,000 or up to two years in jail.
Preparations have begun to farewell the pilot who lost his life, along with five others, when a seaplane smashed into a river north of Sydney.

Pilot Gareth Morgan, 44, died on New Year's Eve when the DHC-2 Beaver owned by Sydney Seaplanes crashed into Jerusalem Bay on the Hawkesbury River.

The pilot's Canadian family arrived in Sydney on Friday morning and thanked the men who desperately tried to save Mr Morgan and his passengers as the damaged plane sank to the riverbed.

Mr Morgan died along with high-profile UK businessman Richard Cousins, his adult sons Edward and William, his fiancee Emma Bowden and her 11-year-old daughter Heather, when the plane plunged into the Hawkesbury River.

The wreckage of the plane was recovered by authorities on Thursday and investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash.

A friend, who visited the scene of the crash to pray, said Mr Morgan's life "embodied his faith".

A service for Mr Morgan, to be held at his Waverly church on Wednesday, is being touted as a celebration of his life.
Grigor Dimitrov will not be lulled into a false sense of security if Nick Kyrgios looks like he doesn't want to be out on Pat Rafter Arena on Saturday.

If anything, the world No.3 knows that will mean the erratic Australian is poised and ready to strike.

The Bulgarian defeated Brit Kyle Edmund in a thrilling three-set quarter-final on Friday night to book his spot in the Brisbane International semi-finals.

Kyrgios, meanwhile, went from aloof and disinterested in the first set of his clash with Alexsandr Dolgopolov to dominant in the second and third.

The 22-year-old later described his determination and focus on court as "kind of like a tap" that he could operate at will.

While the Canberran has been heavily criticised for his combustible nature in the past, Dimitrov said it was a clear "strategy" and one that was working for him.

"Well, as he said, (he) can turn it on and off, right?" Dimitrov said.

"He was a different player.

"Obviously he knows what to do. It's not that he's learning or anything.

"I think he's one of the most talented players out there.

"I guess he's using that kind of strategy or something in a different way that helps him, pushes him to be better.

"I've just got to be ready all the time. Simple as that. You just never know what can come from him."

Dimitrov finished 2017 as the form player on the ATP tour and seems to have carried that momentum into the new season, having held off a ferocious challenge from Aussie underdog John Millman in the second round before another difficult tangle with Edmund.

His meeting with Kyrgios is a rematch of last August's Cincinnati Masters final.

Dimitrov prevailed on that occasion but will be disadvantaged this time, having played two late-finishing three-set matches on consecutive nights while Kyrgios benefits from a much more forgiving schedule.

"Obviously, the whole routine messes up," Dimitrov said.

Dimitrov was roundly applauded by fans and on social media for bounding over the net and sprinting to Edmund's aid after he rolled his ankle late in the third set.

Edmund is confident it is not a major injury and will not interrupt his Australian Open preparations.

"I would have reacted like this whoever I was playing against. This is just my instinct, my reaction, to do that right away," Dimitrov said.
Police in Sweden have arrested a 25-year-old man over the brutal stabbing murder of an Australian in Gothenburg.

Kai Foley, 30, was found in Odinsplatsen, a public space in the middle of the city, early on the morning of December 20.

He was suffering severe spinal and abdominal injuries and later died in hospital.

Swedish News Agency TT reports a man is now being detained over the attack after being arrested on Friday.

Local prosecutors say he was not known to Mr Foley, who moved to Gothenburg in the last European summer and had a Swedish girlfriend.
US State Department Spokeswoman Heather Nauert was unable to put a dollar sum on the funds that will be frozen, but said it was in addition to the $255 million in military aid it has already put on hold to Pakistan

The United States has suspended its security assistance to Pakistani forces, the State Department said Thursday, demanding "decisive action" against Taliban factions based in the country.

Spokeswoman Heather Nauert was unable to put a dollar sum on the funds that will be frozen, but said it was in addition to the $255 million in military aid it has already put on hold.

"Today we can confirm that we are suspending security assistance to Pakistan at this time," Nauert said.

"Until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani group -- we consider them to be a destabilizing the region and targeting US personnel -- the United States will suspend that type of security assistance to Pakistan."

The decision on security assistance came after US President Donald Trump lashed out at Pakistan in a New Year tweet, accusing the longstanding American ally of using "lies and deceit" to win US aid while harboring terrorists.
Pakistani protesters shout anti-US slogans at a protest in Karachi on January 2, 2018 following comments by President Donald Trump accusing the country of being deceitful in its counter-terrorism efforts

The United States added bite to its increasingly public spat with Pakistan over militant safe havens Thursday, suspending hundreds of millions of dollars in security assistance.

President Donald Trump's administration has expressed deep frustration at its South Asian ally's failure to crack down on the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani group bases.

Pakistan has pushed back strongly at Trump's intemperate language, raising concerns that to row could undermine Islamabad's support for US operations in Afghanistan.

But on Thursday, the State Department announced a dramatic freeze in deliveries of military equipment and security funding until Pakistan cracks down on the militants.

Officials confirmed that in September last year State had already suspended $255 million in funding to help Pakistan buy high-tech weaponry from US manufacturers.

- 'Decisive action' -

Now, the Defense Department has been instructed to stop making payments from "coalition support funds" set aside to refund Pakistani spending on counter-terrorist operations.

Exemptions will be made in cases of "critical national security" and officials refused to put a figure on how much Pakistan will lose out on if it fails to cooperate.

But the National Defense Authorization Act permits the US military to spend up to $900 million in the 2017 financial year and $700 million in financial 2018.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the security spending would be suspended until Pakistan takes "decisive action" against the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network.

Pakistan has fought fierce campaigns against some Pakistani militant Islamist groups that threatened its own security.

But US officials accuse Pakistani officials of ignoring or even collaborating with groups that launch operations into Afghanistan from safe havens along the countries' border.

These groups threaten the US-backed Afghan government and have attacked and killed many of the American troops that were sent there after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

US frustration has boiled over before.

Trump's predecessor Barack Obama authorized drone strikes on Pakistani safe havens and sent US commandos to kill jihadist king-pin Osama Bin Laden in his Abbottabad hideout.

But Trump's aggressive language -- first in a speech last August and most recently in his first tweet of the New Year -- has angered Pakistani officials.

"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," Trump wrote.

"They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!"

Pakistani leaders disputed the $33 billion figure, insisting that around half of the money relates to reimbursements. The prime minister's office accused him of ignoring the great sacrifices the country has made to fight extremism.

Pakistan says it has lost more than 62,000 lives and $123 billion in the conflict since 2003, and the military insists it has now eradicated militant safe havens.

Privately US diplomats insist that the relationship is not in crisis, pointing to recent visits to Pakistan by secretaries of state and defense Tillerson and Mattis.

They say Pakistan is not refusing to fight the Haqqani network, but that the two capitals disagree about the facts on the ground, with US intelligence still seeing militants operating freely.

- 'Aggressively confront' -

Nauert was at pains to point out that the frozen funds had not been cancelled, and would be ready to be disbursed if Pakistan takes action to prove its commitment to the fight.

"The United States stands ready to work with Pakistan in combating all terrorists, without distinction," Nauert said.

"And we hope to be able to renew and deepen our bilateral security relationship when Pakistan demonstrates its willingness to aggressively confront the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani Network and other terrorists and militant groups that operate from within its country.

"So we will not deliver military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law," she said.
French President Emmanuel Macron (R) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had frank talks on the tricky issue of EU membership

French President Emmanuel Macron suggested Friday that Turkey should renounce its ambition of joining the EU and settle instead for a looser "partnership" after talks with visiting Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey was hoping to warm frosty relations with Europe during Erdogan's trip to Paris, but the talks were overshadowed by concerns over Turkey's huge crackdown after a 2016 failed coup.

Macron said there was no chance of Turkey's membership bid, which has been languishing for years, moving forward.

"I'd be lying if I said we could open new chapters," he said in reference to the accession process.

"As regards recent relations with the European Union, it is clear that recent developments and choices allow no chance for progress in the process," Macron said after what he described as "very frank" talks with Turkey's strongman.

"We must list the subjects that are blocking things from the EU's perspective... and see if we cannot rethink this relationship, not in terms of an integration process but a cooperation, a partnership," he added at a joint press conference.

He emphasised however that he wanted to see Turkey "remain anchored to Europe".

Erdogan said that Turkey's 54-year wait to join the EU was "seriously exhausting" the Turkish people and that he might be forced "to take a decision."

He did not specify what that might be but admitted: "We don't really have an attitude of 'let us in' (to the EU) anymore."

- Swipe at French reporter -

The visit was Erdogan's first to France since the botched putsch against him, which triggered a sweeping purge of the public service and an intensified crackdown on the media, civil society and opposition.

It came after a year in which Turkish-European relations hit a low point, with Erdogan notably accusing Chancellor Angela Merkel of "Nazi practices" for refusing to let his ministers campaign in Germany.

Macron's invitation to Erdogan drew sharp criticism from the French left, trade unions and rights groups, and a group of Kurdish demonstrators who attempted to demonstrate outside the Elysee Palace on Friday were arrested.

The Reporters Without Borders group protested outside the Turkish embassy in Paris, holding aloft stencilled portraits of imprisoned journalists.

The French presidency insisted on the need to "maintain dialogue" without "covering up differences".

Turkish President Erdogan got into a tense exchange with a reporter over arm shipments to Syria

Tensions spilled over during Erdogan's meeting with the French press when a journalist pressed him on a report that Turkish intelligence services shipped arms to radical groups in Syria.

"Do not speak with the mouth of FETO," Erdogan retorted, referring to the Fethullah Terror Organisation -- the term Ankara uses for the movement of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey accuses of being behind the failed coup as well as the Syria arms report.

- Macron criticism on rights -

Macron chided Erdogan over his rights record.

Over 140,000 Turks have been sacked or suspended from their jobs and over 55,000 officials, security force members, judges, academics, journalists, politicians and activists been arrested since the coup.

Referring to the jailing of dozens of journalists, whose cases the two leader discussed in detail, he said: "Democracies must fully respect the rule of law".

While admitting that he and Erdogan were in "disagreement on our vision of individual liberties", Macron noted that France had been able to obtain the release last year of two French journalists held in Turkey.

Erdogan insisted: "Turkey is a state based on the rule of law, the judiciary is independent."

Areas where they signalled agreement included fighting terrorism, with Macron describing their cooperation in the fight against the Islamic State group as "exemplary", and Syria, on which he hailed a "communion of views".

The Paris visit was also about trade, with Turkey signing accords on an antimissile defence projet with a Franco-Italian consortium and on purchases of new planes from European planemaker Airbus.

Erdogan met later Friday with Pierre Gattaz, head of the French employers' federation Medef.

- 'New start' with Germany -

His visit had been billed as a chance to turn the page on a torrid year for EU-Turkey ties in 2017.

In a column for the German newspaper group Funke on Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu -- who is heading to Berlin at the weekend for talks -- called for a "new start" in relations with that country also.

For Macron, hosting Erdogan was another diplomatic gamble after visits from US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin last year.

A relative newcomer to politics and diplomacy, he has made it his goal to bolster France's standing on the world stage.

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Egyptian security personnel and forensic police inspect the site of an attack on a church south of Cairo on December 29, 2017

Police in Egypt are boosting security around churches as Coptic Christians prepare to celebrate Orthodox Christmas on Sunday after a year of deadly jihadist attacks targeting the ancient community.

More than 100 Christians have been killed in the spate of violence, including a shooting at a church south of Cairo just last week claimed by the Islamic State group.

Since the military ousted divisive Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, security forces have sought to quell attacks led by the Egypt branch of IS which has increasingly targeted Christians.

While the jihadists have also taken aim at other civilians, including more than 300 Muslim worshippers massacred at a mosque last November, they have focused on the ancient Coptic community.

"This year we will not stop supporting the state and the president and play our national role, but we hope officials will find a way to reduce the attacks," said Bishop Makarios of the southern Minya province.

Relatives of Coptic Christians killed while travelling to a monastery in Egypt's southern province of Minya carry a coffin during their funeral on May 26, 2017

In December 2016, an IS suicide bomber killed almost 30 worshippers at a church in Cairo located in the Saint Mark's Cathedral complex, the seat of the Coptic papacy.

In the Sinai Peninsula, where IS is based, hundreds of Christians were forced to flee in January and December after a wave of assassinations.

IS suicide bombers killed more than 40 people in twin church bombings in April and shot dead almost 30 Christians a month later as they headed to a monastery.

The year ended with an IS jihadist killing nine people in an attack on a church in a south Cairo suburb.

Copts, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's 93 million people, have long complained of discrimination and intermittent sectarian attacks.

They had also complained historically of official discrimination.

After Morsi's ouster, army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi resigned and won a presidential election the following year, and has reached out to the Copts.

- Long awaited church law -

Sisi has attended Coptic religious ceremonies and called for a reform of religious Islamic discourse to weed out extremism.

He may attend the Christmas mass on Saturday, as he did last year.

The mass will be held in a cathedral in a new administrative capital Egypt is building east of Cairo.

Sisi's government had, at the end of 2016, adopted a long anticipated law to regularise the construction and restoration of churches, something that had been a flashpoint in sectarian clashes.

Copts make up about 10 percent of Egypt's 93 million people

Unlike the construction of mosques, churches needed seldom-approved security clearances, and rumours that a church would be built sometimes led to attacks on Christians in the conservative rural south of the country.

In December, hundreds of Muslims attacked a church south of Cairo that had been operating without a permit for more than a dozen years.

But a year after the new law, a rights group report says there are still no specific and clear rules on how to implement it.

After jihadist attacks, "the second most important issue is the tensions and violence related to holding Coptic rituals," said Ishak Ibrahim, who wrote the report for the Egyptian Personal Rights Initiative.

Closures of unlicensed churches and buildings used for religious purposes even increased last year, he said.

"When the Copts asked for permission, the official bodies refused," he said.

But a few days ahead of Coptic Christmas celebrations, the government announced it would facilitate requests and expedite the regularisation of unauthorised churches.
More than 300 youngsters regularly show up for classes in music, dance and languages at a cultural centre in a rundown neighbourhood of Casablanca, aimed at giving them a creative outlet, opportunity to learn and express themselves

"Teaching young people to dream again" is the vision of a Moroccan cultural centre in a rundown Casablanca district, once home to a group of suicide bombers who killed 33 people in 2003.

Based in a white building next to a tramline and opposite a mosque, the Stars Cultural Centre in Sidi Moumen regularly hosts more than 300 young people for classes in music and music theory, classical dance, hip-hop, English and French.

"When we tell young people that violence is not a means to express themselves, we must find them other means," said filmmaker Nabil Ayouch, who co-founded the centre with artist Mahi Binebine.

Ayouch's connection with the district began with his film "Horses of God", which looked at how young people in the neighbourhood were becoming radicalised.

When he organised a screening of the film in Sidi Moumen, Ayouch realised something: "Even in an area without rights, there is the right to hope."

That seed of an idea eventually led him to set up the centre in the district that was home to 12 suicide bombers, who carried out the May 2003 attacks in Casablanca.

Yacine, 14, is studying piano and music theory and hopes that one day he can become a concert musician and perform with an orchestra.

"The training is much better than at the Casablanca Conservatoire," he said.

Students' families pay for the lessons but those on limited means receive subsidised rates.

The centre offers free film screenings, hosts foreign artists and gives shows that attract spectators from far and wide.

- Conservative society -

"Back in 2014, there was nothing -- no culture, no cinema," said the centre's assistant manager, Soumia Errahmani.

But funded by private donations and foreign cultural institutes, the centre has shown that "there are also stars and not only terrorists" in the district, she said.

The 24-year-old, her hair covered with an Islamic headscarf, said the project had taught her that "if you want, you can".

She herself signed up for a class because she had "always dreamed of playing guitar and percussion".

She put together a band, Africa Vibes, and stayed. Now she manages student registrations at the centre and works to "reassure parents".

In Morocco's conservative society, "the relationship with art in general, and with dance in particular, is very difficult," she said.

But today, "parents come to see the shows, they are proud of their children," she said. "Mothers, who were worried about seeing their daughters dancing, come to ask for advice, some borrow books."

- 'Invisible walls' -

Performances and lessons at the centre take breaks around Muslim prayer times.

Ayouch, who grew up among the tower blocks of the working-class Paris suburb of Sarcelles, said the centre aims to break down the "invisible walls" both mental and geographical, which "confine culture to the city centre".

In November, he opened a similar centre in the Beni Makada district of Tangiers, a neglected, over-crowded neighbourhood known for drug dealing and police raids.

Director Annafs Azzakia Ben Sbih told AFP the centre aimed to "show that there are also young talents" and change the way people see a neighbourhood many would previously have avoided.

Further centres are planned in disadvantaged districts of Marrakesh and Fes.

Ayouch said the idea is to create "a network with similar programmes and shared programmes, with passionate teachers who are trained and rewarded, who can make openings for young people to jump into", Ayouch said.

It was through the centre that Meriem, 21, became a rapper. She is working on a new record, "What belongs to girls," and dreams of going on tour.

Her father opposes her hobby but her mother is supportive. "She encourages me and tells me 'go ahead'," she said.
High-tech Japanese toilets can befuddle foreign visitors

Japan has launched a campaign to convert unpopular Asian-style squat toilets into sit-on "western" models, as the nation prepares to welcome tens of millions of foreign tourists in the run-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The high-tech country is famous for its toilet technology that can bewilder foreign visitors, with features ranging from seat warming to bidet functions -- with variable pressure.

But to the surprise of some and the dismay of many caught short, several toilets in public places are traditional "squatting" facilities.

About 40 percent of toilets at 4,000 locations in popular tourist spots are "squatters", according to the Japan Tourism Agency.

The government is offering to shoulder one third of the costs to install sit-on types, complete with the bidet function expected of a Japanese toilet, officials said.

A survey by major toilet maker TOTO has found more than eight out of 10 foreign tourists prefer sit-on types, said Akihiko Yamakoshi, an official at the government's Japan Tourism Agency.

"As we aim to receive 40 million foreign visitors (a year), we want them to enjoy touring Japan with as little stress as possible," he told AFP.

Some foreign tourists simply do not know how to use old Japanese-style toilets while others complain they are unsanitary, he said.

Which to press?

The number of foreign visitors to Japan has been hitting records in recent years. More than 26 million foreign tourists visited Japan in the 11 months of 2017, already exceeding the annual record of 24 million set in 2016.

The government aims to boost the number to 40 million by 2020 when Tokyo hosts the Summer Games.

The toilet conversion is mainly designed for foreign tourists but it could also help elderly Japanese who may have difficulty in squatting down, said Yamakoshi.
Seth Meyers, host of the 75th Annual Golden Globes Awards, poses for photos on the red carpet

Hollywood's annual awards season revs up on Sunday as industry A-listers turn out for the 75th Golden Globes.

Here are 10 fun-filled facts (plus a few bonus tidbits) you probably didn't know about Tinseltown's biggest pre-Oscars prize-giving, organized by the 90-member Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

- Beginnings -

Founded in 1944, the awards were given out for the first 14 years by journalists who were members of the Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association, a precursor to the HFPA.

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr took over the stage as impromptu masters of ceremony in 1958 and stole the show -- and were invited back as official hosts the following year.

From 1958 to 1963, the Globes were only broadcast only in Los Angeles, finally going national in 1964.

- The prizes -

Unlike the Oscar-awarding Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences, the HPFA doesn't give out technical prizes, sticking to recognizing actors, directors, producers and writers.

A total number of 25 awards are up for grabs on Sunday -- 14 in film and 11 in television.

- Winners -

Meryl Streep has the most Golden Globe nominations at 31, the last coming for her work in "The Post"

Meryl Streep has the most nominations, her 31st coming this year for Pentagon Papers thriller "The Post." She has won eight times, one less than record-holder Barbra Streisand, including non-competitive trophies.

Jamie Foxx and Helen Mirren jointly hold the record for the most nominations in one year with three.

The youngest winner remains Ricky Schroder, who was nine, for his role in "The Champ," while the oldest was Jessica Tandy, who was 80 when she picked up best actress for "Driving Miss Daisy."

- And a couple of losers... almost -

Renee Zellweger was in the bathroom when her best actress award for "Nurse Betty" was announced in 2001, leaving a bemused Hugh Grant to ask her table for her whereabouts.

The red-faced starlet turned up in the nick of time to receive her award, joking that she had been cleaning lipstick off her teeth.

She wasn't even the first to make the error -- Christine Lahti got caught short three years earlier, and was otherwise engaged when Michael J. Fox announced she had won best actress for "Chicago Hope."

- The 'big five' -

"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" was the first movie to win all of the "big five" categories -- best picture, actor, actress, director and screenplay -- as part of a six-win haul in 1975.

"La La Land" won a record-breaking seven Golden Globes last year, including one for Emma Stone for best actress in a musical or comedy

It remained the only "big fiver" until "La La Land" scooped the major categories as part of a record-breaking seven-trophy clean sweep last year.

"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1967) and "The Godfather, Part III" (1991) each received seven nominations but lost in every category, going home empty-handed.

- Lifetime achievement -

The Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement was first handed out in 1952 to... Cecil B. DeMille.

Subsequent winners have included Walt Disney, Judy Garland, Sidney Poitier and Jodie Foster.

- Objectors, contentious and otherwise -

Marlon Brando refused to accept his Globe for "The Godfather" in 1973 in protest against the Vietnam war. Two months later, he rejected an Oscar over the poor treatment of Native Americans in the film industry.

The producers of "Z" refused the Globe for best foreign language film in 1970 because they were angry it was left out of the prestigious best motion picture category.

- The coveted trophy -

The 24-karat gold-plated Golden Globe statuette costs around $800 to make and is 10.75 inches (27.3 centimeters) tall and 3.5 inches wide, weighing in at a hefty 5.5 pounds (2.5 kilograms).

After 2008, it was given a facelift and a marble custom presentation box.

- The hosts -

This year's show will be compered for the first time by NBC late night host Seth Meyers, who is promising the usual political humor throughout the night and has vowed not to pull punches on Hollywood's sexual misconduct scandals.

Previous hosts have included Ricky Gervais (2010-12, 2016), Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (2013-15) and Jimmy Fallon (2017).

- The menu -

Before dinner, guests will be treated to champagne cocktails -- Moet Imperial, tequila, blood orange juice and a smattering of honey, according to Variety magazine.

Hollywood's A-listers will finish their Golden Globes meal with a dessert drenched in chocolate -- and topped with a chocolate globe filled with sea salted caramel

They will sit down to a burrata cheese, frisee lettuce and heirloom tomato salad before tucking into a main course of sea bass.

Dessert is a crunchy base of Italian hazelnuts beneath a coffee biscuit and Frangelico mascarpone -- all drenched in chocolate and topped with a chocolate globe filled with sea salted caramel.
Chinese troops on exercises in Kyrgyzstan. President Xi Jingping has urged the PLA to step up research into high-tech means of warfare and engage in 'real combat training'

President Xi Jinping has issued a blunt call for China's military to be ready for war and unafraid to die defending the country, as geopolitical tensions mount in Asia.

Xi's exhortation to the world's largest fighting force, parts of which were revealed only late Thursday, came during what state media characterised as a rare address by the Chinese leader to the country's entire military.

Xi cemented his status as China's most powerful leader in decades during an October Communist Party congress, and this week's rhetoric and images of massed soldiers and tanks seemed designed to back up his new strongman image.

China's military personnel should "neither fear hardship nor death," Xi told thousands of military personnel during an inspection visit Wednesday to the People's Liberation Army's Central Theater Command in northern Hebei province, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Xi also called for the military, a once-backward force whose rapid modernisation over recent years has raised alarm in Asia and Washington, to continue upgrading.

He urged the PLA to step up research into high-tech means of warfare and engage in "real combat training", Xinhua said.

"Create an elite and powerful force that is always ready for the fight, capable of combat and sure to win in order to fulfil the tasks bestowed by the Party and the people in the new era," he was quoted saying.

As head of the Communist Party's Central Military Commission, Xi is commander-in-chief of China's more than two-million-strong armed forces.

Xinhua called Xi's address to the troops "the first time for the commission to hold a mobilisation meeting for the whole armed forces."

Other media reports said thousands of troops elsewhere in the country assembled at their installations to hear his speech.

Since taking office in 2012, Xi has pushed for a muscular China, including calls in October to develop a "world-class" Chinese army by 2050.

China's neighbours have watched warily as the PLA has upgraded its arsenal with increasing sophisticated weaponry and sought to create a more effective and professional fighting force.

Analysts say Xi is very unlikely to risk putting China's still-untested new prowess into an outright military confrontation.

But concerns have grown as Beijing has imposed increasingly assertive claims to vast expanses of the contested South China Sea, while engaging in confrontations with Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea, and with India over Himalayan regions.

Temperatures also have risen over North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un thumbing his nose at the world by repeatedly testing his country's banned nuclear weapons and missiles, while exchanging tit-for-tat threats with US President Donald Trump.

During his visit to the military command, Xi was shown in combat fatigues inspecting troops, tanks, sniper training, and peering down the sights of an automatic rifle.

State media also said he paid a visit to an exhibit detailing the PLA's experience battling American-led forces during the Korean War.
The blast stripped bark from trees and shattered windows of nearby apartments

The death toll from an Islamic State-claimed suicide attack in Kabul has risen to 13, officials said Friday, adding to the carnage caused by the militant group in the Afghan capital.

Thursday evening's blast targeted police as they clashed with angry protesters following a raid on shopkeepers accused of illegally peddling drugs and alcohol.

"At this time a suicide bomber detonated himself among the crowd, killing and injuring dozens," Kabul police spokesman Abdul Basir Mujahid told AFP.

All of the dead were police. Among the 18 wounded were 16 officers and two civilians, deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told reporters.

"The bomber came from among the protesters and targeted our police forces," Rahimi said, adding the attacker was wearing civilian clothes.

The blast stripped bark from trees and shattered windows of nearby apartments, underscoring the devastating force of a single suicide bomber. An AFP reporter several kilometres from the scene heard the explosion.

Afghan security personnel investigate the site of the latest suicide attack in Kabul

The IS group has gained ground in Afghanistan since it first appeared in the region in 2015 and has scaled up its attacks in Kabul, including on security installations and the country's Shiite minority.

Thursday's assault was the first major attack carried out by IS militants in Kabul this year, but follows a series of deadly ambushes in the capital in recent weeks.

In December alone IS claimed three attacks that killed dozens of civilians.

The deadliest of those happened a week ago when a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a Shiite cultural centre in Kabul, killing 41 people and wounding more than 80 others.

Security in Kabul has been tightened since May 31 when a massive truck bomb ripped through the diplomatic quarter, killing some 150 people and wounding around 400 others -- mostly civilians. No group has yet claimed that attack.

But experts say IS operates several cells in the city, enabling the group to plan and carry out attacks under the noses of Afghan security and intelligence agencies.

On Wednesday, Afghanistan's spy agency announced it had busted a 13-member IS cell in Kabul that had been hatching "a series of big terrorist attacks" in the city.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee v. Miguel Angel SEGOVIA-RIVAS, Defendant-Appellant No. 15-51221 Decided: January 03, 2018

Before REAVLEY, SMITH, and OWEN, Circuit Judges. Joseph H. Gay, Jr., Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mara Asya Blatt, Esq., Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas, San Antonio, TX, for Plaintiff-Appellee Judy Fulmer Madewell, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Bradford W. Bogan, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Maureen Scott Franco, Federal Public Defender, Federal Public Defender's Office, Western District of Texas, San Antonio, TX, for Defendant-Appellant Miguel Angel Segovia-Rivas, Pro Se

After Miguel Angel Segovia-Rivas pleaded guilty to illegal reentry into the United States, the district court sentenced him to 41 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release, premised in large part on a 16-level enhancement for a prior conviction of a crime of violence. Because we find the enhancement to be plain error, and because we find the remaining plain-error prongs satisfied, we vacate Segovia-Rivass sentence and remand for resentencing.

I. BACKGROUND

Miguel Angel Segovia-Rivas was deported in January 2015. The following month, United States Border Patrol agents apprehended Segovia-Rivas near Comstock, Texas. Segovia-Rivas subsequently pleaded guilty to illegal reentry, a violation of 8 U.S.C.  1326.

The presentence investigation report (PSR) identified a base offense level of eight and recommended a 16-level enhancement for a prior Texas conviction of a crime of violence, as defined by the (then-applicable) 2015 version of the United States Sentencing Guidelines. See U.S.S.G.  2L1.2(b)(1)(A)(ii). The prior crime was Segovia-Rivass 2005 conviction for attempted deadly conduct, a lesser-included state-jail felony of the deadly-conduct offense contained in Tex. Penal Code  22.05(b). Based upon the 16-level enhancement and a three-level reduction for acceptance of responsibility, the PSR arrived at a total offense level of 21. Coupling that total offense level with a criminal history category of II, the PSR recommended a Guidelines range of 41 to 51 months imprisonment. Segovia-Rivas did not object to the PSRs recommendations.

At sentencing, the Government requested a sentence at the high end of the Guidelines, and Segovia-Rivas requested a below-Guidelines sentence. The district court then imposed a sentence at the bottom of the recommended range: 41 months imprisonment with three years of supervised release. Segovia-Rivas objected only that the sentence was greater than necessary to comply with the sentencing goals contained in 18 U.S.C.  3553(a), but he did not object to the 16-level enhancement. Segovia-Rivas timely appealed.

II. ANALYSIS

On appeal, Segovia-Rivas challenges his sentence on one ground: the 16-level enhancement was erroneous because his 2005 conviction for attempted deadly conduct was not a predicate crime of violence. Because Segovia-Rivas did not raise this objection before the district court, he concedes that our review is for plain error. See United States v. Renteria-Martinez, 847 F.3d 297, 299 (5th Cir. 2017).

A. The Plain-Error Standard

Plain-error review involves four prongs, each of which must be satisfied before we may intervene: (1) there must be an error or defect  that has not been intentionally relinquished or abandoned; (2) the legal error must be clear or obvious, rather than subject to reasonable dispute; (3) the error must have affected the appellants substantial rights; and (4) if the above three prongs are satisfied, the court of appeals has the discretion to remedy the errordiscretion which ought to be exercised only if the error seriously affect[s] the fairness, integrity or public reputation of judicial proceedings. Puckett v. United States, 556 U.S. 129, 135, 129 S.Ct. 1423, 173 L.Ed.2d 266 (2009) (citations and internal quotations omitted and alterations in original).

B. The Error

To qualify as a crime of violence under the relevant 2015 Guidelines provision, a prior conviction must either fit into an enumerated list (murder, manslaughter, etc.) or constitute an offense under federal, state, or local law that has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another. U.S.S.G.  2L1.2(b)(1)(A)(ii). Deadly conduct is not among the enumerated offenses, so we ask whether it qualifies as a crime of violence under the latter use-of-force category.

In reaching an answer, our analytical approach depends on whether the statute is divisible or indivisible. United States v. Mendez-Henriquez, 847 F.3d 214, 218 (5th Cir. 2017). If the statute contains  a single  set of elements to define a single crime,  the statute is indivisible [and] the sentencing court utilizes a categorical analysis. Id. (quoting Mathis v. United States,  U.S. , 136 S.Ct. 2243, 2248, 195 L.Ed.2d 604 (2016)). The categorical approach then asks the court to line up the offenses elements alongside those of the generic offense and see if they match. Id. (internal quotations omitted). If they match, or if the generic offense is broader, the enhancement is applicable. Id. Conversely, if the statute list[s] elements in the alternative, and thereby define[s] multiple crimes, it is divisible, and the sentencing court will instead utilize a modified categorical approach. Mathis, 136 S.Ct. at 2249. That modified categorical approach permits the court to go beyond the statutory language and examine a limited class of documents (for example, the indictment, jury instructions, or plea agreement and colloquy) to determine what crime, with what elements a defendant was convicted of. The court can then compare that crime, as the categorical approach commands, with the relevant generic offense. Id. (citations omitted). Howeverand this is often the case-determinative distinctiona statute is not divisible if it contains merely alternative means for committing a single crime. Id. at 2251.

The deadly-conduct statute reads in pertinent part as follows:

(a) A person commits an offense if he recklessly engages in conduct that places another in imminent danger of serious bodily injury.

(b) A person commits an offense if he knowingly discharges a firearm at or in the direction of:

(1) one or more individuals; or

(2) a habitation, building, or vehicle and is reckless as to whether the habitation, building, or vehicle is occupied.

Tex. Penal Code  22.05(a)(b). Both sides agree that Segovia-Rivass conviction fell within Tex. Penal Code  22.05(b): the discharge of a firearm at some qualifying target. And Segovia-Rivas does not contest that, if we were to utilize a modified categorical approach, we would classify his conviction under subsection (b)(1): the discharge of a firearm at an individual. He argues only that the modified categorical approach is inapplicable here because the statute is indivisible.

When Segovia-Rivas was sentenced, the 16-level enhancement seemed proper. Our caselaw then treated subsections (b)(1) and (b)(2) as separate offenses (i.e., a divisible statute) and subjected the statute to the modified categorical approach. See United States v. Hernandez-Rodriguez, 467 F.3d 492, 494 (5th Cir. 2006). In that vein, we had established that subsection (b)(1) constituted a crime of violence, id. at 495, but that subsection (b)(2)without the requisite use-of-force componentdid not, United States v. Dixon, 265 Fed.Appx. 383, 38586 (5th Cir. 2008) (per curiam).

Yet, something happened in the interim that caused us to change course: Mathis provided a much-needed clarification of the difference between elements and means. 136 S.Ct. at 225354. Mathis in hand, we revisited the divisibility of Tex. Penal Code  22.05(b) and held recently that subsections (b)(1) and (b)(2) constitute alternative means of committing a single offense, meaning the statute is indivisible and subject only to the categorical approach. United States v. Perlaza-Ortiz, 869 F.3d 375, 379 (5th Cir. 2017). In turn, we now treat a conviction under Tex. Penal Code  22.05(b)whatever the indictment may have chargedas outside the Guidelines definition of qualifying crimes of violence. Id. at 377, 380.

In light of Mathis and Perlaza-Ortiz, Segovia-Rivass attempted-deadly-conduct conviction was not a crime of violence, and his corresponding 16-level enhancement was erroneous. Id. In evaluating the plainness of that error, we look not to then-existing law, but to the state of law at the time of appellate consideration. Henderson v. United States, 568 U.S. 266, 279, 133 S.Ct. 1121, 185 L.Ed.2d 85 (2013). We find the error clear, and as a result, the first two prongs of our plain-error review are satisfied. Puckett, 556 U.S. at 135, 129 S.Ct. 1423.

C. Segovia-Rivass Substantial Rights

We turn now to the third prong of our plain-error standard: whether the erroneous enhancement affected Segovia-Rivass substantial rights. In the sentencing context, the third prong requires that the defendant demonstrate a reasonable probability that, but for the district courts error, he would have received a lesser sentence. United States v. Culbertson, 712 F.3d 235, 243 (5th Cir. 2013) (quoting United States v. Dickson, 632 F.3d 186, 191 (5th Cir. 2011)). When the record is silent as to what the district court might have done had it considered the correct Guidelines range, the courts reliance on an incorrect range in most instances will suffice to show an effect on the defendants substantial rights. Molina-Martinez v. United States,  U.S. , 136 S.Ct. 1338, 1347, 194 L.Ed.2d 444 (2016) (describing the so-called ordinary case). However, in some instances, a judges explanation could make it clear that the judge based the sentence he or she selected on factors independent of the Guidelines. Id.

Segovia-Rivas has met his burden here. The improperly-calculated Guidelines range provided for a sentence between 41 and 50 months, and Segovia-Rivas received a sentence of 41 months. Without the 16-level enhancement, the district court would have been left to apply either a four-level felony enhancement (as Segovia-Rivas suggests) or an eight-level aggravated-felony enhancement (as the Government suggests). The correct Guidelines range would thus have been either eight to 14 months or 15 to 21 months. Whichever way you slice it, the correct Guidelines range would have been lower than the erroneous range employed by the district courtthe ranges are far from overlapping. Were this an ordinary case, the significant difference between Segovia-Rivass sentence and a correct Guidelines range would be more than sufficient to show prejudice under the Molina-Martinez rubric. See 136 S.Ct. at 1347.

But the Government says this is not an ordinary case, placing significant reliance on the following statement by the district court: Sentence I impose would be the same sentence Id impose either with or without an advisory guideline sentencesystem. We are unsure what to make of this statement. Did the court mean that it would have imposed the same sentence whether the Guidelines were advisory or mandatory? Or, did the court mean that it would have imposed the same sentence whether or not there were Guidelines at all? The former inferred meaning would do little to counter any ostensible showing of prejudice Segovia-Rivas made. United States v. Vonn, 535 U.S. 55, 68, 122 S.Ct. 1043, 152 L.Ed.2d 90 (2002). And the latter strikes us as entirely implausible in light of the sentencing record as a whole.

Indeed, the record reflects what the district court did not mean. The court did not demonstrate that Segovia-Rivass 41-month sentence was untethered from the erroneous 16-level enhancement and the correspondingly higher Guidelines rangeit did precisely the opposite. First, not only did the court impose a within-guidelines sentence, the following statement seems to suggest (contrary to the isolated statement above) that it felt compelled to do so: Within an advisory guideline system, I have to pronounce a guideline sentence. Second, the court never explained what it would have done had it applied the correct range. Nor did the court have any reason to explain; it confronted only the erroneously higher range. Cf. United States v. Rico-Mejia, 859 F.3d 318, 323 (5th Cir. 2017) (One way to demonstrate that the sentence was not imposed as a result of the Guidelines error is to show that the district court considered the correct Guidelines range and subsequently indicated that it would impose the same sentence even if that range applied.). Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the court emphasized again and again the role of Segovia-Rivass crime-of-violence conviction in the sentencing decision. For instance, the court told Segovia-Rivas that the conviction will stay with [him] until [he] die[s], that the conviction would lead to increased punishment for future violation of our laws, and, most tellingly, that the conviction was considered.

When an erroneous sentencing factor produces a higher guidelines range and is such a central part of the district courts explanation of [the defendants] sentence that we cannot confidently say that the district court would have imposed the same sentence without it, we find prejudice. United States v. Escalante-Reyes, 689 F.3d 415, 424 (5th Cir. 2012) (quoting United States v. Garcia-Quintanilla, 574 F.3d 295, 304 (5th Cir. 2009)). Such is the case here. And because the Government has made no persuasive showing to the contrary, the third prong is satisfied.

D. Our Discretion

Finally, we reach the fourth prong of our plain-error review: whether the error seriously affect[s] the fairness, integrity or public reputation of judicial proceedings. Puckett, 556 U.S. at 135, 129 S.Ct. 1423. We remain ever-mindful that we should not exercise our discretion lightly; the fourth prong is satisfied only in those circumstances in which a miscarriage of justice would otherwise result. United States v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725, 73536, 113 S.Ct. 1770, 123 L.Ed.2d 508 (1993) (citation and internal quotations omitted). In conducting the inquiry, we consider the particular facts and degree of error in this case. United States v. Martinez-Rodriguez, 821 F.3d 659, 664 (5th Cir. 2016).

With the sentencing error known only upon appeal, as it was here, it may be objectionable to withhold error correction due to a standard the defendant was destined to face. But, assuming we must nevertheless examine Segovia-Rivass case in particular, we would reach the same result.

On first glance, the facts of this case appear as somewhat of a mixed bag. As most criminal appeals do, Segovia-Rivass case has some aggravating factors, most notably his past conviction for attempted deadly conduct. Though the guidance of Mathis indicates the conviction is not a technical crime of violence, it by no means strikes us as a petty one either. That said, both the Texas court that originally sentenced Segovia-Rivas for that crime and the district court that sentenced him on the present offense saw fit to render proportionately lenient sentences. The Texas court sentenced Segovia-Rivas under a state-specific procedural quirk that permits a judge to punish a state-jail felony conviction with a Class A misdemeanor sentence after considering the gravity and circumstances of the felony committed and the history, character, and rehabilitative needs of the defendant [and finding] that such punishment would best serve the ends of justice. TEX. PENAL CODE  12.44(a) (emphasis added). And the district court below sentenced Segovia-Rivas at the very bottom of the (ultimately incorrect) Guidelines range. Whether the court did so because one decade had elapsed since Segovia-Rivass last conviction and two decades had elapsed since his only other conviction, or because of some other mitigating factor, we do not know. But, given the lenient treatment by the two courts to take full account of Segovia-Rivass record and circumstances, we cannot say that the facts of his case foreclose our intervention.

This is particularly true in light of the degree of the error before us. We have held on several occasions that the substantial disparity between the imposed sentence and the applicable Guidelines range warrants the exercise of our discretion to correct the error. United States v. Mudekunye, 646 F.3d 281, 291 (5th Cir. 2011); see also United States v. Hernandez, 690 F.3d 613, 622 (5th Cir. 2012). So too here. The minimum distance between the high end of the Governments fallback range (15 to 21 months) and the low end of the incorrect higher range (41 to 51 months) is a full 20 months. What is more, were the district judge to have sentenced Segovia-Rivas to the bottom end of the Governments lower range, just as it did with respect to the incorrect range, the disparity would be as great as 26 months. Put more succinctly, the improper range may have resulted in a more-than-doubled sentence. These figures approximate or exceed past disparities held sufficient to warrant error correction. See, e.g., United States v. John, 597 F.3d 263, 285 (5th Cir. 2010) (exercising discretion under the fourth prong when the sentence was 21 months above the correct range); Mudekunye, 646 F.3d at 29091 (doing the same for a sentence that was 19 months above the correct range); but see United States v. Wikkerink, 841 F.3d 327, 33739 (5th Cir. 2016) (declining to exercise fourth-prong discretion despite 180-month sentencing disparity because of the defendants particularly troubling background and the district courts belief that the Guidelines range did not provide adequate deterrence). We therefore find it prudent to exercise our plain-error correction in Segovia-Rivass case.

III. CONCLUSION

For the foregoing reasons, we vacate Segovia-Rivass sentence and remand to the district court for resentencing. The mandate shall issue immediately. See Fed. R. App. P. 41(b), (c).

FOOTNOTES

.

. We, of course, express no view on which of these enhancements is proper.

PER CURIAM: * FN* Pursuant to 5th Cir. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5th Cir. R. 47.5.4.
More than 800,000 schoolchildren received the vaccine last year in the world's first public dengue immunisation programme

The Philippines is investigating if the deaths of 14 children had any link to a dengue vaccine whose use the government has suspended due to health concerns, officials said Friday.

The country stopped the sale and distribution of Dengvaxia last month after Sanofi, the French manufacturer, warned it could worsen symptoms for people who had not previously been infected with the virus.

Sanofi has maintained the vaccine does not kill people, but did not comment on the health department's new announcement.

The government has assigned an independent panel of experts to review the cases and expects their findings in one or two weeks, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said.

"We asked them the question, number one: what they think is the cause of death, and then second, do they think it is related to the vaccination," Assistant Health Secretary Enrique Domingo told reporters.

More than 800,000 schoolchildren received the vaccine last year in the world's first public dengue immunisation programme.

Dengue was blamed for only four of the 14 deaths being probed, Duque said, with lupus and meningococcemia named as the cause of the others.

But now the panel of experts will verify those reports, the officials said.

"We need to watch out for 837,000 students who have been vaccinated and to us this is paramount," Duque added.

He also said the government wants to return unused Dengvaxia stock worth 1.5 billion pesos ($30 million) to Sanofi and get a refund.

In November last year, Sanofi released findings of a new study that said showed Dengvaxia could lead to severe infections for vaccinated people who caught dengue for the first time.

The company also urged the Philippine government not to suspend the vaccine's use, saying it was a crucial tool in fighting the deadly disease.

However, the disclosure triggered a public furore, with some parents blaming the vaccine for their children's deaths and with a number of legislators accusing the health department of endangering public health.

In a move unrelated to the Friday announcement, the department this week suspended a government clearance for Dengvaxia for one year and fined Sanofi 100,000 pesos (about $2,000).

It ruled that Sanofi did not comply with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, a finding that the company disputed Friday.

The pharmaceutical giant said in a statement that it had complied with local regulations and FDA requirements.

"Sanofi Pasteur will continue to cooperate in full transparency with the Philippines FDA and is committed to comply with the Philippines laws and regulations," the company added.

Dengue, a mosquito-borne illness, is a leading cause of serious illness and death among children in some Asian and Latin American countries, according to the World Health Organization.

More than a thousand people died of dengue last year in the Philippines, the health department said.
In this file picture from August 27, 2016, Saudis wait next to wreckage at a market for vehicles in the Saudi border city of Najran, a week after it was struck by a rocket fired from Yemen

Saudi Arabia on Friday intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Yemen into the kingdom's south, as Riyadh and its allies said the attack "proved" Iran's support for Yemen's Huthi rebels.

The Riyadh-led military coalition fighting the rebels in Yemen in a statement said Saudi air defences intercepted the missile at around 0500 GMT, but reported no casualties.

The Huthis, who are locked in war with Yemen's Saudi-backed government, earlier said they had fired a missile at Saudi Arabia's southwestern province of Najran in a statement tweeted by their Al-Masirah television channel.

Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia has repeatedly accused its regional rival Iran of arming the Shiite Huthis, but Tehran denies the allegations.

On Friday, coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the foiled missile attack served as further proof that Iran armed the rebels.

"This hostile act by the Iran-backed Huthis proves the Iranian regime remains implicated in supporting the armed Huthis," Maliki was quoted by Saudi state news agency SPA as saying.

Maliki said the attack "deliberately targeted densely populated civilian areas" and had caused minor damage to the property of a Saudi citizen.

The United States, a longtime ally of Saudi Arabia, has said Iran manufactured a missile fired by the Huthis towards Riyadh's international airport in November.

In December, US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley presented what she called "undeniable" evidence that the missile was Iranian-made. Tehran rejected the evidence as "fabricated".

A confidential report to the UN Security Council the same month said UN officials had examined debris from missiles fired at Saudi Arabia that pointed to a "common origin" but could not conclude whether they came from an Iranian supplier.

The Huthis have increased their rocket attacks on the kingdom since November.

The Saudi-led coalition joined the Yemeni government in its fight against the Huthis in March 2015, after the rebels seized control of the capital Sanaa.

Despite the coalition's superior firepower, the rebels still control the capital and much of the north of the country.

More than 8,750 people have been killed since the coalition's intervention in Yemen, according to the World Health Organization.

The country is also now facing what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the United States and Israel of meddling in Iran after Turkey's neighbour was gripped by several days of deadly unrest

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the United States and Israel on Friday of meddling in Iran after Turkey's neighbour was gripped by several days of deadly unrest.

A total of 21 people died and hundreds were arrested in the week-long protests which were the biggest challenge to the Islamic regime since the 2009 mass demonstrations.

"We cannot accept that some countries -- foremost the US, Israel -- to interfere in the internal affairs of Iran and Pakistan," Erdogan told reporters before heading on a trip to France.

"It is turning the people against each other in these countries. It's a shame that we have seen this done in many nations... We saw this in Iraq."

Erdogan did not expand on the nature of the alleged meddling in Pakistan but on Thursday the US announced a freeze in deliveries of military equipment and security funding until Pakistan cracks down on the militants.

The Turkish president then referred to problems in "Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia" and in African countries including Sudan and Chad.

He claimed a "game was being played" in certain countries, which he noted were all Muslim-majority nations.

"They are taking steps towards making the plentiful underground riches in all these countries their own resources," he said.

"Sorry, these realities should be known by our people and all people," he said.

Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke on Wednesday in a call in which the Turkish leader gave his support for the return of "peace and stability" to Iran.

Erdogan on Friday praised Rouhani's statements that the street protests were the people's "democratic right", saying this had helped normalise the situation.

Turkey's conservative media had previously accused the US and Israel of stoking the Iran protests as part of a purported plot to transform the Middle East.

Erdogan has on occasion criticised Iran's "Persian imperialism" in the Middle East amid bouts of tension in the Turkey-Iran relationship.

But relations between Ankara and Tehran have warmed since the two countries worked closely with Russia in the last few months to bring peace to Syria.
Pakistani demonstrators burn the US flag at a protest in Quetta on Jan 4 as Washington escalated its criticism over militant safe havens

The United States accuses Pakistan of playing a dangerous double game, taking billions in US aid since 2002 while supporting the Taliban and other militants who attack American forces in Afghanistan.

Its decision announced Saturday to cut $300 million in military aid is part of a broader aid suspension announced in January, as US President Donald Trump tries to pressure Islamabad over its alleged support for militant safe havens.

The cut came days before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to touch down in Islamabad for his first visit since the election of new Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has vowed to seek better relations with the US amid a new push for Afghan peace talks.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi played down the cut. Analysts have said the move highlights the difficulties of trying to control a quasi-ally whose support is vital in the long-running Afghan conflict.

What does the US want from Pakistan?

Washington accuses Pakistan of supporting militant groups including the Afghan Taliban.

It says the insurgents have safe havens in Pakistan's border areas and links to its shadowy military establishment, which aims to use them as a regional bulwark in Afghanistan against arch-nemesis India.

Pakistan's support for these groups must end, Washington says.

Islamabad has repeatedly denied the accusations, insisting it has eradicated safe havens and accusing the US of ignoring the thousands killed on Pakistani soil and the billions spent fighting extremists.

What has the US done?

On Saturday the Pentagon announced it was cutting $300 million in aid to Pakistan "due to a lack of Pakistani decisive actions in support of the South Asia Strategy". The request was pending Congressional approval.

Qureshi said the money was part of the Coalition Support Fund. The funding, worth $900 million, is set aside to refund Pakistani spending on counter-terrorist operations and helps pay Pakistan for allowing US and other NATO supplies into Afghanistan.

In January Washington announced it was freezing payments from the fund as part of a broader suspension of up to $2 billion in aid.

US officials have said that aid could be restored if Washington sees decisive action from Pakistan. The $300 million cut and comments by a Pentagon spokesman suggest Washington does not feel this has happened and is ratcheting up the pressure.

"It is not a new aid cut. It is a just an implementation of former aid suppression," analyst Huma Yusuf of the Wilson Center in Washington told AFP.

Why didn't Washington axe aid earlier?

US figures show that more than $33 billion has been given to Pakistan in direct aid since 2002. Cutting the money off seems an obvious step.

It has been suspended before, notably after the US raid in Pakistan in 2011 that killed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, which drew suspicions that he had been sheltered there for years.

But the US does not want a complete break in ties with Pakistan. It needs access to its roads and airspace to get supplies into Afghanistan.

Pakistan is also still believed to have the strongest influence over the Afghan Taliban, making its cooperation necessary for any peace talks. Momentum for fresh negotiations has been growing in recent weeks.

Pakistan also holds the Muslim world's only known nuclear arsenal. The US wants to prevent it from going to war with rival nuclear power India, or allowing the weapons to fall into the hands of extremists.

Will the US strategy work?

"This is something which of course has got Islamabad's attention, but (is) not sufficient enough to rattle the current government," Pakistani political scientist Maria Sultan told AFP.

Some analysts have said there is no real way to pressure Pakistan, which believes it is more important to keep Afghanistan out of India's orbit than to clamp down on cross-border militancy.

Others say the US risks driving Pakistan further into the orbit of China, which is investing heavily in the country.

The announcement, and Pompeo's visit, come weeks after Khan took office amid concerns he would remain tolerant of militant groups.

When the aid freeze was first announced in January, Khan, then in opposition, called for Pakistan to close the US supply lines to Afghanistan.

Since coming to power he has called for a more balanced relationship with the US. But questions remain over how much influence he will have in a country where foreign, defence and security policies are widely seen as controlled by the powerful military.

Qureshi says the two countries have "shared objectives" and vowed to raise concerns with Pompeo when he visits this week.

In the end, observers say, until the US addresses Pakistan's fears over India, it will not shake its support for militant proxies.
The conflict in Kachin has rumbled on away from international headlines and fighting is again intensifying

Myanmar's military has used heavy weapons to overrun remote rebel camps in northern Kachin state, the army said Friday, as a seasonal offensive ramps up the long-running conflict.

A separate military campaign in Rakhine state, which has forced 655,000 Rohingya Muslims over the border into Bangladesh, has dominated global attention.

But the conflict in Kachin, a mainly Christian state in the Buddhist-majority country, has rumbled on away from international headlines and fighting is again intensifying now that monsoon rains have ended.

The army -- or Tatmadaw -- said it had gained the upper hand after seizing 22 camps of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) since mid-November and blocking off a key timber smuggling route to China.

Heavy weapons were used Thursday to attack hillside camps as the army killed "some enemies" and seized arms and ammunition, according to a statement posted on Facebook by the office of commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing.

"Tatmadaw columns are in hot pursuit of fleeing terrorist insurgents," the statement added.

The rebels and the army trade allegations of abuses, while observers accuse both sides of trafficking timber, jade and drugs to fund the fighting.

After a 17-year ceasefire, the KIA restarted its fight for autonomy in 2011 resulting in unrest that has killed hundreds and displaced more than 100,000 people.

The KIA confirmed the renewed hostilities were "very serious" and that the military was using airstrikes and heavy artillery against its positions.

"Our ethnic groups didn't launch the offensive. It was the military. We are only fighting back," KIA spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Naw Buu told AFP, also denying rebel involvement in the illegal timber trade.

"That timber is not from Kachin state. We have no trees left to cut down," he said.

Like many restive border areas in the country, access for journalists, diplomats and aid groups is heavily restricted, making independent verification of claims on either side difficult.

Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government swept to power in the 2015 elections, but Myanmar's military retains control of the key defence, border and home affairs ministries.

That effectively gives it a carte blanche to conduct operations without parliamentary approval.

Suu Kyi's government is desperate to reach a binding peace agreement with some two dozen armed ethnic groups.

But fighting across Kachin and Shan states is threatening talks.

"If the fighting goes on, it could upset all the peace plans," political analyst Khin Zaw Win told AFP.

"The tragedy for Myanmar is these two processes are going on in tandem. There doesn't seem to be any coordination and the military is upstaging everything."

Hundreds of people have been displaced across Kachin and neighbouring Shan, the UN said, confirming reports that army mortar shells on Christmas Eve landed near a camp sheltering some 6,900 people.

"Yet again we see men, women, and children fleeing violence for the second or even third time," UN spokesman Pierre Peron said.
The US has been threatening for months to cut aid to Islamabad over its failure to crack down on militant groups

Pakistan denounced Washington's decision to suspend hundreds of millions of dollars in security assistance as "counterproductive" Friday, in a carefully-worded response to the frustrated Trump administration's public rebuke over militant safe havens.

The United States has been threatening for months to cut aid to Islamabad over its failure to crack down on groups such as the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, which it says operates from bases in Pakistan's northwest.

The rhetoric has raised hackles in Islamabad and fears the row could undermine Pakistan's support for US operations in Afghanistan.

On Thursday, the State Department announced a dramatic freeze in deliveries of military equipment and security funding until Pakistan cracks down on the militants.

The announcement ignited some small protests in Pakistan on Friday, including in Chaman, one of the two main crossings on the border with Afghanistan where several hundred people gathered to chant anti-US slogans.

"We don't need any type of aid. Almighty Allah is with us and he is giving us everything," protester Mohammad Saleem told AFP, adding that he had a message for Donald Trump: "Don't threaten us."

But Pakistan's foreign ministry issued a cautious statement in which it said it was "engaged" with US officials and awaiting further details.

Without referring to the decision directly, it warned that "arbitrary deadlines, unilateral pronouncements and shifting goalposts are counterproductive in addressing common threats."

Emerging threats such as the growing presence of the Islamic State group in the region make cooperation more important than ever, it added.

Pakistan has fought fierce campaigns against homegrown Islamist groups, and says it has lost thousands of lives and spent billions of dollars in its long war on extremism.

But US officials accuse Islamabad of ignoring or even collaborating with groups that attack Afghanistan from safe havens along the border between the two countries.

In September last year, the US suspended $255 million in funding to help Pakistan buy high-tech weaponry from American manufacturers.

Now, the Defense Department has been instructed to stop making payments from "coalition support funds" set aside to refund Pakistani spending on counter-terrorist operations.

- Afghanistan welcomes move -

There will be exemptions, and officials refused to put a figure on how much Pakistan will lose out on if it fails to cooperate.

Pakistan has fought fierce campaigns against homegrown Islamist groups, and says it has lost thousands of lives and spent billions of dollars

But the National Defense Authorization Act permits the US military to spend up to $900 million in the 2017 financial year and $700 million in financial 2018.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the security spending would be suspended until Pakistan takes "decisive action" against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.

The move, which US officials had hinted at for months, was greeted optimistically in Afghanistan.

"We have been saying for years that neighbouring Pakistan is providing safe haven to terrorist groups, and they were also funding the terrorist groups," Nasrat Rahim, deputy interior ministry spokesman, told reporters in Kabul.

"We welcome this announcement."

Privately, US diplomats insist the relationship is not in crisis.

They say Pakistan is not refusing to fight the Haqqani network, but that the two capitals disagree about the facts on the ground.

Pakistan insists safe havens have been eradicated, but US intelligence says it is still seeing militants operating freely.

Nauert was at pains to point out that the frozen funds had not been cancelled, and would be ready to be disbursed if Pakistan takes action to prove its commitment to the fight.

"The United States stands ready to work with Pakistan in combating all terrorists, without distinction," Nauert said.

On Thursday, the US State Department also tweeted that it has placed deeply conservative Muslim Pakistan on a special watch list for severe violations of religious freedom.

Pakistan, whose religious minorities have long been marginalised and targeted, said it rejects the designation and would seek a clarification from Washington.

"It is surprising that countries that have a well-known record of systematic persecution of religious minorities have not been included in the list," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"This reflects the double standards and political motives behind the listing and hence (it) lacks credibility."

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The man was initially told a homosexual couple was unlikely to get permission to adopt in Singapore

A gay Singaporean man will appeal to overturn a court decision rejecting his bid to adopt his biological son fathered via a surrogate in the United States, one of his lawyers said Friday.

A district court last month had denied the petition of the man, a doctor, on grounds that the medical procedures he had taken to have the baby in the US would not have been possible in Singapore.

Ivan Cheong said his client's appeal will be heard in private by the family division of the Singapore High Court but no date for the hearing has been set.

"He is appealing against the entire decision as he feels the dismissal of his application for an adoption order is not in the child's best interest," Cheong told AFP.

Cheong said, however, that "the arguments and reasons for our client's case on appeal will not be disclosed to the press as our client does not want to be seen to be litigating his appeal through" the media.

The man, who is in a long-term relationship, initially approached authorities about adopting in the city-state but was told a homosexual couple was unlikely to get permission, according to court documents.

The couple travelled to the US where the doctor underwent procedures for in-vitro fertilisation and found a surrogate who agreed to carry his child for US$200,000.

A son was born and as the biological father, the doctor -- who has not been identified because the case involves a minor -- was allowed to bring him back to Singapore to live with him. The boy is now four.

The doctor applied to formally adopt the boy in Singapore to "legitimise" their relationship and hopefully secure Singapore citizenship for him.

District Judge Shobha Nair said that the doctor and his partner were aware that procedures to help people have children were available to only married couples in Singapore and there were no surrogacy services in the city-state.

Gay marriage is not permitted in Singapore. Surrogacy is not explicitly banned although official guidelines prohibit the practice in assisted reproduction centres, according to the Straits Times newspaper.

The district judge had ruled that the child's welfare was not an issue in the case as he will continue to be well looked after by his biological father, and he is not stateless as he holds American citizenship.
Equatorial Guinea's President Theodoro Obiang, who seized power in 1979, has faced a string of coup attempts during nearly four decades in power

Equatorial Guinea has launched a dragnet for "mercenaries" behind an attempt to overthrow President Theodoro Obiang, Africa's longest-serving leader, a senior government official said on Friday.

Separately, Chad said an Equatorial Guinean, living in exile in Europe, is believed to have been behind the attempted coup.

"We are carrying out intensive searches everywhere," the government official, reached by phone from the Gabonese capital Libreville, told AFP.

The manhunt, the official said, is focused on "the Ebibeyin zone and other forests nearby," located near the border with Cameroon and Gabon.

It is also being carried out "in towns where they are believed to have infiltrated", in the capital Malabo as well as Bata, Ebibeyin and Mongomo, the source said.

The small west African nation was put on alert Wednesday after a senior government official announced that a putsch mounted by foreign mercenaries on December 24 had been put down.

Obiang, 75, who seized power in 1979, has faced a string of coup attempts during nearly four decades in power.

Critics accuse him of brutal repression of opponents, electoral fraud and corruption.

In a separate development on Friday, Chadian Foreign Minister Mahamat Zen Cherif said the coup bid was believed to have been backed by an exile living abroad.

"The sponsor is believed to be an Equatorial Guinean national living in Europe, and the arms were bought in a country outside CEMAC," he said in a statement to reporters in the Chadian capital Njdamena, after a visit to Malabo.

CEMAC -- the Central African Economic and Monetary Community -- is a six-nation bloc of francophone states comprising Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of Congo.

On Thursday, the United Nations said it would send its envoy for West Africa, Francois Louceny Fall, to Malabo for talks next week.

A UN spokesman said that while "little information" had emerged over last month's alleged coup attempt, "we condemn all attempts to seize power unconstitutionally."

According to Malabo's security minister, Nicolas Obama Nchama, the mercenaries were Chadian, Sudanese and Centrafricans, as citizens of the Central African Republic are called.

They were "recruited by Equatorial Guinean militants from certain radical opposition parties with the support of certain powers", he alleged.

The attempted infiltration had been repelled with the help of the Cameroon security services, according to the authorities.

Equatorial Guinea, a former Spanish colony, has become one of sub-Sahara's biggest oil producers but a large proportion of its 1.2 million population lives in poverty.
The stock market flotation of Saudi Aramco is expected to be the world's largest ever initial public offering

Saudi Arabia announced Friday that Aramco had been granted new status allowing individuals to hold shares in the oil giant, which it aims to float on the stock market this year.

A bulletin published in the kingdom's official gazette said the cabinet had approved giving joint-stock status to Aramco effective January 1, 2018.

The move comes as the kingdom prepares to sell under five percent of state-owned Aramco, the crown jewel of its economy, in what is expected to be the world's largest ever initial public offering.

The flotation forms the cornerstone of a reform drive led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to wean the economy off its reliance on oil.

Managed by a board of directors, rather than directly by government, joint-stock companies allow individuals to hold stock and thus share in both the debt and profit of the company.

A provisional board of directors -- Aramco's first ever -- will be appointed based on the recommendation of the kingdom's oil minister, the bulletin said.

It will be followed at a later date by "the formation of a board of directors under the provisions of the founding statute".

The statement did not specify if the board would be elected or appointed.

The state will retain direct ownership of the majority of Aramco shares, according to the gazette.

The Aramco IPO could generate some $100 billion in much-needed revenue after the country lost hundreds of billions of dollars since crude prices slumped in mid-2014, leading to huge budget deficits.

Aramco CEO Amin Nasser has said the IPO is scheduled for the second half of 2018.
Police officials (in blue) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency local director Christian Frivaldo (2nd R) display cocaine which washed up on a seashore during a press conference in Legazpi City

Millions of dollars of cocaine packed in a plastic drum has washed up on a seashore in the eastern Philippines, an anti-narcotics official said Friday.

A local fisherman in the town of Matnog found the drum on Wednesday and reported it to authorities, not knowing what was inside, said Christian Frivaldo, a regional director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Inside the drum, anti-drug agents found about 24 kilograms (53 pounds) of cocaine bricks wrapped in plastic, he told AFP.

Frivaldo estimated the value of the cocaine at about 125 million pesos ($2.5 million).

The source of the cocaine found in Matnog -- about 403 kilometres (250 miles) southeast of the capital Manila -- may be a Taiwan-flagged cargo vessel that was hit by huge waves off the eastern Philippines a day before the cocaine was found, he said.

Nine Chinese, Hong Kong and Taiwanese crewmen are under the custody of the local government after they were rescued from their damaged ship, he added.

"They are under investigation. We are checking their vessel (to see) if there is additional evidence inside. But it is difficult because it is half-submerged," Frivaldo said.

The seizure comes as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte wages a bloody war on drugs that has resulted in nearly 4,000 "drug personalities" killed by police while thousands of others have been murdered under mysterious circumstances.

This has led rights groups to warn the president may be orchestrating crimes against humanity.
United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. John LIPSEY, Individually and as Father and Next Friend of J.L., a Disabled Minor, PlaintiffAppellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, et al., DefendantsAppellees. No. 17-1063 Decided: January 04, 2018

Before Wood, Chief Judge, and Easterbrook and Rovner, Circuit Judges. Dennis T. Schoen, Attorney, Jennie E. Miskell, Attorney, Dennis T. Schoen, P.C., Chicago, IL, for PlaintiffAppellant. William Ernest Havemann, Attorney, Department of Justice, Civil Division, Appellate Staff, Washington, DC, for United States of America. Yordana Wysocki, Attorney, Jason W. Rose, Attorney, Michael W. Condon, Attorney, Hervas, Condon & Bersani, Itasca, IL, for Kankakee County, Illinois, a body politic, Michael Downey, Heather Gill, RN, Timothy Menard, DefendantsAppellees.

In this appeal, John Lipsey seeks relief on behalf of his minor daughter J.L., for tragic injuries suffered by J.L. at birth. The district court granted summary judgment to the defendants, and Lipsey appeals that determination.

The facts underlying the grant of summary judgment are set forth in detail in the district court opinion, and in relevant part are as follows. On June 8, 2009, a criminal complaint was filed against Wenona White in federal court alleging charges of federal bank fraud. At the time, White was pregnant with her tenth child. White was scheduled to self-surrender on July 6, 2009, but she failed to appear and was not located and taken into custody until September 10, 2009. On September 11, the district court judge in Hammond, Indiana ordered her remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service.

Because White was 35 weeks pregnant by the time she was apprehended, the Marshals Service faced the challenge of finding a detention facility that was able to meet her late-pregnancy healthcare needs. The Marshals Service arranged for her to be housed at the Jerome Combs Detention Center (JCDC), a Kankakee County facility which has an intergovernmental agreement with the Marshals Service. The JCDC had a full-time medical staff, and a relationship with an obstetrics practice to handle the obstetric needs of its population.

When White arrived at the JCDC on September 11, the JCDC intake officer obtained information from her and completed an intake form with her. That form indicated that her due date was October 18, her last medical exam was in August, and that she took prenatal vitamins. The intake officer also took her blood pressure, which was high at 161/86. No medical history was taken. White does not recall whether she told that intake officer of any problems with her ninth pregnancy, but she acknowledges that she did not inform the intake officer that with her ninth pregnancy, she had placenta previa. That ninth pregnancy had resulted in an emergency cesarean section at 34 weeks, but there is no evidence that such information was ever communicated to any of the defendants. White signed a HIPAA release authorizing the release of her hospital records from Provident Hospital, where she received her prenatal care earlier in her pregnancy. Ivette Charee Sangster, a nurse at the JCDC, testified that she sought such records and was told by the hospital that they had no records of White as a patient there, but other evidence indicated that when the same request was made by a doctor from St. Mary's Hospital after J.L.s birth, the records were promptly sent.

Over the next 10 days, White had a number of contacts with the JCDC medical staff. A nurse saw White in her housing unit on September 12 and White reported that she was not having any problems with her pregnancy. On September 16, another JCDC nurse, Heather Gill, met with White in the JCDC clinic. According to Gill's notes, White reported that it was her tenth pregnancy and that she had regular checkups with an obstetrician in Indiana, and she denied having any problems with the pregnancy. Nonetheless, a logbook entry stated that White reported labor pains on September 16. Gill ordered prenatal vitamins for White and indicated that she would try to schedule an appointment with the obstetrician. White admits that she told a female nurse that she was not having any problems with her pregnancy.

That appointment with the obstetrician proved problematic, however. The obstetrician who routinely provided care to JCDC patients refused to take White as a patient that late in her pregnancy. According to JCDC Chief of Corrections Michael Downey's report at a September 17 medical staff meeting, he contacted the Marshals Service to ask that White be transferred to a different facility where obstetrical care might prove more accessible, and was informed that it would be impossible to move White at that time. The Marshals Service employees deny having received that request, but we assume the facts in Lipsey's favor on summary judgment. In any event, Downey resolved to continue to seek a transfer, and in addition ordered an emergency delivery kit and close monitoring of White by the health care staff.

The next day, September 18, JCDC physician assistant Timothy Menard attempted to have White come to the health care unit. A log note written by Menard indicates that White refused to be seen and that she signed a refusal form indicating that she was informed of the risks to her health and the health of her pregnancy. She was informed that without weekly gynecological exams there was no way to determine cervical dilation or position of the fetus. White admits that she signed a refusal form.

On September 21, Gill wrote a log note indicating that an obstetrician at Westwood OB had called back and agreed to see White next Tuesday. Before that could happen, however, on September 22, White awoke with abdominal and back pain and called for assistance at 5:10 a.m. The fire department received a dispatch at 5:13 a.m., the ambulance crew arrived at 5:22 a.m., and White arrived at St. Mary's Hospital in Kankakee at 5:52 a.m. The hospital staff took her medical history at that time and she denied having any complications during her pregnancy or any chronic medical problems. At 6:07 a.m., the nurse was unable to find any fetal heart tones, and a bedside ultrasound a minute later revealed a very slow fetal heart rate. At 6:13 a.m., the doctor decided to perform an emergency cesarean section and J.L. was delivered at 6:33 a.m. During that cesarean section, it was discovered that White had suffered a complete abruption of the placenta which stopped the flow of oxygen to J.L. Although J.L. was not breathing when she was delivered, the doctors were able to resuscitate her and transported her to the neonatal intensive care unit at the University of Chicago Hospitals. Tragically, as a result of the oxygen deprivation, J.L. has severe, permanent physical and mental disabilities. The abruption that resulted in the oxygen deprivation likely occurred either in the ambulance or at the hospital, because J.L. would not have survived if it had occurred earlier than that.

Lipsey filed suit on behalf of his minor child, J.L., against the United States pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), 28 U.S.C.  2671 et seq., and against the Kankakee Defendantsconsisting of: Kankakee County; Timothy Bukowski, Sheriff of Kankakee County; Michael Downey, Chief of Corrections; Heather Gill, R.N.; Timothy Menard, P.A.; Dr. Clyde Dayhoff, JCDC's medical co-director; and Ivette Charee Sangster, L.P.N.alleging medical malpractice and pendent claims under the Family Expense Act and for willful and wanton conduct. Judge Baker granted the motion for summary judgment of the defendant United States, and a subsequent district court judge, Judge Shadid, granted summary judgment on behalf of the Kankakee Defendants on the remaining claims. Lipsey now appeals both decisions.

We turn first to the claims against the United States. The United States as sovereign is immune from suit unless it has consented to be sued. The FTCA provides a limited waiver of immunity and provides for a cause of action for tort claims caused by the negligent or wrongful act or omission of any employee of the Government while acting within the scope of his office or employment  28 U.S.C.  1346(b)(1); United States v. Orleans, 425 U.S. 807, 813, 96 S.Ct. 1971, 48 L.Ed.2d 390 (1976). It defines government employees under the Act as including officers and employees of any federal agency but excludes any contractor with the United States. Id. at 81314, 96 S.Ct. 1971; 28 U.S.C.  2671. In applying that independent contractor exception to the waiver of immunity, [a] critical element in distinguishing an agency from a contractor is the power of the Federal Government to control the detailed physical performance of the contractor.  Orleans, 425 U.S. at 814, 96 S.Ct. 1971, quoting Logue v. United States, 412 U.S. 521, 528, 93 S.Ct. 2215, 37 L.Ed.2d 121 (1973).

The Supreme Court in Logue addressed a situation factually analogous to the present one. In Logue, the Court held that the employees of a county jail which contracted with the Federal Bureau of Prisons to house federal prisoners were not federal employees, and therefore the United States could not be liable for their torts. Logue, 412 U.S. at 532, 93 S.Ct. 2215; Orleans, 425 U.S. at 81415, 96 S.Ct. 1971. Even though the county jail was required by the terms of the contract to comply with Bureau of Prisons rules and regulations prescribing standards of treatment and to allow inspections to ensure compliance, the United States was not authorized to physically supervise the jail employees or control the day-to-day operations, and therefore the county jail was an independent contractor for purposes of the FTCA. Logue, 412 U.S. at 53132, 93 S.Ct. 2215.

That reasoning applies equally here. The Marshals Service maintained an intergovernmental agreement with the JCDC which required the JCDC to provide appropriate medical care, and the Marshals Service conducted inspections to ensure compliance but was removed from the day-to-day operations of the facility. In fact, the Marshals Service had conducted an inspection of the JCDC two weeks before White was placed there, and the JCDC was found fully compliant with the federal health standards mandated by that agreement. Lipsey has failed to argue that the contract in this case is distinguishable from Logue or that the JCDC should not be considered an independent contractor under the same reasoning. Accordingly, the United States cannot be held liable under the FTCA for the actions of the Kankakee Defendants, and liability must be premised solely on the actions of the federal employees.

The only actions that fall within that category are the decision by Jeffrey Goble, a supervisory deputy marshal, as to where to place White initially, and the subsequent refusal to transfer White from that facility at the request of Downey. As to those placement and transfer decisions, liability under the FTCA is impacted by the discretionary function exception, which shields the government from liability for an act or omission of an employee of the Government, exercising due care, in the execution of a statute or regulation, whether or not such statute or regulation be valid, or based upon the exercise or performance or the failure to exercise or perform a discretionary function or duty on the part of a federal agency or an employee of the Government, whether or not the discretion involved be abused. 28 U.S.C.  2680(a).

The discretionary function exception is an affirmative defense to liability, and two requirements must be met under that exception. Keller v. United States, 771 F.3d 1021, 1023 (7th Cir. 2014). First, the act at issue must be discretionary rather than mandatory, in that it involves an element of judgment or choice. Id. Accordingly, if the act at issue deviates from a course of action prescribed by federal statute, regulation or policy, the employee's acts are not discretionary and therefore are not immune from suit. Id.; United States v. Gaubert, 499 U.S. 315, 322, 111 S.Ct. 1267, 113 L.Ed.2d 335 (1991). Second, in order to fall within the discretionary function exception, the government actions and decisions must be based on considerations of public policy. Keller, 771 F.3d at 1023.

The Marshals Service has a statutory duty to provide for the safe-keeping of any person arrested  pending commitment to an institution, and it is authorized to fulfill that duty by placing prisoners in federal institutions or by contracting with state and local governments to house those prisoners. 18 U.S.C.  4086, 4002. Those contracts with local facilities, called Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs), ensure that minimum standards of confinement and services are provided, including requiring that detainees receive medically necessary health care services whether within the institution itself or at a remote location such as at a hospital. The JCDC, for instance, had a larger medical staff on site, and offered more extensive medical services, than other available facilities according to Goble. And it is undisputed that the JCDC officials had the authority to send any inmate to the emergency room without approval from the Marshals Service.

The Marshals Service monitors compliance with those conditions through inspections that occur at least once a year. In choosing where to place a detainee, therefore, the Marshals Service chooses among federal institutions or those state or local facilities with which it has an IGA. But no provision, statutory or otherwise, mandates the specific facility in which to place an individual prisoner. The determination as to where to house a federal prisoner is precisely the sort of discretionary act that falls within the discretionary function exception. Although Lipsey points to the requirement to provide adequate medical care to inmates, that obligation is met in the IGA which imposes that obligation on the facilities and which is monitored through inspection. The decision at issue here is not the choice as to whether to provide medical care; it is the determination as to whichamong the qualified facilitiesis most appropriate for a particular inmate. That is quintessentially a discretionary decision. See Bailor v. Salvation Army, 51 F.3d 678, 685 (7th Cir. 1995) (decision to transfer an inmate to a halfway house falls within discretionary function exception because the decision is a discretionary one and involved considerations of public policy)

Moreover, the second prong of the discretionary function exception is met as well. Inherent in such placement and transfer decisions are considerations of public policy such as concerns with security, cost, overcrowding, medical care, and the suitability of each facility to meet the needs of the prisoner. See Bailor, 51 F.3d at 685 (decision to transfer inmates to halfway house involves policy considerations such as social considerations of integrating prisoners into society and the costs of incarceration); see also Meachum v. Fano, 427 U.S. 215, 225, 96 S.Ct. 2532, 49 L.Ed.2d 451 (1976) (in a different context, noting that the transfer of a prisoner is the type of discretionary action made for varied reasons and involving considerations of what would best serve institutional security or the safety and welfare of the inmate). In fact, Goble based the placement decision on one of those concerns, the availability of medical care for White's pregnancy. He chose the JCDC because, among the jails with which the Marshals Service had an IGA, he believed that it had the best medical facilities. The evidence of record indicates that his belief was not unfounded. The JCDC had a larger on-site medical staff including two doctors, a physician assistant, a registered nurse, a licensed practical nurse, and two on-call nurses. None of the available IGA facilities had an on-site obstetrician, but the JCDC had an ongoing relationship with off-site obstetricians to provide such services to its inmates. The record is clear that the placement decision rests on considerations of public policy such as the provision of adequate medical care. The same policy considerations inhere in any decision as to whether to transfer a prisoner. Accordingly, the district court properly determined that the actions in deciding to place White at JCDC and in retaining her there rather than transferring her at that late stage in her pregnancy fell within the discretionary function exception to the waiver of sovereign immunity in the FTCA. As to those actions the United States retains sovereign immunity, and the district court properly granted summary judgment to the United States on that ground.

We turn then to the district court's grant of summary judgment to the Kankakee Defendants, some of whom provided medical care (the medical defendants) and some of whom did not (the non-medical defendants). Lipsey argued that all of the Kankakee defendants were negligent in the management, monitoring, care and treatment of White's pregnancy. The district court based its decision on  4105 of the Tort Immunity Act, which provides that [n]either a local public entity nor a public employee is liable for injury proximately caused by the failure of the employee to furnish or obtain medical care for a prisoner in his custody; but this Section shall not apply where the employee, acting within the scope of his employment, knows from his observation of conditions that the prisoner is in need of immediate medical care and, through willful and wanton conduct, fails to take reasonable action to summon medical care. 745 ILCS 10/4105. As the district court held, that provision establishes that as to injuries that resulted from the failure to furnish or obtain medical care for a prisoner in custody, a public employee is liable only if two criteria are met: first, that she knew based on her observation that immediate medical care was needed, and second, that the failure to take reasonable action to provide that medical care was willful and wanton. The district court determined that neither step was met here.

We look first at the medical defendants. The court held that there was no evidence that any of the medical providers at JCDC were aware from personal observation that White or her pregnancy were in danger or required immediate medical care prior to the morning of September 22, 2009. According to the court, [t]he evidence  shows, at best, that Defendants were aware that White was in her last trimester of pregnancy, had blood pressure of 161/86 on admission, repeatedly denied experiencing any problems or complications with her pregnancy, and made no request for medical attention until the morning of September 29, 2009.

At worst, up until that time the medical defendants may have been negligent in overlooking the significance of White's elevated blood pressure when she arrived at JCDC and her September 16 labor pains. But mere negligence is not enough. The district court held that Lipsey failed to establish that the medical defendants failure to provide the necessary medical care was willful and wanton. At the first instance in which the need for immediate care was apparent, the morning of September 22, 2009, the medical providers immediately summoned such medical care, calling for paramedics within three minutes of being notified that White was in pain, with the result that the ambulance arrived at the JCDC only twelve minutes after they were first alerted to her condition. Accordingly, the court held that there was no evidence that the medical defendants willfully and wantonly failed to summon immediate care when needed.

After two pages of analysis applying  4105 of the Tort Immunity Act, the district court determined that the Kankakee Defendants were entitled to immunity under that provision. In one ensuing sentence, the court considered  6105 and 6106 of the Tort Immunity Act, concluding that, [g]iven this record, the Court also finds that they would be entitled to immunity under  6105 and 6106, as there is no evidence establishing that they should have made a different diagnosis before White began having problems on September 22, 2009, or failed to administer prescribed treatment. The court then held that the Kankakee Defendants were therefore entitled to summary judgment.

Although the district court based its decision of immunity on  4105 of the Tort Immunity Act, with only a passing nod to immunity under  6105 and 6106 as well, the plaintiff failed to assert any argument concerning  4105. That statutory provision is not cited in the appellant's opening brief, nor is the willful and wanton standard discussed or applied. By failing to attack the basis of the district court's grant of summary judgment, the plaintiff has waived such argument on appeal. Wigod v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 673 F.3d 547, 571 (7th Cir. 2012). But we note that as stated above, even if we were to consider that standard, the district court properly held that there is no genuine issue of fact as the evidence at best showed mere negligence not willful and wanton conduct as required to avoid immunity under  4105.

The district court also properly granted summary judgment as to the non-medical defendants, as to whom a negligence standard applies. The plaintiff argues that the non-medical defendants were negligent in failing to confirm the availability of necessary care before accepting the transfer, but the record does not support such a determination. At the time White was accepted into the JCDC, the non-medical defendants knew that that the JCDC had housed pregnant inmates in the past and had provided medical care to those inmates. They had no reason to believe they would be unable to provide that same care for White as well. To the extent that they had any personal involvement after that point, they were entitled to rely on the judgment of their medical staff thereafter and nothing indicates that they failed to do so. Therefore, the district court properly granted summary judgment to the non-medical defendants as well.

In a case such as this one, with tragic injuries to a newborn, the weight of the situation is ever-present in our minds. But we are entrusted here to determine only whether the district court properly applied the law to the defendants who are before us in this case. We hold that the district court properly granted summary judgment.

Accordingly, the decision of the district court is AFFIRMED.

Rovner, Circuit Judge.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa attends a rally at the Zimbabwean embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, on December 21, 2017

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa made a home visit on Friday to the leader of the country's main opposition party, Morgan Tsvangirai, who has been battling cancer.

The visit came as Zimbabwe's political parties prepare to begin campaigning for elections due later this year -- the first since former president Robert Mugabe stood down following a brief military takeover.

Mnangagwa, who was accompanied by his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, the former army chief who led November's takeover, said Tsvangirai was "recuperating very well" following his colon cancer diagnosis two years ago.

An image of the meeting showed Tsvangirai looking frail as he sat on a couch next to Mnangagwa who appeared relaxed and wore a smart dark suit.

"He is fine. He is recuperating very well. Very soon he will be going back again for further medical check-ups in South Africa," Mnangagwa said as he left Tsvangirai's home.

Tsvangirai's deputy in the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party Nelson Chamisa said that Mnangagwa's gesture was "the politics we want to see".

"The politics of peace, the politics of working together, the politics of caring for each other," he said.

Tsvangirai is a former prime minister and a veteran political figure who is hoping to lead a unified opposition bloc against Mnangagwa and his all-powerful ZANU-PF party.

Tsvangirai won the most votes in the first-round of the 2008 presidential election in which he faced off against Mugabe -- but it was not enough to avoid a run-off against Mugabe.

As Mugabe loyalists unleashed a wave of violence against MDC supporters, Tsvangirai pulled out of the race and later entered negotiations with the government.

He subsequently became prime minister in a power-sharing government in which he was widely seen as being out-foxed by Mugabe.
The Malaysia Airlines jet disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people on board

Malaysia has agreed to allow a US exploration firm to resume the hunt for flight MH370, the transport minister said Friday, a year after the search was suspended.

The news came after the company, Ocean Infinity, said this week it had already dispatched a research vessel towards the expected search zone as it believed a deal would be finalised imminently.

The Malaysia Airlines jet disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people -- mostly from China -- on board en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, triggering one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries.

No sign of the plane was found in a 120,000 square kilometre (46,000 square mile) search zone selected by satellite analysis of the jet's likely trajectory.

The Australian-led sea search, the largest in aviation history, was suspended in January last year.

But Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai told AFP that an agreement had now been made with the US firm, adding the deal was on a "no find, no fee" basis.

"It is our duty to look for answers and the plane, and as of today the government has decided to go ahead with the search," he said.

He added that a contract would be signed next week in Kuala Lumpur.

News of the decision was also sent to relatives of those on board the doomed jet.

The message, seen by AFP, said that the "MH370 Response Team wishes to note that the Government of Malaysia has engaged Ocean Infinity to undertake further search operation for MH370".

Norwegian research vessel Seabed Constructor, leased by Ocean Infinity for the search, set off from South Africa this month for the southern Indian Ocean, where MH370 is believed to have disappeared.

The firm wants to start the hunt during a period of good weather expected in January and February. The vessel is carrying several autonomous submarines which can be launched from the ship to scour the seabed for the jet.

Ocean Infinity has not given details of the new search area.

But Australia's national science body released a report in April suggesting the doomed plane was "most likely" north of the former search zone in an area of approximately 25,000 square kilometres.

Only three confirmed fragments of MH370 have been found, all of them on western Indian Ocean shores, including a two-metre wing part known as a flaperon.
The passenger train collided with a lorry at a level crossing and burst into flames on Thursday

South African police launched a manslaughter investigation Friday following a train crash that killed at least 18 people and injured 254 others in one of the country's worst ever rail disasters.

The passenger train, travelling from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg, smashed into a lorry at a level crossing near Kroonstad in central Free State province on Thursday and then burst into flames.

The lorry driver, who the country's transport minister Joe Maswanganyi accused of "taking chances... that cost lots of lives", will be central to the probe.

"There is a case of culpable homicide open to be investigated and thereafter it is for the director of public prosecutions to determine who must be prosecuted," Free State police spokesman Brigadier Motantsi Makhele told AFP.

"It's just a case open for further investigation."

In South African law, "culpable homicide" is the equivalent of manslaughter.

Makhele added that nobody was in police custody nor has anyone been charged in connection with the crash. The process of identifying bodies was ongoing, he said.

Mthuthuzeli Swartz, the acting chief executive of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa's rail division, confirmed on Thursday that 18 people had been killed and 254 injured, adding that it would be "tragic and unexpected" for the death toll to increase further.

"Police are investigating. The truck driver was taking chances... that cost lots of lives," Maswanganyi told reporters at the scene on Thursday.
US exports increased in November to their highest level on record, but imports rose faster, pushing the trade gap to its widest in nearly five years, according to data

US exports increased in November to their highest level on record, but imports rose faster, pushing the trade gap to its widest in nearly five years, according to data released Friday.

The monthly trade report was full of records that signal the recovery in the US and world economies, but the growing US deficit could still subtract from GDP growth in the final three months of the year.

Rising oil prices accounted for a big chunk of the increase in the trade deficit, which rose $1.6 billion to $50.5 billion compared to October, the Commerce Department reported. The consensus forecast among economists was for the deficit to decline to $47.9 billion.

Exports of US goods and services jumped $4.4 billion to $200.2 billion, the most ever measured, pushed by a record $65.7 billion in services exports, according to the report.

But imports surged $6 billion to $250.7 billion, also the highest ever.

The gain was led by oil imports which jumped $1.4 billion to nearly $17 billion, as the average price for crude rose to $50.10 a barrel, the highest since July 2015.

For the January-November period the US trade deficit increased by $53.4 billion or 11.6 percent over the same period of 2016, to $513.6 billion.

The deficit in goods with China rose to its highest level in two years to $35.4 billion, and for the year-to-date was $344.4 billion, $25 billion higher than in the comparable period of 2016.

The gap with Canada and Mexico also widened in the January-November period, to $15.3 billion and $65.7 billion, respectively
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves next to President Hassan Rouhani (L) during a meeting in Tehran on December 6, 2017

Recent unrest has highlighted the deep-seated frustration felt by many Iranians over the economy and their demands for reform, and attention now turns to how the political establishment will respond.

Often seen in monolithic terms outside the country, Iran's politicians are vetted by a conservative-dominated Guardian Council to ensure they are loyal to the Islamic revolution, and ultimate power rests with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

But there are still deep divisions over how the country should move forward politically, socially and economically.

While all groups opposed the recent unrest and accepted action was needed to address economic problems, five key factions are pulling in different directions on how best to reform the country.

- Moderates of President Hassan Rouhani -

The moderate faction currently dominates Iranian politics, focusing on better management of the economy, rebuilding trade with the West and gradually improving civil liberties as the best way to preserve the Islamic revolution.

Many have called on Iran's President Hassan Rouhani (C) to address the economic grievances that sparked days of deadly unrest

Rouhani has been accused of pushing austerity and neoliberal economic policies at the expense of the poor. He has called for more time for the benefits to trickle down and remains popular with many middle class voters for his efforts to challenge unaccountable parts of the establishment.

Like his mentor, the arch-pragmatist Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani who died in January 2017, he has shown his capacity to switch direction and has accepted that more needs to be done to protect poorer sections of society. Analysts say the protests could provide him with an opportunity to push for more radical reforms.

- Reformists of ex-president Mohammad Khatami -

Despite being barred from public appearances over his role in 2009 protests, Khatami remains one of the most popular figures in Iranian politics. His endorsement was seen as crucial to Rouhani's election in 2013 and 2017.

Reformist ex-Iranian president Mohammad Khatami was barred from public appearances over his role in protests in 2009

The reformist faction includes some 20 parties pushing for greater freedoms, gender equality and worker rights. Most of their legislation was blocked by the Guardian Council during Khatami's 1997-2005 tenure, and they were decimated by the crackdown on pro-reformist demonstrations in 2009.

However, their alliance with the moderates has seen reformists return to the corridors of power, and they hold influential positions in Rouhani's cabinet.

- Conservatives and hardliners -

A broad range of conservative parties strongly oppose efforts to liberalise society and remain deeply suspicious of rapprochement with the West. They are pushing hard for a more self-subsistent "resistance economy" as directed by Khamenei.

Iranian hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi took almost 16 million votes in presidential elections last May

Having been hurt by divisions in recent elections, they succeeded in rallying behind a single candidate in May's election -- hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi, who took almost 16 million votes to Rouhani's 24 million.

They have gained considerable traction by criticising Rouhani's economic reforms and the failure to support the poor, particularly cuts to welfare and subsidies, and the unrest could bolster their position. However, reformists accuse them of threatening the regime as a whole by encouraging the initial protests against Rouhani.

- Moderate conservatives of Ali Larijani -

Iranian Parliament speaker Ali Larijani has been a strong advocate of the "resistance economy"

Parliament speaker Larijani and his allies control the main parliamentary commissions and will be crucial to the passage of eventual reforms. They have largely supported Rouhani's economic reforms and the nuclear deal with world powers. However, the faction is less favourable to Rouhani's efforts to liberalise society and opposes the president's criticisms of other parts of the establishment. Larijani has also been a strong advocate of the "resistance economy".

- Ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -

Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remains popular but was barred from running in last year's election

Ahmadinejad remains widely popular, particularly among poorer segments of society who recall his large-scale welfare schemes.

However, he has been increasingly ostracised by the political establishment. He was barred from running in last year's election and his protege Hamid Baghaie was last month sentenced to 15 years in prison for corruption.
Pascal Lamy is visiting countries in the Asia-Pacific region to win support for the Paris bid

The head of France's bid to host the 2025 World Expo held talks with Sri Lankan leaders Friday in a bid to secure their support.

Pascal Lamy told reporters in the capital Colombo that France expects to spend 3.5 billion euro ($4.22 billion) on hosting the Expo in Paris, and the money will be generated by the project itself without public funding.

Paris is bidding to host the Expo a year after staging the 2024 Summer Olympics, and Lamy said he was confident of securing international support for France's environmentally-sustainable proposal.

Lamy, a former director general of the World Trade Organization, is visiting countries in the Asia-Pacific region to win support for the Paris bid.

If the bid is successful, France will host the event for the first time in 125 years. It last hosted the exhibition in Paris in 1900.

There was no immediate comment from Sri Lankan authorities.

He said France faces strong competition from Japan, Russia and Azerbaijan for the 2025 event.

France is offering countries the chance to use the Paris Expo facilities beyond the exhibition.

"Countries may convert their pavilions and remain at Paris-Saclay to receive students or innovative businesses from their country in order to contribute to the area's intellectual and entrepreneurial vibrancy," the French delegation said in a statement.

The Paris bid, initiated during the tenure of President Francois Hollande, has been "enthusiastically embraced" by his successor Emmanuel Macron, Lamy said.

Around 40 million people are expected to visit the 2025 Expo over a six-month period.

France is ready to host an event of that scale, Lamy said, as the country is expected to welcome 100 million tourists annually by 2020.

Delegates from 170 member states of the Paris-based Bureau of International Exhibitions will vote on the bids in November.
The Islamic State faction of Boko Haram said that it had orchestrated the raid on army barracks in the town of Kanamma in northeast Yobe state

The Islamic State faction of Boko Haram on Friday said it was responsible for a late December attack on Nigerian army barracks, claiming it killed nine soldiers and took military equipment.

The jihadist faction said in an online statement published by the Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) that it had orchestrated the raid on army barracks in the town of Kanamma in northeast Yobe state, according to the SITE Intelligence group, which monitors jihadist activity.

Boko Haram has long been divided, but in 2016 it suffered a major split when the Islamic State group recognised Abu Mus'ab al-Barnawi, the son of dead Boko Haram founder Muhammad Yusuf, as leader.

The jihadists carried out a bloody raid on the Kanamma barracks, located near the Niger border, triggering a gun battle that needed air force support, according to AFP sources.

The sources said five soldiers had lost their lives, instead of the nine claimed by Boko Haram, but added that 30 troops are still missing after the battle.

"We lost five men in this attack and 30 remain missing," a military officer on Wednesday told AFP on the condition of anonymity.

"It is not known yet whether they fled during the attack or whether they were captured by the terrorists," added the same source.

The Kanamma raid took place amid a barrage of almost daily Boko Haram attacks, kidnappings and bombings over the holiday season last month, despite Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari saying in his New Year's address that the country has "beaten" the jihadists.

The IS-affiliated Boko Haram faction is particularly active on the Chad and Niger borders and usually targets Nigerian forces.

Meanwhile, longtime leader Abubakar Shekau operates from his Sambisa forest stronghold along the Cameroon border and is responsible for unrelenting suicide bombings targeting civilians who don't join the Islamist movement.

The Boko Haram insurgency has killed over 20,000 people and displaced some 2.6 million since 2009, triggering a dire humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad region.
A view of the Tunisian customs post at the Ras Jedir border crossing with Libya in 2016

Armed groups clashed Friday in western Libya, forcing the closure of a key border crossing with Tunisia, an official and a military commander said.

The clashes took place near the Ras Jedir border post, the main crossing between western Libya and southeastern Tunisia.

The crossing has been controlled by militias from the western port city of Zuwara since the fall of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011 in a NATO-backed revolt.

On Friday, a force set up by the country's United Nations-backed unity government to stabilise Libya's west attacked in a bid to seize the crossing, said an official from Zuwara who asked to remain anonymous.

The unity government force's commander Osama Jouili, who served as Libya's defence minister after Kadhafi's fall, confirmed the offensive had taken place Friday.

Speaking to Libya's 218TV, he argued his forces had a mandate from the unity government to secure the region, but did not specify whether the operation was coordinated with authorities in Tripoli or not.

The border post was closed temporarily to "ensure the safety of travellers", he said.

Libya has been wracked by violence since Kadhafi was toppled and killed in 2011.

The unity government has struggled to impose its rule in a country where hundreds of militias hold sway.

Successive transitional authorities have failed to create regular police and army forces capable of restoring order in Libya.

The western border region is highly dependent on cross-border trade, both legal and illegal.

The Zuwara forces who controlled the border post also nominally support the unity government.

They have been accused of involvement in smuggling a vast network smuggling contraband and fuel to Tunisia and Malta.
Maps of Iran showing pro- and anti-government demonstrations since December 28, 2017

Iran, where fresh pro-regime demonstrations took place Friday, has been rocked by days of opposition protests over the economy and the Islamic regime as a whole.

The unrest has left 21 dead, mostly demonstrators, and prompted hundreds of arrests. It is the biggest such movement in the tightly controlled country since a protest movement over a disputed election in 2009.

Here is a summary:

- First demonstrations -

A few hundred demonstrators gather in the northeastern city of Mashhad and several other towns on December 28 to protest high living costs.

Videos on reformist media show protesters focusing their ire on President Hassan Rouhani but there are also slogans lambasting the entire regime and Iran's involvement in conflicts across the Middle East.

The next day larger-scale protests flare up in more cities including religious centre Qom, where footage shows hundreds of demonstrators chanting "Death to the dictator" and "Free political prisoners".

- Warnings, violence, deaths -

On December 30, regime supporters rally around the country for officially sanctioned demonstrations to commemorate the defeat of the 2009 protest movement.

Despite government warnings, anti-government protests grow. Tear gas fills the streets of downtown Tehran as hundreds of people scuffle with police.

Videos show demonstrators attacking a town hall, overturning a police car and burning the Iranian flag.

The unrest claims its first victims when two people are killed in the western town of Dorud.

On December 31, the authorities issue more warnings and block access to online messaging services that were instrumental in organising protests.

Rouhani insists people are "absolutely free" to express their anger but "criticism is different to violence and destroying public property".

- Public buildings attacked -

Nevertheless the unrest continues as videos on social media show demonstrations across the country for a fourth night.

Iranian media and officials report 10 deaths in protests overnight Sunday to Monday in the west of the country.

US President Donald Trump says it is "time for change" in Iran.

- More deaths, arrests -

State television says nine people, including a policeman and Revolutionary Guards member, are killed in unrest on January 1.

Six die in the town of Qahderijan, in the central province of Isfahan, where protesters try to storm a police station, the state broadcaster reports. The number of arrests rises to 450.

- 'Enemies' -

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei breaks his silence on January 2, saying Iran's "enemies have united and are using all their means" against the regime.

Rouhani phones French leader Emmanuel Macron to demand action against a "terrorist" Iranian opposition group he accuses of fomenting the protests, likely referring to the Paris-based Mujahedeen-e-Khalq.

The French president calls for restraint.

- End of 'sedition' -

On January 3 the commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards, General Mohammad Ali Jafari, announces "the end of the sedition".

At the United Nations, Iran accuses Washington of "grotesque" meddling.

On January 4, the United States imposes sanctions on five Iranian companies it alleges are working on Iran's illegal ballistic missile program.

- New pro-regime demonstrations -

On January 5 pro-regime rallies are held around Tehran for the third day running.

Prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri accuses the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia of being behind the violence. His deputy criticises the government for not having blocked the internet.

Iranian officials say they have arrested four members of a "terrorist cell" linked to the Mujahedeen.

The UN Security Council prepares to meet to discuss the Iran protests, prompting Russia to accuse the US of "interfering".
NextSource Biotechnology in 2013 bought the license for the drug Lomustine from Bristol-Myers Squibb, which sold a 100 milligram pill of the substance for nearly $50 apiece

A little known pharmaceutical company in Florida has found itself in the eye of a storm following disclosures it raised the price of an old drug used to fight brain tumors by 1,400 percent, from $50 a pill to more than $700.

NextSource Biotechnology in 2013 bought the license for the drug Lomustine from Bristol-Myers Squibb, which sold a 100 milligram pill of the substance for nearly $50 apiece.

Since then, according to The Wall Street Journal, it raised the price of the same pill to $768, marketing it in the United States under the name Gleostine.

The patent for Lomustine, which also is known as CeeNU or CCNU, has expired but there is no generic equivalent.

It was developed more than 40 years ago as a chemotherapy treatment for glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor.

The Wall Street Journal story set off angry reactions among readers, a wave of accusations on social media of "corporate greed" and an open letter from an association of Democratic activists in Miami-Dade county demanding that NextSource be investigated for "gouging and anti-competitive practices."

Local politicians on Thursday gave their backing to the so-called People's Progressive Caucus of Miami-Dade, which is organizing a protest Saturday outside NextSource's office in downtown Miami.

"More than anything, we'd like to get NextSource to roll back some of their prices," William Bryant, the group's spokesman, told AFP. "But we'd also like to try to secure commitments from our current and future Congress people to materially address the issue of out-of-control pharmaceutical prices."

The website Canada Drugs lists the same drug, under the name CeeNU, at $35 for a 100mg pill.

In an editorial in the September edition of The Cancer Letter, three oncologists and pharmacologists from the Duke University Health System in Durham, North Carolina denounced NextSource's practice of arbitrary price increases as "unconscionable."

"This tactic of extreme price increases of life-saving medications is both repulsive and disheartening," they said.

"In the process of prescribing standard-of-care treatments for our patients, we pose them with an impossible dilemma: either face financial hardship to take the medication or choose not to receive potentially life-saving therapy."

- Price gouging denied -

NextSource's lawyer, Joseph DeMaria, contended that allegations made against the company and its CEO Robert DiCrisci were defamatory and that they might sue.

"This argument that my client is this greedy company and greedy person who is trying to gouge is a total falsehood," he said.

He said NextSource, which only sells Lomustine, also produces lower priced doses of the substance averaging $400 a pill.

The raw material used to make Lomustine, a "trade secret" DeMaria would not identify, has risen by 30 percent, he said, and the company also must pay the Food and Drug Administration $2 million a year.

DeMaria said NextSource moreover has a program to provide the drug free to people who lack health insurance. The Duke specialists, however, said the program's "stringent criteria" limited its availability to only a small minority of patients.

Lomustine, which acts to interfere with the DNA of the cancer cells, is typically prescribed in doses of 110 mg/m2 every six weeks.

According to the American Brain Tumor Association, some 700,000 people in the United States suffer from a primary brain or spinal cord tumor.

Glioblastoma, in particular, accounts for 14.9 percent of all primary brain tumors.
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Manuel De Jesus Ortega MELENDRES, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated; Jessica Quitugua Rodriguez, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated; David Rodriguez, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated; Velia Meraz, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated; Manuel Nieto, Jr., on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated; Somos America, PlaintiffsAppellees, United States of America, IntervenorPlaintiffAppellee, v. MARICOPA COUNTY, Defendant, v. Gerard A. Sheridan, MovantAppellant. No. 16-16663 Decided: January 04, 2018

Before: J. Clifford Wallace, Susan P. Graber, and Marsha S. Berzon, Circuit Judges. Dennis I. Wilenchik and John D. Wilenchik, Phoenix, Arizona, for MovantAppellant. Stanley Young, Covington & Burling LLP, Redwood Shores, California; Tammy Albarran, Covington & Burling LLP, San Francisco, California; Kathleen E. Brody and Brenda Munoz Furnish, ACLU Foundation of Arizona; Cecilia D. Wang, ACLU Foundation Immigrants' Rights Project, San Francisco, California; Anne Lai, Irvine, California; Julia Gomez, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Los Angeles, California; for PlaintiffsAppellees.

ORDER

Plaintiffs obtained an injunction against Defendant in an action under 42 U.S.C.  1983. Melendres v. Arpaio, 784 F.3d 1254, 1267 (9th Cir. 2015). Sheridan, a now-retired employee of Defendant, appealed from the district court's finding that he committed civil contempt by disobeying the injunction. After Sheridan filed his opening brief, we granted Plaintiffs' motion to dismiss Sheridan's appeal for lack of standing. Plaintiffs now seek attorney's fees under 42 U.S.C.  1988(b) for services performed in connection with the appeal. We grant the award in part.

Plaintiffs are prevailing part[ies] within the meaning of section 1988 in every sense. 42 U.S.C.  1988(b). They succeeded in obtaining an injunction in the district court and succeeded in dismissing Sheridan's appeal from its finding of contempt for violating the injunction. That we dismissed Sheridan's appeal for lack of standing rather than on the merits does not, as Sheridan contends, divest Plaintiffs of prevailing party status. See Sotomura v. Cty. of Hawaii, 679 F.2d 152, 152 (9th Cir. 1982) (order) (holding plaintiffs were prevailing parties, even though they prevailed by obtaining dismissal of the appeal as untimely rather than affirmance on the merits); accord Ford v. Bender, 768 F.3d 15, 31 (1st Cir. 2014) (holding plaintiff was prevailing party, even though plaintiff obtained dismissal of the appeal as moot, because judgment was not moot when issued by the district court); Murphy v. Fort Worth Indep. Sch. Dist., 334 F.3d 470, 471 (5th Cir. 2003) (same); Young v. City of Chicago, 202 F.3d 1000, 100001 (7th Cir. 2000) (same). Our dismissal contemplates no future proceedings involving the merits of the contempt finding that could change the favorable result obtained by Plaintiffs below. Sotomura, 679 F.2d at 153. Plaintiffs are prevailing parties under section 1988.

Sheridan further argues that Kentucky v. Graham, 473 U.S. 159, 105 S.Ct. 3099, 87 L.Ed.2d 114 (1985), stands for the proposition that a non-party may not be liable for a fee award under section 1988. We do not read Graham so broadly. Graham held that a government entity could not be vicariously liable for a fee award when plaintiffs prevailed in a lawsuit against its employees in their personal capacities. Id. at 16768, 105 S.Ct. 3099. After the entity's dismissal on Eleventh Amendment grounds, it was a non-party and did not actively participate in the litigation. Id. at 162, 105 S.Ct. 3099. By contrast, Sheridan disobeyed the injunction entered in the underlying litigation. He actively inserted himself into the litigation by appealing the contempt finding in the hope of clearing his name. We and our sister circuits have held that non-party contemnors may be liable for attorney's fees in other contexts. Portland Feminist Women's Health Ctr. v. Advocates for Life, Inc., 877 F.2d 787, 78990 (9th Cir. 1989) (holding non-party contemnors liable for plaintiffs' attorney's fees incurred in bringing contempt proceeding as a remedial sanction); see also Gen. Ins. Co. of Am. v. E. Consol. Utils., Inc., 126 F.3d 215, 220 (3d Cir. 1997) (affirming award of attorney's fees from non-party contemnor); Waffenschmidt v. MacKay, 763 F.2d 711, 726 (5th Cir. 1985) (affirming award of attorney's fees from non-party contemnors because they aided and abetted the defendants in violating the court's injunction). There is no reason to treat an award of fees under section 1988 any differently. Therefore, we grant Plaintiffs' application for attorney's fees and costs related to Sheridan's dismissal.

Plaintiffs also seek fees for preparing an answering brief that they never filed, having instead prevailed in their motion to dismiss. We may award fees only for work expended in pursuit of the ultimate result achieved. Hensley v. Eckerhart, 461 U.S. 424, 435, 103 S.Ct. 1933, 76 L.Ed.2d 40 (1983) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). Because Plaintiffs did not succeed in opposing Sheridan's appeal on the merits, we award them no fees for preparing the answering brief.

We refer this matter to the Appellate Commissioner to calculate the amount of reasonable attorney's fees and non-taxable costs to award Plaintiffs consistent with this order. Any such award is subject to reconsideration by this panel. See Ninth Cir. R. 39-1.9.

REFERRED TO THE APPELLATE COMMISSIONER
David Letterman (L) -- shown here with Barack Obama in May 2016 -- will interview the former US president for the debut of his new Netflix show

Late night talk show host David Letterman is returning to television next week with an interview of former US president Barack Obama, streaming giant Netflix announced Friday.

Letterman, 70, who officially retired in 2015 after a 22-year run as the host of "Late Show with David Letterman" -- a very American melange of celebrity interviews, monologues and sketches -- had said in August that he would be back in 2018 on Netflix.

The streaming platform teased the new show's January 12 launch in a tweet with a lineup topped by the former US leader: "Obama. Clooney. Malala. Fey. Stern. Jay-Z. #MyNextGuestNeedsNoIntroductionWithDavidLetterman."

Actor George Clooney, Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai, actress Tina Fey, shock jock Howard Stern and rap superstar Jay-Z complete the lineup.

This would be Obama's first televised interview since his departure from the White House a year ago.

He is certain to be asked about Donald Trump, even though the former Democratic president has been extremely reticent about his successor.

The new show will consist of six hour-long episodes built around Letterman's star guests. One will be released per month.

Nearly 14 million people watched Letterman's final show on CBS in May 2015.

Known for his acid wit, the 10-time Emmy winner has made only fleeting appearances on US television since then.
US President Donald Trump is furious about the publication of Michael Wolff's book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House"

Washington's chief diplomat Rex Tillerson found himself obliged to defend President Donald Trump's fitness for office Friday after a bombshell new book called into doubt his mental health.

In an extraordinary portion of a television interview on foreign policy challenges, Tillerson was asked about claims that Trump has a short attention span, regularly repeats himself and refuses to read briefing notes.

"I've never questioned his mental fitness. I've had no reason to question his mental fitness," said Tillerson, whose office was last year forced to deny reports that he had referred to Trump as a "moron" after a national security meeting.

And, even in defending Trump, the former ExxonMobil chief executive admitted he has had to learn how to relay information to a president with a very different decision-making style.

"I have to learn how he takes information in, processes it and makes decisions," Tillerson told CNN. "I'm here to serve his presidency. So I've had to spend a lot of time understanding how to best communicate with him."

But Tillerson emphasized the right decisions had been made and that the United States is in a stronger place internationally thanks to Trump's policies.

- 'Not a typical president' -

"He is not a typical president of the past, I think that's well recognized -- that's also why the American people chose him," he said, insisting that he does not expect to be asked to resign in the coming year.

Tillerson was forced to mount his defense as Washington devoured a new supposed tell-all -- Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" -- rushed into bookstores after the White House failed to suppress it.

The book quickly sold out in shops in the US capital, with some people even lining up at midnight to get their hands on it and others circulating pirated copies. Trump has decried the instant best-seller as "phony" and "full of lies."

National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster is one of several aides quoted in Wolff's book as criticizing Trump's fitness for office

Journalist Wolff, no stranger to controversy, quotes several key Trump aides expressing doubt about Trump's ability to lead the world's largest economy and military hegemon.

"Let me put a marker in the sand here. One hundred percent of the people around him" question Trump's fitness for office, Wolff told NBC's "Today" show.

"They all say he is like a child. And what they mean by that is he has a need for immediate gratification. It's all about him."

The 71-year-old Republican president, approaching the first anniversary of his inauguration, has responded to the book with fury.

- Criticism from aides -

"I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don't exist," Trump tweeted Thursday.

But Wolff countered: "I absolutely spoke to the president. Whether he realized it was an interview or not, I don't know, but it certainly was not off the record."

The book includes extensive quotes from Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist, and its publication sparked a very public break between the former allies.

Trump has said his former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, has "lost his mind"

Bannon is quoted accusing Trump's eldest son Don Jr of "treasonous" contacts with a Kremlin-connected lawyer, and saying the president's daughter Ivanka, who imagines running for president one day, is "dumb as a brick."

But it is Trump himself who is cast in the most unfavorable light.

Late Friday Trump fired another bitter tweet, calling Wolff "a total loser who made up stories in order to sell this really boring and untruthful book."

"He used Sloppy Steve Bannon, who cried when he got fired and begged for his job. Now Sloppy Steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone. Too bad!"

The book claims that for Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, the president was an "idiot." For chief economic advisor Gary Cohn, he was "dumb as shit." And for National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, he was a "dope."

The publication came as it emerged that at least a dozen members of the US Congress were briefed last month by a Yale University professor of psychiatry on Trump's mental health.

"Lawmakers were saying they have been very concerned about this, the president's dangerousness, the dangers that his mental instability poses on the nation," Bandy Lee, a doctor, told CNN.

- 'Minute-by-minute' -

The White House issued a scorched-earth dismissal of "Fire and Fury" along with its author and his sources, with Press Secretary Sarah Sanders calling it "complete fantasy."

First lady Melania Trump's spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, told CNN that it is "a work of fiction. It is a long-form tabloid that peddles false statements and total fabrications."

Behind the scenes, though, Trump has been enraged by the betrayal by Bannon -- a man who engineered the New York real estate mogul's link to the nationalist far right and helped create a pro-Trump media ecosystem.

Sanders suggested that Bannon's employer, Breitbart News, should consider firing him.

Michael Wolff made his name as the media columnist for New York magazine, and has since written for numerous other magazines

He wasn't fired, but Bannon's main financial backer is formally cutting ties with him, The Washington Post reported.

Bannon, who left the White House in August, is also quoted in the book as saying that the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 election -- and possible collusion by the Trump campaign -- will focus on money laundering.

Wolff confidently defended himself against attacks on his credibility, which have included threats from Trump's lawyers of a libel suit.

"My credibility is being questioned by a man who has less credibility than, perhaps, anyone who has ever walked on earth at this point," Wolff said.

"I spoke to people who spoke to the president on a daily, sometimes minute-by-minute basis," he added.

"I am certainly absolutely in every way comfortable with everything I've reported in this book."

bur-dc-wd-mdo/jah
The US has been threatening for months to cut aid to Islamabad over its failure to crack down on militant groups

President Donald Trump's freeze on aid to Pakistan could be worth almost two billion dollars, a senior US administration official said on Friday -- substantially more than first thought.

The move -- designed to force Pakistan's military and intelligence apparatus to cut support for the Taliban and other Islamist groups -- will include both US military assistance and Afghanistan coalition funding to Islamabad.

It is "approximately two billion worth of equipment and coalition support funding that is in play," the senior official said on condition of anonymity.

The source added that "all options are on the table" when it comes to further moves, including stripping Pakistan of its status as a "major non-NATO ally" or calling in vital IMF loans.

After more than a decade of simmering US anger at Islamabad's links with the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network -- a Taliban affiliate -- the Trump administration is trying to draw a line in the sand.

"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," Trump tweeted on New Year's Day.

"They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!"

On the hook is almost $1 billion of US military equipment that has allowed Pakistan access to advanced military technology, but also funding that is meant to pay Pakistan for helping to get US and NATO materiel into Afghanistan.

Analysts believe the United States is highly unlikely to freeze all that funding, which, according to the source, totals $1.9 billion.

US officials have already indicated that there could be "exemptions" for programs deemed vital to US national security -- likely including cash for keeping Pakistan's nuclear weapons safe.

But nevertheless, the total figure of $1.9 billion is much higher than first indicated and is a signal of Washington's seriousness.

"We are still working with Pakistan and we would restore the aid if we see decisive movements against the terrorists who are as much of a threat against Pakistan as they are against us," said Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

- Hackles in Islamabad -

Pakistan has fought fierce campaigns against homegrown Islamist groups, and says it has lost thousands of lives and spent billions of dollars in its long war on extremism.

But US officials accuse Islamabad of ignoring or even collaborating with groups that attack Afghanistan from safe havens along the border between the two countries.

Pakistan has fought fierce campaigns against homegrown Islamist groups, and says it has lost thousands of lives and spent billions of dollars

The White House believes that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency and other military bodies have long helped fund and arm the Taliban for ideological reasons, but also to counter rising Indian influence in Afghanistan.

It also believes that a Pakistani crackdown could be pivotal in deciding the outcome of the war in Afghanistan -- now entering its 17th year -- by weakening the Taliban militarily and forcing the organization to the negotiating table.

"Unless we deal with the Pakistan sanctuary issue, it will undermine all of our other efforts in Afghanistan," the senior official said. "We can no longer accept Pakistan's dual policies of fighting some terrorists while supporting others."

In September last year, the US suspended $255 million in funding to help Pakistan buy high-tech weaponry from American manufacturers.

Now, the Defense Department has been instructed to stop making payments from "coalition support funds" set aside to refund Pakistani spending on counter-terrorist operations.

The rhetoric has raised hackles in Islamabad and fears the row could undermine Pakistan's support for US operations in Afghanistan.

The announcement ignited some small protests in Pakistan on Friday, including in Chaman, one of the two main crossings on the border with Afghanistan where several hundred people gathered to chant anti-US slogans.

"We don't need any type of aid. Almighty Allah is with us and he is giving us everything," protester Mohammad Saleem told AFP, adding that he had a message for President Donald Trump: "Don't threaten us."

But Pakistan's foreign ministry issued a cautious statement in which it said it was "engaged" with US officials and awaiting further details.

Without referring to the decision directly, it warned that "arbitrary deadlines, unilateral pronouncements and shifting goalposts are counterproductive in addressing common threats."

- Afghanistan welcomes move -

US officials admit that Pakistan could make life difficult for Washington by closing land routes that are vital to supply US troops in Afghanistan. This year's fighting season will begin again within months.

But, the official said, it was "difficult but not impossible" to find other ways to get equipment in, and the US was also worried about its credibility if it continues to fund a country harboring America's enemies.

The move, which US officials had hinted at for months, was greeted optimistically in Afghanistan.

"We have been saying for years that neighboring Pakistan is providing safe haven to terrorist groups, and they were also funding the terrorist groups," Nasrat Rahim, deputy interior ministry spokesman, told reporters in Kabul.

On Thursday, the US State Department also tweeted that it has placed deeply conservative Muslim Pakistan on a special watch list for severe violations of religious freedom.

Pakistan, whose religious minorities have long been marginalized and targeted, said it rejects the designation and would seek a clarification from Washington.

burs-arb/ec
Admiral Mike Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, is to retire in the spring after a four-year term leading the powerful US signals intelligence operation

National Security Agency Director Admiral Mike Rogers, the US signals intelligence czar, plans to retire within months after a four-year term scarred by damaging leaks, US intelligence sources confirmed Friday.

Rogers, who has led the NSA and its sister agency, the US Cyber Command, for four years, told staff in an internal letter Friday that he would depart in the spring, with his replacement to be nominated by President Donald Trump this month.

Named to the position in April 2014 by President Barack Obama, Rogers, 58, has almost completed one year under Trump, who has repeatedly delivered withering criticism of the US intelligence community.

Rogers was one of the four US security chiefs who presented a damning report to Trump on January 6, 2017 saying that Russians had interfered in the 2016 presidential election to boost his candidacy.

Trump has ever since refused to concede that conclusion, and Rogers is the only official who attended the meeting who kept his job through Trump's first year.

Besides keeping up US electronic spying, he has also spearheaded the country's ability to conduct offensive cyber operations, via the Cyber Command, a Pentagon unit.

And he has struggled to deal with the leak of ultra-secret NSA hacking tools, some of which are believed to have fallen into the hands of Russians.

Two former NSA hackers have agreed to plead guilty in recent months to charges of removing classified NSA materials to their homes, but neither has been accused of deliberate leaks.

According to a Washington Post report earlier this week, the NSA's 21,000-strong staff is facing a rapid turnover due to unhappiness with a Rogers-led reorganization and poor pay compared to the private sector.
ROME (AP) - Italy's Jewish community is asking that the government remove from schools, libraries and other public buildings the name of King Victor Emanuel III, who approved Italy's racial laws and reigned during Italy's fascist regime.

The request follows dismay by some in Italy's Jewish community over the return to Italy of the king's remains last month, 71 years after Italians rejected the monarchy and the royals went into exile.

Community leader Noemi Di Segni wrote Culture Minister Dario Franceschini asking that he change the names of schools and libraries bearing the name of the king who "abandoned Italians to their destiny." In the message Wednesday on the Jewish community's blog, she complained about a campaign by the House of Savoy to rehabilitate the king's image by bringing his remains back.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan is returning to Washington eight weeks after having triple bypass surgery.

The 53-year-old Democrat said Wednesday that he's lost 15 pounds since the pre-emptive surgery. The congressman underwent the surgery in Madison after tests revealed he had severe blockage in three arteries. Pocan plans to fly back to Washington next week.

He says he began jogging on Wednesday as part of his rehabilitation program and feels "really good." He initially went in for heart tests after feeling ill following a workout last fall.

Pocan is in his third term representing the southern Wisconsin district that includes Madison.
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Three cars on an Amtrak train carrying more than 300 passengers on a route from Miami to New York derailed in snow-covered Savannah after a fierce winter storm, but no injuries were reported.

Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams said Silver Meteor train 98 was backing slowly into the Savannah station about 10 p.m. Wednesday - hours after the storm clobbered the Southeast coast - when two sleeper cars and a baggage car derailed.

"All three cars - a baggage car and two sleeper cars - are fully upright," Abrams said in an email statement early Thursday to The Associated Press.

In this image made from video an Amtrak passenger train sits derailed in the snow, Wednesday, Jan. 3, in Savannah, Georgia. An Amtrak spokesman has said three cars on a passenger train have derailed in Savannah, Georgia, but there were no injuries reported among the crew and 311 passengers aboard. (WTOC via AP)

He said there were 311 passengers on board, in addition to crew, but he had no reports of anyone hurt.

Abrams' statement said the main train was to continue its journey north though some of the sleeping car passengers had to be put aboard a different train.

He didn't say what caused the derailment, and the statement also gave no immediate indication whether the storm that coated Savannah with a rare snowfall on Wednesday was a factor.

The National Weather Service said Savannah's first measurable snowfall since February 2010 was recorded Wednesday in the normally balmy Southern City at 1.2 inches (3 centimeters). It was the first snow in Savannah that exceeded an inch (2.5 centimeters) in 28 years. The fast-intensifying storm on Thursday had moved further up the East Coast.

News footage from the site showed police and other emergency vehicles with flashing lights crunching over snow and ice and converging near tracks where the derailment occurred.

Passenger Joel Potischman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he boarded the train early in the day in Delray Beach, Fla., to head home to Brooklyn, New York. He said the train was en route north amid winter scenes of snow and ice.

Another passenger, Mike Zevon, told the newspaper that it was the last three cars that derailed.

Abrams' statement didn't elaborate on how many cars were in the formation and conditions with the weather or the tracks at the time.
WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) - Four Massachusetts residents have been charged with keeping a 16-year-old girl in a basement that a police officer described as a "torture chamber."

Police say the teenager was sexually assaulted, had her hair shaved off and was burned with a cigarette.

The suspects are charged with kidnapping and other offenses. They appeared in a hearing Wednesday to determine whether they can be held without bail.

Prosecutors say the suspects held the girl in an Auburn home because they thought she knew who was responsible for a Dec. 27 home invasion. Prosecutors say she was duct-taped to a chair and had a machete held against her throat.

Defendant Krystal Lugo was held without bail. Her attorney said she was not a danger. The hearings for three male defendants will continue until Friday.
PRAGUE (AP) - Russia and four other former Soviet republics have protested a plan to attach an explanatory text about the role of Soviet World War II commander Ivan Konev in history to his monument in Prague.

Marshall Konev led the Red Army forces that liberated large parts of Czechoslovakia from the Nazi occupation in 1945. His monument was unveiled in the Prague 6 district in 1980.

Yet Konev remains a controversial figure for his role in crushing the 1956 anti-Soviet uprising in Hungary and preparing the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia.

A young girl walks past a monument of Soviet World War II commander Ivan Konev in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. Russia and four other post-Soviet republics have protested a plan to attach an explanatory text of the role of Konev in history to his monument in Prague. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

The ambassadors of Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus and Kazakhstan say the plan is "an attempt to rewrite history."

The Czech Foreign Ministry says Thursday it's preparing an answer.

Prague 6 Mayor Ondrej Kolar said he wanted to present facts, not distort history.

A woman pushes a baby carriage past a monument of Soviet World War II commander Ivan Konev in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. Russia and four other post-Soviet republics have protested a plan to attach an explanatory text of the role of Konev in history to his monument in Prague. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on former White House adviser Steve Bannon's break with President Donald Trump (all times local):

11:05 p.m.

President Donald Trump says an explosive new book about the first year of his presidency is full of "lies, misrepresentations and sources that don't exist."

FILE - In this Nov. 9, 2017, file photo, Steve Bannon, speaks during an event in Manchester, N.H. President Donald Trump is blasting his former chief strategist ahead of the release of a new, unflattering book. Trump says in the statement that when Bannon was fired, "he not only lost his job, he lost his mind. " A new book by writer Michael Wolff offers a series of explosive revelations, including that Trump never expected to win the 2016 race.(AP Photo/Mary Schwalm, File)

Trump is on Twitter the night before the release of "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" by Michael Wolff.

Trump is not naming Wolff, but says he "authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times)." Trump says he never spoke to the author.

Trump adds, "Look at this guy's past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!" That appears to be a reference to former White House strategist Steve Bannon, whom the book depicts as questioning Trump's competence and describing a June 2016 meeting between Donald Trump Jr., Trump campaign aides and a Russian lawyer as "treasonous."

__

6:15 p.m.

Steve Bannon's financial backer is distancing herself from the populist flamethrower.

Conservative donor Rebekah Mercer says in a rare statement that she and her family have not communicated with Bannon "in many months" and "have provided no financial support to his political agenda, nor do we support his recent actions and statements."

She also says she supports President Donald Trump and the platform upon which he ran.

The statement is the latest fallout from an unflattering new book that extensively quotes Bannon making disparaging comments about Trump's family.

Trump responded Wednesday with a seething statement that accused Bannon of having "lost his mind."

Bannon was Trump's campaign chairman and served as his chief White House strategist. He currently serves as chairman of Breitbart News.

__

5:50 p.m.

The acrimony surrounding former White House adviser Steve Bannon's very public break with President Donald Trump is escalating, suggesting a permanent split between the president and the pugilistic strategist who helped put him in the Oval Office.

The new fissure in an already fractious Republican Party is casting doubt on Bannon's hopes to foment a movement centered on "Trumpism without Trump."

White House officials describe the president as furious at Bannon's criticisms, laid out in an explosive new book that quoted the former aide questioning Trump's competence and describing a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between Donald Trump Jr., Trump campaign aides and a Russian lawyer as "treasonous" and "unpatriotic."
United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit. CAPELLA SALES & SERVICES LTD., PlaintiffAppellant v. UNITED STATES, ALUMINUM EXTRUSIONS FAIR TRADE COMMITTEE, DefendantsAppellees 2016-2649 Decided: January 04, 2018

Before Lourie, OMalley, and Chen, Circuit Judges. Irene Hueimin Chen, Chen Law Group LLC, Rockville, MD, argued for plaintiff-appellant. Aimee Lee, International Trade Field Office, Appellate Section, International Trade Litigation, United States Department of Justice, New York, NY, argued for defendant-appellee United States. Also represented by Chad A. Readler, Jeanne E. Davidson, Reginald T. Blades, Jr.; James Henry Ahrens, II, Office of the Chief Counsel for Trade Enforcement & Compliance, United States Department of Commerce, Washington, DC. Alan H. Price, Wiley Rein, LLP, Washington, DC, for defendant-appellee Aluminum Extrusions Fair Trade Committee. Also represented by Robert E. DeFrancesco, Iii, Laura ElSabaawi, Derick Holt.

Capella Sales & Services Ltd. (Capella) appeals from the decisions of the United States Court of International Trade (the Trade Court), dismissing Capellas two separate complaints under USCIT Rule 12(b)(6). Capella Sales & Servs. Ltd. v. United States, 180 F.Supp.3d 1293, 130304 (Ct. Intl Trade 2016) (Decision I); Capella Sales & Servs. Ltd. v. United States, 181 F.Supp.3d 1255, 126364 (Ct. Intl Trade 2016) (Decision II). Because the Trade Court did not err in dismissing Capellas complaints, we affirm.

Background

The United States Department of Commerce (Commerce or the Secretary) has authority, in certain situations, to impose countervailing duties (CVDs) on imported goods if it determines that the government of a country  is providing, directly or indirectly, a countervailable subsidy with respect to an imported good. 19 U.S.C.  1671(a)(1) (2012). Capella challenges here the assessed CVD rate of 374.15% on four entries of aluminum extrusions that Capella imported into the United States from the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), arguing that it is entitled to a lower rate obtained by several other importers after they successfully challenged the 374.15% rate at the Trade Court in a separate case.

In determining whether and at what rates to assess CVDs, Commerce may initiate an investigation. Id.  1671a(a). Within a fixed time period following initiation of an investigation, Commerce shall make a final determination of whether or not a countervailable subsidy is being provided with respect to the subject merchandise. Id.  1671d(a)(1). If Commerce identifies such a countervailable subsidy, then it shall determine either an estimated individual [CVD] rate for each exporter and producer individually investigated, or, if permitted by  1671d(c)(5), an estimated all-others rate for all exporters and producers not individually investigated. Id.  1671d(c)(1)(B)(i). If Commerce calculates an all-others rate, Commerce must then order the posting of a cash deposit, bond, or other security  for each entry of the subject merchandise at that rate. Id.  1671d(c)(1)(B)(ii). This rate is referred to as the cash deposit rate.

After the posting of the cash deposit or bond at the cash deposit rate, entries are liquidated, subject to certain limitations. See 19 U.S.C.  1504. Liquidation is the final computation or ascertainment of duties on entries. 19 C.F.R.  159.1 (2017). The general rule is that entries of merchandise  covered by a determination of the Secretary  shall be liquidated in accordance with the determination of the Secretary. 19 U.S.C.  1516a(c)(1).

However, the statute contemplates several situations in which subject entries might not be liquidated at the cash deposit rate calculated in the final determination. First, if an affected party challenges a final determination by Commerce covering its entries in court, and the court enjoins liquidation of the entries at Commerces determined rate, then those entries are instead liquidated in accordance with the final court decision in the action, which could result in a revised cash deposit rate. Id.  1516a(e). Second, subject entries not enjoined by the court must still be liquidated according to the final court decision if the entries are made after the date of publication in the Federal Register  of a notice of the court decision. Id.  1516a(e)(1). Such a notice is called a Timken notice, referring to Timken Co. v. United States, 893 F.2d 337, 341 (Fed. Cir. 1990). Commerce may also initiate administrative review of entries if a request for such review has been received, 19 U.S.C.  1675(a)(1), and then calculate a new rate that forms the basis for the assessment of [CVDs]  and for deposits of estimated duties, id.  1675(a)(2)(C).

Commerce initiated a CVD investigation of imports of certain aluminum extrusions from the PRC in 2010. As a result of the investigation, Commerce published a final determination setting the all-others rate on entries of aluminum extrusions from the PRC at 374.15%, see Aluminum Extrusions from the [PRC]: Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination, 76 Fed. Reg. 18,521, 18,522 (Apr. 4, 2011) (the final determination), and issued a CVD order on May 26, 2011, directing United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to assess CVDs on subject merchandise as calculated in the final determination, see Aluminum Extrusions from the [PRC]: Countervailing Duty Order, 76 Fed. Reg. 30,653, 30,655 (May 26, 2011). Capella imported its four entries of subject aluminum extrusions from the PRC between November 2011 and June 2012.

Meanwhile, several other aluminum importers challenged Commerces final determination at the Trade Court, resulting in the MacLeanFogg litigation. The MacLeanFogg litigation resulted in court decisions holding the 374.15% all-others rate unlawful, MacLeanFogg Co. v. United States, 853 F.Supp.2d 1336, 134243 (Ct. Intl Trade 2012), and affirming a lower rate determined by Commerce, MacLeanFogg Co. v. United States, 885 F.Supp.2d 1337, 134243 (Ct. Intl Trade 2012). Commerce published a Timken notice, effective December 10, 2012, notifying the public that the latter MacLeanFogg decision was not in harmony with Commerces final determination. Aluminum Extrusions from the [PRC]: Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony With Final Determination, 77 Fed. Reg. 74,466, 74,46667 (Dec. 14, 2012) (the Timken notice). Ultimately, the MacLeanFogg litigation resulted in an all-others rate of 7.37% on entries of aluminum extrusions from the PRC. Aluminum Extrusions from the [PRC]: Amended Final Countervailing Duty Determination, 80 Fed. Reg. 69,640, 69,641 (Nov. 10, 2015).

Certain parties requested, and Commerce initiated, administrative review of 2011 and 2012 entries subject to Commerces final determination in July 2012 and June 2013, respectively. Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, 77 Fed. Reg. 40,56502, 40,567 (July 10, 2012); Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, 78 Fed. Reg. 38,92401, 38,925 (June 28, 2013). Capella never sought administrative review of its entries. Consequently, under 19 C.F.R.  351.212(c) (2011), Capellas four entries were subject to automatic liquidation at the 374.15% cash deposit rate in effect at the time of the entries.

When CBP required Capella to pay cash deposits at the all-others CVD rate, Capella refused. Capella instead filed two complaints at the Trade Court challenging Commerces instructions regarding the rate applicable to Capellas entries. Both complaints asserted that Commerce cannot lawfully apply the 374.15% rate to Capellas four entries because of the disparity between the 374.15% rate from Commerces final determination and the ultimate 7.37% rate resulting from the MacLeanFogg litigation.

The Trade Court dismissed both complaints under USCIT Rule 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The Trade Court determined that Congress, in  1516a(c)(1) and  1516a(e), spoke clearly on the issue of what CVD rate applies to pre-Timken notice entries when liquidation is not enjoined by court decision or the subject of administrative review: the rate Commerce established in its final determination. Decision II, 181 F.Supp.3d at 126364; Decision I, 180 F.Supp.3d at 130304. Because there was no dispute that Capellas entries were made before the Timken notice and that Capella did not participate in the MacLeanFogg litigation or request administrative review of its entries, Capella could not claim the benefit of the lower all-others rate awarded to the MacLeanFogg litigants.

Capella appealed both dismissals, and we have jurisdiction over the consolidated appeal under 28 U.S.C.  1295(a)(5).

Discussion

We review de novo the Trade Courts dismissal of a complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. United States v. Ford Motor Co., 497 F.3d 1331, 1336 (Fed. Cir. 2007). We accept all well-pleaded factual allegations as true and draw all reasonable inferences in favor of Capella. Perez v. United States, 156 F.3d 1366, 1370 (Fed. Cir. 1998).

In reviewing the validity of an agencys interpretation of a statute that it is charged with administering, we must first carefully investigate the matter to determine whether Congresss purpose and intent on the question at issue is judicially ascertainable. Timex V.I., Inc. v. United States, 157 F.3d 879, 881 (Fed. Cir. 1998); see also Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Nat. Res. Def. Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837, 84243 & n.9, 104 S.Ct. 2778, 81 L.Ed.2d 694 (1984). We do so by employing the traditional tools of statutory construction; we examine the statutes text, structure, and legislative history, and apply the relevant canons of interpretation. See Timex, 157 F.3d at 882. If we ascertain[ ] that Congress had an intention on the precise question at issue, that intention is the law and must be given effect, Chevron, 467 U.S. at 843 n.9, 104 S.Ct. 2778, and the only issue is whether the agency acted in accordance with that intent, see id. at 842, 104 S.Ct. 2778; Timex, 157 F.3d at 882. If, however, we conclude that Congress either had no intent on the matter, or that Congresss purpose and intent are unclear, we defer to the agencys interpretation of the statute if it falls within the range of permissible construction. See Chevron, 467 U.S. at 843, 104 S.Ct. 2778; LTV Steel Co. v. United States, 174 F.3d 1359, 1363 (Fed. Cir. 1999).

Capella argues that the term entries in 19 U.S.C.  1516a(c)(1) is ambiguous because it could refer to all or only some entries. Furthermore, Capella contends that Commerces application of 19 C.F.R.  351.212(c), which requires Commerce to apply the CVD rate in effect at the time of entry, is unreasonable in this case because of the large disparity between the 374.15% all-others rate determined by Commerce and the 7.37% all-others rate that ultimately resulted from the MacLeanFogg litigation. Given the large disparity here and the purportedly punitive nature of the 374.15% rate, Capella argues that Commerce must apply the 7.37% MacLeanFogg rate retroactively to Capellas entries.

The government responds that the statute is unambiguous. According to the government, the statute specifies when Commerces determined rate does and does not apply. Even if the statute were ambiguous, the government argues that Commerce reasonably interpreted the statute in promulgating and applying 19 C.F.R.  351.212(c), which directs Commerce to apply the rate in effect at the time of entry to Capellas entries.

We agree with the government that  1516a(c)(1) is unambiguous and covers Capellas entries. The statute provides that, [u]nless such liquidation is enjoined by the court, entries  shall be liquidated in accordance with the determination of the Secretary if entered on or before the date of the Timken notice. 19 U.S.C.  1516a(c)(1). Capella correctly observes that, together,  1516a(c)(1) and  1516a(e) address three categories of entries: (1) entries made on or before the Timken notice, where liquidation was enjoined by court decision; (2) entries made after the Timken notice; and (3) entries made on or before the Timken notice, where liquidation was not enjoined by court decision. Entries in the first two categories shall be liquidated in accordance with the final court decision. Id.  1516a(e). The third category of entries shall be liquidated in accordance with the determination of the Secretary. Id.  1516a(c)(1). There is no dispute that Capellas entries fall in the third category: they were not enjoined by the Trade Court in an action brought under  1516a, and they were entered before the effective date of the Timken notice published in December 2012.

Capellas sole textual argument is that the term entries in  1516a(c)(1) is ambiguous because it is not modified by the word all. In effect, Capella asks us to hold that entries in the third category only occasionally shall be liquidated in accordance with the determination of the Secretary. Id. Capella cites no case holding that absence of the word all demands such a porous reading of the statute. We decline to further subcategorize  1516a(c)(1) based on the particular facts of this case. Consequently, consistent with the statutory scheme, we conclude that Capellas pre-Timken notice entries not enjoined by court order under  1516a(c)(2) may properly be liquidated as entered in accordance with the Secretarys final determination. See Shinyei Corp. of Am. v. United States, 355 F.3d 1297, 130708 (Fed. Cir. 2004); see also 19 C.F.R.  351.212(c).

Aside from its textual argument, Capella also contends that the term entries is ambiguous because of the legislative history and purpose of the statute. Capella points to a portion of the Senate Report indicating that the rate in effect at the time of entry would only apply in the usual case where litigation is proceeding against a final determination. S. Rep. No. 96249, at 248 (1979), reprinted in 1979 U.S.C.C.A.N. 381, 634. Capella also refers to background history supposedly indicating that Congress did not contemplate punitive rates as high as 374.15% when it enacted  1516a(c) in 1979, because Commerce only began to assess such rates more recently. Appellants Br. 4041. Rather, Capella argues that Congress only intended CVD rates to serve remedial purposes. Id. at 38.

We disfavor such use of legislative history and other extrinsic factors to create, rather than solve, an ambiguity in otherwise clear statutory text. See Chamber of Commerce v. Whiting, 563 U.S. 582, 599, 131 S.Ct. 1968, 179 L.Ed.2d 1031 (2011) (citing United States v. Shreveport Grain & Elevator Co., 287 U.S. 77, 83, 53 S.Ct. 42, 77 L.Ed. 175 (1932)). Congress knew how to except entries from the cash deposit rate calculated in Commerces final determination, and did so for entries enjoined by a court decision, 19 U.S.C.  1516a(e), and entries following a Timken notice, id.  1516a(c)(1). Congress also provided for administrative review of entries if such review is requested. See id.  1675(a)(1). In contrast, Congress did not engage in the line-drawing exercise that would be demanded by Capellas excessive disparity approach, i.e., setting some threshold difference between the cash deposit rate and the rate eventually determined by a possible future court decision above which Commerce must apply the latter rate retroactively even to pre-Timken notice entries. As Congress knew how to create exceptions to assessing CVDs according to Commerces final determination, and explicitly did so when it wished to, we decline to create further non-statutory exceptions based on the extrinsic factors cited by Capella. See Cook v. Principi, 318 F.3d 1334, 1339 (Fed. Cir. 2002). That is not a proper role for an appellate court.

In any event, the legislative history is consistent with the plain meaning of the statute, and does not require this court to create a non-statutory exception to  1516a(c)(1). The Senate Report cited by Capella states that, [p]ursuant to subsections (c)(1) and (e), in the usual case, liquidation would proceed in accordance with the decision under challenge while the litigation is proceeding. S. Rep. No. 96249, at 248 (1979), reprinted in 1979 U.S.C.C.A.N. 381, 634 (emphasis added). The Senate Report juxtaposes the usual case with extraordinary circumstances, such as where the [Trade Court], pursuant to [ 1516a(c)(2) ], could order the suspension of liquidation while the litigation proceeds. Id. (emphasis added). Capella reads too much into the term usual. The Senate Report merely adds descriptive terms of usual to the situations in  1516a(c)(1), (e) and extraordinary to the situation described in  1516a(c)(2). It provides no basis for us to go beyond the text of the statute.

Thus, an ordinary reading of the statute indicates that only in certain specified cases may Commerce apply a rate different from its final determination rate. Interpreting the statute consistently with the legislative history does not permit, much less require, us to devise a non-statutory exception to  1516a(c)(1).

Finally, even assuming that  1516a(c)(1) were ambiguous, we agree with the government that, under Chevron, Commerce reasonably interpreted the statute in 19 C.F.R.  351.212(c). Chevron requires us to defer to the agencys interpretation of the statute if it falls within the range of permissible construction. See Chevron, 467 U.S. at 843, 104 S.Ct. 2778; LTV Steel, 174 F.3d at 1363. Section 351.212(c)(1)(i) directs Commerce to instruct the Customs Service to  [a]ssess antidumping duties or [CVDs]  at rates equal to the [cash deposit rate] required on that merchandise at the time of entry if the Secretary does not receive a timely request for an administrative review. Commerce sensibly assesses CVDs on non-reviewed entries in accordance with the final determination in effect at the time of entry. See Shinyei, 355 F.3d at 1307; see also Asociacion Colombiana de Exportadores de Flores v. United States, 916 F.2d 1571, 1577 (Fed. Cir. 1990) (We do not question the authority of [Commerce], pursuant to its regulation, to liquidate entries  at the rate set in the original antidumping duty order when there has been no challenge to the validity of that order and no request for annual review.). This is consistent with the limited time CBP has to liquidate entries, see 19 U.S.C.  1504(d), provides certainty to both Commerce and affected parties of the applicable rate for non-reviewed entries, and encourages affected parties to exercise the statutory avenues for challenging Commerces determined rate. Thus, even assuming that  1516a(c)(1) were ambiguous, we would hold that Commerce reasonably interpreted this section under Chevron in light of these considerations.

In sum, we agree with the Trade Court that Capella has not alleged sufficient facts to state a claim on which relief can be granted.

Conclusion

For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the judgment of the Trade Court dismissing Capellas complaints.

AFFIRMED

Lourie, Circuit Judge.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) - A civil court in El Salvador has found the private secretary of former President Tony Saca guilty of illegal enrichment and ordered him to return $17.8 million to the government.

The case against Elmer Charlaix developed after a government investigation found that his time in government corresponded with an inexplicable rise in his financial resources. Saca served as president from 2004 to 2009.

Thursday's decision also banned Charlaix from holding any public position for 10 years. The court ordered his wife to return more than $170,000.

Charlaix, Saca and other former officials are also being prosecuted separately for diverting some $246 million in public funds.

In November, former President Mauricio Funes was convicted of the same charge. Funes held office from 2009 to 2014 and is in exile in Nicaragua.
TUPELO, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi state flag with the Confederate battle emblem began flying this week outside a police building in a predominantly black neighborhood.

The Tupelo police headquarters, which opened in the neighborhood in December 2016, has three flagpoles outside. One flies the American flag. One flies a city flag. From the time the building opened, the other pole flew a state bicentennial banner, which does not include the Confederate symbol that critics see as racist.

The city had ordered that all municipal offices fly the bicentennial banner from late 2016 until Dec. 10, 2017, the 200th anniversary of Mississippi becoming the 20th state in the Union. News outlets report that the state flag replaced the bicentennial banner outside the police department this week.

The two black members of Tupelo City Council, Nettie Davis and Willie Jennings, oppose the state flag. They told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal they are disappointed about not receiving advance notice that it would be flown.

"I want us to be a city for all people, not just any one color," Jennings said. "We need to find a better way of working together."

The city's chief operations officer, Don Lewis, said he suggested to the mayor that the city wait until after Christmas and New Year's to start flying the state flag because he knew some residents would be unhappy to see it.

"We just wanted the holiday season to be peaceful and calm," Lewis said.

Several Mississippi cities and counties and all eight of the state's public universities have stopped flying the state flag because critics say the Confederate symbol does not properly represent a state with a 38 percent black population. Many have removed the flag since the June 2015 slayings of nine black worshippers at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, by a white man who had posed for photos with the rebel flag.

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Information from: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, http://djournal.com
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A politically prominent Florida eye doctor asked a judge for mercy Thursday as prosecutors pushed for a 30-year sentence on his conviction for Medicare fraud.

But Dr. Salomon Melgen never directly apologized or accepted responsibility during his one-minute statement to U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra. The Harvard-trained doctor would only admit he "made mistakes" while saying he always tried to help his patients, even those other doctors had given up on.

The 63-year-old Dominican native conceded he "lost my way" in his personal life, possibly alluding to the mistresses he had taken. He also faces a possible retrial in New Jersey on separate charges that he bribed Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez.

FILE - In this April 28, 2017 file photo, Dr. Salomon Melgen arrives at the federal courthouse in West Palm Beach, Fla. The politically prominent Florida eye doctor could get 30 years in prison or more for stealing $100 million in one of history's largest Medicare frauds. A sentencing hearing for Dr. Melgen resumes Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018, after a four-week hiatus. (Lannis Water/Palm Beach Post via AP, File)

Melgen was convicted in April on 67 counts of Medicare fraud that prosecutors say exceeded $100 million. They want a 30-year sentence, although Marra could give Melgen a life term. Melgen's attorneys asked Marra for a short but unspecified sentence, saying he is in poor health. At his age, they say, a sentence of any significant length would likely be a life sentence, which they don't think he deserves. They have argued that prosecutors only proved he stole $64,000.

Wearing blue jail overalls over a gray sweat shirt, his legs shackled, Melgen shuffled to the courtroom podium to make his first comments about the case. Reading his statement in a clear but halting voice, he said he he hoped the judge would "see the full picture of who I am" and believe the dozens of patients who spoke in court or wrote on his behalf.

"I know I made mistakes but it was always my intent to help my patients," he told Marra. "I was trained to not give up and do everything I could to help." He then asked the judge for mercy. Marra will impose a sentence later.

During final arguments in the five-day hearing spread over five weeks, Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Stefin told Marra a long sentence is justified because Melgen performed painful but unnecessary tests and treatments on frail and elderly patients, in many cases for diseases they didn't have, including injections into the eye.

"He did this to rake in millions and millions of dollars from the Medicare program that he was not entitled to," Stefin said. He said Melgen did it to support a "rich and famous" lifestyle that included a 6,500-square-foot (605-square-meter) beachfront home in Palm Beach County, a vacation home in the Dominican Republic and a private jet.

"This was a truly horrendous and horrible crime and an abuse of his trust as a medical doctor," Stefin said.

But defense attorney Matthew Menchel painted a different picture, saying Melgen was an aggressive doctor who restored sight to patients other doctors had given up on, enabling them to drive, read and see their grandchildren. He said Melgen treated many needy patients for free, both in Florida and the Dominican Republic, and would even give them money.

"The government has tried to portray Dr. Melgen as some kind of monster driven only by greed. That is simply untrue," he said. He pointed to one patient who after testifying during the trial walked over to Melgen and hugged him.

Melgen has been in custody since his conviction. Separately, in November, a federal jury was hung after a 2 -month trial where prosecutors tried to prove Melgen's gifts to Menendez were actually bribes. In return, they say, Menendez interceded with Medicare officials investigating his practice, obtained visas for Melgen's foreign mistresses and pressured the State Department to intervene in a business dispute he had with the Dominican government.

Menendez and Melgen have denied wrongdoing, saying the European and Dominican vacations and other gifts were tokens of their longtime friendship. Prosecutors haven't said whether they will retry the bribery case.

Prosecutors said Melgen was the nation's highest-paid Medicare provider for five straight years.

Melgen became politically active in 1997, after treating Florida Democratic Gov. Lawton Chiles, who appointed him to a state board.

He was soon hosting Democratic fundraisers, and eventually became friends with Menendez. Melgen paid for trips he and the senator took to France and to the doctor's home at a Dominican resort. Menendez reimbursed Melgen $58,500 after the trips became public knowledge.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Marijuana-related stocks plummeted, cannabis boosters worried about the industry's future and defiant growers and sellers vowed to keep operating after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions signaled a tougher approach Thursday to federal pot enforcement.

The plunging stock prices reversed a weekslong rally driven by optimism for legal recreational sales that started Monday in California. Several marijuana stocks saw double-digit losses in the hours after Sessions' announcement, including the largest pot-producing company that is publicly traded.

Canopy Growth, a Canada-based company with the ticker symbol WEED, lost $3.58 a share, or 10 percent, to close at $32.32 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Customers line up inside the Harborside cannabis dispensary Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has rescinded an Obama-era policy that paved the way for legalized marijuana to flourish in states across the country, creating new confusion about enforcement and use just three days after a new legalization law went into effect in California. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

Shares of garden-supply company Scotts Miracle-Gro also skidded Thursday, following a steady rise last year after it added fertilizer, lights and other products to serve marijuana growers. The company's share price fell by as much as 7 percent before closing down 2.3 percent, or $2.49, to $106.17 on the New York Stock Exchange.

"Jeff Sessions' decision to rescind the Cole memoranda puts the marijuana industry and marijuana legalization efforts in a precarious position," said Aaron Herzberg, a California lawyer and founder of the cannabis investment company CalCann Holding, referring to an Obama-era memo that limited U.S. crackdowns on pot in states where it's legal.

Brent Kenyon, a consultant who helps advise and establish recreational marijuana businesses in Oregon, said his phone had been ringing all Thursday with calls from worried clients. Investors, including some who are involved in his businesses, are spooked, he said.

"I'm just telling people to hold off. We need more information, we need to see what the president is going to say about this," he said by phone from a cannabis conference in Hawaii.

Andy Williams, CEO of the Medicine Man Denver dispensary, is taking a wait-and-see approach to the new policy but pointed out the economic impact of legal pot.

"This industry around the United States has attracted a lot of investment. Billions of dollars in investment," he said. "Just talking about what Sessions wants to do today has dropped the market."

Steve DeAngelo, owner of California's largest marijuana retailer, said it will be "business as usual" at his Harborside dispensary in Oakland.

"I think the main impact of this is really going to be on investors, more than anything else," he said. "Some investors might get a bit nervous about putting more money into the cannabis industry until the situation resolves itself."

Another of California's largest marijuana operators said it also plans no changes in response to Sessions' announcement.

"For this industry and for this community, we are really based on resilience, going against the tide. This is no different," said Michael Steinmetz, CEO of Flow Kana, which distributes cannabis products from small, outdoor farmers. "From my perspective, things don't change."

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Associated Press writers Terence Chea in Oakland, Gillian Flaccus in Portland, Oregon, and P. Solomon Banda in Denver contributed to this report.

Harborside CEO Steve DeAngelo talks with a reporter at the cannabis dispensary Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has rescinded an Obama-era policy that paved the way for legalized marijuana to flourish in states across the country, creating new confusion about enforcement and use just three days after a new legalization law went into effect in California. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

Andy Williams, founder and CEO of Medicine Man Denver poses for a photo in Denver on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. Colorado's top federal prosecutor said his office won't alter its approach to enforcing marijuana crimes after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions withdrew a policy Thursday that allowed pot markets to emerge in states that legalized the drug. Colorado was the first state in the nation to sell recreational pot legally after voters in 2012 approved it. The state has also has a longstanding medical marijuana industry and the Colorado pot market tops $1 billion. (AP Photo/P. Solomon Banda)
John Edward Taylor, 48, who posed along the East Coast as a billionaire oil tycoon to scam women on internet dating sites out of hundreds of thousands of dollars is sentenced to nearly four years in prison

A man who posed along the East Coast as a billionaire oil tycoon to scam women on internet dating sites out of hundreds of thousands of dollars was sentenced to nearly four years in prison on Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain described John Edward Taylor, 48, as sick and dangerous as she ordered him to serve three years and 10 months in prison in addition to the 14 months he served after a related Virginia conviction.

The judge said 16 of Taylor's 24 victims from New York to Atlanta lost from several hundred dollars to more than $50,000 after encountering his 'quest for money, respect, admiration and control.'

She said some victims, who lost a total of more than $360,000, were left financially ruined while others had credit ratings ruined or were left suffering from fear, depression, anxiety and concern for their personal safety.

John Edward Taylor isn't the only name he goes by, he has several other aliases including Jay Taylor and Josie Reeser.

When he was under the alias Jay Taylor he appeared on the Today show with Patti Stanger, The Millionaire Matchmaker host on Bravo (pictured here)

When he was under the alias Jay Taylor he appeared on the Today show in 2014 with Patti Stanger, The Millionaire Matchmaker host on Bravo.

He sat in a panel with five other people to discuss relationships as they were all on the dating site Plenty Of Fish.

He was also the founder of the dating website Two For Breakfast - he said it took off in Washington in 2015, claiming he had 500 members on the site at the time.

He appeared on WJLA in 2015 to talk about his business and the website.

His elaborate five-year scam ended after a married couple, who met Taylor at a Philadelphia Phillies game they attended with their children on April 25, 2015, reported him to the FBI.

The father, identified in court only as D.S., was among six victims who spoke at the sentencing as Taylor drooped his head at the defense table.

He sat with five other individuals to discuss dating and relationships as they were all on the dating site Plenty Of Fish (circled in this picture)

The father said Taylor boasted he was a billionaire oil tycoon as he led the family, including a child with special needs, onto a special elevator and down to first-row seats, where everyone from ushers to spectators gushed what a good guy Taylor was.

Only later, the father said, did the family learn Taylor 'was a fraud, a fake and a phony.'

The father said his family, which lost a few hundred dollars, was duped by 'a very, very charismatic man.'

'It's easy to fall under his spell,' the father said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Rebold requested a meaningful prison sentence, saying Taylor had more than 10 past contacts with the criminal justice system.

Rebold said Taylor from 2009 to 2016 boasted he was a billionaire businessman with oil and land interests in North Dakota to victims on online matchmaking and networking websites such as Match.com, eHarmony, Craigslist and Seeking Arrangement.

He was also the founder of the dating website Two For Breakfast - he said it started in Washington in the summer of 2015 claiming he had 500 members on the site at the time. He's pictured here talking to WJLA about it

Taylor, who was going by Jay Taylor at the time, appeared on WJLA to talk about his business and the website

Sometimes, Taylor expressed interest in hiring the victims to work on a new business venture while others got a pitch for a romantic or personal relationship, the prosecutor said.

Later, Taylor would sometimes steal the identities of victims to make purchases, transfer funds, open new accounts or use their credit cards, he said.

Once confronted, Taylor would threaten to transmit sexually explicit images he had coerced from victims to their employers if they tried to collect debts, Rebold said.

One particular victim - who Taylor charged $60,0000 to an American Express card in her name - confronted him and he threatened to send the sexually inappropriate photos of her to her employer, the FBI said.

Taylor allegedly wrote in a message: 'Have fun at [work]. I'm sending them all.'

Defense attorney Julia Gatto requested leniency, saying Taylor, in a 'mental health crisis,' attempted suicide in prison and tried to disfigure himself by carving writings into his arm. She said a long prison sentence 'could kill Mr. Taylor.'

Taylor, his left forearm wrapped in cloth, choked up as he apologized to victims he never looked at as he branded himself a liar and a 'bragging, arrogant thief.'

He claimed he had found 'new morals' and would not repeat his crimes ever again.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Latest on a Missouri lawmaker who called for the vandal of a Confederate monument to be hanged (all times local):

5:30 p.m.

A Missouri lawmaker who called for the vandal of a Confederate monument to be hanged is going unpunished after fellow Republicans voted against continuing an investigation against him.

House Ethics Committee members on Thursday had voted to recommend Republican Rep. Warren Love be reprimanded for an August Facebook post expressing hope that whoever vandalized the monument in Springfield, Missouri, would be "hung from a tall tree with a long rope."

But because of a procedural quirk, Love derailed those efforts simply by saying he disagreed. Republicans on the committee then voted down continuing the investigation.

House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty was among those who filed complaints against Love for his post. She's now calling on Republican Speaker Todd Richardson to take action against him.

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5:50 a.m.

A Missouri lawmaker who called for the vandal of a Confederate monument to be hanged is set to go before an ethics panel.

House Ethics Committee members on Thursday will consider how to respond to scathing complaints against Republican Rep. Warren Love.

He came under fire for an August Facebook post expressing hope that whoever vandalized the monument in Springfield, Missouri, would be "hung from a tall tree with a long rope."

Love has said he was using old cowboy jargon. But Democrats have said his words evoke images of lynchings of black people.
Former two-term Gov. Brendan Byrne, who mobsters said was too ethical to be bribed and who authorized the law permitting gambling in Atlantic City, has died at age 93.

Byrne, a Democrat, died Thursday at a home in Livingston, his son Tom Byrne said. He suffered an infection that went into his lungs and "was too weak to fight," the son said.

Byrne built his reputation as a crusading prosecutor and held numerous governmental positions during more than 30 years of public service. He also signed New Jersey's first income tax into law and authorized the law permitting gambling in Atlantic City during his two terms as the state's chief executive.

FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2013, file photo, former New Jersey Gov. Brendan Byrne, center, shakes hands with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, left, as Byrne's wife Ruthi Zinn Byrne, second from left, and former New Jersey Gov. James Florio, right, clap after Christie outlined his 2014 state budget proposals in Trenton, N.J. Byrne, a Democrat who served as New Jersey governor from 1974 to 1982, died Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, at age 93. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz, File)

He won his first term as governor in 1973, beating Republican state Rep. Charles W. Sandman Jr. by more than 700,000 votes. His campaign was helped by an FBI surveillance tape that showed mobsters discussing how Byrne, the Essex County prosecutor in the 1960s, was too ethical to be bribed.

In a New York Post headline, Byrne was proclaimed "The Man the Mob Couldn't Buy." That slogan ended up on bumper stickers that reminded voters in the Watergate era that not all politicians were unscrupulous.

Fellow politicians on Thursday remembered Byrne for his honesty and integrity.

Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, said Byrne had "an extraordinary career of public service" and did his job "with integrity, honesty, intelligence, wit and flair." State Senate President Steve Sweeney, a Democrat, said New Jersey had lost one of its "most politically courageous public leaders."

After taking office, Byrne began to tackle the contentious issue of how to finance the state's public education system after a 1973 state Supreme Court decision declaring that the state's method of funding public education through local property taxes, along with state and federal aid, violated a clause in the state Constitution guaranteeing a "thorough and efficient" education.

Byrne proposed the income tax to satisfy the court's order, but the idea was unpopular with residents and lawmakers and was not approved by the Legislature until July 1976, after the court ordered all public schools closed until a new funding source was in place.

Despite the controversy over the income tax, Byrne easily won re-election in 1977, beating GOP state Sen. Raymond H. Bateman by nearly 300,000 votes.

During his first term, Byrne signed legislation creating the state Department of the Public Advocate and the state Department of Energy.

In 1976, he authorized a referendum that led to the approval of legalized gambling in Atlantic City, a once-popular resort area that had fallen on hard times by the early 1970s. Money earned through the casinos has since been used to revitalize parts of the city and rebuild neighborhoods and for other projects across the state.

Long after Byrne left office, he continued to be an active voice and weighed in on several issues, including gubernatorial elections and matters involving Rutgers University.

Byrne was back in the news in February 2010, when a man on a London street punched him in the face. Byrne, then 85, suffered facial cuts and soreness but declined hospital treatment afterward.

In February 2015, Byrne and three other former New Jersey governors urged the state Senate to delay a vote on Christie's nominee for a panel overseeing a massive pine reserve. The bipartisan group of ex-governors claimed the nomination would "undermine the independence" of the commission, but the senate approved the nominee for the job.

Byrne, who was born in West Orange, attended Seton Hall University for a year before enlisting in the Army Air Corps in 1943. He served as a pilot for two years, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and other honors before returning to New Jersey and entering Princeton University, where he graduated in 1949.

Byrne then enrolled at Harvard Law School, earning his degree in 1951 and entering private practice. Gov. Robert B. Meyner, also a Democrat, named Byrne an assistant counsel in 1955, and a year later Byrne became Meyner's executive secretary.

In 1959, Byrne was appointed Essex County prosecutor, a post he held for nine years. After serving a two-year stint as president of the state's Board of Public Utilities, he was appointed state Superior Court judge in 1970 and became assignment judge for Morris, Sussex and Warren counties. He resigned that post in 1973 after announcing that he would run for governor.

After leaving office in 1982, he became a senior partner at a law firm in Roseland.

FILE - In this April 16, 1977, file photo, New Jersey Gov. Brendan Byrne, right, sits beside President Jimmy Carter, center, during a meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C. Byrne, a Democrat who served as New Jersey governor from 1974 to 1982, died Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, at age 93. (AP Photo/Charles Bennett, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2007, file photo, former New Jersey Gov. Brendan Byrne speaks during a panel discussion about education funding in Princeton, N.J. Byrne, a Democrat who served as New Jersey governor from 1974 to 1982, died Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, at age 93. (AP Photo/MJ Schear, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2007, file photo, former New Jersey Gov. Brendan Byrne smiles during a panel discussion about education funding in Princeton, N.J. Byrne, a Democrat who served as New Jersey governor from 1974 to 1982, died Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, at age 93. (AP Photo/MJ Schear, File)
Two Republican House members are calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign, and they're criticizing his Justice Department for not cooperating with Congress and for leaks related to its Russia investigation.

Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Jim Jordan of Ohio are making their views known in an opinion column published Thursday on the Washington Examiner's website. The headline says: 'It's time for Jeff Sessions to go.'

They say it appears Sessions 'has no control at all of the premier law enforcement agency in the world.'

The lawmakers have frequently criticized the Justice Department and FBI in recent weeks as some Republicans focus on what they perceive to be as bias in the department.

Two Republican House members are calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions (pictured with the president on December 15) to resign

Democrats have accused Republicans of trying to divert attention from the Russia investigations.

The call to resign comes as it's claimed President Donald Trump directed his White House counsel to tell Attorney General Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Department's investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.

The conversation between Don McGahn, the president's White House counsel, and Sessions took place on the president's orders and occurred just before the attorney general announced that he would step aside from the ongoing inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Two other people confirmed details of the conversation between McGahn and Sessions.

All three people spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press to avoid publicly discussing an ongoing investigation.

The episode is known to special counsel Robert Mueller and his team of prosecutors and is likely of interest to them as they look into whether Trump's actions as president, including the May firing of FBI Director James Comey, amount to improper efforts to obstruct the Russia investigation.

Investigators recently concluded a round of interviews with current and former White House officials, including McGahn and former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus.

The New York Times first reported that Trump had McGahn lobby Sessions against a recusal.

Reached Thursday evening, Trump personal attorney John Dowd said, 'I know nothing about that,' and hung up. Jay Sekulow, another of the president's personal lawyers, did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment.

The White House also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sessions announced on March 2 that he would recuse himself from the Russia probe.

He said at the time that he should not oversee any investigation into a campaign for which he was an active and vocal supporter, though the recusal also followed the revelation that he had had two previously undisclosed interactions during the 2016 campaign with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

At his January 10 confirmation hearing, he had said that he had no meetings with Russians during the campaign.

But soon before the announcement, with White House officials anticipating that Sessions might be poised to step aside, McGahn spoke to Sessions by phone and urged him against recusing himself from the investigation.

During the conversation, according to people familiar with the matter, McGahn argued to Sessions that there was no reason or basis at that time for him to recuse.

Jim Jordan of Ohio (left) and Mark Meadows of North Carolina (right) are making their views known in an opinion column p

One person said McGahn also told him that recusal would do nothing to resolve concerns over whether Sessions had given a misleading answer at his confirmation hearing.

Sessions ultimately declined the urging, and McGahn ultimately accepted the conclusion of career officials who believed that it was proper for Sessions to recuse.

Sessions' recusal left Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in charge of the Russia investigation. But once Trump fired Comey two months later, Rosenstein appointed Mueller, the former FBI director, to run the investigation and to report to him.

Four people, including Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and national security adviser, Michael Flynn, have been charged so far in the investigation.

The Sessions recusal has been a sore spot for Trump for months, with the president publicly deriding the decision and lamenting his selection of the former Alabama senator as his attorney general.

In a July interview with the Times, Trump said, 'Well, Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job, and I would have picked somebody else.'
SHENZHEN, China (AP) - Defending champion Katerina Siniakova defeated Maria Sharapova 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 on Friday in her first meeting with the five-time major winner to reach the final of the Shenzhen Open.

The sixth-seeded Siniakova hit 10 aces to set up a final on Saturday with top-ranked Simona Halep, who beat fourth-seeded Irina-Camelia Begu 6-1, 6-4.

"I'm so happy," Siniakova said. "You could see the emotions after I finally won the last point. It was a tough match for me, and even tougher to close it."

Maria Sharapova of Russia returns a shot during her women's singles semifinal match against Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in the Shenzhen Open tennis tournament in Shenzhen in southern China's Guangdong province, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. (Chinatopix via AP)

Sharapova, who is set for a return to the Australian Open which starts on Jan. 15, struggled with her serve, double faulting five times. Sharapova missed last year's tournament during a doping ban that dated back to a failed test for meldonium at Melbourne Park in 2016.

In the first semifinal in Shenzhen on Friday, Halep had 15 winners and four service breaks as she maintained her perfect record against her doubles partner, improving to 6-0 against Begu.

"It was a tough match, I know that she's a very strong player and in the second set, you could see that she was improving her game," Halep said. "I was strong enough to hit the ball (well) in the end."

Maria Sharapova of Russia returns a shot during her women's singles semifinal match against Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in the Shenzhen Open tennis tournament in Shenzhen in southern China's Guangdong province, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. (Chinatopix via AP)

Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic returns a shot during her women's singles semifinal match against Maria Sharapova of Russia in the Shenzhen Open tennis tournament in Shenzhen in southern China's Guangdong province, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. (Chinatopix via AP)

Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic returns a shot during her women's singles semifinal match against Maria Sharapova of Russia in the Shenzhen Open tennis tournament in Shenzhen in southern China's Guangdong province, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. (Chinatopix via AP)

In this photo provided by China's Xinhua News Agency, Maria Sharapova of Russia celebrates after winning a quarter final match against Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan at the WTA Shenzhen Open tennis tournament in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 4, 2018. (Mao Siqian/Xinhua News Agency via AP)
Chick-fil-As Tennessee expansion continues with a groundbreaking event soon at the site of its new East Ridge restaurant, the second of six locations the chain expects to open in Tennessee this year. It will be near the Bass Pro Shop.

Chick-fil-A representatives will join community leaders at the site of the chains East Ridge location at 639 Camp Jordan Parkway at Jordan Crossing in Chattanooga. The event will include details about the new location, the new owner and operator, Heath Kyle and future hiring opportunities.

Projected to open later this spring, the new 4,999-square-foot East Ridge restaurant will offer indoor seating for 120 with additional patio seating for 12 as well as a two-story playground for children. The interior will feature the chains heritage restaurant interior design that showcases handmade, authentic materials for a vintage-inspired interior, including a large gathering table made from reclaimed wood, subway tiles, and a light fixture made from recycled Coca-Cola bottles.

Two drive-thru ordering lanes will enhance the chains award-winning drive-thru service. When it opens, the location is expected to create upwards of 85 new jobs.
SEEON, Germany (AP) - Bavaria's conservative governor said Friday he wants a closer cooperation with the countries of central Europe, praising Hungary in the face of criticism from the European Union for Budapest's refusal to take in migrants.

Speaking at a meeting of his Christian Social Union party, Horst Seehofer said he plans to launch a "central European alliance," saying Germany's neighbors to the east are bigger trading partners for Bavaria than France or Britain.

Seehofer also praised Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban, who attended the meeting, saying "without a doubt (Orban) stands upon ground made up of the rule of law."

Leader of the Christian Social Union party, CSU, Horst Seehofer, left, and the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, right, attend the CSU meeting in Seeon, Germany, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. The CSU is the Bavarian-only sister party of German chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats. (Andreas Gebert/dpa via AP)

Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic are being sued by the European Commission for refusing to accept their share of refugees to be resettled among the block.

Seehofer's comments stand at odds with the stance of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose conservative party he is allied with and who has repeatedly demanded a fair distribution of refugees among all EU member states.

Orban said he didn't want to meddle in Germany's domestic politics - currently in limbo as Merkel, Seehofer and their Social Democratic rivals consider extending their governing coalition - but reiterated his government's call for illegal migrants to be deported from Europe.

Bavaria was the entry point for hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers who came to Germany in 2015. The numbers have since declined steeply, but Seehofer's party is eager to be seen to be taking a tougher line on migrants ahead of this fall's state election in Bavaria.

"In the year 2018, the central issue is the final solution of the refugee question," said Manfred Weber, a member of Seehofer's party who heads the center-right EPP bloc in the European Parliament.

"We need legislative answers at the European level. And it needs to be a European solution, because only then can we permanently avoid border checks on this continent," he told public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk.

Christian Social Union party, CSU, leader Horst Seehofer, left, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, appear for the annual CSU winter meeting in Seeon, Germany, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. The CSU is the Bavarian-only sister party to German chancellor Merkel's Christian Democrats. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has taken a tough line against migrants entering the European Union, (Andreas Gebert/dpa via AP)

Leader of the Christian Social Union party, CSU, Horst Seehofer, left, the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, center, and German Minister of Transport, Alexander Dobrindt attend a press conference at the CSU meeting in Seeon, Germany, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. (Andreas Gebert/dpa via AP)

Leader of the Christian Social Union party, CSU, Horst Seehofer, left, the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, center, and CSU politician Alexander Dobrindt attend a press conference at the CSU meeting in Seeon, Germany, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. (Andreas Gebert/dpa via AP)

Christian Social Union party, CSU, leader Horst Seehofer, left, and Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary, take a walk to the CSU meeting in Seeon, Germany, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. (Andreas Gebert/dpa via AP)
MIAMI (AP) - The colorful past of a pilot who has long bragged about flying loads of drugs for Colombian cartels during Miami's "cocaine cowboys" era in the 1980s may come back to haunt him in an auto fraud case.

A federal judge agreed Friday to let prosecutors use as evidence much of Mickey Munday's open bragging about his past in media interviews, social media posts and in the 2006 documentary "Cocaine Cowboys." But U.S. District Judge Robert Scola ruled that most direct drug references can't be introduced.

"I'm trying to minimize the term 'cocaine cowboy' being used," Scola said at a hearing. "It's very prejudicial."

In this Aug. 11, 2016 photo, Mickey Munday talks to a reporter in Love Park in North Miami, Fla. Federal prosecutors want to use the past of Munday, a pilot from Miami's "cocaine cowboys" era against him during an upcoming trial on charges of participating in an auto fraud ring. Court documents filed ahead of a Friday, Jan. 5, 2018, hearing claim Munday has openly bragged about his past in interviews, social media posts and in the documentary "Cocaine Cowboys." (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

What Scola will allow in the auto fraud trial, which starts Tuesday, are references Munday frequently made about his prowess as a pilot, driver and boat captain. Prosecutors say it's relevant because Munday's alleged role in the auto fraud ring was transportation, similar to his 1980s work for Pablo Escobar's Medellin cartel and later the Cali cartel.

"If it flies, rolls or floats," Munday, now 72, frequently said, "I can drive it."

In addition, prosecutors will be able to use statements and social media posts Munday made about using tow trucks to smuggle cocaine. In those days, smugglers would pack the drugs into a car's trunk and put it on a tow truck, reducing the likelihood police would stop the truck - and if they did, the driver could simply say he had an order to pick up the car and no idea what was in the trunk.

"I took advantage of law enforcement weaknesses," Munday said in one Twitter post. "Think, when was the last time, if ever, any of you have seen a tow truck stopped by the police."

Munday's Twitter profile contains this description: "THE REAL Mickey Munday Original Cocaine Cowboy."

Munday served about nine years in prison during the 1990s after pleading guilty to smuggling charges involving many tons of cocaine. Most of his work for the Colombian cartels was between 1982 and 1986, the height of the hyper-violent drug smuggling era that engulfed Miami.

According to the auto fraud indictment, Munday and others ran a ring that used fraud to obtain cars that were about to be repossessed so they could later be resold at a profit. Munday, the indictment says, transported the vehicles, hid some of them at his Miami-area house and used his tow truck company as a cover for the illegal activity.

All told, prosecutors say the scheme involved 150 vehicles and $1.7 million in losses to financial institutions that had liens on the vehicles.

Munday's past as a "cocaine cowboy" and frequent bragging about it is one reason he was brought into the fraud ring, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein.

"All he does is talk about being a 'cocaine cowboy' and his past," Rothstein said.

Munday attorney Rick Yabor raised numerous objections to use of the smuggling evidence, said it has no direct bearing on the auto fraud allegations. Munday's defense is expected to claim he was unaware of fraud in the auto transportation business.

"He's talking about things that happened 30 years ago," Yabor said.

_____

Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Miamicurt
MOSCOW (AP) - A court in the former Soviet republic of Georgia on Friday sentenced former President Mikheil Saakashvili in absentia to three years in prison for abusing his power in pardoning four policemen convicted of killing a banker.

Saakashvili, who was president from 2004-13, left Georgia when his presidency ended and eventually went to Ukraine, where he was appointed governor of the Odessa region. He resigned from that post in 2016 and harshly criticized Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko for not halting the official corruption that has crippled the country.

The Ukrainian leader last year stripped Saakashvili of his citizenship while he was abroad. Saakashvili returned to Ukraine in September and has led a series of anti-corruption protests against the government.

FILE - In this Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017, former Georgian President and former Ukrainian official, Mikheil Saakashvili, waves to his supporters during the rally calling for Ukraine's President Poroshenko to resign, in central Kiev, Ukraine. The Tbilisi city court in Georgia on Jan. 5 has found Saakashvili guilty of abuse of power in connection with a 2006 murder case and has sentenced him in absentia to three years in prison.(AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A court in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, sentenced Saakashvili on Friday. Georgia has requested Saakashvili's extradition but Ukraine has not complied.

"This is the first case in the world when a president is being judged for using his unrestricted constitutional right to pardon prisoners. I don't know any other examples in modern history," Saakashvili said at a news conference in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital.

He said any move to extradite him to Georgia "would cause a change of power in Georgia and probably in Ukraine, too."

Politics in Georgia are now dominated by a coalition headed by the Georgian Dream party, which arose in opposition to Saakashvili.

Saakashvili's conviction stems from the 2006 beating death of banker Sandro Girgvliani, whose body was found the morning after he had been involved in an argument with Interior Ministry officials in a Tbilisi cafe.

Critics said the investigation of the killing was carried out poorly and noted that Saakashvili was a close associate of then-Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili.

FILE - In this Monday, Dec. 11, 2017, former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili gestures during a hearing in a court room in Kiev, Ukraine. The Tbilisi city court in Georgia on Jan. 5 has found Saakashvili guilty of abuse of power in connection with a 2006 murder case and has sentenced him in absentia to three years in prison.(AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

FILE - In this Monday, Dec. 11, 2017, former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili stands behind the glass and gestures before a hearing in a court room in Kiev, Ukraine. The Tbilisi city court in Georgia on Jan. 5 has found Saakashvili guilty of abuse of power in connection with a 2006 murder case and has sentenced him in absentia to three years in prison.(AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

FILE - In this Monday, Dec. 11, 2017, former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, center, listens to his lawyer in a court room in Kiev, Ukraine. The Tbilisi city court in Georgia on Jan. 5 has found Saakashvili guilty of abuse of power in connection with a 2006 murder case and has sentenced him in absentia to three years in prison. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - The powerful blast of snow and cold that barreled through Virginia's coastal cities packed a winter punch seldom seen in those communities. Now much of the region could remain in the storm's icy grip for days.

Jen Edwards of Norfolk said she's never seen such a heavy snowfall as Thursday's.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime event," said Edwards, remarking on the several inches (centimeters) of white stuff on the ground.

Lola Frankenhoff, 9, licks a ball of snow while watching friends play football near Hilton Pier on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, in Newport News, Va. The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for the upper part of the Peninsula and much of the Middle Peninsula. The advisory warned of snow, blowing snow and slippery roads. (Aileen Devlin /The Daily Press via AP)

Edwards, 46, works in human resources at ADS Inc., a Virginia Beach-based government contractor that supplies equipment to the military and other agencies. She said she "got to play Santa Claus" after the company gave a rare day off, allowing workers at two massive warehouses to stay home.

As falling snow blanketed the ground Thursday, at least one man strapped on skis to venture out for bagels for his family.

"It's like 'Yay, I get to go out,'" said Mark Schoenenberger, a 45-year-old NASA engineer who cross-country skied to Yorgo's Bageldashery in Norfolk for a sack of bagels.

With snow whipping past Yorgo's on Thursday morning, owner Greg Peterman was keeping things in perspective.

"If this were a hurricane, my hair would be turning gray," Peterman said. The 44-year-old said his last home in low-lying Norfolk was flooded twice during hurricanes. But he added, "This is more workable."

Not that Virginia escaped the so-called bomb cyclone. It shuttered schools, government offices and businesses. Nearly all flights were canceled at Norfolk International Airport. About 45,000 residents lost power and more than 100 drivers stalled or crashed on roads.

Authorities also reported two deaths: A girl was hit by a pickup truck while sledding in the Richmond suburb of Chesterfield County and a 75-year-old man was struck by a snow plow in the Hampton area while clearing snow from a parking lot. Police said both died in hospitals.

For some the snow brought headaches.

Jonathan Rogers, 30, and his 35-year-old brother Jason Mitchell got stuck about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from their Norfolk home after working overnight at a local hospital.

Mitchell, a cook, said they had originally planned on a 30-minute walk. But he said his girlfriend insisted they drive despite the slick roads and the snow trapped their car at least twice - once just feet from some often-used train tracks.

"I knew this would happen," Mitchell said.

The U.S. Navy required only "mission essential" personnel in the region to report for duty, including those at the world's largest naval base in Norfolk. Among them was Thomas Carrico, 25, who serves on the USS Vella Gulf, a guided missile cruiser.

The ship gets hot when it sails into the Middle East, he said, and equally cold in winter weather. So he's used to extremes.

"It's like a giant cooler because it's all metal," he said with a shrug. "You give and you take."

Thursday's weather was relatively mild - the low was forecast at 10 degrees (-12 Celsius) - compared with what's to come. The temperature is expected to fall to a low of about 5 degrees (-15 Celsius) Saturday, keeping 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters) of snow on the ground.

Dillon Utter loses control of his sled while sliding down a hill on Fort Monroe Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, in Hampton, Va. Virginia has been socked by a powerful winter blast of snow and cold that's seldom seen along its coast. (Jonathon Gruenke /The Daily Press via AP)

Sledders take turns sliding down a hill and walking back up on Fort Monroe Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. (Jonathon Gruenke/The Daily Press via AP)

Mark Schoenenberger, 45, a NASA engineer who lives in Norfolk, Va., skis to get bagels for his family on Jan. 4, 2018. Virginia got socked Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, by a powerful winter blast of snow and cold that's seldom seen along its coast, with tens of thousands of residents losing power, more than 100 drivers stalling or crashing on roads and at least one man strapping on skis to get bagels for his family. (AP Photo / Ben Finley)

Snow is brushed off the sidewalk along Francis Street East in Colonial Williamsburg, Va. Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. (Alexa Welch Edlund /Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)

Snow falls over the Governor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg, Va., Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. (Alexa Welch Edlund /Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)

A snow plow works to clear snow from City Center Boulevard, in Newport News, Va., Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. (Adrin Snider /The Daily Press via AP)

Nathan Cochran, 10, attempts to grab Jackson Robbins, 10, as they play football in the snow on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, in Newport News, Va. The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for the upper part of the Peninsula and much of the Middle Peninsula. The advisory, issued around 1 p.m. Thursday, warns of snow, blowing snow and slippery roads until 6 p.m. (Aileen Devlin/The Daily Press via AP)

In the late afternoon light, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, Ida Church works to clear her sidewalk using an electric snow blower shovel in Virginia Beach, Va. A massive winter storm swept from the Carolinas to Maine on Thursday, dumping snow along the coast and bringing strong winds that will usher in possible record-breaking cold. (L. Todd Spence /The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

Katie Cerqua takes her daughters Iris, 3, center, and Hazel, 7, for a ride through their neighborhood in Virginia Beach, Va., Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. A massive winter storm swept from the Carolinas to Maine on Thursday, dumping snow along the coast and bringing strong winds that will usher in possible record-breaking cold. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) - A Greek court ruled Friday that two Macedonian men arrested on an international warrant issued by their country on charges related to a wiretapping scandal should be extradited.

Court documents had described the two men, aged 35 and 51, as being members of Macedonia's counter-intelligence services. They were arrested at the airport of the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki in October after allegedly being found with forged Bulgarian travel documents.

Their Greek lawyer, Konstantinos Chadziioannou, filed an appeal against the verdict with Greece's Supreme Court. No date for the hearing was immediately set. The two deny the charges against them, saying they are politically motivated. They also face a separate trial in Greece, set for May, on charges related to the use of forged documents.

The extradition hearing for the two, who have not been publicly named, was held behind closed doors at their request. Chadziioannou said he had submitted 17,000 pages of documents as evidence in their defense as part of the process.

"We believe in the court and the justice system of the Republic of Greece and the democratic capabilities of the court," said Peter Vasilev, the Macedonian lawyer for the two, adding they had hopes the decision would be overturned by the Supreme Court. "We have a lot of arguments on our side .... They are innocent according to (the) criminal code)."

Macedonia's wiretapping scandal broke in 2015 when it emerged that the phone conversations of about 20,000 people had been illegally recorded. The political crisis triggered early elections the following year.
COMANESTI, Romania (AP) - The deafening drumbeats start early in the morning, heralding the arrival of hundreds of people who descend on the sleepy northern Romanian city of Comanesti dressed head to toe as bears, in costumes made from real fur, with the heads attached.

They emerge from minibuses or even freight vans, growling as they dance.

It's a tradition that originated in pre-Christian times, when dancers wearing colored costumes or animal furs went from house to house in villages, singing and dancing to ward off evil. It has also moved to Romania's cities, where the ritual is performed for money. Tradition holds that a bear in the yard of a house means good fortune.

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, picture a man wearing a bear fur costume screams while dancing in Comanesti, Romania. The tradition, originating in pre-Christian times, when dancers, wearing colored costumes or animal furs, went from house to house in villages singing and dancing to ward off evil, has moved to Romania's cities, where the ritual is performed for money.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In Comanesti, in the eastern part of Romania, the dance took place on the final day of a weeklong festival of winter traditions held between Christmas and New Year's.

A bear fur costume for an adult, with the head included, weighs up to 40 kilograms (88 pounds) and costs up to 2,000 euros ($2,400). Prices increased after the introduction of EU regulations controlling bear hunting.

Locals fear the tradition may disappear as large numbers of young Romanians leave the area looking for better lives in wealthier European Union countries.

But Tudor Huluta, an 8-year-old who has never lived in Romania, offered some hope that the ritual will survive. His Romanian family lives in Britain, but he insisted they return to take part in this year's event.

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017 picture Raluca Atrejei, right, helps Roxana Stan, apply lipstick as they get ready for an annual bear parade in Comanesti, Romania. The tradition, originating in pre-Christian times, when dancers, wearing colored costumes or animal furs, went from house to house in villages singing and dancing to ward off evil, has moved to Romania's cities, where the ritual is performed for money.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017 picture a girl wearing a bear fur costume gets ready for the start of the annual bear parade in Comanesti, Romania. The tradition, originating in pre-Christian times, when dancers, wearing colored costumes or animal furs, went from house to house in villages singing and dancing to ward off evil, has moved to Romania's cities, where the ritual is performed for money.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017 a man wearing a bear fur costume sits on a bus in Comanesti, Romania. The tradition, originating in pre-Christian times, when dancers, wearing colored costumes or animal furs, went from house to house in villages singing and dancing to ward off evil, has moved to Romania's cities, where the ritual is performed for money.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017 picture, Roxana Stan, top, braids Raluca Atrejei's hair as they get ready for an annual bear parade in Asau, Romania. Hundreds of people descend on the sleepy northern Romanian city of Comanesti every year dressed head to toe like bears, in costumes made from real fur, with the heads attached. It's a tradition that originated in pre-Christian times, when dancers wearing colored costumes or animal furs went from house to house in villages, singing and dancing to ward off evil. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017 picture people watch an annual bear parade in Comanesti, Romania. Hundreds of people descend on the sleepy northern Romanian city of Comanesti every year dressed head to toe like bears, in costumes made from real fur, with the heads attached. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017 picture a child wearing a bear fur costume yawns while dancing in Comanesti, Romania. Hundreds of people descend on the sleepy northern Romanian city of Comanesti every year dressed head to toe like bears, in costumes made from real fur, with the heads attached. It's a tradition that originated in pre-Christian times, when dancers wearing colored costumes or animal furs went from house to house in villages, singing and dancing to ward off evil. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, picture Tudor Huluta, an 8-year-old, who returned from Britain to attend the parade, wears a bear fur costume while dancing in Asau, Romania. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, picture a man wearing a bear fur costume approaches a young spectator during an annual bear parade in Comanesti, Romania. The tradition, originating in pre-Christian times, when dancers, wearing colored costumes or animal furs, went from house to house in villages singing and dancing to ward off evil, has moved to Romania's cities, where the ritual is performed for money.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017 picture people wearing a bear fur costumes make their way through the crowds during an annual bear parade in Comanesti, Romania. Hundreds of people descend on the sleepy northern Romanian city of Comanesti every year dressed head to toe like bears, in costumes made from real fur, with the heads attached. It's a tradition that originated in pre-Christian times, when dancers wearing colored costumes or animal furs went from house to house in villages, singing and dancing to ward off evil. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017 picture children wearing a bear fur costumes pause during an annual bear parade in Comanesti, Romania. The tradition, originating in pre-Christian times, when dancers, wearing colored costumes or animal furs, went from house to house in villages singing and dancing to ward off evil, has moved to Romania's cities, where the ritual is performed for money.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017 picture, shot with a slow shutter speed, a woman carries a bear fur costume before an annual bear parade in Comanesti, Romania. The tradition, originating in pre-Christian times, when dancers, wearing colored costumes or animal furs, went from house to house in villages singing and dancing to ward off evil, has moved to Romania's cities, where the ritual is performed for money.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, picture a man wearing a bear fur costume kisses his girlfriend during an annual bear parade in Comanesti, Romania. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, picture a girl wearing a bear fur costume takes part in an annual bear parade in Comanesti, Romania. Hundreds of people descend on the sleepy northern Romanian city of Comanesti every year dressed head to toe like bears, in costumes made from real fur, with the heads attached. It's a tradition that originated in pre-Christian times, when dancers wearing colored costumes or animal furs went from house to house in villages, singing and dancing to ward off evil. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, picture, Cleopatra Antonia Turcu, 10 years-old, wearing a bear fur costume pauses next to Georgiana Andresoaie, during an annual bear parade in Comanesti, Romania. The tradition, originating in pre-Christian times, when dancers, wearing colored costumes or animal furs, went from house to house in villages singing and dancing to ward off evil, has moved to Romania's cities, where the ritual is performed for money.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, picture men, one wearing a bear fur costume, hug during an annual bear parade in Comanesti, Romania. Hundreds of people descend on the sleepy northern Romanian city of Comanesti every year dressed head to toe like bears, in costumes made from real fur, with the heads attached. It's a tradition that originated in pre-Christian times, when dancers wearing colored costumes or animal furs went from house to house in villages, singing and dancing to ward off evil. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, picture Raluca Atrejei stretches her hands during an annual bear parade in Comanesti, Romania. The tradition, originating in pre-Christian times, when dancers, wearing colored costumes or animal furs, went from house to house in villages singing and dancing to ward off evil, has moved to Romania's cities, where the ritual is performed for money.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017, picture people wearing a bear fur costumes walk under Christmas decorations in Piatra Neamt, Romania. The tradition, originating in pre-Christian times, when dancers, wearing colored costumes or animal furs, went from house to house in villages singing and dancing to ward off evil, has moved to Romania's cities, where the ritual is performed for money. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017, picture Raluca Atrejei, wearing a bear fur costume, looks at an item in a Christmas fair, in Piatra Neamt, Romania. Hundreds of people descend on the sleepy northern Romanian city of Comanesti every year dressed head to toe like bears, in costumes made from real fur, with the heads attached. It's a tradition that originated in pre-Christian times, when dancers wearing colored costumes or animal furs went from house to house in villages, singing and dancing to ward off evil. .(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017, picture Roxana Stan, top, supports 9 year-old Florin Paduceanu as they take a brake from the parade, in Piatra Neamt, Romania. The tradition, originating in pre-Christian times, when dancers, wearing colored costumes or animal furs, went from house to house in villages singing and dancing to ward off evil, has moved to Romania's cities, where the ritual is performed for money.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

In this Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017, picture children wearing bear fur costumes pose at a Christmas fair, in Piatra Neamt, Romania. Hundreds of people descend on the sleepy northern Romanian city of Comanesti every year dressed head to toe like bears, in costumes made from real fur, with the heads attached. It's a tradition that originated in pre-Christian times, when dancers wearing colored costumes or animal furs went from house to house in villages, singing and dancing to ward off evil. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
MADRID (AP) - Spain's Supreme Court judges ruled Friday to keep Catalonia's ousted vice president in jail while he is being investigated for rebellion and other charges stemming from the restive region's drive for independence from Spain.

The judges said there was a risk that Oriol Junqueras might again commit crimes, as there was no sign that he intended to change his ways.

Junqueras was one of several members of Catalonia's pro-secession regional cabinet who were fired and jailed on provisional charges following a declaration of independence on Oct. 27. Other members of the Catalonia government, including ex-leader Carles Puigdemont, are fugitives in Brussels.

FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2017, file photo, the sacked Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras arrives at the National Court for questioning by a National Court judge investigating possible rebellion charges, in Madrid, Spain. A Spanish court on Thursday Jan. 4, 2018 is reviewing an appeal by Junqueras against his imprisonment as he awaits formal charges over possible rebellion, sedition and embezzlement in the restive region's recent drive for independence from Spain. (AP Photo/Paul White, File)

Junqueras had hoped to be released to take part in Catalonia's new parliament following a December election imposed by Spain in which secessionist parties won the most seats.

The ruling Friday raises the question of what Puigdemont and the other four elected Catalan lawmakers on the run will do now.

The pro-secession parties won 70 out of the regional parliament's 135 seats but with eight candidates either on the run or in jail in Spain, the parties risk not being able to form a government.

Puigdemont demands that he be re-elected president but he is likely to be arrested and jailed if he returns to Spain.

Those in jail or on the run have the option of ceding their seats to others in their parties to ensure they keep a majority when parliament restarts on Jan. 17.

With a population of 7.5 million, Catalonia generates a fifth of Spain's 1.1 trillion-euro ($1.3 trillion) economy. Opinion polls show that a majority of Catalans want the right to decide the region's future but that they are evenly divided over whether to split from Spain.

Catalonia's troubles came to a head Oct. 1 when the then-Catalan government ran an independence referendum that was ruled illegal. The parliament subsequently declared independence and Spain responded by sacking the regional government and calling the election.

In their ruling, the judges said, Junqueras as vice president "took part in the unilateral declaration of independence, going against Constitutional court resolutions, rising up against the Spanish state, against the Constitution, against Catalonia's own charter and against other legal orders."

It described his behavior as an "illegal and very serious act."

In his appeal Thursday, Junqueras said he was a man of peace and would abide by Spanish laws and not act unilaterally over the Catalan issue if released. His lawyer has said he will seek to have him transferred to a prison in Catalonia.

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This story has been corrected to show declaration occurred Oct. 27, sted Oct. 1.

Demonstrators holding banners reading in Catalan "Freedom for the political prisoners. We are republic" during a protest in support of the politicians imprisoned in front of the city hall of in Sant Vicenc dels Horts, Spain, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. Former Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras vowed Thursday to abide by Spanish laws as he sought bail following his jailing during the restive region's recent drive for independence from Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
DOHA, Qatar (AP) - Andrey Rublev of Russia saved a match point to reach his second career ATP Tour final with a 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (2) win over Guido Pella of Argentina at the Qatar Open.

The 39th-ranked Rublev has had trouble with his serve throughout the tournament. He posted 11 double faults in Friday's match, and 33 overall in the four matches he's played this week.

The 20-year-old Russian served only two aces against Pella, but the second ace saved him from defeat when facing a match point at 4-5, ad-out, in the third set.

"It (double faults) happens sometimes but, in general, in the important moments I serve well," Rublev said. "Maybe I wasn't focused at times."

Rublev will play Gael Monfils of France in his quest to win a second career title. As a lucky loser, Rublev won his first career title, in his first career final, at the Umag, Croatia tournament last year.

The 46th-ranked Monfils reached the final without hitting a ball in the semifinals when top-seeded Dominic Thiem withdrew from the tournament because of illness.

"Due to some health conditions I have to cancel my start today," Thiem wrote on Facebook. "I am in bed with fever and there is almost no chance of a recovery until tonight.

"Now I am focusing on Melbourne and being fit and prepared for the first Grand Slam of the year."

The fifth-ranked Thiem, the only remaining seeded player in the draw, did not drop a set en route to the semifinals.

Thiem showed signs of illness when he coughed through numerous answers during his quarterfinal post-match press conference on Thursday night.

Monfils is playing in his first tournament since a right knee injury forced him to retire during his U.S. Open third-round match in September.

The 31-year-old Monfils has appeared in three previous Qatar Open finals, but has yet to win the title.

"I hope this one will be better than the other ones," Monfils said. "I'm just pleased the way that the year start and I'll be ready for tomorrow."
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) - Exxon Mobil Corp. is reporting another significant oil discovery in deep Atlantic Ocean waters off Guyana.

The company says its Ranger-1 well hit a major oil reservoir in an area known as the Stabroek Block off the South American country. The well was drilled to a depth of 21,161 feet (6,450 meters) in 8,973 feet (2,735 meters) of water.

The discovery announced Friday by Exxon Mobil and partner Hess Corp. is the sixth significant find in the block since 2015. The area holds an estimated 3.2 billion barrels of recoverable oil. Exxon Mobil officials told reporters in Guyana last week that production would start in late 2019 or early 2020.

Neighboring Venezuela is pressing a territorial claim to an area of Guyana that includes part of the Stabroek Block.
The Community School at Red Bank High School will host a one-year celebration nextTuesday from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Students, teachers, community members and Hamilton County Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson will be in attendance to celebrate the successes of 2017.In early 2017, Northside Neighborhood House began a partnership with Red Bank High School to help pilot The Community School. An initiative of Chattanooga 2.0, Community Schools are designed to provide wrap around support services to meet the physical, social and emotional needs of the community where the school is located.Through Community School work, 325 students were served in 2017.Red Bank High School is thrilled to be celebrating the one-year anniversary of The Community School, says Elaine Harper, school principal. This is a model of what can happen when a school and community organization form a strong partnership. The services provided extend the reach of the school and give students the support they need to meet their goals and achieve academic success.One of the programs offered to students through The Community School is the LEOS (Leadership.Excellence.Opportunities.Scholars) Program, which provides out-of-school time support to students in grades nine-12. Afternoon activities consist of homework support, life skills activities, clubs and mentoring. The Community School Coordinator oversees this programming and works to coordinate with collaborative agencies to bring in programs focused on health and nutrition, college readiness, job preparedness and more.The Community School gives me a chance to meet new people and have a place to belong, says a 10th grade student at Red Bank High School. I love coming here every day after school.A key component of the work being done at The Community School is collaboration. The YMCA Mobile Fit Program provides healthy food for students and Helen Ross McNabb has a counselor on-site every day to offer mental health services to students.The Community School offers more than just resources for students and parents, we are there to support the entire community, says Rachel Gammon, CEO of the Northside Neighborhood House, a Community School partner. We work with nonprofits like La Paz to offer workshops on immigration and Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise to host Mini Money School. Our goal is to connect the Red Bank community to the school and provide a place where residents can access additional resources and come together to support each other.For more information about The Community School or to RSVP to the one-year celebration, contact Rachel Gammon at rgammon@nnhouse.org.
The Latest on winter weather (all times local):

7:45 p.m.

Massachusetts emergency officials say more than 1 million gallons of untreated sewage has spilled into Nantucket Harbor after a "catastrophic" sewer main break.

Icicles and a sheet of ice cover a burned out vehicle parked adjacent to a building that caught fire, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018, in Newark, N.J. The fire broke out in a vacant structure in Newark early Friday morning in the area of 9th Avenue and South 14th Street and spread to two adjacent structures. Gusty winds carried the flames to two buildings across the street. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

They say the 20-inch mainfailed Thursday in several places on the island off the coast of Cape Cod, and they still were working to fix it Friday amid frigid temperatures.

Nantucket Health Department director Roberto Santamaria tells WBZ-AM they had no choice but to let the sewage flow into the harbor because otherwise, it would back up into homes and create a major health crisis. He says the harbor is covered in ice, so they can't put out booms to keep the sewage contained.

Because ferries to the island were canceled, the Massachusetts National Guard had to fly repair crews out to the island by helicopter.

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7 p.m.

Dozens of cars were totaled in a Massachusetts town after they were left in a high school parking lot during a fierce winter storm, and then a storm surge submerged the lot under a few feet of salt water.

An estimated 50 cars were destroyed Thursday in the parking lot of Gloucester (GLOS'-ter) High School, north of Boston. Many residents had parked their cars there during the storm because of a parking ban on city streets.

Photos of the lot showed rows of cars submerged in water, some up to their roofs .

There was so much water that some cars were floating . Some became encased in ice, and some had their windows broken.

City officials say the cars can't be salvaged. They're telling owners to call their insurance companies.

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3 p.m.

Police say an employee of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority died while cleaning up after the winter storm that dumped more than a foot of snow on parts of the state.

Arlington police tell WFXT-TV that the employee, who they did not publicly identify, went into cardiac arrest and was found in a snowbank at a facility for the water authority early Friday.

The employee was taken to Mount Auburn Hospital, and was pronounced dead.

The authority issued a statement saying that its entire staff extends their thoughts and prayers to the person's family and friends.

The agency provides drinking water and sewage services to more than 60 cities and towns.

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2:15p.m.

Wintry weather didn't keep a Rhode Island man from driving through town in his convertible.

WPRI-TV reports the roof on John Pratt's Mercedes-Benz has been broken for about a month. He tried to get the lipstick red luxury car to the repair shop Thursday morning, as a massive storm dumped more than a foot of snow in parts of the state.

But his chilly open-air ride turned into an icy predicament when his car got stuck. Onlookers took video, which then made the rounds on social media.

The episode left the Cranston man and his car covered in snow.

Pratt blames his 16-year-old son for the broken roof. He says he doesn't mind the trouble because people got a few laughs out of it.

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1:40 p.m.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is getting a firsthand look at storm damage on the coast.

Baker visited with officials Friday in Scituate, one of dozens of coastal communities that reported flooding at the height of Thursday's fierce winter storm.

The Republican governor discussed ongoing efforts to fortify portions of a seawall that have been breached during this and previous storms. He also took time to personally thank restaurant owner Stephan Hill. The businessman rushed out on to a pier during the storm to rescue Scituate's harbormaster, who had fallen into the icy waters while trying to secure a boat.

Dianne Davis says her seaside home was "completely surrounded" by ocean water during the storm, but she was able to ride it out along with neighbors.

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1:10 p.m.

New Jersey police say a teenager is dead and dozens of residents of an apartment building as well as police officers were sickened by carbon monoxide during this week's snowstorm.

Perth Amboy police say at least 35 people were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning, including at least seven police officers. Three relatives of the 13-year-old girl killed - a man in his 40s, a 21-year-old woman and a 14-year-old girl - remain in critical condition after the exposure at a 12-unit building Thursday afternoon.

The city put displaced residents in a hotel Thursday night. Firefighters were searching for the source of the carbon monoxide.

Authorities say they are looking to see if carbon monoxide detectors in the building worked.

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12:30 p.m.

The East Coast snowstorm this week was about as bad as the winter storms they get in Alaska - at least according to one man who survived it.

Jess Flarity is a 32-year-old student from Seattle who was visiting a friend in Concord, New Hampshire, when he got stranded overnight because bus service was canceled.

He said Friday as he sat in the bus station that he's spent some time in Alaska and described Thursday's storm as "Alaska-quality."

He's heading to Portland, Maine, for a 10-day creative writing program just as sub-zero temperatures are hitting. He says he likes the snow and the cold weather and is prepared. He says he's been in minus 60-degree temperatures in Alaska, so minus 20 doesn't frighten him.

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12:20 p.m.

Maine authorities are searching for a clammer who disappeared during the blizzard.

The man was reported missing around 11 p.m. Thursday.

The U.S. Coast Guard says the family of 35-year-old Paul Brenner said he had departed from St. George at 5 p.m. Thursday to clam on Clark Island.

The Coast Guard says Brenner was reported to be in a 16-foot skiff that matches the description of an unmanned skiff found near Long Cove on Thursday night.

The Maine Marine Patrol and local authorities also are searching the area by water, foot and air. St. George is a coastal area about 46 miles (74 kilometers) southeast of Augusta.

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11:30 a.m.

Authorities have confirmed a fourth North Carolina death because of this week's winter storm.

Surf City Police Chief Ron Shanahan released a statement saying officers found a vehicle submerged in a canal during the storm early Thursday and were investigating the cause. Shanahan said 20-year-old Dax Christopher Baker was found dead inside.

State Emergency Management spokesman Keith Acree says investigators have determined the winter storm caused the driver to slide off the road and into the canal.

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10:50 a.m.

The icy flooding on many Boston streets during this week's storm was caused by a record high tide.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration verified Friday that water levels at the federal agency's Boston tide gauge reached a peak of 4.89 feet above the average of highest tide readings for the day.

That broke the record of 4.82 feet above, set during the infamous Blizzard of '78 in February of that year.

The flooding sent large trash containers floating down Boston streets, forced the shutdown of a subway station as water cascaded down the steps and prompted rescues of people trapped in cars and homes in Boston and several other Massachusetts communities by rapidly rising waters.

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10:45 a.m.

The New England Patriots are trying to keep the homeless warm as a fresh blast of arctic air grips the region.

The team says it's donating more than 1,200 blankets that fans used to keep warm during Sunday's frigid 26-6 win over the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Fans were encouraged to leave their blankets behind, and stadium employees cleaned them.

Team representatives plan to distribute some to Boston's Pine Street Inn, which offers shelter and other services to the homeless.

The Patriots say the rest of the blankets, along with some hats and gloves, will be given to homeless shelters in each of the five other New England states.

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10:30 a.m.

A massive passenger plane had to land at a small New York airport because of runway closures at Kennedy Airport during the winter storm.

WNYW reports that the Airbus A380 landed at 12:25 p.m. Thursday on a snowy runway at Stewart International Airport in New Windsor.

The Singapore Airlines flight originated in Frankfurt, Germany.

The runway was long enough, but the gates were too small for the plane. Passengers took a portable stairwell onto the tarmac and walked into the airport building. Then the airline provided ground transportation.

Stewart is about 75 miles (120 kilometers) from Kennedy.

The Airbus A380 can carry from 535 passengers to more than 850, depending on its configuration.

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9:50 a.m.

Airports in the Northeast are coming alive again a day after a snowstorm forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

Flights in and out of Logan International Airport in Boston resumed Friday, and business is expected to pick up as the day progresses. A spokeswoman says the airport is waiting for many airlines to send jets to the facility.

Flights also have resumed at New York's Kennedy Airport and Bradley Airport in Connecticut.

Officials at LaGuardia Airport in New York are encouraging travelers to use public transit because heavy passenger volumes are expected as airlines resume flights.

The airports recommend that passengers check with their airline to get a flight status update before setting out.

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9:30 a.m.

Firefighters in Newark are working to extinguish a fire that started in a vacant building then spread to two adjacent structures before gusty winds carried the flames across the street to two more buildings.

The fire that has engulfed five buildings started early Friday morning. Two firefighters have received minor injuries.

Firefighters also had to battle two other blazes in bitter cold weather in the city.

There's no word how many residents have been displaced or what caused the fires.

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8:20 a.m.

Authorities say a 64-year-old Ohio man whose body was found on the front porch of his home by a meal delivery driver froze to death.

The Akron Beacon Journal reports the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office on Thursday confirmed that Darnell Wilson, of Akron, died of hypothermia.

His body was found Tuesday by a woman delivering food for the Mobile Meals program. The high temperature in Akron reached just 14 degrees that day.

It's unclear how long Wilson had been on the partially enclosed porch before his body was found.

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6 a.m.

Bitter cold air sweeping across New Jersey is slowing the process of digging out from a major snowstorm that blanketed the state.

Snow has been cleared on the state's major highways, however motorists are advised to use caution because of icy spots. Speeds have been reduced on the Betsy Ross, Commodore Barry, Ben Franklin and Walt Whitman bridges.

Many schools are closed or have delayed openings Friday as road crews try to clear local streets.

Most of the snow from Thursday's storm fell in the southern part of the state, with Cape May Court House receiving 17 inches (43 centimeters). Colts Neck in saw 15 inches (38 centimeters).

A wind chill advisory is effect for the state until Saturday.

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5:35 a.m.

A New York City children's hospital has made sure its patients don't miss out on winter fun by carting in buckets of snow for the kids to play with and enjoy.

St. Mary's Healthcare System for Children in Queens brought in plenty of snow for the children who are patients there to build snowmen or go sledding indoors during the Thursday snowstorm. Images posted to the hospital's Facebook page show one patient making a table-sized snowman - complete with a hat and scarf.

A hospital spokeswoman tells WNBC-TV that St. Mary's is one of only a few hospitals in the country that specializes in long-term care for children with special needs and life-limiting conditions.

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2:50 a.m.

Authorities say a girl struck by a pickup truck while sledding and a 75-year-old man hit by a snow plow while clearing business parking lots have died in Virginia in the aftermath of the East Coast snowstorm.

Police in Chesterfield County, a suburb of Richmond, Virginia, say the girl was sledding down a driveway when she slid into a road and was hit by the pickup truck Thursday. Police say in a statement that the driver immediately stopped and that the girl was taken to a hospital where she died of her injuries. The girl wasn't immediately identified.

In the greater Hampton area of southeast Virginia, authorities told The Virginia-Pilot that a 75-year-old private contractor, Barry Hale, was hit by the plow shortly after midday Thursday while clearing snow from parking lots in Buckroe. He died at a local hospital of his injuries. A police statement says the Virginia Department of Labor will conduct a follow-up investigation.

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1 a.m.

East Coast residents are bracing for a deep freeze a day after a winter storm dumped as much as 18 inches of snow (46 centimeters) and unleashed bitter cold, hurricane-force winds and historic coastal flooding from the Carolinas to Maine.

Forecasters say Friday will bring a blast of record-breaking cold air and bitter winds that could make it feel as low as minus 15 degrees throughout much of the Northeast this weekend.

National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Hurley says mid-Atlantic states can expect temperatures in the teens while the Northeast's coastal areas will see temperatures in the single digits.

He says the South won't be spared the cold weather, either.

The frigid temperatures should persist through Sunday, when the Northeast residents will feel potentially record-breaking cold.

A person walks a dog past plowed snow as wind-whipped snow swirls in Boston's Seaport district on Friday, Jan. 5, 2018, following Thursday's snowstorm. Frigid temperatures, some that could feel as cold as minus 30 degrees, moved across the East Coast on Friday as the region attempted to clean up from a massive winter storm that brought more than a foot of snow, hurricane-force winds and coastal flooding a day earlier. (AP Photo/Bill Sikes)

A woman passes an ice-covered fountain in New York's Bryant Park, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. Frigid temperatures, some that could feel as cold as minus 30 degrees, moved across the East Coast on Friday as the region attempted to clean up from a massive winter storm. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Two people walk across the Humarock bridge as blizzard conditions begin to wind-down Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, in Marshfield, Mass. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for Thursday that extends from eastern Long Island north to coastal New Hampshire and Maine. Most of the rest of southern New England is under a winter storm watch. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration imposed sanctions Friday on four senior Venezuelan military officials for alleged corruption and repression, in a bid to raise the pressure on President Nicolas Maduro's government.

Among those targeted in the Treasury Department's action are Rodolfo Marco Torres, a retired general who is now Aragua state's governor, and Francisco Rangel Gomez, another former general and previous governor of Bolivar state.

The Associated Press last year collected documents and testimony from business owners describing Marco Torres, a former Venezuelan food minister, as a key figure involved in fraudulent food imports.

The others affected by Friday's announcement are Fabio Zavarse Pabon, a division general of the Bolivarian National Guard, and Gerardo Izquierdo Torres, an Army major general who holds other senior positions. Maduro has named many military officials to high-profile government positions.

"President Maduro and his inner circle continue to put their own interests above those of the Venezuelan people," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. "This action underscores the United States' resolve to hold Maduro and others engaged in corruption in Venezuela accountable."

Any assets held by the men under U.S. jurisdictions are now frozen. Americans are banned from doing business with them.

Those sanctioned Friday are in addition to the dozens of current and former Venezuelan officials the U.S. already has targeted. They include Vice President Tareck El Aissami for alleged involvement in international drug trafficking. The U.S. also has imposed economic sanctions on Venezuela at a time it's seeking to refinance a huge international debt.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Juvenile justice experts cautioned Friday that while they see promise in Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's dramatic plan to convert the troubled Lincoln Hills youth prison into an adult facility, its success largely depends on how well the changes are implemented.

Walker announced Thursday that he wants to spend $80 million on five new regional juvenile prisons and a larger mental health facility in Madison to house all female inmates. The plan calls for legislative approval in 2019, but in the wake of criticism from Democrats the Republican governor said he's open to moving faster.

Lincoln Hills has been under federal investigation for three years amid allegations of abuse of inmates by guards. Guards have also been assaulted by inmates and one teacher was knocked unconscious by a single punch from a youth last fall. In response to a class action lawsuit filed by a group of inmates, a federal judge in July ordered a reduction in the use of solitary confinement, hand and leg restraints and pepper spray.

FILE - This Dec. 10, 2015, aerial file photo, shows Lincoln Hills juvenile prison in Irma, Wis. Gov. Scott Walker announced Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, that juveniles will no longer be housed at the Wisconsin youth prison that's been under federal investigation and the subject of multiple lawsuits alleging inmate abuse. Walker said the Lincoln Hills-Copper Lake prisons will be changed into medium security adult prisons. The state will instead open five regional juvenile prisons across the state. (Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP, File)/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP)

Walker had steadfastly refused to close the prison amid calls from Democrats to shut it down. And as recently as November he insisted it was safe for both inmates and guards.

Walker made an about face on Thursday with the plan that would reshape the face of juvenile prisons in Wisconsin and help create new adult cells at Lincoln to ease overcrowding.

Missouri and other states have a similar regional approach to juvenile justice. Each of the five new prisons Walker proposed would house no more than 36 inmates. Lincoln Hills had 149 male inmates as of last week.

"Nothing in the governor's plan ensures that Wisconsin will have an effective approach to youth justice," cautioned Jeffrey Butts, director of the Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York. "Poor implementation and ineffective management can ruin the best of plans."

Walker said he wanted to take time between introducing the outline of the plan now and formally requesting $80 million in funding from the Legislature in 2019 to work out details, like where the new juvenile prisons would be located.

Republican Rep. Joel Kleefisch and Democratic Rep. David Bowen, members of the Assembly's Corrections Committee, issued a joint statement Friday calling for the Legislature to move more quickly than Walker proposed and pass bills enacting his plan this year.

"We believe it could be accelerated so our shared vision for safety and rehabilitation is achieved more urgently," they said.

Democrats, including several of Walker's potential challengers for re-election in November, said the governor was moving too slowly especially given that he's known about problems at Lincoln Hills for at least six years. Some also accused Walker of only coming forward with a plan now because it's an election year.

Butts, reacting to the outline of the plan Walker made public, saw reasons to be concerned as well.

"To me, the prominence of mental health terms in the press release makes the governor's plan sound like more a public relations tactic than a comprehensive strategy for building an effective youth justice system," he said.

Vincent Schiraldi is a senior research fellow at the Columbia Justice Lab who previously ran the juvenile corrections system in Washington, D.C. He testified in federal court last year on the side of the inmates suing the state over conditions at Lincoln Hills.

Schiraldi declined to be interviewed because of his role in the lawsuit, but he made a generally positive statement about Walker's proposal.

"Placing young people who are in trouble with the law into community programs and, when they need to be confined, into small, rehabilitative programs close to their homes is better for public safety and youth outcomes," he said.

Butts said there is nothing magical about smaller facilities, but they can be more convenient for family visits. One of the knocks against Lincoln Hills has been its remote location in northern Wisconsin, about 215 miles from Milwaukee where many of the inmates are from.

Milwaukee Democratic Rep. Evan Goyke has been pushing for moving to a regional approach similar to what Walker announced that would place three of the regional prisons in southeast Wisconsin. Goyke was one of the Democrats who praised Walker's plan and called for the Republican-controlled Legislature to not wait until 2019 to take action.

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SEATTLE (AP) - In a story Dec. 8, 2016 about the state of Washington filing a lawsuit against Monsanto, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Monsanto stopped producing PCBs in 1979 when Congress banned the compounds. The company voluntarily stopped producing them in 1977.

A corrected version of the story is below:

Washington state suing agrochemical giant over PCB pollution

Washington says it's the first U.S. state to sue the agrochemical giant Monsanto over pollution from PCBs

By GENE JOHNSON

Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) - Washington has become the first U.S. state to sue the agrochemical giant Monsanto over pervasive pollution from PCBs, the toxic industrial chemicals that have accumulated in plants, fish and people around the globe for decades. The company said the case "lacks merit."

Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced the lawsuit at a news conference in downtown Seattle Thursday, saying they expect to win hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars from the company.

"It is time to hold the sole U.S. manufacturer of PCBs accountable for the significant harm they have caused to our state," Ferguson said, noting that the chemicals continue to imperil the health of protected salmon and orcas despite the tens of millions of dollars Washington has spent to clean up the pollution. "Monsanto produced PCBs for decades while hiding what they knew about the toxic chemicals' harm to human health and the environment."

The suit arrives just days before Monsanto shareholders vote whether to accept a $57 billion buyout offer from Germany's Bayer. The extraordinary meeting of shareholders takes place just outside of St. Louis on Tuesday.

PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, were used in many industrial and commercial applications, including in paint, coolants, sealants and hydraulic fluids. Monsanto, based in St. Louis, produced them from 1935 until 1977, two years before they were banned by Congress.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PCBs have been shown to cause a variety of health problems, including cancer in animals as well as effects on the immune, nervous and reproductive systems.

In a company release, Monsanto spokesman Scott S. Partridge said that the "case is experimental because it seeks to target a product manufacturer for selling a lawful and useful chemical four to eight decades ago that was applied by the U.S. government, Washington State, local cities, and industries into many products to make them safer. PCBs have not been produced in the U.S. for four decades, and Washington is now pursuing a case on a contingency fee basis that departs from settled law both in Washington and across the country. Most of the prior cases filed by the same contingency fee lawyers have been dismissed, and Monsanto believes this case similarly lacks merit."

In response to a similar lawsuit filed last year by the city of Spokane, Washington, Monsanto said a previous incarnation of the company produced the PCBs, which it said "served an important fire protection and safety purpose."

"PCBs sold at the time were a lawful and useful product that was then incorporated by third parties into other useful products," Charla Lord, a company spokeswoman, wrote. "If improper disposal or other improper uses created the necessity for clean-up costs, then these other third parties would bear responsibility for these costs."

Several other cities - including Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, Long Beach and San Diego, California - have also sued Monsanto over PCB pollution, the Attorney General's Office said. Those cases are ongoing.

Ferguson, a Democrat, pointed to internal Monsanto documents that show the company long knew about the danger the chemicals posed. In 1937, an internal memo said testing on animals showed "systemic toxic effects" from prolonged exposure by inhaling PCB fumes or ingestion. In 1969, a company committee on PCBs noted, "There is too much customer/market need and selfishly too much Monsanto profit to go out."

"There is little probability that any action that can be taken will prevent the growing incrimination of specific polychlorinated biphenyls ... as nearly global environmental contaminants leading to contamination of human food (particularly fish), the killing of some marine species (shrimp), and the possible extinction of several species of fish eating birds," a committee memo said.

Nevertheless, Monsanto told officials around the country the contrary. In a letter to New Jersey's Department of Conservation that year, Monsanto wrote, "Based on available data, manufacturing and use experience, we do not believe PCBs to be seriously toxic."

Ferguson said that infuriated him. He noted that his great-grandparents settled along Washington's Skagit River in the late 19th century. The Skagit was one of more than 100 water bodies in the state listed in the lawsuit as being polluted with PCBs.

"That river, the Skagit River, which my family depended on to a great degree in the 19th century as they homesteaded here, is now contaminated by PCBs, as are the fish," he said. "That makes me mad."

Ferguson said his office had been in touch with counterparts in other states, but it remained unclear if other states would follow Washington's lead in suing the company.

Washington's lawsuit seeks damages on several grounds, including product liability for what it described as Monsanto's failure to warn about the danger of PCBs; negligence; and even trespass, for injuring the state's natural resources.

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HIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) - Police have charged a North Carolina man with murder after he punched another man in the head at a store.

High Point police told local media outlets that officers responding to a report of a fight at a Walmart on Tuesday found 34-year-old Raymond S. Collier of Wilmington unconscious on the floor of the store. Authorities say surveillance video showed a man punching Collier in the face, knocking him to the floor and going through Collier's pockets.

Police said Collier died at a Winston-Salem hospital the following day.

Officers arrested 25-year-old Samed Ali Shah on Thursday and charged him with first-degree murder. He's jailed without bond, and it's not known if he has an attorney. He's scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 9.
WASHINGTON (AP) - An American citizen picked up on the Syrian battlefield and held by the U.S. military for nearly four months without a lawyer has told the American Civil Liberties Union that he wants to challenge his detention, a lawyer for the civil rights group said Friday.

ACLU attorney Jonathan Hafetz said he and two other ACLU lawyers went to the Pentagon on Wednesday and spoke via videoconference with the detainee, who is being held as an enemy combatant accused of fighting with the Islamic State.

"He spoke loud and clear that he wants a lawyer and wants to challenge his detention now," Hafetz said, adding that the detainee also indicated that he wants the ACLU to represent him.

Hafetz said the detainee was born in the United States but would not identify him. He "expressed concerns about his name being released and asked that it not be made public," Hafetz said.

The ACLU filed a court petition months ago, challenging the man's detention and asking to act on his behalf to provide him access to legal counsel. Hafetz said that the detainee told the ACLU that he did not learn that the petition had been filed on his behalf until shortly before the video conference.

Last month, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled that the U.S. military must provide legal counsel to the detainee. The U.S. government had acknowledged that it has detained him without fulfilling his request to see a lawyer. The judge ordered the military to let the ACLU have "immediate and unmonitored access to the detainee" to determine his wishes.

The judge also ordered the Defense Department not to transfer him to another country until the ACLU tells the court of the detainee's wishes. On Friday, the ACLU asked the court to continue to direct the Pentagon not to transfer him.

Kathryn Wyer, an attorney in the Justice Department's civil division, earlier told the court that the U.S. military was working "diligently" on the case, but had not yet decided what to do with the detainee. Wyer cited case law stating the executive branch should be given a reasonable period of time to determine a detained individual's status.

But the ACLU protested his months of detention without access to a lawyer.

"The Trump administration illegally denied an American his rights to access a lawyer and a court for nearly four months, but those efforts have finally failed," Hafetz said. "Now that our client has secured the judicial review that the government attempted to block."
WASHINGTON (AP) - In bountiful tweets and self-praise, President Donald Trump plays up "tremendous progress" in improving care for veterans in his first year. His claims fall short of reality.

Trump's initiatives have yet to show meaningful impact, and his campaign promises of expanding access to doctors and adding mental health specialists are unfulfilled.

Several of the 2017 accomplishments highlighted in a Trump tweet this week are largely symbolic - proclamations routinely signed by presidents or initiatives that haven't taken full effect or were later acknowledged by the Department of Veterans Affairs to be largely unneeded. In the meantime, wait times for veterans seeking treatment at VA medical centers haven't improved much, as Congress remains deadlocked over a long-term fix aimed at expanding access to doctors, in part due to rising costs.

FILE - In this Nov. 10, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump is flanked by veterans at an event to sign a proclamation honoring veterans at the Hyatt Regency Danang Resort in Danang, Vietnam. Trump is again claiming more success than reality in improving veterans care, touting initiatives that have yet to show meaningful impact and glossing over bigger unfulfilled campaign promises. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

The VA also admits it fell short of adding 1,000 new mental health professionals last year, even after Trump singled out mental health as especially in need of attention during the campaign and pledged a hiring surge.

Trump speaks often about his commitment to veterans, a group that backed him by nearly 2-to-1 over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

A look at his rhetoric on veterans and White House statements marking his first year in office:

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TRUMP: "We will not rest until all of America's GREAT VETERANS can receive the care they so richly deserve. Tremendous progress has been made in a short period of time." - tweet Tuesday, with an Instagram video describing eight accomplishments that show Trump is "fighting for our veterans."

THE FACTS: The video with catchy music overstates the impact of these steps.

Of the eight achievements cited, two are ceremonial proclamations recognizing National Veterans and Military Families Month and National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

Two are pieces of legislation that extended the troubled Veterans Choice program on a temporary basis. This became necessary because the Trump administration repeatedly miscalculated the amount of taxpayer dollars available to pay for care from private doctors outside the VA system when veterans had to endure long waits for treatment at VA medical centers. The department's poor budget planning caught lawmakers off guard.

A fifth claim involves "telehealth," a step letting doctors practice medicine across state lines using digital technology. Announced in August, it has yet to take full effect because a proposed VA regulation hasn't been completed. The VA wants authority to practice across state lines to come from legislation, not a regulation. On Wednesday, the Senate approved a telehealth measure that now goes to the House.

A sixth claim refers to legislation that streamlines the appeals process for disability compensation claims within the VA. This step has had limited impact so far because it applies to new disability claims, not the 470,000 pending claims.

The other two initiatives mentioned make it easier for the VA to discipline employees. The department has pointed to more than 1,300 employees who have been fired under Trump's watch. Because their infractions are not detailed in public documents, the impact on veterans' care is not fully known.

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TRUMP: "The VA was a mess." Before, "you couldn't fire anybody at the VA, if they were sadists, if they were horrible people. ... Now we look at them, they're no good - we say, 'You're fired. Get out of here.'" - Dec. 8 rally in Pensacola, Florida.

THE FACTS: It's wrong to say VA employees were never fired before Trump took office. In fact, more were fired in President Barack Obama's last budget year than in Trump's first.

In fiscal 2017, covering Obama's last three months and Trump's first nine months, 2,061 VA employees were removed for discipline or performance. About 1,419 firings took place since January 2017, when Trump took office, to present. That's down from 2,662 in the previous fiscal year, according to Office of Personnel Management information on the agency's data archive FedScope.

However, it's true that it often took longer for terminations to become final under an appeals process that has been shortened under Trump. Because a new accountability law making it easier to fire VA employees did not take effect until late June 2017, about 500 of the firings last year occurred under the former appeals system, which remains in place at other federal agencies. The new law shortens the length of time to challenge a disciplinary action and lowers the burden of proof needed to fire VA employees.

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TRUMP: "Why would smart voters want to put Democrats in Congress in 2018 Election ... People are much better off now not to mention ISIS, VA ..." - Dec. 31 tweet.

THE FACTS: He's entitled to his politics, but the tweet masks the fact that each veterans' bill signed into law by Trump won approval with strong support from Democrats as well as Republicans.

House Democrats did block one VA Choice emergency funding bill after major veterans groups complained it focused too much on private care without also investing in core VA programs. The bill was revised to add the money, was overwhelmingly approved and was signed by Trump on Aug. 12.

The bipartisan display began with David Shulkin, a holdover from the Obama administration confirmed unanimously by the Senate to serve as VA secretary in February. Trump calls Shulkin the "100-to-nothing man" because of that vote, since he is the only Trump Cabinet member to achieve that.

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WHITE HOUSE: "Secretary Shulkin has expanded access to urgent mental health care to former service members with other-than-honorable discharges." - Nov. 9 press release.

THE FACTS: This claim glosses over VA's difficulty in hiring mental health professionals and providing counseling support to higher-risk veterans, due in part to a tightening VA budget. Trump cited mental health care as a top priority for fixing VA during the presidential campaign and pledged a hiring surge. But the VA only netted about 258 new personnel as of late November, far below the 1,000 additional mental-health specialists it had targeted for 2017.

In March, Shulkin announced an initiative to expand urgent mental health care to those with other-than-honorable discharges with much fanfare, but soon after, he revealed he wouldn't be asking Congress for additional money to pay for it. The program provides mostly emergency care, something that had been offered already to any veteran, not preventive services.

To reduce suicide rates, VA is seeking to establish "telehealth" hubs in rural areas to provide veterans with mental health assistance. It has launched a new predictive model to analyze veterans' health records to identify those at risk. Roughly 20 veterans take their lives each day.

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WHITE HOUSE: "President Trump signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 to authorize $2.1 billion in additional funds for the Veterans Choice Program." - Dec. 22 press release.

THE FACTS: The money was quickly used up. Weeks after Congress approved the $2.1 billion in emergency funding to keep the VA Choice private-care program running, the VA acknowledged in September the program would again run out of money earlier than expected. The VA asked Congress to approve a long-term fix to its VA Choice program that could cost as much as $54 billion over five years, but divided lawmakers in December decided instead to approve another stopgap measure of $2.1 billion, punting the bigger issues until later.

The delay means that a larger overhaul of VA Choice - which Shulkin says will help significantly reduce wait times at VA medical centers - isn't likely to be fully implemented until 2019 or later.

The VA Choice program was put in place after a 2014 wait-time scandal that was discovered at the Phoenix VA hospital and elsewhere throughout the country. Veterans waited weeks or months for appointments while phony records covered up the lengthy waits. The program allows veterans to go to private doctors if they endure long waits for VA appointments, but it has suffered extended wait times of its own.

Last year, Shulkin said veterans were waiting more than 60 days for new appointments in about 30 VA locations nationwide.

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Associated Press writer Calvin Woodward contributed to this report.

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Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd

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PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - The Latest from the TV Critics meeting in Pasadena, California (all times local):

6:25 p.m.

Producer Ryan Murphy says he's OK being schooled in transgender life during the making of his new FX series "Pose."

FILE - In this Aug. 9, 2017 file photo, John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks and FX Productions, participates in the executive panel during the FX Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. Landgraf says an investigation into sexual misconduct by Louis C.K. found nothing involving his work for the company over the past eight years. The investigation followed a published report of misbehavior, Landgraf told TV critics Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. The network cut ties in November with C.K. after he admitted wrongdoing. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

The large number of transgender actors and others connected with the show freely offer advice about authentically depicting their experience, Murphy told TV critics Friday.

The prominent Murphy said he doesn't have a lot of people telling him "no" and called it a welcome change.

"Pose," about the New York ballroom scene of the 1980s and today, also gave him a chance to discover new talent in a way he hadn't done since the series "Glee," Murphy said.

Being able to give gifted transgender people a path into mainstream Hollywood was especially satisfying, he said.

As a teenager who was beaten after his father discovered he was gay, Murphy said, he never could have imagined the personal and professional success he's achieved. His father is dead, he said.

"Pose," which stars Evan Peters, Kate Mara and James Van Der Beek, will debut this summer. An air date has yet to be announced.

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3:45 p.m.

FX Networks CEO John Landgraf says TV keeps churning out record numbers of original series but can be overshadowed by the internet's dubious distractions.

Technology distracts people with "hourly doses of bite-size half-truths and click bait come-ons," Landgraf told a TV critics' meeting Friday.

He said it sometimes seems that even worthy TV is a "sideshow" to what he called the "daily three-ring media circus."

Given concerns over society's shrinking attention span and "dwindling intolerance for dissent," he's glad when even his competitors' worthy shows draw viewers, he said.

The veteran TV executive, who has made FX the unofficial accountant for so-called "Peak TV" numbers, said that the total number of cable, broadcast and streamed series hit an estimated 487 in 2017, a 7 percent increase over 2016's tally of 455.

The 117 streamed series in 2017 from rapidly expanding outlets including Netflix and Amazon represented the biggest increase, 30 percent, over 2016.

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11:20 a.m.

FX says it is ordering a spinoff to "Sons of Anarchy" with Edward James Olmos as part of a nearly all-Latino cast.

The 10-episode "Mayans MC" will premiere later this year, FX Networks CEO John Landgraf told a TV critics meeting Friday. The date was not announced.

The series, focused on characters from "Sons of Anarchy," is poised to show that "hit television and diverse television" can be the same thing, Landgraf said.

Also starring in the drama are JD Pardo, Sarah Bolger, Clayton Cardenas and Richard Cabral.

"Sons of Anarchy" creator Kurt Sutter will produce the show with Elgin James and Norberto Barba.

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11:15 a.m.

FX Networks CEO John Landgraf says an investigation into sexual misconduct by Louis C.K. found nothing involving his work for the company over the past eight years.

The investigation followed a published report of misbehavior, Landgraf told TV critics Friday. The network cut ties in November with C.K. after he admitted wrongdoing.

After the comedian was accused by five women of sexual misconduct, Netflix scrapped plans for an upcoming Louis C.K. stand up special, the release of C.K.'s feature film "I Love You, Daddy" was shelved and HBO removed his work from its on demand video streaming service.

C.K. has said the allegations are true and expressed remorse.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - The top U.S. diplomat in Venezuela urged authorities Friday to ensure transparency in the case of a jailed American whose trial has become another sore spot in relations between the two nations.

Newly appointed charge d'affaires Todd Robinson told The Associated Press he reminded Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza in a recent meeting of his "responsibility to guarantee transparency" in the case of Joshua Holt.

Robinson, a former ambassador known for candidly expressing his views, also pressed for U.S. consular access to the 25-year-old Utah man whose mother recently voiced concerns about his health. The former head of the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela before Robinson's arrival was denied access to a preliminary hearing in December.

Todd Robinson the Charge d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas waits for his car after a special session of the Venezuelan National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. Robinson attended the special session that that saw lawmakers swear-in new board members, Omar Barboza as President, Julio Cesar Reyes as first Vice President and Alfonso Marquina as second Vice President. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

"Without the ability to talk with him it's difficult to know exactly what is happening," Robinson said after attending the opening of the opposition-controlled National Assembly's 2018 session.

Holt traveled to Venezuela in 2016 to marry a fellow Mormon he met online and was jailed with his wife soon after. A judge ruled in December that he will have to stand trial on weapons charges, dashing the hopes of his family in Utah that he would be released and united with them for Christmas.

Holt's case has become another thorn in relations between the U.S. and Venezuela, which have grown increasingly prickly since President Donald Trump took office. Dozens of Venezuelan officials have been sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasury, including four current and former military officers announced Friday. The U.S. issued economic sanctions intended to further weaken President Nicolas Maduro's grip on power in August.

Socialist party leader Diosdado Cabello has accused Holt of running an espionage ring.

Since arriving last month, Robinson has made himself a visible presence in Caracas, announcing in a video that he hoped to promote the return of "prosperity and democracy for the Venezuelan people." The embassy has also shared photographs of him delivering toys to children and visiting an historic plaza in Caracas.

On Friday, the U.S. Embassy posted a photograph of Robinson on Twitter standing before the National Assembly along with a quote stating he was "honored to attend" to the embattled legislature's installation.

U.S. officials announced in late December that Robinson had met with Arreaza and pressed for Holt's release on humanitarian grounds during a "frank 20 minute meeting," though no other details were shared.

Robinson said Friday that while some U.S. officials have had the opportunity to visit Holt overall their access has been limited. A judge refused to grant Lee McClenny, the previous head of the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela, access to Holt's courtroom in December in an apparent violation of the Vienna convention on consular rights. Venezuela is a signatory to the treaty, which entitles foreign nations access to their diplomatic representatives.

"It's not enough under the accords of the Vienna Convention," Robinson said of their access to Holt.

Holt and his bride were arrested at her family's apartment in a Caracas public housing complex by police who alleged he was stockpiling weapons. Holt's family has maintained his innocence and called for his release. His mother recently shared an audio recording in which Holt talks about throwing up all night, feeling dizzy and struggling to think.
DENVER (AP) - Whether to crack down on marijuana in states where it is legal is a decision that will now rest with those states' top federal prosecutors, many of whom are deeply rooted in their communities and may be reluctant to pursue cannabis businesses or their customers.

When he rescinded the Justice Department's previous guidance on marijuana, Attorney General Jeff Sessions left the issue to a mix of prosecutors who were appointed by President Donald Trump's administration and others who are holdovers from the Barack Obama years.

Legal experts do not expect a flood of new cases, and people familiar with the job of U.S. attorney say prosecutors could decide against using already limited resources to seek criminal charges against cannabis companies that abide by state regulations or their customers.

File - In this March 24, 2008, file photo, McGregor Scott, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California, gestures during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif. The decision on whether to pursue criminal marijuana cases in states that have legalized pot will now rest with top federal prosecutors in those states, some of whom are deeply rooted in their communities and may be reluctant to crack down on cannabis businesses. Scott grew up in Humboldt County, deep in California's famed "Emerald Triangle" marijuana-growing regionScott's spokeswoman, Lauren Horwood, said he declined to comment on the most recent federal move. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

"There are higher priorities: terrorism and opiates to start with," said Rory Little, a former prosecutor and a professor at the University of California Hastings College of Law. "You also have to draw the jury pool from the local people, who appear to generally support the state policy. You're not going to waste your resources on cases you can't win or cases your community is against."

Until Sessions' announcement on Thursday, federal prosecutors followed guidelines laid out in the so-called Cole memo, which was issued by the Justice Department during the Obama administration. The memo discouraged prosecutors from going after people participating in the marijuana trade in states where recreational marijuana is legal, except in cases with aggravating factors.

Sessions revoked that document and others, citing the fact that pot remains illegal under federal law.

Federal prosecutors are not elected, but they often have long histories working in their districts. They are surrounded by attorneys who have spent their careers arguing federal cases before judges who can make their displeasure with a U.S. attorney known in sentencing decisions and in the scheduling of cases. That environment will not change because of a memo from the attorney general, Little said.

But the change will undoubtedly create some confusion and an uneven landscape, said John Walsh, the former U.S. attorney for Colorado appointed by Obama who left the office in 2016.

Prosecutors in Western states wanted guidance from the Justice Department when the likelihood of state marijuana legalization became clear in 2010 and 2011. They hoped to avoid a patchwork of prosecution strategies, Walsh said.

"When the policy is so broad and uncertain that it's left case by case to different decision makers, it creates confusion and uncertainty that can be unjust," Walsh said.

The author of the Obama administration's policy, James Cole, told the AP it was intended to put states on notice that they had to regulate the industry and the federal government would still prosecute cases that threatened public safety. The goal, he said, was to encourage a tightly regulated industry letting legitimate businesses operate but keeping cartels and gangs out.

"I couldn't immunize people through the policy, but it did give them a level of comfort that was enough for them to say, if I behave, we're basically going to be OK," Cole said.

The change, he said, removes "clarity and consistency" for an industry that depended on it.

U.S. attorneys around the country responded cautiously to Sessions' announcement. Some issued written statements suggesting the change would not dramatically alter their approach to marijuana.

In Colorado, U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer said his office will continue to focus on "identifying and prosecuting those who create the greatest safety threats to our communities around the state."

Troyer took over the office on an acting basis when Walsh, the Obama appointee, left. In November, Sessions named him the interim U.S. attorney. Trump could nominate a replacement at any time or decide to keep Troyer, a career prosecutor and attorney.

The new U.S. attorney in Massachusetts, Andrew Lelling, a Trump appointee who was confirmed by the Senate in mid-December, called marijuana "a dangerous drug" in his statement on Sessions' action. But he also said his office will focus on "bulk cultivation and trafficking cases, and those who use the federal banking system illegally" while considering its available resources, the seriousness of each crime and its effects.

In California's Eastern District, newly sworn-in U.S. Attorney McGregor "Greg" Scott grew up in Humboldt County, deep in California's famed "Emerald Triangle" marijuana-growing region. He later became a career state and federal prosecutor who has spoken favorably of a previous federal marijuana crackdown.

Scott's spokeswoman, Lauren Horwood, said he declined to comment on the most recent federal move.

"The cultivation, distribution and possession of marijuana has long been and remains a violation of federal law for all purposes," she later said in a statement. "We will evaluate violations of those laws in accordance with our district's federal law enforcement priorities and resources."

Brian Vicente, a Denver attorney who co-wrote Colorado's 2012 constitutional amendment legalizing recreation marijuana, said the industry will closely examine the background of any new U.S. attorney nominees.

"If this is in any way accompanied by a changing of the guard through the appointment of very conservative, anti-marijuana candidates, that's a red flag," he said.

Walsh, the former U.S. attorney for Colorado, said sitting and incoming top federal prosecutors in pot-friendly states should rely on their staffs, who have years of experience investigating cases, to put marijuana in context with other priorities.

"Those people make decisions about which cases they can win and which cases are crucial," he said.

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Thompson reported from Sacramento, California. Associated Press writers Sadie Gurman in Washington and Bob Salsberg in Boston contributed to this report.

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This story has been corrected to use the correct spelling of Brian Vicente's name.

FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2017, file photo, United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is going after legalized marijuana. Sessions is rescinding a policy that had let legalized marijuana flourish without federal intervention across the country. That's according to two people with direct knowledge of the decision. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

FILE - In this March 26, 2015, file photo, then First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Troyer, left, flanked by Denver Police Chief Robert White, takes questions during a news conference in Denver discussing an indictment alleging that 32 people exported tons of marijuana to other states over four years. Troyer, who is now Colorado's U.S. Attorney, said his office will not change its approach to prosecuting marijuana crimes despite a change in policy by Attorney General Jeff Sessions giving federal prosecutors more leeway to enforce laws against pot. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)

FILE - In this July 27, 2017 file photo, Bryan Schroder, then acting U.S. Attorney for Alaska, addresses reporters in Anchorage, Alaska. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has put the top federal prosecutors in states that have legalized recreational marijuana back in charge of deciding whether to press pot cases there, but huge obstacles remain, starting with the fact that many of those U.S. attorneys are either brand new to the job or Obama-era holdovers. It's was unclear how Alaska's new U.S. attorney, Schroder, will handle marijuana in the Republican state with Libertarian leanings. Schroder said in a statement that one of his office's key principals is to follow federal law enforcement priorities, both at the national and local levels. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File)
Middle Valley Church of God announced that Pastor Mitch McClure will speak on the topic, 'Can It Live Again?' in theservice on

Each Sunday at 9:30 a.m., Sunday School classes are available for all age groupings.

Pastor Mitch McClure will begin a new interactive Bible study on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018 . This Bible study will be interactive and based on the book 'Paradigm' by Jonathan Kahn. The study will compare Biblical events and their patterns to patterns in our society today. The study will be held in the Administrative office building each Wednesday at 7 p.m.
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Prosecutors in Washington state have decided to drop rape and kidnapping charges against all four members of a Polish death metal band.

The band members have been detained in the United States since a woman claimed that she was gang-raped after a concert last year in Spokane.

Prosecutors on Friday filed a motion in Spokane County Superior Court dismissing the charges against members of Decapitated.

Trial for the four men was scheduled for Jan. 16.

An attorney for one band member says the dismissal was expected because of problems with the state's case.

According to court documents, a woman told police that she was invited onto the tour bus after the band's show on Aug. 31. The woman claims that she was raped in the bathroom of the bus.
Investigators say the widow of the man who killed dozens of people at a gay nightclub in Florida knew her husband 'was going to do something bad' before the attack.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that a statement written by an FBI agent and signed by Noor Salman says that she was in denial that her husband, Omar Mateen, could hurt other people when he left their home with guns and ammunition.

'I knew when he left the house he was going to Orlando to attack the Pulse Night Club,' Salman said allegedly during an 18-hour interview that was written by a FBI agent.

A statement written by an FBI agent and signed by Noor Salman says that she was in denial that husband, Omar Mateen, could hurt others

'I knew when he left the house he was going to Orlando to attack the Pulse Night Club,' Salman said allegedly of Mateen's brutal attack that killed 49 people and wounded 68

Salman faces charges of aiding a terrorist organization and obstruction of justice. Mateen killed 49 people and wounded at least 68 others during the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub on June 12, 2016.

But Bruce Frumkin, a Miami psychologist and expert on false confessions, will testify that Salman's testimony to FBI was not true.

In a ruling on Friday, U.S. Judge Paul Bryon sided with the defense to let Frumkin testify, according to Salman's lawyer Charles Swift.

Swift has argued that Salman was not in custody at the time she was detained by the FBI, hours after the attack.

But Bruce Frumkin, a Miami psychologist and expert on false confessions, will testify that Salman's testimony to FBI was not true

He also asserts that the woman was not read the Miranda rights but U.S. attorneys respond that she was never in custody in the first place and gave her statements, voluntarily.

'I knew on Saturday, when Omar left the house about 5 p.m. that this was the time that he was going to do something bad. I knew this because of the way he left and took the gun and backpack with ammunition  ' Salman said, according to the statement she signed.

Her statements were recently made public.

'I knew later, when I could not get ahold of him that my fears had come true and he did what he said he was going to do,' Salman added.

'I was in denial and I could not believe that the father of my child was going to hurt other people.'

Salman shared that Mateen became obsessed with the Middle East and ISIS recruitment videos for two years up until the shooting.

Salman shared that Mateen became obsessed with the Middle East and ISIS recruitment videos for two years up until the shooting

He was said to have been looking at the area now referred to as Disney Springs and City Place in Palm Beach, according to Salman's statement.

The couple was said to have driven around the club for a week before the shooting with their young son sitting in the vehicle.

'"How upset are people going to be when it gets attacked?"' Mateen said, according to his wife's statement.

'I knew he was talking about himself doing the attack on the Pulse,' she added.

Salman's attorneys and federal prosecutors continued a hearing Friday to discuss whether sealed evidence and an expert witness' testimony should be allowed at her March trial. The hearing was closed to the public.

She apologized in her statement.

'I'm very sorry I lied to the FBI,' she said. 'These are my words.'
WASHINGTON (AP) - Already setting turnover records, President Donald Trump's White House is bracing for even more staff departures and an increasing struggle to fill vacancies, shadowed by the unrelenting Russia probe, political squabbling and Trump's own low poll numbers.

Entering a grueling year that is sure to bring fresh challenges at home and abroad, Trump faces a brain drain across a wide swath of government functions, threatening to hamstring efforts to enact legislation or conduct even basic operations. Some departures are expected to come from senior ranks - the staff churn that makes headlines - but more are likely among the lesser-known officials who help to keep the White House and Cabinet agencies running.

In Trump's first year, his administration's upper-level officials have had a turnover rate of 34 percent, much higher than any other in the past 40 years, according to an analysis by Kathryn Dunn-Tenpas, a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. The study found that 22 of the 64 senior officials she tracked have resigned, been fired or reassigned.

President Donald Trump's Chief of Staff John Kelly, left, and White House Director of Legislative Affairs Marc Short, second from left, walk toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018, to travel with President Donald Trump to Camp David in Maryland. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Anecdotal evidence among more junior officials - the White House wouldn't release data - suggests similar departure rates, and White House aides acknowledge difficulty filling roles in the administration.

The presidency with the next-highest first-year turnover rate was Ronald Reagan's, with 17 percent of senior aides leaving in 1981. And Trump's first-year rate is three times Bill Clinton's 11 percent and Barack Obama's 9 percent.

"This is very unusual. It's significant because the prior administration that had the greatest turnover was Reagan and Trump doubled it," said Dunn-Tenpas, who will update her preliminary data on the anniversary of Trump's inauguration. "Moreover, there are more senior-level departures, including the chief of staff, the press secretary and the national security adviser."

Those were Reince Priebus, Sean Spicer and Michael Flynn, all long gone.

New power players in the West Wing may not yet be household names, but they will likely help shape the fortunes of Trump's 2018. Johnny DeStefano, a White House aide and Beltway insider who once worked for former House Speaker John Boehner, has now taken on oversight of the White House political operation in addition to his other duties, according to an administration official not authorized to speak publicly about personnel matters.

DeStefano gained Trump's trust in weekly meetings discussing hiring across the administration, an official said, and is expected to take on a broader role in guiding political affairs in the midterm election year.

DeStefano is working alongside political director Bill Stepien, who came under fire after a series of White House missteps in the recent Alabama Senate race, which gave the Democrats their first Senate seat there in a generation.

In a heated White House meeting last month, some Trump allies - including former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski - argued that the political shop was failing the president, according to two people with knowledge of the meeting but not authorized to discuss it publicly. The allies warned that if the Democrats were to seize control of the House this November, they could begin impeachment proceedings that would imperil Trump's presidency.

"Donald Trump is all about results, and if he thinks things are going positive and well, I think that redounds to the team," said Trump friend Chris Ruddy, head of the conservative news site NewsMax, who spent time with the president in Florida over the holidays. "But if the approval numbers don't improve, I think he'll make changes to improve things. That's his way."

Much of the staff turnover in recent months was driven by John Kelly, who began his tenure as chief of staff by cracking down on internal rivalries and dismissing attention-seeking aides like Omarosa Manigault-Newman. Kelly has already quietly tapped Jim Carroll as deputy chief of staff, replacing Kirstjen Nielsen, the new Homeland Security secretary. Marc Short, head of legislative affairs, has also expanded his portfolio. Deputy Chief of Staff Rick Dearborn is expected to leave the West Wing in coming months.

Other aides who are leaving - including deputy national security adviser Dina Powell - have not been forced out, but rather are departing around the one-year mark, a relatively common practice in other White Houses. Powell is to be replaced by Nadia Schadlow, a confidante of National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster who oversaw the president's first National Security Strategy document.

But more high-profile changes may be on the horizon.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, whose relationship with Trump has proved fraught, has long been rumored to be on the way out, with CIA Director Mike Pompeo discussed as a likely replacement. Both Trump and Tillerson have publicly denied he is leaving.

Gary Cohn, the director of the National Economic Council, may depart after helping steer the tax bill to victory

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders plays down talk of turnovers.

"I have no reason to know of any personnel change whatsoever," Sanders said Thursday. "And we're moving full force ahead into 2018 to make sure we get a lot accomplished."

From the start, the administration struggled to find highly qualified candidates across the administration, largely owing to the president's unpopularity with the Washington political class. A spate of nominees for sub-Cabinet jobs and judicial appointments have been forced to back out over ethics concerns or because they were so unqualified even Republican lawmakers objected to their appointments. Others have been spooked by the ongoing Russia investigation, or widely documented stories of internal strife and dysfunction, while a number of qualified candidates have been ruled out because they opposed Trump during the 2016 campaign.

Still, Ari Fleischer, George W. Bush's former press secretary, praised Kelly for creating a more cohesive team and said that hiring sluggishness was to be expected.

"President Trump has earned the right as an outsider to create an outsider White House," said Fleischer. "I don't begrudge him turning his back on the Washington establishments. It's time for new people."

___

Lemire reported from New York.

___

Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire and Miller at http://twitter.com/@ZekeJMiller

FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2017, file photo, Trump deputy chief of staff for policy, Rick Dearborn, left, and senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, right, walk down the steps of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington. Already setting records for staff departures, President Donald Trump is facing even more in his second year, along with an increasing struggle to fill vacancies in an administration shadowed by the unrelenting Russia probe, formidable congressional challenges and Trump's own low poll numbers. Dearborn is expected to leave the West Wing in coming months. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's effort to keep Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a vocal and loyal supporter of his election bid, in charge of an investigation into his campaign offers special counsel Robert Mueller yet another avenue to explore as his prosecutors work to untangle potential evidence of obstruction.

The federal investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia already includes a close look at whether Trump's actions as president constitute an effort to impede that same probe. Those include the firing of FBI Director James Comey, an allegation by Comey that Trump encouraged him to end an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn and the president's role in drafting an incomplete and potentially misleading statement about a 2016 meeting with Russians.

The latest revelation - that Trump directed his White House counsel, Don McGahn, to tell Sessions not to recuse himself from the Russia investigation - is known to Mueller's investigators, who have interviewed many current and former executive branch officials. It adds to the portrait of a president left furious by an investigation that he has called a hoax and suggests that he worked through an intermediary to keep the inquiry under the watch of an attorney general he expected would be loyal.

FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump sits with Attorney General Jeff Sessions during the FBI National Academy graduation ceremony in Quantico, Va. Trump's White House counsel personally lobbied Attorney General Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Department's investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Three people familiar with the matter confirmed to The Associated Press that McGahn spoke with Sessions just before he announced his recusal to urge him not to do so. One of the people said McGahn contacted Sessions at the president's behest. All three spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid publicly discussing an ongoing investigation.

"What this adds that is new is that he took action to prevent, to attempt to prevent, Sessions from recusing himself," said Notre Dame criminal law professor Jimmy Gurule, a former federal prosecutor. "So now we go simply beyond his state of mind, his personal beliefs, to taking concrete action to attempt to prevent Sessions from recusing himself."

Though the episode makes clear Trump's exasperation with the investigation, it remains unclear whether Mueller's team has evidence to establish that the president's collective actions were done with the corrupt intent needed to prove obstruction of justice.

Trump and his lawyers have repeatedly maintained that he did nothing improper and that, as president, he had unequivocal authority to fire Comey and to take other actions. They may also argue that the president was empowered to want the attorney general he appointed to oversee the Justice Department's Russian meddling investigation or, as McGahn contended to Sessions, that there was no basis or reason at that time for the attorney general to recuse himself.

Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University who supports Sessions' decision to recuse, said he sees Trump's order to McGahn as another sign of the president's novice - and norm-breaking - approach to governing, rather than evidence of any criminal wrongdoing.

"This may have been part of the learning curve," Turley said. "It does not necessarily mean that he was covering up a crime."

Turley said he believes McGahn made a mistake by agreeing to Trump's demand that he lobby Sessions on his recusal, a move that would be "highly inappropriate" if the White House counsel went into the conversation knowing Sessions already had decided to step aside. To his credit, Turley said, McGahn appears to have backed off once he learned Sessions was following the advice of career ethics officials to recuse.

Asked about McGahn's efforts to keep Sessions from recusing, one of Trump's lawyers, John Dowd, told the AP, "I know nothing about that" and hung up. Jay Sekulow, another of the president's personal lawyers, has not responded to phone messages Thursday or Friday seeking comment.

In stepping aside from the probe on March 2, Sessions said it was not appropriate for him to oversee any investigation into a campaign of which he was an active and vocal supporter, though the recusal also followed the revelation that he had had two previously undisclosed interactions during the 2016 campaign with the Russian ambassador to the United States. At his January confirmation hearing, he had said he had had no meetings with Russians

But soon before the announcement, with White House officials anticipating that Sessions might be poised to step aside, McGahn spoke to Sessions by phone. During the conversation, according to the people familiar with the matter, McGahn argued to Sessions there was no reason or basis at that time for him to recuse himself. One person said McGahn also told him that recusal would do nothing to resolve concerns over whether Sessions had given a misleading answer at his confirmation hearing.

McGahn ultimately accepted the conclusion of officials who believed that Sessions should recuse.

The episode underscores McGahn's relevance to key moments of the Trump presidency that have come under Mueller's scrutiny.

Besides contacting Sessions, he also was the White House official approached in January 2017 by Sally Yates, then the acting attorney general, over concerns that Flynn was vulnerable to blackmail because of conversations he'd had with the Russian ambassador. Mueller has expressed interest in knowing how that information was handled within the White House.

Sessions' recusal left Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in charge of the Russia investigation. But once Trump fired Comey two months later, Rosenstein appointed Mueller, the former FBI director, to run the investigation and to report to him.

Four people, including Flynn and Trump's former campaign chairman, have been charged so far in the investigation.

The Sessions recusal has been a sore spot for Trump for months, with the president publicly deriding the decision and lamenting his selection of the former Alabama senator as his attorney general.

In a July interview with The New York Times, Trump said, "Well, Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job, and I would have picked somebody else."

___

Follow Eric Tucker and Chad Day on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP and https://www.twitter.com/ChadSDay
The Trump administration has proposed spending $18 billion over 10 years to significantly extend the border wall with Mexico, providing one of its most detailed blueprints of how the president hopes to carry out a signature campaign pledge.

The proposal by Customs and Border Protection calls for 316 miles (505 kilometers) of additional barrier by September 2027, bringing total coverage to 970 miles (1,552 kilometers), or nearly half the border, according to a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the matter.

It also calls for 407 miles (651 kilometers) of replacement or secondary fencing, said the official, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the plan has not been made public.

Trump has promised 'a big, beautiful wall' with Mexico as a centerpiece of his presidency but offered few details of where it would be built, when and at what cost. This February 1, 2017, file photo shows the border structure separating San Diego from Tijuana, Mexico

This October 26, 2017, file photo shows prototypes of border walls in San Diego. The Trump administration has proposed spending $18 billion over 10 years to significantly extend the border wall with Mexico

Trump has promised 'a big, beautiful wall' with Mexico as a centerpiece of his presidency but offered few details of where it would be built, when and at what cost.

His administration asked for $1.6 billion this year to build or replace 74 miles (118 kilometers) of fencing in Texas and California, and officials have said they also will seek $1.6 billion next year.

The 10-year plan, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, resulted from discussions with senators who asked the agency what it would take to secure the border, the official said.

It comes as the administration intensifies negotiations in Congress on a package that may include granting legal status to about 800,000 people who were temporarily shielded from deportation under an Obama-era program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

Trump said last year that he was ending DACA but gave Congress until March to deliver a legislative fix.

Trump's administration asked for $1.6 billion this year to build or replace 74 miles (118 kilometers) of fencing in Texas and California, and officials have said they also will seek $1.6 billion next year. he is seen above Friday preparing to leave the White House

The plan on border security came in response to a request by U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, said Jason Samuels, a spokesman for the Arizona Republican.

An administration official confirmed the document was prepared at the request of congressional negotiators and said funding for the wall and other security measures must be part of any legislative package on immigration. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan has not been made public.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the wall would be 'first and foremost' in any package that includes new protections for DACA recipients. She also said the administration wanted to close 'loopholes' on issues that include handling asylum claims and local police working with immigration authorities.

Nielsen called the $3.2 billion requests for fencing during the administration's first two years a down payment.

In this November 9, 2016, file photo, a Border Patrol vehicle drives by the border fence in Tecate, California left, along the metal barrier that lines the border, seen from Tecate, Mexico

'This is not going to get us the whole wall we need, but it's a start,' she said.

Mexico has steadfastly rejected Trump's demand that it pay for the wall and few doubt that U.S. taxpayers will foot the bill if the wall is built.

The Customs and Border Protection document calls for a total of $33 billion in new border spending, including $18 billion for the wall, $5.7 billion for technology gear, $1 billion for road construction and maintenance and $8.5 billion for 5,000 new Border Patrol agents, 2,500 border inspectors and other personnel, the U.S. official said.

The document doesn't specify where the extended wall should be built.
GADSDEN, Ala. (AP) - A fire has destroyed the home of a woman who accused U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore of sexual misconduct. Authorities say, however, that there is no indication the blaze had anything to do with the allegations.

Moore accuser Tina Johnson of Gadsden lost her home Wednesday in a fire that's under investigation by arson specialists in Etowah County.

A statement from the sheriff's office says authorities are speaking to a person of interest about the fire. The statement says investigators don't believe the fire is linked to Moore or the allegations against him.

Johnson is among the women who publicly accused Moore of sexual misconduct. She told AL.com Moore groped her in his law office in 1991.

Moore denied any wrongdoing, but he lost the race to Democrat Doug Jones.
Donald Trumps former campaign chairman is suing special counsel Robert Mueller and the Justice Department.

Paul Manafort alleges in the lawsuit that Mr Mueller exceeded his authority by investigating him for conduct that was not related to Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Mr Manafort was indicted in October and has pleaded not guilty.

The suit was filed on Wednesday in federal court in Washington.

The move comes amid Republican allegations of partisan bias among members of Mr Muellers team, which for months has been investigating whether the Trump campaign co-ordinated with Russia to influence the outcome of the US election.

President Donald Trump

Mr Manafort was indicted in October on charges related to his lobbying work on behalf of a Russia-friendly Ukrainian political party. He has pleaded not guilty.

He alleges in his lawsuit that the investigation into decade-old business dealings is completely unmoored from the mandate Mr Mueller was given when he was appointed in May by deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein.

Those alleged dealings had no connection whatsoever to the 2016 presidential election or even to Donald Trump. Nor were they uncovered in the course of the Special Counsels probe into President Trumps campaign, the suit alleges.

The lawsuit also argues that Mr Rosensteins order appointing Mr Mueller was overly broad and arbitrary.
Two men have appeared in court charged with the manslaughter of a 15-year-old girl who suffered an allergic reaction to a takeaway meal.

Mohammed Abdul Kuddus, 39, of Belper Street, Blackburn, and Harun Rashid, 38, of Rudd Street, Rossendale, appeared at Blackburn Magistrates Court on Thursday to face charges in connection with the death of teenager Megan Lee, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire.

Both men were charged with manslaughter, failing to discharge general health/safety duty to a person other than an employee, and contravening or failing to comply with EU provisions concerning food safety and hygiene.

Kuddus was also charged under the name of the company, RS Takeaways Ltd, with failing to discharge general health/safety duty to a person other than an employee and contravening or failing to comply with EU provisions concerning food safety and hygiene.

Kuddus, wearing a burgundy coat, spoke through an interpreter to confirm his name, age and address.

Harun Rashid leaving Blackburn Magistrates' Court (Eleanor Barlow/PA)

Both men confirmed their nationality as Bangladeshi.

Magistrates sent the case to Burnley Crown Court, where the men will appear on February 7, and they were both given conditional bail.

Megans parents were in court with other family members for the brief hearing.

The teenager died in hospital on New Years Day last year after being admitted on December 30.

She had eaten food from the Royal Spice Indian takeaway in Hyndburn.

A post-mortem examination showed she died from acute asthma due to nut allergy.

Lancashire Police said the takeaway was now trading under new ownership.
Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a 16-year-old boy found with stab wounds.

Police were called to Friars Wharf, Oxford, at 7.55pm on Wednesday but despite the best efforts of paramedics he later died in hospital.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said a 25-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man, both from Oxford, were arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody for questioning.

Thames Valley Police HQ

The next-of-kin of the victim, who is from the Birmingham area, have been informed, the spokesman said.

He added: Officers remain in the area, and a scene watch has been put in place while an investigation is carried out.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Howard said: "We are in the early stages of this investigation but we have already made two arrests.

"I understand that this incident will cause concern in the community, but I would like to reassure people that we are carrying out a full and thorough investigation.

"Members of the public can expect to see an increased police presence in the area in the coming days while our officers make inquiries.

"We would like to hear from anyone who witnessed this incident, or who has any information which could relate to it, no matter how insignificant it may seem.

"If you have any details which you think could help our investigation, please call the Thames Valley Police non-emergency number on 101."
A series of attacks in Ireland which left one man dead and two others injured has not been linked to terrorism.

As detectives continued to question a teenage suspect over the random killing and assaults in Dundalk, Co Louth on Wednesday morning, they said no terrorist link has been established.

The arrested man, aged 18 and from Egypt, was being interviewed while gardai liaise with counterparts in the UK and Cairo in a bid to establish the mans background.

An Garda Siochana extends its sympathies to the families of the deceased person and our thoughts are with those injured, the force said in a statement.

An Garda Siochana extends its sympathies to the families of the deceased person and our thoughts are with those injured in Dundalk, Co. Louth on 3rdJanuary, 2018.

Full Statement available on following link: https://t.co/4EOFnfP4zR pic.twitter.com/pEjAN5Gosu  Garda Info (@gardainfo) January 4, 2018

An Garda Siochana is currently liaising closely with our security and law enforcement partners worldwide to share and assess any relevant intelligence and its potential impact on the current investigation.

At this time, we can find no established link to indicate that this tragedy is terrorist-related.

Following the mans arrest, gardai said a number of lines of inquiry into the motive for the attacks were being investigated, including terrorism.

The dead man was Japanese, aged 24, and had been living in Ireland for a year. He has been named as Yosuke Sasaki and is understood to have come from Ebina, west of Tokyo.

He worked in a call centre in Dundalk and it is believed he was targeted randomly on Avenue Road in Dundalk shortly before 9am on Wednesday as he made his way to the office.

Officials in the Japanese embassy in Dublin have been liaising with the dead mans family and have appealed for privacy.

In the second incident, an Irish man was injured when he was stabbed a short time later on Coes Road in Dundalk, near the scene of the first incident.

Flowers left on Avenue Road in Dundalk (Niall Carson/PA)

At 9.40am gardai received a report that another local man had been injured in an attack with a fence pole at Seatown Place.

The arrested man had come into contact with gardai in Dundalk on January 1 when inquiries about his immigration status were conducted.

It is believed he had applied for asylum in the Irish Republic.

Gardai can hold the arrested man until Thursday evening when a decision will be made on whether to charge him or apply to have his period of detention extended.

Gardai said officers were liaising internationally with counterparts as the investigation develops.

It also noted that the threat level in Ireland from international terrorism remains unchanged and is classed as moderate, meaning an attack is possible but not likely.

The level of threat remains under constant review by An Garda Siochana in consultation with the Defence Forces, it said.

The public should be reassured that An Garda Siochana is committed to ensuring that the security of the state and our public areas remains a policing and security service priority.

Gardai urged people to remain vigilant and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
a staple song for his cousin Johnny Knoxville's series/movies "Jackass".





It made perfect sense for Roger to return with his Last Band and perform like an outlaw country music star on New Year's Eve with his BAHF and friends.





These guys are crowd pleasers, Roger Alan Wade, vocal, guitar Neal Nichols, vocal/bass Dave Summers, steel guitar Michael Dillard, drums.







Roger Alan Wade & The Last Band will perform at Puckett's Chattanooga on Jan. 13, prior to performing on the Outlaw Country Cruise on Jan. 22 -26 , New Orleans to Costa Maya.





A movie is in the works "The Reckless Kind: Story of Roger Alan Wade by Cindicate Productions on Vimeo Teaser No. 1 , Directed by Geoff James & Benson Greene.

Click here for the trailer.

RAW albums: "Southbound Train", "Deguello Motel", "Stoned Traveler", "Too Fat To Fly", "All Likkered Up" - Available NOW on iTunes, Amazon and everywhere music is sold online. (Johnny Knoxville Record Label)

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A man has been arrested after a fatal stabbing at a betting shop.

West Midlands Police said the victim was pronounced dead after officers were called to a branch of Paddy Power in Rookery Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, at 12.45pm on Thursday.

On arrival officers found a man with severe head injuries and he was pronounced dead at the scene. A cordon is in place and enquiries are on-going. https://t.co/4DTJpZOhqS  Birmingham Police (@BrumPolice) January 4, 2018

The force said in a statement: On arrival at the bookmakers, a man was found with severe head injuries.

Birmingham stabbing

Due to the extent of his injuries, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

At this stage, this is believed to be an isolated incident.

The road has been closed at Newcombe Road at the junction with Rookery Road. Buses are currently being diverted away from the area. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 giving log number 895 of 4 January. #Handsworth #Bham  Birmingham Police (@BrumPolice) January 4, 2018

A police spokesman said a cordon was in place and inquiries are continuing.

The road has been closed at Newcombe Road at the junction with Rookery Road. Buses are currently being diverted away from the area, the spokesman added.

Anyone with information about the death is asked to call police on 101.
An outcry over the planned release of notorious Black Cab rapist John Worboys after just eight years in prison leads many of Fridays papers.

The sex attacker, who is feared to have had more than 100 victims, was jailed indefinitely in 2009, however a Parole Board recently directed that he should be let out of jail.

Fallout from a yet-to-be-published book about Donald Trumps presidency also makes headlines, along with the latest on the NHS winter crisis and a tax on disposable coffee cups.

Picture

The Daily Telegraph says justice itself is in the dock over Worboys release after ministers warned the Parole Boards decision could erode faith in the system.

The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph: Justice in the dock as black cab rapist wins freedom #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/GdIQbME07d  The Telegraph (@Telegraph) January 4, 2018

The Daily Mirror said the decision had provoked fury, with one charity saying his release was far too soon.

Estimates over how many victims Worboys may have vary, with the Daily Mail saying police suspect he carried out up to 500 attacks.

Meanwhile the i says not all of his known victims were informed of plans to release him.

Thats not justice says The Suns front page, summing up reaction from many rape victim support groups and campaigners.

Tomorrow's front page: That's Not Justice pic.twitter.com/HRzIt63NI1  The Sun (@TheSun) January 4, 2018

carries more extracts from an upcoming book about Donald Trump and his administration  the president has launched legal action over in a bid to block its publication.

Tomorrow's front page: Trumps mental health questioned by top aide #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/mE0d6NkM0S  The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) January 4, 2018

Coverage of the NHSs winter crisis leads The Guardian, which reports on Prime Minister Theresa Mays apology for the cancellation of thousands of routine operations.

Guardian front page, Friday 5 January 2018: May says sorry to patients hit by NHS delays pic.twitter.com/vr4AtZuM8A  The Guardian (@guardian) January 4, 2018

The Daily Express reports on calls to give foreign aid to the NHS to help ease pressures.

The Financial Times covers warnings from security experts that the only way for companies to protect themselves from hackers exploiting a newly-revealed flaw in a type of computer chip is to replace the systems completely.

Just published: front page of the Financial Times UK edition for January 5https://t.co/C2k9AfdNeJ pic.twitter.com/qR4eec1igd  Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) January 4, 2018

reports on MPs calls for a 25p latte levy on disposable coffee cups that are mounting up in landfills.
Australia may have a pair of brothers on show at the SCG in the form of the Marsh siblings.

But, not to be out done, so did England on day two of the fifth and final Ashes Test as Billy Root joined the Barmy Army to support his brother Joe.

 Brotherly love 



Joe Root's brother Billy in full voice with The Barmy Army supporting the boys...



Singing his heart out #ItsTheAshes #Ashes pic.twitter.com/aLFFXIwJwh  Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) January 5, 2018

The Nottinghamshire batsman was spotted among the travelling fans, singing and dancing in support of England as they looked to salvage some pride in the five-match series.
Chancellor Philip Hammond has refused to rule out Britain being part of a customs union with the European Union after Brexit.

The Remain supporter, whose opposition to a hard exit from the bloc has angered some of his colleagues, left the door open to the UK signing up to an agreement that could restrict international trade deals.

MPs called on the Cabinet to urgently come to a decision about the key element of the upcoming negotiations with Brussels.

Chancellor Philip Hammonds letter of the Treasury select committee

Mr Hammond was asked by the Treasury select committee to explicitly rule out the UK participating in a customs union with the EU as part of its end-state relationship.

The Chancellor sidestepped the question and insisted the Government would be guided by what delivers the greatest economic advantage to the UK.

A customs union would curb the need for border checks but could also restrict the trade agreements the UK could seek outside it.

Nicky Morgan, who chairs the Treasury select committee, said: It was widely thought that being in a long-term customs union with the EU had been ruled out by the Government.

But the Chancellors letter confirms that this is not the case.

It is vital that the Cabinet reach agreement on these central questions about the UKs future relationship with the EU, as a matter of urgency.

Nicky Morgan, who chairs the Treasury select committee, says a decision must be made on customs union membership urgently (Dominic Lipinski/ PA)

The Liberal Democrats said breaking up the customs union would be complex.

Leader Sir Vince Cable added: This offers some reassurance that the Chancellor does understand the economic advantages of being part of a customs union with the EU. 
A police sergeant has denied murdering his detective wife.

Darren McKie, 43, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Leanne McKie, 39, when he appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday.

The father-of-three also entered a not guilty plea to a charge of manslaughter.

Darren McKie pleaded not guilty to the murder of Leanne McKie when he appeared at Chester Crown Court (Peter Byrne/PA)

McKie, wearing a grey jumper, appeared via video-link from HMP Liverpool and spoke only to confirm his name, age and nationality.

Judge Roger Dutton remanded McKie in custody following the hearing, which lasted less than 10 minutes.

He is due to stand trial in Chester on March 5.

Mrs McKie, who worked in the serious sexual offences unit at Greater Manchester Police (GMP), was found dead in a lake in Poynton Park, Cheshire, in the early hours of September 29.

Her husband, who also worked for the Greater Manchester force, was arrested shortly afterwards and charged with her murder at their home in Wilmslow, Cheshire.

In a statement released after her death, Mrs McKies parents, Raymond and Ellen, said: Leanne was a beautiful and loving daughter and a wonderful mother to our three special grandchildren.

She was the light of our lives and will be so sadly missed every day.
By Marc Frank

HAVANA, Jan 4 (Reuters) - The European Union's top diplomat Federica Mogherini met Cuban President Raul Castro on Thursday as she ended a two-day visit to the Communist country aimed at strengthening engagement even as the Trump administration backtracks on a fragile detente.

Cuban state-run television broadcast footage of the meeting and said it covered the favorable state of relations between the EU and Havana and international issues.

At a press conference earlier in the day, Mogherini said that EU member countries combined were now Cuba's most important economic partner and announced a series of agreements.

As the U.S.-Cuba rapprochement unfolded in 2015-2016 the EU dropped all sanctions and negotiated a political dialogue and cooperation agreement, the first between Cuba and the EU.

Mogherini told journalists before meeting Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on Thursday morning that the agreement also provided new potential in trade and investment.

"The EU has become Cuba's first trade partner and was already the first in investment and development cooperation ... which means it is possible to increase the level of economic relations and investments," she said before meeting Castro.

Mogherini said a delegation from the European Investment Bank would visit Cuba later this month.

She said cooperation agreements in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, culture and expertise valued at 49 million euros ($59.1 million) would be signed shortly.

In February, Mogherini will preside with Rodriguez in Brussels over the first joint cooperation meeting between the EU and Cuba, she said.

During her visit she repeatedly criticized the U.S. trade embargo and said she regretted "that the current U.S. administration has apparently changed course with Cuba."

Diplomats said the EU appeared to sense an opportunity, with Castro expected to retire in April and market-oriented reforms already underway.

"I believe that Europe has the potential and interest to take an independent agenda in Cuba in economic and political matters for strategic purposes," said a senior Latin American diplomat.

"Cuba does not cost so much and is very symbolic worldwide. At the same time it balances the growing Russian and Chinese influence," the diplomat said.

Richard Feinberg, an economist and expert on Latin America and Cuba at the Brookings Institution, said Cuban commerce is so spread around the world today that no single country accounts for more than 20 percent of its total trade. (Reporting by Marc Frank; Addiitonal reporting by Nelson Acosta in Havana; Editing by Richard Chang and Grant McCool)
By Michael O'Boyle

MEXICO CITY, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Mexicos acting attorney general said on Thursday prosecutors were already working to improve investigations and cooperation with other countries following an international report that blasted the country for failing to punish money launderers.

Alberto Elias Beltran, Mexico's acting attorney general, told Reuters in an interview that the country was seeking to work better with the United States and Colombia to target financial networks of multinational drug gangs.

Earlier this week, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international organization based in Paris that sets global standards for fighting illicit finance, criticized Mexico for not systematically prosecuting money launderers.

"There are important findings of opportunities for improvement at the attorney general's office," Elias said, noting in particular the room to improve the quality of money laundering investigations and the seizure of assets.

The FATF report highlighted that Mexico has been slipping in successful convictions. The country already lagged regional peers such as Colombia and Brazil, both of which have made strides in setting up independent prosecutors.

The report also noted the "low level of effectiveness" in prosecutions and seizures and an "extremely low level of effectiveness" in punishing corruption.

"We are working with the specialized offices (that target money laundering) where we are strengthening protocols," Elias said, adding that government agencies were also working to implement so-called parallel investigations.

The FATF report underscored that Mexico was largely failing to carry out parallel money laundering investigations to match probes of organized crime, drug trafficking and corruption.

The FATF recommends such parallel investigations, and its report on Mexico underscored haphazard, uneven results of current investigations, noting low conviction rates and tiny seizures of assets compared with the amount of illicit proceeds that are generated in Mexico.

Elias noted that the FATF report recognized Mexico had improved its legal framework to tackle laundering and credited the country for the recent the emphasis on improving investigations.

Elias pointed to last year's extradition of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, Mexicos most notorious kingpin, to the United States as a success. He said Mexico was continuing to work with the United States in order to identify Guzman's assets north and south of the border.

He also noted that during the last two months Mexico, Colombia and the United States have been working on developing a new computerized method to share information.

"This will allow us to be much more efficient in investigations and also in the detection of assets, which for us is fundamental to fight the financial structures of all criminal organizations," Elias said.

Mexico and the United States have been quietly increasing cooperation to fight heroin trafficking since last year. High-level U.S. state department officials have told Reuters that the United States has offered to help fund Mexico's efforts to eradicate opium poppies.

However, Elias said U.S. aid to Mexico to fight drug trafficking and improve its legal system was small compared with the spending by Mexico.

"Mexico has indicated that it has sufficient resources to be able to combat these criminal phenomena in a frontal manner," he said. (Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
BUCHAREST, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Friday.

PPI DATA

Romanian industrial producer prices rose 4.4 percent on the year in November, and edged up 0.5 percent on the month, data from the National Statistics Board showed on Thursday.

DEBT TENDER

Romania sold 460 million lei ($119.93 million) worth of April 2020 treasury bonds on Thursday, more than twice the planned amount, at an average accepted yield of 3.11 percent, central bank data showed.

CEE MARKETS

Financial sector stocks helped lift Central European stock indices on Thursday on optimism about the region's booming economic output and strong U.S. and German data.

CEE CURRENCIES

Central European currencies are expected to extend last year's gains in 2018, led by the Czech crown, as the region's economies roar ahead without much worry that they will overheat.

In Romania, where a robust wage rise is fuelling worries of economic overheating, the leu EURRON= is not expected to strengthen this year, after shedding about 3 percent versus the euro last year.

FONDUL PROPRIETATEA

Franklin Templeton, the manager of Romanian investment fund Fondul Proprietatea said on Thursday that Johan Meyer will become the Fund's sole lead portfolio manager as of April 1. Meyer takes over from Grzegorz Konieczny, who has managed the fund since Templeton became its manager.

HEALTHCARE

Only 870 doctors have filed paperwork needed to work abroad last year, roughly 70 percent less on the year, Ziarul Financiar estimated based on data from the country's doctors association. Healthcare sector wage rises could help explain the slowdown. Ziarul Financiar

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JUBA, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Clashes have broken out near South Sudan's capital Juba between government troops and rebels, officials said on Friday, the latest violation of a ceasefire signed last month.

The deal reached in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa between the government of President Salva Kiir and a myriad of opposition groups had aimed to end a four-year-old war in which tens of thousands of people have been killed.

But several violations have since taken place, for which all sides have been blamed.

On Friday, the army's spokesman Lul Ruai Koang said several people were killed after rebel troops attempted to seize a military outpost west of Juba held by Kiir's Sudan People's Liberation Army.

"At about 10:30 p.m. last night, bandits under the direct command of Lieutenant Colonel Chan Garang attacked the SPLA's position at the north of Kapur," he told a news conference, referring to a high-ranking officer who defected from the government last year.

Koang did not give details on how many had died, but said fighting was going on.

Rebels under former vice president Riek Machar, whose sacking in mid-2013 amid a power struggle triggered the civil war months later, denied the charges.

"That was not us, we never attack Juba," said Lam Paul Gabriel, the group's deputy spokesperson. "It is government propaganda (meant) to accuse us of violations."

The conflict in the world's youngest country has been fought largely along ethnic lines, pitting forces loyal to Kiir - an ethnic Dinka - and Machar, who is Nuer.

The war has forced a third of South Sudan's 12 million-strong population to flee their homes.

The ceasefire is intended to revive a 2015 peace deal that collapsed in 2016 after heavy fighting erupted in Juba, with talks on a new power-sharing arrangement and a new date for polls scheduled to follow.

It is also designed to allow humanitarian groups access to civilians caught in the fighting.

Neighbouring countries who brokered that agreement have warned the warring sides that they would back punitive measures if violations persisted.

The United States, Britain and Norway, who form a group that supported a 2005 accord that led to South Sudan's independence from Sudan, have also threatened to impose individual or group sanctions for those violating the ceasefire.

(Writing by Aaron Maasho; Editing by William Maclean)
LONDON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - The following table shows OPEC crude oil output in millions of barrels per day (bpd) in December and November, according to a Reuters survey published on Friday. In an effort to prop up prices, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries started reducing output by about 1.20 million bpd on Jan. 1 2017 in its first supply cut since 2008. Nigeria and Libya were exempted from the curbs. The December survey indicates output from the 13 OPEC members originally part of the deal rose by 20,000 bpd. Supply from the 11 members with production targets under the original accord fell by 30,000 bpd. Compared with levels from which they agreed to cut, which in most cases was October 2016 output, the 11 members have reduced production by 1.488 million bpd of the pledged 1.164 million bpd. That equates to 128 percent compliance, up from a revised 125 percent in November. November's total was revised lower by 90,000 bpd because of downward revisions to estimated production in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Venezuela, and an increase in Nigeria. Equatorial Guinea joined OPEC in May. Totals in the table below are rounded. December November Baseline Pledged Cut Compliance Jan. 1 output output for cut cut achieved (pct) target Algeria 1.04 1.02 1.089 50,000 49,000 98 1.039 Angola 1.63 1.60 1.751 78,000 121,000 155 1.673 Ecuador 0.53 0.54 0.548 26,000 18,000 69 0.522 Gabon 0.20 0.20 0.202 9,000 2,000 22 0.193 Iran** 3.83 3.82 3.707 -90,000 -123,000 3.797 Iraq 4.39 4.33 4.561 210,000 171,000 81 4.351 Kuwait 2.70 2.70 2.838 131,000 138,000 105 2.707 Qatar 0.61 0.61 0.648 30,000 38,000 127 0.618 Saudi Arabia 9.89 9.95 (R) 10.544 486,000 654,000 135 10.058 UAE 2.87 2.90 (R) 3.013 139,000 143,000 103 2.874 Venezuela 1.79 1.84 (R) 2.067 95,000 277,000 292 1.972 TOTAL OPEC 11 29.48 29.51(R) 30.968 1,164,000 1,488,000 128 29.804 Libya 0.94 0.97 0.351 Nigeria 1.86 1.78 (R) 1.594 TOTAL OPEC 13 32.28 32.26 (R) 31.749*** Equatorial Guinea**** 0.13 0.13 TOTAL OPEC 14 32.41 32.39 (R) R = Revised * Compliance is calculated by the following method in the table above: Baseline for cut minus December output = cut achieved Cut achieved divided by pledged cut = percentage compliance ** Iran is allowed a small increase in the deal. *** OPEC target based on the 32.50 million bpd ceiling OPEC announced on Nov. 30, 2016, minus Indonesia and using reference production figures listed in an internal OPEC document for Libya and Nigeria. **** Equatorial Guinea is required to limit output but OPEC has not published a production target for Equatorial Guinea or an updated overall target since it became an OPEC member. The Reuters survey aims to assess crude supply to market, defined to exclude movements to, but not sales from, storage. Saudi and Kuwaiti data includes the Neutral Zone. Venezuelan data includes upgraded synthetic oil. Nigerian output includes the Agbami stream and excludes Akpo condensate. (Additional reporting by Rania El Gamal; Editing by Edmund Blair)
A civil rights pioneer and organizer of the 1960's Sit-In Movement and beyond, Lonnie C. King Jr., will be the featured speaker during the Unity Group's 48th Annual MLK Week Main Program on Monday, Jan. 15, at 5 p.m. at Orchard Knob Missionary Baptist Church.

The main program directly follows the Annual March down historic MLK Boulevard, which will form alongside People's Street which aligns Olivet Baptist Church at 3 p.m., and commence down MLK Boulevard at 4 p.m. The main program will then convene at Orchard Knob Missionary Baptist Church at 5 p.m., where Mr. King will highlight some of his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.

The theme for this year is, "The Dream: Delay is Not An Option!"

About Lonnie C. King, Jr.:

Mr. King, civil rights stalwart Julian Bond, and the student body presidents of what was then Atlanta's six HBCU's, Atlanta University Center  Clark, Morehouse, Morris Brown, Spelman College, Atlanta University, and the Interdenominational Theological Center, would form and organize the Committee on Appeal for Human Rights, and issue An Appeal for Human Rights in many of Atlanta's daily papers. This action followed the dawning of a growing movement that was seen in places like Greensboro, N.C., Nashville, and with students from Chattanooga's Howard High during the first weeks of 1960, and would continue to sweep across the nation like a moral awakening throughout the year, including with COAHR's forming in Atlanta that March. In one 'Oral Interview', Mr. King stressed that there was a great need for unity in order to successfully challenge segregation and discrimination in all public sectors and accommodations through partaking in kneel-ins, jail no bail, and filing lawsuits that integrated all recreational places in Atlanta. The practical demonstrations were deeply rooted in the philosophy of non-violent civil disobedience, and despite being battered, bruised and beaten, like other desegregation efforts that arose during that year, they persevered. Mr. King and the Atlanta Student Movement had resolved that the time had come to rid the nation of the elements of racism and discrimination that threatened to relegate any American to second-class citizenship status. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Committee on Appeal for Human Rights, in 2010 the Appeal for Human Rights was updated in order to incorporate the challenges facing us today. From the 1960's Sit-In Movement, to Bloody Sunday in Selma and the Poor Peoples and Fair Housing Campaigns of 1968, the national call for equality and justice would be heeded through widespread advocacy on a variety of levels which includes the formation of dedicated social justice organizations like the Unity Group in 1969. Some of the more noteworthy contributions of the Unity Group has been the initiation and sponsorship of one of America's oldest and most continuous MLK Day Marches which began in 1970; the call for a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a national holiday and renaming of 9th Street to MLK Blvd. in the 1980's; and the advocacy for universal equality in education, voting and all of our democratic processes.

Other scheduled events for MLK Week include the Annual Prayer breakfast on Saturday, Jan. 13, at 9 a.m. at Second Missionary Baptist Church, which will feature the return of one of Chattanooga's native sons, longtime community advocate and radio personality Lee Henderson, and activities that will closely examine mass incarceration, youth development, and coalition building. For more information, refer to the Unity Group of Chattanooga's website and social media pages.
WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - The United States imposed sanctions on Friday on four current or former Venezuelan government officials, including an ex-food minister who is accused of corruption and mismanagement of the country's food supply.

The U.S. Treasury said in a statement that it had put the former food minister, Rodolfo Marco, who is also a former finance minister appointed by President Nicolas Maduro, on its Venezuela sanctions list.

It also listed Francisco Rangel, a former governor of Bolivar state; Fabio Zavarse Pabon, a commander in the national armed forces; and Gerardo Izquierdo Torres, a state minister.

The Treasury action freezes any assets the men have under U.S. jurisdiction and bars U.S. citizens from dealing with them.

Venezuelas Information Ministry did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

The move is Washington's latest action targeting individual politicians and security figures for what U.S. President Donald Trump has called an erosion of democracy. Venezuela is reeling from an economic crisis, with millions struggling with food and medicine shortages.

"President Maduro and his inner circle continue to put their own interests above those of the Venezuelan people," U.S Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said in a statement.

"This action underscores the United States resolve to hold Maduro and others engaged in corruption in Venezuela accountable."

Maduro regularly laughs off Washington's disapproval and blames the U.S. "empire" for Venezuela's economic woes. (Reporting by David Alexander and Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Lisa Von Ahn)
REUTERS, 05th JANUARY, 2018 - A severe winter storm froze pipes and disrupted services at refineries on the U.S. Atlantic coast on Thursday, sending fuel prices higher as heavy snowfall and high winds caused electricity outages for almost 80,000 homes and businesses.



The only nuclear plant in Massachusetts was shut just after 2 p.m. because of the failure of a line that connects the reactor to the power grid. Entergy Corp (ETR.N), which operates the Pilgrim Station, said it had not identified the cause of the line problem. ISO New England, which operates the regions power grid, attributed the shutdown to blizzard conditions. The company did not say when the station would restart.
A certain candidate in the local polls fray from a main political party is said to be a well-known cattle thief. He is a close associate of a leading politico in the area.



When the party activists in the area had asked the politico why the party was fielding a cattle thief known to have made money by various illegal means, he had replied: All these are false allegations. He has not been found guilty of any of the charges made against him!



People say that all they could do now is to take tighter measures to protect their cattle.
The United States Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme was discontinued for 120 countries across the world, with effect from the 1st of January 2018. Sri Lanka is one of them.



This decision while not being country-specific, is one stemming from the US Congress simply not re-authorizing the programme before adjourning for the year 2017.

The United States is Sri Lankas top export market. In 2016, the US imported US$ 2.8 billion worth of Sri Lankan goods.



American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) expects 6.2 percent of these exports to be impacted by the discontinuation of the GSP programme.



While recognizing that these particular goods will be affected by the rescinding of the GSP programme, AmCham is of the view that the overall impact on countrys total exports will be small, AmCham said in a statement yesterday.



We do recognize some of our members will be affected by the rescinding of the GSP programme; and as such, AmCham pledges its fullest support to its members and will work alongside relevant authorities with regard to this as well as to further improve bilateral trade, investments and relations, and to support the countries economic development by strengthening the business environment and stimulating foreign direct investments, AmCham said.



The GSP programme, like many other U.S. trade preference programmes provides opportunities for many of the worlds low-income countries to use trade to grow their economies and alleviate poverty.



GSP is the largest and oldest U.S. trade preference programme and was established by the Trade Act of 1974. GSP promotes economic development by eliminating duties on thousands of products when imported from one of 120 designated beneficiary countries and territories.


THE HINDU, 04th JANUARY, 2018- Bangladesh has welcomed 2018 amid fears of political unrest ahead of a crucial general election. Anxiety over a possible return to political instability is growing as the country prepares to elect its 11th Parliament at the end of the year. Most political observers express the view that the 2018 elections are going to be fiercely contested as opponents of the ruling Awami League-led alliance are likely to use all their strengths to see to that the secular pro-liberation

parties dont return to power. The earlier election, in 2014, was held amid a violent boycott by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its Islamist allies led by the Jamaat-e-Islami. One of the early indications of political instability is that the BNP-led alliance of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has started pressing the same demand as earlier.
Though the United States President Donald Trump is still insisting that climate change is a Chinese hoax, a bomb cyclone or a powerful blizzard battered the U.S. Northeast yesterday, knocking out power for tens of thousands of people and snarling travel amid a cold snap that has gripped much of the US for a week and killed more than a dozen people.



Mr. Trump embroiled in political controversy after controversy, with many psycho analysts even questioning his mental fitness to be the leader of the worlds most powerful country was confronted by a climate change crisis where thousands of flights were cancelled, fire fighters scrambled to rescue motorists from flooded streets in Boston, National Guard troops were mobilized in the Northeast and New York Citys two main airports halted flights because of whiteout conditions. Officials feared fast-dropping temperatures after the storm passed would turn snow on roadways to ice.



The widespread extinction of wildlife, deforestation and the excessive emission of carbon dioxide in most parts of the world are known to be three of the main human made causes of climate change or global warming and the catastrophic effects it could have especially on the new generation. One of the worlds best known wild life crusaders is ninety one year old David Attenborough. I remember one occasion in a remote part of northern Australia and Ill never forget -- its just one of those odd instances -- but the sun came up, and there was this billabong, this lagoon in front of me full of the most fabulous birds he told Christiane Amanpour in a wide-ranging interview on Cable News Network (CNN). His adventures began appearing on TV screens more than six decades ago, and have inspired entire generations to learn more about our planet.



He says, young people, were not paying enough attention to how endangered our wildlife is. But now theyre paying more attention than they did. And if you talk to young people today, they are passionate about wildlife. They are angry at what people are doing to the natural world, and they really want to care about it and do something.



David Attenboroughs fascination with nature began as a boy collecting fossils, something that clearly still fascinates him and which he even describes as romantic. David Attenborough, who had previously admitted to being skeptical about global warming, has long since converted to fervent believer and says there is no doubt that humans are responsible for it.



We should stop burning carbon as simple as that. We need simply to refine the technology to make it cheaper than taking it from the ground he adds.



Sir David has spent a lifetime raising awareness about the plight of animals and witnessed first-hand the impact humans have on the natural world. As the first ever continent-wide wildlife survey revealed recently poaching has caused thirty percent decline in the African elephant population. In Sri Lanka our majestic king of the jungle is facing the same crisis. What should governments be doing to prevent this?



The sale of ivory, certainly of ivory collected no more than 100 years old, should be banned he says.



Deforestation is taking place on such a huge scale that several United Nations organizations have come together in the battle against it. The UN Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation ( UN-REDD Programme) is a collaborative programme of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The overall development goal of the Programme is to reduce forest emissions and enhance carbon stocks in forests while contributing to national sustainable development. The Programme has expanded steadily since it was set up and now has more than sixty official Partner Countries spanning Africa, the Asia-Pacific and Latin America-Caribbean.



In the third area more countries are now using new technology to develop renewable sources of energy including solar energy, wind energy and energy form the sea. Creativity, imagination and innovation are required for this and we hope that Sri Lanka also will cooperate fully in these and other areas to keep climate change under control.
Law and Order and Southern Development Minister Sagala Ratnayake a short while ago ordered the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) to inquire into the incident where JVP Western Provincial Councillor Asoka Ranwala allegedly threatened Sapugaskanda Police Acting OIC.

The CCD has been ordered to handover a complete report over the incident before 11am tomorrow.

Councillor Asoka Ranwala was arrested on charges of threatening the Acting OIC and remanded today until January 19 by the Mahara Magistrates Court.

However, he was later admitted to the Colombo North Teaching Hospital. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)
AFP: China will invest US$1 billion in the construction of three 60-storey buildings at a mega-project near Sri Lankas main port, Colombo, as Beijing aims to boost its influence in the Indian Ocean.



The deal follows an earlier Chinese investment of US$1.4 billion to carry out reclamation work for the wider Colombo International Financial City development, strategically located next to Sri Lankas harbour, the only deep sea container port in the region.



The countries hope the project, initiated by former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse, will create a financial centre in the Indian Ocean comparable with those in Singapore and Europe, drawing billions in foreign investment and thousands of jobs.



Sri Lankan officials said 60 percent of the 269 hectare (672 acre) reclamation, due to finish next year complete with yacht marina, had already been completed.

No completion date was given for the buildings, the first for the development.



China Harbour (company) will put in US$1 billion to build three buildings, Urban Development Minister Champika Ranawaka told reporters in the capital.

These three 60-storey buildings will be able to attract more foreign companies into Sri Lanka.



The controversial project was formally launched after a visit to Colombo by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2014 but work was suspended by the new administration, which came to power in January the following year.



It resumed after the state-owned China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) entered into a fresh agreement with the new government in August 2016, despite geopolitical concerns from regional super power India.



Colombo is a key hub for Indian import-export cargo. Beijing has been accused of seeking to develop facilities around the Indian Ocean in a string of pearls strategy to counter the rise of its rival and secure its own economic interests.



After protests by New Delhi, Colombo removed freehold rights granted to the Chinese company and offered the land on a 99-year lease instead.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visited the site recently to inspect the progress of reclamation.



We will shortly have legislation to turn this area into a financial centre like in Europe or Singapore, he said.



The CCCC has said it expects the project to create 83,000 new jobs and help Sri Lanka attract another US$13 billion in direct foreign investment to develop infrastructure.



China, the largest single lender to Sri Lanka, secured contracts to build roads, railways and ports under Rajapakse, who is facing investigations over allegations of corruption during his decade in power.
As much as fee levying private missionary schools have not been able to bring up children with religious values, the late Rev. Kala Suri Marcelline Jayakody remains one, who went in search of values in his faith.



When his alma mater, a Missionary College in Colombo, put him out for not being able to pay the arrears fees he opted for seminary training to pursue his school education as a student. Although education is now compulsory for 13 years, there was a high drop-out rate, during the missionary school days due to the inability among parents to pay the fees missionary schools levied.



Such schools were not patronised by the State like now, hence those who were unable to pay facilities fees had to drop out.



Yong Marcelline Jayakody was not an exception and had the wisdom to seek entry to the Seminary to complete his primary education.



Most of the dropouts from the private schools now seek admission to Government schools as the only option to complete the 13-year education programme.



Not only Rev. Fr. Jayakody, but a lot of unfortunate children had to leave in the private missionary schools due to poor financing conditions.



However, with his upbringing in a homely Buddhist atmosphere, the Temple was a part o his life.

Many who promote reconciliation have emphasised the need to take the essence of all religions and base a Rule of Law in terms of the prescriptions of these faiths.



The late Rev. Jayakody justified this thinking and mobilised authorities to achieve these ends.

He used music and lyrics of indigenous ecclesiastical verse in this mission. However many before Rev. Jayakody had attempted this. It needs language and literature skills and the philosophical knowledge, which could be achieved only with an open mind.



Christianity was first introduced to the country during the latter part of the Anuradhapura Period, for which there is evidence- that of a Nelum Kurusaya (Petal Cross), which is believed to have been found carved in the Abhayagiri Monastery.



Even the Christ was colloquially named as Abishek Buddha, which means as the Anointed One in the Christian faith.



The composition of the Mangala Geethaya by late Rev. Fr. Jacome Gonsalves, CO and the famous composition of the Song Deviyo Uppanney Sathuni, could only originate from a rural agricultural community.



The Christian songs of the pre-Portuguese era had been rewritten or updated with better melodies in keeping with the indigenous verses.



Many revolutionary artistes like Fr. Jayakody and Francis Molligoda emerged in the post-independence era. They fall in line with Ananda Samarakoon, Sunil Santha and Rukmani Devi.



The struggle for a national music continued with the Radio Ceylon and even in Churches. There was also a musical revival of the Buddhists, with Latha Walpola and Mohideen Baig in the same period.



As the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is always conversant in the development of indigenous music in Sri Lanka, has once expressed that there had been wise men, who have not been in the school system.



Education is not only indoctrination according to a curriculum. This is the tradition of music the Jayakodys and Molligodas have bestowed to the heritage of the Catholic Church.



It is up to the stakeholders to patronise this tradition for the betterment of our culture.
The ship carrying 50,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer from Pakistan is to arrive at the Colombo Port on Monday, Ceylon Fertilizer Company Chairman Roshana Waduge said today.

Mr. Waduge told the daily Mirror that the stock contained Granular and Urea fertilizer.

He also said 200 lorries had been mobilised to distribute the fertilizer directly from the port.

The samples of the fertilizer are to be tested in three laboratories before the consignment is unloaded.

Mr. Waduge said by Tuesday (9) the entire stock would be distributed settling the fertilizer shortage.

However, addressing the Cabinet media briefing on Wednesday Co-Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara said the fertilizer carrier was to arrive in the country on Wednesday night. However when contacted he told the Daily Mirror that the statement was amde based on the information given by Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayake to the Cabinet.

He further said he wasn't aware why Minister Dissanayake informed the Cabinet so when it was to be arrive on Monday (8). The Minister said he just conveyed what was informed to the cabinet and therefore one should get the clarification from Minister Dissanayake. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)

Video by Buddhi, Sanjeewa
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has selected Jeff Hocking as senior vice president and chief actuary.



In this new role, Mr. Hocking will be responsible for oversight, strategic leadership, and analytical best practices for all actuarial functions supporting all lines of business at BlueCross. He will also provide strategic counsel and analysis for decision support related to pricing and rate negotiations, claims reserves, forecasting and other budgeting and reporting needs.



Mr. Hocking joined BlueCross in 1999 as an actuarial assistant and has held several leadership roles throughout his 18 years with the company.



Most recently, Mr. Hocking served as vice president of commercial pricing and analytics, where he led commercial market pricing, forecasting and financial analysis efforts.



As a leader, Jeff has consistently demonstrated his expertise and ability to work for and across all areas of the company, said John Giblin, executive vice president and chief financial officer at BlueCross. His skills and experience have strengthened our organization in ways that enable us to more fully achieve our mission of providing peace of mind for our members.



Mr. Hocking earned a Bachelor of Science in actuarial studies from Southern Adventist University. He has been a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and an associate in the Society of Actuaries since May 2007.
Communique was sent after a delegation representing the 1,400 villagers of Paanama, who were violently evicted from their lands in 2010 made representations seeking justice at the sixth session of the International Tribunal on Evictions that convened in Venice, Italy in September 2017.

The International Tribunal on Evictions has sent an official communique dated 26th December 2017 to Sri Lankan authorities including President Maithripala Sirisena, Secretary to the President Austin Fernando, Minister of Land and Parliamentary Reforms Gayantha Karunathilaka, Minister of Tourism and Christian Affairs John Amaratunga, Land Commissioner R. M. C. M. Herath, Provincial Land Commissioner East D. D. Aruna Dharmadasa and others, to implement the ITEs recommendations with the collaboration of the relevant authorities with respect to the land grabbing at the Paanama village in the Eastern Province. The International Tribunal on Evictions has sent an official communique dated 26th December 2017 to Sri Lankan authorities including President Maithripala Sirisena, Secretary to the President Austin Fernando, Minister of Land and Parliamentary Reforms Gayantha Karunathilaka, Minister of Tourism and Christian Affairs John Amaratunga, Land Commissioner R. M. C. M. Herath, Provincial Land Commissioner East D. D. Aruna Dharmadasa and others, to implement the ITEs recommendations with the collaboration of the relevant authorities with respect to the land grabbing at the Paanama village in the Eastern Province.

This communique was sent after a delegation representing the 1,400 villagers of Paanama, who were violently evicted from their lands in 2010 made representations seeking justice at the sixth session of the International Tribunal on Evictions that convened in Venice, Italy from the 28th to 30th September 2017.

The delegation comprised of Somasiri Punchirala and G. Kusumawathi from the Organization for the protection of Paanama Pattuwa and Sandun Thudugala from the Peoples Alliance for the Right to Land.

The ITE has also requested that periodic reports with respect to the implementations be forwarded to them with the deadlines set as 31/3/2018 and 31/10/2018. The tribunal was told that in August 2010, a group of armed people evicted 350 families from Paanama and burnt their houses and belongings. Several villagers were injured.

The evicted people were homeless and deprived of their traditional livelihood as farmers and fishers.

Later the villagers found out that the land was intended to be used for tourism development. Shortly after the eviction, the villagers founded the Paanama Pattuwa Protection Organization (PPPO) in an attempt to get their land back.

As a first concrete step, they filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL). The HCRSL recommended handing the occupied land back to the people. However, the Sri Lankan Navy (SLN) and Air Force (SLAF) prohibited villagers returning to their land. The evicted people were homeless and deprived of their traditional livelihood as farmers and fishers.

They had to find shelter at the houses of their relatives. They also said that the Sri Lankan Navy had built a hotel known as the Malima Lagoon Cabanas while the Air Force was building the International Relations Centre on their land.

The International Tribunals on Evictions is convened by the International Alliance of Inhabitants (IAI) and civil society organizations, which is a global network of grassroots associations of inhabitants, communities and social movements.

This years tribunal takes the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 as an occasion to focus on tourism related displacement and evictions.

The Tribunal relies on the expertise of an international. Jury of well-respected and competent individuals, as well as on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and other instruments of international law, in order to pass judgment on real cases of forced evictions that constitute human rights violations.

Navy had built a hotel known as the Malima Lagoon Cabanas ..Air Force was building the International Relations Centre on their land.

A press release by the ITE stated that the case of Paanama village highlights a clear lack of Free, Prior and Informed Consent and meaningful consultation of the local community with regards to tourism development and land right issues resulting in violations of national and international regulations and has issued the under mentioned preliminary general Recommendations and specific Recommendations related to the Sri Lanka Case

Recommendations by the ITE to National / Local Authorities

1 We urge the Divisional Secretariat of Lahugala, District Secretary of Ampara and the Land Commissioner Generals Department to implement the Cabinet decision of 11 February 2015 and allow them unrestricted access to their land and marine resources. Furthermore we demand to fairly compensate the communities for the 25 acres that the constructions have already been done.

2 We urge the Government to follow the recommendation of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (HRC) in complaint case number HRC/AM/105/10/b/OT] and order of the Magistrates Court of Pottuvil 8455/PC/09 by refraining from taking any steps to evict the people who have returned to their lands, refrain from preventing the people from returning to their land and to permit the people to return to their lands.

3 We urge the Government of Sri Lanka to compensate the communities in Paanama for the losses they experienced through the destruction of their houses, belonging and crops, by being forcibly evicted and cut off from their sources of livelihood, income and food over the period of more than 7 years and to assist the displaced families in restoring their livelihoods upon their return to their lands.

4 We urge the Government of Sri Lanka to reduce the military presence and order the military to cease violence against, surveillance, intimidation and harassment of the local population, activists, civil society, and journalists and to order the military to cease all commercial activities by dismantling military-run hotels.

5 We urge the national and local authorities to comply with the Human Rights framework, which the government of Sri Lanka ratified, and to implement the UNHRC Resolution 30/1 on Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka.

6 We urge the national government to enshrine housing and land rights as fundamental rights in the new constitution and to establish an independent land commission with a people friendly land policy in Sri Lanka.

7 While the Sri Lanka Tourism Strategy 2017-2020 emphasizes communities role as a valuable workforce in tourism, the commitment to ensuring their free, prior and informed consent in tourism development, particularly when it affects their homes, land and resources, remains rather vague. It is high time to ensure that mechanisms for local community participation in tourism planning are enshrined in laws, public policies and are effectively enforced at local and national levels. Furthermore, structural barriers to the development of small and medium sized local tourism businesses and community-based tourism initiatives, such as complicated licensing systems and unfavourable tax schemes, must be addressed.

8 National and local authorities must keep communities informed regarding regional development plans, such as tourism development zones, respecting their right to information and allowing for their meaningful participation and consultation in the process of developing and implementing such regional strategies.

9 The Minister of Lands must ensure due process relating to the acquisition of private and state land by the state and by tourism businesses.

10 As a general principle, independent and mandatory environmental impact assessment, as well as social and human rights impact assessments, should be carried out in a participatory manner prior to any decision to acquire private land/use state land and to implement development projects.

11 The involuntary relocation of communities must be kept to an absolute minimum. If communities are involuntarily relocated to pave way for tourism development projects, we urge the government to follow the principles laid down in the National Involuntary Resettlement Policy, at not more than 10 minutes walking distance and in full respect of all their human rights.

Recommendations to Tourism Businesses and Investors

1 Malima Hospitality Services must compensate the evicted for land on which the hotel premises are built on and for the losses the community has experienced since its eviction in 2010.



2 We expect national and international tourism businesses to take the necessary due diligence measures in order to avoid human rights violations through their direct and indirect business activity along the supply chain in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.



3 Tour operators must be cognizant of the post-conflict situation in Sri Lanka, and pay special attention to the vulnerability of local communities and their land rights in their human right impact assessments. They must ensure that the hotels and resorts they work with are not built on illegally acquired land and that the local population has access to resources such as water and food, and that human rights are respected throughout all spheres of business activity and along the entire supply chain.



4 Investors must make sure that prior to the construction of hotels and tourism infrastructure the local population is consulted on an equal footing, has given its approval and that a binding agreement has been negotiated with the affected parties concerning mutual obligations.



Legal Background supporting Evidences of Violations of Human Rights International Covenants

Article 11 (1) of International Covenant on Economic Social Cultural Rights (ICESCR), acceded by Sri Lanka on 11 June 1980. Under Article 11 (1) ICESCR, all authorities, including local authorities, are therefore obliged to refrain from the practice of forced evictions, and to prevent third parties, including private companies, from carrying out forced evictions. The Commission on Human Rights has also indicated that forced evictions are a gross violation of human rights; the relocation can only be justified, as described in General Comments n. 4 and 7, under very exceptional circumstances, with the agreement and throughout meaningful consultation with all those affected and adequate compensation for the loss of homes and land.



Article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), ratified by Sri Lanka on 12 July 1991: States Parties, in accordance with national conditions and within their means, shall take appropriate measures to assist parents and others responsible for the child to implement this right and shall in case of need provide material assistance and support programs, particularly with regard to nutrition, clothing and housing;  Art. 14. 2 (h) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) ratified by Sri Lanka on 05 Oct



1981: States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in rural areas in order to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women, that they participate in and benefit from rural development and, in particular, shall ensure to such women the right:.. To enjoy adequate living conditions, particularly in relation to housing, sanitation, electricity and water supply, transport and communications.



Art. 8-9 of Inquiry procedure under the Optional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, ratified by Sri Lanka on 5 October 2002 National Laws and Policies Constitution of Sri Lanka



Article 12 (1) - All persons are equal before the law and are entitled to equal protection of the law. Sri Lankan Courts have held that all arbitrary actions of the executive and administrative arms of Government violate the right to equality. The Government has committee a number of arbitrary actions in evicting the Paanama community from their lands.



Article 12 (2)  No citizen shall be discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion, language, caste, sex, political opinion, place of birth or any one of such grounds.



Article 14 (1) (g)  Every citizen is entitled to the freedom to engage by himself or in association with others in any lawful occupation, profession, trade, business or enterprise.



Article 14A  Every citizen shall have the right of access to any information as provided by law, being information that is required for the exercise or protection of a citizens rights. 2. State Lands (Recovery of Possession) Act No. 7 of 1979 This Act provides for the recovery of possession of State lands to the government. Provisions of this law were not made use of in taking over the Paanama lands to the military. Land Acquisition Act No. 9 of 1950 provides for the acquisition of private lands by the Government. The procedure laid down in this Act should be applied in taking over State lands in respect of which permits or land grants have been given.



However, arbitrary actions on the part of the Government include:

1 The Military arbitrarily acted in forcefully evicting the people from their lands which they occupied for 40 years; In doing so, the Sri Lankan government arbitrarily refrained from resorting to legal procedures in acquiring land for government purposes; The Government continued to arbitrarily hold these lands without returning them to the community; Due to arbitrary actions of the Government, the community was prevented from returning to their lands for over 6 years and the community remain displaced; The Government arbitrarily delayed the returning of the lands  causing loss of livelihood and disruption to lives The Government arbitrarily refused to comply with the cabinet decision and have acted in contravention of the decisions of the Magistrates Court and Human Rights Commission;



2 Enabling legislation is the Right to Information Act No. 12 of 2016. This was not followed in taking over the lands in Paanama for which state land permits have been given.



3 National Involuntary Resettlement Policy (approved by the Cabinet in 2001) Scope: Policy applies to all development induced land acquisitions or recovery of possession by the State. Requires a comprehensive Resettlement Action Plan where 20 or more families are affected. Key principles: involuntary resettlement should be avoided or reduced as much as possible by reviewing alternatives to the project and alternatives within the project; if involuntary resettlement is unavoidable, affected people should be assisted to re-establish themselves, affected persons to be fully involved in the selection of relocation sites, livelihood compensation and development options; replacement land to be an option for compensation in case of loss of land; compensation for loss of land and other assets and income



4 Judicial Pronouncements by national judicial and quasi-judicial bodies Court of Appeal Case No. CA 352/2016

Even after the Cabinet decision was taken to return the lands to the community, Government served Quit Notices on the community and filed action in the Magistrates Court to evict them. This case was filed by the community members seeking Writs of Certiorari to quash the decision of the Government to serve Quit Notices and file action to evict them. The Petitioners also sought a Writ of Mandamus compelling the Government to take steps to implement the Cabinet decision. Court of Appeal issued notices on the Government authorities and fixed the case for argument. Considering this step of the Court of Appeal, the Magistrates Court case was laid by until the final determination of the Court of Appeal case. Magistrates Court of Pottuvil Case No. 8455/PC/09 Consequent to an application filed by the Police to prevent the community from entering their lands, the Pottuvil Magistrates Court initially made an interim order prohibiting the community from entering their lands. However, after hearing the submissions made on behalf of the community members, the Magistrates Court held that the right to life is one of the important rights and that no law will permit the refusal of this right. Court refused to extend the interim order and permitted the community to enter the lands.



Human Rights Commission Complaint No. HRC/AM/105/10/B/OT The Human Rights Commission arrived at the conclusion the officers of the Sri Lanka Police attached to the Pottuvil Police Station wrongfully and unlawfully, without any legal authority had prevented the villagers from returning to their homes which were destroyed by the unidentified armed gang in October 2010.



The Human Rights Commission recommended that the Complainants be given land for cultivation or be granted compensation.



Administrative Decisions Cabinet Decision of 11.02.2015 Cabinet of Ministers decided to release the lands under the control of the Air Force in Paanama to landless people in the area except the land in extent of 25 acres in which buildings are constructed.
State-owned Lanka Sathosa shopping chain has dramatically ascended to become the largest retail player in Sri Lanka, beating all other local supermarket brands unmistakably.



Lanka Sathosa now stands as Sri Lankas largest retail shopping chain, said Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, launching the first mega model outlet of Lanka Sathosa at Welisara yesterday.



We are commencing the first ever mega model outlet of Lanka Sathosa here today, thereby launching Sathosas mega outlet series. We thank Unilever Sri Lanka for their support given to revamp the previous Welisara outlet to create the first mega model outlet here. We are planning another 25 such new mega outlets this year, and they are coming up with the support of private sponsorships and not from public funds said Minister Bathiudeen, and added: In fact, as we meet here today two other Ministers are also launching two Lanka Sathosa outlets in Badulla district at this moment, and I am pleased to say that together with all the three outlets launched, our network of branches has arrived at a total of 400 as of today, and Lanka Sathosa now stands as Sri Lankas largest retail shopping chain.



We are transforming Lanka Sathosa from a loss-making service institute to a marketing-based, profit- oriented model so that it can serve our consumers without being a burden to our public funds. In fact I am pleased to say that we have commenced many cost control initiatives and as a result saved significant funds last year. We also launched many promotional campaigns with reputed Sri Lankan companies to increase sales turnover which has greatly helped Lanka Sathosa to increase its revenues. As a result today I am happy to say that our monthly turnover has almost doubled and in December 2017 our turnover was Rs 3.2 billion.



Minister Bathiudeen was joined by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Minister John Amarathunge and Chairman of Unilever Sri Lanka Carl Cruz.



Lanka Sathosa has seen great growth and I praise Minister Bathiudeen for this achievement said Prime Minister Wickremesinghe.



The government wants to give essential goods at most reasonable prices to the consumers.



We have not deviated from this and in fact, implementing it. Lanka Sathosa is playing the great role of lowest price setter in local retail market, and helps government in its consumer support role, he added.

In its quest to expand further in to rural areas, Lanka Sathosa plans 8000 franchised outlets partnering with privately owned MSME shops across the country and has already started registration of qualifying MSMEs. The present Lanka Sathosa network of 400 is scheduled to be expanded further- so that when it celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2019, the network shall total 500 branches-along with a bigger monthly turnover. Lankan FMCG sources said that the second largest privately owned supermarket chain after Lanka Sathosa has only around 240 outlets.
The three horizontal lines on the wrist are called the Rascettes or Bracelets.



Bracelets of health, wealth and happiness

Some people have two or four bracelets. The ancient Greeks have called these lines Bracelets of Health, Wealth and Happiness.



Indian palmists call these lines bracelets of Health, Wealth and Honour and Respect. In other words, they differ in describing the third bracelet equating the Greeks line of happiness to honour and respect.



Most coveted gifts of Mother nature

Meanwhile, celebrated French palmist Desbarroles has described the third Bracelet as the Line of Fortune while sticking to the general nomenclature in respect of the first two Bracelets.



The renowned palmist Cheiro says that it is seldom that these three bracelets are found together on a hand because Mother Nature does not usually bestow the three most coveted `gifts, Health, Wealth and Happiness on one single person.



The Greek legend

Delving into an ancient Greek legend, Cheiro says that at a certain period of the Greek civilization every young maid was required to have her hands examined by the priest of the temple before being given in marriage. The purpose of this `ecclesiastical edict was to ascertain whether the maid seeking to embark on matrimony had the first bracelet nearest the palm representing Health well formed on the hands. For example, if the first bracelet was found rising up into the palm forming an arc, the Priest would not allow the woman to marry. Because such a malformation of the bracelet was considered as representing a physical deformity of hers preventing her from producing a child.

Cheiro agrees with this ancient Greek interpretation of the malformed first bracelet adding that this rule is applicable to both male and female.



Wish-fulfilling line

If a line starting from the wrist goes up, the owner would have his wishes fulfilled, says celebrated Indian Palmist Dr. Narayan Dutt Shrimali. Palmists both from the West and the Orient say that a clear and distinct bracelet closest to the palm adds strength to a distinct Life line.



Longevity  four bracelets indicate 100 years

However, some Indian Palmists directly link a persons longevity to bracelets. They say that if there are four bracelets on the hand, the subject would live up to 100 years. This interpretation is based on the reckoning that one bracelet represents 25 years of age. However, renowned palmist Psychos says that he has met subjects aged over 80, with only two bracelets.



Some of the characteristics of bracelets and their significations are as follows:



(1) The first bracelet chained: A life of much hard work and care, but final success with efforts coming to fruition.

(2) Three clear bracelets with a poorly marked line of Life: A beneficiary of a great fortune, but health is too poor to enjoy his fortune.

(3) The first bracelet high on the wrist and convex in shape: Defective reproductive system and difficulties in child bearing.

(4) A line proceeding from the Rascettes to the Mount of Jupiter: A long and successful journey.

(5) A line proceeding straight to the Mount of Mercury: Indication of sudden wealth.

(6) Lines running from the bracelets to the Mount of Moon: Every line indicates a journey. Longer the travel lines, longer the journeys.
Thirteen financiers accused of funnelling more than CH15 million ($15.3 million) to the Sri Lankan Tamil separatist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) will stand trial before the Swiss Federal Criminal Court on Monday.

The accused are from Switzerland, Germany and Sri Lanka. Some are former members of the World Tamil Coordinating Committee (WTCC), which represented the LTTE in Switzerland until 2009, and include its founder, his deputy and the person in charge of finances.

Between 1999 and 2009, they allegedly created a complex fundraising structure which involved coaxing members of the Tamil diaspora to obtain loans from banks. To raise higher amounts, the WTCC was accused of creating fictitious companies in the name of borrowers that issued fake salary certificates.

The 13 on trial face charges of fraud, false documentation, money laundering and extortion. As the LTTE was never declared a terror organisation in Switzerland, they will not face charges of funding a terror group, unlike cases involving Islamic State or al-Qaeda.

The Attorney General strongly suspects the LTTE fraction under investigation of having collected the money in question by means of threats and by creating a regime of fear to induce them to make the payments, says a court documentexternal link.

The Swiss funds were transported in cash by couriers to Singapore and Dubai, eventually reaching the LTTE in Sri Lanka who allegedly used the money to purchase arms. This funding system collapsed in 2009 after the LTTEs military defeat at the hands of the Sri Lankan armed forces.

I dont think [the 13 suspects] should face trial as the LTTE struggled for the freedom and self-determination of Tamils, which is not a crime. It takes two parties to make a war and Switzerland should investigate the war crimes of the Sri Lankan army as well, Anna Annor, president of Swiss Council of Eelam Tamils, told swissinfo.ch on Thursday.

Long-drawn saga

The whole process was set in motion in 2009 when the Office of the Attorney General launched an investigation against unknown persons for extortion, coercion, money laundering and organised crime.

In 2011, a vast sting operation in several Swiss cantons resulted in the arrest of several suspects who were later released within a span of two months. A year later, a delegation from the Office of the Attorney General and the Federal Office of Police travelled to Sri Lanka to interview around 15 witnesses.

Around 80% of Tamils living in Switzerland had made payments to support LTTE at the time to support the struggle against genocide. That does not make Tamils supporters of terrorism, says Kuruparan Kurusamy, former president of the Swiss Council of Eelam Tamils.

The trial of the accused was originally scheduled for June 2016. However, proceedings were delayed when the lawyer of one of the accused demanded that a bank involved in the financial transactions also be cited by the judge as one of the defendants. According to Kurusamy, the bank in question was Credit Suisse and he claims it had accepted 135 loans under the name of one Sri Lankan national based in Germany.

However, the Federal Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, allowing the trial to go ahead. A verdict is expected around mid-March.

Around 50,000 people from Sri Lanka live in Switzerland, mostly ethnic Tamils, who fled the islands 30-year civil war that ended in 2009. Many applied for Swiss citizenship and as of 2016 there were slightly more than 28,000 people with Sri Lankan citizenship residing in Switzerland. In 2016, the Swiss government announced it would apply more stringent criteria for granting Sri Lankan nationals refugee status. (swissinfo)
McDonalds, the worlds most iconic fast food chain, launched its latest restaurant in Mount Lavinia, just in time for the new year.



It was formally opened by Amalka De Alwis and McDonalds Sri Lanka Business Development Manager Shera Pestonjee recently in the presence of several distinguished invitees.



Prominently located along Galle Road, McDonalds Mount Lavinia aims to provide consumers with the opportunity to create and enjoy those delicious feel-good moments in comfort, ease and style.



This new restaurant will embody the predominant hallmarks that have made McDonalds a globally renowned brand, including ample parking, a family-friendly ambience with a large play land, quick and courteous service as well as simply scrumptious food.



The new outlet in Mount Lavinia will offer customers various options to savour the diversity of delicacies currently available at McDonalds.



One option would be the McDelivery, which quickly and effectively delivers your favourite McDonalds meals to regions such as Moratuwa, Angulana, Ratmalana, Mount Lavinia, Dehiwala, Kawdana, Wellawatte, Attidiya, Kandawala and Boralesgamuwa. So, if you are struck with the craving for either a sizzling big Mac, spicy chicken burger or fiery McRice, but you do not want to step outside your home, you can just contact 5 555 555 or log onto your McDelivery app and have it quickly delivered to your doorstep.



Additionally, on those super busy mornings when breakfast almost becomes an after-thought, you can easily grab a quick bite to eat and McDonalds notable long black coffee by driving into the Drive-Thru at McDonalds Mount Lavinia. Thus, you can order and be served in minutes without even getting out of your vehicle.

Further, McDonalds Mount Lavinia is the ideal restaurant for family get-togethers and a rendezvous with your friends. The enticing Happy Meals, a spacious play-area and McDonalds famous Funday Sundays make the restaurant a fun and exciting trip for your kids. So, head over to McDonalds Mount Lavinia and enjoy our highly affordable and immensely delectable food that will make you say, Im Lovin It.
North and South Korea have agreed to hold high-level talks next week, the Defence Ministry in Seoul said Friday, with North Koreas potential participation in next months Olympics top of the agenda.



Pyongyang had accepted an invitation from Seoul to hold talks in the shared border village of Panmunjom, located in the Demilitarized Zone, on Tuesday, the ministry said.



The talks will be the first meeting between the two governments in more than two years and come after both sides extended olive branches.



North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had offered to send a delegation to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea in his New Years address, and said he sincerely hoped they would be a success.



In response, Seoul suggested Tuesdays meeting, saying it wished to resolve the crisis over North Koreas nuclear programme with dialogue and diplomacy.



Hopes of a potential thaw between the neighbours continued on Wednesday, when the two countries restored a telephone hotline in Panmunjom that had not been used since 2016.



And on Thursday, the US and South Korea said they had agreed to delay planned joint military exercises until after the Olympics.



Tensions escalated on the Korean peninsula over the course of 2017 as North Korea forged ahead with developing its missiles and nuclear weapons.



North and South Korea have been in a technical state of war since 1953, when a ceasefire came into force. Talks have started multiple times since then to establish a formal peace treaty, but have always collapsed due to acrimony on each side.



North Korea is enraged by the Souths reliance on the United States, especially its decision to let US troops be stationed there, as well as and its policy of conducting regular military drills with those troops.



It has also reacted badly to South Korean programmes to blast propaganda messages across the border by loudspeaker.

DPA, 05th JANUARY, 2018
Work on the US $ 1.4 billion China-funded Colombo Port City is steaming ahead. The developing company, China Harbour, is expected to invest a further US $ 1 billion on the construction of three 60-storey buildings within the Port City that will house the proposed Colombo International Financial Centre. The Central Bank expects FDI flows into the Port City and Hambantota port to drive Sri Lankas growth



Pic by Pradeep Pathirana
MOSCOW REUTERS Jan 4-Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has urged the United States not to interfere in what Moscow calls Irans domestic affairs according to TASS news agency.

Anti-government demonstrations erupted a week ago in Iran, and U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed support for the protesters. At least 21 people have died in the demonstrations, which began as protests against economic hardship.



Irans army chief said on Thursday that police forces had quelled the unrest, but his troops were ready to intervene if needed.



I am certain that our neighbour, our friendly state will manage to overcome current difficulties and come from the current period as a strengthened country and reliable partner to solve various problems, Ryabkov said, according to TASS.



Those problems included compliance with the agreement Iran reached with world powers in 2015 to curtail its nuclear-power programme. Trump has long criticised that agreement.



The current situation, when Washington gives in to the temptation to raise more questions on the nuclear agreement, Ryabkov said, is evidence that the United States is trying to undermine adherence to the deal.



He added Moscow was sticking to the position that the deal is not to be corrected, playing down Washingtons stance on the agreement.



In October, Trump declined to certify that Iran was complying with the nuclear deal. He must decide in mid-January if he wants to continue to waive energy sanctions

on Iran .
Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka reached an all-time high of 2,116,407 in 2017, according to the latest data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.



The arrival figure for 2017 represents a 3.2 growth or 65,595 more arrivals over the preceding year when the figure crossed the 2 million mark for the first time.



The higher number of arrivals has been achieved despite serious set-backs to the tourism industry right throughout 2017. The first setback was the partial closure of the countrys main airport from January to April where many airlines either scaled down operations or completely halted flights to Colombo.



However just weeks after the airport reopened in April, the southern half of the country experienced devastating floods that cut off access to many resort areas resulting in adverse international media publicity that had an impact on forward bookings.



This was followed by an unprecedented dengue epidemic centered around the commercial capital Colombo that lasted several months which too resulted in negative reports on international media resulting in at least one country issuing a travel advisory based on the issue.



Further flooding and a severe drought in the central and northern parts of the country in the latter part of the year added to the climatic woes suffered by the tourism industry during the year which according to industry sources impacted forward bookings.





According to SLTDA data, arrivals in December grew from 224,791 in 2016 to 244,536 in 2017 reflecting an 8.8 growth rate which augurs well for the winter season ahead.



India continued to be the top source market with 384,628 arrivals (up 7.8 percent) followed by China with 268,952 (down 1 percent) and UK 201,879 (up 7.3 percent).

Of the total number of arrivals 2,085,272 reached the country via BIA in Katunayake, 5,491 via MRIA in Mattala, 10,569, via Colombo harbour, 14,099 via Galle harbour and 976 via other ports according to statistics from the Department of Immigration and Emigration.
Subodhi is Fr. Mervyn and Fr. Mervyn is Subodhi. The two are inseparably knit together in our memory. Subodhi was the brainchild of Fr. Mervyn, and he lived there ever since it was put up. The other day, he joined in the singing of Christmas carols at their Christmas get-together. The next morning, he was gone, passing away peacefully in his sleep.



I came to know Fr. Mervyn many years ago, at the home of Uncle Eric, whom Fr. Mervyn and his brother Godwin used to visit often. Our friendship grew ever since.



I have had the privilege of introducing Fr. Mervyn to many people - University dons and students, priests and religious dignitaries - on several occasions. And I began, almost every time, by saying that Fr. Mervyn was a visionary. Though Fr. Mervyn was a member of the Astronomical Society of Sri Lanka, he had his feet firmly planted on terra firma. He was a visionary in the sense that he envisioned what was going to happen, what was going to be needed, in the future, especially in Sri Lanka.

He was quite content in being simply a priest, a Man of God - aware of the true source of all he had and had become, and that he was

doing no more than generously sharing what he had been so lavishly given with others.



He was someone who had the gift of looking way ahead of the present and beyond the known horizons. I used to refer to him as the successor to Fr. Peter Pillai. He began the Family Services Institute and Subodhi with this privileged insight.



As a young priest, Fr, Mervyn was chosen by Thomas Cardinal Cooray, the Archbishop of Colombo, as his personal secretary. Later Cardinal Cooray sent him abroad for higher studies. And on his return, it was Cardinal Cooray who supported Fr. Mervyns dream of beginning the Family Services Institute. It was necessary that the Institute conducted workshops and courses on psycho-sexual-spirituality, focusing on issues not much spoken of in those by-gone days. Eyebrows may have been raised at that time that these issues were to be handled by so young a priest. But such was the confidence Cardinal Cooray had in Fr. Mervyn that he was entrusted with the task.



Many years later, when I was making my retreat at Bandarawela, having returned to Sri Lanka after my priestly studies, I met Fr. Mervyn there. He had come to review a book he had written, prior to publication. In the course of a chat, he invited me to join him in conducting a course on Barefoot Counselling, at the Family Services Institute. Seeing me nervous due to a lack of paper qualifications he reassured me, he will fill in the blanks. We conducted that course for about three or four years, first at HFC Bambalapitiya, and then at Aquinas.



One year, we invited Fr. J.C. Fuster, whose course in Counselling I had followed in Bombay, to conduct a similar one for the Family Services Institute. It was at this course, at which I was Fr. Fusters assistant, that I think Mr Godwin Mendis and Sr. Thomas Aquinas, among others, cut their teeth in counselling.



Some years later, Fr. Mervyn gave us Jesuits a talk on the necessity of providing our youth with an integral formation. Reminding us that often our youth get a lop-sided training, with a far too excessive emphasis on their intellectual formation, Fr. Mervyn emphasized that providing our youth with a holistic, integral, formation was an imperative. This was about the time I was appointed as the Catholic chaplain of the University of Peradeniya. Every year, the orientation we gave to the first year University students was based on Fr. Mervyns explanation of the need for an integral formation. I followed that up, almost every year, when we went to Subodhi for the national workshop for University students, by getting Fr. Mervyn himself to explain this concept to the students. It was to provide the youth of our country with the courses, workshops, and the environment necessary for their integral formation that Subodhi was begun.



Subodhi is situated in the midst of a sprawling and pleasing environment. Its architect was Geoffrey Bawa who was a personal friend of Fr. Mervyn. It can accommodate several hundreds of youth and provide them with ample space to conduct their games, exercises, and campfires. Our University students are quite familiar not only with the place but with Fr. Mervyn as well, as he used to oblige them with an inspiring talk, over the ten or twelve successive years we went there.



Fr. Mervyn has told me that the life and vision of Fr. Teilhard dChardin inspired his own life and vision very much. And that no doubt is why he organised the Teilhard Colloquium annually to delve deeper into and help others too to come to know and be inspired by, the life and vision of Teilhard.



A versatile man he had a wide range of interests that embraced the planet Earth in its many facets. And that perhaps is why he was called upon to address many conferences and stole time to put his thoughts and vision into writing.

Subodhi is situated in the midst of a sprawling and pleasing environment. Its architect was Geoffrey Bawa who was a personal friend of Fr. Mervyn. It can accommodate several hundreds of youth and provide them with ample space to conduct their games, exercises, and campfires.



However, the greatness of Fr. Mervyn lay in his simplicity, which glowed from deep within his heart. It is this that I most admired in him. His manner and lifestyle were simple. He was well aware of the many gifts and talents he was blessed with, and the affection and esteem in which he was held, but he would never flaunt them before others. He was quite content in being simply a priest, a Man of God - aware of the true source of all he had and had become, and that he was doing no more than generously sharing what he had been so lavishly given with others.

May the earth lay lightly over him.
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Three Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) students are benefitting this year from the help of one of the states major trade organizations which represents Georgia manufacturers. Joshua Dunagan of Dalton; Andrew Jarrett of Cedartown, Ga.; and Caleb Pledger of Lyerly, Ga., were selected for the Manufacturers Education Foundation (MEF) Scholarship.

The MEF Scholarship is in place to help recognize outstanding academic achievement by rewarding qualifying students with financial assistance.

Mr. Bowen, along with Andrea Harper, GAM director of Workforce Development; April Howard, Miura America Co., Ltd. Human Resources; Brian Cooksey, Shaw Industries director of Operations Training and Development; and Pete McDonald, GNTC president, took part in visiting with and congratulating GNTCs three MEF Scholarship winners.

Mrs. Dunagan, Jarrett, and Pledger each received a $500 stipend for Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 semesters. Each winner will also have the opportunity to receive a total of $1,500 for the academic year which ends with the Summer 2018 term at GNTC.

Mr. Dunagan applied for the scholarship during his senior year with the Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy in Dalton. Brian Cooksey, Shaw Industries director of Operations Training and Development, said he was impressed with Joshua from the start. Ive had the pleasure of working with and getting to know him through our apprenticeship program, he said. Hes a smart, hard-working, and goal-oriented young man. Now, a freshman with GNTC on the Whitfield Murray Campus, Dunagan is pursuing his Industrial Systems Technology degree.

Mr. Jarrett, a 28-year-old United States Marine Corps veteran, is using his aid to help him earn an Electrical Technical Certificate. My hope is to fulfill the requirements for the Electrical program, he said. Then, in the future, continue my education towards earning a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering. Jarrett served in the military as an aviation technician working on Huey and Cobra helicopters. Currently, Mr. Jarrett, his wife, and young child, live in Polk County. He is employed at Miura in Rockmart, Georgia. The international steam boiler manufacturer first opened its 100,000-square foot plant in NW Georgia in 2009.

Mr. Pledger, an Instrumentation and Controls major, has commuted to the Floyd County Campus from his Lyerly home for the past two years. This spring term, thanks to the financial help of the Manufacturers Education Foundation Scholarship, Pledger plans to earn his Associate of Applied Science Degree. I was in SkillsUSA at Chattooga High School and learned skills in welding, construction, and automotive, he said. I chose my program at GNTC because it offered me an opportunity to continue utilizing hands-on skills in various areas of industry and technology.
The suspension of the Perpetual Treasuries Limiteds (PTL) Primary Dealer license was extended by six more months by the Central Bank today.

In a statement, the Department of Supervision of Non-Bank Financial Institutions said the Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) on January 4 made the decision to extend the suspension.

Acting in terms of the Regulations made under the Registered Sock and Securities Ordinance and the Local Treasury Bills Ordinance, the CBSL has decided to extend the suspension of PTL from carrying on the business and activities of a Primary Dealer for a period of six months with effect from 4. 30 p.m. on January 5, 2018, in order to continue the investigations being conducted by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, it said.
MOSCOW AFP Jan4, 2018-Russias Defence Ministry on Thursday said two servicemen were killed in a mortar attack by Islamist militants in Syria on New Years Eve, but denied media reports seven military planes were destroyed.



As darkness fell, the Hmeimim air base was subjected to sudden mortar shelling from a mobile group of militants. As a result of the shelling, two servicemen were killed, the Defence Ministry said in a statement to Russian agencies.



The Kommersant business daily reported seven military planes had been practically destroyed in the attack, but the ministry said the report was fake.



The news comes a day after the ministry announced a Russian helicopter crash in Syria that killed two pilots following a technical fault, also on December 31.



With four fatalities this is one of the deadliest single days for the Russian army in Syria since it entered the conflict and brings the total number of officially reported losses to 44.
The real interest of the masses of Tamil community has nothing to do with Nijabhumi, Elam or autonomous status. Second Chamber could be a serious threat to supremacy of Parliament and sovereignty of the people in the process of enacting laws.

The Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution is considered the first constitutional reform effected under Yahapalanaya Government. Reducing Presidential Immunity to some extent, making President responsible to the Parliament, restricting number of terms a person can be elected to the office of President not more than two, legalizing the right of access to information, restoration of Constitutional Council and nine commissions covering Election, Public Service, Police, Audit Service, Human Rights, Bribery and Corruption, Finance, Delimitation and National Procurement are some of the progressive salient steps taken in Yahapalanaya Constitutional reforms. However, there are some provisions in the Nineteenth Amendment which have been set for the benefit of the two principal partners of Yahapalanaya Government, not for the national benefit such as article 46(4) and Article 70 of Chapter VIII of the Nineteenth Amendment.



Thus Article 46(4) has paved the way to form a Jumbo Cabinet which is contrary to the demand caused by General Public at the Elections for a small and sustainable cabinet of ministers. In this Jumbo Cabinet, ministerial positions have been offered to retain the support of the recipients with Yahapalanaya Government. It appears that number of ministerial positions had been determined on the basis of number of politicians who were willing to cross over from the opposition parties to the government side. It is ridiculous, some ministerial positions have been offered to persons who were rejected by the people at general elections. Portfolios have been assigned to suit individual interest of some ministers disregarding the national interest. There are some redundant ministers where the minister concerned is not aware his or her area of responsibility. Yet all of them well enjoy their privileges, luxuries, remuneration, thundering package of perks and on top of them commissions as well as and when available, never mind their responsibility to the general public. Maintenance of this Jumbo Cabinet and heavy load of ministerial positions has become unbearable burden to the national economy and general public at large.

Sri Lanka doesnt have that kind of geographical demarcations, which deserves Federalism. It is true that Federalism is not the separatism. However, Federal Status could cause an effective threat to unitary status of this country granted under present Constitution



Article 70(1) of Chapter VIII of the Nineteenth Amendment provides that President shall not dissolve Parliament until the expiration of the period of not less than four and a half years from the date appointed for its meeting. This is, in fact, a restriction imposed on the democratic right of the people to change the government or dissolve the Parliament when there is no confidence established.



The next constitutional reform would be the proposed new constitution. It has been observed that no mandate had been given by the people of this country at the last Presidential or General Elections to bring in a new constitution although they were concerned on the restriction or abolition of Executive Presidency. Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution has already catered for some urgent constitutional reforms needed.



The interim report of the steering committee on the proposed new constitution has disclosed to a certain extent what would be the structure and the contents of the proposed new constitution.



Abolition of Executive Presidency is one of the salient proposals. Executive Presidency has been introduced to this country in order to counteract some shortcomings experienced under Westminster system of Parliamentary Democracy, where Prime Minister is the leader of the Government and his leadership is based on the principle Primus inter pares under which the leadership is shared with the equals in the Cabinet and with political party which he represents. In the context of weak government without substantial majority of seats in the Parliament, in other words in a hung Parliament this kind of leadership could be drifted to ineffective status due to pulls and pushes caused by opposition as well as colleagues in the Cabinet who are aspiring to consolidate their positions over and above collective interest. Similarly in case of a strong government with absolute majority of seats in the Parliament the Premier could be inclined to ignore the national interest and go ahead with his own dreams disregarding the views of the general public. This type of shortcomings could be controlled or arrested when there is Executive President directly elected by the people who should be an independent person after being elected as President detached from political parties.

Power devolution could pave way for interference of International Community in Sovereignty of Sri Lanka on the pretext of helping the Government for Devolution of power



In the process of decision making under crisis situations such as war, national calamity, political turmoil or sudden upheaval of masses where Executive President would be more effective than Prime Minister of a hung Parliament. The way that Mahinda Rajapaksa tackled terrorist war could be considered one of the classic examples which corroborates above presumption. Based on the achievements of this country under Executive Presidents commencing from President Jayewardene up to Present Executive President Maithripala Sirisena irrespective of all sorts of allegations leveled against them, it is quite clear that abolition of Executive Presidency could pave way to drift this country towards destabilization. In such a situation country would fall into the prey of External and Internal forces that have been already initiated to interfere in Sovereignty of this country through various strategies such as Joint UNHRC Resolution of year 2015.



Abuse of power under the cover of presidential immunity by past Executive Presidents could be cited as a very strong fact to justify the abolition of Executive Presidency. Nevertheless, this situation has become controlled to some extent under Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution making President is responsible to the Parliament. Further, the degree and extent of abuse of power depend on the character of the person who holds that position.



The Interim Report of Steering Committee stressed that maximum devolution of power should be ensured in the proposed new Constitution. This is one of the salient proposals set out in Joint UNHRC Resolution of the year 2015 as well, where its stakeholders wanted to implement it through Yahapalanaya Government.



The Interim Report states that principle of devolution is based on a strong and enforceable Bill of Right consistent with universally accepted norms and standards. This principle of power devolution could pave way for the interference of International Community (the US and its allies in the West) in Sovereignty of Sri Lanka on the pretext of helping the Government for Devolution of power based on universally accepted norms and standards. They could use these norms and standards to leverage power devolution in order to split unitary status of this country already ensured in the present Constitution.



Apart from Interim Report devolution of power has a close link with the ethnic issue of this country as well. It is a fact that Ethnic issue has been created and converted it into a conflict, by pro-Elam Tamil politicians for their sheer survival in power politics, based on misconceptions such as Nijabhumi and Elam, although there is no conflict between masses of these two communities (Sinhala and Tamils) in reality.



The real interest of the masses of Tamil community has nothing to do with Nijabhumi, Elam or autonomous status. Any effective solution for their burning problems such as poverty, unemployment, disrupted socio-economic, socio-cultural life etc. is considered their actual interest.



In that context incorporation of some mechanism in the new constitution for maximum devolution of power for maximum satisfaction of pro-Elam Tamil Politicians as suggested in the Interim Report of the Steering Committee on the new constitution could cause an adverse impact on the unitary status of Sri Lanka. Further, such a move could push this country from unitary status to Federalism.



TNA politicians have pointed out that Federalism is not the Separatism hence Yahapalanaya Government should not hesitate to incorporate in the proposed new constitution a mechanism for devolution of power based on the Federal status they say.



In fact, it is only an interim measure for them due to the fact that their expectation runs beyond Federalism towards full autonomous status, which would be ended up with absolute separatism, as Chief Minister Wigneswaran has once disclosed We do not reject what Government offers. We continue our struggle until we achieve what we wanted.



Federalism could be an effective solution for large countries such as India consisting of semi-autonomous Provinces or the Provincial States where it is not physically practicable to keep them tied up together with the centre.



Sri Lanka doesnt have that kind of geographical demarcations, which deserves Federalism. It is true that Federalism is not the separatism. However, Federal Status could cause an effective threat to the unitary status of this country granted under present Constitution on the one hand and it could be used as a gate way to separatism on the other hand.

The Second chamber is another proposal set out in the interim report of Steering Committee on new constitution. It states no constitutional amendments shall be enacted into law unless passed by the Parliament and Second Chamber. It further states regulations passed under authority of law by Centre shall not be valid unless approved by both houses. Article 03 of Chapter One of the present Constitution states in the Republic of Sri Lanka Sovereignty is in people. Article 04 of same chapter states Legislative power of the people shall be exercised by Parliament. This means Parliament exercises sovereignty of the people.



In that context, Second Chamber could be a serious threat to the supremacy of Parliament and sovereignty of the people in the process of enacting laws.



In that context it is absolutely necessary to reconsider the proposals set out in the Interim Report of Steering Committee on Constitution and securing the consensus of the masses of this country for the proposals in the process of framing new Constitution. It is also necessary to review the mechanism so far adopted for collecting information from the masses in this process, due to the fact that information collected by Wijenayake Committee and the politicians who are the members of Constitutional Assembly do not reflect the genuine views of the general masses of this country in this regard. In fact they represent their own views and the views of some selected few. The new mechanism for collecting information should be implemented prior to the draft constitution is referred to Referendum because once it is referred to the Referendum people have no alternative but to accept it, most probably due to political pressure.



The writer is retired Executive Director of BOI, HRM Consultant on Fiscal Reform Programme, ADB Inland Revenue Department 2005, Lecturer in HRM and HRD, American College of Higher Studies. (2002/2003), Management Consultant
Metro Tab Church announced that Dr. Steve Ball will speak on the topic, "Another Chapter" at the 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday.

The church is at 2101 West Shepherd Road at the Highway 153 and Airport Road exit.

You can also view it on Facebook, Metro Tab App or at www.metrotab.net.
As part of Sanctity of Human Life month, the Chattanooga chapter of the Christian Legal Society will be meeting on

Wednesday, at 12 p.m. at the National Memorial for the Unborn, 6230 Vance Road, Chattanooga, Tn. at the National Memorial for the Unborn, 6230 Vance Road, Chattanooga, Tn.





Local attorneys Mike Jennings and Dick Crotteau will be leading a panel discussion recounting the events that led up to the purchase of the old abortion clinic building, and the establishment of the National Memorial for the Unborn, including the role that CLS members played in those events.





The chapter invites the public to the event.




The Writers@Work team from the Chattanooga State Humanities Department invites the public to the opening event of the 2018 Writers@Work series. The Half-Mammals of Dixie  Paint the Town Read is the first in a series of public events organized by Writers@Work in support of the April 2018 week-long residency of George Singleton, author of The Half-Mammals of Dixie.

Chattanooga State Professor of Art and artist Joe Helseth will lead participants in a discussion of themes in The Half-Mammals of Dixie and guide them in creating their own artistic interpretations of these themes through a variety of mediums. erica.lux@chattanoogastate.edu.

The 2018 Writers@Work event is sponsored by the Tennessee Arts Commission, Chattanooga State Community College, and South Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Event partners include the Hunter Museum of Art, EPB, Starline books, and Southern Lit Alliance.

In 2011, the Chattanooga State Community College Humanities Department founded Writers @ Work (W@W) to enhance literary analysis in its Composition II classes through the reading of a common novel with a focus on Southern culture and people. It quickly transformed into an arts experience that touches the lives of many in the greater Chattanooga area.

W@W chooses Southern authors with works centered on life in this region; the effect is that participants are able to gain a new understanding and appreciation for the culture and arts offered in the South, in their own city, and through the community college that serves it. In a media-driven world that shows a limited view of the South, W@W actively works to showcase and celebrate the diversity and rich culture of the Southern people.

Since its inception, W@W has expanded to provide more opportunities for public interaction with selected authors through dynamic events that are always free to attendees. These take place in various locations across the city such as the Chattanooga Aquarium, Bessie Smith Cultural Center, and the Hunter Museum of American Art, where the community can interact with the authors in settings that highlight the best of Chattanooga.



For more information on this and all Writers@Work events, contact Erica Lux in the Chattanooga State Humanities Department at: WritersAtWork@ChattanoogaState.edu or (423) 697-3233.

George Singleton is a Southern author who has written five collections of short stories, a novel called Novel, and a book of writing advice. He was born in Anaheim, Calif., and raised in Greenwood, S.C. He graduated from Furman University in 1980 with a degree in Philosophy. He also holds an MFA degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

His stories have also appeared in magazines, including The Atlantic Monthly, Harpers Magazine, Playboy, Zoetrope, The Southern Review, The Georgia Review, Shenandoah and others. Hes had work anthologized in nine editions of New Stories from the South, plus Writers Harvest 2, A Dixie Christmas, They Write Among Us, 20 Over 40, Must Be This Tall to Ride, Love Is a Four-Letter Word, and Behind the Short Story: from First to Final Draft. His nonfiction has appeared in the Oxford American, Best Food Writing 2005, Dog Is My Co-Pilot, and Paste. Mr. Singleton has recently signed a contract with LSU Press for a collection of short stories titled Staff Picks due for release in February, 2019.

Currently, Mr. Singleton teaches fiction writing and editing at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. In 2009, he was a Guggenheim Fellow, and in 2011 he was awarded the Hillsdale Award for Fiction by The Fellowship of Southern Writers.

Mr. Singletons short story collection, Half-Mammals of Dixie, is set in or near the fictional backwater town of Forty-Five, S.C. and these stories take on everything from racism to alcoholism as well as all the quirkiness that the South can offer.
Erlanger Health System is offering four-week smoking cessation courses at the Chattanooga Lifestyle Center every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. beginning Jan. 18."According to the U.S. Surgeon General, smoking cessation is the single most important step smokers can take to enhance the length and quality of their lives."Erlangers respiratory and pulmonology specialists understand lifestyle changes can be difficult for anyone. The smoking cessation program will provide the support and tools needed in a judgement-free atmosphere to help individuals quit the use of tobacco products. Participants will learn how to overcome tobacco addiction, so they can enjoy the benefits of a healthier lifestyle," officials said.The program will include the following topics in a small group setting: reasons to quit, common triggers and how to avoid them, ways to cope if you slip, health and financial benefits of quitting and how to keep the momentum.Courses will be held every Thursday at 5:30 p.m.at the Chattanooga Lifestyle Center, 325 Market St. The first four-week session will begin on Jan. 18. Other start dates include Feb. 15, March 15, April 12 and May 10. The cost of the course is $10 per session and can be paid weekly.Registration is required. For more information, call 423-778-5465 (LINK) or 423-778-7745, or visit www.erlanger.org/locations/the-lifestyle-center/smoking-cessation
Erlanger East Hospital staff celebrated the first anniversary of the opening of the new Patient Tower.

The new Erlanger East Hospital offers comprehensive medical services including world-class surgical, cardiovascular and womens services.

For more information and to download a copy of the 2017 accomplishments visit www.erlanger.org/east.
State-run carrier has already taken the delivery of 65 planes, including 12 B777-300ERs.

New Delhi: State-owned Air India has tied up with UAE-based First Abu Dhabi Bank as well as Standard Chartered Bank and Mashreq Bank to avail short-term loans for acquiring three Boeing 777 aircraft, Union minister Jayant Singh said on Thursday.

Two of the aircraft are to be used for ferrying VVIPs, the minister of state for civil aviation said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

The delivery of the three B777-300 ER planes is scheduled to be completed next month -- two in January and one in February.

"Air India has signed a short-term buyers credit facility agreement with First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC jointly with Standard Chartered Bank and Mashreq Bank PSC for acquisition of three B777-300ER aircraft," the minister said.

In early November, the disinvestment-bound airline issued a revised tender (after first floating it in October), soliciting interest from lenders for a loan worth up to USD 535 million (around Rs 3,460 crore).

Last month, the airline also floated tenders for securing loans worth over Rs 1,100 crore for modification of two Boeing aircraft for ferrying VVIPs -- the president, vice-president and prime minister.

In 2006, Air India placed orders with Boeing for 68 aircraft 27 Dreamliners, 15 B777-300 ERs, eight B777-200 LRs and 18 B737-800s.

Of these, the state-run carrier has already taken the delivery of 65 planes, including 12 B777-300ERs.

Following the downturn in the global aviation sector, the delivery of three B777-300ERs was postponed in 2010 as there was no "cancellation" clause in the original purchase agreement with Boeing Company.

Then, in September 2015, the carrier decided to take delivery of the remaining three planes as per the 2006 purchase agreement.
The approvals would be handled independently by administrative ministries of different sectors.

New Delhi: The Finance Ministry on Thursday said it cleared a foreign direct investment (FDI) proposal worth Rs 532 crore in December.

The proposal relating to Metaffinity Pvt Ltd was approved for making investment in Religare Health Insurance Company engaged in health insurance business, Finance Ministry said in a statement issued on Thursday.

The company had sought approval for foreign investment of up to 49 per cent in the form of non-voting equity shares by two foreign investors -- Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Pantheon-HK Project Universe.

Metaffinity Private Limited, an investment holding company, will make downstream investment in Religare Health Insurance Company Limited, an Indian company engaged in health insurance business, it said.

Besides, it approved proposal of SMAS Auto Leasing India Pvt Ltd which did not entail any FDI flow.

The Union Cabinet in May decided to abolish the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) -- an advisory body comprising of secretaries to various departments for vetting of foreign direct investment (FDI) applications and making recommendations to the government.

It was decided that the approvals would be handled independently by administrative ministries of different sectors. FDI into the country grew 9 per cent to USD 43.47 billion in 2016-17.
New Delhi: Shares of Idea Cellular rallied for a second day, soaring nearly 14 per cent today after the company unveiled a plan to raise up to Rs 6,750 crore ahead of its merger with Vodafone.

The stock after a positive opening jumped 12.91 per cent to Rs 118 on BSE. At NSE, shares of the company climbed 13.72 per cent to Rs 118.90. Idea Cellular on Thursday unveiled a plan to raise up to Rs 6,750 crore which will alter the shareholding pattern of the company and have a bearing on its merger agreement with Vodafone.

The board of Idea Cellular approved raising about Rs 3,250 crore from entities under the promoter Aditya Birla Group (ABG) and constituted a committee to evaluate potential routes for raising further capital of up to Rs 3,500 crore.

In a separate statement, Vodafone Group said that as a consequence of the change in shareholding in Idea following the capital raise, the two parties have agreed that ABG will buy a minimum of 2.5 per cent of the merged entity from Vodafone for Rs 1,960 crore.
Arun Jaitley in his 2015-16 Budget had promised to reduce corporate tax rate to 25 per cent over the next four years.

New Delhi: Industry body Ficci on Thursday urged the government to lower the corporate tax rate to 28 per cent from 30 per cent in the forthcoming Budget, a move that would boost the industry and help tide over the problems created by the US tax reforms.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his 2015-16 Budget had promised to reduce the corporate tax rate to 25 per cent over the next four years. However, he has not been able to cut the rates.

"I am hoping that in this Budget, they will bring down the tax rate to 28 per cent at least to give a confidence that they are on that path," Ficci's new president Rashesh Shah said.

He further said that the cut in tax rates would also help the Indian industry in meeting the challenges emanating from tax cuts by the Trump administration in the US and its aftermath in other developing countries.

In December last year, Senate Republicans passed a sweeping overhaul of the US tax code in more than 30 years. The Senate approved the USD 1.5 trillion tax bill, which includes permanent tax breaks for corporations and temporary tax cuts for individuals, by a final vote of 51-48.

"Bringing the tax rate to 28 per cent will be a good start," he said adding that in the absence of the rate cut, the corporate sector would start becoming unproductive.

The government is scheduled to come out with the Budget for 2018-19 on February 1, which will also be the last regular Budget of the current government. On the economic growth prospects, Shah said he expects the economy to grow by about 7.5 per cent in the next fiscal.

The economy, according to some experts, is likely to record sub 7 per cent growth in the current financial year due to the impact of demonetisation and roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). The government is slated to come out with the advanced estimates for the current fiscal on Friday.
As per the report, online demand surpassed the year-ago level in 19 of the 27 industry sectors monitored by the Index.

New Delhi: Online recruitment activity in December registered 13 per cent year-on-year growth, but there was a marginal decline on monthly basis, says a report. However, the outlook looks bullish and job scenario is expected to improve this year, the report said.

The Monster Employment Index for December stood at 291, registering a jump of 13 per cent from the corresponding period last year, while e-recruitment activity saw a 2 per cent decline over November 2017.

"Monster Employment Index is exhibiting a relative slowdown in the pace of hiring activity in December 2017," Sanjay Modi, Managing Director, Monster.com, APAC & Middle- East said, adding that the bearish response towards recruitment activities also reiterates the growing need for up-skilling in the country.

Modi said India's hiring outlook in 2017 was dampened due to introduction of radical reforms such as demonetisation, implementation of GST and a new bankruptcy regime. But these reforms would help Indian economy in mid to long term with creation of more jobs, he said.

"The biggest expectation out of the Union Budget 2018-19 would be a higher focus on job creation in key labour intensive industry sectors like manufacturing and infrastructure. We are quite optimistic that job scenario will improve in 2018," he said.

As per the report, online demand surpassed the year-ago level in 19 of the 27 industry sectors monitored by the Index. Sectorwise, Home Appliance continued to lead the year-on-year growth chart, followed by Banking/ Financial Services, Insurance space.

City-wise data showed that, Kolkata (up 50 per cent) recorded the most notable annual growth rate among all monitored cities, followed by Baroda (up 36 per cent) and Jaipur (up 32 per cent). Amongst metros, Delhi NCR (up 4 per cent) witnessed the slowest growth in e-recruitment activity.

The Monster Employment Index is a broad and comprehensive monthly analysis of online job posting activity in India conducted by Monster India.
The H-1B scheme offers temporary US visas that allow firms to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers.

Washington: Some US lawmakers and advocacy groups have criticised the Trump administrations reported plan to curb H-1B visa extensions that could result in self- deportation of an estimated 5-7.5 lakh Indian Americans, saying the move would drain US of talent.

The proposal, which was part of President Donald Trumps Buy American, Hire American initiative that he vowed to launch on the campaign trail, is being drafted by Department of Homeland Security leaders, according to reports.

The H-1B scheme offers temporary US visas that allow firms to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers.

But since taking office last January, the Trump administration has been cracking down on the scheme.

Influential Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard said: Imposing these draconian restrictions on H-1B visa holders will tear families apart, drain our society of talent and expertise, and damage our relationship with an important partner, India. This proposal could lead to the deportation of an estimated 5-7.5 lakh Indian H-1B visa holders, many of whom are small business owners and job creators who are helping to build and strengthen our US economy. This brain drain will stifle innovation and decrease our ability to compete in the global 21st century economy, Ms Gabbard said.

In a statement the Hindu American Foundation sounded alarm over the Trump administrations proposal to deny extensions of H-1B visas to green card applicants and leaving them with no choice but to return to the country of origin or be deported.

Indo-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said while priority must continue to be improving advanced training for domestic workforce, ending H-1B visa extensions would kneecap American economy and encourage companies to further offshore jobs, instead of making those investments here.

I hope the administration immediately rejects this proposal, he said.

Congressman Ro Khanna said the proposal was anti- immigrant.

My parents came here on green cards. So did @sundarpichai, @elonmusk, @satyanadella. Trump is saying to immigrants and their kids we dont have a place in America. Its not just wrong. Its dumb. Mr President, would America really be greater without us? he asked in a tweet.
The Chattanooga Area Food Bank announced on Dec. 20, 2017 the difficult decision to cut Sack Pack Programs in eight of the 20 counties they serve, due to lack of funding. The community responded with an "extraordinary revenue rescue" and resolved the shortfall.

It has been an awe-inspiring and humbling experience to witness people from all walks of life, the corporate world and the media, come out in droves to offer their support, said Gina Crumbliss, Food Bank president and CEO. Having the funds to restart the Sack Pack Program for the remaining 19 weeks of the school year has been an absolute blessing to the 1,776 students who depend on this little bundle of nutritious food to eat over the weekend.



In conjunction with the Food Bank, many of their partner agencies are still on track to provide 12,000+ students in the other twelve counties with Sack Packs for the remainder of the 2017-18 school year. Looking to the future, the Food Bank is researching innovative ways and emerging trends in the industry to incorporate more effective and efficient methods to fight weekend hunger.



While a private foundation provided seed money to encourage other major donors to follow suit, most online donations were $100 or less. One donor remarked that she and her family decided to take the money they would normally spend on Christmas presents and donate it to the Food Bank for the Sack Pack Program, instead.



While the problem has been resolved for now, the challenge will be to design a cost effective means of serving these clients for the 2018-19 school year and beyond, said Food Bank Board Chairman John Clark. We are encouraged, but not surprised by these donations. Our community is extremely philanthropic. We are humbled by this outpouring of support and we hope there are individuals and businesses in the eight counties (Hamilton, Marion, Grundy, Sequatchie, Meigs, Polk, Van Buren and Walker) with the financial capability that will be inspired to adopt their area schools and ensure that the nutritional needs of students are met.



To make a donation to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, visit www.chattfoodbank.org, or call Director of Development Sarah Aligo at 423-622-1800. Every $1 raised provides 4 meals and 97 of every dollar goes to support food and programs, officials said.


Salman Khan after landing in Mumbai later in the day. (Photo: Viral Bhayani)

Jodhpur: Actor Salman Khan appeared in a court here on Thursday during final arguments in a case against him for the alleged poaching of two black bucks in Kankani village on October 2, 1998.

According to Khan's counsel H M Saraswat, the accused has to remain present in the court during final arguments, and they had been seeking exemption for the actor till now.

"Today, we were present in the court during the final arguments," said Saraswat after Khan appeared before the chief judicial magistrate.

During the arguments, Khan appeared to be a bit uneasy and emotional at times but remained silent, according to advocates present in the court.

The final arguments in the Kankani poaching case began in the trial court on September 13.

The prosecution counsel had described the spot of alleged poaching citing the statements of witnesses Poonam Chand and Chhoga Ram and the post mortem report.

While submitting his arguments, Saraswat on Thursday ran the video recording of the statements of Poonam Chand, and drew the attention of the court to the "contradiction" in his statements taken by the investigating officer and the statements given by the witness.

"Videography of the statements of Poonam Chand clearly showed that the official noting the statements had been copying them from a paper lying on the table beside him," argued Khan's counsel Saraswat.

Earlier, the actor had appeared in the district and sessions court on August 4 for filing bail bonds after the state challenged his acquittal in the case under Arms Act by the trial court.
Mumbai: If his Instagram handle is anything to go by, one can gauge that Sushant Singh Rajput is an avid reader and regularly posts profound thoughts, quotes and poems over his social media.

In an attempt to further his love affair with the written word, the Gen-X star has created a book club over Twitter that runs with the handle, '@intoxillectual'.

Sushant has taken this initiative in the spirit of encouraging dialogue and conversation among readers and also to establish an open platform to bibliophiles across the world, to discuss great books.

The talented actor had been mulling over assembling a forum for readers for a long time and thought the New Year as a fitting time to give this shoot of his passion for books, an auspicious start.

Says Sushant, This book club is open to anyone who is interested to join it. On the forum, we will discuss which books should be read, a timeline to finish them, and then share the takeaways. People could come up suggestions of other reads as well.

Interestingly, the idea of coming up with a book club struck the actor when he was on vacation with his friends in Europe and quoting lines of one of his favourite books. Barely three days old, '@intoxillectual' has gained followers in thousands already.

I will handle it personally. It will see active participation and discussions by its members, adds Sushant.

On the work front, Sushant will soon start shooting for Abhishek Chaubey's 'Sone Chidaiya'' co-starring Manoj Bajpayee and Bhumi Pednekar. He is currently busy with Tarun Mansukhani's 'Drive' and Abhishek Kapoor's 'Kedarnath'.
Deepika, turns 32 today and was in Vienna over the Christmas and New Year weekend, and flew down to Colombo to ring in the New Year with Ranveer, who joined her.

Is this it? After Virushka, a Deepveer or should that be a Ranvika? After Anushka Sharma-Virat Kohli's destination wedding at a plush vineyard in the Tuscany valley, it seems the will-they-won't-they ball has passed to A-list Bollywood stars Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. Could this be THE wedding of 2018? Well, the rumour mill is abuzz that Ranveer will pop the question on Deepika's birthday, January 5, in Sri Lanka.

Except, the actress' close circle of friends in Bengaluru have responded to DC's queries by saying "I don't know why everyone thinks so." !! Deepika, turns 32 today and was in Vienna over the Christmas and New Year weekend, and flew down to Colombo to ring in the New Year with Ranveer, who joined her. Sources told Deccan Chronicle that the much-loved couple rang in the New Year in Sri Lanka snorkeling together, adding " Sri Lanka is a country that lets people be and doesn't intrude. So, they will be able to spend quality time with each other." Deepika and Ranveer star in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversial film Padmavati, which also stars Shahid Kapoor.
Participants were exposed to different pictures intended to trigger an emotional response. (Photo: Pixabay)

People who sleep less than the recommended eight hours a night may suffer from anxiety or depression, a study warns.

Researchers from the Binghamton University in the US assessed the timing and duration of sleep in individuals with moderate to high levels of repetitive negative thoughts (eg: worry and rumination).

Participants were exposed to different pictures intended to trigger an emotional response, and researchers tracked their attention through their eye movements.

According to the study published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, the researchers discovered that regular sleep disruptions are associated with difficulty in shifting ones attention away from negative information.

This may mean that inadequate sleep is part of what makes negative intrusive thoughts stick around and interfere with peoples lives.

"We found that people in this study have some tendencies to have thoughts get stuck in their heads, and their elevated negative thinking makes it difficult for them to disengage with the negative stimuli that we exposed them to," said Meredith Coles, from the Binghamton University.

"While other people may be able to receive negative information and move on, the participants had trouble ignoring it," Coles said.

These negative thoughts are believed to leave people vulnerable to different types of psychological disorders, such as anxiety or depression, Coles said.

"We realised over time that this might be important - this repetitive negative thinking is relevant to several different disorders like anxiety, depression and many other things," said Coles.

"This is novel in that we are exploring the overlap between sleep disruptions and the way they affect these basic processes that help in ignoring those obsessive negative thoughts," Coles added.
Ronnies owner, whose ex-partner bought him online, left him there after they split and he became homeless. (Photo: Pixabay)

The year begins with an adorable puppy becoming the first unwanted Christmas pet to be abandoned. Eight-week-old mongrel Ronnie was dumped at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home on January 2.

Ronnies owner, whose ex-partner bought him online, left him there after they split and he became homeless.

He has now become the first unwanted pet at the south London rescue centre so far this year.

Home intake manager Steven Craddock said that it does not shock any of them that the first dog through our doors in 2018 was bought online.

He said, Ronnie is just one of many thousands of dogs who will be bought off an unregulated website in the coming months and end up in a home where the owner is unprepared and unable to take proper care of them.

He further added that the new owner did the right thing by bringing him to them where they can look after him and find him a loving new home.

"However, this doesn't change the fact that he never should have been sold online in the first place, he went on to add.

In all probability, according to him, the pup may have been taken from his mother far too young and likely sold by a breeder with absolutely no regard for his welfare.

Ronnie is now undergoing assessment at Battersea and will be vaccinated and microchipped before he is ready to go to a loving new home.
The court further directed the investigating officer of the police station to be supportive of the equine experts from PETA.

On Wednesday, Metropolitan Magistrate SB Bhajipale stated that, since the cattle pound managed by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) doesn't have suitable arrangements for horses and in order to ensure their welfare, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India may provide them with medical aid, food, and other necessities at its cost.

He was ruling on an intervention application filed by PETA in the matter of a First Information Report registered with the Vile Parle police station on 26 December, in which the police seized six horses used for an illegal race.

The court further directed the investigating officer of the police station to be supportive of the equine experts from PETA.

On 8 January, the court will decide on the group's intervention application, which asks for the interim and later permanent custody of the horses under the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Care and Maintenance of Case Property Animals) Rules, 2017. PETA is seeking permanent housing for the animals at a sanctuary in Sangli.

At the time of their rescue on 26 December, the horses were found injured and exhausted and were then taken to the BMC cattle pound in Malad by the police.

However, the next day, one of the horses was found dead, and the post-mortem revealed that the animal had died of suffocation or asphyxia because the rope tied to the animal's neck was too tight.

The six accused were granted bail on 28 December.

PETA pointed out in its application that the suspects violated the 2015 judgment of the High Court of Bombay which states that having horses in Mumbai is illegal, as none of the stables are licensed by the BMC, and that tonga races are banned in the country by the High Court of Rajasthan at Jodhpur through its 2016 judgment.

The group also pointed out that the High Court of Bombay (through its order) and the Maharashtra State government (through its affidavit filed in the High Court, which the court accepted in totality) had suggested that the horses rescued by law-enforcement agencies or voluntarily surrendered by their owners may be given to NGOs, such as PETA, for rehabilitation and lifelong care.

PETA recently fired off letters to the Commissioner of the BMC and the Police Commissioner of Mumbai requesting that they promptly implement the 2015 judgment of the High Court of Bombay and enforce provisions that require the seizure of horses from unlicensed stables and those being illegally used for joy rides and races, such as this incident, in Mumbai.

In its letter, PETA offered to accept and rehabilitate horses who are seized because of violations of law or the high court's orders.
From the oldest civilization in America, to the largest and most powerful empire of the southern continent, Ancient Peru conserves the architectural and artistic vestiges of fascinating cultures.

Discovering them is a breathtaking experience. A single trip is not enough to discover all the wonders of Peru. Here we highlight just a few magical places and experiences that must be lived and appreciated when you visit this country.

Machu Picchu: This Incan city surrounded by temples, terraces and water channels, built on a mountaintop. It was built with huge blocks of stone joined to each other without any mortar. Today it has been designated cultural heritage of humanity in recognition of its political, religious and administrative importance during the age of the Incas.

Chavin de Huantar: An impressive archaeological complex from the Chavin culture, with 3000 year old temples and sculptures made from stone.

Chavin was one of the most important cultures of the pre-Inca era. Its principal temple, located in the department of Ancash, was one of the main oracles of Peru. People came to this center to consult the oracle and to make offerings to the gods.

A visit to the complex includes a tour through some of its passages and plazas. The exterior walls are decorated with a series of important heads: zoomorphic faces carved in stone that guard the temple. Other highlights of the complex include the Tello Pyramid, the Circular Plaza, the Rectangular Plaza, the North and South North Platforms, the New Temple and the Old Temple.

Chan Chan: Chan Chan is the biggest mud-brick settlement in pre-Hispanic America, with its pyramid-shaped temples, plazas and palace. One of the most significant archeological sites in Peru, Chan Chan is well worth a visit.

The centre of the city is a series of 10 walled citadels. One of the outstanding details of the citadels are its decorative walls in high relief with motifs including geometrical patterns, fish and birds, among others.

Caral: The oldest sacred city in America and, at over 5000 years old, is the cradle of one of the world's first civilizations.

The Sacred City of Caral represents the origin of Andean culture, and it is the most ancient civilization in the Americas, with historical roots reaching back more than 5,000 years.

The Caral complex boasts a variety of structures, most notably the six pyramids with their circular plazas. Based on archaeological findings such as tools and artifacts, it has been established that its inhabitants supported themselves by fishing and farming.

Among the more important discoveries are the oldest "quipu" (an instrument used to record data) and 32 flautas (flutes) made from condor and pelican bones.

Nazca lines and geoglyphs: On the vast pampas of Nazca Jumana, mysterious lines and geoglyphs form geometric patterns as well the figures of animals, anthropomorphic beings, and plants, among others.

But their outlines can only be recognized clearly from the sky aboard small airplanes. Despite numerous studies, the lines are an enduring 2,000-year-old mystery that neither time, nor the regions powerful winds, nor any other natural adversaries have been able to erase.

Among the best-known figures are the hummingbird, the condor, and the monkey. There are more than 800 images outlined in the desert. The best way to view the extensive tracings is by flyover in the light aircraft that take off from the Nazca airport.

Kuelap: At the crest of the Amazonian Andes of northern Peru, is the imposing Fortress of Kuelap, built by the Chachapoyas, a pre-Inca culture that developed between 800 and 1470 A.D.

By its location and construction, the complex was designed to defend against other peoples; nevertheless the Chachapoyas were conquered by the Incas.

Amidst the green mountains, visitors can view the great, 20-meter (66 feet) high stone wall that protects the city and that begrudges only three entrances, in the form of narrow, walled alleys. In the interior of Kuelap, visitors may admire up to 420 circular stone houses with zigzag and rhomboid ornaments.

From above, the green landscape shows how nature protected this site. Reaching the archaeological complex is in itself an adventure that is well worth undertaking.
However, if Prince Harry was to move to America to live with Meghan, he wouldnt be expected to file taxes in Britain. (Alexi Lubomirski/ AP)

It turns out that Prince Harry is unlikely to share his fortune with Meghan Markle even after they get married for the unlikeliest of reasons.

Apparently, Markle will be stung by American income tax.

Even though the actress intends to become a Brit after tying the knot in May, she can only become naturalised after living in UK after 3 years.

And, unless the actress renounces her US citizenship, she will have to continue paying tax to the United States' Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Speaking to The Sun, Royal expert Marlene Koenig said that even when married to a member of the British royal family, as long as she remains a US citizen she will have to pay income tax.

This could cause a headache for the royal family, as if she has more than 221,529 ($300,000) worth of assets in any given tax year, shell be expected to file a Form 8938 document revealing the detail of these assets  which may include foreign trusts and details of the royal familys estate that was previously undisclosed.

The Form 8938 is a pretty likely scenario given Meghan made approximately 36,920 for each episode of Suits and has an estimated net worth of around 3.7million ($5million), according to celebritynetworth.com.

And while when Princess Diana died, Prince Harry received half of her 21.5million estate and shares a 3.5million annual allowance with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and receives no public funding, it is possible there may be other family trusts that he receives money from.

Koeing added, Its the same thing with some of the Queen Mothers money, there were rumours that there were different trusts set up, but thats not public information. With that sort of money, if Meghans name is on that account, most likely she would be dinged  that would have to be reported as income in the United States.

Koeing further added that those at Buckingham Palace and those who run the accounts are looking very carefully at all of this to make sure that the royal familys money does not get reported to the IRS.

However, if Prince Harry was to move to America to live with Meghan, he wouldnt be expected to file taxes in Britain.
Going by the name of Janet, it has a fleet of Boeing 737 airliners operating from McCarran Internatonal Airport in Las Vegas.

If theories are to be believed, there is a top secret airline that one is not meant to know exists. And this airline flies directly to UFO hot spot Area 51.

Going by the name of Janet, it has a fleet of Boeing 737 airliners operating from McCarran Internatonal Airport in Las Vegas and tourists on the Strip may have seen the distinctive red and white jets taking off and wondered where they go on their daily flights.

However, it is interesting to note that they won't show up on departure boards as only US military personnel are allowed to board from a separate hangar called the Gold Coast Terminal, which is guarded by armed men with walkie-talkies.

Apparently Janet, which stands for Just Another Non-Existent Terminal is run by the US Air Force to shuttle workers to secret test sites in the Nevada desert.

Flight tracking radar shows some of the flights - with call signs starting XXX - making the 45-minute journey to the nuclear facility at Tonopah, which has been the focus of many conspiracy theories.

Other brief flights go to an unspecified destination nearby - believed to be the Area 51 facility famous with alien hunters.

Furthermore, Groom Lake is believed to be used to test experimental aircraft and "black projects" weapons systems. Its existence was only acknowledged publicly for the first time in 2005.

Conspiracy theorists believe the top-secret military base contains the remains of an alien spaceship that crashed in the 1940s. Nobody who flies on the special Janet flights is allowed to reveal where they are going or what their job is.

Conspiracy theorist Nick Pope says, Area 51 exists - it's part of a military testing range in Nevada - and because of the remote and sparsely-populated location, it's where various secret prototype aircraft and drones are developed and test flown. The UFO and conspiracy theory community think it's the place where crashed UFOs are kept and where the US military are trying to back-engineer this alien technology.

Janet's six 737 jets and five executive turboprops mostly shuttle back and forth to the two sites in Nevada but also fly to US air bases in California, Utah and Ohio.

The planes can be seen waiting at the private terminal from some rooms at the Mandalay Hotel on the Las Vegas strip, which back on to the airport.
As I welcome the new year, I say a silent prayer of gratitude for all that I have. The year 2016 has passed without threats on the life of my family and friends. We often take for granted all that we have around us. From the democracy of a vibrant country, to the fact that we have a country that we can live in. I say this in the context of a whole new syndrome that the world is now trying to face  the syndrome of climate refugees.

Extreme weather events brought about by climate change, as a result of global warming caused by increased burning of fossil fuels, is becoming a problem, that it is now catching the attention of academics, policy makers and politicians across the world. Consider this: The small Pacific island nation of Kiribati, which is threatened by rising oceans, has become the first country on earth to buy land in another country for their citizens  climate refugees. Kiribati's president, Anote Tong, pointed out that, based on scientific predictions of sea level rise, the coral atolls that make up his homeland will be underwater within a century. "We have nowhere else to go," Tong said in an interview. "We already have communities which have had to relocate because what was their home was no longer there.

And so we are feeling impacts now already." Tong's government bought land in Fiji, to house its refugees.

In 2016, climate and weather-related disasters were responsible for displacement of 23.5 million people which is 97% of all disaster-related displacements. Flood disasters tend to make up the majority of climate and weather-related displacements each year. In 2016, however, storms caused 12.9 million displacements worldwide  55% of all weather-related disasters  by triggering mass displacement of populations living in exposed and vulnerable coastal areas. Seven of the 10 largest displacement events of 2016 were storm related. The number of new climate and weather-related disaster displacements in 2016 was above the annual average since 2008 of 21.7 million.

New research, published in Science magazine, suggests that weather shocks are spurring people to seek asylum in Europe. The researchers found that over a 15-year period, asylum applications in Europe increased along with hotter-than-normal temperatures in the countries where the asylum seekers had come from.

They predict that many more people will seek asylum in Europe as temperatures in their home countries are projected to rise. The paper, by Anouch Missirian and Wolfram Schlenker, looks at weather patterns in the countries of origin for asylum applicants between 2000 and 2014. It found that,  weather shocks on agricultural regions in 103 countries around the globe directly influence emigration to Europe. Part of the flow, said Dr. Schlenker, a professor at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and a co-author of the study, we can explain by what happens to the weather in the source country.

The challenge facing the world is this. The 1951 UN Refugee Convention grants refugee status to those fleeing persecution, wars, and conflicts, but does not include climate change as a reason to seek asylum. So refugees of climate change have literally no refuge. Some countries, like New Zealand are proposing a special refugee visa for Pacific Islanders who are forced to migrate because of rising sea levels. "We want to start a dialogue with the Pacific Island countries about this notion of migrating with dignity," said climate minister James Shaw, leader of New Zealand's Green Party.

Some work has already stared in the academic world. Michael W. Doyle, a Columbia professor and a group of academics and advocates have spent the last two years proposing an entirely new treaty with new categories to cover those who are forcibly displaced, including by the ravages of climate change. We do not expect the new treaty to be embraced anytime soon, but these conversations should start as record numbers of people leave their home countries and end up displaced in others, often without legal status.

Many of us take a lot for granted, our land, our country for granted. We do not even contemplate the issues of refugees, leave alone climate refugees! But the time has come, for all of us to give energy to these conversations, and to do our bit to take these conversations to the next level.
Chief Justice Kristina Cook Graham of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit has appointed attorney Melissa Gifford Hise to serve as the Americans with Disabilities Act contact in that circuit. This appointment comes after the Judicial Council of Georgia issued a position statement to all Georgia Courts in December 2017 to insure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.I feel like Ms. Hise will be an outstanding liaison between our Court and our citizens, said Judge Graham.In her 25 years of service to the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit she has become completely familiar with our courthouse facilities in all four counties and the men and women who work within them.The ADA contact position aims to ensure equal access to and full participation in the courts and programs conducted by the courts by people with disabilities. Ms. Hise will be available to consult with individuals on a personal basis to determine what steps need to be taken to resolve a particular issue. Ms. Hises first duty will be to evaluate the courthouses of Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade and Walker counties, and prepare a report of recommendations to improve their access.Ms. Hise graduated from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University and began practicing law in 1993. She currently practices at the Palmour Law Firm in Summerville, Ga. and serves as an Associate Magistrate Judge in Walker County.Any citizen with a question or concern about personal access to a court in the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit may contact Ms. Hise at mhise@palmourlaw.com.
Ooty: A man was on Thursday sentenced by a subordinate court to three years imprisonment for killing a leopard by trapping it in an iron noose in his farm. The prosecution case was that the big cat was found dead in the iron noose on September 5, 2016, at the Kolimedu farm belonging to Raju, who was later arrested. Delivering the judgment, Kotagiri subordinate court judge R. Sridhar sentenced Raju to three years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him.
Pune Police had earlier said that they had received a complaint against Gujarat MLA and Dalit leader Mevani and Delhi's JNU student leader Khalid for their 'provocative' speeches at an event in Pune on December 31. (Photo: AFP)

Mumbai: Police on Thursday denied permission to a summit scheduled to be addressed by Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani and JNU student leader Umar Khalid and detained students gathered outside a hall here for the event.

A police official said the number of students and activists detained outside the Bhaidas Hall in suburban Vile Parle was not yet available.

The action came after police denied permission for the 'All India Students Summit 2018', which was scheduled to be held on Thursday, in which Mevani and Khalid were invited.

#Mumbai: Students gathered for Chhatra Bharati event outside Bhaidas Hall, being forcibly removed pic.twitter.com/eGT36BvQov  ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2018

The police denied permission in the wake of protests and bandh in the state on Wednesday following violence on the anniversary of a battle fought 200 years ago at Bhima Koregaon in Pune, a senior police official said.

The police has not given permission for the programme, Datta Daghe, the president of Chhatra Bharati, the organiser of the event, said.

"Despite this we plan to go ahead with the programme. Mevani, Khalid and other invitees are coming after 11 am," he said.

Daghe said there was a huge police presence at the hall and the students were not being allowed to go inside.

Pune Police had earlier said that they had received a complaint against Gujarat MLA and Dalit leader Mevani and Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University's (JNU) student leader Khalid for their "provocative" speeches at an event in Pune on December 31.

Mevani and Khalid had attended the "Elgar Parishad", an event organised to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima-Koregaon, at Shaniwar Wada in Pune.

Violence erupted in Pune district when Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in which the forces of the British East India Company defeated the Peshwa's Army.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Manoj Kumar Rai said the school bus was on its way to drop the students to their homes when the collision took place. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Indore: Five students of the Delhi Public School (DPS) at Indore in Madhya Pradesh were killed when their bus collided with a truck on Friday afternoon, police said.

The bus driver was also killed, while four other students were injured in the mishap at a bypass near Indore, they said.

"The bus was carrying students of the Delhi Public School (DPS) when it collided with the truck at Kanadiya bypass. Five students and the bus driver were killed in the accident which occurred because of a steering failure," said Harinarayan Chari Mishra, DIG (Indore).

The injured were admitted to a private hospital, he said.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Manoj Kumar Rai said the school bus was on its way to drop the students to their homes when the collision took place.

He said the front portion of the bus was badly damaged due to the impact of the crash.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Bhupendra Singh said he has sought a report on the accident from the DIG and the RTO.

Talking to the media, Minister for School Education Deepak Joshi said the government will fix responsibility on schools regarding the safety of students.

"The government had issued guidelines for schools after a school bus accident in Bhopal. We will fix responsibility on schools to ensure the safety of children," Joshi said.
The CBI was entrusted with the probe in 1993 and filed a chargesheet against 18 persons under the stringent provisions of the IPC, Explosive Substances Act and Terrorist and Destructive Activities (Prevention) Act. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: After a hunt that lasted 24 years, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday arrested Mushtaq Ahmed, one of the main accused in the 1993 bombing of RSS' Chennai headquarters in which 11 people were killed.

Ahmed, who had eluded the CBI for 24 years, was arrested on Friday morning from the outskirts of Chennai, CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said in Delhi.

The blast on August 8, 1993 was triggered using RDX.

It brought down the multi-storeyed RSS office at Chetput in Chennai, claiming 11 lives.

Ahmed had allegedly procured the explosive material for assembling the bomb and provided shelter to the other accused, officials said.

The agency had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for providing credible information about Ahmed, one of the main accused in the case.

The agency was entrusted with the probe in 1993 and filed a chargesheet against 18 persons under the stringent provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Explosive Substances Act and Terrorist and Destructive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA).

In 2007, a TADA court in Chennai in 2007 convicted 11 persons and awarded life terms to three after a 12-year trial.

The agency continued its hunt for Ahmed -- who did not face trial as he could not be arrested -- right through.

After the trial in 2007, the special court acquitted four persons, including SA Basha, founder of the banned Al Umma, for lack of evidence against them.

Immam Ali, a suspected ISI agent who had escaped from custody in Madurai, was gunned down in Bangalore in an encounter with the police on September 29, 2002.

Another accused, Jihad Committee founder Palani Baba, was hacked to death by suspected RSS sympathisers on January 28, 1997.

Of the 431 witnesses, 224 were examined during the course of the trial which commenced on August 7, 1995.

The chargesheet was filed on June 8, 1994.
Bengaluru: Environmentalists are strongly against the BBMP's move to make kitchen pulverisers mandatory in households and hotels, warning it could lead to foaming in aeration tanks and make life difficult for people in the long run.

An online petition ,which has received over a 1000 signatures, argues that if the pipes are blocked, the raw sewage could burst out of the manholes and has suggested that restaurants use oil and grit separators to make sure that oil and fat does not reach the drains and lakes.

The concerned ecologists warn that the Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) will cease to operate as they are not designed for the immense pressure that they will put under should this move become a reality. If kitchen pulverisers are introduced the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) will more than the double , making it impossible for the treatment plants to continue. In the bargain the sewage will flow directly into the lakes which have been rejuvenated recently, they deplore.

Mr Ram Prasad, co-founder, Friends of Lake and solid waste management expert says at least 10 to 20litres of water will be required to push the pulverized garbage down the drain.  With Bengaluru depending on water at Rs 62 per kilolitre, how can we waste precious water this way?he asks.

Others warn the new plan could lead to clogging of drains. "Blockages cause roughly 75 per cent of all sanitary sewer overflows, where untreated sewage is diverted from the wastewater treatment plant and usually into a body of water, Mr Prasad explains.

However, BBMP (Solid Waste Management) Commissioner, Sarfaraz Khan assures that it will opt for the new method only after consultation with experts at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.).

We have passed a resolution on this , but a study has to be done. We are only exploring the possibilities now. So there is no reason for the backlash from the activists, Mr Khan added.
Video clips from the wedding show Vinod Kumar, the forced groom, being thrashed and compelled to perform wedding rituals in Patna's Pandarak area. (Screengrab)

Patna: A 29-year-old junior engineer from Bokaro Steel Plant, was reportedly kidnapped and married to a woman at gunpoint in Bihar.

Video clips from the wedding show Vinod Kumar, the forced groom, being thrashed and compelled to perform wedding rituals in Patna's Pandarak area.

Vinod continued to beg release and cry for help while a group of women, allegedly from the bride's family, tried to coerce him to cooperate, the video showed.

On refusing to apply vermillion to the bride's forehead, her relatives were heard saying, "we are only performing your wedding, not hanging you."

Bihar: Engineer allegedly forced to get married at gunpoint in Patna's Pandarak, kept crying. (2.1.18) pic.twitter.com/8ce1JwHYAP  ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2018

According to local media reports, one of the bride's relatives pointed a pistol at Vinod after they met at a mutual friend's wedding and ordered him to marry her.

In December 2017, when Vinod did not reach home as planned, his brother Sanjay Kumar got in touch with the police and informed them about a phone call from an unknown number that intimated him about his brother's 'pakadua vivah' (forced marriage).

Ever since the incident, Vinod's family has been receiving threat calls to not seek police help and accept the marriage.

"My brother boarded Hatia-Patna express from Bokaro as he had to attend a wedding function near Patna on December 3. Surendra Yadav, the woman's brother, persuaded him to come to Mokama. He was abducted there and taken to Pandarak where my brother was forced to marry the woman," Sanjay said, according to media reports.

The allegations are now being investigated by the police, though Sanjay alleged they had refused to help earlier.

Pandarak police station in charge Prabhakar Vishwakarma, however, denied the allegations.

"We asked the boy's family to lodge an abduction case at Mokama because the alleged abduction took place there," he was quoted as saying by the media.

Sanjay then approached Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj on whose directions Pandarak police freed Vinod from the village where he was kept after the forced marriage.

"We are looking into it and will take action against the culprits. We are also probing the role of the local police," Patna city SP Amarkesh said.

Reports show that the police received nearly 3,000 complaints of groom kidnapping in 2016, none of the which were annulled.
Gujarat MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani said, 'I am an elected representative. BJP is scared of me. We want a caste-less India. Dont Dalits have the right to protest?' (Photo: Twitter | ANI)

New Delhi: A day after he was denied permission to hold a rally in Mumbai, newly-elected Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani launched a scathing attacked at the Centre saying he was being targetted.

Mevani also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clear his stand on the recent violence in Maharashtra.

"Not even a single word of my speech was inflammatory, I am just being targetted. No part of my speech was provocative or inflammatory," the newly-elected Gujarat MLA said.

Mevani was responding to an FIR registered against him for his alleged "provocative" speech during an event in Pune on December 31. He was addressing the media at a press conference in the national capital.

I am an elected representative. BJP is scared of me. We want a caste-less India. Dont Dalits have the right to protest? Mevani said.

Mevani said the results of the Gujarat Assembly elections have dented the ego of BJP and the charges against him are politically motivated in the wake of his rising popularity.

"Members of Sangh Parivar and BJP made a childish attempt to tarnish my image and target me, it is an after effect of the Gujarat results and it is also because they have a sense of fear about 2019," the Dalit leader added.

Mevani further said by targeting an "established Dalit leader" the government has offended millions of Dalits of the country.

Jignesh Mevani said that he would organise a Yuva Ahankar (youth pride) rally in the capital to protest atrocities against Dalits and other minority communities.

Jignesh Mevani and JNU student Umar Khalid were earlier booked by the Pune police for allegedly creating communal disharmony during a provocative speech at an event on the 200th anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle.

The Pune event was followed by a series of protests across Maharashtra with Mumbai being the hard-hit on Tuesday. On Thursday, the Mumbai police had denied Mevani permission to hold a rally.
Darul Ifta has stated that as per Islamic law, earnings through interest and any transaction involving interest particularly investment is forbidden. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP)

Saharanpur: The largest seminary in the country, Darul Uloom Deoband, has issued a fatwa asking Muslim women to not marry into a family whose members work in banks, citing that the income from banking jobs is considered haram (forbidden) earnings.

The edict was pronounced after a person asked Darul Ifta if he should marry his daughter to a man whose father worked in a bank.

The banking sector runs on the basis of interest which is prohibited in Islam. Darul Ifta has stated that as per Islamic law, earnings through interest and any transaction involving interest particularly investment is forbidden.

Islam also forbids business in alcohol, narcotics, school, and weapons as well as any business undertaken with the motive of earning maximum profits, the Islamic seminary informed.

The Islamic scholars and clerics have upheld the fatwa, contending that religious bodys stand was in line with the Islamic law.

Darul Uloom Deoband is correct in its decision. One should avoid having any social bonds with such a person because everything including his lifestyle would be connected with haraam, and then it would be harmful to the person religiously, socially as well as individually, Majlis Ittehad-e-Millat General Secretary Othar Osmani said.

Muslim scholar and Islamic researcher Maulana Nadimul Vajdi said that if a person, knowingly or unknowingly, has indulged in haram earning, the person concerned should quit the job and find another one in which the income was not considered forbidden under the Islamic law.
The 69-year-old RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav is lodged in the central jail in Ranchi since his conviction on December 23. (Photo: File/PTI)

Ranchi: Citing illness and old age, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, convicted in a fodder scam case along with 10 others, on Friday sought leniency from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court which will pronounce the quantum of punishment on Saturday.

Lalu Prasad appeared before the court of CBI special judge Shiv Pal Singh for the sentencing hearing through video-conferencing from Birsa Munda central jail and in a written plea sought leniency due to his illness and old age, his counsel Chittaranjan Prasad said.

The 69-year-old RJD leader is lodged in the central jail since his conviction on December 23.

"The judge said he would pronounce the judgement at 2 pm tomorrow," Chittaranjan Prasad told reporters after emerging from the video-conferencing hall in Ranchi.

The court had convicted Lalu Prasad for offences of cheating with criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Under the sections, Lalu Prasad can be sentenced to a minimum jail term of one year and maximum of seven years, according to Chittaranjan Prasad.

According to legal experts, Lalu Prasad would be able to apply for bail immediately at the lower court itself if the quantum of sentence happens to be less than three years.

The court concluded arguments on the quantum of punishment against Lalu Prasad and 10 others in connection with the withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deogarh Treasury between 1990 and 1994 when he was the chief minister of Bihar.

Earlier, he was awarded five years imprisonment in 2013 in a case relating to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 33.61 crore from the Chaibasa treasury.

The RJD supremo was later released on bail granted by the Supreme Court.

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

Besides Lalu Prasad, the court today heard arguments on the punishment of RJD leader R K Rana, former IAS officers Phoolchand Singh, Mahesh Prasad, former government official Subir Bhattacharya, suppliers/transporters Tripurari Mohan Prasad, Sushil Kumar Sinha, Sunil Kumar Sinha, Raja Ram Joshi, Sanjay Agarwal and Sunil Gandhi.

The court had heard pre-sentencing arguments in alphabetical order on Thursday of former IAS officer Beck Julius, Gopinath Das, RJD leader Jagdish Sharma, transporter/suppliers Jyoti Kumar Jha and Krishna Kumar Prasad.

It had deferred announcing the punishment against Lalu Prasad and others for the second consecutive day on Friday.

The court had on December 23 convicted all the 16 accused in the fodder scam while acquitting six others, including former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra.

In 1996, the Patna High Court had ordered an inquiry into the fodder scam cases and a charge sheet in the Deogarh treasury case was filed against 38 people on October 27, 1997.

Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07, a CBI official said.

On September 30, 2013, Yadav, Jagannath Mishra and several others had been convicted in another case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa Treasury in the early 1990s. The conviction on December 23 last is the second in the scam.

RJD leaders, meanwhile, asserted that none from the party made telephone calls to the special CBI judge at Ranchi as claimed by him but felt political opponents may have done so in the guise of RJD supporters.

The assertions were made by Shivanand Tiwary and senior party leader Jagdanand Singh.

Judge Shiv Pal Singh, before deferring the pronouncement on quantum of punishment on Lalu Prasad on Thursday, commented in his presence about him receiving phone calls from the RJD chief's well-wishers.

"I came to know about it (special CBI judge Singh making the aforementioned statement in court) through media reports. I can say with certainty that no RJD leader would resort to such a step, as everyone knows that such desperation can backfire", Tiwary told reporters in Patna.

He also said "the possibility of our political opponents making such a call in the guise of RJD supporters cannot be ruled out. They may indulge in such mischief to queer the pitch for Lalu".

The RJD vice president hoped the quantum of sentence in the Deogarh case will be less than the one awarded to him in 2013 since the amount involved in the present case is "much smaller" than the previous case.
New Delhi: A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court will reconsider the legal validity of the 157-year-old adultery law in the Indian Penal Code punishing only man and not a married woman for adultery by treating her as a victim and not an abettor of crime.

A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud on Friday referred the writ petition filed by an activist Joseph Shine, challenging the constitutional validity of Section 497 of the IPC, for reconsideration by a Constitution Bench.

Section 497 IPC says: Whoever has sexual intercourse with a person who is and whom he knows or has reason to believe to be the wife of another man, without the consent or connivance of that man, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, is guilty of the offence of adultery and shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both. In such case, the wife shall not be punishable as an abettor.

After hearing senior counsel Kaleeswaram Raj, appearing for the petitioner, the Bench in a brief order said that in 1954 a four-judge Bench and in 1985 a three-judge Bench had upheld the validity of Section 497 IPC stating that this provision was not discriminatory to man.

The Bench said, This provision is archaic. We think it appropriate that the earlier 1954 and 1985 judgments (upholding Section 497 IPC) required to be reconsidered, having regard to the societal progress, outlook, gender equality and gender sensitivity.
The BJP government paint the outer wall of the UP State Haj Committee office in saffron, at Lucknow on Friday. (Photo: PTI)

Lucknow: UP State Haj Committee office in Lucknow has shed its green colour and taken on the shade of saffron. The Haj committee supervises the Mecca pilgrimage and is used by Muslims as a transit point while on their way to pilgrimage in Mecca.

The green-and-white exterior wall of the Haj House is now being painted sa-ffron and Opposition parties have accused the Yogi government of deliberately provoking the minority community by fanning religious sentiments.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been pursuing his saffron agenda ever since he took over as Chief Minister, ten months ago.

From books to diaries to his office, the upholstery on the furniture, towels, buses, school buildings and electric poles have taken on a saffron hue.

Congress spokesman Surendra Rajput said, The painting of the Haj house in saffron colour is a deliberate attempt to annoy Muslims. If Hindus are using saffron, Muslims should also be permitted to use green. Every individual should be allowed to enjoy his religious freedom.

SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary also accused the state government of trying to impose its choices on minorities. The BJP is creating a dangerous situation in the state with such steps, he said.

Mr Mohsin Raza, the lone Muslim minister in the UP government, said that saffron was a colour that gave positive energy and there was no harm is using it.
Hyderabad: State government employees covered under Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) on Friday secured permission from the High Court to hold their proposed Ayutha Dharma Deeksha at Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Raos home constituency Gajwel on January 7.

It is planned as a protest rally demanding abolition of the CPS and reintroduction of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

The police late on Thurs-day cancelled permission for the meeting all of a sudden, forcing the employees to approach the High Court.

TS CPS Employees Union president G. Sthitaprajna said, We have achieved our first victory in our fight against CPS with the HC orders. Our deeksha will go on as scheduled. Over 10,000 employees will take part in the protest rally.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday said the state government would present a special budget for agriculture from the coming financial year.

Agriculture had been part of State Budget all these years. Mr Rao said the agriculture budget would have higher allocations for investment support scheme under which the government would extend Rs 8,000 per acre annually as financial assistance to farmers and corpus fund to ensure minimum support price to farmers for all crops.

The CM held a comprehensive review meeting on agriculture issues at Pragati Bhavan with ministers and senior officials.

He said the government would take all steps to ensure MSP (minimum support price) for agriculture produce and support farmers in all aspects.

He instructed officials to take measures to enable the government purchase produce in case if it was not fetching the MSP in the market.

The state government had initiated several measures to make agriculture profitable.

Listing them out, he said irrigation projects were under construction, minor irrigation tanks being revived, 24-hour quality and free supply of power to the farm sector, quality seed and fertilisers availability on time, `8,000 per acre for two crops a year under investment support scheme from this year, one agriculture extension officer for every 5,000 acres, strengthening of the Agriculture University and clarity on land ownership through updation of land records.

Along with these, necessary action would also be taken to get the MSP for agriculture produce, the CM said.

If farmers are happy, the state would be happy. If the farm sector is good, rural economy would be good. Hence we will take all measures to get the MSP for every crop the farmer produces, he added.
Chennai: Lakhs of commuters across Tamil Nadu had a harrowing experience travelling on Friday as majority of employees of transport department continued with their strike for the second day on Friday.

Passengers travelling from Chennai to outstation and vice-versa were the most affected as private bus operators were not able to match up with the number of services by the government-owned transport corporation.

Overcharging by private operators also forced people to stay indoors cancelling all their travel plans. Though the government attempted at some damage control by recruiting drivers and conductors and asking pressing in private and school buses into services, passenger woes did not end.

As the strike continued affecting lakhs of people, the Opposition parties, besides actor Kamal Haasan, urged the government to end the stalemate by holding talks with trade unions. However, the government stood its ground saying it cannot meet the demands of the striking employees at one go.

Cashing in on the unfortunate situation, cab aggregators and auto drivers charged exorbitant amount from commuters besides making them wait for more time than usual. Office-goers and students bore the brunt of the strike as nearly 90 per cent of the buses went off the roads.

Good Samaritans offe-red help to stranded people by offering them rides in their vehicles, displaying their large-heartedness. Social media was abuzz with messages asking people with two-wheeler and cars to offer ride to those in needy as buses were off roads.

Transport union sources said only 5 per cent of the buses went out in every depot and majority of the employees were indoors.

The strike is on successfully. The government is using ruling party members (drivers) to run the buses. As many as 95 per cent of workers have not reported for duty.... not even 10 per cent of the buses are plying, Sounderrajan said.

Though the ruling AIADMK-backed Anna Thozhirsanga Peravai said its members had reported to duty, ground reports said a large number of vehicles were off the road in different parts of the state.

Ten trade unions had announced launching the indefinite strike yesterday after their talks with the government over a key demand on a factor determining wage structure failed. The unions wanted the factor to be fixed at 2.57 while the government insisted that it be 2.44. The unions and government also did not come to a consensus on the minimum basic pay structure.

Ever-bustling CMBT deserted

With transport unions strike on Friday forcing government buses off roads, the ever-busy Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminal (CMBT) at Koyambedu looked like a private bus stand with the Tamil Nadu government bringing private operators to compensate for the loss. The bustling CMBT, vibrant with full of activity on any given day, wore a deserted look on Friday as many passengers opted to stay at home by cancelling their travel plans. Although the government recruited temporary drivers and conductors on daily wages, more than 80 per cent of long-distance buses were parked in bus bays.

Some private omnibuses, allowed to ply from CMBT instead of the omnibus stand owing to strike, fleeced the stranded passengers with exorbitant charges. When our Deccan Chronicle reporter, posing as a passenger, enquired a private omnibus driver, he said that the ticket would cost Rs 500 to Rs 600 for Salem. At state-owned SETC buses, Chennai to Salem ticket would cost not more than Rs 300.

Some private buses charged more than Rs 1,000 for Salem on early hours of the Friday and the ticket prices came down due to decreasing footfall, alleged a shop owner in CMBT.

Commuters who reached Chennai from other districts somehow also were left waiting for MTC services, as local MTC buses were few and far between. I have come from Vellore by a private bus. My husband and I have to go to NSK Nagar. But we cannot find a bus for over an hour, said S. Kanagasundari, a senior citizen.

N. Suresh, an auto-rickshaw driver at CMBT, said that he had a difficult time in finding rides. Commuters from other districts usually hire autos. Due to strike, we cannot get rides, Suresh said.
CHENNAI: Emboldened by the Madras high court order, transport minister M. R. Vijayabhaskar on Friday warned striking transport employees to return to work or face legal action but it failed to move the belligerent workers who vowed to continue with their agitation.

Vijayabhaskar issued a statement and later spoke to reporters after a high-level meeting with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and other senior ministers where it was decided not to give into the demands of the transport workers who, according to the government, should understand the real situation and get back to work.

It is saddening that employees owing allegiance to a few unions have resorted to strike at a time when the government was considering their demands that includes salary hike. The Madras high court has also ruled that the strike is illegal and has asked the workers to return to work. Hence, the unions should call off the strike and get back to work, Vijayabhaskar said in the statement.

However, the Federation of Trade Unions, spearheading the agitation, rejected the ministers appeal and announced that they will continue with their strike and was ready to face any action through legal means. They accused the state government of going back on the promise made by a committee of three ministers in May that the money that was spent from the employees welfare fund would be returned to them in three months.

We will face any action legally. Our demands are just and we will not go back on our demands. The strike will continue and we will face the Madras high court order legally. We will move the court, A Soundararajan, CITU leader, said, reacting to the ministers statement. He also said the court order was one-sided since it did not bother to listen to our views.

We admit that people are facing inconvenience due to the strike, but we are protesting demanding our rights in a democratic manner. The government is responsible for the strike, not the employees. The government has spent Rs 7,000 crore from our fund and they are refusing to give it back, he said.

Vijayabhaskar said the state government has increased the minimum wages from Rs 1,468 to Rs 2,684 and maximum wages from Rs 2,077 to Rs 11,361 according to an agreement reached on Thursday. Due to the agreement, the state transport department will have an additional burden of Rs 1,000 crore. Though workers agreed to the wages fixed, a few transport unions misled them and have instigated them to go on the strike, Vijayabhaskar said.

He also accused members of a few transport unions of restoring to stopping the buses mid-way even during the night hours on Thursday. Even though employees were ready to get back to work, some people instigated them and even damaged a few buses, he said.
TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy addresses the media outside the Raj Bhavan after submitting a memorandum to the Governor related to sand mafia and law and order situation in the state, while other Congress leaders look on in Hyderabad on Friday. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: A verbal war broke out between Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and Telangana Congress leaders on Friday at Raj Bhavan when a Congress delegation led by TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Opposition leader in the Assembly K. Jana Reddy, and Opposition leader in the Legislative Council Mohmmod Ali Shabbir met the Governor to submit a representation regarding the arrest of MRPS president Manda Krishna Madiga and the killing of Village Revenue Assistant (VRA) Sailoo in Kamareddy district.

The Governor told the delegation that according to his information, Sailoo is not a VRA, and he was mown down by a vehicle carrying bricks, not sand. He said that the Congress leaders were wrong in accusing the sand mafia.

This angered the Congress leaders, who reminded him that he had became Governor due to Sonia Gandhis biksha, (alms) and was continuing as Governor by making pairavi (lobbying).

Former MPs Sarve Satyanarayana and Mallu Ravi told the Governor, You are behaving like a TRS worker, behave like a Governor. An angry Governor said, What nonsense are you talking.

Congress demands probe by ACB

The Congress leaders replied that when Opposition leaders submit a representation, the Governor should make inqu-iries, but you are defe-nding the government. Do you know what is happening in the state?

The Governor replied that everyone should support the state government. Regarding the arrest of Manda Krishna Madiga, the Governor said that Mr Krishna had violated bail conditions.

The Congress leaders said that when Mr Krishna was on an indefinite hunger strike at his home, how was that violation of bail conditions?

The Congress leaders demanded an inquiry into the alleged murder of Sailoo and Rs 25 lakh to be paid to his family. They also demanded that the Anti-Corruption Bureau inquire into the irregularities in sand mining.

They demanded removal of all cases against Manda Krishna Madiga who should be released unconditionally. They said that the state government must take an all-party delegation to Delhi to bring pressure on the Central government to bring Act on SC categorisation.

Later, in a communi-que, the Governor described the meeting as cordial. He said he had told the delegation that he would look into their memorandum. He said that the dignity and neutrality of Raj Bhavan would always be maintained. The Governor said that he was concerned about the welfare of the people of both Telugu states.
Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil speaks with the family members of Deepak Rao at their residence in Katipalla near Surathkal on Thursday. (Right) The crowd at Deepaks house after his body was brought from the hospital  KPN

Mangaluru: Communally sensitive Mangaluru witnessed an outpouring of grief on Thursday when Bajrang Dal activist Deepak Rao was cremated amidst high drama at Surathkal in the district. Deepak was hacked to death by assailants at Mudaikodi-Katipalla on Wednesday afternoon when he was returning from the house of Majeed, owner of the shop where he was employed.

Saffron outfits, which claim he was murdered by outfits representing the minority community, had called for a bandh at Surathkal and Katipalla on Thursday and had also decided to take the body in a procession from AJ Hospital to his house However the police took the body in an ambulance to the house which was stopped by leaders led by BJP Backward Class Morcha state secretary Sathyajit Surathkal and Bajrang Dal State Convener Sharan Pumpwell. They demanded that they wanted to take the body in a procession and demanded a compensation of `50 lakh for the family members of Deepak.

Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil intervened and assured family members that he would provide Rs 10 lakh compensation and also granted permission to take out a procession from Deepaks house to the crematorium. Meanwhile, an inconsolable Abdul Majeed, Deepaks boss, said he could not go to the crematorium as he was advised not to do so. Deepak was working for Majeed for the last seven years and used to distribute SIM cards. "It was around 1.30 pm.

He had just gone out of the house. I was inside when I heard a scream. I rushed out and saw some people escaping in a Swift car. Deepak had brutal injuries near the neck," Majeed recollects.
They say that the Sharifs visit to Saudi Arabia was in no way linked to the scheduled general election in Pakistan. Mian Nawaz Sharifs news conference after his surprise return home had everything to do with the 2018 general election.

It was a surprise comeback since many among us had strived to import a permanent stamp on Mian Sahibs flight from Pakistan. According to the script, the Sharif brothers were to eagerly put their thumbprints on a deal that was to free Nawaz from the burden of having to take on the establishment.

The deal was to release him of his democratic bondage and provide him refuge away from the tough schedule in Pakistan that, among other nuisances, required him to frequently appear in court. Younger brother Shahbaz Sharif was, in contrast, to emerge as the one leading the PML(N)s charge towards and beyond the 2018 general election.

There was no word  neither was one sought with any urgency  about how Shahbaz Sahib himself was to escape the much feared legal juggernaut and stay relevant to Pakistani politics. It was a given that, if the Saudi monarchy so desired, he could still be the man to beat in the dash for power this year.

So sure were we that journalists and other interested citizens in Lahore started to prepare for the emotional shock of living without Shahbaz Sahib and his dynamic leadership. Few of them were ready to trade him for Hamza Shahbaz. The sense of anticipation and loss hit hard as the two Sharif brothers went through the screening process in Saudi Arabia.

There is, as yet, no word if this is the right explanation for the mysterious Sharif voyage to the land of bounty, or which ones of all these theories paraded in public for the last so many days have some truth to them. This may be an entirely wrong impression of the expedition, its purpose and outcome. But at the risk of sounding repetitive, let us remember that there are people here who believed from the outset that this is what Mian Sahib had been aiming for  forwarding Shahbaz Sahibs credentials for the office of Prime Minister and at the same time maintaining a tough-talking second prong with the help of Maryam Nawaz.

Considering the odds, it would appear a good enough bargain for the PML(N) to aim for. The most ardent of Mian Sahibs fans were giving him few chances to turn the tables on what appeared to be his fate. He was most unlikely to redeem himself, and quickly, to be able to lay claim to the leadership mantle in the context of the 2018 general polls.

Even Shahbaz Sahib initially appeared to have little effect on the kingmakers, summoning his most innocent, most promising expressions on the occasion with the help of his portfolio of all the development work conducted with typical severity. The children of the Sharif family as the next leaders was a proposition fraught with danger. Shahbaz Sahib had to be the best bet for 2018.

Election apparently weighed heavily on Nawaz Sharifs mind as he spoke to the press corps upon his return from the soul-cleansing journey to Saudi Arabia  election and democracy which in a poll year has more to do with votes than at any other time.

He did warn them that he would come out with the whole truth about what has been happening in Islamabad in the last four odd years, since he was elected Prime Minister in 2013. On the day he did speak about a common problem: the difficulties faced by a man who has to frequently show up in court. But if one were to pinpoint one salient point on which he put utmost emphasis it had to be election 2018.

Take a look. A report in news website said Sharif described how elections in Pakistan have historically not been taken seriously, preventing successive Prime Ministers from completing their term.

Because 2018 is a year for elections, he said, this worn-out rule of the past is being applied again today.

They are trying to shift the publics views ... Block the way for a certain political party, and pave the way for the[ir]) darling.

The passionate, focused call for a level playing field for elections could well mean a concentration on polls. The stress would be misplaced unless the big brother has decided who is going to lead this thrust for power.

By arrangement with Dawn
The changes proposed in the H-1B visa regulations by the US department of homeland security will have grave implications for Indians, including techies. How many people will be affected if the changes are brought in is still unclear, but at least five lakh Indians waiting for US permanent residency could be sent home in the worst-case scenario. Many are from South India, particularly Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, from where thousands of students seek an American education and, if possible, jobs and the coveted green card. Its not known when steps may be initiated to evict those waiting to be US citizens, during which time they may become ineligible to stay and work there. The tensions among sections of the Indian diaspora are so high that many are cancelling home visits fearing that they may be denied re-entry.

The non-immigrant H-1B visas, allotted by lottery, are said to have been monopolised by Chinese and Indian citizens who, however have been lending their shoulder to the wheels running one of the worlds largest economies. The US economy has been on the mend in the past decade since the 2008 sub-prime crash and the signs are encouraging for growth. Thus the proposed visa curbs on highly skilled workers who use H-1B could boomerang on the Trump administration and parts of the US economy like IT and healthcare. Its believed, however, that the changes may not take place in a hurry and it could be some years before a new visa regime can be brought in place of the H-1B system. Of course, its hardly the right of immigrants to question the decisions of the host country.

The flip side is that the return of lakhs of highly qualified Indians may not be wholly a disaster; it could also be an opportunity for India. This country can use the expertise, much of it entrepreneurial, in building up Indias IT industry and to drive Digital India. The government must shed its bureaucratic attitude and ensure a congenial environment for creativity is offered nationwide to those forced to return or willing to do so to set up shop in their own country. Given the nature of todays interconnected world, its possible to relocate without too much disruption, except in lifestyles, which techies can adapt to better than most. The domestic IT industry could also do with the kind of new skills Indian-American techies can bring back to their homeland. The challenges will be huge for those who had gone to America with the dream to make it big in the land of opportunity, like a Satya Nadella or a Sundar Pichai did. However, its time India strove to create an atmosphere in which skilled Indians can contribute by staying at home.
HMD Globals Nokia has announced the successor to its popular mid-range offering  the Nokia 6 (2018). The smartphone will be available to the customers in India sometime soon. The 32GB Nokia 6 (2018) variant will be available with a price tag of around Rs. 14,600 and the 64GB variant will cost around Rs. 16,600.

The latest version of the phone runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat. However, we were expecting Nokia to come up with Android 8.0 Oreo. The model is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 SoC, which is clocked at 2.2GHz, and has 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM.

The phone boasts of a 5.5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The internal storage of the new model is expandable up to 128GB. While the 2017 model had a front-facing fingerprint scanner, the latest version carries it to the back and also loses the capacitive keys in favour of on-display navigation buttons. And the 2018 version also has come up with two features unique to this segment- Bluetooth 5.0 and USB Type-C.

The 2018 version has a 16MP rear camera sensor with dual-tone LED flash and PDAF lens. Similarly, an 8MP front camera is available with a wide-angle lens. The Dual-Sight technology borrowed from the flagship Nokia 8, which allows the user to capture images from the rear and front camera sensors at the same time, which Nokia also terms as the Bothie feature. The model boasts of a 3000mAh battery which supports fast charging. The smartphone will be available in two colour variants  Black and Silver.

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The Sandstone White variant is available only on the top-end variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

When OnePlus announced the 5T Star Wars edition last month, its fans rejoiced after knowing that the brands popular Sandstone finish had made a comeback. The Sandstone finish was the trademark of the OnePlus One and the OnePlus 2, which bid goodbye with OnePlus 3 as it embraced a new metallic body design. However, the Sandstone finish on a OnePlus device was demanded by the fans, which is why the company has unveiled a new Sandtone White variant of the 5T in the US.

The Sandstone White variant brings back the same Sandstone effect from the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Edition (read our review here) launched in India last month. It even retains the red mineral slider and the side buttons with black accents. However, theres no movie branding or special UI on board this variant. The press shots also show a new wallpaper, which seems to be the only addition to the software front when compared to the regular Midnight Black 5T.

The Sandstone White variant is available only on the top-end variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Therefore, users opting for this model will also get to experience the Snapdragon 835 chipsets slick performance and get good quality pictures from the 16MP+20MP dual rear cameras. You can check out our review of the OnePlus 5T here.

Currently, the Sandstone White variant of the 5T is only available in the US for $599 (roughly Rs 37,949) as of now, with the company expressing no intention of putting it for sale in India. However, we think the Sandstone White variant might not make it to India considering the fact that the 5T Star Wars Edition with the same finish and specifications was launched exclusively in India for Rs 38,999.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Hafiz Saeed who was recently released from house arrest is among the issues that have been a feature of Americas conversation with Pak. (Photo: Twitter | @PakMNAOfficial)

Washington: The Trump administrations decision to suspend over USD 1.1 billion security assistance to Pakistan has nothing to do with Islamabad not taking action against Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, a US official has said.

We have certainly expressed our concern about the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks being let out of house arrest in Pakistan. To my knowledge, that has nothing to do with that, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said at her daily news conference.

Nauert was responding to a question if the suspension of security assistance was related to Hafiz Saeed, the Mumbai attack mastermind who was released by Pakistan on November last year.

There is a USD 10 million reward out for information leading to his re-arrest, the person who is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks who was let go in Pakistan. So weve been very clear about our displeasure with that individual being let go, and thats why we like to remind people that there is a USD 10 million Rewards for Justice program out for him, Nauert said.

A senior State Department official told reporters that the US continues to have conversation with Pakistan not only on Haqqani network, and Taliban, but also on India-centric terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

We cant continue to have a relationship that has a business as usual with Pakistan. This conversation is not new to this administration. There have been concerns about Pakistans issue of sanctuaries for the Haqqani network and the Taliban. But we have concerns about their nuclear programme. We have concerns about the ability of anti-Indian groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish e Mohammed to fund raise and operate, the official who spoke on anonymity said.

Hafiz Saeed who was recently released from house arrest is among the issues that have been a feature of Americas conversation with Pakistan for many years.

This administration felt that we needed to take additional steps to underscore that were not going to be able to continue the relationship on autopilot. We cant continue a status quo relationship. We need to be able to move beyond these challenges and put our relationship on a more solid footing, the official said.

Responding to a question, the official disputed the general impression coming out of Pakistan that it will not rearrest Hafiz Saeed as being demanded by the US.

I have not seen them say theyre not going to take any of these steps. What the Pakistani government has objected to is our characterisation of the situation on the ground. But I have never heard the Pakistani government say theyre not going to re-arrest Hafiz Saeed or theyre not going to prosecute him, the official said.

The Pakistanis have clearly indicated that they are unhappy with the public rhetoric of the Trump administration.

What I would say to that is we had a number of months where we have had very serious conversations and private discussions with them and have not seen the responsiveness that we need. And at some juncture they knew that we were going to take additional steps if they did not respond to the requests that we made to them, the State Department official said.

Appreciating the help of Pakistan in the release of Coleman family, the official said at the same time if there is an ongoing relationship between elements of the security forces in Pakistan and the group that took the Colin Boyle family hostage that is a concern.
Prabhu Ramamoorthy, allegedly groped the 22-year-old seated next to him on a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas which landed in Detroit early on January 3. (Photo: Facebook/Ramamoorthy)

A 34-year-old Indian-origin man was arrested by federal authorities in Michigan after a woman co-passenger complained of being sexually assaulted by him after falling asleep on the flight.

Prabhu Ramamoorthy, allegedly groped the 22-year-old seated next to him on a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas which landed in Detroit early on January 3, the Washington Post reported.

The victim claimed that she woke up to find her pants and shirt unbuttoned and the man's hand inside her pants, while his wife sat next to him.

Ramamoorthy, an Indian national living in US was charged with aggravated sexual abuse and held without bail after being arrested when the flight landed.

Ramamoorthy and his wife are living on a temporary visa, thereby disqualifying the latter as suitable custodian, according to federal prosecutor, Amanda Jawad.

She said Ramamoorthy was seated between his wife and the victim and continued assaulting her until she woke up and went to report the incident to flight attendants.

The victim was crying and appeared befuddled with her clothes undone, when she reported the incident about 40 minutes before the plane was due to land, two flight attendants stated. Ramamoorthys wife had at this point walked up to the back of the plane to inquire into the incident, the attendants added.

In a written statement, Ramamoorthy claimed that he had taken a pill and fallen asleep. He rubbished the victims claims, saying he had learnt from his wife that the woman was sleeping on his knees.

Magistrate Judge Steven Whalen said, "It seems that she's either colluding with the defendant to cover up his actions or she's completely oblivious to what he did," Jawad argued. "What makes this offense particularly egregious and the defendant even more of a danger to the community is the fact that it took place on an airplane. He was brazen enough to do this basically in public, next to his wife where anyone could have seen him," calling the incident a "very unusual case."

He ordered Ramamoorthy to be held pending trial following the prosecutors argument that Ramamoorthy was a flight risk and a potential danger to others around him.

The prosecutor, Amanda Jawad claimed that Ramanmoorthy had given conflicting statements saying, both Ramamoorthy and his wife gave lengthier statements later indicating that the pill Ramamoorthy had taken was "plain Tylenol."

Ramamoorthys wife told officials, they had called the flight attendants to try to change seats. But the "flight attendants did not report that anyone asked them to change seats other than the victim," Jawad said.

Ramamoorthy has been working as a project manager at a technology group for about two and a half years. His lawyer, Richard ONeill offered to turn in Ramamoorthys passport and said, "There's been no allegations from anywhere that his behaviour has ever been inappropriate prior to this incident."

According to a report by the Seattle Times, sexual harassment and abuse on airplanes is a largely unreported but prevalent issue for passengers.
Trump cut ties with Bannon on Wednesday, saying his former adviser had lost his mind, in a blistering statement issued after comments attributed to Bannon in the book were made public. (Photo: File)

Washington: US President Donald Trumps lawyer said on Thursday he would try to stop publication of a book that portrays an inept president in a fumbling White House and threatened legal action against former top aide Steve Bannon over defamatory comments in the book.

Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by author Michael Wolff set off a political firestorm with its portrayal of Trump as not particularly wanting to win the US presidency in 2016 and unprepared for the job.

Some of the harshest commentary came from Bannon, the right-wing firebrand who headed the final stage of Trumps campaign and became chief strategist at the White House before being fired in August.

Charles Harder, Trumps personal lawyer, in a legal notice provided to Reuters, warned of possible claims including libel against Wolff and publisher Henry Holt & Co and threatened to try to block publication of the book. Harder also said that legal action is imminent against Bannon.

Henry Holt said in a statement it had received a cease-and-desist letter from Trumps attorney but would go ahead with publishing the book.

Earlier, the publishing house said that due to unprecedented demand, it would release the book on Friday morning, rushing it to print after previously planning to put it out next Tuesday.

Wolff did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump cut ties with Bannon on Wednesday, saying his former adviser had lost his mind, in a blistering statement issued after comments attributed to Bannon in the book were made public.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders heaped scorn on Bannon and the book at her briefing on Thursday. She said Breitbart News should consider firing Bannon and attempted to cast doubt on Wolffs accuracy.

She called the book some trash that came from an author that no one had ever heard of until today.

This book is mistake after mistake after mistake, she said.

Trump lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to Bannon on Wednesday asking him not to disclose any confidential information. They said Bannon had breached an agreement by communicating with Wolff about Trump, his family and the campaign and made disparaging statements and in some cases outright defamatory statements about them.

In the book, Bannon was quoted as describing a June 2016 meeting with a group of Russians at Trump Tower in New York as treasonous and unpatriotic. The meeting, held after the Russians promised damaging information on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, was attended by Donald Trump Jr, Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort, Trumps campaign manager at the time.

Read: He never wanted to be US Prez: New book sheds light on unknown about Trump

Trumps statement also diminished Bannons role in the election victory and accused him of leaking to the media. Before joining the campaign, Bannon headed the conservative Breitbart News website and proved to be a divisive figure in the White House. He returned to Breitbart after being fired, although he is reported to have continued to talk with Trump.

Changed his tune

Bannons reaction to the book controversy has been muted. In interviews with Breitbart News after the news broke, he called Trump a great man and pledged continued support for the presidents agenda.

The president took note. He called me a great man last night so he obviously changed his tune pretty quick, Trump told reporters on Thursday. I dont talk to him. Thats a misnomer.

Bradley Moss, a Washington lawyer specializing in national security law, said any non-disclosure agreement would not apply to Bannon once he became a government employee. The government has far less power to limit speech by employees than private companies, Moss said.

A lawsuit could hurt Trump because Bannons lawyers would be entitled to interview White House officials and collect potentially damaging documents from them in his defense, Moss said.

I assume the cease-and-desist letter is aimed primarily at the public, added Michael Dorf, a professor at Cornell Law School. The idea that he could block publication is absurd.

On Thursday, the White House also said no personal devices, including cellphones, would be allowed in the White House West Wing beginning next week for security purposes. The moves followed the Bannon split but had been considered for some time, White House officials said.

Bannon helped Trump shape a populist, anti-establishment message and had been the presidents link to his hard-line conservative base of support, which is often at odds with the Republican Party establishment.

The story that triggered the Trump-Bannon split was an offshoot of the investigation into whether Trump campaign aides colluded with Russia to sway the election to Trump, allegations Trump and Moscow deny.

Manafort and business associate Rick Gates, another campaign aide, pleaded not guilty in November to federal charges brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller including conspiracy to launder money. Manafort sued Mueller on Wednesday, alleging that his investigation exceeded its legal authority.
Kim Jong-un in his new years speech to the country warned US claiming that he had a nuclear button is on his desk at all times. (Photo: File)

London: According to some reports, a North Korea missile crashed into one of its own cities as it failed moments after its launch.

On 28th April 2017, North Korea launched Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile which was initially thought to have disintegrated.

However, according to new reports the IRBM landed in Tokchon which has a population of around 200,000 people, the Independent reported.

The explosion is expected to have caused significant damage to industrial and agricultural buildings, however it was impossible ascertain how many lives the crash claimed, the Diplomat reported.

According to the magazine, which sited a US intelligence source, the missile had been launched from Pukchang airfield and flew 24 miles to the north east before its first engine failed and led to the crash.

Satellite images show a cleared ground indicating damages cause to a building and a greenhouse.

The missile could have also fallen toward Japan which would be tantamount to an attack.

North Koreas uninformed and arbitrary missile tests have for long kept Japan on its toes.

These reports come as Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe compared the countrys predicament to the atmosphere during World War 2, accusing North Korea for endangering its security situation.

"It is not an exaggeration to say that the security environment surrounding Japan is at its severest since World War Two," Abe said. "By raising pressure on North Korea, together with the international community, I intend to do my utmost to solve North Korea's nuclear, missiles and abduction issues."

The report also highlights the construction of tunnels, hangars and other storage sites which indicate its missiles wont be sitting ducks ready to attack known targets.

Earlier this week Nikki Haley warned North Korea of harsher consequences amid rumours of that the country was gearing up to fire another missile.

Haleys comments came as Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump began the new year by intimidating each other with the sizes of the nuclear buttons they controlled.

Kim Jong-un in his new years speech to the country warned US claiming that he had a nuclear button is on his desk at all times. Donald Trump responded to Kims threat by tweeting that he had a bigger and more powerful nuclear button.
As head of the Communist Party's Central Military Commission, Xi is commander-in-chief of China's more than two-million-strong armed forces. (Photo: File)

Shanghai: President Xi Jinping has issued a blunt call for China's military to be ready for war and unafraid to die defending the country, as geopolitical tensions mount in Asia.

Xi's exhortation to the world's largest fighting force, parts of which were revealed only late Thursday, came during what state media characterised as a rare address by the Chinese leader to the country's entire military.

Xi cemented his status as China's most powerful leader in decades during an October Communist Party congress, and this week's rhetoric and images of massed soldiers and tanks seemed designed to back up his new strongman image.

China's military personnel should "neither fear hardship nor death," Xi told thousands of military personnel during an inspection visit Wednesday to the People's Liberation Army's Central Theater Command in northern Hebei province, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Xi also called for the military, a once-backward force whose rapid modernisation over recent years has raised alarm in Asia and Washington, to continue upgrading.

He urged the PLA to step up research into high-tech means of warfare and engage in "real combat training", Xinhua said.

"Create an elite and powerful force that is always ready for the fight, capable of combat and sure to win in order to fulfil the tasks bestowed by the Party and the people in the new era," he was quoted saying.

As head of the Communist Party's Central Military Commission, Xi is commander-in-chief of China's more than two-million-strong armed forces.

Xinhua called Xi's address to the troops "the first time for the commission to hold a mobilisation meeting for the whole armed forces."

Other media reports said thousands of troops elsewhere in the country assembled at their installations to hear his speech.

Since taking office in 2012, Xi has pushed for a muscular China, including calls in October to develop a "world-class" Chinese army by 2050.

China's neighbours have watched warily as the PLA has upgraded its arsenal with increasing sophisticated weaponry and sought to create a more effective and professional fighting force.

Analysts say Xi is very unlikely to risk putting China's still-untested new prowess into an outright military confrontation.

But concerns have grown as Beijing has imposed increasingly assertive claims to vast expanses of the contested South China Sea, while engaging in confrontations with Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea, and with India over Himalayan regions.

Temperatures also have risen over North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un thumbing his nose at the world by repeatedly testing his country's banned nuclear weapons and missiles, while exchanging tit-for-tat threats with US President Donald Trump.

During his visit to the military command, Xi was shown in combat fatigues inspecting troops, tanks, sniper training, and peering down the sights of an automatic rifle.
More than 650,000 Rohingya have fled what the UN and others say is a campaign of ethnic cleansing by the Myanmar military. (Photo: AP/Representational)

Dhaka: An aid agency projects 48,000 babies will be born in 2018 in the refugee camps for Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh after military operations against them in Myanmar. The babies will probably be born in tents in unsanitary conditions and will be at increased risk of disease and malnutrition, and of dying before age 5, Save the Children warned in its report Friday.

The camps have poor sanitation and are a breeding ground for diseases like diphtheria, measles and cholera, to which newborn babies are particularly vulnerable, said Rachael Cummings, the agencys health adviser in Coxs Bazar, the nearest city to the camps. This is no place for a child to be born.

More than 650,000 Rohingya have fled what the United Nations and others say is a campaign of ethnic cleansing by the Myanmar military and Buddhist mobs since August 2017 in Rakhine state in western Myanmar. UNICEF has said almost 60 percent are children. A Bangladeshi official called the projection of 48,000 babies mind-boggling.

Simply, this will be disastrous and terrible for us, said Priton Kumar Chowdhury, a deputy director of the governments social services department in Coxs Bazar. I cant imagine it, and my brain does not actually know how to deal with this.

His department has identified more than 36,000 orphans in the camps, he said.

Save the Children based its projection of new births on an estimate of how many of the refugees were pregnant. Bangladesh has been negotiating with Myanmar to set up a protocol for the voluntary return of the Rohingya, but it remains unclear if they will return, given concerns for their safety.
The International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS) in Hesaraghatta intends to train scientists in gravitational astronomy so that when the LIGO gravitational wave detector proposed to be set up in India is ready there will be a community of researchers who can use the facility.



The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) came into the public eye when two such existing observatories in the USA detected gravitational waves, confirming a 100-year-old theory by Albert Einstein.

Several researchers from ICTS were even involved in the large-scale international collaboration which resulted in the discovery, which eventually won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2017.

P Ajith, one of the faculty at ICTS who leads the work in this area, said: "While building the facility itself is a challenge, we also need to develop a community which will be able to use this data to do science."

Towards this effort, ICTS has been organising annual summer programmes since 2013 for graduate students to learn about gravitational astronomy.

Speaking at a press conference to highlight achievements of the institute which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, Rajesh Gopakumar, the centre's director said that science programmes in Bengaluru attract a lot of attention and interest from the public.

"We have several outreach programmes and public lectures, including ones at the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium. There is a hunger for science in the city, even among 11-year-olds. A lot of interesting questions are asked and even the speakers are stumped by them," he said.

In the coming years, the ICTS intends to encourage scientific research in areas which are less developed in the country.

The centre conducts several programmes where scientists from different backgrounds such as Theoretical Physics, Astronomy, Mathematics and others can interact and collaborate.

Spenta Wadia, founder director of the institute, said that a request to the state government asking for more land to create new facilities was still pending.

"We need an additional five acres of land close to the existing campus for more hostels and other infrastructure. We requested for it about three to four years ago and there was a recommendation from the Department of IT, BT to give us the land but there has been no progress on that," he said.

As part of its 'ICTS at ten' programmes, several public events have been planned including a lecture on January 11 at the centre, by Nobel Prize for Physics 2017 winner, Prof Kip Thorne from Caltech, US.
Nuclear-armed North Korea on Friday accepted the South's offer of talks next week, said Seoul's Unification ministry, which oversees relations with Pyongyang.



The meeting will take place in Panmunjom, the truce village in the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula.

Tensions have been high after the North carried out multiple missile launches in 2017, including a number of ICBMs, and its sixth atomic test, by far its most powerful to date.

The tentative rapprochement comes after the North's leader Kim Jong-Un warned in his New Year speech that he had a nuclear button on his desk, but at the same time offered Seoul an olive branch, saying Pyongyang could send a team to next month's Winter Olympics in the South.

Seoul responded with an offer of talks between the two, and earlier this week the hotline between them was restored after being suspended for almost two years.

Late Thursday, the South's president Moon Jae-In and his US counterpart Donald Trump agreed to delay joint military drills -- which always infuriate the North -- until after the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang which begin on February 9.

A unification ministry official told AFP that the North faxed a message to Seoul saying it accepted the proposal for talks on Tuesday.

Ministry spokesman Baek Tae-Hyun told journalists that the agenda would include the Pyeongchang Olympics "and the issue of improving inter-Korean relations".
Two Maoists, including a woman, were today gunned down in an encounter with security forces in a dense forest of Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district.



The encounter took place at around 7:30 am in Muduvandi-Kawadgaon forest axis when a joint team of security forces was out on an anti-Maoist operation, Deputy Inspector General of Police (south Bastar Range) Sundarraj P told PTI.

The operation, involving composite forces of CRPF's elite unit Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) 204th battalion and District Reserve Guard (DRG), was launched last night in the interiors of Gangaloor.

While combing operations were underway, Maoists opened fire on security forces this morning. Immediately security forces took position and launched retaliatory attack that forced Maoists to flee from the spot, the DIG said.

During search, two Naxals clad in "uniform" were found dead at the spot. Besides, one .303 rifle, one 12 bore gun and one country-made pistol, were also recovered from there, the officer added.

Further details are awaited as the operation was still underway, he added.
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Some US lawmakers and advocacy groups have criticised the Trump adminisration's reported plan to curb H-1B visa extensions that could result in self- deportation of an estimated 500,000-750,000 Indian Americans, saying the move would drain America of talent.



The proposal, which was part of President Donald Trump's "Buy American, Hire American" initiative that he vowed to launch on the campaign trail, is being drafted by Department of Homeland Security leaders, according to reports.

The H-1B program offers temporary US visas that allow companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers. But since taking office last January, the Trump administration has been cracking down on the scheme.

Influential Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard said: "Imposing these draconian restrictions on H-1B visa holders will tear families apart, drain our society of talent and expertise, and damage our relationship with an important partner, India.

"This proposal could lead to the deportation of an estimated 500,000 to 750,000 Indian H-1B visa holders, many of whom are small business owners and job creators who are helping to build and strengthen our US economy. This brain drain will stifle innovation and decrease our ability to compete in the global 21st century economy," Gabbard said.

In a statement the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) sounded alarm over the Trump administrations proposal to deny extensions of H-1B visas to green card applicants and leaving them with no choice but to return to the country of origin or be deported.

"Its a baffling calculation. How would deporting hundreds of thousands of skilled workers, the very backbone of our STEM industries, in any way advance an 'America First' agenda?" Shukla asked.

Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said while priority must continue to be improving advanced training for domestic workforce, ending H-1B visa extensions would kneecap American economy and encourage companies to further offshore jobs, instead of making those investments here.

"I hope the administration immediately rejects this proposal," he said.

Congressman Ro Khanna said the proposal was "anti- immigrant".

"My parents came here on green cards. So did @sundarpichai, @elonmusk, @satyanadella. Trump is saying to immigrants and their kids we dont have a place in America. It's not just wrong. It's dumb. Mr President, would America really be greater without us?" he asked in a tweet.

According to Aman Kapoor of Immigration Voice, H-1B extension change would be just wrong at every level.

"It will be a catastrophe of epic proportion for Indian- American community leading to mass exodus of close to 1.5 million people (around 750,000 primary applicants on H-1B visa and another 750,000+ spouses and children)," he said.

Tsion Chudnovsky, an immigration and business lawyer in California said: "Given the dramatic effect this proposal could have on the Technology industry, it doesn't seem likely it could garner enough support to be enacted as stated."
The Shiv Sena has hit out at Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for his remarks on sharing river Mahadayi water with neighbouring states, including Karnataka.

Sena's Goa spokesperson Rakhi Prabhudesai-Naik on Thursday said, "The chief minister's agreement to give river Mahadayi water to Karnataka was a shocking move for the coastal state, which trusted Parrikar's leadership."

"To make India 'Congress-mukt' (Congress free), BJP and Parrikar are all set to make Goa 'Mahadayi-mukt (Mahadayi free Goa) by stooping down to the lowest level of compromise over the (sharing of) river (water)," Prabhudesai-Naik said in a veiled reference to the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls.

Parrikar had recently said that sharing the water of the Mahadayi river with other states was "inevitable".

"One has to understand that 52 km of the river runs through Goa, 35 km through Karnataka and 16 km through Maharashtra. As such, sharing of water of the Mahadayi river is inevitable as it is passing through all the three states," he had said.

She said the Sena had expected Parrikar to "fight like a real son of the soil" against all the attempts to share even a drop of water from the Mahadayi river.

"The statement by Parrikar that it is inevitable for Goa to give share of Mahadayi river water to Karnataka has completely exposed him and his party," the Sena spokesperson said.

She said her party disagreed with Parrikar's stand on the issue.

"The explanation given by Parrikar on why he has toned down his stand is completely unacceptable. It clearly smacks of his party politics and urge to win Karnataka elections," she alleged.
Veteran NCP leader and former Deputy Chairman of Maharashtra Legislative Council, Vasant Davkhare, passed away on Thursday night at Bombay Hospital. He was 68.



Davkhare was one of the trusted aides of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. "He was a close colleague of mine and his relations cut across party lines," Pawar said.

In a Facebook post, national spokesperson of Nationalist Congress Party, Nawab Malik said that Davkhare's last rites will be performed in Thane today. He informed that the last darshan of the deceased leader will take place in Thane between 11 am to 1 pm while the funeral is scheduled at 3 pm.

Davkhare was first elected as corporator in the Thane Municipal Corporation in 1986. A year later, in 1987, he was elected as Mayor of Thane Municipal Corporation. He is a five-term member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council and has served as Deputy Chairman for several years.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis offered his condolences to the family on Twitter. He tweeted, "Saddened to know about the demise of Former Deputy Chairman of Maharashtra Legislative Council Shri Vasant Davkhare ji. My deepest condolences to his family, friends and followers.

In 1999, when Pawar was expelled from the Congress, he too quit and joined the NCP as a founder member.

The 68-year-leader is survived by sons Prabodh, who a businessman, and Niranjan, an MLC representing the Konkan Graduates constituency.
Taking serious exception to Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy's statement about the nexus between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Popular Front of India (PFI), BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa on Friday challenged the minister to prove his charges in 24 hours.



Speaking to reporters here, Yeddyurappa dismissing the allegations that three leaders of BJP Minorities Morcha were involved in Deepak Rao murder case, said the charges are false, concocted and politically motivated.

The party MPs from the state have sought the Centre to initiate NIA probe into Deepak Rao murder case, he said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should stop politicising Mahadayi river water sharing issue. Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is willing to share river water with Karnataka. The state Congress leaders should convince their counterparts on Goa, who are opposing Parrikar's statement there, Yeddyurappa said.

The BJP will hold a survey in 100 constituencies in the state, where multiple contenders are vying for party ticket, before picking the party candidates, he said.

On the reports about Kudligi MLA B Nagendra joining Congress, Yeddyurappa said that he does not have any information on the issue and that he is free to join any party.

Nagendra, now an Independent MLA from Kudligi, was elected to the 13th Assembly on BJP ticket.

To a specific query, Yeddyurappa said Janardhan Reddy is not active in party.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the party workers and the public at the concluding ceremony of Parivartana Yatra in Bengaluru on January 28. Party national president Amit Shah will visit Chitradurga on January 10, Yeddyurappa said.
National Award-winning director Suman Ghosh today said the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has agreed to release his documentary on Nobel laureate Amartya Sen in its entirety, including the four words that the board's regional office had objected to in July last year.



The hour-long documentary had courted controversy last year when the director refused to abide by CBFC Kolkata diktat of beeping the four words -- cow, Gujarat, Hindutva and Hindu.

"CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi watched 'The Argumentative Indian' in Mumbai yesterday along with other board members and gave his consent to the words.

"After seeing the film yesterday, Joshi held a discussion with me and said 'the film can be released without any cuts,'" Ghosh said.

The director further said she was hopeful of getting a written communication from the board soon on the matter.

The film, shot in two parts in 2002 and 2017, has Sen talking about the social choice theory, development economics, philosophy and the rise of right-wing nationalism across the world, including India.

"I am happy that the CBFC respects the freedom of expression in arts. Joshi told me he got to learn a lot about the Nobel laureate through my documentary," Ghosh said.

Sources in CBFC Kolkata said the issue was being handled by the chairman and that the regional office had no say in the matter now.
Amidst growing demands of his arrest by Dalit and Left organisations, Hindutva ideologue Sambhaji Bhide Guruji on Friday said that he is innocent and ready to face any probe.



"I am ready to face any inquiry," Bhide Guruji told reporters at Sangli district in western Maharashtra. "The incident is sad and disturbing," he said.

"The allegations of a conspiracy made against me are completely baseless. I demand the government to investigate this matter thoroughly. Strong punishment must be given to whosoever is guilty," the 85-year-old said.

The two staunch Right-wing ideologues Sangli-based Sambaji Bhide Guruji , the founder of Shree Shiv Pratisthan Hindustan and Pune-based Milind Ekbote, the founder of Samastha Hindu Aghadi, have been accused of the violence at Koregaon Bhima by veteran Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar. "They should be arrested and face the same punishment as Yakub Memon ," demanded Ambedkar, who is the grandson of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the chief architect of Constitution.

Reacting to the charges of Ambedkar, Bhide Guruji said that the charges levelled against me by Ambedkar are false. "Who told Prakash Ambedkar that I am involved...he must tell that (before the inquiry)," he said.

The perpetrators of the violence should face a stern action, he said.

On Thursday night, in a statement, he said, "It is false and untrue that I was present at the riot site in Pune district and was also responsible for it. Prakash Ambedkar has levelled allegations of my involvement in inciting the violence. There should be a thorough investigation into this matter," he wrote.

The Pimpri Police in Pune district had filed a case against Bhide and others under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The violence took place on 1 January at an event to mark the 200th-anniversary of the battle of Bhima-Koregaon in which the East India Company's Bombay Native Infantry comprising of Mahar soldiers had defeated the Peshwas. A large section of Dalits sees the historical battle as the defeat of the 'casteism' of upper-caste Peshwas.

Ahead of this, on 29 December, a stone inscribed with text honouring Mahar Dalit hero Govind Gopal Gaikwad was removed from a memorial at Vadhu Budruk, a village nearly 3 kms away from Koregaon Bhima. Govind, a Dalit, had conducted the last rites of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's eldest son Sambhaji, who was killed at the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1689. The Mughals had warned that they would kill anyone who perform the last rites, but, Gaikwad defied the order. He was killed, but Gaikwad emerged as a symbol of Dalit pride and courage for centuries.




The CBI today arrested Mushtaq Ahmed, an accused in the 1993 bombing of RSS' Chennai headquarters in which 11 persons were killed.



Ahmed, 56, who had eluded the CBI for 24 years was arrested in the morning from the outskirts of Chennai, CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said here.

The blast on August 8, 1993 was triggered using RDX. It brought down the multi-storeyed RSS office at Chetput in Chennai, claiming 11 lives.

The agency had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for providing credible information about Ahmed, one of the main accused in the case.
Undated photo of a pharmacy in China's Shandong Province. [Photo: VCG]

China has released its first list of marketed medicine, with 131 types of medicine in 203 specifications, according to the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA).

The list contains both generic and branded medicines, and specifies reference preparations, which offer research standards for generic medicines, a CFDA official said Friday.

The list also records generic medicines that have equal curative effect with their branded originals, showing which branded medicines can be replaced with generic ones.

The list marks a milestone in generic medicine management, according to the CFDA.

Product information for marketed medicines is collected in the list, including product names, preparations, Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical codes and registration numbers.
The Railways has received 9,804 complaints about the food quality in Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains.



Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday that the ministry has received 9,804 complaints between 2017 and October 2017.

Gohain said while a penalty was levied on 3,486 caterers in the last three years, 3,624 were warned, 10 contracts were terminated and 1,134 caterers were advised.

The minister also said that 467 complaints remained unsubstantiated and disciplinary action was taken against 44 complaints.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday ordered withdrawal of a controversial order that lowered the rank of military officers in comparison to their civilian counterparts.



"The defence ministry letter dated October 18, 2016 on the issue of equivalence between Armed Forces Officers and Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service Officers is withdrawn," the ministry said in a statement.

According to the controversial letter issued in October 2016, a Major General in the Army (Rear Admiral in Navy and Air Vice-Marshal in IAF) was equated with a principal director in Armed Forces Headquarters civil service.

Prior to that order, a principal director was equated with a Brigadier in the Army (and its equivalence in the Navy and IAF), which is a lower rank as against a Maj Gen.

Following the same downgrading principle, a Brigadier (Commodore/Air Commodore in the Navy and IAF) with 25-26 years of service was made equivalent to a director (with about 14 years of service), and a Colonel/Captain/Group Captain to a joint director in the civil service.

Restoration hailed

The 2016 order  issued by Nirmala's predecessor Manohar Parrikar a led to a huge uproar in the military, forcing the ministry to form a three-member expert panel to review it.

"So far as the channel of reporting or rendition of Annual Performance Appraisal Report is concerned, status quo ante is hereby restored, i.e., the position which existed prior to the issue of MoD letter dated October 18, 2016 shall prevail," read the statement.

Restoration of the rank parity, retired officers felt, would go a long way in restoring the military's faith in the existing leadership in the South Block.
In yet another effort to strengthen ties with the diaspora, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a conclave of over a hundred Indian-origin members in 23 foreign Parliaments on January 9.



New Delhi is set to host altogether 141 foreign parliamentarians and 17 mayors, who all trace their ancestry to India.

"They will attend the PIO Parliamentarians' Conference at the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra on Tuesday. The prime minister will deliver the inaugural address," Dnyaneshwar M Mulay, Secretary (Overseas Indian Affairs) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said.

Modi has been reaching out to Indian diaspora around the world ever since taking over as the prime minister of the BJP-led government in 2014. Interactions with Indian and Indian-origin people have been regular features in the prime minister's schedules during his visit to foreign nations.

Mulay said that the PIO (Person of Indian Origin) parliamentarians would attend two thematic discussions - one on "PIO Parliamentarians: A Journey of struggle to Parliament" and another on "Resurgent India: Role of PIO Parliamentarians".

Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP and chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, and Ananth Kumar, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, will chair the two sessions.

Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu will address the valedictory session of the conclave.
All those involved in cheating investors in chit funds companies will not be spared and action will be taken against them whatever post they may hold, the government said in Lok Sabha on Friday.



Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the Sebi was looking into the chit fund issues and efforts were on to seize the properties of such companies and sell them so that the investors' money can be returned.

"Some money has been retrieved after a complicated procedure. Whoever has done, whatever post he may be holding, action will be taken against them as per law," he said during the Question Hour.

Jaitley's response came after Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said thousands of people in West Bengal were cheated by chit fund companies, where several prominent persons were allegedly involved.

Choudhury was supported by members of the Left parties.

TMC leader in Lok Sabha, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, had in the past been arrested by the CBI in connection with the Rose Valley chit fund scam in West Bengal.

Jaitley said the government was working on enacting an effective legislation to protect the investors' interests.

As per the Companies Act, a private company is permitted to accept deposits from its Directors and their relatives and also up to certain limit from its members only.

Jaitley said various complaints in respect of violations of terms and conditions of the deposits have been received by Registrar of Companies (ROCs) against 24 private companies, as per the provisions of the Companies Act.

"Prosecutions under the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956/2013 have been filed against the four companies involving 15 cases, which are sub-judice, and in other cases the matter is under examination or at inquiry/inspection stage," he said.
China Development Bank (CDB), the biggest foreign lender to Reliance Communications (RCom), on Friday withdrew a petition seeking to drag the indebted telecom carrier into insolvency.



The move followed a new debt reduction plan outlined by RCom last week, including asset sales.

While details of a possible settlement between the Chinese bank and RCom were not immediately known, the lender has told the National Company Law Tribunal that it reserves the right to file the insolvency application again if RCom's planned asset sales do not go through by March, said a lawyer on the case. CDB, which is owed around $2 billion along with two other Chinese banks, had filed the petition in November seeking insolvency proceedings against RCom, saying a large amount of loan principal and interest payments was overdue.

After RCom's debt-reduction plan, including an asset sale to Reliance Jio Infocomm, was announced last week, CDB said that it was in talks with RCom.

RCom last Thursday announced a deal to sell most of its wireless assets to Jio in a deal sources said was worth nearly $3.8 billion, subject to final adjustments at the time the transaction closes. RCom has said it will use proceeds from the deal, expected to close by March, to repay part of the $7 billion it owes to Indian and foreign banks. As part of an overall debt-reduction plan, RCom Chairman Anil Ambani said the company would shift Rs 10,000 crore of debt to an SPV housing its real estate assets, including a corporate park in a Mumbai suburb.
With Rahul Gandhi set to bring changes in the Congress as the new party chief, AICC general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi said he had a great respect and regard for those who were born in poor families and emerged as successful persons.



He was speaking during the farewell given to him, Dr Karan Singh and Parvez Hashmi in the Rajya Sabha, who retire by end of this month. All the three retiring MPs represent Delhi.

Dwivedi, who will remain in his AICC post until Rahul completes an organisation revamp, said, "From a philosophical point of view, our sympathy and goodwill should be with the pain and sufferings of the poor. But if one has not lived that pain or suffered it, then one cannot become a true and complete leader. Nor can one become a complete intellectual. I have held this belief right from the beginning."

Dwivedi, who completed three terms as a Rajya Sabha MP, said he had spent 57 years in politics since he entered Allahabad University in the 1960-61 academic session.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad recalled his interactions with Singh and Dwivedi, "who has made simple Hindi very popular."

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad recalled Dwivedi's association with the socialist movement but reserved his praise for veteran party colleague Karan Singh, who had become the regent of the state of Jammu and Kashmir at the age of 18 years.

During his 57-year political career, the 86-year-old Singh said Parliament has evolved in the last 50 years, but all the changes have not been positive.

Stating that earlier both the Houses used to witness brilliant debates, Singh said now such "debates have become rare and disruptions have become more frequent", and called upon the members to introspect.

He said he got the opportunity to interact with prime ministers from Jawaharlal Nehru to Narendra Modi and "all of them worked in their own way to build a new India, as envisaged by the first prime minister."

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the three retiring members have contributed significantly to the deliberations of the House and parliamentary committees.
The state Ethics Commission is finalizing a wide-ranging audit of whether lobbyists and lobbying organizations violated public disclosure requirements, the findings of which may be released at its public meeting next week, commission administrator Brian Bell said Thursday.

Bell said the commission is still determining what information about the audit will be released at the meeting. But he described the audit as being unlike anything ever done before in Wisconsin by the commission or any of its predecessor agencies that oversaw ethics and lobbying matters.

Commission staffers began the audit after noticing a trend of lobbyists and lobbying groups that had not complied with registration or authorization requirements, Bell said. Organizations attempting to influence the Legislature are required to register with the commission; people paid to lobby on behalf of such organizations are required to obtain a lobbying license and authorization.

The commissions chairman, David Halbrooks, declined to address specifics about the audit beyond calling it an innovative project that staff members came up with and brought to the commission. Halbrooks said any information that could be made public at next weeks meeting will not name lobbyists or lobbying groups examined in the audit.

Asked how many lobbyists or groups may be flagged in the audit, Bell declined to give an exact number. But he said its more than a select few among the more than 700 lobbying principal organizations and more than 500 registered lobbyists in Wisconsin.

How many could potentially be in violation could depend on the approach the commission wants to take in response to the findings, Bell said.

Bell said types of potential violations examined in the audit generally fall into two groups: lobbyists and lobbying organizations that inadvertently failed to follow requirements, and those who may have engaged in so-called stealth or shadow lobbying, in which someone knowingly lobbies public officials without registering.

The commission is scheduled to consider the audit findings, as well as settlement procedures for lobbying without authorization, according to its published agenda for its Jan. 11 meeting.
After hits and misses in Parliament, the Congress and the BJP continued to spar over the triple talaq bill with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar accusing the Opposition of stalling the initiative to empower Muslim women.



"The intention of the Modi government is clear. We want equality and respect for Muslim women, and the Congress is opposing it. They have just shown their double standards," Kumar told reporters soon after the Winter Session of Parliament concluded.

Broken families

The Congress hit back at the BJP, claiming that the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill in its current form will only lead to broken families as the legislation has no provision for giving subsistence allowance to women given triple talaq by their husbands.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad also expressed surprise over the perceived support to the bill among a section of Muslims. "You are accepting a law that seeks to destroy families by sending husbands to jail and bring Muslim women on the streets. Can you call this a forward-looking and progressive law," he wondered.

Azad said the Congress was against the practice of triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat that has been declared void by the Supreme Court. "We also support the bill, but have strong reservations to some of its provisions," he said.

Against jail term

Azad said the Congress was against a three-year jail term for Muslim men divorcing their wives through triple talaq, the provisions that make it a non-bailable and cognizable offence. He said the Congress was also opposed to the clause that mandates the husband to pay compensation to his divorced wife, who will also have the possession of children.

"I am yet to come across a company that pays salary to a person in jail to enable him to give compensation to his divorced wife," he said.

Minister Ananth Kumar slammed the Congress for "stalling" the bill and accused the Opposition party of being against empowerment of women. "We hope the Congress will understand the public opinion on the issue, reconsider their stand and pass it in the budget session. There is anger among people on this issue," Kumar said.
The Supreme Court on Friday allowed a 19-year-old girl to live with her father in Kuwait to pursue her education, saying on attaining the age of majority she was entitled to make her choices.



The top court rejected her mother's plea for girl's custody as the Kerala-based woman claimed that her daughter's decision is not an informed one and she has been pressurised by her father. The woman also referred to certain emails sent by the daughter to her in 2016.

"The courts cannot, as long as the choice remains, assume the role of parens patriae (legal protector). The daughter is entitled to enjoy her freedom as the law permits and the court should not assume the role of a super guardian being moved by any kind of sentiment of the mother or the egotism of the father. We say so without any reservation," a three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said.

After interacting with the girl, present in the courtroom, the bench said as a major, she is entitled to exercise her choice and freedom and the court cannot get into the aspect whether she has been forced by the father or not.

The girl, for her part, told the court that she wanted to go to Kuwait to pursue her career. She said she was pursuing her graduation from IGNOU and was doing an internship with a firm in Kuwait. The girl also told the court that her date of birth is September 19, 1998.

"There may be ample reasons on her behalf to go back to her father in Kuwait, but we are not concerned with her reasons. What she has stated before the court, that alone matters and that is the heart of the reasoning for this court, which keeps all controversies at bay," the bench said.

The court, however, allowed the woman to have interim custody of her minor son as per the order issued by a family court, Thiruvananthapuram, during summer vacations. The court disposed of contempt petition filed by her.
Shri Rajout Karni Sena on Friday gave a call to the Rajput community to gather in Chittorgarh on January 27 to wage a decisive "battle" against the controversial film Padmavat.



The Rajput outfit also demanded immediate resignation of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasoon Joshi for granting U/A certificate for the film.

Karni Sena chief Lokendra Kalvi, at a press conference here, warned of a fresh agitation against the Ranveer Singha Deepika Padukonea Shahid Kapoor starrer Padmavat.

Kalvi has registered his disagreement with Joshi, who allowed Padmavat to be released with a U/A certificate, despite protests by a panel of advisers comprising two historians and a royal family member.

Kalvi alleged that Padmavat filmmaker is using their protests to get free publicity, "They are hardly concerned about our sentiments. They are using our protests as publicity tools," Kalvi said.

Earlier too protests were held at Chittorgarh fort and entry of visitors was blocked by Rajput outfits.

Former royals of Jaipur have already demanded a ban on the movie, stating that Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film shows Rani Padmini in a bad light.



Objections

According to a release issued by the CBFC, the board had a meeting of their examining committee on December 28, which decided to give the film a U/A certification along with some modifications and likely change of title (from Padmavati to Padmavat) on the basis of the attributed material/creative source.

Protests against some objectionable scenes in the Rs 200-crore film was held in most of the cities across the country. The Rajput body is alleging that there are two elements in the film which have no historical record. First is a scene in which Deepika Padukone is shown romancing with emperor Alauddin Khilji. The second objection is to Padmavati performing the 'Ghoomar' dance in a darbar, which they say is an affront to Rajput culture as no queen or princess would ever dance in a durbar.
United States' move to suspend all security assistance to Pakistan prompted New Delhi to try and impress upon Washington DC not to restart funds flow unless Islamabad acts decisively against all terrorist outfits.



New Delhi is of the view that it has been vindicated by the US move on Friday for suspension of all security assistance to Pakistan, including $ 900 million as coalition support fund and $ 255 million as foreign military funding.

Sources in New Delhi, however, said that India would try to impress upon the US that the suspension should not be lifted as long as Islamabad does not act against all terrorist groups, including anti-India outfits based in Pakistan, like Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Announcing the suspension of America's security assistance to Pakistan, the US State Department's spokesperson Heather Nauert said that the flow of military aid would not restart until Islamabad acts decisively against the terror groups, including Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network.

Alleges misuse

The US has so far been more keen to press Pakistan to act against Taliban and Al Qaeda and, of late, Islamic State, but has not done much to prod Islamabad to act against anti-India outfits like LeT and JeM. New Delhi, however, has been arguing that Islamabad must be made to drop its selective approach of fighting certain terrorist organisations, while providing sanctuary and safe haven to others.

New Delhi, according to the sources, has been accusing Islamabad of misutilising the US aid for funding anti-India terror organisations like LeT and JeM, instead of combating terrorists like Al Qaeda and Taliban.
The Supreme Court on Friday expressed surprise over the failure of Karnataka police to serve notice to a man, whose land in Bengaluru was denotified during B S Yeddyurappa's tenure as chief minister in 2009 for an education trust run by the then Housing Minister V Somanna's wife Shylaja.



A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan wondered how the police are not able to trace Lingaraju, the erstwhile land owner.

"If police can't find him, who will," the bench asked Additional Advocate General Devadutt Kamat, on being told that the notice issued by the court on September 4, last could not be served upon Lingaraju.

Kamat submitted a fresh notice could be issued and served through the trial court. But the apex court said the matter has not been pending over there with quashing of summons by the High Court of Karnataka.

The counsel then wanted permission to issue public notice but this was again rejected by the court.

The court issued fresh notice to Lingaraju and asked the police to ensure he was informed about it. Somanna was represented by advocate Sanjay M Nuli. The court was hearing a special leave petition filed by the Lokayukta police through advocate Joseph Aristotle challenging the high court's order of January 2, 2017. The high court had set aside the summons issued by a Bengaluru court against Somanna, Shylaja and the other person on April 13, 2012.

In a complaint, Ravi Krishna Reddy, a software engineer, alleged Yeddyurappa denotified 22 guntas in Nagadevanahalli in Bengaluru in 2009 to an education trust owned by Somanna's wife, in violation of rules. The police, however, filed a closure report saying there was no evidence of any offence. Rejecting the police report, the trial court took cognisance of the offences under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The special leave petition did not name Yeddyurappa as respondent as the high court order was passed on a petition by Somanna.
The police have learnt that four men arrested on the charge of murdering BJP worker Deepak Rao, had received huge amount of money recently.



According to sources, prime accused Pinki Nawaz received a huge amount of money, which was later shared among the four. The amount was transferred through a bank account. The four suspects - Pinki Nawaz, Rizwan, Mohammed Naushad and Mohammed Irshan - were arrested within hours of the murder. The first two sustained bullet injuries when the police opened fire to nab them and the other two are being interrogated by the police.

"The police are investigating whether the money was paid for the murder. Deepak Rao was not a prominent leader of BJP, Bajrang Dal or any other organisation. He was only a BJP member. The police are investigating the purpose behind the transfer of money," said a police officer, who is part of the investigation team.

Aid from MLA refused

Meanwhile, the family members of Deepak Rao refused to accept a compensation of

Rs 5 lakh offered by Mangaluru MLA Mohiuddin Bava, out of his personal money.



When the MLA visited Rao's home on Friday, the family members sought to know why he did not attend the funeral. Though Bava tried to convince the family members that the police had asked him not to go citing law and order issue, the former remained unconvinced. When he offered to issue a cheque for Rs 5 lakh on his personal account, the family refused any help from him.

Surathkal, Katipalla and surrounding areas limped back to normalcy on Friday. No untoward incidents were reported since Thursday evening. Senior police officers are camping in the region and monitoring the situation.
The High Court of Karnataka on Friday issued emergent notice to the Central and state governments and the national and state minority commissions in a matter related to religious minority tag for Lingayat community.



A division bench of acting Chief Justice H G Ramesh and Justice P S Dinesh Kumar was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the authority of the state minority commission to grant status of religious minority to a particular community.

According to the petitioners, the Karnataka State Minority Commission has formed a seven-member expert committee to study the demand of the Lingayat community for a separate minority religion status.

Headed by retired High Court judge HN Nagamohan Das, the panel has to submit a report within four weeks. The committee recently issued an order stating that the report of the expert committee shall be placed before the commission for making suitable recommendations to the government.

The petitioners stated that the Lingayat community constitutes 20% of the state's population. They have contended that the role of the minority commission is to protect the interests and rights of the people from minority communities and not to add a community to the list of minority communities.

The division bench sought to know whether the power of the commission to pass such an order can be traced to any provision of law. The government counsel however submitted that no order has been passed but only the proceedings were underway.
In the recent parliamentary and provincial elections in Nepal, the first under the country's 2015 Constitution, the Left alliance of K P Oli's Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'-led Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) have registered a magnificent victory, winning 174 out of 275 seats in parliament and also securing majorities in six states.



The Nepali Congress has won only 63 seats in parliament. The Federal Socialist Party of Nepal and the Rashtriya Janata Party have bagged 16 and 17 seats, respectively.

True, while the formation of an alliance between the CPN-UML and the CPN-MC had increased the prospect of the Prachanda-Oli Left alliance winning a comfortable majority in view of their combined political strength, it is equally true that this alliance carried out an election campaign focused on the development of Nepal. Prachanda and Oli succeeded in capturing the imagination of the people of Nepal with their promises.

The failure of the Nepali Congress to project its strong leadership with an effective election manifesto and other factors played a vital role in the party's loss in the elections. Moreover, the outcome of the elections reflects the prevailing belief among the Nepalese that the only the Left alliance can end the nearly 30-years long political instability in the country and lay the foundation for a strong, stable and developed Nepal.

In this context, it is appropriate to recall that ever since Nepal adopted a multi-party system in 1990, not a single government could complete the full term of five years. This acute political instability and a decade-long Maoist insurgency almost halted economic development in the country.

Even the 2006 comprehensive peace agreement between the Government of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and the first Constituent Assembly of 2008 failed to end the political turmoil, with Nepal having had 10 prime ministers in the last nine years.

The earthquake in April 2015 and the protest by the Madhesi people in the south of the country against the new constitution adopted by the Constituent Assembly (CA)-II in September 2015 further obstructed the way for the democratic process to take shape. But, before it was too late, the Oli government amended the constitution in January 2016, providing greater representation in government bodies on the basis of the proportional inclusion of Madhesis.

Though all the demands of the Madhesis with the regard to the new constitution have not been addressed, they, like people of other parts of Nepal, also believe that it is only through their effective political participation that a new Nepal accommodating the interests of all sections can be built.

While the international media was closely observing the parliamentary and provincial elections in Nepal, India, which enjoys historical and cultural ties with the Himalayan state, had its own reasons to see that the roots of democratic institutions are strengthened in the country.

One reason was the fact that since India shares an open border with Nepal, instability there of any sort has a direct bearing on India's security. New Delhi, therefore, hopes to see that these elections ensure political stability and promotion of democratic forces in Nepal. India also wants to see that the new government of Nepal takes steps to protect the interests of people of the Madhesi region, who have close cultural and family ties with the people of Bihar and UP.

China's influence

India is concerned about China's increasing presence in Nepal. In fact, Beijing's role was crucial in bringing Prachanda and Oli together. This became further evident from the Left alliance's anti-India stand during the election campaign.

In an oblique reference to the 1950 treaty of peace and friendship between Nepal and India, Prachanda and Oli said that 'unequal treaties' would be abrogated if their alliance came to power. Oli also announced that the Left coalition government would revive the Budhi Gandaki Hydro Project with China, which was cancelled by the incumbent government.

In the past, too, Oli has expressed anger at the presence of Indian media, following the April 2015 earthquake. Subsequently, in September 2015, Nepal accused India of supporting the Madhesis protesting against the new constitution. In March 2016, Oli secured major projects under the framework of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Some experts have therefore suggested that India would have rather wanted to see the Nepali Congress back in the saddle, rather than a K P Oli-headed government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Oli days after the election and invited him to visit India.

Although the Left alliance has won with a sizeable majority, they have not yet been able to sort out all the wrinkles, including who should be prime minister so far, although the balance is in favour of Oli and Prachanda has indicated he would be happy being made the chairman of the alliance.

With Oli set to become prime minister, it will be interesting to see how and to what extent the Left alliance becomes able to serve the interests of the people of Nepal and what policy it adopts towards India-Nepal ties.

(The writer is Research Fellow, Chennai Centre for China Studies)
WASHINGTON  Last month in Shanghai, Chinese venture capitalist Eric X. Li made a provocative suggestion.

The United States, he said, was going through its own Cultural Revolution.

For those unfamiliar, Mao Zedongs Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) was a traumatic period of political upheaval, ostensibly intended to cleanse the Peoples Republic of impure and bourgeois elements.

Universities were shuttered. Public officials were purged. Youth paramilitary groups, known as Red Guards, terrorized civilians. Citizens denounced teachers, spouses and parents they suspected of harboring capitalist sympathies.

Millions were uprooted and sent to the countryside for re-education and hard labor. Millions more were persecuted, publicly humiliated, tortured, executed.

All of which is why, when Li first made this comparison  at a lunch with American journalists sponsored by the Asia Society  I laughed. Li is known as a sort of rhetorical bomb-thrower, an expert defender of the Communist regime, and this seemed like just another one of his explosive remarks.

And yet I havent been able to get the comment out of my head. In the weeks since Ive returned stateside, Lis seemingly far-fetched analogy has begun to feel  a little too near-fetched.

Li said he saw several parallels between the violence and chaos in China decades ago and the animosity coursing through the United States today. In both cases, the countries turned inward, focusing more on defining the soul of their nations than on issues beyond their borders.

He said that both countries were also torn apart by ideological struggles, with kinships, friendships and business relationships being severed by political differences.

Virtually all types of institutions, be it political, educational, or business, are exhausting their internal energy in dealing with contentious, and seemingly irreconcilable, differences in basic identities and values  what it means to be American, he said in a subsequent email exchange. In such an environment, identity trumps reason, ideology overwhelms politics, and moral convictions replace intellectual discourse.

Li also pointed to the big-character posters  large, hand-painted propaganda slogans and calls to action  used during the Cultural Revolution to denounce purported enemies of the state and call for class struggle against them.

These find a contemporary counterpart in the hashtags and public pilings-on in social media, which also frequently leverages paranoia and mob rule. Todays big (280) character posters  whether crafted by public figures, trolls, political groups or us laobaixing (commoners)  often take the form of calls for resignations or collective harassment, threats of violence and attacks on adversaries as the enemy of the American People.

Li didnt mention these other similarities, but in both periods: Higher education is demonized. National symbols and cultural artifacts once seen as unifying, such as the Statue of Liberty and the American flag, become politicized. Specific words and ideas are stricken or banned from government communiques.

Both Maos decade-long tumult and todays Cultural Revolution with American characteristics also feature cults of personality for the national leader, who thrives in the surrounding chaos. Each also gives his blessing, sometimes explicitly, for vigilantes to attack ideological opponents on his behalf.

But the most troubling parallel is the call for purges.

Then, Mao and his allies led purges of political and military ranks, allegedly for seditious or just insufficiently loyal behavior. Today, White House officials, right-wing media hosts and federal lawmakers have called for a cleansing of the nations top law-enforcement and intelligence agencies, because the deep state is conspiring against the president.

We are at risk of a coup detat in this country if we allow an unaccountable person with no oversight to undermine the duly elected president of the United States, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said on the House floor in November, as he called for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to resign or be fired. He repeated this demand on TV last week.

Also last week, Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Fla., called for a purge of both the Justice Department and FBI to remove the influence of the deep state.

The more you look around, the more parallels appear. Its almost like  stick with me here!  authoritarian, anti-intellectual, expulsionist tendencies are not confined to halfway around the world, half a century ago. Political tribalism can be fed and exploited for personal gain in any society, even our shining city on a hill.

What differentiates the (fully cataclysmic) China then from the (only relatively chaotic) United States now is, among other things, our political institutions. Our system of checks and balances. And perhaps a few statesmen willing to keep those institutions, checks and balances in place  occasionally turning their backs on their own political tribe.

As we brave 2018, may their spines stay strong.
San Diego Jewish Film Festival launches 28th season

The San Diego Jewish Film Festival will be held Thursday, Feb. 8- Sunday, Feb. 18. The Film Festival will be presented by San Diego Center for Jewish Culture, which is located at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, Jacobs Family Campus.

Films boast stars Daniel Radcliffe, Zac Posen, Elliot Gould, Bebe Neuwirth, Annie Potts, Jermaine Clement and singer Ingrid Michaelson. Genres include thriller, drama, biographical, historical and comedy. Directors, producers and actors will be participating in Q & As post-viewing throughout the festival.

The festival will be held at The Lot in La Jolla, Edwards Mira Mesa, Edwards San Marcos, David and Dorothea Garfield Theater at the LFJCC.

For more information, visit www.sdjff.org

Village Church of Rancho Santa Fe to host Theology on Tap event

The Village Church at Rancho Santa Fe will be hosting its first annual Theology on Tap: A Faith & the Art of Work conference on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 from 4-7 p.m. It will be a gathering to learn from and be inspired by industry leaders on how to integrate faith in the workplace. The event will also be a unique time for business networking with draft beer, great food and appetizers.

A confirmed panel includes such leaders as Roger Martin (Senior VP and Chief IP Strategist of Qualcomm), Dr. Maria Zack (Professor, Department Chair and Special Assistant to the President at Point Loma Nazarene University), Roy Inzunza Jr. (Corporate Chaplain at Hoehn Motors), and several others.

The Village Churchs Faith and Work Initiative is organizing this event to bring together in one place people who are interested and eager to learn, to connect, to gain wisdom and insight from one another, says The Rev. Dr. Neal D. Presa, associate pastor at The Village Church and the initiatives staff coordinator.

Registration is required; limited slots for childcare are available for ages 2-11. Adults must be at least 21 years old. To register online: villagechurch.org/theology-on-tap or call (858) 756-2441.

The Village Community Presbyterian Church is located at 6225 Paseo Delicias, Rancho Santa Fe or online at villagechurch.org.

CV Library Senior Symposium to feature filmmaker

A Carmel Valley Library Senior Symposium will be held Monday, Jan. 8, from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. The event features short films by local filmmaker Jared Jacobsen, a discussion, and refreshments. Jacobsen directed award-winning commercials, short films and documentaries. His films center on the San Diego/Mexico experience. The Carmel Valley Library is located at 3919 Townsgate Dr., San Diego, CA 92130. For more information, please call the Carmel Valley Library at (858) 552-1668.

Expert to speak on Nuts and Bolts of Starting a New Business

Nuts and Bolts of Starting a New Business. Find out everything you need to know about transforming your idea into a company presented by attorney Lawrence Bartlett. The event will be held at the Carmel Valley Library Wednesday, Jan. 10 from 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

The Carmel Valley Library is located at 3919 Townsgate Dr., San Diego, 92130. For more information, please contact the Carmel Valley Branch Library at (858) 552-1668.

First Sunday Concert Series presents Zimbeat

The Friends of Encinitas Library will start out the 2018 First Sunday Concert series with a concert featuring Zimbeat on Sunday, Jan. 7 from 2-3 p.m. Zimbeat, a San Diego-based ensemble, recreates the dynamic music of Southern Africa. They perform dances and songs rooted in tribal and popular traditions of both South Africa and Zimbabwe with a unique contemporary sound. Zimbeats hypnotic interlocking melodies, spirited African rhythms and dance moves combine for a highly entertaining and engaging Sunday at the library.

Free to the public. Seating is limited to chairs in room only. Encinitas Library Community Room, 540 Cornish Dr. Encinitas, CA 92024; (760) 753-7376; encinitaslibfriends.org.

Family-friendly concert: For the Young at Heart

The Chamber Music Players of the North Coast Symphony Orchestra will present a family-friendly concert, For the Young at Heart, featuring Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev and Morceau de Concert for harp and strings by Camille Saint-Saens with harp soloist, Stefan Wendel. The Players are directed by Daniel Swem. The concert will be at the Schulman Auditorium at the Carlsbad Dove Library on Sunday, Jan. 21, at 2:30 p.m. Admission is free, donations accepted. Funded, in part, by the City of Encinitas and the Mizel Family Foundation.

Athenaeum events

- Athenaeum Music & Arts Library will host an opening reception for On the Money, an exhibition by San Diego native Wick Alexander; Pinata/Drone/Bust by Anna Stump; and Booklyn in Brooklyn: Artists Books from the Athenaeum Collection, 6:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 12 at 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. The works will be on view Jan. 6-Feb. 10. (858) 454-5872. ljathenaeum.org

- 28th annual Athenaeum chamber concert series will present clarinetist Boris Allakhverdyan, pianist Anton Smirnoff and soprano Shoushik Barsoumian in one of the most famous, yet rarely heard live due to its difficulty, The Shepherd on the Rock (German: Der Hirt auf dem Felsen), D. 965, by Franz Schubert, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8 at 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. Tickets: $40-$45. (858) 454-5872. ljathenaeum.org/chamber-concert-series

- SoundOn Music Festival opens with Exotic Images from an Inner Journey, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4 at 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. Program includes Toshio Hosokawas Stunden-Blumen (Toki no Hana), Anne LeBarons I am an American ... My Government Will Reward You, Juan Pablo Contreras Palimsesto, Roger Reynolds imagE/viola and the world premiere of Adam Greenes Absence. Tickets $25, with discounts. (858) 454-5872. ljathenaeum.org

Theater for Kids

- Pirates Past Noon Kids is a stage adaptation of Mary Pope Osbornes adventure books from the Magic Tree House series. In this production, Jack and Annies treehouse takes them to an exotic island inhabited by pirates, where the two discover the power of friendship and the simple pleasures in everyday life. See it matinees and evenings, Jan. 5-21, at Casa del Prado Theatre, 1600 Village Place in Balboa Park, San Diego. Tickets: $12-$18. (619) 239-8355. juniortheatre.com

Comedian to perform new show at La Jolla Playhouse

Award-winning comedian and storyteller Mike Birbiglia will perform In The New One at the La Jolla Playhouse Jan. 9-14, 2018.

Birbiglia has performed in front of audiences worldwide, from the Sydney Opera House to Carnegie Hall. His most recent shows, My Girlfriends Boyfriend and Thank God for Jokes, were both filmed for Netflix. Birbiglia has released four albums for Comedy Central Records, including My Secret Public Journal Live, which was named one of the Best Comedy Albums of the Decade by The Onion AV Club. Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times called Birbiglias recent show Thank God for Jokes the best night Ive spent in a theatre in a very long time. In The New One the Birbigilia approaches an entirely new subject in a new way with the same heart and humor he is known for.

Visit lajollaplayhouse.org/mike-birbiglia

UC San Diego Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Open House

Discover the joys of continued learning and enrichment at a free Open House on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. at UC San Diego. Presented by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, this membership program for adults over the age of 50 offers daytime lectures, seminars, and guided discussions by the renowned UCSD faculty and community leaders. There are no prerequisites, exams or credit.  simply the joy of learning in a community of peers. Learn more about Osher and its winter program at UCSD at olli.ucsd.edu. RSVP at olli.ucsd.edu/openhouse or call 858-534-3409. Parking is free on Saturdays.

Maritime Museum seeks docents

The Maritime Museum of San Diego is seeking volunteer docents. Docents will engage with museum visitors, fielding their questions and sharing knowledge to enrich their experience. Training is carried out in a series of lectures, suggested readings and walking tours.
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By MATTHEW DALY

Associated Press

WASHINGTON  The Trump administration on Thursday moved to vastly expand offshore drilling from the Atlantic to the Arctic oceans with a plan that would open up federal waters off the California coast for the first time in more than three decades.

The new five-year drilling plan also could open new areas of oil and gas exploration in areas off the East Coast from Georgia to Maine, where drilling has been blocked for decades. Many lawmakers in those states support offshore drilling, although the Democratic governors of North Carolina and Virginia oppose drilling off their state coasts.





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PORTLAND (AP)  The state has ordered a towing company in Portland to pay $75,000 in fines after consumers filed 29 complaints against the business over the last two years.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Oregon Attorney General Ellen F. Rosenblum on Wednesday announced the settlement with Sergeants Towing Inc., ordering the business to pay $4,456 in restitution to seven people.





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By LINDSEY BAHR

AP Film Writer

Enemies are thrown together for a perilous journey in Hostiles , an unforgivingly violent and sparse revisionist Western set in 1892 that explores the traumas of American westward expansion.

There's hardly a soul in writer-director Scott Cooper's ambitious odyssey who isn't haunted by some gruesome incident of the past, whether it's the cavalry officers who slaughtered and scalped untold numbers of natives, the natives who slaughtered untold numbers of cavalry officers, or the young settler family that goes from five members to only one in the distressing opening scene of the film. To say this is a grim and difficult watch is an understatement.





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Following up on President Donald Trump's threats, the US announced on Thursday that it would suspend nearly all security aid to Pakistan, an across-the-board freeze that is the most tangible sign yet of Washington's frustration with the country's refusal to crack down on terrorist networks operating there. The US announced that it was freezing most security aid and the delivery of military equipment because Islamabad continues to shelter terrorists despite several warnings from President Donald Trump and other leaders. The decision, which could affect as much as $1.3 billion in annual aid, came three days after President Trump complained on Twitter that Pakistan had ''given us nothing but lies & deceit'' and accused it of providing ''safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan.'' "We will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan," State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said on Thursday. The freeze will be enforced "until the Pakistani Government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network", she said. Nauert said that Pakistan's failure to take action against Lakshar-e-Taiba leader Hafeez Saeed - the alleged mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks - was not a factor in the action. "To my knowledge, that has nothing to do with that," she said. Administration officials emphasized that the freeze was temporary and could be lifted if Pakistan changed its behaviour. The United States is urging the Pakistani government to cut off contact with militants and reassign intelligence agents with links to extremists, among other measures. United States officials had also demanded access to a member of the Taliban-linked Haqqani network, who was captured by Pakistani forces during the rescue of a Canadian-American family in October, and were angered when Pakistan rejected the request. ''It's hard to argue the status quo has been working, so we are looking at changing it to advance our security objectives,'' said Brian H Hook, the State Department's director of policy planning. Though the move was months in the planning, officials said the announcement was rushed by a few days to catch up to Trump's Twitter post on Monday, which drew a toxic reaction from Pakistan. The move also came after considerable internal debate, officials said, according to The New York Times. The Pentagon is worried that the Pakistani government could retaliate by denying access to routes in Pakistan that it uses to supply roughly 14,000 American troops deployed in Afghanistan. After Trump's tweet, the foreign minister of Pakistan, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, said that there was a need to revisit the nature of its relations with the United States. In an interview with a local news network, he said the United States was acting like neither an ally nor a friend. The suspension includes about $1.1 billion in Coalition Support Funds, which the Pentagon provides to help defray the costs of counterterrorism operations in Pakistan. Under the freeze, the United States also will not deliver military equipment to the country. It had earlier held up $255 million in State Department military financing. Nauert said some exceptions could be made ''on a case-by-case basis if determined to be critical to national security interests.'' Internal government talking points that were obtained by The New York Times said the suspension was ''a freeze, and does not reflect intent to reprogram funds at this time'' - meaning that the money will not be diverted to other uses. ''Pakistan has the ability to get this money back in the future, but they have to take decisive action,'' Nauert said. The administration said that the freeze did not apply to civilian assistance programmes. The United States has provided Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid since 2002, a program that ramped up sharply in the wake of the 11 September attacks as the United States viewed Pakistan as a key ally in fighting Islamic militants. Earlier on Thursday, the State Department announced that it had placed Pakistan on a special watch list for what it described as severe violations of religious freedoms. The designation was part of the administration's annual accounting of violations by countries as required by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Attacks on religious minorities have increased in Pakistan in recent years, reflecting a growing religious intolerance and driven in part by a proliferation of religious schools funded by Saudi Arabia. The United States previously has frozen military aid without forcing a change in Pakistan's policies. In July 2011, two months after an American commando raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, the Obama administration suspended about $800 million in aid. Relations with Pakistan did not improve. Meanwhile, Pakistan has dragged India into its war of words with the US. Pakistan's foreign minister Khawaja Asif said the US is "trumpeting India's lies and deceit", that the two countries have a "nexus" and that the US "is speaking the language of Indians". "The United States and India have a nexus, they understand their interests are same in the region," said Asif, in an interview with Geo TV on Thursday.








Iceland has set an example in the new year for the world to follow, or so at least women would agree. A law which was passed in June last year and came into effect on 1 January makes it mandatory for companies to demonstrate that they pay their female and male employees equally. This makes it the first country in the world to legalise equal pay between men and women. Ranked number one in World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index, Iceland has championed the cause of women rights and had made it illegal to pay women and men differently on the basis of their gender as early as 1963. Iceland in June 2017 put the onus of mandating the 'Equal Pay Standards' on institutions instead of the employee filing a complaining about gender discrimination. The system was in works since 2012 and in June last year the 'Act on Equal Status and Equal Rights of Women and Men' was amended making it mandatory for organisation with 25 or more employees to get certified by a certification body confirming that the payroll system and its implementation comply with the requirements of the law. Under the new rules, companies and government agencies employing at least 25 people will have to obtain government certification of their equal-pay policies. Those that fail to prove pay parity will face fines. "The legislation is basically a mechanism that companies and organisations ... evaluate every job that's being done, and then they get a certification after they confirm the process if they are paying men and women equally," said Dagny Osk Aradottir Pind, a board member of the Icelandic Women's Rights Association. "We have had legislation saying that pay should be equal for men and women for decades now but we still have a pay gap." Iceland, an island country in the North Atlantic Ocean that is home to approximately 323,000 people, has a strong economy, based on tourism and fisheries. For the past nine years, it has been ranked by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as the world's most gender-equal country. The Global Gender Gap Report uses markers such as economic opportunity, political empowerment, and health and survival to gauge the state of gender equality in a country. Since the reports began in 2006, Iceland has closed around 10 percent of its total gender gap, making it one of the fastest-improving countries in the world. The new legislation was supported by Iceland's centre-right government, as well as the opposition, in a parliament where nearly 50 per cent of all members are women. The current coalition government in its 'Agreement' for coalition had affirmed its commitment to equal pay certification stating that ''Deliberate steps will be taken to eradicate gender-based wage discrimination. For this purpose, it will be necessary, amongst other things, to publicise the gender pay-gap more prominently, e.g. in companies' annual financial statements. It must be ensured that comparable jobs are evaluated in a comparable manner, in accordance with the demands that are made of enterprises according to law and that are supposed to be reflected in the new Equal Pay Standard.'' The Icelandic government plans to completely eradicate the wage gap by 2020. Rwanda among top 5

According to the latest WEF report, the top five best performers in the global gender gap are Iceland, Norway, Finland, Rwanda and Sweden. Yemen, on the other hand, is currently the lowest-ranked of the 144 countries measured in the report. The war-torn country has been low-performing in terms of economic participation and opportunity for several years. Fifty-two countries fell below the global average in 2017, including China, Liberia and the United Arab Emirates, while 60 saw their overall gender gap decrease. Hungary was the only European country to be ranked lower than the global average, having scored poorly on political empowerment.








Almost 100 people a year in Donegal are diagnosed with lung cancer the Irish Cancer Society has said.

The society has launched its lung cancer awareness month.

According to new research from the Global Lung Cancer Coalition (GLCC), 27% of Irish people were unable to name any symptoms of lung cancer. This is a significant drop in awareness from 2013 when only 9% of Irish people were unable to name any symptoms of the disease.

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in Ireland with over 2,500 cases diagnosed annually, including 93 cases in Donegal in 2015.

Lung cancer is also the leading cause of cancer deaths with, on average, 1,855 people in Ireland dying from lung cancer each year from 2012 to 2014.

The majority of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at a late stage which is why awareness of the symptoms and early detection is vital, the organisation said.

The signs and symptoms of lung cancer are: A cough that doesnt go away or a change in a long-term cough, feeling short of breath or wheezing, repeated chest infections that wont go away even after antibiotics, coughing up blood-stained phlegm, pain in your chest, especially when you cough or breathe in, feeling more tired than usual, unexplained weight loss, hoarse voice, problems swallowing or swelling in the face or neck.

The Society encourages the public to access its simple online lung health checker which is available at www.cancer.ie/lung/checker. It allows them to answer questions about their lung health and bring a summary of their results to their doctor. This enables people to have a proper conversation about their lung health with their doctor. Its a very simple but effective way of taking lung health seriously.

Speaking at the launch of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Kevin OHagan, Cancer Prevention Manager with the Irish Cancer Society said: The significant drop in awareness of the symptoms of lung cancer is worrying, given that the numbers are only set to increase, particularly amongst women. Alarmingly, female lung cancer cases are projected to increase by at least 77% between 2010 and 2040 and male cases by at least 52%.

1 in 4 lung cancer cases are being diagnosed in Emergency departments[v] and many of these are at an advanced stage. Irish people need to get checked if they experience any symptoms and not wait to present as an emergency. Late diagnosis limits your treatment options and reduces your chances of survival.
At a meeting last Thursday in Dunfanaghy, held at the site of the ancient McGinley clan castle, the new chieftain of the clan was officially sworn in before a crowd of fellow McGinleys from across Co Donegal. The new chieftain is Proinsias Mag Fhionnghaile, a historian and writer from Ballyshannon. He is also the Curator at Ballyshannon & District Museum. Proinsias also holds the title of Clan Historian and has done so since 1997.

The outgoing chieftain is Niall McGinley from Churchill. Niall, a local historian and retired teacher, has served as chieftain of the McGinley clan for nearly twenty years with distinction. We wish him the very best in his retirement from his position within the clan.

Both Niall and Proinsias descend from the Glenswilly McGinleys who held the chieftainry of the clan since the early 1600s. It was following the Battle of Kinsale in 1601 that the McGinley clan were forced from their ancient clan territory at Dunfanaghy by the incoming victorious English army. One branch settled at Glencolmcille, some hid in the nearby mountains and returned to Dunfanaghy some months later, while a third branch settled around Glenswilly. The chieftain of the clan and his family also settled at Glenswilly. These became the senior branch of the McGinleys.

Clans of Ireland

The McGinley clan, along with the ODonnells, the Gallaghers and the OClearys, are registered with Clans of Ireland, an official body recognised by the Irish Government and have An Uachtarain Michael D. Higgins as Patron. All these clans, as well as others such as the Sweeneys and the Dohertys, hold international clan gatherings and form an important part of the tourist industry in Co Donegal. Tourism based on Donegal surnames or roots brings vast numbers to the county as well as much needed income. The McGinley surname is one of the most numerous in the county.

Proinsias said I am honoured to follow in the footsteps of Niall. I thank all that have turned up here today on this cold winters day. As many of you know, I have been at the centre of McGinley clan activities for twenty years since the modern association was formed and indeed was involved in collecting McGinley history for around thirty years. I will continue as Clan Historian as well as my new role. Having fulfilled the conditions of leadership of the clan I will endeavour to do my best at all times.

Proinsias, or other members of the McGinley Clan Association Board, can be contacted through the official website (mcginleyclan.org).
Over 100 speakers will attend a conference in Donegal next week which will discuss connections between Ireland, the US and the world.

The Transatlantic Connections event in Bundoran takes place from January 10th to 14th.

The theme for 2018 is Kindred Spirits and speakers will address the conference exploring this theme in a range of fields, from history and literature to politics, peace studies and popular culture.

Daytime events will be held at Eclipse Cinemas, Bundoran, and evening events take place at the Atlantic Apartotel. All events are open to the public, and free.

Each January, the event, which is supported by Donegal County Council, gathers academics, university students, artists, activists, local enthusiasts, journalists, and public audiences to discuss the connections between Ireland, the US and the world.

Keynote speakers include Choctaw Native Waylon Whitedeer, Ireland Professor of Poetry Paula Meehan, Journalist and activist Una  Minh Kavanagh, and Director of the Great Hunger Institute at Quinnipiac University, Professor Christine Kinealy. There will be lunchtime lectures by author Sonja Tiernan, poet Theo Dorgan and Gaelgoir Caoimhin deBarra.

Conradh Na Gaelige are presenting a panel on Irish Language and Culture, and The Irish Times Womens Podcast team, chaired by Roisin Ingle, will do a live recording on Kindred Spirits with guests Una  Minh, Sonja and Paula.

There will also be a panel discussion entitled Bundoran  the death and life of an Irish Coastal Town, as researched by students of Architecture at Sligo Institution of Technology, under the stewardship of lecturer and Bundoran local, Emmet ODoherty.

Guest speakers Professor Jonathan Golden and author/activist Onyeka Nwelue, who will host two panels on conflict, resolution and Peace Studies.

On ecology and sustainability, representatives from Hawaii, Texas and the Irish Surf zones will speak, and representing Native America Michelle Cooke and Kevin Swiney from the Glicrease Museum in Oklahoma will speak.

The 2018 Conference will also feature a program of poetry hosted by the Drew MFA in Poetry Program. Visiting American poets Alicia Ostriker, Michael Waters, Sean Nevin, Judith Vollmer, Ellen Dore Watson and Sarah Vap will be reading for the public at a special poetry evening event on Thursday, January 11th.

The conference also includes performances by The Henry Girls on Wednesday, January 10, Erdini on January 11, and Mirenda Rosenberg and her band on Friday, January 12.

Artists Kevin Lowery, Edel MacBride, and Local Hands will be exhibiting their work during the event, and there is a special Meet the Maker panel on Thursday 11, where the artists will be available to meet and discuss their work.

This event is open to the public, and all talks and cultural events are free. A schedule of events, times, dates and place is on the website www.irishconference.com or you can email to reserve places at info@isaireland.com.
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NEW BROCKTON  Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has authorized a $5,000 reward for information leading to apprehension and prosecution in the investigation of the death of Enterprise school teacher Sara Starr.

Twelfth Circuit District Attorney Tom Anderson made the announcement during a news conference Thursday at the Coffee County Sheriffs Office.

Starr was found dead the morning of Nov. 27 at a residence south of Enterprise. She had an apparent gunshot wound to her head, authorities said in late November, although no firearm was recovered at the scene of the incident. That led authorities to investigate Starrs death as a homicide.

Authorities were investigating a person of interest in late November and were obtaining and executing search warrants as well as seeking other paths to additional possible persons of interest.

On Thursday, Anderson said authorities are beginning to get the results of search-warrant and subpoena services, and that we feel strongly that we are headed in the right direction. He said he hopes the governors reward will lead to assistance from the public.

In particular, Anderson said, authorities are looking to talk to anyone near the area of Starrs home on County Road 643 who saw anything during the week of Thanksgiving that may be pertinent to the case.

Were going to follow up on every single lead and every single tip you give us, Anderson said.

Anderson said he could not give a lot of details about the investigation, including information about any persons of interest. However, he said numerous law-enforcement agencies remain working on the case, countless hours have gone into the case and two investigators have been working on the case full-time since the incident.

Chief Deputy Ronnie Whitworth said the two investigators are working exclusively on the case. He declined to name the investigators.

I am extremely confident that the leads we are following right now are pointing all to the right direction, Anderson said.

Starr, who was 36 at the time of her death, was a fourth-grade teacher at Harrand Creek Elementary School. Her survivors include four children  two sets of twins, ages 12 and 7  who attended Coppinville Junior High and Pinedale Elementary schools in Enterprise.

The two schools were put on soft lockdown on Nov. 27 as part of procedure while authorities determined if any other family members were involved in the incident.

Anderson said on Thursday that Starrs children are in the area in the custody of the Department of Human Resources.

When you start dealing with children in a situation like this, and, you know, whats going through their little heads, and what theyre having to face every day and every night, ladies and gentlemen, it is personal, Sheriff Dave Sutton said. And its personal to me because she a member of my community. When something like that happens in Coffee County and Im the senior law-enforcement officer, it does bother me. And I want to get it solved.

Anyone with information on the case can call the Coffee County Sheriffs Office at 894-5535 or contact their local law-enforcement agency.
For the second time in two months, an Ashford trucking company suffers from employee theft.

Antone Ferguson, 39, of Newton was arrested by Houston County Sheriff's deputies on Jan. 3, accused of stealing $10,000 from the Summerford Trucking in Ashford.

At the time the warrant was issued the amount stolen was $10,000, said Houston County Maj. Bill Rafferty. As of today, that amount has increased. This case is still under investigation and the total amount of funds is not available at this time.

According to Rafferty, one additional arrest in this case has been made, but no name is being released at this time. However, Rafferty stated he did not believe the second arrest involved an employee of the trucking company.

It will take a little time to complete this investigation, Rafferty said. When the warrant was issued, the time frame revolved around November and December 2017. Now we are seeing information that takes us back to a longer time frame.

With the case still being under investigation, the amount of information available is limited at this time.

Fergusons bail has been set at $20,000.

On Nov. 9, 2017, a Summerford Trucking employee, Starla Ruth Wiggins Ingram was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree theft of property. The four counts of theft of property involved about $550,000 being stolen from the company over a period of time.

Ingram worked as an office manager for the company; she is currently out on a $120,000 bail.
More than five structure fires around the Wiregrass area Wednesday kept many local fire departments on their toes.

On Wednesday, house fires occurred in Dothan, Cottonwood, Slocomb, Columbia, and Kinsey, continuing a rash of house fires last week.

At 9:31 a.m., a structure fire call went out to Columbia Fire Department. An apartment complex in the area had one unit on fire. One unit was a complete loss and two other units suffered smoke damage.

Our fire department did a fantastic job, said Columbia Mayor Rhonda Freeman. Thankfully there were no injuries and the apartments management has found the residents housing at this time.

Freeman offered thanks the Webb Volunteer Fire Department and the Dothan/Houston County EMA for responding to fire

The displaced residents affected by the fire do have needs, the mayor said.

Anyone wishing to make a gift card donation or monetary donation can do so by calling the Columbia Town Hall at 334-696-4417, Freeman said. The funds will be used to help with housing and other items needed by those affected by the fire.

The Columbia Fire/Rescue was on the scene at 9:37 a.m. By 10:18m the department then reported the fire was out, and trucks were headed back to the station.

A Cottonwood couple was also displaced Wednesday after their home caught fire.

Dothan/Houston County EMA Director Chris Judah said the fire is under investigation, but the home is a complete loss.

Several volunteer fire departments arrived at the home, but the fire was fully involved.

This couple has lost everything, Judah said. At this time the Red Cross has been called in and I will be making contact with the Salvation Army to help assist this family.

Anyone wishing to make a donation to help the couple affected in the Cottonwood fire may do so by calling the Red Cross at 800-733-2767

At roughly 2 p.m., multiple fire units from Kinsey and Webb arrived at a structure fire on Monza Court in Kinsey. Kinsey Police Chief Richard Campbell said the fire was contained to one room.

This fire is still under investigation at this time, Campbell said. However, at this time it appears the fire may have started from a child playing with matches. Thankfully no one was injured.

Information provided by Public Safety Director Col. Jim Smith states the preliminary report in the Cottonwood house fire is showing the fire was caused by electrical issues to include overloaded outlets.

Dothan firefighters responded to structure fire Wednesday at Ussery Apartments.

The fire was extinguished shortly after firefighters arrived on the scene and made entrance.

The kitchen and the kitchen roof did receive significant damages, said Dothan Battalion Chief Chris Etheredge. The resident has been placed in housing by the Housing Authority at this time.

The victim received no injures and the Red Cross was called to assist the victim.

As the evening continued, conflagration broke out in Geneva County. An abandoned home in Slocomb caught fire.

At this time we believe someone sought shelter in the home and started a fire to stay warm, and the fire got away from them, said Slocomb Fire Chief Adrian Thomas. The home has been abandoned for some time. There was no electricity or gas connected at the residence.

Firefighters were determined to contain the fire to the residence Wednesday.

Due to the structure being abandoned and the structural integrity of the building, the decision was made to conduct a defensive attack, Thomas said. The house was fully involved and we needed to make sure the neighbors home was protected, as well as the woods near the abandoned home.

The fire was brought under control after two hours of exterior operations. Fadette Fire, Malvern Fire and Slocomb Police responded to the scene and assisted.
A bid protest filed by the company that has maintained Army helicopters at Fort Rucker for 15 years has been denied, potentially clearing the way for the contract to change hands.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) announced this week it denied a bid protest from L-3 Army Sustainment (Army Fleet Support) over the loss of its contract to M1 Support Services of Denton, Texas.

Details are unclear. The notice of bid denial from the GAO indicated the protest is covered by a protective order, which means portions of the GAOs decision must be redacted before release to the public. It could be made public within a few days or a few weeks.

L3 Army Fleet Support has held the helicopter maintenance contract at Fort Rucker since 2003. In September of 2017, the Department of the Army Mission and Installation Contract Command announced M1 Support Services was awarded the contract, valued at $4.7 billion over the full 10-year life of the contract.

L-3 officially filed the protest Nov. 6.

We are convinced our proposal represents the best value to both the military and the U.S. taxpayers, Christopher E. Kubasik, L3s President and Chief Operating Officer, said in a written statement at the time of the protest.

Headquartered in New York City, L3 Technologies employs approximately 38,000 people worldwide and provides a range of communication, electronic and sensor systems used on military, homeland security and commercial platforms. L3 is also a prime contractor in aerospace systems, security and detection systems, and pilot training, according to the companys website.

M1s website lists several job openings for the contract at Fort Rucker.
A fundraising page has been set up to cover the costs of repatriation for Yosuke Sasaki - the 24-year-old Japanese man who was stabbed to death on Wednesday, January 3 on the Avenue Road, Dundalk.

Many local people donated money and messages of condolence.

And so far the GoFundMe page 'Repatriation of our Japanese friend' has raised 8,410 - 6,410 over the target goal.

A description on the fundraising page, which has been set up by Ollie Morgan, says: "The people of Dundalk have been left shocked and horrified at the horrible and tragic events that happened in Dundalk yesterday morning. This is a chance to show our solidarity with the family. Please donate whatever you can afford."

Locals paid their respects to the young man and the Sasaki family leaving comments such as "Deepest condolences for the loss of your son. Its a tragedy that never should have happened".

Another comment said: "Rest in Peace young man, we hope this will help you on your journey home RIP"

And another sad message said: "Rest In Peace. May your Family get the strength to carry on ...so, so sad."

Japanese man Yosuke Sasaki was stabbed in the back on Wednesday morning as he walked to work with a pair of earphones in  unaware of his attacker.

His post-mortem is currently taking place in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda.

A spokesman for the Japanese Embassy told The Irish Times they had made contact with and were providing support to Mr Sasakis family.

He is originally from the Japanese city of Ebina-shi, in Kanazawa Prefecture, a suburban city that's roughly an hours drive west of Tokyo.

The 24-year-old had been living in Dublin for 1 year where he attended language school.

He moved to Dundalk last August and had been working manning the phones for service calls for the Japanese market in National Pen since then.

At the scene of the stabbing on Avenue Road yesterday afternoon, bouquets of flowers and a small can of tinned coffee from Japan were left as tributes to Yosuke.

A statement from Louth County Council this morning said: "Owing to the most recent tragic death of the young Japanese man, Yosuke Sasaki (RIP), I wish to advise that a Book of Condolence will be officially opened at the following locations :

Town Hall, Dundalk  Monday 8th at 10.30 am

County Hall, Dundalk  Monday 8th at 10.00 am

Ardee Library  Tuesday 9th at 2.00 pm

Tholsel, Drogheda  Monday 8th at 12.30 pm"
A LOCAL woman who saw the teenager accused of killing a Japanese man arrive at Dundalk District Court last night has said she is shocked.

Adele Keough from Belfry Drive, Dundalk was in the area on Crowe Street on Thursday, January 4 just before 7pm on an errand.

I was just passing by. I didn't plan to go there. I wasn't expecting it, she said.

A crowd of people had gathered on the street waiting for the accused teenager Mohamed Morei to arrive.

Above: The scene on Crowe Street before Mohamed Morei arrived at Dundalk District Courthouse

A large number of people in the crowd acted in an aggressive manner and shouted racist taunts at the 18-year-old as gardai escorted him into Dundalk District Court.

Mr Morei was charged with murder at The Crescent, Dundalk at 5.20pm yesterday. He appeared at a special sitting of Dundalk District Court at 6.57pm.

Mr Morei, whose nationality has not yet been confirmed, was brought into Dundalk District Court in handcuffs in relation to an attack which left one man dead and assaults which left two men with non-serious injuries.

Speaking to the Dundalk Democrat just after 9am this morning, Adele explained that she had decided to leave a bunch of flowers for 24-year-old Yokuse Sasaki, the Japanese man who died after suffering fatal stab wounds on the Avenue Road on January 3.

It's just a gesture. I work in Dublin but I decided this morning to get some flowers and leave them here, she said.

I don't know him or his family but it's a tragedy. It's awful for Dundalk. Words can't describe it really. Lord have mercy on the poor guy.

Above: Adele Keough from Belfry Drive, Dundalk laying a bunch of flowers on the Avenue Road for the late Yosuke Sasaki

The court heard that there is an issue with Mr Morei's nationality. An application was made to remand the accused in custody.

The judge granted the application and the teenager has been remanded in custody. An application was made to remand the accused in custody.

The judge granted the application and the teenager has been remanded in custody. He is due to appear before Cloverhill District Court on Thursday, January 11, 2018 by live video link at 10am.

The judge directed that all appropriate psychiatric and medical treatment be made available to the accused.

Above: The message on a bunch of flowers left on the Avenue Road for the family of Yosuke Sasaki by Margaret and Johnnie from Medebawn Estate
Gardai have been spotted dredging through the water beside the Windmill Pub this morning as part of their ongoing investigations into three attacks carried out on Wednesday, January 3.

The attacker passed through Seatown on Wednesday morning after allegedly stabbing 24-year-old Japanese man Yosuke Sasaki to death on the Avenue Road. He then ran up the Inner Relief Road where he stabbed 22-year-old Cian Murphy, before he attacked a 23-year-old male from Faughart, with a fence pole, beside the Windmill pub.

Gardai were called and apprehended the attacker on the scene.

It is believed that Garda Water Unit and Diving Section were searching for weapons in the water.

Enquires are continuing internationally as the investigation develops.

Two mobile phones are said to be a key part of the investigation.

Gardai are also searching for evidence at a semi-derelict house on the corner of Avenue Road and the Inner Link Road, where the suspect is believed to have been squatting prior to the attacks.

It is believed the suspect was sheltering in some shed buildings at the rear of the vacant house.

A statement released by Gardai earlier this week said: "An Garda Siochana is currently liaising closely with our security and law enforcement partners worldwide to share and assess any relevant intelligence and its potential impact on the current investigation.

"At this time, we can find no established link to indicate that this tragedy is terrorist related. However, enquires are continuing internationally as the investigation develops."

Read More: Locals raise 8,410 to repatriate Japanese man killed in Dundalk overnight
Members of the Dundalk Municipal District have organised a candlelight vigil in memory of Japanese man Yosuke Sasaki.

People from Dundalk can pay their respects to the 24-year-old man who was fatally stabbed as he walked down the Avenue Road on Wednesday morning, on January 8 between 7 and 8pm .

The vigil will take place at the Maid of Eireann Statue in front of Dundalk Courthouse.

The organisers have asked the public to bring their own candles.

A representative from the Japanese embassy will be in attendance and will saw a few words.

Dundalk Municipal District said in a statement: "This is a joint event that has been organised by all members of the district to show our unity with Yosuke and his family."

Meanwhile, Louth County Council are organizing a book of condolences across four locations in Louth.

The books will be open for a week, after which they will be passed on to the Sasaki family.

A statement from Louth County Council said:

"Owing to the most recent tragic death of the young Japanese man, Yosuke Sasaki (RIP), I wish to advise that a Book of Condolence will be officially opened at the following locations:

Town Hall, Dundalk  Monday 8th at 10.30 am

County Hall, Dundalk  Monday 8th at 10.00 am

Tholsel, Drogheda  Monday 8th at 12.30 pm

Ardee Library  Tuesday 9th at 2.00 pm"

Speaking to the Dundalk Democrat Fine Gael Cllr. Maria Doyle said: "There has been an outpouring of grief from people in town since this tragic news emerged. I would encourage people to attend the vigil and pay their respects to Yosuke Sasaki's family by signing the book of condolences."

WATCH: Shouts and jeers as suspect in Dundalk fatal stabbing led into courthouse
Coffee lovers will now have more reasons to drink 7-Eleven City Blends coffee, as our favorite kapitbahay launches A Cup of Thankful, where a portion from every purchase of a 12 oz. City Blends cup will be given to Filipino coffee farmers in the hopes of revitalizing the coffee industry in the country.

A Cup of Thankful invites everyone to experience a new way to drink City Blends coffee with a special interactive 12oz. coffee cup design, where customers can simply write what they are thankful for on the cup.

Through these difficult times, City Blends encourages everyone to take a moment to be grateful for the good things in life, especially for the farmers that make their coffee a daily dose of positivity.

7-Eleven local licensee, Philippine Seven Corporation (PSC) revealed the need to bring awareness about what is happening to the local coffee

industry. Previously, the Philippines was part of the top coffee exporters of the world, but over the years, the industry experienced a decline causing the country to import coffee instead.

Every year, Filipinos consume 65,000 metric tons of coffee but only 30,000 metric tons are supplied locally  and demand is still projected to rise. Currently, only 200,000 Filipinos are in the local coffee industry, where problems like low buying price, outdated production practices, unproductive coffee trees, diversification into other crops, and a lack of post-harvest production and processing facilities

continue to hinder profitability.

All these pressing concerns urged PSC to take action and help local farmers through 7-Eleven City Blends. For every 12 oz. cup, 50 centavos will be donated to the local farmers through PSCs partnership with the Foundation for Sustainable Coffee Excellence (FSCE).

Cultivating coffee beans is becoming increasingly difficult because of several problems that farmers face according to Cristy Salbino Carame, a local coffee grower. The changing climate brings unpredictable weather, prolonged dry periods, and sometimes intense downpours which are all detrimental to the growth of coffee. Aside from this, the farmers also lack machineries that hasten production and are facing difficulties in getting water for their farms. With this campaign, PSC and FSCE aim to directly address some of these problems, and the farmers are seeing hope for the growth of local coffee.

This campaign is a channel of Gods Blessing to us, farmers because we will be able to live as healthy, safe and productive people. We are grateful for FSCE for providing educational assistance and livelihood programs. We cannot do this alone and we need all the help we can get, Carame added.

The foundation, which was organized last year, was led by Henry & Sons, an established coffee company, to give aid to the coffee farmers in La Trinidad, Benguet and lead them to a flourishing business in the coffee industry.

The foundation could really use the help of sponsors like 7-Eleven because the farmers will be able to receive post-harvest facilities to help them speed up production. They just need the right encouragement to lead them towards the revival of our local coffee farming, Michael Harris Lim, Henry

& Sons President and FSCE Director said.

We aim to make a difference in the lives of our farmers and the communities they live in. We are very eager to work with our stakeholders so we can elevate the coffee industry and the lives of the Filipino farmers, Jose Victor Paterno, President and CEO of PSC said.

Buy A Cup of Thankful by City Blends in selected 7-Eleven stores and write what youre grateful for today! And why not include our dear coffee farmers as well!
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'Vietnam shrimp exports up 22% in 2017'

Vietnam's shrimp export value was estimated at US$3.8 billion in 2017, up 22% from 2016, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP), VNA reported.

The EU was the top importer of Vietnamese shrimp, buying more than $780 million worth of the country's shrimp products in the first 11 months of 2017. The EU purchase represented 22.2% of Vietnam's total shrimp export revenue during the period and an annual increase of 42.4%.

The Netherlands' Vietnamese shrimp imports increased 70.5%, the strongest growth among the EU's three major markets, followed by the UK (54.5%) and Germany (5.9%).

VASEP General Secretary Truong Dinh Hoe said the strong sales to the EU was due to the preferential treatments offered by the 28-member bloc to some Vietnamese shrimp products under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP). Thailand and China do not enjoy this advantage, he pointed out.

He foresees that Vietnamese shrimp exports will increase further as the country's competitor, India, faces a ban on its shrimp exports due to antibiotics problems. Vietnamese products are a potential replacement, he said.

Also seen to boost Vietnamese shrimp shipments to the EU is the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, which is expected to take effect this year, the VASEP said. Under this trade deal, tariff for a number of products, which are currently 20%, will be eliminated.

The second-biggest importer of Vietnamese shrimp in 2017 was Japan, followed by China, whose purchase during the January-November period was valued at $637.9 million, or 60.2% more than the previous year.

Based on VASEP's forecast, China will surpass Japan to become the second-biggest importer of Vietnamese shrimps in the first quarter of 2018.




New tax law seen to hike prices of meat in Philippines

Meat products sold in the Philippines are expected to cost higher upon the implementation of a newly enacted tax reform law.

The expected increase would result from hiked fuel prices due to higher excise taxes on petroleum products, according to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Business Mirror reports.

"Definitely, [higher fuel prices] will add to the cost of our meat products", said BAI Assistant Director Simeon S. Amurao Jr. in an interview with reporters on Thursday, Jan. 4.

"Imported meat products will also be affected, as trucking rates may also go up", he added.

Amurao explained that the meat traders' concern was not the meat-supply situation but logistics. "This is more of a logistical concern because there is no expected hike in the raw ingredients used by the livestock sector".

Under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act, diesel, which was not previously taxed, will be imposed PHP2.50 (5 US cents)-per-liter tax in 2018, PHP4.50 (9 cents) in 2019, and PHP6 (12 cents) in 2020.

From PHP4.35 (9-cent) per-liter tax, gasoline would be imposed a levy of PHP7 (14 cents) per liter in 2018, PHP9 (18 cents) in 2019 and PHP10 (20 cents) in 2020.

Gas tax hike to increase operating costs

Jesus C. Cham, president of the Meat Importers and Traders Association (MITA), said the hike in petroleum taxes and the possible increase in electricity rates would increase operating costs for meat importers and traders.

He said meat importers would likely pass on the additional costs to customers as "the majority of the meat importersmake very, very little margins".

Meanwhile, poultry and hog producers told the Business Mirror that their pricing was influenced by the supply situation in the domestic market.

United Broilers Raisers Association President Elias Jose Inciong said that, therefore, there would be no price increases because "broilers are a commodity. Hence, its prices are determined by market conditions and not by cost-plus pricing".

"Broiler raisers are constrained to absorb the additional costs. It cannot be easily passed on to consumers," he elaborated.

The president of the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines Inc., Edwin G. Chen, echoed Inciong, saying price increase depends on the supply and demand of hogs.
Vietnam's swine sector: Challenged, impressive but in need of much additional improvement

A decade-long slump in Vietnamese pork's once-rapid growth is bottoming out. As consolidation quickens, so will productivity growth and demand for swine supply chain capital goods.






Aviagen holds Arbor Acres meeting in Malaysia





An Aviagen Arbor Acres Customer Service Team (AACST) meeting, catering to grandparent (GP) and parent stock (PS) customers from the Middle East and Africa, was held last November in Malaysia.

The six-day event contained over 20 presentations and two workshops, which covered topics critical to business success in the current industry.

The strategy of the meeting emphasised the theme of "hand-in-hand" to highlight the strength of combining Aviagen resources with the local expertise of GP distributors as well as the success of PS customers to drive the business forward.

A dedicated day for GP distributors addressed several important topics and initiated discussion around the role of a distributor and the importance of a laboratory in a GP operation.

Additionally, an analysis of survey responses focused on what "Arbor Acres Means to You" and a detailed outline covered what it takes to be a part of the Arbor Acres hub supply strategy.

The last four days for both distributors and customers were committed to knowledge transfer on ventilation, nutrition, biosecurity, alternative rearing systems, R&D genetic programmes, broiler performance, the export process, maximising fertility, and effective rearing and laying breeder management. Six major market reviews were delivered by customers during the programme.

The agenda contained two market presentations covering "The MENA Poultry Outlook from a Global Perspective", which forecast a 45% increase in animal protein demand in the next 20 years in the region and the need for rapid modernisation of the industry in order to supply that demand.

The second presentation, "Time for Africa", captured a poultry investment opportunity with significant rewards but also sufficient risk to ensure that a well-planned strategy is required to pursue future growth.

An interactive workshop called "Know Your Processed Bird" engaged customers in calculating the weight and yield of the parts produced from a specific broiler live weight. A second workshop offered an excellent financial analysis of the commercial value of the Arbor Acres annual genetic improvements and their significance to distributor and customer business.

Khalil Nasser, Aviagen Arbor Acres' international commercial manager (Middle East and Africa) commented: "We have received a lot of positive feedback from the Aviagen Arbor Acres customers and distributors throughout the meeting. The AACST meeting is a key commitment to the customers to update and transfer knowledge and analysis, build working relationships and help them to optimise their business performance."

"We look forward with anticipation to attending this meeting every year," said Dr. Khaled Moustafa, general manager of Cairo Poultry Company. "It offers a dedicated period to focus on where we might improve performance, work closely with the Arbor Acres team and gain new insights and information that end up (helping) the business."
ABC/Image Group LA The wait is over, Brothers Osborne shared on Instagram Friday morning, along with the cover of their new single, Shoot Me Straight, which is available to stream or download now.

A few months ago we shacked up in a house for 2 weeks and jammed until we couldnt jam no more, TJ and John continued. Weve been dying to get this music out and were beyond excited to get to share some of it with you. Hope ya dig it.

About an hour later on Twitter, the siblings confirmed that indeed seems to be the case.

Thanks to everyone for the love today, they tweeted. Putting new music out there can be incredibly revealing but sometimes you just have to get it to the world and see what happens. Appreciating the kind words yall, they closed, adding the fist bump emoji.

You can check out a new video of Brothers Osborne performing Shoot Me Straight in the studio on YouTube.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
COLUMBUS  A 22-year-old Columbus man is accused of sexually assaulting two underage girls on multiple occasions while carrying on relationships during 2016 and 2017.

Columbus Police arrested Dustin Pospisil on Wednesday on two counts of first-degree sexual assault in connection with the months-long relationships that began when the girls were 14 and 15 years old and living in Columbus.

Platte County Court Judge Patrick McDermott set Pospisils bond at $250,000, 10 percent allowed for release, during a brief bond review hearing Wednesday afternoon.

McDermott, subbing for regular County Court Judge Frank Skorupa, scheduled Pospisil for a felony first appearance hearing next Wednesday and appointed the county public defenders office to represent him.

Pospisil has not been formally charged by the county attorneys office.

A Columbus Police investigation began in July with reports from the alleged victims during interviews at the Norfolk Group Home and Nova Treatment Community in Omaha, where the teens were living last summer.

The girls both described having multiple sexual contacts with Pospisil, sometimes using drugs and sometimes not, at his Columbus residence and other locations, according to Investigator Bret Streckers probable cause arrest statement.

Pospisil said he thought the girls were 16, the states statutory age of sexual consent, but admitted they could have been 14 or 15, the investigator wrote in his statement.

The local man was assaulted in June at an apartment building in the 2500 block of 29th Avenue and suffered injuries that required treatment at a trauma center.
To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020.
By CNN , Jan. 04 , 2018





(CNN) - The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday that a string of anti-government protests were over after six days of unrest.



In comments to the semiofficial Fars news agency, Mohammad Ali Jafari said that only 15,000 people had turned out at the height of the rallies and that the main "troublemakers" have been arrested. CNN has not been able to verify the claim on the amount of protesters.



"Today, we can say it is the end of 'sedition 1396,' " Jafari said, using the year in the Iranian calendar.

Read More: http://www.cnn.com



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By Reuters , Jan. 03 , 2018





JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel said on Wednesday it would pay thousands of African migrants living illegally in the country to leave, threatening them with jail if they are caught after the end of March.



Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in public remarks at a cabinet meeting on the payment program, said a barrier Israel completed in 2013 along its border with Egypt had effectively cut off a stream of illegal infiltrators from Africa after some 60,000 crossed the desert frontier.



The vast majority came from Eritrea and Sudan and many said they fled war and persecution as well as economic hardship, but Israel treats them as economic migrants.



The plan launched this week offers African migrants a $3,500 payment from the Israeli government and a free air ticket to return home or go to third countries, which rights groups identified as Rwanda and Uganda.

Read More: https://www.reuters.com



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Detention Center

The inmate count at the Platte County Detention Facility Thursday was 90, with 44 from Platte County and 46 from out of county.

Police

Dec. 13

10:25 p.m.  At the intersection of 28th Avenue and 14th Street, Jessica Vargas, 34, 1872 28th Ave., was cited for a stop sign violation.

Dec. 16

6:42 p.m.  In the 2500 block of 13th Street, Emmy Runyan, 27, Stromsburg, was cited for shoplifting.

Dec. 17

1:03 a.m.  At the intersection of 16th Street and 26th Avenue, Kidanny Rosa Rivera, 24, Genoa, was cited for driving under the influence, a stop sign violation and no proof of insurance.

Dec. 28

2:45 p.m.  At the intersection of 19th Street and 28th Avenue, Mario Valenzuela, 52, 2154 28th Ave., was cited for failure to yield right of way.

Dec. 29

2:26 a.m.  At the intersection of 38th Avenue and Howard Boulevard, Miguel Torres, 18, 2221 20th St., and Elijah Merrill, 18, 1816 Third St., No. 3, were each cited for minor in possession of alcohol.

2:30 a.m.  In the 1500 block of 38th Avenue, Joseph Beltran, 21, Belgrade, was cited for possession of marijuana and an open container of alcohol. Carley Cooper, 18, 1915 10th St., was cited for minor in possession of alcohol.

3:23 p.m.  At the intersection of 33rd Avenue and 23rd Street, traffic accident. Drivers were Tarah Werner, 27, 274 S. 11th St., No. 303, David City, Kayla Metteer, 25, 610 W. Pine St., Shelby, and Clyde Brown, 73, Rapid City, South Dakota.

5:07 p.m.  At 818 E. 23rd St., Pablo Gutierrez-Diaz, 19, Schuyler, and Oscar Campuzano-Martinez, 19, Schuyler, were each cited for shoplifting.

5:34 p.m.  At the intersection of 25th Avenue and Eighth Street, Jose Hernandez, 27, Dodge City, Kansas, was cited for a truck route violation.

10:44 p.m.  In the 3200 block of Eighth Street, Maria Juarez, 26, 2322 Fifth St., was cited for no operators license.

Dec. 30

11:05 p.m.  In the 1100 block of 25th Avenue, Emil Staroscik, 24, 1221 Eighth St., was cited for driving during revocation and driving too fast for conditions.

Dec. 31

4:56 a.m.  In the 1900 block of 23rd Street, Leonardo Aguilar-Lopez, 24, 329 E. 22nd St., No. 98, was cited for no valid registration.

Jan. 1

1:36 a.m.  In the 100 block of Lost Creek Parkway, Yony Pupo-Guevara, 33, 6074 56th St., No. 516, was cited for speeding, 90 mph in a 50 mph zone.

Jan. 2

3:47 p.m.  At the intersection of 23rd Street and 31st Avenue, traffic accident. Drivers were Brandon Wunderlich, 17, 608 Elm St., Humphrey, and Christine Korth, 51, 2558 Kummer Drive, Columbus.

Jan. 3

9:41 a.m.  Theft at 917 20th St., food, compact discs and earbuds were stolen, $50 loss.

Sheriff

Jan. 1

12:02 p.m.  On 55th Street, three miles northwest of Columbus, an unattended vehicle owned by Bridget Wemhoff, 121 S. Parkway, Columbus, slipped into gear and struck a parked vehicle owned by David Hahn, Schuyler.

Jan. 3

4:28 a.m.  Traffic violation at the intersection of Eighth Street and 33rd Avenue, Jessica Tapia of Schuyler was cited for a stop sign violation, operating an unlicensed vehicle and a child restraint violation.

11:10 p.m.  Traffic violation at the intersection of Highway 22 and 445th Avenue, Cristian Perez Galarza of Columbus jailed for driving under the influence and cited for an open container of alcohol, expired in-transit decals and speeding.

Fire

Jan. 3

8:38 a.m.  In the 100 block of South Road at Heritage House, medical.

8:42 a.m.  In the 3900 block of Adamy Street, medical.

9:52 a.m.  In the 3100 block of East 15th Avenue, medical.

10:38 a.m.  In the 3600 block of 30th Street, medical.

2 p.m.  In the 4000 block of 13th Street, medical.

5:25 p.m.  In the 1600 block of 41st Avenue, medical.

5:57 p.m.  In the 1200 block of 29th Avenue, medical.

9:03 p.m.  In the 2600 block of 43rd Avenue, medical.
COLUMBUS  Columbus residents will learn a lot more about the planned facility improvements for the police and fire departments over the coming weeks.

The city council voted this week to hire a construction manager at-risk for the project and Mayor Jim Bulkley says the goal is to approve ballot language for a bond issue in February.

Between now and then, he said, there are some details to work out before the plan is revealed.

That will all be coming together in the next couple of weeks, said Bulkley, who wouldnt say whether the focus is on separate facilities for the police and fire departments or a joint public safety building they would share.

Council members voted Tuesday night to hire B-D Construction as the projects construction manager at-risk.

The local company will be paid up to $39,360 for preconstruction services, which includes working with the design firm  Kansas City, Missouri-based Police Facility Design Group  to develop an estimated cost for the project.

B-D Construction, one of seven firms that submitted proposals for the work and four that were interviewed by a selection committee, would be paid 4 percent of the projects guaranteed maximum price for construction management services following a successful bond vote.

That guaranteed price is expected to be ready close to the May 15 primary election, when the bond issue will appear on local ballots.

Bulkley said hiring the construction manager at-risk was a major step for the project.

What we did tonight tells you it is moving forward, he said following Tuesdays meeting.

The city has been looking at long-term facility options for the police and fire departments for a few years as both downtown stations need significant improvements and lack the necessary space.

Omaha-based Prochaska & Associates was hired in June 2016 to complete a needs assessment for the departments and begin looking at potential plans, including the possibility of creating a joint public safety building that houses police and fire personnel and equipment.

That firm was replaced by Police Facility Design Group in October after city officials became dissatisfied with the lack of progress being made.

The Kansas City architectural firm works exclusively with public safety facility planning and design, including the Grand Island Law Enforcement Center, which houses the Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriffs Office and a drug court, and a fire station and police headquarters in Papillion.

That company will be paid a $29,450 lump sum for its preliminary work on the Columbus project, including finalizing the site selection for the building or buildings and developing a preliminary design, plus 8 percent of the estimated construction costs for any improvements that move forward.

A committee that includes city staff and community members was also formed to help review locations and plans for the project.

The downtown fire station is currently located inside the decades-old former city auditorium, which has deteriorated over the years, and the police department operates from a former bank building the city purchased more than 20 years ago.

Columbus residents voted in May 2016 to extend the local half-percent sales tax to finance the public safety improvements, but another vote is needed to issue bonds to pay for the work.

The city and Platte County are currently working on another plan to consolidate their 911 dispatch services.

In November, the two entities hired Columbus-based RVW Inc. to look at potential locations for a shared dispatch facility and provide estimated price tags for each option.

That could be a standalone facility or part of the citys public safety improvements.
Austria wants to place refugees in detention camps

Austrias right-wing Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache said refugees should be housed in military barracks and subject to a night curfew while theyre seeking asylum.

Austria is in the Preparation for a decision Phase on refugee issue.

Heinz-Christian Strache, from the Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), told Austrias ORF broadcaster on Thursday it should be discussed whether from a specific evening time onward, all [refugees] should have to be back in the barracks.

Strache, is pushing to house refugees in designated accommodation such as military barracks instead of in private flats, ORF reported.

At a press conference, Strache said any controls would not be implemented immediately, in response to a question about the plans. Order is needed, as long as there is an open asylum procedure. Strache said.

Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Straches idea is facing heavy criticism from politicians and civil society groups.
The sexual misconduct scandal continues to rock CBS News. The network has terminated one of its longtime employees, Steve Chaggaris after allegations of inappropriate behavior surfaced.

CBS Terminates Chaggaris

Chaggaris' former colleagues received an e-mail from the company on Jan. 3, stating that the organization cut ties with its political director.

"In the last two weeks, accounts of inappropriate behavior by Steve Chaggaris were brought to our attention and were immediately investigated. As a result, CBS News has severed ties with Chaggaris for violating company policy," said a CBS spokesperson.

CBS News did not reveal how many colleagues were affected by Chaggaris' behavior. The news organization also added that they have named neither an interim political director nor a successor.

Chaggaris' CBS History

Before CBS Television Network fired Chaggaris, the former political director worked for the news organization in 1999. Chaggaris worked in numerous positions for the news outlet. He helped cover countless news stories, which included covering former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's 2004 Presidential Campaign. He briefly left the network in 2010 before returning to CBS in 2012.

When he rejoined the network, Chaggaris became the news organization's senior political editor. Chaggaris oversaw the Obama Administration's second term in office and the highly contested 2016 Presidential Campaign between Donald Trump and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In March 2017, CBS promoted him to its political director. Chaggaris spent several months leading the CBS News team as they covered the first months of the Trump Administration.

Chaggaris Joins A Club

The former CBS News political director has joined a club of high-profile media professionals who were hit with sexual misconduct allegations. Chaggaris' former CBS colleague and CBS This Morning co-anchor Charlie Rose was terminated by the network after reports surfaced that numerous women accused the veteran journalist with multiple accounts of sexual misconduct.

Weeks after Rose's termination from CBS, former Today co-anchor Matt Lauer found himself out of the job after 20 years waking up America. An unknown NBC employee stepped forward and revealed that she was the subject of Lauer's sexual misconduct.

NBC terminated Lauer and it leads to several more women stepping forward with allegations. On Jan. 2, NBC announced that veteran journalist Hoda Kotb would replace Lauer as the show's anchor desk.

The Public Broadcasting Service also cut ties with journalist Tavis Smiley after reports of sexual misconduct were released. On Dec. 14, Smiley announced that he would fight the allegations. PBS has not named a successor to Smiley's program.
Kourtney Kardashian and Younes Bendjima recently celebrated the holidays together at Kris Jenner's annual Christmas Eve bash.

However, when the 38-year-old Keeping Up With the Kardashians star boarded a private jet with her three kids days later, the 24-year-old model was not in tow.

According to a new report, Kardashian and her children, 8-year-old Mason, 5-year-old Penelope, and 3-year-old Reign, were spotted boarding a private plane at the Van Nuys Airport on Wednesday, Jan. 3.

On Jan. 4, the Daily Mail shared photos of the family outing, revealing that Kardashian was outfitted in an all-black ensemble as she carried a cheetah-print jacket at her side. The outlet also mentioned that Kardashian and her daughter, Penelope, were seen enjoying a stroll with her boyfriend, Bendjima, on New Year's Day.

Kardashian and Bendjima began spending time with one another last September after being introduced to one another during a visit to Paris. Then, this past summer, the couple confirmed their relationship public with a PDA-filled outing in Cannes with their friends.

Around the time that Kardashian and Bendjima publicly confirmed their romance, Kardashian's former boyfriend, Scott Disick, the father of her three kids, stepped out with new girlfriend Sofia Richie.

While Kardashian and Bendjima have been spending more time with one another in recent months, they have yet to reveal any plans to take the next step in their relationship. That said, the rumor mill has been swirling and recently claimed the couple was planning to secretly wed.

Kourt just doesnt want the fanfare of a traditional Kardashian wedding, a source told Radar Online earlier this week. She wants to marry Younes but would prefer to be just her, him, and a celebrant on the beach, with no cameras around.

Shes already floated the idea of doing it at her friends beach pad in Punta Mita, Mexico," the insider continued. "Younes loves the idea  hes still not used to the Kardashian circus and quite frankly, Kourtneys crazy loud mom and sisters freak him out!

To see more of Kourtney Kardashian and her family, including her sisters Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, and her kids, Mason, Penelope, and Reign, don't miss new episodes of Keeping Up With the Kardashians Season 14 on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on the E! Network.
Actor Paul Sorvino doesn't play when it comes to his daughter! The actor made deliberate threats on Wednesday, Jan. 3 during an interview, when he was asked about disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein and his part in Sorvino's daughter, Mira's, career.

A Daughter's Love

Actress Mira Sorvino was allegedly blacklisted in Hollywood but was never given a reason why. The actress claimed back in 1995 that she had an uncomfortable experience with Weinstein in a hotel room. Weinstein allegedly rubbed the actress' shoulders, back, and neck before trying to get more physical with her, which led to Weinstein chasing Sorvino around the room.

Because of this incident, Weinstein made it very difficult for Sorvino to find work. Director Peter Jackson confirmed this in an interview with the New Zealand publication Stuff where he recounted that Weinstein made him blacklist several actresses, including Sorvino and Ashley Judd. Weinstein has denied this claim along with any allegations of sexual misconduct that has been faced with since September 2017.

Sorvino's father spoke out about his disgust for Weinstein and that if the system doesn't put him in jail, he'll put the Hollywood mogul "in a wheelchair."

"My daughter's ... a courageous and a wonderful human being, and doesn't deserve to have been treated that way by this pig," the Goodfellas actor stated.

Sorvino expressed her gratitude and love for her father on her Twitter page.

My love for my father has only continued to grow since this moment. All the love in my heart! He is the most loving father, the most brilliant actor, the most beautiful operatic tenor, the most talented visual artist- the wisest and most human advice giver, & best Grandpa ever!! https://t.co/H1u1IYj6f8  Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) January 3, 2018

Hollywood Continues To Fight

While Weinstein and several other's careers are going down the toilet, Hollywood continues to make strides in picking up the pieces and moving forward. Several big named celebrities came together with other professionals in Hollywood to create the "Time's Up" movement. The campaign will start to enforce better pay, benefits, and opportunities for the female workers.

Weinstein could be facing two criminal charges from the Los Angeloe District Attorney as a special task force is currently looking into the allegations against him. Weinstein may also face charges in New York and London.
Scheana Marie is stripping herself of 2017 and not looking back.

Following a divorce and a breakup last year, the Vanderpump Rules star is looking forward to starting 2018 off right as she relocates from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, where she is now starring in Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man.

"2018 is gonna be a great year, I can feel it! Going into it completely stripped of last year with a new outlook on what I want in life," Scheana Marie wrote to her fans and followers on Instagram on Jan. 3.

In her Instagram photo, Scheana Marie was seen sitting on the ground with no clothing as her legs were positioned to cover her private areas. In the days prior to the post being shared, Scheana Marie shared several images from the same photo shoot, some of which received backlash due to the racy nature of the images.

Throughout 2017, Scheana Marie experienced highs and lows. As Vanderpump Rules fans will recall, the longtime reality star started off the year newly single and spending time with Robert Parks-Valletta after calling it quits with Mike Shay after two years of marriage. Then, months into her romance with Parks-Valletta, Scheana Marie began discussing a second marriage to the actor before her divorce was finalized.

Although Scheana Marie appeared to be completely convinced that she and Parks-Valletta would tie the knot as soon as her divorce from Shay was finalized, the actor confirmed their relationship was over in October of last year. As fans will recall, Parks-Valletta did so after being asked about split rumors in the comments section of a photo on Instagram.

While Scheana Marie and Parks-Valletta have been broken up for the past few months, the Vanderpump Rules star is staying positive about a future reunion between the two of them.

We have every intention of getting married one day and having a family, but we just dont know when that day will be, Scheana Marie explained to Page Six last month. Im like, thats going to be one hell of a story to tell the grandkids, grandma and grandpa couldnt get it together for 13 years, but now theyve been married for 50.

To see more of Scheana Marie and her costars, including Jax Taylor, Stassi Schroeder, Lisa Vanderpump, Tom Schwartz, Katie Maloney, Tom Sandoval, Kristen Doute, Ariana Madix, Lala Kent, and James Kennedy, tune into Vanderpump Rules season 6 on Monday nights at 9 p.m. on Bravo TV.
It appears that the sexual harassment epidemic is still catching up with certain people. Since September 2017, several actors were outed for their inappropriate and unforgivable sexual crimes that were hidden for years.

One of the actors that was swept up in the scandal was Gossip Girl alum Ed Westwick. Westwick was publicly accused by three women of rape. The accusations caused the actor's latest project, Ordeal by Innocence, to pull back on its expected release. Now, it seems the show will go on without Westwick.

Westick's Ordeal

In November 2017, actress Kristina Cohen shared on her Facebook account that Westwick raped her in 2014 at his house. The actress alleged that she went to lay down in Westwick's guest room when she awoke to Westwick on top of her. Cohen's accusations were followed by actress, Aurelie Wynn, and creative producer, Rachel Eck. Both Wynn and Eck claimed that Westwick raped them on separate occasions in July 2014.

Westwick denied all the allegations against him.

"It is disheartening and sad to me that as a result of two unverified and provably untrue social media claims, there are some in this environment who could ever conclude I have had anything to do with such vile and horrific conduct," he said in a statement.

Westwick was set to star in the Agatha Christie drama and had already completed all of his scenes.

The BBC program wasn't expected to premiere after Westwick was implicated of these sexual crimes. However, the show has announced that Westwick will be replaced by actor Christian Cooke. Cooke will reshoot all of Westwick's scenes, which is expected to take place later this month.

Westwick isn't the only actor who lost a role because of his past sins. Actor Kevin Spacey was fired from the original Netflix show, House of Cards, and was also replaced in the film, All the Money in the World, by actor Christopher Plummer. Spacey was accused of sexually harassing and groping dozens of men since the 1980's. That 70's Show star, Danny Masterson, was also fired from the Netflix show, The Ranch, after he was accused of raping five women.

The Romeo + Juliet actor is also being investigated by the LAPD.
COLUMBUS  The Omaha Symphony is coming to Columbus for a public concert and educational clinic.

During the afternoon of Feb. 8, the symphony will conduct a program for local third- and fourth-graders. Following the clinic, a concert will be performed at 7 p.m. at Columbus High School.

Joanie Mathis, vice president of education and community engagement for the symphony, said the clinic will show students a different perspective on the arts.

This program is just all about different types of art forms and different types of creativity and how that can impact how you see the world around you, Mathis said. We write the program so that students can see just how every form of art interacts with everything around us all.

The symphony has provided educational opportunities through its Concerts for Youth program for 51 years, according to Mathis.

The group will also work with Columbus High band members later in the day.

CHS band director Jeff Peabody said the opportunity to learn from the symphony will be a welcome treat.

Theyre going to be far less formal with the kids than they normally are in concerts, Peabody said. The mini performance will also be geared more toward the students' interests, but later on the symphony will be working with the high school kids. Thats definitely going to help them get a different perspective on where they can go with music.

Union Pacific Railroad is a major sponsor of the event through an outreach program the symphony conducts.

Barb Gay, president of Columbus Friends of Music, said the outreach program is what led the symphony to Columbus.

The program is called All Aboard Community and it alludes back to Union Pacific, Gay said. Its an outreach community program that caters to Union Pacific towns. Since the UP main lines run through Columbus, this makes us a candidate for a concert.

Gay said ticket prices for the public performance are more affordable than the symphony's typical shows.

That and you dont have to travel and you can eat locally. This is really an absolutely fabulous opportunity for the community," she said.

Ticket prices are $20 for Friends of Music members, $25 for nonmembers and $10 for students. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased at www.columbusfriendsofmusic.com, Columbus Music, Columbus Art Gallery, First Nebraska Bank and Kay's Place for Massage Therapy or by contacting Dianne Keiter at 402-270-2255.
A University Grants Commission (UGC) panel, formed to probe into alleged irregularities in central universities, in October 2017 suggested that Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and Banaras Hindu University (BHU) should drop the words Muslim and Hindu from their names. In their eyes, these religious markers are incompatible with the secular character of these institutions. Changing names was not a part of the panels mandate: their mission was to investigate the finances, infrastructures, and academic conditions of 10 central universities. BHU was not even a part of this list. Yet, changing AMUs and BHUs names appeared important enough for the panel to include this recommendation in their report. As if there was a direct connection between the universities denominational character and their infrastructural, financial or academic problems. As if changing their names would help address these issues and make the two institutions more secular.

Nothing New about the Suggestion
US Africa Command has warned against the possibility of terrorist attacks by ISIS militants against Libyas so-called Oil Crescent. The area is located 500 km east of the capital Tripoli and is home to the countrys largest oil reserves and export terminals. Libyan oil reserves are the largest in Africa and among the ten largest worldwide with 46.4 billion barrels as of 2010. AFRICOM spokesperson Robyn Mack commented that at the moment, we believe that the organization (ISIS-Libya) is likely to give priority to the restructuring of security forces and infrastructure, and to launch strikes, which may include targets in the Libyan oil crescent.

Since 2017, the oil-rich area has been under the control of the Libyan National Army, which is cooperating with the National Oil Corporation to protect the strategic Oil Crescent from militant groups. According to Ms. Mack, ISIS-Libya would keep the current strategy with focus on rebuilding operational capabilities and exploiting areas under Libyan control to destabilize the country and erode political efforts. The United States stands by its Libyan counterparts and supports their efforts to combat terrorist threats and defeat ISIS there, she emphasized. The ongoing instability offers jihadist groups an opportunity to operate in a country where thousands of migrants and refugees are stranded in harsh conditions.

ISIS does not hold any territory in Libya anymore but its fighters remain active across the country. These groupings are linked to pro-Al-Qaeda cells with further ties to broader networks throughout North Africa and the Sahel. The Libyan economy has collapsed as a result of protracted security issues and Libyans are suffering from persistent energy, food and water shortages. Meanwhile, corruption and cross-border crime including smuggling networks are thriving in the country.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements include all statements other than statements of historical fact, including plans, strategies and expectations for the future, statements regarding the expected timing of filings and approvals relating to the transaction, the expected timing of the completion of the transaction, the ability to complete the transaction or to satisfy the various closing conditions, future revenues and profitability from or growth or any assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Statements made in the future tense, and words such as "anticipate," "expect," "project," "continue," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "pro forma," "intend," "potential," "target," "forecast," "guidance," "outlook," "seek," "assume," "will," "may," "should," and similar expressions are intended to qualify as forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by management of Takeda and TiGenix that are believed to be reasonable, though they are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict. Investors and security holders are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or experience to differ materially from that expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Some of these risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: required regulatory approvals for the transaction may not be obtained in a timely manner, if at all; the conditions to closing of the transaction may not be satisfied; competitive pressures and developments; applicable laws and regulations; the success or failure of product development programs; actions of regulatory authorities and the timing thereof; changes in exchange rates; and claims or concerns regarding the safety or efficacy of marketed products or product candidates in development.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, and neither TiGenix nor Takeda undertakes any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or circumstances after the date of the forward-looking statement. If one or more of these statements is updated or corrected, investors and others should not conclude that additional updates or corrections will be made.

About TiGenix

TiGenix NV is an advanced biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for serious medical conditions by exploiting the anti-inflammatory properties of allogeneic, or donor-derived, stem cells.

TiGenix's lead product, Cx601, has successfully completed a European Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of complex perianal fistulas - a severe, debilitating complication of Crohn's disease. Cx601 has been filed for regulatory approval in Europe and a global Phase III trial intended to support a future U.S. Biologic License Application (BLA) started in 2017. TiGenix has entered into a licensing agreement with Takeda, a global pharmaceutical company active in gastroenterology, under which Takeda acquired the exclusive right to develop and commercialize Cx601 for complex perianal fistulas outside the U.S. TiGenix's second adipose-derived product, Cx611, is undergoing a Phase I/II trial in severe sepsis - a major cause of mortality in the developed world. Finally, AlloCSC-01, targeting acute ischemic heart disease, has demonstrated positive results in a Phase I/II trial in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). TiGenix is headquartered in Leuven (Belgium) and has operations in Madrid (Spain) and Cambridge, MA (USA). For more information, please visit http://www.tigenix.com.

About Cx601

Cx601 is an investigational administration of allogeneic (or donor derived) expanded adipose-derived stem cells (eASCs) for the treatment of complex perianal fistulas in adult patients with non-active/mildly active luminal Crohn's disease that have previously shown an inadequate response to at least one conventional therapy or biologic therapy. Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestine and complex perianal fistulas are a severe and debilitating complication.

Cx601 was granted orphan drug designation by the European Commission in 2009 and by the FDA in 2017. TiGenix completed a European Phase III clinical trial (ADMIRE-CD) in August 2015 in which the primary endpoint was met, with a significantly greater proportion of patients treated with Cx601 (50%, n=107) versus control (34%, n=105) achieving combined remission as defined by clinical assessment of closure of all treated external openings that were draining at baseline and absence of collections > 2 cm of the treated perianal fistulas confirmed by masked central MRI at week 24 (97.5% CI 0.2-30.3; p=0.024).[1] The most commonly reported treatment emergent adverse events were proctalgia, anal abscess and nasopharyngitis. A follow-up analysis was completed showing that the efficacy and safety profile of Cx601 were maintained at 52 weeks.[4] The 24-week results of the Phase III ADMIRE-CD trial were published in The Lancet in July 2016.[1] Based on the positive 24 weeks Phase III study results, TiGenix submitted a Marketing Authorization Application to the EMA, with the CHMP adopting a positive opinion recommending the granting of a marketing authorization.

A global Phase III clinical trial (ADMIRE-CD II) intended to support a future U.S. Biologic License Application (BLA) started in 2017, based on a trial protocol that has been agreed with the U.S. FDA through a special protocol assessment procedure (SPA) (clinicaltrials.gov; NCT03279081). ADMIRE-CD II is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to confirm the efficacy and safety of a single administration of Cx601 for the treatment of complex perianal fistulas in Crohn's disease patients. In July 2016, TiGenix entered into a licensing agreement with Takeda, a global pharmaceutical company active in gastroenterology, under which Takeda acquired exclusive rights to develop and commercialize Cx601 for complex perianal fistulas in Crohn's patients outside of the U.S.

Disclaimer

This communication does not constitute an offer to purchase securities of TiGenix nor a solicitation by anyone in any jurisdiction in respect of such securities, any vote or approval. If Takeda decides to proceed with an offer to purchase TiGenix's securities through a public tender offer, such offer will and can only be made on the basis of an approved offer document by the FSMA and tender offer documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which holders of TiGenix's securities should read as they will contain important information. This communication is not a substitute for such offer documents. Neither this communication nor any other information in respect of the matters contained herein may be supplied in any jurisdiction where a registration, qualification or any other obligation is in force or would be with regard to the content hereof or thereof. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the financial laws and regulations in such jurisdictions. Takeda, TiGenix and their respective affiliates explicitly decline any liability for breach of these restrictions by any person.

Important Additional Information for U.S. investors

The voluntary takeover bid described herein has not yet commenced. This communication is for informational purposes only and is neither a recommendation, an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities of TiGenix.

At the time the voluntary public takeover bid is commenced, shareholders of TiGenix are urged to read the offer documents which will be available at http://www.sec.gov . At the time the voluntary public takeover bid is commenced, it shall be comprised of two separate offers - (i) an offer for all securities with voting rights or giving access to voting rights, issued by TiGenix (except for ADSs) (the "Securities"), in accordance with the applicable law in Belgium, and (ii) an offer to holders of TiGenix's American Depositary Shares issued by Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas acting as depositary ("ADSs"), and to holders of Securities who are resident in the U.S. in accordance with applicable U.S. law (the "U.S. Offer").

The U.S. Offer will only be made pursuant to an offer to purchase and related materials. At the time the U.S. Offer is commenced, Takeda will file, or cause to be filed, a tender offer statement on Schedule TO with the SEC and thereafter, TiGenix will file a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9, in each case with respect to the U.S. Offer.

(CONTINUA)
Hello everyone,



I am in quite the predicament because I was studying in the UK for a year, just came back to the U.S. (with return flight booked for March), and my fiance and I decided to get married in the U.S. when he comes here to visit. I was planning on then applying for a UK spousal visa to return to the UK.



Unfortunately, my return flight is booked with Aer Lingus and connects through Dublin - something I had not considered originally because we were not going to get married so suddenly at the time of the booking.



From what I've read, since there are no immigration officers to represent UK authority, my spousal visa cannot be stamped and I will be unable to pick up my BRP - is that correct?



If so, am I allowed to complete my flight from the U.S. to UK (connecting via Ireland) and simply go for a weekend trip to a nearby country (obviously not Ireland) and re-enter the UK to get it stamped? Is that legal? Am I legally allowed to be in England for that week before going out of country?



I would prefer to do it that way because a flight from England to a nearby country is obviously significantly cheaper than buying a new flight from the U.S. to the U.K. at the moment (I can't afford spending another 1.2k).



I would appreciate any advice.



Thank you
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About a decade ago, complaints escalated at USAA from customers who believed they were being taken advantage by auto dealers.

USAAs top brass pondered whether the San Antonio insurance and financial services giant should build its own dealership network or partner with a company that could help its members.

USAA chose to enter into an operational contract with whats now known as TrueCar Inc., a Santa Monica, California company that provides pricing data on new and used cars and connects users to its dealer network. It was an unusual partnership that the company said has paid dividends  both for USAA and its customers. It was also the beginning of something new at USAA, which created a separate division to make direct investments in companies. Many of them offer services or technology that benefit USAAs 12.3 million customers across the globe.

Since that partnership started in 2007, USAA estimates its members have bought almost 1.5 million vehicles and saved more than $3 billion through TrueCar. USAA accounts for about 30 percent of TrueCars business. USAA serves current and former members of the military and their families.

Our primary purpose is to make our members lives better, Nathan McKinley, a USAA vice president, said in explaining why it teamed with TrueCar.

The two companies later forged deeper ties when USAA invested in TrueCar to give USAA a larger seat at the TrueCar table and help them shape the products and services they offer, said McKinley, 44.

USAA was TrueCars largest shareholder until May when it sold about 3.1 million shares for $16.50 each, or a total of $51.7 million. USAA, which isnt publicly traded, wouldnt say how much its initially invested in TrueCar. But it still owns about 8.5 million shares worth $99 million.

While the financial return to USAA is important, the member savings is more important to us, McKinley said. Our success in that investment showed that we can find new ways to serve members and get a good return on our investments, so we started looking for more opportunities.

Early successes with TrueCar led USAA to launch a separate division called Corporate Development in 2009. It oversees USAAs investments in fledgling companies.

Since the TrueCar investment, USAA has invested in more than 25 companies, said McKinley, who heads Corporate Development. USAA has a $330 million investment fund thats poured about $210 million into those companies since 2009. It has received about $180 million of its original capital back  including almost $100 million in 2017, he added.

We have nearly $300 million of investment capacity, but the key for us is finding good investments in companies that might also provide a product or service were interested in for ourselves or our members, McKinley said.

More corporations are starting their own venture capital funds, Forbes reported last year. Major companies with venture arms include Google, General Electric, Microsoft and Intel.

Corporate venture capital units invested in 798 deals totaling $13.3 billion globally in the first half of last year. By comparison, there were 365 deals totaling $3.9 billion in the first half of 2012, CB Insights reported.

The recent growth in CVC can be attributed to the desire for companies to keep their R&D (research and development) competitive and the demand of startups for strategic investment, Rita Waite, investment manager with Juniper Networks, said in an email. She added it gives a company visibility into market innovation, providing early signal to influence long-term development strategies.

USAA has some international investments but most are in the U.S. The company targets four investment categories:

Financial technology, or fintech, which covers lending, investing and payments.

Insurance technology, or insuretech, which includes technologies enabling connected cars and homes, as well as wearable technology.

Security, data and artificial intelligence, which includes fraud prevention, risk detection and identity management.

Enterprise infrastructure, which includes communication technologies and operational capabilities.

On occasion, someone will come in and say, Im starting this brewery. Id really like to see if USAA would like to invest in it. Im a member, McKinley said. That might be a really great opportunity, but for us, if its not within those quadrants, its an easy, hey, were going to pass.

Some of USAAs current investments include: ID.me, which helps USAA establish membership eligibility through ID.mes military verification database; Snapsheet, which allows USAA to settle insurance claims faster by using photos and information provided by its members via their mobile devices; RepairPal, which provides USAA members with advice about vehicle repair facilities vetted by RepairPal; and Coinbase, the most popular digital currency exchange. USAA members can see their Coinbase holdings using the USAA app or on usaa.com.

USAA doesnt disclose the amount of each of its corporate investments, but they average from $1 million to $10 million, and rise to as much as $20 million for a minority position in a company. The investments include equity and debt that can be converted to stock.

McKinley said they look at hundreds and hundreds of companies every year.

USAA also has invested in five outside venture capital funds, allowing it to expand the landscape of companies it invests in. One of the funds is run by San Antonios Fraser McCombs Capital, which invests in automotive-technology businesses. The firm was founded by billionaire B.J. Red McCombs and Chase Fraser in 2012.

Fraser McCombs has about $150 million under management between two funds, said managing partner Tony Rimas.

The bigger CVCs (corporate venture capital firms) that have more than $300 million to put to work, a lot of them are not smart with it, Rimas said. In other words, some of them are actually putting money into things that are defensive and are not innovative.

USAA is always looking to innovate and disrupt themselves, he added.

About half of all of USAA investments have some form of operational agreement with the companies, though McKinley said he wants to boost that because the returns on investment generally are better.

USAA has provided some early stage companies seed capital, but it typically invests in Series A through C funding rounds, where the companies have a demonstrated track record.

The company invested with TrueCar in various financing rounds, including in 2012 when the car-buying service had what CFO Mark Guthrie said was a near death experience. Some dealer groups almost revolted against TrueCars business model, he said, leading to shrinking revenue and mounting losses.

There was a moment in early 12 when I joined the company where we really needed our investors  to put some capital in to bridge us to better days, Guthrie said. USAA was there with capital.

They stepped up (at a time when) the future of the company was questionable, he added. But they had members who were reliant on the car-buying program. They felt like it was important and members were getting a lot of benefit out of it. So USAA was great in a pinch.

There have been some bumps along the way for USAAs Corporate Development. It had a period of turnover in its top ranks. Ron DiGiacomo, an attorney, who led the TrueCar investment, departed in early 2012. His successor, Vic Pascucci, also a lawyer, and some of his recruits grew the portfolio but didnt stick around long.

Its a small unit, McKinley said. But when you have three of four executives over a relatively short window leave a unit, its going to leave a little bit of a hole.

McKinley took over as head of Corporate Development in 2015 after building USAAs military affiliation operations, which provides branded products and services to military organizations. It had 55 such relationships when he switched jobs.

McKinley oversees a staff of about 16, though about half are involved in bringing USAAs intellectual property inventions to market.

I enjoy investing from a personal perspective, McKinley said. So for me, I get the opportunity to marry up with what I loved doing nights and weekends with my day job.

Patrick Danner is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | pdanner@express-news.net | @AlamoPD
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Crediting intense multi-agency work in some of the citys most violent neighborhoods, Police Chief William McManus applauded a 15 percent reduction in homicides last year over 2016, but cautioned Thursday against complacency and simple answers.

The preliminary total for the year was 125, down from the sharp spike of 149 homicides in 2016 that alarmed city leaders and residents. Still, 125 was the second highest year-end homicide count since 1995.

McManus specifically thanked the Violent Crimes Task Force, which he unveiled last year, for its work in decimating an unnamed East Side gang that he said was responsible for much of that areas violent crime.

A San Antonio Express-News analysis of crime data from January to November of last year showed at least 23 homicides occurred in City Council District 2 on the East Side, followed closely by District 3 on the Southeast Side and District 5 on the West Side.

We targeted specific gang members and gutted them, said McManus, flanked by Mayor Ron Nirenberg, City Manager Sheryl Sculley and other public officials at a news conference.

McManus said preliminary figures provided by SAPD to the FBI for its annual Uniform Crime Reporting study showed a 58 percent decrease in gang-related murders from 2017 to 2016, and a 46 percent decrease in drug-related homicides.

The 2017 homicide total includes one notably unusual occurrence  10 victims who were found in July inside a sweltering trailer in a Walmart parking lot on the South Side. All were immigrants who were being illegally smuggled into the U.S.

Texas A&M University-San Antonio criminologist Durant Frantzen said the SAPDs anti-gang efforts indeed may be credited for some reduction in last years homicides, but that he would have to analyze each one before making a judgment.

The homicide rate in 2016 was so high, such an anomaly  149 compared to 94 in 2015  that you just have to look at all the factors, from domestic violence to child abuse, to see what contributed, Frantzen said.

A majority of homicide victims were Hispanic and African-American men, but the total also included nine children, five or whom were under age 10.

There was a dramatic increase in the number of women slain last year  at least 34 compared with 23 in 2016. Some were victims of domestic violence, usually at the hands of a husband or boyfriend who then killed himself.

Patricia Castillo, director of the PEACE Initiative in San Antonio, a nonprofit that aims to stop family violence, said the rising numbers in San Antonio did not seem out of place in a city whose per capita domestic violence historically has ranked among the worst in the U.S.

In Bexar County, the number of women killed by intimate partners has more than doubled in recent years.

But what is so shocking to me is that these women did everything we tell them to do  they got a protective order, they pressed charges, they got a divorce  and they still got murdered. Thats a miserable failure on our part, Castillo said.

In Texas, 40 percent of women who are killed in domestic violence have left the abusive relationship, 77 percent of the killings occur in the home and 66 percent are committed with firearms, she said.

bselcraig@express-news.net
AUSTIN  Two former top officials are suing the Texas Health and Human Services Commission for wrongful termination, alleging that they were fired in October after reporting suspected legal violations by the state agency, according to a lawsuit filed in state District Court in Travis County last month.

Dimitria Pope, former director of the Medical Transportation Program, and Shannon Pickett, a former associate director for the program and wife of a state representative, allege they were terminated without reason weeks after reporting concerns to the HHSC inspector generals office and the attorney general.

The suit doesnt describe why Pope and Pickett reported the agency. Their attorney, Manuel Quinto-Pozos, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He told KXAN-TV that his clients concerns related to transportation services for minors provided by agency contractors.

The Medical Transportation Program arranges rides for Medicaid patients who dont otherwise have a way to get to the doctor or other medical appointments, according to the HHSC website.

HHSC spokeswoman Carrie Williams said the agency will comment when appropriate.

Termination letters hand-delivered to the women Oct. 4 say the decision to dismiss them was based on lawful business reasons, but the one-page letters, provided by HHSC, didnt go into detail.

Pope and Pickett are seeking to be reinstated at the agency and are asking for monetary damages ranging between $200,000 and $1,000,000, according to the suit.

Pickett spent almost eight years at HHSC, the last four as an associate director, according to the suit. In that role, she made $120,642, according to the Texas Tribune salary search. She is married to state Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, who chairs the House Environmental Regulation Committee.

I am proud of my wife and Dimitria for standing up to the cover-up and corruption at HHSC, he said, adding, I was actually probably more surprised than she was at being let go.

Pope worked at HHSC for eight years and spent the past five as the transportation programs director, a job for which she was paid $139,100, according to the Texas Tribune database. Before she was hired at HHSC, Pope had a controversial run as acting director at the Texas Youth Commission, where she resigned under pressure in 2008.
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WASHINGTON  An $81 billion disaster-relief package for victims of Hurricane Harvey and other natural disasters likely will not get final approval in Congress until a Jan. 19 deadline for lawmakers to continue funding for the federal government.

That assessment was delivered by Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, who met with President Donald Trump on Thursday to discuss the 2018 budget along with other top congressional leaders.

The House passed the aid package on Dec. 21, but the Senate, breaking for the holidays, did not take up the measure.

Although the storm relief cleared the House as a separate bill, it is now likely to become part of the final negotiations for an all-inclusive 2018 spending bill, tying its fate to a host of battles over budget caps, defense spending, a childrens health insurance program and the fate of immigrants brought into the country illegally as children, known as Dreamers.

There will be some changes, but it will likely be wrapped up in that Jan. 19 negotiation, Cornyn said. I expect them to be handled essentially all in one big fell swoop.

Cornyn said he has been in close contact with Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been pushing Congress to direct more money to Houston and the rest of the Gulf region affected by Hurricane Harvey. The House-passed bill includes aid for storm victims in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as for help for recovery from last years California wildfires.

Cornyn said he does not expect to see more funding devoted to Texas in the current aid proposal, even if Congress passes it as part of a deal to avert a government shutdown.

Were not really talking about changing the top line, he said. But that may change as people want more money for Puerto Rico.

Aides to Abbott, who has been unhappy with the pace and amount of federal assistance, said the governor is continuing to press for the approval of additional funding. In the meantime, they said, Texas is fronting millions of dollars to ensure that recovery efforts continue.

Under an earlier agreement with the Trump administration, Texas is being reimbursed for 90 percent of the money it spends on recovery efforts.

Abbott and other state leaders have pressed for fast approval of federal funding for Texas recovery, insisting that the state actually was hit by three storm events  Harveys first landfall, a second landfall and then catastrophic flooding  that devastated two-thirds of its Gulf Coast and many adjacent areas including Houston.

Ward reported from the Austin Bureau.
COLUMBUS  Two roads diverged in a yellow wood for the Rev. Cindi Stewart while she attended Doane College.

Stewart double-majored in English and philosophy/religion and realized in the middle of her collegiate career that she could not follow both paths.

So she looked down one road as far as she could and saw God calling her to the ministry.

The initial goal the senior pastor at First United Methodist Church had in mind was to become a secondary English teacher. Even though she traded her teachers apple for clerical robes, she never lost her love for Shakespeare and Robert Frost.

When I got the call in the middle of college to become a pastor, it really challenged my sense of what I thought my life would be like, Stewart said. But I always like to say, God doesnt call the qualified, He qualifies the called. He prepares the path.

After graduation, the Syracuse native served as a youth director for churches in Colorado, Kansas and eventually back in Nebraska at Westridge United Methodist in Norfolk. She then attended Sioux Falls Seminary, where she was ordained in 2006.

It was in 2014 when she answered the call to become pastor of First United Methodist Church in Columbus.

The two primary influences for my faith were my Grandma Susan and the faith of my church, Stewart said. I grew up in UMC in Syracuse. They raised me and influenced my faith.

This influence inspired Stewart to center the attention of her congregation on a special lesson  compassion.

The Holy Spirit has given us all spiritual gifts, Stewart said. We can use them to build the kingdom. I always encourage people to use their gifts to serve God.

These gifts will come in handy as Stewart has another lesson in mind.

This year the focus will be 'today,'" Stewart said. What can we do today to know God and serve others? We will start taking each day at a time and not focus too far ahead.

When she is not on duty, Stewart enjoys spending time with her family. Husband Klint and daughters Isabelle, 19, and Emma, 15, keep her busy at home along with the occasional crochet craft.

The past four years have met the Stewart family with kindness.

Its a tremendous blessing to be here, Stewart said. This church is a very, very generous church and Im so blessed to be a part of it. We engage in outreach and missions, I think its so fun to be a part of it.

The community is also a blessing.

Its a community thats forward-thinking, Stewart said. Its a city of progress that embraces the future. In the time Ive been here, 38th Street has exploded. It is so exciting to see it build and grow and that the people continue to work together to take care of each other.
After several days of dealing with actual winter, we have now safely returned to Texas winter. Which is where you can wear shorts in the afternoon and people in the northeast hate you.

A peek at the long-term forecast shows no return of freezing temperatures on the horizon. That, of course, is meaningless. The long-term forecast, while determined using highly-scientific algorithms and modeling, is as dependable as broken Ouija board. It involves slightly fewer fake dead people and is only slightly less scary.

Remember Christmas? Big holiday, just happened, fat guy with a beard brought presents? The high temperature for Christmas Day swung 20 degrees  twice  in the week leading up to it.

There was a chance of snow, which got a lot of people super excited, but then there was a chance we would need our air conditioners, which got a lot of people super mad.

And in the end it was kinda nice and chilly. And while we could have complained, nobody wanted to start on Santa's naughty list for next year right out of the gate. Plus, we got snow at some point. Real snow. That really just says, "Shut up and be thankful."

But for now, winter has relinquished its grip on the San Antonio area and we can once again bask in what most of the rest of the country considers spring.

You're looking at partly cloudy skies with a high in the lower 60s again on Saturday with some additional clouds and additional degrees on Sunday. Highs might creep up on 70 degrees with an isolated chance of showers.

It's a perfect opportunity to get out and take down your Christmas lights if you haven't managed to do that yet. And if you haven't done it by the end of the weekend you're going to need to come up with a different excuse because the easy religious one  epiphany  is over.

You could always look earnestly at those who ask you when you're going to take down your lights and say, "I think I'm going to leave them up all the time. Use them as a message to myself that the thought of peace on earth and goodwill toward men shouldn't be confined to a month of the calendar year after Thanksgiving, but be an eternal hope that lives within each of us. Those types of lights can't be extinguished and I hope that they never are."

Look, your neighbors aren't going to buy it, but at least you can make an impassioned speech. And isn't that what January is all about?

Chris Lykins writes the almost-daily weather updates for the Express News Facebook page. You can follow it here.
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Hope Andrade has decided to step down as the chair of the VIA Metropolitan Transit board of trustees.

Andrade, 68, the former Texas secretary of state who was in the middle of her second two-year term heading the 11-member VIA board, cited personal reasons for her decision to leave the board. She initially planned to step down at the end of 2017, but was persuaded by Mayor Ron Nirenberg to stay on for a short period, to buy Nirenberg and County Judge Nelson Wolff time to consider possible successors.

The VIA board elects its chair, but that selection generally follows a recommendation from the mayor and county judge.

I have notified the mayor and the judge about my needing to step down, but Im also understanding that it has to be at the right time, Andrade said. The mayor has asked me to stay until a leadership transition plan can be implemented.

Nirenberg said he and Wolff have a successor in mind, but want to let the process play itself out before making any announcements. Nirenberg said he wants someone who can help VIA move to a grand vision of what public transportation means to San Antonios future.

Andrade took over leadership of the board at a trying time for VIA, less than six months after Wolff and then-Mayor Ivy Taylor  in the face of mounting local opposition  pulled the plug on the transit agencys five-years-in-the-works $210 million downtown streetcar project.

That project had been tainted in 2013 by the appearance of a conflict of interest with then-VIA board Chairman Henry Munoz III, who had co-purchased a property near Sunset Station, a short walk from the streetcars proposed eastern hub.

Munoz resigned from the board in February 2014, and former City Manager Alex Briseno was brought in to get the streetcar effort back on the rails. Shortly after streetcar ground to a halt, Briseno stepped aside.

By all accounts, Andrade helped bring stability to VIA, and oversaw some positive developments for the agency: improved bus service, the beginning of a conversion of VIAs fleet to environmentally-friendly compressed natural gas vehicles and the development of a Vision 2040 blueprint for coping with projected population growth in Bexar County.

Hope did our community a great service and stabilized the board and the work of VIA during a very contentious time, Nirenberg said Thursday. She brought the kind of respectability that you would expect a former secretary of state to have.

Andrades imminent departure comes at a crucial time for the VIA board, with Nirenberg hoping to build public support for a multi-modal transportation system that likely will include a new rail project.

My sadness is that I wont be there to see it through, but staff has been exploring routes, Andrade said. San Antonio deserves a multi-modal transit system. When I was secretary of state and would visit with potential employers, they would always ask what our public transit system was like.

I dont think the staff is set on what its going to be. We just want to make sure that we offer options. Whether thats a bus rapid-transit system, whether its light rail, we just want to make sure that everyone is open to looking at a multi-modal system in this city. And thats going to take public support.

One of the most persistent criticisms of the failed streetcar project was that its single-minded focus on downtown excluded most of San Antonios residents from the conversation. Nirenberg credited Andrade for emphasizing a need to consider solutions that take the entire city into account.

Andrade has had a lot on her plate in recent years.

Less than a year after assuming leadership of the VIA board in January 2015, she established a consulting firm (Andrade-Van de Putte & Associates) with former state senator and longtime friend Leticia Van de Putte. Both Andrade and Van de Putte grew up on the West Side of San Antonio, and their collaboration was designed to capitalize on their collective stockpile of political connections, with Andrades on the Republican side and Van de Puttes among Democrats.

Andrade also teamed with restaurateur Lisa Wong and Landrys Seafood Inn & Oyster Bar last year on a venture that won a 10-year, $100-million river barge contract with the city.

Andrades work on the VIA board capped a long career in public service that included stints as the states transportation commissioner and workforce commissioner, in addition to her four-year tenure as secretary of state.

Gilbert Garcia is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | ggarcia@express-news.net | @gilgamesh470
ezhejiang.gov.cn

An exhibition named "A Story of Yangming" is staged at Shaoxing Museum in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Shaoxing, home of Wang Yangming, a Chinese idealist Neo-Confucian philosopher, educator and calligrapher who lived during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), is holding an exhibition featuring the thoughts and art of the great philosopher at Shaoxing Museum.

The exhibition "A Story of Yangming", after two years of preparation, is the first display in China presenting both Wang's life stories and artworks in calligraphy. Some 50 exhibits have been selected from over 30 museums around the country including the Palace Museum. Many of them are being exhibited to the public for the first time.

The whole exhibition is divided into five categories according to Wang's life experiences. From a student to a philosopher, it shows the maturing process of his thoughts, as well as the progress he made in calligraphy.

Along with the exhibition, Shaoxing Museum will organize a variety of educational activities for children. The organizing team hopes combining Yangming culture with puzzles, wood carving and other art forms will arouse people's interest in the master's life and wisdom.

In addition, creative cultural products about Wang are being launched at the exhibition, such as a series of cartoon books and a collection of Wang's calligraphy works.

The exhibition will run until Feb 28.
The ban would be in place from April through October

By Diego Flammini

News Reporter

Farms.com

Agricultural legislators in Arkansas are moving ahead with a motion to place a seasonal ban on a common soybean herbicide.

The state Plant Board voted 11-3 yesterday in favor of the dicamba ban, which would be in place from April 16 to Oct. 31.

In December, legislators had considered delaying the ban to examine a number of items including a later cut-off date.

Republican Senator Bill Sample, who originally called for the delay, backed the ban after hearing the Boards arguments.

They did exactly what I asked them to and I will stick by them in their decision, Sample told the Associated Press Wednesday.

The Arkansas Legislative Council will review the Plant Boards ruling on Jan. 16.

In the meantime, farmers are preparing themselves for a soybean growing season without dicamba.

Its going to be a challenge, but thats just one of the things were going to have to deal with, Gary Sitzer, Chairman of the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board and producer from Poinsett County, told Farms.com today. We just want to get the best results for farmers.



Gary Sitzer

While a lack of dicamba will place another hurdle in front of farmers, it might not create too much of a hindrance.

Herbicide technology has come far enough that farmers will still have tools to manage weeds, according to Dr. Jeremy Ross, a soybean agronomist with the University of Arkansas Extension.

The ban is going to limit the acreage that the product is applied on, but theres other options out there that have been successful, Ross told Farms.com. Our soybeans are only about 25 per cent planted (when the ban would start) anyway. This (ban) isnt going to shutdown Arkansas soybean production.

Dicamba has been in the spotlight since last fall, when the Plant Board received nearly 1,000 complaints about dicamba drift damage.

Since then, several states, including Minnesota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Missouri and North Dakota, have implemented dicamba application regulations.
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, will visit Tennessee from January 5 to 8, 2018, where he will deliver a keynote address to the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual convention and participate in activities to promote Canada-U.S. trade.

Minister MacAulay will attend the 99th Annual American Farm Bureau Federation Convention and IDEAg trade show in Nashville, Tennessee. The American Farm Bureau Federation Convention is a gathering of more than 5,000 delegates bringing together agricultural producers from all levels and sector representatives from the local, state and national levels. The American Farm Bureau Federation has confirmed that the President Donald. J. Trump will also be addressing the convention, the first sitting U.S. President to do so since George H.W. Bush in 1992.

"The trading partnership between Canada and the U.S. is one that delivers high-quality foods and supports millions of middle-class jobs on both sides of the border," Minister MacAulay said. "Since the beginning of NAFTA, trade in North American agriculture has quadrupled. We will continue to work closely with representatives at all levels in the U.S. to ensure our agricultural sectors continue to grow and prosper."

While in Nashville, Minister MacAulay will participate in a roundtable with U.S. agricultural producer and business groups. Along with his participation at the American Farm Bureau Convention, Minister MacAulay will host a breakfast for all State Farm Bureau Presidents, meet with Zippy Duvall, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation, Jai Templeton, Commissioner of Agriculture for Tennessee, and meet with U.S. Young Farmers and Ranchers. Minister MacAulay will also have the opportunity to meet with a number of his state counterparts who are attending this convention.

Canada is Tennessee's largest agricultural export market shipping $226 million to Canada including baked goods, prepared breakfast cereal, chocolate products and whiskies. Trade and investment with Canada supports approximately 170,300 jobs in Tennessee.

Source : Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
LINCOLN  It's called the "tampon tax," or sometimes the "pink tax," the tax that women must pay because they are, well, women, and subject to certain biological processes.

Nebraska taxes feminine hygiene products as a luxury good, though few women would tell you buying tampons is a luxury, but rather a necessity.

Omaha Sen. Mike McDonnell wants to get rid of that tax, and he introduced a bill (LB798) Thursday that would do that.

McDonnell argues that, for women, these are necessary items for a biological process, no extravagance or opulence involved. There are medical items in Nebraska some would say are not necessary, but are tax-exempt.

At least 12 states don't have a sales tax on tampons and similar products, including four states that don't have sales taxes on anything. Maryland designates the products as medical items, which aren't taxable, for example.

California is still working on eliminating the tax, after Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill last year that would have ended the state's tax. Brown said tax breaks were the same as new spending. California Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia has come up with an idea this year to replace the lost revenue by raising the tax on hard liquor.

Garcia's office said in a news release that women in California pay about $7 a month, for 40 years, for tampons and pads, and that statewide it adds up to more than $20 million annually in taxes. California law exempts health items such as prescription medication, including Viagra.

A co-sponsor of the California bill told the Washington Post the bill was tax relief for women.

McDonnell also introduced another "feminine-friendly" bill (LB795) Thursday related to designating a biological mother on a birth certificate.

The biological mother is the woman who is the source of the egg that resulted in the conception of the child. The birth mother is the woman who gave birth to the child.

Now, the biological mother has to wait six months before she can legally adopt her biological child. And the father has to give permission for her to do that.

The bill would allow the biological mother and birth mother, in the hospital, to complete a notarized acknowledgement of maternity, to be signed by both and filed with the Department of Health and Human Services at the same time as the birth certificate. The biological mother's name would then be on the certificate.
Seth MacFarlane wasn't aware of the sexual harassment allegations surrounding Kevin Spacey when he joked about the issue on 'Family Guy'.

Seth MacFarlane

The 44-year-old comedian has rubbished the suggestion that he was aware of the allegations - which came to light in 2017 - when he included a joke about Spacey's conduct on the popular cartoon sitcom.

In the 2005 episode, Stewie is seen running naked through a shopping mall while he shouts: "Help! I've escaped from Kevin Spacey's basement!"

During a Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour panel, Seth was asked how he managed to include the joke in the show without there being any backlash.

But the American actor insisted he wasn't aware of the rumours at the time the show aired.

He said: "I don't remember who pitched the joke. I remember when it was pitched ... that was a rumour I had actually not heard and other people in the writers' room had. And it had to be sort of explained to me, 'Oh, there's this rumour that's going on.' "

Alec Sulkin, the show's producer, explained that the joke was made in relation to an incident in a London park in 2004.

Initially, the Academy Award-winning star claimed he'd been mugged when he was walking his dog in the hours of the morning, before he changed his story and insisted he'd fallen victim to a "con".

Alec said: "I think that that was something where he was coming off a story where he had been kind of beaten up in a London park, and he claimed that he was walking his dog late at night and fell, and I think that raised a lot of eyebrows.

"It's one of the things in terms of Standards where if they heard the rumors, as we have, then they'll allow it."

Spacey came out as gay in October last year after actor Anthony Rapp accused the Hollywood star of making unwanted sexual advances towards him.

Meanwhile, Seth previously revealed he made a joke about producer Harvey Weinstein at the 2013 Oscars, after his friend Jessica Barth claimed he'd harassed her.

As he presented the Best Supporting Actress nominees, Seth joked: "Congratulations, you five ladies no longer have to pretend to be attracted to Harvey Weinstein."

Explaining the quip in 2017, Seth said: "In 2013, my friend and colleague Jessica Barth, with whom I worked on the 'Ted' films, confided in me regarding her encounter with Harvey Weinstein and his attempted advances. She has since courageously come forward to speak out.

"It was with this account in mind that, when I hosted the Oscars in 2013, I couldn't resist the opportunity to take a hard swing in his direction."
Naomi Campbell has paid tribute to "papa" Azzedine Alaia's influence and heroics - including the moment he saved her in Paris.

Azzedine Alaia and Naomi Campbell

The 47-year-old model - who described the late fashion icon as the father figure she never had after her biological dad abandoned her mother during pregnancy - recalled the terrifying moment she was targeted in the French capital five years ago.

Reflecting on how scared she was as a tall man attempted to wrestle her bag away from her after threatening to take her life, she told Vogue: "Papa comes out. The guy's this tall, there's a getaway bike for him, he's out there trying to fight him off for me.

"He could've been hurt, he didn't care. He went there to project me. He saved me. He was my papa."

Supermodel Naomi described their journey together as "very blessed", and candidly spoke of how Azzedine - who passed away in November aged 77 - was there for her in a way her biological father never was.

She added: "He did the things that my father, who I never met until I was 41 for five months, didn't do. Took me to the dentist, took me to museums, taught me about art, taught me about food, culture. I don't think I'll ever have that again. I definitely lived a very blessed journey with Azzedine."

The catwalk star also revealed that he taught her to not put too much pressure on herself, and to avoid getting burned out.

Asked what quality he left her with, she smiled: "You don't have to do everything. You don't have to run yourself ragged. You don't have to be there for everyone, you don't have to burn yourself out. You just need to make sure you pick the right one."
Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been suffering from vertigo.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon

The 44-year-old Crown Princess of Norway has been forced to pull out of several royal engagements in recent months after she was left bedridden by the illness which is commonly caused by a problem with the way balance works inside the inner ear, and is categorised by a sensation of dizziness which can last anywhere from a few seconds to over an hour.

Mette-Marit admitted she was struck by the sensation that she'd "overindulged" on a ferryboat in November when she cancelled a royal visit to Denmark, and believed it to be the menopause at first.

Speaking to Norwegian radio station P3, she said: "I turned my head quickly, and it was like the whole world began to move. I began to sweat and felt nauseous - I thought I'd started early menopause."

The Crown Princess - who has Princess Ingrid, 13, and Prince Sverre, 12, with her husband Crown Prince Haakon, as well as 20-year-old son Marius from her previous relationship with Morten Borg - was undergoing a rigorous week of exercise when the condition struck her.

She added: "I'd been incredibly good at training this fall. We used a program that changed from week to week."

Vertigo usually goes away on its own, but it can come back at any time, and Mette-Marit will no doubt be keeping her eye on her condition in the future.

Her comments come after Norway's royal palace said the Crown Princess was suffering from Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), which can cause a loss of balance, dizziness and nausea.
Gemma Collins has landed her first television work in America.

Gemma Collins

The 'Only Way is Essex' star has become a national favourite after she accidentally slipped through the stage floor while presenting BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards in October, and it looks like she's about to try her luck across the pond as she's just bagged herself a small screen gig over there, although it's not yet known what she'll be doing.

Taking to her Twitter account today (05.01.18), she coyly wrote: "Very excited to tell you all I have landed my first American tv work so so excited," followed by a heart emoji.

It's not known when the 36-year-old star will be heading across to the US or how long she'll be gone for as she recently said she was planning to remain on 'TOWIE'.

She said: "The main cast have given their lives to the show. New people come in and think they are a star. They're wrong. I won't mention names but some don't have what it takes to entertain the nation, so they have to go.

"When I said I've earned my divaship, it's not like I walk around and expect perfume sprayed in my path but the main cast were on 'TOWIE' when some of these people were still in their school uniform. If me, Chloe Sims, Arg, Georgia [Kousoulou], Tommy [Mallet], Lockie, Yaz [Oukhellou] and Pete [Wicks] were off the show, the others couldn't sustain it. We're like the roast beef in the sandwich and they're the pickle. Obviously they're not going to get rid of me."

And the curvaceous blonde is also hoping to bag a spot on the 'Strictly Come Dancing' line up after judge Craig Revel Horwood claimed she wasn't famous enough.

She said recently: "I'm certainly not low-rent, darling. We all have to start somewhere.

"I'll burst onto that dancefloor and show them what a samba is. He won't know what's hit him. I've been to Sylvia Young Theatre School and I won south east England champion for dancing. Of course he'd love me. It's a shame if they take that dim view of me because they're ultimately missing out. My hips don't lie."
Proleter, a Serbia based textile company, is planning to invest 2 million to set up a socks factory in Ivanjica, a town and municipality located in the Moravica district of southwestern Serbia. Proleter employs about 300 people at its existing factory in Ivanjica, and another 250 employment opportunities would be created at the socks factory.

Atair GmbH, Steinfurt, Germany based company engaged in the production of knitwear and hosiery products and stockings, holds 71.4 per cent stake in Proleter, according to Serbian media reports.

In 2016, Proleter registered a profit of 15,140. (RKS)

Proleter, a Serbia based textile company, is planning to invest 2 million to set up a socks factory in Ivanjica, a town and municipality located in the Moravica district of southwestern Serbia. Proleter employs about 300 people at its existing factory in Ivanjica, and another 250 employment opportunities would be created at the socks factory.#

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Sharm Premyer, the Belarusian branch of the Russia-based knitted-goods factory Sharm, has announced the opening of 2 garment factories in Mogilev Oblast in the first quarter of 2018, a Belarusian news agency said quoting the company director Tatiana Andrushchishina. The new factories will produce garments for youth such as t-shirts and trousers among others.

The garment factories will be set up at Krichev and Bobruisk. The Krichev establishment is likely to generate employment opportunities for more than 350 locals. It is expected that the functioning will commence by January end this year. It will house state-of-the-art equipments with the manufacturing capacity of 300,000 readymade garments per month while Sharm Premyer produces around 250,000 garments per month.

The factory at Bobruisk is likely to begin functioning from March 2018, with a manufacturing capacity of approximately 200,000 garments per month. Generating more than 200 jobs, it will begin working on lease.

Sharm Premyer, the Belarusian branch of the Russia-based knitted-goods factory Sharm, has announced the opening of 2 garment factories in Mogilev Oblast in the first quarter of 2018, a Belarusian news agency said quoting the company director Tatiana Andrushchishina. The new factories will produce garments for youth such as t-shirts and trousers among others.#

The apparel produced from these factories will be made on commission and will be exported to Russia. "Initially they will be shipped to warehouses in Chekhov, Moscow Oblast. Afterwards, they will be sold via the distribution chain Tvoe, including to Belarus where about 40 proprietary outlets have been opened," said Andrushchishina. (RR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Talks are under way between textile firms from China, Turkey and Brazil and the Kenyan Government to roll out investments to set up value addition hubs in the latters cotton industry, according to the Kenyan agriculture ministry. Members of the Kenya Chinese Chamber of Commerce are, for instance, expected to set up textile factories to boost value addition.Chamber vice chairman William Zhuo said its members are familiarising themselves with the industry value chain and are building partnerships with other actors such as the learning institutions.

Talks are under way between textile firms from China, Turkey and Brazil and the Kenyan Government to roll out investments to set up value addition hubs in the latter's cotton industry, according to the Kenyan agriculture ministry. Members of the Kenya Chinese Chamber of Commerce are, for instance, expected to set up textile factories to boost value addition.#

Brazil is working on logistics to start producing high-yielding cotton varieties in Kisumu and Homa Bay counties, besides training and initiating classification laboratories, according to interim head of Kenyas Fibre Crops Directorate Anthony Muriithi.Turkish firm HoneyDeco is also reportedly planning to build factories and introduce high-yielding seed varieties in Kenya. The firm has carried out a test on the new seeds, which have since been presented to the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service for registration, according to a report in an African business daily. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
HON PM BAINIMARAMA AT THE COMMISSIONING OF THE RURAL ELECTRIFICATION PROJECT AT NAVUCA SETTLEMENT, BURERUA, TAILEVU





Na Vunivalu na Turaga na Tui Naloto;

Na Turaga Talatala;

Government Officials;

Ladies and Gentlemen.



Bula vinaka and a very good morning to you all.



Id like to begin by wishing everyone a very happy New Year. Im very glad you can welcome 2018 with the comfort, security and convenience of reliable electric power.



Today, we are officially opening a rural electrification project that will supply 30 households in the Navuca settlement with affordable access to electricity. This is a big day for Navuca and another step on the path of progress my Government has forged for Fiji and the Fijian people. I never lose sight of the fact that progress is not just in the big projects; it is in these small steps that make life better for all our communities. Together, they make for a very big journey.



Weve grown our economy every year for the past eight years, and it is our duty to transform that prosperity into real development that makes a real difference in the lives of people. That is what the Fijian Constitution demands, that is what the Fijian people deserve and that is the spirit that has driven my Governments ambitious agenda for development.



It takes months and years of planning and effort to make development a reality. It takes bold and innovative thinking, sound fiscal management, investment in infrastructure, long hours and steady persistence. And, most importantly, it takes teamwork. So, as Prime Minister, I would like to extend a very big vinaka vakalevu to those Fijians who gave their time, energy and know-how to making this project happen.



This project is part of an enormous programme of rural electrification my Government is funding throughout the country. This year alone weve allocated 42.6 Million Dollars to electrify homes in rural areas across Fiji.



My fellow Fijians, I am a father, and I am a grandfather. I have great hope for the world that my children, my grandchildren and all of our young people will one day inherit. But we cant secure that future only as individuals. We must stand together, only then can we realise the great potential of our beloved Fiji.



Nation building  like most of everything in life  is a team sport, and Team Fiji needs team players. Weve made Fiji what it is today as a team; because weve stood united in our vision for what Fiji can achieve. Weve put our stock in our potential, weve put our money in development and weve put opportunity in the lives of ordinary people.



It is because of our teamwork that, here in Navuca, you now have access to electricity. Youve all been made safer at all hours of the day. You can now access an entire new world of possibilities  you can stay active after the sun has set, your children can study late into the night, you can spend more time at home with your families and you no longer must rely on inefficient diesel generators or lantern lamps to keep the lights on.



That same spirit of teamwork has carried our economy to eight straight years of growth. It brought us our very first Olympic Gold medal. It brought our nation back from the devastation of Cyclone Winston.



It carried us to global leadership  a small island nation at the helm of critical international negotiations. And that spirit of team work  every day  is making life better for ordinary Fijians, from all walks of life, everywhere in Fiji. It has brought us free education, subsidised bus fares for school children, free medicine and subsidised and connectivity to water and electricity. We have introduced new laws to improve the working environment and conditions for employees and introduced and increased the minimum wage for unskilled workers. Our commitment to teamwork has brought us everything weve achieved, it will lead us through whatever challenges we have yet to face and it will carry us to whatever heights we have yet to reach.



My fellow Fijians, in this spirit, I want to make clear that I want all Fijians to share in the prosperity we are creating, and that includes the rights of employees to press for better pay and working conditions.



But the recent walkout of employees from Air Terminal Services was a poor example of teamwork because it not only put the livelihoods of their colleagues at risk but other Fijians who are working for various companies at the airport and within the wider tourism and air transport industry.



We have laws that allow employees to strike if they cannot get satisfaction at the bargaining table. Those laws lay out procedures and timelines that everyone must adhere to. In fact, adherence to such procedures goes to the practical making and implementation of the rule of law. This did not happen in the ATS case when some employees suddenly left their posts leaving hundreds of passengers, mostly those visiting our shores, and essential airport services unattended.



But I was proud to see ATS staff and staff from Fiji Airways, CAAF, AFL, Air NZ and from the tourism industry step up and put in the hours to ensure the smooth running of Fijis main port of entry. That effort was testament to the spirit of commitment, dedication and teamwork that has built the Fiji we know today, and it speaks to their care for their country and their fellow Fijians.



Im also glad to see ATS employees are returning to work and accepting the consequences of their actions.



Those on the job know  better than any  that when you are working, people depend on you. The men and women by your side depend on you to work with them to get the job done. Your family depends on you to put food on the table and provide for them. Your colleagues depend on you not to disrupt the businesses that they depend on. And your country depends on you as well, to do your part to help Team Fiji, to care for your fellow citizens and build up your nation into something better.



So I ask all Fijians to think carefully for themselves. When you are on the job, you need to protect yourself from those who would use you to help themselves or only benefit themselves. You need to think for yourselves; dont buy into false promises from people such as high earning trade union officials and opportunistic politicians who arent in your position and do not understand your situation. Because if you walk away from your job or violate the law, they will go back to their comfortable homes, in their nice cars and to their own pay checks, while you are left out in the cold or in this blistering heat.



There are many people, many cheap politicians among them, who arent interested in you and your well-being, but who are interested in making headlines and building a campaign platform for this years elections.



It is these trade unionists and politicians who have influenced the striking ATS employees, and are preventing them from going back to work. It is indeed sad that as a result of such influence, the ATS employees are forgetting their obligation to their spouses, children, their family members, communities and the nation.



Weve seen such tactics by some trade unionists and politicians too many times before, and I have no doubt we will see much of it again in the months ahead. We should not allow employees to be used by people with ulterior motives to breach the law and to prejudice the well-being and the best interests of the workers and all Fijians. We should not allow ordinary people to be used as tools for political gain. And we should not allow that behaviour to stall our great journey forward.



This is all bigger than any one dispute or walkout. This is about Fiji, this is about our economy, and this is about the well-being of our citizens. This is about the best interests of hard working people, all over Fiji, who depend on one another to show up and do the work that sustains our economy.



My Government will stand by our recipe for success. The recipe that has guided our economy to prosperity and given unprecedented opportunity to ordinary Fijians. We will stand by our employees  all of our employees who put in the time to build the new Fiji. And we will stand by the rule of law, set out by our Constitution that puts the Fijian people at the heart of everything we do.



Again, I wish you all a very happy New Year. Im glad to see this development delivered to your community. Use it well, and enjoy the immense benefits of electric power. My Government will continue our work to electrify communities across Fiji, alongside all of our critical work to build up this nation for the benefit of every Fijian.



Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.
LINCOLN  The countdown begins.

Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard dropped his proposal for a billion dollars in property tax relief into the legislative hopper Thursday, as supporters of a backup plan prepared to launch a petition drive to place the issue on the November general election ballot.

Next week, Gov. Pete Ricketts will come before the Legislature to outline an alternative tax plan that would combine property tax relief with personal and corporate income tax reductions.

"Here we go," Erdman said as he left his desk to present his bill for introduction on the second day of the 2018 legislative session.

And so the stage is set for an election-year tax reduction debate.

Erdman's bill (LB829) provides for property tax relief distributed through a state income tax credit or refund equal to 50 percent of local school property taxes paid by Nebraska taxpayers.

Erdman has estimated that will provide about $1.1 billion in property tax relief, beginning in 2019.

As the western Nebraska senator formally introduced his proposal, Trent Fellers of Lincoln completed preparations with the secretary of state for circulation of initiative petitions that would place the property tax issue on the November ballot for voter consideration if the Legislature does not act.

Fellers, who is executive director of Reform for Nebraska's Future, said he expects to begin circulating petitions within the next few weeks and gathering signatures.

Ricketts is planning to unveil some details about a renegotiated tax proposal that would add more property tax relief to a stalled bill (LB461) that is weighted more to personal and corporate income tax reduction.

That measure, as it now is framed, centers its property tax reduction feature on a new method of ag land valuation.

While raising strong concerns last week about the cost of the Erdman proposal, Ricketts has been engaged in negotiations to add more property tax relief to the pending legislation that he supported last year.

Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, chairman of the Legislature's Revenue Committee, suggested this week that, although he is encouraged, the revised proposal appears to have "a very, very narrow path" to legislative approval.

Erdman said Thursday he has been encouraged by expressions of increasing support from urban homeowners for his own proposal.
NEW YORK, NY and TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - January 04, 2018) - iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. ("iAnthus" or "the Company"), (CSE: IAN) (CSE: IAN.CN) (CNSX: IAN) (OTCQB: ITHUF), which owns, operates, and partners with licensed cannabis operations throughout the United States, today issued the following statement in response to the United States Department of Justice's ("DOJ") decision to rescind the Cole Memorandum ("Cole Memo") and related DOJ memoranda that served as guidance to United States Attorneys (federal prosecutors) regarding prosecutorial discretion and prioritization of federal prosecutions in the area of enforcement of federal marijuana law. The Company's statement reads as follows:

"The Cole Memo was not a federal law and did not alter the DOJ's authority or discretion to enforce federal drug laws, which discretion continued after the Cole Memo was adopted in 2013. Accordingly, iAnthus' management believes the rescinding of the Cole Memo does not indicate any specific change in DOJ enforcement policy. There is no new policy that directs or demands the U.S. Attorneys to prosecute individuals in states where marijuana programs are legal. U.S. Attorneys will continue to have the same wide prosecutorial discretion that they had prior to today.

The regulated marijuana industry has created tens of thousands of American jobs and provided hundreds of millions of dollars in needed tax revenue to state and local governments, while at the same time serving to disintermediate the black market that has existed since the beginning of the federal marijuana prohibition. Turning the clock back twenty years and re-opening the door to criminal cartels is counterproductive and serves no practical purpose. In addition, the federal government has traditionally relied upon state and local law enforcement in the area of marijuana enforcement, given the federal government's limited resources and prioritization of serious harmful drug offenses that do not involve marijuana. In states where the voters have adopted regulated medical and/or adult use marijuana programs, there is little reason to believe that state and local prosecutors and law enforcement will prioritize assisting in the enforcement of federal law pertaining to state licensed marijuana operations.

For all of these reasons, we would expect that today's action will have little or no material impact on federal prosecution priorities in states that have adopted regulated medical and/or adult use marijuana programs. We believe that regulated businesses that scrupulously comply with applicable state laws and regulations need not be alarmed by today's events, and we intend to continue to make it our highest priority to instill a culture of strict compliance at each of our regulated cannabis operations throughout the United States.

It is worth noting that the President has clearly indicated in the past his support for medical marijuana and the rights of the states to decide their own policies in the area of marijuana legalization, just as the states have the power to regulate -- and tax -- the alcohol and tobacco industries.

It is also worth noting the overwhelming support among the American people for regulated marijuana and the rights of the states to decide for themselves what their marijuana laws should be. Recent polling data shows that 94% of the American electorate supports medical marijuana, and 64% support adult use laws, including a majority Republicans. Additionally, 76% of American voters, including 72% of Republicans, believe the federal government should not interfere with the rights of states to determine their own marijuana laws, according to survey data published by Gallup in October 2017. Given this overwhelming support, iAnthus' management believes it unlikely that the President will allow the Attorney General's personal bias against marijuana use to damage the President's political brand or that of his party."

About iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc.

iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. provides investors diversified exposure to best-in-class licensed cannabis cultivators, processors and dispensaries throughout the United States. Founded by entrepreneurs with decades of experience in operations, investment banking, corporate finance, law and health care services, iAnthus provides a unique combination of capital and hands-on operating and management expertise. The Company harnesses these skills to support operations across five states. For more information, visit www.iAnthusCapital.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed here and elsewhere in iAnthus' periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. When used in this news release, words such as "will, could, plan, estimate, expect, intend, may, potential, believe, should," and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements including statements related to federal and state cannabis policy.

Although iAnthus has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including, but not limited to: dependence on obtaining regulatory approvals; investing in target companies or projects which have limited or no operating history and are engaged in activities currently considered illegal under US Federal laws; change in laws; limited operating history; reliance on management; requirements for additional financing; competition; hindering market growth and state adoption due to inconsistent public opinion and perception of the medical-use and adult-use marijuana industry and; regulatory or political changes including federal enforcement policy.

There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the results or events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. iAnthus disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and iAnthus does not assume any liability for disclosure relating to any other company mentioned herein.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release.

CONTACT INFORMATION



Corporate:

Julius Kalcevich

Chief Financial Officer

iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc.

646-518-9415

Investors@iAnthusCapital.com



US Investors:

Phil Carlson / Elizabeth Barker

KCSA Strategic Communications

iAnthus@KCSA.com



Canadian Investors:

Nicole Marchand

Nicole Marchand Investor Relations

Nicole@nm-ir.com



Media:

Robert Vanisko

North 6th Agency

212-334-9753 ext.112

iAnthus@n6a.com
MUNICH, January 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

- TeleClinic is the first portal in Germany for remote treatment

Wirecard, a leading global financial technology company, is collaborating with TeleClinic to provide a digital solution for billing processes with private patients.

TeleClinic is the first supplier enabling patients to digitally and remotely consult and receive treatment from doctors. Digital doctor consultations are generally available to private and legally insured persons. Until now, around six insurers, including statutory health insurers, have taken on the costs for digital doctor consultations in addition to more orthodox visits to medical practitioners. Since private patients, in general, must initially pay their medical bills themselves and the payment process should be as simple and easy as possible, Wirecard has developed a digital payment process for TeleClinic doctors' private patients. Within this framework, Wirecard will digitalize the online payment process for TeleClinic and fully process all credit card payments and SEPA direct debits.

TeleClinic enables German patients to see a doctor by video appointment, among other things. This has already become a part of everyday life in other countries such as Switzerland, England and the USA. In the MLP health report 2016, around 61% of German doctors said that they are in favor of expanding telemedical services on offer. Approximately 70% of patients answered that a video consultation with a doctor would be important to them. TeleClinic is the first company in Germany to receive authorization to provide medical treatment via modern, digital channels. With this treatment, patients benefit from a fast, specialized consultation in connection with a simple payment process.

Prof. Dr. med. Reinhard Meier, Founder and Medical Director of TeleClinic GmbH: "TeleClinic offers 24/7 medical consultations via all state-of-the-art communication channels. We have chosen Wirecard to be our partner for online payment processing for private patients so that we can meet the requirements set by our patients' digital lifestyles."

Boris Bongartz, Head of Sales Digital Goods at Wirecard: "As an international driver of the digitization of payment processes, we are delighted to be digitalizing payment processing for medical consultations via latest communication methods together with TeleClinic in order to make the payment process as easy and comfortable as possible for private patients."

About Wirecard:

Wirecard AG is a global technology group that supports companies in accepting electronic payments from all sales channels. As a leading independent supplier, the Wirecard Group offers outsourcing and white label solutions for electronic payments. A global platform bundles international payment acceptances and methods with supplementary fraud prevention solutions. With regard to issuing own payment instruments in the form of cards or mobile payment solutions, the Wirecard Group provides companies with an end-to-end infrastructure, including the requisite licences for card and account products. Wirecard AG is listed on the Frankfurt Securities Exchange (TecDAX, ISIN DE0007472060, WDI). For further information about Wirecard, please visit http://www.wirecard.com or follow us on Twitter @wirecard.

About TeleClinic:

TeleClinic is a digital health platform and the first port of call for people who have questions about their health. TeleClinic doctors are available for patients 24/7, with no long waiting times. Only doctors with a German licence to practise medicine are registered with TeleClinic. Medical consultations are conducted via modern, state-of-the-art communication channels. Patients can choose whether to conduct the medical consultation via video chat or telephone, for instance. TeleClinic's mission is to provide high-quality medical care to everyone at all times.

Wirecard media contact:

Wirecard AG

Jana Tilz

Tel.: +49(0)89-4424-1363

Email: jana.tilz@wirecard.com



TeleClinic media contact:

TeleClinic

Miriam Piecuch

Tel.: +49(0)40-2380-1283

Email: mp@publicperformance.de




CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Japanese yen slipped against its key counterparts in the Asian session on Friday amid rising risk appetite, as Asian markets rose following strong gains overnight on Wall Street and higher commodity prices.



Investors await U.S. jobs data later in the day for evidence of economic growth in the world's largest economy.



The U.S. Labor Department's report is expected to show an increase of about 190,000 jobs in December following the jump of 228,000 jobs in November. The unemployment rate is expected to hold at 4.1 percent.



The latest survey from Nikkei showed that Japan's services sector continued to expand in December, although at a marginally slower rate, with a Services PMI score of 51.1.



That's down from 51.2 in November, although it remains above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.



Data from the Bank of Japan showed that Japan's monetary base rose 11.2 percent on year in December, coming in at 474.126 billion yen.



That follows the 13.2 percent annual jump in November.



The yen dropped on Thursday, as sentiment lifted up on upbeat data across the globe and higher oil prices. It dropped 0.7 percent against the euro, 0.2 percent against the greenback and 0.5 percent each against the franc and the pound.



The yen dropped to 80.89 against the kiwi, its lowest since October 19, 2017. If the yen weakens further, 82.00 is possibly seen as its next support level.



The yen hovered around a 2-1/2-month low of 88.75 against the aussie, compared to 88.63 hit late New York Thursday. Continuation of the yen's downtrend may see it challenging support around the 89.5 region.



Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that Australia logged a seasonally adjusted merchandise trade deficit of A$628 million in November.



That was well shy of forecasts for a surplus of A$550 million following the A$105 million surplus in October.



Reversing from an early high of 90.23 against the loonie, the yen weakened to a 2-1/2-month low of 90.48. The next possible support for the yen is seen around the 92.00 mark.



The yen slipped to an 8-day low of 113.03 versus the greenback and more than 2-year low of 136.47 against the euro, off its early highs of 112.72 and 135.98, respectively. On the downside, 114.00 and 138.00 are likely seen as the next support levels for the yen against the greenback and the euro, respectively.



The yen weakened to 153.45 against the pound, a level unseen since June 20, 2016. Further downtrend may see the yen challenging support around the 155.00 region.



Data from the the British Retail Consortium showed that the U.K. shop prices fell 0.6 percent on year in December.



That missed expectations for a flat reading following the 0.1 percent contraction in November.



The yen that closed Thursday's deals at 115.70 against the franc slipped to a 3-month low of 116.03. The yen is seen finding support around the 117.00 region.



Looking ahead, Eurozone PPI for November and advanced CPI for December are due in the European session.



U.S. trade data and factory orders for November, non farm payrolls data and ISM non-manufacturing composite index for December, as well as Canada jobs data and Ivey PMI for December are set for release in the New York session.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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BEIJING, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- At this year'sBlockShow Asia, Yangdong Deng, chief AI scientist of Blockchain startupMatrix, explained how inserting Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the Blockchain ecosystem would make it possible to useBitcoin miningcomputational power for scientific innovation.

According to Deng, the current computing power being used in Bitcoin mining operations is 8.23x1022 floating point operations per second (FLOPS), while the total computing power in the world is 1.2x1023 FLOPS. According to these calculations, Bitcoin mining is consuming 17 percent of total global computing power, justifying the frequent accusations that Bitcoin mining iswasteful.

Matrix is seeking to reinvent mining algorithms by including AI into the equation through a Bayesian mining system that utilizes aMarkov chain Monte Carloalgorithm (MCMC). Because these computations function similarly to traditional mining functions, they work well for Bitcoin mining.

As Deng argues, using AI, the computing power used to verify transactions on the Bitcoin network can be leveraged for other uses outside the world of cryptocurrencies.

One example he gave his scientific research -- a brain network simulation requires approximately 1018FLOPS, while a complete human metabolic network simulation requires 1025FLOPS.

According to Deng, other important non-crypto use cases that require massive computing power are chemical reaction simulations, medical diagnoses and complex finance modeling.

Intelrecently filed a patentfor a Blockchain-based system that also works to harness the energy used in cryptocurrency mining for scientific development -in this case particularly for genetic sequencing.

The BlockShow Asiaconference this November included a number of innovative projects in addition to Matrix. 1,500 entrepreneurs and experts gathered at the event in Singapore to share and discover the latest developments in the industry.

For more information, or to view the company's whitepaper, visit https://www.MATRIX.space

Facebook:Facebook.com/MATRIXAINetworks

Twitter: Twitter.com/matrixainetwork

GitHub: http://Github.com/MatrixAINetwork
Creation of a fourth production team

Confirmation of the night shift introduced in September 2016

Plan to hire 600 temporary employees by May 2018

Regulatory News:

Groupe PSA (Paris:UG) has decided to introduce a fourth production team and hire nearly 600 people at the Hordain plant by May 2018. The move comes in response to strong demand for the Peugeot Expert1 and Citroen Jumpy1, as well as the Peugeot Traveller2 and Citroen SpaceTourer2, which have been produced at the facility since mid-May 2016.

To form the new team, the Hordain plant will be hiring people from most manufacturing professions including production workers, forklift operators, maintenance technicians, automation experts and production system supervisors in primarily temporary positions of up to 18 months. Candidates may apply directly to partner temporary employment agencies (Adecco, Crit, Manpower, Proman and Synergie) or to the Alliance Emploi group of employers.

In addition to the fourth team, the plant has also confirmed its night shift, which was created for a provisional six-month period in late September 2016 to support the market launch of new models produced at the plant. The night shift was first prolonged for a year in March 2017.

Commenting on the announcement, Patrice Le Guyader, Northern France Manufacturing Division Director, said: "The performance achieved by these vehicles in Europe has encouraged us to adjust and support the outstanding sales dynamic by creating a new production team.It's excellent news for everyone and a just reward for the rigorous, seamless and highly customer-oriented teamwork displayed at the plant."

The models' robust sales performance is helping to maintain the strong momentum achieved by the Group's commercial vehicles business, which aims to consolidate its current leadership in Europe and triple sales outside Europe by 2021.

The vehicles form part of the Group's Core Model Strategy, which was launched in 2016 with the Push to Pass plan and has been driven by the launch of global vehicles designed to meet customer expectations. Outside Europe, the Peugeot Expert and Citroen Jumpy have also been manufactured in Latin America since October 2017, and will start rolling off production lines in Russia in the first quarter of 2018.

About the Houdain plant

Inaugurated in 1994, the Hordain plant assembles light commercial vehicles for three brands: Peugeot Expert, Citroen Jumpy and Toyota Proace, for the freight transport versions, and Peugeot Traveller, Citroen SpaceTourer and Toyota Proace Verso, for the passenger car versions. The plant assembles 630 vehicles per day.

About Groupe PSA

The Groupe PSA designs unique automotive experiences and delivers mobility solutions to meet all client expectations. The Group has five car brands, PeugeotCitroenDSOpel and Vauxhall, as well as a wide array of mobility and smart services under its Free2Move brand, aiming to become a great carmaker and the preferred mobility provider. It is an early innovator in the field of autonomous and connected cars. It is also involved in financing activities through Banque PSA Finance and in automotive equipment via Faurecia. Find out more at groupe-psa.com/en.

Media library: medialibrary.groupe-psa.com @GroupePSA

Communications Department www.groupe-psa.com/en - +33 6 61 93 29 36 @GroupePSA

1 Light commercial vehicles

2 Passenger cars

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180105005281/en/

Contacts:

Groupe PSA

Media contact:

Melanie Charles, +33 3 27 22 60 08 +33 6 14 49 70 60

melanine.charles@mpsa.com
SPRING HOPE, N.C., Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hemp, Inc. (OTC PINK:HEMP) executives respond today to the U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' decision to rescind the Cole memo that ignited a marijuana stock sell-off. However, Sessions' stance on cannabis does NOT include industrial hemp and it definitely does NOT include kenaf, says Bruce Perlowin, CEO of Hemp, Inc. With 18,000,000 pounds of kenaf in inventory and another, approximate, 2,000,000 pounds of kenaf to be harvested early this year, Hemp, Inc. executives are not the least bit worried about their supply chain or if there will be any marijuana pushback by the federal government. "Investors in Hemp, Inc. have nothing to worry about or fear," says Perlowin. Hemp, Inc., as reported in a press release yesterday, is processing its first two purchase orders a truckload of kenaf fiber and a truckload of its kenaf loss circulation material (LCM). "This was not two truckloads of recreational marijuana. This was not two truckloads of medical marijuana. This was not even two truckloads of industrial hemp. It was one truckload of kenaf LCMs that's going to Texas and one truckload of kenaf fiber that's going to New Jersey. So no matter how Sessions marijuana obsession plays out, Hemp, Inc. is a safe bet for anyone concerned or hesitant about this new development," said Perlowin. As a global leader in the industrial hemp industry, with the largest multi-purpose industrial hemp processing facility in the western hemisphere, Hemp, Inc. is as sure of an investment as it was before Sessions' unpopular new war on the marijuana industry was announced. This opinion is shared by many others in the industrial hemp industry. Whole Foods Magazine published an article, What Sessions Move on Marijuana Means for Hemp, CBD, and it says Sessions' decision should not affect businesses that are hemp-based. Sessions rescinding the Cole memo applies to marijuana related companies, not hemp companies. Read the full article here. According to the article published in the RollingStone, Jeff Sessions' unpopular decision brought "swift condemnation from both Republicans and Democrats" alike, with National Republican Senatorial Committee head, Senator Cory Gardner blasting Sessions as "a liar." To read the full press release, click here. CONTACT INFORMATION Hemp, Inc. (855) HEMP-OUT info@hempinc.com http://www.hempinc.com For Investor Relations, please send correspondence to: ir@hempinc.com
NEW DELHI and SHENZHEN, China, January 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

After his successful yoga camp in Russia, the famous Indian yoga guru Yogacharya Amit Dev is all set for his first Yoga Camp in China along with Shenzhen Peacock Health Culture Management.

The 5th Generation Yoga Guru is holding a 3-day camp in Shenzhen, China from 6th to 8th January, 2018. The camp is said to be different, as he has altered it to suit the lifestyle of the Chinese.

After landing in China on 5th January with a 4-member team, he is all set to kick-start the much awaited Yoga Camp on 6th January. The camp will start with a short speech on the importance of India's biggest gift to the world.

Yogacharya Amit Dev will hold specialist yoga workshops on day-2 and day-3 of the camp wherein he will teach the participantsspecific cures for ailments through yoga.

In the last week of November 2017, Yogacharya Amit Dev mission to spread yoga throughout the world had reached Russia. He held a yoga camp at the Moscow Citi Retreat Club from 29th November to 5th December. People of every ethnicity, religion, age andgender were welcomed at this camp to experience the magic of yoga. With the resounding success of that camp, Amit Dev plans to setup Shri Yog Abhyas Ashram Trust's studios across Russia.

The schedule for 2018 is already set - Yogacharya Amit Dev will be conducting similar camps at Italy, the United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to spread his mission - to make the world a better and healthy place.

Yogacharya Amit Dev hastaken the responsibility to carry on the heritage of this Yoga Movement. His organisation Shri Yog Abhyas Ashram Trust was started in 1888 by Yogeshwar Ramlal Bhagwan who is popularly known as Mahaprabhu Ji. Today the organization manages around 70 Centers across the world.

The organization headquartered in Delhi is not just involved in teaching and curing people through yoga, but is also engaged in extensive research in Yogic health care and meditation.

Media Contact:

Usha HJ

Ph: +91-8147747724


One Stock That Makes for a Great Acquisition TargetThe new year has brought with it good fortune for marijuana investors. Marijuana stocks are on a tear, and there's a good reason why. For the first time in history, Americans living in the largest U.S. state are getting to enjoy recreational pot legally.In case you missed it, recreational marijuana began legally selling in California for the first time on January 1, 2018. The decision to legalize recreational pot was made during the 2016 elections, when an overwhelming majority voted to legalize it, but official sales began just now.The lineups outside marijuana dispensaries within the state have rejuvenated.

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Constellation Brands Inc (STZ) released a profit for its third quarter that gained ground compared to the same period last year. The company said its bottom line came in at $497.1 million, or $2.47 per share. This was up from $364.4 million, or $1.77 per share, in last year's third quarter. The company said revenue for the quarter rose 3.0% to $2.08 billion. This was up from $2.02 billion last year. Constellation Brands Inc earnings at a glance: -Earnings (Q3): $497.1 Mln. vs. $364.4 Mln. last year. -Earnings Growth (Y-o-Y): 36.4% -EPS (Q3): $2.47 vs. $1.77 last year. -EPS Growth (Y-o-Y): 39.5% -Revenue (Q3): $2.08 Bln vs. $2.02 Bln last year. -Revenue Change (Y-o-Y): 3.0% -Guidance : Full year EPS guidance: $8.25 - $8.40 Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- "Before being promoted to global chief creative officer at Publicis, Bruno Bertelli had won accolades for his bold, authentic work on Heineken at Publicis Italy, where he was CEO and executive creative director. Campaigns like a responsible-drinking spot that showed strong women ignoring heavy imbibers to the tune of Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero" helped the agency secure the brewer's worldwide business without a review."

Every year, Ad Age celebrates the innovators who have redefined creativity. This year, Bruno is recognised alongside creative pioneers including Rihanna, Patty Jenkins and Terry Crews.

Born in Verona, after earning a degree in Semiotics, Bruno Bertelli made his first steps into copywriting in New York after attending the School of Visual Arts. He moved to JWT Italy in 1998, where he remained until 2010 with the role of Creative Director on high profile international accounts and Executive Creative Director of the Rome office. In January 2011, he joined Publicis Italy as Executive Creative Director together with Cristiana Boccassini and in 2013 they were appointed Global Creative Directors Publicis WW on Heineken and members of the International Creative Board. In November 2014 Publicis WW appointed him CEO of Publicis Italy. Thanks to his work on the client, in June 2015 he was appointed as Global Leader on Heineken for the Network and in November 2016, ECD of Publicis Western Europe. In May 2016 Bruno was nominated Global CCO of Publicis Worldwide, maintaining the role as CEO of Publicis Italy. He is the most-awarded Italian creative in the world with 56 Cannes Lions, of which 11 are Gold, one Grand Clio and one Grand Prix at the NYF and at Eurobest, as well as many other national and international awards.

Link: http://bit.ly/2Cyf27K

About Publicis Worldwide:

Publicis Worldwide is a global creative agency providing change leadership for its clients. We believe that this era demands a combination of strategy, creativity and technology to enable our clients to Lead The Change in their own marketing transformation. We provide global solutions from brand reputation to commerce combining the MSLGROUP and Nurun networks.

With over 16,000 employees in 110 countries, clients includeAxa, BNP Paribas, Capital One,Carrefour, Cartier, Citi, Engie, Heineken,L'Oreal,Luxottica, LVMH, Nestle, Orange, P&G,Qantas, Red Lobster, Renault, Samsung, Sanofi, Seb, Siemens, Telefonica, Total &UBS.

Publicis Worldwide is part of Publicis Communications, the creative solution hub of Publicis Groupe.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/624947/Publicis_Worldwide.jpg
Massachusetts Medical Cannabis Center Plans Unchanged

DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / January 5, 2018 / AmeriCann, Inc. (OTCQB: ACAN), an Agricultural-Technology company that is developing the next generation of sustainable, state-of-the-art medical cannabis cultivation properties provides its analysis of Attorney General Jeffrey Sessions' memo issued today regarding federal marijuana enforcement.

The Cole Memo, which had been a DOJ guideline since August of 2013, cleared up some of the uncertainty about how the federal government would respond as states began allowing sales for recreational and medical purposes. It said the Department of Justice would not stand in the way of states that legalize marijuana and outlined the enforcement priorities that were particularly important to the federal government. Earlier today the DOJ rescinded the cannabis guidance outlined in the Cole Memo.

"Cannabis has been regulated successfully at the state level since 1996," stated Tim Keogh, President and CEO of AmeriCann. "We expected the new leadership within the Department of Justice to implement their own policies. However, we don't anticipate that the change in policies at the DOJ will significantly impact patients, consumers or businesses that comply with state regulations."

The cannabis industry has thrived through multiple administrations and has grown exponentially since it was launched over 20 years.

Cowen & Company, the respected Wall Street firm that is a leader in cannabis industry trends and cannabis stocks has released its opinion, "We are not overly concerned that a change in DOJ policy around cannabis will be meaningfully disruptive to legal adult use cannabis states."

Public polling shows overwhelming support for the end of cannabis prohibition with 92% of voters favoring legal medical cannabis and 64% in favor of full legality.

Support for a change in outdated federal cannabis laws is becoming more popular with members of Congress, including growing support from politicians representing both parties.

The states that have adopted legalization have experienced highly successful results with no increase in crime, reduction in teen use and the creation of thousands of new jobs and taxes.

Mr. Keogh added, "Our shareholders have a particular interest in the potential impact that today's actions may have on our operations in Massachusetts." AmeriCann is developing the highly anticipated Massachusetts Medical Cannabis Center (MMCC).

Massachusetts Republican governor Charlie Baker released the following statement, "The Baker-Polito Administration fully supports the will of the voters and the (Cannabis Control Commission) mission," said a Baker spokesman. "The administration believes this is the wrong decision and will review any potential impacts from policy changes by the local US Attorney's Office."

AmeriCann, an Ag-Tech company, is developing a 53-acre property in Massachusetts as the Massachusetts Medical Cannabis Center (the "MMCC"). The MMCC is approved for 1 million square feet and is expected to be one of the most technologically advanced cultivation facilities in the nation.

The Massachusetts Medical Cannabis Center in Freetown, Massachusetts was designed and is being developed to support the medical cannabis industry. AmeriCann does not expect any impact to the development schedule of MMCC.

A Quinnipiac University Poll released in 2017 shows that 93% of Americans support medical marijuana. Over 60% of the US Population now live in states where medical cannabis is now legal. Of the 30 states that have implemented legal cannabis programs, 8 have approved Adult-Use.

The regulated cannabis industry in the United States employs more than 100,000 people, generates hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue, and is the solution to the failed war on drugs.

About AmeriCann

AmeriCann (OTCQB: ACAN) is a publicly traded Agricultural Technology (Ag-Tech) company that is developing a new generation of sustainable, state-of-the-art medical cannabis cultivation and processing properties.

AmeriCann, Inc. is a Certified B Corp, an acknowledgment of the company's commitment to social and environmental ethics, transparency and accountability. AmeriCann became the first public cannabis company to earn this respected accreditation. More information about the Company is available at: www.americann.co or follow AmeriCann on Twitter @ACANinfo

About Massachusetts Medical Cannabis Center (MMCC)

The Massachusetts Medical Cannabis Center is approved for nearly 1,000,000 square feet of medical cannabis cultivation and processing in Freetown, Massachusetts. The state-of-the-art, sustainable, greenhouse project will consist of multiple planned phases for tenants in the Massachusetts medical marijuana market.

AmeriCann's Cannopy System uniquely combines expertise from traditional horticulture, lean manufacturing, regulatory compliance and cannabis cultivation to create superior facilities and procedures. The company is planning to replicate the Canopy platform in additional states.

The first phase of the project consists of 30,000 sq. ft. of cultivation and processing infrastructure in Building 3 and 130,000 square feet of Building 1. AmeriCann can expand Building 1 to approximately 600,000 sq. ft., based on patient demand.

About Solanna

AmeriCann has developed and owns "Solanna", a new comprehensive line of nutraceutical-grade cannabis infused products.AmeriCannhas created the brand, packaging concepts and invested significantly in Standard Operating Procedures and Good Manufacturing Practices to ensure safety, consistency and efficacy across the product offering.

The intellectual property for Solanna will be licensed by AmeriCann to regulated cannabis businesses and will initially focus on providing healthier alternatives to smoking that include:

Capsules

Topical lotions and balms

Sublingual tinctures

Oral dissolving film

Trans-dermal applications

The Company plans to expand the product line to include edible products, health drinks, and branded concentrates. The products are designed to allow consumers to manage dosage through micro-dosing and to improve efficacy by incorporating blends of other plants, essential oils and other supplements that enhance and complement the benefits of cannabis.

The Solanna line of products will be offered exclusively through AmeriCann's Preferred Partners.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") (which Sections were adopted as part of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "prospects," "outlook," and similar words or expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "should," "would," "may," and "could" are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated results, performance or achievements. The Company disclaims any intention to, and undertakes no obligation to, revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, a future event, or otherwise. For additional uncertainties that could impact the Company's forward-looking statements, please see the Company's recently filed Registration Statement on Form S-1, which the Company has filed with the SEC and which may be viewed at www.sec.gov.

Contact Information:

Corporate:

AmeriCann, Inc.

3200 Brighton Blvd. Unit 114

Denver, CO 80216

(303) 862-9000

info@americann.co

www.americann.co

@ACANinfo on Twitter

Investors:

Hayden IR

hart@haydenir.com

(917) 658-7878

SOURCE: AmeriCann, Inc.


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Public support for legalizing marijuana use in the U.S. continues to rise and is now at the highest point in five decades, according to a recent poll conducted by Gallup.



Gallup reported that 64 percent of Americans now support legalizing marijuana. This is based on an October 5 to 11 poll conducted by Gallup, with a random sample of 1,028 adults aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.



While marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, the issue was featured on a number of state ballot initiatives in 2016. Eight states and the District of Columbia have now fully legalized marijuana. This means more than one in five Americans live in a state where they can legally enjoy use of the drug.



When Gallup first asked national adults about their views on legalization of marijuana in 1969, only 12 percent supported the move. However, support more than doubled by the end of the next decade and by 2001, a third of Americans favored legalizing marijuana.



Gallup noted that over the past several years, it has found that Americans have become more liberal on a variety of social issues. With a majority change in attitude, 64 percent of Americans now favor same-sex marriage, compared to 25 percent in the late 1990s.



Gallup also noted that Democrats and independents have historically been much more likely than Republicans to support legalizing marijuana. In 2009, Democrats were the first partisan group to see majority support for legalization, followed by independents in 2010.



However, 51 percent of Republicans too now support legalizing marijuana, up 9 percent from last year. This is the first time that a majority of Republicans support the move.



According to the Gallup report, the Department of Justice under the current Republican administration has been perceived as hostile to state-level legalization.



On Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Obama administration's policy that discouraged federal prosecutors from pursuing marijuana-related charges in states that have legalized its use. However, the move was condemned by both Republicans and Democrats in Washington.



It also comes just four days after California, the most populous state, legalized sales of recreational marijuana for adults.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - For the second consecutive month, the Institute for Supply Management has released a report showing a slowdown in the pace of growth in activity in the U.S. service sector.



The ISM said Friday that its non-manufacturing index dropped to 55.9 in December after falling to 57.4 in November.



While a reading above 50 still indicates growth in the service sector, economists had expected the index to inch back up to 57.6.



Nonetheless, Anthony Nieves, Chair of the ISM Non-Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, said the majority of respondents' comments indicate they finished the year on a positive note.



The unexpected decrease by the headline index reflected notably slower growth in business activity and new orders.



The business activity index slumped to 57.3 in December from 61.4 in November, while the new orders index tumbled to 54.3 from 58.7.



On the other hand, the ISM said the employment index edge up to 56.3 in December from 55.3 in November, suggesting a faster rate of job growth.



The data represents a stark contrast from the Labor Department report released earlier in the day, which said job growth in the service sector slowed to just 91,000 jobs in December from 176,000 jobs in November.



The report said the prices index also inched up to 60.8 in December from 60.7 in November, indicating a slightly faster rate of price growth.



The ISM released a separate report on Wednesday showing growth in manufacturing activity unexpectedly accelerated in December, reflecting strong expansions in new orders and production



The purchasing managers index rose to 59.7 in December from 58.2 in November, while economists had expected the index to edge down to 58.1.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 5, 2018 / ValueSetters Inc. (OTC PINK: VSTR) has entered into a 20% net revenue agreement with Green Zebra Media to launch a joint pilot, guest Wi-Fi marketing ad manager and data analytics program.

Green Zebra offers a service that allows businesses to connect with their mobile users inside and outside of the store over a free Wi-Fi network. ValueSetters has leveraged their resources to introduce the Green Zebra product to a large network of cell phone stores, to help the cellular franchise owner communicate more effectively with its customers, increase store traffic and drive more sales with free Wi-Fi for every guest.

The key driver for the franchise owner is to automate local marketing with smarter guest Wi-Fi marketing tools. Green Zebra's CEO, Cole Smith, said, "We expect to see store results quickly, transitioning from a few retail cellular stores to few thousand stores, with all stores benefiting from highly targeted local traffic."

Green Zebra's Guest Wi-Fi Manager Technology

Customers who agree to use their free Wi-Fi will provide their email address, which then allows the business to build out target customer contact lists, and utilize analytic tools to provide better insight into visits by tracking things like frequency, identifying the most loyal customers and their duration, among other factors. The technology is successfully allowing store owners to reach thousands of local customers daily with new promotional ads, videos, sms and email. For more information visit http://greenzebramedia.com.

About ValueSetters:

Led by a team of professional investors and technology specialists, ValueSetters is a publicly-traded boutique advisory firm with unique expertise in helping early-stage companies raise capital over the internet. The company also provides technology consulting services as well as strategic advice to help companies grow and evolve to meet the challenges of today's marketplace. For more information, visit our website at http://valuesetters.com.

Forward-looking Statements

The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Contact:

Cecilia Lenk, CEO

Telephone: 339-368-8100

Email: cecilia.lenk@valuesetters.com

SOURCE: ValueSetters Inc.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Following President Donald Trump's claim that Pakistan is providing safe haven to terrorists, the administration announced Thursday it is suspending security assistance to the Muslim country. While State Department officials could not provide an exact figure, a report from the New York Times said the decision could affect as much as $1.3 billion in annual aid. The announcement of the decision comes just three days after Trump criticized the aid provided to Pakistan in a post on Twitter on Monday. '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,' Trump tweeted. 'They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!' Pakistani officials described Trump's tweet as 'completely incomprehensible' and suggested they would subsequently revisit the nature of relations with the U.S. The administration noted the suspension of security assistance is not permanent and does not apply to civilian assistance programs. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said the security assistance will remain suspended until Pakistan takes decisive action against groups such as the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. 'Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, if you will, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps,' Nauert said. 'Perhaps no other country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan and many other countries in that part of the region,' she added. 'They understand that, but still they aren't taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
DETROIT, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --Geometric Results, Inc. (GRI), a portfolio company of Bain Capital Private Equity and wholly owned subsidiary of MSX International (MSXI), is pleased to announce it has finalized an agreement to acquire the de Poel group of companies. De Poel is the UK's leading Managed Service Provider (MSP) for the purchase of non-employee workers.

Currently serving more than 120 private and public-sector clients, de Poel provides vendor-neutral MSP programs supported by its own unique technology platform. The company's experienced management team focuses on helping clients realize the benefits of outsourcing while coordinating with more than 1,500 recruitment agencies weekly.

By combining with de Poel, GRI is positioned to provide MSP services to an even broader array of industries such as automotive, technology, oil and gas, health care, retail and education.

"Together, GRI and de Poel are the world's largest independent MSP provider. De Poel's commitment to operate as a vendor-neutral MSP mirrors GRI's service offering," said Art Knapp, President of GRI. "Since neither company is affiliated with a staffing firm, each creates individualized, strategic solutions for every client. Merging de Poel and GRI creates a leading global extended workforce solutions provider with a strong U.S. and European presence."

"Partnering with a vendor neutral, independent partner is a highly-effective outsourcing strategy for our clients," said Andrew Preston, de Poel's president. "This is why so many household names in the UK choose to trust the management of their non-employee workforce to us. We are very excited to join with GRI. The acquisition will allow us to move more quickly to broaden the scope of our services for our existing and future clients."

"We are pleased to welcome the de Poel organization to our portfolio. The immediate benefits to GRI will be to increase our geographic diversity, branch out into more industry sectors, and broaden our customer base," said Charles Megaw, Operating Partner at Bain Capital Private Equity. "When completed in late January 2018, de Poel will be our first acquisition following the purchase of MSXI a year ago, fulfilling our commitment to organic growth and strategic investments."

Contact:

Jill E. Parrino

Vice President, Solutions and Innovation

Geometric Results, Inc.

Phone: (720) 210-3137; Email: jparrino@geometricresultsinc.com

About MSX International

MSXI (www.msxi.com) is a business process outsourcing company that provides technology based services to enterprises in more than 80 countries. MSXI's deep industry expertise combined with advanced data analytics and custom software solutions improve the performance of automotive dealership networks by increasing revenue, reducing cost, and enhancing customer satisfaction. Geometric Results, Inc. (GRI), a wholly owned subsidiary of MSXI, is the world's largest independent managed service provider (MSP) with $4 billion in managed non-employee labor spend and clients in more than 70 countries. The company maintains an independent position with regard to staffing suppliers and VMS technology platforms. GRI's solutions offer management of clients' total extended workforce program activity including contracting, supplier management, payment services, and advanced analytics; clients realize improved efficiency, increased transparency, and reduced cost.

About Bain Capital Private Equity

Bain Capital Private Equity (www.baincapitalprivateequity.com) has partnered closely with management teams to provide the strategic resources that build great companies and help them thrive since its founding in 1984. Bain Capital Private Equity's global team of approximately 220 investment professionals creates value for its portfolio companies through its global platform and depth of expertise in key vertical industries including healthcare, consumer/retail, financial and business services, industrials, and technology, media and telecommunications. Bain Capital Private Equity has offices in Boston, New York, London, Munich, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney and Tokyo and has made more than 760 primary and add-on investments to date. In addition to private equity, Bain Capital invests across asset classes including credit, public equity and venture capital, managing approximately USD 85 billion in total and leveraging the firm's shared platform to capture opportunities in strategic areas of focus.

About de Poel

Since 2001, de Poel (www.depoel.co.uk) has provided vendor neutral solutions to the procurement and management of temporary workers in both the public and private sector. Navigating legislation, ensuring that compliant temporary workers are booked onto each and every shift, creating the best balance between temporary and permanent workforces, and ensuring workers are paid a fair market rate, de Poel has a game-changing track record. By implementing their in-house proprietary software solution, e-tips, de Poel empowers hiring organizations to build their own communities of temporary workers or revolutionizes clients' relationships with recruitment agencies. A proven technology which has processed over 2 billion temporary hours of work to date, the e-tips technology is supported by a dedicated Contract & Performance Management team, to ensure a best practice approach to non-permanent staffing is achieved.
DUBLIN, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The "Global In-vehicle Payment Services Market 2017-2021" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering.

The global in-vehicle payment services market to grow at a CAGR of 195.39% during the period 2017-2021.

Global In-vehicle Payment Services Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.

One trend in the market is increasing demand for mobile device-based payment services. Smartphones have evolved from being just texting machines to mini-computers, personal assistants, and virtual shopping carts. With the rapid advance of technologies, smartphones have become an essential part of how people lead their lives. Technologies such as mobile wallets, on-demand apps, digital assistants, and enhanced connectivity through Bluetooth and near-field communications have transformed the way consumers interact and rely on their smartphones.

According to the report, one driver in the market is high correlation between consumer electronics and connected car solutions. Economies of scale play an important role in today's market to leverage the use of technology. For instance, the adoption rate of smartphones across the world increased significantly in the past 4-5 years owing to the decline in their price, and this was fueled by the advantage of economies of scale that the manufacturers gained by increasing the production.

Hardware cost remains a primary consideration for automotive OEMs, and by keeping a close eye on consumer electronics, they can adopt new technology in a cost-effective manner. Basically, when any technology is adapted in the consumer electronics segment, its volume grows and that results in the decline of prices in the market.

Further, the report states that one challenge in the market is Design complexity and technological challenges. Vendors and suppliers are facing a challenge in terms of designing a user interface that is affordable, less distracting, simple, and accessible. As connectivity solutions become more and more integrated into the vehicles, the complexity of the system required to manage these features has also increased.

Technological advances, an immense range of features, and diverse connectivity options have made telematics and infotainment systems highly sophisticated. The automotive segment has seen the adoption transformation from radio/audio systems in the early years to the advanced driver assistance systems in the recent years and is on-course toward fully autonomous vehicles which will further add to the sophistication.



Key vendors

Jaguar Land Rover

Royal Dutch Shell

Honda Motor

Visa

IPS Group

Gilbarco Veeder-Root

GM

MasterCard

IBM

Other prominent vendors

Amazon

Ford Motor

Volkswagen

Daimler

Hyundai

Google

BMW

Alibaba



SAIC

Key Topics Covered:



PART 01: Executive summary



PART 02: Scope of the report



PART 03: Research Methodology



PART 04: Introduction

Connected cars technology

Opportunities for service providers

In-vehicle payment services - Overview

PART 05: Market landscape

Market overview

Market size and forecast

Value chain analysis

Five forces analysis

PART 06: Geographical segmentation

Global in-vehicle payment services market by geography

In-vehicle payment services market in EMEA

In-vehicle payment services market in Americas

In-vehicle payment services market in APAC

PART 07: Decision framework



PART 08: Drivers and challenges

Market drivers

Market challenges

PART 09: Market trends

Increasing demand for mobile device-based payment services

Rising demand for smartphone integration

Increasing innovation in OS

PART 10: Vendor landscape

Competitive benchmarking

Other prominent vendors

PART 11: Key vendor analysis

Jaguar Land Rover + Royal Dutch Shell

Honda Motor + Visa + IPS Group + Gilbarco Veeder-Root

GM + MasterCard + IBM

PART 12: Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/fsxw6r/global_invehicle?w=5





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By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman")

Happy New Year, everyone! Thanks to a pair of early Kentucky Derby prep races at Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, 2018 will kick off with a bang for racing fans. The highlight of this coming Saturday is the $100,000 Sham Stakes (gr. III) at Santa Anita, which offers a total of 17 Derby qualification points to the top four finishers, but the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park is almost as interesting despite the fact that it doesn't offer any points.

Let's take a look at both races....

Sham Stakes (gr. III)

This race was shaping up to be a rather competitive event until trainer Bob Baffert entered McKinzie, a last-minute move that puts the race in an entirely different light. Regular readers of this blog know that I'm a big fan of McKinzie, who opened his career with an eye-catching 5 -length maiden win at Santa Anita (earning a 99 Beyer) before crossing the wire second in the Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity (gr. I) on December 9th, a race in which he was placed first via disqualification.

I felt that McKinzie moved a little too soon in the Los Alamitos Futurity and got a bit leg-weary in the long homestretch, which wasn't surprising since the race marked his two-turn debut. Baffert wasted no time getting him back on the work tab after that race, sending him out twelve days later so that McKinzie could get in three solid workouts before the Sham. I particularly liked McKinzie's December 27th work, in which he went five furlongs in :59 1/5 while holding his own against Ax Man (who came back to break his maiden easily on January 1st) and galloping out impressively.

I'm also excited to see that McKinzie will be racing without blinkers in the Sham Stakes, which should help him settle better and make a run from off the pace like he did in his maiden win. First-time blinkers off in graded stakes races is a very strong angle for Baffert, and taking all of this together, I don't think McKinzie will be beaten in the Sham. He's 3-5 on the morning line, but looks like a solid single for the multi-race wagers and a horse to key on top in the trifecta or superfecta.

For second place, I like Shivermetimbers, a Jerry Hollendorfer-trainee that won a one-mile maiden race on November 23rd at Del Mar by a head over Peace, who came back to win a similar event at Santa Anita against a good field.

Mucho Macho Man Stakes

Most of the attention will be focused on Dak Attack, who went 2-for-2 for trainer Dale Romans during the summer, keeping good company and rallying to score an eye-catching three-length win in the Ellis Park Juvenile Stakes on August 20th.

However, Dak Attack was sidelined by a minor injury following the Ellis Park Juvenile and will be returning from a lengthy layoff in the Mucho Macho Man. Throw in the fact that he got an ideal pace setup in the Ellis Park Juvenile (the early fractions were very fast), and I'm tempted to side against him as he stretches out to a mile for the first time.

Instead, I'll take a shot with Mask. Trained by Chad Brown, the promising young son of Tapit has only run once, but that one run resulted in a big maiden victory at Belmont Park that really caught my eye. Despite breaking slowly at the start of the 6 -furlong sprint, Mask gradually worked his way into contention while racing professionally in between horses and boldly split horses turning for home, seizing command and drawing off to win by three lengths while earning sharp speed figures. Considering his pedigree, the one-turn mile of the Mucho Macho Man shouldn't be an issue, and it's not hard to envision Mask taking a step forward while making his second start, particularly if he breaks better from the gate. I'm expecting a big run and believe Mask is the horse to beat.

*****



The Unlocking Winners Road to the Kentucky Derby Handicapping Challenge is back for the fourth consecutive year! Please be sure to post all entries, prime horses, and stable additions on the contest page. Thanks, and enjoy the racing!

*****

J. Keeler Johnson (also known as "Keelerman") is a writer, blogger, videographer, handicapper, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite. He is the founder of the horse racing website www.theturfboard.com.
OXFORD, England, January 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Waterstones - the UK's leading high street bookseller - has extended its long-term partnership with Unipart Logistics for an additional five years. Unipart will continue to distribute books and related products to 280 shops, and to customers at home, from their 150,000 sq ft hub in Burton-on-Trent.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/625055/Claire_Walters.jpg )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/625056/TCR_Display_Unipart_Group_Waterstones.jpg )



This new contract builds on the strength and success of the long term relationship between Waterstones and Unipart, which saw the two companies collaboratively win four awards at the European Supply Chain Excellence Awards in 2015.

Beccy Preece, Head of Supply Chain Services at Waterstones said: "We've extended our contract because Unipart really understands our business and provides an excellent service.Over the past 10 years our needs have changed - along with the change in the way our customers buy books - and with the introduction of a greater, non-book range Unipart have adapted to support our needs and so have helped our business to grow."

Key to the successful partnership has been Unipart's innovative supply chain thinking and agile delivery of change. For instance over the past 18 months, Unipart has completely reconfigured the service to the stores to deliver a next day delivery service by harnessing the power of The Unipart Way, which is the company's proprietary business system for continuous improvement. In addition, Unipart has also helped Waterstones increase availability of new and old titles whilst still reducing the overall inventory holding.

Claire Walters, Chief Commercial Officer at Unipart Logistics said:"We are incredibly proud of our long-term partnership with Waterstones, and our contribution to the turnaround of the business over the last few years through intelligent supply chain decisions. Our team feel part of the Waterstones family, and are passionate about delivering exceptional and rapid service to Waterstones customers. We are looking forward to taking our partnership to a new level, through implementing innovative ideas and digital technology to further enhance the Waterstones supply chain."

For more information about Unipart Logistics, please visit: http://unipartlogistics.com .

About Unipart Group:

Unipart Group is a leading UK manufacturer, full service logistics provider and consultant in operational excellence. Operating across a range of market sectors, including automotive, manufacturing, mobile telecoms, rail, retail and technology, Unipart offers a breadth of services from third party logistics to expert consultancy. The company, which has its headquarters in Oxford, provides services to a growing range of blue chip clients including Jaguar Land Rover, Vodafone, Sky, Sainsbury's and many other household names. Unipart has a number of accolades including winning the 'Fujitsu Award for Responsible Business in the Digital Age' at the 2017 Business in the Community's Responsible Business Awards. The company also received an Outstanding Achievement Award for Safety at last year's International Safety Awards.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump is headed to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland on Friday to kick off two days of meetings with Republican leaders. In addition to discussing the legislative agenda for the new year, Trump will also reportedly be briefed on the perilous midterm landscape. A report from Politico citing three people familiar with the plans said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ken., and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., will lead separate presentations on the 2018 elections. Trump and the Republican leaders will also discuss their legislative priorities going forward after achieving a major victory with the tax reform bill. Welfare reform, infrastructure spending, border security and healthcare are among the key issues that are expected to be discussed at the meeting. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Tuesday the meetings Trump has with leadership this week will help determine what the best strategy is on each of those individual areas. 'The President was elected because of his ambitious agenda and his desire to get a lot of things done,' Sanders said. 'We're going to focus on that.' Along with McConnell and McCarthy, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Tex., are due to attend the meetings. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Following a recent endorsement from President Donald Trump, Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., announced Friday he is officially jumping into the race for Governor of Florida. 'You may remember a few weeks ago the president tweeted support for me as a candidate for governor of Florida,' DeSantis said in an interview on Fox News. 'Today, we're going to be filing the paperwork to begin that effort.' He added, 'As somebody who is a military officer, Iraq veteran, a proven conservative, and then with the support of the president, I'm in a position to exercise the leadership that can build on the great work that Governor Rick Scott has done.' DeSantis credited Florida's term-limited current governor Rick Scott with advancing economic opportunity, reforming education and draining the swamp in Tallahassee. The announcement from DeSantis comes two weeks after Trump suggested in a post on Twitter that the congressman would make a great governor. 'Congressman Ron DeSantis is a brilliant young leader, Yale and then Harvard Law, who would make a GREAT Governor of Florida. He loves our Country and is a true FIGHTER!' Trump tweeted. DeSantis is expected to face off against Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran in the Republican primary. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / January 5, 2018 / Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Cheetah Mobile Inc. ("Cheetah" or the "Company") (NYSE: CMCM). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 9980.

The investigation concerns whether Cheetah and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here to join a class action]

On October 26, 2017, Prescience Point Research Group published a report asserting, among other things, that: (1) approximately 55% of Cheetah's second quarter 2017 consolidated revenue does not exist; and (2) the Company uses company-controlled or "fake" accounts on the mobile application Live.me to gift other users using Company money.

On this news, Cheetah's American depositary receipt price fell $0.37, or 4.39%, to close at $8.05 on October 26, 2017.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP
Broker commentary was the main driver behind the jump observed at the end of the week in utility and home construction stocks. Boosting the former, analysts at Credit Suisse reiterated a "positive" stance on stock in Drax while upgrading their recommendation on shares of Centrica from 'neutral' to 'outperform'. The two shares carried the biggest risk discounts they said, following the roughly 35% punishment dished out by investors over the prior 18 months after Labor proposed "regaining" control ...

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
LONGUEUIL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 01/05/18 -- Reunion Gold Corporation (TSX VENTURE: RGD) (the "Company") announces that the board of directors has approved the grant of a total of 5,500,000 incentive stock options to two senior executive officers of the Company. The options are exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $0.16 and will be vesting over a period of two years.

About Reunion

Reunion Gold Corporation is a Canadian exploration company focused on acquiring, exploring and developing gold projects in the Guiana Shield, South America. The Company has 319,916,587 common shares issued and outstanding. More information about the Company is available on the Company's website at www.reuniongold.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Contacts:

REUNION GOLD CORPORATION

Rejean Gourde, President & CEO

David Charles CFA, Investor Relations

+1 450.677.2585

info@reuniongold.com




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/05/18 -- Note to Editors: two photos for this release are available on the Canadian Press picture wire via Marketwired.

SciCan, a Canadian manufacturer of dental and medical technology, completed the expansion of its warehouse this fall, adding 8,000 square feet to its Don Mills manufacturing facility and signalling the continued growth of international demand for Canadian medical exports.

"Infection control solutions play a critical role in the prevention of disease and the promotion of health standards worldwide, and SciCan has been an important part of the global supply chain for dental and ophthalmology markets for over 20 years," says SciCan Chairman Arthur Zwingenberger.

Innovative technology fuels growth

SciCan rose to prominence on the international dental scene in the 1980s with its compact, innovative STATIM sterilizers that use a patented steam technology invented in Canada. The company's growth exploded in the following years and it quickly took up space in Don Mills in 1994 where it built three production lines.

Today, SciCan has four production lines making upwards of 200,000 products every year. It employs 250 people worldwide and its technology is distributed to 100 countries around the globe.

Part of a US$336 billion global market

From 2011 to 2016, Canadian medical device exports increased from $1.8 billion to $3.1 billion, according to a report from Global Trade Atlas. Growth in emerging markets, health care reform and infection control standards of compliance are among some of the forces driving innovation and interest in this sector. Dental products comprise an important 8% of Canada's estimated US$6.7 billion medical device market, which is 2% of the global US$336 billion market, according to Industry Canada's 2016 figures.

In the medical device sector, small to medium enterprises such as SciCan are common and tend to be R&D intensive. SciCan's 25,000-square-foot facility houses research labs, but unlike many of its peers almost half of its space is dedicated to the manufacturing and warehousing of medical technology.

ABOUT SCICAN LTD.

For over 25 years, SciCan Ltd., headquartered in Toronto, has been focused on protecting patients, doctors and healthcare providers with innovative infection control equipment. It is best known for its top-selling countertop sterilizer, the STATIM, as well as its line of HYDRIM washers and disinfectors. Through a sustained legacy of growth and expansion, SciCan is now a global leader in infection control specializing in dentistry and ophthalmology in more than 100 countries around the world.

Contacts:

Michael Emery

Brand Marketing Manager

416-446-2758

memery@scican.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/05/18 -- ICC Labs Inc. ("ICC Labs" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: ICC), a fully licensed producer and distributor of medicinal cannabinoid extracts, recreational cannabis and industrial hemp products in Uruguay is pleased to announce the increase of the expected production capacity of its cannabinoid extraction laboratory currently being constructed. The expansion will position the Company as a global supplier of medicinal products, as well active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for the pharmaceutical industry.

ICC Labs will increase the proposed production capacity at its state of the art laboratory being constructed in Uruguay from 50,000 kg per year of dry cannabinoid flowers to 150,000 kg per year by purchasing a second line supercritical fluid CO2 extractor. The Company intends to produce up to 8 million 30-millilitre bottles of its branded cannabinoid oil, 'BIDIOL' with various concentrations and 3,000 kgs of pure CBD crystals upon completion of its laboratory. The laboratory is expected to be fully operational by the second quarter of 2018 and to be GMP compliant.

"Our dynamic processing facility will give us the versatility which to get access to and supply various countries with high quality cannabinoid oils and crystals, including in South America where we hold an early mover advantage.

"We are also innovating in the use of a new technology that will allow us to increase our expected production capacity of pure CBD crystals over 700%, and will also allow us to isolate the specific cannabinoids so as to enable us to formulate various pharmaceutical and medicinal products.

"We expect our line of medicinal and pharmaceutical products will include various formulations with differing concentrations of cannabinoids suitable for diverse use-cases, allowing doctors to precisely prescribe according to a particular patient's age, weight and needs," commented Alejandro Antalich, Chief Executive Officer of ICC.

ABOUT ICC LABS INC.

The Company has operations in Uruguay, and is focused on the licensed production, development and sale of medicinal cannabinoid extracts, recreational cannabis and industrial hemp products in Uruguay. For more information, please see the Company's filings on www.sedar.com and www.icclabs.com.

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including, without limitation, those regarding the Company's future production and sales, results of operations, strategy, plans, objectives, goals and targets, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words "believe", "expect", "aim", "intend", "plan", "continue", "will", "may", "would", "anticipate", "estimate", "forecast", "predict", "project", "seek", "should" or similar expressions or the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the Company's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking statements.

Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially include, but are not limited to: the Company's ability to (i) complete the construction of its cannabinoid extraction laboratory in a timely fashion and in accordance with requisite regulatory requirements, or at all, (ii) obtain all requisite regulatory approvals for the production and export of cannabinoid based products, (iii) produce various cannabinoid based products and formulations in a cost-effective manner, or at all, and (iv) purchase of a second line supercritical fluid CO2 extractor. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, and available at www.sedar.com. Management provides forward-looking statements because it believes they provide useful information to investors when considering their investment objectives and cautions investors not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements or factors contained herein, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contacts:

ICC Labs Inc.

Alejandro Antalich

Chief Executive Officer

598-2900-0000

ir@icclabs.com

www.icclabs.com




Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2018) - ChroMedX Corp. (CSE: CHX) (OTCQB: CHXIF) (FSE: EIY2) (the "Company"), developer of the HemoPalm Handheld Blood Analyzer System, is pleased to announce the appointments of MedTech visionary Lahav Gil as Chief Executive Officer and W. Clark Kent as President of the Company. Both have also been appointed to the Company's board of directors.

Mr. Gil joins ChroMedX as the founder and former CEO of the innovative Toronto-based medical device industrial design and productization organization, Kangaroo Group (ISO 13485). Lahav founded the company in 2003 and evolved it into a full-spectrum outsourcing platform for Medical Device innovation, engineering, design, productization, RA submissions and contract manufacturing, contributing to many product launches in the Canadian and international MedTech industry. Kangaroo was acquired by full service medical device design company Starfish Medical in April of 2017.

"Lahav's achievements speak for themselves but his energy, vision and passion for design and development is something truly remarkable." said Gerard Edwards, Executive Chairman, ChroMedX Corp. "This appointment is an exciting milestone in a plan that the board of directors have been working on for quite sometime. We are proud to appoint Lahav as CEO and welcome him to the board of directors."

Lahav is well known in the community for his strong team building abilities and emphasis on innovation culture, as well as his track record as a MedTech entrepreneur, design-driven innovator, and business leader.

"With the HemoPalm, ChroMedx is well positioned to bring a remarkable and critically needed product to market." said Lahav Gil, CEO & Director, ChroMedX Corp. "Successful commercializing of a medical device relies on a deep and profound understanding of the problems that you are trying to solve at all levels of the product and business offering. Critically understanding the requirements of all the stakeholders including those leading to a strategic acquisition are key to this success, as well as designing for frictionless adoption models, a superior user experience, and a robust supply chain. It is essential to build a team and corporate culture that intuitively and strategically understands these concepts and loves working together on meaningful innovation and I am very excited to join ChroMedX and lead this process."

W. Clark Kent has been appointed President and joined the ChroMedX board of directors. Clark is a capital markets professional with extensive experience leading corporate development and finance initiatives in the life sciences, technology and natural resource industries. For over a decade he has advised emerging companies on strategic planning, finance and recruitment in the North American and international marketplace.

"As a long-time supporter and consultant Clark has been instrumental in the advancement of ChroMedX and the HemoPalm technology." said Gerard Edwards, Executive Chairman, ChroMedX Corp. "Clark has most recently been responsible for the Company's partnership with DxEconomix and introduction to Lahav Gil. We are very pleased to now welcome him as a director and fulltime member of the team as ChroMedX President."

With the appointments of Mr. Gil and Mr. Kent, Ash Kaushal will step down from his President, CEO and Director roles. Mr. Kaushal joined the Company as President and CEO in July 2016 after serving as a key consultant since the Company's inception. The ChroMedX board of directors would like to thank Ash for his contributions and leadership in 2017. Mr. Kaushal will continue to work with the Company on a consulting basis.

With these appointments ChroMedX has increased its board to 6 directors. Further information on the Company's executive team, board of directors and key advisors can be found at www.chromedx.com

About Lahav Gil

Lahav is the founder and former CEO of the Toronto based Kangaroo Group, which he built into a national brand and recently sold to Starfish Medical of Vancouver Island. He is passionate about meaning, loves Innovation Culture, Values-Based Leadership, transparency & awareness. Lahav has deep experience in Medtech product development and business. He has founded/co-founded 6 companies and has accompanied many Canadian start-ups on their journey from napkin to launch, critically contributing to their investability, clinical and market readiness. He has contributed to over 200 technology product launches and to game-changing innovations for companies such as: IMRIS, FIO, fSona, Cellaegis, XOR, Ultrasonix, Exact Imaging, Sciex, and others.

For almost 3 decades, he has been involved with tech-innovation, entrepreneurship, and start-up companies, starting in Israel's bustling innovation climate of the 80's. During the late 90's Lahav integrated into the Canadian innovation scene, leading Industrial Design projects and corporate-wide iD strategy for Creo/Kodak in Vancouver, where he first got a taste of the crucial role of culture in business. In 2003 he founded Kangaroo Design, which he evolved into the Kangaroo Group (ISO 13485), a full-spectrum outsourcing platform for Medical Devices innovation, engineering, design, productization, RA submissions and contract manufacturing.

Under his leadership, Kangaroo supplied services, infrastructure, and incubation partnerships to Canadian Medtech startups and entrepreneurs for over 15 years. During this time, Lahav's main focus was building Kangaroo as a platform alongside spin-ins, spin-outs & incubation-investments.

Recent News

ChroMedX most recently announced the signing of a definitive agreement with diagnostics marketing experts DxEconomix to lead initiatives relating to potential high-value transactions. Further information can be found on the Company's website.

Website

Investors and individuals interested in keeping abreast of latest news and updates can subscribe on the Home and News pages on the Company's website at www.ChroMedX.com

About ChroMedX Corp.



ChroMedX Corp. is a medical technology company focused on the development of novel medical devices for in vitro diagnostics and point-of-care testing. The devices are protected by the Company's issued and pending patents, dealing with blood collection, analysis and plasma/serum processing.

The HemoPalm Handheld Blood Analyzer System is the only handheld blood analysis technology which combines Blood Gases & Electrolytes with full CO-oximetry. Currently this combination is not available on any of the handheld analyzers on the market. Existing technologies require users to purchase a second device to carry out the CO-oximetry. The Company's technology has the advantage of being able to offer a single handheld blood analyzer that provides all the required tests for Blood Gases & Electrolytes, with full CO-oximetry and bilirubin. Another competitive advantage of the HemoPalm system will be its ability to draw capillary blood directly from a pin-prick site into the cartridge, providing an alternative to arterial blood. Drawing arterial blood is painful and can cause nerve damage. CO-oximetry is the measurement of five different hemoglobin species in blood.

The global market for Blood Gases & Electrolytes was estimated to be 1.5 Billion $US in 2015 and is projected to reach over 1.8 Billion by 2020.

Website: www.chromedx.com

Contact:

Gerard Edwards

Executive Chairman

Office. 647-872-9982 ext. 2

TF. 1-844-247-6633 ext. 2

investor.relations@chromedx.com

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement

Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com
BUENOS AIRES (dpa-AFX) - The head of the Argentinean Chamber of Biofuels (Carbio), Luis Zubizarreta, urged his country's government to appeal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to arbitrate the tax of up to 72.28% imposed by the United States against Argentinean biodiesel. 'The absolutely protectionist measure of the United States government was expected, but it does not stop being unjust and irrational, and without technical and legal support, despite the enormous effort of the Foreign Ministry,' said Zubizarreta. 'The United States is in the process of closing its economy, and we are paying for part of it,' he added, in an interview to Telam Radio. He also said that 'it is key that the Argentinean government resorts to the World Trade Organization. There is no other way.' Argentina won a similar dispute in the WTO with the European Union, which had imposed countervailing duties on imports of Argentinean biodiesel, also for alleged dumping. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Yellow Breeches EMS officials took what they see as a step toward safety for their crews by recently purchasing bullet-proof vests.

Our dispatches around here have gotten more and more intense, Yellow Breeches EMS Chief Robert Weidner said. Were getting more overdoses. Were getting more overdose patients. Were getting more assault victims.  We want to take step forward and protect ourselves and protect everybody else.

He said the emergencies his crews get called to can sometimes be unpredictable and volatile.

The department recently purchased 15 ballistic vests. Weidner said that is enough vests for all personnel on Yellow Breeches five ambulances.

The vests are rated to withstand most standard handgun ammunition, according to the National Institute of Justice, and cost roughly $200 a piece, or a little more than $3,000 in total.

Yellow Breeches EMS, based at 223 Mill St. in Mount Holly Springs, serves the southern portion of South Middleton, as well as Cooke, Dickinson, Penn and Monroe townships and Mount Holly Springs, according to the organizations website.

Grants

Yellow Breeches received a $1,000 grant from Walmart  which provides funding to community organizations through its Walmart Foundation  to help offset the costs. The company is applying for other grants, including one through Firehouse Subs.

Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has provided more than $31 million in equipment, training and support to first-responders, according to the companys website. A portion the proceeds from all purchases at Firehouse Subs is donated to the foundation.

Weidner said there was no specific incident that spurred the decision to purchase the vests.

But he pointed to situations like in Las Vegas when a gunman opened fire on a crowd at a country music concert in October.

Nearly 60 people were killed in that shooting, including Bill Wolfe, of Shippensburg.

It just got to the point where the worlds changing, Weidner said. Its unfortunate.

Weidner said his staff has been receptive to having the vests, which are worn during most calls at least until the scene is assessed and determined not to be a threat.

He said Yellow Breeches is one of the first departments in the area to purchase and utilize ballistic vests.

You never know what youre getting into on a daily basis, Weidner said. Id rather come home to my family at the end of a shift.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2018) - Intercontinental Gold and Metals Ltd. (TSXV: ICAU) ("ICAU" or the "Company") announces that, further to its news releases dated December 13, 2017 and December 22, 2017, it has closed the first tranche ("First Tranche") of its previously announced unit financing. In connection with the First Tranche, the Company issued, as a loan bonus in accordance with Policy 5.1 of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"), an aggregate of 1,320 units (the "Units") at a price of $1,000 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $1,320,000. Each Unit is comprised of: (i) one promissory note in the principal amount of C$1,000 bearing a coupon of 10.0%, payable semi-annually, with a 5-year term (each, a "Note"); (ii) 750 common shares (the "Bonus Shares"); and (iii) 750 common share purchase warrants (the "Bonus Warrant"). Each Bonus Warrant is exercisable for one common share of the Company at a price of $0.20 per share until January 5, 2023.

In connection with the First Tranche, the Company paid cash commissions equal to 6% of the gross proceeds of the Offering to certain eligible finders (the "Finders") and issued an aggregate of 60 finder warrants (the "Finder Warrants") to such Finders. Each Finder Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one common share of the Company at a price of $0.20 per share until January 5, 2023.

Proceeds of the financing will be used for gold trading activities and project development capital for the Company's current operations in Bolivia, expansion of gold trading activities into Peru and Brazil, and for general working capital purposes.

The First Tranche closing constituted a related party transaction within the meaning of TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101") as an insider of the Company subscribed for an aggregate of 300 Units pursuant to the First Tranche. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the participation in the First Tranche by the insider does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report in respect of the related party transaction at least 21 days before the closing of the First Tranche, which the Company deems reasonable in the circumstances in order to complete the financing in an expeditious manner.

All securities issued pursuant to the First Tranche are subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the date hereof.

About Intercontinental Gold and Metals Ltd.

Intercontinental Gold and Metals Ltd. has successfully transformed itself to become a Next Generation Metals and Mining Company providing leverage to commodity prices, exploration and development success and significant growth potential for our stakeholders. We believe our active involvement in the physical commodities market will provide insights in global primary supply and demand trends that in turn create a strategic and competitive advantage on new mine development and expansion opportunities on a global basis. The Company generates revenues from the purchases and sales of gold (accounted for as revenue). Cost of sales is measured at the fair value of the precious metals purchased and inventory sold, which is purchased at a competitive discount from licensed artisanal and small miners (ASGM). ASGM supply supports a sustainable revenue generation model. We are unique being the only publicly listed company servicing the LATAM ASGM market.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

INTERCONTINENTAL GOLD AND METALS LTD.

Gorden Glenn

President & Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact;

Investor Relations at 647-985-2785 or Barry Mire, Renmark Financial at 514-939-3989

Forward Looking Statements

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expect, are forward-looking statements. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, save and except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
The Union health ministry has sought more funds from the finance ministry for its family planning projects in this years budget even though 40 percent of corpus allocated for the purpose in last budget remains unused, according to a report in Mint.

As a result, a little more than 60 percent of the funds were utilised in the current financial year, according to the Financial Management Report 2016-17. At present, only 4 percent of Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) flexi-pool budget is earmarked for family planning.

In some states, the funds utilisation was abysmally low. Uttar Pradesh which remains Indias largest populated province recorded lowest funds utilisation with 38 percent usage. Bihar came in at second where 48 percent of allocation was unused. In Chhattisgarh, highest 49 percent of corpus for family planning remained idle.

Under National Health Mission (NHM), family planning is one of the major activities. The funds are approved activity-wise but are allocated and released to states pool-wise under NHM. Approvals are given on the higher side to improve the absorption capacity of the states, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, minister of state for health told Lok Sabha last week.

Some north eastern states did well when it came to using funds for family planning as compared to other bigger states. Meghalaya saw 26 percent of funds unutilised, Manipur 35 percent and Sikkim 46 percent. The national capital of Delhi spent only 36 percent and Chandigarh 26 percent of the corpus.

For full coverage of Union Budget 2018, click here.
2017 has been a phenomenal year for first-time directors in Tamil and Telugu cinema. Not only some of their films were widely appreciated by critics and audiences alike, most of these projects did reasonably well at the ticket-window, thus breathing hope into the dreams of aspiring filmmakers who are yearning to make the cut. This year saw the debut of over a dozen filmmakers across both the industries.

Interestingly, these were directors who dared to go against the grain and make content that was not run-of-the-mill.

Nithilan Swaminathans Kurangu Bommai, about crime and collateral damage, is one of the most underrated Tamil releases of the year. Featuring Vidharth and veteran filmmaker Bharathiraja in the lead roles, it revolves around a father, his son and a missing bag. Its a slow burn thriller and when all the pieces come together in the end, in the climax, it hits you very hard.

Lokesh Kanagaraj made a terrific debut with Maanagaram, and its shocking to know how all the bad things happen to good and innocent people in the film. Its a story about metropolitan dreams in the lives of a few characters. A lot of people from different walks of life come to a metropolitan with dreams, but when reality strikes them they realize life isnt easy.

Based on Akira Kurosawas Stray Dog, Sri Ganeshs 8 Thottakkal works beautifully as a police procedural and its rare to find such gems in Tamil cinema. When the gun of a rookie cop is stolen, it sets in motion events that ask us the question  who decides whats right and wrong? MS Bhaskar, the veteran, is magnificent in the film and his is the kind of performance we dont come across often.

Milind Rau in the genuinely frightening Aval, which features Siddharth in the titular role, makes an assured debut. Milind and Siddharth, fans of pure horror cinema, create the kind of horror experience thats original given Tamil cinema standards. But they also pay homage to the best horror offerings from the US, Japan and a variety of classics. Aval manages to create the kind of atmosphere thats very unlike the horror culture in Tamil cinema.

Gopi Nainars Aramm is a hard-hitting socio-political thriller that gets a tad preachy at times. With its gripping and mostly intense narration, the film takes a look at our flawed system through the eyes of a 4-year-old girl. Stepping out of her comfort zone, Nayanthara shines in a very strong role. Its gutsy of her to shoulder a film on her own and she proves yet again that shes an actress of substance.

Arun Prabhu Purushothamans Aruvi hits you like a ton of bricks and its extremely difficult to not shed tears as the titles roll down. Centered on the eponymous titular character played terrifically by newbie Aditi Balan, the film works as a satire, an awareness movie and even as a tragedy at times. What it succeeds in achieving - while being crowd-pleasingly entertaining and emotionally moving -- is that it never goes overboard in making its point and thats the films biggest strength.

Breaking away from everything Telugu cinema is accustomed to, debutant Sankalp Reddy's Ghazi, Indias first submarine-based war film, shines as it truly offers a cinematic experience and it's easily the most engaging film from the industry in recent times. Unlike other war films, the reason one connects instantly with Ghazi is because it sucks you into a world you haven't seen before. As a viewer, when you're taken inside the submarine, you're in awe of everything you see.

The story of a surgeons downward spiral after a breakup, in Sandeep Reddy Vangas Arjun Reddy, is pure, unabashedly bold and hard-hitting. It touches the soul in ways it can't be explained. It gives the story a modern-day Devdas twist, while making the overall cinematic experience a journey to remember for a long time. This is a very personal story of love and suffering, aided by beautiful cinematography and terrific music, particularly the background score.

Shiva Nirvanas Ninnu Kori works as a mature story of love and marriage. Its a contemporary spin-off of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and what works in the films favour is that its treated in a lighter vein, using comedy adequately to lighten the mood and entertain at important junctures.

Gowtham Tinannuris Malli Raava  starring Sumanth and Aakanksha Singh  has its flaws, but it still works quite well as a part love, part coming-of-age tale. An ode to love and longing, never does the film get deliberately emotional and thats its biggest strength. Even though theres nothing novel about the story, it leaves with the feeling of having watched a very personal story.

In Mental Madhilo, writer-director Vivek Athreya turns a wafer thin plot into a slice-of-life drama and eventually pleasant romance. Sree Vishnu is terrific as the indecisive guy who has to choose between two women. In her Telugu debut, Nivetha Pethuraj rises above her good looks and turns in a very enjoyable performance. Its amazing how Vivek turns a very predictable tale of romance into something unarguably sweet.

Other directorial debuts worth mentioning are Dhanushs Pa Paandi, ARK Saravanans Maragatha Naanayam and Rathna Kumars Meyaadha Maan among others.
The trailer for the remake of 1974 action thriller Death Wish has been released! The Bruce Willis starrer will release in India by Carnival Motion Pictures and will be out on the same day as its worldwide release on 2nd March.

The trailer gives us a glimpse of the power-packed action in the film. The film is a remake of 1974 action thriller of the same name. Directed by Eli Roth, Death Wish stars Bruce Willis in the classic vigilante role of Paul Kersey, a father, who when his wife is murdered and his daughter sexually assaulted, becomes a vigilante killer nicknamed "The Grim Reaper."

Along with Willis, Death Wish also stars Vincent DOnofrio, Elisabeth Shue, Dean Norris and Mike Epps. Produced by MGM Studio and presented by Carnival Motion Pictures, the film releases in India on 2nd March in English, Hindi and Tamil on the same day as its worldwide release.

This is a partnered post.
Los Angeles: Actor Christian Bale, who played Batman in the famous Christopher Nolan series, has said that he not a fan of the superhero genre.

The 43-year-old actor starred as the iconic caped crusader in Nolan's Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.

During an interview on MTV's Happy Sad Confused podcast, Bale said he has not seen the performance of Ben Affleck as Batman but will certainly see it at some point.

"I have not seen (Ben Affleck's Batman). Yes I'm interested (in seeing it), my son seemed like he was really interested but then I realised he just wanted to see the trailer. I tend to go see films that (my kids) want to see," Bale said.

"I have to confess I'm not a huge superhero film fan. People seem surprised at that, I don't know why. I've not seen any of the Avengers films or any of those films at all. I hear they're very good, but I'm quite happy just hearing they're very good," he added.

Bale also confirmed the reports that he was approached for a role in Solo: A Star Wars Story that ultimately went to Woody Harrelson.

"Yes, (it was) very tempting. I not only love the films going back to my childhood but also have a very long relationship with Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall because they did Empire of the Sun many years back. There was discussion, (and) I hope there will be future discussions," Bale said.
MGM released the second trailer for Eli Roths remake of the 1974 classic action flick, Death Wish with Die Hard veteran Bruce Willis in the lead role.

The trailer begins with ominous statistics about a trigger-happy America. "The US is home to 125 million families. 1 in 4 will become victims of a crime. What if your family was next?" And in typical Hollywood action blockbuster fashion shows a quintessential American family torn apart by an act of senseless violence. Willis plays Paul Kersey, a father who becomes a killing machine, after his wife is murdered and his daughter sexually assaulted. Enraged with a failing justice system, he takes matter into his own hands and goes on a vigilante rampage.

The 1974 original starred Charles Bronson in the lead role and was loosely based on the 1972 novel written by Brian Garfield. The film faced plenty of criticism for its graphic violence and for embracing rather than condemning vigilantism.

Death Wish also features Vincent D'Onofrio, Kimberly Elise, Mike Epps and Elisabeth Shue.

The release date of the reboot was pushed back from 22 November 2017 to 2 March 2018.

On its new date, Death Wish faces competition from the Jennifer Lawrence thriller Red Sparrow, Albert Hughes' action drama Alpha and comedy film Game Night.

Watch the trailers below:
The seemingly never-ending battle between the Hindu right-wing group Karni Sena and makers of Padmavati finally came to an end with a dud of a result.

The movie will now called Padmavat, and that apparently is all that was required for the Censor Board to certify the movie.

The nationwide protests relaxed as soon as the 'i' in Padmavati was dropped. Changing the name of a movie to avoid controversy or confusion may seem like a ridiculous step to take, but this is not the first time it has happened.

The Karni Sena has been calmed with the dropping of the 'i' from the movie's title, just like these other similar instances in the past.

Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela

It seems controversies aren't willing to leave Sanjay Leela Bhansali alone. In 2013, Ram Leela was scheduled to release across India when it was hit by a controversy. The movie, a Bollywood adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, was dragged to court by Hindu right-wing groups. They objected to the name of the movie as it hurt their religious sentiments. The right-wing groups claimed that the movie is an affront to Lord Ram as it uses his name.

Ram Leela (the name is associated with the life story of Lord Ram) faced near-violent opposition from right-wing Hindu groups. These fringe groups claimed that the movies contained sex, violence and vulgarity and hence couldn't use the name of a Hindu God. The movie's name was changed to Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela just 48 hours prior to its scheduled release.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali  a personal favorite target of right-wing Hindu groups  said, "The said film is neither related to Ramleela folklore/traditional performance associated with Lord Ram nor related to Rasleela associated with Lord Krishna. Ram, the character in the said film does not depict or resemble Lord Rama in any manner."

Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino is no stranger to controversies. His movies are filled with violence, gore, bloodshed and foul language, and have stirred up quite a few controversies over the years. Be it the scale of brutality in movies like Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, or the use of the N-word by white actors in Tarantino's movies, there's nothing that hasn't been faced by the master director.

But, his 2009 classic Inglourious Basterds  the movie which gives its viewers the pleasure of seeing onscreen Nazis ferociously murdered  whipped up some major controversy. The movie was earlier called Inglorious Bastards, but was later changed to Inglourious Basterds in hopes of not offending moviegoers. In the UK, the movie's name was changed to simply Inglourious.

South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut

South Park creators absolutely love controversies. They, in a way, enjoy stirring controversy up with their animated television sitcom that has been on air for the past 20 years. And, in 1999, South Park creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, decided to bring the show onto the big screen after its immense popularity.

The censors, however, were not happy with the creators of South Park. The movie ran into trouble with censorship since the very beginning, and the filmmakers waged a long running battle with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). The films original title was deemed too offensive by censors. It is rumored to have been South Park: All Hell Breaks Loose. The creators later came up with a more subtle title South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut.

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

The title of the movie is enough to explain why it must have been changed. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me meant something very different for viewers in the United Kingdom. This raunchy comedy was the first sequel to Mike Myers 1997 original Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

The Mike Myers' comedy classic combined American and British humor; one of the first movies to do so. However, some of the humor did not translate perfectly. The films title was considered far more raunchy and offensive in the UK. As a result, the sequel was re-titled to Austin Powers 2.

Moana

What do you do when your movie shares its name with a famed and much revered porn-star? You change the name. That's what happened with Disney's Moana. The movie tells the story of Moana, the daughter of a Polynesian tribal chieftan, who meets a demigod called Maui.

But, in Italy, the name Moana reminds people of the adult film star Moana Pozzi, who died in 1994. Pozzi remains a popular figure in Italy and even starred in an animated movie of her own named Moanaland. In Italy the title character's name was change to Vaiana. In many European countries except the UK  the film was released as Oceania.
Its been seven years since Suriya had a festival release. After director AR Murugadoss 7aum Arivu, which hit screens on Diwali 2011, Thaanaa Serndha Koottam, which is all set for a Pongal release on 12 January, marks his second festival film in the last eight years. The team organized a pre-release event yesterday in Chennai with the entire cast and crew in attendance, although composer Anirudh Ravichander, who is busy working round the clock on re-recording, was conspicuous by his absence.

Suriya started his speech by wishing Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Vishal who have entered the political arena in the last two months. We all have been keenly watching Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Vishal's decisions of late. They all have our support. I wish them a very good luck in their endeavors."

Thaanaa Serndha Koottam is produced by KE Gnanavel Rajas Studio Green, who has earlier bankrolled Suriyas Sillunu Oru Kadhal, Singam, Masss and lastly Singam 3 in 2017. Talking about his long-standing collaboration with Gnanavel, Suriya said, "I have done 35 films now. There's a lot of important filmmakers and fans who shaped my career. But, there is one person who played a significant role in this entire journey. It's my brother Gnanavel. He always cared about my well-being from the beginning. The choices and decisions he made and the directors he picked for me have played a crucial part in my career."

Every day was a new experience for me in Thaanaa Serndha Koottam, says Suriya

Suriya, who is teaming up with director Vignesh Shivan for the first time, lauded his working style and how he approaches everything with a positive mindset. Vignesh Shivan is quite a positive person. The roles I have played always used to have a tinge of anger. But Vignesh changed it completely. He made me a silent and sensible person with this character. Every day was a new experience for me. There were times when I experienced difficulties in dialogue delivery and was stuck. I used to take time and deliver it properly. I believe there's a lot of freshness in the film. I have received encouraging feedback from everyone regarding my look in this film. Everyone said it's the Suriya they had been waiting to see on screen. The entire credits for my look go to Vignesh. It's entirely his stamp."

Thaanaa Serndha Koottam is majorly different from my previous films, says Suriya



Talking about having a festival release after a long time, Suriya said, "It's been seven years since I had a festival release. It's always an ecstatic feeling to entertain audiences during the festival time. Vignesh Shivan has captured the festive mood very well and has presented a film which everyone will enjoy. There will be no smoking/drinking disclaimer card in the movie. Even the censor board members appreciated Vignesh and said it's been a long time since they watched a film like that. Despite a lot of pressure, he has handled everything calmly and sensibly. I'm eagerly waiting to see the excitement of audiences in theaters. It's been a long time since I watched the FDFS (First Day First Show) of my films. I always used to watch my movies two days after the release because of the anxiety. I'm going to watch Thaanaa Serndha Koottam FDFS in theaters this time. This film made me remember my struggling days. There's a lot of positive things in the movie to take back home. Despite the fact that the film is set in the '80s period, Vignesh has done splendid work to ensure it connects with contemporary audiences. TSK is majorly different from my previous films."

Im sure you wont find many shades of Special 26 in Thaanaa Serndha Koottam, says director Vignesh Shivan

Director Vignesh Shivan reiterated once again that they had bought the remake rights of Special 26 legally before working on the project. I wanted to write an original script. I desired to have every frame conceived by me. But due to time constraints, we had to opt for adaptation. We believe we have made an entertaining film for the Pongal festival, he said.

Talking about how Suriyas Kaakha Kaakha inspired him, Vignesh said, Kaakha Kaakha was a movie which impressed a lot of aspiring filmmakers to enter the industry. I was carrying my school bag then. To think that I've directed Suriya sir now feels extremely good. I was always thinking to deliver an entertaining film. I believe we have made what we had set out to do."

Also starring Keerthy Suresh as the lead heroine, Thaanaa Serndha Koottam features Ramya Krishnan, Suresh Menon, Senthil, RJ Balaji and Sathyan in important roles. The film is slated to hit screens worldwide in Tamil and Telugu on January 12th.
As soon as Sun Pictures officially announced that Keerthy Suresh will be the female lead in Vijays upcoming magnum opus with AR Murugadoss, we got in touch with the actress. As said in my previous interviews, Im a big fan of Vijay sir. I paired with him in Bairavaa last year and I'm yet to get out of the hangover. But now, Ive signed one more film with him. What else can I say? Feeling super happy and looking forward to the shoot, said Keerthy.

Talking about Murugadoss, Keerthy said Ive only met him twice and all I can say is he is very sweet and down to earth person. Though I paired with Vijay sir in Bairavaa, the new film will be directed by AR Murugadoss and its definitely going to be different.

Coincidentally, music composer Rahman also met the media on Thursday to promote his upcoming concert Netru Indru Naalai in Chennai and spoke about his film with Murugadoss and Vijay. Rahman said, It feels good to be back with Murugadoss after ten years. He is very good at justifying songs with visuals. Rahman earlier collaborated with Murugadoss in Ghajini (Hindi).

Fans of Vijay are slightly disappointed with AR Rahman for not using Vijays voice in any of his films. Vijay and Rahman had worked together in Udhaya, Azhagiya Tamizh Magan, and the recent blockbuster Mersal. On the possibilities of Vijay singing in AR Murugadoss film, Rahman said Lets see, the situation should demand and things shouldnt be forced. But fans who expect a different music comparing to Mersal will enjoy the songs.

Another interesting update on Thalapathy 62 is that Pallavi Singh will be taking care of costumes of Thalapathy Vijay and Keerthy Suresh in the film.

Recently, a photo shoot featuring Vijay and Keerthy Suresh was held at AVM Studios, Chennai. Although the team tried to maintain the secrecy, someone leaked the pics of Vijay from the photo shoot and fans were excited seeing their matinee-idol stylishly smoking a cigarette in front of a Rolls Royce.

Sources say that usually Murugadoss takes care of promotional and the creative part of his films, but this time, he will be fully concentrating on the script and Sun Pictures will take care of the promotions. In fact, official updates of the film were announced only by Sun Pictures.

Murugadoss want this new film to be better than his previous two blockbusters with Vijay Kaththi, and Thuppakki. He is aware of the massive expectations and working hard to satisfy ardent fans of the actor, said a source close to the director. On the technical side, besides Rahman, cinematographer Girish Gangadharan (Angamaly Diaries and Kali) and multiple National Award-winning editor Sreekar Prasad are on board for the film.

The shoot of the film is expected to begin by the end of this month.
Pune: The residents of Bhima-Koregaon village, the epicentre of caste violence in Maharashtra, on Friday blamed "outsiders" for the 1 January incidents and claimed there was inadequate security for the mega gathering that preceded the unrest.

Sunita Kamble, 'sarpanch' of Bhima-Koregaon, said all the communities in the village, including Dalits and Marathas, have been living peacefully. The villagers also sought compensation for people who suffered losses in the rioting and vandalism.

Earlier this week, the event to mark 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle, in which forces of the British East India Company defeated Peshwa's army, was marred by incidents of violence, in which one person was killed. Right-wing groups were blamed for the violence.

Following this, Dalit organisations called for a Maharashtra bandh on 3 January during which normal life was crippled in Mumbai and other parts of the state. The bandh also saw attacks on police personnel and damage to public and private property by protesters.

A group of residents of Bhima-Koregaon organised a press conference and spoke about the entire episode, which has brought simmering caste conflict in the state to the fore. They alleged that "outside" elements unleashed the violence and destroyed and torched their shops and houses. The villagers sought a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the next of the kin of Rahul Phatangale, who was killed during the clashes.

Sunita Kamble said, "All the communities in the village, including Dalits and Marathas, have been living peacefully. In the future too, we will continue to live in peace. The unrest in the village was unleashed by some outside elements."

"We appeal for peace and demand that the government pay compensation to the people whose properties such as shops, houses and vehicles were destroyed in the violence," she said.

A villager accused the local authorities of "negligence" and said despite knowing that lakhs of people come to Bhima-Koregaon on 1 January every year, they failed to provide adequate security arrangements, which led to the violence. Recalling the ordeal, another resident Vrushali Gavhane claimed women, children and elderly people were attacked by mobs.

"In the last three days, we have been facing a lot of issues. There is no water, electricity in the village but unfortunately the government has not taken any cognisance of the situation," Gavhane lamented.

She alleged that some "outside" people even tried to assault a visually-impaired girl. Every year, villagers help the visitors who come to commemorate the battle of Bhima-Koregaon by facilitating parking places and providing eatables and drinking water to them, Gavhane added. Meanwhile, the villagers resolved to rebuild the 'samadhi' of Govind Gaikwad, a Dalit, in Vadhu Budruk near Bhima-Koregoan which was vandalised by a mob.
Following the announcement of a $1.5 million state grant, the Carlisle Family YMCA is much closer  but still roughly a year out  from a major overhaul of its facility.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced last week that the Carlisle Family YMCA would receive $1.5 million out of the states Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), a significant boost to the YMCAs capital campaign for facility improvements.

The YMCA has been in the quiet phase of its capital campaign for the past year, said Executive Director Marcia Drozdowski, with more public fundraising efforts planned for 2018.

The ultimate goal is to raise enough money to tear down and rebuild a significant chunk of the current YMCA facility, located on South West Street between Walnut and Willow Streets in Carlisle.

The concept is that we would remove a significant part of the older YMCA structure and then rebuild, Drozdowski said. So well have a different footprint, but well be on the same site, just more efficient and better laid out.

Parts of the current building date to 1899. The YMCA occupied and expanded the site beginning in 1960.

The YMCA board of directors had discussed a possible capital campaign to raise money for a new location and new building in 2009, but put those plans on hold in January of 2010. Discussions then included a possible move to Thornwald Park, as well as other potential locations outside the borough.

In 2015, the board announced plans to revitalize the current structure, plans that took a big step forward with Fridays announcement.

Capital campaign

The initial goal of the YMCAs capital campaign was $9 million, according to Hugh Gilroy, chair of the YMCA Capital Campaign Committee, but a final price tag has yet to be determined. Some parts of the existing facility will definitely stay, while others will definitely go.

The pool and gym will remain, but pretty much everything else is going to be redone and reconfigured, Gilroy said.

Tearing down and rebuilding parts of the facility on the existing lot will be logistically difficult, and YMCA officials had considered moving to a totally new site, Gilroy said  but the majority of donors wanted to see the organization stay at its traditional location.

Part of the success of this campaign is the positive response weve gotten from the communtiy to stay where we are, Gilroy said.

The Board of Directors recognizes that it is time to pursue significant updates to our aging facility, Rob Rahal, President of the Carlisle Family YMCA Board of Directors, said in a release. This revitalization project will allow us to more fully meet the needs of our members moving forward, offer flexible spaces to meet future program trends, provide more family-friendly options, and increase energy efficiencies and reduce maintenance and repair costs.

Gilroy thanked the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation, as well as local legislators Sen. Mike Regan and Rep. Stephen Bloom, for their assistance and support in the RACP grant application process.

Obviously the RCAP grant is a big jump forward for the capital campaign, Gilroy said.

He also thanked local businessmen Kenn Tuckey, Bob Long, and Buz Wolfe for their assistance in organizing the promoting the capital campaign.
Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani on Friday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence over atrocities committed against Dalits in the country. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Mevani also asked the prime minister to clarify if or not Dalits have the right to take out a peaceful rally in India.

Naming multiple incidents which have taken place after Modi took office (Rohith Vemula's death, Una violence, Saharanpur violence), Mevani alleged that the prime minister either stays silent or takes no concrete action when Dalits are affected. He asked for the government to make its position clear on how casteism will end in India.

"Why are Dalits unsafe in this country? Will we ever talk about removal of casteism? We remember Babasaheb Ambedkar for the Constitution but he also had another goal: annihilation of caste," said Mevani.

Taking on Modi's pet projects, Mevani added, "The prime minister talks of Make in India, Digital India but a casteless society is important too. We have Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan but caste still exists. It is time for the government and prime minister Modi to tackle this problem."

Talking about his controversial speech about the Bhima-Koregaon issue, which allegedly erupted violent protests, Mevani said, "I am an MLA and an advocate. I know the Constitution and the law. My speech is online and anyone can see it. It's not inflammatory. The BJP has been stung by winning only 99 seats in Gujarat and is attacking me. We must be allowed to protest legally. If an MLA can be targeted like this, then what about the common man."

Mevani also pointed out that he was not part of the Maharashtra Bandh despite being in Maharashtra. He said that he didn't even attend the conference in Mumbai after the police declined permission for the same.

"Won't targeting me offend Dalits? You should ensure the rule of law, not target an established Dalit leader like me. I appeal that those who have been offended by the action against me should not take to the streets," said Mevani

He also said that there would no compromise with societal justice and he will continue to follow Ambedkar's values. He also said that he will take out a rally in Delhi with other youth leaders and will go to the prime minister and ask him to choose between the Manusmriti and the Constitution.

He ended his address by saying that the failure of law and order in Maharashtra is the fault of the government and those in charge must answer.

The Mumbai Police had on Thursday declined permission to a day-long student convention in which Mevani and JNU student leader Umar Khalid were to take part in Mumbai. The Mumbai Police swooped on Bhaidas Hall in the city's western suburb of Vile Parle, and stopped the Left-leaning Chhatra Bharati's 'All India Students Summit', which the two were to address later.

However, according to NDTV, the organisers are planning to screen the talk online. The report quoted Sachin Bansode from Chatra Bharti, the organizers of the event, as saying, "They (Mevani and Khalid) are both at a secure place in the city. We will hold the exact same programme online on 10 January, and they will address the students then."

The police, however, has maintained that permission was not granted for the programme and their position on that has not changed. It had denied permission for the planned convention, citing prohibitory orders that were imposed in Mumbai after Wednesday's state-wide shutdown.

Opposing the police's move, Chhatra Bharati members staged noisy protests, raised anti-government slogans and attempted to squat outside the venue on Thursday. Chhatra Bharati vice-president Sagar Bhalerao said that the day-long event was planned long ago, and Mevani, Khalid, and others were all listed as speakers.

Simultaneously, the Pune Police registered an FIR against the two leaders for allegedly making inflammatory speeches at a meeting in Shaniwar Wada on 31 December. The police booked Mevani and Khalid for "inciting passions" between communities following a complaint by a student, Akshay G Bikkad.
Mumbai: Controversial right wing leader Sambhaji Bhide, who is also one of the accused of instigating violence against Dalit community in Pune district, on Thursday appealed for a thorough inquiry into the matter.

Eighty-five-year-old Bhide, who heads Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, met with Sangli district collector on Thursday with thousands of his supporters and demanded withdrawal of charges against him. A day after the Bhima Koregaon violence on 2 January, Pimpri Police in Pune district filed a case against Bhide and others under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and under various sections of the IPC including attempt to murder as one person was killed in the caste clashes.

In his letter to media, Bhide stated that his name was being deliberately linked with the violence in Pune district.

"It is a 'banav' (false) that I was present at the riot site in Pune district and was also responsible for it. Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar has levelled allegations of my involvement in inciting the violence. There should be a thorough investigation into this matter," Bhide stated.

He said perpetrators of the violence should face a stern action. Bhide has issued his letter from the letter pad of his outfit asserting that his work is for awakening the nationalism among Hindus.

The Pimpri Police had also booked Pune-based Milind Ekbote of Hindu Ekta Aghadi under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and under various sections of the IPC including attempt to murder.

Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) leader Prakash Ambedkar had alleged that Hindu Ekta Aghadi and Shivraj Pratishthan were responsible for the Bhima Koregaon violence in which one person was killed.

The violence had occurred at an event to mark the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima Koregaon in which the British Army comprising Dalits had defeated the Peshwas. A large section of Dalits view the historical battle as the defeat of the 'casteism' of upper-caste Peshwas.

A case was registered against Ekbote, Bhide, and others, under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, Arms Act, 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC and rioting. The duo were booked after one Anita Salve approached the Pimpri police alleging that she and her friend were attacked by a group of people near Vadhu Budruk village adjacent to Bhima Koregaon on Monday. She alleged that the entire attack and arson was orchestrated by Bhide and Ekbote. Salve, 39, is a social worker and the member of the Bahujan Republican Socialist Party.

Bhide is known among his followers as 'Bhide Guruji'.

He is a staunch right-wing Hindu activist and an ardent admirer of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He has a sizable following in western Maharashtra.

A gold medallist in Chemistry, Bhide has worked as a professor in Pune-based Sir Parshuram College. A former RSS member, Bhide founded the Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, which is mostly active in Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur districts in western Maharashtra.
Ballia (Uttar Pradesh): Threatening to launch a nationwide stir against BJP government, the Samjawadi Party accused the ruling party of unleashing atrocities on minorities, Dalits and other backward castes.

Senior SP leader and leader of Opposition in Uttar Pradesh Assembly Ram Gobind Chaudhary alleged that the BJP, both in the Centre and Uttar Pradesh, are working at the behest of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

"Since the formation of BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh, atrocities have been unleashed on the minorities, Dalits and people hailing from other backward castes at the behest of RSS," Chaudhary said while speaking to the reporters.

Alluding to the recent violence in Maharashtra, Chaudhary said the incident has exposed the "anti-Dalit face of BJP".

"The BJP, as a part of a strategy, is hell bent on decimating the the minorities, dalits and people hailing from the other backward castes.

"As soon as the UP government was formed, it started harassing the Muslims in garb of closure of the abattoirs," he said.

He also talked about the triple talaq bill, which he alleged is a legislation brought by the government to harass Muslim women.

"SP will fight against the repressive policies of the BJP government in a non-violent manner," the SP leader added.
New Delhi: Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani on Friday denied making any inflammatory speech in Pune and said he was being targeted by the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

A day after an FIR was filed against him and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader Umar Khalid for their alleged "provocative" speeches during an event in Pune on 31 December, the Gujarat MLA said he smelt a "conspiracy".

Khalid echoed Mevani and said he was being targeted in an attempt to exonerate the real accused who are closely associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Mevani said, "Neither did I make any inflammatory speech nor did I take part in the bandh in Maharashtra. Ask any constitutional expert to analyse my speech and find anything that is derogatory."

Mevani said he suffered from a migraine after the public meeting on 31 December.

"After the meeting, I was down with a terrible migraine. Neither did I indulge in any activity in Mumbai nor did I take part in the bandh or visit Bhima Koregaon," he said.

"Despite all this, when I am being targeted, I smell a conspiracy. I am being targeted by the BJP and Sangh," Mevani told reporters at the Press Club of India in New Delhi.

Mevani and Khalid had attended the "Elgar Parishad", an event organised to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima Koregaon in Pune on 31 December.

According to a complaint filed by a Pune resident, their "provocative" speeches were aimed at creating disharmony and rift between the communities, which led to violence at Bhima Koregaon on 1 January.

"Bhima Koregaon is 30 km from Pune and I did not speak anywhere after the 31st public meeting. Despite having video evidence of the violence, it is ridiculous that we are being targeted. This is a part of an agenda to divert attention from Sambhaji Bhide and Milind Ekbote," Khalid told PTI.

Ekbote of Samast Hindu Aghadi and Bhide of Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan are in the spotlight for allegedly "orchestrating" the violence at Bhima Koregaon.

"Sambhaji Bhide was called tapasvi or mahapurush by Modi during a rally in Maharashtra in January 2014. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was also present," Khalid added.

Mevani, the newly elected MLA from Vadgam, also urged the prime minister to break his silence on incidents of violence against Dalits in the country.

"Why is PM Modi, who is claiming to be an Ambedkarite, silent? He must clarify his position on whether Dalits have the right to hold peaceful rallies," Mevani said.

During his 'Social Justice' rally on 9 January, Mevani said he would carry the Manusmriti and Constitution to the PM's office and ask him to choose between the two.

Normal life was crippled in Maharashtra on 3 January due to a bandh called by Dalit groups to protest the violence on the anniversary of the battle fought 200 years ago.

Dalit groups commemorate the British victory against the Peshwas of Maharashtra in the Bhima Koregaon battle as it is believed that soldiers from the Mahar community were part of the East India Company's forces. The Peshwas were Brahmins, and the victory is seen as a symbol of Dalit assertiveness.
Mumbai: Maharashtra minister of state for social justice Dilip Kamble has blamed "outsiders" for instigating trouble in Bhima-Koregaon and nearby areas of Pune district on 1 January in which one person was killed.

Countering the Opposition's charge that the government had failed to take measures ahead of the bicentennial event to commemorate the Bhima Koregaon battle, Kamble said adequate police force was deployed anticipating a huge crowd.

One person was killed in the clashes, apparently between Marathas and Dalits. The violence had sparked protests across the state on 2 and 3 January.

The minister, who was at the spot on the day of the violence in Bhima Koregaon, said as soon as a group of people began throwing stones from the other side of the state highway, the state reserve police force (SRPF) was called in to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control.

He said villagers of Wadhu Budruk have been living in peace and harmony for many years as the areas around the war memorial witnessed development due to people visiting the place.

"The trouble began with some outside miscreants putting up a flex hoarding at the site of the tomb of Ganpat Gaikwad with objectionable references aimed at instigating a conflict with the upper castes," the Dalit leader said.

Dalits claim that it was Gaikwad and not Marathas who had performed the last rites of Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji, who was tortured to death by Aurangzeb.

When stone pelting began on 1 January, Kamble found himself in the middle of two warring groups. Asked to comment on the alleged role of Shiv Prathishthan Hindustan's Sambhaji Bhide Guruji and Hindu Ekta Aghadi's Milind Ekbote, the minister said they were not involved in the conflict.

"The work of Bhide is restricted to the conservation of forts built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. While Ekbote's role was restricted to the preservation of the memorial of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj," he said.

Kamble said the real culprits and conspirators would be exposed during the judicial probe ordered by the government. He denied that the incident would adversely impact the ruling BJP in coming elections.
Ujjain: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday stressed the need to foster social harmony and called for banishing discord in society, his comments coming in wake of violent protests by Dalits in Maharashtra.

He said India was more than just a piece of land and asked people to shun discrimination and treat all citizens equally.

"While worshipping the 'motherland', we have to consider the entire society as ours. We should be free from barriers of 'ours versus theirs' and 'big versus small' and treat everyone the same," Bhagwat said, addressing a gathering here after unveiling a 16-feet statue of 'Bharat Mata'.

Bhagwat's remarks came after violence in Maharashtra during the anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in Pune district brought to fore the simmering caste tension and triggered protests by Dalits.

Appealing to all Indians to live in harmony, Bhagwat said, "Where there are cordial ties, there is no ego. India is not just a piece of land. There are people who say it is just a piece of land and keep doing something. Such people are neither our brothers and sisters nor the offsprings of 'Bharat Mata'."

"We should rid ourselves of discrimination and treat all equally," he said.

Bhagwat said Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam founder CN Annadurai once considered Tamil Nadu as a "separate country", which had "nothing to do" with India. However, when China attacked India in 1962, Annadurai changed his stand and opined that when the country is in danger, to advocate separatism would be to give way to the foreigner, he said. "Who taught this to Annadurai? It is the soil of India which has sowed seed of patriotism in every citizen," Bhagwat said.

Touching upon the RSS' undivided India (Akhand Bharat) concept, he said, "We should always worship the undivided image of Mother India." Bhagwat said the Indian ethos is rooted in the idea of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is one family'). "We consider the world as one family. We find God in ourselves and everywhere. Indian ideology is based on this concept," the RSS leader maintained.

Violence erupted in Pune district when Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in which the forces of the British East India Company defeated the Peshwa's army. Right-wing groups have been blamed for the clashes which left one person dead.

Dalit leaders commemorate the British victory as it is believed that soldiers from the Mahar (Dalit) community were part of the East India Company's forces. The Peshwas were Brahmins, and the victory is seen as a symbol of Dalit assertiveness.
The Budget Session will commence from 29 January, 2018, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said on Friday, the last day of the ongoing Winter Session. The minister also told the media that the Budget Session will be split into parts, the first part starting from 29 January and ending on 5 February. After this, the Parliament will meet again after a break of 23 days on 5 March. The session will end on 6 April.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present India's first Budget post the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on 1 February 2018. This will also be the current government's last full Budget.

Moreover, the Budget Session will also see a debate on the controversial Muslim Women Protection of Rights in Marriage Bill 2017 (or the triple talaq bill as it is commonly known), which could not be passed in the Upper House in Winter Session.

Both the Congress and BJP had issued a whip to their Rajya Sabha MPs to remain present in the House, in case the bill which was listed for today be taken up. However, the slugfest between the Opposition and Treasury Benches, the House was adjourned sine die, without any consensus being reached on the bill.

While the government wants that the bill be passed as it is adopted in the Lok Sabha  where the BJP enjoys a brute majority  the Opposition stuck to its demand that the bill be referred to a Select Committee. The debate is now pushed likely to be pushed over to the first half of the Budget Session.

The bill in its current form seeks to make the instant triple talaq or talaaq-e-biddat a criminal offence and proposes up to three years in jail as punishment for a Muslim man who divorces his wife by saying "talaq" thrice. The Opposition parties, however, want further scrutiny of the bill and have an objection to the criminality clause. They insist on provisions for giving financial aid to Muslim women as they argue that a man who has been sentenced to jail won't be able to provide for the woman.

The government lacks strength in the Upper House to pass the bill, but so far it has stayed adamant that any concerns on the bill can be raised on the floor of the house, and there is no need to send it to the Select Committee.

President Ramnath Kovind will address the joint sitting of the two Houses on 29 January and the Economic Survey will be tabled on the same day, Kumar told reporters.

The Recommendation of the session dates was made by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs which met at the Parliament House on Friday after the adjournment of both Houses sine die.
New Delhi: Former defence minister AK Antony's driver allegedly committed suicide at the leader's residence in Lutyens' Delhi, police said on Friday.

Police said that the man, identified as Sanjay Singh, 35, was found hanging in the servant quarters at the official residence of the Congress leader on Jantar Mantar Road.

The body has been sent for post-mortem and his family members in Lalauli district of Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh were also informed about it, they said.

No suicide note was found. However, police have ruled out foul play and said a probe is on to ascertain why he took the extreme step.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a plea of INLD chief OP Chautala, serving a ten-year jail term in teachers recruitment scam case, to extend his parole to look after his ailing wife.

The 82-year-old former Haryana chief minister will have to surrender on 8 January, when his parole is due to expire.

Justice Mukta Gupta refused to extend the relief granted to Chautala on 22 December, 2017, saying there were other family members to look after his wife, admitted in a hospital, and he should reserve it for a better time. "At this stage, the court does not see any ground to extend the parole. The application is dismissed," the court said, adding that Chautala has been able to oversee improvement in the health of his wife and he cannot get parole for an indefinite period for this purpose.

Senior advocate Sudhir Nandrajog and advocate Amit Sahni, appearing for Chautala, sought extension of parole by four weeks on the grounds that his wife was now admitted in Medanta Medicity Hospital in Gurgaon and he wanted to look after her.

Sensing the mood of the court which was not inclined to grant the relief, the counsel urged it to extend the parole by a week but the prayer was declined.

The court had on 22 December last year granted a two-week parole to Chautala and restrained him from being involving in any

other activity. It had also stopped him from moving out of Sirsa where his wife was earlier admitted in a hospital.

In the petition, the leader had said that his wife Sneh Lata was critically ill and was hospitalised at Sirsa in Haryana and that he wanted to spend time with his wife "in her last days".

Delhi police standing counsel Rahul Mehra had opposed his parole plea, saying the court had earlier cancelled Chautala's parole and furlough on the grounds that he was attending political rallies. Chautala, his son Ajay Chautala and three others are

serving a 10-year jail term in the case.

The Supreme Court in August 2015 had dismissed Chautalas' appeals against the high court verdict upholding their conviction and sentence of 10 years jail term awarded by a trial court in the junior basic trained teachers recruitment scam case.

The father-son duo and 53 others, including two IAS officers, were among 55 persons convicted on 16 January, 2013 by the trial court for illegally recruiting 3,206 JBT teachers in Haryana in 2000.
GOP Rep. Chris Stewart, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, joined the growing list of Republicans calling for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign.

"This is hard for me, it really is, because I think Jeff Sessions is one of the most honorable men in Washington, D.C.," Stewart told CNN's Wolf Blitzer Friday afternoon. "But we have been weakened in our investigation into very important concerns at the Department of Justice and the FBI. Jeff Sessions is not able to take the reigns and direct that investigation."

He continued: "We need the director there who can take the reigns and be assertive in that. He can't do that when he is recused. I believe it may be time for him to step aside."

Because of his recusal, Sessions is unable to act on the department's current Russia probe -- spearheaded by special counsel Robert Mueller's team, appointed in May, and overseen by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. But a new attorney general, appointed by Trump, would not be bound by those restrictions, and could potentially fire Rosenstein and Mueller and reassert control over the investigation.

In the call, Stewart joined Mark Meadows, Freedom Caucus chair, and Jim Jordan, a member who sits on the oversight and judiciary committees in the US House of Representatives, who wrote an op-ed for the Washington Examiner and criticized Sessions' handling of the department's investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

"Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from the Russia investigation, but it would appear he has no control at all of the premier law enforcement agency in the world," they wrote. "It is time for Sessions to start managing in a spirit of transparency to bring all of this improper behavior to light and stop further violations."

The Republican congressmen wrote that "if Sessions can't address this issue immediately, then we have one final question needing an answer: When is it time for a new attorney general? Sadly, it seems the answer is now."
A special court on Friday deferred the sentencing of Lalu Prasad Yadav till Saturday in a decades' old case relating to the notorious multi-million-rupees fodder scam, for the third day in a row.

The case relates to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar treasury 21 years ago. The sentence will be pronounced via video conferencing even as Lalu had assured the court on Thursday that he was ready to appear in person. He assured the special CBI court judge Shiv Pal Singh that there would be no slogans raised in the courtroom by his supporters.

The court had, on Thursday, deferred the pronouncement of sentence to Friday, for the second day in a row.

According to lawyers, Lalu can be awarded three to seven years' punishment. If he gets three years' term, he would get bail soon after sentencing.

Thursday's proceedings were also marked with funny one-liners, characteristic of the veteran politician. In the midst of the hearing, Lalu told the judge that he found it "very cold" in prison. Judge Singh, hearing the case, was quick to reply, "Then, play tabla (musical instrument)".

According to a lawyer who was present in the courtroom, Lalu told the judge: "Sir, jail me thanda bahut lagta hai. (It is very cold in the prison.)"

The RJD leader added there were other problems too. "I am not allowed to meet people."

The judge responded: "That's why you are called to the court so that you can meet people. If you feel cold, then play harmonium or tabla to beat the cold."

During the course of proceedings in the packed courtroom, the judge told Lalu that he had read the latter's record and had vigilance remained tight, such a thing (fodder scam) would not have happened.

The judge further commented that the RJD chief did not act promptly on which Lalu in his characteristic style said, "Sir, I am also a lawyer." "Then take a degree in jail," the judge quipped in.

Lalu further said, "Sir, everything gets ok if one has a cool mind." The judge, however, said, "I do not listen to anyone. Your well wishers' calls are coming from far off places... and I am cool."

Lalu is now lodged at the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi. A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on 23 December convicted the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and 15 others in a case relating to the fodder scam.

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

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

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

However, the RJD chief is expected to get bail soon after sentencing. He had requested that he be awarded a minimum sentence on health grounds over his diabetes and heart surgery. The RJD leader also said that he was suffering from a bladder infection.
Patna: RJD leaders on Friday asserted that none from the party made telephone calls to the special CBI judge at Ranchi, who is to pronounce the quantum of punishment to Lalu Prasad Yadav in a fodder scam case, but felt political opponents may have done so in the guise of RJD supporters.

The assertions were made by Shivanand Tiwary and senior party leader Jagdanand Singh.

Their denial came in the wake of special CBI court judge Shiv Pal Singh, before deferring the pronouncement on the quantum of punishment on Lalu on Thursday, commenting in his presence about him receiving phone calls from the RJD chief's well-wishers.

"I came to know about it (special CBI judge Singh making the aforementioned statement in court) through media reports. I can say with certainty that no RJD leader would resort to such a step, as everyone knows that such desperation can backfire", Tiwary told reporters.

He also said "the possibility of our political opponents making such a call in the guise of RJD supporters cannot be ruled out. They may indulge in such mischief to queer the pitch for Lalu".

The RJD vice-president expressed hope that "quantum of sentence in the instant case relates to the withdrawal of money from Deogarh treasury will be less than the one awarded to him in 2013 since the amount involved in the present case is much smaller".

Prasad was convicted by the CBI court on 23 December in a case relating to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from the treasury in Deoghar district.

Earlier, he was awarded five years imprisonment in 2013 in a case relating to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 33.61 crore from the Chaibasa treasury.

The RJD supremo was later released on bail granted by the Supreme Court.

The RJD supremo's counsel has been pressing for "minimum punishment" in view of his old age and poor health.

Legal experts say that if the quantum of sentence happens to be less than three years, Prasad would be able to apply for bail immediately at the lower court itself.

Tiwary, who is among leaders of the RJD and the Congress against whom the CBI court has issued contempt notices for criticising the judgement whereby Prasad was convicted, also questioned "why is the judge unwilling to name the callers. And why has he not initiated action against them?"

Echoing Tiwary's views, senior RJD leader Jagdanand Singh told reporters separately "it is unlikely that any of Lalu's well-wishers will do something like this. Unless the judge sheds more light on the episode... discloses the identity of the callers, much cannot be said on the issue".

Meanwhile, Bihar BJP spokesman Sanjay Singh Tiger alleged that the reports of calls to the judge showed that "RJD leaders were going to the extent of trying to put pressure on the judiciary to save their party supremo from facing the consequences of corruption".

Asked if BJP men could have made telephone calls pretending to be RJD supporters, Tiger said "this is ridiculous. Why would any of our leaders ever seek leniency for Lalu with whatever motive? Our party has been in the forefront of exposing the corruption of Lalu and his family and we are glad that justice is being done".
Washington: A 34-year-old Indian man has been arrested in the US for an alleged sexual assault on a woman passenger who fell asleep next to him on a flight.

The man, Prabhu Ramamoorthy, was accused of abusing a 22-year-old woman seated by the window next to him while his wife was on his other side on a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Detroit early on 3 January.

Ramamoorthy, who prosecutors said was an Indian national living in the US on a temporary visa, was charged with aggravated sexual abuse and held without bail after an appearance in federal court in Michigan on Thursday, the Washington Post reported.

The victim told investigators that she woke up to discover the fellow passenger shoving his fingers inside her pants and "vigorously moving them", according to a federal criminal complaint. She said her shirt was also "unbuttoned".

Federal prosecutor Amanda Jawad said Ramamoorthy stopped after the victim opened her eyes and then the shaken woman immediately alerted flight attendants.

Two flight attendants told investigators that the victim was crying and that her shirt was untied and pants were unbuttoned when she reported the incident, 40 minutes before the plane's landing, Jawad said.

The woman was offered a different seat and Ramamoorthy was arrested after the plane landed, the court documents stated.

According to the prosecutor, Ramamoorthy said in a written statement that he had taken a pill and fallen into deep sleep. He said he hadn't done anything besides learning from his wife that "the woman was sleeping on his knees".

His wife told officials a similar version and said that they had called the flight attendants to try to change seats. But the prosecutor said that "flight attendants did not report that anyone asked them to change seats other than the victim".

According to a news report, Ramamoorthy later altered his story and told an FBI agent that he might have unclasped the sleeping woman's bra "while playing with it".

The court filing stated that Ramamoorthy also admitted that he "unzipped the woman's pants part-way and put his finger inside".

Prosecutor Jawad said Ramamoorthy gave "conflicting reports" about what happened with the victim. Magistrate Judge R Steven Whalen ordered Ramamoorthy to be held pending trial.

Stephen Schuler, a spokesman for Spirit, said it was cooperating with law enforcement on the incident.

Ramamoorthy made a request to contact the Indian consulate regarding his case.
After the Mumbai Police declined permission to a day-long student convention in which Gujarat legislator Jignesh Mevani and JNU student leader Umar Khalid were to take part, the organisers have found a work-around. NDTV reported that instead of having the talk take place in a hall as was planned earlier, Mevani and Khalid will now address the students online.

The report quoted Sachin Bansode from Chatra Bharti as saying, "They are both at a secure place in the city. We will hold the exact same programme online on 10 January, and they will address the students then."

Meanwhile, the police is still maintaining that permission was not granted for the programme and their position on that has not changed.

On Thursday, Mumbai Police swooped on Bhaidas Hall in the city's western suburb of Vile Parle, and stopped the Left-leaning Chhatra Bharati's 'All India Students Summit', which Khalid and Mevani were to address later.

Simultaneously, the Pune Police registered an FIR against the two leaders for allegedly making inflammatory speeches at a meeting in Shaniwar Wada on 31 December.

Considered the Dalit face of Gujarat politics and convenor of the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch, Mevani was elected to the state Assembly in December as an Independent legislator.

The police broke up the planned convention, citing prohibitory orders that were imposed in Mumbai after Wednesday's state-wide shutdown.

Opposing the police's move, Chhatra Bharati members staged noisy protests, raised anti-government slogans and attempted to squat outside the venue on Thursday. Many were seen running on to the main road outside. Defying the police, some even attempted to enter the auditorium but were evicted. Many were bundled into a police van and detained.

Chhatra Bharati vice-president Sagar Bhalerao said the day-long event was planned long ago, and Mevani, Khalid and others were all listed as speakers.

In Pune, the police booked Mevani and Khalid for "inciting passions" between communities following a complaint by a student, Akshay G Bikkad.

Bikkad said that at a meeting on 31 December, the duo allegedly made inflammatory speeches that could create a misunderstanding between communities, and included excerpts from the objectionable speeches. The complainant said that such inflammatory speeches can create a wedge and enmity between communities. Provoked by these utterances, some miscreants attacked the Victory Pillar (Vijay Stambh) in Koregaon-Bhima, resulting in riots and created arson on 1 January, he said.

The developments came in the wake of the series of disturbances in Maharashtra starting with the desecration of a monument in Vadhu Budruk on 29 December, followed by the riots in Koregaon-Bhima that left one dead on 1 January, and the Maharashtra bandh that killed one minor boy and left a trail of destruction across the state.

With inputs from IANS
New Delhi: A delegation of BJP MPs on Thursday met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to demand a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the killing of a Hindu activist in Karnataka and other such deaths in the state.

Lead by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shobha Karandlaje, the delegation requested the Home Minister to intervene in the matter and ensure a probe by the counter-terrorism agency into the murder of Deepak Rao, who is reportedly 21st person to be killed in Karnataka in the recent past.

According to police, Rao was hacked to death in the Dakshina Kannada district on Wednesday when he was returning after collecting some documents from his shop owner Abdul Majid. He was riding a motorbike on his way to work when four assailants came in a car, waylaid him and attacked with a sharp-edged weapon.

Karandlaje alleged involvement of radical Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) in most of the killings.

"This is the 21st murder in Karnataka. Of these, 12 were committed by 'jihadis'. The organisation is active in Karnataka because the state government is supporting it. It should be linked to national security and terrorism. The cases should be probed by the NIA," Karandlaje told reporters after the meeting.

She accused the Congress-led Siddaramaiah state government of trying to hush up the cases and not disclosing the forensic report of another slain activist, Paresh Mesta.

Mesta was killed in Uttara Kannada district's Honnavar town in December 2017.

She also charged the state government with supporting the Islamist group for "vote bank politics".

"Siddaramaiah himself called the PFI and its political body, and asked them to support the Congress in the next elections," she claimed.

BJP MP Pralhad Joshi also demanded on Thursday in the Lok Sabha a probe into the murder of Rao by the NIA while raising the issue during the Zero Hour.

He accused the Congress government in Karnataka of turning a blind eye to the killings as it "wants to adopt the Kerala model" of governance where BJP members "are being targeted".

"I demand an NIA inquiry into all these cases," Joshi said.
Kochi: The National Investigation Agency probing the 'Kerala love jihad' case on Friday decided to interrogate "some accused" jailed in connection with an Islamic State (IS) module case in the state.

NIA sources said, "some accused" in the 'Kanakamala IS module case' knew Shafin Jahan, a Muslim man facing probe into his marriage with Hadiya, a Kerala woman at the centre of the alleged love-jihad case.

The sources said they had communicated with Jahan so that the probe agency has "to speak to them to verify true facts."

The NIA's Kochi unit had earlier filed two charge sheets before the NIA special court in Kochi against eight people from Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the case relating to a secret meeting by the Kerala-based IS module (Omar Al-Hindi ISIS module) at Kanakamala in Kannur.

The NIA had last month questioned Jahan, after the Supreme Court gave its nod to it to continue its probe into his marriage with Hadiya and her conversion.

Their marriage was annulled by the Kerala High Court in December 2016 after her father alleged that his daughter was being indoctrinated and may be taken to Islamic State territories in Iraq and Syria by extremist Islamic outfits.

The Supreme Court in November last year had allowed Hadiya, who was placed under her parents custody since her marriage was annulled by the High Court, to resume her studies at a homoeopathy college in Tamil Nadus Salem district.

Born as Akhila, she converted to Islam and changed her name to Hadiya before marrying Jahan.
Kerala Police on Friday recovered explosives near a railway bridge in Malappuram, news reports said. The incident was suspected to be an attempted terror attack, India Today reported.

Five metal containers containing explosives were found under the Kuttipuram railway bridge in Bharathappuzha, ANI reported.

According to Times Now, the bombs have been defused. The police is probing the incident, Deccan Chronicle reported.

The explosives were first spotted by passers-by, after which a team of senior police officers rushed to the spot and recovered the material, CNNews18 reported.

The containers had the wordings "Front toward enemy".

Police said the objects looked like land mines and the gunny bags were in military green colour.

The army and National Security Guard have been informed about the recovery and were expected to visit the spot and examine the objects, they said.

With inputs from PTI
Mumbai: Mumbai police on Friday denied permission for a lecture by pro-Hindutva leader and Shri Shiv Pratisthan chief Sambhaji V Bhide, two days after it cancelled a lecture by Gujarat Dalit legislator Jignesh Mewani and JNU student leader Umar Khalid.

Bhide was scheduled to deliver a lecture in Lalbaug on Sunday in the wake of the 1 January Koregaon-Bhima riots followed by the violence during the Maharashtra shutdown on 3 January.

"In view of the recent developments and the manner in which Bhide Guruji's name is being linked with the Koregaon-Bhima incidents, we have decided to postpone the lecture to avoid any disturbances," Pratishthan spokesperson Balwant Dalvi said in Mumbai.

Earlier on Friday, Bhide denied all allegations against him vis-a-vis the violence in Koregaon-Bhima as "baseless" and demanded a thorough probe into the incident by the Maharashtra government.

He broke his silence after the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) President Prakash Ambedkar levelled against him allegations of having incited violence on 1 January in Koregaon-Bhima where Dalits had congregated to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Anglo-Maratha war.

"Prakash Ambedkar's allegations against me are totally baseless. I urge the government to probe the incidents properly and punish the guilty. If I am found guilty, I am ready for the consequences," asserted Bhide, known as "Guruji" among his followers in large parts of western Maharashtra.

The controversial right-wing leader and a former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activist expressed his willingness to face any inquiry panel or probe that the state government might set up, as demanded by Ambedkar.

Bhide dismissed Ambedkar's statements that he (Bhide) was present near Koregaon-Bhima and responsible for the caste riots as "fake", and said his name was being deliberately dragged into the entire matter.

The 87-year-old leader, an ex-professor holding an MSc degree in Nuclear Science, demanded that anybody who perpetrated the violence should be booked and dealt with sternly by the law and, if required, the matter should be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

On 2 January, the Pune police slapped cases against Bhide and Hindu Ekta Samiti chief Milind Ekbote under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and the Indian Penal Code after the 1 January rioting in Koregaon-Bhima, which left one youth from Nanded dead.

On Thursday, a day after the massive "Maharashtra Shutdown", which turned violent and left the Nanded schoolboy dead, Bhide issued a statement to the media explaining that his organisation worked for awakening the spirit of nationalism among Hindus.

Referring to the cases lodged against him, he claimed that the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act was being misused in many cases.

For the past four days, Ambedkar has been making persistent demands for the arrest of both Bhide and Ekbote, accusing them of instigating the violence.

Most Dalits consider the historic battle on 1 January, 1818 as a "victory" of the lower castes vis-a-vis the upper caste Peshwas and gather there in huge numbers at the annual commemoration events.

Acceding to Ambedkar's pleas, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced a probe into the incidents by a sitting judge of Bombay High Court, a CID probe and compensation for the victim's family.

The state government on Friday made a formal request to the acting Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, seeking appointment of a judge for the probe.
Editor's Note: With the contentious National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill 2017 sent to the Standing Committee for review, an Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery consultant takes a deeper look at the bill and how it measures up in terms of solving major issues plaguing the medical education and healthcare industry in India. This is the first of a two-part series.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? "Who will guard the guards themselves?"  Roman poet Juvenal (Satires).

In 2015, the NITI Aayog was tasked to recommend reforms in the medical sector plagued by corruption within Medical Council of India (MCI). A three-member NITI Aayog panel came up with recommendations to reform the health sector. This cleared the way for a bill specifying MCI's closure and creation of the National Medical Commission (NMC) in its place. The doctors and people in the medical field (by far one of the biggest stakeholders in this sector) were excluded from being part of this supposed "reform" process.

MCI is an elected statutory body comprising mostly of qualified medical doctors and some government nominated ex-officio members to help in the functioning of the organisation. MCI is responsible for maintaining uniform standards of medical education in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses. They are responsible for recognition or de-recognition of medical qualifications awarded by medical institutions of India or foreign countries. They also maintain the national registry for permanent registration/provisional registration of doctors with recognised medical qualifications. They also work with foreign countries on the matter of mutual recognition of medical qualifications. The MCI along with state medical councils regulates medical education by setting curriculum, safeguarding the rights of the patients and taking action on medical negligence.

The MCI has not really been smelling of roses in recent years with a slew of corruption charges eroding the trust that should be placed on such an institution. Even after Ketan Desais arrest in 2010 and dissolution of the MCI, the rot in the system has not been completely uprooted. The fraud runs both ways  the MCI and the medical institutions were hand-in-glove in this racket. A 2015 extensive report by Reuters paints a very poor picture of the medical education scene in the country. An edited excerpt from the article below:

"Government records show that since 2010, at least 69 Indian medical colleges and teaching hospitals have been accused of such transgressions or other significant failings, including rigging entrance exams or accepting bribes to admit students. Two dozen of schools has been recommended for outright closure by the regulator. Patients pretending, they are sick and doctors posing as faculty members are routine. The ramifications of Indias broken medical-education system are being felt beyond the countrys borders."

The training in many new medical colleges (both government and private) are sub-par and can often be bought for a price in private medical colleges. We do have a shortage of doctors in India, but lowering the standards of training is a recipe for disaster. Poorly trained doctors can do more harm than having a shortage of doctors. We do not have the necessary infrastructure to train enough doctors to meet the demand that exists in India. These unscrupulous private medical colleges become hotbeds of corruption in healthcare where the health of the country is sold off to the highest bidder.

There is massive fraud occurring in the medical education sector today  the MCI and governments are to be squarely blamed for this mess. The NMC Bill, 2017, is not the right way to address this problem. Instead of cleaning up the system, the NMC Bill adds more red tape into the system.

Replacing a democratic institution with a government controlled body

The NMC Bill seeks to replace a self-regulatory, elected federal structure like MCI with a commission whose members will mostly be bureaucrats, social activists and other professional experts from civil society like chartered accountants, engineers, lawyers, management professionals, etc. While a professional body being regulated by people from outside the profession seems like a laughable proposition, that it is happening in healthcare is a worrying shift indeed.

Would you have doctors and engineers regulating chartered accountancy in India? Would you have politicians, bureaucrats and management professionals heading the Bar Council of India? The NMC Bill is as ludicrous as that.

The problem with the MCI was corruption and not that it was run by doctors. Corruption inside the MCI went unpunished for long. The NMC Bill does not address this problem. Are we to believe that the non-doctors will be less corrupt than the earlier corrupt MCI mandarins?

The table below gives the hierarchical structure of the NMC:

The above table shows just how much control the government gets over the medical sector as per the NMC Bill. Governments should not decide on the complete composition of any professional medical regulatory body as they have conflicts of interest  either with their politicians owning medical colleges or due to vote bank politics. Governments cannot run a professional body, much less a medical regulatory body because then the government runs the risk of using medicine to accomplish its political goals rather than public needs.

Majority of the medical colleges  private and government  established in the last decade or so have failed on the basic metrics of imparting modern medical education and training. With the NMC, the government is making it easier to establish such medical colleges without the risk of closure once approved even if they have a sub-standard infrastructure. The NMC bill proposes to remove the clause de-recognising medical colleges if found not following norms, and substituting that punishment with fines.

Also, the new Bill allows medical colleges to increase the number of seats in undergraduate courses and start post-graduate courses without seeking permission from the central regulatory body. This will encourage an indiscriminate free-for-all increase in MBBS seats and residency programmes without a parallel improvement in infrastructure and quality of the programmes. To provide context, MCI has refused recognition for 132 medical colleges in the last year out of which 97 belonged to politicians. The applications for new medical colleges were rejected for sub-standard faculty and infrastructure. How will the NMC with members nominated by the government reject recognition of such sub-standard medical colleges? This is a direct conflict of interest and the NMC fails to be an independent regulatory authority that it is supposed to be.

Moreover, how does the government plan to check on the corruption inside NMC? What are the measures to prevent NMC from becoming another corrupt MCI? The National Advisory Council (NAC) which was supposed to oversee NMC has members from the NMC as well. This again gives very little confidence that the new NMC will not become corrupt as the NAC is hardly an independent body. How is the new NMC any different from the previous MCI other than the lack of doctors in the new one?

Basically, the question is who will guard the guards?

The Lok Sabha has sent the NMC Bill to the standing committee to relook the controversial parts of the Bill. The committee will do well to think this through properly before going down the road of no return. The standards for medical education should be uniform for private and government colleges. These standards should be established keeping all the stakeholders into confidence  the doctors, the civil society organisations and the government. The government needs to incentivise primary care for new MBBS graduates by providing a good career trajectory, basic but robust infrastructure and decent remuneration. Lastly, the government needs to spend more than the dismal 1.3 percent of the GDP on healthcare and medical education and only then will they see any change on the ground.

In an interview to the Indian press in 2015, Richard Horton, editor of the prestigious British medical journal, Lancet, said this about Indias healthcare:

India is on the edge and it can take two routes. It can take a route of investing in health and investing in its people and creating a thriving and flourishing future for Indiaor, it can do what it is doing now and ignore health in which case it will see epidemics sweep across the country creating an unsustainable future and destroying national security. India needs to make a choice. Should we commit to stand with Myanmar, Sierra Leone, and Haiti and neglect public services or emulate the experiences of better-performing health systems in Europe, Thailand, and Cuba, who have invested in building public services?
New Delhi: Airlines should offer better quality food as well as change menus periodically, suggested a Parliamentary Standing Committee report.

It also flayed Indigo for not providing food to diabetic passengers.

"Many Members of the Committee pointed out the need to ensure better quality of food served in the airlines. They also opined that the menu offered should be changed periodically. In some cases, the food offered is awful," the report said.

In a strongly worded 26-page report "Issues related to improving consumers' satisfaction of airlines" tabled on 4 January, the committee on transport, tourism and culture said: "The CEO of Jet Airways admitted to the Committee that in recent times, the quality of food served in Jet Airways has deteriorated and assured that it will be improved in a few weeks. There were less complaints about food served by Spice Jet, Air Asia and Air India. Everyone liked the food served by Vistara."

It said the Committee was informed that there are great difficulties in getting water and food in low cost airlines especially in Indigo.

"In Indigo, the food has to be pre-booked and on board, if someone demands food, they refuse to provide the food even to those who are diabetic and suffering from other medical conditions. A passenger has to report to the airport counter two hours before the departure time and one has to spend a few more hours in the flight without food and water and it is a horrible thing to face."

The Committee recommended that Indigo and other low cost airlines should take adequate steps to ensure that food is available to passengers on demand especially to those who are having some medical conditions.

"The Committee notes that the main difference between a low cost carrier and the full cost carrier is the serving of food. It is unacceptable for airlines to serve unsatisfactory food after having charged customers for it. Every airline should maintain the highest quality of food and they should also change the menu occasionally instead of keeping a cold sandwich in their menu throughout the year.

"The Committee recommends that random audits of the catering kitchens should be held to ensure quality, quantity and hygiene and that feedback from customers may also be taken into account. The cost of food may be separately printed on the ticket."
The awards race for 2017 films is much more competitive than in past years, with film critic associations and industry groups awarding different films their top awards.

When it gets to the Academy Awards in early March, it could be anyone's game. The Golden Globes, airing this Sunday night on NBC, could provide some further clarity, but the Hollywood Foreign Press Association also has its notable likes and dislikes.

It loves Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio and shuffling ill-fitting movies in the comedy/musical category ("The Martian" last year and "Get Out" this year). It also tends to not award minorities or minority-led films unless they are clearly the frontrunner for the Oscars. "12 Years a Slave" won both the Golden Globe and the Oscar in 2014, and "Slumdog Millionaire" won both in 2009, but the odds are "Moonlight" would not have won the Golden Globe last year if "La La Land" had been in the same category (the Golden Globes unsurprisingly gave "La La Land" most of the awards that year, including acting and directing).

You also have to consider that a person of color hasn't won a Golden Globe since Jamie Foxx in "Ray" in 2005, that HFPA snubbed "The Big Sick" entirely, and that Jada Pinkett Smith slammed the HFPA for not even watching "Girls Trip" for consideration (at a time when actress Tiffany Haddish is picking up a fair number of supporting actress awards). The #OscarSoWhite hardly just applies to the academy.

That's pertinent information this year with a surprisingly competitive comedy/musical category where a top favorite, "Get Out," is vying for the award against "Lady Bird," "I, Tonya" and "The Disaster Artist" (as well as "The Greatest Showman," which shouldn't have been nominated over "The Big Sick" to begin with).

The HFPA also has a tendency to ignore female-led films and female directors (as evidenced by Greta Gerwig's snub for direction). And while HFPA loves movies about movies ("La La Land" and "The Artist"), which could work in the favor of "The Disaster Artist," I think it's still Gerwig's "Lady Bird" that will take the comedy award Sunday night.

Just as the comedy category features serious contenders, the dramatic category has its fair share of films attracting awards this season. "Dunkirk," "The Post," "The Shape of Water" and "Call Me By Your Name" have all received top awards, while "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" has mostly been lauded for Frances McDormand's performance.

I think the dramatic award will boil down to "Call Me By Your Name" and "The Post," with it ultimately going to the former, which is a frontrunner for the Best Film Oscar.

In the acting categories, both of the awards for men and women will be difficult to predict.

For drama, I'm still betting on McDormand, though Streep is up for "The Post" (and, again, the Globes love her) and they're both against the powerhouse performances of Jessica Chastain ("Molly's Game"), Sally Hawkins ("The Shape of Water") and Michelle Williams ("All the Money in the World").

Among the men, it's likely down to Daniel Day-Lewis for "Phantom Thread" and Gary Oldman for "Darkest Our" with a long shot from Timothee Chalamet for "Call Me By Your Name." Critics say Oldman gives the performance of his career as Winston Churchill, but it's also Day-Lewis' final acting performance, and he's a regular favorite (he won best actor for "Lincoln" and "There Will Be Blood" just in the last decade). It'll be him that I think HFPA will once again award this year.

In the comedic category, Margot Robbie ("I, Tonya") and Saorise Ronan ("Lady Bird") are the top contenders, with possibly a surprise win from Dame Judi Dench ("Victoria & Abdul"). It's hard to tell in this category who will pull it off, and while "Lady Bird" is the one most are talking about, Robbie's turn as Tonya Harding may be what gets her this award - even if it's unlikely she'd win the Oscar.

For the men, the award is James Franco's to lose for his role in "The Disaster Artist." Of the four other nominees (Steve Carell for "Battle of the Sexes," Ansel Elgort for "Baby Driver," Hugh Jackman for "The Greatest Showman" and Daniel Kaluuya for "Get Out"), it's Kaluuya who stands a chance but unlikely to be HFPA's choice.

The supporting actor category narrows down both categories into one, which could make predictions harder if there weren't already frontrunners in both categories.

For the women, it's Allison Janney ("I, Tonya") who will likely get the award, while among the men, Willem Dafoe is almost a shoe-in for his role in "The Florida Project."

One of the other major categories Sunday night will be for direction. HFPA's list of nominees managed more than a few snubs and surprise entries (Ridley Scott for "All the Money in the World" at a time when not many people had yet seen the movie). Without Gerwig, Jordan Peele ("Get Out") and Luca Guadagnino ("Call Me By Your Name"), this could finally be the year Guillermo del Toro ("The Shape of Water") gets honored for his visionary direction. However, it's still very likely that it's Steven Spielberg who will get the direction award for "The Post," even if fellow newspaper drama "Spotlight" didn't hit it big at the Globes in 2016 (losing to "The Revenant" at the Globes before taking the overall award at the Oscars that year).

It could be a night of surprises Sunday, which could make the Oscar race finally interesting this year.
New Delhi: Widely-respected Rajya Sabha veteran Karan Singh on Friday appealed to parliamentarians to introspect why brilliant debates are becoming rare and disruptions frequent, as the Upper House bade farewell to the Congress leader along with two other members.

Besides Singh, two other Congress MPs Janardan Dwivedi and Parvez Hashmi were given farewell.

All the three retiring MPs were elected from Delhi. The farewell was held on Friday, the last day of the Winter Session, as the date of their retirement on 27 January would fall in the inter-session period.

Recalling the contribution of the retiring MPs, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said they contributed significantly to the deliberations of the House and parliamentary committees.

They have also contributed to the process of "nurturing and strengthening" parliamentary democracy and enhancing the dignity and prestige of the Rajya Sabha.

In his speech, Singh said Parliament has evolved over the 50 years since he came to Delhi, but not all the changes have been positive.

"I used to remember when I went to the Lok Sabha first there were brilliant debates by Hiren Mukherjee, Madhu Limaye, Nath Pai, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Bhupesh Gupta. Those were the debates now seem to me becoming rare, and disruptions are becoming more frequent.

"...I think, we need to do a little introspection to see what we can do to ensure that the parliamentary system functions according to the rules and positively," Singh said.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress said his veteran party colleague Singh had become the Head of State of Jammu and Kashmir at the age of 18 years, probably the youngest person in the world to occupy such a post.

During his political career, 86-year-old Karan Singh got the opportunity to interact with all the prime ministers, right from Jawaharlal Nehru till Narendra Modi, Azad said, adding he had either been in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha for four terms each.

Despite being born in a royal family and holding high positions, Singh never touched liquor, cigarette, or chewed paan throughout his life, and always remained humble, Azad said.

He also recalled Dwivedi's association with the socialist movement. Dwivedi, 72, completed his third term as Rajya Sabha MP.

Regarding 63-year old Hashmi, who was not present in the House for the farewell, Azad said he hoped his retiring party colleague would remain active in politics in future too.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad recalled his interactions with Karan Singh and Dwivedi.

The minister said, in Karan Singh, he saw a 'philospher King', as envisaged by Aristotle. Of late, he said, Singh has stopped writing and urged the veteran Congress leader to continue it.

Prasad showered praise on Dwivedi for promoting Hindi in a simple and easy way.

Singh said he got opporutunities to interact with Nehru till Modi, and all of them worked in their own ways to build a new India, as envisaged by the first prime minister.

He said he came to Delhi as a young man of 36 and was retiring as an "idealistic old man".

As Karan Singh completed his speech, Naidu commented that hearing him was a "feast".

Dwivedi said generally farewell became like an "obituary reference" but Friday was different. He said he had spent 57 years in politics since the time he entered Allahabad University in 1960-61.

Dwivedi said he had great respect and regard for those who were born in poor families and became successful in life, as also for the ordinary party workers who made it big.

"From a philosophical point of view, our sympathy and goodwill could be with the pain and sufferings of the poor.

But if one has not lived that pain or suffered it, then one cannot become a true and complete leader. Nor can one become a complete intellectual. I have held this belief right from the beginning, Dwivedi said.
Panaji: The Shiv Sena has hit out at Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar for his remarks on sharing river Mahadayi water with neighbouring states, including Karnataka.

Sena's Goa spokesperson Rakhi Prabhudesai-Naik on Thursday said, "the chief minister's agreement to give river

Mahadayi water to Karnataka was a shocking move for the coastal state, which trusted Parrikar's leadership."

"To make India 'Congress-mukt' (Congress free), BJP and Parrikar are all set to make Goa 'Mahadayi-mukt (Mahadayi free Goa) by stooping down to the lowest level of compromise over the (sharing of) river (water)," Prabhudesai-Naik said in a veiled reference to the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls.

Parrikar had recently said that sharing the water of the Mahadayi river with other states was "inevitable".

"One has to understand that 52 kilometres of the river runs through Goa, 35 kilometres through Karnataka and 16 kilometres through Maharashtra. As such, sharing of water of the Mahadayi river is inevitable as it is passing through all the three states," he had said.

She said the Sena had expected Parrikar to "fight like a real son of the soil" against all the attempts to share even a drop of water from the Mahadayi river.

"The statement by Parrikar that it is inevitable for Goa to give share of Mahadayi river water to Karnataka has completely exposed him and his party," the Sena spokesperson said. She said her party disagreed with Parikar's stand on the issue.

"The explanation given by Parrikar on why he has toned down his stand is completely unacceptable. It clearly

smacks of his party politics and urge to win Karnataka elections," she alleged.
Jakarta: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday called on Indonesian vice-president Muhammad Jusuf Kalla and held talks with her counterpart to discuss ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two nations.

Swaraj, who arrived in Jakarta from Thailand on the second leg of her three-nation tour, was given a warm welcome.

Engaging discussion on strengthening our strategic partnership, EAM @SushmaSwaraj called on Vice-President of Indonesia, Mr. Muhammad Jusuf Kalla #ActEastPolicy. pic.twitter.com/cMUAHnxjTo  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 5, 2018

She will also co-chair the fifth meeting of the India-Indonesia Joint Commission with her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi. The ministers will also inaugurate the second meeting of ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks.

EAM @SushmaSwaraj had a tete-a-tete with Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia ahead of the India-Indonesia Joint Commission Meeting in Jakarta. Reaffirmed our desire to enhance partnership across all sectors. #ActEastPolicy. pic.twitter.com/fZQRahjUm3  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 5, 2018

Swaraj will also call on Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and have other official engagements, including an interaction with the representatives of the Indian community.

As the biggest country in the ASEAN region with the largest economy, Indonesia is an important partner for India including in trade and strategic matters, the ministry of external affairs had said before the meeting. Swaraj will also visit Singapore and there she will inaugurate the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) of ASEAN

countries on 7 January.

Her three-nation visit is the part of New Delhi's efforts to hold bilateral interactions in various sectors with the

countries of South East Asian region within the framework of India's Act East Policy
Professors seeking employment at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) better have their animal knowledge down pat. For the entrance exam to hire teachers at the prestigious university will quiz them on gaushalas (cow shelters), and on their "animal and baby ethics".

The questions are part of a bizarre interview put across to applicants, as was revealed by a report on News18, which quoted Baidik Bhattacharya, an assistant professor at the varsity's English department.

News18 cited an email sent by Bhattacharya to his colleagues, whereby he said he met the JNU selection committee, including vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar, to present his idea on an "aesthetic regime". However, Kumar reportedly told him that he should have instead focussed on "baby ethics and animal ethics",

"You should pay more attention to different kinds of ethics like baby ethics and animal ethics," Bhattacharya's email quoted Kumar as saying.

When Bhattacharya mentioned that his research had found a place in the prestigious New Literary History, the other members of the selection committee reportedly told him to move on from "foreign thinkers" and concentrate on "our own tradition".

This wasn't the first time the vice-chancellor found himself in the news for the wrong reasons. Far from it. In July last year, Kumar proposed an army tank be displayed on the campus, so that students can be reminded of "sacrifices and valour" of the soldiers, and even asked Union ministers to help them procure a tank that can be installed there.

In March last year, just over a year after he took charge of JNU, Kumar, who owes allegiance to Vijana Bharti, an RSS wing involved with Swadeshi Science Movement, took to Twitter to celebrate the BJP's win in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, saying the results prove that "we stand for development and inclusivity".

People of India have once again demonstrated overwhelmingly that we stand for development and inclusivity.  M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) March 11, 2017

He was trolled on social media following the message, with Twitterati terming it "unbecoming" of a person holding a post like the vice-chancellor of JNU.

With inputs from agencies
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday shook hands with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh soon after the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die.

The cordial "handshake" came barely weeks after the duo had been locked in a bitter war of words over Gujarat elections.

As soon as Chairman M Venkiah Naidu adjourned the House sine die and 'Vande Mataram' was rendered, Modi was seen moving towards the Opposition benches shaking hands with some

members, including his predecessor.

He reached the seat of the former premier, shook hands with him for quite some time and spoke to him.

Among others with whom the prime minister was seen shaking hands were Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien and veteran Congress leader Karan Singh, who was bid farewell by the Upper House on Friday as his tenure ends on 27 January.

The show of cordiality between the incumbent and the former premier follows a rare row that broke out in December, 2017 after Modi insinuated that Manmohan Singh had colluded with Pakistan in the Gujarat polls and latter hitting back saying a "dangerous precedent" was being set by such accusations and seeking apology.

Both the Houses had witnessed stormy protests over the issue with an adamant Opposition seeking apology from Modi for his statement during Gujarat poll campaign and the BJP sticking to its point that prime minister would not apologise.
New Delhi: The BJP on Friday attacked Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for naming city businessman Sushil Gupta as AAP's candidate for the Rajya Sabha and asked if there was any "deal".

At a time, when the number of beds in government hospitals were falling, a private hospital owner was nominated, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Manoj Tiwari told the media.

"On one hand, the number of beds in the government hospital is coming down, and on the other hand, Kejriwal has given ticket to the owner of a private hospital," he said.

"I want to ask the Chief Minister is there any link or any deal," Tiwari questioned two days after the AAP on Wednesday named Gupta, besides a chartered accountant ND Gupta and party leader Sanjay Singh as its Rajya Sabha candidates.

"Before coming to power in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party had said it would increase the beds in the government hospital," Tiwari said.

He also said that an RTI has revealed that the GB Pant Hospital, which has a capacity of 758 beds, has a lower bed-strength now at 735.

On Thursday, all the three candidates filed their respective nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha.

"I am asking this because the people in Delhi are questioning your decision to name businessman Sushil Gupta as the party's candidate for the Rajya Sabha," Tiwari said.

The BJP MP from northeast Delhi alleged that even in Delhi's Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospital, only 100 beds were available for patients while it has a capacity of 250 beds.

"When we sent an RTI query to the Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital in Khichdipur area about the number of beds, the hospital said that they have no information about the beds with them," Tiwari said.

He also asked the AAP national convenor, for what reason he was punishing the people of Delhi.

Tiwari also questioned the Chief Minister's motive behind giving 50 per cent reservation to the people of Delhi in GB Pant hospital, while referring to a December order of the Delhi government.

Tiwari said he was seeking clarification on the "Rajya Sabha deal" on behalf of the people in the city.
Hyderabad: The CPM on Friday alleged that the BJP was misusing power and resorting to "dirty tricks" to destabilise the Tripura government, led by the Left party.

The charge comes a day after the saffron party urged the Election Commission (EC) to appoint the micro-observers in poll-bound Tripura from outside the state and deploy a maximum number of paramilitary forces, alleging that an atmosphere of fear was prevailing in the northeastern state.

"The BJP-RSS is misusing power to destabilise the Tripura government through dirty tricks," CPM politburo member Brinda Karat told PTI.

Tripura, she said, was a symbol of peace and harmony in a region which had a history of ethnic conflicts.

The CPM government in Tripura had done better than the BJP-ruled states as far as the social and development indicators were concerned, Karat added.

"False charges, manufacturing lies and the abusive statements of BJP leaders will cost them heavily in the coming election (in Tripura), in which the Left Front will emerge even stronger," she claimed.

The BJP had on Thursday said only those government officials should be deployed on poll duty in Tripura, who gave a declaration that they were not members of any political party or any trade union, affiliated to a political outfit.

"The micro-observers should be appointed from outside the state because the CPM has started giving membership to the state government employees. Polls cannot be held with the members of the Left party inside the booth," BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma had said in New Delhi.

"We also request the EC to deploy a maximum number of paramilitary forces in the state to ensure a free-and-fair election," he had said.

Sarma, a minister in the BJP government in Assam, is also the convener of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), a coalition of the BJP and regional parties from the North East.

The CPM has been ruling Tripura since 1993 and elections in the northeastern state have traditionally been two-cornered contests between the Congress and the Left party.

The BJP's bid to emerge as a force to reckon with in the state got a boost last year with seven MLAs  six from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and one from the Congress  joining the saffron camp.

Sarma had also claimed that the BJP would sweep the Tripura polls, following which the number of CPM members would be reduced to less than 10 in the 60-member Assembly.

The current term of the Tripura Assembly is scheduled to come to an end on 6 March.
Ahead of the special CBI court's sentencing for Lalu Prasad Yadav in the 1996 fodder scam case, the RJD chief on Friday moved an application before the court seeking minimum sentencing citing his poor health condition.

According to an India Today report, Lalu requested that he be awarded a minimum sentence on health grounds over his diabetes and heart surgery. The RJD leader also said that he was suffering from a bladder infection.

According to the report, in his application, Lalu said that the Birsa Munda jail did not have Clean drinking water and this may affect his kidneys. He also added that the jail did not have any super medical facilities.

The special CBI court in Ranchi will announce the quantum of punishment on Friday, two weeks after it held the former Bihar chief minister guilty in the case.

The court hearing the case had pronounced Lalu guilty of fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from the Deoghar treasury 21 years ago when he was the chief minister of the state. Six others, including Congress leader Jagannath Mishra, were acquitted in the case, while 15 others were convicted along with Lalu.

The quantum of punishment was to be announced on 3 January, but it was postponed due to a condolence meeting held that day to mourn the death of two lawyers, a CBI advocate had told The Times of India.

The death of advocate Vindheshwari Prasad, also led to changes in the schedule of the court's proceedings, as an association of advocates abstained from work as a mark of respect.

'Got calls from Lalu wellwishers'

Deferring the judgment to Friday, judge Shiv Pal Singh said that he would decide whether or not to give the sentence over video conferencing.

To this, Lalu said he was for personal appearance and assured the court that there would be no slogans raised in the courtroom by his supporters.

He said on Thursday that several of Lalu's men and 'wellwishers' had called him in connection with his conviction in the fodder scam case, according to The Economic Times.

According to the report, the judge also accused Lalu's family members  his sons, Tej Pratap and Tejashwi  of mouthing casteist statements like 'if Yadav was a Mishra, it wouldn't be so difficult for him.'

The judge added, "Laluji, we are getting a lot of references and calls for you, but I told your men that I will take the decision the way I want to, following the law."

The 15 accused in the case, including Lalu, have been convicted for offences of cheating with criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Under the sections, Lalu can be sentenced a minimum jail term of one year and a maximum of seven years, his advocate Chittaranjan Prasad had said.

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

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

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

With inputs from PTI
There is a lot of focus on the GDP advance estimate set to be released by the government on Friday. That isnt a surprise. Unlike the UPA, the economy has been central to discussions ever since the Narendra Modi-government took charge in 2014. It has found space in most political speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government may have slight disappointment when the growth estimates come out. Majority of economists believes the growth in fiscal year 2017-18 is likely to fall below 7 percent on account of demand slowdown coupled with the twin-impacts of demonetisation and GST (read a report here.

"It is difficult for GDP to cross 7 percent this fiscal unless the base is revised downwards, SBI Research Chief Economist Soumya Kanti Ghosh was quoted by PTI in the above report. In fact, on Thursday, global rating agency, Fitch said (read here) that growth will average at 6.7 percent below the countrys potential for the next five years. But, the agency expects India to still grow faster than China and Indonesia.

India remaining a below 7 percent growing economy is not really a shocker. As Fitch said, it is still a good performance in comparison with other emerging economies, but a slowing GDP can have adverse political impact on the Narendra Modi government since opposition will likely raise the issue of slowing growth. Though the Narendra Modi government can still claim it has brought down fiscal deficit, from 4.6 percent in the UPA years to 3.6 percent now largely aided by falling oil prices, on the growth front it has had not much luck.

The GDP fell in five consecutive quarters before showing a pick-up sign in July-September quarter. In the June quarter, the growth was recorded at a six-quarter-low of 5.7 percent.

The RBI too has lowered its estimates on growth for the full fiscal to 6.7 percent, but expects a bounce back in the remaining two quarters at 7 and 7.5 percent, respectively, an opinion which most economists agree with.

As this writer pointed out in an earlier column, despite the July-September quarter GDP growth pick up and certain other indicators such as improvement in vehicle sales, core sector data and manufacturing activity, 2018 is likely to be a tricky year for Modi-government mainly on account of the challenges on managing its finances.

The government has announced its plan to borrow Rs 50,000 crore this fiscal year, which means it will most likely breach the fiscal deficit target of 3.2 percent. In the immediate term, there are challenges on the revenue-front. The GST collections have been falling steadily over the months ever since the new tax regime was introduced in July. In November, the figure stood at Rs 80,808 crore, in October Rs 83,346 crore, in September at Rs 92,150 crore, in August Rs 90,669 crore and in July Rs 94,063 crore.

The government is facing a difficult task in shaping the budget this year on account of less than expected revenue collections from GST, RBI dividend. With fall in revenue and expenditure pressure on the other hand, particularly due to absence of revival in private investments, the government is in a tight spot.

Lack of Jobs bigger problem

What is missing from the discussions at this juncture is the problem of rising unemployment. Not many in the government are now talking about job creation or unemployment, at least not with the same emphasis they used to address the problem before. Lack of jobs will be a serious problem going ahead particularly because globally too, job market is turning more competitive and tilted more towards local hiring. If the proposed changes and so-called self-deportation measure is implemented in the US, it will send back as many as 7.5 lakh H-1B visa holders home, according to this report.

In the run-up to the 2014 General Elections, Modi promised one crore jobs a year. But, this has remained a promise, instead the job scenario has actually worsened. More number of people approaching the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment scheme might appear as a good sign but it actually tells us that more workers are moving away from factory jobs, which isnt a good sign in an economy. In the three years of Modi rule, unemployment has actually gone up  in 2015-16 to 5 percent from 4.9 percent in 2013-14, the year before the BJP assumed power.

What it could do so far through schemes like Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAYNULM) and Mudra loans, is too little compared to the job demand. The impact of the note ban on informal sector has caused further damage with more people losing contract and construction jobs. Agriculture is no longer a preferred employer for the youth particularly on account of successive years of droughts that resulted in an agrarian distress.

In a recent interaction with Firstpost, Devendra Pant, chief economist at India Ratings and Research Ltd said the government needs to go for targeted policy actions to tackle the problem of unemployment. Lower GDP figures may come as a disappointment for Modi-government but it is the problem of unemployment that this government needs to worry more, than mere growth numbers.

For full coverage of Union Budget 2018, click here.
Kolkata: BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Friday criticised West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her remarks on the National Register of Citizens in Assam, saying it was an insult to the Constitution and the Supreme Court.

Banerjee's comment was part of her "sinister political motives", Vijayvargiya charged.

He also accused the Trinamool Congress of allowing cross border infiltration into Bengal just to reap "political benefits" out of it.

"The NRC is being updated in Assam after consultation with all stakeholders, communities, political parties and outfits. Such comments are not only an insult to the Constitution and Supreme Court but also against the spirit of the federal structure of our country," Vijayvargiya said in a statement.

Addressing a meeting at Ahmedpur on Thursday, Banerjee had accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of "hatching a conspiracy" to drive out Bengalis from Assam by "excluding" their names from the first draft of the NRC published on the 31 December midnight.

The NRC of 1951 is being updated in Assam under the supervision of the Supreme Court to identify original residents of the state in order to check illegal migration.

Referring to Banerjee's continuous protests against various policies of the Narendra Modi government, Vijayvargiya urged the West Bengal chief minister not to interfere in matters related to other states.

"The Assam government is competent enough to protect its citizens. Mamata Banerjee should concentrate on her own state and stop playing politics on each and every issue," he said.

The Assam police had yesterday registered an FIR against the West Bengal chief minister on complaints over her allegation that the Centre was conspiring to drive Bengalis

out of Assam with the state's NRC, that is being updated.

The FIR sparked an angry response from the Trinamool Congress which said, such an action would not stop her from fighting for the cause of the Bengalis while the BJP accused Banerjee of trying to make an "issue out of an non-issue" for reaping political dividends.

The BJP government in Assam had condemned Banerjee's statement, saying it was "derogatory, insulting to the people of Assam and against the Constitution as well as the spirit of the Supreme Court."
As we enter 2018, Americans should take note of the anniversaries of two significant events for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  the 55th year since the Aug. 28, 1963 March on Washington with his I Have a Dream speech, and the 50th year since his assassination on April 4, 1968 in Memphis Tennessee.

Delivered two months before his tragic death, Dr. Kings sermon The Drum Major Instinct was a personal reflection on what really matters in a lifetime, especially in cultures that value celebrity and material gain.

From the pulpit in Ebenezer Baptist Church, Dr. King shared these words:

Every now and then I guess we all think realistically about that day when we will be victimized with what is lifes final common denominator  that something that we call death. We all think about it. And every now and then I think about my own death and I think about my own funeral. And I dont think of it in a morbid sense. And every now and then I ask myself, What is it that I would want said? And I leave the word to you this morning.

If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I dont want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize  that isnt important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards  thats not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school.

Id like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others.

Id like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.

I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question.

I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry.

And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.

I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison.

I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I wont have any money to leave behind. I wont have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And thats all I want to say.

This year, our Carlisle community continues Americas quest to embrace Dr. Kings commitment to service to others and we celebrate its 29th year commemoration of his birthday. We will gather Jan. 14 for a short march in downtown Carlisle to the Old Courthouse for a civic program followed by an ecumenical service at First Lutheran Church.

Over the course of the past month you have seen notices of the Jan. 14 event with the theme, Rev. Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Day of Service: Looking Forward, We Stand United.

Carlisle community members and organizations will have the opportunity to gather and demonstrate support for those ideals, which are rooted in American values. Our commemoration committee invites you to be part of this celebration within our community.

You can track the work of your community-based committee on Facebook by following: www.facebook.com/CarlisleMartinLutherKingCommemoration/
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Speaking to ANI, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "For the first time a prime minister has accused former prime minister, former vice-president and diplomats of conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections. Modi must clarify in Parliament."

After bitter and acrimonious campaigning for Gujarat election, the Opposition, especially Congress, is up in arms and it is therefore expected that the first day of the Winter Session will be a stormy one.

Hoping that the Winter Session will be a "constructive" one, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the media and said, "The Winter Session of Parliament is starting and I am confident that it will be productive session. I hope there is constructive debate and we come up with innovative solutions to our nation's problems. May this Parliament Session contribute to the nation's growth. At yesterday's all-party meeting, we all were clear that we need to take the country ahead and this session should be used positively to achieve that."

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, in response to Narendra Modi's appeal for a constructive session, said, "We are always in favour of constructive suggestion. We are very much interested to run Parliament and issues to be discussed, provided the government should take interest and create such an atmosphere which is conducive for discussion. They should respect the opposition."

After obit references, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the Lower House for the day. The House will meet again at 11 am on 18 December, 2017. Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election results will be announced on 18 December, as well.

The Winter Session will see some 19 amendment bills as part of the agenda. Some of these amendment bills such as the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013  makes prior sanction necessary to in order to investigate officials  and the Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015  specifies grounds under which disclosures related to corruption may not be made  may attract a lot of flak from the anti-corruption brigade. Both the bills, have also been criticised for their half-hearted attempts to curb corruption.

According to PRS Legislative , on agendar are some 40 bills focussing on areas such as overseas citizenship, consumer protection, rights of compensation for Mulsim divorced women, education, surrogacy, bankruptcy, corruption, and labour and transgender rights among others.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriages) Bill gives women from the community the right to seek maintenance from their husbands in case of triple talaq, while the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017 prohibits certain persons, including promoters of defaulter companies, from submitting a resolution plan, the PRS added.

The new bills listed for introduction and passage include Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017, Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriages) Bill, 2017 and Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States_Amendment Bill), 2017.

Opposition leaders in Rajya Sabha questioned the Chair's decision to disqualify senior JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav. Even as Chairman Venkaiah Naidu continued to tell the leaders of Opposition to sit down, Leader of Opposition in Upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the Opposition did not intend to question the Chair's decision but demanded clarification on why was Yadav expelled from the Rajya Sabha.

The Opposition forced the first adjournment of the Rajya Sabha as leaders stormed the well demanding an explanation over JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav's expulsion. The Upper House is adjourned till 12 pm.

Advocate Nizam Pasha, who filed the plea on the behalf of the leader, said the matter regarding which faction is the real Janta Dal was sub judice and a final decision is yet to be passed.

Yadav was elected to the House last year and his term was scheduled to end in 2022. Anwars term was to expire early next year.

The JD(U) had sought their disqualification on the grounds that they had attended a rally of Opposition parties in Patna in violation of its direction.

The Rajya Sabha chairman had agreed to the JD(U)s contention that the two senior leaders had voluntarily given up their membership by defying the partys directives and attending events of Opposition parties.

Yadav, along with another MP Ali Anwar, was disqualified from the Rajya Sabha on 4 December. Yadav had joined hands with the Opposition after JD(U) president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar dumped the grand alliance with the RJD and the Congress in Bihar and tied up with the BJP in July this year.

Former JD(U) president Sharad Yadav on 12 December, 2017 moved the Delhi High Court seeking setting aside of his disqualification from the Rajya Sabha. Yadav, in his plea, said he was not given any chance by the authorities before passing an order against him.

The notification for the new seating arrangements has been issued by the Rajya Sabha secretariat for new members. Shah's seat is on the other side of the aisle from Modi and BJP's leader of the house, Jaitley.

Shah has been allotted a front row seat of the treasury benches in the Rajya Sabha with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Shah will be occupying the seat held by M Venkaiah Naidu till he was elected as the Vice-President.

BJP chief Amit Shah made his debut in Parliament today. He was elected as a Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat in August this year.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raises the issue of Modi's allegations against former prime minister Manmohan Singh and others of conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat election. "Ye sadharan aarop nahi hai (This isn't a ordinary allegation)," Azad said.

The Upper House witnessed two adjournments in the morning of the first day of the Winter Session. While it saw an adjournment for 20 minutes till noon in the beginning after Opposition uproar over disqualification of rebel JDU leaders Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar Ansari, the second one was over the Prime Minister's remarks.

"Congress has lost Himachal Pradesh, and I want to thank the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) for the unprecedented victory in Gujarat," Somaiya said

While opposition members were seen standing at their seats and protesting, from the treasury benches  BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, who had the first question listed against his name, said the Bharatiya Janata Party was headed for victory in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

The Lok Sabha witnessed an adjournment minutes after it met on Monday amid an uproar, and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till 12 noon.

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11 am on Tuesday after Opposition continued to raise slogans in the House.

The Opposition raises slogans demanding an apology from Narendra Modi ("Pradhan Mantri maafi mango"). Meanwhile the Speaker continues to run the House as numerous motions are passed in rapid fashion by voice votes.

While Yogi Adityanath and Keshav Prasad Maurya resigned as they shifted to Uttar Pradesh politics, Nana Patole had quit the party citing Modi government's indifference towards agrarian crisis.

While Nitin Gadkari is expected to move the Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, Hardeep Puri is expected to do so with the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill.

Calling the FRDI bill anti-people, the Trinamool Congress and other Opposition parties are all set to corner the government over the law.

The Congress has moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha seeking an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his comment on Manmohan Singh.

Now, Congress MPs come to the well of the Lok Sabha

While Derek O' Brien raises the issue of FRDI bill, Congress MP Anand Sharma talks about undertrials in India, urging the Modi government to do something to curb the issue.

Leader of House Arun Jaitley says, "Everybody must get speedy trials. Do we have vested interests in delaying trials of politicians?"

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, SP MP Naresh Agarwal asks Arun Jaitley if the NDA government will create special trial courts to try those who defaulted on Rs 8 lakh crore. His statement came after the government sought to push a new law to expedite the trial of MLAs and MPs.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Pratap Singh Bajwa asked the government to intervene in the stubble burning by the farmers of Punjab and Haryana. He also raised the issue of Sri Lankan cricketers wearing masks does not bode well for India's international reputation.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Pratap Singh Bajwa asked the government to intervene in the stubble burning by the farmers of Punjab and Haryana. He also raised the issue of Sri Lankan cricketers wearing masks does not bode well for India's international reputation.

Speaking in RS, TMC MP Sukhendu Shekhar Roy urges government to protect the personal data linked to the Aadhar. He adds that privacy is a fundamental law and hence the government needs to make a law to protect the data from third party external organizations.

Slogan shouting continued in the Lok Sabha as the Chair asked them not to disturb the Question Hour. "If you don't want the House to function, give that in writing," Mahajan said before adjourning the LS for half an hour.

"The farming community in the coastal belt stands thoroughly devastated. I ask the government, 'Why can't you declare this as a national disaster? What is preventing this?'" CPI leader D Raja asks the government.

Anand Sharma of the Congress says, "If the perception is created that special courts are needed only for MPs, other people should not have to bear the brunt of it." He adds, "It has an inherent potential to be abused in entirety by the government of the day."

"Government believes in "sabka saath sabka vikaas". The committee is trying to create communal divide in the country. i request the government to replace the managing committee of Dyal Singh College in Delhi," SAD MP Naresh Gujaral says while requesting the government to not rename the institute "Vande Mataram College."

Azad raises the issue of alleged EVM tampering in Gujarat. He also raises the issue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi making insinuation against Manmohan Singh, Hamid Ansari and Mani Shankar Aiyar.

In RS, Azad says if any leader is found to be guilty then punish them. "PM Modi maafi maango" is heard in the House.

While the Lok Sabha reconvenes, the noise over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement continues to disturb the working of the House.

Chairman Venkaiah Naidu asks Congress to not raise the issue and disrupt the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha. He said that the issue needs to be sorted out with a discussion with the Leader of the House (Jaitley).

JP Narayan Yadav of the RJD tells the House, "I request Lalu Prasad Yadav's NSG protection to be reinstated. He might be killed today. A lot of people adore him and he needs to be protected."

In Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley says, "Leaders of opposition shall be invited to discuss this issue." After his assurance, the House has been functioning smoothly.

Over a question whether the government is taking any steps to address the lack of medical infrastructure, Nadda says that AIIMS standards cannot be diluted. But he adds that there is a lack of faculty which is being addressed.

He said that despite the crude oil prices falling, the price of diesel and petrol has remained the same. "Now that BJP is in power and at Centre, when will it bring the petroleum under GST?" he adds.

"When will the GST council decide to bring it under the ambit of GST? what is the position of the Centre?" the former finance minister asks. Chidambaram says that the Centre has a veto power over the decision taken by the council.

"A constitutional bill has been passed. It stated that petroleum products is not out of the law. It is a part of GST but the decision to levy GST is concerned, it will be taken only after council takes decision. For that we need a 3/4th majority," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.

The issue has been raised by several Assam MPs in Lok Sabha. Looking at the seriousness of the issue, Union Minister Ananth Kumar has assured the House that the Centre will look into the issue.

"Not happy with what they did. That they came into the well is shameful. You can interrupt us but do not disrupt the proceedings. They insulted the Chair. Even Mallikarjuna Kharge disrupted the House. We condemn it." Ananth Kumar said.

The government has tabled the Companies Act (Amendment), 2017 in the Rajya Sabha. On the other hand, the government has introduced the Repealing and Amendment Bill, 2017 in the Lok Sabha.

Chidambaram said that the Bill has noble objectives. However, he added that the relaxations given to small and medium companies under this law will apply to all companies because we have only one Companies Act. Chidambaram said that there is a need to consider having a separate comprehensive legislation for small and medium companies.

This Bill seeks to repeal 131 Acts. Among the Acts that will be repealed, 30 are pre-Independence laws. This Bill also includes nine Ordinances promulgated before Independence.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee says, " While there is no doubt that the Emergency in 1975-77 affected many people, there is a kind of Emergency without even constitutionally declaring it nowadays. It is important to make a distinction between the official emergency in 1975 and the post-2014 situation," Banerjee adds.

"Corporate Governance leaves much to be desired in India. May be it is a legacy issue in the country. The law is old. It took 15 years for us to bring the new law. In between, there were various excesses in corporate world. There have been no proper regulation of companies. So, there is much to be desired. Like, many companies do not pay taxes but are part of the Registrar," Chidambaram says while concluding his speech.

Shiv Sena in the Lower House, demanded that along with the 235 archaic laws, the government must also repeal Section 377, which grants Jammu and Kashmir special status.

"Changes required to ensure that reserved seat for woman director is not occupied by family members of promoters," Seth said. He also raised the point of concentrated expenditure of CSR funds. "A lot of big companies are in Maharashtra, Gujarat. Hence CSR money is spent in those regions. CSR must be done in other regions of this country," he said.

"This bill fails to address the differences between various acts like the RBI act, and SEBI act. There are various discrepancies which must be addressed," Gupta said.

The bill will lead to conflict between two arms of the government. The removal of certain reasonable restriction will make money laundering easier," Gupta said. He said that the provision to give deposit security has been done away with, which is a serious problem.

Gupta also said that the government is trying to fit everyoe under a sigle law, while evidence from past points to the contrary. He said that small and medium enterprises continues to suffer and the Companies amendment bill has nothing to address that issue.

Meanwhile in LS, Law Minister RS Prasad responds to objections and questions raised on repealment of archaic bills

The minister conceded that there is merits in decriminalizing Section 377 but there is opposition to it as well. There needs to be democratic consensus to repeal it. We need to debate, discuss and decide.

He also said that the bill allows same relaxations to SMEs as it does to big companies which "amounts to holding the country at ransom."

The CPM leader pointed out that the expenditure of CSR funds is not yet bounding on companies. He said that the Corporate Affairs Ministry merely accepts a mere explanation as to why money on CSR has not been spent.

Roy also demanded a white paper on the actual ground work done in his ministry.

He says that Gadkari used to be a vikas purush, but has now become a sapno ka saudagar (trader of dreams)." He said that whenever someone raises the point of funds, he says he will manage from foreign funds or here or there.

On a lighter note, however, Roy wondered why, Rudy, the speaker before him was removed from the cabinet, even though he is a splendid speaker.

"He is channeling money from one pocket to another pocket of his own ministry and we do not oppose it," Roy said. He said that since the money was being rerouted he will support the bill.

"Odisha coast canal should be included in the national waterways to give the state the benefit of the revolutionary transport network," Jena said.

Jena said that the state of Odisha has since-long been discriminated agaist by the central government. He requested Gadkari to formulate schemes to include the state in the development of transport networks.

Samajwadi Party's Naresh Aggarwal objected to the passage and debate on two bills in the same day, adding that it eats away the time of short duration discussions. After a brief exchange, Yadav only resumed his seat after being assured from the Treasury Benches that at least one short duration discussion will be held in the House.

IIM amendment bill proposes larger autonomy for management institutes and provisions to allow them to grant postgraduate degree rather than a diploma

The matter was raised by Bhartruhari Mahtab of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) during Zero Hour.

After Lok Sabha members on Tuesday expressed concern over the Brahmaputra river being polluted by China, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar assured the House that he will take up the issue at the "highest level" in the government.

He also brought up the problems faced by students passing from regional language schools.

Agrawal said he would support the bill only for the fact that at least there was some will to bring about the change. He, however, lamented the lack of similar reforms in other educational institutes such as IITs or other higher education institutes.

Gadkari told the Lok Sabha that a river traffic control system was already functioning between Haldia and Patna. He added that work on 10 waterways will be completed by 2018.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, however, said the rural development ministry had advised the states and union territories to explore the possibilities of using consent-based Aadhaar authentication for registration of properties under the provisions of the Registration Act, 1908.

There was no proposal to make Aadhaar linkage mandatory for property transactions, Parliament was informed today.

Congress leader said that the government should describe how they plan the transition between the current boards at IIMs and the Board of Governors as proposed in the new bill. He also asked what would be the criteria for appointment of these governors.

Jairam Ramesh questions how board of directors will be appointed at IIMs after new bill

Times Now reports that the government may meet Opposition leaders in a bid to find an amiable solution to the deadlock that rose after Narendra Modi insinuated that Manmohan Singh and his colleagues met Pakistani delegation during elections.

The Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy Bill, 2017 will be tabled by Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the Rajya Sabha.The bill will make it an institution of national importance.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the old and many irrelevant pre-Independence laws were the "unfortunate part of the colonial legacy" and repealing them was a progressive move that reflects the "pro-reform" approach of the government.

The Lok Sabha also passed two Bills to repeal 245 obsolete and archaic laws, including the 158-year-old Calcutta Pilots Act of 1859 and the 1911 Prevention of Seditious Meeting Act.

The bill gives them powers to award degrees instead of postgraduate diplomas.

The Indian Institutes of Management Bill, 2017  which was passed in the Lok Sabha in July this year  grants statutory powers to the IIMs in their running including the appointment of directors and faculty members.

The bill amended the companies law to strengthen corporate governance standards, initiate strict action against defaulting companies and help improve ease of doing business in the country.

The Rajya Sabha passed the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2017 by a voice vote. It was adopted by the Lok Sabha in July this year during the Monsoon Session.

"Now you are in the opposition and have a greater flexibility in changing your position," he said. He said the present government has persuaded the states to include petrol within the GST and the states reluctantly agreed to do so.

He also sought to know why the prices of petrol and diesel did not decline with a fall in the global crude prices. Jaitley responded saying that a person familiar with the issue had asked the question. He said the UPA in its draft GST bill had kept petrol out of its ambit as it knew that the issue would be a deal-breaker between the Centre and the states.

During the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram sought to know the Union government's position on bringing petrol and diesel under the GST.

The Centre favours including petroleum products in the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) but it would want a consensus with the states before taking such a step, Finance minister Arun Jaitley said on Tuesday.

Opposition leaders come to well of the Rajya Sabha to protest against Modi's comment on Manmohan.

Venkaiah Naidu's plea to Congress MPs to go back to their seats fall on deaf ears.

Shrivastava said Veerendra Kumar, who was elected to the Upper House from Kerala last year with support from the Congress-led UDF, resigned "so that no one questions his integrity that he is aligning with (Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U President) Nitish Kumar".

The 80-year-old, also a Karala media baron, submitted his resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday morning, Arun Kumar Shrivastava, also a rebel JD-U leader, told IANS.

Disgruntled Janata Dal-United leader MP Veerendra Kumar on Wednesday resigned from the Rajya Sabha, days after rebel JD-U leaders Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar were disqualified from the Upper House.

"This is not the way," he said. "This is Parliament. This is Rajya Sabha. Wrong message is going." Stating that he did not appreciate their behaviour, Naidu said, "Please don't exceed limit. Please go to your seat."

Naidu asked them not to create obstruction and allow other members to raise important issues.

At this point, Congress members rushed to the Well of the House shouting slogans.

No sooner had the listed papers been tabled, Congress members were up on their feet demanding an explanation from the prime minister on his remarks against Singh. Naidu disallowed them.

Opposition Congress members today disrupted proceedings in the Rajya Sabha over the insinuations made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against his predecessor Manmohan Singh.

However, the Congress MPs have again created a ruckus in the Rajya Sabha over Narendra Modi's comment against Manmohan Singh. Some of the MPs descended to the well of the House. The slogans of "Narendra Modi maafi maango" are being echoed in the House.

Meanwhile... sloganeering can be heard in the Lok Sabha too

The Lower House is currently being presided by Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai. The House is discussing the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Bill (Amendment), 2017. The bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Urban Development Hardeep Singh Puri.

Over 1,000 cases of people securing jobs using forged caste certificates have been reported by various central government departments, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. The Department of Personnel and Training had in June sought data from all central government organisations regarding appointments made on the basis of fake caste certificates.- PTI

"There is no question of middle path...The country's prime minister has alleged that the former prime minister has taken steps against the country and that too with the enemy nation. Don't you think it is an issue that calls for an apology?" Chowdhury told reporters.- PTI

With Parliament witnessing repeated adjournments over Narendra Modi's remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh, Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury on Wednesday said that there was "no question of a middle path" on the matter till the prime minister apologised for his comments.

Provisions of this bill violate rights of people, whose land is being acquired: MK Premchandran, RSP

G Hari of AIADMK enlists benefits of bamboo, says hopes this would be taken into consideration while passing bill

BJD's Tathagata Satpathy objects to bill, says farmers will be affected by removal of bamboo from bill

More than two lakh Chinese tourists visited India in 2017, according to data provided by the tourism ministry in Parliament on Wednesday. The figures provided by Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons in the Rajya Sabha assume significance in the backdrop of India's recent standoff with China over the Doka La issue.- PTI

The farmer does not need our sympathy, they need less interference, says Tathagata Satpathy of BJD

"I had done research. We had sent researchers in Tripura, Nagaland., Sikkim. Problems found were mainly regulatory. One of the reasons of high cost is on the count of the fact that bamboo, the amount of rent-seeking behaviour is just too much. Therefore, as a first step, we need to take a holistic approach. The first step is to redefine bamboo (by removing it from tree category)," Rai said.

Rai demanded that the bamboo be unleashed from "all kinds of regulations". In 2014, He added that he had brought a similar bill on bamboo with a private members' bill in 2014.

"People of north Sikkim were completely cut-off because of Mantam lake which was created because of landslide. They then made a bamboo bridge and are now able to cross the lake on foot," Prem Das Rai said in Lok Sabha.

In India, one tonne bamboo costs Rs 10, 000 in some parts and Rs 10-15,000 in other parts

The legislation to amend the Indian Forest Act to exempt felling and transportation of bamboo grown in non-forest areas from the state permit, was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The Indian Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2017  which would omit bamboos growing in non-forest areas from the definition of trees  was introduced by Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan even as BJD leader B Mahtab raised concerns and opposed the legislation.- PTI

Union environment minister Harshvardhan says soon people will be encouraged to take up bamboo cultivation

Vociferous sloganeering on Thursday disrupted Sachin Tendulkar's maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha since his nomination. Members of the Opposition shouted "BJP sharam karo" as sloganeering continued in the Upper House of Parliament on the fourth day. Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 11 am on Friday following stormy scenes on the floor of the House.

BJP MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe has given adjourned motion notice in Rajya Sabha under rule 267 on remarks of Congress leaders against PM Modi

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the bill which will double the salaries of judges of the Supreme Court and 24 high courts, reported The Indian Express . The High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill 2017 provides for increased salaries as recommended by the Seventh Pay Commission.

Discussion on natural calamities in the country with special reference to cyclone Ockhi in South India

In the Rajya Sabha, M Venkaiah Naidu read the obituary of legislator Jalaluddin Ansari and a minute's silence was observed. Question hour starts in Lok Sabha.

Business in the Rajya Sabha is proceeding fairly quietly while there is constant sloganeering in the Lok Sabha by the Opposition.

Raut raises the issue of the deaths in the Gorakhpur hospital. He asks for the Centre to keep a check on the funds which are given to the state governments for health issues. Anupriya Patel, MoS, Health and Family Welfare answers saying that the Centre does indeed monitor the funds and the MP could monitor those funds for their own constituency as well.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien says Rajya Sabha TV should not be cut off when protests are taking place as that is one of the ways for the Opposition to express itself

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad asks for Rajya Sabha to be adjourned till the parties decide on the remarks issue outside Parliament

In the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition insists that it is better to adjourn the matter with it raising uproar. It asks the Rajya Sabha to be adjourned till 2 pm till when the issue is resolved.

Adjournment means no legislative business will take place in the Rajya Sabha over the next four days as well

The issue of nurses' allowances has been raised. The concerned minister insists that most of the nurses' demands have been met and discussions are ongoing for the others.

In the revised list issued by the Lok Sabha, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Bill, 2017 was removed. In the original list , law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was scheduled to introduce a bill to "protect the rights of married Muslim women and to prohibit divorce by pronouncing talaq by their husbands and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto".

He admits that enough warning was given but there is a need for specific alarm systems. "Modern technology is needed to help the people. Unfortunately there has been a lapse by the authorities in informing the people about the cyclone. I am not blaming anyone as this should not be a political issue," he said.

Professor Richard Hay, the nominated member from Kerala, talks about the ground situation in Kerala in the aftermath of Cyclone Ockhi

Richard Hay says he had visited the coastal area of Kerala and Kanyakumari himself. "The fisherfolk want homes, food, education and security. I am not getting this from the media. I have visited the people and have listened to them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman had consoled those people," he said.

Mahtab talks about how unseasonal rain and cyclones cause great harm to crops and farmers as well. He says the infrastructure needs to rebuilt after these calamities.

"Once the deadlock in the Parliament is resolved, we will raise the issue of Jadhav in Parliament. What has happened to Jadhav's family in Pakistan is inhuman. We will demand a discussion on this issue in the House and will ask the Centre and the international community to ask an explanation from Pakistan on this matter."

The Opposition, led by the Congress, plans to corner the central government in Parliament over the issue of Kulbhushan Jadhav, a report on India Today said. Congress leader Pramod Tewari was quoted as saying the party wants the government to clear its policy on how it plans to bring Kulbhushan Jadhav back from Pakistan.

Trinamool joins Opposition Congress party in demanding a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs over the Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with his wife and mother in Pakistan.

Any view that Narendra Modi meant to insult Manmohan Singh or other leaders during election speeches is erroneous and uncalled for, Arun Jaitley says

I,on behalf of Congress, say that we disassociate from any comments that may have hurt prime minister's dignity, says GN Azad of the Congress

Soon after the Lok Sabha resumed, Congress MP's started waving placards at the Treasury benches. They were protesting against Anant Kumar Hegde's comments on Constitution.

Amid controversy over Naresh Agrawal's comment, the SP MP has written to Rajya Sabha chairman over the alleged ill-tretment of Indian prisoners in Pakistan. He also alleged that the government was not doing anything about it.

AITMC MP Saugata Roy requested the Speaker to not pass bills while the House is not in order. He also said that the Speaker must pull up Union minister Anantkumar Hegde for insulting the makers of Constitution. He also added that he would not voice his opinions in the House as a mark of protest. Lok Sabha Chairman, however, dismissed the request and added that the House cannot be adjourned every day.

From the Opposition, CPM MP Mohd. Saleem stood up to respond but refused to speak during the din. He again brought up the comments made by Hegde, but the Speaker refused to take those remarks on record.

Discussion about unauthorised colonies in Delhi is underway in Lok Sabha. BJPs Ramesh Vidhudi has alleged that the Congress party has left the issue hanging for years.

The Speaker took strong objection to the use of words and expunged the comments from record. She also added that nobody knows for certain what the minister had said, and since he was not present in House, the House's time should not be wasted on the issue.

Reacting to Anantkumar Hegde's comments on secularists and the Constitution, senior Congress MP Malliakrjun Kharge attributed these words to Hegde: Those who label themselves secularists, they neither have mothers nor fathers, their blood line is not know. Kharge then asked that whether the minister was calling secularists Ba*****.

"I just want to say that Modi ji and our Govt are committed to the constitution of India and ideals of Baba Saheb Ambedkar: Ananth Kumar," Parliamentary Affairs Minister in Lok Sabha on Opposition uproar over Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde's remark.

In a reply to a question from Satyapal Singh, Minister of State for Human Resource Development (Higher Education), Rajan Gohain, MoS, Railways said in Lok Sabha that patients suffering from arthritis can book a berth of their choice (lower berth in this case) on first come-first serve basis.

The railways today said it had no quota for patients suffering from arthritis and no plans of offering any concession in passenger fare for them as it was already losing revenue over the discounts granted in over 50 categories.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said he will convey their demand to the Law Minister. Later, Law Minister Ravi Dhankar Prasad said he will give a statement on the issue tomorrow. At present, the Andhra Pradesh High Court is the common High Court for both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The TRS MPs also trooped into the Well of the House, showing placards and raising slogans demanding setting up of a High Court for Telangana.

Members of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) disrupted proceedings in the Lok Sabha demanding immediate setting up of a High Court for Telangana. Raising the issue, TRS parliamentarian AP Jithender Reddy said the Centre is yet to set up a High Court for Telangana even three years after the formation of the state.

The approved strength of the Supreme Court is 31, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

There are six vacancies of judges in the Supreme Court, while nine high courts are working without regular chief justices, but the government has not received any proposal from the apex court collegium to fill up the slots, the Rajya Sabha has been informed. Union Minister of State for Law P P Chaudhary, in a written reply, has informed the Upper House of Parliament that the "government has not received any proposal for filling up of the six vacancies of judges in the Supreme Court and for appointment of chief justices in the nine high courts, which are functioning with acting chief justices".

Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said if the Bill is not passed, it will lead to "unprecedented chaos" in the national capital. The legislation will give cover against punitive action on "as is where is basis" until December 2020, he said.

The Lok Sabha today passed a bill to protect slums and unauthorised colonies in the national capital region from punitive action till a framework for orderly arrangements are in place. The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill gives immunity to slums and some unauthorised constructions till 31 December, 2020. The immunity under the existing Bill ends on 31 December.

"Many members have expressed concerns over the autonomy of the institute. I would like to assure them in this House today that it is our government's intention to make the institute fully autonomous. However, we cannot expect it to turn into a JNU, or DU from day 1. In the initial phases, there will be some hand holding but later on it will be completely autonomous.," Pradhan said.

The authorities were ascertaining whether the "metallic object" in the shoes was a camera or a recording chip, Pakistan Today quoted Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mohammad Faisal as saying.

Pakistani authorities have sent the shoes worn by Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife for forensic examination to determine the nature of the suspected presence of a foreign object, a media report said on Wednesday.

"There was something in the shoe. It is being investigated. We gave her a pair of replacement shoes. All her jewellery et cetera were returned after the meeting," Faisal said.

In the statement, Pakistan had rejected as "baseless" India's contentions that Jadhav's wife and mother were harassed and claimed that his wife's shoes were confiscated on security grounds as there was "something" in it.

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

India also accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of family members under the pretext of security.

The external affairs ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that Pakistan went so far as to have the mangal sutra, bangles, and bindi of Jadhav's mother and wife removed before they could meet him.

The diplomatic strain over Jadhav's meeting with his family grabbed headlines not just in India, but also in Pakistan. Almost all major Pakistani newspapers gave prominence to the issue and carried reports of the Foreign Office issuing statement after India claimed that Jadhav's responses were "clearly tutoured" that the alleged spy was "under duress" during the meeting.

The editorial lauds the Pakistan government's attempts to do what was "necessary in the international scheme of things" and "ignoring the deafening cacophony to do what was necessary."

The Nation commented on the "cacophony of opinions" circling the issue. The piece in The Nation took a more balanced view of the issue at hand and wrote, "Ultimately however, these are all irreconcilable opinions and each can be considered correct if viewed from their subjective angle."

"We are even more depressed now than we were before the visit," a relative of Kulbhushan Jadhav told news agency PTI. The family refrained from commenting further as it is an international issue. "If we speak something about it, that may hamper the process," he said.

Various political parties, including the Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress and AIADMK, strongly protested how Pakistan treated the wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former navy officer sentenced to death in Pakistan. The episode drew outrage on social media as well.

Jadhav's mother and wife were also harassed and subjected to outrageous questions by Pakistani journalists after they were forced to wait for their car. The family faced questions hurled at them like - "Aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi? (your husband killed thousands of innocent Pakistanis, what do you have to say about that?)'" and "Aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad? (How do you feel after meeting your killer son?)".

According to CNN-News18, the BJP has issued a whip to all its MPs to attend today's proceedings in Parliament. The Lok Sabha will be discussing the triple talaq bill today.

The Indian National Congress is celebrating its 133rd foundation day today. It is for the first time that Rahul Gandhi will be steering an event as the president of the party.

Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal hit back at the Congress, saying she does not know to what level theopposition party can fall, if it could not come together on the issue of treatment of women by a "terrorist" country which always worked towards harming India.

Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily on Wednesday hit out at the government, accusing it of "diplomatic failure", after Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife were harassed by the Pakistani side during their meeting with the Indian national in Islamabad.

We will get some relief because of new law, says a victim

The bill, prepared by an inter-ministerial group headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, makes instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat in any form  spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp  "illegal and void" and provides for a jail term of three years for the husband.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill is listed for introduction in the Lok Sabha by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on 28 December, according to the list of business in the Lower House.

The bill will increase the salaries of the Chief Justice of India, other judges of the Supreme Court, chief justices of the high courts as well as other judges of high courts by over 2 times.

Later, Prasad will table The High Court And The Supreme Court Judges (Salaries And Conditions Of Service) Amendment Bill, 2017.

He was of the view that Pakistan "did not do any good for itself" by its handling of the meeting while showcasing to the world its gesture, a statement issued by the Vice President's Secretariat said.

Referring to the restrictions, Naidu said the move to ask Jadhav's wife take off her 'mangal sutra' has not got down well with the people of India.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu termed as "inhuman" the restrictions imposed by Pakistan during Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with his wife and mother in Islamabad, saying it has hurt the sentiments of Indians.

Sources told CNN-News18 that Pakistan will share the report on Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife Chetnakul's slipper with India. Pakistan had taken the slipper away suspecting a metallic object to be in it.

This day will be more significant in Muslim women's life than Eid or Bakrid, says victim

Congress sources tell CNN-News18 is that the party will be supporting the anti-triple talaq bill. However, the party is apprehensive of the criminality clause in the law, adding that the three-year jail for the divorce is arbitrary and Draconian.

Three days after his controversial statement over the word 'secularism' in the Constitution, Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde has said the Constitution of India is supreme for him.

"I can never go against the Constitution as a citizen. It is Supreme for me," says Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde. However, Mallikarjuna Kharge interrupts and says that Hegde has insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar.

"We fear that if we speak a lot here, then there will be a danger to the life of Jadhav. but we know that the Pakistani Army does not believes in democracy. It does not know how to behave with prisoners who have been implicated in false case. What they did with Jadhav's wife and mother is condemnable. We may have political differences but on this issue we stand with the government," the LoP in Rajya Sabha said.

"I spoke to the family of Kulbhushan Jadhav over the phone. She said that he was speaking under duress. He was telling whatever he was being tutored. He did not look healthy too. I hope people all Members of Parliament as well as the common man will denounce the behaviour of Paksitan," Sushma Swaraj said while concluding her statement.

In a rare sense of unity, all parties in the Rajya Sabha have denounced the manner in which Jadhav's family was treated in Pakistan.

"It was nothing like a humanitarian gesture. Human rights of the family members were violated again & again & an environment of fear was created for them," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in Rajya Sabha

"Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi. Two Pakistani officials present in the meeting kept stopping her repeatedly but when she continued, the intercom was switched off," Sushma Swaraj said in Rajya Sabha.

Union Minister Ramdas Athavale gives a poetic statement to back Sushma Swaraj's statement, "Kulbhushan ki khatre mey hai jaan, Hua hai unke maata pita ka apmaan". He also thanked the Congress for supporting the government.

After harassing his mother and wife, Pakistan media now claims that Kulbhushan Jadhav "confessed" to being an "Indian spy" during the trio's recent meeting. Pakistan's Geo News claims that the mother immediately chided Jadhav and asked him to speak the truth. The mother and wife, after the meeting, have repeatedly reiterated that the former Navy officer was being forced to toe Pakistan's narrative.

The Congress party is continuing to create a ruckus in the Rajya Sabha over Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde's comments against the Constitution. The Congress MPs are demanding a point of order in Question Hour. However, Chariman Venkaiah Naidu refused to allow it.

The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned within five minutes after being reconvened. The Upper House has been adjourned till 2 pm.

"In April 2017, I had said that the death sentence was given in illegal manner. We were in constant touch with the family. We were helping them connect with Jadhav. The Pakistan government allowed a meeting in December. It is unfortunate that the meeting could have been a path-breaking event but Pakistan used it as a propaganda tool,"

Not returning the shoes was an act of cruelty, says Swaraj

Opposing the bill over the criminalisation of the Islamic practice, Owaisi said that the law will be injustice to Muslim woman and lead to the abandonment of Muslim woman.

Toeing the Opposition's line, the Biju Janata Dal said that the bill has fundamental flaws in it.

"This is a hisotric day for India. This law is not linked to any religion, it is about the honour of women. The SC outlawed talaq e biddat But still goes on. Injustice is still going on. However, I ask whether the Parliament will still be silent? The parliament has to decide whether the Muslim women have any rights. Triple talaq still goes on. We are bringing a law finally. People say that it is against basic structure of the Constitution but isn't the honour of women important?" asked Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge says that the party does not support the triple talaq bill as ruckus breaks out in the Lower House over the bill.

On Thursday morning, in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur district, a woman was divorced through instant triple talaq for waking her husband up late in the morning. The husband left his home after divorcing her and is untraceable as of yet.

The triple talaq bill will be put to vote and passed in the Lok Sabha today itself, announced Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

Pakistan Foreign Office is set to hold a press conference at 5:30 pm IST. The dept will be responding to Indias claims that #KulbhushanJadhavs family was mistreated. Pak FO will also clarify its stand on taking away Jadhavs wifes shoes and not returning them.

While the discussion and voting over the triple talaq bill will take place after 2 pm, the Lok Sabha is currently conducting Zero Hour.

Speaking during the Zero Hour, West Bengal Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary said, "Maldives media has been showing Narendra Modi as anti-Muslim. Now, China through its OBOR plan is entering the periphery of our neighbouring countries. I believe that our neighbourhood policy needs to be reoriented."

"Congress supports the Supreme Court's judgment. Triple talaq should definitely go but as far as the bill is concerned, it will be scrutinised by the Parliamentary committee. If there are difficulties in the provisions that will be dealt with. Congress is definitely supporting triple talaq bill but the provisions will be scrutinised," says Manish Tiwari to CNN-News18.

Now, Pakistani authorities are talking of chip, camera or a recorder being installed in the shoes, she said. The charge is "absurbity beyond measure," she said, adding that the two women had cleared security at airports in Delhi and Dubai and in Pakistan and no such device was detected during these thorough airport security checks there.

"The Pakistan authorities have been cautioned against any mischievous intent in this regard through a Note Verbale yesterday," PTI quoted her as saying.

After the meeting, Pakistani authorities also did not return the shoes of Jadhav's wife despite repeated requests. Swaraj said not returning the shoes has given rise to suspicion that Pakistan was up to some "mischief".

This money will be spent on the affected people and areas, Tomar said while replying to a question during the Question Hour.

Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told the Lok Sabha that district mineral foundations, which were created after the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act came into being, have received Rs 13,398 crore and Rs 2,260 crore have been spent so far in developing local areas.

A new law, which has made it mandatory for spending of a part of revenue made from auctioning mines in developing the areas they are located in, has resulted in improved living conditions of people in these regions, government claimed today.

It takes time to set up separate high courts after bifurcation of states. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana need to sort out the issue with mutual consent, law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Responding to the questions related to the bifurication issues, Home Minister Rajnath Singh added that governments of both states need to work together to resolve the issue.

However, the Chair urges Congress MP BK Hariprasad to express regret for defying Chairman of the House.

With the GST bill being declared a money bill, SP's Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Agrawal cries foul, saying that if every bill passed in the Lok Sabha is declared a money bill, then what will be the utility of the Upper House. To this, PJ Kurien, the deputy chairman of the House , taunted that the Samajwadi MP can amend the Constitution if he wants to.

If every bill is money bill, then what is the use of Rajya Sabha? asks Naresh Agrawal

"Nobody wants anyone to become unemployed. We don't want Air India to go the Kingfisher (Airlines) way. We want the Air India to serve the nation, to serve the people and fly high," he said during the Question Hour.

The government does not want anyone working in Air India to lose job, Raju said in the Lok Sabha, adding that the disinvestment process of the national carrier has been initiated.

The government does not want Air India to become defunct like the Kingfisher Airlines, promoted by embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya, and wants it to serve the nation, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said today.

Given the circumstances detailed above, it seems naive at best  and delusional at worst  not to have expected the very worst from Pakistani hospitality in this situation, because it's clear that Islamabad expected the worst from New Delhi. Ultimately, Pakistan treated the family of someone it accuses of spying on it (and being involved in the deaths of many of its citizens) in a very predictable manner.

By March 2019, all homes in the country will be provided uninterrupted 24-hour power supply throughout the year, Power Minister R K Singh said today. Singh said by December 2018, 1,694 villages, which are yet to be electrified, will have electricity connection and works in this regard has been going on. All homes will get 24-hour power by March 2019, he said during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, calling it a "historic day" amid opposition to its introduction by members of different parties, including RJD, AIMIM, BJD and All India Muslim League.

A bill to make instant triple talaq illegal and void and awarding a jail term of three years for the husband, was introduced in the Lok Sabha today.

Bill on National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special provisions) Second Amendment Bill 2017 has been tabled in Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha had passed the bill on Wednesday.

The immunity under the exisiting Bill ends on 31 December. Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said if the Bill is not passed, it will lead to "unprecedented chaos" in the national capital.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill gives immunity to slums and some unauthorised constructions till 31 December, 2020.

On Wednesday, Lok Sabha had passed the bill to protect slums and unauthorised colonies in the national capital region from punitive action till a framework for orderly arrangements are in place.

What will The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill do?

"Countries like Eqypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh have regulated triple talaq. The Islamic countries have regulated triple talaq. They have said you can't say talaq in one sitting. The big question that I want to raise is that Islamic. India is a secular country. If here the women are facing abuse, we need to take a decision," said Prasad.

"We hoped that the condition would improve after the Supreme Court's decision," said law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Prasad, who is also the IT minister, further added: "I had gone to Patna. I witnessed burqa-clad women were learning IT. On one side, we are hailing digital India and on the other side there is 'talaq, talaq, talaq'". Lok Sabha is India's biggest panchayat. I appeal, firstly, that this bill not be seen as a succession bill. Secondly, don't tie it under caste aspect,and, thirdly, don't tie it with religion. Fourthly, don't view it under vote bank."

"The issue is not of faith, or puja but it is simply of gender justice, equality," said law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

INC leader Sushmita Dev said, "When the Supreme Court's judgment came Congress had a press meet. We welcomed the Supreme Court judgment. When the Supreme Court requested the Parliament to legislate on it, in a technical term, I'd say it was a minority judgment. The bill seeks to amend a critical law. We have seen historically that talaq is a unilateral act. Since 1939, women have been approaching court. However, the reality is, that this is a practice that is prevalent till today."

INC leader Sushmita Dev said in Lok Sabha: "Everybody wants social reforms. It is not just an idea, it is a right. I want to ask Ravi Shankar Prasad, will we see the women's reservation bill coming to the Parliament. It is not just the representation of women, if you would have allowed more women in the Parliament, a legislation like this, full of lacunae, wouldn't have seen the light of the day in this House."

Lekhi went on to call the practice of instantaneous divorce as "a joke on marriage". "This is practice over Whatsapp, email, text message. When you get married, you take the society along with you," she said

Lekhi said that the laws of the Hindus and the Christians have been modified such that customary practices do not interfere with the rights of women. Women are the biggest minority in this country, Lekhi said.

"The bill is not a ramvan to end all miseries. The practice of triple talaq needs to be discouraged. Supreme Court has said it is an arbitrary practice. Many people think women are commodities and that needs to be stopped," she further said.

"Why didn't UPA end medieval laws," BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi asked in Lok Sabha as the Lower House discussed the bill on triple talaq.

"Our opposition is about the way you intend to apply this bill. This bill is definitely not an initiative of this government. We always pass bills but we always seem to forget the implementation aspect and that is where things are going wrong in this country. Despite the AIMPLB saying that no such acts will happen, 100 plus annulments happened after the Supreme Court judgment."

In Lok Sabha, Biju Janata Dal leader Tathagata Satpathy said: " This is about more than a decade that I have been noticing, we have only been passing economy-related bill. This (bill on triple talaq) is one of the socially relevant bill that the govt has found time for. The Opposition is very focussed. We are opposing the way it is being introduced.

He added: "Bringing in criminality angle. When we are talking about introducing criminality into divorce, this is a civil matter. I am talking of the poorest of the poor. They see law in different angles. When there is compulsion by law that either you live together or go to prison, there could be happenings that are beyond the control of the government functionaries."

In Lok Sabha, BJD leader Tathagata Satpathy criticised the government for delaying taking up the issue of triple talaq. "The government is so focussed on discussing whether bamboo is a grass or a tree to did not feel it necessary to bring forth an ordinance in this particular case. The game is somewhere else," he said.

Sampath further criticised the Standing Committee for not involving women's organisations before the bill was tabled. "None of the women's organisation were consulted. We think we know what women want. We dictate and they have to receive. We make rules and they have to accept," he said.

CPM leader A Sampath said in Lok Sabha:" My party has made its stand very clear. This bill is a transgression of the civil side and the criminal side. Marriage, succession, inheritance, adoption, dissolution of marriage is on the civil side. What type of criminal remedy can be attached to it? Supreme Court called the practice illegal. Here we have issues of equality also come into the fore."

YSRC leader Varaprasad Rao Velagapalli said: "By putting extra (efforts to criminalise Muslim men), we are dealing the case in diverse manner for Hindus and Muslims. The punishment of 3 years should be taken back. I wish that government should have taken advice of state government.. I think this is the high time. The government is shedding extra tears for Muslim women"

NCP leader Supriya Sule claimed that the bill on triple talaq did not help married Muslim couples reconcile. She said: "Marriages can be reworked. when you put a father in court. He could be a bad husband, but he could also be a wonderful father. Are we here to break marriages or to reconcile? This nation needs legislation from the heart. The personal touch with so much digitisation has just gone."

SP leader Dharmendra Yadav said that the Centre should involve the state government while making the triple talaq bill into a law. He further criticised the three-year jail term suggested for offenders in the bill.

ET Muhammed Basheer said that of the population of Muslims in the country, triple talaq cases were negligible. "You are unnecessarily taking gun to kill the mosquito. You have jeopardised the sanctity of the House," he said.

RSP leader NK Premchandran said: "The main apprehension is the over enthusiasm of the NDA government led by the BJP. There is a cloud of suspicion. Triple talaq is already declared by Supreme Court as null and void. It has become the law of the land. Then the question is what is the need of further legislation?"

Owaisi alleged that the Centre was giving an advantage to the offenders and was not helping the situation. "Your dream of having more Muslims in jail will be achieved. Please send the bill to the Standing Committee. You are forcing a Muslim woman to file an FIR against her husband. You are giving a handle to the Muslim man, who will have 90 days. If you are true to your intentions, create a corpus of 1000 cr," he said.

"The Union law minister has failed to discriminate between civil law and criminal law. Not a single Muslim country has a penal provision. Triple talaq is a verbal and emotional abuse," Asaduddin Owaisi said.

Lashing out at the concerns over the criminal aspect of the offense, Prasad said," We have left the decision of jail term on the magistrate."

Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "We did not mislead the House. Supreme Court said that triple talaq is wrong. The law has not been made in haste. We are viewing this with the prism of humanity, not politics."

Speaking to India Today, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that he understood the concerns of victims of triple talaq. "I have to maintain a balance between the law and your(victims') concerns. I hope that Congress support the bill in Rajya Sabha the same way it has in Lok Sabha," he said.

"Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad while tabling the bill also quoted the board and a lady MP of the ruling party tried to answer the queries raised by the Board in a letter to the prime minister proving that the government recognises the board. So the board should have been taken into confidence," Nomani said

The Shia Waqf Board, meanwhile, called for making the punishment to those indulging in 'triple talaq' more stringent. "We will take whatever steps required through democratic means to amend, improve or scrap it. There is no move to go to court as of now...The bill was brought in a haste," AIMPLB spokesperson Maulana Khalil-ur-Rehman Sajjad Nomani said. He said the board should have been taken into confidence on the issue.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) expressed serious reservations over the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill which was passed by the Lok Sabha and said it will take steps through democratic means to "amend, improve or scrap" it.

He claimed that the Muslim women celebrating the bill "did not know the law" and hoped that the Select Committee reject it in Rajya Sabha since the bill needs to be debated.

"Section 3 says triple talaq does not end marriage. The burden of proof will now be on the innocent women. What kind of justice is this that a non-Muslim gets 1 year but Muslim will get 3 years," Asaduddin Owaisi told India Today.

BJP issues a whip to all its parliamentarians asking them to remain present in the Parliament between 2-4 January

NCP wants the Triple Talaq bill to be sent to select committee, DMK wants criminalisation clause removed

According to the sources, Leader of Opposition in the Upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad has convened a meeting of the leaders of his party (Congress) as well as other parties in his Parliament chamber tomorrow, before the bill is taken up.

The Congress would consult Opposition parties before finalising its stand on the contentious bill which proposed to ban instant triple talaq and make the practice a cognisable offence, party sources said on Monday.

NCP leader Majeed Memon says the party has already made it clear that it is entirely against criminalisation of triple talaq

Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu will chair a meeting in half-an-hour to discuss the triple talaq bill, reports News18 . MPs from both Congress and BJP will attend the meeting.

Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi says that the triple talaq bill will be passed in Rajya Sabha with constructive debate and discussion

The bill is an attempt to regulate the liquidation and insolvency of companies that file for bankruptcy. According to PRS legislature the bill prohibits certain persons from submitting a resolution plan in case of defaults. These include: (i) wilful defaulters, (ii) promoters or management of the company if it has an outstanding non-performing debt for over a year, and (iii) disqualified directors, among others. Further, it bars the sale of property of a defaulter to such persons during liquidation.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, as it stands today, proposes to allow practitioners of alternative medicines, such as homeopathy and ayurveda, practice allopathy after completing a bridge course. However, the Centre has agreed to refer it to Parliamentary Standing Committee for closer scrutiny after the uproar over the bill.

The Indian Medical Association had called for suspending routine services today to protest against a bill that seeks to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) with a new body.

"The Prime Minister has also been quiet on the issue. On the other hand, National Security Advisor (Ajit Doval) is meeting his Pakistani counterpart..." he said.

"Pakistan-sponsored terrorists attacked a CRPF camp, in which five of our jawans were martyred. The concern is that while on one hand, Army jawans sacrifice their lives, on the other hand, government does not appear serious about it. In the last three years, there have been so many incidents..." Scindia said.

Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia raised the issue during the Zero Hour and also mentioned Bharatiya Janata Party member Nepal Singh's comments, who reportedly said "those in the Army are bound to die".

The House also witnessed slogans against Pakistan being raised, as soon as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan entered the House, with some shouting 'Pakistan Murdabad'.

The attack on a training centre of the Central Reserve Police Force in Jammu and Kashmir was raised in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, with opposition leaders accusing the government of inaction.

He said there were 785 different types of cryptocurrencies operating worldwide.

"The government is examining the matter. A Committee under the chairmanship of the Economic Affairs Department Secretary is deliberating over all issues related to cryptocurrencies to propose specific actions to be taken... Instead of taking any knee-jerk action, let's wait for the report of this committee."

"One of the features of cryptocurrency is that there is lack of dependence on the state. It functions with a degree of anonymity. It operates within a virtual community which is created and enjoys the trust of that virtual community," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told the Rajya Sabha.

There is no mechanism to prevent the misuse of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin by terror groups and other anti-national elements, the government said on Tuesday, adding it was awaiting the report of an expert group on the subject.

The government has no plans to create a second capital in South India, the Lok Sabha was informed today. Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, while replying to a written question on whether the government has any proposal to create a second capital in South India (Hyderabad), said, "No".

The Congress had moved amendments to certain provisions of the bill in the Lok Sabha but did not press for a vote.

The Lok Sabha has already cleared the 'Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill and it is likely to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said that the government would like the Congress to maintain the stand it took in the Lok Sabha by not pressing for amendments.

The government today urged the Congress not to press for amendments to the triple talaq bill, which seeks to criminalise the practice of instant divorce among Muslims, when it comes up for consideration in the Rajya Sabha likely tomorrow.

The bonds, which would be valid for 15 days, will not carry the donor's name even though the purchaser would have to fulfil KYC norms at the bank, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in the Lok Sabha while announcing the contours of the scheme.

The electoral bonds, which are being pitched as an alternative to cash donations made to political parties, will be available at specified branches of State Bank of India (SBI) for 10 days each in months of January, April, July and October.

In a bid to clean election financing, the government on Tuesday outlined contours of the new electoral bonds that donors can buy from SBI and said receiving political parties can encash only through a designated bank account.

During the Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said the comments by the BJP MP reflected that the government was not serious about the lives of the armed forces personnel.

The Congress today demanded an unconditional apology from BJP MP Nepal Singh for his reported comments that army jawans should expect death because of the profession they are in.

The BJP held its parliamentary board meeting on Wednesday, whereby they discussed the triple talaq bill and the Constitution's 123rd amendment bill which will give constitutional status to the OBC commission.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till noon after a massive ruckus was caused over Dalit protests in Maharashtra.

"Whether it is in Gujarat, Una, Rajasthan, there is nothing but injustice wherever BJP is in power," Kharge said. "A Supreme Court judge should be appointed and he should inquire this. The prime minister should come to the House and make a statement. When such incidents are happening, he does nothing," he added.

"RSS is behind the Bhima-Koregaon violence," said Mallikarjun Kharge in Lok Sabha. Uproar erupted in the House as soon as Kharge made this statement.

Forcefully raising the issue in Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge also trained his guns on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wondering why he was maintaining a studied silence on the issue. Read more here.

As several parts of Maharashtra continued to reel under caste violence, Congress on Wednesday accused the RSS and certain Hindutva outfits of triggering it and demanded a probe by a Supreme Court judge into the clashes.

TMC and Cong want the bill to be sent to the Select Committee for consideration. "We are not opposed to the bill, but we want the bill to be strengthened. We want it to be sent to the Select Committee," TMC leader said.

TMC, Congress want the bill to be sent to the Select Committee for consideration

The house is taken by surprise that a motion is suddenly moved, it has not been submitted a day before. The motion has to be given at least 24 hours in advance, says Arun Jaitley on Anand Sharma's notice.

Jaitley referred to judgement of SC, I want to correct the record, says Kapil Sibal

Rajya Sabha adjourned for the fourth time till 11 am on Thursday as ruckus over triple talaq bill continued

We are all for this bill, it is a faulty bill. No womens ' groups, stakeholders were consulted, says TMC MP Derek O' Brien

He added: "If the other House has not scrutinised the bill, it is the constitutional duty of the Rajya Sabha to do that. The government doesn't want a debate on it, so it is wrong on the part of the Law Minister to say that we (Opposition) don't want to debate it."

"The government is playing politics in the name of triple talaq bill by selectively misquoting and misrepresenting even the Supreme Court Constitutional Bench judgement, which was done by Leader of Rajya Sabha (Arun Jaitley) today," Sharma said.

He added: "It is legally mandatory that all bills must go through a standing committee of Lok Sabha and if it doesnt happen then such bill should be referred to select committee of the Rajya Sabha."

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters that the BJP does not believe in democracy. "The bills are generally referred to the select committee based on the Sense of the House i.e majority. But, the government didnt accept which once again proved that the BJP doesnt believe in democracy, parliament, and parliamentary democracy," Azad said.

The government alleged that the Congress and other Opposition parties were trying to derail the bill by demanding it should be referred to a select committee, that too without giving a notice a day in advance.

The Congress said that the government was lying about the Oppositions intentions on Triple Talaq Bill in Rajya Sabha.

BJP president Amit Shah is expected to make his maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha today if a bill for the amendments to the Goods and Services Tax law, which has been fiercely attacked by the Congress during last month's Gujarat elections, is taken up by House for debate and voting.

As BJP's chief strategist, Amit Shah, rises to speak from his front-row seat in Rajya Sabha on amending the law to allow for imposing compensation cess on intra-State and inter-State supply of goods and services on Thursday, a BJP leader told NDTV said the Congress should expect a stinging rebuttal to its election campaign.

Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill, 2017 Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017 State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017 Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 High Court and The Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2017 Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-third Amendment) Bill, 2017 Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017 Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017 National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017

"We should not see the Bhima-Koregaon as a political issue. Rather than politicising the issue, we should try to control the situation and bring life back to normalcy. The state government will take strict action against the culprits," he said.

"Everyone must strive to end caste wars and conflicts. Those involved in the incident must be brought to hook," says Ramadas Athawale.

"Jignesh Mevani, Umar Khalid made inflammatory speeches leading to violence in Maharashtra. The Congress tries to connect every Dalit atrocity with Sangh. This too should be condemned like attacks against Dalits," says BJP MP Amar Shankar Sable in the Rajya Sabha amid protests from other members.

DMK MP Tiruchi Siva says following ban on firecrackers in Delhi, factories in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, have shut down causing deep economic hurt to businesses. "Fireworks is not the only reason for pollution. The work goes on throughout the year but the sales come up during Diwali," says Siva.

West Bengal MP Ritabrata Banerjee said the Centre should consider renaming West Bengal as Bangla. A resolution in the matter was already passed in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, he said in Rajya Sabha.

Flagging the issue of H-1B visas in the US under Donald Trump's administration, Congress MP from Karnataka Rajeev MV Gowda said, "More than 50% of H-1B visas issued goes to Indians. It is bad for US to engage in such a disruptive move. I urge the government to engage with their US counterparts as livelihoods of thousands of Indians is at risk."

Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar responds to questions on the education sector. When asked about the dropout rate, Javadekar said one of the reasons was the lack of toilets. We constructed more toilets. Another reason was due to lack of quality training, he said.

TMC MP Saugata Roy said the first draft of the NRC in Assam is a conspiracy to drive out Bengalis from Assam.

As protests erupted in Lok Sabha over the Assam National Registry of Citizens, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Assam NRC is being conducted under the Supreme Court's supervision. If somenone's names have been left out, they can register again. It cannot be deleted. It is not a conspiracy to drive out certain sections of the population. Such allegations are baseless."

Claims of Assam NRC driving out a certain section of population are baseless allegations: Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha

In Rajya Sabha, questions were raised on persons with disabilities and if there is a need for their Aadhaar identification since their fingerprints are almost always mismatched, according to The Indian Express .

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, BSP MP from Uttar Pradesh, Satish Chandra Misra says disabled persons need a place to stay apart from opportunities to come up in life.

Most of the opposition parties, including the Congress, had supported the passage of the Bill in the lower house with some reservations. BJPs absolute majority in the Lok Sabha helped the ruling dispensation in the easy passage of legislation. The statute when brought to the Rajya Sabha faced some stiff resistance on Wednesday when a collective opposition insisted on sending the Bill to the Select Committee of the House.

According to sources, Centre will try to hold a debate at 6 pm on the triple talaq bill before sending it to the Select Committee. The Bill, which criminalises instant divorce among Muslims with a three year penal provision, was passed by the Lok Sabha last week.

RSP MP from Kollam, NK Premachandran raised the issue of Chinese aggression on Indian borders after reports emerged of China's incursion for one kilometre into Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh. He called it an issue of national security and demanded the Centre's response to it. He also added it was important was as Chinese officials have openly stated China has never recognised Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory.

He asked the government to specify the national investment, debts, and other economic indicators. He claimed that both national investment rate, and national saving rate, which are indicators of financial wealth of citizens, have fallen. He also said that the ratio between GDP growth and debt was increasing.

Sharma said that Indian economy, contrary to the prime minister and finance minsters' claim, is not a galloping economy but a gasping economy. "None of the growth engine of the economy are running," Sharma said.

He said that the Commission will have members from the Opposition as well and it is more open and inclusive than the collegium system.

Shetty, while speaking on the discussion over The Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2017 touched upon the National Judiciary Appointment Commission.

Shetty said that the entire process of fighting a litigation has become so costly that justice will soon evade common man. He said that the advocates usually charge a fee every time even if the court just reschedules the date of hearing. He said that there should be a mechanism to regulate the fees charged by advocates.

Gopal Chinayya Shetty says there is a need to regulate advocates fees too

"I heard that an honourable member said that this government celebrates even slightest of improvements in numbers and metrics of economy like a little rainfall is cherished after a drought. It is right because the policy paralysis under the 10 years of UPA rule were akin to not just a drought but a misery. That's what they gave the nation in their 1o year's rule," Yadav.

"Justices Nariman and Lalit ruled that since triple talaq could not be construed as an essential religious practice, the submission on behalf of the Muslim Personal Board that the ball must be bounced back to the legislature does not at all arise. the article read.

The Supreme Court, in its judgment, held instant triple talaq unconstitutional and invalidated the practice. However, the final ruling by the majority judges catagorically mentioned that there was no need to pass the ball to the legilstaure's court, as this article in News18 points out.

Notwithstanding the Congress' remarks on metrics demonstrating the health of economy, Yadav said that the figures are merely a web to confound the common man, and mean little on the ground. He said that if the people in villages are getting enough to eat, earning enough to protect themselves in harsh winters, then the economy is good otherwise it is not.

Speaking during the discussion on state of Indian economy, Ram Gopal Yadav said that the elections are never fought on facts and figures or policy matters. They are won on slogans. However, the government must work for improving the state of economy.

Elections can be won on mere slogans, but please work in the interest of nation, Ram Gopal Yadav urges govt

Speaking on a bill to raise salaries of judges, BJP MP Tathagata Satpathy said that the judiciary needs several basic reforms. His suggestions included that advocates be allowed to advertise for their services, judges should have a system for automatic appraisal of salaries rather than the House debating each time they gate a pay hike. He also said that there was no reason that the judiciary was so reluctant to open itself to scrutiny. He said the provision for an TRI should be brought in.

Speaking in the Lok Sabaha, TRS MP Konda Vishveshwar Reddy said that the hike in the judge's salary has been long ovrdue. To reassert his point, the MP said that while advocate charge lakhs of rupees for every sitting, the judge earns only Rs. 90,000. "Even a mid-level executive earns more than a High Court judge. The Pakistan judges are paid more than 10 times of what we are paying here," he said.

Even Pakistan pays more salary to their judges than we do, says TRS MP Konda Vishveshwar Reddy

Now with just one more day remaining in the ongoing Winter Session, the fate of the controversial bill remains shrouded in suspense as the government virtually rejected an overwhelming demand on Thursday from the Opposition for referring it to a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha for detailed consideration. The Opposition, on the other hand also refused to relent as Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the Bill was not fit to be passed as it as it would "finish off Muslim women" instead of "empowering them."

Various reports suggest that owing to the lack of numbers and consensus in the Rajya Sabha the ruling party will be forced to send the bill to a Select Committee of the House. And it would only be taken up again in the Budget Session in 2018.

Triple talaq could most likely be taken up again in 2018 Budget Session

According to News18 , MPs from Opposition parties have been told that both houses will be adjourned sine die (with no appointed date for resumption) post lunch.

Arun Jaitley says the agriculture sector needs support. "Both the central and state governemtns have been making efforts," says Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Lok Sabha.

"The Committee observes that the problems affecting the airlines are not personal; it is institutional. An institution like Indigo has to develop a consumer friendly approach in dealing with their passengers. The Committee believes that being a leader in market share, Indigo needs to look inward and find out the reasons for the discourteous attitude and rude and indifferent behavior of their employees, whether it is their cabin crew or the ground staff. The Committee emphasizes that the arrogant behavior of employees should stop."

Ram Vilas Paswan rose to withdraw the The Consumer Protection Bill, 2015. The Consumer Protection Bill and the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill have been introduced.

As per PRS Legislative , LS sat for 13 days, 61 hours with 78 percent productivity. Sixteen bills were introduced during this time in the Lok Sabha. Twelve bills were passed by the Lower House. Apart from this, 46 starred questions were answered orally during Question Hour.

As per PRS Legislative , LS sat for 13 days, 61 hours with 78 percent productivity. Sixteen bills were introduced during this time in the Lok Sabha. Twelve bills were passed by the Lower House. Apart from this, 46 starred questions were answered orally during Question Hour.

Congress MP Viplove Thakur asks if Narendra Modi's promise of paying 50 percent more than the MSP to the farmer is being fulfilled. Jairam Ramesh also asks how is the cost of production fixed for MSP, "What is the new system for fixing the cost of production?"

Jhama Das Badiya, CPM MP from Tripura says her luggage was stolen from Rajdhani Express. There are thousands like her who go through this with no security reinforcement.

Rajya Sabha erupts in laughter after BJP MP Sarojini Hembram says her luggage was also stolen on trains

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal replies that action against such oganised gangs will be taken and if any member has information about it, they should come forward and inform the ministry. The ministry is also trying to bring in a network of CCTV surveillance on trains and stations, Goyal informed the Rajya House.

The Winter Session of Parliament began on Friday with the most heated discussion likely to take place on the triple talaq bill. Congress and BJP issued whip directing their members to be present in both the Houses on the final day of the session.

On Thursday, the Committee on transport deliberated on the issue of exorbitant airfares charged during the festival seasons, holiday seasons, natural disasters and political/social unrest in Rajya Sabha, reported ANI. The Committee also noted there were many incidents of manhandling, discourteous and rude behavior by airlines staff, especially in IndiGo.

The deadlock on the triple talaq bill in the Rajya Sabha continued on Thursday as the government rejected the Opposition's demand to send the controversial legislation to a Select Committee.

The government tactically placed the bill in the bottom of priority in the list of business, which the Opposition strongly objected to and demanded that its motions for referring the bill to a Select Committee be taken up first. The business list had the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill ahead of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017.

Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien pleaded helplessness on the ground that the listing of business was the government's priority and decided to go ahead with the GST bill, triggering an Opposition uproar which finally forced him to adjourn the House for the day.

The government has decided to put the triple talaq bill, which seeks to criminalise instant divorce by uttering talaq thrice, for consideration on Friday - the last day of the winter session.

The government and the Opposition members traded charges of being anti-women, with Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad asserting that none from the Opposition was against the bill but had objections with certain provisions of the legislation which need to be rectified through the Select Committee route.

Derek O'Brien of the Trinamool Congress, Naresh Agrawal of the Samajwadi Party and Madhusudan Mistry of the Congress cited various rules of the House to convince the Chair that the triple talaq legislation must be taken up and disposed of first.

Leaders in the Rajya Sabha also condemned the Bhima-Koregaon violence with many of them calling upon the people to not politicise the issue on Thursday. The Opposition is likely to demand a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in light of increasing attacks on Dalits during the violence in Maharashtra on Friday.

The Lok Sabha on Thursday approved amendments made by the Rajya Sabha in two bills  The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill, and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill  passed by it earlier.

Regarding the Assam National Registry of Citizens (NRC), Opposition members in the Lok Sabha on Thursday alleged a conspiracy to drive out Bengali-speaking population from Assam, a charge rejected as "baseless" by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Trinamool Congress member Saugata Roy had raised the issue as soon as the Zero Hour began, pointing out that names of 1.3 crore people out of 3.29 crore population of Assam had not appeared in the first draft of National Register of Citizens, which aims at identifying illegal immigrants.

"We fear this is a conspiracy to drive out Bengali-speaking people from Assam," Roy said, drawing vociferous support from his party MPs and some members of the Congress and the Left parties.

Responding to the claim, the Home Minister said the NCR work was going on under the supervision of the Supreme Court and there was no need for anyone to feel concerned.

"Those whose names have been left out can approach a tribunal. It is a baseless allegation that some people are being driven out," Rajnath Singh said.

With inputs from agencies
New Delhi: With triple talaq bill stalled by the Opposition in Parliament, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday accused the Congress of pursuing vote bank politics and not gender justice, saying it has followed the same politics from Shah Bano case in 1986 to that of Shayara Bano in 2017.

The senior BJP leader said the Congress could have made its suggestions on the Bill in Parliament during a debate but it saw to this that no meaningful debate occur as it was driven by vote bank politics.

The Congress needs to explain why it took one stand in the Lok Sabha and another in the Rajya Sabha as it "fully supported" the Bill in the former and did not press even for division on amendments, he said.

The main Opposition party had not opposed the Bill in the Lok Sabha before joining with other parties to stall it in the Rajya Sabha where the government lacks numbers.

"The Congress has followed the same politics from Shah Bano in 1986 to Shayara Bano in 2017. We were open for discussion and keen that debate must happen in Parliament. Let the whole country see the Congress' behaviour," he said.

While the then Congress government had brought in a law to negate a Supreme Court order for alimony in the Shah Bano case, Shayara Bano was a petitioner in a plea against the practise of triple talaq.

To the demand of the Congress that the Bill be sent to a Select Committee, Prasad said the committee was designed to make it ineffective.

Hundreds of instant triple talaq have happened even after the Supreme Court order, he said, adding that it happened even on Friday.

"The Congress wanted to decriminalise it (instant triple talaq). It is continuing unabated despite the Supreme Court order and we need to have a special deterrence," he said.

The government wanted a debate but the Congress interrupted him even when he was making initial observations while introducing the Bill, he said.

Prasad's attack on the Congress after it held the BJP responsible for the impasse in Rajya Sabha, accusing the ruling party of trying to use Parliament as a "rubber stamp".

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad claimed that ministers stalled proceedings, leading to an impasse for three days.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar, however, asserted after the Winter Session ended on Friday that the government was committed to the Bill, which seeks up to three years of imprisonment for Muslim men convicted of instant triple talaq.

The government will press for its passage in the Budget Session starting from 29 January.
Senior NCP leader and former deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council Vasant Davkhare died in Mumbai on Thursday after a prolonged illness. He was 67.

In a post on Facebook, national spokesperson of Nationalist Congress Party, Nawab Malik said that Davkhare's last rites will be performed in Thane today. He informed that the last darshan of the deceased leader will take place in Thane between 11 am to 1 pm while the funeral is scheduled at 3 pm.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis offered his condolences to the family on Twitter. Fadnavis said:

Saddened to know about the demise of Former Deputy Chairman of Maharashtra Legislative Council Shri Vasant Davkhare ji.

My deepest condolences to his family, friends and followers.  Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) January 4, 2018

Davkhare was first elected as corporator in the Thane Municipal Corporation in 1986.

In 1987 he was elected as Mayor of Thane Municipal Corporation.

He became the Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council in 1998.

In July 2010, he was re-elected unopposed as the Deputy Chairman.

Davkhare was away from the active politics for the last one year as his health started failing him.

His son Niranjan Davkhare is the NCP MLC.

With inputs from PTI
New Delhi: India stood firm on basic principles of multilateralism at the WTO's ministerial meeting last month in Argentina and would continue to work with other members to promote rule-based global trade, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Friday.

The minister also said that the country's coalition partners extended their support not only for a permanent solution on the food security matter but also on other issues of interest of developing nations at the ministerial meet.

Prabhu said this in a statement in the Rajya Sabha on India's stand at the ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

"India stood firm on its stand on the fundamental principles of the WTO including multilateralism, rule-based consensual decision making, an independent and credible dispute resolution and appellate process, the centrality of development and special and differential treatment for all developing countries," he added.

The talks at the WTO's 11th ministerial conference collapsed after the US went back on its commitment to finding a permanent solution to the public food stockholding issue, a key matter for India.

The four-day conference in Argentina, which ended without a ministerial declaration or any substantive outcome, did manage to make some feeble progress on fisheries and e-commerce by agreeing to work programmes.

The minister said that in absence of a ministerial declaration, the existing mandates and decisions would remain valid and be carried forward.

"This ensures that the work will go forward and the WTO would continue to work on issues such as the permanent solution on public stockholding for food security purposes, agriculture subsidies and other issues," he said.

Prabhu said that India's public stockholding programme would continue to be protected due to the interim solution that the government negotiated in 2014, which is available in perpetuity.

Under the global trade norms, a WTO member country's food subsidy bill should not breach the limit of 10 percent of the value of production based on the reference price of 1986-1988.

Apprehending that full implementation of food security programme may result in a breach of the WTO cap, India has been seeking amendments in the formula to calculate the food subsidy cap.
While the BJP government's inability to push through the triple talaq bill has caused a sense of discomfort for the ruling party in New Delhi, the more significant sub-text is to do with the developments in the Deccan. The Telugu Desam, an NDA ally, that has two ministers in the Narendra Modi government, broke ranks to make its position against the Bill very clear. In the bargain, the TDP found itself on the side of the Congress, its traditional political foe in Andhra Pradesh. Joining the TDP in pushing for the Bill to be sent to a select committee was the AIADMK. The party from Tamil Nadu, though not part of the NDA, has been close to the BJP since Jayalalithaa's demise.

This tactical shift in position is not an innocent one, though leaders in both Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, are trying hard to project it as issue-based opposition.

"Why should we see it as the BJP's issue? It is our issue as well,'' argues CM Ramesh, TDP MP in the Rajya Sabha and a close confidant of Chandrababu Naidu. "It is not a question of whether our decision embarrasses the BJP, but is about the Bill in its present form which is embarrassing us. We have our concerns about the criminality clause that we have conveyed to the BJP and asked them to send it to the select committee.''

The TDP and BJP are partners in power - both in New Delhi and Amaravati. But the feeling within the TDP is that Naidu has not got preferential treatment he deserves within the dispensation. This is a bitter pill for the TDP to swallow given that it has been used to the red carpet being rolled out for Naidu during the NDA years under Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Naidu inherited an empty treasury, without any state capital and necessary infrastructure. It was obvious that he would depend on the NDA government fulfilling its promises to the bifurcated state of Andhra. Naidu expected that being an NDA partner, the gravy train would roll out almost immediately.

"Politically, our relations with the BJP are fine but that has not quite translated to help for our state,'' a leader close to the power centre told this writer. The reference is to the fact that the TDP government has to struggle to get what it thinks is due to it, be it funds for the prestigious Polavaram irrigation project or for its capital city. Naidu was embarrassed when the NDA government did not grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh. The status was promised both by former prime minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament and also by Narendra Modi during the election campaign.

A section of the TDP feels the BJP will be an electoral liability especially given that both Jaganmohan Reddy and Pawan Kalyan have been vociferous in their attack on Naidu for his inability to get special category status, despite sharing power in New Delhi. These TDP leaders feel snapping ties with the BJP and making it the villain of the Andhra sob story could fetch rich political dividends in 2019. But it won't be an easy call for Naidu to take as walking out of NDA will mean bidding goodbye to whatever little clout he still has in the national capital.

Which is why it would be erroneous to see the TDP's position on the triple talaq bill in isolation. It is a punch delivered inside a velvet glove, a way of saying that the TDP is capable to taking a line contrary to what its partner decides. It will be interesting to watch how the BJP in Andhra reacts to this development and whether its leaders attack the TDP in the same language that they reserve for those from the Congress.

The AIADMK was far more virulent in the manner in which it took on the BJP over the Bill. Its Lok Sabha MP Anwhar Raajhaa in his speech alleged that the BJP was pursuing a "communal agenda'' through this legislation. Sounding more like Asaduddin Owaisi, the MP from Ramanathapuram also accused the BJP of bringing the Bill to "abolish the identity of Muslims in India''.

Ever since the RK Nagar verdict in which the AIADMK came a poor second and the BJP lost its deposit, polling lesser votes than NOTA, relations between the two parties have taken a nosedive. Dhinakaran had campaigned saying a vote for the AIADMK means a vote for the BJP. The AIADMK believes this impression cost it the minority vote in the constituency.

Soon after the election result, co-operation minister Sellur Raju had claimed the AIADMK lost because of public anger at its closeness with the BJP and its decision on GST. He said, "Amma had always been clear in her mind that we should never be close to the communal BJP even though she had a close rapport with Narendra Modi. So we must never have an alliance with the BJP.''

Also RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy calling both chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami and deputy CM O Panneerselvam "impotent'' in a tweet in December, did not go down well with the party. The fact that BJP leaders in the state were the first to welcome Rajinikanth's entry into politics did not go unnoticed either. The reading is that the BJP is in the process of dumping the AIADMK and back the superstar instead.

But having bitten more than it could chew, the AIADMK climbed down, clarifying that the party's opposition was restricted only to the Bill and should not be interpreted otherwise. Political analyst S Shankar says the AIADMK is not in a position to take on the BJP and wonders if Anwhar Raajhaa was authorised by the party leadership to speak in the manner he did.

"The DMK and TTV Dhinakaran had taken a position against the Bill. Therefore, to vote for the Bill would have made the AIADMK look anti-minority in Tamil Nadu,'' says Shankar.

If the AIADMK and the TDP had gone with the government in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley would have fancied his chances of winning the vote in the event of a division. But the posturing over the triple talaq bill is a subtle warning that the two friends from the south could be mulling a talaq from the BJP in the near future.
New Delhi: Notwithstanding the Opposition stalling the passage of the contentious triple talaq bill, the government is set to push for its nod in the Rajya Sabha in the Budget Session, asserting that it is committed to it.

Briefing reporters at the conclusion of the Winter Session, parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar also attacked the Congress, which had not opposed the bill in Lok Sabha but voiced its strong opposition in the Upper House.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi talks about woman empowerment but "runs away" when it comes to acting on this, Kumar said.

"In the Rajya Sabha, the Congress every day came with an excuse to stall the bill," he alleged.

However, the government is "committed to passing the law and empower our Muslim sisters", Kumar said.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, which criminalises instant talaq and provides for up to three years of imprisonment for accused Muslim men was passed by the Lower House on 28 December.

A united opposition, however, stalled it in the Rajya Sabha with the Congress moving a motion that the bill should be sent to a select committee for further scrutiny, a move strongly opposed by the treasury benches.

When the Budget Session starts on 29 January, the motion, which was moved by senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, will be taken up for consideration.

Government sources said they would seek its passage in the first phase of the session and would be holding talks with opposition parties to arrive at a consensus.

With the government recommending a schedule for the Budget Session, it is unlikely to bring in an ordinance over the issue and will seek the bill's passage in the next session, official sources said.

Treasury benches had also cited a Supreme Court order, which had invalidated the practice of triple talaq, to push for a law to criminalise the practice.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had told the Lok Sabha that the practice of instant triple talaq has continued despite the apex court's order, making it imperative for the government to bring a law.
As the 14-day long Winter Session of the Parliament concluded on Friday, the 545 members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha managed to spend 101.9 hours debating, disrupting, passing bills and raising questions.

When Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan announced the House was adjourned sine die, she said the session, which commenced on 15 December, had 13 sittings spread over 61 hours and 48 minutes. The House lost about 15 hours due to disruptions and adjournments.

The Speaker said that 16 bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha by the government in the session, of which 12 bills including the triple talaq bill was passed. Important bills passed during the session also included the Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Bill, the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill and the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill.



Despite the government pushing hard to pass the triple talaq bill in the Rajya Sabha, it failed to yield a fruitful discussion with the Opposition adamant on sending the bill to a Select Committee to vet it properly.

According to PRS Legislative Research, Lok Sabha's productivity surged to 78 percent this Winter Session from 67 percent during the Monsoon Session of the Parliament. However, productivity in Rajya Sabha dropped drastically to 54 percent from 72 percent in the Monsoon Session.

During the 19-day Monsoon Session, which concluded on 11 August, 2017, both Houses had passed only nine out of the 25 bills on a range of subjects. The Lok Sabha had witnessed a heated debate and verbal duels between the Opposition and Treasury benches during the session on vital issues like cow-lynching and mob-violence, agrarian crisis, and the attack on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Gujarat, allegedly by BJP workers.

However, during the Winter Session of the Parliament, the focus remained largely on the triple talaq bill, the National Medical Commission Bill, repealing 245 obsolete and archaic laws, the Bhima-Koregaon violence, Assam NRC, and Kulbhushan Jadhav, among others.

This Winter Session also witnessed a fall in combined hours spent on legislative business. Both the Houses spent 46.5 hours on legislative business, a fall from the 54.6 hours on the same during the Monsoon Session. While Lok Sabha registered an increase in the amount of time spent on legislative business during the Winter Session, the Rajya Sabha spent a mere 17 hours legislating compared to 24 hours spent during the Monsoon Session. However, the Upper House spent a large chunk of its time on legislative business during the Winter Session than questions, non-legislative business, and other tasks.

It is necessary to note that the Winter Session began amid hue and cry over its delay. Rajya Sabha faced several disruptions during its course. On Thursday, the Upper House was adjourned four times amidst uproar on Maharashtra Bandh and triple talaq bill. The Bhima-Koregaon violence was a contentious issue in both Houses with leaders demanding a judicial inquiry into the same.

While adjourning Rajya Sabha sine die on Friday, chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu, urged members to seriously introspect on their conduct in the House which lost almost 34 hours due to frequent disruptions. The Rajya Sabha passed just nine bills during this period, which is same as that during the Winter Session.

"It is unfortunate that despite discharging its responsibilities to a great extent, the august House ends up losing some degree of the esteem of the people on account of disruptions and substantial loss of functional time," Naidu said.

"Intense and passionate submissions and debates are the order of democracy, but disruptions are certainly not. I urge upon members to seriously introspect in this regard," he added.
The Winter Session of Parliament, which began on 15 December, 2017 amid much uproar over its delay, is set to conclude on Friday.

During this period, 24 legislative bills, including the contentious triple talaq bill, were introduced and/or passed by one or both the Houses. Out of these 24 bills, only three  Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017, National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and Indian Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2017  were introduced and passed by both, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, during the 14-day session.

The Lok Sabha passed 14 bills during the Winter Session, while the Rajya Sabha has passed only nine into law so far.

However, before we move on to the important bills passed and issues discussed, let's take a quick look at how productive was this Winter Session?

According to data collated by Delhi-based think-tank PRS Legislative, the Rajya Sabha had recorded a productivity of 72 percent in the Monsoon Session which concluded in August. In the Winter Session, the Upper House's productivity has dipped to 54 percent.

Let's take a look at some of the most important bills which were debated and issues discussed:

Triple Talaq Bill

Winter Session concludes on Friday but the fate of the controversial bill remains clouded in suspense as the government virtually rejected an overwhelming demand from the Opposition for referring it to a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha for detailed consideration on Thursday. The Centre was quite sure that the bill will be passed this Session, but by the look of it, the bill which criminalises triple talaq might get deferred to the Budget Session.

The Opposition also refused to relent as Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the Bill was not fit to be passed as it as it would "finish off Muslim women" instead of "empowering them."

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 was introduced and passed in the Lok Sabha by the Minister of Law and Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad on 28 December 28, 2017. However, when it was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, it did not see much debate or discussion as political parties indulged in a slugfest both inside and outside Parliament.

On Thursday, the government tactically placed the bill in the bottom of priority in the list of business, which the Opposition strongly objected to and demanded that its motions for referring the bill to a Select Committee be taken up first. The business list had the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill ahead of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017. Even on Friday, the GST bill took precedence over the triple talaq bill in the list of business to be taken up by Rajya Sabha.

The bill makes all declaration of talaq, including in written or electronic form, to be "void and illegal". It defines talaq as talaq-e-biddat or any other similar form of talaq pronounced by a Muslim man resulting in instant and irrevocable divorce. Talaq-e-biddat refers to the practice under Muslim personal laws where pronouncement of the word talaq thrice in one sitting by a Muslim man to his wife results in an instant and irrevocable divorce. The bill recognises it as a cognisable and non-bailable offence.

While the government wanted a debate on the triple talaq bill in the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition wanted it to be sent to a Select Committee for scrutiny before it is a made a law.

Following this, in an unprecedented move, it was the ruling BJP that forced an adjournment in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday as the Opposition pressed for the triple talaq Bill to be sent to a Select Committee of the House for closer scrutiny.

However, various reports suggest that owing to the lack of numbers and consensus in the Rajya Sabha the ruling party will be forced to send the bill to a Select Committee of the House. And it would only be taken up again in the Budget Session in 2018.

National Medical Commission Bill

The National Medical Commission Bill, 2017, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 29 December, 2017 by Minister for Health and Family Welfare, JP Nadda. The bill, which seeks to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) was met with criticism and uproar, spurring a 12-hour shutdown of all private hospitals in the country on Tuesday to protest the "anti-people and anti-patient" NMC Bill by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Tuesday.

However, the bill was sent back to a standing committee of Parliament on Tuesday after request from several opposition parties, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar informed the Lok Sabha. He also urged the Speaker to instruct the committee to give its report before the Budget Session of Parliament.

"All opposition parties have urged that the National Medical Commission Bill should be sent to a standing committee. On behalf of the government I will say we are ready to send it to a standing committee. But I have one request, there is a Supreme Court order, and the Standing Committee on Health also recommended that a Bill should be brought soon," the Minister said.

"To clean the medical education system, this Bill is needed. Tell the standing committee to give its recommendations before the Budget Session, so that we can pass it in the Budget Session," he said.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which has 2.77 lakh members, which includes Corporate Hospitals, Poly clinics and Nursing homes, across the country, had called for a 12-hour shutdown. The strike was called off after the government agreed to send the bill to a Parliamentary panel.

Repealing and Amending Bill

On Tuesday, the Lok Sabha passed two bills to repeal 245 obsolete and archaic laws, including the 158-year-old Calcutta Pilots Act of 1859 and the 1911 Prevention of Seditious Meeting Act. Both the bills were then passed by the Upper House on 28 December, 2017.

Some of the old acts that have been repealed are the Hackney Carriage Act 1879 which was legislated for the regulation and control of hackney-carriages, Dramatic Performance Act 1876 when the theatre was being used a medium of protest against the British rule.

Another such old act which was repealed by the Lok Sabha was 'The Ganges Tolls Act, 1867' which provided for collecting toll "not exceeding 12 annas" on certain boats and steamers plying on the Ganga to improve navigation of the river between Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) and Dinapore (Bihar).

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the old and many irrelevant pre-independence laws were the "unfortunate part of the colonial legacy" and repealing them was a progressive move that reflects the "pro-reform" approach of the government. Prasad said 1029 old laws were first repealed by Parliament in 1950 and the last time such old laws were abolished during the Atal Behari Vajpayee government that repealed old laws in 2004.

Assam NRC

Opposition members in the Lok Sabha on Thursday alleged a conspiracy to drive out Bengali-speaking population from Assam, a charge rejected as "baseless" by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Trinamool Congress member Saugata Roy raised the issue as soon as the Zero Hour began, pointing out that names of 1.3 crore people out of 3.29 crore population of Assam had not appeared in the first draft of National Register of Citizens, which aims at identifying illegal immigrants.

"We fear this is a conspiracy to drive out Bengali-speaking people from Assam," Roy said, drawing vociferous support from his party MPs and some members of the Congress and the Left parties.

Responding to the claim, the home minister said the NCR work was going on under the supervision of the Supreme Court and there was no need for anyone to feel concerned. "Those whose names have been left out can approach a tribunal. It is a baseless allegation that some people are being driven out," Rajnath Singh said.

Bhima-Koregaon violence

The Parliament saw a stormy session on Wednesday with the Rajya Sabha being adjourned four times amidst uproar on Maharashtra bandh and triple talaq bill.

As soon as the Upper House convened at 2 pm on Wednesday after two adjournments earlier, BSP MP Satish Chandra Mishra stood up and demanded a discussion on the bandh, saying "peaceful people" were targeted in Maharashtra and accusing the state government of hatching a conspiracy.

As the Congress and the BJP clashed in the Lok Sabha, Congress leaders blamed the state's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the unrest while the BJP accused the Congress of politicising the issue and "dividing the masses".

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said atrocities against Dalits were on the rise and blamed "some fascist powers" for it.

On Thursday, leaders in the Rajya Sabha condemned the violence. Congress MP Rajni Patil gave notice in the Rajya Sabha under rule 267 over Bhima-Koregaon incident. "Maharashtra is known as a peaceful state. Why didn't the Maharashtra government respond to the incident at the right time?" Patil asked. Several leaders including DMK's Kanimozhi and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter.

With inputs from agencies
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By Amrita Vasudevan and Anita Gurumurthy

The right to privacy has had to come to terms with the pervasive digitization of life. No longer is it a negative right - of non interference from the State; it is now also a positive right that calls for proactive steps from the State to guarantee and uphold the privacy of its citizens. There is no better instantiation of this, than the story of Aadhaar. Since February of this year, we have seen many instances of how Aadhaar enabled front-end applications are scanning and storing biometric data. Interestingly, in one case, the individual responsible for uncovering a major privacy breach was slapped with an FIR, an indication that the establishment will do everything to push back at anyone or anything that reveals vulnerabilities in the Aadhaar system. The myth of Aadhaars invincibility, it seems, must be reinstated time and again.

What is at stake?

The right to privacy  as a duty incumbent upon the State  consists of certain non-negotiables. First and foremost is the duty of the State, which must, at all times, guard citizens private information from leakage. This implies the duty to alert the citizen, when such information is compromised (including mandating private actors to do so, when they collect private information). While Section 29(4) of the Aadhaar Act prohibits the publication of Aadhaar number or biometric details, it has no provision in place to notify individuals whose information has been leaked. The Section also fails to include data authentication records or meta data related to Aadhaar based transactions in its ambit, indirectly legitimising misuse of such records. In fact, the Aadhaar (Sharing of Information) Regulation 2016, allows for such information to be published, provided the Aadhaar number is redacted or blacked out (Rule 6).

In the off-chance that an individual may find that her Aadhaar data has been leaked, she can approach the UIDAI Contact Centers. However, she will not be able to approach the court, as under Section 47(1) of the Act, recourse for the breach of the Aadhaar Act lies only with the UIDAI. This directly vitiates the principle of independence, impartiality and neutrality, basic to the rule of law.

Even after the multiple breaches were revealed, the UIDAI chairman claimed that there was no data breach, as no data was lost from the UIDAI database. Such claims about citizen information seem to privilege the view that citizen data constitutes property to be shielded from theft and loss (if at all), and such data has little to do with what an individual holds inalienable. Thankfully, in March, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (as reported by the Economic Times) had issued a notification stating that the state and central governments must take down Aadhaar data available online. However, as noted by Asheeta Regidi, since the Aadhaar Act only punishes intentional and not negligent publication of Aadhaar details (Section 37), a lot more than a notification is required to protect the right to privacy.

The all-important issue of consent

Secondly, consent to part with private information, is a complex issue and cannot be reduced to a blanket yes. Which is why, the state must safeguard abuse of citizen information through deception and fraud and ensure that citizens make informed choices. Section 29(3) allows for any requesting entity who uses the UIDAI authentication system to disclose data, if the consent of the individual to whom such data relates has been obtained. Scholars have noted that in the current milieu where Aadhaar has become quasi mandatory, this kind of framing can lead to privacy violations. For example, if the provider of an essential service who makes consent necessary is the requesting entity, then such consent evidently, is under duress.

While the government has issued a set of five regulations to supplement the Aadhaar Act, key loopholes continue to remain. As observed by the Centre for Internet and Society, when compared with internationally accepted data protection principles (upheld and reiterated by the Justice A.P Shah Committee, and even incorporated into the Information Technology (Reasonable security practices and procedures and sensitive personal data or information) Rules, 2011), the Aadhaar Act and Rules severely miss the mark with regard to data protection. For example, in a marked departure from its 2010 avatar, the UIDAI now allows for a positive, negative or any other appropriate response to authentication queries, and sharing of identity information, excluding any core biometric information. This could mean that the Authority could also provide the individuals demographic information  name, address etc., even a mobile number or e-mail address, if submitted during enrollment. Both the Act and the Aadhaar (Enrollment and Update) Regulations 2016, mention information to be provided during enrollment, but do not mention anything about consent or how it is to be received. Along with the fact that the Act has no opt-out clause, these provisions reveal the all too obvious intention of the government to make Aadhaar compulsory.

Predators in the data market

Thirdly, states must privilege individual right to access data in their data retention policies. Policies stipulating long time periods of retention can lead to misuse, prove to be expensive, and prone to security risks in the form of theft, fraud and accidental disclosure. Long periods of retention can also heavily aid private surveillance. The Aadhaar (Authentication) Regulation 2016, requires requesting entities to retain authentication transaction data for a period of two years, and archive it for five more years. The Aadhaar holder cannot access her data during the latter period. This seems to belie the Regulations stated purpose in Rule 18(4), to protect and promote the interests of the Aadhaar number holder, in terms of grievance or dispute resolution. As we have seen in recent reports, private actors are collecting Aadhaar data, including biometric data. The Supreme Court has recently noted that ...biometric data collection by private agencies is not a great idea. What is necessary therefore is not just a constitutionally recognized right to privacy against the state, but also for the idea of right to privacy to include state protection against violation of citizen rights by private agencies.

No binding standards for data security

In furtherance of Sections 28 and 54(2)(p) of the Aadhaar Act, which requires the Authority to adopt and implement technical and organizational security measures, the Aadhaar (Data Security) Regulation 2016, was introduced. The Regulation mentions that the UIDAI may set an information security policy that it and all other agencies mentioned by the Act or the Aadhaar related regulations shall adopt. The Rules also provide what the policy may contain. What is obvious is that there is an equal possibility that the UIDAI may not issue any security policy. The Rules do mention that personnel are bound to comply with the policy issued by the UIDAI, but without actually going into any time line for compliance. In fact lack of time lines plagues most of this Regulation. So while it mentions that service providers etc. need to report promptly to the Authority any security incidents affecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information related to the Authoritys functions, it fails to mention what promptly is or what happens if this is not done. The Rules also provide for audits of the entities to be conducted by an auditor certified by a body under the Information Technology Act, 2000. However, such a body does not exist! This brings us to the fourth consideration  that a robust and binding framework of data security is vital. The absence of a Data Protection law in India hugely undermines the recourse that citizens have to hold the state and private actors to account for their data practices.

The refrain  shall be as specified by the Authority  remains a favorite in the regulations, begging the question, when? The Aadhaar Act was passed as a money bill and rushed through the Lok Sabha, despite its evident implications for the fundamental rights of citizens. Then came the new rules, supposedly to plug the lacunae in the Act. But all the action to fix all the loopholes tells a different story; that our rights in the digital age may call for a hard-fought battle.

The authors are with IT for Change, an NGO that works at the intersections of digital technologies and development.
Reuters

AT&T Inc will launch a fifth-generation mobile service in a dozen cities in the United States by late 2018, it said on Thursday, after international wireless standards for the network were finalized last month.

5G is expected to provide higher speeds, more capacity and lower response times than 4G LTE, as well as support uses such as autonomous cars. AT&T, the No. 2 U.S. wireless carrier, did not disclose the 12 locations or how large the 5G coverage area would be in each market. The service will work only on 5G capable mobile devices.

Any implementation we do here will start off very controlled, Andre Fuetsch, president of AT&T Labs and chief technology officer, said in an interview. He said that AT&T will launch the mobile service using information it is already collecting in trials for a new 5G broadband service, where the last leg of Internet connection is delivered via a radio signal to a home or business using wireless spectrum known as millimeter wave.

The company has said it expects deployment of that service as early as late 2018. Verizon Communications Inc is launching a similar service in three to five markets in 2018. Industry analysts consider 5G mobile service to be a bigger revenue opportunity for wireless carriers than broadband. T-Mobile US Inc has also said it is targeting nationwide 5G coverage by 2020.
DEAR ABBY: I grew up watching my mom being abused by her husband. It was terrible. Unfortunately, he eventually murdered her. She was only 36. I was 16 at the time, and although it has taken almost 30 years, I have finally found peace.

My message is to people who are currently experiencing abuse. No one deserves to be battered physically, mentally or emotionally. When people suffer from addiction (alcohol, drugs, etc.), they can get help only when they are ready. However, with domestic violence, the victims must consider not only themselves, but also their children. If you are a victim of domestic violence, PLEASE get out and get help. -- HEALED IN GEORGIA

DEAR HEALED: Please accept my sympathy for the loss of your mother at such a tender age. In her memory, I will again print the phone number for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. It is (800) 799-7233. There is a separate TTY number for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. It's (800) 787-3224. Its website is thehotline.org. Help is available if victims recognize they need it and reach out.

DEAR ABBY: I enjoy weekly massages from a popular self-employed masseuse. I have a standing appointment. If I cancel within 24 hours, I understand that I must pay her. However, if I give her more notice, must I still give her some remuneration? We have never discussed it.

I feel bad about canceling, as she may rely on this income, but it's difficult to pay for the event that requires me to cancel in addition to a massage that didn't happen. What would you do? -- UNSURE IN FLORIDA

DEAR UNSURE: Your masseuse has a 24-hour cancellation policy so when clients can't keep the appointment, she can fill in the time with someone else. Most personal service professionals understand that from time to time appointments must be skipped or changed.

Because you are worried about her, talk with her about it and ask if she can slot you in at a different time if there's a schedule conflict. It would be a win-win. She'll get the money, and you will still have your weekly massage, which, clearly, is important to you or you wouldn't have a standing appointment.

DEAR ABBY: I am worried about my best friend. She never eats at school, and I don't think she's eating at home either. She's beginning to get weak. Yesterday we were playing ball in P.E., and when she caught the ball, I saw her wince. I asked her if she was OK, and she said yes, but I'm still worried. What should I do? -- SCARED FOR HER

DEAR SCARED: Talk to your P.E. teacher about the fact that you are worried about your friend and why. She may not be eating because she thinks she needs to lose weight. Or she may have a serious eating disorder. The teacher will know what to do. Please don't wait.

DEAR ABBY: Recently a friend came over and took me to lunch. She has a small, 50-year-old vintage car that was very popular in the '60s. She had come from Marin County over the Golden Gate Bridge to my house.

As she drove us to the restaurant, her car stalled twice. It was very underpowered and, in my opinion, rickety. After she dropped me home, I sent her an email strongly expressing my concern that she is driving an unsafe car. I was worried for her safety. She took offense, so I apologized.

She has plenty of money to buy a safe used car like anyone else, but she says, "I like driving vintage." I don't want to get into her car again. Was I wrong to tell her I felt her car was unsafe? -- NERVOUS PASSENGER IN SAN FRANCISCO

DEAR PASSENGER: You weren't wrong to warn her. However, you may have been wrong to assume that she has "plenty of money to buy a safe used car." Nobody has as much money as others assume they do. Because you don't want to get into her car again, you should provide the transportation from now on or meet her at the restaurant.

DEAR ABBY: My across-the-street neighbor and I have become friendly. She has a 15-month-old and a newborn. Not only is she not married to the baby's daddy, but they don't even live together.

She has been asking me to help her a lot now that the baby is born. I'm 10 years older and raising three kids, all in their teens.

Abby, I don't want to raise anyone else's kids. How can I politely tell her that I have my own family to care for? She has a tendency to overreact. -- KEEPING DISTANCE

DEAR KEEPING DISTANCE: To tell your neighbor you "don't want to raise anyone else's kids" may be accurate, but it's a bit rough. When she asks you to do things for her, be pleasant and say -- consistently -- that you are busy, you don't have time, you have other plans, etc. If you do, she will soon realize that you are not to be depended upon.

DEAR ABBY: My son has lived overseas on and off for six years. He's being married to a wonderful young woman where they met, which was in Wales. Needless to say, not everyone can attend, so we are having a reception for them here in the States.

My son already has a fully furnished house overseas and doesn't need anything, plus the cost of taking gifts back would be astronomical! Anyway, he is thinking of asking for monetary help with the honeymoon. Would this be all right to do and, if so, how do you ask people for it? -- HELP FOR THE HONEYMOON

DEAR HELP: Many young people today post requests like that on their wedding website. Or, because friends and relatives may ask what they need after receiving invitations or announcements, the message can be conveyed verbally. According to the rules of etiquette, however, requests for gifts or money should NEVER be included WITH the invitations or announcements.

DEAR ABBY: I am president and co-founder of the Wildlife Center of Virginia, one of the leading teaching and research hospitals for wildlife medicine in the world. We have treated more than 70,000 wild patients since our organization was established 35 years ago. Like the reader ("An Apple a Day," Aug. 11) who is under the impression that throwing an apple core out the car window is doing something positive for the Earth, many individuals make "little" decisions without considering the unintended consequences.

The example of the apple core has been at the heart of our education program for more than three decades. Before throwing that apple core out the window believing that some small animal will come finish what's left, people should consider what will happen if the animal coming to eat their scraps happens to be on the other side of the road.

Throwing out that apple core will lure that creature into harm's way. Countless opossums, raccoons, skunks and other small mammals are killed every day because of human food waste on the shoulder of the road. And it doesn't stop there. Predators like owls also suffer. They hunt along the side of the road, not because they eat apple cores, but because they eat the mice, voles and other small animals who are attracted to feed on that apple core. Then, when the opossum, raccoon or owl is killed by a car, scavengers are attracted to the pavement, where their lives, too, are at risk.

If readers want to help the Earth, they should take their waste home and dispose of it or recycle it properly. The small act of throwing an apple core out of a car window can cost the lives of the very creatures they claim to want to help. -- EDWARD CLARK, WAYNESBORO, VA.

DEAR MR. CLARK: When that letter appeared, I received a flurry of mail about it. Many readers touched on some of the points you have expressed. Thank you for writing so eloquently to educate my readers -- and me. Lesson learned.

DEAR ABBY: I'm 29 and I'm having trouble holding down a steady job. I am a college graduate, and it's not because I don't like to work. My problem is I have a strong personality and I tend to butt heads with management. Deep down, I think I'll only be satisfied with a job if I'm the boss or own my own business. Do you have any suggestions about positions for someone who can't handle having a boss? -- MISS INDEPENDENT IN THE BRONX

DEAR MISS INDEPENDENT: No. Unless someone has rich parents or a magic lamp, most people have to work for -- or with -- others until they build enough capital to start a business. Even then, business owners must interact with clients they don't always agree with. Because you tend to butt heads with those in management positions, you would be wise to start working on becoming more patient and less dogmatic. Both qualities will help you in the future if you can develop them.

DEAR ABBY: The winter months are hard for me. They remind me that another year has gone by without my father and my younger sister.

Dad had been a smoker since his teens and died from pancreatic cancer at 39. I was 13, and my siblings were younger. In those days, we didn't know that smoking was a risk factor for pancreatic cancer.

My sister smoked from the time she was 13. She died from lung cancer at 44, leaving behind two young sons.

Neither my father nor my sister got to experience the wonderful family milestones and celebrations we have had. Their grandchildren will never know them. Each year during the holidays, I feel a sadness in my heart.

I urge every smoker to make a vow to quit and carry it through, not only for their own sake but also their family's. Stay determined to quit so you won't cause your loved ones sadness and won't miss out on their futures. With all my heart, I wish smokers the best of luck in quitting. -- MISSING DAD AND SIS IN SACRAMENTO

DEAR MISSING: I'm glad you wrote because the American Cancer Society's annual Great American Smokeout will be held on Nov. 16. It's a day when millions of smokers put down their cigarettes -- just for one day -- with the conviction that if they can go 24 hours without one, then they can do it for 48 hours, 72 hours, and stop smoking for good. The idea grew out of a 1970 event in Randolph, Massachusetts, and became a national event in 1977.

Readers, I'm not going to harangue you with death threats. We are all aware of the grim statistics associated with cancer-related deaths caused by tobacco. If you're interested in quitting, this is a perfect opportunity. Call (800) 227-2345 to be connected with counseling services in your community, provided with self-help materials offering information and strategies on quitting for good, and to receive information about medications available to help you quit. This service is free and provided 24/7. Or go online to cancer.org.

DEAR ABBY: I need your help. Over the past few weeks, I have been vacationing at my mother-in-law's home. The other day I was browsing on her computer and accidentally opened her browsing history. It turns out that she regularly looks at and responds to Craigslist personals.

I was shocked when I read some of the perverted requests she has responded to. The language she used would make a sailor blush. Keep in mind, my mother-in-law is a married woman.

I don't know how to react. Should I tell my wife? Keep it to myself? Make a fake Craigslist post and catch her in the act? -- KINKS IN THE FAMILY

DEAR KINKS: If you disclose this to your wife, it could damage her relationship with her mother. If she tells her mother what you found, it will create a breach in the family. If you trap the woman by creating a fake Craigslist post and she realizes she has been made a fool of, it will not -- to put it mildly -- endear you to her. Let it lie.

DEAR ABBY: I am in a predicament. My therapist is great, but sometimes I think she shares too much. Last time I went, she was running late. When I finally got into her office, she told me the previous patient was nonverbal and had painted her nails during the session. Later in the session, she confided that years ago she had been date raped.

Abby, I am in counseling because my father raped me when I was 15 (I am now 24). Her sharing has me worried because I don't want her telling others what I say or do during counseling. Further, her story of the date rape scared me. She described a situation that is not uncommon for me to be in, and it caused something almost like a flashback in me. I think what she did was insensitive, to say the least.

I have nobody else to ask, so what should I do? I'm getting counseling for free now due to my income, and it took months to get set up with a counselor. Should I report her or accept that this was a mistake and say nothing? If I need to report her, how would I go about doing that? -- CONFLICTED ABOUT IT

DEAR CONFLICTED: You should change therapists because it appears this one has more problems than you do. As to what agency you should report her breach of professional ethics to, contact the state organization that has licensed her to practice.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
tech2 News Staff

HMD Global has launched the Nokia 6 (2018) edition in an event being held in China today. The Nokia 6 was first launched back in June 2017 as a mid-range phone and in our first impressions of the device, we concluded that it was "A healthy reboot for a nostalgia-heavy brand". You can check out our first impressions here.

The Nokia 6 (2018) is seen to have only a slight improvement over the earlier version in terms of overall look. The design scheme remains the same, with the exception of the fingerprint sensor being shifted to the back. The display is, however, also going to be of the same 16:9 aspect ratio as it was before. This is quite the departure from the current trend of bezel-less smartphones with tall displays..

The chipset has been upgraded from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 in the previous model to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630. Internal storage and RAM comes in a 32 GB + 4 GB and 64 GB + 4 GB combination, with support for expansion via a microSD card of up to 128 GB in size. This is actually a major update as our biggest issue with the older model was its ridiculous performance for its asking price. In terms of performance, the Snapdragon 430-powered Nokia 6 being offered for Rs 18,000 in 2017 was competitive only with the Rs 7,000 Xiaomi Redmi 4.

In terms of optics, the phone has a single-camera system on either side of the phone. The rear camera has a 16 MP sensor and the front an 8 MP sensor, which is the same as that of the earlier Nokia 6.

The 3,000 mAh battery and other connectivity options remain the same as well. The Nokia 6 32 GB variant has been priced at CNY 1,499 (around Rs 15,000) and the 64 GB variant has been priced at CNY 1,699 (around Rs 17,000). Nokia 6 (2018) is available in Black with orange accents and White with red accents colour variants.

We should expect an India launch quite soon.
tech2 News Staff

Samsung has unveiled its latest flagship SoC and called it the Exynos 9810. It is built on the South Korean tech giant's second-generation 10-nm FinFET process. The new Exynos chipset offers an increase in performance, faster Gigabit LTE, better image processing and also some iPhone X-like features. This is the chip that we'll be using in Samsung's upcoming flagship phones, including the Galaxy S9, Note 9, and so on.

The Exynos 9 Series 9810 is our most innovative mobile processor yet, with our third-generation custom CPU, ultra-fast gigabit LTE modem and, deep learning-enhanced image processing, said Ben Hur, vice president of System LSI marketing at Samsung Electronics.

The Exynos 9810 has an 8-core CPU inside of it, four of which can clock up to 2.9 GHz. The other four are optimised for higher power efficiency. The architecture is built to improve and increase cache memory, a feature that's to be included in Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 845 and which is already a part of Apple's A-series chips. Samsung also says that the Exynos 9810 offers up to two times more single-core processing power and a 40 percent increase in multi-core processing power as compared to its predecessor.

The Exynos 9810 uses 3D hybrid face detection through depth sensing for accurate face detection and supports face tracking filters (like animoji) and face unlock. These features are very similar to the ones that were introduced with the iPhone X.

Samsung says that with the "world's first" 1.2 Gbps LTE modem in the chipset, broadcasting and streaming 360-degree or UHD videos will now become much easier and quicker. However, according to previous reports, Huawei's HiSilicon Kirin 970 also touched LTE download speeds of 1.2 Gbps. As announced in December last year, The Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chip will also support a 1.2 Gbps LTE modem.

Compared to its predecessor the new modem on the Exynos 9810 supports "44 MIMO (Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output) and 256-QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) scheme, and utilizes enhanced Licensed-Assisted Access (eLAA) technology", whatever that means. Bottom line: It's really fast.

The Exynos 9810 will be a key catalyst for innovation in smart platforms such as smartphones, personal computing and automotive for the coming AI era. said Ben Hur. The dedicated image processor on the chip also adds for 4K 120 fps video recording and playback, a welcome feature in a world where Android flagships can't record faster than 30 fps. Apple's latest iPhones can record at 4K, 60 fps. The chipset is currently in mass-production and we should see it being used on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus.
Kabul: Afghan police say the death toll from the previous night's suicide attack in Kabul has jumped to 20, with several policemen wounded.

The attack took place on Thursday night in the eastern part of the Afghan capital where dozens of security officers had congregated to protect a demonstration of shopkeepers that had been held earlier in the day.

First reports immediately after the blast put the death toll at six officers but police official Jan Agha said that by Friday morning, the number of those killed had significantly increased.

No one has so far claimed responsibility for the bombing but both Taliban insurgents and the Islamic State group's affiliate in Afghanistan have targeted the country's security forces in the past.
Beijing: A new type of naval destroyer equipped with anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons is being built by China, State media reported on Friday.

Workers are installing conduits and cables in the 10,000-tonne vessel at Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) in Shanghai, State-run Xinhua news reported. It will be equipped with new air defence, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons, the report said.

Construction of the destroyer has focused on improving the ship's fighting capability, a military representative, Leng Jun, was quoted as saying in the report.

After soliciting opinions from military officers and soldiers, designers changed the original plan for helicopters on the warship, increasing the height of the cabins to improve the passing efficiency, a report by PLA Daily, the official organ of the Chinese military said.

A new welding technique was explored and used in building the outer hull, which was made of a new type of material, the report said.

To provide a more comfortable environment for soldiers on the ship, workers used new materials to protect against shock and noise and increased ventilation equipment in the destroyer's living cabins.

The vessel will have to undergo planned testing, including equipment operation, berthing and sailing, before it is commissioned for use, it said.

China recently has assigned a major role for the navy over and above the army as it expanded its global influence. It has commissioned one aircraft carrier and building two more.
By Abheet Singh Sethi

There has been a 62 percent decline in security aid from the the United States of America (USA) to Pakistan over the last five years, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of data released by the US Congressional Research Service (CRS).

The data  indicative of worsening US-Pakistan ties come as US President Donald Trump slammed Pakistan's lies and deceit for providing safe havens to terrorists in exchange of $33 billion worth of US aid to Islamabad. Trump tweeted that there will be no more US aid to Pakistan.

The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018

In the post-9/11 period, Pakistan emerged as one of the biggest recipients of US aid because of its role as a regional ally in the American-led military intervention in Afghanistan. Pakistan received over $32 billion in the form of US security aid, economic aid and Coalition Support Funds (CSF) over 15 years.

Source: Congressional Research Service (Figures in $ million)

Bilateral relations became increasingly fraught since the US special-forces raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan, that led to the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin-Laden in May 2011. This led the US to become critical of Pakistan's role in fighting terror, particularly on the matter of safe havens to terrorists.

US security aid to Pakistan fell 62 percent  from $849 million in financial year 2012 to $322 million in financial year 2016. Overall, Pakistan received nearly $8 billion security aid in the form of arms transfers from the US, including F-16 fighter jets, AH-1F Cobra attack helicopters and P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, according to this CRS report on 4 May, 2015.

Nikki Haley, US Ambassador to the United Nations, has confirmed that the Trump administration is withholding $255 million in security aid for Pakistan.

Economic and humanitarian aid to Pakistan declined 77 percent from $1.1 billion in financial year 2012 to $246 million in financial year 2016.

Since 2002, Pakistan has received over $13 billion in Coalition Support Funds (CSF) from the US. These are meant to reimburse Pakistan for its operational and logistical support of US-led counter-terrorism operations in the region, the CRS noted.

Pakistan has used these funds to deploy troops along its militancy-hit northwest region that borders Afghanistan. The CSF funds also compensate Pakistan for allowing the US-led coalition forces access its airfields and ports to provide supplies and logistics in their deployment in Afghanistan.

The CRS reimbursement has declined 20% from $688 million in financial year 2012 to $550 million in financial year 2016.

India stands vindicated, US-Pakistan row erupts

India, who for decades has accused Pakistan of being a state-sponsor of terrorism, welcomed Trumps tweet.

The Trump administration decision has abundantly vindicated Indias stand as far as terror is concerned and as far as the role of Pakistan is concerned in perpetrating terrorism, according to minister of state in Prime Ministers Office Jitendra Singh, NDTV reported on January 2, 2018.

It must be noted that Trumps tweet is in the context of Pakistan-based terrorist groups like the Haqqani network and Taliban that threaten US forces and the civilian government in Afghanistan. It makes no mention of India.

The US had, however, joined India in condemning the release of Pakistan-based Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed from house arrest in November.

Meanwhile, a major diplomatic row has erupted between between the US and Pakistan over Trumps latest tweet.

On 2 January, 2018, Pakistans foreign minister Khwaja Asif responded to Trumps latest tweet saying the US President is blaming Islamabad over the US defeat in the war in Afghanistan.

David Hale, US ambassador in Islamabad, was summoned by Pakistan's foreign office.

On 3 January, 2018, Haley accused Islamabad of playing a double game for years. She said Trump is willing to go to great lengths to stop all funding from Pakistan as they continue to harbor and support terrorism.

"We can review our cooperation if it is not appreciated. Pakistans cooperation is not based on any consideration of aid but on our national interests and principles," Maleeha Lodh, Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations, said in response to Haley's comments.

The statements indicate a major US-Pakistan split, one that could favour India.
Beijing: A Twitter attack by US president Donald Trump against Pakistan on New Year's Day will further strengthen the already close ties between Islamabad and Beijing, a report in a leading Chinese daily said.

In his first tweet of 2018, Trump charged Pakistan with deceit and treachery and cut off all further aid to Islamabad for harbouring terrorists US troops were hunting in Afghanistan.

The move drew a stern backlash in Pakistan and a staunch defence of Islamabad in Beijing  a dynamic that experts said highlights the further strengthening of the relationship as the US seeks closer ties with India while "casting aspersions on Pakistan", the Global Times said.

A day after Trump's tweet, the State Bank of Pakistan announced it has taken steps to ensure the use of the yuan in bilateral trade and financing transactions.

It also said that public and private sectors were free to choose the Chinese currency for bilateral trade and investment activities.

According to the daily, the State Bank of Pakistan's statement "may not be a dramatic policy change, but the timing made the move significant.

"This is more of a political statement in response to pressure from the US, telling the US that Pakistan has a great relationship with China and that Pakistan would become even closer with China," said Dong Dengxin, Director of the Finance and Securities Institute at Wuhan University of Science and Technology.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Thursday: "We encourage market entities from both countries to use our own currencies in clearing bilateral trade and investment."

The daily said Washington's strategic shift towards New Delhi could also improve military cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing.

Citing a report published in US media, the paper said China was in talks with Pakistan to build an overseas military base as part of a push for greater maritime capabilities along strategic sea routes.

"Both Beijing and Islamabad have the ability to build a joint naval and air facility in Pakistan. But it is unnecessary at this time," said Lin Minwang, a professor at Fudan University's Centre for South Asian Studies.

He said if "the US and its allies push their Indo-Pacific strategy to the extreme, China will surely carry out a plan with Pakistan to ensure the security of sea routes".
The protests in Iran, which paralysed and rocked the country for almost a week, seem to be waning now. Iran's Revolutionary Guards have declared the "end of the sedition" and said that quiet has returned to the country. General Mohammad Ali Jafari said the Guards only intervened "in a limited way" against fewer than 15,000 "troublemakers" nationwide, adding that a large number had been arrested.

According to VOA News, the Iranian government took cues from the Arab Uprising of 2011 in responding to the worst anti-government protests in the country since 2009. The report said that Iran deployed police in a relatively small number and refrained from using deadly force, leading the protests to die down.

The current movement in Iran has often been compared to the Arab Spring, which resulted in regime change in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and Yemen. The Iran protests are possibly shaped by the experience of the 2011 Arab uprisings, however, Sanam Vakil, an associate fellow at the UK think tank Chatham House told Deutsche Welle that Iran wants to disassociate these protests from the Arab Spring.

However, Ali Vaez, the Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, told Vox that these new protests resemble the Arab Spring protests in many ways.

"From what we saw in the Arab uprisings," he said, "these kinds of movements that have wide popular appeal but don't have leadership or organisation or a specific mission can create momentum that really goes beyond anything the leadership in the country could expect."

The Iranian regime has till now played down the significance of the protests with President Hassan Rouhani saying, "this is nothing". The demonstrations, which initially focused on economic hardships, turned into political rallies. Anger was soon directed at the clerical leadership in power since the 1979 revolution. Iranians started are demanding 'death to dictator'.

Similarly, during the Arab Spring, thousands of protesters demonstrated in Tahrir Square in Cairo against President Hosni Mubarak and the wide-spread corruption in Egypt.

Another similarity is the extensive use of social media in both the current Iran protests and the Arab uprising. In Egypt, NPR reported that Esraa Abdel Fattah, an Egyptian democracy activist known as "Facebook Girl" for her social media savvy, fought for a new Egypt. She was also an organiser for the major protest in Tahrir Square. Facebook and Twitter were suddenly blocked in the country and hackers started using proxy computers to beat government censors.

"Egypt was disconnected from the outside world for days and yet the movement never stopped," Sultan al-Qassemi, a columnist based in the United Arab Emirates, told Al-Jazeera.

Rouhani and his government also blocked access to Telegram, Instagram and other social media sites in the days following the present demonstrations. In Iran, Telegram and Instagram, as well as Twitter, have been instrumental in information dissemination when traditional media outlets are tightly controlled. Protestors have been extensively using Telegram and Instagram organise and promote the offline demonstrations. Around half of Iran's 80 million people are said to be active on Telegram, which is quite a popular app in the country.

However, the differences lie in the scope of both these protests.

Unlike the Arab Spring protests, when the demonstrations spread to other countries from Tunisia, there is no sign of any diffusion of the protests in Iran, as The Washington Post reported. It was the regional scope of the Arab uprisings as much as their powerful calls for freedom and social justice that made them appear to be on the right side of history, the report said.

Further, the Arab uprising generated support by bringing a vast number of non-activists into the street. The Washington Post report also said that it is not clear if new constituencies are joining the challenge in Iran and the Iranian protests seem to be quite small numerically compared with the early Arab uprisings or the Green Movement.

In 2009, millions of people descended upon Tehran after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad secured a second term in an election amid claims of vote-rigging. This uprising was the largest since the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and came to be known as the 'Green Revolution'.

According to HuffPost, the uprising of 2009 was led in part by defeated candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi. The Iranian government cracked down on the protesters violently and made sweeping arrests.

Meanwhile, the current anti-government demonstrations began in the city of Mashhad and spread across the country. Iranians vented their anger over a sharp increase in prices of basic items like eggs, and a government proposal to increase fuel prices in next year's budget.

Some protesters also vented their rage over high unemployment and savings that were lost after investments in unlicensed credit and financial institutions turned sour.

Experts told HuffPost that unlike the 2009 revolt, these protests are an extension of Iran's civil rights movement fuelled by longstanding grievances.

Further, the organisers of the Green Movement told NPR that they were completely taken by surprise by the current protests. Trita Parsi, founder and president of the National Iranian American Council told NPR that, "they were not part of this. And to a certain extent, theyve even kept a calculated distance from these protests because theyre not entirely clear of what the direction is going."

ABC News reported that the Green Movement's leaders went out of their way to say that they were not aiming to bring down the system. Meanwhile, videos of the current protests show people chanting "death to dictator" in a clear reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The direction of the current demonstrations is largely unclear because of the absence of a leader. This is significantly different from the Green Movement when former President Mohammad Khatami, the would-be president Mousavi and other prominent politicians gave a base and organization to the protests, as ABC News said.

Despite certain similarities with the Arab Uprising, the current Iran protests do have the capability to effect change. Despite being an equally startling wave of unrest, the new protests are also significantly different from the 2009 demonstrations in Iran.

With inputs from agencies
Washington: The US has appeared unperturbed that its suspension of security aid to Pakistan would bring Islamabad closer to China and insisted that the two relationships are different.

"I believe they (Pakistan) do want to build strong relations with both countries. But what they get from China is not necessarily going to be the same thing to get from the US and vice versa," a State Department official told reporters.

"We (US) don't have the capacity to direct state banks and state companies to invest $55 billion in Pakistan. But at the same time China does not have the capacity to provide the highest quality military equipment in the world," the official said.

The official was responding to question that the latest American move would push Pakistan towards China.

"We have no problem with Pakistan and China's relationship. China has invested a significant amount and plans to invest significant amount more," the official said.

"Pakistan is in need of economic development and economic growth. In so far as China is able to contribute to that that will contribute to Pakistan's stability and security and economic well-being. And that's perfect. That's totally fine. That's a good thing," the official said.

Noting that Pakistan and China have had a longstanding and very strong relationship, the official asserted that that relationship has never come at the expense of US-Pakistan ties.

"I think Pakistan clearly understands that our relationship and what we bring to the table internationally is different than China. And they shouldn't want to choose between China and the United States and they do want to build strong relations with both countries," the State Department official said.
Islamabad: Amid opposition calls for retaliation, the Pakistan government on Friday accused the US of betrayal and decried "arbitrary deadlines" and "unilateral pronouncements" after the Donald Trump administration suspended an estimated $1 billion in military assistance.

In one of the harshest actions in years between the troubled allies, Washington moved to block the military aid at the end of a contentious week that began with Trump bashing Islamabad for years of "lies & deceit" as well as for harbouring terrorists.

The US State Department officials said they were holding back the aid as an incentive for Islamabad to take "decisive action" to rid its lands of terrorist safe havens. It also placed Pakistan on a watch list of countries failing to protect religious freedom.

"Working towards enduring peace requires mutual respect and trust along with patience and persistence," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Arbitrary deadlines, unilateral pronouncements and shifting goal posts were counterproductive in addressing common threats."

The Ministry defended Islamabad's stance on terrorism, saying that "it has fought the war against terrorism largely from its own resources which has cost over $120 billion in 15 years.

"We are determined to continue to do all it takes to secure the lives of our citizens and broader stability in the region."

In an interview on Thursday with the Geo News channel, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said that the US was now neither a friend nor ally, but "a friend who always betrays". He also accused Trump of "speaking the language of India".

Pakistan's opposition, meanwhile, called for concrete actions to retaliate.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan said Pakistan should "delink" itself from the US after its humiliation "by an ungrateful Donald Trump".

Addressing a fiery press conference outside his residence in Islamabad, Khan called the Pakistan government to expel some US diplomatic personnel and cut off supply routes for the US-led coalition forces from the port city of Karachi to landlocked Afghanistan, as well as close its airspace to US forces.

The political elite of Pakistan were responsible for the threats and strained relations between the two countries, Khan said, referring to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government.

The US has given Pakistan more than $20 billion in reimbursements and military assistance since 2002, but that aid has diminished over the years, to the point that Pakistani officials have insisted its suspension will have minimal impact, the New York Times reported.

"The suspension is arguably more significant as a signal of Washington's discontent than as an act of financial deprivation," said Joshua T. White, an Asia analyst who was director of South Asian affairs at the National Security Council during the Obama years.

"The Trump administration has likely sketched out an escalation strategy, and would be wise to pause after Thursday's announcement to give Pakistan the opportunity to quietly address US concerns."
When Donald Trump stunned the world  and himself  by winning the 2016 US Election, it was unclear just exactly how a man who had never held public office before would handle being the most powerful man in the world. While a plethora of domestic issues awaited him, the world at large wondered how it would be affected by "The Donald's" ascendancy.

After World War II, US foreign policy become increasingly global. Especially as it's rivalry with the Soviet Union grew, it became important to reach out to many nations and seek their support. When the Cold War ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the US became the world's sole superpower and consequently took over the international responsibilities which come with it.

Under Trump however, it looks like all of that has changed.

Pakistan

While the uneasy relationship between the US and Pakistan has been on a downward spiral since the 2011 killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Trump rocked the boat and then some when he slammed the country for 'lies & deceit' in a New Year's Day tweet that said Islamabad had played US leaders for 'fools.' Trump in his tweet said the US had given Pakistan $33 billion in the last 15 years, yet Afghanistan and the US have long accused Pakistan of providing safe havens for militants.

This was followed up by action from his administration as on Thursday, the US announced that it was suspending security assistance to Pakistan for failing to take "decisive action" against Taliban militants targeting US personnel in Afghanistan.

Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the restrictions covered security assistance above and beyond the $255 million for Pakistani purchases of American military equipment that the administration held up in August. Nauert made clear the $255 million was still blocked, and the Pentagon said the new action targets payments of Coalition Support Funds that the US pays to Pakistan to reimburse it for its counter-terrorism operations. This action came the day that the US placed Pakistan on a special watch list for "severe violations" of religious freedom.

Former president Barack Obama, in his major 2009 speech on Afghanistan strategy, also had harsh words against Islamabad. However, all through his years in office, the US refrained from taking drastic action against Pakistan, as pointed out by this article in The Diplomat. Trump's words and actions showcase a different approach though. And while these actions are not consequences (since 2001, the US has needed Pakistans cooperation to enable its military presence in Afghanistan), it does signal a radical departure from the US' earlier approach.

North Korea

For over 25 years, the US has diplomatically engaged with North Korea over its nuclear ambitions in hopes of curbing them, said a report in Newsweek. In those years, North Korea has proclaimed a right to arm itself as a matter of self-defence. However, that arming exercise reached new heights in 2017 as it conducted at least 25 missile tests and one nuclear test. At this rate, it will have conducted over 100 missile tests during Trump's first term in office, which would be the most North Korean missile tests under any single president.

When Trump came to office in January, Obama warned that North Korea's breakneck dash to develop long-range nuclear missiles was his most pressing threat. As 2017 comes to an end, that threat has soared dramatically  in December Kim Jong-un test fired an intercontinental ballistic missile and boasted that his nuclear arsenal can now hit any city on the US mainland.

Trump himself has stirred tensions with reckless language, sneeringly branding Kim "Little Rocket Man" and threatening to visit "fire and fury" on his authoritarian regime. Alongside the bravado, US diplomats have put together a punishing international sanctions regime designed to force Pyongyang to the table  so far to no avail.

South Korea and Japan  also in North Korea's firing line  are facing a potentially cataclysmic conflict and China is concerned about chaos erupting on its border. But, perhaps for the first time it is not the erratic behaviour of the North Korea dictator that worries the world, but the unpredictable signals coming from the White House.

China

On the face of it, communist China and capitalist US have had plenty to bicker about. However, once Richard Nixon and Mao Zedong hammered out the Shanghai Communique, the relations between the two have been largely been normal. Under successive Presidents from Gerald Ford to Ronald Reagan to both the Bushes, the US has proclaimed its intention towards "the normalisation of relations" with China. Obama, while not averse to criticising China on human rights and press freedom issues, still looked at China as a partner and sought to promote cooperation between the two nations.

Trump though would rather be rid of it all.

In a detailed piece in The New Yorker appropriately titled Making China Great Again, Evan Osnos lays out how while Trump is surrendering US' global commitments, China under Xi Jinping is picking them up. "China has never seen such a moment, when its pursuit of a larger role in the world coincides with Americas pursuit of a smaller one," writes Osnos.

Where the US has retreated from global climate accords, trade agreements and banned Muslims from entering the country, China has steadily increased its investments in assets that had established American authority earlier: foreign aid, overseas security, foreign influence, and new technologies like artificial intelligence. It has become one of the leading contributors to the UNs budget and to its peacekeeping force, and has joined talks to address global problems such as terrorism, piracy, and nuclear proliferation.

Trump  or at least his administration  recognises this rise in Chinese soft power as in its first National Security Strategy uses remarkably biting language to frame Beijing as a global competitor. "China and Russia challenge American power, influence, and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity," the document says. The strategy accuses China of seeking "to displace the United States" in Asia, listing a litany of US grievances, from deficits, to data theft to spreading "features of its authoritarian system." "Contrary to our hopes, China expanded its power at the expense of the sovereignty of others," it says.

While US might recognise the rise of China, under Trump it seems that it will do little to stop or counter it.

Israel-Palestine

According to AFP, Trump has spent much of his first year as president seeking to undo Obama's legacy. One of the foremost examples of this is in the volatile Middle East where Trump has broken with US policy and precedent.

In the Israel-Palestine dispute, Trump overturned decades of US policy by announcing that Washington recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and setting in motion plans to move the embassy there from Tel Aviv. In this, he has instituted a policy of unwavering support for Israel after a period of strained relations between Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The last days of the Obama administration included an extraordinary US refusal at the United Nations to block a Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement construction.

Netanyahu had welcomed Trump's November 2016 election saying he was a "true friend of the State of Israel." Since then, Trump has appointed a US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, known for his support for settlement activity, and ordered the withdrawal of US support for UNESCO, citing anti-Israel bias.

Trump has tasked his son-in-law Jared Kushner, a senior adviser, with relaunching moribund peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. But he has been lukewarm about a Palestinian state and angered Palestinian leaders with a threat  since withdrawn  to close the Palestine Liberation Organisation mission in Washington.

Iran

Trump considers Iran to be the principal threat to US interests in the Middle East and has frequently condemned the Islamic Republic for what he sees as its "destabilising" influence in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. He has been a relentless critic of the Iran nuclear deal signed in 2015 and has repeatedly threatened to scrap the agreement intended to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

The president's tough stance on Iran has earned praise from Netanyahu and from Saudi Arabia, the Islamic Republic's chief regional rival.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt

Trump has strengthened ties with Saudi Arabia and his first official visit abroad as president was to the oil-rich monarchy, where he was received with pomp and circumstance. Trump threw his support behind the anti-corruption crackdown launched by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Saudi actions against Qatar, which Riyadh accuses of cooperating with Tehran.

Relations with another Middle East powerhouse  Egypt  have also entered a new era under Trump. Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was persona non grata under Obama and the United States cut off some military aid because of the bloody crackdown on supporters of the former president.

But Trump welcomed Sisi to the White House in April and proclaimed his "strong backing" for the Egyptian leader.

Syria

Trump frequently accused Obama of failing to stand up to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and in April he ordered the first US military strike on Syrian troops since the civil war began in that country. Dozens of US missiles were fired at a Syrian air base in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack on a rebel town which left 87 people dead.

The United States has deployed some 2,000 troops in Syria and the Pentagon said Tuesday that they will stay "as long as we need" to prevent a return of the Islamic State group.

Hitting out at traditional allies like the UK and Germany

Since his first weeks in office, Trump has also railed against America's traditional allies, accusing them of short-changing America by failing to find mutual defence pacts. He has hit out at Britain's prime minister Theresa May and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel on Twitter, accusing them of being lax in the battle against Islamist extremism.

The withdrawal doctrine

Different experts have tried to describe Trump's "America First" foreign policy in different ways but perhaps none has come closer than Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations who tweeted, "Donald Trump's foreign policy not only has a theme  The Withdrawal Doctrine  but also a slogan: "Leaving from Behind".

While Haass, at least, credits Trump with having a plan, Paul Stares a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations is not so kind. "I think before President Trump there was always a consistency about US policy and preferences, with some exceptions," Stares said and added, "But his behaviour, the erratic decision making, the tweeting and seemingly impulsive behaviour has I think rattled a lot of capitals around the world," he said.

With inputs from agencies
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United Nations: The UN Security Council is planning an emergency meeting about Iran on Friday, after the US

asked the world body to show support for Iran's anti-government protesters.

With council members divided in their views of the demonstrations that have roiled the Islamic Republic, it's not yet clear how the discussion will take shape or what might come out of it.

Alma Konurbayeva, a spokeswoman for current council president Kazakhstan, confirmed that the meeting is about Iran. The US called on Tuesday for such a session, but council members could insist on a vote before taking up the topic, and it would take nine of the 15 votes to go forward.

"This is a matter of fundamental human rights for the Iranian people, but it is also a matter of international peace

and security," the US envoy, Nikki Haley, said in a statement Thursday night.

She added that it would be "telling if any country tries to deny the Security Council from even having this

discussion." Iran's interior minister said up to 42,000 people took part in the week of protests and unrest sparked by economic woes.

At least 21 people have been killed and hundreds arrested. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people took part in

counter-demonstrations Wednesday backing the clerically overseen government, which has accused the US of instigating the protests.

Iran's prosecutor general, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, said Thursday that an American CIA official was the "main designer" of the demonstrations. And Iran's UN envoy, Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo, complained in a letter to the Security Council president Wednesday that US President Donald Trump's "absurd tweets" had "incited Iranians to engage in disruptive acts."

Trump's administration has denied having any hand in the demonstrations, saying they arose completely spontaneously. The CIA declined to comment.

The president's tweets haven't called for violence or disruptive acts, but he has commended the protests, expressing

Such respect for the people of Iran as they try to take back their corrupt government. You will see great support from the United States at the appropriate time!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018

Haley praised the anti-government protesters as brave and said "the UN must speak out" to support them.

"The people of Iran are crying out for freedom. All freedom-loving people must stand with their cause," she said

at a news conference Tuesday.

Not all council members see a need to weigh in. Russia's US embassy warned Monday against "external

interference" in what it views as a domestic issue in the Islamic Republic, the two nations have close ties.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova went on to mock the US call for a UN discussion.

"The US delegation undoubtedly has something to share with the world. For example, Nikki Haley could share the American experience of dispersing protest rallies," Zakharova said on Facebook Wednesday, mentioning mass arrests during the Occupy Wall Street protests, among other things.

Russia's and Iran's UN missions didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday's Security Council

meeting. Iran isn't a member. The Iranian protests have given Trump a fresh avenue to try to muster world opinion against a nation he has decried since he ran for president.

After taking office last year, Trump refused this past fall to certify Iran's compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal

that lifted some sanctions in return for Iran curbing its nuclear program. Trump said Tehran was getting

disproportionate benefits, considering its concessions.

The US imposed new sanctions Thursday on five Iranian entities over their involvement in developing ballistic

missiles. While those sanctions were unrelated to the ongoing protests, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said more sanctions "targeting human rights abuses are coming."
Washington: The United States imposed sanctions Thursday on five Iranian companies it alleges are working on part of the Islamic republic's illegal ballistic missile programme.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin linked the measure to recent anti-government protests, arguing that Iran ought to spend more on public welfare rather than banned weapons.

"These sanctions target key entities involved in Iran's ballistic missile program, which the Iranian regime prioritises over the economic well-being of the Iranian people," Mnuchin said.

"As the Iranian people suffer, their government and the IRGC fund foreign militants, terrorist groups, and human rights abuses," he added.

"The United States will continue to decisively counter the Iranian regime's malign activity, including additional sanctions targeting human rights abuses.

"We will not hesitate to call out the regime's economic mismanagement, and diversion of significant resources to fund threatening missile systems at the expense of its citizenry."

The five designated companies are all subsidiaries of Iran's Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group (SBIG).

Under the sanctions, any assets that the firms hold in places under US jurisdiction will be frozen and US citizens are forbidden from doing business with them.

And, perhaps more importantly, foreign institutions who work with the companies could be locked out of the US financial system  a risk that European banks, for example, would be loathe to take.

Earlier, the State Department had warned that Iranian officials involved in the arrest or killing of protesters would be held to account.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the deaths to date and the arrests of at least one thousand Iranians," spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

"We have ample authorities to hold accountable those who commit violence against protesters, contribute to censorship, or steal from the people of Iran," she said.

"To the regime's victims, we say: 'You will not be forgotten.'"

Popular unrest flared in Iran last month and at least 21 people are known to have died in clashes between demonstrators and the Islamic republic's security forces.

Washington, a long-standing foe of Tehran, has stood up for the protesters' right to be heard, and Nauert has now gone further in endorsing what she said were their demands.

"We support these legitimate aspirations of the Iranian people, and call on the government to allow the free exchange of ideas and information," she said.

"All of us should be able to enjoy the same basic economic and political freedoms, including the right to peaceful demonstration."

Iranian officials now claim to have the crisis under control and state television is carrying footage of pro-government counter demonstrations in several cities.
Washington: The Trump administration's decision to suspend over $1.1 billion security assistance to Pakistan has nothing to do with Islamabad not taking action against Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, a US official has said.

"We have certainly expressed our concern about the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks being let out of house arrest in Pakistan. To my knowledge, that has nothing to do with that," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters at her daily news conference.

Nauert was responding to a question if the suspension of security assistance was related to Hafiz Saeed, the Mumbai attack mastermind who was released by Pakistan on November last year.

"There is a $10 million reward out for information leading to his re-arrest, the person who is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks who was let go in Pakistan. So we've been very clear about our displeasure with that individual being let go, and that's why we like to remind people that there is a $10 million Rewards for Justice program out for him," Nauert said.

A senior State Department official told reporters that the US continues to have conversation with Pakistan not only on Haqqani network, and Taliban, but also on India-centric terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

"We can't continue to have a relationship that has a business as usual with Pakistan. This conversation is not new to this administration. There have been concerns about Pakistan's issue of sanctuaries for the Haqqani network and the Taliban. But we have concerns about their nuclear programme. We have concerns about the ability of anti-Indian groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed to fundraise and operate," the official who spoke on anonymity said.

Hafiz Saeed who was recently released from house arrest is among the issues that have been a feature of America's conversation with Pakistan for many years.

"This administration felt that we needed to take additional steps to underscore that we're not going to be able to continue the relationship on autopilot. We can't continue a status quo relationship. We need to be able to move beyond these challenges and put our relationship on a more solid footing," the official said.

Responding to a question, the official disputed the general impression coming out of Pakistan that it will not rearrest Hafiz Saeed as being demanded by the US.

"I have not seen them say they're not going to take any of these steps. What the Pakistani government has objected to is our characterisation of the situation on the ground. But I have never heard the Pakistani government say they're not going to re-arrest Hafiz Saeed or they're not going to prosecute him," the official said.

The Pakistanis have clearly indicated that they are unhappy with the public rhetoric of the Trump administration.

"What I would say to that is we had a number of months where we have had very serious conversations and private discussions with them and have not seen the responsiveness that we need. And at some juncture they knew that we were going to take additional steps if they did not respond to the requests that we made to them," the State Department official said.

Appreciating the help of Pakistan in the release of Coleman family, the official said at the same time if there is an ongoing relationship between elements of the security forces in Pakistan and the group that took the Colin Boyle family hostage that is a concern."
Washington: A top American Senator has announced that he will introduce a bill that would eliminate US aid to Pakistan and set the money aside for infrastructure funds to build roads in the US.

What I find particularly troubling is that the U.S. continues to fund, we continue to give money to Pakistan over a billion dollars of U.S. taxpayer money is sent to Pakistan. I'll be introducing legislation to end their funding and use that money here at home. pic.twitter.com/xBpdlo3Otm  Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 5, 2018

"I'm introducing a bill to end aid to Pakistan in the coming days. My bill will take the money that would have gone to Pakistan and put it in an infrastructure fund to build roads and bridges here at home," Republican Senator Rand Paul said after Trump Administration announced its decision to suspend its security assistance to Pakistan.

"US should not give one penny to countries that burn our flag and chant Death to America. Countries like Pakistan that stonewall access to key information in fighting terrorism don't deserve our money," he said.

"We should stop now sending hard earned tax dollars to Pakistan. We sent Pakistan over $33 billion since 2002. What did we get for? Pakistan didn't even help us find (Osama) bin Laden even though he was living in one of their cities for years," he alleged.

"Then they jailed the informant who helped us to get bin Laden.

"They've allowed suspected terrorists to operate in their country. Some say Pakistani intelligence agents actually aid and abet the terrorists. It's wrong," he said.

Paul said he has been fighting against offering aid to Pakistan for years but now there has been a breakthrough.

Trump has publicly called to end their aid and, the Kentucky Senator said.

"I want to end all of it. I'm introducing a bill to do just that in the coming days. My bill will take the money that would have gone to Pakistan and put it in an infrastructure fund to build roads and bridges here at home. We need to build our nation, not other countries. It's time for America first policy an end to foreign aid," Paul said.
Washington: The US has suspended more than $1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network within its border and showing unwillingness to take "decisive actions" against them.

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump, in a new year tweet, accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for $33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

Prominent among the suspended amount include $255 million in foreign military funding for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by Congress. In addition, the Department of Defence has suspended the entire $900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.

"Today, we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. We consider them to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan," State department spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters.

The US, she said, will not deliver military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless required by law. Referring to the new South Asia Policy announced by Trump in August, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack the US and allied personnel.

Department of Defence spokesperson Lt Col. Mike Andrews told PTI that the National Defense Authorisation Act 2017 provides

up to $900 million for Pakistan in CSF. Of this, $400 million can only be released if the Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis certifies that the Pakistan government has taken specific actions against the Haqqani Network. "At this stage, all Fiscal Year 17 CSF have been suspended, so that's the entire amount of $900 million," Andrews said.

During an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis did not respond to question if he was in favour of cutting off the aid to Pakistan. "I prefer not to address that right now because it's obviously still being formulated as policy. But I'll give my advice on it to the president. I also agree on some confidentiality there," he said.

According to a senior state department official, no decision has been taken on the fate of the $255 million security assistance to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017. The deadline for that is 30 September this year.

Mattis, along with secretary of State Rex Tillerson, had travelled to Pakistan in recent months to deliver a tough message to their leadership. So, this action should not come as a surprise to them, Nauert said. "They may say it's a surprise, but what is no surprise is that the president has expressed his concerns, Secretary Tillerson has expressed his concerns, as has Secretary Mattis, and I imagine many other government officials having those conversations with Pakistan," Nauert said.

Now, the money that has been suspended at this time does not mean that it will be suspended forever, she said. "Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps," she added.

"People have long asked, why don't you do more about Pakistan, and I think this sort of answers that question. Obviously, Pakistan is important, an important relationship to the US, because together we can work hard to combat terrorism. Perhaps no other country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan and many other countries in that part of the region," she said. "They understand that, but still they aren't taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism," she said.

In an interaction with reporters, two senior state department officials asserted that such a move is not a punishment, but to provide an incentive to Pakistan to take more action against terrorist groups. "We have not done anything that's irreversible here. All this funding is available to Pakistan, if they undertake to take the measures that we've asked of them," a senior administration official said in response to a question.

Noting that a country is going to react very differently to an irreversible step, the official hoped Pakistan would react differently that they would react to something which is reversible.

"Pakistanis have repeatedly said we don't care about this money. What matters I think to the Pakistani's is that it is the symbolism of doing this that it represents a deterioration of our relationship that they care about a great deal," the official said.

"So we were hoping that this is an incentive that they don't want to see this relationship deteriorate any further and that they're going to commit to working with us to try to find a way to put it on a more solid footing," the official added.

According to another senior administration official, as part of the latest decision, the US will now not deliver military equipment or transfer security related funds to Pakistan unless required by law.

"Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis if they're determined to be critical for national security interests," the official said, adding that this suspension is not a permanent cut off at this time.

"Security assistance funding and pending deliveries will be frozen but not cancelled as we continue to hope Pakistan will take the decisive action against terrorists the militant groups that we seek," the official said, adding that the US does not intend to reprogram any funds at this time.

This suspension includes FMF 2016 ($255 million) as well as prior year FMF that has not yet been spent or delivered. Final figures are still being calculated, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Suspension also includes coalition support funds for Pakistan. However, the suspension does not include US civilian assistance programmes in Pakistan.

"Pakistan remains an important country in the region and in the world and has historically been a vital partner for the US," the official said.

The state department official defended the decision not to suspend civilian assistance. "We all have no reason to believe that civilian assistance represents any form of leverage. The elements of the Pakistani government that needs to take the steps that

we're talking about are not touched by civilian assistance. So, it wouldn't make any sense to tie civilian assistance to those steps that we're asking for," the official said.

US has been holding regular talks with Pakistan, the official said, adding that they do not believe that talks are an impasse as reported in some section of the media. "We are having conversations on a weekly basis at senior levels with the Pakistanis. Our hope is not that they will see this as the end of the road," the official said.

"Our hope is that they will see this as a further indication of this administration's immense frustration with the trajectory of our relationship and that they need to be serious about taking the steps we asked in order to put it on a more solid footing," the state department official said.
The United States, accusing Pakistan of harbouring terrorist organisations and failing to act decisively against them, has decided to suspend more than $1.15 billion in security assistance to the country. The move comes three days after US president Donald Trump tweeted saying Pakistan has given the US nothing but "lies and deceit" and provided "safe haven" to terrorists in return for $33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

Of the $1.15 billion fund that was suspended, $255 million is in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for Fiscal Year 2016 as mandated by Congress. In addition, the Department of Defence has suspended the entire $900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) for Fiscal Year 2017.

This is in stark contrast to the generous aid Pakistan has received from the US over the years, emerging as one of the biggest recipients of US aid because of its role as a regional ally in the US-led military intervention in Afghanistan. However, the withholding of the two funds isn't a new development. Over the years, and even earlier this year, Washington had stopped funding Pakistan, saying the latter hadn't done enough to justify the funding.

Foreign Military Financing

Foreign Military Financing refers to congressionally appropriated grants given to foreign governments to finance the purchase of American-made weapons, services and training. It was instituted in 1950 and has, in the last 67 years, contributed over $91 billion to militaries around the world.

A generous beneficiary of this fund was Pakistan, but it will be slashed by $255 million. However, as reported by The New York Times in December last year, the Trump administration was already frustrated by Pakistan and its "intransigence toward confronting the terrorist networks that operate there".

Furthermore, Trump had already announced way back in August that Islamabad can access the Foreign Military Fund assigned to it "only if it does more to crack down on internal terror networks".

At the time, while announcing his new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, Trump had harsh words to say about Pakistan. "We can no longer be silent about Pakistan's safe havens for terrorist organisations, the Taliban, and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond," Trump had said.

In the four months that passed between the two announcements, Islamabad had clearly done little to suggest it was taking Trump's threats seriously. The New York Times article quoted Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's former ambassador to Washington, as saying Islamabad can "withstand" a cut-off in American aid.

The country's military, he said, still views its accommodation of the Haqqani network as being in its security interest. The only way to overcome that is if the Trump administration pursues other, more punishing measures, "either by imposing targeted sanctions on the government or by removing it from the list of non-NATO allies".

"Pakistan can withstand a cutoff in American aid. It would have to be followed by something else to make Pakistan believe that Trump means business," Haqqani said.

Indeed, as reported by Foreign Policy magazine, Pakistan holds much leverage over the US, and the decision to withhold aid to Islamabad cannot be taken so easily. Pakistan has the fastest growing nuclear programme in the world, and given the vast proliferation of terrorist organisations on its soil, Washington will be very concerned about these groups getting their hands on deadly nuclear weapons. The demise of a strong Pakistan State will play into the terrorists' hands, and not Washington's.

And secondly, the Afghanistan war. The US is in an "unwinnable" situation in Afghanistan, as noted by Foreign Policy, and it needs to continue engaging Pakistan as long as it intends to remain engaged in Afghanistan. "US policy in Afghanistan requires a port with road or rail access to Afghanistan. This administration  like each one before  has cast its lot with Pakistan. And it will confront the same failures as its predecessors. Logistics will beat strategy every time," it said.

Coalition Support Funds

The other component of the funds going from Washington towards Islamabad is the Coalition Support Fund (CSF). At $900 billion a year, this is the bigger chunk of US' grants, and is meant to reimburse Pakistan for "operational and logistical support of US-led counter-terrorism operations" in the region. What this essentially means is that the US will use Pakistan's ports and airstrips and land territory to host its troops who are engaged in the war on terror in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has used these funds to deploy troops along its militancy-hit northwest region that borders Afghanistan. The CSF funds also compensate Pakistan for allowing the US-led coalition forces access its airfields and ports to provide supplies and logistics in their deployment in Afghanistan, said an IndiaSpend report.

Pakistan is one of the largest recipients of the fund and has received $14 billion since 2002. But for the past two years, the US Congress has imposed conditions on disbursal of money under the fund.

In May, when the US Congress proposed the sum for the Fiscal Year 2018, it had said it recognises the "significant sacrifices the Pakistan military has made in the fight against terrorism". "The FY 2018 budget proposal seeks $800 million in CSF for Pakistan. The CSF authority is not security assistance, but reimbursements to key cooperating nations for logistical, military, and other support provided to US combat operations," Adam Stump, defence department spokesman for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia was quoted as saying by PTI in May this year.

However, like with the FMF, even the CSF was halted shortly after its approval. As reported by The Indian Express in July, the decision to withhold the fund came after Defence Secretary James Mattis' report that Islamabad failed to take "sufficient action" against the Haqqani Network.

"The funds ($350 million) could not be released to the government of Pakistan at this time because the secretary could not certify that Pakistan has taken sufficient action against the Haqqani Network as per the requirement in the Fiscal Year 2016 NDAA," Stump said.

With inputs from agencies
HMD Global today announced Nokia 6 (2018), the companys latest mid-range smartphone and the successor of last years Nokia 6, smartphone in China, as expected. It has a 5.5-inch 1080p 2.5D curved glass display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, is powered by Snapdragon 630 Mobile platform, runs on Android 7.1.1 (Nougat), which is upgradable to Android 8.0 (Oreo), has a 16-megapixel rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, dual-tone LED flash, and a 8-megapixel front-facing camera.

It has Dual-Sight technology that uses both front and rear cameras simultaneously directly from your camera app to create Bothie  a split screen visual for both photos and videos. It has a unibody design with 6000 series aluminium chassis created using two-color anodization process and diamond cutting technology.

The fingerprint sensor has been moved to the back in the second-generation Nokia 6 and it also gets rid of the capacitive touch buttons on the front in favor of on-screen buttons. It packs a 3000mAh battery with support for fast charging that can charge the phone up to 50% in 30 minutes

Nokia 6 (2018) specifications

5.5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) 2.5D curved glass display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection

2.2 GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 630 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 508 GPU

4GB LPDDR4 RAM, 32GB / 64GB (eMMC 5.1) internal memory, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

Android 7.1.1 (Nougat), upgradable to Android 8.0 (Oreo)

Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD)

16MP rear camera with dual-tone LED flash, PDAF, 1.0um pixel size, f/2.0 aperture

8MP front-facing camera, 1.12 pixel size, f/2.0 aperture, 84 wide-angle lens

Fingerprint sensor

3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio

Dimensions: 148.8  75.8  8.15-8.6mm; Weight: 172g

4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 5, GPS, USB Type-C

3000mAh built-in battery with fast charging

The Nokia 6 (2018) comes in Black and Silver colors, is priced at 1499 yuan (US$ 230 approx. / Rs. 14,655 approx.) for the 32GB storage version and the 64GB storage version costs 1699 yuan (US$ 262 approx. / Rs. 16,610 approx.) . It is now available for pre-order from Suning and goes on sale from January 10th in China. No details about the global roll out yet.

Source
The never-ending series of problems for the Pixel 2 returns and this time it is a voice recording bug that is affecting messaging apps. According to many users on the Pixel community, the Pixel 2 XL is limiting the volume levels when recording voice messages on WhatsApp, Telegram, Google Allo.

The phone apparently has no issues recording voice clips, but once the voice clip is sent, the recipient gets a message with very low volume, even when the phones volume is at the maximum. The volume remains low even if listened via headphones, speaker. Even after sending the voice clip, the sender himself also seems to be not able to hear the audio clip.

Users in the community have come up with ways like uninstalling/re-installing messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Allo, resetting phone to fix the problem, and since nothing worked, the issue is being finally escalated to Google for which the community manager; Orrin issued an official response, saying that Google would look into the issue.

The issue is commonly seen on phones running Android 8.0 and 8.1 Oreo and since the issue is persisting to voice clips in messaging apps, it looks like it is widespread. As voice calls didnt result in the same low volume issues, it would seem likely that the bug is specific to recording audio clips rather than a complication with microphone hardware. Either way, since Google has acknowledged the issue, we expect a fix to come in the future.

Source
Cargill Asia Pacific

More than simply a food ingredients supplier, Cargill deeply understands our customers' strategies, consumers, distribution channels and competition. We deliver solutions that help the food industry and beverage manufacturers drive growth through new product innovation and reformulation. Cargill helps reduce costs through supply chain and manufacturing process efficiency and managing commodity price risk. Cargill helps our food industry and beverage manufacturing customers create unique products that fill product pipelines and reduce time-to-market by connecting our diverse food ingredients supplier capabilities  marketers, research scientist, application experts, risk managers and manufacturing process engineers  and seamlessly delivering these resources to customers. As a service and solution-oriented food ingredients supplier, our broad portfolio helps our customers address their food product development needs across the spectrum of applications and categories. Cargill helps our customers safely manufacture products every day around the world by reliably originating and distributing grain, oilseeds and other food ingredient commodities and by processing a diverse food ingredients supplier portfolio that spans core and specialty ingredients, ingredient systems and finished food systems.
Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging think tanker, aspiring novelist, "tribal elder", parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, Speedboat, proudly banned from Twitter so officially more dangerous than the Taliban, eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me.
Home-furnishings brand Pier 1 has become the latest U.S. store to succumb to the retail apocalypse after revealing Monday it would file Chapter 11 bankruptcy and pursue a sale.

The company cited the bankruptcy filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Richmond, Virginia, due to slowing sales, and added that it would complete the closure of up to 450 store locations, including all its stores in Canada, that it announced earlier this year.

In recent months, we have taken significant steps forward in our business transformation and cost-reduction initiatives, Robert Riesbeck, Pier 1s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer said in the statement. Todays actions are intended to provide Pier 1 with additional time and financial flexibility to unlock additional value for our stakeholders through a sale. We are moving ahead in this process with the support of our lenders and are pleased with the initial interest as we engage in discussions with potential buyers.

To date, the brand has closed or launched store-closing sales at more than 400 locations.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % PIR n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. AMZN AMAZON.COM INC. 3,049.44 +26.60 +0.88%

Pier 1 is just one of a growing number of retailers closing their doors as consumers lean away from traditional brick-and-mortar shopping in favor of buying online. The rise of e-commerce outlets like Amazon has made it harder for physical retailers to attract customers and forced companies to change or adopt new strategies.

FOX Business breaks down which brands closed stores or filed bankruptcy in recent months.

Abercrombie & Fitch

The chain has closed hundreds of store locations over the last few years while placing an increased emphasis on online sales and smaller retail formats. In May, Abercrombie & Fitch said it would close three flagship store locations, including one in New York, and redesign 85 others.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % ANF ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. 31.67 -4.18 -11.66%

Aerosoles

The New Jersey-based womens footwear company filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and announced plans to move forward with a significant reduction of its retail locations. While its unclear how many of Aerosoles 88 locations will be affected, the chain said it plans to keep four flagship stores in New York and New Jersey operational, NJ.com reported.

American Apparel

A fashion brand known for its edgy offerings, American Apparel shuttered all of its 110 U.S. locations in 2017 after filing for bankruptcy. The brand has since been acquired by Canada-based Gildan Activewear, which bought its intellectual property in an $88 million deal.

BCBG

The Los Angeles-based brand listed liabilities of more than $500 million when it filed for bankruptcy in February 2017. The chain closed 118 store locations nationwide that year, though more than 300 remained in operation under a company-wide reorganization.

Bon-Ton Stores Inc.

The struggling department store filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to court papers filed in February. The chain, which operates 256 stores in 23 states, also announced it planned to close 42 stores in 2018 as part of a restructuring plan.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % BONTQ BON TON STORES 0.0001 +0.00 +4,900.00%

The Childrens Place

A fixture at shopping malls, the childrens clothing retail said it will close hundreds of store locations by 2020 as part of a shift toward digital commerce.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % PLCE THE CHILDREN'S PLACE INC. 64.78 +5.88 +9.98%

CVS

The pharmacy retailer said it would close 70 store locations in 2017 as part of a bid to cut costs and streamline its business. CVS still operates thousands of stores nationwide.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % CVS CVS HEALTH CORP. 104.50 +2.46 +2.42%

Dressbarn

Dressbarn said it would close all of its approximately 650 store locations in the coming weeks, acknowledging that the chain "has not been operating at an acceptable level of profitability in today's retail environment."

Ticker Security Last Change Change % ASNA n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Dollar Tree

The discount retail chain said it would close as many as 390 of its Family Dollar stores around the country and convert roughly 200 others to Dollar Tree locations. The Family Dollar brand has struggled since it was acquired for roughly $9 billion in 2015.

Fred's

The discount retail chain said it plans to close an additional 104 stores by the end of June citing the move is a necessary step to restructuring.

Foot Locker

After reporting fourth-quarter earnings that were far better than expected, the sports retailer said it would close 165 stores in 2019 and invest to upgrade its remaining locations in a bid to boost margins and improve customer experience.

Forever 21

Retailer Forever 21 became the latest retailer to file for bankruptcy protection. The seller of womens, mens and kids clothing and accessories made the announcement September 29. As part of its restructuring strategy, the Company plans to exit most of its international locations in Asia and Europe but will continue operations in Mexico and Latin America., according to a company statement.

According to a court filing, Forever 21 has listed assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion to $10 billion. This was an important and necessary step to secure the future of our Company, which will enable us to reorganize our business and reposition Forever 21, said Linda Chang, Executive Vice President of Forever 21, Inc."

The Company also announced that its Canadian subsidiary filed for and was granted protection through the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Toronto.

Gap

At first parent, Gap said it would spin off its more successful Old Navy brand into its own company while closing about 230 Gap stores around the world, or roughly 50 percent. Fast forward to January 2019 and those plans have been scrapped. Old Navy will stay put under the Gap umbrella. In a statement, the retailer said that while the purpose of the spinoff was for "value creation" it no longer made sense to the board of directors, who determined the "cost and complexity of splitting into two companies, combined with softer business performance, limited our ability to create appropriate value from separation," said Robert Fisher, Gap Inc. interim president and chief executive officer.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % GPS GAP INC. 14.56 +0.74 +5.39%

Guess

Guess announced plans to close 60 of its struggling U.S. store locations in 2017 as part of a plan to refocus on international markets.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % GES GUESS? INC. 21.89 +1.50 +7.38%

Gymboree

The children's clothing retailer was expected to file for bankruptcy for the second time in two years, The Wall Street Journal reported this week. The company will shutter 900 stores and seek a potential sale of its other brands.

Hhgregg

The electronics retailer said it would close all of its 220 stores and lay off thousands of employees when it failed to find a buyer after bankruptcy proceedings.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % HGGGQ HHGREGG 0.002 +0.00 +199,900.00%

J.C. Penney

The department store chain closed 138 stores in 2017 while restructuring its business to meet shifting consumer tastes. The retailer also announced plans to open toy shops in all of its remaining brick-and-mortar locations. J.C. Penney plans to close 24 more stores in 2019.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % JCP n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

The Limited

After a brutal holiday season in 2016, the clothing chain closed all 250 of its physical stores in January 2017 as part of a bid to focus on ecommerce. The closures reportedly resulted in the loss of about 4,000 jobs.

Macys

At the start of the new year, Macy's announced it would close 28 stores. Before the doors could even shut on those locations, the retailer announced plans to close 125 department stores over the next three years as part of an effort to streamline its business and adjust to a difficult sales environment.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % M MACY'S INC. 26.11 +1.57 +6.42%

Michael Kors

With same-store sales plunging, the upscale fashion retailer said it would close as many as 125 stores to adapt to a difficult, promotional sales environment.

Payless

The discount shoe retailer will file for bankruptcy for the second time in two years later this month and close all of its approximately 2,300 stores in the U.S., Reuters reported, citing sources with knowledge of the situation. The company previously filed for bankruptcy in April 2017.

RadioShack

The once-prominent electronics outlet shut down more than 1,000 store locations in 2017. The brand now operates just 70 stores nationwide, down from a peak of several thousand.

Sears, Kmart

Sears Holdings is one of the most prominent traditional retailers to suffer in a challenging sales environment. The brand filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Oct. 15, 2018, and said it would close more than 140 of its 700 remaining stores as part of its bid to restructure its debt. The company is set to hold an auction in January to determine whether it will be sold to its former CEO, Eddie Lampert, or liquidate its remaining stores.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % SHLDQ SEARS HOLDINGS CORP. 0.02 +0.00 +12.68%

Signet Jewelers

The parent company of Kay Jewelers and Zales said it would close more than 150 stores locations in fiscal 2020 amid declining store traffic. Signet also closed 262 stores in fiscal 2019 as it looks to refocus its business on e-commerce.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % SIG SIGNET JEWELERS LTD. 71.92 +5.00 +7.47%

Shopko

The Wisconsin-based retailer cited a sizable debt load and "competitive pressures" in its decision to file for bankruptcy. The chain will close 38 stores and sell off its pharmacy business as part of a restructuring plan.

Topshop

The British retailer will close all 11 of its U.S. stores after its parent company, Arcadia Group, filed for bankruptcy.

Toys R Us

The venerable toy outlet filed for bankruptcy in September 2017 amid mounting debt and pressure from wary suppliers and was forced to liquidate its remaining stores and inventories in 2018. The company is currently out of business, though rumors of a comeback persist.

Victoria's Secret

Parent company L Brands announced in late February that it would shutter 53 Victoria's Secret store locations amid sagging sales, after closing 30 stores in 2018. The venerable brand is contending with shifting fashion tastes as rivals embrace inclusive and comfortable styles.

Wet Seal

The teen fashion brand shuttered its 171 stores in 2017 after previously filing for bankruptcy in 2015. Declining foot traffic at malls and pressure from competitors like Zara and H&M contributed to Wet Seals demise.

FOX Business' Thomas Barrabi and Shawn M. Carter contributed to this report.




A federal judge Thursday denied a request by Fusion GPS to void a House Intelligence Committee subpoena to provide bank records as part of the committees investigation into Russian activities during the 2016 election campaign.



U.S. District Judge Richard Leon found Fusion's objections to the subpoena to be "unavailing" and denied the research firm's request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that would have prevented it from handing over the documents.
Smart cars and smart homes -- which combine voice recognition and artificial intelligence -- are likely to be at the forefront of next weeks Consumer Electronic Show, one of the largest tech conventions in the world.

Gary Shapiro, a CEO of the Consumer Technology Association and CSE producer, provided FOX Business Liz Claman with a preview of what the buzz will be at this years Las Vegas-based convention. That includes vehicle technology (think of having Amazons Alexa in your car); augmented and virtual reality; and smart everything: speakers, appliances, robots, etc. Less splashy attractions are a suitcase that follows the traveler around an airport and the potential elimination of keyboards.

CES began showcasing new technologies in 1967 in New York City, and since then, has been at the forefront of innovation, according to its website. It was the site of introduction for the video cassette recorder (1970), satellite radio (2000), and tablets, notebooks and android devices (2010).

These smart speakers have become a fourth channel of retail, if you will, Shapiro said. You can order them, and theyre being incorporated in so many products now. And its taking off big.

More than 170,000 people and 3,900 businesses, which includes some of the biggest game-changers in technology like Google, are expected to attend. Claman will be attending the conference, which will broadcast live during Risk & Reward at 3 p.m. ET.
Marijuana-related stocks plummeted, cannabis boosters worried about the industry's future and defiant growers and sellers vowed to keep operating after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions signaled a tougher approach to federal pot enforcement.

The plunging stock prices reversed a weekslong rally driven by optimism for legal recreational sales that started Monday in California. Several marijuana stocks saw double-digit losses in the hours after Sessions' announcement, including the largest pot-producing company that is publicly traded.

Canopy Growth, a Canada-based company with the ticker symbol WEED, lost $3.58 a share, or 10 percent, to close at $32.32 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Shares of garden-supply company Scotts Miracle-Gro also skidded Thursday, following a steady rise last year after it added fertilizer, lights and other products to serve marijuana growers. The company's share price fell by as much as 7 percent before closing down 2.3 percent, or $2.49, to $106.17 on the New York Stock Exchange.

"Jeff Sessions' decision to rescind the Cole memoranda puts the marijuana industry and marijuana legalization efforts in a precarious position," said Aaron Herzberg, a California lawyer and founder of the cannabis investment company CalCann Holding, referring to an Obama-era memo that limited U.S. crackdowns on pot in states where it's legal.

Brent Kenyon, a consultant who helps advise and establish recreational marijuana businesses in Oregon, said his phone had been ringing all Thursday with calls from worried clients. Investors, including some who are involved in his businesses, are spooked, he said.

"I'm just telling people to hold off. We need more information, we need to see what the president is going to say about this," he said by phone from a cannabis conference in Hawaii.

Andy Williams, CEO of the Medicine Man Denver dispensary, is taking a wait-and-see approach to the new policy but pointed out the economic impact of legal pot.

"This industry around the United States has attracted a lot of investment. Billions of dollars in investment," he said. "Just talking about what Sessions wants to do today has dropped the market."

Steve DeAngelo, owner of California's largest marijuana retailer, said it will be "business as usual" at his Harborside dispensary in Oakland.

"I think the main impact of this is really going to be on investors, more than anything else," he said. "Some investors might get a bit nervous about putting more money into the cannabis industry until the situation resolves itself."

Another of California's largest marijuana operators said it also plans no changes in response to Sessions' announcement.

"For this industry and for this community, we are really based on resilience, going against the tide. This is no different," said Michael Steinmetz, CEO of Flow Kana, which distributes cannabis products from small, outdoor farmers. "From my perspective, things don't change."

___

Associated Press writers Terence Chea in Oakland, Gillian Flaccus in Portland, Oregon, and P. Solomon Banda in Denver contributed to this report.
What happened

Shares of TransEnterix (NYSEMKT: TRXC), a commercial-stage robotic-surgery company, fell 17.5% in December according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The decline has this Fool scratching his head because the only news out of the company during the month was positive.

So what

Investors learned mid-month that TrasnEnterix had sold its SurgiBot assets to a Chinese-based medical-equipment provider. The company is slated to receive at least $29 million from the transaction as a series of payments.

The first payment of $7.5 million should have been received before the end of 2017. The second payment of $7.5 million is due before the end of the first quarter. The remaining $14 million represents minimum royalty payments that are owed once the SurgiBot System gains the regulatory thumbs up in China, or within five years time (whichever comes first).

I'm a fan of this deal because TransEnterix doesn't have the time (or resources) to give the SurgiBot the attention that it needs. This transaction gives the company a way to monetize the SurgiBot system now. Given the company's current financial position, bringing in additional capital in a non-dilutive way sounds like it should be good news for shareholders. However, the stock's drubbing in December suggests that Wall Street disagrees with that assessment.

Now what

Short-term price movements aside, this company's fate still hinges on a successful launch of the Senhance System. While the company did record its first U.S. sale already, it's still far too early to draw any real conclusions about the market's reaction to the device. For that reason, I'll continue to watch this company's progress from the sidelines.

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Barnes & Nobles shares plunged to new lows on Friday after the struggling retailer reported a major drop in sales for the holiday season.

The New York-based company, which is best known for selling books, said same-store sales fell more than 6% to $953 million in its most recent fiscal quarter. Barnes & Nobles digital business was an area of particular weakness, as sales dropped 4.5% even as more customers turn to e-commerce operations like Amazon to do their shopping.

Barnes & Nobles stock fell as much as 17% after the subpar report and was trading down roughly 15% at $5.55 per share as of Friday afternoon. Shares fell to their lowest level since the mid-1990s, according to Barrons.

Many traditional retailers are contending with declining foot traffic in stores amid the e-commerce boom. Digital-first companies like Amazon are producing record sales figures even as brick-and-mortar giants like Macys and J.C. Penney close store locations and lay off employees.

Retail bankruptcies hit a six-year high in 2017 and are expected to occur at a high rate again this year.

Barnes & Noble executives have touted a reorganization plan that includes a sharper focus on the digital and mobile shopping experience, as well as smaller, streamlined stores that will focus on successful product segments while shifting away from underperforming offerings.

Activist investors have proposed taking Barnes & Noble private or selling the company amid stiff competition in the retail space, according to multiple reports. However, no deal has materialized yet.
Equifax (NYSE:EFX) is not off the hook for its massive 2017 data breach, lawmakers told FOX Business, despite a noticeable lack of progress on new legislation.

Lawmakers conducted a series of hearings on Capitol Hill throughout the final months of 2017, which featured former Equifax CEO Richard Smith and Interim CEO Paulino do Rego Barros Jr., as well as a slew of expert witnesses. Though members on both sides of the aisle slammed the company for its failure to protect consumers, neglecting to alert the public in a timely manner and the botched rollout of its remedy procedures, few concrete steps have been taken on Capitol Hill to hold companies more accountable for protecting data and consumer privacy.

The end of 2017 was heavily dominated by a whirlwind tax reform debate, after a bill was introduced by the GOP and signed by President Donald Trump in less than two months, but lawmakers insist Equifax hasnt been forgotten.

A source with direct knowledge of the matter told FOX Business that Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) is working on passing a bipartisan bill that would, among other things, give consumers a more comprehensive understanding of, and greater control over, who is accessing their credit reports, and improve the process for disputing errors. The bill has been approved by the Senate Banking Committee, but still has multiple hurdles to clear before becoming law.

Rep. David Scott, a Democrat representing Georgia  where Equifax is headquartered, told FOX Business that he is focused on making sure the credit reporting company survives the massive breach and regains consumer trust. Rep. Scott, however, expressed frustration with sluggish movement in Congress.

Unfortunately progress has been too slow, he said, indicating that more engagement with moderate Democrats might help move things forward.

Barros Jr. and Smith attempted to assure lawmakers during testimony that the company had refocused on making consumer safety a priority. Equifax is launching a product that allows consumers to lock and unlock their credit for free, for life, putting more control in the hands of individuals. Smith indicated this was a trend the credit reporting industry would build upon in the future.

One of the big criticisms lawmakers had about the company was that it would face little consequences. While the companys third quarter earnings were lower, due to $27.3 million in expenses related to the cyber breach, shares of Equifax have regained much of the losses suffered in the wake of the far-reaching attack. In September, Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) even raised its outlook for the stock to outperform, believing the incident created an attractive entry point for this high-quality consumer credit franchise.

Over the past 6 months, the stock is down less than 12%, and over the past 3 months its up more than 9%.

More than 145 million Americans had personally identifiable information compromised during the hack, which took place between Mid-May and July.
Ed Rensi, who had a long career in the fast-food industry, spending more than three decades at McDonalds (NYSE:MCD), working his way up to CEO in the early 1990s. Later, Rensi lead Famous Daves, a chain of barbecue restaurants for almost one and a half years, from early 2014 through mid-2015.

Rensi is making a return to the restaurant industry, telling FOX Business Stuart Varney on Varney & Co., Well, youll be happy to know Stuart that I just took over the chairmanship of FAT Brands in Los Angeles, California, so Im anxious to get back to the grill serving great food.

FAT Brands restaurants include Fatburger, which has 164 locations in six states and 18 countries. The company acquired the Buffalos Cafe brand in 2011, later launching Buffalos Express. The company has 20 Buffalos Cafe locations and more than 70 under development. FAT Brands also owns Ponderosa Steakhouse and Bonanza Steakhouse.
The Trump administration imposed sanctions Friday on four senior Venezuelan military officials for alleged corruption and repression, in a bid to raise the pressure on President Nicolas Maduro's government.

Among those targeted in the Treasury Department's action are Rodolfo Marco Torres, a retired general who is now Aragua state's governor, and Francisco Rangel Gomez, another former general and previous governor of Bolivar state.

The Associated Press last year collected documents and testimony from business owners describing Marco Torres, a former Venezuelan food minister, as a key figure involved in fraudulent food imports.

The others affected by Friday's announcement are Fabio Zavarse Pabon, a division general of the Bolivarian National Guard, and Gerardo Izquierdo Torres, an Army major general who holds other senior positions. Maduro has named many military officials to high-profile government positions.

"President Maduro and his inner circle continue to put their own interests above those of the Venezuelan people," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. "This action underscores the United States' resolve to hold Maduro and others engaged in corruption in Venezuela accountable."

Any assets held by the men under U.S. jurisdictions are now frozen. Americans are banned from doing business with them.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza criticized the measure on Friday. He posted a message on Twitter saying the Venezuelan armed forces "will never subjugate to any foreign power. We demand respect for the Venezuelan people and its institutions."

Those sanctioned Friday are in addition to the dozens of current and former Venezuelan officials the U.S. already has targeted. They include Vice President Tareck El Aissami for alleged involvement in international drug trafficking. The U.S. also has imposed economic sanctions on Venezuela at a time it's seeking to refinance a huge international debt.

___

Follow Luis Alonso Lugo on Twitter: www.twitter.com/luisalonsolugo
Attorney General Jeff Sessions' decision to change Obama-era federal policy on legal marijuana has produced the need for new legislation in Congress, according to Fox News Senior Judicial Analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano.

"This is going to create a mess," Judge Napolitano told FOX Business' Stuart Varney on "Varney & Co." "Not only in people's social and personal lives but for the huge and burgeoning cannabis industry."

Sessions on Thursday sent a letter to federal prosecutors rescinding all use of marijuana, making it illegal in the eyes of federal law and fair game for prosecution.

Sessions decision was met with bipartisan criticism. On Thursday, Colorado Senator Cory Gardiner, where pot is legal, called out Sessions in a fiery speech on the Senate floor.

"Up until 8:58 this morning that was the policy. One tweet later, one policy later, a complete reversal of what many of us on the hill were told before the confirmation, what we had continued to believe the last year and without any notification, conversation or dialogue with Congress," Rep. Gardiner said.

Judge Napolitano said overturning the law would also overload federal prosecutors' offices and "infuriate" the FBI and local law enforcement, who have been lobbying for years to make small amounts of marijuana legal.

They just felt it was a waste of their time," he said.

The Judge added fallout would also require the reorganization of the Department of Justice, which faces far more serious threats to the U.S. than marijuana could ever be."
Companies have already responded to the tax reform package, announcing plans to pass along some of the savings to their employees. AT&T (NYSE:T) said it would give $1,000 bonuses even before the tax plan was signed into law and other companies such as Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), U.S. Bank and Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:FITB) have followed suit. Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) said it will raise the minimum wage at the company to $15 an hour.

White House National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn weighed in on corporate Americas response to the tax package telling FOX Business Stuart Varney on Varney & Co., Look at whats happened since we announced tax reform. In just two weeks weve had well over 100 companies announce year-end bonuses, 401(K) contributions or increased minimum wages for about a million workers in the United States.

According to Cohn, even those at the White House were surprised by the response.

So, a million workers in the last week of 2017 got a surprise just because of the tax reform package and that is something that we didnt even expect to see.

Cohn says that along with passing along some of the tax savings to employees, some companies have also revealed plans for capital expenditures.

In addition to that, a bunch of companies did announce pretty big capital expenditure plans as well, and we expect to see a lot more action and activity just like that.

Varney brought up criticisms that those companies efforts are just window dressing to keep in good standing with President Trump.

Stuart, if you just got $1,000 bonus and you werent expecting it, I dont think its window dressing. If your wages just went up to $15 and you were earning $8 or $9 and youre an hourly employee, I dont think thats window dressing, Cohn responded.
What happens when Sheldon finally gets a chance to leave his family and live in an environment of academia? Thats exactly what the 9-year-old genius had to deal with in the first episode of "Young Sheldon" of 2018.

The episode opens with Sheldons parents meeting with his principal. Despite being in high school at age 9, he has to admit that the curriculum cant keep up with him. Hes finishing his work, getting bored and being rude to teachers.

I dont want to embarass you so Ill give you a moment to think about what you just said, he tells a math teacher after she thinks she solved a problem on the blackboard.

Needless to say that Sheldon is giving the entire high school too much grief. The principal suggest sending him to a private school. The only issue is that the one best suited for his needs is in Dallas, several hours away. The youngster would have to live with a foster family and commute home on Fridays for the weekend. Its a stellar opportunity for Sheldon, but Mary cant wrap her head around the idea of sending her son to live elsewhere.

George Sr. suggests giving Sheldon a say in all this. Captivated by the idea of a different school thats closer to his level, hes on board immediately. Just like that, the family is off to Dallas to meet the woman hell be staying with. Shes an academic who seems perfectly suited to take care of his very specific needs. Meanwhile, everyone but Mary is just excited to get a break from Sheldon.

That is until Sheldon finally moves away. George Sr. thinks the foster family looked nice, but Mary got a bad feeling. They sit down to dinner for the first time without Sheldon and his absence is noticeable, but in a bad way. George Sr. has to hold George Jr.s dirty hand during grace, Missy has to go to bed alone and Mary cant stop crying.

At night, George Sr. overhears Missy talking to Sheldon even though hes not there and walks in on MeeMaw and Mary arguing. Hes had enough. He grabs his coat and makes the trek to Dallas in the middle of night one of Sheldon's stay. Fortunately, Sheldon is all-too-happy to come home having had a terrible first night. The ceiling fan above his bed conjures images of his own decapitation and the dust ruffle makes him painfully aware of the existence of dust around his bed. However, it was his foster parent's "hippie music" that sealed the deal.

Dad, he says. Im glad you came to get me.

It seems that despite his grating nature, the Cooper family simply doesnt work without its most annoying member. This was made evident by the typically reserved Missy leaping out of her bed and hugging her twin brother upon seeing hed returned the next morning.

The episode ends with the true victims of this ordeal, the high school teachers, who are drinking their troubles away in the faculty lounge at 11 a.m.
The following article originally ran in the Friday, October 30, 1987, edition of the Albany Democrat-Herald.

Students from South Albany High School, and some from West, marched off campus this morning in a protest against the continuing deadlock in negotiations between the Albany School Board and the teachers' union.

An estimated 300 students gathered in South's "Senior Hall" at the start of school for a sit-down strike. Many then left campus, and some with cars drove to West Albany High School to collect students in support of their protest.

West administrators tried to prevent students from leaving, but some did leave.

South Albany Principal John DeBoie met with the students on West's front lawn. He said he understood their frustrations and said that graduation would not be affected if teachers strike.

DeBoie told students he recently underwent back surgery and asked them to go back to school "for me."

Students then crowded into the school district office and spoke with administrators.

Don Shore, an Oregon Education Association coordinator temporarily stationed in Albany, said today the union did not condone and was not encouraging students walking out.

He said the union had asked teachers not to discuss labor issues in class but this was difficult when students asked questions.

However, according to Kim Thorp, a junior at South, some teachers "were rooting for us."

Assistant Principal Elaine Wells at South said students involved with SAFE  Students' Association for Education  organized the sit-down protest, which then "got out of hand."

"There were I'd guess 300 involved and probably another group that saw an advantageous situation and decided to take the day off," she said. "Obviously the youngsters are going to lose today's education and what would be going on in the classroom," she said. "That's not a good situation."

Some students who defied administrators were sent home and further disciplinary steps may be taken, she said.

SAFE is planning a "human chain" for 9 a.m. Saturday, stretching from the teacher union's "crisis headquarters" at 121 First Ave. E. to the district office, 718 Seventh Ave. S.W.

At the district office, students began arriving around 10:15. About 300 boisterous students eventually crowded into a meeting room. Some were dressed in Halloween costumes.

"Nobody cares about our education, they care about money," said Shellee Magee, a senior at South. One girl called the demonstration a "peace walk."

Student representatives Dee Dee Gonzalez from South and Trent Fox from West questioned Superintendent Robert H. Williams and Wes Smith, his assistant.

Gonzalez asked: "Why pay (the substitutes) so much more per day when you can give the real teachers a raise?"

Smith replied: "The average teacher makes $148 a day which is what's going to be paid to replacement teachers."

The questions were often interrupted by riotous applause and hollering as more students crowded in.

Many others sat outside, shouting and cheering.

Students booed when Smith said, "We agreed we'd talk for 15 minutes. Now it's time to go back to classes."

Smith said school officials were concerned that some students rode to the demonstration crowded in the back of pickups. School buses were provided to take the students back to classes, but most refused to ride them.

When Smith and Williams were being drowned out by yelling, one student shouted, "If you're not serious, go back to school."

Albany Police Chief Darrell Pepper arrived at the office as the crowd was breaking up. He said he hadn't come because of the demonstration but had business with someone in a nearby house.
ABC News has demoted its embattled chief investigative correspondent, Brian Ross, after he botched an exclusive report on Donald Trump and Russia.

News President James Goldston announced to staffers on Friday that Ross would be reassigned to ABC News outside production house, Lincoln Square Productions. Ross, who had been scheduled to return from a four-week, unpaid suspension on Thursday, will not be resuming his former, longtime role. He is believed to be retaining his title of chief investigative correspondent, though he will not be seen on ABC with live reports.

Lincoln Square Productions is separate from the rest of ABC News and creates unscripted programming for ABC and cable channels such as Discovery Life and Investigation Discovery. The Disney-owned unit is in a separate building -- located a few blocks from ABC News -- that houses The Chew and Dr. Oz and was home to major soap operas until 2011.

Lincoln Square Productions seems an odd fit for Ross, a hard charging news reporter. Lincoln Square does little so-called hard news. Its biggest program is the reality show What Would You Do? on ABC, though it has also produced some more serious documentary programming.

Ross will still appear on both 20/20 and Nightline as needed, according to a source close to the situation. However, not everyone involved with the network agrees.

He will never be on ABC air again, said an ABC insider about Ross. The insider speculated that the correspondent has been handed a sinecure while his contract winds down.

Members of Ross investigative unit who are not relocated to the new building will continue to work for ABC News and will not lose their jobs, according to an ABC source.

"[Brian Ross] will never be on ABC air again"  Network insider

Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl and Senior Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas are expected to pick up some of the investigative reporting that would have typically gone to Ross  specifically when it involves President Trump or the Mueller investigation.

Goldston told staffers last month that Ross would never again be allowed to cover President Trump. ABC News has steered increasingly away from investigations in recent years and does not have another dedicated investigative correspondent.

Ross longtime producer, Rhonda Schwartz -- whose contract is reportedly tied to Ross -- is also relocating to Lincoln Square.

Ross was initially suspended after he reported incorrectly on live television that fired National Security Adviser Michael Flynn would testify that Trump had ordered him to make contact with Russians about foreign policy while Trump was still a candidate. The report raised the specter of Trumps impeachment and sent the stock market plummeting.

After ABC was forced to retract the report, Goldston said on a staff conference call that hed never felt more rage, disappointment and frustration in his entire career.

Just after Ross was suspended, President Trump told a crowd in Florida that Ross should have been fired.

They took this fraudster from ABC, Trump said. They suspended him for a month. They should have fired him for what he wrote. He drove the stock market down 350 points in minutes, which by the way, tells you they really like me, right? When you think of it, and you know what he cost people? And I said to everybody get yourself a lawyer and sue ABC News, sue them.

For his part, Ross wrote on Twitter that his job is to hold people accountable and noted, That's why I agree with being held accountable myself.

Ross gaffe was the latest in a series of black marks for the multi-award winning reporter, who has been at ABC News since 1994 after spending nearly two decades at NBC. He had not been sanctioned for past errors.

Ross will start his new gig on Monday.

ABC News did not respond to request for comment.
Broadway legend Ben Vereen has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault and harassment during the 2015 production of "Hair."

Several actresses detailed the sexually abusive behavior they say they suffered at the hands of Vereen including unwanted kissing, inviting women to join him naked in his hot tub and making demeaning and degrading comments towards them in an expose published by the New York Daily News on Friday.

Two of the actresses from the 2015 production told the Daily News that Vereen invited them on separate occasions to his Florida rental home for "private rehearsals." He then pressed his erect penis against them without permission.

"I would like to apologize directly to the female cast members of the musical Hair for my inappropriate conduct when I directed the production in 2015. While it was my intention to create an environment that replicated the themes of that musical during the rehearsal process, I have since come to understand that it is my conduct, not my intentions, which are relevant here," Vereen told Fox News in a statement. "So I am not going to make any excuses because the only thing that matters here is acknowledging and apologizing for the effects of my conduct on the lives of these women. Going forward, my having come to terms with my past conduct will inform all my future interactions not only with women, but with all individuals. I hope these women will find it in their hearts to accept my sincere apology and forgive me."

Kaitlyn Terpstra, who was 22-years-old at the time, said Vereen told her "nudity was not inherently sexual" in order to convince her to get in his hot tub without clothes.

"He made me feel that if I wasn't mature enough to understand that, I wasnt mature enough to be in 'Hair,'" Terpstra said.

A second woman who asked to be identified by her first name only said she had the same experience as Terpstra.

"He basically told both of us, 'Get over yourself. Nudity doesn't have to be sexual.' If we asked questions or hesitated, we were the ones making it weird," Kim said.

Terpstra and Kim said Vereen, who was just shy of 69 at the time, began asking them personal questions aimed to help them reach "creative breakthroughs."

"He was acting as my mentor, asking me about my parents, then that same night, he put me on his lap while I was crying, and I felt his erection," Terpstra alleged.

"He was acting as my mentor, asking me about my parents, then that same night, he put me on his lap while I was crying and I felt his erection."  Kaitlyn Terpstra, actress

"He asked me, 'Feel that?' It was terrifying. I said, 'Feel what?' I wanted to act like I didn't. I pushed myself off with a laugh. Then later, he asked, 'Do you think I want to f--k you?' I said 'Yes,' and he got angry. He said, 'Well, I don't, and that's unfortunate.' He made me feel like I had my mind in the gutter."

Kim said Vereen asked her to perform oral sex on him when they were in the hot tub and she agreed.

"I just think at the time, I didn't feel like I had a choice. I didn't want to do it, but I was intimidated and scared. He was being very intense and angry. He seemed very angry and offended. I had seen him behave this way toward others...during [rehearsals]," she recalled.

Several cast members told the Daily News that Vereen stripped naked during a rehearsal of a nude scene in "Hair," a musical that does typically include several nude scenes.

"It was uncomfortable, to say the least," Ariella Pizarro said. She also accused the actor of forcibly kissing her and sending her inappropriate text messages.
Kathy Griffins famous feud with her next door neighbor heated up in a Los Angeles court on Thursday.

The comedian faced her millionaire neighbor, Jeffrey Mezger, CEO of KB Home, over their long-standing battle which includes restraining orders, noise complaints, name calling, allegations of spying and antics such as throwing trash.

According to The Blast, when Griffin took the stand on Thursday, the controversial comedian joked that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were better neighbors than Mezger and his wife, and that she had never before had an issue with a neighbor until moving next door to Mezger.

Griffin's disagreement with her neighbor began in 2016 after she and her boyfriend, Randy Bick, moved into the gated Los Angeles neighborhood where Mezger and his wife also lived. In September, Bick called the cops on his new neighbor and his wife and cited noise complaints after hours of noise coming from Mezgers home.

Mezger's unhappiness with Bick and Griffins actions was later caught on security camera audio as the KB Home director screamed sexist slurs and profanities at his neighbors, calling her a bald d--e and a c--t.

After Mezgers outburst, Griffin filed a restraining order against her neighbor, but a month later in October, Mezger filed one against Griffin. According to TMZ, Mezger claimed that in addition to calling the cops on his family, Griffin and Bick had also been spying on him with audio and video devices set in his backyard, including his patio and Jacuzzi area. Mezger also said that private family conversations were captured by Griffins devices, even talks between him and his grandchildren.

Griffin admitted to having security cameras for protection that pick up sound on her property, but said she did not intentionally spy on Mezger. But in another neighbor accusation, Griffin also claimed that Mezger had been throwing trash into her yard while blasting Jonny Cash tunes in the direction of her home.

According to The Blast, the neighbors couldnt come up with a settlement in court, so the judge kept their restraining orders against each other intact until next Thursday, when they will have to call and inform the judge of their settlement plan.
CNNs new digital project, American Woman by Brooke Baldwin, is eerily similar, and even has the same name, as a project that a Pittsburgh woman started in 2016 to empower black women.

Both projects feature patriotic red, white and blue images with stripes depicting the American flag. Both projects are designed to put a spotlight on strong women, but the CNN version that launched on Jan. 3 features celebrities such as Betty White and Sheryl Crow, while the other version focuses on Black women in America and is nearly two years old.

The non-CNN versions creator, Sarah Huny Young, penned a letter expressing her frustration that was first published by The Root. Young explained that she called her site American Woman instead of Black American Woman for a very specific purpose, and CNNs project could devalue her goal.

Im dismayed to see that journalist Brooke Baldwin has launched a new series for CNN also called 'American Woman' Young wrote. This isn't, of course, to say that I'm the only person that gets to celebrate women in the U.S. or that I have ownership of the title or moniker American Woman in any way. However, that the original AMERICAN WOMAN series is very specifically about black women in America  American for multiple generations, first-generation American, or American via naturalization or dual citizenship  is a very important distinction that I intend to protect.

Young said her American Woman site is about reframing the face most people picture, and the characteristics most associate with the term American woman to include black American women and intersectionality and womanism. She received the Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh grant to work on the project back in 2016, according to The Root.

Young praised Baldwin for including African-American women such as Ava DuVernay and Issa Rae in her project, but added that the other people CNN focused on dont face the same issues as black women in America. She doesnt want her project overshadowed or diluted by another conceptually similar series with the exact same name.

"I wish someone at CNN had done their research."  Sarah Huny Young

In addition to DuVernay and Rae, the CNN version features Diane Von Furstenburg, Ashley Graham, Pat Benatar, Crow and White, while Young said her American Woman features photos and interviews with nearly 70 black women across the country.

That is where my frustration mainly lies at the moment; the potential added labor of distancing myself from Brookes series by explaining that my AMERICAN WOMAN series was first, that it centers Black women, and that hers is derivative, Young wrote. Im concerned that it will get in the way of my marketing and promotional efforts and even my fundraising ventures.

While Young doesnt mention legal action in her letter, she noted shell never hesitate to fiercely protect her project.

I wish Brookes series was named something else. I wish someone at CNN had done their research, Young wrote. I wish this wasnt such a prevalent narrative: Black creative gets co-opted by someone with more money, resources, privilege, and a far larger platform.

Young ended her letter by declaring that her series is not going anywhere.

CNN did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Young did not respond to a request to speak with Fox News.
Rose Marie found success as a child star at age three during the 1920s, long before Shirley Temple made her screen debut. And she never lost her passion for entertaining audiences.

The 94-year-old actress, who went on to star as Sally Rogers in the 1961 sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show, died on December 28, 2017.

For what was her last phone interview before her death, Rose Marie spoke to Fox News in November about the new documentary, titled Wait For Your Laugh, which chronicles her decades-long career in show business. Originally known as Baby Rose Marie, she first got a taste of fame not in Hollywood, but Atlantic City while on vacation with her parents.

We went to a club where Evelyn Nesbit was playing, Rose Marie recalled. She was a big star at the time While she was singing, I got up and started to sing right with her. And when we were through, she told my father, Shes adorable, whats her name? My father told her, Dainty Rose Marie. She said, Shes a baby! Call her Baby Rose Marie. And then I started playing at hotels, country clubs, things like that.

By age 10, Rose Marie managed to charm Uncle Al" Capone.

I didnt know [my father] was working for Al [Capone] years ago, evidently, said Rose Marie. He told my father, The boys want to meet her. The boys are crazy about her. My father told him, Shes doing five shows a day, so its a little difficult. But he said, Well take care of it. Dont worry about it.

Rose Marie soon found herself in an isolated house on Chicagos Cicero suburb with 24 gangsters sitting around a table, fawning over her.

They were all going, Youre our Baby! she said. And then Al picked me up in his arms and said, We love you Baby. From now on, you call me uncle Al. I said, Sure, why not? Ok, uncle Al.  At that time every hotel or popular place, gambling place, was owned by one of the boys, or ran by one of the boys. And I knew them all from going from one place to another doing my act.

Capone would reportedly go on to drive her to and from shows. And it wouldnt be the last time the young entertainer would enchant a mobster.

Bugsy Siegel and I became very good friends, she said. He was a very sweet man to me. I worked for him for two weeks at the Flamingo. I opened the Flamingo. It was the first hotel I opened. Vegas [back then] was just a desert with two hotels It was Xavier Cugat, Jimmy Durante and myself.

"Bugsy was running short of money. And the mob got very mad at him and wouldnt send him any more money. Thats why they called him Bugsy. Because they thought he was crazy But he helped opened up the Flamingo. All the stars of Hollywood were there that night It was one hell of a show.

However, it wasnt the mafia that offered a helping hand to Rose Marie when it came to achieving international stardom on television. She credited her persistence in wanting to appear in the hit series Make Room for Daddy, starring a hotshot comic from Chicago she considered as family.

Every time I played Vegas, Danny Thomas would come to see the show, she said. One day I told him, So when am I going to do your show? Everyone does your show except me! He said, Your time will come.

Rose Marie quickly received a call from the casting department of Desilu, the production company co-owned by I Love Lucy stars Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. She was offered to appear in a new series, titled The Dick Van Dyke Show.

I didnt read for the part [of Sally Rogers], said Rose Marie. I didnt have to audition. I didnt have to do anything. It was my part from the very beginning But I had no idea what Dick Van Dyke was.

And while playing wisecrack Sally Rogers, she quickly befriended the sitcoms leading man when cameras stopped rolling.

I thought he was wonderful, I still do, said Rose Marie about Dick Van Dyke. I think hes a brilliant talent. He loves a good time It was a pleasure working for somebody like that. I love him very much. Even today I love him. We do keep in touch. Very, very much so.

Rose Marie was easily impressed by another co-star.

Mary Tyler Moore was brand new and very pretty, she explained. She had a good figure. And everybody went crazy for her. She was very feminine, very charming. I was always with the boys. I was never in that position. I hung out with Carl [Reiner] and Dick [Van Dyke]."

"Mary was very, very busy becoming a star. Even the first day we were at rehearsal. She said, Im going to have my own show. I would say, Why dont you wait until we do this one first? But Mary, she was very much a go-getter. She learned an awful lot from all of us. And we all helped her.

The Dick Van Dyke Show aired from 1961 until 1966.

Rose Marie would go on to appear in The Doris Day Show and became one of the longest regulars on Hollywood Squares. She also received a star on the Walk of Fame in 2001.

And despite her busy schedule, Rose Marie also created a loving family of her own. Before her time on The Dick Van Dyke Show she married trumpeter Bobby Guy. They had one daughter, Georgiana Guy. Her friend Frank Sinatra helped her break the news to her beau about the pregnancy.

Frank said, Dont forget, I was the first one who knew you were pregnant, she described.

Guy passed away in 1964 and she never remarried. Instead Rose Marie continued to perform across the country. However, she admitted the current scene of female comedians in Hollywood have changed the industry.

I think theyre terrible, she admitted. Is that blunt enough? First of all, theyre filthy. They all use four letter words. Being funny is not using four letter words. Morey [Amsterdam] taught me that. He said, If you have to use four letter words, youre not funny.' And its true! They use dirty words for shock value. Theyre not funny. I cant laugh at them All the great comics are gone Just pay attention next time and youll see what I mean.
A Texas woman died in October from a flesh-eating bacteria after she consumed raw oysters.

Jeanette LeBlanc was crabbing with her friends and family on the Louisiana coast in September when she contracted the infection, KLFY reported.

LeBlanc and her friend Karen Bowers picked up some raw oysters in a Westwego market for a treat. The two women ate about two dozen raw oysters each before LeBlanc became ill, Bowers said.

CDC TO INFORM PUBLIC ON NUCLEAR SAFETY MEASURES

Bowers said her friend looked like she developed an allergic reaction.

An allergic reaction of sorts, thats what I would call it. Thats what we thought, Bowers told KLFY.

Two days later, LeBlancs condition worsened and doctors informed her that she had vibrio.

LeBlancs partner, Vicki Bergquist, explained vibrio to KLFY.

Its a flesh-eating bacteria. She had severe wounds on her legs from that bacteria, Bergquist said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated eating raw oysters can increase the chance you will get sick with vibriosis. The CDC said people can also become infected with the bacteria after going swimming in warm seawater with an open wound.

EXPERTS WARN AGAINST ROMAINE AFTER E. COLI OUTBREAK IN U.S. AND CANADA

LeBlanc fought the infection for 21 days but lost the battle on Oct. 15, 2017.

I cant even imagine going through that for 21 days. Most people dont last, said Bowers said.

She was bigger than life, Bergquist said. She was a great person, laughed a lot, loved her family, loved her dad.

Bowers and Bergquist told KLFY they were working on raising awareness of vibrio.

If they really knew what could happen to them and they could literally die within 48, 36 hours of eating raw oysters, is it really worth it? Bowers said.

If we had known that the risk was so high, I think she wouldve stopped eating oysters, Bergquist said.

Most infections happen between May and October and common symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, fever and chills. More severe infections can lead to death.
A conservative Christian university in Texas is urging its students not to apply for jobs at a Hooters restaurant that is opening up in town.

Upset at the skimpy outfits waitresses at the chain restaurant wear and its alleged loose morals, officials at Abilene Christian University told local Texas media that they are asking students to consider both what Hooters represents and whether that is something they really want to support in terms of both their faith and the value this business model places on women."

PHILLY DAD USES CHEESESTEAKS TO MEASURE SON'S GROWTH

Emerald Cassidy, the school's director of public and media relations, told Abilenes KTXS-TV that while students are asked to make decisions  both on and off campus  that ultimately glorify God," the school does reserve the right to review any student that the administration feels is not living up to that standard.

ACU was founded in 1906 in Abilene and is affiliated with the Churches of Christ congregation. The school has an enrollment of 4,427 students. It is unclear if any ACU students have applied for a job the restaurant.

The new Hooters location is slated to open on January 15 and is currently accepting applications for the positions of general manager, kitchen staff and, of course, the infamous Hooters girls.

Requests for comment from management at the Hooters in Abilene were not returned, but in a statement sent to Fox News, Hooters of America said that the company is committed to supporting the communities in which we operate and prioritizes a welcoming environment for all of our employees and guests.

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The statement continued: Over the years, Hooters has raised funds for numerous philanthropic initiatives, including raising more than $5.3 million for breast cancer research, and has provided more than $3.1 million in tuition reimbursement to its employees.
Just two weeks after taking a bold stand in support of President Trump, a Florida Republican congressman finds himself starkly at odds with the administrations decision that could open the Gulf Coast of his home state to offshore drilling.

I share the administrations goal of energy independence, Francis Rooney told Bellwether. I just dont think that offshore drillings risks, or the service industry thats needed to support it, is compatible with our tourist and recreational economy. Ive asked for a carve-out of Florida.

Rooney is strongly opposed to the announcement by Trumps Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke, which would open millions of offshore acres on both coasts to oil and gas drilling. Specifically, Rooney wants the waters off his hometown of Naples and the other beachfront communities he represents, to be excluded from any new drilling rights.

Hed heard rumors of the Interior Departments intentions, but did not get any advance notice of Zinkes announcement. I wouldnt say I feel betrayed, he told me. Friends dont always agree about everything. But I disagree with this proposal of the administration. Rooney wrote a letter to Zinke outlining his objections, but has not yet received a response.

It was just last month that Rooney put himself in the medias crosshairs on Trumps behalf. He told Bellwether then that both the FBI and Special Counsel Robert Mueller  not Trump -- should be investigated. Specifically, he wants to look into possible misuse of power in the probes of Trumps and his advisers contacts with Russia before his inauguration.

Rooney wants the waters off his hometown of Naples and the other beachfront communities he represents, to be excluded from any new drilling rights.

Given his fulsome gesture of support, Rooney hopes that Trump and his Interior Secretary will consider his objections. I agree with his goals. I agree with a lot of what hes done. But this is one area where we need to carve Florida out. There are a lot of places that are compatible with offshore drilling. The Gulf Coast isnt one of them. Beach tourism in Florida brings the state about $50 billion of income a year.

Rooney dismisses the suggestion that hes engaged in a NIMBY  not in my backyard  campaign. If Texas, Louisiana and Alabama want offshore drilling, more power to them. The reason we dont want it off our Gulf coast is were different. Our bays and estuaries are full of houses and condos. Its absolutely incompatible for us to have that high quality residential development with the kind of infrastructure necessary to support oil production.

In other words, friends dont let friends drill dumb.
Of all the crazy things going on in the world, all-out war between the United States and China seems a remote threat. Yet that is exactly what a Chinese diplomat says will happen, if President Trump sends a U.S. Navy ship to visit our ally, Taiwan.

The communist regime in Beijing regards Taiwan as a mutinous province that will -- one way or another -- always be part of China. It has repeatedly warned that any Taiwanese attempt to declare sovereignty would be met with military action by its 2.3 million man army to reunify the island and mainland.

While the United States has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it is bound by treaty to come to its aid if the island is under attack.

So the words last month of a senior diplomat, Li Kexin, referring to Taiwans main seaport, need to be measured carefully. The day that a U.S. Navy vessel arrives in Kaohsiung is the day that our Peoples Liberation Army unifies Taiwan with military force, Li was quoted as saying at a Chinese embassy event in Washington.

Was Li speaking for Chinas all-powerful president, Xi Jinping? Or was he getting, as the metaphor goes, over his skies?

If this very sensationalist warning accomplishes its goal of scaring off the U.S. government, then it achieved its purpose, says Vincent Wang, dean of the School of Humanities and Science at Ithaca College. If it creates American pushback, then China has plausible deniability and can say that Li was speaking for himself, not the government.

Chinese diplomats are not known for their independent thinking, so it is probable that Li was authorized to float this trial balloon. Certainly, it is a challenge to Trump, who talked tough about China, but who, since taking office, has tried to build a personal relationship with Xi.

Yet Trump also signed into law the 2018 Defense Authorization Act, which would allow port calls by U.S. Navy ships to Taiwan. Only Trump, as commander-in-chief, could authorize such a visit. But then, as the Chinese have figured out, Trumps decisions can be unpredictable.

The Chinese government wants to see which Trump comes forward, says Wang. Whether he is the businessman, for whom everything is for sale and can be negotiated, or if he stands really for America First, and is willing to use force for a good cause.

In other words, China wants to know if, for Trump, a free Taiwan is part of making America great again.
President Trump has repeatedly said that creating American jobs is one of his top priorities. Yet his administration is considering blocking a $20 billion sale of 110 American-made passenger jets by Boeing to Iranian airlines, even though the sale would create or support nearly 100,000 American jobs.

There are good arguments for canceling the jet sale, especially in the wake of the large anti-government protests rocking Iran in recent days. But blocking the sale by Boeing would be a mistake, causing far more harm to American workers and to our nations economy than to Iran.

Squandering a $20 billion job-creating deal that would help nearly 100,000 American workers and their families would do far more harm than good.

Boeing is set to sell 80 narrow-body jet airliners and 30 wide-body twin-engine jet airliners to two Iranian airlines. The U.S. company is allowed to do this under the terms of the agreement that lifted international economic sanctions on Iran in return for restrictions on Irans nuclear development.

The Boeing sale is a direct answer to President Trumps own complaints during the presidential campaign about American companies not getting enough access to the Iranian market in the wake of the nuclear agreement.

Everybodys involved now with Iran selling them stuff, candidate Trump complained in September 2015. Were probably (going to) be the only ones that wont be selling them anything, but thats all gone now.

Yet now the Trump administration is considering blocking the $20 billion jet sale to Iran because officials are concerned Iran might use the planes to fly troops, arms and equipment to Syria to fight in support of dictator Bashar Assad, or to other areas where conflicts are raging. This isnt an unreasonable concern. Iranian airlines have been sanctioned in the past for exactly this behavior.

And given the recent protests, it might seem like a strange time to permit a sale that could be seen as benefiting the Iranian regime.

The demonstrations taking place across Iran since last week have naturally drawn support from Americans, in light of Irans hostility to America and Israel; aid to terrorists and bad actors, like Assad; and numerous violations of the human rights of the Iranian people.

Some opponents of the Iranian government suggest that the U.S. should intensify economic pressure on Iran  both to show support for the protests and to help topple the Iranian regime.

But the jet sale which needs the approval of the U.S. Treasury Department  is unlikely to strengthen the Iranian government. A significant number of the Boeing jets arent scheduled to be delivered until 2022, which would do little to bolster the Iranian regime in this moment of weakness.

And as the anti-governments street protests these past few days have shown, the Iranian government already has less of a grip on power than many analysts had believed.

Moreover, despite all the concerns about selling planes to Iran, there are better reasons to let the Boeing sale go through.

First, the sale would be good for American workers. This is likely why President Trump himself has never spoken out against the Boeing deal, even as others in his administration and Congress work to undermine it.

President Trump recently hosted executives from Boeing at the White House for a signing of a "certificate of purchase" with Singapore Airlines. The president told reporters the Singapore deal would support about 70,000 jobs. The potential sale to Iran would be much bigger and create even more jobs.

Second, the sale of Boeing jets to Iranian airlines would be good for the American aerospace industry. In 2016 Boeings revenues were down because of the cheap price of oil and an influx of refurbished planes.

While 2017 was a better year for Boeing, the potential sale to Iran is important. It represents 10 percent of Boeings annual production and is bigger than any identified order in 2017. Killing the sale would hurt Boeing and related American suppliers, like jet engine producers and landing gear manufacturers.

But what about the long-term national security concerns regarding selling Iran these planes? It might be reasonable to set aside all the benefits to American workers and the aerospace industry if denying Iran the Boeing jets would end Tehrans transportation of illicit material to its proxies.

But it wont.

If it doesnt buy planes from Boeing, Iran will simply buy new planes from non-American manufacturers or continue using its existing fleet. It has no trouble arming its proxies now. Stopping this sale wont make much difference.

Additionally, Boeings loss would be China and Russias gain. Boeing is facing increasing competition from foreign competitors. Although Boeing dominates the commercial jetliner market  with Airbus just behind it and Bombardier as a distant third  China and Russia are intent on seizing a dominant position in the market.

China and Russia recently announced a joint venture and are in partnership talks with Bombardier. Without help, it might take a decade or more for a Chinese-Russian airliner to make it into commercial service. But an alliance with Bombardier would radically speed up the process.

Killing the Boeing sale to Iran could provide the Chinese and Russians with the crucial opening they need to leap ahead, handing them an ideal first market and maximizing the likelihood that Bombardier joins in.

Instead of blocking the Boeing jet sale to Iran, the Trump administration should allow the sale to go forward, while making it contingent on Iran agreeing to regular inspections to ensure the planes are being used properly. This kind of end-use monitoring is common for the sale of a wide range of American equipment that could be used for military purposes.

And if the Trump administration is serious about stopping Iran from arming its proxies there are other meaningful steps it should take that wont cost American jobs or hurt American manufacturing.

As a start, the administration should press Irans neighbors  especially Iraq  to inspect Iranian flights before granting access to their airspace. This is an approach that would stop any Iranian plane  old or new  from transporting illegal goods.

Additionally, Iran moves a significant number of illicit arms by ships. The U.S. should expand Americas naval presence in the Gulf of Aden and increase our monitoring of Port Sudan to prevent Iranian illegal shipments from reaching its proxies.

The Trump administration is right to worry about Iran. But squandering a $20 billion job-creating deal that would help nearly 100,000 American workers and their families would do far more harm than good. It would put America last, not first.
This week's decision by the Trump administration to free federal prosecutors to more aggressively enforce marijuana laws  even in states that have legalized pot use  will throw a speed bump or two in the way of the pot industry's rapid growth.

But make no mistake: Despite Thursday's announcement from Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the rising tide for legalization, for better or for worse, eventually will carry the day across the United States.

Sessions on Thursday rescinded an Obama-era policy that had discouraged federal prosecutors from pursuing some pot-related cases in states that had legalized the drug, either for medicinal or recreational uses. Under the policy laid out in a memo from a Justice Department official named James Cole, federal prosecutors were told to ease off on cases involving marijuana use in those states, except when certain factors were in play, such as sales to children, gang-related activity or cases in which pot was being shipped to states where it remains illegal. (The latter, by the way, appears to be the case in Oregon.)

The idea was to allow those states a bit of room to experiment with legalizing marijuana, which remains illegal under federal law. (In fact, federal law still classifies pot as among the most dangerous of all drugs, a ludicrous designation.)

But since the so-called Cole memo didn't have the force of law, it was vulnerable to being jettisoned by any new administration. President Donald Trump didn't spend much time talking about marijuana during his campaign, and it remains unclear what the president thinks about legalization.

But Trump did pick Sessions, a longtime foe of legalization, to be his attorney general, and from the start of his tenure, Sessions was making noises about taking another look at the Cole memo. Supporters of legalization must have hoped that Sessions had forgotten about the whole matter (after all, his memory seemed to be hazy during a recent appearance before a congressional committee looking into another matter), but the shoe finally dropped on Thursday  not coincidentally, just days after California legalized the use of recreational pot, creating what is almost certainly the world's largest market for marijuana.

Sessions said in a statement: Todays memo on federal marijuana enforcement simply directs all U.S. attorneys to use previously established prosecutorial principles that provide them all the necessary tools to disrupt criminal organizations, tackle the growing drug crisis, and thwart violent crime across our country."

Justice Department officials on Thursday refused to say whether the goal was to crack down on dispensaries, or whether to just sow confusion to stall the growth of the marijuana industry. It could be that the administration doesn't yet know what its strategy is. Or it could be that the Justice Department intends to leave decisions about prosecutions in the hands of its U.S. attorneys.

To that end, Billy Williams, the U.S. attorney for Oregon, was saying all the right things on Thursday about how his office planned to proceed: "We will continue working with our federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners to pursue shared public safety objectives, with an emphasis on stemming the overproduction of marijuana and the diversion of marijuana out of state," he said in a statement. In other words, the feds in Oregon will be targeting the same sort of criminal activities that they were monitoring under the terms of the Cole memo.

That strikes us as a wise approach  but it is unclear whether it will pass muster with Williams' supervisors in Washington.

This country has spent billions of dollars over the years fighting marijuana, with little to show for the investment. It would be a shame if Thursday's action meant a resumption of that war against pot. Surely federal authorities have more important priorities than resuming a war that they're destined to lose. (mm)
By any stretch of the imagination, the most pro-American people in the Middle East  other than Israelis  are Iranians. This is despite the fact that Irans Islamist dictatorship makes hatred of America the foundation of its foreign policy and seeks to indoctrinate the population with anti-American feelings from an early age.

Young Iranians are generally well-educated and more modern and moderate than their parents generation. They have grown frustrated by the political and economic constraints that have kept them from achieving success, and by Islamic fundamentalism that places so many restrictions on their lives.



University students in Tehran and protesters in more than 80 cities around the country who have been staging demonstrations for a week are risking their lives by defying President Hassan Rouhani and the mullah leadership, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Students are particularly upset by the funding of wars in Yemen and Syria, saying the funds spent on those military campaigns should be used at home. Demonstrators in one city chanted: People are living like beggars, the Leader is behaving like God.

Rouhani, acting as the good cop in a good cop, bad cop scenario, has said the state should allow more space for criticism. However, he has criticized the violent nature of the protests.

In 2009 many opponents of the regime took to the streets in mass demonstrations across Iran. Thousands were arrested and dozens killed. But the Obama administration never provided even emotional support for the dissidents  with U.S. officials saying they feared this would interfere with negotiations to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Many of the protesters were crestfallen as the demonstrations weakened and ultimately dissipated.

What seems to distinguish todays demonstrators from those in 2009 is that there appears to be demographic representation across the board  old and young, as well as people from different socioeconomic classes in an alliance.

Khamenei has blamed the protests on a foreign conspiracy. On Thursday, Irans prosecutor general, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri claimed  without offering evidence  that a CIA official sparked the protests, with intelligence support from Israel and financial support from Saudi Arabia. The CIA declined comment on the claim and the Trump administration has denied involvement in the protests.

Looking at the situation dispassionately, one could only wish for a CIA that has political fangs and the ability to institute regime change. That could still happen, with minorities in Iran generally opposed to the Shia central government.

Clearly, the prospect of major bloodshed at the hands of the state looms large. Iranian protestors are not sent to some country club prison like Bernie Madoff. For the dissidents, imprisonment under harsh conditions or death are real threats.

At least 21 anti-government protesters have died in the past week and the State Department reported Thursday that at least 1,000 Iranians have been arrested.

As most observers have noted, the protests have been stunning in their ferocity and geographic reach. But they also appear to be a national outcry dealing with both economic and political conditions. At the moment, the protests are leaderless and certainly no challenge to Khamenei and his loyal and ruthless troops. But that could change.

President Trump has made it clear he is sympathetic to the demonstrators. Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted. Time for a change, he tweeted. This is a remarkable departure from the position of the Obama administration. President Trump ended his tweet with the ominous statement: We are watching!

What the president can actually do at this point is unclear, but he has made it abundantly clear his government stands with the protestors in the streets.

It is, of course unknown if President Trumps support will boost the spirit of the protesters or whether it will be used by Iranian hardliners as evidence that foreign powers are behind the disruption.

In 2009 marchers chanted: Obama, Obama either you are with us or you are with them. So far the crowds have not called for President Trumps support. Many protesters are skeptical over his refusal to recertify the nuclear deal and his travel ban on Iranians entering the United States, and consider his pro-demonstration comments as political opportunism.

It is too early to make any firm judgements on how much change  if any  the latest round of protests will bring to Iran, or how much longer the protests will continue.

One thing is certain: the Saudi and Egyptian governments are studying the situation carefully. Should the Iranian government fall, they will see the future with rose-colored glasses as new opportunities for cooperation will emerge and a putative rival will have been defeated.
Democrats have spent weeks making the case that the Russia-Trump probes need to continue, piling on demands for more witnesses and documents. So desperate is the left to keep this Trump cudgel to hand that Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats have moved toward neo- McCarthyism.

If that sounds hyperbolic, consider an email recently disclosed by the Young Turks Network, a progressive YouTube news channel. Its dated Dec. 19, 2017, and its author is April Doss, senior counsel for the committees Democrats, including Vice Chairman Mark Warner.

As Republican congressional leaders have hinted that their probes may be wrapping up, the lefts demands and tactics have become ever more desperate.

Ms. Doss was writing to Robert Barnes, an attorney for Charles C. Johnson, the controversial and unpleasant alt-right blogger. Mr. Johnsons interactions with Julian Assange inspired some in the media to speculate last year that Mr. Johnson had served as a back channel between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks. Theres still no proof, but in July the Intelligence Committee sent a letter requesting Mr. Johnson submit to them any documents, emails, texts or the like related to any communications with Russian persons in a variety of 2016 circumstances, including those related to the 2016 U.S. Presidential Campaign.

Mr. Barnes seems to have wanted clarification from Ms. Doss about the definition of Russian persons. And this would make sense, since its a loose term. Russians in Russia? Russians in America? Russians with business in the country? Russians who lobby the U.S. and might be affected by the electionthough not in contact with campaigns?

Keep reading Kimberley Strassel's column in the Wall Street Journal.
The New York Times new publisher, A.G. Sulzberger, celebrated his first day on the job by vowing to hold the paper he inherited to the highest standards of independence, rigor and fairness. He also promised that the Times will resist polarization and groupthink.

Boy, does he have his work cut out for him.

After a tumultuous period in which the Times newsroom got at least two of the worlds major stories dead wrong  the election of Donald Trump and Britains vote to exit the EU  it is not surprising that the fellow taking over the Grey Lady might feel the need to shake things up, and recommit to its historical quest for impartiality and honesty.

His predecessor (and father) Arthur Sulzberger, after all, wrote what many took as an embarrassed mea culpa after his paper on Election Night gave Hillary Clinton an 85 percent chance of winning, explaining that her chance of losing is about the same as the probability that an N.F.L. kicker misses a 37-yard field goal. Sulzberger wondered, five days later, whether Donald Trumps sheer unconventionality [had] lead us and other news outlets to underestimate his support among American voters?

It is not surprising that the fellow taking over the Grey Lady might feel the need to shake things up, and recommit to its historical quest for impartiality and honesty.

A.G.s challenge is that he, like his colleagues, may not understand how deep into liberal intellectual channels the Times has sailed, how narrow its chosen route and how impossible it may be to now change course.

The Times is so cocooned in its leftish ecosphere it doesnt even recognize its own bias. That revelation comes from Liz Spayd, a veteran journalist who was hired as Public Editor in 2016. She set off on a quest to discover Why Readers See the Times as Liberal, responding to letters received from subscribers appalled at the papers Leftward lurch.

Among others, she asked Times executive editor about the perception of liberal bias that hangs over [the] newsroom. Dean Baquet told Spayd he doesnt believe that the coverage on most days has a liberal cast He wasnt alone. In the newsroom Spayd mostly met with a roll of the eyes. All sides hate us, they said. Were tough on everyone. The public editor concluded that the paper might consider building a better mix of values into the ranks of the newsrooms urban progressives.

Thats a terrific idea, and if Sulzberger is serious about providing even-handed news coverage, he might start by hiring at least one reporter or columnist who voted for Donald Trump. The paper prides itself on having two conservatives writing for the Opinion Page  David Brooks and Bret Stephens. Both are dedicated never-Trumpers, and opine about the president in near-perfect harmony with their fellow columnists.

The Times publishes a one-note paper mainly because it cannot conceive that other opinions might have value. Margaret Sullivan, who was Spayds predecessor as Public Editor, wrote as she left office that she would not miss what she called the companys exceptionalism, which she defined as The idea that whatever The Times does is, by definition, the right thing. She described the paper as too often self-satisfied and listed several instances when the Times, acting out of that supreme confidence, got the story wrong. Among other flawed decisions, wrote Sullivan  the decision to assign a full-time reporter to Hillary Clinton more than three years before the election.

Unlike many of her colleagues, Sullivan admitted the Times lack of neutrality; asked if the Times had a liberal bias by Joanne Lipman on CNN, Sullivan agreed that it did.

As she made her inquiries, Liz Spayd was not made privy to the political alignment of the papers readership. That information, she was told, was proprietary. She notes, however, that three years ago Pew Research found that 65 percent of Times readers had political values that were left of center. Its easy to imagine, given the alienation of right-leaning and even centrist subscribers that Spayd gleans from readers letters, that the audience has become even more liberal over that time.

As she pointed out, shutting out a very large swath of the country is unhealthy for business. Unhappily for Spayd, pursuing this theme also turned out to be unhealthy for her. She was fired a mere year into the job, after coming under heavy fire from those indignant that anyone should challenge the politics of the Grey Lady.

The bias of the New York Times matters, though perhaps not as much as it once did. As it has struggled for audience in the new media landscape, it has bartered accuracy and reputation for clicks, a practice Sullivan highlighted as she exited the company: In the push for digital traffic, The Times is now publishing articles it never would have touched before in order to stay a part of a conversation thats taking place on social media and read on smartphones.

The Internet era brings other challenges as well, including the algorithm-driven partnerships with new media giants like Facebook. Sullivan cautioned that editors concerned about journalism should drive what the paper publishes, not business-driven formulas that may only reinforce prejudices.

Let us hope that A.G. pushes for greater balance at the New York Times. On January 2, when he took office and laid out his ambitions, the Times published an article that was actually positive about President Trumps efforts to roll back regulations and lower business taxes  a first. The piece noted that a wave of optimism has swept over Americas business leaders, and it is beginning to translate into the sort of investment in new plants, equipment and factory upgrades that bolsters economic growth, spurs job creation  and may finally raise wages significantly.

The positive glow was begrudging, and tempered by numerous negative or doubtful comments, but it did not deny that the Trump agenda is boosting growth. Was it a coincidence that this rare accolade accompanied A.G.s promise of fairness? Time will tell, but we applaud this baby step.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has rescinded an Obama administration policy that blocked U.S. attorneys from prosecuting marijuana cases in states where the drug is legal. He announced Thursday that he is instead leaving it up to federal prosecutors to use their discretion in determining whether to enforce the federal law banning the sale and use of the drug.

Its not clear what the full effect of this new policy will be. But it suggests the Justice Department may be planning to strongly enforce federal drug laws against the budding marijuana industry.

Regardless of ones views on marijuana, or drug use in general, this is an unfortunate move by the federal government. There are many issues which, by their nature, are federal issues. Punishment for drug use is not. In general, states should be allowed to police themselves.

America is an experiment in federalism, and the states represent 50 laboratories where we can try out different laws and lifestyles. Its a chance for citizens to vote their preferences without forcing other states to go along. Its a chance to see what works and what doesnt.

And, hopefully, if something does work, its a chance for the idea to spread.

For decades now there has been a movement to decriminalize marijuana. In recent years, its picked up steam, and there seems to be a general shift in public views on cannabis. Attorney General Sessions may not agree with this shift, but he should at least recognize it represents the beliefs of his fellow citizens.

Washington, D.C., and eight states  Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon and Washington  have legalized recreational marijuana. Another 29 states allow for its medical use. These numbers seem likely to increase.

The people have spoken. They should not be overruled by the Justice Department. As Republican Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado put it, Sessions decision has trampled on the will of the voters.

Gardner went further, noting that President Trump has said legalization should be up to the states. Gardner also said that before he voted to confirm Attorney General Sessions, he assured me that marijuana would not be a priority for this administration.

In general, both President Trump and Sessions have seemed to be on the side of states rights. Reversing the Obama administration policy against prosecutions suggests that stance is more a matter of convenience.

I dont smoke marijuana and dont recommend others do. But Ive had friends who use it, and I believe it should be their decision. The idea that such people might be up on federal charges is dismaying.

Its not as if the Justice Department lacks for things to do. There are many urgent issues it needs to deal with  border problems, terrorism, and civil rights, to name a few.

So its sad to see the department fighting the tide of public sentiment and the will of citizens over what should be a state decision. It isnt worthy of the department.

Perhaps legalizing marijuana is a horrible idea. Maybe the states will regret what theyve done. But if they do, let them change their ways based on the voters preferences, not the preferences of the U.S. attorney general.
EXCLUSIVE: House investigators will get access this week to all remaining investigative documents  in unredacted form  that they had sought as part of their Russia inquiry, under a deal between Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., according to a letter obtained by Fox News.

The letter, from Nunes to Rosenstein, summarizes an agreement reached on a phone call Wednesday evening and also says key FBI and Justice Department witnesses in the probe will be provided for interviews later this month.

"It is my hope that this agreement will provide the Committee with all outstanding documents and witnesses necessary to complete its investigations," Nunes wrote.

The agreement comes after the DOJ and FBI faced a Wednesday deadline to comply, under the threat of new subpoenas and even contempt citations. Under deadline pressure, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Rosenstein met Wednesday with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to discuss the demands from the intelligence committee.

Nunes letter outlines the terms of the deal reached, as he seeks information that could shed light on whether the controversial anti-Trump dossier was used to open the Russia probe and justify surveillance on Trump campaign officials.

Nunes wrote that the committee is extremely concerned by indications that top U.S. Government officials who were investigating a presidential campaign relied on unverified information that was funded by the opposing political campaign and was based on Russian sources.

This is a reference to the dossiers funding from the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign. Opposition research firm Fusion GPS hired former British spy Christopher Steele to compile the document, which contained salacious allegations about Trump.

The congressman originally issued subpoenas for related records on Aug. 24 that remain in effect, but the committee was stonewalled by the Justice Department and FBI for months.

Nunes said committee investigators and staff will now have access to all remaining documents during a review at the Justice Department on Friday.

According to the letter, committee investigators also will get access to eight key witnesses this month including FBI agent Peter Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page, who exchanged anti-Trump text messages during an affair and previously worked on the special counsels Russia probe; FBI general counsel James Baker, who was reassigned; FBI head of counterintelligence Bill Priestap, whom ex-FBI boss James Comey testified made the decision not to brief Congress about the Russia case during last year's election; and Bruce Ohr, a DOJ official reassigned after concealing meetings with figures involved in the dossier.

The witnesses are directly tied to allegations of political bias.

Nunes wrote that outstanding text messages between Strzok and Page will be delivered by Jan. 11.

The agreement could subject the DOJ and FBI to a level of scrutiny to which they are not accustomed.

"The FBI in particular is not used to having its inner discussions kind of brought to light, and I think that's of huge concern for probably people at the FBI," former Justice Department official Robert Driscoll said.
In a war of words between heavyweight names in the national Democratic establishment, a Kennedy running for governor has slammed Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel for his alleged complicity in a gentrification plan that critics say is forcing African-Americans and other minorities out of the countrys third-largest city.

I believe that black people are being pushed out of Chicago intentionally by a strategy that involves disinvestment in communities being implemented by the city administration, said Chris Kennedy, who is running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination ahead of a March 20 primary. I believe Rahm Emanuel is the head of the city administration and therefore needs to be held responsible for those outcomes, Kennedy said, according to the Chicago Tribune.

This is involuntary. That were cutting off funding for schools, cutting off funding for police, allowing people to be forced to live in food deserts, closing hospitals, closing access to mental health facilities. What choice do people have but to move, to leave? Kennedy was quoted as saying. And I think thats part of a strategic gentrification plan being implemented by the city of Chicago to push people of color out of the city. The city is becoming smaller, and as it becomes smaller, its become whiter.

Kennedy, the son of late U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, is hoping to appeal to African-American voters in a primary challenge against Chicago businessman J.B. Pritzker. The Kennedy name still carries resonance among older African-American voters in Chicago due to the role the Massachusetts political family played in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.

Kennedy, who moved to Illinois after graduating college in 1986, is the head of the family investment firm, Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, and is a member of the mutual fund board of trustees for Chicago-based Ariel Investments. While this is Kennedys first run at elected office, he worked on his uncle U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy's bid for the 1980 Democratic Party's nomination for president, and hosted a fundraiser for Barack Obama during his bid for the U.S. Senate in 2004.

The Obama Foundation did not respond to Fox News's request for comment.

Emanuels office responded to Kennedys criticism by associating him with two Republican politicians who have little support in the Democratic stronghold of Chicago: President Donald Trump and Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Its sad to see Chris Kennedy joining President Trump and Gov. Rauner in using cynical, politically motivated attacks about Chicagos communities for his own personal gain, Emanuel spokesman Matt McGrath said in a statement. His divisive comments today are a direct assault on one of this citys greatest strengths  our diversity.

Emanuel, the one-time White House chief of staff to former President Barack Obama, came into office in 2011 amid high hopes. But his tenure as mayor has been plagued by a series of scandals, and a soaring homicide rate. While Emanuels approval rating has improved recently  hovering around 50 percent  he has become a frequent target of President Trumps critiques of inner city crime.

The attacks from Trump are expected, but such harsh criticism by Kennedy was not expected. According to McGrath, Kennedy has ignored work being done in neighborhoods across the city to improve the quality of life for everyone who calls Chicago home.

In a statement to the Tribune, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Kennedy was out of touch with the citys efforts to reduce violent crime.

Ive never heard from Chris Kennedy. Ive never even met him. Hes never visited a police station or asked me or my team for any kind of briefing on what we are doing in Chicago to address the gang violence and ongoing infusion of illegal guns on our streets, Johnson said. Im not a politician, but I do take issue with the hard work our men and women are doing to beat back this violence is used to score political points.

Despite the Kennedy name, the candidate has struggled to raise campaign funds, and lacks the backing of the states Democratic establishment. Despite this, he has recently ramped up his criticisms of fellow Democrats besides Emanuel. He called for the ouster of Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios, the countys Democratic chairman, after an investigation found that his offices assessments had so many errors and favored owners of expensive commercial properties.
A federal judge Thursday denied a request by Fusion GPS to void a House Intelligence Committee subpoena to provide bank records as part of the committees investigation into Russian activities during the 2016 election campaign.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon found Fusion's objections to the subpoena to be "unavailing" and denied the research firm's request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that would have prevented it from handing over the documents.

Fusion GPS attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr. said the firm would appeal Leon's ruling.

"Instead of focusing its efforts on Russian meddling in the presidential election, the Committee continues to misuse its investigatory power to punish and smear Fusion GPS for its role in uncovering troubling ties between #Russia and the Trump campaign," Boutrous said in a statement.

The committee, chaired by Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., had subpoenaed the records in an effort to determine who paid for a now-infamous "dossier" outlining various claims about President Donald Trump's connections with various Russian officials. The dossier, commissioned by Fusion GPS and compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele, was published in full by BuzzFeed in January of last year.

Among a number of unconfirmed allegations about Trump and his associates, the dossier included sordid claims about the president's sexual proclivities.

CLINTON CAMP, DNC HELPED FUND RESEARCH THAT LED TO SALACIOUS TRUMP DOSSIER

"Although the records sought by the Subpoena are sensitive in nature," Leon wrote in a 26-page ruling, "the nature of the records themselves, and the Committees procedures designed to ensure their confidentiality, more than adequately protect the sensitivity of that information."

Leon also rejected Fusion's claim that the subpoena would have a chilling effect on its work for political clients and violate the firm's First Amendment rights.

"While the opposition research Fusion conducted on behalf of its clients may have been political in nature," Leon wrote, "Fusions commercial relationship with those clients was not, and thus that relationship does not provide Fusion with some special First Amendment protection from subpoenas ... the First Amendment is not a secrecy pact!"

In October, Fox News confirmed that Fusion GPS was retained by Marc Elias, an attorney representing the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. The DNC and the Clinton campaign paid Fusion to produce the dossier.

CHUCK GRASSLEY PUSHES FUSION GPS FOUNDERS TO TESTIFY IN PUBLIC

Earlier this week, Fusion GPS founders Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch wrote a New York Times opinion piece accusing congressional Republicans of being "in the thrall of the president" and waging a campaign to portray Fusion GPS "as the unwitting victims of Kremlin disinformation."

In response, a spokesman for Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, noted that Simpson "has refused to answer dozens of questions voluntarily, and has failed to provide the Committee with documents and responses to follow-up questions ..."

Fox News' Catherine Herridge and Bill Mears contributed to this report.
President Trump instructed his White House counsel, Don McGahn, to stop Attorney General Jeff Sessions from recusing himself from the Justice Department's investigation into potential ties between Russia and members of the Trump campaign, multiple outlets reported Thursday.

The New York Times first reported that Trump had directed McGahn to contact Sessions this past March. According to the AP, two anonymous sources confirmed that McGahn unsuccessfully lobbied Sessions to continue to oversee the Russia investigation.

Sessions announced on March 2 that he would recuse himself from that probe. He said at the time that he should not oversee an investigation into a campaign for which he was an active and vocal supporter, though the recusal also followed the revelation that he had had two previously undisclosed interactions during the 2016 campaign with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

But soon before the announcement, McGahn spoke to Sessions by phone and urged him against recusing himself from the investigation.

During the conversation, according to people familiar with the matter, McGahn argued to Sessions that there was no reason or basis at that time for him to recuse. One person said McGahn also told him that recusal would do nothing to resolve concerns over whether Sessions had given a misleading answer at his confirmation hearing weeks earlier when he said he had not had any contacts with Russians.

Sessions ultimately declined the urging, and McGahn accepted the conclusion of officials who believed that Sessions should recuse.

The Times reported that Trump "erupted in anger" after Sessions recused himself, "saying he needed his attorney general to protect him."

The episode is known to special counsel Robert Mueller and his team of prosecutors and is likely of interest to them as they look into whether Trump's actions as president, including the May firing of FBI Director James Comey, amount to improper efforts to obstruct the Russia investigation. Investigators recently concluded a round of interviews with current and former White House officials, including McGahn.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Two Republican lawmakers called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign Thursday, saying "he has no control at all of the premier law enforcement agency in the world."

Reps. Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Jim Jordan of Ohio aired their grievances in an opinion piece published on the Washington Examiner's website. The headline said: "It's time for Jeff Sessions to go."

A Sessions spokeswoman declined comment.

Meadows and Jordan criticized anonymous leaks to The New York Times, which published a story Dec. 30 reporting that the FBI started its investigation as a result of a tip from an Australian diplomat who had spoken to Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos. The Times reported that Papadopoulos told the diplomat that Russia had thousands of emails that would embarrass Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Emails stolen from Democratic officials were later released by WikiLeaks.

TODD STARNES: IT APPEARS SESSIONS HAS LOST CONTROL, JORDAN SAYS

Meadows and Jordan described the Times report as "far-fetched" and "ill-supported." They also accused "FBI agents and DOJ officials" of leaking information to the Times "in clear violation of the investigative standards that Americans expect and should demand.

"How would New York Times reporters know any of this information when the FBI and DOJ are prohibited from talking about ongoing investigations?" they wrote. "How many FBI agents and DOJ officials have illegally discussed aspects of an ongoing investigation with reporters? When will it stop?"

Meadows and Jordan have frequently gone after the department and FBI in recent weeks as some Republicans have focused on what they contend is perceived bias at the department. Democrats have accused Republicans of trying to divert attention from the Russia investigations.

"It is time for Sessions to start managing in a spirit of transparency to bring all of this improper behavior to light and stop further violations," the lawmakers said. "If Sessions can't address this issue immediately, then we have one final question needing an answer: When is it time for a new attorney general? Sadly, it seems the answer is now."

It's unclear whether any other Republican lawmakers feel the same way about Sessions. Some GOP concerns about the Justice Department were allayed Wednesday when Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein agreed to provide documents and witnesses for the House intelligence committee's Russia probe.

Most Republicans in Congress have continued to be supportive of Sessions, a former Alabama senator who shares many of their views on topics such as immigration and law enforcement.

The office of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., referred to comments Ryan made last year: "The speaker has said the president gets to decide who serves in the executive branch and his comments stand," spokeswoman AshLee Strong said.

Democrats who have long opposed Sessions are now urging that he stay, indicating concerns that a new attorney general could tamper with Mueller's probe.

"I voted against Jeff Sessions and said he never should be there in the first place given his record on civil rights, on immigration, on so many other issues," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on Thursday. "My view now is very simple: Nothing, nothing, nothing, should ever interfere with the Mueller investigation. He must be allowed to pursue that to wherever it leads."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
No matter who ends up paying for President Trump's border wall, billions of dollars will flow to American contractors who are lining up to bid for a piece of the project.

Thomas Fisher, whose company, Fisher Sand & Gravel, hopes to land a contract to help build the barrier on the United States' southern border, is among six contractors who were picked to present prototypes for the government gig.

Fisher told FoxNews.com his prototype features characteristics that could give him the edge over his competition. Not only is it waterproof, it also provides flood protection and is easy on the eyes.

He also wants to construct a patrol road on both sides of the wall  including an elevated roadway that would provide an advantage view for patrol agents and also provides a highway that makes border patrol safer, faster and more effective.

Fisher says he started working on the prototype two years ago when then-candidate Trump "made a bold statement that we're looking to protect the entire border from one end to another."

Ive always been a person who thought outside the box along with the team and because were so vertically integrated I wanted to really do something that was unique so we started working on it almost two years ago when he first mentioned it in some of his campaign pledges," Fisher said.

In March, the government asked for design submissions for two types of wall  a reinforced concrete barrier and one made from other materials that are see-through. The Trump administration also specified that the wall must be aesthetically pleasing in color from the U.S. side, at least. The rule does not apply to the Mexican side.

Initially, more than 200 companies submitted proposals to build the wall. By August, the field had been narrowed to six contractors who were tasked with building eight prototypes. Crews broke ground on a strip of land near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry near the San Diego in late September for the border build-off.

Department of Homeland Security officials are expected to spend up to two months using small hand tools like hammers and mallets to test the walls and their durability.

The prototypes are 30 feet long and up to 30 feet high and have been built near one another. Trump indicated in December that he would visit the area to check out the mini-walls early this year.

Two of the eight prototypes have a see-through design.

Texas Sterling Constructions prototype features a pretty stone facade on the United States side. The Mexican side is a simple concrete wall with razor wire.

Fishers prototype is made of colored concrete.

We really felt that concrete is the only viable option, he told Fox News.

Fisher says if selected, his border wall will be 100 percent American made.

He plans on partnering with construction equipment giant Caterpillar, CMC rebar, Arizona Portland Cement Company and will have banking and bonding support from Liberty Mutual Insurance.

Fisher said hes confident his newly-developed cast-in-form process will exceed the needs of customs, border patrol and project specifications the Trump administration has set.

But winning the design challenge doesnt automatically translate to a big paycheck. The companies selected to build the prototypes are not necessarily the ones that will be picked to build the wall. Another bidding process would take place if the funding for the wall comes through.

It also remains unclear when the wall might actually go up. Trump campaigned on building it and set a timetable for construction but the deadline has come and gone. Critics also argue the barrier would be ineffective and costly.

On the campaign trail, Trump said Mexico would pay for the bill. That hasnt happened  and likely wont ever happen. He also said the cost to build the wall would be $4 billion. Estimates have ranged wildly, but have since soared as high as $70 billion, though the actual cost is not clear.

Critics have also cited everything from bedrock depth to soil chemistry as potential complications in building a wall spanning the 2,000-mile border. The southern border between the U.S. and Mexico is made up of wetlands, grasslands, desert, rivers, mountains and forests  all of which could pose as pitfalls for builders.

Fisher dismissed concerns  and says it wont be a problem with his prototype.

To have a really effective border system Fisher says we need a constant border.

And hes so confident in his design, hes offering a guarantee and has set an ambitious deadline. He tells Fox he will be able to construct the first 700 miles of border wall within 10 years.

California, New Mexico and Arizona would all be complete, he said. No exceptions.

Not everyone is on board with Fisher Sand & Gravel. While the company has no open complaints against it, it has been fined in the past over environmental issues.

In 2013, the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency issued a $150,000 fine for dust violations.

In 2010, Fishers company was allegedly operating an asphalt mixing plant in Phoenix without a permit. The companys asphalt mixing plant was only open for four years before it was shuttered voluntarily. A month before the plant was closed, the City of Phoenix filed 467 criminal charges against the company.

Fisher Sand & Gravel Fisher is a good environmental steward and we take environmental responsibility very seriously, the company told Fox News in a written statement. We complied with all orders and everything has been resolved.

Aside from Fisher, the other companies chosen to build concrete prototypes are Caddell Construction Co. of Montgomery, Ala.; Texas Sterling Construction of Houston; and W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co. of Philadelphia Miss.

The companies building prototypes using alternate materials include Fisher, Caddell, W.G. Yates & Sons, KWR Construction of Sierra Vista, Ariz., and ELTA North America of Annapolis Junction, Md.
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The deep state: a concept that in this decade swelled from the margins into the mainstream, going global last year. These days its taken on an evolving meaning, progressing from its origins in the Middle East into an Americanized model.

So what is it?

The deep state is understood as a perceived informal coalition of powerful institutions in and out of government, but particularly in lucrative areas like defense, intelligence, financial services and tech, which steer decision making in capitals of power on a day-to-day basis, said Mike Lofgren, author of The Deep State: The Fall of the Constitution and the Rise of a Shadow Government.

Its adherents believe the deep state is the government within the government that operates beyond the reach of the electorate  a political and ideological struggle that always buffets behind-the-scenes centers of power from within.

But from the outside, it may appear to be part of a vast conspiracy.

The term apparently began in Turkey as a designation of the permanent elements of the military, intelligence, senior government officials, business, and even organized crime, that tended to keep Turkey on the same path regardless of who was leader. I used the term because it is evocative, but the U.S. experience is a little different, said Lofgren, a former Republican U.S. Congressional aide.

In other words, every country in the world has its own version of a deep state. Its meaning differs depending on regionalism and the powers delineation, said Marc Ambinder, who is editor-at-large of The Week.

When you hear the words, you think of hidden forces at work, controlling things at remove. That belies its origins: in Turkey, where the term was popularized, the deep state consisted of a secret intelligence and military bureaucracy that operated separately from political leaders  and controlled their every move, Ambinder added. We organize our minds around the idea that the deep state here in the United States does the same thing, but thats silly. The more broadly you define it  is it a cadre of embedded lifers in the CIA, or the universe of people with access to secret information or the larger group of government employees charged with carrying out policies  the less actual power it has.

Hugh Dugan, who advised 11 U.S. ambassadors to the United Nations while serving as a U.S. delegate there from 1989 to 2015, added that the deep state definition resides between two varieties. The original: governmental civil service and technocratic activity without regard for democratically elected leadership. The current definition: a hybrid entity of public and private forces ruling a country without electoral accountability, able to do so because they are nimble, incentivized within their ranks, and can maintain their distance in front of slow-government reaction time.

Dugan, a visiting scholar and adjunct professor at Seton Hall Universitys School of Diplomacy and International Relations, added, The phrase deep state has been used typically regarding Turkey, post-Soviet Russia, and the failed Arab Spring uprisings: the pretense of democracy, but the ongoing manipulation of policy by entrenched forces. These have been in the news, and suggest that perhaps there has been a spread of such to the U.S. What we must take from examples abroad is caution about such power arrangements evolving within our society as threats to liberty.

Deep state has shown to transcend the concepts of left and right, as it emerged during protests from Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party. In that sense, both sides have rallied against bureaucracy preventing the will of the people.

They are not a secret cabal, they dont all meet together in a room to plan things, but collectively they exert outsized influence on elected leaders. They dont use muscle or threats, they use legal incentives: contracts, political contributions, the employment revolving door between government and business, etc., to achieve their goals, Lofgren said about the ideology of the deep state.

Added Dugan: It can assist in weaponizing certain candidates tickets toward electoral victory. Worse is its potential to become a fifth column, seeking to undermine the state in favor of foreign forces, or at least selling out bits and pieces of the state for personal gain.

Elected leaders can prevail if they insist on their policies, but the problem is that they tend to get captured and assimilated by the groupthink of what their senior advisers and senior bureaucrats recommend, and also the consensus among congressional leaders. Since Congress rakes in contributions from elements of the military-industrial complex, from Wall Street, from Silicon Valley, etc., and since government bureaucrats usually end up going through the revolving door to lucrative jobs with same, these contractors and other firms, guess what they tend to recommend? Lofgren asked. As long as there is so much money in politics, Congress and the executive branch will tend to dance to the tune of those who give the money, not the voters who put them in office.

As Fox News previously reported, President Donald Trump sent a tweet Tuesday referencing Deep State Justice Dept, suggesting that federal law enforcement is part of an entrenched bureaucracy that Trump and his supporters say didnt want him to be elected and is working actively to undermine his presidency.

The deep state increasingly has become the focus of Republicans who accuse such forces of trying to undermine Trump. Though many dont use the exact label, the notion behind it has taken hold. To Trumps critics, these assertions come off as paranoid fear of a nonexistent shadow government and an effort to create a scapegoat for the White Houses struggles. But to Trumps supporters, this represents an overdue challenge to an elite ruling class concerned only with maintaining its own grasp on power.

If the norms and interests of the deep state, however you want to define them, are seen as being threatened by some powerful actor  in this case, the president himself, it is both accurate and kind of scary to notice that people can use secrets to try and stop him.

If you oppose Trump, you might be willing to forgive these transgressions because a greater good is served. You might. Or you might wonder what will happen if the U.S. elects a president whom you might support, but who wants to, say, cut off an important mechanism for obtaining secrets used by the NSA or constrain the militarys ability to bomb targets overseas, Ambinder said.

In the case of Trump, a lot of the leaks seem to be coming from within his own circle. Some obviously come from secret-keepers who are genuinely worried about his mental capacity. Others  who knows? There is no organized conspiracy, but the threshold for disclosing information to people seems to be a lot lower.

The concept is not to be confused with a more mundane term  executive power, which is something better understood by the general population, Ambinder added.

It really took off in the first months of 2017, as Mike Flynn got into trouble, Lofgren said, referencing Trumps former national security adviser who was fired after it was revealed he had lied to Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Russian officials.

His defenders said he was a victim of the deep state. I dont think so. The deep state didnt make him lie to the FBI, or lie to Mike Pence before Pence did an interview on national TV. Nevertheless, it became a common term, Lofgren said.

Flynn, a former U.S. Army lieutenant general, pleaded guilty Dec. 1 to lying to the FBI, and so far is the biggest scalp taken by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in his Russia collusion probe. But Flynn had been under investigation even before Muellers probe, over lobbying work for Turkey and other issues.

In the United States, the idea of a deep state offends our common notions of representative government and transparency, so its easy to use the term as a weapon against enemies and as a catch-all explanation when things dont go the way they ought to. This is dangerous because we live in our bubbles, and we are less likely to accept the non-conspiratorial answer for something if it doesnt fit for our preconceptions, Ambinder said.

For Dugan, the notion of a deep state clearly has reached the forefront in American consciousness.

The U.S. has always been identified with such forces operating beyond the scrutiny of its democratic institutions: the Masonic influence was regarded as a driving force, a deep state, taking root as early as George Washington with his contemporaries blessing and participation, Dugan said.

He added, Eisenhowers warning of a military-industrial complex was yet another example. American ambivalence about supranational organizations to include the League of Nations  the U.S. said no thanks  to the U.N. reveal an ongoing allergy to forces that appear to exist beyond accountability. Some might regard the deep state phenomenon witnessed abroad as spreading to the U.S., however perhaps we are only becoming more mindful of it in our lives, and it is becoming more acceptable to challenge it. The rise of the #MeToo movement is also revealing the deep state within industries, not only government.

Fox News previously reported that the roots of #MeToo are in a movement started over a decade ago by activist Tarana Burke to harness empowerment through empathy for victims of sexual assault. In 2006, Burke founded Just Be Inc., a youth organization focused on the health, wellbeing and wholeness of young women of color. The hashtag #MeToo began trending on social media last month after actress Alyssa Milano asked victims of sexual harassment and violence to let their voices be heard.

As Newsweek noted, the concept of a deep state is regarded as credible by most Americans, with 48 percent believing in its existence, according to an ABC/Washington Post poll from last April.

Lofgren said, Americans tend to believe in the idea of the deep state, even if they are unclear precisely what it means... Now, to some extent, the voters have made the problem worse  U.S. voting participation rates are among the lowest among the developed democracies. But the fact that money  defense contractors, Wall Street, Big Pharma, etc.  does drive decision-making in Washington is also undeniable. Members of Congress spend up to 40 percent of their work week fundraising  how can they be conducting proper oversight in a situation like that?

Lofgren added, I think the tremendous public disillusionment over the invasion of Iraq and the failed intervention in Libya, plus the mass cynicism after the 2008 crash, when the big banks were made whole but the public wasnt made whole, must have played a role in increasing peoples cynicism and belief that the system was rigged against them.

Theres a deep state to fear only because Americans have been more comfortable in the shallow state  the place where they dont vote, dont hold their leaders accountable, and dont know when and how to call foul on technocratic, elite self-serving actions, Dugan said. Perhaps there is a more general awakening in America, call it a function of populism or not, getting courageous enough to overcome its uncertainty or fear of what is swimming around the deep end of the pond, and hashtagging it into the sunlight.
Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md. underwent an operation to treat a knee infection at a Baltimore hospital, his office said Friday, hours after his wife suspended her campaign for Maryland governor.

Cummings' office said doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital drained the infection in a minor procedure. He was admitted to the hospital Dec. 29.



"He is resting comfortably and expects a full recovery," his office said in a news release.

When he was first admitted last week, Cummings was being treated with antibiotics before it was determined the procedure was necessary, said Trudy Perkins, a spokeswoman for Cummings.

Cummings, 66, is the leading Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He was briefly hospitalized this past May to undergo a heart procedure, in which doctors replaced a transarterial aortic valve in order to treat aortic stenosis. He returned to Capitol Hill in September, after working in his district office in Baltimore.



Cummings' wife, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, said in a statement she was withdrawing from the June 26 Democratic primary due to "personal considerations." The announcement by her campaign did not provide details on why she dropped out of the race.



Maya Cummings' withdrawal leaves seven Democratic candidates vying to unseat Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in the November election.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
From its connection to Hillary Clintons campaign to the publication of a graphic dossier about President Trump, Fusion GPS has become something of a major player in the Russia investigation.

The political firm was behind the controversial dossier that contained numerous colorful but unverifiable allegations about Trumps connections to Russia. And that dossier got somebody killed, according to an attorney for Fusion GPS.

"Somebodys already been killed as a result of the publication of this dossier and no harm should come to anybody related to this honest work, said attorney Joshua Levy in an Aug. 22 deposition made public.

Fusion GPS has been linked to a conservative website as well as the Clintons. Heres what to know about the firm.

What is Fusion GPS?

Founded by veteran journalists, Fusion GPS provides premium research, strategic intelligence, and due diligence services to corporations, law firms and investors worldwide, according to its sparse website.

The Washington, D.C.-based group says it offers a cross-disciplinary approach with expertise in media, politics, regulation, national security, and global markets.

Fusion GPS was started in 2009 by former Wall Street Journal reporters Peter Fritsch and Glenn Simpson.

How is Fusion GPS linked to the Russia investigation?

The political firm was behind the controversial dossier that contained a number of colorful but unverifiable claims about Trump. The company retained British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, who produced the 35-page dossier.

While it has not been verified, the dossier, which included explicit sexual and financial allegations against Trump, created further speculation about any Trump connection to Russian officials  a question that has dogged his campaign and presidency.

Simpson told the House Intelligence Committee in November that some information the firm obtained raised questions about the campaigns involvement with Russians during the election.

"I think that the evidence that has developed over the last year, since President Trump took office, is that there is a well-established pattern of surreptitious contacts that occurred last year that supports the broad allegation of some sort of an undisclosed political or financial relationship between the Trump Organization and people in Russia," Simpson said.

The dossier was also the catalyst for a surveillance warrant the FBI and Justice Department obtained to spy on Carter Page, a former Trump foreign policy adviser, according to a controversial memo from the House Intelligence Committee. The memo alleges that officials did not reveal who paid for the dossier when requesting the warrant.

So who funded the dossier?

The firm was originally retained during the election by the conservative website Washington Free Beacon which wanted opposition research on Trump and other GOP candidates.

After Trump became the Republican nominee, Clinton and the Democratic National Committee retained Fusion GPS through lawyer Marc Elias and his firm, Perkins Coie.

Clinton reportedly did not know about the dossier until BuzzFeed News published it in January 2017. Democrats have defended it as simply opposition research.

TRUMP AND THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION: WHAT TO KNOW

It's unclear what Fusion GPS had dug up by the time Perkins Coie hired it or how much money was involved in the transaction. The Clinton campaign and the DNC paid Perkins Coie more than $9 million  although its uncertain how much of that money, if any, went toward the dossier.

The Clinton campaign and the DNC funded the project until October 2016  right before the election.

Trump has suggested that the dossier was funded by Russia, Democrats or the FBI.

Anything else?

Simpson has done substantial investigative work on the case of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who was imprisoned after reporting a massive tax fraud scheme. Magnitsky died in prison, and the U.S. enacted the Magnitsky Act, which imposes sanctions on certain Russian officials.

During the campaign, Donald Trump Jr., the presidents oldest son, took a controversial meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, who was supposed to have damning information about Clinton. Instead, those who went to the meeting said she just wanted to talk about the Magnitsky Act.

In his investigative work on Magnitsky, Simpson may have found evidence that contradicts details of the case accepted by the U.S., NBC News reported.

Fusion GPS also did work as a firm related to the Magnitsky Act.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Two top Republican senators have formally recommended that the Justice Department and FBI investigate the author of the controversial anti-Trump dossier, in the first known criminal referral from Congress as part of lawmakers Russia probes.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., made the referral in a Jan. 4-dated letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray. The move ramps up congressional Republicans investigation of the salacious document and those involved in creating it, as Special Counsel Robert Mueller continues to probe Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion with Trump associates.

INSIDE THE TRUMP DOSSIER HANDOFF: MCCAIN'S 'GO-BETWEEN' SPEAKS OUT



'I dont take lightly making a referral for criminal investigation.'  Sen. Chuck Grassley

The dossier was authored by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele, who was hired by opposition research firm Fusion GPS. In their brief letter, the GOP lawmakers cited potential violations for false statements the Committee has reason to believe Mr. Steele made regarding his distribution of information contained in the dossier.

They cited Steele's communications with multiple U.S. news outlets.

I dont take lightly making a referral for criminal investigation. But, as I would with any credible evidence of a crime unearthed in the course of our investigations, I feel obliged to pass that information along to the Justice Department for appropriate review, Grassley said in a statement.

Their letter cited potential violations of a section of the criminal code pertaining to making false statements or concealing facts. A committee tweet said investigators had reviewed material that revealed "significant inconsistencies in statements provided to authorities."

In a written statement, Graham went a step further and said he believes a special counsel should review the matter, given "how Mr. Steele conducted himself in distributing information contained in the dossier and how many stop signs the DOJ ignored in its use of the dossier."

GRASSLEY PUSHES FUSION GPS FOUNDERS TO TESTIFY IN PUBLIC

The committee has been probing the dossiers origin for months.

Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson met with the staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee behind closed doors for 10 hours in August. At the time, a Fusion GPS lawyer said Simpson cleared the record on many matters of interest.

But tensions flared this week when GPS founders Simpson and Peter Fritsch accused congressional Republicans in a New York Times op-ed of refusing to release testimony to the public, and leaking certain details to friendly outlets.

Grassley responded by saying an invitation for the research company to testify in public remains on the table.

The New York Times first reported on Grassley and Grahams referral on Friday.

The Times reported that the senators claim Steele may have lied to federal authorities specifically about his contacts with reporters regarding the dossier contents. The Times said the referral is likely based on newly obtained reports of Steele's meetings with the FBI.

Democrats fired back at the senators move. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in a statement: Sadly, the first major action taken by the Republican majority on the Judiciary Committee seems to be aimed at someone who reported wrongdoing, rather than committed it.

The unverified dossier was first published by BuzzFeed News in January 2017.

Republicans have been investigating whether the dossier fueled the original Russia probe and helped justify surveillance on Trump associates. They were emboldened after the revelation that the project got funding from the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee.

Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
Robert Muellers special counsel probe gets most the publicity these days, but another investigation involving the 2016 election is wrapping up soon and could be just as explosive.

For the last 12 months, the inspector general of the Department of Justice has been conducting a review of the FBI and DOJs actions related to the investigation into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.

A final report on the investigation is expected within several months. But in the coming days, the Department of Justice is also expected to provide Congress with many, many more records related to the review, according to the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

[The IG is] doing a thorough job that folks across the political spectrum will be interested in, Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group that has sued for Clintons emails, told Fox News.

The investigation is looking at a variety of allegations, including whether it was improper for former FBI Director James Comey to make a public announcement about not recommending prosecution over the email arrangement  he also faulted Clinton and her associates for being extremely careless with classified information.

STATE DEPARTMENT RELEASES HUMA ABEDIN EMAILS FOUND ON ANTHONY WEINER'S LAPTOP

Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz also is reviewing whether FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe should have recused himself from the probe early because of his familys ties to the Democratic Party. (He did not do so until a week before the election.)

Horowitz told lawmakers during a November congressional hearing that he is aiming to release the report in the March, April time period.

Were moving along quite expeditiously, Horowitz told the House Oversight Committee.

The inspector general said his team has interviewed dozens of people and had reviewed about 1.2 million records in the course of its investigation.

And Congress is gearing up to thumb through them.

During a House Judiciary Committee hearing last month, Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said the Justice Department has committed to turning over a large number of those records by Jan. 15.

'Were moving along quite expeditiously.'  Justice Department IG Michael Horowitz, on the Clinton email case review

So far, other documents already turned over to the committee have made a big splash.

The inspector generals review uncovered the anti-Trump texts from FBI official Peter Strzok, who called Trump an idiot and texted about an insurance policy against a Trump presidency.

Strzok had been assigned to Robert Muellers special counsel probe, but has since been reassigned.

As the one-year anniversary of Horowitz' announcement of the review approaches, the inspector general says the classified information involved and necessary security clearances have slowed the process.

That announcement spelled out the scope of the probe. On Jan. 12, 2016, a release from Horowitz said the review would look into allegations that DOJ or FBI policies were not followed with Comeys public announcement and letters to Congress about the Clinton probe.

Horowitz said his team would look at whether certain underlying investigative decisions were based on improper considerations.

Congressional Republicans have since raised questions about another aspect: Comey's team drafting a statement effectively clearing Clinton even before interviewing her and other key witnesses. It's unclear whether Horowitz will tackle this in his findings.

Horowitz, though, said he would look into allegations that McCabe should have been recused from the investigation. McCabes wife ran as a Democrat for a Virginia Senate seat in 2015, and she received donations from the super PAC of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a close Clinton ally.

A recent story published by The Washington Post said McCabe plans to retire in several months after becoming eligible for benefits  which means its plausible he could leave the FBI before the review about him is released.

The review is also looking at whether the Justice Departments assistant attorney general for legislative affairs improperly disclosed non-public information to the Clinton campaign and should have been recused. Thats in reference to official Peter Kadzik, who had been an attorney in the past for Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.

Horowitz said the review is looking at whether any DOJ or FBI employees improperly disclosed non-public information.

It seems likely that the president and other conservatives will seize on the report after its released.

The political compromise of the DOJ and FBI during the Obama administration needs to be confronted immediately, Fitton said.

But Fitton also acknowledged that the report could be welcomed by Clinton  who has blamed Comeys Oct. 28, 2016 letter telling Congress he had re-opened the email investigation for contributing significantly to her loss.

Recall the focus of the investigation was what Comey was doing in respect to Hillary Clinton  did he do something inappropriate in releasing information about his investigation of her, he said. So it could be something that Hillary Clinton would be interested in.
The deadly protests gripping Iran may not be the final battle between the Islamic republic's hard-line government and its fed-up populace, but it shows the mullahs are running out of time, according to an expert who helps advise Congress.

Tehran has moved swiftly to quell the most serious protests since 2009's "Green Movement," cutting off social media and mobilizing police and military forces to deal with spreading demonstrations. But the demographics of the protests and the heavy-handed approach to them bode poorly for the brutal regime, according to Kenneth Katzman, a senior analyst of Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Persian Gulf Affairs at the Congressional Research Service.

"[The demostrations have] morphed into basically a youth protest against the system writ large, and it all goes back to the clerics' monopoly on power," said Katzman, whose group provides research and analysis to Congress.

So far, at least 21 people have been killed and more than 450 arrested in widespread demonstrations.

" ... at some point the Islamic Republic's luck presumably runs out."  Kenneth Katzman

Katzman, who recently published a study of the impact of sanctions relief on Iran's economy, acknowledged he was caught off-guard by the protests, which came at a time when the country's economy was improving in variety of ways.

The movement began over financial concerns among "the working poor," a group of people who were actually doing better economically than in recent years. Once the protests started gaining traction, a younger generation joined in and fueled what has become a referendum on everything from the way the government spends its money to the fact that women can still face punishments for not properly covering their faces.

Human Rights Watch, which documents human rights abuses around the world, noted in its most recent report that executions abound in Iran, often for drug-related offenses, and that "hard-line factions that dominate the security apparatus and judiciary... crack down on citizens for the legitimate exercise of their rights, in blatant disregard of international and domestic legal standards."

These abuses persist despite the self-styled "reform" administration of President Hassan Rouhani, who has found himself targeted by many protesters in the same way as the even more controversial "hard-line" clerics.

"These are simmering disputes," said Katzman, who believes that outbursts of protests like the one we're seeing are "going to keep happening periodically, but at some point the Islamic Republic's luck presumably runs out."

Katzman isn't alone in believing that the days could be numbered for the Iranian ruling class. The protests now underway "represent the most serious challenge to the theocracy that has ruled [Iran] since seizing power in the 1979 revolution," Alireza Jafarzadeh wrote in an op-ed piece for FoxNews.com.

Jafarzadeh, the deputy director of the Washington office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, believes U.S. support could prove decisive in this fight.

Unlike the Obama administration during the 2009 uprising, the Trump administration has given full-throated backing to the demonstrations.

"The presidential and vice presidential tweets, and the action by [U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki] Haley, are just the first steps Americas leaders need to take to help free Iranians from the tyrannical Islamist government that has deprived them of so many freedoms," Jafarzadeh wrote. "The U.S. government needs to support the protests with actions to put pressure on the repressive forces of the Iranian government."

On Wednesday, President Trump issued yet another tweet in support of the Iranian protesters, writing that demonstrators "will see great support from the United States at the appropriate time!"

A day before, the president was setting his sights on the controversial nuclear deal secured by the Obama administration, suggesting in another tweet that "All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave [Iran] went into terrorism and into their 'pockets.'"

Trump was referring to the fact that Iran now has access to billions of dollars in assets that had previously been frozen under the now-lifted sanctions, as well as a $1.7 billion payment from the U.S. that coincided with Iran's decision to release imprisoned Americans.

Katzman notes that there is little evidence any of that money was injected back into the Iranian economy to help its people. At the time, then-Secretary of State John Kerry even conceded that some of the money could "end up in the hands of the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps) or of other entities, some of which are labeled terrorists."

Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was asked if President Trump might consider re-imposing the sanctions on Iran that were lifted as part of the nuclear deal.

"The president hasn't made a final decision on that," she said, adding that "he's going to keep all of his options on the table in that regard."

According to Katzman, it is the Iranian leadership who have truly emerged as the losers in this deal because the people of Iran seen to know that they did not benefit from it. Katzman warns that re-imposing sanctions could backfire and help the regime make the case that external influences are out to get Iran.

"Critics of the deal said that it would give the regime all this money, that theyd be able to buy off their opposition... that they would consolidate power, and its been actually the opposite," Katzman argues. "They've given up much of their nuclear program and haven't gotten any of the stability."

Bloomberg columnist Eli Lake told "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday that he believes there could still be time for actual reform in Iran, despite the failures of the past.

"There was an opportunity to try to use the diplomatic process in the Obama years to get the Iranians to treat their populations better and to respect human rights, but he ended up going for a narrow nuclear agreement that didnt address any of those things," Lake said.

"Now theres an opportunity for those of us in the west to say, Iran, if you want to be treated like a normal nation, if you want people to invest in your country then you need to free your jails of the lawyers, and the activists, and students youve been arresting for decades now.
Tens of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets to protest the regime in Tehran over the past week  but the historic showing has earned barely a mention from Democrats thought to be eyeing a 2020 presidential bid.

Whether it's because their focus is trained on Trump controversies or some other reason, the muted response is striking. Even some members of the Obama administration, including Hillary Clinton, have issued statements supporting the protesters, as the Trump administration uses the development to ramp up pressure on the countrys hardline leadership.

The Republican National Committee has been quick to call out those Democrats staying mum during what could be a pivotal moment in Iran's history.

Its been a week since protests started in Iran, and virtually none of the 2020 Democratic wannabes have said a word, the RNC said in a statement earlier this week. For all of their incessant cries of there being a 'war on women,' countless brave women are risking their lives on the streets of Iran right now by standing up to the regime.

Democrats have frequently, and vocally, jumped on board with protest movements such as the Womens March, Black Lives Matter and Antifa. On Wednesday, Democratic National Committee Deputy Chair Keith Ellison tweeted out a picture of himself clutching an Anti-fascist handbook and promising it would strike fear into the heart of President Trump.

But when it comes to Iran -- where at least 21 have died and over 1,000 have been arrested during protests over economic woes and concerns the regime has been more focused on proxies in Syria and Lebanon than Iranians -- such solidarity is not so apparent.

Republicans have noted that potential 2020 candidates such as Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.; Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.; and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe have stayed mum on the issue.

They have not tweeted or issued public statements on the protests. Former Vice President Joe Biden did address the issue during a PBS interview Thursday, but used the discussion to defend the Obama-era nuclear deal and slam Trump policies.

The Obama administration, amid similar protests in Tehran in 2009, was widely criticized for not showing more support for protesters at the time. Critics have claimed the administration squandered a chance to help overthrow or reform an anti-American regime.

Additionally, critics of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal have accused former President Barack Obama of helping stabilize the Iran regime by loosening sanctions in exchange for dismantling its nuclear program.

"When the Iranian people demonstrated against the nations dictatorship in 2009, President Obama was weak and quiet," former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said in a Fox News op-ed this week. "He was so interested in getting a nuclear arms deal with the dictatorship that he did not want to irritate Irans leaders."

It is possible that the combination of these factors is making Democrats nervous about speaking out on Iran as it may involve revisiting the Obama administration's legacy.

Of the top-tier 2020 potentials, so far only Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have sent out statements on the matter.

I stand with the right of the Iranian people to peacefully protest, Warren tweeted. The people of Iran deserve a government that respects human rights and works to address their grievances.

Other Democrats seemed more interested in taking shots at President Trump. Former Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine, D-Va., tweeted that the Trump administration should rescind its controversial travel ban -- which target citizens of Iran, among other countries.

He also appeared to compare democracy movements in authoritarian countries such as Iran, Turkey and Russia with resistance movements in the U.S.

Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice tweeted out a New York Times story that urged Trump to follow Obamas 2009 example and stay quiet.
Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis officially entered the race for Florida governor on Friday, just days after President Trump endorsed his potential candidacy.

DeSantis, R-Fla., said he would be filing paperwork to begin his campaign, joining a crowded field of gubernatorial hopefuls working to succeed current Republican Gov. Rick Scott.

As somebody who is a military officer, Iraq veteran, a proven conservative, and then with the support of the president, Im in a position to exercise the leadership that can build on the great work that Governor Rick Scott has done, DeSantis said on Fox & Friends Friday. He said he would build on Scotts work to advance economic opportunity, reform education and drain the swamp in Tallahassee.

Last month, Trump tweeted that DeSantis is a brilliant young leader.

Congressman Ron DeSantis is a brilliant young leader, Yale and then Harvard Law, who would make a GREAT Governor of Florida. He loves our Country and is a true FIGHTER! Trump tweeted.

DeSantis, who is 39, proposed a time limit last August on funding for special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign associates during the 2016 election.

Ive been someone who has a proven track record in leading in Congress, DeSantis explained on Fox & Friends, pointing to his involvement in congressional investigations and other issues.

If you work hard and you do good things, I think people tend to notice that, DeSantis said.

DeSantis joins former congressman, now-Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, and Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The United States and Russia clashed at an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council Friday over the protests in Iran, with Russia accusing the U.S. of abusing the platform of the Council by calling the session over what it described as a purely internal matter.

Today we are witnessing once again how the U.S is abusing the platform of the Security Council, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said at the tense meeting in New York.

The Trump administration has taken a more vocal approach than previous administrations to the situation in Iran, where at least 21 people have been killed and over 1,000 demonstrators arrested as they protest government policies.

In contrast to the U.S. response to the Iran protests in 2009, where the Obama administration took a relatively hands-off approach, President Trump has promised "great support" for the demonstrators, while the State Department has hinted at sanctions for officials who abuse protesters and said that it will use Facebook and Twitter to communicate directly with activists.

At the session, Haley urged the international community to stand up in support of the protesters, in contrast to 2009, when she said the community stood by passively.

If the founding principles of this institution mean anything we will not only hear their cry, we will finally answer it, she said. "The Iranian regime is now on notice, the world will be watching what you do.

She also said that if the world would not stand with the protesters, the U.S. would do so unapologetically.

Let there be no doubt whatsoever, the United States stands unapologetically with those in Iran who seek freedom for themselves, prosperity for their families and dignity for their nation. We will not be quiet.

But Russia and other members of the Security Council argued that the protests did not fall under the Councils mandate to deal with issues related to international peace and security, arguing instead that the protests are an internal matter to be dealt with by Iran.

If we follow your logic, then we should have meetings of the Security Council after the events in Ferguson in Missouri or after the dispersal by forces of the Occupy Wall Street movement in Manhattan, Nebenzia said.

While Haley was successful in preventing a possible vote to stop any discussion from going ahead, and received some support from representatives from the U.K. and the Netherlands, her call for action was dismissed by other members who appeared to side with Russias view that the matter was not yet one for the Security Council.

It is up to the Iranians and to the Iranians alone to pursue the path of peaceful dialogue, a dialogue based on full respect for fundamental rights and freedoms of Iranian people, French Ambassador Francois Delattre said. However worrying the events of the last few days in Iran may be, they do not constitute a threat per se to international peace and security.

Swedens representative expressed reservations about the timing of the meeting, while China said that the Security Council was not the venue to discuss the human rights situation of any country.

Iranian Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo seized on the Russian argument and slammed what it called an abuse of its power by a permanent member and an abuse of the Council itself. In a rambling speech, he listed a lengthy history of protests in the U.S. and other Western countries.

After the meeting concluded, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif declared victory, tweeting that the Security Council had rebuffed the US naked attempt to hijack its mandate and mocking what he called another [foreign policy] blunder for the Trump administration.

The session was likely to disappoint activists who had hoped for more from the Security Council. Earlier, Maryam Rajavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran had called for the U.N. to take punitive measures against the regime.

But after the meeting, Haley said she was not bothered by the rebukes the U.S. received at the session.

Those dont bother me. We were fighting for the Iranian people today and they were heard and that was our goal and we won, she told journalist Benny Avni.
An explosive White House tell-all hit the bookshelves Friday as President Trump ramped up his attacks on the author's credibility, saying overnight that Michael Wolff's account is full of lies.

Trump, in a late Thursday tweet, said he authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times), adding that he never spoke to Wolff. Trump did not mention the author by name.

Trump also rolled out a new nickname for ex-adviser "Sloppy" Steve Bannon, who is featured repeatedly in the book talking trash about his family members.

"I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don't exist. Look at this guy's past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!" Trump tweeted.

On Friday, Trump added in another tweet, "The Mercer Family recently dumped the leaker known as Sloppy Steve Bannon. Smart!" This was a reference to Trump donor Rebekah Mercer cutting ties with Bannon.

Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House paints an unflattering portrait of Trump and claims many of his top advisers, like Bannon, disparage him in private.

Wolff fired back at Trump in an interview on NBCs Today Friday morning, claiming that he did, in fact, interview the president.

I absolutely  spoke to the president, whether he realized it was an interview or not it certainly was not off the record, Wolff said. I had spent about three hours with the president over the course of the campaign and as president.

Wolff added: My window into Donald Trump is pretty significant.

Wolff explained his interviews were with people who spoke to the president on a daily, sometimes minute by minute, basis, and claimed they called him a moron and an idiot.

He added, Lets remember. This man does not read, does not listen. Hes like a pinballjust shooting off the sides.

Wolff said he stands by everything.

My credibility is being questioned by a man who has less credibility than perhaps anyone who has ever walked on earth at this point, Wolff said.

Excerpts published earlier this week led the president to issue a rare, blistering takedown of Bannon, who is quoted throughout the book and takes swipes at the presidents family.

In the book, obtained in advance by Fox News, Bannon refers to a campaign meeting between the presidents son, Donald Trump Jr., and a Russian lawyer as treasonous and unpatriotic.

Bannon is also quoted dismissing Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump by saying: She became a White House staffer and thats when people suddenly realized shes as dumb as a brick.

Wolff wrote that the book was based on conversations that took place over 18 months, beginning with a Beverly Hills meeting he had with Trump the 2016 election. He said he conducted more than 200 interviews, after taking up something like a semi-permanent couch in the West Wing.

Among the claims in the book: Wolff says the president and first lady Melania Trump spend relatively little time together. Trump, according to Wolff, also told his wife there was simply no way he would win.

The White House pushed back on the claims made in the book Thursday.

During the White House press briefing, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders blasted the Wolff book, calling it tabloid gossip laced with false and fraudulent claims.

The book is mistake after mistake after mistake, Sanders said. Im not going to waste my time or the countrys time going page by page correcting [the book].

Sanders added that it was sad, pathetic, and a fantasy.

In a story for the Hollywood Reporter on Thursday, Wolff explained how the book came to fruition, saying he had access to top officials inside the administration, including Trump himself.

Wolff said he asked Trump for permission to spend time hanging out inside the West Wing -- a request, he said, Trump did not deny, which may have caused confusion for senior aides.

Since the new White House was often uncertain about what the president meant or did not mean in any given utterance, his non-disapproval became a kind of passport for me to hang around, Wolff wrote.

Fox News Brooke Singman, Alex Pappas, Bill Mears, NuNu Japardize and Kristin Brown and the Associated Press contributed to this report.




Before the Republicans in the Ohio state legislature gerrymandered Mary Jo Kilroy out of a congressional seat, she was a Blue America-backed progressive in the 15th district. Recently she introduced us to the incredible video above and to the Rick Neal for Congress campaign. By design, the district-- which has a PVI of R+7-- is no piece of cake for a Democrat. Its one of those districts where, in 2016, Trump did better than Romney and Hillary did worse than Obama. Trump beat her 55.3% to 39.9% there and the DCCC is ignoring the district entirely. Mary Jo doesnt think the district should be ignored and we asked her to write a guest post telling DWT readers about Rick, who seems to us like an extraordinary candidate.









Rick Neal For OH-15

-by Mary Jo Kilroy





I used to represent Ohios 15th Congressional District, so I want to introduce you to a candidate for the seat that I once held. I am taking a proprietary interest in this seat, which even in the face of a blue wave will be a tough battle, so I want someone who is progressive, smart, and who will put in the necessary hard work to win. I think Rick Neal fills that description.





Rick is new to electoral politics, in his first run for office, but he is not new to taking action. He is a former Peace Corps volunteer and international aid worker. In 2014, when the ebola virus was claiming lives, Rick was compelled to travel to Liberia with the International Rescue Committee to build clinics to take care of people. Before going, he and his husband discussed his plan with family and friends, and met with the parents and teachers at the school their daughters attended, answering their questions and addressing their possible fears by letting them know that on his return, he would voluntarily go into isolation for 21 days.





What compelled him to do this? He saw a crisis, he knew he could help people in need, and so he did.





Now he sees a crisis affecting this country, and believes he can help as a Member of Congress. One huge issue affecting our state of Ohio is the scourge of opiate addiction that is claiming lives here at home. As a graduate of a public health program at UNC-Chapel Hill, Rick brings a community-based health perspective to the fight. our representatives in Washington are more interested in protecting drug companies than putting an end to the opioid epidemic. We need to work together to find real solutions to this problem starting with treatment programs proven to save lives and get people back their feet. Addiction doesnt discriminate against young or old, rich or poor.





Rick has a lot to say on health care as well, believing that the next step after the Affordable Care Act is to move to a Medicare for All type of system. Our health care system is not working the way it is supposed to he said. Too many people rely on the Emergency Room for care, or face bankruptcy to pay for a serious health care issue. We have to expand Medicare as a way of ensuring everyone has the health care they need.





He also wants families to have the resources they need to provide for themselves, supporting an increase in the current federal minimum wage (currently $7.25 an hour), something that was last done in 2009, and vowing to end the threats to unionized labor championed by Republicans. We have to tackle inequality and the insufficient value of work head on.





He sees investments in infrastructure, including infrastructure that moves us to greater use of renewable energy, as well as investments in our youth, as a priority. We can create an economic environment to encourage job creation, but doesnt see the recent trillion-dollar tax scam, paid for by the middle class, as the way to do so. To improve our economy and job growth, he said, we need representative in Congress willing to put in the hard work and serve the people not the special interests.





I have always tried to live my politics, Rick said. When I joined the Peace Corps, I quickly realized that my role was to take the resources available to me as Westerner-- my education and training, my connections with financial resources and technical expertise-- and put those at the service of the people I was working with, to facilitate change at the speed and in the direction that they felt was right for them and their communities. I gained more experience and got a chance to practice this, every day in my community public health program at UNC-Chapel Hill, and then tried to apply it in some very tough circumstances back overseas working with displaced communities in humanitarian crises.





Rick has learned a lot from his humanitarian work, including that it is easy to talk about what you want to do, and talk about what the issues are, or talk about what the priorities are. In the humanitarian field, all that matters is that you save lives and that you get people back on the path to recovery. The action is what matters.





Steve Stivers, Ricks opponent, is well-known for telling people what they want to hear, but when you pay attention to how he acts, you find he is the epitome of a congressman who serves corporate special interests. Stivers is a top fundraiser for Congressional Republicans, and the policies he supports are those that his donors-- Wall St. and the oil industry-- support. Getting big money out of politics means we need to take this seat back from Members of Congress like Steve Stivers.




President Trump is known for giving his political opponents and critics nicknames, especially on social media.

Read on for a list of Trump's most iconic nicknames.

Wacky Omarosa

Omarosa Manigault-Newman lasted one year in the White House, and her departure has been anything from cordial.

In particular, Manigault-Newman has been under fire from the Trump administration for secretly recording the chief of staff John Kelly in the Situation Room, raising national security concerns. She's since released some of the tapes.

Trump, in a series of tweets, called Manigault-Newman "wacky" and a "lowlife."

"Wacky Omarosa, who got fired 3 times on the Apprentice, now got fired for the last time. She never made it, never will. She begged me for a job, tears in her eyes, I said OK," Trump said. "People in the White House hated her. She was vicious, but not smart. I would rarely see her but heard really bad things."

"Nasty to people & would constantly miss meetings & work. When Gen. Kelly came on board he told me she was a loser & nothing but problems. I told him to try working it out, if possible, because she only said great things about me - until she got fired!" Trump said.

"While I know it's 'not presidential' to take on a lowlife like Omarosa, and while I would rather not be doing so, this is a modern day form of communication and I know the Fake News Media will be working overtime to make even Wacky Omarosa look legitimate as possible. Sorry!" he continued.

Slippery James Comey

Trump dubbed former FBI Director James Comey the "worst" in history while blasting his new tell-all book, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership." In a series of tweets, Trump also nicknamed the former FBI chief "Slippery James Comey."

Slippery James Comey, a man who always ends up badly and out of whack (he is not smart!), will go down as the WORST FBI Director in history, by far! Trump tweeted.

Trump fired Comey in May 2017, citing the ex-director's handling of the FBIs investigation into Hillary Clintons email practices.

Trump also called Comey a slimeball and suggested the former FBI director deserved jail time for mishandling the Clinton email probe.

Animal Assad

In the aftermath of a suspected chemical attack in Syria, Trump blasted Syrian President Bashar Assad and warned that those responsible would pay a big price. Trump also nicknamed the Syrian president Animal Assad.

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world, Trump alleged in a tweet. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!

Trump also blamed former President Barack Obamas foreign policy decisions for Animal Assad.

And in a later tweet, Trump warned Russia against shooting down any missiles the U.S. would fire at Syria in retaliation for the purported attack, saying the country shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Little Rocket Man

Trump has never really had kind things to say about North Korea leader Kim Jong Un  referring to him on Twitter as a maniac a whack job" and "rocket man"  which is a President Trump original," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told Fox News.

Trump tried out the "rocket man" nickname at the 2017 United Nations General Assembly.

He's also tried out the moniker on Twitter.

"The Chinese Envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man. Hard to believe his people, and the military, put up with living in such horrible conditions. Russia and China condemned the launch," he tweeted.

In addition, Trump has called the North Korean leader a "sick puppy."

Lamb the Sham

Ahead of a tight special House election in Pennsylvania, Trump visited the Keystone state to stump for Republican Rick Saccone  and hit Democrat Conor Lamb.

Trump accused Lamb of saying nice things in order to get elected in Trump country, but promised those at a rally that the Democrat is not going to vote for us if elected. And the president dubbed the 33-year-old Marine Lamb the Sham.

Lamb the Sham. Lamb the Sham. He is trying to act like a Republican. He won't give me one vote, Trump said.

Trump also said he is better looking than Lamb.

Sloppy Steve

Steve Bannon used to be in the presidents good graces, but the pair has had a very public falling out. Bannon, the former White House chief strategist and ex-Breitbart executive, was quoted in a blistering tell-all book, painting the presidents son in a negative light.

Trump heavily rebuked Bannon in a public statement, saying Bannon lost his mind after he was fired from the White House.

Steve was rarely in a one-on-one meeting with me and only pretends to have had influence to fool a few people with no access and no clue, whom he helped write phony books, Trump said.

Ahead of the release of the controversial book by Michael Wolff, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, Trump slammed both the author and Bannon on social media  giving Bannon his nickname.

Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve, Trump warned.

Trump reiterated the Sloppy Steve nickname in other tweets, including one which he praised the Mercer family  wealthy conservative mega-donors  for having dropped the leaker known as Sloppy Steve Bannon.

Pocahontas

The president reused one of his favorite nicknames for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., while he honored Navajo code talkers at the White House in November. At the event  held to honor the Native Americans who used their native language during World Wars I and II to help the U.S.  Trump mocked Warren as Pocahontas.

Trump has often criticized Warren, specifically over her claim to be of Native American heritage.

Shes got about as much Indian blood as I have. Her whole life was based on a fraud, Trump told The New York Times in May 2016.

Warrens potential Native American heritage was first questioned during her 2012 Senate run.

Trump also calls Warren goofy.

Dicky Durbin

Trump made waves when he referred to Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as Dicky Durbin online.

Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our military, said Trump in a tweet.

Durbin was part of a group of lawmakers who visited Trump at the White House in January to discuss immigration reform. After reports surfaced that Trump referred to certain nations as s---hole countries at the bilateral meeting, Durbin accused the president of saying things that were hate-filled, vile and racist.

Trump has admitted to using tough language at the meeting but denied certain remarks attributed to him.

Sneaky Dianne Feinstein

A transcript of a Fusion GPS official's August interview with the Senate Judiciary Committee was unilaterally released by the committees ranking member, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

The release of the bombshell interview drew ire from some Republicans, including the president and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

In a tweet following the release, Trump blasted the 84-year-old senator and called her Sneaky Dianne Feinstein.

The fact that Sneaky Dianne Feinstein, who has on numerous occasions stated that collusion between Trump/Russia has not been found, would release testimony in such an underhanded and possibly illegal way, totally without authorization, is a disgrace, Trump tweeted. Must have tough Primary!

Jeff Flakey

Like Trump and Sen. Bob Corker, Trump and Republican Sen. Jeff Flake have been feuding for quite some time. In announcing his retirement from the Senate, Flake slammed both the Republican Party and Trump.

Flake was also caught on a hot mic saying if the GOP becomes the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, were toast. That comment gave Trump the opportunity to dub the Arizona senator Jeff Flakey.

Sen. Jeff Flake(y), who is unelectable in the Great State of Arizona (quit race, anemic polls) was caught (purposely) on mike saying bad things about your favorite President. Hell be a NO on tax cuts because his political career anyway is toast, Trump tweeted.

Al 'Frankenstien'

After Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., was accused of kissing and groping Los Angeles radio host Leeann Tweeden during a USO tour in 2006, Trump blasted the lawmaker on Twitter.

"The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps?" Trump wrote, including an apparent misspelling of "Frankenstein." "And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape?"

Liddle' Bob Corker

The feud between Trump and Sen. Bob Corker has been going on for some time, but the Tennessee senator finally got a nickname.

The Failing [New York Times] set Liddle Bob Corker up by recording his conversation. Was made to sound a fool, and thats what I am dealing with! Trump tweeted on Oct. 10.

Corker slammed Trump in an interview with the newspaper and said the president is so reckless that he might be on the path to World War III. A transcript from the interview revealed that Corker acknowledged the conversation was on the record.

Wacky Congresswoman Wilson

Trump and Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., became locked in a public feud involving a Gold Star family  earning the Florida congresswoman her nickname.

The Fake News is going crazy with wacky Congresswoman Wilson (D), who was SECRETELY on a very personal call, and gave a total lie on content! Trump tweeted.

Wilson accused Trump of making insensitive remarks to the pregnant widow of one of the four American soldiers killed during an attack in Niger. The White House, including chief of staff John Kelly, has ardently defended the presidents comments.

Jerry Moonbeam Brown

Trump hasn't seen eye-to-eye with California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, throughout much of his time in office  but the president was especially critical after Brown pardoned 56 convicted felons, including five ex-convicts facing deportation.

Trump blasted the pardoning on Twitter, calling the governor Jerry Moonbeam Brown.

Is this really what the great people of California want? Trump said.

Trump cant take full credit for Browns nickname. The Moonbeam moniker was given to the governor first in the 1970s by a columnist who said Brown was garnering the "moonbeam vote," or the younger, more idealistic voters in his gubernatorial campaign, according to The New York Times. The nickname continued as Brown pressed for California's space programs.

Crazy Joe Biden

It all started when former Vice President Joe Biden addressed an anti-sexual assault rally in Florida and cited lewd comments Trump made about women in the infamous Access Hollywood tape more than a decade ago.

Biden, who has crusaded against sexual assault and harassment, said, If we were in high school, Id take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him.

A few days later, Trump lashed out on Twitter, nicknaming the former senator Crazy Joe Biden.

Crazy Joe Biden is trying to act like a tough guy. Actually, he is weak, both mentally and physically, and yet he threatens me, for the second time, with physical assault, Trump said on March 22. He doesnt know me, but he would go down fast and hard, crying all the way. Dont threaten people Joe!

In the past, Trump has referred to Biden on social media as our not very bright vice president.

Little Adam Schiff

Trump accused Rep. Adam Schiff of leaking confidential information from closed committee hearings and called for him to be stopped. The president also referred to the Democrat from California as Little Adam Schiff.

Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, Trump said in a tweet, comparing him to former FBI Director James Comey, former National Intelligence Director James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan. Adam leaves closed committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information. Must be stopped!

Schiff is the ranking minority member on the House Intelligence Committee which released a controversial memo that detailed alleged improper surveillance techniques used in the Russia investigation. Schiff was critical of the memos public release  supported by Republicans  calling it misleading and undermining of the probe.

Crooked Hillary

Throughout the presidential campaign, Trump would often hit his opponent, Hillary Clinton, with criticisms on social media. Trump gave her the nickname Crooked Hillary, usually when he mentioned her use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state.

The first time Trump tweeted about Crooked Hillary was in April 2016.

Sometimes Trump switched it up and would call the former first lady Lyin Hillary.

Wild Bill Clinton

While criticizing former FBI Director James Comey's memoir, Trump referenced the now-infamous meeting between former President Bill Clinton and Loretta Lynch on a Phoenix airport tarmac in June 2016. The meeting was questioned because the then-attorney general was leading the investigation into Hillary Clintons email scandal.

Comey throws AG Lynch under the bus! Why cant we all find out what happened on the tarmac in the back of the plane with Wild Bill and Lynch? Trump said. Was she promised a Supreme Court seat, or AG, in order to lay off Hillary. No golf and grandkids talk (give us all a break)!

Lynch has said she and Clinton discussed only innocuous things on the tarmac but acknowledged that her speaking to the former president raised concerns in peoples minds about whether or not there was going to be any impact on the email investigation.

Cheatin Obama

Trump praised his own approval ratings on social media  while taking a jab at former President Barack Obama.

The president said the honest polling of Rasmussen shows his approval rating at 50 percent, which is higher than Cheatin Obama at the same time in his Administration.

The April 2 Rasmussen poll showed 50 percent of likely U.S. voters approved of Trump. However, 49 percent disapproved.

Little Marco

The rhetoric among the Republican presidential contenders hit a different kind of low as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio went after Trump for having small hands and Trump started to call the senator Little Marco. The two also discussed the size of Trumps hands  and other things  during a GOP debate in March 2016.

Trump first tweeted the Little Marco nickname in February 2016.

Lyin Ted

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Trump didnt start out as enemies during the 2016 campaign, but the two Republican contenders were soon at each others throats. Trump dubbed Cruz Lyin Ted when he went after him for his immigration policies in a campaign ad in March 2016.

Low Energy Jeb

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush also got a Trump nickname when he was a 2016 Republican presidential contender  Low energy Jeb Bush.

Despite the exclamation point in Bushs campaign logo, Trump started to use the nickname to criticize his opponent during the campaign. Trump told Business Insider that there wasnt a backstory to the nickname, he just seemed like a low energy person to Trump.

1 for 38

When Ohio Gov. John Kasich attempted to team up with Cruz during the Republican primary to deny Trump the partys nomination, Trump took to Twitter to dole out a new nickname. And Kasich became 1 for 38.

Trump assigned Kasich the name because he won only one state in the primary and lost the others, Trump said in a statement in August 2016. Eventually Kasich would also be referred to as 1 for 42 by the eventual president.



Crazy Bernie

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the white-haired Independent socialist who became a progressive icon during the 2016 election, earned himself the nickname Crazy Bernie from Trump.

Trump first tweeted about Crazy Bernie in May 2016 when he criticized Crooked Hillary for looking very bad against Sanders.

Crying Chuck

After Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, N.Y., criticized Trump for firing F.B.I. Director James Comey, Trump hit him right back  with an original nickname.

Cryin Chuck Schumer stated recently, I do not have confidence in him (James Comey) any longer. Then acts so indignant, he tweeted on May 9, 2017.

Schumer shed some tears when he discussed Trumps immigration ban earlier in 2017.

But Schumer wasnt crying after Trump agreed to the Democrats short-term debt-limit increase and Hurricane Harvey aid.

Crazy Jim Acosta

Trump had a surprising tweet of gratitude Tuesday morning for CNNs White House correspondent, Jim Acosta  while also bestowing a nickname on his media adversary.

Even Crazy Jim Acosta of Fake News CNN agrees: Trump World and WH sources dancing in end zone: Trump wins againSchumer and Dems cavedgambled and lost. Thank you for your honesty Jim! Trump tweeted.

Trumps tweet referenced Acostas earlier social media post.

The president and his administration has often slammed Acosta and CNN for coverage they deem unfair  or fake news. Trump has also kicked Acosta out of the Oval Office.

Sleepy Eyes

Trump has thought NBC reporter Chuck Todd has looked sleepy long before the election or campaign. He first dubbed Todd sleepy in a 2001 tweet, but upgraded his nickname to Sleepy Eyes by 2012.

And in 2018, at a campaign rally for a Republican congressional candidate, Trump slammed the NBC anchor as a son of a b-----.

Trump mentioned a 1999 "Meet the Press" appearance when he discussed North Korea.

Its 1999, Im on 'Meet the Press,' a show now headed by sleepy-eyes Chuck Todd, Trump said. Hes a sleeping son of a b----, Ill tell you.

Dumb as a Rock Mika

From writer Toure to National Review, Trump has called many things dumb as a rock. But Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBCs Morning Joe earned the nickname in July after she and Joe Scarborough criticized the president.

Crazy Joe Scarborough and dumb as a rock Mika are not bad people, but their low rated show is dominated by their NBC bosses, he tweeted. Too bad!

His attack on the news anchor continued, as he called her low I.Q. Crazy Mika and said she was bleeding badly from a face-lift when she came to Mar-a-Lago around New Years Eve.

Psycho Joe

In a Twitter rant about his dislike of MSNBCs Morning Joe program, Trump dubbed host Joe Scarborough Psycho Joe.

Crazy Megyn

Trumps comments about then-Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly were often criticized and deemed misogynistic by critics. During their feud, Trump took to calling Kelly Crazy Megyn.

Little Jeff Zucker

Trump criticized CNN in an April tweet  and called its president Little Jeff Zucker.

Check out the fact that you cant get a job at ratings challenged [CNN] unless you state that you are totally anti-Trump, the president alleged on social media. Little Jeff Zucker, whose job is in jeopardy, is not having much fun lately. They should clean up and strengthen CNN and get back to honest reporting.

Fox News' Matt Richardson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Trump administration announced last year its plan to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA)  which provides a level of amnesty to certain undocumented immigrants, many of whom came to the U.S. as children  with a six-month delay for recipients. But a federal appeals court ruled against the proposal in early November, declaring the government couldn't immediately end the program.

The Executive wields awesome power in the enforcement of our nations immigration laws, the ruling said. Our decision today does not curb that power, but rather enables its exercise in a manner that is free from legal misconceptions and is democratically accountable to the public.

Trump had initially set a March 5 deadline for the program and called on Congress to pass legislation pertaining to the young immigrants. But the deadline came and went, with no congressional action but several lawsuits challenging the administration's decision to end the program.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ON DACA

Federal judges in New York and Washington also have ruled against President Trump on DACA.

President Trump has repeatedly blamed Democrats for inaction.

Heres a look at the DACA program and why the Trump administration wants to dismantle it.

What is the DACA program?

The DACA program was formed through executive action by former President Barack Obama in 2012 and allowed certain people who came to the U.S. illegally as minors to be protected from immediate deportation. Recipients, called Dreamers, were able to request consideration of deferred action for a period of two years, which was subject to renewal.

Deferred action is a use of prosecutorial discretion to defer removal action against an individual for a certain period of time, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services stated. Deferred action does not provide lawful status.

Individuals were able to request DACA status if they were under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012, came to the U.S. before turning 16 and continuously lived in the country since June 15, 2007.

Individuals also had to have a high school diploma, GED certification, been honorably discharged from the military or still be in school. Recipients could not have a criminal record.

It did not provide legal status.

How many people are affected by DACA?

Nearly 800,000 youth, called Dreamers, are under the program's umbrella.

Daniel Garza, president of the conservative immigration nonprofit Libre Initiative, told Fox News that DACA offers a reprieve from a life of uncertainty for innocent kids who didnt break the law.

Its rather disappointing to think they could return to a state of anxiety and fear, he said.

What did the Trump administration do?

The Trump administration announced in September 2017 that it planned to phase out DACA for current recipients, and no new requests would be granted. But a lower court order required the administration to continue accepting renewal applications for those under the DACA program, and the Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's request to intervene.

Since the announcement, Trump had offered to work with lawmakers on a solution for the hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. who fell under DACAs umbrella of protections. But at the same time, he has repeatedly blamed Democrats on social media for lack of a solution.

Earlier this year, Trump released his four pillars of immigration reform, which included a provision for legal status for DACA recipients and others who would be eligible for DACA status. The White House estimated that total to be 1.8 million people. The Senate rejected the plan.

Republicans  and some Democrats  opposed Obamas directive establishing DACA from the start as a perceived overreach of executive power.

Obama spoke out on social media after the Trump administration announced a plan to dismantle the program, stating that it's "self-defeating ... and it is cruel" to end DACA and questioned the motive behind the decision.

Do any DACA recipients serve in the military?

Despite some rumors circulating online to the contrary, Dreamers were eligible to serve in the U.S. military since 2014 when the Pentagon adopted a policy to allow a certain amount of illegal immigrants to join.

In fiscal year 2016, 359 DACA recipients had enlisted in the Army  which is the only branch to accept immigrants of this category.

Fox News' John Roberts and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Amid the hectic impeachment trial of President Trump, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff was accused of lying to the American people and denying Trump due process during the investigation.

During the first day of arguments, Trump lawyer Pat Cipollone tore into Schiff and his fellow Democrats, noting that the initial impeachment proceedings took place in secrecy in the basement of the House  known as a SCIF, short for Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility.

In his diatribe, Cipollone stated, The president has been given a minimal due process, nothing here. Not even Mr. Schiffs Republican colleagues were allowed into the SCIF. Information was selectively leaked out. Witnesses were threatened.

By the way, there is still evidence in the SCIF that we have not been allowed to see. I wonder why, he continued.

So what exactly is a SCIF, and what purpose do they serve? Read on to find out:

What is a SCIF?

A Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) is a secure room or data center that guards against electronic surveillance and suppresses data leakage of sensitive security and military information, according to SCIF Global Technologies, a company that builds SCIFs.

These secure rooms can prevent spies from entering undetected and stealing sensitive information.

What are they like?

SCIFs can be just like any other room, according to a 2015 National Journal report on the ones scattered around the Capitol complex.

Its just like any other room, but it takes a weight lifter to open the front door, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said then. Its similar to the Situation Room in the White House. Its austere, but being in there you wouldnt realize youre in a SCIF.

Its just like any other room, but it takes a weight lifter to open the front door.  Rep. Peter King

Before reviewing material in the rooms, people must check their electronic devices with a guard stationed outside and punch in a code, former Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., said.

HOUSE INTEL COMMITTEE TO GET LONG-SOUGHT DOCUMENTS FROM DOJ ON FUSION GPS, NUNES SAYS

The Department of Defense and Director of National Intelligence details the specifications of a SCIF  and the rooms arent cheap, National Journal reported. These rooms, which are built based on specific instructions, can cost anywhere from tens of thousands to tens of millions of dollars.

According to the National Journal, these rooms also have to be built by U.S. citizens who work for U.S.-based businesses that are accredited by the Defense Department or another security agency.

The rooms must be built so that passersby cannot hear ongoing conversations and people cannot force their way into them. SCIFs can be a room or even an entire building, National Journal reported.

Fox News Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
The temperatures in the Sunshine State have gotten so cold that iguanas are freezing and falling out of trees.

Temperatures in Florida dipped below 40 degrees Fahrenheit early Thursday in parts of South Florida, according to the National Weather Service in Miami.

Apparently, the temperatures were cold enough to immobilize green iguanas common in Miamis suburbs.

Palm Beach Post columnist Frank Cerabino tweeted a photograph of a reptile lying belly-up next to his swimming pool. WPEC-TV posted images of another iguana on its back on a Palm Beach County road.

SUPER BLUE BLOOD-MOON 2018: WHEN, WHERE AND HOW TO SEE IT THIS MONTH

Kristen Sommers, who oversees the non-native fish and wildlife program for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told The Associated Press the cold-blooded lizards start to get sluggish when temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Besides iguanas suffering from the cold, sea turtles also stiffen up when temperatures drop. The wildlife commissions biologists have been rescuing cold-stunned sea turtles found floating listlessly on the water or near shore, but no such rescue was planned for iguanas.

Officials have warned residents to leave the iguanas alone if they find them since they may feel threatened and bite once they warm up.

"Don't assume that they're dead," Sommers said.

Green iguanas are an invasive species in Florida known for eating through landscaping and digging burrows that undermine infrastructure. They can grow over 5 feet (1.5 meters) long, and their droppings can be a potential source of salmonella bacteria, which causes food poisoning.

NEARLY 1,000 SEA TURTLES RESCUED ALONG TEXAS GULF COAST

The wildlife commission said the lizards could be easier to catch this week.

"This provides an opportunity to capture some, but I'm not sure it's going to be cold enough for long enough to make enough of a difference," Sommers said. "In most cases, they're going to warm back up and move around again, unless they're euthanized."

In 2010, a two-week cold snap with temperatures below 40 degrees in South Florida killed many iguanas, along with Burmese pythons and other invasive pets that thrive in the states subtropical climate.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A former Google employee claims the tech giant has been paying women who work in the companys child day care center far less than their male counterparts  even though they have more experience.

Heidi Lamar, 31, filed a complaint this week in San Francisco alleging that she and countless others had been granted lower starting salaries than at least two men in the same position, the Guardian reports.

Google employed roughly 147 women and three men as preschool teachers from 2013 to 2017, according to Lamar.

During that time, she says nearly all of the female teachers were paid less than at least two of the males.

I didnt want to work for a company that I cant trust, that makes me feel like my values of gender equality are being compromised, Lamar told the Guardian, explaining why she quit in 2017 and eventually filed the complaint.

I was definitely very excited to work at Google, she said. I found the environment and the educators and everyone I met there to be really inspiring.

Lamar said she quickly learned, though, that sometimes things arent really as good as they seem, especially at Google.

In March 2017, she found out from a male colleague that she had been making 13 percent less than him  despite her having two more years of experience in similar jobs and a masters in teaching.

The biggest difference was that hes a man, Lamar explained.

Her male co-worker had been offered $21 per hour to work as a Level 2 teacher, according to the complaint. She was given $18.51 as a Level 1.

My first reaction was to immediately feel angry and insulted, Lamar said, noting how she brought her concerns first to a supervisor and then human resources.

We deserve to make livable wages.

Lamars higher-ups told her that there was no bias in their hiring practices and claimed that some people get paid more due to their performance in their job interview. So she decided to resign.

It was very, very sad to leave, Lamar said.

The former teacher is now one of several women who have teamed up as part of a class-action lawsuit against Google  accusing the company of gender-based pay discrimination.

The suit was filed back in September following an investigation by the US Department of Labor, which later sued Google for pay records, alleging extreme pay discrimination.

In response to Lamars claims and the Guardians story, company spokeswoman Gina Scigliano released a statement, saying: We work really hard to create a great workplace for everyone, and to give everyone the chance to thrive here. Job levels and promotions are determined through rigorous hiring and promotion committees, and must pass multiple levels of review, including checks to make sure there is no bias in these decisions.

Google did not, however, respond to the Guardians request for data on its hiring practices of teachers.

It feels really scary to speak up, Lamar said. But I do it for the women I work with and the women who are still at Google.

This story originally appeared in the New York Post.
While the already repressive Iranian government works to further shut down social media that helps fuel communications among thousands of protestors, the predominantly young, college-aged crowds in the street are scrambling to stay ahead with a variety of counter-censorship maneuvers.

Iranians are used to changing. Remember we were the first ones using Twitter for political purposes in the Green Revolution in 2009, when Twitter was still largely unknown, one activist, Ali, told Fox News. Then it was blocked. Then Facebook came and then it was blocked. Now Instagram and Telegram.

Iranian officials are blocking access by essentially building a massive firewall, according to Dave Chronister, managing partner of Parameter Security and an ethical hacker who has worked with the U.S government. But access hasnt been completely cut  leaving the protesters room to maneuver.

The Iranian government is blocking access to certain IP ranges altogether (such as news sites) and at the same time they are also allowing certain sites to be accessed, said Chronister. But they are using content filtering to block what they consider to be risky or subversive, for example Twitter hashtags. So the Iranian activists are using different tunneling methods to hide their traffic through encryption and therefore bypass government restrictions  for instance, they use a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

IRANIAN PROTESTERS 'READY TO DIE' FOR REGIME CHANGE, THANK TRUMP BUT WANT MORE SUPPORT

The VPN encrypts web traffic, so it obscures information that makes it harder for Irans security apparatus to catch or block.

One activist in Tehran told Fox News he has downloaded about 10 VPNs, and just one is working. While VPNs can be quickly shut down when detected, activists can just as quickly scramble to find more. Some have also since turned to other platforms such as the anonymity network Tor, which allows users to conceal their location.

But it remains a dangerous game.

Iranian activists are using a ton of proxies to hide their true identities. A proxy is basically an outside IP address that masks your true one, so if an Iranian citizen uses a proxy to access the internet, he or she will appear to Iranian authorities to be coming from another country like Australia or Hong Kong, said Jeff Bardin, CIO of Treadstone 71 and a former Air Force intelligence operative.

This makes it difficult for the Iranian government to block the connection without closing off the internet completely. But using a proxy doesnt mean you are completely safe, the Iranian government has the ability to shut them down and find out who is using them.

Should that shut-down happen - which is of increasing concern since the Revolutionary Guards Commander Mohammad Ali Jafari said Wednesday that when cyberspace was controlled, we saw a decrease in sedition, the activists have a backup plan.

Every day we know at 5pm to gather in identified places: the main square in every city and the four main squares in Tehran, one protest leader in Tehran told Fox News in a telephone interview on Thursday.

Protesters suffered a setback when access to the encrypted phone messaging app Telegram was shut down last weekend. The app is hugely popular in Iran, given there are more than 40 million registered accounts there. Dubai-based Telegram founder Pavel Durvov claimed his app was blocked after he refused to adhere to the regimes demands to shut down certain channels used by peaceful protesters.

It is not yet known if the ban will be lifted, as Irans interior minister has said such networks are causing violence and fear.

THE LATEST: IRAN'S INTERIOR MINISTRY SAYS 42,000 PROTESTED

Some hope more app and software companies will stand up to Irans demands to censor access. Software developers and social media executives should not abdicate their responsibilities to their uses and clients simply to retain a market in Iran, asserted Behnam Ben Talebu, Senior Iran Analyst for the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD). In short, these companies should not be acceding to Irans demands.

Some of the government efforts have, for the protesters, unfortunately been successful. Although Iranians have grown accustomed to using proxies to access social media sites, when the internet speed is down, even the proxies become useless, lamented human rights activist, Maryam Nayeb Yazdi. It is much harder to get information out of Iran right now, which in turn decreases media coverage of the Iran protests.

Srdja Popovic, who led the student movement to topple Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic more than 17 years ago and has since gone on to become founder/executive director of the Belgrade-based Centre for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS), also noted that authoritarian governments have mastered two main skills in fighting the activists.

One is digital censorship and surveillance and another one is organized armies to spread the narrative and very often conspiracy theories and hate speech, he said. Iranian activists are proof that activists need more support and tools from the world of technology.

The U.S must help us, one Tehran demonstrator, Turan, told Fox News. The internet is weak, sometime we get cut off. Sometimes the audio and video does not work. We try to use different software to overcome the problem of filtering. But we have many problems.

President Trump has posted an array of Twitter messages supporting the demonstrations, vowing that the U.S will come to their side at the right time.

From an individual standpoint, people (on the outside) can also participate in things like the Free Net Project, where they can open an individual VPN connection, basically a private person-to-person network, that can help people in restrictive countries access open internet, said Chronister.

The projects CEO and founder, computer scientist Ian Clarke, told Fox News they indeed had a swell of donations on Dec. 31st  the day the uprising began.

We received over $5,000 in donations, he said. In a typical month we receive just a few hundred dollars.
Revelations that security flaws in chips powering PCs, laptops, servers, phones, and other devices have gone unnoticed for years have whipped bug fixers and security experts into a frenzy this week.

The flaws, which researchers have code-named Meltdown and Spectre, relate to how a CPU handles tasks that it thinks your PC will need to perform in the future, known as speculative execution. According to Google's Project Zero security team, in a worst case scenario the flaws could be exploited to reap sensitive information from these commands-in-waiting.

The good news is that some patches have already rolled out, but the bad news is that because so many companies are involvedfrom chip manufacturers to PC makers to operating system companiesfiguring out if your computer is fully protected isn't straightforward. For now, there are a few separate courses of action to follow to fortify your device, depending on which operating system you have. Then there's the additional step of updating web browsers and other program, which every computer user should do regardless of OS.

For Windows

Microsoft released a cumulative security update on Wednesday that offers software-level protection against speculative execution, which should roll out automatically to systems running Windows 10. To be sure your computer is up to date, open the Start menu, click the gear icon to open Settings, and click on Windows Update.

Microsoft notes that the mitigations may slow down your computer. "For most consumer devices, the impact may not be noticeable, however, the specific impact varies by hardware generation and implementation by the chip manufacturer," the company wrote.

While the protection this patch offers is a good first step, your Windows PC won't be fully protected until a firmware update is applied as well. The availability of such an update depends on the company that manufactured your PC, as well as the chip manufacturer (Intel or AMD). Intel said Wednesday that it has already provided some firmware updates to system manufacturers.

Owners of Surface laptops and convertibles will get those updates applied automatically through Windows Update once they're finished, according to Microsoft. If you own a system from a different company, you'll need to check for firmware updates using a separate utility, like Lenovo Solution Center or Dell Update.

For Chrome OS

Google's operating system, primarily found on inexpensive laptops, will be protected against the vulnerability in the Chrome 64 release, which is scheduled to launch later this month. For now, users can enable an experimental security feature in the Chrome web browser called Site Isolation, which provides protection against many different types of malware, including speculative execution.

For Android

The Android 2018-01-05 Security Patch Level is the first fix for speculative execution, and it is already available as of Thursday. Google's Pixel phones will receive it automatically, while owners of other Android devices are at the mercy of their device manufacturers and wireless carriers, which decide when updates are rolled out.

For MacOS and iOS

The good news is that unlike on Windows, laptops and desktops running macOS will probably get a single security update that will include both software and firmware fixes, since Apple controls the entire update process for its computers. The bad news is that there's no indication of when such an update will be available; Apple has not commented as of Thursday, and the last macOS update was issued in early December. The same goes for iOS devices.

Web Browser Fixes

While you're waiting for Windows Update to finish working or your PC manufacturer to issue a firmware fix, you can still protect your online activity from exposure to the speculative execution vulnerability by fortifying your web browser.

Google Chrome users can enable Site Isolation, as discussed above. Meanwhile, Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox have been updated to increase the time it takes to execute certain Java commands, which should mitigate the issue, according to a Mozilla blog post. Edge updates are rolled into the Microsoft security patch released on Wednesday, while Firefox users can click on About Firefox in the Help menu to see their update status.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.
This is a rush transcript from "The Story," January 3, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SANDRA SMITH, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST: Good evening to you, Bret, thank you.

We will pick up the story from here.

Tonight, while all eyes are on the battle brewing between President Trump and the man who once served as his closest ally, Steve Bannon. There's another explosive story to uncover, involving the low down dirty tactics Democrats tried to use to get Hillary Clinton elected. Good evening, everyone, I'm Sandra Smith in for Martha MacCallum tonight.

A new report in The New York Times describing how political operatives exploited stories of sexual misconduct for the purpose of political gain.

And these explosive new claims will leave Americans of all political stripes questioning the integrity of the entire #MeToo movement, not to mention the victims of these horrific allegations. Now, left wondering did anyone really care about their cries for help? The New York Times piece citing Washington Lawyer, Deborah Katz, who says, "there is a danger in this environment that unsophisticated individuals who have been abused by powerful people could be exploited by groups taking part as an advantage or by lawyers seeking a moment in the limelight.

One of the political operatives whose name is at the center of the story, David Brock, the Founder of Media Matters, who famously declared war on Fox News and launched a campaign to dig up dirt on the people who worked here both on camera and off. According to the Times, Brock and his fellow operatives are at it again, funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to Women's Rights Attorney, Lisa Bloom, who in turn pushed more female victims into the spotlight to accuse Donald Trump of sexual assault. Here now is the man behind the expose, New York Times Reporter, Kenneth Vogel.

Kenneth, first walk us through your reporting on this and what you learned.

KENNETH VOGEL, REPORTER, NEW YORK TIMES: Yes. We found, Sandra, that in the week before the election, there had been a press conference that Lisa Bloom scheduled at which she was promising that a woman would come forward in detail explosive allegations against Donald Trump. When that fell through, she said that a number of major Democratic donors reached out to her and offered help, financial help, we're talking about, to see what they could do to bring this woman back to the table -- and get her to go public with her allegation. She did not come forward. Lisa Bloom said she would've come forward, but Lisa Bloom told these donors that she had several other women with whom she was working who also had allegations against Donald Trump who might be convinced to come forward if there was funding provided.

She said for their safety, possibly even a safe house, relocation services. So, many of these -- several of these donors did end up writing checks, at least $700,000, we found, including $200,000 from a group associated with David Brock; $500,000 from Susie Tompkins, this a major donor at San Francisco, who found -- co-founded the Esprit clothing line, very close to Hillary Clinton. They provided this money. Ultimately, those women with whom Lisa Bloom was working, did not come forward and she refunded some, but not all of the money.

SMITH: Now, Ken, I know in your reporting, you follow the money trail. Were you able to determine exactly how much money was used to go after these victims for political gain?

VOGEL: No, we weren't. There's no real disclosure on this. In fact, interestingly, David Brock's group that wrote this $200,000 check to Lisa Bloom law firm, group called American Bridge 21st Century, it filed -- recently filed its tax return, public tax return for 2016. It did not include this $200,000 payment in there -- I'm not exactly sure why. There may be some legal reasons why it was able to avoid disclosing that, but it just goes to show how difficult this money can be to be traced because it's not -- it's money being paid to either private individuals or to law firms in this case that have no disclosure requirement.

So, we don't know how much of this is going on. We did find out, though, in our reporting, Sandra, that in fact Lisa Bloom's mother, another well- known Women's Rights Attorney, Gloria Allred, who has brought her fair share of sexual harassment allegations is currently raising money for another lawsuit against Donald Trump. A defamation lawsuit by a woman who was on "The Apprentice", who accuses Donald Trump of sexually harassing her. So, that's yet another example we found of an effort to raise money to bring forward and support these allegations.

SMITH: In your reporting, Ken, examples of the left going after the right using these victims. But this is something that your reporting also revealed the scene on the right as well.

VOGEL: Yes, that's right. Mike Cernovich, the well-known Trump backer who has a big and sort of controversial social media presence offered publicly $10,000 for any woman who came forward with details of or actual documents showing a settlement by a member of Congress. He did not specify a Democratic member of Congress -- a member of Congress who had settled sexual harassment claims. In fact, he did end up getting the sexual harassment settlement that ended up bringing down John Conyers, Representative John Conyers, Democrat from Michigan. Until then, the longest-serving member Democrat in the House of Representatives. And Cernovich told me that he was surprised; he actually offered the person who brought that confidential settlement money in exchange for it and the person turned it down.

SMITH: Right.

VOGEL: Now, just because money is being offered, Sandra, it doesn't necessarily mean that people are coming forward.

SMITH: It's an excellent point. And something else that stood out to me in your reporting, Ken, is the title of your peace in New York Times itself: "Partisans Wielding Money Begin Seeking to Exploit Harassment Claims." Do you think that we're just at the beginning of this?

VOGEL: I think we could become, Sandra. Certainly, David Brock has already promised that he will start a fund explicitly to try to bring forward allegations against Republican politicians, so he is saying he wants to do more of this despite the backlash that he has gotten, the controversy around his effort with Lisa Bloom in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.

SMITH: All right. Ken Vogel, thank you for your reporting on that and thank you for coming on tonight.

VOGEL: Yes. It's a pleasure.

SMITH: All right. Well, here with more: Katie Pavlich, is News Editor for Townhall.com; Tammy Bruce is a Columnist for the Washington Times and a Radio Talk Show Host, and Mo Elleithee is a Former DNC Spokesman, all are Fox News Contributors. And two of the ladies are on with me tonight. So, Mo, we'll get to you next. But I'm going to start with you, Katie, because, you know, the lawyer that uses in his piece, Deborah Katz, she says that this can be a very dangerous environment and his reporting is showing hundreds of thousands of dollars chasing down these victims.

KATIE PAVLICH, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR AND NEWS EDITOR FOR TOWNHALL.COM: Look, it can be a very dangerous situation. And if you have a powerful man going after a woman who feels like she doesn't have any say in her work environment, then she may feel like she needs some of those protections.

But when you follow money trail here, all of the things that are being accused, the allegations that are brought up are questioned. And what this does is it gives powerful men who have done bad things a way out because they can look at it and say, well, they're being paid, all of this money is coming through, this is only about politics, and therefore we shouldn't believe any of them.

The other side of this is when you offer this amount of money, hundreds of thousands of dollars, millions of dollars for these types of stories, you really have to be careful about going through every single one to vet the validity of it. That doesn't mean you're just counting the claim, however, you need evidence-based claims to meet the allegations to be proven without any doubt because innocent people's lives can also be ruined as a result of this. Partisan political operatives have a lot to gain if they can take down a candidate for a powerful seat in the Senate, for the White House, of course, as a result of these actions.

SMITH: And Tammy, you wonder if this is going to dilute that #metoo movement that we've seen.

TAMMY BRUCE, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR AND COLUMNIST FOR THE WASHINGTON

TIMES: Well, even that has moved it into activism, as opposed to a search for justice. So, we've also heard the idea that all women should be immediately believed. I'm a feminist, work within the feminist movement, all women should be taken seriously, and we should have the opportunity to make our case, and that's what women ask for. We ask for an environment where we can make that case. As opposed -- we want due process ourselves, and a framework of due process that takes us seriously and allows allegations that we're making to be dealt with properly.

Because otherwise, as we are seeing here, is that when you put the politics into it, and this is classics also, though, for the left. They move through victimhood. They sought work as an example with the Roy Moore case. And once that worked, I knew that they were going to move this through the nation. And -- but also, look at those victims. They were in the media almost every day, and now we don't hear from them, we don't know their situation.

SMITH: It's a great point how little you're hearing about this. We're leading off the show tonight with this, but you are not seeing this at the top of many hours today or this week. And then, there's this former Hillary Clinton campaign manager who has now been accused of protecting a staffer who sexually harassed women. There's proof, WikiLeaks released an email, top Clinton aide cornered women for (INAUDIBLE) protected by Campaign Manager, Robby Mook, according to accusations that were discovered in a 2015 email. There's a lot here.

MO ELLEITHEE, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR AND FORMER DNC SPOKESMAN: Look, I agree with almost everything that Katie was saying, that there are two sides to this and that you've got to take these women seriously, that you've got to go through this process, and that a lot of times these women who are being victimized by powerful men feel no other recourse and so they may need some assistance. I also agree, however, that there is the risk of this becoming hyper-partisan and being overly politicized.

When groups are out there singling out potentially bad actors of a single party, that's a problem. If you are in this for justice, be in it for justice. We've seen this on both sides. Remember the Paula Jones case against Bill Clinton was financed by a conservative group? Ken Vogel talked about Michael Cernavich out there, offering money for evidence against particular members of Congress that was mainly focused on Democrats. So, we -- if you're in is for justice, be in it for justice, don't be in it for a political gain.

PAVLICH: I would just add that -- you know, we've been having this conversation for months now about the solution to these problems. How does the private sector handle sexual harassment and assault versus the public sector on Capitol Hill? And the bottom line is you actually can't get to any kind of accountability or change when it comes to this issue if it's so politicized. And my fear is that we're already there and because of all the money that is involved and the power involved, we can't take the politics out of it.

SMITH: And then there's the fear for the victims, the women who want to come forward, need to come forward, Tammy, and you wonder are they going to somehow now have to prove that they're not one of the ones being paid?

BRUCE: Well, I think that if you're coming up a few weeks before an election, if you've been solicited to come forward with a story, if you are being paid for an allegation, or to make the allegation even though it looks like it's something you may need, that's going to be a factor. At the same time, let's remember where this started. Back when Bill Clinton said this is private, it doesn't matter, you hired me to do a job, that it was that framework that within politics said our behavior doesn't really matter, you don't need to worry about that. This clearly is changing, but it is about the politics of control and humiliation and for those who use it politically to just deal with certain political opponents, we've got to make sure this conversation continues. And unfortunately, we do have to look at them with some cynicism depending on the timing and the nature of what's happening, and then we can still find a way to the truth at some point.

SMITH: All right. While you're hearing the conversation here. Tammy, Mo, Katie, thank you.

PAVLICH: Thanks, Sandra.

ELLEITHEE: Thanks.

SMITH: Here's one of the stories you have heard all day: Steve Bannon has turned on President Trump, suggesting members of his campaign committed treason. Up next, a side of this story you will not hear from Steve Bannon from inside the Trump campaign. And President Trump didn't hesitate when it came to calling out Iran for abusing its own people, but what about one of ours? Coming up, the son of an American who went missing there more than a decade ago with a message for the White House and his father's captors.

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DAN LEVINSON: This is an American citizen and there should be outrage around the world, and they've been getting away with it, and this is unbelievable that it's been this long, and that we're still -- I'm still coming out here and having to plead to get action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think furious, disgusted would probably, certainly fit when you make such an outrageous claims and completely false claims against the president, his administration, and his family.

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SMITH: Some strong words from White House Press Secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, today describing the president's reaction to explosive allegations from none other than his Former Chief Strategist Steve Bannon. Has his once trusted confidante turned into a traitor? In a moment, a side of the story you will not hear from Steve Bannon. But first, Trace Gallagher's live in our West Coast Newsroom with how today's feud went down.

Interesting day, Trace.

TRACE GALLAGHER, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST: Very, Sandra. Yes, the White House wasted no time distancing itself from Steve Bannon and the comments he reportedly made to the author, Michael Wolf, for his upcoming book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House." In the book, Bannon describes a

2016 meeting between a Russian lawyer, Donald Jr., Jared Kushner, and then- Campaign Chair Paul Manafort as being "treasonous and unpatriotic". Going on to say, "the three senior guys in the campaign thought it was a good idea to meet with a foreign government inside Trump Tower in the conference room on the 25th floor with no lawyers. They didn't have any lawyers." Bannon added this, "they're going to crack Don Jr. like an egg on national T.V."

Bannon also said, he also believes the Russians were taken to meet Donald Trump after the meeting. The White House says the book is filled with false and misleading accounts. And the president released a four-paragraph statement that reads in part, "Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind.

Now that he is on his own, Steve is learning that winning isn't as easy as I make it look. Steve had very little to do with our historic victory." The statement makes it clear that President Trump is now at war with one of his closest political allies, who was still reportedly advising the president well after he left the White House. Even Sarah Sanders acknowledged the two men spoke last month. But Sanders argues, the president can believe Bannon lost his mind and still talk to him. Watch.

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SANDERS: The president continues to have conversations with him, often ask for by Mr. Bannon. The president spoke with him, but that doesn't mean that he can't hold that position.

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GALLAGHER: Donald Trump Jr. also responded today tweeting, "Steve had the honor of working in the White House and serving the country. Unfortunately, he squandered that privilege and turn that opportunity into a nightmare of backstabbing, harassing, leaking, lying, and undermining the president. Steve is not a strategist, he is an opportunist." Steve Bannon's allies were also reportedly caught off guard by the release of the explosive excerpts from the book, but Steve Bannon himself has not yet commented on either the book or the president's response. Sandra.

SMITH: All right. Trace Gallagher, thank you. Here now, Michael Caputo, who's a Trump Campaign Senior Advisor until June of 2016, and that timing is important because he then left two months before Bannon, then came on board. So, important to get your thoughts tonight, Mr. Caputo, on what you have heard. Is what you have heard today true?

MICHAEL CAPUTO, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISOR: Well, I'll tell you, I really question anything Michael Wolf writes. I think this book will be dissected and parts of it will go into the true bucket part, and it will go into the false bucket like anything that Wolf writes. But the president believes what was written about Steve Bannon. I think about what other people were quoted as saying in that book and that's what matters here. I was really disheartened to hear about this. I stand with Donald Trump 150 percent. He has the right and the duty, in fact, to put together a White House that he trusts, and the White House that he believes can implement his agenda. I believe he's entering into 2018 with that kind of team. But for those of us who view Donald Trump's agenda as something that we really want to push for this year, it's a difficult day.

SMITH: Well, the president did not waste any time slamming right back, saying Bannon lost his mind. It was a four-paragraph takedown. Just hours, by the way, after we saw this, and the president said Bannon had nothing to do with me or my presidency, is that true?

CAPUTO: I will tell you -- I'll leave it to the president to define what brought him to where he is. I know that when I was there up until the convention or before the convention, Steve was still outside the campaign, so was Kellyanne Conway and some of the other folks who came in and took this to the end game in November. The president put together a team with Corey Lewandowski, the five musketeers, that took him almost to the convention, and then brought in Manafort and Gates and others to make sure that the convention went his way and he came away with the nomination.

And Steve and Kellyanne and others helped the president all the way to Election Day. It's a pretty broad and diverse group, and I wasn't there to see what Steve did. But, you know, from what I consider from here forward, I don't really have concerns about the base, I don't have concerns about the agenda. The base is there for Donald Trump, and for Donald Trump alone. I think Steve Bannon knows that too. But I like to see allies working together and both of these men think alike and are on the same page.

SMITH: All right. Well, you were with the president during the primary, much of the general election. You were there for a big chunk of that time.

Lastly tonight, Michael, I wanted to bring up all the speculation around Mitt Romney, possibly Senator Mitt Romney, and remind folks of a few things that Mitt Romney, some choice words that he had to say in the past about Donald Trump and get your thoughts. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: His domestic policies would lead to a recession. His foreign policies would make America and the world less safe. He has neither of the temperament nor the judgment to be president. Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He's playing the members of the American public for suckers. He gets a free ride to the White House and all we get is a lousy hat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Well, so, I'll ask you, will he support President Trump's policies?

CAPUTO: Well, we saw Donald Trump and Mitt Romney come together, you know, in the transition phase and I believe they continued to speak. I'm not a fan of Mitt Romney, and the things he said about the president were deeply offensive to me. But if the president can get the compromise with Mitt Romney, he can compromise with pretty much anyone. I think Mitt Romney would be a reliable vote on fiscal conservative issues, and I hope the people of Utah to know what they are doing.

SMITH: Well, we'll see where that all goes. But there's a lot of indications and a lot of fingers pointing to the likely possibility that that may happen. So, Michael Caputo, thanks for coming on tonight. Good to get your thoughts and perspective, sir.

CAPUTO: Thank you.

SMITH: All right. Well, the founders of the firm behind the anti-Trump dossier, Fusion GPS, now say they're the real victims in all of this. Bill Browder, once targeted by Fusion GPS himself isn't shedding any tears. He is here to tell you what they want, when we come back.

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SMITH: Developing tonight, two men behind the firm that came up with that infamous anti-Trump dossier, now say they're the real victims in this whole Russia debacle. Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch, just penned an op-ed in The New York Times claiming they aren't the ones creating fake news, the Republicans are. They write, "Today, amid a growing criminal inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, congressional Republicans are again chasing rabbits." They go on to say, "we are extremely proud of their work to highlight Mr. Trump's Russia ties. To have done so is our right under the first amendment." Here now, Bill Browder, no stranger to Fusion GPS. He once found himself in their crosshairs while lobbying for a piece of legislation, the firm was hired to block. We thank you for being here tonight, Mr. Browder. You've read through this, obviously, and you say they left out some very important facts.

BILL BROWDER, FINANCIER: Well, the most important fact that they left out is that while they were doing the Trump dossier, they were also being paid by Russian government interests to try to overturn sanctions legislation called the Magnitsky Act, which I had been very instrumental in getting past, which put sanctions on Russia government officials. So, they were working for the Russian government interests at the same time as they were effectively trying to connect Trump with Russia, which they did not mention in this dossier -- in the article, they wrote in The New York Times. And it was very disingenuous for them to be saying, we're such victims. And at the same time, they were out effectively trying to victimize me and Sergey Magnitsky, my lawyer, who was killed in trying to overturn an important piece of human rights legislation.

SMITH: And when you point out that, and the piece does talk about that, and you often talk about the Russian anti-Magnitsky narrative, you say that they also leave on another important fact and that some of the journalists that were paid.

BROWDER: Well, this is probably the most troubling part of their whole story, which is that as they were being grilled and subpoenaed by various committees, one very important court document came out, came out of the D.C. district court, and it basically said and it showed that they were paying journalists. And so, and I know for a fact that there were a bunch of journalists who were acting inappropriately and not journalistically when they were trying to smear me and Sergei Magnitsky and repeal the Magnitsky act. And so, I'm wondering where those journalists paid by Glenn Simpson to try to write false stories about Sergei Magnitsky? I don't know the answer to that question, but I do know that they were being -- that they have evidence that exists that they were paying journalists, and so we would like to know the answer to that question.

SMITH: Something else that Simpson complains about in this piece is congress not releasing the transcripts. And I saw you tweeting about this today because you took issue with that because they were invited to give open testimony, you remind all of us, and they didn't show up.

BROWDER: Yeah. In the end of July of last year, I was invited to the senate judiciary committee to give testimony about Fusion GPS and Glenn Simpson's role in trying to overturn the Magnitsky Act. And the other person invited -- one of the other people invited was Glenn Simpson. And as the days approached that the testimony he refused to show up. He refused to show up and at the very last minute they subpoenaed him, and then he and his lawyers went into big negotiations and agreed to do it privately. But, I mean, if he's so worried about having all the stuff out in public, why was he so worried about showing up in an open testimony as I did? It makes no sense.

SMITH: Really interesting to get your initial reaction to that piece today. We're very thankful that you came on with us tonight. Thank you for being here.

BROWDER: Thank you.

SMITH: All right. Well, the handling of the Trump-Russia investigation and the Clinton email investigation have forced questions about the DOJ and the FBI and their ability to investigate themselves. So, on who does that job fall? Here now it's Florida congressman, Matt Gaetz, who is leading the charge for congress to take over because all of this, congressman, just looks like a mess.

MATT GAETZ, U.S. CONGRESSMAN: Well, it truly does. And the Fusion GPS op-ed is as unreliable as the Fusion GPS dossier for more than five months now. We've had 20 members of the house judiciary committee calling for a second special counsel to evaluate the nexus between the DNC, the Clinton foundation, Fusion GPS and Russians, the very Russians who told lies to undermine the president of the United States both before and after his election. So, we'll get to the bottom of this. And the fact that we're turning up the heat on our investigation is likely one reason why Glenn Simpson wanted to tell his side of the story in the newspaper. Now we're ready for him to tell his side of the story in open hearings in congress.

SMITH: I got to tell you, congressman, we hear you and we know your ambition and we know that you're going after this, but at this point it feels to the American people like -- is anybody going to be held accountable? Is anything going to actually come of this?

GAETZ: It's a totally fair question. And the number one thing that can hasten accountability in this system is an attorney general who will step up and do his job. And unfortunately, we don't really know whether the attorney general is in charge on issues that relate to Fusion GPS and their collusion with others to undermine Donald Trump. The attorney general's recusal may or may not cover that issue because it has some ties to Hillary Clinton and the DNC. So, we'd like to see the attorney general renounce that recusal, appoint a second special counsel, and really deliver the facts to the American people. I'm skeptical that just closed-door meetings with members of congress will really give us the transparency we need to really expose this scandal.

SMITH: I'm convinced, congressman, at the end of these days we're all left with more questions than answers.

GAETZ: Well, we can get those answers if we have open, sworn testimony. I always believe that sunshine is the best disinfectant and that's why we need to get these folks under oath before congress. And we also need the FBI to tell us what role they had. It's troubling to me that Christopher Wray, the director of the FBI, would not tell us whether there was taxpayer money used to reimburse Glenn Simpson. That's something we all have a right to know.

SMITH: Well, Congressman Gaetz, you have been passionate about this from the beginning. We continue to hear from you and we'll continue to watch where this goes. We thank you for coming on.

GAETZ: Thank you.

SMITH: Thank you. And President Trump did not hesitate when it came to calling out Iran for abusing its own people, but what about one of ours? Still ahead, we have an exclusive interview, the son of an American who went missing there more than a decade ago, his powerful message for the White House and his father's captors. And North Korea issuing new threats against America, but many in the media are more worried about President Trump going after Kim Jong Un about the size of his button. Lieutenant Colonel Michael Waltz says everyone is missing the point. He is here live, next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)



UNINDENTIFIED MALE: This is the craziest Trump tweet ever, but it's certainly among the most dangerous if not the most dangerous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.

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SMITH: Kim Jong Un's bold new threat to nuke the U.S. not getting as much attention as President Trump's response. The North Korean leader said our entire nation is within range of his nuclear weapons and he could push the button at any time. President Trump responding on twitter, quote, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un just stated that the nuclear button is on his desk at all times. Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a nuclear button but it is a much bigger and more powerful one in his, and my button works. Those comments not sitting well with some in the media.

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BRIAN STELTER, CNN: If this were the leader of Germany or China or Brazil, what would we say? How would we cover these tweets? We would say these are the messages from a person who is not well.

JOHN HEILEMANN, MSNBC: He's being cavalier in a way that makes him seem demented and deranged.

STEVE HAYES, FOX NEWS: Basically saying my nuclear button is bigger than your nuclear button accomplishes nothing and demonstrates the kind of emotional immaturity that you would expect of a 5-year-old.

JOY BEHAR, ABC: Trump needs to be medicated and hospitalized at this point, or he is going to just kill all of us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)



SMITH: Just some of the media's reaction today. Here now Lieutenant Colonel Michael Waltz, a former Green Beret commander and Fox News contributor. Colonel, I'll ask you to weigh in, what were your thoughts when you saw that tweet?

MICHAEL WALTZ, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you know, I'm just struck by the inconsistency and the criticism here. You can't have it both ways. On the one hand, many critics are saying that Kim Jong-un is a rational actor. Susan Rice wrote an op-ed and said we can live in a world where he has a nuclear arsenal. He'll abide by mutually assured destruction theory. And then on the other hand, he's an absolute madman that's going to be provoked to World War III via tweet. So, which is it there? I think the Trump administration has been consistent and that he is irrational, we can't trust him to have a nuclear ICBM. We're not going to risk an American city. And that, you know, if he obtains this program it will mean his destruction. So this rhetoric, this strong rhetoric, which is untraditional, but then again.

SMITH: But let me take that point -- with all due respect, let me jump in on that, colonel. And let me just push back there and say why not issue a statement? Why a tweet? Why not a formal statement from the White House as far as a strategy, an approach to taking on North Korea and its leader?

WALTZ: Well, Sandra, I think we've had statements, we had press conferences from Nikki Haley. We've had a number of statements from both Mattis and Tillerson in a bit of a good cop and bad cop where we will obtain overmatch against the North Korean regime, but Tillerson saying the door is still open for you to denuclearized with talks. Prime Minister Abe has said the time for talks, for the sake of talks, are over. And then, I think this president has an unconventional style where he wants to make both the Kim regime and, importantly, the Chinese, understand that their calculus has to change, that the same-old, same-old, won't work anymore and the United States will not stand for a nuclearized North Korea.

SMITH: I'm hearing from you that you see the president's strategy as effective as far as what you have seen so far and as far as the rhetoric is concerned. I think you're OK with this kind of talk.

WALTZ: But Sandra, to be clear, I think the last 40 years of traditional diplomacy had been ineffective. The North Koreans have used it to buy time and to build a very capable program now that's capable of striking the world, and that they will sell to the highest bidder around the world, including the Iranians. So, I think the time to try something new, the Trump administration, to your point, has put forward a policy of maximum pressure and abandons strategic patients. And then we do have this unconventional rhetoric kind of standing up to the Kim regime from the commander-in-chief as part of that strategy.

SMITH: I think those tweets, they come out and it takes some time, people look at them and there's such varied reactions. But, obviously, you have more credibility than any of those in the media to comment on that, and we thank you for your perspective on that tonight.

WALTZ: Sandra, at the end of the day, we're running out -- I mean, we're running out of time here. The policy is that we're not going to stand for him to have a nuclear weapon and I think that's right. We're not going to bet an American city. Then we have to pull everything, all the stops out to try to get them to change their thinking and to abandon this program.

SMITH: All right. Colonel Waltz, thank you for coming on.

WALTZ: All right. Thanks, Sandra.

SMITH: Good evening. All right. Well, President Trump showings no patience for the brutal leadership in Iran, cracking down on its own people, protesting in the streets, but what about one of our people?

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UNINDENTIFIED MALE: I've been held here for three and a half years. I am not in very good health.

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SMITH: The son of retired FBI agent, Robert Levinson, who disappeared in Iran more than a decade ago, here with a plea for the president and a powerful message for his father's captors.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SMITH: Developing tonight, a top Iranian general declaring victory against the biggest anti-regime protest in almost a decade. The violent clashes leaving more than 20 dead, and one American family knows firsthand how brutal the oppressive government can be there. Former FBI agent, Bob Levinson, went missing in Iran nearly 11 years ago. In moment, his son, Dan Levinson, is here with a plea for the president. But first, Trace Gallagher live in our west coast newsroom with the back story. Trace?

TRACE GALLAGHER, FOX NEWS: Sandra, former FBI agent Robert Levinson disappeared while on assignment for the U.S. government in Iran in 2007.

Three weeks after he went missing, Iranian state TV reportedly acknowledged that Levinson had been taken into custody by Iranian security forces, but was expected to be released shortly. A decade later, Iran now denies knowing where Levinson is, or having anything to do with his disappearance.

If Robert Levinson is still being held by Iran, which U.S. investigators believe he is, he would be the longest held U.S. civilians by a foreign government. The Levinson family received a proof of life video in 2010 showing a very thin Robert Levinson pleading for help to get home, but since then, nothing. And the family felt devastated by the Obama White House when Levinson was not part of the January 2016 Iranian prisoners swap that freed several other Americans. The family claims they weren't even told a prisoner swap was in the works until they saw it on television.

Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)



WIFE OF ROBERT LEVINSON: I'm very disappointed. I feel extremely betrayed by them. They have done nothing to get in touch with me other than I've asked them to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)



GALLAGHER: Last year, the wife and children of Robert Levinson filed a lawsuit under the foreign sovereign immunities act for injuries suffered by each of them as a result of Iran's unlawful acts of hostage taking. The family contends that for more than ten years the Iranian government has been allowed to, quote, dodge and weave, every time it was asked to come clean about what happened to Bob and send him home. The family has also created a website looking for leads into Levinson disappearance, and though it has attracted a number of responses, so far it has not led to any significant information. Sandra.

SMITH: Thanks, Trace. Here now for an exclusive interview, Dan Levinson, Bob Levinson son. Dan, thanks for being here tonight to tell your story.

First off, seeing your mother there speaking, I know it's incredibly difficult and here we are ten years later. How is your family doing?

DAN LEVINSON, SON OF ROBERT LEVINSON: We just keep pressing on. We're going to fighting until he's home with us. So, we're just taking it one day at a time, and figuring out new ways to press our administration, press the Iranian government to work together to get him home.

SMITH: I know it's been incredibly difficult, and your youngest brother Doug was only 13-years-old when your father went missing. What's your message for President Trump tonight?

LEVINSON: Well, he has the opportunity to do something that the previous two U.S. presidents weren't able to do, bring home the longest held hostage in American history. He's a dealmaker. This is going to require a deal.

They need to get to the table with the Iranians and it's going to take carrots and it's going to take sticks. And they released a statement back in July with very strongly worded language and we appreciate that, but we need follow-up. We need them to be pressuring the Iranians and talking to them at every opportunity.

SMITH: What were you hearing -- what are you hearing from them? I know this is something you take on every single day. What is the correspondence been?

LEVINSON: Well, we're trying to meet with them as much as possible. We go to Washington whenever there's an opportunity to meet with top-level officials. They're working on the case. We would like to be hearing more from them and making sure that it's a top priority for the administration.

They have said that in the past, but we need action more than just words.

SMITH: And now here more than a decade later your family is suing to try to get answers, and try to bring your family home. What is your family doing now?

LEVINSON: Well, that is one of the ways we're keeping the pressure on the Iranian government. They have to know we're not going to go away. We're going keep pushing them until -- we're going to stay a thorn in their sides until he's home. We know that the supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, can snap his fingers and say send Bob Levinson home, and my dad would be on the next flight out of there. So, we're going to keep pressuring them. I went over to Iran two years ago. We went a previous trip and we'll go back over if need be, but we're not going -- just stop and give up and decide that it's over.

SMITH: What is your family thoughts have been as you see now a second week of these violent protests over a thousand arrests, more than 20 deaths there. Protesting this brutal regime that you have firsthand knowledge of and experience with?

LEVINSON: Well, I know that this doesn't impact my dad's case whatsoever.

We're just an average American family. We don't get involved with domestic politics of Iran. We're watching everything closely. We're always following events in Iran and we're seeing -- we're looking for new opportunities to keep the pressure on them.

SMITH: Do you believe that they know exactly where your father is?

LEVINSON: Absolutely. They arrested my dad. This is a foreign government that has taken an American citizen hostage. They have been misleading and not coming forward with the truth for over a decade now, and we know exactly that he was arrested. The U.N. itself found after conducting their own investigation that my dad was being arbitrarily detained and that he should be released immediately. So, everybody knows that the Iranians took him. We just need to resolve and get them to send him home now.

SMITH: Trace just reported your family put together a website to try to bring in leads. Has anything come from that?

LEVINSON: We get leads, but a lot of times it's people who are looking for money or just trying to take advantage. It's been unfortunate. It hasn't really produced anything of substance. But we're going to keep pressing and we're always checking any time someone contacts us with information.

There's a $5 million reward out there for any Iranian who comes forward with information of at least getting my dad home, that's a lot of money. So, we keep trying to publicize that and make sure it's known over there.

SMITH: Well, you got your message out tonight, Dan, and we thank you for coming on and all our best to your family.

LEVINSON: Thank you for having me and thank you for keeping the story in the news.

SMITH: All right. All the best. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SMITH: You can always send us an email and tell us what you think about tonight stories, about the show. The Story at foxnews.com. You can also tweet me @sandrasmithFox. A lot of people talking about Trump and North Korea tonight. And a lot of you are fired up about potential Senator Mitt Romney. So a lot of good ones on that as well. Thank you so much for joining us, and if you didn't get enough of me today, I'll see you first thing tomorrow morning on America's Newsroom as well as Outnumbered, both at 9:00 AM and 12 noon, and I'll be back here tomorrow night at 7 PM. It's a pleasure to join you. And now, here's Tucker Carlson.

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For regular viewers of this show, you know I like to quote my late, great parents a lot.

There was a wisdom to my Irish mom and Italian dad that keeps comforting me and these days "grounding" me.

Remember, it was my dad who famously reminded me as a kid, "Neil, stay humble. In your case, it will come in handy."

My mom was much the same when it came to success: "Enjoy it, Neil, but don't expect it. And certainly don't act like it."

Enter Steve Bannon. Stay with me, I have a point here.

There was a time, actually little more than a few weeks ago, that he was the political "it" guy. The proverbial bull in the China shop, shaking up the Republican establishment and seeking out renegade candidates to take on that establishment.

Then his candidate lost in Alabama.

Then his damning comments on Donald Trump in this Michael Wolff book.

Now, conservatives are turning on him.

The president has had it with him.

And pretty soon, I suspect, we'll be hearing less and less of him.

And to think, not even a year ago, he was the brains behind that dark, but unforgettable Trump inaugural address.

Back then it seemed like he was the center of the universe.

Now, a very different universe.

Just like it's a different universe for Matt Lauer...and Charlie Rose...and Kevin Spacey...and Harvey Weinstein...and Bill O'Reilly.

Fairly or not, centers of their respective universes no more.

I guess what boggles my mind is how quickly this happens now or seems to. How many "it" players take that turnstile to anonymity now. It's a crowded turnstile: a "who's who" to "who's that again" that reminds us all fame isn't the only fleeting thing. We are.

A top fidelity investments trader whose incredible performance results made him impervious to rebuke, until they didn't.

A cutting-edge comedian whose crossover Hollywood appeal made him an un-stoppable force, until he wasn't.

A soaring New Orleans celebrity chef who was re-defining the company he founded until his company forced him out.

Food for thought. Enjoy the good times as if an appetizer.

Because pretty soon, they take the plates away, and they're on to the next course.

I guess my mom would say consider yourself lucky if you're still at the table for it.

Yet we keep forgetting it.

Whether it's a heavily favored presidential candidate who looked guaranteed to be the first female president of the United States.

Until she wasn't.

Or her media-derided opponent who wasn't going anywhere, until suddenly he was.

Life is full of surprises. Yet we keep getting surprised. Just like those on top of the heap keep getting reminded it's only a heap.

Humbling for them. Instructive for us.

That's why my dad would say, "Work hard, Neil. It will make up for the fact that brain of yours is only going to get you so far on its own," he'd add.

We'd laugh at that.

Great wisdom in that.

Enjoy the good times. Just don't assume you always have them coming.
Photo taken on Jan 3, 2018 shows the snow-light show at the Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province. Snow Wonderland, a 3D snow-light show applying modern sound, light and digital technologies has been displayed at Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo recent days.[Photo/Xinhua]

Tourists enjoy the show at the Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province. Snow Wonderland, a 3D snow-light show applying modern sound, light and digital technologies has been displayed at Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo recent days.[Photo/Xinhua]

Tourists enjoy the show at the Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province. Snow Wonderland, a 3D snow-light show applying modern sound, light and digital technologies has been displayed at Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo recent days.[Photo/Xinhua]

Aerial photo taken on Jan. 3, 2018 shows the snow-light show at the Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province. Snow Wonderland, a 3D snow-light show applying modern sound, light and digital technologies has been displayed at Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo recent days.[Photo/Xinhua]

Photo taken on Jan 3, 2018 shows the snow-light show at the Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province. Snow Wonderland, a 3D snow-light show applying modern sound, light and digital technologies has been displayed at Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo recent days.[Photo/Xinhua]

Aerial photo taken on Jan. 3, 2018 shows the snow-light show at the Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province. Snow Wonderland, a 3D snow-light show applying modern sound, light and digital technologies has been displayed at Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo recent days.[Photo/Xinhua]
A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380, the worlds largest passenger plane, was forced to land at a small New York airport Thursday after the "bomb cyclone" storm system forced the closure of runways at John F. Kennedy International.

Singapore Airlines Flight 26, flying from Frankfurt, Germany to New York City, landed at Stewart International Airport in New Windsor  80 miles north of its intended destination, according to CNBC.

Manoel Gerlach, one of the 325 passengers on the flight, told CNBC that passengers were able to get off the plane at 5 p.m. using the outdoor stairs. He said he was traveling with his wife and toddler son.

Stewart International Airport bills itself as an efficient diversion airport, according to CNBC. The jumbo jet  and its 262-foot wingspan  is too big for the airports gates so passengers were forced to walk in the frigid temperatures to reach the terminal.

A Singapore Airlines spokesman said told CNBC they were planning on providing ground transportation for its passengers. The spokesman said the plane will eventually fly to JFK and then back to Germany.

The bomb cyclone storm system that trampled the Northeast forced the cancelation of more than 5,000 flights on Thursday and the cancelation of more than 1,000 flights on Friday, according to FlightAware.com.
The Carnival Triumph earned a rare distinction back in November: a failing grade from sanitation inspectors.

The Triumph  the same ship that ferried hundreds of passengers on an infamous poop cruise back in 2013  scored a 78 out of a possible 100 during the Nov. 11 inspection, which is 8 points short a passing grade, according to the Centers for Disease Controls report, released last week.

This effectively made the Carnival Triumph the second Carnival vessel to fail an inspection in 2017, after the Carnival Paradise scored an 83 in July, the Miami Herald reported. The Paradise earned a 96 in a re-inspection a few months later.

The Triumph underwent a recent re-inspection and received a passing score of 98 out of 100.

GASTROENTERITIS OUTBREAK ON SEA PRINCESS CRUISE SICKENS 200 PASSENGERS

The initial violations observed by the CDC inspectors aboard the Triumph in November included flies in the food prep area; food-contact surfaces and dishwashing equipment that were excessively soiled with debris; a water fountain soiled with an orange/yellow residue on the spouts; and dairy items like milk, yogurt and Brie cheese being stored at temperatures above 41 degrees F.

The Triumph was also cited for faulty tiles, grouting and machinery in the food-prep areas; condensation issues in food storage areas; and maintaining the pools water level at 2 inches below skim level, among other violations that contributed to a failing score.

As far as a large ship, I couldnt tell you the last time this happened, cruise expert Stewart Chiron, aka The Cruise Guy, told the Herald. Thats how rare this is.

FATAL TOUR BUS ACCIDENT IN MEXICO SPARKS CONCERN OVER CRUISE-SANCTIONED ACTIVITIES

Carnival submitted a corrective action statement less than a week after its initial inspection, detailing how it went about resolving each violation listed in the CDCs report.

Jennifer De La Cruz, a spokesman for Carnival Cruise Lines, has since released a statement outlining Carnivals intentions to remedy the Triumphs violations.

"Following Carnival Cruise Lines established policies and procedures, corrective action was taken immediately and a corrective-action report has been provided to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which administers the Vessel Sanitation Program. Carnival has requested re-inspection as soon as possible," said De La Cruz in a statement obtained by Fox News.

The health and well-being of our guests and crew is Carnival Cruise Lines highest priority, and on the extremely rare occasion when one of our ships has an unsatisfactory score, we initiate immediate and aggressive corrective action and closely examine the factors involved to ensure full understanding among all team members.

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This wouldnt be the first time sanitation issues put the Carnival Triumph in the news. While at sea with over 4,200 passengers in February 2013, the ship lost power due to a fire in the engine room, leaving the ship adrift off the coast of Mexico. Passengers later reported sewage backing up onto the floors, leading the media to dub the voyage the poop cruise.

Other liners, including the Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas and Princess Cruise Line's Sun Princess made news in late 2017 due to outbreaks of gastroenteritis among passengers, with around 200 coming down with stomach issues on each respective liner during voyages in Dec. 2017 and early Jan. 2018.
In the aftermath of a Costa Rican plane crash that killed 10 Americans this week, the former head of the National Transportation Safety Board has a stark message for U.S. citizens who think about signing up for such flights: Dont do it.

"These private tourist flights do not have the type of oversight and regulation that we have with commercial aviation in the United States," James Hall said in a telephone interview with Fox News. "The average tourist is not going to be able to make a determination about the safety of these flights, he added.

Backroads, a Berkeley, Calif.--based travel company, booked the flight on Nature Air, a domestic carrier, for the Steinberg and Weiss families. In a statement on their website, the company said it has been "running active travel adventures in Costa Rica for more than 25 years," and it expressed its condolences over the deaths. A spokeswoman from Backroads declined to comment further when contacted Friday.

Other U.S.-based adventure travel companies, such as Austin Adventures, also use Nature Air in vacation packages for American tourists in Costa Rica.

At 12:10 p.m. on New Year's Eve, the Cessna plane operated by Nature Air took off from the runway at Punta Islita Airport and crashed into a mountain moments later, killing 10 Americans and two Costa Rican pilots. On board the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan were Bruce and Irene Steinberg of Scarsdale, N.Y., and their three sons, as well as four members of the Weiss family from Belleair, Fla., and their tour guide, Amanda Geissler.

While the cause of the crash is under investigation, Costa Rican authorities said strong winds or mechanical problems most likely brought the single-engine turboprop plane down as it left the Pacific Coast for San Jose, the capital. The NTSB told Fox News two of its investigators are assisting the Costa Ricans with the probe, as well as two representatives from Cessna and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The crash -- Nature Air's second since September -- underscores major concerns over the safety and regulation of such flights, popular among adventure-seeking tourists visiting secluded beaches and remote parts of the world, according to U.S. aviation experts.

"When we go to other countries there is very little transparency when it comes to the type of service were getting and its really hard for anyone in that country or outsiders who dont speak the language to do any research," said Deborah Hersman, a former board member of the NTSB who served as its 12th chairman.

"The statement that ignorance is bliss doesnt apply here," she said.

Among the chief concerns raised by Hersman and others are pilot experience, the safety record of the company and the age and maintenance of the aircraft.

U.S. officials stressed the importance of annual simulator programs for pilots hired for such tourism flights -- meaning they must undergo training courses at a facility where they can fly in a simulator and practice emergency procedures.

Aviation experts say it's also important to know if the operator is using a TBO -- Time Before Overhaul -- extension program on their engines. Most engines need to be disassembled, inspected and have many of its components replaced after 3,600 hours of engine operation.

"We have seen a significantly higher percentage of engine failures that are on TBO extension programs," Ladd Sanger, a prominent Texas-based aviation attorney, told Fox News.

"Ive seen them fail at around 5,400 and 6,000 miles," said Sanger, who has represented a number of families involved in single-engine tourist crashes in other countries, including one with Nature Air in 2005.

Sanger explained that high frequency flights in salt water, corrosive environments, like Costa Rica, "put a lot of wear and tear and stress on the engine. Prudent operators are not doing TBO extensions on their engines," he said.

For many travelers, flights on regional airlines are arranged by resorts, cruise lines or travel companies -- making it difficult for American tourists to check safety records or investigate the regulation of such airlines. In September, an American and another passenger died when a single-engine Cessna operated by Nature Air crashed in a river in Guanacaste.

A Nature Air spokesman did not respond to an interview request.

Dan Austin, president Austin Adventures, said Friday that his company and others are "obligated and its part of our DNA to properly vet all transportation and that includes everything from buses, ships and planes."

"At this point it looks like a horrible accident," Austin said of the crash. "Nature Air has traditionally been a very quality organization. They take 100,000 passengers a year. And Backroads is a quality company as well."

Still, Sanger and others remain skeptical over tourism airlines that do not meet the same standards as those in the U.S.

"Its very hard for the consumer to be able to vet and understand the pilot training of any of these operators,' said Sanger. "Even as a commercial licensed pilot, I dont have access to such information  how they train their pilots and what kinds of maintenance practices they use."

"You need to understand that your risk of getting on a single engine aircraft being operated in a third world country is significantly higher than flying on a commercial airliner with two jet engines and two professional pilots in the United States," he said.
Hilton is joining the ranks of several other hotels that have recently announced theyre updating their Do Not Disturb policy to ensure guest and hotel safety.

The hotel chain will now have staff members alert security or a manager if a guest has the Do Not Disturb sign posted for more than 24 consecutive hours, USA Today reports. Previously, the company would allow several days to pass before entering a guests room if the sign was on the door.

CALIFORNIA HOTEL OFFERS PUPPY CUDDLES ON DEMAND

Hilton will be required to notify guests of the new policy, providing them with documentation that reads: We understand and respect your need for privacy. The hotel reserves the right to visually inspect all guest rooms every 24 hours to ensure the well-being of our guests and confirm the condition of the room. If service is refused for this length of time, a member of hotel management will check on the guest room.

This wave of change amongst hotels comes just a few months after Octobers deadly shooting in Las Vegas, in which a guest at the Mandalay Bay resort opened fire from his 32nd floor suite on a crowd of people attending a music festival.

While Hilton didnt acknowledge the attack as the reason for their policy change, other hotels have made similar security modifications since the shooting, USA Today reports.

Three Walt Disney World hotels  the Grand Floridian, and the Polynesian and Contemporary resorts near Magic Kingdom  removed the Do Not Disturb signs altogether and replaced them with Room Occupied" signs. These alert hotel staff that a guest is in the room but does not prevent them from entering.

The sign accompanies another new policy requiring Disney employees to enter each room at least once a day to ensure the safety and security of guests and property, Walt Disney World News Today reports.

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Additionally, Wynn Resorts require staff to enter a room if the Do Not Disturb sign has been in place for at least 12 straight hours, USA Today reports.
Jet Airways has ultimately decided to terminate the employment of two employees who got into a heated in-flight fight on New Year's Day, during which the male co-pilot allegedly slapped his female commander and later left the cockpit completely unattended.

"Consequent to the review of the events  Jet Airways has terminated services of both the cockpit crew with immediate effect," said the airline in a statement obtained by the AFP.

Jet Airways had initially grouned the two pilots following an incident during a 9-hour trip from London to Mumbai on Jan 1. During the altercation, which occurred shortly after takeoff, the male co-pilot allegedly slapped the aircrafts female commander, prompting her to leave the cockpit of the Boeing 777 in tears, according to sources for The Times of India.

SPIRIT AIRLINES PASSENGER ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING WOMAN WHILE SHE SLEPT

She stood in the galley sobbing, said a source. The cabin crew tried to comfort her and send her back to the cockpit, but in vain.

The male co-pilot, still in the cockpit, then called out over the intercom for the commander to come back to the controls. When she wouldnt, the co-pilot violated aviation safety rules and exited the cockpit himself  effectively leaving no one at the controls  to persuade her to return, per the Associated Press.

The woman reportedly returned to the cockpit with the co-pilot, only to exit again a little while later. This time, the planes crew was quite afraid of what was happening between the two senior commanders, as were the passengers in the cabin, sources say.

PILOT PROPOSES TO FLIGHT ATTENDANT IN FRONT OF PASSENGERS

The flight crew eventually managed to coax the woman back into the captains seat, and the plane landed safely in Mumbai just after midnight on Jan. 2.

The airline later confirmed that both pilots were reported to Indias Directorate of General Civil Aviation over the misunderstanding on the flight, but claimed that the altercation was resolved amicably.

At Jet Airways, safety of guests, crew and assets is of paramount importance and the airline has zero tolerance for any action of its employees that compromises safety, the airline said in an earlier statement to The Times of India.

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The Directorate of General Civil Aviation, or the DGCA, had confirmed the suspension of the male co-pilots license at the time. The DGCA and the airline subsequently investigated the incident, which the DGCA had called a serious issue.
A United Airlines flight was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Alaska on Thursday night, and it's all because of one crappy passenger.

United flight 895 was en route from Chicago to Hong Kong when a male passenger began smearing feces across two of the aircrafts lavatories and then tried to flush a shirt down one of the toilets, according to police at the Anchorage International Airport, KTUU reported.

CARNIVAL TRIUMPH, AKA THE 'POOP CRUISE' SHIP, FAILS SANITARY INSPECTION

The plane was forced to divert to Anchorage, and the flight to Hong Kong was ultimately canceled due to operational difficulties in the plane, KTUU added.

Airport police said that the man cooperated with the flight crew following the incident and was also cooperative with the FBI officials who questioned him upon landing.

The man was transported to Providence Hospital for evaluation. He was not arrested, police confirmed.

United Airlines has since released a statement confirming that it is currently working to get passengers to their intended destination.

"United flight 895, traveling from Chicago to Hong Kong, diverted to Anchorage last night due to a disruptive passenger," a spokesman for United told Fox News. "Authorities met the aircraft upon its arrival at the gate. We provided hotel accommodations for our customers and are working to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible."

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The soiled aircraft, a Boeing 777, was handled by maintenance facilities overnight, KTVA reported.
On one of the coldest nights of the year, New York Citys deadliest residential fire in decades ravaged a Bronx apartment building  killing 13 people, including several young children and a U.S. Army soldier who lost his own life after saving several others.

Some of the victims of the Dec. 28 blaze died of smoke inhalation and others from burns, New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro told reporters. He said the fire was started by a 3 1/2-year-old child, who was playing with stove burners in a first-floor apartment.

The fire was historic in its magnitude because of how many people perished, Nigro also said. Excluding the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the apartment fire was the worst blaze in the city since 87 people died in a fire at a Bronx social club in 1990. In 2007, 10 people, including nine children, died when a fire caused by a space heater tore through a four-story home in the Bronx.

The fire traveled up the buildings stairwell because the door of the affected first-floor unit was left open, Nigro said.

People had very little time to react, Nigro said, adding that residents were not able to escape the fire by using that staircase.

Our hearts go out to every person who lost a loved one here and everyone who is fighting for their lives, Nigro said.

Officials released the names of all 12 victims Saturday, Dec. 30, but some had been identified shortly after the tragedy by family members. A 13th victim was named on Thursday, Jan. 4 after dying in a hospital from his injuries.

Heres what we know about the victims:

Young girls ages 7 months, 2 and 7, and a boy whose age was not given, were among the victims of the Bronx fire, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. A 17-year-old girl also died, police told Fox News.

Three women, ages 19, 37 and 58, four men, 28, 48, 49 and 54, also died in the fire, police said.

Four others were hospitalized, battling for survival, but a 27-year-old man succumbed to his injuries days later.

Emmanuel Mensah, 28

Emmanuel Mensah, who was at the Bronx apartment building to be home for the holidays, died in the fire. His father, Kwabena Mensah told WPIX-TV that his son, who was a U.S. Army soldier stationed in Virginia, lost his life while trying to rescue others.

His uncle, Twum Bredu, told The New York Times "he brought four people out. When he went to bring a fifth person out, the fire caught up with him."

Mensah immigrated to the Bronx from Ghana five years ago, and, according to The Times, recently graduated from boot camp with the rank of private first class. Authorities reportedly said he died of smoke inhalation.

Shantay Young, 19

Shantay Young was 19 years old.

Young was visiting family members on the fifth floor of the apartment building when the fire began, her father, Howard Williams, told WABC-TV. He said he attempted to get to his daughter but was unable to push through the smoke.

Shevan Stewart, a family member, told the New York Times that she was cooking curry chicken and rice when Young popped into her apartment to see what she was making. Stewart said Young informed her that she was going upstairs to visit Auntie Karan but promised to come back.

But she didnt come back, Stewart told The Times.

Karen Stewart-Francis, 37

Karen Stewart-Francis and her two daughters were among those who died in the fire, The Times reported.

Stewart-Francis was part of a 13-member family from Jamaica, all of whom lived in the building, her mother, Ambrozia Stewart, told The Times.

I dont know what to do and I dont know how to feel. I need somebody to tell me what to feel, Stewart told The Times of her loss. Where do I go from here? Four at one time  what do I do?

Stewart-Francis was also Shawntay Youngs aunt, according to WABC-TV.

Charmela Francis, 7

Charmela Francis mother and younger sister also died in the fire. She was only 7.

Kylie Francis, 2

Kylie Francis mother and older sister also died in the fire. Kylie Francis was 2.

Maria Batiz, 58

Maria Batiz and her 8-month-old granddaughter, Amora Vidal, died, her brother told the New York Daily News.

Maria Batiz reportedly called her daughter, the babys mother, and told her they were trapped in the apartment, according to a GoFundMe account.

Maria told her daughter that were going to die in here, her brother, Fernando Batiz, told the Daily News.

I lost my angel baby and my best friend; my mother. The lady who birthed me and would do anything for me is gone, Christine Batiz, Marias daughter, said on GoFundMe. She added that she would not wish this on my worst enemy and said her heart goes out to the rest of the families that are grieving.

Fernando Batiz told WPIX-TV that his sister, who worked as a home care attendant, was often selfless and helped him when he was homeless.

Maria Batiz came to New York from Puerto Rico, her brother said, and was one of 10 siblings  some of whom still live in Puerto Rico.

Amora Vidal, 7 months old

Amora Vidal, the 7-month-old granddaughter of victim Maria Batiz, died in the fire, relatives confirmed to WPIX.

Vidal's mother, Christine Batiz, wrote on a GoFundMe page: I lost everything in a matter of minutes. One thing you know my daughter is playing with her new toys [and] the next hour they are gone from my life.

The baby's paternal grandmother, Nyvia Vidal, told the Daily News Amora was just learning to crawl.

"She was my love, Vidal said. She was my first grandbaby. It just hurts so much. I still cant believe it.

Police identified the remaining victims on Dec. 30. They included William Donkor, Hannah Donkor, 17, Gabriel Yaw Sarkookie, 48, Solomon Donkor, 49, and Justice Opoku, 54.

Holt Francis, 27, died in a hospital Jan. 4 after succumbing to his injuries.

Fox News' Nicole Darrah, Pamela Ng and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A small bakery in Pennsylvania that's been sending cookies to military members overseas for 20 years hopes to send a record number of cookies in 2018.

I always had a soft spot for the boys over there, Nancy Bertram of Nancy Bs Bakery in Pittsburgh told Fox News.

106-MILE 'FREEDOM RUCK' RAISES AWARENESS FOR NAVY SEALS

Bertram and her son, Michael Runco, say they expect to send at least 200 dozen cookies this year, triple the amount they sent in 2017.

The idea started in 1990 when family members requested cookies for their son who was based in Iraq while serving in the Army, Bertram told Fox News. Years later, the serviceman drove from his new home in Michigan to the Pittsburgh bakery.

I couldnt get over the fact that he drove...from there to here just to say 'thank you, Runco says.

Since then, the bakery has been sending cookies every year, on its own dime, Bertram told Fox News.

You would think youre giving them a million dollars and it's just cookies, she said of the response, adding that many service members send photos of the cookies from wherever theyre based.

Nancy Bs Bakery cookies have reached Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, among other places. The destinations are based on phone requests and in-person requests by people who know someone serving abroad. At least five dozen cookies can fit in each box, enough for several members stationed at a base, they say.

Nancy says customers have now caught on to the bakerys efforts and have pitched in for the shipping, which they say can cost anywhere between $25 and $35 per box.

People come in and put money in a tip jar, she says.

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It can take three weeks for a shipment to reach a base in Afghanistan, Nancy says, but she says her cookies can stay fresh for up to six weeks.

Afghanistan seems so far and everything but it came out really good, she told Fox News of a previous cookie delivery.

Nancy and her son say they want to expand their cookie deliveries this year because they say everyone knows someone serving overseas.

You gotta do something good, you know, Nancy said.
A retired California sheriffs employee was shot at his home early Thursday morning after he heard a knock at his front door and went to see who was there, police said.

The former Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department employee, believed to be in his 70s, was at his home in Redondo Beach when the shooting happened around midnight, FOX11 LA reported. He reportedly had heard a knock at the door.

"Someone knocked on his door, there was an exchange of asking him who lives there," Police Lt. Shawn Freeman told the outlet. "The next thing that happened, according to the victim, is he's shot through his side window."

The shooter asked the homeowner for someone by name before firing the weapon, striking the man in the chest and wrist, according to NBC4LA.

The gunman fled the scene.

Redondo Beach police said the victim was transported to the hospital for surgery, but his condition is unknown, Fox 11 reported.

"The victim reported to the Redondo Beach Police Department that he is a retired Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputy," Freeman told the outlet.

Authorities reportedly confirmed that the victim was formerly employed by the department, adding he retired in 1978, but they said they haven't uncovered a connection to the incident.

"No nexus between the victim's prior employment and this shooting is known, as the motive and circumstances leading up to the shooting are still under investigation," Freeman told Fox 11.

Police said the victim described the shooting suspect as a five foot five Hispanic man, and a witness reportedly said they saw a white man.
A Connecticut man is facing animal cruelty charges after he allegedly ripped the heads off of 20 chickens during a jealous rage on Christmas Day after viewing pictures of other people hanging out with his wife, police say.

Authorities in Milford said Gregory Ulrich, 28, also smashed the windows of cars with an ax while leaning out of a car driven by John Budnovitch, 21.

Ulrich was highly intoxicated and was in a jealous rage, Officer Michael DeVito told the Hartford Courant. He banged [the chickens] on the ground to kill them and snapped the heads off.

Both men were arrested Wednesday. Ulrich faces numerous charges, including 20 counts of cruelty to animals. Budnovitch was charged with conspiracy to commit cruelty to animals, among other charges. The pair posted bail and were set to appear in Milford Superior Court on Jan. 30.

DeVito said Ulrich had Budnovitch drive to the homes of people that sparked his anger and swung an ax at their car windows. The two allegedly engaged in the behavior after Ulrich left a bar early Christmas morning.

The pair then traveled to a home with chickens and Ulrich killed them and left some of their heads lying around on the owners property. Others were placed in a bag as Ulrich claimed he would boil and eat them, DeVito told the Hartford Courant.

At another home with chickens, Ulrich tore off the doors of a coop to get to them, police added.

DeVito said Ulrichs wife was not harmed during the alleged episode. Both men have past criminal records and Ulrich recently served six months in jail stemming from firearms convictions.
A nine-digit number found at the bottom of a letter believed to be sent by the mysterious plane hijacker D.B. Cooper came from a San Diego man who is still alive, the leader of an investigative team said.

Thomas Colbert, a TV producer who helped put together the 40-member team, told Seattle PI on Thursday that the persons name is Robert Rackstraw, an Army veteran.

The code was discovered on the bottom of a fifth letter allegedly sent by Cooper after he hijacked a Northwest Orient Boeing 727 on Nov. 24, 1971, according to Seattle PI.

Colbert told the newspaper that the man who sent the letter may have put the code into the letter to signal to possible co-conspirators that he was alive.

Colbert claims that the code refers to three specific Army units Rackstraw was connected to during his military service. One of Rackstraws former commanders told Colbert that Rackstraw would have learned some encryption codes before being pulled from the unit, according to Seattle PI.

I think the coding thing is remarkable, but I'm a hard skeptic, Dorwin Schreuder, a former FBI agent who worked on the Cooper mystery in the 1980s, told Seattle PI. The circumstances of those codes being what Tom says they are, that he says nobody but him would know these units and these figures, if it's true that's pretty hard to argue against. Rackstraw might be his guy.

The FBI released the fifth letter in November, which featured the typed number 717171684 opposite the name Wash Post in the bottom left corner. Colberts team appeared to have linked the number to Rackstraw.

Investigators questioned Rackstraw about the Cooper case in 1978 and eliminated him as a suspect.

In March 2017, Rackstraw sent the judge presiding over Colberts FOIA lawsuit against the FBI a rambling 9-page letter that the judge took to be a motion to intervene in the case. In his letter, Rackstraw said that he was not D. B. Cooper and accused Colbert of ruining his life.

The judge responded to the letter by issuing a ruling that rejected Rackstraw's motion.

Later that July, Rackstraw sent another letter to the court in which he again said he was not the hijacker.

In 1971  the night before Thanksgiving -- a man calling himself Dan Cooper, wearing a black tie and a suit, boarded a Seattle-bound Boeing 727 in Oregon and told a flight attendant he had a bomb in a briefcase. He gave her a note demanding ransom.

After the plane landed he released the 36 passengers in exchange for $200,000 in ransom money and parachutes. The ransom was paid in $20 bills.

The hijacker then ordered the plane to fly to Mexico, but near the Washington-Oregon border he jumped and was never seen or heard from again.

Nine years later a boy found a rotting package full of $20 bills near the Columbia River on the same border. The $5,800 matched the ransom money serial numbers.

The FBI has never ruled out the possibility that the hijacker was killed in the jump -- which took place in a rainstorm at night, in rough wooded terrain. The hijacker's clothing and footwear were also unsuitable for a rough landing.

Over the years the most lasting image of Cooper, who became somewhat of a legend, may be the two sketches the FBI released of the suspect.

Fox News Robert Gearty and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
A man arrested in California has been charged with impersonating a police officer after pulling over a driver who turned out to be a real off-duty cop, Visalia authorities said.

The off-duty sergeant was driving in Tulare around 11:45 p.m. Monday when the suspect, identified as Brandon Freeman, 29, flashed red lights on his 2008 white Buick sedan and signaled the sergeant to pull over, the Fresno Bee reported.

Instead, the sergeant continued to drive and communicated with on-duty officers to instead stop Freemans car, the newspaper reported.

Freeman also faces other unspecified charges, the report said.

A passenger in Freemans car was also arrested on outstanding felony warrants.

Click here for more from the Fresno Bee.
A federal judge dismissed all charges against Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, his two sons and another man on Monday after accusing prosecutors of willfully withholding evidence from Bundys lawyers.

U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro cited "flagrant prosecutorial misconduct" in her decision to dismiss all charges against the Nevada rancher and three others.

"The court finds that the universal sense of justice has been violated," Navarro said.

Either the government lied or [its actions were] so grossly negligent as to be tantamount to lying."  Judge Andrew Napolitano

Bundy's supporters cheered as he walked out of court a free man, hugging his wife. He said he'd been jailed for 700 days as a "political prisoner" for refusing to acknowledge federal authority over the land around his cattle ranch.

On Dec. 20, Navarro declared a mistrial in the high-profile Bundy case. It was only the latest, stunning development in the saga of the Nevada rancher, who led a tense, armed standoff with federal officials trying to take over his land. The clash served as a public repudiation of the federal government.

The Brady rule, named after the landmark 1963 Supreme Court case known as Brady vs. Maryland, holds that failure to disclose such evidence violates a defendants right to due process.

In this case the failures to comply with Brady were exquisite, extraordinary, said Fox News legal analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano. The judge exercised tremendous patience.

The 71-year-old Bundys battle with the federal government eventually led to what became known as the Bundy standoff of 2014. But it began long before that.

In the early 1990s, the U.S. government limited grazing rights on federal lands in order to protect the desert tortoise habitat. In 1993, Bundy, in protest, refused to renew his permit for cattle grazing, and continued grazing his livestock on these public lands. He didnt recognize the authority of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) over the sovereign state of Nevada.

The federal courts sided with the BLM, and Bundy didnt seem to have a legal leg to stand on. Nevertheless, the rancher and the government continued this dispute for 20 years, and Bundy ended up owing over $1 million in fees and fines.

Things came to a head in 2014, when officials planned to capture and impound cattle trespassing on government land. Protesters, many armed, tried to block the authorities, which led to a standoff. For a time, they even shut down a portion of I-15, the main interstate highway running through Southern Nevada.

Tensions escalated until officials, fearing for the general safety, announced they would return Bundys cattle and suspend the roundup.

Afterward, Bundy continued to graze his cattle and not pay fees. He and his fellow protesters were heroes to some, but criminals to the federal government. Bundy, along with others seen as leaders of the standoff, including sons Ammon and Ryan and militia member Ryan Payne, were charged with numerous felonies, including conspiracy, assault on a federal officer and using a firearm in a violent crime. They faced many years in prison.

The Bundy case finally went to trial last October. But just two months later, it ended with Navarro angry, the feds humiliated and Bundy  at least to his supporters  vindicated.

Navarro had suspended the trial earlier and warned of a mistrial when prosecutors released information after a discovery deadline. Overall, the government was late in handing over more than 3,300 pages of documents. Further, some defense requests for information that ultimately came to light had been ridiculed by prosecutors as fantastical and a fishing expedition.

Either the government lied or [its actions were] so grossly negligent as to be tantamount to lying, Napolitano said. This happened over and over again.

Navarro said Monday it was clear the FBI was involved in the prosecution and it was not a coincidence that most of the evidence that was held back  which would have worked in Bundys favor  came from the FBI, AZCentral reported.

The newspaper said after the courtroom doors opened following Navarros ruling, a huge cheer went up from a crowd of spectators that had gathered outside.

Fox News Greg Norman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A former Fremont, Calif., gym teacher who pleaded no contest to having sex with a minor in 2016 could avoid serving jail time as a part of her plea deal.

Corine Audiat, 32, pleaded no contest on Dec. 19 to two felony charges, including statutory rape and oral copulation of a person under 18, in exchange for the dismissal of five other charges, the Mercury News reported.

Audiat was arrested in 2016 after police launched an investigation following a tip that the former Washington High School physical education teacher was involved with a male student.

She was arrested and booked but later released after posting bail.

A lawsuit filed earlier this year against the Fremont Unified School District accused Audiat of grooming, flirtation, sending text messages and open displays of affection with her students, the paper reported.

Audiat is set to be sentenced Feb. 9 and could serve up to 180 days in county jail, but a judge could offer her time served outside of jail, electronically monitored, the DailyMail reported.

She also faces up to five years probation and will be forced to register as a sex offender in California.

A spokeswoman for the Alameda County District Attorneys Office, Teresa Drenick, said that Audiat could be hit with other fees, fines and restitution as determined by the judge, but wouldn't further explain the plea deal.

We dont get into the background as to why weve decided to let somebody plead with a certain negotiated deal, she said.
A Marine Corps veteran and his wife are fighting their Texas homeowners association after the group refused to allow them to fly their American and Marine Corps flags outside their home.

Cpl. Michael Pereira, who served three tours in Iraq from 2002 to 2009, moved into a Kingdom Heights subdivision in Rosenberg, Texas ,about two months ago with his wife.

After moving in, they proudly displayed the two flags in the driveway of their home.

MARINE VETERAN AMPUTEE REACHES SUMMIT OF MOUNT KILIMANJARO: ITS THE CLOSEST THING TO GETTING TO HEAVEN

They represent this county. They represent a brotherhood I was a part of, Pereira told KPRC. [They] show respect for all the people I went to war with and the ones that didnt come back.

Pereira said he would raise the flags every morning and would lower them every night. He never expected it would be a problem with the homeowners association.

Until now.

"I'm guessing somebody didn't like it or someone reported it or something, because I got a call from the property manager who works for the homeowners association asking me to take them down," he said.

Pereira has asked the property management liaison for an exemption to any association rules regarding flags. He was told to fill out a construction modification request.

DISABLED VETERAN'S HOMELESS PROJECT GROWS INTO MOVEMENT

Pereira is still waiting to hear back from the HOA, but said he would not hesitate to fight to fly the flags outside his home.

"If they're going to take them down, it's going to be a fight to take them down, and no one fights harder than a veteran combat Marine," Pereira said. "If they don't get those rules changed, I'm going to start a petition to get the rules changed.

Terry Sears, an attorney representing Kingdom Heights, told Fox News in a statement that the property manager's issue was not with the flags, but with the flagpoles.

"In this particular case [Pereira] installed two 20 [foot-long] flag poles [sic] on both sides of his driveway (one on each side) without first submitting the plans or seeking approval," Sears said. "The problem is that one of the poles is in a utility easement, both poles are within the 25 [feet] building setback line and the restrictions (and Texas Property Code) only allow for the installation of one flag pole."

Sears added that, "We have already reached out to the Veteran to let him know that the issue is not the flags and are awaiting a response. We are certainly willing to continue to work with this Veteran in relocating one of his poles and would be remise [sic] if we did not take this opportunity to thank him for his personal sacrifice and service to our Country."
Welcome to the Met. That'll be $25, please.

Beginning March 1, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is changing its longtime voluntary admissions policy. It will now charge a mandatory $25 for most out-of-staters, while keeping its "pay-what-you-wish" policy for New Yorkers.

However, the museum noted that students, children and seniors will still be admitted for a lower price, and the mandatory fee will be good for three consecutive days instead of one.

The voluntary fee has made the Met an affordable destination for art lovers since its founding in 1870.

Daniel Weiss, the Mets president and CEO, said the projected extra revenue, estimated to be $6 million to $11 million per year, would help bring long-term financial stability to the institution.

The Met has a $305 million operating budget, but registered a shortfall of about $10 million in its most recent fiscal year.

The goal of the policy is to find a better balance for the institution, Weiss said. The current policy has failed.

The number of people willing to pay a suggested donation of $25 has declined substantially in recent years.

The fee change will affect about 30 percent of the museums visitors, as the rest are state residents, Met members, or part of a tour group.

The formal change also follows years of debate and litigation over its admissions policies.

Michael Dysart, a retired psychotherapist visiting the museum, said its a complicated issue, because everyone needs more money now - all the institutions.

They need to be financially secure, but at what cost? Whats the trade-off? he said.

Paola Borri, a 51-year-old accountant, is visiting from Italy.

We think art education should be a free, open door for everybody, not only for those who have more money, Borri said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A man accused of shooting a pregnant woman in North Carolina who later gave birth has turned himself in.

The Davidson County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post that 18-year-old Joshua Kaleb Norman was taken into custody Thursday. It said he was wanted on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon after Wednesday's shooting of 21-year-old Haley Causey.

Sheriff David Grice says Causey, who was eight months pregnant, was shot in the chest and delivered her baby via cesarean section. Her father, Christopher Teal, told WGHP-TV that mother and child are in stable condition but both are experiencing medical problems.

Authorities said in local news reports that Norman and two others went to Causey's apartment seeking money when the shooting occurred.

It's unclear if Norman has a lawyer.
A private school in western New York revealed Friday that 10 teachers had improper relationships with students over five decades.

Nichols School in Buffalo said the findings resulted from an investigation it began in May after a former student reported a yearslong sexual relationship with a teacher in the early 1990s that began when she was 17.

A second former student also recently wrote to administrators, saying she reported concerns about the first woman's relationship three times while in school but was ignored.

"By openly and fully acknowledging what occurred, we seek to provide these victims with validation for their courage to speak," Board of Trustees Chairman Jeff Meyer and Head of School Bill Clough wrote in releasing an 85-page report by the Washington, D.C., law firm Crowell & Moring.

None of the accused still teaches, the school said.

The report describes a prior lack of understanding of predatory "grooming" behaviors and said staff ignored red flags, like the unusual amount of time some teachers were known to spend with students in and out of school. Rampant rumors went uninvestigated, the report said, and faculty who did raise concerns experienced or feared retaliation by senior administrators. No one inquired about the well-being of the students involved, it said.

"Virtually all of the perpetrators ... used the school's hallmark, i.e., a school where teachers become 'mentors for life,' as a license to inappropriately fraternize, or to pursue inappropriate relationships, with students, and seemed unconcerned that school administrators would intervene or question them about appropriate professional boundaries," the report said.

The law firm said it interviewed 76 people who responded to open requests by Nichols for information about misconduct. Investigators said the 10 cases they found dating from the 1960s to mid-2000s probably do not represent all instances of inappropriate behavior. Not all victims were willing to talk, they said, and memories had dimmed over time.

The report identified three past administrators they said should have taken action.
Authorities in Alabama said Friday they had launched an arson investigation after the home of a woman who accused Roy Moore of groping her nearly two decades ago burned to the ground Wednesday.

However, the Etowah County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that it did not believe the blaze at the home of Tina Johnson "is in any way related to Roy Moore or allegations made against him."

Johnson told AL.com Friday that the fire left her Gadsden home a total loss, saying she was "devastated, just devastated."

"We have just the clothes on our backs," she told the website.

Johnson and some of her neighbors told AL.com that a young man with a history of public intoxication was seen walking around the house before and during the blaze. According to Johnson, one neighbor told her that the man in question approached the neighbor and asked if she thought Johnson's house was going to burn.

The Etowah County Sheriff's Office said investigators were "speaking to a person of interest," but no arrest warrants had been obtained.

Johnson was one of several women who came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Moore, during last year's Alabama Senate runoff election campaign. The Republican Moore, a former chief justice of Alabama's Supreme Court, lost narrowly to Democratic candidate Doug Jones.

Johnson accused Moore of grabbing her buttocks in 1991 as she left his law office with her mother, who had hired Moore to handle a child custody dispute between Johnson and her then-husband.

"He didn't pinch it; he grabbed it," Johnson told AL.com in an article published Nov. 15. Johnson was 28 at the time of the alleged incident. Most of the allegations against Moore related to behavior with teenage girls in the late-1970s.

On Thursday, another Moore accuser filed a lawsuit against him. Leigh Corfman, who claimed Moore molested her when she was 14, alleged Moore and his campaign defamed her and made false statements as they denied her accusations.

"By this lawsuit, I seek to do what I could not do as a 14-year-old  hold Mr. Moore and those who enable him accountable," said Corfman, whose lawsuit asks Moore to publicly apologize.

Click for more from AL.com.
A California man held in connection with a Christmas Day bomb plot allegedly planned to "funnel people into an area in order to shoot them."

So says an indictment issued Thursday against Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, a Modesto tow-truck driver who was arrested Dec. 22, initially on charges of attempting to assist the Islamic State group, or ISIS.

The indictment by a U.S. District Court grand jury in Fresno replaces a criminal complaint against Jameson and alleges that he intended to use pipe bombs as part of a planned attack at Pier 39, a popular tourist area in San Francisco.

The FBI arrested Jameson after he allegedly discussed his plans with undercover agents, including one he thought was associated with ISIS, authorities said.

Jameson asked for remote timing devices from the person he believed was working for ISIS, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported, citing court records.

He told an undercover agent that Christmas Day would be "the perfect day to commit the attack and that he did not need an escape plan because he was ready to die," the newspaper reported, citing an FBI affidavit.

Assistant federal defender Charles Lee said he hadn't been presented with the evidence and that his office would investigate the possibility of an entrapment defense. He said the federal charges were built only on statements that Jameson posted on his Facebook page.

Lee said the FBI did not find any bomb-making materials when they searched Jameson's home, and that two rifles and a handgun were legally owned by a relative and were locked in a gun case where Jameson couldn't access them.

Lee said that Jameson told the FBI undercover employee: "I also don't think I can do this after all. I've reconsidered."

The FBI says Jameson was inspired by an Oct. 31 attack at a bike path in New York City and by a 2015 attack in San Bernardino, Calif., the Fresno Bee reported.

Jameson is set for a court hearing Friday and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted, the report said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is calling on the Army to honor a soldier who died last month while rescuing four people from a deadly Bronx fire.

Pfc. Emmanuel Mensah, 28, died tragically on December 28 after entering the blazed apartment building but not before making three trips inside where he was able to save four people, the Daily News reported.

Schumer penned a letter to the Army asking officials to honor Mensah with a posthumous award recognize the ultimate sacrifice made by the young soldier.

It is my sincere hope that the Department of the Army will honor and recognize one of their own who lived and died according to the highest ideals of their institution and of this country, he wrote.

The massive blaze was New York Citys deadliest residential fire in decades and was started when authorities say a young child was playing with a stove on the first floor.

Authorities say Mensah likely died from smoke inhalation on the 4th floor.
The Trump administration ashed the legal marijuana industry's budding flame Thursday, announcing it would end an Obama-era policy to tread lightly when enforcing federal cannabis laws.

States that have legalized marijuana for recreational use -- including Washington, Colorado and California  immediately cried foul.

California's law, creating the worlds largest legal pot market, had just taken effect New Years Day.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announcement allows federal prosecutors to consider bringing marijuana cases, but falls short of ordering them to do so. Justice Departmnent officials did not say whether pot shops and legal growers would be targeted.

Sessions, a long-time opponent of marijuana while serving in the U.S. Senate, and some law enforcement officials blame the legalization of marijuana for a number of problems, including the trafficking of black market weed.

Authorities also fear an uptick in stoned drivers and worry that widespread acceptance of the drug could increase its youth appeal.

Sessions' move would remove the Ogden and Cole memos set forth by the Obama administration. The Ogden memo directed U.S. attorneys to take a hands-off approach in dealing with patients in compliance with medical marijuana systems. The Cole memo allowed states to legalize marijuana sales to adults.

Advocates for the drug -- which in federal law is classified in the same category as heroin -- have argued that it has medicinal qualities and causes less harm than alcohol. They have said the government needs to instead focus on rampant opioid abuse and contend that a regulated marijuana market woudl help reduce crime by eliminating the need for a black market.

Lawmakers on the federal and state levels who back legal marijuana disavowed Sessions announcement, with some state officials insisting their state's policies toward the cannabis business will not change.

Here is a roundup of reactions.

Washington state

Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, vowed at a news conference Thursday that state officials will use every single power at our disposal to preserve and protect the mission statement Washington state voters gave us.

Inslee touted the states marijuana market, which was legalized in November 2012 with first shop opening in July 2014, calling the system among the best regulated and disciplined, the Seattle Times reported.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson called Sessions announcement deeply disappointing, but was left puzzled by Sessions' plans regarding the Ogden and Cole memos.

I understand hes removed the Cole memo and Ogden memo, Ferguson said. He wasnt announcing anything broader than that. It leaves wide open, what exactly does he mean by doing this?

Republican state Sen. Ann Rivers said Sessions announcement was misguided and hoped to come up with a plan that would work for both the federal and state governments.

According to the states treasury department, Washington collected $280 million in marijuana taxes so far in fiscal 2017  $8 million more than projected.

Colorado

Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner did not waste any time blasting Sessions' move. He accused the attorney general of tramping on the will of Colorado's voters and said Sessions contradicted what he said during his confirmation hearing.

I am prepared to take all steps necessary, including holding DOJ nominees, until the attorney general lives up to the commitment he made to me prior to his confirmation, Gardner said.

Colorados U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer vowed to stay the course with the states approach to prosecution.

Prosecutors there have always focused on marijuana crimes that "create the greatest safety threats" and will continue to be guided by that, he said.

Washington and Colorado were the first states to legalize marijuana.

Since Colorado's marijuana shops opened in 2014, tax revenue from pot sales has increased from $67 million that year to more than $225 million in 2017, according to a government website.

California

Voters in California approved marijuana legalization in 2016, but officials did not allow pot shops to open until Jan. 1, 2018, with officials projecting that tax revenue could exceed $1 billion annually.

In California, we decided it was best to regulate, not criminalize, cannabis, state Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement, the Sacramento Bee reported. We intend to vigorously enforce our states laws and protect our states interests.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu, a frequent critic of the Trump administration, took a shot at Sessions on Twitter, advising him to have the Justice Department focus on any other topic.

However, at least one California sheriff welcomed Sessions plan.

Yuba County Sheriff Steve Durfor said he hoped Sessions' policy signaled a new willingness of federal authorities to help the region enforce marijuana laws.

He said his department near Sacramento has struggled to combat illegal pot operations in the region. Officers destroyed a record 30,000 plants last year, surpassing the previous record of 8,800 plants in 2016, he said.

Industry on edge

Sessions guidance caused marijuana-related stocks to plummet, reversing a weeks-long rally fueled by optimism surrounding Californias entrance into the market.

Jeff Sessions' decision to rescind the Cole memoranda puts the marijuana industry and marijuana legalization efforts in a precarious position, said Aaron Herzberg, a California lawyer and founder of the cannabis investment company CalCann Holding.

Brent Kenyon, a consultant who helps advise and establish recreational marijuana businesses in Oregon, said his phone was ringing all day with calls from worried clients.

I'm just telling people to hold off. We need more information, we need to see what the president is going to say about this, he said.

Steve DeAngelo, owner of California's largest marijuana retailer, said that, for now, it would be business as usual at his Harborside dispensary in Oakland.

I think the main impact of this is really going to be on investors, more than anything else, he said. Some investors might get a bit nervous about putting more money into the cannabis industry until the situation resolves itself.

Fox News Adam Shaw and Jake Gibson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
A former New Jersey high school teacher accused of sexual misconduct with six teenage boys is now the focus of three lawsuits filed against her and the school district she was once employed at.

Nicole Dufault, 38, who was arrested in July 2014, is named in the civil suits along with South Orange Maplewood School District, Tap Into reported. Dufault, a former language arts teacher at Columbia High School in Maplewood, N.J., for about nine years, was accused of sexually assaulting up to six male students. Dufault, of Bloomfield, was awaiting trial on the criminal charges.

The lawsuits, all filed in the last 15 months, seek damages for Dufaults alleged actions and claims she coerced the students into performing oral sex, pressured them due to her authority as a teacher and caused emotional distress and psychological injury, Tap Into reported.

The suit also accused the school of keeping areas of the school open and unsupervised during a summer 2013 program when the sexual acts between the students and Dufault occurred. The suit accused the school of not being a safe environment for students.

BROTHER OF TEEN ACCUSED OF SLAUGHTERING FAMILY PENS TRIBUTE TO PARENTS, SISTER

A Sept. 30, 2016 lawsuit, which was filed by the parents of two students, sought $1 million in compensatory and punitive damages and court and legal fees. The students in connection with the lawsuit were reportedly victims of Dufault. The suit claims the students were both intellectually disabled with social communication difficulties and were vulnerable to sexual harassment.

The parents claimed in the suit Dufault had sex and oral sex with the two students and the school district ignored the complaints made against the educator.

Another lawsuit, filed by a third student in Sept. 2016, accuses Dufault of sexual abuse that began when he was a freshman in 2014. The suit claimed Dufault invited students to hang out in her classroom during free periods.

The suit stated Dufault spoke with them about lewd and sexual actions, brushed up again their bodies and touched intimate and personal parts of their bodies in front of other students in the social group. The suit also alleged the sexual relations between the educator and students were filmed. The suit blamed the school district for its failure to supervise the teachers classroom.

The last lawsuit was filed by a fourth student in October 2017. No damages were sought but it accused Dufault of sexually abusing the male student. The victim claimed Dufault abused him in the summer of 2013 during Bridge Program and said the acts occurred in the teachers car and different locations around the school.

Tim Smith, Dufaults attorney, told Tap Into the educator suffered from frontal lobe syndrome and was a victim herself.

You had a particularly overly aggressive group of students who came into contact with a teacher who suffered from brain damage, Smith said.

BOMB CYCLONE WINTER STORM BRINGS SNOW, FIERCE WINDS TO NORTHEAST AS BITTER COLD TO FOLLOW

The attorney agreed the school was not properly supervised, however.

You had a program that took place in an isolated part of the school where there was nobody there to control the situation, then you couple that with the fact that the school never screened her post-brain surgery, Smith said. She also had a home front situation that was troubled with her husband having been arrested and she was taking care of the kids herself. You had a whirlwind of events that led to this victimization of her.

Dufault, a mother of two, filed for divorce from Drew Dufault in July 2013, around the time the alleged inappropriate incidents occurred, NJ.com reported. Her ex-husband was arrested in 2015 for burglary and drug offenses.

Suzanne Turner, a spokeswoman for the school district, called the allegations deeply disturbing.

The allegations are deeply disturbing. The nature of the charges are the most difficult that schools, parents and children would ever have to discuss together, Turner wrote in a statement.

By law, administrators and Board of Education members are not permitted to publicly discuss personnel or individual student matters, ongoing litigation, or other issues requiring confidentiality. However, we can affirm we believe deeply in our mission to provide our students with a safe and healthy learning environment. We are hopeful that the process will bring closure to this painful chapter in our communitys history," the statement concluded.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A male teenager broke into a Texas home, dressed and undressed and watched a mother and young daughter sleep for a half hour during a frightening episode on New Year's Day, police said.

And, officials said, the man left behind a mysterious stain on the woman's bed.

Terrell Morgan, 17, was arrested on burglary charges after he allegedly broke into a Spring home through a window, the Montogomery County Sherrif's Office wrote on Facebook.

Cops said the teenager attempted to enter the home by trying to open several doors and windows around the house before ultimately breaking in through a guest room window.

He was then spotted on surveillance video walking around the house before entering the bedroom of the homeowners 7-year-old daughter.

The little girl was not sleeping in her bedroom at the time and was actually with her mother in the master bedroom, the homeowner told police.

But the man identified as Morgan is then seen walking into the master bedroom, where he stayed for about 30 minutes. When he leaves the room, his pants are off and hes wearing a dress partially pulled up to his knees.

Officials said they believe Morgan was watching the mother and child sleep.

The homeowner told deputies she found a stain on her bed when she woke up that was not there before she went to sleep.

Additionally, a water bottle Morgan allegedly left behind was found in the guest room while a pair of shorts were recovered from a storm drain in front of the house. Police said the shorts were linked back to the suspect.

Officials said this was not the first time Morgan had entered the home. The homeowner said Morgan allegedly broke into the house on Nov. 24 while she slept and stole several items.

Cops were able to identify Morgan using finger prints left on the water bottle that matched his prints from a previous arrest, ABC13 reported.

Morgan, who was arrested Wednesday, is being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $250,000 bond.
The body of a Southern California city official who was shot dead while vacationing in the Mexican beach resort of Zihuatanejo has been turned over to his family.

Prosecutors in the southern state of Guerrero said Friday in a statement that the body was delivered to a relative and a friend who arrived the previous day to officially identify the victim, Douglas Bradley.

Bradley was administrative services director for Imperial Beach, a San Diego suburb across the border from Tijuana. He was killed Dec. 28, a day before his 50th birthday.

Authorities have not given a possible motive.

Imperial Beach said last week that Bradley lived in Mexico and commuted to his job. It described him as an avid surfer who had traveled much of the Mexican coast.
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In recent weeks, Gaza residents have been jolted awake in the dead of night to a raucous mixture of Quranic phrases, Islamic supplications and prayers delivered by loudspeakers to their doorsteps.

The "Grand Fajr Campaign" is the work of fervent religious activists, many affiliated with the ruling Hamas militant movement, seeking to spread the message of Islam in an already deeply conservative society. But not everyone is ready to listen.

The Fajr, or "Dawn," campaign has set off a heated debate over whether it is appropriate to force religion on the masses. One leading religious scholar has even warned that it is un-Islamic to "annoy" people.

Devout Muslims pray five times a day, and activists say they want to make sure that people catch the first and most important of the prayers at their local mosques.

After beginning in several Gaza City neighborhoods, the campaign has spread to areas across the Gaza Strip.

The organizers, mostly mosque committees reporting to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Religious Affairs, say they want to see the mosques as full at dawn as at the noon prayer on Friday, the highlight of the Islamic week.

Ahmed Hammad, a volunteer in Gaza City's Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, said it is paying off, increasing the "rows" of worshippers at the local mosque.

"It used to be a row or half a row of worshippers. But today after the campaign, the number has grown to three rows," he said.

The campaign comes at a difficult time for Gaza, where despair is widespread among the 2 million inhabitants after a decade-long Israeli-Egyptian blockade and recent restrictions by the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority to squeeze the territory's Hamas rulers.

Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks Israel's destruction, seized control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority in 2007 after winning legislative elections a year earlier. Israel says the blockade is necessary to prevent the group from building up its military capabilities, while Palestinian President Mahmoud has tried to pressure the group to yield power.

Though Hamas has offered to relinquish power, reconciliation talks with Abbas have stalled as Gaza's battered economy continues to deteriorate. In this difficult decade, the Gaza population has grown increasingly conservative and religious.

"The Fajr prayer is important to raise the morale and spirits in this state of strangulation and constraints," said Abu Aziz al-Waheidi, who oversees the campaign in 22 mosques in Tal al-Hawa.

Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas' supreme leader, has endorsed the effort, with his office distributing pictures showing him and other Hamas officials surrounded by dozens of worshippers after praying at a mosque in the Shati refugee camp, where he lives.

The campaign started last month, shortly after President Donald Trump decided to move the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. The move enraged the Palestinians, who seek east Jerusalem as their future capital. East Jerusalem is home to a hilltop compound revered as Judaism's holiest site and the third-holiest place in Islam.

When the morning prayer patrols began, residents were perplexed by the raucous sound outside their homes. The only time anything similar occurs is during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, when drummers wander through the streets waking people to remind the faithful to eat their pre-dawn meal before starting their daylong fasts.

Dozens of mosques now take part in the daily pre-dawn displays. "This is the word of God. They are people urging to do good and worship," said Saed al-Shurafa, 63, at the mosque.

But opposition has emerged over the forceful tactics, which include the use of powerful car-mounted loudspeakers.

Saed Abu Hasera, another resident, said it is generally a good thing to encourage people to pray. He said he even found the sounds of a recorder played by one activist to be a "beautiful" way to start the day. But he said they sometimes go too far.

"The banging will awaken children and it will cause confusion," he said.

Abdel-Bari Khela, an influential Islamic scholar and a Mufti, issued a ruling highlighting the importance of prayer and going to the mosque at dawn. However, he said it is against Islam's instructions to "annoy" people.

He issued a statement saying that the two traditional calls of prayer issued from the mosque, known as "azans," is the instruction of Islam.

"Replacing them with illegitimate means such as drums, music and loud sound that makes noise is illegal. If it leads to harm like annoying people or disturbing them, this is forbidden," he said.

Emerging in the dark from the Abu Honayfa mosque in Tel al-Hawa on a recent morning, Hamad and a group of young men split into two groups, each carrying a portable loudspeaker. They walked through streets and alleys, with Ahmed calling on people to rise over a microphone, as an Islamic supplication blared from the loudspeaker.

"The sound is not high, not low; it's very light as you see," he insisted. "We only go out half or quarter an hour before the azan. How can this be annoying?!"
We all know that outdoor air pollution can be hazardous to our health, but indoor air quality presents several risks that we should keep top of mind as well. Sources such as heating systems, certain building materials and even nature itself can release harmful gases or particles into the air inside our homes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And inadequate ventilation can lead to increased concentrations and exposure.

Heres a look at three common indoor air pollutants and what you can do to avoid unsafe levels in your home:

CARBON MONOXIDE

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas. Common sources of carbon monoxide include improperly vented gas appliances, poorly maintained boilers and furnaces, and clogged or leaking chimneys. Carbon monoxide can be fatal at high concentrations. And at lower concentrations, it may cause fatigue, nausea, headaches, impaired vision and reduced brain function, among other symptoms.

To prevent high concentrations of carbon monoxide, its important to properly maintain all combustion equipment and ensure proper ventilation. (The EPA recommends having a trained professional inspect chimneys, water heaters, gas furnaces, and gas ranges and ovens annually.) Its also important to keep a carbon monoxide detector in good working order in your home.

RADON

Radon is a radioactive gas that results from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water. Like carbon monoxide, it is both odorless and colorless. All homes, new and old, are susceptible to radon. The gas typically enters a home by rising up through the soil and seeping into the cracks and crevices of a homes foundation, but it may also enter the home through wall cracks, construction joints and water supply sources, among other areas. The EPA estimates that one in 15 homes in the United States is affected by high levels of radon.

Exposure to elevated radon levels is known to cause lung cancer and serious respiratory health issues. The best way to ensure that your home is safe is to administer a radon test. You may either hire a qualified testing professional or purchase a home kit to test your home for radon. There are both short- and long-term tests available. The EPA recommends starting with a short-term test. The results of this test will indicate whether you should follow up with another short-term test or a long-term test. The higher the results, the greater the likelihood that youll need to hire a radon mitigation specialist to address the problem.

VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from a variety of household paints, disinfectants and solvents, as well as some building materialsincluding certain carpets and flooring. The health effects of VOC exposure will depend on the level of exposure and the amount of time exposed, but VOCs are known to cause eye, nose and throat irritation; headaches; nausea; damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system; and, in some cases, even cancer.

To decrease exposure to VOCs in your home, the EPA recommends carefully following label instructions, increasing ventilation when using VOC-emitting products, and safely storing and disposing of unneeded chemicals. Many products offer low-VOC or zero-VOC options; its best to choose these whenever possible.

To evaluate your risk for poor indoor air quality, take a survey of your home. Identify where combustion systems are located, inventory how chemicals are stored and assess whether ventilation is adequate. If youd like further reassurance that your home is safe, contact your local health department for guidance on how to evaluate your homes air quality with the help of professionals.
Two rules interior designers consistently remind us about decorating are to keep in mind your homes original architecture and to try to stay true to your homes roots.

This doesnt mean going full-blown Victorian with your furniture in a historic terrace home but rather to respect the original bones of the space, look for materials that were found in the era your home was created, and give a few nods to the time period in your decor.

That said, you also dont want your home to feel as though it belongs in another era, so keeping that balance between traditional and modern home decorating is an art that could always use some fine-tuning.

Whether youve just moved into an Edwardian apartment in San Francisco or youre trying to give your Colonial house in Connecticut a little more edge, there are countless ways to modernize a traditional home.

Of course, you could go ahead and browse contemporary shops to see what catches your eye, but if you need a little more direction, we have a few modern home decorating tricks for you below.

Ready to give your home a modern flair? Just try a few of these easy updates.

HANG CONTEMPORARY ART

There are few things we love more than contemporary art juxtaposed with the thoughtful architectural detail of a traditional home.

Seek out artwork with colors that complement your existing furnishings, and youve got a foolproof combination.

STACK YOUR BOOKS

Historically, books have always been arranged vertically in libraries, so by stacking them horizontally you can easily give any room an updated look. To get super modern, create multiple stacks of books with several inches of space in between them. For a more transitional aesthetic, try a mix of vertically and horizontally arranged books.

BRIGHTEN UP

One of the simplest ways to freshen up any home is to integrate bright colors. A rich canary yellow will feel decidedly modern, while a bright yet soft mint green can create a youthful and traditional look. A Klein blue will instantly give your space a bold, modern edge. Choose your own adventure.

BE IN THE CLEAR

Be it a Lucite coffee table, a glass bar cart or an acrylic chandelier, a bit of transparency always lightens up the heaviness of dark woods and upholstered furniture you often see in traditional homes. Luckily, you dont have to worry about matching as clear items blend right in! Add one piece for an instant contemporary touch.

STICK WITH SOLID COLORS

Fussy and intricate patterns can quickly take on a granny vibe, so if you want to modernize your space, sticking with solids is a safe way to do so. Use texture, mixed metals and finishes, and shapely furniture to add interest and keep the pattern to a minimum.

GO GLOBAL

European, American and Chinese furniture are common in traditional homes, so to infuse a little variety into the mix, seek out decor from Africa, South America, Southeast Asia or wherever life takes you. Vintage tiles or antique urns are a simple way to add a worldly flair to your space.

LAYER SIMILAR ELEMENTS

Displaying a series of art prints from the same collection is a staple in traditional decor, but when its a series of identical graphic prints, it feels decidedly bold. Is there another classic pattern or art movement you love? Lay it on thick for a twist on tradition.

CREATE AN UNEXPECTED MOMENT

We expect to see a console table and a mirror at the foot of a staircase, but what about a pair of chairs? Not so much. Or how about a low bench displaying leaning artwork and a single greenery branch? One wouldnt dare. Play around with unusual arrangements and surprising juxtapositions until you create something that wows you.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a triumphant visit to the newly liberated city of Kherson. He hailed the Russian withdrawal from the southern city as the beginning of the end of the war but also acknowledged the heavy price Ukrainian soldiers are paying in their grinding effort to push back the invaders. Retaking Kherson was one of Ukraines biggest successes in the nearly 9-month-old war and delivered another stinging blow to the Kremlin. But large parts of eastern and southern Ukraine are still under Russian control, and the city of Kherson itself is without water, power and heat, and remains within reach of Moscows shells and missiles. Heavy fighting continued elsewhere in Ukraine.
The Department of Homeland Security this week notified the Culpeper County Sheriffs Office that it had approved the sheriffs application for a 287(g) program in the Culpeper County Jail.

The controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement program would allow Culpepers jail deputies to act as immigration officersscreening, detaining and processing undocumented inmates for possible deportation on behalf of ICE.

Earl Kennedy, the ICE detention and deportation officer and 287(g) program manager for the region, confirmed Culpepers approval for the partnership. Kennedy said the agreements are renewed every three years, but can be terminated by either ICE or the local law enforcement agency at any time, for any reason.

According to the sheriffs office, the two agencies have not yet finalized a Memorandum of Agreement. The MOA will define the scope and limitations of the authority granted to the deputies and the fiscal responsibility of each party.

Well review that next week, said Gary Close, a spokesperson for the sheriffs office.

Deputies will then attend a four-week training course at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center ICE Academy in Charleston, S.C. They will also be required to attend a one-week refresher course every two years.

Sheriff Scott Jenkins said initially four jail deputies will be trained and he hopes to expand that number to six.

Jenkins applied for the 287(g) program, named for the section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that authorizes it, in March. Despite opposition from hundreds of local Latino residents, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Legal Aid Justice Center in Falls Church, Jenkins maintains the program will not harm relations between area law enforcement officers and residents of Culpeper.

He also said individuals who do not break the law have nothing to fear.

No matter the number of illegal aliens in the community, my response will be the same. They are free to go about their business so long as they do not break state laws, said Jenkins in November. Immigration is a federal issue and outside my jurisdiction; however, when an illegal alien violates the law of Virginia, then it becomes a local issue and I will react appropriately.

At the Dec. 5 meeting of the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors, the sheriff also assured the supervisors there will be no fiscal impact to the county as a result of the program.

Opponents of the 287(g) program cite fear rippling through the Hispanic community as a result of the partnership.

Sophia Gregg, lawyer for the LAJC, said its unfortunate that hes continued to advocate for this program despite the opposition.

Residents are becoming increasingly worried, she said, but theyre also becoming increasingly organized. And they really believe the Board of Supervisors should take a stand on something of this magnitude that affects the whole county. They want to know where each board member stands.

Gregg also said shes concerned about Hispanic residents fearing to pick up the phone if they feel like they need the protection of law enforcement.

I am disappointed, but not surprised, said community activist Donna DeAngelis, who has been opposing the measure and helping to organize meetings on behalf of the Culpeper Persisters. As a tax-paying citizen of Culpeper County, I think its important for all of us who welcome our immigrant neighbors to remain alert for the abuses of the 287(g) program by the sheriff and his deputies.

DeAngelis said legal action could be forthcoming if civil rights are violated.

I am confident that the ACLU and the LAJC are poised to address any abuses through the legal system, she said.

According to Jennifer Elzea, acting press secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security on Nov. 14 recommended 23 out of 24 submitted applications for approval, bringing the total number of agreements across the nation to 83.

Culpeper will become the second locality in Virginia to operate a jail under the program. Prince William County is the other.
A man who beat, choked and sexually assaulted a young woman over a two-hour period after intentionally crashing into her car early Oct. 31, 2016, was sentenced Friday to two life sentences plus 60 years in prison.

Roberto Carlos Flores Sibrian, an immigrant from El Salvador who was in the country illegally, was previously convicted in Stafford County Circuit Court of rape, abduction with the intent to defile, aggravated sexual battery and two counts of forcible sodomy.

Judge Charles Sharps sentence exceeded the recommended state sentencing guidelines, which called for a maximum penalty of 79 years in prison. He called Flores Sibrians actions chilling and the now 25-year-old victims testimony Friday about the incident heartbreaking. Sharp said it was one of the worst rape cases hed ever heard about in his 40 years in the criminal justice system.

Youve violated her in every way a person can be violated, Sharp said before pronouncing the sentence. It was an hours-long session in hell.

The incident began about 3 a.m. on State Route 3 near Sherwood Forest Farm Road in southern Stafford. The victim testified that she was returning to her King George residence from a party when her vehicle was struck in the relatively isolated area.

The impact caused her vehicle to spin out of control. The woman said she had not noticed the other vehicle nor the suspect prior to the collision.

The woman got out of her vehicle to check on the damage. She said she had taken only a few steps when she was grabbed and dragged to an embankment. I knew then that it wasnt an accident, she said.

The woman said she immediately began yelling, kicking and punching in an attempt to get away from her attacker. At one point, she took off her shoe and tried to use the heel as a weapon, but Flores Sibrian took the shoe from her and hit her with it instead.

The victim said she took at least five hard punches to the face and was choked to the point that she couldnt breathe. After a while, the woman said she was too weak to fight back any more.

Over the next two hours or so, the woman said she was sexually assaulted on two different occasions. She said Flores Sibrian repeatedly tried to get her into his car, but she managed to avoid doing so.

I knew that if I got in the car, he would drive off and Id never be seen again, she said.

The only time Flores Sibrian showed even a shred of decency, according to the testimony, was when he gave the victim his shirt after she repeatedly complained about being cold. That shirt was later turned over to police.

Flores Sibrian finally got into his car alone and drove away alone. The woman returned to her own wrecked car and called police.

The victim and several of her family members said they were shocked by the extent of the victims injuries. The victim said that when she finally looked in a mirror at the hospital, she didnt recognize herself.

The woman said that since the incident, she has graduated from college and tried to put her life back together. She said she has problems with anxiety and irritability that she didnt have before, but said shes doing fairly well overall.

I think about [the attack] every day, she said. My fear is that if he were ever free again, he would do this to someone else.

Flores Sibrian was arrested a couple of weeks later at a work site in North Carolina. DNA and other evidence later proved he was the womans attacker.

Defense attorney John Spencer asked Sharp to sentence Flores Sibrian within the guidelines. He said Flores Sibrian claims to have no memory of the incident and had no prior history of violence.

Commonwealths Attorney Eric Olsen argued that Flores Sibrian should spend the rest of his life in prison.

We cant explain why this happened, but we know that it happened and that this kind of evil exists, Olsen said. All we can do now is make sure he never gets a chance to do it again.

In a brief statement made through a Spanish translator just before Sharp announced the sentence, Flores Sibrian asked Sharp for mercy and asked that he be allowed out of prison before too long so he can help out his son and family in El Salvador.
A man who showed up at his estranged wife's home in a jealous rage in late 2016 and fired a shot was ordered Thursday to serve 10 years in prison.

Rodolfo Linares III, 63, of Stafford County was sentenced to a total of 35 years with 25 years suspended. He was convicted of multiple charges, including attempted aggravated malicious wounding, attempted burglary, domestic assault and two counts of possessing illegal drugs.

In announcing the sentence Thursday in Stafford Circuit Court, Judge Victoria Willis told Linares that his actions had "irreparably" harmed his soon-to-be former wife and her current boyfriend.

"I don't know if you truly understand," Willis said. "But you'll have time to think about it."

According to the evidence presented by prosecutor Kristin Bird, Linares went to his wife's Stafford home on Dec. 19, 2016, and saw another man's car in the driveway. Krista Linares had been separated from her husband about nine months by that point and was dating Michael Morrison, who she was with in court Thursday.

Rodolfo Linares banged on the door with the butt of a gun and Krista Linares cracked the door open. As she struggled to keep her husband out of the house, the gun went off. The bullet went through a door and into a foyer wall, but no one was hit.

Linares fled the scene after the shooting, but police apprehended him that same day and found drugs and two firearms in his vehicle. Police later searched his home and found more drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine and prescription pills.

Morrison testified Thursday that although no one was physically injured, Linares' actions have taken a toll on him and Krista Linares. He said they both live with concerns that Linares will try to "finish the job" when he gets out of prison.

Linares, who was represented by attorney Ghislaine Storr-Burks, has been in jail since his arrest. Storr-Burks asked for leniency, pointing out that Linares had no prior felony record and has struggled with mental health and substance abuse issues.
Thomas Carmichael, 69, of Fredericksburg passed Monday, January 1, 2018 at his home after a short illness. Thomas was a veteran of the U.S. Army serving during the Vietnam War in the 101st Airborne and was awarded the Bronze Star. He later retired from Mary Washington University. Thomas was a fan of NASCAR and loved working on cars. Thomas is survived by his sister, Geraldine Reynolds; and four brothers, Dickie Carmichael (Carolyn), Joe Carmichael, Tony Carmichael, and Willie Carmichael, all of Fredericksburg; his best friend and caretaker, Steve Brooks; numerous nieces; and a host of other family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers; and a sister. Thomas' family will receive friends from 12:30 1:00 p.m. Saturday, January 6, 2018 at Tabernacle United Methodist Church. A memorial service will follow at 1:00 p.m. Burial will be private in Quantico National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, Thomas' family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to Tabernacle United Methodist Church, 7310-A Old Plank Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22407. Condolences to his family may be shared online at foundandsons.com.
Evelyn L. Covington, 81 of Fredericksburg passed away Tuesday, January 2, 2018. She was the widow of Willie Covington, Jr. Survivors include her children, Debra Brooks (Michael), Tina White and Irene Burruss; her sister, Margaret Chewning; her brothers, Ray Trigger and Terry Trigger; grandchildren, Michael Brooks II (Kellie), Cristina Young (Chad) and William White; great-grandchildren, Hope Brooks, Rebecca Young and Sarah Young; six step-grandchildren and 11 step great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 6 at 2:00 p.m. in the chapel of Storke Funeral Home, Bowling Green, with Pastor Timothy Dobson officiating. The family will receive friends Saturday from 12:30 2:00 p.m. Burial will follow in Greenlawn Cemetery. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.storkefuneralhome.com.
William S. "Bill" Murphy Jr., 89, of Spotsylvania passed away on Wednesday, January 3, 2018 at Mary Washington Hospital. Bill was born August 17, 1928 in Washington, D.C. to William S. Murphy Sr. and Ada Dickinson. He spent time in King George as a child where he enjoyed visiting with family and attending Round Hill Baptist Church. Bill was a captain with the Arlington County Fire Department at the time of his retirement in 1978. After moving to Fredericksburg in 1985, he worked part-time at Chesley's Tackle Shop. He made many friends in the area and was always ready to go fishing at a moment's notice. He was featured numerous times in articles in the Free Lance Star concerning hunting safety, catch and release and tips on the best fishing holes in the region. His favorite place to hunt was on his property in Mountain Falls, Va. where he spent many hours outdoors. Survivors include his wife of 70 years, Betty E. Murphy; son W. Michael Murphy (Mary); and his beloved granddaughter, Katelyn Elizabeth Murphy. The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, January 7 at Covenant Funeral Service, Fredericksburg. Entombment at Oak Hill Cemetery Mausoleum will be private. The family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Chancellor Volunteer Fire and Rescue, P.O. Box 41100, Fredericksburg, Va. 22404. Online guestbook available at covenantfuneralservice.com.
William Henry "Bill" Whitt of King George, Va., passed away January 2, 2018 at the age of 76. He was devoted to his family and is survived by his wife, Judy Redd Whitt; his daughter, Tiffany Pany and her husband, Jeff; his grandchildren, Katie and Jacob; and his sister, Janice Bickford. He was predeceased by his parents, Helen and John Whitt; and his brother, Jay Whitt. Mr. Whitt was a retired Steamfitter-Welder and was a member of Local 602. He served in the U.S. Navy as an RM2 (Radioman) and supported Branch 207 of the Fleet Reserve Association. He also held memberships in the Hudson Morris, Colonial Beach and Daylight Masonic Lodges. His Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, January 6, 2018 at 3 p.m. at Two Rivers Baptist Church, 6420 Rokeby Lane, King George, VA 22485. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Two Rivers Baptist Church Mortgage Fund or to Project Healing Waters.
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Defra secretary Michael Gove was on upbeat form as he took to the stage at the Oxford Real Farming Conference on Thursday (4 January)  the first Cabinet minister to address what is viewed as the alternative farming conference in Oxford.

In a Q&A session with Richmond MP Zak Goldsmith, followed by an open debate with the 400-plus delegates, Mr Gove shed more light on his vision for a post-Brexit farm policy.

See also: Basic payments to stay until 2024, says Gove

The following is a selection of quotes:

1. On the Basic Payment Scheme:

The 3bn we currently have to support agriculture is poorly spent. We give 80% of that money through the BPS scheme purely on the basis of the amount of agriculturally productive land.

Public money often goes to those who have the largest and deepest pockets. Worse than that, BPS rewards inefficiency and unsustainable agriculture. It means that any part of your land or holding which is not turned over to productive agriculture does not count in terms of the amount of money you get.

2. On public money for public goods:

The heart of farming is always going to be about food production. But ultimately, public money should go towards people who are working hard in order to ensure that our environment isnt harmed.

If we are going to have 3bn spent, then that 3bn should be an investment for the future, rather than an incentive to carry on just as people have been doing ever since the Second World War  farming in an intensive way.

3. On help for new entrants and small-scale farmers:

The current subsidy system bids up the price of agricultural land, and we also use agricultural land for tax purposes. If we remove those subsidies, the price of land should fall, making it easier for people to move into farming.

4. On public procurement:

It is time to change the way in which we procure food. We need to think not just about cost, but whether the food we are giving schoolchildren, or in hospitals, actually helps to promote public health and comes from the right sources.

Also, if you use the tool of public procurement to set high standards, then that can drive more and more people to improve the quality of what they produce, and that means they then have an advantage in the marketplace.

5. On a drive to organic production:

I certainly think that we should move towards a more sustainable method of agriculture, and it is true that the organic movement has done amazing work. But it is difficult to prescribe that every farmer should meet the high standards of the Soil Association to be fully organic.

If any more farmers would like to go down that route, then part of my responsibility is to make sure that public money can help them do so.

6. On wishing to ban neonicotinoids, but not glyphosate:

With neonics, the scientific advice has moved decisively in favour of restricting their use. With glyphosate, it is less clear-cut. Also, many of those people who are trying to move towards more sustainable forms of agriculture  for example, min-till or no-till methods of cultivation  use glyphosate as a tool.

7. On whether free-trade deals will lead to lower standards:

The future for British food production is in quality, in provenance, in traceability. If we sign trade deals or lower our welfare standards, then we undermine the growing strength of the very best of British food production.

Secondly, trade deals live or die on the basis by which the public are prepared to support those changes. If we were to secure a trade deal with, for example, the USA, if some of the aspects caused concerns for UK citizens here, then it would be unlikely to get though the House of Commons.

8. On whether the pro-environment agenda would last beyond a Cabinet reshuffle:

Across the House of Commons, in all parties, there has been a move to take environmental issues more seriously, which is reflecting whats happening in society overall.

So if I disappeared tomorrow, whoever my successor might be would be responsive to those currents  and I am reassured that the prime minister is also enthusiastic in backing what we have been doing.

9. On how to balance economic growth with more sustainable farming:

In the past we have powered economic growth with a model that relied too much on debt and also in a way that was not properly respectful of the Earths own resources. This needs to be rethought. But economic growth can still be generated by innovation, creativity and the exchange of ideas.

However, we do have a challenge as there are certain resources which, by definition, are finite. We cannot continue to say to the next generation, youre going to have to cope with the debts weve incurred and clean up the mess weve generated.

10. On support for upland farmers:

When it comes to making sure that our uplands are healthy, its not just about the grasslands, but also the human dimension. There has been huge human investment in the hills, so you must have a care to the way it is not just sheep, but humans who have been hefted.

OK, there may be upland areas that may be appropriate for forestry, but we cant have anything other than a respectful attitude to upland hill farmers who operate on very tight margins. Much of what they have done has been to keep alive ways of life and communities in a way that is deeply worthy of respect.
At the start of 2018, it is clear farming faces a monumental year. With just 15 months to go before the UK leaves the EU, time is running out for the government to lay the foundations for the first all-British agricultural policy in more than a generation.

Defra secretary Michael Gove is expected to set out detailed plans for agriculture in a major consultation during the coming weeks. It will be followed by an Agriculture Bill that will shape the industry for years to come.

In this issue of Farmers Weekly, we profile 20 key people who hope to influence the direction that future holds for your farm business.

Instead of the usual suspects and decision makers, like Defra secretary Michael Gove, the influencers we have chosen are those set to come to the fore during 2018  either because they are due to take on new roles, or because the issues they represent are due to come sharply into focus over the next 12 months.

1. Minette Batters, the farm leader

Wiltshire farmer Minette Batters is poised to become the first woman to be elected NFU president  representing 55,000 members across England and Wales.

Ms Batters is widely tipped to be elected union leader in mid-February  but she must first see off an expected challenge from NFU vice-president Guy Smith.

If successful, she will lead the unions Brexit negotiations with the government as the UK leaves the EU.

A beef producer specialising in selling premium store cattle, Ms Batters grew up living and working on farm. With no succession tenancy available, she built her own business up from nothing. As well as beef, it now includes a livery, corporate events and wedding venue.

Her election would help the NFU position itself as forward-looking at a crucial time for UK agriculture. But Ms Batters is much more than a female face  she is an accomplished speaker capable of disarming political opponents with both humour and knowledge.

Next months NFU elections could also see Hertfordshire farmer and former AHDB Beef & Lamb chairman Stuart Roberts take a place at the unions top table. Mr Roberts has been nominated to stand for the posts of NFU deputy president and vice-president.

2. Tim Leunig, the economist

Controversial economist Tim Leunig is back as a senior policy adviser to Michael Gove  who he last worked for during Mr Goves time as education secretary.

Now at Defra, Prof Leunig has previously voiced support for community land auctions that would let local authorities buy up farmland, grant planning permission and then sell it on for social housing.

3 & 4. Tom Tynan and Simon Coveney, the unwavering Irish

Concern about the effect of Brexit on agricultural trade between the UK and Ireland isnt going away  despite a carefully worded agreement between London and Brussels that there will be no hard border between the two countries.

The UK is a major market for Irish farmers, accounting for some 40% of Irelands food and drink exports  equivalent to 3.5bn (3.11bn). It remains hard to see how this trade will continue unhindered once the UK leaves the European single market and customs union.

Few people in Brussels know more about Irish agriculture than Tom Tynan  special adviser to EU farm commissioner Phil Hogan.

An Irish national who worked in the agri-food industry for nearly 20 years before taking up his Brussels appointment in 2014, Mr Tynan says anything less than the current frictionless trade would increase complexity and costs, hurting farming profitability.

His concerns are echoed by Irish deputy prime minister Simon Coveney, who is also Irelands trade and foreign affairs minster. A former farm minister, Mr Coveney has responsibility for Brexit within the Irish government.

5. Chris Lloyd, the medicine man

Tackling antimicrobial resistance is the biggest challenge faced by Chris Lloyd  the new secretary general of Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance.

Although antibiotics sales to UK farmers are at a record low, the sector faces demanding targets to further reduce, refine or replace antibiotics use over the next three years.

It follows concern that antibiotics in livestock production can contribute to bacteria becoming resistant to the drugs.

The implications this has for human health means Mr Lloyd will be keen to ensure the livestock sector plays its part in combating antimicrobial resistance so essential medicines remain available for farmers to use responsibly over the coming years.

6. Zac Goldsmith, the MP and animal welfare campaigner

Tighter animal welfare rules are top of the agenda for well-connected Zac Goldsmith  who has known Michael Gove since before both men became MPs.

Mr Goldsmith, Conservative MP for Richmond Park, once described Mr Gove as a doer and one of the most intelligent people Ive ever met. More recently, he praised the real progress on environmental and animal welfare issues made since Mr Goves appointment as Defra secretary last year.

Highlighting the governments commitment that CCTVs will be legally required in all abattoirs, Mr Goldsmith said: There is more to come  adding that he was looking forward to seeing an end to the live exports of animals for slaughter.

7. Christine Middlemiss, the government vet

Better biosecurity will be a key focus for Christine Middlemiss, who takes over as the governments chief veterinary officer in March 2018.

From a Scottish farming family, Ms Middlemiss joins Defra from Australia, where she has been working as chief veterinary officer (CVO) in New South Wales since 2016. During her time there, she led major improvements to bio-security across the livestock sector.

Ms Middlemiss will use that experience to inform her new role at Defra  although it is not her first time at the department.

She previously served as the departments deputy director for animal traceability and public health before her CVO role in Australia.

8. Dieter Helm, the government adviser

Oxford academic Dieter Helm has Defra secretary Michael Goves ear when it comes to the future of farm support and believes farmers must do more in return for taxpayers money.

An economist specialising in regulation and the environment, professor Helm is chairman of Defras Natural Capital Committee, which advises the government on natural capital  including forests, rivers, minerals and oceans  and the public benefits received from them.

Prof Helm believes direct payments to farmers should be phased out, arguing it is wrong to pay people for simply owning land. Doing so is also self-defeating, he says, because it inflates the land values, pushing up costs and creating a large capital barrier for new entrants to farming.

Instead, Prof Helm says support should be directed towards the delivery of public goods, rewarding farmers who undertake measures that deliver specific environmental benefits  for nature and the countryside as well as people.

Farmers would be expected to bid for contracts to deliver these benefits. They would be required to compete against public bodies  such as National Park authorities, charities and other groups  for money to undertake environmental work.

Soon after being appointed Defra secretary, Mr Gove wrote to Prof Helm thanking him for powerfully setting out the case for an overarching plan to secure the greatest dividend for the environment  and promising swift action to achieve it.

9. Will Evans, the podcaster

Welsh farmer Will Evans has won a dedicated and growing band of listeners after starting his Rock & Roll Farming podcast less than a year ago for people who want to know more about how their food is produced.

Podcasts by the beef, arable and egg producer focus on farmers and others working in agriculture. Mostly its about people  the people who get up early in the morning and put their hearts and souls into what they do every single day, he says.

10. Hilary McGrady, the countryside conservationist

Hilary McGrady has bridges to build with farmers when she succeeds Helen Ghosh as director general of the National Trust this spring.

Responsible for the operation, care and management of almost 250,000ha of countryside, the trust is one the UKs largest landowners. But while it is well supported, with five million members, the trusts relationship with farmers is somewhat less easy.

Recent years have seen the trust call for direct payments to be scrapped and replaced by a post-Brexit agricultural policy prioritising the environment  a proposal described as a huge mistake by the Tenant Farmers Association, many of whose members farm trust land.

11. Tom Hind, the strategist

Ramping up on-farm productivity is vital if agriculture is to reap the full benefits as the government implements its long-awaited industrial strategy, believes Tom Hind, AHDB chief strategy officer.

Published just weeks ago, the strategy included government plans for a new food and drink sector council, which will lead work to secure the UKs position as a global leader in sustainable, affordable, safe and high-quality food and drink.

Mr Hind describes the strategy as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put the UK at the forefront of high-efficiency agriculture and food production.

But to succeed, the whole agri-food sector must pull together as a single united supply chain.

12. James Rebanks the hill farmer

Lake District hill farmer and author James Rebanks penned a bestseller  his debut book A Shepherds Life  in 2015. But his influence extends far beyond writing  and his 101,043 Twitter followers.

Mr Rebanks is a rare breed  just like the Herdwick sheep he writes about. Able to champion the vital contribution hill farming makes to the tourism, culture and rural economy of upland England, policymakers listen to what he says because he is a farmer at heart.

Also an economic consultant, Mr Rebanks penned a report that helped the Lake District secure Unesco world heritage site status in July 2017  the UKs first National Park to be ranked alongside iconic places such as the Grand Canyon and Great Wall of China.

13. Fergus Ewing, the Scottish nationalist

The Scottish government insists it should retain responsibility for agricultural policy north of the border after Brexit  despite the UK governments determination that any powers should initially be returned from Brussels to Westminster rather than to Holyrood.

The issue isnt going away any time soon. Scottish rural cabinet secretary Fergus Ewing has repeatedly warned Michael Gove against a Westminster power grab and called for assurances that Scotland will receive its fair share of UK funding for agriculture and rural development.

A continued lack of clarity from the UK government is already hampering investment from Scottish farmers in their businesses, says Mr Ewing.

14. Martin Harper, the biological scientist

Brexit poses huge challenges for farming and wildlife, but also opportunities, says RSPB conservation director Martin Harper.

Like the National Trust, the RSPB will continue lobbying the government for a radical new farming policy that focuses on the environment.

The influence wielded by the RSPB shouldnt be underestimated.

With more than 1 million members, it has more than 1,300 employees, 18,000 volunteers and maintains 200 nature reserves  making it Europes largest wildlife conservation charity.

It also has the ability to get things done. Evidence and advice provided by the RSPB on bird numbers have resulted in numerous successes for the charity  including the ban that prevents farmers from cutting hedges during the summer.

15. Aarun Naik, the psychotherapist

The farmers most capable of adapting to change are those who are fit and healthy  just like healthy farm businesses, says psychotherapist, Nuffield scholar and former NFU adviser Aarun Naik.

Many growers and livestock producers pay more attention to the health of their farm businesses and animals than they do themselves, says Mr Naik, who has studied farmer well-being. But healthy eating, exercise and a good nights sleep can all help build mental and physical resilience.

Talking about mental health remains taboo among many farmers. But maintaining a healthy outlook is increasingly important in times of uncertainty  and will often benefit farm business health, too.

16, 17, & 18. Terry Jones, Scott Walker, Christopher Price, the farming lobbyists

Politicians and farm leaders come and go  some more frequently than others. But continuity in policymaking and lobbying is provided by the civil servants, advisers and other unsung heroes working quietly behind the scenes.

The main farm organisations all have their own armies of back-room staff  too many to name here. But if we were to pick out three key influencers, they would be NFU director general Terry Jones, NFU Scotland chief executive Scott Walker and CLA policy director Christopher Price.

These influencers not only pick up the pieces or sweep up in the wake of their leaders, they also do much of the groundwork  steering the direction of their organisations, as well as formulating policy intended to sway the government.

19. Jonathan Gill, the mechatronics researcher

Robotics engineer Jonathan Gill has embarked on a Nuffield scholarship to look into how farmers can more fully embrace automation in agriculture.

A researcher at Harper Adams University, Mr Gill was part of the Hands Free Hectare team that last year successfully drilled, tended and harvested the worlds first crop to be grown without operators in the driving seats of the vehicles or agronomists on the ground.

Human operation of agricultural machines is less accurate than automated systems, says Mr Gill, who believes farming is on the cusp of a technological revolution.

The future farm will need to address requirements of higher productivity and ability to produce higher yields with less inputs.

20. Elizabeth Stockdale, the soil scientist

Soil is a hot topic  and a 1m project led by Elizabeth Stockdale at crop research organisation Niab aims to improve on-farm understanding of its health, biology and management.

Dr Stockdale is the recently appointed head of Niabs Farming Systems team, which delivers research, evaluation, demonstration and knowledge exchange activities on combinable crops and forage, with a particular focus on soils, cultivations and rotations.

The five-year soil project will benchmark existing knowledge about soils.

It will also develop and validate indicators of soil biology and health in research trials and on farm, before sharing the results.
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Movies playing in mid-valley theaters as of Friday. Complete and updated Movie Scene listings can be found online.

NEW

INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY

(Horror, PG-13, 103 minutes, playing at the Regal 7 in Albany and the Regal 4 in Corvallis) A parapsychologist discovers a horrific threat inside her own home in this fourth entry in the Insidious franchise. With Lin Shaye, Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell. Written by Whannell. Directed by Adam Robitel.

MOLLYS GAME

4 stars

(Biographical drama, R, 140 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12). Jessica Chastain gives a nomination-worthy performance as the organizer of high-stakes, A-list poker games that aren't exactly legal. With his feature directing debut, Aaron Sorkin hits a home run  a glimpse of life in the fast lane, a sobering cautionary tale and a brilliant character study. (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times)

CONTINUING

ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD

3  stars

(Historical drama, R, 132 minutes, playing at the Regal 4 in Corvallis) Ridley Scott's well-paced, great-looking and nimble take on one of the most famous kidnapping cases of the 20th century leaves us marveling at the enormous footprint J. Paul Getty left on the world. Playing the oil tycoon as a last-minute substitute for Kevin Spacey, Christopher Plummer delivers a powerful, magnetic, scene-stealing performance. (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times)

DARKEST HOUR

3  stars

(Historical biography, PG-13, 125 minutes, playing at the Darkside) This look back at Winston Churchill's leadership during the early days of World War II is filled with authentic touches, large and small. Most authentic of all is Gary Oldman's performance as a flawed but deeply passionate man who summoned all of his courage, all of his oratory skills and all of his love for Britain at just the right moment. (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times)

DOWNSIZING

1 star

(Science fiction, R, 135 minutes, playing at the Regal 7 in Albany and the AMC Corvallis 12) A rare misfire from director Alexander Payne, this heavy-handed satire is about a mild-mannered therapist (Matt Damon) and his wife (Kristen Wiig), who decide to undergo a process in which scientists shrink people to live in small communities. Its a massively muddled mess of ideas, and Damons bland performance doesnt help. (Rick Bentley, Tribune News Service)

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

3 stars

(Musical, PG, 105 minutes, playing at the Regal 7 and the Pix in Albany and the AMC Corvallis 12) There were times when I rolled my eyes to the ceiling at the corny and cheesy and shameless sentiment of this musical starring Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum. But then I'd realize my foot was once again tapping in time to the beat of the catchy tunes, at which point I'd acknowledge I was thoroughly enjoying myself, despite all cynical instincts. (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times)

JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

2  stars

(Comedy fantasy adventure, PG-13, 119 minutes, playing at the Regal 7 in Albany and the AMC Corvallis 12) Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan star in this stand-alone sequel, about four teenagers who are sucked into a video game set in a jungle and take on the bodies of their avatars. Generally entertaining and mostly sweet, if you dont think about it too much. (Lindsay Bahr, Associated Press)

PITCH PERFECT 3

1 star

(Musical comedy, PG-13, 93 minutes, playing at the Regal 7 in Albany and the AMC Corvallis 12) Any honors-level high school creative writing class could come up with a half-dozen better story ideas for "Pitch Perfect 3" than this incomprehensibly stupid, jarringly uneven, astonishingly unfunny and just plain lazy dead fish of a three-quel. The songs remain good cheesy white-bread fun, but this feels like an encore nobody asked for as the Bellas reunite for an overseas USO tour. Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson and Hailee Steinfeld return, along with John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks. (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times)

THE SHAPE OF WATER

3  stars

(Fantasy adventure, R, 118 minutes, playing at the Darkside) Sally Hawkins gives a sweet and moving performance as a maid in a top-secret government facility who falls in love with a mysterious sea creature in captivity there. Gorgeously color-coordinated, this fairy tale from director Guillermo del Toro is one of the most romantic and most breathtakingly beautiful movies of the year. (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times)

THE DISASTER ARTIST

3 stars

(Comedy biography, R, 98 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12) Given James Franco's sometimes perplexing resume, he's the right guy to direct and star as Tommy Wiseau in a movie about the making of the infamously bad cult debacle "The Room." Franco's film is breezy, entertaining and even affectionate. (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times)

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

3  stars

(Fantasy/sci-fi action, PG-13, 152 minutes, playing at the Regal 7 in Albany and the Regal 4 in Corvallis) Although it doesn't pack quite the same emotional punch as "The Force Awakens" and lags a bit in the second half, this is still a worthy chapter in the "Star Wars" franchise, popping with exciting action sequences and sprinkled with good humor. Surprises big and small abound. (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times)

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

4 stars

(Dark comedy, R, 115 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12) The story of a grieving mother (Frances McDormand) trying to shame the police chief (Woody Harrelson) into solving her daughter's murder provides some of the strongest laughs and most poignant moments of heartbreak of any movie in recent memory. Somehow writer-director Martin McDonagh has taken the bleakest of subject matters and treated it seriously while also serving up one of the best dark comedies I've ever seen. (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times)

COCO

3 stars

(Animated, PG, 104 minutes, playing at the Regal 7 in Albany and the AMC Corvallis 12) A 12-year-old boy (Anthony Gonzalez) crosses over, while alive, from his village in Mexico to the Land of the Dead, an exciting metropolis populated by deceased humans. The visuals jump off the screen, but the movies flights of imaginative frenzy are too constrained by formula: Coco is a good, but not great, Pixar flick. (Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times)

LADY BIRD

4 stars

(Comedy, R, 93 minutes, playing at the Darkside in Corvallis) Greta Gerwig already has made a fine career for herself as an actress, but with "Lady Bird" she has written and directed a film that's smart without being smug and insightful without being condescending. Saoirse Ronan delivers a pure and honest performance as the title character, a high school senior, and the work by Laurie Metcalf and Tracy Letts as her parents is what greatness looks like. (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times)

WONDER

3 stars

(Drama, PG, 113 minutes, playing at the Regal 7 in Albany and the AMC Corvallis 12) A young boy (Jacob Tremblay) with a facial deformity begins the fifth grade in a mainstream school with the help and support of his mother (Julia Roberts) and father (Owen Wilson). The movie never shies away from making serious points, but never turns preachy. (Rick Bentley, Tribune News Service)

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

3 stars

(Mystery, PG-13, 114 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12) Kenneth Branagh stars as Agatha Christies famed detective Hercule Poirot, and runs away with this star-studded remake, with lavish production design and an intoxicating and dazzling display of cinematic style. But the movies sad ending seeps away much of its energy. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service)

THOR: RAGNANOK

2  stars

(Sci-fi action-comedy, PG-13, 130 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12) After being defeated by his evil half-sister Hela (Cate Blanchett), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is imprisoned as a gladiator on a distant world run by Jeff Goldblum. Director Taikia Waititi brings a welcome comedic touch, so this is the most fun of the three Thor flicks, but its still a flawed effort with egregious tonal shifts. (Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press)

FERDINAND

3 stars

(Animated comedy, PG, 108 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12) John Cena provides the voice of the giant but gentle bull in this new animated offering, based on the 1936 childrens book. Sight gags and humorous bits abound, but what really stands out is the message about friendship, problem-solving and learning to be true to yourself. Kate McKinnon co-stars. (Maricar Estrella, Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Attorneys representing the state of Oregon and the Department of Forestry argued in court Thursday that Benton County should be excluded from a $1.4 billion breach of contract lawsuit brought by Linn County and 140 other taxing districts.

Attorneys Frank Hammond and Scott Kaplan said that in 1997 the Benton County Board of Commissioners wrote a letter supporting the Department of Forestrys balanced long-term planning process. Those plans included expanding management of more than 700,000 acres of state forest trust lands to include fish and wildlife issues, riparian improvement and recreation, watershed enhancement and decreasing the emphasis on timber production as the greatest permanent value.

De-emphasizing timber production meant that annual income provided to counties and other taxing districts from timber harvested on those lands was reduced.

The Benton County issue was raised during an afternoon of arguments before Linn County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Murphy on the state's motion for a summary judgment that would end the lawsuit before it reaches the trial stage.

The lawsuit, led by Linn County, argues that the decline in timber harvesting on the state forest trust lands, and the subsequent decline in money paid to the counties and other taxing jurisdictions, amounts to a breach of contract on the state's part.

The state argued that Benton County cannot have it both ways. It cannot support the Department of Forestrys inclusion of other management issues and at the same time be part of a class action lawsuit challenging the way the forest lands are managed. (All the plaintiffs in the class-action suit had the opportunity to opt out of the case; the Benton County commissioners early last year voted 2-1 to remain as plaintiffs.)

But John DiLorenzo of Davis Wright Tremaine, which represents the plaintiffs, said the time of classifying lawsuit members has long passed.

The state could have raised this issue during class certification, DiLorenzo said. The state is asking the court to revisit letters from Benton County commissioners, but the Board of Commissioners can only act as a corporate body, not as individuals.

DiLorenzo repeatedly noted during the hearing that the state was asking the court to revisit issues on which the court has already ruled.

On another issue, the state argued that it would be nearly impossible to establish long-term damages since there are so many variables when it comes to forest management and annual timber harvests.

Kaplan argued that no one can predict whether specific forest lands will be damaged by wildfires or landslides, or how the Endangered Species Act will be interpreted in 2060.

But Judge Murphy said the courts deal with potential future damages all the time.

There are people who calculate these things for a living, Murphy said. The timber industry has people whose daily jobs are to predict future harvests, costs and profits.

DiLorenzo concurred with Murphy.

Timber experts do this all the time, DiLorenzo said. In fact, the Board of Forestry already has methodology to consider the impact of these factors on the state. Modeling is used all the time.

Kaplan contended that modeling does not provide absolute values.

On another issue, Hammond used a PowerPoint presentation to press the argument that the state cannot be sued.

He called the lawsuit a strange beast because the state is largely immune to lawsuits by entities such as those named in the class action, although there are narrow exceptions.

DiLorenzo said the court has already ruled that the state can be sued in this case and that a contract indeed existed between the state and the counties regarding management of the forest lands in question.

Linn County Commissioner Roger Nyquist said he was pleased with Thursdays hearing.

I believe our attorney, Mr. DiLorenzo, hit the nail on the head when he acknowledged that former state forester Mr. Brown admitted the decision to change the way the state forests are managed was a political one. That political decision breached our contract and the state needs to be responsible for the financial impact of that decision on rural Oregon.

Murphy said he hopes to rule on the states requests no later than Jan. 19.
Christopher J. Becker was arrested Thursday in Lincoln County and is being held in the Benton County Jail on $40,000 bail. Becker has been charged with robbery III, theft III, harassment, criminal trespass III, assault IV and disorderly conduct II.

Becker is alleged to have been responsible for robbing a person at an ATM at the Bank of America, 324 SW Third St. Becker, police said, did not display or use any weapons in the heist. Police say Becker came up behind a person collecting cash from the ATM, wrestled the money from the victim and fled on foot. The victim was not harmed, police said.
Local stakeholders see Attorney General Jeff Sessions announcement Thursday that he is ending Obama-era protections for state-legal marijuana businesses as a reminder that the fight for legal cannabis is far from over.

Im not concerned overall about the cannabis industry, but I think that its going to present us with some challenges and were going to have a fight on our hands, said Todd Dalotto, a local horticulturalist and marijuana consultant.

Sessions rescinded an Obama-era policy that prevented the federal government from interfering with marijuana businesses in states where pot is legal. The attorney general will instead allow federal prosecutors in those states decide how aggressively to enforce federal marijuana law.

The Obama administration in 2013 announced it would not stand in the way of states that legalize marijuana, so long as officials acted to keep it from migrating to places where it remained outlawed and out of the hands of criminal gangs and children.

Oregon legalized marijuana for recreational use the following year. The industry is credited with creating more than 19,000 jobs in the state.

Dalotto said Sessions should expect fair push back from the governors in states that have legalized marijuana. Eight states and the District of Columbia have approved marijuana for recreational use.

Gov. Kate Brown said the federal government should not stand in the way of the will of Oregonians.

"My staff and state agencies are working to evaluate reports of the attorney general's decision and will fight to continue Oregon's commitment to a safe and prosperous recreational marijuana market," Brown said in a statement.

Dalotto said there is enough momentum within the legal weed industry for it be unstoppable. States have seen the benefits of legalization, including personal and public health advantages, the benefits of law enforcement prioritizing other crimes and the economic payoffs, he said.

Hes trying to stop a fast moving train, Dalotto said of Sessions.

Brock Binder, owner of High Quality Compassion in Corvallis, said Sessions decision is a clear deviance from what the people want. Polls show a majority of Americans increasingly support the legalization of marijuana.

Binder called on marijuana supporters to come together across party lines to stand up for legalization. One such reason to support cannabis legalization is because it has been shown to reduce opioid deaths, Binder said, referencing a 2014 study that found that states with legal medical marijuana have lower rates of deaths resulting from opioid overdoses than states without such laws.

Sessions has indicated he believes marijuana use is a gateway to opioid abuse.

To leverage this and say that cannabis is contributing to the opioid crisis is completely false, Binder said.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said he will continue to fight the Trump administrations turn-back-the-clock tactics.

Trump promised to let states set their own marijuana policies. Now he's breaking that promise so Jeff Sessions can pursue his extremist anti-marijuana crusade, Wyden said in a statement. Once again the Trump administration is doubling down on protecting states rights only when they believe the state is right.

Last year, Wyden introduced a marijuana reform package, which, among other things, attempts to shrink the gap between federal and state marijuana policies.

With increasing numbers of federal lawmakers representing states where residents have chosen to legalize marijuana, momentum is definitely on our side for these common-sense pieces of legislation, he said.

Dalotto said Sessions action comes in the form of a guidance memo, which does not have the same effect as a law or an executive order.

Billy J. Williams, U.S. attorney for Oregon, indicated he will maintain the same limited level of enforcement.

We will continue working with our federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners to pursue shared public safety objectives, with an emphasis on stemming the overproduction of marijuana and the diversion of marijuana out of state, Williams said in a statement.

Further, a budget amendment prohibits the Justice Department from interfering in state medical marijuana programs. Oregon Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer co-sponsored the amendment with California Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher.

Don Morse, director of the Oregon Cannabis Business Council, said the amendment also protects the recreational side to some extent, because it is difficult to distinguish one from the other. Pot grown legally in Oregon can be sold to medical marijuana patients from recreational shops.

Congress recently passed a short-term funding bill that maintained the Blumenauer-Rohrabacher amendment. The bill expires on Jan. 19, and Blumenauer is working to ensure it gets into the next measure, his office in Washington said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A man arrested in Corvallis for kidnapping is undergoing treatment after being evaluated by a psychologist and found to be mentally unfit to stand trial, court records show.

Kevan Michael Rower, 56, has been committed to the Oregon State Hospital for treatment, according to documents filed Wednesday in Benton County Circuit Court.

Rower is charged with second-degree kidnapping for allegedly holding onto a developmentally disabled man and forcing him to walk around Corvallis for hours, according to police.

Rower was evaluated by a psychologist after his attorney, John Rich, expressed concerns over Rowers ability to understand the nature of the proceedings against him.

This is clearly a mental health case, Rich said Thursday in court.

The psychologist produced a report based on the evaluation. In reviewing the report, Judge Matthew Donohue determined Rower was unfit to stand trial and was unsuitable for community release.

Rower should remain at the state hospital until the time, should it occur, that he gains the capacity to stand trial, court documents state. According to state law, Rower cannot remain in the custody of the state hospital for longer than three years.

Rich said his client is in jeopardy of losing the house he owns in Newport because he cant pay the mortgage.

I dont think somebody should lose their home because theyre mentally ill, he said.

Donohue set the case for a status check on Jan. 11.

Police arrested Rower on Oct. 18 after a woman called authorities to report she had been approached by two men acting erratically on the sidewalk near Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

Officers contacted the two men at Northwest Walnut Boulevard and Northwest Elmwood Drive, a police report states. Rower would not allow police to speak with the alleged victim and was aggressively holding onto him and leading him from officers, according to the report.

Police had to physically fight with Rower to get him to let go of the alleged victim, the report states.

The alleged victim told police he was alone when he came into contact with Rower on Circle Boulevard, police said. The men did not previously know one another, according to police.

The alleged victim was a client of Benco, a local nonprofit organization that serves adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, police said.
Technical fault : Credit cards of Aldi Sud customers charged multiple times

Bonn Painful surprise for customers of Aldi Sud: If you were shopping at the discounter on Tuesday or Wednesday and paying by credit card, you might have to expect that the card may be charged multiple times.

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The company has issued a statement on Thursday saying that due to a technical fault there were malfunctions of credit card payments between January 2, 1pm and January 3, 9pm. As a consequence, many credit card payments have been conducted multiple times, according to Aldi Sud. Payments by Girocard were not affected.

The company emphasised that the mistake was very much regretted and that the fastest-possible reverse settlements of the faulty payments will be done.

Affected customers dont have to do anything. The reverse payments will happen automatically and as soon as possible. This may take a couple of days though.

The discounter set up a hotline for all affected customers who may have questions about this: 0208-62920420. You may also send an email to mail@aldi-sued.de, if you are one of the customers concerned. Please use the subject Kreditkarte in your email.
Proceedings terminated : Suspected child molester from Friesdorf has an alibi

Bonn The apparently solved case of child molestation, in which a 13-year-old boy from Bad Godesberg was the victim, is anything but solved: The 29-year-old suspect seems to have been in jail despite being innocent.

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As spokesperson for the prosecution, Sebastian Bu, disclosed the man was released from imprisonment after presenting an irrefutable alibi. Prosecutor Bu explained that the case occurred as follows: In the night to July 6, a man had offered the 13-year-old, who was on the way home around midnight, a lift on his bike. The boy accepted the offer and got onto the bike.

But when the stranger set down the 13-year-old at his address half an hour later, he didnt let the boy go, according to Bu. He wanted to give the boy a hickey and when the boy was appalled and refused, the man attacked him: He wrestled him to the ground, hit him, pulled down his trousers and sexually abused him. Only when residents reacted to the cries of help of the boy, he fled. The boy ran home, told his parents of the events and they called the police. The boy described the man, who wore shorts and spoke German to him, in detail. Despite the publication of a identikit picture, the search was unsuccessful.

District court refuses opening of proceedings

On September 15, the boy saw a man on a playground and was sure: This is the culprit. The 29-year-old - until then a blameless civil war and family dad - repeatedly affirmed his innocence, but the boys statement stood against him, and he was held in custody. In November, he was charged with child molestation, his file ended up in the district court, but the court rejected the opening of proceedings.

In the meantime the defence lawyer, Martin Kretschmer, spoke with the distraught family of the man, through the aid of a translator, and told the court the result: The 29-year-old man does not speak German, doesnt know the word for hickey (Knutschfleck), never wears shorts out of religious reasons, does not own a bicycle and was at home with his sick child during the time of the crime. His wife called him at a friends house at around 11pm and asked for him to come home to her and the increasingly feverish child and he walked home. The next morning, he brought the child into a hospital, which was proven after a brief investigation. Further research revealed this information to be true, and a mobile phone check proved that the wife indeed called the 29-year old at 11pm.

The arrest warrant was lifted on December 6. With the non-opening of the proceedings the man is regarded as acquitted and cannot be charged in this case anymore. For the 82 days behind bars he can apply for a compensation for wrongful imprisonment at 25 Euro per day. It is very unsatisfying to have to tell the boy that the culprit is not caught, said Bu. But if this case can ever be solved, remains questionable.
Bitconnect is a scam that's been plaguing the cryptocurrency world for the last few months.Today, government officials in Texas have ordered them to halt activity immediately - citing fraud, and knowingly misleading the public.There's been others with the same fraudulent business model, but none have grown to the size of Bitconnect, which launched with perfect timing, just when cryptocurrencies exploded over the last year.Everything about Bitconnect is made to fool people new to cryptocurrencies - if you're lucky, you probably never heard of it. But if you're in some of the social network corners filled with new crypto investors, you can't avoid the endless spam. Mainly on YouTube and Facebook.In a nutshell - they get these ignorant people to believe they have a bot that will trade cryptocurrencies automatically, and if they loan money to that bot, they'll receive a return on their loan.They are rewarded in the form of a totally useless cryptocurrency called "BCC". Which looks just legit enough to fool someone who doesn't know what they're doing.They point out that the coin is listed on "multiple exchanges". What they don't tell people is - those exchanges are the ones that accept any coin submitted, and even then - nobody wants BCC on them. There's zero demand for the BCC coin outside of BCC's own website. Legitimate exchanges have openly refused to hold the BCC coin.So they have all their victims on their own exchange, bidding against each other and raising the price on a coin no one else in the world wants. What happens if a lot of people want to turn BCC coins into cash all at once? It all comes crashing down - because there's not enough buyers if there's ever a lot of sellers. That's how this ponzi scheme eventually collapses.So far Bitconnect has been able to pay people cashing out with new money coming in. But their growth has already begun to slow, and many YouTuber's who made a killing referring others to the scam are now saying they've taken their money out before the full collapse happens. Warning their followers before they have a lot of people angry at them.Even worse - the entire 'company' is set up to disappear into thin air. At first their site was an obvious scam - horribly written broken English - you could tell this was a 3rd world operation. Since then they've cleaned it up and made it look as legitimate as possible.However - whoever registered their business later in the UK, apparently forgot their own birth date - it doesn't match from one form to another. The name leads to no real person.Their office addresses? All places anyone can rent a work desk at for a day, for traveling businessmen. One YouTuber tried to call every Bitconnect "office" - no one at any of them ever heard of the company. You can listen to those callsToday, the state of Texas which is expected to be the first of many, filed an emergency cease and desist. Stating they violated at least 3 state regulations - as well as crimes of "engaging in fraud" and statements "likely to deceive the public".The full legal documents can be viewed
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Snow might have blanketed portions of the East Coast in recent days, but it was high, freezing winds that battered the Dan River Region on Thursday.

Its presence was definitely felt as Jennifer Haney made breakfast Thursday morning after her power came back on. But the electricity, which had been out for about an hour and a half, shut down again in her east Danville home near Ringgold.

It just went back out right as we were taking things out of the oven, Haney said during a telephone interview Thursday morning from her Mountain Hill Road home.

The bitter cold whipping around outside started to creep into her home in a short time. The temperature inside dropped from 66 to 61 degrees in about an hour, said Haney, who uses electric heat.

Dan River Region residents can expect strong winds to continue through early Friday morning  enough to create a wind chill of 5 below zero, said meteorologist Jim Hudgins, with the National Weather Service in Blacksburg.

Winds may die down slightly later Friday, but temperatures will remain low, Hudgins said.

The wind may not be quite as strong [Friday], but the surface temperature will not get much out of the upper 20s, he said. Its still going to be single-digit wind chills during the day Friday.

Danville Utilities Director Jason Grey said outages at the Rocksprings Road substation affected about 120 customers in the east Danville/Ringgold area Thursday. The first outage occurred at about 8:15 a.m. and power was restored by 9:23 a.m.

A downed tree on a power line at Ringgold Industrial Parkway caused the outage, Grey said.

A second outage occurred at around 10:25 a.m. and lasted until about 1:30 p.m. due to a downed line on Mountain Hill Road. The cause was a primary line likely knocked down by wind, Grey said.

Locating the cause was a challenge for crews.

They had to spend extra time scouting and finding out where the problem was, Grey said.

The outages affected businesses as well.

Food Lion at Cane Creek Shopping Center closed when its power went out Thursday. Hand-scrawled signs taped to the doors notified customers of the outage.

Store manager Derek Rowland said the power had been out for about four and a half hours. Employees had to turn away customers and send them back into the freezing wind.

Rowland sent a few of his employees home but expected power to be restored and the store re-opened soon. About half an hour, he said Thursday afternoon.

The wintry weather also caused water main breaks overnight. One at Edgewood Drive in Schoolfield affected 10 homes at about 3 a.m. and was fixed by 8 a.m., Grey said.

Another break occurred at Wilson Street at about 1 a.m. and was repaired.

A power outage unrelated to the weather occurred Wednesday night in the Westover area after a truck ran into a pole, said Arnold Hendrix, Danville public information officer.

About 600 mostly residential customers in the Westover and Mount Cross Road areas were without power for about two and a half hours, Hendrix said.

Winds will gradually die Friday night, meteorologist Hudgins predicted. Arctic high pressure is originating out of Southern Canada and is expected to come down over the region Saturday night, Hudgins said.

Lows are expected to be 10 degrees Saturday morning, with lows in the single digits Sunday morning. Temperatures should be in the 20s later Saturday, with Sunday in the low-to-mid 30s later in the day.

Residents should see some relief next week when temperatures reach the 40s and 50s, Hudgins said.

Were hoping once this big, high pressure [system] crosses over us over the weekend, were looking at at least some gradual pattern change as we move into next week and mid-to-late January, he said.

Haney, whose power went out Thursday near Ringgold, said she is checking on her elderly neighbors and opening the window shades to let in as much heat from the sun as possible.

She and her son were prepared to navigate the dark if the power goes out at night.

We have oil lamps we could use, Haney said.
WEST KELOWNA, British Columbia, Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Colorado Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:CXO) ("Colorado" or the "Company") reports the results of its fall 2017 rock, soil and geophysical programs completed at the Castle target on its 100% owned 17,839 hectare Kinaskan-Castle (K-C) Property (see Figure 1). The Castle portion of the Property was acquired by Colorado in February 2017 (see news release dated February 6, 2017).



NR18-01 Figure 1



NR18-01 Figure 2



NR18-01 Figure 3





A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/56be6f5f-9ac8-4f83-8270-ea6eba65da0b

2017 Colorado Exploration Work

As a result of GT Golds Saddle discovery, work by Colorado on K-C focused on the 4km long central and eastern end of the Castle Alteration Zone (CAZ). Colorado collected soil and rock samples, geologically mapped a 10 sq km area and completed 11 line km of I.P. and 150 line km of airborne magnetics in September. The programs were prematurely terminated in late September with the arrival of winter conditions.

Soil and Rock Sampling Programs (Figure 2 and 3)

During the 2017 field program, 856 reconnaissance soil samples were collected on 200m line spacings with 50m centres on north-south orientated lines south and east of the Castle Minfile occurrence. Prospecting covered much of the 5km strike of the CAZ and resulted in the collection of 191 rock samples (73 chips, 15 composites and 103 grabs). The merged data from the 2017 program along with the historic soil samples (1,242 soil samples) are illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. Of the 191 rock samples collected in 2017, 34 returned >5g/t Au and 35 returned >3% Cu. Individual higher grade samples for both gold and copper are plotted on these figures.

Figure 2 illustrates that anomalous gold soil geochemical data closely track the CAZ. Gold geochemistry >200ppb Au in soils forms a series of well-defined segments, from a few hundred meters to >600m in strike length within the broader CAZ. The >200ppb Au contour is superimposed on a broader 100ppb Au in soil anomaly.

Figure 3 shows that strongly elevated copper geochemical data, defined by the >300ppm Cu contour tracks portions of the CAZ over its 5km strike length. Elevated copper values are also noted to the east where copper mineralization is hosted by structural zones which may be both concordant and discordant to coarse grained mafic fragmental volcanic and intrusive contacts.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9b7e7db6-61f5-4f3d-990a-87c62dc14505

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d6d0ecd1-e680-4ecb-bb74-3cab8296f352

Geological Mapping

The results of geological mapping suggest that rock alteration is associated with enhanced gold and copper geochemistry, with multiple intrusive phases and brittle deformation zones. The CAZ forms a slightly arcuate shaped east-west trending, corridor which has a strike length of approximately 5km. The CAZ continues to the eastern property boundary and is overlain to the west by younger volcanic cover. Within the CAZ, rock alteration is characterized by both enhanced QSP and locally potassic alteration. Mineralization has affinities to both porphyry goldcopper systems and intermediate sulphidation structurally controlled goldsilver veins.

IP and Airborne Magnetic Programs

A total of 11km of ground I.P. and 150km of airborne magnetic surveys were flown across much of the Castle portion of the K-C Property. Ground I.P., although prematurely terminated, suggests that strong chargeability responses have been identified on a single line 1,500m to the east of the historic drilling. The airborne magnetic data indicates that the CAZ is defined in part by an east-west striking magnetic high anomaly. Historic drill results suggest that better mineralized zones may be associated with the margins of magnetic highs.

Historical Drill Programs (1988  2013)

Approximately 1.2km of the western part of the CAZ was tested by 21 diamond drillholes (4,805m) between 1988 and 2013. Only 48% of the core from the 11 drillholes completed in 1988 was sampled. All drillcore (3,605m) from the 2012 and 2103 West Cirque Resources drill programs was sampled. The results of these historical exploration drill programs provide strong initial evidence that both high grade structurally controlled gold-silver veins as well as intrusive hosted porphyry gold-copper mineralization is associated with the CAZ. Structurally controlled gold-silver veins would be exemplified by the results of West Cirques DDH CA13-03, 8.92g/t Au and 129.95g/t Ag and 4.0% Cu over 2m and with intrusive hosted gold-copper mineralization characterized by West Cirque Resources DDH CA12-04 coring 150m of 0.35g/t Au, 1.59g/t Ag and 0.09% Cu. Further information on the results of the 1988 to 2013 drilling, the collar locations, a detailed plan map and a summary of significant drill results have been compiled and are presented on the Companys website under the Kinaskan Historical Drill Results section.

Adam Travis, Colorado President and CEO states, The Castle mineralized trend strikes east-west for at least 5km and the historical drill results in the western 1 km indicate that the CAZ has the potential to host significant gold-copper mineralization. The focused 2017 field program, although terminated prematurely due to winter weather, has provided the initial geological and structural framework which defines and characterizes the Castle mineralized trend, and confirms and expands upon the historical results in this area. We view the results of the 2017 preliminary exploration program at Castle as encouraging and fully anticipate undertaking a much more extensive field program at Castle during 2018.

QA/QC Statement On Assay Results

The 2017 samples from the Kinaskan-Castle Property were analyzed by Actlabs Kamloops, British Columbia. Soil samples were prepared by the S1 method, drying (60o C) and sieving (-80 mesh), save all portions. Rock samples were prepared by the RX1, method crush (<7kg) up to 80% passing 10 mesh, riffle split (250g), and pulverized to 95% passing 105 microns, save all portions. Base metal assays were first determined using the total digestion ICP and ICP/MS UT-1 method, which reports results as parts per million (ppm). The gold assays were determined using the 1A2 fire assay method which reports results in ppm and are equivalent to grams per tonne (g/t). Any samples returning greater than 10 ppm gold were analyzed by the 1A3 fire assay method with a gravimetric finish. The analytical results were verified with the application of industry standard Quality Control and Quality Assurance (QA-QC) procedures.

For more information on the Kinaskan-Castle Property the reader is directed to the Companys website at www.coloradoresources.com.

Qualified Persons

Dr. Jim Oliver, Ph.D, P. Geo., the Companys Chief Geoscientist, is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 who reviewed the preparation of the technical data in this news release.

About Colorado

Colorado Resources Ltd. is currently engaged in the business of mineral exploration for the purpose of acquiring and advancing mineral properties located in the Golden Triangle British Columbia and holds approximately 1,200km2 of mineral claims in the Golden Triangle. The Companys main exploration projects within British Columbia include KSP and North ROK. Additionally the Company holds an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Greensprings project located in Nevada.

Please see the Colorado web site for additional information on these projects.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF

COLORADO RESOURCES LTD.

Adam Travis

Adam Travis

President and Chief Executive Officer

For more information, please contact:

Colorado Resources Ltd.

Adam Travis, President & CEO; or

Terese Gieselman, CFO

T: (250) 768-1511 F: (250) 768-0849 TF: (855) 768-1511

W: www.coloradoresources.com

NR 18-01

Cautionary Notes 1-5 for release and figures

 This news release contains information about adjacent properties on which Colorado has no right to explore or mine. Readers are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on the Companys properties.

 Historical information contained in this news release, maps or figures regarding the Companys project or adjacent properties are reported for historical reference only and cannot be relied upon as a Companys QP, as defined under NI-43-101 has not prepared nor verified the historical information.

 Mineral resources that are mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral resource estimates do not account for mineability, selectivity, mining loss and dilution. These mineral resource estimates include inferred mineral resources that are normally considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is also no certainty that these inferred mineral resources will be converted to measure and indicated categories through further drilling, or into mineral reserves, once economic considerations are applied.

 Cu EQ (copper equivalent) has been used to express the combined value of copper and gold as a percentage of copper and is provided for illustrative purposes only. No allowances have been made for recovery losses that may occur should mining eventually result. Copper equivalent calculations herein use metal prices of US $3.25/lb of copper and US $1,318 per troy ounce of gold using the formula CuEQ= (Cu%+71.65)+(Au g/t *42.37)(/71.65).

 The intervals reported in these tables represent drill intercepts and insufficient data is available at this time to state the true thickness of the mineralized intervals and all gold values are uncut.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release, constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions, including: that the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events, that the Company obtains required regulatory approvals, that the Company continues to maintain a good relationship with the local project communities. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause the forward-looking information in this news release to change or to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to, the risk that any of the assumptions referred to prove not to be valid or reliable, which could result in delays, or cessation in planned work, that the Company's financial condition and development plans change, delays in regulatory approval, risks associated with the interpretation of data, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, the possibility that results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to mineral exploration and development activities and to the Company as set forth in the Company's Managements Discussion and Analysis reports filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information or statements, other than as required by applicable law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
VANCOUVER, Jan. 05, 2018 - Belvedere Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:BEL) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that, on January 5, 2018, it closed the previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") of 4,166,666 common shares of the Company ("Common Shares") at an issue price of C$0.06 per Share, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately C$250,000.The securities issued in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the closing of the Private Placement.The net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used in connection with continued operations of the Company, payment of outstanding debts, examining what financial and strategic alternatives may be available to the Company and towards general and administrative expenses.In connection with the Private Placement, the Company has agreed to pay Smaller Company Capital Ltd. ("SCC") a finder's fee in the form of 208,333 Common Shares, an amount equal to 5% of the total issued Common Shares under the Private Placement, as well as an agent's warrant to acquire up to 208,333 Common Shares at a price of $0.06 per share for a period of 12 months from the date of issuance.BELVEDERE RESOURCES LTD.Brian Hinchcliffe, Executive Chairmanc/o 82 Richmond Street East, Suite 200Toronto, ON, M5C 1P1Tel. +1 (914) 815 2773bhinch3@gmail.comwww.belvedere-resources.comNeither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Certain information set out in this news release constitutes forward-looking information. Forward looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe" and similar expressions. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements in respect of among other things, the ability of the Company to identify and complete strategic actions or else restructure itself. Forward-looking statements are based upon the opinions and expectations of management of the Company as at the effective date of such statements and, in certain cases, information provided or disseminated by third parties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, and that information obtained from third party sources is reliable, they can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements included in this document, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which the forward-looking statements are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur, which may cause actual results in future periods to differ materially from any estimates or projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risk factors set forth in the Companys most recent management's discussion and analysis, a copy of which is filed on SEDAR at www.SEDAR.com, and readers are cautioned that the risk factors disclosed therein should not be construed as exhaustive. These statements are made as at the date hereof and unless otherwise required by law, the Company does not intend, or assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements.
Toronto, January 5, 2018 - Intercontinental Gold and Metals Ltd. (TSXV: ICAU) ("ICAU" or the "Company") announces that, further to its news releases dated December 13, 2017 and December 22, 2017, it has closed the first tranche ("First Tranche") of its previously announced unit financing. In connection with the First Tranche, the Company issued, as a loan bonus in accordance with Policy 5.1 of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"), an aggregate of 1,320 units (the "Units") at a price of $1,000 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $1,320,000. Each Unit is comprised of: (i) one promissory note in the principal amount of C$1,000 bearing a coupon of 10.0%, payable semi-annually, with a 5-year term (each, a "Note"); (ii) 750 common shares (the "Bonus Shares"); and (iii) 750 common share purchase warrants (the "Bonus Warrant"). Each Bonus Warrant is exercisable for one common share of the Company at a price of $0.20 per share until January 5, 2023.

In connection with the First Tranche, the Company paid cash commissions equal to 6% of the gross proceeds of the Offering to certain eligible finders (the "Finders") and issued an aggregate of 60 finder warrants (the "Finder Warrants") to such Finders. Each Finder Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one common share of the Company at a price of $0.20 per share until January 5, 2023.

Proceeds of the financing will be used for gold trading activities and project development capital for the Company's current operations in Bolivia, expansion of gold trading activities into Peru and Brazil, and for general working capital purposes.

The First Tranche closing constituted a related party transaction within the meaning of TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101") as an insider of the Company subscribed for an aggregate of 300 Units pursuant to the First Tranche. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the participation in the First Tranche by the insider does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report in respect of the related party transaction at least 21 days before the closing of the First Tranche, which the Company deems reasonable in the circumstances in order to complete the financing in an expeditious manner.

All securities issued pursuant to the First Tranche are subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the date hereof.

About Intercontinental Gold and Metals Ltd.

Intercontinental Gold and Metals Ltd. has successfully transformed itself to become a Next Generation Metals and Mining Company providing leverage to commodity prices, exploration and development success and significant growth potential for our stakeholders. We believe our active involvement in the physical commodities market will provide insights in global primary supply and demand trends that in turn create a strategic and competitive advantage on new mine development and expansion opportunities on a global basis. The Company generates revenues from the purchases and sales of gold (accounted for as revenue). Cost of sales is measured at the fair value of the precious metals purchased and inventory sold, which is purchased at a competitive discount from licensed artisanal and small miners (ASGM). ASGM supply supports a sustainable revenue generation model. We are unique being the only publicly listed company servicing the LATAM ASGM market.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Intercontinental Gold and Metals Ltd.

Gorden Glenn

President & Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact;

Investor Relations at 647-985-2785 or Barry Mire, Renmark Financial at 514-939-3989

Forward Looking Statements

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expect, are forward-looking statements. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, save and except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.


Republican Del. David Yancey has won the tiebreaker drawing in the 94th District race.Yancey's name was chosen at a special State Board of Elections meeting. It broke the 11,608-vote tie for the Newport News-area seat and keeps a Republican majority in the House of Delegates.Yancey, who was first elected to the House in 2011, was at home with staff and family and followed the drawing online. " ... I want all residents of Newport News to know I am ready to serve as their Delegate," he said in a statement.He also said Democrat Shelly Simonds ran a great campaign and thanked her for her service on the Newport News School Board. He added that "he looks forward to her continued involvement in issues that matter to the people of the 94th."While his win was certified Thursday, the drawing may not end a contest that has stretched for 58 days and included a recount and court battle.Simonds, who attended the drawing, said she wasn't conceding and that "all options are still on the table." The last time Virginia used a tiebreaker to decide a House race was 1971."Clearly, I think that this is a sad conclusion for me and for the people of Virginia who really need health care," said Simonds, standing near her husband and daughter. "Medicaid expansion really was on the line here."She might be able ask for another recount, but since this is unfamiliar territory, no one has been able to provide a concrete legal opinion on the next steps. Virginia's recount statute and tiebreaker statute address the issues separately but don't quite address what happens if a candidate asks for a recount after a tiebreaker.The situation was set up by a court decision that allowed a previously voided ballot to be counted in Yancey's favor.He initially won the November election by 10 votes, but Simonds asked for a recount and on Dec. 19 she gained 11 votes, making her the winner by one -- before the court ruling.Last week, Simonds filed documents asking the court to reconsider its decision and declare her the winner because she said judges did not follow recount protocol. Yancey agreed with the court and called for the drawing .The judges on Wednesday wrote they were within their right to look at the disputed ballot and said they followed State Board of Elections guidelines on determining the voter's intention.Quentin Kidd, director of the Judy Ford Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University, said on Twitter that if Simonds asked for a recount, her side also had disputed ballots it did not get in front of judges, that could switch the vote count again.Simonds said she's consulting with lawyers and doesn't have a timeline for her next move. Republican Speaker-designee Kirk Cox called on her not to ask for a recount.Even if she doesn't, she said, she'll be running again.Yancey said he'll sponsor bills on health care, public safety and transportation.He also reached out to voters. "For those of you who voted for me, thank you, for those of you who did not, please know that I will sincerely continue to do my best to represent us all in Richmond."With his win, the House has a 51-49 Republican majority.That's barring one other election, District 28, where a federal court hearing is scheduled Friday to sort out what happened when voters were placed in the wrong district. A Republican won that seat, but Democrats are fighting for a recount or special election.Democrats picked up 15 seats in the House this election cycle, putting them within striking distance of power-sharing with Republicans.The tiebreaker was held in the West Reading Room of the Patrick Henry Building in Richmond.It's one of the largest rooms available on Capitol Square and most of the 80 seats were filled despite the snow.The names of the two candidates were printed on separate slips of paper. Each slip was put into a separate film canister, which were then placed in a blue ceramic bowl made by Virginia artist Steven Glass.The canisters were mixed up before State Board of Elections Chairman James Alcorn pulled out the one with Yancey's name in it. Board member Clara Belle Wheeler pulled out the other canister.
Washington's state attorney general sued Motel 6 on Wednesday, accusing the hotel chain of illegally giving information on thousands of guests to immigration enforcement officials who did not have warrants and who scrutinized guests with Latino-sounding names.Motel 6 has faced scrutiny since September, when a Phoenix publication uncovered evidence that two Arizona locations had been regularly handing over guests' information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who were on the lookout for immigrants staying in the country illegally.Motel 6 _ which has more than 1,400 locations across North America _ disavowed the practice and said the information exchange was limited to "the local level without the knowledge of senior management."But on Wednesday, Attorney General Bob Ferguson of Washington said his office launched its own investigation after the revelations in Arizona and discovered that "disturbing and unlawful" handovers were also routine at several corporate-owned Motel 6 locations in Washington state _ suggesting the practice was more widespread than the company had contended."It was not isolated to two motels in Phoenix, not by a long shot. The company's actions were methodical. They trained their new employees on how to do this," Ferguson said. "We're going to find out who at Motel 6 knew what, and when they knew it."He said the names of "many thousands" of Washington residents and visitors staying at Motel 6 had been turned over to the federal government "without their knowledge, without their consent."Ferguson said Motel 6 staffers told investigators that "the ICE agents circled any Latino or Latina-sounding names on the guest registry, and returned to their vehicles" to run background checks.Ferguson's lawsuit, filed in King County Superior Court in Seattle, accuses Motel 6 of unfair and deceptive business practices and of violating Washington state privacy laws. It also alleges discrimination based on nationality.The complaint asks for a permanent injunction forbidding the company from continuing the practice and for civil penalties and attorney fees.In a statement, Motel 6 said it had ordered its locations in September not to hand over lists of residents to ICE without a warrant."Motel 6 takes this matter very seriously, and we have and will continue to fully cooperate with the Office of the State Attorney General," the company said.ICE spokeswoman Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe said in an email that she would not "disclose or discuss specific information related to the source of its enforcement leads" and declined to comment on the litigation."It's worth noting that hotels and motels have frequently been exploited by criminal organizations engaged in highly dangerous illegal enterprises, including human trafficking and human smuggling," O'Keefe added.Tim Warden-Hertz, directing attorney of the Tacoma, Wash., office of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, a nonprofit advocacy group, called the attorney general's allegations "incredibly problematic" both for immigrants and on a personal level."When I go to the hotel, or when I pick up the phone, I don't expect that that information is going to be handed over to the government," Warden-Hertz said. "For a business to do this to their own customers is sort of baffling, and certainly I think should make people think twice about where they take their own business."
During the housing crisis and Great Recession a decade ago, millions of Americans were evicted from their homes for being unable to pay their mortgages. Now, many housing experts say America is on the verge of a new eviction crisis, and this time, it's affecting renters.We have had basically a lot of demand for rental, and tight credit markets have pushed up that demand by people who would normally own homes, says Dan Immergluck, an urban studies professor at Georgia State University.The 2008 fiscal collapse reshaped the housing market, prompting greater scrutiny of banks' lending practices and keeping more people from purchasing a home. That's placed more pressure on renters, especially low-income renters, according to the 2017 State of the Nations Housing report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University.Rental vacancy rates are at historic lows, according to the U.S. Census Bureau . Rents are rising, but incomes generally are not. Given that reality, say Immergluck and others, it's only reasonable to expect that evictions are on the rise.HIstorically there have been no reliable national statistics on evictions. Those researching evictions have relied on their own local field studies or court records to analyze the problem at a city or regional level. The U.S. Census Bureau, for example, only began tracking eviction data last year. But the indicators don't look good.Apartment List, an online rental property search firm that also collects data on the rental market, recently published a report detailing what many housing experts say are troubling warning signs in the rental sector.According to the report, nearly one in five renters were unable to pay the full amount of their rent for at least one month of a three-month period in 2017. Some 3.7 million Americans experienced an eviction at some point in 2017, and most of those renters earned less than $30,000 per year. (The number of evictions includes formal, court-ordered instances as well as "soft evictions," in which tenants leave under the threat of a formal eviction but before the actual notice had been given.)The phenomenon isn't just hitting hot markets like New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. It's a problem in many cities across the country, even those that haven't been impacted by gentrification.Cities with a short supply of affordable housing and large populations of poor and low-income residents topped the Apartment List eviction rankings. The top three cities in the study were Memphis, Phoenix and Atlanta, where the rate of residents who had been evicted ranged from 5.7 percent to 6.1 percent. All three cities have poverty rates above 20 percent. In Memphis, one in four residents lives at or below the federal poverty line.Memphis' high concentration of poverty leaves many of its renters on the edge of eviction each month, according to John Paul Schafer, executive director of BLDG Memphis, a coalition of community-based developers advocating for inclusive and smart growth in the city. But what makes matters worse is a glut of outdated housing stock, much of which is poorly insulated.Memphis has apartment complexes that you can look at and see they havent had significant maintenance in decades," Shafer says. Weatherization teams come in and cant do any work because there is a hole in the floor.Shafer estimates that poor families in Memphis can spend as much as 20 percent of their income on utilities. That leaves little left over for rent or other needs.We have seen people whose utility bill can be as high as $1,500 per month, he says.Once an eviction is triggered, the process in many states is swift.In Georgia, the eviction process can be as quick as a month. Courts in Georgia dont accept financial hardship as an excuse for nonpayment, and the only way to halt an eviction, according to state law, is for the tenant to pay the missed rent along with any related late fees and all court costs. In Tennessee, landlords can evict a tenant with just 14 days notice.Arizona's eviction process can be particularly unfriendly to tenants. In Arizona, a renter can be subject to an eviction notice five days after failing to pay rent, and she can find herself in court as soon as three days after that. If the court sides with the landlord, the renter can be removed in five days -- and can be forced to pay the landlords legal fees.The process can move even faster in Arizona if a landlord files a criminal complaint for damaged property or if illegal drugs are detected during an inspection. In those instances, a renter can be removed in a single day, according to Jeff Katz, managing attorney for the housing unit of Community Legal Services of Arizona. Katz represents low-income residents in evictions.A handful of places have moved to increase tenant protections.New York City now provides free counsel to those facing eviction. Washington, D.C., and Maryland prohibit evictions during the holiday season and when temperatures are below freezing.But it's Cook County, Ill., that has become the poster child for protecting tenants from eviction. That's thanks to county Sheriff Tom Dart, who took office in 2007 as the housing market crisis was reaching critical mass.Just as I became sheriff, the wheels had begun to come off the whole thing, Dart says. (Dart was named as one of's 2017 Public Officials of the Year .)In 2008, he placed the first of two moratoriums on evictions in Cook County, a move that elicited criticism from landlords and the real estate sector, but one he says was prompted by what he saw when he rode along with his deputies during evictions.It was the most thoughtless process that hadnt evolved in hundreds of years, Dart says.Many of the families being evicted were living in foreclosed homes where their landlords had pocketed the rent money instead of paying the mortgage. Families who were evicted sometimes had their possessions stolen by moving companies. Dart saw children who were being displaced not just from their homes but were forced to switch schools mid-year.Dart, a former prosecutor and state lawmaker, looked to other localities for examples of how his department, which is required to enforce evictions, could better handle displacing families.I scanned jurisdictions across the country, thinking we in Cook County must have been behind the times. But we werent," he says. "Everyone was doing the same thing.Ultimately, he decided to apply a social-work model to evictions. Those being evicted are apprised of their rights and connected with mental health professionals, social workers and housing options. The sheriffs department coordinates with schools to assist in transitioning children in the event a child has to move.Unlike other states like Tennessee or Arizona, Illinois law afforded Dart and his department time to coordinate these efforts.There was so much delay built into the system," Dart says. We have the eviction on our radar screen. We have to use this window in time to be thoughtful instead of just queueing it up.Reforming the process like that may ease the pain of eviction. But the only way to really relieve pressure on the rental market is by adding more affordable housing units, says Elora Lee Raymond, assistant professor in city and regional planning at Clemson University, who recently completed research on the Atlanta housing market and its evictions.Raymond notes that new Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms vowed in her campaign to create a $1 billion affordable housing fund, with half the money coming from the private sector and half coming from public funds. Bottoms also pledged to hold new developers accountable in including affordable housing units in new construction.Keisha Lance Bottoms ran on affordable housing," Raymond says. "It would be nice if she stuck to her guns."
Description

GIS  05 January, 2018: A meeting to exchange views on the Chagos Archipelago issue was held this afternoon between the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, and Mr Olivier Bancoult, Chairman and Leader of the Chagos Refugees Group, at the New Treasury Building, in Port Louis. Mr Bancoult was accompanied by other members of the Chagossian community.

Prior to the meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr Bancoult met the Minister Mentor, Minister of Defence, Minister for Rodrigues, Sir Anerood Jugnauth .

In a statement, Mr Bancoult pointed out that the meetings had as objective to submit, on behalf of the Chagos Refugees Group and the Chagossian community, a draft memorandum to Government with regard to the Chagos Archipelago issue. He announced that a working session is scheduled with the panel of international lawyers representing the Government of Mauritius for an exchange of views.

On 22 June 2017, a resolution seeking the International Court of Justice advisory opinion on pre-independence separation of Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Statements on the issue can be presented to the Court within the set time frame of 30 January 2018.
Boston is seeking applicants for its soon-to-be vacated CIO position via a job posting on the citys website

The current CIO, Jascha Franklin-Hodge, announced his departure in December, and his last day is slated to be Jan. 24. Franklin-Hodge, who ascended to the position in 2014, has said that he plans to take some time off of work while deliberating on what his next move will be.

Whoever replaces Franklin-Hodge will report, as he did, directly to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, who won re-election in 2017. This job is sure to be a coveted one, as Boston is regularly among the pioneers in gov tech at the municipal level. The CIO in Boston oversees 150 employees and an annual budget of roughly $50 million, which includes both operating and capital.

The CIO will set the strategic direction and lead the staff of five main divisions within the Department of Innovation and Technology, with those five divisions being infrastructure, enterprise applications, digital engagement and service delivery, data and analytics, and broadband and digital equity.

The posting emphasized the prominence of this position within city hall, noting, The CIO is an important part of the Citys leadership team. In collaboration with other City departments, the CIO implements the Mayors strategic goals and increases organizational performance with relation to technology. The CIO is expected to plan and execute an ambitious agenda to support the Citys policy and operational priorities.

Mayor Walsh has also praised Franklin-Hodge for having helped to bring city hall and city services into the 21st century in just four short years. The next CIO will likely build on work already under way in the city.

Deadline for new Cities of Service Engaged Cities award approaches

Bloomberg Philanthropies is sponsoring yet another initiative aimed at giving cities financial support for working on innovative and new ways to tackle challenges in their communities.

The latest effort is the Engaged Cities Award , which is a contest being run by Cities of Service that aims to find and elevate the growing number of diverse and creative ways city leaders are harnessing the power of people to solve problems. Some examples of this listed by the award include collaborating with citizen science initiatives to map neighborhood issues, using new methods to gauge satisfaction with public services or crowdsourcing community ideas for long-standing problems.

The deadline to apply for the award is Jan. 5, and winning cities will be eligible to win $100,000 to help fund and accelerate their efforts. The award is open to any city that has more than 30,000 residents and is located in Europe or North or South America. One grand prize winner will get the aforementioned $100,000, while two additional cities will get $50,000 each. Cities can submit multiple applications related to different strategies. Moving forward, the Engaged Cities Award will be an annual opportunity.

Cities of Service and its Engaged Cities Award are both funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, and they are both in keeping with other work supported by the organizaiton. In fact, 324 cities are currently waiting to hear the results of its Mayors Challenge competition , which offers a $5 million grand prize to the city leader with the best idea to solve an urgent problem that local governments face across the country. Meanwhile, Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Initiative is an ongoing effort to support cities that are working to improve government performance through data-driven decision-making.

Tucson Police Department seeks to fill new crime analyst superintendent position

The Tucson Police Department is seeking an experienced crime analyst for its new position of crime analyst superintendent, and city officials say that the job will be heavily steeped in tech and innovation work related to data.

The job posting paints the picture of a police department that is eager to accelerate the way it uses data and analytics to better serve its citizens, noting that this is a command-level civilian position that will lead and grow the departments crime and administrative data analysis capacity by developing current and future team members, employing new and innovative performance measure techniques, strengthening partnerships with academic institutions, and leveraging technology to improve service delivery and community satisfaction.

Essentially, this position is one that aims to take the tech and innovation culture that has become a staple in many city halls across the country and install it into the police department. This may also be part of a trend in which public safety departments in major cities are seeking to bring in data people. In fact, the Philadelphia Fire Department recently created a job posting for a senior lead GIS analyst to help create an analytics team in that city, noting that it is moving toward increasing its use of data in day-to-day operations, and GIS and analytics will be a large part of this initiative.

Cook County launches new map hub and new county clerk website

Cook County, which is home to Chicago, recently launched a new online map hub as well as a new county clerk website. Both of these projects are intended to make it easier to share information with the public online.

The map hub, which is officially called Cook Central , is a one-stop shop for the countys department of geographic information systems (GIS). It was first unveiled last month as part of Cook Countys GIS Day celebration, which sought to remind residents about the uses of mapping. In a press release announcing Cook Central, officials pointed out the value mapping is already providing the community through platforms such as Connect to Cook , which gives business owners, residents and entrepreneurs free online access to critical information they can use to open or relocate business to the county. Other available data map layers on Cook Central include transportation infrastructure, recreation, housing, business and manufacturing locations.

The new county clerks office website , meanwhile, provides users with a streamlined and easy-to-navigate interface where they can quickly find links to information from one of the largest election jurisdictions in the country, with popular sections such as vital records, elections, property taxes, ethics, board proceedings and more.
The District of Columbias Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) has announced a new temporary leader.Barney Krucoff, the districts first-ever chief data officer , will become its interim chief technology officer (CTO) starting on Jan. 8, OCTOs executive assistant to the CTO confirmed.His predecessor, outgoing CTO Archana Vemulapalli, will mark her last day in the post on Jan. 5 before departing for the private sector.Krucoff served as OCTOs geographic information officer from 2004 to 2011, according to his LinkedIn profile, before reprising that role for Marylands Department of Information Technology. He returned to DC as CDO in June 2016.There, he led a team of 26 employees across the enterprise who previously worked together unofficially. The district, Krucoff said then in a statement, plays above its weight, leading to lots of opportunity to build upon what the city has already done, a reference to its potential in the world of data.The then-CDO spent a good portion of the early months after his return to OCTO drafting a new data policy for D.C., one that defined data and established classifications for what data sets would be made public, kept internal, or subject to the Freedom of Information Act.In an interview in October 2016 , Krucoff described business intelligence as sort of the Wild West within government, and said one of his goals would be to do for business intelligence what D.C. has done for geospatial and mapping technologies.Generally, he said then, that means making it more efficient for agencies to use technology, and eliminating redundancies in the business intelligence infrastructure.Krucoff described himself as sort of a tool provider, data provider, standards provider, and said officials want to see the data helping civic causes, helping people start businesses, even.Now, roughly 15 months later, the "provider" has ascended to lead OCTO on an interim basis.Vemulapalli, who began as CTO in early 2016, had previously been CTO at the facility management company Pristine Environments. She wasted no time in making an impact, Deputy City Administrator Kevin Donahue said in a statement when her departure was announced. She guided the launch of SmarterDC, an interagency effort convening municipal, federal, educational and business partners to explore smart city technologies.More recently, the district was announced as the lead East Coast city for the Startup in Residence (STiR) program, bringing tech entrepreneurs to work directly with government.
(TNS) - Representatives with the Federal Emergency Management Agency were greeted Wednesday with tough questions steeped in frustration from Nueces County, Texas commissioners.FEMA's response: Be patient. The recovery effort is going well.Federal officials appeared before county leaders in response to increasing concerns about the pace of housing assistance provided to residents recovering from Hurricane Harvey. The Category 4 storm devastated Port Aransas and communities in Aransas, Refugio and San Patricio counties with winds of 130 mph after it made landfall Aug. 25.Kevin Hannes, FEMA's federal coordinating officer for Hurricane Harvey in Texas, acknowledged some hiccups in the local recovery process, but said the overall response to Harvey has exceeded expectations."I am not sucking up  This is the best recovery I have been a part of in the last 10 years," he said.Nueces County officials in recent weeks have expressed growing frustration at the speed with which residents in Port Aransas  which was hit with wind gusts of over 160 mph and a storm surge of 11 feet  have been provided with mobile housing units. More than four months after the storm, only three families in Port Aransas have been provided with a mobile housing unit, officials have said.Hannes said there are a total of 43 Nueces County residents who have qualified for a FEMA trailer, out of 13,787 individuals who applied for assistance after Harvey struck. The registration period for assistance expired on Nov. 30.He said that about $100 million in federal assistance  made up of FEMA individual assistance, National Flood Insurance Program claims and Small Business Administration loans  has been awarded locally. The average FEMA grant for assistance was about $4,000, Hannes said."It's not much, but it's not intended to be much," he said. "It's intended to be that starter money, that seed money to get their recovery started."Much of the confusion has centered on the low number of people who have qualified for a mobile housing unit or other direct housing assistance, which Hannes said is offered to people who suffered $17,000 or more in FEMA-verified losses (i.e., damage to home)."A majority of the damages inside Nueces County to make homes safe, habitable and secure was under $17,000," he said. "When it's under $17,000, we look at that from a perspective nationally that that is well within the grant funding that we can provide for repairs, that those individuals can make those repairs to their homes within a reasonable amount of time to do that."County Commissioner Brent Chesney said most of the frustration from local residents toward FEMA stemmed from the complexity of its application process. For instance, to even be considered for direct housing assistance, an individual must first apply for an SBA loan, regardless of whether they want to or not."I want to say this to your face so you don't think I'm saying it behind your back  it's been a colossal failure in this area, pure and simple," he said.County leaders also made mention of residents in Port Aransas who have been living in tents after being displaced from their homes, but Hannes dismissed those reports as incorrect. He said FEMA staff had offered help to those individuals, but they declined assistance."Everybody in Port Aransas who is living in a tent is living there by choice," Hannes said.Julie White, a 40-year-old Port Aransas resident, said she got so tired of the lengthy wait times on the phone with FEMA  and frequent transfers or disconnects  that she finally opted to figure things out on her own. She is currently living in a travel trailer with her son, who is a senior in high school, and friends at work are helping her get by with donations to supplement her income."I can tell you that I did  I gave up (on the process), and I hope that FEMA and everybody else understands that there's a lot of people like me," White said.She also rebutted Hannes' claim that the Port Aransas residents in tents were there of their own volition."The people that are living in the tents on the beach, they don't want to be there  they don't, especially at this time of year," she said.Port Aransas resident Frankie Pemberton, 65, said she has been waiting several weeks for word on a mobile housing unit. She lost her home, boat and restaurant business to Harvey, though she did get $23,000 in financial assistance from FEMA to help with repairs to her home. The house in question is no longer standing, though  it was torn down shortly after the storm due to the damage.The money from FEMA will not be enough, she said, to even fund foundation work on her home, as it will need to be elevated nine feet, she said. Now, Pemberton said she is just waiting on word about the trailer from FEMA. Representatives with the federal agency met with Pemberton after Wednesday's meeting to address her situation."Am I going back to Port (Aransas)?" she asked. "I've got a piece of property there that's bought and paid for, but we'll see. I want to come home  that's my home."Hannes said that FEMA was willing to do what it took to address residents' concerns, even devoting additional resources to the area, but said the pace would ultimately be set by local officials. He also urged "patience" as federal officials worked to push its plan for recovery through the proper channels, adding that FEMA also has to take time to meet permitting rules in affected cities and counties.In some instances, people who were previously in arrears on electric bills can also delay the process, because power cannot be turned on until that is resolved."We're not going to set the pace of the recovery  you are going to set the pace of the recovery," he said. "This is your recovery  this is not a federal recovery, this is not a state recovery.""I want to move with urgency and diligence, but I do not want to move with haste," he added.Chesney replied to Hannes' call for patience by pointing to the mounting frustration locally from residents who felt like FEMA was not helping fast enough. A volunteer group in Port Aransas  Homes for Displaced Marlins  has provided more than 30 trailers to displaced families."The reason they had to (step up) was because FEMA wasn't responding to them and FEMA wasn't doing anything," Chesney said. "So, thank God for these people in Port Aransas who formed this group that have now bought 35 trailers. They didn't have any problems with permits, they didn't have any problems getting them over there."Despite issues with bureaucracy in Harvey recovery efforts, Hannes said it was the "best" he had seen during his time with FEMA, "bar none." The level of cooperation between federal, state and local entities has improved and some levels of bureaucracy have been eliminated, he said."Together, I think we're making great strides in really changing the dynamics of recovery for the future," Hannes said. "Looking at this as a whole, I can't say enough that this recovery  when I look at what's going on with Puerto Rico with their issues or Florida or the California wildfires  this recovery, bar none, is going to be the model moving forward."County Judge Loyd Neal had a different take on that statement."As you just talked about how great this model is, I'm reminded of the family waiting in the waiting room for the surgeon to come out," Neal said. "And he comes out and he says, 'I just want to tell you this is the best operation I have ever done. Everybody in this operating room cooperated  we did everything correct. The patient died, but we had a great operation.' ""We're in the process now of trying to evaluate what went wrong with the operation," he said.2018 the Corpus Christi Caller-Times (Corpus Christi, Texas)Visit the Corpus Christi Caller-Times (Corpus Christi, Texas) at www.caller.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS)  A self-driving car company with deep roots in Pittsburgh and a test fleet on the city's streets will work with two major auto manufacturers in deals that could bring autonomous vehicles to the road by 2021.Aurora will partner with Volkswagen Group and Hyundai to provide the hardware, software and expertise needed for self-driving cars, the companies announced Friday."We know the future of transportation is autonomous," Woong Chul Yang, vice chairman of Hyundai Motor, said in a statement about the partnership.The partnerships join the likes of Uber and Volvo, Argo AI and Ford, Waymo and Chrysler and several other collaborations between self-driving tech startups and legacy auto makers."We founded Aurora to work alongside, rather than in competition with, the world's leading automakers," Chris Urmson, Aurora CEO and co-founder, wrote in a post on Medium on Thursday Aurora was started by Urmson, Sterling Anderson and Drew Bagnell, an all-star lineup of self-driving gurus. Urmson helped start Google's self-driving car efforts. Anderson, Aurora's chief product officer, headed Tesla's Autopilot program. Bagnell, the company's chief technical officer, was among the first to work on Uber's self-driving car program in Pittsburgh. The company has offices in Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Palo Alto, Calif.Aurora came to Pittsburgh last year but has made little noise since. It has steadily built its team in Pittsburgh and California and quietly tested a fleet of self-driving cars in both states.Anderson told the Tribune-Review in May that Pittsburgh's talent was a " key strategic element of the autonomy puzzle ."For Urmson and Bagnell, bringing Aurora to Pittsburgh was a homecoming of sorts. The pair pioneered work on autonomous vehicles at CMU. Urmson was director of technology on the university's 2007 team that won the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Grand Challenge. Bagnell was a member of that team.Urmson went to Google a year later. Bagnell remained at CMU as an associate professor in the university's Robotics Institute. In 2016, he went to Uber to head autonomy and perception.The deals with VW and Hyundai are the first major announcements from Aurora."Working with Aurora, a leading self-driving system company, will give us a giant leap forward in our mission to become the world's leading provider of sustainable mobility, with self-driving vehicles," Johann Jungwirth, chief digital officer for Volkswagen Group, said in a statement. "For me this is the reinvention of mobility and the automobile."Aurora already has experience working with cars produced by VW Group, the parent company to VW, Audi and several other brands. The company drove an Audi Q7 outfitted with cameras, lidar and sensors from Silicon Valley to Pittsburgh last year. The drive wasn't autonomous but the system collected data Aurora used to refine and bolster its self-driving technology.Aurora and VW engineers have worked together for the last six months on sensors, hardware, software. VW last year unveiled SEDRIC, a self-driving pod concept car and its first public foray into autonomous vehicles.Jungwirth said the company anticipates a future where people will use a VW mobility app, digital virtual assistant like Siri or Alexa or a button on a key fob to hail a self-driving car to take them from door-to-door."Our priority at Aurora is to make self-driving cars a reality quickly, broadly and safely, and we know we will get there faster by partnering with innovative automakers like the Volkswagen Group," Urmson said in a statement.Hyundai intends to use its partnership with Aurora to bring self-driving cars to the road by 2021. The companies will first work together to put self-driving technology in custom-developed vehicles for use in test programs in pilot cities. Eventually, Hyundai and Aurora will put autonomous vehicles on the streets across the globe, the car maker said."Aurora is excited to partner with Hyundai Motor to make the social benefits of self-driving available globally," Urmson said in a statement.Hyundai has been testing autonomous vehicles in Nevada since 2015. Last year, the company introduced its self-driving IONIQ models. In 2018, Hyundai will begin testing a next-generation, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle that it says will be ideal for incorporating self-driving technology.
Making sure the task force does not kowtow to law enforcement and software companies

The New York City Council met early in December to pass a law on algorithmic decision-making transparency that could have real significance for cities and states in the rest of the nation. With the passage of an algorithmic accountability bill , the city gains a task force that will monitor the fairness and validity of algorithms used by municipal agencies.The public is in the dark about AI ( artificial intelligence ) and how it is deployed and used, said Bronx City Council representative James Vacca.I strongly believe the public has a right to know when decisions are made using algorithms, said Vacca during the December City Council Technology Committee meeting.New York uses algorithms to determine if a lower bail will be assigned to an indigent defendant, where firehouses are established, student placement for public schools, accessing teacher performance, identifying Medicaid fraud and to determine where crime will happen next.For example, he said, Ive always felt that the number of police officers in my two police precincts have always been disproportionately low, inadequate. But according to Vacca, no one in the police department has been able to tell him they determine the numbers of police on the streets.I dont know what it is. I dont know how it works. I dont know what factors go into it, Vacca said. As we advance into the 21st century, we must ensure our government is not black boxed . I have proposed this legislation not to prevent city agencies from taking advantage of cutting-edge tools, but to ensure that when they do, they remain accountable to the public.The mayor will choose a task force within three months of the bill going into effect. The panel will include groups and individuals that are affected by algorithms, technology ethicists, city department heads using AI, technology companies as well as legal experts.To see that the panel is equitable, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is actively lobbying the mayors office to help shape the panel membership and the conversation the city will have about these algorithms.Nationally, the ACLU has been active in prosecuting AI unfairness and lack of transparency, particularly in the areas of criminal justice and social welfare. But now they actively want to have a seat at the table and to have a hand in the selection of the panel members.Rashida Richardson, legislative counsel for the New York Civil Liberties Union, a state affiliate of the ACLU, said the organization testified in support of the bill and would like to offer some suggestions for task force members.We hope to see a broader group convened to make sure the group is effective and fair, she explained.Richardson said the national organization will be meeting soon to charter a legislative agenda for all affiliates on the topic, and the ACLU wants to help shape a national dialog on how it is implemented.AI is now pervasive throughout government, she said. Cash-strapped government uses AI to save money, but [lack of transparency] is creating an imbalance, she said.Introduced in August, the bill originally took more of an enforcement approach, but during hearings on the legislation, law enforcement and representatives of technology companies opposed revealing software code in question. The NYPD said the bill would hurt the tactical advantage the agency currently enjoys.Similarly, technology companies objected to publishing proprietary software code. Critics have said that merely assigning a task force to determine how the city can create transparency without tools of enforcement gives the body a symbolic charter, but no big stick to get work done. These critics are also concerned that the task force will not be forceful enough against law enforcement and proprietary software concerns.Ellen Goodman, a law professor with a specialty in information policy at Rutgers Law, said she was concerned that the task force would be too deferential to technology companies broad claims of trade secrecy. Goodman, who recently co-authored, with Robert Brauneis, a paper entitled Algorithmic Transparency for the Smart City , found that most cities do not disclose information about their use of AI because they are afraid of repercussions from AI software companies.Proprietary interests should not tromp on public access, Goodman, who helped to prepare expert testimony heard by the NYC Council, said. New York City has the power [to push back] and insist on preserving the public interests. She suggests that software deployed to make decisions for the city about its citizens should be audited for bias independently. The source code does not need to be disclosed, she said.Goodman argues that a city would not need to release the whole blueprint to help people understand what the AI looks at and what type of criteria it uses to decide on bail or access to Medicaid funding. One solution could be writing contracts to address transparency concerns from the outset.Julia Powles, an academic researcher at the New York University School of Law, who writes on topics at the intersection of law and technology, said she was disappointed to see the ambitious tone of the original bill scaled back.New York City is well-placed to take on an initiative like this one, said Powles, noting that officials downscaled their ambitions and instead chose to create a task force.They established a task force because it was the uncontroversial path, she said, adding that it does not have the power to investigate.The fact that the city also has no central repository of how much it spends on AI nor how it is applied puts the committee at a disadvantage. There is no readily accessible public information on how much the city spends on algorithmic services, for instance, or how much of New Yorkers data it shares with outside contractors, she wrote in a recent piece for The New Yorker In Europe, fines are already being leveled if AI transparency in software is not readily available, she explained. In the past decade, countries like France and Germany have put companies on notice and transparency has become a company issue.The fact that his original bill has changed a lot does not seem to concern Vacca. This is a part of the normal legislative process, he said. This is the first time in the country that this issue has been taken up. I knew my bill was ambitious.Vacca, who has termed out of the city council after serving 12 years, sees the legislation as a legacy piece. This issue has long-term implications for the country as a whole, he said. What the council does will be watched by the whole nation.
Federal Tax Revision

Health Insurance

Building 5G

Sexual Harassment

Fair Work Schedules

Opioids

Unions Under Siege

State Revenue Projections

Election Cybersecurity

Nothing big happens in election years. At least, thats the conventional wisdom on legislative action in many state capitols.And in a year when 36 states will choose governors and 44 will elect state lawmakers, that feeling is understandable. Political paralysis in Congress is also keeping many states in a holding pattern, as their officials try to judge how best to react to potential changes from Washington.But many state issues are simply too important or too timely to wait. Here are a few that will likely draw a lot of attention this year.Few developments in Washington will have as direct an effect on state budgeting as the Republican efforts to revise the federal tax code. As of press time, lawmakers were still working to reconcile the House and Senate tax plans. But the Republicans priorities are clear.One of the main GOP goals is to simplify tax returns for most Americans. This would be done in part by increasing the amount of the standard deduction while eliminating certain itemized deductions. The idea is to give taxpayers an incentive to use the uncomplicated standard deduction rather than undertaking the often thorny process of itemizing deductions.But in the 43 states with their own income tax, the idea has more sobering implications. A dozen states automatically use the same standard deduction as the federal government. They risk losing out on revenue because residents will have less taxable income. Meanwhile, 31 states and the District of Columbia use the federal list of itemized deductions. Congress is considering eliminating a few of those, such as the student loan interest paid and medical expenses. States that stay linked to federal itemized deductions could see revenues increase. This all means that lawmakers in each state will have to determine how their revenue will react to tax reform and whether or not to stay linked to federal tax definitions.Republican leaders in Congress have also proposed ending the federal deduction for state and local income taxes and capping the deductibility of local property taxes. Proponents argue that this would give high-tax states some incentive to hold down their own rates. But the results might not be so straightforward. In California, for example, the state has a 40-year-old constitutional amendment known as Proposition 13 that artificially caps local property taxes. A new federal tax scheme that favors property taxes over income taxes could spur debate in Sacramento over whether to repeal the measure and lower state income taxes.These proposed changes to the federal income tax, of course, would not directly impact the seven states that dont have one of their own. But the more indirect effects of federal tax revision will impact every state.For instance, some Republicans support eliminating so-called private activity bonds, a move that could affect economic development around the country. State and local governments use these tax-exempt bonds to finance projects built and paid for by private developers. Low-income housing advocates, nonprofit hospitals and infrastructure associations have warned that eliminating private activity bonds would significantly hamper needed projects because it would increase government borrowing costs by as much as 30 percent.The Republican crusade to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) fell short in Washington in 2017, but big changes could still be in store for the nations health-care system this year. Thats especially true for Medicaid, the joint state and federal health insurance program that covers 74.6 million low-income and disabled Americans.Seema Verma, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), announced in November that she will usher in a new day for Medicaid. Verma, who was named to her post by President Trump, outlined a stricter, market-based vision for the program, which has grown by 30 percent since Barack Obama signed his signature health law. Verma is talking about curbing that growth. Many people who gained coverage under the ACAs Medicaid expansion, she said, are individuals who are physically capable of being actively engaged in their communities, whether it be through working, volunteering, going to school or obtaining job training.Several states have already proposed changes that would address these concerns. As of December, 18 states were waiting for CMS to decide whether to approve substantive waivers to reshape their Medicaid programs, many of them by making it harder for people to qualify for or maintain their benefits. Wisconsin wants to implement drug testing. Six states want to impose work requirements, even though 59 percent of adult Medicaid recipients are already working.Maines request would be the most far-reaching. The states Republican governor wants to impose premiums, require Medicaid recipients to work or volunteer, and impose upfront asset tests to prove that the applicants are poor enough to receive Medicaid. The ACA specifically prohibits asset tests, so a waiver allowing them would mark a major change in policy. At the same time, though, Maine voters in November overwhelmingly supported a measure to expand Medicaid. Gov. Paul LePage said he would block the move until the legislature finds funding for it, setting the stage for likely clashes there this spring.Meanwhile, the Trump administration has taken steps that could undermine the success of another key piece of the ACA: state insurance exchanges. The administration shortened the open enrollment period for health coverage under the act by six weeks, cut the outreach budget by 90 percent and stopped funding cost-sharing reductions, which keep out-of-pocket costs down for those whose incomes are between 100 and 250 percent of the federal poverty line. But initial data showed that more -- not fewer -- people were seeking out ACA coverage: 600,000 signed up for coverage on HealthCare.gov during the first week of the open enrollment period in November, breaking a record.States are increasingly being asked to referee fights between mobile phone carriers and local governments, as the wireless industry sets out to build the next generation of data networks.The reason for the clash is that the new 5G wireless networks are built differently than their predecessors. Existing mobile systems rely on equipment installed on towers and tall buildings that are relatively far away from one another. But 5G technology requires a much denser network of 10 to 100 times as many antenna locations, so that the networks can handle the surging demand for data from mobile phones, driverless cars, wearable devices, surveillance cameras, high-tech streetlights and other building blocks of smart cities.Telecommunications companies are eyeing city-owned or city-controlled infrastructure -- particularly utility poles and streetlights -- as sites for their new equipment. But the companies worry that city zoning and other approval processes, plus the high fees that many local governments charge for permits, could stymie the development of the new networks. Today, it can take a year or more to get a permit, but only an hour to install a small cell. This has to change, says Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure.Instead of seeking approval city by city, the telecom giants have turned to state legislatures, where most of them enjoy comfortable relationships with lawmakers, to preempt local regulations. More than a dozen states, including Ohio and Texas, have passed laws setting statewide rules for phone companies that want to use public infrastructure to build their 5G networks.While the industry sees such efforts as streamlining regulation, many municipalities see them as brazen attempts to preempt local authority and effectively take over public infrastructure. Theyre worried about the loss of revenue and the effect that a proliferation of ugly equipment will have on neighborhood aesthetics.California Gov. Jerry Brown, a former mayor of Oakland, vetoed the telecom industrys bill in his state, and court challenges could threaten recently passed laws in Ohio and Texas. But the industry is pushing forward with statewide licensing bills in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Washington and Wisconsin. The Federal Communications Commission is examining the issue as well.Sexual harassment has run rampant in state capitols for decades. But now, state officials are being forced to confront it.First on social media and then in more formal venues, women responded to last falls #MeToo campaign with an outpouring of stories that showed lawmakers have too long ignored bad behavior in their workplaces. They told of lawmakers, lobbyists and staff using positions of power to get away with groping, insulting, propositioning, extorting and humiliating the women they work with.Specifically, women accused legislators of inappropriate conduct in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Washington. Half a dozen states were still reeling from recent sexual harassment scandals before the social media campaign began.If coming forward wasnt easy for these women, then what comes next may be even tougher: figuring out how to stop the harassment.The most common step so far has been to require lawmakers and others who work at the capitol to take sexual harassment training -- something thats regularly required of other state workers. The success of those efforts depends both on the quality of the training and on the willingness of lawmakers to participate. Some chafe at any mandates for elected officials, while others complain that training alone is ineffective without clear consequences for future violation.Elected officials cant be fired easily for violating personnel policies, so legislatures have resorted to other forms of punishment for offenders. These include taking away staff, revoking leadership or committee assignments, revealing information about accusations or settlements to the public, and excluding offenders from party caucuses or expelling them from the legislature.An equally difficult question that many legislatures are reexamining is who handles sexual harassment complaints in the first place. Legislators often police their own membership for ethics violations, but many employment law specialists recommend that independent professionals look into the allegations. To be credible, the procedure has to protect both the accusers and the accused in todays politically charged atmosphere.But the stakes are high. If lawmakers cannot enact effective policies, public confidence in the integrity of state legislatures will decline even more than it already has.Some places are imposing new laws or regulations to make the employee workweek more stable and predictable.With the advent of on-demand scheduling software, large retail companies can now staff up or down by the hour. The technology helps business efficiency, but it comes at a cost for workers who sometimes dont know until the last minute when they will be called to the job. Working mothers, for example, who make up a large share of these new irregular workers, cant be sure if they should arrange for child care.Last year, Oregon became the first state to pass a fair scheduling law: Retail, food service and hospitality companies with at least 500 employees worldwide must make work schedules available two weeks in advance. The law includes other pro-employee features such as the right to a rest period between consecutive shifts and the right to express scheduling preferences without retaliation from an employer, as well as the right to receive reporting pay, which requires employees to be compensated when they are sent home early.At the local level, New York City, San Francisco and Seattle have scheduling protections for workers. Chicago may be the next large city to adopt a similar measure.Apart from Oregon, though, states have been slower to enact scheduling protections. Labor advocates are looking to revive legislation that failed last year in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts and New Jersey.Another state to watch is New York. In November, Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed regulations that largely resemble the Oregon law and could take effect without the legislatures approval.Everyone in government is well aware of the opioid crisis, and most states have taken action to fight it. But year after year, the death count rises.estimates that 59,000 people died of drug overdoses in 2016, and 2017 appears to have been deadlier still.The nature of the crisis, though, is changing. Prescription drugs continue to be responsible for the largest number of deaths, but that rate has leveled off, while heroin has taken an increasingly heavy toll. Most recently, the number of deaths from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and carfentanil has shot up. Carfentanil is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and was used initially as an elephant tranquilizer. Our current addiction crisis and especially the epidemic of opioid deaths will get worse before it gets better, President Trump said as he formally declared the epidemic a public health emergency in October. But get better it will.Trumps declaration cleared the way for federal officials to relax certain regulations, so that more people can get treatment. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, for example, has been waiving a rule barring Medicaid payments to patients in large mental health or substance abuse treatment facilities. Seven states have received waivers to allow Medicaid to pay for treatment no matter the size of the facility, and more are expected to apply in the coming months.But Trumps action, to the dismay of many public health advocates, did not come with any additional funding.States and cities, meanwhile, are increasingly turning to lawsuits to discourage drugmakers from overzealous promotion of prescription opioids and to recoup the costs that the epidemic has inflicted on localities. More than 100 governments have filed civil cases against pharmaceutical companies, which could lead to high-profile trials or sweeping settlements.In the states, public health advocates will likely continue to press for fewer restrictions on the use of naloxone, which can counteract the effects of opioids, and increased funding to make the antidote more readily available. Advocates will also seek more treatment options for patients with addictions and will push to limit the amount of drugs doctors can prescribe at any one time.Despite crippling setbacks in the private sector, organized labor has remained a force among state and local government workers. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, appears ready to deal public employee unions a big blow.Last year, the court heard a case challenging a 40-year-old precedent regarding agency fees. What that means in a nutshell is that, while unions cant always require workers to join and pay dues, they can require employers to collect fees that are nearly equivalent to the dues and are used for collective bargaining. That way, workers who benefit from unions negotiating on their behalf arent getting a free ride.Conservatives have attacked this arrangement. They frame their complaint as a First Amendment concern where workers are being forced to support organizations they arent choosing freely to join. In 2016, it appeared that a majority of justices on the Supreme Court were sympathetic to that argument. But Justice Antonin Scalia died before the decision was finalized, resulting in a 4-4 deadlock.This year, with the conservative Neil Gorsuch in Scalias seat, union critics are confident theyll prevail. The court has agreed to hear a fresh challenge to agency fees in the case Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 31. A decision is expected by June.Labor officials arent willing to concede defeat, but they know that the legal landscape is not promising. An adverse ruling will make their lives much more difficult. A 2015 survey found that only 35 percent of AFSCME members would continue to pay dues if they didnt have to.If the court rules against them, unions will have to devote far more time and effort to recruiting and retaining workers. Critics counter that this is all to the good, that unions should be responsive to the wishes of their members, rather than being able simply to demand fees. But convincing workers that they should pay for services they can get free would clearly result in a drain on union resources.Labor has been able to organize in some places in the absence of an agency fee. Las Vegas is a prime example; many service workers there continue to be unionized without one. But an anti-union decision from the Supreme Court is likely to encourage Republican state lawmakers to put more pressure on labor through legislation. Last year, the Iowa Legislature passed a requirement that each individual bargaining unit hold recertification votes, in which a majority of workers covered by agreements would have to support continued union representation. In most of these elections, unions have been able to win. Still, labor will have to work harder to remain viable if it loses in the Janus case. It can be done, but collective bargaining in the public sector may end up being largely a regional phenomenon.One of the most important things state lawmakers have to determine each year is how much money the state can expect to collect from its taxpayers. But answering that question is becoming increasingly difficult.State revenue levels have been disturbingly volatile since the Great Recession. Consequently, more state forecasters have been missing the mark. Two years ago, 19 states had to make mid-year budget cuts because of faulty forecasts. Last year, the problem got worse: 23 states faced mid-year corrections. In the past, those numbers have rarely been seen outside of a recession.There are two big reasons for the recent difficulty.The first is that states, particularly those with progressive tax rates, are increasingly dependent on income taxes. Income taxes are especially unpredictable revenue sources because they are closely tied to the individual fortunes of high earners whose incomes can swing wildly from year to year.Despite that volatility, many states are doubling down on taxing the rich. Since the recession at least six states -- many of them home to the nations wealthiest households -- have passed a so-called millionaires tax or raised rates on their richest earners. Theres likely to be more: This coming November, voters in Massachusetts will decide on a millionaires tax, while the Democrats who control the New Jersey Legislature have said a tax hike on high-earners is their top priority this year.This increasing reliance on taxpayers incomes hasnt been entirely intentional. Its partly a side effect of the sales tax base shrinking and becoming a less effective revenue stream as more consumers buy goods tax-free online or spend their money on tax-free services. Since 1960, states have gone from collecting about 60 percent of their revenue from sales taxes and 10 percent from income taxes to 45 percent from sales and 35 percent from income.Meanwhile, the prospect of lower rates under federal tax reform has taxpayers acting rather unpredictably. Income tax revenue across all states was down 4 percent in April 2017, compared to the previous year, according to the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. Although many states had forecast declines in April and May 2017 (the biggest months for income tax returns), the revenue losses were worse than expected. This may be because wealthy taxpayers were shifting income out of 2016, in anticipation of getting a lower tax rate if they waited a year.State budget offices likely wont get an accurate picture of whats really happening until returns start flowing in again this spring.The 2018 elections could provide an opportunity for states and localities to restore confidence in voting systems that came under intense scrutiny during the 2016 presidential campaign.This year is likely to see unprecedented coordination among state and local election officials on security-related issues. Last October, they formed a working group with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to address concerns over hacking. In exchange for partnering with Homeland Security, state election officials now can obtain security clearances, which will allow them to receive intelligence about specific cyberthreats.The cooperation came about last year after Homeland Security notified 21 states that Russian hackers had targeted their voter registration files or websites. No evidence suggests hackers actually tampered with voting machines or vote counts, but the federal agency still moved to designate election systems as critical infrastructure. Under the designation, states and localities should have an easier time getting federal assistance to protect voting machines, storage facilities and voter registration databases.But a wide range of election administrators, including the National Association of Secretaries of State, initially balked at the designation, characterizing it as a potential power grab over an election system that has traditionally been decentralized and locally controlled. The working group was set up in response to those concerns.Voting machines that collect and count ballots arent connected to the internet, so a cyberhack that changes the outcome of an election isnt likely. But the hackers continue to undermine public confidence in the results. Thats why some election advocacy groups say the single most important change jurisdictions can make is switching to paper-based systems, which can help restore peoples trust in election outcomes.With paper ballots, officials can verify vote counts by comparing digital tallies with the paper record. Some 32 states and the District of Columbia now require post-election audits. Last year, Iowa and Virginia joined the list, while at least five other states considered similar bills. Observers say more states are likely to take up such legislation in 2018.As election audits become more widespread, so will paper-based voting. About a month before its general election in 2017, Virginia abruptly decertified its paperless voting machines over cybersecurity concerns; Georgia is piloting paper ballots for the same reason. And Delaware put out a bid for machines that used paper. About a quarter of the nations voters still live in election districts with paperless voting machines, but after Virginias announcement last fall, that number is sure to shrink.
Violinist Ronald Long will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday at Peace United Church of Christ, 2714 W. Market S. in Greensboro.

Greensboro native Long is assistant concertmaster for Chineke Orchestra, the first minority orchestra in Europe.

Long received his bachelors and masters degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and finished his studies at the Conservatoire de Paris.

Long, along with violinist Ani Kavafian, toured with Kenneth Coopers Berkshire Bach Society in 2014.

He is a regular substitute for the New York Trio, a contemporary music ensemble established in 2015. Long has also appeared on the Amazon TV series Mozart in the Jungle.

He is a winner of the 2013 Lillian Fuchs Chamber Competition and Greensboros Concerto Competition in 2008. He has performed in such concert halls as the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and National Sawdust in New York.

Long began violin lessons at age 5 and is a high school graduate of the UNC School of the Arts.

Admission is free. A love offering will be taken.

Church shares plans

for its MLK celebration

Saint James Presbyterian Church will hold its annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at noon Jan. 15 at the church, 820 Ross Ave. in Greensboro.

The Rev. Daran H. Mitchell, the pastor at Trinity AME Zion Church, will speak, and the Bennett College Choir will perform, along with other participants.

A free lunch will be provided after the service.

For information, call 336-273-6658.

Big Hair Ball to benefit

Family Services work

The Guild and Junior Guild of Family Service of Greensboro will hold a circus-themed Big Hair Ball from 6:30 to 11 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Elm Street Center in Greensboro.

The sixth annual ball will feature a record 36 models with big hair, as well as edgy fashions and makeup courtesy of local designers and makeup artists.

The ball will include a cocktail reception with a silent auction followed by a runway fashion show featuring outrageous hairdos and outre fashions created by local designers. Each ensemble is inspired by a sponsor, corporate or individual, and the balls theme.

Platinum sponsors are the Lenny Peters Foundation-Bethany Medical Center and the Woodruff Family Law Group. Lindsey Auman is this years honorary chairwoman.

Proceeds support local programs of Family Service of the Piedmont in Greensboro. The organization deals with issues of domestic violence, child abuse, mental health and financial stability.

For information, visit www.safeandhealthy families.com/bighairball.

Stamp club to hear about postal museum

Emily Johnston will talk about her recent visit to the National Postal Museum in Washington at the next Greensboro Stamp Club meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Lindley Park Recreation Center, 2907 Springwood Drive in Greensboro.

For information, contact Hank Gutman at 336-294-0326 or hgutman@att.net.
GREENSBORO  A lawsuit over redistricting for the General Assembly heads to a key hearing in federal court today, just more than a month before candidate filing begins for those seats for the 2018 election.

The hearing will focus on whether the General Assembly has fixed problems with racial gerrymandering in its latest plan for state House and Senate districts, which it adopted this summer.

The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. today in Courtroom No. 3 in Greensboros L. Richardson Preyer Federal Building, 324 W. Market St.

Heres what you need to know:

Whos in charge

A panel of three federal judges in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina is handling the case.

They are Judges Catherine Eagles and Thomas Schroeder of the Middle District and Judge James Wynn Jr. of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The lawsuit

Originally filed in May 2015, 31 registered voters from across North Carolina and activist groups successfully challenged the state legislative districts drawn by the Republican-led General Assembly in 2011.

The initial claim

Plaintiffs claim the GOP-controlled legislature engaged in racial gerrymandering by packing high percentages of black voters in relatively few, oddly shaped districts to reduce the effect of their voting patterns, which tend to favor Democratic candidates.

Where it stands now

About 18 months ago, the judges ruled that the 2011 plan relied on unconstitutional racial gerrymandering in 28 state House and Senate legislative districts, a decision the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in June. Legislators went back to the drawing board last summer, changed 24 districts to the three-judge panels apparent satisfaction but left four  including two in Guilford County  still facing allegations of racial disparity.

The expert

The judges tapped redistricting expert Nathaniel Persily, a professor at Stanford Universitys law school, as a special master to help them carry out their order to redraw boundaries for the remaining problem districts. He suggested such a plan Dec. 1, which is the subject of todays hearing.

Why it matters locally

Guilford County election maps for state House and Senate seats will be much affected by whatever is decided.

Why the case

matters in general

Candidate filing for 2018 state House and Senate races is set to begin Feb. 12, and the states entire legislative district framework is in flux until the case is settled. After the three-judge panel issues its final ruling, the General Assembly could file an appeal, further delaying the final outcome.

What lawyers

for the voters say

Persily has come up with a solid, reasonable plan that makes significant but judicious changes to several state House districts in the Greensboro area and to the two state Senate districts that are contained wholly within Guilford County. Generally, the lawyers say, it is a nonpartisan plan that repairs lingering racial flaws in statewide voting maps while carefully balancing such traditional redistricting considerations as geography and compactness.

What lawyers for the General Assembly say

Nothing is wrong with any of the districts in the General Assemblys latest plan, which was adopted without giving any consideration to voters race, these lawyers say. Persilys proposal breaks the law by improperly superseding legislative redistricting authority without good reason in a plan that overemphasizes racial considerations and which they allege is designed to benefit Democratic candidates.
GREENSBORO  Lawyers for the combatants in the case over racial gerrymandering in North Carolinas legislative districts recently posed written questions to the California law professor who suggested new voting maps for Guilford County and several other parts of the state.

The questions provide some insight into the direction that a key hearing in the case might take today in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina at Greensboros federal building downtown. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.

And the questions lay bare the differences between how voter activists and Republican leaders in the General Assembly view redistricting and the use of racial demographics.

The case is pending before a panel of three federal judges who initially ruled more than a year ago that the maps the Republican-led legislature approved in 2011 were flawed because they shoehorned too many black voters into a relatively small number of districts in order to blunt the overall effect of their Democratic-leaning voting patterns.

Attorneys for 31 voters who filed the successful lawsuit against those districts for seats in the state House and Senate generally like what the court-appointed special master Nathaniel Persily has proposed, while a lawyer for the General Assembly submitted sharply worded questions that hinted the Stanford Law School professor might be up to no good.

Persilys main assignment was to suggest fixes for four districts that remain in question among a total of 28 that the judges in the case initially struck down in their August 2016 ruling, which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in an opinion issued on June 5, 2017. That opinion sent legislators back to the planning stage this past summer, necessitating the drafting of new legislative district maps that provide a foundation for todays hearing.

As part of the runup to the hearing, the judges gave both sides the chance to submit questions to Persily about his proposed revisions to the districts still in question.

Lawyers for the voters who sued Republican legislative leaders and others involved in redistricting tossed Persily softball questions about his work on the quartet of still-suspect districts, including two in the Greensboro area.

In Guilford County, Persilys plan reshapes N.C. House District 57 and N.C. Senate District 28, which were among those judges originally ruled out of bounds and still had concerns about despite the General Assemblys latest revisions. Persilys plan also would make significant changes to two neighboring House districts in the Greensboro area and one adjoining Senate district.

Federal law prohibits voters race from playing a predominant role in the design of election districts, a fact that fueled questions from both sides of the case.

In drawing your recommended plan, what steps did you take to make sure that race did not predominate in how you constructed the few districts you were instructed to address? asked voting-rights lawyers Edwin Speas of Raleigh and Allison Riggs of Durham in their submission. How did you ensure that the districts you were asked to redraw were drawn in a neutral, nonpartisan manner?

Contrast that against the tenor of questions from Raleigh lawyer Phillip Strach, who represents four current and former Republican leaders who played key roles in the previous redistricting efforts.

Admit that your final report does not conclude that race predominated in the drawing of 2017 Senate District 28, Strach wrote among his questions about one of the Greensboro-area districts in the General Assemblys recently adopted plan. Admit that you reviewed data regarding the race of voters in the drawing of the 2017 Senate District 28.

Strach asked for similar admissions about Greensboro House District 57 and two others near Fayetteville and Goldsboro that the federal judges indicated still bothered.

Strach has two connections to the case. In addition to his role representing current and former Republican legislative leaders, he is married to Kim Strach, the executive director of the State Board Elections & Ethics Enforcement, which is also listed as a defendant in the lawsuit.

Phillip Strach has argued that the General Assembly went out of its way to not consider voters race last summer in revising those original 2011 maps that went off course by overemphasizing race. He contends that Persily essentially overcompensated by setting a quota for black voters of about 40 percent in each of the contested districts, a level at which black voting strength would be most advantageous for Democrats.

Persily will not have to respond formally to all the questions from either side as part of the hearing.

U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles issued an order Wednesday that threw out some of Speas and Riggs questions as argumentative and unnecessary or based on faulty assumptions. She also tossed some of Strachs inquiries for being in varying degrees, argumentative, unnecessary, unhelpful to the court, distracting, and unproductive.

Eagles also said in her ruling on behalf of the federal judicial panel involved in the case that Strach can present testimony during todays hearing from redistricting professional Douglas Johnson, also from California, who submitted a written critique of Persilys plan that suggested it was based on racial quotas.

But she was noncommittal on how much weight Johnsons opinion might carry.

At the hearing, the legislative defendants may proffer testimony from Douglas Johnson, Eagles said. The court reserves ruling on whether and to what extent the court will consider any such proffered testimony.
GREENSBORO  Here, Sarah! Here, Abraham! Come birdie, birdie, birdie!

Fran Martti shakes corn in a tin can as she calls the names of two swans on a private lake off Trosper Road.

The only eddies are what the wind makes as it sends dry leaves swirling across the ice covering the pond.

While the frozen pond is beautiful to look at, the ice has created a challenge for dozens of geese, ducks and two swans living on it.

Which is why Martti, and her friend Elaine French, are out for the second day in the cold hurling handfuls of corn and pellets called waterfowl chow onto the ice.

All of the wildlife is compromised, but the water birds, because of the frozen ice, are particularly vulnerable, said Martti, who is a waterfowl enthusiast and volunteer for Piedmont Wildlife Rehab, a nonprofit that rescues and cares for indigenous wildlife.

The sustained sub-freezing temperatures gripping Greensboro has had the predictable effects: pipes bursting, fires caused by misuse of space heaters and the like.

And then theres the unforeseen: Small bodies of water in the area icing over and posing a danger to wildlife.

Waterfowl like geese, swans, ducks and herons struggle to survive when ponds and lakes are covered by ice. They depend on water for hydration, food  and protection.

At night, theyre very vulnerable to predators such as coyotes and raccoons, Martti said. So theyre safe in the water or at the waters edge. Thats their only protection. They have to be on a body of water.

But thats not possible when the water is frozen.

Herons, while not swimmers, subsist primarily on food sources found in water. If they cant get to that food, they starve.

Melissa Coe, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and president of Piedmont Wildlife Rehab, has rescued two Great Blue Herons found emaciated and near death. Both were stabilized and transported to wildlife centers more specialized for waterfowl.

Not all area lakes are frozen over. But some waterfowl who tend to frequent a favorite body of water can find it difficult to move on.

Geese and swans need plenty of open water to get airborne. Taking off from land or slippery ice is extremely difficult. If a goose or swan lingers too long in a pond or small lake, their runway of sorts shrinks with the encroaching ice.

And that ice can literally trap them.

Theyre out on the water. They sleep and then the ice closes in on them and they get stuck, Martti said.

Coe said water birds found immobile on land should be approached with caution, particularly herons which can strike with a sharp, dangerous beak. She said if a bird is unresponsive, place a weighted laundry basket over it and cover with a blanket to keep the wind out. Then contact a wildlife rehabilitation organization.
With all the threats between President Trump and North Koreas Kim Jong-un as to who has the bigger nuclear button, I would suggest they take a break. It would be nice to see a sign on their office doors that read: Closed ... Gone Fission!
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Susan Haigh / Associated Press Show More Show Less 2 of 3 J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE / (AP Photo /J.Scott Applewhite) Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Oz Griebel, the former Hartford business leader who is mounting an independent bid for governor, along with his running mate, Monte Frank, will hold a petition-signing event on Saturday afternoon in Franks hometown of Newtown.

The event, which will include a news conference focused on their message of No Parties. No Politics. Just Solutions, starts at noon in Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street. Frank, a lawyer and former Democrat, and Griebel, of Simsbury, who lost in the 2010 GOP gubernatorial primary, will be collecting signatures throughout the afternoon, until 4 p.m.
Change is everywhere, and regardless of what industry youre in, it's inevitable. Leading the pack for change is technology -- and it can be overwhelming to try to keep up with its breakneck speed.

Related: IPOs Are Boring But You Must Keep an Eye on These 9 Initial Coin Offerings

Right now, the technology topic I'm trying to become expert in is blockchain technology, and the cryptocurrencies it underlies. I'm also studying the rise of Initial coin offerings (ICOs) -- the newest way for startups to raise capital, and an attractive option for individual investors, as well.

An ICO usually takes one to four weeks, during which people can buy tokens in exchange for cryptocurrencies or fiat currencies. The token provides buyers with access to future services from the ICO company and its community. And at the heart of that ICO? Blockchain technology, which manages and tracks digital transactions via smart contracts.

ICOs as a fund-raising vehicle

While it is still new to many, blockchain is a topic people like me are eager to learn about because something big is about to happen -- at least I believe so: I'm making the bold prediction that 2018 will be the year that blockchain, cryptocurrencies and other companies will be evaluating an ICO as a fund-raising vehicle.

Of course, things are just getting started: According to a survey by LendEDU, as much as 79 percent of Americans have heard about the best-known cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. But of these, only 14 percent actually own bitcoins.

But that's where entrepreneurs come in: Most of us at some time have had to raise capital and look for investors to infuse money into our ventures. As our businesses grew, we continued to search for venture capitalists, angel investors and other types of funders.

Related: Watch Out for These Cryptocurrency Scams

VCs, until recently, were he main source of funding. But now, we can add ICOs to the mix. In 2017, ICOs raised over $3.6 billion in digital tokens, reflecting a faster pace than that of any other early-stage venture capital funding source.

While I think it essential for every entrepreneur to be as knowledgeable as possible about cryptocurrencies and ICOs, here are four specific things to do you before you jump into the fray.

Test the (ICO) waters.

As with any other business decision, jumping in without testing the waters first can prove disastrous. ICOs are cool right now, and they get your name into the annals of the cryptocurrencies world. But, ask yourself, "Will my product jive with the decentralization that blockchain technology provides?"

If your product is not ready to deal with the market's volatility, it might be best to sit this one out, for now. ICOs are easy to enter, so youll get another shot at this, unlike what happens with VC investment.

What's more, ICO success stories, while plentiful, are still not the common outcome. But there are some: An example is cloud storage provider Storj, which had one of the most successful token sales of all time -- raising $20 million in six hours.

Over the subsequent seven days, the company raised $30 million, which was its goal. It was able to exchange tokens for cloud-based storage space, enabling its decentralized platform to compete with theindustry giants Microsoft, Amazon and Google.

Just remember, not every business model is ripe for an ICO. So, dont try to fit a square peg in a round hole.

Be prepared.

Before you go for an ICO, your product needs to be mature. Weve all seen and heard of products billed as the "next best thing" that's going to revolutionize the market. But the reality is that the product has a limited purpose and therefore, limited viability -- and it doesnt really "revolutionize" anything.

Think of this as you would a traditional business plan, where you clearly state what your product does and what problem it solves and where you provide other specific details. The same process should apply to anyone going for an ICO.

While such detailed treatments are not yet a requirement, they will show potential investors you are prepared and not just submitting the kind of brief, general abstract which could create apprehension.

You should also realize that without a practical or useful value, your token's chances for being considered a security are not particularly high, and are also subject to additional government scrutiny. This also applies to the application of securities laws -- still considered nebulous territory.

Recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a report warning that ICOs could be improperly used to quickly attract investors. The speed with which ICOs can raise money is of concern to many regulators because sometimes theres a lack of product, plan or technology in place.

In the VC world, not having all your ducks in a row won't get you very far. In the world of ICOs, it gets your foot in the door. And that's not necessarily a good thing

As you move forward, then, be warned: An ICO might be a less restrictive proposition than an IPO, but without a viable product, youre bound to have a bad ICO, and that could have negative repercussions for the future, should you subsequently try to raise venture funds.

Build a community.

The value of your token will have a direct correlation to how the community perceives it. Communities take some time to create, so it would be naive to assume that just because you build something, customers will come. As with any other business venture, you need to make inroads with the community -- face-to-face, online or both.

Then there's timing: Its never too early to engage the community, so if youre thinking about an ICO, start reaching out now.

Popular hangouts are: Reddit, Slack, Facebook and BitcoinTalk, to name a few. Since blockchain technology operates globally, you'd be wise to expand your horizons when soliciting feedback. For example, Japan has already started to recognize Bitcoin as a legal payment method. Russia, which initially frowned upon the use of cryptocurrencies, has now reversed its stance. And Australia has revised its policies to remove a policy of double taxation for merchants who accept digital currencies.

Im always a proponent of pushing boundaries and stepping out of your comfort zone. If youre wondering how to build a community, start small. Pitch your product to the community's members, outline the problem it solves and specify the landscape that investors can expect when you do launch.

Having a thriving community, ready to back you up should come with the territory by the time youre at that point.

Know the risks.

As I mentioned before, there are plenty of risks associated with cryptocurrencies and ICOs. Volatility, deregulation and a shift in value are just some of the gray areas currently being addressed, to achieve more parity within the system.

If youre a startup that has previously raised venture capital and now wants to test the waters of an ICO, theres a real risk of a shift in value from the equity holders to the token holders.

Moreover, assets being offered in an ICO arent backed by any current existing revenue system. So, if someone cant access his or her tokens or suffers a theft of assets, that currency is gone for good. Bitcoins price is set only by supply and demand.

There are also skeptics who believe that cryptocurrency's bubble will burst at some point. Others, like me, believe that we may see a small bubble burst due to cryptocurrency's naturally volatile nature.

Related: 4 Pros and Cons of Investing in a New Cryptocurrencies

Still, it wont be anything like the dotcom bust. Bitcoin has taken a hit the past few weeks -- but as quickly as it dipped, it has bounced back. That wasn't earth-shattering news. And it shouldn't come as any surprise that there are risks involved. But, if youre willing to take the risk (and can withstand it), then ride that wave; it's the future and as with any other big changes, there are going to be risks.

Related:

An Exciting Option for Startups to Raise Money: Ever Hear of an ICO?

5 Signs an Initial Coin Offering Is a Scam

Have ICOs Caught Your Attention? Indian Startups Picking Cues From the West



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


With a mayor who resigned after being convicted of federal felonies and a bankruptcy in which creditors threatened to loot priceless Van Goghs, Picassos and other works from the city's Institute of Arts to settle the city's debt, Detroit seemed an unlikely candidate for becoming a boomtown. Yet in 2018, Detroit is seeing a long-overdue resurgence.

Detroit, it seems, just won't give up.

Perhaps an apt metaphor for Detroit is the recent travails of Henry the Hatter. The Detroit landmark is the country's oldest hat retailer, and one of the oldest stores of any kind anywhere in continuous operation, but was forced to move from its longtime Downtown location when the property owner decided the building could be put to more lucrative uses.

Current owner Paul Wasserman was nonplussed. "When I got the news that I had to leave I just figured it was time to retire, but the outpouring of support from the community was just astonishing," he said. Wasserman knew he had to find another Downtown Detroit location. "Detroit is my home, I came here from Brooklyn when I was two and started working in the shop at 14, not only is this a big part of my life, I now see that it's a big part of the community as well."

The new location is in Detroit's Historic Eastern Market, a hotbed for Detroit entrepreneurs both new and old. Abdul "Duke" Fakir, founding member of the legendary Motown recording act the Four Tops and a long time customer and friend of Wasserman, cut the ribbon on the new store. He waxed nostalgic as we sat and talked hats. "I've been coming to Henry's since I was a kid," said Duke, "and when I heard the Broadway location was closing I was just devastated; I mean that shop was Detroit, I was so glad to hear that not only was it not leaving Detroit but that it was coming here (to Eastern Market)."

Related: He Owns the Oldest Hat Store In America and Knows How Tough Entrepreneurship Really Is

This six-block public market is the only farmer's market in a major city that has been continuously used as such since the city was formed. In recent years, the sheds that house farmers hawking their wares have become ringed with at least 250 independent merchants from meatpacking plants to art galleries and retail shops. The new Henry the Hatter sits comfortably between a microbrewery. A boutique baker of custom cakes and candies is across the street. While the old shop was a piece of history, the new store is a work of art.

Eastern Market is not the only area seeing an unprecedented interest and growth in entrepreneurial ventures. While big developments like the new home to the Detroit Red Wings and Pistons may garner the bulk of the headlines, there are lesser-known areas that are incubators for entrepreneurs. Corktown -- so named for the preponderance of its original settlers who came from Cork, Ireland -- is where Lana Rodriguez started her business, Mama Coo's Boutique.

"I chose Detroit because it's my home. Even though my family moved to the suburbs when I was a sophomore in high school, I always thought of Detroit as my home," she said.

Rodriguez started her business because she saw a need. "There just weren't any places to buy affordable clothes and gifts in Detroit, and I didn't see why my friends and I had to go to the suburbs to shop," she explained. "Our motto for our boutique is that everyone deserves to look and feel fabulous; it's our mission that everyone is treated like they are going to spend thousands."

Once the home of the original Tiger Stadium, the neighborhood's future looked grim when the ballpark closed. Entrepreneurs have slowly claimed the area and now it is showing signs of a real, sustained vitality.

Sergio "Checo" Vallejo is a true entrepreneur. He and his family own and operate a small grocery store in southwest Detroit, and when he isn't working in the store he is creating low-riders that are true works of art. Checo is well known in the Southwest Detroit neighborhood known as Mexican Town. He attributes much of his success to the support of his community.

"We all know each other and it's a great place to live and work. Detroit has a bad reputation, but there are some really great things about it," Vallejo said. When asked what he thought could be improved about Detroit's resurgence he is quick to respond. "I only wish that they would pay more attention to the neighborhoods instead of focusing so much on Downtown. What they are doing downtown is great, but there are communities that need help too.

Related: How This Founder Scaled Globally and Found Sustained Success

Detroit attracts a lot of attention from out of town investors. JJ Hook, location manager and producer for Paramount films explained that while 46 states offer tax incentives for the motion picture industry, Detroit remains particularly attractive to filmmakers. "The lure of Detroit was equally financial and creative. Once offering the best State rebate in the country and having an abundance of urban decay, classical and modern architecture, Michigan was a true filmmakers playground," he said.

Filmmaker/entrepreneur Mark Wahlberg was so impressed by Detroit that he decided to build at least three Wahlburgers restaurants in and around Detroit.

"Detroit shares a lot of the same great working-class roots and down-to-earth people I grew up with in Dorchester. So many good things have been happening with the city lately, with people like Dan Gilbert putting their commitment and money behind it, and I think it will be great to be part of Detroit's resurgence. My partner and good friend Nino Cutraro lives in metro Detroit as well and believes in the city. I also think it will be a smart investment given the current growth in Detroit.

"I think the main challenge is demonstrating to the people of Detroit that you have genuine care and love for the city. It has to be about more than bringing a well-run business; it is about becoming part of the community and giving back," says Wahlberg.

Not everyone sees the Detroit resurgence as universally good or even real at all. Iconic Detroit figure, Jimmy Doom, a life-long Detroiter speaks for many who feel that while development of Detroit is good, with it comes the inevitable and unwelcome carpetbaggers and robber barons who aren't good for the city and are frankly not welcome. As an actor, Doom could live anywhere but staunchly refuses to leave Detroit.

"I'm a better actor because of my surroundings," he said. "Because this city is real. There's no bullshit, no pretense. At least there wasn't. Now every other person that moves here thinks their trust fund is gonna save the planet one-creative-cooperative workspace at a time."

Related: To Entrepreneurs Everywhere: Don't Forget the Motor City

Doom tends bar and holds court at a bar in Hamtramck, a neighborhood that was once an enclave of Polish immigrants. It has become a haven for quirky Detroit die-hards and displaced hipsters looking to drink bad beer ironically. Doom sees his fair share of out-of-towners looking to "save Detroit."

"These people come here and act like it's some big favor to us. Like they're saying 'We're building you a freeway!' I think 'We already have a freeway, we'd prefer that you politely merge onto it'."

Related: Detroit, Seattle and Milwaukee Are Included in the 10 Best Cities for Starting a Yoga Studio

Doom doesn't mind people coming to help but doesn't see "help" as tearing down the city to make way for another trendy coffeehouse. He's sick of out of towners looking to make a quick buck and leave Detroit.

He gave the example of a real estate investor from Dallas who recently bought a house to remodel with vintage distressed wood and marble floors. Doom said that while the investor claimed he "wants to see Detroit restored to its former greatness" but is likely just driving up rents in the neighborhood.

"He intends to rent this house out at a price way too high for the neighborhood, then he will go the next house and do the same thing. Pricing people out of their own neighborhood isn't 'helping'."

Doom is adamant in his love for his city, although he admits that sometimes he doesn't recognize his old haunts. "Am I sorry that Woodward (Detroit's main thoroughfare) isn't lined with abandoned and decaying buildings anymore? No, but I'm not really thrilled that every other storefront is a national retail chain either. There are things that make Detroit unique; I don't want to see Detroit become Chicago East or Boston West. If people want to come here and be a part of our community I think that does some good, but the last thing Detroit needs is people who solely want to exploit it for personal financial gain then go back to Malibu."

Coleman Young Jr. recently ran unsuccessfully for mayor using the strategy that significant populations have been left behind in this resurgence. Entrepreneurs seem to disagree. Lana Rodriguez is particularly vocal on the subject, "There is room for everyone here -- new businesses and old, there are so many resources available for new businesses and old, but you have to get tapped into the small business ecosystem."

Mark Wahlberg is similarly emphatic, " I don't want to speak for the feelings of others. At Wahlburgers it is all about family and embracing others like family. That is what we hope to bring to Detroit, and leave no one out."

But, perhaps the best response comes from the man who has the most reason to feel bitter, Henry the Hatter's Paul Wasserman.

Related: Stock Market of Things Launches in Detroit, Building a New Exchange As City Reinvents Itself

"I'm glad I'm here and I'm glad we were able to find a location in Detroit," he said. "This place (the new location) far exceeds my wildest vision; it's just beautiful, and I would tell those who feel left behind that there is still plenty of room for everyone -- not all the property is owned by big developers and there are still some great locations."

In the ordeal of moving Henry the Hatter, Paul learned how the people of Detroit cherish its unique character and community. When asked about it Paul is typically humble and sporting a warm and infectious grin and says, "I'm just the caretaker of all of this," he said as he spread his arms wide and raised his palms.

Related:

Detroit: The 21st Century Boomtown

He Owns the Oldest Hat Store In America and Knows How Tough Entrepreneurship Really Is

How This Founder Scaled Globally and Found Sustained Success



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


By now, its clear that Michael Wolffs fly-on-the-wall account of year one inside of President Trumps White House has something to scandalize or worry everyone. For Stephen Colbert, hes particularly troubled by the part in New Yorks excerpt about Trumps alleged bedtime-burger habit. (If he was not having his 6:30 dinner with Steve Bannon, Wolff reports, then, more to his liking, he was in bed by that time with a cheeseburger.)

The Trumps are reportedly the first White House residents to sleep in separate bedrooms since the Kennedys. But Colbert cant imagine Trump as a spray-tanned JFK sneaking in mistresses  no, in his mind, it involves fast food and is much, much worse:

TONIGHT: When the Melania's away, the Hamburglar will play. #LSSC pic.twitter.com/0GYnpXUclT  The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) January 5, 2018

According to Wolffs sources, Trumps McDonalds fetish partly stems from a longtime fear of being poisoned. Apologies for the mental image of Donald Trump and Special Sauce, but maybe POTUS is just appreciating the Big Mac the only way he seems to know how.




Haiti - Jamaica : Major seizure of ammunition, 3 Haitians arrested





On the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, a police operation led in Clarendon, Jamaica, in a house on Sharpe Avenue in May Pen (the largest town in Clarendon Parish in Midlesex County) allowed the seizure of 547 ammunition and the arrest of five persons including 3 Haitian nationals.



This seizure of ammunition is a good news for police who have long been fighting the gun trade against narcotics between criminals in Jamaica and their Haitian counterparts.



It is unclear whether those arrested, who are being interrogated, are related to this firearms trafficking.



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Weather : Port-de-Paix paralyzed partially

Yesterday Thursday in Port-de-Paix (North-West), activities were partially paralyzed and the streets difficult to access because of runoff. Since Wednesday evening evening the communes of department receive heavy intermittent rains. The northern departments were also hit where heavy rains fell on the city of Cap Haitien.Heavy rain in Jacmel and other communes in the Southeast. Moderate rain all over the department of Nippes See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23166-haiti-flash-risk-of-heavy-rains-in-at-least-7-departments.html



Robbery of foreigners

On Thursday, near the Caribean Market at Rue Metellus in Petion-ville, two motorcycle bandits who rob foreigners were interrupted in their misdeeds when they were struck voluntarily by the vehicle of the former Secretary of State for Heritage Elsa Baussan (2011), his bodyguard fired on the bandits, killing one of the attackers and injuring the other who fled. The individual killed was known to the police department.



recaled : Success rate in the West

The National Bureau of State Examinations (BUNEXE) after the publication of the success rates of the 1st special session for tos that failed at the Baccalaureate for the academic year 2017-2018 for the departments of the Center, South-East, North-East and Nippes https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23125-haiti-education-bac-session-of-recaled-2017-success-rate-for-4-departments.html and of South https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23146-haiti-news-zapping.html made public the success rate for the department of the West: 13,852 participants, 1,771 candidates admitted, success rate of 12.79%. The other departments will be known shortly.



Moise JC announces the resumption of the demonstrations

Thursday in a press conference, Moise Jean-Charles, leader of the radical opposition of the Platform "Pitit Dessalin", announced the resumption of demonstrations against the administration of President Jovenel Moise from January 9, 2018.



Carnival of PAP agreement with the presidency

The Mayor of Port-au-Prince, Ralph Youri Chevry claims to have met President Moise at the National Palace on Thursday and announces that an agreement has been reached for the organization of a canaval in Port-au-Prince. According to Mayor Chevry, this agreement would provide the carnival of Port-au-Prince with a budget even in case of relocation of National Carnival in another city. He also announces the creation of a Carnaval Organizing Committee of Port-au-Prince, including representatives of the presidency and the town hall.



NOTICE : Aerogare Guy Malary for Chile and Cap Haitien

From this Friday, January 5, 2018, passengers to Chile will be welcomed only at the terminal Guy Malary announced, the National Airport Authority (AAN) in a circular. This decision, also applies to passengers who want to go to Cap-Haitien specifies the AAN.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Regionalised price increases set to squeeze Europes big three thanks to woeful harvest

By Jo Gilbert

Europe ran the full gamut of extreme weather conditions last year - everything from frost to fires and heatwaves.

The extent to which vineyards in the core wine producing countries of France, Italy and Spain were affected has been highlighted in a new report from Bibendum, in particular, France, where volumes are expected to be 19% down in volume against 2016, and 18% down on the five-year average, according to the French agriculture ministry.

April frosts swept across the continent last year, damaging vines in most of Frances growing regions followed by a summer heatwave and drought which meant harvest was brought forward for many producers.

This was the case in Bordeaux, which recorded some of the earliest harvest dates in some areas this year and where volumes were down by up to 50% in some areas.

Medoc on the left bank was a notable exception thanks to its excess of water.

The right bank appellations of St-Emilion and Pomerol however were badly affected, and while grapes are generally believed to be of high quality, late frosts had a profound effect on vineyards in almost all areas if the region.

The 2017 vintage leaves us with a bitter aftertaste. The weather was very complicated, said Jerome Cosson, technical director at Chateau d'Arche in Sauternes, where early budburst and subsequent frosts proved fatal to the young shoots.

The parcels of Barsac and Leogeats (Graves) were particularly affected, with only the hillside sites protected.

In Spain, a varied harvest ranged from devastatingly low yields due to frosts in Rioja, to good volumes for sherry producers, the report said.

A lethal combination of frosts quickly followed by a heatwave struck in many regions, for which the trade should expect to see some regionalised price increases.

Scorching temperatures also accompanied a drought, reducing previously half-full reservoirs to their lowest point for over 20 years and leading to depleted volumes across the country, In what has been described as the worst year for agriculture in Spain for decades, according to Bibendum buyer for Spain Jamie Avenell.

In Rioja, Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa were the worst affected by severe April frosts, with volumes expected to be down by 25-40% across the region.

Similar weather patterns also significantly damaged volumes across Italy last year.

Quality is believed to be good, particularly in the North West, but shortages are prevalent in Prosecco, Chianti, Brunello and the South islands, again with pricing to reflect low yields in these areas.

The 2017 vintage will be about 25% smaller than the current average Italian harvest, and the smallest for 60 years, says Bibendum buyer for Italy, Matt Smith. The drought made the harvest a race to finish, and generally the harvest progressed about two weeks earlier than normal.

In the Veneto region, April frosts caused significant damage, leading to an overall 15% dent in Prosecco volumes.

According to Smith, while Venetos DOC vineyards densely planted on plains were hit hard by spring frost, the hillside DOCG vineyards of Valdobbiadene werent affected.










Average on-trade red bottle price rises 8 in a year thanks to premium upswing

By Jo Gilbert

Wine prices have seen significant upward movement in the on-trade, new research suggests, with red in particular receiving a generous boost from a rise in premium listings.

Thanks to a premium growth spurt on drinks lists, the average bottle of both red and white wines in UK bars and restaurants appears to be on the up, with the average listed price of a bottle of white wine now standing at 30.60  an increase of 4 on a year ago.

The findings, from Wine Business Solutions 2018 UK on-premise report shows a 175ml glass of white wine costs, on average, 6.30 - up by more than a pound on last year, with white Burgundy being one of the biggest drivers of price growth.

However, the biggest growth appears to be coming from red wine, where the average bottle price in bars and restaurants is now 8 higher than December 2016/January 2017.

According to founder Peter McAtamney, The overall average price hasnt moved much due to large numbers of lesser Champagne brands being delisted in favour of the major brands. Most table wine categories have however shifted up in average listed price considerably.

The average bottle of red wine on a UK wine list now costs 38.10, up a whopping 8 on 2017 due to more ultra-premium listings. The average glass of red costs 6.48, also up a pound on last year.

Wine Business Solutions measures the success of countries of origin and average prices by analysing share of listings in a given market.

According to the report, the UK on-trade is in good health thanks to a significant in rise in prices, although much of the growth in premium listings is regionalised with London and the South overall faring much better than the North, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

In terms of origin, France has clawed back some of its decline and now has 28.8% share  up from 26% this time a year ago.

Behind France is Italy, with a static 24.1% share of the UK on-trade.

In third place, McAtamney says Spain continues to "oscillate widely as it goes in and out of fashion from one year to the next.

As the market becomes more premium, somewhat predictably, it is Chile and Australia that have suffered most. South Africa is poised to overtake Australia in the UK on-premise.

One country in particular which has benefitted from the premium upswing is New Zealand, which has managed a significant turnaround led by quality brands.

According to the data, Marlboroughs St Clair is now the most listed table wine brand in the UK.













Wine Business Solutions: UK on-trade share of listings by country of origin










It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the
Here We Go Again!

Mark Twain once said, No mans life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.

From Honolulu County Republican Party January 4, 2017

We are responsible for our State of Hawaii, each and every one of us has an obligation to hold our elected officials accountable for their actions. If we will not stand up for our rights and the health of our state, then we should not be surprised when the cost of living continues to rise, when our young feel they have no choice but to move to the mainland, as we see our parental rights challenged by a questionable education system, as our elected officials ignore us and continue to spend our tax dollars without any thought or concern as to what this is doing to us, when we find there are too few elected officials who will stand up for our constitutional rights, when we find the values of our Hawaii are not our values but of those that rule us. Is this the legacy we want to leave our children and grandchildren?

Our State Legislature

We are just 13 days away from the beginning of the 2018 Legislative session and Hawaiis leading Democrats expect a lot of discussion concerning more wealth redistribution, more regulations and more government bureaucracy limiting our freedoms. Here are some key issues to be aware of this year...

Universal Basic Income (aka Living Wage) or in other words redistribution of wealth! Universal basic income is often sold as protection against future unemployment. However, Universal Basic Income is nothing more than a lazy, socialist solution.

Democrat priorities for 2018 include:

ensuring health care for all,

raising the minimum wage...AGAIN,

increasing funding for public education,

raising income tax rates on the highest tax brackets (wealth redistribution).

More taxes to support their spending addiction:

Property tax surcharge on second homes and investment properties over $1 million.

A modest GET (general excise tax) increase, balanced by eliminating the tax on groceries and affordable rentals.

Increasing various taxes on hotels and the visitor industry, such as car rentals, hotels and TVRs (transient vacation rentals).

Legalizing and taxing the recreational use of cannabis (pakalolo) by adults.

Institute sugar tax on sugar beverages and factory-made junk food.

Being Revived Again...look for the following bills to be revived in the 2018 legislative session:

Senate Bill 1129 - RELATING TO HEALTH (aka Assisted Suicide). If you believe polls, a recent Civil Beat Poll indicated that 63% of surveyed voters (843) support assisted suicide. We dont believe it! While lawmakers are grappling with how to prevent suicides, which accounts for one person dying every two days in Hawaii, others are trying to legalize it! What mixed messages are we sending and what does this lead to? Nothing pono for sure!

Senate Bill 280 - RELATING TO FIREARMS. This legislation will prohibit gun ownership to those individuals placed on the Terrorist Watchlist. This is a secret government list, which a large number of Americans mistakenly end up on every year, being used to deny individuals their constitutional rights without due process of the law.

Senate Bill 898 - RELATING TO FIREARMS OWNED, POSSESSED, OR CONTROLLED BY PERSONS WHO POSE A SERIOUS RISK OF VIOLENCE OR HARM TO PUBLIC SAFETY. This bill will permanently strip an individual of their second amendment rights, not based on a criminal conviction or mental adjudication, but based on a quasi-criminal proceeding, while ignoring the normal rules of criminal procedure.

What to Look Forward To From Our Minority Caucus - The House Minority Caucus will be working to make our government and our state more accountable, affordable, and accessible to and for you.

Our Honolulu City Council

One of the more disturbing trends in our City Council has been the passing of laws and regulations that expand the nanny state, raises our cost of living and rewards special interest groups. Look for the following Bills to be discussed this year:

Bill 11 DETERMINING THE COUNTY FUEL TAX RATES FOR THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU

Bill 29 AUTHORIZE THE CITY TO CHARGE FOR CITY PROVIDED REFUSE COLLECTION SERVICES

Bill 48 ESTABLISH A NEW "LUXURY APARTMENT UNIT" REAL PROPERTY CLASS

Bill 58 ESTABLISHING AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENT

Bill 71 RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH (Polystyrene Foam Ban)

Knowing the importance of an informed electorate, the Honolulu County Republican Party will be working to educate our members and the public on the important issues facing taxpayers in 2018.

Let's make Hawaii affordable again!

Respectfully,

Brett Kulbis

Honolulu County Chairman
Matson replaces interisland container barge; may increase Neighbor Island freight rates

by Michael Hansen, Hawaii Shippers Council, January 4, 2018

Matson Inc. posted on January 2, 2018, to their corporate website a press release,  Matson Increases Neighbor Island Barge Capacity , announcing that they are replacing their container-barge MAUNA LOA (built 1984) with the secondhand deck barge COLUMBIA (built 2013) for their interisland feeder service. This portends a significant change in the way Matson handles the delivery of Neighbor Island container cargoes and is likely to increase their operating costs.

The barge COLUMBIA was constructed by Gunderson Marine LLC at its Portland, Oregon, shipyard on the Willamette River, and launched June 1, 2013, for owners Portland-based Sause Bros. Ocean Towing Inc. (Sause) to be employed in the Columbia River / Hawaii trade. Sause has operated in the interstate Hawaii trade since 1966 as a common carrier primarily transporting various Pacific Northwest forest products including lumber and plywood commodities for the Islands construction industry. Sause also provides contract towage for Matsons interisland feeder service barges with its Honolulu-based ocean tugs.

Gunderson Marine is a subsidiary of the Lake Oswego, Oregon-based, The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (Greenbrier; NYSE: GBX), a publicly-held barge and railroad car manufacturing corporation with annual revenues of U.S. $2.169 billion and 10,686 employees at August 2017. As the Greenbrier annual report 2017 states in regards to its marine vessel fabrication business, U.S. coastwise law, commonly referred to as the Jones Act, requires all commercial vessels transporting merchandise between ports in the U.S. to be built, owned, operated and manned by U.S. citizens and to be registered under the U.S. flag.

Since 1984, Matson has employed two highly specialized purpose-designed and built sister-container-barges  the MAUNA LOA and HALEAKALA  in their interisland feeder service to distribute the container cargo discharged by their mainline containerships at their hub port terminal in Honolulu Harbor to neighbor island ports. In addition, Matson operates the Roll-on / Roll-off (Ro/Ro) Barge WAIALEALE (built 1991) with a capacity of 230 autos in its proprietary interisland feeder service. Matsons interisland feeder service barges call directly at the neighbor island ports of Nawiliwili (Kauai Island), Kahului (Maui Island), Kawaihae (West Hawaii Island) and Hilo (East Hawaii Island).

As Matsons feeder service only transports cargo moving on a through Bill of Lading (B/L) in interstate trade, compliance with the Hawaii Water Carriers Act of 1974 (HWCA 1974) as amended with application for and assignment of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) and regulation by the Hawaii State Public Utilities Commission (HPUC) is not required. Matsons noncontiguous services (including its Hawaii feeder service) are regulated by the federal U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB), which is an independent agency attached to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). In contrast, the States sole interisland common carrier by water, Young Brothers Limited (YB), which does carry local cargoes, is regulated by the HPUC under the HWCA 1974 and a CPCN.

Matsons two existing interisland container-barges are geared (i.e., fitted with an onboard traveling gantry crane to load and discharge containers) and cellular (i.e., fitted with cell guides) for the efficient stowage of ISO shipping containers. These container-barges are 345 feet in length overall (LOA), 64 feet in breadth (width), 4,658 deadweight tons (DWT) in long tons (tons of 2240 pounds each), and have a container capacity of 335 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU)s.

The configuration of the two Matson container-barges with cell guides and gantry cranes allows for a very efficient operation in terms of cargo handling, expediting port calls especially at the neighbor island ports where there are no shoreside container gantry cranes, and flexibility in scheduling multiple range port calls per voyage. The use of the onboard gantry cranes facilitates Lift-on / Lift-off (Lo/Lo) cargo handling mode. The cellular configuration allows the use of the very efficient shoreside gantry cranes at Matsons Honolulu terminal also in the Lo/Lo mode.

However, operating the two container-barges MAUNA LOA and HALEAKALA  built in 1984 and now 33 years old  is becoming too expensive and replacement vessels are needed. Meanwhile, the cost of constructing new highly specialized container-barges in the U.S. to comply with the Jones Act has simply become too great and replacement with a standard deck barge has become the default solution. Ergo, Matson turned to Sause for a second hand deck barge.

The cost of constructing self-propelled seagoing ships of 1,000 gross tons and greater in the U.S. to comply with the Jones Acts domestic ship build requirement is now well understood to be approximately five times that of building a comparable ship in an East Asian (Japan , South Korea or China) yard. It is reasonable to assume that building a highly specialized container barge such as the MAUNA LOA and HALEAKALA in the U.S. today would incur a very similar premium making it infeasible to build in the U.S. for a Hawaii feeder service. Without the federal domestic build requirement, its likely that small foreign-built U.S. flag self-propelled geared containerships would be used for inter Hawaiian island feeder service.

As the COLUMBIA is a deck barge without cell guides and cargo gear, Matson will use the Carry-on/Carry-off (Co/Co) container cargo handling mode using large fork lift trucks (FLT)s to move the shipping containers between the container yard and barge via a ramp at both their Honolulu hub and neighbor island ports. The Co/Co cargo handling mode will not be as efficient as the current Lo/Lo operation requiring the new barge to spend longer periods in port working cargo and may restrict the scheduling of multiple range port calls.

Although the COLUMBIA (LOA 362' x Breadth 105' Molded Depth 23') will be somewhat larger than the MAUNA LOA, its not clear that the actual container stowage achieved on the COLUMBIA will be that much greater because of the difference in cargo handling modes and stowage.

Matson currently charges U.S. $750 per container 40 foot as their Neighbor Island arbitrary for the transshipment of the container cargo to their Neighbor Island feeder service ports. If Matsons feeder service costs increase as a result of the operating changes brought about by the barge COLUMBIA, then necessarily the Neighbor Island arbitrary will have to increase.

Key excerpts from Matson :

Matson, Inc. ("Matson") announced that its subsidiary Matson Navigation Company, Inc. has replaced one of its three barges dedicated to serving Hawaii's neighbor island ports with a newer, larger barge that will improve service levels. The container barge Columbia, to be renamed Mauna Loa in honor of the barge it replaces, is now Matson's largest barge. At 360 feet long, with a beam (width) of 100 feet and cargo carrying capacity of 12,600 tons or 500 TEU,* it is 12 feet longer and 40 feet wider than the barge it replaces, with the capacity to carry 180 more TEU or nearly 8,000 tons more cargo. Built in 2012 by Gunderson Marine and classified as a Deck Cargo Barge with approximately 33,000 square feet of deck cargo space, the vessel's design enables swifter and more fuel efficient transits. Its deck is unobstructed to allow greater flexibility in loading containers and over-dimensional cargo and is protected by a large breakwater at the bow and bin walls on the sides to aid in cargo securing and protection from the marine environment.

---30---

2012: Sause Building New Barge to Service Hawaii
(HedgeCo.Net) A former day trader has been charged with making more than $1 million in illegal insider trading profits as part of a ring that allegedly stole confidential information from investment banks and clients so they could trade in advance of secondary stock offerings.

The SEC alleges that Joseph Spera schemed with former colleagues, posing as legitimate portfolio managers to induce investment bankers to bring them over the wall and share nonpublic details about upcoming secondary offerings while agreeing not to disclose the information to others or trade before the offerings were announced. Spera and the others involved allegedly violated those agreements and tipped each other with confidential information that enabled them to trade for a profit ahead of public announcements.

The SEC and criminal authorities previously charged four others in the alleged insider trading ring in parallel actions. In total, the alleged insider trading by Spera and the others generated approximately $5.5 million in illicit profits, including illegal trades they made based on nonpublic information they obtained ahead of a major announcement by a large pharmaceutical company.

We unraveled many strands of this alleged insider trading scheme by following the chain of tips downstream to those who benefited unlawfully by trading on confidential information that was obtained under false pretenses, said Sanjay Wadhwa, Senior Associate Director for Enforcement in the SECs New York Regional Office.

The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Jersey has filed a parallel criminal action against Spera, who agreed to plead guilty. Speras childhood friend Paul Petrello and two others charged initially, Steven Costantin and Ronald Chernin, have pleaded guilty in the criminal actions and agreed to partial settlements in the SEC cases with potential monetary sanctions to be determined at a later date. Litigation continues against the alleged ringleader of the scheme, Steven Fishoff, who recruited Spera into the fold along with Petrello.
(Bloomberg) Michael Cohen, a former head of the European operations of Och-Ziff Capital Management Group, was charged with fraud related to the hedge fund firms activities in Africa, according to an indictment made public Wednesday. Its the latest reverberation from more than five years of inquiries by U.S. officials into the African activities of the giant publicly traded hedge fund firm. Back in September 2016, a unit of Och-Ziff pleaded guilty to bribing officials in Africa to win business. The firm paid hundreds of millions of dollars and its chief executive officer paid about $2 million to resolve the matter. Cohen, a 46-year-old American based in London, was a rising star at Och-Ziff who spearheaded the firms European expansion while still in his 20s, led its foray into Africa and bought a 900-acre estate in the English countryside.

To read this article:
The foundation, which is dedicated to promoting the well-being, equality and position of children and families with children in Finland, will receive a total of 922,168 shares and become the seventh largest shareholder in the majority state-owned energy company.

The Finnish government has decided to donate roughly 50 million euros worth of shares in Neste to Itla Childrens Foundation.

These are each worth 51 euros according to yesterdays closing prices, Mika Lintila (Centre), the Minister of Economic Affairs, said in a press conference at the Government Palace in Helsinki on Thursday.

The Finnish Parliament approved the donation ahead of the one-hundredth Independence Day of Finland.

Neste was a logical choice for the government due to its stability, advanced nature and high share value, according to Lintila. Neste was really the only company where the limits for state ownership didnt pose a problem, because the Parliament has decided that the state must own 34 per cent, while the limit for the other [companies in direct state ownership]  Finnair and Fortum  is over 50 per cent, he added.

The donation will reduce the governments share of voting shares in the energy company to 49.74 per cent.

Pentti Arajarvi, the board chairperson at Itla Childrens Foundation, underlined in the press conference that the foundation is focused on a variety of research and other projects that aim to promote child well-being in Finland.

Todays children are a key resource for the future of our society, he reminded.

The healthier, more educated and well-balanced the children, the more certain can we be that the future will be bright. Children in Finland are better off than ever before, but at the same time there is still a lot of room for improvement, added Arajarvi.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Antti Aimo-Koivisto  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
Finland, it estimates, needs immigrants to respond to the labour shortage that is affecting several industrial sectors, to improve the dependency ratio that is eroding because of population ageing, and to enhance its appeal in the eyes of foreign employees and businesses.

The Finnish government unveiled its policy programme for promoting employment-based immigration to Finland on Thursday.

Competition for international talent has become so fierce that it is necessary to ensure a smooth residence permit process in addition to fostering the other factors that affect how [foreign employees] settle in the country, reads a press release from the Ministry of the Interior.

Increasing electronic services, for example, is of great significance in that regard.

Finland, it says, must adopt well-defined long-term objectives if it is to successfully attract skilled foreign workers amidst the ever-intensifying global competition.

The policy programme consequently outlines measures not only to increase employment-based immigration but also to promote the integration of foreign employees and foster good relations between various population groups. It also includes measures designed to enable the more effective recognition and utilisation of the labour potential of the existing immigrant population in Finland.

The Ministry of the Interior estimates that integration services that take entire families into consideration are key for promoting the well-being of foreign employees in Finland.

The country, it adds, can also enhance its appeal in the eyes of foreign businesses and employees by fostering a positive attitudinal climate and well-functioning relations between various population groups.

Immigrants efficiency, productivity and well-being at the workplace depend on whether or not they feel part of the work community and have experienced discrimination, it explains.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Vesa Moilanen  Lehtikuva
From left to right, Yosef Rudolph, Sarah Rudolph, Yissachar Jerusalem, Gabrielle Jerusalem, and Daniel Asher are preparing to make candles at an event with the Young Leadership of Green Road Synagogue in Cleveland, Ohio, December 2016.

NEW YORK-Like so many happy accidents, it started with Purim.

Riva Preil, a physical therapist in her early 30s living in Manhattan, was recording a skit for her Orthodox synagogue's Purim spiel when the head of the events committee asked if she'd like to get more involved. The question took her by surprise.

"I never thought to do it," Preil said of taking a synagogue leadership role. But at the urging of a friend she agreed. Soon, Preil organized a singles event. "Then I became addicted," she said.

Four years on, Priel runs the events committee at her shul, the Mount Sinai Jewish Center in Washington Heights, and sits on the synagogue board. She has been instrumental in making sure a different family from the congregation each week volunteers to host singles and those without a Shabbat meal.

"Shul shouldn't just be about attending, praying, leaving," Preil said. "People can do that anywhere during the week. When it comes to Shabbat and holidays, people want more."

If synagogues are to succeed a generation from now, Orthodox lay leaders and rabbis say, they must get millennials involved. It's a challenge for every Jewish denomination, but in Orthodoxy it means pushing the boundaries of what synagogues do without pushing the boundaries of Jewish tradition.

What it comes down to, say community leaders, is getting millennials to take leadership roles and giving them the power to help shape synagogue life.

"The future of Orthodoxy depends on how our synagogues engage millennials," said Rabbi Yehuda Friedman, the Orthodox Union's associate director of synagogue services. "It's not just attending a synagogue, it's part of a wider, more holistic identity. If young Jews are not engaged in living an Orthodox lifestyle at this time in their lives, we will lose them."

Many synagogues have found that the best way to empower millennials is to hand them the keys. Across the country, young Orthodox Jews are organizing lay-led minyans, community Shabbat dinners, lectures, parties and an array of other things to help make their synagogues more welcoming for their generational peers.

"Just because you're Orthodox doesn't necessarily mean you're going to shul on a regular basis," said Tzvi Wolf, 24, chair of the committee for young professionals at B'nai David-Judea Congregation in Los Angeles. "For people in their 20s and 30s, if they're building a family or working long hours or in grad school, getting up to go to shul on a Shabbat morning might not be on the top of their list of priorities."

Without programming specifically geared toward them, millennials might view shul as a place for older people; millennial-organized programming gives them a sense of ownership, Wolf said.

"Millennials want democracy in everything," observed Rabbi Hyim Shafner of Kesher Israel in Washington, D.C. "They grew up with the internet, they're used to having their voices heard. You have to have to be creative, do things out of the box."

Shafner, who has worked with young Jews for most of his career, including eight years at a Hillel in St. Louis, now leads a congregation comprised mostly of young people. Sometimes he teaches Torah in bars in his neighborhood, Georgetown

"They want a community that's more porous," Shafner said of young people. "There's what we do in shul, but there have to be things outside of shul as well."

In New York, Caleb Koffler, 24, a member of the young leadership committee of his synagogue, Manhattan's Jewish Center, organizes a monthly lecture series featuring expert guests on hot topics in Orthodoxy, from theology to the Jewish ethics of freezing eggs. The lectures usually take place at the synagogue, but Koffler feels it's important to have it somewhere else every so often to attract new people, so a few months ago he planned one for his apartment, supplemented by a large order of sushi.

The Jewish Center's Young Leadership Minyan regularly draws more than 200 young people on Saturday mornings. Though liturgically identical to the main service, the minyan's board designed it to better match the aesthetics and values of single Jews in their 20s and 30s.

"It starts later and the room is set up like a hall, not a shul," noted Alex Braunstein, 27, an immigration attorney and a member of the young leadership committee. "It's a smaller space. The rabbi stands in the middle in front of everyone to speak, and the women aren't sitting against the wall. They actually enter the space first, so the men have to go around them to get to their section."

Braunstein is in charge of organizing communal meals on Shabbat and holidays, a crucial part of millennial outreach in the Orthodox community. Having meals with friends she doesn't see the rest of the week is an important part of her Shabbat experience, she said.

The Green Road Synagogue in Cleveland is particularly aggressive in courting young Jews. The shul organizes activities like s'mores and tie-dye T-shirt making in the park for young families and "escape room"-style game nights and candle-making for young adults. A recent new family welcome event drew 150 people.

Rosalynne Sommer, 28, who serves as co-chair of the synagogue's young leadership group, seeks out new people moving to town by keeping her ears open and monitoring Cleveland Jewish Facebook pages. Sommer first came to Cleveland fresh out of college six years ago and intended to stay just two years while getting her master's degree in social work, but she ended up staying.

"The community I met at Green Road Synagogue and the people there are a large reason I'm still in Cleveland," she said.

To make every newcomer feels as welcomed as she was, Sommer tries to ensure that all newcomers-whether they intend to join a synagogue or not-get several weeks' worth of Shabbat meal invitations and welcome gifts, plus information on synagogue events tailored to newcomers

"Cleveland is a booming city, especially for Orthodox Jews, and we want them all to have a warm welcome to the city and community," Sommer said.

Creating community must be the ultimate goal when engaging millennials, according to Shafner. "If you make it all about membership, that will turn them off," Shafner said. "They want a community that's embracing, they want a big family. They want to connect to people of all ages."

A synagogue can go a long way toward creating that family feel simply by having the right attitude, he said.

"When young people start coming, the community shouldn't say, 'Oh no, this is so new, what are they doing here?'" Shafner said. "But rather, 'All these young people could be anywhere and doing anything with their energy and they choose to be here. What a blessing!'"

This article was sponsored by and produced in partnership with the Orthodox Union, the nation's largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, dedicated to engaging and strengthening the Jewish community, and to serving as the voice of Orthodox Judaism in North America. This article was produced by JTA's native content team.
Salt and pepper, peanut butter and jelly, Zionism and progressivism.

Few question the inherent, irrefutable bond between the first two of those pairs, but civil rights attorney and co-founder of the Zioness Movement, Amanda Berman, argues that the latter is just as natural-and she has several thousand left-leaning Jews with strong Zionist identities backing her up on that sentiment.

The four-month-old Zioness Movement was born in a "watershed moment," several months after the inauguration of President Donald Trump. At the Aug. 12 Chicago SlutWalk, which aimed to dismantle rape culture, a group of 20 Zionist progressive friends marched together in support of the rally. But similar to what occurred at the Chicago Dyke March in June, their support was met with a ban on Zionist "symbols of nationalism and oppression."

"It was one of those moments that exposed the fictitious line between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism," Berman told JNS.

On the same day, 800 miles away in Charlottesville, Va., neo-Nazis marched to "end Jewish influence in America," simultaneously threatening minority groups such as African-Americans, Muslims, LGBTQ individuals and Latinos.

"If that wasn't a moment to come together, I don't know what is," said Berman, who was "heartbroken" by the Chicago SlutWalk organizers' move to dictate which identities are and are not welcome in the progressive cause.

Berman felt attacked and ostracized when Palestinian activists wearing shirts that read "Palestine versus the world" were accepted at the SlutWalk, but her Jewish star was not.

"Palestinian activists were allowed to hold that identity, so why weren't we allowed to hold our identity as Zionist activists? Why such double standards, especially at a march for social justice?" asked Berman.

In October, 50 Zioness members took on the March for Racial Justice, hoping to activate and empower progressive Zionists in New York City, but they were met with a similar sentiment.

"We were told that we don't care about racial justice," Berman said. "That was heartbreaking because we care very much about these issues."

Zioness was created as a civil rights movement that seeks to undermine "bigotry, misogyny, and social and economic inequality," said Berman, who thinks there is nothing revolutionary about coming out as proud, progressive Zionists.

"It's the most natural alliance in the world," she said. "Zionism is the civil rights and self-determination movement of the Jewish people. It's not about Bibi (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu), it's not about settlements and it's not about occupation. Zionism was a dream of the Jewish people for 3,000 years. Through millennia of oppression, persecution, exile and genocide, we have maintained our hope and dream that we would be able to have a state where we would be protected, and that the state would be in our historical homeland where we have been indigenous for 3,000 years."

She continued, "The manifestation of the Zionist dream is exactly what progressivism is about. It's fighting for your own civil rights and own social justice, your own self-determination, your own right to equality, and to exist in safety and security-and progressivism is the same thing, it's making progress for all of those among us, equalizing the playing field, giving everyone the same opportunity."

Berman shared her hope that "all marginalized communities have same the opportunities to ultimately achieve success in their fight for social and racial justice the same way that the Jewish people did with international recognition of our homeland," and suggested that America could take a page from Israel's playbook as the "most progressive, pluralistic, multi-ethnic and multi-religious country in all of the Middle East." She added that Jews and Zionists "must continue to fight for our rights and our state, which remain constantly under attack."

She spoke of the intersectionality of bigotries, noting, "When anti-Semitism runs rampant, other bigotries run rampant."

"We cannot allow anti-Semitism to go unchecked and expect that we can fight other bigotries at the same time. We have to fight it all together. There's a saying on the left that, 'I'm not free until we are all free,' and that's how Jewish communities sincerely feel," said Berman.

Until Jews "are included in the fight for social, economic and racial justice, and until we are not subjected to political litmus tests about our own self-determination and civil rights in the form of our state in our historic national homeland, none of us will be free," she said.

Berman pointed out that 74 percent of American Jews are registered Democrats and many of them care about sexism, racism, homophobia and yes, Israel. "But if young progressives are forced to choose between supporting social justice issues and their identities as Zionists, then we are going to be in big trouble," she said.

The response to the nascent Zioness Movement has been "unbelievably positive" and "humbling," said Berman.

Zioness member Gloria Einstein told JNS that in the 1970s, she "gave up practicing Judaism" and abandoned her loyalty to Israel "because that was expected of a progressive, anti-war, feminist woman. It was just not okay to be actively Jewish or to acknowledge any loyalty to Israel."

Einstein declared, "I will not do that anymore."

Einstein lamented the fact that although she thought that "so many progressive Jewish organizations reflected my progressive views and supported my Jewish identity," she was "badly wrong," giving the example of progressive Jewish organizations that honor Palestinian-American BDS activist Linda Sarsour for her coalition-building work with Jewish groups.

The same week that Einstein attended a workshop of one such progressive organization and felt "the heartbreak that progressive Jews face as one after another organization betrays them and demands that they give up Judaism," she learned of Zioness.

Berman described the emails she has received to thank her for filling the void in which institutional Jewish groups and community organizers were previously "scared to engage in this issue," and for giving progressive Zionists a political home. Women who fought in the feminist movement in the 1960s told her, "I have been waiting 50 years for this."

Now, it's finally here.
BIRMINGHAM, England (JTA)-Nine months after announcing that she is creating the world's first vagina museum, Florence Schechter is confident that she has heard every joke on the subject.

Schechter, a Jewish comedian and communications professional in her 20s, is preparing to open the museum in Brighton, 50 miles south of London. When the news broke in the spring, it caught the attention of Conan O'Brien, who quipped: It will be "the first museum where you enter through the gift shop."

The idea also blew up on social media. Twitter users advised Schechter to put up a sign saying "caution, slippery when wet" or install a knocker on the door because "no man will find the buzzer."

Even her father, the Russia-born klezmer musician Gregori Schechter, got in on the act: He complimented her on "hitting the G-spot" after The Independent profiled her efforts in March, she proudly told JTA.

But Schechter, who is currently recruiting trustees and scouting a location for the museum, is dead serious about her plan, she told the 30 or so people who came to see her talk about it on Wednesday at the Limmud Festival of Jewish learning in Birmingham. Schechter said she started working on the museum after learning, in March, that Iceland has the world's only penis museum. She calls this a case of "inequality."

Now, the museum is "my whole life," she said. "I am now the vagina lady."

The denigrating jokes she's heard since announcing her plan in March have only strengthened her resolve. "They're funny until you realize the point is that vaginas are bad, which is pretty horrible," she said

"The world absolutely needs a vagina museum," she added.

For now, though, the museum is little more than idea that is being promoted, albeit with considerable success. There is a web site through which UK residents can purchase buttons sporting the museum's logo, and Schechter has been busy hosting events and giving talks. But she admits she is nowhere near collecting the necessary funds for opening a physical space, and doesn't imagine opening one before 2020.

When asked where she would find the funding, Schechter replied: "Oh, man, I wish I knew."

She quickly corrected herself-"Oh, woman, I wish I knew"-before settling on "person."

For now, though, she's thinking big. In the museum, Schechter plans to explore various perceived inequalities that are connected to vaginas. First among those themes is female genital mutilation, or FGM-a custom prevalent in some Muslim communities, which has affected 200 million women, according to the United Nations.

"I want the museum to be part of fighting that," said Schechter.

She also noted that sex trafficking, sexual assault, gay rights and shaming campaigns online could be part of the museum.

"I want people to come in, see these issues and say, 'I have to do something, I've got to change this,'" she said.

Instead of looking to open the museum in the U.K.'s capital, Schechter has her sights on Brighton, a seaside town about 50 miles south of London. It's a "very progressive place," she noted. (In the June general elections, the local parliamentary candidate for the Green Party won slightly more than half the 57,687 votes cast at Brighton. Nationwide, the party won 1.6 percent of the vote.)

"People think that London is quite progressive, but because it's so multicultural, that means that there are certain communities that can really take offense at a Vagina Museum, and I don't want to, like, offend anyone when we're in the really early stages," she said.

Another hot-button issue that Schechter intends to tackle in the museum: The elevated exposure to sexual diseases that affects women and girls from faith communities who engage in anal sex to in order preserve their hymen, Schechter said.

"These girls put themselves at risk without realizing it," she aid. "Those are just the facts and we will make them known for them to make a decision."

The museum will also promote gay rights, said Schechter, who added that if she were living in one of the world's 12 countries with death penalties for gay people, "I too would have been sentenced to death"

Other exhibits at the museum are less controversial. Anatomical charts will be on display, to help fight widespread ignorance about the female reproductive organ. (In a 2014 survey in the United Kingdom, half of 1,000 women aged 26-35 couldn't point out the vagina on a medical drawing of the reproductive system. Half of 2,000 men couldn't find it either in a 2017 follow-up survey.) Other sections will be devoted to childbirth and contraception.

There will be touches of whimsy as well. For example, the cafe will feature vulva cupcakes-or cleft pastries with pink cream in the groove. An art section will feature a sculpture made from plaster casts of 400 women's vulvas (it's a 2008 installation titled "The Great Wall of Vagina" and its aim is to start a debate on labial beauty standards dominated by the pornographic industry) and Georgia O'Keeffe's 1926 "Black Iris" painting.

O'Keeffe had consistently denied that her series of flower paintings, with deep and dark crevices, were in fact subversive vaginal artworks.

"I would love to have been there in the room when she denied this," Schechter said during her Limmud talk. "Do you think she was winking?"
The Samaria area has recently seen a massive increase in tourism from around the globe, Israels NRG news reported Thursday.

The biblical heartland has seen an increase of some 200 percent in incoming tourism, mostly from Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.

Increased tourism from Sweden, Australia and the US is also noteworthy.

The local municipality explained that the sharp increase in tourism is the outcome of intensive efforts on its part to publicize the regions unique attractions and sites.

The Samaria Regional Council has also recently signed a twin cities tourism agreement with the Hungarian resort town of Heviz.

Heviz is considered one of Europes most popular resort destinations, mainly because of its natural thermal lake, the largest in Europe.

Speaking at the twin cities signing ceremony, Israeli Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin said that cooperation between Israeli and Hungarian officials will contribute to tourism traffic to Israel, which this year hit an all-time high.

Tourism in Israel in general has skyrocketed in 2017. The country in November welcomed the three-millionth tourist to visit the Holy Land this year in a special ceremony at Ben Gurion Airport, setting a new annual record at 3.6 million tourists to Israel.

According to Israels Central Bureau of Statistics, tourists from nations across the globe are arriving in greater numbers. For instance, there was a 76 percent increase in tourism from China during the first half of 2017, in comparison to that period in 2016. There were also dramatic increases in tourism from Russia and the US, the latter of which represents the largest source of incoming tourism for Israel.

With numbers such as these, the future looks bright for Israeli tourism.

I am convinced that, with the correct activities, we will continue to see good results in the coming months, stated Levin in July.
JERUSALEM (JTA)With the arrival of a flight carrying 93 new immigrants, a total of 3,633 people from North America made aliyah in 2017, Nefesh BNefesh reported.

The group flight that landed at Ben Gurion International Airport on Wednesday included 15 future lone soldiers and a soon-to-be bride, according to the organization.

Nefesh BNefesh, in cooperation with Israels Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and JNF-USA, helps facilitate aliyahthe Hebrew term for Jewish immigration to Israelfrom North America and the United Kingdom.

Another 103 Americans and Canadians already living or studying in Israel made aliyah on Wednesday at the Nefesh BNefesh offices in Jerusalem.

Many of the 3,633 new immigrants arrived on 19 special aliyah flights from North America, bringing 377 families with 677 children, and an additional 1,677 singles. The oldest immigrant in 2017 was 102, and the youngest five weeks old, according to Nefesh BNefesh. Most of the new immigrants settled in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Raanana, and Netanya.

There were 3,676 immigrants from North America in 2016, and 3,782 in 2015.

Nearly 29,000 immigrants from around the world arrived in Israel in 2017.
JSU Fellowship is an innovative program in Central Florida where 12 teens get together Wednesday evenings from 7 to 8, and discuss the Jewish perspective on a variety of ethical and moral dilemmas. Teens will also have the opportunity to meet communal leaders and experts in a number of fields.

Teens do not need to be in a JSU club to apply. JSU Fellowship is open to all Central Florida teens.

Teens selected to be a JSU Fellow will receive a $15 stipend for each session they attend.

For more information, contact Daniel Nabatian at 516-426-8484 or dnabatian@JoinOrlando.org.
Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt are incensed at Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas over his reaction to US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, according to Israeli media reports.

Israel Hayom quoted a Jordanian official as saying, "The Palestinians' efforts to sway public opinion have been a complete failure, and as a result, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has created a rift between us [the Arab world] and Trump. We are once again left with the demagogic, hollow and inflammatory rhetoric of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan."

Officials also expressed dismay at Abbas' attempts to punish the US on the international stage. Referring to the recent UN General Assembly attempt to annul the recognition move and declare it illegal, the Jordanian source stated, "Washington has made its views clear and said it would take action against those nations that voted against it at the UN General Assembly last week. Now, when it is clear Trump is indeed going to punish those that voted against the US, most countries are trying to cut their losses."

The official added that Palestinian declarations that the US will no longer be part of the peace process and is not an honest broker, as well as attempts to internationalize the issue, have added to the Arab states' frustration with Abbas, especially on the part of Jordan. He also pointed to the lackluster protests from Palestinians despite daily incitement from the PA.

"We are very worried about the Palestinians' actions over Jerusalem," he said. "Their efforts to shun the US from the peace process and their insistence on international intervention are a double-edged sword that could hurt first and foremost Jordan's status in Jerusalem and could bring about the exact opposite of the intended result. Many more countries could do what the US has done after seeing that the region has not been destabilized and only a few thousand protesters have taken to the streets."

In response, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt are reportedly freezing out the Palestinians and forming their own committee to deal with the issue. "The decision to establish this committee was, in effect, imposed on the Palestinian Authority by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan in a move that was backed by the Arab League," the source noted. "This is a super committee that is headed by the secretary general of the Arab League, and it effectively puts the Arab League in charge of the policy on Jerusalem, taking it away from the Palestinians."

For his part, however, Abbas appears to be doubling down on his current strategy. The Times of Israel reported that Abbas has decided to cut off all diplomatic contacts with the US, including with the American Consulate in Jerusalem, which has served as an unofficial embassy to the PA.

According to the report, this amounts to "throwing away the key" to any relationship with the US.
Love him or hate him, 2017 was a year dominated by President Donald Trump. The US-Israel relationship was no stranger to that, ranging from Trump's visit to the Jewish state in May to his historic decision on Jerusalem in December. At the same time, some of this year's other major stories in the Israeli-American arena had little or nothing to do with Trump.

JNS takes a look back at the following five key moments in US-Israel relations during the past year:

Trump's policy changes on Jerusalem

On Dec. 6, Trump recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and declared plans to eventually move the US Embassy in Israel to that city. The president called the policy changes "long overdue" and said recognition of Jerusalem as the capital is "obvious" given that all of Israel's government functions-from the Knesset to the prime minister's residence-are located there.

"This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality," said Trump. "It is also the right thing to do."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Trump's decision reflects the "commitment to an ancient but enduring truth, to fulfilling his promises and to advancing peace."

Trump's Israel trip

Trump made Israel one of his first visits abroad as president when he touched down in the Jewish state in late May to much pomp and circumstance. Trump's trip included the first visit to the Western Wall-one of Judaism's holiest sites-by a sitting American president.

The visit did not come without controversy. A US official's remark that the Western Wall is part of the West Bank and not Israel stirred Israeli-American tension before the White House disavowed the comments.

The Western Wall prayer controversy

The Israeli cabinet in June decided to freeze an agreement for a permanent egalitarian prayer section, jointly overseen by non-Orthodox Jewish groups, at the Western Wall. The move by the Israeli government, which reneged on a January 2016 agreement, sparked a crisis between the government and Diaspora Jewry.

Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett admitted that "mistakes were made" by the government in its decision, but said the controversy largely resulted from a "campaign of misinformation claiming the [Western Wall] is being closed to Diaspora Jews...This is false."

A 'new sheriff in town' at the UN

Trump's Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has been determined to change the culture of bias against Israel at the world body. At the AIPAC Policy Conference in March, Haley described herself as the "new sheriff in town" and vowed regarding anti-Israel elements that she would "kick them every single time" they display their bias.

Indeed, Haley has taken aim at UN bodies that have repeatedly and disproportionately targeted Israel, including the Human Rights Council and the UNESCO cultural agency. In October, the US announced that it would pull out of UNESCO due to its "anti-Israel bias."

In the wake of Trump's announcement on Jerusalem, Haley blamed the world body for being the real obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace and vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that called for the withdrawal of the US recognition of Jerusalem. When the same resolution was passed by the UN General Assembly, Haley said the vote "will be remembered." Before the General Assembly vote, she said the US would be "taking names" of countries that supported the UN condemnation of Trump's Jerusalem move.

Haley's series of moves defending Israel at the UN came after the departing Obama administration in December 2016 refused to veto a Security Council resolution that condemned Israel's settlement policy and described eastern Jerusalem as "occupied Palestinian territory."

Advanced US-made fighter jets operational

Less than a year after receiving its first nine F-35 stealth fighter jets from the US, the Israeli military declared the fleet of aircraft fully operational in early December.

"The announcement of the operationalization of the 'Adir' aircraft comes at a time in which the IAF is operating on a large scale on a number of fronts in a dynamic Middle East," said Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin.

Israel has agreed to purchase 50 of the F-35 jets from the US and was the first foreign country permitted to acquire the advanced warplanes, at a cost of roughly $100 million each.

Tal Inbar, who heads the space research center at the Israel-based Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies, told JNS regarding the F-35 that the "technological jump of the plane compared to all other planes in the [Middle East] is enormous, but the jump in operational capabilities is no less important. The freedom of maneuver that the air force gets has been significantly strengthened."
Israels Iron Dome missile defense system blocked two missiles fired into Israel shortly before noon on Friday. A third landed in a community bordering Gaza. No injuries were reported, but a building was damaged.

The Code Red alarms were sounded during a ceremony marking the would-be 24th birthday of IDF soldier Oron Shaul, whose body has been held by Hamas in Gaza since Operation Protective Edge.

Before the incident, Orons mother told the crowd, Were here to mark his birthday. Weve decided to come here so we can be as close to Oron as possible. Our message is one of peace, brotherhood and camaraderie. Were not here to lash out at anyone. We just want Oron returned home, Ynet News reported.

Israeli intelligence believes the rockets fired in recent weeks were launched by terror groups other than Hamas.

Israel holds Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, responsible and retaliated in the early afternoon with a series of strikes targeting Hamas in northern Gaza.
BUENOS AIRES (JTA)-A federal judge in Argentina said that AMIA Jewish center bombing prosecutor Alberto Nisman was murdered.

It is the first time since Nisman's death in January 2015 that the case has officially been classified as murder. Others have said that Nisman committed suicide in the bathroom of his Buenos Aires apartment.

Judge Julian Ercolini on Tuesday in a 656-page ruling said the gunshot that killed Jewish prosecutor Alberto Nisman "was not a suicide, and was brought about by a third party."

The decision also charged Diego Lagomarsino, a former employee of Nisman's, as an accessory to murder.

Following Nisman's death Lagomarsino said he went to the prosecutor's apartment to give him a "very old" .22 caliber pistol to protect himself after Nisman expressed fears that he was being targeted by supporters of then-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

Hours later, Nisman was found dead by a bullet from that gun fired at point-blank range above his right ear. Prior to Tuesday, Lagomarsino had been charged only with lending the pistol to Nisman. The judge also noted that Lagomarsino was the last known person to enter Nismans apartment."

Nisman's body was found on Jan. 18, 2015, hours before he was to present evidence to Argentine lawmakers that Kirchner covered up Iran's role in the attack on the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires that left 85 dead and hundreds wounded.

Lagomarsino, an IT technician, will remain under surveillance with an electronic anklet. The judge also froze his bank accounts.

The judge on Tuesday also charged four police guards who were in charge of Nismans safety with "aggravated concealment" and "failure to comply with the duties of a public official."

The investigation continues. When it concludes, Ercolini will present the case to a panel of three judges that will conduct a courtroom trial and arrive at a sentence.
NEW YORKOn Friday, Dec. 22, Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, the Honorable Irwin Cotler, addressed a special session of the United Nations Security Council on International Humanitarian Law and the repatriation of the remains of Hadar Goldin, abducted and murdered by Hamas in violation of a UN-mandated humanitarian ceasefire. Security Council Member nationsincluding the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Russia, France, Italy, Sweden, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, Senegal and Uruguayexpressed their solidarity with the Goldin family, and demanded the return of the remains of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul. Additional guests of the session included emissaries from the missions of Japan, Peru and Israel. The nations stood side by side in calling for Hamas to return the remains of the two IDF soldiers it holds captive.

The historic hearing was co-hosted by The United States and Ukraine, in the face of what Cotler described as Hamass abiding disrespect and denunciation of the UN itself, its values, institutions, and norms.

We are pleased by the significant number of delegations from around the world at the meeting, who highlighted that the refusal to repatriate the remains of murdered soldiers is an egregious violation of the most fundamental principles of human rights and human dignity that underpin humanitarian law said Cotler. The next step is for this group to work with the Secretary-General and international organizations to secure the return of the remains, lest the international community itself indulge a culture of impunity in defiance of UN norms.

As a mother, I am extremely grateful that this world body and these world leaders gave us their time to listen to my appeal, movingly expressed Dr. Leah Goldin, mother of slain soldier Hadar Goldin. We believe the UN can compel Hamas to return my son and Oron Shauls remains to their home for a proper burial.

Hadar Goldin was an Israeli Defense Forces soldier who was killed in August 2014, and whose body is still held ransom by Hamas. Goldin was killed during a cease-fire from Operation Protective Edge, in which the IDF went into Gaza to destroy terror tunnels and missile launching sites. The cease-fire, brokered by the United Nations and the United States and agreed upon by both Israel and Hamas, handicapped Goldins ability at the time of his ambush to return fire and defend himself.
The Roth Family JCC of Greater Orlando is proud to announce the appointment of Leah Sandler as Cultural Arts coordinator. Sandler is no stranger to the JCC or the local Jewish community having attended the Richard S. Adler Early Childhood Learning Center and the Hebrew Day School (now Jewish Academy of Orlando). Sandler remained connected to the Jewish community as a teen, participating in Beit Hamidrash, the communitys once-per-week Jewish high school experience. In addition, Sandler attended services at Congregation Ohev Shalom with her mom and got her first job at the Heritage Florida Jewish News at 16 years old. Sandlers education has prepared her for her new position as she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from Rollins College, and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of the Arts (Philadelphia).

The goal of Sandlers position is to bring exciting and engaging arts-related events to the Orlando Jewish community. She will be not only managing and growing the Js current, successful arts programs such as the Jewish Film Festival and Jewish Book Festival, she will also be growing new and exciting cultural programs and opportunities for adults and teens too.

Sandler said, I want to help bring our community together and stimulate dialogue through thought-provoking programming. In addition, I want to help increase our Jewish communitys engagement in local arts and culture while helping amplify the voices of contemporary Jewish creatives too.

Sandler wont be tackling this program expansion by herself. She will be guiding the JCCs Cultural Arts Committee along with program-focused sub-committees to work on specific programs and events.

Sandler added, I would love to speak with anyone in the Jewish community, as well as the greater Orlando community, about the kind of arts and culture events they would like to see happen at the J, and what they have enjoyed about JCC programming and events in the past! I am also very interested in getting to know artists, musicians, actors, writers and other creatives from within the community.
A new elite IDF infantry unit is about to take up its position along Israels border with the Gaza Strip.

The Haruv (Carob) unit, named after a renowned force that operated in Israels southern desert borders in the 1960s and 1970s, was once a regular infantry battalion in the Kfir brigade, focusing on security operations in Judea and Samaria (the territories).

Several months ago, the IDF decided to convert this battalion into an elite unit, and to give it the training, weapons, vehicles and high-tech equipment it would need to fight in Gaza.

Since then, the unit has been selectively recruiting cadets into its ranks and placing them under intense special force training. This process culminated at the end of December in a large-scale war drill that simulated Gazas urban warfare settings.

The elite unit has abilities and components that an ordinary infantry battalion does not, Maj. Nir Mor, deputy commander of the new unit, told JNS.

The training, structure and organization are all different, he said. Cadets had to undergo weeks of high-intensity field navigation training before practicing combat drills against heavily armed, well-trained guerrilla terrorist forces embedded into built-up areasotherwise known as Hamas, Gazas ruling faction.

The Gaza Strip requires complex preparations, which begin three to four months in advance. Preparing to operate in Judea and Samaria is simpler than Gaza, Mor said.

The Haruv unit had to learn how to use armored vehicles to maneuver on the Gaza border, and to practice moving into Gaza itself, in the event of an outbreak of a new round of fighting. The soldiers also learned how to use new kinds of weapons, including those mounted on the armored vehicles.

The soldiers became familiar with the enemy, and learned about the [Gaza] sectors history, said Mor. The doctrine for using force in Gaza is different than Judea and Samaria. Commanders had to learn to make the adjustment.

In the event of a new armed conflict with the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups, the entire Kfir infantry brigade would be mobilized from the territories to Gaza, but the Haruv unit would have special missions. These would include engaging Hamass underground tunnels and destroying them. Most of Hamass tunnels are inside Gaza, forming an underground maze designed to allow operatives to move weapons and fighters around, and launch hit-and-run attacks.

In mid-December, the Haruv special unit arrived at the IDFs training center for ground forces at the Tzeelim base in southern Israel, which has a mock Palestinian village that replicates conditions in Gaza.

A week later, it travelled to the Jordan Valley, where it held a live-fire combat drill in cooperation with the militarys Armored Corps, Artillery Corps and the Engineering Corpsall units that would need to work together in any new ground war.

We train as we will fight, Mor said. This exercise summed up eight weeks of training. There was live fire, tank fire and artillery fire. We used digital command systems and operated as if we were going into Gaza tomorrow.

Capt. Yinon Gadasi, a company commander in the Haruv unit, said the latest drill was the most realistic and intensive he had encountered in his three years of military service.

It simulated as much as possible the enemy that we are supposed to encounter. It dealt with the underground tunnel threat and there was also a big emphasis on the civilian population, which is a large challenge in Judea and Samaria, and certainly even more so in Gaza, Gadasi told JNS.

We understand that in any situation we will encounter in Gaza, we will run into the threat of tunnels, the company commander added. We are preparing the soldiers for this, mentally and physically, through briefings, lectures, videos, and physical and technological training.

The unit is now scheduled to rotate to the Gaza border for the first time in its current form. It will conduct daily patrols and surveillance operations along the volatile border, on guard to protect the southern Israeli villages, farms and towns, which came under mortar fire as recently as Dec. 29.

There are all sorts of scenarios we must be ready fora terrorist infiltration, via tunnels or overland, into communities; attacks on patrols, Gadasi said.

This is the first time that this elite unit, with this quality of personnel and ability to deal with the underground threat, is arriving at the Gaza border, he said. There have been many incidents there recently. As a company commander... I can say that my company is ready to deal with any mission or challenge.
The Reform movement has started to retreat from its opposition to the Trump administrations recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Following President Donald Trumps recognition announcement, Union for Reform Judaism President Rabbi Rick Jacobs issued a statement on Dec. 6 expressing serious concern that the presidents action may well undercut the Administrations peace process efforts and risk destabilizing the region. The URJs opposition broke with the broad American Jewish communal support of the Jerusalem recognition.

But on Dec. 22, the URJ publicly denounced the United Nations for condemning Trumps recognition. The statement about the U.N. repeated some of the general language about Jerusalem from the Reform umbrella groups previous comments, but conspicuously omitted the earlier language about serious concern and destabilizing the region.

Asked by JNS whether the change in language indicated a shift by the Reform movement from its Dec. 6 position, spokespeople for the URJ declined to comment.

Criticism of the URJs opposition to the U.S. recognition has been bubbling up from within the Reform movements ranks. The URJs former president, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, wrote in the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz on Dec. 19, Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israelit is comforting and gratifying when President Trump finally states what I know to be eternal and true.

In addition, Yoffie pointed out, the Israeli political right was not the only camp to praise Trumps announcement. So did the leaders of the Israeli center and center-left, he noted. Knesset opposition leader Isaac Herzog, Yesh Atid chair Yair Lapid, Zionist Union chair Avi Gabbay, and former foreign minister Tzipi Livni all applauded the Presidents words. When I am looking for guidance from Israels political leaders, these are the people to whom I turn.

I want the Jewish world to know that [the URJs] position is not my position, nor does it reflect the views of multitudes of, perhaps most, Reform Jews, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch declared in a sermon at the Manhattan congregation he leads, the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue.

Hirsch, who was the executive director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America for 12 years and served as a tank commander in the Israeli military, strongly challenged the URJs criticism of the timing of the Trump announcement.

Now is the not the right time? asked Hirsch, whose sermon was posted on YouTube. Two-thousand years later and it is still not the right time?... There were critics who accused the civil rights movement of moving too quickly. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s response: The time is always ripe to do what is right.

In an interview with JNS, Hirsch said there was an evolution in the Reform movements position between the organizations official statements on Dec. 6 and Dec. 22. In his view, the URJ is now supportive of what I believe should have been our position from the beginning. Hirsch said he believes his sermon and Yoffies article helped clarify, and legitimate, feelings and opinions that people [within the movement] already had.

Other prominent Reform rabbis agree. Rabbi John Moscowitz, rabbi emeritus of the Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, told JNS he believes that Hirschs public remarks may have awakened many to the movements misjudgment about Jerusalem.

Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin of Temple Solel in Hollywood, Fla., said that at the URJs recent national conference, he perceived a noticeable amount of grassroots support for the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem. I heard many whispered and not-so-whispered conversations in the corridors of the URJ biennial, he told JNS. An impressive number of rabbis and lay people support Jerusalem as Israels capital, even if Trump said itWhatever Trumps motives were for the proclamation, he spoke the truth.

Rabbis from other denominations told JNS that they are pleased at these developments.

In many corners of the Jewish community today, the reflexive response to anything connected to Trump is: Im against it, said Rabbi Neil Cooper of Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El, a Conservative synagogue near Philadelphia. One cannot help but wonder if the same reaction to this [Jerusalem] announcement would have been heard if it had come from President Obama rather than from President Trump. If the Reform movement has evolved beyond that point, I think it is a positive change.

The December 6 statement was consistent with the attitudes of those URJ leaders who sat down with Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, yet refused to join President Trump for a High Holy Day phone call, said Rabbi Pesach Lerner, president of the Coalition for Jewish Values, which represents several hundred Orthodox rabbis. Its heartening that the pushback from other Reform leaders apparently forced a change of course.
United with Israel does not use the term 'occupied' when referring to areas controlled by Israel since June 1967. US Ambassador David Friedman apparently agrees.

Although many call the territories to the west of the Jordan River captured by Israel in the Six Day War the "West Bank," United with Israel prefers to use the historically and geographically correct term 'Judea and Samaria.'

'Occupied' is a loaded political phrase that indicates, just by its usage, that Israel is the occupier and not the legal sovereign in territories in the Land of Israel that were captured in the Six Day War in 1967. The 'territories' remain in dispute, and they have been the subject of a series of peace negotiations and a few partial agreements, including the Oslo Accords signed in 1995 between Israel and the Palestinians.

International legal expert Ambassador Alan Baker told United with Israel "Friedman is completely correct. The word 'occupation' refers to your army taking military control over some other country's sovereign territory. Israel has a unique historic connection to Judea and Samaria." According to Baker, "The correct term should be 'disputed territories.'"

State Department agrees to consider policy change

The State Department is refusing to adhere to Friedman's request but has agreed to bring the issue up for consideration in the near future, Israel Radio reported. The development comes only weeks after President Donald Trump shifted decades of US policy by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Even as he made the policy announcement, Trump went on to declare that the US remains committed to a comprehensive peace agreement and has not taken a position relating to the future and permanent recognized borders between Israel and the Palestinians.

Friedman broke with decades of US policy when he recently used the words "alleged occupation" in conversation with The Jerusalem Post. The State Department was reportedly opposed to the ambassador's choice of words and issued a statement saying that Friedman's comment did not represent a change in US policy and there was no change in the status quo. US Middle East Envoy Jason Greenblatt apparently backed up Friedman's position by saying that 'settlements' (Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria) are not an obstacle to peace.

The White House recently said that "unrestrained settlement activity does not advance the prospects for peace." At the same time, the US has commented against calls for a settlement freeze.
WASHINGTON (JTA)-Jason Greenblatt, President Donald Trump's chief Israeli-Palestinian negotiator, has an office just around the corner from the White House.

On his computer monitor is a Post-it note, inscribed with a quote from former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo: "At the end of the day, a peace agreement derives its strength from an understanding between peoples, not an accord between governments."

It's an appropriate message for Greenblatt, an affable Orthodox Jew who's been tasked by Trump with leading Israel and the Palestinians toward peaceful pastures. Given that the lawyer had no prior diplomatic experience, Greenblatt was considered an odd choice for the task, according to observers.

However, according to interlocutors and veteran Israeli-Arab negotiators, Greenblatt, who is about 50, has exceeded expectations. Many on all sides praise him for his investment in the people affected by the conflict-especially for his intensive, public engagement with populations largely overlooked by previous negotiators, such as settlers, the haredi Orthodox and Palestinian refugees.

In interviews with more than a dozen people who have met the special representative for international negotiations, one compliment comes up again and again: Greenblatt is a good listener. And that's a skill that may be essential to the job.

"Greenblatt has made a universally positive impression among Israelis and Palestinians as serious, creative, empathetic and dedicated to the cause of peace," said Daniel Shapiro, who was the Obama administration's ambassador to Israel. "They see him as possessing goodwill and a sense of realism about what peace looks like. He deserves the praise he has received for building those relationships of trust in a situation when the parties don't trust each other at all."

Greenblatt is one member of a team led by Trump's top adviser, Jared Kushner, who is married to his daughter, Ivanka. The team also includes David Friedman, the ambassador to Israel, and, until January, Dina Powell, a top National Security Council official who is stepping down. Both Friedman, who also is an Orthodox Jew, and Greenblatt worked for years as lawyers for Trump and the Trump Organization.

Yet despite all the goodwill toward Greenblatt, his seemingly altruistic efforts may wither in absence of an overarching political solution. After Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital earlier this month, the Palestinians have walked away-at least temporarily-from an American-led peace push.

In addition, while Israel applauded the Jerusalem recognition, its officials have expressed trepidation at others aspects of the Trump administration's emerging approach. For example, Greenblatt has welcomed Palestinian Authority attempts to assume control of the Gaza Strip-but Israel's government is concerned that such control will also increase Hamas' influence.

Shapiro, who is now a fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel, said that Greenblatt "can only operate within the constraints of the policy he or she is tasked to carry out."

But what the policy is-and what constraints they come with-are not very discernible under the current administration.

"All we know is that the U.S. believes in peace, supports Palestinian economic development, opposes terror and recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital," Shapiro said. "Each of those positions is correct, but without an overarching framework of a policy goal and initiative focused on achieving a two-state solution to end the conflict, nothing ties those threads together, and there is little any envoy can do to advance toward that goal."

A White House official said that Trump's critics were missing the point: Whatever peace plan the administration advances should emerge organically from the people whom it would most affect.

"However the peace agreement shakes out at the end of the day will be in one in which the two societies are connected economically and otherwise," said the official, who requested anonymity in order to speak expansively about the Trump administration's peace efforts. "We can't do this from afar, we have to go there to see interactions, how the economics can work out, how business is conducted on the two sides."

Greenblatt's office did not agree to an interview.

In September, however, speaking at the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, the grouping of nations that are invested in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, Greenblatt put it this way: "Instead of working to impose a solution from the outside, we are giving the parties space to make their own decisions about their future," he said. "Instead of laying blame for the conflict at the feet of one party or the other, we are focused on implementing existing agreements and unlocking new areas of cooperation which benefit both Palestinians and Israelis."

Greenblatt already scored one success: a deal, signed in July, in which Israel sells water to the Palestinian Authority at reduced rates. The water will reach parched areas of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by Hamas.

The agreement, forged at a time in which Israeli and Palestinian leadership barely speak to one another, earned Greenblatt kudos-from the Israelis, at least-for keeping away from hot-button issues that scuttled previous talks.

"When you focus on the issues-and not about history or background or personal emotions or other disturbing elements-the common denominator is much bigger than what separates us," Tzachi HaNegbi, the country's minister for regional development, said at the time.

The evidence shows, though, that Greenblatt does focus on emotional and personal elements-but only as a means of advancing commonalities.

Greenblatt's Twitter feed is a constant flow of amity. He posts photos of kosher meals he's received as the guest of the Palestinian Authority or the Saudi kingdom. He ran a series of photos featuring kids from Gaza who visited Washington under a youth exchange program-in one, he thanks the Israeli government for facilitating the group's travel. (The Palestine Liberation Organization envoy, Husam Zomlot, thanked Greenblatt for his intervention.) He wishes Jews, Muslims and Christians happy holidays at the appropriate times.

It's a friendly approach that has attracted investment in the peace process from actors who were wary of it in the past.

"Overall, the sense is, we're being spoken to," said Elie Pieprz, the director of external affairs for the Yesha Council, the umbrella body for West Bank settlements. "The expectation is that for there to be genuine peace, you need to be speaking to people on all sides, not just a couple of leaders you gather in a hotel in Europe."

The Palestinian Authority, at least until the Jerusalem issue arose this month, also enthusiastically embraced Trump's approach, as expressed through Greenblatt, their most frequent interlocutor from the Trump administration.

Zomlot, the PLO envoy, turned down a request for an interview, but in previous briefings for reporters he expressed admiration for the intensity of Greenblatt's involvement. "They have traveled to the region, they have met with all parties, especially Mr. Greenblatt," he said at an August briefing.

"What I'm hearing is that he is primarily in listening mode, respectful of positions trying to understand where they're coming from, but also preparing for what appears to be big moves," said Jonathan Schanzer, the vice president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

"He understands the power of weakness of the Palestinian side," said Nimrod Novik, a former top Israeli negotiator under Labor governments and now the Israel Policy Forum's Israel fellow. "Which means once presented with a seemingly impossible position they can easily say no and become domestic heroes." Greenblatt understands, Novik said, that whatever formula emerges it must not be one that Palestinians reflexively reject.

Oded Revivi, the mayor of the settlement of Efrat, which maintains relations with three neighboring Palestinian villages, said Greenblatt was able to extrapolate from the details of that relationship to possible bigger picture solutions. "He's very interested in small details while remembering that he is representing the strongest country in the world, and he needs to think of the global matter and not just a small suburb of Jerusalem," he said.

Still, despite Greenblatt's efforts, there remains considerable frustration-if not anxiety-at the Trump administration's reluctance to outline a deal. At the same August briefing with reporters, Zomlot wondered "where the hell they are going." Around the same time that Greenblatt was saying that Hamas-Palestinian Authority would work, if Hamas adheres to principles including the laying down of arms and recognizing Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fretted that the reconciliation could come at "the expense of our existence."

There may be obstacles closer to home as well. Interlocutors who have spent time with the negotiation team say that Friedman's politics tend to veer to the far right on the Israeli political spectrum. Friedman, speaking this week of Palestinian reaction to Trump's recognition of Jerusalem, told The Jerusalem Post that the Palestinian reaction to the recognition was "ugly" and "anti-Semitic."

One figure who met with the team notes that Greenblatt spent time at Yeshivat Har Etzion, a West Bank yeshiva noted for leaders who counseled engagement with the Palestinians. A source close to Greenblatt described his year there as "a very meaningful year of growth with great teachers, role models and friends."

Friedman, before becoming ambassador, was a backer of the more hardline Bet El yeshiva.

Kushner is facing legal woes as a special prosecutor investigates the Trump campaign's alleged collusion with Russia. He said in leaked remarks over the summer that he doesn't know if a deal is even possible.

But Kushner, speaking earlier this month at the Brookings Institution annual Saban Forum, which convenes Israeli and U.S. influencers, described a team that works together smoothly. "As this process has gone through, my team in particular, being three Orthodox Jews and a Coptic Egyptian [Powell], has tried very hard to do a lot of listening," he said.

A White House official said that the team is focused on reaching a deal-but the official added that there is also value in Greenblatt's confidence-building measures, in and of themselves.

The official added that Trump, who has had about 10 meetings with the team, was very attentive to progress toward reaching a peace deal.

"He's extremely engaged and interested and dedicated to making this a top priority," the official said.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets this weekend in cities throughout Iran to demonstrate against the Islamic Republics strained economy, corrupt regime and costly military expansion throughout the region, in what has been characterized as the countrys largest wave of anti-government protests since the Green Revolution erupted in 2009 following a controversial presidential election.

Although experts believe it is too soon to tell how the renewed anti-regime protests will affect Israel, Meir Litvak, director of the Alliance Center for Iranian Studies at Tel Aviv University, told JNS that if the demonstrations continue to grow, Iran might be forced to divert attention and resources from fighting the Jewish state to domestic affairs.

This is my hope, Litvak said.

Daniel Pipes, president of the Middle East Forum think tank, said that if the protests lead to regime change, they will have immense implications for Israel, the Middle East, the Muslim world and beyond.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has been the driving force for Islamism since it came to power in 1979, so its collapse will mark the acceleration of the Islamist decline that began in 2013, Pipes told JNS.

For Israel, this means its most powerful enemy vanishes, he said. I can hardly imagine better political news.

Domestic implications

Pipes noted that about 85 percent of the Iranian population feels estranged from the regime, leaving it hollow and vulnerable. If this round [of protests] is quashed, as happened in 2009, the [regimes] overthrow will be further delayed. But the counter-revolution is inevitable.

The new wave of popular protests in Iran began last Thursday with anti-regime demonstrations in the northeastern city of Mashhad, where 52 protesters were arrested. The demonstrations soon spread to other cities throughout the Islamic Republic, including the capital of Tehran.

In a rare display of anti-regime dissent, demonstrators in some parts of the country were overheard chanting slogans against Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as the regimes elite and sternly loyal Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Protestors reportedly chanted death to the dictator and death to the Revolutionary Guards.

Some 80 people were detained Saturday in the city of Arak as the mass protests entered their third evening, spreading to more than 1,200 cities.

At least three protestors were shot dead by Revolutionary Guards Saturday night as the regime moved to crush the rallies. Demonstrators will pay the price and such behavior will be smashed, warned Iranian Interior Minister Rahmani Fazli, while the Revolutionary Guards threatened to crush protests with an iron fist.

The regime minimized the scale of the protests, with the state-affiliated Fars news agency reporting that 300 protesters had gathered in the western city of Kermanshah. Tehrans governor, Mohsen Hamedani, stated that fewer than 50 protesters had convened in the citys public square.

The Iranian state-controlled media also attempted to characterize the protests as being masterminded by American, British and Israeli intelligence, in what Tel Aviv Universitys Litvak described as typical Iranian practice.

[This is] partly motivated by genuine paranoia of the regime, which sees enemies lurking behind every corner, but [is] partly...an old practice of blaming foreign players for everything bad that happens to Iran and of course absolving the government from any responsibility, said Litvak. By blaming the usual suspects, they also seek to appeal to the genuine nationalist feeling of most Iranians.

Hardly anyone believes this nonsense anymore, Pipes said regarding the regimes rhetoric.

Whats different this time?

There are several important differences between the new wave of Iranian protests instigated last week and the Green Revolution of 2009, said Litvak.

In 2009 the protests erupted when the people felt that the government had cheated them by rigging the presidential elections, he said. The protests then lacked a clear economic agenda. This time, the agenda is clearly economic, [and related to] growing frustration over the lack of tangible improvement in the standard of living of the people following the 2015 nuclear agreement.

According to Litvak, another key difference with the new wave of Iranian protests is the way in which they have spread. The demonstrations are not mainly confined to the big cities like they were in 2009, but have appeared all over the country and in areas that had not participated in protests nearly a decade ago, he explained.

My guess is that the economic agenda appeals more to these people in small towns, said Litvak, who also assessed that social media has played a role in connecting smaller Iranian cities with other parts of the country.

[Iranian civilians] are more aware of what is going on, and they feel that they are part of something bigger, he said.

American and Israeli response

Differing from former President Barack Obamas silence in response to the 2009 protests in Iran, President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday night that Iranian citizens are fed up with [the] regimes corruption & its squandering of the nations wealth to fund terrorism abroad, and that Irans government should respect their peoples rights, including right to express themselves. The world is watching!

Litvak said Obama was completely silent in 2009, because he sought to negotiate with the Iranian government over the nuclear issue, and did not want to alienate them.

The former president was also likely concerned that an official U.S. statement might have been used by the Iranian regime to discredit protesters, and he might have feared that statements in support of the protests might drive the U.S. to greater involvement, said Litvak, who also questioned the effectiveness of Trumps statements due to the American leaders unpopularity in Iran over his refusal to remove all U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Obama had his eye on the Iran deal that was finally signed six years later, so he kept quiet, said Middle East Forums Pipes. Trump feels a more populist hostility toward Tehran and is encouraging the protesters. This difference will grow dramatically in importance if the protests continue.

Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remained silent on the anti-regime protests during his weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan tweeted Saturday night regarding the demonstrations that Iran is wasting billions of dollars funding Hezbollah, Hamas, the Assad regime & terrorism throughout the world, rather than investing in the Iranian people.
Time and time again, the Obama Administration took a back seat on the international stage. Whether it was the presidents red-lines in Syriacrossed without consequencethe ill-conceived Iran nuclear deal, or the sad spectacle of last Decembers US vote to abstain, rather than veto, a one-sided, anti-Israel resolution in the UN Security Council, the Obama Administrations view of American foreign policy stood in sharp contrast to previous administrations.

The United Nations obsession with Israel is nothing new. It is well known and well documented. The UN Human Rights Commission has passed more resolutions condemning Israel than all other nations combined. To this point, Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, said in 2015, Sadly, with members like China, Russia, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Venezuela and Qatar, the UNHRC today may possibly rank as a more corrupt international organization than FIFA.

Another UN agency, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has been renowned for its anti-Israel bias. In October 2016, Israel suspended ties with UNESCO after the cultural agency passed a resolution criticizing Israel as an occupying power and denying Jewish ties to the regions holy sites.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat was outraged by the resolution. Would UNESCO vote to deny the Christian connection to the Vatican? Or the Muslim connection to Mecca? The UNESCO vote claims there is no connection between the Jewish people and the Western Wall. In fact, it is the UNESCO vote that has no connection to reality.

Recent UNESCO decisions have been equally devoid of reality. In May, on Israels Independence Day no less, UNSECO again passed a resolution on Occupied Palestine that said Israel has no legal or historical rights anywhere in Jerusalem. In July, UNESCO declared the Old Town of Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs as a Palestinian World Heritage Site. In response, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin tweeted, UNESCO seems intent on sprouting anti-Jewish lies, while it remains silent as the regions heritage is destroyed by brutal extremists.

The recent decision by President Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capitalAmerican law since bipartisan passage of the 1995 Embassy Relocation Actis a welcome reassertion of American global leadership at a critical time. No one personifies this resurgence more than Americas ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley.

Following the presidents speech, the U.N. Security Council met to consider a resolution calling for the dismissal of President Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital. Ambassador Haley correctly utilized American veto power, stating, The United States will not be told by any country where we can put our embassy. What we have witnessed here is an insult. It wont be forgotten. It is one more example of the UN doing more harm than good in addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Ambassador Haley was right about the damage the UN has done to the prospects for peace.

Israels enemies use the UN as a toolnot, as they would have us believe, to advance Palestinian rights, but to undermine Israels very legitimacy as a Jewish state. Attempts to erase the eternal connection of Jews and Israel to the very birthplace of Judaism is not about Palestinian rights, but unmistakable evidence of an agenda that is clearly anti-Israel AND anti-Semitic.

These efforts have done significant harm to the peace process, appearing to justify the Palestinian Authoritys refusal to come to the negotiating table and providing little incentive for PA leaders to negotiate in good faith. And why should they, especially if their friends at UN will impose a favorable solution that requires little or no compromise on their part?

Israel will never accept a solution that is imposed on it from the UN and the Palestinians are delusional if they believe such tactics will yield them victory. Real victory for both parties in the conflict can only be achieved through face-to-face bilateral talks that result in a permanent agreement.

Ambassador Haleys statements in defiance of one-sided anti-Israel resolutions is a signal that once again America will defend our allies. American leadership is back, and no matter what political affiliation, every American should be pleased that we are no longer leading from behind.

Jacob Millner is senior policy analyst for The Israel Project.
On Dec. 8, American Muslims for Palestine held a protest in front of the White House, reacting to President Donald Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The featured speaker was Imam Omar Suleiman, who also led Friday prayers. Suleiman is a notorious bigot who has called homosexuality a repugnant shameless sin, advocated for gender segregation and justified Islamic sex slavery.

Also speaking was the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Nihad Awad. During Awads remarks at the White House rally, he referred to Suleiman as an eloquent...respected imam. Bad enough as this is, one might ask: What was Awad doing at an AMP event at all?

While AMP claims that it stands against all forms of bigotry and racism, it has a long and varied history of promoting anti-Semitism. Just last month, AMP founder Hatem Bazian was rebuked by his employerUniversity of California, Berkeleyfor retweeting two vile anti-Semitic images that accuse Ashke-Nazis of rape, murder and organ trafficking. Nor, despite Bazians protestations, is this out of character for him. He has a long history of anti-Semitic incitement.

This is not surprising. Among the figures addressing the shouting crowd at an AMP protest in New York was Sayel Kayed, the president of AMP New Jersey, who took the opportunity to proclaim, Death to the peace accords! This is consistent with past AMP events in which terrorists were lauded and peace with Israel denigrated as a goal.

Indeed, AMPs national director, Osama Abu-Irshaid, exemplifies such sentiments. Formerly of the (now-defunct) Hamas front organization Islamic Association for Palestine, Irshaid has gone on record as claiming that the Oslo peace process was a mistake because it assumed Israels right to exist.

Worse, still, is Irshaids open support of Gaza-ruling terrorist group Hamas. In a 2014 Facebook post, Irshaid applauded Hamas violence against Israelis: Hamas, whose youth have been renewed by its commitment to its precise principles for liberation [is] the one who believes in his Lord, is proud of Him and works for his cause and people.

In another post, Irshaid praised Hamass steadfastness and sacrifice, and claimed, Gaza is victorious... The descendants of the Muslim David are rubbing the dust with the nose of the descendants of the Jewish Goliath [i.e. humiliating them]. He even commented, Hamas smells the Zionist weakness and confusion.

Despite its staffs clear bigotry and anti-Semitism, when AMP hosted a press conference on the Jerusalem declaration in early December, CAIR had no trouble jumping on board for co-sponsorship. And Awad was willing to address the annual AMP conference (which ostensibly had the theme of Education, Empowerment, Action) as a featured speakereven though the conference included several alumni of defunct Muslim Brotherhood-linked organizations, including the IAP and the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development. Both charities were shut down by the US government for providing material support to Hamas.

CAIR has long claimed to not only be the nations preeminent Muslim civil rights organization, but a benevolent force that fights for the civil rights of all peoples. Yet CAIR conveniently looks the other way when its partners issue calls for violence against Jews and the destruction of Israel. Which is it going to be?

Dr. Oren Litwin is a research fellow with Islamist Watch, a project of the Middle East Forum.

Samantha Rose Mandeles is a coordinator at Islamist Watch. Follow her on Twitter: @SRMandeles.
ByIn a demonstration of how completely at odds his views are from those of the foreign policy establishment, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman reportedly asked the State Department to stop using the term occupied territories and instead refer to the West Bank. According to accounts that have filtered out of Foggy Bottom, the State Department said no. But we are also told that after pressure from abovei.e. President Donald Trump, the current boss of everyone at State as well as Friedmanthe issue has yet to be decided.

If this strikes you as a lot of bother about mere words, youre wrong. These words are part of a high-stakes battle to determine the outcome of the debate about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

For most observers, Friedmans request demonstrated anew that he was a bad choice for ambassador since he has a record of support for the Jewish presence in the West Bank. But Friedman is correct that using the term occupied isnt neutral. It backs up the Palestinian narrative that Israelis are alien colonists in territories where only Arabs should have rights. Israels position is that the ultimate disposition of the West Bank or, to use the biblical as well as geographic term that was applied to the area before 1949, Judea and Samaria, is a matter of dispute in which both sides have a legitimate argument. To call the territories Judea and Samaria is also a political statement, just like occupied territories, that indicates siding with the idea that Israelis have a right to be there.

But the use of words as weapons can lead to a muddle. West Bank is itself geographic nonsense. It is a relic of the illegal Jordanian occupation of this area as well as the Old City of Jerusalem from 1949-1967. At that time, the Hashemite kingdom had two banks, with an Eastthe area currently known as Jordanas well as the West, which was taken by Israel during the Six-Day War.

Although Gaza functions as an independent Palestinian Hamas terror state, and much of the territory as well as most of the Arab population of the West Bank is governed by the Palestinian Authority (PA), the fact is Palestinians do consider themselves occupied by Israel since it exercises security control over the area. Many Israelis also want to rid themselves of that burden, which brings their troops into contact with Palestinians in a way that further embitters both sides.

Only a minority of Israelis supports the settlement movement that wishes to hold on to all of the West Bank forever. A majority of Israelis would probably embrace a two-state solution that would mean giving up many but not all of the settlements. But after the last 25 years, during which the Jewish state has repeatedly traded land and gotten more terror instead of peace, a cross-party consensus now exists that deems further withdrawals foolhardy until the Palestinians give up a political culture rooted in hatred and rejectionism.

Occupation isnt the only semantic battle. Critics of President Trumps statement recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital dismissed it as mere words since the U.S. embassy isnt being moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem anytime soon. Trumps statement didnt preclude a two state solution or a re-division of Jerusalem in order for part of it to serve as the Palestinians capital. Far from demonstrating U.S. favoritism to Israel, his was actually a neutral stance that acknowledged at least some of the city belongs to Israel. It is those who insist on occupied and in denying recognition of Jerusalem who are the ones showing favoritism, though not to Israel.

PA leader Mahmoud Abbas responded to Trump by denying that Jews have rights over any of Jerusalem. Though at times Abbas has spoken in support for peace, this stand reaffirmed the steady stream of PA propaganda that denies the legitimacy of a Jewish state no matter where its borders might be drawn. When push comes to shove, even Palestinian moderates still think of all of Israel, and not just the West Bank and Jerusalem, as occupied territory. Thats not just symbolism or semantics. Thats a prescription for endless conflict.

Seen in that light, what Trump and Friedman have said doesnt seem quite as outrageous as their detractors assert. Until the Palestinians are ready to concede that their century-old war on Zionism has been lost, the debate over whether the West Bank is disputed or occupied will be moot. As long as they think all land under Jewish control on either side of the 1967 lines is occupied, peace will remain a purely academic concept no matter which words are used.

Jonathan S. Tobin is editor in chief of JNS. Follow him on Twitter at: @jonathans_tobin.
Europe is the epicenter of the political war against Israel. Europe fights Israel on the streets of Europe, in the corridors of power in Brussels, other Western European capitals and the UN, and in Israel itself.

Europes war against Israel is a passive-aggressive campaign fought and denied simultaneously. But in recent years, the mask has fallen over and over again.

In the days that have passed since US President Donald Trumps dramatic announcement that the US recognizes that Jerusalem is Israels capital and is beginning to take concrete steps to move its embassy to the city, Europes war against Israel has again become impossible to deny or ignore. Europes response to Trumps announcement has been extreme, violent and more outspoken than the response of the Arab world.

The EU-funded Palestinian Authority reacted to Trumps move by exhorting its subjects to riot and attack Israelis.

Yassin Abu el-Qura heeded the call. Qura stabbed Asher Elmalich in the heart and critically wounded him. Elmalich was a security guard at Jerusalems central bus station.

According to Channel 2, Qura is a member of a prominent family of Fatah members with close ties to the PA and its EU- and US-funded and trained security forces. His father is the commander of one of the security forces in Salfit, in Samaria. Two of his brothers are also PA security officers.

Around the same time Qura was stabbing Elmalich, the British government announced it was providing the PA with 20 million pounds in supplemental budgetary funding.

Quras attack was notable because it took place against the backdrop of lackluster attendance at PA-organized protests. As former US Middle East mediator Aaron David Miller tweeted, the low attendance at these demonstrations, like the low attendance at anti-US and anti-Israel demonstrations in the Arab world is an indication of how much the region has changed [in recent years] and the loss of centrality of [the] Palestinian issue. [The] Palestinian street is exhausted; the Arab street has disappeared.

But while the Arab street was indifferent to Trumps declaration, the European street went berserk. Thousands of protesters assembled in London and Paris, in Berlin and Stockholm. They burned Israeli flags and called for the annihilation of Israel and the murder of Jews.

Physical attacks on Jews have been an integral component of the anti-Trump riots in Europe. A group of 20 rioters firebombed a synagogue in Gothenburg, Sweden, where Jewish children were holding a party. A man clad in a keffiyeh attacked a Jewish restaurant in Amsterdam with a club while screaming Allahu Akbar.

European officials have refused to call these attacks hate crimes. As they see it, attacks against Jews in the name of hatred for Israel are totally justified.

For instance, as The Jerusalem Posts Benjamin Weinthal reported in January 2017, a German regional court found that perpetrators of a 2014 firebombing of a synagogue in Wuppertal had not committed a hate crime. Instead, the court ruled the Arab German perpetrators firebombed the synagogue as a result of their legitimate concern over Israels military operations against Hamas terrorists in Operation Protective Edge.

They all received suspended jail terms.

And whereas the Europeans refuse to condemn anti-Semitic attacks launched in the name of rejection of Israel, they rapidly condemned Trump for accepting Israels right to its capital city. Everyone who is everyone, including EU High Commissioner on Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel slammed Trump for recognizing reality. They insisted he endangered prospects for peace and threatened to throw the region into even darker times.

Then there are the anti-Israel campaigns that the EU and its member states wage against Israel in Israel. In the aftermath of Trumps declaration on Jerusalem, Israeli Arabs carried out violent riots in Wadi Ara, forcing the closure of sections of Highway 65 which connects Tiberias with central Israel. An Israeli girl was hospitalized after being wounded by rocks thrown at the passenger bus she was traveling in on Saturday night. A photographer for Yediot Aharonot was attacked and his motorcycle was smashed while he tried to report on the riots.

The EU has invested tens of millions of dollars radicalizing the Israeli Arab community in recent years. Organizations including Adalah, Baldana, Massowa, Zohrot and the Negev Coexistence Forum have indoctrinated, urged and paid Israeli Arabs to abandon their Israeli identity, view themselves as Palestinians and reject Israels right to exist.

Survey data shows that a growing majority of Israeli Arabs wish to integrate into the wider Israeli society. And yet, with effectively unlimited funding from European governments, radical forces inside the Israeli Arab community have managed to intimidate their opponents into silence and incite their members to reject Israel.

This then brings us to the EUs role in subverting Israeli politics more generally. For the past several months, leftist political strategist and self-styled anti-corruption dragon slayer Eldad Yaniv has been leading a political campaign to demand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted.

Yanivs campaign has involved weekly demonstrations against Netanyahu, which are widely covered by the media.

Netanyahus supporters allege Yaniv is manipulating the public by using unproved allegations of corruption to diminish public support for the government in the service of the radical Left.

Demonstrations in Tel Aviv early last month bore out those allegations. Prominently displayed was a giant, brightly illuminated sign that read BDS. Radical demonstrators called for Israel to be destroyed and vowed never to defend Zionism.

According to an investigative report on the demonstration published in Israel Hayom, among the demonstrations major financial backers and organizers are One Voice, a US-registered NGO that receives financial support from the EU, the British Muslim Organization and Labour Friends of Palestine. In other words, according to the report, the EU is funding Israeli groups that are working openly to overthrow the democratically elected government of Israel.

Netanyahu visited Paris and Brussels to confront Europes leaders and challenge their hostility toward Israel. He told his European hosts that their opposition to Trumps recognition of reality in respect to Jerusalem was indefensible. Far from harming the cause of peace, Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital advanced it. After all, there is no way a sustainable peace can be based on rejection of reality, he argued.

As the lukewarm responses Netanyahu received from the likes of Mogherini and Macron made clear, the Europeans behind the war against Israel have no intention of permitting reality to get in their way.

They arent waging their political war geared toward delegitimizing Israel internationally, even at the expense of their local Jewish communities, and subverting Israels government domestically to advance peace. They are doing it because they think their interests are served by waging war against Israel.

Ahead of Netanyahus trip to Europe and US Vice President Mike Pences visit to Israel, the PA announced its leaders would boycott Pence in retaliation for Trumps recognition of Jerusalem. The Palestinian notionsupported by their Israeli far Left supportersis that the EU should replace the US as the mediator.

During his meeting with Netanyahu, Macron rejected those suggestions. And that makes sense. Because even if he wanted to supplant the Americans, there is no chance he would succeed. Israel will never permit the Europeans to mediate anything. Their war against Israel internationally and inside of Israel itself has achieved one clear result. The Europeans have convinced Israelis not to trust them, not to admire them, and not to consider them friends.

Originally published in the Jerusalem Post.

Caroline Glick is the senior Middle East Fellow at the Center for Security Policy in Washington, DC, the deputy managing editor of The Jerusalem Post and a contributor to the Jewish World Review.
Nations around the world have condemned the US for recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital, saying the recent move by President Trump is an obstacle to an Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement. But the real obstacle to peace is the stubborn refusal by Palestinian leaders to accept the reality of Israel as a permanent Jewish state in the historic homeland of the Jewish people.

This refusal to accept reality can be labeled Palestinian Derangement Syndrome. As long as Palestinian leaders continue to embrace it, they will not agree to a fair and realistic peace deal acceptable to any Israeli government. And as a result, ordinary Palestinians will suffer.

Every time the US makes demands of the Palestiniansto end terrorism, to stop paying terrorists in Israeli jails, to end efforts to circumvent negotiations by seeking U.N. recognition of a Palestinian statethe delusional Palestinian leaders threaten to stop talking to US officials.

Sure enough, the Palestinians did it again when they announced that President Mahmoud Abbas would not hold a scheduled meeting with Vice President Mike Pence after President Trump announced US recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital.

Most Palestinians are good people who would like to have normal livesgo to work, educate their children, live in peace. They would no doubt be happy if Israel disappeared tomorrow, but theyve reconciled themselves to living with Israelis.

So if it were up to them, the majority of Palestinians would probably agree to a compromise peace plan with Israel. But unfortunately, the Palestinian Authority is a dictatorship run by Abbas without public support and with little regard for his people.

A recent poll in the West Bank and Gaza, conducted by an independent Palestinian think tank, found that 67 percent of Palestinians want Abbas to resign.

Its true that the Palestinian people suffer deprivations because of Israels policies and actions but these problems are self-inflicted because some Palestinians engage in terror that provokes Israeli countermeasures necessary to protect the safety its people. In the same way, the United States and many other nations have beefed up security after terrorist attacks.

Meanwhile, Abbas has prevented elections for a decade and denies his people most civil and political rights. Palestinians lack freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, womens rights and gay rights. Arabs in Israel have far more rights and freedoms that Arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza.

Sadly, no one cares. The international community, the UN, human rights groups, and pro-Palestinian advocates are silent when it comes to Palestinian abuses inflicted on their own people. They only care about Palestinians if some alleged abuse can be blamed on Israel.

President Obama was sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. Yet Abbas ignored Obama administration entreaties not to go to the UN with Palestinian grievances. And Abbas refused to negotiate with Israel based on Obama administration initiatives.

Palestinians also continue to make demands upon Israel as if they are the dominant power in the relationship. They delude themselves when they act as though Israel has any reason to accept such unrealistic demands.

In reality, Palestinians have no choice but to make concessions or live under current conditions. Israelis do not want to maintain the status quo, but they can do so if given no choice by the Palestinians.

The belief that the international community will force Israel to surrender to Palestinian demands is the latest manifestation of Palestinian Derangement Syndrome.

For decades, Palestinians have harbored the delusion that the Arab states cared about their cause and would drive the Jews into the sea on their behalf. But in truth, Arab leaders were interested in divvying up lands Palestinians claimed and for many years wanted to destroy Israel.

Fortunately, Arab armies were unable to defeat Israel in battle, though they tried repeatedly by attacking the Jewish State in war after war. And today Arab states are moving closer to Israel, as they recognize their mutual enemy is Iran and conclude that the Palestinian issue is irrelevant to their national interests.

As a result, following President Trumps announcement accepting the reality that Jerusalem is Israels capital, Arab leaders made perfunctory statements condemning the decision but did nothing. Muslims around the world did not answer Abbass call for three days of rage. In fact, few Palestinians paid attention.

The Palestinians turned to terror many years ago in the delusional belief that they could bomb the Jews out of their homeland. But hijackings, suicide bombings, intifadas and ongoing attacks have not and will not succeed in improving the plight of the Palestinians. The violence has only made things worse for them.

The entire Israeli public shifted rightward after the Israeli evacuation of Gaza, giving Palestinians control, because the Palestinians destroyed the land-for-peace formula by bombarding Israel with rockets. Most Israelis now demand concrete security guarantees before they withdraw from another inch of disputed land. Any nation in the world would demand such guarantees.

Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of Palestinian Derangement Syndrome is that Palestinians have convinced themselves that they do not have to compromise with Israel, because time is on their side.

The fertility rate of Jews is now higher than that of Palestinians; nevertheless, some Palestinians believe they will eventually outnumber Israeli Jews and somehow swallow up Israel.

Alternatively, some Palestinians hope that one or more countries in the region will obtain nuclear weapons and destroy Israel. The Iranians are the most likely to get a bomb, but if the nightmare of a successful nuclear attack on Israel ever became a reality, theres no question that many Palestinians as well as Israeli Jews would die.

The best hope for a cure for Palestinian Derangement Syndrome is a change in Palestinian leadership. Abbas represents the last of the old guard, which psychologically cannot give up the dream of liberating all of occupied Palestinemeaning all of Israel, not just that lands Israel captured after it was attacked by Arab armies in the Six Day War in 1967.

If the Palestinians want to achieve independence, they will have to elect leaders committed to ending their suffering and to ending Palestinian Derangement Syndrome. This will require:

 Providing basic civil rights to the Palestinians under their authority.

 Entering face-to-face negotiations with Israel with realistic expectations.

 Demonstrating that they are willing to live in peace beside the Jewish State.

 Recognizing that the 1949 armistice line that set the newly independent State of Israels border after it defeated invading Arab armies will not be the border going forward.

 Accepting that Israel will never give up its ancient capital of Jerusalem.

 Understanding that Israel will not accept the Palestinian dream of a right of return for more than a fraction of the Palestinian refugees who fled Israel in the 1940s and their descendants born elsewhere in the last 70 years.

 Accepting that Israel will never withdraw from major settlement blocs in the West Bank.

 Giving up the idea that Israel can be pressured to accept their demands by outside parties through boycotts, U.N. resolutions or any other threats.

Ending Palestinian Derangement Syndrome will be not be easy. The delusions of the syndrome are older than most Palestinians alive today, taught to them since childhood. But at some point, Palestinians will have to accept reality if they truly wish to reach a mutually beneficial peace agreement with Israel.

Dr. Mitchell Bard is executive director of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise and author/editor of 24 books including The Arab Lobby and the novel After Anatevka: Tevye in Palestine.
Trumps speeches, and what has happened since, remind us once again about the marginality of Jews. Some may feel comfortable, and justly, given his realism about Jerusalem the Western Wall, and non-Israeli sources of problems throughout the Middle East. But Muslims, and Europeans, are rabid, or upset about what he has unleashed.

We are problems for ourselves and others. Its nothing new. There are signs in the histories told by the Hebrew Bible, Josephus, and much that has occurred since then. Its probably inevitable in the case of a small nation, divided geographically since ancient times, with a culture that accepts fierce argument, with claims of being at the center of Gods mission.

Weve learned to cope, and to succeed. Marginality does not require submission and being satisfied. If we cry, we are doing it on the way to our banks and investment advisers, also likely to be Jews.

There is no need to recite the well-known record of the Jews, both in ancient and modern times, in suffering, accomplishments, and contributions.

For some decades, most if not all countries of the world have recognized that Jerusalem is the operational capital of Israel. Now the President of the United States, Russia, and a few others have said it out loud, but all of them with limitations and reservations. And the most important others have been insistent that it isnt time to make such an announcement, and wont be until they are satisfied about key diplomatic accomplishments that are elusive to the point of being impossible.

We are not, as we have never been, accepted as full citizens of the world with all the rights and privileges of others. But we are more secure than our adversaries, and living better than most of those who deny us full membership.

The condition isnt all that different from getting into elite colleges through the 1950s, with quotas and Jew spotters in the admissions offices, then being told that fraternities could have us eating in their dining rooms but not as full members.

Now Jewish students have to maneuver through faculty members and students who see Jews and Israel as undesirables. The greater portion of our pity should go to our adversaries. The hyperbolic responses to Trumps well crafted and balanced speeches has included not only outspoken rants by heads of Muslim countries that deal quietly with Israel, but Palestinian outbursts that qualify as declarations of war against Israel and the United States, with a virtual ending of any prospects for a peace process.

Declaring the US Vice President persona non grata? Perhaps the Palestinians have some powers we have not been able to perceive or imagine.

Israeli rightists, along with a fair number of us in the center and left are cheering. We can look forward to respite from the pressure to come up with something that will bring the Palestinians to the table.

Estimates are that Palestinians, Jordanians, and others are playing to their mobs, and dont want to upset their regimes by any serious moves against Israel. Perhaps, but the rhetoric will incite individuals to seek martyrdom along with pensions for their families by taking a knife and going forward to kill a Jew. Gazan extremists have been sending missiles to southern Israel. So far none have created significant damage or injuries. A fair number havent made it out of Gaza. The IDF has responded in its usual limited fashion, in hopes of avoiding escalation. But from both the West Bank and Gaza there is potential for yet another round of military operations that hurt us both, but them much more in terms of casualties and rubble.

It doesnt help to calm Palestinians on the margin of violence when their leaders describe as cold-blooded murder of a brave freedom fighter the shooting death of a man who attacked a policeman with a knife.

Even some confirmed leftists questioned the wisdom of Abbas comments at a conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

If there is no Palestinian state along the June 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital, there will not be peace in the region, in the territories or in the world.

What will come of Turkeys promise to open an Embassy for Palestine in East Jerusalem is anybodys guess.

There are Israeli politicians threatening their own varieties of extremism. The Defense Minister mentions every so often his idea of transferring swaths of Israel heavily populated with Arabs to Palestine, in exchange for Palestinian acceptance of Israels annexation of West Bank settlements. A retired general who sees himself as Defense Minister in a Labor government has endorsed the idea of a Palestinian State, but threatens to push all Palestinians into Jordan if such a state is aggressive. Individual MKs from Likud and Jewish Home propose annexing the West Bank or substantial portions of it, while fuzzing on the issue of citizenship for the Palestinian residents. Once again there is a proposal to impose a death sentence on terrorists who murder.

We should expect, and hope, that Jewish sense will stop short of any moves that produce significantly more problems than benefits. If weve learned anything in 3,000 years of coping with our strengths and weaknesses, it should include the reluctance to push the goyim beyond where they are willing to go. We can take comfort in the marginality of Israeli politicians who are promoting craziness, as compared to the centrality of Arab politicians who are pounding the podiums and screeching what they are not going to accomplish.

No one should expect an end to this. Its a function of Jews status in the eyes of others, and how we have learned to deal with ourselves and our surroundings. There are no guarantees. We cope with threats from outside, as well as arrogant and unrealistic insiders who demand that we do better, without bothering to compare what weve accomplished to the records of other societies, or taking account of our limited resources and continued rejections from those we are expected to bargain with.

It aint perfect. Often its not comfortable. But compared to the alternatives???

Comments welcome. Irashark@gmail.com.
People often ask me where I get my story ideas. One place is any waiting room where I happen to strike up a conversation. Thats how I met Ronnie Setzer of Conover. He and I were in the reception area of Newtons Newsome Tire. Ronnie needed new tires; I needed an oil change.

Ronnies one of those doesnt-meet-a-stranger, loves-to-crack-jokes sort of people. In a matter of minutes, I knew that the 75-year-old enjoyed his part-time job of transporting prescription drugs from drug stores to senior care facilities across western North Carolina, that he likes his Toyota Camry Hybrid, that he knows a woman with 400,000 miles on her Toyota Prius, and that he has an identical twin brother named Lonnie.

There are two of you? I exclaimed.

The next day, I met with Ronnie, his wife Juanita, Lonnie, and his wife Bobbie to hear what twinhood has been like for the brothers as well as their wives.

Ronnie and Lonnies parents, the late Isobel and Coyte Setzer of Claremont, didnt know they were having a pair of look-alikes until a midwife known as Aunt Sadie delivered Lonnie in the family home and then announced to Isobel, Theres another one coming! Ronnie arrived 10 minutes later.

Lonnie said they had a set of fraternal twin uncles and three sets of fraternal twin male cousins but no identicals on the family tree before he and Ronnie came along.

Isobel dressed her sons in matching attire, which made it even more difficult for anyone, including Isobel, to tell the boys apart. When they were older and could select their own outfits, theyd often end up dressing the same without having seen what the other had selected.

Both men have been married almost 57 years. Each has one son, one daughter, one grandson, and three granddaughters. As for great-grands, Ronnies in the lead with four. Lonnie has one.

As children, if one boy got sick, the doctor gave Isobel extra medicine for when the other inevitably got it. At Claremont Elementary School, no one bullied either brother because it meant tangling with both. Ronnie said the principal, who couldnt tell which twin was which, told Isobel, Im glad you raised those boys right. I wouldnt know which one to punish.

As boys and then as young men, Ronnie and Lonnie were so indistinguishable that their younger sister Cheryl simply addressed whichever brother she was talking to as RonnieLonnie.

Even their IQs are the same.

At Bunker Hill High School, both Setzer boys drove school buses. By then it was second nature to the twins to command big vehicles. Coyte owned several straight trucks and employed drivers to haul furniture from Catawba County to the Northeast. Well before legal driving age, Ronnie and Lonnie learned to handle their dads trucks by moving them around the familys property.

Without Coytes permission, Ronnie and Lonnie, at age 14 or 15, also moved the trucks up and down the East Coast. During school breaks, each would join a driver on a hauling trip. Ronnie explained that drivers would get tired and ask, You reckon you can drive it?

Coyte guessed what was going on, because the truck got back too quick, said Ronnie.

At the dining table, said Lonnie, Dad said, Theres no way that the driver could have made it back that fast without help. I better not catch you under the wheel again before youre old enough to be legal.

Legal was 18.

I asked the brothers if they did it again. Juanita answered for them: Of course! Every chance they got.

We wanted to see the country, said Ronnie.

And we had lots of fun doing it, said Lonnie.

Their dad never expressed opposition again.

In high school, the twins secretly traded classes, so they could be with their sweethearts, both of whom later became their wives.

To be truthful, confessed Bobbie, on our first date I didnt know which one was which. Bobbie and Lonnie went to the movies with Ronnie and a girl he dated before Juanita. Bobbie said the brothers went to the ticket counter, and when they returned, I didnt know who I was supposed to be with.

At Appalachian State University, a professor told Ronnie and Lonnie he could tell them apart and not to try switching on him. That sounded like a dare to the boys, one of whom had the professor at 8 a.m.; the other at 11. Occasionally, one brother went to both sessions so the other could go home. The prof never noticed.

Ronnie and Lonnie joined their dad in his trucking business, Catawba Valley Motor Line. Then, during their last five years of full-time work, they teamed up to drive a tractor-trailer for Hickory Springs.

Driving the trucks as young as they did absolutely put trucking in their blood, explained Juanita, and they were involved in furniture transportation or some sort of trucking or driving the rest of their lives.

As Ronnie explained the first time I met him, he delivers medicine to retirement facilities. I asked Lonnie if driving was still as much a part of his life as it was Ronnies. No, he answered. I bowl a lot.

The twins also have different maladies these days. Lonnie is diabetic like his dad was. Ronnie inherited his moms heart trouble and poor circulation.

Thats why he has to talk so much, joked Juanita. It keeps his blood pumping.

If you see one of the Setzer brothers out and about with a woman, you can be sure its his wife. Dont be like the people whove known only one brother and upon seeing the other brother with his wife, assumed it was the first brother and declared, I saw you sneaking around with that woman!

And if you see me in a waiting room and youve got a story to tell, dont hesitate to strike up a conversation.

Share story ideas with Mary at marycanrobert@charter.net.
NEWTON  It was a record-breaking year in 2017 for Newton-Conover City Schools.

While its the smallest school district in Catawba County, six schools with 2,976 students, the system has seen some big moments in academics, extra-curricular awards and graduation rates.

Beyond some of the traditional measurables, Im very proud of our districts focus on the whole child and lifelong success, Newton-Conover City Schools (NCCS) Superintendent David Stegall said via email. We arent focused on passing a class or grade, or even just graduating. Those are expectations. Our job is to provide support so that every student makes the connection to accomplish those standards.

The superintendent was equally happy with the number of services outside the classroom the district has been able to offer students.

From food assistance, job placement, family support, child care, clothing, connections to community resources, internships, scholarship opportunities, summer enrichment, these and other resources help mitigate the roadblocks students sometime face, the superintendent said.

The K-64 partnership has had an equally big impact on NCCS, along with the other school districts in the Catawba County.

K-64 is an education and economic development initiative that prepares students of all ages with the skills needed to compete in the global economy with a focus on six priority areas: 1-to-world technology, character development, tech-savvy educators, work-based learning, employer engagement, and career adaptability.

Weve strived to create educational pathways so that each student can create their own unique program of study to meet their needs, Stegall said. Were here to provide the opportunities and support so that students graduate with a clearer picture of where they want to go in life.

For the first time in district history in 2016-17, all schools in NCCS either met or exceeded expected academic growth. Additionally, no schools in NCCS received a N.C. School Performance Grade below a C.

In North Carolina, there are 116 school districts. NCCS is one of only six in the state where all schools both met or exceeded growth, and had no schools ranked at a D or F for student performance.

School Performance Grades are based 80 percent on the schools achievement score and 20 percent on students academic growth. The only exception to this is if a school meets expected growth but inclusion of the schools growth reduces the schools performance score and grade.

In the 2016-17 school year, students in the district achieved a Cohort Graduation Rate percentage of 96.8 percent, the second-highest in the history of the district.

This places NCCS in the top three districts in the state for graduating students College and Career Ready, according to the standards set forth by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

NCCS is one of the only three districts in the state with graduation rates of greater than 95 percent, and is the largest district in the top three. The district has been ranked in the states top five since the 2013-14 academic year, breaking the record for highest graduation rate in state history in 2015.

The districts 220 graduates for 2017 earned over $12 million in collective scholarships. Discovery Highs Carmen Duran topped this list with more than $2 million offered to her in scholarships.

Discovery High uses a project based learning design with its students and was ranked 34th among North Carolina high schools by U.S. News and World Report for 2017.

With regard to teachers and staff, NCCS was ranked the fifth best district in the state for recruiting and retaining experienced teachers, according to the N.C. Teacher Attrition and Mobility Report. Moreover, 85 percent of beginning teachers in their first four years of teaching in Newton-Conover Schools also met or exceeded growth, breaking the state average of 74 percent for all teachers.

Several schools had a big year as well.

Newton-Conover Middle was named a National School to Watch, and South Newton became the eighth school in North Carolina history to be named a Leader in Me Lighthouse school (the highest designation possible).

Five of the districts schools were awarded recognitions for their Positive Behavior Support and student conduct by the state of North Carolina.

Stegall said a key goal going into 2018 is increasing parent and family partnerships and connections.

Our role as educators is to be a partner with families as much as possible, the superintendent said. We want to help students and their families find success and increase their ability to continually grow. We are very excited about the increased community partnerships such as K-64, Apprenticeship Catawba, Career and College Promise through CVCC, among others.

The goal at NCCS isnt to get students to graduation but to set them up to move beyond it and into a pattern of lifelong success, the superintendent said.
On Wednesday night, President Donald Trump abruptly announced he was disbanding his Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. This was the panel charged with finding proof of Trump's absurd claim of millions of illegal voters, and it went downhill from the beginning. But while the panel has vanished, its spurious arguments remain widespread. Claims of voter fraud still form the basis of efforts to suppress the vote across the country. Now can we call a stop to that effort, too?

First, let's marvel at the curious story of the commission. On the campaign trail in 2016, Trump warned supporters, "The election is going to be rigged." Then as president-elect, he tweeted, "I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally." He told startled members of Congress that 3 million to 5 million had cast illegal ballots.

This was widely recognized as false. Statistically, you are more likely to be struck by lightning than to commit in-person voter fraud. Law enforcement officials, election administrators from both parties and scholars all agree voter fraud is incredibly rare.

Challenged to back up his spurious claim, Trump launched the voting commission. In contrast with similar earlier panels, which strove for bipartisanship, this one was chaired by Vice President Mike Pence and guided by vice chair Kris Kobach, the secretary of state of Kansas, both Republicans. The panel was crammed with members, including Kobach, well known for spurious warnings of fraud.

Immediately the panel began to flail. It first asked states to provide voters' individual data, including the last four digits of their Social Security numbers, illegal under the laws of many states. Twenty-one states declined to provide any data, citing legal restrictions, privacy concerns and uncertainty about how the information would be used.

Things only got worse. Voting rights groups, including the Brennan Center for Justice, which I lead,pelted the panel with lawsuits. Ahead of a session in New Hampshire, Kobach claimed voter fraud there because voters used out-of-state driver's licenses as IDs. In fact, many were likelycollege students voting legally. By November, Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap, a commissioner, actually sued his own panel for violating open government rules and cutting him out of the flow of information. Perhaps the White House's announcement was an act of mercy.

It's tempting to shake our heads and move on. But the ideas that undergirded the commission in the first place, unfortunately, still have malevolent potency.

Bogus claims of misconduct remain a campaign-trail staple. Roy Moore claimed voter fraud in refusing to accept his defeat in the recent U.S. Senate race in Alabama, filing a suit that was quickly tossed out of court. Cynical voters are prone to credit allegations. After the 2016 election, one poll found that 62 percent of Trump voters believed his claims.

Worse, states across the country still have laws that make it harder to vote specifically due to the supposed specter of voter fraud. In Wisconsin, the best recent study suggested that as many as 23,000 eligible voterscould have been blocked by a harsh ID law that purported to deter fraud. Next Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear a case challenging Ohio's practice of purging voters from the rolls who have not cast ballots in federal elections. One proffered rationale: to prevent fraud. The result, however, is to block many eligible citizens who simply choose not to vote. Watchdogs worry that improper purges will be the method of choice to prune minority, poor and Democratic voters from the rolls, often without the highly visible controversy that attends state legislative action.

The panel's overreaching may have had an unexpected positive consequence, though: State officials of both parties roundly denounced its premise.

That's good, because real problems mar the way we run elections in the United States, and those problems will need bipartisan solutions. Voter registration lists are, in fact, often rife with duplication and error, even as they omit tens of millions of eligible citizens. Happily, even amid partisan wrangling over voting, states have moved to enact "automatic registration." In nine states and the District, the government will automatically register voters (unless they choose to opt out) when they interact with the departments of motor vehicles or (in some cases) other agencies. Most recently, such a measure passed the Illinois legislature unanimously and was signed by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. Automatic registration adds citizens to the rolls, costs less and bolsters election security.

We also cannot forget Russia's attempts to threaten the integrity of our elections. We now know that Moscow's interference in 2016 went well beyond stealing campaign emails. Hackers probed state databases and voting-machine software companies. There's no evidence that they switched tallies, but there's every reason to think Russia - or China, or North Korea, or a homegrown partisan - will be back in 2018. A bipartisan group of senators just introduced a bill to help states buy new secure machines and harden their systems from attack.

Yes, Trump's commission began as a tragedy and ended as a farce. But the "voter fraud" hoax really is not funny. The next federal effort should find ways to protect the right to vote, not spread scare stories.
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A knitting factory in Bangladesh brings together the past, present, and future. On one floor, workers knit by hand. On another, people and machines do the work together. And on a third floor, there are only robots.

This building might seem like an anachronism, given the accepted wisdom that robots will replace humans in textiles and many other industries. But it is actually a savvy response to how the Fourth Industrial Revolution will likely play out in Asia. As is the case elsewhere, technological advances are rapidly transforming industries and economies, by blurring the boundaries between the physical, digital, and biological worlds.

And yet much of Asia isnt ready for robots, for reasons that go beyond fears of mass unemployment. In 2014, China had just 11 robots per 10,000 employees in non-automotive industries, and just 213 per 10,000 employees on automotive assembly lines. That is hundreds fewer than in Japan, the United States, or Germany.

Although China is closing the gap by increasing its spending on robots, poorer countries face significant barriers to adopting new technologies. Moreover, the regions lower wages give firms an incentive to retain human workers. At the factory in Bangladesh, human workers can step in if power outages or equipment failures knock the machines offline. At the same time, having a fully automated section allows production to continue if workers go on strike.

Conventional wisdom decrees that this dual-track approach isnt sustainable, and that low- to middle-skilled workers will eventually make way for robots. A landmark 2013 study by Carl Frey and Michael Osborne of Oxford University suggests that, in the coming decades, 47% of total US employment will be at risk of automation. Similarly, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has warned that 56% of total employment in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam is at high risk of displacement due to technology over the next decade or two.

But these grim predictions ignore the fact that most jobs comprise a bundle of tasks, some of which cannot be automated. According to a 2016 OECD study that breaks down occupations by task, only 9% of jobs on average across 21 OECD countries are really at risk.

The same logic applies to Asia. In Vietnam, for example, the share of jobs at risk falls from the ILOs predicted 70% to just 15% when the countrys large informal economy is taken into account. Street sweepers in developing countries are arguably less threatened by automation than their counterparts in developed countries, because their jobs are less mechanised and lower paid.

Still, robots are gaining a foothold in the region, particularly in economies such as China and South Korea. In 2015, robot sales in Asia increased by 19%  the fourth record-breaking year in a row. When less-developed Asian countries eventually join the technology bandwagon, layoffs will inevitably ensue.

To soften the blow, governments urgently need to pursue labour-market reforms and overhaul their education systems, starting with technical and vocational education and training (TVET). Although TVET is becoming increasingly popular in Asias developing economies, its quality is often poor. Governments should ensure that TVET courses focus on more relevant skills, while remaining flexible so that students can study without sacrificing income.

One option is to expand the availability of modular short courses, which take less time, train for specific tasks rather than entire jobs, and are more manageable for entrants who need, first and foremost, to earn money. In Myanmar, for example, the government has launched a pilot programme to target the countrys missing million students who drop out of school each year. The programme offers short courses on welding and other skills needed to repair rural machinery.

Competency-based assessment systems could also be particularly useful, given Asias large informal workforce. Programmes offering skilled workers a chance to earn certifications based on their work experience would allow for, say, uncertified electricians to find formal employment in robotics.

The private sector can also help produce more graduates with job-ready skills. Asian countries should take a cue from Indias National Skill Development Corporation, which works with private training firms to match skills curricula with industry needs. So far, Indias programme has helped train more than 63,000 people.

Furthermore, governments should offer subsidies or tax incentives to companies that invest in the skills that humans master better than machines, such as communication and negotiation. They will also have to adopt more flexible labour regulations, because firms wont hire skilled workers who cost too much. At the end of the day, Asias developing countries need policies that support workers, rather than jobs. All parties can benefit from flexible contracts and lifelong learning and retraining opportunities.

Retraining is particularly important, because automation will create entirely new industries and occupations. The McKinsey Global Institute estimates that automation could boost global productivity growth by 0.8-1.4% annually, generating large savings and performance gains for businesses. Improving access to training and certification would help countries capitalise on these advances and ensure more equitable growth, by giving workers the skills needed to handle the new jobs.

That outcome would be good for workers and for Asian economies. It would mean that businesses like the factory in Bangladesh could operate solely with robots, while its former workers would be gainfully employed elsewhere, most likely in jobs that dont even exist yet.

Stephen Groff is the Asian Development Banks vice president for East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific.

The views expressed are personal

Project Syndicate, 2018
A huge scroll by Madhubani folk artist Santosh K Das of a musician lost in playing his instrument hangs on a wall. To the right is a photo collage of the Alchi monastery in Leh, captured by acclaimed photographer Aditya Arya. Opposite is a canvas with repetitive pencil lines  the work of a young artist named Deepak Agasthya. Wikipedia defines Buddhist art as artistic practices that are influenced by Buddhism. It includes art media which depict Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and other entities... as well as physical objects associated with Buddhist practice...

Lotus Buddha, acrylic on canvas by Pratap SJB Rana. It shows the Buddha in meditation and how in this position he too resembles a lotus. (Image courtesy Ojas Art)

But Benevolent Gaze: Buddhist Imprints In Art, an ongoing exhibition at Ojas Art gallery, extends the limits of the genre, to include works that reflect a spiritual quest. Which is why Pratap SJB Ranas brilliant Lotus Budha in vibrant hues  which depicts Buddha meditating  or Bhiksham Dehi  the alms bowl, or Shrinivas Pullagams mixed media work titled City Mandala, share gallery space with the depiction of the musician for whom music is a spiritual quest or the line drawings of Agasthya for whom his work is a form of meditation.

On display is a collection of about 50 artworks, comprising paintings, sculpture, ceramics, photography and installations. The list of artists includes both well-known names, like sculptor KS Radhakrishnan, painter-sculptor Satish Gupta, painter Abhishek Singh and photographer Aditya Arya to folk artists like Das, Gond painter Bhajju Shyam and young and upcoming artists like Agasthya and Pullagam.

In the Forest of Gods by Abhishek Singh. The pen-and-ink drawing illustrates a clear meditative pose of Buddha in the forest under the Bodhi Tree. (Image courtesy Ojas Art)

The exhibition is inspired by both the message and the practice of Buddhism entering the consciousness of people. All the artists, in their own way, depict our journey making our way to Nirvana through their art and this is what this exhibition is about, says Anubhav Nath, curatorial director of Ojas Art.

At times, this becomes physical travel  as in the case of Vineet Kacker, who draws inspiration for his ceramic sculptures from the high Himalayan landscape where he frequently travels, as well as eastern spirituality. His work Spirit Marker  a series of three ceramic posts with texts and figures etched on them  is a reflection of this travels, both the physical miles demarcated by the kilometre markers and the spiritual journey within.

A work made in collaboration by Isaac Gergan, a contemporary artist and Stanzin Nyentak, a thangka artist. (Image courtesy Ojas Art)

Similarly, another of his works, which shows a sitting Buddha with a sword on his lap (photo above), communicates the need to cut through all distractions to become one with the moment. While the image of Buddha with a sword may be surprising to many, since the spiritual leader emphasised non-violence, Kacker explains, Buddhism uses a lot of weapon metaphors. But the idea is not to use it outside - for violence, but within to clean up ones own being.

If Kackers works are inspired more by the physical space of the Himalayan landscape, KS Radhakrishnan, in his work Mukha Mukham, turns the focus within in a collection of two different heads  one of the Buddha and the other of a commoner  in opaque and chrome finish. One reflects on the other and gives the feeling of a dialogue. The idea is absorbing the essence of Buddhas teachings in our daily lives, explains the sculptor, who did the work a year back.

Mukha Mukham, a collection of the Buddhas and a commoners heads, which presents the idea of dialogue. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

Also on display are black-and-white paintings by Gond artist Bhajju Shyam, Mahaveer Swamis depictions of the Buddha in natural pigments and old ink on silk board and a piece which resulted from the collaboration of Isaac Gergan, a contemporary artist and Stanzin Nyentak, a thangka artist, facilitated by the Ladakh Arts and Media Organisation.

End your tour of the exhibition with Aryas photos of the Alchi monastery, which embodies the artistic and spiritual details of both Buddhism and the Hindu kings of the time. The photos not only present a breathtakingly beautiful image, but also seem to exude that sense of peace and spiritual well-being, which the exhibition, at its core, aims to communicate.

Art Watch

What: Benevolent Gaze: Buddhist Imprints In Art

When: 11 am- 7 pm, till January 14. Closed on Monday

Where: Ojas Art,

1A, Qutub Minar, Mehrauli Road

Nearest metro station: Qutub Minar

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Singapore Airlines has an open mind on bidding for Air India Ltd, making it the first foreign airline to express an interest in looking at Indias national carrier.

I think Singapore Airlines has an open mind. It really depends eventually on whether there is a business case. I dont think we know enough at this moment, Leslie Thng, chief executive officer of Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons Ltd and Singapore Airlines, told reporters at a press briefing.

Prior to his current assignment, Thng was CEO of Singapore Airlines-owned regional carrier Silk Air. He has a three-year term as CEO of Vistara.

Both the Tata group and Singapore Airlines have attempted to take over Air India in the past and are seen as potential bidders for the debt-laden airline.

Air India has a strong brand presence globally, Thng said, listing the Indian airlines several pluses. If you look at the history, Air India was in fact one of the pioneers in many of the aviation launches. Air India actually has a very good reputation in some of the markets. People know about Air India -- there are a lot of NRIs (non-resident Indians) who live overseas, who know about Air India. It flies to many international destinations. The brand awareness of Air India is not weak, he added.

In October, Tata Sons Ltd executive chairman N. Chandrasekaran said the Mumbai-based group is considering buying Air India but did not comment on the position of Singapore Airlines.

The government has hired EY to advise it on the Air India sale process, which is likely to take about 6-9 months. IndiGo, run by InterGlobe Aviation Ltd has expressed interest in Air India. Bird Group, Menzies Aviation, Livewel Aviation, and Turkeys Celebi Aviation Holding have also shown interest in Air India subsidiaries.

Air India had total debt of about Rs 48,877 crore at the end of March 2017 -- Rs 17,360 crore of aircraft loans and Rs 31,517 crore of working capital loans. Air India has already received nearly Rs27,000 crore of the Rs 50,000 crore equity promised by the government in 2012 The airline has a fleet of about 140 planes with 17% share of traffic on routes linking India to international destinations and about 13% of the domestic market

Meanwhile, Vistara will make its international debut later this year. The airline, which operates 17 Airbus A320 aircraft, will see three more aircraft join the fleet by March followed by one each in May and June.

The airline will go international in the second half of 2018 after it gets designated as an international carrier by the government and wins flying rights. The airline plans to fly on routes that already have flights as also to new cities where there is a business case.
The oldest institution of the Sikhs  the Chief Khalsa Diwan (CKD)  has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons and the community is in shock.

In the last week of December, the bodys 83-year-old chief Charanjit Singh Chadha was caught on camera purportedly sexually harassing a woman principal of one the 50 schools run by the institution.

The next day, Chadha was removed from top post and primary membership of the body, and a case of sexual harassment was filed against him. His son Inderpreet was also booked for criminal intimidation.

But instead of surrendering to the police, Chadha went into hiding. On Thursday, he got interim bail till January 10.

As the community was reeling from this controversy, fresh tragedy hit on Wednesday when Inderpreet allegedly killed himself. The police charged 11 people for abetting the suicide, including three members of the CKD and the woman complainant.

Chadha is a very ambitious man. With such people entering Sikh institutions, the teaching standards have gone down and the Sikh character of these institutions is getting diluted, said former pro-vice chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University Pirthipal Singh Kapur.

The incident has hurt social Sikh spectrum. If the institutions get such heads, then who will the community emulate?

Chadha migrated from Rawalpindi in Pakistan in 1947 and settled down in Amritsar. He had stakes in the hospitality business, was a wine contactor and also a real estate developer. A relative of liquor baron Ponty Chadha who was killed in 2012, Chadha took over the reins of the CKD after a struggle in 2004.

Chief Khalsa Diwan (CKD) was founded in 1902 to bind the Singh Sabha movement that had been launched during the British rule to propagate Sikhism. The body -- which runs two management colleges, a nursing college, an orphanage, two old age homes and a hospital -- is considered a forerunner of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee that manages top gurdwaras, including the Golden Temple. Eminent theologian Bhai Veer Singh founded the CKD.

It is case of upstarts into different businesses seeking respectability by taking over the managements of such established institutions by paying money, Kapur added.

The controversial video that allegedly shows Chadha sexually harassing the woman is from June last year and sources say Chadha has been blackmailed since then.

People close to the 83-year-old told HT on the condition of anonymity that Chadha paid up a few times, but went to the police after repeated demands. In September, the Jalandhar police arrested an employee in Chadhas hotel and a photographer. Roughly two months later, the video went public.

Chadha remains close to the Sikh clergy  the Jathedar of highest temporal seat of Sikhs, the Akal Takht. Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh attended the wedding of Chadhas grandson at a gurdwara in Dubai.

He shot into the limelight after taking over as the CKD president with the support of then Akal Takht jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti in 2004. Gradually, he built his monopoly over the 115-year-old organisation.

The suicide of his 52-year-old son on January 3 made matters worse. Inderpreet was accused of threatening to eliminate the woman complainant.

Inderpreets younger brother, Harjit Singh, 40, and their sister Veeta Chadha, 54, are left in the family. Harjit was made the joint secretary of the CKD and many other family members were recruited.

Cloth merchant Dhanraj Singh is the acting president of the CKD. He is distantly related to Chadha.

Chadhas opponents allege he turned the CKD into Chadha and Company and did not stick to the aim of imparting education and propagating Sikhism.

It is unfortunate, that such a thing has cropped up in the Sikh institution. Such an act, if true, is not acceptable in the religious institutions. (Charanjeet Singh) Chadha should come out clean or let law take its course, said Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Maniit Singh GK.
Teachers at the Pahadi school explain Atuls decisions as an instance of a child uninterested in study. But experts caution against such glib and easy conclusions.

There would be very few students who would say I love to study. Will a middle class family allow their child to leave schooling if the child is not interested in studies? said Geetha B Nambissan, a professor of education at Jawaharlal Nehru University. The teachers might say kids have made a choice to leave school but these kids are struggling to study and have constrained choices.

Nambissan, whose research examines the links between poverty and education, said children can only choose from the opportunities available to them, and a students decision to drop out or stay in school is influenced by the kinds of jobs people around her do.

It is the responsibility of the school system to ensure they continue to study. The system should look into reasons for why a child is finding classes boring, Nambissan said, Is there something wrong with the curriculum or is the teaching method not interesting enough?

Having failed once in Class 9, Karim was on the verge of leaving school but decided to give it another chance and is now in Class 12.

One day in December, K.S. Tyagi, the Pahadi schools Hindi teacher, was handed a crumpled piece of paper by Karim, a class 12 student. In the letter Karim asked the teacher to grant him a few days of leave so he could earn the Rs. 1,200 fee he had to pay to sit for the Board examination.

Moved by the letter, the teacher paid the fees himself and told Karim to give him the money when he could afford to.

Every evening after school, Karim works as a hawker selling clothes in Sangam Vihar market. He earns between Rs. 3000 and Rs. 4000 per month; a vital contribution to the Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 17,000 that Karim, his father and his two brothers earn each month.

His two younger brothers dropped out of school after failing in Class 8 and Class 9 respectively. They felt that learning the family business was a better use of their time. Karim failed Class 9 as well, but stayed in school.

When I failed in Class 9 my family wanted me to quit as they thought I wont able to pass again. But I persisted and now I work as well as study, he said, but he wonders what he will do once he graduates. Till now there was a clear path but after school there is no clarity.

Karim plans to stop working from January till March and focus on the Board exams but worries how his family will cope with the loss of one earning member.

If I leave working I will get time to study but wont have money for tuitions that I want to take up but if I work I wont have enough time to study, Karim said.

Karim dreams of joining a college to study Political Science but he is clear that he will have to continue to sell clothes to pay his way through college.

I cannot leave my work permanently till I have another source of income. I want to do B.Ed and become a teacher and get out of Sangam Vihar. But sometimes I wonder if I will get a job, he says.

The worry among students about finding a job after school and graduation is not unfounded, said Jayati Ghosh, a professor of Economics at JNU, as the education system does not equip students to enter the job market.

The Board exam system is just making the students do rote learning. The system is not necessarily equipping them for jobs, Ghosh said.

And the job market is unbelievably tight, Ghosh continued. The last National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) study on employment was done in 2011-2012, Ghosh said, while the survey results for 2017 are yet to be announced.

Kshetrapal gave up his job after missing out on an internal exam because he could not wake up on time after his night shift duty. He now plans to go back to work after March.

When school began in April this year, Kshetrapal Singh kept up a punishing schedule of working all night as a security guard, sleeping in the morning, and attending school every afternoon. By late September, his exhaustion finally caught up him.

I missed one of my mid-term exams because I didnt wake up on time, he said, I just couldnt get out of bed.

In interviews at the beginning of the year, Kshetrapal maintained that his aim was to finish school and get a bachelors degree from Delhi university. Now, on the eve of his pre-board examinations, he seemed less sure of his future.

Ill still do college, but I think Ill do a correspondence degree. I cant waste another three years going to class every day, he said. I need to start working full time.

Ghosh, the economist, concedes that the Kshetrapals decisions  and those of others like him - reflect a grim pragmatism.Public sector jobs were declining, she said, and most new private sector jobs were mainly in the services sector.

But for that sector, a candidate requires soft skills like spoken English. This places people who come from a privileged background at an advantage, Ghosh said, Chances are these kids may end up falling back on self-employment beause the cirriculum is not equiping them with soft skills.
DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand high court suggested to the state government on Friday to enact a legislation within three months for handing death sentence to those found guilty of raping girls aged 15 years or below.

A division bench of justices Rajiv Sharma and Alok Singh made the recommendation while upholding the death sentence of a rape convict who had brutally assaulted an eight-year-old in Udham Singh Nagar district in 2016.

The recommendation comes a month after the Madhya Pradesh assembly -- in a first -- passed a bill in December recommending death penalty for those found guilty of raping girls aged 12 years and below.

Noting how it was for the state government to bring an appropriate legislation to impose death sentence upon rape convicts, the court said it can always make a recommendation (to the government) for bringing in a law to impose a stringent sentence upon child rapists.

The court is coming across a number of cases where the victims, aged 15 years or below, are being raped and murdered. There should be deterrence. Accordingly, we recommend/suggest to the state government to enact suitable legislation for awarding death sentence to those found guilty of raping girls aged 15 years or below within three months, the court order noted.

The bench also directed that a copy of the order be sent to the chief secretary and principal secretary (home) for compliance. Taking note of the ever-increasing crime against children in Uttarakhand, the court said the ratio of cases registered were disproportionately large vis-a-vis the population of the state.

HT in its December 3 edition had highlighted how Uttarakhand witnessed around 38% increase in crimes against children between 2014 and 2016. From 489 cases in 2014 and 635 in 2015, the number of crimes against children in the state rose to 676 in 2016, according to the 2016 report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Uttarakhand reported the highest number of crimes against children among the Himalayan states in 2016.

Cases of kidnapping and abduction of children (436) came on the top, followed by those lodged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) (218), including 91 cases of child rape and 35 of sexual assault on children.

In the present case in which death sentence was upheld, the eight-year-old girl was raped by the convict in June 2016 in Udham Singh Nagar district and her body was later found in an agricultural field. The medical examination showed that the victim underwent acute pain, shock and due to exertion of pressure was suffocated while being raped, which led to her death due to asphyxiation.

Accused Karandeep Sharma was convicted under sections of the Indian Penal Code and POCSO by the additional sessions judge/special POCSO judge, Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar district in April 2017 and was sentenced to death for rape and murder of the child.

The high court dismissed the criminal appeal of the appellant for being devoid of merits and affirmed the death sentence. Noting how the convicts act fell within the rarest of the rare category given the gruesome manner in which the child was subjected to rape, the division bench said the prosecution had proved its case beyond any reasonable doubt.

With inputs from Kamal Jagati

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Her young son is named after the poet Kabir, and her daughter is christened April. Not because TS Eliot famously called that month the cruellest but because her naughty girl was born in that month.

Cecilia Abrahams third baby was born last year. She self-published her poetry collection Not Just a Housewife through crowd-funding.

We meet the poet at her home in south-west Delhis Raghu Nagar. Ms Abrahams family includes her husband and her mother, who, incidentally, is also one of our links to the disappearing world of Anglo-Indian home cooking (Christina Abraham makes delicious meatball curry).

Ms Abrahams balcony is equally lively. Standing there amid a dense foliage of potted plants, she points out her immediate neighbours, saying, In that house lived a bedridden woman who used to like my plants she told this to a rickshaw puller who disclosed it to me she passed away last year and see that housetheyre always loudly arguing there I never feel bored standing in this balcony.

Of her writing, Ms Abraham says, I look at things and sometimes I feel a word coming up inside me and a poems begins to shape up. She shares a poem with us.

Finding Pain

I had a nightmare

or was it a sweet dream?

All my pain left me

like a bird leaves from a cage.What would I be without pain?

Im not masochistic, spineless or self flagellating

I just like to feel.Pain is the new pleasure.

I had a nightmare

or was it a sweet dream?
Our city has seen invasions, civil wars, slaughter, riots and murders of kings, princes and ministers. Delhi neighbourhoods are littered with souvenirs of that past. Frustratingly, many of these monuments have lost the stories of their origins.

Take Razia Sultans desolate grave in old Delhis cramped Bulbuli Khana. The first and the last woman emperor of the Delhi Sultanate is only said to be buried here  declares the authoritative Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on a slab put outside the memorial. As if this uncertainty isnt enough, we have two graves here and ASI is conveniently silent on which one is said to be Razias.

Whose is the other grave?

We ask a few people in the neighbourhood, many of them sweatshop artisans. One handicraft worker says the other grave was of the woman friend of the empress. Another says it was of her beloved horse.

The mausoleum also doubles up as a mosque. Its imam tells us confidently that the other grave is of Yaqut, whom he describes as her secretary. (Yaqut was depicted as Razias lover in a 1983 Hindi film.)

Lets face it, we will never know the identity of the second grave, nor will be ever be certain if Razia Sultan is actually buried here.

However, the aforementioned ASI slab  inscribed with the story of how the 13-century empress died fighting in a rebellion  does make us feel connected to the queen. What are we supposed to feel for the other grave  its secret buried forever? Even so, standing close to an unsolvable historical puzzle is thrilling.
New Delhi

I am unhappy with the high courts verdict. It has left me disheartened and discouraged, said Sabita Ghosh on Thursday, hours after the Delhi High Court commuted the death sentence of two men, who had robbed and killed her daughter, to life in prison.

Sabita said she was anxious in the morning, enough to skip her breakfast. But she was confident that the court would uphold the death sentence.

I missed lunch too after the high court verdict. I did not feel like eating, Sabita, 59, told Hindustan Times.

Sabita said that the courts decision showed there was sympathy for the killers rather than the victims ageing parents. The killers may have been spared the gallows because of their young age but what about our lives? Our pain doesnt matter? Why is there hesitation to hand out the harshest punishment when the crime has been established without any doubt? she said, holding back tears.

Jigisha Ghosh, a 28-year-old IT executive, was abducted by four men in 2009 from near her house in south Delhis Vasant Kunj after her office cab dropped her back around 4 am. She was then robbed and killed.

Contrary to what the court observed, Sabita said that the crime qualified to be labelled as the rarest of rare. If the case is not seen as the rarest of rare, such crimes will become routine in our country. Women will continue to fear going out for work at night time, she said.

She said that when she was first brought face to face with the killers, she could see the cruelty in their eyes. Though all three of them were involved in the crime, I know the man who actually killed my daughter. The least I want is a death for him, said Sabita, who said that she will approach the Supreme Court against the verdict.

Sabita also alleged that cases like Jigishas murder were being diluted to avoid handing out death sentences. She demanded that the case be accorded the same importance as the December 16 gang rape one. If there is no outrage over a crime, it is not taken seriously. It provides an opportunity to dilute the cases, she said.

Sabita said that for the last nine years, she and her husband were visiting courtrooms to see that their daughters killers being punished.

The court battle has taken its toll on Sabita and her 73-year-old husband, Jagannath. The couple have been frequently falling ill for the last five years, she said.

Last year, my husband Jagannath suffered from typhoid and barely managed to recover. But we did not give up our battle and kept attending court hearings. Hospital visits have become regular for us and we have only each other for support. The courts decision has left us broken, she said.

In the months before a lower court sentenced the three men in the case to death, the couple had alleged that they were getting threat calls. The threat is real. Police advised us never to disclose our home address. Many of our own people dont know where we live now, said Sabita.
The Delhi Police on Friday said they have arrested three men for allegedly gang raping a 16-year-old girl and assaulting her male friend in Shalimar Baghs Sheesh Mahal Park last month.

The incident took place on December 16 last year, five years after a 23-year-old paramedical student was gang raped on a moving bus in the Capital leading to nationwide protests.

The girl, in her complaint to the police, had stated that she was gang raped in a park while her male friend was beaten up and their mobile phones allegedly robbed from them by the three men.

We zeroed in on the suspects with the help of local intelligence and their mobile phone locations. All three of them were arrested on Thursday. Arun and Kamlesh were nabbed in Delhi, while a team was sent to Varanasi to nab the third accused, said Khan, adding that the trio had confessed to their involvement in the crime.

Two of the three arrested men have been identified as Arun Yadav, 36, and Kamlesh, 28, said deputy commissioner of police (northwest) Aslam Khan. The third suspect, a 33-year-old auto-rickshaw driver, whose name is being withheld, is an accused in another rape case, that of a minor, that took place in 2013, police said.

Khan said that the auto-driver had been previously booked for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl at the same Shalimar Bagh park in 2013. The girl and her family then had alleged that the accused had established physical relation with her on the pretext of marriage but had later gone back on his promise.

They later reached a compromise when he agreed to marry the girl and the case was quashed. However, he abandoned her soon after marriage, said Khan.

The other accused, Arun, is a distributor of pesticides, while Kamlesh is school dropout, police added.

All the three men were produced at Tis Hazari court on Friday afternoon and were remanded to one day police custody, where police might conduct a test identification parade.

Friend gets clean chit

Delhi police, after the arrests, also said that they have given a clean chit to the gang rape victims 19-year-old male friend and stated that neither was he involved nor did he know any of the three victims.

This is contrary to some of the statements made by the police in the first few days after the incident where they had said that there were inconsistencies in the version of the 19-year-old man and that they suspected he could have known the accused.

The sister of the 19-year-old man told HT that she was always certain that her brother was innocent and also accused the police of trying to frame him initially when they were struggling for leads.
As Sabita Ghosh struggled to cope with the courts decision to commute the death sentence of her daughters killers to life in prison, her friend Madhvi Vishwanathan stated that Thursdays verdict sent a reminder that no crime is rare anymore.

Sabita and Madhvi have shared an almost identical journey over the last nine years. Madhvi is the mother of Soumya Vishwanathan, a TV journalist, who was shot dead on Nelson Mandela Marg in south Delhi in September 2008, around six months before Jigisha Ghoshs murder.

After arresting Jigishas killers, the Delhi Police had announced that the same three men had killed Soumya too. Later on, the police had gone on to link the trio to the murder of another cab driver, Mohd Nadeem. Robbery had been attributed as the motive in all the three murders.

While the police were able to obtain conviction in Jigishas case last year, Soumyas and Nadeems cases are still being argued without a verdict even from the lower court yet.

The examination of the witnesses has been going on very slowly in Soumyas case. It is getting very frustrating to visit the court every few weeks. The delay is so much that when the verdict does come, people will not be able to equate it with the crime, Madhvi told HT.

Madhvi said she was mentally prepared to expect a life sentence and not death for the killers in her daughters case as well. Todays verdict in Jigishas case only shows that no crime is rare anymore. Human life has become cheap, she said.

For the last many years, Madhvi and Sabita have been sharing each others pain. When the high court announced its verdict, Sabita called me up. She was distraught. At least I have a daughter and grandson to help me try to move on in life. Sabita and her husband have no one. They have no hope left in life, nothing to look forward to. They have not been able to move on in life, said Madhvi.

She said that of all the three cases, Jigishas was the strongest with hard evidence in the form of CCTV footage. In such a watertight case, in which there was no doubt, there should have been no delay. Jigishas parents shouldnt have been made to suffer for nine years, Madhvi said.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) wants to sugarcoat the big bad world of the stock markets for retail investors. The regulator is planning to introduce an early warning system to flag risks in stocks that are overvalued, showing irregular trading patterns, or have unsustainable business models. Its true the markets are heady and investors need to be warned. Indian markets have gained sharply in 2017 despite sluggish economic growth, poor investment demand, elusive corporate earnings recovery and the twin disruptions of the high-value note ban and introduction of the Goods and Services Tax. Markets have reached a stage where taxi drivers and paanwallahs are offering advice on stock investments. The regulator seems worried that investors will get burnt like in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis. Then, retail investors fled the market. It has taken them almost a decade to hesitantly return, and mostly through mutual funds.

While the objective of the idea  to protect unsophisticated investors  is laudable, a grading system for stocks might not the best way to go about it. Such a system seems fraught with practical difficulties. Take, for instance, a case like the erstwhile Satyam Computer Services. In its heyday, it was a top-tier software stock. But if such a stock was highly graded and then the fraud disclosed, how would Sebi answer investor questions? Now, suppose, an investor has bought a stock based on a Sebi grade and it made a loss? Remember, that Sebi had such gradings for initial public offers (IPOs) but it made them optional in 2014 after it was found that they had not served the intended purpose.

Equity, by its very nature, is a risky investment. The regulators previous attempts to mollycoddle investors have misfired. Some years ago, the regulator had proposed a mandatory safety net mechanism in IPOs, where the promoters or the bankers were required to pledge to buy back the shares if prices fell below the issue price within a certain period. It had to pull this back after a lot of resistance.

There are plenty of ways in which Sebi can protect investors. For example, it can insist on better disclosures from listed firms. In India, despite steps taken by the regulator, disclosure standard are still poor and often information is presented in a manner that is investor unfriendly. More importantly, Sebi should spruce up its investigation and enforcement teams so that fraud and stock manipulation are detected and penalised on time. That will be the right way to make markets safer rather than a stock grading system.
Cornell University president Martha Pollack will be in India (Mumbai) from January 7 to 11. An American computer scientist with research specialty in artificial intelligence, Pollack has been serving at the 14th president of the university since April 2017. She speaks to Hindustan Times about her engagements in India and Cornells research and teaching partnerships with Indian institutes.

Do let us know about your engagements and the outcomes you are hoping for

During my first year as Cornells president, I am meeting with university alumni in key locations around the globe. India, where Cornells longstanding and deep engagement has generated a rich array of research and teaching partnerships, and alumni connections, is the first international destination on my alumni tour.

Virtually all of Cornells colleges, major centres and programmes across the university, interact with India in some form, including 19 active partnerships with institutions in India. This year there are over 580 students from India studying at Cornell. I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know many alumni, parents of current students and friends of Cornell while in India.

Please let us know about the research projects Cornell is engaged in with Indian institutes and the impact expected at the ground level in India.

One research programme that Im particularly enthusiastic about is the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) led by Prabhu Pingali, a professor in Cornells Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. This is a long-term research initiative focused on solving problems of poverty, malnutrition, and rural development in India. TCI brings together the technical capacity of Cornell graduate students across a range of fields with the on-the-ground knowledge of academic and non-governmental partner institutions in India.

Among TCIs current projects is an effort to address micronutrient malnutrition, especially iron deficiency anaemia, a pilot clean drinking water technology system in the Jharkand villages of Gufu and Ronhe and a project to improve soil health as a way to produce more food with fewer resources.

Another ongoing partnership worth mentioning is the Nilgiris Field Learning Centre. The Centre connects Cornells students and faculty with community members in Nilgiris and its mission is to address health, land use and livelihood issues identified as important by the community. Cornell faculty develop the education modules, direct field work, and teach on site. Classes bring together Cornell and local students and take place in a dedicated campus in Kotagiri set up by the Keystone Foundation, which is Cornells partner in this effort.

In the area of nutritional science, professor Saurabh Mehta, one of Cornells international faculty fellows, is working in Mumbai and Hyderabad to improve nutrition and health screening in areas where resources are limited. As a former physician in India, Mehta takes a practical approach that focuses on upgrading the quality of service in a way that is cost-effective. One of his groups recent efforts aims at equipping health care centres with smartphone-based devices which can measure vitamin D levels from a single drop of blood.

Any project specifically dear to your heart and why?

One of my priorities is for Cornell to continue to provide what I have called education with verve. What I have in mind is the passion for exploration and discovery that we imbue in our students. There is no single formula for this sort of education. It can include inspiring lectures and active and engaged learning experiences. It can make use of technology to flip the classroom, so that students spend time outside of class watching video lectures or podcasts, with time in class devoted to problem-solving and in-depth discussion with the professor. Learning analytics can help guide the learning of individual students and the way professors teach and it can help shape curricular change. Technology can also help students in dispersed locations participate remotely in higher education.

Education with verve, Cornell style, is happening in India right now. Cornells International Agriculture and Rural Development 602 Class - Cornells oldest international engaged learning class - is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. More than 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students and hundreds of faculty members, from Cornell and partner institutions, have been influenced by the course since it began in 1968.

For the past 16 years the course has been taught simultaneously in Ithaca and collaboratively online and includes students and professors from several state agricultural universities in India. The course first took Cornell students to India during Cornells intersession in 2001, and right now, 39 students from the Ithaca campus and 12 students from India, along with their professors, are in India learning about agricultural systems, rural infrastructure, fibre science and other topics while participating in cultural and heritage events.

As the president of Cornell, what are the major challenges you see when it comes to higher education and research in the world?

Higher education is critically important in the information age. It provides a foundation for both individual and societal advancement. Yet around the world, there are many places where bright students have no access to higher education. Cornell from its founding has aspired to be a place where any qualified student would be welcome to pursue higher education, regardless of background or social standing. We are able to guarantee full need-based financial aid to undergraduate students from the US to make good on our founding aspiration, and while we can also financially support many international students, we wish we had the resources to do even more.

Which research areas do you think need to have more gender diversity?

Diversity across all its dimensions - not just gender - is essential, not only so that we do not squander human potential, but also so that we find the very best solutions to the worlds many challenges. Research has clearly shown that we reach better solutions when we draw on multiple perspectives and points of view. Todays societal challenges are complex and will require all of our best efforts to solve.

Cornells founding vision was to be a university where any person could find instruction in any study and the diversity of disciplines and of people on our campuses has made us a stronger, more intellectually vital institution. But we need to continue to strive for even greater diversity and an even more inclusive sense of community: this is a moral, as well as practical imperative.

You are an eminent scientist, what challenges have you faced as a researcher and how have you overcome them?

When I was in graduate school, computer science was predominantly a male field. I became involved in efforts to diversify computer science early in my career, and I have been very fortunate to have had excellent mentors, both women and men, at critical stages of my career as a scientist and as an academic leader.

Nonetheless, for the first few years of my career as a faculty member in computer science at the University of Michigan, there were more faculty members named Igor (two) in the department than women on the faculty (zero, until I came on board).

In many respects things have gotten a lot better  this year, 51% of the incoming class (and 48% of the entire undergraduate population) in Cornells College of Engineering is female, a trend were starting to see at elite universities across the U.S.

Your message to students in India:

Some students and their families may see expertise in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) as the only way to ensure that they will get good jobs. But I would argue that the best preparation for a tech career--or any other career-- includes a firm grounding in the liberal arts. Yes, tech skills are important, and its great that more and more students are developing them. But todays challenges require a broad range of skills because the problems we face as a world are not just technical, but socio-technical.

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Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said he will go on a hunger strike if officials in each of the states seven districts do not finish the target of constructing toilets in every house by March 31 as part of the Swachh Andhra Pradesh Mission.

I will take up deeksha and sit on a hunger strike in front of the collectors offices in these districts. I am serious. I will see whether at least my fasting would shame the officials and force them to complete the construction of toilets, Naidu said on Thursday evening.

He was speaking at the Janma Bhoomi-Maa Vooru (My Motherland, My village) programme at Ichchapuram town in Srikakulam district. The programme is aimed at taking the administration to the villages to know their problems.

Naidu said the government had set March 31 as the deadline for all the districts to be declared as open defecation free (ODF).

However, only six districts  Krishna, West Godavari, East Godavari, Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore  could achieve the target of 100% construction of individual latrines, he said.

After March 31, I will visit every village which does not have individual latrines. I will stay put there and take up fasting till the officials complete the construction of latrine in every house. I will go back to Amaravati only after ensuring that the target is achieved, the chief minister said.

Naidu said individual latrine is a symbol of self-respect of people, especially women, and reminded people that there have been examples of women spending their own money to build toilets for their houses.

In Bihar, a woman sold her mangalsutra to mobilise funds for the construction of a latrine. In our state, there are mobile phones in every house, but there are no individual toilets, he said.

Naidu called upon the people to take up the construction of toilets as a mass movement.

Take out a funeral procession of tumblers used for open defecation and conduct the last rites for them once in a week. Take up a massive campaign to make the villages open defecation free, he advised.

The officials and the staff must be off their seats on every third Saturday and visit the nearby villages and slums to organise awareness camps on ODF, he added.

Naidu was the convenor of the sub-group of chief ministers of Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Sikkim, West Bengal and Uttarakhand on Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan constituted in March 2015.

The sub-group was asked to examine financial requirements for the comprehensive implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission and suggest measures for meeting budgetary needs.

Swachh Bharat Mission, or Clean India Mission, is Prime Minister Narendra Modis pet programme that he launched in 2014 to modernise Indias sanitation within five years.

Naidu launched Swachh Andhra Mission on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi last year.

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Anil Ambani, chairman of the Reliance ADA Group, reached out to the Congress last month, invoking his familys respectful relationship with the Gandhi family over generations to convey his angst about the party functionaries unfortunate statements about him and his company in the context of Rafale fighter jet deal.

His letter to Randeep Surjewala, in charge of the Congress partys communication department, came on December 12, the last day of campaigning for the Gujarat assembly polls that was marked by political mud-slinging over the Rafale fighter jet deal.

The opposition party claimed that the NDA governments deal for procurement of 36 Rafale jets from Dassault, the French manufacturer, caused a huge loss to the state exchequer as the previous UPA regime has worked out a cheaper price. It accused the government of changing the deal to benefit one businessman.

Rahul Gandhi, Congress vice-president then, attacked the government in a series of tweets in November asking why Prime Minister Narendra Modi bypassed Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to give the deal to an AA rated businessman with no defence experience.

Can you explain Reliance on someone with nil experience in aerospace for Rafale deal?.... Self Reliance is obviously a critical aspect of Make in India, Gandhi said in separate tweets on November 15 last year.

In the letter to Surjewala, Ambani rejected the opposition partys contention about his companys lack of experience in aerospace.

My respected father, late Padma Vibhushan Shri Dhirubhai Ambani, without the benefit of even a formal education, much less than any experience or legacy, built the worlds largest petrochemicals and refinery complex here in India and engaged in deep sea exploration on our shores and as a visionary entrepreneur created one of Indias largest enterprises, wrote the Reliance ADAG chairman.

In his words you have to be given an opportunity to perform. Its not experience but mindset, dedication and the purpose, of a strong India that should engage us all. he said in the letter. Congress sources said Ambani wrote similar letters to other party leaders, including MPs.

In his letter to Surjewala, Ambani asserted that not only did his firm has the experience but we are also the leaders in several important areas of defence manufacture.

To buttress his argument about possessing significant capabilities in this sector, he said the Reliance Defence has the largest shipyard at Pipavav in Gujarat and its currently building five naval offshore patrol vessels for the Indian Navy and 14 fast patrol vessels for the Indian Coast Guard.

Ambani conveyed to the Congress leader that he was personally saddened that several functionaries of the Congress party made unfortunate statements against me personally and against our group.

I fully appreciate that in the midst of the heat and dust of political campaigning, as in the recent context of elections in Gujarat, a lot has often been said. Nonetheless, considering that my entire family and I, starting with my respected father, have had the privilege of enjoying a very respectful relationship with the Gandhi family over generations as well as the Congress party for the past more than four decades, these statements have saddened and hurt our sentiments, he said in the letter.

He averred that the decision by Dassault to choose Reliance as its JV partner was an independent agreement between two corporate private sector entities and governments had no role to play in that.

Surjewala declined to comment on what he termed a personal communication.

But the fact remains that the government has utterly failed to disclose the price of Rafale aircraft as finalised by the Congress government and as purchased by the NDA, which is stated to be three times the price as originally negotiated. The government has also failed to state the reason for cancelling the offset contract worth Rs40,000 crore to HAL and handing them over to a private entity, he said.

The Reliance Group didnt respond to a request seeking comment on the letter.

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The residents of Bhima-Koregaon village, the epicentre of caste violence in Maharashtra, on Friday blamed outsiders for the January 1 incidents and claimed there was inadequate security for the mega gathering that preceded the unrest.

Sunita Kamble, sarpanch (headman) of Bhima-Koregaon, said all the communities in the village, including Dalits and Marathas, have been living peacefully. The villagers also sought compensation for people who suffered losses in the rioting and vandalism.

Earlier this week, the event to mark 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle, in which forces of the British East India Company defeated Peshwas army, was marred by incidents of violence, in which one person was killed.

Right-wing groups were blamed for the violence.

Following this, Dalit organisations called for a Maharashtra bandh on January 3 during which normal life was crippled in Mumbai and other parts of the state.

The bandh also saw attacks on police personnel and damage to public and private property by protesters.

A group of residents of Bhima-Koregaon today organised a press conference and spoke about the entire episode, which has brought simmering caste conflict in the state to the fore.

They alleged that outside elements unleashed the violence and destroyed and torched their shops and houses.

The villagers sought a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the next of the kin of Rahul Phatangale, who was killed during the clashes.

Sunita Kamble said, All the communities in the village, including Dalits and Marathas, have been living peacefully. In the future too, we will continue to live in peace. The unrest in the village was unleashed by some outside elements.

We appeal for peace and demand that the government pay compensation to the people whose properties such as shops, houses and vehicles were destroyed in the violence, she said.

A villager accused the local authorities of negligence and said despite knowing that lakhs of people come to Bhima- Koregaon on January 1 every year, they failed to provide adequate security arrangements, which led to the violence.

Recalling the ordeal, another resident Vrushali Gavhane claimed women, children and elderly people were attacked by mobs.

In the last three days, we have been facing a lot of issues. There is no water, electricity in the village but unfortunately the government has not taken any cognisance of the situation, Gavhane lamented.

She alleged that some outside people even tried to assault a visually-impaired girl.

Every year, villagers help the visitors who come to commemorate the battle of Bhima-Koregaon by facilitating parking places and providing eatables and drinking water to them, Gavhane added.

Meanwhile, the villagers resolved to rebuild the samadhi of Govind Gaikwad, a Dalit, in Vadhu Budruk near Bhima-Koregoan which was vandalised by a mob.
After talks with authorities over wage hike failed, state transport employees in Tamil Nadu went on a flash strike on Thursday night, leaving thousands of people stranded at various places across the state.

While the employees unions demanded a 2.57% hike in wages, transport minister M R Vijayabhaskar said the government agreed to 2.44%, that found support from a few unions. The hike will cost the state government Rs 83 core.

Unhappy over the results, union workers went on a flash strike on Thursday night.

Several thousand people were in for a shock by the late and unannounced strike and were forced to take private modes of transport.

Indefinite strike by Transport workers' unions in Tamil Nadu over failed negotiations with the state transport department demanding wage revision among other things: Visuals from Coimbatore pic.twitter.com/nFpbyr9gGw  ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018

According to A Soundarrajan, president of TN State Transport Employees Federation, all transport services run by the government, Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), TNSTC, SETC and local town buses will be off the roads.

The transport staff are paid very low salaries and a revision was due this year after three years, but the negotiations failed.

The strike continued on Friday even as the government managed to run a few buses, including private ones hired on contract, at various places with police protection.

There were heated arguments and clashes in few places as road transport corporation employees tried to prevent the buses from plying.

There were reports of autorickshaws and cabs overcharging people at some places. However, traffic police maintained a check on the malpractice at several places.

However, the union affiliated to the ruling AIADMK, Anna Thozhil Sanga Peravai, has not joined the strike and its members are plying the few buses on roads.

Commuters complained that they were unable to reach their offices on time.

Minister Vijayabhaskar urged workers to return to work as it was causing great inconvenience to the public and warned of strict action against those disrupting the running of buses.

Only 35% of the MTC fleet was running in Chennai. In other parts of the state such as Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Krishnagiri, Erode, Salem, Vellore, Thiruvarur and other districts, private buses came to the rescue of stranded people.

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The defence ministry on Friday passed an order suspending business dealings with controversial arms dealer Sanjay Bhandaris firm Offset India Solutions six months.

Bhandari, who reportedly escaped to London in 2016, is under investigation for possessing classified information on India's defence purchases. The company is involved in executing offset contracts for several foreign military contractors. The firm is being probed for corrupt practices and illegal activities.

The Delhi police had registered an FIR against Bhandari in October 2016 after classified documents were recovered from his home and office. A month later, the CBI registered a preliminary enquiry against Bhandari and his partner Bimal Sareen for their alleged role in the Pilatus PC-7 basic trainer aircraft deal.

Bhandaris firm was served a show cause notice in May 2017 to explain why business dealings with it should not be suspended.
A parliamentary committee has called on the government to stop airlines from jacking up prices during high demand, suggesting the ministry of civil aviation fix a fare ceiling for different routes.

The panel made the suggestion in a report tabled in Parliament on Thursday, comparing the pricing policy followed by airlines to rampant exploitation.

The committee notes that around festivals and for bookings made closer to the date of travel, some airlines are charging more than ten times of the advance booking fare, said the report Issues Related to Improving Consumers Satisfaction of Airlines tabled by the parliamentary panel on transport, tourism and culture.

An industry consultant said the report may not lead to drastic changes since aviation is a deregulated sector. While the parliamentary panels recommendations are not surprising, it is not binding on the government. And it is also legally untenable. In a deregulated sector it is not possible to interfere in a strategic decision such as airfare pricing, said Kapil Kaul, South Asia CEO of aviation consultancy firm CAPA.

The house committee noted the civil aviation ministrys explanation that flight fares are based on international practices. But, it said, economic considerations alone cannot be the criteria for pricing and a mechanism followed in developed nations may not be suitable for India.

The report also suggested that cancellation fees should be capped at 50% of the base fare.

The committee, headed by Trinamool Congress MP Derek OBrien, also noted airlines did not pass a 50% reduction in jet fuel prices to flyers.
The government on Thursday announced the launch of cleanliness survey for this year as part of Swachh Bharat Mission.

The Swachh Survekshan 2018 will rank 500 cities on national level which have more than 1 lakh population, while 3,541 cities with less than 1 lakh population will have State and Regional ranking, according to an official release.

With the roll out of Swachh Survekshan 2018, we look forward to a cleaner India, where each Indian citizen has played his/her part in the nations transformation, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri was quoted as saying at a ministry event.

Providing details of the Swachh Survekshan 2018, the minister said it would be the largest survey impacting more than 40 crore urban population.

The survey attempts to capture the progress in six broad parameters, including collection and transportation of municipal solid waste, sanitation related progress, and whether cities have started campaigns promoting Swachh Survekshan, engaging citizens in waste management, maintenance of community and public toilets.

The Swachh Survekshan-2016 was conducted in January, 2016 assessing 73 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). Mysuru got the tag of the cleanest city of India that year.

The 2017 edition was conducted in January-February 2017 covering 434 ULBs. Indore emerged as the cleanest city in the country in that survey. This year the survey would be conducted from January to March.
A parliamentary panel on external affairs suggested reviving the India-Pakistan dialogue process, despite bilateral relations plummeting over issues ranging from terrorism to the way jailed former naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav is being treated.

The standing committee on external affairs headed by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor recommended an incremental approach to resume the stalled dialogue, saying geo-political realities make such a process a necessity.

The suggestion follows the governments stand that no dialogue is possible without Islamabad stopping patronising anti-India terrorism.

The government told the committee earlier that a meaningful and purposeful dialogue can be held in an environment free from terror, violence and hostility and the onus is on Pakistan to create such an environment.

The committee agreed that Pakistan should abide by its 2004 commitment to not allow its territory to be used for anti-India activities.

The panels recommendation is part of the action taken report on the panels previous report on India-Pakistan relationship. The report was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

Looking at the India-Pakistan relations in its entirety, the committee feels geo-political realities require both the countries to revive the dialogue process, said the committee, which comprises Congress President Rahul Gandhi among others.

The panel said encouraging people-to-people contact and bilateral trade are ideal ways to prepare the ground for a dialogue between the two nations, which fought four wars and faced multiple crises in their fragile ties.

Bilateral dialogue suffered a blow after suspected Pakistan-based terrorists attacked the Pathankot air base on January 2, 2016, killing six soldiers.

The attack happened days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unscheduled visit at former Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharifs home as a goodwill gesture. The two sides were then looking at ways to resume the dialogue despite a trust deficit since the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.

The relationship got more vitiated when a Pakistan military court convicted Jadhav of espionage after he was allegedly arrested in Balochistan in March 2016. Pakistan accused him of working for the Research and Analysis Wing, but India denies the charges.

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Accusing the BJP-led NDA government of targeting Dalits and other minorities, Gujarat MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi must articulate his stand on the violence against Dalits in Maharashtras Koregaon.

Violence erupted during the celebration of the bicentenary of the Bhima Koregaon battle in Pune district of Maharashtra earlier this week.

The Dalit leader, who was recently elected to the Gujarat assembly, said on one hand, Modi paid tributes to Dalit icon BR Ambedkar and talked about his legacy, while on the other, atrocities against the so-called lower castes were being perpetrated.

I will take out a rally in the Capital on January 9, along with RTI activist Akhil Gogoi (who was recently booked under the National Security Act), and later meet the PM with a copy of the Constitution in one hand and the Manu Smriti (ancient code of conduct) in the other and ask him to choose between the two, he said.

Mevani, against whom a case has been filed for allegedly making a provocative speech in Maharashtras Koregaon, denied having said anything to incite violence. He said the case filed against him was political vendetta by the BJP government, which was rattled by its performance in Gujarat where it managed to win 99 seats instead of the projected 150.

I am a lawyer and now an MLA, I have not said a single word in my speech that was inflammatory, I am just being targeted, Mevani told the media.

The Dalit leader, who hit headlines after steering the campaign against the attack on Dalits in Gujarats Una, said the BJP perceived him as a political threat and was trying tarnishing his image ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Members of Sangh Parivar and BJP made a childish attempt to tarnish my image and target me; it is an after effect of the Gujarat results and it is also because they have a sense of fear about 2019, he said.

He added, If a Dalit MP can be targeted, then what will be the fate of an ordinary person who speaks for the farmers and the poor?

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The winter session of Parliament came to an end on Friday, with both houses being adjourned sine die. The Rajya Sabha did not take up the triple talaq bill, with the government earlier rejecting the oppositions insistence on sending the bill to a Select Committee for detailed scrutiny.

A few bills were introduced, and a few motions were adopted. Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu congratulated the members on the work done, but also said members should retrospect on the time wasted in disruptions over various important bills.

Heres what happened on the last day of the winter session:

 Budget session from January 29, budget on February 1

The budget session of Parliament will start on January 29 and the budget will be tabled on February 1, parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar said on Friday.

President Ram Nath Kovind will address a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on January 29. The Economic Survey will also be tabled on the same day.

The session will go on a break on February 9. The second part of the budget session will start on March 5 and conclude on April 6, the minister said.

 World Bank to give $500 mn for skill development programme

A skill development programme with the World Banks assistance of $500 million will be implemented in the country under a six-year schedule, finance minister Arun Jaitley said on Friday.

The Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood (SANKALP) was a project with an estimate of $675 million, Jaitley said in the Lok Sabha. The World Bank assistance of $500 million will come in two tranches of $250 million each.

The first tranche has been approved for implementation. Accordingly, a loan agreement with International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) for an amount of $250 million has been signed by the government on December 13, 2017, he said during Question Hour.

The total repayment period of this loan amount is 18 years including a grace period of 6 years.

 Venkaiah to decide on privilege notice against Rahul

Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said on Friday he will take necessary decision at the earliest on a privilege notice served by BJP MP Bhupinder Yadav against Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

However, he said the matter fell under the purview of the Lok Sabha.

On December 28, Yadav had given notice alleging that the Congress president had intentionally, maliciously and disrespectfully twisted the name of leader of the house and finance minister Arun Jaitley in a tweet.

Gandhi had tweeted in connection with Jaitleys statement after an agreement to end an impasse in the Rajya Sabha was reached between the treasury and opposition benches over Prime Minister Narendra Modis remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat assembly election campaign.

On the last day of the winter session, Yadav wanted to know the fate of his privilege notice, to which Naidu said it was under his consideration.

 Modi walks up to Manmohan in Rajya Sabha, shakes hands

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shook hands on Friday with former prime minister Manmohan Singh soon after the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die.

The handshake came just weeks after the duo was locked in a bitter war of words over the Gujarat election.

After chairman M Venkiah Naidu adjourned the house, Modi was seen moving towards the opposition benches shaking hands with some members. He reached the seat of the former prime minister, shook hands with him for quite some time and spoke to him.

Among others with whom Modi was seen shaking hands were deputy chairman PJ Kurien and veteran Congress leader Karan Singh, who was bid farewell by the upper house as his tenure ends on January 27.

 Man raises slogans inside Lok Sabha, whisked away

A man raised slogans in the visitors gallery of the Lok Sabha on Friday morning, but was immediately whisked away by security personnel.

As soon as finance minister Arun Jaitley ended his reply on farm loan waiver during Question Hour around 11.30am, the man raised Bharat mata ki jai slogan twice. He was immediately taken away by three security personnel present in the visitors gallery.

The proceedings were not disrupted, and security personnel said the speaker would decide on whether the person should be let off or a case registered against him with Delhi Police.

 Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday, bring the winter session to an end.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu congratulated the members on the work done, especially in condemning the treatment by Pakistan to the family members of Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is in a jail in Islamabad.

Naidu, however, said members should retrospect on the time wasted by the house in disruptions over various important bills.

 Bill for international arbitration centre introduced

A bill for establishing an international arbitration centre in Delhi was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill, 2018, was introduced by minister of state for law PP Chaudhary. The bill proposes the establishment of an independent and autonomous regime for institutionalised arbitration and for acquisition and transfer of undertakings of the International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution.

 Lok Sabha adjourned sine die

The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday, bringing the winter session to an end. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the lower house sat for 61 hours over 13 sittings. The session started on December 15.

 Congress doing injustice to Muslim women: Ananth Kumar

Union parliamentary affairs Ministers Ananth Kumar accused the Congress of doing injustice to Muslim women by opposing the triple talaq bill, saying the party should learn from the past and let the legislation pass.

They are not thinking about ensuring justice to Muslim sisters. They are doing injustice the same way they did in the Shah Bano case, Kumar told reporters outside Parliament on Friday.

Condemning the Congresss demand to refer the bill to the Select Committee, Kumar said: Every day, they bring a new excuse and their demand to refer the bill to the Select Committee is just a trick to misguide all. I condemn this.

 Rajya Sabha bades farewell to retiring members

The upper house bade farewell on Friday to three retiring members -- Karan Singh, Janardan Dwivedi and Parvez Hashmi -- all three representing the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad convey their wishes.

 Panel tables report on customer satisfaction with airlines

The parliamentary standing committee for transport has laid a report on the table of Rajya Sabha on issues related to improving customer satisfaction with airlines, reports ANI.

The committee deliberated on issues of exorbitant fares during festival seasons, holiday seasons, natural disasters and political and social unrest.

It also noted that there were many incidents of manhandling, and discourteous and rude behaviour by airline staff. Majority of the committee members said the attitude of airline staff was very condescending, often uncooperative and on many occasions, downright rude.

 BJP questions credibility of Jadhav video

The BJP slammed Pakistan over the release of a video of former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Such videos will be taken seriously only if those circulating the video are credible enough. Unfortunately, Pakistan does not understand that their credibility has reached a nadir. Nobody is now ready to believe what Pakistan is saying, no matter how many such videos they decide to bring out, BJP vice president and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe told ANI.

Another BJP MP Prabhat Jha also questioned the credibility of the video. It would be a mistake to think that Pakistan could release a credible video of Kulbhushan Jadhav, Jha told ANI.

 BJP, Congress issue whip

The BJP issued a whip asking all its MPs to remain present in both the houses of Parliament on Friday.

The Congress also issued a whip on Friday for its members in the Rajya Sabha, asking them to remain present in the house on the last day of the session.

 Bills to be introduced, or taken up for debate and discussion

The Rajya Sabha will take up for consideration the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill, 2017, the triple talaq bill or the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013, the Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017.

In the Lok Sabha, the government will seek to withdraw the Consumer Protection Bill, 2015 and introduce the Consumer Protection Bill, 2018. The lower house will also take up the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill, 2018, the Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
Two of the four suspects in the murder of 28-year-old Deepak Rao in Mangaluru city were shot at while attempting to escape the police dragnet, even as the killing triggered a political blame game in the state.

Police opened fire at the duo identified as Rizwan and Pinky Nawaz when they attempted to flee in a two-wheeler on Wednesday, Karnataka home minister Ramalinga Reddy said.

The injured are being treated in a hospital, he said.

Police also arrested two others Mulky Naushad and Nirsha in connection with the murder, which assumed a political colour after some right-wing groups claimed that the deceased was an activist of the Bajarang Dal, a Hindu outfit.

Rao was hacked to death with sharp weapons by four men on Wednesday.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation to the bereaved family.

I condemn the dastardly act of murdering young Deepak Rao, and offer my deepest condolences to the family for their loss, he said in a tweet.

Following the killing, the BJP has accused the Congress-led state government of failing to protect Hindu activists in the state.

State BJP general secretary CT Ravi claimed 24 Hindutva activists, including Rao, had been killed in the state over the past four years.

These killings prove that there is no safety for people and indicate a total collapse of law-and-order machinery, he said.

The Congress government gives a political angle to a killing whenever the BJP raises safety concerns, Ravi said.

The government of chief minister Siddaramaiah has never shown political will to crush terrorist and anti-social elements. On the other hand, it is now clear that it wants to forge an alliance with the Social Democratic Party of India, he alleged.

The SDPI is a political wing of the Popular Front of India (PFI), an Islamic organisation with alleged terror links.

Reddy vehemently denied the BJP charges and said that there was no evidence to link Rao or his killers with any organisations.

Communal tensions are being fanned with a clear eye on the elections, Reddy said. It is not clear if Rao was a Hindutva activist or if any of those arrested were PFI activists, but this has not stopped the BJP from terming this a political murder.

He said the BJP is trying to give political colour to all the killings in the state and referred to the recent death of Paresh Mesta, whose body was found in a lake.

Mestas father rejected the claim of the BJP that he was a Sangh activist, Reddy said.

According to Reddy over the past four years there had been 17 political killings, of which six were activists of the PFI.

If the BJP is keen on banning those who indulged in political murders then they should also call for a ban on those who killed the PFI activists, he added.

The right-wing outfits are blamed for the killing of PFI activists in the state.

Dakshina Kannada and other districts in coastal Karnataka of late have witnessed a spurt in communal tension with the political parties gearing up for assembly elections due in April this year.

Reddy said the Congress government will increase its efforts to ensure peace in the area and will consider holding meetings with the leaders of various religious communities.

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A large photograph of Jaish e-Mohammad founder Masood Azhar in a collage with a gun-wielding picture of slain Kashmiri militant Fardeen Ahmad adorns the latters two storey house in Tral, the epicentre of militancy in restive Jammu and Kashmir.

Fardeen (16) led the fidayeen (suicide) attack on a CRPF camp in South Kashmirs Lethpora on Sunday, killing five jawans.

The poster hails both Azhar and Ahmad as tigers of Jaish, who have taught the infidels a lesson.

This is not the only poster eulogising Trals slain militants, including Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani who was killed in 2016.

Numerous such posters appear even half a kilometer before one reaches house of Ghulam Mohiuddin Khanday, Fardeens policeman father.

An uneasy calm envelopes the house that was observing the fourth day of mourning since his death (chahrum). Close friends and relatives of the bereaved family had gathered in the house offering condolences even as Fardeens father was away for some work.

At what used to be Fardeens study, mother Wazira was sitting with her slain sons twin brother Faizan.

Both the mother and the son could not point to any specific incident or a trigger that could have led the studios teenager becoming a suicide attacker.

I used to be with him all throughout the day but there was no indication what so ever about his inclination towards militancy, said Faizan, who appeared class 10 exams, a month after his brother left home.

Both were studying in the same class in an English medium school in Tral.

He did not miss a single class, his attendance was 100 percent till the day he disappeared, Wazira added. The distraught mother said he used to be among the class toppers. The mother, however, said Fardeen was an introvert  who did not share with his brother or friends what was going on in his mind.

According to the family, Wanis killing, which triggered unrest in 2016 leaving over 100 dead, did not affect Fardeen. We had left Tral and went to our relatives place in Khrew, Faizan said.

His relatives said Fardeen showed no resistance against the state and was in fact, quite close to his father who serves as a head constable in the state police.

He was another ordinary person like us, who would go to tuitions in the morning with his brother and just concentrate on his studies, said a neighbour who did not want to be named.

Family members said Fardeen had no phone or access to internet and denied any knowledge of him being influenced by social media or any person. Wazira, however, said a slain Hizb militant Auqib Maulvi, who was killed in March last year had been his `Quran tutor before he joined Burhan Wani.

Both Burhan and Auqib appeared in several photos and videos that had been widely circulated on social media. Auqib, Fardeens neighbour in Hyuna village had joined militancy sometime in 2013. Auqib had memorised the Quran and was teaching children of the locality.

While insisting that Fardeen showed no such inclinations, Wazira said, He had understood the religion well. He would talk about Jahanum and Jannat and used to say that worldly life is nothing.

The only time Wazira said she saw the teenager showing any emotion was at the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmmar . He used to say that children are being snatched from their mothers laps and burnt, she recalled.

They however insisted he had never even discussed Babri Masjid demolition or parliament attack convict Afzal Gurus hanging-- the events mentioned in the now infamous video Fardeen had shot before leading the attack on the CRPF camp in Lethpora.

Fardeen had gone missing on September 15 last year and nearly a month later, a picture of the missing teenager appeared on social media posing with an AK-47 rifle with Jaish-e-Mohammad inscribed on the corner of the picture.

Speaking to Hindustan Times a senior police officer said that police had inputs that Fardeen was inclined towards suicide missions.

Jaish militant Noor Mohammad Tantry who was killed on December 26 was responsible for such level of indoctrination, he said.

The four-feet tall Tantray was killed in an encounter in Pulwama on December 26. Justifying Fardeens action, the banned militant group had said he had volunteered himself for `the attack.

Fardeen was not given permission for the mission initially but he offered to snatch rifle from security forces to prove his caliber. It was his determination which forced us to let him participate in the mission, a Jaish statement reads.

Police officials believe that after being shattered by Tantrays death the minor militant became ``an easy pawn in the hands of his handlers.
The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) requested superstar-turned-politician Rajinikanth on Friday to stop a proposed goat sacrifice in a Tamil Nadu temple that his fans had announced as part of a special prayer for his political success.

The animal rights organisation made the request after one of the oldest Rajinikanth fan clubs based in Madurai said it will sacrifice goats at the local Alagarkoil shrine on January 7 and host a feast for at least 1,000 people.

The superstar, who announced last Sunday plans to enter politics, was not available for comments as he is away on a foreign tour.

In a letter to the superstar, who has nearly 80,000 fans clubs across Tamil Nadu and abroad, PETA official Nikunj Sharma wrote: The power you hold can help make a positive difference to the lives of all living beings.

PETA asked the administration and police to prevent the planned sacrifice, saying such cruelty against animals is illegal in the country. Sharma reminded that killing of animals outside a licensed slaughterhouse is not allowed by law.

He cited the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, which says anyone can be punished if that person mutilates or kills an animal  in any unnecessarily cruel manner. Also, Section 429 of the Indian Penal Code considers killing or maiming an animal a punishable offence, Sharma said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the conference of parliamentarians of Indian origin (PIOs) from 23 countries here on January 9.

Over 140 members of parliament and mayors will attend the meet at the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra at Chanakyapuri, Dnyaneshwar M Mulay, secretary in charge of overseas Indian affairs, said. He said invitations were sent to 30 countries after getting feedback on diaspora presence there from various Indian missions and 23 had confirmed their participation.

A total of 141 public representatives from these countries are scheduled to participate. 124 MPs from the UK, Canada, Fiji, Kenya, Mauritius, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and other countries are slated to take part, he said, adding that 17 mayors from US, Malaysia, Switzerland, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago were scheduled to join the day-long event.

When asked why no MPs were participating from the US, the MEA official said it was because of the ongoing session of its Senate. In response to a question, Mulay said no Saarc country except Sri Lanka was invited.

Asked if the conference could provide a platform in furthering the governments efforts towards making Hindi one of the official languages of the UN, he said, We give a lot of priority to Hindi. And when participants from countries like Fiji and Mauritius will come and speak in Hindi, it will, on its own give it the right push.
Former deputy chief minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badals push for amending Article 25 of the Constitution to identify Sikhism as a separate religion is an expedient tool for political gains, the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has no ideology, it follows the policy of duplicity. When in power it says one thing and when out of power, it makes statements that are sensational, GS Gill, national president of the Sangat, said on Thursday. The BJP is an ally of the SAD and the RSS is the ideological mentor of the BJP.

In an interview to HT, Badal had underlined his partys position to press for an amendment to the Constitution, but Gill questioned the stance.

According to the 2011 census, nearly 30% of Punjabs population comprises Scheduled Castes (SC), and if Sikhism is not clubbed with Hinduism, these people will lose the benefits of reservation. SCs in Punjab will not be able to enjoy the quota benefits. Why should they suffer? Gill said.

Reacting to Badals statement, the RSS reiterated that it did not seek to merge Sikhism with Hinduism. RSS recognises Sikhism as a separate religion. And in spite of all the diversities, we are one people, one nation, Manmohan Vaidya, the all India spokesperson of the RSS told HT.

Sikh groups have accused the RSS and the Sangat of trying to subsume the Sikh identity within the Hindu fold. The Sangat and the RSS have always respected our gurus and our faith as a separate religion, there is no scope for confusion over this issue, Gill said. RSS ideologue Rakesh Sinha, too, dubbed Badals statement as political posturing.

Such demands are intended to fulfil the appetite of a political constituency. The unity is derived not from constitutional definition but social, cultural and historical oneness. Ram appeared more than 9,000 times in the sacred text Gurugranth Sahib, so did Krishna and Bhagwati. What else do we need for more commonality? he said.

He went on to add: Had there been no Sikh gurus such as Teg Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh, Hinduism would have been in more miserable position, the Sikh Gurus were saviours from brutal Mughal regime.

While the social bond is strong, identity of Sikhism is undiluted and uncontested. Hindu way of life is based on existence and furtherance of plurality and assimilation, however, political binary is effecting social fabric of the Punjab which requires greater respect for Sikh identity and it was exhibited during the Prakash Parva, the conclusion of the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, Sinha added.

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Senior NCP leader and former deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council Vasant Davkhare died here on Thursday after a prolonged illness.

He was 67.

Davkhare breathed his last at Bombay Hospital, where he was admitted on November 20 due to a renal and heart condition, according to his family sources.

Condoling Davkhares death, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he was saddened to know about the demise of the NCP leader.

My deepest condolences to his family, friends and followers, Fadnavis said.

Maharashtra Pradsh Congress Committee president Ashok Chavan told PTI that Davkhare was a very friendly person, and that he was one of the few politicians who are so deeply connected with the people.

It is sad to hear about his death. We have fond memories of Davkhare who rose from the post of Mayor of Thane Municipal Corporation to the Deputy Chairman of Legislative council. I have seen him closely. He was a friendly person and one of the few who are so deeply connected with the masses, Chavan said.

The former chief minister said he met Davkhare around a month back and even in sickness the latter showed the courage and the willingness to fight his ailment.

Expressing grief, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said Davkhares funeral will be held at 3 pm tomorrow.

Shiv Sena MLC Anil Parab said the NCP leader had good relations with everybody beyond party lines and that it was a big loss for all his friends.

He was not only a big leader but a friend to all as well. He had good relations with all Sena leaders and hence we have lost a close friend. He will be forever remembered for his nature, Parab said.

Davkhare was first elected as corporator in the Thane Municipal Corporation in 1986.

In 1987, he was elected as Mayor of Thane Municipal Corporation.

He became the Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council in 1990s.

In July 2010, he was re-elected unopposed as the Deputy Chairman.

Davkhare was away from the active politics for the last one year as his health started failing him.

His son Niranjan Davkhare is the NCP MLC.
Jammu and Kashmir police have arrested six persons, suspected to be working as conduit for getting mobile SIM cards for militants by forging army documents in north Kashmirs Baramulla.

Police suspect that hundreds of such SIMs may have reached militants or criminals.

A large number of people, including militants, might be using such SIMs procured through forged documents. The investigation is in its preliminary stage and we have to reach these end users, said Senior Superintendent of Police, Baramulla, Imtiyaz Hussain.

The racket was busted by security forces on January 1 after specific information provided by the armys military intelligence, police sources said.

On subsequent investigation, it was found that these over ground workers (OGWs) of militants were using fake stamps and forged documents of various army units based in north Kashmir to obtain SIM cards, a police statement revealed.

Of the six accused, two are proprietors of printing presses based in Baramulla.

Police officials said that their modus operandi was simply to write an authentication letter on fake letter heads of some military officials along with a fake stamp.

Telecom companies normally dont make further enquiries when the authentication comes from army and they immediately provide the SIM card, Hussain said.

The officer said that they have recovered around 20 fake stamps of different army units and fake documents in favour of some 40 names.

All those names are fictitious. They have no address and no identity, Hussain added.

The officer said that they need more time to unearth the entire racket.

This module has been operating for quite some time in Baramulla. There may be more people, Hussain said.
Heres something for the birdwatchers in India to crow about.

A crow, native to Africa, has been spotted for the first time in India  at a cattle carcass dump in Rajasthans Jodhpur.

The sole Pied Crow (corvus albus), smaller than the crows native to India and with white chest and belly, was spotted and photographed in August last year by Pranjal J Saikia, deputy chief geologist with Oil India Limited, and Vinod Puri Goswami, an avid bird watcher.

On August 13, 2017, we observed an adult Pied Crow together with few common house crows at a cattle carcass dump, about 20 kms from Jodhpur. Identifying the bird was easy, as we did not know of any other similar looking species, said Saikia.

The bird, he said, looked healthy and was attempting to socialise with the other crows. However, the ravens and crows at the spot seemed to be avoiding it.

Saikia said they found the Pied Crow at the same location on August 14.

Enthused, they returned to the spot several times over the next few days, but by then the bird had flown away.

We visited the spot numerous times in the past seven years but had never come across a Pied Crow. The spotting of the bird assumes significance as the species is not reported from South Asia or, in fact, anywhere in the Oriental Region, he added.

Puri said that the Pied Crow is found in almost the whole of sub-Saharan Africa southwards from Mauritania and Mali, central Chad and on the Red Sea coast of Sudan till Cape of Good Hope, apart from the islands of Bioko, Glorioso and Madagascar.

Goswami said the nearest this bird was recorded to India was at the island of Socotra, off the coast of Yemen in 20032004. Socotra is more than 2500 km from Jodhpur, across the northern Arabian Sea and farther away from it by the land route.

The sighting at the Jodhpur has triggered the obvious question: how did the bird reach India in general and Rajasthan in particular.

It would really be exceptional for a wild vagrant to have reached India after crossing the Arabian Sea or via land, said Saikia.

The birders say that strong monsoon winds have the potential to blow weak individuals to the northern Indian coast. However, such windblown birds, when recovered, are either dead or dying. Also, it is usually inexperienced and immature birds that get caught in the storms, and get disoriented before being blown away. But the individual sighted in Jodhpur was adult and healthy, Saikia said, adding some instances have been recorded when Pied Crows have crossed oceans with the assistance of ships.

The possibility of a bird being transported across the Arabian Sea and landing in Gujarat, or Pakistan, and then wandering a bit in search of feeding areas, until it reached Jodhpur, cannot be discounted, bird watchers said.

The experts also discounted the theory of the particular bird being a captive or having escaped from a zoo. They said, there were no recent records of any Indian zoo having a Pied Crow,

The first sighting of the Pied Crow was recently published in the Indian Birds journal too.
The Shri Rajput Karni Sena on Friday announced that it will hold a mahakumbh in Chittor on January 27 as a show of strength of the Rajput community which is demanding a ban on the film Padmavati.

Lokendra Singh Kalvi, chief of the Karni Sena, said, We want our force to be felt. Through us we want the world to see the virtuous land of queen Padmini and Bappa Rawal.

I am exhorting all Rajput organisations, social organisations and like-minded persons to congregate in Chittor. I will hold a mahakumbh on the land where Padmini committed jauhar.

The Shri Rajput Karni Sena ran a violent campaign last year demanding a ban on Padmavati, director Sanjay Leela Bhansalis magnum opus that allegedly distorts history and shows queen Padmini in poor light.

Kalvi said that the pre-screening of the film for historians was a big victory for the Sena as they have long been demanding that such a pre-screening board be set up for historical films that will look into and resolve any controversy.

On January 30, 2017, Bhansali had promised us that he would hold a pre-screening for us when the film was ready. But he went back on his word. He was to hold a screening for nine people but invited only three  former royal Arvind Singh Mewada, historians KK Singh and Chandramani Singh. All three have unanimously said the film should not be released.

There was talk of chopping off heads and noses over Padmini. But all that has got chopped off is the I in Padmavati, said Kalvi.

He said Bhansali was still not clear if the film in historical or fiction. He has changed his stance several times. In Parliament, he told the panel that the film is fiction while in the UK he applied for certification under the historical drama category.

Bhansali screened the film for select journalists who praised it to the skies. But then why this talk of 26 cuts recommended by the Central Board of Film Certification and changes to the song ghoomar?

He said that the films popularity has gone up due to the Karni Sena and the controversy generated over it. Our problem is that the film depicts history incorrectly and it should not become a means to earn money. The filmmakers might be thinking that they can save money on advertisements due to the controversy and then try to arrive at a compromise. But we will only settle for a ban, he said.

I visited capitals of all states except Kolkata and Srinagar. Six states have so far agreed to ban the film. Now, I am hopeful that prime minister Narendra Modi will do something.
Transfers in the state police department are done on the recommendations of politicians, a list from the police headquarters circulating on social media, has revealed.

The list for transfers of 145 sub-inspectors has a separate column to show which politician or political office has recommended the movement.

The list shows that five of the transfers were recommended from none less than the chief ministers office (CMO).

There are recommendations from ministers, parliamentarian, legislators and parliamentary secretaries. This discounts recommendations from the home department and senior police officials.

According to the list, there are five recommendations are from the CMO, four each from ministers and legislators, seven from parliamentarians and two from parliamentary secretaries.

The letter from the state police headquarters is dated January 4, and has been sent to district superintendents of police), deputy commissioners of police (headquarters) and to Jaipur and Jodhpur police commissioners.

The letter seeks information about the sub-inspectors before they can be transferred on the basis of the recommendations, is also mentioned in the letter.

Former police officers said it was a common practice for staff seeking transfers to get letters of recommendations from ministers and public representatives but this probably is the first time that such a thing has become public.

The list has caused consternation among the top echelons of the home department with the home minister himself saying that this was unjustified. I am out of station and have not seen the list but if such thing has happened, it is unjustified, Gulab Chand Kataria said over phone.

Rajasthan police chief OP Galhotra said, People might make recommendations but it is for the department to look at the merits.

Transfers in the police departments are done on merit.

One of the legislators mentioned on the list, who did not wish to be named, said, As a public representative it is our duty to write recommendation letters for people from our constituency.

These recommendations are not binding on departments.

State Congress president Sachin Pilot said that the BJP government wanted to politicize the police and called it unfortunate.

Linking the list to upcoming elections, he said the government was planning to misuse the police in view of its impending defeat. Pilot said police stations are an important unit in maintaining the law and order, and postings on the basis of political remunerations are against the public interest.
The Shree Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena on Friday demanded a ban on Padmavati after slamming Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani and censor board chief Prasoon Joshi for allowing its release with a U/A certificate.

I want to ask the central government what benefits will they get by supporting this movie? All the Hindu parties from whom we learnt about Hinduism are quiet on this film, Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, President of Karni Sena, told the media here.

The central government is mum on this film as Viacom18 Motion Pictures, which is a foreign company, made it during the time of demonetisation. During a time when we were not able to get Rs 4,000, how come (Sanjay Leela) Bhansali managed to get 160 to 180 crore rupees.

Bhansali has even got a certification from Britain through (David) Headley, who is currently in jail. I want to know why Bhansali has not been jailed? Why is he not being quizzed about (his) anti-national (activities)?

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) last week announced its decision to grant the certification to the controversial Bhansali directorial -- subject to five modifications including a title change.

The decision was arrived at following a meeting in the presence of Joshi and a special panel comprising Arvind Singh from Udaipur, historian Chandramani Singh and Professor K.K. Singh of Jaipur University.

However, Gogamedi said: After watching Padmavati, Arvind Singh and K.K. Singh said this film will ignite protests. Despite that, Prasoon Joshi has given the green light to the movie.

If CBFC wanted to take a decision on their own, why they did they invite people from our community? We will soon protests against this movie and will burn effigies of Smriti Irani and Prasoon Joshi.

Joshi has said the special panel was only for an advisory purpose.

Padmavati was earlier slated for release on December 1 but it got caught up in a major row after leaders of the Rajput community claimed the film insulted their history. The makers are yet to make any announcement about the film.

The film features Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.
A small-time farmer from Fatehpur is besotted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi so much that he wrote a 151-feet-long handwritten congratulatory letter to him.

While his gift, which was designed in over six months, was unique, the return gift that he got was just priceless.

Meet Roop Narayan Singh Chauhan of Kanpurs Yadgarpur village, who got to see the Prime Minister in person on January 2 in New Delhi.

He is the most respected figure in my life. I wanted to meet him and do something to show his greatness, said Singh, while showing his photos with the Prime Minister and the card that he made.

It is a letter. One side has my messages for the PM and on the other side, it is saffron and green, says the man soon after he was back from New Delhi.

He started working on the letter last year and focused entirely on two points.

While first was the policies of the Prime Minister and their impact on the lives of the people, second part was all about how Fatehpur and adjoining districts feel about him.

The first part carries a detailed description of schemes run by the union government and why they are important for the country, he says

The entire letter is handwritten and it is in two parts; I have tried to be artistic and managed enough clarity in my work, he said.

The Prime Minister was happy and appreciated the work a great deal in the meeting.

He reportedly said, It was the happiest moment of my life.

Father of three children, Chauhan found the PM extremely grounded and full of affection.

Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti took him to the Prime Minister.

Chauhan is a small time farmer and runs a tea shop near GT road outside his village.
The Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party government has painted the outer wall of the Uttar Pradesh State Haj Committee office in saffron, in a move that could trigger a fresh controversy in the state.

The wall of the office located near the BJP headquarters and the chief ministers secretariat Lok Bhavan has been painted in two shades of saffron but the main building remains white.

State haj minister Mohsin Raza, who often wears a saffron waistcoat, said there is no need for any controversy.

Saffron is a bright and energetic colour. It has made the building even more beautiful. The opposition has no big issues against us so they keep raising inconsequential matters, state haj minister Mohsin Raza, who often wears a saffron waistcoat, said.

The office facilitates the pilgrimage to Mecca by making various arrangements, checking documents and providing a training programme for the pilgrims from the state.

Earlier in September, the state government painted the secretariat annexe building (Shastri Bhawan) in shades of saffron and also launched a rural bus service with a saffron-coloured fleet.

We know that this government does not hide its political agenda. They often do things that touch the sensitivities of Muslims. But any particular colour has no significance in Islam. All colours are beautiful, Athar Hussain, director of Lucknows Centre for Objective Research and Development, said.

The colour saffron is mostly associated with Hinduism and the BJP.

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Does your boss switch between being friendly and nasty at the drop of a hat? It may make you more anxious than having an employer who is in a bad mood all the time, a study conducted in India and the UK has found. Not being able to predict how their boss is going to act towards them has a detrimental effect on the productivity of workers, researchers said.

Far from the stereotypical view that ruthless and unsympathetic managers cause the greatest issues for employees, researchers from the University of Exeter in the UK showed that bosses who switch between being friendly and severe at the drop of a hat are actually most damaging. Experts found even a poor but consistent relationship with managers was better for workers than one that was influenced by mood swings. The impact is worse when colleagues dont have a supportive relationship with their co-workers.

Academics measured how ambivalent staff felt about their manager -- to what extent they had both positive and negative views about them. The focus is usually on trying to work out if relationships between staff and bosses are good or bad, but they can sometimes be both, and it is important to measure that, said Allan Lee, from University of Exeter in the UK. Bosses reward and punish their workers, and this has an impact on self-esteem. If their staff have to adopt different roles at different times because they have a manager who can be both nasty and nice they view him or her in an ambivalent way, Lee said.

If your boss is both pleasant and unpleasant to be around it is hard to know what they think about you, and if you cant predict how they will act, he said. This makes it hard to trust them. This creates negative emotions and makes staff feel anxious, causing poor performance at work, he added. The study shows employees can compensate for an ambivalent relationship with their boss if they have a good relationship with other colleagues.

Researchers carried out four surveys in three companies -- two in the UK and one in India, asking what they thought about their bosses and how they performed in different tasks. The 320 staff who took part worked in a service centre, providing telephone-based customer service support or outsourced human resources services and other business tasks. A total of 60 teams of staff were examined, they shared a single supervisor but worked independently of each other.

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Culinary aficionados have a reason to be happy this season as Delhis most rejoiced destination Connaught Place is all set to embrace the party scene with Master of Malts. Located in the heart of Central Delhi, the outlet is one of a kind bar that does not only cater to the taste buds, but also is a hit for the glittering nightlife of the capitals elite.

Boasting impressive graphics from the Retro Era of the 1980s, the outlet nestles a premium lounge bar, exquisite and very regal private dining area and an outside lobby that would resembles gallery from the era.

A relaxed yet pulsating vibe, Master of Malts is a perfect weekend getaway. (Shutterstock)

Catering to dining circuit of the Delhi-NCR, Master of Malts offers authentic continental, North Indian, Chinese, European and Asian cuisine along with the main focal point being splendid bar collection of whiskeys and single malts.

Talking about the roof-top seating which has irked the customers lately, Nishant Sukhija said, Rooftop ban is not a good move by NDMC because in winters people love to sit outside in the bright sun and enjoy their meal and drinks.

A relaxed yet pulsating vibe, Master of Malts is a perfect weekend getaway with quality food and drinks that fits the bills as the perfect venue for just about everyone. So head over to the Master of Malts to experience and convince your expectations and bar of value for money.

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PITCH PERFECT 3 Direction: Trish Sie Actors: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson Rating: 1 / 5

They may have gone their separate ways after graduating from college but the all-girl a cappella group grabs the opportunity to reunite in this third (and reportedly final) installment of the Pitch Perfect franchise.

Thats the good news. The bad news is that the endeavor is soon hit by the curse of the threequel.

The recycled narrative is set in motion when the sisterhood of champions heads to Europe to participate in a competition for the benefit of the US Armed Forces.

This time, they have to contend with rival bands that compose their own tunes and even provide instrumental backup. Celebrated hip-hop producer DJ Khaled is roped in to judge the event.

There is none of the energy and freshness of the preceding editions. From the songs to the performances, everything has a rote, third-hand feel to it.

The script veers into ludicrous territory with the introduction of subplots involving a cartoonish criminal (John Lithgow) and a making-of documentary duo (Elizabeth Banks-John Michael Higgins).

Director Trish Sie manages to stage a couple of dance-powered routines, most notably a rendition of George Michaels Freedom led by Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson. But thats about it.

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Questioning how cinema goers can be forced to purchase food and water from theatres, the Bombay high court on Thursday said nobody should be prohibited from carrying these into malls and multiplexes from outside.

They cannot frisk people and take away all the food items, said a division bench of justice RM Borde and justice Rajesh Ketkar. There you are not entering a sensitive area like an airport to pose a security threat, the judges said, questioning the need to frisk patrons entering cinema halls although they are already checked by means of door-frame metal detectors.

The bench said the state government must come out with a clear policy allowing citizens to carry food and water bottles inside multiplexes and malls. It was hearing a public interest litigation filed by city resident Jinendra Baxi, challenging the ban.

In his PIL, the film writer and director highlighted that patrons are not allowed to carry their own food items and water bottles inside theatres when there is no legal restriction on permitting the same inside cinema halls, but fast food is being served in several theatres, especially multiplexes and also permitted to be consumed inside theatres, although there is a restriction imposed on the same by Rule 121 of the Maharashtra Cinemas (Regulation) Rules, 1966.

Baxi contended that the ban violated fundamental right to life of medically vulnerable persons and senior citizens. His PIL stated the Maharashtra government being the licencing authority for cinema theatres was legally bound to ensure that the right to life of the citizens is not undermined. It added that though the petitioner had submitted representations to the government for getting the wrong rectified, the government did not respond to his pleas.

His lawyer, advocate Aditya Pratap, urged the court to direct the government to impose a condition  as one of the licensing conditions for theatres  not to prohibit any cinema goer from carrying his or her own food and water inside the theatre and breach of the condition should invite action like revocation of the licence.

The court has also asked the lawyer to submit within a week to the government petitioners suggestions on the issue. The government, in turn, has been directed to clarify its stand on the issues within three weeks.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP from Satara, Udayanraje Bhosale, left his party fuming on Friday after he lent his support to Sambhaji Bhide, one of the prime accused in the Bhima-Koregaon violence.

After the incident, which led to tensions among communities in the state, Bhosale  the 13th descendent of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj  said Bhide had nothing to do with the controversy.

Bhide is like a father figure to me. I respect him and will continue to do so. He has nothing to do with all this. Those who are making allegations are unworthy of saying anything against him. He has a PhD in Physics and is a great person. The authorities should have thought twice before registering a case under the Atrocities Act against him, Bhosale told a Marathi channel.

Bhosale added that Milind Ekbote, another accused in the case, was his friend and had advised him not to make provocative statements.

His statement comes at a time when NCP chief Sharad Pawar has been blaming fringe groups for the clashes at Pune. Pawar also blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government for failing to handle the situation.

Thousands of people gather at Bhima-Koregaon every year,and it has no history of violence. Anticipating a large gathering on the occasion of the bicentenary, the authorities should have taken due precautions, Pawar had said.

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As Dalit groups staged protests in various parts of the city and state, there was a sense of deja vu for some in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The immediate question on their mind was: Will the Bhima-Koregaon incident turn into another Ramabai Nagar case?

In 1997, 10 people were killed after the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) opened fire on Dalit groups protesting at Ghatkopars Ramabai Nagar following the desecration of a statue of Dr Ambedkar nearby. The incident put the then Shiv Sena-BJP government on the defensive. A judicial probe was ordered. The SRPF, in its defence, said they opened fire to control the violent mob. The episode, however, led to mistrust among the Dalits towards the saffron combine. As a result, the community drifted away from the alliance and rallied behind the Congress-NCP during the 1999 Assembly elections. This was regarded as one of the reasons why the Sena-BJP combine was voted out of power then.

As chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tries to control the political damage caused over the past two days, the party will expect him to convince the Dalit community  which forms 10% of the states population  that the Bhima-Koregaon case wont be a repetition of the Ramabai Nagar incident.

In July 1997, 10 people were killed after the State Reserve Police Force opened fire on Dalit groups protesting at Ghatkopars Ramabai Nagar following the desecration of a statue of Dr Ambedkar nearby.

This will be his second biggest challenge, after his handling of the massive Maratha protests last year. Compared to the Marathas, Dalits are fewer, but they form an important element of Maharashtras political arithmetic.

The incidents over the past three days  in which some Dalit outfits were seen venting their ire at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP  have come as a setback to the BJPs plans to woo the Dalit community. During the 2014 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the party managed to get the attention of a community that was traditionally tilted towards Congress and socialist parties. With Ramdas Athawales Republican Party of India (A) joining the BJP-led front, the party secured the communitys votes at several places.

On Wednesday, as Dalit youths took to the streets in large numbers, their common complaint was that the government responded to upper castes such as the Marathas immediately, but ignored the Dalits demands.

With Maratha outfits planning to revive the agitations for reservation in government jobs and education, the government cant afford the Dalits targeting it.

The BJP has been on the defensive. First they tried to paint it as a Maratha-versus-Dalit caste war. Then they blamed us. If you lose trust of a community it is difficult to get it back, said a senior Congress leader.

Political analysts said the Fadnavis government will have to assure the Dalits no injustice will be meted out to them.

The ruling BJP will have to handle the issue carefully. It will help the party politically if its approach is all-inclusive, said political analyst B Venkatesh Kumar.

A senior BJP minister, however, ruled out the notion that the Dalit community would go against his party.

The anger is more of a reaction to the Maratha communitys aggression seen throughout last year. Maharashtra has a history of Maratha-versus-Dalit tussle so we dont think it will be aimed at us. As long as political calculations are concerned, things can change. We have Athawale on our side. He is still popular among Dalits in Mumbai, Pune, Nashik,he added.

Significantly, the Opposition, Congress-NCP, are trying to ensure that the issues doesnt take a Maratha-versus-Dalit angle. As such, its leaders are pointing out the involvement of right-wing fringe elements in the Pune clashes.

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A non-governmental organisation (NGO) operating a drug rehabilitation centre near Tardeo regional transport office (RTO) has alleged that the police are wrongly detaining former addicts, who are part of the de-addiction programme at the centre.

In the past six months, the Tardeo police have detained five people seeking opioid substitution therapy at the rehabilitation centre in Mumbai Central. In their defence, the police said the action was taken after they received complaints of nuisance created by drug addicts outside the centre.

In the latest incident, Tardeo police detained a 30-year-old man on December 21 from outside the centre run by Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust. The detainee is part of a de-addiction programme at the centre. The centre said the man, who was found by the field workers, was undergoing opioid substitution therapy  a programme run by the government  since November.

A policeman in a civil dress detained the man while he was on his way to the centre to get his daily medicines. He is a former drug addict, who has been put on opioid substitution therapy, said Ashwini Sutar, programme manager, Sankalp Rehabilitation Trust.

Eldred Tellis, founder of the NGO, wrote to the senior inspector at Tardeo police station and said the police action was out of sync with the rationale of the de-addiction programme.

The letter reads: The action taken by the police doesnt go hand-in-hand with our immediate need of working with drug users in an enabling environment. Hence, it is of utmost importance that your police team understand our work and support it.

Tellis added that other drug users may not avail help from the NGO fearing detention by the police.

This means escalation of HIV among addicts, who share a needle while doing drugs, Tellis wrote.

Commenting on the issue, a senior official from Tardeo police station said they were only acting on complaints they have been receiving.

We had received complaints that drug addicts sit outside the centre and create nuisance for the passers-by. We met the NGO authorities to discuss the matter, said Sanjay Surve, senior inspector, Tardeo police station.
Two months after 26 people complained of food poisoning on the Tejas Express, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has decided to supply food on the train from its base kitchens at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Ratnagiri.

The supply of food on the Tejas Express will begin from January 15. Currently, the CSMT base kitchen is being modified to cater to the demand of food supply in the trains. Apart from Tejas Express, the CSMT kitchen will also be providing food on the Allahabad  Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) Duronto Express, Ernakulam AC Duronto Express and Howrah-CSMT Duronto Express, from January 19.

On the Tejas Express, the breakfast will be provided by the CSMT base kitchen and the lunch will be provided by the Ratnagiri kitchen. The IRCTC has its base kitchen in Mumbai Central, CSMT, Nagpur, Bhusawal and Baroda. It is very important to check the quality of the food being served and therefore, it was decided that food will be provided from the base kitchen, said an IRCTC official.

Meanwhile, the IRCTC had decided to start surveillance of their base kitchens in the city to keep a check on the hygiene and the quality of food, through closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. The IRCTC staff officers at the two base kitchens will be in-charge of the constant monitoring. IRCTC officers also conducted surprise checks at the kitchens.

On October 15, 26 passengers including a six-year-old, were hospitalised as they complained of food poisoning after eating a meal served on-board.

The laboratory tests conducted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had however concluded that the food was fit for consumption.
Former chief minister Narayan Rane, who has been waiting to be inducted in the state cabinet for more than three months, on Friday, said that he is not in the habit of waiting for long.

Rane also expressed the hope of being inducted into the cabinet very soon.

Three MLAs and one MP will soon join his newly formed outfit Maharashtra Swabhiman Party (MSP), said Rane, while addressing the media at Kudal in Sindhudurg.

Rane said that the enrolment drive for the party membership will begin from February 1 and the partys next aim will be to win three seats of the assembly and one seat from Sindhudurg in the Lok Sabha.

Rane has also criticised the local administration led by Shiv Sena leader and minister of state for home (rural) Deepak Kesarkar, who is the guardian minister of Sindhudurg.

Not a single assurance given in 2014 has been completed by the state administration, be it the airport, sea world project or the roads in the district. The revenue administration has totally collapsed. People are very upset with the administration for its inefficiency, he said.

Rane, who quit Congress in September, floated MSP in October after he was assured by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership that he will be inducted in the state cabinet.
The prosecutions case against Chhota Rajan and his henchmen for allegedly killing journalist J Dey is facing a touch challenge in both establishing the motive behind the killing and the identity of the assailants. Reason: key witnesses have not turned up in court.

The prosecution has not been able to secure the presence of an eye witness  a watchman  present at the spot where Dey was murdered. The witness had identified the killers at the time of test identification parade. He had also said he was threatened by people claiming association with the gang. He was also provided with police protection, but sources claimed that he failed to appear and depose before the court out of fear.

The prosecution will now heavily rely on call data records of the four alleged killers and also the CCTV footages, in which the bikes the killers used were captured. Since the images were blur, the prosecution had examined an expert from the US who helped the CBI identify the numbers of the bikes from the CCTV footages.

The prosecution will also have a tough task of proving motive and connection of Chhota Rajan, who allegedly ordered Deys killing. The investigative agency had claimed that Dey had published several articles against Rajan that had angered the gangster. Later, the prosecution claimed that Rajan came to know about a book Dey was about to publish, in which Rajan was allegedly portrayed as a small gang leader. This angered Rajan even more and he ordered to kill Dey, said the CBI.

However, the prosecution claimed that the gangster, through various media interviews, has admitted to having ordered to kill the senior journalist. Also, the prosecution has been relying on reports of voice samples collected from Rajan that matched with the interview tapes.

However, the prosecution had not examined Rajendra Singh, the officer of a forensic lab who authored the reports. On the request of defense lawyers, the officer has been called as a court witness. However, Singh after several reminders failed to show up in court on Thursday. Singh had conveyed to the court that he can come for deposition only in February. Refusing to accept his contention, the special CBI court on Thursday issued a bailable warrant against him.

Meanwhile, the prosecution has not been able to bring a witness  a friend of Deys who was supposed to publish his book. The prosecution has claimed that the said witness is under arrest for the charge of hatching a conspiracy to kill a former colleague with the Bangalore police.

The prosecution has already closed its case stating, no further witnesses would be brought from their side. It now has a tough task to connect dots and prove the guilt of the accused because many of the witnesses have not supported its claim.

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Flying embers from the hookah which came in contact with combustible curtain fabric at Mojo Bistro restaurant sparked the blaze in Kamala Mills that killed 14 people on December 29, Mumbai fire department said in its investigation report.

The fire then spread to illegally erected thatched roof of the 1 Above restaurant.

The latest finding negated the earlier theory that the fire originated from 1Above.

The report also revealed that both the ill-fated restaurants did not have necessary permission for hookah parlour and liquor bar. They were only permitted to serve food.

The report submitted on Friday to civic chief Ajoy Mehta also found that both the restaurants had a large stock of combustible materials such as burning charcoal, synthetic curtains and cushions, wooden props and the illegal temporary shed made of bamboo among others.

These materials helped the fire to spread rapidly.

Fire brigade found stock of burnt charcoal, hookahs, standpipes, and pedestal fans among others in Mojo Bistro restaurant.

They also found violation of several fire safety norms like bar tenders resorting to fire trick, alterations on the third floor where restaurants were situated, enclosure/encroachment of fire escape balconies on all the floors, which blocked the escape route to staircase, passages were used to store beer kegs.

The basement was used for non-permitted activities and fixed fire-fighting system like sprinklers, fire alarm were not in working condition.

The reason behind the heavy casualties was the interior of 1Above which was fully covered with thatched roof. All the deceased had taken shelter in the toilet of the restaurant and died from asphyxia.

The situation was further compounded by obstructed staircases and in a bid to escape from heat smoke and falling burning debris from thatched roof, people took shelter in toilet of 1Above restaurant.

Both the restaurants used combustible materials for decorative purpose which released large quantity of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide gases. By the time fire brigade reached the toilet, all had succumbed to smoke, the report said.

Under the recently approved roof top restaurant policy, 1Above restaurant had applied to use open terrace for serving food on November 30, however no permission was issued for the same by the civic body.

Restaurants were not permitted to use terrace or cover it. Mojo Bistro also failed to produce authentic licenses to the civic body.

After fire brigade found that none of the security personnel and workers was aware of the emergency exits, it has recommended conducting regular evacuation drills of the restaurant employees.

One of the 14 victims was security personnel who had also taken shelter in the toilet.

Meanwhile, Mehta told civic general body that politicians have been putting pressure not to take action against restaurants for violation of fire safety norms.

He, however, refused to disclose the names of the politicians.

Political leaders cutting across party lines alleged that there has been no action against the officers responsible for tragedy and that civic chief should reveal if there is any undue pressure from political parties.

Mehta told the elected representatives that there was pressure from politicians for not taking action against restaurants that violated fire safety norms.

He also insisted that all necessary actions are being undertaken as per the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Act.

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sagar.pillai@htlive.com

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations (BMC) union of conservancy workers staged a protest on Thursday at the BMC head office opposite Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus over the suicide of one of the conservancy workers, who they said had been fired in defiance of a Bombay high court direction. The agitators also brought to the protest the corpse of the sanitation worker, who committed suicide on Wednesday after the civic body allegedly failed to pay her salary arrears of around Rs 1 lakh.

The workers alleged that the BMC had failed to pay the arrears of all the 130 sanitation workers it had dismissed.

Sumati Devendra (29), a conservancy worker with Andheris civic ward (K west), was fired by the civic body six months ago and had been struggling since then to get her full and final payment. Members of the union gathered at the head office and shouted slogans against the corporation.

Milind Ranade, general secretary of Kachra Vahatuk Shramik Sangh (KVSS), said, The BMC fired 130 sanitation workers from the Bandra and Andheri civic wards despite Bombay high courts direction to make them permanent employees. Devendra could not proceed without any salary and decided to end her life by hanging herself. She is survived by her nine-year-old daughter. The civic body fired these workers in order to get labourers on cheaper wages.

Ranade further alleged that civic officials have siphoned off the money that was supposed to be paid to the workers. There were several deductions in the salaries of conservancy workers, which were supposed to be added towards the overall Provident Fund amounts. However, the workers never received a single penny from that amount, said Ranade.

While protesters demanded strict action against officials, civic officials from the solid waste management (SWM) department have refused to comment on the matter. Repeated calls to Vijay Balamvar, deputy municipal commissioner (SWM), went unanswered.
The trustees of Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), on Thursday, supported the proposal to build a secular hospital near BD Petit Parsee General Hospital at Cumballa Hill  which is exclusively for Parsis.

The plan to build a new hospital, which will be open to other communities, on the same premises has been a bone of contention in the community.

The BPP trustees , the communitys largest representative body, believe the new hospital built on the surplus land next to the Parsee General Hospital, opened in 1928, will help support the trust and the hospital because it is losing Rs5 crore annually.

The hospital will get a donation of USD22.5 million (about Rs143 crore) from a Hong Kong-based source.

The only way we can still provide subsidised treatment to the poor people from the community is by accepting funds from Medanta and letting them run a secular hospital. The private entity will only manage the new secular hospital, while the old management will continue to run the Parsee general hospital, said Kersi Randeria, trustee, BPP.

Randeria added the hospital was unable to provide costly infrastructure to patients because there were limited patients that would visit the hospital and at other times these equipment would not be used.

However, the community members have questioned the transaction and raised issue over a private entity carrying out operations on a trust property.

Rayomand Zaiwala, an advocate, said his father had written to the BPP trustees asking them to make the details of the deed public but nothing has happened so far.

Im not against a secular hospital, but why is the deal being made secretly? If it is a trust property, the entire community should be informed about how much money is changing hands. It is a scam, said Zaiwala.

Recalling a recent Supreme Court order on Batliwala Agiary Trust, Zaiwala added if an agreement was made with a private entity, then the trust should call for bids and select the highest bidder.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Bombay high court (HC) has questioned the practice of male morgue attendants conducting post-mortems on female bodies in Mumbais public hospitals.

The petitioner, Adil Khatri, a lawyer, said that he received information from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) that post-mortems on female bodies were conducted by teams that consisted of doctors, sweepers and morgue attendants. Khatri received the information after he filed an application under Right To Information (RTI) in November 2017, where he had asked if there were specific guidelines for conducting post-mortem of female bodies.  Digital autopsy is an option. I hope the honourable court directs the BMC to conduct digital autopsy of female bodies, if they do not have enough women doctors to conduct the post mortem, said Khatri. Khatris petition is expected to be taken up by the HC on Friday. HT had in November, 2017 reported about the demand raised by activists to have dead bodies of women brought for post-mortem at Mumbais public hospitals be handled by female attendants. According to the BMC, there are only two women forensic experts who conduct autopsies at the nine post-mortem centres in the city.

However, senior forensic officials said it was tough to get women doctors to work in the morgue. There have been times when all the applicants have backed out even after the interview, said Dr SM Patil, police surgeon.

Rais Shaikh, a municipal corporator, had in 2014 proposed that digital autopsy be carried out in hospitals - which was accepted by the BMC house. We will soon come up with a digital autopsy centre in (BYL) Nair hospital, said Shaikh.
From the next academic year, around 500 MBBS doctors graduating from private medical colleges across Maharashtra and availing of scholarships and freeships, will be required to serve in rural healthcare facilities for a year with their peers from government-run institutes.

Facing a shortage of doctors at rural, remote and tribal areas, the state has, for the first time, brought private medical colleges  both government-aided and unaided  under the ambit of bond service, which was till now limited to students in government-run colleges. The graduates who fail to comply will be required to return the scholarship amount received from the state with interest and pay other penalties levied on bond evaders. Students who choose to pay their entire fees, even if they are eligible for a scholarship, will continue to be exempt from bind service .

On Friday, the state issued a government resolution to announce this decision. The scholarships and freeships awarded to students in degree medical course are paid for by the people of the state. To have some returns and to ensure sufficient health care facilities in rural, remote and tribal areas, the state had been considering a proposal to make the bond service mandatory for students availing freeships in government-aided and private unaided colleges, it read.

HT had reported that the state Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) had sent a proposal to the government to extend the bond service to the beneficiaries of educational aid.

While the education is subsidised in government-run colleges, students  even those attending private colleges  belonging to various socially and economically weaker sections get scholarships under various schemes of the state government. The entire fees of students belonging to scheduled caste (SC), scheduled tribes (ST), vimukta jati (VJ), nomadic tribe (NT) and special backward category (SBC) are refunded. Similarly, half the fees for students belonging to other backward categories (OBCs) and economically backward category (EBC) - families with annual income less than Rs 6 lakh - are waived off.

Every year, around 7,000 students graduate from medical colleges in Maharashtra. These include 1,700 graduates from private institutes of which an estimated 500 students avail scholarships and freeships. The states decision wont be applicable for post-graduation medical students, as no scholarship is awarded to them.

While the experts welcomed the decision, they expressed some reservations. The bond shouldnt be mandated on the pretext of getting a return on scholarships. The government policy cannot be a trade-off. The government shouldnt segregate students in an already divided society, said Priyadarshi Telang, convenor, Dalit Adivasi Adhikar Andolan, a Pune-based non-governmental organisation.

He said the government should make the rural stint mandatory even for those who dont receive any direct educational aid. These students also benefit from the state in the form of cheaper land and equipment for colleges. It feels that the socially and economically backward students are being punished for availing scholarships, he said.

Muzaffar Khan, a Thane-based medical education counsellor, said some students from weaker sections are likely to pay their entire fees to evade the bond and to save a year.

There are not enough positions available in rural health care facilities to accommodate all the graduates. Besides, the government takes some time for appointments, he said.

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A 23-year-old stalker was arrested on Thursday for stabbing a 14-year-old girl in Bhayander.

The Class 9 student was walking to school with her mother on Wednesday, when the stalker  Vinod Kumar Kashyap who was waiting near Jaisal Park subway  stabbed her in the back and fled. He was remanded in police custody. The minor is out of danger now. Kashyap, who worked at a steel buffing unit in Bhayander , had been stalking the minor since 2015. Her mother had warned him to stay away from her daughter, said inspector Rajendra Kamble, of Bhayander police station.

Since then, she would escort her daughter while going to school and returning from there. But Kashyap continued to stalk the girl. We have registered the case under Indian Penal Code section 307(attempt to murder) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) 2012, said the police.
The Jaypee Group on Thursday said it will have 5,114 flats ready by March 2018. However, the flats will be delivered only in June after completion of all formalities.

The Jaypee Infratech and the Jaiprakash Associates Limited have released a flat delivery schedule to pacify agitated homebuyers, who have filed a plea in the Supreme Court.

The buyers moved the Supreme Court after the National Company Law Tribunals Allahabad bench took control of the company, leaving homebuyers worried.

We have already delivered 6,300 flats and 1,400 plots in our two housing projects  Jaypee Wish Town and Jaypee Aman  located along the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. And we will have 5,114 flats ready by March-end in various towers. Subsequently, we will seek occupancy certificate from the Noida authority to offer possession to homebuyers. Our work on delivery is in full swing, said Ajit Kumar, advisor, Jaypee Associate Limited.

It takes around one and half months for the Noida authority to issue occupancy certificate for processing the application of a developer after completion, said the JAL officials.

It means that we will start delivery of these ready flats from June onwards. And, we will start offering possession as and when we will get the occupancy certificate issued by the Noida authority, said Kumar.

JAL said that it will deliver all remaining flats by 2020-21. These 5,114 flats are in towers such as Pavilion Court IV, Kosmos, Klassic, Aman, Calypso Court, Kingwood Oriental and Kensington Park apartments.

Jaypee Infratech had in 2007 proposed to build 32,000 flats and some plots under the Integrated Wish Town project located in sectors 128, 129,131, 133 and 134 along the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. The Jaypee Infratech, which developed the 165-km Yamuna Expressway and Formula One circuit, had promised buyers of delivery of flats from 2011-12.

Homebuyers, however, do not buy the assurances given by the developer.

We have been hearing the promises from the Jaypee Group for the last 10 years. We do not believe the promises until they start actually delivering the flats, said SK Nagrath retired army officer, who is president of Jaypee Aman flatbuyers association.

The apex court had on September 4 stayed an order passed in August by the Allahabad bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), which initiated insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech. A day later, IDBI Bank approached the court, seeking restoration of insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court had allowed the NCLT appointed resolution professional to file his resolution report for the revival of the stuck housing project.

As per the Supreme Court order, the Jaiprakash Associates Limited will have to deposit an instalment of Rs125 crore in the courts treasury by January 25. Chief Justice Dipak Misra on December 16 had said that the court would issue a contempt order against the developer if it failed to pay the instalment on time. Following the buyers plea, the SC had in November directed the company to deposit Rs150 crore by December 14 and another Rs125 crore by the end of December. Jaiprakash Associates paid the first instalment of Rs150 crore and sought more time to pay the second.

We have deposited R425 crore as per the SC order and another instalment of R125 crore will be deposited on January 25. We will adhere to all court orders and deliver flats to homebuyers, said Kumar.

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Scarred by the damage and destruction in their village and the state-wide unrest between Dalits and Marathas over the last few days, the villagers of Bhima Koregaon - the epicentre of the unrest- blamed outsiders and the state governments failure to maintain law and order.

The villagers have also demanded compensation for the destruction caused by vandalism in the villages in their region.

On Friday, Dalits and Marathas from the village, led by the Bhima Koregaon sarpanch Sangeeta Kamble, came together and held a media meet outside the main village temple on Friday morning. A number of villagers voiced their dissatisfaction with the handling of the violence by the police.

Violence erupted in the village of Vadhu Budhruk and soon spread to other parts during the bicentenary celebrations at the Jaystambh memorial in Bhima Koregaon on January 1.Thousands of Dalits had gathered from different parts of the state to mark the 200th anniversary of the battle of Koregaon in which the British had defeated the Peshwas. Dalits feel proud of this victory as the Mahars- treated ruthlessly by the Peshwas- were among those who fought valiantly and brought victory to the British.

The celebration by the Dalits and the claim that it was a Mahar who had bravely performed the last rites of Chhatrapati Shivajis son, Sambhaji, under threat of execution by the then Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, was also resented by some Marathas.

On Friday, the village sarpanch blamed outsiders for being the trouble makers and destroying peace in the village. While not specifying who these troublemakers were, she said, There is no difference between a Dalit, Maratha and members of other communities. We all signify oneness and there is no friction between any of the communities here in BhimaKoregaon.

Kamble demanded that the state government must compensate for the losses incurred by the people and make up for its complete failure and mismanagement in handling the crowds during the anniversary celebrations.

Another villager, Naryanrao Phadtare, said that it was vested interests that had tarnished the image of Bhima Koregaon. He said the government not only failed in intelligence gathering, but also in providing strong police bandobast. Phadtare demanded fair compensation to the victims of violence as losses ran into lakhs of rupees.

Villager Vrushali Gavhane narrated how shops were set on fire and small children ran helter-skelter out of fear and panic. She said that electricity and water supply had been disrupted over the last two days. The government must compensate all the affected parties and help restore confidence amongst the villagers, she said.

The villagers said they were united in seeking compensation from the government.
The Punjab Police in 2017 identified 21 foreign handlers of pro-Khalistan modules who provide logistics and training to terrorists in India, director general of police (DGP) Suresh Arora said on Thursday.

At a press conference in Chandigarh to highlight achievements of the Punjab Police in 2017, Arora said these foreign handlers were identified by procuring information from intelligence agencies and during probe into elements linked with eight terror modules busted by the police in 2017.

Plans for 2018 Launching special operation group to counter terror attacks. Putting body cameras on traffic personnel and starting e-challaning. Recruitment of 4,000 constables. A dedicated action plan for recruiting women in force to be launched on March 8. Implementation of the National Emergency Response System (NERS) Project with the adoption of the centralised call taking and distributed dispatch with a single emergency response number 112.

47 linked with terror modules held

The DGP said these modules were mainly being run and financed by operatives based in Europe, North America and the Middle East, with an aim to kill/assassinate members of organisations associated with the minority community to spread communal disharmony and revive terrorism in Punjab.

He said activities of these handlers have been put under the radar of the central agencies. He admitted that pro-Khalistan elements living out of India are using social media as a platform to increase their activities and are using the internet to radicalise people in Punjab.

408 gangsters arrested last year

The DGP said the police arrested as many as 408 gangsters, seized 149 snatched vehicles, 183 firearms and 1.5 crore were from organised criminal gangs last year.

A mobile application having dossiers of more than 80,000 active criminals with the help of artificial intelligence and face-detection system was operationalised, he said, adding that court permissions were obtained for conducting 159 trials through video-conferencing in organised crime cases.

Sharp decline in heinous crimes

Arora, who was also DGP during the previous SAD-BJP government, credited the Captain Amarinder Singh government with decline in crimes in Punjab.

All major crime witnessed a major decrease in 2017 as the police raised the bar after the installation of the new government, a press release issued by the DGP read.

The DGP said murder cases came down to 656 from 771, attempt to murder cases from 862 to 795, kidnapping/abduction cases from 1,591 to 1,462, robbery from 147 to 116 while dacoity cases came down from 43 to 26.
Distressed over his weakening eyesight, an 80-year-old retired Punjab government officer shot himself dead with his licensed weapon in Sector 36, Chandigarh, on Thursday.

The deceased, identified as Sardara Singh, had retired as chief engineer from the Punjab government. Sardara shot himself in the neck with his .12 bore double-barrel licensed gun, while he was alone at home. His wife shared that he was depressed due to his weakening vision. No suicide note was found. We have initiated inquest proceedings, said Deepak Yadav, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) (south), Chandigarh.

Cops said Sardara had tried to end his life by consuming a poisonous substance around four months ago, but survived.

Sardara is survived by his wife Gurbax Kaur, two daughters and a son. While his two children live in the US, a daughter lives in Delhi with her husband, an army official.

Gurbax told the police she was away to the laundry man, when Sardara locked himself in a room, before taking the extreme step. On her return, Gurbax knocked the door, but did not get any response. She called on her tenant, who entered the house from the backyard using a ladder, after Sardara failed to respond to repeated door bells.

On entering his room on the first floor, he was shocked to find Sardara dead with his gun lying next to him, Gurbax told the police. She said her husband had been operated upon for his affected vision in both eyes, but doctors had recently informed him that he was losing vision.

The police have sent the body to a hospital, where the postmortem examination will be conducted on Friday.

I should have not left him alone: Gurbax Kaur

Shocked to see her husband lying in a pool of blood, Gurbax broke down. I should not have left him alone, she cried. Had I known of his intentions, I would have asked the maid to stay in the house while I went out, she rued.

The elderly couple lived on the first floor of their one kanal house in Sector 36. A maid lives in the garage area on the ground floor, while a tenant, who is pursuing MTech, lives in the annexe on the first floor. The prime accommodation on the ground floor is vacant.

Victim tried to end life earlier too: Police

Cops said Sardara had tried to end his life by consuming a poisonous substance around four months ago, but survived. The matter was not reported to the police. He has been depressed for quite some time, said inspector Nasib Singh, station house officer (SHO), Sector 36, Chandigarh.
Battle of Saragarhi seems to be the one thing every filmmaker and television producer is suddenly interested in. As many as three films and a television series is being made on the historic 1897 battle. While Akshay Kumar revealed the first look from his film Kesari on Friday, actor Mohit Raina also didnt take too much time to share his from upcoming series 21 Sarfarosh: Saragarhi 1897.

Much like Akshay, Mohit is also seen in a khaki uniform and a heavy turban. He plays Havildar Ishar Singh, of the British Indian Army, who led a contingent 21 soldiers to fight against the 10,000 Pashtun Orakzai tribesmen of Afghanistan. The fight, in the North-West Frontier Province, led to the death of all 21 soldiers but is now called one of the greatest stories of bravery in Indian military.

Mohit shared a short clip of Discovery Jeets upcoming programmes which included scenes of Mohit firing a gun.

Mohit was last seen in Devon Ke Dev Mahadev with rumoured girlfriend and actor Mouni Roy. He played Lord Shiva while she played Godess Sati.

Apart from Akshay and Mohit, Randeep Hooda and Ajay Devgn are also making films on the same subject.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Hobbled by a lack of majority in the House of Commons, British Prime Minister Theresa May has come under renewed pressure to remove Indian and other non-EU students from overall migration figures, a demand she has resolutely turned down so far.

Universities and other stakeholders have long lobbied the government on this, but as home secretary since 2010 and as prime minister since 2016, May has insisted international students be treated migrants and not as short-term visitors who return after their stay.

An immigration bill to be introduced this year to put in place the post-Brexit system is expected to see an amendment to remove the students from migration figures, with likely support from Mays senior colleagues as well as Labour and other parties.

Removing students from the figures is seen as sending a positive message from Brexit-bound United Kingdom. However, Mays spokesman insisted that the governments position had not changed, arguing that the international definition of an immigrant was someone who arrives for a period of more than 12 months.

Home secretary Amber Rudd reportedly believes that there are enough potential rebels to inflict a defeat on the government on the bill. Other senior Tories now seeking the removal include Nicky Morgan, Tom Tugendhat, Ruth Davidson and Bob Neill.

Cabinet ministers such as Boris Johnson, Liam Fox and Philip Hammond have already made known their opposition to including international students in migration figures, which are used by the government to impose restrictions on non-EU immigration.

Indian student numbers coming to the United Kingdom for higher education have halved since 2010, when the Conservative government put in places measures to implement its manifesto promise to cut annual net migration to tens of thousands, instead of hundreds of thousands.

Karan Bilimoria, a leading voice on international students, told Hindustan Times: Simply by removing students from our net migration figures, we could send a hugely positive message to the world. The Prime Minister should do this right now.

Our Prime Minister says she has a plan to ensure that we remain a successful, global, open and outward-facing nation after Brexit but she continues to have a negative attitude towards international students, turning the clock back on Britains progress.

Senior Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston said she hoped May would be persuaded to take action: I strongly support and have always supported taking students out of the immigration numbers. I think it is an important principle and sends a clear message that Britain wants to welcome students and they are a key part of our culture.

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Rohingya Muslim insurgents ambushed a vehicle in western Myanmars Rakhine State on Friday, wounding three people, including two members of the security forces, the military said.

A wave of attacks by Rohingya Muslim insurgents on the security posts on August 25 sparked sweeping army counter-insurgency operations in the Muslim-majority north of the state that led to widespread violence and arson and an exodus of some 650,000 Rohingya villagers to Bangladesh.

The United Nations condemned the Myanmar military campaign as ethnic cleansing. Buddhist-majority Myanmar rejected that.

But since August 25, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) insurgents, who claimed responsibility for the coordinated raids on 30 security posts, have mounted only a few sporadic attacks.

The government did not identify the insurgents involved in the Friday attack on a vehicle taking someone to hospital but the military said in a statement they were extremist Bengali terrorists ARSA.

A vehicle ... was attacked by 20 insurgents from the mountain using homemade mines and small arms, the government said. The military said there were about 10 attackers.

An ARSA spokesman was not available for comment. There was no mention of any incident on a Twitter account that routinely carries statements from the group.

The Yangon-based Frontier Myanmar magazine quoted a resident of a nearby village as saying sporadic gunfire had been heard at the time of the ambush.

The area is largely off-limits to reporters.

Myanmar and Bangladesh have been discussing a plan to repatriate the Rohingya refugees but more insecurity in Myanmar is likely to raise doubts about how quickly that might take place.
Days after some gurdwaras in Canada imposed a ban on visits by Indian officials, a Sikh organisation in the United Kingdom has proposed a similar measure from later this month in response to what it said was their interference and anti-Sikh activities.

The Sikh Federation UK, a leading campaign group of the Sikh community, said on Friday the ban could extend to more than 100 gurdwaras in Britain as part of an eventual worldwide ban on visits by Indian officials to gurdwaras in their official capacity.

Responding to the proposal, Indias deputy high commissioner Dinesh Patnaik told Hindustan Times that the mission would continue to engage with the Sikh community, which he described as a pillar of society.

Such threats are not acceptable. In 2017 we held a major Baisakhi event and several others related to the 350th anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh in various parts of the UK. We will continue to engage with the Sikh Federation UK too, he said.

A group of office-bearers claiming to represent more than a dozen gurdwaras in the Canadian province of Ontario resolved on December 30 to bar officials representing India, its diplomats and others from entering the premises of these places of worship.

The campaign group said the Federation of Sikh Organisations - the umbrella group of several organisations - will discuss the proposal over the weekend to issue a declaration, and added its contacts in 15 European countries had suggested similar bans there.

Jasdev Singh Rai, director of Sikh Human Rights Forum, said: It has been an unstated collective position of Sikhs that inviting any leader or official of the Indian state in their official capacity would be endorsing Indias attack on Sri Harmandir Sahib and its gross human rights violations of Sikhs through the years.

Cynicism has been reinforced lately since the Narendra Modi government has not shown any recognisable progress on the release of political prisoners, despite making a declaration to do so in London (during his November 2015 visit), he added.

The proposed ban is on visits by Indian officials in their official capacity, but according to the Sikh Federation UK, their presence in an individual capacity would also make members of the community uncomfortable and they can be expected to be challenged on alleged anti-Sikh activities.

Bhai Amrik Singh, chair of the campaign group, said: Sikhs in the diaspora are fed up with Indian government officials and their agents increasingly interfering in our institutions and Sikh affairs, undermining Sikh campaigns for greater rights and internal matters for the Sikh community.

The latest tactic by the Indian authorities of targeting Sikhs from the diaspora when they visit the Sikh homeland as demonstrated by the case of British citizen Jagtar Singh Johal has broken the camels back.

Johal is reported to be under arrest in Punjab for his alleged role in the assassination of some individuals. A campaign has been initiated in the UK to seek his release.

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A suicide bomber in the Afghan capital caused dozens of casualties on Thursday after blowing himself up close to a group of security personnel who were carrying out an operation against illegal drugs and alcohol dealing, officials said.

Wahid Majroh, a spokesman for the ministry of public health, said 11 dead and 25 wounded had been brought to city hospitals after the blast in an area of the city not far from the U.S. Embassy and other foreign missions.

As security forces arrived, a Reuters reporter saw four police vehicles carrying dead or wounded security personnel from the scene.

A security official at the scene confirmed the explosion had been caused by a suicide attack and Kabul police spokesman Basir Mujahid said at least five police had been killed.

An official at the ministry of public said 15 wounded had been brought into city hospitals.

Police officers at the scene said the bomber had been wearing police or army uniform and had approached a group of security personnel near where the controls on illegal drugs and alcohol had been carried out, but there was no official confirmation.

Kabul police forces were there to prevent a possible protest when a suicide bomber approached them and detonated his suicide vest, Mujahid said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

While Afghan forces backed by U.S. air strikes have claimed some success against Taliban insurgents since the United States announced a stepped up military strategy last year, high profile attacks on civilian targets in Kabul have continued.

The attack happened days after a suicide bomber killed at least 41 people and wounded more than 80 at a Shiite cultural centre in Kabul, underlining the precarious security situation in the Afghan capital.

That attack was claimed by Islamic State, which has claimed responsibility for a number of similar attacks in Afghanistan over the past two years.
Rattled by a one-two punch of betrayal and scandal, Donald Trump on Thursday tried to block the publication of a bare-knuckle book that portrays his White House as a fetid stew of backbiting, incompetence and dysfunction.

The publishers responded by moving the release date up by four days to Friday.

Trump instructed his lawyers to prevent the release of Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House -- an expose by author and political muckraker Michael Wolff -- which quotes key Trump aides expressing serious doubt about his fitness for office.

The book -- which paints Trump as mentally unstable and far out of his depth -- quotes at length his former ally and chief strategist Steve Bannon, who also received a cease and desist order from Trumps attorneys.

Your publication of the false/baseless statements about Mr. Trump gives rise to, among other claims, defamation by libel, defamation by libel per se, false light invasion of privacy, tortious interference with contractual relations, and inducement of breach of contract, Trumps lawyers said in the letter to Wolff.

In the book, Bannon is quoted accusing Trumps eldest son Don Jr of treasonous contacts with a Kremlin-connected lawyer, and saying the presidents daughter Ivanka, who imagines running for president one day, is dumb as a brick.

Criticism from aides

But it is Trump himself who is cast in the most unfavorable light by a series of his top aides.

The book claims that for Steve Mnuchin and Reince Priebus, the president was an idiot. For Gary Cohn, he was dumb as shit. For H.R. McMaster, he was a dope. The list went on.

White House issued a scorched-earth dismissal of the book, its author and his sources.

I dont think (Americans) really care about some trash that an author that no one had ever heard of until today, or a fired employee, wants to peddle, said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, calling the book complete fantasy.

Behind the scenes, though, Trump has been enraged by the betrayal by Bannon -- a man who engineered the New York real estate moguls link to the nationalist far right and helped create a pro-Trump media ecosystem.

He called me a great man last night. He obviously changed his tune pretty quick, Trump said in the White Houses Roosevelt Room Thursday.

Sanders suggested that Bannons employer, Breitbart News, should consider firing him.

Russia allegations

He wasnt fired, but Bannons main financial backer is formally cutting ties with him, The Washington Post reported.

I support President Trump and the platform upon which he was elected, the newspaper quoted billionaire conservative donor Rebekah Mercer as saying.

Her family has had no contact with Bannon for months, nor has it given money to support his political agenda, nor do we support his recent actions and statements, she was quoted as saying.

Bannon, who left the White House in August, is also quoted in the book as saying that the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 election will focus on money laundering.

The investigation by Mueller, a former FBI director, is looking into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to help get him elected -- a charge the president has repeatedly and vehemently denied.

Russia-related allegations in the book also ensnare Don Junior, who took a meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in June 2016 after an intermediary promised material that would incriminate Trumps Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner and then campaign chairman Paul Manafort also attended the meeting at Trump Tower in New York.

Disbelief over victory

The three senior guys in the campaign thought it was a good idea to meet with a foreign government inside Trump Tower in the conference room on the 25th floor -- with no lawyers, Bannon was quoted as saying in the book.

Even if you thought that this was not treasonous, or unpatriotic, or bad shit, and I happen to think its all of that, you should have called the FBI immediately, he said.

Wolffs book -- which he says is based on interviews with Trump, his senior aides and others -- makes a litany of shocking claims, including Trumps belief that he installed Mohammed bin Salman as Saudi Arabias crown prince.

Weve put our man on top, Trump is said to have claimed to friends.

The book also claims that Trump considered appointing a friend to the Supreme Court vacancy filled by Neil Gorsuch, eats food from McDonalds because he believes it to be safe from poison, and that his team did not believe he was capable of winning the election.

Shortly after 8 p.m. on Election Night, when the unexpected trend -- Trump might actually win -- seemed confirmed, Don Jr. told a friend that his father, or DJT, as he calls him, looked as if he had seen a ghost. Melania was in tears -- and not of joy, it said.
The UN Security Council is planning an emergency meeting about Iran on Friday, after the US asked the world body to show support for Irans anti-government protesters.

With council members divided in their views of the demonstrations that have roiled the Islamic Republic, its not yet clear how the discussion will take shape or what might come out of it.

Alma Konurbayeva, a spokeswoman for current council president Kazakhstan, confirmed that Friday afternoons meeting is about Iran. The US called on Tuesday for such a session, but council members could insist on a vote before taking up the topic, and it would take nine of the 15 votes to go forward.

The US mission had no immediate comment on Thursday night.

Irans interior minister said up to 42,000 people took part in the week of protests and unrest sparked by economic woes. At least 21 people have been killed and hundreds arrested. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people took part in counter-demonstrations Wednesday backing the clerically overseen government, which has accused the US of instigating the protests.

Irans prosecutor general, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, said Thursday that an American CIA official was the main designer of the demonstrations. And Irans UN envoy, ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo, complained in a letter to the Security Council president Wednesday that US President Donald Trumps absurd tweets had incited Iranians to engage in disruptive acts.

Trumps administration has denied having any hand in the demonstrations, saying they arose completely spontaneously. The CIA declined to comment.

The presidents tweets havent called for violence or disruptive acts, but he has commended the protests, expressing such respect for the people of Iran as they try to take back their corrupt government and pledging great support from the United States. UN ambassador Nikki Haley praised the anti-government protesters as brave and said the UN must speak out to support them.

The people of Iran are crying out for freedom. All freedom-loving people must stand with their cause, she said at a news conference Tuesday.

Not all council members see a need to weigh in.

Russias US embassy warned on Monday against external interference in what it views as a domestic issue in the Islamic Republic; the two nations have close ties. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova went on to mock the US call for a UN discussion.

The US delegation undoubtedly has something to share with the world. For example, Nikki Haley could share the American experience of dispersing protest rallies, Zakharova said on Facebook Wednesday, mentioning mass arrests during the Occupy Wall Street protests, among other things.

Russias and Irans UN missions didnt immediately respond to requests for comment on Fridays Security Council meeting. Iran isnt a member.

The Iranian protests have given Trump a fresh avenue to try to muster world opinion against a nation he has decried since he ran for president.

After taking office last year, Trump refused this past fall to certify Irans compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal that lifted some sanctions in return for Iran curbing its nuclear program. Trump said Tehran was getting disproportionate benefits, considering its concessions.

The US imposed new sanctions Thursday on five Iranian entities over their involvement in developing ballistic missiles. While those sanctions were unrelated to the ongoing protests, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said more sanctions targeting human rights abuses are coming.
The Trump administrations decision to suspend over $1.1 billion security assistance to Pakistan has nothing to do with Islamabad not taking action against Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, a US official has said.

We have certainly expressed our concern about the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks being let out of house arrest in Pakistan. To my knowledge, that has nothing to do with that, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said at her daily news conference.

Nauert was responding to a question if the suspension of security assistance was related to Hafiz Saeed, the Mumbai attack mastermind who was released by Pakistan on November last year.

There is a $10 million reward out for information leading to his re-arrest, the person who is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks who was let go in Pakistan. So weve been very clear about our displeasure with that individual being let go, and thats why we like to remind people that there is a $10 million Rewards for Justice program out for him, Nauert said.

A senior State Department official told reporters that the US continues to have conversation with Pakistan not only on Haqqani network, and Taliban, but also on India-centric terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

We cant continue to have a relationship that has a business as usual with Pakistan. This conversation is not new to this administration. There have been concerns about Pakistans issue of sanctuaries for the Haqqani network and the Taliban. But we have concerns about their nuclear programme. We have concerns about the ability of anti-Indian groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish e Mohammed to fund raise and operate, the official who spoke on anonymity said.

Hafiz Saeed who was recently released from house arrest is among the issues that have been a feature of Americas conversation with Pakistan for many years.

This administration felt that we needed to take additional steps to underscore that were not going to be able to continue the relationship on autopilot. We cant continue a status quo relationship. We need to be able to move beyond these challenges and put our relationship on a more solid footing, the official said.

Responding to a question, the official disputed the general impression coming out of Pakistan that it will not rearrest Hafiz Saeed as being demanded by the US.

I have not seen them say theyre not going to take any of these steps. What the Pakistani government has objected to is our characterisation of the situation on the ground. But I have never heard the Pakistani government say theyre not going to re-arrest Hafiz Saeed or theyre not going to prosecute him, the official said.

The Pakistanis have clearly indicated that they are unhappy with the public rhetoric of the Trump administration.

What I would say to that is we had a number of months where we have had very serious conversations and private discussions with them and have not seen the responsiveness that we need. And at some juncture they knew that we were going to take additional steps if they did not respond to the requests that we made to them, the State Department official said.

Appreciating the help of Pakistan in the release of Coleman family, the official said at the same time if there is an ongoing relationship between elements of the security forces in Pakistan and the group that took the Colin Boyle family hostage that is a concern.
Republican senator Rand Paul has said he will be introducing a legislation soon to end all US aid to Pakistan, going beyond the suspension of security-related assistance the Trump administration announced on Thursday.

The United States should not give one penny to countries who burn our flag and chant Death to America, Paul said in a video message posted online before the administration went public with the suspension decision.

Countries like Pakistan that stonewall access to key information in fighting terrorism dont deserve our money, the Kentucky senator, who has been a long-time critic of Pakistan, said. I say we should stop now. Stop sending your hard-earned tax dollars to Pakistan.

Rand said his bill would call for this saved money to be invested in building infrastructure at home in the United States.

Ive been fighting to end Pakistani aid for years. But now we have a breakthrough. President Trump has publicly called to end their aid, and is currently holding up over $200 million of it. I want to end all of it, he said.

In February 2016, Paul had introduced a joint resolution in the senate opposing an Obama administration proposal to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan at costs subsidized by US tax-payers.

The US and Pakistan relationship has been a troubled one, he had said in a statement. Though the government of Pakistan has been considered Americas ally in the fight on terrorism, Pakistans behaviour would suggest otherwise. While we give them billions of dollars in aid, we are simultaneously aware of their intelligence and military apparatus assisting the Afghan Taliban.

The resolution had fallen, but the sale was blocked.
The US has suspended nearly $2 billion in security-related aid for Pakistan until it takes decisive action against terrorists operating from its soil, chiefly the Haqqani Network and Afghan Taliban, reflecting the growing mistrust between the former allies in the war on terror.

The US has not publicly specified the actions Pakistan needs to take to earn back the assistance, mostly extended to enable Islamabad to bolster its count-terrorism capabilities, including military hardware purchases with American funding.

Though the move to suspend the aid announced on Thursday was aimed at nudging Pakistan to act against the Taliban and Haqqani Network, a state department official said the US also has concerns about anti-India groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Late on Friday night, an unnamed White House official was quoted by news agencies as saying that up to $2 billion in aid to Pakistan has been suspended.

The specific assistance impacted includes $255 million for fiscal 2016 under Foreign Military Funding (FMF), which provides Pakistan loans for defence purchases from the US, other unspent FMF funds from previous fiscal years and $900 million for fiscal 2017 from the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), which is reimbursement for supporting coalition forces in Afghanistan.

Civilian aid, which was worth $11 billion of the total of $33 billion since 2002, will continue unaffected.

The freezing of security assistance on Thursday followed President Donald Trumps New Years Day tweet that accused Pakistan of lies and deceit in the war on terror despite getting $33 billion in aid since 2002.

The bottom line is that we cant continue to have a relationship that has business as usual with Pakistan, a state department official said during a background briefing.

There have been concerns about PakistansI focused on the issue of sanctuaries for the Haqqani Network and the Taliban, but we have concerns about their nuclear program, we have concerns about the ability of anti-India groups like Lashkar-e Taiba and Jaish-e Mohammed to fundraise and operate, and Hafiz Saeed, the head of Lashkar-e Tayyiba, who was recently released from house arrest, the official added.

Asked about the total security assistance suspended, state department spokesperson Heather Nauert told a briefing, We are still working through some of those dollar numbers right now.

This decision reflects the Presidents conclusion that Pakistan has not taken the necessary decisive action, as requested by the US and as promised by Pakistans leaders, against terrorist and militant groups in the region, said a White House memo, underscoring long-felt frustration.

The memo added: Terrorists who threaten US interests and personnel continue to enjoy safe haven and support in Pakistan. The US has not seen tangible evidence that Pakistan is evicting or lawfully detaining Taliban and Haqqani Network leaders and operatives on its soil.

In a measured response, Pakistans Foreign Office criticised shifting goalposts and said the US suspension of aid was counter-productive.

Foreign minister Khawaja Asif said the US had turned Pakistan into a whipping boy for its shortcomings in Afghanistan. We do not have any alliance with the US, Asif told a TV channel. This is not how allies behave.

The US was not an ally but a friend who always betrays, Asif said, accusing Trump of speaking the language of India.

The Trump administration has said Pakistan can reclaim access to the frozen aid by taking specific actions required by the US which, it added, had been privately conveyed to the Pakistani leadership.

Pakistan has received $4 billion under the FMF head since 2002. CSF reimbursements are much higher, clocking in at $14.5 billion over the same period. The last payment of $550 million was made in March 2017, cleared by the Trump administration. This amount was due from the 2016 budget. Payments for 2017 and 2018 could be frozen.

The administration has stressed the suspension is not a permanent cut-off at this time and assistance funding and pending deliveries will be frozen but not cancelled, as we continue to hope Pakistan will take the decisive action against terrorist and militant groups that we seek.

But it warned, We do not intend to reprogram any funds at this time. Pakistan will not thus have an alternate route to access as it has in the past, occasionally.

There will be exceptions to the freeze, such as those mandated by law and those already in the pipeline. They will be processed on a case-by-case basis, officials said.

Critics of the suspensions wondered if it had really been thought through. This is nothingburger (lame, dud), said one of them on condition of anonymity. Why does it not include, for instance, other security-related assistance heads such as International Military Education and Training (IMET) which is worth $5 million annually?

Another critic, who also spoke on background, said he suspected Trumps New Years day tweet  which may have been a huge hit in India  actually interrupted a revaluation of financial aid to Pakistan that has been on for a while, cutting across administrations.

The folks in the administration had to come up with something to follow up the presidents tweet, the person said. And this is the best they could come up with, and the administration didnt have a dollar number for such a major announcement.
Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office has notified former director of Kyiv's division of Inprombank that he is suspected of embezzling the bank's funds on an especially large scale during refinancing operations, the press service of Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office has reported.

According to the report, during the pretrial investigation it was established that the suspected person in the period from May 19, 2010 through January 28, 2011 embezzled refinancing funds provided by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) to support the bank's liquidity in the amount of almost UAH 52 million.

The ex-manager is suspected of committing a crime under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misappropriation, embezzlement or conversion or property by malversation committed in respect of an especially gross amount).

The pretrial investigation is underway.

Inprombank was registered in 1993. The NBU revoked its banking license in March 2012.
Plans Unveiled for National Mall Makeover

Americas front yardas Washingtons National Mall has been nicknamed needs some work. Upwards of $600 million worth, according to the draft plan recently put out by the Malls minders, the National Park Service. In the words of Susan Spain, the project executive in charge of the plan, the Mall is a little ratty looking. Hey, your lawn would be too if it had suffered decades of deferred maintenance.

The draft plan runs 600 pages long, but dont mistake it for Extreme Makeover: Mall Edition. The buzzword is respectful rehabilitation, says Spain, whose staff took into account about 30,000 public comments, as well as input from the Malls neighbors along the 684-acre green space that stretches west from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial with a thick dogleg to the south.

The draft offers five overlapping alternatives, and a final summary plan is due this fall. The park service prefers transforming the Union Square area at the east end into a more adaptable space, adding a welcome center near the Smithsonian Castle and building multipurpose facilities (more shopping! more refreshments! more bathrooms!), all without interfering with the sweeping grandeur of Major Pierre Charles LEnfants 1791 master plan or the rights of Americans to gather and sound off.

Theres a lot going on, says Spain, but frankly its a wonderful juggling act. If she and the park service pull it off, the American people should give them a standing O.

Amistad Returns to Cuba

Amistad, a replica of a 19th-century Cuban slave ship, recently sailed into Havana harbor, reviving memories of a high-profile incident that served as a rallying cry for abolitionists. Slaves shipped out of Havana in 1839 on the original La Amistad revolted and took over the ship, eventually making their way to the United States and gaining their freedom after John Quincy Adams argued their case before the Supreme Court.

Built in Connecticut, the replica schooner traveled to Cuba for the United Nations International Day of Remembrance that commemorated the 203rd anniversary of the British law that began the extended worldwide movement that would make slavery illegal.

And, not surprisingly, the rare appearance of a boat under the United States flag in Cuba sparked discussions of the historical relationship between the two countries. Cuba and the U.S. were trading partners, and they share a history of being slave-trading countries. Our visit pointed to a common humanity that has a painful and morally offensive history, says Gregory Belanger, president and CEO of Amistad America, which hews to the motto Confronting the Past, Transforming the Future.

Jefferson Talks Turkey With the Unkechaugs

Thomas Jefferson has been dead for more than 183 years, but that hasnt stopped him from helping to revive an American Indian language. A vocabulary list of hundreds of words spoken by the Unkechaugs, collected personally by Secretary of State Jefferson in 1791, will help breathe life into the language of Indians who have lived along an inlet on southern Long Island, N.Y., for hundreds of years.

Jeffersons word listnup for water, nahiam for turkey, squah for woman, wuhnsa for killingrepresents a rare documentation of the Unkechaug language, even if part of it is mattateayuh (bad). He did a good job, says Robert Hoberman, chair of the linguistics department at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, which is part of a new initiative to bring back the language of the Unkechaugs and another Long Island nation, the Shinnecocks. Some of it is pretty confusing. Not all of the words can be identified.

For Harry Wallace, chief of the Unkechaug nation (pop. 400), the work has tremendous significance: Its important for us to understand who we are, where we came from and where were going. Language is essential in that journey. In a sense, Jeffersons work has become the cornerstone of a declaration of linguistic independence.

Mother Nature Lays Claim to Grant Cottage

Timeas well as most Americansmay have forgotten the place in upstate New York where Ulysses S. Grant died in 1885, but nature has not. Located atop Mount McGregor, near Saratoga Springs, Grant Cottage suffers from extensive water damage and a severe lack of maintenance. Paint is coming off exterior walls, and support beams are cracking, among other signs of decay. Mother Nature has sent her tentacles into the structure, says Lance Ingmire, who recently became president of Friends of the Ulysses S. Grant Cottage.

Struggling with chronic money problems and advanced throat cancer, Grant moved to the cottage in June 1885 to finish his memoirs. He died on July 23, a few days after completing the project. One of his sons, Frederick, stopped a clock at the exact time of his death 8:08 a.m.and the frozen timepiece remains on display. So do 125-year-old floral arrangements created at the time of Grants death and the same bed linens unchangedon which he passed away.

The historic site suffers from choking bureaucratic entanglements. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation controls the cottage, and has underfunded maintenance for decades. The New York State Department of Correctional Services controls the grounds, as the cottage shares Mount McGregor with a mens prison. The Friends must cover operating expenses, and the group is strapped for funds. We are in a quandary as to what we should do, says Ingmire. When does everyone realize that we cannot allow this museum to continue this way into perpetuity?

Letters Recall Flood of Sympathy for Jackie Kennedy

Frances Nash was one in a million and a half. Back in November 1963, she joined a mass outpouring of griefexpressed one letter at a time by writing to the widow of President John F. Kennedy. Her letter recently surfaced as one of about 250 collected in the book Letters to Jackie: Condolences From a Grieving Nation by historian Ellen Fitzpatrick.

On the day Kennedy was killed, Nash, then 33, worked alone at the post office in tiny Custer, Mich. When she heard of the presidents death, Nash went outside to lower the American flag to half-mast, and the act brought her to tears.

Never even with the loss of several of my family, she wrote the next day, have I been more deeply touched than with the loss of President Kennedy. Now, she says, I guess my letter will remain in history. That is really what has humbled me, very much.

Bizarre Bits Tell Big Stories

A lock of James Madisons hair, a piece of fungus carved to show Robert E. Lee on his horse, a smallpox scab and the bullet that killed the first Confederate officerthese are the makings of an exhibit at the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond through next February called Bizarre Bits: Oddities From the Collection. You can learn a lot about what was valued at different times, says the shows curator, William Rasmussen. All sorts of things were collected back then, including the letter from an early 19th-century sailor to his wife that came with what supposedly were endearments: his fingernail clippings.

Originally published in the August 2010 issue of American History. To subscribe, click here.
Near an abandoned French farm in 1918 field telephones crackled with orders in a language that baffled German eavesdroppersand the code talkers were born

During World War II the United States used American Indian code talkers to thwart enemy decoding of battlefield radio and telephone traffic. The exploits of these menalmost all of whom were Navajos serving with the Marines the Pacificare justly famous, thanks to several popular written histories and the 2002 film Windtalkers.

Yet few people realize that U.S. reliance on code talkers during wartime did not originate with Navajos on some jungle-covered South Sea island. It was, instead, on the shell-pocked Western Front battlefields of World War I that American Indiansmostly Choctaws in Army uniformswere first tasked with transmitting crucial military communications in languages the enemy could not decipher.

Throughout history military forces have gone to great lengths to keep their written operational messages safe from the enemys prying eyes, using complex codes, invisible ink and scores of other methods to render sensitive missives unreadable. By the early 20th century the widespread adoption of field telephones and radios made it far easier for land, sea and air forces to transmit vital informationmovement orders, target coordinates, etc. Yet these means of relaying data had one glaring vulnerability: The enemy could listen in. Radio communications were wholly indiscriminate. While telephones of the period transmitted information across physically connected land lines, the miles of required communications wire crisscrossed battlefields in plain sight, lying exposed on the ground or strung atop poles. The Germans easily tapped into the lines, thus learning Allied plans and objectives. There was every reason to believe, one U.S. officer informed his commander, every decipherable message or word going over our wires also went to the enemy. To counter such eavesdropping, the Army turned to coded communications, but the enemy became adept at breaking the ciphers. Moreover, decoding messages under combat conditions took too long.

Enter the Choctaws.

Technically, the Selective Service Act of 1917, which authorized the military conscription of eligible men, did not apply to American Indians, as they were not considered U.S. citizens. In fact, at least two Indian nations unilaterally declared war on Germany. Regardless, the Office of Indian Affairs established draft boards on the reservations and compelled thousands of men into U.S. service. Wartime Commissioner of Indian Affairs Cato Sells played on others martial pride, patriotism and employment needs to convince thousands more to volunteer. By wars end more than 10,000 tribesmen, representing nearly 20 percent of the entire adult male American Indian population, had served in the armed forces. Many were Oklahomans of the Five Civilized TribesCherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole.

The Choctaw and Cherokee were among 14 tribes that provided men to the 1st Infantry Regiment of the Oklahoma National Guard. After basic training at Fort Sill, in October 1917 the Oklahoma guardsmen shipped out to Camp Bowie, Texas, where they combined with Texas guardsmen to form the 36th Division under Maj. Gen. Edwin St. John Greble. The 36th was organized into two brigades, the 71st and 72nd, the former comprising the 141st and 142nd regiments, the latter the 143rd and 144th. Its ranks included more than 600 American Indians. Company E of the 142nd was known as the millionaire company, as its ranks included oil-rich Indian landowners who received eye-popping royalty checks from drilling companies. Some tribesmen in the 36th received government allotment checks, though many had to be satisfied with their basic Army pay. Sells took a personal interest in his charges, visiting them in camp to see they were well treatedand of course to pose with them for publicity photos.

Occupying nearly 2,200 acres of prairieland west of Fort Worth, Camp Bowie was one of 16 National Guard training camps established nationwide in the spring and summer of 1917. It received its first trainees on August 24 while construction was still under way (by wars end more than 100,000 men would pass through). It was an all-American cantonment, housing whites, blacks and American Indians. But while black units were largely relegated to support roles and trained separately, white and Indian recruits trained for combat side by side. Indeed, white commanders welcomed the Indians for their reputed martial spirit. The stereotype was prevalent. According to an article about Indian servicemen in The Outlook, a popular journal of the era, their adroit tactics, sense of strategy and feats of camouflage [were] the outgrowth of an ancient training in the science of war. According to another period report one Cherokee recruit wanted to skip basic training and go straight to France so he could bayonet the Kaiser all by himself.

Such reports warmed the hearts of Army brass, and field officers couldnt wait to turn their Indians loose on the Germans. Privately, however, some harbored doubts prompted by other stereotypes. Sure, Indians might be fine as mounted raiders, they argued, but theyd never be able to endure long marches or adhere to military discipline. Lt. Lucien B. Coppinger, who trained Indians at Camp Bowie, reported his recruits were self-conscious, easily amused and take a great interest in fieldwork as opposed to close-order drill. Still other preconceptions worked in their favor. As they were used to primitive living conditions on the reservation and had been taught from birth to be stoic, some officers noted, they endured the rigors of training with little complaint and made particularly hardy soldiers. Stereotypes and preconceptions aside, the Indian recruits largely passed all tests with flying colors.

The chosen insignia of the 36th Infantry Division was a blue flint arrowhead (representing Oklahoma) superimposed with the letter T (for Texas), and its 30,000 men wore their shoulder patches with pride on April 11, 1918, during their first public parade through downtown Fort Worth, attended by more than 200,000 people. In July the division boarded northbound trains and within weeks shipped out from Hoboken, N.J., bound for Europe. In the rush to get the troops to the front, the men arrived in France without much of their equipment. Their training was also incomplete, having never handled live grenades and only recently been trained in the use of Browning rifles and machine guns. After supplemental training in trench warfare, the division moved up to the front lines in late September.

The 36th Division arrived just in time to participate in the last great Allied offensive on the Western Front. The American unit was attached to the French Fourth Army, its 71st and 72nd brigades split between the Meuse-Argonne and Champagne sectors. The 36th went into action for the first time on October 8 in relief of the U.S. 2nd Division. The men from Oklahoma and Texas charged forward, driving the Germans off the heights around Saint-Etienne and ultimately pushing them back to the Aisne River. Between October 8 and 12 the 36th was in continuous combat, repulsing repeated counterattacks and keeping pressure on the Germans, despite suffering heavily from artillery, poison gas and machine-gun fire.

The divisions American Indians were assigned to scout and sniper units. Some of the scouts found themselves attached to the intelligence section as runners, which brought them to the attention of senior officers. One of the high commands biggest concerns was securing lines of communication between headquarters and frontline units. Runners were frequently killed or captured, rocket signals conveyed only limited information and the telephone lines were clearly being tapped. Without timely orders, some field officers were sending their troops forward at the first sound of the guns.

According to the divisions official history, the solution came during a lull in the fighting when Capt.Elijah W. Horner of the 142nd overheard two of his companys Choctaw soldiers conversing in their native tongue. Immediately recognizing the possibility of using them to frustrate enemy eavesdropping, Horner approached regimental commander Col. Alfred W. Bloor, who concurred. At least thats the official version. Another version, recounted years later by the daughter of Choctaw code talker Albert Billy, is that her father first floated the idea to his superiors. Regardless of who conceived of it, everyone was on board, for as Bloor so aptly put it, There was hardly one chance in a million Fritz would be able to translate these dialects. Word came down from regimental and brigade headquarters to put the Indians on field telephones and send all sensitive communications through them. Choctaws from Company E were soon posted to every field headquarters, their ears glued to telephone receivers.

The division first put the new system to the test on the night of October 26. The 71st Brigade had orders to dislodge the Germans from a strongly fortified position named Forest Farm in a loop of the Aisne River. The position had to be neutralized, as it was holding up the Allied advance at the river. The 141st and 142nd regiments were assigned the task. Division commander Maj. Gen. William Ruthven Smith strongly suspected the Germans were listening in on his communications and tested his theory by issuing false orders to establish an outpost on a certain hill. Shortly thereafter, German artillery fire obliterated the hill. That was all the evidence Smith needed.

When Bloor had to withdraw two of the 142nds companies on the night of the 26th, he used two code talkersSolomon Louis at division headquarters, and James Edwards in the forward areato relay the message. The subsequent repositioning was accomplished without mishap and without alerting the Germans. The next morning the assault went forward on Forest Farm with code talkers again manning the telephones. The Germans were caught by complete surprise, the Americans overrunning the position within an hour. In his after-action report Bloor generously attributed the regiments success to secure communications. After the 142nd was pulled out of the line to rest and refit, the Choctaw troops under Capt. Walter Veach were detailed to train other tribal members in the new system.

Training was needed, as much of the system was improvised. The Indian signal-men could not just relay information in their native tongue, as Choctaw had no equivalents for machine guns, heavy artillery, tanks and the like. Amerindian languages are holophrastic (expressing complex ideas in a single word) and polysynthetic (combining several words into one word), thus the code talkers adapted Choctaw vocabulary to military jargon. The result was a sort of pidgin English in which big gun meant artillery, little gun shoot fast meant machine guns, a regiment was a tribe, battalions were grains of corn and casualties were scalps (which must have struck the Choctaw as amusingly ironic). Eighteen men received training and were designated by the Army as Class I code talkers, as opposed to Class II code talkers not trained in the special jargon, who spoke in the open in their native tongue.

Unfortunately for the Choctaws of Company E, all their hard work was for naught. The regiment never got back into the fight, as the November 11 armistice went into effect before they returned to the lines. Based on the single engagement at Forest Farm, however, Bloor was a believer. Had the regiment gone back into the line, he stated in his report, fine results would have been obtained. Years later a tribal official of the Choctaw Nation, with understandable pride, credited the code talkers with likely bringing about an earlier end to the war and saving hundreds of thousands of lives. And the U.S. Army honored their contribution: The Choctaw code that had served so well in 1918 remained officially classified for decades to come.

Gauging the exact number of code talkers is difficult, let alone distinguishing Class I from Class II signalmen. Choctaw history points to eight original members of Company E who went on to train others. All members of the original group were either full-blood or mixed-blood Choctaw. Oral history interviews with the tribe later identified 14 code talkers by name, yet it is certain there were more. Army records name 16 from the 142nd regiment and two more from the 143rd. The youngest was 19, the oldest 33.

The 36th Division returned to the United States seven months after the fighting in Europe ended, having suffered 2,584 casualtiesincluding 466 killed in action. In June 1919 the division was inactivated at Camps Bowie and Travis, Texas.

In one postwar portrait (see above) 14 young Choc-taw veterans in civilian clothes pose with an American flag while a white uniformed officer stands apart from them. Nothing distinguishes them as soldiers except the medals several wear on their jacket lapels. Reportedly, they were as proud of having fooled the Germans as they were of their combat decorations. The code talkers and all other American Indian soldiers who fought in World War I remained foreign nationals until 1924, when Congress extended citizenship to all tribes. Even then, full recognition of their service was slow in coming. Regardless, the patriotism of Native Americans for their adopted country continued to burn brightly. At the outset of World War II original Choctaw code talker James Edwards tried to re-enlist as a 43-year-old, reasoning maybe [the Germans] still cant talk Choctaw. Rejected due to his age, he still managed to serve his country as an employee of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

While Col. Bloors Jan. 23, 1919, after-action report represented the first official recognition of World War I code talkers, more fitting tributes were to come. In 1995 the Choctaw Nation erected a war memorial on its capitol grounds in Tuskahoma, Okla., which includes a magnificent polished granite slab commemorating the original Choctaw code talkers of World War I. It lists 18 men. Two additional Choctaw code talkers have since come to light. In 2007 the Texas Military Forces Museum in Austin mounted an exhibition on the Choctaw code talkers, and the National Cryptologic Museum in Annapolis Junction, Md., also has a permanent exhibit in their honor. In 2008 President George W. Bush signed the Code Talkers Recognition Act into law. At a time when Indians were discouraged from practicing their native culture, said bill cosponsor U.S. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, a few brave men used their cultural heritage, their language, to help change the course of history.

Perhaps the most fitting recognition of the World War I code talkers was the impact of their legacy on later conflicts. In World War II the U.S. government recruited several hundred American Indians from various tribes to serve as radiomen, and Navajo code talkers in the Pacific Theater developed a complex cipher employing some 600 military terms. During the Cold War a 1950 National Security Agency study looking into the potential use of American Indians as communication linguists cited the 142nd Regiments October 1918 field experiment, calling it the precedent for similar use.

Whether fighting Germans or Japanese or Soviet Russians, the code talkers were always ready to serve.

Richard Selcer is a history professor at Weatherford College in Texas and an author with 10 books to his credit. For further reading he recommends The 90th Division in World War I, by Lonnie J. White; Texas and Texans in the Great War, by Ralph A. Wooster; Story of the 36th, by Captain Ben. F. Chastaine; and Camp Bowie Boulevard, by Juliet George.
Kiichiro Sato/STF

Apple said all Mac computers and iOS devices, like iPhones and iPads, are affected by chip security flaws unearthed this week, but the company stressed there are no known exploits impacting users.

The Cupertino, California-based company said recent software updates for iPads, iPhones, iPod touches, Mac desktops and laptops, and the Apple TV set-top-box mitigate one of the vulnerabilities known as Meltdown. The Apple Watch, which runs a derivative of the iPhone's operating system is not affected, according to the company.
Officers of tax police of the Office of Large Taxpayers of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine raided offices of Kyivstar mobile communications operator as part of an investigation into a criminal case related to tax evasion in the amount of around UAH 2.4 billion, Spokesperson of the State Fiscal Service Natalia Nepriakhina has said.

Late on Thursday Nepriakhina wrote on her Facebook page that the tax police raided the Kyivstar's offices seeking to reveal and seize documents important for the investigators.

She said the office was raided in pursuant to the order of the investigative judge issued on January 3, 2018 after an investigator filed a petition to the judge. The petition was approved by a prosecutor of Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office (PGO).

"The raid was recorded using video cameras in line with the amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code," she said.

Earlier, on January 4, 2017, Kyivstar President Peter Chernyshov said that representatives of the tax police raided the office of the operator.

"About 30 tax policemen have come to our main office today. They got through the security officers by simply moving aside our turnstile and presented the ruling of Kyiv's Shevchenkivsky District Court permitting to search our office. What are they looking for with such a large number of people? Three contracts, signed long ago by the company's former management that have already terminated, and some additional documents to them," he wrote on his Facebook page.

Chernyshov said a trial between Kyivstar and the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine has been lasting for almost two years. The service believes that Kyivstar underpaid a record amount of almost UAH 1.5 billion to the budget of Ukraine.

"We believe that this case was fabricated, since the company always regularly and in full transfers all taxes and fees to the budget of the country. No wonder that we are regularly called taxpayer number one in the communications industry and one of the largest taxpayers in the country. Kyivstar for the 20 years of work had paid UAH 52 billion of taxes and fees to the budget," the president of Kyivstar said.

He also recalled that the company has never refused providing documents and presented a pile of evidence to court.

"However, it looks like the court believes that this is not enough and on December 26, 2017 not informing us gave a permit to inspectors to raid [the office] and seize documents," Chernyshov said.

He also said that Kyivstar continues operating as usual.

Kyivstar is the largest Ukrainian mobile communication operator, serving about 26.4 million subscribers as of the end of the third quarter of 2017.
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WASHINGTON - Nearly the entire U.S. coastline - from Alaska to Florida to New England - would be opened to offshore drilling under a proposal by the Trump administration, a dramatic shift from previous administrations that limited offshore oil and gas production primarily to the Gulf of Mexico.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said Thursday that up to 90 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf, which begins roughly three miles off the U.S. mainland, is under consideration for oil and gas lease sales beginning next year and extending through 2024. That includes almost the entire Pacific and Atlantic coastlines, as well as the Eastern Gulf of Mexico.

"This is the largest number of lease sales ever proposed," Zinke said. "If you look at the last eight years the opportunity to generate revenue through responsible energy development took a backseat to, in many cases, special interest groups."

The move marks a victory for the offshore oil and gas industry, largely centered in Houston, which has lobbied for years to drill in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.

Most of the world's biggest oil companies, including Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell, have a major presence in Houston, as do firms specializing in offshore drilling and services, including TechnipFMC, National Oilwell Varco, McDermott International and Transocean.

Vast stores of oil and gas are believed to lie beneath the ocean floors of the Arctic and Atlantic. And while test wells have turned up little hard proof as of yet, the areas represent potential new frontiers for an industry eager to expand its reserves.

"The plan announced today is a long-term commitment to securing our energy future, and would help cement America's role as an energy superpower, creating jobs and contributing to our economy," said Karen Harbert, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Global Energy Institute.

President Donald Trump's effort to advance his plan for U.S. "energy dominance" by expanding offshore drilling faces a number of challenges, particularly low oil prices that have significantly curtailed offshore exploration.

Many oil companies are focusing investments in lower-cost and higher-margin shale projects in West Texas and other onshore fields.

Crude settled Thursday at $62.01 a barrel, well below prices in 2008, when oil companies spent tens of billions of dollars competing for drilling rights in the Arctic Ocean. Earlier this year, a federal lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico drew what Trump officials conceded Thursday was less than stellar interest from oil companies.

"We do not control the price of oil," said Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Kate MacGregor. "The price of oil is very hard to predict."

The proposal released Thursday was only a draft, beginning a monthslong process in which Trump is expected to face strong opposition from environmentalists as well as residents and political leaders in coastal states.

Florida Governor Rick Scott, a Republican, said Thursday he had already reached out to Zinke to get his state removed from the drilling plan.

When former President Barack Obama considered expanding offshore drilling into the Atlantic Ocean in 2015, protests erupted up and down the Eastern Seaboard as environmentalists clashed with pro-business politicians - including some Democrats - eager to attract the economic boost of oil and gas drilling.

Obama ultimately used his presidential authority to ban drilling in the Atlantic.

Trump's plan would open a much more extensive stretch of coastline to drilling, unlike anything that has ever been proposed by a U.S. president, Republican or Democrat, said Niel Lawrence, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, an advocacy group.

"This is an out-and-out declaration of war on America's coasts and the people who use and depend upon them," Howard said.

Already environmental lawyers are fighting the Trump administration in Alaska federal court, where they filed suit earlier this year to block Trump's move to reverse Obama's protections against drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.

At stake are some of the world's most pristine marine environments in Alaska's Beaufort and Chukchi seas, both of which are slated to be opened up for auction next year under Trump's drilling plan.

The offshore industry, meanwhile, is still trying to clean up its image after the 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, which left eleven people dead and spilled over 3 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

"We are continuously developing and improving safety standards, programs, new technologies and best practices to protect our workers, the environment and marine life," said Erik Milito, upstream director at the American Petroleum Institute, the industry trade group.

Under Trump's proposal, the Interior Department would hold 47 lease sales between 2019 and 2024, including 19 off the coast of Alaska, seven in the Pacific region, 12 in the Gulf of Mexico, and nine in the Atlantic region.
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Parker School Uniforms, which has been meeting the sartorial needs of private-school students since 1931, has closed its doors after a rough patch that had frustrated parents complaining about unfilled orders and a lack of communication.

The Better Business Bureau reports the Houston company was the subject of 85 complaints within the last three years - 81 of them since last July.

Whether it's shuttered for good was not clear on Thursday. A sign at the store on the corner of Bellaire and Braes boulevards said it was "temporarily closed until further notice." The website has been taken down, and the phones weren't being answered.

UPDATE: The Texas Workforce Commission now reports that Parker laid off 320 workers in Harris County effective Jan. 3.

RELATED: Parker School Uniforms fired all employees, former manager says

"Everybody's kind of scrambling, I think, to decide what their options are going to be and what other uniform companies they can go to," said LouAnn Webber, director of admissions at Memorial Lutheran School.

Parker, which supplies a large number of private schools in the Houston area, has not informed Memorial Lutheran or other schools about its status. It did not answer phone calls from the Chronicle, either.

Webber is concerned other uniform companies might be overwhelmed by the influx of schools suddenly needing a vendor.

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, for instance, said Parker supplied the majority of its uniforms for more than 19,400 students at 59 local Catholic schools. In a statement, the archdiocese said it had been aware of Parker's "numerous challenges" this school year and that the Catholic Schools Office had already been in discussions with other uniform suppliers and vendors. There are several options.

"We do not believe that this recent development with Parker School Uniforms will have a long-term negative impact on our schools," the archdiocese said in a statement.

One of its schools, St. Cecilia Catholic School, told parents in an email that its administration has been aware of "serious customer service issues" and that it is in the final stages of selecting a new uniform vendor. In the meantime, it will hold a used uniform sale on Jan. 24 for parents who need to pick up a few items.

Parker was one of the most locally complained-about companies in 2017, said Leah Napoliello, senior director of investigative services at the Better Business Bureau of Greater Houston and South Texas.

Sabrina Cantley was among those filing complaints. She drove more than 100 miles from her home in Marquez to order uniforms for her 10-year-old at the Parker School Uniforms store in Spring. That was about a month before Hurricane Harvey struck in August and she has yet to receive two pair of black shorts or her requested refund.

"If they are closing, I'm assuming they're probably not going to give me my refund, which is disappointing," said Cantley.

It was a small order, but little purchases make a difference for a single-income family with three children. The company has responded to Cantley's complaint but not yet resolved her issue.

Janine Cashin, who lives in the Third Ward, filed a BBB complaint in December. Two of the four shirts she ordered in July still hadn't arrived.

"I was irate," she said. "I was extremely upset with the service I had received. And many, many people were as well."

Since filing her complaint, the company refunded her money and delivered the missing shirts.

"In the end, I was fine," she said. "But really, should it take all that?"
Who: Lindsay Huntsman, beverage director at Emmaline

Background: A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America's Greystone campus, Huntsman spent 10 years working in California, from kitchens in L.A. to postings in wine country. Before relocating to Houston two years ago, she ran the front of the house and wine program for Glen Ellen Star in Sonoma County. Houstonians initially got to know her as the floor sommelier at Backstreet Cafe. The wine list Huntsman has shaped at Emmaline divides varietals and regions into two sections, time-honored and less well known. "This list is meant for generating discussion," she says. "It's about giving guests the option to try wines they might not have tried - more boutique, exciting and experimental - (opposite) some amazing classics from well-loved producers from well-known regions."

What: 2012 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010 Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco Secco Pagliaro.

Why: Huntsman suggests the 2012 Mayacamas as the time-tested wine and the 2010 Paolo Bea Sagrantino as her worth-exploring option. "I like them tasted side by side because they are more about showing the vineyard site than the winemaker," she says. Mount Veeder is the perfect mountainous location for growing cabernet sauvignon, and Mayacamas Vineyards has been making cab there in the traditional style since 1889, way before the juicy and tannic Robert Parker-favored wines became the new Napa norm. Similarly, Paolo Bea, a classic producer of organic, natural wines from the hill town of Montefalco in Italy's Umbria, highlights the terroir without over-relying on modern winemaking techniques. It's 100 percent sagrantino, a very tannic grape, and Huntsman loves the wine for its "nonaggressive finesse. In terms of body and flavor profile, (the two wines) are similar in that they show red fruits, black fruits, are earthy and have incredible soil minerality." She recommends both be decanted for at least an hour: "That's when they begin to show you how beautiful they are."

Price: $275 for a bottle of the Mayacamas, $144 for a bottle of the Paolo Bea at Emmaline, 3210 W. Dallas
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The two-story, brick home that Catherine and Chris Viviano bought in the Upper Kirby district was meant to be a temporary home, a place they'd live just long enough to design its replacement.

Living in the 1930s-era teardown would give them a sense of the site's life while their son, architect Michael Viviano, devised a plan for a new, modern home they would build on the same lot.

One day, though, Catherine was cooking dinner and she felt water dripping on her head.

"We were not really prepared to move out when we did, but the house literally started falling down around us," Catherine Viviano said, now laughing about that day. "We just needed to move out. It moved the process up by about a year."

They leased a 1,100-square-foot bungalow around the corner while they dreamed up their new home.

Through hours of conversations, the Vivianos discussed what they did and didn't want.

Sketches were drawn and scrapped and drawn all over again.

In the end, Chris and Catherine Viviano got the home they wanted: a "modern barn" filled with a mix of contemporary furniture and family heirlooms.

And Michael Viviano got even more: the launch of a career.

RELATED: Houston's most beautiful homes

Evolution to architecture

Catherine earned a degree in interior design from the University of Texas in 1981 while her high school sweetheart, Chris, studied finance there.

They returned to Houston after graduating, and Chris sold real estate before settling in the mortgage lending industry.

Catherine raised their two sons, Michael and Stephen, using her creative skills in volunteer work along the way. As they moved from home to home - from traditional suburban homes to a historic space in Southampton to a three-story transitional townhouse - she tackled substantial remodeling projects with each. That experience ultimately helped her started her own business as a contractor.

After college, Michael, now 33, considered law school, but settled on a master's degree in architecture instead. His younger brother Stephen, 30, went to medical school and now is in New York for his residency in plastic surgery.

Michael worked at Logan and Johnson - Jason Logan and Matthew Johnson were two of his UH architecture professors - after graduating. Then his parents approached him about designing a home for them.

"My mentors basically said I'd be an idiot not to do it. They said 'you cannot turn it down if you have even a passing interest in home design,'" Michael Viviano said.

MORE: 12 things to love in home design

His college professors helped guide him, and Viviano learned much while helping out architects Christopher and Vivi Robertson of Robertson Design. The Robertsons are family friends, and found themselves with a sudden abundance of work; Viviano had extra time, so he dived right in to help.

He's more confident now, but he's honest about the anxiety of taking that first big step. His parents wouldn't be ordinary clients he'd walk away from when the job was done. He also realized his inexperience, noting that his first architecture project would be "like drinking from a firehose."

Chris and Catherine, however, knew their son would not fail.

Going modern

A long, slender dwelling, the Vivianos' home is covered in concrete brick and larch tongue-in-groove cladding. The lower half has dramatic, floor-to-ceiling windows on the front and one side, providing a view to a simply landscaped yard with a fence row of sweetgum trees boasting their orange-red winter colors.

Catherine holds a thin concrete rectangle and explains the lower level's exterior. She wanted gray brick, but even after an exhaustive nationwide search, she couldn't find what she wanted.

They found the concrete pieces and had them cut into narrower slices - a task that proved more costly than the brick itself. Larch wood, similar to cedar, covers the second floor.

"I wanted it to be 'friendly' to the neighborhood and age and not always be the shiny penny on the corner," Michael said of his hope the wood and concrete exterior would become more beautiful over time.

MORE: Inside a stunning, just-listed River Oaks home

He wasn't worried about the wood, but those concrete pieces were another story, so they called back the masonry crew to add a mortar smear to help it age as gray rather than tan.

All combined, the 4,100-square-foot house is clean and tight; in an accounting of materials, they hit the balance just right.

Inside, the living-dining spaces are separated by a partial wall that extends eight feet up and is covered in the same brick used on the home's exterior, except that it's painted white.

The unfussy living room has a deep navy sectional sofa flanked by two off-white chairs all resting on a gray rug that softens the concrete floors.

In the dining room, a clever cantilevered buffet has cubbies for dishes and a barely-noticeable drawer to hold linens. A white oak table surrounded by modern Poltrona Frau black leather chairs gets a lot of use, as a mixture of good food and great conversation keep the tight-knit family there here for hours even at weeknight dinners.

Catherine insisted on plenty of room in the kitchen so she can work uninterrrupted on one side of the island while guests sit around it to chat. Tough-as-nails soapstone covers the island and perimeter counters.

MORE: Architectural antiques add Old World drama to Heights home

Outdoors in the backyard sits their pride and joy: a pizza oven. On pizza night, the kitchen island might be covered in ingredients, rolled-out dough, piles of cheese, meat and vegetables.

Upstairs has a similar, visually quiet design, with plenty of drawers and shelves in his-and-hers closets avoiding the need for a lot of furniture in the bedroom space. It's all clean and white, with shaded windows allowing just as much light as they want.

The couple's style has always been a mix of traditional furnishings with antiques, but they say it wasn't hard to let go of rooms full of furnishings and accessories.

Sure, their attic holds antiques and favorite pieces that might rotate into rooms once in a while, but an estate sale got rid of a lot of furniture they wouldn't need anymore.

"You spend one half of your life wanting, wanting, wanting, and the second half of your life saying 'no, I don't want, I don't want, I don't want.' At this stage of my life, I don't need a room that's not going to be used. There's no point having a space I consider a walk-by," she said.

A new partnership

A mixture of Michael's design skills, Catherine's contractor know-how and Chris' regular reminders about money and resale value, the new Viviano home is something they've all had a hand in.

There were times they drove each other crazy arguing about placement of stepping stones or the details of window trim, but the mother-son duo finished the project on the same wavelength - they even finish each other's sentences.

"I had to get this past my clients, my parents, knowing I was never going off on my merry way and escape the project. Anything that I would draw, anything ... if the steps didn't match everyone's gait ... I would never hear the end of it," Michael joked.

Mother and son now are business partners in their new Viviano Viviano design-build firm, which allows Catherine to branch out to bigger projects and provides Michael with a structure for his architecture skills.

Not only did he discover that residential design is his strength, he also found confidence as an interior designer, helping his parents select new, modern furniture for every room.

Both work from the home, and when Michael's partner, Ryan Johnson, finishes his workday, he almost always ends up at the Vivianos', where they make dinner and talk about their day.

"We are a ridiculously close family," Chris chuckles with more than a little pride.
I found a print of this photo a few years ago in the Houston Chronicle archive.

Nothing else accompanied it. No date, no clue as to who these kids were, nothing. The only thing we know is that it was taken outside the Houston Chronicle building at the corner of Texas and Travis and  judging by the children's clothes  it was winter. These kids don't appear to be poor, either.

This little mystery was solved last week when, while searching through some microfilm here, I found the photo and the accompanying article.

This photo was taken 100 years ago yesterday. It shows about 400 children from the Harvard School in the Heights lined up to watch a matinee at the neighboring Majestic Theatre.

MORE PHOTOS: See Houston's past through the Chronicle archive

A Jan. 6, 1918, Chronicle article said the children "have always 'gone over the top' in patriotic fervor when there was any movement on hand in which they could join in showing service to their country."

It had been months since the U.S. got involved in World War I. Since that time, the children had collected old paper for the war effort.

So when management at the Majestic announced a Friday matinee, with war-financing thrift stamps being used for admission, the Heights kids snatched them up.

"Special cars were sent to the Heights to bring the little lads and lassies in to the city, the long string of cars with the cheering children making sort of a holiday time procession," the Chronicle wrote.

Thrift stamps cost about 25 cents back then. They were turned over to the school's parent-teacher association before being sold for $100 to teacher Nanno Maynard.

"This chain of events gave the children a delightful afternoon to remember, the Parent-Teacher Association $100 to invest for the good of the school and to Miss Maynard, who started the chain, not only a good investment, but the memory of many loyal little followers."
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Anyone in the market for a zoo, complete with animals, housing, and ample land?

On the market for a year now, Alvin's Bayou Wildlife Zoo has yet to find a buyer.

First profiled by Chron.com in November 2016, Clint Wolston's property has had a few nibbles from buyers, according to real estate agent Carolyn Spencer, but no one has ponied up the dough.

RELATED: Underrated Texas landmarks you have to visit at least once

Speaking of ponies, actual horses would come with the 80-acre zoo.

It's located along on FM 517 in Galveston County and is now listed at $6 million instead of the previous $7 million figure.

The 81-year-old Wolston is ready to slow down, according to Spencer. Running a zoo is a young man's or woman's game.

The property and the animals weren't harmed during Hurricane Harvey since Wolston prepared decades ago for biblical rains. Back in 1979, the city of Alvin was inundated as Tropical Storm Claudette gifted the area with 42 inches of rain in one 24-hour period. This made Wolston build his animal enclosures and shelters somewhat higher than needed.

RELATED: What did your favorite Houston landmarks look like during construction?

"Everyone was high," jokes Spencer. "If not dry." The zoo survived Harvey no worse for the wear, according to the agent.

Wolston employs 10 people, who are in charge of taking care of the animals and guiding roughly 90,000 visitors a year on tram tours. Spencer says there have been offers from prospective buyers from as close by as Round Rock and as far as California. No one has yet to come to the terms that Wolston has set forth.

(Don't worry, this video isn't from Bayou Wildlife Zoo...)

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The facility's 500 animals are included in the listing. Animals at the zoo include zebras, a zonkey (not a typo), a white rhino, ostriches, alligators, kangaroos and ring-tailed lemurs.

RELATED: Is the Houston Zoo haunted by the ghost of a former daredevil zookeeper?

As previously reported, there is a covered picnic area for 400 people, 16 barns, a souvenir shop, sales office, six restrooms, a fleet of Jeeps, and seven trams. To maintain the 80-acre spread, a buyer will also become owner of a bulldozer, grader, backhoe, tractor, trailers, fencing, and other ranch equipment.

The property features two miles of trails, 15 lakes and ponds, native trees, and 3,500 feet of waterfront on Dickinson Bayou. The property is between Houston and Galveston, near Interstate 45, the main highway connecting the two cities.

The zoo rakes in about $1 million in annual sales and runs at a more than 30 percent profit margin.

Wolston said he's looking for someone who can take on the responsibility of such an expansive park. It probably won't be an easy task, but Matt Damon did it in "We Bought A Zoo," so how hard could it be?

Just hire Scarlett Johansson.

Craig Hlavaty is a reporter for Chron.com and HoustonChronicle.com. He's an intolerable native Texan with too much ink in his skin and too much brisket stuck in his teeth.
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Cupid's arrow struck U.S. Army Capt. David Van Vranken through Facebook. Six years ago, the photo of an arresting redhead popped into his newsfeed - besotted, he wasted no time asking mutual friends for an introduction.

"It's a very funny, modern story," says Layne Lynch, the former mystery woman and now David's wife. The newlyweds tied the knot in November.

Aside from that initial love at first "like," a scripted version of their courtship would read more period-piece than rom-com.

Layne, 29, describes herself as extremely analytical and a bit old-fashioned. Under normal circumstances, David's boldness might have scared her off; but she was open to meeting someone, and he was about to deploy.

The relationship developed slowly. Every so often, her uniformed suitor would telephone to check-in from Afghanistan.

"I was out and dating other people," she admits. "But he would write me these letters, which was such an old-school thing that I always dreamed of."

Her grandfather had written to her grandmother during World War II. Those letters, Layne says, are what kept their romance alive.

After a full year of transatlantic correspondence and phone calls, David finally returned to Texas. The evening before Layne drove to Austin for their first face-to-face meeting, she and her mother, Mary Lynch, attended a tasting and booked a room downtown at Hotel Icon. Their giddy sleepover - mostly spent chatting about Layne's upcoming big date - is one of the mother-daughter duo's favorite memories.

"I could tell right away that he was a fit for me," Layne recalls of the moment she entered Botticelli's on South Congress. "He stood up and pulled out my chair - it was natural, and not a forced thing. I could tell that this was not like anything else."

Conversation flowed easily. They're both of Irish ancestry and have a thing for words. David, 28, writes creatively in his spare time; Layne is an executive assistant who also freelances for Texas Monthly. And they love dining out.

"As a food writer, people always rely on me for restaurant recommendations, so it was really refreshing to have someone else take the lead," she says. "David suggested places that I would never think of going. That's one of the things I loved about him."

Lucy's Fried Chicken, Foreign & Domestic and the now-shuttered Olivia became their go-to haunts whenever Layne was in town.

Her new beau had thoughtful - albeit unorthodox - gift ideas, too. Once, David presented his girlfriend with a 4-foot ladder because he didn't want her changing light bulbs on some wobbly chair.

That was the moment she knew he was "the one." "It's just this idea that he's looking to take care of me and drove to Home Depot  he bought me a ladder, and it was incredible."

There was talk of marriage, but someone would have to move. After two years of dating long-distance, the couple decided to take command of their own story. David, a Dallas-born native, became an official Houstonian in 2013.

With another deployment looming, they postponed the engagement until 2015. Layne knew first-hand of military marriages that crumbled after too much time apart, and she wanted to make sure their commitment could weather the storm. It was equally important to David that his father and future bride meet; he and Layne rented an old, rickety Impala and road-tripped to Florida.

Like many vacations, everything that could go wrong, did. Layne acknowledges that the mishaps only confirmed how right they were for each other.

"I hate the beach, and I hate Disney World," she confesses. "Getting engaged on the beach was my worst nightmare. I always said, 'If he proposes at Disney, I'll say no. And if he asks me on the beach, I'll definitely say no.' "

Sure enough, David popped the question oceanside.

"It was actually really sweet- there just happened to be sand," Layne adds, laughing. "I said 'yes!' "

Her excitement turned to sadness when her new fiance deployed again shortly after the proposal. She emailed Rachel Starnes, author of "The War at Home: A Wife's Search for Peace (And Other Missions Impossible)," for guidance. To Layne's surprise, Starnes responded quickly, and encouraged her to lean on loved ones for support.

The bride-to-be took Starnes' advice and passed the time planning the wedding with her mother or sending Pinterest-researched care packages to David. Letters, of course, were exchanged, too.

"He's one of those guys who wants to get married but doesn't necessarily want to handle all of the details," Layne says. She and Mary, on the other hand, are very detail-oriented.

Mother and daughter settled on a vintage theme with subtle, personalized touches. One friend hand-drew save-the-date cards and formal invitations, another brewed a custom Van Vranken wedding ale for the reception dinner. Amber Ben Dance Shoes designed velvet, emerald kitten heels to complement Layne's royally influenced lace gown.

"I wanted something like Kate Middleton's gorgeous Alexander McQueen dress, which revived the long sleeve, but with a lower cut," she explains. The inspiration for her cathedral veil sprang from the big screen. "In 'The Sound of Music,' there's that scene where Maria's walking down the aisle, and the shot from above is really elegant and classic."

Overall, her vision for their "I dos" came together nicely. Then Hurricane Harvey made landfall, and floodwater devastated several buildings downtown, including the couple's reception venue.

"I thought that Magnolia Ballroom would be fine, but my dad said that if the Wortham (Center) flooded, we should check Magnolia," Layne says. Unfortunately, her father's hunch proved correct, and she had 90 days to find a new space. "Everyone kind of laughed when I asked if they had availability. Then my mother suggested that we look at Hotel Icon."

On Nov. 18, following an intimate ceremony at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, that's where 75 guests toasted the newly minted Mr. and Mrs. Van Vranken.

"I'd been to weddings with 400 people and thought, 'There's no way you know everyone here well enough to have them witness the most important day of your life,' " the bride says. "And it all seemed very fitting to come back to the Icon; I really love that I stayed there the night before I met David."

The morning of her wedding, the bridal party primped in Layne's apartment. It had long been her dream to get ready at home.

Later, the father of the bride performed all of the readings, including a notable homily that emphasized the sanctity of marriage and working as a team.

Shortly after she and David were pronounced husband and wife, Layne heard a gasp on their way up the aisle. "My veil caught on one of the lanterns, I thought it was on fire! Thankfully, it wasn't, but that was our one little hiccup that reminded us that this isn't a fairytale - it's reality."

Butter & Co. caterers created a Thanksgiving-inspired wedding feast complete with turkey meatloaf, rolled Texas steak, Brussels sprouts, jalapeno pumpkin muffins and 12 different pies from Red Dessert Dive.

Their first dance was a last-minute change to "Nothing Can Change This Love" by Sam Cooke.

"We were originally going to do a Leon Bridges song but didn't want to look like we were performing," Layne explains. "So we danced the way we would in our living room."

Come spring, the Van Vrankens plan to spend 10 days honeymooning through Ireland; coincidentally, their wedding photographer will be in Dublin around the same time and promises to capture their vacation on film.

Must be that Irish luck - because as David knows, a great photo can change everything.
Federal authorities in Michigan arrested a 34-year-old man after a woman said that he sexually assaulted her on an overnight flight when she fell asleep next to him.

The man, Prabhu Ramamoorthy, who prosecutors said was an Indian national living in the United States on a temporary visa, was charged with aggravated sexual abuse and held without bail after an appearance in federal court in Michigan on Thursday.

Ramamoorthy is accused of abusing a 22-year-old sitting in a window seat next to him on a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas which landed in Detroit early on Jan. 3, even as his wife was by his side.

The victim told investigators that she woke up to find her pants and shirt unbuttoned and the man's hand inside her pants.

Federal prosecutor Amanda Jawad said that Ramamoorthy sat between his wife and the victim. He stopped after the victim woke up, and the woman went to the back of the plane to report the incident to a flight attendant, the criminal complaint said.

Two flight attendants told federal investigators that the victim was crying and that her shirt was untied and that her pants were unbuttoned when she had reported the alleged attack at about 5:30 a.m., 40 minutes before the plane's landing, Jawad said. The attendants kept the woman in the back of the plane and offered her a different seat, and while they were talking to the victim, Ramamoorthy's wife came to the back of the plane to see what was going on, Jawad said.

Ramamoorthy was arrested after the plane landed, according to court documents.

He told agents in a written statement that he had taken a pill and fallen into a deep sleep, Jawad said, and that he hadn't done anything besides learning from his wife that the 22-year-old woman was sleeping on his knees.

His wife told officials a similar story, and said that they had called the flight attendants to try to change seats.

But the "flight attendants did not report that anyone asked them to change seats other than the victim," Jawad said.

Both Ramamoorthy and his wife gave lengthier statements later indicating that the pill Ramamoorthy had taken was "plain Tylenol."

Ramamoorthy gave "conflicting reports," about what happened with the victim, Jawad said.

Magistrate Judge Steven Whalen, who said it was a "very unusual case," ordered Ramamoorthy to be held pending trial after Jawad successfully argued that he was a flight risk and a potential danger to others around him. The prosecutor said that Ramamoorthy's wife, who was also living in the United States on a temporary visa, would not make a suitable custodian for him.

"It seems that she's either colluding with the defendant to cover up his actions or she's completely oblivious to what he did," Jawad argued. "What makes this offense particularly egregious and the defendant even more of a danger to the community is the fact that it took place on an airplane. He was brazen enough to do this basically in public, next to his wife where anyone could have seen him."

Ramamoorthy's lawyer, Richard O'Neill, had offered to turn over his client's passport. He said Ramamoorthy had worked as a project manager at a technology group for about two and a half years.

"There's been no allegations from anywhere that his behavior has ever been inappropriate prior to this incident," O'Neill said. "I have a hard time with some of these allegations but that's what a trial is for."

O'Neill did not return a request for comment on Thursday.

Stephen Schuler, a spokesman for Spirit, said that it was cooperating with law enforcement on the incident.

Sexual harassment and abuse on airplanes is a largely unreported but prevalent issue for passengers, according to a report by the Seattle Times. According to a survey done by the Association of Flight Attendants union that the report cited, one out of five attendants said they had dealt with complaints of sexual assault made by passengers. The police were contacted less than half the time, the survey found.

The number of federal investigations into sexual assault aboard airlines has been increasing slowly, up to more than 60 in 2017 as of early December, from 57 in 2016 and 40 the year before.
A new survey out by Rasmussen Reports says Americans are largely in favor of classifying the gang MS-13 as a terrorist organization.

Following a series of murders in Long Island, New York in mid-April, thought to be at the hands of the Los Angeles-born gang, Attorney General Jeff Sessions called for MS-13 to be labelled a terrorist group.

"We will confirm the manner in which they were killed is consistent with the modus operandi of MS-13," Suffolk Police Commissioner Timothy Sini said at a news conference the next day. "We are clearly looking into that possibility although we have not ruled out other possibilities at this point."

UNHOLY ALLIANCE: How the MS-13 joined up with powerful Mexican cartels

The four young men were found beaten and killed with a sharp object at the Recreation Village Town Park in Central Islip April 12, the New York Times reported.

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Of the people surveyed by Rasmussen, 47 percent favor legislation designating MS-13 a terrorist organization, with only 17 percent opposing the proposal. Thirty five percent of the respondents were undecided.

The 1,000 likely voters surveyed were asked, "A proposal has been made to designate the nationwide MS-13 criminal gang a terrorist organization. Do you favor or oppose such a designation?" The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen Reports was founded in 2002 and was reported by Slate Magazine and The Wall Street Journal as one of the most accurate polling firms for the 2004 United States presidential election.

The gang began as the Mara Salvatrucha in the Pico-Union neighborhood of LA by Salvadorian immigrants who fled to the United States during the Central American civil wars in the 1980s.

The gang has incited violence in Central America and the U.S. since its inception and deals in human trafficking, child prostitution and drug smuggling.
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President Donald Trump plans to visit Long Island, NY, today, to talk about border security and a familiar bane for Texas law enforcement: transnational gangs like MS-13.

The visit comes as the White House makes a renewed push to increase border security funding, and just days after Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo spoke of the threat posed by the gang, calling MS-13 "the worst of the worst" in an interview with National Public Radio Wednesday.

MS-13, or "La Mara Salvatrucha," was formed in California in the 1980s. The gang spread throughout Central America and the U.S. and is infamous for the grisly murders and wholesale violence its members commit.

THREAT ASSESSMENT: Texas gang threat led by Tango Blast; Aryan Circle upgraded

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It is the only street gang federal authorities have labeled a transnational criminal organization. In Houston, which is home to approximately 20,000 gang members (from organizations like MS-13 and Tango Blast to small local cliques) the gang has been a frequent bane for local law enforcement, racking up some of the area's most gruesome murders.

MS-13 gang members were convicted for murdering a 14-year-old boy here in 2014 who wanted to go to church instead of associating with the gang.

They were also charged with killing a girl earlier this year in a Satanic sacrifice. And earlier this week, two MS-13 gang members landed on the Texas Department of Public Safety's list of most wanted fugitives.

Trump made border security one of his priorities - promising a coast-to-coast border wall, which he would make Mexico pay for.

MAPPED: Where Texas' most significant gangs, criminal groups hold sway

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has directed his department's law enforcement agencies and federal prosecutors across the country to prioritize prosecutions of transnational gangmembers, as directed by an executive order Trump signed in February, among other measures.

Here's what the Washington Post reported earlier today:

In a speech this week in Youngstown, Ohio, Trump referred to violent gang members as "animals" who terrorize their communities, including other immigrants. "We are throwing MS-13 the hell out of here so fast," Trump said. "You know, we're actually  hard to believe that we're talking about our great country. We are actually liberating towns and cities. We are liberating  people are screaming from their windows, 'Thank you,' thank you to the Border Patrol and to [Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly's] great people that come in and grab the thugs and throw them the hell out.'"

The Associated Press reported that the Department of Homeland Security's investigative unit has arrested 3,311 gang members across the country in a number of targeted operations. The agency could not provide numbers for a similar timeframe in 2016.

WANTED: MS-13 gang member on the run from Houston on two murder charges

But an investigation by the Washington Post found that MS-13's presence has grown sharply in recent years in Houston and other parts of the country.

File/Texas Department of Public Safety

While Trump's tough talk and immigration crackdown has cheered conservatives, others say that his recent actions are only emboldening MS-13.

One immigration advocate told CNN today that increasing immigration enforcement action makes undocumented immigrants more fearful of arrest and deportation and less likely to cooperate with authorities, ultimately helping MS-13.

"This situation is actually putting people who are very vulnerable in a more precarious situation because then they remain at the mercy of gangs,"said Walter Barrientos, Long Island coordinator with Make the Road.

The international spotlight that President Donald Trump focused Friday onto the brutal MS-13 gang highlights a problem that Houston-area law enforcement have been battling for years. The gang  known for wielding machetes and practicing Satanic rituals  has left a trail of bodies and mayhem across Harris County, the U.S. and Central America as its violence and influence have spread throughout the region in the past decades.
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Estuar Quinonez's bullet-riddled body and 25 bullet casings were found in Missouri City's Buffalo Run Park on June 16, 2016.

The 16-year-old, a member of the MS-13 street gang, had been cooperating with Houston police after witnessing six homicides by the gang, police say. Five alleged MS-13 members were charged with capital murder in Quinonez's slaying.

The killing demonstrates the gang's ruthlessness, but comes as experts and law enforcement agree there are indications the gang membership has decreased in Texas.

READ MORE: Trump spotlights brutal MS-13 gang with history of Satanic killings, machete deaths in Houston area

Investigators say the men lured Quinonez into the park after his killing was given a "green light" from Omar Torres, who remains in Harris County jail after being charged for a February 2016 murder.

One of the men charged - Douglas Alexander Herrera-Hernandez - was extradited to Houston in August 2017, where he had already been charged with a July 9 murder outside of an apartment complex on the city's southeast side.

Filed late last month, the charges come as the MS-13 gang re-emerges in the national spotlight because of a continued wave of brutal gang slayings and increased attention from politicians, including President Donald Trump.

The president has previously called MS-13 "animals" that "have transformed peaceful parks and beautiful quiet neighborhoods into bloodstained killing fields" - violence that the Trump administration has used as part of their justification for sweeping immigration crackdowns and a proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

READ MORE: Satanic ritual led to young woman's killing, witness tells police

In Houston, the gang has in recent years garnered headlines for its gruesome tactics, including a February 2017 killing of an 18-year-old woman that police later said was part of a "satanic" ritual.

Last April, Gov. Greg Abbott infused a Harris County tactical operations center with $500,000 to fight gang violence in response to a spate of killings by my MS-13 members.

But many experts say the gang's influence - and fears of it - are highly exaggerated. Its roughly 10,000 U.S. members account for only a small portion of the total, 1.4 million gang members the FBI estimates live in the country.

MS-13's Texas membership, meanwhile, dropped this year to about 500 - less than 1 percent of the state's total 100,000 gang members, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety's annual gang assessment.

Last year, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said there were about 350 members in Houston, though he said the actual number is probably higher.

MS-13's decline in the U.S. is due in part to renewed focus by local law enforcement, said Michael Paarlberg an assistant professor of political science at Virginia Commonwealth University and an associate fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Policy Studies.

The gang started in 1980s Los Angeles as the Mara Salvatrucha Stoners, a relatively nonviolent group of Central American refugees with a shared love for metal music. Its penchant for brutal violence didn't come until years later, when it coalesced under the MS-13 moniker in the California prison system, he said.

Today, the gang is primarily based in El Salvador, from where its leaders oversee local "cliques" around the United States and some other counties.

Because of that - and despite its designation as a "transnational" gang - Paarlberg said MS-13 has never truly been able to coordinate as one, cohesive criminal enterprise. Rather, he said, many local gangs simply borrow the MS-13 moniker.

"The gang is structured in a very loose way," he told the Chronicle. "It's really not just one gang. They franchise the name, and the name carries a certain amount of weight. But that doesn't mean they're coordinating with some kind of national network."

And despite its members' penchant for brutal killings, Paarlberg said MS-13's true "bread and butter" has always been extorting members of local, often-undocumented communities.

"The political atmosphere seems to suggest that this is a gang that is highly coordinated, primarily committing violent crimes targeting average citizens - which is often code for white, native-born citizens - when that's really not true," Paarlberg said.

Hurdles for police

Law enforcement officials say that combatting the gang - and the panic surrounding it - has become more difficult due to various efforts to eliminate so-called "sanctuary cities."

Earlier this year, Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 4, which allows authorities to ask about a person's immigration status during stops, and requires local agencies to comply with federal immigration officers to detain any person suspected of being in the country illegally.

MS-13 members accounted for roughly 0.4 percent of all arrests made by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in 2016, CNN reported at the time. Through December 2017, ICE had reported 796 MS-13 arrests -- a one-year, 83 percent increase that some experts said was due to the subjective nature by which some arrests were linked to the group.

Multiple studies - including one from the Center for American Progress - have found that sanctuary cities are generally less violent, with lower rates of unemployment and poverty, which experts have credited in part to trust between communities and police.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo has joined state and national law enforcement officials in routinely decrying such laws for what they say is a chilling effect on local immigrant communities. Just last month, Acevedo said an investigation into the killing of a mother and the kidnapping of her young baby in a northwest Houston apartment complex was complicated by fears among the predominantly Hispanic community there.

"We have to fight the perception that HPD is interested in the immigration status of people who might be victims or witnesses," Acevedo said Friday. "That's a problem, because now (witnesses) might not come forward because (they) know that a distant relative might be entangled with MS-13 or some other violent street gang."

That, coupled with the Houston clique's growing notoriety for killing witnesses, makes policing MS-13 doubly difficult.

"A community is only as safe as the willingness of the people living in that community to participate in trying to keep people accountable," Acevedo said, also noting that witness killings are generally rare. "The sooner we come together with law enforcement, the sooner we can get these criminals off the street."

Sgt. Clint Ponder, of HPD's gang division, mostly declined to comment specifically on MS-13, in keeping with department policy meant to prevent giving gangs notoriety.

Ponder did, however, say that fears of gang violence are "absolutely" exaggerated, particularly in communities far-removed from the small, confined areas wherein such groups normally operate.

He also pointed to community development programs and public services like job training and counseling as a way to keep young, would-be gang members from turning to crime.

"As a general rule, they all prey on their own community - they really do," Ponder said of Houston's various gangs. "Honestly, it's poor people preying on poor people. There is no big organization going on where they go out and say, 'Hey, let's attack the people in Sugar Land.'"
President Donald Trump recently visited Long Island, New York, to give a speech on law-and-order as well as highlight the MS-13, a street gang known for its brutal violence.

In his speech, Trump promised to restore peace and "destroy the vile, criminal cartel MS-13." In the past year, Long Island has seen a string of MS-13 killings that have made national headlines and gained the attention of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Trump also urged police to not be "too nice" to "thugs" being arrested, language that was rebuked by several police departments across the country who stressed use of force only when reasonable and necessary.

DETAILS: Trump targets MS-13, 'worst of the worst' says Houston top cop Acevedo

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Like the Long Island community he spoke to, Houston is no stranger to the violence the infamous gang can bring.

Harris County contains the highest reported membership of MS-13 in the Lone Star State, according to the most recent gang threat assessment by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

"While the increase in the presence of the MS-13 grows, it appears that Texas is continually used as a transitional zone, as gang members are traveling onward to the U.S. East Coast," detailed Texas safety officials. "The increase in violent activity in Texas along with the constant influx of illegal members crossing into the state exemplifies the gang's Tier 1 threat level."

CHARGED: MS-13 gang member accused of killing high school student, rival gang member

One recent example is the arrest of 20-year-old Douglas Alexander Herrera-Hernandez, an alleged Houston member of MS-13 that is suspected in two area murders. Herrera-Hernandez, also known as "Terror," was apprehended in Alexandria, Virginia, more than 1,400 miles from Houston.

Click through above to see other violent MS-13 crimes committed in 2017 as well a ranking of Texas' most dangerous gangs.
Next up: Texas.

Until now, voters in Virginia, New Jersey and Alabama have had all the fun with big elections that gripped the nation, altered the United States Senate and provided an appetizer for what many expect to be a tumultuous 2018 election cycle nationwide. But now it's the Lone Star State's turn to join the mix with the earliest primary elections in the nation  and with a lot at stake.

On March 6, Texas voters will decide who will carry the Democratic party's mantle into the battle for governor and a slew of other statewide offices in the nation's biggest GOP stronghold, remake the state's congressional delegation with eight new members likely determined during the primary in heavily gerrymandered districts, and test Sen. Ted Cruz in his first re-election since his stunning victory in 2012.

Early voting begins in just more than six weeks.

What the turnout looks like in the Texas primary will tell a lot about what lies ahead for Republicans and Democrats in 2018, said Cal Jillson, political science professor at Southern Methodist University. If there is big minority voter turnout  traditionally low in gubernatorial cycles in Texas  it could signal that the higher than expected turnout with those voters in Alabama last month in that Senate race is a developing trend nationally that could have lasting impact.

Similarly, what turnout looks like for suburban white women who helped elect Donald Trump in 2016 will tell Republicans a lot. If they come out in the Republican primaries, they could again help Republicans comfortably carry the day.

But there's not much time for any of it. Election day is March 6, but early voting starts Feb. 20  six weeks from Tuesday. And for thousands of Texans in the military and overseas, they could be filling out ballots in as little as two weeks to make their choices  the deadline for those ballots to be mailed out. Military and overseas ballots must be out by Jan. 20 according to the Texas Secretary of State's office.

In 30 of the nation's 50 states, primaries are from June to September. Texas is one of only two states that have March primaries. Illinois holds its primaries on March 20.

"It makes it difficult for voters," Jillson said. "You've just come out of the holidays, and you look up and you are just a few months before Election Day."

That has campaign teams in Texas working at warp speed trying to gain name identification at a time many Texans are still taking down Christmas decorations. In one race for the 2nd Congressional District in Houston, Republican Rick Walker already has billboards towering over the district. Another Republican, Kathaleen Wall, brought in country music star Lee Greenwood to boost her campaign at a kickoff on social media sites, and another candidate, David Balat, estimates he's knocked on 500 doors in the district already.

"Everything is happening now," said Donna Stanart, campaign manager for Balat, one of nine Republicans running in a congressional district that runs from west Houston and wraps around to Atascocita and Humble in northeast Harris County.

Adding to the pressure is the fact that in Republican primary races in Harris County, nearly half the votes will be cast during early voting. That means really seven weeks for candidates to find a way to stand out.

Yi-Chin Lee/Staff

Jillson said the early primary benefits incumbents because they are typically better known and have more money. But in crowded fields with mostly unknown candidates the next nine weeks are an exercise in branding and building name recognition through any means possible.

"Somehow you have to embed your name in peoples' minds," Jillson said.

March 6 isn't likely to be the end of the primary for many races. In contests with a lot of candidates and no clear favorite, a run-off election becomes increasingly likely. If no candidate gets above 50 percent, a runoff election is set for May 22.

Perhaps the most notable race is for governor. Texas has 10 Democrats running to determine who will take on Gov. Greg Abbott, who himself faces minor opposition from two Republicans in the GOP primary. Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez and Andrew White, the son of former Gov. Mark White, are two of the best known names in the race for Democrats.

And Houston is in the middle of what will be big changes coming in Congress for Texas.

Statewide, eight congressional races are open seats, meaning there is no incumbent seeking re-election, after an usually high amount of retirements. Texas has not lost more than eight sitting congressman in one year since 1996, when nine incumbents retired or were defeated for re-election.

In Houston, longtime incumbent Reps. Gene Green, D-Houston, and Ted Poe, R-Atascocita, both announced their retirements. Nine Republicans and five Democrats are running to replace Poe. Seven Democrats and four Republicans are running to replace Green.

One of the most watched races in Texas will be for the U.S. Senate where Cruz, finishing his first term, faces four lesser known Republicans in a primary. On the Democratic side, El Paso Democrat Beto O'Rourke first needs to get through a primary with two other Democrats to get to the highly anticipated battle with Cruz.

Jeremy Wallace writes about state politics and government for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter at @JeremySWallace.
Tango Blast is considered the greatest gang threat in Texas, according to a new report, while a previous powerhouse - the Texas Syndicate - has been downgraded from the top tier because of disruptions from law enforcement and Tango affiliates.

The other most significant gangs in Texas are Latin Kings, Texas Mexican Mafia and Mara Salvatrucha, known as MS-13, according to the 2017 Texas Gang Threat Assessment from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Related: Trump spotlights brutal MS-13 gang with history of Satanic killings, machete deaths in Houston area

The report, released Tuesday, estimates that as many as 100,000 gang members operate in Texas. Officials say Tango Blast, with more than 19,000 members, is the state's largest.

Harris County is identified among the areas with the highest concentration of gang activity. The top gangs in the region are the Houstone, a Tango Blast clique, all sets of Bloods and Crips, as well as the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas.

The data included in the 60-page assessment highlights events in 2015 and 2016.

The last unclassified version of the report available to the public was released in 2015, DPS spokesman Tom Vinger said.

Fugitive sought: MS-13 gang member on the run from Houston on two murder charges

Tango Blast, Latin Kings, Texas Mexican Mafia and MS-13 remain Tier 1 gangs because they "continue to pose the greatest gang threat to Texas due to their relationships with Mexican cartels, consistent transnational criminal activity, statewide presence and a high propensity for violence," among other factors.

The Texas Syndicate, a prison gang that operates inside and outside of penitentiaries, and long considered one of the most violent in Texas, has been downgraded to a Tier 2 threat. The gang had been ranked a Tier 1 organization since 2010.

The report also upgraded the threat ranking of the Aryan Circle gang from Tier 3 to Tier 2 because of documented association with Mexican cartels.

Federal crackdown: Sessions vows to eradicate MS-13 after youths killed

According to the report, current intelligence on the outlook for gang activity includes the "unique threat" of gangs working with Mexican cartels to facilitate the smuggling of people, drugs and weapons around the state with a special emphasis on sex trafficking because of "large and sustainable profits and the perceived low risk of detection by law enforcement."

The state intelligence estimate was produced by the Texas Joint Crime Information Center, a part of DPS, in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies.
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A woman who allegedly escaped from the Bexar County Jail on Thursday morning found her way out of the complex by asking for directions from a worker at the facility, according to court records.

Rosemary Hernandez, 39, now faces a charge of escape, a third-degree felony, according to court records. Her bond has yet to be set for the new charge.

Hernandez allegedly escaped at about 8:24 a.m., hours after she was arrested Wednesday and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to her arrest warrant affidavit. She is accused of stabbing her boyfriend in the neck.

RELATED: 2 men thrown from tumbling vehicle in rollover crash in South Texas

Bexar County Sheriffs Office officials said that Hernandez was still in her street clothes and being processed by jail personnel when she allegedly attempted to escape.

Hernandez managed to slip away, and at 8:10 a.m. she traveled in an elevator to the basement of the Bexar County Detention Center, according to an affidavit.

A contract worker for the sheriffs office told investigators that Hernandez asked where to exit the building, the affidavit states.

She is seen on security camera footage passing through two access doors and exiting a secure area of the detention center, investigators noted in the affidavit.

RELATED: 20 S.A.-area communities with the highest violent crime rates

At 8:24 a.m., cameras recorded Hernandez leaving the detention center and running toward the intersection of Martin Street at Comal, authorities said.

Hernandez was arrested by deputies two hours later in the 4800 block of Commerce Street.

Authorities said previously that no one was injured in the escape attempt and no damage was done to any facilities or jail property.

jdelvalle@express-news.net
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said Friday that he will uphold a government ban on hunters bringing trophies of elephants that were killed in Zimbabwe into the United States, pending a further review.

His evening Twitter message reversed a decision by his own administration that was announced this week and promoted as recently as Friday afternoon by the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

"Put big game trophy decision on hold until such time as I review all conservation facts," Trump tweeted. "Under study for years. Will update soon with Secretary Zinke. Thank you!"

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had signaled its intention to end the 2014 ban.

The White House had also argued that the hunting would bring money to local communities and incentivize efforts to protect elephants. Under President Barack Obama, the practice had been banned because of a lack of data on conservation efforts in the African country.

Animal rights advocates and environmental groups criticized the decision. On Friday, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee urged the administration to reverse the policy, calling it the "wrong move at the wrong time."

California Rep. Ed Royce questioned the action because of concerns not only about African wildlife but U.S. national security, citing the political upheaval in Zimbabwe.

"The administration should withdraw this decision until Zimbabwe stabilizes," the committee chairman said in a statement. "Elephants and other big game in Africa are blood currency for terrorist organizations  Stopping poaching isn't just about saving the world's most majestic animals for the future - it's about our national security."

Royce said that when carefully regulated, conservation hunts could help the wildlife population, but "that said, this is the wrong move at the wrong time."
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WASHINGTON  Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, joining other GOP congressional leaders Friday at Maryland's Camp David presidential retreat, said Republicans will have little choice but to work with Democrats in 2018 to move their agenda forward.

"Obviously the biggest challenge we have is now in the Senate, we have 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats," he said in a Fox News interview. "There is no way of getting things done this year without bipartisan support. But I think there are clearly some areas where we can work together."
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More than 1,100 families across Texas have moved into FEMA trailers, but don't expect to see the mobile homes in Houston anytime soon.

That's because local regulations mostly restrict manufactured housing units and recreational vehicles to mobile home parks, and city officials have not lifted those rules in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, meanwhile, is under the impression Houston has opted out of its mobile home programs entirely.

The result: More than four months after Harvey, not a single Houston family has been able to move into a FEMA trailer, the state's chief temporary housing option for flood victims.

"People are displaced. People are living in apartments that are dangerous to their health and safety. If there are options for safe housing, they should be taken advantage of," said Madison Sloan, who manages disaster recovery projects for the Austin-based advocacy group Texas Appleseed. "What we saw after Katrina and other major disasters was cities waiving restrictions on the placement of temporary housing units on residential property so people could have a safe place to live on their property while they rebuild their home. And if that's not happening, that's a problem and a real delay in people's ability to recover."

STRIPPED TO THE STUDS: Houston families who lost housing during Harvey find sleep where they can

Mayor Sylvester Turner's communications staff did not respond to repeated requests for comment Thursday about whether the mayor is considering loosening or suspending the city's mobile home regulations to provide housing options for Houstonians whose homes Harvey flooded.

Now Playing: Follow three families displaced by Hurricane Harvey and see how they cope. Video: Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle

Two hours after the Chronicle published its story, however, city housing director Tom McCasland said the policy is under review due to "current housing demand, and considering how long it may take for dollars to flow from Washington to Austin to Houston."

The city has estimated that the storm damaged more than 311,000 houses and apartments, roughly a third of the housing stock. Many of those families have cobbled together their own solutions, but thousands still await help.

McCasland said the city has not opted out of FEMA's trailer programs, but is instead focusing on implementing federally-funded repair and rental initiatives.

Those, too, have yet to provide any housing for Houston flood victims.

LESSONS LEARNED: In Baton Rouge, warnings from a quick-hit FEMA program



"The fact that there are zero trailers ready for move-in inside the city of Houston is not due to the ordinance," McCasland said. "Our department has offered the (state's General Land Office) assistance in identifying RV parks inside the city where we could place trailers."

There are roughly 6,200 permitted commercial spots for manufactured housing or RVs in Houston, but city officials could not say how many of them currently are vacant and, thus, available to Harvey victims.

Brittany Eck, a spokeswoman for the land office, which is overseeing the implementation of FEMA's temporary housing programs, challenged McCasland's version of events.

"I spoke with the top three staff members overseeing these FEMA programs and they have not been contacted regarding commercial sites within the city limits," Eck said in a text message Thursday night.

FEMA housing programs are among the assistance options for Texans who have had trouble finding a safe place to live since Harvey damaged hundreds of thousands of homes and apartments. Designed to be temporary, the initiatives offer refuge in the form of mobile homes, short-term apartment rentals or minor home repairs.

Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle

The state has had limited success with its repair and rental programs so far, with just two dozen units leased or repaired as of this week. Mobile homes, on the other hand, have been dispersed statewide, including around Houston.

STILL WAITING: More than 47,000 displaced by Harvey still wait for homes

More than 100 families have been able to move into an RV or manufactured housing in Harris County; 72 in Galveston County; 63 in Brazoria County; 15 in Fort Bend County; and seven in Montgomery County, according to FEMA.

Houston is not the only place where local regulations have stymied the state's temporary housing programs, Eck said, but she added that several other jurisdictions have adjusted their rules post-Harvey.

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, meanwhile, emphasized the need for local control over recovery.

"They need to have that right, and Houston being one of them, to say we won't allow (manufactured housing units) or trailers in our communities," Bush said during a Thursday news conference in League City, where he appeared with a resident who recently moved into an RV.

***

DEVELOPING STORM: Hurricane Harvey was the most destructive storm in Houston's history. The late-August storm dumped up to 60 inches of rain on southeast Texas, but the resulting damage was multiplied by actions taken  and not taken  during the past 50 years. Our seven-part series explains why the storm's damage was both a natural and man-made disaster.

Part 1: Nature ruled, man reacted. Hurricane Harvey was Houston's reckoning

Part 2: Build, flood, rebuild: flood insurance's expensive cycle

Part 3: What's in Houston's worst flood zones? Development worth $13.5 billion

Part 4: Harvey overwhelmed some levee systems. Future storms could do worse.

Part 5: Officials patched and prayed while pressure built on Houston's dams

Part 6: For buyers within 'flood pools,' no warnings from developers, public officials

Part 7: In Harvey's wake, Dutch have much to teach Houston

Click here to read all of our Harvey coverage.

GET ENGAGED:

 Where do we go from here? Seven Houston-area leaders discussed flooding causes and solutions at a Greater Houston After Harvey forum hosted by the Houston Chronicle in early December. Watch Wednesday night's keynote address by Jim Blackburn, co-director of Rice University's Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED) Center. Read his thoughts on living around water.

 Sign up for our Facebook community to share your Harvey story, engage with other community members and ask our reporters questions.

 Join the discussion on Twitter: #HoustonAfterHarvey.

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The Houston Chronicle is dedicated to serving the public interest with fact-based journalism. That mission has never been more important. Show your support for our journalism at HoustonChronicle.com/subscribe.
Ukraine and the European Union are at the final stage of signing an agreement on co-financing the Energy Efficiency Fund in the amount of EUR 100 million, and preparations are underway for launching the work of the fund, Deputy Prime Minister for Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Hennadiy Zubko has said.

"We plan to sign an agreement with the EU on financing the Energy Efficiency Fund at the beginning of this year. Ukraine and the European Union at the final stage of signing an agreement on cooperation to co-finance the Energy Efficiency Fund," Zubko wrote on his Facebook page.

He noted that the signing of the agreement opens access to irretrievable donor assistance from the EU in the amount of EUR 50 million to finance energy efficiency measures that will be implemented by condominiums under the rules of the Energy Efficiency Fund in 2018, and also helps attract an additional EUR 50 million in 2019.

"At the end of the year, the government approved the charter of the Energy Efficiency Fund and the mechanism for using the funds envisaged in the state budget in 2018. This helps start the process of launching and operating the Energy Efficiency Fund," he wrote.

He noted that UAH 1.6 billion was envisaged in the state budget for energy efficiency measures to be implemented as part of the Energy Efficiency Fund in 2018.

"The benchmarks for our further cooperation with the EU are the selection of the leaders and members of the supervisory board of the Energy Efficiency Fund, the creation of the necessary IT systems (energy audit registers, energy efficiency certificates, monitoring of the results of implemented energy efficiency measures), as well as a public platform for the provision of energy audit services, which will ensure transparency and openness of all procedures as part of the fund's work," Zubko wrote.
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AUSTIN  Infighting over the heart and soul of the Republican Party boiled over on social media this week as two well-known GOP House members took shots at each other on Twitter over a primary election in southwest Houston.

Rep. Jonathan Stickland, a conservative Republican from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, tweeted pictures Thursday night of his paid campaign staff knocking on doors in Houston for moderate Republican Rep. Sarah Davis's primary challenger, Susanna Dokupil.

"Response so far: Overwhelmingly positive," wrote Stickland.

Davis, who has been under political attack by Gov. Greg Abbott and other conservatives for months, shot back with a meme of Stickland with his 2008 quote: "Rape is non existent in marriage, take what you want my friend!"

Stickland made the comment in a joke online and later apologized  and continued to do so repeatedly in responding to Davis' meme, which she reposted multiple times on Twitter.

"I've apologized 4 stupid comments I made in my younger years, have u publicly apologized for your horrendous liberal voting record?" he responded, adding questions about whether she apologized for her positions on abortion, property tax reform and the minimum wage.

The exchange between Davis and Stickland is the latest example of increased tension in the fight for the direction Texas Republican Party. Stickland, Abbott and others are hoping to edge out the West University Place Republican from the Texas House in favor of a more conservative member and shifting the overall chamber to a deeper shade of red. Meanwhile, House Speaker Joe Straus, a moderate whose leadership team helped block hot button conservative legislation like the so-called bathroom bill, has vowed to do everything he can to help Davis win reelection.

"My race is definitely probably bigger than just me. It probably is about where the party's going to go," said Davis. She said it is unusual to see people from outside her district campaigning in her neighborhoods, which she added is a sign politics are becoming more divisive there.

Davis, a member of House leadership who was first elected in 2010, is facing a trying primary election after becoming the target of conservatives who argue she is too liberal. Her district has supported her over four election cycles, although voters favored Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by 15 points in the 2016 presidential election.

Davis drew the ire of Abbott during a special legislative session in 2017. During the session, Davis opposed nearly all of Abbott's legislation, including regulating bathroom usage for transgender people, increasing abortion regulations and establishing private school vouchers.

Instead, she called out the governor for not prioritizing legislation that would restore funding for therapy for young children with disabilities and called on the governor to add ethics reform to his agenda. The governor's office then accused her of "showboating."

"The governor is obviously angry at the House because he didn't get everything he wanted out of the special session," she said. "Why he singled me out, I couldn't tell you. I really don't know."

Other Republicans have gotten in the mix to push out Davis, including Stickland, a vocal member of the House's conservative Freedom Caucus known for his agitating style. The group of about a dozen lawmakers have pushed to replace moderate and business-minded Republicans with hard right conservatives who want to shrink government and fight abortion.

"Sarah Davis has been a chief captain for killing conservative legislation in the Texas House and then coming back home to say she tried," said Stickland. "Governor Abbott deserves support for his agenda, an agenda millions of Texans voted for, yet Sarah Davis is a chief captain to defeat Governor Abbott's agenda. Republicans need to know this."

In the past, governors typically avoid engaging much in lower-level races, however Abbott endorsed Davis' opponent, Susanna Dokupil, CEO of Paladin Strategies, a Houston-based strategic communications firm. She worked for Abbott as assistant solicitor general and handled religious liberty issues while he served as Texas attorney general before his election as governor.

The race in District 134 has attracted attention from other outsiders, including Texans for Vaccine Choice, a parent group concerned with government-required vaccinations. The group is regularly at odds with Davis, who has pushed to prove the effectiveness of vaccines, and a fan of Stickland's.

The group conducted an online fund-raiser for Dokupil on Facebook Friday and its members have also knocked doors in the district, said Jackie Schlegel, executive director of Texans for Vaccine Choice.

Early voting for the March 6 primary begins Feb. 20. The winner of the election will go on to face the Democratic nominee in the November general election.

Andrea Zelinski covers state government, politics and the courts for the Houston Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook. Send her tips at andrea.zelinski@chron.com.
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WASHINGTON  An $81 billion disaster-relief package for victims of Hurricane Harvey and other natural disasters likely will not get final approval in Congress until a Jan. 19 deadline for lawmakers to continue funding for the federal government.

That assessment was delivered by Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, who met with President Donald Trump Thursday to discuss the 2018 budget along with other top congressional leaders.

The House passed the aid package on Dec. 21, but the Senate, breaking for the holidays, did not take up the measure.

Although the storm relief cleared the House as a separate bill, it is now likely to become part of the final negotiations for an all-inclusive 2018 spending bill, tying its fate to a host of battles over budget caps, defense spending, a children's health insurance program, and the fate of immigrants brought into the country illegally as children, known as "Dreamers."

"There will be some changes, but it will likely be wrapped up in that January 19 negotiation," Cornyn said. "I expect them to be handled essentially all in one big fell swoop."

Cornyn said he has been in close contact with Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been pushing Congress to direct more money to Houston and the rest of the Gulf region affected by Hurricane Harvey. The House-passed bill includes aid for storm victims in Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as for recovery from last year's California wildfires.

Cornyn said he does not expect to see more funding devoted to Texas in the current aid proposal, even if Congress passes it as part of a deal to avert a government shutdown on Jan. 19.

"We're not really talking about changing the top line," he said. "But that may change as people want more money for Puerto Rico."

Aides to Abbott, who has been unhappy with the pace and amount of federal assistance, said the governor is continuing to press for the approval of additional funding. In the meantime, they said, Texas is fronting millions of dollars to ensure that recovery efforts continue.

Under an earlier agreement with the Trump Administration, Texas is being reimbursed for 90 percent of the money it spends on recovery efforts.

Abbott and other state leaders have pressed for fast approval of federal funding for Texas' recovery, insisting that the state was hit by three storm events -- Harvey's first landfall, a second landfall and then catastrophic flooding -- that devastated two-thirds of its Gulf Coast and many adjacent areas including Houston.
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Texas loves to brag about our bigness, but then why are we content with our minuscule election turnout?

The Lone Star State must change our dismal history as a low voter turnout state, starting with the March primary elections. The best way that can happen is by boosting turnout among Texas Hispanics.

The Lone Star State had the third-lowest turnout in the 2016 presidential election, which is a typical performance. Exit polls that year showed that Hispanics made up only about 24 percent of Texas voters, even though they constituted 34 percent of the eligible voting age population that year.

In the 2010 and 2014 mid-term elections, only 17 percent of Texas voters were Hispanic, according to exit polls.

RELATED: Hitting voter ID

The low Hispanic turnout is no accident, with much of the fault lying with the Republican-controlled Legislature in Texas. Overly restrictive voter identification laws and gerrymandering of congressional and legislative districts suppress voter turnout.

Over the long term, the one sure way to get Texas off the bottom of the voter turnout list will be to undo those legislative efforts. But that doesn't mean Texans can't take steps in the coming weeks and months to boost turnout this year, particularly among Hispanics.

Although Hispanics have tended to support Democrats in recent years, this doesn't have to be a partisan issue. Gov. Greg Abbott and former governor George W. Bush, both Republicans, campaigned aggressively for Hispanic votes, and the GOP will have to find a way to increase its appeal among that group if it is to maintain its dominance in Texas.

Daniel Garza, president of the conservative Libre Initiative, said the record low unemployment among Hispanics - 4.7 percent in November - gives Republicans a strong message to take to Hispanic voters.

"When policymakers commit to an agenda that limits taxes and curbs unnecessary government regulation, it makes it easier for workers and entrepreneurs to succeed." Garza said. "The Hispanic community is beginning to see the benefits of an improving economy."

Cristobal J. Alex, a Texan who heads the progressive Latino Victory Project, said 27 percent of the Hispanic voters in Texas in 2016 cast ballots for the first time, many spurred on by Donald Trump's acrimonious rhetoric.

"Democrats can plant the seeds for a blue Texas by targeting first-time Latino voters and running candidates that look like them and share their values." Alex said. "This will require the shared commitment and support of the national and state Democratic parties, tried and true Texas organizations, and national allies like us."

National Republican and Democratic groups aren't expected to invest much in turnout efforts in Texas this year because they'll be focusing on other states, which means grassroots groups and individual campaigns will have to shoulder that burden. One key is for the parties to nominate more Hispanics for offices up and down the ballot, and for candidates to understand issues important to the Texas Hispanics community.

The first step in getting more Hispanics to vote in Texas is to ask them for their vote, over and over again. Outreach efforts have been feeble in Texas, in part because Democrats take the Hispanic vote for granted, and many Republican candidates show little to no interest in reaching them.

Civic groups and candidates can make a big difference through labor-intensive efforts to reach out to Hispanics and make the case for how voting can impact their day-to-day lives, and the lives of their children and grandchildren.

One effort that has shown promise is reaching out to high school students to register as soon as they turn 18, because almost half of all Texas high school students are Hispanic. Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos last year began an aggressive effort to work with high school principals to fulfill their legal role as deputy voter registrars.

The Texas political system will be healthier when more of its citizens are engaged in the political process. That can't happen until Hispanic turnout improves dramatically. Such a change will take years, but the March primary is a good time to start.
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If the geopolitics of oil and gas were remade as a cliched teen comedy, this would be the scene where the former wallflower gets invited to the prom by the star athlete.

Saudi Arabia wants to invest in U.S. LNG.

Aramco, the Saudi state-owned oil company, has begun talks about buying a stake in Houston-based liquefied natural gas exporter Tellurian Inc., The Wall Street Journal reported last month.

The Saudis have dominated global oil for decades from their perch atop OPEC, the international oil cartel. Domestic producers were brought to their knees in 2014 when OPEC flooded global markets in an attempt to put frackers out of business. Their resilience and ingenuity, and plentiful storage capacity, demonstrated to the world that fracked shale can stay in play even when crude hits the floor.

The Permian Basin oil and gas region has particularly caught the eye of the Saudis.

This follows on reports that U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry spoke with Prince Mohammed about U.S. LNG exports during a recent visit to the Middle East nation. Abu Dhabi's sovereign fund, Mubadala, also made a small investment in U.S. shale last year.

RELATED: The last boom?

Industry experts think that the Middle East oil giants want a better understanding of how our nimble fracking systems work in contrast to the multi-decade investments that have been the traditional Saudi production method. Saudis might also be interested in importing LNG for heating and power, which would free up more of their crude for export.

Crude prices currently hover around $60 a barrel. U.S. production is flirting with record highs. And we're the belle of the oil and gas ball.

If you're looking for a happy ending, this is where you'd roll the credits. But there's just one problem with those cliched teen comedies. Life goes on after high school, and anyone who peaks in their teen years is going to be in for a rough time.

Looking at decades-long trends, it's hard to be an eternal optimist about Houston's oil and gas economy in the 21st century.

RELATED: Houston after 2040

Renewable energy is becoming increasingly cost competitive. Electric vehicles are predicted to become a significant part of transportation, and nations like Britain, France and China are floating plans to prohibit internal combustion vehicles.

This shift away from oil and gas as the key fuel source for cars, trucks or the electric grid has plenty of frackers pinning their hopes on plastics and petrochemicals as a long-term consumer of petroleum. That might not be a sure bet. The bioplastics industry, which makes plastic from sugar cane, wood and corn, is estimated to grow at least 50 percent over the next five years, Bloomberg News reported this week. Companies like Coca-Cola and Lego are looking to plant-based materials, instead of those made from fossil fuels, to feed their supply lines. The environmental impact of plastic has corporations and consumers looking to a greener alternative that can be designed to naturally biodegrade over time.

Environmental pressure also has institutional investors unloading industries that emit greenhouses gases.

At the end of last year, New York announced plans to divest its state retirement fund from fossil fuels. The $200 billion fund has listed holdings in more than 50 oil and gas companies, including $1 billion in ExxonMobil. New York City's comptroller announced a similar plan for its pensions, which total around $190 billion.

Norway has begun dumping fossil fuels from its massive sovereign wealth fund. Dozens of Catholic organizations have announced plans to do the same. And in December, the World Bank said it would cease lending money for oil and gas exploration.

Fracking sites have the flexibility to meet the immediate demand of a dynamic global market. They also have a lifespan of about two years. A city like Houston needs to think in terms of decades and centuries, and that means recognizing the limits to long-term growth in the oil and gas core of our economy. Houston could very well become a 21st century Rust Belt city if we fail to prepare for major changes in the energy sector. There's no guarantee of a happy ending in this. After all, real life isn't like a Hollywood movie.
For Texas patients getting stuck with surprise bills, out-of-network emergency departments and stand-alone emergency rooms (also called freestanding emergency rooms or FSERs) should serve as buyer-beware cautionary tales.

It is no surprise to health insurers and other health care experts that these business models are hugely profitable and that they continue to pop up across the state, as recently detailed in Houston Chronicle reporter Jenny Deam's "Blindsided" report and a Chris Tomlinson column, "ER docs, hospitals fleecing patients."

In 2009, FSERs began proliferating in Texas, where more than half of all such facilities in the United States are located. FSERs are not attached to hospitals, and, in most instances, are not a part of a hospital's network of services or providers.

Research shows that these types of ER facilities typically are built in affluent neighborhoods where there is already a wide selection of health-care options, including hospital-based emergency rooms, urgent care centers and doctor offices.

How have FSERs developed so quickly?

These facilities succeed under a low-volume, high-per-capita-income model - meaning they see just a few patients per day who pay a lot of money. Because of this, most FSERs choose to stay out-of-network.

In 2016, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas reached out to all known out-of-network FSERs in Texas hoping to negotiate in-network agreements. Not a single FSER contacted would agree to a negotiated rate, many before even looking at the rates being offered.

Patients often are unaware that many of these facilities are classified as out-of-network by most insurance companies. Additionally, because of location and appearances, they can easily be confused with the more affordable urgent care centers.

Moreover, some FSERs use marketing materials that can be confusing to patients, such as advertising that that they accept all insurance plans. However, this is not the same as being in-network, which can leave consumers much larger bill than they expected.

Texas has one of the highest rates of surprise medical billing in the nation. The risk of surprise billing is even greater at FSERs - nearly 70 percent of out-of-network claims for Texas emergency rooms occur at freestanding ERs.

These facilities can charge up to 10 times more than urgent care centers for the same services. The average cost to treat bronchitis at a Texas FSERs is around $3,000, compared to $136 at a traditional doctor's office or $167 at an urgent care center. In many cases, consumers are left confused and angry when they get a big bill for care they thought was covered.

There's hope. Two bills passed in the last legislative session that will help protect Texas consumers from the outrageous costs and confusion associated with FSERs. Senate Bill 507, authored by Sen. Kelly Hancock, expands mediation protections to include FSERs and other out-of-network emergency providers to all PPO insurance plan holders. The reform empowers PPO plan holders to challenge inordinately expensive bills received after a visit to one of these facilities.

House Bill 3276, authored by Rep. Tom Oliverson, requires independent FSERs to be more transparent when it comes to their insurance network status to lessen the confusion about the cost of services these facilities cover and what's considered in-network.

As a physician, I understand that many people find it difficult to determine if they are experiencing a true medical emergency. If you have, or think you have, a true medical emergency then seek care in the nearest emergency facility or by calling 911. However, if your need for care is urgent but not life-threatening, I encourage you to consider your options. This decision is critical to avoiding potentially exorbitant out-of-pocket emergency costs. Where you go for care does matter, and going to a free-standing emergency room can be costly.

Morrow is president, Houston and Southeast Texas at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.
Members of the Texas County Commission handled several items at a Dec. 13 meeting, according to minutes that were released Jan. 4.

Representatives of University Extension in Texas County highlighted upcoming programs. Angie Fletcher and Trisha Adey attended, and budget proposals were presented for 2018.

In other matters, commissioners:

Discussed with Pat Keck, an attorney with the Springfield firm of Keck and Austin LLC, whether insurance would pay for a portion of the countys billing cost.

Acknowledged that sheriffs department employee Joe Coney would move from a part-time to a full-time position on Dec. 14. The pay rate remains unchanged.

Learned that Dakota Reynolds was fired as a full-time jailer on Dec. 10.

Met with Texas County Prosecutor Parke Stevens Jr. related to the 2017 state audit of county government.

Heard from Luritta Baker, who stated she believes the sheriffs vehicle is being use inappropriately.

Met with Steve and Deborah Ward related to a property assessment on an unfinished home on Highway M. It was decided that the best option would be to pay the taxes under protest and contact the Missouri State Tax Commission for a resolution.

Held a closed session with attorney Keck to discuss legal issues.
The National Commission for Communications Regulation (NCCR) has recommended that operators, which interconnection contracts expired, ensure the provision of all types of telecommunications services to subscribers before new contracts are signed, the regulator has said.

"Taking into account that fact that when the interaction breaks down, the provision of telecommunications services (including access to emergency services) is terminated, until the conclusion of new cooperation contracts, we recommend that telecommunications operators ensure the transmission of all types of calls between their networks in the public telecommunications network of general use to provide consumers with high-quality telecommunications services," the regulator said on its website.

The NCCR also said that no Ukrainian licensee can unilaterally break off the interaction with the telecommunications network of another operator. If the operators do not agree on the interaction of their telecommunications networks, they have the right to send the dispute to the NCCR for settlement.
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Thirteen dogs saved from being killed and eaten in South Korea have arrived safely in the United Kingdom to start the New Year getting the love and care they deserve. Animal protection charity Humane Society International, accompanied by TVs Pete Wicks from The Only Way Is Essex, travelled to South Korea before Christmas for the charitys 10th dog meat farm closure, saving all 170 dogs from death row.

Pete joined the charity at Heathrow Animal Reception Centre for an emotional reunion with Henry, a golden retriever; Jack, a beagle; and Lucie, George, Tory, Rocky, Bella, Chris, Adam, Mocha, Abbie, Lucy and Leila, all Jindo mixes.

The dogs were confined their whole lives in filthy, barren, metal cages on a dog meat farm in Namyangju, a mere two hour drive from where South Korea will host the 2018 Winter Olympics in just over four weeks time. Its one of an estimated 17,000 dog farms across the country, breeding more than 2.5million dogs a year to be eaten. In addition to their lives of suffering, the methods used to kill dogs are brutal and often protracted, with electrocution or hanging at the local market, slaughterhouse or restaurant the usual fate.

Claire Bass, executive director of HSI/UK, was part of the rescue team in South Korea, where she first met Henry and is now adopting him. She said:

It was incredibly upsetting to see so many frightened dogs in such appalling conditions, many of them emaciated, with skin or eye infections and covered in pressure sores. But our dog farm closures are shining a much-needed spotlight on this cruelty and supporting the vibrant campaign by South Koreans themselves to end the trade. Most South Koreans dont regularly eat dog meat, and in fact the majority of young people have never eaten it, so its a dying industry that we have a real opportunity to end. Being able to rescue Henry from his dog meat farm hell is a privilege that spurs me on to campaign for a day when no dog suffers for the dinner table in South Korea.

HSI has so far permanently shut down 10 dog meat farms and rescued more than 1,200 dogs who were flown to the USA, Canada and the UK for adoption. The closures are done in partnership with dog farmers eager to leave the controversial trade, and in the hope that the South Korean government will adopt and expand this working model to phase out the cruel industry for good.

Pete Wicks said Nothing could have prepared me for how dreadful a dog meat farm really is. Endless rows of dogs shivering in the bitter cold on freezing metal bars, a look of utter hopelessness in their eyes. Some of them cowered at the back of their cage, clearly traumatised by their ordeal, while others wagged their tails nervously and even offered me a paw. Their resilience and trust despite their harrowing ordeal really moved me. Helping the HSI rescue team close down that hellish place was one of the proudest experiences of my life, and Im thrilled to finally be reunited with the 13 dogs who will find their forever homes here in the UK. With love and patience, hopefully they can put the nightmare of the dog meat trade behind them.

Fight the Dog Meat Trade and Other Cruelty.

Whilst Henry is settling in with Claire and family, the other 12 dogs have been transferred to the care of All Dogs Matter rehoming centre and will stay at the centre in north London, getting the care they need before finding families. Ira Moss, All Dogs Matter director, said: Everyone at All Dogs Matter is really moved to be able to help give these special dogs a new start in life. Theyre never known comfort or love before, and so look forward to finding them their forever homes to help them recover from their ordeal.

To register interest in adopting one of the South Korean rescues, you can apply online.

HSI thanks Animal Couriers for sponsoring the transport of the dogs from Heathrow.

Facts:

Around 30 million dogs and 10 million cats a year are killed across Asia for eating, with the trade most widespread in China, South Korea, Indonesia, Laos, Viet Nam and Nagaland in northern India.

South Korea is the only country known to factory-farm dogs for eating. Elsewhere, dogs are typically snatched from the streets or stolen as pets for the trade.

In South Korea, dog meat is most often eaten during the hottest days of the summer in July and August, called Boknal, as a peppery soup called bosintang believed to improve stamina and virility.

Dog meat farmers who approach HSI for help exiting the industry sign a legal contract with the charity to relinquish the dogs. The charity provides a small start-up grant to transition farmers to an alternative, humane trade such as chilli growing or water delivery.

The dog meat industry is in legal limbo in South Korea, neither legal nor illegal. Many provisions of the Animal Protection Act are routinely breached, such as the ban on killing animals in a brutal way including hanging by the neck, killing in public areas or in front of other animals of the same species.

For more information on our campaign visit www.hsi.org/dogmeat

Media contact: Wendy Higgins: whiggins@hsi.org, +44 (0)7989 972 423
When Do You Need A Music Publishing Deal And What You Should Expect From It

Whether or not it's in a songwriter's best interest to pursue a music publishing contract is a complicated issue. Here we delve into what each party's role in a contract is, the different types of contracts out there, and other considerations to take into account.

_______________________

Guest post by Jen Sako of the Music Development Agency

The answer to the question of whether or not a songwriter should pursue a music publishing contract can grow complex. A quick internet search turns up many arguments for and against signing a deal. But only you know what kind of deal will work best for you and your career. How much time can you devote to the business side of music? Do you have a comprehensive understanding of the music business? What do you as the songwriter bring to the deal and what are your obligations?

The Publishers Role

Music publishing allows licensing for your songs so you get paid for writing them. A goodpublisher will have a network of music supervisors, music licensing libraries and other organizations with opportunities to use your music. Your publisher will promote you and your songs for use in soundtracks for television, film, advertisements and numerous other projects. They will even work to pair you with other recording artists who could use your songs on their own albums. If you want regular royalty checks, you may need a publisher for the big job of administering the mechanical, synchronization and master licenses for your music.

Whats In The Music Publishing Contract

The songs you write are protected under exclusive copyright which provides you the right to be compensated for your creativity. When you sign a music publishing contract, you grant the publisher part of this copyrightusually up to 50%so that the publisher can recoup their investment in you as a songwriter. Part of their investment might be the allowance of an advance against your future earnings. After you earn out your advance, youll see royalties from the licensing opportunities negotiated on your behalf.

Licences and Royalties

The only way youll get paid for your creative work is through the issuance of licenses. There are three main licensesmechanical, performance and synchronization.

A mechanical license royalty comes from the sale of a CD containing your song or a download of your song.

If your song is broadcasted to an audience over radio, satellite, internet or performed at a concert or played at an event, you should receive a performance royalty. These are paid to your publisher by a Performance Rights Organization such as BMI, ASCAP, or SESAC, who collects them from broadcasters, venues and event organizers.

Finally, a synchronization license pays you for use of your song in soundtracks for film, televisions shows, advertisements, video games, ringtones, toys, etc.

Your music publishing deal may include how your publisher will exploit all these opportunities for your music and collect the royalty fees so that you are paid and can continue to create.

What Contracts Cover

Contracts should always spell out the songs or compositions involved, the rights and the deliverables. The term of the contract must be defined, preferably as a period of time on a calendar, after which all rights revert back to the songwriter. Any advances, royalty splits, administrative costs, legal fees and indemnification clauses must be included in the contract. Require the right to audit. Hire a lawyer before signing.

Contract Types

There are seven:

Single Song Agreementcovers specific song rights as outlined on the contract. Exclusive Song Writer Agreementthe songwriter works for the publisher. All songs belong to the publisher. Co-publishing Agreementmost common. Publisher and writer split song royalties. Administration Agreementsongs may be self-published but publisher agrees to administer licenses. Collection Agreementpublisher agrees to administer licenses but not to any exploitation roles. Sub-Publishing Agreementcovers foreign territories. Purchasing Agreementcovers purchases of music catalogues from another publisher.

Other Considerations

As an independent and creative worker, signing away approximately half of your rights and potential income may sound too high a price to pay. Or, the benefits to having a publisher in your corner hustling your music on your behalf couldnt make you happier. Only you know your own temperament and skill set in this area. With any direction you choose to pursue, know your own value and go after what you deserve.

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The app offers users a simple, yet effective way to manage their household waste more efficiently, as well as making sure the surrounding areas of their neighbourhood comply with waste management regulations too. Available on Google Play and Apple Store.

What is the goal of the project? My Clean City bridges the gap between the municipality and residents in The Netherlands. The app offers users a simple way to manage their household waste, while making sure the surrounding areas of their neighbourhoods comply with waste management regulations.

What is the result of the project? It creates social consciousness by allowing users to report waste containers status, Is it clogged?, Is it full?, Is there rubbish around the container?, so that these situations are communicated to the municipality and dealt with efficiently. MyCleanCity aims to engage neighbourhoods into maintaining a cleaner city. Reporting containers is one of many features present in MyCleanCity App. The wellbeing of the city is also taken care of. Issues as broken playgrounds, broken streetlights, damaged road surfaces can also be reported through the app. Residents are able to keep in touch through the forum and schedule when to visit their nearest waste container. Active users are rewarded with credits which they can redeem for coupons, adopt a tree in the city, or donate in their community.

What can other cities learn from your project? MyCleanCity App enables effective social communication within big cities. Many cities in the Netherlands use underground waste containers, many of which are not being used properly by residents, resulting with rubbish on the streets. Now users can directly report issues to the Municipality and notify their neighbours to prevent more clutter around the containers. Ultimately cleaning the city with just a few taps. Not only this, but it involves all stakeholders (residents & municipalities) under one common ground allowing efficient and effective communication, so issues can be taken care of immediately.

What is the next step? MyCleanCity App has potential to be implemented in other Dutch and European cities. We are looking to expand horizons and connect with other parties, investors and corporations that have the same social consciousness interest as us. MyCleanCity is a means from which users can create social impact, and we believe this is very important to build upon. A collaborative society is crucial to create a better coexistence between residents in any city.

Who initiated the project and which organizations are involved? After winning Start-Up In Residence 2016 My Clean City is a fully working app that bridges the gap between the municipality and residents in The Netherlands. In association with the city hall of The Hague, a pilot is taking place in Laak Kwartier (in The Hague), to then launch it the city centre.

Source: https://amsterdamsmartcity.com/projects/my-clean-city
Mayor Linda Tyer during last year's address.

Tyer to Deliver Second 'State of the City' Address

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Mayor Linda Tyer plans to deliver her second state of the city address on Monday.

The mayor just completed her second year in office and plans to discuss the work done during the last 12 months and what she plans for the future. The event starts at 5 p.m. at the Zion Lutheran Church on Monday evening.

Last year the mayor held her address at the Colonial Theater. In a 50-minute speech, she highlighted successes in various aspects of city government as well as outline challenges the city faces and her vision.

Monday's speech is free and open to the public.

Tyer is the first mayor to be elected to a four-year term under the city's new charter.
Mayor Bernard Plans Working Group to Tackle Marijuana Regs

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  One of Mayor Thomas Bernard's first actions will be to institute a working group to develop retail marijuana ordinances.

In his communication to the City Council, the mayor said he expects the working group to meet at least three times during the month of January and provide a draft to the council in February.

"I'm hoping for them to give a first look and an opportunity for public input into a draft ordinance," Bernard said on Thursday. "We've got some technical assistance from Berkshire Regional Planning [Commission] to draft the language of the ordinance."

He anticipated having the names of the working group members by next week's City Council meeting. The about 10 members will include two residents and representatives from city departments and boards: Office of Community Development, Police Department, Health Department, Public Schools, City Council, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and Board of Health.

Their role would be to develop a draft ordinance, hold a public hearing, make any adjustments based on that feedback and deliver the draft to the administration.

"Basically, that would end the charge to this group, at which point I would have something to bring forward to council with the hope they would refer it to committee and, as with the proposed moratorium at the end of the year, trigger a public hearing for input," he said, with a final vote, hopefully, by the end of March.

The mayor said his expectation is that the ordinance would outline where and when cannabis could be cultivated, processed and sold within the city's existing zoning. The working group would meet Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 6:30 to review materials based on the state's Cannabis Control Commission guidelines; hold a public hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at 6:30; and meet finally on Wednesday, Jan. 31, at 6:30 to review and edit the final proposal.

His approach on fast-tracking the ordinance is in contrast to his predecessor, Mayor Richard Alcombright, who had tried to implement a moratorium to freeze any marijuana applications until an ordinance specific to the city could be delivered in November. The City Council and the Planning Board indicated their opposition to such a move and the moratorium was withdrawn from consideration.

Alcombright has been a vocal advocate on the need to address substance abuse and has been cool to the concept of cannabis sales. A moratorium on medical marijuana he posed in 2013 to study the impacts of a dispensary was also rejected.

Ballot questions legalizing medical and then recreational marijuana in the state passed easily. The 2016 ballot question on legalizing recreational marijuana was passed by every community in the Berkshires, and by 62 percent in North Adams.

The state's Cannabis Control Commission has released draft guidelines for zoning and licensing and surrounding communities have already taken steps to regulate marijuana: Williamstown and Clarksburg passed bylaws last year and Adams expects to vote on its proposed bylaw within weeks. Some communities see the local tax option of up to 3 percent as a way to increase revenues.

However, only about 75 establishments statewide are expected to be authorized. Facilities can begin retail sales in July.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday put the multibillion-industry in jeopardy by saying he would not abide by the Obama administration's hands-off policy in states that had legalized and regulated marijuana, leaving such decisions up to federal prosecutors. The drug is still considered illegal by the federal government and all but eight states and the District of Columbia.

The state's Cannabis Control Commission said in a statement that its role was "to fulfill the will of the voters of Massachusetts by implementing and administering a regulatory process that is safe, equitable and efficient. ... As far as the mandate and the work of the Cannabis Control Commission is concerned, nothing has changed."

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker also said through a spokesman that he opposed Session's action. "The administration believes this is the wrong decision and will review any potential impacts from any policy changes by the local U.S. Attorney's Office," spokesman Brendon Moss told a number of news outlets.

Bernard said the city would continue to follow the state's lead unless something occurred at the federal level to supersede it. Should the federal government interfere, he expected that attorneys general in the affected states would push back.

"We have a law in place, we have a commission that's come out with its draft regulations, and we're going to be following those in consonant with our zoning," the mayor said.
Williams College Awards Tenure to Four Faculty Members

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  Following the recommendation of the Committee on Appointments and Promotions, the Executive Committee of the Williams College Board of Trustees voted to promote four faculty to the position of associate professor with tenure.

The vote will be ratified by the full board in January, and the promotions will take effect July 1, 2018, for Phoebe Cohen, geosciences; Laura Ephraim, political science; Eric Knibbs, history; and Gregory Mitchell, womens, gender, and sexuality studies.

Cohen is a paleontologist who researches how life and environments have co-evolved throughout earth history, with a focus on life before the evolution of animals. She combines a variety of microscopic and microchemical techniques with data from field-based stratigraphy and sedimentology. She earned a B.A. in earth systems science from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in the department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was awarded the Geological Society of America Subaru Outstanding Woman in Science Award in 2012. Her work has been published in journals including Science Advances, Palaeontology, Palaios, Journal of Paleontology, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Her research is funded by the NASA Astrobiology program and the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund.

Cohen teaches courses on earth history, paleobiology, geobiology, and mass extinctions. She has served on the program advisory committee for Womens, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and on the Faculty Steering Committee.

Ephraim is a political theorist whose research focuses on modern political thought, environmental studies, science and technology, and democratic and feminist theory. Her book, Who Speaks for Nature? On the Politics of Science,(University of Pennsylvnia, 2018), was recently published. She is co-editor of Second Nature: Rethinking the Natural Through Politics (Fordham University Press, 2013) and co-author of that volumes introduction. Her work also appears in the journal Political Theory.

Ephraim earned a B.A. in politics and womens studies from Pomona College and a Ph.D. in political science from Northwestern University. Before coming to Williams, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities at Bard College and taught for the Bard Prison Initiative. Her courses include Politics After the Apocalypse; Modern Political Thought; Politics without Humans?; and Survival and Resistance: Environmental Political Theory. She currently serves on the colleges Committee on Educational Affairs.

Knibbs earned a B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. at Yale University. He studies medieval legal history and the phenomenon of medieval forgery, with current research focusing on the forgeries associated with Pseudo-Isidore. He teaches courses on the medieval world, magic and sorcery from the medieval to the early modern periods, and the cultural and political transitions that occurred between Antiquity and the early Middle Ages.

His books include Ansgar, Rimbert and the Forged Foundations of Hamburg-Bremen (Ashgate 2011) and Amalar: Liber Officialis/On the Liturgy (Harvard University Press 2014).

Mitchell earned a B.S. and an M.S. in theatre studies from Illinois State University, an M.A. in cultural anthropology from the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in performance studies with a Ph.D. certificate in gender and sexuality studies from Northwestern University. His book, Tourist Attractions: Performing Race & Masculinity in Brazils Sexual Economy, was published by the University of Chicago Press in 2016. Other work has appeared in GLQ, Brasiliana: Journal of Brazilian Studies, and American Ethnologist, and he has contributed to four edited volumes. His research has received awards from the Ford Foundation, National Science Foundation, and three times by the American Anthropological Association.

A faculty affiliate in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology and the Latina/o Studies Program, he teaches courses addressing the intersections of gender, sexuality, and race including Sexual Economies; Performing Masculinity in Global Popular Culture; and Queer Ethnographic Writing. He has served on the Committee on Educational Policy, and is a current member of the Faculty Steering Committee.




iciHaiti - Religion : Mgr Max Leroy Mesidor arrived in Port-au-Prince





After Arcahaie, Cabaret, and Croix-des-Bouquets https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23171-haiti-religion-mgr-max-leroy-mesidor-expected-in-croix-des-bouquets.html the new Metropolitan Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Mgr. Max Leroy Mesidor arrived in Port-au-Prince where he was welcomed at the parish of Perpetual Help of Bel-Air before going to the cathedral of Port-au-Prince where a welcoming ceremony between the Mayor of Port-au-Prince nd the archdiocese of Port-au-Prince had been prepared, ceremony during which, Mayor Chevry handed him the keys of the city.



Let's recall that the canonical possession of Mgr Max Leroy Mesidor, will take place Saturday, January 6, 2018 at 9:00am at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption of Port-au-Prince https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23100-haiti-religion-preparations-for-the-enthronement-of-the-new-archbishop-of-port-au-prince.html



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23100-haiti-religion-preparations-for-the-enthronement-of-the-new-archbishop-of-port-au-prince.html



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On the Continuing Protests in Iran

Washington, DC - We continue to monitor closely the protests and violence in Iran. The Iranian people have been expressing their desire for dignified treatment, an end to corruption, improved transparency, and increased economic opportunities. Protestors have also demanded that the regime stop diverting the nations wealth to fund military adventurism abroad. Unfortunately, the government continues to imprison and kill those who are brave enough to venture into the street. It is limiting the flow of information into Iran, restricting free speech, and attempting to prevent the outside world from observing its own repression.

We support these legitimate aspirations of the Iranian people, and call on the government to allow the free exchange of ideas and information. All of us should be able to enjoy the same basic economic and political freedoms, including the right to peaceful demonstration. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the deaths to date and the arrests of at least one thousand Iranians. We have ample authorities to hold accountable those who commit violence against protestors, contribute to censorship, or steal from the people of Iran. To the regimes victims, we say: You will not be forgotten.
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Americans have been warned not to eat romaine lettuce after an outbreak of E. coli infection in Canada was attributed to people eating contaminated romaine lettuce, it has been reported.

A number of people in the US and Canada have fallen ill over the past seven weeks as a result of eating romaine lettuce.

Currently 58 people in the US and Canada have been identified as carriers of a dangerous strain of E. coli bacteria, 0157:H7. So far, it is believed that one person has died in the US and another has died in Canada.

The Government of Canada has issued a warning from the Public Health Agency of Canada to its citizens to steer clear from eating romaine lettuce that could be infected after they reported 41 cases of illness.

Based on the investigation findings to date, exposure to romaine lettuce has been identified as the source of the outbreak, but the cause of contamination has not been identified, they wrote.

Because of the ongoing risk in eastern Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada is advising individuals in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador to consider consuming other types of lettuce, instead of romaine lettuce, until more is known about the outbreak and the cause of contamination.

Following on from the news of the connection between romaine lettuce and the E. coli bacteria, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are presently investigating the cause of the infection in 13 states.

In the United States, state and local public health officials are interviewing sick people to determine what they ate in the week before their illness started, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated.

CDC is still collecting information to determine whether there is a food item in common among sick people, including leafy greens and romaine.

Recommended Sugary drinks will be banned from hospitals unless NHS reduces sales

People who have been infected with E. coli may not initially show any symptoms, the Public Health Agency of Canada explained.

However, notable symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headache, fever, stomach cramps and watery or bloody diarrhoea.

While some individuals may only remain ill for five to 10 days, in other extreme cases people may have to be hospitalised if they exhibit more severe reactions.

Contracting E. coli infection can lead to stroke, kidney failure, seizures and in rare instances, death.
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A record amount of money flowed into the UK tech sector last year, particularly fuelled by venture capitalists splashing cash in London despite uncertainty around the implications of Brexit, new data has revealed.

Tech firms attracted close to 3bn in venture capital funding during the 12 months to the end of December, according to data compiled by the Mayor of London's official promotional agency, London & Partners. That was almost double the 1.63bn attracted throughout 2016, and marks a fresh all-time record for the country.

London accounted for around 80 per cent of all venture capital tech funding in 2017. Some of the biggest funding rounds were pulled off by game development platform Improbable, food delivery service Deliveroo and mobile network Truphone.

Todays record investment figures are further proof that London is the undisputed tech capital of Europe, and I am committed to ensuring we take over from Silicon Valley as the worlds leading tech hub, said Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

Recommended Tech resolutions that can make you happier in 2018

Technology entrepreneurs and businesses are attracted to our great city for its diverse talent pool and unique business ecosystem and I am determined that London remains open to investment and the best tech talent from all over the world, he added.

The data also revealed that UK firms attracted almost four times more funding in 2017 than Germany, and more than France, Ireland and Sweden combined. London & Partners said that the capitals tech companies also raised significantly more venture capital than any other European city.

Eileen Burbidge, a partner at investment company Passion Capital, said that the figures were no surprise.

Its a testament to our exceptional entrepreneurs that the UK tech sector continues to produce companies that are leading in the development of cutting edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence and fintech, she said.

This environment and ecosystem of innovation presents tremendous opportunities for investors, and will help to attract global investment into the UKs digital economy for many years to come, she added.

By subsector, the UKs financial technology  or fintech  space led the year in terms of investment, attracting a record 1.34bn. London accounted for the bulk of that, with deals from the likes of Transferwise, Funding Circle and Monzo.

The UKs Artificial Intelligence companies also grew their funding last year. Investment in London-based AI companies surpassed 200m: a 50 per cent increase on 2016 levels.

London & Partners also pointed out that several global tech behemoths pledged their long-term commitment to the capital last year. Amazon, Apple and Google all announced major investments.

During the second half of the year, music streaming service Spotify said that it would expand its research and development operations in London and double its staff headcount in the capital.
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John Worboys, the London black cab driver linked to dozens of rapes and sexual assaults, should face fresh prosecutions for drugging and sexually assaulting passengers, according to a lawyer who represents some of his alleged victims.

Richard Scorer made the claim as Scotland Yard confirmed that 19 further allegations against the sex attacker were dropped on the advice of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

One complaint was dropped because it did not pass the evidential test, Londons Metropolitan Police said.

Victims groups and charities have condemned the decision to free the 60-year-old, who in 2009 was found guilty of 19 charges of drugging and sexually assaulting 12 female passengers, and the rape of one woman, at Croydon Crown Court.

Police said the following year that they believed he attacked 102 women between 2002 and 2008.

The Parole Boards chairman, Professor Nick Hardwick, is to be summoned before MPs to explain how the decision to free him was reached.

It follows criticism from charities and support groups who described the time Worboys served as woefully short.

Professor Hardwick will also face questions from the House of Commons Justice Committee about why some of the rapists victims were not informed of his imminent release.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. 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Mr Scorer, a specialist abuse lawyer at Slater and Gordon who represents some of his victims, said the Parole Board must now reveal publicly whether Worboys has finally admitted his crimes and shown any remorse whatsoever.

He said: If he still denies his crimes, then he clearly poses a continuing risk to women.

If he now admits that he deliberately and systematically drugged and raped women, then the police need to look at whether there are any crimes that he was not convicted of and seek justice for those victims.

Mr Scorer brought successful civil claims on behalf of 11 of Worboys alleged victims, including eight who were not included on the indictment at his criminal trial despite giving statements to police.

He said: Our clients have been left devastated by the shocking news that a man who mercilessly raped scores of women, denied his heinous crimes and then forced them to endure the torment of a criminal trial is to be released.

For victims not be told that he is to be freed by the Parole Board adds insult to injury.

He added: When we visited Worboys in jail he was clearly a very manipulative and dangerous individual. We are concerned he may have fooled the board into believing he is no longer a threat. For many years after he was convicted he continued to deny even the offences for which he was found guilty.

The allegations were investigated but no further action was taken on the advice of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), police said.

The CPS said it had charged Worboys with offences where it was deemed there was a realistic prospect of conviction. It said 83 women had reported allegations up to the point of conviction and a further 19 afterwards, and the body had advised officers to refer any allegations of rape.

One file was submitted in relation to an allegation of sexual assault but it did not pass the evidential test, the CPS statement added.

It said: It would be unlikely that it would be in the public interest to prosecute Worboys in relation to allegations of sexual assault or administering a substance with intent, because of the maximum sentence available to the court.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed there is currently no live investigation into Worboys. Sir Keir Starmer, who was director of public prosecutions at the time of the trial, did not have "any involvement in the decision making" the CPS said. He has reiterated a call to anyone with concerns about allegations against Worboys that they believe may not have been looked into to contact police.

Fourteen complainants formed part of the trails and the rest did not pass the evidential test, the CPS added.

Two of Worboys victims are still awaiting a Supreme Court ruling relating to police human rights breaches during the investigation.

Scotland Yard launched an appeal against a High Court ruling which led to two women, who were both seriously sexually assaulted, winning compensation.

In 2013 the High Court found Londons Metropolitan Police was liable for failures in its investigation, and in 2014 ruled that compensation totalling 41,250 should be awarded to the women.

Lawyer Harriet Wistrich, who acted for the two women, said neither were informed about Worboys Parole Board hearing or the decision to release him, adding they were shocked and horrified by the news.

Professor Hardwick has unreservedly apologised for the failure to inform all of Worboys victims. He also admitted there was a lack of transparency in the parole systems decision-making processes, and said he will be launching a public consultation.

Bob Neill, House of Commons Justice Committee, said: What has happened here is very disturbing. It is vital that the public has confidence in Parole Board decisions.

In my view, it is ridiculous that the current rules prevent the board making public the reasons for their decisions.
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A garage worker who killed three of his partners over four decades has been jailed for 26 years for his latest brutal and merciless killing.

Violent and controlling Theodore Johnson kept his relationship with Angela Best a secret from authorities for 15 years and did not tell her about his past until she confronted him with letters about it.

The 64-year-old, who met his third victim while on day release from a secure mental hospital, is now likely to die in jail after attacking the mother-of-four with a claw hammer and strangling her with her dressing gown belt.

The 51-year-old grandmother had left Johnson and started a new relationship when she was killed.

After the killing Johnson jumped in front of an express train in Hertfordshire.

As he was being treated for severe injuries, police went to his flat and found Ms Best dead in the living room.

Johnson, who lost both arms and is now confined to a wheelchair, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to murdering Ms Best on 15 December 2016, and was jailed for a minimum term of 26 years on Friday.

Ms Bests sister, Valerie Archibold, said preparations for a joyful Christmas were destroyed when the family learned of her brutal and heinous murder.

She described Ms Best as a generous and loyal person and the life and soul of our family.

The impact of her death was immeasurable, she said. The shock still remains and the loss is traumatising, immense, profound and utterly devastating.

Her son Raphael Best said: My mother was the type of person who was always going out of her way to help people and unfortunately that was the reason she met her demise.

The loss of his mother was slowly driving me crazy, he said, adding: It makes me feel 10 times worse when I think of the kind person my mother was.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 18 November 2022 Kevin Sinfield on day six of the Ultra 7 in 7 Challenge from to York to Bradford. The former Leeds captain is set to complete seven ultra-marathons in as many days in aid of research into Motor Neurone Disease, finishing by running into Old Trafford at half-time of the Rugby League World Cup tournaments finale on 19 November PA UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant 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Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA

Prosecutor Mark Heywood QC said Johnson had a violent history towards the women in his life, having been convicted of manslaughter twice before.

Johnson was born in Jamaica. He came to Britain in 1980 and worked at a car repair shop, shortly before killing his first wife in 1981, the court heard.

He was convicted by reason of provocation of killing his wife Yvonne Johnson by pushing her off the ninth-floor balcony of their home in Wolverhampton.

In 1993, a couple of years before meeting Ms Best, he was convicted of strangling his common law wife Yvonne Bennett with a belt at their home in London before trying to hang himself.

Prosecutors accepted that he was suffering from depression and a personality disorder and Johnson was handed a hospital order with restrictions at the Old Bailey.

In September 1994, Johnson was allowed out of his psychiatric unit for the first time on escorted community parole and in mid-1995, he was given unescorted leave to spend two days a week at a City and Guilds course on furniture restoration.

It was there in 1996 that he met Ms Best, who had moved to Tottenham, north London, from Manchester.

He was let out by a mental health tribunal in October 1997 on condition he tell supervising doctors and social workers if he formed any new relationships, which he repeatedly failed to do, even though he had already been seeing Ms Best for a year.

Recommended Domestic violence figures should be a call to action

Prosecutor Mark Heywood QC said: The tribunal recorded Mr Johnson was well aware of the need for extreme caution with regard to any further relationship with women.

That decision having taken place on 30 October 1997, by then Mr Johnson had effectively been in a relationship with Ms Best for about a year or so during his unescorted release from secure accommodation.

The court heard that, during a home visit, authorities spotted a feminine wood carving spelling out Love on the mantelpiece but did not become suspicious and also did not find Ms Bests leopard-print dressing gown hanging up in the flat.

Johnson was last seen by a social worker and psychiatrist on 8 December 2016, days before the murder, and was not found to be depressed and continued to deny being in a relationship.

He had an appointment two days before Ms Bests murder but it was put off because his social worker was sick.

In September 2016, the couple split up and Ms Best was said to be the happiest she had ever been after finding love with someone else, even though Johnson continued to profess his undying love daily.

On the morning of 15 December 2016, Ms Best had gone to Johnsons home to help with an appointment with the Jamaican embassy.

Mr Heywood said: Soon afterwards he attacked her. That attack was brutal and merciless. He used a claw hammer.

He struck her repeatedly around the head even as she tried to protect her head with her hands.

He then tied a dressing gown cord around her head and knotted it. She at that time was unable to defend herself.

He did it, the prosecution say, for a simple reason, because after all that time that had gone before she was no longer prepared to stay with him.

Valerie Archibold (left) and Lorraine Jones (right), the sisters of Angela Best, speak to the media outside the Old Bailey, London, after serial killer Theodore Johnson was jailed for a minimum term of 26 years for murdering his former partner Best (Yui Mok/PA Wire/PA Images)

After killing Ms Best, Johnson was seen to topple forward into the path on the oncoming 3.18pm express service, severing both arms.

Mitigating for Johnson, Annette Henry QC said her client was likely to die behind bars.

She said: He does not wish to be alive. He hates himself for what happened.

We recognise the devastation felt by the family members.

She said the mental health tribunals condition on Johnsons release was flawed as it relied on self reporting any new relationship.

She said: This was a dilemma and the tribunal found it was fraught with difficulty in trying to monitor.

Judge Marks said: This was a deception that must have gone on for something like 15 years.

Camden and Islington NHS Trust, which was responsible for Johnsons care in the community since 2004, said it would provide Ms Bests family with an independent report and that Johnsons treatment complied with conditions set by the Mental Health Tribunal which oversaw his discharge in 1997.

Agencies contributed to this report
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The National Union of Students (NUS) has been forced to apologise after it omitted Judaism from a survey on its members religions  six months after making the same mistake in an earlier questionnaire.

Sent out to students all across the UK, it asked them to select a faith from a list of options, but failed to include the fifth largest religion in the country.

A similar survey in July had the same omission. In both, the list of religions offered 11 options including spiritual, agnostic and atheist, as well as Buddhist, Christian and Muslim.

After complaints in July, NUS president Shakira Martin said the situation would be dealt with.

But when the second survey was sent out, a Jewish student alerted the NUS that they had made the same mistake.

They said that the organisation was forgetting Jewish students. Again.

Ms Martin apologised to Jewish students in a video posted on social media, telling them it was unacceptable and that she was so angry with the omission.

The first time it happened, I could tweet and say sorry, she said. But the second time Its unacceptable, and I just want to reassure the whole Jewish community that I will be dealing with this.

Im pi**ed. Im so frickin pi**ed, Im not going to lie. And Im not scared to say sorry. People know that Im a person that if I do something wrong, Ill be the first one to say sorry, and Im hoping that people out there will know that Im being genuine.

Im so angry. Being president and being accountable sometimes can be really difficult.

She added: I sincerely apologise. I think thats whats wrong with politicians and student politicians  people are scared to say sorry. Im sorry. Im sorry if anyone felt like they werent welcomed or that they were pushed out  genuinely that is not my intention, across the whole organisation.

Ms Martin emphasised her determination to rebuild relationships and trust among all our membership, but Jewish students in particular.

She said: I totally understand after the years  but especially last year, before my presidency, that Jewish students had  that this type of thing is not acceptable. You will not not see Judaism on an NUS form again. I will be making sure that we will be reviewing all our forms, and that this is on everyones form, and that this [situation] will not happen again.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 18 November 2022 Kevin Sinfield on day six of the Ultra 7 in 7 Challenge from to York to Bradford. 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The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city 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Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA

It is not the first time the NUS has incited anger in the Jewish student community in recent years.

In 2016, MPs accused former president Malia Bouattia of failing to take a growing culture of antisemitism on campuses seriously.

A cross-party report published by the Home Affairs Select Committee highlighted a number of allegations made against her.

Ms Bouattias choice of language (and ongoing defence of that language) suggests a worrying disregard for her duty to represent all sections of the student population and promote balanced and respectful debate, it said.

Referring to Birmingham University as a Zionist outpost (and similar comments) smacks of outright racism, which is unacceptable, and even more so from a public figure such as the president of the NUS.
 Close The most explosive claims from a new book about Trump's white house

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Michael Wolff's explosive book from inside the workings of the Trump White House has finally become public, sending shockwaves around the world.

The book  which has already been criticised by both Trump himself as well as critics  contains a range of huge claims about the president and those who surround him.

Extracts from Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House had already made headlines around the world. But people are finally getting their hands on their own copies of the book, rather than excerpted details from the expose.

That's because the book's publication schedule was pushed forward by publisher Little, Brown because of "unprecedented demand". The book is now available in bookshops, as well as on Amazon, where it appears to have already sold out.

Here's our full summary  assembled live during the read through  of the experience of reading the explosive book.

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Shivering Americans looking for a break from the cold should not expect one any time soon, experts warned, as temperatures continued to drop moving into the weekend.

Authorities forecast a second cold streak on the back of Winter Storm Grayson, which strengthened at an astonishing rate to become a bomb cyclone and wreaked havoc across the East Coast. Now, a so-called arctic outbreak could set record low temperatures over the next few days, the National Weather Service (NWS) has warned.

While conditions have begun to improve across the northeastern US, the arctic surge is already underway accompanied by brisk winds at times, the service warned. Dangerously low wind chill temperatures are to be expected the next couple of days with some blowing snow possible.

Temperatures across the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes, Appalachians and much of New England were predicted to hover around -12C (10F)  a trend the NWS said could result in record-breaking lows. Even in the generally balmy southern US, temperatures were expected to drop to around -2C.

The NWS had wind chill advisories and warnings in place from Northeast over to Michigan and down to South Carolina on Friday.

 Snow falls in Florida as winter storm hits East Coast of America

Despite the frigid forecast, the East Coast was showing signs of life on Friday, after hunkering down for Grayson the day before.

New Yorks John F Kennedy airport tweeted that service had resumed, but urged travellers to check with their airline before showing up for flights. There were nearly 140 flight cancellations and 130 delays at the airport by Friday afternoon, according to tracking service FlightAware, with hundreds more at other airports across the northeast.

Bradley International Airport in Boston tweeted that they were open and operating, but still experiencing numerous delays and cancellations due to the weather.

Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Show all 13 1 /13 Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Lorries stuck between J2 and J1 after overnight snow PA/Twitter/simontab Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK An overturned car PA/Thames Valley Police Roads Policing Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK An easyJet plane is de-iced at Luton Airport PA Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK A man shelters from the snow and sleet under a foldaway poncho in north London Rex Features Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Snow has settled in various parts of the UK, including Leicester Rachel Hosie Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK A train battles through the snow at Moy near Inverness Rex Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Lorries stuck on the A14 being towed as snow causes travel chaos Twitter/@joshuaagdomar Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Accident on the M1 PA/Northants Roads and Armed Policing Team Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Wintry conditions at Stansted Airport PA/Twitter/RobertsNiomi Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Lorries between J2 and J1 PA/Twitter/simontab Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Wintry conditions in Pollokshields near Glasgow PA Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK A Blue Air flight comes into land at Luton Airport PA Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Dog walkers enjoying a stroll in the snow near Inverness Rex Features

The cold spell was responsible for at least 18 deaths by Friday afternoon. At least four people were killed in traffic accidents in North Carolina due to treacherous conditions. In Richmond, Virginia, a girl was struck and killed by a pickup truck while sledding down a driveway. Authorities were still looking for a 35-year-old clammer who disappeared during the blizzard in Maine.

A driver slid off an icy road, killing a pedestrian, early on Friday in North Charleston, South Carolina, city officials said. THE DANGERS ARE REAL, the officials warned in a Twitter message. Huge patches of ice all over the city. Stay at home.

Police say an employee of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority died while cleaning up after the winter storm that dumped more than a foot of snow on parts of the state.

Arlington police told WFXT-TV that the employee, who has not been publicly identified, went into cardiac arrest and was found in a snowbank at a facility for the water authority early on Friday.

 Canadian snowmobilers rescue moose trapped in snow

Boston experienced record high tides on Thursday, boosted by the winter storm surges. The tide reached a high of 15.16 feet, narrowly breaking the 15.1-foot record set during the Blizzard of 1978. The flooding caused treacherous conditions in some parts of the city, where water covered the streets and then froze. Several streets were closed, and the ferry service was suspended due to severe weather and ice in Boston Harbor.

Several areas have already experienced record-breaking temperatures. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, hit a record daily low of -18 C this week, while Sioux City, Iowa set a record of -33C. Hettinger, North Dakota, became the coldest place in the US on Monday, with a temperature of minus -44C.

A rescue operation was also underway for hundreds of turtles off the Gulf Coast, who were floating aimlessly in the water after being rendered immobile by a cold stun.

When the water temperatures drop too much, our resident population of juvenile turtles  some adults, even  are stunned, Florida Coastal Conservancy Volunteer Coordinator Jessica Swindall told local news station WJHG. [The turtles] cant utilize their muscles at all, so they cant swim, they cant lift their heads to breathe.

Volunteer groups like Ms Swindalls had rescued nearly 200 turtles by Thursday night, and sent them to Gulf World Marine Institute and Park in Panama City for rehabilitation.

Nearly 500 members of the National Guard were activated to assist with the emergency response along the East Coast, including 200 in New York state, authorities have said.
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It was a spring Friday night when one of Japans best-known television journalists invited Shiori Ito out for a drink. Her internship at a news service in Tokyo was ending, and she had enquired about another internship with his network.

They met at a bar in central Tokyo for grilled chicken and beer, then went to dinner. The last thing she remembers, she later told the police, was feeling dizzy and excusing herself to go to the restroom, where she passed out.

By the end of the night, she alleged, he had taken her back to his hotel room and raped her while she was unconscious.

The journalist, Noriyuki Yamaguchi, the Washington bureau chief of the Tokyo Broadcasting System at the time and a biographer of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, denied the charge and, after a two-month investigation, prosecutors dropped the case.

Then Ito decided to do something women in Japan almost never do: She spoke out.

In a news conference in May and a book published in October, she said the police had obtained hotel security camera footage that appeared to show Yamaguchi propping her up, unconscious, as they walked through the hotel lobby. The police also located and interviewed their taxi driver, who confirmed that she had passed out. Investigators told her they were going to arrest Yamaguchi, she said - but then suddenly backed off.

Elsewhere, her allegations might have caused an uproar. But here in Japan, they attracted only a smattering of attention.

As the United States reckons with an outpouring of sexual misconduct cases that have shaken Capitol Hill, Hollywood, Silicon Valley and the news media, Itos story is a stark example of how sexual assault remains a subject to be avoided in Japan, where few women report rape to the police and their complaints rarely result in arrests or prosecution when they do.

On paper, Japan boasts relatively low rates of sexual assault. In a survey conducted by the Cabinet Office of the central government in 2014, one in 15 women reported experiencing rape at some time in their lives, compared with one in five women who report having been raped in the United States.

But scholars say Japanese women are far less likely to describe nonconsensual sex as rape than women in the West. Japans rape laws make no mention of consent, date rape is essentially a foreign concept and education about sexual violence is minimal.

Instead, rape is often depicted in manga comics and pornography as an extension of sexual gratification, in a culture in which such material is often an important channel of sex education.

The police and courts tend to define rape narrowly, generally pursuing cases only when there are signs of both physical force and self-defence and discouraging complaints when either the assailant or victim has been drinking.

Last month, prosecutors in Yokohama dropped a case against six university students accused of sexually assaulting another student after forcing her to drink alcohol.

And even when rapists are prosecuted and convicted in Japan, they sometimes serve no prison time; about one in 10 receive only suspended sentences, according to Justice Ministry statistics.

This year, for example, two students at Chiba University near Tokyo convicted in the gang rape of an intoxicated woman were released with suspended sentences, though other defendants were sentenced to prison. Last fall, a Tokyo University student convicted in another group sexual assault was also given a suspended sentence.

Its quite recent that activists started to raise the No Means No campaign, said Mari Miura, a professor of political science at Sophia University in Tokyo. So I think Japanese men get the benefit from this lack of consciousness about the meaning of consent.

Of the women who reported experiencing rape in the Cabinet Office survey, more than two-thirds said they had never told anyone, not even a friend or family member. And barely 4 percent said they had gone to the police. By contrast, in the United States, about a third of rapes are reported to the police, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Prejudice against women is deep-rooted and severe, and people dont consider the damage from sexual crimes seriously at all, said Tomoe Yatagawa, a lecturer in gender law at Waseda University.

Ito, 28, who has filed a civil suit against Yamaguchi, agreed to discuss her case in detail to highlight the challenges faced by women who suffer sexual violence in Japan.

I know if I didnt talk about it, this horrible climate of sexual assault will never change, she said.

Yamaguchi, 51, also agreed to speak for this article. He denied committing rape. There was no sexual assault, he said. There was no criminal activity that night.

Ito had met Yamaguchi twice while studying journalism in New York before their encounter on 3 April 2015.

When she contacted him again in Tokyo, he suggested that he might be able to help her find a job in his bureau, she said. He invited her for drinks and then dinner at Kiichi, a sushi restaurant in the trendy Ebisu neighbourhood.

To her surprise, they dined alone, following beer with sake. At some point, she felt dizzy, went to the bathroom, laid her head on the toilet tank and blacked out, she said.

When she woke, Ito said, she was underneath Yamaguchi in his hotel bed, naked and in pain.

Japanese law describes the crime of quasi-rape as sexual intercourse with a woman by taking advantage of loss of consciousness or inability to resist. In the United States, the law varies from state to state, with some defining the same crime as second-degree rape or sexual assault.

Ito said it was about 5am when she woke up. She said she wriggled out from under Yamaguchi and ran to the bathroom. When she came out, she said, he tried to push me down to the bed, and hes a man, and he was quite strong, and he pushed me down and I yelled at him.

She said she demanded to know what had happened and whether he had used a condom. He told her to calm down, she said, and offered to buy her a morning-after pill. Instead, she got dressed and fled the hotel.

Yamaguchi acknowledged that it was inappropriate to take Ito to his room, but said, It would have been inappropriate to leave her at the station or in the hotel lobby.

He declined to describe what happened next, citing the advice of his lawyers. But in court documents filed in response to Itos civil suit, he said he undressed her to clean her up and laid her on one of the beds in his room. Later, he added, she woke and knelt by his bed to apologise.

Yamaguchi said in the documents that he urged her to return to bed, then sat on her bed and initiated sex. He said she was conscious and did not protest or resist.

But in emails that he exchanged with Ito after that night, he presented a slightly different account, writing that she had climbed into his bed.

So its not the truth at all that I had sex with you while you were unconscious, he said in a message 18 Apri 2015. I was quite drunk, and an attractive woman like you came into my bed half-naked, and we ended up like that. I think we both should examine ourselves.

In another email, Yamaguchi denied Itos allegation of rape and suggested that they consult lawyers. Even if you insist it was quasi-rape, there is not a chance that you can win, he wrote.

Ito said she rushed home to wash after leaving the hotel. She now regards that as a mistake. I should have just gone to the police, she said.

Her hesitation is typical. Many Japanese women who have been assaulted blame themselves, saying, Oh, its probably my fault,' said Tamie Kaino, a professor emeritus of gender studies at Ochanomizu University.

The police officers she spoke to initially discouraged her from filing a complaint and expressed doubt about her story because she was not crying as she told it, she said. Some added that Yamaguchis status would make it difficult for her to pursue the case, she said.

But Ito said the police eventually took her seriously after she urged them to view the hotel security footage.

A two-month investigation followed, after which the lead detective called her in Berlin, where she was working on a freelance project, she said. He told her they were preparing to arrest Yamaguchi on the strength of the taxi drivers testimony, the hotel security video and tests that found his DNA on one of her bras.

The detective said Yamaguchi would be apprehended at the airport 8 June 2015, after arriving in Tokyo on a flight from Washington, and he asked her to return to Japan to help with questioning, Ito said.

When that day came, though, the investigator called again. He told her that he was inside the airport but that a superior had just called him and ordered him not to make the arrest, Ito said.

I asked him, How is that possible?' she said. But he couldnt answer my question.

Ito declined to identify the investigator, saying she wanted to protect him. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police would not comment on whether plans to arrest Yamaguchi were scuttled. We have conducted a necessary investigation in light of all laws and sent all documents and evidence to the Tokyo prosecutors office, a spokesman said.

Not long after Ito went public with her allegations, a Japanese journalist, Atsushi Tanaka, confronted a top Tokyo police official about the case.

The official, Itaru Nakamura, a former aide to Abes chief Cabinet secretary, confirmed that investigators were prepared to arrest Yamaguchi - and that he had stopped them, Tanaka reported in Shukan Shincho, a weekly news magazine.

The allegations did not affect Yamaguchis position at the Tokyo Broadcasting System, but he resigned last year under pressure from the network after publishing an article that was seen as contentious. He continues to work as a freelance journalist in Japan.

Ito published a book about her experience in October. It has received only modest attention in Japans mainstream news media.

Isoko Mochizuki, one of the few journalists to investigate Itos allegations, said she faced resistance from male colleagues in her newsroom, some of whom dismissed the story because Ito had not gone to the hospital immediately.

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The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. 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The press never covers sexual assault very much, she said.

Ito said that was precisely why she wanted to speak out.

I still feel like I have to be strong, she said, and just keep talking about why this is not OK.

The New York Times
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Osama bin Ladens eldest grandson has died, according to a letter written by the boys father and obtained by terror monitors.

The former al-Qaeda leaders son Hamza described Osama bin Hamza bin Laden, thought to have been aged 12, as a hero cub and martyr but gave no cause of death.

One report, citing jihadi sources, suggested the boy had been killed in an air strike on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border but others said he was more likely to have succumbed to an illness.

The letter, translated into English by al-Qaeda propaganda arm the Global Islamic Media Front, was addressed to the bin Laden family. It was posted on Twitter by terrorism cyber-monitor Jihadoscope.

We condole ourselves and you on the martyrdom of our hero cub... the grandson of our bravery, wrote Hamza bin Laden.

He said his son, named after the former al-Qaeda leader, often acted out the image of his martyrdom, lying on the ground, eyes closed and smiling slightly as he played with other children. He added the boy had been sad to a point we did not expect at the death of his grandfather, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks on New Yorks World Trade Centre and the worlds most wanted terrorist until he was killed by US forces in 2011.

Saudi-owned news channel Al-Arabiya, citing sources familiar with the matter, said the boys death at some point last year was most likely due to an illness he caught and not receiving proper medical attention.

But Arabic news website Arabi 21 reported claims he had been killed in an air raid on an al-Qaeda base.

Last year Hamza bin Laden was added to the US counter-terrorism blacklist amid fears he was emerging as the jihadi groups new figurehead. In November he called for jihadis to avenge his fathers death with terror attacks targeting the US.
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Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to cut bilateral agreements between his country and the US after denouncing Americas justice system.

A US court convicted a Turkish banker on Wednesday following a trial that included testimony of corruption by top Turkish officials.

In his first public comments on the verdict, Mr Erdogan cast the case as a US plot to undermine the government and economy of Turkey - a key Nato ally.

"If this is the US understanding of justice, then the world is doomed," Mr Erdogan told a news conference before his departure to France for an official visit.

He continued: The bilateral accords between us are losing their validity. I am saddened to say this, but this is how it will be from now on."

The trial saw a jury convict Mehmet Hakan Atilla, an executive at Turkey's majority state-owned Halkbank, of evading Iran sanctions.

Some of the court testimony implicated senior Turkish officials, including Mr Erdogan. Ankara said the case was based on fabricated evidence.

 President Erdogan watches on as staff beat up protestors in Washington

Turkey's foreign ministry on Thursday condemned the conviction as unprecedented meddling in its internal affairs. The row has unnerved investors and weighed on the Turkish lira, which hit a series of record lows last year.

The court case has put pressure on relations between Washington and the biggest Muslim country in Nato, which were already strained after a failed 2016 coup in Turkey, which Mr Erdogan blames on followers of a cleric who lives in the US.

Only last week the US and Turkey lifted all visa restrictions against each other, ending a months-long visa dispute that began when Washington suspended visa services at its Turkish missions after two local employees of the US consulate were detained on suspicion of links to the coup.

Turkey protests: Erdogan is Turkey's Mrs Thatcher - and he's not for turning either Show all 3 1 /3 Turkey protests: Erdogan is Turkey's Mrs Thatcher - and he's not for turning either Turkey protests: Erdogan is Turkey's Mrs Thatcher - and he's not for turning either 169917998.jpg Getty Images Turkey protests: Erdogan is Turkey's Mrs Thatcher - and he's not for turning either 169906502.jpg Getty Images Turkey protests: Erdogan is Turkey's Mrs Thatcher - and he's not for turning either 169917619.jpg Getty Images

Atilla was convicted on five of six counts, including bank fraud and conspiracy to violate US sanctions law. The case was based on the testimony of a wealthy Turkish-Iranian gold trader, Reza Zarrab, who cooperated with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to charges of leading a scheme to evade US sanctions against Iran.

In his testimony Zarrab implicated top Turkish politicians, including the President. Zarrab said Mr Erdogan, then prime minister, had personally authorised two Turkish banks to join the scheme.

Turkey accused US court officials of ties to Fethullah Gulen, the cleric Turkey blames for the coup attempt. The bank has denied any wrongdoing and said its transactions were in line with local and international regulations.

"The United States is carrying out ... a chain of plots, and these are not just legal but also economic plots," Mr Erdogan said.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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A British man, 61-year-old Perry Coppins, is being detained in Dubai after he was arrested for carrying anti-anxiety medications through customs. He was put in jail for five weeks while awaiting his first trial, and faces a potential four-year jail sentence.

The story has highlighted the need for extra vigilance when travelling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with prescription drugs.

What drugs was Mr Coppins carrying?

The maritime security officer from Nottingham had three types of anxiety medication with him: Temazepam, Clonazepam and Citalopram. All three are legal in the UAE.

Why was he arrested?

The customs officer said he had too many pills as he was carrying six months worth of medication; Mr Coppins works on long sea voyages away from home and has to take enough with him to last the duration. He had all the relevant prescriptions to accompany the drugs, which he has been taking for 21 years, but a customs official at Fujairah seaport reported him to the CID and Mr Coppins was promptly arrested.

Is the UAE strict when it comes to prescription drugs?

Recommended The everyday medicines that could get you jailed in a foreign country

The UAE has a very strict, zero-tolerance anti-drugs policy and conducts thorough searches at its airports using highly sensitive equipment.

There is zero tolerance for drugs-related offences, states the Foreign Office in its UAE advice. Possession of even the smallest amount of illegal drugs can lead to a minimum four-year jail sentence.

Some drugs and medications that may be purchased over-the-counter in other countries are classified as controlled substances in the UAE and are illegal to possess.

The UAE embassy advice says: Individuals may bring medicine into the country for their personal use. Up to three months supply of a prescription item can be brought into the country by a visitor and 12 months supply by a resident if they can produce a doctors letter or a copy of the original prescription.

It adds: Visitors must take care to ensure that medicines and medications prescribed in their home countries are not restricted before travelling to the UAE.

Which prescription medications are illegal in the UAE?

Visitors are advised to contact the Ministry of Health drug control department to check whether their medication is on the controlled list and needs prior permission to be brought into the country.

The Ministry of Health lists all unauthorised medicines on its website, with 71 currently prohibited. If youre visiting the UAE, its best to check any medication you plan to take against this list; medications which are completely legal in the UK, such as painkillers containing codeine, can get you arrested and convicted when travelling through customs there. For example, Exedrin Tension Headache Tablets, Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets, Niquitin Mint Lozenges and Otrivin Nasal Spray are all on the banned list.

While Mr Coppins medications are not on the list of unauthorised drugs, he had six months worth, rather than the stipulated maximum of three months worth for visitors as detailed on the embassy website.

What will happen to Mr Coppins now?

He has reportedly declined rapidly since being forced to go without medication, suffering intense withdrawal side effects such as hallucinations, stress, extreme weight loss, pain, bouts of blindness and uncontrollable sweating. Mr Coppins has since been diagnosed with prostate cancer, which authorities are refusing to give him treatment for.

Radha Stirling, CEO of the British-based human rights NGO Detained in Dubai which is representing Mr Coppins, released the following statement: UAE laws on medicines are often vague and frontline law enforcement officials are frequently unaware of exactly what the rules permit or prohibit; so they make uneducated and arbitrary judgment calls.

In fact the the medications which Perry possessed are perfectly legal in the UAE, provided the patient has prescription documentation, which Perry has. The initial mistake of the customs officer should never have escalated into criminal charges; but this reveals the lack of professionalism within the legal system, and what appears to be the capriciousness of the Public Prosecutors office.

Perry needs urgent treatment for his prostate cancer. To deny him this in a timely fashion is a gross violation of his human rights. We hope that the UAE will show compassion to Perry and his children, and release him immediately, so that he can return home for the medical treatment he needs.
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Many of us have drunkenly stumbled into a cab on a night out with little regard for the cost of getting home until its too late. But one Norwegian man took this innocent enough foible to a whole new level on 31 December, when he managed to rack up a 18,000 Norwegian krone (1,650) taxi fare on his journey home.

The unnamed man was celebrating New Years Eve in the Danish capital of Copenhagen when he decided to catch a cab home  to Oslo, Norway.

Recommended 32 destinations where travel experts are going on holiday in 2018

The 600km journey crossed three countries  Denmark, Sweden and Norway  and would have taken approximately six and a half hours to complete.

However, when the passenger reached his destination he refused to pay; the driver reported him to Oslo police. The long journey also took its toll on his vehicle, which broke down while in Oslo.

The Oslo police tweeted about the incident: A drunk man got in a taxi in Copenhagen in 2017. He arrived at Abilds [a neighbourhood in Oslo] in 2018. He left the taxi without paying.

We found the man sleeping at home. He is now awake and will make amends.

The police added: The Danish taxi ran out of power outside the house and needed assistance with a tow truck. Together with the taxi bill, the drunk taxi passenger has to pay about 18,000 Norwegian krone for the trip through three countries.

This comes after The Independent reported that a British man was jailed in Dubai for more than two months and trapped there for two years after a row over a 2 taxi fare.

David Ballantine, 46, was arrested after a taxi driver accused him of failing to pay the AED 10 (2) fare, which Ballantine claimed to have paid.

He was taken into custody and spent two years in the country while he waited for his trial.

He was convicted for not paying the taxi fare before being deported after serving out a 69-day jail term.
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My life has been put on hold for three months sitting in a chair resting waiting for the National Health Service to sort me out. My nine-week wait to see a consultant is finally coming to an end on Monday. Will I then be on a non-emergency list for treatment? Could I be classified as an emergency case? Either way it does not make any difference to the likely hood of me getting up from my chair and resuming my life.

Apologies do not compensate me for my lost nine weeks of my life, and neither do promises of better service in the future make me feel any better. Politicians controlling the healthcare in the UK are responsible for the misery they are inflicting. They were elected to run things for the benefit of the citizens. I hope that they think about the impact on the lives of sick people when they use phrases like "efficiency savings".

John Manning

Derbyshire

How did the NHS get to this point?

Ravi Jayarams article about the so called winter crisis in the NHS clearly explains the effects of long-term underinvestment and the lack of adequate forward planning.

The Governments attitude to the situation is truly shocking  a couple of quick apologies from May and Hunt, delivered without any obvious sincerity or effective plan.

Surely we should all be out on the streets protesting about the situation and offering visible support to the strained workers within the NHS. What has happened to the people of this country that the impending loss of the NHS is being accepted without a visible fight from the electorate?

Lynne Clark

Tunbridge Wells

We need to know our options when it comes to the flu

Surely frontline staff and the general public who opt for a flu vaccination could be offered the quadrivalent strain with the choice of paying a premium? Why have we not been fully informed about its availability? A cost cutting measure that may backfire.

D Willingham

St Albans

Clearly Trump doesnt take the First Amendment seriously

How does President Trump's attempt to ban the book on the operation of the White House sit with his Presidential duty to protect the constitution, including the First Amendment  freedom of speech? Let freedom of speech become more than a talking point.

Dennis Fitzgerald

Melbourne, Australia

Gove must tackle the plastic tsunami

I hope that Michael Gove has now had time to think about the repercussions of Chinas refusal to take low-quality waste plastic from us. If he has, it is an opportunity for him to demonstrate his newly found green credentials in two ways. The first is by refusing to allow the UK waste companies to conveniently incinerate it, and instead find emergency capacity for it to be compressed or baled, and stockpiled for when he has also created the capacity to recycle it. We used to stockpile years worth of coal in vast amounts. Its not rocket science.

The second necessary action is drastic measures to outlaw all but the most essential single-use plastic. He must be prepared to let big business squeal. The thinking public is sick to the teeth of this tsunami of plastic that threatens to overwhelm us.

Patrick Cosgrove

Bucknell

Put Boris in charge of the NHS

Boris Johnson should not be put in charge of Brexit negotiations. He should be put in charge of the NHS because only he knows where 350m a week magic money tree grows. He can, at a stroke, rescue the NHS from the crisis the Conservative Government funding cuts have caused.

Perhaps Johnson has set his sights on how Inheritance Tax has become a voluntary tax for, when the Duke of Westminster recently inherited an estate widely reported to be worth about 9bn, the Probate Office tells me (after an information request) that he paid no inheritance tax whatsoever! And neither did his father when he, then the 68th richest person alive, inherited in 1979.

It seems there is a magic money tree after all and, if the Duke had the slightest of social conscience, I am sure he would voluntarily pay the 3.6bn many think he owes. I think he could just about manage on a mere 5.4bn.

John Harvey

Bristol
CONCORD- A sex offender was recently arrested when he failed to notify the Cabarrus County Sheriffs Office of an address change.

Rahkeem Quatrawn Smith was arrested this week after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Smith is a registered sex offender in North Carolina due to a 2003 conviction in Cabarrus County for three counts of indecent liberties with a minor.

The sheriffs office put out information to Cabarrus Area Crime Stopper because Smith had outstanding warrants for failure to appear on driving charges and failure to pay child support.

Smith is currently in the Cabarrus County Jail under a $23,600 bond.
KANNAPOLIS  One person was transported to the hospital after a fire in Kannapolis.

Kannapolis Firefighters responded to a house fire in the 1600 block of Jackson St. on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 3.

Upon their arrival firefighters found smoke and flames coming from the one story house. The single occupant of the home was outside and suffered minor injuries from the fire.

Crews worked to quickly bring the fire under control and the resident was transported to the hospital for evaluation.

Kannapolis Fire was assisted by both Landis and Concord Fire Departments on the scene as well as Rowan Rescue Squad and Kannapolis Police.

The American Red Cross will assist the resident and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
CONCORD- Police are still searching for a suspect in a homicide that occurred Thursday night.

At about 7:36 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4, the Concord Police Department received a 911 call from 104 Todd Drive NE in reference to someone that had been shot at this location. Officers responded and found a female deceased inside.

The deceased was identified as Rebakah Madelynn Hart-OSullivan, who resides at the home.

The investigation revealed that Mrs. OSullivan was involved in a domestic dispute with her husband, Patrick William OSullivan. During the dispute, Patrick shot his wife several times and she died as a result of her injuries.

Patrick was not at the residence when officers arrived on the scene and law enforcement is unsure of how he left the area and his whereabouts at this time.

The Concord Police Department has an outstanding arrest warrant for Patrick William OSullivan for first degree murder and officers are still actively trying to locate him.

Anyone with information on Mr. Sullivans whereabouts are asked to call the Concord Police Department at 704-920-5000 or Cabarrus County Crimestoppers at 704-93-Crime.
A relative of the one of the released abducted Chibok girls, Mr Aubameyang Aloson on Friday lauded the Nigerian Armys effort over the rescue of Salomi Pogu, the 15th in the list of the abducted girls.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that troops of Operation Lafiya Dole on Thursday rescued Pogu in company of one other girl, Jamila Adams, at Pulka in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno.

The 219 girls were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents at Government Secondary School, Chibok in 2014.

Aloson, who is among thousands of displaced persons taking shelter in Maiduguri host community, commended the military over their commitment to rescue the abducted girls.

He expressed joy over the development, and hoped that the remaining abducted girls would soon be rescued from captivity.

Alonson said that he was a family member of the rescued girl, adding that four of his nieces abducted in the school were still held by the insurgents.

I am happy over the development; our abducted daughters are still with their captors.

This demonstrates the commitments of the military to the rescue of the girls, he said.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
New Telegraph

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, yesterday, fore-closed immediate end to the fuel crisis in the country.

Daily Times

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Mr Edgal Imohimi, has disclosed how three arrested Badoo suspects hypnotised and smashed their victims head while asleep.

Punch

A Katsina State Senior Magistrates Court has sentenced to 10 months in jail, Salima Lawal, who was arrested for attempting to sell her 32-day-old twins for N350,000 in December last year.

Vanguard

A middle-aged mother, Patience Salami, was hacked to death by herdsmen, with some body parts missing, in Arodoye community, in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The Sun

Former member of the House of Representatives and former speaker, Plateau State House of Assembly, George Daika, in this interview said with President Muhammadu Buhari running on the ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would have an easy ride to the villa next year. This is even as he described the Plateau state governor a failure.

Daily Trust

PDP has demanded that transport minister Rotimi Amaechi resign his portfolio as he was said to have been appointed director-general of President Muhammadu Buharis second term campaign.

Tribune

Ekiti State Police Command has paraded two suspects, who allegedly dropped the deputy governor, Professor Kolapo Olusolas name to con unsuspecting victims to Libya slave camp.

The Nation

Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, has denied news reports that the Federal Government was planning to jack up the pump price of petrol, at present fixed at N145 per litre.
Shoppers at the Maryland Mall in Lagos were blessed with the blissful sight of a Nigerian soldier, Timothy proposing to his girlfriend of 7 years.

Timothy had shoppers all smiles as he bent the knee in his military uniform to pop the question to his lovely girlfriend who apparently said yes as they hugged it out after the proposal.

Such a wonderful feeling that despite the ugly things he gets to face in his military life, he has this lovely lady to look forward to every time

Photos below:
No matter what industry you work in, you must understand the customer experience starts online, not when a prospect walks through your door. The hard truth is companies without a Web presence dont exist in the eyes of many consumers. For that reason, its imperative that your self-storage business offers a seamless, consistent online experience.

If youre hesitant to invest time and money into your Web presence, remember that prospective customers spend just as muchif not moretime interacting with you online as they do at your facility. You wouldnt want them to communicate with a lousy manager, so why would you be satisfied to have them interact with a bad website? Here are five online tools you can use to provide a better experience.

Tool 1: Volume Calculator

Moving can be an exciting time for your customers, but also an incredibly stressful one. As a self-storage operator, its up to you to make the process as straightforward as possible. Offering a volume calculator on your website allows prospects to quickly visualize how much stuff they have and how much room theyll need to rent at your facility.

The process of filling out the calculator will already be a tremendous step in the customers journey, but it also gives your team an accurate assessment of the job. Ask for the users e-mail address so you can send him a copy of his results; and remember to include a proceed to book button so he can rent from you afterward.

Tool 2: Instant Quote

Offering an instant-quote tool on your website brings massive benefits to you and prospective customers. For you, a real-time quoting engine is more efficient and accurate than any manual process.

It also means youre available for potential renters 24/7. No matter what time of day, once customers begin to consider self-storage, your quote tool can give them the chance to see what you offer and how you can help them. Hopefully, it will also allow them to immediately start the rental process. Finally, it also provides customers with instant gratification and initiates their relationship with you.

Tool 3: Downloadable Guides or Checklists

Offering downloadable guides or checklists on your website helps diminish the overwhelming feeling thats often involved in a move. Even if youre already known as the best storage company in town, providing prospects with something free and useful, such as a moving-day checklist, shows you go above and beyond to provide the best experience possible. Theyll remember that when a friend asks, What self-storage company do you use?

Tool 4: Customer Portal

Each business will have different offerings in its customer portal, but the general idea is to allow the user to see business records, transactions and requests. Think of it as his personalized dashboard.

Going paperless and offering documents online is a necessity these days. In addition to environmental reasons, customers expect businesses to be digitally savvy and efficient. They want to review records and communicate with your team from their smartphone screen. On the other side, make sure your staff has the resources to go digital.

Tool 5: Live Chat

Many e-commerce websites have added live-chat features to provide real-time answers to customers rather than risk them going elsewhere. Allowing them to chat with your help desk builds their confidence in your brand while improving your conversion rates. Live chat provides real-time convenience for them, and gives you a competitive advantage.

If you decide to implement this, make sure your chat agents have enough knowledge about your storage facility to answer queries and that they speak like humans. Robotic chat isnt what customers want!

All these tools are geared toward providing a better customer experience, but they also give your storage business greater analytics. In the Internet age, everything you do as a company is trackable with data and reporting. You can use the wealth of information from these online tools to learn and grow your operation.

Chris Humphrey is the founder and general manager of Easytruck Storage & Moving, which operates more than 700 mobile-storage units in 30,000 square feet of air-conditioned warehouse space, with three locations in Dubai. Chris and his wife, Natalie, launched their professional moving company in 2009, branching into storage in 2011. They began offering mobile storage in 2013. For more information, visit www.easytruck.ae.
MONTPELIER, Vt. - January 5, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) A Senate-approved bill that would make marijuana legal for adults in Vermont was passed by the Vermont House of Representatives on Thursday with minor amendments. It will now go to the Senate for a final concurrence vote before being transmitted to Gov. Phil Scott, who vetoed a similar bill in 2017. In December, Gov. Scott indicated that he intends to sign H. 511 into law.

H. 511 would eliminate Vermont's civil penalty for possessing one ounce or less of marijuana and remove penalties for possession of up to two mature marijuana plants and up to four immature plants, beginning in July. Meanwhile, a governor-appointed task force will issue a final report on how the state should tax and regulate marijuana sales and commercial cultivation by December 15, 2018.

"Vermont is poised to make history by becoming the first state to legalize marijuana cultivation and possession legislatively, rather than by ballot initiative. We applaud lawmakers for heeding the calls of their constituents and taking this important step toward treating marijuana more like alcohol," said Matt Simon, New England political director for the Marijuana Policy Project.

Fifty-seven percent of Vermont voters support allowing adults 21 and older to possess and grow limited amounts of marijuana, according to a statewide survey of 755 registered voters conducted in March by Public Policy Polling. Only 39% are opposed. Nationwide support is similarly strong. An October 2017 Gallup poll found 64% of Americans support making marijuana legal.

When the bill is signed, Vermont will become the ninth state to make marijuana legal for adults, and the first to do so through its legislature. Eight other states have enacted laws legalizing and regulating marijuana for adult use, all through ballot initiatives. In Washington, D.C., voters approved a ballot initiative making personal possession and home cultivation legal for adults 21 and older. Vermont and 22 other states do not have a ballot initiative process. Those states' marijuana laws can only be modified by legislatures.

The Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Rhode Island legislatures are expected to seriously consider making marijuana legal for adults this year and regulating marijuana similarly to alcohol. In Michigan, signatures have been submitted for a November 2018 ballot measure.

Vermont's legislature approved this bill after an announcement earlier in the day by Attorney General Jeff Sessions that the Department of Justice policy of not targeting individuals and businesses in compliance with state marijuana laws had been rescinded.

"It is becoming clear that states are tired of helping the federal government enforce outdated and harmful marijuana polices and are ready to make this legal for adults," said Matthew Schweich, interim executive director for the Marijuana Policy Project. "The Vermont Legislature's action underscores that states will continue leading the way toward more humane, sensible marijuana policies even if this administration reverts to the cruel and counterproductive federal policies of the past."

The Marijuana Policy Project is the nation's largest marijuana policy organization. For more information, visit http://www.MarijuanaPolicy.org.

More Info:

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Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

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Baton Rouge, LA - January 5, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) In what may offer lasting promise for wetland restoration projects across the Gulf Coast, an assessment by the America's WETLAND Foundation (AWF) at the two-year mark of a project to secure the shoreline embankment along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) near LaRose, LA, provides a snapshot into future opportunities for private sector restoration of wetlands.

The project was a demonstration by AWF of new technologies and approaches to establishing or fortifying earthen berms that prevent saltwater intrusion into the waterway. Dubbed the GIWW Shoreline Restoration Project, recycled plastic matrix planted with native grasses was extended one mile along banks of the canal that had been compromised by storm surge, rising tides and wave attenuation from commercial vessels, causing a threat to contiguous fresh water marshes.

The challenges in strengthening the shoreline are replicated in numerous sections of the GIWW, which is second only to the Mississippi River in tonnage, moving commerce East and West and a key to economic and national security.

"We often call the GIWW the line of demarcation for wetland erosion along the coast and we chose a demonstration project designed for time efficiencies, innovation and cost effectiveness to address the urgent problem at hand," noted AWF managing director, Val Marmillion.

The Foundation worked cooperatively with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Ducks Unlimited, Louisiana's Coastal Protection & Restoration Authority, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, private landowners, local NGOs, and industry to select and prepare the site for the project.

Ethan Miller, Owner of Delta Farms and the landowner for the project said, "I have to admit, I was skeptical at first. Over the years we spent hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to stabilize that berm. But looking at the results today, I am impressed. Two years later, the berm is holding and the ecosystem is flourishing."

The project was completed by piggybacking on an existing permit and replacing costly rock embankments with an innovative and eco-friendly approach: a combination of natural and recycled products. Cost and time efficiencies allowed an investment of one-million dollars with no cost overruns to complete the project in less than six months followed by monitoring for two years. "In examining the site, the proof of concept is in the lush marsh grasses," Sidney Coffee, AWF senior advisor, said. "With soaring costs for restoring the coast, it is imperative we find ways for private land owners and industry to participate in wetland recovery. Our evaluation suggests relying on nature's staying power to succeed is one answer to the problem."

Both traditional and innovative technology were utilized in the form of low cost bucket dredging and a vegetated, recycled plastic matrix material called Vegetated EcoShield, representing innovation in emerging "Green Infrastructure." Creating a "living shoreline" that protects and fortifies the embankment by promoting vegetative growth and building a habitat for waterfowl, wildlife and aquatic life.

Ted Martin, Founder of Martin Ecosystems, and supplier of Vegetated EcoShield, the product used to stabilized the berm, said, "We are very pleased that AWF chose our living shoreline product for this project. As the original plants continue to grow and multiply, their roots will secure the berm for years to come."

Solutions for protecting existing shorelines and stabilizing banks are offered by a protective medium for vegetation to establish, grow and spread. The project also resulted in reducing wave energies and shoring up the embankments of the GIWW where banks are compromised and saltwater intrusion threatens freshwater marshes.

Durability and sustainability in the form of resistance to wind and wave energy was also a project outcome. The durable non-woven recycled Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic matrix is sourced from recycled water and soda bottles. No phenol-formaldehyde resins are used in the binding process and the matrix is non-toxic to fish and aquatic life. The matrix is assembled using three or four base matrix layers positioned in a stepped format perpendicular to the shoreline. Engineered to be hardy, native grass stocks complete the process when planted and nurtured.

"Is it possible to change the restoration paradigm and complete a project with nature's products and cut the cost? Can such a solution hold up to the harsh wetland conditions and the added assault of an eroding coast? Can we beat the clock?" Marmillion asked. "These are the answers we sought and now we are preparing evidence that reduces the risk for the private sector to wade further into restoration."

Elliott Bouillion, President and CEO of RES whose nursery provided a hardier strain of plant stock for the project noted, "The solutions we provide today require us to constantly innovate and apply the latest technologies to meet the challenges of a disappearing coastline and critical ecosystem." In addition to product suppliers, RES and Martin Ecosystems, funding for the demonstration came from AWF, Ducks Unlimited, Community Coffee, CITGO, Shell, ConocoPhillips, Chevron and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).

Please see below photographs from the GIWW Shoreline Restoration Project from 2015 and 2017. The project has stabilized the shoreline and grown healthy vegetation over the recycled plastics matrix.

The America's WETLAND Foundation manages the largest, most comprehensive public education campaign in Louisiana's history, raising public awareness of the impact of Louisiana's wetland loss on the state, nation and world. The initiative is supported by a growing coalition of world, national and state conservation and environmental organizations and has drawn private support from businesses that see wetlands protection as a key to economic growth. For more information, visit www.americaswetland.com.

Water-Stocks.com: investing ideas in water stocks Like Water Stocks? View our Water Stocks Directory

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Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

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Farmers fear 2018 could be the year when a 20-year bogeyman finally appears, in the shape of an EU trading agreement with Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, which make up the Mercosur trade bloc, writes Stephen Cadogan.

Intense negotiations towards free trade started in 1999. But EU farmer opposition and disagreement between Mercosur countries helped to derail talks time after time, including for six years after 2004.

Now, officials on both sides claim agreement is just weeks away from completion.

It could devastate Irelands most extensive agri-sector, beef. Agriculture Minister Michael Creed says a Mercosur deal is potentially very damaging for the European agriculture sector, and for the beef sector in particular.

However, as in many trade deals, governments seem prepared to sacrifice losses in agriculture for gains in other sectors.

Why they are so willing to do so is perhaps reflected in the World Banks latest report on the EUs Common Agricultural Policy.

Farmers hoping for some sympathy from those who pull the strings of world policy will be shocked by the World Banks statement that agricultures small and declining share of GDP and of employment, and the 50% income gap to other sectors, is as it should be.

The Bank says this reflects the normal process of structural transformation in which agriculture gives way to manufacturing, first, and services, later.

This refers to the Banks ideal world, where resources are efficiently allocated across sectors, where a fast-growing manufacturing sector absorbs excess labour from agriculture. Then a services sector provides good jobs, when rising wages start to make labour-intensive manufacturing non-competitive.

The beginning of their ideal economy is urban manufacturing growth which leads to higher wages, that trigger labour migration from rural agricultural areas to urban areas. The resulting urban population growth makes food prices rise, making agriculture more profitable for the remaining rural workers.

Higher farm profits lead to increased investments which boost agricultural productivity and improve rural livelihoods.

Successful transformation hinges on rural incomes rising, but only in order that the more enterprising households or household members can acquire the necessary basic education to make the transition to non-farm sectors, particularly urban manufacturing.

Simultaneously, manufacturing needs to serve as a major source of growth, generating employment.

The Bank preaches that governments should avoid mis-managing this transformation, for example with untargeted agricultural subsidies, or uncompetitive practices, which can undermine productivity growth due to rent-seeking.

According to the World Bank, the EU is nicely on the way to this ideal successful structural transformation.

It says agriculture was handy along the way, functioning as a shock absorber in the 2008 crisis, by which it was least affected of all sectors, particularly in the newer member states of the EU, where social protection institutions are less developed.

The Bank also acknowledges that EU agriculture matters for jobs, providing work on farms for about one tenth of jobs, while the wider food sector provides work for about one fifth of the workforce.

This kind of thinking by the callous theorists who help to run the world helps to explain Mercosur talks, and why there was no outcry at the recent EU prediction that the European agricultural workforce will decline 28% between 2017 and 2030, while agricultural income per farmer or worker increases by only 1.1%.

That is the main finding in the EU agricultural outlook 2017-2030 report published by the EU institutions on December 18 last.

Its a rude awakening for any farmers who thought their role as food providers gave them a special place in the big picture!
New measures to improve rural water services will ensure that members of group water schemes get comparable benefits to what Irish Water does for the public supply, said Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy, writes Stephen Cadogan.

He was announcing an over 60% increase in maximum subsidy per group water scheme household, and said a review of wider investment needs of rural water services will commence in early 2018.

Subsidies are intended to cover the operating cost of providing domestic water services to households supplied by the group water schemes which serve about 9% of the population.

The maximum subsidy per house in private group water schemes (which have their own water treatment plant) is to increase from 140 to 231.

An increased maximum subsidy of 281 per household is available for small schemes of less than 100 houses willing to progress towards rationalisation or amalgamation with other schemes. This incentive is limited to three years.

The maximum subsidy per house for public group water schemes (water from Irish Water) is to increase from 70 to 115.

Costs that can be recouped by group water schemes are to increase, typically from 60% covered by the subsidy to 85%.

The Minister further indicated that he is currently finalising proposals to increase the level of grant support for users of private wells, and he will announce details in the coming weeks.

Minister Murphy said: Secure, high quality water services in rural Ireland are vital to sustaining communities, businesses and water-intensive industries like the agri-food sector.

He said infrastructural improvements are also essential, which is why the Government funds such improvements through the Multi- Annual Rural Water Programme.

The Minister concluded: Serious challenges remain in relation to rural water services, including in the areas of water quality [in small private supplies, private wells and group water schemes], future management of group water schemes and sustainable management of septic tanks.

In this context, my Department will initiate a short, focused review of the wider investment needs relating to rural water services, including the overall approach to funding group water schemes, early next year.
A national Support Scheme for Renewable Heat has secured Government approval, and will commence this year, writes Stephen Cadogan.

It is designed to financially support replacement of fossil fuel heating with renewable energy, for large heat demand non-domestic users in commercial, industrial, agricultural, district heating, public sector and other non-domestic businesses and sectors (in the non-emissions trading sector).

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Denis Naughten said: Crucially, it will provide the basis to create new commercial opportunities for farmers in heat technologies including biomass boiler installations and new opportunities for foresters.

It will also contribute to meeting Irelands 2020 renewable energy and emission reduction targets.

Under the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive, Ireland has a target of 12% energy for heat to come from renewable energy sources, by 2020. Currently, 6.8% is renewable.

Budget 2018 allocated 7m to fund the initial phase of the support scheme.

The maximum tariffs paid will be 5.66c per kilowatt hour of energy produced from biomass heating, and 2.95c from anaerobic digestion heating. Tariffs reduce with increasing output, reflecting economy of scale.

Technologies such as biomethane grid injection may be in subsequent phases of the scheme.

The minister said this source of renewable energy can be an outlet for farm wastes.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) will administer the scheme and develop the detailed terms and conditions.

Why introduce a renewable heat incentive?

Ireland has a target of 16% of gross final energy consumption from renewable sources in 2020, with sub-targets for electricity (40%), transport (10%) and heat (12%). In 2016, Ireland reached 6.8% in heat. This renewable heat incentive is one of the Governments measures to help meet targets.

How does this support scheme differ from other countries?

The lessons learned from similar schemes in other jurisdictions have been integrated into this scheme.

In particular, eligibility criteria that projects must continue to conform to over the period of support payments (up to 15 years) will ensure heat generated is applied to useful purposes only.

Other budget management mechanisms include project budget caps, a scheme budget cap, and periodic reviews to prevent windfall gains.

What will be supported?

Based on the economic analysis carried out, the scheme will support projects through one of the following support mechanisms:

1. An operational support (paid for up to 15 years) based on useable heat output in renewable heating systems in new installations or installations that currently use fossil fuel heating and convert to using biomass heating systems or anaerobic digestion heating systems.

2. A grant (of up to 30%) for investment in renewable heating systems that use air source, ground source, or water source heat pumps.

How will the payment system for operational support work?

This consists of a multi-annual payment (for up to 15 years) on the basis of prescribed tariffs. The maximum tariffs paid will be 5.66 cents per kilowatt hour of energy produced from biomass heating systems and 2.95c for anaerobic digestion.

Each tariff will set the amount of support that the scheme participant will receive in respect of each unit of heat energy used for an eligible purpose. The tariff level for a particular project will generally be fixed for the period of support. Tariff levels will not be linked to indexation. However, adjustments may be applied to prevent windfall gains.

The payment under the support scheme will be tiered based on the annual heat output (on a per kWh basis).

The participant will receive a payment according to the tariff (c/kWh) for tier 1 up to the first threshold value; heat output greater than that threshold will be paid at a lower tariff level up to the tier 2 threshold, and so on for higher tiers.

Since the cost of generating renewable heat typically falls with increasing installation size, the tariff will reduce from one tier to the next. Therefore, the more renewable heat produced the less the applicant will get paid per unit output.

What is covered by the installation grant?

The grant will support up to 30% of the cost of heat pumps (air source, ground source or water source).

Who will administer the support scheme?

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) will administer the scheme and will be responsible for its operation, including evaluating and processing applications.

When will the Scheme commence operation?

The next steps will be to develop the terms and conditions and seek European Commission state aid approval. Subject to this approval, it is expected that the scheme will commence operation in 2018.

Where can I get more information?

Go to www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/energy/topics/Renewable-Energy/heat/Pages/Heat.aspx on the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment website.
The common approach of the Paris Agreement must have the same rules for the likes of China and India as it does for the EU, or else it will be weakened, writes John Light.

This will be a big year for the Paris climate agreement. The broad outlines of the deal were figured out in 2015, but the specific rules governing what it requires countries to do will have to be written by the end of 2018.

In spite of Donald Trumps decision to withdraw the US from the accord, the deal appears surprisingly strong. In the final months of 2017, Nicaragua and Syria, the last two holdouts of the more than 190 nations that met in Paris, signed on. The US, meanwhile, will not be able to withdraw from the agreement until November 4, 2020  four years to the day after the agreement went into effect, and, coincidentally, one day after the next US presidential election.

Now its time to figure out the fine print. The process that must wrap up before the end of 2018 is comparable to the period after Congress passes any legislation when regulatory agencies need to figure out what a given law will mean in practice. Over the course of 2018, negotiators from around the world will be working through the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the treaty that undergirds the Paris Agreement, to do something similar.

At the top of their to-do list are rules for what the UN calls transparency  that is, rules for measuring countries emissions, and for measuring their progress towards reducing that pollution.

When each country signed on to the agreement, it offered a goal, or a national determined contribution, stating how much it planned to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Over time, countries are expected to improve on those pledges. The Paris Agreements objective is that these goals will gradually add up to a large enough reduction in global emissions that global warming can be contained within 2C. Transparency is essential to determine whether that target is realistic.

Practically speaking, the UN needs to figure out how countries will report their progress towards their emission-cutting goals. It will also need to figure out how to determine whether those reports are accurate. This will mean digging into topics that, during past rounds of negotiations, have proven to be complex and technically intricate.

When it comes to reporting, the Paris Agreement itself essentially points to a common approach for countries but also acknowledges a need for flexibility for the countries that need it, says David Waskow, head of the DC-based World Resources Institutes International Climate Initiative.

That common approach is key, and something US diplomats representing both Republican and Democratic administrations have pushed for years. If the UN has different standards for different countries  for instance, if it holds India and China to lower transparency standards than the EU  then the agreement will be weakened at a time when it needs to get much stronger.

The flip side of those common reporting standards is flexibility. By allowing for some variation in the information that countries report, the UN acknowledges that not every country will be able to measure their greenhouse gas emissions with the same degree of accuracy.

A national government, Waskow explains, needs to know basic data about not only power plants but industrial facilities, whats happening with transportation systems and vehicles, what kind of fuels are being used, whats happening in the agriculture sector, whats happening with land use, et cetera. It requires government capacity not only at the national level but at the sub-national level  the city and state and provincial level  to be able to know what power plants and industrial facilities are in operation and at what level theyre producing and emitting.

Not every county has that capacity. The specifics of how the UN deals with the range of data available is one of the things that must be figured out in 2018.

One of the goals of the Paris Agreement is that every country eventually will be able to report information with the same degree of accuracy. Initially, however, that wont be the case. So, negotiators this year will have to write rules that require strong, accurate reports, but that leave developing countries some wiggle room.

Negotiators will also have to figure out how the UN will measure emissions outside national borders, including those from planes and boats in international waters. Planes and boats, together, account for about 4% of global emissions, by some estimates, and both air travel and maritime cargo shipping are expected to increase in coming years.

Measuring these emissions will likely involve greater use of technology, especially satellites that can measure carbon dioxide and other climate change-causing pollutants from space.

A further complicating factor is the rule-writing role of the US and China, the two countries that head the Paris Agreements committee on transparency and which are also the worlds top two carbon emitters.

Washington has historically championed stronger transparency, but whether state department diplomats will remain as invested in the issue given the nations current one-foot-out-the-door status is unclear.

China, meanwhile, has at times baulked at efforts to assess its role in climate change. In the past, the country has shared its own internal statistics on emissions but has refused to answer questions about how those statistics were calculated. Chinas data on coal use, a major contributor to its greenhouse gas emissions, has not always been reliable, and, at times, the country has dramatically revised past reports.

But Chinese President Xi Jinping is trying to position his country as a global leader on climate change, a mantle the US dropped when Barack Obama left the White House. Whether that means advocating for stronger transparency rules remains to be seen.

Ultimately, if the UN ends 2018 with strong rules on transparency, countries will have greater faith in the Paris Agreement. Theyll know, with greater certainty, that what theyre doing is making a difference.

Looking beyond 2018, countries will begin offering up stronger and stronger emissions-cutting pledges. Once the rules are written, those undertakings are the other critical task, says Waskow.

Those together will put the Paris Agreement fully into motion and make it a living, breathing thing with real consequence.

The transparency rules will not just determine whether the world avoids a dangerous level of climate change  they will determine whether countries have faith in the UNs delicate effort to protect the planet.

- John Light is a journalist based in New York. He often writes about the politics and policy of climate change.

- Reuters
She wanted to staff the Charleton liaison unit with retired gardai and the Department of Justice seemed willing to go along with that without exercising due diligence, writes Michael Clifford.

The unit in An Garda Siochana known as the Charleton liaison unit has come under scrutiny in recent months, principally because of concerns over its composition and operation.

The unit was set up to deal with information flowing from the force to the Disclosures Tribunal, and was staffed initially with retired members selected by former commissioner, Noirin OSullivan.

Today the Irish Examiner has reported that a principal officer in the Department of Public Expenditure expressed concerns about re-employing retired officers to staff this unit.

The correspondence, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, between officials of the departments of Public Expenditure and Justice raises some disturbing questions. Public Expenditure questioned whether re-employing retired officers might impact negatively on the workings of the tribunal thereby compounding ongoing problems.

This was written in the context of issues that continue to surface and to impact on the public trust and confidence in An Garda Siochana.

The official in Public Expenditure, principal officer John Burke, wanted to know if there was any other way in which the force could liaise with the tribunal.

These concerns were expressed in a letter dated April 12, 2017. By then, others were already raising questions as to whether the unit, staffed by retired members selected by then-commissioner Noirin OSullivan, was an appropriate way to liaise with the tribunal.

What if a member of AGS wanted to meet with tribunal investigators on a confidential basis?

What if a member wanted to provide information that might not find favour with the then commissioner?

None of this is to suggest that the integrity of the members of the liaison unit could be called into question, but perception is a huge issue. If members were of the opinion that the retired men staffing the unit were close to Ms OSullivan, that would be enough in a closed organisation like AGS to desist from going any further.

A somewhat similar scenario pertained to the OHiggins commission, which investigated Sgt Maurice McCabes complaints of malpractice. A representative of the commissioner was present for all the hearings. This meant the commissioner was effectively privy to all evidence tendered by members of the force.

The other issue was that the serving gardai in apparent conflict with Ms OSullivan at the tribunal  Sgt McCabe and Supt David Taylor  had no trust in the unit to act neutrally. Again, this is no reflection on the members of the liaison unit but the fact that Ms OSullivan selected them, and that there were known to be professionally close to either her or her husband, fed the perception of bias.

Maurice McCabe

These matters had been aired by the time a principal officer in the Department of Justice, Anne Barry, wrote to her opposite number in Public Expenditure to request sanction to re-hire the retired members.

On March 18, this newspaper published a report outlining the kind of concerns detailed above.

The tribunal had been informed on March 30 by counsel for Sgt McCabe and Supt Taylor respectively of their concerns about the liaison unit. Judge Charleton heard the submissions but made no further comment on the matter.

That information may have informed the concerns expressed by the principal officer in Public Expenditure, John Burke. Or he may indeed have harboured his own concerns about rehiring selected officers for this particular task. Whatever it was, he did note that the move could impact on the public trust and confidence in the force.

The reply he got was that an alternative  employing a solicitors firm  had been floated within An Garda Siochana but was not put forward by the commissioner. Ms Barry also pointed out that the cost of employing a firm would be much greater than that of rehiring former garda members, and it would take longer for a solicitors firm to get up to speed.

Having received this assurance from Justice about the strategy, Mr Burke sanctioned the finance on May 5, but his letter did underline for emphasis the following: Given your departments assessment that this overall approach is appropriate. As such he was emphasising that the responsibility for re-employing the retired members was with Justice, and not his department.

While the Department of Public Expenditure was satisfied to give the go-ahead, another individual continued to have concerns about how the unit was operating.

John Barrett, head of human resources in AGS, wrote five times to the head of legal affairs in the force last year about the operation of the liaison unit.

John Barrett, head of human resources in AGS

Asked about this at a Public Accounts Committee meeting on November 23 last, Mr Barrett replied: I wrote a number of letters setting out my views and it goes beyond resourcing.

He was constrained from further comment about the issue at the meeting due to repeated interventions from acting commissioner Donall O Cualain, who said he was objecting to the questions.

Some days after that PAC meeting, Mr O Cualain himself officially informed the minister for justice of concerns about the unit in what is known as a Section 41 letter, which obliges the commissioner to tell the minister of any problem which it is felt the minister should be made aware of. So it would seem that some nine months after the unit was set up, and seven after it was officially sanctioned, management in the gardai came to the conclusion that perhaps it wasnt such a good idea.

The correspondence published in the Irish Examiner today does raise further questions about how closely the Department of Justice and gardai operate.

At the PAC meeting in November, it was stated that then-secretary general for the department, Noel Waters, gave verbal sanction for the unit in late February some days after Ms OSullivan contacted him with the proposal.

The caution expressed by the official from the Department of Public Expenditure was nowhere to be seen. Not just that, but within days of the verbal approval, employment contracts were drawn up for the retired members. Sanction for those contracts would not be granted for over another two months, yet the Department of Justice saw nothing wrong in this course of action.

All the available evidence suggests that the department appears to have been willing to go along with whatever the commissioner wanted without exercising any due diligence of her proposal.

And now, the matter has been referred to the minister for justice, who might well ask why his own department had not raised a red flag when the proposal for the unit was first broached last February.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has faced protests over press freedom and the deteriorating state of human rights in his country as he arrived in Paris for talks with French leader Emmanuel Macron.

The trip is Mr Erdogans first to France since his governments crackdown on suspected opponents following a failed coup in July 2016.

About 50,000 people have been arrested and 110,000 others were removed from public sector jobs in Turkey.

Roughly 30 activists from watchdog group Reporters Without Borders held images of jailed journalists outside the Turkish Embassy.

A dozen demonstrators, mainly ethnic Kurds, later tried to reach the presidential Elysee palace, but police pushed them back onto a side street.

The French Communist Party and several left-wing parties have criticised Mr Erdogans visit to France, which came the day before the fifth anniversary of the slayings in Paris of three Kurdish women activists.

"The French judicial system had pointed out Turkish secret services involvement in this crime," the Communist Party said in a statement.

Mr Macron is expected to raise the issue of media freedom with his Turkish counterpart. The two presidents also are set to discuss Turkeys relationship with the European Union, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the war in Syria.

Mr Erdogan defended his country as "before all else, a state of law".

In a joint news conference with the Turkish leader, Mr Macron said he had asked Mr Erdogan about specific cases from a list provided by watchdog group Reporters Without Borders.

Mr Erdogan said the judicial system in Turkey is independent, but that he would give Turkeys justice minister names from the cases in question to seek information about their status.

PA and Digital desk

He said Turkey is fighting numerous enemies inside the country, from the Islamic State group to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party.

Mr Erdogan said "terrorism doesnt create itself alone", and declared that "ideologues" must be fought.
Nine people have been hospitalised in Australia, after taking drugs they mistook for cocaine.

The white powder substance was in fact hyoscine, which is commonly found in travel sickness medication.
While the stories broken by this newspaper since January have posed a myriad of questions for the State and the Defence Forces, the issues have one common controversy running throughout:

Have technicians within the Air Corps developed cancer, neurological problems, and other chronic conditions as a result of unnecessary exposure to toxic chemicals during their time at Casement Aerodrome?

THE COURT CASES

In January, this newspaper revealed how the State is facing at least six separate legal actions from former members of the Air Corps who claim that they have suffered serious illnesses as a result of chronic exposure to the chemicals they came in contact with while cleaning and servicing aircraft.

The first of these claims were submitted to the High Court in 2013, all are still pending an outcome.

The personal injury claims stated that the men suffer from a litany of neurological issues such as depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance and memory loss - all as a result of their time working for the Air Corps.

A toxico-pathologist quoted in documents submitted to the High Court stated that their exposure to chemicals not only caused existing medical complaints but also puts them at risk of the possible onset of Alzheimers disease and a variety of cancers.

Two of these men have since been diagnosed with cancer.

Those taking cases were based in adjoining workshops in Casement Aerodrome, in Baldonnel, Co Dublin. These workshops included the engine repair flight workshops and avionics squadrons workshops, which shared a building opposite the engineering wing hangar which housed the carpentry shop, sheet metal shop, hydraulic shop, and the spray paint shop.

In all the cases seen by the Irish Examiner, the plaintiffs noticed unusual symptoms while based in Casement, and sought medical advice from the Air Corps doctor. All claim that at the time no connection was made between their complaints and their work with dangerous chemicals.

One noticed that the skin on his abdomen, groin and the upper parts of one of his legs changed colour and became lighter. He started suffering mood swings. It was only upon seeking more medical advice after leaving the Air Corps in the late 1990s that he was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder.

Another experienced nasal irritation, the loss of his sense of smell, dizziness, bloody diarrhoea, sores, and skin rash early on in his time with the Air Corps, had difficulty sleeping and suffered mood swings. He also suffered chronic headaches, short-term memory loss and fatigue, along with a yellowness of his skin and eyes.

A worker from the engine shop started suffering from fatigue, anxiety and difficulties concentrating. After leaving the Air Corps he presented to a doctor, complaining of constant vomiting and diarrhoea.

Like his colleagues, it was only upon seeking further medical help after leaving the Air Corps that this former staff member was told his complaints may have been caused by the duties he carried out in Baldonnel. In one of the cases, the worker now suffers stabbing pains, a numbness in his limbs and uncontrollable, profuse sweating.

January 24

In three cases seen by the Irish Examiner, former Air Corps workers have been told that they are suffering organic encephalopathy  brain disorders  due to a chronic high dose exposure to organic solvents.

The Air Corps is accused of not training these staff members on how to handle harmful chemicals, neglecting to provide them with the protective equipment they needed to work with the substances, and failing in their duty of care by not properly investigating their medical complaints as they arose.

It is further claimed that a blind eye was turned to practical jokes using the chemicals  including tubbing which allegedly saw young members of the Defence Forces doused in substances used in the workshops by more senior colleagues, who were not aware of the hazards posed by the chemicals.

The State denies any responsibility for the mens illnesses.

No admission is made that the defendants exposed the plaintiff to dangerous chemicals or solvents whether on an ongoing basis or at all, the State said in court documents.

The defendants plead that if the plaintiff suffered any personal injury, loss or damage it was not caused by any act or omission on its part or was not a reasonably foreseeable consequence of any such act or omission, the document continues.

Furthermore, if the plaintiff suffered any personal injury, loss or damage it is said that this was due wholly or partly to his own negligence, the State argued.

THE WHISTLEBLOWERS

Two years after the first case against the State was lodged in the High Court, the Department of Defence received an email.

It was November 2015, and the first of three whistleblowers who would make numerous submissions to the Government broke cover to make the first protected disclosure on the issue.

The whistleblower identified seven dangerous chemicals, some which are known to be cancer-causing and genetic-altering, and said that Air Corps staff were routinely working with these substances.

This first email warned then-defence minister Simon Coveney that the staff working with these chemicals were not being provided with Occupational Health Surveillance  something that would pick up, at an early stage, whether staff health is being affected by their exposure to chemicals during their work.

The whistleblower said such screening is required by law.

Casement Aerodrome Baldonnel

Weeks later, a second whistleblower made contact to claim that at no point during his Air Corps career was he ever offered health surveillance.

This man said he believes that the Air Corps was failing to issue personal protection equipment to all personnel exposed to harmful and toxic chemicals in their day to day working environment.

The whistleblower further stated that he believed that these conditions within the Air Corps can be linked to illnesses among serving and former Air Corps personnel.

What has happened in the past and what is still happening regarding chemical health and safety in the Irish Army Air Corps is a grave scandal which I believe has seriously injured the health of a number of personnel, the second whistleblower warned.

A third whistleblower came forward weeks later with similar complaints - and further alleged that he was being targeted within the Air Corps for raising his concerns.

In September 2016, the Department of Defence tasked former civil servant Christopher OToole with carrying out an independent review of the whistleblowers claims, and his report was sent to the whistleblowers in October for their observations.

Meanwhile, the third whistleblower, who almost two years ago warned he was being targeted for, was last month brought before a Medical Board facing a charge of alleged chronic ineffectivity due to anxiety and a work-related industrial dispute.

This was revealed in the Irish Examiner, and led to Junior Defence Minister Paul Kehoe telling the Dail that he will ensure the whistleblower receives the protections available under the law.

I have recently written to the chief of staff restating my position that the individual concerned is afforded the full protection of the Protected Disclosure Act. I have made clear that no action should be taken that would impinge on his rights in accordance with protected disclosure legislation, Mr Kehoe said.

THE HEALTH WATCHDOG INSPECTION  VINDICATION FOR THE WHISTLEBLOWERS

The whistleblowers also complained directly to the Health and Safety Authority, which prompted the watchdog to investigate - and its findings in October 2016 largely vindicated the claims the men had made to the Government.

The five-page HSA report was issued following inspections that took place in February, April and September 2016.

It found that the Air Corps needed to monitor its workers exposure to harmful substances, observe their health for the early detection of adverse changes, and give them the equipment they need to protect themselves against chemical exposure.

The report gave 13 recommendations, and warned that Failure to comply with this advice and relevant legal requirements may result in further enforcement action including prosecution. The more lengthy recommendations in the report related to the monitoring of employees health to ensure early detection of any illnesses.

Health surveillance should be among the necessary measures to be considered for controlling identified chemical exposure risks, the report stated.

The putting in place of a programme to monitor employees actual exposure to particular hazardous substances is another measure that should be considered as part of the risk assessment process.

Staff also need to be given the necessary equipment to protect themselves from chemical exposure, the HSA said.

February 16

Adequate and appropriately specified Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), in particular protective gloves, eye protection and respirators for protection against chemical exposure, must be readily available to employees as required by relevant risk assessment findings, the report warned.

The Air Corps was told that it needed to review its risk assessment process to address exposure by employees to hazardous substances, and ensure employees are informed and trained adequately.

The health and safety measures at Baldonnel need to be in accordance with established good industry practices, the report said.

It is your responsibility to ensure the health and safety of employees and others, such as members of the public, who may be affected by the way you run your business, the HSA Inspector said.

The Air Corps issued a two-page reply in which its Safety Officer said the Air Corps will comply with the workplace health and safety legislation, and that it is fully committed to implementing the improved safety standards that protect workers from potential exposures to chemicals and will ensure risks are are low as reasonably practicable.

The reply outlined an eight-phase improvement plan, with a target of December 2017 by which the Air Corp will have implemented each part of this plan.

It promised to introduce chemical awareness training for staff; to put in place more stringent controls for carcinogenic and mutagenic (CMR) chemicals; to make protective equipment available for staff and consider mobile extraction systems where practicable.

Health Surveillance and Biological Monitoring will be considered and documented on the activity based risk assessments and the CMR additional risk assessment where necessary, the Air Corps reply stated.

The HSA has since said it is satisfied with the implementations of its recommendations, and considers the case closed.

THE INTERNAL REPORT

Once the lawsuits were filed, the State Claims Agency got to work on determining what was going on in Casement Aerodrome.

Following the SCAs request for information, the Air Corps went about producing a report. The Chemical Exposure Report (1994-2005) is with Junior Defence Minister Kehoe, who said he will not publish the document because it is legally privileged.

However earlier this year the Irish Examiner revealed the contents of internal Air Corps documents that raised serious concerns about staff exposure to cancer-causing chemicals.

The report investigates the working environment in a since-demolished engine workshop building, and was written over two-and-a-half years before the Health and Safety Authority raised a number of concerns about conditions in Baldonnel.

In its summary on precautions taken with the Triklone N solvent, the report issued by the Air Corps Formation Safety Office asks can the Defence Forces be found not to have done everything reasonably practicable?.

May 17

Triklone N contains trichloroethylene, a known carcinogen, and is a vapour degreaser that was used to clean engine parts. The chemical has been at the centre of other exposure controversies in Defence Forces around the world.

The report said it found no records that show that personal protective equipment PPE was made available to staff, and no documentation to suggest that any training on the dangers of using Triklone N took place.

It said work areas were not segregated and doors to adjoining areas were left open - and that the staff tea room and meeting area were located in an adjoining area, raising the risk of their food being contaminated.

Furthermore, the report suggested the technicians clothes could have been contaminated as personnel lockers were located in the immediate area where the chemical was used.

The internal memo also warned that there was no evidence to suggest that the extractor fans in use in the workshop were adequate for ventilating the area - and further cautioned that a heater in the engine assembly area could have circulated contaminated air into other parts of the building - increasing the risk of chemical exposure.

The report concluded by asking if enough was done to protect staff from identified risks.

The question posed should be: Was everything reasonably practicable done to ensure personals safety and health at the time? The report stated the Air Corps discontinued the use of Triklone N in September 2007.

THE MISSING REPORTS - AND ALLEGATIONS OF A COVER-UP

Within weeks of the first revelations in the Irish Examiner, the Dail heard allegations of a cover-up within the Air Corps on the extent of the forces knowledge of the chemical exposure issue.

I have seen health and safety reports going back as far as 1995, all of which pointed specifically to the issues that were addressed in the Examiner newspaper, Sinn Fein defence spokesman, Aengus O Snodaigh told the Dail in February.

So this is not a new issue, this is a cover-up because the military authorities in Casement Aerodrome did not take the required steps when it was highlighted to them that dangerous chemicals existed they didnt take those steps, Mr O Snodaigh claimed.

The documents in question were also examined by Fianna Fail defence spokeswoman Lisa Chambers who wrote to the then-taoiseach Enda Kenny about the issue.

It appears that health and safety concerns were known at the base for some time and there was a failure to act which may have unnecessarily and negatively impacted on the health of those working and serving at the base, she advised.

She said the reports from 1995 and 1997, carried out by now-dissolved public body Forbairt, appear to identify risks in the workplace around air quality and health and safety at work and made a number of recommendations were made surrounding use of and training around hazardous chemicals and use of respirators.

Aengus O Snodaigh

The Irish Examiners attempts to locate these documents from the Air Corps and Department of Defence proved unsuccessful. Freedom of Information requests were refused because officials cannot locate the records requested.

In June, this newspaper revealed how Junior Minister Kehoe had received a new protected disclosure in which it was alleged that a named official ordered the shredding of documents. The Irish Examiner subsequently reported that Mr Kehoe met with another whistleblower who made the same allegation, albeit without naming the official involved.

Despite these allegations, Mr Kehoe has said he has no intention of ordering an investigation into the reports disappearance - despite only being able to offer speculative explanations as to how they went missing.

The military authorities have indicated that the Defence Forces have neither a hard copy record nor an electronic copy of the Forbairt Reports, Mr Kehoe said in a reply to Mr O Snodaigh.

The authorities have indicated that there are a range of potential causes for the loss of the reports such as the changeover of electronic recording systems in 2004 or that the reports were misplaced over time. However, this is purely speculative. It is not proposed to have an independent third party carry out an investigation into the reasons the Forbairt reports cannot be found, he said.

Mr Kehoe has offered no explanation as to how the reports are circulating among opposition politicians when the Defence Forces and his Department have no copies of the documents.

THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW

Last October brought with it the long-awaited findings of Christopher OTooles review of the whistleblowers claims. His report, however, added little clarity to the situation.

Opening his report, Mr OToole said he was not in a position to consider the substances in use or any implications for human health arising from such use as these issues are outside my competence.

Having considered the allegations made by the three informants it is my view that a review of the kind envisaged by the terms of reference set out above is impractical and I, therefore, can only comment in general terms on the safety regime.

Crucially, his 37-page report found no evidence that proved that the Air Corps complied with its health and safety obligations.

A problem has arisen in relation to the issues raised by the three informants because appropriate records to demonstrate compliance are not readily available, he revealed.

I have no material which would provide a record of any assessment or procedures at the time relevant to the allegations made, he said in reviewing of the whistleblowers claims.

He went on to suggest that the pending court cases are an appropriate avenue to investigate the claims.

June 26

In the absence of such records, proof of compliance is problematic and establishing the actual situation at the time in question would be a complex task requiring the gathering of evidence and probably taking oral testimony; in effect a forensic exercise which it is not possible for me to carry out, he said.

This suggestion has been subsequently criticised by the whistleblowers, who say any out-of-court settlement would mean such a forensic exercise would never take place.

Even if the cases go ahead, the whistleblowers argue that these proceedings would be limited to the individual experiences of the plaintiffs, and will do nothing to address wider concerns for members of the Air Corps.

It would eventually emerge that Mr OTooles review was completed without sight of a key document - the Air Corps own internal report into the matter.

Earlier this month Mr Kehoe told Mr O Snodaigh that the independent reviewer was not given a copy of the Chemical Exposure Report (1994-2005).

Mr Kehoe said it would not have been appropriate to give the report to Mr OToole.

As the report is subject to legal privilege, it was not appropriate to make it available to the independent reviewer, he said.

THE INTERNATIONAL PRECEDENTS

Claims that members of the Defence Forces have suffered ill-health due to their exposure to chemicals used to clean and service vehicles are not unique to Ireland, and there are a number of international precedents in this regard.

Earlier this month the New Zealand Herald published an investigation that found that hundreds of New Zealanders may have been affected by their exposure to a chemical in a wide range of workplaces.

The chemical at the centre of the Herald investigation is trichloroethylene  the same substance that was the subject of the Irish Air Corps report whose details were revealed by the Irish Examiner.

In October the same newspaper reported that a New Zealand navy veteran won a years-long battle for compensation after connecting his Parkinsons disease with chemical exposure during his military service.

Describing the development as a potentially-landmark case, the Herald reported that the ex-serviceman developed Parkinsons, a condition attributed to his operational service on a Royal New Zealand Navy ship.

During his naval career, he was exposed to toxic chemical solvents, including trichloroethylene, while degreasing and cleaning electronics, the Herald reported.

It was reported that the Camp Lejeune cases in the US was considered a precedent in the New Zealand determination.

In 2012 then-US president Barack Obama signed the Janey Ensminger Act into law.

Named after a nine-year-old girl who died of Leukemia, the act provides medical care for people who may have been affected by the contamination of water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in California, where servicemen and women lived with their families.

Dozens of chemicals were found to have contaminated the water at the Camp - including trichloroethylene.

October 7

Meanwhile, in Australia, the government has paid tens of millions of dollars in compensation to former air force servicemen and women in recognition of the illnesses they suffered having worked with harmful chemicals.

While a compensation scheme was established for one select set of workers, there have been calls for it to be widened to include more workers who attribute their ill health and disability to the duties they carried out for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

The claims started with complaints from the RAAFs goop troop  workers who performed maintenance on the fuel tanks of the F111 bombers, a task known as the deseal reseal programme.

The design of the aircraft required workers to crawl into its fuel tanks and use toxic chemicals for hours at a time in cramped conditions to fix leaks from the inside.

In 2000, the department of defence commissioned a board of inquiry to examine the health effects of the Air Force staffs working conditions, following hundreds of complaints from veterans suffering cancer, depression, and other illnesses.

Last year, the findings of a health study were published.

It found that those involved in the deseal reseal programmes had 39% higher rates of cancer than a control group made up of members of the general population, and a 30% higher incidence rate than other Royal Australian Air Force personnel who were not exposed to the chemicals.

It also found that the F111 workers had a 27% lower mortality rate compared with non-exposed Air Force personnel. It has been suggested that the awareness of the chemical exposure issue has led to proper health screening and care for those affected, resulting in the early detection and treatment of illnesses compared to the general population.

In its 2010-2011 budget, the Australian government allocated A$55m (38m) over five years towards a healthcare and compensation package for the former F-111 aircraft fuel tank maintenance workers.

However, findings from subsequent health studies have led to calls for a wider compensation scheme for those working with jet fuel and other chemicals within the Australian defence force.

THE POLITICAL REACTION

The revelations in the Irish Examiner, and the Governments handling of the ongoing scandal, has drawn criticism from opposition politicians who have called for a commission of enquiry into the issue.

Mr O Snodaigh has consistently raised issues relating to the ongoing scandal in the Dail. He has previously said that the OToole report is, in one way, welcome, because it highlights the lack of documentation to show standards were met in the Air Corps.

It does not, however, examine allegations made in the protected disclosures, that records which would have shed light on what was going on at Casement Aerodrome were deliberately destroyed, he said.

It is now time for the Government to act in the best interests of the Defence Forces and carry-out a full review of health and safety protocols at Casement Aerodrome over the last three decades, which must be thorough, transparent and with terms of reference that allow for an in-depth examination of how chemicals and other toxic materials were managed, Mr O Snodaigh said.

His Fianna Fail counterpart Lisa Chambers has also frequently raised the issue with the Junior Defence Minister. Her letter to then-taoiseach Enda Kenny earlier in the year sets out her position on the matter.

Taoiseach, I believe we have to get to the bottom of this, it appears that health and safety concerns were known at the base for some time and there was a failure to act which may have unnecessarily and negatively impacted on the health of those working and serving at the base, Ms Chambers wrote last February.

If the State has failed in their duty to protect people in the course of their employment at Baldonnell then we need to identify those affected and ensure an adequate health care package is put in place for these people, she said.

Micheal Martin

Her party leader Micheal Martin said the constraints put upon the independent investigation into the whistleblowers claims rendered the report on their claims farcical.

The situation is far from satisfactory because with his opening comments the reports author is essentially saying he cannot fulfill the terms of reference. From the Governments point of view they established this review, they must have known the terms of reference could not be fulfilled.

"Its farcical. It seems to me there are no records of compliance with health regulations, which is very, very serious because in their absence one has to conclude that the probability is they were not complied with, Mr Martin said.

The Government needs to establish a forensic examination into this. I dont think it is acceptable to wait for court cases against the State to conclude as there is no guarantee these legal proceedings will establish what happened in the past.

"In the meantime the government needs to initiate a health assessment, similar to what was introduced by the Australian government, a baseline study of the personnel who worked in Baldonnel, Mr Martin added.

Labours Brendan Howlin raised the issue in leaders questions last month, and asked how the Government plans to address the matters raised by the whistleblowers, and whether they will be protected for speaking out:

Is it satisfied that the Defence Forces members who met the Minister of State, Deputy Paul Kehoe, to discuss these concerns are receiving the full protection warranted under the Protected Disclosures Act?

Has it considered the establishment of a commission of investigation to establish whether the health and safety management regime at Casement Aerodrome meets the standards of the day and whether the allegations have any credibility?

The whistleblowers were invited to send their observations on the OToole report to Mr Kehoe. The government says this feedback will inform its decision as to what to do next.

It is now nearly five years since the first lawsuit was filed, and two years since the Department of Defence received the first protected disclosure on the Air Corps chemical exposure matter.

Former and current Air Corps staff, plaintiffs and whistleblowers, are hoping 2018 will be the year that progress is made in this long-running saga.
The toxic odours were detected shortly before Christmas in the 13m Deer Lodge residential facility on the northern edge of Killarney, a nurses union has told HSE management.

Deer Lodge opened during the summer but has already been the subject of remedial works because higher than acceptable levels of radon gas were detected there.

The Psychiatric Nurses Union (PNA) wrote to the head of the Cork-Kerry mental health services in Cork-Kerry to complain of strong smell of sewage-type gasses detected in parts of the building.

PNA representative, Cormac Williams, said he was in Deer Lodge before Christmas and the smell in the western end of the main corridor was toxic with air smelling thick with sewage-type gasses.

I had to move quickly out of the area between Lake View and Wood View [different wings in the facility] as the smell was overpowering, he told Sinead Glennon, head of mental health services.

Staff had reported to him directly that the smell was prevalent in other areas but not as strong as in the corridor area.

All staff I have spoken to believe the smell is of methane sewage gas escaping up from the sewage system, said Mr Williams.

The PNA now want staff and residents moved out of Deer Lodge for a three-month period to allow the building be assessed for radon and for other gas issues.

However, a statement from Cork-Kerry Community Healthcare said the building is modern and well-planned and the concerns had been raised about a slight odour, which it has agreed to monitor: Members of staff have raised concerns about a slight odour in an area of Deer Lodge, and on foot of this we will carry out monitoring of the air quality inside the building.

It said it has agreed to carry out monitoring because the health and welfare of residents and staff is always our main priority.

The spokeswoman said: While we dont want to pre-empt the findings of any monitoring, we would like to point out that issues like this can be caused by something as simple as some toilets or sinks not being used frequently.

"For this reason, staff are now ensuring that any toilets or sinks which are less frequently used are flushed or have water pass through.
The unit was initially staffed by retired garda members who were known to be close to then commissioner Noirin OSullivan. The unit was effectively a filter operation for all information going from the force to the tribunal which is investigating alleged attempts to smear Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

According to correspondence seen by the Irish Examiner, officials in the Department of Public Expenditure were concerned the re-employment of the former members could contribute to the issues that continue to impact on public trust and confidence in An Garda Siochana.

Replying to a request from the Department of Justice to sanction the contracts for the retired members, the official asked whether alternative approaches to servicing the tribunal had been considered.

It would be extremely unsatisfactory if the proposed approach  rehiring former senior Garda officers  was to impact negatively on the workings of the tribunal, therefore compounding ongoing problems, principal officer at the Department of Public Expenditure John Burke wrote.

An assessment from your department which concludes that such risks are unfounded would be helpful for us in making a decision regarding this sanction request.

The letter is dated April 12, 2017. By that point, lawyers for Sgt McCabe and former garda press officer Superintendent David Taylor had expressed concern at the tribunal about the liaison unit.

The Irish Examiner had also reported on issues around the unit which was up and running even though official sanction for its budget had not yet been approved.

A replying letter from a principal officer at Justice pointed out an alternative approach would have been to employ a firm of solicitors. This approach was floated within An Garda Siochana but was not put forward by the commissioner, principal officer Anne Barry wrote.

She pointed out that it would take much longer to get up and running if this approach was taken and it would cost a multiple of the cost of re-engaging retired staff.

She also said that the Department of Justice had no reason to believe that the proposed approach will impact negatively on the workings of the tribunal.

The Department of Public Expenditure did sanction the re-employment of the two retired members in a letter on May 5 in which the line, Given your Departments assessment that this overall approach is appropriate, was underlined.

Since the unit was set up, head of human resources in AGS John Barrett wrote five times to express various concerns about its function and its capacity to act in an appropriate manner for all garda members engaging with the tribunal.

Ms OSullivan resigned as commissioner in September 2017. Last month, acting commissioner Donall O Cualain officially informed the minister for justice of ongoing concerns about the unit under Section 41 of the Criminal Justice Act.

Ms OSullivan is scheduled to appear before the tribunal next Wednesday and Mr Barrett is pencilled in to appear the following day.
Mr Donohoes comments are the first time any Fine Gael minister has departed from the position that Ms Fitzgerald did nothing wrong.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Donohoe said repeatedly that in his view she erred in her judgement which threatened to collapse the Government and cause a shock general election before Christmas.

I believe she made a mistake, she made a mistake, he said.

However, Mr Donohoe said he felt the price she paid for her mistake was excessive.

I also dont believe her exit from government and her resignation was proportionate to that mistake, he said.

All of us who work in sensitive roles, as Frances did, we do make mistakes in them. We always try to recognise those mistakes where we can and learn from them, be accountable for them.

I really felt and still do now, that across her entire tenure in office, everything I had seen her do in Justice, particularly when I worked with her as public expenditure minister, felt she was on the right side of the debate, he said.

However, despite feeling that the resignation on November 28 was disproportionate, Mr Donohoe does accept it was required in order to save the Government at a critical time.

Her resignation was not proportionate to the mistake but from the point of the stability of the Government and the ability of the Government to do what it needed to do on Brexit, it was the right decision for her and the right decision for the Government, he said.

Mr Donohoe said that he regretted the circumstances of the crisis which forced Ms Fitzgerald from office.

On a personal level, while I am always delighted to see the progress of new colleagues like Josepha, I really regret the circumstances of her resignation.

Mr Donohoe made it clear that he believed Ms Fitzgerald would see off the crisis until fresh emails emerged which showed she was aware of the legal strategy of the ex-Garda commissioner to undermine Sgt McCabe at the OHiggins Commission.

Up until the final emails came out, I did not think her resignation was inevitable. I thought she had every prospect of being able to stay in office.

Up until those emails came out, what I thought was likely from her was a statement of some kind, maybe a statement in the Dail, a statement to Cabinet, something like that, he said.

But when the final emails came out, I think she realised that from the point of view of preserving the Government, that her resignation was needed, he added.

Mr Donohoe said that he felt that overall her decision at such a critical time in the context of Brexit was understandable and correct.

On a political level and on a Government level I fully understand it, it was the right thing for the Government when you think of where we ended up the following week with Brexit, it would have been so difficult for any government in the early phase of an election to manage that, so difficult.

Mr Donohoe said that he does not believe there will be a snap general election this year and is confident he will introduce another budget in October.

No, I have not delivered my last budget, there will be another budget. I believe the Confidence and Supply Arrangement will see out the third budget. I believe it will deliver a third budget, he told the Irish Examiner.

Asked when he thought the next election would be, he said: I dont know and if I were to put a date beside it, it makes it far more likely that the election would happen before then.

I believe this Government will last all of 2018.
An Bord Pleanala has overturned the decision by the local authority in June and refused permission for the store planned by Lidl in Drumcondra.

Although the planning appeals authority said the use of the site on Drumcondra Road Upper for a supermarket was acceptable and in compliance with the zoning for the area, it ruled that the design, scale, mass, and location of the proposed building was inappropriate for the local streetscape.

It said the planned store would be visually obtrusive and incongruous with other buildings in the area which include the Cregan Library on the St Patricks College campus and the Skylon Hotel: It would detract and infringe upon the established building line in the vicinity of the development and would seriously injure the amenities of the area and of property in the vicinity.

The plans also involved the demolition of a garage and Montessori school and creche to make way for a mixed use, three-storey building which would incorporate the new Lidl store, an off-licence, and offices.

A planning inspector said the supermarket would not integrate in any way with other adjoining buildings, particularly the Cregan Library, and would be overbearing.

However, An Bord Pleanala did not uphold many of the grounds put forward by the owners of the adjacent Skylon Hotel as well as local residents from Home Farm Park.

An Bord Pleanala said it did not believe the store would significantly overshadow properties in the area. While it recognised it would generate extra traffic on a busy road, it did not believe the store would create an unacceptable traffic hazard or excessive levels of congestion.

Opponents of the project claimed it is wholly unsuitable for Drumcondra and warned it would have an adverse effect on existing businesses in the area including other supermarkets and the hotel.

Lidl argued there was a need for the new supermarket for anyone living within a five-minute drive of Drumcondra and that its opening would not impact on surrounding retailers.

Opponents said the area is already served by a Tesco supermarket, two Centra outlets, and a number of smaller neighbourhood stores, while it is also in close proximity to the Northside shopping centre and others in Phibsboro and at Omni Park in Santry.
The Golden Globes arent as obvious an Oscar indicator as theyre often claimed to be, but they can be crucial in building momentum in the run-up to the Oscars  and this years race is all about momentum.

The 90 or so members of Hollywoods Foreign Press Association will bestow their awards on Sunday, just five days before the ballots close for this years Oscars vote. With no clear frontrunners in many categories including Best Picture in the most wide-open race in years, a Golden Globe win could provide a crucial swing.

As in the past few years, the Irish can hold their heads high on the night, having been whittled down to the best in their fields across several categories.

Saoirse Ronan

Unlike the Oscars, the Golden Globes are awarded in two categories for key nominations  split into comedy/musical and drama. With Frances McDormand nominated in drama for her terrific work in Three Billboards Outside Epping, Missouri this gives Ronan a great chance to take home her first Golden Globe on the night.

Shes in the running for playing a precocious teen seeking independence in actor-turned-director Greta Gerwigs much-loved Lady Bird. Im predicting a win for Ronan at the third time of asking, with Margot Robbie, excellent in I, Tonya and Emma Stone (Battle of the Sexes) the main threats.

Nora Twomey

The Midleton animator, a founding member of Kilkennys Cartoon Saloon, has bagged a nomination for her first solo feature, The Breadwinner. The tale of an Afghan girl who dresses like a boy to provide for her family has been widely praised on the critical and festival circuit, while Twomey has an experienced ally by her side in the form of Hollywood royalty, Angelina Jolie, an executive producer on the film.

Pundits are predicting a Best Animated Feature win for Pixars Mexican-set movie, Coco, with Twomeys film running a close second. But in whats been a wobbly year for animation, anything could happen.

Martin McDonagh

The London/Irish filmmakers terrific Three Billboards Outside Epping, Missouri became a major awards-season contender when it was shortlisted for six Golden Globes.

Frances McDormand is a force of nature as a bereaved mother who tries to push the police to secure a conviction for the violent death of her daughter.

As well as Best Picture, Best Actress (Frances McDormand) Best Supporting Actor (Sam Rockwell) and Best Score, McDonagh himself is up for director and screenplay nods. A Golden Globe for McDonaghs screenplay looks like a decent bet.

Caitriona Balfe

The Golden Globes honour achievement in TV as well as film, and Balfe is flying the flag for Ireland on the small screen. The Monaghan supermodel-turned-actress has picked up her third nomination in a row for Outlander, the historical drama that has made her a major star in the US. Competition is fierce.

Also shortlisted are reigning Globe winner Claire Foy, up again for The Crown, Elizabeth Moss for The Handmaids Tale, Katherine Langford for 13 Reasons Why and Maggie Gyllenhaal for The Deuce. Both Moss and Foy have won so it could be third time a charm for Balfe, as the HFPA clearly admire her work.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Born in England but long resident in Ireland, Day-Lewis  who enjoys dual citizenship  is in the running for the forthcoming Phantom Thread, which he has said will be his final acting performance.

Most pundits are predicting a win for Gary Oldman, excellent as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, or Timothee Chalamet in Call Me By Your Name but again, there is no frontrunner in this category.
Oppressions, recessions, depressions and dark times/

But we keep fighting back with Greater Manchester spirit/

Northern grit, northern wit in Greater Manchesters lyrics

MANCHESTER performance poet Tony Walsh, whose poem, This Is The Place, captured the response of Mancunians after the terror attack last May in which 22 concert-goers were killed at an Ariana Grande show at the Manchester Arena, is coming to Cork and Dublin to perform at the First Fortnight Festival. The festival challenges mental health stigma through arts events during what can be a gloomy time at the start of the new year.

Walsh, 52, who writes under the name Longfella (he stands at 6ft 6in), is gifting usage of the poem to a charity supporting communities in Greater Manchester.

Written in 2015, the video of the poem recital, which trended fourth in the world on Twitter after Walsh read it at the vigil for the victims of the bombing, has catapulted the writer into the spotlight. Liam Gallagher said it was the best thing Ive ever heard come out of any Mancunians mouth, ever.

While praise for the defiant affectionate poem, which has been described as a love poem to Manchester, is very welcome, Walsh admits to feeling somewhat conflicted about its success.

Originally commissioned for the charity Forever Manchester, Walsh says that as an artist, you spend years trying to build your career and you try to be in control of how you present yourself, and then all of a sudden youre global news in ways youre not in control of. I have conflicting emotions about something so sensitive. I was grieving as a Mancunian and as a father, all those things. Then I found myself under huge pressure with messages coming to me at all times of the day and night. It was kind of scary. I had a physically and emotionally exhausting six months after the attack.

On the night of the terror attack, Walsh was at home in his native city with his 17-year-old daughter. The news was on Twitter first of all. Then on Facebook, someone was live-streaming what was happening about 15 minutes before it was on TV. My daughter was worried. Shes of the demographic that was at the gig and she feared she had friends at it. My son, who is 20, was worried that he might have friends stewarding at the concert. Thankfully, Walshs children didnt lose any friends in the tragedy.

CHOOSE LOVE

Walsh says that a decision was taken that no politician, city official, or religious leader would speak at the Albert Square vigil, although those sectors were all represented on the platform. There was a desire for something that would speak for the city and its people, a general celebration of Manchester. Theres a lot of passion and pride in the city.

People have since said that the poem reflected the mood in the square and in the city. It helped define the citys response. When, at the end, I said the unscripted words, choose love, the crowd erupted. It was a defining moment. Also, the line in the poem, Some are born here, some are drawn here, but we all call it home, is a gentle multicultural point that had an added resonance.

The poem has spawned a coffee table book with 61 Manchester artists each interpreting a line of it with a visual response. As well as the book, there has been a record and a piece of artwork arising from the poem. These efforts have raised over 150,000 (170,000) for Manchester charities.

Walsh, who has only been performing his poetry for eight years, started writing poetry as a child. He grew up in relative poverty. He almost died of rheumatic fever as a young child, not helped by living in a damp terraced house that was later condemned and demolished. He was politicised by punk and by his circumstances.

The first in his family to go to university, he dropped out. I got the grades, but culturally, I struggled. I had never been in a restaurant or on a train.

Periods of unemployment followed as well as factory jobs. While working behind the counter of a post office, he was held up in a robbery in 1992. There was a knife at my throat. I had to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder which caused me to be on the sick for a few months. It was difficult for a long time and I still have internal bruising related to anxiety.

SOCIAL COMMENTARY

Walsh, who met the woman who was to become his wife at the age of 19, went on to work as a housing officer in the most deprived areas of the UK. This influenced his poetry in the form of social commentary. He eventually took redundancy to pursue his poetry. He performs at schools and at festivals around the world. He also gets commissions to write for TV companies

My first literary influences were song writers such as Paul Weller, Elvis Costello, Shane McGowan, and also the poet John Cooper Clarke. Music is massive for me.

Walsh is a firm believer in the healing powers of the arts. Since time began, people have used art and words, in particular, to influence, galvanise and support people. Poetry is an ancient tradition. In some cultures, poetry has almost a spiritual meaning. Ireland has kept hold of its folk culture more than we have done, says Walsh, who has ancestral roots in Cavan.

What is the atmosphere like in Manchester now? Any response to that question has to be nuanced because none of us can speak for the families that lost people. About 500 people were injured and I think a few are still in hospital. Many people have suffered life-changing injuries in the attack. So its not for me to speak for them. But you know, families are playing at the fountains here. Humans are resilient. Life goes on. I do think Manchester acquitted itself well with the creativity of our response to what happened and the poem is at the centre of that.

Clearly, Walsh is a poet with northern grit  and soul.

Tony Walsh (aka Longfella) will perform at the Workmans Club in Dublin on Friday, Jan 12, and at De Barras in Clonakilty on Saturday, Jan 13

Other artistically-inclined First Fortnight events in Cork include:

Therapy Sessions, The White Horse, Ballincollig, tomorrow: Performers include Karen Underwood, Joe OLeary of Fred, and hip hop crew Poetic Pilgrimage.

O Bheal, Long Valley, Monday: Cork poets Cormac Lally and Julie Goo explore their own life experiences which impacted on their mental health.

The Drummer & The Keeper, Uillinn, Skibbereen, Thursday: Nick Kellys heart-warming film about the friendship between two young men, one of whom has bipolar disorder, and the other who has Aspergers.

Loving Vincent, Triskel Arts Centre, Thursday: Animated feature about Vincent Van Gough, in which Saoirse Ronan provides one of the voices.
HARNESSING the power of the mind has been essential to the success of hotelier John Burke in business, and on the mountains. Now hes sharing the experience of mindfulness with secondary school students in Co Clare.

John, whose business interests include The Armada Hotel and Hotel Doolin, became the first Clareman to summit Everest in May 2017. He credits mindfulness with assisting him to achieve his goals.

I started exploring it during the recession to cope with anxiety at work. Then in 2015 I climbed a very dangerous mountain, Ama Dablam, in Nepal. I was filled with self-doubt and fear, and realised I needed to resolve those issues for the Everest trip. My biggest lesson from mountaineering is the power of the mind, he says.

For John, mindfulness is slowing everything down, and being in the present moment. Its accepting that things might not always be going right; and not overthinking them, or allowing them to disrupt the way you live your life.

The Everest trip was a catalyst to for him to create a new charitable foundation, Elevate. Its mission is to: Raise the Banner for Youth Wellness in Clare. The foundation offers various programmes, at no cost, to secondary schools, Youthreach centres and youth organisations in the county. These include wellness programmes, inspirational talks and mindfulness courses.

One in three young people have a mental health issue by the time they reach the age of 13, says John. We wanted to provide a tool that would help them manage their minds. Dr Joanne Kierans, psychologist, did a lot of research for us, and selected the .b programme. The .b course (pronounced dot-be), which stands for Stop, Breathe and Be, was created for 11- to 18-year olds, by the Mindfulness in Schools Project (MISP), a UK charity which promotes the teaching of secular mindfulness in schools.

Monica Coady runs the programme with first years in Clare secondary schools. Although originally a 10-week programme, schools offer eight weeks because of time constraints. As were trying to get into as many schools as possible, Ive taken the key elements and created a six-week programme.

Each lesson focuses on present moment awareness with the breath. The session is 40 minutes long, starting with a short practice, this is follolwed by a powerpoint presentation to stimulate discussion. The course uses animal analogies and animation to promote understanding of the concepts, eg, the mind as a chattering monkey.

Everyone has worry thoughts. Theres nothing wrong with you if you do, says Monica. The key is for students to understand that thoughts arent facts. Its not about getting rid of the thoughts, its about focusing on the breath to allow you to pause them.

Monica has been practising mindfulness for over 10 years, and she has been teaching and lecturing in education since the 1980s. She trained to teach mindfulness at the University of Bangor in Wales and attends further training twice a year at Oxford University. All MISP teachers must train at Bangor University.

So far the .b programme has been rolled out in secondary schools including Lisdoonvarna, Spanish Point and Colaiste Muire, Ennis, and in Youthreach, Kilrush. John says its the most popular and well-received aspect of Elevates work so far. More schools have signed up for 2018.

Before starting the programme the Elevate team meet with the school principal and a link teacher. They offer an introduction to parents, who can ask questions. Monica has not experienced any adverse reaction among the students.

There is a lot of kindness and compassion in it, and its non-threatening. The meditation bell draws them in, whether thats a 12-year-old first year or a 19-year-old on a Youthreach programme. If something comes up for a student during a lesson they can talk to a member of the schools pastoral care team.

Joanne Casey, special education needs coordinator in Colaiste Muire, says: From my experience, and talking to colleagues in other counties, I have seen a massive increase in the number of students presenting with anxiety and depression at school.

So far two of the six first year classes in Colaiste Muire have taken the course, and Joanne sat in with the students. Its simple and straightforward. The reaction is positive, and I hear students say they are really looking forward to it. Theyre becoming aware of how they think, and that everyone else is the same. Its hugely helpful for them.

Students Caoilainn McNamara, Ali Browne and Roisin Farrelly talk positively about their experience, and all three would recommend it.

There are lots of classes where we do a lot of work. It was nice to go to that one. You could relax and focus on what you are doing at the moment, and not worry about anything else, says Caoilainn.

Ali loves the FOFBOC exercise. It means feet on floor, bum on chair. You sit at a right angle, with hands on your knees. It makes you relax.

Roisin enjoyed that every lesson was different: In one lesson we had to write a thank you to someone, why we were thankful and what they did for us. In another, we had to put a sweet on our tongue, and be mindful with it.

The programme has been extensively researched. A paper in the British Journal of Psychiatry by William Kuyken et al (2013) reported that students who completed .b had lower depression and stress, and greater well-being.

The evidence shows it helps with anxiety, relaxation, study, getting on better with people, and concentration in music and sport, says Monica. Some students are already putting it into practice, for example, pausing for a minute before a class they dont like.

Roisin bears this out as she uses the FOFBOC exercise. If you feel things are piling on, or if you have an exam in the next class, its helpful. You can do it and nobody knows youre doing it.

Monicas hope is schools will continue with the practice. Theres so much going on that it can get lost. My real hope is that mindfulness could be integrated into school life.

Joanne says it gives them awareness and skills they can practise at home. But shed also like to see it reinforced. The school is considering offering a guided meditation or mindfulness to students once a week. Even adults need structured guidance to get into mindfulness, she says.

If theres just one thing that Monica would like students to take away from the experience, its to bring awareness to the breath, even for one minute. We unworry by using the breath, she says.

While John may have conquered Everest, hes not imposing his own ambition through Elevate and the mindfulness programme. Its not about achieving great feats, but allowing young people to live their lives in a happy way, and live to be themselves. Greatness is at all different levels, from winning All-Irelands for Clare to being a really good person to their friends and family.
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The Beijing municipal government will start providing financial subsidies to kindergartens this year in efforts to improve services without raising fees.

The municipal government said Wednesday that it would provide 1,000 yuan (154 US dollars) per child a month to the city's first-class public kindergartens, and 700 yuan per child a month to other kindergartens.

The government will for the first time also allow private kindergartens to join the kindergarten rating held by district education commissions.

In the past, only public kindergartens could join the rating, which is often related to different levels of government subsidies.

The municipal government has reinforced supervision over kindergartens after a teacher from a private kindergarten allegedly abused children.

The teacher surnamed Liu, at the RYB Education New World kindergarten in Chaoyang District, was arrested in December 2017, after the procuratorate of Beijing Chaoyang District pressed charges against Liu, accusing her of using sewing needles to "discipline" children who would not sleep.

The child abuse scandal caused widespread public outrage.

The government said it would provide incentives to both public and private kindergartens starting this year, to increase enrollment by giving 10,000 yuan for increasing the student quota by one. It will also offer rental subsidies to kindergartens, of 5 yuan per square meter per day, to increase space.

For private kindergartens to enjoy the subsidies, they must register as non-profit kindergartens and can only charge fees in accordance with the government guiding prices. The kindergartens are not allowed to raise fees to provide extra services or classes.
Photo provided by China Railway's Zhengzhou Group

As heavy snowfall hit many parts of central and eastern China on January 4, workers at Luoyang Locomotive Depot of China Railway's Zhengzhou Group wrapped sandpipes with plastic bags to avoid freezing.

Sand is usually dropped on the rail in front of the driving wheels in wet and slippery conditions and on steep grades in order to improve traction.

China's National Meteorological Center continued to release orange warning of snowstorm at 6:00 am on January 4.

It is predicted that central-southern Henan, most portions of Anhui and Jiangsu, central-eastern Hubei, and northwestern Hunan will be exposed to heavy snow to blizzard.

Heavy blizzard (20-30 mm) will batter central Anhui and southwestern Jiangsu. The newly cumulative snow depth will reach 5-10 cm in these regions. Northwestern Hunan and northeastern Guizhou provinces will be exposed to sleet.

(Compiled by Ni Tao)
Washington (People's Daily)-The planned merger of Ant Financial with US money transfer company MoneyGram International Inc. was rejected by a US government panel on Tuesday.

The two companies said in a joint statement that they had been unable to secure the approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS).

CFIUS has so far not provided its reasons for rejecting the deal.

The geopolitical environment has changed considerably since we first announced the proposed transaction with Ant Financial nearly a year ago, MoneyGram Chief Executive Alex Holmes said in a news release.

The failed merger once again showed that the Trump administration fears that foreign investments could jeopardize US national security, especially when the partnerships involve China, Russia and some other US adversaries which have special concerns.

CFIUS is directed to scrutinize inbound and outbound investment and technology transactions with these countries.

Last year, the US launched a Section 301 investigation into Chinese intellectual property and technology transfer, self-initiated probes into Chinese-made aluminum products, and denied Chinas market economy status at the World Trade Organization.

CFIUS, a unit of the Treasury, is not responsible for reviewing mergers, acquisitions and takeovers by foreign entities. Only if CFIUS determines that a transaction poses national security risks can it make recommendations to the president, who has the final say.

In November, a bipartisan group of legislators introduced the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act, which aims to expand the jurisdiction of CFIUS and to allow the committee to oversee a boarder range of transactions that pose a threat to US national security.

CFIUS reform is not a solution, but a start," said Adam Segal, an expert of the Council on Foreign Relations.

The proposed CFIUS reform might level the playing field by preventing China from acquiring critical technologies, which is only a small step to guarantee the US enjoys continued technological dominance.

Moreover, reforming the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US does not guarantee the US will maintain its technological advantage over China.

Revamping CFIU - and going too far, Dr. Gary Clyde Hufbauer, a senior fellow of Peterson Institute for International Economics, wrote in an article.

He said revamping the mandate of CFIUS would expand government bureaucracy, hamper the global competitiveness of US corporations, and subject the process to unwarranted political considerations.

He said that it could replace multilateral cooperation with unilateral restrictions on outward flows of critical technology to neutral or adversarial nations.

In January 2017, Ant Financial signed a deal to buy MoneyGram for $880 million. It later increased its bid to $1.2 billion after Euronet Worldwide Inc. submitted an unsolicited competing offer of about $955 million.

According to The Wall Street Journal, MoneyGram and Ant Financial said they now would focus on working together on strategic initiatives in the remittance and digital-payments markets. They also said that Ant Financial had paid MoneyGram a $30 million fee as a result of the merger being terminated.
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Moscow (People's Daily)-Ten people, including seven Chinese, were killed after a fire broke out in the warehouse of a shoe factory in Chernochensk Village of Novosibirsk Region, Russia, RIA Novosti reported.

Victims also include two Kyrgyz and one Russian, it said.

The fire was reported to local fire authorities at 9 am local time after breaking out from a shoe factory in which stacked a large amount of finished shoes and raw materials.

The blaze swept about 2,000 square meters, and a large volume of toxic smoke was released from the burning shoes and raw materials, said the report.

It was rather difficult to put out the big fire due to the -35 C temperature. So far 26 fire engines and 90 fire fighters were dispatched to the scene.

According to the local authority, the fire was caused by an electrical fault.

(Compiled by Li Lei)

Fire breaks in the warehouse of a shoe factory in Russia (Photo: huanqiu.com)
Hukou Waterfall, a grand fall at the upper reach of the Yellow River, has turned into a world of ice and snow after the first snow recently fell on northwestern Chinas Shaanxi province, chinanews.com reported on Thursday. Water flows over ice covered rocks and froze into icicles, creating a spectacular winter scene.
Clinical Ink reaches $1.7M mark on latest offering

Clinical Ink, a Winston-Salem company specializing in health-care clinical trials, has raised $1.7 million of a $2.5 million offering of securities, debt and stock options and warrants, according to a Dec. 28 regulatory filing.

The securities sale was launched Dec. 13 and is not expected to last more than a year. It has had nine investors to date. None of the gross proceeds will be used to compensate executive officers, board directors or promoters of the offering.

The company was founded in 2007. At last count, it had 40 employees at its Wake Forest Innovation Quarter operations at 525 Vine St., and 75 overall.

Edward Seguine Jr. is chief executive and Scott Miltenberger as chief financial officer. The company declined to provide a revenue range in the filing.

Richard Craver

Barksdale named as N.C. president for S.C. bank

A former Triad and Charlotte banking executive, David Barksdale, has been named as president of the fledgling North Carolina operations of First Reliance Bancshares Inc.

The bank, based in Florence, S.C., established its first N.C. presence in November with a loan-production office at 3069 Trenwest Drive.

It has plans to open a branch at the site.

Barksdale, who lives in Winston-Salem, said First Reliance will focus initially on open branches in the Triad before entering other metros in N.C.

Barksdale was a senior executive with NewBridge Bancorp in Greensboro before it was bought by Yadkin Financial Corp. of Raleigh, which was purchased subsequently by F.N.B. Corp. of Pittsburgh.

Barksdale then became chief executive of Carolina Premier Bank of Charlotte before it was sold in December to Select Bancorp.

Alan Lomax was named as First Reliances city executive for Winston-Salem in November.

Richard Craver

Triad avoids latest round of Kmart, Sears closings

Sears Holdings announced plans Thursday to close five Kmart stores in North Carolina as part of closing 64 Kmart stores and 39 Sears stores nationwide by early April.

The Kmart stores are in Franklin, Midway Park, Salisbury, Sanford and Shelby. It is not closing any Sears stores in the state. Liquidation sales are set to begin Jan. 12.

Kmart will have 11 stores in North Carolina following the latest closing round, including in Clemmons and Statesville.

Sears has 61 facilities in North Carolina under the Sears, Sears Hometown and Sears Auto Centers brands. That includes a store and auto center at Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem, a store at Friendly Center and an auto center in Greensboro, a Sears Hometown store in Boone and a Sears store and auto center in Burlington.

Richard Craver
(Photo: YONHAP NEWS)

Seoul (Peoples Daily)  North Korea on Friday said it has accepted the South's proposal for talks on Jan. 9, according to the Korean Unification Ministry.

The two Koreas agreed to hold high-level talks to discuss ways to repair bilateral ties, including the North's potential participation in the Winter Olympics.

Korean Unification Ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said at a press briefing that Pyongyang informed Seoul that it has accepted its offer for bilateral talks, Yonhap news reported.

Baik added that the two Koreans will exchange documents on issues of mutual concern.

The moves come as Seoul proposed high-level talks with Pyongyang to discuss the Norths possible participation in the Winter Olympics in the wake of the North Korean leaders New Year's Day address, in which Kim Jong-un said the country is willing to send a delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea and is ready to have inter-Korean talks on the matter.

South Korea on Wednesday contacted North Korea through the cross-border hotline for the first time since the inter-Korean communication channel was cut in February 2016. Earlier that day, the North said it would reopen the dialogue line at Panmunjom to begin discussions on sending a North Korean delegation to the Winter Olympics.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) closed its doors on December 31, 2017, after working for 24 years, issuing 161 indictments and nearly as many judgments, hearing 4,600 witnesses over 10,800 days of trials, producing millions of pages and costing billions of dollars. Apart from the Second World War, no war has been as studied and certainly none has been the subject of judicial procedures like the one that tore the former Yugoslavia apart in the 1990s.

So the time has come for a first evaluation, and the legacy of the ICTY is clearly considerable. Its major impact was to help judicialize international relations, and try to make this work even in wartime. This is a revolution whose effects we cannot yet fully assess. A subsidiary consequence of this judicialization process is that the tribunal has created a class of lawyers specialized in mass violence, and has developed the law of war through its important jurisprudence. The ICTY brought slow, expensive justice in a language often incomprehensible to ordinary mortals. But through its work it shed light on key events of contemporary European history. Here we take a look at some of the major aspects of its legacy.

The ICTY mandate

In 1993, when the Security Council adopted Resolutions 808 and 827, the international community gave a triple role to the first international criminal tribunal ever created: establish the facts, punish the perpetrators of international crimes, and participate in maintaining peace as well as repairing the effects of the crimes. On all these things the ICTY has had both real successes and heavy defeats, even if responsibility was not the tribunals alone, in success or failure.

Trigger for the judicial revolution of the 1990s

Under the impetus of the Cold Wars end and the fight against impunity, the ICTY was the mechanism that triggered the judicial revolution of the 1990s. A year after its creation, the UN Security Council was morally obliged to set up another ad hoc tribunal after the 1994 genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda. That was the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). In the same spirit of fighting impunity and stigmatizing criminals, there came in 1995 the creation of South Africas Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Then in 1998 came the Rome diplomatic conference that agreed the Statutes of the International Criminal Court. The ICC became operational in 2002 after 60 countries had ratified. Also in 1998 a former dictator, General Augusto Pinochet of Chili, was indicted by a Spanish judge as he was receiving medical treatment in the UK, giving a boost to the principle of universal jurisdiction. That principle had been established several centuries earlier to fight piracy on the high seas, and had more or less fallen into disuse. For the first time in 1999, the ICTY indicted a sitting president, Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Thus the rules and jurisprudence of the ICTY helped to considerably reduce what is permissible in terms of amnesty and immunity, something which pleases human rights organizations but not those who see international justice as a new form of judicial neo-imperialism.

Justice during war

The main, highly controversial innovation of the ICTY was to introduce international justice even during war. This broke with the traditional sequencing of international relations where there was war, then peace, then sometimes justice. The idea of international justice during war polarized opinions. Some people think that applying international law can stop new crimes being committed, and so welcome the development. But others doubt the independence of such justice and think it makes peace negotiations even more difficult. They think it can also reinforce the desire of military and political leaders suspected of war crimes -- like Syrias Bashar al-Assad -- to stay in power, so as not to spend the rest of their lives in jail. The debate about international justice in time of war remains hot, but it is now something that has become a fact and the principle has been adopted by the International Criminal Court.

Establishing the facts

The Tribunal has indicted perpetrators of international crimes of different nationalities of the former Yugoslavia and has played a crucial role in establishing the facts linked to the international crimes falling under its jurisdiction, particularly the war in Bosnia Herzegovina (1992-1995). The main Bosnian Serb leaders responsible for the policy of ethnic cleansing,

Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, have been sanctioned. The most remarkable achievement was the detailed analysis of the chain of command, starting with those who executed the policy and working up to General Ratko Mladic in the organization and execution of more than 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica, the biggest crime of the wars in former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. The siege of Sarajevo, the policy of ethnic cleansing and the violence meted out by the three parties to the conflict were also duly established and the perpetrators sanctioned.

On the other hand, Ante Gotovina, the Croat general responsible for Operation Storm --which took a toll on Serb civilians -- was sentenced to 24 years in jail for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the lower court but was acquitted by the Appeals Court in November 2012, leaving a bitter taste within Serb society and beyond. Similarly, whilst the crimes committed by Serb forces in Kosovo were clearly established, the same is not the case for crimes attributed to the Kosovo Liberation Army, the UCK. The ICTYs acquittal of Ramush Haradinaj, former UCK commander and currently Prime Minister of Kosovo, was a blow to the Tribunals record. It failed to indict Kosovar leaders despite the fact that tens of thousands of Serbs and Roma people were forced to flee Kosovo. The fact that the European Union has set up the Kosovo Specialist Chambers on UCK crimes committed between 1998 and 2000 shows the limits of the ICTYs work in this domain. In the same way, the ICTY was unable to prove the alleged responsibility of Serb ultra-nationalist Vojislav Seselj in international crimes, and acquitted him.

ICTY jurisprudence

The ICTY has developed important jurisprudence on war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide. It extended the definition and sanctions on perpetrators of sexual violence, established that enslavement and persecution constitute crimes against humanity, clarified the rules of procedure with regard notably to witness protection and guilty pleas.

In his speech to the UN Security Council, the ICTY President reminded people of several major Tribunal decisions which have been written into law and taken up by other courts, both national and international. They include:

- October 2, 1995: What is inhumane, and consequently proscribed, in international wars, cannot but be inhumane and inadmissible in civil strife. Prosecutor v. Dusko Tadic (Decision on the Defence Motion for Interlocutory Appeal on Jurisdiction).

- December 10, 1998: Rape may also amount to a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions, a violation of the laws or customs of war or an act of genocide, if the requisite elements are met, and may be prosecuted accordingly. Prosecutor v. Anto Furundzija (Trial Judgment).

- December 5, 2003: Acts of violence wilfully directed against the civilian population with the primary purpose of spreading terror constitute a violation of the laws or customs of war. Prosecutor v. Stanislav Galic (Trial Judgment and Opinion).

Guilty pleas and reconciliation

The ICTY managed to get 19 of the 161 people it indicted to plead guilty and confess, in return for a reduced sentence. These guilty pleas had several aims: to obtain key information on the chains of command and the whereabouts of mass graves, allowing families to recover the remains of their loved ones and to grieve. These guilty pleas, available on Internet, were also meant to create an alternative account to those of the nationalists that prevailed amongst the different communities. On this the ICTY failed, and it is one of the limits of international justice. Up to now the ICTY has not managed to get its message across to the majority in former Yugoslavias populations, and many war criminals are still considered heroes by a big section of their communities. The ICTY carries some of the responsibility: before 1999, its judgments were not translated into Serbo-Croat, and the first press release in Serbo-Croat was in 2000. This shows to what a large extent the Tribunal was geared to Western public opinion and not the societies of the former Yugoslavia that were supposed to be its prime concern. Some accused persons, notably former Serb president Slobodan Milosevic who died before his judgment could be handed down, also used the Tribunal as a political soapbox. Some judgments (notably in the Gotovina, Haradinaj and Seselj cases) also drew sharp criticism.

But we should also remember that neither German nor Japanese society supported the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials at the time. Another factor which contributed to rejection of ICTY decisions was that the scale of sanctions could not match the gravity of the crimes committed, which could only generate frustration among victims. German-origin philosopher Hannah Arendt described this difficulty well. The crimes of the Nazis were so terrible that they could not be forgiven or punished, she noted. It nevertheless remains that the ICTY failed on the reconciliation part of its mandate. But could it have succeeded? The Dayton peace accords only managed to silence the guns, not to create a real peace.

In the next part of this article we will be looking at the history that shaped the ICTY. Stay tuned!
Johannesburg (Peoples Daily)  South African authorities have confirmed 18 people were killed after a passenger train slammed into a truck in rural Free State province on January 4, 2018.

The train was en route to Johannesburg from Port Elizabeth when a truck towing two trailers was halfway across the track when it was hit and dragged 1,300 feet.

Authorities said the truck driver had tried to cross the train tracks just ahead of the train. The train burst into flames following impact.

He thought he was going to pass through, South African Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi said at a press briefing held at the crash site.

Msawanganya confirmed that at least 18 people had died and 268 were injured, with numbers in both categories expected to increase by tomorrow. 429 passengers were on board.

Search and rescue teams were dispatched to the crash area. Passengers sustaining serious injuries were rushed to nearby hospitals.

Passengers who had made it off the train without injury were seen standing on the nearby road with their luggage. Later, they were driven to Johannesburg by bus.

Residents provided immediate aid supplying food and water to those in need.

At least six train carriages were derailed and a few power lines were damaged.

It was reported that a large vehicle discovered upside down beside one of the derailed train carriages that supposedly had crushed a smaller vehicle.

The driver of the truck that caused the accident emerged unscathed from the wreckage.
Beijing is enjoying its best winter air quality in five years, Beijing Youth Daily reported Thursday.

The yearly average concentrations of particulate matter with a length of 2.5 microns or less, known as PM2.5 and which damage the lungs when inhaled, dropped by 20.5% to 58 micrograms per cubic meter in 2017.

According to the local environment agency, the city has met the national standard of sulfur dioxide density. However, the concentrations of three other major pollutants: carbon dioxide, PM10, and PM2.5, are still out of limits. To improve Beijings air quality is still a long-term process.

The number of days during which the air quality was rated excellent or good was 226, up by 28 compared to 2016, while the number of days when the air was heavily polluted stood at 23, down by 16.

Over the last five years, the PM2.5 levels of each district in Beijing have experienced significant drops. Li Xiang, an official with Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau said that Beijing will make more efforts to lower the PM2.5 concentration to 56 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020.
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Google is facing allegations that it underpays female employees of the company's childcare center.

Heidi Lamar, Google's former employee, alleged in a complaint that female teachers were paid lower salaries than men with fewer qualifications doing the same job at the tech giant.

Lamar's allegation is part of a revised gender-pay lawsuit filed on Wednesday. The earlier version of this complaint, filed by three other women who also used to work for Google, had been rejected by a judge for being "overly broad."

The three former employees were engineer, sales and at management post before leaving the tech company.

Lamar, who had a master degree in teaching and five years experience in similar job before joining Google, said her starting salary was 18.51 U.S. dollars per hour, while at the same time, her male colleague was offered 21 dollars per hour.

That means his salary was 13 percent higher than hers even though, she alleged, he had only three years' experience and no master's degree in teaching.

"The biggest difference was that he's a man," she said. "My first reaction was to immediately feel angry and insulted."

Lamar said her case was not alone in Google's childcare center. She said she knew of only one woman hired during her time at Google who started at a higher rate than her, and she had over 10 years of experience.

Google spokeswoman Gina Scigliano said the company disagrees with the "central allegations of this amended lawsuit."

"Job levels and promotions are determined through rigorous hiring and promotion committees, and must pass multiple levels of review, including checks to make sure there is no bias in these decisions," Scigliano said in a statement.

The initial version of this lawsuit sought class action status for all women who worked at Google in California for the past four years, and was rejected for being overly broad.

The amended version proposes a narrower class of plaintiffs that includes engineering, research, management, sales and teaching staff.
Multiple Chinese cities are testing autopilot technology, generating public interest in developing the technology, Chinanews.com reported Friday.

Beijing, Shenzhen, and Shanghai have all paved roads for autonomous vehicles, and related policies at regional and national levels have also been rolled out to guide the development of this industry.

Beijing opened its first road for autonomous test driving on Jan. 3 in Yizhuang, a town in the capitals southern district of Daxing.

In addition to the test roads, the capital will also improve its traffic facilities to promote autopilot technology. The city is also planning to renovate its traffic lights, signs, and markings so that they can be recognized by autonomous vehicles.

Beijing is not the only city to test the technology. Autonomous buses were rolled out in Shenzhen on December 2, 2017. For the test runs, the route is about 1.2 kilometers, with three stations on a public road in a section of Futian District.

Some legal experts once considered autopilot technology dangerous since it is beyond the regulation of laws. However, some cities have issued specifications to guide the development.

Beijing released Chinas first guidelines on the testing of self-driving autonomous vehicles last December, requiring test vehicles to operate in both auto and manual modes. In addition, drivers are essential to test whether the vehicles can be truly self-driving.

Autopilot has become a hot term at a recent national work conference on transportation. The conference stressed that the country should prepare in advance for the possible impact of autopilot technology and should build a strongly educated and innovative labor force.
Heavy snowfall has recently hit the central, northern, and eastern regions of China. Here are the ten most heart-warming pictures during these days, according to the official WeChat account of China News on Jan. 4.

Sanitation workers started work at 3 a.m. to clear snow from the streets in Zhengzhou, capital of central Chinas Henan Province, Jan. 4.

Xiong Chen, an auxiliary policeman, held up fallen communication cables for over ten minutes to relieve a traffic jam in Hefei, capital of east Chinas Anhui Province.

Traffic policemen patrolled the streets to ensure traffic safety from the evening of Jan. 3 to the wee hours on Jan. 4 in Yichang, central Chinas Hubei Province.

Employees with the Xian Railway Bureau removed snow on the tracks to ensure safe operations.

Employees delivered emergency supplies including drinking water, instant noodles, and bread on foot to people stranded on a highway in central Chinas Hubei Province, Jan. 4.

Electric service employees in Baoji, northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province, worked overnight to ensure railway traffic safety, Jan. 3.

Water suddenly leaked from a water meter well in Zhengzhou, central Chinas Henan Province, on a snowy day. Zhang Wei, an employee with the city water supply company, didnt hesitate to take off his coat and push his arm into the freezing water to fix it.

Two policemen helped to push a tricycle up a snow-covered slope covered in Baishui County, Weinan, northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province.

Policemen made every effort to help rescue people from a vegetable market which collapsed due to heavy snow in Anlu, Hubei Province.

Workers braved the snow to replace old electric wires with new ones for residents to ensure the safe use of electricity in Xiping County, Henan Province.
Chinese authorities on Thursday launched a four-year genome-wide project, which will map out Chinese peoples genome atlas by sequencing the genes of 100,000 individuals, in an effort to identify genetic basis of health disorders of Chinese.

This is Chinas first domestically designed genome-wide project, which is also the worlds largest. We will choose 100,000 Chinese individuals as our research subjects to map Chinese peoples genome variation. With a sequencing accuracy of 0.001, we can collect and analyze the genome data of Chinese people, in an effort to further promote the countrys medical and health work, Wang Yadong, chief director of the project, told Xinhua.

According to Wang, the project will be divided into three stages, which will draw the genome map and health atlas of 10,000, 60,000, and 100,000 Chinese people, respectively. Wang also noted that in order to secure the safety of Chinas genetic resources, all data and information will be collected and stored according to laws, and will be preserved confidentially.

It took over a decade and $2.7 billion to sequence the very first human genome, completed by the Human Genome Project in 2003. Ever since then, countries and scientific institutions have been making great efforts to explore the secrets of human genes, hoping to crack the cancer code.

China has jumped on the bandwagon, making remarkable achievements in genome-related areas in recent years. According to China News, authorities in the city of Nanjing, Jiangsu province, announced in October 2017 that they would sequence the genes of 1 million individuals to build a genetic database of Chinese residents.
Chinas national global image is being steadily enhanced, according to a global survey report released Friday on dwcb1994, the official WeChat account of the Center for International Communication.

The survey interviewed citizens of 22 countries, covering Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Oceania, and Africa, with 500 respondents from each country. Samples were local residents aged 18 to 65 to ensure the representation of the countries involved, and the ratio of men to women was 50:50.

The main findings of the survey include several parts about Chinas enhanced overall image, well recognized national and global governance, economic influence, and culture and sci-tech image. Generally, developing countries and young people overseas are more positive about China than developed countries and older groups.

Part 1: Chinas overall image and influence

Chinas image is steadily improving internationally, scoring 6.22 out of 10 points on average.

China ranks second after the United States in terms of influence in global affairs among all countries. The result: US, China, and Russia rank top three, was as same as the 2014-2015 survey.

Part 2: Image of China and its citizens

A big oriental country with a rich history and full of charm remains the prominent image of China. About 57% overseas respondents deemed China to be such a country.

Diligence is the most recognized character of the Chinese people, same as the previous findings. The global respondents have a positive impression of the Chinese people as a whole, but those in developing countries have even better impressions.

In the eyes of most overseas respondents, the Chinese people are hardworking, collectivistic, hospitable, honest, and trustworthy. Some people from developed countries tend to think that the Chinese are traditional and close-minded, and lack innovation.

Regarding Chinas future development, overseas respondents are generally positive, with both developed and developing countries believing that Chinas global status and influence will continue to grow.

As high as 33% of the respondents expect China will become the largest economy in the world, rising from 17% in 2013, 20% in 2014, and 24% in 2015. But 36% think that China still faces various challenges such as a widening rich-poor gap and environmental pollution.

Part 3: Chinas political and diplomatic image

Comprehensively strengthening Party self-discipline is the first impression of Chinas ruling party. Respondents thought Chinas ruling party has strong ability of mobilization and cohesion.

Developing countries are more positive about Chinas development path and model, which are generally believed to be the reason for Chinas fast development. Many linked the Chinese path and model to the dominant position of the state-owned economy.

The cooperation initiatives and mechanisms proposed by China are widely recognized overseas. A total of 18% of the overseas respondents heard of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative in 2016 and 2017, seeing an increase from 6% in 2014. Those in developing countries, especially countries along the route, as well as young people, welcome the initiative more. More than 6/10 recognized Chinas positive role in BRICS cooperation and expect China to play a bigger role in the future.

Part 4: Chinas economic image

Chinas economic influence is widely recognized by the global community, ranking second in the world, next to that of the US.

Overall, overseas respondents think that Chinas economic development promotes global economic development, and that China is willing to cooperate with other countries in economy and trade and share the results of its development with them. Developing countries comments on Chinas economic influence are more positive than those of developed countries.

China is generally believed to be becoming the biggest trade partner of more and more countries. Fewer respondents fear that Chinese enterprises will influence the development of local firms and brands.

Chinese brands gained more popularity overseas. Lenovo, Huawei, Alibaba, Air China, and Bank of China are the five most famous Chinese brands overseas, but quality problems remain a factor hindering overseas development of Chinese brands, with over 60% of the respondents complaining about this.

Part 5: Chinas culture, science and technology image

Speaking of the elements that best represent Chinese culture, 52% of overseas respondents chose cuisine, 47% ticked traditional Chinese medicine, and 44% marked off martial arts.

Overseas and Chinese respondents hold different views in this regard. The formers recognition of Confucius and Confucianism, classics, traditional opera, comedy routines, and acrobatics was much lower than that of the latter, while their recognition of Chinese products and scientific inventions was higher.

Part 6: Channels for overseas people to know about China

On average, 27% of the overseas respondents said they have some or a lot knowledge about China, which is an increase. Many of them are young people.

Traditional and new media and Chinese products are the main channels for overseas people to learn about China, accounting for 61%, 43%, and 41%, respectively. An increase of 6% of the respondents learned about China through its products.

Chinas culture and science and technology are what overseas people want to learn the most about through Chinese media.

Part 7: Interest in visiting China

More overseas people (nearly 1/3) said they plan to visit China in the next three years. Beyond the top three destinations: Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, other Chinese cities gained popularity among overseas people.

This has been the fifth research report on Chinas national image since 2011, jointly conducted by the Center for International Communication Studies under the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, and Millward Brown. The survey aims to seek the feedback of foreign nationals regarding Chinas national image and provide targeted recommendations for boosting Chinas international communication activities.

(Compiled by Fang Tian)
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KEARNEY  A federal warrant has been issued for a Kearney man who failed to appear for sentencing Friday in U.S. Federal District Court in Omaha.

Jeffery S. Sikes, 36, was scheduled to be sentenced Friday afternoon in Lincoln before Judge John Gerrard. However, federal court records say he didnt appear for the hearing and a warrant was been issued for his arrest.

Sikes pleaded guilty in June to one count of federal wire fraud for defrauding a real estate developer of more than $800,000.

In exchange for his plea, federal prosecutors dismissed 18 other charges. Those charges included similar alleged frauds involving other victims from the Kearney area.

Although Sikes pleaded guilty to one count, the plea agreement says the judge may consider all of Sikes alleged schemes in the 18 dismissed counts and may determine restitution based on the dismissed counts at sentencing.

Restitution will be ordered, court records say, although an amount hasnt been determined.

According to court records, between April 1, 2013, and July 1, 2014, Sikes devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money and property under false pretenses. Sikes, under the business name of Vanguard Nebraska LLC, contacted representatives of a partnership about leasing commercial property it owned in Lincoln.

Sikes represented to the partnership that he intended to establish laboratory space in Lincoln for use in research and development. Sikes proposed the partnership provide a $750,000 loan for improvements to the leased property. In exchange, Vanguard would guarantee all amounts it owed under the lease agreement and promissory note.

Sikes knowingly provided the partnership with a fraudulent balance sheet supposedly representing Vanguards 2010-2013 cash flow as well as other fraudulent forms, said Steven Russell, a U.S. attorney at the time of Sikes plea.

On June 19, 2013, Sikes and the partnership executed the lease agreement. Once the partnerships total contributions equaled $750,000, Vanguard was to be responsible for all remaining construction expenses.

As part of the scheme, Russell said, Vanguard made ADC, a Delaware corporation controlled by Sikes, the general contractor for the construction project.

Sikes provided false invoices and billing statements to the partnership representing bills payable to subcontractors for work performed or materials provided related to the construction costs for the commercial property, Russell said.

Sikes then provided instructions for the payment of the false invoices from an escrow account with funds provided by the partnership. The instructions would be sent by Sikes or others at his request, either personally or through ADC. The funds were wire transferred to accounts controlled by Sikes.

The disbursed funds from the false invoices were then converted to Sikes own use, Russell said.

On July 30, 2013, construction invoices for $207,377 were submitted, and Sikes later admitted knowing the invoices were false. Sikes admitted the money was paid via wire transfer to ADA through a Lincoln bank.

Sikes faces up to 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release after prison and a $100 special assessment fee. Anyone with information about Sikes whereabouts is asked to contact any law enforcement agency.

@HubChic
Cairo is assessing the situation before taking appropriate measure, Egyptian foreign ministry says

The Egyptian Embassy in Khartoum was officially informed on Thursday that Sudan has recalled it's ambassador to Cairo today for consultation, the spokesman for Egypt's foreign minstry said tonight.

The foreign ministry spokesperson added that Egypt is currently conducting a comprehensive assessment of the situation in order to take the appropriate measure.

A statement by the Sudanese foreign ministry issued earlier Thursday announcing Khartoum's decision to recall its envoy to Cairo did not say why or how long he would stay, Reuters reported.

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KEARNEY  The first day of the new semester, Sunrise Middle School Principal Jeff Ganz walked through the doors of the school with bright pink hair.

Just as he had promised students before break, Ganz had dyed his hair pink. It was an incentive for the whole school raising more than $500 for intensive-care and neonatal-intensive care unit patients at CHI Health Good Samaritan.

In total, the students had raised $726.07 by the end of the fundraiser.

Sunrise Middle Schools student council had organized a penny drive for the last few weeks before the holiday break to raise money for the cause, said student council adviser Allison Vasquez.

Every quarter we have a new set of students do student council and we really try to focus on philanthropy and we try to put it in their hands, Vasquez said. They really wanted to give something to those people in intensive care and the NICU.

So, the group of around 25 students organized the drive to help out those patients.

Each group of students in a Quality Time (QT) group, like a homeroom, raised money for the cause by bringing pennies for their QTs jar. The students could also bring in other coins to put into other QTs jars to sabotage them, subtracting from the other groups total.

While the penny drive would be a competition, the student council also wanted to give some kind of incentive for the entire school if they were able to raise enough money. They thought asking Ganz to dye his hair would be just the thing.

Ganz agreed that if the school raised more than $500, he would dye his hair. However, he said he thought with such a lofty goal, it was unlikely he would have to go through with it.

I didnt think this would probably happen to me, Ganz said. But I said it, and my word is the only thing that Ive got.

So, Wednesday night Ganz went to Regis to have a stylist dye his hair. The winning QT, Jonathan Carsons class, got to pick the color, so Ganz had his hair dyed bright pink.

The next morning when he walked into school, Ganz said the kids were freaking out.

I dont think very many of them thought Id actually go through with it, Ganz said, adding that maybe the students thought he would use temporary hair dye spray or another, less permanent hair-coloring method.

Even though having the principal dye his hair was obviously a fun element, Ganz and Vasquez said that they thought the students also got excited about the competition with each other, which resulted in such a large fundraising total for the ICU and NICU.

I was so surprised, because you forget how fast coins add up, Vasquez said of the total.

Vasquez soon will give the money to Good Samaritan Hospital. Though some of the details are still being worked out, Vasquez said she believes it will go to a fund designed specifically to help patients in the ICU or families with babies in the NICU.

Im so proud of the student council and our Sunrise student body, she said. They love the community that they live in and want to support it in many different ways.

@TiffanyStoiber
Smithsonian magazines January-February 2018 cover immediately caught my attention with its 4-inch high 1968 numbers and The Year That Shattered America headline in tangerine type on a dark orange background.

I was age 12 for most of 1968, so I remember original story headlines about events that threatened to tear America apart  assassinations, Vietnam War, police-demonstrator conflicts during the Democratic convention in Chicago, and anti-war and civil rights demonstrations. Ive learned more about those events over the past 50 years from print and broadcast media, books, and first-person stories told by people Ive interviewed.

Smithsonians then details and now updates tap memories for Baby Boomers like me who identify many 1968 events with only a word or two.

Tet. The offensive launched Jan. 30 by the North Vietnamese caused terrible casualties on both sides and contradicted claims by President Johnsons Administration that U.S.-backed forces were winning against a weak enemy.

My Lai. U.S. troops led by 2nd Lt. William Calley Jr. massacred approximately 504 civilians of all ages and burned a Vietnam village to the ground on March 16.

King. Martin Luther King Jr. was in Memphis to support a strike by African American sanitation workers when he gave his Ive Been to the Mountaintop speech on April 3. The next evening, while on the balcony of his Lorraine Motel room, he was shot and killed by white supremacist James Earl Ray.

Bobby. An assassin shot and killed Robert F. Kennedy as he left an Ambassador Hotel ballroom in Los Angeles after winning Californias June 4 Democratic primary. Now on the site is the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools campus for K-12 students from the surrounding multiethnic neighborhood.

Miss America. Protests by a few hundred women at the Sept. 7 Atlantic City, N.J., pageant sparked the womens rights movement. Nearby, the first Miss Black America pageant highlighted discrimination at the all-white Miss America event.

Many 1968 issues still echo today: the U.S. military presence in conflicts far from home, mass shootings of innocent people, and demonstrations on civil rights, womens rights, equality, justice and economic issues. Voices in the streets and now across the Internet are as loud and angry as they ever have been since 1968.

A bright moment came on Christmas Eve 1968 when Apollo 8 astronauts became the first humans to circle the moon.

Commander Frank Borman said years later that he, James Lovell and Bill Anders were told in advance that their audience for a live Christmas Eve broadcast would be the largest ever to listen to a human voice. With no NASA guidance on what to say, they chose to read from Genesis, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth ...

Those words and Anders Earthrise photo of a tranquil floating blue planet Earth clothed in swirling white clouds above the gray moonscape were powerful and humbling. They gave people around the globe the opportunity to share a quiet moment of wonder at the end of a sad, noisy, violent year.

As I stared at the moon hanging above our farmyard south of Wilcox, I was amazed that the Apollo 8 crew had spoken to me from way up there.

A NASA website says Earthrise gave humankind a new perspective on their home planet. We desperately need some similar moments in 2018.

Lori Potter is a Hub staff writer.
Men dressed as the Three Kings ride on camels during a procession of the Three Kings across the Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. The procession, which annually marks the end of the Christmas festivities in Prague, is a re-enactment of the journey of the Three Kings to visit the infant Jesus. Prague Castle is in the background. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
A Tim Hortons coffee shop is shown in Toronto on Wednesday, June 29, 2016. Tim Hortons' Canadian headquarters has waded into a brewing controversy stemming from this week's minimum wage hike in Ontario, calling the elimination of paid breaks and benefits for employees at certain locations "reckless". THE CANADIAN PRESS/Eduardo Lima
A picture of Senator Lynn Beyak accompanies other Senators' official portraits on a display outside the Senate on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017. The Conservative party is facing questions on why it failed to oust Sen. Lynn Beyak from its caucus sooner despite repeated calls from Indigenous leaders. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
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Starting in the second half of 2018, not very far from now (and possibly even earlier), Southwest Airlines will begin flying from the U.S. mainland to the islands of Hawaii. And nearly every travel observer is predicting that its entrance into that area will dramatically reduce airfares making the trip.

Why is that? Its because Southwest has always been known to cut airfares whenever it begins flying to a new destination. In the world of travel, there is no other prediction more certain.

Thus, airlines that fly to Hawaii are up for some real competition  for the first time in a long while. Despite the large demand for airline seats there, the other airlines have kept airfares to Hawaii virtually the same for the past 10 years.

Currently, it costs an average of about $600 round-trip to fly from the West Coast to Oahu, Maui or the Big Island. Youll rarely find a cheaper price.

So, what happens now? Look for those airfares to plummet the moment Southwest enters the field. If you are considering a trip to Hawaii, you will want to watch the Southwest Airlines website, where new and reduced-price airfares to Hawaii probably will be announced just several weeks from now.

And as you can imagine, the traveling public will then flock to Southwests new services, probably filling all the seats quite rapidly on those new flights. The early bird (in terms of decision-making) will do quite well because of Southwest and its invariable price cuts.

Arthur Frommer is the pioneering founder of the Frommers Travel Guide book series. He co-hosts the radio program, The Travel Show, with his travel correspondent daughter Pauline Frommer. Find more destinations online and read Arthur Frommers blog at frommers.com.
Nattering nabobs of negativism, is probably the most enduring of the many alliterative pronouncements of Spiro Agnew, vice president in the Nixon administration until forced to resign because of corruption. This particular phrase, penned by Nixon speechwriter William Safire, derogatively denigrated diligent reporters for placing bad news above good.

Why, Agnew asked rhetorically, did the malicious media not put priority on the positive? He attacked pusillanimous pussyfooters allegedly allergic to America.

Inspired by the positive points of the spirit of Spiro Good News Agnew, below is a list of definitive developments that definitely deserve dissemination and discussion.

First, democracy is becoming the accepted way of life for the worlds population overall, not just the privileged few. As recently as three decades ago, the people of Latin America lived almost uniformly in various degrees of authoritarian regime.

Today, Castros Cuba is literally the only remaining dictatorship in the Americas. Despite pervasive and ruthless state political control, the increasingly desperate need for foreign investment is forcing Havanas geriatric communists to loosen their iron grip. Reestablishing long-severed diplomatic ties with the U.S. is one result.

Even autocratic Hugo Chavez of Venezuela had to face the voters, and near the end of his rule lost on occasion. Tiny Costa Rica was once the beacon of freedom south of our border. Now that light spreads throughout the Americas.

Likewise, reasonably honest and contested elections are spreading in Africa, Asia, and the former Soviet Union and  at least locally  China. In global context, the dramatic, tumultuous and violent Arab Spring has been partly a manifestation of the worldwide drive toward fair representative government.

Japan and South Korea are somewhat overshadowed by negative nuclear news from North Korea. That is unfortunate.

Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has responded to uncertain political developments in the United States by reiterating commitment to our alliance. Japans economy continues to be one of the largest, most productive on earth.

South Korea President Jae-in Moon has impressive credentials, including military service and human rights activism. This other democratic Asia economic powerhouse remains committed to the U.S.

Indonesia is the worlds largest Islamic majority nation. The government is stable, a firm U.S. ally, effective in combatting terrorism. By contrast, during the mid-1960s drift into the Soviet orbit encouraged American military escalation in Vietnam.

Second, market economics is spreading, as alternative economic systems fail. Deng Xiaopings 1992 declaration of Peoples Socialism for China has become a benchmark event for that nation and more the vast Asia region, and well beyond.

The Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement between mainland China and Taiwan is a historic result of the free market economic revolution. Major economic barriers have come down. Regionally, Taiwans role as source of capital, expertise and investment is important despite Taiwan Strait tensions.

Third, collectively there is extraordinary continuing growth in economic production. Yale Historian Paul Kennedy, in The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, notes total world manufacturing rose from an assigned value of 100 in 1900 to 3041.6 by 1980. This long-term trend continues.

In industrial nations, the average human lifespan doubled in the twentieth century. Stephen Moore and Julian Simon describe this transformation in quality of life in the CATO Institutes Its Getting Better All The Time.

Undeniably, free competitive economies and open competitive elections are interconnected, historically and currently. Adam Smiths classic The Wealth of Nations appeared in 1776, the year the American Revolution began.

Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of After the Cold War (NYU Press and Macmillan/Palgrave). Contact acyr@carthage.edu
Coptic Christmas celebrations on 7 January this year will be held at the new Nativity of Christ Cathedral in the country's new administrative capital

Midnight Mass this year will be celebrated for the first time at the Cathedral of the Nativity in Egypts New Administrative Capital.

The ceremony will be attended be President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, Minister of Defence Sedki Sobhi, senior government officials and foreign ambassadors.

Pope Tawadros II, Patriarch of the See of St Mark, will officiate.

The new Cathedral of the Nativity is the fulfilment of President Al-Sisis promise made last year while attending Christmas Mass at the Cathedral of St Mark in Abbasiya.

The new cathedral features two large vaults, 40 metres wide, which cover the central and cross nave. At their intersection a dome stands on four central arches. The two ends of the cross nave and the western end of the central nave terminate in large semi-domes while the apse area is flanked on the outside by two 60-metre spires.

Pope Tawadros oversaw and approved the original design and later modifications.

Pope Tawadros described the completion of the new cathedral in the New Administrative Capital as an unprecedented historical event.

The president made a promise when he came to offer seasons greetings in 2017 and he has fulfilled it. We will be praying in the new cathedral, which has been named the Nativity of Christ, this Christmas. Never before has a church of this beauty and size been built. I pray that 2018 brings all the best for Egypt, the pope said.

He stressed that the difficulties Egypt has faced will not undermine the solidarity and unity of the Egyptian people and underscored the need for future generations to learn how to care for their nation.

According to the architect Faweil Saber, the Cathedral of the Nativity occupies 30 per cent of the 4.14 acre site allocated to the complex. He says the cathedral can accommodate 8,200 worshippers and that the complex has been designed around a large central square and includes the papal residence, a reception hall, meeting rooms and offices.

The Reverend Andrea Zaki, general director of the Coptic Evangelical Organisation, will preside over Midnight Mass on 5 January at the Evangelical Church in Heliopolis. The celebration will be attended by other religious officials.

Sources say collaboration between the churches and the interior ministry has intensified ahead of Christmas celebrations.

Across Egypt security measures are tightened around major Christian holy days.

*This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly

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A hot air balloon crashed on Friday in Egypt's Luxor governorate, killing a 36-year-old South African tourist and injuring 13 other foreign tourists as they were on a tour over the Valley of the Kings, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

The body of the deceased tourist as well as those injured have been taken to Luxor International Hospital, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health.

Two of the wounded suffered serious injuries and are in critical condition.

A security source told Al-Ahram Arabic website that the hot air balloon, which was carrying 20 passengers, crashed due to strong wind.

The ministry of aviation has issued a statement saying that the weather forecasts had indicated that it was safe to fly the balloons, adding that there were 22 balloons flying that day with 452 passengers.

The ministry said that all the other balloons landed safely.

Minister of Aviation Sherif Fathy has ordered the formation of a technical committee to investigate the incident.

The head of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority Hany El-Adawy hassaid that balloon flights will not be suspended.

An earlier statement from Luxor governorate attributed the accident to bad weather, Al-Ahram reported.

The governorate has closed all desert roads connecting Luxor with other governorates due to the dusty wind that has hit Luxor since dawn, Al-Ahram reported.

Egypt is currently witnessing windy weather conditions.

In September 2016, Egypt suspended hot air balloon flights for three days over Luxor due to poor weather conditions that led to the injury of a group of tourists in a hot air balloon crash.

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Egypt has witnessed several deaths, injuries and property damage on Friday in several governorates due to windy and rainy weather, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

Accidents due to bad weather have been reported in Menoufiya, Alexandria, Gharbiya, and Marsa Matrouh.

Two people were killed and four were injured in three road accidents on the Cairo-Alexandria Agricultural Road near Menoufiya, where major roads are covered in rainwater and mud.

Alexandria has been hit with strong winds, causing property damage to buildings due to falling trees and light posts, as well as car crashes, though no injuries have been reported.

The governor of Alexandria has warned citizens to stay in safe places far from the Corniche and highways and not to touch light posts.

Marsa Matrouh governorates Saloum city witnessed a power outage at noon, with the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy saying that it is working on restoring power.

Gharbiya has seen traffic jams due to rainfall, while movement in markets has been hindered by mud.

Temperatures will remain cold on Friday, ranging between 20 and 11 degrees depending on the region in the country.

Egypt has been witnessing a wave of unstable weather over the past few days.

Egypt sees average highs of 19.4 degrees Celsius in January and lows of 8.4.

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Cartoon Saloon's latest film, The Breadwinner is a strong contender for a win at the Golden Globes award ceremony this weekend.

The Breadwinner is nominated in the category of Motion Picture, Animated and is directed by Cork woman Nora Twomey who is attending the ceremony in LA this Sunday (January 7).

Ms Twomey praised the team that worked alongside her on The Breadwinner describing them as 'incredibly committed and invested in their work' and also thanked the people of Kilkenny for their support over the past 18 years.

Working from our studios in Kilkenny, the films production spanned four years and three countries and acknowledgement like these nominations would not be possible if our team werent so incredibly committed and invested in their work.

We would also like to express our thanks for the support of our local community, here in Kilkenny over the last 18 years. Its hard to believe that, from our roots with Mike Kelly and Young Irish Filmmakers on the Waterford road, Cartoon Saloon and our new venture Lighthouse Studios, now employ over 130 crew, she added.

The film has also received has ten nominations for the Annie Awards, which take place on February 3 and was named Best Animated Feature by The Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

"Everyone in Cartoon Saloon is over the moon with the LA critics win for The Breadwinner and the 10 Annie Award nominations and the Golden Globe nomination," said CEO of Cartoon Saloon, Paul Young.

According to the film industry and reviews website, IndieWire Disney/Pixars film, Coco should dominate this category' of Motion Picture, Animated but also states that The Breadwinner, 'is also racking up kudos'.

The Breadwinner will premiere in Ireland as part of the Dublin International Film Festival on February 22.
Saudi Arabia on Friday intercepted a ballistic missile over the kingdom's south near the border with Yemen, state media reported, hours after Yemeni rebels said they had launched an attack.

The Huthi rebels said they had fired a missile at Saudi Arabia's southwestern province of Najran in a statement published by their Al-Masirah TV.

Saudi air defences intercepted the ballistic missile over Najran, according to the kingdom's state-owned Al Ekhbariya TV.

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SHANGHAI, Jan 5 (Reuters) - China's Ministry of Finance auctioned 10 billion yuan ($1.54 billion) of 3-month bills in the interbank market on Friday at an average yield of 3.2966 percent, traders said.

The auction yield came in below Thursday's benchmark secondary market yield of 3.5140 percent for 3-month government bonds .

For stories on Chinese debt issues, click on . ($1 = 6.4811 Chinese yuan)

(Reporting by the Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Sunil Nair)
TOKYO, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Japanese government bond prices were flat across the board on Friday, capped by an ongoing surge in the equity market.

The five-year and 30-year yields were unchanged at minus 0.100 percent and 0.810 percent, respectively, while the 10-year yield inched up 0.5 basis point to 0.055 percent.

Underlying investor demand for JGBs, however, remained steady. Friday's 300 billion yen ($2.66 billion) liquidity-enhancing JGB auction attracted ample interest as the Bank of Japan's massive debt-buying scheme was expected to support the debt market in 2018 as well.

The finance ministry regularly auctions off-the-run JGBs at these auctions that are designed to improve market liquidity.

Japan's Nikkei share average rode on an ongoing surge in global equities and probed 26-year highs on the back of robust banking and brokerage shares. ($1 = 112.8300 yen)

(Reporting by the Tokyo markets team; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)
* Nov exports +14.4 pct y/y vs Reuters poll +13.9 pct

* Nov imports +15.2 pct y/y vs poll forecast +13.9 pct

* Trade surplus 9.95 bln rgt vs poll forecast of 10.9 bln rgt

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Malaysia's November exports rose 14.4 percent from a year earlier, slower than the previous month, on lower shipments of commodities, government data showed on Friday.

Export growth was above the 13.9 percent rise forecast by a Reuters poll, but down from October's 18.9 percent growth. Malaysia has seen double-digit growth in exports for most of 2017, peaking at 32.5 percent in May. Shipments of manufactured goods, which accounted for over 80 percent of Malaysia's total exports, remained robust, expanding 18.2 percent from a year earlier in November, data from the International Trade and Industry Ministry showed. Most of the manufactured goods were electrical and electronic products.

Shipments of agricultural goods, however, declined 2.5 percent year-on-year, mainly due to lower prices and volumes of palm oil exports. November's exports of mining goods also decreased marginally by 0.9 percent, the data showed.

Imports in November grew 15.2 percent from a year earlier, down from the 20.9 percent growth posted in October.

The trade surplus in November narrowed slightly to 9.95 billion ringgit ($2.49 billion) compared to 10.6 billion ringgit the previous month.

Malaysia reports trade data in ringgit . The currency was one of Asia's best performers last year, strengthening nearly 10 percent.

Exports to the U.S. remained robust, growing 13.4 percent from a year earlier, on higher exports of manufactured and mining goods.

Shipments to China grew 3.3 percent, while exports to the European Union rose 12.4 percent.

KEY DATA

(Exports and imports in percent, trade in billions of ringgit)

Nov Oct Sept Aug July June May Apr Exports 83.5 82.4 78.3 82.2 78.6 73.1 79.4 74.0 y/y% 14.4 18.9 14.8 21.5 30.9 10 32.5 20.6 Imports 73.6 71.9 69.7 72.4 70.6 63.2 73.9 65.2 y/y% 15.2 20.9 15.2 22.6 21.8 3.7 30.4 24.7 Balance 10.0 10.6 8.6 9.9 8.03 9.88 5.49 8.75 MAIN EXPORTS

Nov 2017 % of % change

(bln rgt) total vs year ago

Electrical & 31.7 38.0 21.0 Electronic Products Petroleum products 5.3 6.3 1.2 Chemicals and 6.3 7.5 20.2 chemicals products

Palm oil & Palm-based 4.7 5.6 -5.2 products

Manufactures of metal 3.7 4.4 20.8 Liquefied natural gas 3.5 4.2 7.5

Machinery 3.4 4.0 8.5 Optical and 2.9 3.4 15.2 scientific equipment Rubber products 2.3 2.8 37.0 Crude oil 2.4 2.9 -3.1

EXPORT MARKETS

Nov 2017 % of % change

(bln rgt) total vs year ago

China 11.3 13.5 3.3 Singapore 12.2 14.6 16.8 USA 7.6 9.0 13.4 Japan 6.5 7.8 6.7 Thailand 4.6 5.5 18.2 ($1 = 3.9920 ringgit)

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Sunil Nair)
HANOI, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Vietnam's HDBank made its stock exchange debut on Friday, opening 21.9 percent higher than its initial public offering (IPO) in which the lender raised $300 million.

The stock opened at 39,000 dong ($1.72) a share on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, Thomson Reuters Eikon data showed. That compared with its Dec. 22 IPO price of 32,000 dong.

The exchange allows a stock to trade within 20 percent of its listing price on its debut, and within 7 percent thereafter.

HDBank, formally Ho Chi Minh City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank, emerged from the IPO with a value of around 32.4 trillion dong ($1.43 billion).

Those buying shares in the IPO included over 76 foreign investors such as Japan's Credit Saison Co Ltd , Germany's Deutsche Bank AG and JPMorgan Vietnam Opportunities Fund.

On Tuesday, HDBank said it expects 2017 pre-tax profit of 2.4 trillion dong. The bank's vice chairwoman is Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, the billionaire founder and chairwoman of Vietnam's largest private airline, Vietjet Aviation JSC .

($1 = 22,710 dong)

(Reporting by Mi Nguyen; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
Jan 5 (Reuters) - Following are domestic prices of Vietnam's key commodities. Unit: Million dong per tonne Item Jan 2-5 Dec 25-29 Location Robusta beans 35.4-36.9 35.2-36.0 Central Highlands Black pepper 68.0-70.0 71.0 Southern region Refined sugar 15.0-16.0 15.0-16.0 Southern region Summer-autumn paddy 6.1-6.6 6.1-6.6 Mekong Delta SJC gold 3.666-3.676 3.656-3.662 Hanoi, HCMC City NOTES: Gold prices are low/high selling prices quoted in million dong per 3.75-gram ingot during the week by top manufacturer SJC. Prices in the previous week are updated. Coffee export prices Rice export prices Historical data Central bank's gold auction ($1 = 22,710 dong)

(Reporting by Mi Nguyen)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
By Kwasi Kpodo

ACCRA, Jan 5 (Reuters) - A Bank of Ghana deputy governor has resigned, citing personal reasons but also saying his resignation was "in the broader interest." Johnson Asiama, 49, was appointed in April 2016 to a four-year term as second deputy governor -- the third highest position -- by former President John Mahama, who lost an election to main opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo in December 2016.

"I submitted my resignation on Dec 23, (and) it took effect from the first working day of January. It is personal and it is in the broader interest," he told Reuters on Friday. He gave no further details.

The resignation of Asiama, a monetary policy specialist, should have little or no impact on the Ghanaian financial sector nor on the bank's monetary policy direction, analysts say.

Former governor Abdul-Nashiru Issahaku resigned in March last year, barely three months after the swearing-in of President Akufo-Addo's government.

Akufo-Addo has since appointed as governor Ernest Addison, a lead economist at the African Development Bank who had previously worked at the Bank of Ghana.

The governor of Bank of Ghana and two deputies are appointed by the president, and although the bank is legally independent, the top three officers are often perceived to be loyal to the appointing political authority.

(Reporting by Kwasi Kpodo, editing by Larry King)
(Corrects to central bank selling, not buying, euros)

BELGRADE, Jan 5 (Reuters) - The Serbian central bank sold an unspecified amount of euros on the local interbank market on Thursday to bolster the dinar, dealers said.

The bank which keeps the dinar in a managed float against the euro, stepped in as the dinar traded at 118.95 to the euro or 0.08 percent stronger from the previous close.

So far this week the bank sold a total 60 million euros to stabilise the dinar exchange rate. After the intervention the dinar firmed further to 118.7 to the euro, Reuters data showed.

(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
(Corrects headline that central bank sold, not bought euros)

BELGRADE, Jan 5 (Reuters) - The Serbian central bank sold an unspecified amount of euros on the local interbank market on Thursday to bolster the dinar, dealers said.

The bank which keeps the dinar in a managed float against the euro, stepped in as the dinar traded at 118.95 to the euro or 0.08 percent stronger from the previous close.

So far this week the bank sold a total 60 million euros to stabilise the dinar exchange rate. After the intervention the dinar firmed further to 118.7 to the euro, Reuters data showed.

(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
PARIS, Jan 5 (Reuters) - French consumer confidence rose more than expected in December, returning to a 10-year high reached in July after the election of president Emmanuel Macron, data from the official INSEE statistics agency showed on Friday.

INSEE's monthly consumer confidence index rose to 105 last month from 103 the previous month, which was revised up from a preliminary reading of 102.

The December reading topped the average estimate of 103 in a Reuters of poll of 12 economists and was the highest since July, when confidence surged to its highest level in a decade after the May presidential election.

INSEE's survey found that while households' concerns about unemployment had ticked higher last month, their assessment of their general economic situation rose to the highest level since December 2002.

- For more details and a breakdown from INSEE: - For a graphic: (Reporting by Leigh Thomas ; Editing by Matthias Blamont)
Turkey took a step on Friday towards closer defence cooperation with France and Italy with a contract for a study into the development and production of a long-range air and missile defence system.

Turkey awarded the 18-month contract to the Franco-Italian Eurosam consortium and its Turkish partners Aselsan and Roketsan, Eurosam said in statement.

The study, which Eurosam announced on the sidelines of a meeting in Paris of French President Emmanuel Macron and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan, is to lay the ground for a development and production contract.

The three-country missile programme is scheduled to be ready by the middle of the next decade and aims to defend against threats from stealth aircraft, drones and missiles, Eurosam said. "The joint development activity is expected to support Turkey's indigenous air and missile development programme in addition to opening up prospects for exports and longer-term co-operation of Turkey, Italy and France," Eurosam said.

The Eurosam consortium is made up of European missile maker MBDA, itself a joint venture between Airbus and Italy's Leonardo and Britain's BAE Systems, and French defence contractor Thales, whose main shareholders are the French state and fighter jet maker Dassault Aviation .

The French, Italian and Turkish defence ministers signed a letter of intent in November on cooperation in joint defence projects.

Erdogan had said earlier on Friday that he would discuss defence cooperation with NATO ally France during his visit to Paris, highlighting an "important" step which Turkey would be taking with Eurosam without giving any details.



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ATHENS, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Greece will sell 625 million euros ($753.13 million) of three-month treasury bills on January 10 to refinance a maturing issue, debt agency PDMA said on Friday.

Athens rolled over three-month T-bills last month, with the paper priced to yield 1.60 percent.

In a rollover, T-bill holders renew their positions instead of getting paid on the maturing paper they hold.

The settlement date of the new T-bills will be January 12. Only primary dealers will be allowed to participate and no commission is to be paid.

Primary dealers can submit non-competitive bids for up to an additional 30 percent of the auctioned amount until January 11, PDMA said.

($1 = 0.8300 euros)

($1 = 0.8299 euros)

(Reporting by George Georgiopoulos)
(Kitco News) - Participants in the weekly Kitco News gold survey look for the precious metal to build on its gains next week, citing the soft U.S. jobs report released Friday and technical-chart momentum.

Wall Street Bullish Bearish Neutral VS Main Street Bullish Bearish Neutral

Comex February gold topped the $1,300-an-ounce level on the final day of 2017 and has remained above this so far in 2018. The metal, helped by a soft U.S. dollar much of this week, temporarily bounced from overnight weakness Friday when the government reported that the U.S. economy added 148,000 jobs in December, down from the average of 232,000 over the previous two months. Still, observers describe the report as constructive for gold overall since the data should mean the Fed does not accelerate the anticipated pace of monetary tightening.

Shortly after 11 a.m. EST, February gold was up 0.8% for the week to $1,320 an ounce.

Twenty market professionals took part in the Wall Street survey. Eleven, or 55%, called for gold to rise. There were five votes, or 25%, saying gold would fall, with the remaining four votes, or 20%, neutral or calling for a sideways market.

Meanwhile, 775 votes were cast in an online Main Street poll. A total of 477 voters, or 62%, looked for gold to climb in the next week. Another 217, or 28%, said lower, while 81, or 10%, were neutral.

For the year 2017, Main Street ended up being right 31 of 50 times for a winning percentage of 62%.Wall Street forecasters collectively were right 30 of 51 times for 59%. (There were two weeks without a Main Street poll and one week without a Wall Street poll).

Bob Haberkorn, senior commodities broker with RJO Futures, figures gold has more upside potential, with fundamental support coming from the softer-than-expected U.S. nonfarm payrolls. Gold technically has $1,350 in its sights, the way its trading now, he added.

Ralph Preston, principal with Heritage West Financial, also said higher, suggesting gold could make a run at $1,400 this year. There is nothing in its way right now, he said.

Kevin Grady, president of Phoenix Futures and Options LLC, said he is short-term bullish since there appears to be a persistent major buyer any time prices have pulled back lately. Otherwise, he says, he might be more nervous about the fact so many bulls are already in the market, often seen as a sign of a potential pullback when these players exit. As an example of this, he pointed out that based on Fridays preliminary data, there had been a rise of some 87,000 open positions in gold futures during the metals run higher in recent days.

Meanwhile, Mark Leibovit, editor of the VR Gold Letter, said he is looking for a retracement after a roughly $90 rally in gold from the December low to the December high.

Sean Lusk, director of commercial hedging with Walsh Trading, also figures gold could pull back modestly on profit-taking after the big run run-up. Gold is a little overbought technically, but nobody wants to be short over the weekend, he says. Dips are likely to be bought, although the market may need a fresh catalyst to push significantly higher, he added.

This is a pretty sizeable gainin a short amount of time, Lusk said. The market, to me, is getting a little top-heavy up here. That could beget a little profit-taking in the market.

Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at The Fundamental Technician, is in the neutral camp for next week, looking for consolidation in the $1,300 to $1,325 area.

Gold has had a nice run lately and is overbought on the RSI [Relative Strength Index], so it's technically due for a normal rest within an uptrend, he said. USD [U.S. dollar] is stabilizing despite the soft nonfarm payrolls report, while Bitcoin appears to be coming back under accumulation.

Here is a sampling of thoughts from Kitco Main Street voters on Kitcos commenting Kitco Chat:
PORT LOUIS, Jan 5 (Reuters) - The weighted average yield on Mauritius' 91-day Treasury bill fell to 2.33 percent at auction on Friday from 2.41 percent at the last sale on December 29, the central bank said.

The Bank of Mauritius offered a total of 1.3 billion rupees ($39.06 million) worth of the 91-day and 182-day papers. It sold 675 million of the 91-day instruments.

Complete auction results were as follows:

MATURITY 91-DAY 182-DAY 364-day WEIGHTED AVERAGE PRICE THIS AUCTION 99.422 98.803 97.539 LAST AUCTION 99.403 98.749 97.539 WEIGHTED AVERAGE YIELD (PCT) THIS AUCTION 2.33 2.43 2.53 LAST AUCTION 2.41 2.54 2.53 BIDS ACCEPTED (RUPEES)675(MLN)625(MLN)700 (MLN) (The table includes both government (364-day) and Bank of Mauritius (91-day, 182-day) bills)

($1 = 33.2800 Mauritius rupees)

(Reporting by Jean Paul Arouff; Editing by Aaron Maasho)
JOHANNESBURG, Jan 5 (Reuters) - South Africa sold 3.555 billion rand ($288 million) worth of three-month Treasury bills on Friday, at an average yield of 7.58 percent compared with 7.67 percent last week, central bank data showed. The bid-to-cover ratio fell to 1.7 from 2.1. Auction date: 05/01/2018 Settlement date: 10/01/2018 Days 91 182 273 364 Amount received (R'bln) 6.211 2.403 11.698 5.75 Amount on offer (R'bln) 3.555 2.46 2.5 2.5 Amount allotted (R'bln) 3.555 1.26 3.7 2.5 Bid-to-cover ratio 1.7 1.9 3.2 2.3 Avg discount rate (pct) 7.44 7.38 7.32 7.16 Average yield (pct) 7.58 7.66 7.74 7.71 ($1 = 12.3400 rand)

(Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by Joe Brock)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
KIEV, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Ukraine's central bank said it is prepared to sell up to $100 million on Friday to support the hryvnia.

Last week the hryvnia weakened to 28 to the U.S. dollar for the first time since February 2015.

The central bank said the currency's volatility is due to seasonal factors, citing a higher coal and gas import bill. Exporters have accumulated more hryvnia because of tax refunds from the government, meaning they need to sell less foreign currency.

(Reporting by Natalia Zinets; Writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
* New chair faces navigating watchdog through Brexit

(Adds reaction, background)

By Huw Jones

LONDON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Charles Randell, an ex-lawyer who advised the British government during the financial crisis, has been appointed chair of Britain's Financial Conduct Authority, the finance ministry said on Friday.

Randell, formerly a partner at international law firm Slaughter & May, will face the tricky task of helping Britain's financial services sector to navigate the country's departure from the European Union, which could potentially put UK finance jobs at risk.

He also joins the FCA at a time when its remit has expanded to take in thousands of consumer credit firms, forcing it to review its "mission" and warn that it must prioritise its work.

Randell takes over in April from John Griffith-Jones who was appointed for a 5-year term in 2013.

He already has experience as a regulator as an external member of the Bank of England's Prudential Regulation Committee (PRC), which oversees its banking supervision arm.

He acted as an adviser to the government during the 2007-2009 financial crisis, including on bank rescues such as Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley.

He advised ministers on investments into Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds' takeover of HBOS. Randell also advised on Portugal's recapitalisation of its banking sector.

"Charles has a wealth of relevant experience, and I am sure that he will prove to be a strong leader at this very important time," Britain's finance minister Philip Hammond said in a statement.

Randell has resigned from the PRC and will leave before taking up his new three-days-a-week job at the FCA, which is responsible for authorising exchanges, asset managers and consumer credit companies.

IMPORTANT JUNCTURE

BoE Governor Mark Carney said Randell would be "sorely missed" at the PRC, but he was pleased he was willing to chair the FCA "at this important juncture" for the watchdog and UK financial services.

The FCA regulates Europe's most important financial centre and one that has heavily influenced how the EU's market and banking rules have been shaped.

Brexit will mean losing influence over EU financial rulemaking and the watchdog could also face pressure from pro-Brexit lawmakers to ease up on regulation to keep the City of London competitive - a move it has so far resisted.

FCA chief executive, Andrew Bailey, who also came from the BoE where he was deputy governor in charge of banking supervision, welcomed Randell's appointment.

"His experience of regulation, both during the financial crisis and more recently as a member of the Prudential Regulation Committee, mean that he has a strong understanding of the challenges that the FCA faces and I look forward to tackling these with him in his new role," Bailey said in a statement.

Randell is likely to be grilled by parliament's Treasury Select Committee about his appointment, though he is likely to face a smoother ride than his predecessor.

The FCA's first chair, Griffith-Jones, was given a rough ride by some lawmakers initially, who said he lacked deep experience in consumer-related conduct issues.

Griffith-Jones also had to recuse himself from a report by the FCA and BoE on the collapse of HBOS during the financial crisis. Griffith-Jones was UK head of accountants KPMG when the firm audited HBOS in the run up to the collapse.

(Reporting by Huw Jones; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle and Jane Merriman)
(Adding details)

BEIJING, Jan 5 (Reuters) - China's Commerce Ministry said on Friday it will limit exports of crude oil, refined oil products, steel and other metals to North Korea, in line with tough new sanctions imposed by the United Nations for Pyongyang's missile tests.

The statement comes after the U.N. Security Council last month unanimously voted in favour of new penalties on North Korea for its recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, seeking to limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil. The move by China will be effective on Jan. 6, it said.

It also follows an agreement on Friday by North Korea to hold official talks with the South next week, the first in more than two years amid rising tensions over its nuclear and missile programmes. On Tuesday, the Chinese government said it would continue to adhere to the recent U.N. sanctions.

In November, China, one of North Korea's top trading partners, exported no oil products to the isolated country, apparently going above and beyond the U.N. restrictions. Among the measures in the December resolution, the U.N. prohibits nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea by capping them at 500,000 barrels a year and limits crude oil supplies to 4 million barrels a year.

Link to the latest U.N. resolution: (Reporting by Josephine Mason; Editing by Mark Potter)
(Adds latest prices)

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 5 (Reuters) - South Africa's rand weakened slightly on Friday as investors bagged profits from a rally that has set the local unit up for its longest weekly winning streak since 2002.

At 1517 GMT the rand was 0.2 percent weaker at 12.3275 per dollar, paring this week's gains to about 0.6 percent but still on course for its eighth straight week of advances.

The rand has been on the front foot since December, supported by investors' hopes that the newly elected leader of the ruling African National Congress, Cyril Ramaphosa, would push through business-friendly policies.

But there have been fears he could be hamstrung by divisions in the party; a Reuters poll of strategists published on Friday suggested the rand would weaken more than 12 percent this year. "I have belief in Cyril, but in the split of the top six ANC officials, I don't know how much he can get done," said Frank Blackmore, an economist at EFConsult.

On the bourse, investors took their cue from an upbeat tone in major emerging markets. The blue-chip JSE Top-40 index rose 0.34 percent to 52,842 and the broader All-share index added 0.4 percent to 59,717.

In fixed income, government bonds were weaker, with the yield on the government paper due in 2026 up 1.5 basis points to 8.555 percent.

(Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana and Tiisetso Motsoeneng; Editing by Joe Brock and Andrew Heavens)
(Adds closing price, analysts' comments)

HANOI, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Shares of Vietnam's HDBank closed higher after a strong market debut on Friday, surging as much as 24 percent in early trade, following a $300 million initial public offering (IPO).

More than 32.2 million shares of the retail bank were traded and closed at 39,600 dong ($1.74) a share on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, Thomson Reuters Eikon data showed. That compared with its Dec. 22 IPO price of 32,000 dong.

The exchange allows a stock to trade within 20 percent of its reference price on its debut, and within 7 percent thereafter. HDBank earlier set a reference price of 33,000 dong for its first trading day, slightly above the IPO price.

Analysts said HDBank's pricing was higher than some major listed peer lenders that have shown better performance.

"In comparison to listed (bank) shares, HDBank's price is high because its size and performance are still modest compared to top listed banks," said Do Bao Ngoc, a senior analyst at MB Securities in Hanoi.

Nguyen The Minh, a deputy research director at Saigon Securities Incorp, said there were positive catalysts for HDBank shares to continue rising.

"Investors have positive expectation in the future of the banking sector of Vietnam and in the ecosystem of companies run by Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao," Minh said, referring to the bank's vice chairwoman, a billionaire who is also the founder and chairwoman of Vietnam's largest private airline, Vietjet Aviation JSC .

HDBank, formally Ho Chi Minh City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank, emerged from the IPO with a valuation of around 32.4 trillion dong ($1.43 billion).

Those bought shares in the IPO included over 76 foreign investors such as Japan's Credit Saison Co Ltd , Germany's Deutsche Bank AG and JPMorgan Vietnam Opportunities Fund.

On Tuesday, HDBank said it expected 2017 pretax profit of 2.4 trillion dong. ($1 = 22,709 dong)

(Reporting by Mi Nguyen; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Gopakumar Warrier)
(Adds detail about IPSA touching record high, quote from Finance Minister)

SANTIAGO, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Chile's IPSA stock index hit a record high on Friday, boosted by a Central Bank report that showed economic activity had posted its largest year-over-year gain in nearly two years.

The IMACEC economic activity index, which encompasses about 90 percent of the economy tallied in gross domestic product figures, came in at 3.2 percent for November, as both manufacturing and mining activity increased sharply, the central bank said.

The increase was well above Reuters forecasts of a 2.4 percent increase.

The IPSA stock index was up .30 pct overall in mid day trading after touching an all-time high earlier in the morning.

"Chile's economy is reactivating," Finance Minister Nicolas Eyzaguirre told reporters following the reports. "It's good news during this (austral) summer."

Economic activity in November was lifted by a 2.9 percent increase in mining, the central bank said, as a sharp spike in copper prices has boosted output in the world's top producer of the metal.

Industrial manufacturing output had also surged 3.2 percent, the bank said.

Compared with October, economic activity increased a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent.

November Reuters October November

2017 Poll 2017 2016 Rate y/y 3.2 2.4 2.9 1.0

(pct) (Reporting by Dave Sherwood, Felipe Iturrieta and Antonio De la Jara; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Alistair Bell)
ABCNews.com(NEW YORK) -- One teenager has died and dozens of people were sickened after a massive carbon monoxide leak at an apartment building in New Jersey late Thursday. Seven of those treated for poisoning were first responders.



Police responded to the three-story apartment building in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Thursday night and immediately began evacuating residents, according to New York ABC station WABC-TV.



"I heard the doorbell ring and it was the police and they just went quickly upstairs," Joshua Coria, a resident, told WABC-TV. "Then I heard screaming. There was a knock at the door and they told everybody to get out."



Everyone in the apartment building's 12 residences was evacuated, with police opening a triage area outside on the front lawn. At least 35 people were treated for symptoms of CO poisoning, with some residents passing out in front of the building, according to WABC-TV.



A 13-year-old girl was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead, according to police.



Six victims, including a 14-year-old boy, were unconscious when they arrived at the hospital, WABC-TV reported, and their current conditions are unknown.



The temperature in Perth Amboy, located just southwest of New York City, was only around 20 degrees Thursday evening.



"We immediately knew it was some kind of toxin that was taking everybody over. We knew that if we went in there we would put ourselves in danger, but that's our jobs, that's what we need to do to get the people out to be able to do what we need to do and attempt to save their lives," Perth Amboy Deputy Chief Lawrence Cattano told WABC.



Seven officers who rushed into the building were treated for symptoms, police said.

According to WABC-TV, a criminal investigation is underway because although there were many carbon monoxide detectors in the building, none of them worked.





Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The opening of Turkish military bases in African countries is just part of a concerted Turkish push onto the continent

Late last year, the Turkish authorities opened their largest military base abroad in the Somali capital Mogadishu as a step towards consolidating ties with Somalia and establishing a presence in East Africa. Since then they have been seeking a military base in Sudan as the second Turkish base in Africa.

Turkey signed an agreement with Sudan at a joint press conference in Khartoum this week at the end of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans three-day visit to Sudan. The agreement allows Turkey a military presence on the Red Sea in Sudanese territorial waters.

Sudan is also leasing the Red Sea Suakin Island to Turkey, according to the new deal.

Urgency has been added to Turkeys push into Africa as the UAE, one of Ankaras regional foes, is increasing its own military presence on the continent.

The Turkish military base in Somalia is supposed to contain three military schools and other buildings, and Turkish officers are supposed to train more than 10,000 Somali troops at the base.

Mohamed Abdel-Kader Khalil, editor of the Turkish Affairs magazine, said that the Turkish choice of Somalia was not random but was based on several reasons. Somalia has an important coastline and is a main entrance to the Red Sea. It is free of any other military bases, giving the Turks a relatively free hand in Mogadishu.

African specialist Hani Raslan said that the opening of the base is the culmination of a long process and plans set in action many years ago. Turkey started its push into Africa in 2002 from an economic perspective and then moved to a political and a security role.

This has made Turkey one of the most important actors in the Horn of Africa and East Africa region. The Turkish moves are also not limited to Somalia, but include Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya. The Turks have also tried to build relations with Eritrea, but they have not been welcomed in Asmara, he said.

Sub-Saharan Africa is seeing an impressive surge in growth and urbanisation, and it has abundant natural and human resources. The continent recorded an annual average growth rate of five per cent over the last decade and is expected to continue this trend in the coming years. Six out of the 10 fastest-growing economies in the world are now in Africa.

Turkeys Trade and Economic Enhancement Strategy towards Africa lies behind the growth in Turkeys bilateral relations with the African countries since 2003, when an economic boom in Turkey was accompanied by a renewed interested in Africa and a desire to grow trade volumes between Africa and Turkey.

Trade tripled in value to $16.7 billion in 2016 from $5.4 billion in 2003. The strategy was updated during the Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in Equatorial Guinea in 2014, and its objectives have been modified to increase Turkish investment in Africa.

Relations between Turkey and the African continent constitute one of the prime orientations of Turkish foreign policy. In 2013, Turkey gave a further boost to its policies in Africa, turning them into a reinforced political-economic partnership. If we were to think of any one country that should be present in Africa, that country would be Turkey, commented Ahmed Kavas, a former Turkish ambassador to Chad.

According to a study by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a US think tank, the role of Turkish soft power was emphasised when Erdogans AKP Party government began its push into Africa in 2005 and particularly Eastern and Southern Africa.

Educational institutions associated with controversial and now exiled Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen were used to spearhead the Turkish push, only backfiring when Gulen fell out with Erdogan and the AKP.

However, the Gulen Movement is now firmly entrenched in countries such as Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa. Ankara has had to resort to a mixture of coaxing and threats to get African governments to shutter Gulen-funded or Gulen-run schools on the continent.

It has been looking to counter these by increasing the number of Turkish government-approved institutions in Africa, both aid-related and educational, and an initiative has been launched to encourage Turkish student volunteers to engage in aid and development projects in 18 African countries.

Turkish universities are also providing scholarships to African students. The hope is that these will benefit Turkey in the future when the students rise to positions of influence in their countries.

In 2009, there were only 12 Turkish embassies in Africa, five of them in North Africa. There are now 39. There is also a growing number of African embassies in Ankara, now standing at 32 and up from 10 some years ago. Guinea Bissau, Cameroon, Tanzania and Mozambique are all planning to open embassies in Ankara.

Of Turkish development assistance to Africa, Khalil said that Turkeys approach is based on a combination of humanitarian and development assistance. Turkey has been providing substantial numbers of scholarships to African students. Between 1991 and 2014, the total numbers of scholarships was 4,380, but this has been substantially increased, and in 2015-16 Turkey provided 1,239 scholarships for students from Africa.

In addition to technical training programmes undertaken by different ministries and institutions, around 200 junior diplomats have attended the International Young Diplomats Programme organised by Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1992. The Programme also organises exclusive training programmes for individual African countries like Somalia, Madagascar, South Sudan, Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria and Namibia, Khalil said.

In the development context, Ankara has taken an active role in settling the conflict in Somalia. It hosted the Istanbul Conference under the auspices of the United Nations in May 2010, which resulted in the Istanbul Declaration as a road map for settling the conflict, he added.

According to Raslan, Turkey has chosen to become involved in reconstruction and relief work in Africa. In Somalia, it started with the reconstruction of the Mogadishu port and parliament and built about 10,000 housing units and a large hospital equipped with the latest equipment.

The Turkish construction industry has been one of the major drivers of Turkish economic growth in recent years, and it was dealt severe blows after losing lucrative markets in North Africa, the Middle East and Russia as a result of various crises.

In line with its increased diplomatic presence in Africa, Turkey has opened commercial consulates in 26 African capitals. The Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Council has established business councils in 19 Sub-Saharan African countries. Turkey has signed trade and economic cooperation agreements with 38 African countries, in line with efforts to establish a sound contractual basis for mutual economic relations.

Turkey attaches importance to peace and stability in Africa and contributes to United Nations missions deployed on the continent. It is currently providing personnel and contributing financially to seven of the existing nine UN peace-keeping missions in Africa.

Turkey has been providing training to military personnel from African countries, and these have increased significantly in recent years, with 570 trainees received in Turkey in 2015.

Khalil commented that the beginning of the Turkish interest in Somalia was through the idea of training the Somalis. Then it developed into a military base on a 400 hectare site in parallel to security agreements with Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia. The opening of the Turkish military base in Somalia comes in the same framework that aims to promote Turkish influence in Africa.

The establishment of the base indicates Turkish objectives in an area that has extreme political, military, security and economic importance. Turkey is imposing itself as a powerful force in the strategic balance of the security of the Red Sea and the Straits of Bab Al-Mandab and in the Gulf of Aden, which is especially important for Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Sudan.

Turkey also aims to find markets for its military industries on the African continent, aiming to increase its economic and trade exchanges and to expand its influence in this region at the expense of the Arab states, Raslan said.

Turkish Airlines, the countrys flag carrier, has played an important role in helping Turkeys expansion into Africa. The airline flies to 51 destinations on the continent, more than any other international airline.

But there has been a dark side to this vast African network, as the EU has reportedly quietly been using Turkish Airlines flights to forcibly return African migrants to their countries of origin. The forced returns are being made under the re-admission agreement signed between Brussels and Ankara in 2013, which allows the EU to send migrants back to Turkey for deportation.

According to Raslan, the Turkish push into Africa should draw our attention to the importance of allocating our own national security resources through long-term plans. Otherwise, we will miss out on developments elsewhere and will remain the prisoners of inward-looking movements and speeches that do not produce anything.

*This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly newspaper

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* Export tax to be suspended for 3 months from Jan. 8

* Suspension to be lifted sooner if stocks drop to 1.6 mln t

* Stronger ringgit, competitive rival soyoil could negate tax suspension - Trader

(Updates with comments from trader, election background)

By Emily Chow

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Malaysia could see rising demand for palm oil from key overseas buyers in the coming weeks following its decision to suspend export taxes on crude palm oil for three months from Monday.

The government announced the tax suspension on Friday and traders said the move will make Malaysian palm oil more competitive, especially in price sensitive markets such as India and China.

"We are going to see buying coming in from China ahead of the Lunar New Year. India will also restock in the first and second quarter of the year as they have low stock levels," said a Kuala Lumpur-based trader, who estimates that Malaysian palm oil exports could pick up 10-15 percent on a monthly basis.

Malaysia usually calculates a reference price each month to determine the crude palm oil export duty rate, whereby a price above 2,250 ringgit ($563) incurs a tax.

Its last calculated reference price for January was 2,623.31 ringgit per tonne, effectively incurring a 5.5 percent tax rate.

The minister of plantation industries and commodities Mah Siew Keong told a press conference on Friday the tax suspension was aimed at boosting palm oil prices and reducing high stockpiles, adding that he expected stocks to continue to increase in 2018.

The suspension, which is open to all companies with crude palm oil export licenses, will be scrapped before the end of the three-month period if crude palm oil stocks fall to 1.6 million tonnes.

"(The scheme) is one of the short-term pre-emptive measures by the government to manage the fall in crude palm oil prices, so that the smallholders' (small-scale farmers) incomes are not impacted and the country's oil palm industry continues to be competitive," Mah said.

Palm oil inventories in Malaysia, the second-biggest producer after Indonesia, had already risen to near two-year highs by the end of November, squeezing benchmark prices to a 16-month low in mid-December.

Official data showed stocks grew 16 percent in November, from October, to 2.56 million tonnes due to weak exports. Inventories are seen rising further to 2.69 million tonnes at the end of December - the highest in over two years - according to a Reuters poll. The price of palm oil tumbled nearly 20 percent in 2017, and was up 0.35 percent at 2,594 ringgit ($649.31) at the close of trade on Friday. The trader, however, cautioned that the impact of the tax suspension could be muted by gains in the ringgit, which advanced to 3.9950 per U.S. dollar on Friday, breaking the psychologically significant 4 level. A stronger ringgit, palm oil's traded currency, usually makes the vegetable oil more expensive for foreign buyers.

"The recent strengthening of the ringgit may negate some of the effects, as well as the narrowing gap between palm and soyoil," he said, adding that Malaysia's upcoming general elections could be one reason for the export tax suspension.

"The overall trend is that stocks are high, and we haven't seen production declining at a higher magnitude yet. But the announcement is very timely, especially with the window for elections in the coming months."

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is seeking to win a third term in an election that must be held by August.

($1 = 3.9950 ringgit)

(Reporting by Emily Chow; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell and Susan Fenton)
Editor's Note: View Kitco News' full 2018 outlook coverage

(Kitco News) - Kitco News brought back a fan favorite this year in an effort to give YOU, our dedicated readers, a voice!

After a few weeks of voting, we have finally tallied up the results to unveil who our readers and viewers think merits the title of CEO of 2017. After sifting through thousands of responses, and the names of over 100 CEOs you submitted, we have tallied your choice for the mining worlds top commander-in-chief.

For the second year in a row, Kitco readers voted for Rob McEwen  CEO, McEwen Mining (TSE, NYSE: MUX).

McEwen has been behind some of the biggest mining companies in the industry. First founding Goldcorp in the 90s transforming the company from a collection of small companies into a mining powerhouse.

David Erfle, founder of juniorminerjunky.com and a mining stock expert said he was not surprised by the selection of McEwen.

He is very popular in the space for different reasons. He has aligned himself with shareholders more than any other CEO in the sector as he owns 24% of the company and collects no salary, he said. Mr. McEwen is also very vocal about not selling forward future production or diluting the company's projects with streams or royalties. These factors have made him very well respected among retail PM sector investors.

Our readers who voted noting that he is an exemplary CEO, while one voter said, He wrote the blueprint for how to properly lead a company. Another noted, He is successful and shares his money, a true philanthropist.

McEwen has donated in excess of $60 million, some of which went to the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the Toronto General Hospital and to Torontos Schulich School of Business,

Heres a snapshot of McEwen Mining in 2017:

Although the share price was down 23% in 2017, the company was focused on growing and expanding.

Key milestones includes the purchase of the Black Fox mine in Timmins, Canada, which was finalized in August. And in early November, McEwen mining received all the permits required to start construction on its Gold Bar project in Nevada.

Keith Neumeyer Anthony Makuch

Runners-up include Keith Neumeyer of First Majestic (NYSE:AG).

Despite a drop in 19% share price in 2017, Erfle said, Neumeyer is very popular among gold/silver bugs as he is very vocal in his manipulation beliefs. I believe this is a big reason for his popularity in the precious metals space, no matter the performance of both First Majestic and/or First Mining Finance.

Anthony Makuch of Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd (NYSE:KL) also made the voters top choice  the company saw its stock increase 173% in 2017 and revenue jump nearly 100%.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High near 25F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds. Low 16F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.
The Syrian opposition has called for a boycott of the Russian-sponsored Sochi Conference on the crisis in the country, seeing it as a way of legitimising the Damascus regime

In the last ten days of December 2017, the Syrian opposition went on the offensive to reject the Russian-sponsored Sochi Conference on the crisis in the country scheduled for the end of January 2018. They warned against following Russias lead since Sochi could seal the fate of the opposition and surrender it to Russia, an ally of the regime led by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.

Many Syrian opposition activists have called for a boycott of the Sochi Conference, warning that it will impose a Russian solution and divide the opposition ranks. The conference would impose a sham constitution keeping Al-Assad in power, destroy the Geneva process and legalise the Russian and Iranian military presence in Syria, they warned.

Russia has used its veto power 11 times in the UN Security Council to defend the Al-Assad regime and block investigations into its activities. Moscow has also provided Damascus with military advisers, weapons and troops since September 2015, and it has participated in the blanket destruction in Syria by indiscriminately bombing areas where the armed opposition is present.

It has also foiled attempts to hold the regime accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the use of chemical weapons.

Russia has promoted the Sochi Conference by saying that one third of the participants will be from inside Syria, meaning they are either loyal to the regime or live in fear of it, and one third will be Syrians living abroad, making it difficult to distinguish between the true and the sham opposition to the regime.

With so many participants taking part over a short period of time, the majority of opinions will not be heard, observers say.

The opposition believes the Sochi Conference aims to divide the opposition and arrive at a new constitution that guarantees the foreign occupation of Syria and allows the countrys security agencies to supervise any future elections and block UN monitoring.

Russia is working on the Sochi agenda, drawing up its participants without external input. This contradicts the Geneva process on Syria that began six years ago and implies that Moscow wants to shut it down since the Geneva Conferences on Syria called for the creation of a transitional governing body in Syria with a full mandate.

Russia is trying to destroy any political transition to a democratic regime in Syria, substituting it for the sake of negotiations about power-sharing and the distribution of posts. Its aim is to replace an international solution with a Russian one that explicitly cements Al-Assads rule and regime.

Rejecting the conference is not limited to opposition activists alone. Some 40 opposition military groups have also declared their rejection of Sochi, viewing Russia as a hostile country and one committed to supporting the regime militarily and defending its policies.

The armed Syrian opposition does not see Russia pressuring the regime to reach a political settlement, despite claims it will guarantee any solution it sponsors.

In the wake of the announcement of the Sochi Conference, Syrian opposition figures decided to tour European and Arab capitals to assert their rejection of the conference and its negative impact on the countrys present and future.

They aim also to meet with Turkish officials to confirm their refusal to attend the Sochi Conference on the grounds that it threatens the entire Syrian cause. If they are successful, this will be the first serious attempt by the opposition to put pressure on Turkey.

Although Moscow wants the conference to break away from the Geneva track, in order to give it legitimacy Russia has said it will be held under the umbrella of the UN and has invited UN special envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura to attend.

It has invited Western countries including the US, but none of these have yet declared a clear position and are most likely to attend as observers to avoid commitment to conference decisions.

The Russian Ministry of Defence is taking the lead on Sochi, not the Foreign Ministry, because Moscow believes it has accomplished its military mission in Syria and wants to reap the rewards of its successes.

Some Russian moderates believe Moscow will throw its weight behind the conference even if attendance is disappointing because Russian President Vladimir Putin announced it himself and wants to emphasise his international role ahead of next years Russian elections.

Iran is concerned at Russias actions, fearing that Moscow could abandon it, especially since Russia is using Iran to put pressure on Turkey to ease its position on Al-Assad. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently again described Al-Assad as a criminal who had no place in Syrias future.

If the globally recognised Syrian opposition made up of the Higher Negotiations Commission or the Coalition of Revolutionary Forces does not attend the Sochi Conference, it will likely fail even if Russia promotes it as a success.

Boycotting the conference gives the opposition a strong hand, and its members have said that anyone attending it will be representing themselves and not any opposition body. The opposition Bar Association has threatened to prosecute anyone who attends the Sochi Conference, describing it as a serious threat to the Syrian Revolution aiming to dilute its demands and legitimise Al-Assads leadership.

The opposition wants the UN and the Arab League to continue on their path towards resolving the Syrian crisis based on the Geneva I Declaration and UN Security Council Resolution 2254 which guarantee the formation of a transitional governing body with a full mandate.

It has called on the international community to force Russia and other countries to abide by international decisions, seeing the Geneva Declarations and the relevant Security Council Resolutions as the only framework for talks that can lead to a political solution in Syria.

If the opposition boycotts the Sochi Conference, then Geneva will continue to dominate the process and Russia will be forced to return to this UN forum which is supported by the international community. If it attends it, it would be abandoning Geneva and its decisions, making Sochi the new basis for a solution in Syria that will only deliver cosmetic reforms.

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Islamic State (IS) militant group claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on Thursday in Afghanistan's capital Kabul, the militant groups Amaq news agency said.

Officials in the capital said the attacker blew himself up close to a group of security personnel who were carrying out an operation against illegal drugs and alcohol dealing.

The report by Amaq gave no evidence to support the claim.

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Pianist Cho Seong-jin speaks during a press conference held at the Seoul Arts Center in Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of Credia



By Yun Suh-young

International Chopin Piano Competition winner Cho Seong-jin, who is enjoying explosive popularity among local classical fans, will be delighting them with a year full of concerts scheduled around the country.

It will be the first time Cho embarks on a nationwide tour since his victory in the Chopin competition in 2015 as the first Korean winner.

"This is the first nationwide tour I'm having," Cho said during a press conference on Thursday at the Seoul Arts Center. "I'm really happy to be giving a lot of performances in my own country, because I wasn't able to do so after the competition due to lack of time and other circumstances. But this year I'm glad I will be able to perform in Korea.

"It's also most nerve-racking to be performing in the country where I was born. I'm always nervous when I'm playing in Korea because it's so familiar."

Cho is scheduled to hold recitals in four cities this month, starting in Busan on Sunday. He then has performances in Seoul on Jan. 10 and 11 at the Seoul Arts Center. On Jan. 13 and 14, he will perform in Jeonju and Daejeon.

The playlist includes pieces from Debussy's Images Book 2 and Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, and Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op.109, as well as Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58. It will be the first time he showcases Chopin's sonata on stage.

"I chose Beethoven because he is a composer I admire," Cho said. "There are unexpected surprises I always discover through his music. I've always wanted to play his pieces. As for Debussy, I recorded his pieces last year and studied him a lot in Paris. I thought his songs go well with Chopin."

Cho, 24, released his new album "Debussy" in November to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the composer's death. It is his third album, following two Chopin albums.

On September 12, he has a duet performance scheduled with violinist Chung Kyung-wha at the Seoul Arts Center. It is part of a concert to celebrate the center's 30th anniversary. Three to four solo recitals in other parts of the country will follow.

In November, he will be performing with the Accademia di Santa Cecilia Orchestra and conductor Antonio Pappano at the Seoul Arts Center. In December, Cho has an end-of-year performance scheduled on Dec. 6 as part of Deutsche Grammophon's 120th anniversary gala concert.

During Thursday's press conference, Cho performed a few pieces in front of the press and 400 fans who were selected based on a lucky draw. He played "Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut" from Debussy's Images Book 2 and Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13.

"I just came back from Berlin yesterday and I'm delighted to be having my first performance of the year in Korea," he said. "I held New Year's concerts last year in Korea and I'm happy to be doing so again this year."

Cho moved his residence from Paris to Berlin in August. When asked why, he said: "It's a great place to live and there are a lot of musicians.

"It has become a trend recently among young musicians to move to Berlin. I wondered why that was, so I visited two years ago to check it out for myself. I realized Paris is great for touring but Berlin is more convenient for living. They also have some great orchestras. The downside is the sun sets early and the weather isn't the best."

As for his New Year's wish, he said he didn't have any.

"I spent New Year's Eve with my family in Berlin and they wanted me to make a wish for the New Year, but I didn't have any," Cho said. "Instead of setting New Year's goals, I want to be able to perform in good health.

"In the long term, I want to break prejudice. I never really experienced racism when I performed overseas but I noticed there are still prejudices about Asian musicians. In the long run, I wish to break that. When I become part of the older generation, I hope younger musicians won't have to worry about that at all."
By Jung Min-ho



Korean police and prosecutors used to be infamous for their coercive interrogation methods. During the period of dictatorship, many suspects were threatened, assaulted or killed by investigators, who always put orders from their superior officers above human rights.



Park Jong-chul was a victim of this violent era. The college student, 21, was among protesters who fought against the military regime of former President Chun Doo-hwan in 1987.



He was later captured by police and tortured to death during an interrogation which sparked a massive protest that brought about the end of Chun's regime and an amendment to the Constitution for direct presidential election.



About 200 police, including National Policy Agency (NPA) Deputy Commissioner Min Kab-ryong, watched "1987: When the Day Comes," a film that depicts the historic event, on Thursday night.



A week earlier, NPA Commissioner General Lee Chul-sung watched it with Justice Minister Park Sang-ki, Minister of the Interior and Safety Kim Boo-kyum and Prosecutor General Mun Moo-il.



During the interrogation, the student protester refused to reveal the whereabouts of other activists. Police used water-boarding techniques that led to his death. The police then lied about the death, saying the student died when they hit the desk in front of him. The Catholic Priests Association for Justice later revealed the truth to the public.



"If we don't remember history, it will repeat itself. I hope such things will never happen again," Min told reporters as he walked out of a theater in central Seoul.



"Looking back, when I was studying at the Korean National Police University, some people cursed or physically attacked me. It made me think about the true role of police."



Another police officer said he felt heartbroken about what happened that year.



"My brother attended the funeral of another well-known activist Lee Han-yeol," he said. "He said he cannot watch the movie, which is too heavy and personal for him. I feel very heavy too."












By Ko Dong-hwan







Thais prefer South Korea as the best place to work overseas illegally, but for many Korea has become "a false promise land" for aliens and sex workers from the Southeast Asian country.







Thailand's employment department said more than 1,100 Thais tried to enter Korea without a valid visa last year, according to the Bangkok Post, Friday.

Most did not acquire a legal working visa as recommended by the Thai government, but instead turned to employment agencies.







The next most-popular countries for illegal Thai workers were Malaysia, Bahrain, Russia and Qatar, employment department chief Anurak Tossarat said Thursday.







Thai ambassador to South Korea Saran Charoensuwan revealed last year that the number of Thai workers coming to Korea had doubled in the previous three years. He said the Thais were "attracted by high salaries that can amount to 30,000 baht ($930) a month."







Most Thais also chose South Korea because the punishment for working illegally is not severe. Illegal workers are merely sent home and blacklisted in Korea.







Charoensuwan said about half of the 100,000 Thais living in Korea were working illegally, mostly on farms.







Thailand's department of special investigation also said many Thai women had been forced into prostitution in Korea. The department said criminal rings lured the women with promises of high pay, welfare benefits and accommodation in return for offering "traditional" Thai massage.














Chung Hyun-sook




By Bahk Eun-ji







Ko Jun-hee, the girl whose father buried her body on a hill in Gunsan, died of shock caused by physical abuse, forensic investigators said Friday.







The National Forensic Service (NFS) said she died from external shock, according to North Jeolla Province Police Agency.







Police said the information was a progress report on the autopsy.







NFS scientists found the possibility of internal bleeding from organ damage. If not treated immediately, her blood pressure would have dropped, causing her death.







The cause of death is based on a statement by the girl's father, Ko, 37, because the body has been buried for eight months, and the NFS could not find signs of internal bleeding.







Ko claimed he kicked her ankle repeatedly before she died in March, leaving her unable to walk. Police said Ko and his common-law-wife, Lee, 36, also kicked and punched the girl.







Forensic investigators found the girl had three fractured ribs.







People with bleeding from organ damage normally complain of thirst or show difficulty in breathing.







The father said that after being beaten, the girl asked for glass of water and complained she was having difficulty breathing.







The result of the autopsy will be released in a week, police said.







On Thursday, the father told police he had beaten the girl, but denied he had killed her.







Police will send the parents to the prosecutor's office on charges ranging from child abuse to death.
















Tax agency also searched auto parts maker seizing financial documents to prove ownership



By Lee Kyung-min



The prosecution is stepping up its investigation into DAS to discern whether former President Lee Myung-bak was the de facto owner of the auto parts maker and whether he embezzled 12 billion won in company funds.



Investigators have interrogated former employees of the automotive company to find out who actually owns it, while tax officials searched its offices to seize computer files and other financial documents.



While former President Lee has long claimed the auto parts manufacturer belonged to his older brother, few believe his claim in light of evidence indicating otherwise.



DAS was one of the few investors that avoided financial damage in a massive stock-rigging scandal that caused over 100 billion won ($94 million) in losses to about 5,500 investors in 2001.



Suspicion is that unlike other regular investors, DAS got its 19 billion won investment back in full after Lee abused the power of the presidential office after taking power in 2008.



The much-politicized investigation, which the conservative bloc characterized as a "political vendetta," will clarify whether Lee controlled DAS and whether he created a slush fund.



Investigators will also determine whether Lee abused his power with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Tax Service (NTS) among other agencies to get back his investment in full.






A look at the potential of the local gas sector in the wake of the Zohr Field starting production in December

Egypts Zohr Field, the largest offshore natural gas field in the Mediterranean, started production on 16 December. It could prove to be a permanent remedy to Egypts power needs and bring it closer to the goal of self-sufficiency in the energy sector in 2018.

The supergiant field covers an area of about 100 square km, with estimated reserves of 30 trillion cubic feet and expected initial production of 350 million cubic feet per day. This is expected to rise to about one billion cubic feet by next June and then to 2.7 billion cubic feet by the end of 2019.

The fields output would cover the gap between Egypts total gas consumption, standing at 4.9 billion cubic feet per day in 2016, and its total daily production of four billion cubic feet, according to data from the British Petroleum (BP) Statistical Review.

It could enable Egypt to return to exporting gas as soon as 2019. The country was a net exporter of gas for ten years before an energy crisis hit in 2013 when foreign companies stopped operations as they had not been paid their dues by the government, pushing Egypt to tap export markets.

This was followed by Egypts purchasing 89 cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from international suppliers in 2015/2016 at a cost of $2.2 billion, according to Egypts Petroleum Ministry.

Initial production from the Zohr Field is equivalent to three LNG cargoes a month at a cost of $90 million, according to the Petroleum Ministry. Meanwhile, the cost of local production does not exceed $30 million, which means that Egypt would be saving $60 million on a monthly basis.

The Zohr Field is not the only newly discovered gas field off the Egyptian coast. The North Alexandria and Nooros fields will, together with Zohr, raise Egypts natural gas output by 50 per cent in 2018 and 100 per cent in 2020. The three fields together will contribute to natural gas self-sufficiency by the end of 2018, Petroleum Minister Tarek Al-Molla said recently.

Foreign investors are keen to capitalise on the gas sectors potential. Italian oil giant Eni, which discovered the Zohr Field, intends to pump investments of $3.5 billion into Egypt in 2018, representing half the companys annual investments.

BP has started gas production from the Taurus and Libra Fields in the West Nile Delta Field off Egypts coast. These currently add 700 million cubic feet of gas a day to the Egyptian national grid.

The West Nile Delta development includes five offshore gas fields that could have a combined production of up to almost 1.5 billion cubic feet a day in 2019. This gas will also be fed into the national grid.

The government is expected to issue another tender for LNG purchases in early 2018 to cover the countrys needs for the second quarter of the year. It plans to stop importing the fuel by the end of next year because of the gas from the Zohr Field.

The government has also taken other steps to encourage energy investment in Egypt. Under Law 196 from August last year, private businesses will be allowed to transport and trade gas using the countrys pipeline network and infrastructure, moving away from a state monopoly, said Amira Al-Mazni, former vice-chairman of the National Gas Authority EGAS.

The law is part of a push by the government to spur investment in the economy. Over the past year, the government, backed by the International Monetary Fund, has enacted economic reforms that have included floating the currency, cutting subsidies and passing legislation to attract foreign investment.

Egypt has also adopted a flexible gas-pricing formula to encourage such investment. It previously paid a fixed price of $2.65 per 1,000 cubic feet. Talks are being held to price the gas at $4 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The Zohr Fields output should satisfy the domestic market, with the nations two existing gas-liquefaction facilities being large enough to process the huge quantities of excess gas for export in 2019. If the Zohr and other gas fields generate more supplies, Egypt may consider adding a third LNG-exporting terminal, Al-Molla said.

Egypt can also become a gas-exporting hub as the sector has many advantageous features. In addition to abundant supply, thanks to the newly discovered fields, Egypt has 19 plants for natural gas treatment and two liquefying facilities with total capacities of 12 million tons per year.

Egypt has two floating deliquefying facilities with a total capacity of 1,300 million cubic feet per day. Osama Mobarez, head of Development of the Petroleum Sector at the Ministry of Petroleum, said Egypts strategic location together with its proximity to main international trade routes and the presence of Suez Canal enabled it to be a regional energy hub, being able to liquefy and store gas if necessary.

Law 196 is an important addition as it allows the private sector to directly ship, transport, store, market and trade natural gas using the pipeline and network infrastructure.

It also relieves the government from the burden of providing for the rapidly growing natural-gas consumption and turns it into a regulator, a practice common to countries that have liberalised their markets and freed them from state monopolies, said Hafez Al-Salmawi, an energy expert at the World Bank.

*This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly newspaper

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A member of a conservative civic group protests Woori Bank's issuance of a calendar with a child's painting containing the North Korean flag, in front of the bank headquarters in central Seoul, Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



By Kim Rahn



A child's painting has been embroiled in a pro-North Korea controversy, with conservatives making an issue of the North Korean flag on the painting printed on a bank's calendar.



Conservative Liberty Korea Party (LKP) spokesman Chang Je-won said in a written comment Monday he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw a North Korean flag on the calendar of Woori Bank, a part of whose stakes the government holds.



Woori Bank issued the 2018 calendar with children's paintings awarded in the bank-organized painting competitions. Its October page shows a painting titled "Our country grows bigger every day," painted by a fourth grade student. In the painting, a tree named "unification tree" is in the middle, on which South and North Koreas' national flags are hung.



"The North Korean flag is hung higher than the South Korean flag, and in its depiction, the painting hints as if North Korea is on the same level with South Korea," Chang said.



As to the LKP's comment, the bank said a jury comprised of art professors picked the paintings and it never expected the painting would invite such controversy.



Chang again said, "The bank's explanation showed South Korea is insensitive to security."



LKP Chairman Hong Joon-pyo also said in his New Year speech, "Now we are living in an era when the North Korean flag appears on a bank's calendar."



Some party members staged a protest in front of the bank's headquarters, Wednesday, chanting slogans such as: "We condemn Woori Bank which uses a child's painting as a political tool," and "Woori should withdraw the calendars, burn them and apologize to the public." Several other conservative civic groups also held similar protests, Thursday.



Other political parties, however, criticized the LKP for "overreacting" and "being childish," saying it applies unreasonable pro-North Korea framing.



Rep. Han Jeoung-ae of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said, "Regarding the calendar made of elementary schoolchildren's paintings, the LKP claims the bank implanted the idea of the flag in the children in advance, influencing them to draw the flag. Some LKP members also say they will withdraw all money from their accounts at the bank. The party is causing trouble from the start of a New Year."



She pointed out that the former Park Geun-hye administration, during which the LKP was the ruling party, also awarded paintings containing the North Korean flag in many government-organized competitions about unification.



Rep. Ha Tae-keung of the minor conservative Bareun Party also said, "It was an elementary schoolchild's painting, and the LKP drove it as pro-North Korea. It is insane to brand a child's innocent wish for unification as pro-North Korea."


Graphic warnings on cigarette packs may become a lot bigger and more shocking. / Yonhap



By Jung Min-ho



The government is expected to replace graphic warnings on cigarette packs with bigger and more shocking ones by the end of the year.



Yet cigarette makers here told The Korea Times Friday they are "not too worried" about the new warnings' possible impact on their sales.



"When the government introduced the graphic health warning policy a couple of years ago, we were concerned it would reduce demand for cigarettes. But the policy turned out to have little impact on our sales. I think this time it won't be much different," said Kwak Sang-hee, a senior PR official at British American Tobacco (BAT) North Asia.



"But we do not know for sure at this point. It may affect the demand, depending on how big the warnings will be and how they will look."



A PR official at KT&G, the largest tobacco maker in Korea, also said the company doesn't expect a big drop in sales, citing examples in which similar policies in other countries barely affected demand for cigarettes.



According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, members of its committee for new graphic warnings had their first meeting Friday at the Sejong Hotel in Seoul.



The committee consists of four ministry officials and eight civilian experts in various fields.



In an effort to reduce the social costs of smoking, which many health experts call the leading preventable cause of death around the world, the ministry adopted 10 photos showing the harmful effects of smoking in December 2016.



Under the law, graphic warnings should be replaced with new ones every two years.



The photos depict the face or other body parts of smokers suffering from fatal disease such as lung cancer, which must cover 30 percent of all cigarette packs sold here. Text warnings cover 20 percent.



But a recent survey by the Korea Health Promotion Institute suggests three-quarters of people think the coverage should be larger. Only 24.6 percent of adults and 17.1 percent of juveniles said they support the current 50 percent limit.



The committee will discuss many issues, including the extension of the graphic warning size and adding English text warnings for cigarettes sold at duty free shops.



But some experts say the effects of graphic warnings are limited; they think the government should use its tax policy if it is serious about reducing smoking rates. But policymakers know tax policies always carry political risks.



According to the latest data from Statistics Korea, the smoking rate of Korean men aged 19 or older remains high relative to other countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development at 39.1 percent.


SPECIAL REPORT'I was falsely accused of theft': foreign entertainer recalls painful memories of bullying by Korean agency
By Tom Plate



Recent U.S. presidents, at least in public, would speak of China only after the vetting of practically every word, as if an errant one might prove seriously chancy. The bilateral relationship is too complex and freighted with too many tensions, and the stakes too high, to have it otherwise.



President Donald Trump is different and, in the back and forth between China and the United States, this lays on more uncertainty to the bilateral relationship. It's as if the entire world _ as one hypothesis making the rounds has it _ exists within the confines of his own mind, so that, when that mind is turned off, as it were, the world sort of ceases to exist.



Absurd as that may seem, there is ample precedent for this view in classical philosophy. Bishop George Berkeley (1685-1753) defined reality as nothing more than a product of, and dependent on, the human mind _ for what can really be said to exist outside the mind? Here in the quaint words of this landmark Irish philosopher: "All the choir of heaven and furniture of earth _ in a word, all those bodies which compose the frame of the world _ have not any subsistence without a mind."



The self-regarding mind of Trump could be said to mirror this. Last week, a New York Times reporter caught him in a Berkeleyan mindset, as it were. The interview covered tout le monde, even though its duration was but a half-hour.



Zhongnanhai carefully noted that the "reality show" inside the president's mind did not exclude China, nor its president, Xi Jinping.



Said Trump from the Grill Room of his Mar-a-Lago hotel: "Yeah, China  I like very much President Xi. He treated me better than anybody's ever been treated in the history of China  One of the great two days of anybody's life and memory having to do with China. He's a friend of mine, he likes me, I like him, we have a great chemistry together. [But] China's hurting us very badly on trade, but I have been soft on China because the only thing more important to me than trade is war. OK?  I'm disappointed.



"You know that they found oil going into [North Korea]  Oil is going into North Korea. That wasn't my deal!  My deal was that  they're a nuclear menace, so we have to be very tough  If they're helping me with North Korea, I can look at trade a little bit differently, at least for a period of time  China has a tremendous power over North Korea. Far greater than anyone knows."



That has been Trump's persistent view; but, just as persistently, Beijing has warned the world that its leverage over its neighbor is easy to overestimate (Americans who dismiss this Chinese assertion out of hand might reflect on our own limited leverage over Mexico _ maybe Beijing doesn't want to have to build a wall someday?).



For its part, the Hong Kong government, of the very special administrative region of China, said it is taking serious note of allegations of Hong Kong-based tankers being involved in midnight oil-to-Pyongyang subterfuge.



In matters of this gravity, the foreign ministry in Beijing responded by calling for "calm" _ a boilerplate response of late that makes one wonder if the ministry in Beijing has anyone (or two) in mind. North Korea, after all, is a nuclear power, its leader a bombastic bully.



As for the China on Trump's mind: over the centuries, Western philosophy made a virtual profession of tony quarrels about the so-called mind-body problem. But not all philosophers were reverent: Gilbert Ryle would scoff at the very idea of an independent mind "thing" _ derided in his memorable phrase about "the myth of the ghost in the machine". Of course, this strong-minded English philosopher (1900-1976) had not encountered our current president; or the experience might have made him believe in ghosts.



An American novelist once asserted that the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.



Unexamined is the question of how to rate an intelligence that may lack the ability to hold just one unopposed coherent idea.



On the evidence available, the mind of our American president, who is to mark his first full year in office soon, tends towards the blunt-binary _ "they" are either for us or against us; "they" are either cooperative (as we define it) or are rudely noncompliant. You may have noticed this kind of mind soaks in self-congratulation ("better than anybody's ever been treated in the history of China"), almost bathing in a buoyant mentality that talks only to itself, as if to minimize contradiction or interruption.



With that, intelligence agencies assigned to psychological profiling of leaders now have their hands full, if not their minds blown.



After all, Trump's predecessor proved much the easier psychology to scope out: always valuing the rational, rarely preferring melodramatic action, almost even predictable (perhaps to a fault) _ a mind shaped more by the mechanisms of law-school analytics than the showmanship of the pitches of the American salesman.



Donald J. Trump is the opposite of former President Barack H. Obama. In terms of the back and forth between China and the U.S., this is a difference that will add a new layer of uncertainty to the world's most pivotal bilateral relationship.



Columnist Tom Plate, author of "Yo-Yo Diplomacy," is Loyola Marymount University's distinguished scholar of Asian and Pacific affairs, and the vice-president of the Pacific Century Institute. The above article appeared in the South China Morning Post.






Two sides should strive for tangible results



Delegates of the two Koreas will sit together at the truce village of Panmunjeom next Tuesday to discuss Pyongyang's plans to send a team to next month's PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. They are also likely to talk about how to improve the stalled inter-Korean relations following the North's continued nuclear tests and missile launches.



The latest developments taking place in the first week of 2018 are seen as a positive step toward the success of the Olympics and inter-Korean rapprochement. Now the two sides are required to make sincere efforts to produce good results from their talks in order to meet growing expectations about national reconciliation and peace on the Korean Peninsula.



First of all, Pyongyang should show its sincerity in its peace overture by its leader Kim Jong-un, who offered in his New Year address to hold a meeting to discuss the North's potential participation in the Winter Games to be held Feb. 9 to 25 in the South. The move has led to rapid progress when Seoul proposed high-level talks the next day and Pyongyang accepted the proposal.



South-North dialogue gained momentum when President Moon Jae-in and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump agreed to delay joint military exercises until after the Olympics ends. The agreement came during a phone conversation between the two leaders Thursday. It will give a boost to Moon's efforts for a breakthrough in inter-Korean reconciliation by attracting a North Korean delegation to PyeongChang.



In fact, President Trump and his policymakers harbored skepticism about Kim's olive branch, given his brinksmanship over his nuclear and missile development programs. In response to Kim's warning to the U.S. that he has a "nuclear button" on his desk, Trump said via Twitter that his nuclear button is "much bigger and more powerful."

U.S. officials cautioned that the North's peace overture may be aimed at driving a wedge between Seoul and Washington and will weaken the international sanctions against the reclusive country.



We welcome Trump's change of stance and his support for the inter-Korean talks. This move will undoubtedly send a message to the North that the U.S. and South Korea maintain a strong alliance regardless of any North Korean attempts to undermine it. It is also apparent the U.S. president does not want to be a passive onlooker in the rapidly changing situation on the peninsula.



There is no doubt the South needs close consultation and cooperation with the U.S. to make the inter-Korean talks a success in the face of the North Korean nuclear standoff. That's why Moon and Trump agreed to continue the campaign of maximum pressure against North Korea and to not repeat mistakes of the past.



It is imperative for Seoul to hold the talks with Pyongyang in order to ensure the North's denuclearization is pivotal to improving inter-Korean ties.






By Kang Seung-woo



Korean chipmakers, enjoying a semiconductor "super-cycle," are bothered by trade pressure as overseas companies' attempts to keep them in check are intensifying.



The latest move to inhibit Korean players -- Samsung Electronics and SK hynix -- from controlling the lion's share of the global semiconductor market came earlier this week from U.S. memory chipmaker BiTMICRO



According to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), the California-based firm filed a complaint against Samsung, SK and a handful of global companies alleging they violated patents related to solid state drive (SSD) technology.



"The complaint states that the proposed respondents import and sell products that infringe the asserted patents. The complaint specifically refers to various computers, mobile phones, tablets, watches and components thereof, as infringing products," said the ITC, a quasi-independent federal body that rules on trade violations.



The ITC will normally determine whether to institute an investigation within 30 calendar days after the filing of a complaint.



SSDs are new generation storage devices that are emerging as a replacement for hard disk drives (HDD) as the former provides a quicker and more stable performance.



An SSD is manufactured based on NAND flash memory used for mobile devices and Samsung and SK are the world's largest and fourth-largest largest NAND flash memory manufacturers, respectively.



Some market watchers believe that the complaint is the latest attempt to keep Korean semiconductor companies under control amid still strong demand for the product that helped Samsung and SK post all-time high operating profits last year. Samsung chalked up an operating profit of 24.3 trillion won ($22.8 billion) from January to September last year, while SK earned 9.25 trillion won.



"The series of allegations over patent infringement against Korean chipmakers recently can be understood as being based on ill intention toward Samsung and SK because the companies have established themselves as global leaders in the sector," an industry source said.



Last year, U.S. server memory maker Netlist filed a complaint alleging SK hynix had infringed on its patents -- although Netlist brought its first ITC complaint against SK hynix in September 2016, only to be dismissed at an initial determination in November that year.



In September, U.S. semiconductor packaging firm Tessera also filed infringement suits against Samsung, alleging that the Korean company violated its patents covering semiconductor processing, bonding and packaging.



In late 2017, the Chinese government was reported to have looked into the possibility of NAND price fixing amid a price surge, seen as Beijing pressuring Samsung to slash chip prices among market watchers -- although the company denied the report.



According to industry tracker IHS Markit, demand for DRAMs in 2018 could hit $84.4 billion, a gain of 16.9 percent from last year, while sales of NAND flash memory chips are expected to grow 10 percent year-on-year to $59.2 billion.



DRAMs are a significant part for desktop computers while NANDs are the building blocks for mobile devices such as smartphones.


By Jhoo Dong-chan



Domestic carmakers have vowed to dominate the nation's auto market this year by introducing new models, but are expected to face an uphill battle since foreign car importers are also set to being in more models.



German auto giant Volkswagen and its sister automaker Audi, which had been banned from selling 80 of their models here, will also join the battle.



Hyundai Motor said it will first introduce the second-generation Veloster hatchback at the Detroit International Motor Show this month, challenging global hatchback powerhouses Volkswagen and Mini.



For the domestic market, the new Veloster with two engine options _ a 1.4-liter Kappa gasoline turbo and 1.6-liter Gamma gasoline turbo _ has a seven-speed dual clutch transmission as standard. A manual transmission will also be offered for the Gamma engine.



The nation's largest carmaker will also introduce the much anticipated new version of the Santa Fe this year, the first SUV from Hyundai Motor, which has sold over 1 million of the model.



The fourth-generation Santa Fe SUV will be different from what it was six years ago, and Hyundai Motor says it will be a decisive factor in domestic sales.



Kia Motors will also introduce new versions of the popular K3 and flagship K9 sedan in the first half of this year. The Niro electric will also be unveiled later.



The nation's smallest carmaker Ssangyong Motor unveiled the 2018 Korando Wednesday, and will introduce the Q200 premium pickup next week. The Ssangyong Q200 pickup has been developed based on the G4 Rexton SUV.



GM Korea said it will import and introduce the popular Equinox SUV in the first half of the year, aiming at a sales rebound. About 200,000 Chevrolet Equinox SUVs have been sold every year in the U.S. market since its introduction. The price is expected to be less than 30 million won.



Renault Samsung will start selling the popular Clio hatchback on the domestic market this year. More than 13 million Clio's have been sold globally and Renault Samsung believes the model will attract the nation's young motorists.



Foreign auto manufacturers will unveil more new models this year while German Volkswagen and Audi will rejoin the race in the Korean car market.



BMW Korea said it will introduce a total of 14 new models here to retake the nation's top foreign import position against its long-time rival Mercedes-Benz. The BMW X2 SUV will be unveiled here in the first half of the year.



New versions of the X4 and X5 will be introduced in the second half of the year while BMW will start selling new Mini JCW models.



Mercedes-Benz Korea said it will introduce the E-Class Cabriolet in the first quarter, the CLS four-door coupe and the face-lifted C-Class in the second half.



Volkswagen and Audi Korea, which have had practically no sales for about a year, will unveil three models here this year, aiming at a grand comeback.



Volkswagen Korea will start receiving preorders for the Tiguan, Arteon and Passat GT sedan by March.



Audi Korea also joins the race by introducing its popular sedan duo A4 and A6. The Audi Q7 SUV will also be introduced this year.






By Yoon Ja-young



The United States is increasing pressure on Korean steel makers, slapping irregularly high anti-dumping tariffs on them.



According to sources in the steel industry, the U.S. Department of Commerce made an annual preliminary judgment on welded line pipes exported by Korean steelmakers, raising anti-dumping duties to up to 19.42 percent.



Back in 2015 December, the U.S. had levied a 6.23 percent anti-dumping duty on Hyundai Steel and 2.53 percent on SeAH Steel, insisting that they exported the welded line pipes to the United States at prices lower than they charge in Korea. It regularly reexamines whether to extend tariffs or not as well as how much the tariffs should be, taking into account the market condition and the quantity of the imports. It was the first preliminary judgment since then, and it raised the anti-dumping tariffs on Hyundai Steel by triple to 19.42 percent.



The U.S. raised anti-dumping tariffs this time taking issue with the fact that the steelmakers are using hot-rolled steel sheets supplied by POSCO to produce their welded line pipes. The U.S. had slapped 3.89 percent anti-dumping duties and 57.04 percent anti-subsidy duties on POSCO last year, claiming that POSCO is virtually getting a subsidy from the government through low electricity rates.



The problem is that the U.S. is levying high tariffs at its own discretion using ambiguous provisions. When it slapped heavy duties on POSCO, it applied its particular market situation (PMS) provision, according to which the U.S. can impose high tariffs at its discretion when it determines that the market situation of a specific country is abnormal.



On top of the PMS provision, the U.S. is also using the adverse facts available (AFA) provision, which enables levying extremely high anti-dumping and countervailing duties in case the accused company doesn't hand in the data demanded by the U.S. government.



Using such provisions, the U.S. had raised tariffs on Nexteel's oil country tubular goods (OCTG) to 46.37 percent last year from 8.04 percent in 2016, virtually blocking its exports to the United States. Following the tariff bomb on Hyundai Steel, there is also the possibility of the U.S. slapping high anti-dumping duties on any Korean steelmaker for using POSCO's hot-rolled steel sheets.



An industry expert said that there doesn't seem to be much option for Hyundai Steel.



"The Donald Trump administration has been strengthening protectionism in trade to nurture domestic companies. There is little that a single company can do to protest the measure," he said.



The U.S. is to come up with the final judgment regarding the tariffs in the third quarter.
Much has been made of Chinas grand plans for its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), but little attention has been given to the green standards that China is proposing to provide for this investment. Launched in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the BRI is a $1 trillion plan to finance infrastructure investments spanning over 60 countries and covering three-quarters of the worlds population.

As the worlds leader in developing green financial products and standards, China is raising standards for international lending that could be transformational for countries like Egypt. Green finance refers to investments flowing into sustainable development projects and initiatives, environmental products and policies that encourage the development of a more sustainable economy.

Egypt has the opportunity to serve as the hub for the BRI in the Middle East and Africa. The Chinese have already designated it as one of the top five countries for mergers and acquisitions potential over the next five years. The two countries have also elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership that provides the political underpinning for what is a growing commercial relationship between them.

As part of attracting Chinese capital, under the BRI interested countries must comply with new standards to define green development. Chinas policy banks such as the Industrial and Commercial Bank, the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank and the China Development Bank have been instructed to apply green lending standards for any funds being provided to support BRI projects.

China is quickly moving to define green infrastructure projects  a definition that the international community has yet to reach agreement on. China does not need to wait for the rest of the world, however, as it can define these standards, projects, and programmes to suit its own purposes for the massive BRI. There are few in the developing world, since they are eager for financing, who will object.

How can these new standards make a difference? Take construction as an example. Two of the largest sources of carbon dioxide gas emissions are commercial and residential buildings. The World Bank estimates that heating and electricity accounts for 25 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions. In a place like China, which has been in a building boom for the past decade, CO2 emissions from buildings account for close to 40 per cent of the total.

In Egypt, the numbers are more difficult to obtain, but statistics show that residential and commercial buildings account for approximately eight per cent of total fuel combustion  double that in China. And that electricity accounts for a whopping 50 per cent of total carbon emissions produced in Egypt, with the majority of that designated for commercial and residential buildings. Focusing on reducing the carbon footprint of buildings, therefore, can have a significant impact.

New construction is booming in Egypt. The major developments of the New Suez Canal, the new administrative capital, and development along the North Coast are just a few of the evolving opportunities. Retrofitting aging buildings will also improve energy efficiencies while creating economic growth. These opportunities also help make Egypt more appealing to Chinese firms and the Chinese government.

Yet, one of the major challenges in making the transition to a green economy is obtaining the necessary financing. China is hoping that its creation of green lending standards for the BRI, combined with its innovative financial products for banks that incentivise sustainable finance, will change this equation. China is also going beyond financing to require that infrastructure projects themselves meet eco-sustainable standards.

Egypt is a potential destination of choice for Chinas builders and financiers. Chinas new standards may help by creating additional incentives for making the necessary changes to fight pollution. Beyond that, given the leading role that Egypt has traditionally played in the region as a financial centre, the country has the opportunity to proactively work with the Chinese in creating innovative financial products such as green bonds.

Perhaps most significantly, Egypt is now in a position to be part of the Belt and Road Initiative that is developing standards that will impact infrastructure financing and development throughout much of the world.

*This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly newspaper





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The retrospective solo exhibition by one of the most renowned Egyptian illustrators, painters and animators Ihab Shaker, unveils six decades of the artist's work

Until January 28, Cairos Ofok Gallery in the Mahmoud Khalil Museum will hold a retrospective exhibition dedicated to the renowned Egyptian painter, illustrator and animator Ihab Shaker (born in Cairo, 1933). The exhibition was inaugurated on 28 November 2017 with the attendance of Minister of Culture Helmy El-Namnan and Head of the Fine Arts Sector Khaled Sorour.

Revolving around a few major themes, the display allows the viewer to dive into the unique universe -- sometimes poetic, sometimes playful -- of the artist. It is a walk through the 60 years of the artists career, time during which this painter and illustrator documented the visual memory of Egypt.

We are in front of a creative epopee in a sense, one that begins in year 1960 and which the artist describes in the exhibitions catalogue, stressing that he tries to show how to make our life more beautiful. He highlights aspects of our heritage that can help us better withstand the paradoxes of the world. With women and music coming on top of the list, a man dances with them following the desires of his heart.

The exhibition presents some thirty works, paintings, watercolors, pencil sketches, comic strips and drawings published in the press.

First, we visit Shaker's paintings representing musicians. The paintings which date back to the 2000s, show musicians in action, on stage or elsewhere. Some seem to sing very loudly, play their cymbals, sometimes lose their balance, interweaving tragedy and comedy apparent on their musicians faces.

Some musicians are in ecstasy, in a state of trance with their instruments, among the backdrop of a gloomy and weary air. In a certain way, they resemble whirling dervishes, caught in the whirlwinds of the movement which the illustrator loves, enamored with everything that moves.

An old lute player is sitting with a red tarboosh on his head, a suit and a tie. He comes from distant times and indulges in Taqassim as the works title suggests, or improvisations.

Another musician bends over his lute, as if embracing it with love; he is in a state of Ensegam (harmony), as the title specifies. Then there is the mizmar (oriental flute) player, painted in watercolor, in a work titled Duo.

Opposing the rigorism of the twentieth century, Shaker infuses the real objects and people with a poetic dimension that is his own. He thus unleashes a "new realism," as he himself says, to denounce human mediocrity.

Shakers works thus constitute a form of refusal, a cynical declaration. But his refusal carries a lot of beauty, that of colour. It is a refusal which helps us to overcome the difficulties of life, to make it more cheerful. And when Shakers subjects become pained at times, like the clown in tears, the nostalgia takes over our emotions.

We also meet women, musicians, chubby, sensual -- they become a beautiful Source of Music, as title of one of Shakers paintings captures. In the artist's inspiration, women are seductive and erotic, and their dances represents the movement as time, as Shaker puts it.

In other words, Shakers musicians are all about life. The characters float to the rhythms of music that emerges from the painting and its very own composition.

Those are the stories that the artist offers to us, all with great skill and incredible imagination.

The second major theme of the exhibition is woman, or the woman captured through time as she transforms from one canvas to another, depending on the circumstances.

The Virgin and the Child (1968), set in light and serene tones, is a peasant with the big forms that in many ways resemble those of Galette (2005), the Circus Acrobat (1958), the Mouled Doll (1987), or an African Holding Two Watermelons (1993).

Shakers feminine characters are always in search of a protector, a watchman, who is often represented in the form of a rooster, sometimes close to a lover or a husband. Regardless the animal, the perfect harmony is always well preserved.

We also see a more playful world, with drawings for the press and illustrations for children. This is the third major theme of the retrospective exhibition.

From 1956, Shaker was part of the team of the Sabah El-Kheir magazine, becoming one of the most prominent artists among the avant-garde designers of the time.

In Sabah El-Kheir, Shaker has released several cartoon strips targeting mainly children, including series such as Television Generation, Parabolic Generation, Electronic Generation and the Generation of Www.com.

"In order to create works for children, one must have an element of a child in his soul, Shaker comments.

The display also includes cartoons that he published in the Egyptian newspaper El-Gomhouriya between 1954 and 1957. It is there that Shaker created the Bahlawan Family, a family consisting of acrobats and jugglers, a metaphor of people struggling with everyday life and far from the circus arena.

Then, in 1960, he launched another series entitled Forqoeloz which he published in the weekly magazine Rose El-Youssef.

Not to forget his books and plays for children, whose posters and covers are also exhibited, such as a book Tom Thumb in the Kingdom of the Ants, and the play The Music Begins (1967), transposed to the stage by his brother, renowned Egyptian puppeteer Naguib Shaker.

In 1972, his play titled Ebtessamati (My Smile) brought international attention to Ihab Shaker. The work has been staged in French at the Chatillon Cultural Center in Paris. He subsequently represented Egypt as animator in four festivals in France.

Shaker also held solo exhibitions in Austria, Spain, Jordan, Japan, and other countries.

One of the paintings displayed at the gallery Ofok was selected by the Egyptian Modern Art Museum to be part of its permanent collection. The painting titled Oriental Melodies (2009) represents a violinist in a cubist style.

The exhibition continues until 28 January in the Ofok Gallery at the Mahmoud Khalil Museum, 1 Kafour Street, Giza.



This article was translated from Al Ahram Hebdo (French) and edited by Ahram Online.

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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Five pairs of hands that could offer help in fixing your Christmas dinner

It is the end of the Christmas fast and now is the time to go carnivore and to indulge in dairies, pottery and rich desserts.

These are five places where you can go for an extra dish on your Christmas dinner table on late Saturday evening and for breakfast Sunday morning

AMER

Amer is essentially a traditional Egyptian sweet or sour feteer (which is somewhere between crepe and pizza). With two branches in Heliopolis and Mohandessin, and over the years since the launch of its first Heliopolis branch in 1949, Amer grew and diversified -- they offer the traditional Egyptian feeter along with one of the Egyptian versions of Italian Pizza, crepe and most recently waffles.

They currently call their feeter "oriental pizzas." Unlike the Egyptian version of the Italian pizza  which is basically made of a much thicker dough with too many toppings and endless possibilities of extras  the oriental pizza has the topping turned mostly into a filling with only a very thin topping layer.

The Amer menu for oriental pizza has five key sections, including meat, poultry, cheese, vegetables and seafood.

The "Italian pizza" essentially sticks to the orthodox Margarita and Fungi, or goes into the more obvious: sausages, peperoni & Turkey.

Amer use fresh ingredients, essentially because the affordable prices make it on a high demand end. Early orders could allow perfectly promptly delivery of warm pizzas that are cut into small squares to be served as an "intro" to the dinner.

AZZA

It was first in Alexandria, in the late 1920s, that "Gilato Azza" served out its first scoops of fruit sorbet and milk-based ice cream.

Today with over ten branches in Alexandria and Cairo, the basic menu of strawberry, mango and milk that still tops the quality of all the other items that Azza offers  different flavours of fruit and chocolate ice creams, a variety of milky puddings and even cream caramel.

Unlike most other ice cream or sorbet bars where a scoop comes only in one flavor, Azza offer its clients that chance to have a mixed scoop.

Azza has very basic paper cups that can serve from one to three scoops; or it offers its ice cream in kilos  quarters, or halves.

Its ice cream / sorbet is always fresh. The best branch in Cairo is the one in Mohandessin (Lebanon Square).

Its prices are certainly affordable and its taste is definitely unique.

CHRISTIANE

The traditional thinking is that Greek delights are essentially found in Alexandria. Well, there is also a presence for these delices in Heliopolis  on Baghdad Street, at the store of Christiane.

Unlike most other Greek patisseries that were opened at the early decades of the 20th century, Christianes opened towards the end of the century  and it is therefore more oriented towards the modern Egyptian taste in its choice of cakes.

However, it still offers the interested client the Greek specialties  but they have to be requested upon by early order.

For Christmas, Christiane is offering the traditional Christmas cake, which has to also be made upon order, and ginger biscuits.

The prices are far from being the most expensive in town.

PAUL

It is often for the desserts that the branches of Paul boulongerie and patisserie have been frequented since it opened in Cairo over three years ago.

However, the bakeries of Paul are well worth exploring for those who have not tried them. Their baguette bread is said by some French residents of Cairo to be very close to a good baguette that one could find in a nice Paris bakery.

They also have a nice collection of gallettes, fougasses and brown bread.

Their croissants come in a large diversity too  ranging from Zaatar to Pistachios.

If you are thinking bread for diner for more than two, or a large basket of croissants and gallettes for breakfast, you need to consider an early order.

SOBHY

For those who wish to complement their roasts and pannes with an addition of Kebab and Koufta Sobhy El-Haty is a highy recommended choice.

The grills are fresh and tasty and they are not as expensive compared to other more frequented Kebab chains.

Sobhy has all the Kebab-related sides but its best is the rice with raisins and cinnamon.

It also offers some very nice stuffed pigeons.

Sobhy delivers but not all across the city.

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Coptic artist Adel Nassif has been retelling Egypt's Christian history in beautiful icons in an effort to push back against what he describes as a trend towards low-quality mass production.

The time has come to give more attention to the quality of Coptic icons rather than focus on mass-produced items of limited aesthetic quality. I am committed to doing just that, he said.

For over 30 years since his graduation from Alexandria University, Nassif has dedicated himself to the rebirth of the beautiful art of icon painting.

Although icons are an essential element of Coptic art, they are also unmistakably influenced by Pharaonic and Hellenistic art, he said.

Nobody can say for sure when, or for that matter where, the first icons were made, because in Egypt we have the [Greek period] Fayoum Portraits, and in Russia and Greece there are also incredible collections of old icons that make it difficult to establish a single genealogy, Nassif said.

In general, I think it would be safe to say that the first icons in Egypt were painted in the first century CE, and by the fourth century there was a marked trend towards covering the walls of churches with icons, he added.

By the late seventh century and with the Arab conquest of Egypt, there was a decline in attention given by artists to icons, and later some of Egypts Muslim rulers ordered an end to the paintings altogether.

Archaeological excavations have revealed drawings and icons that were covered over on the walls of old churches and monasteries. Today, these are coming back to light, but of course many of the best icons are on display in museums all over the world, Nassif said.

Nassif is convinced that icons are not an art of the past, but are an integral part of churches that are still being built and will continue to be built.

However, this is precisely why I think that this art, delicate, taxing and expensive as it is, is being reduced to mere copying, he argued.

Having spent years of his life painting icons and frescoes for churches in Egypt and abroad, Nassif is well aware of the kind of labour and the length of time required to produce a single quality icon. He is not willing to accept the need for more icons as an excuse for less beautiful icons.

Icons have to be beautiful and artistic because they are portraits of holy figures, and if they are not beautiful they do not allow worshippers to see the light within the characters, he said. Having worked for years on the spirituality of religion, Nassif says it would be impossible for an artist to paint icons if he is not sensitive to this mysticism himself.

An icon that is stripped of mysticism is irrelevant because it fails to serve the purpose of inspiration for the worshipper. It becomes just a piece of wood with some painting on it, and it has no soul to reach out to, he insisted.

This, rather than anything else that the Copts have had to put up with, would usher in the end of this fine and unique element in Coptic art, Nassif said. For decades, the Copts had to live under the rule of the most eccentric Arab rulers. But this art still lived. However, what could really bring it to an end is to have icons reduced to mass production, he added.

The way off this unfortunate path, according to Naguib, would be for the Coptic Church to insist on quality when commissioning icons. When you have a new church built, you need to make sure that the quality of the artwork is not compromised, he said. There is a need to invest in training talented artists and providing them with the means to perfect their skills.

I have seen some very talented artists put off by the difficulty of finding a space to perfect their skills or simply by a lack of means, he said.

Nassif added that there was a need to refuse the clumsy mass production of icons that is designed to produce as many as possible for gift shops next to old churches and monasteries.

These things get little attention from most visitors because they are not beautiful in the first place, Nassif insisted.

Tourists could be better served by pictures of the Coptic icons that have been painted throughout the centuries of Christianity in Egypt.

I think this would serve the purpose of keeping the Egyptian touch there, rather than having it replaced with either a Western touch or even by the Asian touch we have seen in mass-produced items copied from either Western or other originals, he said.

But to really preserve the art of icons we need to think in a more holistic way about preserving the other elements of Coptic art as well. This is a serious mission that requires national commitment and lots of work, Nassif concluded.

*This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly

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Atef Naguib, director of the Coptic Museum in Cairo, is committed to spreading awareness about the many forgotten unknown pages of Egypts Coptic history.

It was in the mid-1960s that Naguib was set to join the Archaeology Department at Assiut University in Upper Egypt with the hope of studying Coptic history and archaeology. However, to his dismay, particularly for someone born and brought up in a Coptic environment in the Upper Egyptian city of Aswan, there was no department that specialised in Coptic archaeology and history at this or any other university in Egypt at the time.

There were only two departments; one for Pharaonic and one for Islamic history, art and archaeology, Naguib recalled.

After graduation, Naguib did not give up on his ambition to specialise in Coptic history, even though it was something that was not given serious attention in society or schoolbooks at the time. His time spent at a Coptic school meant that Naguib was allowed entry into an otherwise overlooked era of Egyptian history.

It was there that I developed a serious interest in learning more about this era, which did not receive serious attention at the time, he said.

At the Institute for Coptic Studies, which is affiliated with the Coptic Cathedral in Cairo, Naguib found a place to pursue his interest and receive a degree in Coptic archaeology. This was the beginning of a long path that led him to a PhD in the same discipline.

It was a long and revealing learning process that allowed me to find out a great deal of information about Coptic history, not only in religious terms as many might think, but also in terms of learning more about the history of Egypt. The country was introduced to Christianity in the first century CE and evolved to be predominantly Christian, essentially Coptic Orthodox, until the day [Muslim military commander] Amr Ibn Al-Aas conquered Egypt in the seventh century CE, Naguib recalled.

During these years, Naguib developed an interest in the Christian era of Nubia in particular, which he describes as a truly overlooked phase in the history of this country.

There is one narrative that is predominant in Egyptian culture about Ibn Al-Aass conquest of Egypt in 642 CE, which says that the countrys Copts were suffering from discrimination at the hands of the countrys Byzantine rulers and that the following years were marked by a general, even if interrupted, tolerance by Egypts new Muslim rulers for the Coptic population.

Naguib is not willing to contest this narrative. He merely says that it is one among other versions of what happened, and that the latter should also be examined in order to understand the history of the country.

There was discrimination against the Copts under Byzantine rule, but there were also Muslim rulers who discriminated against the Copts, Naguib said.

He added that what should not be forgotten is that for the most part people do not learn much about the history of the Copts even before, and not just after, the Arab conquest, and this is a function of a lack of general awareness.

Naguib is convinced that many Copts today might not be sufficiently informed about the history of Christianity in Egypt.

I know for a fact that not many are aware of the Christian period in Nubia, which lasted from the sixth to the 14th century CE, he argued.

We hardly even stop to think about the fact that many of todays Muslim Nubians carry what would otherwise be typical Coptic names like Dawoud, Elias and Yacoub, and of course Mariam, which is more shared by Muslims, Naguib said.

He noted that the archaeological excavations of the churches of Nubia, both Upper Nubia in todays Sudan and Lower Nubia in Egypt, are not given sufficient attention by the media, not even when the archaeological missions arrived upon the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the mid-1960s to save as many Nubian monuments as possible before the water covered what were once the lands of Nubia.

It is not really there in the newspapers or on TV, and it is not there in the history curriculum, so where are people supposed to learn about the Coptic history of Egypt? Nowhere, unless you are a Copt who attends cultural activities at your church, Naguib lamented.

This lack of communication about Coptic history is not made up for among history and archaeology students because it was only recently that universities started to give serious attention to Coptic studies.

The trouble is that we act as if Coptic history is a matter of religion that only interests followers of the Coptic faith. But this is untrue because it is part of our wider history and our culture, he said.

According to Naguib, the fact that Coptic history is not mentioned in textbooks and that there is limited interest in encouraging students to visit the Coptic Museum, not to mention the many Coptic archaeological sites, is an unfortunate situation that creates a lack of awareness in the wider population about an integral part of the history of their country and the culture of their fellow citizens who follow the Coptic faith.

Today, Naguib says, the many pages of Coptic history are essentially kept in strictly Coptic bodies. Apart from the Coptic Museum and sites such as the Hanging Church in Old Cairo, for example, Coptic history is kept by bodies such as the Coptic Cathedral, along with its associated Institute for Coptic Studies, the Association for Coptic Archaeology, the Coptic Culture Centre and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Centre for Coptic Studies.

Today, there is a bit more awareness in the media about the celebration of Coptic feasts, especially Christmas, but beyond that there are only a few reminders of the Coptic contribution to the culture and history of the country, Naguib said. This is so even though the Copts are not living in ghettos and have never done so, even if historically there were areas of higher density.

The way out of this alienation from Egypts Coptic history is to allow people to learn about it, he said.

I know that it is hard to change long-established norms, but we could start by some obvious and uncontroversial steps, such as including the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt in history textbooks as well as prominent Coptic figures over the centuries, including under Muslim rule, Naguib said.

He added that there was no reason to believe that anyone would object to the inclusion of a few lines in the history books about the arrival of Christianity in Egypt or the establishment of the first monasteries or a biography of Pope Kyrollos IV, who started Coptic schools in Upper Egypt for girls.

It is unfair to deny people knowledge of the history of the Copts and then to blame these same people for their lack of affinity towards the Copts. I believe education is essential if we are really committed to understanding one another better, and this is why the Coptic Museum tries to make use of every opportunity to welcome more visitors of all age brackets and backgrounds, Naguib said.

*This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly

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Palestine does not need to be established as a state, because it is one already, and has been for millennia

In discussions on the Palestinian question following Washingtons recent decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel we frequently hear talk of creating a Palestinian state.

In fact, it would be more appropriate to speak of recognising that state. Palestine is an established state. Its existence is based on the same resolution that established the state of Israel. That resolution did not abolish Palestine; it divided it in order to give a portion of it to the Zionists. The partition resolution applied to an already existing entity.

Palestine has existed since antiquity. Herodotus, in the fifth century BC, spoke of the cities of Palaistine that were located in the coastal area between Jaffa and Wadi Al-Arish. They had been inhabited since the 12th century BC by a people called the Philistines.

In the second century AD, in the wake of the Jewish revolt in 132 AD, the Roman imperial authorities abolished the state of Judaea and created an area with clearly defined political boundaries that they called Palaestina.

In the era of the Islamic caliphate, Palestine was referred to as Jund Filastin. Its historic borders from the river to the sea were designated in numerous documents that resulted from the various negotiations and agreements between the empires that controlled the Middle East and that eventually drew its political borders in the early 20th century.

An area long the object of invaders, it fell under the British mandate following World War I.

After World War II, the newly formed United Nations organisation, which replaced the League of Nations, decided to review the mandates that the League of Nations had given to European imperial powers.

The British mandate over Palestine was the most important and most complicated case. The idea to partition Palestine first emerged in two reports, one by the Peel Commission in 1937 and the other by the Woodhead Commission in 1938. Both commissions were formed by the British government that tasked them with studying the Palestinian question in light of the great Palestinian uprising from 1933 to 1939.

In May 1947, the UN created the Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) in order to find a solution to the Arab-Jewish dispute. The committee proposed two schemes, one calling for the establishment of two independent states, whereby a portion of Palestine would be allocated for the creation of a Jewish state and Jerusalem would be placed under international administration until the two sides agreed over its fate. The second proposal called for a federation consisting of the two states.

The UN agreed to the partition scheme and submitted it to the General Assembly for discussion. There were 57 members in the UN at the time. The countries that were defeated in World War II  Germany, Japan and their allies  were under occupation and banned from the international organisation. Most of the African and Southeast Asian countries had not yet attained their independence.

On 29 November 1947, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 181 by a majority that included the three major powers of the time, France, the Soviet Union and the US. The resolution provided for the partition of Palestine into three areas. One, about 11,000 square kilometres, was designated for an Arab state and the second, about 15,000 square kilometres, was designated for a Jewish state. A third area, consisting of Jerusalem and environs, was to be placed under international supervision.

The resolution met with overwhelming outrage at both the official and grassroots levels in the Arab region. Angry demonstrations condemning it were staged in the streets of Cairo and other Arab capitals. Officials described it as unfair and prejudicial against the Arabs. At the time, the Arabs constituted the majority of the inhabitants of Palestine (67 per cent as opposed to 33 per cent Jews). Yet the resolution offered 56.5 per cent of Palestine to the Jews who, at the time, only owned seven per cent of the land there.

Most Jews were satisfied with the decision. However, extremist Zionists such as Shamir and Menachem Begin, the head of the Zionist militant group, the Irgun, and a member of the underground Stern Gang, rejected the partition resolution and proclaimed that the whole of Palestine, including the region then referred to as the Transjordan, belonged to the Jews and would remain so for all eternity.

It is important to underscore such statements as they testify to the Zionist intention, from the outset, to seize the whole of the land of historic Palestine, in spite of the partition resolution and the many subsequent meetings and agreements that were reached from Madrid to Oslo and beyond.

Israel has since steadily expanded, relentlessly constructing settlements on occupied territory and seizing the whole of Jerusalem in flagrant violation of international law. It has simultaneously committed untold numbers of brutal crimes and human rights abuses against Palestinian political leaders and civilians, including women, children and the elderly. Numerous international resolutions have condemned the occupation and its practices as it relentlessly strove to destroy a people who were struggling to liberate their land and attain their right to statehood.

On 29 November 2012, the UN granted Palestine observer status. Yet, we have reached an unprecedented stage in history in which Israel is backed by a major world power in its drive to eliminate Palestine and seize control of its land.

That power has not only departed from all previous positions of its government, it has violated international agreements and conventions that it, itself, had approved. That power had posed as a neutral mediator and now has revealed itself as an active accomplice in the aggression against an occupied territory. Washington has taken an unjust decision. It was rejected by the overwhelming majority of the Security Council and, once again, by the overwhelming majority of the General Assembly.

So where does all this leave us now?

The international climate is ripe for a just solution to the cause of a people who have waited too long for justice. The time is right to build up the momentum of a drive spearheaded by countries and organisations that strive for peace and justice to recognise the state of Palestine on the basis of the same resolution that sanctioned the creation of Israel and other relevant international resolutions and agreements. As for the status of Jerusalem, as the international resolutions state, it should be resolved by negotiations between the two concerned parties, by which is not meant Israel and the US.

Article 8 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: Protected persons may in no circumstances renounce in part or in entirety the rights secured to them by the present convention. In addition, according to international laws and conventions, upon the termination of a mandate, the mandated territories should be restored to their rightful owners. In the case of Palestine, the land was given to a country that had wrongfully seized the land for the purposes of an operation to import people from across the globe on the basis of a particular ideological/religious affiliation.

Palestine has been subjected to numerous invasions and colonisations over the eons, from the Pharaohs and Assyrians, to the Persians, Greeks, Romans and Byzantines, to the Arab caliphates, the Ottomans and the British, and finally the Israelis after the defeat of 1948. All those peoples had settled in Palestine at one point or another. Do they all have a right to that country?

Palestine in the annals of history is described as an Arab state. It is time to acknowledge this fact by recognising this state as an independent entity with a capital of its own. That project may seem difficult, but history has shown that nothing is impossible. If Israel, in a relatively short period of time, could manage to convince the world in a state project that was fundamentally unjust and had no legal foundation, surely the world can manage to recognise an already existing state that does have a legal foundation. Israel used every means at its disposal towards its ends. Surely, we should deploy the many cards that we possess and that we tend to use just as threats.

* This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly newspaper

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BLOOMFIELD  Add the Bloomfield-Genoa City Fire and Rescue Department to the list of emergency service agencies grappling with a lack of volunteers.

The department sent a crew of two firefighters to a Jan. 3 blaze that destroyed a Pell Lake-area home and displaced a family.

Bloomfield-Genoa City Fire and Rescue Chief Fred Schalow said the department tries to have at least three members available for daytime calls Monday through Friday.

It happens a couple days a month when theres only two people, he said.

It happened Jan. 3 at 2:55 p.m., when a fire was reported at the two-story home of William and Candace Dzierzanowski, N1369 Thistle Road, village of Bloomfield.

Three firefighters who usually respond to daytime calls were in training programs, Schalow said.

The department has 26 members, he said, but 23 of them are part-time, meaning they respond to calls when they can, and they do not cover shifts.

On the Jan. 3 fire, the department got assistance from other fire departments as far away as Woodstock, Illinois.

Bloomfield Village President Gary Grolle said the local fire department is one of many throughout the country experiencing a volunteer shortage.

Grolle said some firefighters have full-time jobs, and some employers may not allow their employees to take time off to respond to fire calls.

Schalow said there are also more training requirements now, and the amount of time spent on training has increased dramatically over the years.

However, Grolle and Schalow said the department received enough help Jan. 3 from other fire departments through the mutual-aid program.

Responding to the first mutual-aid call at 3:08 p.m. were fire departments from Lake Geneva, Fontana, the towns of Linn and Lyons, and the Illinois communities of Richmond and Spring Grove. A second mutual-aid call at 3:50 p.m. brought firefighters from the town of Burlington, Woodstock and Wonder Lake, Illinois.

Authorities believe the fire was caused by a lit candle in the basement.

No injuries were reported.

Lisa McClure, administrative assistant to the Bloomfield Police Department, said the Dzierzanowski family had run an errand, and returned to find their house filled with smoke.

Schalow said the familys two dogs were saved without harm, but a pet parrot died in the fire.

Walworth County real estate records show the property valued at $164,800 for tax purposes.

As crews were working to control the fire, firefighters cut holes into the roof and near the chimney of the home to ventilate hot spots.

The fire department was on site for more than three hours, clearing the scene at 6:15 p.m.

The home was declared a total loss.

Because of the intensity of the fire, Schalow and Bloomfield-Genoa City Capt. Jeremy Tamillo both said they do not believe a larger first-response crew could have changed the outcome of the situation.

It was definitely going pretty well by the time we got there, said Tamillo, one of the first responders.

The Dzierzanowskis could not be reached for comment.

Schalow feels his department can adequately cover the villages of Bloomfield and Genoa City, and the town of Bloomfield, and he believes there are other departments with the same staff numbers covering larger areas.

He also said there is no such thing as having too many firefighters on duty.

Id love to have six around the clock, he said. That would be ideal, but I dont think that would happen.

The budget is also a factor in staffing issues, he said.

The Bloomfield-Genoa City department budget for 2018 is $680,450. Of that, $305,500 pays for full-time salaries.
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While Trumps decision on Jerusalem set a divisive tone to the end of 2017, the new year promises much

2018 arrived, bedecked with the necessary colours and glitter of New Years Eve celebrations and filled with worldwide hopes for a year better than the one that passed. Of course, peoples and nations are not equal in their optimism and pessimism.

There are vast gaps between North and South, First Worlders and Third Worlders, and industrialised nations and agricultural nations or those that depend on their natural resources.

This said, mankind as a whole has some cause for hope. For instance, as we cross the threshold into the new year, indicators point to higher growth rates in the global economic environment. This means increased international trade, higher demands for energy and primary materials and, given the international division of labour, increased mutual dependency between countries.

Also, oil prices have reached a reasonable point for both producers and consumers. At the time of writing, oil cost $65 per barrel, which is not as high as those peak years when the barrel cost $114 and not as low as it was a year ago when it stood at $30.

At the current level, it is neither too burdensome for business and investment ventures that naturally entail fuel and energy outlays. Nor is it too burdensome for oil producing nations where national deficits present an obstacle to growth.

This optimistic outlook is informed by rapid growth in the US and Europe and, on the whole, by the fact that the world appears to have emerged from the 2008 financial crisis and is poised for a major economic boom.

Of course, we need to consider more than the global economic condition, as crucial as it is. Other aspects may be more important, such as international security. This, too, is not that bad.

There is no international war at present, except perhaps that in Yemen which, in essence, is a civil war with an admixture of proxy war on behalf of Iran. At the same time, there are international alliances that had been inconceivable not all that long ago. The Iranian-Turkish-Russian alliance to salvage the Syrian regime is a case in point.

So too is the tacit alliance between this threesome and the US in order to defeat the Islamic State (IS) group. True, the collapse of the self-acclaimed caliphate state has not brought an end to the IS phenomenon, but IS members and terrorists in general are on the run, scrambling for new places in which to impose their terrorism or outsourcing it to lone wolves.

As brutal as it is, the war against terrorism cannot be compared to wars between nations. While the terrorist phenomenon has been described as global, this adjective is more in the nature of a metaphor for its reach.

Many countries have not been effected and while the victims are numerous, their numbers cannot be compared to the tolls of world wars which numbered in the millions. In addition, there is tangible international cooperation in the fight against terrorism, and in other areas.

As 2017 drew to a close, the world seemed tense and sharply divided as the result of Washingtons recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Fourteen countries stood against the US in the Security Council and in the General Assembly only eight out of 128 nations sided with the US.

Nevertheless, after a very short period of time  before the year was out  there was a sign of unity as all 15 members of the Security Council voted in favour of the US-sponsored resolution to impose harsh sanctions on North Korea.

It is interesting to compare this moment to that in 1950 at the time of the split between the north and south of Korea and between the communists and their enemies, precipitating the US intervention in Korea, followed the Chinese intervention and the eruption of a three-year long brutal war. This time, China and Russia sided with the US or, otherwise put, the erstwhile pillars of the Cold War stood together.

In fact, despite frequent talk about the revival of the Cold War between the US and Russia and China, it is important not to overlook the crucial cooperation between these parties in many areas, not least of which is Syria, Iran and counterterrorism. International relations experts agree that the world is no longer based on a bipolar order, as was the case in the Cold War. But nor is it monopolar, centred around the US as the sole superpower following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Not only security realities but, also, economic and technological realities underscore the fact that we are now living in a multipolar world characterised by numerous and proliferating forms of international cooperation. Perhaps 2018 will make this clearer and perhaps the emergent forms of cooperation will affect the management of the war against terrorism, conflicts in the Middle East and the conflict in Ukraine as well.

The positive security and economic dimensions of the picture are bolstered by the huge technological boom that has been described as the fourth technological revolution.

From the vast expanses of the macrocosm to the microcosmic spaces of cancer cells, there is hardly a place where this revolution has not had an impact, giving mankind in general, and industrialised nations in particular, amazing powers and potentials.

It is impossible to predict where this revolution will lead in terms of inter-human and inter-societal relations, but judging by the previous industrial revolutions, it will not treat all peoples and societies equally. For the moment, however, it thrust into 2018, heralding new transformations in modes of production, communications and interactions with the aid of everything from artificial intelligence to smart weapons.

As our Arab region crosses into 2018, it breathes in relief at the defeat of terrorism in Mosul and Raqqa, at the decline of the secessionist trend in Iraqi Kurdistan and at signs of the revival of normality in Iraq as a whole. In addition, the reformist trend in the region has gained fresh impetus with recent transformations in Saudi Arabia which, in the new year, will find new ways to manifest themselves.

While the sudden changes in the kingdom occasioned worldwide amazement, the reform trend has extended to many other Arab countries, if at diverse paces. We see the signs of this in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Kuwait, Bahrain, Tunisia and Algeria, all of which are moving towards more open markets, more encouraging investment climates, and implementing the hard decisions that should have been taken many years ago. The UAE is in the vanguard here and stands as a model for other Arab countries.

If the controversy surrounding Jerusalem, which dominated the end of the foregoing year, was cause for pessimism, the new year offers reasons for optimism in many other areas.

*The writer is chairman of the board, CEO, and director of the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies.

*This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly newspaper

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PRESS RELEASE

Former German Ambassador to China Calls for Dropping Geopolitics, Joining Silk Road

Jan. 4Former German Ambassador to China and current head of the Herbert Quandt Foundation (BMW) Michael Schaefer, calls on Europeans to accept Chinas offer of partnership in the New Silk Road in an interview with Deutsche Wirtschaftsnachrichten.

Schaefer blasts Europes reaction to the New Silk Road policy and accuses the Europeans of projecting their own thinking when they accuse China of hegemonic intentions. Even if not in explicit terms, he calls for rejecting the wrong geopolitical approach in favor of a win-win relationship.

"The geostrategic significance of the Silk Road cannot be underestimated. The Middle Kingdom has set itself to deploy its giant material resources for the expansion of the Chinese economy on the world market. China is carrying out this strategy in an intelligent way, not aggressively but by offering participation to all statesan offer that slowly is being accepted by the small Asian and central Asian countries, whereas in Europe we have a mostly negative reaction, if not a rejection. Here they accuse China of hegemonic intentionsa projection of our own behavior in the last century? "Many Europeans make the big mistake of looking at the relationship with the USA and China as a zero-sum game. But a close relationship with the USA does not at all exclude an interest-based relationship with China. We should not see China as a rival, but rather as a partner in key sectors. I am convinced that China wants to be a partner of the West. At least, China does not pursue military dominance and a geostrategic hegemonic position, but it will defend what it believes are its legitimate interests, in particular its territorial interests, with energy, if necessary also through a projection of its military power."

Schaefer has met Xi Jinping several times, and in 2009, he accompanied him on five-day visit in Germany. Xi, Schaefer says,

"radiates an impressive interior calm, fitting with his policy. He proceeds calmly, unagitated and strategically, making China fit for the challenges in the future. Dont expect a rush job from him. He, like many Chinese, thinks in long time-periods. He is driven by the knowledge that China was the largest national economy in the world until the middle of the nineteenth century, and it will be so again in the future. For the Chinese it is not a matter of ten or twenty years. During his visit to Germany, he showed interest in our development, especially in economic-technological but also in social areas, like no one else I have ever seen."

The Chinese system is one capable of learning, Schaefer says, explaining how it can react more quickly and better than western systems in changing its economic model. Political stability in China will depend on whether the system delivers on its promises.
As the countrys war on terrorism continues, many observers cannot fathom why MPs are proposing new religious laws on doubtful pretexts

Egyptians once again are mourning the victims of a vile terrorist attack, this time on a church in Helwan near Cairo that killed nine innocent people including a police officer and injured four others during religious celebrations preceding Coptic Christmas on 7 January.

Despite heightened security measures and pre-emptive strikes by the security forces, the terrorists were able to strike. However, the security forces managed to avoid a more major incident as they defused an explosive device set to blow up the church, which could have caused a further catastrophe.

Though fighting a ferocious war on terrorism, the Egyptian army and security forces have been largely left to fight the war on their own, with much of the countrys media and many of its institutions acting like spectators or armchair experts whose recommendations may lead to further extremism.

This can be seen in the medias obsession with leading witch-hunts against various figures across the country. Anyone who attempts to mobilise the country in favour of change and reform is met with storms of criticism, witch-hunts, and even lawsuits from media anchors, lawyers and politicians who may utilise loopholes in the law or the blasphemy law to hunt down such reformers.

Not satisfied with the current assortment of unconstitutional laws that contradict the freedom of speech embodied in the 2014 constitution, some MPs are obsessed with proposing even stricter laws that curb freedom of expression and worship in the name of national security. Among these laws proposed by the parliaments Religions Committee is a law that prohibits atheism and introduces prison sentences or fines for those publicly professing it.

MPs unintentionally catering to the needs of extremists under the pretext of upholding ethics are the last thing Egypt needs during its war on terrorism. After all, most Egyptians rose up in 2013 to oust the Muslim Brotherhood and its ilk from power, and many of them cannot fathom why MPs are now proposing strict religious laws on sometimes ridiculous pretexts.

The Religions Committees role on Egypts political scene is vague and contradicts articles of the constitution upholding the freedom of worship and belief. It also serves critics of the government due to its proposals for oppressive laws. The committee is a relic of the past, and it now needs to be consigned to history. Tampering with citizens freedom of belief and expression regardless of the pretext is a one-way ticket to dictatorship and violence.

The MPs were elected to uphold the laws and the constitution while aiming to solve Egypts pressing economic, security and social issues. However, these issues seem to have taken a back seat among the priorities of some MPs who now discuss trifling matters such as video clips on YouTube and waste tax-payers money on proposing laws to combat atheism.

The country is in dire need of a parliament that lives up to the challenges facing it and formulates real strategies to combat the extremism that has afflicted it over the past three decades. At the moment, the Egyptian police and army are fighting the war on terrorism almost alone with no serious backup from the media or politicians except cliched statements of support that are hardly manifested in actions.

Confronting the evil of terrorism must be done by combating all forms of extremism and opening the doors for a secular and liberal society to flourish. That kind of society will be able to shield itself against extremism and terrorism and assist in combating these things more effectively than any new laws. However, unfortunately at the moment the counter-productive status quo that has led to the current wave of extremism is still prevailing within some policy-makers minds as they attempt to use the same worn-out initiatives to deal with terrorism while still expecting positive results.



*This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly

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You might wish you had as much power to affect the environment and the economy as the delta smelt.

Enemies have blamed the tiny freshwater fish for putting farmers out of business across Californias breadbasket, forcing the fallowing of vast acres of arable land, creating double-digit unemployment in agricultural counties, even clouding the judgment of scientists and judges.

During the presidential campaign, the lowly smelt turned up in Donald Trumps gunsights, when he repeated California farmers claim that the government was taking their water supply and shoving it out to sea...to protect a certain kind of three-inch fish.

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The delta smelt is on the brink of extinction. This species...has fallen to the point where it can hardly be found anymore.  Doug Obegi, Natural Resources Defense Council

But the delta smelt couldnt be as powerful as all that. The latest California fish population survey in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which along with San Francisco Bay is the species only habitat, turned up only two delta smelt in four months of trawling from September through December. Thats the lowest count since 1967, and a far cry from the peak of 1,673 in 1970. The count is especially worrisome because it came after a wet year, when higher water flows in the delta should have led to some recovery in the numbers.

The delta smelt is on the brink of extinction, says Doug Obegi, a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council in San Francisco. This species, which is considered the bellwether of the health of the estuary, has fallen to the point where it can hardly be found anymore.

The figures arrive just as the Trump administration is proposing to loosen Endangered Species Act protections for fish in order to maximize water deliveries to users south of the delta  that is, farmers  according to a Dec. 29 announcement by the Interior Dept. .

Obegis point about the smelts role as a bellwether is important. We care about the delta smelt not entirely for itself, but because its health is an indicator of the overall health of the delta ecosystemand the signal it has flashed is alarming. We are facing the harvest of a half-centurys failure to fashion a statewide water policy that serves all the states residentsfarmers, fishermen, city dwellers, and wildlife.

This isnt a battle between the delta and Southern California, says Bill Jennings, chairman of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance. He points to the development of water-hungry crops in the central valley, as well as a history of undervaluing the delta as merely an ecosystem, rather than a contributor to the states economy on many levels. Healthy rivers and estuaries are a public trust, and weve never gone through a formal balancing of the public trust, he told me.

As an estuary, a transition zone where fresh- and seawater meet, the delta is particularly vulnerable to environmental changes that shift the balance of inflows and outflows.

Diverting too much of the freshwater supply to serve downstream farms and urban users allows more brackish water to infiltrate deeper into the delta, placing more stress on freshwater fish such as the smelt, but also on the species that traditionally feed on them, including shad and striped bass. Saltier water ruins agricultural productivity in the delta itself, and has contributed to a series of crashes in the chinook salmon population that has all but destroyed the commercial salmon fishery; last year, fishery authorities closed 200 miles of the West Coast to ocean salmon fishing to protect dwindling populations of chinook.

The diversion of water by itself isnt the cause of the declining fish populations. The delta also has been afflicted by the invasion of non-native species such as the Asian clam, which arrived from China and Japan via ballast water dumped from ocean going vessels and competes with native fish for plankton, their food supply. Return flows from farms into the delta carry a load of toxic chemicals.

Its always hard to separate out water as the sole factor causing the decline, says Peter Moyle, an emeritus professor of biology at UC Davis and an expert on wildlife conservation.

But low environmental flows exacerbate other factors. And those can be traced in part to the advent of the State Water Project in the 1960s and 1970s, along with the older federal Central Valley Project. Through a series of complex agreements, the dams and aqueducts of these projects aimed to transfer water supplies from their natural courses in Northern California to users elsewhere in the state.

The resulting legacy of conflict has been neverending: Those on the receiving end of the transfers tend to see them as theirs by right, even though theyre often constrained by regulations and senior legal rights belonging to others. The situation has not been helped by extended periods of drought, including a five-year dry spell, possibly related to climate change, that ended with a wet 2017. But a seriously dry winter thus far may herald the droughts return.

Amid this turmoil the unassuming delta smelt was taken up by farmers and their political backers as a symbol of how environmental regulations waste water that could better be used to grow crops.

To protect smelt from water pumps, the Wall Street Journal editorialized in 2015, government regulators have flushed 1.4 trillion gallons of water into the San Francisco Bay since 2008. In fact, the Journal has so assiduously attacked the delta smelt that one might almost consider its editorial board to be among the fishs most dangerous natural predators.

The Journals allusion was to a 2008 biological opinion by the federal Fish and Wildlife Service that operations of the Central Valley Project threatened the survival of the smelt, and therefore needed to be reconsidered. (The biological opinion was upheld in 2014 by a federal appeals court.)

But the fate of the smelt itself is a distraction; the real issue is the fate of the delta. And the decline of the smelt tells us its in trouble. While its true that agricultural production in Tulare and Kern counties, which receive water from the delta, is valued at more than $13 billion a year, that has to be weighed against other values needing to be preserved. They include the value of delta farming, commercial and sport fisheries, the health of its residents and their property values.

The possibility of the delta smelts extinction may not mean that the delta ecosystem is in irreversible decline. Populations of striped bass and American shad, among other species, recovered somewhat during the wet 2017, though the numbers still are lower than their heyday in the 1980s. Some experts say that bass and shad should become the new bellwethers of delta health, since smelt have become so sparse they cant even fill that role anymore.

This fish draws so much attention not because they are an indicator of the health of the ecosystem. That will affect not only the delta smelt itself, but other species, and even the health of humans, says Tien-Chieh Hung, director of the fish conservation and culture laboratory at UC Davis, which is trying to cultivate a population of delta smelt for possible restoration in the wild some time in the future.

But protecting the smelt reflects another human imperative. Since the the Endangered Species Act was signed into law in 1973, Hung says, no fish has gone extinct. We dont want this to be the first one.

Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com.

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Two weeks after a law firm said lab tests found cancer-causing asbestos in makeup from Claires, the girls cosmetics and accessories retailer said lab tests it funded proves that the makeup is asbestos-free.

Claires said it will still honor returns from customers feeling uneasy about any of the nine products it took off shelves in reaction to a Dec. 22 news report by WJAR-TV in Providence, R.I. The report said a Rhode Island law firms operations director, Kristi Warner, sent some of her daughters makeup for testing and that it tested positive for tremolite asbestos, which is linked to mesothelioma, a type of cancer.

The Deaton Law Firm specializes in legal issues surrounding mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases.

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In some of our cases, that has included cosmetic products, Warner wrote in an email. Without my work experience, I dont think it would have ever crossed my mind that my daughters play makeup could have asbestos in it. It was important to me that other parents be aware of the hazard.

The firm said it collected 17 samples of Claires makeup from nine states and sent them to North Carolinas Scientific Analytical Institute for testing. Sean Fitzgerald, the institutes director of research and legal services, told the TV reporters that all of the samples tested positive for tremolite asbestos.

Warner said Claires claims that its makeup is free of asbestos are misleading because Claires didnt test any of the 17 samples, and didnt ask for them. Claires asked for the test results and the law firm provided them, Warner said.

Seems difficult to dispute the findings without testing the same samples, Warners email said.

Claires sent an email disputing Fitzgeralds findings and testing methods, and referring to the Deaton Law Firm as a personal injury law firm.

We only learned of the claims after they went to the press, Claires said. We have made multiple requests for Mr. Fitzgeralds detailed test data, but it has not been provided to us. Mr. Fitzgerald also went to the press in July with claims that testing of cosmetics from Justice [another girls retailer] showed evidence of asbestos, which Justice refuted after analysis of a third-party testing lab.

Actually, it seems that in the Justice case, the news media went to Fitzgerald instead of vice versa. A report by Raleigh, N.C., station WTVD-TV said reporters took several samples of childrens makeup to the Scientific Analytical Institute. Their question: Whats in the makeup thats not among the listed ingredients? Fitzgerald told them he found tremolite asbestos in Justices Just Shine Shimmer Powder.

Justice told the station it would pull the product until it could find out more. It later said independent testing showed no asbestos.

Neal writes for the Miami Herald/McClatchy.
Chris Nicholson, 42, is chief executive of Skymind, an artificial intelligence company in San Francisco thats vying with dozens of other start-ups to emerge as a major player in the nascent AI economy. Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and other tech giants now dominate deep learning AI, powering such things as voice-activated personal assistants, image recognition and driverless cars.

Skymind has built open-source programs and assembled a team of experts to help organizations smaller than Google or Apple build their own deep-learning programs. Thousands of start-up wannabees would love to have Skyminds funding  $6.3 million from venture capitalist hotshots such as Ray Lanes GreatPoint Ventures and Chinas Tencent Holdings Ltd.

Embrace new experiences

Montana is a beautiful place, with a lot of wonderful people, the Montana native said. But if theres one adjective youd use to describe it, its remote. For anybody born curious in Montana, the first task is how to expose myself to the world.

At 17, he was selected for the Rotary Youth Exchange program and traveled to the German state of Bavaria, where he developed a love for Europe. He attended Deep Springs College near Bishop in the California desert, with a student body of 26, a place of intense intellectual ferment, where you also learned how to do things with your hands.

He learned meditation living at the San Francisco Zen Center, where he also volunteered at its AIDS hospice. A wild dude he met there persuaded him to relocate to Guatemala, where he helped addicted street kids get off glue.

To explore the income gap between rich and poor countries he studied economics at American University of Paris. It turns out most of economics doesnt really care about that, he said.

Take the best of whats at hand

Nicholson fell in love with an Argentine dancer at the Moulin Rouge. An Argentine reporter lured him into journalism. He pestered the International Herald Tribune for 10 months before the newspaper finally hired him.

His next post was with New York Times DealBook section. He worked out of an apartment at the top of the small tower that cinema buffs will remember from the apartment building in Last Tango in Paris. After two high-stress years, Bloomberg hired him on the mergers and acquisition news team.

At each job, he picked up different skills. I learned basics of reporting at the Herald Tribune. At DealBook I learned to write stories. At Bloomberg I learned how to get scoops.

More success stories from How I Made It 

When you found a start-up, if your job description doesnt change every three months or so, youre doing something wrong.  Chris Nicholson

Know when to quit

In the wake of the Great Recession, journalism didnt feel very healthy, Nicholson concluded. I saw the newspaper business suffering so much, he said. I thought, tech did this to journalism, and I dont want to be on the receiving end of this. I want to be on the other side of the code.

He learned Javascript and Python programming. That didnt make him a coder but did lead to a public relations job in San Francisco at FutureAdvisor, a robo-investing company acquired by BlackRock in 2015 for $200 million.

He lived in a hacker house as one snoring guy in a room with five other snoring guys. There he met Adam Gibson, in his early 20s, a master hacker, Nicholson said. Together they started Skymind in 2014.

Always keep learning

Gibson handled the technology. Nicholson ran everything else: recruiting, team building, fundraising, documentation, incorporation documents, contracts.

Im not saying I did any of it great. But I had to do it well enough to keep the whole ship afloat, Nicholson said. Good enough is the key word. At least one co-founder needs to be at least good enough at about a dozen different things. That frees up the programmers to work toward technical perfection.

Failures are rehearsals

When youre creating and starting a start-up youre making lots of mistakes, he said. You get the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them. When you found a start-up, if your job description doesnt change every three months or so, youre doing something wrong.

The first year of pitching for funds didnt go too well. But all those failed pitches to investors were in fact rehearsals that prepared me for the successful pitches I would eventually make.

A start-up is a community

Now that Skymind has grown to 35 employees, spread across the globe, Nicholson is focusing on team building. Building a company means talking to people a lot. Its an extremely social occupation. I might prefer to read some crazy technical document, but thats not what I need to be doing.

He draws on lessons in building consensus in structured environments that go way back to his experiences at Deep Springs College and the San Francisco Zen Center. Direct democracy doesnt seem to be working anymore, but it does still work at a small level, he said.

Take chances

Nicholson said he encourages Skymind employees to take chances in matters small and large.

Every single time you jump off the cliff, you land someplace unexpected, he said. It never turns out like the dream you had, but you needed the dream to get there.

russ.mitchell@latimes.com
This is the year privacy safeguards finally kick in for consumers after outraged lawmakers wasted no time passing legislation in the wake of the Equifax data breach, which exposed the personal information of more than 145 million Americans.

Im just kidding.

After lots of huffing and puffing for the cameras, Republican lawmakers have blocked all legislation aimed at improving privacy protections or holding companies more accountable for the loss of peoples info.

Contrast this with whats happening in Europe, where, all kidding aside, this year really will mark a major milestone as sweeping new privacy rules, known as General Data Protection Regulation, are implemented throughout the European Union.

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Adding insult to injury, U.S. multinationals will spend big bucks complying with the new European rules and watching the backs of EU residents, while their attention to Americans privacy will be largely unchanged, which is to say theyll make as little effort as legally possible keeping our data under wraps.

Are Americans going to be left behind in terms of privacy? You bet, said Herb Lin, a senior research scholar at Stanford Universitys Center for International Security and Cooperation.

We found out in September that hackers had penetrated Equifaxs defenses and gained access to the names, Social Security numbers, birth dates and addresses of tens of millions of people, which the credit agencys then chief executive, Richard Smith, called a disappointing event for our company.

If Equifax was disappointed, consumers were downright mortified, not least because the hacking apparently was discovered by the company in July and it took them more than a month to notify the public.

During that month, several senior Equifax executives, including the chief financial officer, sold off nearly $2 million worth of stock. After the breach was revealed, the companys share price plunged more than 33%. Equifax insists the execs didnt know about the hacking when they cashed in.

Rep. Greg Walden, the Republican chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, promised at an October hearing to hold Equifax accountable for putting peoples privacy in jeopardy.

Its like the guards at Fort Knox forgot to lock the doors and failed to notice thieves emptying the vaults, he declared, adding that he expected the company to cooperate with particular legislation that arises out of this horrific breach.

As it turned out, it was Walden and other Republicans who chose not to cooperate.

Several bills were introduced by Democratic lawmakers requiring companies to quickly notify customers of a security breach and to provide effective protections, such as no-cost credit freezes.

Those bills went nowhere as Republicans concentrated instead on cutting taxes for Equifax and other corporations, and amid pushback from industry groups, which rejected the prospect of increased oversight and regulation.

The Equifaxes of the world are too powerful, and we have a business-friendly Republican Congress, Lin told me. Theyre loath to impose regulations that could impede commerce.

Yet a free market for peoples personal information is little more than a shopping mall for hackers. There have been nearly 8,000 known data breaches since 2005 involving more than 10 billion records, according to San Diegos Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

Thats a high price to pay for unimpeded commerce.

Now look at Europe and the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, which takes effect in May.

The basic idea behind the law is that life is different in the digital age and we need rules that reflect the changed circumstances and that can help the little guy stand up to corporate behemoths seeking to profit from peoples data.

The GDPR is a monumental step forward, said Bart Huffman, a partner in the Information Technology, Privacy and Data Security Group of the international law firm Reed Smith. He called this a watershed moment for privacy law.

Among the more noteworthy elements of the European rules:

Companies must obtain consent from customers before using or sharing their personal information, and this approval must be sought in clear, easily understood language. Companies must make it similarly easy for a customer to withdraw consent, if desired.

Customers must be notified of any security breach within 72 hours if the privacy incursion is likely to result in a risk for the rights and freedoms of individuals, which is a sufficiently broad definition as to require notice in virtually all instances.

Consumers have a right to know how their personal data is being used and to receive a free copy of any such information held by a business.

There is a right to be forgotten  that is, an individual can require that a business erase his or her data and make no further use of it.

Perhaps most important, the General Data Protection Regulation has teeth. A violation of the law can result in a fine of up to 20 million euros ($24 million) or 4% of the companys annual global revenue, whichever is greater.

As an example of whats at stake, Apple reported $229 billion in worldwide sales in the fiscal year that ended in September. Four percent of that total is about $9 billion.

Kristen Eichensehr, an assistant professor at UCLA School of Law who specializes in cybersecurity issues, said the Europeans begin any privacy discussion with a presumption that individuals have a right to control their personal information.

We dont have a similar right in this country, she observed.

For that reason, Eichensehr said, its hard to imagine much of what Europe is doing being implemented in the U.S.

Every expert I spoke with said the same. In the current political climate, theres virtually no chance of enacting privacy protections at the federal level. Instead, it will be up to states to pass whatever pro-consumer rules they can muster.

Thats good news for Equifax.

Youre pretty much on your own.

David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com.
Did the Writers Guild of America awards voters just not see the late-arriving The Post in enough numbers to reward it? Or is its omission a sign of awards-season trouble for Steven Spielbergs period drama?

Welcome to the Gold Standard, the newsletter from the Los Angeles Times that helps guide you through the ins and outs of the awards season leading up to the Oscars.

Im Glenn Whipp, The Times awards columnist and your newsletter host.

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WGA nominations reward a diverse set of films

The Writers Guild announced its nominations Thursday.

The nominees for original screenplay are The Big Sick, written by Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani; Get Out, written by Jordan Peele; I, Tonya, written by Steven Rogers; Lady Bird, written by Greta Gerwig; and The Shape of Water, written by Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor.

The nominees for adapted screenplay are Call Me by Your Name, screenplay by James Ivory; The Disaster Artist, screenplay by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber; Logan, screenplay by Scott Frank, James Mangold and Michael Green; Mollys Game, screenplay by Aaron Sorkin; and Mudbound, screenplay by Virgil Williams and Dee Rees.

Before you ask: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri wasnt eligible, because the film wasnt a guild signatory. Expect to see it among the Oscar nominees, though. Also ineligible: Coco and Darkest Hour. (Im not expecting the academy to recognize either movie for writing.)

Last year, three of the five WGA nominees in each category went on to earn Oscar nominations. The percentages could be better this year, which would be bad news, as I mentioned, for The Post. Spielbergs movie also failed to register with Screen Actors Guild voters, a stunning development for a group that has always worshipped Meryl Streep, who plays Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham in the film.

This could simply be a case of the movie screening too late before the guilds voting deadlines. The movie did score six Golden Globes nominations, and its profile could be raised should it win a trophy or two Sunday at the ceremony.

Right now, though, theres a feeling the film has left many underwhelmed, particularly when compared with Spotlight, the 2015 journalism drama that won the best picture Oscar.

Dunkirk writer-director Christopher Nolan. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times )

Christopher Nolan serves really good Earl Grey tea

But you probably knew that already about the tea. I spoke to the Dunkirk director on a wide range of subjects, including his belief in the power of the collective, his love for Blade Runner old and new, and why he thinks a 7-year-old is the perfect audience for Stanley Kubricks 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Nolan has never been nominated for an Oscar as a director. If he somehow misses for Dunkirk, an acclaimed blockbuster that grossed $525 million worldwide, he may well never be nominated.

Jordan Peele and Greta Gerwig at the recent Los Angeles Times Envelope directors roundtable. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times )

Which directors will join Nolan as Oscar nominees?

I also wrote about this years Oscar race for director, predicting Nolan, Jordan Peele (Get Out), Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water and Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards) as the nominees.

I have McDonagh in the fifth slot, but it could just as easily be Luca Guadagnino for Call Me by Your Name. (Or Spielberg. By no means am I writing him off.) Three Billboards and Call Me by Your Name each have their fans. For Guadagninos film, its the intimacy; for McDonaghs, the anger. Given the outrage that permeates our times, Im giving the edge to anger.

Follow our Golden Globes coverage on Sunday

Will Lady Bird sweep all four of its categories? What movie will win in drama? And will the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. voters rubber-stamp the Emmys and reward The Handmaids Tale and Big Little Lies, or will its members go their own way?

You can read my predictions here. For The Times complete Golden Globes coverage, head over here beginning Sunday.

Film Stars at Envelope Screening Series

Times film critic Justin Chang spoke with Annette Bening and Jamie Bell from the drama Film Stars Dont Die in Liverpool as part of the Envelope Screening Series. When you hear Bening explain why she fell in love with actress Gloria Grahame, whom she plays in the film, you might too.

Feedback?

Id love to hear from you. Email me at glenn.whipp@latimes.com.

Cant get enough about awards season? Follow me at @glennwhipp on Twitter.

glenn.whipp@latimes.com

Twitter: @glennwhipp
Family Flicks Pedro Gonzalez-Rubios 2009 semi-documentary Alamar chronicles the blissful and bittersweet two weeks a father and his 5-year-old son spend on the idyllic Mexican atoll, Banco Chinchorro, in the Caribbean, before the boy goes to live in Rome with his Italian-born mother. In Spanish and some Italian with English subtitles. UCLA Film & Television Archive, Billy Wilder Theatre, Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 206-8013. Jan. 7, 11 a.m. Free. www.cinema.ucla.edu/events

Culture Vulture The successful local revival last summer at the Pacific Resident Theatre of playwright Eugene Ionescos absurdist mid-20th century political satire Rhinoceros was due in part to the plays timely social and political themes. The play made a less successful transition to film in Broadway director Tom OHorgans 1974 adaptation, but the reunion of comedy maestros Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder (The Producers) is still fun. Laemmle Royal, West L.A.; Playhouse 7, Pasadena; Town Center 5, Encino; Claremont 5, Claremont. Jan. 8, 7:30 p.m. $16; $13 for ages 62+. www.laemmle.com/culturevulture

Occidental In French-Algerian artist Neil Beloufas second feature film, a gay couple take refuge in the Hotel Occidental as the streets of Paris erupt in violence during a political protest. The hotel staff becomes suspicious of the couple in a satire that plays on xenophobia, homophobia, and the genuine underlying fear of living in a city repeatedly targeted by terrorists. In French with English subtitles. Acropolis Cinema, Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main St., Los Angeles. Jan. 9, 8 p.m. $12. www.acropoliscinema.com

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Rembrandt Alexander Kordas 1936 biographical drama stars Charles Laughton as the 17th century Dutch Master and covers the last three decades of the artists life including the death of his beloved wife (Gertrude Lawrence) and his healing relationship with the lovely Hendrickje (played by Laughtons real-life wife, Elsa Lanchester). The museum currently has two Rembrandt exhibitions. Norton Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 449-6840. Jan. 12, 6 p.m. Free with admission to the museum. www.nortonsimon.org

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

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The traffic circle outside the Beverly Hilton hotel was overrun with plastic and unfurled carpets Thursday morning, while the fountain at the center continued to gush uninterrupted.

Inside, the hotels International Ballroom was transformed into a construction site, eight oversize gilded spheres adorning the far walls providing the only hint of whats to come on Sunday when the annual Golden Globe Awards take place here.

Workers in T-shirts and hoodies put finishing touches on the stage, credentials dangling from their necks as they bent to install lights on the stairs. Three bright orange ladders cluttered the stage, bold and out-of-place among the elegant black and silver lights. Overall, the ballroom looked more like a Home Depot than a place where hundreds of Hollywoods biggest stars will soon gather.

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If you see a sea of black, its going to make a statement. Its going to say things have to change, that this is the death of everything that came before.  Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. member Margaret Gardiner

First-time Globes host Seth Meyers was on hand to witness the initial set-up as a murmur of voices and the erratic din of a drill filled the air behind him.

I think this might be the best room for comedy, said Meyers, who has also hosted the Emmys, the ESPYs and the White House Correspondents Assn. Dinner. Theres, like, one too many chandeliers and hopefully theyll get rid of the ladders, but its good, its a smaller room. I think once people stop talking at the top of the show, which they do no matter whos hosting, you feel like you can actually connect with them, he joked.

Its Golden Globe Awards preview day at the Beverly Hilton. (Jesse Goddard / Los Angeles Times)

Meyers follows in the footsteps of fellow Saturday Night Live alums turned Globes hosts Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Jimmy Fallon.

I talked to Tina and Amy a lot, he said. I was lucky enough to be here when they hosted, so that was a real education. Just being near those guys is great, and Jimmy as well. Were in the same building and I see him a fair amount and he was very helpful when this came up as well.

Meyers was quick to dispel the notion of any rivalry between the late-night hosts, all of whom are regularly tapped to emcee major awards shows.

Its a very nice era, from what Ive heard about previous eras, to be a late-night host, Meyers said. We all get along pretty well, and we all reach out when people do things that were impressed with and that happens a lot.

The executive producers of the show also seemed confident in Meyers ability to bring the same signature wit to this gig that he does to hosting Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Seth was a writer on the show through all the Tina and Amy hosting stints and he is really somebody who understands this room, said Barry Adelman, an executive producer of the show and executive vice president of television at Dick Clark Productions. He understands the culture, hes topical, hes smart, hes clever, and I think he will take on whatever needs to be taken on in great style.

He is so smart and politically aware, agreed Meher Tatna, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn., which bestows the Globes. And hes funny. He makes me laugh every night.

2018 Golden Globe Ambassador Simone Garcia Johnson, center, took part in a panel discussion with GlobalGirl Media alumna Precious Fasakin, left, and 2016 Miss Golden Globe Corinne Foxx during Golden Globes preview day at the Beverly Hilton hotel. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times )

Following the red carpet rollout, the HFPA hosted a media luncheon in the hotels Stardust ballroom with newly named 2018 Golden Globe Ambassador Simone Garcia Johnson.

Garcia Johnson, the daughter of Dwayne The Rock Johnson, was part of a panel discussion with others including previous Miss Golden Globe Corinne Foxx (daughter of Jamie Foxx) and HFPA member Margaret Gardiner, about role models, womens rights and the Times Up movement, and growing up with a famous dad. Garcia Johnson is the shows first ambassador since it phased out the titles Mr. and Miss Golden Globe in 2017.

I feel like this particular show is going to be really special with the #MeToo movement and all the women that are coming together, said Garcia Johnson. Im really interested to see where Hollywood goes after this and I think its going to be a really great change.

Garcia Johnson and Gardiner said they planned to wear black to the ceremony in solidarity with other stars who will be protesting gender inequality and sexual harassment via fashion.

Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. member Margaret Gardiner, right, with 2018 Golden Globe Ambassador Simone Garcia Johnson, left, and 2016 Miss Golden Globe Corinne Foxx during a panel discussion at Golden Globes preview day at the Beverly Hilton hotel. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times )

I think this is a wonderful way to look at the red carpet, said Gardiner, a former Miss Universe. If you see a sea of black, its going to make a statement. Its going to say things have to change, that this is the death of everything that came before. Were in a new era.

Meyers said that he, too, would wear black and hinted that he plans to address the recent spate of sexual harassment and assault allegations in his monologue but would not go into further detail.

I can only tell you that were having a lot of conversations about it and about getting the tone right, he said. But also knowing that we need to address it and hopefully we can find that right way to do that.

sonaiya.kelley@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @sonaiyak

UPDATES:

10:25 a.m.: This article was updated with additional comments from Seth Meyers about how the Golden Globes Awards show would address the recent spate of sexual harassment and assault allegations.

This article was originally published at 8:25 a.m.
The original Marche Moderne may have been the perfect neighborhood restaurant, if you stretch the idea of neighborhood a bit: a sprawling French bistro reached by a short ride up the very swankest escalator in the toniest corner of South Coast Plaza. You could stop by after an afternoon of shopping for a glass of Champagne and a few oysters if you leaned that way, have a long, winey lunch with sweetbreads and a composed salad, or come in at night for what was probably the Southlands most compelling bouillabaisse.

Amelia and Florent Marneau, the proprietor and chef, seemed to know everybody in their restaurant, and you occasionally felt as if Florents dark, musky coq au vin existed as a personal favor to you rather than as one of the most popular things on the menu. You always felt like sipping Calvados after a slice of the apple tart. The cheeses were pretty much the same ones you saw at any other ambitious French restaurant in town, but they always came to the table at the proper ripeness. It always felt like a secret, this lovely bistro hidden in its giant mall.

Marche Moderne closed last January, set to move to more palatial quarters in the Crystal Cove area of Newport Beach. The wait lasted until September. A friend took to driving by the place, in the space that used to hold the posh Indian restaurant Tamarind, to figure out when it might open.

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Did it translate to the beach? The new Marche Moderne has all the accouterments of a grand modern restaurant, the vast open kitchen and the oversized flower arrangements; the enormous bowls of crushed ice holding Champagne; the heavy Laguiole steak knives and the vintage red Berkel, the 50s-era meat slicer that every chef knows is the most glamorous way to shave transparent curls of meat from a well-aged ham.

Important courses are rushed to the table in gleaming copper saucepans, which most of the customers have probably priced out at Williams-Sonoma. Tablecloths are ironed and white. The high, beamed ceilings are of the sort you might expect in an Aspen ski chateau. Most of the customers valet park although there is free strip mall parking literally three steps away.

Grilled prime hanger steak, hand-slated spices and shallot jus frites. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times )

Have you ever wondered who buys those pale dresses at South Coast Plaza, the ones that somehow combine a bodycon countour with the dreamy floatiness of Stevie Nicks stage wardrobe circa 1983? Theyre at dinner here, wishing there was a bit more fennel pollen on the roasted beet salad and picking at the tuna tartare.

Everybody is happy enough at Marche Moderne, which is just across the highway from a lovely beach and minutes from a swift private toll road. There are well-iced oysters, radishes with seaweed butter, and a chopped salad with feta, mint and avocado, plus just enough kale to convince you of its ultimate healthfulness. The wine list is on a leatherbound e-tablet. The music is discreet. The detailed menu entries are in English, spiked with short French translations at their end, in case youd rather order canard fume than smoked duck.

Marneau spent nearly his entire career cooking in high-end Orange County French restaurants, at Pascal, Aubergine and Pinot Provence before opening the first Marche Moderne in 2007. He acknowledges his past in the opening menus at the new restaurant  a nicely charred octopus glazed with pureed Spanish chorizo from the first Marche Moderne in 2010; smoked duck breast with honey and turnips from Aubergine circa 1994; and a rich, wintry dish of rabbit and chunky handmade noodles braised with mustard and cream from Pascal in 1991. One imagines he would be comfortable with haute cuisine.

Still, he seems most comfortable as a polished bistro chef. You will find the briefly seared hamachi, the shishito peppers with white miso, and the Thai-ish coconut-inflected salmon that you might expect from a modish small-plates restaurant. But clearly his heart is in classical French preparations, things like properly roasted marrowbones drizzled with thick, winy demiglace; a celery-root soup poured around a carefully composed arrangement of crabmeat and hazelnuts; or crisp-skinned duck confit with a splash of Banyuls vinegar and burnt-edged caramelized figs.

A hash of grilled scallops, tiny fried potatoes and quail eggs? Of course. Tuna tartare with yuzu and avocado sorbet, or ravioli stuffed with a gamy mass of foie gras? Youll find better. The mussels, both times Ive had them, have been slightly tired. The risotto is the French kind, swamped with butter, richer than you can imagine  I liked a small, delicate version with crab that was a special one evening, but the risotto with uni and langoustine can be overwhelming.

You will always find foie gras at Marche Moderne, in the form of a smooth, cool terrine with preserved cherries, a bit of gingerbread and a dusting of Sichuan pepper, and also sauteed, perhaps perched on a chunk of cakey bread, topped with a tangle of shredded turnip pickle, and sauced with velvety pureed parsnip.

But the grilled USDA prime hanger steak is wonderful, crusted and crisp but a perfect, drippy pink inside, served with a bowl of skinny, perfectly crisp French fries. There is a kind of schnitzel of pounded pork with tiny roast Brussels sprouts and a sticky sauce flavored with appley Calvados. And that copper pan of coq au vin, wine reduced with mushrooms, tiny onions and chunks of bacon to near-blackness, is as splendid as it ever was in the mall.

Do you forgive the blancmange with green tea, lime and pungent mango for being much closer to a layered creme brulee than to the classic French nursery dessert? You do  its comfort comes from a different place, but it is no less lovingly made.

Marche Moderne

The French restaurant from husband-and-wife chefs Florent and Amelia Marneau reopens in a shopping mall across the PCH from the ocean

Location: 7862 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach, (714) 434-7900, marchemoderne.net.

Prices: Charcuterie $11-$33; salads and starters $8-$29; main courses $26-$49; desserts $11-$12.

Details: 5-10 p.m. nightly. Credit cards accepted. Full bar. Valet and lot parking.

Recommended dishes: Suckling pig with beans; crab risotto; coq au vin; grilled hanger steak; rabbit in mustard sauce.
Newsroom employees of the Los Angeles Times voted Thursday on whether to form a union.

Employees began casting ballots at 10 a.m. at The Times offices in downtown Los Angeles and Fountain Valley in an election held by the National Labor Relations Board. Those who work outside those offices were to able vote by mail.

Election results are expected to be announced Jan. 19. If a simple majority votes for the union, nearly 400 journalists would be represented.

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A group of more than 40 Times journalists launched efforts last year to have the NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America represent employees in collective bargaining.

Organizers are calling for regular raises as well as improved benefits and job protections. The management of The Times had urged employees to vote no, arguing a union would not benefit employees.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek
The kidnappers plotted for months. They used disguises and a rented van, burner phones and surveillance cameras.

The target: a gregarious 28-year-old marijuana dispensary owner who lived a block from the ocean in Newport Beach.

The myth: He had $1 million in cash buried in the Mojave Desert that, faced with enough pain, he would lead them to.

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They came for him at his 25th Street home before dawn on Oct. 2, 2012, blindfolded him and dragged him and a housemate, Mary Barnes, into the back of the waiting van.

He could not see their faces as they took him on a 142-mile journey into the desert, beat him, tortured him with a stun gun and a blowtorch, doused him with bleach and laughed as they severed his penis.

Prosecutors said Kyle Handley, a Fountain Valley pot dealer, had acted as the driver. Jurors deliberated less than two hours Thursday before convicting the 38-year-old of kidnapping, aggravated mayhem and torture in connection with the crime.

During Handleys trial, which began in mid-December, Barnes testified that after the attackers left her and the dispensary owner in the desert, she staggered to a highway and was spotted by a Kern County sheriffs deputy. She led authorities to the dispensary owner, who survived and testified at Handleys trial. The Times, according to policy, does not identify sexual assault victims.

Prosecutors described the dispensary owner as a genuinely nice man who had no criminal history. He had been known to carry large amounts of cash, however, in part because marijuana remains a business that legally cannot use the banking system.

The kidnappers never found a stash of money in the desert, which Senior Deputy District Atty. Matt Murphy compared to Ali Babas treasure.

Murphy said that Handley, a pot grower, had sold the dispensary owner some of his marijuana and had accompanied him during jaunts to Las Vegas, but had vanished from his life during the months he helped plot the crime.

Following the kidnapping, Newport Beach detectives found a neighbor of the victims who reported having seen Handleys dented white pickup truck at the scene. Police found the truck, reeking of bleach, at Handleys house  along with zip ties that resembled those used on the victims.

Police also discovered that cameras used to surveil the dispensary owner had been sent to Handleys home, and law enforcement license-plate readers repeatedly had registered Handleys truck near the victims home in the months preceding the abduction.

Key to the prosecutions case was the testimony of Cortney Shegerian  the former wife of Hossein Nayeri, the alleged mastermind of the plot. Shegerian testified that she heard Nayeri and Handley playing with a blowtorch two weeks before the abduction, and that Handley was one of the few people Nayeri trusted.

Shegerian testified that surveilling the dispensary owner became Nayeris 100 percent focus. Days before the abduction, she said, she bought four burner phones at Nayeris direction, and helped Handley set one of them up.

Shegerian said she was aware Nayeri was watching the dispensary owner, as well as the owners parents, who had a dog that barked. Shegerian  who was a law student at the time and is now a lawyer  testified that Nayeri wanted to kill the dog with a poisoned hamburger patty and that she acquired meat for the purpose. She said Nayeri wore gloves while handling the skillet that cooked it.

During cross-examination by defense attorney Robert Weinberg, Shegerian said she did not recall some details of the poisoned-patty episode. I personally do not remember if Im the one that made the patty and put it on the skillet, she said. Weinberg argued that her vagueness on that point undermined her credibility.

The dog, a pit bull mix, was unharmed.

Murphy argued that authorities only knew about the poisoned patty because Shegerian had volunteered the information. The prosecutor said she had been in a long, twisted, emotionally abusive relationship with Nayeri.

The prosecutor said that Shegerian initially was totally uncooperative with detectives and had lied to police to protect Nayeri after he led Newport Beach police on a high-speed chase. To avoid prosecution, Shegerian agreed to cooperate with authorities and had helped lure Nayeri out of Iran so they could arrest him. From our perspective, shes a hero, Murphy said.

Weinberg said prosecutors had presented the evidence against Handley from a myopic point of view. He raised the possibility that Nayeri had been driving Handleys truck on the days it was spotted near the victims house. Weinberg said Nayeri specialized in shifting blame to others and had selected Handley as a perfect fall guy.

Murphy described Nayeri as a psycho and a human parasite, but said that Handley freely participated in the abduction plot. When was the last time you loaned your car to somebody 14 times in the space of five or six months and didnt know what it was used for? Murphy asked jurors.

Handleys conviction carries a life term, and Orange County Superior Court Judge Gregg Prickett is expected to sentence him on March 23.

Nayeri and co-defendant Ryan Kevorkian, along with Kevorkians ex-wife, Naomi Rhodus, are awaiting trial in the case.

christopher.goffard@latimes.com

UPDATES:

7:p.m.: This article has been updated throughout

5:25 p.m.: This article was updated to add the name of a defendant.

This article originally published at 4:55 p.m.
A Mexican national who was acquitted in the fatal shooting of Kathryn Steinle was sentenced Friday to three years in prison on a lesser gun charge, but will get credit for time served.

Jose Ines Garcia Zarate was convicted on a single count of being a felon in possession of a firearm in November. Jurors had deliberated for several days before returning the verdict in the trial of the immigrant who is in the U.S. illegally, had been deported five times and freed under sanctuary laws before the fatal shooting.

Steinles death became a flash point in the national debate over people in the U.S. illegally and the role of local police in enforcing federal immigration laws. Steinle was shot in the back in July 2015 as she walked with her father on San Franciscos Pier 14, near Embarcadero and Mission streets. Less than an hour later, Garcia Zarate, a seven-time felon, was arrested about a mile away from the shooting scene.

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The verdict last year brought swift response from President Donald Trump, who had cited the slaying during his campaign to make his case for building a wall across the U.S.-Mexico border and to punish cities he accused of not cooperating with immigration enforcement.

At one point, he referred to Garcia Zarate as this animal who shot that wonderful, that beautiful, woman in San Francisco.

In March 2015, when Garcia Zarate finished his third federal prison term for felony reentry into the United States from Mexico, he was turned over to San Francisco authorities on a decades-old bench warrant alleging marijuana possession. Prosecutors declined to file charges.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement asked to be notified prior to his release, but city officials did not comply because Garcia Zarate did not meet their criteria, set in 2013, for turning over people to immigration officials.

He was freed.

The tragedy focused a harsh light on San Franciscos status as a sanctuary city, and prompted several Republican presidential candidates to call on the federal government to punish such municipalities.

Federal authorities charged Garcia Zarate with immigration and gun violations in December. ICE has said it will take custody of Garcia Zarate once his case concluded.

He will be represented by J. Tony Serra on the federal harges. Serra is known for defending Chinatown gangster Raymond Shrimp Boy Chow.

Matt Gonzalez, chief attorney of the San Francisco Public Defenders Office and Garcia Zarates lawyer in the state case, said Garcia Zarate couldnt be in better hands with Serra.

Mr. Garcia Zarate is grateful to have been exonerated of murder, as he has no history of violence. He is also grateful to Tony Serra for taking his case, Gonzalez said in a statement.

In an interview with reporters outside the courtroom Friday, San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi called the case a tremendous tragedy that has been compounded by a president and attorney general who are really spitting in the face of justice.

Adachi called the federal charges a vindictive prosecution. He was joined by Serra, who promised to vigorously defend Garcia Zarate.

This is retaliatory, Serra said of the federal case. Shame on the federal government. Shame on the Trump administration.

Staff writers Alene Tchekmedyian and Brittny Mejia contributed to this report.

sarah.parvini@latimes.com

Twitter: @sarahparvini

UPDATES:

1 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from attorneys after the sentencing.

This article was originally published at 12:40 p.m.
An American Airlines flight from San Jose to Dallas was temporarily delayed Friday morning after a flight crew on another aircraft reported seeing flames from one of the jetliners engines.

The Boeing 737-800 twin-engine plane was on the runway preparing to take off when a pilot on a Delta Air Lines flight lined up behind the American Airlines jet alerted air traffic controllers to a possible problem.

 Pilot reports seeing flames coming from American Airlines Flight 1318.

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According to airport radio traffic recordings, the Delta pilot first attempted to alert the American jet: This is Delta right behind you. Looks like you got flame in your right engine, your No. 2 engine.

An air traffic controller repeated, American 1318, be advised the aircraft behind you reports you have a flame coming out of one of your engines. Delta 2988 transmit to American and tell them which engine it is.

The Delta pilot continued, You have flame coming out the back. Thats not normal. I dont know what your indications are inside but, uh, it looks like you have a flame. I dont know whats going to happen if you push to thrust but you might want to take a peek at this, see what you got going on the inside.

Its not a big flame, guys, but obviously you got some residual fuel and right now its starting to peter out a little bit. Ive been on the 7-fleet for 11-plus years, Ive never seen anything like that, the Delta pilot said, referring to the Boeing 700-series aircraft.

The American Airlines pilot thanked the Delta pilot for the alert and said his planes instruments didnt show anything out of the ordinary. But the jet did return to the gate for further inspection.

At the gate, an emergency crew also didnt detect any evidence of smoke or fire.

The aircraft went back to the gate, they did a test of the engine itself, and the flight departed on that same aircraft, said Ross Feinstein, an American Airlines spokesman.

The flight was delayed about 90 minutes and took off just before 8 a.m. It was expected to arrive in Dallas about 11 a.m. Pacific time.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.
Social service workers knew that homeless people sometimes lived in a ravine near Sepulveda Boulevard and the 405 Freeway  the suspected ignition point of a wildfire that scorched Bel-Air last month  but the encampment was never on the Los Angeles Fire Departments radar.

Now, fire officials said they would begin surveying encampments in about 20% of the city, including Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, Sherman Oaks, Sunland-Tujunga and Mount Washington.

We want those people in these [fire] zones to voluntarily move, Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said. Its as clear cut as that. This is a public safety issue; this is a trespassing issue.

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The survey, which should take about a week to complete, is part of a broader effort to clear the makeshift homes hidden in Los Angeles hillsides and ravines, and prevent accidental blazes. The effort comes amid a surge in the citys homeless population and rising concern over wildfire risk.

Fire officials will survey homeless encampments in high-risk fire zones in 47 station districts. The Fire Department will notify property owners for action, and they in turn can call police. If the site is owned by the city or county, homeless service providers may visit.

Terrazas said theres never been an organized, systemic approach for city agencies to deal with encampments. He said the survey would be updated periodically throughout the year.

The citys homeless services agency already monitors homeless people in hillside encampments and sends workers to encourage them to move to shelters.

Victor Hinderliter, associate director for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, described the new city strategy as formalizing the process for dealing with hillside encampments.

The number of homeless in Los Angeles County currently stands at about 58,000 people, according to the latest count.

In the West L.A. service area  including Bel-Air and Brentwood  the homeless population is 5,511.

Six homes were destroyed and a dozen others damaged in the December Skirball fire. Officials say the blaze started at a homeless camp near the 405 Freeway in the Sepulveda Pass. The department has no suspects. The size of the encampment before the fire could not be determined because the area was so badly burned.

Photos taken of the Sepulveda encampment in September and shared with The Times showed a cluster of green tarpaulins suspended in a canyon and partially hidden by treetops and brush.

Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority spokesman Tom Waldman said an outreach team had not visited the ravine for at least a few months and possibly as long as a year.

Mayor Eric Garcetti said Friday that bones found at the camp were initially feared to be human remains, but turned out to be from an animal.

Asked why a homeless person would want to leave their encampment in a high-risk fire zone, Garcetti said, To not die in a fire.

This is about saving their lives as well, he added.

dakota.smith@latimes.com

Twitter: @dakotacdsmith
Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Michelle King, whose four-month medical leave for cancer treatment left a leadership gap at a school system facing challenges on numerous fronts, wont return to her position and plans to retire later this year, the district announced Friday.

Kings move means the new majority on the Board of Education, the first elected with substantial support from charter school backers, will immediately move to the job of selecting a leader for the nations second-largest school district.

Picking a leader is widely regarded as the most important task for a school board, and Kings exit occurs during a period of momentous challenge and change. The school system faces a long-term budget deficit, expired labor contracts and a rift between traditional educators and backers of charter schools, which are privately operated and growing in number. L.A. Unified already has more charters than any other school system.

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Charters and district schools compete directly for students and the funding that comes with them. The new board majority is attempting a delicate balancing act: strengthening traditional schools while also supporting the expansion of more charter schools. Kings replacement will be at the center of both priorities.

King was appointed by an earlier school board majority that at times had clashed with charter school advocates, and her longevity as superintendent after last years election had been an open question.

In a statement, King revealed she is undergoing treatment for undisclosed form of cancer.

With the progression of my illness, I have made the incredibly difficult decision to retire by June 30, King said. Until then, I will remain on medical leave.

I am very thankful for the outpouring of support I have received from the entire L.A. Unified family, our community partners and my colleagues across the nation, King added. As I aggressively fight this illness, I ask that you continue to keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

In a joint statement, the Board of Education praised King as an exemplary educator, inspirational role model and steadfast leader.

Having dedicated her career to the district, it is now time for Dr. King to focus her incredible strength and energy on her health, the statement said. We wholeheartedly support her decision to retire, and will continue to keep her in our thoughts and prayers as she faces the challenges ahead.

Kings decision to step down came amid growing questions about when she would be returning and a growing clamor for the school district to be more forthcoming about her condition. Some, both inside and outside the district, expressed concern about the districts direction in her absence.

In the short term, the new leader will be the same person who has been in charge since mid-October, Acting Supt. Vivian Ekchian. Like King, Ekchian is a career insider who rose through the ranks.

Because senior officials have praised her performance, Ekchian is likely to be a candidate for the permanent job. Another name that has come up in discussions within and outside of the district is Chief Academic Officer Frances Gipson. She has attracted support among some outside civic leaders. But the school board is almost certain to look extensively outside the system as well.

The Board of Education selected King in January 2016. A career L.A. Unified employee, she rose with consistently good reviews to the No. 2 leadership position but had never led a school district. She brought to the job strong internal support but a certain discomfort in the spotlight and a degree of inaccessibility, even before her ailment, that contrasted with her predecessors.

Kings major accomplishment was pushing the graduation rate to record levels by allowing students to quickly make up credits for failed classes. Her major initiative going forward has been to expand the number of schools with special programs to offset declining enrollment caused by the growth of independently operated charter schools.

King didnt have any home-run accomplishments, but she didnt have any disasters, either, said Tyrone Howard, a UCLA education professor and director of the schools Black Male Institute. There arent major controversies or disasters that fell in her lap or that she created, he said. She kept the ship steady.

Howard also praised Kings diplomacy regarding charter schools: She showed support for both sides in ways that I dont think was easy.

Last June, the school board voted 6 to 1 to extend Kings contract through June 2020. Board members cited her performance and a need for stability going forward. The action also limited the immediate effect of a new majority that was set to take control in July. It became more politically difficult for the new majority to oust King and to select their own choice.

She brought some stability back and it was important, said Pedro Noguera, a professor at UCLAs education school. Her leadership style is very comforting to people of all kinds. Even when they disagree, no one ever felt she was a mean or vindictive person.

The announcement by King, 56, ended much of the mystery that had shrouded her absence. King had difficulty moving about during her last board meeting Sept. 12. She was using a cane to move around and was in obvious discomfort. Its still not clear  based on the limited information provided  if her cancer was the underlying issue or if she had other health problems as well. Early on, there was an unofficial account that she had been injured in a zip-lining accident while on vacation with her family.

King has been on medical leave for an undisclosed condition since September. In her most recent public communication, in October, King had said she would return after the first of the year. She was more specific in a confidential December communication to the Board of Education, saying shed be back Jan. 22.

Earlier this week, the district was vague about when King would return. On Thursday, however, a spokeswoman said the superintendent was scheduled to return Jan. 22, based on the paperwork of her medical leave. It also was clear that district officials had doubts about whether King could keep to this schedule or even whether she would return at all.

It will fall to the districts next superintendent, Noguera said, both to improve local schools and build the publics confidence in them.

King wasnt there long enough to bring about the improvements that would lead to that strength, he said. Thats the work that the next person is going to have to take on.

howard.blume@latimes.com

joy.resmovits@latimes.com

Times staff writer Sonali Kohli contributed to this report.

UPDATES:

4:20 p.m.: This post was updated with more details throughout.

Originally posted at 2:50 p.m.
For the steady stream of customers waiting to see a budtender Thursday at a Santa Ana pot store, U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions broadside against recreational pot was more a bummer than a buzzkill.

People were annoyed  but not terribly surprised that California, once again, would be going to battle in the cultural wars with the Trump administration.

This is an attempt to take us back to the 50s, where youre a criminal if you use, said Craig Burns, 66, who came up from Laguna Beach to buy pot at 420 Central dispensary. But now, even somebody who follows their states law is a criminal. Its going backwards.

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Customer Lyn Terry, a 45-year-old scientist, was more pointed, adding that Californias ideas would eventually win the day.

Jeff Sessions is an old dinosaur with old ideas, Terry said. We have a younger, newer, more educated population who will vote that out. It wont last.

California has emerged as a resistance to the Trump administration on a variety of issues over the last year, including immigration policy and environmental protection. Legalized marijuana is perhaps a less weighty issue. But backers see the larger symbolism of California standing up for what it thinks is right and being willing to take on the president.

Sessions on Thursday rescinded an Obama-era policy that discouraged federal prosecutors from pursuing marijuana-related charges in states that had legalized the substance, which remains illegal under federal law. Sessions said the previous policy undermines the rule of law.

The move came on Day 4 of legal recreational marijuana sales in California. Big crowds have flocked to dispensaries in the few cities that already have begun issuing licenses to pot shops, and Thursday proved no exception, even with Sessions announcement.

At 420 Central, the full waiting room resembled that of a doctors office, with people playing on their phones as they patiently waited about half an hour to see their budtenders. In the locked room where the marijuana was stored, soft music played, and customers peered into glass cases and sniffed green medicine bottles.

Robert Taft Jr., the dispensary founder, said he thinks Sessions is trying to appease the alcohol, pharmaceutical and tobacco companies that might feel threatened by the new, lucrative marijuana industry. In the first two days of legal recreational sales in California, 420 Central paid $50,000 in federal, state and local taxes, Taft said.

If the federal government prosecutes pot shops, underground organizations will still sell weed without the government getting any cut of the sales, he said.

I dont understand why they would want the black market and the cartels to have this power when they can have it, he said.

On New Years Day, Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin hustled to one of the United States oldest dispensaries, Berkeley Patients Group, to cut a green ribbon with a pair of giant scissors to celebrate the first day of recreational sales. It was before the sun rose, and there was already a long line of people, he said in an interview Thursday.

Arreguin said Sessions announcement was far from a surprise.

This is the continuation of Trumps attack on California, he said. The people of California voted to allow adult use of cannabis and medical use of cannabis  the federal government should respect the rights of states to pass these laws.

West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman, who is an instructor at USC Gould School of Law, said he didnt foresee many federal prosecutors suddenly deciding to pursuing marijuana charges in California, where voter support for legal pot is so broad.

Republicans are in favor of states rights when its to their purpose, but they werent very much in favor of states rights when it came to issues like legalizing same-sex marriage, Heilman said. States rights is an argument they trot out when its convenient.

In Heilmans city, more than 100 people stood in line outside the marijuana dispensaries on Santa Monica Boulevard on Thursday, and employees of the Medmen shop handed out free red T-shirts that read, Its Legal.

Waiting at Zen Healing dispensary were Nell Lewis, 22, and Chris Clark, 23, who had traveled from Florida to celebrate the holidays  and to buy weed. At home, they said, they worry theyll be arrested if theyre caught with it.

Despite Sessions announcement, they felt perfectly at ease buying pot in California.

I dont feel nervous at all, Lewis said. Seeing the people out here who support it  makes me feel more comfortable.

The people want marijuana without having to worry about legal trouble, Clark said. We dont want to hurt anyone.

Khalil Moutawakkil, chief executive and co-founder of KindPeoples dispensary in Santa Cruz, said Sessions announcement didnt put a damper on a week that has brought a slew of new customers to his shop.

What gives us the most comfort is that the people and democracy are on our side, Moutawakkil said, noting California voters approved legalization in 2016. That feels good to say. We had very strong support in California, and we are a leader at both the national and international level.

Its been really exciting for people to come out of the weed closet and participate in a very normal, regulated retail environment, he added. People showing up for the first time at a dispensary feel a sense of relief and legitimization.

In Los Angeles, many marijuana businesses have been eagerly awaiting local approval so they can obtain state licenses and start selling recreational pot. Virgil Grant, who co-founded the marijuana industry group Southern California Coalition, said he was peppered with phone calls Thursday after the news broke in Washington.

Grant said that despite the unease, I believe owners will continue to operate their business as they see fit.

Trump is a businessman, he added. I dont see Trump allowing a billion-dollar industry to be chopped at the knees.

Bruce Margolin, executive director of the L.A. chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, denounced the move as a bunch of overblown, prejudiced reefer madness.

emily.alpert@latimes.com | Twitter: @AlpertReyes

angel.jennings@latimes.com | Twitter: @AngelJennings

hailey.branson@latimes.com | Twitter: @haileybranson

Times staff writer Michael Livingston contributed to this report.
A San Diego State lecturer who has complained that the schools use of the Aztec mascot is racist made disparaging remarks about whites, blacks and Native Americans to a student, triggering an investigation that concluded the teacher believes all white people are bad.

In a Dec. 20 report, the California attorney generals office said Oscar Monge sent at least 15 offensive Facebook messages to Crystal Sudano last year, when she was a student in his Native American studies class.

Monge, who is Native American and Chicano, referred to Sudano, who is white, as a white savior  a term sometimes used to refer to a white person who hides his or her racism by helping minorities.

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All in all, the report said, Monge uses white whenever he wishes to explain someone who has done something wrong, or bad. Indeed, in an essay to the investigator, Monge wrote, It is quite easy to argue that whiteness is synonymous with evil. 

Monges Facebook comments and other behavior led Sudano to withdraw from his class. She then filed a complaint with San Diego State, alleging four counts of discrimination and harassment. The case was turned over to the attorney generals office, which found three of the allegations were true, including the charge that Monge threatened to lower Sudanos grade in retaliation.

The Union-Tribune was unable to reach Monge for comment. He was quoted in the report as saying he is not racist.

The report said Monges boss, Native American studies chair David Kamper, recommended that Monge stop talking to students on Facebook because it is inappropriate, and so were some of the things that he said.

Kamper also suggested that Monge watch an online video to get suggestions on how to discuss diversity and racism with students, the report said.

The university would not say whether Monge, who joined the faculty in 2014, will be further disciplined or fired.

In a statement, the campus said it is committed to creating a learning environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity. The university prohibits discriminatory behavior and harassment of any kind of campus, and takes allegations of misconduct by any member of the campus community very seriously.

Monge and Sudano have until mid-January to appeal the reports findings.

gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com

Robbins writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
A man visiting his girlfriend for the holidays after his first semester as a transfer student at UC Berkeley was arrested by Border Patrol agents at an immigration checkpoint in Jamul.

Luis Mora, 20, and his girlfriend Jaleen Udarbe, 21, were on their way home from a party around 10 p.m. on Saturday when they missed a turn and ended up at the checkpoint. Mora has been detained in a temporary holding cell in a Border Patrol station since then.

Luis Mora was found in violation of his visa condition, said Tekae Michael, a spokeswoman for Border Patrol in the San Diego sector. Currently, Luis Mora is listed in DHS custody. This is all the information I have on the subject at this time.

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Mora became an unauthorized immigrant after he came to the U.S. from Colombia as a child and overstayed his visa, Udarbe said.

He grew up in the San Diego area and went to Otay Ranch High School. He met Udarbe in an honors society at Southwestern College, and theyve been together for almost a year.

In December, he told her about his immigration status. It didnt bother her, she said, but it did make her worry about him.

He said its really hard to be a U.S. citizen here, Udarbe said. Hes been trying, but they just wont let him.

Neither knew that there is a checkpoint along Campo Road between Jamul and Dulzura. They passed it after they knew that theyd missed the turn home.

Once they realized they would have to go back through the checkpoint to make it home, they were in shock, she said.

He said, This is it for me. Im sorry, she said.

After Moras arrest, she called her mother in tears. Then, she started trying to figure out how to contact Moras mother, who is in Ecuador. The two had never spoken before.

Udarbe spent New Years Eve making more phone calls to find a way to help Mora. Assisted by a student organization at UC Berkeley called Rising Immigrant Scholars through Education, she rallied friends and community members on social media to campaign for Mora with the hashtag #FreeLuis.

Because of the campaign, Prerna Lal of the East Bay Community Law Center, a lawyer who represents unauthorized immigrant students at UC Berkeley, is now working on Moras case.

Since Mora is still in Border Patrol custody, its more difficult for her to communicate with her client, Lal said. She didnt want to comment on details of his case before meeting with him in person.

The Union-Tribune was unable to interview Mora because he is in Border Patrol custody.

He will eventually be transferred to a longer-term detention facility by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency responsible for carrying out deportations.

Lal doesnt know why Mora hasnt been transferred to such a facility. Mora told Udarbe that more than 60 people are detained with him at the Border Patrol station, slowing down processing.

Lal hopes that ICE officers will agree to release Mora while his case is pending so that he can return to UC Berkeley in time for the semester starting in mid-January. By law, ICE can only hold people if the agency believes that they wont show up for their court dates or that they are dangerous to society.

Neither applies to Mora, Lal said.

If ICE will give him a bond, the university will help pay it, she said.

It should be simple, Lal said. It doesnt serve anyones interest to keep him for longer.

Mora is studying political science and has dreams of going to law school. In 2016, he was selected for the Young Latino Champion award given out by the San Diego Union-Tribune.

At the time, he told the Union-Tribune that for him, a successful life would mean helping as many people as possible.

I like to show that you can make an impact in your community no matter who you are, Mora said. What inspires me is seeing how little things can make a big change.

Moras mother is in Ecuador, and his father died a few years ago, Udarbe said.

After the two began dating, her family became his family. He calls Udarbes mother, Mom.

Udarbe took the Union-Tribune to see where she shouldve turned from Campo Road onto Otay Lakes Road. In the process, she had to drive through the checkpoint again. Though she is a U.S. citizen, she tensed as she looked for her ID before driving up to the agent.

Im traumatized, she said. Its a scary process to be in.

Udarbe hopes that sharing Moras story will not only help him, but also other young unauthorized immigrants, known as dreamers, who are hoping Congress will pass legislation giving them a pathway to citizenship.

Immigration Videos On Now New developments in family separation case 9:53 On Now A San Diego woman volunteered as a medic in Texas helping migrant families 2:35 On Now Immigration policy protests in Carlsbad nearly cancelled after permit issue 1:38 On Now When children are separated from their parents at the border, here is where they go next On Now Prospects of a deal for 'Dreamers' may hinge on separating Trump from hard-liners on his staff On Now What is DACA? On Now Border wall prototype contractors selected On Now Video: Ukrainian boxer wins asylum in U.S. On Now 30 apprehended after Border Patrol agents discover tunnel On Now Video: Kurdish diaspora prepare to vote on independence

Follow me on Facebook for live updates about immigration news

kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on Twitter
After a series of angry exchanges with Pakistan, the Trump administration announced Thursday it was suspending security assistance to Islamabad until the country moves aggressively against local militants who have attacked U.S. troops in neighboring Afghanistan.

Heather Nauert, the State Department spokeswoman, would not say precisely how much aid money was being suspended, but said it went beyond the $255 million in military assistance that U.S. officials previously had said was frozen.

Nauert said the aid freeze would last until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against the Afghan Taliban and its allies in the Haqqani network. We consider them to be destabilizing the region and targeting U.S. personnel, she said.

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The Haqqani network often targets Westerners, including an American woman who was held for five years with her husband and three children. Pakistani forces using U.S. intelligence rescued the family late last year.

Pakistan knows what it needs to do, Nauert said.

Pakistan once was a firm U.S. ally, but relations with Washington have suffered multiple setbacks in recent years. The relationship is complicated because Islamabad is a key ally for some U.S. counter-terrorism operations in Southwest Asia, and militants have killed thousands of Pakistani civilians.

Just five years ago, Pakistan received nearly $3.5 billion in U.S. aid. The Trump administration sought only $350 million for Pakistan in the 2018 budget, before the latest cuts, as part of a smaller overall aid budget.

President Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration at the apparent inability of Pakistani authorities to rein in militants who cross out of the countrys rugged tribal areas to attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Last summer, Trump accused Pakistan of giving safe haven to agents of violence, chaos and terror. On Monday, in his first tweet of 2018, Trump said Pakistan offers the U.S. nothing but lies & deceit.

There was no immediate reaction from Pakistan after the State Department announced the suspension in aid.

But after Trumps tweet Monday, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry summoned U.S. Ambassador David Hale for an explanation. Pakistan also lodged a strongly worded protest and asked for further clarification about Trumps comments.

We have already told the U.S. that we will not do more, so Trumps no more does not hold any importance, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said after Trumps tweet.

The clash is the latest to roil relations between Washington and Islamabad.

President Obama so distrusted Pakistans leadership that he ordered the U.S. raid to kill Osama bin Laden in the garrison town of Abbottabad in May 2011 without alerting the government or its security services. Pakistani officials, in turn, bitterly denounced Washington for launching hundreds of drone strikes against militants in its territory.

Earlier Thursday, the State Department placed Pakistan on a special watchlist for severe violations of religious freedom under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act. The annual list cites countries that have engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter
He has led an Internet venture, chronicled the New York media world and told the inside story of moguls like Rupert Murdoch  all the while making bold claims that, whether embraced or rejected, were impossible to ignore.

So it was little surprise that magazine columnist and author Michael Wolff sparked a media storm this week with the publication of leaked excerpts of his forthcoming book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.

The book, for which Wolff reportedly secured access to the White House and conducted more than 200 interviews, quotes former Trump advisor Stephen K. Bannon as saying a meeting between Trumps confidants and Kremlin-linked Russians was treasonous, and Katie Walsh, the former deputy chief of staff, as saying that working with Trump was like trying to figure out what a child wants.

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Trump cut ties to Bannon on Wednesday, saying he had lost his mind, and unleashed lawyers to stop the books release.

Meanwhile, it seemed Wolff was enjoying the spotlight, gloating on Twitter that Fire and Fury was No. 1 on Amazon and praising journalists who offered positive reviews.

Wolff, 64, has never been afraid of the limelight, establishing himself as a controversial critic of a media culture that he also seemed to relish being part of.

He grew up in New Jersey and got his start as a copy boy at the New York Times. But he moved back and forth between the worlds of media and business.

In the early 1990s he launched a company that provided guides to the internet, first in book form and later online. He resigned over disputes with his investors, Wired reported at the time.

In the two decades since, Wolff has written about the intersection of media, money and power, especially among New Yorks elite, in four books and as a columnist for New York magazine, Vanity Fair, the Hollywood Reporter and Newser, the news aggregator site he founded.

At one point he tried, unsuccessfully, to buy New York magazine  a failure over which he later felt immense relief, he said in a video interview on the forum Big Think. In that same interview, Wolff said he no longer read New York, likening his response to that of a lover spurned.

Wolffs portraits of media titans have been unflinching. He described News Corp.s Murdoch as a coldhearted realist who looked forward to a media business full of his competing children, and he said New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd was an angry writer whose tone might be explained by anger at her own women-who-love-too-much-weakness. And when Newsweek was sputtering in 2012, Wolff wrote of its chief, What will happen to Tina Brown? And should we care?

His subjects have often disputed the facts in his reporting: Murdoch, who cooperated with Wolff for a 2008 biography, quibbled with the way he described Murdochs relationship with two top executives. The magazine Brills Content found 13 people who said Wolff inaccurately portrayed people and events in Burn Rate, his well-known book about his time as an internet entrepreneur. (The title refers to the rate at which a company spends money in excess of its income.)

Wolff peppered his next book, Autumn of the Moguls: My Misadventures with the Titans, Poseurs, and Money Guys Who Mastered and Messed Up Big Media, with sightings of famous media figures around New York, leading the Guardian to describe him as a media critic turned mogul-stalker. But Wolff himself denied being a critic, which he called a dour, school-marm figure.

Nor was Wolff a traditional journalist.

Wolff has never distinguished himself as a reporter, the late media critic David Carr wrote in a 2008 review of Wolffs biography of Murdoch, The Man Who Owns the News: Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch.

Carr went on: One of the problems with Wolffs omniscience is that, while he may know all, he gets some of it wrong. Carr pointed out an error in the chronology and a false statement about his own newspaper.

And in a 2004 profile of Wolff for the New Republic, Michelle Cottle said Wolff didnt follow the standards of journalism.

The scenes in his columns arent recreated so much as created  springing from Wolffs imagination rather than from actual knowledge of events, she wrote. Even Wolff acknowledges that conventional reporting isnt his bag. Rather, he absorbs the atmosphere and gossip swirling around him at cocktail parties, on the street, and especially during those long lunches.

At times, Wolff has himself been the subject of New York gossip, with tabloids eager to cover his relationship with writer Victoria Floethe, who is nearly 30 years his junior and worked at Vanity Fair when he did.

Wolff and his then-wife, attorney Alison Anthoine, were also involved in litigation against Anthoines mother over an Upper East Side apartment where she lived. According to court records, the pair sought to evict Anthoines mother from the apartment; she said they wanted to sell it. The case was ultimately settled, and Wolff and Anthoine divorced in 2016.

Now Wolff is back in the news with reports of his upcoming book  which as he pointed out is already a success on Amazon.

nina.agrawal@latimes.com

Twitter: @AgrawalNina
A woman who says failed U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore molested her when she was 14 has filed a defamation lawsuit against Moore and his campaign.

Leigh Corfman filed the lawsuit Thursday. The suit says Moore and his campaign defamed her and made false statements as they denied the accusations in the midst of the U.S. Senate race in Alabama.

Corfman says Moore sexually abused her when she was 14 and then called me a liar and immoral when I publicly disclosed his misconduct.

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Corfman says she was 14 when Moore, then a prosecutor in his 30s, touched her during an encounter. Moore has denied the allegations. Corfman was one of several women who said Moore pursued them when they were teenagers.

The lawsuit asks Moore to publicly apologize.
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Friday, Jan. 5, and heres whats happening across California:

TOP STORIES

More drilling on the horizon?

The Trump administration, inviting a political backlash from coastal state leaders, on Thursday proposed to open for exploration the largest expanse of the nations offshore oil and natural gas reserves ever offered to global energy companies, including waters off the coast of California. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said the draft five-year leasing plan would commit 90% of the nations offshore reserves to leasing, including areas off all three regions of the California coast that have been off limits to oil and gas exploration since the Reagan administration. Los Angeles Times

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Pot rules are changed

Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions is rescinding an Obama-era federal policy that provided legal shelter for marijuana sales in states that have allowed recreational pot, placing thousands of marijuana businesses in California and other states operating legally under state law at risk of federal raids and seizures. The Justice Department move plunged Californias fledgling recreational pot market into further uncertainty and was met with a bipartisan backlash from lawmakers in states where marijuana is now sold legally to any adult who wants to buy it. Los Angeles Times

Money matters: The crackdown on pot sales could push banks out of the cannabis industry. Los Angeles Times

The reaction: A marijuana advocate calls it reefer madness. Los Angeles Times

Whats going on at LAUSD?

The Los Angeles Unified School District is poised to start the spring semester next week amid lingering questions about when ailing Supt. Michelle King will return to the job, leaving what some see as a leadership gap in the face of daunting challenges. Though day-to-day decision-making has been handed over to an acting superintendent, Kings long-term strategic plan has been in limbo during her four-month absence. Some efforts, including one to reduce the number of students who miss weeks of school, appear to be moving forward without King. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

Whos left? Weinstein Co. is getting closer to a sale of the company or its assets as the field of bidders narrows down to a handful of companies. Bids for all or parts of the embattled New York movie and television studio came due in December, with the highest offer coming close to $500 million including debt, according to a person familiar with the matter not authorized to comment because the discussions are private. Los Angeles Times

Interesting story: Why Hollywoods homicide rate shrank as assaults rose  a commanders unfiltered analysis. Los Angeles Times

Losing Sunny, Part 1: Two decades after a young womans brutal slaying, those left behind still try to cope. Daily Pilot

IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER

By the border: At the border wall prototypes, signs briefly appeared warning against bats, bottles and implements of riot. Los Angeles Times

Arrested: A man visiting his girlfriend for the holidays after his first semester as a transfer student at UC Berkeley was arrested by Border Patrol agents at an immigration checkpoint in Jamul. San Diego Union-Tribune

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Changes afoot: A dramatic increase in new housing near transit stations could be on its way across California under new legislation proposed by a Bay Area legislator. Los Angeles Times

Big: Californias attempt to skirt the GOPs new $10,000 cap on local and state tax deductions is officially in play. The Mercury News

This is a problem: More frequent and intense wildfires are making it harder for homeowners to find and keep insurance in California, a state regulator warned Thursday. Bloomberg

CRIME AND COURTS

More charges coming? The Los Angeles man accused of placing a prank call that resulted in the fatal police shooting of an innocent man in Kansas last week was the target of an ongoing LAPD investigation into similar hoaxes and had a reputation for helping others gain revenge on online enemies, law enforcement officials told The Times. Los Angeles Times

Sad story: A retired Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy was shot and wounded at his Redondo Beach home early Thursday while answering a knock at his door, authorities said. Los Angeles Times

Sentenced: A San Francisco man was sentenced to 27 years in prison for setting his girlfriend on fire. San Francisco Chronicle

THE ENVIRONMENT

Worrying reminder: An estimated 9.8 million people felt a magnitude 4.4 earthquake that rumbled across the Bay Area early Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. It was felt throughout the region, with people more than 150 miles away saying to the agency that they felt the shaking for perhaps five to 10 seconds, according to officials. Near San Francisco International Airport, several jolts could be felt. Los Angeles Times

Plus: The earthquake that rattled the Bay Area on Thursday is another reminder of the power and danger of the Hayward Fault, which runs below the populous East Bay. Los Angeles Times

A reprieve: Mountain lions that kill pets and livestock in Southern California will no longer be automatically targeted for death. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Farewell: After 15 years, a forest, a pig and a giant tongue, Echo Park alternative arts space Machine Project is closing its doors. Los Angeles Times

Off to the NFL: As they head for greener pastures, columnist Bill Plaschke concludes that both UCLAs Josh Rosen and USCs Sam Darnold never lived up to hype, but they seem ready for a future in the NFL. Los Angeles Times

#FBF! How Grace Kelly overcame shyness to become Hollywood royalty. BBC

The wrong kind of time capsule: Notes on an afternoon inside John Portmans Bonaventure Hotel. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles area: partly cloudy, 71, Friday and Saturday. San Diego: partly cloudy, 69, Friday and Saturday. San Francisco area: showers, 58, Friday; partly cloudy, 56, Saturday. Sacramento: showers, 59, Friday; partly cloudy, 57, Saturday. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

Todays California memory comes from Mary Lou Oster:

My father, Otto Wagner, was born at the corner of Manchester and Western in 1892. I was born there in 1932. The Wagners farmed the area all the way to the ocean. Later, it was developed, and I remember when the Forum was built my dad took us to lunch there. They wouldnt let us in because he didnt have a jacket on. Someone went and provided him with one so we were able to dine there. A simple memory. Now, at 85, I am watching the new stadium being built. Its amazing how time marches on.

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.
Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions decision to withdraw an Obama-era directive discouraging the enforcement of federal marijuana laws in states that have legalized pot shouldnt surprise anyone familiar with Sessions views on drug laws.

The attorney general has every right to enforce federal drug laws as vigorously as he sees fit. But just because he can doesnt mean he should. The truth is that resuming the discredited war on marijuana would be neither a smart step nor welcome policy, and just the threat of it is a reminder of the shortsightedness of the federal governments approach to drugs.

The new directive doesnt in itself order stepped-up enforcement, but it gives wide latitude to the 93 U.S. attorneys around the country to determine what resources to devote to enforcing federal marijuana laws. Thats not a lot of guidance, and it ensures that enforcement will vary widely even within some states  California, for instance, has four U.S. attorneys. The situation is further muddied by the fact that President Trump fired all of President Obamas U.S. attorneys and has nominated candidates for only 58 of the positions. Interim appointees by Sessions fill many of the other seats.

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Its time to bring our ossified laws over marijuana use into the 21st century.

The underlying problem is that more than half of the states have legalized marijuana use in some form, putting them in conflict with the federal government, which bars the cultivation, sale and use of the drug. It was almost inevitable  and definitely foreseeable  that a conservative administration would seek to exert federal authority over the issue. Perhaps the silver lining here is that the state actions have forced a showdown that could finally pressure Congress to resolve the issue.

This is a problem only Congress can fix. Its time for lawmakers to relax the laws on marijuana, for both medicinal and recreational use by adults. The nations history on marijuana laws is framed by racism and over-enforcement in minority communities. Under federal law, pot is still designated (along with heroin) as a Schedule 1 drug, which not only guarantees a thriving black market and overly tough penalties for users, but stifles just the kind of research the nation needs to understand both the benefits and dangers of marijuana use. Sessions has long opposed liberalization of marijuana laws, a position based not on science and research but on retrograde views of the sort spread by Reefer Madness, the 1936 movie that linked pot smoking to decadent jazz parties and violent crimes.

Today, legalization has strong voter approval. A Gallup poll in October found support at 64%  an all-time high (so to speak)  with 51% of Republicans saying they supported some form of legalization. And many people rely on marijuana to relieve symptoms of chemotherapy, muscle spasms from multiple sclerosis, some forms of anxiety and other medical issues. Making a criminal act of seeking recognized medical relief would be a crime of a different sort.

The nation should not place excessive faith in the benefits of marijuana, nor underplay the potential harms of excessive use, including memory issues and, among those who smoke it, lung troubles. We need tests and standards to tell us whether people are dangerously impaired while driving (no reliable test exists such as those that determine alcohol impairment). Much more study needs to be done of the effects of pot use. But a federal crackdown does nothing positive.

During the campaign, President Trump told voters that marijuana laws should be up to the states, implying that this was an issue his administration wouldnt wade into. But now the government is doing just that. Instead of making matters worse, Trump could help fix the problem by pushing Congress to pass new laws relaxing federal controls. Its time to bring our ossified laws over marijuana use into the 21st century. Reviving harsh federal laws from a bygone era is not the solution.

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To the editor: David Rothkopf loses all credibility by making the statement, Trump is without a doubt the worst foreign policy president in American history. (Trump keeps making bad American foreign policy worse, Opinion, Jan. 3).

We have had presidents involve America in the Bay of Pigs invasion, Vietnam and Iraq. Those must have been acceptable disasters to Rothkopf. I get nothing but pleasure watching the best and brightest of the foreign policy establishment thrashing about making statements such as the one above when those in power refuse to listen to their bad ideas.

For example, Rothkopf criticizes President Trump for actually doing something about Pakistan. Remember, this is the country that former CIA Director Leon Panetta said was either involved or incompetent when it came to Osama bin Laden living in a compound within its borders. We need to cut off American taxpayer support for Pakistan.

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Furthermore, one would have to be deluded to think Trumps support of the right-wing Israeli government scuttled the Middle East peace agreement that we were so very close to achieving.

Frank Salisbury, Buckhannon, W.Va.

..

To the editor: When Trump was with Billy Bush on that bus in 2005, he said he would grab women by their private parts. Trump and his fans said that was merely locker-room talk.

Now as president, Trump is saying he has a nuclear button bigger and more powerful than North Korean Leader Kim Jong Uns.

Michael Flynn, at the 2016 Republican National Convention, led the crowd in lock her up chants, referring to Hillary Clinton. I think it is time for American people to rise up and say, Lock him up.

You dont use locker-room talk to discuss nuclear weapons.

Robert Winkenhower, Victoria, B.C., Canada

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Gavin Newsom releases ad that highlights his push to allow same-sex couples to marry By Phil Willon A new ad from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom features Phyllis Lyon, who with her partner, Del Martin, received the first marriage license after Newsom vowed to allow same-sex couples to marry when he was mayor of San Francisco in 2004. The current lieutenant governors push for marriage equality thrust him into the national spotlight and he has emphasized that effort to portray himself as a bold, progressive leader. Facebook

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Failed California housing bill was not a bad idea, Gov. Jerry Brown says By Liam Dillon Gov. Jerry Brown (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Earlier this month, high-profile housing legislation that would have allowed for four- to five-story apartments and condominiums near transit stops failed to advance in the state Legislature. But had it reached his desk, would Gov. Jerry Brown have signed it? Maybe. I think that was not a bad idea, Brown said of Senate Bill 827 at a meeting with business leaders from the Bay Area Council on Monday afternoon. The bill, written by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), attracted national attention and a maelstrom of opposition in part because it would have eliminated single-family zoning near transit stops in favor of apartments or condominiums. Brown said that a relative of his who lives in West Portal, a low-density neighborhood in San Francisco, told the governor he was horrified by the bill. Brown also lamented dramatically rising housing costs. He said he bought his first house in Los Angeles in 1973 for $75,000 at a time when his salary as secretary of state was $35,000. Now, he said, buying a house for a little over twice ones annual salary is virtually impossible anywhere in the state. FOR THE RECORD

May 1, 9:32 a.m.: This post originally misstated the year Brown purchased his house as 1970. It was 1973. Facebook

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John Cox begins California barnstorm with the delivery of gas tax repeal signatures By Javier Panzar GOP gubernatorial candidate John Cox strolled up to the stack of 12 boxes in front of the Los Angeles County registrar-recorders offices in Norwalk on Monday and placed his hands on top of his partys hope for success in 2018. The boxes, stacked four across and three high, contained 211,000 signatures for an initiative to repeal recent increases in Californias gas tax and vehicle fees. Cox says the effort has gathered more than 940,000 signatures from registered voters to put the measure on the ballot  far more than the 585,407 signatures that are required. The aim: to bring out the partys base to the polls this November and help candidates in tough congressional and legislative races down the ticket. A USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll in November found 54.2% of registered voters surveyed said they would repeal the tax and fee hike, but a survey a month earlier by another group said a majority would vote to keep the higher taxes. Cox was flanked by Bill Essayli, a former federal prosecutor who is challenging Democratic Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes of Riverside in the June primary. Cervantes voted for the gas tax and Essayli plans to use that vote against her. He even launched his campaign at a 76 gas station in Norco. This is a central issue in my campaign, he said. Cox also submitted signatures in San Diego on Monday and is headed to Bakersfield, Fresno and Sacramento, as well as Shasta and Butte counties in coming days. We are going all across the state, Cox said. The whole state is paying this tax and the whole state wants it gone. Facebook

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All Californians would be able to serve on state boards  even people in the U.S. illegally  under new bill By Jazmine Ulloa Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) State lawmakers on Monday introduced legislation that would allow all Californians to serve on state boards and commissions regardless of immigration status. Senate Bill 174, by Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles), comes as the state is locked in a broader legal battle with the Trump administration over state immigration laws and his call for mass deportations. Lawmakers point to what they say is the states own discriminatory history as their basis for introducing the legislation. The proposal would amend an 1872 provision that was first adopted to exclude Chinese immigrants and other transient aliens from holding appointed civil positions. At the time, antipathy toward the Chinese had been building in California, though, Chinese immigrants opened hundreds of businesses across the state and would play a critical role in building the transcontinental railroad. The Senate bill would delete the phrase transient aliens from the government code and make clear that any person, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, can hold an appointed civil office if they are at least 18 years old and a resident of the state. That would allow any Californian to serve on hundreds of boards and commissions that advice in an array of policy areas, including farm labor, history and employment development. Californias two million undocumented immigrants are a source of energy for our state, Lara said in a statement. It is shocking to read the words of fear and exclusion that are still in California law but belong in historys trash can. Facebook

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Tony Mendozas fundraising dries up after resignation amid harassment inquiry By Patrick McGreevy Former state Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia). (Steve Yeater / Associated Press) Political contributions to Tony Mendoza, who resigned from the state Senate under pressure amid sexual harassment allegations, have nearly dried up. New documents he filed with the state in his bid to reclaim the seat he once held show that his support has eroded. As a result, five other candidates for the 32nd District senate seat in the June 5 election have raised more than Mendoza so far this year. With the June 5 election approaching, Mendoza has reported raising just $7,750 in cash from six supporters during the nearly four-month period from Jan. 1 to April 21. Mendoza, a Democrat from Artesia, went on a leave of absence from the Senate Jan. 3 and resigned a month later under the threat of expulsion from colleagues. An investigation ordered by the Senate found a pattern of unwanted flirtatious or sexually suggestive behavior based on testimony from six women. Mendoza has denied wrongdoing. Last year, Mendozas reelection campaign raised $412,600, or an average of about $34,000 per month, from more than 350 supporters. Most of Mendozas 2018 total was contributed by the political arm of the Southern California Pipe Trades District Council 16 on Jan. 22, a month before Mendoza resigned. Mendoza also reported that his campaign loaned $125,000 this year to his legal defense fund. That left him with $446,600 in his campaign account at the end of April. Mendoza is running against eight Democrats and two Republicans. Democrat Bob J. Archuleta, a Pico Rivera city councilman, raised the most, $210,000, during the period. On Monday, Mendoza suffered another setback when the State Legislative Womens Caucus endorsed Democrat Vicky Santana, a member of the Rio Hondo College Board. Facebook

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Newsom and Villaraigosa affairs coming to TV ads in California By Phil Willon An independent political committee backing Republican John Cox for governor released an ad blasting both Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for their past sexual affairs. The California Deserves Better ad, which was first reported by Politico, criticizes Newsom for having an affair with a woman on his staff in 2005 while he served as mayor of San Francisco. It also goes after Villaraigosa for having an extramarital affair with a television reporter in 2007 while he was mayor of Los Angeles. The ad, which begins airing on Fox stations in the states top media markets Monday, links Newsom and Villaraigosa to the men accused of sexual impropriety in the #MeToo movement, including movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and disgraced Today show veteran Matt Lauer. Powerful men are finally being held to account, punished for inappropriate sexual conduct with women over whom they exercise power, the ad begins. Newsom and Villaraigosa think the rules shouldnt apply to them. The independent campaign committee, called Restore Our Values, already has raised more than $100,000, said Leigh Teece of Emeryville in Northern California, co-founder of the group. Teece, the CEO of a nonprofit that helps line up students with professional mentors, said the campaign will actively support Cox. She called him a true conservative and noted that he supports cutting taxes and opposes Californias sanctuary state policy. John is a business person who has demonstrated integrity, Teece said. Facebook

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Was that Cisneros in the voicemail? Dispute is latest espisode of Democratic infighting in crowded primary races By Christine Mai-Duc Gil Cisneros speaks during a forum at Fullerton College in January. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) With less than five weeks to go before Californias primary, insults and accusations are flying with abandon in the most crowded races Democrats hope to ultimately win. The latest example of this is in the 39th Congressional District, where a half dozen Democrats are vying for a chance to replace Rep. Ed Royce, whos retiring. Its one of several California contests where Democratic leaders are already worried that divisions could ultimately split votes and shut Democrats out of key pickup opportunities. In that race, millionaires Gil Cisneros and Andy Thorburn are going negative  about going negative. Cisneros was recently elevated to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committees Red to Blue program in hopes it would serve as a signal to Democratic activists and donors that his campaign was the most viable. But both Cisneros and Thorburn have poured millions into the race, which promises to be a knock down, drag out fight through June 5. At the center of the latest controversy is a voicemail, allegedly left by Cisneros on Thorburns home answering machine earlier this month. The recording, which the Thorburn campaign turned over to media outlet The Intercept, lasts less than 10 seconds. Hi Andy, its Gil Cisneros. Im gonna go negative on you, a mans voice is heard saying. Cisneros campaign manager Orrin Evans denied the candidate made the call, posting a cease and desist letter to The Intercept on Twitter. The letter, sent by a Cisneros campaign attorney, called the voicemail fabricated and demanded that the story be taken down, calling it defamatory. It gave the publication until 3 p.m. Friday to take down the story before they pursue all legal rights and remedies. An attorney for The Intercept, in a letter to Cisneros, said the publication confirmed with multiple sources familiar with Mr. Cisneros that his voice was on the recording, and that it stands by its reporting. Thorburns camp says it flatly rejects Cisneros denial, and that the timing of a negative website filled with unflattering background on Thorburn, released three days later, suggests it was him. Track the California races that could flip the House According to The Intercepts report, Cisneros campaign manager did not respond to initial inquiries about the voicemail, calling its questions ridiculous. In a follow-up statement Friday, Evans said called the episode a dirty, desperate trick by the Thorburn campaign and said they are readying to pursue legal action for defamation and false light against both him and the publication. It sounded like him to me! said Thorburns wife, Karen, in a statement released by the campaign. She was the one who first heard the voicemail, they said. Thorburn campaign manager Nancy Leeds called Cisneros threats Trump-like tactics and accused the candidate of trying to harass and intimidate anyone who stands in his way. Its not the first time candidates from the same party have clashed in the lead-up to the June 5 primary, and its all but certain to not be the last. Cisneros sued two of his opponents, Thorburn and Sam Jammal, over their ballot descriptions until they had to change them. Earlier this month, Democrat Bryan Caforio asked his opponent, Katie Hill, to sign a pledge rejecting the use of independent expenditure committees, entities that neither of them can legally coordinate with, in the race to unseat Rep. Steve Knight (R-Lancaster). Hill refused and called the attempt hollow and likened it to political theater, while Caforio accused her of empty campaign promises. Facebook

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California Politics Podcast: The money raised in the race for governor hints at a race thats now red hot By John Myers With less than six weeks before election day, the cash raised in the California governors race mirrors the overall dynamics: one major front-runner and a heated race for second place. This weeks podcast episode offers a glimpse into those cash reports and how the Republican field seems more settled in a new statewide poll than the battle between Democrats. We also examine the reasons why a nationally talked-about housing bill in Sacramento was killed by the Democratic authors own allies. Im joined by Times staff writers Melanie Mason and Liam Dillon. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher. Facebook

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L.A. County politician sexually assaulted woman when she was 16, lawsuit claims By Dakota Smith A woman sued an unnamed politician in Los Angeles County on Friday, alleging the man sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager after he gave her an unusual-tasting drink. The politician, identified as John Doe, was in his early 40s and a public figure at the time of the 2007 assault, according to the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. The man is an elected official today and lives in Los Angeles, said attorney Lisa Bloom, who is representing the woman identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe. Bloom declined to say what branch of government the man represents. Read More Facebook

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Villaraigosa touts his working-class upbringing, accomplishments as mayor in first TV ad By Phil Willon Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa released his first TV ad in the governors race Friday, touting his record and accomplishments as mayor of Los Angeles when up against the economic downturn during the recession. The 30-second television spot opens with a sweeping shot of Los Angeles and cuts to Villaraigosa sitting on a bus. In kindergarten, my sister and I took three buses to get to school. As mayor, I remembered that, Villaraigosa says into the camera. And despite the recession, we built more new schools and rail lines than any city in America, added 200,000 living wage jobs, built 20,000 units of affordable housing and nearly doubled graduation rates. Campaign spokesman Luis Vizcaino said the ad will air statewide over the next week at a cost of approximately $1 million. The commercial will being airing Saturday. Two Democratic rivals in Californias race for governor, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Treasurer John Chiang, also launched ads this week, signaling the biggest ramp-up of the campaign as the June 5 primary approaches. Newsom is the front-runner, while Villaraigosa is battling for second place with Republican John Cox. One recent poll has Villaraigosa trailing both Cox and Republican Assemblyman Travis Allen of Huntington Beach. Chiang has been stuck in the single digits in almost all polling in the race. Last week, an independent expenditure group called Families and Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor, funded largely by a trio of wealthy charter school backers, launched a spot in support of the former mayor of Los Angeles. That ad campaign is focused on increasing Villaraigosas chances of coming in second in the June 5 primary and moving on to the general election. Villaraigosas ad, titled Three Buses, emphasizes the struggles he faced growing up in East Los Angeles and addresses one of his central campaign themes  that hes the candidate best suited to help working-class Californians. I know how far a bus can take you, Villaraigosa says in the ad. Facebook

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein wont participate in pre-primary debate By Sarah D. Wire California Sen. Dianne Feinstein will not participate in a proposed pre-primary debate because there are too many candidates in the race, her campaign spokesman said Thursday. Political activists with the group Indivisible Los Angeles said they had a venue and date  May 5  reserved for a debate with four of the Senate candidates. But they said if Feinstein does not participate, it will be canceled. Feinstein faces 31 primary opponents in her bid for a fifth full term representing California in the Senate. Feinstein staffers initially said she had a prior commitment on May 5 in San Francisco. When organizers offered to let her campaign pick another date, her campaign said it wasnt fair for the group to invite only some of the candidates when there is such a big field, said Tudor Popescu, volunteer community organizer with Indivisible Los Angeles. The invited candidates, all Democrats, were Feinstein, state Sen. Kevin de Leon, political action committee director Alison Hartson and lawyer Pat Harris. They were selected based on fundraising and poll numbers. There are 11 Republicans, 10 Democrats, nine independents and 2 third-party candidates running for Senate on the June ballot. Indivisible Los Angeles is still hoping Feinstein will pick another date, Popescu said. Feinstein spokesman Jeff Millman pointed to a San Francisco Chronicle endorsement of Feinstein, which indicates that she told the editorial board she would be willing to have a debate ahead of Novembers general election. Senator Feinstein looks forward to debating her opponent in the general election, Millman said in an email. Feinstein holds a substantial lead in both fundraising and in the polls. Front-runners in statewide races have routinely declined to debate their challengers, knowing that its free publicity for candidates who dont have the cash to increase their name recognition on their own. De Leon spokesman Jonathan Underland said the state senator has done candidate forums before, but planned to attend the May 5 debate only if Feinstein did. We basically said well clear his calendar 100%, well clear his calendar if Feinstein shows up, Underland said. Wed love to make it happen, but we want her to be there. Facebook

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NRA, Olympic shooter sue California over its restrictions on ammunition sales By Patrick McGreevy Olympian Kim Rhode is a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by the NRA and its state affiliate against California. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) The National Rifle Assn. and its state affiliate have filed a fourth lawsuit against California over its gun control laws, this time challenging new restrictions on the sale and transfer of ammunition. The NRA and the California Rifle and Pistol Assn. filed a challenge in federal court to a requirement that ammunition sales and transfers be conducted face to face with California firearms dealers or licensed vendors, ending purchases made directly from out-of-state sellers on the internet. The lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California also challenged a requirement starting next year for background checks for people buying ammunition. The lawsuit was filed in the name of Kim Rhode, a six-time Olympic medal-winning shooter, and others. It challenges Californias new ammunition sales restrictions as a violation of the 2nd Amendment and the commerce clause of the United States Constitution. Restrictions on ammunition purchases were included in Proposition 63, approved by voters in 2016, and in bills approved by the Legislature. As a result of these laws, millions of constitutionally protected ammunition transfers are banned in California, Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRAs Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement. Californias law-abiding gun owners are sick of being treated like criminals and the NRA is proud to assist in this fight. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is running for governor, defended his initiative and vowed to fight the NRA lawsuit. We wrote Proposition 63 on solid legal ground and principle: If youre a felon banned from possessing guns in California, then you should not be able to purchase the ammunition that makes a firearm deadly, Newsom said in a statement. California voters said loudly and clearly that guns and ammunition do not belong in the hands of dangerous individuals  but once again, the NRA has prioritized gun industry profits over the lives of law-abiding Californians. Facebook

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Republicans hope to ride a gas-tax repeal to victory By Patrick McGreevy In a Central Valley barn decked out in red, white and blue, dairyman and state Senate candidate Johnny Tacherra drew cheers from a crowd of fellow farmers when he said he opposes the California Legislatures hike on gas taxes and vehicle fees. I would not have voted for that. It is not the time to be voting on (raising) the gas tax, said Tacherra, a Republican running against Democratic Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, who voted for the tax increase last year. Three hundred miles away the same week, a campaign mailer arrived at homes in Orange County from an Assembly candidate with a message blaring from the cover in bold type: Republican Greg Haskin  tough enough to stand up to Jerry Brown and repeal the gas tax. Read More Facebook

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Treasurer John Chiang launches ad in governors race touting his record as a fiscal steward By Seema Mehta In his first television ad in the governors race, state Treasurer John Chiang touts his record on fiscal issues as California faced the recession. Some thought we were done, Chiang says in a voiceover in the 30-second spot he released Thursday, with images of him standing seriously at a lectern and complimentary headlines about his work as controller and treasurer. But I knew better. I made the tough calls. And brought California back from the brink of financial disaster because you trusted me to manage our economy. Chiangs campaign is spending about $500,000 to air the ad in Los Angeles and San Diego in coming days. That buy is dwarfed by seven-figure purchases for ads supporting Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Newsom is the front-runner, while Villaraigosa is battling for second place with Republican businessman John Cox. Chiang has been mired in the single digits in almost all polling in the race. His ad, called Quiet Storm, tries to portray Chiang as a progressive who is effective and can move policy in Sacramento. Chiang points to his work challenging Wells Fargo before arguing that he could accomplish what doubters say is impossible to improve the states healthcare, housing and schools. I say, we got this, Chiang concludes. Facebook

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Been ignoring the race for California governor? Thats OK, in some ways its just starting By Mark Z. Barabak On a recent trip to Iowa, Eric Garcetti  the mayor of Los Angeles and a possible 2020 White House contestant  raised eyebrows with a bit of exuberant outreach. Los Angeles and Iowa, Garcetti insisted, have a ton in common, and he didnt simply mean both are inhabited by carbon-based life forms needing oxygen to survive. Urban or rural, farmer or fashion plate, all of us harbor the same hopes and dreams, the mayor suggested, and if it wasnt a terribly original thought it also wasnt the most egregious sort of political pandering  like, say, ordering that every home in Los Angeles be powered by Iowa-produced ethanol. Read More Facebook

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California voters should expect to decide on an $8.9-billion water bond in November By Liam Dillon (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) A proposal to borrow $8.9 billion for improvements to Californias water quality systems and watersheds and protection of natural habitats is eligible for the statewide ballot in November, Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced in a press release Wednesday. Padilla said the measure, which is backed by agricultural interests, had exceeded the 365,800 valid signatures it needed to qualify for the general election ballot. The bond measure will appear on the ballot unless proponents withdraw it by June 28, the release said. The bond is one of many voters could decide on in 2018. A $4-billion bond for parks and water infrastructure improvements will appear on the June 5 ballot. State lawmakers approved it last year. Facebook

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They came for Darrell Issa. They stayed with their inflatable chicken, blue wall and signs for political therapy By Christine Mai-Duc (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) A mother of two turned ringleader of the resistance and more than a hundred of her faithful followers gathered on Tuesday morning outside Rep. Darrell Issas office in a northern San Diego County suburb. Across the street was her foil, a wedding DJ in a red Make American Great Again cap, setting up hefty speakers for an upcoming war of words. For about 65 weeks the deep divide in America played out along this 100-yard stretch of road in Vista. Here, at 10 a.m. every Tuesday, passersby found signs, chants, songs and, if they were lucky, sometimes a 20-foot-tall inflatable chicken with a Trump-esque coif. Theyd also glimpse the state of the body politic in 2018, a time when shock has turned to anger and post-2016 calls for reconciliation have morphed into grudging acceptance that each side might be better off in their respective corners. Or in this case, their sides of the street. On Tuesday, the anti-Issa, anti-Trump contingent fought this particular battle for the last time, declaring it their final protest at the congressmans office. They said they planned to use their energy to knock on doors and get out the vote, with an occasional protest on the side. Their pro-Trump rivals vowed to show up wherever they do. Read More Facebook

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Efforts to regulate bail companies have some unlikely allies: bail agents By Jazmine Ulloa Jane Un, chief executive and founder of Abba Bail Bonds, works with a client. ( Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) In recent years, the seriousness and number of official complaints related to the bail industry in California have significantly increased while bail agents and bounty hunters face limited oversight, putting vulnerable communities at risk of fraud, embezzlement and other forms of victimization. This year, as Gov. Jerry Brown has pledged to work with lawmakers in a push to overhaul how courts assign defendants bail and to better regulate bail agencies, even some who profit from the court practice admit its time for regulation. These bail and bail-recovery agents could become unlikely allies, saying they advocate for change because theyve seen the system abuse the poor. Read More Facebook

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California voters: Get ready for an onslaught of television ads By Seema Mehta After a sleepy campaign, California voters are now being bombarded with television advertisements in the governors race, an onslaught that is expected to ramp up in coming weeks. The ads most frequently seen on television are those promoting Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the front-runner in the race, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is trying to secure the second spot in the June primary. Newsoms campaign and an outside group backing Villaraigosa are spending seven figures weekly on these efforts, according to filings with the California secretary of states office and a media buyer who asked not to be identified in order to freely discuss the ads. Other gubernatorial candidates are expected to hit the airwaves soon, the media buyer said. State Treasurer John Chiang has reserved a half-million dollars in the coming days in the Los Angeles and San Diego markets, and Villaraigosas campaign has requested availability in at least five of the states biggest TV markets. The GOP candidates in the race, who will be seeking the state Republican Partys endorsement at its convention next weekend, have been much less active. Businessman John Cox in recent weeks has been spending about $90,000 per week, but doubled that this week in Los Angeles and added small buys on KFI-AM radio and cable in markets including Fresno, Bakersfield and Salinas. State Assemblyman Travis Allen of Huntington Beach, who has been scooping up Republican Party endorsements across the state, has yet to make a notable television or radio buy, though he and Cox have received some attention as commentators on Fox News. Facebook

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Republicans ready to turn in signatures for ballot measure to repeal California gas-tax increase By Patrick McGreevy A Chevron gas station in Sacramento shows prices last year. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Republican activists said Tuesday that they have collected at least 830,000 signatures for an initiative to repeal recent increases in Californias gas tax and vehicle fees, more than enough to qualify the measure for the November ballot. The activists need 585,407 signatures of registered voters to qualify the ballot measure. Because signatures are still being processed and counted by the campaign, backers hope to have 900,000 by the time they begin turning them in to the counties on Friday, according to Carl DeMaio, a former San Diego City Council member and organizer of the drive. The breadth and depth of voter anger over the car and gas tax hikes is just amazing, said DeMaio, who hosts a radio talk show. We are seeing Democrats, independents and Republicans sign the petition and volunteering to carry the petition, people from all walks of life. The initiative targets a law approved in April 2017 by the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown that is expected to raise $5.4 billion annually for road and bridge repairs and improvements to mass transit. The money comes from a recent 12-cents-per-gallon increase in the gas tax, a 20-cent increase in the diesel fuel excise tax and a new annual vehicle fee ranging from $25 for cars valued at under $5,000, to $175 for cars worth $60,000 or more. The petition drive raised more than $2 million with significant contributions from the California Republican Party and Republican members of Congress from California, including House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield and Reps. Ken Calvert of Corona and Mimi Walters of Irvine. Republicans hope the issue will help their candidates for office in this years election and hurt Democrats who support the higher taxes. I think this is going to put Democrats in real bad spot, DeMaio said. A spokesman for Brown declined to comment until the signatures are filed. DeMaio said there were approximately 20,000 volunteer petition circulators who brought in more than 250,000 signatures, with the rest collected by paid circulators who received $1 to $2.50 per signature. Its a pretty comfortable margin [of signatures] that we have been able to hit here, DeMaio said. Opposition will grow, he said, as more Californians get their annual vehicle registration notice. The repeal campaign hopes to raise $5 million for the campaign to pass the constitutional amendment, which would not only repeal the increase in the gas tax and vehicle fees but require future increases to be submitted to voters. We know that Gov. Brown and his cohorts are going to spend an amazing amount of money to mislead voters, DeMaio said. But I feel pretty confident that we will repeal the gas tax. Read More Facebook

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Rep. Duncan Hunter sets up trust to raise money for legal expenses amid ongoing criminal investigation By Morgan Cook Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, has filed paperwork to establish a legal expense fund amid an ongoing federal criminal investigation into misused campaign cash. Hunter filed the required paperwork March 27, seeking a rarely granted Legal Expense Fund through which members of Congress under investigation or being sued in connection with doing their jobs or running for office can raise money for their legal expenses. Such funds are administered by an independent trustee and allow donors to give above the maximum amount they can contribute a candidates campaign. Hunter has spent more than $600,000 of campaign money on lawyers. Read More Facebook

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Kamala Harris says she wont take corporate donations anymore By Sarah D. Wire (Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press) California Sen. Kamala Harris says she will no longer accept money from corporate political action committees. In an interview with WWPM-FMs The Breakfast Club, in New York that aired Monday, the senator said she wasnt expecting a question at a town hall this month about whether she would accept money for corporations or corporate lobbyists. At the time, Harris said it depends, but she said on Monday that she had reflected on the matter and changed her mind. Money has had such an outside influence on politics, and especially with the Supreme Court determining Citizens United, which basically means that big corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money influencing a campaign, right? Harris said. Were all supposed to have an equal vote, but money has now really tipped the balance between an individual having equal power in an election to a corporation. So Ive actually made a decision since I had that conversation that Im not going to accept corporate PAC checks. I just  Im not. You can watch the video of the interview here. (Harris corporate money comments come about 30 minutes in.) Harris wouldnt be on the ballot for a second Senate term until 2022, though its widely believed that she is planning a presidential bid in 2020. Other potential 2020 presidential candidates, including Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), have also ruled out taking corporate PAC money. Soon after Mondays show aired, Harris campaign sent out a fundraising request noting her new stance. As corporate PACs continue to corrupt our politics and twist Congress priorities at your expense, were going to focus on raising money from small-dollar, individual donors like you, the email says. Facebook

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With money tied up in court, California lawmakers try again with new plan to spend $2 billion on homeless housing By Liam Dillon A man sleeps on the sidewalk in front of the Union Rescue Mission in the skid row neighborhood of Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) A measure to spend $2 billion on housing homeless Californians could be on the November statewide ballot. State Sen. Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) is pushing the idea to deal with what he said was a burgeoning humanitarian crisis whose epicenter is here in California. De Leons new measure is a do-over for a 2016 plan passed by the Legislature to redirect $2 billion toward building homeless housing from a voter-approved 1% income tax surcharge on millionaires that funds mental health services. A Sacramento attorney sued over that decision, arguing that the move violated constitutional rules on approving loans without a public vote and that lawmakers shouldnt take money away from mental health treatment. The case remains active in Sacramento Superior Court and its unclear when, or if, the state will be able to spend the $2 billion. De Leons Senate Bill 1206 would put the $2-billion loan on the ballot in November, freeing up the money if voters approve the measure. De Leon said had he been able to predict the 2016 plan would end up in court, he would have sought a ballot measure at the time. We thought this was like apple pie and baseball and puppies, De Leon said. Who would oppose the idea of repurposing the dollars to build immediate housing as a permanent solution for homelessness? Obviously with a crystal ball, had I anticipated the litigation, I would have worked to place it on the ballot. De Leon noted that the 2016 plan had bipartisan supermajority support in the Legislature, something his new bill also will need to get on the ballot. Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) is a coauthor of the plan. SB 1206 is scheduled for its first hearing in the Legislature on Wednesday. Should De Leons measure be approved, it will join a crowded list of housing issues before voters in November. Californians will decide on a separate $4-billion bond to help finance new low-income housing and home loans for veterans. De Leon said hes not worried those two measures will compete against each other because voters are aware of the scale of the states housing problems and the proposed homeless housing bond redirects existing dollars instead of raising taxes. Once [voters] know that the impact on their pocketbook is not existent, Im confident that theyll join me and my colleague John Moorlach in support of this measure, De Leon said. Facebook

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California lawmakers say too many former felons are being denied professional licenses By John Myers Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) along with supporters of bills to allow more former felons to receive professional licenses. (John Myers/Los Angeles Times) A trio of California Assembly members urged colleagues on Monday to pass legislation that would prohibit state commissions and agencies from rejecting a professional license for those who were once convicted of less serious crimes. We cant say we want to rehabilitate people, and then block them from getting the jobs that they need when theyre released, said Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco). That leads to more recidivism and to more crime. The bills, scheduled to be heard in Assembly committees Tuesday, would ban the use of arrest or conviction records as the reason for denying a professional license. The bill would not apply to Californians who served time for any of the offenses on the states list of violent crimes. The authors, all Democrats, said that a government-issued professional license is required for some 30% of all jobs in the state. Their bills would change the licensing process at the California departments of Consumer Affairs and Social Services and agencies that certify emergency medical technicians. The bills would block prior convictions from leading to the delay or denial of a license unless that crime is directly related to the profession the person intends to pursue. Two of the bills also specifically say convictions less than 5 years old could continue to play a role in licensing decisions. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law that keeps private sector employers from inquiring about a job applicants conviction history prior to an offer of employment. Advocates joined the lawmakers at a press conference in Sacramento to point out that limits on awarding licenses should focus only on those whose prior criminal activity could pose a threat to consumers. Continuing to hold people back for crimes that are 6, 7, 8, 10, 20 years old does not actually make sense if youre looking at public safety, said Jael Myrick of the East Bay Community Law Center. One of the proposals, Assembly Bill 2293, seeks to make it easier for ex-felons to get a license allowing a job with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection  the same agency that often uses prison inmates to battle blazes around the state. If a person is good enough to risk their life fighting fires for the state of California as an inmate, said Assemblywoman Eloise Gomez Reyes (D-Grand Terrace), their previous actions should not prevent from having a job utilizing the skill set that they learned. Facebook

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Assembly speaker rebukes building trades union after it targets Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia By John Myers ( (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) The decision by a politically powerful labor group to openly campaign against an embattled Los Angeles-area lawmaker drew a sharp rebuke on Friday from Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. The Lakewood Democrat lashed out hours after the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California filed paperwork for a political action committee to defeat Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens). Garcia, whos seeking her fourth term, took an unpaid leave of absence in February following allegations of sexual misconduct. She has denied the reports and an Assembly investigation remains underway. Rendon didnt criticize the labor group by name, insisting instead that the decision was driven by oil and gas industry interests. This is a thinly veiled attempt by Big Oil and polluters to intimidate me and my members. It is an affront to my speakership, Rendon said in a statement. We are proud of the work that the Assembly has done to increase jobs and wages while defending our environment. We will vigorously defend the members of our caucus from any ill-advised political attack. A statement from the labor group, which sparred with Garcia last year on her effort to link new climate change policies with a crackdown on air pollution, said it had decided to reverse past support for her. The Trades have thousands of hard working members in Garcias district, and we look forward to lifting up another Democrat in the 58th Assembly to better represent them and their families, said the statement. The political action committees campaign finance filing on Friday listed nonmonetary in kind contributions from Erin Lehane, a public affairs consultant aligned with the building labor group. Lehane said she had begun researching Garcia in November. In January, a former legislative staffer accused her of groping him in 2014. Lehane, who identified herself as a spokesperson for the labor groups political action committee, said on Friday that she believed Garcias hypocrisy threatened a movement that will dictate how much harassment and abuse my daughter will face in her work life. Garcia, who has been an outspoken advocate for women in the #MeToo movement, has complained that her political opponents helped fan the flames of the accusations. Through a campaign consultant, she declined to comment on Friday. Rendons critique came on the heels of a full-page ad in The Times on Friday, partly paid for by the Trades Council, that criticized well-funded ivory tower elites who push proposals that hurt the oil and gas industry. We are the real jobs that fuel the real California economy, read the advertisement. Facebook

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Legal tiff breaks out over independent committees ad backing Antonio Villaraigosa for governor By Phil Willon An attorney representing Gavin Newsoms campaign for governor is demanding that California television stations cease airing an ad by an independent political committee supporting his Democratic rival Antonio Villaraigosa. Attorney Thomas A. Willis, in a letter to the stations, said the ad is false and misleading and violates California law because it uses snippets of video footage from Villaraigosas own campaign ads. Willis called that illegal coordination between the campaign and PAC. Under California law, advertisements made by entities other than a candidate are presumed to be coordinated  and thus not independent expenditures  when the advertisement replicates, reproduces or disseminates substantial parts of a communication, including video footage, created and paid for by the candidate, the letter states. A representative for the independent expenditure committee  Families & Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor  fired back. Attorney Brian T. Hildreth says those allegations have no merit and accused the Newsom campaign of being misleading. Hildreth sent a letter to the television stations in response, urging them to ignore the Newsom campaigns accusations. He said the Newsom camp appears to intentionally misrepresent the law and that the video use was permissible. He said only six seconds of video from Villaraigosas campaign ads was used, which is well within the legal limits. The independent committee is sponsored by the group California Charter Schools Assn. Advocates, according to the California secretary of states office. The ad is airing on broadcast and cable stations statewide. The committees ad is focused on Villaraigosas record as Assembly speaker and as mayor of Los Angeles when there was a drop in crime. Facebook

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Governors race snapshot: Californians are generally upbeat but not focused on the campaign By Mark Z. Barabak Armand Werden, a 29-year-old community college student who works the taps at Dust Bowl Brewery in Turlock, said the state is on the upswing. (Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times) As California chooses a new governor  one of just a handful in the last 40 years not named Jerry Brown  the state seems to be enjoying something unusual in these tumultuous political times: a feeling of relative contentment. Not to say things are perfect. Still, more than 100 random interviews conducted over the length and breadth of the state  from Redding in the north to Santee in the south, from the Pacific coastline to the edge of the Sierra Nevada  found most saying things are looking up, at least so far as Californias direction is concerned. Read More Facebook

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Sierra Club backs Gavin Newsom for California governor By Phil Willon Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with members of the public following a debate at USC in January. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The Sierra Club endorsed Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom in the race for California governor, with officials in the established environmental group praising the Democrats record on climate change and clean energy. He has a proven record for leading on environmental protection, public health and clean energy, Kathryn Phillips, director of Sierra Club California, said in a statement released by the Newsom campaign. He understands that we are feeling the effects of climate change and that California must reduce carbon emissions and reach 100% renewable energy to achieve our climate goals. Phillips said the Sierra Clubs extensive network of volunteers will campaign for Newsom as the June 5 primary approaches. Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune also praised the Democrat, saying he will protect California from Donald Trumps attacks on our clean air and water. The Sierra Club joins a series of other influential groups in California that have backed Newsom. The California Medical Assn., the powerful state doctors lobby, announced its endorsement of Newsom on Thursday. The California Nurses Assn. and the Service Employees International Union, one of the most powerful labor unions in the state, also support Newsom. Newsom is the races front-runner in polls and fundraising. A poll released earlier this month by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that 26% of likely voters backed Newsom. John Cox, a Republican from Rancho Santa Fe, was favored by 15% of likely voters and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat, by 13%. Facebook

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Californias GOP House members are taking their challengers more seriously and the numbers show it By Christine Mai-Duc For much of last year, consultants and campaign managers for some of Californias most vulnerable Republican incumbents maintained a bullish tone on the prospect that the GOP would hold the House in this years midterms. The National Republican Congressional Committee insisted that longtime Republican incumbents in California had built up reputations as effective champions of local issues that would help them weather a flood of Democratic enthusiasm. Since then Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) have decided not to seek reelection and the NRCC has opened a West Coast headquarters in Orange County. Read More Facebook

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California officials say Pentagon has confirmed National Guard funding despite Trump threat By John Myers (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) The awkward dance between Gov. Jerry Brown and the federal government over the National Guard jerked back toward discord on Thursday, when Trump said he would refuse to pay for a new deployment of troops  just hours after his administration said otherwise. And a few hours later, California officials said they had received written confirmation from the Pentagon that the mission would indeed be funded. Trump had earlier called Browns decision to approve 400 troops for a mission focused on combating transnational crime and drug smuggling a charade in a tweet. We need border security and action, not words! the president wrote. Governor Jerry Brown announced he will deploy up to 400 National Guard Troops to do nothing. The crime rate in California is high enough, and the Federal Government will not be paying for Governor Browns charade. We need border security and action, not words!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 19, 2018 A spokesman for Brown pointed to a tweet written Wednesday night by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, thanking the California governor for his efforts. Trump was meeting on Thursday with Nielsen at his Mar-a-Lago estate not long after his tweet was posted. A tweet later posted by the California National Guard said that almost three hours after Trumps comment, the state received written confirmation from the Pentagon to fund the mission as outlined by Brown the day before. In short, nothing has changed today, said a subsequent Guard tweet. Just spoke w @JerryBrownGov about deploying the @USNationalGuard in California. Final details are being worked out but we are looking forward to the support. Thank you Gov Brown!  Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen (@SecNielsen) April 19, 2018 Brown was the last of the nations border governors to respond to Trumps insistence earlier this month that National Guard troops were needed to assist with immigration-related duties at the U.S.-Mexico border. And he has consistently refused to allow California troops to engage in any mission related to federal immigration law. This will not be a mission to build a new wall, Brown wrote last week to Nielsen and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis. It will not be a mission to round up women and children or detain people escaping violence and seeking a better life. Exactly what the California operations will cost remains unclear, as state officials have said it will depend on decisions made once the mission begins. The funds would not be transferred to the state, but instead would be paid directly by the Department of Defense. Trump has critiqued California several times over the past few days, often writing tweets that embrace the actions by some cities and counties to join his administrations lawsuit against the states sanctuary immigration law. He made similar comments to reporters on Thursday afternoon. If you look at whats happening in California with sanctuary cities  people are really going the opposite way, Trump said. They dont want sanctuary cities. Theres a little bit of a revolution going on in California. 2:26 p.m.:This article was updated with additional information from the California National Guard and with remarks from Trump. This article was originally published at 9:51 a.m. Facebook

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Gay conversion therapy services would be banned under measure advancing in California By John Myers (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The California Assembly voted Thursday to add gay conversion therapy to the states list of deceptive business practices, following a debate that focused on the personal experiences of several lawmakers and hinted at potential lawsuits to come. It is harmful and it is unnecessary, Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell), the bills author and one of the Legislatures most vocal LGBTQ members, said of the practice. Low, who told Assembly members that he explored conversion therapy as a teenager and suffered depression over his sexual orientation, insisted that the bill would be limited to efforts that involve the exchange of money. Theres nothing wrong with me, he said in an emotional speech on the Assembly floor. Theres nothing that needs to be changed. The bill, which now heads to the Senate, has become the focal point of intense debate on social media. Some religious groups have said that such a law would be a violation of their constitutional rights, while advocates insist the provisions are narrow and theres no credible evidence that the services work. One key part of the debate centers on whether Assembly Bill 2943 would stretch beyond businesses that charge for these programs and extend to printed documents, even Bibles. An analysis by the Assembly Judiciary Committee says the bill would apply only to services that purport to change a persons sexual orientation and offered on a commercial basis, as well as the advertising and offering of such services. Lawmakers who spoke in support of AB 2943 also made clear that they believe those kinds of services have been discredited. This is fraudulent, it should not be occurring, said Assemblywoman Susan Eggman (D-Stockton). But you can still try to pray the gay away, if you like. Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City), who said the bill addresses a difficult issue, nonetheless said that its important to ensure laws dont tamper with religious freedom. We have to think about the legitimate experience of people who have gone through conversion therapy and said this was a good thing for them, Gallagher told his colleagues. California law already bans the use of conversion therapy by mental health professionals on those under age 18. Lows bill would expand the states efforts beyond minors. It would join a list of commercial activities deemed unfair or deceptive acts or practices and therefore banned under state law. Facebook

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Gavin Newsom gets backing from doctors group, despite differences over single-payer healthcare By Melanie Mason Californias doctors are siding with Gavin Newsom in the governors race, even though they dont see eye-to-eye on a defining issue of the campaign: single-payer healthcare. The California Medical Assn., the state doctors lobby and a political heavyweight, announced its endorsement of the lieutenant governor on Thursday. Gavin is a lifelong champion for health care in California, and we know he will continue to fight for pragmatic solutions to our most crucial health care challenges, including working to achieve universal access and tackling our states physician shortage, CMA President Theodore M. Mazer said in a statement. Newsom has made his support for state-financed healthcare a centerpiece of his campaign, and he earned the early backing of the most ardent single-payer supporters, the state nurses union. The doctors, meanwhile, oppose the nurses bill, SB 562, which emerged as a flashpoint in the healthcare debate last year. The CMA said the bill would dismantle the healthcare marketplace and destabilize Californias economy. Newsom has said SB 562 should advance in the Legislature, but also said it has open-ended issues that still need to be addressed. The doctors group is also battling with another prominent Newsom endorser, the Service Employees International Union, over a new measure that would impose price caps on an array of medical services paid for by commercial health insurers in the state. The SEIU is a leading sponsor of the proposal; the doctors fiercely oppose it. Newsom and the physicians group have a history of political alignment. Newsom was the first statewide official to support Proposition 56, a 2016 tobacco tax pushed by the CMA that raised revenue in part to increase money for doctors who saw Medi-Cal patients. That year, the association also endorsed two initiatives championed by Newsom: Proposition 63, which imposed new gun control measures, and Proposition 64, which legalized recreational marijuana. Facebook

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Independent committee backing Antonio Villaraigosa for governor hits the airwaves with first ad By Phil Willon Antonio Villaraigosa speaks at the 2018 California Democratic Party Convention in San Diego in February.. (Denis Poroy / Associated Press) A well-financed independent committee backing Antonio Villaraigosas bid to be Californias next governor released its first television ad Thursday, praising his record for working with Republicans and as a candidate for all of California. The ad, which is to air statewide on broadcast and cable stations, is focused on Villaraigosas record as Assembly speaker and mayor of Los Angeles, including on education and a drop in crime while he was at City Hall. To move California forward, we need to help more Californians get ahead, the ad says. Thats why Antonio Villaraigosa brought both parties together to balance the state budget with record investments in public schools and new career training programs. The independent expenditure committee behind the ad campaign, Families & Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor 2018, is sponsored by the California Charter Schools Assn. Advocates, according to the California secretary of states office. The committee is spending seven figures per week on the ad buy, said Josh Pulliam, a political consultant for the committee. As mayor of Los Angeles, Villaraigosa clashed with teachers unions, starting with his failed attempt to take political control of the Los Angeles Unified School District. His fight with those unions continued after he left office in 2013. Money has poured into the committee this month from wealthy charter schools supporters: Reed Hastings, chief executive of Netflix, donated $7 million, and Los Angeles billionaire and philanthropist Eli Broad donated $1.5 million. On Wednesday, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan donated $1 million. The independent expenditure committee is expected to provide a boost to Villaraigosas campaign. Democratic front-runner Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom has a major advantage in fundraising over all other candidates in the race and has received the backing of the California Teachers Assn. and other education unions. A recent Public Policy Institute of California poll also showed Villaraigosa lagging in third place in the race, trailing Newsom and Republican businessman John Cox. The candidates who finish in the top two in the June 5 primary will advance to the November general election, regardless of their party affiliation. Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown says Trump administration will fund his National Guard mission  without immigration duties By John Myers (Alex Wong / Getty Images) Gov. Jerry Brown formally mobilized 400 California National Guard members Wednesday for transnational crime-fighting duties, thus preventing any effort by President Trump to have the troops focus on immigration enforcement on the Mexican border. The governor announced that federal officials have agreed to fund the plan he announced last week  a mission to combat criminal gangs, human traffickers and illegal firearm and drug smugglers in locations around California, including near the border. The order Brown signed makes clear that the troops will not be allowed to perform a broader set of duties as envisioned by Trumps recent comments. California National Guard service members shall not engage in any direct law enforcement role nor enforce immigration laws, arrest people for immigration law violations, guard people taken into custody for alleged immigration violations, or support immigration law enforcement activities, the order read. The cost of the mission, a spokesman for Brown said, will be paid directly by the federal government. No initial estimate has been made, as the exact amount will depend on exactly how the troops will be used. Though the duties of California Guard members were outlined last week, the state had been waiting for an agreement by federal officials to pay for the operations. Since that time, the president has taken Brown and the state to task over its decision to avoid any immigration-related duties at the border. On Wednesday morning, Trump tweeted, Jerry Brown is trying to back out of the National Guard at the Border, but the people of the State are not happy. Want Security & Safety NOW! There is a Revolution going on in California. Soooo many Sanctuary areas want OUT of this ridiculous, crime infested & breeding concept. Jerry Brown is trying to back out of the National Guard at the Border, but the people of the State are not happy. Want Security & Safety NOW!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2018 Looks like Jerry Brown and California are not looking for safety and security along their very porous Border. He cannot come to terms for the National Guard to patrol and protect the Border, Trump tweeted Tuesday. There was no immediate reaction from the White House to Browns announcement. On Tuesday, Brown told reporters in Washington that his plan was consistent with a safer border. That sounds to me like fighting crime, the governor said. Trying to catch some desperate mothers and children, or unaccompanied minors coming from Central America, that sounds like something else. The order Brown issued Wednesday after returning from a brief trip to talk climate change in Toronto and to speak to a national trade union and visit with reporters in Washington is set to expire at the end of September. It specifically says no Guard service member may participate in a mission that would exceed the mission scope and limitations related to transnational crime activity. It also says troops cannot help build any new border barrier. 5:27 p.m.: This article was updated with information related to the cost of the Guard mission and Browns trip to Washington. This article was originally published at 5:13 p.m. Facebook

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California bill aims to end practice that keeps workplace misconduct cases out of court By Melanie Mason A California bill would prohibit employers from requiring workers to use private arbitration to settle disputes, a practice that critics say shields improper workplace conduct from public view. The bill by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) would bar businesses from making employees, when they are hired, waive their future rights to take any harassment, discrimination or other claims to court. Arbitration can be a highly effective dispute resolution method when both parties can choose it freely, when both parties are equal, Gonzalez Fletcher said at a news conference on Wednesday. It is far less successful when the more powerful party forces the other to accept those terms, especially as a condition of employment. Forced arbitration has come under increasing scrutiny since the #MeToo movement, with high-profile figures such as former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson pointing to the practice as shielding workplace abusers from public disclosure because arbitration resolutions often include nondisclosure agreements. Last year, a bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress to end mandatory arbitration in employment agreements. Gonzalez Fletcher said she was pursuing an unusual tool to draw attention to the issue  a subpoena issued by the Legislature to compel testimony from a worker bound by a nondisclosure agreement as a result of arbitration. The Legislature has subpoena power but it is rarely used. The bills sponsors believe lawmakers last issued a subpoena in 2001 while investigating price manipulation by Enron. Gonzalez Fletcher said she has requested Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) to issue the subpoena to require Tara Zoumer, who sued the company WeWork in 2016 for overtime pay, to testify before the Assembly Judiciary Committee next week. Zoumers suit was moved to arbitration and resolved. She is now subject to a nondisclosure agreement and could face a financial penalty for speaking publicly about her case. A spokesman for Rendon said the subpoena request is under consideration. Business groups oppose the bill, AB 3080. The California Chamber of Commerce has dubbed it a job biller, claiming it would dramatically increase legal costs for businesses. Banning such agreements benefits the trial attorneys, not the employer or employee, the group said. The bill must first advance from the Assembly Labor Committee on Wednesday. Facebook

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At least 240 House lawmakers want a vote on immigration. California supporters say they arent ready to force one By Sarah D. Wire Rep. Jeff Denham says at least 240 of the 430 current House members have signed onto his resolution to hold votes on four immigration bills, and he hopes House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and President Trump are paying attention to the show of support. But, the Republican from Turlock and his allies said Wednesday that they are not yet willing to commit to forcing Ryans hand through a little-used procedural move called a discharge petition; they acknowledged theres no guarantee that all of 47 Republicans and 193 Democrats House co-signers will back them up if they try to force the issue. Im sure that it is something that will be discussed in the coming weeks. You should not need a discharge petition. When you can show the overwhelming majority of the House, the support of it, you should not need a discharge petition, but it is something we would talk about in the future, Denham said. It is far too early to talk about next steps. Ryan said last week that he opposes Denhams effort, saying its a waste of time for the House to vote on bills the president might veto. Denhams resolution would prompt debate and votes on four very different immigration bills: one favored by the Trump administration, one preferred by Democrats, one bipartisan proposal and another immigration bill of Ryans choice. Whichever got the most votes would move forward to the Senate. All four bills would help Dreamers to differing degrees and include varying levels of border security or immigration enforcement. For example, the Trump-backed bill would also dramatically reduce legal immigration, while the Democrats would only deal with legal status for Dreamers. Democrats say they dont expect the show of support will sway Ryan. Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) said Tuesday night she expects Ryan will have to be forced into allowing a vote. It doesnt matter how many signatures we get. We could have every signature, technically, except his, on the floor of the House and... if he doesnt want to, it doesnt happen, Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) said. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands), who gathered the Democratic co-sponsors for Denham, also wouldnt give a deadline for House leaders to act, but said the co-sponsors are only willing to wait weeks not months. We do want to give them an opportunity to bring up the rule and to use whatever process they want, Aguilar said. They do have options, but I think they need to understand that we have options too. Facebook

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Billionaire Democratic activist Tom Steyer endorses Kevin de Leon in his insurgent bid against Sen. Dianne Feinstein By Seema Mehta Billionaire Democratic activist Tom Steyer is endorsing state Sen. Kevin de Leon in his insurgent challenge to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and did not rule out funding an outside effort to boost De Leons chances. I think hes the kind of young progressive that reflects California and would be a very strong advocate for our state nationally, Steyer said in an interview on Tuesday, pointing to De Leons efforts on issues such as immigration, climate change and gun control while he was the state Senate leader. I know him well and hes a friend. We share a lot of values. Steyer, who flirted with running for the Senate seat, did not criticize Feinstein as he has in the past. Sen. Feinstein has been an outstanding public servant who has dedicated the bulk of her adult life to the service of our state and the country, he said. These are two strong, very good Democrats. I just believe Kevin is the true progressive and he reflects something we need representing California going forward. I have nothing bad to say about Dianne Feinstein. I have a lot of good to say about Kevin de Leon. De Leon faces enormous odds as he tries to oust Feinstein, who has served in the Senate for a quarter-century, is well known to the states voters and has daunting leads in polls and fundraising. But De Leon has gained notable endorsements, most recently from the 2.1-million-member California Labor Federation last week. Campaign finance reports released this week show that Feinstein has more than $10 million in the bank, while De Leon has just more than $670,000. Feinstein, a multimillionaire and one of the wealthiest members of the Senate, has already lent her campaign $5 million and could easily write another check. But Steyer, a billionaire former hedge fund manager, could write a larger one. He is among the largest Democratic donors in the nation and has already committed more than $50 million to push for the impeachment of President Trump and to register young voters. He was noncommittal when asked if he would fund an independent expenditure group on behalf of De Leon. I dont have any concrete plans for that, he said. Read More Facebook

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Californias largest pension fund sends next years invoice to state government: $6.3 billion By John Myers The California Public Employees Retirement System building (Max Whittaker / Getty Images) As part of a shift toward less optimistic expectations for investment returns to pay for government worker pensions, board members of the California Public Employees Retirement System voted Tuesday to require an almost $6.3-billion payment from the state budget in the fiscal year that begins on July 1. The action, which could receive final approval on Wednesday, reflects a gradually higher annual contribution to public employee pensions by the state and from local governments across California. In 2016, CalPERS approved a half-percentage point decrease in its official estimate of the long-term investment return on its $353.3-billion portfolio. That shift was designed to happen over several years, in hopes it would lessen the financial shock of shifting more of the costs onto government employers. The highest costs are also, in part, a reflection of increases in the size of the states payroll. The states CalPERS payment will be about $450 million more than the total paid in the current fiscal year and more than double what it was only a decade ago. CalPERS board members voted on Tuesdays staff proposal with little discussion, save for a question about the increase in contributions also required from workers hired after a pension overhaul that took effect in June. It seems like it will be a ding on peoples salaries, said Theresa Taylor, the chairwoman of CalPERS finance committee and a member of SEIU Local 1000, the union that represents some 96,000 state employees. The $6.299-billion payment required from Californias state government must now be factored into the budget crafted by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in late June. Brown had already assumed a similarly sized payment in his budget proposal unveiled in January. In February, a coalition representing city governments warned about the effects of rising pension costs under the expectations of less money from Wall Street investments. The report issued by the League of California Cities projected an average increase of more than 50% in annual pension payments made by the states largest cities over the next seven years. A CalPERS staff report notes that the net return on all of the funds investments for the fiscal year that ended in July was 11.2%. But expectations on profits over the next 30 years remain significantly more modest, and theres long been a robust debate about how to properly set those future expectations. The lower the rate of projected investment return, the larger the share of pension costs that must be covered by taxpayers and some employees. Overall, CalPERS officials believe the system has assets to cover 71% of its long-term obligations. Facebook

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California warns legal pot sellers not to participate in unlicensed 4/20 events By Patrick McGreevy Marijuana on display at a dispensary in Los Angeles. ( (Frederic J. Brown / AFP/Getty Images)) The state issued a warning Tuesday that businesses holding licenses to sell marijuana could face penalties if they participate in unlicensed temporary events away from their stores, including on Friday, April 20, which has become an annual celebration for counterculture groups. The warning was issued ahead of 4/20 by the state Bureau of Cannabis Control. Since Jan. 1, the bureau has issued more than 700 state licenses to sell marijuana for medical or recreational use. The bureau has issued 47 temporary event licenses to groups that are limited to holding the marijuana celebrations on county fairgrounds that have authorized such events with city approval. Any bureau licensee participating in an unlicensed cannabis event may be subject to disciplinary action, the warning said, adding that lawful participation by bureau licensees in any temporary cannabis event that allows sales and/or consumption is dependent upon issuance of the appropriate licenses from the bureau. While many Californians have been issued medical approval to sell or use marijuana, the law does not allow them to participate in unlicensed events, also referred to as Proposition 215 events after the ballot measure that legalized medical pot two decades ago in the state. Participation in such events may lead to civil penalties for unlicensed commercial cannabis activity, the warning said. Meanwhile, a survey of some 1,000 marijuana users that was released Tuesday by the firm LendEDU found that the average 4/20 participant plans to spend $71 on marijuana to celebrate the unofficial holiday, and about 35% of respondents are planning to take off work Friday. Facebook

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California police groups shift position on officer discipline records, now consider support for making some of them public By Liam Dillon Los Angeles Police Department recruits at a graduation ceremony in April (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Some major law enforcement groups signaled Tuesday they are willing to support making part of police officer disciplinary records public, a dramatic departure from their past positions. Local and national attention on police shootings and misconduct has led law enforcement organizations to reconsider their blanket opposition to proposals that would give public access to some internal disciplinary investigations of officers. Were going to be open to supporting efforts that would allow for some records to be released, said Ryan Sherman, a lobbyist with the Riverside Sheriffs Assn. Debate over secrecy provisions in officer disciplinary files came during a legislative hearing on Senate Bill 1421 from Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley). Skinners bill, which advanced out of the Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, would require public disclosure of all internal officer shooting investigations and confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. Currently, all police discipline information is confidential outside of a courtroom in California, which has some of the nations strictest standards against public disclosure. Unfortunately, the fact that we have such strict restrictions on any access to public records has affected certain communities trust towards our law enforcement, Skinner said during the hearing. Prior to Skinners effort, other have tried to loosen these rules, some of which date back 40 years. Most recently in 2016, a bid by then-Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) failed in a Senate committee. In debate two years ago, no major law enforcement groups indicated they would accept changes to state laws that would make individual internal investigations public, saying they were essential to protect officer privacy and safety. But Tuesday, Sherman and other lobbyists including those representing the states largest police labor organization, signaled they might be willing to entertain changes. They said they were negotiating with Skinner on the bills details. Law enforcement groups still have major concerns about SB 1421 as written. Ed Fishman, an attorney for the Police Officers Research Assn., told legislators that the bill would wrongfully expose police officers who acted within departmental policy to invasions of their privacy. It has unintended consequences that are extreme and will hurt the public, Fishman said. Tuesdays hearing featured testimony from many who have had relatives killed by police officers in recent years advocating for the bill. Senators on the Public Safety Committee also gave public rebukes to law enforcement lobbyists, criticizing them for a lack of diversity and insensitivity to concerns raised by communities of color. I think that you are completely and utterly out of touch with the realities of how those you are representing are perceived by major segments of California, said Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles). You are not going to be able to continue to lobby your way out of it. The bill faces at least one more committee hearing in the Senate before reaching the floor. It will have to pass both houses of the Legislature by the end of August. Facebook

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Newest member of the California Assembly arrives ready to work on criminal justice issues By John Myers Two weeks after winning a Los Angeles special election, the newest member of the California Assembly says she hopes to focus on reforms to the states criminal justice system during her time in Sacramento. Assemblywoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) took the oath of office on Monday, filling one of three vacant seats representing Los Angeles County in the lower house. The Democrat, a former community college trustee and legislative staffer, thanked her mentors in remarks from the Assembly rostrum. So many women, and in my life so many black women, have paid in giving me the kind of morals and integrity and grit that is required to fight on behalf of people that you know, and people that you dont know, she said. Kamlager-Dove won handily on April 3, receiving 70% of the votes cast in the 54th Assembly District which encompasses communities west of downtown Los Angeles, from Crenshaw to Culver City and as far north as Westwood. She will serve the remaining eight months of the term of former Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, who resigned last year citing health concerns. She has said she hopes to focus her attention on poverty issues and on reform of the states criminal justice system. I think we have an opportunity to really push the needle in terms of how we look at rehabilitation, how we look at incarceration, and how we look at changing the lives oftentimes of poor men and women of color, Kamalager-Dove said on Monday in a video released by Assembly Democrats. Facebook

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Survivors of violent crime raise their voices in California to call for a new approach to criminal justice By Jazmine Ulloa Aaliyah Smith marches with her cousins. (Jazmine Ulloa / Los Angeles Times) Her father, uncle, a cousin and two older brothers. Those are some of the family members 16-year-old Aaliyah Smith has lost to gun violence. Then there are her friends. Jermaine Jackson Jr., 27, was shot and killed in 2016 while he painted over graffiti in San Francisco. Toriano Tito Adger, 18, was shot there a year later at a bus stop. He called Smith, who was nearby, and warned her to run. She made it inside a library moments before the crack of gunfire. Last week, Smith was among hundreds who gathered in Sacramento for annual National Crime Victims Rights Week events, where calls were issued for a new approach to criminal justice and public safety in California, one that puts survivors at the center of policy. But a debate is brewing over what that entails. Read More Facebook

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California expects $14 billion in tax payments this month By John Myers State workers handle income tax returns at the California Franchise Tax Board offices. (Laura Morton / For The Times) Gov. Jerry Browns proposed state budget is built on what taxpayers might find an audacious assumption: almost $14 billion in tax payments in the month of April, an average of $83 million collected per hour on every business day of the month. Most of that money will come from the taxes Californians pay in advance of Tuesday nights filing deadline for income tax returns. If history is any guide, the rate of payment could quadruple by weeks end. While tax rules have shifted some of the payment schedules to other months, April remains a vitally important month to the fiscal health of state government. The state controllers office reports more than 15% of all personal income tax revenues in 2017 were collected in April. In the recession years of a decade ago, tax revenue predictions were frequently off the mark by hundreds of millions of dollars. The last two state budgets have seen significant windfalls of personal income tax revenue, thanks in part both to an improving economy and to the continuation of a temporary surcharge on the wealthiest taxpayers  extended by voters in 2016. In the budget plan he sent to lawmakers in January, Brown projected a $6.1-billion windfall and proposed using a sizable amount to top off Californias rainy-day fund ahead of schedule. The independent Legislative Analysts Office reports that through the end of last week, the months income tax tally stood at $3 billion, slightly ahead of projections. By the end of the current week, a single days total could be almost that large. Lawmakers began reviewing the governors $190.3-billion spending plan during the winter, but few decisions are made until they get a look at Aprils tax revenues. The governor will release a revised plan based on the new data next month; lawmakers are required to send him a completed budget no later than June 15. Facebook

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Feinstein war chest tops $10 million while Kevin de Leon struggles to keep pace By Sarah D. Wire Sen. Dianne Feinstein widened her already-massive fundraising advantage in the run-up to Junes primary, raising twice as much in the first quarter than her strongest Senate challenger has sitting in the bank. Feinstein raised $1.3 million between January and March, bringing her war chest to just over $10 million as Californias U.S. Senate race begins in earnest, according Federal Election Commission reports. Former state Senate leader Kevin De Leon, the best known of the more than 30 people who will appear with Feinstein on the June primary ballot, raised just $575,991 in that same period, bringing his cash on hand to $672,331, according to his quarterly FEC report. Read More Facebook

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Trump has met his match, says Gov. Jerry Brown in promoting climate action on a quick trip to Canada By John Myers (Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press) Gov. Jerry Brown told a Canadian audience Monday that he believes President Trumps efforts to reverse course on climate change policy are a momentary deviation as others in the United States seek limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Thats very temporary, I can assure you, Brown said at a joint event in Toronto with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. The governors quick international trip, announced only late last week, comes as Wynnes Liberal Party faces a stiff challenge in Junes election from the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and its leader, Doug Ford. Critics of Wynnes party have called for Ontario to pull out of the Western Climate Initiative, a cooperative agreement between three Canadian provinces and California on efforts to limit greenhouse gases. Brown sought to link the efforts of Canadian conservatives with Republicans in the United States who oppose existing climate change programs. In contrast, he told the audience, several GOP lawmakers voted last summer to renew Californias cap-and-trade program. I would say to the conservatives of Canada, wake up and see what your friends in California are doing, he said. The Democrat took particular notice of Trumps efforts to shift away from climate change policies from the administration of former President Obama, as well as a push by the Environmental Protection Agency to cancel Californias strict limits on automobile emissions. If Trump tries to change that, well have litigation well beyond his term in office, Brown said while also noting Chinese government efforts to produce more low-emissions vehicles. Between California and China, Trump has met his match. What hes saying is not going to happen. Many of the governors remarks, though, were aimed at the tough political situation in which Wynne finds herself with seven weeks to go before Ontarios parliamentary elections. Dangers abound, but success is right in our hands, Brown said. So dont blow it! Facebook

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California voters are getting to know the states attorney general through his aggressive stance challenging Trump By Patrick McGreevy Less than two months from his first statewide election, California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra has become adept not only at challenging President Trump but at using the bully pulpit of his office to raise his profile with voters. The aggressive effort may help boost the former Los Angeles congressmans chances at winning a full term in office this fall, almost two years after he was appointed to replace Sen. Kamala Harris in 2017. Appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown, Becerra took office as attorney general four days after Trumps inauguration. Thats afforded him an opportunity to get in front of Californians  and potential voters  on an array of issues including immigration, healthcare and the environment. Read More Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown forms commission for 2020 census outreach By Melanie Mason In an effort to make sure California has a strong showing in the next national census, Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday established a state commission to prepare outreach for the decennial count. It is vitally important for California to do everything it can to ensure that every Californian is counted in the upcoming census, Brown said in a prepared statement. The commissions formation comes on the heels of a Trump administration plan to ask about citizenship status as a part of the census. State officials fear that such a question, which has not been asked in a census since 1950, could chill participation among California residents. That could result in the state losing billions of dollars in federal funds and a seat in Congress. The 23-member panel, appointed largely by Brown as well as picks by legislative leaders, comes from private- and public-sector backgrounds, including civil rights groups, religious institutions and educational institutions. Facebook

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Garcetti kicks off Iowa visit with 2020 on his mind and a hardhat on his head LA Mayor - and 2020 prospect - Eric Garcetti makes his Iowa debut at the Carpenters Union Training Center. Fearlessly flaunts the never be photographed in head gear/safety glasses rule. pic.twitter.com/14bUOPXMvF  Mark Z. Barabak (@markzbarabak) April 13, 2018 Facebook

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Asm. Rocky Chavez takes the lead in race to replace Issa, while Doug Applegate slips By Joshua Stewart A new poll shows that Republican Assemblyman Rocky Chavez has taken a clear lead over 15 other candidates running to replace Rep. Darrell Issa in Congress and has overtaken Democrat Doug Applegate, the previous frontrunner. In a SurveyUSA poll by 10News and The San Diego Union-Tribune, Chavez, R-Oceanside, has support of 16 percent of likely voters, putting him ahead of Applegate, a lawyer, who was favored by 12 percent of voters and is in second place. The top two vote-getters in June, regardless of party, will proceed to a November runoff election. Competing with Applegate for the No. 2 spot is Democrat Mike Levin, also a lawyer, with support of 9 percent of voters. Several other candidates were right at his heels. Democratic Businessman Paul Kerr and Board of Equalization Member Diane Harkey, R-Dana Point, were tied for fourth at 8 percent each. Read More Facebook

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Pro-Kevin de Leon group launches ad castigating Dianne Feinstein By Seema Mehta A group that is supporting Kevin de Leons bid for the U.S. Senate launched a blistering ad against Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Thursday, questioning her progressive principles and tying her to President Trump. The ad buy from A Progressive California is minuscule  $10,000 to air it in Los Angeles for one day on CNN and MSNBC during programming such as The Rachel Maddow Show, Hardball with Chris Matthews and Anderson Cooper 360. The minute-long ad features news clips about Feinstein not getting the California Democratic Party endorsement earlier this year, as well as footage of Feinstein saying that Trump can be a good president and appearing to share a laugh with Trump. That moment actually came during a White House meeting in the aftermath of the Parkland, Fla., school shooting when the president suggested an assault weapons ban should be included in a bipartisan bill to expand gun background checks. It also features extensive clips of de Leons speech at the state partys convention. De Leon, who just ended his final term as leader of the state Senate, announced last year he would run against fellow Democrat Feinstein as she seeks her fifth full term. Feinsteins longtime political advisor dismissed the ad, noting the size of the buy. Its not really a buy, said Bill Carrick. Ten thousand dollars in cable in L.A. Poof, its gone. Still, he said he planned to have the campaigns lawyers review the ad to see if it violates campaign law that limits what outside groups like A Progressive California can do. Such groups cannot coordinate with campaigns or candidates, and are limited in how much their messages can support a candidate. Ann Ravel, the former chair of the Federal Election Commission and the California Fair Political Practices Commission, said if the ad was in a state race, she is certain that the state commission would open an investigation into potential coordination with de Leons campaign because of the messaging and the types of footage in the ad. But the bipartisan federal commission cant agree on how to enforce the federal regulations, she said. The problem is [outside groups] understand that given the lack of very strong enforcement at the federal level, theres the ability to stretch the law, she said. A spokeswoman for the FEC declined to comment. Dave Jacobson, a spokesman for A Progressive California, disputed the suggestion that the ad violated campaign law. This frivolous allegation shows that Sen. Feinstein is afraid of the public seeing an ad which showcases her own words, that Donald Trump can be a good president, he said. Facebook

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Dispute over money emerges in campaign to repeal Californias gas tax increase By Patrick McGreevy A motorist prepares to gas up her vehicle in San Rafael, Calif., in 2015. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) A proposed initiative to repeal hikes to Californias gas tax has been caught in the middle of a dispute involving Republican rivals in the governors race. Assemblyman Travis Allen, a Republican candidate for governor, decided in January to drop plans for his own initiative and said he would urge supporters to sign a separate petition being supported by several Republican members of Congress. Then last week, the committee Allen formed to finance his ballot measure reported a $300,000 contribution from PISF Inc., a Novato, Calif., real estate firm. Now, an organizer of the still active Give Voters a Voice committee is urging the Allen committee to immediately donate their funds in support of the ongoing signature gathering efforts. There is only one gas tax repeal measure currently in circulation and that is the measure sponsored by the Give Voters a Voice Committee, said Dave Gilliard, a consultant to the group. PISF Inc., he said, gave to repeal taxes and there is only one committee that can do that. Allen rejected the request, noting that the active initiative drive is co-chaired by wealthy businessman John Cox, a Republican also running for governor whose campaign has donated $250,000 to the initiative drive. I would be doing the gas-tax-repeal contributors a huge disservice if I was to transfer any funds to a campaign committee involving John Cox, Allen said. John Cox has spent millions of dollars campaigning for office and he has lost every single time. Cox ran unsuccessfully for three offices in Illinois before he moved to California. Allen said he will use the donations received by his ballot measure committee to campaign for approval of the gas tax 
Border officers dramatically increased their searches last year of photos, social media messages, emails and private files kept on cellphones and other electronic devices carried by international travelers, including U.S. citizens, according to statistics released Friday.

Although fewer than 1% of travelers have their devices screened, the increase alarmed privacy advocates who say U.S. citizens should not lose their protections against warrantless searches when crossing the border.

Cellphones, laptops, tablets and other devices carried by 30,200 travelers were searched during the 2017 fiscal year, which ended last September, compared with 19,051 the year before, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

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The increase follows an even starker jump before that. Just 8,053 travelers had their devices searched in the 2015 fiscal year.

In this digital age, border searches of electronic devices are essential to enforcing the law at the U.S. border and to protecting the American people, said John Wagner, the CBPs deputy executive assistant commissioner in charge of field operations.

Fewer than 20% of the travelers whose devices were searched were U.S. citizens, according to the agency, which did not make exact numbers available.

The idea that they can be searched just by entering or leaving the country we are citizens of  it goes against the very thing the 4th Amendment was designed to protect against, which is arbitrary dragnet surveillance, said Ryan Calo, law professor at the University of Washington in Seattle and an expert on privacy law.

In addition to releasing the statistics, officials detailed new guidelines for customs officers to clarify and circumscribe the broad authority the agency believes it has to search and copy information storied on U.S. citizens devices.

Officers can ask for passwords, although theyre required to destroy them after the search, according to the guidelines. Although they can review files on a device, theyre not permitted to search or access information stored on a digital cloud. Although data connections must be turned off during searches, officers can open social media applications to view any messages or posts that are visible.

In limited cases, officers can conduct an advanced search, which could allow them to download files for further review.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which has sued over what it describes as unconstitutional searches of electronic devices, said the tighter guidelines are helpful but inadequate.

The policy would still enable officers at the border to manually sift through a travelers photos, emails, documents and other information stored on a device without individualized suspicion of any kind, said Neema Singh Guliani, legislative counsel at the ACLU.

Courts have repeatedly held that 4th Amendment protections against unreasonable searches can be balanced at the border against the federal governments need to protect the public from terrorism and crime.

But whether an American travelers electronic device can be searched at an airport or on the border has not been fully determined by the courts.

A 2014 Supreme Court ruling found that law enforcement agents must have a warrant to search a phone or computer when a person is being arrested. Privacy advocates argue that a U.S. citizen crossing the border should have at least the same rights as a person arrested under suspicion of a crime.

Searching the devices of Americans at the border is problematic and reflects mission creep, said James Norton, who was a senior official at the Department of Homeland Security during the George W. Bush administration.

Norton also is concerned that any data copied by customs officers at the border may be vulnerable to hackers, given that the federal government has failed to protect private information in the past.

Congress has been delinquent and needs to weigh in and define exactly how much search authority border officials have over American travelers and what limits are placed on how copied electronic information can be shared, Norton said.

Stewart Baker, senior policy official at the Department of Homeland Security from 2005 to 2009 and an expert on national security law, said theres nothing new about searching electronic devices at the border.

The basic principle is that however personal something is, it is subject to search at the border because it is necessary to decide whether to admit people and determine if they are carrying contraband, he said.

A senior Customs official, who refused to be publicly identified discussing the statistics or guidelines, said there had been no formal decision to ramp up searches. Instead, the official said, more travelers have been carrying devices  sometimes multiple devices  leading to more searches.

Officials said the searches have resulted in evidence helpful for combating terrorism, child pornography, visa fraud and the trafficking of pirated movies, software and other types of protected intellectual property.

chris.megerian@latimes.com

Twitter: @chrismegerian

brian.bennett@latimes.com

Twitter: @ByBrianBennett
It became known as the midnight run, a dark-of-night dash to the White House compound last March 21 by Rep. Devin Nunes to view classified reports two weeks after President Trumps incendiary claim that President Obama was tapping my phones before the 2016 election.

What Ive read seems to me to be some level of surveillance activity  perhaps legal, but I dont know that its right, Nunes, head of the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters the next day outside the West Wing. I dont know that the American people would be comfortable with what Ive read.

The unusual episode did more to embarrass the Tulare Republican than help Trump. No proof of improper eavesdropping ever emerged and Nunes was forced to step down from his own committees inquiry into Russian meddling in the campaign while the House Ethics Committee investigated whether he had disclosed classified information.

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But Nunes still used his powerful perch to defend Trump, and he has accelerated those efforts since the ethics panel cleared him of any wrongdoing last month.

While special counsel Robert S. Mueller III conducts a criminal investigation into Trumps current and former aides, producing charges against four individuals so far, Nunes has launched a counteroffensive aimed at derailing or discrediting the federal inquiry that has shadowed Trumps first year in office  and shows no sign of ending.

Since last summer, Nunes has issued subpoenas to Justice Department officials, threatened to hold them in contempt of Congress and written angry demands for internal documents that could show how investigators used a dossier of partly unverified information concerning Trumps alleged ties to the Kremlin.

Democrats say Nunes focus on the dossier, which was produced by a former British intelligence officer and leaked to the media last year, is a way to divert attention from Russias meddling in the election to help Trump.

What do you think the Department of Justice does? asked Matthew Miller, a Justice Department spokesman during the Obama administration. It investigates tips they get.

Follow live coverage of the Trump administration on Essential Washington 

But Nunes won the backing of House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) during a meeting in Ryans office on Wednesday with Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein, who is Muellers supervisor, and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray.

In a letter to Rosenstein before the meeting, Nunes had accused the Justice Department and the FBI of intransigence for refusing to comply with his subpoenas. It seems the [Department of Justice] and FBI need to be investigating themselves, he added in bold, underlined text.

Rosenstein and Wray told Ryan that committee staff members had been able to view some of the documents, including internal memos summarizing interviews conducted by FBI agents. But they were hesitant to provide reports about sensitive contacts with confidential informants, which are rarely turned over to congressional committees.

In the end, Ryan supported Nunes and Rosenstein, and Wray backed down. As a result, committee members will be able to view the documents, which will probably be partly redacted  material that Nunes may use to fuel his counter-investigation.

The Speaker always expects the administration to comply with the Houses oversight requests, and he will support his chairmen when they make them, said AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan.

Nunes isnt the only Republican targeting the dossier.

Sens. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who chairs a Judiciary subcommittee, on Friday urged the Justice Department to investigate Christopher Steele, the former British spy who compiled the dossier, for making what they called potentially false statements about his contacts with reporters.

The referral specifically said it is not intended to be an allegation of a crime, but it marked the first time Republicans have asked for a criminal inquiry related to the 2016 campaign.

The White House and its allies have increasingly attempted to paint the Mueller investigation as politically motivated and fueled by dodgy, Democratic-funded opposition research. On Friday, Trump summed up the complaints in a tweet that combined his frustration with the Justice Department and with publication of Fire and Fury, a new book that portrays a Trump White House in chaos.

Well, now that collusion with Russia is proving to be a total hoax and the only collusion is with Hillary Clinton and the FBI/Russia, the Fake News Media (Mainstream) and this phony new book are hitting out at every new front imaginable. They should try winning an election. Sad! Trump wrote.

Nunes did not respond to requests for an interview.

The Senate Intelligence Committee also is investigating the Russian interference with the campaign, and so far it has covered considerable ground without obvious signs of political rancor. Any bipartisan spirit on the House Intelligence Committee dissolved long ago, however.

Rep. Adam Schiff, left, and Rep. Devin Nunes chat before taking their seats during a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Russian actions during the 2016 election campaign on March 20, 2017. (MANDEL NGAN / AFP/Getty Images )

Rep. Adam B. Schiff of Burbank, the top Democrat on the panel, accused Nunes of undermining the inquiry into Russian hacking, use of social media and other meddling in the presidential race. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that the Kremlin-backed interference was intended, at least in part, to help Trump win.

From the beginning of this investigation theres been an effort to circle the wagons around the White House by the chairman and some of the presidents allies, Schiff said in a telephone interview. Nunes, he added, wants to investigate anyone but the Russians.

Nunes decision last spring to become a principal in defending the president created a really partisan environment, said Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), another member of the panel.

Himes said the fractured committee could issue two separate reports on the Russia meddling last year, one from Democrats and one from Republicans.

It would be a real problem for the American people, he said. This is a deeply important topic. The last thing you want is a cacophony of congressional voices.

Republican members of the committee, including Reps. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina and Peter T. King of New York, declined to comment or did not respond to requests.

Nunes latest efforts coincide with other Republican attempts to discredit Muellers investigation and to criticize leadership at the Justice Department.

Reps. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), two leaders of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, this week called on Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions to resign over concerns about leaks to the media.

It would appear he has no control at all of the premier law enforcement agency in the world, they wrote in an op-ed published Thursday in the Washington Examiner.

Sarah Isgur Flores, a Justice Department spokeswoman, declined to comment.

In theory, if Sessions quits, Trump could take greater control of the Russia investigation. Sessions recused himself in March for failing to disclose his own meetings with Russias ambassador. So Mueller is supervised by Rosenstein, who has strongly defended the prosecutors conduct so far.

A new attorney general could take the investigation back from Rosenstein and move to cut Muellers budget, limit his authority or otherwise dampen the high-stakes inquiry now underway.

chris.megerian@latimes.com

Twitter: @chrismegerian

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President Trump directed his White House counsel to tell Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Departments investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The conversation between Don McGahn, the presidents White House counsel, and Sessions took place on the presidents orders and occurred just before the attorney general announced that he would step aside from the ongoing inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, according to a person with knowledge of the interaction. Two other people confirmed details of the conversation between McGahn and Sessions.

All three people spoke on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press to avoid publicly discussing an ongoing investigation.

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The episode is known to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and his team of prosecutors and is likely of interest to them as they look into whether Trumps actions as president, including the May firing of FBI Director James B. Comey, amount to improper efforts to obstruct the Russia investigation. Investigators recently concluded a round of interviews with current and former White House officials, including McGahn and former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus.

The New York Times first reported that Trump had McGahn lobby Sessions against a recusal.

Reached Thursday evening, Trump personal attorney John Dowd said, I know nothing about that, and hung up. Jay Sekulow, another of the presidents personal lawyers, did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment.

The White House also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sessions announced on March 2 that he would recuse himself from the Russia probe. He said at the time that he should not oversee any investigation into a campaign for which he was an active and vocal supporter, though the recusal also followed the revelation that he had had two previously undisclosed interactions during the 2016 campaign with the Russian ambassador to the United States. At his Jan. 10 confirmation hearing, he had said he had no meetings with Russians.

But soon before the announcement, with White House officials anticipating that Sessions might be poised to step aside, McGahn spoke to Sessions by phone and urged him against recusing himself from the investigation.

During the conversation, according to people familiar with the matter, McGahn argued to Sessions that there was no reason or basis at that time for him to recuse. One person said McGahn also told him that recusal would do nothing to resolve concerns over whether Sessions had given a misleading answer at his confirmation hearing.

Sessions ultimately declined the urging, and McGahn ultimately accepted the conclusion of officials who believed that Sessions should recuse.

Sessions recusal left Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein in charge of the Russia investigation. But once Trump fired Comey two months later, Rosenstein appointed Mueller, a former FBI director, to run the investigation and to report to him.

Four people, including Trumps former campaign chairman and national security advisor, have been charged so far in the investigation.

The Sessions recusal has been a sore spot for Trump for months, with the president publicly deriding the decision and lamenting his selection of the former Alabama senator as his attorney general.

In a July interview with the NewYork Times, Trump said, Well, Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job, and I would have picked somebody else.
The top two Republicans running for governor met for their first debate Thursday, clashing over their records, who was the true conservative and which one of them could bring change to Sacramento.

Largely unknown to the states voters, Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach) and businessman John Cox sparred for more than two hours, with the sharpest and most frequent barbs traded over their support  or lack of it  for President Trump.

Allen repeatedly blasted Cox for voting for libertarian Gary Johnson over Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

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If you didnt vote for the Republican nominee for president in 2016, you supported Hillary Clinton, Allen said. If youre not voting for Trump, youre voting for crooked Hillary. If you chose to sit out, you supported eight more years of Barack Obama.

Cox said he regrets not voting for the president, adding that he didnt back Trump at the time because of his past support of Democratic candidates. He countered that Allen had previously donated to Democratic candidates, including Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is now running for governor, and Gov. Jerry Brown, the termed-out state executive they hope to succeed in office.

I would cut my arm off before I gave any money to any Democrat, thats why I was unsure about President Trump, Cox said. I will tell you this now, it was a mistake.

The two sparred at a meeting of the Redlands Tea Party Patriots at the Mill Creek Cattle Co. restaurant in San Bernardino County, where more than 200 potential voters ate spare ribs and fried chicken as they watched the hopefuls face off.

Cox and Allen both trail badly in the polls. If Republicans fail to unite behind one of them, it is unlikely that either will be one of the top two vote-getters in the June primary, resulting in a Democrat-on-Democrat general election. Cox, who has donated $3 million to his own campaign, has a financial advantage over Allen but still lags way behind the top Democratic candidates, including Newsom, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Treasurer John Chiang.

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Cox argued that he had crossover appeal that could sway independent voters, while Allen countered that Cox, a former Illinois resident who now lives in Rancho Santa Fe, had run for president, U.S. Senate and county recorder  and lost each time.

Theres no way this guy can win, said Allen, who also emphasized that he was the sole Republican to be born and raised in California.

Allen was a crowd favorite, frequently cheered for his robust denouncements of Democratic control of California as well as his full-throated support for the Trump administration, including urging the president and his attorney general to sue California over its sanctuary state policy.

Cox tried to paint Allen as a blustering and empty cipher who had failed to accomplish anything during his tenure in Sacramento. He repeatedly argued that he was the sole candidate who could take on special interests he dubbed cronies and their sway over state lawmakers, and touted his ballot measure proposal to reduce the size of legislative districts by dramatically increasing the size of the Legislature.

Im not a politician, Im not as practiced. Maybe I have a charisma deficit, but Im telling you I can win this because Im going to talk to the people about the problems in this state and forging solutions, Cox said. Its not a bunch of rhetoric, its not a bunch of screaming, its not a bunch of misleading talk.

Despite their disdain for each other, Allen and Cox share many of the same concerns and policy positions. A top talking point for both men is the high cost of living and the lack of housing affordability in the state. They are also both promoting competing ballot measures to repeal the recently enacted gas tax increase.

Times staff writer Phil Willon in Sacramento contributed to this report.

seema.mehta@latimes.com

For the latest on national and California politics, follow @LATSeema on Twitter.

Money, Republican malaise and Tom Steyer: These are the things to watch for in Californias 2018 statewide elections

GOP candidate for governor Travis Allen calls on Trump administration to sue California over immigration policy

Live coverage of California politics
Rep. Brad Sherman says hes changing the way his office operates in response to sexual misconduct allegations against a former senior aide.

I know we have a wave of concern now about sexual harassment, but sexual harassment has been both morally wrong and politically toxic for the last 20 years. So whether Im motivated by my own sense of decency or my own sense of self-preservation, theres no way I would tolerate anything, Sherman said.

The former aide, Matt Dababneh, worked eight years for the Sherman Oaks congressman before being elected to the Assembly in 2013. No one reported Dababnehs alleged behavior to him or other staff members, Sherman said. Nor did they go to the Office of Congressional Ethics, the little-known Capitol Hill office tasked with resolving sexual harassment complaints. Dababneh resigned last month.

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Starting this month, senior staffers will ask junior staffers a list of questions every six months in order to determine whether staffers saw or experienced anything that made them uncomfortable.

People are more comfortable talking to someone of their own gender, and so were having a senior female employee whos going to be asking females, a senior male employee is going to be asking males, at least every six months, we may make it every three months, Sherman said.

Each congressional office is allowed to set its own internal policies, and Sherman said his previous approach to combating sexual harassment was more passive. New staffers received a written copy of the offices sexual harassment policy, which included details on how to report complaints, but not every staffer went through the voluntary sexual harassment training. The House recently voted to make such training mandatory for members and staff. There is also an effort underway to change the sexual misconduct reporting process for House staffers.

After a wave of sexual harassment allegations hit the political world last fall, reporters began looking into Dababnehs behavior.

In December, Dababneh was accused by multiple women of misconduct, including of masturbating in front of a lobbyist while a member of the Assembly and making inappropriate comments about sex while working as Shermans district director.

Dababneh announced on Dec. 8 that he would resign from the Assembly. He has strongly denied the allegations against him.

Sherman said people should have the common sense to know what behavior isnt acceptable in a work environment.

You dont need a course to tell you that the things that Matt Dababneh is accused of are just reprehensible, Sherman said.

Sacramento lobbyist Samantha Corbin, organizer of the We Said Enough campaign that has pushed for harassment reforms at the state Capitol, said in a statement that her group would prefer Congress to install a uniform code of conduct and that Shermans new policy should be conducted by an impartial third party rather than senior staff.

The approach of asking same-gendered senior staff to inquire from their own junior staff whether or not theyve been victimized within the office lacks the independence that would invite candor and runs the risk of intimidating junior staffers [into] silence or fear of superiors in whose hands their careers lie, she said.

A December article in The Sacramento Bee cited eight former staff members who said an environment in Shermans office that included frequent yelling made junior staffers feel complaints wouldnt be taken seriously if they reported sexual harassment.

Sherman was voted second meanest House member in an anonymous survey by a Washington, D.C., magazine in 2012, and he has a high staff turnover rate. Sherman disputes the Bees characterization of his office but said he expects his staff to meet high standards.

I am one of the more demanding bosses here on Capitol Hill, he said.

Jessica Yas Barker, who worked as Dababnehs subordinate in Shermans district office and has accused him of making inappropriate sexual comments, said she had no reason to believe Sherman was aware of Dababnehs behavior. Barker said Dababnehs comments about sexual conquests and women in the office were a major factor in her decision to leave the job, though she didnt tell her superiors.

Sherman says he would have acted if he had known.

Im quite aware that everything Matt Dababneh is accused of makes him a political liability and if I had been aware of one inch of it there would not have been a reason for him to continue to be associated with me, Sherman said.

sarah.wire@latimes.com

Follow @sarahdwire on Twitter

Read more about the 55 members of Californias delegation at latimes.com/politics

ALSO:

Assemblyman Matt Dababneh to resign following sexual misconduct allegations

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Updates on California politics

UPDATES:

11:50 a.m.: This article was updated with comment from the We Said Enough campaign.

This article was originally published at 3 a.m.
Fate often has a sense of humor: This week, Donald Trump, a president who never reads, was buried by a book.

For Trump, this could have been a good week. A holiday period in which he kept mostly quiet and out of the headlines had allowed his standing in polls to rise a bit, and more good economic news should have provided the White House with plenty to talk about.

Instead, Fire and Fury.

Im David Lauter, Washington bureau chief. Welcome to the Friday edition of our Essential Politics newsletter, in which we look at the events of the week in Washington and elsewhere in national politics and highlight some particularly insightful stories.

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A PUBLICITY BOOST LIKE NONE OTHER

Where do I send the box of chocolates? Michael Wolff, the author of the new book, said in an interview on the Today show Friday. Trump and his aides, he said, not only had given his book publicity beyond what any publisher would spend, they had helped confirm whats in it.

Indeed, by ordering his lawyers to send an obviously futile cease and desist letter to Wolff and his publisher, Trump virtually guaranteed a bestseller.

That he made himself look weak in the process and illustrated the books claim that he indulges in self-defeating tantrums only deepened the weeks folly.

As for the book, itself, as virtually everyone with an interest in politics by now seems to know, it offers a portrait of a president held in contempt by many top aides, incapable of paying attention to the briefings they struggle to give him and prone to volatile, ill-considered emotional outbursts.

Based heavily on interviews with the presidents former chief strategist, Stephen Bannon, and hours spent hanging out in the West Wing in the early months of the Trump presidency, Wolffs book doesnt plow new ground. Instead, it deepens and darkens the picture of Trumps White House already painted by the major news organizations that have covered him since the start.

But the book threatens Trump, nonetheless, in three significant ways:

Its extensive quotes from Bannon, Roger Ailes and other figures on the right validate criticisms of Trump that conservatives can more readily dismiss when they come from news sources they mistrust.

and other figures on the right validate criticisms of Trump that conservatives can more readily dismiss when they come from news sources they mistrust. By deepening the mistrust between Trump and his advisors, the book will inevitably hasten the departures that already have begun to erode the administrations top ranks. Its already caused a deep, maybe even permanent, rupture between Trump and Bannon, as Brian Bennett and Noah Bierman wrote.

Trumps own furious reaction to the publication has drawn him into yet another of the high-decibel battles that have consistently driven down his standing with the public.

Trumps defenders have sometimes tried to argue that the presidents frequent controversies formed part of a master strategy to deepen his connection with his supporters  my base, as Trump likes to refer to them.

Time and again thats been proved false. While some of Trumps most ardent backers love him for the fights he picks, most voters dislike the constant Twitter wars and the incessant quarreling.

In Alabama last month, Trump fatigue played a major role in the victory of the Democratic candidate for Senate, Doug Jones, according to his media strategist, Joe Trippi.

The sense of chaos, the constant fight, fight, fight and alarm bells going off all the time were what voters were reacting against, Trippi told me.

Theres this sense of being on edge, which voters talked about frequently, Trippi said. Thats what they dont want anymore.

A WAVE STARTING TO BUILD

All this comes at precisely the wrong time for Republicans, who are struggling to counter a Democratic wave that is building ahead of this years midterm elections.

With a strong economy that is driving down unemployment and beginning to push up wages, Republicans have an opening to make a case to voters to keep their majority in Congress.

But every time Trump distracts attention to another topic, Republicans lose another chance to make that argument. And Trump cant resist distractions.

A lot is at stake in the midterms, as Mark Barabak explained: control of Congress and more than two-thirds of the nations governors will be on the ballot in November.

OFFSHORE DRILLING, ONSHORE TOKING

While Wolffs book dominated the news, the administration did take two big policy steps this week  both of them carrying political risk.

Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, who has long crusaded against legalization of marijuana, changed Justice Department policy to open the way for federal prosecutors to target recreational pot in states where its legal. That placed thousands of marijuana businesses at risk in California and five other Western states that have fully legalized, as Evan Halper, Joe Tanfani and Patrick McGreevy wrote.

Administration officials probably dont care much about the angry reactions from California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and other state officials. They have little to lose in California, where Trump these days is only slightly more popular than a wildfire.

But the furious reaction from Colorados Republican Sen. Cory Gardner gave a good indication of the political problems that a crackdown could bring in other states where voters have gone for legalization. Sessions was trampling on the will of the voters, said Gardner, who heads the GOPs Senate campaign operation.

A fight over pot could further endanger Nevadas Republican Sen. Dean Heller, his partys most at-risk Senate incumbent.

The politics are similar for the administrations other big policy move this week  expanded offshore drilling, including opening up coastal waters near Florida and California that have been off-limits since the Reagan administration.

As with pot, the California reaction probably doesnt matter much to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who announced the decision.

But administration officials do care about the politics of Florida, where Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who is thinking about a Senate race, quickly moved to distance himself from the decision.

One other policy move this week: The administration announced details of its effort to make skimpier health plans more available, Noam Levey reported.

AVOIDING THE GOLDEN STATE

As Brian Bennett wrote, when Trump finished the calendar year, he became the first president not to visit California in his initial year since Dwight Eisenhower.

California isnt alone. With the exception of New York and New Jersey, where he owns property, Trump has avoided most blue states. And he seldom travels west of the Mississippi, preferring short trips that enable him to get home quickly.

MORE DEADLINES AHEAD

Deadlocked on many policy issues, Congress keeps passing short-term extensions of its deadlines. The next drop-dead date comes on Jan. 19.

White House officials and congressional leaders restarted talks this week on the main issues they face  the budget and immigration, Lisa Mascaro reported.

In the Senate, theres increasing pressure to reach a deal on the status of the roughly 700,000 young immigrants known as Dreamers, many of whom face the risk of deportation because of Trumps decision to cancel the Obama administrations DACA policy.

Meantime, the federal deficit is growing, and its likely to get worse because of the Republican tax bill and the huge cost of disaster aid from the wildfires and hurricanes of 2017. That means Congress likely will need to raise the debt limit sooner than expected, perhaps in early March, Jim Puzzanghera reported.

Republican leaders generally need help from Democrats to pass money bills, so each of these deadlines gives the minority party leverage to win policy concessions.

TAXING INTERNET SALES

In 1992, the Supreme Court ruled that states generally couldnt force internet retailers to collect sales taxes. The ruling has been criticized for years, and the high court may be on the brink of reconsidering, David Savage reports.

The justices could decide next week whether theyll take up an appeal of the issue brought by South Dakota and several other states. Well be following along.

STEPPING AWAY FROM THE BUTTON?

Earlier this week, Trump startled the country with a tweet bragging that his Nuclear Button was bigger and more powerful than Kim Jong Uns.

But as Tracy Wilkinson reported, just two days after that display of phallo-diplomacy, Trump agreed to delay U.S.-South Korean military exercises. The agreement to put off the military maneuvers came at the request of South Koreas president, who has been trying to ease tensions with North Korea.

ALL THE PRESIDENTS TWEETS

Whether the topic is North Korea or Bannon, Twitter has long been Trumps favored means of pushing his message. Were compiling all of Trumps tweets. Its a great resource. Take a look.

LOGISTICS

That wraps up this week. My colleague Christina Bellantoni will be back Monday with the weekday edition of Essential Politics. Until then, keep track of all the developments in national politics and the Trump administration with our Essential Washington blog, at our Politics page and on Twitter @latimespolitics.

Send your comments, suggestions and news tips to politics@latimes.com.

If you like this newsletter, tell your friends to sign up.

David.lauter@latimes.com

@davidlauter
Trump promotes sons Justice with Judge Jeanine interview President Trump promoted via Twitter an interview with his son Eric Trump just before it aired Saturday night on Fox News Justice with Judge Jeanine. Eric Trump on @JudgeJeanine on @FoxNews now!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2018 Eric Trump called into the show to defend his father from criticism prompted by the first government shutdown in more than four years, as well as a series of Womens March events that saw protesters in dozens of cities take to the streets to oppose the presidents policies. .@EricTrump joined me over the phone from Mar-a-Lago ! pic.twitter.com/Hro3TzUW52  Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) January 21, 2018 Speaking to host Jeannine Piro  who is reportedly an old friend of the presidents  Eric Trump offered effusive praise for his father, ticking off glowing statistics to illustrate the strength of the U.S. economy and gains against Islamic State fighters overseas. My fathers working like no ones ever worked before to bring back this country and to fulfill his promise to make America great again, said the executive vice president of the Trump Organization. He also repeated a sentiment recently expressed on Twitter by his father: That Democratic lawmakers forced a government shutdown on the anniversary of the presidents inauguration in a bid to distract from his achievements. You look at this whole government shutdown, and the only reason they want to shut down government is to distract and to stop his momentum, Eric Trump said. I mean, my father has had incredible momentum. Hes gotten more done in one year than arguably any president in history. Facebook

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Trump tweets: a perfect day for all Women to March President Trump hailed the nationwide Womens March gatherings Saturday. On Twitter, the president called it a perfect day for all Women to March, seeming to imply that those taking part were celebrating his administrations accomplishments: Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March. Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Participants in the marches across the United States were actually seeking to deliver a powerful rebuke to Trumps policies and mount a crucial mobilization for this years midterm elections. But Trump continued to tout his administrations unprecedented success in tweets sent later in the day: Unprecedented success for our Country, in so many ways, since the Election. Record Stock Market, Strong on Military, Crime, Borders, & ISIS, Judicial Strength & Numbers, Lowest Unemployment for Women & ALL, Massive Tax Cuts, end of Individual Mandate - and so much more. Big 2018!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 The Trump Administration has terminated more UNNECESSARY Regulation, in just twelve months, than any other Administration has terminated during their full term in office, no matter what the length. The good news is, THERE IS MUCH MORE TO COME!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2018 In addition to the roll call of major American cities where womens marches took place  including New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta  protesters also raised their voices in suburbs and small towns, reflecting the aim of coalescing a broad-based movement on the anniversary of Trumps inauguration to oppose the presidents stance on immigration, healthcare, racial divides and an array of other issues. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Laura King. Facebook

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Trump calls shutdown a present from Democrats By Associated Press President Trump is blaming Democrats for the government shutdown  tweeting that they wanted to give him a nice present to mark the one-year anniversary of his inauguration: This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present. #DemocratShutdown  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 That comes after Senate Democrats late Friday killed a GOP-written House-passed measure that would have kept agencies functioning for four weeks. Democrats were seeking a stopgap bill of just a few days in hopes that would build pressure on Republicans, and they were opposing a three-week alternative offered by GOP leaders. Democrats have insisted they would back legislation reopening the government once theres a bipartisan agreement to preserve protections against deporting about 700,000 immigrants  known as Dreamers  who arrived in the United States illegally as children. Trump on Saturday accused Democrats of holding our Military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration: Democrats are holding our Military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration. Cant let that happen!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Democrats are laying fault for the shutdown on Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress and the White House and have struggled with building internal consensus. In a series of tweets hours after the shutdown began, the president tried to make the case for Americans to elect more Republicans to Congress in November in order to power through this mess: Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border. They could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead. #WeNeedMoreRepublicansIn18 in order to power through mess!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 He noted that there are 51 Republicans in the 100-member Senate, and it often takes 60 votes to advance legislation: For those asking, the Republicans only have 51 votes in the Senate, and they need 60. That is why we need to win more Republicans in 2018 Election! We can then be even tougher on Crime (and Border), and even better to our Military & Veterans!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 #AMERICA FIRST!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 The stopgap spending measure won 50 votes in the Senate, including five from Democrats. Although the House and Senate were in session Saturday, it was unclear whether lawmakers would take any votes of consequence. Trump had been set to leave Friday afternoon for a fundraiser at his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., where he intended to mark the inauguration anniversary. But he remained in Washington and ended up scrapping his plans to attend the Saturday fundraiser. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweet casts doubt on likelihood of averting shutdown President Trump appeared to cast doubt on the likelihood of reaching a deal to avert a government shutdown Friday night in a tweet. Trump also sought to blame Democrats for what would be the first shutdown since 2013. His message came just hours before the midnight deadline by which lawmakers must pass a measure to fund government agencies, or some operations will cease. Not looking good for our great Military or Safety & Security on the very dangerous Southern Border. Dems want a Shutdown in order to help diminish the great success of the Tax Cuts, and what they are doing for our booming economy.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Despite last-minute negotiations Friday between Trump and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, Congress remained deadlocked over a spending bill and the federal government was headed toward a shutdown at midnight. Senate Democrats  joined by some GOP deficit hawks and immigration allies  were set to filibuster a stopgap funding bill approved by the House on Thursday. A Senate vote was planned for 10 p.m. Eastern, and even White House officials predicted it would fail. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Lisa Mascaro. Facebook

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Trump signs surveillance law after confusing tweets By Associated Press President Trump on Friday signed a bill into law to renew a foreign intelligence surveillance program, announcing his action in the latest in a series of confusing tweets about the spy program: Just signed 702 Bill to reauthorize foreign intelligence collection. This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election. I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2018 Trumps tweet on Jan. 11 created chaos in the House just before it voted to reauthorize what is known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. He linked the intelligence program to a dossier that alleges his presidential campaign had ties to Russia. That caused people to wonder if he didnt support the program that allows U.S. spy agencies to collect intelligence on foreign targets abroad. Trump and other Republicans have alleged that Obama administration officials improperly shared the identities of Trump presidential transition team members mentioned in intelligence reports. Democrats say there is no evidence that happened. Shortly before the House vote, and after conferring with House Speaker Paul Ryan, Trump did an apparent about-face. This vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land, he tweeted. We need it! Get smart! In his tweet announcing that he had just signed the bill, Trump wrote: This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election. I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first! There are no obvious links between the dossier Trump spoke of, which includes salacious but unsubstantiated allegations against him, and the reauthorization of the spying program, or between the program and Trumps oft-repeated claims that the Obama administration conducted surveillance on Trump Tower during the presidential campaign. Facebook

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In tweet, Trump suggests that Pennsylvania trip is a political one The White House press office was once again forced to walk back a tweet from President Trump on Thursday morning after he described a trip to Pennsylvania later in the day as a political one  a statement that would force the Republican Party, not taxpayers, to pay for the journey. The White House had said Trump was going to an industrial equipment company outside of Pittsburgh to highlight the good economy and new tax cuts, making it an official, policy-oriented event. It was widely assumed that the trip had a political cast  the area is holding a special election to fill a congressional seat vacated by a Republican who resigned. Trump, by his tweet, seemed to confirm that politics was the whole purpose: Will be going to Pennsylvania today in order to give my total support to RICK SACCONE, running for Congress in a Special Election (March 13). Rick is a great guy. We need more Republicans to continue our already successful agenda!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 Trump later shared via Twitter a pair of video clips of his speech at H&K Equipment, in which he touted the tax cuts he signed into law just before Christmas and tried to turn the conversation back to his accomplishments after weeks dominated by distractions, including questions about his mental health and comments about immigration that some considered racist: Departing Pittsburgh now, where it was my great honor to stand with our incredible workers, and to show the world that AMERICA is back - and we are coming back bigger and better and stronger than ever before! pic.twitter.com/kWPgylqFzj  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 AMERICA will once again be a NATION that thinks big, dreams bigger, and always reaches for the stars. YOU are the ones who will shape Americas destiny. YOU are the ones who will restore our prosperity. And YOU are the ones who are MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/f2abNK47II  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 The Republican National Committee, rather than the White House, is supposed to pay for political travel so that taxpayers are not financing party activities; for trips that combine policy and politics, parties have split the cost under past presidents. Neither the RNC nor the White House responded to emails sent Thursday asking who would pay. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement later Thursday suggesting that taxpayers would foot the bill. She insisted that Trump would be conducting government business while in Pennsylvania. Read More This post contains reporting from the Associated Press and Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump tweets praise of Bob Dole after awarding him Congressional Gold Medal By Associated Press Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole knew the art of the deal before President Trump published the 1987 book of the same name. The two shared a stage under the Capitol dome Wednesday as Dole, 94, accepted Congress highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, for his World War II service and decades of work in the House and Senate. Trump later praised Dole in a tweet, attaching to his message a video composed of clips from the ceremony: Today, we witnessed an incredible moment in history  the presentation of Congress highest civilian honor to our friend, and true AMERICAN HERO, Bob Dole. #CongressionalGoldMedal pic.twitter.com/qNQqDLRmCk  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2018 At the ceremony, the president saluted Dole as a patriot and gave tribute to Doles struggle as a veteran who worked his way back from a grievous shoulder wound he suffered in Italy. He knows about grit, said Trump. But it was Doles penchant for working across the aisle that earned him his latest award, according to the legislation. Bob Dole was known for his ability to work across the aisle and embrace practical bipartisanship, reads the legislation Trump signed in September. Some of the awards 300 recipients include George Washington and Mother Teresa, according to the Congressional Research Service. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts report that seeks to link terrorism cases with immigration By Joseph Tanfani The Trump administration on Tuesday released a report attempting to link terrorism with migration, arguing that it was evidence of the need to dramatically reshape the nations immigration system. New report from DOJ & DHS shows that nearly 3 in 4 individuals convicted of terrorism-related charges are foreign-born. We have submitted to Congress a list of resources and reforms....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 ....we need to keep America safe, including moving away from a random chain migration and lottery system, to one that is merit-based. https://t.co/7PtoSFK1n2  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The report, ordered by President Trump in an executive order last year, said that 75% of the 549 people convicted of terrorism charges since 9/11 were born outside the U.S. Administration officials called that a sign that the U.S. needs to scrap its policy of family preferences for visas, which they call chain migration, and a diversity visa lottery program. But the report did not specify how many  if any  of the convicted terrorists entered the country through those means. It also did not detail how many of the convictions were related to attacks or plans in the U.S. versus overseas and how many involved people who went to fight overseas for the Islamic State or another terrorist group. Those details were not available, officials said. The report, due last year, is being released in a highly charged moment in the immigration debate, as Trump and some Republicans in Congress seek tough new border and immigration measures in return for a deal protecting the 690,000 people in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Trump also fired off a pair of tweets on the topic earlier Tuesday: We must have Security at our VERY DANGEROUS SOUTHERN BORDER, and we must have a great WALL to help protect us, and to help stop the massive inflow of drugs pouring into our country!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The Democrats want to shut down the Government over Amnesty for all and Border Security. The biggest loser will be our rapidly rebuilding Military, at a time we need it more than ever. We need a merit based system of immigration, and we need it now! No more dangerous Lottery.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The focus of our immigration system should be assimilation, a senior administration official said on Tuesday, speaking on condition that his name not be used. He said the nation should give priority to potential immigrants who speak English, who have an education and those who are committed to supporting our values  not family members of people already here. The official said the timing of the report was coincidental. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets welcome to president of Kazakhstan By Associated Press President Trump said Tuesday that he and the president of Kazakhstan are united in a shared determination to prevent North Korea from threatening the world with nuclear devastation. Trump and President Nursultan Nazarbayev discussed North Korea along with other issues during meetings at the White House. Today, it was my honor to welcome President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan to the @WhiteHouse! pic.twitter.com/TerYFZViax  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 Trump said Kazakhstan, once part of the Soviet Union, is a valued partner in our efforts to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons. Together we are determined to prevent the North Korean regime from threatening the world with nuclear devastation, he said, as both presidents addressed journalists between meetings. Nazarbayev noted that his country once had one of the worlds largest nuclear arsenals but voluntarily gave it up after the Soviet Union collapsed. He said his country is in talks with Iran, which was the focus of a global deal that lifted some economic sanctions in exchange for Irans curbing its nuclear program. Trump has sharply criticized the Iran nuclear deal and threatened last week to pull out soon unless other countries fix what he says are terrible flaws. Read More Facebook

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Trump falsely claims his approval rating among black Americans has doubled By Alex Wigglesworth President Trump lashed out at the news media Tuesday morning in a tweet denouncing the special counsel investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion among members of his campaign team. Do you notice the Fake News Mainstream Media never likes covering the great and record setting economic news, but rather talks about anything negative or that can be turned into the negative. The Russian Collusion Hoax is dead, except as it pertains to the Dems. Public gets it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 It wasnt immediately clear exactly what prompted the presidents tweet, but it appeared as though he was watching Fox & Friends. A short time later, Trump tweeted a headline from a report that aired during that mornings episode: 90% of Trump 2017 news coverage was negative -and much of it contrived!@foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The segment focused on the latest survey results from conservative watchdog Media Research Center, which purportedly analyzed the evening news broadcasts on ABC, CBS and NBC from Jan. 20 to Dec. 31 and found that 90% of the statements made about Trump were negative. Study: 90% of Trump media coverage in 2017 was negative pic.twitter.com/vbrwup4Drg  FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) January 16, 2018 But believe it or not, through all this negative coverage, they did a survey of 600,000 people about how black America views this president, co-host Brian Kilmeade said. His numbers have actually doubled in approval. Trump highlighted the statement in another tweet: Unemployment for Black Americans is the lowest ever recorded. Trump approval ratings with Black Americans has doubled. Thank you, and it will get even (much) better! @FoxNews  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 But its not true. The claim appears to have originated from a misreading of data from the online polling firm SurveyMonkey, according to factcheck.org. The firm polled 600,000 Americans in 2017 and found that Trumps approval rating among blacks actually dropped from 23% early in his presidency to about 17%, as of the week ending Jan. 3. Some conservative outlets, including Breitbart, produced an average from those and other SurveyMonkey figures and compared them to the scores Trump received from black voters in the 2016 exit polls. That methodology is not sound. And since the statistics measure different things, the comparison is misleading. Facebook

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Trump goes after senator who surfaced his immigration remark By Associated Press President Trump turned his Twitter torment Monday on the Democrat in the room where immigration talks with lawmakers took a famously coarse turn, saying Sen. Richard J. Durbin misrepresented what he had said about African nations and Haiti and, in the process, undermined the trust needed to make a deal. Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting, Trump tweeted, using a nickname to needle the Illinois senator. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our Military. Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our Military.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 Trump was referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects young people who came to the United States illegally as children. Members of Congress from both parties are trying to strike a deal that Trump would support to extend that protection. Trump also cast doubt on the likelihood of reaching an agreement in tweets sent earlier Monday: Statement by me last night in Florida: Honestly, I dont think the Democrats want to make a deal. They talk about DACA, but they dont want to help..We are ready, willing and able to make a deal but they dont want to. They dont want security at the border, they dont want.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 ...to stop drugs, they want to take money away from our military which we cannot do. My standard is very simple, AMERICA FIRST & MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 On a day of remembrance for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Trump spent time at his golf course with no public events, bypassing the acts of service that his predecessors staged in honor of the civil rights leader. Instead, Trump dedicated his weekly address to Kings memory, saying Kings dream and Americas are the same: A world where people are judged by who they are, not how they look or where they come from. That message was a distinct counterpoint to words attributed to Trump by Durbin and others at a meeting last week, when the question of where immigrants come from seemed at the forefront of Trumps concerns. Some participants and others familiar with the conversation said Trump challenged immigration from shithole countries of Africa and disparaged Haiti as well. Without explicitly denying using that word, Trump lashed out at the Democratic senator, who said Trump uttered it on several occasions. Read More Facebook

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Trump thanks pundit for laudatory Fox & Friends spot By Alex Wigglesworth President Trump thanked Fox News personality Stuart Varney after Varney praised Trump during an appearance on Fox & Friends. In a pair of tweets early Sunday, Trump quoted from Varneys commentary, in which he argued that Trump deserves more credit for the booming economy. The pundit, who also hosts a show on Fox Business Network, cited moves by some corporations to raise workers minimum wage or pay out one-time bonuses in response to the GOP tax cuts. President Trump is not getting the credit he deserves for the economy. Tax Cut bonuses to more than 2,000,000 workers. Most explosive Stock Market rally that weve seen in modern times. 18,000 to 26,000 from Election, and grounded in profitability and growth. All Trump, not 0...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2018 ...big unnecessary regulation cuts made it all possible (among many other things). President Trump reversed the policies of President Obama, and reversed our economic decline. Thank you Stuart Varney. @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2018 Varney was reacting to a quote from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), who on Thursday called the bonuses handed down to workers pathetic in comparison to the gains corporations are expected to see from the tax cuts. In terms of the bonus that corporate America received versus the crumbs that they are giving to workers to kind of put the schmooze on is so pathetic, Pelosi told reporters. Its pathetic. Varney shot back Sunday that the bonuses, along with explosive stock market growth, are enriching all Americans. This is a huge shot in the arm, its the result of this tax cut deal and I think President Trump should get the credit for it, he said. .@Varneyco Sets the economic record straight after Nancy Pelosi calls U.S. mass bonuses crumbs pic.twitter.com/BvjIHGm3HE  FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) January 14, 2018 The sweeping tax plan passed last month lowers the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and cuts personal income taxes. Analysts say the benefits will largely flow to corporations and the wealthy, as theyre more likely to be in positions to share in corporate profits. For instance, Wells Fargo & Co., which responded to news of the tax overhaul by announcing it will raise workers pay to at least $15 an hour, also reported that it expects to pay an effective tax rate of 19% this year, down from about 31% in previous years. That should amount to tax savings of more than $3 billion annually. On average, middle-class Americans are expected to see a very small tax cut in the near term and a tax increase after 2025, when all of the tax cuts for individuals expire. The tax cuts for corporations, however, are permanent.  This post contains reporting from Times staff writer James Rufus Koren. Facebook

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Trump touts MLK proclamation in tweet, but ceremony is overshadowed by reports of racist remarks By Associated Press President Trump signed a proclamation Friday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, noting the contributions of a great American hero. Today, it was my great honor to proclaim January 15, 2018, as Martin Luther King Jr., Federal Holiday. I encourage all Americans to observe this day with appropriate civic, community, and service activities in honor of Dr. King's life and legacy. pic.twitter.com/samlJsz1Nt  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018 Overshadowing the event was mounting backlash from Trumps comments during a private meeting with lawmakers the day before. A short time after the meeting, which was called to discuss a possible immigration deal, reports emerged that Trump had asked participants why the United States should accept immigrants from shithole countries in Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin, the Senates second-ranking Democrat, appeared to confirm those reports on Friday. Trump did not respond Friday to several questions about the incident, including whether he actually used vulgar language to describe African nations, or if he is racist. The president said at the White House that love was central to the slain civil rights leader. Trump said the nation celebrates King for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or place of our birth, we are all created equal by God.  This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump criticizes Democrats in tweet calling for stricter immigration rules President Trump hit out at Democrats on Thursday night in a tweet calling for stricter immigration rules. Trump wrote that members of the party seem intent on having people and drugs pour into our country from the border with Mexico: The Democrats seem intent on having people and drugs pour into our country from the Southern Border, risking thousands of lives in the process. It is my duty to protect the lives and safety of all Americans. We must build a Great Wall, think Merit and end Lottery & Chain. USA!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018 It wasnt immediately clear exactly what prompted the tweet. Earlier Thursday, Trump rejected a bipartisan compromise to resolve the standoff over so-called Dreamers, young immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children but have temporary permits to work, attend school or serve in the military. The president drew widespread condemnation after reports emerged that he had asked participants in an Oval Office meeting about the proposal why the United States should accept immigrants from shithole countries in Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts bill aimed at improving border screening for fentanyl By Associated Press President Trump signed legislation Wednesday aimed at giving Customs and Border Protection agents additional screening devices and other tools to stop the flow of illicit drugs. Speaking at a surprise bill-signing ceremony while flanked by members of Congress from both parties in the Oval Office, Trump described the bill as a significant step forward in the fight against powerful opioids such as fentanyl, which he called our new big scourge. He echoed that language Thursday in a tweet: Yesterday, I signed the #INTERDICTAct (H.R. 2142) with bipartisan members of Congress to help end the flow of drugs into our country. Together, we are committed to doing everything we can to combat the deadly scourge of drug addiction and overdose in the United States! pic.twitter.com/ELZvFol5Lo  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018 The legislation will pay for new portable and fixed chemical screening devices to detect and intercept fentanyl at ports of entry and in the mail, along with other laboratory equipment and personnel, including scientists. Trump has made fighting the opioid epidemic a centerpiece of his administration, though critics say he hasnt dedicated nearly enough money or resources to make a difference. Trump suggested during his remarks on Wednesday that hed like to take a more aggressive approach to the drug crisis  but the countrys not ready for what he has in mind. So were going to sign this. And its a step. And it feels like a very giant step, but unfortunately, its not going to be a giant step, because no matter what you do, this is something that keeps pouring in, he said. And were going to find the answer. There is an answer. I think I actually know the answer, but Im not sure the countrys ready for it yet, he added. Does anybody know what I mean? I think so. Facebook

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Trump applauds news that Toyota-Mazda plant is slated for Alabama By Associated Press Japanese automakers Toyota and Mazda on Wednesday announced plans to build a mammoth, $1.6-billion joint-venture plant in Alabama that will eventually employ about 4,000 people. President Trump lauded the news in a tweet: Cutting taxes and simplifying regulations makes America the place to invest! Great news as Toyota and Mazda announce they are bringing 4,000 JOBS and investing $1.6 BILLION in Alabama, helping to further grow our economy! pic.twitter.com/Kcg8IVH6iA  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Good news: Toyota and Mazda announce giant new Huntsville, Alabama, plant which will produce over 300,000 cars and SUVs a year and employ 4000 people. Companies are coming back to the U.S. in a very big way. Congratulations Alabama!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018 Several states had competed for the project, which will be able to turn out 300,000 vehicles per year and produce the Toyota Corolla compact car for North America and a new small SUV from Mazda. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and company executives held a news conference to announce that the facility is coming to the Huntsville area not far from the Tennessee line. Production is expected to begin by 2021. The decision to pick Alabama is another example of foreign-based automakers building U.S. factories in the South. To entice manufacturers, Southern states have used a combination of lucrative incentive packages, low-cost labor and a pro-business labor environment, because the United Auto Workers union is stronger in Northern states. Read More Facebook

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Trump highlights call for border wall in tweets on visit with Norways prime minister By Associated Press President Trump praised Norways prime minister in a tweet on Wednesday after Erna Solberg became the first foreign leader to visit with the president in 2018. Today, it was my great honor to welcome Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway to the @WhiteHouse - a great friend and ally of the United States! Joint press conference: https://t.co/qWR1BhfQZI pic.twitter.com/PJvwznjRCO  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Trump also shared via Twitter a video clip of a joint news conference he held with Solberg on Wednesday afternoon. In the clip, Trump responds to a question from a reporter by saying there can be no bipartisan immigration deal absent funding for his long-promised wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been seeking a solution for hundreds of thousands of so-called Dreamers, young people who were brought to the United States as children and are living here illegally. The United States needs the security of the Wall on the Southern Border, which must be part of any DACA approval. The safety and security of our country is #1! pic.twitter.com/4CFzQXb5aS  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 We need the wall for security, we need the wall for safety, we need the wall for stopping the drugs from pouring in, Trump said Wednesday.  Any solution has to include the wall because without the wall, it all doesnt work. On Tuesday, Trump drew widespread attention when he said during a meeting with a bipartisan group of lawmakers that he would be agreeable to signing a stand-alone bill to protect the Dreamers, before moving on to a more comprehensive immigration bill. That contradicted the Republican consensus that Dreamers fate needed to be part of a broader immigration bill that would include some version of Trumps promised border wall and other immigration reforms. Trump backed away from a stand-alone Dreamer bill in subsequent tweets and public comments. Read More This post contains reporting from Los Angeles Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump praises Cabinet in tweet touting meeting By Associated Press President Trump promoted a meeting of his Cabinet on Wednesday, sharing via Twitter a link to a video of the session posted on the White House YouTube account. In his tweet, Trump thanked his Cabinet for working tirelessly on behalf of our country and wrote that the last year has been one of monumental achievement. I want to thank my @Cabinet for working tirelessly on behalf of our country. 2017 was a year of monumental achievement and we look forward to the year ahead. Together, we are delivering results and MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! https://t.co/ptXa1hAPwW pic.twitter.com/yv6RALkQf3  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 The former reality television star continued to dispense accolades at the meeting Wednesday, greeting reporters in the Cabinet Room by saying: Welcome back to the studio. Then he proceeded to relive a Cabinet Room session from the prior day, when he had allowed reporters and TV cameras to stick around for much of his meeting with a bipartisan group of legislators on the thorny issue of immigration. It was a tremendous meeting. Actually, it was reported as incredibly good. And my performance  you know, some of them called it a performance  I consider it work, Trump said. Trump went on to say he had received letters from news anchors calling it one of the greatest meetings theyve ever witnessed. He added that the media will ultimately support Trump in the end, because theyre going to say, if Trump doesnt win in three years, theyre all out of business. Asked for examples of letters received from news anchors, the White House said it had received private communications. It also offered a series of positive on-air comments and tweets from journalists about the unusual access to the meeting. During his remarks, Trump swung from praising his own meeting coverage to telling journalists that they were dependent on his presidency for ratings to threatening a strong look at libel laws. Still, Trump thanked the journalists in front of him, joking: Youve gotten very familiar with this room. I appreciate your nice comments yesterday. Facebook

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Trump blasts DACA ruling in tweet calling courts broken and unfair By Lisa Mascaro President Trump denounced the federal courts Wednesday as broken and unfair after a district judge in San Francisco issued a nationwide injunction keeping protections in place for so-called Dreamers. Trump tweeted: It just shows everyone how broken and unfair our Court System is when the opposing side in a case (such as DACA) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 On Tuesday night, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco temporarily blocked the Trump administrations decision to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, which has protected from deportation some 700,000 people who came to the country illegally as children. Alsup granted a request by the state of California, the University of California and other plaintiffs to stop Trump from ending DACA on March 5. The administrations decision to end DACA, which was announced in September, was based on a flawed legal analysis, Alsup wrote in his decision. Dreamers would be irreparably harmed if their DACA protections, which allow them to live and work legally in the U.S., were stripped away before the courts had a chance to fully consider their claims, he ruled. The action is the mirror image of a ruling in 2015 by a federal judge in Texas who ruled in favor of that state when it sought to block President Obama from expanding DACA to include the parents of Dreamers. Trump administration officials praised that judicial ruling. By contrast, they sharply criticized Alsups decision. Read More Facebook

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Trump thanks lawmakers for productive immigration meeting, says deal must include border wall President Trump thanked a bipartisan group of lawmakers for participating in a meeting on immigration legislation on Tuesday. Much of the discussion involved so-called Dreamers, an estimated 700,000 young people who were brought to the country illegally as children and are now facing deportation. In a tweet, Trump wrote that there was strong agreement to negotiate a bill to protect Dreamers, as well as put into place some of the reforms favored by Republicans. Thanks to all of the Republican and Democratic lawmakers for todays very productive meeting on immigration reform. There was strong agreement to negotiate a bill that deals with border security, chain migration, lottery and DACA. https://t.co/SdqAQ3aL3z pic.twitter.com/8DYHZHspAy  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 The most notable exchange of the meeting came when Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the San Francisco Democrat, asked Trump whether he would be agreeable to signing a stand-alone bill to protect the Dreamers, before moving on to a more comprehensive immigration bill. Yeah, I would like to do it, Trump responded. The statement drew widespread attention because it contradicted the Republican consensus that Dreamers fate needed to be part of a broader immigration bill that would include some version of Trumps promised border wall and other immigration reforms. Trump later backed away from a stand-alone Dreamer bill, tweeting that a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico must be part of any deal: As I made very clear today, our country needs the security of the Wall on the Southern Border, which must be part of any DACA approval.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Pressure has been mounting for Congress to broker an immigration deal by Jan. 19 as part of a must-pass budget package to fund the government. This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump thanks officers and veterans in tweets President Trump doled out a slew of accolades Tuesday via Twitter. He thanked the nations law enforcement officers, including in his message a hashtag denoting a day of appreciation organized by a national support group for law enforcement families. On behalf of the American people, THANK YOU to our incredible law enforcement officers. As President of the United States - I will fight for you, and I will never, ever let you down. Now, more than ever, we must support the men and women in blue! #LawEnforcementAppreciationDay pic.twitter.com/Qb4uxB4JRm  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 Trump later expressed gratitude for federal immigration agents, in particular: .@ICEgov HSI agents and ERO officers, on behalf of an entire Nation, THANK YOU for what you are doing 24/7/365 to keep fellow Americans SAFE. Everyone is so grateful!#LawEnforcementAppreciationDay

President @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/HXCpTlruVo  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 The president thanked veterans as he cited his administrations efforts to curb the number of veteran suicides by improving mental health treatment for the high-risk group: Today, it was my great honor to sign a new Executive Order to ensure Veterans have the resources they need as they transition back to civilian life. We must ensure that our HEROES are given the care and support they so richly deserve! https://t.co/0MdP9DDIAS pic.twitter.com/LP2a8KCBAp  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 Trumps tweet included photos of the president signing an executive order Tuesday directing the secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs to develop a plan to provide seamless access to mental health and suicide prevention resources for 12 months for members leaving the armed forces. Also on Tuesday, Trump touted a law he signed the day before designating the birthplace of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. a national historic park: It was my great honor to sign H.R. 267, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park Act, which redesignates the Martin Luther King, Junior, National Historic Site in the State of Georgia as the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. https://t.co/Qe0b6HBFTY pic.twitter.com/QTgaqTawPT  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 And he thanked House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) for sharing a video compilation comprised of clips of politicians and commentators praising the GOPs tax cut bill: Thank you @GOPLeader Kevin McCarthy! Couldnt agree w/you more. TOGETHER, we are #MAGA https://t.co/QaxtqpyXTR  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018  This post contains reporting from the Associated Press and Times staff writer Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump hails tax bill in tweets recapping speech to farmers By Associated Press Connecting with rural Americans, President Trump on Monday hailed his tax overhaul as a victory for family farmers. Farm country is Gods country, Trump told the annual convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Trump became the first president in a quarter-century to address the federations convention. His Southern swing also included a stop in Atlanta for the national college football championship game. Cant wait to be back in the amazing state of Tennessee to address the 99th American @FarmBureau Federations Annual Convention in Nashville! #AFBF18



On my way now - join me LIVE at 4:00pmE: https://t.co/QaljAqekdD. pic.twitter.com/Wm7Io0hYT8  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Joined by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and a group of Tennessee lawmakers, Trump said most of the benefits of the tax legislation are going to working families, small businesses, and who  the family farmer. The package Trump signed into law last month provides generous tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans, and more modest reductions for middle- and low-income individuals and families. In every decision we make, we are honoring Americas PROUD FARMING LEGACY. Years of crushing taxes, crippling regs, & corrupt politics left our communities hurting, our economy stagnant, & millions of hardworking Americans COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN. But they are not forgotten ANYMORE! pic.twitter.com/MdYS7xnukQ  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 The president vastly inflated the value of the package in his speech, citing a total of $5.5 trillion in tax cuts, with most of those benefits going to working families, small businesses and who? The family farmer. The estimated value of the tax cuts is actually $1.5 trillion for families and businesses because of cuts in deductions and the use of other steps to generate offsetting tax revenue. We have been working every day to DELIVER for Americas Farmers just as they work every day to deliver FOR US. #AFBF18 pic.twitter.com/QDH7fvFkZ7  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 From Nashville, Trump traveled to Atlanta to watch Alabamas Crimson Tide and Georgias Bulldogs face off Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship. We are fighting for our farmers, for our country, and for our GREAT AMERICAN FLAG. We want our flag respected - and we want our NATIONAL ANTHEM respected also! pic.twitter.com/16eOLXg6Fi  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Before departing for the game, Trump referenced his ongoing defense of the American flag and the national anthem, saying there was enough space for people to express their views. We love our flag and we love our anthem, and we want to keep it that way, he said. Facebook

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Trump tweet hails drop in unemployment rate for African Americans By Associated Press President Trump touted a drop in the unemployment rate for African Americans on Monday in a tweet. African American unemployment is the lowest ever recorded in our country. The Hispanic unemployment rate dropped a full point in the last year and is close to the lowest in recorded history. Dems did nothing for you but get your vote! #NeverForget @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 The rate fell to 6.8% in December, the lowest level since the government began tracking such data in 1972. The reasons range from a greater number of black Americans with college degrees to a growing need for employers in a tight job market to widen the pool of people they hire from. Trump also hailed the development via Twitter on Saturday. His latest tweet on the topic came about an hour after it was discussed during an episode of Fox & Friends, according to Mediaite. Facebook

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Trump talks up the economy and dresses down the media in Sunday tweets With President Trump cheering from the sidelines, the White House on Sunday pressed its defense of the presidents fitness to govern, as fired former aide Stephen K. Bannon reversed course and apologized for his role in a new books explosive portrait of Trump. The presidents critics, meanwhile, said Trumps stream of taunts and insults in response to the book  Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, released last week  served only to underscore the authors unsettling portrayal of Trumps year-old presidency, depicting a leader whose own aides consider him childish, ignorant and dangerously erratic. Trump provided more ammunition Sunday morning, as he continued to attack the book via Twitter while preparing to depart Camp David for the White House: Leaving Camp David for the White House. Great meetings with the Cabinet and Military on many very important subjects including Border Security & the desperately needed Wall, the ever increasing Drug and Opioid Problem, Infrastructure, Military, Budget, Trade and DACA.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Ive had to put up with the Fake News from the first day I announced that I would be running for President. Now I have to put up with a Fake Book, written by a totally discredited author. Ronald Reagan had the same problem and handled it well. So will I!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 The most vehement defense of Trump on Sunday came from senior advisor Stephen Miller, a onetime Bannon acolyte who distanced himself from his former mentor. In a combative appearance Sunday on CNNs State of the Union, Miller called the book grotesque and writer Michael Wolff the garbage author of a garbage book. Trump is known to closely monitor aides televised performances in putting forth his case, and he gleefully weighed in within moments of Millers televised clash with host Jake Tapper. CNN has long been a particular target of Trumps ire. Jake Tapper of Fake News CNN just got destroyed in his interview with Stephen Miller of the Trump Administration. Watch the hatred and unfairness of this CNN flunky!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Trumps reaction, however, seemed to bolster Tappers on-air depiction of Miller as using his appearance on the show to play to the president rather than addressing questions put to him. I get it  theres one viewer that you care about, the host said exasperatedly after Miller turned the discussion repeatedly to negative news coverage of the president while deflecting specific queries. Later on Twitter, Trump took up two themes that have been prevalent on his social media feeds recently. The president again went after the news media, tweeting that the recipients of his self-proclaimed most dishonest & corrupt media awards of the year, which he promised earlier in the week to announce on Monday, would actually be revealed the following Wednesday: The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt & biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, January 17th, rather than this coming Monday. The interest in, and importance of, these awards is far greater than anyone could have anticipated!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Trump later lauded a New York Post opinion piece that compared him favorably with his predecessor, President Obama, as well as Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. In quoting the op-ed, Trump initally misspelled consequential as consensual, but he deleted those tweets and re-sent the messages. His is turning out to be an enormously consequential presidency. So much so that, despite my own frustration over his missteps, there has never been a day when I wished Hillary Clinton were president. Not one. Indeed, as Trumps accomplishments accumulate, the mere thought of...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 ...Clinton in the WH, doubling down on Barack Obamas failed policies, washes away any doubts that America made the right choice. This was truly a change election  and the changes Trump is bringing are far-reaching & necessary. Thank you Michael Goodwin! https://t.co/4fHNcx2Ydg  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Trump also continued talking up the economy, which has been enjoying a period of strong gains. The Stock Market has been creating tremendous benefits for our country in the form of not only Record Setting Stock Prices, but present and future Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. Seven TRILLION dollars of value created since our big election win!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 In addition to Miller, other senior administration officials made the rounds of Sunday news talk shows to decry the claims made in Wolffs book. CIA Director Mike Pompeo said Wolffs characterization of Trump as averse to digesting classified briefing material was ludicrous, and the ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, insisted that that those around Trump love their country and respect their president. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Laura King. Facebook

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Responding to book that mocks his intelligence, Trump tweets hes like, really smart By Tracy Wilkinson President Trump declared himself a very stable genius on Twitter on Saturday and later in a televised news conference called the author of a book that questioned his mental fitness a fraud. His comments came on a bone-cold day at Camp David during a weekend retreat with top administration officials and Republican congressional leaders strategizing on the years legislative agenda, including matters such as infrastructure, immigration, welfare reform and national security. Now that Russian collusion, after one year of intense study, has proven to be a total hoax on the American public, the Democrats and their lapdogs, the Fake News Mainstream Media, are taking out the old Ronald Reagan playbook and screaming mental stability and intelligence.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 ....Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. Crooked Hillary Clinton also played these cards very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 ....to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 Still, Trumps explosive rebuttal to author Michael Wolffs claims not only opened the day, but it also ensured the presidents capability to fill the highest office in the land was a topic that would not go away. In his early-morning tweets, Trump said two of his greatest assets have been mental stability, and being, like, really smart. He noted that his former Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, played these cards [about competence] very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star to President of the United States (on my first try). Read More Facebook

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In morning tweets, Trump touts job numbers and takes digs at news media By Associated Press President Trump used Twitter on Saturday morning to tout a drop in the unemployment rate for African Americans. He also used the tweets as an opportunity to take digs at media outlets whose past coverage he has found to be critical. The African American unemployment rate fell to 6.8%, the lowest rate in 45 years. I am so happy about this News! And, in the Washington Post (of all places), headline states, Trumps first year jobs numbers were very, very good.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 The unemployment rate for African Americans fell to 6.8% in December, the lowest level since the government began tracking such data in 1972. The reasons range from a greater number of black Americans with college degrees to a growing need for employers in a tight job market to widen the pool of people they hire from. Still, the rate for black workers remains well above those for whites and some other groups, something experts attribute in large part to decades of discrimination and disadvantages. Robust job creation has lowered unemployment for all Americans. U.S. employers added nearly 2.1 million jobs in 2017  the seventh straight year that hiring has topped 2 million. In his tweet, Trump praised a report that noted the numbers, touting the fact that it appeared in the Washington Post (of all places). Minutes later, Trump renewed his attack on an ABC News reporter who was suspended last month after filing an erroneous report on Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security advisor. Brian Ross, the reporter who made a fraudulent live newscast about me that drove the Stock Market down 350 points (billions of dollars), was suspended for a month but is now back at ABC NEWS in a lower capacity. He is no longer allowed to report on Trump. Should have been fired!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 The reporter, Brian Ross, was reportedly reassigned within ABC News upon returning from his unpaid suspension. But on Saturday, Trump wrote that he should have been fired. Trumps tweets came hours before he was set to host congressional Republicans and administration officials at Camp David. The meeting scheduled to begin at midmorning Saturday was expected to touch on the budget, infrastructure, immigration, welfare reform and the shape of the midterm election this fall. Facebook

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Trump commends Sen. Rand Paul after he proposes eliminating all U.S. aid to Pakistan President Trump commended Sen. Rand Paul after the Kentucky Republican announced plans to introduce legislation that would eliminate all U.S. aid to Pakistan. Trump tweeted Friday night: Good idea Rand! https://t.co/55sqUDiC0s  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 On Thursday, the Trump administration announced it was suspending security assistance to Islamabad until the country moves aggressively against local militants who have attacked U.S. troops in neighboring Afghanistan. Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration at the apparent inability of Pakistani authorities to rein in militants who cross out of the countrys rugged tribal areas to attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson. Facebook

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Trump continues to lash out at Sloppy Steve Bannon in tweets on tell-all book By Associated Press President Trump is praising a major Republican donor family for distancing themselves from his former advisor Steve Bannon. Trump tweeted Friday: The Mercer Family recently dumped the leaker known as Sloppy Steve Bannon. Smart!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Trump has continued to lash out at Bannon over an explosive new book that quoted his former aide as questioning Trumps competence and describing a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower among Donald Trump Jr., Trump campaign aides and a Russian lawyer as treasonous and unpatriotic. On Thursday, billionaire GOP donor Rebekah Mercer issued a statement distancing her family from Bannon. Mercer is a co-owner of Breitbart, the populist website Bannon helps run. I support President Trump and the platform upon which he was elected, Mercer said. My family and I have not communicated with Steve Bannon in many months and have provided no financial support to his political agenda, nor do we support his recent actions and statements. The book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, quickly shot atop Amazons best-seller list, and the publisher moved up its release date by four days, to Friday. Trump took up the topic again on Twitter on Friday night, denouncing both Bannon and the books author, Michael Wolff, in starkly personal terms: Michael Wolff is a total loser who made up stories in order to sell this really boring and untruthful book. He used Sloppy Steve Bannon, who cried when he got fired and begged for his job. Now Sloppy Steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone. Too bad! https://t.co/mEeUhk5ZV9  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 Trumps message linked to a meme depicting a parody book cover titled, Liar and Phony, that featured a photo of Wolff and disparaging quotes about the author. In a tweet sent earlier Friday morning, Trump suggested the book was intended to serve as a distraction from the FBIs investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, which Trump wrote is proving to be a total hoax. Well, now that collusion with Russia is proving to be a total hoax and the only collusion is with Hillary Clinton and the FBI/Russia, the Fake News Media (Mainstream) and this phony new book are hitting out at every new front imaginable. They should try winning an election. Sad!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 That came amid reports that Trump directed his White House counsel to tell Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Departments Russia investigation. Trumps effort to keep Sessions, a vocal and loyal supporter of his election bid, in charge of an investigation into his campaign offers special counsel Robert Mueller yet another avenue to explore as his prosecutors work to untangle potential evidence of obstruction. Read More Facebook

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Trump praises the economy ahead of meetings at Camp David By Associated Press President Trump is praising the strength of the U.S. economy ahead of meetings at Camp David with congressional Republicans. Trump tweeted early Friday: Dow goes from 18,589 on November 9, 2016, to 25,075 today, for a new all-time Record. Jumped 1000 points in last 5 weeks, Record fastest 1000 point move in history. This is all about the Make America Great Again agenda! Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. Six trillion dollars in value created!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 The president also told reporters on the South Lawn that the tax cuts are really kicking in after Congress passed a package of tax cuts at the end of 2017. And the president praised the December jobs report, which found U.S. employers added 148,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate stayed at 4.1%, the lowest level since 2000. The modest but steady pace of hiring is a reassuring sign for investors who have been buoyed by the just-passed Republican tax plan and have been sending stock market indexes roaring to uncharted heights. The president is meeting with Republican congressional leaders and members of his Cabinet on Friday and Saturday to discuss the 2018 agenda. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets as Dow crashes through 25,000 By Associated Press President Trump dispatched a congratulatory tweet as the Dow Jones industrial average rose above the 25,000-point mark Thursday, just five weeks after its first close above 24,000. Dow just crashes through 25,000. Congrats! Big cuts in unnecessary regulations continuing.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 After the Dow closed above 25,000, Trump shared a graphic depicting the stock indexs record-setting rise. MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/iONbr1DkVk  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Later in the day, the president was back on Twitter, complaining that news outlets had barely covered the stock market milestone. He suggested that the strength of the economy would be the biggest story on earth, had it unfolded during the presidency of his predecessor. The Fake News Media barely mentions the fact that the Stock Market just hit another New Record and that business in the U.S. is booming...but the people know! Can you imagine if O was president and had these numbers - would be biggest story on earth! Dow now over 25,000.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 The Dow broke past 1,000-point barriers in 2017 on its way to a 25% gain for the year, as an eight-year rally since the Great Recession continued to confound skeptics. Strong global economic growth and good prospects for higher company earnings have analysts predicting more gains, although the market may not stay as calm as it has been recently. The Dow has made a rapid trip since it reached 24,000 points Nov. 30, partly on enthusiasm over passage of the Republican-backed tax package, which could boost company profits this year with across-the-board cuts to corporate taxes. Read More Facebook

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Trump reacts to Fire and Fury book in tweet lashing out at author and Sloppy Steve President Trump lashed out at the author of a soon-to-be-released book about the chaotic first year of his presidency Thursday night. In a tweet, Trump called Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, a phony book and claimed that hed never spoken to its author, Michael Wolff. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve! Trump wrote. He appeared to be referring to former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon, whose stunning criticisms of Trump and his circle figure prominently in the title. I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Trumps tweet came hours after he had his lawyer demand that Henry Holt & Co. and Wolff stop publication the book. Instead, the publisher expedited the books release to Friday, four days before it was slated to hit bookstore shelves, in response to unprecedented demand. Published excerpts on Wednesday and Thursday whetted that appetite and roiled Washington. Bannons comments, including that it was treasonous and unpatriotic for Trumps son Donald Trump Jr., son-in-law Jared Kushner and campaign manager Paul Manafort to have met in 2016 with Russians said to have dirt on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, prompted Trump on Wednesday to rebuke his former advisor, saying Bannon had lost his mind. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writers Brian Bennett and Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump thanks senators who attended meeting on immigration President Trump tweeted thanks to Republican senators who attended a meeting about possible immigration legislation on Thursday. In his message, Trump also listed his top priorities when it comes to any type of overhaul of the nations immigration system. Thank you to the great Republican Senators who showed up to our mtg on immigration reform. We must BUILD THE WALL, stop illegal immigration, end chain migration & cancel the visa lottery. The current system is unsafe & unfair to the great people of our country - time for change!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Trumps tweet echoed his remarks at the beginning of Thursdays meeting, when he insisted again that constructing a border wall and overhauling two legal immigration programs must be part of any deal with Democrats to protect the so-called Dreamers from deportation. Two-year deportation protections and work permits given under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program begin to expire March 6 under an executive order. Trump announced in September that he was ending the Obama-era program, but told Congress to draft a law to continue protections for people brought to the country illegally as children  a group that has widespread public support. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Brian Bennett. Facebook

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Trump resumes Twitter war against kneeling NFL players President Trump has resumed his Twitter war against NFL players who kneel during the national anthem to protest social injustice and racial inequality. In a tweet early Thursday, Trump replied to a supporter who shared a meme that appears to depict family members lying on the grave of a fallen soldier with the caption: This is why we stand. Show this picture to the NFL players who still kneel! Trump wrote. So beautiful....Show this picture to the NFL players who still kneel! https://t.co/tJLM1tvbvb  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 The president has denounced players who kneel during the anthem in previous tweets. Hes also called for the firing of players who do so. His latest message came amid news that the NFL finished the regular season with TV ratings that fell nearly 10% below the previous season. Analysts attribute the drop to controversies facing the league, as well as changing viewing habits and a possible saturation point in the number of games available. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writers Stephen Battaglio and Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump credits himself with facilitating talks between North and South Korea By Associated Press President Trump says his tough stance on nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula is helping push North Korea and South Korea to talk. Trump tweeted early Thursday: With all of the failed experts weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the North. Fools, but talks are a good thing!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 That assertion is in conflict with some of the presidents own statements. Last year, he ridiculed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for talking about negotiations with the North. This week, Trump seemed open to the possibility of an inter-Korean dialogue after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare overture toward South Korea in a New Years Day address. But Trumps ambassador to the United Nations insisted that talks wont be meaningful unless the North is getting rid of its nuclear weapons. The overture about talks came after Trump and Kim traded more bellicose claims about their nuclear weapons. In his New Years Day address, Kim repeated fiery nuclear threats against the United States. Kim said he has a nuclear button on his office desk and warned that the whole territory of the U.S. is within the range of our nuclear strike. Trump mocked that assertion Tuesday evening in a tweet. Facebook

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After disbanding his vote fraud panel, Trump still says voting system is rigged By Brian Bennett One day after disbanding his troubled voter fraud commission without any findings of fraud, President Trump continued to call the U.S. voting system rigged and said states should require that Americans have voter-identification cards. In two tweets on Thursday morning, Trump blamed the commissions failure on the lack of cooperation from mostly Democrat States that refused to hand over voter rolls because they know that many people are voting illegally. However, voting supervisors in Republican-led states refused as well, objecting on privacy and other grounds. Many mostly Democrat States refused to hand over data from the 2016 Election to the Commission On Voter Fraud. They fought hard that the Commission not see their records or methods because they know that many people are voting illegally. System is rigged, must go to Voter I.D.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 As Americans, you need identification, sometimes in a very strong and accurate form, for almost everything you do.....except when it comes to the most important thing, VOTING for the people that run your country. Push hard for Voter Identification!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Despite Trumps assertions, analysts have not found evidence of widespread voter fraud. Trump created the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity in May after alleging, without proof, that millions of illegal votes were cast for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Trump was elected after winning a majority in the electoral college, but the nationwide count showed Clinton received nearly 3 million more votes. The commission sought personal data on voters across the country and faced mounting lawsuits in recent months over privacy concerns. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts another good day for stocks, credits tax cut By Associated Press President Trump touted another good day for the stock market Wednesday in a tweet. Stock Market had another good day but, now that the Tax Cut Bill has passed, we have tremendous upward potential. Dow just short of 25,000, a number that few thought would be possible this soon into my administration. Also, unemployment went down to 4.1%. Only getting better!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Big gains for technology and healthcare stocks helped U.S. indexes set records again Wednesday. Some analysts attributed the surge to investor enthusiasm for Trumps $1.5-trillion tax cut. All told, Wall Street analysts estimate the tax package should boost earnings for companies in the Standard & Poors 500 index by roughly 8% this year. Thats much more generous than the average tax cut of 1.6% that middle-class families will receive, according to the Tax Policy Center. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 The public has been less enthusiastic about the tax law. A Monmouth University poll last month found that nearly half of Americans disapproved of it, with only 26% in support. Still, as Trump also noted on Twitter, some workers have seen a benefit: So far, dozens of companies have announced bonuses and higher minimum wages as a result of the tax cut. AT&T, Comcast, Bank of America, and American Airlines have all pledged to pay $1,000 bonuses to their employees. Some 40 U.S. companies have responded to President Trumps tax cut and reform victory in Congress last year by handing out bonuses up to $2,000, increases in 401k matches and spending on charity, a much higher number than previously known. https://t.co/bmWrwWzxMR  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Investors also appear less concerned than many politicians about how the additional profits will be used. The Trump administration says it expects companies will plow much of the extra profit back into their businesses, purchasing more software, machinery, and other equipment. Those investments will make workers more productive and provide a key boost to the economys long-run growth. They should also boost wages and salaries for employees. Opponents of the tax law respond that companies are more likely to pass the windfall on to shareholders in the form of higher dividend payments and share buybacks, which raise the price of those shares still in investors hands. Previous cuts in corporate tax rates, in the United States and overseas, havent always led to higher wages. For Wall Street, its all good, at least in the short run. Most analysts take the view that either way, companies and the economy will benefit. Facebook

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Trump reacts to death of Mormon Church president By Associated Press President Trump mourned the death of Mormon Church leader Thomas S. Monson on Wednesday evening. Trump tweeted a link to a statement in which he said that Monson demonstrated wisdom, inspired leadership, and great compassion and delivered a message of optimism, forgiveness, and faith. Melania and I are deeply saddened by the death of Thomas S. Monson, a beloved President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...https://t.co/ETD3fWtfU3  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 A church bishop at the age of 22, Monson became the youngest church apostle ever in 1963 at the age of 36. He served as a counselor for three church presidents before assuming the role of the top leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February 2008. After a life of church service, Monson died Tuesday at his home in Salt Lake City, according to church spokesman Eric Hawkins. He was 90. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets that Iranian protesters will see great U.S. support at the appropriate time By Associated Press President Trump continued to express support for Irans anti-government protesters on Wednesday. In a tweet, Trump commended the protesters and pledged that the United States will support them at the appropriate time. Such respect for the people of Iran as they try to take back their corrupt government. You will see great support from the United States at the appropriate time!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Trumps tweet Wednesday morning came as Iranian Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo sent a letter to United Nations officials complaining that Washington was intervening in a grotesque way in Irans internal affairs. The President and Vice-President of the United States, in their numerous absurd tweets, incited Iranians to engage in disruptive acts, the ambassador wrote to the U.N. Security Council president and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The U.S. didnt immediately respond to the letter, which maintains that Washington has crossed every limit in flouting rules and principles of international law governing the civilized conduct of international relations. At least 21 people have been killed and hundreds arrested in Iran during a week of anti-government protests and unrest over economic woes and official corruption. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people took part in counter-demonstrations Wednesday backing the clerically overseen government, which has said enemies of Iran are fomenting the protests. Trump has unleashed a series of tweets in recent days backing the protesters, saying Iran is failing at every level and declaring that it is time for change in the Islamic Republic. Facebook

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Trump congratulates Sen. Orrin Hatch upon news of his retirement By Associated Press President Trump congratulated Sen. Orrin Hatch for an absolutely incredible career upon news of Hatchs impending retirement. In a tweet Tuesday afternoon, Trump called Hatch a tremendous supporter and wrote that he will be greatly missed in the Senate. Congratulations to Senator Orrin Hatch on an absolutely incredible career. He has been a tremendous supporter, and I will never forget the (beyond kind) statements he has made about me as President. He is my friend and he will be greatly missed in the U.S. Senate! pic.twitter.com/0VjzLEeHTl  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Hatchs decision to retire from the Senate after four decades lets the Utah Republican walk away at the height of his power after helping to push through an overhaul of the tax code and persuading Trump to downsize two national monuments. Retirement also preserves the 83-year-olds legacy by allowing him to avoid a bruising reelection battle that would have broken his promise not to seek an eighth term. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweet exaggerates progress in improving veterans care By Associated Press President Trump played up tremendous progress in improving care for veterans in his first year on Tuesday in a tweet. His message linked to an Instagram video describing eight accomplishments that show Trump is fighting for our veterans. But it overstates the impact of these steps. We will not rest until all of Americas GREAT VETERANS can receive the care they so richly deserve. Tremendous progress has been made in a short period of time. Keep up the great work @SecShulkin @DeptVetAffairs! https://t.co/ir25vW15hx pic.twitter.com/OtuzIgxMn6  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Of the eight achievements cited, two are ceremonial proclamations recognizing National Veterans and Military Families Month and National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Two are pieces of legislation that extended the troubled Veterans Choice program on a temporary basis. This became necessary because the Trump administration repeatedly miscalculated the amount of taxpayer dollars available to pay for care from private doctors outside the Veterans Affairs system when veterans had to endure long waits for treatment at VA medical centers. The departments poor budget planning caught lawmakers off guard. A fifth claim involves telehealth, a step letting doctors practice medicine across state lines using digital technology. Announced in August, it has yet to take full effect because a proposed VA regulation hasnt been completed. The VA wants authority to practice across state lines to come from legislation, not a regulation. On Wednesday, the Senate approved a telehealth measure that now goes to the House. A sixth claim refers to legislation that streamlines the appeals process for disability compensation claims within the VA. This step has had limited effect so far because it applies to new disability claims, not the 470,000 pending claims. The last two initiatives make it easier for the VA to discipline employees. The department has pointed to more than 1,300 employees who have been fired under Trumps watch. Because their infractions are not detailed in public documents, the effect on veterans care is not fully known. Facebook

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Trump unleashes his first tweetstorm of 2018 By Noah Bierman President Trump clearly didnt resolve to change his Twitter habits this year. With nine disparate tweets over three hours on Tuesday morning, the first working day of 2018, Trump continued to exploit social media to be the most aggressive commentator in chief in American history. For any other president, his posts would have made for a monumental day of (mis-)statements. Yet for Trump, the series  attacks on political foes and media, provocations of foreign leaders and self-praise for events he had nothing to do with  was all but unremarkable. His Twitter barrage  sent between 7:09 a.m. and 10:16 a.m.  reflected a familiar gamut after nearly a year in office: Attacks on political foes: Nearly 14 months after his election, Trump called for the jailing of Huma Abedin, Crooked Hillary Clintons top aid (his misspelling, another occasional feature of Trump tweets). Crooked Hillary Clintons top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols. She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents. Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail! Deep State Justice Dept must finally act? Also on Comey & others  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 In the same tweet, he disparaged the Deep State Justice Dept, headed of course by his appointees, calling on it to act against James B. Comey, the FBI director he fired for investigating the Russia thing. Diplomatic provocations: Trump again called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Rocket man, ridiculed the volatile nuclear-armed foe for recent military defections and openly speculated about potential talks between North and South Korea. Sanctions and other pressures are beginning to have a big impact on North Korea. Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea. Rocket man now wants to talk to South Korea for first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not - we will see!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not  we will see! Trump wrote. Later Tuesday, Trump tweeted: North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times. Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Also later Tuesday, Trump tweeted an attack on Pakistan, his second in as many days, and added a new one against Palestinians: It's not only Pakistan that we pay billions of dollars to for nothing, but also many other countries, and others. As an example, we pay the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect. They dont even want to negotiate a long overdue...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 ...peace treaty with Israel. We have taken Jerusalem, the toughest part of the negotiation, off the table, but Israel, for that, would have had to pay more. But with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Undermining media: Trump offered Congratulations! to A.G. Sulzberger, who took over as publisher of the New York Times this week. The Failing New York Times has a new publisher, A.G. Sulzberger. Congratulations! Here is a last chance for the Times to fulfill the vision of its Founder, Adolph Ochs, to give the news impartially, without fear or FAVOR, regardless of party, sect, or interests involved. Get...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 ....impartial journalists of a much higher standard, lose all of your phony and non-existent sources, and treat the President of the United States FAIRLY, so that the next time I (and the people) win, you wont have to write an apology to your readers for a job poorly done! GL  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 But the two-part post was really yet another slam against a perceived media foe: Trump said the paper had a last chance to fulfill its journalistic mission, and accused it of relying on phony sources and substandard reporters  just days after he granted another exclusive interview to the paper. As a bonus, the tweet contained a recycled falsehood, that the paper apologized after the election for reporting on him unfairly. It didnt. Trump later said on Twitter that he would soon announce the most dishonest & corrupt media awards of the year. Stay tuned! I will be announcing THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday at 5:00 oclock. Subjects will cover Dishonesty & Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media. Stay tuned!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 The president also tweeted a quote from Fox Business Networks Lou Dobbs Tonight, which aired a segment praising Trumps first-year accomplishments. Dobbs reportedly joined Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday for a gala to celebrate New Years Eve. President Trump has something now he didnt have a year ago, that is a set of accomplishments that nobody can deny. The accomplishments are there, look at his record, he has had a very significant first year. @LouDobbs Show,David Asman & Ed Rollins  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Taking credit: Trump congratulated himself for policing the border with Mexico, an area where his policies and anti-immigration rhetoric are believed to have had some effect on reducing illegal crossings. Thank you to Brandon Judd of the National Border Patrol Council for your kind words on how well we are doing at the Border. We will be bringing in more & more of your great folks and will build the desperately needed WALL! @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 He took credit for employee bonuses by companies after he signed Republican tax cuts into law last month. Companies are giving big bonuses to their workers because of the Tax Cut Bill. Really great!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 But the jaw-dropper was Trump congratulating himself for planes not crashing. Since taking office I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation. Good news - it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 It was the safest year on record worldwide, but the American streak without commercial jet passenger deaths goes back to 2009. Trump, who has promoted deregulation as one of his top accomplishments, has not signed off on any new airline safety regulations. The White House pointed to new security screening of passengers, to electronic devices to prevent terrorist attacks and to Trumps support for privatizing air traffic control  a proposal that has gotten nowhere in Congress. Falsehoods: Trump said President Obama, in brokering the 2015 nuclear arms limitation deal with Iran, foolishly gave money to the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. He didnt. The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their pockets. The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 The nuclear deal, which included major U.S. allies as signators, released Irans own funds that had long been frozen. Trumps art of the deal: When Trump sees a big deal looming, he often blasts the other side  to gain leverage, as hes written. This week he resumes a showdown with Democratic lawmakers over funding the government and immigration protections for so-called Dreamers, who were brought to the country illegally as children. Democrats are doing nothing for DACA - just interested in politics. DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start falling in love with Republicans and their President! We are about RESULTS.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Trump, who in September ordered a gradual end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, sought to shift blame for the resulting controversy, saying Democrats are doing nothing for DACA and are just interested in politics. Trump has insisted that any help for Dreamers be paired with funding for a border wall and a crackdown on legal immigration. Democrats, and some Republicans, are opposed. Read More Facebook

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In tweet, Trump suggests U.S. will withdraw financial assistance to Pakistan By Shashank Bengali Pakistan lashed out Monday after President Trump accused its leaders of lies & deceit and suggested the United States would withdraw financial assistance to the nuclear-armed nation it once saw as a key ally against terrorism. It was the presidents latest broadside against Pakistan after a speech in August in which he demanded its leaders crack down on the safe havens enjoyed by Taliban militants fighting U.S.-backed forces in neighboring Afghanistan. The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018 U.S. Ambassador David Hale was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to discuss the presidents statement, U.S. Embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire said. Pakistan lodged a strongly worded protest and asked for clarification about Trumps comments, according to two foreign office officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Pakistans prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, called a Cabinet meeting for Tuesday and a meeting of the National Security Committee on Wednesday to discuss Trumps New Years Day tweet. Read More Facebook

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Trump continues to tweet in support of Iranian protesters By Laura King President Trump expressed renewed support Sunday for protesters in Iran, declaring that people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. In a tweet from his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, the president said the nationwide economic protests that began on Thursday  and have taken on wider political overtones as they have grown in size  were a signal that Iranians will not take it any longer. Big protests in Iran. The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Trump has tweeted about the protests for three days straight as Iranians took to the streets despite a heavy police presence, tear gas and scores of arrests. The defiance gained urgency after two people were reported shot to death in the city of Dorud, about 200 miles southwest of Tehran. As the conflict escalated, Iranian authorities on Sunday slapped a temporary ban on Instagram and the messaging app Telegram, which were widely used to fan protest fervor. Iran, the Number One State of Sponsored Terror with numerous violations of Human Rights occurring on an hourly basis, has now closed down the Internet so that peaceful demonstrators cannot communicate. Not good!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Irans leaders already are casting Trumps increasingly effusive expressions of support for the demonstrators as opportunistic meddling and are painting the demonstrators as foreign pawns, adopting a strategy that some analysts say could jeopardize the legitimacy of the nascent antigovernment protests. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets condolences after Colorado deputies are shot in ambush, one fatally By Associated Press A man fired more than 100 rounds at sheriffs deputies in Colorado early Sunday, killing one and injuring four others, before being fatally shot himself in what authorities called an ambush. Two civilians were also injured. President Trump expressed sorrow, writing on Twitter: My deepest condolences to the victims of the terrible shooting in Douglas County @DCSheriff, and their families. We love our police and law enforcement - God Bless them all! #LESM  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said deputies came under fire almost
Allies balk at Trump administration bid to block Chinese firm from cutting-edge telecom markets By David S. Cloud Britain and Germany are balking at the Trump administrations call for a ban on equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, threatening a global U.S. campaign to thwart Chinas involvement in future mobile networks. Both countries are expected to limit Huawei and other Chinese companies from providing core components including routers. But other types of Chinese equipment for next-generation, high-speed communications could still be installed on British and German networks, officials and analysts say. The U.S. push to ban Huawei has provoked a global dispute in recent weeks, with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, publicly urging NATO allies in Europe to exclude the company and warning that the United States might limit its military presence in countries that did not do so. Read More Facebook

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Confucius Institutes: Do they improve U.S.-China ties or harbor spies? By Don Lee Hanging red lanterns welcome visitors to the University of Marylands Confucius Institute, the oldest of about 100 Chinese language and cultural centers that have popped up over the last 15 years on American campuses, subsidized by millions of dollars from Chinas central government. But last fall, when four U.S. Senate investigators walked into the Confucius offices in Maryland and spent hours questioning staff, they werent looking for an educational exchange. The committee has been seeking detailed information from the university about the program, including contracts, email exchanges and financial arrangements that school administrators have kept under wraps since it started in 2004. American colleges once viewed these jointly funded institutes as an economical way to expand their language offerings  one that could also bring warmer ties with China and, importantly, an influx of Chinese international students paying full tuition. Read More Facebook

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Watch Live: White House holds surprise news briefing amid government shutdown Facebook

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U.S. policy toward China shifts from engagement to confrontation By David S. Cloud For decades, China had no closer American friend than Dianne Feinstein. As San Francisco mayor in the 1970s, she forged a sister-city relationship with Shanghai, the first between American and Chinese communities. As U.S. senator, she dined with Chinese leaders at Mao Tse-tungs old Beijing residence. And in the 1990s, she championed a trade policy change that opened a floodgate of Western investment into China. Today the Democratic senator sees China as a growing threat, joining a broad array of Trump administration officials, national security strategists and business executives who once favored engagement with Beijing and now advocate a confrontational approach instead. Read More Facebook

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Mnuchins attempt to calm markets backfires as Trump takes another shot at the Federal Reserve By Jim Puzzanghera An attempt by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to calm plunging financial markets backfired Monday, further rattling investors with new fears about whether major U.S. banks have enough cash on top of worries about interest rates, political instability in Washington and a slowing global economy. Adding to the volatile mix was a fresh attack on the Federal Reserve by President Trump, who declared that the central bank was the U.S. economys only problem and that it didnt have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who cant score because he has no touch -- he cant putt! Trump said on Twitter. Read More Facebook

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He speaks to Democratic hearts. But is Beto ORourke a serious White House contender? By Mark Z. Barabak Hes a failed U.S. Senate candidate with an undistinguished congressional record who, for the moment, is a blazing-hot 2020 presidential prospect  despite the fact that he may not run and faces long odds if he does. Beto ORourke suggests the will-he-or-wont-he speculation is something he himself cant quite fathom. I think thats a great question, he responded in a Dallas Morning News interview when asked whether his unsuccessful November Senate bid merited a promotion to the White House. I ask that question myself. Read More Facebook

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Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate By Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Elizabeth Dwoskin Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (Associated Press) Months after President Trump took office, Russias disinformation teams trained their sites on a new target: special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Having worked to help get Trump into the White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his staying there. The Russian operatives unloaded on Mueller through fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and beyond, falsely claiming that the former FBI director was corrupt and that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were crackpot conspiracies. One post on Instagram  which emerged as an especially potent weapon in the Russian social media arsenal  claimed that Mueller had worked in the past with radical Islamic groups. Such tactics exemplified how Russian teams ranged nimbly across social media platforms in a shrewd online influence operation aimed squarely at American voters. The effort started earlier than commonly understood and lasted longer while relying on the strengths of different sites to manipulate distinct slices of the electorate, according to a pair of comprehensive new reports prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee and released Monday. Read more Timberg, Romm and Dwoskin report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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President Trump announces Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff By Associated Press President Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John F. Kelly in the new year. I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018 Facebook

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It aint over when its over: In Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere, losers seek to undermine election results By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Gavin Newsom has yet to become California governor, but already a candidate for state Republican Party chairman is promoting a recall effort. In Michigan and Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers have rushed through legislation to thwart their incoming Democratic governors and hamper others in the opposing party from doing the jobs voters chose them to do. In Congress, GOP leaders have echoed President Trump and sought to undermine the legitimacy of Democrats strong midterm performance, raising unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and political malfeasance. Read More Facebook

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New CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger says she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera On her first full day leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Kathy Kraninger said she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney, the controversial acting director whom she replaced in the powerful regulatory position. To underscore that point, the former White House aide said she would even reconsider a Mulvaney action that critics saw as a gratuitous jab at Democrats who championed the agencys creation: changing its name to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Kraningers declaration during a meeting with reporters Tuesday addressed one of the main criticisms of her selection. She is considered a protege of Mulvaney, her boss at the White House Office of Management and Budget who has executed a dramatic, industry-friendly shift at the watchdog agency. Read More Facebook

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Trumps pick for chief of staff, Nick Ayers, out of running By Associated Press Nick Ayers, right, with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, at the funeral service for George H.W. Bush on Dec. 3. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Associated Press) President Trumps top pick to replace John F. Kelly as chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is no longer expected to fill that role. Thats according to a White House official who is not authorized to discuss the personnel issue by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Ayers is Vice President Mike Pences chief of staff. The official says that Trump and Ayers could not agree on Ayers length of service. The father of young children, Ayers had agreed to serve in an interim capacity though the spring, but Trump wanted a two-year commitment. The official says that Ayers will instead assist the president from outside the administration. Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be departing the White House around the end of the year. Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause.  #Georgia  Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018 Facebook

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U.S. hiring slows to 155,000 jobs, unemployment rate holds at 3.7% By Jim Puzzanghera Job growth slowed significantly in November but still was solid, indicating the economy remains in good shape but not expanding so quickly that it will lead to sharply higher interest rates. U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs last month, well below analyst expectations and a steep decline from Octobers strong 237,000 figure, the Labor Department reported Friday. Still, monthly job gains are averaging 206,000 this year, the best since 2015. Even the slower pace of 170,000 over the last three months is close to last years average of 182,000 and well above the amount needed to keep up with population growth. Read More Facebook

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Trump is expected to pick State Department spokeswoman for U.N. ambassador By Associated Press Heather Nauert at a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 9, 2017. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Two administration officials confirmed Trumps plans. A Republican congressional aide said the president was expected to announce his decision by tweet on Friday morning. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly before Trumps announcement. Trump has previously said Nauert was under serious consideration to replace Nikki Haley, who announced in October that she would step down at the end of this year. Trump has been known to change course on staffing decisions in the past. Nauert was a reporter for Fox News Channel before she became State Department spokeswoman under former Secretary Rex Tillerson. Facebook

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Senate confirms new consumer financial protection chief: Kathy Kraninger, protege of industry-friendly Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera The Senate, in a party-line vote Thursday, confirmed White House aide Kathy Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and experts predicted a continuation of the industry-friendly shift it has taken since President Trump installed an acting director last year. Kraninger is a protege of acting director and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, an outspoken critic of the agency that was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to prevent predatory lending and other abuses that led to it. Democrats and consumer advocates have denounced him for sharply departing from the aggressive watchdog role the bureau had pursued under its first director, Obama-appointee Richard Cordray, including scaling back enforcement and moving to reassess tough new rules on payday loans and narrow the definition of abusive practices by banks and other firms. Read More Facebook

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Shutdown postponed by two weeks under plan approved by Congress By Erik Wasson Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), shown at the Capitol on Tuesday, says President Trumps border wall is a waste of money. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Congress passed a two-week stopgap spending bill that will delay the chance of a partial government shutdown until Dec. 22 as lawmakers and President Donald Trump negotiate over his demands to pay for a wall on the southern border. The House and Senate passed the measure Thursday without dissent, and Trump has indicated hell sign the bill before the current shutdown deadline of midnight Friday. Negotiations were delayed by memorial services this week for former President George H.W. Bush. The temporary measure gives Democrats and Republicans more time to find a resolution to their biggest hurdle: funding a wall on the U.S. Mexico border wall. Trump says he wants $5 billion for parts of a concrete wall on the southern border and is willing to shut down the government if he doesnt get it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said Democrats will provide no more than $1.6 billion for border security, because the wall is a waste of money. The presidents demands for wall funding from Congress come after he said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it. This week he said on Twitter that a $25 billion border wall would pay for itself in two months, without providing evidence. Most of the U.S. governments $1.2 trillion discretionary budget has been appropriated already by Congress for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Departments at a risk of a partial shutdown late this month include the departments of State, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security. Talks to resolve the differences have been on hold since a meeting among Trump, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California originally slated for Dec. 4 was postponed due to Bush memorial events. The three are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama told reporters the rest of the seven-bill spending package being negotiated is basically done. Shelby in recent weeks had tried to broker a compromise in which Trumps $5 billion request would be split over two years, but Schumer has rejected that. Some Democrats have been willing to trade border wall funding for deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. Pelosi ruled out such a deal in remarks to reporters Thursday. The stopgap government funding measure also would extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides subsidized coverage for homes in flood-prone areas, to Dec. 21. Facebook

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Bipartisan Senate group wants to formally blame Saudi crown prince for journalists killing By Karoun Demirjian Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. (Associated Press) A bipartisan group of senators filed a resolution Wednesday condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, directly challenging President Trump to do the same. This resolution -- without equivocation -- definitively states that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement accompanying the release of the resolution. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for who we are and what we believe. The resolution put forward by Graham and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who are expected to lead the Judiciary Committee together next year, comes just one day after CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed leading senators about the details of the agencys assessment that Mohammed ordered and monitored the killing and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Senators emerged from that closed-door briefing furious not only with Saudi Arabia, but Trump as well for dismissing the heft of the CIAs findings. You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved in the demise of Mr. Khashoggi, Graham said following the briefing, referring to Mohammed by his initials. He added that Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who briefed senators last week, were at best being good soldiers and at worst were in the pocket of Saudi Arabia for presenting the evidence of Mohammeds involvement as inconclusive. The release of the resolution condemning Mohammed also comes as the Senate is preparing to move ahead with debate on a resolution to curtail U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Though the Yemen resolution does not directly address Khashoggis murder, its popularity is a sign of how strained the United States patience with Saudi Arabia is on multiple fronts, including its role in worsening the civilian cost of the war in Yemen, cited by the United Nations as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Last week, the Senate voted 63 to 37 to advance the Yemen resolution past an opening procedural hurdle. But Graham and Feinsteins resolution on the crown prince has the potential of drawing broader support, especially from Republicans, who are deeply divided about how fiercely to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggis killing. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and is seen as one of the more influential foreign policy voices in the GOP, did not vote for the Yemen resolution last week or sign on to a bipartisan measure last month to sanction Saudi officials and cease weapons transfers to the kingdom. But he is an original co-sponsor of the resolution condemning Mohammed over Khashoggis death. So is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who represents the other end of the GOP spectrum in terms of recent Saudi-related votes and endorsements. Young was an initial co-sponsor of the bill Graham wrote with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to sanction Saudi officials deemed responsible for Khashoggis killing and stop the sale of anything but exclusively defensive weapons to the kingdom until it ceased hostilities in Yemen. Young also voted to advance the Yemen resolution  something Graham did as well, though Graham has signaled he will not be lending any similar support to the measure, fearing it may establish a precedent of invoking the War Powers Act too broadly. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are listed as original co-sponsors of the resolution condemning Mohammed, which also urges Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Houthi rebels to end the Yemen war, work out a political solution to its standoff with Qatar and release political prisoners. But how much sway the resolution has probably comes down to how forcefully the administration decides to heed it -- and thus far, Trump has not shown any interest in condemning the crown prince the way the senators hope he will. Demirjian reports for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Los Angeles County offices and U.S. Postal Service closed Wednesday in honor of George H.W. Bush By Brian Park The Honor Guard carries the casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush following his funeral on Dec. 5 in Washington, DC. (Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images) The U.S. Postal Service will suspend regular mail delivery Wednesday, which President Trump has declared a national day of mourning in honor of former President George H.W. Bush. All retail postal outlets will be closed, and package delivery will be limited. In Los Angeles, all nonessential county departments, offices and libraries will be closed for the day, L.A. County officials said. The Los Angeles County Library said no overdue fines will be assessed for books, and due dates will be moved forward one week. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offices also are closed Wednesday. The Sheriffs Department, Fire Department, clinics and hospitals will continue to operate, the county said. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinics are being operated with reduced staffing, and the department asked patients to confirm or reschedule any appointments. All county courts and the disaster recovery centers for the Woolsey fire in Malibu and Agoura Hills will remain open. Larger federal government operations will be closed Wednesday. To honor the life and legacy of President Bush, the Postal Service will observe the National Day of Mourning. Learn how Postal operations will be affected. https://t.co/Mffch7bPCh pic.twitter.com/vG46BsIOpm  U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 4, 2018 L.A. County offices and libraries will be closed tomorrow (Dec 5) in observance of the #NationalDayOfMourning for President George H. W. Bush.



The Countys Disaster Recovery Centers in Malibu & Agoura Hills will remain open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. pic.twitter.com/Sv1J7GoJ7T  Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) December 4, 2018 @LAPublicHealth offices will be closed tomorrow December 5 in observance of the national Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush. Essential Services including clinics and other services will remain open: https://t.co/tZGoGGHRlg pic.twitter.com/ypXsV6vlYY  LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 4, 2018 Facebook

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to skip 2020 White House race, sources say By Associated Press Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during an interview in Boston on Dec. 15, 2014. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will soon announce he wont launch a 2020 presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with his plans. They did not say why the Democrat decided against a run. A formal announcement was delayed as the country observed a day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush, one source said. News of Patricks plans was first reported by Politico. Patrick, 62, served two terms as governor, from 2007 to 2015, was assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration and since leaving the governors office has been a managing director for Bain Capital. Patrick traveled the country in support of Democratic candidates in the recent midterm election. Earlier this year, some of Patricks supporters and close advisors started the Reason to Believe political action committee, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a positive, progressive vision for our nation in 2018 and 2020. Reason to Believe PAC had been holding meetups across the country, including in early presidential primary states. While Patrick is opting against a 2020 run, dozens of Democrats are considering jumping in, including nearly a half-dozen members of the Senate, several House members, and other Massachusetts politicians. On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and a vocal critic of President Trump, said in a statement that he would run. Patrick had previously expressed some concerns about breaking through if he sought the nomination, telling David Axelrod, a former advisor to President Obama, that he wasnt sure he could stand out in such a large field. Its hard to see how you even get noticed in such a big, broad field without being shrill, sensational or a celebrity, and Im none of those things and Im never going to be any of those things, Patrick said in a September interview with Axelrod. Facebook

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Former Trump adviser Roger Stone invokes 5th Amendment right and wont testify before Senate Judiciary Committee By Associated Press Roger Stone in 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Roger Stone, an associate of President Trump, says he wont provide testimony or documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee. An attorney for Stone said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committees top Democrat, that Stone was invoking his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to produce documents or appear for an interview. Stone has been entangled in investigations by Congress and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about whether Trump aides had advance knowledge of Democratic emails published by WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone has not been charged and has said he had no knowledge of the timing or specifics of WikiLeaks plans. In the letter to Feinstein, Stone said the committees requests were far too overbroad, far too overreaching and far too wide-ranging. Facebook

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Watch live: Vice President Pence and lawmakers honor George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol before he lies in state Facebook

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Rebuilding crumbling infrastructure has bipartisan support. But who gets to pay for it? By Jim Puzzanghera The grades for major U.S. infrastructure would give any parent indigestion if they were on a childs report card. Roads: D; bridges: C+; dams: D; ports: C+: railways: B; airports: D; schools: D+; public transit: D-. The nations overall grade: D+, which translates to being in fair to poor condition and mostly below standards with significant deterioration and a strong risk of failure, according to an evaluation last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Read More Facebook

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Trump calls former lawyer Michael Cohen a weak person who is lying By Associated Press President Trump says his former lawyer Michael Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence. The president is reacting to Cohens guilty plea Thursday to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate project in Russia. During a surprise court hearing, Cohen admitted to lying in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen in his guilty plea said he made the false statements to be consistent with Trumps political message. Cohens lawyer says he continues to cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates. Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Mark Z. Barabak When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Sarah D. Wire When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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Michael Cohen, President Trumps ex-lawyer, pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump real estate project in Russia By Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, pursued a Russian real estate project on candidate Trumps behalf well into the 2016 campaign, he said Thursday while pleading guilty to lying to Congress. Cohen had previously said that the project was abandoned in January 2016, but he now admits he continued to pursue a deal and says he updated Trump and members of his family about the negotiations, according to a new court document. Read More Facebook

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James Comey says acting Atty. Gen. Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer By John Wagner Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker speaks at the Justice Department in Washington on Nov. 14. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Former FBI Director James B. Comey apparently isnt too impressed with the mental prowess of President Trumps acting attorney general. Matthew Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, Comey said during a radio interview on Monday night in which he sized up the man Trump installed this month to replace ousted Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Comey was asked by WGBH News in Boston if he thinks Whitaker could derail the investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Whitaker has spoken critically of the probe, and Trump  as recently as Tuesday  continues to call it a witch hunt. I think its a worry, but to my mind not a serious worry, Comey said. The institution is too strong, and [Whitaker], frankly, is not strong enough to have that kind of impact. He may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, but he can see his future and knows that if he acted in an extralegal way, he would go down in history for the wrong reasons, and Im sure he doesnt want that, added Comey, who was fired by Trump last year and later wrote a book that portrays the president as an ego-driven congenital liar. Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney in Iowa, was Sessions chief of staff before being picked by Trump to lead the Justice Department. Trump has called Whitaker a very smart man. Earlier this year, Trump called Comey an untruthful slime ball. Wagner writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Interior Department watchdog clears Zinke in investigation of Utah national monument By Juliet Eilperin Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, third from the left, and Gov. Jerry Brown tour fire damage in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 14. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The Interior Departments Office of Inspector General has cleared Secretary Ryan Zinke in a probe of whether he redrew boundaries of a national monument in Utah to aid the financial interests of a Republican state lawmaker and stalwart supporter of President Trump. In a Nov. 21 letter to Zinkes deputy, David Bernhardt, Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office found no evidence that the secretary or his aides changed the boundaries of Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in an effort to help former Utah state representative Mike Noel, who serves as executive director of the Kane County Water Conservancy District. Last December, Trump shrank the monument, first established by President Clinton in 1996, by 46% based on Zinkes recommendation. Noel owns 40 acres that had been surrounded by the monument, but now lies outside its boundaries. The new boundaries also would make it easier to construct the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline, which would deliver water to sites in Kane County that include Noels property. Earlier this year, the Interior Department had proposed selling off 120 acres of federal land from the former monument that lay adjacent to some of Noels land holdings, but later reversed the plan. We found no evidence that Noel influenced the DOIs proposed revisions to the [monuments] boundaries, that Zinke or other DOI staff involved in the project were aware of Noels financial interest in the revised boundaries, or that they gave Noel any preferential treatment in the resulting proposed boundaries, Kendall wrote. Neither the Interior Department nor the inspector generals office would release the actual investigative report. In the letter, Kendall writes that her office will provide the report to Congress no sooner than 31 days from Nov. 21, when it is provided it to Zinkes office. The Associated Press first reported the inspector generals conclusions Monday night, but did not provide details from the report itself. Noel emailed Zinke about the effort to alter Grand Staircase-Escalante, according to emails released by Interior under the Freedom of Informational Act. But those emails do not make references to Noels land holdings. Noel also pushed to rename a Utah highway in honor of Trump, but abandoned that effort in March after some of his fellow Republicans objected to the idea. Noel did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. The inspector generals office still has at least two ongoing probes of the secretary, including one focused on his real estate dealings in Whitefish, Mont., and another regarding his decision to deny a permit to two Connecticut tribes who were hoping to jointly run a casino after MGM Resorts International lobbied against it. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift welcomed the watchdogs conclusions. The report shows exactly what the secretarys office has known all along  that the monument boundaries were adjusted in accordance with all rules, regulations and laws, she said in an email. This report is also the latest example of opponents and special interest groups ginning up fake and misleading stories, only to be proven false after expensive and time consuming inquiries by the IGs office. But Kendalls spokeswoman, Nancy DiPaolo, defended the inquiry, even though she said the report has not been publicly released and we will not be speaking specifically about the matter at this time. The OIG opens investigations based on credible allegations and reports our findings objectively and independently, DiPaolo added. Any time or resources spent investigating conduct or activity that may be a violation of law, regulation or policy is a service to the public, Congress and the Department. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement that he still intended to investigate the way Zinke and his colleague redrew the boundaries for Grand Staircase-Escalante and another Utah national monument, Bears Ears, next year. I have great respect for the inspector general, and I accept these findings, but Secretary Zinke should have known the people he listened to while destroying our national monuments had disqualifying conflicts of interest, he said. Should I chair the Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress, the process he and President Trump used to destroy Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante will be front and center in our oversight and investigations efforts. We need to know why they ignored overwhelming public expressions of support for both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, why they ignored Native American tribes throughout their decision-making, and why they removed protections on parcels of land with known mineral deposits. Eilperin and Rein report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump advisor Larry Kudlow says China must do more to end trade war By Jim Puzzanghera Larry Kudlow, President Trumps top economic advisor, said Tuesday that Chinas response to U.S. efforts to rework the two economic superpowers trade relationship has been extremely disappointing but the planned meeting this weekend between the nations leaders is an opportunity for a breakthrough. They have to do more. They must do more, Larry Kudlow, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters ahead of a Saturday dinner between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 Summit in Argentina. I think the president is exactly right  to show strong backbone when prior administrations did not, to break through these Chinese walls, Kudlow said. Theyre so resistant to change. We have to protect the country. We have to protect our technology, our inventiveness, our innovation. Read More Facebook

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Watch live: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds a media briefing amid tensions at the border By Los Angeles Times Staff Facebook

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Democrat TJ Cox grabs lead over Republican David Valadao in nations last remaining undecided House race By Maya Sweedler Democrat TJ Cox slipped past Republican incumbent David Valadao on Monday to take the lead in the countrys sole remaining undecided congressional race, positioning Democrats to pick up their seventh House seat in California and 40th nationwide. Cox, who trailed by nearly 4,400 votes on election night, has steadily gained as ballot counting continues nearly three weeks after the Nov. 6 election, a pattern consistent with the states recent voting history. On Monday, he pulled ahead by 438 votes after Kern County updated its results. Read More Facebook

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Former CIA director Michael Hayden hospitalized after suffering a stroke By Deanna Paul Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden testifies before a Senate committee in 2008. (Saul Loeb / Getty Images) Former CIA Director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, his family said Friday. He is receiving expert medical care for which the family is grateful, according to a statement issued by his namesake organization. The General and his family greatly appreciate the warm wishes and prayers of his friends, colleagues, and supporters. Hayden, 73, served as director of the CIA and National Security Agency during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He retired from the CIA in 2009. Hayden has been a vocal critic of Donald Trumps campaign and presidency. Earlier this year, after Trump decided to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, Hayden was one of several former intelligence leaders who signed a statement in opposition. Criticizing the president for crossing a line, he quickly became one of the individuals whose security clearance Trump threatened to review. Deanna Paul writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump tells troops hes thankful for what hes done for the U.S. and rails against courts and migrants By Associated Press President Trump talks with troops via teleconference from his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump used his Thanksgiving Day call to troops deployed overseas to pat himself on the back and air grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trumps call, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with members of all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays. Its a disgrace, Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas. Trump later threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico for an undisclosed period of time if his administration determines Mexico has lost control on its side. The call was a uniquely Trump blend of boasting, peppered questions and off-the-cuff observations as his comments veered from venting about slights to praising troops  You really are our heroes, he said  as club waiters worked to set Thanksgiving dinner tables on the outdoor terrace behind him. It was yet another show of how Trump has dramatically transformed the presidency, erasing the traditional divisions between domestic policy and military matters and efforts to keep the troops clear of politics. You probably see over the news whats happening on our southern border, Trump told one Air Force brigadier general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, adding: I dont have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who were letting in. Later, Trump asked a U.S. Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was a very big subject for him personally. Weve been taken advantage of for many, many years by bad trade deals, Trump told the commander, who sheepishly replied, Mr. President, from our perspective on the water  we dont see any issues in terms of trade right now. And throughout, Trump congratulated himself, telling the officers that the country is doing exceptionally well on his watch. I hope that youll take solace in knowing that all of the American families you hold so close to your heart are all doing well, he said. The nations doing well economically, better than anybody in the world. He later told reporters, Nobodys done more for the military than me. Indeed, asked what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving, Trump cited his great family as well as himself. I made a tremendous difference in this country, he said. Facebook

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Trump contradicts CIA assessment that Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi killing By Josh Dawsey | Washington Post (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump on Thursday contradicted the CIAs assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting that the agency had feelings but did not firmly place blame for the death. Trump, in defiant remarks to reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, defended his continued support for Mohammed in the face of a CIA assessment that the crown prince had ordered the killing. He denies it vehemently, Trump said. He said his own conclusion was that maybe he did, maybe he didnt. I hate the crime .... I hate the cover-up. I will tell you this: The crown prince hates it more than I do, Trump said. Asked who should be held accountable for the death of Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, Trump refused to place blame. Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a very, very vicious place, the president said. He also seemed to suggest that all U.S. allies were guilty of the same behavior, declaring that if the others were held to the standard that critics have held Saudi Arabia to in recent days, we wouldnt be able to have anyone for an ally. Trumps remarks came after he held a conference call with U.S. military officers overseas, during which he repeatedly praised his administration and sought to draw the officers into discussions of domestic policy. Facebook

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Former FBI Director James Comey gets subpoena from House Republicans By Bloomberg Former FBI Director James B. Comey said he has received a subpoena from House Republicans, according to a Twitter post on Thursday. Bloomberg News reported last week that Comey would be receiving a subpoena alongside former Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch as part of continuing probes into their handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian election meddling, according to a top House Democrat. Happy Thanksgiving. Got a subpoena from House Republicans. Im still happy to sit in the light and answer all questions. But I will resist a closed door thing because Ive seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Lets have a hearing and invite everyone to see.  James Comey (@Comey) November 22, 2018 Read More Facebook

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Republican David Valadaos lead slips to 447 votes over Democrat TJ Cox in still-undecided Central Valley House race By Mark Z. Barabak Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), right, finds himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox. (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) On election night, it looked like Rep. David Valadao had survived a close shave and was destined to return to Washington for his fourth term. But on Wednesday, when Fresno County announced its latest vote totals, the Hanford Republican found himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox, with his lead in the Central Valley district shrunken to 447 votes. Thousands remain to be counted. Valadao, a repeated Democratic target, finished election night with a lead of nearly 4,440 votes. Cox, an engineer and a business owner who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006, has steadily gained ground in the 21st Congressional District ever since. The trend is consistent with historic patterns showing Republicans in California tend to vote early and Democrats later, meaning their mail ballots continue to stream in past election day. Under California law, ballots postmarked up to midnight on Nov. 6 will be counted. Democrats have already picked up six House seats in California. They ousted Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight and Jeff Denham and won the seats of retiring Reps. Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. All six represented districts that backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016. Valadao was the seventh California Republican in a district Clinton won, though his previous successes  he last won reelection by a 14-point margin  suggested his ouster was a longer shot for Democrats. If Cox prevails, it would give Democrats a 40-seat gain nationwide, far more than the 23 seats needed to take control when Congress reconvenes in January. Facebook

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Trump says no new punishments against Saudi Arabia in Jamal Khashoggi murder By Eli Stokols In this Oct. 25 photo, candles are lit in front of a photo of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Lefteris Pitarakis) President Trump made it clear on Tuesday that he does not intend to punish Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an American resident killed by Saudi officials in Turkey in October. In a remarkable statement replete with exclamation points, Trump cast doubt on the CIAs reported conclusions that it has a high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered Khashoggis murder and sent his closest allies to Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul to carry it out. Read MoreThis article has been updated with staff. Facebook

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Sixteen House Democrats vow to oppose Nancy Pelosi as next speaker By Mike DeBonis | Washington Post House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Sixteen House Democrats said Monday that they will vote to deny Rep. Nancy Pelosi another stint as House speaker, a show of defiance that puts her opponents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as their party prepares to take the majority. Their pledge to oppose Pelosi (D-San Francisco), both in an internal caucus election and a Jan. 3 floor vote, delivered in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues, comes as Pelosi has marshaled a legion of supporters on and off Capitol Hill to make her case. But her opponents said Monday they are convinced it is time to select a new leader. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus, they wrote. However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change. Pelosi has expressed complete confidence that she will retake the speakers gavel in January  eight years after she lost it following massive Republican gains in the 2010 midterms and 16 years after she was first elevated to the top Democratic leadership post in the House. Come on in, the waters fine, she said Friday about a potential leadership challenge. The signers might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have already won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with five races still undecided. All those races have Republican incumbents, but the Democratic challenger is ahead in only one of them. If the leads hold in the uncalled races, Democrats would have won 233 seats, a 16-seat majority. That means Pelosi could lose as many as 15 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker on Jan. 3. Read More Facebook

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Democratic senators sue over Whitakers appointment as acting attorney general By Associated Press Acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitakers appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitutions Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitakers appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a sufficiently senior pay level. President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nations top law enforcement official, Blumenthal said in a statement. The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called constitutional nobody and thwarting every senators constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts. The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitakers appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitakers appointment as lawful and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent. Facebook

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Gov. Rick Scott says Sen. Bill Nelson concedes Florida Senate race By Associated Press Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott speaks with his wife, Ann, by his side at an election watch party in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 7. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas Republican Gov. Rick Scott says incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson called him to concede defeat in their extremely tight race. Scott issued a statement Sunday saying Nelson graciously conceded their Senate race shortly after the states recount ended. The final results show Scott defeated Nelson by just over 10,000 votes out of 8 million cast. Nelson is scheduled to release a videotaped statement later Sunday. The defeat ends Nelsons lengthy political career. The three-term incumbent was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. Before that he served six terms in the U.S. House and as state treasurer and insurance commissioner for six years. Scott spent more than $60 million of his own money on ads that portrayed Nelson as out-of-touch and ineffective. Nelson responded by questioning Scotts ethics and saying he would be under the sway of President Trump. Facebook

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Orange County goes blue, as Democrats complete historic sweep of its seven congressional seats By Michael Finnegan Gil Cisneros defeated Republican Young Kim on Saturday in the last of Orange Countys undecided House races, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the states six most fiercely fought congressional contests and marking an epochal shift in a region long synonymous with political conservatism. With Cisneros victory, Democrats will constitute the entirety of Orange Countys seven-member congressional delegation, the first time since the 1930s that the birthplace of Richard Nixon, home of John Wayne and spiritual center of the Republican Party will have no GOP representative in the House. Sitting back in the 1960s, I would never have believed this would happen, said Stuart K. Spencer, a party strategist who spent more than half a century ushering Republicans, including President Reagan, into office. Read More Facebook

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Going, going ... with midterm wipeout, California Republican Party drifts closer to irrelevance By Michael Finnegan For a party in freefall the last two decades, California Republicans learned that its possible to plunge even further. The GOP not only lost every statewide office in the midterm election  again, in blowout fashion  but Democrats reestablished their supermajority in Sacramento, allowing them to legislate however they see fit After major defeats in Orange County and the Central Valley, two longtime strongholds, Republicans will have a significantly smaller footprint on Capitol Hill. (Democrats hold both Senate seats.) When the vote-counting is finished, the GOP may not even have enough lawmakers in Californias 53-member House delegation to field a nine-person softball team. Read More Facebook

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Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter says she will support Rep. Nancy Pelosi for speaker By Maya Sweedler Democratic Rep.-elect Katie Porter is congratulated by volunteers at her campaign headquarters in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter said she plans to support Rep. Nancy Pelosis bid for speaker of the House and will make campaign finance reform her top priority when she enters the chamber in January. Im going to continue to have conversations, but so far I feel like Leader Pelosi is definitely making the things that were a priority to the families that elected me her priorities, including announcing her support for campaign finance reform and anti-corruption as HR1, Porter said in her first public appearance since being declared the winner in Californias 45th Congressional District on Thursday evening. It means a lot to me that she is a Californian. She understands our state, Porter added. When we talk about environmental protections, this is a person who understands as a Californian how fragile our environment is and whats at risk in things like drilling off our coasts. Porter, a law professor at UC Irvine, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. The 45th District, covering inland Orange County, has never been represented by a Democrat. Porter became the third Democrat to claim a Republican-held seat in Orange County, following the victories of Harley Rouda in the 48th District and Mike Levin in the 49th. A fourth, Gil Cisneros, is running slightly ahead of his Republican opponent in the race for the open seat in the 39th District, which extends into Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Porter attributed the massive political shift in the county, for decades a conservative stronghold, to increased levels of political engagement. Folks here care about education, they care about the environment, they believe climate change is real, they want healthcare that protects preexisting conditions, they want a tax system that doesnt punish California, they want our schools and places of worship to be safe from gun violence, she said. Those are the issues we campaigned on, and to the extent that Donald Trump and Mimi Walters were on the wrong side of those issues, the voters have made clear what direction they want us to go. Porter was flying back from the East Coast when her race was called, she said. She turned on her phone to find 167 text messages from friends and supporters. Among them was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who was one of Porters teachers in law school and with whom she has remained close. The pair spoke via FaceTime this morning, she said. Facebook

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Bitter battle for Senate seat in Florida goes to hand recount By Associated Press Employees look through damaged ballots during a recount Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas acrimonious battle for the U.S. Senate headed Thursday to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes. But the highly watched contest for governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum, who conceded the contest on election night only to retract his concession later, said in a statement that it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted. The recount so far has been fraught with problems. One large Democratic stronghold in South Florida was unable to finish its machine recount by the Thursday deadline due to machines breaking down. A federal judge rejected a request to extend the recount deadline. We gave a heroic effort, said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. If the county had three or four more hours, it would have made the deadline to recount ballots in the Senate race, she said. Meanwhile, election officials in another urban county in the Tampa Bay area decided against turning in the results of their machine recount, which came up with 846 fewer votes than originally counted. Media in South Florida reported that Broward County finished its machine recount but missed the deadline by a few minutes. Counties were ordered last weekend to do a machine recount of three statewide races because the margins were so tight. The next stage is a manual review of ballots that were not counted by machines to see whether there is a way to figure out voter intent. Scott called on Nelson to end the recount battle. Its time for Nelson to respect the will of the voters and graciously bring this process to an end rather than proceed with yet another count of the votes  which will yield the same result and bring more embarrassment to the state that we both love and have served, the governor said in a statement. The recount has triggered multiple lawsuits, many of them filed by Nelson and Democrats. The legal battles drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker, who slammed the state for repeatedly failing to anticipate election problems. He also said the state law on recounts appears to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided the presidency in 2000. We have been the laughingstock of the world, election after election, and we chose not to fix this, Walker said during a morning hearing. Walker vented his anger at state lawmakers and Palm Beach County officials, saying they should have made sure they had enough equipment in place to handle this kind of a recount. But he said he could not extend the recount deadline because he did not know when Palm Beach County would finish its work. This court must be able to craft a remedy with knowledge that it will not prove futile, Walker wrote in his ruling turning down the request from Democrats. It cannot do so on this record. This court does not and will not fashion a remedy in the dark. The overarching problem was created by the Florida Legislature, which Walker said passed a recount law that appears to run afoul of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore decision by locking in procedures that do not allow for potential problems. A total of six election-related lawsuits are pending in federal court in Tallahassee as well at least one lawsuit filed in state court. Walker also ordered that voters be given until 5 p.m. Saturday to show a valid identification and fix their ballots if they have not been counted due to mismatched signatures. Republicans appealed the ruling, but an appeals court turned down the request. State officials testified that nearly 4,000 mailed-in ballots were set aside because local officials decided the signatures on the envelopes did not match the signatures on file. If those voters can prove their identity, their votes will be counted and included in final official returns due from each county by noon Sunday. Walker was asked by Democrats to require local officials to provide a list of people whose ballots were rejected. But the judge appointed by President Obama refused the request, calling it inappropriate. Under state law, a hand review is required with races that have a margin of 0.25 percentage points or less. A state website put the unofficial results showing Scott ahead of Nelson by 0.15 percentage points. The margin between DeSantis and Gillum was at 0.41 points. The margin between Scott and Nelson had not changed much in the last few days, conceded Marc Elias, an attorney working for Nelsons campaign. But he said that he expected the vote tally to shrink due to the hand recount and the ruling on signatures. The developments fueled frustrations among Democrats and Republicans alike. Democrats want state officials to do whatever it takes to make sure every eligible vote is counted. Republicans, including President Trump, have argued without evidence that voter fraud threatens to steal races from the GOP. Facebook

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Democrat Gil Cisneros pulls ahead of Republican Young Kim as more votes are tallied in Orange and San Bernardino counties By Michael Finnegan Congressional candidate Gil Cisneros (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Democrat Gil Cisneros pulled ahead of Republican Young Kim in one of Californias undecided congressional races Thursday, an ominous sign for a GOP already reeling from its loss of four House seats in the state. In updated vote counts released by the registrars for Orange and San Bernardino counties, Kim fell 941 votes behind Cisneros in the contest to succeed Republican Rep. Ed Royce in Californias 39th Congressional District. The 39th straddles Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties. In another unresolved House race, Democrat Katie Porter pulled further ahead of Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in the 45th District, which includes Mission Viejo, Tustin, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita and Laguna Hills. Porter, a consumer attorney and UC Irvine law professor, is now 6,203 votes ahead. The Nov. 6 midterm election has been devastating to Republicans in California. If Cisneros and Porter win, the party will have lost six of its 14 House seats in the state, essentially a wipeout in every contest that both parties spent heavily to win. The three Republicans already bounced from Congress are Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Jeff Denham of Turlock in the San Joaquin Valley. Democrat Mike Levin won the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista in the fourth district flipped so far. Facebook

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Florida Senate race likely headed to second recount By Associated Press A Palm Beach County Sheriffs deputy walks past boxes of ballots before a recount on Nov. 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee) Unofficial Florida election results show that the governors race seems to be settled after a machine recount but the U.S. Senate race is likely headed to a hand recount. Republican Ron DeSantis is virtually assured of winning the nationally watched governors race over Democrat Andrew Gillum. Florida finished a machine recount Thursday that showed Gillum without enough votes to force a manual recount. Unofficial results posted on a state website show the margin between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott is still thin enough to trigger a second review. State law requires a hand recount of races with a margin of 0.25 percentage point or less. Counties have until Sunday to inspect the ballots that did not record a vote when put through the machines. Those ballots are re-examined to see whether the voter skipped the race or marked the ballot in a way that the machines cannot read but can be deciphered. The election will be certified Tuesday. Read More Facebook

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Pelosi says she has the votes to become the next House speaker By John Wagner Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in Washington on Nov. 14. (Susan Walsh) House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that she has the votes to become the chambers speaker despite solid opposition from more than a dozen Democrats who want fresh leadership when the party takes control next year. I have overwhelming support in my caucus to be speaker of the House, the San Francisco lawmaker told reporters. I happen to think at this point, Im the best person for that. A vote within the Democratic caucus is scheduled for Nov. 28. The full House votes on Jan. 3 to elect a new speaker. During her remarks, Pelosi touted the size of the Democratic victory in the midterms, which she called almost a tsunami. With a few races still to be decided, Democrats are poised to pick up close to 40 seats in the chamber. Pelosi called that the biggest victory for the Democrats since 1974, when the Watergate babies came in. Pelosis comments come as she faces solid opposition from at least 17 Democrats, setting the stage for a battle over who will ascend to one of the most powerful positions in Washington. After a campaign in which some Democrats prevailed in competitive districts by promising to oppose her, a coalition of incumbents and newly elected members has denied her a smooth path to the speakership. The defections, if they stand, would leave Pelosi, who has led the Democrats for more than 15 years, several votes short of the 218 she would need when the full House votes for speaker Jan. 3. However, no Democrat has stepped forward to run against her for a job she held from 2007 through 2010. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) told reporters Wednesday that shes being encouraged to stand for speaker if Pelosi doesnt have the votes. In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, she said she has been overwhelmed by the support from many of her colleagues for her possible entry into the race for House speaker. Over the last 12 hours, Ive been overwhelmed by the amount of support Ive received, Fudge said, adding that there are probably closer to 30" Democrats who have privately signaled that they are willing to oppose Pelosi. Things could change rapidly, Fudge said. Fudge, 66, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she is building a diverse coalition as she mulls a speaker run, talking with allies in the caucus, moderate Democrats and newly elected members. To this point, Pelosi has enjoyed the strong backing of the Congressional Black Caucus. On Thursday, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), one of its members, wrote a letter to colleagues praising her insight, fortitude and strategic thinking and urging support for her speakership bid. Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., an African American who is contemplating a 2020 presidential bid, also voiced support for Pelosi, praising her in a tweet as an architect of the recent midterm success. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a leader of the resistance to Pelosi, said during an interview on CNN on Thursday that Fudge is the kind of new leader that we need in this party. Shes in touch with middle America. She understands what the American people want. Shes a next-generation leader that people will look to and say, Thats the future of our party, thats the future of our country, and thats exactly the kind of leader that I want to see as our next speaker. Wagner reports for the Washington Post. The Posts Robert Costa, Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. Facebook

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GOP Rep. Jeff Denham concedes to Democrat Josh Harder in Central Valley race By Maya Sweedler Rep. Jeff Denham (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Republican Rep. Jeff Denham has conceded to Democrat Josh Harder in the race to represent Californias 10th Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. It has been an absolute honor to serve our community and represent the Central Valley in Congress over the past eight years, the 51-year-old congressman said. The enormity of the responsibility was never lost on me. My wife Sonia and I look forward to starting the next chapter of our lives. Harder said he had spoken with Denham and the two were committed to a productive transition. Denham, an Air Force veteran, previously represented the region in the state Senate for eight years and founded a company specializing in plastic packaging used in agriculture. While a member of Congress, he sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture committees. First-time candidate Harder was born and raised in the district. After graduating from Stanford University, he served as vice president of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Since moving back, he has been teaching at Modesto Junior College. Denhams House seat is one of four in California that Republicans lost in the Nov. 6 election, with two contests in Orange County still undecided as of Thursday morning. Jeff Denham called me this morning and we had a very productive conversation. I'm honored that I've been chosen to serve our community in Congress, and we're both looking forward to a productive transition that best serves the people of District 10.  Josh Harder (@JoshHarder) November 14, 2018 Facebook

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Democrat Katie Porter now nearly 3,800 votes ahead of GOP Rep. Mimi Walters By Maya Sweedler Rep. Mimi Walters thanks all of her supporters as she watches election results in Irvine on Nov. 7, 2018. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press) Democrat Katie Porter opened a 3,797-vote lead Wednesday over Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange Countys 45th Congressional District. In the neighboring 39th, Democrat Gil Cisneros has nearly tied the race against Republican Young Kim. Cisneros now trails Kim by a razor-thin margin of 122 votes. The 39th District straddles Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties; Wednesdays updated ballot counts came from the latter two. There are more than 202,000 ballots left to count in Orange County, which includes parts of seven congressional districts. The 45th is entirely in inland Orange County. In California, the ballots counted first tend to lean Republican and those tallied later skew Democratic. In the Central Valleys 21st Congressional District, Democratic challenger TJ Cox has pulled within 2 percentage points of Rep. David Valadao, who is serving his third term. The Associated Press had projected a win for Valadao on election night, but his 4,839-vote advantage has shrunk to 2,090. Back in CA-21, Valadao (R) wins a batch of ballots from his stronghold in Kings Co., but by a considerably smaller margin (14 points) than his previous ~30-point margin in the county. We're moving to Lean R from Likely R; today a bit scary for Valadao.https://t.co/WqJVUVkqGW  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 15, 2018 A spokesman for Valadao told the Fresno Bee that the changes were expected and that [s]tatistically, David Valadao has won this race. Democrats in California have already flipped four House seats, defeating three Republican incumbents and claiming an open seat previously held by the GOP. Reps. Steve Knight of Palmdale, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Jeff Denham of Turlock have already lost their races, and retiring Rep. Darrell Issas San Diego County seat was claimed by Democrat Mike Levin. Facebook

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Trump aide departs West Wing after rebuke from Melania Trump By Associated Press First Lady Melania Trump. (Alain Jocard / AFP-Getty Images) Deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel is leaving the White House, one day after First Lady Melania Trumps office issued an extraordinary statement calling for her dismissal. No replacement was named. Aides said Ricardel clashed with the first ladys staff over her visit to Africa last month. Yet it is highly unusual for a first lady or her office to weigh in on personnel matters, especially the presidents national security staff. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Ricardel would have a new role in the administration. On Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham, the first ladys spokeswoman, released a statement saying, It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House. President Trumps White House has set records for administration turnover. Ricardel was the third person to hold the post under Trump. An ally of national security advisor John Bolton, Ricardel began her service in the Trump administration as associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, then moved to the Commerce Department last year. Bolton brought her into the West Wing shortly after taking the job in April. He is traveling in Asia this week alongside Vice President Mike Pence. Facebook

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Race for House Minority Leader is Kevin McCarthys to lose By Associated Press (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is running to take over next years shrunken caucus in closed-door elections that will set the tone for the new Congress. The race for minority leader is McCarthys to lose Wednesday. But the California Republican, who is an ally of President Trump, must fend off a challenge from conservative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan is a leader of the House Freedom Caucus. The two encountered questions and finger-pointing during a private meeting with lawmakers Tuesday night as the GOP sorted through the midterm defeat that put Democrats in the majority next year. Elections Wednesday will also determine party leadership in the Senate. Voting for the biggest race, Nancy Pelosis bid to return as the Democrats nominee for speaker, is later this month. Read More Facebook

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Melania Trump calls for the firing of deputy national security advisor By Justin Sink First Lady Melania Trump arrives at the Chateau de Versailles outside Paris on Nov. 11. (Alain Jocard / AFP/Getty Images ) First Lady Melania Trumps office said she wants Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security advisor, ousted from the White House. It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House, Trumps spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement in response to a question about reports the first lady had sought Ricardels removal. Ricardel is the top deputy to national security advisor John Bolton. She drew the first ladys wrath after threatening to withhold National Security Council resources during Melania Trumps trip to Africa last month unless Ricardel was included in her entourage, one person familiar with the matter said. Grishams statement comes as several media outlets have reported that President Trump is considering a broader shakeup of his administration, including ousting Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Sink and Jacobs report for Bloomberg. Read More Facebook

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CNN sues Trump over the suspension of Jim Acostas White House press credentials By Jim Puzzanghera CNN said Tuesday that it is suing President Trump and other administration officials over the decision to suspend the White House press credentials of correspondent Jim Acosta after a conflict at a news conference last week. The suit, to be filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, escalates an ongoing battle between Trump and the cable news outlet that he frequently accuses of disseminating fake news for its aggressive coverage of him and his administration. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acostas 1st Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their 5th Amendment rights to due process, CNN said in a written statement. If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials. Read More Facebook

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Maxine Waters to take aim at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank as new head of House Financial Services Committee By Jim Puzzanghera Rep. Maxine Waters plans to zero in on two big banks  Wells Fargo & Co. and Deutsche Bank  when she becomes head of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. The Los Angeles congresswoman, now the committees top Democrat, is widely expected to gain the gavel after her party won control of the House in last weeks elections. While Waters has outlined a wide-ranging agenda, she said her focus on bank oversight will target two large institutions she has been tangling with for a while  including one, Deutsche Bank, that spills into her bitter feud with President Trump. With Trump in the White House, I know that our fight for Americas consumers and investors will continue to be challenging. But I am more than up to that fight, Waters wrote in a letter last week to her Democratic colleagues on the committee that was obtained by The Times. Read More Facebook

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Heres how a controversial voting system will decide a congressional race in Maine By Kurtis Lee For the first time in U.S. history, a controversial voting system known as ranked choice is being used to decide a federal election. Its happening in Maine, which adopted the system in 2016. Rather than marking a single candidate, each voter ranks them all, assigning a first-place vote, a second-place vote and so on down the ballot. Read More Facebook

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ACLU files suit to stop Trumps new asylum limits By Associated Press A group of Central American migrants march to the office of the U.N.'s humans rights body in Mexico City on Nov. 8. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a legal challenge to President Trumps order denying asylum to migrants if they cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco and argues the new rules are against the law. Attorney Lee Gelernt said the regulations will put families in danger. The suit seeks to declare the regulations invalid and wants a judge to stop the rules from going into effect while the litigation is pending. The new rules were spurred in part by caravans of Central American migrants slowly moving north on foot, but officials say they will apply to anyone caught crossing illegally. Officials say about 70,000 people who enter the country illegally claim asylum. The order invoked the same national security powers Trump used to push through his travel ban. Read More Facebook

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Trump on new acting AG: I dont know Matt Whitaker By Associated Press President Trump talks with reporters before departing for France on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 9. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump is moving to distance himself from Matthew Whitaker as he faces criticism over his choice for acting attorney general. Trump told reporters Friday that I dont know Matt Whitaker and said he didnt speak with Whitaker about special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker has made public comments critical of Muellers investigation, and critics have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the inquiry. Under former Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the investigation was overseen by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Of the scrutiny Whitaker is facing, Trump said: Its a shame that no matter who I put in they go after. He also called Whitaker a very highly respected man. Whitaker was Sessions chief of staff before Trump made him Sessions interim replacement. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of hospital after fall By Associated Press The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is home after being released from the hospital. She had been admitted for treatment and observation after fracturing three ribs in a fall. The court said Ginsburg was released Friday. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg says she is doing well and working from home. The court had previously said the justice fell in her office at the court on Wednesday evening and went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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Gun-control activist Lucy McBath defeats GOP Rep. Karen Handel in Georgia By Associated Press Lucy McBath speaks during a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Nov. 2 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Democratic gun-control activist Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia in a suburban congressional district long considered safe for the GOP. Handel had to seek reelection after winning her seat last year in a close special election race against Democrat Jon Ossoff. McBath became an advocate for stricter gun laws after her son, Jordan Davis, was fatally shot at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a man angry over loud music the teenager and his friends were playing in a car. McBaths margin of victory was narrow enough for Handel to have requested a recount. The Associated Press declared McBath the winner Thursday after Handel conceded. Handel conceded in a statement Thursday morning, stating that after reviewing all of the election data, its clear she came up a bit short in Tuesdays vote. Handel congratulated McBath, offering good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her. McBath, who is African American, declared victory Wednesday. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after fracturing 3 ribs in fall By Associated Press Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fractured three ribs in a fall in her office at the court and is in the hospital. The court says the justice went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. The court says the fall occurred Wednesday evening. Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation after tests showed she fractured three ribs. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She has had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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White House suspends press pass of CNNs Jim Acosta after heated exchange with Trump By Associated Press The White House on Wednesday suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he and President Trump had a heated confrontation during a news conference. They began sparring after Acosta asked Trump about the caravan of migrants heading from Latin America to the southern U.S. border. When Acosta tried to follow up with another question, Trump said, Thats enough! and a female White House aide unsuccessfully tried to grab the microphone from Acosta. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement accusing Acosta of placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern, calling it absolutely unacceptable. The interaction between Acosta and the intern was brief, and Acosta appeared to brush her arm as she reached for the microphone and he tried to hold onto it. Pardon me, maam, he told her. Acosta tweeted that Sanders statement that he put his hands on the aide was a lie. CNN said in a statement that the White House revoked Acostas press pass in retaliation for his challenging questions Wednesday, and the network accused Sanders of lying about Acostas actions. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporters colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Contrary to CNNs assertions there is no greater demonstration of the Presidents support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters...  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 As a result of todays incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Sanders provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better, CNN said. Jim Acosta has our full support. Journalists assigned to cover the White House apply for passes that allow them daily access to press areas in the West Wing. White House staffers decide whether journalists are eligible, though the Secret Service determines whether their applications are approved. Facebook

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Trump spars with reporters at post-election news briefing, ordering several to sit down By Associated Press  President Trump assails CNNs Jim Acosta at a White House news conference. President Trump sparred with reporters at his post-election news conference, ordering several to sit down and telling another hes a rude, terrible person. He told another reporter hes not a fan of yours, either. The presidents mood turned sour Wednesday after reporters pressed him on why he referred to a migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. on foot through Mexico as an invasion. Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric against the caravan in the final days of the midterm elections. Trump was also pressed on why his campaign aired an ad featuring a Mexican immigrant convicted of killing American police officers and linking the mans actions to the caravan. Several television networks pulled the ad after airing it or declined to air it at all. Facebook

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Im living one hour at a time at this point By Christine Mai-Duc Republican congressional candidate Young Kim and gubernatorial candidate John Cox campaign in Rowland Heights. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Republican congressional candidate Young Kim greeted gubernatorial candidate John Coxs giant campaign bus, the words HELP IS ON THE WAY emblazoned across it, as it rolled into the parking lot outside her Rowland Heights field office. Standing beside Cox on Saturday, Kim predicted that a string of GOP victories Tuesday would start with voters repealing the gas tax hike. Can you imagine Gavin Newsom being our governor? Can you imagine Gil Cisneros being your representative? Kim asked the crowd, to loud boos and cries of Nooo! The former state assemblywoman who worked for retiring Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is vying for his seat with Democrat Gil Cisneros. She led the crowd in chants of Enough is enough! and, though short-lived, Drain the swamp! Ive served you in Sacramento and Ive seen dysfunction personally, Kim continued. We cannot continue that route. She urged her supporters to stay and help make phone calls or walk neighborhoods. Lets get out there  the 72 hours is really critical. Its all going to come down to a few votes, it could be your vote, she said pointing to her left, then pivoting right, it could be your vote. So dont sit back and do nothing. Every night I go to sleep thinking, OK, how many more votes can I get or how many more people can I call tomorrow? Kim said. It can be physically exhausting but Im mentally, emotionally very energized. She listed off her events so far that day  and the next one she was heading to. Thats just what I can remember, she said. Im living one hour at a time at this point. Kims campaign invited press to two of her events on Saturday. After she was whisked away to her next event  a high tea fundraiser in Walnut, a couple dozen volunteers remained. John Freeman, a statewide field manager for the state Republican Party, tried to pump them up. This is the Super Bowl. Were not in an NFL stadium, were not getting paid millions of dollars, but you know what? Freeman said. Were walking on the field right now. This is that high-stakes-level game. Facebook

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Its going to be tough out there Democratic candidate Katie Porter speaks to volunteers in Mission Viejo. Jon Bauman, Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na, is in the background. (Victoria Kim / Los Angeles Times ) Judging from the cheers in the crowd, about half those assembled at Katie Porters campaign headquarters in Mission Viejo Sunday morning were old enough to remember 70s rock n roll star Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na. Jon Bauman, as Bowzer is known off stage, said it was her position on senior issues including retirement and social security that has him out supporting Porter over her opponent, incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters. I want you to make sure every phone is called and every door is knocked, he told the crowd of about 80 volunteers. There has never been a more important election. Both Bauman and his nephew, California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, were interrupted by yells from Trump supporters coming from an adjoining hillside. We love Trump, the voice cried out. We love him too, he makes great fodder, the younger Bauman retorted, before introducing Porter. Porter, a UC Irvine law professor and first-time candidate, acknowledged the uphill battle some of her canvassers might face in this more conservative end of the long-red Orange County district. I know its going to be tough out there, she said, motioning to the hillside. But she said the attacks meant the other side viewed her campaign as a significant threat. This election is going to be close, she said. If we dont fight all the way to the finish line, until 8 oclock on Tuesday, this could slip away. Bowzer then took to a keyboard piano to lead the crowd in a reworded rendition of the song Good Night Sweetheart: Good night, Mimi Walters, he crooned. A woman in a black tank top, jeans and flip flops holding a cup of coffee later joined the crowd with her two sons, 17 and 14, the younger one wearing a Trump 2016 T-shirt. She declined to give her name, saying she was concerned about being attacked, but said she lived up the hill and said she had been the one yelling. She said she was encouraging her sons to talk to people on both sides and make up their own minds. We need to have a government that runs the way government teachers are telling kids its supposed to be run, said the woman, a retired registered dental assistant who voted early for Mimi Walters. Referring to Democrats, she said: Theyve had control over all these years and Californias gone to crap. Among those canvassing was Stacie Campbell, 37, who was at the launch with her husband Jerome and three children, the youngest of whom was 2 months old. Campbell, a Mission Viejo resident who runs a business, had never canvassed or volunteered for campaigns before, and her husband is a French citizen and unable to vote. She said they had been talking to their children  the older ones are 5 and 2  about the presidency and the government since Trumps election. Together, they worked on homemade Katie Porter lawn signs and put them up around town. This is the first time its felt like a big deal and there isnt a president up for election, she said. Because her city is a mix of conservatives and liberals  her next-door neighbor is an NRA-supporting Republican  she the race felt m
Is it too late to get a flu shot?

We know you've been busy making plans for the holidays, scrambling to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list, spending time in airports and on road trips to see family and friends.

But the holiday season is over and it's time to get back to reality. The flu season is most certainly upon us. And you need to deal with it.

During the last week of 2017, "influenza activity increased sharply in the United States," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Outpatient visits to doctors and other medical professionals by people suffering from influenza-like illnesses were above normal baseline levels in every region of the country, the CDC reported. And among the 54 jurisdictions in the flu surveillance system (every state plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands), 50 reported "regional" or "widespread" flu activity at the end of last year.

California is one of 26 states with "high" flu activity, the CDC says.

California is one of 26 states with high flu activity. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

So far this flu season, at least 3,927 people have been sent to the hospital with laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza.

One child was confirmed to have died of the flu during the last week of 2017. The most recent statistics that include adults were from the week that ended Dec. 16, when 6.7% of deaths reported to the National Center for Health Statistics were attributed to influenza and pneumonia.

The good news, according to health experts, is that its not too late to reduce your risk by getting a flu shot.

The CDC recommends a flu shot for everyone over the age of 6 months, unless you have a specific medical reason to skip it (such as an allergy to the vaccine).

Only shots are advised this year. The FluMist nasal vaccine offered in the past has not been very effective against H1N1 strains in recent years, so the CDC says it should not be used.

You may have heard that the flu thats doing the most damage this year is an H3N2 strain, and that it is less vulnerable to the vaccine. Thats true. But public health experts still say that an imperfect flu shot is better than no flu shot.

And since the flu season could last well into March or April, theres still plenty of time for it to make a difference.

The flu may not sound like a big deal, but if youve ever had it, you know it can make you feel miserable. If youre lucky, you may have mild symptoms like a cough and a runny nose. But you can also wind up with a bad fever, chills and more serious complications like pneumonia, bronchitis and sinus infections.

If youve heard that the flu shot might actually give you the flu, rest assured thats impossible. The vaccine is made from an inactivated virus. Its able to prompt your immune system to make antibodies against the flu, so its ready in case you encounter the real the thing. But the shot itself cant infect you.

It does take a couple of weeks for those antibodies to develop, so some people may get sick soon after getting the shot. But that doesnt mean the shot made them sick, according to experts at Harvard Medical School. That just means those people waited too long to get vaccinated.

The Harvard folks also debunked nine other flu myths here.

Already got your flu shot? Theres still more you can do.

The CDC asks everyone to fight back against influenza by helping prevent the spread of germs in general. That means washing your hands, using a hand sanitizer, and coughing or sneezing into a tissue or the inside of your arm.

Also, if your doctor prescribes an antiviral medication like Tamiflu (oseltamivir), Relenza (zanamivir) and Rapivab (peramivir), be sure to take it. Those are working really well this flu season, the CDC says.

karen.kaplan@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @LATkarenkaplan and "like" Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook.

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With 2018 now upon us, our theater companies are putting the finishing touches on their leadoff productions for the new year  and surprisingly, quite a few will be displayed for local audience consumption for the first time.

Leading off the parade, opening next weekend, will be the stage version of an Oscar-winning movie, Shakespeare in Love, at South Coast Repertory and staged by SCR artistic director Marc Masterson. Itll occupy the Segerstrom Stage through Feb. 10.

Another newcomer, I Am My Own Wife, arrives at the Laguna Playhouse the same weekend, running through Jan. 28. Its the true story of a German transvestite who survived both the Nazi onslaught and the East German Communist regime.

A familiar musical, Fiddler on the Roof, will be the new attraction at the Westminster Community Playhouse, playing from Jan. 12-28. Patricia Miller is directing with Bill Wolfe as musical director and Bradley Miller doing double duty as choreographer and star.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is bringing a few popular shows back for single-week engagements. The first is Jersey Boys, the story of the harmonizing Four Seasons, which will play from Jan. 19-21.

The Octette Bridge Club will meet from Jan. 26 to Feb.25 at the Newport Theatre Arts Center with David Motroni directing. It centers on eight Irish sisters who convene for cards and gossip over a 10-year period.

Theres a new show called A New Brain on tap at the Costa Mesa Playhouse, slated from Feb. 2 through March 4. Its the dramatization of a life-changing experience of a songwriter as a result of brain surgery.

The second Segerstrom Center reprise, Kinky Boots, will strut its stuff from Feb. 6 to 11.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, the stage adaptation of the vintage movie musical, will be staged at Vanguard University from Feb. 15 through March 4.

Tennessee Williams first stage success, The Glass Menagerie, will be revived at Golden West College from Feb. 16-26. Its based on the early family experiences of the young playwright in 1930s St. Louis, Mo.

Still another hit movie adapted for the stage, The Graduate, will be presented Feb. 21 through March 18 at the Laguna Playhouse with Melanie Griffith taking the pivotal role of the cougar queen Mrs. Robinson.

Segerstrom Center is reviving another oldie with a slightly longer performance schedule. The King and I will take the big stage from Feb. 27 to March 11.

South Coast Rep will offer local audiences their first look at Cambodian Rock Band, described as part comedy, part mystery and part rock concert. The show is ticketed from March 4-25.

Another newcomer, Other Desert Cities, will be unveiled from March 9-25 at the Westminster Community Playhouse. A prospective unsettling family memoir provides the conflict in this drama, to be directed by Lenore Stjerne.

Back on the Segerstrom Center boards from March 20 through April 1 will be another return engagement, The Book of Mormon, the hit musical satire that draws and quarters Latter-Day Saints.

Finally, we have Shrew! playwright Amy Freeds take on Shakespeares The Taming of the Shrew, told from a female perspective. Directed by Art Manke, the show is scheduled from March 24 through April 21.

Thats just the tip of the theater iceberg. Many more shows will be battling for playgoers attention during 2018.

TOM TITUS reviews local theater.
An Orange County Superior Court jury deliberated less than two hours Thursday before finding a Fountain Valley man guilty of kidnapping a medical marijuana dispensary owner and his roommate and torturing the dispensary owner as part of a plot to extort money.

Kyle Shirakawa Handley, 38, stood next to his attorney and shook his head slightly as the court clerk announced that the jury had convicted him of kidnapping, aggravated mayhem and torture, all felonies.

Handley sat and put a hand over his eyes.

He is scheduled to be sentenced March 23. He faces a maximum of life in prison without possibility of parole, according to the Orange County district attorneys office.

Prosecutors contended that Handley, a marijuana grower who supplied the victims dispensary, and three other defendants kidnapped the man and his female roommate from their home on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach.

Prosecutors said masked captors took the victims from the 25th Street home on Oct. 2, 2012, and drove them to the Mojave Desert.

The dispensary owner  whom the Daily Pilot is not identifying because he was the victim of a sexual assault  testified in December that he was bound and blindfolded, his penis was cut off and he was stomped on, Tased, beaten and burned by his captors, who demanded $1 million dozens of times. Prosecutors said the kidnappers mistakenly thought the man had a large sum of money of money buried in the desert.

The woman also was bound and blindfolded.

The victims testified that they were dropped off, still bound, in the desert about 150 miles from Newport Beach and that one of the captors tossed a knife into nearby bushes.

The woman was told that if she could find it, she could cut herself free. She managed to release herself, but not her roommate because his hands were too swollen.

She walked to the road and flagged down a sheriffs deputy.

It still haunts me, she testified.

In closing arguments Wednesday, Deputy District Attorney Matthew Murphy portrayed Handley as a piece of a kidnapping conspiracy that showed unconscionable cruelty.

What they did  defies the English language, Murphy told jurors. The cruelty and viciousness  [all] so they could get money.

Defense attorney Robert Weinberg, left, consoles his client, Kyle Handley, as Handley is found guilty Thursday in the 2012 kidnapping and torture of a medical marijuana dispensary owner from Newport Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times )

Murphy called the woman a hero who beat the odds by freeing herself and finding the deputy.

Prosecutors said the kidnappers tried to cover their tracks by applying bleach to the van they drove to hide traces of DNA and buying disposable cellphones.

Handleys attorney, Robert Weinberg, acknowledged the evidence against his client, including surveillance equipment sent to Handleys house and used to track the dispensary owner. Also, a shirt with bleach stains and zip ties similar to those used in the kidnapping were found at Handleys house.

But Weinberg contended that others involved in the kidnapping sought to make Handley the fall guy.

Weinberg said the prosecution showed no evidence, such as cellphone tracking data, proving that Handley was involved in the post-kidnapping cleanup and other crimes.

Murphy countered that the mosaic of available evidence showed Handley at least aided and abetted the kidnapping.

Prosecutors also have charged Naomi Josette Rhodus, 37, Ryan Anthony Kevorkian, 38, both of Fresno, and Hossein Nayeri, 39, in the case. All have pleaded not guilty.

Kevorkian, Nayeri and Handley grew up together in Fresno.

Nayeri and two other inmates temporarily escaped from Orange County Jail in 2016 in a case that made national headlines.

bradley.zint@latimes.com

Twitter: @BradleyZint
The city of Newport Beach was billed nearly $18,000 in outside legal costs related to its defense in a local activists lawsuit accusing the city of defamation.

Invoices from Rutan & Tucker, a Costa Mesa-based law firm, show the city amassed a $17,944 bill before the case was tried in December in Orange County Superior Courts small-claims division.

Judge Thomas Delaney ruled that City Councilwoman Diane Dixon did not defame frequent city government critic Mike Glenn when she said during a public meeting that he owed more than $600 in public records copying fees.

City Atty. Aaron Harp said it is more cost-effective to retain outside counsel as needed to advise on issues such as the defamation and free speech matters Glenn raised.

Glenn, however, called the citys costs ridiculous.

Can you imagine anyone keeping their job in the real world if they spent $18,000 to collect a $600 debt  especially if that debt was clearly not ever owed? he said in an email Tuesday.

Delaney said Glenn proved he didnt owe the fees but also ruled that Dixons statement was protected by legislative immunity and that Glenn didnt show he had been damaged by it.

Harp disputed Glenns characterization, saying the city was defending itself in a lawsuit and that the case was not a collection matter.

Newport Beachs city attorneys office, which has a staff of five lawyers including Harp, typically handles things such as contracts and ordinances, and there are no in-house civil litigators who specialize in lawsuits, Harp said.

Glenn sued the city after Dixon called him out at an April City Council meeting about $619.93 in fees related to public records requests regarding the Balboa Peninsula Trolley, a topic he had just criticized during a public comment session. He said he never specifically asked for hard copies of the records and said the suggestion that he doesnt pay his debts besmirched his reputation.

He also accused Assistant City Clerk Jennifer Nelson of committing libel when she sent Glenn an email, copied to two other city employees, telling him that he had not paid for the records.

Though the case was in small-claims court, it had major implications for how the city operates, Harp said.

If the city clerk is unable to basically communicate with constituents about city business, then were not even conducting business as a city, he said.

Glenn said he chose small-claims court because it wouldnt place a costly legal burden on the city.

Small-claims trials are relatively speedy, inexpensive and informal, with participants typically representing themselves.

Glenn represented himself at the Dec. 19 trial. City Clerk Leilani Brown appeared as a non-attorney representative for the defendants.

Rutan & Tucker was not listed on the citys case filings because its lawyers did not represent the city in court but rather acted as consultants, Harp said.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD
Recently, Glendale laudably adopted a unanimous resolution in support of the United Nations Paris Agreement by joining the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda, agreeing to take local action on climate change. Glendales leadership is part of a broader wave of renewed leadership on climate change from cities. Thirteen cities in California  and more than 50 nationwide  have committed to 100% clean energy.

Neighboring Los Angeles is currently developing its own plan to eliminate fossil fuels as well. At the same time, utilities in California are quickly pivoting away from fossil fuel power plants. While Glendale moves beyond coal, Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas and Electric and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power are all rethinking their dependency on gas. For example, PG&E and SCE both announced plans in December to replace gas plants with energy storage and clean energy.

With the wave of bold commitments, declining costs of alternatives to fossil fuels, and increasing urgency to slow climate change, many Glendale residents and environmentalists are asking hard questions about Glendale Water & Powers plans to spend an estimated $500 million to expand the Grayson power plant. The utilitys plans will lead to increased greenhouse gas and particulate emissions, according to the projects draft environmental impact report. It is important to highlight some of those concerns in greater detail ahead of the Jan. 23 Glendale City Council meeting where alternatives to Grayson expansion are expected to be publicly discussed.

It appears that many of the environmental concerns outlined in the DEIR run contrary to the visionary promise of the Paris Agreement. In short, the Grayson proposal would increase emissions and particulates that would adversely affect our climate and potentially impact the health of children at Benjamin Franklin Elementary, Mark Keppel Elementary and the Disney Childrens Center, as well as elderly residents of nearby Pelanconi Estates. The DEIR predicts global warming emissions will increase nearly seven-fold. This is the equivalent to 90,000 additional cars on Glendales roads.

Clearly, an expense as large as the Grayson project would impact utility bills to pay for the polluting facility.

As recently proposed by Councilman Zareh Sinanyan, Glendale residents and ratepayers deserve that alternatives be thoroughly examined separately and independently from the Grayson EIR process. Given the severity of the environmental concerns and the cost involved with Grayson it can be argued that a multipronged renewables portfolio would be less expensive to implement and would meet Californias increasingly stringent emissions requirements.

Further, Grayson sits on a known earthquake liquefaction zone, subject to major gas line leaks and ruptures in the event of an earthquake greater than magnitude 7.0. This belies GWPs rationale that centralizing power at Grayson is needed to maintain energy security in the event of a major incident such as an earthquake. A robust and varied renewables portfolio would mitigate this risk. Incentivizing residential and commercial solar throughout the city will also reduce emissions. Thus far, Glendale has not exploited demand-response methodologies to shift use from high-demand times, such as time-of-use pricing and HVAC direct-load control programs. There are alternatives that warrant attention and now is the time to evaluate them.

There is also a legislative proposal on the horizon that would increase the renewable portfolio standard by 50% by 2030 and set a standard of zero carbon electricity by 2045. This would force GWP to mothball a new plant since the DEIRs analysis assumes the proposed fossil-fuel-based equipment would have a 30-year lifespan.

We have an ever-increasing mountain of evidence that we must take climate change seriously and do everything in our power to mitigate its impacts. A thorough and robust discussion on the future of Grayson is a prudent and important step. To that end, we strongly encourage the city of Glendale to work with independent energy experts to identify a 100% clean alternative plan to Grayson so that there can be a fully informed debate on what is the best approach to meet our citys current and future energy needs.

Susana Reyes is a Glendale resident and longtime leader of the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter. She is the current vice president of the Sierra Club (National). Anthony Portantino is the state senator representing the 25th Senate District, which includes Glendale and many foothill cities.
Mexico has had highs and lows as a tourist destination in the past decade. Still, it won the popularity contest in an end-of-year cruise trends report by CruiseCompete.com.

It was the most popular country visited for those sailing on general cruise ships in the Cruise Trends 2017 Annual Report, which collates data for the last 12 months to produce a snapshot of the most popular consumer trends in cruising, according to the company.

The country has a lot going for it, including 5,000 miles of coastline, some of the worlds most renowned archaeological sites and Spanish colonial cities full of cultural flavor.

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Mexico aside, luxury line cruisers were more apt to choose the United States, and river cruisers were more likely to choose Germany as their favorite country.

Despite Mexicos crime problems -- in August, the U.S. State Department warned that travel to some parts of Mexico is risky -- cruisers continue to enjoy sailing to its ports.

Cozumel, Mexico, in fact, was named the most popular cruise port visited for general cruise ships in the Cruise Trends report. River cruisers picked Vienna, and luxury line cruisers picked tiny Gustavia, the capital of St. Barts, in the Caribbean.

The hurricanes that beset the Caribbean in 2017 didnt dampen its appeal to cruisers: It won the most popular region visited contest for general cruise ships.

Even the hurricanes cannot take away the allure of blue skies, emerald blue waters, private islands, interesting foods, people and warm weather, said Heidi M. Allison, senior partner of CruiseCompete.com.

Those sailing on luxury lines or river boats were more likely to pick Europe as a favorite.

It still offers much cache for visitors who feel comfortable over there and for those travelers who have not yet been there, Allison said.

Destinations feeling a surge are Asia and the Far East, she said, with rankings in the top 10 for all categories of cruise ships. If travelers have not been to Asia and the Far East yet, it certainly is on their list of places to visit.

The data for the report are derived from the total number of quote requests CruiseCompete travel agents receive. The website, which claims 1 million members, compares offers from multiple travel agencies to find the best price.

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travel@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimestravel
You can fly round-trip from LAX to Shenzhen, China, on Air China from $497, including all taxes and fees.

Shenzhen, just north of Hong Kong, has experienced enormous growth since it was designated a special economic zone, or SEZ, in the late 1970s as part of economic reform. Before its designation, it was a town of 30,000, but the designation played a key role in an economic boon that saw its metropolitan area grow to more than 10 million by 2016, according to World Population Review.

The fare, subject to availability, is for departures Mondays through Thursdays through May 10. You must stay at least seven nights but not more than six months.

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You must buy your ticket at least seven days in advance of your departure.

Info: Air China, (800) 882-8122

Source: Airfarewatchdog

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travel@latimes.com

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The U.S.-Pakistan relationship has hit rough spots before, but the two sides have always patched things up  less out of affection than mutual necessity.

Pakistan coveted American funds and military equipment. The United States wanted a regional partner against terrorism, supply routes into Afghanistan and an eye on Pakistans nuclear weapons.

Now President Trump is shaming Pakistan on Twitter and withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in security assistance at a time when the United States needs its difficult ally more than it has in years.

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Trump is plunging deeper into Afghanistan, having raised the number of U.S. troops from 11,000 to 15,000 and increasing airstrikes and combat operations to root out Islamic State supporters and stop the advance of Taliban militants.

Supplying the growing war effort requires cooperation from Pakistan, which controls the roads into landlocked Afghanistan and has blocked U.S.-led NATO coalition vehicles during previous spats. The alternative route goes through Central Asia, is several times costlier and requires dealing with a nettlesome Russia, the regional power broker.

If Trump wants to increase troop levels, Im not sure he can engage in this back-and-forth with Pakistan, said Shamila N. Chaudhary, who served as Pakistan director on the National Security Council during the Obama administration. Theyre going to need those routes.

U.S. officials also acknowledge that the troop surge wont be successful unless it forces the Taliban to begin talks with the Afghan government to reach a durable resolution to the war. Many experts believe that only Pakistans powerful security establishment  which has sheltered Taliban leaders for more than a decade  can persuade the militant group to negotiate.

Pakistans military has long maintained links to extremist groups, including the Taliban and the Haqqani network, that serve its strategic interests. Both groups have attacked U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, but the United States has often looked past that as it supplied Pakistan with $33 billion over the last 15 years.

After a series of tweets over the last week in which Trump railed against what he called Pakistans lies and deceit and said the U.S. funding had been for nothing, the State Department announced Thursday that the United States would freeze military aid until Pakistan takes decisive action against militant groups, including the Taliban and the Haqqani group.

In announcing the suspension, Trump administration officials were unusually bereft of details. They could not give the amounts of aid affected by the freeze nor say what military materiel would be cut.

State Department officials denied, however, that they had been rushed into the announcement to justify Trumps tweets. They said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and Gen. Joseph Votel, head of the U.S. Central Command that oversees military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, had all raised concerns in visits to Islamabad in recent months.

This has been an ongoing conversation, not only within the U.S. interagency, but with Pakistan  actually, over many, many years, and then specifically over the last couple of months, said a senior State Department official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

U.S. officials say the administration also harbors concerns about the security of Pakistans nuclear weapons program, the freedom with which militant anti-India groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed raise funds and operate in Pakistan, and the recent release from house arrest of Lashkar leader Hafiz Saeed, the subject of a $10-million U.S. bounty.

Pakistan called the decision counterproductive, but said it was determined to continue to do all it takes to secure the lives of our citizens and broader stability in the region.

A statement from the Foreign Ministry touted Pakistans role in fighting Al Qaeda and routing militants from its tribal regions along the Afghanistan border. Pakistani civilians have borne the brunt of their countrys war on terrorism, with tens of thousands killed in extremist violence since 2001.

But Pakistans military said Trumps decision would have repercussions.

Suspension of security assistance will not affect Pakistans resolve to fight terrorism; however, it for sure will have an impact on Pakistan-U.S. security cooperation and efforts towards regional peace, army spokesman Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor told Voice of America.

The United States has tried cutting aid or imposing conditions on Pakistan in the past. When it needed leverage against the Pakistani army, then-Sens. John F. Kerry and Richard G. Lugar wrote 2009 legislation that directed more aid to the weak civilian government. In 2016, the Obama administration withheld $300 million because of growing frustration over Pakistans inability to rein in the Taliban.

Pakistan has lashed out too  most notably in 2011, after NATO airstrikes accidentally killed two dozen of its soldiers. Pakistan shut down Afghanistan supply lines for months until the United States issued a formal apology.

Despite the rhetoric, analysts said Pakistan would probably view the aid freeze as a negotiating tactic and not an end to the relationship.

They will all bounce back from this, Chaudhary said. No one can afford not to talk at all. Pakistan has nuclear weapons. You cant cut them out of the discussion on how to end the conflict in the region, when they are a party to the conflict.

Trumps announcement was the latest twist in a relationship that has ricocheted from warmth to disgust in the 14 months since he was elected president.

In November 2016, Trump showered praise on Pakistan in a phone call with then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, saying he was doing amazing work, which is visible in every way. Then, in August, he demanded it change immediately its policy of harboring militant groups and invited Pakistans archenemy, India, to play a greater role in securing Afghanistan.

In October, after Pakistani forces helped rescue an American woman and her family from captivity by the Haqqani network, Trump said Pakistan was starting to respect the United States again.

Ayesha Siddiqa, a Pakistani security analyst, said that NATOs continued use of Pakistani land and air supply lines would be the subject of future negotiations, and that officials were not panicking about the aid freeze.

I dont think Trumps threat will matter, Siddiqa said. The money, they knew, would dry up someday.

Pakistan has also been sanguine about its declining relationship with the United States because of growing ties with China, which is developing a giant portfolio of infrastructure projects worth $62 billion.

The State Department official said the United States had no problem with Pakistan and Chinas relationship, but added that the suspension of aid should appeal to Pakistans pride.

What matters, I think, to the Pakistanis is the symbolism of doing this, that it represents a deterioration of our relationship, something that they care about a great deal, the official said.

Were hoping that this is an incentive that they dont want to see this relationship deteriorate any further and that theyre going to commit to working with us to try to find a way to put it on more solid footing.

Special correspondent Sahi reported from Islamabad, and Los Angeles Times staff writers Bengali and Wilkinson from Mumbai, India, and Washington, respectively.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news from South Asia.

ALSO:

Trump administration suspends security aid to Pakistan over terrorism complaints

Trump agrees to delay U.S.-South Korean military exercises to ease tensions with North Korea

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UPDATES:

1 p.m: This article was updated with additional background, details and quotes from U.S. officials.

This article was originally published at 8:25 a.m.
Afghan police said Friday that the death toll from the previous nights suicide attack in Kabul has jumped to 20, with 27 other policemen wounded.

The attack took place Thursday night in the eastern part of the Afghan capital, where dozens of security officers had congregated to protect a demonstration of shopkeepers that had been held earlier in the day.

First reports immediately after the blast put the death toll at six officers, but police official Jan Agha said that by Friday morning the number had significantly increased.

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No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but both Taliban militants and the Islamic States affiliate in Afghanistan have targeted the countrys security forces in the past.
MSU Law Alumna Elizabeth Clement to join the Michigan Supreme Court



EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN  Michigan State University College of Law congratulates alumna Elizabeth Clement, 02, on her appointment to the Michigan Supreme Court. Governor Rick Snyder made the announcement that she will join the states highest court on Friday, November 17, 2017.

Clement joins the ranks of MSU Law graduates who have served with distinction at every level of the state judiciary, said Dean Lawrence Ponoroff.

Clement has worked for Snyder administration since he took office in 2011. Initially, she worked in the executive office as deputy legal counsel, and then she rose to deputy chief of staff in 2014. One year later, Clement became cabinet secretary in addition to her role as deputy chief of staff.

As legal counsel, she specialized in issues including emergency management, criminal justice, judicial appointments, labor and public safety. In addition to her roles in the Snyder administration, Clement has a distinguished career in Michigan politics. She previously worked in the Senate Majority Policy Office and as legal counsel in the Senate.

Clement also holds a bachelors degree in political science from Michigan State University. Her husband, Thomas Clement, is a fellow graduate of MSU Law, and he became general counsel to the Michigan Supreme Court in May 2016.

(Photo: Governor's Office)
A armed, suicidal man barricaded himself Thursday night in a bathroom in a home in the first block of South 11th Street in Allentown, but despite city police negotiating with him for hours, the man eventually killed himself, authorities say.

Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim on Friday afternoon identified the man as Todd Miller, 56 who lived in the home. Grim ruled the death a suicide.

Miller was sending texts that caused friends and family to worry he might hurt himself, so officers were asked to check on him just before 10 p.m., Capt. Stephen Vangelo said.

Shortly after police arrived, Miller went into the bathroom with a handgun and threatened to kill himself, Vangelo said.

Other adults residents of the home were led out and officers spoke with the man through a wall, Vangelo said. The department's Crisis Negotiations Team and the Emergency Response Team were called out, Vangelo added.

The talks went on "for quite some time," Vangelo said.

About 1 a.m., Miller shot himself with a handgun, Vangelo said.

No one else was injured, Vangelo said.

"We did the best we could," Vangelo said.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Court upheld a decision by the Bethlehem Area School District to fire a physical education teacher who tested positive for cocaine.

According to the appellate court decision filed Thursday, the school district notified East Hills Middle School teacher Timothy Metz on May 17, 2016, that he would be terminated. He started teaching in the district in 2004.

According to the court opinion:

The school district learned of Metz's drug use Feb. 4, 2016, from the attorney on the other side of his custody dispute. A letter said Metz had tested positive for cocaine, but Metz claimed the test was a false positive for his pain medication.

He was asked by the school district to take a drug test but refused initially, then agreed to take it Feb. 9, 2016. That test came up positive, and he allegedly admitted he used cocaine at a Super Bowl party Feb. 7, 2016.

At his termination hearing, Metz reportedly said he never consumed alcohol or illegal drugs at work, never came to work impaired, was never convicted of any drug-related offense and thus should not have been subject to a school-district ordered drug test.

The Commonwealth Court judges agreed it was reasonable to ask Metz to be tested.

"Public school teachers, like railroad workers, corrections officers and police officers ... hold safety-sensitive jobs and, accordingly, can be compelled to submit to drug testing based on reasonable suspicion," wrote Judge Dan Pellegrini.

Judges Robert Simpson of Nazareth and Ann E. Covey concurred in the opinion.

It's not clear whether Metz will appeal the decision to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. His attorney, John S. Harrison, was not available to comment Friday afternoon.

The state Secretary of Education affirmed Metz's firing on April 21, 2017. That's when Metz appealed the case to the Commonwealth Court.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Police found Natalie Blanchard passed out on drugs in a running vehicle with her then-4-year-old in the back seat.

Why does she get herself in bad situations?

"I like to do drugs," she told her pre-sentence interviewer, according to her attorney.

It's true she made the statement, according to defense attorney Matt Deschler. She was just being candid and it's not completely indicative of her character, he said.

Although she dabbled in drugs, she has had a solid work history, hasn't been arrested in 12 years, was in drug treatment and is doing what she can to regain custody of her daughter.

"Ms. Blanchard did take responsibility for what happened that day," he said.

Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano sentenced her Friday to 11 to 23 months in Northampton County Prison for endangering the welfare of her daughter. The 35-year-old Easton mother of two was found unconscious in her car at 6:18 p.m. July 2 at Belmont Street and Industrial Drive in Easton.

Her 14-year-old son is in foster care and the young daughter now lives with her father's aunt, although Blanchard is fighting to regain custody of her.

The judge declined to hand down a time-served sentence for the 67 days Blanchard spent in prison. But he didn't agree to state prison, as was recommended by Assistant District Attorney Sandra Foster McClure. McClure also asked the judge to forbid Blanchard from contacting her daughter while serving the sentence.

"She appears to be clean and then she gets back with the child and she ends up using drugs again," McClure said. "It's just very, very hard on the child."

Giordano left that decision in the hands of family court in New Jersey, where the daughter is living with the aunt.

Blanchard said she has a court date Jan. 29 in New Jersey to start the "reunification process" with the girl.

The judge said McClure may not be in a vehicle with the girl after she's paroled, even if both of them are passengers in the vehicle.

"She has very poor judgment in a vehicle," Giordano said.

Blanchard admitted she has been using pills for years.

"It was bad in my early 20s," she told Giordano.

Police said she was using heroin the day she was found passed out with her daughter but Blanchard adamantly insists the heroin belonged to her friend Robert Lands, who was with her in the car.

Lands 39, of Hillsborough, N.J., pleaded guilty to DUI and reckless endangerment but hasn't been sentenced yet.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
The man sought by Pennsylvania State Police in a Monroe County shooting Tuesday was taken into custody, along with a woman identified as an alleged accomplice.

Aquiles V. Conde Shenery, 32, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, and 32-year-old Apheraddyttie Henneborn, of Effort in Monroe County, are both charged with attempted homicide and related charges.

The victim, 39-year-old Harry Read, suffered a non-life-threatening wound to his mid-section in the shooting shortly before 6:45 p.m. outside his home in the 1400 block of Donalds Road in Chesthuthill Township, according to police.

Conde Shenery lived at Read's home for a short time last month, police said.

Monday evening, Read was home when he got a text notification for a Google verification code but did not know what it was for. Conde Shenery then sent him a message asking for the code.

Read would later tell police "he was reluctant to provide the verification code to Conde Shenery because he believed he was attempting to hack his personal Google account," court records say.

After exchanging messages with Conde Shenery, Read heard a vehicle in front of his home and got a message from Conde Shenery saying he was outside, according to police.

Conde Shenery allegedly emerged from the sunroof of a dark-colored Honda CR-V with a rifle. Read again refused to provide the Google code and had turned to go back inside when he was shot in the back, according to police.

"He shot me!" Read yelled to his girlfriend, as he made his way inside and had her dial 911, police said.

Read was taken by West End Ambulance to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono in East Stroudsburg for treatment of a gunshot wound to his left lower torso.

Investigators found a single .22-caliber shell casing near the driveway of the home, police said.

With the suspect identified by the victim, police circulated Conde Shenery's photo to media on Tuesday. The ex-fiance of the alleged accomplice, Henneborn, recognized him and alerted police, court records say.

The ex-fiance said Henneborn had brought a .22-caliber rifle to his Chestnuthill Township home Tuesday evening, requesting he hold it for her, police said.

Police then went to Henneborn's house, where a witness reported having seen Henneborn hand Conde Shenery the rifle and demonstrate how to operate the bolt action, court records say.

Henneborn also allegedly drove Conde Shenery to Read's house in the CR-V before handing off the rifle, then parked the CR-V at the home of her ex-fiance's mother, according to police.

Conde Shenery and Henneborn were both arraigned Thursday before District Judge Colleen Mancuso. He is charged with attempted homicide, two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a weapon and -- due to prior convictions -- prohibited possession of a firearm.

Henneborn is charged with attempted homicide, criminal solicitation to commit homicide, possession of a weapon and two counts each of aggravated assault and conspiracy.

Both were sent to the Monroe County prison without the possibility of bail, court records show.

Each has a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled Jan. 19 before Mancuso.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Pennsylvania state Rep. Justin Simmons, who suspended a run for Congress after a report surfaced that he missed hundreds of House votes in Harrisburg, disclosed Thursday that he's suffered from mental illness since his childhood.

Simmons, a Republican whose district includes parts of Northampton and Lehigh counties, posted a video on his campaign's Facebook page that goes into detail about his struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD.

"This isn't the easiest thing for me to talk about," Simmons said. "It's a very personal issue. It is also an illness that most people don't understand."

It's not easy to talk about such a personal issue so publicly, but I wanted to shed light on why I missed a number of session days in Harrisburg as your State Representative, and bring more attention to a very important issue. Since I was a child I've been afflicted with OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I hope you will listen to my statement to better understand how OCD affects me and millions of people across the country. OCD has not stopped me from from living a full life or from representing the people of the 131st House District, and it never will. Thank you, as always, for your support. Posted by Justin Simmons on Thursday, January 4, 2018

The National Institute of Mental Health defines OCD as "a common, chronic and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over."

OCD affects more than 2 million adults in the U.S., the American Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports.

The lawmaker's disclosure of the mental illness comes less than two months after he

for the 15

th

Congressional District, which also represents parts of Northampton and Lehigh counties. Longtime U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, a fellow Republican, is retiring at the end of the year.

After Dent's retirement announcement, Simmons launched his campaign. He slammed Dent, a moderate and outspoken critic of many of President Trump's actions, in a September announcement. He called Dent the "No. 1 turncoat in the Republican Party."

Then in November, The Morning Call reported that Simmons was absent for 28 days and missed 498 legislative votes since taking office in January 2011.

Three days after that report, Simmons exited the race. He said at the time that he wanted to focus on his work in the state House and his commitment to his family.

"I'm talking about this now because, first, you deserve an answer and, second, I hope that by coming forward I can bring some awareness to this issue both today and in the future," he said to constituents in Thursday's video.

Simmons, who was elected to a fourth term in the state House in 2016, attributed all but eight of his 28 absences to his wedding, the birth of his daughter and ailments such as the flu.

He said he suffered an OCD flare-up in 2016 and missed the other eight days so he could get the appropriate treatment.

"During those eight days, I was attending a residential treatment program focused on re-learning the tools to control the effects of OCD," he said. "Before then and since then, I've continued to serve you, attend community events, meet with constituents, representing our citizens in Harrisburg, and more."

Simmons said his mental illness hasn't affected his ability to serve and hopes to continue in office.

"It isn't something that stops me from working hard for you and leading a full life with my family and friends," he said. "I've worked successfully for years while addressing it, and will continue to do so in the future."

Nick Falsone may be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickfalsone. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A man caught bringing drugs into the local prison has been given to this April to complete a restorative justice programme.

Before Portlaoise District Court was Michael Donohue, Dolphin House, Rialto, Dublin 8.

When the case was first heard last October, Inspector Ollie Baker gave evidence that the accused was attending the Midlands Prison on July 22, 2017, when the search dog indicated the presence of drugs.

The accused was found to have 11g of cannabis herb, 7g of cannabis resin and one gram of a white powder believed to be cocaine.

The total amount of drugs was 700.

The accused had no previous convictions.

Defence said that the accused owed a drug debt and had been unable to pay, so he was threatened and put under pressure to bring in the items to pay off the debt.

Defence said the accused was taking cannabis at the time and he immediately handed over the items when the drug dog gave a positive indication.

He is no longer taking drugs and has gotten away from bad influences, said defence.

Telling the accused that he didnt want to end up in prison, Judge Staines put the matter back to December 14 for a probation report, saying that if he cooperated he should have nothing to worry about.

At the court in December, the accused was found suitable for a restorative justice programme, and the matter was adjourned to April 5 this year for a restorative justice report.
Only one school from Laois will be represented at one of the biggest school science events in Europe next week.

The Leinster Express will be reporting at the RDS for the 54th BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition from Wednesday, January 10 to Saturday, January 13.

Six projects from Heywood Community School will be exhibited at the exciting four day science spectacular event at the RDS in Dublin however, no other Laois schools have made it to this stage of the competition.

While one school from Laois has reached the exhibition stage, three schools from Offaly will be there, three schools from Carlow, over 30 schools from Cork and over 10 schools from Kildare among hundreds of other schools from all over the country.

Laois students will be among the 50,000 visitors heading to Dublin to view the 550 exhibits at the prestigious exhibition, as well as the RDS Primary Science Fair which runs alongside it.

Six projects from Heywood representing the county will go up against this stiff competition.

See the list of interesting Laois projects below from both groups of students and individuals.

The Leinster Express is heading to the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition.

Family of Mountmellick boy Ben Connolly request prayers as he fights for life.
Just one out of the nine main secondary schools in Laois has made it to the 2018 BT Young Scientists Exhibition, but they have done it in spades, with no less than six projects in the prestigious exhibition.

Heywood Community School, a co-ed secondary outside Ballinkill village, is hoping to bring home awards from the exhibition in the RDS this January.

Science Co-ordinator is Aodhagan O'Suilleabhain.

"We are very proud of our students and wish them the best of luck at the exhibition. As ever these achievements would not have been possible without the fantastic efforts and support of the school's Science Department teachers who have outdone themselves this year in their efforts to promote engagement in Science in the school," he said.

Last May he introduced the SciFest fair to the school, a similar fair that differs by including every science student in a project exhibition.

A lot of our success this year, with six projects qualifying, is a result of the enthusiasm generated last year through the introduction of the Scifest@school competition, which was enormously successful. This year we are in the middle of preparing for a similar competition to be held in March, with the top projects going forward to the Scifest@college competition in IT Carlow later in the year, he told the Leinster Express.

The Young Scientist competition has even inspired some Heywood students to continue projects at third level he said.

It represents, for us, an opportunity to develop our students further by engaging them in meaningful, self-guided research while developing skills vital to their success in the future such as teamwork, project management, communication and presentation. Many of the projects we have worked on in the past have provided students with the skills and experience necessary to effectively undertake projects in third level," Mr O'Suilleabhain said.

Heywood's Transition Year students will be bussing it up the the RDS to support their colleagues and enjoy the massive exhibition, which runs from Wednesday January 10 to Saturday January 13. In total 550 projects will be displayed from all over Ireland.

"They will also gain an insight into developing their own projects for the more local events in the future. So there is plenty of opportunity and enthusiasm at the moment for Science in Heywood, the science co-ordinator said.

Only one Laois school has made it to the 2018 Young Scientists.

Ten Heywood projects were chosen for the exhibition in recent years, with several awards.

Last year two projects made it through, the first by Ruth Bergin and Maeve Weston, and another by the three person team of Sarah McMahon, Jessica Barrett and Florianna Mezzapelle, who are through again this year with another project, building on their previous study of running speeds.

Last year, Portlaoise College and St Mary's CBS also had projects at the exhibition.

The Leinster Express will be reporting from the exhibition this year, follow on twitter and facebook.

Full list of Heywood projects for the 2018 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition:

Leader Name: Floriana Mezzapelle, Sarah McMahon, Jessica Barrett

Project Title: Need for Speed:an Investigation Into The Effect Competition Has On Your Speed When Sprinting. Ref. No: 3123 Category: Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences



Leader Name: Arianna Mezzapelle

Project Title: See What Im Saying? An Investigation Into The McGurk Effect, and Its Correlation With The Learning Methods of Irish Teenagers. Ref. No: 3773. Category: Social and Behavioural Sciences



Leader Name: Benjamin Barrett

Project Title: A Library for Graph Analysis of Github Commit Histories. Ref. No: 4594. Category: Technology

Leader Name: Niamh Kelly, Chieu Phelan, Jade Coleman

Project Title: Asmr - What's Your Trigger? Ref. No: 3144. Category: Social and Behavioural Sciences



Leader Name: Melissa Donegan, Jessica Donegan

Project Title: Is Text Writing and Phrasing Killing Ability To Use The English Language Correctly?

Ref. No: 3733. Category: Social and Behavioural Sciences



Leader Name: Caoimhe Murphy

Project Title: The effect of wild bird cover (GLAS) on seed eating bird populations. Category: Biological Sciences
Rathangan has a lot to be proud of  its thriving community spirit, its enviable location scented by the heather breezes from the peatlands, and its galaxy of native-born patriots and poets.

Now the west Kildare towns repute is reinforced with the publication of a cracking biography of one its sometimes controversial daughters  Maura Laverty  who was a household name in the mid-20th century.

Born Mary Kelly in 1907, she was baptised, and later married, in the old Catholic church in the town where in a gesture of great symbolism her biography was launched 110 ten years later in front of an audience of townspeople, all of whom were aware of the conflicting reactions to her depiction of their town in an earlier generation.

Readers of a certain generation will remember Maura Laverty as a scriptwriter for Tolka Row (1963), Irish televisions first urban soap series and forerunner to the likes of Fair City. Such was her versatility that she was also known in homes throughout the country for her cookery book Full and Plenty, which is still treasured on many a cosy kitchen shelf.

However it was her endeavour as a novelist which brought her into glare of controversy. Three of her four novels written in the 1940s attracted the attention of the Irish censor. And while this may not have been a particularly high bar of notoriety  just about everything with any realism published in Ireland at the time fell foul of the censor  it was on a more local canvas that she was to provoke enduringly controversial reactions among some in Rathangan. Although her writing was fictional, and no names of real people or places were mentioned, locals insisted that two of her books were thinly disguised exposes of life in Rathangan, warts and all, in the 1920s.

The author of the biography, called The Maura Laverty Story  from Rathangan to Tolka Row, is well-qualified to write on the story of this complex and vivacious woman.

Seamus Kelly was, like Maura Laverty (nee Kelly), born in Rathangan, but despite the similarity of the surname is no relation.

He still lives within the boundaries of County Kildare, being a resident of Leixlip for many years. His enthusiasm as a communicator of local history has seen both places benefit. He has published a guide to the Liffeyside town entitled A Walking Tour of Leixlip which complements his popular walking tours during the June festival weekend while A Ramble in Rathangan is a similarly engaging account of the settlement on the banks of the river Slate. It is this familiarity with Rathangan which gives him an invaluable insight into the environment in which Laverty grew up.

However, his interest in her many-faceted personality prompted him to track down sources throughout Ireland and beyond  extending even as far as America to reach out to members of her wider family circle.

The sheer diversity and scale of Maura Lavertys output, across a variety of genres including scripting for the new technology of television, should have brought her to a biographers attention much earlier. It is to the credit of Seamus Kelly, that this notable omission from the biographical shelves of the nation has been rectified. It is clearly a labour of love for him, and his regard for his subject is evident in his introduction: It is my considered view that Maura Laverty was the most versatile Irish writer between 1940 and the mid-1960s.

In a deft turn of phrase he declares: She was a storyteller of note whose own story has not been told. However while his regard for his subject is clear, his training as a historian ensures that his assessment of her life and work remains grounded and balanced. How she was  and is  remembered, both positively and negatively, in her home village of Rathangan, is an important theme that is explored fully and fairly in the book.

While Maura Laverty has been the subject of a number of articles and of some academic attention, this is the first full scale biography.

And as well as dealing comprehensively with her better-known endeavours as an author widely read in Ireland, Seamus Kellys book shines new light on previously un-researched aspects of her life, including her American connections, the international reach of her publications, and of her pioneering role as a female radio scriptwriter, long before Tolka Row brought her notice in the embryonic era of television.

Maura Lavertys family had moved from Kilkenny to Rathangan, and the burden of providing for the household seems to have fallen on her mother, who was a dressmaker. Writing in later years, Maura Laverty recalled that her mothers work was admittedly not haute couture, but it gave full satisfaction to the women of Rathangan.

A surprise discovery made by Seamus Kelly in his research was that, as family means tightened in her Rathangan household Maura was sent to live with a childless couple in Hardwicke Street, Dublin for three years. It was an unhappy time for her.

However brighter skies and opportunities were to open up for her when, at 17, she went to Spain to work as a governess and, later, secretary. Not for the first time, an aspiring Irish writer was to find inspiration and freedom on continental Europe. Her four years in Spain were critical to her development as a writer.

The cover of Seamus Kelly's new book on Maura Laverty

Apart from the essential skill of learning to type, Maura got the start which is the breakthrough moment for all young writers. It came courtesy of a most unlikely outlet for a female writer.

While in Spain she translated 12 stories of Spanish legends and sent them to the editor of Our Boys, a magazine published by the Irish Christian Brothers. It might seem an unusual outlet for female writers, but as Seamus Kelly comments wryly: It says a lot about the very limited opportunities in the 1920s, that they [women writers] had to target Our Boys to get published. She was paid a very respectable nine pounds for her submissions to the magazine. Her initial foray also highlighted a canny streak to her approach to writing. She was no idealist  getting paid for her work was important to her. It is no small tribute to her industry that for the following 30 years she sustained herself  and, in time, her family  from her writing output in a mainly Irish market where paying opportunities for creative writers were very limited.

Her success rate in being published was impressive and by 1928 the Leinster Leader recorded that she had been published in a wide range of national newspapers. Seamus Kelly highlights how she was very much a modern writer, making it into writing for radio (Radio Eireann) which was hitherto alien territory for female writers.

Right through the 1930s, she broadcast on an exceptional variety of subjects including religious, cookery, childrens, folkloric and general interest topics. Her religious programming included a series on the mysteries of the Rosary, programmes on the saints including, appropriately for a Kildare woman, St Brigid, and depictions of famous shrines of Christianity. Again Seamus Kelly unerringly sums up the contradictions in how her work across different genres was received: It is ironic that Catholic Church influences that helped to ban Mauras work in the mid-1940s were very supportive of her and she of them in the 1930s.

Seamus Kelly charts how her work proliferated even into the austere years of the Emergency at the outbreak of what the rest of the globe termed the Second World War. It was during this time that she was at her most creative in literary terms, turning out four novels within the decade.

It was the first two of these that are of most interest to Kildare readers, being based heavily on her recollections of her observations of Rathangan where she grew up and lived, albeit briefly, as a young woman.

As Seamus Kelly notes For better or for worse, thinly veiled references to many local people in Rathangan permeate Never No More and Alone We Embark.

Her first novel was set in a fictional Ballyderrig, which, based on an abundance of clues in the work, is clearly Rathangan. In writing about a local dance hall, she refers to 'The Temple', the true, curiously religious sounding name of Rathangans ballroom of romance.

Her description is evocative: It was a leaky barn  but that night I forgot its damp stained walls, and remembered only the lights and the music and the dancing. I remember it as a bright glamourous place blossoming with romance, I could not remember it otherwise for it was the scene of my first love affair.

But while places are unlikely to take much offence trouble arises when the same full-on descriptive approach is applied to people, real or imaginary. For example she refers to a character she names Roach Doyle who she writes was a truly horrible old man and his equally horrible brother. An unfortunate fictional Mrs Higgins did not fare much better. She was called soot because her complexion supported the popular belief that she washed her face only at Christmas and Easter.

There is a lot more in a similar vein  blunt and often unflattering  and it is not surprising then that Never No More ruffled feathers in Rathangan, and, according to Seamus Kelly, still rankles with a few locals.

He reports that a Rathangan exile wrote to him to suggest that a copy of the book was held in Rathangan library in the 1960s with the offending section torn out.

However, while he says that he encountered some who still expressed resentment for her portrayal of Rathangan, he is also fair to Laverty when he considers the dilemma faced by the writer. How to create a portrayal of a locality which is, at least in the view of the writer, realistic and honest? Every writer must draw from her or his life experience and observations of the world around them.

As Seamus Kelly says: Many writers have to make a call on these matters. What to put in, what not to put in, how to say it and how not to say it. He ponders on whether Laverty could have disguised some of the characters, and notes that had she written the books in Rathangan, rather than from the distance of Dublin, she may have tempered her descriptions. However, she had to follow her own authenticity and portray with conviction her impressions of a small Irish village in the first quarter of the 20th century.

Her rendering of her observations in fictional form gave her a freedom to commit that honesty in print, however uncomfortable it might be for those who claimed they saw a connection with their own neighbours and townspeople. Our knowledge of the past would be all the poorer if writers had to temper their authenticity for fear of irritating local audiences.

In any event, there was no fear of her audiences in Ireland and in other parts of the world making any connection with individuals in Rathangan. To a wider audience, it was a portrayal of life in an Irish town with a rich cast of characters many of whom  despite the local emphasis on the critical characterisations  were portrayed by Laverty in warm and engaging terms.

Local author Seamus Kelly with son, Peter, and daughter, Laura, pictured launching his latest book, The Maura Laverty Story in Rathangan Community Hall on Sunday, November 19. Picture: Tony Keane

As a review in the Irish Press in 1943 noted: It is the story of a little lost village in the Midlands of Ireland and it tells of a life that is gone, a good life, simple, generous and uncomplicated.

Whats more, to contemplate Lavertys legacy solely in terms of her Rathangan references would be to understate the extraordinary breadth of her achievement. In an extraordinarily productive life, she went on to write childrens books, stories and journalism in American magazines, and plays on radio and in the Dublin theatre. Earning a living from writing was always a precarious pursuit, and especially so in the Ireland of the 1940s when the outlets for creative writing were few and invariably conservative. With searing words, she characterised the censoriousness of the time, which she blamed on Mr De Valeras political agenda, as having reduced our Abbey Theatre to the level of village theatricals and which is fast turning this country into a dirty, damp ill-lit nursery.

However, her wells of determination were deep and she broke through barriers that would have deterred a lesser spirit. Seamus Kellys research reminds us of hitherto forgotten gems of her output not least an article she wrote among her regular contributions to a magazine published by the Passionist Order in the United States. It was a portrayal of the county town of Naas in 1954, and her article is as good a characterisation as any of the power structures of an Irish town in that era: Naas has everything that typifies the contentedness of Main Street, Ireland  church, vigilant priest, plain folk, helpful landowners, and Mrs Lawlor.

Certainly, no radical ideas were going to disturb the combined hegemony of church and local interests. She records how some stalwart parishioners reported that they had given the run to a chap distributing 'Communist leaflets' in the public houses of Naas.

She visited the Glennon family of New Row with the magazines photographer, and pondered the future of the younger members against the background of the pull of emigration which permeated town and country. Fortunately, that particular family thrived on home soil  Chris Glennon, retired political editor of the Irish Independent, Mary Glennon, former Naas town council member, and Bill Glennon, who has been practising the shoe repair craft for decades are among its distinguished members.

The foregoing sense of social inquiry, but geared for a Catholic audience, represented one strand of Maura Lavertys multi-faceted output. Childrens literature, cookery books, scripts for radio, theatre, documentary film, and later TV drama are all documented by Seamus Kelly whose research in archives in Ireland, Britain and the United States does full justice to her talent and energy. Perhaps the last word is best left to him: Theres a lot more to Maura Laverty than her comments about Rathangan people.

Maura Laverty encountered joy but also difficulty in her personal life and Seamus Kelly documents her story sympathetically but accurately. She had three children 17 years apart, and eventually seemed to become the principal bread winner, sustaining her family on her writings. Despite her status as a regular contributor to press and broadcasting she was in a lonely place by the time the 1960s came about.

The young Nuala OFaolain, who visited with Mauras daughter Barry wrote: She never spoke about herself, much less uttered any complaint, but I used to feel loneliness coming from her.

However she worked with great industry, perhaps worked too hard, until she died alone in her Rathfarnham home in July 1966. Her death was recorded in obituaries including in the The Times (of London).

The world moves on, and so too has Rathangan. While there may be a trace of residual animosity towards Laverty, the town has for many years embraced her repute as a widely read commentator on the life and times of 20th century Ireland. Plaques and heritage talks have celebrated her memory.

However there will be few expositions as enduring or as comprehensive as Seamus Kellys engagingly written and studiously researched biography of Maura Laverty, whose outstanding place in mid-twentieth century Irish journalism and broadcasting is only now beginning to be understood.

The Maura Laverty Story is available in local bookshops or from Seamus Kelly at 10 Ryemont Abbey, Leixlip, on 087 4345147
The Leinster Leader will be reporting at the RDS for the 54th BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition from Wednesday, January 10 to Saturday, January 13.

We will soak up the abundance of innovation, unique ideas and creative thinking from over 1,000 young minds who will exhibit 550 projects in the hope of lifting a coveted trophy.

Around 50,000 people will pass through the doors of the RDS during the exhibition to get a flavour of the exciting, intriguing and mind-bending projects.

Twelve schools from Kildare will showcase their scientific talents.

Leading communications and IT Services Company, BT, is also delighted to announce a host of new acts, shows and speakers that will be performing at this years Exhibition for the first time, including Ministry of Science UK, a live Q&A with astronaut in training, Norah Patten and keynote address at BT Mindshare from the worlds most famous hacker, Kevin Mitnick.

Shows returning by popular demand include mentalist David Meade, The Real Science of the Circus, 3D Space Journey and the incredibly popular World of Robots, making for a mesmerising visual spectacle for young and old.

Hosted by TG4s Roisin Ni Thomain and broadcaster Aidan Power, the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is the largest event of its kind in Europe and one of the largest school science fairs in the world.

With four packed exhibition halls and a Big Top all full of exciting things to see and do, the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition has something to stimulate the minds of all generations.

The Leinster Leader will bring you reports, videos and interviews from the RDS as the battle to become the overall winner reaches its climax.

Join us at www.leinsterleader.ie from Wednesday, January 10 until Saturday, January 13.
LIMERICK'S councillors have accelerated a proposed change at one of the most notorious speed van traps in the county.

The long 50kms zone in Banogue on the main Limerick to Cork road has caught out thousands of motorists over the years, including this reporter in 2012 (see story below). The stretch has been classed as an accident blackspot due to a number of tragic fatalities.

It is proposed that the 50 km speed limit will be increased to 60 kms. The existing 50 km sign on the Cork side will be changed to an 80 km one and a new 60 km sign erected near the lay-by. Councillors in the Cappamore-Kilmallock municipal district backed the proposal and it is due to go to public consultation early this year.

They were given a presentation by Gerard OConnor and John OKeeffe, senior and executive engineers with the council.

Mr OConnor said in 2016 Limerick City and County Council embarked on a speed limit review.

It was an onerous task and it was the first one one for the amalgamated authority. We had to physically look at all the bye-laws to make sure the wording was correct, said Mr O Connor. As the national roads network is under the jurisdiction of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) they met with TII officials.

We had some movement, said Mr OConnor. Mr OKeeffe then set out the changes agreed with TII.

After outlining the proposed changes in Banogue, he moved to the east of the county and the N24.

Dromkeen is changing slightly. Coming from the Limerick side, where the existing 60km sign is, that is now changing to 80km. A new 60km sign will be erected around 200 metres before the junction. It is proposed that it will stay the same on the Tipperary side, Mr OKeeffe told councillors at the meeting.

He said that Pallasgreen will remain the same on the Limerick side but the length of the 50km will be extended a further 70 metres on the Tipperary side.

Up the road in Oola, it is proposed on the Limerick side that the existing 60 km sign will change to an 80 km one and then remain 50kms through the village.

The process now moves to public consultation where full details on the proposals will be advertised after councillors gave their approval. The publics submissions and the engineers recommendations on them will be brought back to the Cappamore-Kilmallock municipal district. Pending their approval the bye-laws will be brought before the full council then.

Speaking in general terms, Mr OConnor told councillors the TII is trying to tighten up speed zones.

It is to give motorists the opportunity to speed up once they have exited. They [speed zones] lose their effectiveness if they go out too far. They want free flowing traffic, said Mr OConnor.

Councillors also raised the issue of 30 km speed limits in estates with Mr OConnor. He stated that following on from the pilot scheme introduced, it was now proposed to introduce a 30 km speed limit in a further 67 housing estates within the Cappamore-Kilmallock municipal district as part of the current speed limit review.

The Leader rang a number of people in the Banogue area on the proposed 50 km to 60 km change. The consensus was it didnt matter if the speed limit is 50 kms, 60 kms or 100 kms if it isnt being enforced.

Cars are flying through Banogue. It is months since Ive seen the speed van here, one said.

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Notekeeper turns poacher as Limerick reporter is up in court (story from February 25, 2012)

THE NOTEKEEPER turned poacher at Kilmallock Court last Friday when this reporter was up before the judge, while also being on duty for the Leader.

Donal ORegan, 30, of Kilbreedy, Bruree was fined 150 for speeding at 5.16pm on July 15, 2011 at Ballynabanoge, Banogue. Thats me.

Garda John Marsh told the court I was doing 74kms in a 50km zone. It wasnt a shock getting the fine, the bigger surprise was I was only caught doing 74kms per hour  there must have been a slower car in front of me.

Unlike many I did receive the letter. But not being the most organised, the letter was thrown in to a pile with bank correspondence and the like. When I finally got around to opening it, the 56 days had passed, so I found myself red faced in court.

Guilty your honour, I mumbled. I was bang to rights. Every court reporter gets asked regularly: Any chance you could keep it off the paper? Money is often offered, but everyone who asks gets the same response: the Leader has a strict policy of reporting all cases for which our journalists are present.

That very much includes our own reporters - as this article demonstrates. Nobody who has been prosecuted in a court case likes seeing their name in the paper, unless they have been vindicated.

But newspapers of record have a duty to cover the courts and our democracy would suffer if reporters were not there to keep the general public informed. Courts will always be a prime source of news and fact is often stranger than fiction, which brings me neatly on to events at Banogue on July 15 last.

On the main Limerick Cork Road for over half a kilometre motorists have to slow from 100kms to 50km (31miles). It feels like you would be faster getting out and walking. Yet on the narrow roads off Banogue Cross 80kms is the speed limit. I was caught by the gardai but it is mainly the red Go Safe van that is in situ on the Charleville side of Bangoue. If somebody got planning permission for a coffee machine there they would make a fortune.

I was in good company on Friday as there were eight others up for speeding at Ballynabanoge. God only knows how many were caught who opened their mail and paid their fines. It is like shooting fish in a barrel. Up the road there is a much busier and dangerous cross  ORourkes. There it is 60kms for some reason and is a much shorter zone than Banogue.

Yet it links Kilmallock and Newcastle West and also has a busy petrol station. Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar has announced plans for a nationwide audit of speed limits to ensure that all speed restrictions are both safe and sensible. We all know of cases where speed limits are inappropriately low or inappropriately high, said Minister Varadkar.

Recent road safety measures like speed cameras and new drink driving laws have gone a long way towards improving road safety. However, we need to ensure that the right speed limits are in operation on the right roads, he added.

I can think of one that needs to be looked at. I may have poked fun at myself in this article, but there is a deadly serious issue here. Speed remains the biggest killer on our roads. There have been a number of fatal car accidents on the N20 and if I had been required to brake quickly it would have taken me over twice as long to stop at 74km than 50kms.

As the minister says, the right limits must apply on the right roads. In Limerick, Banogue is one of them, but only one. Are there inappropriate speed limits near where you live? Let us know and we will highlight them. email news@ limerickleader.ie or contact the newsdesk on 061-214503.
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The last Konyak headhunters of Nagaland A new book 'Konyaks: The Last Of The Tattooed Headhunters' by Phejin Konyak explores the link between headhunting and tattooing in Nagaland's Konyak tribe /news/talking-point/the-last-konyak-headhunters-of-nagaland-111645964255999.html 111645964255999 story

When it was done, it was done using a handcrafted comb. Needles made from rattan palm spikes were bound together using plant fibres to make these tattooing combs. The body of a Konyak would become a human canvas, across which intricate motifs were laboriously hand-tapped, using an ink made from the resin of a Toona ciliata tree (commonly known as red cedar).

Hangsha Salim, 78, Salim paan, Chen Wetnyu village.

The day a tribe member was inked was a day of celebration. A pig or a cow would be slaughtered. Traditional sticky red rice would be prepared and rice beer would be served generously. When an adolescent got his first chest or face tattoo, he laid stretched on his back on the floor," writes Phejin Konyak in her book, Konyaks: The Last Of The Tattooed Headhunters, published in December by Roli Booksan exquisite anthropological offering on the lesser-known Konyak Naga tribe. His parents and friends squatted around him, holding his limbs to keep him still. A piece of rag was inserted into the mouth to suppress his groans from the pain, for it was considered unmanly to squeal."

The Konyaks, an isolated ethnic group defined culturally by their headhunting practice and elaborate facial tattoos, reside in the forest interiors of Nagaland. When they used to attack the villages of rival tribes, it was tradition to rip off their victims heads. Those who returned home with the heads would be revered as warriors. It was believed that human heads exuded a mystical force that would bring prosperity and benefit local crops.

KonyaksThe Last Of The Tattooed Headhunters: Text by Phejin Konyak and photographs by Peter Bos, Roli Books, 240 pages, Rs3,500.

Headhunting and the ritual of tattooing were inextricably linked. After every raid, a warrior was decorated with diamond or lozenge markings on his bodyin the colour of aubergine. He would be tattooed first on the face, neck, and then other body parts. The different tattoos worn by a person conveyed his/her status, position, stage of life and achievements in Konyak society," explains Phejin on email. There were idiosyncratic designs for those belonging to the aristocratic class, warriors, wedded and unwedded women. It was the women who were skilled in the art of tattooing. For the men, the tattoos defined their rites of passage from boyhood to manhood, and their achievements in battle. For the woman, it defined her cycle of life of having passed from one stage of life to the other," adds Phejin. The women had tattoos mostly on the legs and armsthe designs being less complicated in form than those on the men. The age when the girls began tattooing was around 8-10 years, while it was around 13-15 years for the males," says Phejin.

Leye Monyu, 68, Shayu paan, Changlangshu village.

Coming in contact with the outside world and their subsequent exposure brought about changes in Konyak society," she says. By the late 1800s, missionaries had already begun establishing schools and spreading Christianity across the land. The British banned headhunting in 1935a move that proved fatal to the customary inking ritual.It was the advent of Christianity which had a big influence on the old traditionit was regarded as heathen. Today, almost 98% of the Konyak community has converted to Christianity."

Hand-tapping, one of the two traditional Konyak tattooing methods, is being employed here by one of the last remaining tattoo artists on the author, Phejin Konyak.

Phejin is both outsider and insider. Her great-grandfather, Ahon, was a celebrated Konyak warrior. In 1918, he was appointed a dobashi (interpreter) for the British in the Mokokchung subdivision of Assams Naga Hills district. His silent wish was to bring peace to his land," says Phejin. So, he travelled from village to village with British ethnographer J.H. Hutton, after which the missionaries came along, and with that so did Christianity. Although he helped bring peace, ironically, (the expedition) also brought about the end of the old ways and the tattooing tradition."

Confronted with the ephemerality of the centuries-old tradition, Phejin took it upon herself to document her tribes history, and the last members familiar with the headhunting customs.

Tiger Familiar Spirit back-tattoo of Tolei Angh, 90, the angh (village chieftain) of Chen Wetnyu village.

The trigger for this was a desultory visit to the Indian Museum in Kolkata in August 2014, when Phejin casually struck up a conversation with then museum director B. Venugopal. She spoke about her tribe, its folklore and its rich tattooing tradition. After listening to my stories, he asked me to give a lecture at the museum on it. This pushed me to start documenting the tattoo tradition extensively," recalls Phejin. Thus began an arduous three-year journey: Phejin travelled to remote Naga villages, pitched at the edge of the map, collecting intimate stories, poems and folklore.

The text is interspersed with powerful, mesmerizing images of the old tribespeoplethe last repositories of a rich culturephotographed by Peter Bos (who joined the project in 2015). Bos recalls: When I was in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, I researched on the North-East. But it was difficult to gather good information on the region, especially the Mon district in Nagaland (where the Konyaks live). The stories and appearance of the old tattooed warriors drew me to the tribe. I knew that first-hand information was only available locally, so I dived in."

Chingham Chatrahpa, 75, Salim paan, Chen Loishu village.

There is a telling degree of intimacy in the pictureseach image has life; each face has a memorable expression. It relays the trust and friendship Bos managed to establish with the Konyaks. Since I was travelling with Phejin, there was no language barrier," Bos says on email. We always sat with them around their fires in their homes, talking about their past and experiences. After some time, knowing the sincerity of our goals, the old men and women felt at ease, and were willing to stand in front of my camera."

This book serves as a legacy. Several of the Konyaks photographed are dead. The Konyaks themselves dont realize how vulnerable our old traditional culture is, but one of the tattooed old men handed me cash he had earned from selling his cardamom harvest. He wanted to support our work. We were very touched by his intention, but couldnt take his money," Phejin says. As a tribute, however, the old mans image became the cover of the book.

In the future, Phejin and Bos intend to publish this book in the Konyak language and work on an illustrated version for the children of the community.

The writer tweets at @radhika_iy
We change each other 'Can there exist something only to trigger an emotion or a thought?' asks artist Shilpa Gupta with her new animated light installation in Mumbai /news/talking-point/we-change-each-other-111645963563441.html 111645963563441 story

On the evening of 31 December, at the turn of the new year, artist Shilpa Gupta switched on an animated light installation by the sea face on Carter Road, Mumbai. We Change Each Other," it says in English, with translations in Hindi and Urdu. The words light up one by one.

We met by the installation earlier this week and watched as people walked around it, took selfies and made Instagram stories.

Gupta has used this promenade by the Arabian Sea as a backdrop for her installations twice earlier in the last 10 years. I ask if she feels like the film-maker who slips into a movie theatre incognito to gauge audience reactions. The 41-year-old artist has a long and considered response. Even for an artist who has exhibited her work around the worldshe will show at MoMa in New York later this yearexhibiting in her everyday environment, where she might take an evening walk with her son, for instance, has special significance. Even more important, Gupta points out, is this location by the sea, for this is a work about the mutation that follows when two beings or cultures come into contact with each other. Water is a symbol of movement, migration and such great vastness which dwarfs every turmoil," says the artists note. It completes the thought for me," she tells me.

The first of her large-scale light pieces, spelling out Today Will End (2011), in Switzerland, used the sky as its canvas. It was installed on the side of a building (near which) you had the intercity train. Commuters saw it while on the move. The idea was to convey the passage of timea sense of porosity," she says. It was driven by the idea of free movement across terrains, not only geographical but also in terms of class, gender, and social practices".

Her art practice of over two decades has been strongly informed by the notion of political and cultural borders. Now, her 100 Hand Drawn Maps Of India (2007-08) is on the cover of the 20th anniversary edition of historian Sunil Khilnanis Idea Of India. Surveillance and security have been recurrent concerns. She has placed suitcases in public spaces with There Is No Explosive In This" printed across; she has encouraged viewers to take away soap bricks that say Threat", tearing down a wall in the process. And in a startling performance work called Blame (2002), she peddled bottles of fake blood in Mumbai local trains with a label that read: Blaming you makes me feel so good, so I blame you for what you cannot control, your religion, your nationality..."

Guptas concerns as an artist are eerily relevant to our present milieu. Incidentally, the place where we are meeting is where the Mumbai arm of the #NotInMyName protests took place in June. While this wasnt by designits where the electric points are on Carter Road, needed for art installations and protest marches alikeit prompts me to ask what concerns her as an artist today. Its the sense of posturing. You are liberal, you are socialist.... Who would even think being secular was questionable? Labels are the start of all trouble," she says.

As a crowd gathers around the installation, a local resident, Sunil Kathale, tells us that her installation made him think back to the Bhagavad Gita: Parivartan hi sansar ka niyam hai (Change is the law of the universe). What impact would she like the work to have on people, I ask her. In the last two days that Ive been here, Ive had different kinds of responses. People have spoken about caste, religion, violence, parenting.... I dont know what is the one best response or if there even needs to be one," she says, adding, In terms of people receiving the work, there is no direct utilityits not toothpastebut can there exist something only to trigger an emotion or a thought?"

It is the transient nature of a light installation that seduces her. It reinstates the idea that its a temporary thing. I could have had all the text lit up at once but I needed it to move. There is something about these kinds of contortions or unfixity," she says.

With art, as Gupta reminds us, you dont need to complete the conversation. Its about starting conversations and letting them change you.

Happy New Year from the team at Lounge.



The writer tweets at @aninditaghose
Best specialist coffee brands in India From Araku Valley to Puducherry, try our picks from specialist coffee brands in India /news/talking-point/best-specialist-coffee-brands-in-india-111645963752972.html 111645963752972 story

Araku Coffee

Founded in 2001, this is a brand owned by the Araku Valley farmers cooperative, and promoted by Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan and Mahindra group chairman and managing director Anand Mahindra, among others. Local tribal farmers have been trained to grow top-quality shade-grown organic coffee beans in the Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh. The journey to convert Adivasi farmers into gourmet coffee growers was enabled by on-ground non-governmental organizations like the Naandi Foundation as well as international coffee experts. Araku coffee has also received a geographical indication (GI) tag. It opened its first retail store in Paris in 2017.

Lounge pick: The Araku Micro Climat is made with the best beans from one village in the Araku Valley. A full-bodied fruity flavour with a hint of bitterness makes for a great cup.

Marcs Coffees

Marc Tormo Altimira moved to Auroville, Puducherry, from Catalonia, Spain, in 1997. While travelling through the Western Ghats, he realized that India produced some high-quality shade-grown coffee beans, most of it for the export markets. Once he convinced plantations to part with A-grade beans for the domestic market, he started Marcs Coffees. Following the concept of seed to cup", the brand offers a host of single-estate and speciality coffees, with signature blends. Theyre available online (Marcscoffees.com) as well as at his cafe in Auroville. The Coffee Board of India has divided the coffee-producing regions in south India into 13 categories, each with its particular traitsAltimiras aim is to offer at least one single-estate coffee from each region.

Lounge pick: The Julien Peak from a farm in Tamil Nadus Shevaroy Hills is a fully washed, 100% Arabica coffee which is high on acidity, with beautiful floral notes.

Babas Beans

At their lab, located in Delhis Mandi Village, two coffee enthusiasts, Sadhavi Ashwani and Mrinal Sharma, try and push the flavour profiles of single-estate coffees. We brew coffee with the spices that grow alongside it in a particular plantation," says Ashwani. The Cantatasa specially designed coffee platter with cold-brew coffeeis the result of this experimentation. Its available at their first cafe, which opened at Vivanta by TajAmbassador in October. Following a trip to Coorg in 2013, the two college friends decided to convert their coffee obsession into an artisanal brand. After undergoing extensive training with the coffee board, they launched Babas Beans. Their custom-made blends are available online (Babasbeans.com) and at their cafe.

Lounge pick: The Cold Brewed Coffee is brewed for over 16 hours. Available in a 500ml bottle, it is a refreshing, nuanced and aromatic concoction.
Hanging on to the hutongs The juggernaut of change is overwhelming the charming, ancient alleys of Beijing /news/talking-point/hanging-on-to-the-hutongs-111645963488881.html 111645963488881 story

This girl I met on Tinder a while ago first brought me here," confessed Michael, grinning, when I asked him how he had discovered Cellar Door, a bar in old Beijing, barely bigger than a broom-cupboard.

The two of us were on our own Tinder date, and Michael, who had lived in Beijing longer than I, suggested we go here. It was the middle of winter, and three months since Id moved to China. Cellar Door was a lovely little space, filled with candlelight, its walls covered with postcards of music icons and lined with bookshelves. A self-service fridge near the entrance was packed with beer. Tucked away in Fangjia Hutong, it wasnt easy to find. It was, in other words, the perfect hidden gem.

Despite the attraction of swankier districts like Sanlitun, hutongs,the ancient, winding alleys typical of the city, are where Beijing stores a lot of its charm. With some dating back to Yuan dynasty (12061341), theyre concentrated in neighbourhoods around the Drum and Bell Towers, Houhai lake, and the Yonghegong Lama Temple.

I went back to the Cellar Door often. It helped that the bar was surrounded by several other places Id come to adore during my first few months of exploring Beijing. They were all located in the dense network of hutongs that I had spent many happy hours wandering around.

Fangjia had the dive-bar-and-live-music-venue Hot Cat Club, with hot pink couches. A short walk away in Baochao Hutong was Mr Shis Dumplings, with its beef-shiitake-pepper-cheese jiaozi, and Modernista, a bar with chessboard floors and a penchant for retro-music gigs.

The same neighbourhood also had the shiny Wudaoying Hutong, packed with boutiques and souvenir shops. This is often the first hutong that new residents of the city visit. They later learn to dismiss it as being too touristy". Although it may lack the grunge quotient, this is where you go when you want to eat at that amazing sausage place" that everyone knows, though nobody can remember the name.

Men playing Chinese chess or Xiangqi. Photo: iStockphoto

And these were only the better-known hutongs. Each time I wandered around neighbourhoods like Gulou Dajie, Nanluoguxiang and Beixinqiao Santiaoveined with scores of hutongsI stumbled on to hole-in-the-wall dumpling and noodle places, indie music shops, or places like the weirdly awesome and cavernous Ball House bar, with interiors that resembled a dowager princess storage room. Other favourites included the Hani Gejiu restaurant, which serves the food of the Hani ethnic minority, and Zhang Mama, for its fiery Sichuanese. Capital Spirits exclusively served cocktails made with the ghastly baijiu, Chinas famed sorghum liquor.

General public service announcement (PSA): Never try the snake" baijiu.

But the appeal of the hutongs didnt lie just in the restaurants and bars, it lay also in the history they held and the way of life they represented. On a walking tour, I learnt that the crumbling stone statues outside some of the homes had been erected after a member of the family passed the prestigious, and enormously difficult, Imperial Examinations. There were grandfathers playing xiangqi, or Chinese chess, trundling kuaidi (express delivery) carts used to courier online orders, and the communal hutong bathrooms, where you ended up seeing way more bare bottoms than necessary, but missed the second you were out of the country and had a full bladder.

Street food at a night market in Wangfujing in Beijing. Photo: iStockphoto

Beijings hutongs, I firmly believed, were the best thing about it. Sitting at Cellar Door with a friend one evening, we raised our bottles of Tiger beer to that thought.

It wasnt quite a unanimous one though, as I discovered some months later. Cellar Door was shutting down, worried messages flashed across WeChat groups. It was to be yet another casualty of the furious demolition activity taking place all over Beijings hutongs as spring rolled in. Establishments were being torn down or having sections bricked up, with carts full of rubble blocking the alleys. Official notices on red banners hung across walls.

Modernistas street-facing entrance was bricked up. So was Mr Shis Dumplings. Rager Pies on Fensiting Hutong was gone, as was MoxiMoxi on Beixinqiao Santiao, along with the areas trademark street-side lamb-leg restaurants. As Michael and Inow officially togetherwalked to the scene of our first date, the gloom in the once-lively hutong was palpable. Oh, thank god, its not gone yet," we exclaimed as we got to Cellar Door. It was cold comfort though. The facade was unrecognizable, the entrance had been bricked up, leaving a tiny makeshift opening. The place looked even smaller than we remembered it. I was deeply sad that night. Within the next few weeks, this lovely bar would be gone, as would Michaelfor the next few months at least, back to the US to finish the final semester of his exchange programme.

This frenzied wave of tearing down and bricking up isnt new to the capital. Old-time residents tell me that every spring, the city gets overtaken with men in hard yellow hats generating piles of rubble. This past year has been different though, they say. The demolitions are more aggressive, with the government speedily uprooting unlicensed small businesses, and bricking up entrances that dont meet guidelines.

Dumpling steamers. Photo: iStockphoto

In a bid to beautify" (or as some rumours go, also control population by driving out the migrants who are employees or owners of the hutong businesses), the project is not only taking away beloved haunts but also chipping at the core of what makes the city special. Art projects on hutong life are being created, to document as much as possible before it all disappears entirely. What is Beijing going to look like five years from now? I imagine it will be a Sanlitun on steroidsa massive mutation of the glitzy central shopping district, packed with restaurants and pubs. Pretty, orderly, sanitized. It could be anywhere in the world.

This shift is a poignant reminder of the transient nature of this city of migrants. Its pace is exciting, but the constant flux also means giving up a comforting sense of familiarity in people and places. People arrive, put down roots, only to move elsewhere before you know it. Theres a goodbye party every few weeks.

When your favourite people are constantly leaving, and your favourite places keep closing down, what happens to your memories of a city as you knew it? Where do you find pockets of stability and rest to create memories if everythings here today, gone next month?

I often wonder what that means for the concept of home". Can you make a city home if you dont know what it will look like a little while from now? And if you do, can you love it just the same, even if it doesnt feel the same any more?

Dip into the hutong life

 Walk Beijing Postcards conducts a History of the Hutong walking tour into the dense network of ancient alleys around the Drum and Bell towers. Try excellent street food along the way (www.bjpost cards.com).

 Eat Dumpling steamers are fired up as early as dawn, serving pork-and-scallion or egg-and-chives baozi. Mr Shis Dumplings in Baochao Hutong has a huge variety. Try the goat cheese and assorted noodle bowls at Hani Gejiu, and the fiery Sichuanese at Zhang Mama, washed down with Yanjing beers. Try the chuanr (meat skewers) and jianbing (a crisp, savoury crepe) from the food carts.

 Play Shops tucked inside the hutongs sell everything from musical instruments and vinyls to posters (my favourite find has been a massive map of ancient Beijing) and Mao Zedong memorabilia. Drop in at Modernista for a gig, attend a storytelling session at 4 Corners.
Into the Gurez Valley Once the gateway to Central Asia, Gurez Valley in a forgotten corner of Kashmir is still home to the Dard people who live on the fence of modernity /news/talking-point/into-the-gurez-valley-111645964150496.html 111645964150496 story

Ghulam Hasan, 76, standing behind a wall of curious onlookers, finally summons the courage to step up with a few questions of his own. Its been many years since hes seen so many strange faces at his home in Chakwalithe last village in the Gurez valley, a tehsil in Jammu and Kashmir, at the northern tip of India, and just a short distance from the Line of Control. He shuffles amid the crowd, keenly observing faces and baggage alike, asks a few questions about where we have come from, and returns to his perch in the shade, satisfied with the answers.

It takes a simple hello to get him chatting, and, in the next few minutes, he begins reflecting on an era when visitors frequented these parts.

There were so many things to see, so many stories to hear. Everyone would be out of their homes, watching the entourage of caravans pass bysome familiar faces, others visiting for the first time," he says.

Hasan speaks of a time when trade flourished on the Silk Route and Gurez was considered the gateway to Central Asia. There was a sense of excitement each time a caravan made its way through the many villages en route. They brought essential goods from across the high mountains and, more importantly, news from distant lands, helping break the monotony of a secluded existence in the midst of nowhere.

Women handle a majority of the daily chores in Gurez, including the laborious task of collecting firewood.

Hasan grew up on a regular dose of such stories, narrated by his elders. For instance, the valleys renowned potatoes would be taken to Skardu on a days march from Chorwan, a short distance from Dawarthe headquarters of Gurez. There, after a quick barter, traders would return with mules laden with apricots and apples. It was just one of the many exchanges that took place in this roving marketplace spread over a hundred miles. Gurez became a hub and a vital link between towns such as Kashgar and Gilgit in the north and Srinagar and Kargil in the south.

All that changed when India and Pakistan were handed their identities in 1947. The trade routes were sealed; the goods stopped coming in, as did the news. The people of Gurez were gradually pushed into a life of self-sustenance, isolation, and, to a certain extent, oblivion, tucked away in a corner of India that they are unfamiliar with.

Several children dont have access to a school in their village and have to walk miles to get to the closest one.

***

What took me to Gurez was a simple call by Anil Guptafondly known as professor" and founder president of Sristi, an Ahmedabad-based organization that works on grass-roots innovationswho wanted to set up a library at the Government Higher Secondary School in Badugam village. There is no greater joy for a bibliophile than to infect others with the same passion. Then, to do it for people in a remote land that has been afflicted by conflict and despondency was reason enough to gather around thousand books (mostly English, obtained through collection drives) and lug it over a thousand miles to them.

Located in the north-west corner of Kashmir, Gurez lies just 130km from the capital, Srinagar; the stark difference in lifestyles, though, is both enticing and appalling. Once youre past Bandipora, the road climbs to the Razdan Pass (3,500m), before descending to a land that can best be described as inhabited wilderness. This sole link with the rest of the state gets snowed in from the end of November to April-May, cutting off the region for close to five months of the year. At the opposite end, and across the mountains, lies the same land that was once frequented by the people of Gurez and is today controlled by Pakistan.

This valley is home to the Dards or Dard Shins, who belonged to a region called Dardistan that today straddles India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. A few have stories of family members who were stranded across the mountains once the borders were drawn. There was little to do but start life afresh in a new land. What bound them was the comfort of the Shina language that is spoken in these parts. Some have never been seen since, while those with money have had the opportunity to reunite with their separated relatives. Though this isolation has been a bane, it has preserved the culture of a tribe which traces its ancestry all the way back to the fourth century BC.

Hasan grew up on a regular dose of such stories...the valleys renowned potatoes would be taken to Skardu on a days march from Chorwan, a short distance from Dawarthe headquarters of Gurez. There, after a quick barter, traders would return with mules laden with apricots and apples-

In his paper Dards, Dardistan And Dardic, Professor John Mock writes, In a well-known and much repeated story, Herodotus mentions a war-like people on the frontier of India, near to whom are found gold-digging ants. Herodotus provides the name Dadikai for one of the groups living on Indias frontier, which was then the seventh satrapy of the Achaemenian empire...Alexander, whose travels provide much of the data for classical geography of India, apparently did not meet any Dard people, but he did go to a place called Daedala."

Not much has changed over the centuries in the daily routine of the Dards, whove built their homes in the valleys and on the slopes of Gurez and the neighbouring Tulail valley. Most farm vegetables such as potatoes and peas, and herd livestock for a living. A few tend to the needs of the Indian Army, ferrying supplies on their mules to posts high up in the mountains. The soldiers outnumber the locals, as is the case in most of Kashmir. Though shelling and infiltration have been sporadic in these parts of late, the armys suffering isnt very different from that of the Dards. Solitude and cold can break the strongest of people.

Men chop firewood in Gurez.

***

Kanzalwan, the first of the 28 settlements en route to Gurez, may seem like any other village in rural Kashmir. Past Dawar though, it feels like a different world. The Kishanganga river snakes its way through the valley, as fields and homes made of wood and mud lie in the shadow of the mighty Himalayas. The only aberration in the rustic landscape are the hidden army posts and checkpoints.

Most modern amenities that are taken for granted are missing from these parts. Given the proximity to the border, there is no mobile network, reducing the utility of a cellphone to a camera or a flashlight. Electricity is a 3-hour affair in the evenings, provided by the government through diesel-powered generators. The roads can best be described as dirt tracks. The hijabs that the locals don double up as face masks, given the rise in respiratory ailments these days.

Twelve villages still dont have electricity. What is more alarming is that they have no protection from natural calamities and bank on traditional methods for survival. Efforts are being made, but it is very difficult since the area is cut off for so many months," says Sajad Hussain Ganie, district development commissioner of Bandipora.

There is just one hospital that can tend to major illnesses in Dawar; else its a taxing, bumpy ride to Bandipora. Primary healthcare centres have been set up in some villages, as have schools; however, the doctors and teachers who are needed to run them are usually missing. These government jobs are considered punishment postings and the schools are at some distance from some of the villages, making it a gruelling trudge for the children.

I know education is a must in todays times, so I encourage my four children to go to school. But their school is 14km away and I cannot afford the Rs100 taxi fare each day. There have been times when one of my girls had blisters on her feet and could not go. During the occasional days of shelling, we simply have to sit indoors, which further hampers their studies. What is their future?" says Mohammed Hussain of Niru village.

Besides dealing with the absence of teachers, these schools have limited infrastructure; for instance, even those that do have computers, have little use for them given the erratic electricity, let alone an internet connection. Despite the odds, however, most children are enthusiastic about learning. It was heartening to meet a class IV student, who was fluent in Shina, Urdu, Hindi and English. In that moment, the effort of giving them access to over a thousand books seemed worth it.

Under the circumstances, the army has become a guardian of sorts for the 38,000-odd people (as per a 2011 census). From running schools to carrying out evacuation sorties in the dead of winter, its role goes beyond defending the border. And it has earned it the respect of locals.

A severe winter is central to life in Gurez. While we were slogging uphill to get to the hamlet of Abdulin, women with axes and wicker baskets slid down the slopes with bundles of wood. They are strong and shoulder a majority of the work. The loadusually over 40kgis added to the pile stacked up next to houses as vital fuel for the weeks to come. The dependence on wood has taken its toll on the forests, and it isnt unusual to see barren slopes behind villages.

But this is a battle against the elements for these landlocked communities, which may not receive help for days in the harsh winter. Nothing is left to chance: Dried meat is packed in cellars, potatoes buried in pits. As December sets in, life comes to a standstill, with most days spent keeping warm by the bukhari (stove-cum-heater) or sipping butter tea. The only time one steps out is to clear the snowit piles up over 10ft during some weeksor an emergency.

Higher education, job opportunities and a lack of basic infrastructure have seen the youth move to other parts of the state. A lot of the youngsters have moved to other towns or joined the army," says Mohammed Imtiaz of Barnail.

Theres little that has changed from when I was growing up here. What is the motivation for me to return home?" asks a teacher from Wazirithal, who had moved to Srinagar for higher education and has settled there.

The Kishanganga river. Photographs by Shail Desai

***

In his 1895 book, The Valley Of Kashmir, Walter R. Lawrence writes: Many of the Margs are visited every year by Europeans, and Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and Nagmarg are charming places for a summer holiday. Perhaps Pahlgam, the village of the shepherd which stands at the head of the Liddar valley with its healthy forest of pines, and Gurais which lies at a distance of 35 miles from Bandipura, the port of the Wular lake, will before long rival in popularity the other Margs."

Unlike Pahalgam, Gurez has survived the onslaught of mass tourism until now due to its proximity to the border, despite being promised  28 crore in July 2007 for upgrading the infrastructure. A few changes though are evident. The Kishanganga hydroelectric project can solve the regions electricity woes. Though a fraction of it is meant for Gurez, smaller projects upstream are being proposed.

Permits were done away with a few years ago. But most outsiders here are either army men, or backpackers who venture out when the snow thaws off the mountains in cascades. As more follow in the years to come, sustainable growth will be key to protect the home of the hospitable Dards.
Breaking the illusion Understanding the man, the writer, the revolutionary on a visit to Bertolt Brecht's house /news/talking-point/breaking-the-illusion-111645963370105.html 111645963370105 story

I had waited long to see Bertolt Brechts house. My introduction to the playwright had come in India, through performances by Indian theatre groupsPu La Deshpandes Teen Paishacha Tamasha, a Marathi production of The Threepenny Opera; two versions of The Caucasian Chalk CircleM.S. Sathyus Urdu/Hindi Sufaid Kundali and Badal Sircars Bengali Gondi; and an English staging of the The Life Of Galileo.

Brecht meant a lot to anyone who was interested in theatre in the India of the late 1970s, when writers like Sircar shattered the illusion that traditional theatre had created, breaking the barrier that separated the actors from the audience. Brechts influence was evident. Alienation was his invention, making the audience focus on the ideas, and not only the story.

Influenced by Marxist thought, Brecht had lived through tumultuous times in Germany but stayed in exile in the US during World War II, writing for Hollywood. He returned to East Germany after the war ended, only to ridicule the Communist Party for betraying the ideals of revolution in his famous poem, Die Losung (The Solution).

Going to Chausseestrae 125 in Berlin to see Brechts house was a kind of pilgrimage for me. I joined an elderly German couple in the reception to wait for the tourwhich takes only eight visitors at a timeto begin.

There were a few photographs on the wall, but the captions were in German. A documentary, which too was in German, played on television. The few books and posters were also in German. The room looked austere, cold and unfriendly. I sat quietly.

The couple I was with could not speak English, so when the guide came, she decided to offer the commentary only in German. They were two, I was one. Looking at my crestfallen face, she conceded she would say a little in English.

Bertolt Brechts statue in front of the Berliner Ensemble. Photo: Alamy

Upstairs, there were his typewritersan Olivetti 22 on one desk, a Royal on another. There was an image of Confucius and a Mao poem on a wall. There was the Bible, and a poster for peace by Pablo Picasso. The walls were lined with books, nearly 4,000 of them, including Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenins philosophical notebooks, Grimms Fairy Tales. There were masks from Japans Noh theatre and a little wooden statue a student had made, the only image of Brecht in the house. From the windows one can see the Dorotheenstadtische Cemetery, which houses the graves of Germanys most famous artists and philosophers including Brecht and his wife, actor and creative director Helene Weigel. The Berliner Ensemble, a theatre company started by the two of them, was also nearby.

They werent poor, by any means. The apartment was spacious, with large windows and Weigel also maintained a conservatory. In the kitchen, I saw elegant utensils and Bohemian porcelain. Weigel had refined taste; she was from Vienna, the guide told us. She liked her phone near her bed; Brecht kept his phone far from his bed. They lived on different floors, sharing the kitchen and living area.

I entered the room where Brecht had died in 1956it was bare. His beret and stick were still in there, as were yellowing copies of the International Herald Tribune. Brecht lived in what used to be East Berlin, and the Tribune was an American paper. How did he manage to get copies during the Cold War, I asked. There was no Berlin Wall at that timeit was built only in 1961the guide reminded me. Besides, Mr Brecht was a man with means," she added.

He was also a man with an attitude, the kind I find is sorely needed at the start of this new year, as rabid nationalism spreads all over the world. In 1947, he was called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee, which was determined to root out communism from American cultural life. He was repeatedly asked if he wrote revolutionary poems.

Yes, he said. His poems and songs were written for the fight against Hitler, so they could be considered revolutionary, because he worked for the overthrow of that government. The audience laughed; he had turned a congressional inquisition into performance theatre.

The visit gave me insight into this remarkable mans cosmopolitan taste and curiosity about the wider world, revealing a composite personality, influenced by reason and faith. He abhorred the cult surrounding demagogues and ridiculed a societys yearning for a leader. In The Life Of Galileo, Andrea laments, Unhappy is the land that breeds no hero." And Galileo replies, No, unhappy is the land that needs a hero."

He wrote those words in 1938, a year before Nazis overran vast parts of Europe. As I looked out of the window at the trees in the cemetery where great thinkers were laid to rest, I reflected on how relevant those words are even today.
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Six women, formerly or currently incarcerated at Alameda Countys Santa Rita Jail, have charged in a legal complaint filed Thursday morning that pregnant women are abused and discriminated against in the Dublin jail.

The federal complaint was filed against the Alameda County Sheriffs Office. It asks for a temporary restraining order and motion for a preliminary injunction.

The alleged abuses detailed in the complaint are extreme. In their declarations, women describe feeling coerced by guards to have abortions rather than carrying their pregnancies to term. They said they were given inadequate clothing and food. One woman said she was forced to give birth while in solitary confinement, with no medical assistance.

Sgt. Ray Kelly, a spokesman for the sheriffs office, said the agency had not been served with the lawsuit so he could not reply to specific allegations.

Kelly said that the alleged abuses would all be in violation of the agencys policies, and that he was unaware of any formal complaints filed by female inmates for abuses by the department.

Kelly confirmed that a woman did give birth in solitary confinement after returning from the hospital, but said that she was immediately given medical care and that there were no lasting medical effects.

Christina Zepeda, one of the plaintiffs, was about three and a half months pregnant when she was arrested in San Leandro last August for a probation violation. She told the sheriffs deputies she was pregnant, she says, and requested to be handcuffed in the front. Though this is policy, deputies allegedly ignored her and handcuffed her in the back.

Upon arriving at Santa Rita, I told them I was not feeling well, Zepeda said in her declaration. They placed me in a holding cell that was filthy. The walls had human secretions on the walls, there was decaying food in my cell.

Four days after her arrest, she suffered a miscarriage. Zepeda, who was released after 90 days, said she believes the jail is at least partially responsible, since she had no prior issues with her pregnancy.

By state law, jails and prisons are required to provide prenatal and postpartum care.

The women are represented by attorneys Yolanda Huang and Dennis Cunningham. Huang said that the jail is failing to meet basic standards of this law for pregnant women.

Theyre given a peanut butter and jelly sandwich twice a day, and milk, then maybe some protein, like beans or an unadulterated hamburger and a potato, Huang said. No fruits or vegetables. You cant have a healthy pregnancy like that.

The women in jail reached out to Huang in early December with descriptions of mistreatment after reading about another complaint shed filed against Santa Rita Jail. Huang met with the women several times, but is barred from meeting with three who are incarcerated, the lawsuit alleges.

What were asking for is fairly simple, Huang said. We want them to stop abusing these women, we want a qualified OB/GYN to be able to go in there and design a plan of care and we want to be able to see our clients.

Huang said that they are seeking to be heard by a judge before Monday, because she views this as an emergency.

A fetus is so delicate, Huang said. Certain times are essential and we need this to stop immediately.

Sophie Haigney is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophieHaigney
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Ten Houston-area communities earned a place among the nation's 50 best-selling master-planned communities in 2017 even as Hurricane Harvey suppressed home sales for four weeks of the year, a new report showed.

The 5,000-home Riverstone in Sugar Land and Missouri City remained the region's top-seller and was the only area development to crack the top 25 of the John Burns Real Estate Consulting survey.

The Irvine, Calif.-based research and consulting firm focused on the housing industry has been compiling the list for eight years. It surveyed 370 communities to determine the rankings.

Developments outside of Texas earned the highest rankings as the national economy and housing markets continued to improve. Three in the Houston area - Aliana, Cross Creek Ranch and Canyon Lakes West - moved out of the top 25 this year. In Texas, only Paloma Creek in Dallas came in higher than Riverstone at No. 22 with 457 sales.

More Information Top sellers Below are the top-selling master planned communities in the U.S. based on new home sales in 2017: 1. Irvine Ranch, Orange County, Calif., 1,814 (1,989 in 2016) 2. The Villages, Villages, Fla., 1,500 (1,966) 3. Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota, Fla., 1,206 (775) 4. Summerlin, Las Vegas, 1,052 (769) 5. West Villages, Sarasota, Fla., 992 (848) 6. Eastmark Phoenix, Ariz., 919 (502) 7. Nocatee, Jacksonville, Fla., 875 (973) 8. Inspirada, Las Vegas, 837 (564) 9. The Great Park Neighborhoods, Orange County, Calif., 830 (535) 10. Stapleton, Denver, 748 (471) 11. Ontario Ranch, Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif., 712 (474) 12. Rancho Mission Viejo, Orange County, Calif., 601 (458) 13. Cane Bay Plantation, Charleston, S.C., 584 (569) 14. Otay Ranch, San Diego, Calif., 563 (159) 15. Lake Nona, Orlando, Fla., 523 (495) 16. Westshore, Sacramento, Calif., 515 (264) 17. Bartram Park, Jacksonville, Fla., 490 (300) 18. Baker Ranch, Orange County, Calif., 479 (448) 19. Willowsford, Washington, D.C., 473 (303) 20. Daybreak, Salt Lake City, Utah, 468 (452) 21. Vistancia, Phoenix, Ariz., 462 (453) 22. Paloma Creek, Dallas, 457 (515) 23. Cadence, Las Vegas, 456 (335) 24. Viera, Brevard County, Fla., 447 (313) 25. Riverstone, Houston, 435 (441) 26. Verrado, Phoenix, Ariz., 429 (413) 27T. Aliana, Houston, 428 (426) 27T. Siena, Austin, 428 (476) 29. Bridgeland, Houston, 423 (325) 30T. Alamo Ranch, San Antonio, 399 (489) 30T. Estrella, Phoenix, Ariz., 399 (270) 32. Cross Creek Ranch, Houston, 397 (377) 33. Brunswick Forest, Wilmington, N.C., 395 (386) 34. Summerlake, Orlando, Fla., 382 (348) 35. Wallis Ranch, East Bay Area, Calif., 379 (55) 36. Sienna Plantation, Houston, 372 (359) 37. Westpark, Sacramento, Calif., 368 (373) 38. Berewick, Charlotte, N.C., 367 (287) 39. Tradition, Port St. Lucie, Fla., 361 (301) 40. Green Valley Ranch, Denver, 356 (358) 41. Mountain's Edge, Las Vegas, 345 (317) 42. The Woodlands, Houston, 340 (248) 43. Woodforest, Houston, 337 (365) 44. Wildwood at Northpointe, Houston, 334 (351) 45. Waterset, Tampa, Fla., 324 (315) 46. Harvest, Fort Worth, 320 (307) 47T. Harvest Green, Houston, 315 (252) 47T. Canyon Lakes West, Houston, 315 (377) 47T. Skye Canyon Las Vegas, 315 (163) 50. Phillips Creek Ranch, Dallas, 314 (352) Source: John Burns Real Estate Consulting See More Collapse

"We didn't fall off," David Jarvis, a John Burns Real Estate Consulting senior vice president, said of Texas. "The rest of the country did better."

Irvine Ranch in Orange County, Calif., kept the No. 1 spot with 1,814 sales, while The Villages in Florida maintained its position as the second most active community with 1,500 sales. Lakewood Ranch in Sarasota, Fla., Summerlin in Las Vegas and West Villages in Sarasota, Fla., rounded out the Top 5.

Storms hurt home sales in Texas, as well as Florida, with the Houston region essentially shutting down for two weeks before sales resumed their pre-storm pace in October, Jarvis said.

"We really dropped 30 days worth of new homes sales," he said.

A similar list released Friday by RCLCO, another housing information firm, included the same 10 local communities.

Riverstone, one of five Johnson Development Corp. communities on the John Burns list, moved down five slots to No. 25 with 435 sales, down 1 percent from 441 sales in 2016. The community was hardest hit by Harvey of three Johnson Development communities in the storm's path with several hundred homes affected, the developer said.

Harvest Green, a farm-focused community by Johnson Development along the Grand Parkway and West Airport in Richmond, made its debut on the list after sales shot up 25 percent in 2017. The community tied at No. 47 with 315 sales, up 25 from 252 in 2016. Canyon Lakes West, a Land Tejas development in Cypress, also reported 315 sales.

On the other side of the Grand Parkway from Harvest Green, Aliana racked up 428 sales in 2017. That moved the Fort Bend County community down six positions to No. 27 from its ranking last year even though sales were flat compared with 2016.

Aliana continues to be a popular choice as the community matures and adds schools and retail stores, Jarvis said. A prototype Target store, the first in the nation, anchors a new shopping center nearby.

J. Patrick Homes chose the community to launch its contemporary, urban style NuvoVista series in 2017. The plans offer options for a spice kitchen or a second master suite to appeal to the needs and preferences of Houston's increasingly diverse pool of home buyers, the builder said.

Bridgeland, a Howard Hughes Corp. development in Cypress, ranked No. 29 with 423 sales in 2017. The 30 percent increase from 325 sales in 2016 moved it up from No. 37.

The Woodlands, a Howard Hughes community that is nearing completion, rejoined the list as No. 42 as sales jumped to 340, up 37 percent from 248 in 2016. It was last on the list in 2014 with 468 sales.

Sales in Cross Creek Ranch, a Johnson Development community in Fulshear rose by 5 percent to 397 in 2017, placing it No. 32.

Sales in Sienna Plantation rose 4 percent to 372 in 2017. The Fort Bend County community slipped to No. 36 from No. 30 with 359 sales in 2016. Fewer than 100 of Sienna Plantation's 7,700 homes were damaged by Harvey, Johnson Development said.

Woodforest in southern Montgomery County earned the No. 43 spot with 337 sales, down from 365 in 2016. Fewer than 20 homes in Woodforest were affected by Harvey, Johnson Development said.

Wildwood at Northpointe in Tomball, a Friendswood Development community, was No. 44 with 334 sales, down from 351 in 2016.

Towne Lake, a community in the Cypress area with 313 sales in 2016, dropped off the top 50 this year.

Home buyers in Sienna Plantation and Riverstone contributed to a strong finish for Johnson Development, said Doug Goff, president of Johnson Development. In the final week of 2017, a total of 85 houses sold across the developer's 14 area communities, with 29 of those in Sienna Plantation and Riverstone.

By comparison, an average of 63 houses sold per week across its communities in 2017.

Areawide, builders sold an estimated 28,000 new houses in the Houston market in 2017, Jarvis said. Even with the dropoff in September, the total eclipses the 27,237 sales in 2016.
Will Holder, president of Trendmaker Homes and venerated industry leader, will retire at the end of March after 25 years with the Houston-based homebuilder.

Senior vice president Joe Mandola, who also marks his 25th anniversary with Trendmaker this year, will succeed Holder as president on April 1, the company announced Friday. Trendmaker is one of the largest Houston-based homebuilders, building more than 500 homes a year with an average sales price around $500,000.

Holder, who began his homebuilding career more than 35 years ago, started at Trendmaker in 1993 as general manager and worked his way up to president in 2006. During his 11 year tenure at its helm, Holder led Trendmaker through an acquisition by TRI Pointe Group in 2014 and oversaw its expansion into Austin in 2015.

"Working with Trendmaker Homes has been one of the greatest professional adventures of my life," Holder said in a statement. "Building beautiful homes, satisfying our customers and working with so many talented and creative people has enriched my life beyond my wildest professional dreams."

RELATED: What's ahead in 2018? Houston business likely to grow, not boom

Holder said he has been planning his succession for several years, and has always intended to retire upon his 25th work anniversary. He and his wife plan to move this summer to San Marcos, where he plans to teach real estate and homebuilding at his alma mater, Texas State University.

Holder, a past president of the Greater Houston Builders Association, has been an adjunct professor at the University of Houston. Holder holds an MBA from George Washington University, and is also a graduate of Stanford's executive business program.

Mandola has a bachelor's degree in construction science from Texas A&M University, and decades of experience and connections in the local homebuilding industry.

"Under Will's leadership, Trendmaker Homes has become one of the industry's top homebuilders," Mandola said in a statement, adding he has learned a lot from Holder. "I intend to launch my tenure off the rock-solid foundation Will has established."
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A 21-year-old man was arrested after a Rohnert Park home break-in during which the burglar assaulted an 8-year-old girl in the middle of the night before fleeing the house naked, police said.

The childs mother called 911 about 3:50 a.m. Thursday to report that a stranger went into her daughters bedroom. She told police the man took off his clothes and climbed on top of the girl before she woke up screaming. The man ran from the house without his clothes, police said.

The suspect, Noah Luke Holland, was booked into Sonoma County Jail within hours of the assault. He was arrested on suspicion of burglary, lewd and lascivious acts with a child, committing sex assault while in the commission of a burglary, vehicle tampering and violation of probation.

Were glad that hes in custody, said Rohnert Park Police Commander Aaron Johnson. This type of situation is very rare, to have a stranger sexual assault of a minor. The fact that we were able to apprehend him quickly definitely puts us at ease.

Holland might have entered the house by getting into unlocked vehicles outside then using a garage door opener to get into the garage, authorities said.

The Sonoma County Sheriffs Office and the Santa Rosa Police Department joined a search for the suspect immediately after the assault. Evidence at the scene identified the suspect as Holland, who was already known by law enforcement. He has a criminal history involving drugs and has been arrested on suspicion of statutory rape in the past two years, Johnson said.

A sergeant with the Sheriffs Office went to an address on 10th Street in Santa Rosa known to be frequented by Holland.

As the sergeant watched the home, Holland was seen walking toward it with three people. Deputies detained Holland until Rohnert Park Police arrested him and brought him to the station for an interview.

Holland refused to make a statement on the sexual assault case, police said. One of the people with Holland gave officers a bogus street name. The third man, Tristan Bradley Ford, agreed to talk with police and told them he and Holland had been driving around earlier in the day, breaking into cars, Johnson said.

Ford was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy, burglary, and violation of probation. He was not with Holland during the assault, police said.

Holland was booked into Sonoma County Jail and is being held on $1 million bail.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
The man shot and killed by a BART Police officer has been identified by police as a 28-year-old Oakland man.

Oakland police provided additional details on a Wednesday evening officer-involved shooting across from the West Oakland BART Station, confirming that an on-duty BART police officer was responding to a shooting in the area when he later fired at and killed Shaleem Tindle.

Tindles relatives mourned his death on social media, including Karim Mayfield, a boxer who has fought across the country and won the WBO NABO super lightweight title in 2011.

My Heart Is broken, I lost my little brother Shaleem last night. Please don't ask me I'm I ok, becoase (sic) I'm obviously not, he posted to Facebook.

The BART officer was inside the station when he heard shots about 4:40 p.m., according to the Oakland Police Department.

The officer found two men in a struggle with each other at Seventh and Chester streets. One man was armed with a handgun, police said.

After several commands were given, the officer discharged his firearm striking the man who was in possession of the handgun, the department said. He later succumbed to his injuries.

Authorities said a gun was found at the scene.

Witness accounts of the incident were similar. One witness told The Chronicle that two men were arguing before shots rang out. Another said she saw one man shoot the other in the leg, which led a BART police officer to run across the street from the station and shoot him.

Police are investigating how the second man was injured. The BART officers body camera recorded the incident.

A nearly 10-minute video of the aftermath of the incident posted to Facebook shows no clear perimeter established at the scene as one man lies on the ground handcuffed and held by a police officer and another man lies motionless.

Before officers begin life-saving measures, one woman rushes over to the body, tries to perform CPR and is shooed away. Officers begin CPR about two minutes into the video.

The identity of the BART officer has not been released.

The Oakland Police Departments homicide section is investigating the initial shooting and subsequent officer-involved shooting. Anyone with information is asked to call the Oakland Police Department Homicide Section at (510) 238-3821.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
Two men convicted of shooting an armored car guard during a robbery in Windsor and leading police on a chase through the Wine Country face life in prison, court officials said.

A Sonoma County jury Thursday found Ivan Morales, 25, of Lakeport (Lake County) guilty of premeditated attempted murder of an armored car guard, robbery of an armored car guard, assault with an assault rifle, assault on a police officer and driving a stolen vehicle.

Sergey Gutsu, 25, of Antelope (Sacramento County) pleaded guilty Dec. 4 to premeditated attempted murder of an armored car guard, robbery of an armored car guard, premeditated attempted murder of a police officer and driving a stolen vehicle during a separate trial, according to Sonoma County District Attorneys Office.

Morales faces 33 years and 8 months to life in state prison while Gutsu  who had the additional count of attempted premeditated murder of a police officer  faces 51 years and 4 months to life.

This brazen attack took place in a crowded location and put many people at risk, in addition to those injured during the assault, Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch said in a statement. The jury rightfully found Mr. Morales guilty and he, along with Mr. Gutsu, rightfully face life imprisonment as a result.

The trial for Morales started Oct. 4 but was delayed for two weeks after a series of wildfires broke out out across the region four days later, destroying thousands of homes and killing two dozen people in Sonoma County.

Sonoma County authorities had identified Morales and Gutsu as the masked gunmen who committed armed robbery on July 12, 2016. An armored truck employee for Loomis delivering $30,000 to a Chase Bank was interrupted when the men drove up in a Suzuki SUV that had been carjacked days earlier in Sacramento. They got out of the car with AK-47-style assault rifles and shot the guard multiple times, prosecutors said.

The guard survived the incident.

Gutsu took the money and the men fled in a Suzuki that they switched out with a blue Chevy Suburban a few blocks away, prosecutors said.

An hour after the robbery, officials said, an officer across the Napa County line in Calistoga spotted the pairs vehicle and gave chase. Gutsu jumped out of the drivers seat of the suburban and began shooting at the officer, officials said.

The chase ended when the officer slammed his police cruiser into the pairs vehicle, injuring Gutsu, who was checked out at a hospital before being arrested. Deputies found Morales hours later hiding in bushes near the crash site. He was not injured.

Morales was scheduled for sentencing on March 8. Gutsu is to be sentenced Jan. 25.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President

By Noah Feldman

Random House. 773 pp. $35

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While drafting the Constitution, James Madison strove to ensure the protection of minority rights but also proposed that a slave be counted as three-fifths of a person. The contradiction, etched into the Constitution, would come to define Madison and a nation irreconcilably founded both on slavery and the ideals of liberty and justice.

This paradox lies at the heart of "The Three Lives of James Madison," by Harvard law professor Noah Feldman, who charts Madison's life as the "father of the Constitution," a political partisan, and ultimately a statesman in his roles as secretary of state and president. Throughout his lengthy book, Feldman maps Madison's evolution from a bookish and idealistic social theorist to a pragmatic political operative who fully recognized the immorality of slavery and the humanity of the enslaved but proceeded, out of the economic interests of his class, to stamp it into the nation's DNA.

Born on a 4,000-acre Virginia plantation that had more than 100 slaves, Madison set off to Princeton in 1769 and delved into his studies with abandon, completing two years of study in one. Stirred by the Boston Tea Party and rising rebellion against Britain's infringement on individual liberties, Madison became a passionate advocate of dissent and religious freedom. He believed that religious diversity in the North fueled the kind of protest that was uncommon in the South, where the Church of England, and persecution of other religions, reigned supreme.

Feldman painstakingly renders the deliberations over the drafting of the emerging nation's Constitution in granular detail, as if to mirror the onerousness of the task. So vividly are the debates recounted that they seem to play out in real time.

Feldman captures the remarkable extent to which the drafters agonized over how slavery would blemish the character of the Constitution and indeed of the drafters themselves. Luther Martin of Maryland argued that slavery was "inconsistent with the principles of the Revolution and dishonorable to the American character." And George Mason of Virginia, who owned some 300 slaves, nonetheless appealed to the fellow founders to stop the "infernal traffic," fearing slave revolts and the adverse impact on white productivity. Predicting the strife that lay ahead, he warned, "By an inevitable chain of causes and effects providence punishes national sins by national calamities."

Though Madison recognized the immorality of the institution, he was less concerned with propriety than public perception of the new nation. He offered that he "thought it wrong to admit in the constitution the idea that there could be property in men." But rather than argue for the end of slavery, he instead couched it in coded language, rewriting the text to read that "a tax or duty may be imposed on such importation not exceeding $10 for each person."

Writes Feldman: "Madison's position reflected the contorted moral logic of slaveholders enacting a slavery-protecting constitution while claiming to oppose that very institution."

Feldman argues that while some of the drafters were ashamed of their association with slavery, which many civilized nations had already begun to abandon, "they just did not feel sufficiently ashamed to do anything about it, at least not while their livelihoods and those of their families depended on the labor of enslaved persons."

While Feldman highlights the irony of the founders' efforts to create a nation on ideals of liberty, along with Madison's commitment to preserving the rights of minorities, he at times appears not to notice the elephant in the room. Feldman writes that Madison's arguments in favor of a bill proposed by Thomas Jefferson establishing religious freedom applied to all Virginians, not just dissenters, but fails to note the trampled rights of the enslaved. And although he notes that Madison recognized the humanity of enslaved Africans, he seems to accept at face value Madison's uncharitable view of Native Americans. Without elaboration, Feldman writes: "He called the Shawnees a 'perfidious people' and considered all Indians to be savages." However, Feldman appears not to have considered the possibility that Madison simply chose to deny the humanity of Native Americans as they valiantly resisted the white settlers' invasion.

Still, Feldman goes further than many other scholars to insert slaves into the narrative, at times providing their names, circumstances and movements as he assiduously traces Madison's evolving ideas about the political system he created and the institution that forever stained its legacy.

Feldman also closely examines Madison's friendships with Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington, which all devolved into political acrimony. And we're afforded glimpses of his romantic life: of the socially awkward 32-year-old courting 15-year-old Kitty Floyd, who breaks off their engagement. Feldman later humorously recalls how Madison, 46 and still unmarried, pursued the affections of 23-year-old Dolley Payne Todd, a widowed mother of a young child who had recently lost her husband and another child to yellow fever. The 5-foot-4 Madison enlists a friend to convey his affections for the sought-after 5-foot-7 widow, who becomes his wife and political partner.

For much of his political career, Madison eschewed Washington social life, preferring letter-writing over face-to-face contact. However, after Jefferson appointed him secretary of state, his wife assumed a central role in Washington, where she often hosted dinners at their home or the White House. The sociable Dolley proved a valuable asset for her husband. "Under Dolley's tutelage," Feldman writes, "Madison developed what would become a lifelong habit of telling witty stories after dinner, the ideal venue for his particular brand of dry wit."

After James Madison was elected president, the couple held the first inaugural ball, and Dolley would become the first of many first ladies renowned for their fashion savvy.

"The Three Lives of James Madison" widens the window on the character and outsize vision of Madison and the men who founded America. Like the nation they willed into being, their brilliance and idealism were irrevocably dimmed by their moral shortcomings.

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Newkirk is a professor of journalism at New York University and the author of "Spectacle: the Astonishing Life of Ota Benga."
An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that President Ronald Reagan signed a law that gave horse-breeding tax shelter status in 1980. The measure was passed after he took office in 1981. This version has been updated.

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Leaving the Wild: The Unnatural History of Dogs, Cats, Cows, and Horses

By Gavin Ehringer

Pegasus. 356 pp. $27.95

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In 2016, a German shepherd that won best in breed at a celebrated British dog show "was shown on television crabbing around the ring, her sloping back hunched over," writes Gavin Ehringer in "Leaving the Wild: The Unnatural History of Dogs, Cats, Cows, and Horses." The Daily Mail pointed out that the dog exhibited "a painful looking, out of step gait." The animal was able to win the breed competition but did not seem to have a very healthy existence. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it was "shocked and appalled" at the dog's condition. An ensuing outcry led to an updating of the breed standard for shows: The dogs now had to be "capable of standing comfortably and calmly, freely and unsupported in any way." As Ehringer dryly notes: "Being able to stand seems like a low bar to set for any dog breed, much less one celebrated for their heroism by both sides during the Second World War."

Through four case studies, "Leaving the Wild" reveals the extent to which humans over the millennia have drastically altered domesticated animals' lives and created ethical quandaries that are now difficult to resolve. Beginning with dogs, Ehringer notes that two-fifths of the half-billion dogs alive on the planet are free-ranging village dogs, not under human control. Of the remainder, German shepherds aren't the only dogs harmed by designer breeding. Dachshunds have been elongated to the extent that they suffer from intervertebral disc disease, while pugs, boxers and bulldogs are so flat-faced that they experience breathing troubles.

Unlike dogs, cats today "remain little altered in appearance from the wildcats from which they sprang." That Egyptians worshipped cats and Europeans in the Middle Ages massacred them are well-known facts, but Ehringer throws in some fascinating, unexpected cat history, such as the rise of kitty litter and its role in cat-keeping. He amusingly describes what he calls the "feline zeitgeist" of today's internet and offers that cats are more independent and better suited than dogs for the social-media-obsessed, fast-paced, apartment living of millennials.

Ehringer's tales jump around in time, sometimes to dizzying effect. The horse chapter takes us on a chaotic tour from Genghis Khan's 13th-century Mongolia to the nomadic Bedouins 4,000 years ago, then abruptly to President Ronald Reagan's signing of a law that gave horse-breeding tax shelter status in 1981. The law set off a frenzied competition in which, for some wealthy Americans, "the Arabian in their stall was like the Rolls Royce in their garage." Six years later, the law was changed, and many horses, no longer so profitable, were loaded into trucks and sent off to slaughter. Ehringer provides a scattered chronology to make his points about the many uses and abuses of horses through history.

Of the four animals Ehringer discusses, only cows (and their products) are widely consumed. The author visits three dairy farms of various sizes in search of "happy cows" and extols the virtues of drinking milk. But he seems insensitive to the larger point. Even cows handled with compassion dwell inside a system that considers them first and foremost as commodities. At Bob Bansen's Emerald Veil Jerseys in Oregon, Bansen knows every cow by name, doesn't demand peak production and keeps cows past age 12, longer than the standard in the dairy industry. Yet he looks at a cow with low-hanging udders and comments, "I'll have to sell her off soon." Male calves in the industry are routinely sold off as veal. As Ehringer notes, "Regardless of when, virtually all dairy cows end up being slaughtered for the dinner plate."

Ehringer doesn't shy away from controversy. He's in favor of breed-specific legislation for "inherently vicious" pit bulls, a position guaranteed to rile animal advocates who insist that the methodology for compiling comparative attack statistics across breeds is highly flawed because of breed prejudice. He even suggests that U.S. dog shelters are overpopulated because of pit bulls and that the extinction of the breed would be no loss. On the other hand, he's a moderate on the "Cat Wars" question, that is, the impact that domestic cats - a category including pets, strays, and feral or unsocialized cats who survive free-ranging on their own - have on birds and other small animals in the wild and what should be done about it. Ehringer focuses mostly on feral cats and recognizes that trapping, neutering and returning them to their communities can be highly effective in reducing that population. Based on attempts to eradicate feral cats in Tasmania, Ehringer says, lethal cat culling won't work: It's the boldest territorial cats that are killed, leaving room for new cats to rush in and increasing the numbers of cats who hunt.

As a cowboy, horseman and dog trainer, Ehringer brings an engaging voice to his topic. But the absence of footnotes and a bibliography makes it difficult to evaluate the credibility of his arguments. At times his word choices are unconvincing, as when he describes a pit bull's killing of a child as "murder." It's also distracting to see the names of some scholars and cities, as well as other words, misspelled. In sum, there's a light touch at work here, sometimes too light, in describing the sometimes loving, sometimes greedy ways humans have altered the lives of so many animals.

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King is emerita professor of anthropology at the College of William and Mary. Her latest book is "Personalities on the Plate: The Lives & Minds of Animals We Eat."
The Perfect Nanny

By Leila Slimani. Translated from the French by Sam Taylor

Penguin. 234 pp. Paperback. $16

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The first "hot" novel of 2018 is Leila Slimani's international blockbuster, "The Perfect Nanny," which has just been translated into English. But, be forewarned: Those readers sure to be most curious about it are the very readers who would do best avoid it. The last thing working mothers with young children need to be reading in their nanosecond of downtime is this psychological suspense novel about a "perfect" nanny who snaps.

The book aspires toward the taut elegance of that classic nanny nightmare tale, Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw" and, in language and complexity, it comes pretty darn close. Indeed, Slimani's novel won France's most prestigious literary honor, the Goncourt Prize, when it was published there in 2016; Slimani is the first Moroccan-born woman to be so honored. The voice of Slimani's omniscient third-person narrator is consistently chill and precise; her plot spares neither her characters' fates nor her readers' sensibilities. The opening sentences of "The Perfect Nanny" warn us that this is a story in which the worst that can happen and, in fact, just has:

"The baby is dead. It took only a few seconds. The doctor said he didn't suffer. The broken body, surrounded by toys, was put inside a gray bag, which they zipped shut. The little girl was still alive when the ambulance arrived. ... On the way to the hospital, she was agitated, her body shaken by convulsions. ... Her lungs had been punctured, her head smashed violently against the blue chest of drawers."

The two children have been murdered by their longtime nanny. Their mother, Myriam, discovers this grotesque scene upon her return home to the family's small apartment in Paris. Again, this discovery occurs within the opening pages of the novel, so the intrigue here derives not from what has happened, but why? The nanny, Louise, is the central enigma of Slimani's novel - a human black hole who swirls into the family's living room one day and relentlessly pulls in and extinguishes the light in everyone's lives.

As unflinching as Slimani is in her descriptions of the grisly damage that can be inflicted on the human body, she's just as assured in assessing mental and emotional bruises and breakages, particularly as they develop in the intricate relationship between Louise and her employers. After its horrific opening chapter, "The Perfect Nanny" flashes back to Louise's initial entrance into the lives of Miriam and her husband, Paul; to a time when the couple was naively confident that they could spot any looming problems with a prospective nanny. Throwing political correctness out the window, Paul decrees "no illegal immigrants ... not too old, no veils, and no smokers."

Myriam (like Slimani herself) is Moroccan-French and though she has confronted racism in Paris, refuses to hire any North Africans: "She fears that a tacit complicity and familiarity would grow between her and the nanny. That the woman would start speaking to her in Arabic ... asking her all sorts of favors in the name of their shared language and religion. She has always been wary of what she calls immigrant solidarity."

The couple has interviewed a parade of unsuitable women before the birdlike, middle-aged Louise walks in, perfectly perfect in every way down to her prim Peter Pan collar. In a few short weeks, Louise takes charge, not only of the two children, but also of their needy parents:

"Myriam lets herself be mothered. Every day she abandons more tasks to a grateful Louise. The nanny is like those figures at the back of a theater stage who move the sets around in darkness. She picks up a couch, pushes a cardboard column or a wall with one hand. ... She is Vishnu, the nurturing divinity, jealous and protective; the she-wolf at whose breast they drink, the infallible source of their family happiness."

What's the appeal of this setup for Louise readers may well wonder? Ah, that's for Slimani's aloof narrator to slowly reveal. As Louise becomes increasingly untethered from reality, we learn more about her own grim family background and the miserable apartment she returns to every evening, which she regards as a mere "lair, a parenthesis where she comes to hide her exhaustion."

Poetic phrases like that one abound throughout Slimani's novel and elevate it well above its formulaic premise, one that has inspired many a Lifetime television movie. But, the irony is that for all its fine language, the takeaway of "The Perfect Nanny" is pretty much the same as the feminist backlash message of those movies, as of well as that 1992 cinematic cultural touchstone, "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle." Namely, there is no "perfect nanny"; indeed, the nanny who's tending to your children may well be a psycho. Is any career worth that risk, ladies?

Surely it's the enduring masochistic power of that nightmare - rendered particularly vivid here through Slimani's great stylistic gifts - that have made this slim novel an international best-seller. Talk about a guilty pleasure.
The new Showtime drama "The Chi" begins with a body - a young black man gunned down outside a stash house on Chicago's South Side. It's not an unexpected image for anyone even casually acquainted with the gun violence that plagues that city. On the national scene, Chicago has emerged as a popular political talking point, often as a cudgel against liberals who push gun control as a solution to the country's mass shootings. If strict gun-control laws have done nothing to reduce the homicide rate in a major city, the argument goes, what can they do to stop the next Orlando or Las Vegas or Sutherland Springs?

Yet "The Chi" isn't interested in that argument, however much the show implies that Chicago's homicide rate is a deeper, more intractable problem than media caricature suggests. It's interested in the body. And the victim's family, which lost a son and a brother and a cousin. And the bystanders who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And the community that has to absorb the grief of another life cut short and the likelihood of retribution exacerbating the tragedy. The entire series radiates outward from a single loss, like the tremors and aftershocks of an earthquake.

For "Chi" creator Lena Waithe, a writer and actress who won an Emmy last year for co-writing the "Thanksgiving" episode of Netflix's "Master of None," the idea for the show came from watching a news report on violence in her native city. Waithe spent her early childhood in the South Side neighborhood of Chatham - also home to Chance the Rapper, she notes - and felt she understood the people being interviewed. But something was missing.

"Since I grew up here, I think there's an instinctive knowing of the people and a desire to tell their story," Waithe says in an interview at Chicago's Langham Hotel, shortly before a screening of the "Chi" pilot for a South Side audience. "The community gets the blame for a lot of issues in the city, but the truth is, some of these things are built in.

"That's the thing I wanted to show - how people walk through the city, how they find joy, how they relate to each other. I think that's the thing that people often don't see or don't understand unless you're from here."

The death that opens the series leads to more violence, starting with the victim's father (played by Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine), who seeks justice by his own hand. All the characters are entangled by the incident in one way or another, but Waithe and show runner Elwood Reid ("The Bridge") and their writing team aim to paint a fuller picture. Other story lines include a culinary prodigy (Jason Mitchell of "Mudbound") working his way up the line at an upscale restaurant, a carefree ladies man (Jacob Latimore) who has fatherhood thrust upon him, and a sensitive kid named Kevin (Alex Hibbert).

It was this element of the show, as much as any, that spoke to fellow South Side native Common, the hip-hop superstar, actor and activist who executive-produces the show through his company, Freedom Road Productions. Common and Waithe didn't know each other before he got his hands on the script, but he offered his support immediately. Settling in next to Waithe, Common says he recognized in characters such as Kevin a piece of his own turbulent upbringing, when he had to reconcile his proximity to violence with the more ordinary business of growing up.

"Kevin witnesses a murder, but the next day he's at school, still trying to be part of a play and get with a girl," he says. "I talk to young people whose friends got killed or brother got killed or cousin got killed, but they're still out there making it and finding fun in certain things. A darkness surrounds them, but there's a light, too."

Finding a balance between the violence gripping these families and the rhythms of everyday life is an ongoing challenge for the show, but Waithe is careful not to gloss over the long-term ache of personal loss.

"It never goes away," she says. "The thing about television is that you kill a character and the next episode everything's fine. We want to show what grief looks like and the lasting effect it has on families."

As for the pervasiveness of gun culture in Chicago, Waithe offers the show as a corrective to what she calls "the false assumption that it's a bunch of dumb black males playing cowboys and Indians." She says there's a psychological component to consider beyond mere recklessness.

"I believe nothing can make a person feel more alive than having a deadly weapon in their hand," she says. "I think it's because they don't feel powerful. They don't feel human. A gun gives you the ability to end a person's life. What's more powerful than that? To me, it's equivalent to a black man in the civil rights movement holding up a sign that says, 'I am a man.' He feels validated."

Common adds: "What people get wrong about guns is thinking it's a way of life and that people want to live that way. But at a certain point, it becomes part of the culture, part of survival, and, as Lena said, some people put value in themselves because they've got a gun. Sometimes it's just the only way they know how to react."

Common turns to his own story as proof that children can find their way through if they're given better options.

"I was around [violence], but I had something else in my mind that I wanted to achieve and be," he says. "If a kid sees that, if a kid has something positive to look for and value within themselves, I guarantee you the majority of the time, they're going to go the right way. The hope is missing, so the guns are there."
2018 is off to a tasteful start with details emerging this week about a highly anticipated new Southtown restaurant.

Restaurateur Peter Selig of Acenar and Biga on the Banks aims to open The Maverick at 710 S. St. Mary's St. in the Lavaca Historic District next month. And hes partnered with an all-star lineup of industry veterans to lead the ambitious 7,200-square-foot, 250-seat space.
The Texas Senate's state affairs committee will hear testimony on campus speech later this month at Texas State University, itself the site of a high-profile First Amendment conflict this fall.

The Jan. 31 hearing will attempt to evaluate "any restrictions on Freedom of Speech rights that Texas students face in expressing their views on campus along with freedoms of the press, religion, and assembly" and "recommend policy changes that protect First Amendment rights and enhance the free speech environment on campus."

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Houston Republican, asked the committee in the fall to discuss the issue. One Texas lawmaker, Rep. Briscoe Cain, has suggested that lawmakers should consider cutting the budgets of schools that squelch free speech.

The topic is not new for Texas lawmakers: State senators and representatives each introduced bills related to protecting expressive activities at public universities and colleges, but those efforts died in committee.

Free speech on college campuses has been a polarizing issue in recent years as right-leaning politicians have accused universities of stifling conservative voices.

Texas State University itself was not immune. In November, a student newspaper columnist wrote a piece viewed as anti-white called "Your DNA is an abomination."

The president of the student government urged the paper, called The University Star, to remove the column's author and several editors from staff or risk a loss of funds. Editors eventually removed the column from the newspaper's website and dismissed the student columnist, Rudy Martinez.

The university's president weighed in, calling the column's theme "abhorrent."

"While I appreciate that the Star is a forum for students to freely express their opinions, I expect student editors to exercise good judgment in determining the content that they print," Denise Trauth said in a statement. "The Star's editors have apologized for the column and are examining their editorial process."

Free speech on campus is one of several topics related to higher education Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus charged lawmakers with tackling before they return to session in 2019. Other issues include sexual assault, Hurricane Harvey and dual credit. No higher education committee meetings in either body have been scheduled.
WASHINGTON  President Trump directed his White House counsel to tell Attorney General Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Departments investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The conversation between Don McGahn, the presidents White House counsel, and Sessions took place on the presidents orders and occurred just before the attorney general announced that he would step aside from the ongoing inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, according to a person with knowledge of the interaction. Two other people confirmed details of the conversation between McGahn and Sessions.

All three people spoke on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press to avoid publicly discussing an ongoing investigation.

The episode is known to special counsel Robert Mueller and his team of prosecutors and is likely of interest to them as they look into whether Trumps actions as president, including the May firing of FBI Director James Comey, amount to improper efforts to obstruct the Russia investigation. Investigators recently concluded a round of interviews with current and former White House officials, including McGahn and former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus.

The New York Times first reported that Trump had McGahn lobby Sessions against a recusal.

Eric Tucker is an Associated Press writer.

Sources: Trump pushed to stop recusal

WASHINGTON  President Trump directed his White House counsel to tell Attorney General Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Departments investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The conversation between Don McGahn, the presidents White House counsel, and Sessions took place on the presidents orders and occurred just before the attorney general announced that he would step aside from the ongoing inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, according to a person with knowledge of the interaction. Two other people confirmed details of the conversation between McGahn and Sessions.

All three people spoke on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press to avoid publicly discussing an ongoing investigation.

The episode is known to special counsel Robert Mueller and his team of prosecutors and is likely of interest to them as they look into whether Trumps actions as president, including the May firing of FBI Director James Comey, amount to improper efforts to obstruct the Russia investigation. Investigators recently concluded a round of interviews with current and former White House officials, including McGahn and former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus.

The New York Times first reported that Trump had McGahn lobby Sessions against a recusal.

Associated Press
Before Sam Lewis joined the Marines, he had already learned character and integrity from two tough women in his life - his mom and grandmother.

Life on the streets in Baltimore was not the bastion of opportunity for young males trying just to survive a normal childhood. The temptations for evil lurked everywhere.

The eldest of two brothers, Lewis faced the devil every day.

His father was abusive to his mother, and at age 7, his father left the family. Two years later, his dad died in a house fire.

At age 9, he had no male leadership in the home to guide him, but his mother did her best to guide him through a field of life land mines to get him to his dream - the military.

"I knew I wanted to be in the Marines since I was nine years old and between my junior and senior year it was no longer just thinking about it, but let's bring it to fruition and make this happen," he said.

During that time, 17-year-olds couldn't join the military legally on their own, so Lewis went to his mom.

"She knew it was my passion and signed for me," he said.

His birthday is in January and six days after his birthday, on Jan. 20, he was given the shocking news that his mom had stomach cancer.

Four months later to the day, his mom passed away.

"I had a million different things running through my mind," he said. "Do I stop? Do I quit? Do I give up? I really didn't want to go to school at that point."

None of those were an option for his grandmother, who Lewis now attributes much of his success.

"At 4-foot 11-inches and 115 pounds, she kept me from making some bad choices. She struck the fear in me but also instilled integrity and courage," he remembered.

Lewis still shakes his head at her stature telling him his options for growing up on the streets of Baltimore and it wasn't exactly what would be best for him.

"She let me know that I didn't have to join a gang, do drugs, and she told me I wouldn't rob old folks of their social security checks," he said.

Instead, she told him he would stand tall, with dignity and pride, and make something of his life.

While he felt lost after his mom passed away, his grandmother continued to remind him of the values his mother had taught him when he was young.

The temptation was great amongst his peers who pressured him daily.

"Believe me, there were days when I wanted to cower and give in and just smoke a little to get the guys off my back," he said. "I wouldn't have to fight every day."

He faced cat calls of being a 'sissy.'

But his grandmother, in her own wisdom, told him, "Before you take the route of being a delinquent and a menace to society, I'd rather you fight back," she told the youngster.

When the young Lewis would get off the bus, there was a group of guys who would push him around threatening him to join their gang, wear their colors, telling him to rob old people.

But his grandmother wouldn't have it.

"Between my mother and grandmother, both of whom have passed on now, I love them dearly for their guidance," he said.

Following graduation, in August of 1986, Lewis shipped out to Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Port Royal, South Carolina to begin boot camp.

He was excited to leave behind his so-called acquaintances who only sought to drag him into a lifestyle of stabbing, gang life, robbing and a life of no future.

"I really didn't want that life. I was hanging my hopes on the faith that my mom and grandmom was saying that I could have a better and brighter future," the Marine said.

He was assigned to the Second Battalion and received a culture shock.

"Nothing that I thought I learned on the streets of Baltimore had prepared me for this," he said. "I thought I was a tough guy. It stripped down my self-identity and instilled a 'we' attitude, the team."

It was something he had been looking for all his life, a place to belong and a family of his own.

He graduated Private First Class out of recruit training school.

His first MOS 0311 (Military Occupational Specialty) was infantry. All enlisted and officer Marines are assigned a four-digit code denoting their primary occupational field and specialty.

From there Lewis went to his first PDS, permanent duty station, First Battalion, Eighth Marines.

That particular unit suffered casualties on Oct. 23, 1983 in the Beirut bombing when a truck loaded with 12,000 pounds of explosives crashed through the gates of the Battalion Landing Team headquarters at the airport. A total of 241 Marines, sailors and soldiers lost their lives that day.

"Being at the unit, in the Marines, and the mentoring I received helped shape my future," Lewis said.

Lewis would be a part of five different tours of duty, returning home from each one a better man.

Sixty-days from his EAS (end of active service), his career was winding down.

His wife wanted him to come home, but he was on the fence.

He had plans on going back to Baltimore to become a police officer.

At his first duty station, he had become a scout sniper for the Marine Corps and thought with those skills he could work on a SWAT team and specialized work with the police department.

But Lewis loved the Marine Corps so much he re-enlisted.

He was ordered to the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va., where they train officers. While there he was doing administrative work in the Operations section and later promoted to the rank of sergeant.

He spent the majority of his career, about 13 years as a Marine EOD tech - one of the most stressful careers in the military in any branch - an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician.

He finally earned Sergeant Major, the highest rank achievable as an enlisted Marine and he did it the old-fashioned way - hard work.

He learned one of the first tenets of a good Marine leader: Know yourself and seek self-improvement.

"No making excuses. Where there were areas of weaknesses, I turned them into strengths," he said.

Following his 27 years of service to the country, Lewis now inspires the young people at Dayton High School in his Marine Corps ROTC program.

"I look at each child and in them I see a little bit of me," he said.

"I see some who are confident, some strong-willed, and others who are humble," the instructor said.

Since he sees a piece of himself in each child, he now caters his leadership style to each one individually to meet them where they are.

Lewis has been at Dayton High School for three years and stresses that just because a student is in ROTC doesn't mean the expectation is to join the military following graduation.

"We do like to help prepare them for the future with leadership, leading by example, discipline, moral and physical character," he said.

Lewis continues to inspire and improve himself with Master's level classes in education at Texas Southern University.
WASHINGTON - At the behest of President Donald Trump, the White House's top lawyer called Attorney General Jeff Sessions shortly before he recused himself from the FBI investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and tried to convince him not to do so, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

By then, one of the people said, Sessions had essentially already made up his mind to step aside, and though the lawyer's phone call sparked some additional discussions, the attorney general would ultimately turn over the probe to his top deputy.

But the lobbying effort by Don McGahn, first reported Thursday night by the New York Times, could be an important episode in the very probe over which McGahn urged Sessions to maintain his authority.

After Sessions' recusal, his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, appointed special counsel Robert Mueller III to lead the investigation, and Mueller is now exploring - among other things - whether Trump might have attempted to obstruct justice and interfere with investigators' work. He is also investigating possible coordination between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign to influence the 2016 election.

Spokespeople for the Justice Department and the special counsel declined to comment for this story. McGahn and White House representatives did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Trump was taken aback by Sessions' recusal, and afterward, he raged to staffers and publicly that his attorney general had made the wrong choice. In July, he told the New York Times that if he had known Sessions would recuse himself, he "would have picked somebody else" to be attorney general. At some point, Sessions offered to resign, but the president would not accept it.

Sessions has said publicly he isolated himself from the Russia investigation from almost the moment he took office in early February, and all the while, consulted with career officials about whether he would have to formally recuse himself because of his role on Trump's campaign. A person familiar with his thinking said he had decided to step aside formally by late February.

On March 1, The Washington Post reported that Sessions had spoken twice with Russia's ambassador to the United States - encounters he did not disclose when asked at his confirmation hearing about contacts between members of Trump's campaign and representatives of Moscow. That report increased the public pressure on him to give up supervision of the probe.

A person familiar with the probe said McGahn had a conversation with Sessions early the next day, trying to convince him to stay in control. Sessions, the person said, was not immediately committal. But he would soon announce to the public - not long after the news was passed to McGahn - that he was stepping aside and leaving the matter to Rosenstein.

Two months later, Trump fired James Comey as the FBI director, and soon after that, Rosenstein appointed Mueller to lead the probe. Mueller has been looking at the events surrounding the firing of Comey - which the president has said he did with the Russia controversy on his mind - and his examination would likely also involve examining other efforts by Trump to influence the investigation, such as Trump's request of McGahn.

Mueller has interviewed Rosenstein, who drafted a memo supporting Comey's firing and retains supervision over the special counsel, and he has obtained memos that Comey wrote memorializing his dealings with the president. By Comey's account, the president asked him to pledge loyalty and said he hoped Comey could let go of the bureau's investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who recently pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

Mueller also has obtained notes from Reince Priebus, Trump's former chief of staff, indicating Priebus and Trump talked about the president urging Comey to say publicly he was not being personally investigated, according to a person familiar with the matter.
On Thursday morning, Frank Cerabino, a columnist for the Palm Beach Post, woke up to a 40-degree weather and was greeted by a "frozen iguana" lounging by his pool in Boca Raton, Florida.

He responded as many people probably would: he shared a photo on social media. Then he pondered, "What do you do?" he told the New York Times.

One of the strongest winter storms on the East Coast in modern history has pummeled cities with snow and sleet, forcing schools and businesses to close while grounding thousands of flights.

And in South Florida, it is "raining iguanas."

Green iguanas, like all reptiles, are coldblooded animals, so when the temperature falls to a certain level iguanas become immobile, saidKristen Sommers of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Under 50 degrees Fahrenheit, they become sluggish. Under 40 degrees, their blood stops moving as much, Sommers said.

They like to sit in trees,and "it's become cold enough that they fall out."

This is not a new phenomenon - there were similar reports in 2008 and 2010 - though it is not typical.

"The reality is South Florida doesn't get that cold very often or long enough that you see this frequently," Sommers said.

But what should one do with a fallen iguana?

Cerabino told the New York Times that he prodded the iguana with a pool skimmer.

"He didn't move," Cerabino said. "But he's probably still alive. My experience is that they take a while to die."

Maxine Bentzel, a reporter at CBS12 News, suggested that "iguanas have a good chance of thawing out if you move them into the sun."

The experts would prefer you didn't.

Sommers said the reptiles could become frightened as they warm.

"Like any wild animal it will try to defend itself," she said.

And there are cautionary tales.

Ron Magill of the Miami Zoo told WPLG TV in 2010 about a man who collected sleeping iguanas and threw them into the back of his station wagon. Then they awoke.

"All of a sudden these things are coming alive, crawling on his back and almost caused a wreck."

The situation was much worse for iguanas in 2010, when temperatures in South Florida fell to the low 30s, the Sun Sentinel reported.

"Neighborhoods resounded with the thud of iguanas dropping from trees onto patios and pool decks," Sentinel reporter David Fleshler wrote.

Many iguanas died that year, as did other animals.

"Many pythons were reported dead, floating in the Everglades," the Fish and Wildlife Commission said in a statement to the Palm Beach Post.

The deaths resulted from both the low temperatures and the length of time of the frigid weather.

The iguana population has since recovered, to the consternation of residents.

"We have been receiving more calls from people that are experiencing wildlife conflicts with iguanas. . . . Iguanas in their yard that they are not happy about, you've seen them further north in large numbers," Sommers said.

According to the Sentinel, iguanas arrived in Florida first as pets, and once they escaped or were freed by their owners, first moved into Miami-Dade County in 1966, then to the Keys in 1995, before making a home of Broward County in 2001 and in Palm Beach in 2003.

The winter storm sweeping across parts of the East Coast has prompted animal rescue organizations and local authorities to issue warnings about giving pets shelter, with dogs left out to freeze to death in the cold.

In South Florida, the cooler temperatures also affect sea turtles, manatees and other creatures that hang out in trees.

"Bats sometimes will fall out of the roost of trees when we have a pretty cold snap," Sommers said.

Sommers said that while she's heard of falling iguanas on social media, the agency hasn't gotten any reports of falling iguanas.

"There have not been an influx of calls to FWC about people worried about iguanas falling out of trees," she said. "It's not like something you see every year."

But this is no ordinary weather.

On Thursday the National Weather Service issued a freeze warning for parts of South Florida.According to the Sun Sentinel, temperatures in the area will be the coldest since the cold snap in December of 2010.
Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel abruptly ended his campaign for the U.S. Senate on Friday, dealing a blow to the GOP in one of the marquee contests of the 2018 elections.

In an email to supporters, the Republican cited an unspecified health issue his wife is battling as the reason for his decision.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Female lawmakers who say they have experienced, witnessed or heard about sexual harassment in Annapolis are pushing for changes to the Maryland General Assembly's anti-harassment policy, which they say does not adequately address a pervasive culture of misconduct.

But unlike their counterparts in California, New York, Congress and elsewhere, the Women Legislators of Maryland are working mostly behind the scenes, and have been reluctant to publicly describe their experiences or demand immediate changes.

"There is not really a safe environment to discuss the issue. It's not something that people really want to be addressing," said one female lawmaker, who like most people interviewed declined to be named out of fear of reprisal. "For me to come out and identify, it would be me basically deciding to lose my career and credibility. And that's the way it is understood in Annapolis."

Senate President Thomas Mike Miller, D, and House Speaker Michael Busch, D, said they want women in Annapolis tofeel comfortable reporting complaints. Both longtime legislative leaders said they have taken steps over the years to make that happen, including mandatory training of lawmakers and staff, increasing the number of people who may receive complaints, and including the legislature's ethics committee in the adjudication process.

"The ultimate goal is to have the safest, most accommodating workplace we can possibly provide for everybody who works here," Busch said. "That's staffers all the way up to legislators, lobbyists and others. We take it very seriously."

Del. Ariana Kelly, D, president of the women's caucus, said the group created a panel more than a year ago to look at how the legislature deals with harassment. Its proposals will come by the end of the 90-day legislative session that begins Wednesday.

Many of the ideas being considered, Kelly said, would not require legislative action. She applauded the recent changes implemented by Busch and Miller, but she and other women said more needs to be done.

Some of the possibilities being weighed by the caucus include third-party reporting, independent investigators, and confidentiality in the reporting process. Kelly said the panel may propose barring sexual relationships between supervisors and subordinates or interns, adding committee chairs to the list of officials who mayreceive complaints and creating protections for lobbyists.

In a recent Washington Post op-ed column, Kelly wrote that in her first year as a delegate, a senior, married colleague grabbed her rear end while two male colleagues watched. "I was utterly humiliated," she wrote. "The next morning I went into a female legislator's office, closed the door and cried."

She considered reporting the incident but ultimately decided against it.

In an interview, Kelly said sexual misconduct in government "has been something I have really struggled with my whole tenure, trying to figure out a way to effect positive change."

"We're at a great moment, and I want to make sure we make the most of this moment."

Female staffers, lobbyists and legislators, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisal, said sexual harassment is ingrained in Maryland statehouse's culture. They say the abuse ranges from groping and sexist comments to belittling and unwanted sexual advances.

"It's the long, lingering hug, the touch in the small of your back, calling you Miss or little lady," a former lobbyist said. "It becomes something, unfortunately, you have to deal with to work down there."

The targets are generally young aides, staffers and lobbyists trying to establish their careers. The culture persists, women in Annapolis said, because victims are often afraid of reporting and those who act inappropriately are not punished properly.

"There has to be some accountability," Kelly said. "And that's difficult because we are a self-regulating body."

Mona Lena Krook, a political science professor at Rutgers University who studies sexual harassment in politics, said the harassment "has an effect on democracy."

"People who are staff run for office themselves," Krook said. "If you are harassed out of that space. . .It can deter women's participation . . . It becomes not just about the moment but about the future."

Alexandra Hughes, Busch's chief of staff, said Busch has taken leadership positions away from delegates who have acted inappropriately and has referred complaints to the state prosecutor's office.

"Because there is not a public shaming process doesn't mean there isn't action taken," Hughes said. "We generally follow the lead of the victim, and if the victim doesn't want to report but wants the situation handled, there's a process for that. If the victim wants to report, but doesn't want to disclose what the resolution is, there is a process for that."

Sara Love, a former lobbyist for the ACLU of Maryland, recalled a lawmaker greeting her with a "hug and a nasty wet kiss."

She later learned that the delegate has a reputation and is widely known as the "grabber in chief." She said she never went to his office by herself or spoke to him alone again.

A retired lobbyist remembered being accosted in an elevator in the early 1990s. The lawmaker grabbed her arms, she said, and asked: "Have you ever been with a black man? Don't you want to be with me?"

She pushed him off, but didn't report him. Nor did she report another legislator who grabbed her thigh and told her "not now, honey," when she tried to make a comment during a legislative meeting.

"If I had reported it, I never would have gotten into their offices," she said.

Love didn't report her incident either. She said the lawmaker's reputation was widely known, and there had been no repercussions that she was aware of.

In recent weeks, as allegations of sexual harassment by politicians, journalists and celebrities have mounted across the country, a former staffer circulateda letter among women in Annapolis demanding that the legislature strengthen its anti-harassment policy. She said she hoped to get dozens of signatures and then release the letter to the public.

But the woman, who also declined to be identified, put her effort on hold as the opening of the legislative session neared. She saidmany womenwho initially told her they would support her initiative backed out because of concerns of retaliation.

"Things in Annapolis are handled in-house," said the female lawmaker who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "It makes me ill to think about it as a woman and someone who has daughters, to think that I perpetuate this culture. But if I'm being honest, I have to weigh, you could lose your opportunity to push issues that matter, the ability to advocate for victims. Do you lose that for all the people who you could help?"

Last month, the legislative policy committee ordered the General Assembly's anti-human resources director to begin keeping track of the number and type of harassment complaints and how the complaints are resolved. Until that point, the office did not tally or analyze complaints. The committee also told the human resources director to provide an annual reporting of the data to the committee.

Earlier changes came in 2016, following harassment allegations against then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. At that time, the committee designated a male staffer to receive reports of harassment, in addition to a female staffer, and allowed witnesses - not just victims - to report. The committee also clarified that the legislature's anti-harassment policy applied to harassment of transgender individuals.

"We're trying to accommodate for everyone to bring their complaints forward and listen to both sides of the story," Busch said. "Hopefully people will have their opportunity to have their say . . . And if we find out that that's not working, we'll have to look into other areas to deal with it."
For the third year in a row, police nationwide shot and killed nearly 1,000 people, a grim annual tally that has persisted despite widespread public scrutiny of officers' use of fatal force.

Police fatally shot 987 people last year, or two dozen more than they killed in 2016, according to an ongoing Washington Post database project that tracks the fatal shootings. Since 2015, The Post has logged the details of 2,945 shooting deaths, culled from local news coverage, public records and social-media reports.

While many of the year-to-year patterns remain consistent, the number of unarmed black males killed in 2017 declined from two years ago. Last year, police killed 19, a figure tracking closely with the 17 killed in 2016. In 2015, police shot and killed 36 unarmed black males.

Experts said they are uncertain why the annual total shows little fluctuation - the number for 2017 is almost identical to the 995 killed by police in 2015.

Now Playing: A group of retired Tampa Police officers is bringing awareness to officer-involved shootings by reenacting the situations, and discussing the merit of the shootings, in a series of Youtube videos. Video: Fox 13 Tampa

Some believe the tally may correspond to the number of times police encounter people, an outcome of statistical probability. Other experts are exploring whether the number tracks with overall violence in American society.

"The numbers indicate that this is not a trend, but a robust measure of these shootings," said Geoff Alpert, a criminologist at the University of South Carolina who studies police use of force. "We now have information on almost 3,000 shootings, and we can start looking to provide the public with a better understanding of fatal officer-involved shootings."

National scrutiny of shootings by police began after an unarmed black teenager from a suburb of St. Louis was fatally shot by a white police officer in August 2014. The death of 18-year-old Michael Brown sparked widespread protests, prompted a White House commission to call for reforms, galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement and led many police agencies across the nation to examine their use of deadly force.

The attention may have helped police reduce the number of unarmed people shot and killed each year, according to interviews with experts and police departments. Officers fatally shot 94 unarmed people in 2015, but that number has been lower in the past two years, with 51 killed in 2016 and 68 in 2017.

"The national spotlight on this issue has made officers more cautious in unarmed situations," said Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington-based think tank. Wexler also said that the training that his group developed for dozens of departments to de-escalate police encounters with civilians may be having an impact.

"We are giving officers more options like slowing the situation down and using time and distance to gain a tactical advantage," he said.

While the number of black males - armed and unarmed - who have been killed has fallen, black males continue to be shot at disproportionately high rates, the data shows.

Black males accounted for 22 percent of all people shot and killed in 2017, yet they are 6 percent of the total population. White males accounted for 44 percent of all fatal police shootings, and Hispanic males accounted for 18 percent.

Other patterns also held steady in 2017, according to The Post database.

Police again most frequently used fatal force after encountering people armed with knives or guns, killing 735, a number nearly identical to the 734 armed people and killed in 2015. The number was slightly lower in 2016, with 693 armed with either type of weapon.

White males continued to account for the largest group of people killed while armed with guns or knives, at 330 of those killed. Black males armed with guns or knives were fatally shot in 160 cases last year.

Mental health again played an outsize role in the shootings: 236 people, or nearly 1 in 4 of those shot, were described as experiencing some form of mental distress at the time of the encounter.

In the vast majority of those cases, 88 percent, the deceased people had wielded firearms or other weapons, including a machete, a sledge ax and a pitchfork.

In November, Oklahoma City resident Dustin Pigeon, 29, threatened to set himself ablaze. A police officer shot Pigeon five times after he refused to drop a lighter and lighter fluid, according to prosecutors. In an unusual outcome, prosecutors charged the officer with second-degree murder in the death of Pigeon, saying that Pigeon was unarmed and had posed no threat to the officer.

Mental-health advocates said they have been encouraged by the number of police departments that have created intervention teams to help people in mental distress but were dismayed at the persistence of the number killed.

"We call 911 for other medical emergencies and they bring specially trained medical technicians, but when it's a mental-health crisis, we send the police," said Ron Honberg, a senior policy adviser at the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a grass-roots mental health-care advocacy group.

Of all the people shot and killed by police in 2017, one of the youngest was 14-year-old Jason Pero from the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa. In November, Jason called 911 to report a man with a knife and then gave a description of himself. Holding a knife, Jason lunged at a sheriff's deputy, who shot and killed him, according to news reports.

The oldest person killed by police was 91-year-old Frank Wratny of Union Township, Pa., who was fatally shot in March after he confronted police with a gun at his home. Police were responding to a 911 call from a woman who said Wratny had fired at her, according to news reports.

Meanwhile, the number of police officers feloniously killed in the line of duty in 2017 stood at 46, a decline from the 66 recorded in 2016, according to the FBI.

Since the shooting of Brown, some police departments said they have made headway in efforts to reduce the number of people they fatally shoot.

In Los Angeles in 2015, the police department began to emphasize that officers should strive to preserve life in all encounters. Last year, the department began to award a preservation-of-life medal to an officer who makes great efforts to avoid a fatal shooting. The move was derided by local police unions.

Top managers in the department said they think it has made a difference: Last year, Los Angeles Police Department officers fatally shot 15 people, down from 18 in 2016 and 21 in 2015.

First Assistant Chief Michel Moore said the LAPD has provided officers with more training to emphasize de-escalation and has taken steps to hold officers more accountable.

"Our officers are in 1.5 million volatile encounters a year, so shooting someone is an incredibly rare event," Moore said. "Yet we pull each instance apart and see what factors might have played a role and train our officers to make that rare event even more rare."

For a third consecutive year, The Post documented more than twice the number of deadly shootings by police that were recorded on average annually by the FBI.

In response to the shooting data compiled by The Post and others, the FBI in 2015 promised to start better information gathering about all police encounters that lead to deaths. This month, the agency said it will launch the new nationwide data collection system.

But the new system will have some of the same limitations that has led the government to annually undercount by half the fatal police shootings. As before, data submissions under the new program will be voluntary.

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Ted Mellnik contributed to this report. Anthony is a fellow at the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University.
ISLAMABAD - Pakistani officials denounced the Trump administration's decision to suspend military aid Friday, decrying what they called "arbitrary deadlines" and "unilateral pronouncements," while members of the opposition called for retaliation.

In one of the harshest actions in years between the troubled allies, the Trump administration moved Thursday to block an estimated $1 billion in military assistance at the end of a week that began with the president accusing the Pakistanis of years of "lies & deceit."

State Department officials said they are holding back the aid as an incentive for Pakistan to take "decisive action" to rid its lands of terrorist safe havens. It also placed the country on a watch list of nations failing to protect religious freedom.

"Working toward enduring peace requires mutual respect and trust along with patience and persistence," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Arbitrary deadlines, unilateral pronouncements and shifting goal posts are counterproductive in addressing common threats."

In an interview Thursday with the Geo News channel, Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that the United States was now neither a friend nor ally, but "a friend who always betrays."

Pakistan's opposition, meanwhile, called for concrete actions to retaliate.

Opposition leader Imran Khan said Pakistan should "delink" itself from the United States after its humiliation "by an ungrateful Donald Trump." Khan has called for Pakistan to expel some U.S. diplomatic personnel and cut off supply routes for the U.S.-led coalition forces from the port city of Karachi to landlocked Afghanistan, as well as close its airspace to U.S. forces.

Analysts fear the escalating tension could have a long-standing impact on regional security and the United States' ongoing efforts in Afghanistan, where troop levels now stand at 14,000.

"There is little doubt that both are on a collision course and their bilateral relationship is set for a very rough ride, if back channel efforts are not made to address the U.S. concerns," said Vinay Kaura, an Indian security analyst.

The Trump administration's move came after what a senior State Department official called "numerous conversations" with the Pakistanis over several months, along with visits by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. The United States has repeatedly pressed the Pakistanis to do something about Taliban and Haqqani network militants operating inside Pakistan that launch attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan, officials said.

Much to the "immense" frustration of the United States, Pakistan continued to deny that there are terrorist safe havens in the country and that they have little leverage over them, the official said, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly.

"So they know exactly what it is that we've asked of them," the official added. "We cannot continue business as usual with the Pakistani government if they are not going to partner with us."

The tension between the two governments was evident during a meeting between Asif and national security adviser H.R. McMaster in October at the White House, Asif said in Thursday's TV interview.

McMaster, an Army lieutenant general who served in Afghanistan, has been a key driver of the Trump administration's efforts to strengthen its stance against Pakistan.

"I met McMaster and he told me that 'you make promises, but don't keep them and our trust level is quite low,' " Asif said. The foreign minister responded that his country had little trust in the United States as well. The meeting lasted for less than a half an hour, he said.

The State Department also announced Thursday that it was placing Pakistan on a watch list of countries failing to protect religious freedom, a modest gesture that fell short of the more severe designation "Countries of Particular Concern" accorded to nations such as North Korea and Iran.

On Friday, Pakistan's foreign ministry rejected the designation, saying it was not based on objective criteria.

Officials have said the designation was due to harassment of religious minorities and tolerance of violence centering on its blasphemy law.

Pakistan and the United States settled into an uneasy alliance after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, with Pakistan arresting al-Qaida operatives and allowing drone attacks inside its airspace. But the relationship has grown more contentious since 2011, when U.S. Special Forces killed Osama bin Laden in a raid in the military garrison town of Abbottabad.

The United States has given Pakistan more than $20 billion in reimbursements and military assistance since 2002, but that aid has diminished over the years, to the point that Pakistani officials have insisted that its suspension will have minimal impact.

A senior administration official said the total amount of military aid being suspended is about $2 billion, including $900 million in Coalition Support Funds designated to reimburse Pakistan for fighting militants.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules for briefing reporters, said the administration hopes the suspension will convince Pakistan that it must crack down on the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network militants that find sanctuary in Pakistan while they plot and prepare for attacks in neighboring Afghanistan. The official said the suspension was born of frustration with watching Pakistan mount operations against militants hostile to Pakistan, but offer safe haven to groups that attack Americans.

"The suspension is arguably more significant as a signal of Washington's discontent than as an act of financial deprivation," said Joshua White, an Asia analyst who was director of South Asian affairs at the National Security Council during the Obama years.

"The Trump administration has likely sketched out an escalation strategy, and would be wise to pause after Thursday's announcement to give Pakistan the opportunity to quietly address U.S. concerns."

- - -

The Washington Post's Carol Morello contributed to this report from Washington. Gowen reported from New Delhi.
BEIRUT - The sudden eruption of political unrest in Iran has presented an unforeseen challenge to Tehran's ascendant influence in the Middle East, potentially threatening Iran's claims to regional hegemony just when it seemed to have secured an unassailable role.

The demonstrations, triggered mostly by popular disaffection with the stagnant economy, come at a time when Iran has been boasting about its newfound clout, won mainly by intervening in the region's many wars.

Iran's role as the Middle East's most consequential power has been cemented by its support for President Bashar Assad in Syria, for the Shiite militias in Iraq fighting the Islamic State, for the Houthi rebels in Yemen and for the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.

But the interventions have been costly and, as the demonstrations have revealed, unpopular - at least with some Iranians.

"No Gaza, no Lebanon, our lives for Iran," the crowds chanted at one of the first demonstrations, a reference to Iranian support for the Palestinian Hamas movement in Gaza and for Hezbollah in Lebanon. "Leave Syria alone, think about us," and "Death to Hezbollah" are among the other slogans.

These are a reminder that Iran's power plays in the region have come at a price, according to Mohamad Bazzi, a professor of journalism at New York University who is writing a book about Iran's role in the region and its rivalry with Saudi Arabia.

"For the past few months, if not years, Iran has been viewed as ascendant. They've been, quote, winning in the Middle East," he said. "And now we find out Iranians don't approve of their government spending all this money in places like Lebanon and Syria."

With anti-government protests appearing to fade Thursday, there is no reason to anticipate any immediate changes to Iranian policies, either foreign or domestic. For a second straight day, the authorities organized pro-government demonstrations in numerous Iranian cities, seeking to underline the message that the anti-government protesters represented only a tiny minority of Iranians and had been instigated by Iran's foreign enemies: notably the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The spread of the anti-government protests over the past week nonetheless suggest a level of domestic unhappiness that calls into question whether Tehran's regional ambitions can be sustained, said Fawaz Gerges, professor of Middle East politics at the London School of Economics.

"Before the protests, you had this dominant narrative that Iran is unstoppable, Iran is undefeatable, Iran is as solid as a rock," he said. "The protests have undermined the posture of the Islamic Republic in the region, as the unrivaled superpower."

"Thousands of protesters have exposed a major rupture in Iranian society, not just between reformists and ultraconservatives but between a critical segment of Iranian public opinion and the leadership," he said. "This is really why this particular moment matters a great deal."

Exactly how much Iran has spent on its foreign interventions is unknown, said Sanam Vakil, who studies Iran at London's Chatham House think tank. One of the triggers for the demonstrations, she said, appears to have been the recent unveiling of the country's 2018 budget by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. It featured, among other unpopular items, a big jump in funding for the powerful Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), to about around $8 billion - almost two-thirds of the defense budget, according to Iranian news reports.

The IRGC oversees the Quds Force, labeled a terrorist organization by the United States, which has overall responsibility for promoting Iran's vision of revolutionary Shiite Islam in the region. The group is commanded by the legendary warrior Qassem Soleimani, who has repeatedly been pictured at the front lines of the region's wars in photographs on Instagram and Twitter. This strategic portrayal broadcasts Iranian influence on the outcome of battles from Aleppo in Syria to the small town of Jurf al-Sakhar south of Baghdad.

The IRGC also controls extensive business interests that amplify its income while obscuring the true cost of Iran's foreign interventions, Vakil said. "A lot of money is spent that is not accountable. It's a black box and the government doesn't publicize it."

The budget featured big sums for some of Iran's religious foundations, and the protests appeared to be rooted as much in resentment over local issues, such as corruption and income inequality, as in specific concerns about the country's foreign interventions.

But there is no question that Iran's expenditure of billions of dollars on other countries' wars clashes with the reality of dwindling living standards in Iran, said Alireza Nader of the Rand Corp.

"They're completely overstretched," he said of the Iranian government. "On the surface they seem to be doing pretty well and winning these conflicts, but they're spending money they don't have."

Iran's leadership has until now seemed oblivious to any potential contradiction between its role in fighting the region's wars and its standing with ordinary citizens. Rather, leaders have repeatedly trumpeted the gains they have made.

The surprise challenge to Iran's role could trigger a shift in perceptions even if there is no immediate policy change, said Paul Salem of the Middle East Institute in Washington. "This will make Iran's allies and proxies nervous and feeling vulnerable."

In comments aimed at reassuring Hezbollah's supporters in Lebanon, the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah told the Lebanese television network al-Mayadeen on Wednesday that there is no reason to fear a loss of Iranian funding. Even if Iran were to find itself unable to continue funding Hezbollah, he added, ordinary Iranians would dig into their pockets to do so.

"There is nothing to worry about," he said. "The size of the protests is not large."

The size of the protests may matter less, however, than the issues the protesters have raised, Gerges said: "They have exposed the fragility of the Islamic Republic."

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The Washington Post's Suzan Haidamous contributed from Beirut.
WASHINGTON - The Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee recommended Friday that the Justice Department investigate for possible criminal charges the author of the now-famous dossier alleging the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin during the 2016 election.

The move by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, marks a major escalation in conservatives' challenges to the FBI's credibility as the agency investigates whether any Donald Trump associates committed crimes. Another Republican, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., joined in the letter to the Justice Department.

Their letter makes what is called a criminal referral to the Justice Department, suggesting it investigate the dossier's author, former British spy Christopher Steele, for possibly lying to the FBI. It is a crime to lie to FBI agents about a material fact relevant to an ongoing investigation.

The letter says Steele may have lied to the FBI "regarding his distribution of information contained in the dossier."In response to a lawsuit filed in London, Steele has said he had off-the-record conversations with a handful of news organizations during that period, including The Washington Post. It was not immediately clear how conversations with reporters might be materially relevant to the investigation the FBI was conducting.

The move by Grassley and Graham was viewed skeptically by some Democrats and Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, as well as experts in criminal law.

Steele's role has become a matter of increasingly heated debate, with the White House and Republicans on Capitol Hill suggesting his reports were biased, since he was hired with money that ultimately came from the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

Steele's allegations - in addition to other information, including intelligence intercepts and an Australian diplomat's account of a conversation with a Trump adviser in a London wine bar - prompted the FBI to open a counterintelligence investigation into Trump associates in July 2016, according to current and former officials. The Australian warning was first reported by the New York Times.

That investigation has since expanded into a special-counsel probe by Robert Mueller III, whose work has led to indictments of two former Trump campaign officials, as well as guilty pleas and cooperation deals from two others. As the Russia probe has heated up, some Republicans have amplified their attacks on Steele's dossier, contending it was a weapon in a political smear campaign they claim was aided by the FBI.

Steele did not respond to a request for comment. But a lawyer for the consulting firm that hired him, Fusion GPS, had a strong reaction.

"After a year of investigations into Donald Trump's ties to Russia, the only person Republicans seek to accuse of wrongdoing is one who reported on these matters to law enforcement in the first place," the lawyer, Joshua Levy, said in a statement. "Publicizing a criminal referral based on classified information raises serious questions about whether this letter is nothing more than another attempt to discredit government sources, in the midst of an ongoing criminal investigation. We should all be skeptical in the extreme."

A veteran prosecutor, Peter Zeidenberg, said he had never heard of anything like the Grassley-Graham complaint and labeled it "nonsense" designed to detract from ongoing inquiries into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

"The FBI doesn't need any prompting from politicians to prosecute people who have lied to them," said Zeidenberg, a federal prosecutor for 17 years. While members of Congress make criminal referrals from time to time, they are usually related to independent congressional investigations, not to material already known to the FBI. "They should stay in their lane," Zeidenberg said of the Grassley-Graham effort.

Another former federal prosecutor, Justin Dillon, said it was too early to assume the letter was simply a political attack. "Given that we don't know what the basis for the referral is, it seems premature to simply assume it was partisan," Dillon said. "I do find it hard to believe that Grassley and Graham would just make this up out of whole cloth."

Grassley said in a statement Friday, "If we see what appears to be credible evidence of a violation that should be further investigated based on information from any source, public or non-public, we are going to formally notify the department."

The top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said she and other Democrats had not been consulted about the request for a criminal inquiry.

"This referral is unfortunate," Feinstein said in a statement. "It's clearly another effort to deflect attention from what should be the committee's top priority: determining whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the election and whether there was subsequent obstruction of justice."

One Republican aide familiar with Judiciary Committee operations said: "It's pretty clear that Grassley and Graham are interested in carrying water for the White House, but that is not reflective of the whole committee. There are members of Judiciary who are upset with Senator Grassley for carrying it so close to the vest." The aide asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Steele was a senior intelligence officer monitoring the Kremlin for Britain's intelligence service, MI6, before he left the agency and established a consulting firm, Orbis. In that role, he worked for a range of clients, including law firms and Fusion GPS.

The dossier is a compilation of reports he wrote for Fusion GPS between June and late October 2016, plus a final report in December, after the election. Among other things, the dossier alleged that the Russian government collected compromising information about Trump and that the Kremlin was engaged in an effort to assist his campaign for president.

U.S. intelligence agencies later released a public assessment asserting that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to aid Trump. The FBI has been investigating whether Trump associates helped the Russians in that effort.

Trump has vigorously denied the allegations in the dossier and has called the FBI probe a witch hunt.
The United States will suspend most of its security assistance to Pakistan, the State Department said Thursday, signaling the Trump administration's intent to force the country to eliminate militant safe havens.

The announcement from the State Department came just days after President Donald Trump lashed out in his first tweet of the new year, saying Pakistan had repaid years of generous U.S. aid with "nothing but lies & deceit," a claim that Pakistani leaders labeled "completely incomprehensible."

Unveiling the new measure in a news briefing, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the suspension would remain in effect until Pakistan takes "decisive action" against the Taliban and Haqqani network, militant groups blamed for stoking violence in Afghanistan and prolonging a conflict that has become America's longest war.

"No partnership can survive a country's harboring of militants and terrorists who target U.S. service members and officials," Nauert said.

Officials acknowledged that the suspension, which follows a previous decision to freeze $255 million in military aid, will have a mostly symbolic effect in the near term. But it is certain to accelerate a downward trajectory in a fragile anti-terror allegiance forged after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Even by the standard of the tumultuous U.S.-Pakistan relationship, the brewing feud is unusually serious, with the potential to trigger a breakdown in ties that could threaten cooperation on intelligence, nuclear safety and the war in Afghanistan.

Also Thursday, the State Department announced that it had placed Pakistan on a "watch list" of countries seen as failing to protect religious freedom, a modest step that nevertheless symbolizes waning U.S. patience.

Moeed Yusuf, a Pakistan scholar at the U.S. Institute of Peace, said Pakistani officials will be bracing for additional punitive measures from Washington but will be unlikely to take significant action against groups with deep ties in Pakistan.

"The problem is that Pakistan is more likely to call it quits than do what the U.S. wants," he said. "It is difficult to overstate just how deeply antithetical to its self-perceived interests Pakistan sees the U.S. South Asia policy."

While Pakistan at times has figured as a valued counterterrorism partner, helping to detain key 9/11 suspects and enabling U.S. drone strikes, it also has been one of the most problematic for American policymakers.

U.S. officials believe Pakistan has allowed the Taliban's reclusive leadership, along with members of the Haqqani network, an aggressive Taliban offshoot, to shelter within its borders, fueling a war that has claimed over 2,000 American lives and consumed massive U.S. resources over 16 years.

Pakistani leaders deny those claims, saying that militants in Afghanistan launch cross-border attacks of their own and chiding the United States for failing to recognize their efforts to curb militant groups. They attribute poor governance and corruption in Afghanistan for a conflict that prompted Trump to authorize additional U.S. troops.

"We don't think you can explain away the whole Afghanistan imbroglio just by putting blame on Pakistan," Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Pakistan's ambassador in Washington, said in a recent interview.

Thursday's announcement follows months of deliberations, led by senior Trump administration officials known for taking a hard line on Pakistan, about a range of punitive measures, including cutting aid and potentially withdrawing Pakistan's status as a major non-NATO ally.

"They know exactly what it is we've asked of them," a State Department official said, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. "This is one step to indicate we cannot do business as usual."

The United States has provided Pakistan with more than $20 billion in security assistance and military reimbursements since fiscal 2002, much of that going to U.S.-manufactured hardware and funding for Pakistan's counterterrorism activities. But aid flows have subsided in recent years, suggesting that this week's decision - which eventually could result in Pakistan losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars - is unlikely to have the impact it once would have.

Speaking before Thursday's announcement, Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor, a Pakistani military spokesman, told the Geo news channel that while Pakistan still considers the United States an ally, "no amount of coercion can dictate us how to continue."

Pakistan's increasingly close ties with China - including a new development deal worth more than $62 billion for infrastructure and energy projects - might help soften the blow of censure from the United States.

"Trusted, friendly countries will support us at this critical time," said Mahmood Shah, a Peshawar-based former Army brigadier who is now a defense analyst.

Discussions about Pakistan are led by national security adviser H.R. McMaster, who appears to share the concerns of other senior officers who served in Afghanistan, and Lisa Curtis, a Pakistan expert who has argued that the United States should pressure Pakistan to curtail arms exports into Afghanistan, expel Taliban leaders and seize their assets.

If Pakistan does not act against militants, the Trump administration could also consider imposing sanctions, increasing the tempo of drone strikes outside of tribal areas or withholding backing for Pakistan at global financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Experts have warned that additional U.S. measures might prompt Pakistan to take retaliatory action of its own, possibly including closing road routes and airspace the United States relies on to support its campaign in landlocked Afghanistan.

In 2011, Pakistan suspended access to those routes after U.S. aircraft killed more than two dozen Pakistani military personnel along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton later apologized for the incident.

It was one in a series of crises during a turbulent year in which Pakistan curtailed intelligence cooperation following the arrest of a CIA contractor and the secret U.S. raid that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

According to Sameer Lalwani, a senior associate at the Stimson Center, Pakistan might also suspend cooperation on safeguarding its nuclear program or sharing intelligence regarding militants in Pakistan or the Pakistani diaspora in the West.

"They have a lot of arrows in their quiver as well," Lalwani said. "The worry is if we start going in this tit-for-tat cycle."

The nationalist instinct that characterized the response to Trump's tweet may grow stronger as Pakistani politicians react to the suspension of aid and position themselves ahead of elections expected this summer.

U.S. officials noted that the aid suspension could be reversed if they assess Pakistan has taken sufficient action, for example detaining militants. "Our hope is that Pakistan will understand our seriousnessness," the official said. "That they appreciate the valued of this relationship . . . and look at what additional they can do to address our requests."

Laurel Miller, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation who was a top State Department official until last year, cautioned that the desire to squeeze Pakistan, while understandable, might backfire.

"A punitive and shaming approach is unlikely to elicit greater cooperation from the Pakistanis because experience shows that when cornered their inclination is to dig in rather than to find some new accommodation," she said.

- - -

Gowen reported from New Delhi. Shaiq Hussain in Islamabad, Pakistan, Haq Nawaz Khan in Peshawar, Paksitan, and Julie Tate and Karoun Demirjian in Washington contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump gave firm instructions in March to the White House's top lawyer: stop the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, from recusing himself in the Justice Department's investigation into whether Trump's associates had helped a Russian campaign to disrupt the 2016 election.

Public pressure was building for Sessions, who had been a senior member of the Trump campaign, to step aside. But the White House counsel, Donald McGahn, carried out the president's orders and lobbied Sessions to remain in charge of the inquiry, according to two people with knowledge of the episode.

McGahn was unsuccessful, and the president erupted in anger in front of numerous White House officials, saying he needed his attorney general to protect him. Trump said he had expected his top law enforcement official to safeguard him the way he believed Robert F. Kennedy, as attorney general, had done for his brother John F. Kennedy and Eric H. Holder Jr. had for Barack Obama.

Trump then asked, "Where's my Roy Cohn?"

He was referring to his former personal lawyer and fixer, who had been Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy's top aide during the investigations into communist activity in the 1950s and died in 1986.

The lobbying of Sessions is one of several previously unreported episodes that the special counsel, Robert Mueller, has learned about as he investigates whether Trump obstructed the FBI's Russia inquiry. The events occurred during a two-month period - from when Sessions recused himself in March until the appointment of Mueller in May - when Trump believed he was losing control over the investigation.

Among the other episodes, Trump described the Russia investigation as "fabricated and politically motivated" in a letter that he intended to send to the FBI director at the time, James B. Comey, but that White House aides stopped him from sending. Mueller has also substantiated claims Comey made in a series of memos describing troubling interactions with the president before he was fired in May.

The special counsel has received handwritten notes from Trump's former chief of staff, Reince Priebus, showing that Trump talked to Priebus about how he had called Comey to urge him to say publicly that he was not under investigation. The president's determination to fire Comey even led one White House lawyer to take the extraordinary step of misleading Trump about whether he had the authority to remove him.

The New York Times has also learned that four days before Comey was fired, one of Sessions' aides asked a congressional staff member whether he had damaging information about Comey, part of an apparent effort to undermine the FBI director. It was not clear whether Mueller's investigators knew about this incident.

President has cooperated

Trump's lawyers have said the president has fully cooperated with the investigation, and they have expressed confidence that the inquiry will soon be coming to a close. They said they believed the president would be exonerated, and that they hoped to have that conclusion made public.

Legal experts said that of the two primary issues Mueller appears to be investigating - whether Trump obstructed justice while in office and whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia - there is a larger body of public evidence tying the president to a possible crime of obstruction.

But the experts are divided about whether the accumulated evidence is enough for Mueller to bring an obstruction case. They said it could be difficult to prove the president, who has broad authority over the executive branch, including the hiring and firing of officials, had corrupt intentions when he took actions like ousting the FBI director.

Some experts said the case would be stronger if there was evidence the president had told witnesses to lie under oath.

The accounts of the episodes are based on documents reviewed by the Times, as well as interviews with White House officials and others briefed on the investigation.

They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified discussing a continuing investigation.

Regardless of whether Mueller believes there is enough evidence to make a case against the president, Trump's belief that his attorney general should protect him provides an important window into how he governs. Presidents have had close relationships with their attorneys general, but Trump's obsession with loyalty is particularly unusual, especially given the Justice Department's investigation into him and his associates.

A lawyer's gambit

In late February, Sessions decided to take the advice of career Justice Department lawyers and recuse himself from the Russia investigation.

The pressure to make that decision public grew days later when the Washington Post reported Sessions had met during the presidential campaign with Russia's ambassador to the United States. The disclosure raised questions about whether Sessions had misled Congress weeks earlier during his confirmation hearing, when he told lawmakers he had not met with Russians during the campaign.

Trump's frustrations with the inquiry erupted again about three weeks later, when Comey said publicly for the first time that the Justice Department and the FBI were conducting an investigation into links between Trump's campaign and Russia. Comey had told Trump in private that he was not personally under investigation, yet Comey infuriated Trump by refusing to answer a question about that at the hearing where he spoke publicly.

After that hearing, Trump began to discuss openly with White House officials his desire to fire Comey. This unnerved some inside the White House counsel's office, and even led one of McGahn's deputies to mislead the president about his authority to fire the FBI director.

The lawyer, Uttam Dhillon, was convinced that if Comey were fired, the Trump presidency could be imperiled, because it would force the Justice Department to open an investigation into whether Trump was trying to derail the Russia investigation.

The attempts to stop Trump from firing Comey were successful until May 3, when the FBI director once again testified on Capitol Hill. He spent much of the time describing a series of decisions he had made during the bureau's investigation into Hillary Clinton's personal email account.

Once again, Comey refused to answer questions from lawmakers about whether Trump was under investigation.

Sessions under attack

White House aides gave updates to Trump throughout, informing him of Comey's refusal to publicly clear him. Trump unloaded on Sessions, who was at the White House that day. He criticized him for recusing himself from the Russia investigation, questioned his loyalty, and said he wanted to get rid of Comey. He repeated the refrain that the attorneys general for Kennedy and Obama had protected the White House.

Two days after Comey's testimony, an aide to Sessions approached a Capitol Hill staff member asking whether the staffer had any derogatory information about the FBI director. The attorney general wanted one negative article a day in the media about Comey, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said the incident did not occur.

"This did not happen and would not happen," said the spokeswoman, Sarah Isgur Flores. "Plain and simple."

Earlier that day, Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, had pulled one of McGahn's deputies aside after a meeting at the Justice Department. Rosenstein told the aide that top White House and Justice Department lawyers needed to discuss Comey's future. It is unclear whether this conversation was related to the effort to dig up dirt on Comey.

Trump spent the next weekend at his country club in Bedminster, N.J., where he watched a recording of Comey's testimony, stewed about the FBI director and discussed the possibility of dismissing him with his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his senior policy adviser, Stephen Miller. He had decided he would fire Comey, and asked Miller to help put together a letter the president intended to send to Comey.

Plans to fire Comey

In interviews with the Times, White House officials have said the letter contained no references to Russia or the FBI's investigation. But according to two people who have read it, the letter's first sentence said the Russia investigation had been "fabricated and politically motivated."

On May 8, Trump met with Sessions and Rosenstein to discuss firing Comey, and Rosenstein agreed to write his own memo outlining why Comey should be fired. Before writing it, he took a copy of the letter Trump and Miller had drafted during the weekend in Bedminster.

The president fired Comey the following day.

A week later, the Times reported that Trump had asked Comey in February to shut down the federal investigation into Michael T. Flynn, who at the time was the national security adviser. The following day, Rosenstein announced that he had appointed Mueller as special counsel.

Once again, Trump erupted at Sessions upon hearing the news. In an Oval Office meeting, the president said the attorney general had been disloyal for recusing himself from the Russia investigation, and he told Sessions to resign.

Sessions sent his resignation letter to the president the following day. But Trump rejected it, sending it back with a handwritten note at the top.

"Not accepted," the note said.
WASHINGTON - The Trump administration freed federal prosecutors Thursday to more aggressively enforce marijuana laws, effectively threatening to undermine the legalization movement that has spread to six states, most recently California.

In a move that raised doubts about the viability and growth of the burgeoning commercial marijuana industry, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded an Obama-era policy that had discouraged federal prosecutors from bringing charges of marijuana-related crimes in states that have legalized sales of the drug.

In a statement, Sessions said the Obama-era guidance undermined "the rule of law" and the Justice Department's mission to enforce federal statutes.

"Today's memo on federal marijuana enforcement simply directs all U.S. attorneys to use previously established prosecutorial principles that provide them all the necessary tools to disrupt criminal organizations, tackle the growing drug crisis, and thwart violent crime across our country," he said.

In a briefing with reporters, Justice Department officials refused to say whether they intended for federal prosecutors to carry out a federal crackdown on marijuana dispensaries, or whether the Trump administration was merely creating ambiguity to chill growth of the semi-legal commercial marijuana industry.

URGING CAUTION: Cannabis stocks sink as Sessions reverses course on pot prosecution

But the move seemed certain to increase the confusion surrounding whether it is legal to sell, buy or possess marijuana in the United States.

Federal law has long prohibited those activities, and in 2013, after voters in Colorado and Washington state voted to decriminalize marijuana for recreational use, the Justice Department deliberated about how to handle the resulting disconnect between state and federal law.

California began allowing the sale of recreational marijuana Monday, joining Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Nevada. Massachusetts and possibly Maine are expected to begin sales this year.

Several lawmakers representing states that have legalized marijuana reacted angrily to the news. Among them, Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., accused Sessions of violating promises he had made and threatened retaliation.

"This reported action directly contradicts what Attorney General Sessions told me prior to his confirmation. With no prior notice to Congress, the Justice Department has trampled on the will of the voters in CO and other states," Gardner wrote on Twitter, adding: "I am prepared to take all steps necessary, including holding DOJ nominees, until the Attorney General lives up to the commitment he made to me prior to his confirmation."
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WASHINGTON  Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, joining other GOP congressional leaders Friday at Maryland's Camp David presidential retreat, said Republicans will have little choice but to work with Democrats in 2018 to move their agenda forward.

"Obviously the biggest challenge we have is now in the Senate, we have 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats," he said in a Fox News interview. "There is no way of getting things done this year without bipartisan support. But I think there are clearly some areas where we can work together."
It should not come as a surprise. We certainly have had enough hints that U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was planning on repealing the Obama administrations 2013 hands-off policy  known as the Cole memo  regarding enforcement of federal marijuana laws in states where recreational use is legal. That covers eight states and the District of Columbia. The most recent convert is California, which legalized recreational marijuana use Jan. 1.

Here is the bottom line: The criminal justice response to drug use has failed. And Sessions repeal of the Cole memo is simply another page from that tired old playbook that has no basis in fact.

Sessions has a long history of concerns about marijuana. As attorney general of Alabama in 1996, he supported a mandatory death penalty bill for a second conviction for marijuana trafficking (including marijuana dealing). He has since made no secret that he is dubious about marijuana, that good people dont smoke marijuana, and that it is a very real danger.

Scientific evidence does not appear to be a high priority for Sessions or the Trump administration.

So we either just say no, or we ramp up the war on drugs. How well have those approaches worked in the past? Not well.

Prior to the announcement about repeal of the Cole memo, the key drug policy initiative has been to require U.S. attorneys to charge the most serious offense in federal drug cases, with the goal being the maximization of punishment. It is obvious that the only response that the Trump administration has to drug use is punishment. It seems they have not seen the memo that reports that the recidivism rate of drug offenders is 77 percent.

I want to be clear. I am not a marijuana advocate. I dont really have an opinion about whether someone should use marijuana recreationally, just as I dont have a position on recreational use of alcohol. I would add, however, that there are potential harms associated with any substance use, harms that include abuse, dependence and addiction, and a variety of behavioral and physical health implications.

One issue opponents of marijuana legalization, including Sessions, claim is that marijuana is a gateway drug, meaning it leads to the use of harder drugs such as crack or heroin. The evidence they cite is that among users of harder drugs, the majority used marijuana at some point. What they fail to appreciate is that the gateway argument also requires that among marijuana users, the majority of them use harder drugs. That is not the case, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a branch of the National Institutes of Health.

In 2015, 1.6 million people were arrested on drug charges, and nearly half of those were for possession of marijuana. The war on drugs is alive and well despite the fact that the vast majority of experts and the majority of the public have concluded it is a dismal failure. In fact, a recent poll from the Pew Research Center indicates that nearly three-quarters believe that the government should provide treatment for people who have drug problems rather than prosecuting them for drug use. Moreover, between 55 percent and 65 percent believe marijuana should be legalized.

Of course, Sessions does have an explanation for why public opinion supports a different course of action for the drug problem: I do believe  that the public is not properly educated on some of the issues related to marijuana.

Simply put, the criminal justice response does not work. Legalization takes the cartels out of the marijuana business (a good thing), provides revenue to states (a good thing), and keeps hundreds of thousands of individuals out of the criminal justice system (a good thing).

If we are concerned about the fact that people use marijuana, or that some users will eventually abuse it and thus develop substance use disorders, federal enforcement will help neither of these concerns. Drug abuse is a medical disorder that requires a public health response. Sessions ought to keep that in mind.

William R. Kelly is a professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Austin.
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The Bexar County community needs to rally around efforts to help Brooke Army Medical Centers maintain its emergency medicine mission.

Plans under consideration by possibly two hospital systems to add trauma centers to their San Antonio operations have local Army officials worried.

Although spokeswomen for the Methodist Healthcare and Baptist Health System tell the Express-News no decisions have been made on creating new trauma centers, local military officials are concerned.

Brig. Gen. Jeff Johnson, BAMCs top commander, recently went before the San Antonio City Council to discuss the impact new trauma centers could have on the military presence in San Antonio.

RELATED: Army, council agree: New area trauma centers would threaten BAMC's mission

He is worried that expansion of trauma center services in the community would result in fewer emergency room patients at BAMC and that would undercut the centers medical training mission.

One would think that more is better. But there are actually studies that have demonstrated that, in the business of trauma, more is not better. You need a certain number of repetitions to maintain your competency. If you lose that volume, your quality goes down, Johnson told Texas Public Radio.

BAMC is the only Level I trauma center in the Department of Defense system, and it provides training for doctors sent to combat zones. It is one of only two Level I trauma centers in Bexar County. University Health System operates the other.

Together, the two centers provide care for trauma patients in a 22-county area surrounding Bexar County. In 2016, BAMC cared for 2,776 trauma patients, 85 percent were civilian. University Hospital handled 4,366 trauma patients during that same time.

The City Council passed a resolution at its Dec. 14 meeting supporting BAMCs mission, and several council members voiced opposition to the creation of any additional trauma centers in San Antonio.

Chief among the concerns is that a reduction of emergency room visits could prompt a Military Health System review that could result in the relocation of some of the work being done here.

The military hospital depends on civilian patients to maintain its status as a Level I trauma center. Any level of trauma center, even a scaled-down Level II one without an education and research component, would divert patients from BAMC.

When two new such facilities opened in Austin, a Level I trauma center there suffered a 45 percent drop in patients, Johnson said.

RELATED: List ranks the best hospitals in the San Antonio area

The military is an integral part of our community. It always has been. At one time, San Antonio was home to four Air Force bases, along with Fort Sam Houston. Today, more than 100,000 veterans reside in Bexar County. The annual economic impact from the military is estimated at $49 billion by the state comptroller.

The federal government and local taxpayers have invested billions of dollars in the citys two trauma centers.

The 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission dramatically changed the military medical services landscape in Bexar County. There was $724 million spent on an eight-story medical tower with a helipad, a new 5,000-space parking garage and renovation of existing facilities at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.

Another $750 million was spent on a Medical Education & Training Campus for use in the training of Air Force, Army and Navy medics.

During that time, Bexar County commissioners approved the use of certificates of obligation to fund a $900 million expansion and renovation for the hospital district operated by the University Health System. The certificates did not require voter approval, but they necessitate a tax increase. None of this money goes to BAMC.

The regional learning collaborative established at San Antonio offers a template for the rest of the nation to emulate, demonstrating in practice how the integration of military and civilian systems betters trauma care for the nation as a whole, according to a recent National Academies of Science report.

As Military City, USA, we must vigorously protect our investments. To any hospitals contemplating additional trauma centers for the community: Please consider carefully.
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Ray Lynch, dubbed the King of Neon, rules his tiny garage-like shop with an artistic flare that leaves his art pieces and his customers glowing.

Lynch has been lighting up the neon industry for 25 years. He learned "tube bending"  a term used for the precise form of glass blowing neon artists do  at the Ed Waldrum School of Neon in Irving after meeting and being inspired by Cathy Cunningham, a premiere neon fabricator in San Antonio.

Looking for somewhere to learn the guild, Lynch looked around at several glass houses, only to find the art was a lot harder to break into than he had originally thought.

"I went to Dallas, Texas, where I met a gentleman named Ed Waldrum of the Ed Waldrum School of Neon," Lynch said. "Ed would make a bend, show me a bend, then say 'Make 300 of them and come get me. I'm watching TV.' "

Lynch has worked in the craft full time on and off throughout the past quarter of a century; however, the demand for neon has dramatically decreased since the 1990s, when LEDs became the primary form of lighting business signs.

"Overnight, the neon industry was gutted," he said. "It's very sad."

Lynch said he now has the last neon shop in San Antonio at a business address and that the viability of commercial neon has all but gone  making it more of a luxury form of art now.

Because of this, Lynch also has a day job working as an account executive for a large sign company that installs signs for national accounts.

"We basically get 18-wheelers full of signs and go out to big box retailers or restaurateurs and install those sign packages for them," Lynch said.

Lynch said although his small neon business and day business may seem like competing companies, they are not  their demand comes from two completely different populations.

"They're on two completely different ends of the spectrum. They never meet," Lynch said.

Lynch said his favorite neon art pieces he's made are ironic and playful, and he enjoys experimenting with word play.

"Words that change  like, I did a project that said, 'Believe in hope and change,' and most people don't realize that the word 'lie' is buried within the word 'believe' so the sign would turn off but leave the word 'lie,' so I like to a lot of tongue-in-cheek text-based art," he said.

Overall, Lynch said, he loves what he does.

"If people really want to know about me, I love making neon and I really love the look on people's face when I hand them something that they drew and they take home with them."

For more about Ray Lynch or to request a custom neon piece, contact him at his website at http://www.kingofneon.com/ray-lynch/.
Islamabad : Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif today alleged that US President Donald Trumps recent remarks against his country showed that he was "talking in the language of India". Briefing the Parliamentary Committee on National Security about tension between Pakistan and the US following Trumps remarks, Asif said the US is making Islamabad a scapegoat for its failure in Afghanistan. Trump had accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" in return for USD 33 billion aid.

Sources privy to the discussion in the meeting said Asif told lawmakers, "Trump was speaking in the language of India." "The statements from the US leaders are contrary to the facts," Asif said. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who heads the body, told the media after the meeting that there should be "balanced response" to the statements from the US.

"The countrys dignity should be maintained, while engaging with the US," he said. He said the committee has decided to reconvene next week for a briefing by security agencies. The closed-door meeting came at the heels of a high-level National Security Committee meet and the cabinet meeting earlier this week. PTI
STUART-The Patrick County Chamber of Commerce has elected new board members and officers for 2018.

They are Matilda Hunsicker, Debbe Noonkester, Deborah Smith, Elsie Stanley, Sarah Wray and Dr. Cyndi Williams. Each new board member will serve a three-year term.

Hunsicker is the owner of the shop Mattie Bs. She grew up in Louisiana, attended schools in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and has lived in several other cities. She and husband of 37 years, Bucky, moved to the area in 1997 when he became the pastor of Stuart Presbyterian Church. She opened Mattie Bs in 2012 as a booth in the former Grannys Attic and moved the shop to Main Street in May 2014.

Noonkester, along with her husband, Jay, is owner/operator of Windy Hill Orchards in Ararat. The couple started the Orchards 28 years ago on his family farm. The state-designated Century Farm offers pick-your-own apples, peaches, grapes and berries. The couple also produce fresh apple cider, jams, jellies and fruit butters. She is a regular vendor at the Stuart Farmers Market.

Smith is a Mortgage Loan Specialist with Carter Bank and Trust. The Florida native moved with her husband, Stephen, to the Moorefield Store area in 2006. She started with the bank in February 2007 and worked her way up through the company. Her new position covers Patrick, Henry and Carroll Counties.

Stanley has varied roles with her family business, Stanburn Winery in Patrick Springs, including that of assistant to the winemaker. She grew up on a farm in Floyd County. On weekends, she helped her grandparents make apple butter and molasses at Mabry Mill as part of the National Park Services interpretive work. She does the bookkeeping and accounting for the business of her husband, Nelson, Blue Ridge Plumbing Contractors in Patrick Springs. Before that, she was a dental assistant for 27 years.

Wray is an Assistant Program Coordinator for the Reynolds Homestead and the instructor and owner of Circles Around the Sun Yoga. She is a Patrick County native and lives in the county with her husband, Chris Prutting. They are organizers of One Family Productions, the sponsor of Front Porch Fest and the Stuart Christmas Parade.

Williams is the Assistant Superintendent of Instruction for Patrick County Public Schools, after holding various teaching and administrative positions in the school system for 26 years. She, her husband, Robbie, and their three daughters, Ginna, Beth, and Grace, all are graduates of Patrick County High School. She is a graduate of East Tennessee State University, Radford University and Virginia Tech. She also serves on the Stuart Park and Recreation Board and the Reynolds Homestead Advisory Board.

These new members will join current board members including: President Frank Fox, of Nancys Candy Company; Vice President Anna Lester, of Clark Gas and Oil; Treasurer Jeanette Filpi; Secretary Britt Williams, of Schneider and Williams, P.C.; Trinity Goad, of Poor Farmers Market; Chris Pruitting, of WHEO and One Family Productions; Terry Tilley, Manager Town of Stuart; and Stephanie Vipperman, Commonwealth Attorney.

Outgoing members are Brian Barnes, Terri Leviner and Erica Cipko.
MARTINSVILLE  Unless theyre training for the Iditarod, four-legged companions shouldnt be exposed to sub-freezing temperatures for more than a few minutes at a time.

In Martinsville and Henry County, temperatures have dipped to single digits this week, causing locals to pull out an extra blanket or two.

While people are conscious of their needs and can make adjustments accordingly, pets left out in the cold dont have the luxury of bumping up the heat in their doghouse or putting on an extra layer. They depend on humans to take their cold weather needs into consideration.

Catherine Gupton, director of donor relations at the SPCA of Martinsville-Henry County, urged community members to bring their pets inside.

Its really important to being them indoors when its this cold because theyre no more equipped to handle cold weather than we are, Gupton said. Very few breeds are actually really equipped for truly cold and below freezing temperatures.

While its okay for a pet to go out to use the restroom during the winter or go for a walk, the time spent outside should be brief when temperatures dip below freezing.

You really want to keep it as limited as possible, Gupton said. Short walks or short potty breaks should be 10 to 15 minutes. Then you should bring them inside again.

Even though a dog may appear to have a warm winter coat, there are other factors to take into consideration  like the exposed pads on their feet, which can dry up and crack just like a humans hands.

Wintery precipitation like freezing rain, snow, sleet and ice can also cause issues.

Youre looking at slippery conditions, Gupton said. They can hurt themselves just like we can.

The wet weather itself isnt the only hazard. Some of the solutions for icy stairs or slick roadways can cause more harm than good for pets.

A lot of products that get put down for ice and snow are not pet friendly, Gupton said. They can burn the pads of their paws. If they ingest them, they can cause internal issues.

Following the Code

While its best to bring pets indoors, there are certain circumstances that prevent some owners from doing so. Those who leave their animals outdoors must abide by the Code of Virginia in order to avoid consequences with the law.

For a pet to stay outdoors for an extended period of time, they must have adequate shelter that is suitable for the species, age, condition, size and type of each animal. The shelter  be it a doghouse, barn or other structure  must provide adequate space for each animal and should protect each animal from injury, precipitation, direct sunlight, extreme temperatures, physical suffering and impairment of health.

The structure should be appropriately lit and regularly cleaned. For dogs and cats, the outdoor home must be equipped with a solid surface  be it a platform, pad, floor mat or similar device  that is large enough for the animal to rest upon.

Providing a form of insulation in the winter is key to keeping pets warm in their outdoor quarters.

Generally if you have a doghouse, its recommended that its elevated slightly off of the ground and then lined with something like straw. Straws a little more effective than blankets or towels because it radiates their body heat back to them. Blankets and towels actually hold the body heat and it doesnt create that warming sensation, Gupton said. The straw needs to be changed on a regular basis so that it doesnt get wet or dirty.

For cats, a simple plastic storage bin or Styrofoam container with a base layer of straw placed on a covered porch can help shelter them from the elements.

If an animal has to stay outside in cold weather, its vitally important to ensure the availability of fresh water.

Animals can dehydrate very quickly in cold weather, which a lot of people dont think about. You think about them dehydrating in warm weather, but you dont always think about them dehydrating in cold weather  but they can very easily dehydrate in cold weather, Gupton said. Being able to keep regular water checks to make sure their waters not freezing is really important.

For pet owners who arent able to check an animals water every few hours, there are a couple of options to keep the water from turning to ice.

There are bowls that can be plugged in that will heat the bowl just enough to keep the water from freezing. There are also bowls that reflect solar heat that will keep them from freezing, Gupton said. If you cant do something like that, its generally recommended to have a bowl thats thicker and broader because that will help slow down the process of the freezing water.

While provisions can be made outdoors, bringing pets indoors in extreme weather conditions is the ideal option.

Just remember, if its too cold for you, its too cold for them, Gupton said.

To report cases of animal abuse or neglect relating to cold temperatures in Martinsville or Henry County, contact Animal Control at (276) 638-8751.

Amie Knowles reports for the Martinsville Bulletin. She can be reached at
Donald Trump welcomed the New Year in his own inimitable manner: surrounded by his social and political clan in the opulent surroundings of his exclusive Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, accompanied by a representative gathering of all segments of US society  from movie stars to billionaires.

It will be a fantastic 2018, Trump assured his guests, as he entered the gilded ballroom at Mar-a-Lago, accompanied by the fixed grin of first lady Melania Trump and the tailors dummy that passes for his son Barron, and predicted the stock market would continue to rise and businesses would come to the US at a rapid clip.

All this was music to the ears of his well-heeled guests who are slavering at the prospect of the juicy profits and tax cuts that their hero has so generously promised to deliver. It was a truly unforgettable scene that would not have been out of place in The Godfather.

The year 2017

Before we welcome the birth of the New Year, however, we first have a duty to bury the old one, after performing a rigorous autopsy on its corpse. I think that this year is probably the biggest year for political risk since the end of the World War II, stated Brian Klaas, fellow in Comparative Politics at London School of Economics, interviewed by CNBC in January of last year.

He was not far off the mark. Just think for a moment about the kind of upsets that have occurred in the last 12 months. The year that has just passed into history saw yet another series of political earthquakes. And, despite the confident crowing of the latest occupant of the White House, the year 2018 is unlikely to be any easier for world capitalism.

Trotsky once described theory as the superiority of foresight over astonishment. But the year 2017 saw a great deal of astonishment, and not least among the so-called experts of the bourgeoisie. 12 months ago, who would have thought that the British Conservatives would do so badly in a general election, which they entered with a 20 point lead over Labour; and the unelectable Jeremy Corbyn would end the year as the most popular politician in Britain?

Who would have thought that, by the end of the year, the leaders of the Catalan campaign for independence would be contesting an election while sitting in a Spanish jail, and the president of the Catalan government would be a political exile in Brussels?

Who would have thought that the two main parties in France would not even be present in the second round of the presidential election? And who would have thought that the US Republicans would lose an election in Alabama: a safe stronghold of the conservative religious right wing?

Who would have thought that Mugabe would be thrown onto the scrapheap after decades of dictatorial rule, and that Jacob Zuma would lose control of the ANC?

These are just some of the political earthquakes that have shaken the world in only 12 months. They are highly significant events in themselves. But from a Marxist perspective they are symptoms of the general crisis of world capitalism, which finds its expression in political instability everywhere, including the most powerful capitalist nation: the United States.

Pessimism of the bourgeoisie

The serious strategists of capital often arrive at the same conclusions as the Marxists, although naturally from their own class standpoint. The rosy picture painted by Mr. Trump is not shared by any serious bourgeois analyst  quite the contrary, in fact.

The Eurasia Group, a respected consultancy that advises the capitalists on possible risks on a world scale, in its recently published annual assessment of top geopolitical risks, warns that the world is moving toward crisis and a state of geopolitical depression and that the presidency of Donald Trump is itself contributing to instability: accelerating divisions nationally and internationally, and unravelling the global order that has been painfully constructed over a period of decades.

The Eurasia Group expresses the fear that that liberal (i.e. bourgeois) democracies are suffering from a deficit of legitimacy not seen since World War II, that the leaders are out of touch with reality and that this political breakdown creates conditions where any major event could have a devastating effect on the global economy and market.

Donald Trump's election alarmed the bourgeoisie / Image: Flickr, Gage Skidmore

The report begins with a sentence that might be seen as a response to Mr. Trumps glowing appraisal of the economy (except that it must have been written before his New Years party): Yes, markets are soaring and the economy isn't bad, but citizens are divided. Governments aren't doing much governing. And the global order is unraveling.

And its conclusion could not be more different from that of the Man in the White House: In the 20 years since we started Eurasia Group, the global environment has had its ups and downs. But if we had to pick one year for a big unexpected crisis  the geopolitical equivalent of the 2008 financial meltdown  it feels like 2018.

The Trump factor

The year 2017 began with Donald Trumps assumption of power on 20 January. That in itself was a political shock of tremendous dimensions. It is, of course, incorrect to attribute all the ills of the world to one man. If that were true, then the solution to the present crisis would be simple indeed: get rid of Trump and replace him with a more responsible (i.e. Democrat) president. But there is no reason to believe that the situation would be much better under Hillary Clinton or any of the other heroes of the centre.

The attempt to explain great historical processes in terms of the individual is a trivialisation of history that does not stand even the most superficial scrutiny. Marxism seeks the mainsprings of human history in the deeper processes that unfold far beneath the surface and constitute the fundamental framework upon which human actors play out their roles. But this basic analysis, while ultimately decisive, by no means exhausts the question.

Donald Trump: "an elephant in a China shop" / Image: White House

If the attempt to explain history in terms of individual protagonists is too simple to be taken seriously, the attempt to deny the role of individuals in history is equally simplistic and false. Marx explains that men and women make their own history, although they do not act with complete freedom and are constrained by objective factors that are beyond their control and even invisible to them. By their actions, individual actors can have a serious effect on circumstances, influencing the outcome of events in one way or another.

Donald Trump is an interesting example of this phenomenon. The ruling class in the United States was not happy with Trump. They remain unhappy, and are trying to get rid of him. There are a number of reasons for this. For over 100 years the political life of the USA was based on two fundamental pillars: the Republicans and Democrats. The stability of the system depended on this balance.

Trump is a multi-billionaire, but he is also an egomaniac and a skilful demagogue. Paradoxically, Trump appealed specifically to the poorest groups. He talked a lot about the working-class  something virtually unheard of in US election campaigns. It was all a lie of course, but when he talked about the closed factories and mines he aroused hope in the minds of desperate people. This struck a chord with millions of Americans who were sick of the system that condemns them to poverty and unemployment.

In reality Trump is just another representative of big business, In fact, he is the real crude and ugly face of capitalism, while the so-called centre is capitalism that attempts to disguise its essence behind a smiling mask. Trump has discarded the mask, and that is why the establishment detests him.

The establishment wondered whether they could control this billionaire maverick whose victory they did not wish but were unable to prevent. They did not have to wonder for long. The 45th US president was in a hurry to make his mark. He had campaigned on a pledge to do things differently. He has been as good as his word.

He has succeeded in exacerbating all the contradictions on a world scale: between America and China, between America and Europe and between America, Canada and Mexico. He has intensified the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and created a frenzied bellicose atmosphere with North Korea that has turned South Korea and Japan into targets for the nuclear arsenal of the Rocket Man of Pyongyang.

Trumps adventures in the field of foreign affairs are surely without precedent in the history of world diplomacy. He does not resemble a bull in a china shop but rather an elephant. His continuous outpouring of outrageous tweets provide noisy background music to the cacophony of jarring, contradictory and frequently incomprehensible foreign policy blunderings that have shocked and dismayed large sections of the establishment at home and abroad.

The doctrine of America First is only a new version of the old isolationism that was always part of the American political tradition. But Americas closest allies are worried that when he promises to make America great again he means to make it great at their expense. And they are not mistaken. If previously there were hairline cracks in the so-called western alliance, these have now widened into a yawning gulf.

Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer and Chairman Cliff Kupchan warn that U.S. global power is sputtering to a stall and the Trump philosophy of retrenchment and unilateralism sows confusion among both allies and rivals. Eurasia Group says, America First and the policies that flow from it have eroded the U.S.-led order and its guardrails, while no other country or set of countries stands ready or interested in rebuilding itsignificantly increasing global risk. That is a fair summary of the situation.

Radicalisation in the USA

These are really quite remarkable achievements for a mere 12 months in the White House. Trumps eruption onto the world stage would be quite sufficient to cause serious concerns in the US and international establishment. But there is another reason why the ruling class is unenthusiastic about Donald Trump. Elementary mechanics informs us that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The fault lines in American society and politics were already there. They were not invented by Mr. Trump. But by his words and deeds he has intensified the sharp divisions in US society and provoked a notable increase in radicalisation.

Trumps arrival at the White House was the signal for an unprecedented wave of mass demonstrations all across the country. The Women's Marches probably represented the biggest day of protest in US history. Between 3.3 million and 4.6 million people marched in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Seattle and other US towns and cities. This was the shape of things to come.

The Women's March following Trump's election was the biggest single-day protest in US history / Image: public domain



The year ended with a staggering Republican defeat in Alabama: a conservative and strongly Republican seat that Trump had won with a margin of 30 percent in the presidential elections. That was yet another political earthquake, and one that was not foreseen by the experts or the opinion polls.

It is too early to say how long Trump can survive. His most important support is to be found in the bankruptcy of the Democrats and the delay in a significant movement of the working class. The present administration may drag on, despite the unprecedented spectacle of an open split in the ruling class. When in the past did we see an open conflict between an American President and media, the FBI, the CIA and the entire body of the US Intelligence Services?

Despite the confident predictions of Mr. Trump, the year 2018 will see many more upsets of this type, which are at bottom a reflection of the instability that is a fundamental feature of the present period of worldwide capitalist crisis.

France and Britain

For Marxists the meaning of these political upsets is not hard to understand. The crisis of capitalism manifests itself in a general instability  economic, social and political. 10 years after the financial collapse of 2008, the bourgeoisie is nowhere near solving the economic crisis. All attempts of governments to restore the economic equilibrium have only served to destroy the social and political equilibrium.

We see this in one country after another. Both Trump and Bernie Sanders, though very different, are manifestations of the same phenomenon. So are Jeremy Corbyn, Melenchon in France, Syriza in Greece and Podemos in Spain. All these things are reflections of the general discontent, anger and frustration that is seething beneath the surface of society. This is causing serious alarm in the ranks of the bourgeoisie and its strategists.

The bourgeois pinned their hopes on 'centre' candidate, Emmanuel Macron / Image: Kremlin ru

The rise of an increasingly toxic anti-establishment sentiment is eroding trust in political institutions in democratic countries, as well as the media and the electoral system in the United States. Weakness in these institutions can lead to instability, authoritarianism, unpredictable policy and conflict.

What we are seeing in the USA and everywhere else is the collapse of the centre. The tiny group of unrepresentative elites who hold power are naturally not happy about this. They correctly see the growing polarisation to the left and right as a threat to their interests.

They were therefore understandably delighted in May, when a little known centre candidate, Emmanuel Macron, defeated Marine Le Pen to become Frances youngest president. Not one of the traditional parties got onto the second ballot. The media made a lot of noise about this. They claimed that Macron had won an absolute majority. That is not true. The absolute majority was in fact the 70 percent of people who did not vote for him. Nor did the media dwell on the fact that the most popular politician in France was the left-wing Jean-Luc Melenchon.

Left-wing Jean-Luc Melenchon was the most popular politician in France / Image: public domain

In reality the political centre is a fiction. Society is increasingly divided between a small group of people who control the system and the overwhelming majority who are getting poorer and are in open rebellion against the system. Capturing the centre ground was an idea of Tony Blair (the founder of New labour and British Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007).

The idea is childishly simple: to try to find an agreement between parties based on different classes. But there is a small problem. Such an agreement is impossible, because the interests of these classes are completely antagonistic  incompatible, in fact. This antagonism can be temporarily disguised in periods of economic boom, but become glaringly obvious in situations like the present, when capitalism is in a deep crisis.

The June 2016 Brexit vote was Britain's leap into the dark. That was yet another political earthquake, the results of which are only beginning to be felt now. In a desperate attempt to shore up Britains weak negotiating position last spring Theresa May called a snap election. This decision was taken on the assumption (shared by everyone and his uncle) that the Conservatives could not possibly lose.

The opinion polls gave the Tories a lead of 20 points over Labour. The entire media was unanimous that, under the leadership of left-winger Jeremy Corbyn, Labour could never win an election. Let us recall that Labours right wing, which has a crushing majority in the Parliamentary Labour Party, have been trying to get rid of Corbyn in every possible way for the past two years with the backing of the media, which organised an unprecedented campaign of vilification against the Labour Leader.

Left-winger Jeremy Corbyn robbed the Tories of their parliamentary majority / Image: Flickr, Garry Knight

Their efforts failed. But they were once more preparing to oust him as soon as the defeat of Labour, which they fervently desired and confidently expected, was announced. But to the astonishment of everybody, Labour fought the election on a left-wing programme and surged ahead. The Conservative Party lost its parliamentary majority and the allegedly unelectable Jeremy Corbyn became the most popular politician in Britain.

Not long ago Britain was one of the most stable countries in Europe. Now it is one of the most unstable. The Brexit result and the ferment in Scotland were both symptoms of profound discontent, which existed but found no means of expressing itself. In the person of Jeremy Corbyn this mass discontent has found a political expression that represents a big swing to the left that presents big opportunities for the British Marxist Tendency that alone understood this phenomenon, which every one of the pseudo-Trotskyist sects had denied for decades.

Catalonia

The crisis over Catalonia is a reflection of the impasse of Spanish capitalism and the consequence of the betrayals of Stalinism and reformism that led to the abortion of the 1978 Constitution. That betrayal enabled the rotten Spanish ruling class to preserve important parts of the old Franco regime behind a democratic facade.

Now, 40 years later the chickens are coming home to roost. The people of Catalonia have experienced the reality of Spanish democracy when blows from police truncheons rained down on the heads of unarmed and defenceless citizens  men and women, young and old  whose only crime was the wish to cast a vote on the future of their country.

The leaders of this movement did their best to persuade the right-wing government of Rajoy in Madrid that they were, of course, not serious about independence at all. They proclaimed an independent Catalonia, but also declared that it would not be implemented. They behaved like generals who mobilize an army, place it on a war footing, provoke the enemy into action and then wave the white flag. A surer way of demoralising the troops cannot be imagined.

But if the Catalan leaders imagined that this manoeuvre would save them from the wrath of their enemies they were sadly mistaken. Weakness invites aggression. The forces of Madrid arrested the main leaders of the independence movement, who found themselves in jail charged with planning an insurrection, abolished the powers of the autonomous Catalan government and imposed direct rule to smash the independence movement. The Catalan President Carles Puigdemont fled to exile in Belgium.

Carles Puigdemont is in exile in Brussels / Image: Puigdemont acompanyat de carrecs electes de CiU

The Catalan bourgeois nationalists foolishly imagined that they would get the backing of the European Union, but were soon cured of this illusion. Brussels and Berlin informed them in the most unambiguous terms that an independent Catalan state would not be recognised by Europe. So much for the democratic credentials of the leaders of the EU!

If the ruling PP party thought they could solve the problem by the use of brute force they too were mistaken, however. Marx explained that revolution needs the whip of counterrevolution. On Saturday, 21 October. 450,000 marched in Barcelona, while tens-of-thousands gathered in other towns and cities across Catalonia, to demand freedom for the imprisoned leaders.

The election on 21 December represented a slap in the face for the Spanish government. These elections took place in exceptional conditions, starting with the fact that they had been convened by the Spanish government after sacking the Catalan government and disbanding the Catalan parliament. Eight prominent candidates of the pro-independence parties are either in jail or in exile and therefore were prevented from taking part in the campaign. They were even punished by the prison authorities for smuggling out messages, which were read or played during election meetings. All this was done using powers arising from article 155 of the 1978 Constitution.

Hundreds-of-thousands of Catalans took to the streets demanding independence / Image: fair use

Despite all this, the turnout of 81.94 percent was the highest, not only for Catalan Parliament elections, but also for Spanish parliamentary elections in Catalonia and in the whole of Spain. The Spanish ruling party (the PP) was reduced to three seats in Catalonia and the pro-independence bloc has once again won an overall majority in the Catalan Parliament. We are therefore in exactly in the same situation as before.

Whatever happens in the next few months, nothing will ever be the same either in Catalonia or in Spain. Forces have been unleashed that will tear apart the false and hypocritical consensus that cheated the people of a genuinely democratic alternative to the hated Franco dictatorship. Rajoy and the PP are the true inheritors of that regime, which brutally trampled over the people in the past and continue to trample over them today.

Mariano Rajoy's PP represents the continuation of large parts of the Franco regime / Image: Flickr, EPP

The mass movements in Catalonia are only the first symptom of revolt against that dictatorship. The same spirit of revolt will manifest sooner or later in the whole country.

Riches and poverty

The discontent growing everywhere is an expression of extreme polarisation: the concentration of capital that Marx predicted long ago and which has furiously been denied by economists and sociologists ever since.

Who nowadays can deny the truth of Marxs prediction? The concentration of Capital has taken place in a laboratory fashion. Fewer than 200 giant corporations now control world trade. Obscene wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few. In 2017 alone the worlds billionaires increased their combined global wealth by a fifth.

According to Josef Stadler, the Global Head of the Ultra High Net Worth division at UBS, today wealth inequality is at its highest since 1905. The globes richest one percent owns half the worlds wealth, according to a new report highlighting the growing gap between the super-rich and everyone else.

Embed from Getty Images

A report from Credit Suisse showed that the worlds richest people increased their wealth from 42 percent at the height of the 2008 financial crisis to 50.1 percent in 2017, or $140tn (106tn). The report informs us:

The share of the top 1 percent has been on an upward path ever since [the crisis], passing the 2000 level in 2013 and achieving new peaks every year thereafter. The bank said global wealth inequality has certainly been high and rising in the post-crisis period.

The increase in wealth among the already very rich led to the creation of 2.3 million new dollar millionaires over the past year, taking the total to 36 million. The number of millionaires, which fell in 2008, recovered fast after the financial crisis, and is now nearly three times the 2000 figure.

These millionaires  who account for 0.7 percent of the worlds adult population  control 46 percent of total global wealth that now stands at the staggering figure of $280 trillion.

That is one side of the picture. At the other end of the spectrum, the worlds 3.5 billion poorest adults each have assets of less than $10,000 (7,600). Collectively these people, who account for 70 percent of the worlds working age population, account for just 2.7 percent of global wealth. For millions of people this is a life or death question.

In 2017 across 45 countries, an estimated 83 million people required emergency food assistance  over 70 percent more than in 2015. And in 2018, 76 million could need Emergency Food Assistance.

Houses destroyed near Sanaa, Yemen by Saudi Arabia / Image: public domain

Yemen is a particularly scandalous case. As a result of the barbaric war of aggression waged by Saudi Arabia and its allies, 17 million Yemenis do not have enough to eat, and over 3 million children, and pregnant and nursing women, are acutely malnourished. The hypocritical western media has largely ignored these atrocities perpetrated by the Saudi gangsters who are deliberately using starvation as a weapon of war.

Importance of the subjective factor

In recent years the Middle East has presented a picture of black reaction: war, civil war, bloodshed, religious fanaticism, massacres and chaos. The key to this situation is to be found in three countries: Egypt, Turkey and Iran. These are the countries where the proletariat is strongest and has revolutionary traditions. From a superficial standpoint, in all three, reaction is firmly in the saddle. But such an appraisal is fundamentally flawed.

The Egyptian masses did everything in their power to change society. It was the absence of leadership  and that alone  that led the magnificent 2011 movement into a blind alley. And since nature abhors a vacuum, the vacant space was filled by Sisi and the other reactionary army generals. As a result the Egyptian workers and peasants have been obliged to pass once more through the harsh school of reaction. But sooner or later they will rise again. The Sisi dictatorship is a ramshackle hut built on chickens legs. Its fatal weakness is the economy. The people of Egypt need bread, work and houses, which the generals are powerless to provide. Future explosions are inevitable.

Tahrir Square during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution / Image: Flickr, Jonathan Rashad

In Turkey also, the revolutionary potential of the masses was shown by the uprising of 2013. That was eventually crushed, and Erdogan succeeded in diverting the attention of the masses by playing the card of Turkish nationalism and unleashing a brutal war against the Kurds. But nationalism cannot put bread on the table of millions of underprivileged Turks. Sooner or later a reaction against the regime will begin. And there are signs that it has already begun. We must watch Turkey closely in the next period as one of the keys to the Middle East.

Most of the worlds population is young. And at least 60 percent of young people between 15 and 24 years of age are unemployed worldwide. The simmering discontent of these young people was what sparked off the Arab Revolution a few years ago.

Now we see the same phenomenon repeated on the streets of towns and cities all over Iran. As usual this movement arose suddenly, without warning, like a heavy stone thrown into the waters of a calm pond. It shocked and amazed all the self-styled experts, especially those tired old cynics of the so-called left, whose principal stock-in-trade is scepticism and a deep-rooted belief that nothing will ever happen and that the masses will never move. All these clever people stood with their mouths open at this movement that, according to them, was never going to happen.

There have been major protests across Iran / Image: public domain

But these demonstrations are smaller than those of 2009, the sceptics hasten to reassure us. Yes, smaller but much more radical, more impetuous, bolder and less cautious. With the speed of light, the demands of the protesters passed from economic to political demands, from unemployment and the high cost of living to demanding the overthrow of the entire regime. The protesters tore down posters of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei  something extremely dangerous and virtually unheard of in Iran. There were even some reports of attacks on portraits of the late Ayatollah Khomeini himself.

Who were these protesters? They were mainly young, poor, unemployed people, not the university students who predominated in all earlier protests. They were unorganized, belonged to no political group and had no guiding idea, except for one thing: a burning desire for change. But that is the starting point of every revolution.

The regime was shaken to the core. It understands that this movement, precisely because of its class content, represents potentially far more dangerous threat than the millions who came onto the streets of Tehran in 2009. Their vacillations seem at first sight to be incomprehensible. Given the relatively small size of the demonstrations, the powerful repressive apparatus in the hands of the mullahs would surely be more than enough to have snuffed out this protest  as a man snuffs out a candle with two fingers?

And yet, as I write these lines, the regime has not yet launched a serious campaign of repression. The dog barks but does not bite. Why? There are two main reasons. Firstly the regime is split down the middle and far weaker than it was in the past. Secondly, they understand that behind the demonstrating youths are millions of Iranians who are tired of years of grinding poverty, unemployment and rising food prices.

They have long since lost faith in the mullahs who pretended to stand for morality and honesty, but are just as corrupt as the officials of the Shah were in the past. Any move against the protesters would provoke an angry backlash that would see millions on the streets again, only this time they would be workers, not just students and middle-class people.

The Iran protests are bolder than in 2009 (if smaller) but lack organisation / Image: fair use

At this time it is difficult to predict exactly what the future of this rebellion will be. Its main weakness is the lack of organization. Without a clear plan of action and a firm grasp of tactics and strategy the movement may dissipate its energies in a series of uncoordinated actions that can easily degenerate into mere rioting. That is what the regime is anxiously waiting for. Once again we come back to the central question: that of revolutionary leadership.

In 1938 Leon Trotsky wrote that one could reduce the crisis of humanity to the crisis of leadership of the proletariat. There have been many revolutionary movements in the recent past: in Egypt, in Turkey, in Iran, in Greece. But in every case the masses were thwarted by the lack of the subjective factor: a revolutionary party and leadership. If in Egypt at the time of the overthrow of Mubarak there had existed even a small revolutionary party, the entire situation would have been different.

Let us remind ourselves that in February 1917 the Bolsheviks had only 8,000 members in a huge, mainly peasant, country of 150 million. Yet in the space of just nine months they had transformed themselves into a mighty party capable of leading the workers and peasants to the seizure of power.

In February 1917 the Bolsheviks had only 8,000 members, but in nine months they had transformed into a mighty party capable of leading the workers and peasants to the seizure of power / Image: public domain

As we enter the New Year, we can be confident that new revolutionary possibilities will present themselves in one country after another. Iran shows that sharp and sudden changes are implicit in the whole situation. We must be prepared to seize every opportunity to spread the ideas of Marxism, to build our forces, to connect with the masses, beginning with the most advanced layers, and to build the forces of Marxism everywhere.

As to the cowards, apostates and sceptics who deny the perspective of revolution, we can only shrug our shoulders and repeat the defiant words uttered by Galileo Galilei: Eppur si muove [And yet it moves].
Twelve Massachusetts school districts will share $60,000 in federally funded, competitive McKinney-Vento Homeless Education grants, the Baker-Polito administration said Friday.

The districts serve about 85 percent of the Puerto Rican students who came to Massachusetts after losing their housing due to hurricanes.

Boston, Chicopee, Fall River, Fitchburg, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, New Bedford, Southbridge, Springfield and Worcester will receive $5,000 each.

The districts can use the money on tutoring, before- and after-school programs and collaborations with mental health providers and community services.

"Massachusetts' schools, colleges and universities have played an integral role in supporting students and families from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands following Hurricane Maria," Gov. Charlie Baker said in a press release. "We are pleased to be able to award these important McKinney-Vento grants to a number of communities who opened their schools to those in need, and we look forward to working with the legislature to provide additional funding this fiscal year to any school district impacted by unexpected students."

As of mid-December, more than 2,100 students from Puerto Rico impacted by Hurricane Maria were enrolled in K-12 schools across Massachusetts.

In November, Baker announced plans to request additional school funding to help local school districts pay for the education of children who have been evacuated.

The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education voted last month to grant in-state tuition rates to evacuees from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands who have been displaced by Hurricane Maria. Community colleges, state universities and the University of Massachusetts campuses will offer in-state tuition rates through the spring semester.

"Whether it's been their schools, their homes or their local first responders, cities and towns across the commonwealth have stepped up as a major partner in our relief efforts for those affected by Hurricane Maria," Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said. "We are glad these grants are available to help provide support to so many local cities and towns with proud Puerto Rican communities."

"While visiting Boston last month, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello said families evacuating the island are concerned about their children's education. These funds will enable school districts to help these families with some of the support they need," state Education Secretary James Peyser said.
HAMPDEN -- With bear sightings in the City of Springfield in recent years, it's hardly shocking to learn that moose sightings are becoming more common in the city's eastern suburbs.

One of the long-legged creatures -- the largest member of the deer family -- was spotted running along thoroughly suburban Mill Road early Friday morning, according to the buzz on social media.

"Just saw a big moose trotting down Mill Road," Carolyn Isham said on "01036: The Hampden, Massachusetts Occasional," a popular Facebook page with over 2,100 members. "Never seen one in Hampden. It was really cool!"

Isham's apparent sighting, which occurred while she was plowing snow in the wee hours of the morning, sparked some chatter on the site. Even the wife of Hampden Fire Chief Mike Gorski got in on the action.

"A couple of years ago I spotted one at Laughing Brook by the brook," said Susan Gorski.

Other claims ranged from seeing massive moose prints in the snow to hearing them crashing through local woods and streams.

A few years back, a dead moose was found on Somers Road in Hampden, according to local police dispatch records.

The woods and wetlands of this still-rural town southeast of Springfield are brimming with critters, from beavers and bears to fox and fishers.

But moose, while common throughout northern New England, are rarer in southern New England. That said, Massachusetts' population has steadily risen in the western and central parts of the state since roughly the 1980s, according to MassWildlife.

Bear sightings, on the other hand, have become very common, even in heavily populated areas in this region.

Even rarer than moose sightings, however, are sightings of mountain lions, which died out in Massachusetts by the mid-19th century. The last of this state's mountain lions was killed around 1858, say state wildlife officials, who still receive occasional reports of big cat sightings, the bulk of which turn out to be bobcats.

That said, there have been two cases where evidence supports the presence of a mountain lion in the commonwealth, according to MassWildlife records. State officials say all other reports have turned out to be other animals.

Still, some longtime Hampden residents who live in the heavily forested hills of this town insist the cats are here.

In spring 2013, the Hampden Police Department received a report of a mountain lion lurking around the North Road.

Shortly before that alleged sighting, a South Road resident told The Republican that the cats are very elusive, but they still make their presence known from time to time.

Wildlife officials have no confirmed sightings of mountain lions in Hampden.

Isham, the woman who reportedly saw a moose on Mill Road early Friday, said regrets not taking a photo of the animal.

"I was plowing and didn't get my phone quick enough," she said. "He went off into the woods."
Somerville police officers attended a Rockingham, New Hampshire, Superior Court hearing Wednesday as a Burlington teenager appeared for a pretrial hearing on charges he killed an off-duty Somerville police officer in a car crash Oct. 8, the Sentinel and Enterprise reported.

Michael Ricci, 18, faces trial on a charge of negligent homicide after New Hampshire State Police accused him of driving through a closed median cross-over barrier on Interstate 95 in North Hampton, New Hampshire, and colliding with a motorcycle operated by Louis Remigio.

Remigio died of his injuries the next day.

The hearing was called to determine if a quick resolution to the case was possible. Both prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed that a full trial was necessary. A trial date will be set.
AMHERST - A Hampshire College student suspended for an alleged threat is also banned from Smith and Mount Holyoke colleges.

Hampshire College officials in December banned Iris Allen from campus and suspended him for the spring semester. Allen is appealing his suspension.

Spokesman John Courtmanche said Hampshire, Smith and Mount Holyoke share a police department, and consequently the ban applies to all three schools. Allen is not banned from the University of Massachusetts or Amherst College.

Allen, whose address was listed as the streets of Northampton, was handed the notice of the ban at the other campuses when he collected his belongings from his room in December.

The 24-year-old music student, who said he is autistic, said he never made any threats on campus. He said he cries and flails his hands when panicked. He said he was in class and became overwhelmed. He said college officials told him that was "threatening and intimidating behavior."

A source familiar with the incident who asked not to be identified said Allen threatened to "shoot up the campus with a Glock."

According to a disciplinary letter from the college provided by Allen, Hampshire officials found him responsible for violations related to civil behavior and disruption, failure to comply and threatening and intimidating behavior. The nature of the violations was not specified.

After being suspended, Allen first stayed in a hotel and lately has been staying with a friend. He still needs housing for the rest of the month, according to a YouCaring fundraising website.

Allen appealed the suspension Dec. 19, but a date for a hearing has not yet been set. The dean of students has 10 business days from the date of the appeal, but that excludes weekends and dates the college was closed. The school was closed Dec. 23 to Jan. 2 for winter break, and then was open for just a few hours because of a water main break.

The YouCaring fundraiser has brought in more than $4,200 to help pay legal costs. According to the website, any funds left over will go toward housing Allen during the remainder of winter break.
Federal officials could be sowing "confusion" with moves against marijuana in states that legalized the controversial substance for recreational and medical use, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said Friday.

The remarks came a day after US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, an opponent of legal marijuana, rescinded a memo first issued under President Obama that allowed a new industry built around the controversial substance to grow in some states.

The move adds another degree of uncertainty for the burgeoning industry, already considered risky since marijuana remains illegal under federal law. But public opinion has shifted over the years, and a Gallup poll in October 2016 showed 64 percent of Americans support legalization.

Massachusetts voters approved a ballot question in 2012 legalizing marijuana for medical use. A 2016 ballot question broadly legalizing recreational marijuana passed with 53.6 percent of the vote in the Bay State.

Under the state law, Massachusetts residents are allowed to grow certain amounts of marijuana at home, as well as "gift" up to an ounce.

Baker campaigned against legalizing marijuana during the 2016 elections.

While taking a look at storm damage in Scituate on the state's South Shore, Baker told reporters that the Cannabis Control Commission, a new and independent state agency created by the 2016 ballot question, is "moving quickly" to open retail pot shops by July.

The commission's message to state elected officials, according to Baker, is that "they're going to move forward on the same terms that they were planning to move forward on before."

The five-member commission - whose members are appointed by the governor, the state attorney general, and the treasurer - said in a statement on Thursday that they continue to work on setting up a regulatory structure to oversee the industry and as far as they are concerned, "nothing has changed."

"I worry a little bit that what the feds are doing is creating confusion for folks in states where voters have voted to legalize both medical and recreational marijuana," Baker said.

Attorney General Maura Healey, who has previously said Sessions is "obsessed" with marijuana, has blasted her federal counterpart's decision.

Acting state Senate President Harriette Chandler, D-Worcester, called Sessions' move a "sudden shift" in the wrong direction. "These changes are against the clear will of Massachusetts voters, as well as the ongoing progress of the Cannabis Control Commission," she said in a statement.

Sessions will reportedly leave it up to local US Attorneys, like Andrew Lelling in Massachusetts, to make prosecution decisions.

Lelling said in a statement Thursday that his office will "pursue federal marijuana crimes as part of its overall approach to reducing violent crime, stemming the tide of the drug crisis, and dismantling criminal gangs, and in particular the threat posed by bulk trafficking of marijuana, which has had a devastating impact on local communities."

Lelling was confirmed by the US Senate as the US District Attorney for Massachusetts in December 2017.

Baker said he plans to have a conversation with Lelling on "how to make sure that the will of the voters here in Massachusetts isn't circumscribed."

This post was updated at 4:03 p.m. with a statement from Senate President Chandler.
Overnight emergency shelters in Greenfield and Northampton have been packed to the gills as brutally cold temperatures continue to grip the Pioneer Valley.

The shelters have 20 beds, but have been hosting around 30 people. Doors are open to anyone in need when temperatures plummet, said ServiceNet spokeswoman Amy Swisher.

Swisher said the shelters need donations of blankets, pillows and toiletry supplies. "People are sleeping in chairs," she said. "(The shelters need) anything that can help them become a little more comfortable."

Donations may be dropped off at the ServiceNet shelters located at 20 Wells St. in Greenfield and 43 Center St. in Northampton. ServiceNet's main number is 413-585-1300.

Swisher said the two shelters, and a third in Berkshire County, don't allow people who are using drugs or alcohol, but when an active user shows up at the door when it's very cold out, "we work to find them a safe place to spend the night."

The dry requirement is for the safety of other shelter guests, particularly those who are in recovery, she said.

Swisher said shelter guests come from a range of circumstances, and many have jobs that don't pay very well.

"We have people who get up at 3 a.m. to walk to work," she said. "Sometimes, it's a relatively new job, and they're saving money to make a deposit on housing. There are as many stories as there are individuals."

The shelters are typically open from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m., while attached resource centers -- where people may use computers to search for jobs and housing -- are open during the day. However, the shelters themselves have remained open during the extended arctic weather.

ServiceNet runs a longer-term shelter at Grove Street in Northampton, which has been taking in additional overnight guests. There is also an overflow shelter in Easthampton. The facilities provide a hot dinner, showers, laundry facilities and toiletries and clothing when needed.

The Northampton Interfaith Emergency Shelter on Center Street is run in collaboration with Hampshire County Friends of the Homeless.

For those in need, the shelter hotline is 413-587-7555.
A "life or death" scenario materialized in Scituate on Thursday as Harbormaster Stephen Mone slipped off a dock into churning, icy ocean waters while trying to tie down a municipal boat, reports The Boston Globe.



What could have been tragedy wound up triumph.



Stephan Hill, manager of the nearby Mill Wharf Restaurant, was party to the whole chain of events, and witnessed Mone's fall into Scituate Harbor.



According to The Globe, Hill had gone to the restaurant to see how it was weathering Thursday's storm when he noticed the harbormaster's boat being jostled in the surging tide and noticed the majority of its mooring lines had snapped.





After reporting the situation to town police, Hill saw Mone -- the man police recruited save the boat -- wading in waist-deep water to the dock and boat.



The dock was rocking and when Mone fell, becoming totally submerged before beginning a struggle to regain his place on the dock, Hill -- telling a colleague to call 911 -- and rushed out the door through roughly 60 feet of thigh-deep water to reach the struggling man.



"He kept saying 'Please save me,'" Hill told The Globe.



Hill eventually helped Mone to safety, and the latter is in good shape, Scituate Fire Chief John Murphy told The Globe.
But only if you drive a Tesla. Unlike a traditional "fill-up," charging an EV takes time30 minutes for Tesla Superchargersso Tesla provides an exclusive lounge for its customers at a new 40-Supercharger "rest stop" on I-5 in California.

By David R. Baker

https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Tesla-s-fancy-new-I-5-rest-stop-is-part-gas-12460947.php?utm_campaign=email-premium&utm_source=CMS%20Sharing%20Button&utm_medium=social
As I eased into the new year, I thought about a man I met last year. He asked two questions: What does it mean to be a human? What do we truly desire in a life?

Andrew Sullivan, former editor of The New Republic magazine and now a contributing editor at New York magazine, is an author, essayist and magazine writer. In 2000, Sullivan, who has a Ph.D. from Harvard, started The Dish, a blog focused on politics and other issues. By the time he ended the site in 2015, hed written more 115,000 posts and attracted millions of readers.

But it had come at a price.

Tom Hallman

http://www.oregonlive.com/living/index.ssf/2018/01/technology_and_the_battle_for.html
Les membres du Cabinet ont pris note des mesures sanitaires prise dans le cas du coronavirus, que le President de lAfrique du Sud qui sera linvite dhonneur du 12 mars 2020, du Second Report of the National Wage Consultative Council, entre autres.

1. Cabinet has taken note of the prevailing situation regarding the novel coronavirus detected in Wuhan City in the Peoples Republic of China and the precautionary measures being taken by the Ministry of Health and Wellness to safeguard Mauritians against any risks.

In Mauritius, there are presently no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.

The following precautionary measures are effective as from 20 January 2020:

(a) all passengers travelling from China are screened at the airport through the thermal scanner. Similarly, passengers arriving by cruise ships at Port-Louis Harbour are also being screened. Passengers coming from China are closely monitored by the Public Health Inspectors, for a period of 14 days post arrival;

(b) passengers showing signs of fever and cough are being assessed by the Rapid Response Team consisting of Regional Public Health Superintendents, Medical Health Officers, Ambulance Staff and the Public Health Inspectors. The team is operational at each regional hospital;

(c) specimens from suspected cases are being sent to the Virology Laboratory,

Victoria Hospital, for investigation; and

(d) suspected cases are being admitted at the New Souillac Hospital for investigation and treatment.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has also issued press communiques to inform the general public about the novel coronavirus and the precautions that need to be taken to avoid any risk of infection. Meetings have been held with Tour Operators and Directors of

Travel Agencies in order to sensitise them on the preventive measures and to seek their close collaboration concerning the surveillance of passengers arriving from China.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade has also issued a communique to request Mauritian nationals in China to stay in contact with the Embassy of Mauritius in Beijing in order to provide information pertaining to their health conditions and to extend the necessary support and assistance they may require.

The Ministry is also looking into the request for evacuation of Mauritian nationals in

Wuhan City.

Cabinet has also taken note that a High Level Committee chaired by the Prime Minister would meet that very afternoon to take stock of the situation and of the impact of the novel coronavirus on the various sectors of the economy.

2. Cabinet has taken note that HE Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of

South Africa would effect a State Visit to Mauritius and would be the Chief Guest for the National Day Celebrations in March 2020.

3. Cabinet has taken note of the findings of the Second Report of the National Wage Consultative Council on the impact of the introduction of the National Minimum Wage. The salient findings of the Report, based upon analysis of aggregate data from Statistics Mauritius and data from the Mauritius Revenue Authority, are that the introduction of the National Minimum Wage:

(a) has not impacted upon inflation;

(b) has supplemented the income of minimum wage workers thereby increasing their purchasing power and positively impacting on household expenditure and the standard of living of households;

(c) has contributed to move households out of relative poverty; and

(d) has raised the earnings of low-paid workers and thereby reducing income inequality.

4. Cabinet has taken note that the Fisheries and Marine Resources (Fishing of Sea Cucumbers) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 would be promulgated under the Fisheries and Marine Resources Act. The Regulations were first promulgated in 2009 to suspend the fishing of sea cucumbers to allow the stock of sea cucumbers to replenish. The main object of the Regulations has been to exercise control on the fishing of sea cucumbers in the maritime zones of Mauritius to ensure the sustainable exploitation of this resource. The provisions of these Regulations are being extended up to 31 December 2023 so that no person shall fish any undersized sea cucumber or sea cucumber at sea without the authorisation of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping.

5. Cabinet has taken note of the implementation of the Industrial Waste Management  Cost Structure Review project by the Ministry of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives with the technical and financial assistance of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation under the Partnership for Action on Green Economy Initiative. The objectives of the project are to promote sustainable industrial development and enhance the competitiveness of enterprises through sound industrial waste management. The main components of the project include, among others,:

(a) a review of industrial waste management legislations in Mauritius;

(b) a study of the cost structure of industrial waste management in manufacturing enterprises; and

(c) sensitisation of stakeholders on the importance of the Extended Producer Responsibility which guides producers on their responsibility in the whole lifecycle of their products, starting from their creation up to the stage where they become waste.

The project would span over a period of 3 months, from February to April 2020 and would comprise consultative meetings with stakeholders, site visits to manufacturing enterprises and a survey for collection of data.

6. Cabinet has taken note that in the context of the 2024 Summer Olympics to be held in Paris from 26 July to 11 August 2024, the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation in collaboration with the Trust Fund for Excellence in Sports (TFES), is implementing a project named Horizon Paris 2024 aimed at providing appropriate support to Mauritian athletes for their preparation up to the 2024 Olympic Games. The project is being piloted by a Committee set up under the aegis of the TFES and chaired by

Mr Dominique Filleul, a French retired professional handballer and comprises representatives of the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation and different National Sport Federations. The Committee would present the project which would have as slogan On Prend le Paris to all stakeholders on 06 February 2020 at Cote dOr National Sports Complex.

7. Cabinet has taken note that the Municipal Council of Beau Bassin-Rose Hill has decided to rename the Plaisance Municipal Sports Complex as Eddy Bill Therese Municipal Sports Complex. Mr Eddy Bill Therese who was born in Plaisance, Rose Hill was a famous basketball player and has won the National Championship as best basketball player on various occasions. He was considered as a role model for many youngsters in the town of Rose Hill.

8. Cabinet has taken note of the constitution of the Board of the Higher Education Commission with Dr Abdess Salem Saumtally as Chairperson.

9. Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of the:

(a) Board of the Independent Broadcasting Authority with Mr Bhooneswar Rajkumarsingh as Chairperson;

(b) Information and Communication Technologies Board with Mr Dick Christophe

Ng Sui Wa as Chairperson;

(c) St. Antoine Planters Cooperative Trust Board with Mr Vijay Nackchhed as Chairperson; and

(d) Board of the National Cooperative College with Mr Hurrydeo Boodhoo as Chairperson.

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Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF)

Job Description

TITLE: Country Implementation Manager- Readvertisement

LOCATION: Kinshasa

REPORTS TO: Technical & Research Director

"Sometimes in life there is that moment when it's possible to make a change for the better. This is one of those moments."

-Elizabeth Glaser

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is a global leader in the fight against pediatric HIV and AIDS, working in 15 countries and at over 5,500 sites around the world to prevent the transmission of HIV to children, and to help those already infected. Today, because of the highly successful work of the Foundation and its partners, pediatric AIDS has been virtually eliminated in the United States. With a growing global staff of over 1,000nine of 10 who work in the fieldthe Foundations global mission is to implement HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs; further advance innovative research; and to execute strategic and targeted global advocacy activities to bring dramatic change to the lives of millions of women, children, and families worldwide.

Job Summary

Overview:

Through the Catalyzing Pediatric TB Innovations (CaP-TB) project, EGPAF will support the rapid roll out of models of care to improve pediatric TB case finding, diagnosis and treatment and support the use of an innovative new formulation of pediatric first-line fixed-dose combination TB treatment in 9 sub-Saharan African countries and India. This four-year project has been approved for funding by Unitaidandaims to improve the morbidity and mortality associated with pediatric TB in these countries and catalyze improvements in care in other high-TB burden countries. Project implementation, operational as well and financial reporting will be done using EGPAFs standard tools and techniques, as well as elements specifically developed for this UNITAID-funded project.

The Country Implementation Manager is responsible for providing the day-to-day oversight and coordination to effectively implement the CaP TB project in COUNTRY. He/she will be a key member of the country and globalCaP TB project team, and will work in close coordination with EGPAF staff in

COUNTRY and at the global level. This position will work closely with representatives of the Ministry of Health in COUNTRY, especially with the National TB program, as well as national and international implementing partners, and representatives from other donors and normative agencies.

The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience supporting the implementation of complex health intervention implementation programs, working collaboratively with donors and other partners. Strong program management skills will be required. The country implementation manager will also work closely with the strategic information and evaluations manager for the project to monitor key project outcomes and work with others in the country team to appropriately manage budgets and contracts. Regular communication and close collaboration with the EGPAF regional directors and globalCaP TB team will be required to provide leadership, facilitation, coordination and support in managing and implementing the CaP TB project.

Strong communication skills, the ability to work well with a country and global team, and the ability to manage multiple competing priorities will be key qualifications for this role. This position requires the ability to manage different agendas with different timelines, the capacity to keep things moving forward and provide ongoing and responsive guidance to country teams.

Essential Responsibilities:

Serve as the key institutional resource and focal point for the CaP TB project in COUNTRY

Support development of appropriate country specific systems to ensure consistent, high-quality project management;

Lead the in-country process of updating country operational plans semi-annually;

Support the MoH in initial site selection for implementation of innovative models of care to improve the lives of children living with or at risk for TB.

Provide oversight and support to the CaP-TB project staff in COUNTRY to ensure on-time and effective project implementation, includingprogrammatic, M&E and advocacy aspects

Support human resource planning, annual work plan and budget planning and monitoring, use of data for decision making and ensuring program results;

Contribute in a timely fashion to project reports to donor;

Provide regular updates to the Country Director, Technical Director and Global CaP-TB team;

Disseminate information and lessons learned through the project to other national partners;

Ensure ongoing programmatic excellence by providing, facilitating or coordinating high quality programmatic support to national partners

Assist in the management of relationships with partner organizations;

Assist in the management of relationships with country teams of key TB technical agencies which have a presence in the country

Required Qualifications

The Country Implementation Manager will be thoroughly committed to EGPAFs strategy and mission. He/she should have demonstrated leadership and relationship management experience.

Minimum bachelors degree, preferred masters or other advanced degree in public health, management or business, with at least 8 years of management experience

Unwavering commitment to quality programs and excellence in organizational and project management with the ability to achieve strategic objectives

Experience with managing large and/or complexhealthcare implementation projects

Experience working and/or living in low income countries

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities



Strong ability to think strategically, with equally strong practical ability to translate strategic ideas into implementation

Demonstrated knowledge of the COUNTRY health system, knowledge of the national Tuberculosis program will be strongly preferred/essential

Integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed with demonstrated passion for EGPAFs mission and commitment to working collaboratively with a management team

Solid judgment and apparent leadership skills

Ability to communicate with a range of colleagues across diverse countries and cultures

An individual who is able to handle a variety of constituencies, manage multiple tasks simultaneously and thrive in a complex environment with multiple priorities

Strong analytical skills and common sense

Strong work ethic

Tactful, respectful, and keen diplomacy skills

Ability to travel regularly, and at short notice, within COUNTRY to visit the various project implementation sites

Ability to travel abroad for meetings with other CaP-TB implementation managers, and the Global CaP-TB team

Excellent oral and written English skills.

How to apply.

Please apply in English only following instruction on the EGPAF website no later than January 13, 2018. The link below will also direct you to the position mentioned above https://chj.tbe.taleo.net/chj05/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=PEDAIDS&cws=1&rid=1376

If you applied for this position previously, please do not apply again since we are still considering your CV.

Notes: This is a local recruitment open to Congolese citizens only. If a candidate living outside Kinshasa is selected, the Foundation is not liable to pay a relocation package to the candidate.

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer


Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.
By George Mickhail

Today, we are witnessing uncanny parallels with the Cold War: alliances forming broadly along one of two socioeconomic and political systems.

As capitalism confronted communism in the Cold War, today we have post-neoliberalism championed by populist neoliberal conservatives confronting progressive social/state capitalism, taking shape in the lead-up to a new Cold War order.

A case in point is the Visiting Forces Agreement and the broader bilateral security cooperation between Australia and Japan that will be ratified early this year. It comes on the back of the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement that facilitates the exchange of support between the countries - especially transport, equipment and ammunition. This forms part of Australia's commitment to the "special strategic relationship" with Japan.

There is already extensive cooperation in cybersecurity and counterterrorism, and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the security relationship will grow "deeper and more sophisticated."

The significance of the Australian-Japanese agreements is that they give credence to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "free and open Indo-Pacific" strategy and "proactive pacifism" vision for the Japanese Self-Defense Force's expanding regional security role.

They also allow for greater cooperation between Australia, Japan and the US as well as other like-minded partners, like India in order to preserve their hegemony, reframed as "rules-based international order," on the pretext of supporting a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific.

US President Donald Trump's ambivalence about US international commitments to its Asian alliances may seem somewhat insular, but it may simply be to cut spiraling US national debt and to spread the US "geopolitical risk."

As the US GDP is stagnating at 1.76 percent and its military is spread so thinly in global conflicts, it makes sense for Trump to lean on traditional partners like Australia and Japan to shoulder their "responsibility" in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Australian-Japanese pact is part of defense alliances between populist neoliberal conservatives in the US, Australia, Japan and India on the pretext of countering the growing military threat of North Korea and China's ambitions in the Sea of Japan and the South China Sea. Japan's recent purchase of Aegis Ashore missile defense systems from the US to protect its territory from North Korean missiles has not been without controversy.

The Russians raised their concern over the US-built defense systems, claiming that they had universal launchers that can launch all types of missiles, which contravened the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

The Russians were also quick to point out that the Japanese deployment of anti-missile systems was part of a greater plan by the US for a "global anti-missile system," given the deployment of such systems in Romania and their impending stationing in Poland.

India is the third pivotal partner to Washington's Asia-Pacific strategy, and a long-time benefactor of US supply of nuclear technologies to enhance its deterrence capability in order to restrain China. India's ambition to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) also threatens to destabilize a fragile South Asia mired in nuclear tensions. Neither India nor Pakistan is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

A nuclear race is the inevitable outcome should India receive its NSG membership, and would undoubtedly jeopardize China's national priorities.

If there has been any lesson learned post-World War II, then it is the realization that interdependence and cooperation were far better for the common interests of humanity than force and confrontation.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, echoed those very sentiments in his vision of a "new era" in building a community with a shared future for mankind in his report to the 19th CPC National Congress on October 18.

This was not lost on former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke, who on December 29 lamented the current lack of genuine leadership in the Western world to an audience at the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland. He was critical of Turnbull, and far less charitable toward Trump.

The author is a senior lecturer at the School of Accounting, Economics & Finance, University of Wollongong, Australia.
The Chinese military should modernize its buildup and management and focus on becoming an elite fighting force that uses digital technologies, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.

Xi, also the chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark during his inspection of a Ground Force division from the Central Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army.

He also called for the military to strengthen digitized warfare research and databases, execute military doctrines more creatively, utilize more technologies, increase scientific education among troops, and explore more options to build an elite and inventive military.

On Wednesday morning, Xi arrived at the division and inspected modern military hardware. Xi also got aboard the Type 99A tank  China's new generation main battle tank, dubbed the "King of Land Warfare" by the military  as well as the Hongjian-10 missile carrier to learn their capabilities.

Xi said the PLA should make full use of new technologies and innovations, unleash its full scientific potential, and transform its technological edge into combat advantages.

Xi also praised new recruits for their excellent physical fitness and versatile talents, and urged them to train hard for reconnaissance ability.

In the afternoon, Xi visited the training simulation center and the history gallery of the division. Xi viewed pictures of the division's intense battle near the Kaechon region in the Korean Peninsula during War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, known as the Korean War in the West, from 1950 to 1953. He praised the soldiers who fought in it for their valor.

Our military has always fought with great spirit, Xi said. In the past, we had more spirit than steel. Now we have plenty of equipment, so we need an even tougher and stronger spirit to wield it, he said.

Xi emphasized that all effort should be put into combat readiness training, with stronger emphasis on realistic combat training, thus further increasing the military's ability to win.

All levels of the military should also place high emphasis on training high quality military talent for digitized warfare, he added.

Zhu Tingchao, an officer from the division, said his division had immediately begun 48 hours of intensive training after Xi announced the start of this year's military training on Wednesday morning.

"We will focus our training on command system application, military strategy, combat fitness and techniques, with goals to improve our overall combat capability based on network information technologies and digitized systems," he said.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Terens Quick will be in Alexandria, Egypt, tomorrow to attend the Divine Liturgy of the Holy Epiphany at the Holy Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, at which His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa will officiate, and the Blessing of the Waters ceremony at the Greek Yacht Club of Alexandria.

Mr. Quick will take the opportunity of his visit to Egypt to meet with representatives of Greek community organizations in Alexandria and Cairo, as well as with the Egyptian Minister of Immigration and Expatriate Affairs, Nabila Makram.
French President Emmanuel Macron will head to China next week to strengthen commercial ties with the world's second-largest economy. It will be Macron's first state visit to China since he won election last year.

According to the Elysee, Macron will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Jan. 9 after visiting the ancient imperial capital of Xi'an.

Talks also will focus on North Korea, the fight against terror financing and international efforts against climate change.

Macron's office on Thursday said a number of commercial deals are expected to be signed during the three-day visit but they have yet to be finalized. A Franco-Chinese investment fund worth more than a billion euros ($1.2 billion) also should be announced.

France says China has a major role to play in the North Korea nuclear crisis and Macron hopes that good cooperation between France and China could improve chances of a denuclearization agreement.
Among the biggest gainers were technology companies and banks. Wells Fargo jumped 1.9 percent and Microsoft rose 0.7 percent.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average broke through the 25,000-threshold for the first time Thursday, and notched another 1,000-point milestone. The index of blue-chip stocks is studded with industrial heavyweights such as Boeing and Caterpillar.

U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday morning, "Dow just crashes through 25,000. Congrats! Big cuts in unnecessary regulations continuing."

The Dow increased 118 points, or 0.5 percent, to 25,037. The Nasdaq edged up 16 points to 7,081. This latest record came in early trading Thursday -- only five weeks after closing above 24,000 points for the first time.

Other major indexes also rose to new levels, driven by a strong report on private jobs.

The recent rally has been spurred by faster economic gains around the world, along with a more optimistic outlook from businesses and consumers.
The charges relate to W3.65 billion she was given in regular cash payments from the National Intelligence Service, a prosecution spokesman said (US$1=W1,065).

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on Thursday brought additional charges of bribery and pilfering from state coffers against ex-President Park Geun-hye.

Park is already on trial on 18 other criminal charges including taking W43.3 billion in bribes from Samsung.

Park is suspected of taking the NIS money from three chiefs of the spy agency -- Nam Jae-joon, Lee Byung-kee and Lee Byung-ho -- between May 2013, right after she was sworn in, until September 2016, when the corruption scandal blew up.

She is also suspected of asking Lee Byung-ho to send W150 million in three installments to her chief of staff Lee Won-jong, who served from May to October 2016.

Park has refused to be questioned on the fresh charges, but prosecutors say they can prove that she spent most of the money for private purposes.

One of Park's closest aides, Lee Jae-man, has told prosecutors that she spent the money supporting a fashion boutique run by her confidante Choi Soon-sil, who is at the heart of the scandal, as well as paying for phones she used under false names, maintaining her private home in southern Seoul, and paying the bills of her various quacks.


Satellite images suggest that North Korea set up a makeshift assembly facility for intercontinental ballistic missiles in less than a month near Pyongyang.

The building sits in the compound of a truck factory in Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province, Voice of America reported on Wednesday.

Analysis of satellite images shot by commercial provider DigitalGlobe on Nov. 21 shows an oblong building about 35 m tall and by 15-18 m across in the center of the plant.


Exports of agricultural products recorded an all-time high last year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Thursday.

Exports of agricultural products last year reached US$6.83 billion, up 5.6 percent from US$6.46 billion in 2016. It was the highest ever and the first time that agricultural exports increased by more than 5 percent for two years in a row.

Although shipments of poultry dropped 58.7 percent on-year due to outbreaks of avian influenza, those of instant noodles (31.2 percent), strawberries (29 percent), and ginseng and other herb products (18.7 percent) rose, thereby offsetting the balance.

Exports to China decreased 10 percent while those to Japan and Taiwan increased 13.4 and 10.2 percent.


Man admits to firearm charges

A Louisiana man recently pleaded guilty in court to single counts of possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a firearm while intoxicated.

Kevin M. Christmas, 26, of Baton Rouge, is scheduled to appear in court next on Feb. 12 for sentencing. His bond was continued.

Christmas is being represented by Bad Axe-based attorney Dallas Rooney.

Man pleads no contest to assault charges

A Caseville man recently pleaded no contest to third-degree domestic violence and assaulting a police officer charges.

Andrew Shane Meyer, 34, pleaded guilty to being a third-time habitual offender. Through a plea agreement with the Huron County Prosecutor's Office, a charge of assaulting a police officer was dismissed. Meyer was ordered to pay full restitution.

Meyer is scheduled to appear for sentencing on Feb. 12. His bond was continued.

Meyer is being represented by Bad Axe-based attorney Andrew Lockard.

Man takes plea deal on domestic charge

A Port Hope man recently pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree domestic violence as well as being a second-time habitual offender.

Through a plea deal with the Huron County Prosecutor's Office, Michael Curtis Apley, 32, was ordered to pay full restitution. He is scheduled to appear for sentencing on Feb. 12.

Apley is being represented by Sebewaing-based attorney Jill Schmidt.

Man admits to drug charge

A Saginaw man pleaded guilty recently to a single count of delivery of a controlled substance and being a second-time habitual offender.

Michael E. King Jr., 21, is scheduled to appear in court next on Feb. 12 for sentencing. Bond was continued.

King is being represented by Bad Axe-based attorney Walt Salens.
UBLY - A new board member will take over the open spot at the Ubly Board of Education.

Joe Stacer was selected by board members at a special meeting Wednesday night. Stacer will take over the seat being vacated by vice president Greg Kranz, who resigned due to no longer living in the school district.

Stacer was selected over three other candidates who interviewed with the board Wednesday. Those candidates were teacher Kara Mueller, former teacher and school administrator Geralyn Kolar and former Michigan Sugar board member Jake Maurer.

During his interview, Stacer, who was involved in the bond issue vote of 2007, said he would be "open minded and willing to listen to others."

"There's always room for improvement," he said. "I envision Ubly to continue that."

Stacer said the "No. 1 challenge was to make sure we have enough money for everyone."

Stacer was the favorite in the first round of voice voting by the six members of the board. He received three votes, while Kolar had two and Maurer had one.

After establishing the top two, a second round of voice voting saw all but trustee Tammy Peruski vote for Stacer. Peruski, after a long hesitation, then voted for Maurer.

A motion was then made to add Stacer, which passed unanimously.

Kolar, who works at the Huron Intermediate School District as a special education administrator, said she was "doing it for the kids" during her interview.

"I want this district to be a leader, not a follower," she said. "I have the best interest of the board, administrators and staff in mind. It's not a self-interest."

Mueller, the first person to be interviewed, said she came with her husband to Ubly via schools of choice, then moved into the area.

"I think that I have a unique perspective because I'm a teacher, a parent and a grandparent," she told the board.

Maurer said his first priority would have been a bond issue that is likely to be put on the May ballot.

"I have a vested interest in Ubly because I have three children here," he told the board. "I think to maintain the school we have to maintain the competitive advantage here."

Stacer will be a trustee. The board will elect a new vice president at their organizational meeting Monday.
HARTFORD - Ahead of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) has announced the launch of his second annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Essay Challenge.

Murphy encourages elementary, middle, and high school students from across Connecticut to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by submitting essays that reflect on Dr. Kings dream and their own aspirations.

Racism, homophobia, and prejudice are tragically alive and well in America today, said Murphy in a statement. Im launching the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. essay challenge for the second year to encourage young people all over Connecticut to commit to making Dr. Kings dream for equality - no matter your skin color, national origin, religion, or sexual orientation - a reality. Dr. Kings leadership united millions of Americans, and his legacy will live on forever because of it.

Full guidelines of Murphys Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Essay Challenge are below:

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s birthday was designated as a federal holiday in 1983. The first Martin Luther King Jr. Day was celebrated in 1986. Since that time, on the third Monday of each January, we celebrate the life and dream of Dr. King, the impact he made on our nation, and the work that remains to be done to fulfill his vision. For this essay, students should reflect on what Dr. Kings dream was and what he would think about his dream today.

Students should further answer what their own dream is and how it relates to the work of Dr. King. The deadline for submission is January 10, 2018. Essays should be no more than 500 words for high school students (grades 9-12), 300 words for middle school students (grades 6-8), and 100-200 for elementary school students (grades K-5). Pictures are optional for elementary school submissions.

Submissions can be made here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfzdDWmdOHGThZA_

EAIMsD838wKlHc9xumbFutN9Um6tdkJAQ/viewform

For questions about the contest email MLK_Essay@murphy.senate.gov.

Girl Scouts launch cookie season with rallies

Its almost Girl Scout Cookie time, and today, Jan. 6, Girl Scouts of Connecticut will kick off the beginning of the 2018 cookie season by hosting two Cookie Rallies to help prepare girls to become the next century of female entrepreneurs. Current Girl Scouts are encouraged to attend and bring a non-Girl Scout friend to join in on the fun and learn about all the benefits of being a Girl Scout.

The Cookie Rallies will be held at Shelton Intermediate School in Shelton and at RHAM High School in Hebron. At the Cookie Rallies, girls will immerse themselves in activities to prepare them to be true cookie bosses this Girl Scout Cookie season. They will learn marketing tips, play games, and have access to a number of marketing tools to help them reach their cookie goals. There will also be tables with general information for girls who wish to learn more about all of the incredible things that Girl Scouts has to offer. To learn about joining Girl Scouts, visit gsofct.org. To find out when Girl Scouts are selling cookies near you, visit girlscoutcookies.org.

Healthline program focuses on radon

MIDDLETOWN  Christine Hahn will be the guest on the next edition of the health-information radio program  Healthline. Ms. Hahn, an epidemiologist for the Connecticut Department of Public Health, will discuss the potential health hazards associated with prolonged exposure to elevated levels of radon gas, how to test for it, and how to mitigate should a problem be found.

January is National Radon Action Month, the time of year when the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reminds everyone about the dangers that have been linked to radon - a naturally-occurring, radio-active gas that you cannot see, smell or taste. Outdoors, radon is not a problem; but inside, high concentrations for an extended period of time can be deadly. The only sure way of knowing if your home has a radon problem is to test for it.

Healthline is produced by the Middletown Health Department and can be heard Saturday, January 6, at 3:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and 5:15 p.m. on WIHS 104.9 FM.

Repertory school to hold auditions in Torrington

TORRINGTON  Princeton Ballet School, the official school of American Repertory Ballet, brings its 2018 Summer Intensive U.S. audition tour to Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts (58 Main Street, Torrington,CT) on Saturday, February 3 (Registration at 4 p.m., followed by auditions from 4:30-6 p.m.

Leading the audition will be ARB Resident Choreographer Kirk Peterson, who had a distinguished career for 17 years with American Ballet Theatre as principal dancer and choreographer.

First held in 1982, Princeton Ballet School's Summer Intensive is one of the longest running Summer Intensive programs in the United States. Based in Princeton, N.J., the Summer Intensive runs from June 25-July 27.

The Summer Intensive is a program of serious study in a warm and companionable atmosphere. The faculty provides caring and careful instruction conductive to technical and artistic progress. In seeking to maintain a feeling of community, Princeton Ballet School purposely limits the number of students in class. Students receive individualized attention and intensive training led by ARB Artistic Director Douglas Martin, Resident Choreographer Mary Barton, and master teachers Kathleen Moore and Maria Youskevitch. Guest faculty have included Franco De Vita, Raymond Lukens, Kirk Peterson, Trinette Singleton, Aydmara Cabrera,Sterling Baca and Unity Phelan, among others.

The Summer Intensive has always been my favorite time spent in the classroom both as a student and as a faculty member, said Martin, a former principal dancer for Joffrey Ballet. As a student I was excited to spend my entire day focused on dancing and I couldn't wait to experience the intensity of the workload and feel the daily progress that I was making through that intense study. As a faculty member, I get a similar thrill from seeing the students' tremendous progress over the course of the five week program.

Auditions are conducted by Princeton Ballet School faculty members throughout the United States and Europe to select 100 students for the program. The audition will give students the opportunity to experience the approach to classical ballet technique that Princeton Ballet School is known for teaching. Students must be 13 and older; classes are held at the Princeton Studio location with optional housing at Princeton University. There is an audition fee of $30 (the pre-registration audition fee is $25).

For those unable to make the in-person audition, a video audition is possible.

To pre-register and for more information, visit www.arballet.org/summer-program or call 609-921-7758.
A Chinese broker arranged the illicit supply of oil to North Korea via a tanker called the Lighthouse Winmore, the Taiwanese national charged with renting it has told prosecutors according to the local press on Thursday.

The Lighthouse Winmore has been seized by South Korean authorities and sits in Yeosu port.

Prosecutors in Taiwan's Kaohsiung Province said Tuesday that Chen Shih-hsien (52) was questioned on charges of using the Lighthouse Winmore to illicitly supply oil to North Korean ships.

The Liberty Times of Taiwan said Chen told prosecutors that a "Chinese middleman" arranged the point of delivery and coordinated the ships involved. Chen denied knowing that the oil was being sent to North Korea.

He has also been charged with providing false information to Taiwanese customs about the cargo and its destination.

The Lighthouse Winmore was captured on camera pumping the oil into a North Korean ship called the Samjong No. 2 on the high seas after loading up on it in Yeosu.

The U.S. last month wanted the Lighthouse Winmore to be blacklisted under UN Security Council sanctions, but China opposed the move.


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Of all the new laws going into effect Monday (legal cannabis in California, higher minimum wages in several states, and many more), you may be surprised about which one drew the most backlash online. It appears to be Oregon House Bill 2482, which allows people who live in counties with 40,000 residents or less to pump their own gas.

Oregonians aired their frustrations on Facebook over the new law. And just about everyone else in the country made fun of them.

"I don't even know HOW to pump gas and I am 62, native Oregonian.....I say NO THANKS!" said Sandy Franklin on Facebook, in response to a post by local news station KTVL that asked for viewers' opinions on the new law.

"Many people are not capable of knowing how to pump gas and the hazards of not doing it correctly. Besides I don't want to go to work smelling of gas when I get it on my hands or clothes," wrote Tina Good.

Mike Perrone said he's been living in Oregon his whole life and refuses to pump his own gas. The reason?

"I had to do it once in California while visiting my brother and almost died doing it."

Read some of the most popular reactions in the slideshow below.

Commenters from around the country responded to Oregonians' concerns, making fun of their innocence (or ignorance, depending on how you look at it) and calming their fears of a Zoolander-style catastrophe.

"I cannot believe 2018 is gonna be the year I make a fortune moving to Oregon to teach people how to pump gas," wrote one person on Twitter.

To be clear, the new law only applies to the 15 least-dense of Oregon's 36 counties and it doesn't even force residents in those areas to pump their own gas. It simply gives them the option to.

Some gas station managers told the Bulletin their attendants would continue servicing patrons' cars just as they've been doing in the state since 1951.

RELATED VIDEO: Odd laws of San Francisco

Now Playing: San Francisco has some antiquated laws and ordinances on the books. Did you know about these? Video: SFGATE

"Our regular, longtime customers love coming here and talking to us while we pump their gas," said Shelby Perkins, a cashier at a 76 gas station in Prineville.

She added that she wasn't sure regular customers even knew how to operate the pumps. It appears she was, at least in some cases, right.

Oregon is one of two states that doesn't allow self-service gas stations (aside from this newly passed exception). The other is New Jersey.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at amartichoux@sfchronicle.com.
ANN ARBOR TOWNSHIP, MI - The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office is facing backlash over actions taken Thursday, Jan. 4, to kill two loose steers in Ann Arbor Township.

The sheriff's office said in an email and Nixle alert Thursday, Jan. 4 they were looking for a runaway steer in Superior Township, and warned the public not to approach the animal because it may be aggressive.

It was later discovered two steers were on the loose, that were later located and killed by deputies. A steer is a castrated male bull.

The founder of a local farm animal sanctuary also searched for the steers, and posted graphic videos of a steer carcass he said was skinned and left in the woods.

The sheriff's office has since denied skinning the two steers in response to multiple reviews left on the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office Facebook page since Thursday.

Some on Facebook called the killings "absolutely inexcusable" and "totally unnecessary."

The sheriff's office received a call at 11:20 a.m. Thursday that two steers were running loose near the intersection of Plymouth Road and Dixboro in Ann Arbor Township, according to a statement from the sheriff's office.

Upon arrival, deputies spoke with the owner who said the animals were being transported to Milan to be butchered when a trailer door broke and the steers escaped.

It was determined after speaking with the owner that the steers could not be corralled and posed a danger to nearby residential neighborhoods due to their size and aggressiveness, the statement said.

Deputies, the owner and local residents worked to locate the animals, one of which was located shortly after the search began and was killed by a sheriff's office supervisor.

The statement from the sheriff's office said the second animal was more difficult to locate and a Michigan State Police helicopter was called to assist in locating the steer. It was later found and killed, the sheriff's office said.

"The Sheriff's Office role was to ensure public safety by assisting the owner in locating and dispatching of her animals in a timely and safe manner," the statement said. "Once both animals were located the owner resumed possession and the decisions of how and when to dispose of the animals are solely hers."

"She was adamant they were too large and aggressive to be captured," said Director Derrick Jackson.

The owner had someone butcher the first steer that was killed in a wooded area, when it was determined the animal was too heavy to remove from the area, Jackson said.

Local veterinarians were contacted by the sheriff's office for equipment to subdue the animals, he added, so a decision was made to dispatch the animals out of safety concerns for nearby residents.

"No one had equipment to deal with an animal this size," Jackson said.

Daniel McKernan, founder of the Barn Sanctuary devoted to rescuing farm animals in Chelsea, broadcast multiple Facebook videos of his search for the runaway steer Thursday. He went to the area hauling a horse trailer to try and offer assistance rescuing the animal.

McKernan posted videos of his encounter with a deputy and later his discovery of a skinned steer in a wooded area.

"Hey everyone, so ... I went on a trek," McKernan tells viewers. "The first thing I found was a blood stain, blood drops.

"All I've got to say is these cows are fighting for their lives right now. They just want to be free," McKernan said in the video. "They want to be in a forest like this, and the fact that Washtenaw Sheriff's Department just goes out and hunts them when they find out their lost, instead of calling animal rescue groups to take them in, that's unbelievable."
BAY CITY, MI -- A Michigan dairy farmer is to spend a couple of years in federal prison and owes a six-figure fine for hiring undocumented immigrants.

U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington on Thursday, Jan. 4, sentenced Denis Burke to two years in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Ludington did not order Burke taken into custody on Thursday, but gave him time to self-report to the U.S. Marshals Services.

The judge also ordered Burke to pay a fine of $187,500 and an assessment fee of $100.

Burke in September pleaded guilty to knowingly harboring illegal aliens for private gain and/or commercial advantage.

In exchange for his plea, the prosecution dismissed four more counts of the same charge.

Burke's wife and codefendant, Madeline Burke, in June pleaded guilty to one count of hiring without verification of employment eligibility. In September, she received two years' probation and was also ordered to pay the same fine with monthly installments of $15,600.

The Burkes own Parisville Dairy in Huron County and Dunganstown Dairy in Tuscola County. Between February 2008 and May 2013, the couple hired and harbored more than 100 undocumented immigrants to work on their farms, Denis Burke's plea agreement states.

"Denis Burke gave the illegal aliens free housing on or next to his farms so the illegal aliens would be readily available for work and less accessible to immigration authorities," the document states. "Because the illegal aliens lacked valid documentation, they could not get driver's licenses, open accounts at financial institutions so they could cash paychecks themselves, or register vehicles with the Michigan Secretary of State."

As a result of this, the workers relied on others to drive them around.

On Feb. 1, 2013, a Bad Axe police officer pulled over a vehicle driven by Yolanda Stewart and containing five passengers. All of the passengers were undocumented immigrants working at the Burkes' farms.

Denis Burke was aware that Stewart regularly drove his employees to town so they could go shopping and wire money to their families in other countries, the plea agreement states. Investigators found paystubs from the farms, MoneyGram receipts, and an identification document issued by the Mexican consulate in Stewart's car.

Stewart's five passengers were arrested. As a result, his remaining employees were afraid to leave the farms. Denis Burke thus paid Stewart $800 to buy groceries for his workers so the farms could continue operating, the document states.

In July 2016, Stewart pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport, harbor, and shield illegal aliens from detection for private financial gain. In November, a judge sentenced her to 27 months in federal prison.

A grand jury had indicted the Burkes in September 2016.
A rescued bald eagle with one wing has been given a permanent home in a habitat at the Detroit Zoo.

The 5- to 6-year-old eagle, named Mr. America, came from southern Indiana, where he recovered from a damaged wing that prevented him from being released back into the wild, according to the Detroit Zoo.

Mr. America's wing needed to be amputated after severe damage caused, rescuers believe, by flying into a power line.

The eagle was named Mr. America by the rehabber who cared for him in Vincennes, Indiana, zoo officials said.

At six pounds, the eagle is considered small, according to the Detroit Zoo. Mature eagles tend to weigh between 10 and 15 pounds with a 6- to 8-foot wingspan.

"We're happy to offer sanctuary to another rescued, non-releasable eagle and provide him expert care and a great place to live," said Scott Carter, chief life sciences officer for the Detroit Zoological Society, in a news release.

Mr. America is joining another rescued male bald eagle at the zoo named Flash in the American Grasslands habitat.

Flash, who arrived at the zoo in 2009 from Alaska's Kodiak Island, also suffered a wing injury.
FLINT, MI - Jacques Allen was known for his big heart and infectious smile.

"He was just a sweet kid," said his grandmother Nelda Allen. "Everybody knew Jacques. He was just so loving and kind. His heart was so big."

The fifth grader at Brownell-Holmes was gunned down in a drive-by shooting around 10 p.m. on New Year's Day.

He was 10.

"We had just got done eating dinner," Allen said. "We were just getting ready to lay down on the couch. He went to the bathroom. All the sudden there was pop, pop, pop and 15 to 20 shots came through the house."

When Allen looked up, she saw that Jacques had been shot.

Officers responded just after 10 p.m. Monday, Jan. 1, to reports of a shooting in the 5000 block of Granville Avenue and found the boy suffering from a gunshot wound.

The boy was rushed to the hospital before Allen could talk to him.

Jacques died the next day.

"I can't go back to the house," Allen said. "I'm displaced right now. I'm just so torn up, but I can't go home. I'm scared for my life. I don't know if these people are going to come back."

Nadine Roberts lives across the street and knew Jacques for six years.

"He had like a magnetic personality," Roberts said. "He had a charismatic disposition."

She always kept extra fruit and kid's cereal in her home for when Jacques would stop by.

Roberts said she remembers catching him with a handful of popsicles one summer.

She asked Jacques where he was going with them and he told her they were for all of his friends -pointing to the large group of kids in Roberts' front yard.

"I told him he was responsible for making sure all those wrappers got in the trash," she said. "He was a joyful kid. He played. He rode bikes."

Allen had custody of Jacques and his 13-year-old sister, along with their 15-year-old cousin.

Roberts said Jacques' mother died a year ago due to complications connected to kidney disease and his father also died.

"He got shot before his granny's eyes," Roberts said of Jacques. "Just like that - out of nowhere."

Roberts is concerned that Jacques' killing stems from another shooting nearby on Dec. 19.

"Could you say that they were related - common sense would say it's a high probability," she said. "To say who was the target - I don't know."

MLive-The Flint Journal could not reach Flint police or the Michigan State Police to discuss Jacques' death, the city's first homicide of 2018.

Allen said she spoke with police, but doesn't think there have been any arrests.

"I wish the person would turn themselves in," she said. "They should have a conscience, but I don't know."

Allen said Jacques' arrangements are pending.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help pay for his funeral, Allen said.

"They didn't have to do that," Allen said about the drive-by that killed her grandson. "He shouldn't have been a victim in whatever this is that's going on. I'm going to love him for the rest of my life."
FLINT, MI - A former Flint liquor store employee will be deported and targeted for an "honor killing" in India if he pleads guilty to aiding a $1.3 million food stamp fraud scheme in Michigan, his attorney says.

In a motion filed in Flint U.S. District Court on Thursday, Jan. 4, attorney Kimberly W. Stout argues that Jatinder "Bobby" Singh, 31, did not fully understand the repercussions of pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud at Paradise House of Liquor in Flint, asking a federal judge to allow Singh to withdraw his plea.

Singh pleaded guilty to aiding the food stamp scheme in April 2017 under the assumption he would be allowed to stay in the United States due to the "horrendous circumstances" he faced if he returned to India, the filing said.

Last month, however, an immigration court ruled otherwise, denying Singh asylum.

If the 31-year-old former Flint liquor store employee is forced to return to India, he will be killed by his wife's family, Stout asserted.

According to the filing, Singh fled to the United States from India in 2008 after being targeted by his wife's family for an "honor killing" - a murder meant to "avenge a sense of insult" for marrying outside of caste, the Guardian reports.

Because Singh's wife was of a different culture than him, the pair was not permitted by the family to marry, the court filing states, adding that when Singh proposed to the woman, she was beaten by her father and Singh was threatened with death.

Eventually, with the help of Singh's siblings, the couple ran away and married.

"Upon learning of the marriage, [the woman's] father declared his daughter deceased and placed an article in the news paper [sic]," the filing said. "Further, [the woman's] family has marked [Singh] for death as honor killings are still acceptable in parts of India."

The Indian government reports that since 2014, around 500 people - mostly women - have died in "honor killings" in the country, a number which some activists say is "vastly under-reported," according to an article in Reuters.

In 2008, the couple obtained United States visas and lived in New York City for nearly seven years before moving to Flint with their two children - ages 6 and 8 - for work in 2014, the filing said.

While working at the Paradise Liquor House on Fleming Road in Flint, Singh allowed his visa to expire and no longer has legal status in the United States, according to court records.

Alongside Lakhbir "Lucky" Chahal and Tony "Paco" Price, Singh pleaded guilty to a single charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud before Flint U.S. District Judge Linda V. Parker in April 2017.

In July, Parker sentenced Chahal - the owner of both Liquor Plus and Paradise House and accused ringleader in the scheme - to spend between 3.5 and 4.5 years behind bars, while Price was put on probation for 1.75 to 2.25 years.

Singh has not yet been sentenced.

At both liquor stores, Chahal would pay customers 50 cents cash in exchange for each dollar of their food stamps benefits. He would also exchange benefits for and ineligible items such as cigarettes and alcohol, authorities said, claiming that Chahal then illegally used the food stamp benefits to purchase stock for the stores.

Singh worked for Chahal at Paradise Liquor from February to October 2015, according to court records.

While he worked there, Singh bought Bridge Cards from beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to court documents.

Singh, at the direction of Chahal, also used the Bridge Cards to buy inventory for Paradise House of Liquor, investigators said.

Although court records say Singh owes $81,197 in restitution, Singh "did not personally profit from this scheme other than his paycheck and some groceries," Stout's motion states.

With no former criminal history, government guidelines recommend Singh spend four to 10 months behind bars, according to records.

Singh is currently free on a $10,000 unsecured bond. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 21.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's office could not immediately be reached for comment on Singh's request.

In November 2017, the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the deportation of a metro Detroit woman who faced an honor killing if she returned home to Jordan.
FLINT, MI - It's time for the state to return Flint's financial decision-making to city officials, Mayor Karen Weaver says.

In a letter submitted to Frederick Headen, the chairperson of Flint's state-appointed financial oversight board, last month, Weaver stressed that the city "has demonstrated through its policies, practices and procedures that it is capable of operating without state oversight."

The mayor's letter requests that the state immediately restore Flint's authority to approve contracts without the oversight of the Receivership Transition Advisory Board and eventually transfer full authority back to the city government.

"The city has key department heads in place to keep the city responsible, accountable, solvent and legally sound, by securing an interim Chief Financial Officer, a Chief Legal Officer and a Director of Public Works," Weaver's Dec. 19 letter said.

In November, city council approved Hughey Newsome and Rob Binscik to interim CFO and DPW director positions, respectively, after months of vacancy.

Angela Wheeler was promoted to the city's chief legal officer position, a position she was filling in an interim capacity.

Newsome presented the letter to the RTAB on Dec. 20, requesting that the board discuss the mayor's inquiry at its next meeting scheduled for Jan. 10.

The board has received the mayor's letter, but the meeting agenda has yet to be finalized, a state treasury spokesperson said.

Weaver's letter also stated that she and council have "implemented financial best practices to safeguard the financial stability of the city" by eliminating financial stress, making required contributions to pension funds and following the budgetary process as outlined by city ordinance - areas the state treasury previously expressed concern about in an August 2017 report.

"Furthermore, the city administration has worked collaboratively along with city and state officials and the board to successfully transition to the termination of receivership," Weaver's letter said. "As such, I believe it is now time for the RTAB to recommend the transition of authority back to the city's administration and city council."

Flint's government has been under state control since 2011 when Gov. Rick Snyder declared a financial emergency within the city. Even though Snyder declared an end to Flint's financial emergency on April 29, 2015, the RTAB, which is appointed by the governor, has continued to review financial decisions in the city since that time.

Talks of planning the RTAB's departure from Flint surfaced in August 2017, in an annual report from the state treasury mandatory for Michigan cities operating under financial receivership.

The report stated that circumstances causing Flint's 2011 financial emergency are "not likely to be repeated" and that the "city has achieved a perceived level of financial stability it has lacked in recent years."

The RTAB can be disbanded at the pleasure of the governor, and there were several references in the report to a growing consensus that the time to do so is fast approaching.

A spokesperson from Snyder's office indicated the governor will follow the recommendation of the RTAB, and will look to the board for its evaluation of whether the city's financial future is on solid footing.

However, in an email statement to MLive-The Flint Journal, Weaver said that Flint deserves to govern itself, especially now that the mayor's administration and city council are on good terms.

"I feel I have taken steps to satisfy the concerns of the state by exhibiting leadership and selecting capable and qualified individuals to lead city departments, especially in the area they are most concerned about, which is finance," Weaver said on Thursday, Jan. 4. "I have shown strength, and the will to lead. The city deserves to return to home rule, especially now that the executive branch and the legislative branch have a good working relationship."

The treasury's August report - filed in the middle of a federal lawsuit over the long-term future of the city's water fund - also expressed concern regarding the health of Flint's water fund. In court filings, the state said that the city would go bankrupt in a year's time if it did not sign into a 30-year contract with the Great Lakes Water Authority.

After months of increasingly heated debate and pressure from a federal judge, city council signed off on the long-term contract in November 2017, a move which Weaver deemed "fiscally responsible."

Flint fell under state control in 2011 when a review panel and Snyder concurred that a "local government financial emergency" existed in Flint and that an emergency financial manager should be appointed to oversee the city's affairs.

The governor ultimately appointed four emergency managers to run the city from 2011 until 2015 -- two of whom are currently facing charges of criminal wrongdoing related to their roles in the Flint water crisis.

In declaring the financial emergency in Flint, state officials said city leaders had failed to fix a structural deficit and criticized city officials for not moving with the degree of urgency required considering the seriousness of the city's financial problems.

Michigan's emergency manager law is currently facing scrutiny in federal court, where plaintiffs argue that the law is unconstitutional because it disproportionately targets black communities and continues a "narrative of structural and strategic racism."

Letter from Flint Mayor Karen Weaver to RTAB state financial oversight by Oona Goodin-Smith on Scribd
CALEDONIA TWP, MI -- With hundreds filing through and the ribbon cut Thursday evening, the doors opened to complete the upgraded $25 million medical care facility Pleasant View.

The 103,000-square-foot facility, located at 275 Caledonia Drive in Caledonia Township, spans more than 10 acres, and based on Shiawassee County records, it is the largest construction project completed in the county in more than 30 years.

"This means the world to us. New facilities aren't built every day, and we really feel that what we're doing here is going to provide the best life possible for the residents that live with us," said Shana Espinoza, administrator at Pleasant View.

The facility, also known as the Shiawassee County Medical Care Facility, hasn't seen a major facelift, outside of common renovations, since 1953 in its current Corunna locale, officials said.

Simply, it was built to older codes. Hallways were slimmer, making it difficult for two wheelchairs to pass each other in the hallway, or even people depending on foot traffic.

The biggest change, Espinoza said, is the layout of the rooms.

"We have some rooms with four people in them, and that's really unpopular for them as everyone would like their own space," she said. "The layout was just so outdated. I can't stress enough the positive difference this new facility will allow us."

The new facility will feature 136 beds, more private rooms, while still hosting a few semi-private. It will also include suites for married couples and end of life suites for hospice residents. Rooms will be spread out into wings for long-term care, short-term rehabilitation and a memory care unit.

A 1950s-themed diner, which was popular from the old facility, will highlight the cafeteria, as well as a library, salon, life enrichment center, rehabilitation quarters, dining kitchenettes and living rooms throughout the facility. Therapy services will be provided for any residents in any area, and centralized activities and events throughout the year.

On Jan. 17, the 120 residents will be moved from the current facility.

The county-owned facility has operated in some fashion for 170 years. Before its name change to today's Pleasant View, it was called the Shiawassee County Poor Farm Cemetery, where poor farm residents and others were buried.

Hartmann Aue, board chairman of the Department of Health and Human Services for Shiawassee County, helped pioneer the project early, from its architecture and design through its groundbreaking to today.

His motivation: his father William Aue, who died at 59 of cancer after being exposed to Agent Orange while fighting in the Vietnam War.

Hartmann Aue was only 23 at the time and felt it was too early for his father to pass away. He and his siblings did not have a local facility for him and had to drive constantly to Lansing to be with him.

This was a passion project for Aue, as he wanted to provide a facility for families to feel at home and close to their loved ones, he said.

"We're providing a service to people in most need. First-class facilities with the newest technologies, so that families can see grandma and grandpa or sons and daughters can visit their parents without having to travel too far, especially through sleet, snow or ice-covered roads, like we have in Michigan for much of the year," Aue said. "People who have lived in our area can continue to do so in a top-notch facility. It makes it easier on families and will help keep families together, and that's truly what we needed here."
FLINT, MI -- Mott Community College will open its Flint campus on Saturday, Jan. 6 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. for students looking to enroll in the upcoming semester.

Saturday hours give current and prospective students an opportunity to complete enrollment processes for the winter semester, which begins Saturday, Jan. 13.

"Our goal is to provide our current students, and prospective students, an efficient and seamless opportunity to enroll for the winter semester," said Tanya McFadden, vice president for student success services at MCC.

In addition to encouraging current students to register for the next semester, new or returning students can:

* Take or schedule the ACCUPLACER placement test. Testing will be done on a first-come, first-served basis. Appointments for future testing will also be available. The last test will begin at 1 p.m.

* Schedule or attend an orientation. The orientation session will be held at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

* Meet with an advisor or schedule a future appointment to plan your winter course schedule.

* Pay for classes (MasterCard, Discover, Visa, American Express, money order and personal checks are accepted) or arrange for a tuition payment plan.

* Receive information on financial aid.

* Sign up for Bear Direct 2.0, the automated refund system.

* Visit the bookstore.

For more information, call 810-762-0200 or visit www.mcc.edu.
Multiple school districts across mid-Michigan have already made the decision to cancel classes on Friday, Jan. 5 due to expected dangerously low wind chills values.

Davison Community Schools, Lapeer Community Schools, Flint Community Schools, Owosso Public Schools, Bay City Public Schools, and Swartz Creek Community Schools are among the districts that will keep their doors closed on Friday.

A complete list of closings is available from ABC 12 here.

Some Flint-area charter schools, including Richfield Public School Academy and Grand Blanc Academy, previously moved to remain closed on Thursday and Friday over the extreme cold and low wind chills.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill warning for several counties, including Midland, Bay, Huron, Saginaw, Tuscola, Sanilac, Shiawassee, Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Livingston, Oakland, and Macomb.

Wind chills values are forecast to drop as low as 30 degrees below zero around midnight and continue into Friday morning.

In a Facebook post explaining the closure at Swartz Creek schools, superintendent Ben Mainka said the Genesee County Superintendents Association has been in communication with the Mott Children's Hospital and that "-19 (with wind chill) is a threshold that we should cancel school and activities."

A message from our Superintendent: I have received a number of calls today asking about our protocols for canceling... Posted by Swartz Creek Community Schools on Thursday, January 4, 2018

"While it is not an exact science and difficult to predict every single area around the district, when temperatures reach this threshold, there is a strong possibility that we would cancel for student safety," said Mainka.

Lapeer schools also took to their website to discuss the district's decision-making process, but they noted there is no set policy among schools across the state on when to close buildings due to weather-related issues.

High temperatures are forecast to rebound heading into next week, reaching the mid-20s on Sunday and low 30s on Tuesday with a chance of snow showers on each day.
FLINT, MI -- Two years after Gov. Rick Snyder declared a public health emergency in Flint, state legislators in the area say not enough has been done to protect other parts of the state from a similar fate in the future.

State Rep. Phil Phelps, D-Flushing, said Friday, Jan. 5, that several bills introduced during the last two years in response to the Flint water crisis have languished, "a huge shame on us."

"If we don't get his stuff moving this session, it's going to be no action taken on the Flint crisis," Phelps said.

Only a bill related to Flint, introduced by Rep. Sheldon Neeley, D-Flint, has been signed into law by Snyder.

That legislation required water authorities to notify customers within 72 hours when lead action levels are exceeded.

Unpassed bills introduced in the state Legislature include measures to allow the Drinking Water Revolving Fund to give out low-interest loans to local governments to replace lead service lines and re-establishment of a gubernatorial-appointed citizen oversight commissions for water quality.

Ari Adler, a spokesman for Snyder, said in an email to MLive-The Flint Journal that the governor is "continuously working with our legislative partners and coordinating state department activities to address infrastructure and public health concerns around the state, which of course includes Flint."

"We have seen Flint come a long way in the past two years, with water quality now well below the federal action limit for the Lead and Copper Rule and testing very well when compared with other cities in Michigan," Adler's statement says. "Gov. Snyder and his team continue to focus on improving the water quality of Flint, as well as the overall quality of life for Flint residents."

Neeley's bill to require testing of water in schools and daycare facilities is one of the bills that stalled after he introduced it one year ago.

"It was assigned to committee and there's no movement on it," Neeley said.

There is currently no requirement that schools or child care centers routinely test water for lead unless school officials operate their own water system.

In addition to formal legislation, recommendations by a task force appointed by Snyder, the Joint Select Committee on the Flint Water Emergency and the Michigan Civil Rights Commission have wilted.

The task force's recommendations included proposed changes to the state's emergency manager law.

The Civil Rights Commission concluded racism played a role in the city's water emergency and recommended developing a plan of action to provide environmental justice to all Michigan residents.

The Joint Select Committee on the Flint Water Emergency made 36 recommendations, including a proposal to increase the criminal penalty for misconduct by public officials.

On Jan. 5, 2016, Snyder declared an emergency in Flint because of health and safety issues caused by lead in the city's drinking water, something that occurred while Flint was being run by a state-appointed emergency manager.

In making the declaration, the governor cleared the way for President Barack Obama's federal emergency declaration, which opened the door for federal aid to deal with the fallout from the water crisis.
OAKFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI -- Injuries have been reported in a three-vehicle accident in Oakfield Township, southeast of Cedar Springs.

Kent County Sheriff's Office Dispatch said the initial call, which came in at about 5:50 p.m. Thursday, reported there were three vehicles involved in an accident on 14 Mile Road NE, west of Wabasis Avenue NE.

The number of people injured and severity of injuries was not immediately known, dispatch said.

The scene of the accident was still active as of about 6:30 p.m.

Michigan State Police were assisting on the scene and ambulances were dispatched.
COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Kid Rock is starting 2018 off on the right foot.

In a series of Tweets posted on Jan. 3, the Detroit rocker announced that he would be donating a total of $50,000 to the Feeding America West Michigan in Comstock Park and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee in Nashville. The organizations will be receiving $25,000 each.

I also wanted to start 2018 off on a positive note, hoping to influence others who have been as blessed as me, by donating 50k to The Second Harvest Food Banks of West Michigan and Middle Tennessee (25k each - the checks will go out today). pic.twitter.com/lbPiBQIQ2e  Kid Rock (@KidRock) January 4, 2018

"I also wanted to start 2018 off on a positive note, hoping to influence others who have been as blessed as me," he wrote.

Rock went on to explain his motivations for helping out.

I think it is important to help others out, especially this time of year when it is cold and the holidays can be such a strain on some who are really struggling to try to make ends meet. Please do what you can to help. They have other locations all across America  Kid Rock (@KidRock) January 4, 2018

Feeding America West Michigan is part of the network of Feeding America food banks. According to its website, the organization distributes reclaimed food to pantries, shelters, after-school programs, and other anti-hunger agencies in 40 Michigan counties.

In 2016, it distributed a record 29.1 million pounds of food, the equivalent of 24 million meals, its website says.
On January 2018, commencing at 11:30 a.m. for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, held a telephone talk with H.E. Enrique PENA NIETO, President of the United Mexican States. The overview of the telephone talk is as follows.

1. At the outset, Prime Minister Abe extended his gratitude for the cooperation of President PENA NIETO to achieve an agreement in principle of the TPP last November.

2. In addition, both leaders exchanged their views on the TPP and confirmed that they would continue to cooperate toward the early signing and entry into force of this agreement, taking the opportunity of the visit of Japanese TPP Minister Toshimitsu Motegi to Mexico from January 8.
Due to an up move in global crude oil prices and an increased cost of operations for airlines since the roll out of the Goods and Services Tax, aviation companies are likely to increase fares by 13 percent in 2018.

The cost of operations has risen by 27 percent due to GST since July, reported Economic Times. Vehicle and aviation fuel is currently not under the ambit of GST.

The fare is likely to go up mainly on last-minute purchases of tickets.

A senior executive of a known carrier told ET that airlines will try to recover half of the hike in the cost of operations through higher fares for late bookings, but advance purchases will remain pocket-friendly.

Ajay Singh, Spicejet chairman was quoted saying that the government should bring jet fuel under the purview of GST and provide airlines with input tax for it. There is a very high degree of pent-up demand. I think fares will probably go up. Cost is going up as fuel is going up and GST has added to cost. We need to look at airport costs, too," he added.

The increase in price is likely to come into effect from March. According to the report, Indigos fuel expenditure amounted to 35% of its operating expenses in three months, till September 2017.

Sharat Dhall, the chief operating officer at Yatra.com, a renowned online travel portal, said he saw no major increase in fares, at the current fuel price. "We expect demand in 2018 to remain robust and capacity being added by airlines will be able to take care of the demand. However, things would change if fuel prices increase further from here," he added.
Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com told CNBC-TV18, "Orient Cement is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 176 and target of Rs 192. Havells India is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 560 and target of Rs 595. Kotak Mahindra Bank is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 996 and target of Rs 1,040."

"GNA Axles has been moving consistently. Once it crossed its listing high of about Rs 275, it is in a consistent upside, a great portfolio stock. You will see Rs 550-600. I think it should not go below Rs 380-400," he said.

"Today cement stocks have done well, maybe because of affordable housing, etc. So India Cements is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 196 and target of Rs 210."

"Real estate is doing well maybe because of affordable housing. Kolte Patil is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 368 and target of Rs 386. Motilal Oswal is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 1,530 and target of Rs 1,600."

"Although people say corporate lenders, etc. are coming back, but if you ask me, PSU banks are a can of worms. So I would move from Bank of Baroda into Yes Bank which is a much better run bank, corporate lender but gone through a serious correction and now coming back strongly. In case one wants to remain with Bank of Baroda, probably keep a stop loss say around Rs 150 and maybe at some point you could get target of Rs 220."

"I dont know whether JSPL has suddenly become a long term stock, but you can buy the dip and maybe you will get Rs 250. However, dont get over excited with stocks like JSPL, etc. They can give you sharp run and the corrections can be equally sharp as well."
Yogesh Mehta of Motilal Oswal told CNBC-TV18, "Larsen & Toubro (L&T), State Bank of India, Jain Irrigation, etc. are very much there and of course post recapitalisation approval of Rs 80,000 crore amount, that has been showing a good strength for State Bank of India (SBI) where Rs 300 seems to be very strong support."

"On delivery base, SBI seems to be very great buy from here and again results are still due maybe in a months time, maybe audited numbers will come, but post-merger synergy, we think that the numbers would be very much interesting into that part. So, SBI seems to be very good."

"Asian Paints yesterday closed at around Rs 1,175-1,176 level wherein one can initiate buy with a stop loss of Rs 1,140 or Rs 1,150 and target could be in the range of Rs 1,200-1,220 in the near term."

"Power sector is also in the limelight. NHPC is the one which is a small company and one of the plants has already been started - Kishanganga and one more will restart in December; Rs 37 is the price target in the short term and keeping a stop loss of Rs 32.50 or if one is a long term investor, buy on dips and just hold on for delivery," he added.
business Coal, rail ministry officials assure immediate increase of coal supply: Sources CNBC-TV18 learn from sources that coal, rail ministry officials assure immediate increase of coal supply for captive power producers.
accusing it of promoting Google Shopping in organic search results while simultaneously demoting rival services.

Google has been accused of showing gender bias by a teacher who was earlier employed at the childcare centre in the company. The allegation comes not long after the tech giant was accused of underpaying female engineers.

According to The Guardian report, a teacher named Heidi Lamar on Wednesday filed a complaint in San Francisco accusing that female teachers working with Google were paid lower salaries than men with fewer qualifications for the same job. Lamar, alleged that two of the three male pre-school teachers in the company were given higher starting salaries than the remaining 147 female staff.

The entire episode began after Lamer was casually informed by a male colleague hired alongside her during a conversation that he was being paid 13 percent more than her. I didnt want to work for a company that I cant trust, that makes me feel like my values of gender equality are being compromised, Lamar was quoted saying in the report. She has now joined a class-action lawsuit against Google for segregating women into low paying jobs.

The allegation is certain to further dent the image of Google which has been accused of gender bias. The company, where nearly a third of the staff are women has come under scanner once again. The company is not only facing a lawsuit by former female staff members but has been accused of 'extreme' gender pay discrimination by US labour department.

The company, on the other hand, maintained that no discrimination is being practised in the company. We work really hard to create a great workplace for everyone, and to give everyone the chance to thrive here. Job levels and promotions are determined through rigorous hiring and promotion committees, and must pass multiple levels of review, including checks to make sure there is no bias in these decisions, stated the response by spokeswoman Gina Scigliano as per the report.
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HCL Technologies has terminated its joint venture with Great American Insurance Company to form an Indian entity that was to provide technological support to the insurance firm and its units.

HCL and GAIC had entered an agreement in 2011, which was terminated "on mutual understanding to reduce financial/operational overheads," the IT services provider said in a filing to the stock exchange on Thursday.

In accordance with the termination agreement, GAIC will sell its 8 percent shares in HCL Eagle.

"The price, which is the face value of the GAIC shares, is subject to the approval of the Reserve Bank of India," HCL said.

The termination of the joint venture will not affect a master services agreement between the two companies, that was signed in February 2017 for apps, infra, and BPO services for the next four years, HCL added.
A regulatory hurdle over ownership of mines might queer the pitch for companies competing for distressed steel assets now under the National Company Law Tribunal.

The steel and mining industrys marquee names like JSW Steel, Tata Steel, ArcelorMittal, Vedanta Resources and POSCO have expressed interest in their distressed peers on the block  Bhushan Steel, Bhushan Steel and Power, Monnet Ispat and Electrosteel Steels. Each of these companies have thousands of crores in unpaid loans, forcing banks to refer them to the NCLT.

Apart from the steel-making facilities of these companies, the suitors are equally interested in the mines owned by the two Bhushan companies, Monnet Ispat and Electrosteel. While the Bhushan companies and Monnet Ispat have access to rich iron ore reserves, Electrosteel bagged a coking coal mine in Jharkhand in auction held last year.

But what if the mines are not included? If mines are not included, then the acquisition targets might not look as promising as they are now, admitted a senior official from one of the suitor-companies. It doesnt help that prices of iron ore  recently upped by Rs 500 per tonne by NMDC  and coal have been rising.

The issue is this. Till 2015, if a company with mines was bought by another company  like Sesa Goa was acquired by Vedanta Resources in 2007  then the acquiring firm had to separately get an approval from the state government for the raw material assets. After acquiring Sesa Goa, Vedanta did get green signal from the Goa government to take over the mines.

But things changed in 2015, following the huge controversy regarding mine allotment and allegations of corruption. The Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act of 1957 was amended. From now on, mines wouldnt be allotted but have to be auctioned. This, the government argued, will help get the maximum possible value for its resources.

The amendment is now haunting the likes of JSW Steel and Tata Steel, who have expressed interest for the distressed steel companies. For instance, if Tata Steel manages to bag Electrosteel Steels, then it might have to now not just seek approval of the Jharkhand Government for the mines owned by the Kolkata-based company; but also participate in fresh auction to get the mines. This would mean additional expense, and given the importance of captive mines in boosting margins, a Tata Steel or JSW Steel will be loath to lose the raw material resources to competitors.

Our legal experts agree that only auctioned mines can be transferred to a new owner after an acquisition, and not an allotted mine, said the official cited above. Even otherwise, the law is open to several interpretations, especially when the documents dont mention that the mines can be transferred, said another official from the industry.

Jyoti Singh, Partner at Phoenix Legal, agrees on this point. There is a cloud of uncertainty. A case could be made that the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code could override laws that are contradictory to it, or are not supportive. But we need to see how the authorities respond to this, said Singh.

While Bhushan Steel and Bhushan Steel and Power have considerable iron ore reserves in Odisha, Monnet Ispat has a coking coal mine in Jharkhand.

(Reference to Jyoti Singh being part of a committee has been removed after a clarification from her)
Avinash Mudaliar, Siddhartha Banerjee and Srinivesh Tanukula

The internet, when it rose to global consciousness and became an overwhelming harbinger of disruption across society, economies and industry, created enormous wealth and value in disrupting existing practices and building cheaper, more accurate and efficient systems. Its advent promised much in terms of decentralizing and democratizing access to information, value and services. It promised to remove barriers and middlemen, vastly reduce operational and logistical costs in so many ways. And it has, to an extent, that the average human being cant not be exposed to the internet multiple times every waking (and sleeping) day.

The latest disruption, blockchain, and with it, the rise of cryptocurrencies show the way to the next stage, by creating decentralized computer networks capable of holding value, contracts, agreements, transactions in an encrypted manner. By truly decentralizing the network that creates this value, it removes a dependency on any one authority or institution to reduce, remove or change the value of any such holding. And the first initiative off the table with the rise of blockchain computing would be Bitcoin, a digital currency or cryptocurrency.

The creator of bitcoin is Satoshi Nakamoto. The name is a pseudonym -- no one knows who she or he actually is. Besides being the creator, Nakamoto holds enough bitcoin to flood the market, crashing its value and rendering it worthless. In addition, the founder can also influence any debate on future directions of Bitcoin, thereby holding huge potential implication for the future of crytocurrencies as a whole.

Bitcoin is but just one cryptocurrency. It is the leading one, however, with a total market value of USD 231 billion as of publishing time, accounting for 36% of the total value of all cryptocurrencies. The entire crypto currency market hit its peak value at about USD 700 billion in January 2018. Ethereum (13% market share) and Bitcoin cash (8%) are just two other major cryptocurrencies that are being traded today.

Satoshi Nakamoto: speculation on true identity

The mystery surrounding the identity of Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto continues to cause intrigue. But nobody, not even his closest collaborators, has ever met Mr Nakamato in person. Although s/he not only wrote the white paper, but also the first version of the software powering the system, s/he eventually stopped participating. I have moved on to other things, s/he wrote in April 2011.

# In March 2014, a US magazine Newsweek, identified Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto, a man living in California, as the real Satoshi, but this turned out to be an embarrassing mistake. He lived near another possible suspect Hal Finney.

# Computer scientist Hal Finney, who was the recipient of the first Bitcoin transaction, is also sometime speculated to be the creator of Bitcoin. Finney was an early employee of cryptography company PGP and also knows decentralised currency enthusiast and scientist Nick Szabo who penned a paper on "bit gold" way back in 1998 and was said to be a fan of pseudonyms. Szabo seems to have asserted in 2011 that only he, Finney or Wei Dai - creator of Bitcoin precursor B-Money - could have been responsible for Bitcoin.

# Craig Wright, an Australian businessman and computer scientist, had in May 2016 posted online what he claimed to be proof that he is Satoshi Nakamoto. That was supported by Gavin Andresen, Mr Nakamotos successor as the lead developer of the bitcoin software; however, the claim was widely seem to have been debunked as fake.

# In November 2017, a blog post by former SpaceX employee claimed that Elon Musk was Satoshi Nakamoto, given his fondness for C++, known skill with cryptography, linguistic habits that seem close to Nakamoto's and general all-round billionaire polymath-who-likes-to-solve-big-problems status; Musk himself has denied it.

Proof of Work

Proof of work is perhaps the strongest idea behind Nakamotos Bitcoin white paper because it allows trustless and distributed consensus. The Proof of work concept existed even before bitcoin, but Satoshi Nakamoto applied this technique to digital currency revolutionizing the way traditional transactions are set.

A trustless and distributed consensus system means that if you want to send and/or receive money from someone you dont need to trust in third-party services. Proof of work is a requirement to define an expensive computer calculation, also called mining, that needs to be performed in order to create a new group of trustless transactions (the so-called block) on a distributed ledger called blockchain. All the networks miners compete to be the first to find a solution for the mathematical problem that concerns the candidate block, a problem that cannot be solved in other ways than through brute force, essentially requiring a huge number of attempts. When a miner finally finds the right solution, he/she announces it to the whole network at the same time, receiving a cryptocurrency prize (the reward) provided by the protocol.

In this system the probability of mining a block is dependent on how much work is done by the miner. Originally published by Cynthia Dwork and Moni Naor back in 1993 as an idea, the term proof of work was coined by Markus Jakobsson and Ari Juels in a document published in 1999.

Bitcoin Use

Bitcoin gives anonymity to transactions if used correctly. This has made it useful for many illicit transactions. But there are many mainstream businesses beginning to accept Bitcoin as well.

# Overstock.com, a large online retailer in US, was the first big online retailer to start accepting Bitcoin in January of 2014. The company allows its customers to pay for laptops, television sets, furniture, etc. with Bitcoin. It also supports other major cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum, Litecoin, and the new Bitcoin Cash through Coinbase partnership.

# Newegg, an online electronics retailer, accepts Bitcoin as a payment method.# Expedia, a travel site, started accepting Bitcoin for payments for hotel bookings in 2014 through tie up with Coinbase.

# Subway franchises in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2017 started accepting Bitcoin for payments at the restaurants.

# Microsoft has started accepting originally published by Cynthia Dwork and Moni Naor back in 1993 originally published by Cynthia Dwork and Moni Naor back in 1993Bitcoin from users to purchase games, movies and apps in the Windows and Xbox stores, as well as the Microsoft online stores.

# Bitcoin can also be used to pay for space travel as since 2013, Virgin Galactic, a commercial space flight venture by Sir Richard Branson, accepts purchases using Bitcoin.

# The now closed Silk Road website, an online black market, was almost the eBay or Amazon of drugs. Bitcoin was the payment method for transaction. It famously ran as a Tor hidden service and used masked address to help keep users anonymous. But Silk Road was shut down in October 2013 after FBI investigations busted Ross Ulbricht as alleged founder. FBI may be rueing the day it sold its hoard of Silk Road Bitcoin for $48 million as those coins are now worth an astonishing $2+ billion.

# There are other dark markets that do trade in illicit goods using Bitcoin. These include Silk Road 2.0, Agora, White Rabbit Anonymous Marketplace, Outlaw Market and The Pirate Market. Many have been and continue to be taken down by government agencies where possible.

# Wannacry, a ransomware that affected 200,000+ computers globally in 2017, asked for the equivalent of $300 in Bitcoin to unlock their victims machines; the attackers were able to collect the equivalent of ~$55,000 (at Bitcoin rates of ~USD 1500).

# Drug dealers have been suspected to be using cryptocurrency ATMs in London to stash the proceeds of their crimes, London's Metropolitan Police has said. There are around 50 Bitcoin ATMs in London which allow swapping of cash directly for cryptocurrencies without alerting law enforcement in the way a large cash deposit at a bank might.

Top Cryptocurrencies & their Values

(As of Dec 15, 2017)

Bitcoin ATMs

There are globally 1900+ Bitcoin ATMs, of which 30% or so also support other cryptocurrencies. A Bitcoin A.T.M. accepts a normal currency (e.g. US dollars) and in return adds the bitcoin equivalent (less any transaction charges) to a customers digital wallet. So, a user will need to have a Bitcoin Wallet where this amount is transferred. Since verification standards are less stringent than online exchanges, the law enforcement agencies have raised the prospect of money laundering via such Bitcoin ATMs.

Bitcoin ATM manufacturers include Genesis Coin, General Bytes, Lamassu, Coinsource and others. North America accounts for 75% of these ATMs (1000+ in US alone) with Europe having ~20% and Asia another 2%.

Bitcoin Wallets

Bitcoin wallets store the private keys that one needs to access a bitcoin address and spend the funds. They store the secure digital keys used to access the owners public bitcoin addresses and sign transactions. These wallets can be software based (desktop, mobile, web) or even be on specialized hardware.

Desktop wallets include those that run on Windows, Linux or OSX and include the original Bitcoin Core as well as others like ArcBit, Electrum, Armory, et al. Mobile based wallets overlap with those for desktop (e.g. Bitcoin Core, ArcBit, Electrum). Some of these mobile wallets offer the advantage of enabling payment for transactions at vendors accepting Bitcoin. Coinbase, an integrated wallet/bitcoin exchange is one of the more popular operators of an online wallet worldwide. All these can be categorized as Hot Wallets. Because hot wallets generate the private keys on an internet connected device, these private keys cant be considered 100% secure. Cyber-criminals could, potentially, target your computers software wallet and steal them by accessing the owners private key.

Generating and storing private keys offline using a hardware wallet, also dubbed cold wallets, ensures that hackers have no way to reach the stored Bitcoin. Since these are not free, unlike software wallets, these may only make sense to store sizable amounts of Bitcoin. The all-important private keys are maintained in a secure offline environment on the hardware wallet, mostly protected even should the device be plugged into a malware-infected computer. Some of these have screens which can provide extra security by verifying and displaying important wallet details. Hackers would have to steal the hardware wallet itself, but even then, it can be protected with a PIN code. The major hardware wallets include KeepKey, Ledger Nano S, Trezor & Digital Bitbox.

Another popular and cheap options for keeping Bitcoin safe is something called a paper wallet. There are several sites offering paper bitcoin wallet services. They will generate a bitcoin address for and create an image containing two QR codes: one is the public address that can be used to receive Bitcoin; the other is the private key, which can be used to spend Bitcoin stored at that address.

Bitcoin Forks

On August 1st 2017, a dissident faction of the Bitcoin community created a new payment network called Bitcoin Cash, which branched off from the existing Bitcoin blockchain. One could almost call it analogous to a stock split: each holder of Bitcoin on this date also got a certain amount of Bitcoin Cash. Bitcoin cash is now the 3rd most valuable cryptocurrency. All this created value almost out of thin air i.e. the USD value of Bitcoin plus Bitcoin Cash was higher than what it was of Bitcoin just before the fork.

A fork is created when there are tweaks to the established formula governing the blockchain underlying a cryptocurrency. Bitcoin Cash increases the size of an individual block by eight times compared to Bitcoin blockchain, which allows for faster transactions. Bitcoin Gold uses an algorithm that discourages the use of specialized mining hardware in an effort to make the currency more egalitarian.

Calling a fork after Bitcoin gives it instant name recognition and also creates a group of stakeholders i.e. existing Bitcoin holders who may seek legitimacy, liquidity and support for new currency as they automatically become owners of the new currency. They may in turn arm twist exchanges and if a bunch of exchanges announce support for a new currencyor at least the ability to withdraw balancesthat amounts to a de facto endorsement of the currency. And if an exchange does the work to allow customers to withdraw a Bitcoin variant, they might go all the way to supporting it for deposits and trading, too.

Although Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin Gold have dominated the news around forks in 2017, Litecoin was one of the earliest Bitcoin forks to be successful. Ethereum has also undergone almost five forks since inception, including a fork nicknamed Byzantium in 2017 and another that created Ethereum Classic in 2016. It remains to be seen which forks create value going forward.

Bitcoin Richlist

# Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss bought approx. 1% of all currently mined bitcoin for merely $11 million in 2013. Since then, the $11 million crypto-bet has returned ~10,000%, making the twins the first bitcoin billionaires. The twin brothers had sued Mark Zuckerberg, claiming he stole the concept for Facebook and had got USD 65 Million in settlement

# Venture capitalists, Barry Silbert and Tim Draper got 48,000 and 30,000 Bitcoin respectively in an auction held by the U.S. Marshals Service in 2014, which the government had seized from Silk Road, an online marketplace it said was used for illegal drugs. Bitcoin was around USD 350 at that point.

# There are 2,422 accounts publicly known to have USD 10 million worth of Bitcoin in each of them as per bitinfocharts.com.

Going Forward

The energy being spent on mining Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has become a controversial issue. To address that, Bitcoins competitor, Ethereum is looking to move also migrating towards what is called Proof of Stake with its new Casper protocol. The plan effectively means ethereum will begin alternating between the two systems, so that some transaction blocks (one out of 100) are secured via proof-of-stake and the rest remain on proof-of-work.

In proof-of-stake, participants similarly commit money to the system, but not with electricity and equipment. With Casper (Ethereum), virtual miners, known as Validators, commit money to the system with the understanding that they will lose their deposits if they don't follow the rules.

In general, a proof of stake algorithm looks as follows. The blockchain keeps track of a set of validators, and anyone who holds the blockchain's base cryptocurrency (ether in Ethereum's case) can become a validator by sending a special type of transaction that locks up their ether into a deposit. The process of creating and agreeing to new blocks is then done through a consensus algorithm that all current validators can participate in.

There are many kinds of consensus algorithms, and many ways to assign rewards to validators who participate in the consensus algorithm, so there are many "flavors" of proof of stake. One is the chain-based proof of stake, where an algorithm pseudo-randomly selects a Validator during each time slot (eg. every period of 10 seconds might be a time slot), and assigns that validator the right to create a single block, and this block must point to some previous block (normally the block at the end of the previously longest chain), and so over time most blocks converge into a single constantly growing chain.

This allows building a trusted and distributed network with loyal Validators (high stake of coins). The Validators earns the part or whole of the transaction fee. In Proof of Stake, it is not mining but forging which is done by the Validator who will process and forge a block to the chain. In this case, the need for expensive mining hardware and the concurrent electricity consumption issues of Proof of Work are addressed.

Ethereum

Ether, Bitcoins largest competitor, began from an altogether more transparent initiative compared to the mystery surrounding Nakamoto. The project Ethereum was initially bootstrapped funded by fans and founded under the Ethereum Project, a Swiss non-profit organization.

Ethereum underwent a hard fork in mid-2016 owing to the DAO event. The DAO was a digital decentralized autonomous organization, and a form of investor-directed venture capital fund. It raised a record $150 million in investment via crowdfunding in May. However, in June, users exploited a vulnerability in the DAO code to siphon off a third of its funds to a subsidiary account. The debate over restoring all the funds to the original contract virtually led to a hard-fork, giving birth to Ethereum Classic (the original unforked blockchain) and Ethereum (the new fork), each with its own cryptocurrency.

Ethereum has since undergone two more hard forks in the 4th quarter of 2016 to deal with more attacks. It subsequently increased its protection and security and eliminated several vulnerabilities.

As of today, Ether accounts for 13% of the total market value of digital currencies traded. As the second most popular cryptocurrency available, and an influential decentralized community behind its rise, it bears watching as a trendsetter of the cryptocurrency ecosystem and will play a large role in its acceptance worldwide.

In addition to Ether, blockchains in general and to a larger extent, Ethereum larger capabilities to transfer value between participants via means other than Ether and Bitcoin.

Smart Contracts

Smart contracts help participants exchange money, property, shares or anything of value by translating contracts into code and executing that code in line with the terms of the agreement, supervised by the network that runs the blockchain. By this means, contracts can be effortlessly delivered and executed with all terms built into the code and with equal visibility provided to all participants. That way, any changes made to such agreements need to be validated by all participants. Smart contracts define and enforce the rules, conditions and positions built into the agreement.

For example, if a tenant seeks to rent a house from the owner, the tenant can do this via blockchain py paying in cryptocurrency. A receipt is given to him/her, which is held in the virtual contract. The owner then gives the digital entry key to the tenant by the specified date, basis which the money is then released to the owner. This entire transaction is witnessed by hundreds of people, due to which the delivery is faultless.

Transaction Volume Support

Bitcoin and Ethereum today can support only a fraction of transactions per second that is supported by VISA, Paypal, etc. This limits their use as method of transaction for purchase of goods and services. While there are ongoing projects that are looking to scale up the number of supported transactions, e.g. Raiden for Ethereum, it will remain to be seen how liquid these enhancements make and over what time frame.

Can Bitcoin Blockchain security be compromised?

The strength of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is its distributed ledger. It means there is no one central authority controlling the network. Transactions, etc. are validated through consensus. But in theory, what could go wrong? If a group of miners form a cartel and controls more than 50% of the computational power on the network, it can always mine blocks faster than whoever has the other 49 percent. In that case, it effectively controls the ledger.

If such a cartel is malicious, it can spend Bitcoin twice, by deleting transactions so they are never incorporated into the blockchain. The other 49% of miners are none the wiser because they have no oversight of the mining process.

Bitcoin and Quantum Computers

Quantum computers are a different type of computer than any of our current machines. It uses quantum superposition to speed up many of the processes that would take years in conventional computers e.g. factoring large prime numbers. Prime number factoring difficulty is an underlying assumption for most public key encryption systems today and even Bitcoin in a way.

Bitcoin has a cryptographic security feature to ensure that only the owner of a Bitcoin can spend it. The idea is that the owner generates two numbersa private key that is secret and a public key that is published. The public key can be easily generated from the private key, but not vice versa. A signature can be used to verify that the owner holds the private key, without revealing the private key, using a technique known as an elliptic curve signature scheme. In this way, the receiver can verify that the owner possesses the private key and therefore has the right to spend the Bitcoin.

The only way to cheat this system is to calculate the private key using the public key, which is extremely hard with conventional computers. But with a quantum computer, it is easy. And thats how quantum computers pose a significant risk to Bitcoin. As per recent research papers, the elliptic curve signature scheme used by Bitcoin is much more at risk, and could be completely broken by a quantum computer as early as 2027.

Indeed, quantum computers pose a similar risk to all encryption schemes that use a similar technology, which includes many common forms of encryption. There are public-key schemes that are resistant to attack by quantum computers. So it is conceivable that the Bitcoin protocols could be revised to make the system safer. But there are no plans to do that now.

Public and Regulator Acceptance

So far, regulatory and government authorities have struggled to keep up with the pace of development in this space. The Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust was an initiative to launch a publicly-traded ETF, filed in 2013 and rejected by the Securities and Exchange Commission in March 2017. The SEC rejected it on several grounds, from claiming that digital currencies needing to mature more as a tradeable asset to the lack of safeguards in the markets to prevent fraud and manipulation. The Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust would have offered investors the chance to acquire and trade shares based on a basket made up entirely of bitcoin holdings.

European governments are worried about a different aspect entirely. There is a growing worry that money-launderers, drug traffickers and terrorists are using the worlds most popular digital currency. And governments within and without the European Union are driving this push, with France, Italy and even the UK seeking to regulate it.

Two Nobel laureates, Joseph Stiglitz and Robert J. Shiller have denounced it in the last month alone, claiming it should be outlawed, doesnt serve any social purpose and that digital currencies were being driven by a narrative akin to a mystery movie that draws in people who wish to outsmart the system. Garrick Hileman, a research fellow at the University of Cambridge's Judge Business School, has this to say, "What's happening right now has nothing to do with Bitcoin's functionality as a currency - this is pure mania that's taken hold."

Besides the above, there has been some movement for other initiatives in this space:

# Coinbase launched the first regulated bitcoin exchange in the U.S.

# Winklevoss brothers bitcoin exchange, Gemini has been granted a license by the NY Department of Financial Services

# The European Court of Justice has ruled that exchanging bitcoin should be exempt from Value-Added Tax, similar to how any traditional currency is treated.

# As detailed elsewhere here, several businesses have started accepting bitcoin as a means of payment as well from Microsoft to Expedia and businesses running on the dark web such as Silk Road 2.0.

India Cryptoed?

As a fast moving space, and with the amount of capital flowing into Bitcoin, Indian and international governments and regulatory agencies have been cognizant of the potential and threat this poses to traditional monetary flows and the banking system as it exists today. This is above and beyond the potential rise of blockchain as a disruptor of the BFSI industry as we know it today.

A recent survey conducted by the Income Tax Department on major crypto exchanges in India seems to be leading to notices being issued to about 500,000 high net worth individuals trading on Bitcoin in India. This is happening at a time when there is still no regulatory clarity and oversight on cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin exchanges in India.

In the three notifications that the RBI has issued so far on Bitcoin, it has chosen to take a cautionary stance advising the public on the risks of these currencies and the lack of authorization and licensing in this space so far in India.

After repeated circulars from the RBI, the government finally set up an inter-disciplinary committee to examine the existing framework of existing currencies. As of the time of publishing, Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister reiterated the governments current stance on cryptocurrencies in the 2018 Winter Parliament i.e. that they cannot be considered as legal tender and the government will make its decision once the committee submits its findings.

There is currently ongoing a debate on how cryptocurrencies are to be treated, whether as a currency (given its widespread adoption as an instrument of transaction) or as a trading asset (to be regulated by applicable frameworks, from investor risk to value creation and potential for anti-trust). The nature of blockchain makes it a unique entity, one which will struggle to fit into the policy prevalent today.

In the midst of all this, several platforms have come up in India and other markets offering retail investors quick and easy means to invest in Bitcoin. With the lack of regulation on investing and taxation into digital currencies, these platforms are dependent on the constantly changing legal and taxation guidelines concerning Bitcoin.

Zebpay, one of Indias leading platforms for investing in cryptocurrencies, hit USD 2 million in revenue in FY 2017 and claims to process trading volumes worth INR 70 cr+ everyday; adding over 2 lakh new users every month.

Initial Coin Offerings

Another means to create value in the cryptocurrency space is to participate in an ICO. Initial Coin Offerings are a means to raise funds for new cryptocurrency ventures or start-ups. Where in an IPO, stakes in the venture are sold to investors in exchange for legal tender, in an ICO, digital tokens, or coins are sold to backers in exchange for legal tender, or other cryptocurrencies (usually Ethereum or Bitcoin). However, in an ICO, this exchange is largely publicly driven, similar to a crowdfunding campaign (but with actual exchange of stakes/equity of sorts and not a donation).

The Securities and Exchange Commission (USA) announced its intention to treat coins as securities which are subject to agency regulation. In December 2017, it shut down an ICO initiative by the name of Munchee, which was seeking to raise USD 15 million in capital to enter the restaurant review space. It raised about 200 ether before closing as per the SECs update. However, the technicality cited was that Munchee should have registered with the SEC before raising capital, which it did not. This lack of clarity is a valid concern for the general public looking to participate or invest in this space.

Beyond the risk, ICOs offer a means for greater participation in the blockchain surge. Ventures seeking to raise capital via cryptocurrencies are listed on the internet and a simple search will help identify opportunities for investors. However, caution is advised in entering this space.
A shortage of supply, high costs and the time taken to recalibrate ATMs have together resulted in the Rs 200 note being kept away from ATMs, according to bankers and ATM operators.

After the Reserve Bank of India issued directions to do so, bankers said that the new yellow-coloured Rs 200 notes may start getting dispensed from most ATMs in the next 2-3 months. Introduced in August last year, the new currency notes are not widely available with the public, pushing RBI to ask banks to start dispensing these notes from their ATMs.

However, bankers have complained of not having enough availability of the new currency notes themselves and that the recalibration process would mean added costs for banks to bear. "Supply is an issue. There aren't enough notes for us to deploy at ATMs, We have asked RBI to increase the supply," said a senior State Bank of India official.

According to the official, the supply of Rs 200 notes is not enough except in states like Maharashtra and Bihar. Supply in Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh is getting reasonable with time. "There are also recalibration costs and there have to be at least two people to physically go to the ATM and recalibrate the cassettes," the official said.

According to industry experts, the overall recalibration process may cost banks Rs 100-120 crore. Neeraj Vyas, Deputy Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at SBI, said, "We have started dispensing the new 200 rupee notes at around 8,000 ATMs and should finish the rest of the ATMs by January end."

"The 200 denominations supply has to be taken care of. Banks have come to us asking us to calibrate the cassettes of Rs 200 notes so wherever there is supply, we have started doing it," Radha Rama Dorai, Managing Director of ATM and allied services at FIS recently told Moneycontrol.

There are nearly 2.4 lakh ATMs in the country, including close to 30,000 cash recyclers. A cash recycler machine can both dispense and accept cash. Each ATM has four cassettes, of which two are exclusively meant to dispense either Rs 100 or Rs 500 currency notes depending on the demand at that location. The other two are calibrated to dispense Rs 2000 notes, in addition to Rs 100 and Rs 500 notes.

For the new Rs 200 notes to be dispensed, the process requires an engineer to visit each ATM location and recalibrate one of the cassettes to accommodate them.

Navroze Dastur, managing director at NCR Corporation, which operates almost half the ATMs in the country, said, "The primary reason RBI wants banks to push 200 rupee notes is that current ATMs have large chunk of 100, 500 and a few 2000 notes. Hence the average ticket size of withdrawal has increased.

"RBI also wants the 200 rupee notes to be faster into circulation, and the only fastest way for circulation cannot be done through branches but through ATMs, he said. NCR Corp has recalibrated 1000-odd ATMs for the top 5-6 banks but even that is a miniscule figure when compared with the total number of ATMs.

Dastur said that supply and costs do not seem to be an issue. "I don't see supply issue but we need to physically visit the ATMs. Also during demonetisation, there was an urgency, now there is no stress so it can be done systematically and we can finish the recalibration in 90-120 days. The costs are one third of what banks are quoting."

As per reports, a banker has stated costs to be around Rs 1,000 crore. Banks are also looking at redeployment of existing ATMs to more transacting locations and replacing old and obsolete ATMs with new ones. On an average an ATM needs to be replaced in 7-8 years.
business Here are key highlights of winter session of parliament CNBC-TV18's Rituparna Bhuyan gets us the key highlights of the winter session of parliament.
Piyush_Goyal_Power_minister_Coal_Minister

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal urged senior officials to not go back to the colonial- era practice of having railway employees working at their homes.

Soon after taking over as minister, Goyal had instructed all the rail employees working at officers' homes to return to their primary jobs.

Officials say that around 10,000 Group-D railway employees, including gangmen and track men, have since been relieved from the houses of senior officers and put back into safety and maintenance work.

Speaking at the 5th R K Vir Memorial Event here, Goyal said that times have changed and that the railways cannot forever live in the "colonial era of the British".

"Is our mind going to be more bothered about bungalow peons and linesmen that we can get to work in our homes?

"...The first decision that I made, I hope it is being implemented. I hope its not gone back to the good old days," he said.

Turning to Ghanshyam Singh, a Railway Board member, the minister said, "I am talking about the 8000-10,000 people who worked in bungalows."

Singh said that the men had gone back to work "then and there".

"It should be sustained, even when I am no longer the Rail Minister," Goyal said.

The facility of bungalow peons began during the British era, and was for officers who were posted in the field.

However, over the years, the people who could employ a bungalow peon expanded to staff in the headquarters.

Subsequently, this facility was expanded to include a large number of Railway Board officials.

Many a time, these officers were treated as domestic helps and not railway staffers as they dealt with the family of the senior official they were attached to.

"Are we doing justice to the people of India? Can we justify this..." said Goyal, urging the railway officials to do away with the practice completely.
RN Bhaskar

The race to popularize electric vehicles could well elevate the little known lithium to a status of precious metal. But therein lies the challenge as well. Does the world have enough of lithium?

Lithiums speciality is its light weight, making it one of the most efficient material for energy storage. Storage is important if anyone who has to migrate from oil or coal. Oil has energy packed within it; so does coal. So does gas, though it often comes to you in a compressed liquefied form. All the three can be stored, though with the required precautions that must be taken into account.

But solar and wind power  even hydro power  cannot be stored. They must be consumed, or the energy is lost. For centuries, the energy potential of sun and wind was untapped because man did not have the means first to harness it, and then to store it.

And while wind and solar energy environmentally friendly, they still have their disadvantages. When the wind stops blowing, the power generation stops. A little fleck of cloud over the sun will cause solar power to drop. Hence you need something to smoothen out the intermittent power, so that you can then supply it to the grid  or use for your machines -- in a steady stream. That is where inverters can help. But if you need to store it, you need batteries.

Till recently, the big problem was the high cost of batteries. But in the last five years, battery prices have dropped almost 70%, according to a Bloomberg report.

The report predicts that prices could fall by another 70% in the next 5-7 years. At this price-point, batteries begin to make economic sense, and for the first time unsubsidised solar power will cost nearly the same as (if not less than) grid based power.

But good batteries require lithium. These batteries arent new. Theyve been popularized by Sony, and are used in mobile phones, toys and other electronic gadgets. But the energy stored in these batteries are just a minuscule fraction of what is required for electric vehicles, more so for the trucks that the US energy and transportion disruptor Tesla Inc wants to introduce.

This could boost demand for lithium. Expecting this, in June 2017, Tianqui Lithum (an Australia based subsidiary of the Chinese group Chengdu Tiangi, the worlds largest producer of lithium-ion batteries) said that the demand for lithium could increase by three to four times by 2025, and that projected supplies will not keep up. Such fears were voiced even earlier. As early as in December 2015, Godman Sachs said predicted that lithium would be the new gasoline, as its unique properties made it a key enabler of the electric vehicle revolution

According to some media reports , China has already chalked out plans to build factories that will churn out more than 120 gigawatt-hours of battery storage per year by 2021. That according to Bloomberg would be enough to cater to the storage needs of 1.5 million Model S vehicles. Clearly, China expects the demand for such batteries to come not only from Tesla, but from every other vehicle manufacturer who might want to go electric. This includes Maritu-Suzuki, Mahindra, Hero Moto, Tata Motors, and Toyota in India and Daimler VW and BMW overseas.

Other investment research organisations like Canaccord Genuity have set demand projections at 687,000 tons by 2025, while UBS is expecting demand to hit 873,000 tons in the same year. Current production hovers around 32,000 tonnes.





So will there be a crisis? Some commodity experts believe a bull market in lithium is imminent. But there are others who feel the math does not support such a trend.

Talk to key planners in Argentina. They are already working on expanding their mining operations. And they are also considering setting up battery manufacturing facilities in their own country. And do note, the figures do not include US production which for some reason are not easily available.

Yet there is no denying that the price of lithium has begun climbing. Since there are no markets where this metal is traded as yet (hence a fragile market where prices can go up or down in a moment), one has to go by commodity reports instead. One such report, by Metalary.com, points out how a tonne of lithium cost $1,460 in 2005. By 2010, it rose to $4,350 per tonne. But that was because earlier, there were no major uses for this metal. By 2010 lithium-ion batteries had become the standard. But even thereafter prices continued to rise. It hovers around $14,000 per tonne today according to data published in The Economist quoting Citigroup.

Can these high prices sustain? Hard to say. But as economists often explain, the high prices are a cure for high prices, as more producers enter the fray. Increased competition helps cool Moreover, some of the best research laboratories in the world are working on new metals that can store power more effectively and at lower prices.

Any of these could cause lithium prices to fall. For now, expect punters to entice you to invest in lithium companies, if not in indices (because lithium based indices have not yet surfaced). Caveat emptor. Buyers beware!
Peace International School, Ernakulam,facebook

Kerala government has decided to shut down the infamous Peace International School in Kochi. The decision to shut down the school comes two years after the school came under scanner for objectionable and non-secular content in its syllabus.

As per a report in The News Minute, the State Education Department confirmed that after taking into account the reports filed by the Education Department and the District Collector it had issued an order a few weeks back asking the closure of Peace International School in Kochi.

The Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan too reportedly gave the green signal on the basis of these reports. Both the reports submitted by the Collector and the Education Secretary went against the school. Therefore, we issued an order to shut down the school, the office of the Education Minister was quoted saying in the report.

The entire issue surrounding the school began after the institutes Class 2 textbook was discovered to be having portions that propagated Islamic orthodoxy and conversion. Further investigations revealed that the institute was not following textbooks of SCERT, NCERT or CBSE but using separately printed ones.

Questions also emerged about the activities of the management and officials including Managing Director MM Akbar of the Kozhikode-based Peace Foundation that operates more than 10 schools under the name Peace International including the one in Kochi. The attempts by police to nab Akbar, who is living abroad is yet to yield any result.

While it is not yet clear that whether the directive will be applicable to all the schools run by the management or only to the institution operating in Kochi, the action is certain to attract attention in Kerala which is seeing a rise in influence of extremist elements.
Moving ahead with sale of MPS Group of companies' assets to recover money, regulator Sebi today said it has lined up 18 properties of the West Bengal- based group for an online auction next month at a total reserve price of over Rs 67 crore.

This is in addition to 14 properties of the group that were scheduled to be auctioned in June last year and their combined reserve price was over Rs 54 crore.

In a notice, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said that SBI Capital Markets will auction 18 properties on February 6 at a reserve price of over Rs 67 crore.

The properties listed for sale include land parcels, buildings, residential flats and commercial space in Kolkata.

SBI Capital Markets has been engaged by the markets regulator to assist it in sale of the properties through e- auction platform on "as is where is and whatever there is" basis.

MPS Group of companies includes MPS Greenery Developers that collected Rs 1,520 crore from investors through illegal collective investment schemes (CIS).

The regulator has initiated the process for sale of assets of the group, as per an order from the Calcutta High Court.

Justice Sailendra Prasad Talukdar has been appointed as one-man committee for liquidating the assets of the MPS Group of companies and repaying the investors.

In December 2012, Sebi had directed MPS Greenery Developers to close its illicit CIS and refund investors within one month, failing which proceedings would be initiated against the entity and its senior officials. Later in October 2013, the regulator had ordered attachment of over 50 bank accounts of MPS Greenery Developers.
It seems that nationwide lockdown has not much impacted the fertilizer sector. In May 2020, the Indian Fertiliser industry has witness sales growth of 25% to 5 million tonnes as compared to 4 million tonnes in the same month last year. Coromandel International and Chambal Fertilisers have seen major sales growth in the sector. The research firm Prabhudas Lilladher is bullish on 5 stocks in the sector and among that they expect stock Insecticides India may see the upside of 82 percent, report dated June 09, 2020.

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The year 2018 started on a muted note but markets were quick to pick up momentum towards the close of the first week of January supported by robust global cues. However, higher crude oil prices played a spoilsport.

History suggests market witnesss volatility in the beginning of the year amid low trade due to Christmas and New Year holiday.

In the year 2017, the market managed to hit a fresh record high amid volatility and ended the passing year with 29 percent gains.

We might not be able to see a repeat of 2017 amid high volatility this year (2018) due to major events such as Union Budget, 8 state elections, and corporate earnings, but still, 10-15 percent return cannot be ruled out.

One major reason for the optimism around Indian markets is the fact that major announcements are likely from Modi government ahead of general elections 2019. Hence, investors will be better off betting on individuals stocks rather than the index.

"For CY 2018 investors need to tone down their expectations but having said that I would not be surprised if we do end CY 2018 with a NIFTY level of 11,500," S Ranganathan, Head of Research at LKP Securities told Moneycontrol.

According to him, select individual stocks could fare significantly better due to themes like GST, financial inclusion & capex recovery.

"Given the many assembly elections coming up ahead of the General Elections in 2019 we could see some kind of populism in the ensuing budget as there could be a rural tilt but that by itself does not mean that the reform process has taken a back seat," he said.

Here are top 10 stocks that already rallied up to 434 percent in last one year, can still give up to 54% return:

Brokerage: ICICIdirect

GM Breweries | Rating - Buy | Target  Rs1300

GM Breweries (GM), incorporated in December 1981, operates in the highly unorganised Indian made Indian liquor (IMIL, country liquor) segment. GM is the single largest manufacturer of country liquor with an installed capacity of 13.76 million bulk litre (around 50,000 cases) in Thane district, Maharashtra.

The leadership remains cognisant of the net revenue, EBITDA and PAT growth rates, outperforming the industry with a CAGR of 7 percent, 29 percent and 33 percent to Rs 373 crore, Rs 72.5 crore and Rs 44 crore, respectively.

It remains virtually self-funded in terms of working capital. In addition to debt free balance sheet, GMs cash & cash equivalents (including investments) were at Rs 170 crore (12 percent of market capitalisation).

The brokerage firm believes that GMs financials will grow at a faster pace realising the dual benefits of higher revenues (recent price hikes) and lower raw material prices.

Phillips Carbon Black | Rating - Buy | Target  Rs1700

Phillips Carbon Black (PCBL) is the largest manufacturer of carbon black (market share around 40 percent), which is used as a reinforcement material in manufacturing tyres (constitutes around 23 percent by volume).

The brokerage firm expects PCBL to report PAT of Rs 241 crore in FY18 compared to Rs 73 crore in FY17. Going forward, PAT is expected at Rs 291 crore in FY19 and Rs 335 crore in FY20.

Pokarna | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 340

Incorporated in 1991, Pokarna is one of the largest manufacturers of quartz and granite in India. It exports to more than 60 countries including the US, Australia, UK and derives around 86 percent of its overall revenues from exports.

The brokerage firm likes Pokarna, given its shift from a pure granite player to a high margin quartz manufacturer, strong raw material security with its owned quarries and exclusive access to superior BretonStone technology.

ICICIdirect believes that the new quartz facility would bring in the next leg of growth for the company, going forward. It has a Buy rating on the stock and values it at 12-13x FY20 rough cut EPS of Rs 26.3 per share. Hence, we arrive at a target price of Rs 315-340 per share.

Brokerage: Motilal Oswal

ICICI Bank | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 370

Credit demand from corporates for ICICI Bank remains muted and the management is not seeing any signs of capex revival. Resolution of National Company Law Tribunal referred cases would give more clarity on capex pickup and asset quality outlook.

ICICI Bank is open to evaluating opportunities to unlock value in its subsidiaries. It has recently filed DRHP towards the public issue of its securities business.

While credit cost is likely to stay elevated in the near term (NPL ageing + requirement toward the second list), Motilal Oswal expects it to moderate from FY19, enabling ICICI Bank to deliver around 12 percent RoE by FY20 (around 8 percent currently).

Brokerage: Edelweiss

Reliance Industries | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 1,151

Reliance Industries' (RIL) USD 20 billion core capex is nearing fruition, which, unlike the uncertainties associated with Reliance Jio (RJIO), will quickly bolster earnings.

The company has now commissioned one of its most profitable core projects, a USD 4.5 billion off-gas cracker (ROGC), which is estimated to generate EBITDA or USD 1.2 billion (8 percent of FY19 EBITDA) and healthy project RoCE of 21 percent.

Similarly, its other oil-leveraged mega project, ethane imports from the US, is already generating high returns and petcoke gasification (USD 5 billion) project should commence operations shortly.

Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.

Brokerage: Reliance Securities

Tata Elxsi | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 1,180

Tata Elxsi (TEL) is a niche IT firm that offers design and technology services for product engineering to a range of industries including automotive, broadcast and communications.

The company provides services like IT consulting, product design, development, and testing. TEL has also invested in emerging services and solutions including IoT, analytics, big data, mobility, cloud and AI.

Over the past 4 years, TELs EBITDA margin has risen substantially to 23.8 percent in FY17 (42 percent CAGR over FY13-FY17), led by healthy revenue growth (16.6 percent CAGR over FY13-FY17), operating leverage and increasing proportion of the high-margin SDS business to revenue.

Brokerage: Prabhudas Lilladher

Mahindra & Mahindra | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 895

M&Ms volumes continue to be driven by strong demand for tractors and a cyclical recovery in the light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment. The utility vehicle (UV) business continues to be a drag with M&M losing around 14 percent market share over the last three years.

However, given the extremely low base, upcoming model launches (MPV/Mahindra branded Tivoli) and refreshes (KUV1oo/TUV3oo) should boost volume growth for M&M over FY19. Increased government focus on the rural economy could further accelerate growth for both, farm and auto segment.

Tractors have seen a sharp recovery over FY17-FY18 and we expect this growth momentum to continue on the back of a second consecutive year of good monsoon, healthy farm produce, and rising MSPs.

The stock has underperformed Nifty by around 5 percent over the last 12 months and currently trades at 15x FY19 core Auto PE. We upgrade rating from Accumulate to Buy with a target price of Rs 895 (earlier Rs 790).

Brokerage: Equirus

Lumax Industries | Rating - Long | Target - Rs 2,486

Equirus has initiated coverage with the Long rating on the stock and set a target price at Rs 2,486 per share as it is set to be a key beneficiary of the shift to LEDs in 2/4-wheeler.

It is a market leader in automotive lighting market in India with 35 percent market share. It is focussing on increasing market share in commercial vehicles, tractors, and 2-wheeler.

Its return matrix is expected to improve led by growth and margin expansion. We expect revenue/EBITDA/net profit to grow at a CAGR of 15/24/27 percent over FY18-20.

Brokerage: IIFL

Axis Bank | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 650

IIFL has upgraded to Buy from Add and also raised target price to Rs 650 from Rs 520 per share. Increase in share capital is expected to boost bank's capital position by over 200 bps and the share capital boost to enhance the ability to absorb large write-downs.

We expect earnings growth to rebound strongly by FY20 and expect a sharp decline in loan loss provisions. Profitability could normalise by FY19 under IND-AS, according to the research house.

Brokerage: HDFC

National Peroxide | Rating - Buy | Target - Rs 2,860

National Peroxide (NPL) is a manufacturer of hydrogen peroxide, sodium perborate, compressed hydrogen gas and peracetic acid. The company manufactures hydrogen peroxide with a current installed capacity of 95,000 metric tons per annum (MTPA) on 50 percent weight per weight (w-o-w) basis.

NPL enjoys around 42 percent market share in the hydrogen peroxide market in India and is one of the pioneers in producing Peroxygen chemicals. It is raising its current capacity of 95,000 tonne to 1,50,000 tonne that will give a lift to both of its topline and bottom line figures in the coming years.

: The views and investment tips expressed by the investment experts on moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has begun a probe into cab aggregators Ola and Uber over surge pricing, according to a report published in Business Standard.

The report said that these operators introduced surge pricing to regulate the prices of trips to match driver supply with rider demand at any given time.

Ministry of Corporate Affairs would carry out a study on surge pricing in the cab aggregator industry, an official from the ministry told the financial daily.

An official privy to the information said the governments reasoning is that the sector has serious competition issues and these firms might abuse their dominant position.

Other cab aggregators have filed cases with the competition watchdog saying that the two firms in the space are twisting the market.

A four-member panel headed by former bureaucrat BC Khatua formed by Maharashtra government recommended in its report that basic fare between 8.1 km and 12 km be reduced by 15 percent, distance beyond 12 km be reduced by 20 percent. The committee also suggested setting up the floor and ceiling prices.
State Bank of India (SBI)

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State Bank of India, the country's largest bank, is likely to slash by about 70 percent minimum average balance requirement, which at present is at Rs 3,000 for metros, Rs 2,000 for semi-urban areas and Rs 1,000 for rural areas. It also plans to change the mandate to quarterly balance from monthly requirement.

According to sources, after the negative news on the income generated on the fees, the bank is looking at reducing the minimum balance requirement to around Rs 1,000 but is yet to take a call.

SBI saw backlash after finance ministry data showed that the public sector lender netted a windfall of Rs 1,771.67 crore as penalty from customers for non-maintenance of monthly average balance in savings accounts in eight months of 2017-18 from April to November 2017.

The lender, also among top 50 global banks now, had posted a net profit of Rs 1,581.55 crore in the quarter ended September 2017.

SBI has close to 40.5 crore savings account customers.

From April 1, 2017, after a gap of six years, SBI had reintroduced the monthly average balance charges. After criticism, it reduced the charges with effect from October 1.

We brought it (minimum balance limit) back in April and we reviewed in October, now also we are in the process of reviewing it. It should happen very soon. We will do a comprehensive review," said Praveen Kumar Gupta, Managing Director - Retail and Digital, SBI.

"We have got some feedback. Based on the feedback, we will take a view," he said on the sidelines of its CSR initiative towards a bus donation to an NGO named "Save the Children India".

So far, it requires its savings bank account holders to maintain certain minimum balance every month. The bank has specified different monthly average balances (MAB) for accounts held in different types of branches.

These are metro, rural, urban and semi-urban.

Failure to maintain the required monthly average balance or minimum balance in SBI's savings bank accounts attracts a penalty. The amount of penalty depends upon the degree of shortfall. In other words, the farther you are from the required minimum balance, the bigger amount you have to pay as penalty being an SBI customer.

However, SBI had defended the move saying, "On an average balance of Rs 3,000 in metro, SBI earns Rs 6 only per month, whereas for a minimum balance of Rs 1,000 in rural, bank earns Rs 2 per month which is meagre when compared to the services offered and corresponding costs incurred by the bank (free cheque book, 8 free ATM transactions, free branch transactions), it had said in a statement .

Although, under special type of bank accounts such as Pensioners' accounts, Social Welfare Benefits accounts and Basic Savings Bank Accounts, SBI doesn't require the customer to maintain any specific monthly average balance. These accounts also have their limitations in its operations , largely kept the lower end of the pyramid for basic banking services.

It had originally increased the minimum balance requirement to Rs 5,000 for metros and Rs 3000 for semi urban, in April last year .

However, following public backlash SBI brought down the minimum balance requirement to Rs 3,000 in metros, Rs 2,000 in semi-urban and Rs 1,000 in rural centres.

Below are the charges at present:

Metro areas  Rs 3,000

If balance falls between Rs 2,999 and Rs 1,500, then the account holder will have to pay Rs 30 as penalty.

Balance betwen Rs 1,499 and Rs 750 will attract penalty of Rs 40

Below Rs 750 would attract fine of Rs 50.

Prior to October 2017, the penalties for these three stages were Rs 50, Rs 75 and Rs 100 respectively.

Semi-urban areas  Rs 2,000.

Non-maintenance of balance between Rs 1,999 and Rs 1,000 will be charged fine of Rs 20

Balance between Rs 999 and Rs 500  Rs 30 fine

Less than Rs 500  Rs 40 as fine.

Rural areas --- RS 1000

Balance between Rs 999 and Rs 500 --- Rs 20

Balance between Rs 499 and Rs 250-- Rs 30

Balance at Rs 249 or less -- Rs 40.

High charges by banks

Recently, as per reports, a study by an IIT-Bombay professor has claimed that public sector as well as private banks have been imposing unreasonable charges on customers for failing to maintain minimum balances in their savings accounts.

According to the study: "With many banks charging at an average high rate of 78 per cent per annum of the shortfall amount, it makes the whole regulation of reasonableness of charges as per cost quite shallow".

The study conducted by a professor of statistics, Ashish Das, showed that some banks like Yes Bank and Indian Overseas Bank have been imposing penal charges of over 100 per cent per annum on shortfall in maintenance of minimum balance in customers accounts.

The banking regulator Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines mandate that charges for non maintenance of minimum balance in savings bank accounts be "reasonable and not out of line with the average cost of providing the services".
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Bharat Forge shares hit a fresh record high of Rs 750, rising 3.5 percent intraday Friday after strong growth in North America Class 8 truck orders in December.

North America Class 8 truck orders increased sharply by 77 percent in December to 37,200 units, compared to 21,061 units reported in year-ago month.

Even on month-on-month basis, the truck orders jumped 15 percent compared to 32,387 units in November.

Bharat Forge earns 12 percent of revenues from Class 8 trucks.

Ramkrishna Forgings, which also supplies to North America class 8 trucks, gained 4.5 percent to hit fresh all-time high of Rs 891 on the BSE.

At 15:15 hours IST, the stock price of Bharat Forget was quoting at Rs 737.30, up Rs 12.55, or 1.73 percent on the BSE.
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The Nifty has delivered a 12 percent annual return in INR terms over the past five years despite a weak 4 percent corporate earnings CAGR.

CLSA expects earnings to dramatically improve to a 15-20 percent CAGR over the next two years as corporate earnings return to normal with the bad news already priced in.

However, domestic and international liquidity factors have been quite favourable and the risk is on the downside. CLSAs December 2018 Nifty target stands at 11,400 which offers a total return of around 10 percent, building in a 10 percent de-rating from the current multiple of 17.9x.

The Nifty currently trades at 17.9x one-year forward earnings and is 16 percent above the past five-year historical average. A strong improvement in earnings growth would be needed to deliver positive market returns, which is likely in our view.

Market performance at the beginning of the year will depend on the Union Budget which will be presented on 1 February 2018. It is possible the government could increase taxes on equities to fund the GST shortfall.

Here is a list of top nine stocks ideas from CLSA for the year 2018:

Crompton Consumer: BUY| Target Rs310| Return 13%

Crompton Consumer has set itself a target to be the fastest-growing company in the sector with an aim to create disproportionate stakeholders returns. The company has a margin tailwinds with an opportunity to grow not only in its existing categories but also considerably expand its addressable opportunity.

A shorter credit cycle could help Crompton negotiate better vendor terms; offset near-term margin headwinds from higher ad and distribution expenses.

Expansion into a new category by leveraging its strong distribution network and brand recall could lead to further stock rerating.

Cromptons strong returns profile, robust growth expectations, and improvement in FCF justify premium valuations. Crompton remains our most preferred pick in the consumer durables and affordable housing space.

Godrej Properties: BUY| Target Rs873| Return 26%

Godrej Properties is a direct beneficiary of RERA which drives sector consolidation. CLSA expects a strong 50 percent earnings Cagr over FY18-20.

A prolonged sector slowdown, rising consumer activism against poor delivery of presold apartments and Reras rollout has started driving sector consolidation.

Reras reforms are consumer-oriented in a previously unregulated sector. CLSA expects major consolidation in 2018. With execution as the main focus, Rera substantially raises compliance and working capital requirements and, as such, the sectors entry barriers.

HDFC: BUY| Target Rs1900| Return 12.4%

HDFC is the best play on the housing market recovery. The mortgage business trades at an attractive 15x March 2019 EPS, said the CLSA note.

ICICI Bank: BUY| Target Rs380| Return 21.8%

The NPL cycle has peaked out and the resolution process should help. The adjusted book at 1.8x March 2018 looks attractive, said the CLSA note.

IndusInd Bank: BUY| Target Rs2060| Return 25.6%

IndusInd Bank is one of the fastest and most stable growth profiles. The price-to-book ratio or P/B of 4.3x March 2018 is not cheap, but the premium is justified.

L&T: BUY| Target Rs1500| Return 21.3%

L&T is the biggest beneficiary from the infra push, especially in roads and urban. The company should benefit from real estate recovery as well.

Lupin: BUY| Target Rs1030| Return 17.5%

Global pharma consolidation will gather steam in 2018 as challenging industry dynamics in the USA drive supplier-side consolidation whereas, in India, the governments focus on improving quality and good manufacturing-practice compliance could increase market share at top companies.

Implied US valuations are already at distressed levels (c.2x FY19CL EV to sales). Going forward, early resolution of US FDA issues could lead to re-rating of the stock, said the CLSA note.

M&M: BUY| Target Rs885| Return 20%

M&M is a direct beneficiary of the expected rural pick-up. The automaker is one of the cheapest consumption plays with a 12-13x implied auto business multiple.

NTPC: BUY| Target Rs200| Return 16%

Project commercialisation is likely to drive a 25 percent Cagr in regulated equity over FY17-20. The power producer is already trading at attractive valuations despite a lower return on equity (ROE).

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
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Shares of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) gained 9 percent in the early trade on Friday as bank decided to utilise share premium balance to write off the accumulated losses.

The company at its board meeting held on January 4, has considered and approved to utilize the balance available in the share premium account amounting to Rs 7650.06 crore as at March 31, 2017 to write off the accumulated losses of the bank aggregating to Rs 6978.94 crore as at March 31, 2017 to present a true and fair view of the financial position of the bank and to take the same into account during current Financial Year 2017-18.

For the quarter ended the company has reported a loss of Rs 1,222 crore, while the bank had a gross non-performing ratio of 22.73 percent during the same quarter.

The company is convening of an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of shareholders of the bank on January 30, 2018 at Chennai for obtaining the approval of the shareholders for the above.

At 09:16 hrs Indian Overseas Bank was quoting at Rs 24.90, up Rs 1.75, or 7.56 percent on the BSE.

Posted by Rakesh Patil
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Share price of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) touched a 52-week high of Rs 1,328, gaining 1 percent intraday Friday as its subsidiary won order worth Rs 1,483 crore.

The company's wholly owned subsidiary L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering has signed an offshore contract for bassein development 3 Well Platform & Pipeline project with Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) valued at approximately Rs 1,483 crore (USD 229 million USD).

The contract includes 3 new wellhead platforms, 23- kilometer subsea pipeline, composite subsea power cable, clamp-on work on an existing platform and modification work on nine existing platforms in the western offshore basin in India.

The project, part of ONGC's strategy to jointly develop three small and marginal fields/blocks namely B-147, BSE-11 and NBP-E under Bassein development 3 Well platform project, is scheduled to be completed by May 2019.

At 10:42 hrs Larsen & Toubro was quoting at Rs 1,324.50, up Rs 9.10, or 0.69 percent on the BSE.

Posted by Rakesh Patil
The bulls will be more confident to conquer the top of 10552 going forward going by the price behaviour seen in the last three days. Few momentum oscillators on lower time frame charts generated buy signals whereas Daily MACDs behaviour is very interesting as it has turned away from its signal line without generating a sell signal, Mazhar Mohammad, Chief Strategist  Technical Research & Trading Advisory, Chartviewindia.in told Moneycontrol.

Usually, this kind of action on the part of this indicator is considered as very bullish. Hence, as long as Nifty sustains above 10400 levels trade will remain on long side, he said.

Also Read - What changed for the market while you were sleeping? 12 things you should know

India VIX fell down by 1.51 percent at 13.42. VIX has to hold below 13-12.50 zones to support the overall Bullish bias of the market.

We have collated the top fifteen data points to help you spot profitable trade:

Key Support & Resistance Level for Nifty

The Nifty closed at 10,504.8 on Thursday. According to Pivot charts, the key support level is placed at 10,459.87, followed by 10,414.93. If the index starts to move higher, key resistance levels to watch out are 10,531.37 and 10,557.93.

Nifty Bank

The Nifty Bank closed at 25,462.6. Important Pivot level, which will act as crucial support for the index, is placed at 25,351.84, followed by 25,241.07. On the upside, key resistance levels are 25,531.84, followed by 25,601.07.

Call Options Data

Maximum Call open interest (OI) of 44.01 lakh contracts stands at strike price 11,000, which will act as a crucial resistance level for the index in the January series, followed by 10,700, which now holds 35.7 lakh contracts in open interest, and 10,600, which has accumulated 35.6 lakh contracts in OI.

Call writing was seen at a strike price of 10,400, which saw the addition of 1.79 lakh contracts, followed by 10,800, which saw the addition of 0.81 lakh contracts and 10,900, which saw the addition of 0.74 lakh contracts.

Call unwinding was seen at strike prices of 10,500, which saw 4.22 lakh contracts being shed, followed by 10,600, which shed 2.62 lakh contracts and 10,200, which shed 0.64 lakh contracts.

Maximum put OI of 54.01 lakh contracts was seen at strike price 10,400, which will act as a crucial base for the index in January series; followed by 10,300, which now holds 51.59 lakh contracts and 10,200 which has now accumulated 46.37 lakh contracts in open interest.

Put writing seen at 10,400, which saw the addition of 7.05 lakh contracts, followed by 5.75 lakh contracts at the strike price of 10,200 and 10,500, which saw the addition of 3.58 lakh contracts.

Put unwinding was seen at the strike price of 11,000, which saw shedding of 0.61 lakh contracts.

FII & DII Data

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth Rs 212.05 crore, while domestic institutional investors bought shares worth Rs 325.24 crore in the Indian equity market on Thursday, as per provisional data available on the NSE.

Fund Flow Picture:
A group of state-owned banks has requested the Reserve Bank of India to exempt them from listing all mark-to-market losses on their government bond portfolios in December quarter and allow to spread them over the next two quarters, according to a report in The Economic Times.

"The sudden surge in yields has resulted in mark-to-market losses for many public sector banks, which are already bleeding under the bad loan burden. If they show it in one go, margins will dip drastically," the treasury head of a large bank told the paper on condition of anonymity.

In 2013, the RBI had permitted banks to spread their losses over a period, however, at that time the rupee was at a record low and bond yields had shot up about 100 basis points within a short span.

In the September-December quarter in 2017, the benchmark bond yields surged about 70 basis points amid concerns that the government might miss the fiscal deficit target of 3.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) due to federal borrowing.

The rise in bond yields brought down the prices expanding the losses incurred by banks who bet on dipping yields.

"The spike in yields was a bit unexpected. Many banks kept buying at dips expecting the yields to fall, but it backfired on them, resulting in losses," said another bank treasury head told the paper.

Apart from the banks approaching the central bank individually, the Fixed Income Money Markets and Derivatives Association is planning to take a joint move, said the report.

Some banks have asked RBI to clarify the accounting of recapitalisation bonds that the government will issue to support the banking sector.

"We do not know whether such bonds would be under the held-to-maturity or the available-for-sales categories. A lot depends on that," a banker told the paper.

On Thursday, the Lok Sabha gave its approval for Rs 80,000 crore recapitalisation bonds for strengthening public sector banks (PSBs).

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the Department of Financial Services has prepared a detailed plan with regard to capital infusion and the quantum that each bank will get out of Rs 80,000 crore during this fiscal for improving their capital adequacy ratio.
Representative Image

A Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Member of Parliament (MP) today said Sambhaji Bhide, accused of inciting violence at Bhima-Koregaon, had claimed that he had nothing to do with it and had gone to Vadhu Budurk village to clean a memorial.

Milind Ekbote of Samast Hindu Aghadi and Bhide, the founder of Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, are in the spotlight for allegedly "orchestrating" the violence at the anniversary celebrations of the battle fought 200 years ago in Bhima- Koregaon.

The NCP MP and a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Udayanraje Bhonsle, said Bhide had cried after being accused of instigating the violence, which led to protests by Dalits in Maharashtra, paralysing life in Mumbai and other places.

"Milind Ekbote is my friend. I want to tell him to avoid speaking anything which may cause tensions," Bhonsle told a Marathi TV channel in Delhi.

"Bhide cried before me and said he had nothing to do with the violence. He told me he was going there to clean the samadhi (memorial) in Vadhu Budurk village near Bhima Koregaon)," he said.

Many in western Maharashtra believe that Vadhu Budruk is where Sambhaji, the eldest son of Shivaji Maharaj, was cremated after being killed by the Mughals in 1689.

The legend goes that Sambhaji's body was mutilated and thrown into a river by Aurangzeb and it was Govind Gaikwad, a Dalit resident of Vadhu Budruk, who gathered the body parts together and made arrangements for the last rites.

Sambhaji's memorial was said to have been erected by the Mahars (Dalits) of that village. Consequently, Govind Gaikwad's tomb was also erected in the village.

Cases have been registered by the Pimpri police against Ekbote and Bhide for allegedly inciting the Bhima-Koregaon violence. The two organisations headed by them had opposed the celebration of "British victory" in the battle of Bhima- Koregaon.

Pawar, this week, alleged that "outsiders" came and provoked the residents of Vadhu village. The NCP chief said there was no history of violence in last several years of the celebrations marking the anniversary of the battle.

Clashes between Dalit groups and supporters of right-wing Hindu organisations during the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in Pune district on January 1 had left a man dead.

Dalit leaders commemorate the British victory, as it is believed that soldiers from the Mahar community - then considered untouchable - were part of the East India Company's forces. The Peshwas were Brahmins, and the victory was seen by them as a symbol of assertiveness by the Dalits.
The Congress today alleged that the BJP government has neither the policy nor the intention to get the contentious triple talaq bill passed in Parliament, and also accused it of running away from a debate on the matter.

The bill, which has divided political parties and drawn criticism from several Muslim bodies, was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 28. It now has to be passed by the Rajya Sabha to become a law.

But the Congress, which supported the bill in the Lok Sabha, wants certain changes to the bill - such as making provisions for providing financial aid to Muslim women divorced through instant triple talaq - before supporting its passage in the upper House.

It accused the ruling BJP of practicing a policy that disturbs communal harmony and alleged that violence against Dalits has risen in all states where the BJP was in power.

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said even parties like the TDP and the BJD, which have stood with the BJP, were with the opposition on the issue. Even "independent" parties like the INLD have distanced themselves from the BJP, he added.

"The BJP has neither the policy nor the intention to get the triple talaq bill passed in Parliament," he told reporters.

Tiwari alleged that it was the BJP's policy to "divide the society" and the ruling party was running away from a debate on the matter.

He said as per the traditions of the Rajya Sabha, any motion that has been taken up and if the House was adjourned the next day it is taken up.

On the Dalit protests in Maharashtra, Tiwari alleged that wherever the BJP has been voted to power violence against the community has increased.

"Whenever BJP is in power or is seeking to gain power, its first attack is on breaking the society on caste and religious lines," he said, adding that it's attempt in Maharashtra was also to creak social harmony in the society.

Senior Congress leader P L Punia alleged it was clear that the BJP and the RSS ignited violence in Koregaon village in Pune district on January 1 and the Maharashtra government failed to control the violence there.

He demanded immediate arrest of the two accused named in the FIR for allegedly instigating violence in Pune, and questioned why the government was protecting them.

Punia alleged that the two accused, who were linked to Hindutva outfits, were stated to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.

"We demand legal action against those who were trying to disturb harmony (in the society)," he said.

He claimed that the Pune violence was spreading to other states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

"The BJP and RSS does the work of dividing society on caste and religious lines. Dalit atrocities also rise wherever the BJP is in power," he alleged.

Meanwhile, the Congress also slammed the Modi government over the reported breach in the Aadhaar data, saying the right to privacy was being "flouted with impunity".

"AADHAR data breached yet again! As every citizen's personal information is exposed to hackers everyday & Right to Privacy is mocked and flouted with impunity, Modi Govt remains immune. Is anyone listening?," Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala tweeted.
Employees work at a construction site in Kiev, Ukraine, March 4, 2017. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko - RTS11O10

A three-day national convention of Builders' Association of India beginning here from January 19 would address challenges faced by the builders, many of whom were on the verge of bankruptcy due to factors, including "lack of clarity" on GST, its office-bearers said on Friday.

Convention chairman Bhishma R Radhakrishnan said the meet will be themed around 'Building India' since it was close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mission.

Highlighting the problems faced by the builders, he said, "We are the only sector paying all the taxes starting from GST, sales tax, municipal taxes and so on. Yet, we are under tremendous stress. This convention will have a spiritual touch to de-stress the builders who face hurdles at every level."

He pointed out that the year 2017 was not good for the builders and contractors as business touched the lowest point. "We hope that 2018 will be a revival for us," he said.

BAI National President Veera Raghava Reddy said many builders were on the verge of bankruptcy due to exorbitant delay in release of payments, red-tapism stalling time-bound clearances, "lack of clarity" in the Goods and Services Taxes (GST), cement manufacturers' cartel and unused labour welfare cess.

The government had so far collected Rs 40,000 crore as labour welfare cess but not even 10 percent of it had been utilised yet, he claimed. "Why the government does not build schools and invest in education for the labourers' children? Give authority to our association and we will work for the welfare of the labourers," said Reddy.
Clamping down on unfair trade practices in pharma business, the Competition Commission has imposed a total penalty of over Rs 12 lakh on two Gujarat- based chemists groupings.

The two associations are Chemists and Druggists Association of Baroda (CDAB) and Federation of Gujarat State Chemists & Druggists Association.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI), which has been making efforts to sensitise the public on unfair ways in the pharma industry, has also asked the two associations and their respective office bearers to cease and desist from indulging in anti-competitive practices.

In an order passed on January 4, the fair trade regulator found the CDAB and the Gujarat Federation to be in contravention of the provisions of the Competition Act.

Accordingly, it slapped a fine of Rs 1.08 lakh and Rs 11.11 lakh on the CDAB and the Federation of Gujarat State Chemists & Druggists Association, respectively, under the provisions of the Competition Act, 2002.

Besides, the CCI has levied a penalty of Rs 34,048 on CDAB President V T Shah and Rs 62,144 on Gujarat Federation President Jashvant Patel for their anti-competitive practices.

"Despite several orders of the Commission proscribing the anti-competitive practices of state and regional chemists and druggists associations in, inter alia, mandating NOC (No Objection Certificate) for appointment of stockists and demanding PIS (product information service) charges prior to launching of new drugs in the market, these associations are continuing to indulge in such practices," the regulator noted.

The Finance Ministry in a tweet said that the CCI will keep a close watch on all such entities.

"Given the widespread & continuing indulgence in the anti-competitive practices, the Competition Commission of India will be keeping a close watch on the conduct by all such entities in various parts of the country and would not hesitate to take action, wherever deemed necessary," the ministry tweeted.

"Considering larger public interest involved in the distribution of drugs/medicines, the Competition Commission deprecates such a conduct & its perpetration in any form by those responsible, be it Associations, Stockists/ Distributor/Wholesaler/Retailer & pharmaceutical companies," it added.
Officers and soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army hold a flag and weapons during a training session for a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the World War Two, at a military base in Beijing, China, August 22, 2015. Troops from at least 10 countries including Russia and Kazakhstan will join an unprecedented military parade in Beijing next month to commemorate China's victory over Japan during World War Two, Chinese officials said. The parade on Sept. 3 will involve about 12,000 Chinese troops and 200 aircraft, Qi Rui, deputy director of the government office organizing the parade, told reporters in Beijing on Friday. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj - RTX1P5OK

The Chinese media on Wednesday said that the Indian road project along the border could lead to a military standoff between the two countries.

Citing experts, state-run newspaper Global Times said an Indian road construction project connecting all border posts along the China-India frontier will surely enhance Indian border force manoeuvrability, but also increase the possibility of confrontations between the patrols of the two countries as the border issues remain unsettled in many of these areas.

The newspaper quoting another expert said that the road project reveals double-faced nature of the Modi administration.

It also shows the double-faced nature of the Modi administration as it promised to safeguard the stability of the border area but has instead continued to prepare for military operations against China, the newspaper said. It warned that such a mentality would make it more difficult to improve Sino-Indian ties.

The state mouthpiece also objected to home minister Rajnath Singhs promise of special lightweight winter clothing, snow scooters, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and mountaineering equipment to security forces deployed on the border.

India is clearly preparing for war, and it is drawing much experience from the defeat it swallowed in 1962 when it lacked such an infrastructure the newspaper quoted Wang Dehua, head of the Institute for South and Central Asian Studies at the Shanghai Municipal Center for International Studies.

Singh was on a visit to Indo-Tibetan Border Police posts in Uttarkashi on the occasion of New Year.

On Thursday, Indian troops stopped the construction of roads by Chinese workers and troops in Arunachal Pradesh and captured their equipment. Chinese troops intruded into the Indian territory in for about 200 meters close to a village in upper Siang district.

China replied that it had "never acknowledged" the existence of Arunachal Pradesh. "First of all on the border issue, our position is clear and consistent. We never acknowledged the existence of so-called Arunachal Pradesh," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing.
Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has stressed for expeditious implementation of 'Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan', a flagship project of his government aimed at improving irrigation facilities.

"Now we need to increase our speed. Various NGOs like Paani Foundation, NAM, Dilasa have been immensely contributing for the cause. We are also working for 'GalMukta Dharan-GalYukta Shivar', through which farmers are able to increase Rabi production," said Fadnavis.

"We have to come out of the memories of drought and live with better future, giving sustainable irrigation facilities to our farmers," he said yesterday after presenting the state-level Mahatma Jyotiba Phule 'JalMitra' awards.

In the village category, Malegaon in Solapur, Velu in Satara and Karjat in Ahmednagar bagged the awards.

While Purandar (in Pune district), Koregaon (in Satara district) and Chandwad (in Nashik district) got prizes in tehsil category, Solapur, Pune and Ahmednagar bagged awards in the district category.

Fadnavis also awarded prizes to individuals, NGOs, journalists from print and electronic media, officials and employees for their outstanding contribution in the 'Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan'.

On the occasion, the chief minister also launched website of the soil and water conservation department.
The fee hike is set to be implemented from October 2, 2020

Nearly a year after US President Donald Trump took office, the H-1B visa issue seems to have returned to haunt Indian techies, but if the unconfirmed proposals go through, they will at best have a short-term impact for India.

US-based news portal McClatchy reported in December that the Trump administration is considering new regulations that could potentially stop hundreds of thousands of foreign workers from keeping their H-1B visas while their green card applications are pending.

The US is specifically looking at whether it can reinterpret the "may grant" language of the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act to stop allowing the extension of H-1B visa holders for beyond the allowed two three-year terms if a green card is pending, McClatchy reported.

The proposed move would have a short-term impact on technology firms, said Rajesh Gupta, Partner, India Operations at Information Services Group.

A larger impact would be if, in addition to the current proposal, the US also reduces the current cap on the number of H-1B visa applications each year, he added.

At present, the H-1B visa system, which is lottery based, allows a maximum of 65,000 visas for the general category and a further 20,000 people who have a US master's degree from an accredited institution.

The over USD 155 billion Indian IT outsourcing industry has been a beneficiary of the H-1B visa programme, the most favoured route to send Indian engineers to the US.

The industry has for long been accused of misusing the current system to send more people to the US, a claim it has consistently denied.

In April last year, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order named Buy American and Hire American in which he tasked the US Secretary of State, Attorney General, Secretary of Labor, and Secretary of Homeland Security to suggest reforms to help ensure that H-1B visas are awarded to the most-skilled or highest-paid beneficiaries.

If the current considerations, as reported by McClatchy, do get formally proposed, there will be an adverse impact on Indian IT services companies and the US economy, according to Sanchit Veer Gogia, CEO of research company Greyhound Research.

Skilled foreign workers who come to work in the United States by the route of H1-B visas dont just directly supplement the US IT industry with specialised skill sets, they also contribute indirectly to other industries in the US. Often H-1B workers bring their families along and thereby bring additional business for other industries like real estate, banking, hospitality to name a few, he added.

However, immigration law firm Murthy Law Firm said in a statement earlier this week that legislative barriers would prevent Trump from eliminating the H-1B visa extensions.

While it is troubling that the Administration continues to push for ways to make life more difficult for foreign nationals working in the United States, this nations separation of powers helps to check the Presidents power to do so. It should also be noted that this supposed attempt to reinterpret AC21 comes from an unconfirmed media report. As of yet, no official statement has been made by the USCIS on this topic, and no formal action has been taken, the statement said.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services is the agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States.
India Economy

Weeks after the Trump Administration described India as a "leading global power", a former Obama Administration diplomat in a book released today said that more than at any time over the past quarter-century, the country is well on its way to global power.

"We are witnessing a country chart its course to power, and explicitly seeking not to displace others but to be recognized among the club of world powers, one in which it believes its membership is long overdue," said Alyssa Ayres, who served as deputy assistant secretary of state for South Asia from 2010 to 2013.

Currently, a senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations - a top American think-tank, Ayres says over the past 25 years, Indias economic expansion has vaulted it into the ranks of the worlds emerging major powers.

A rising India now wants a seat at the table of global powers. With its huge military and growing economy, India is ready to set its own terms on everything from defence to climate to trade, she argues in her book 'Our Time Has Come: How India is Making its Place in the world,' which hit the stores today.

"More than at any time over the past quarter-century, India is well on its way to global power," Ayres asserts in the book in which she says that Americas relationship with India differs from its relationships with longstanding European and Asian partners because New Delhi, while seeking a closer strategic and economic relationship with the US, does not seek the obligations inherent to an alliance.

To help shape this nontraditional partnership, Ayres emphasizes the need for global governance reform that makes space for India.

Her recommendations include backing Indian membership in the Group of Seven, the UN Security Council, and other institutions that set the global economic and security agenda; developing stronger bilateral economic ties with India; continuing to pursue stronger regional security cooperation with India; and supporting institutions of democracy.

"India, as a rising power of Asia, should be better understood and better appreciated in its own terms  as a competitiveness issue for US economic and business interests, and as a matter of the demands of the new global diplomacy in which all of Asia plays a much more pivotal role," she writes.

At the same time, Ayres also highlights the challenges the country faces including that the Indian economy remains relatively protectionist, and no clear consensus exists on the benefits of a more open economy or stepping up the pace of economic reforms.

"India struggles with the legacy of its longstanding foreign policy doctrine of nonalignment, and remains ambivalent about how it should exercise power," she said.

"India is intensely protective of what it sees as its autonomy, and seeks to shape international interactions very specifically on Indian terms," she wrote in her book.
Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday warned of stringent action against those instigating "communal sentiments" in the state, as the coastal region remained on the edge over a spate of killings of Hindu activists.

The opposition BJP has been demanding a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its political wing Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), holding them responsible for killings of Hindu activists in the coastal Dakshina Kannada district.

"Not only PFI, we will take action against all communal organisations," Siddaramaiah told reporters at Mudigere, near here.

"Let them be from any religion  whether it is PFI or Bajrang Dal or Muthalik's organisation (Pramod Muthalik is chief of right wing Sri Rama Sene) or any organisation that instigates communal sentiments and creates communal violence, we will take stringent action against them," he said.

In the latest incident, 28-year-old Deepak Rao, who was associated with the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, was hacked to death by a four-member gang on Wednesday, following which simmering tension prevailed in the district.

Hundreds of activists of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal were on Friday taken into police custody at Mangaluru after they staged a road roko here protesting Rao's killing.

A bandh was observed in Surathkal and Katipalla areas in the coastal district yesterday.

Asserting that life is precious, Siddaramaiah assured strict action against those behind the killing.

"We have sympathy towards his family, they need to be consoled and they have to be given compensation. The government will do whatever it has to," he said.

Accusing the BJP of playing "communal politics" for terming the death as that of a Hindu, Siddaramaiah questioned "....have they taken Hindutva on lease? Aren't we Hindus?"

The BJP has claimed that with Rao's killing, the number of Hindu activist who have fallen to the "murderous agenda of jihadi forces" has risen to 22, and targeted the Congress government for being "soft" towards "jihadi forces".

Trashing the BJP's charge, the government accusing it of trying to polarise the situation ahead of Assembly polls early this year.

State Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy has said 19 people associated with the BJP, RSS or Bajrang Dal have been killed in the state over a period of time, but in at least eight cases, the reasons were personal.
Muslim women attend Eid al-Fitr prayers to mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Colombo

The Haj Committee of India received the maximum number of applications from Kerala women wishing to perform Haj without a male guardian or a Mehram. Around 1120 out of the total 1300 applications came from the southern state.

On December 31, PM Narendra Modi had announced his government would see to it that all the women who applied would perform Haj. They would be treated as a special category.

Kolkata stands in the second place with only 48 applications. Other states fared poorly, with just 32 applications from Uttar Pradesh and 28 from Karnataka, as reported by Economic Times. Jammu & Kashmir and Assam, states with the most number of Muslim residents, got only four applications each, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. From Bihar and Gujarat, there were no applications.

Commending the Modi government and its effort to make Muslim women of the country more independent, Tayyaba Afandi, a member of the Haj Committee of India told ET, Even though the rule was changed a few years back by the Saudi government, it could not be implemented here earlier."

Afandi spoke of the religious restrictions faced by Muslim women, and they were unable to travel to Mecca without a Mehram. We are quaidbundi (inmates) in our society. Many women could not go despite having resources. We consider it a step forward to ensure women's rights and empowerment," she stated. The women are expected to go to Mecca in groups of four. From Bengal, 12 groups would travel to Mecca.

This is being considered as a brave step taken by the government for Muslim women of the country, after the triple talaq bill, according to many human rights activists. Muslim women across the country have voiced agreement for this move, elated by having the liberty to travel alone.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee watches after taking an oath as the new chief minister of the eastern Indian state of West Bengal during a swearing-in ceremony in Kolkata May 20, 2011. Banerjee has waged a three-decade long battle that has catapulted her to the upper echelons of India's turbulent politics, and last week, she cemented her status as a powerbroker by trumping one of the world's last democratically elected communist governments. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri (INDIA - Tags: POLITICS) - GM1E75K1Q5I01

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday expressed concern over reports that Aadhaar cards were easily available from fictitious agencies and asked the people to be more alert to prevent theft of data and violation of privacy.

Banerjee in a Facebook post said she has been voicing her serious concern over the violation of privacy due to Aadhaar from the very beginning and had urged to ensure a "foolproof mechanism" to ensure security of data.

She said a section of the press has reported that Aadhaar cards are now easily available from fictitious agencies upon payment of small amounts.

"If this is true, then this is a huge infringement of individual privacy and data security," she said in her post.

"I would like to request all citizens of the country to be more alert and cautious to prevent data theft and violation of privacy," she added.
Parliament

A man raised slogans in the visitors' gallery of the Lok Sabha this morning and was immediately whisked away by the security personnel.

As soon as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley ended his reply on farm loan waiver during the Question Hour around 11.30 am, a man raised "Bharat mata ki jai" slogan twice.

He was bundled up by three security personnel present in the visitors' galley and whisked away.

The proceedings of the House were not disrupted as most of the members remained unaware of the incident.

While his identity was not immediately known, security personnel said the Speaker would decide on whether the person should be let off or a case registered against him with the Delhi Police.

As a security precaution, the two front rows of the visitors' gallery facing the Chair are occupied by security personnel in plain clothes.

On November 25, 2016, a person had tried to jump inside the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors' gallery, but was pulled back by alert security men.
Triple Talaq

With only one day left for the Winter Session of Parliament to draw to a close, there seems to be no visible decision on triple talaq in the immediate horizon. Disagreements between the Government and the Opposition have resulted in multiple delays and whether or not the triple talaq bill needs to be sent to a select committee of Rajya Sabha is still a matter of contention.

So it would be safe to assume that the triple talaq bill, officially known as the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, will get rolled over to the Budget Session of Parliament, which is expected to begin shortly after the Winter Session concludes. The fate of the bill will hang in balance as the oppositions demand to refer the Bill to a select committee was denied by the treasury benches on Wednesday.

Whats interesting is that despite having given rise to a raging debate, the bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 28 and did not encounter any resistance before coming to the upper house of Parliament.

What is the stalemate about?

While the Opposition maintained that bill could only be passed if the desired changes are made, the Government doesnt seem willing to blink, having allowed the Opposition a political victory by choosing to send the bill to a select committee instead of agreeing to the proposed changes.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley even contended that the Opposition seeking to send the bill to a Select Committee was against the rules.

On its part, the Congress suggested that the face-off could be resolved if the Government agreed to make provisions for providing financial aid to Muslim women divorced through instant triple talaq, and their families, after their husbands were sent to jail.

Congress member Anand Sharma and TMC's Sukhendu Sekhar Roy wanted their resolutions for referring the bill to a select committee, which they had moved on Wednesday, to be taken up before any other listed business.

The entire Opposition, particularly the Congress, TMC and the Samajwadi Party, insisted that the bill and the related resolutions for referring it to a select committee be taken up first. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), an ally of the ruling NDA, had also backed the Oppositions demand.

What changes is the Opposition seeking?

Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad suggested that the government should include a provision in the bill that would take care of the financial needs of divorced Muslim women and their children.

"We are in favour of the bill but we are opposed to the provision of imprisonment of the husbands. Who will take care of the family? "Who is going to take care of the expenses of children... Government is not worried about that. Let the government say it will take care. We will accept if the government bears the expenses of the family till the husbands are imprisoned," he said and urged the government to accept the suggestion.
Budweiser will sell its non-alcoholic beer throughout the stadium precincts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today shook hands with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh soon after the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die.

The cordial "handshake" came barely weeks after the duo had been locked in a bitter war of words over Gujarat elections.

As soon as Chairman M Venkiah Naidu adjourned the House sine die and 'Vande Mataram' was rendered, Modi was seen moving towards the opposition benches shaking hands with some members, including his predecessor.

He reached the seat of the former premier, shook hands with him for quite some time and spoke to him.

Among others with whom the Prime Minister was seen shaking hands were Deputy Chairman P J Kurien and veteran Congress leader Karan Singh, who was bid farewell by the Upper House today as his tenure ends on January 27.

The show of cordiality between the incumbent and the former premier follows a rare row that broke out last month after Modi insinuated that Manmohan Singh had colluded with Pakistan in the Gujarat polls and latter hitting back saying a "dangerous precedent" was being set by such accusations and seeking apology.

Both the Houses had witnessed stormy protests over the issue with an adamant opposition seeking apology from Modi for his statement during Gujarat poll campaign and the BJP sticking to its point that PM would not apologise.
The US, under the Donald Trump government, has announced a suspension of its security assistance to Pakistan for its failure to take decisive steps against terrorists targeting US personnel in Afghanistan.

The new development comes days after Trump accused Pakistan of reciprocating to years of US aid with lies and deceit. This is certainly going to be a game changer for the future of the region.

The decision is also a representation of the relationship the two countries shared since the creation of Pakistan. The US was one of the first nations to establish a bilateral relationship with Pakistan and the two remained close allies during the cold war, forming an integral part of anti-Soviet alliances such as CENTO and SEATO.

Even with several hiccups, the countries remained close after the Soviet breakup, but a recent rise in the influence of terror groups in Pakistan like Taliban and other anti-Kabul establishments have paved the way for worsening of ties.

The biggest aspect of the bilateral relationship has been the large financial aid Washington has been providing Islamabad to sustain the war on terror since September 11.



The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018

Trump, in his tweet on January 1 this year, had said that it foolishly gave Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years.

Numbers on US government's foreign aid website show that since 2007 the US has provided financial aid worth around $14 billion via State Department (DoS) and USAID.

The aid, which targets various areas including welfare and humanitarian services is primarily directed towards maintaining peace and security of the region indicating that it should be used primarily to take on terrorist and extremist elements working to destabilise the region.

A look into the pattern of planned aid flow also reveals a steady decline in the aid volume in the last few years. After 2007, the planned aid peaked in 2009 reaching a sum of over $2.3 billion and reached a high of $2.34 billion in 2011.

After 2011, also incidentally the year when Osama bin Laden was gunned down in Pakistan's Abbottabad in May, the planned US aid has been on a consistent decline.

The US aid to Pakistan in 2012 dropped by as much as $521 million to $1.82 billion. From 2012 to 2017, the planned US aid after considerable cuts every year reached a paltry $525 million when compared to $2.34 billion in 2011.

For the year 2018, as per US government's foreign assistance website, about $344 million of US aid has been stipulated for Pakistan.

While several factors including conflicts in the bilateral relationship on the back of rising influence of China in Pakistan along with changes in the US strategy could be termed as a reason for this decrease in aid, one can say without a doubt that the US government even under Barack Obama was indeed gradually moving in this direction.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands at the end of a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (PTI)

China's foreign ministry said on Friday it welcomes and supports concrete efforts to improve ties on the Korean peninsula, after North and South Korea agreed to hold official talks next week for the first time in more than two years.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular news briefing the talks would be conducive to improving the situation on the peninsula.
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said that the decision to delay joint military exercises with South Korea until after the Winter Olympics was made for practical reasons, rather than as a political gesture.

"For us, it's a practical matter," Mattis told reporters, noting that the Olympics are South Korea's biggest event in terms of international tourism.

"We have at times changed the timelines on these (drills) for any number of reasons, so for us, this is the normal give and take that we have," he added.

He added that the drills would be conducted sometime after the Paralympics, which end on March 18.

After a year that saw tensions on the Korean peninsula spike to their worst levels in years, 2018 has begun on a tentatively warmer note with Seoul responding positively to North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's New Year speech.

On Wednesday, the two Koreas restored a cross-border hotline that had been shut down since 2016.

They also agreed to hold high-level talks next week -- the first since 2015 -- which will focus on "matters of mutual interest," including the North's participation in the Winter Olympics.

Mattis said the talks were the result of international pressure, pointing to successive United Nations Security Council votes against the North.

"It shows again that the democracies and the nations that are trying to keep this from going to war and stopping the provocations of nuclear weapon development, of ballistic missile launches and that sort of thing are united in trying keep this thing in a diplomatic-solution vein," he said.

The Pentagon chief declined to address a recent tweet from President Donald Trump, who said Washington had a nuclear button that was "much bigger and more powerful" than North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's.

"My job as the secretary of defense is to make certain that we have forces ready to defend this country," Mattis said.
The Trump administration's decision to suspend over USD 1.1 billion security assistance to Pakistan has nothing to do with Islamabad not taking action against Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, a US official has said.

"We have certainly expressed our concern about the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks being let out of house arrest in Pakistan. To my knowledge, that has nothing to do with that," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters at her daily news conference.

Nauert was responding to a question if the suspension of security assistance was related to Hafiz Saeed, the Mumbai attack mastermind who was released by Pakistan on November last year.

"There is a USD 10 million reward out for information leading to his re-arrest, the person who is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks who was let go in Pakistan. So we've been very clear about our displeasure with that individual being let go, and that's why we like to remind people that there is a USD 10 million Rewards for Justice program out for him," Nauert said.

A senior State Department official told reporters that the US continues to have conversation with Pakistan not only on Haqqani network, and Taliban, but also on India-centric terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

"We can't continue to have a relationship that has a business as usual with Pakistan. This conversation is not new to this administration. There have been concerns about Pakistan's issue of sanctuaries for the Haqqani network and the Taliban. But we have concerns about their nuclear programme. We have concerns about the ability of anti-Indian groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish e Mohammed to fundraise and operate," the official who spoke on anonymity said.

Hafiz Saeed who was recently released from house arrest is among the issues that have been a feature of America's conversation with Pakistan for many years.

"This administration felt that we needed to take additional steps to underscore that we're not going to be able to continue the relationship on autopilot. We can't continue a status quo relationship. We need to be able to move beyond these challenges and put our relationship on a more solid footing," the official said.

Responding to a question, the official disputed the general impression coming out of Pakistan that it will not rearrest Hafiz Saeed as being demanded by the US.

"I have not seen them say they're not going to take any of these steps. What the Pakistani government has objected to is our characterisation of the situation on the ground. But I have never heard the Pakistani government say they're not going to re-arrest Hafiz Saeed or they're not going to prosecute him," the official said.

The Pakistani's have clearly indicated that they are unhappy with the public rhetoric of the Trump administration.

"What I would say to that is we had a number of months where we have had very serious conversations and private discussions with them and have not seen the responsiveness that we need. And at some juncture they knew that we were going to take additional steps if they did not respond to the requests that we made to them," the State Department official said.

Appreciating the help of Pakistan in the release of Coleman family, the official said at the same time if there is an ongoing relationship between elements of the security forces in Pakistan and the group that took the Colin Boyle family hostage that is a concern.
President Donald Trump is "frustrated" with Pakistan for supporting terror groups and using them as an arm of their foreign policy, US National Security Advisor (NSA) HR McMaster said, underlining that their relationship can no longer bear the weight of contradictions.

The US and others have long complained that Pakistan offered safe haven to the Afghan Taliban and their allies, the Haqqani Network, allowing them to carry out cross-border attacks in Afghanistan.

Pakistan denies allegations but Trump has escalated the criticism against the country since he took office last January.

"The president is frustrated, and he values what we hope would be a partnership with Pakistan. But he is frustrated at Pakistan's behaviour in that it continues to provide support for these groups, it goes after terrorist groups, really, very selectively, and uses others as an arm of their foreign policy," McMaster was quoted as saying by Voice of America, a Congress-funded US media-outlet.

McMaster was responding to a question on the New Year tweet by Trump in which he said that the "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than USD 33 billion in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools".

The US today suspended over USD 1.15 billion in security aid and the delivery of military equipment to it for failing to clamp down on the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network terror groups and dismantle their safe havens.

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes after President Donald Trump in a New Year's Day tweet.

The suspended amount also include USD 255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

The top national security advisor was interviewed after the tweet, but before the US announcement of suspension of security assistance to Pakistan.

McMaster said Trump has great sympathy for the Pakistani people and in particular, how much they have suffered at the hands of terrorists who have victimised so many Pakistanis with mass murders.

"I mean, so, he empathises with the Pakistani people, and he wants to see the Pakistani government go after these groups less selectively. This is not a blame game, as some would say," he said.

"This is really our effort to communicate clearly to Pakistan that our relationship can no longer bear the weight of contradictions, and that we have to really begin now to work together to stabilise Afghanistan," McMaster said.

"What is frustrating at times is we see Pakistan operating against the interests of its own people by going after these groups only selectively, by providing safe havens and support bases for Taliban and Haqqani network leadership that operate out of Pakistan as they perpetuate hell in portions of Pakistan and in Afghanistan," said the top White House official.

Responding to a question, McMaster appeared to be unworried about China stepping in amidst its deteriorating relationship with the US.

"Well, I don't think...who's going to step in now, I think, and want Pakistan to continue its support for terrorist groups like the Haqqani network, for groups like the Taliban? I mean, certainly it's not in China's interest," he said.

McMaster said China has a terrorist problem on its southern border, a terrorist problem that does have connections back into Pakistan.

"It is not going to be any other country in the region, certainly, who will want Pakistan to continue this, really, pattern of behaviour that we have seen, where it goes after these groups only selectively, while it sustains and supports others who act as an arm of its foreign policy," he said.

Responding to another question, McMaster said that it would "just be unwise" for any Pakistani leader using nuclear weapons "to extort or for blackmail".

Pakistan, he noted, does not want to become North Korea.

"I mean, does Pakistan want to become North Korea? Doesn't look too appealing a model to me. So, I think Pakistan could be on a path to increase security and prosperity, or it could be on a path to replicating North Korea. I think that's an easy choice for Pakistani leaders," McMaster said.
And yet, in a piece penned for Time magazine, published Thursday, Buffett says there is a problem with that economic system, which made him a king: Many individuals suffer even as those at the top prosper wildly.

Warren Buffett knows first hand the power of American capitalism. As the third richest person in the world, with a net worth of more than $86 billion, the octogenarian investor has personally benefited from it.

And yet, in a piece penned for Time magazine, published Thursday, Buffett says there is a problem with that economic system, which made him a king: Many individuals suffer even as those at the top prosper wildly.

He points to the Forbes 400, which lists the wealthiest Americans. "Between the first computation in 1982 and today, the wealth of the 400 increased 29-fold  from $93 billion to $2.7 trillion  while many millions of hardworking citizens remained stuck on an economic treadmill. During this period, the tsunami of wealth didn't trickle down. It surged upward."

America's capitalist economy requires its winners not ignore the system's faults, says Buffett.

The market system has "left many people hopelessly behind, particularly as it has become ever more specialized. These devastating side effects can be ameliorated: a rich family takes care of all its children, not just those with talents valued by the marketplace," writes Buffett.

He also notes that, in particular, those workers replaced by technological advancements will be left behind.

"This game of economic miracles is in its early innings. Americans will benefit from far more and better 'stuff' in the future. The challenge will be to have this bounty deliver a better life to the disrupted as well as to the disrupters," Buffett writes. "And on this matter, many Americans are justifiably worried."

In the long term, those technological advancements are a boon for the economy. But in the short term, they cause unemployment and anxiety for those who lose their jobs to automation and are left unemployed. To demonstrate his point, Buffett points to 1776, when the United States declared its independence, and the evolution of farming technology.

"Replicating those early days would require that 80% or so of today's workers be employed on farms simply to provide the food and cotton we need. So why does it take only 2% of today's workers to do this job? Give the credit to those who brought us tractors, planters, cotton gins, combines, fertilizer, irrigation and a host of other productivity improvements," writes Buffett.

"We know today that the staggering productivity gains in farming were a blessing. They freed nearly 80% of the nation's workforce to redeploy their efforts into new industries that have changed our way of life."

Indeed, despite the warnings, Buffett is optimistic.

"In 1776, America set off to unleash human potential by combining market economics, the rule of law and equality of opportunity. This foundation was an act of genius that in only 241 years converted our original villages and prairies into $96 trillion of wealth," he says.

"In the years of growth that certainly lie ahead, I have no doubt that America can both deliver riches to many and a decent life to all. We must not settle for less."

This is not the first time the billionaire investor has said as much. In June, he told PBS Newshour, that the problem with the economy was billionaires like him. He also touted the importance of building in protections for the most vulnerable and retraining those workers replaced by new technologies.

And the billionaire's talk is not rhetoric. Buffett, along with billionaire buddy Bill Gates, co-founded The Giving Pledge, a commitment from billionaires to give away at least half of their wealth.
A 24-year-old man is facing a slew of felony charges for illegal straw purchase of 21 guns at gun stores, almost exclusively in Bucks County. Leonard Truesdale was arraigned on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, on 21 counts each of making...
Education

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,
State officials announce $2.85M for new police station in Upper Moreland
January 04, 2018 Iran - Europe Rejects U.S. Drive To War The reaction to the minor protests in Iran drive another wedge between the U.S. and Europe. It exposes the belligerence of the Zionist lobby and its influence in the U.S. media and politics. The issue shows the growing divergence between genuine U.S. interests and the interests of Israel. Some anti-government demonstration and attacks on public institutions continue in Iran. But, as the graph shows, such protests and riots continue to decrease. Yesterday's events took place in only 15 places while, since December 28, a total of 75 towns and cities had seen some form of protest or incidents. Additional to these several pro-government marches took place yesterday each of which was by far bigger than the anti-government events.

by M. Ali Kadivar - bigger The violence against public property by some young rioters has alienated the original legitimate protesters who have ample economic reasons to reject the neo-liberal policies of the current Iranian government. The instigating of violence from the outside of Iran, likely due to CIA machinations, has robbed them of their voice. I had earlier asked: Why is the U.S. doing this? The plan may well be not to immediately overthrow the Iranian government, but to instigate a sharp reaction by the Iranian government against the militant operations in its country. ... That reaction can then be used to implement wider and stricter sanctions against Iran especially from Europe. These would be another building block of a larger plan to suffocate the country and as an additional step on a larger escalation ladder. and: The administration just called for a UN emergency session about the situation. That is a laughable move ... Laughable indeed. Other members of the Security Council and the UN Human Rights council have rejected the U.S. plans. It is not the UN's business to insert itself into internal affairs of any country. But even for those who believe that the UN has a right to intervene, the protests in Iran, estimated at no more than 15,000 people at any time and maybe 45,000 in cumulation, are way too insignificant to justify any UN reaction. The European Union, main target of U.S. plans to again push for sanctions on Iran, has officially rejected any such attempts. The Swedish Foreign Minister said that these are "unacceptable" and that the situation does not qualify for any such move. The French President Macron warned (French) that breaking relations with Iran would lead to war. He was quite explicit (machine translation) about the actors behind such moves: France has firm relations with the Iranian authorities but wants to keep this link "because what is being done otherwise is that it is surreptitiously rebuilding an 'axis of evil'," said the president.

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"We can clearly see the official speech that is made by the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, which are our allies in many ways, it is almost speech that will lead us to the war in Iran." he added, pointing out without further details that it was a "deliberate strategy of some". Russia's Foreign Minister warned the U.S. against any interference in Iran's internal affairs. Meanwhile a Saudi flagship paper, Al Arabiya, is challenging The Onion as it asserts that Iran has called up Hizbullah, Iraqi units and Afghan mercenary to quell the protests. In a Washington Post op-ed Vice President Pence rants about the Obama administration's alleged lack of reaction to protests in Iran, but announces no reaction by the Trump administration. The Washington Post editors add several op-eds by pro-Zionist lobbyists bashing Iran and blaming Europe for not following Trump's line. The anti-Iranian Foundation for Defense of Democracies which is financed by an extreme Zionist speculator, is given plenty of space in U.S. papers: Adam H. Johnson @adamjohnsonNYC - 4:04 AM - 3 Jan 2018

in past 72 hrs radical pro-regime change outfit FDD has had op-eds in NYTimes, Washington Post, NYPost, Politico and WSJ on Iran, repeating in each one the same tired, pro-intervention talking points. Adam H. Johnson @adamjohnsonNYC - 6:14 PM - 3 Jan 2018

having used up their designated slots in respectable WSJ, WaPo, Politico, and NYTimes for this week, FDD slumming it in Washington Times today. Sad! The supposedly "centrist" Lawfare blog published a call for handing improvised mines with "Explosive Formed Penetrators" to Iranian protesters. (During the U.S. invasion of Iraq the local resistance made and used such EFPs against the U.S. occupiers. The U.S. military falsely claimed that the EFPs were coming from Iran.) The editor of Lawfare, the notorious Benjamin Wittes, seems to agree with the piece. He, the editor, writes that he never edits anything that is published on his site. His only complain about the piece is that the call to arm rioters in Iran lacks a professed legal reasoning. (One wonders how the Lawfare writers will react when China delivers anti-tank weapons to the next Occupy Wall Street incarnation.) It is a big campaign in the U.S. that is accompanying rather small events in Iran. The campaign is designed to create the atmosphere for a war on that country. The media give it ample room. But the U.S. is very lonely in these attempts. Saudi Arabia is a paper tiger that does not count and Israel can not move against Iran. The axis of resistance is ready for a great war, says Hizbullah leader Nasrallah. He explains that such a war would be waged deep within Israel. Stephen Kinzer points out that U.S. animosity against Iran and its government lacks any strategic reasoning: History decrees that any Iranian government must be strongly nationalist and a vigilant defender of Shiite Muslims everywhere, so the idea that regime change would produce a more pro-American Iran is a fantasy. The security of the United States will not be seriously affected by the course of Irans domestic politics.

...

In 1980 President Carter proclaimed that any challenge to American dominance of the Persian Gulf would be considered an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America. He was driven by the global imperatives of his era. Much of Americas oil came through the Persian Gulf, and the West could not risk losing it to Soviet power. Today there is no Soviet Union, and we no longer rely on Middle East oil. Yet although the basis for our policy has evaporated, the policy itself remains unchanged, a relic from a bygone age. Kinzer is right on the lack of a strategic argument. But he neglects the influence of the Zionist lobby and its interest to keep the U.S. involved in smashing any potential adversary to its colonial endeavor. Genuine interest of the people of the United States is not what drives U.S. policy and has not been for some time (if ever). Posted by b on January 4, 2018 at 19:52 UTC | Permalink Comments next page  next page 
A Morganton man who is a gang member will serve time in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by felon, assault inflicting serious bodily injury, soliciting gang activity and admitting to his status as a habitual felon during Burke County Superior Court.

Superior Court Judge Robert Ervin sentenced Randall Kyle Ballard, 31, on Wednesday to a prison term of seven to nine years, according to a release from District Attorney David Learners office.

Ballards sentence length was enhanced by his habitual felon status stemming from prior convictions for possession of a stolen vehicle in Burke County, and possession of a weapon by a prisoner and felony larceny in McDowell County, the release said.

An investigation found that Ballard was using an assault to initiate one of his co-defendants, James Thomas Farr, into the Aryan Brotherhood gang. Ballard and James Dean Farr, the other co-defendant, are both validated gang members, the DAs release said.

Ballard and the two co-defendants assaulted the victim at a Burke County home on Sept. 19, 2015. The victim was severely beaten. He later was taken outside where several men, including the defendant, fired guns and claimed to be part of the Aryan Brotherhood, according to the release.

The victim was hospitalized due to injuries he sustained in the attack, the release said.

All three defendants have now been convicted of charges stemming from the attack, the DAs release said.

Daniel Strauss and Stephen Ritchie investigated the case for the Burke County Sheriffs Office. Michelle Lippert handled prosecution for the District Attorneys Office.
After a strong 2017, emerging markets are on course for further gains in the coming 12 months and beyond, but, as ever, its going to be a bumpy ride, warn analysts.

The MSCI Emerging Markets index returned 37.28% in 2017  its best performance since 2009  to add to its 11.19% gain in 2016.

This performance was driven by improving global and regional economies, resilient industrial data in China, continued earnings upgrades for Asian equities and a weak US dollar, says Min Feng, senior investment specialist at Nomura.

But emerging market equities still appear cheap relative to history and other regions. Thats because they are currently recovering from a low base. The commodity price slump between 2013 and 2015 meant the index saw negative returns three years running.

Now, Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, notes that emerging markets overall are trading at around 1.7 times on a price/book basis, compared with cyclical peaks north of three times.

Still, investing in emerging markets is not for the faint hearted and should only be done with a long-term time frame in mind.

20 Elections in 2018

Although the current situation is about as calm as emerging markets get, a shock from the developed world would be felt in emerging markets as well, says Hermes Gary Greenberg.

External events such as faster-than-expected US rate rises, North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks, increased US protectionism, monetary policy normalisation by central banks and increased geo-political tensions pose risks.

As ever, politics will also weigh on emerging markets. There are elections in 20 different countries including Russia, Mexico and Brazil. While the result in Russia shouldnt spring any surprises, Paul Greer, senior trading for emerging market debt at Fidelity, expects heightened uncertainty and asset price volatility.

Then theres China, where a hard landing is still possible, though most economists do not expect this to happen.

China Tech Firms Still Attractive

Most are still positive on the region. Jan Dehn, head of research at Ashmore, isnt worried about increased volatility going into elections. He says any extreme mispricing of assets will offer opportunities for investors to outperform the markets.

Tom Wilson, head of emerging market equities at Schroders, forecasts an aggregate growth rate of 4.9% in 2018  in line with 2017.

A rebalancing in the make-up of the largest companies in the emerging market universe, from commodity-based firms to technology giants, should help with gains.

Jorry Rask Nddekr, manager of Nordea 1 - Emerging Stars Equity Fund, sees attractive opportunities in Chinese internet and e-commerce names. Nddekr and the Morningstar Investment Management team also like South Korean and Taiwanese equities.

Tricky 2017 for Aberdeen Emerging Markets

While no fund in the Investment Association Global Emerging Markets sector currently holds a Gold Morningstar Analyst Rating, there are five rated Silver, three of which have four-star performance ratings.

One of these, Aberdeen Emerging Markets, had a test of character in 2017, according to Morningstar analyst Mark Laidlaw. It underperformed the MSCI Emerging Markets index by a fifth. This was because the fund is underweight tech names due to the teams view on valuations and quality. It only added a position in Tencent (00700) in the third quarter of 2017.

Laidlaw still thinks theres plenty to like about the fund, managed by Devan Kaloo, who focuses on quality firms trading at attractive prices. Over the long term, it has done a strong job for investors.

Other Silver-rated offerings include Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity and T. Rowe Price Emerging Markets Equity. On the former, Monika Dutt says its modest bets on investment styles and cost-efficiency should continue to serve patient investors well.

Investment Trust Options

Again, there are no Gold rated closed-end funds and there is only one trust that Morningstar analysts rate as Silver; JPMorgan Emerging Markets (JMG).

Experienced investor Austin Forey takes a long-term approach, focusing on businesses that have attractive earnings, strong balance sheets, excess returns on capital, sustainable competitive advantages, an ability to grow market share and potential to generate significant shareholder value.

The fund is generally overweight financials and consumer staples and underweight energy and materials. Morningstar analyst Simon Dorricott says it is a high-quality offering.
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WASHINGTON - Nearly the entire U.S. coastline - from Alaska to Florida to New England - would be opened to offshore drilling under a proposal by the Trump administration, a dramatic shift from previous administrations that limited offshore oil and gas production primarily to the Gulf of Mexico.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said Thursday that up to 90 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf, which begins roughly three miles off the U.S. mainland, is under consideration for oil and gas lease sales beginning next year and extending through 2024. That includes almost the entire Pacific and Atlantic coastlines, as well as the Eastern Gulf of Mexico.

"This is the largest number of lease sales ever proposed," Zinke said. "If you look at the last eight years the opportunity to generate revenue through responsible energy development took a backseat to, in many cases, special interest groups."

The move marks a victory for the offshore oil and gas industry, largely centered in Houston, which has lobbied for years to drill in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.

Most of the world's biggest oil companies, including Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell, have a major presence in Houston, as do firms specializing in offshore drilling and services, including TechnipFMC, National Oilwell Varco, McDermott International and Transocean.

Vast stores of oil and gas are believed to lie beneath the ocean floors of the Arctic and Atlantic. And while test wells have turned up little hard proof as of yet, the areas represent potential new frontiers for an industry eager to expand its reserves.

"The plan announced today is a long-term commitment to securing our energy future, and would help cement America's role as an energy superpower, creating jobs and contributing to our economy," said Karen Harbert, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Global Energy Institute.

RELATED: Arctic oil and gas development dealt blow by Obama

President Donald Trump's effort to advance his plan for U.S. "energy dominance" by expanding offshore drilling faces a number of challenges, particularly low oil prices that have significantly curtailed offshore exploration.

Many oil companies are focusing investments in lower-cost and higher-margin shale projects in West Texas and other onshore fields.

Crude settled Thursday at $62.01 a barrel, well below prices in 2008, when oil companies spent tens of billions of dollars competing for drilling rights in the Arctic Ocean. Earlier this year, a federal lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico drew what Trump officials conceded Thursday was less than stellar interest from oil companies.

"We do not control the price of oil," said Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Kate MacGregor. "The price of oil is very hard to predict."

The proposal released Thursday was only a draft, beginning a monthslong process in which Trump is expected to face strong opposition from environmentalists as well as residents and political leaders in coastal states.

Florida Governor Rick Scott, a Republican, said Thursday he had already reached out to Zinke to get his state removed from the drilling plan.

When former President Barack Obama considered expanding offshore drilling into the Atlantic Ocean in 2015, protests erupted up and down the Eastern Seaboard as environmentalists clashed with pro-business politicians - including some Democrats - eager to attract the economic boost of oil and gas drilling.

Obama ultimately used his presidential authority to ban drilling in the Atlantic.

Trump's plan would open a much more extensive stretch of coastline to drilling, unlike anything that has ever been proposed by a U.S. president, Republican or Democrat, said Niel Lawrence, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, an advocacy group.

"This is an out-and-out declaration of war on America's coasts and the people who use and depend upon them," Lawrence said.

Already environmental lawyers are fighting the Trump administration in Alaska federal court, where they filed suit earlier this year to block Trump's move to reverse Obama's protections against drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.

At stake are some of the world's most pristine marine environments in Alaska's Beaufort and Chukchi seas, both of which are slated to be opened up for auction next year under Trump's drilling plan.

The offshore industry, meanwhile, is still trying to clean up its image after the 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, which left eleven people dead and spilled over 3 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

"We are continuously developing and improving safety standards, programs, new technologies and best practices to protect our workers, the environment and marine life," said Erik Milito, upstream director at the American Petroleum Institute, the industry trade group.

Under Trump's proposal, the Interior Department would hold 47 lease sales between 2019 and 2024, including 19 off the coast of Alaska, seven in the Pacific region, 12 in the Gulf of Mexico, and nine in the Atlantic region.
Kristi Edwards was named the Centers new CEO in November and stepped into the position on Dec. 1. She served previously as the organizations clinical director and was named to the position after Ann Bradford retired. Her experience and background with Centers should be an asset to the nonprofit.

Her extensive knowledge and experience in mental health and counseling will bring immeasurable value to our organization, Rachel Hudson, a member of Centers board of directors, said in a press release.

Centers (formerly Centers for Children and Families) works with youth, individuals and families offering a variety of counseling and educational services and programming.

Heading into the 2018, Edwards discussed her role with the nonprofit and her vision for its future.

More Information For more information about Centers and its services, visit centerstx.org. See More Collapse

MRT: How are you feeling to now serve Centers in this capacity?

Edwards: I am so excited to be selected as the CEO for Centers. I have worked with some great CEOs in the past and will take the best parts of what I learned from them and combine that with my own passion, abilities and great staff members to further the mission of Centers.

MRT: Will you still service as a counselor as well?

Edwards: I will continue to see clients but on a much smaller scale. I want to honor those referral sources who helped build my reputation as a therapist and who trust Centers to provide quality mental health care to those people they refer.

MRT: What is your vision for Centers?

Edwards: My vision for Centers is to remain the premier counseling agency in the Permian Basin, and to provide quality, supportive services through other programs.

MRT: Any particular goals for the organization with the new year?

Edwards: Centers attempts to be proactive with the needs of the communities we serve. At this time, we have one very dedicated, overworked bilingual therapist so we are aggressively seeking an additional bilingual therapist. After that, we will simply work as hard as we always have, provide services to the clients who seek them and remain a vital part of the mental health community.

MRT: Does the organization work with other agencies?

Edwards: Centers was chosen to be a part of the Meadows Mental Health Initiative so we look forward to collaborating with other agencies identified during this intensive initiative.

MRT: What do you think people need to know about Centers that they may not already know?

Edwards: Centers therapists/caseworkers are recognized locally and statewide as experts in mental health and post adoption, and Centers two Kids First coordinators are members of the national Supervised Visitation Network.

We are called upon during times of crisis; we work with public and private schools; with first responders from the City and the County; we are expert witnesses in family court; we provide trainings to the Crisis Intervention Unit; we work with Head Start in Midland and the surrounding counties to provide for those childrens mental health needs.

We are a busy bunch of people but providing mental health care and educating people about mental health is our favorite thing to do.

MRT: What are ongoing needs of Centers that the community can help with?

Edwards: Like all nonprofits, Centers relies on contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations. We are a community partner with the United Way in both Midland and Odessa so donating to those organizations helps ours. Centers holds an annual event called An Evening With. that has become a part of our overall budget. Buying a table for that will provide services for those with mental health needs that might not otherwise be able to afford it.

And we need volunteers! Kids First provides services after hours and on Saturdays so this is an area that is attractive to people who want to volunteer but might work full-time jobs. Volunteering for our annual event is a fun time. It is lots of hard work but so worth it.

MRT: Centers opened its new doors in 2016. Since then, how has that facility helped the organization in its programming and services?

Edwards: Our first month in the new facility, we conducted more than 100 new clinical counseling assessments. That means that 100 clients who had never been to Centers accessed our services. Over the first year that we were open, we had three months of over 100 new assessments.

Our Kids First Program (which is a supervised visitation and exchange program) was able to come in house. Prior to being in the new location, we had to conduct those visits at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. Holy Trinity was a wonderful community resource for us for years but being able to work out of our place has allowed more people to be seen and we can utilize our own staff if needed.

MRT: More room must have been a given.

Edwards: We have parenting classes on Tuesday nights, and during specific times of the year we have a Single Moms Group that allows single moms to sit down and eat with their children then attend classes taught by two of our therapists while their children are entertained by two outstanding young ladies that work with Centers for all our child care needs.

Centers has a Post Adoption program that serves the needs of adopted children in 188 of the 254 counties in Texas. That program director now has the room to bring her caseworkers in from all over Texas to conduct trainings and staff meetings. I love that there is positive energy around our building all day and most evenings. I believe Centers is providing the services that we promised the community we would provide when they helped us complete our facility.

MRT: Could you discuss the name change to simply Centers?

Edwards: Centers for Children and Families Inc. is still our legal name but we have always been known as Centers. The sign in front of our new building says simply Centers  counseling, education and support, which tells the story of what we do instead of just a long name.

Also, many people assumed that Centers for Children and Families indicated that we only provided services for children. In reality we serve all ages, from 3 years old to the current oldest client at 94 years old. Roughly 50 percent of our clients are under 18 and 50 percent are over. We are evenly split between children and adults.
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When is a penny worth $300,000? -- When its one of the first copper coins struck at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, in 1793.

Rare US coins sell for pretty penny at auction in Florida

One of first copper pennies sold for $300K

$4 gold piece call 'Flowing Hair Stella' sold for $750K

Rare half-dollar minted in New Orleans in 1838 also sold

The George Washington-era penny is one of about 500 in existence, according to Mark Borckardt, a senior numismatist with Heritage Auctions in Dallas, and it went up for auction this week at the annual Florida United Numismatists convention in Tampa.

The convention is one of the five largest coin and currency collectors shows in the nation, experts say.

Three historic coins, including the pricey penny, went up for auction Thursday evening. The auction drew $24.9 million in sales.

Other high-value U.S. coins sold at auction included a half-dollar minted in New Orleans in 1838. It was one of the first 20 produced there.

A $4 gold piece called a Flowing Hair Stella, sold for $750,000.

It was an experimental piece that the government produced, hoping to create an international coinage, Borckardt told the Associated Press. Its literally the forerunner of todays Euro. The government finally decided no, thats not going to work.

There are only about 15 to 20 of those quarter-sized gold coins in existence.

The three coins sold at a high value due to their rarity and excellent condition.

Collectors interested in these have a very strong sense of history, both American history and financial history, said Borckardt.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch that was expected to happen Friday night has been pushed back to Sunday night.

The launch window will now open at 8 p.m. The rocket is expected to lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Space Launch Complex 40.

The rocket will carry the mysterious Zuma payload, which was supposed to be launched back in November.

SpaceX said extreme weather slowed down operations, causing the delay.

Team at the Cape completed additional propellant loading tests today. Extreme weather slowed operations but Falcon 9 and the Zuma spacecraft are healthy and go for launchnow targeting January 7 from Pad 40 in Florida.  SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 5, 2018

Meanwhile at Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX is moving along with preparations for the maiden flight of the Falcon Heavy rocket.

CEO Elon Musk tweeted video of the rocket going vertical at historic Launch Pad 39A Thursday. Then, on Instagram, Musk said a hold-down test fire for the rocket was happening next week, with plans to launch by the end of the month.

Musk says the Falcon Heavy's thrust is equal to 18 Boeing 747 planes at full throttle.
Two people are dead after a collision in Humble sent a Dodge Charger careening into a metal light pole, splitting the vehicle in half, Humble police said.

About 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, a Toyota SUV was traveling southbound on Wilson Road when it collided with the Charger in the intersection at FM 1960, according to the Humble Police Department. The Charger then slammed into the pole, leaving the vehicle so damaged its two halves were nearly unrecognizable.
BERLIN  After spending 25 days deployed in Puerto Rico, Connecticut State Police Sgt. Alessandro Alex Giannone said the hurricane devastation is unimaginable.

Even though its four months out, they still need help, he said. Its a complete infrastructure rebuild.

The Berlin resident and town councilor was one of 13 Connecticut State Troopers deployed to the island at the end of November to assist in recovery efforts after hurricanes Irma and Maria.

He witnessed metal roofs peeled back, traffic lights destroyed, lack of food, water and, most prominently, electricity.

When we got there we realized how bad it was, he said.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, who returned from a two-day trip to the island with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal to witness recovery efforts, expressed similar sentiments in an interview Thursday with the Record-Journal.

If this were happening in the Continental United States, if we were in Connecticut 100 days after a hurricane and half the state didnt have power, there would be riots in the street, Murphy said.

With nearly half of the island still without power, the heat and humidity has kept many residents on the streets to keep cool during the day.

The troopers worked to keep residents hydrated and fed with supplies provided by FEMA.

In one instance, Giannone said he and troopers came across a mother and baby outside and gave them food and water. An elderly couple on the second floor of their home was also provided food and water in a basket sent up to their window.

Animals left behind or lost after the hurricanes were also assisted. Giannone helped a horse tied to a guardrail that was severely malnourished.

During traffic duties, Giannone said drivers would often give the troopers water and food.

People were just so thankful to have us there, he said.

Nearly all the troopers spoke Spanish, including Giannone. His initial deployment of 18 days was extended for another week, and Giannone returned home with fellow troopers a few days before Christmas.

This is why you go into public service, he said. I definitely left a part of myself there.

akus@record-journal.com

203-317-2448

Twitter: @KusReporter
MERIDEN  Medical professionals from Community Health Center Inc. called on U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal to help save funding for childrens health care programs.

I am back to talk about federally qualified health centers, Blumenthal told the group gathered at the State Street center. But even more urgently childrens health. All my colleagues say it will get done, dont worry. ..Im worried. This fear is compounding as we go along.

Congress approved a short-term spending bill in December to fund federal agencies at last years levels until Jan. 19.

Blumenthal said one of the reasons he voted against the short-term spending bill was because he felt it underfunded health programs.

Funding for the Childrens Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, has not been authorized since Sept., 30, the end of the last federal fiscal year. The CHIP program, known as Husky B in Connecticut, covers 17,000 children in the state. Their families earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but would otherwise struggle to afford health insurance.

The Community Heath Center in Meriden serves 1,000 children currently enrolled in CHIP. About one-quarter of the city uses the services at the center, and 70 percent of the children are on Medicaid. There are more than 20 other health center locations in the state.

We will see a crisis if CHC is not funded, Blumenthal said.

Melissa Gualazzi, an outreach and eligibility specialist at the CHC, said without CHIP funding, families face high deductibles on preventative visits. The professionals fear children in need of regular treatment for things like asthma or diabetes will not get the necessary services.

The experts also expect a shift to expensive emergency room visits when treatment isnt maintained on a regular basis.

What we see with adults are the terrible ravages of not having insurance, said Amy Taylor, CHC vice president of Western Region. Were going to start seeing that in children.

Blumenthal said he will continue his push for CHIP and other funding for childrens health.

Hopefully, well make some progress, Blumenthal said.

mgodin@record-journal.com

203-317-2255

Twitter: @Cconnbiz
SOUTHINGTON  A 9.3-acre British-style estate at 340 Winding Ridge has sold for $1.65 million.

The property was previously on the market for $3.7 million. It failed to generate bids at or above a minimum sale price of $1.9 million at a September auction.

Michael G. and Maria E. Johnson purchased the home on Dec. 12.

The estate was designed by Soyster Taylor Design and features an aged Virginia brick exterior and Brazilian cherry hardwood floors. The four-bedroom, eight-bathroom home was built to entertain, and includes a two-story family room and floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors leading to its granite inlaid swimming pool and spa with a sauna and steam room.

The home is a past winner of Best Custom Library and Overall Best Custom Home awards from the Home Builders Association of Connecticut, according to a statement from Concierge Auctions.

Additional custom details include Hawaiian Verdi granite counters, marble fireplace mantels imported from Spain, and a koi pond with a waterfall.

The 8,049-square-foot home was previously owned by Richard Fedor, a gaming technology entrepreneur who founded Game Tech International and was a former senior executive at Hewlett Packard and GTE.

Fedor used the estate as a business center as well as a residence. Fedor said a large part of the homes appeal is its many uses. The family wants to spend more time at its main home in Florida, according to a press release announcing the auction.

blipiner@record-journal.com

203-317-2444

Twitter: @BryanLipiner
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy pledged Friday to veto the budget adjustment bill legislators are expected to adopt Monday, saying their plan to reverse health care program cuts exacerbates deficits already plaguing state finances.

The changes to the Medicare Savings Program, which could affect benefits for as many as 113,000 seniors and disabled, wont take affect for six more months.

This isnt a long bill, and yet it embodies all the bad practices that have imperiled Connecticuts state budget for decades, Malloy wrote in a statement. In terms of budget gimmickry, it shoots the moon: wishful thinking, pushing problems off into the future, and shoddy math  most egregiously in the form of double-counting savings in our already underfunded teachers pension system.

House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, responded Friday that There is unified bipartisan consensus among the Democratic and Republican caucuses in the legislature on preserving eligibility levels for the Medicare Savings Program, albeit a different approach and perspective than the Governor. Despite a veto threat, I expect we will move forward Monday to ensure those affected can continue to rely on this important program.

Governor Malloy needs to stop letting his partisan politics stand in the way of a responsible, bipartisan plan to give thousands of seniors and disabled individuals the peace of mind they deserve, said Senate Republican leader Len Fasano of North Haven. He has spent seven years destroying our state. We cannot look to him for leadership.

Fasano added that Despite the governors best efforts to try to stop us, lawmakers will be convening on Monday to pass this bill. If Governor Malloy wants to veto it, just like he threatened with the bipartisan budget, he can have at it. But lawmakers have the power to override his veto and do what is right for the thousands of seniors who need lawmakers to take action.

We understand how profoundly difficult it must be for Senator Fasano to finally vote for a budget after all these years, only to realize it was almost immediately out of balance, just as the governor had warned, Malloy spokeswoman Kelly Donnelly responded. We know hes struggling with that fact. You might say its Senator Fasanos new emotional reality. But despite how hard this is for him, and despite how little he wants to face facts, the bill he wants to run on Monday will only exacerbate the deficit in his budget.

Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, said legislative leaders have reached a bipartisan consensus to restore funds for the Medicare Savings Program, but added that mitigating the budget deficit remains a priority.

We also agree that it is critically important that we continue our bipartisan work on a deficit mitigation package to bring the budget back into balance, Looney said. Thats why I am calling on the legislative leaders to reconvene negotiations following the release of the January 15 consensus revenue report.

The leaders are recommending several budget adjustments for approval Monday to free up the $54 million needed to reverse new eligibility restrictions the General Assembly ordered this year to the Medicare Savings Program.

This program uses Medicaid funds to pay medical expenses that Medicare doesnt cover for poor seniors and the disabled.

Malloy already has said he would defer implementing the new eligibility rules, which were supposed to begin on Jan. 1, until July 1.

Legislative leaders nonetheless said they wanted to reverse the cutbacks in special session now.

Their plan to find an extra $54 million for the Medicare Savings Program this fiscal year, though, creates several problems.

It would cancel a previously ordered transfer of $17.8 million from this fiscal year to the next. But state finances next fiscal year already are at risk of deficit. A Nov. 13 forecast warned revenues in 2018-19 probably would be about $150 million less than originally anticipated.

It also would reduce the states contribution this fiscal year to the teachers pension fund by $19.4 million. But the budget already assumes the state will save $19.4 million in this area because it increases what teachers must set aside for their pensions.

In other words, the new adjustments would build the same $19.4 million in savings into the budget twice. This could worsen the $224 million deficit projected for the current fiscal year  which is already half over  unless the governor can find $19.4 million in savings elsewhere in the budget before June 30.

The final $17.3 million earmarked in the bill to reverse cutbacks to the health care program would come from reductions to accounts for executive appointments, miscellaneous agency expenses and from the Department of Administrative Services.

The administration also has questioned whether these cutbacks can be achieved in the remaining six months of the fiscal year, since the new budget already has forced major cutbacks in these areas.

Thats because the legislature directed Malloy to achieve more than $872 million in savings after the budget was in force. This already has led agencies to cut back significantly on hiring and spending from other expenses accounts.

Ironically, this (budget adjustment bill) is supposedly being done to justify delaying changes to the Medicare Savings Plan until July 1, something my administration has already done through executive action, Malloy added. The bottom line is that this is posturing at best and bad budgeting at worst, and if it comes to my desk in its current form, I will veto it. Connecticuts elected officials can and should do better.

The House and Senate both are scheduled to convene at 10:30 a.m. Monday to act on the proposed budget adjustment bill.
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WASHINGTON - The Trump administration proposed new rules on Thursday to make it easier for small businesses and individuals to buy a type of health plan long favored by conservatives that could bypass some of the insurance protections built into the Affordable Care Act.

The proposal, issued by the Labor Department, would carry out the most significant part of an executive order that President Donald Trump signed in October, directing the government to foster alternative types of insurance. Proponents say the so-called association health plans would be less expensive and enhance consumer choice, while critics - including the insurance industry - fear they would promote substandard coverage and weaken the ACA's already fragile insurance marketplaces.

Specifically, the rules would allow such health plans to be reclassified so they no longer would have to include a set of 10 essential health benefits - from maternity care to prescription drugs to mental health services - that the ACA requires of insurance sold to individuals and small companies.

Through this and other changes, the administration essentially is attempting via executive powers something that congressional Republicans have tried and failed to write into law for the past quarter-century. Some health law experts on Thursday questioned whether the draft regulation is an overreach that, if it becomes final, could be vulnerable to court challenges.

The Labor Department predicted that up to 11 million currently uninsured Americans who work for small businesses or are self-employed could benefit from the expansion of association health plans.

Association health plans have existed for several decades under limited circumstances in which small businesses band together to buy insurance. Just 6 percent of relatively small U.S. companies used this approach last year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The administration's proposal would expand the availability of association health plans in a variety of ways. For the first time, it would allow individuals to buy them. It also would broaden the circumstances under which association health plans could be created, eliminating a requirement that any association must already have existed for a purpose unrelated to health insurance.

The proposal would preserve the ACA's rule that bars insurers from charging certain customers more based on their health status or from refusing to cover those with conditions that are expensive to treat. Insurers had feared that dropping this prohibition would be particularly damaging to the ACA's marketplaces because it might encourage healthier people to turn toward these alternative plans while leaving the marketplaces with expensive coverage purchased by people who are sick.

'Uneven playing field'

However, unlike those marketplace plans, the association plans could charge customers different prices depending on their age, gender and location.

"The potential is that it creates an uneven playing field," said Kevin Lucia, a research professor at Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms, who worked on early stages of the 2010 health care law within the Obama administration.

The draft rules make clear that association health plans may be sold across state lines. They do not go as far as some conservatives have wanted - freeing the plans from state regulation. Instead, the rules invite public input "about the relative merits of possible exemption."

State regulation of association health plans and related insurance called multi-employer welfare arrangements are a significant issue because both have a history of fraud and insolvency, sometimes stranding patients. Congress first directed in the early 1980s that states have a role in their regulation. One industry official, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said of the administration's new proposal: "It's very hazy how anything would be enforced."

Sen. Paul Rand, R-Ky., who has championed association health plans and stood with Trump in October when the president signed the executive order, praised the draft rule.

"I applaud the administration for its action today.  Conservative health care reform is alive and well."

But William Schiffbauer, an attorney specializing in health insurance and employee benefits, predicted legal challenges, including from state regulators. He said congressional Republicans have always understood that a change in law is needed to promote association health plans. And in stretching the definition of an employer to encompass association health plans, the administration is deviating from the terms of a seminal 1974 health insurance law and agency interpretations through the years, he added.

Public comment

The rules, made available on the Office of Management and Budget website Thursday, are open to 60 days of public comment starting Friday. They do not address a second change that was part of Trump's executive order - an expansion of the use of skimpy short-term insurance that has been meant as a bridge for consumers between jobs.

In their 83-page proposal, Labor Department officials write that they considered "the potential susceptibilities" that health customers flocking to alternative health plans would create for the ACA marketplaces. They reasoned that "the ACA's requirement that essentially all individuals acquire coverage and the provision of subsidies in exchanges" would blunt the effect.

A footnote mentions that the GOP tax bill Trump signed shortly before Christmas will end enforcement of the law's individual insurance mandate next year.
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About a decade ago, complaints escalated at USAA from customers who believed they were being taken advantage by auto dealers.

USAAs top brass pondered whether the San Antonio insurance and financial services giant should build its own dealership network or partner with a company that could help its members.

USAA chose to enter into an operational contract with whats now known as TrueCar Inc., a Santa Monica, California company that provides pricing data on new and used cars and connects users to its dealer network. It was an unusual partnership that the company said has paid dividends  both for USAA and its customers. It was also the beginning of something new at USAA, which created a separate division to make direct investments in companies. Many of them offer services or technology that benefit USAAs 12.3 million customers across the globe.

Since that partnership started in 2007, USAA estimates its members have bought almost 1.5 million vehicles and saved more than $3 billion through TrueCar. USAA accounts for about 30 percent of TrueCars business. USAA serves current and former members of the military and their families.

Our primary purpose is to make our members lives better, Nathan McKinley, a USAA vice president, said in explaining why it teamed with TrueCar.

The two companies later forged deeper ties when USAA invested in TrueCar to give USAA a larger seat at the TrueCar table and help them shape the products and services they offer, said McKinley, 44.

USAA was TrueCars largest shareholder until May when it sold about 3.1 million shares for $16.50 each, or a total of $51.7 million. USAA, which isnt publicly traded, wouldnt say how much its initially invested in TrueCar. But it still owns about 8.5 million shares worth $99 million.

Turn to Sundays Business section or click here to read the full article on ExpressNews.com.

Patrick Danner is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | pdanner@express-news.net | @AlamoPD
At Wright State University in Ohio, the French horn and tuba professors are out. So is the accomplished swimming team.

At Kansas State, Italian classes are going the way of the Roman Empire.

And at the University of Central Missouri, The Muleskinner, the biweekly campus newspaper, is publishing online-only this year, saving $35,000 in printing costs.

Just as many universities believed that the financial wreckage left by the 2008 recession was behind them, campuses across the country have been forced to make new rounds of cuts, this time brought on, in large part, by a loss of international students.

Schools in the Midwest have been particularly hard hit  many of them non-flagship public universities that had come to rely heavily on tuition from foreign students, who generally pay more than in-state students.

The downturn follows a decade of explosive growth in foreign student enrollment, which now tops 1 million at U.S. colleges and educational training programs, and supplies $39 billion in revenue. International enrollment began to flatten in 2016, partly because of changing conditions abroad and the increasing lure of schools in Canada, Australia and other English-speaking countries.

And since President Donald Trump was elected, college administrators say, his rhetoric and more restrictive views on immigration have made the U.S. even less attractive to international students. The Trump administration is more closely scrutinizing visa applications, indefinitely banning travel from some countries and making it harder for foreign students to remain in the U.S. after graduation.

While government officials describe these as necessary national security measures, a number of U.S. colleges have been casualties of the policies.

As you lose those students, then the tuition revenue is negatively impacted as well, said Michael Godard, the interim provost at the University of Central Missouri, where 944 international students were enrolled in the fall, a decline of more than 1,500 from the previous year. Weve had to make some decisions, budgetary decisions, to adjust.

Nationwide, the number of new foreign students declined an average of 7 percent this past fall, according to preliminary figures from a survey of 500 colleges by the Institute of International Education. Nearly half of the campuses surveyed reported declines.

Now that the revenue stream appears to be diminishing, the financial outlook may be dire enough to weigh down the bond ratings of some schools, making it more expensive for them to borrow money, according to Moodys Investors Service. Last month, Moodys changed its credit outlook for higher education to negative from stable.

The shift comes just as some states also are experiencing a drop in domestic students, partly the result of a decline in birthrates two decades ago. This year, the number of domestic undergraduate students dropped 224,000, or 1 percent, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
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SAN FRANCISCO  The virtual currency boom has gotten so heated that it is throwing the list of the worlds richest people into disarray.

Consider what has happened to the founders of an upstart virtual currency known as Ripple, which has seen its value skyrocket in recent weeks.

At one point Thursday, Chris Larsen, a Ripple co-founder who is also the largest holder of Ripple tokens, was worth more than $59 billion, according to figures from Forbes. That would have briefly vaulted Larsen ahead of Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg into fifth place on the Forbes list of the worlds richest people.

Other top Ripple holders would have also zoomed up that list as the value of their tokens soared more than 100 percent during the last week  and more than 30,000 percent in the last year. The boom has turned Ripple into the second largest virtual currency, within striking distance of the original behemoth, bitcoin.

The explosion in Ripples value over the past month is the starkest illustration yet of how the mania around bitcoin has spilled over into a broader universe of virtual currencies. These coins  with names like Cardano, Stellar and Iota  are generally new twists on the bitcoin technology, which uses a decentralized network of volunteer computers to keep a record, known as a blockchain, of all transactions.

While most of these currencies were worth nearly nothing a year ago, many are now responsible for creating billionaires  albeit with rapidly fluctuating fortunes. If this is a tulip fever, the fever has spread to chrysanthemums and poppies.

Larsens soaring wealth sparked a few congratulatory messages on Twitter on Thursday, even if the value of Ripple  and his Forbes ranking  dropped later in the day. But his net worth, and the ballooning value of Ripple tokens, mostly drew comments about the irrationality of the virtual currency markets, which appear to be largely driven these days by the fear of missing out, or FOMO.

This is beyond insane, said Jeremy Gardner, an investor who previously worked at the virtual currency hedge fund Blockchain Capital, which invested in Ripple. Theres absolutely nothing driving this rally except rampant FOMO, misinformation and speculation.

Ripple, whose tokens are known as XRP, is far from the only virtual currency being fueled by the hysteria. In 2017, there were 29 tokens  including Einsteinium and Byteball  that rose more than bitcoins remarkable 1,600 percent jump, according to OnChainFx, a data provider.

Nearly 40 virtual currencies are worth more than $1 billion  when all the outstanding tokens are counted at their current value  despite many of them not having been used in any sort of transaction other than speculative trading.

Against this backdrop, Ripple could be considered a staid institution, though one with a colorful history.

Ripple was invented in 2012 by Jed McCaleb, a programmer who had created Mt. Gox, a bitcoin exchange that later dissolved in disgrace. McCaleb designed Ripple as a faster and more efficient version of bitcoin, without the mining process that bitcoin uses to distribute new coins and secure the network.

Larsen joined McCaleb early on to create a company, also known as Ripple. The company helped develop an open source Ripple software that makes it possible to move money between digital wallets. The Ripple token is one of the currencies that can be transferred with the software.

McCaleb later left Ripple in an acrimonious divorce, though he retained a sizable number of Ripple tokens. His holdings were worth around $20 billion at Thursdays prices, putting him close to 40th on the Forbes list. (The actual list is only published once a year, and no big virtual currency holders have been officially added.)

McCaleb has since created a competitor to Ripple, known as Stellar. Stellar has risen even faster than Ripple in recent weeks, with all outstanding Stellar tokens  known as Lumens  worth around $14 billion on Thursday, making it the seventh-largest virtual currency.

In contrast, all the outstanding Ripple tokens were worth $140 billion on Thursday, while all bitcoin were worth $250 billion.

Yet the fortunes of McCaleb and Larsen are not nearly as durable as those of other people on the Forbes list given that the value of virtual currencies fluctuates wildly. If Larsen wanted to access his wealth by selling Ripple tokens for dollars, it would likely drive down the value of Ripple tokens  and his riches.

McCaleb and Larsen did not respond to questions about the recent price increases.

Larsen was Ripples chief executive from 2012 until he stepped down last year to become the companys executive chairman. During his tenure, Ripple focused on helping banks use its software to shift money between different foreign currencies, something that most banks do through a cumbersome process involving separate accounts in every country where they operate.

Ripple has said it has signed up more than 100 banks to use the companys technology, including American Express and Banco Santander.

But banks do not need to use Ripple tokens for Ripples software to transfer dollars, euros and yen. That point appears to be lost on many small investors who are buying Ripple tokens.

Most of the buying and selling of Ripple tokens is happening in South Korea, according to data providers that track virtual currency exchanges, where ordinary investors have thrown money at a wide array of virtual currencies.

Several virtual currency hedge fund investors said that they have talked to banks and heard about interest in Ripples software, but not its tokens.

Im not aware of banks using or planning to use the XRP token at the scale of tens of billions of dollars necessary to support XRPs valuation, said Ari Paul, a co-founder of the hedge fund BlockTower Capital.

Ripple has so far announced that one company, a Mexican money-transfer business, is planning to use the Ripple token.

Brad Garlinghouse, who took over as Ripples chief executive last year, said in an interview this week that other institutions are also using  or looking at using  XRP, but the company could not name them because of confidentiality agreements.

Garlinghouse said he thought the rising value of Ripple tokens was justified, given the companys growth and the size of the foreign currency markets that Ripple wants to tackle.

Its clear that people increasingly understand that we are solving a very large problem, he said.

Ripple has attracted the ire of bitcoin fans because Ripple has a greater degree of centralized authority in Garlinghouses company, even though the Ripple software is open source. Bitcoin and other virtual currencies were designed to operate without companies or governments in charge.

But the company Ripple, if not the XRP token, has won a following among top figures in government and finance who are interested in bringing the ideas introduced by bitcoin into the traditional financial system. The companys board includes the former top financial regulator in New York state, Benjamin M. Lawsky, and Gene Sperling, who was the director of the National Economic Council under Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

Still, even virtual currency analysts who believe in Ripples software have said there is a big difference between Ripple the company being successful, and Ripple the token gaining enough traction to justify current prices.

An impossibly long list of things already needs to go right for XRP to become a reserve currency for banks, Ryan Selkis, a virtual currency analyst, wrote in a post Thursday.

But, Selkis added, that doesnt mean Ripples price wont keep ascending. Why? Because this is crypto, and everyone in the industry is now slinging crack crypto cocaine to retail addicts, he wrote.
The Labor Department on Friday released the latest figures on hiring and unemployment, with another gain capping a year of increasing opportunities for U.S. workers.

Last month, 148,000 jobs were added, bringing the average over three months to 204,000. The unemployment rate was 4.1 percent, the same as in November. And average hourly earnings grew by 9 cents, to $26.63, bringing the year-over-year increase to 2.5 percent.

The report offers a picture of how the economy fared in President Donald Trumps first year in office. The numbers will be revised at least twice in the next months. But the data suggests that things have been going quite well.

The December gain is the 87th consecutive month of job growth, an unparalleled stretch of good news for workers, who continue to be in high demand.

The monthly jobs gain is below what the economy added for most of the year, but its still way ahead of what the economy needs to keep up with the new, slow rate of working-age population growth, said Jed Kolko, the chief economist for Indeed.com, a job-search site.

The number of people entering the labor force increased only slightly over the month, continuing the trend of participation rates that have not budged since 2015. Thats partly the effect of baby boomers heading into retirement, and the fact that the rate hasnt gone down is a sign of the labor markets continued appetite for new workers.

But it may also suggest that there are still people who havent come back into the workforce following the recession or that theyve tried but have been unsuccessful.

Whats curious is why employers who are screaming that they cant find people to hire arent pulling those people back in, said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist of Pantheon Macroeconomics.

2017 was a very strong year for the labor market, Kolko said.

At the same time, job growth for the year was slightly less robust than in 2016 , under President Barack Obama. And most economists think presidents do not generally determine the course of the economy, although that has not stopped Trump from taking credit.

In a Twitter post Wednesday, the president pointed to the 4.1 percent unemployment rate as evidence that the economy is only getting better! When he took office last January, the rate was 4.8 percent.

It is too early to measure the hiring effects of the corporate tax cut passed last month, but Trumps agenda may be having a positive impact on the economy in other ways.

His push to dismantle regulations on businesses seems to have emboldened corporations to start pouring more money into machines and plants, which is the kind of spending that drives broad growth.

Perhaps the most closely watched number in the report was the change in wages from the previous December. Year over year, earnings increased by around 2.5 percent.

Workers in financial services and the leisure and hospitality sectors saw the biggest increases over the year, with wages in both industries ticking up by around 3.6 percent.

We dont see our clients being willing to commit to wages increases on a permanent basis, said Bill Ravenscroft, a senior vice president at Adecco Staffing USA.

The agency employs around 60,000 workers, hiring more during the holiday season, and places many in distribution centers and warehouses often used by e-commerce giants.

Those companies have increased pay for workers in hot warehouse markets, such as Memphis or the Inland Empire in Southern California, where they are competing with many other companies crowded into the same area, Ravenscroft said.

But instead of increasing salaries across the board, employers are vying for pickers, packers and shippers by offering new perks. Logistics companies have begun providing on-site child care, or reimbursing employees who need to put their children in day care while they work.

Some companies are entering workers in raffles every week to win laptops, televisions and tablets or are bringing food trucks to their warehouses and paying for employees lunches.

These types of benefits in the past, you associated them with Silicon Valley, startup companies, they werent synonymous with your traditional employers, Ravenscroft said. We arent seeing them saying we are going to take a long-term, universal approach to raising wages.

There are signs beneath the surface, though, that more widespread wage growth may be around the corner. In areas where unemployment has dipped below the national rate, pay has begun to accelerate.

Cities where joblessness is 3.5 percent or lower have also witnessed an impressive 4 percent year-over-year increase in earnings, Shepherdson said.

Bob Peterson, the chief executive of Melton Truck Lines, said he had no choice but to increase pay for his 1,600 drivers this year.

With unemployment this low, anyone worth their salt has got a job and probably a darn good one, Peterson said.

Melton operates in 48 states and has offices in five.

The tight job market has been especially tough on Peterson, because he requires a drug test for everyone who comes through the door. Many fail, especially after several states legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use.

Theres guys and gals that like to smoke weed, but they cant drive a commercial vehicle because its prohibited, Peterson said. Some people get here and we find out, oops, they have been smoking or injecting.

He says he has to talk to 250 applicants to hire one employee.

Peterson has not given out raises in two years, he said, because when he has asked his clients to increase their rates, they have threatened to hire another trucking company. He is planning to increase salaries by 10 percent in 2018.

Over the last few months, the industries that have been performing particularly well have been construction and manufacturing  middle-wage, middle-skill sectors that had been lagging. Following a disappointing 2016, manufacturing added 196,000 jobs last year. Construction payrolls increased by 210,000. Mining employers also posted solid gains throughout 2017, bucking a trend of job losses in recent years.

Manual-labor positions are the kinds of jobs that Trump has promised to bring back in droves, so the uptick could be politically important.

The crash in oil prices in 2014 was particularly hard on jobs in the mining sector  which includes support services in oil fields  and had ripple effects on construction and manufacturing, partly because U.S. companies make much of the worlds mining equipment. Oil prices have begun to climb, and that may be one piece of the expansion in all three sectors, economists said.

The rest of the world is also in the midst of a strong recovery, helping to drive a U.S. uptick in productive blue-collar work.

The manufacturing upturn story is a global story, Shepherdson said. Its happening everywhere. You cant take credit for the recovery in Europe and China.

Retail, on the other hand, finished the year in a slump. The industry  a huge employer across the country  has been struggling to contend with the rise of e-commerce and had a bad month in December, despite the rush of holiday shopping. The sector slashed 67,000 jobs over the year.
Jake Creviston, a nurse practitioner, has been repeatedly mistaken for a doctor.

Adam White says the veterans he cares for as a student nurse at the VA hospital feel comfortable around him because Im a big burly guy with a beard.

Glenn Fletcher, after being laid off from a lumber mill during the financial crisis, found a new career in nursing. And with it, a really good feeling putting your head on the pillow realizing youve helped other people.

The experiences of male nurses offer lessons that could help address a problem of our time: how to prepare workers for the fastest-growing jobs, at a time when more than a quarter of men are not in the labor force.

Only 13 percent of nurses in the United States are men, but that share has grown steadily since 1960, when the number was 2 percent, according to a working paper published in October by the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.

Its not a flood, but its a change, said Abigail Wozniak, an economist at the University of Notre Dame, who wrote the paper with Elizabeth Munnich, an economist at the University of Louisville. The biggest drivers, they found, were the changing economy and expanding gender roles.

We talked to a dozen male nurses, with various career paths and specialties, working in the Pacific Northwest, where recruitment efforts have focused on bringing men into nursing. Some were drawn to the caregiving, others to the adrenaline of the work. Its a reliable, well-paying job at a time when thats hard to come by, they said, but also one they feel proud of.

Women have been entering male-dominated fields for decades, but its less common for a predominantly female occupation to have a substantial increase in its share of men. Yet the jobs that are shrinking tend to be male ones, and those that are growing are mostly female.

Nursing is no paragon of gender equality: Even though men are a minority in the field, they are paid more than women. The stigma against men still runs deep, particularly among older patients and in parts of the country with more traditional gender roles, nurses said. (Several said the movie Meet the Parents, in which Ben Stiller played a nurse whose girlfriends father wasnt thrilled about his career, didnt help.)

But for some men, the notion that caregiving jobs are womens work is outdated. Progressive attitudes about gender roles, as measured by the General Social Survey, were associated with more men who entered nursing, the new paper found.

This narrative that men cant provide care in the way that women can is part of that broad cultural narrative that misunderstands what nursings about, said White, the VA hospital student nurse, who is earning his nursing degree at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. We need to talk with young people about caring as a gender-neutral idea but also as something thats rooted in skills, in expertise.

The researchers also found that economic factors have played a role  a decline in some jobs because of automation, trade and the housing crisis, and a growth in jobs and wages in health care. Nursing is growing much faster than the average occupation, and wages have increased steadily since 1980. The median salary is $68,450, about the same as the median salary for college-educated workers overall.

A lot of those manufacturing jobs and things of that nature just arent there anymore, said David Baca, an emergency department nurse in Medford, Oregon. We get paid a really livable wage, and I think that is now starting to attract more male nurses.

The paper used census data for men who were born in the United States and turned 18 between 1973 and 2013. They found that the increase in male nurses was largely uniform across the country, although black and Hispanic men and those in rural areas were less likely to become nurses.

Nursing is a career that both men and women often start later in life, in part because its possible to become certified midcareer and without a bachelors degree. But as hospitals increasingly require nurses to have a four-year degree, it could become a barrier for men who want to enter the field, the researchers said.

We learned that workers can take a very long time to settle into occupations, but that is not the traditional path that we think of when we think about training our workforce, Wozniak said.

Male nurses are more likely than females to have worked as an emergency medical technician, military nurse or lab technician, and to work in acute care in hospitals rather than primary care clinics. Nearly half of nurse anesthetists, one of the highest-paying nursing jobs, are men.

In interviews, men said they liked the variety of work: Nurses can be bedside caregivers, surgery assistants, educators, technicians or administrators.

Several said they felt an advantage in applying for nursing jobs because men are a minority in the field. Hospitals and patients benefit when nurses more closely reflect the patient population, research shows.

Sometimes patients prefer a nurse of a certain sex, particularly for procedures like inserting a catheter, nurses said, and some men feel more comfortable talking openly with another man.

I work on this floor with people who just had urology surgery or amputations, and they have told me that when I come in the room and shut the door behind me, they feel more understood and can drop the tough guy attitude, White said.

Nursing became a womans job because women were seen as natural caregivers, said Patricia DAntonio, a nursing historian at the University of Pennsylvania. But until the second half of the 19th century, men were assigned nursing jobs that required physical strength and bravery, like caring for patients during a dangerous epidemic. That began to change when Florence Nightingale brought a group of female nurses to the Crimean War in 1854.

Nursing became such a gendered profession that men were barred from serving in the Army Nurse Corps during the two world wars. Not until the 1960s did the nursing field begin trying to better reflect its patients in terms of both gender and race, DAntonio said.

The Oregon Center for Nursing, a workforce development group, began recruiting male and minority prospects to nursing in the early 2000s. It started a marketing campaign  Are you man enough to be a nurse?  that spread nationwide. Posters showed male nurses carrying a snowboard or wearing a motorcycle jacket.

It was just rethinking how we describe the work and focusing on the kind of person it takes to be a great nurse, said Deborah Burton, who founded the center and is now chief nursing officer at Providence Health and Services, a health care system in the West.

More recently, efforts to recruit male nurses have focused less on gender and more on the rewards of the career, with the slogan, Do what you love and youll love what you do.

Nurses said they welcomed the change. I dont think were doing any favors to society by conveying this message that nursing is this super masculine thing, said Creviston, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and mental health nursing professor in Portland, Oregon. If your motive is to bring the right men into the field, show how rewarding it is to hold the hand of a dying person.
San Antonio rock band Nothing More is gearing up for the 60th annual Grammy Awards.

The group, comprised of Jonny Hawkins, Mark Vollelunga, Daniel Oliver and Ben Anderson, was nominated for best rock song and best rock performance for "Go To War" and best rock album for "The Stories We Tell Ourselves" in November. The awards show will air live on CBS, Jan. 28.
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Note: Reporter Liz Teitz is in New Orleans today to cover the hearing at 1:30 p.m. Check back with BeaumontEnterprise.com for updates.

Previous Article: Nearly two decades after he was convicted in the 1998 grisly killing of James Byrd Jr., John William King will ask an appellate court in January to hear his claims of innocence and insufficient legal counsel.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which in August said it would review King's appeal, on Wednesday scheduled oral arguments in the case for Jan. 4 in New Orleans.

Now Playing: Texas News & Crime Video: Houston Chronicle

King, 42, is on death row at the Polunsky Unit in Livingston.

> > RELATED: The dragging death of James Byrd Jr.

In a brief filed earlier this month, King's California-based lawyer, Allen Richard Ellis, argued that the appeal "will involve a close examination of the relevant trial record, facts and case law."

Ellis wrote that King's trial lawyers, Sonny Cribbs and Brack Jones Jr., "failed to challenge the state's evidence against" their client and "to point out obvious inconsistencies" in the state's 1999 case.

Those challenges, according to Ellis, include showing that sandals with Byrd's blood found on them were King's roommate's, not King's, and that other people had access to King's lighter, which was found at the crime scene.

> > Scenes from Lawrence Russell Brewer's execution

The appeal also argues that King's defense did not challenge the state's claim that the murder was racially motivated.

King joined a KKK splinter group known as the Confederate Knights of America while in prison on a burglary charge in the 1990s. The Jasper man covered himself in racist tattoos.

> > PHOTOS: Famous Last Meals

"The undoubted racial beliefs of King do not translate into racial violence, yet there was no attempt by the defense to refute this weak point in the State's case," Ellis wrote in his client's appeal. "Had

King's racist views been explained, even though they would have been distasteful, they would at least have been seen not to encompass random acts of brutal, unprovoked violence and torture on innocent victims simply because of their race."

> > Texas death row inmates won't receive last meals after Jasper killer's final request

King was the first of three white men from Jasper convicted of capital murder for the hate crime, in which 49-year-old Byrd was chained by his ankles to the bumper of a truck in June 1998 and fatally dragged on an old logging road on the outskirts of town.

Co-defendant Lawrence Russell Brewer was sentenced to death in the case and was executed in 2011 at the age of 44. Another co-defendant, Shawn Allen Berry, 42, is serving a life sentence.

Cribbs died in June. Jones declined to comment Wednesday.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the respondent in King's appeal, has until Nov. 9 to file a brief in response before the January hearing.

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/LizTeitz
1 Wrongful arrest: An Arizona man who was arrested, transported cross-country and jailed for a robbery that he didnt commit is suing the Iowa prosecutor responsible for charging him. Joseph McBride spent two months in custody after authorities arrested him in Phoenix in August. The 23-year-old was among three people charged for a Jan. 1, 2017, home invasion in his hometown of Cedar Rapids  even though he had proof he was 1,500 miles away. Investigators never spoke with him before his arrest. McBrides lawsuit alleges that the complaint signed by Linn County Attorney Vander Sanden contained materially false statements, including that police had phone records and social media suggesting he was involved.

2 Sexual harassment: Four women and two men will decide whether to recommend expelling Kentuckys GOP House speaker after he signed a secret sexual harassment settlement. Eight Republican lawmakers filed formal disciplinary charges against Jeff Hoover on Wednesday, asking for a special bipartisan committee to recommend expelling him from the House. House rules require the majority and minority leaders to appoint a special six-person committee to investigate. The formal disciplinary charges include sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment and using taxpayer resources to hide the allegations from the public.
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A Spring man is behind bars after allegedly leading police on a 90 mph chase from Conroe to Cleveland Thursday.

When the chase came to a violent stop, police say they found drugs and several weapons inside the car landing driver James David Dial, 30, in jail on several felony charges. It all began around 12:30 p.m. Thursday when police stopped Dial for a traffic violation near the Chevron gas station at the intersection of South Loop 336 and Interstate 45 in Conroe.

Dial, driving an older model Hyundai passenger car, allegedly sped off and snaked his way through downtown Conroe  eventually winding up eastbound on Texas 105 toward Liberty County. As the pursuit left Conroe's city limits, deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office joined in to help apprehend the driver.

Although speeds throughout the pursuit were consistent with the speed of traffic on Texas 105, Dial allegedly made his way up to 90 mph in some instances. He crossed into Liberty County and barely made it into the Cleveland city limits before smashing into the back of a Mazda passenger car carrying a child.

The conditions of the Mazda driver and child are unknown as of press time.

He initially did not get out of the vehicle, according to reports, although officers were able to get him out and arrest him soon after the crash. When they searched his vehicle, police say they found 30 grams of methamphetamine, two pistols and an assault rifle  landing Dial with more than just a felony evading arrest charge.

Dial's felonious history in Montgomery County dates back to 2006 when Conroe police arrested him for possession of methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty and was handed a 270-day sentence in the Montgomery County Jail.

Dial was twice arrested  once in 2007 and again in 2009  for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. He pleaded guilty to the 2007 charge in exchange for a year-long jail sentence and pleaded to five years' probation for the 2009 charge.

However, his probation was revoked for that charge when he evaded arrest, possessed drugs and assault a family member in 2011. He was then sentenced to five years in prison, which also served as punishment for the subsequent assault charge  but was paroled three years into that sentence.

In 2014, while on parole for the assault charge, he threatened to kill a Conroe police officer and was handed a five-year prison sentence. He was on parole for that sentence at the time of the chase.

He also has seven misdemeanor convictions in Montgomery County.

He is facing at least three felony charges, which include evading arrest with a vehicle, deliver or manufacture of a controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a felon.
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The temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Spring remains closed after being flooded by nearly a foot of water during Hurricane Harvey in August.

"Work is progressing on the repairs and renovations," said spokesman Daniel Woodruff.

Several buildings on the campus, located at 15725 Champion Forest Dr., suffered from water damage, said temple president Marshall Hayes in a release.

"That includes a baptistry, a marriage waiting room, dressing rooms, kitchen and laundry," Hayes said.

Unlike chapels, Mormon temples are not used for Sunday services and are instead used for religious ceremonies, such as baptisms and weddings.

While the temple is closed due to the repairs, congregants were advised to host celebrations at other temples in Dallas and San Antonio.

Patte Comstock, a congregant from Houston, said her granddaughter had to change the location for her October wedding to San Antonio.

"During this time, while it's under repair, there were a number of brides and grooms who had their weddings scheduled there, our family included," Comstock said.

It expects to reopen in the spring, although a date hasn't been set, according to the Church of the Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints website.

Down the street from the temple, St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church also suffered from flood damage and is currently undergoing repairs for all of the buildings on its campus.

It also set up a temporary church on the front lawn to restart weekend services in December.

Businesses along Cypresswood Drive, such as Kroger and Gringo's Mexican Kitchen, reopened in December after undergoing repairs and renovations after being flooded by Harvey.

The Justice of the Peace Pct. 4, Place 1 courthouse is also undergoing repairs and is expected to reopen in the spring.
A Cleveland Clinic surgeon accused of sexually assaulting two patients was kept on staff at the prominent Ohio hospital during confidential settlement negotiations, according to a recent investigation by USA Today.

The newspaper reported Friday that Ryan Williams, a colorectal surgeon, was accused of anally raping two women during medical procedures in 2008 and 2009 - and that the hospital kept him on the payroll after the allegations.

Williams left the Cleveland Clinic in June, though the circumstances of his departure are unclear. A hospital spokeswoman said it "was unrelated" to the rape allegations, adding: "We don't normally discuss personnel matters publicly."

He now works at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, which has reportedly put him on leave. The OSU medical center could not immediately be reached for comment.

The USA Today report detailed one case in which a woman claimed that Williams put his penis in her rectum during a medical examination in April 2008.

According to a report filed by the Westlake Police Department and obtained by the newspaper, a medical assistant told investigators that the woman ran from the exam room without her pants, shouting, "Why did he do it?"

Williams reportedly replied at the time, "I don't know."

But USA Today reported that results from a rape kit and other tests did not show evidence of a crime, and a Cleveland Clinic spokeswoman told USA Today that Williams passed a polygraph, which was reviewed by a grand jury.

Williams was not prosecuted in criminal court.

The woman sued Williams, and that case was settled, though the terms of the agreement are confidential.

In February 2009, a woman who had gone in for a hemorrhoid procedure claimed Williams gave her two pills, then everything turned hazy. It wasn't until 2014 that she told police she started to remember seeing him hold his penis.

The woman told USA Today that she wrote to the ombudsman at the Cleveland Clinic; when it appeared nothing was happening with her complaint, she said, she went to the police. The surgeon was not charged with a crime.

"They went to great lengths to cover it up, and there was just no way for someone to be warned, to know what could happen," the woman said. "They can just make it completely disappear, and that kind of environment, it almost encourages these kinds of crimes."

Williams could not immediately be reached for comment but told USA Today: "I vehemently deny what these women are saying."

He told the newspaper that the accusations were disrupting his "work and home life."

The Cleveland Clinic said in a statement that it has "processes for employees and patients to report any concerns, which are then thoroughly investigated. In these cases, we immediately reported the accusations to the appropriate law enforcement agencies and cooperated fully with the investigations. No charges were made against the physician, and he a passed a polygraph test."

"We care deeply about patient safety, and any form of misconduct is not tolerated," the statement read.

One issue, according to USA Today, lies in the settlements.

According to the report: "Hospitals will often take over doctors' liability in confidential settlements, which Washington plaintiffs' attorney Patrick Malone calls a "frequent dodge" to keep medical negligence claims out of the National Practitioners Data Bank. Before they hire doctors, hospitals check the databank, which also includes disciplinary actions by hospitals, medical societies and boards, which also have access to it.

USA Today reported that the first case was considered "a 'miscellaneous tort claim,' filed after Ohio's one-year statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims had passed."

That, the newspaper noted, "is just one of the many laws working in the favor of the Cleveland Clinic and the health-care industry in Ohio."

Michael Shroge, a former Cleveland Clinic associate general counsel, told USA Today that health-care systems are "very often more interested in protecting their brand than protecting the health of patients." The lawyer added that Ohio has some of the nation's broadest "protections affording confidentiality."
A prominent newspaper executive in Alabama accused of spanking multiple female employees during the 1970s has resigned.

H. Brandt Ayers, 82, on Thursday stepped down as chairman of the board of Consolidated Publishing Co., which owns the Anniston Star and five other newspapers.

"It is of utmost importance to me that this newspaper continue to serve its role of reporting on matters of concern to the Anniston community and that nothing stand in the way of preserving the newspaper as an independently owned publication serving this community," Ayers wrote in a statement to the Anniston Star. "I feel my resignation at this time is in the best interests of the paper and its mission."

On Tuesday, Ayers admitted to the Anniston Star that he spanked at least one female reporter in her home decades ago, claiming he was simply following a doctor's advice.

He claimed the woman, who worked at the Star between 1973 and 1974, had been psychologically ill, and a doctor had suggested he "calm her down," Ayers told the Star. When Ayers asked the doctor if spanking would work, the doctor said it would, Ayers said. Ayers told the Star he could not recall the name of the physician.

The Star named the woman who was spanked, saying she may now be deceased. The Washington Post does not name victims of sexual assault who have not gone public with their stories.

Ayers also acknowledged allegations from Star reporter Veronica Pike Kennedy, who spoke publicly to the Star, the Montgomery Advertiser and the Alabama Political Reporter, that the publisher spanked her 18 times with a ruler in the Star newsroom in 1975. When asked about the alleged assault, Ayers told the Anniston Star: "Let the accusation stand."

"As a very young man with more authority than judgment, I did some things I regret," Ayers told the Anniston Star. "At my advanced age I wish I could relive those days again, knowing the seriousness of my position and with the accumulated judgment that goes with age."

Earlier in the week, Ayers said he had no intention of resigning. "Of course not," Ayers told the Star. "I am the third generation of a family that has served honorably, even courageously, in the public interest."

Ayers, who owns part of Consolidated Publishing, said Thursday he will no longer serve as a director, chairman or employee of the company. His wife, Josephine Ayers, who had served as the board's vice chairwoman, will replace him as chairman.

The allegations against Ayers were first reported on the website Alabama Political Reporter and later described in articles in the Anniston Star and Montgomery Advertiser.

Kennedy told the three publications Ayers spanked her on a Saturday morning in February 1975, when the two of them were among a few employees in the Star newsroom. Kennedy was 22 at the time, and Ayers, then publisher, turned 40 that same year.

Ayers asked her to read an article he had written. After reading it, she told him it "really is a good piece of writing," Kennedy recounted to the Montgomery Advertiser. Though she knew he had written the piece for an editorial, she joked, "Can you tell me who wrote it?"

"And he said, 'Oh, you are being a bad girl,' " Kennedy told the Advertiser. "'You know what I do to bad girls? I spank them.'"

Kennedy said she then held onto her chair as Ayers "picked me and the chair up" and then "bent me across the desk behind me."

He allegedly spanked her forcefully 18 times with a metal pica pole, a type of ruler used by newspaper designers and editors at the time.

"I was fighting him the whole time. Trying to kick him. Bite him. Scratch him. Whatever I could do," Kennedy told Alabama Political Reporter. Then Ayers told her, "Well, that ought to teach you to not be a bad girl."

Another Star reporter, Mike Stamler, then 22, said he witnessed the assault from across the room.

"I was staring with my mouth hanging open," he told the Advertiser. "I was stunned."

Kennedy didn't know what to do, she told the Alabama Political Reporter. "I just had to pull myself together because I could lose my job." She also feared how her father would react, she said.

"I knew I couldn't say anything because my daddy would get his .38 and shoot Brandy in the head, and he'd be in prison for the rest of his life," Kennedy told the Star, referring to Ayers by his nickname.

Ayers was described by the Star as "among the best-known figures in Anniston, and one of the best-known small-town newspapermen in the South." He was the son of the Star's founder, Harry Ayers, and replaced his father as publisher in the late 1960s. He stepped down in 2016 but still serves as the publishing company's chairman.

Leading the Star during the civil rights era, he became known nationwide for his views as a Southern liberal. He advocated for school integration - a rare progressive voice in a conservative state. His syndicated column has been published in newspapers across Alabama.

A summary of one of his books, "Cussing Dixie, Loving Dixie: Fifty Years of Commentary by H. Brandt Ayers," calls the newspaperman, "A loyal son of Alabama who extols Southern culture" and "unapologetically calls for Alabamians to cast off the moribund ideologies of the past."

But in other writings, Ayers touched on the controversial topic of spanking. In his book "In Love with Defeat: The Making of a Southern Liberal," Ayers wrote that in the 1940s, spanking "was as American and Southern as fried chicken on Sundays."

He described a date with the woman who later became his wife, Josephine. At one point on the date, he became upset with her and "made a comment not calculated to endear me, 'If I knew you better, I'd spank you.' "

Trisha O'Connor, a journalism professor who worked at the Star as a reporter and editor during the 1970s, told the Associated Press that stories of Ayers's assaults on women were common knowledge in the newsroom at the time. She and other female employees at the newspaper would warn new female workers to avoid Ayers.

"We took it to upper management and said, 'We need assistance. This is terrible,' " said O'Connor, who teaches at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C. "Basically, from what we were able to see, nothing happened."

The allegations against Ayers first emerged in mid November, in an online column by Joey Kennedy in the Alabama Political Reporter, vaguely mentioning allegations involving his wife, Veronica Pike Kennedy, against a publisher. He didn't initially mention Ayers by name.

Eddie Burkhalter, then a reporter at the Star, noticed the column and expressed interest in reporting on the story. Burkhalter claims the newspaper would not allow him to pursue the story about the allegations. In response, Burkhalter quit his job and reported the story for a different outlet, the Alabama Political Reporter.

Ben Cunningham, managing editor at the Star, wrote in a commentary that Burkhalter's allegations about pursuit of the story are "flatly false." Bob Davis, the current editor and publisher of the Star, wrote in a separate column that he instructed Cunningham to tell Burkhalter to suspend work on the story for a few days until they had a chance to discuss how they would go about treating anonymous sources. Burkhalter agreed to wait, Davis said, but later revealed that he had continued reporting anyway.

Then Burkhalter resigned and the Star assigned a new reporter to the story. The Star published its story shortly after the Alabama Political Reporter. On Tuesday, Burkhalter started work in a plumbing supply warehouse as a clerk.

"The airing of these allegations, in our pages and elsewhere, are a difficult time for this extended family," Cunningham wrote. "For the women who say Ayers attacked them, though, I hope it leads to peace and to a sense of justice."
The FBI said an armed man who stopped an Amtrak train last year had ties with a white-supremacist group and had expressed a desire to kill black people, according to court documents unsealed this week.

The man - 26-year-old Taylor M. Wilson of St. Charles, Missouri - has been charged with a terrorist attack and other violence against a railroad carrier or other mass-transportation system, a federal crime.

According to an FBI affidavit, Wilson's cousin, who was also his roommate, said Wilson had joined a neo-Nazi group he found while researching white-supremacist groups online. The same relative also told authorities that Wilson had demonstrated his interest in killing black people and had traveled to Charlottesville when white supremacists marched on that city in August, two months before the Amtrak incident.

Court filings say Wilson was heading back to Missouri. They describe Wilson as having a history of mental health issues and say he was "charged with attempting to and threatening to wreck an Amtrak train" traveling from California with other passengers aboard.

The train abruptly stopped in a rural part of southern Nebraska on Oct. 22, authorities said. In the FBI affidavit, Special Agent Monte Czaplewski wrote that the train halted when a passenger - later identified as Wilson - "breached a secure area of the train and triggered an emergency stop control panel, applying the emergency brakes."

When the train stopped, the assistant passenger conductor said he and others searched and found Wilson sitting in the engineer's seat of the follow engine and "playing with the controls," Czaplewski wrote. Amtrak staffers attempted to corral Wilson, but he tried to escape, got agitated and, several times, tried reaching for his waistband, the affidavit states.

A sheriff's deputy from Furnas County, Nebraska, arrived an hour later and found Wilson being physically held by Amtrak personnel, Czaplewski wrote. The deputy searched Wilson and found a loaded .38-caliber revolver tucked into his waistband. Wilson also had a loaded speed-loader, which can help reload a revolver more quickly, and a backpack belonging to him contained three more speed-loaders, a box of ammunition, a hammer, a knife and scissors, among other things, the affidavit states.

Authorities said they later found a cache of ammunition hidden in Wilson's Missouri home and also located more than a dozen guns belonging to him, according to the affidavit filed Dec. 22. A search of his phone found documents and PDF files explaining how to kill people and evidence showing "the placement of a white supremacist banner" over a highway bearing a message related to a fatal police shooting.

No attorney was listed for Wilson in the case. A public defender who had been assigned to him previously did not respond to a message seeking comment Friday.

The conductor on the Amtrak train told Czaplewski that Wilson appeared to be having mood swings and was "lucid, then would start saying crazy things about going to the moon," the affidavit states. Wilson repeatedly asked whether Amtrak staff members were going to shoot him, the conductor said. In the affidavit, Czaplewski said that a competency hearing for Wilson was held for his state case in Nebraska and he was deemed competent to proceed.

Czaplewski wrote that the FBI interviewed Wilson's parents, who said he had gone with his cousin on a trip to California for a college visit that was postponed by wildfires. The affidavit says Wilson's parents told agents they did not know where Wilson lived, saying it was somewhere in the St. Louis area, but property records later showed Wilson's mother owned the residence where he was living, the FBI said.

The couple are described in the affidavit as saying that "they would not discuss any discussions they had with Taylor Wilson regarding race relations" and that they did not know their son had any involvement with the white-supremacist movement or drugs. They also told the FBI that their son had multiple legally purchased guns and a concealed-carry permit.

The FBI spoke with Wilson's cousin and roommate after the Amtrak incident, interviewing him at the home they shared near the Missouri River about 20 miles from downtown St. Louis. Wilson's cousin said he had been acting oddly since the two moved in together in June.

According to his cousin, Wilson traveled to Charlottesville in August with members of the neo-Nazi group he had joined. That gathering of white nationalists and white supremacists turned deadly when a car plowed into a group of counterprotesters who had assembled to demonstrate against the rally. Heather Heyer, one of the counterprotesters, was killed, and prosecutors charged James Alex Fields Jr., who had long espoused Nazi views, with first-degree murder in the case.

In the affidavit, Wilson's cousin is described as believing that Wilson was "serious about killing black people." The affidavit said this desire to kill black people and other nonwhite people was particularly expressed during protests in St. Louis. The specific protests are not identified, but large protests took place in the city last fall after the acquittal of a white former police officer who shot and killed a black man. Wilson's cousin also said he believed Wilson and others in his group had put up "Whites Only" signs at unspecified businesses. The businesses are not named, though stickers bearing that message were found on St. Louis businesses not long after the protests began in the wake of the former officer's acquittal.

The FBI also said Wilson's cousin described being shown 20 to 25 guns that his roommate owned. After the interview, the affidavit states, Wilson's cousin contacted the agent again to say Wilson used a hidden compartment in the home behind the refrigerator for storing things.

Wilson's home was searched Dec. 21 by the FBI office in St. Louis. Agents found the "well camouflaged" compartment and, inside, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a tactical vest, white-supremacy documents and a handmade shield, Czaplewski wrote. Wilson's father arrived and spoke to FBI agents that day, Czaplewski continued, and later that afternoon gave them guns belonging to his son. The affidavit states that he turned over 15 firearms - a combination of handguns and rifles - as well as ammunition, magazines and a body-armor carrier.

Wilson, who had been released on bond that month, was taken into federal custody two days later, court filings state.
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Fiction

1. The Rooster Bar: By John Grisham. Three students at a sleazy for-profit law school hope to expose the student-loan banker who runs it.

2. Origin: By Dan Brown. A symbology professor goes on a perilous quest with a beautiful museum director.

3. The People vs. Alex Cross: By James Patterson. Detective Alex Cross takes on a case even though he has been suspended from the department and taken to federal court to stand trial on murder charges.

4. Artemis: By Andy Weir. A small-time smuggler living in a lunar colony schemes to pay off an old debt by pulling off a challenging heist.

5. The Midnight Line: e_SFlbBy Lee Child. Jack Reacher tracks down the owner of a pawned West Point class ring and stumbles upon a large criminal enterprise.

6. Year One: By Nora Roberts. When a pandemic strikes and the world spins into chaos, several travelers head west to find a new life.

7. Tom Clancy Power and Empire: By Marc Cameron. President Jack Ryan seeks to identify the hidden forces escalating the tensions between China and the United States.

8. End Game: e_SFlbBy David Baldacci. Jessica Reel and Will Robie fight a dangerous adversary in Colorado.

9. Sleeping Beauties: By Stephen King and Owen King. Women who fall asleep become shrouded in mysterious cocoons while the men battle one another.

10. Little Fires Everywhere: By Celeste Ng. An artist upends a quiet town outside Cleveland.

Nonfiction

1. Grant:By Ron Chernow. A biography of the Union general of the Civil War and two-term president of the United States.

2. Leonardo Da Vinci:e_SFlbBy Walter Isaacson. A biography of the Italian Renaissance polymath that connects his work in various disciplines.

3. Obama: e_SFlbBy Pete Souza. More than 300 pictures of the former president by his White House photographer, with behind-the-scenes stories.

4. Promise Me, Dad: e_SFlbBy Joe Biden. The former vice president recalls his toughest year in office, as his son battled brain cancer.

5. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry: By Neil deGrasse Tyson. A straightforward, easy-to-understand introduction to the universe.

6. Killing England: By Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. Major events and battles during the Revolutionary War are told from several perspectives.

7. Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans: By Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger. Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson takes on the British in Louisiana.

8. Bobby Kennedy: By Chris Matthews. The New York senator's journey from his formative years to his tragic run for president.

9. What Happened: By Hillary Rodham Clinton. An inside look at her campaign and how she recovered in its aftermath.

10. Let Trump Be Trump:By Corey R. Lewandowski and David N. Bossie. Insider accounts of the Republican presidential campaign and its outcome.

New York Times
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The Fairfield Museum invites professional, serious amateur and student photographers from Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts to participate in the IMAGES 2018 Juried Photography Show.

Submissions will be accepted from Dec. 1 through Jan. 22. IMAGES 2018 provides an opportunity for artists to connect with prominent collectors, gallery owners, fellow photographers, and the public.

A jury of artists, photographers, and curators selects approximately 40 submitted photographs for exhibition in the show, which will be on display at the Fairfield Museum and History Center from March 1 to April 15.

For rules and details, visitgogophotocontest.com/fairfieldmuseumimages2018.

How did government-sponsored messages about World War I affect those who lived through it? See how the federal government used posters, publicity campaigns, and censorship of critical viewpoints to inspire support and sacrifice  on the home and military fronts  at the Fairfield Museums newest exhibition, Fairfield and the Great War.

This exhibition explores these messages and how they influenced people in the Fairfield and Bridgeport area, where wartime manufacturing made the city a boomtown. Also on view are uniforms, memorabilia, letters from locals serving in WWI and more.

The exhibition runs through Jan. 21 in the Spaght Gallery.

The Fairfield Museum, at 370 Beach Road, is open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

AARPs Smart Driver course will be offered 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the first-floor Administration Conference Room at Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St.

The fee is $15 for AARP members and $20 for nonmembers, which covers handouts and instructional materials. Classes are taught by trained AARP instructors. Successful completion may entitle seniors to a discount on automobile insurance premiums.

To register, call 888-357-2396 or visit bridgeporthospital.org.

The Westport nonprofit Positive Directions appointed a new executive director.

Positive Directions, a community-based, nonprofit located in Westport, provides alcohol and substance misuse prevention and individual counseling services to residents in Fairfield, Norwalk, Weston, Westport and Wilton.

Jennifer Hrbek spent the last four years at the Womens Business Development Council where she was instrumental in leading program development and community partnerships in support of female entrepreneurs throughout the state of Connecticut. She also spent a year as a therapist and worked at Silver Hill Hospital.

Hrbek holds a masters degree in social work from Fordham University and is a certified financial social worker.

Do you drive on the Merritt Parkway late at night or early in the morning between Fairfield and Westport? Then be prepared for some delays because of a $56.7 million project that wont be finished until August 2019.

The project will focus on a five-mile stretch of the parkway between the Congress Street bridge in Fairfield to the Newtown Turnpike overpass in Westport.

Northbound lane closures are planned from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Saturday to Wednesday and from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Thursday and Friday.

Southbound lane closures are from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Thursday; from 8 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday and from 8 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday.
Farmers are looking for a sign from President Donald Trump that their issues mean as much to him as their votes do.

Trump is scheduled to speak Monday at the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual conference in Nashville, the first sitting president to address the group in 26 years. He'll be getting a warm welcome, even though there are policies his administration is pursuing that run counter to some farm interests.

"It doesn't get any better than to have the president recognize the importance of farmers and ranchers to the rural economy," said Kalena Bruce, a 32-year-old rancher from Cedar County, Missouri, where Trump beat Hillary Clinton by a 5 to 1 margin in the 2016 presidential election. "Rural America still supports President Trump."

As he approaches his first anniversary in office, the president is struggling to fulfill his campaign promises to segments of his voting base, including farmers, and his approval ratings have been stuck at historically low levels.

Several of his policy stances -- from threatened withdrawal from the North American Free Trade Agreement, to immigration restrictions that could choke the flow of migrants to harvest U.S. crops, to cutting crop-insurance payments popular in agriculture -- run contrary to the positions represented by Farm Bureau, the biggest U.S. farmer organization.

Still, Trump's ties to rural voters are far from broken despite some strains, said Johnathan Hladik, policy director for the Center for Rural Affairs in Lyons, Nebraska. An event that brings together individual farmers and representatives of major agribusinesses gives him a venue to shore up support.

"A lot of farm interests have felt overlooked or ignored in the first year of the Trump administration," he said. "Farm Bureau is the place where you can get the most people in one place and rally the troops."

The White House declined to preview the president's address.

The Farm Bureau has a far reach, with offices in 2,795 of the nation's 3,144 counties. It's long been recognized as the top farmer group in Washington, where agribusiness is listed as the 10th-biggest industry in campaign contributions, just behind energy and ahead of construction, transportation and defense, according to the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington. The Farm Bureau spent more than $3 million on lobbying in 2017, second only to Monsanto Co. among organizations that serve farmers.

It's also long been associated with conservative politics, holding more influence in Republican administrations. Farmers, though, are also swing voters, especially in states such as North Dakota and Indiana, where incumbent Democratic Senators Heidi Heitkamp and Joe Donnelly are up for re-election in 2018. Trump won both states by wide margins last year.

While other parts of the U.S. economy are going strong, farmer finances have struggled since the end of a commodities boom in 2013. Profits in 2017 are estimated at less than half the record levels of four years earlier.

Crop prices have been stable, but low. Futures for corn, the most-valuable crop, closed last year at just over $3.50 a bushel, a fall of 0.4 percent from the previous year. Livestock has fared better, with cattle futures traded in Chicago up 4.7 percent, but well below boom-time prices. That has farm-state members of Congress calling for more generous payments under a new law governing farm subsidies due this year.

Farming is one of the few sectors of the U.S. economy with a trade surplus, and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has touted the benefits of the NAFTA agreement with Canada and Mexico, even as Trump has threatened to scrap the deal. The sluggish economy and at-odds position on trade and other issues, such as immigration, that many farmers see as necessary for their harvests, means farmer support for Trump can't be taken for granted, said former Senator Richard Lugar, an Indiana Republican who served as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Other than a June speech in Iowa in which he called for investment in rural broadband, Trump hasn't talked a lot about farmers, Lugar said.

"Somebody probably said to the Trump hierarchy that the president better go to Farm Bureau and show some interest in agriculture," Lugar said. "Changes to the corporate tax may create jobs, but this is not reflected in the lives or outlooks of many farmers."

Bruce said she's looking for "reassurance that we aren't going to lose our exports," and hopes that Farm Bureau might help sway Trump a bit on trade while he's in Nashville. But she, and other farmers planning to attend the speech, said they have plenty to like.

"One of Trump's campaign promises was he would get regulations off our back, and you can see that happening," said Scott VanderWal, a corn and soybean grower near Volga, South Dakota, 50 miles north of Sioux Falls. He cited White House moves to roll back a water rule detested by many farmers and his support for corn-based ethanol as two examples of Trump having agriculture at heart. The president would get more done if Congress were more aligned with him, VanderWal said.

"Everyone is frustrated with Congress," said VanderWal, whose county, which includes a state university, gave Trump 53 percent of its vote. "The president has tried to do a lot of things, but members of Congress can't get on the same page."

Josh Ogle, a 40-year-old grower of cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat in Lincoln County, Tennessee, just north of the Alabama border, said he is "very pleased with the president's first year." His county gave Trump 78 percent of its vote in 2016.

"Secretary Perdue at USDA, Scott Pruitt at EPA, just to see these men in charge who are bullish about rural America and want to know your concerns. They're taking a common-sense approach to rural America's problems" by lowering taxes and relaxing regulations to create jobs, he said.

Those moves are more important to him than controversial tweets, accusations of collusion with Russia or other daily conflicts from the White House, he said. "I don't dwell on it," said Ogle, who said he spends 15 to 20 minutes a day on Twitter and cited Fox News and ABC as news sources. "You try to decipher who you can read and who you can trust."

He said he'd like more details on the new tax law. "There are a lot of unknowns on that, and scare tactics from groups across the country that don't want anything President Trump does to be seen as positive," he said. "I really try to go for facts."

--With assistance from Jennifer Epstein
WASHINGTON - For Republicans who have found themselves at odds with President Trump or his policies, there have generally been just two options: buckle, as former deficit hawks did on the recent tax bill, or give up entirely, as two senators did in deciding to retire.

Then there's Cory Gardner.

The junior senator from Colorado is not one of the loud and persistent GOP critics who have become fixtures on cable news. In fact, he and Trump align on most issues.

But Gardner - who also heads the campaign operation charged with hanging on to the Republicans' Senate majority - is becoming known as someone who will do more than posture when he and the Trump administration disagree.

The latest and most striking example came Thursday, when Gardner, who is 43, announced that he will stand in the way of every nomination that the Justice Department sends to the Senate. Late last year, he and Trump were in opposition over the Alabama Senate race.

"Cory didn't look for a fight in either case. It came to him and he responded vigorously. And to me, that's the model," said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., who knows Gardner well.

His latest move came in protest against Attorney General Jeff Sessions's new policy allowing federal prosecutors to crack down on the marijuana industry - a reversal of Obama administration policies, and a blow to states such as Colorado that have legalized cannabis despite federal law against it.

"This reported action directly contradicts what Attorney General Sessions told me prior to his confirmation. With no prior notice to Congress, the Justice Department has trampled on the will of the voters in CO and other states," Gardner tweeted.

His position is undoubtedly beneficial to his own political situation, given the popularity of legal marijuana in his home state, a battleground where he will be facing reelection in 2020.

While Colorado defies any party label, it has a strong libertarian streak. In 2012, it became one of the first two states to legalize pot for recreational use; a year later, voters there recalled two state senators who had voted for stricter gun laws.

Though he has a staunchly conservative voting record, Gardner, a former Senate staffer and state lawmaker, has proven skillful at navigating his state's tricky political terrain.

His 2014 campaign ads touted him as "a new kind of Republican." After Gardner's victory over incumbent Democrat Mark Udall, Bloomberg News dubbed him "a Purple Superhero." Meanwhile, he maintains a demeanor so cheerful that Washington Post columnist George Will once described him as a "human sunbeam."

"He's a very substantive senator, but he's also a very politically savvy senator," said former Colorado GOP chairman Dick Wadhams. "Frankly, he will suffer some backlash from loyal Trump Republicans for doing this, but Cory looks at the bigger picture."

Gardner also took the opposite side from Trump and the Republican National Committee in last month's contentious Senate election in Alabama, a contest that sharply divided Republicans.

After GOP candidate Roy Moore was accused of making sexual advances toward underage teens, there was an initial rush by the party to distance itself from its own nominee.

But when Trump endorsed Moore, the Republican National Committee resumed its financial aid to the candidate - something that Gardner, as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, refused to do.

"You're seeing a very able politician position himself personally on issues that are important to his state. And both the marijuana issue and the issue of sexual harassment are going to be pretty important in a swing state like Colorado," Cole said.

Though his Alabama stance put him at odds with both the president and the national party organization, "it didn't matter to me. There was no amount of pressure that would have changed my decision, because it was the right thing to do," Gardner said in an interview.

Still, some of his Republican colleagues resented the high profile he took against Moore, particularly when Gardner vowed to move for Moore's expulsion from the Senate if he were elected.

It made the situation more awkward for other Republicans, said one party strategist. "He put a lot of people in a bad spot."

If Gardner's position on Alabama caused problems for other Republicans, so has Sessions's stance on pot - because it divides social conservatives from libertarians, both of whom are essential parts of the GOP base.

Gardner's counterpart at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., pointed to Gardner's outspokenness as a sign that there could a budding bipartisan coalition to resist the directive, which Van Hollen also opposes.

"This may be an area where you have common cause between some Democrats and Republicans," Van Hollen said in an interview with The Washington Post and Politico on C-SPAN's "Newsmakers."

Gardner was also one of the earliest Republicans to criticize Trump for not singling out white nationalists as the culprits for violence last summer in Charlottesville that led to the death of one counterprotester.

"Mr. President - we must call evil by its name. These were white supremacists and this was domestic terrorism," Gardner wrote in a tweet at the time.

In the interview this week, Gardner said he is focused on following the will of voters back home - and the dictates of his own conscience.

"What I'm concerned about is the people of Colorado, doing what's right for them. And issues of standing up against accusations of child molesting in Alabama or up against racism and bigotry," Gardner said. "I'm going to do what's right, and it doesn't matter who is in the White House."

Before agreeing to vote to confirm Sessions, Gardner recalled, he had demanded assurances from the nominee that the administration would not move against Colorado's marijuana industry. Though Gardner had personally opposed legalization, he said, he believed the will of Colorado voters should be respected.

Sessions assured him "that the Trump administration simply didn't have this on their agenda," Gardner recalled. "They didn't have room for it. They didn't plan on doing it, and that Trump honestly wasn't there."

When asked about that discussion, senior Justice Department officials declined to comment.

Gardner has been in touch with Sessions again after announcing his plan to oppose the department's nominees unless it relents on changing the marijuana policy.

"Let's just say, there was no reconciliation of difference," the senator said. "We are going to have a conversation next week."

Meanwhile, Gardner is likely to be embroiled in another tense situation with the Republican White House soon.

He and fellow Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat, are co-sponsors of the Dream Act, which would grant legal status and a path to citizenship to immigrants who were brought to this country illegally when they were children. One in five Coloradans is Hispanic.

Trump, however, has rescinded an Obama-era program - Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA - that shielded those young immigrants from deportation.

Democrats have made restoring the program a top priority; Trump has said he will not do so unless he also gets funding for the border wall that was one of his signature campaign promises.

Gardner said a compromise may be possible - but that it will require the Trump administration to get more heavily involved in the negotiations and clear about precisely what it wants.

"I think there is a bipartisan path to provide border security, to move forward on a solution for children of a very young age brought here through no fault of their own," he said. "I don't think this is a zero-sum game. I think there is common ground for a victory."
With the proposed expansion of offshore drilling and a crackdown on marijuana, the Trump administration created huge political headaches Thursday for scores of Republicans who were already facing a tough environment in 2018.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions revoked Obama-era guidance to make it easier for federal prosecutors to enforce existing marijuana laws in the eight states that have legalized the substance.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, meanwhile, unveiled a proposal to permit drilling in most continental-shelf waters, including protected areas of the Arctic and the Atlantic, in a boon for oil companies.

Both moves are unpopular with voters, especially key people in places that are likely to determine whether the GOP holds the House. In practice, these two stories probably pose bigger challenges for the president's party in the midterms than any book about White House dysfunction. A Gallup poll in October found that 64 percent of Americans want to legalize marijuana, including a 51 percent majority of Republicans. Support is also particularly strong among millennial voters who Democrats are trying to galvanize for the midterms.

This explains why most elected Republicans in places that are directly impacted moved swiftly to distance themselves. For example, Trump lost by nine points in the suburban Denver district represented by Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., making him one of the most endangered House Republicans on the ballot this November. "Attorney General Sessions needs to read the Commerce Clause found in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution that limits the power of the federal government to regulate interstate and not intrastate commerce," Coffman said in a statement. "The decision that was made to legalize marijuana in Colorado was made by the voters of Colorado and only applies within the boundaries of our state. Colorado had every right to legalize marijuana and I will do everything I can to protect that right against the power of an overreaching federal government."

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., in an Orange Country district that Hillary Clinton carried, went even further: "The attorney general of the United States has just delivered an extravagant holiday gift to the drug cartels," he said in a statement. "By attacking the will of the American people, who overwhelmingly favor marijuana legalization, Jeff Sessions has shown a preference for allowing all commerce in marijuana to take place in the black market, which will inevitably bring the spike in violence he mistakenly attributes to marijuana itself. He is doing the bidding of an out-of-date law enforcement establishment that wants to wage a perpetual weed war and seize private citizens' property in order to finance its backward ambitions."

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, R, up for reelection this fall in a state Trump lost by 27 points, said he "fully supports the will of the voters" vis-a-vis marijuana. "The administration believes this is the wrong decision and will review any potential impacts from any policy changes by the local U.S. Attorney's Office," a spokesperson said.

-- Republicans governors from the coastal states of Florida, Maryland, New Jersey and even South Carolina publicly expressed concerns about the drilling news, as did many members of their House and Senate delegations.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott, R, a likely candidate for Senate this fall, noted that beach tourism is crucial for his state. "I have already asked to immediately meet with Secretary Zinke to discuss the concerns I have with this plan and the crucial need to remove Florida from consideration," he said. "My top priority is to ensure that Florida's natural resources are protected." Sen. Marco Rubio, R, called on Zinke "to recognize the Florida Congressional delegation's bipartisan efforts to maintain and extend the moratorium in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico."

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, R, where Trump lost by 26 points, said he will oppose the drilling plan "to the fullest extent that is legally possible" and plans to work with the Democratic attorney general to do so. "Protecting our environment and precious natural resources is a top priority for Governor Hogan and exactly why he has made clear that he opposes this kind of exploration off our coastline," said Hogan spokesman Douglass Mayer.

Several of the vulnerable Republican congressmen who spoke out against offshore drilling have weak environmental records. Rep. Ryan Costello, R-Pa., for example, has a 27 percent lifetime rating from the League of Conservation Voters, Huffpost notes. But he represents a district that Trump lost, where drilling is unpopular. So he called Zinke's move "unnecessary at this time." "We must prioritize being good stewards of the environment," he said in a statement.

But these lawmakers understand the dynamics in their districts. "The Obama administration considered a five-year plan to permit drilling in the Atlantic between Virginia and Georgia but abandoned it in March 2016 because of concerns raised by states and the Navy, which conducts military exercises in a vast area of the ocean near those states," The Post's Darryl Fears reports. "Offshore drilling led to one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent spill of 215 million gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico, fouling beaches from Louisiana to Florida. . .

"The effects of the spill are still being felt more than seven years later," Darryl notes. "Hydrocarbons linked to the spill were detected in 90 percent of pelican eggs more than 1,000 miles away in Minnesota, scientists say. Dolphins in Barataria, La., have experienced mortality rates 8 percent higher than dolphin populations elsewhere, and their reproduction success dropped 63 percent. The well's owner, BP, had paid penalties in excess of $61 billion as of July 2016. Two weeks ago, the Interior Department suspended a study conducted by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine on the safety of offshore oil and gas drilling platforms."

-- The move by Sessions could have far-reaching political consequences in Colorado, a purple state Trump lost in 2016. The legal marijuana industry generates billions in revenue for the state and is responsible for many jobs.

Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., perhaps the most vulnerable Republican incumbent up for reelection in 2020, threatened to put a hold on all of Trump's nominees for the Justice Department over the new directive. "This is about a decision by the state of Colorado, and we were told states' rights would be protected," he said in a fiery floor speech. "One tweet later, one policy later  a complete reversal of what many of us on the Hill were told before the confirmation. Without any notification, conversation or dialogue with Congress, completely reversed!"

The senator's threat is meaningful, and he has lots of leverage, because there are still no confirmed assistant attorneys general for the national security, criminal and civil rights divisions. Of the 93 U.S. attorney slots nationwide, Trump has nominated 58 and only 46 have been confirmed by the Senate.

Gardner spoke by phone Thursday with Sessions. "Let's just say, there was no reconciliation of differences," he told The Washington Post. The two will meet next week.

As a candidate, competing in Colorado, Trump promised he would not use federal authority to shut down sales of recreational marijuana. He told a local TV station that he believes the matter should be left "up to the states."

-- Nevada's Dean Heller, the most vulnerable Republican senator up for reelection in 2018, put out a more nuanced statement: "Knowing Attorney General Sessions' deference to states' rights, I strongly encourage the DOJ to meet with Governor [Brian] Sandoval and Attorney General [Adam] Laxalt to discuss the implications of changes to federal marijuana enforcement policy. I also urge the DOJ to work with the congressional delegations from states like Nevada that have legalized marijuana as they review and navigate the new policy."

Laxalt, the Nevada attorney general and a Republican candidate for governor, noted that while he opposed the ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana, "I also pledged to defend the measure were it approved by the voters." He highlighted his defense of legal pot in two lawsuits. "My office has expeditiously facilitated the implementation of the law in the face of considerable uncertainty about the status of federal enforcement activity," he said.

The elected GOP attorney general of Colorado, Cynthia Coffman, also said the federal government should "not target marijuana businesses who abide by our state's laws." "As attorney general it is my responsibility to defend our state laws - and I will continue to do so," she said.

-- To be sure, it's not just vulnerable GOP incumbents speaking out and these objections aren't just politically motivated. All three Republicans in the Alaska congressional delegation spoke out against the marijuana change, for instance:

Rep. Don Young, the dean of the House, called it an "unacceptable . . . direct violation of states' rights."

Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she has "repeatedly discouraged" Sessions from taking this action over the past year, and that she asked him to work with the states in a cooperative way if he felt changes are necessary. "[The] announcement is disruptive to state regulatory regimes and regrettable," she wrote on Facebook.

Sen. Dan Sullivan said it "adds new confusion and uncertainty for numerous states and communities."He believes that it could be "the impetus necessary for Congress to find a permanent legislative solution for states that have chosen to regulate the production, sale and use of marijuana."

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., safely reelected, also chastised Sessions's announcement: "I continue to believe that this is a states' rights issue, and the federal government has better things to focus on."

UNCERTAINTY AND REASSURANCE:

-- Reacting to the intra-party blowback, the Trump administration sought to downplay the significance of both announcements. "Nothing is final," Zinke told reporters. "This is a draft program. The states, local communities and congressional delegations will all have a say" before the proposal becomes final.

"Our goal certainly isn't to cross Governor Scott," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at her afternoon briefing. "Just because we may differ on issues from time to time doesn't mean that we can't still have an incredibly strong and good relationship."

-- "Whether Sessions's Justice Department actually busts dispensaries or others involved in state-approved pot production remains to be seen," The Post's Matt Zapotosky, Sari Horwitz and Joel Achenbach report. "Sessions announced his decision in a memo sent to U.S. attorneys. He said prosecutors should disregard the old guidance and instead use their discretion - taking into consideration the department's limited resources, the seriousness of the crime and the deterrent effect that they could impose - in weighing whether charges were appropriate. In a briefing with reporters, a senior Justice Department official said it was unclear whether the new directive would lead to more prosecutions, because that will be up to individual U.S. attorneys across the country. But the official said that previous guidance 'created a safe harbor for the marijuana industry to operate in these states' and that that was inconsistent with federal law."

-- But there is already significant fallout. For instance, the chairman of Alaska's Marijuana Control Board resigned after the news broke. Peter Mlynarik noted that the state's rules were designed with the previous DOJ guidance in mind. "When you remove the Cole memorandum . . . there's no reason why they're not going to prosecute marijuana," he told the Anchorage Daily News. "Commercial marijuana, I think, is really in jeopardy." Mlynarik is Soldotna's police chief. "If they are taking a different stance on it, I don't want to be involved in something they are going to come down on," he explained.

-- Because this involves marijuana, there were lots of jokes on social media about the new directive. The Colorado state Senate's Democratic Caucus tweeted this "We'll give Jeff Sessions our legal pot when he pries it from our warm, extremely interesting to look at hands."

-- But this is no laughing matter. Consider this story:

"Being Black in Trump Country: Dozens of People Arrested for Less Than an Ounce of Weed," by The Intercept's Shaun King: "After claiming to find less than an ounce of weed in total - which has a street value of around $150 to $200 and would mean only a ticket in the nearby city of Atlanta - police in Cartersville charged all 70 people gathered for a birthday party - including men, women, boys, and girls, ranging from the ages of 15 to 31 - with drug possession and hauled them off to Bartow County Jail. . . . Many of these people's lives will be ruined because of that small amount of marijuana. Scores of lawyers have been hired; nearly $100,000 in bail money was paid[.] . . . Their mugshots were publicly released. Unable to afford bail, many of the men and women who were arrested were then fired from their jobs after they were left in jail for days on end."

-- Paste Magazine notes the degree to which local decriminalization efforts succeeded across red and blue states in 2016: "Maine legalized marijuana with 46,175 more votes than Trump received. California legalized marijuana with 3,495,231 more votes than Trump received. Massachusetts legalized marijuana with 678,435 more votes than Trump received. Nevada legalized marijuana with 90,405 more votes than Trump received. Florida - a state Trump won - legalized medical marijuana with 1,901,033 more votes than Trump received. North Dakota - a state where Trump more than doubled Hillary Clinton's vote total - legalized medical marijuana with 752 less votes than Trump received. Arkansas legalized medical marijuana with 99,842 less votes than Trump received. Montana - who has voted Democrat in one presidential election since 1968 - legalized medical marijuana with 12,094 more votes than Trump received. The only state where marijuana was on the 2016 ballot and lost was Arizona."

-- National Review calls marijuana "a gateway drug to federalism": "If Colorado or Oregon want to legalize weed while Mississippi and Utah ban it, that's fine. In fact, that is how the country is supposed to work," writes Charles C.W. Cooke. "The United States is a collection of . . . well, of states; it is not a giant centralized democracy with fifty regional departments. Congress should make it a priority to get the federal government out of this area, and to let the states, not the attorney general's fealty, determine which rules are best for their citizenries. And conservatives, of all people, should celebrate that. The Founders did not write the Constitution to impose uniformity on hemp. Rarely will we get a better teaching moment than this one."

---

With Breanne Deppisch and Joanie Greve.
NEW HAVEN  Yale New Haven Hospital is changing the company running its parking operations.

The hospital is ending its relationship with Towne Park , an Annapolis, Maryland-based company that specializes in providing parking services to health care facilities and hotels. Hartford-based LAZ Parking will begin providing parking service for the hospital in March, Yale-New Haven officials said in a statement.

The move could put some of the 195 people who work for Towne Park serving Yale New Haven Hospital at risk. Towne Park officials notified the state Department of Labor of that possibility when it filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice with the state agency late last month.

Mark DAntonio, a spokesman for the hospital, said in a statement that Yale New Haven officials asked LAZ Parking to make every effort to extend employment opportunities to Towne Parking employees, which we hope allows for minimal loss of jobs, if any.

Mary Coursey, a spokeswoman LAZ Parking, said the company parking services will cover seven valet locations and eleven lots and garages across the Yale New Haven Health System in downtown New Haven.

We expect the transition to be seamless and it is our hope to retain many of the current employees, Coursey said. The company manages 2,700 parking facilities in 341 cities across 29 states and has nearly 11,000 employees.

Towne Park had just signed an agreement with Yale New Haven to provide parking services for the hospital in July of last year. The agreement called on Towne Park to provide valet, self-parking, cashier, and lot monitor services for the hospital, but didnt say how long the contract was for.

DAntonios statement did not say why the hospitals contract with Towne Park would be ending after only seven months.

luther.turmelle@

hearstmediact.com
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Parker School Uniforms, a major outfitter for many private schools in San Antonio and nationwide, suddenly closed their doors this week.

The Archdiocese of San Antonio told mySA.com they had not been officially informed by the Houston-based corporate office that the company had closed, but was aware of "significant concern regarding customer service" dating back to last summer.

According to Jordan McMorrough, the diocese's director of communications, "The archdiocesan school office has been in communication with other uniform suppliers who will have the opportunity to offer their services to impacted schools."

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A call made to the San Pedro store location was met with an automated message saying the store was "permanently closed" and directed customers to the ParkerSU.com website, which did not load.

A phone number listed for the Cameron Street store was no longer in service and a call to the third store, at Northwest Military Highway, went unanswered.

All employees were terminated Wednesday evening and had not received pay for the hours completed at the end of 2017, a Dallas-area manager who wished remain anonymous, told the Houston Chronicle.

The unnamed employee also told the newspaper the company was experiencing "financial issues."

Over the last three years, 85 complaints have been reported to the Better Business Bureau regarding stores in the Parker School Uniform chain. The types of problems range from sales issues to problems with the product/service.

Madalyn Mendoza is a digital reporter for MySA.com. Read more of her stories here.| mmendoza@mysa.com | Twitter: @MaddySkye
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Before he goes to trial to dispute a murder accusation, a Corpus Christi man is requesting to have his face tattoos removed, according to KIII report.

Joseph Tejeda, who is facing the death penalty for the death of Breanna Wood, made his request through his attorneys in a hearing on Thursday.

Tejeda, 27, has several tattoos on his face, including on his hairline, above each eyebrow, on his left cheek, and on his chin.

RELATED: Feds: Man accused of kidnapping slain roommate's kids cites 'crazy Mexicans' in case

His attorneys asked District Judge Jack Pulcher if he would allow them to hire a cosmetologist to remove the tattoos, according to the TV station.

Pulcher denied the request, according to the report, and told the attorneys he'll consider the issue after they become certified to defend a capital murder suspect. The judge also rejected attorney requests to lower his $1,000,000 bond or allow him out of jail.

Tejeda was initially indicted on murder, but was re-indicted in December on capital murder. He's also charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse.

Wood, 21, went missing in October of 2016 after she was last seen with Tejeda in a convenience store, authorities said.

RELATED: Man re-indicted for Corpus Christi woman's slaying

After getting tips from Nueces County Jail inmates, Corpus Christi police found Wood's body stuffed in a box near an abandoned trailer in Robstown, officials said.

One inmate reportedly told police Tejeda told him he shot Wood in the back of the head, broke her arms and had sex with her corpse.

The trial is expected to happen later this year.

Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @FaresInSA
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A Round Rock man accused of kidnapping his dead roommate's children apparently blamed his decision to flee with the girls on fear of "crazy Mexicans" he linked to the killing, according to federal court documents.

Terrance Allen Miles was taken into custody Wednesday after authorities in Colorado pulled him over and found the two missing children  14-year-old Lilianais Victoria Cake Griffith and 7-year-old Luluvioletta Mariposo Bandera-Magret  in the car with him.

The Las Animas County traffic stop capped off days of searching begun in late December after authorities responded to the Leslie Court home of Tonya Ellen Bates for a welfare check. The mother of two had failed to show up for work for her 7 a.m. shift the day before, prosecutors said.

When Round Rock police stopped by her home they found Bates dead from blunt force trauma, according to court documents. Investigators later determined she'd died sometime on Dec. 29, and her car and both daughters had disappeared.

Authorities sent out an Amber Alert along with a tip that Miles, then considered a person of interest in the "suspicious" death of his roommate, could be headed to Louisiana. Police initially said the girls were in "grave or immediate danger" after an abduction.

Surveillance footage later recovered from a Round Rock Walmart showed Miles purchasing camping supplies just after midnight on Dec. 30, driving what appeared to be Bates' vehicle, prosecutors later said. He stocked up on sleeping bags, tarps and ropes, according to court documents.

About an hour after his late-night shopping trip, Miles' mother got a text, believed to be sent by her son from the older girl's phone.

Now Playing: We're learning more about a man who is believed to have kidnapped two young Round Rock girls and who is also a person of interest in their mother's death. FOX 7's Ashley Paredez has more. Video: Fox7

BACKGROUND: 2 missing Round Rock children found safe

"Mom I left with the kids and came home to something bad I think Tonyas boyfriend," it said, according to court documents. "I cant talk now tonya was involved in some bad stuff I will talk to you later when im safe these guys are crazy Mexicans."

By 6 a.m, the girl's phone pinged off a tower near Lubbock, and by mid-morning someone was using it to make calls in New Mexico. Investigators located the younger girl's phone where it had been apparently discarded in a wooded area near in Round Rock.

Just after noon, license plate readers near Raton, New Mexico, recorded the dead woman's car headed north toward the Colorado border, according to court records. Later that day, police said, Miles was spotted on surveillance footage at a Trinidad, Colorado, business.

Although authorities initially issued an Amber Alert covering much of Texas, by Wednesday police were certain enough the girls were in another state to call off the alert and reissue one for Colorado.

Late Wednesday, a Las Animas County deputy acting on a tip spotted the missing vehicle and tailed it for a few miles before pulling over the erratic driver. Both girls were found safe inside, and Miles was taken into custody without incident, police said.

"I'd like to say thank you to that tipster," said Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks, adding that Miles' arrest with the help of the multi-state Amber Alert was "a prime example of the system working."

Miles doesn't appear to have priors in Texas, according to Texas Department of Public Safety records. But he is already on probation for a 2015 domestic violence conviction in Louisiana and is considered a person of interest in a 2014 slaying there, according to authorities.

He was also charged with second-degree attempted murder for trying to suffocate a woman he was dating in 2011 and allegedly staging a suicide scene.

Miles is charged in the Western District of Texas but was slated to make his first court appearance Thursday afternoon in Colorado. He waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Colorado and prosecutors have filed a request to deny bail, citing the severity of the crime and possible flight risk.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
RICHMOND, Va. - A Virginia elections official reached into an artsy stoneware bowl, pulled out a name and declared Republican David Yancey the winner of a House of Delegates race that could determine which political party controls the chamber.

Virginia staged a dramatic, rare election lottery, livestreamed across the country, to settle a tie between Yancey, an incumbent from Newport News, and Democrat Shelly Simonds.

The spectacle drew national attention as an odd way to decide a highly consequential contest. But it might not be the last word in a saga that's taken more turns than the clay that went into that wheel-thrown bowl, borrowed for the occasion from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Simonds and a collection of state officials and politicos were on hand for the drawing in the West Reading Room of the Patrick Henry Building; Yancey was not.

As the loser of the drawing, Simonds is entitled by law to request a second recount, likely leaving the race in limbo as the General Assembly reconvenes Jan. 10. Yancey is not expected to be seated if a recount is pending.

But even without him, the GOP would still enjoy a 50-49 majority in the House on the first day, when delegates pick a speaker for the next two years.

Republicans boasted a seemingly insurmountable 66-34 majority heading into November elections. But as they swept statewide offices for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, Democrats also picked up at least 15 House seats in a blue wave widely viewed as a rebuke to President Trump.

If Simonds seeks and wins a second recount, or prevails with other potential challenges, the 100-member House would be split right down the middle, ending the GOP's 18-year majority in Richmond's lower chamber.
WASHINGTON - The Trump administration announced Thursday that it would suspend nearly all security aid to Pakistan, an across-the-board freeze that is the most tangible sign yet of Washington's frustration with the country's refusal to crack down on terrorist networks operating there.

The decision, which could affect as much as $1.3 billion in annual aid, came three days after President Donald Trump complained on Twitter that Pakistan had "given us nothing but lies & deceit" and accused it of providing "safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan."

The move underlines how swiftly relations with Pakistan have deteriorated since Trump took office. But it echoes several previous rifts between the countries over Pakistan's role as a sanctuary for extremist groups - a role that has poisoned Islamabad's relations with Washington since the terrorist attacks of September 2001.

Administration officials emphasized that the freeze was temporary and could be lifted if Pakistan changed its behavior. The United States is urging the Pakistani government to cut off contact with militants and reassign intelligence agents with links to extremists, among other measures.

U.S. officials also had demanded access to a member of the Taliban-linked Haqqani network, who was captured by Pakistani forces during the rescue of a Canadian-American family in October, and were angered when Pakistan rejected the request.

"It's hard to argue the status quo has been working, so we are looking at changing it to advance our security objectives," said Brian H. Hook, the State Department's director of policy planning.

Heather Nauert, the department's spokeswoman, said the administration was still working out the precise dollar amounts that would be frozen. Though the move was months in the planning, officials said the announcement was rushed by a few days to catch up to Trump's Twitter post on Monday, which drew a toxic reaction from Pakistan.

The move also came after considerable internal debate, officials said. The Pentagon is worried that the Pakistani government could retaliate by denying access to routes in Pakistan used to supply roughly 14,000 U.S. troops deployed in neighboring Afghanistan.

After Trump's tweet, the foreign minister of Pakistan, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, said that there was a need to revisit the nature of its relations with the United States. In an interview with a local news network, he said the United States was acting like neither an ally nor a friend.
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As a Navy officer working in cryptology in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, Jack O. Walker was part of the U.S. forces that helped end the Cold War.

His team was responsible for decoding any enemy messages that were intercepted and providing intelligence to the other branches of the military, said his daughter, Amy Walker Bleess.

Walker, who graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelors degree in journalism, was well-suited for the work.

Anything that was intellectually stimulating or challenging, he loved, Bleess said. He was always academically inclined and anything educational was huge to him.

Passing those values along to his children, Walker always told us to question stuff, his daughter said. Hed say, Dont just read something and take it at face value. One of his biggest things based on what he saw (in the Navy) was that we needed to educate ourselves.

Walker died Dec. 11 at 85.

Second to the youngest of eight children reared in San Antonio, Walker was a high achiever early on.

More Information Jack O. Walker Born: Oct. 29, 1932, Leon Springs Died: Dec. 11, 2017, San Antonio Preceded by: Wife Mary Crawford Walker; parents John G. and Frances Hendrick Walker Survived by: Daughter Amy Walker Bleess and son-in-law Tony; son David C. Walker; two grandchildren; and a brother Services: Burial at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery will be private. See More Collapse

Developing an appreciation of opera after singing in the childrens chorus during the 1946 San Antonio Grand Opera Festival at only 13, Walker would become an avid fan of the genre and see more than 500 performances by the time he was in his late 60s.

It was one of his biggest passions, Bleess said. He and my mother traveled around the world going to world-renowned opera houses  attended the Santa Fe Opera every year for almost 30 years.

Walker also supported the Metropolitan Opera Guild and the Opera Guild of San Antonio as a member.

Attending Thomas Edison High School, Walker served as student body president and was state champion in UIL journalistic writing in his senior year before graduating in 1950.

Though his family had little money, Walker was determined to attend college and enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin.

Working his way through, Walker also joined the Navy Reserves in 1951.

Graduating in 1954, Walker was selected for Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, and was commissioned as an ensign before becoming an intelligence officer specializing in cryptology in 1956.

Working on projects that required the highest security clearance, Walker could seldom talk about his work.

He could only share with us stuff that was public, his daughter said.

Walker met his future wife while stationed in Hawaii while they were both attending a dinner at the officers club. She and her mother were there visiting her sister, who lived there with her husband, for six weeks.

They spent every moment they could together while she was there, Bleess said. Walker proposed to her at Christmas that year while visiting her at her parents home in Minnesota.

Married in 1959, the couple were stationed in Germany, Guam and Washington, D.C., before Walker retired in 1975 after his wife became ill.

She was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and given six months to live, Bleess said.

Beating all odds, Walkers wife lived for 30 more years.

Moving the family to San Antonio to be closer to his family, Walker later helped his wife write The Fat Lady Hasn't Sung, a book about living with cancer.

He always loved writing, Bleess said. He had fond memories of working for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram the summer of 1953.

Becoming a management instructor at San Antonio College the same year he retired from the Navy, Walker was always happy to help his students succeed.

A lot of his kids were already in their careers, Bleess said. He  enjoyed teaching them and being part of their journey to better themselves; he felt he was successful if someone was making As by the end of his class.

mheidbrink@express-news.net
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It shouldnt matter that the newly appointed host of NBCs Today show is a woman of color who was born in the 60s.

It shouldnt matter because shes paid her dues. Shes been working toward this post for years; shes a graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree in broadcast journalism; shes been a news correspondent and a news anchor, and has been hosting alongside Kathie Lee Gifford for years.

Shes also been doing the early morning job to which she was just appointed since former Today host Matt Lauer was fired amid allegations of sexual misconduct  and stuck around for her regular gig with Kathie Lee at 10.

RELATED: NBC names Hoda Kotb as Lauer replacement on 'Today' show

According to NBC, Hoda Kotb and Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie have been earning higher total viewer numbers than the competition.

And it shouldnt matter because shes got the right attributes for the job. Kotb is likable; shes sharp without being pointed and clever without being goofy. Thats important in the high-profile world of TV news personalities, a world where quirks and smirks can be career changers.

Maybe its her background as an actor  shes appeared on Law & Order  that makes her so convincing, but it works.

It shouldnt matter because its 2018.

We can make hands-free phone calls using headphones implanted in a hat, which means one can call ones mother by merely touching ones own head.

We can pay for our gluten-free lunch  or a couple of Big Macs  by running an Apple Watch near the point-of-sale card reader.

READ MORE: Actress explains why she didn't wear black to the Golden Globes

We can decide, after seeing our adult son or daughters phone number appear on the TV screen, whether we will put the show on pause or call back later.

And thats not even cutting-edge technology; its the stuff of average Joes, stuff that doesnt raise eyebrows anymore.

In that spirit, it shouldnt matter that a qualified TV personality  who has paid her dues and proven that she can do the job better than the guy who was doing it before  finally got the chance.

But it does.

It matters because Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie are the first pair of female co-anchors in Today show history, and thats significant.

It matters because, in the high-profile world of TV news personalities, a world where hairstyles and crows-feet can be career changers, Kotb is on the other side of 50.

It matters because Kotbs mother, an Egyptian immigrant, was able to congratulate her daughter on the air.

If the cautionary tale of Matt Lauer (and Charlie Rose of CBS) casts a cringe-worthy spotlight on what successful American news personalities of the past were, perhaps Hoda Kotb can set a new standard as to what we can expect.

In an era of waning print media and too many accusations of fake news, being in the middle of the newsgathering is huge, and it matters.

And it matters because Hoda Kotb not only reflects the America we are, she has the potential of defining the American media we will have.
Donald Trump is given to lurid rhetoric, and in the MS-13, gang he has finally met a subject beyond his ability to exaggerate.

He calls members of the largely Salvadoran gang animals. He charges them with spreading gruesome bloodshed. He says they kidnap, they extort, they rape and they rob, they prey on children. And, finally, he insists that they shouldnt be here.

Hes right on every count. If there is any aspect of the Trump immigration agenda that should command universal support, it is his crackdown on an immigrant gang whose motto is murder, rape and control, and whose signature weapon is the machete.

Yet the Trump administrations focus on MS-13 has occasioned criticism from the usual quarters, for the usual reasons. A piece in The Boston Globe objected to the administration blaming crime on highly organized gangs of immigrants. Well, what if a highly organized gang of immigrants is indeed responsible for its own crime wave?

Philip Bump of The Washington Post objected to Trump at an Ohio rally speaking of the brutal stabbing death of a teenage girl at the hands of MS-13. It was a graphic depiction of Hispanic immigrants in the United States, Bump wrote, as violent, bloodthirsty animals. As it happens, MS-13 are, indeed, bloodthirsty, and they are Hispanic immigrants.

Jamelle Bouie of Slate accused the president of undertaking a political plan to demagogue Hispanic immigrants as imminent threats to white Americans, and white women in particular.

This has it backward. The chances of a white person getting extorted, assaulted or killed by MS-13 is vanishingly small compared with the poor Hispanic immigrants who live and work in the communities blighted by the gang.

As Jessica Vaughan and Jon Feere noted in a report for the restrictionist Center for Immigration Studies, a surge of more than 2 million immigrants came to the United States from Central America during the 1980s and 1990s, most settling in Los Angeles, most illegal immigrants. Nurtured on violence in the guerrilla wars of Central America, members of the incipient MS-13 were well-prepared to fight it out in the worst gang-ridden neighborhoods in the city.

Law enforcement substantially disrupted the gang in the United States during the 2000s, but it has made a comeback. The gangs leaders in El Salvador professionalized its U.S. operations. And the flow of so-called unaccompanied children from Central America across the southern border has replenished the gangs ranks; MS-13 members have been among the migrants, and the influx of non-English-speaking young males with no connections to the U.S. provides a ready base of recruitment.

This has led to horrifying headlines in places across the U.S. with large Central American populations, from Long Island to Houston to the Washington, D.C., area.

In a lengthy report on Langley Park, Maryland, The Washington Post detailed the depredations of MS-13 seven miles from the White House. According to the Post, It took Abigail Bautista less than a month of living in Langley Park to learn that her new neighborhood in Maryland had its own set of laws, written not in statutes but in gang graffiti and blood.

Needless to say, Bautista is not a white woman. Shes an illegal immigrant and mother of five, whose street vending business made her a prime target for extortion by the gang. The tragedy of immigrants in places like Langley Park is that they encounter in the U.S. exactly the breakdown in civil society and lack of rule of law that they thought they were escaping in Central America.

It will only stop if we continue the newly invigorated campaign against MS-13 members and get a better handle on migrants coming here from Central America. The commentators tsk-tsking Trumps focus on MS-13 surely dont, by and large, live in neighborhoods dominated by savage gangs. Why should anyone else?

comments.lowry@nationalreview.com
When I first sat down to write this piece, my intent was to explore the need for property tax reform in Texas. Thoughts on this subject had crept into my mind in the past, and they surfaced after reading several news items in the Austin-American Statesman a few weeks ago.

Austin officials have long recognized that housing affordability for the citys residents is a mounting problem. The articles in the Statesman addressed the continuing rise in property taxes, forcing many homeowners to move to outlying areas where home values and resulting taxes arent as steep.

Property taxes stand out as only one of a couple of legislative items that smack of unfairness in Texas. Lets start there.

Whats happening in Austin is occurring elsewhere in Texas, and the greater San Antonio area is no exception. In fact, tax burdens on citizens throughout the United States, whether property owners or not, are a recurring problem with no sign of relief.

My initial intent was to suggest that our Legislature consider other revenue options. Texas is one of seven states that dont assess an income tax, for example. Most states collect their revenue, for the most part, from both property and income taxes. If Texas implemented an income tax, the additional revenue would allow a significant reduction in our property tax.

My proposal isnt just a matter of substituting one tax for another. An income tax, working together with a much-decreased property tax, would lessen the burden on our taxpayers.

The issue of which kind of tax is better for the state and the taxpayer has been the subject of considerable debate. But theres one aspect on which the tax experts agree  states with no income tax tend to place a disproportionately high tax burden on the poor. In fact, an income tax is fairer not only to the poor but to most of those considered middle class, who also struggle to make ends meet.

As I delved further into the comparisons, I chose to focus on the broader issue  the overall fairness in legislative enactments that create revenue and require funding from our residents.

So Ive included here the unfairness of two other state assessments: the surcharges collected by the Department of Public Safety under our states Transportation Code, and the states bail bond requirements.

We cant reasonably question the need to set bail in criminal proceedings or the need for property taxes and other taxes and fees. We must, however, question their fairness.

Last year, I wrote a commentary for the Express-News critical of the onerous Driver Responsibility Program, under which the Texas Department of Public Safety enforces the collection of surcharges assessed against criminal defendants convicted of drunken driving and driving without insurance or a valid license.

I questioned not only the need for the program but also the high assessments under it. Individuals get enmeshed in a vicious cycle of debt and poverty from which they cant escape.

Fortunately, a few legislators recognize the inequities of the program, one of them referring to it as hated and pretty much universally despised. People get into a spiral, losing their jobs and sometimes their families.

Bills to lessen the assessments or do away with the program have been introduced during the past few years. In blocking the bills, most legislators dont have the foresight to see how the program is hurting not only the poor but the middle class, many of them university students who can ill afford the surcharges.

In the past, Ive also criticized Texas bail bond requirements as unfair to jail inmates awaiting trial and costly to taxpayers. To make bail, most inmates have to borrow from friends or family to pay a bonding company. Those who cant make bond stay in jail and risk losing their job as a result. Most have families, who, too, will suffer and may turn to public assistance, costing taxpayer money.

The bail requirements are archaic and unnecessary to guarantee the appearance of a majority of defendants. Less costly options are available. Recognizance bonds, for example, under which defendants agree to appear in court, should be more widely permitted. Courts can issue bench warrants for the arrest of those who fail to appear.

The risk of reincarceration and the loss of their jobs as a result are all that defendants require to assure their appearance. There is no need to bleed every last drop of their savings and earnings from them.

Reflecting on these three sources of revenue  property taxes, the DPS surcharges and bail bond costs  its apparent that our states executive and legislative branches, in enacting and enforcing our laws, have failed to safeguard not only the poor but the average citizen and a significant part of Texas middle class.

Causing residents to leave their homes and neighborhoods due to lack of affordability isnt fair. Causing hard workers to lose their jobs because they cant afford to pay the exorbitant surcharges assessed by DPS isnt fair. Causing criminal defendants, gainfully employed, to lose their jobs and possibly their families because they cant afford to make bail isnt fair.

In passing bills and signing them into law, our legislators and governor should ask themselves an important question: Is this law fair? If not, how can we make it so?

For far too long, weve given much lip service to the importance of assuring this countrys laws protect the middle class and our poor.

Yet Congress just passed the largest tax bill in the past 30 years. Not surprisingly, it decreases considerably the tax rates for the rich and big business, while the middle class and poor receive much less benefit.

Back home, unless we hold our state officials accountable, they, too, will continue to treat average Texans and the poor unfairly. They instead should make it their priority to pass laws to protect those individuals.

Without change, the rich will continue to get richer and the poor poorer, the gap between them growing further apart. And caught in between, the middle class will keep struggling.

Rudy Apodaca, a former chief judge of the New Mexico Court of Appeals, is an Austin attorney and writer. He may be reached at www.rudyapodaca.com.
The best movie this past year is Darkest Hour, an extraordinarily deft and moving depiction of the outset of Winston Churchills prime ministership during World War II.

Cabinet meetings and political intrigue arent the most natural cinematic material, although the underlying event in Darkest Hour is one of the most dramatic in modern history: One man standing defiant before the onslaught of an enemy army, rallying his nation with his willpower and words.

Discounting for Hollywood embellishments, the movie is worthy of this story, which is high praise indeed.

In particular, Gary Oldmans portrayal of Churchill is so compelling that the Academy Award for best actor should be signed, sealed and delivered to him right now.

Upon taking power, Churchill faced disaster on every front in the war, yet he bucked internal political pressure to explore a deal with Adolf Hitler.

In his marvelous history of this crucial interlude, Five Days in London: May 1940, the great historian John Lukacs writes, Then and there he saved Britain and Europe, and Western civilization.

By his account years later, Churchill felt a sense of relief at being put in charge: At last I had the authority to give directions over the whole scene.

But his bodyguard reported that when he congratulated Churchill on his ascension and noted the enormous task ahead, the new prime minister replied, tears in his eyes: God alone knows how great it is. I hope it is not too late.

In 1937, Churchills reputation had been at a low ebb, but he recovered on the strength of his acuteness about Hitler. When Neville Chamberlain returned from Munich, Churchill gave a speech in the House of Commons declaring we have sustained a total and unmitigated defeat. Britains position slid downward from there.

The same day that Churchill became prime minister, Hitlers army invaded Western Europe in earnest, sweeping all before it and eventually trapping the British at Dunkirk.

Given the circumstances, the desire of Viscount Halifax, Churchills inherited foreign secretary, to explore peace terms wasnt unreasonable, just profoundly wrong.

Lukacs writes that Halifax knew how to adjust his mind to circumstances rather than attempt to adjust the circumstances to his ideas.

Churchill thought differently. A contest ensued between the two of them in the War Cabinet, where the new prime ministers position wasnt unassailable.

Churchill opposed any deal. He was convinced, Lukacs notes, that such a settlement, under any conditions, could not be counter-balanced by a maintenance, let alone a guarantee, of British liberty and independence. Churchill bent a little toward Halifax when he initially felt it politically necessary but ground him down and ultimately outmaneuvered him.

In a key episode, Churchill went to the larger Cabinet and won overwhelming approval for his stalwartness.

Here, he made his famous statement, We shall go and we shall fight it out, here or elsewhere, and if at last the long story is to end, it were better it should end, not through surrender, but only when we are rolling senseless on the ground.

After the war, Churchill wrote of the reaction of his colleagues: Quite a number seemed to jump up from the table and came running to my chair, shouting and patting me on the back. There is no doubt had I at this juncture faltered at all in leading the nation, I should have been hurled out of office.

He didnt falter. Churchill tapped into and built up the resolve of the British people.

There was a white glow, he wrote later, overpowering, sublime, which ran through our island from end to end. Hitler wouldnt neutralize the British, who escaped Dunkirk and kept up the fight.

The so-called Great Man theory of history might be overly simplistic, but history indisputably has its great men.

Darkest Hour does justice to one of them.

comments.lowry@nationalreview.com
Carolyn Kaster /Associated Press

Disgraced U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, is hesitating on reimbursing taxpayers for his $84,000 sexual harassment settlement. This would be money he promised taxpayers he would repay. At least, thats what he told a Corpus Christi TV station in early December.

Now, hes not so sure. The reason is flimsy. A spokeswoman for Farenthold said the hesitation is simply because Congress is considering changes to the Congressional Accountability Act, which was passed in 1995. The law created the U.S. Congress Office of Compliance, which has paid about $17 million in claims.
Home prices are rising much faster than incomes in San Antonio and around the U.S.  but a prominent national economist said hes confident we arent heading into another housing bubble.

The median price of a home in the local area rose by 18.4 percent in the last two years, from $183,200 in November 2015 to $216,900 in the same month last year, according to the San Antonio Board of Realtors. But job growth and a shortage of homes are driving up prices, not loose lending policies like in the years before the market crashed a decade ago, said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, at SABORs annual housing forecast on Thursday at the La Cantera Resort and Spa.
Find the newest releases to watch from National Geographic on Disney+, including acclaimed documentary series and films Fire of Love, The Rescue, Limitless with Chris Hemsworth and We Feed People.
By Lisa Soronen

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals opinion temporarily striking down President Donald Trumps third travel ban was met with little fanfare, likely for two reasons. The decision came down on Dec. 22 right before Christmas. And in early December the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the third travel ban to go into effect until the Supreme Court rules on it, even if the 9th Circuitor the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appealswere to strike it down in the meantime.

The presidents March 6 executive order, the second travel ban, prevented people from six predominately Muslim countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days. In June, the Supreme Court temporarily prevented it from going into effect against those with a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States until the court could hear the case on the merits in early October.

The second travel ban was set to expire on Sept. 24. That day the president issued a presidential proclamation, the third travel ban, indefinitely banning immigration from six countries: Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria and Yemen. People from some of these countries and Venezuela also may not receive particular nonimmigrant visas. Following the presidential proclamation, the Supreme Court dismissed the case challenging the second travel ban.

Shortly before the third travel ban was supposed to go into effect, federal district courts in Hawaii and Maryland issued temporary injunctions blocking it.

After those decisions, the Supreme Court ordered the third travel ban to go into effect temporarily while the 9th and 4th Circuits review the lower court decisions and, assuming the government loses before those appeals courts, while the cases are on appeal to the Supreme Court.

Why Did the 9th Circuit Rule Against the Federal Government?

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) grants the president the power to suspend the entry of  any class of aliens for such period as he shall deem necessary. The third travel ban prohibits entry for some indefinitely but, according to the 9th Circuit, Congresss choice of words is suggestive, at least, of its hesitation in permitting the president to impose entry suspensions of unlimited and indefinite duration.

The INA also allows the president to prevent entry of a class of aliens into the United States [that] would be detrimental to the interests of the United States but only if the president is able to articulate findings support the conclusion that allowing entry to such persons would be harmful to the national interest.

The third travel ban suspends people entering from countries identified as having inadequate identity-management protocols, information sharing practices, and risk factors related to immigrant security screening. The 9th Circuit characterized the ban as mak[ing] no finding whatsoever that foreign nationals nationality alone renders entry of this broad class of individuals a heightened security risk to the United States.

The INA also prohibits national origin discrimination in the issuance of visas. The government argued that this section of the law only applies to the issuance of visas, not entry into the United States. To this argument the 9th Circuit responded: It is difficult to imagine that Congress would have celebrated the passing of the bill as one of the most important measures treated by the Senate  [for its] restate[ment] [of] this countrys devotion to equality and freedom had it thought the president could simply use [this section of the law] to bar Asian immigrants with valid immigrant visas from entering the country.

So what will likely happen next in the chess match that has become the travel ban litigation? Likely very soon the 4th Circuit will rule on whether the third travel ban is lawful and/or constitutional. Even the 4th Circuit decides the case in favor of the federal government, the government is likely to appeal the unfavorable 9th Circuit ruling to the Supreme Court, even though it currently has no practical effect.

Lisa Soronen is executive director of the State and Local Legal Center and a frequent contributor to the NCSL Blog.
By Online MI

2017 has been an amazing year for Smartphone industry. From Redmi Note 4 to iPhone X, we have seen smartphones growing in all aspects, whether its power, design or innovative features.

There is a lot of excitement related to the future smartphones & their respective developments. Today, we bring you the 5 most awaited and the most exciting phones which are going to be unveiled in 2018. So, lets not wait any more and see what is there for us in 2018:

The 2018 iPhone

The most exciting thing about the 2018 iPhone is that no one knows what Apples strategy is for 2018. Will we see iPhone 9, or will we see continuation of iPhone X series only, nothing is clear as of now.

However, we can expect the alleged iPhone 9 to be inspired a lot by iPhone X. Face ID and thinner bezels are definitely expected. From iPhone 6 to iPhone 8, the design philosophy of Apples mainstream iPhones has not changed a lot, and thats why it is hugely expected that this time we will see a fresher design. Though not a lot has been heard from Apples side till now, therefore, the only thing we can be sure of as of now is that the new iPhone is going to get a lot of things from iPhone X. Whatever Apple is going to do, it is quite certain that we are going to see something very exciting this year.

Samsung Galaxy S9

Samsung has been delighting its fans from past 3 years. Galaxy S6, S7 and S8 have been coming with amazing features (and looks as well) and have grabbed the attention of almost everyone in the smartphone world. The Korean giant is actually the real trend setter of bezel-less screens in smartphones and we can definitely expect some new trends being set by Samsung this year.

The tradition of coming with 2 versions of its flagship smartphone is likely to continue, and in 2018 we will see both Galaxy S9 and S9+. However, a not so good news is that like S8, the S9 will continue to have a single camera equipped with it, and not a dual one. It will be exciting to see that what innovation Samsung will introduce this year. Coupled with Snapdragon 845 processor, Samsungs new flagship phone is set to be a blockbuster in 2018.

If you cant wait for the launch of the next generation Galaxy Series Smartphones, you can also buy the currently available Samsung Galaxy S8 & S8+ smartphones online from any leading e-commerce website. Amazon offers you the best buy price for these smartphones with the Galaxy S8 (64 GB) available at Rs.53,900 and S8 Plus (64 GB) at Rs.57,900 only.

Google Pixel 3

Google has revamped its smartphone strategy with the launch of Pixel series in 2016, but has not been able to create any huge impact. Both Pixel (1st) and Pixel 2 have been good devices, but lacked in one or two aspects and thus have not been able to give a lot of worries to Samsung or Apple.

This year, we can see a better smartphone coming up from Google, The Pixel 3. Google has been very strong on basics of smartphones, like Camera, Speed and Battery but has not been able to deliver that X factor that can give huge sales. Even this year, Googles Pixel 2 is a good phone overall, but its design has let down many of Googles fans. Therefore, We might just see a bezel-less design on Pixel 3. The device is expected to have other changes in design as well, as HTC will be the brain behind these. Also, the devices are expected to come with Android 9.0, which is probably the best thing about Google devices.

It is also highly probably that RAM of flagship phone will be increased to 6GB. Other rumors suggest that Google is going to stick to its 18:9 pOLED display along with waterproof feature of its phone.

Nokia 9

The forgotten giant has hit the global market with a flurry of devices. From Nokia 2 to Nokia 8, the world has witnessed a power packed entry of the Finnish firm. In 2018, Nokia is expected to fill the last vacancy in its line up of devices with Nokia 9. Finally, we are going to see a fully fledged flagship phone from Nokia.

The device is expected to come with 6 GB of RAM, Snapdragon 845 processor and internal memory of 64 or 128 GB. The device will come with all the exciting features that are there in Nokia 8, like the dual camera setup and OZO 360 degree audio. However, no clue has been received regarding the design of the phone, but we would surely love to see a bezel-less phone from Nokia.

Nokia has been a nostalgic brand for Indians and everyone missed those old Nokia phones which used to be in everyones hands. Well, if you are looking to relive those moments then eBay has a complete lineup of refurbished old Nokia models. All the famous ones, Nokia 5233, 5130, 1600 etc. are available at prices as low 1K. Whats more? You can also enjoy the benefits of these ebay coupon codes on mobile phones and save upto 20% additionally on your transaction. So, login now and relive the past.

OnePlus 6

OnePlus has been the darling of Indian users and has really proved to be a real flagship killer in India. Still we havent got enough of its latest launch, OnePlus 5T, and already there are rumors that we will get to see OnePlus 6 in March this year.

The latest device is expected to come with some notable changes. First major change is that OnePlus might just introduce an under-display fingerprint sensor. Many have been demanding it and the company is ready to fulfill it. Another change, and a big one, is that OnePlus 6 may come with Face Recognition feature, just like the iPhone X. It is a widespread rumor that the Shenzhen-based company has been successful in developing this technology, and thus raising worries for Apple. Apart from this, not a lot has been heard about the design or variants of the new phone, however, it is quite likely that the bezel-less design along with 6GB RAM in the base variant will continue. Dual-SIM and Dual-camera setups are also expected.

Final Words:

With end of 2017, there comes the year 2018 in which we might see more ground-breaking technologies in Smartphones. While 2017 has been the year of bezel-less displays and dual cameras, the year 2018 might just take these to the next level.

2017 has been an amazing year for Smartphone industry. From Redmi Note 4 to iPhone X, we have seen smartphones growing in all aspects, whether its power, design or innovative features. There is a lot of excitement related to the future smartphones & their respective developments. Today, we bring you the 5 most awaited and the most exciting phones which are going to be unveiled in 2018. So, lets not wait any more and see what is there for us in 2018: The 2018 iPhone The most exciting thing about the 2018 iPhone is that no one knows what Apples strategy is for 2018. Will we see iPhone 9, or will we see continuation of iPhone X series only, nothing is clear as of now. However, we can expect the alleged iPhone 9 to be inspired a lot by iPhone X. Face ID and thinner bezels are definitely expected. From iPhone 6 to iPhone 8, the design philosophy of Apples mainstream iPhones has not changed a lot, and thats why it is hugely expected that this time we will see a fresher design. Though not a lot has been heard from Apples side till now, therefore, the only thing we can be sure of as of now is that the new iPhone is going to get a lot of things from iPhone X. Whatever Apple is going to do, it is quite certain that we are going to see something very exciting this year. Samsung Galaxy S9 Samsung has been delighting its fans from past 3 years. Galaxy S6, S7 and S8 have been coming with amazing features (and looks as well) and have grabbed the attention of almost everyone in the smartphone world. The Korean giant is actually the real trend setter of bezel-less screens in smartphones and we can definitely expect some new trends being set by Samsung this year. The tradition of coming with 2 versions of its flagship smartphone is likely to continue, and in 2018 we will see both Galaxy S9 and S9+. However, a not so good news is that like S8, the S9 will continue to have a single camera equipped with it, and not a dual one. It will be exciting to see that what innovation Samsung will introduce this year. Coupled with Snapdragon 845 processor, Samsungs new flagship phone is set to be a blockbuster in 2018. If you cant wait for the launch of the next generation Galaxy Series Smartphones, you can also buy the currently available Samsung Galaxy S8 & S8+ smartphones online from any leading e-commerce website. Amazon offers you the best buy price for these smartphones with the Galaxy S8 (64 GB) available at Rs.53,900 and S8 Plus (64 GB) at Rs.57,900 only. Google Pixel 3 Google has revamped its smartphone strategy with the launch of Pixel series in 2016, but has not been able to create any huge impact. Both Pixel (1st) and Pixel 2 have been good devices, but lacked in one or two aspects and thus have not been able to give a lot of worries to Samsung or Apple. This year, we can see a better smartphone coming up from Google, The Pixel 3. Google has been very strong on basics of smartphones, like Camera, Speed and Battery but has not been able to deliver that X factor that can give huge sales. Even this year, Googles Pixel 2 is a good phone overall, but its design has let down many of Googles fans. Therefore, We might just see a bezel-less design on Pixel 3. The device is expected to have other changes in design as well, as HTC will be the brain behind these. Also, the devices are expected to come with Android 9.0, which is probably the best thing about Google devices. It is also highly probably that RAM of flagship phone will be increased to 6GB. Other rumors suggest that Google is going to stick to its 18:9 pOLED display along with waterproof feature of its phone. Nokia 9 The forgotten giant has hit the global market with a flurry of devices. From Nokia 2 to Nokia 8, the world has witnessed a power packed entry of the Finnish firm. In 2018, Nokia is expected to fill the last vacancy in its line up of devices with Nokia 9. Finally, we are going to see a fully fledged flagship phone from Nokia. The device is expected to come with 6 GB of RAM, Snapdragon 845 processor and internal memory of 64 or 128 GB. The device will come with all the exciting features that are there in Nokia 8, like the dual camera setup and OZO 360 degree audio. However, no clue has been received regarding the design of the phone, but we would surely love to see a bezel-less phone from Nokia. Nokia has been a nostalgic brand for Indians and everyone missed those old Nokia phones which used to be in everyones hands. Well, if you are looking to relive those moments then eBay has a complete lineup of refurbished old Nokia models. All the famous ones, Nokia 5233, 5130, 1600 etc. are available at prices as low 1K. Whats more? You can also enjoy the benefits of these ebay coupon codes on mobile phones and save upto 20% additionally on your transaction. So, login now and relive the past. OnePlus 6 OnePlus has been the darling of Indian users and has really proved to be a real flagship killer in India. Still we havent got enough of its latest launch, OnePlus 5T, and already there are rumors that we will get to see OnePlus 6 in March this year. The latest device is expected to come with some notable changes. First major change is that OnePlus might just introduce an under-display fingerprint sensor. Many have been demanding it and the company is ready to fulfill it. Another change, and a big one, is that OnePlus 6 may come with Face Recognition feature, just like the iPhone X. It is a widespread rumor that the Shenzhen-based company has been successful in developing this technology, and thus raising worries for Apple. Apart from this, not a lot has been heard about the design or variants of the new phone, however, it is quite likely that the bezel-less design along with 6GB RAM in the base variant will continue. Dual-SIM and Dual-camera setups are also expected. Final Words: With end of 2017, there comes the year 2018 in which we might see more ground-breaking technologies in Smartphones. While 2017 has been the year of bezel-less displays and dual cameras, the year 2018 might just take these to the next level.
Sanskriti Talwar By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: In a war between two fidget spinners, the one that was made in India defeated the one from China, in a video on Youtube. However, when it comes to the brand perception of India products across the world, the Made in India has failed to live up to the mark. After over three years of Prime Minister Narendra Modis initiative to create a brand image of Indian products under the label Make in India, the country is still struggling to factor what all govern peoples perception of its product in other countries.

A survey conducted by the Statista-Dalia Research between last December and January 2017, ranked India 42nd among the 49 countries analysed for the popularity of their indigenous products in 52 countries. The study showed that people in different countries perceived Indian products as marginally better than China (49). Interestingly, China which stood last based on the consumers response from different countries for the quality of its products, ranked first among the mainland Chinese as revealed in the nation-by-nation ranking.

German-made products topped the ranking for products quality, efficiency and trust among the respondents.

Among the surveyed countries, brands of Indian origin were most popular in the United Arab Emirates. About 65 per cent of the respondents from that country see Indian products in a positive light. UAE is followed by Bahrain (63 per cent), Saudi Arabia (60 per cent) and, surprisingly, Ecuador where 52 per cent of the respondents said they view Indian products favourably.

The survey found that perception of Indian products was lowest among European countries. In fact in Austria, none of the respondents felt Indian products are reliable. Likewise, only eight per cent respondents in Germany, a country whose products were ranked the best among all Made in (country) labels, considered Indian products just good enough.

Interestingly, the top three countries where Indian brands have strong approval rating are all in the Persian Gulf region, which has a large India diaspora. For instance, in UAE alone, there are presently 3.3 million Indian-born people and the preference for Indian products could, therefore, be traced back to where they come from.

In fact, the data by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry also shows that the UAE is Indias biggest export market, after the US. Among the key Indian exports, gold, jewelry and diamonds make up most of the percentage of exports there.

Fortunately, there are some Indian brands that are gaining footholds in the global market. For example, Amul, Dabur and Old Monk are available in the Middle East, the US and other countries. There are outlets of Cafe Coffee Day in Austria, Czech Republic, Egypt and Malaysia. Bajaj has a distributor in Ecuador and its automobiles are popular in Kenya and South Africa.

However, the potential such brands have, to propel the label Made in India is yet to be acknowledged back at home. Not a single Indian brand made it to Asias Top 100 list, according to a Nielsens study. Amul, which ranked 120 in 2015, slipped to 126 in 2017. The next Indian brand Big Bazaar, a retail store, is noted to be consistently sliding down every year. Additionally, the State Bank of India has also sunk from Asias 536th top brand in 2013 to 886 this year.

Micromax, the homegrown smartphone maker, emerged as the second largest smartphone brand in Russia in Q1 2017, but lost to Chinese smartphone makers in India, according to a mobile analyst firm Counterpoint. Qute  a compact quadricycle exported by Bajaj to countries in Europe, Africa, South America, and the rest of Asia  is yet to hit the roads of India. The famous Ongole Bull from Andhra Pradesh is very popular in Brazil where it is bred in large numbers. From there, it is being exported to other countries as well. But in India, the breed is on the verge of extinction.

Like all successful brands, India as a brand, too, should stand for being a great product in itself. Also, the country and its people have to understand what India symbolises, executive director of ITC Kurush Grant said in 2011.

Interestingly, how the Indian products are perceived abroad do not solely depend on their quality, but could also be a reflection of other factors such as the countrys foreign policy.

"A negative impression of India has been created in the minds of foreigners because of perceptions of, for example, poor foreign policies, reports of dishonesty in political parties, unstable relations with neighbouring countries, corruption in the country's administration, and limited trade and cultural relations with the rest of the world (particularly China and fast-growing countries in the region)," wrote business professors Alok Chakrawal and Pratibha Goya expressed their views in an article, Creating Brand India: Strategies, Issues and Challenges.

Even in this age of fast electronic communication and the Internet, where things have become so transparent and easily accessible to people across the globe, people from outside India have a hazy idea about India and its high income disparity, poor health and sanitation conditions, complex caste system, religious and communal conflicts, frenzied approaches of some groups, the two added.

CHENNAI: In a war between two fidget spinners, the one that was made in India defeated the one from China, in a video on Youtube. However, when it comes to the brand perception of India products across the world, the Made in India has failed to live up to the mark. After over three years of Prime Minister Narendra Modis initiative to create a brand image of Indian products under the label Make in India, the country is still struggling to factor what all govern peoples perception of its product in other countries. A survey conducted by the Statista-Dalia Research between last December and January 2017, ranked India 42nd among the 49 countries analysed for the popularity of their indigenous products in 52 countries. The study showed that people in different countries perceived Indian products as marginally better than China (49). Interestingly, China which stood last based on the consumers response from different countries for the quality of its products, ranked first among the mainland Chinese as revealed in the nation-by-nation ranking. German-made products topped the ranking for products quality, efficiency and trust among the respondents. Among the surveyed countries, brands of Indian origin were most popular in the United Arab Emirates. About 65 per cent of the respondents from that country see Indian products in a positive light. UAE is followed by Bahrain (63 per cent), Saudi Arabia (60 per cent) and, surprisingly, Ecuador where 52 per cent of the respondents said they view Indian products favourably. The survey found that perception of Indian products was lowest among European countries. In fact in Austria, none of the respondents felt Indian products are reliable. Likewise, only eight per cent respondents in Germany, a country whose products were ranked the best among all Made in (country) labels, considered Indian products just good enough. Interestingly, the top three countries where Indian brands have strong approval rating are all in the Persian Gulf region, which has a large India diaspora. For instance, in UAE alone, there are presently 3.3 million Indian-born people and the preference for Indian products could, therefore, be traced back to where they come from. In fact, the data by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry also shows that the UAE is Indias biggest export market, after the US. Among the key Indian exports, gold, jewelry and diamonds make up most of the percentage of exports there. Fortunately, there are some Indian brands that are gaining footholds in the global market. For example, Amul, Dabur and Old Monk are available in the Middle East, the US and other countries. There are outlets of Cafe Coffee Day in Austria, Czech Republic, Egypt and Malaysia. Bajaj has a distributor in Ecuador and its automobiles are popular in Kenya and South Africa. However, the potential such brands have, to propel the label Made in India is yet to be acknowledged back at home. Not a single Indian brand made it to Asias Top 100 list, according to a Nielsens study. Amul, which ranked 120 in 2015, slipped to 126 in 2017. The next Indian brand Big Bazaar, a retail store, is noted to be consistently sliding down every year. Additionally, the State Bank of India has also sunk from Asias 536th top brand in 2013 to 886 this year. Micromax, the homegrown smartphone maker, emerged as the second largest smartphone brand in Russia in Q1 2017, but lost to Chinese smartphone makers in India, according to a mobile analyst firm Counterpoint. Qute  a compact quadricycle exported by Bajaj to countries in Europe, Africa, South America, and the rest of Asia  is yet to hit the roads of India. The famous Ongole Bull from Andhra Pradesh is very popular in Brazil where it is bred in large numbers. From there, it is being exported to other countries as well. But in India, the breed is on the verge of extinction. Like all successful brands, India as a brand, too, should stand for being a great product in itself. Also, the country and its people have to understand what India symbolises, executive director of ITC Kurush Grant said in 2011. Interestingly, how the Indian products are perceived abroad do not solely depend on their quality, but could also be a reflection of other factors such as the countrys foreign policy. "A negative impression of India has been created in the minds of foreigners because of perceptions of, for example, poor foreign policies, reports of dishonesty in political parties, unstable relations with neighbouring countries, corruption in the country's administration, and limited trade and cultural relations with the rest of the world (particularly China and fast-growing countries in the region)," wrote business professors Alok Chakrawal and Pratibha Goya expressed their views in an article, Creating Brand India: Strategies, Issues and Challenges. Even in this age of fast electronic communication and the Internet, where things have become so transparent and easily accessible to people across the globe, people from outside India have a hazy idea about India and its high income disparity, poor health and sanitation conditions, complex caste system, religious and communal conflicts, frenzied approaches of some groups, the two added.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: The US has suspended more than USD 1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network within its border and showing unwillingness to take "decisive actions" against them.

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump in a new year tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

Prominent among the suspended amount include USD 255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

In addition, the Department of Defense has suspended the entire USD 900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.

"Today we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance only, to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. We consider them to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters.

The US, she said, will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law.

Referring to the new South Asia Policy announced by Trump in August, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack the US and allied personnel.

Department of Defense Spokesperson Lt Col Mike Andrews told PTI that National Defense Authorisation Act 2017 provides up to USD 900 million for Pakistan in CSF.

WATCH:

#WATCH: US suspends security assistance to Pakistan, says State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert pic.twitter.com/IZYqxboEVU  ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018

Of these funds, USD 400 million can only be released if the Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis certifies that the Pakistan government has taken specific actions against the Haqqani Network.

"At this stage all Fiscal Year 17 CSF have been suspended, so that's the entire amount of USD 900 million," Andrews said.

During an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis did not respond to question if he was in favour of cutting off the aid to Pakistan.

"I prefer not to address that right now because it's obviously still being formulated as policy. But I'll give my advice on it to the president. I also agree on some confidentiality there," he said.

According to a senior State Department official, no decision has been taken on the fate of USD 255 million security assistance to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.

The deadline for that is September 30 this year.

Mattis along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have travelled to Pakistan in recent months to deliver tough message to their leadership. So, this action should not come as a surprise to them, Nauert said.

"They may say it's a surprise, but what is no surprise is that the President has expressed his concerns, Secretary Tillerson has expressed his concerns, as has Secretary Mattis, and I imagine many other government officials having those conversations with Pakistan," Nauert said.

Now, the money that has been suspended at this time does not mean that it will be suspended forever, she said.

"Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps," she added.

"People have long asked, why don't you do more about Pakistan, and I think this sort of answers that question.

Obviously, Pakistan is important, an important relationship to the US, because together we can work hard to combat terrorism.

Perhaps no other country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan and many other countries in that part of the region," she said.

"They understand that, but still they aren't taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism," she said.

In an interaction with reporters, two senior state department officials asserted that such a move is not a punishment, but to provide an incentive to Pakistan to take more action against terrorist groups.

"We have not done anything that's irreversible here. All this funding is available to Pakistan, if they undertake to take the measures that we've asked of them," a senior administration official said in response to a question.

Noting that a country is going to react very differently to an irreversible step, the official hoped Pakistan would react differently that they would react to something which is reversible.

"Pakistanis have repeatedly said we don't care about this money. What matters I think to the Pakistani's is that it is the symbolism of doing this that it represents a deterioration of our relationship that they care about a great deal," the official said.

"So we were hoping that this is an incentive that they don't want to see this relationship deteriorate any further and that they're going to commit to working with us to try to find a way to put it on a more solid footing," the official added.

According to another senior administration official, as part of the latest decision, the US will now not deliver military equipment or transfer security related funds to Pakistan unless required by law.

"Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis if they're determined to be critical for national security interests," the official said, adding that this suspension is not a permanent cut off at this time.

"Security assistance funding and pending deliveries will be frozen but not cancelled as we continue to hope Pakistan will take the decisive action against terrorists the militant groups that we seek," the official said, adding that the US does not intend to reprogram any funds at this time.

This suspension includes FMF 2016 (USD 255 million) as well as prior year FMF that has not yet been spent or delivered.

Final figures are still being calculated, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Suspension also includes coalition support funds for Pakistan.

However, the suspension does not include US civilian assistance programs in Pakistan.

"Pakistan remains an important country in the region and in the world and has historically been a vital partner for the US," the official said.

The State Department official defended the decision not to suspend civilian assistance.

"We all have no reason to believe that civilian assistance represents any form of leverage. The elements of the Pakistani government that needs to take the steps that we're talking about are not touched by civilian assistance.

So, it wouldn't make any sense to tie civilian assistance to those steps that we're asking for," the official said.

US has been holding regular talks with Pakistan, the official said, adding that they do not believe that talks are an impasse as reported in some section of the media.

"We are having conversations on a weekly basis at senior levels with the Pakistanis. Our hope is not that they will see this as the end of the road," the official said.

"Our hope is that they will see this as a further indication of this administration's immense frustration with the trajectory of our relationship and that they need to be serious about taking the steps we asked in order to put it on a more solid footing," the State Department Official said.

WASHINGTON: The US has suspended more than USD 1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network within its border and showing unwillingness to take "decisive actions" against them. The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump in a new year tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years. Prominent among the suspended amount include USD 255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress. In addition, the Department of Defense has suspended the entire USD 900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017. "Today we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance only, to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. We consider them to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters. The US, she said, will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law. Referring to the new South Asia Policy announced by Trump in August, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack the US and allied personnel. Department of Defense Spokesperson Lt Col Mike Andrews told PTI that National Defense Authorisation Act 2017 provides up to USD 900 million for Pakistan in CSF. WATCH: #WATCH: US suspends security assistance to Pakistan, says State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert pic.twitter.com/IZYqxboEVU  ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 Of these funds, USD 400 million can only be released if the Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis certifies that the Pakistan government has taken specific actions against the Haqqani Network. "At this stage all Fiscal Year 17 CSF have been suspended, so that's the entire amount of USD 900 million," Andrews said. During an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis did not respond to question if he was in favour of cutting off the aid to Pakistan. "I prefer not to address that right now because it's obviously still being formulated as policy. But I'll give my advice on it to the president. I also agree on some confidentiality there," he said. According to a senior State Department official, no decision has been taken on the fate of USD 255 million security assistance to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017. The deadline for that is September 30 this year. Mattis along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have travelled to Pakistan in recent months to deliver tough message to their leadership. So, this action should not come as a surprise to them, Nauert said. "They may say it's a surprise, but what is no surprise is that the President has expressed his concerns, Secretary Tillerson has expressed his concerns, as has Secretary Mattis, and I imagine many other government officials having those conversations with Pakistan," Nauert said. Now, the money that has been suspended at this time does not mean that it will be suspended forever, she said. "Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps," she added. "People have long asked, why don't you do more about Pakistan, and I think this sort of answers that question. Obviously, Pakistan is important, an important relationship to the US, because together we can work hard to combat terrorism. Perhaps no other country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan and many other countries in that part of the region," she said. "They understand that, but still they aren't taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism," she said. In an interaction with reporters, two senior state department officials asserted that such a move is not a punishment, but to provide an incentive to Pakistan to take more action against terrorist groups. "We have not done anything that's irreversible here. All this funding is available to Pakistan, if they undertake to take the measures that we've asked of them," a senior administration official said in response to a question. Noting that a country is going to react very differently to an irreversible step, the official hoped Pakistan would react differently that they would react to something which is reversible. "Pakistanis have repeatedly said we don't care about this money. What matters I think to the Pakistani's is that it is the symbolism of doing this that it represents a deterioration of our relationship that they care about a great deal," the official said. "So we were hoping that this is an incentive that they don't want to see this relationship deteriorate any further and that they're going to commit to working with us to try to find a way to put it on a more solid footing," the official added. According to another senior administration official, as part of the latest decision, the US will now not deliver military equipment or transfer security related funds to Pakistan unless required by law. "Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis if they're determined to be critical for national security interests," the official said, adding that this suspension is not a permanent cut off at this time. "Security assistance funding and pending deliveries will be frozen but not cancelled as we continue to hope Pakistan will take the decisive action against terrorists the militant groups that we seek," the official said, adding that the US does not intend to reprogram any funds at this time. This suspension includes FMF 2016 (USD 255 million) as well as prior year FMF that has not yet been spent or delivered. Final figures are still being calculated, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Suspension also includes coalition support funds for Pakistan. However, the suspension does not include US civilian assistance programs in Pakistan. "Pakistan remains an important country in the region and in the world and has historically been a vital partner for the US," the official said. The State Department official defended the decision not to suspend civilian assistance. "We all have no reason to believe that civilian assistance represents any form of leverage. The elements of the Pakistani government that needs to take the steps that we're talking about are not touched by civilian assistance. So, it wouldn't make any sense to tie civilian assistance to those steps that we're asking for," the official said. US has been holding regular talks with Pakistan, the official said, adding that they do not believe that talks are an impasse as reported in some section of the media. "We are having conversations on a weekly basis at senior levels with the Pakistanis. Our hope is not that they will see this as the end of the road," the official said. "Our hope is that they will see this as a further indication of this administration's immense frustration with the trajectory of our relationship and that they need to be serious about taking the steps we asked in order to put it on a more solid footing," the State Department Official said.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. High 28F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 17F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.
As we enter 2018, both the domestic and the global market will be looking at the Indias largest automotive event  the 2018 Auto Expo. Manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki will start the proceedings of the 2018 by launching the new-generation 2018 Swift in India at the Auto Expo. Similarly, Tata is ready with the X451 (codenamed) premium hatchback for the Expo debut too. These, and a lot more hatchbacks, like the Honda Jazz facelift and the new Hyundai Elite i20 are all slated to hit the Indian roads over the period of next 12 months, all of which are eagerly awaited by the prospective buyers. We have compiled a list of the top upcoming hatchbacks in India in 2018!

All-new Hyundai Santro

The Hyundai Santro moniker is long established in the mindsets of every Indian. The compact hatchback with a tall-boy design paved the way for the success of the South-Korean auto brand in the country, eventually making it the second largest car manufacturer in India. While Hyundai discontinued the hatchback owing to the growing competition, Hyundai has now decided to revive the

name that can give a stiff competition to the cars like Tata Tiago.

2018 Hyundai Santro Spied during pre-testing phase. (Image: Twitter/Bob M)

2018 Maruti Suzuki Swift

Probably the biggest launch of the 2018  the all-new Maruti Suzuki Swift has left everybody talking in the country. Already launched in Japan, the new Swift boasts of a new design, cabin and additional features. Interestingly, the new Dzire, which is based on the 2018 Swift, was launched last year in India first and is already the highest selling car in India. It will be interesting to see how the new Swift is received in India, given that its current-gen model is already the most-loved hatchback in India.

2018 Maruti Suzuki Swift. (Photo Courtesy: Suzuki Global)

Volkswagen Polo (Facelift)

A bad news for Volkswagen Polo lover here! Volkswagen may not bring the all-new 2018 Polo premium hatchback to India for the pricing constraints. The all-new Euro-spec Polo was launched in

Europe last year and received a new design, cabin and engine options. However, given the competition VW is facing, they might soon update the India-spec Polo with a facelift.

2018 Volkswagen Polo R-Line leaked image. (Image: Wheelsage)

MG3

MG Motors, or Morris Garage as it was previously known, is not bringing just a car to India, but is launching as a complete brand in the country. The iconic British brand, which is now owned by the Shanghai based SAIC Motors will make its India debut this year. While the brand hasnt given any timeline for India operations, they can start the business with the 2018 MG3 hatchback, its most economical offering.

MG3 can be the first car to launch in India. (Image: MG UK)

2018 Honda Jazz (Facelift)

Honda Cars India debuted the Jazz facelift at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show with the updated bumpers, new grille and revised taillight. The new facelifted Jazz will be launched in India this year only, however, there is no definite timeline on the same. The Jazz hatch promises to be the most spacious, most fuel efficient premium hatchback in the country.

Honda Jazz 2018. (Image: Honda)

Tata Tiago EV

Unlike the western countries, India is way behind in the electric revolution. Though we have seen cars like Mahindra e2O in the past, a car that is not only indigenous, but also offers a great value for money to an electric car buyer, it is the only fully-electric affordable car in India. Now Tata will enter this segment by launching the Tiago EV, leading the mass manufacturers to come up with such products. No technical detail of the Tiago EV is out yet.

The Tata Tiago has joined our long-term fleet. (Photo: Siddharth Safaya/News18.com)

Hyundai Elite i20 (Facelift)

Now that Maruti Suzuki is ready with the new Swift and Honda is launching the Jazz facelift, how can Hyundai be behind? Hyundai is rigorously testing the new Elite i20 premium hatchback that was once the king of the premium hatch segment in India. The new Elite i20, although only a facelift, will have a sharper design, updated cabin, added features and a new auto gearbox and can be launched around the festive season.

Tata X451 (Codename)

Last on our list is yet another Tata product, a brand that promises to make 2018 bigger and better for the auto industry. After creating ripples in the market with the Hexa, Nexon, Tiago, Tigor, Tata will bring the Tiago EV, a premium SUV above Hexa and most importantly, a premium hatchback this year. While none of the details about the project are out, we know that upcoming car is codenamed X451. Expect a prototype at the 2018 Auto Expo.

Also Watch:
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI) has closed the calendar year 2017 with historic sales on the back of sustained demand for its two-wheelers. For the first time in its 17 years of Indian operations, Hondas two-wheeler sales have surpassed 5 million sales mark in a single calendar year, Honda sold a total of 5,794,893 units in Jan to Dec 2017.

Paralelly, Hondas exports grew by 29% - strengthening its position as Indias 3rd largest two-wheeler exporter.

Commenting on Hondas performance in 2017 and outlook for FY2017-18, Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Senior Vice President - Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, Looking back, 2017 was the year of disruption for the industry. Accelerated customer buying shift within segments saw scooters becoming popular in the traditionally motorcycle dominated states too. The new capacity expansion, 3 new product launches and increased network penetration in tier II and tier III markets resulted in Honda successfully breaching the 5 million sales mark for the first time in 2017. We thank all our customers for choosing a Honda, with the promise that we will keep innovating ahead of their expectations. Moving ahead, we are confident of meeting our target of 6.0 million unit sales in 2017-18.

Demonetization created a low base effect for the industry this December but the demand was visible. Hondas December domestic sales grew by 77% from 205,158 units in 2016 to 363,226 units in 2017. Total sales grew 68% from 231,763 units in 2016 to 390,420 units in 2017.

Led by Activa and the new Grazia and CLIQ, Hondas December scooter sales grew by 57% from 151,758 units in 2016 to 238,818 units in 2017. Boosted by CB Shine, Hondas motorcycle sales in December fast-tracked 133% from 53,400 units in 2016 to 124,408 units in 2017.

In the April to December 2017 period, Hondas total sales grew by an accelerated 20% from 3,859,175 units in 2016 to 4,645,808 units in 2017. While Hondas domestic sales grew by 20% to 4,379,395 units, exports too surged higher by 26% to 266,413 units.

Also Watch: Kevin Flynn, President & MD, FCA India | Interview
New Delhi: The State Bank of India is likely to reduce the minimum balance requirement to Rs 1,000 from the current Rs 3,000 in urban areas.

SBI had initially raised the minimum balance requirement to Rs 5,000 in June. However, following public discontent the bank brought down the minimum balance requirement to Rs 3,000 in metros, Rs 2,000 in semi-urban and Rs 1,000 in rural centres.

The charges were re-introduced after a gap of five years during the current financial year.

Indias largest bank suffered a huge backlash last week when the finance ministry data revealed that it collected Rs 17.72 billion, more than its second-quarter profit, from customers for non-maintenance of monthly average balance in savings accounts in eight months of the financial year 2017-18.

SBI is also changing the requirement from monthly average balance to quarterly average balance.

While SBIs current Rs 3,000 minimum balance requirement for urban areas is highest among all PSBs, it is the lowest among all large private banks.

State Bank of India has close to 405 million savings account customers. "On a balance of Rs 3,000 in metro, SBI earns Rs 6 only per month whereas for a minimum balance of Rs 1,000 in rural, bank earns Rs 2 per month which is meagre when compared to the services offered and corresponding costs incurred by the bank (free chequebook, 8 free ATM transactions, free branch transactions)," the state-owned lender said in a statement.
California City: Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is becoming a California marijuana entrepreneur.

TheBlast.com reports that Tyson and partners broke ground on December 20 on a plot for a cannabis resort in California City, a remote Mojave Desert town that's about a 177-km drive north of Los Angeles.

Partner Robert Hickman tells the website that the undeveloped lands are primed to be cultivated and that Tyson Ranch will be an oasis.

In a video of the event, California City Mayor Jennifer Wood thanks Tyson for his commitment to the community, saying the industry will provide medical marijuana to people in need, revenue, jobs and income for residents.

Calls and emails from The Associated Press to a Tyson representative and the mayor were not immediately returned Tuesday.
Bengaluru: National award winning actor Prakash Raj has alleged that his popular column in a Kannada daily has been abruptly stopped by "invisible hands."

The actor took to social media on Thursday stating Surgical strike...my popular column in Kannada has been abruptly stopped . Dear INVISIBLE HANDS..do you think we cant see you..#justasking (sic).

Surgical strike..my popular column in Kannada has been abruptly stopped . Dear INVISIBLE HANDS..do you think we cant see you..#justasking pic.twitter.com/stycf4TxkJ Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) January 4, 2018

The actor also added a note to the post on Twitter and Facebook that said To the obviously visible INVISIBLE hands. With every act of yours.. people can see the face behind your mask clearer.. By blocking a platform where I was in conversation with my readers do you seriously believe you can break the bond I had with them #justasking (sic).

The veteran actor, who has donned roles in several Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Telugu movies, had a weekly column called Iruvudellava Bittu (leaving aside all other things) in the Kannada daily Udayavani. The column was widely popular in the coastal Karnataka region and was last published on December 24, 2017.

The actor has used the column to criticise the central government and right-wing outfits over various issues. Rajs comments were particularly sharp following the death of journalist Gauri Lankesh and ranted against Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying, His silence over his followers celebrating Gauri Lankeshs murder was akin to an actor trying to please his followers."

In November last year, Raj had even slapped a legal notice against MP Pratap Simha and accused Union Minister Ananth Hegde of stooping too low, for their alleged derogatory statements against the actor.

Reacting to the actor's allegation, Shivasumbramanya, editor of Udayavani told News18, Its a routine procedure. We have a list of hundred writers, we keep changing them. We cannot have the same person write all the time. There is nothing unusual about it.

However, he evaded the question over whether the actor was informed about the same.
Lucknow: Saffron is said to be one of Yogi Adityanaths favourite colours. And the Uttar Pradesh chief minister will now get to see more of it in the state.

For, after the Secretariat, the walls of Hajj House near the Vidhan Sabha have been painted saffron, inviting criticism from the opposition. The boundary wall of the Hajj House were painted green and white earlier.

The Hajj House reportedly got the new look overnight since the work was carried out at midnight. The Haj House staff were not immediately for comment since it was closed on Friday for Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti.

The move prompted the Samajwadi Party to accuse the government of saffronisation after a series of steps perceived as anti-minority.

The government is doing politics of colours and trying to hide its failures. Saffron is the colour of faith for us, but can it give food to the hungry? Or medicine to the ill? If colouring everything saffron had been of any help, Yogi should have achieved so much in 10 months. He wears saffron from head to toe. Still he has not been able to do anything for the people of the state, Samajwadi Party MLC and spokesperson Sunil Singh Sajan said.

Refuting the allegations, state Haj minister Mohsin Raza said, There is no need for any controversy in such things. Saffron is a vibrant and energetic colour. The building now looks beautiful. Opposition parties have no issues to raise against us, which is why they are raising such things.

Speaking to News18, cleric Sufiyan Nizami said, "People elect a government for development and not for changing the colours of the buildings. Looks like the government is working on a specific agenda against Muslims. First madarsas, then talaq and now the office of the Hajj Committee. If the building belongs to the government it doesn't mean it's their property, it is built with public money."
Kolkata: A simmering undercurrent of tension persists at Bhangar in Bengals South 24 Parganas district where protests against a power grid sub-station erupted on December 28. That was the day when protesters under the banner of Jomi, Jibika, Bastutantra o Poribesh Raksha Committee took out a rally to adjacent villages with a clarion call for a march to Nabanna, the state secretariat. An hour into the march, they were allegedly attacked by supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress.

The Bhangar anti-land grab agitation had hogged headlines on January 17 last year, when two protesters were killed in clashes with the police. The protesters plan to observe the anniversary as Shaheed Diwas in memory of those who lost their lives for the agitation.

On Wednesday, tension erupted when bombs were allegedly hurled at the protesters and their houses vandalized as villagers geared up for a meeting. A media vehicle was also smashed. Twelve CPIML Red Star members from Assam were arrested at Belghoria by the Special Task Force of Kolkata Police while they were on way to join the meeting. They were released later.

The Bhangar protests began in 2013 after the Mamata Banerjee government, which itself catapulted to power riding on the anti-land grab agitations in Singur and Nandigram, began acquiring land for a power grid sub station over a 13.44 acre plot. A section of villagers objected, citing health and environmental hazards.

The State Government should have a dialogue with us. They should understand our reasons for not giving up our land for the project. We want development and electricity is necessary. But not under these circumstances, said Mosharef Hossain, a protestor. Another protestor Jan Mohammad Mollah added: We were promised a compensation of Rs 10,000 which was later raised to Rs.1 lakh. But we dont want compensation.

Local Trinamool Congress leaders denied allegations of terrorizing the protestors despite the latter pointing fingers at supporters of Trinamool strongman Arabul Islam.
Bhopal: A special court on Friday framed sedition, murder and other charges against the four accused in the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train blast case.

According to the chargesheet presented before the court, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has alleged that the accused were planning to flee to Syria after the incident. After planting the bomb in the train, the accused had taken Piparia road to reach Kolkata but were nabbed by the police.

A blast had taken place in Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train close to Jabri railway station on March 7, 2017.

The special judge Girish Dixit framed charges on the basis of 25 points against the accused  Gaus Md Khan, Md Danish, Mir Hussain and Atif Muzzafar under sections of sedition, involvement in terror activities, murder and other crimes.

The three accused, lodged in Bhopal Central Jail, were produced before court through video conferencing.
New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday alleged that the BJP government has neither the policy nor the intention to get the contentious triple talaq bill passed in Parliament, and also accused it of running away from a debate on the matter.

The bill, which has divided political parties and drawn criticism from several Muslim bodies, was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 28. It now has to be passed by the Rajya Sabha to become a law.

But the Congress, which supported the bill in the Lok Sabha, wants certain changes to the bill - such as making provisions for providing financial aid to Muslim women divorced through instant triple talaq - before supporting its passage in the upper House.

It accused the ruling BJP of practicing a policy that disturbs communal harmony and alleged that violence against Dalits has risen in all states where the BJP was in power.

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said even parties like the TDP and the BJD, which have stood with the BJP, were with the opposition on the issue. Even "independent" parties like the INLD have distanced themselves from the BJP, he added.

"The BJP has neither the policy nor the intention to get the triple talaq bill passed in Parliament," he told reporters.

Tiwari alleged that it was the BJP's policy to "divide the society" and the ruling party was running away from a debate on the matter.

He said as per the traditions of the Rajya Sabha, any motion that has been taken up and if the House was adjourned the next day it is taken up.

On the Dalit protests in Maharashtra, Tiwari alleged that wherever the BJP has been voted to power violence against the community has increased.

"Whenever BJP is in power or is seeking to gain power, its first attack is on breaking the society on caste and religious lines," he said, adding that it's attempt in Maharashtra was also to creak social harmony in the society.

Senior Congress leader P L Punia alleged it was clear that the BJP and the RSS ignited violence in Koregaon village in Pune district on January 1 and the Maharashtra government failed to control the violence there.

He demanded immediate arrest of the two accused named in the FIR for allegedly instigating violence in Pune, and questioned why the government was protecting them.

Punia alleged that the two accused, who were linked to Hindutva outfits, were stated to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.

"We demand legal action against those who were trying to disturb harmony (in the society)," he said.

He claimed that the Pune violence was spreading to other states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

"The BJP and RSS does the work of dividing society on caste and religious lines. Dalit atrocities also rise wherever the BJP is in power," he alleged.

Meanwhile, the Congress also slammed the Modi government over the reported breach in the Aadhaar data, saying the right to privacy was being "flouted with impunity".

"AADHAR data breached yet again! As every citizen's personal information is exposed to hackers everyday & Right to Privacy is mocked and flouted with impunity, Modi Govt remains immune. Is anyone listening?," Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala tweeted.
New Delhi: Instead of jail term, celebrities endorsing misleading ads will have to pay penalty of up to Rs 50 lakh and serve a ban of up to three years once the new Consumer Protection Bill is cleared by Parliament.

The Consumer Protection Bill, 2018 was introduced by Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan in the Lok Sabha and it seeks to replace the 31-year-old law.

One of the major objective of the bill is to crack down on misleading advertisements.

If the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), proposed to be set up under the bill, is satisfied that an advertisement is false or misleading, it may issue directions to endorsers, advertiser, publisher as well traders and manufacturers to discontinue or modify such an ad.

The CCPA will have the powers to impose penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh on endorsers and manufacturers. For subsequent violation, the penalty will be of up to Rs 50 lakh.

The authority will also have the power ban endorser of false or misleading ads from making endorsement of any product or service for a period of one year, while subsequent violation will attract a ban of up to three years.

"No endorser shall be liable to a penalty if he has exercised due diligence to verify the veracity of the claims made in the advertisement regarding the product or service being endorsed by him," the bill said.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee that vetted the Consumer Protection Bill 2015 had suggested stringent penalty and jail term for endorsers of misleading ads. However, the government did not accept the recommendation of jail term and has instead proposed ban of up to three years.

In case of those publishing misleading ads, the bill empowers CCPA to impose a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh.

However, no penalty will be slapped if publishers prove that the ad was published in the ordinary course of their business.

"No defence shall be available to such person if he had previous knowledge of the order passed by the CCPA for withdrawal of or modification of such advertisement," the bill said.

Since the Parliamentary panel had made many recommendations, the consumer affairs ministry decided to withdraw the 2015 bill and introduced a fresh one.
New Delhi: Asserting that every major woman has absolute right to make choices in life, the Supreme Court on Friday held that "courts can't play super-guardians".

A bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, emphasised that an adult woman has an unqualified right to make free choices in her life and there cannot be any interdiction.

"She is entitled to enjoy her freedom as a major, she is entitled to go wherever she wants, do whatever she likes..," maintained the CJI.

Justice Misra observed that an adult woman has a right of her will and that she cannot be stopped from pursuing her goals.

Incidentally, this is the same bench which has recently issued direction against parental custody of a major woman in Kerala, in what has come to be known as 'Love Jihad' case.

The court had then said the 25-year-old woman, Hadiya, who has converted to Islam and married a Muslim man, will be admitted to the medical college to complete her studies.

In the present case, the remarks came as the court dismissed a plea by a woman, who pressed for custody of her major daughter.

The petition cited an order by a family court, giving custody of the girl to the mother.

But after the girl turned major in September last year, she expressed her willingness to go to Kuwait and stay with her father. This prompted the mother to file a contempt petition against the father, and seek the custody of the daughter.

The court, however, refused to pass any order of custody, pointing out once the girl has become major, she will have absolute right to decide who she wants to live with.

"How can you ask us to make her a victim of contempt? How can we atop her? As a major, she can go to Kuwait and live with her father if she wants," concluded the bench.
New Delhi: The truncated and delayed Winter Session of Parliament ended on Friday with both Houses being adjourned sine die after 20 days of business.

According to data by New Delhi-based PRS Legislative Research, a think-tank which tracks the functioning of Indian Parliament, the Winter Session witnessed better productivity than last year.

From December 15 to January 4, the total number of hours the session remained open for discussion in the Lok Sabha was 49.6 hours. For the Rajya Sabha, it was 31.7 hours. This means that productivity percentage in both Houses  Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha  remained 83% and 54%, respectively.

The productivity in Question Hour, considered the most crucial hour of Parliament, however, remained low throughout Winter Session. Question Hour is the first hour of a session in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, which is devoted to questions that MPs raise about any aspect of administrative activity. In Lok Sabha, the Question Hour productivity remained at 56%, while, in Rajya Sabha, it saw a sharp decline and remained at an abysmal 26%.

As far as business is concerned, Lok Sabha did 50% legislative business compared to Rajya Sabha's 54%. When it comes to non-legislative business, the Lok Sabha conducted 22% of non-legislative business, while Rajya Sabha conducted 19%.

In 2016, the productivity of Lok Sabha during the Winter Session was 14%, whereas productivity of Rajya Sabha was 20%.

During the last Winter Session, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha failed to conduct any substantive business as Opposition continuously created pandemonium, leading to early adjournment of the two Houses on multiple occasions.

In customary remarks before the start of this Winter Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that he hoped it would be a fruitful and productive session.

The start of the session saw the opposition parties, particularly the Congress, demanding an apology from the PM over comments he made against predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat election campaign. The party later demanded an apology following the 2G case verdict where all accused, including DMK leaders A Raja and Kanimozhi were acquitted.

Later, on January 3, a bill to ban instant triple talaq was tabled in the Rajya Sabha, but the Congress and the BJP indulged in a slugfest over the bill, pushing it to the Budget Session.
Indore: Five students of Delhi Public School, Indore, died and four kids were injured after their school bus collided with a truck on Friday afternoon. The bus driver was also killed in the accident.

According to officials, the accident occurred after the steering of the bus jammed and the driver failed to control the vehicle and rammed it into the truck on bypass road close to Bicholi Hapsi Bridge in the city.

The five kids and the driver died on the spot. Photos from the accident site show the entire front end of the bus smashed due to the collision.

DIG Indore, Harinarayanchari Mishra, said that four kids were also injured in the mishap. A teacher also got trapped and was extricated with great difficulty. The injured have been rushed to Bombay hospital.

Home minister Bhupendra Singh said that he has ordered a probe into the accident and action would be taken on the basis of the report. Heavy police force was deployed in the hospital and the incident site.
At a time when Maharashtra is burning with contesting histories and memories, Dr Prakash Shah, who created quite a stir after he said caste is a western construct during a lecture at the Indian Council of Historical Research had some thoughts on the Bhima-Koregaon battle as well.

Shah, a reader of culture and law at Queen Mary University of London, tells News18.com that a lot of hatred is being created against upper castes and Brahmins, using history as a means to achieve it.

Quoting well-known philospher SN Balagangadharas colonial consciousness, Shah demands that the Christian notion of history, as brought by Europeans, needs re-evaluation. He says that we need to question what sense Indians can possibly make of that notion.

Here are excerpts from the interview:

What do you think took place during the Bhima-Koregaon battle? Is it a story of Mahar valour that overthrew the upper caste? Or was it a war between the British and Peshwas?

It is pretty clear that Bhima-Koregaon was a war between the Peshwas and the British, which the latter lost. British records testify to that. People of various Jatis (caste) were involved on both sides. It is incorrect to claim, as contemporary caste warriors do, that the so-called lower castes like the Mahars of Maharashtra were not given any significant roles in fighting under Chhatrapati Shivaji, Chhatrapati Sambhaji and the Peshwas.

But the Bhima-Koregaon battle commemorates the valour of the oppressed classes in overthrowing the upper castes

During the Bhima-Koregaon battle, the mercenaries did not perform bravely, so it would be incorrect for the Mahars to take credit for fighting ability. Towards the end of 19th century, the British dropped the practice of recruiting the so-called lower castes, turning instead to the upper castes, whom they found more useful for their wars. But we should not forget that historical aspects are being spun during the current conflict by those who want to make trouble by deepening rifts within society and by pitching castes against each other and taking political advantage of the situation.

Do you think there have been distortions in telling this history?

Contemporary caste warriors have a tendency to present facts according to their own versions of oppression. They use the currently dominant but incorrect narrative about the Hindu caste system, according to which they interpret certain factoids. Marxist narratives, for example, tended to present each event in terms of their own dogmas about capitalism, class war, interests of the bourgeoisie and so on. In doing so, they arbitrarily discarded alternative ways of thinking about society and politics. This led to a great deal of violence and oppression in many countries.

Could you please elaborate on the contemporary caste warrior?

Contemporary caste warriors have a comparable agenda it seems. Rather than accepting that people of various castes fought on both the Peshwa and British sides, which is documented, they want to present the British side of the war as if it was a Dalit war against the so-called upper castes. As some people have already observed on social media, this is somewhat like saying that the Indians won both world wars. Certainly, the Indians fought in those world wars, but it was regarded as a victory for the British and their allies, not a victory for India. This comparison gives us an idea of the distorted narrative of the caste warriors. As I said, this spin is being used expediently and insincerely by those who want to create trouble within society.

So, who are these trouble-makers?

It is likely that such trouble is being fomented with the help of foreign countries, their agents and their Indian collaborators. The trouble-makers are well known and easily identifiable due to their connections to past instances of fomenting trouble.

How do you see the empowerment of second-generation Dalits? They are educated and well-versed in technology  so do they have the power to validate their history and struggle?

I cannot make sense of the term second generation Dalit. If provided the same quality of education and support that should be available to all young Indian people, these so-called Dalits can succeed like all others. Unfortunately, the Indian political discourse and the legal system have extended the victim narrative that the colonisers introduced. People have even developed a sense of entitlement to jobs, education etc. on the basis of their caste. This entitlement has now extended to distorting the past in order to suit certain political discourses.

You said you find the term Dalit non-meaningful. Could you explain that?

The term Dalit, although widely used, is not very meaningful to describe any segment of the Indian society today. It is, in fact, rather misleading. There is an assumption that they are a cohesive group, almost like one caste. This is certainly how a lot of European, American and Indian academics portray the situation. It is unclear to an international audience that Dalit generally refers to those who are legislatively classed as Scheduled Castes under Indian law. The place of Scheduled Tribes, which is also a legislated term, is even more ambiguous. The categories basically derive from lists of Jatis that the British created during the colonial period and these have now slipped into common usage, without any serious thinking about what conceptually unites all of them. Therefore, one cannot make any general statement about Dalits as a whole  or any disadvantages or discrimination they suffer. British historian, David Washbrook, records that virtually all the violence in Tamil Nadu against Scheduled Castes was by other lower castes, not Brahmins who have in any case left the villages.

Research done by my colleagues, Dr Dunkin Jalki and Dr Sufiya Pathan of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Humanities and Social Sciences (CIRHS) Karnataka, shows that the incidence of criminal atrocities is actually disproportionately lower against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, although that is hardly acknowledged or accurately presented because it goes against the dominant narrative of caste oppression.

Why do you think there are violent reactions over the way we read our history? What is the way forward since we have disparate views on it?

As Prof SN Balagangadhara of Ghent University in Belgium had said, Indians have become cheap imitators of the West when writing history. A set of factoids are linked together chronologically to dish out whatever narrative one feels like. In that sense, history has no scientific basis. The colonisers also told Indians that their history is a mere myth because it wasnt like the colonisers true history. Thats when things began to take a sinister dimension. Furthermore, in India, many identity groups have been made to feel as though they need to fashion a set of facts to ensure that their version of events is accepted as the true account.

A sort of war of all against all is being fought by identity groups with history being a vehicle to do so. The Christian notion of history as brought by Europeans needs re-evaluation and it needs to be asked what sense Indians can possibly make of that notion. In the meantime, of course, things speed ahead, and there is a tendency, by external agents who want to create a violent outcome, to inflame matters in India. We should look to the Rwandan genocide as an example that should never be repeated. Unfortunately, there are indications that India is moving in that direction. A lot of hatred is being created, especially against upper castes and Brahmins, using history as a means to achieve that. I see this in daily use among academics too. The way their write about upper castes or Brahmins would be completely unacceptable, and in many countries legally actionable.

Could you elaborate on your study "Caste: A Colonial Construct"?

It is unfortunate that a way of thinking about caste, i.e. that there is Hindu caste system which mandated oppression against all those lower down within a hierarchical system, has taken hold of the imagination. I see this as a form of colonial consciousness, a term also developed by Prof SN Balagangadhara. Protestant missionaries saw Indian society in those terms due to their notions of false religion, which is how they saw Indian religions, with Hinduism being regarded as the most idolatrous. The idea of the hierarchical oppressive caste system or, as one Indian journalist put it a few days ago, the Hindu caste systems tyranny, became a standard way to describe India. We have forgotten that it was the British who built on and implemented the notion in their state affairs and education system.

Could you talk about Balagangadharas research programme?

In Balagandharas research program, we say there is no such thing as the caste system. We dont say that it is a colonial construct that later became an Indian reality. We say there has never been and there is no caste system in India. Yes, we have Jatis in India but we have very little understanding of their inter-relations or the role they play in Indian culture. The Christian and colonial story, though, is simply untrue. It cannot explain anything about todays India, although its currency is widespread and it is used to create conflict. This is colonial consciousness: that Indians have been repeating a western story without being able to access their own culture and traditions.

What was the life of people in lower caste before colonialism? How have things changed?

Unfortunately, we are not in a position to provide any specific answers to this question. We have to conduct research on it very seriously. The prevalence of the Protestant story, which dominates Indian and foreign academia today in the secular form of the social sciences, has meant the exclusion of alternative questions about what Jatis are, how they inter-relate and so on. There are a lot of ad hoc observations about it but these are unscientific opinions. In the dominant version, which we also see in the story claimed to be a successful Mahar assertion, the British colonisers come out as the saviours of the so-called lower castes. Today, we also tend to regard Christian missionaries as the saviours against the caste system. These accounts are either openly theological (missionary) or they have taken some facts of Christian theology as a true account of India (social sciences), but they have nothing to do with Indian traditions.
New Delhi: In a suspected case of honour killing, a 30-year-old man was stabbed to death in Delhis New Ashok Nagar area on Friday evening.

The deceased, identified as Dinesh, had eloped with his 23-year-old cousin four days before the murder.

The two accused, the girls uncle and brother, have been arrested. Identified as Shankar (22) and Rinku (25), they both work at a gym.

According to a senior police officer of the district, during interrogation, they both confessed that they were feeling embarrassed in the society because of this issue.

Dinesh, a resident of Seemapuri, was married and had three children. He was in love with the girl, who also happens to be his cousin. They girl also shared similar feelings. The girls marriage, however, was scheduled next month with some other man.

They both eloped from their homes four days before the incident. Thats why the girls uncle killed the man, said Ravindra Yadav, Joint CP Eastern Range.

On Friday, the girls brother and uncle got to know about their whereabouts. At around 5.20pm, they spotted them near Mayur Vihar. They both took them to a nearby canal and stabbed them multiple times.

(The two accused)

According to DCP East, Omvir Bisnoi, a constable posted with Delhi Home Guards raised an alarm because of which people gathered and tried stopping the accused. In the meantime, PCR staff also reached the spot and intervened.

While Dinesh succumbed to the injuries, the girl is being treated in the hospital.

Both the accused have alleged that the girl ran away with the ornaments and cash meant for her marriage. They have accused the deceased of luring the girl and tutoring her to bring gold and jewellery with herself, Yadav said.

Dineshs body has been sent for postmortem. The local police is also questioning other family members. They are waiting for the girl to get fit to give statement so that a detail report could be made.
New Delhi: After resistance from rights body for disabled on discriminatory provisions of the newly proposed Haj eligibility rules, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, today held a meeting with the rights body and agreed to amend Haj rules to avoid violation of disability rights.

V Muralidharan, General Secretary of National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled told News18 that after Naqvi met them today morning, he not only assured of amendments but has also taken down the eligibility criteria from the website.

"The Minister agreed to suitably amend the Haj rules so that the Disability Act is not violated. The Minister also pointed out that the clause, on persons whose legs are amputated, who are crippled, handicapped, lunatic or otherwise physically/mentally incapacitated are ineligible to apply for Haj, has been removed from the guidelines uploaded on the website of the Haj Committee of India," said Muralidharan.

The website informs that This clause of eligibility is under review. Naqvi has also assured the delegation for the rights of the disabled that corrective action will be taken.

In a letter dated, December 27, the group had expressed strong reservation against the terminology used to denote persons with disabilities and called it "abusive and derogatory in nature."

In addition to this, the group highlighted the clause, "those afflicted with polio, tuberculosis, congestive cardiac & respiratory ailment, acute coronary insufficiency, coronary thrombosis, mental disorder, infectious leprosy, AIDS or any other communicable disease / disability, as not allowed to perform Haj," as the one which can be used to ban any disabled person from undertaking the Haj.

They had claimed that "all these provisions are in violation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 which has equality and non-discrimination as its guiding principle".

The decision to amend the Haj rules also comes close on the heels of the Delhi High Court issuing the notice to the Centre on a plea to quash new Haj policy that debars differently-abled people from undertaking the annual pilgrimage.

On January 3, the petitioner, advocate Gaurav Bansal alleged that some provisions of the new policy violated Articles 14, 21 and 25-pertaining to equality and freedom to practice religion of the Constitution.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Hari Shankar issued a notice to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Haj Committee of India asking them to file their response on the matter by April 11.
In case you missed it

Former Telecom Minister A Raja wants support from his ex-boss Manmohan Singh. Raja has written a letter to Singh - first since his acquittal in the 2G scam case- which was considered to be one of the biggest corruption scandals in the UPA regime. In the letter, Raja writes, I understand the compulsions that prevented you from openly supporting me. Today, I stand vindicated. I hope you will acknowledge that I remained loyal and faithful to you... and ensured that you did not suffer personal embarrassment in the trial proceeding."

The Assam Police registered an FIR against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on complaints over her allegation that the Centre was conspiring to drive Bengalis out of Assam with the state's National Register of Citizens (NRC) that is being updated.

While hearing a petition, which had objected to hostel curfew timings for girls in the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) hostel, a Supreme Court judge said, Even my daughter is accompanied by my wife or myself when she returns home late. According to Justice Arun Mishra, the restriction on hostel outdoor timings had security and safety of female students in mind and that there was nothing ex-facie bad about it.

Kulbhushan Jadhav was kidnapped from near Chabahar port in Iran by Jaish-ul-Adl, a terror outfit which allegedly has close links with the Pakistan Army. This revelation punches holes in Pakistans stand that Jadhav is an Indian spy. According to sources in the Indian security establishment, Jadhav was kidnapped by Mullah Omar Irani of Jaish-ul-Adl from Sarbaz city, around 52km from Chabahar. Irani then handed over Jadhav to the Pakistan Army.

In the fresh video released by the Pakistan foreign affairs department, former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav is seen stating that he is in fact a commissioned officer of the Indian Navy. I have one very important thing to say here, to the Indian public, the Indian government and people in the Navy that my commission is not over yet. I am a commissioned officer of the Indian Navy, he can be purportedly seen as saying in the video. Pakistan has repeatedly denied India consular access to Jadhav on the ground that it was not applicable in cases related to spies. Jadhavs new video released by the Pakistan authorities raises questions on this claim.

A day after a BSF jawan was killed in Jammu in unprovoked firing by Pakistan, India hit back, destroying three Pakistan Army posts. According to sources, over 10 Pakistan Rangers were killed in the BSF action.

An authentic age proof document is now a must for women visiting the famed Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala in Kerala, where the entry of female devotees in the age group of 10-50 is banned.

Convicted in the second fodder scam case, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav tried to put arguments for his case himself before the special CBI judge. While CBI Judge Shiv Pal Singh warned him about his supporters sloganeering outside the courtroom in the beginning, the conversation soon took a lighter note. The court burst into laughter after Lalu, while complaining of severe cold inside the jail, urged the court to decide his fate with a cool mind.

Japan has emerged the world leader in air travel punctuality, boasting titles to the most punctual airlines and most on-time airport in the world. Which are the other punctual airports in the world? Find out here.

The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to file a reply to a PIL challenging the prohibition on carrying outside food into movie theatres and multiplexes across the state. The court asked when security guards frisk the public entering cinema halls and check their bags, what was the need to keep all their food items and force them to purchase food from theatres.

Smelling some success in Gujarat election, the Congress  in a stock-taking meeting  has decided to continue with its soft Hindutva strategy in the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The state units of these poll-bound states have been asked to draw up a list of temples and mutts for Rahul to continue his temple run with. The temples would have to be important ones and those with political significance in the region.

In case you missed the story of Yogi Adityanath ordering a reduction in the number of holidays in Uttar Pradesh, here's an infographic for you.

Agree or disagree?

The mango people are bitter, feeling let down by the King Alphonso himself: Arvind Kejriwal. In the 24 hours after he nominated a billionaire 'dal badlu' to the Rajya Sabha, bypassing worthier candidates, the Aam Aadmi Party supremo has weathered a Twitter tornado of booing, as his patented clean politics rhetoric rebounded to bite him sharply in the fundament. The question du jour on social media was: has Muffler Man been co-opted by the system against which he fought? In endorsing Sushil Gupta & N D Gupta, Kejriwal has reduced AAP to an Aam Party.

The martyrdom of Major Moharkar and three soldiers while on a routine patrol in the Keri sector of Jammu and Kashmir was followed, after 48 hours, by an Indian Army cross-border strike, killing Pakistani soldiers. This tit-for-tat action is now seen as something that has become the new normal along the Line of Control (LoC) separating India and Pakistan. There is a similar pattern with ceasefire violations (CFV)  one side initiating and the other responding immediately. Lt Gen (Retd) DS Hooda writes that a bloody haul on the border is the only way to compel Pakistan to change its ways.

On reel

Bengaluru will add 1 crore more people by 2031. But to accommodate more people in the city where 11 million are already suffering traffic woes, pollution, water scarcity and potholes, the city needs to create 43% extra space for 1 crore people. What does this mean for the city? Here's detailed explainer.

(Get a fresh dose of the news that matters, delivered directly to your inbox, every morning. The perfect way, to get you started and informed, for the day ahead. Subscribe to News18 Daybreak here.)
New Delhi: A North Korean ballistic missile accidentally crashed into one of its own cities during a failed launch.

According to a report by The Diplomat, the incident happened on April 28, 2017 when the test launch of a single Hwasong-12/KN17 Intermediate-range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) from Pukchang Airfield in South Pyongan Province went awry.

Shortly after launch, the missile hit Chongsin-dong area of Tokchon city, causing considerable damage to a complex of industrial or agricultural buildings.

The accident only became known after The Diplomat examined satellite data, corroborating it with photographs of the launch released by North Korea in July. North Korea is yet to respond.

A US government source told The Diplomat that the missiles first stage engines failed after approximately one minute of powered flight, resulting in catastrophic failure. The missile did not fly higher than 70 km before crashing.

The April 28 test was the third attempted flight-test of the Hwasong-12, then a new missile. The first three tests were all failures. The missile finally recorded a successful launch on May 14. Hwasong-12, it would later emerge, was the fundamental building block for the Hwasong-14/KN20 intercontinental-range ballistic missile (ICBM) revealed later in the year.

However, despite the accident, North Korea introduced new test sites around the country through the course of the year, many near population centres including its capital Pyongyang. The potential for similar accidents occurring over Pyongyang, the countrys capital, or other populated regions remains high, especially with untested systems.
New Delhi: Postmortem report of Manjula, a woman inmate at the Byculla Women's jail in Maharashtra, had indicated that she had died due to multiple injuries in June last year. Her inmates alleged torture by jail-staff leading to the suspension of six staff members.

Taking strong note of such "brutality on women", Minister of Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi, today said that "there is a need for an ombudsman where women can complain of such brutalities."

The Minister of Women and Child Development along with the National Commission for Women, in order to reform the "status and condition" of women in jails, have drafted pro forma which has been sent to all central prisons and Director General of Prisons. They will help the commission begin its work of reform by this year-end.

"Most of the women in prisons have children who are below six and they are uneducated due to lack of facilities. Secondly, these women get only five sanitary napkins per head whereas women need that much per day of their menstrual cycle. Hence, we will be doing an intensive survey for reform of women in prisons," said Gandhi.

The Ministry has also tasked the Delhi School of Law to suggest reforms in the present manual for prisoners and change it in accordance with the needs of women prisoners. The deadline for all the central prisons to respond to the pro forma is February 15 after which the visits to the jails will begin.

Rekha Sharma, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, said that when the country is thinking about gas in every household, "women in Indian jails are using firewood."

"Jails are severely overcrowded. A jail with a capacity of 100 women houses 250 women. No sanitary napkins are provided and women can hardly argue their case given the lack of legal aid or representation. Jails have easier access to tobacco than medicines for women. No skill development facilities are available. Even children staying with their mothers till six years old cannot study due to lack of infrastructure," said Sharma who had visited over 60 jails in the last two years.

Gandhi told News18 that the government's initiative to make pro-bono service for lawyers mandatory for promotion could be used in this regard.

The minister said that the report by the NCW would be tabled in front of the legislature too.

"National policy on under-trials states that a woman under-trial should be released once 1/3rd of the prison term has expired. But that has remained only on paper and has never seen the light of the day. There is a need to separate convict from under-trials. This is a reform that we are also looking at," said Gandhi.

Around 144 NGOs will be roped-in by the NCW for carrying the task of visiting jails and making the report.

NCW Chairperson told News18 that the commission is also planning to draft a pro forma on similar lines for reform of women dumped in mental asylums. "We are in the process of drafting this and it will be released soon," said Sharma.

WCD Minister also pointed out the pathetic condition for women in asylums.
New Delhi: A day after the Kerala government ordered the closure of Peace International School near Kochi for teaching objectionable and extremist content, Islamic preacher MM Akbar, who is also the MD of the school, accused the CPM-led government of targeting a minority institution that laid emphasis on national integration and social inclusion.

The school was in the headlines recently after 21 people went missing from Kerala to reportedly join the ISIS in Afghanistan and Syria. Among the missing were Abdul Rasheed, who the police suspects to be the ring leader of this group, who was employed at the Peace School. His wife Yasmin Ahmad, also missing, had earlier taught at the school.

Akbar is known as Keralas Zakir Naik thanks to his fiery speeches that enjoy wide circulation in social media.

Akbar told News18 from Qatar that he hasnt received any formal order yet to shut down the school. But if it is indeed the case, it is unfortunate that it has happened. The move is aimed at shutting down an institute that is completely lawful and was inspiring students towards national integration and social inclusion. It is sad that the government is targeting such an institute. Yes, there are religious teachings that happen in the schools that are not part of CBSE, but it is the same religious education that any other minority-school in the state imparts, he said.

Peace International Schools curriculum allegedly encouraged students to give up their lives for Islam. A case was registered against the school in 2016 for teaching objectionable content to the students and for promoting enmity among different groups on the basis of religion.

The whole controversy is around one chapter of the book published by Burooj Realizations. Now, one must know that we only used books that were available in that area. We didnt think there was anything highly dangerous in those books. And if at all there are things are like this, we dont teach the children those things. And now, since the government had issues with it, we stopped using it. Even after that, if the government is still shutting our school, it is unfortunate, he said.

He said that they decided to go ahead with the book because it was an activity-oriented textbook aimed at enhancing childrens creativity.

We focus on skill-based, activity based teaching rather than just restricting to books. I dont why the government ordered for the school to be shut, but I think its been done so that people from the Muslim community dont get a shot at entering mainstream. That is the only logical conclusion I can make, Akbar told News18.

About the controversial portions of a class II textbook, he claimed it was only about martyrdom and what to do when someone embraces Islam.

Certainly, it can be misappropriated considering the young minds that class II students have. Which is why we decided not to teach it to such young children when the government asked us, he said. One of the objectionable questions in the said book asked students to state what they would advise a friend who had converted to Islam.

Akbar claimed the curriculum was not exactly religious.

We started Peace schools with the aim of nurturing children into young, good people. More than 50% of our teachers are Muslims and we impart subjects like English, Science etc which have no religious connotations. We are working towards holistic development of students, which includes teaching them about faith too. But there is no religious education involved, he told News18.

Out of the 500-odd people associated with our foundation, 2 people are said to have pledged allegiance to ISIS. How does that matter to us? These 2 people who are said to have left for ISIS are also part of a larger society; they must have had some other influence. We dont know that. We, at our organization, have always preached and taken an anti-terrorism stand, he said.

Commenting on the radicalization of youth in the state, the controversial Islamic preacher said that the there was a very small percentage from the lakhs of Keralites who had been radicalized. There are other organizations that have Muslims too and they are associated with organizations like Jamaat-e-Islami, Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen. Out of the lakhs of people in the state, the government says only 21 have left to join terrorism. That is very miniscule number. Terrorism is the cancer that destroys society. More than it being harmful for India, it is more harmful for Muslim community, he said, adding that Muslims have always supported the government in its anti-terrorism programs and decisions.

Akbar said he hasnt decided when to return to India. The legal proceedings were going on well without me, he said.
Rajkot: A 36-year-old assistant professor has been nabbed for allegedly killing his ailing 64-year-old mother by pushing her off the terrace of their residential building in Gujarat's Rajkot in September last year.

Sandip Nathwani, who teaches in a local Pharmacy college, allegedly pushed his mother Jayshreeben to death on September 27 as he was "fed up" with her illness, according to police.

CCTV cameras outside the residence captured Nathwani dragging his mother to the stairs. She was found dead soon after. The video of the incident has gone viral.

Initially, the police registered a case of accidental death after the Nathwani family had claimed that Jayashreeben fell off the terrace after losing her balance as she was suffering from some brain disease.

However, police changed the direction of the investigation on receipt of an unknown application. "After receiving the application, we checked CCTVs installed in the apartment and the recording clearly suggested that Sandip was with Jayshreeben when she fell off the terrace," said DCP Karanjraj Vaghela, the investigating officer.

When the police confronted Sandeep with the evidence, Sandeep first maintained that he had come down from the terrace to fetch some water as his mother wanted it for surya namaskar. When he came down, she jumped off the terrace and died, he said.

But later he confessed to the crime, police said. The CCTV footage clearly establishes the fact that at 08:56 am and 40 seconds, at the time when Jayshreeben fell and dies on the spot, Sandip was very much on the terrace. It is immediately after she fell to the ground that Sandip is seen rushing down, DCP Vaghela said.

"He told us that he was fed up with his mother's illness. Sandip told us that on the day of the incident he took his mother to the terrace and pushed her," Vaghela said.

Vaghela said the police doubted Nathwanis version of events from the beginning. But he did not say why it took the police the police more than three months to find the incriminating footage and register a case of murder.

Speaking to News18, Anupamsingh Gehlot, Commissioner of Police, Rajkot City said, Constant quarrels between Jayshreeben and her children and the fact that she was bedridden and required help to even walk a few steps appears to be the motive for the murder.

Sequence of events on the morning of September 27 according to the CCTV footage procured by the police:

8:27 am: Sandeep is seen taking his mother to the lift outside his apartment on the third floor. He is not wearing any footwear.

8:30 am: He helps his mother out of the lift and drags her to a staircase on the fourth floor that leads to the terrace.

8:39 am: He comes down to the fourth floor and asks for a chair.

8:45 am: The fourth floor residents return back to their home after giving a chair to Sandeep.

8:56 am: Jayshreeben falls off the terrace, Sandeep is still on the terrace.

8:57 am: Sandeep walks down the stairs. He is wearing his mothers slippers.

Vaghela said that the CCTV footage clearly proves that Nathwani was the only person on the terrace when his mother fell off. The officer said Nathwani complained of uneasiness during the interrogation and was admitted to hospital. He would be formally arrested once he is discharged from the hospital.

Police registered an FIR against Nathwani under section 302 (Punishment for murder) of the IPC on the basis of the application received by them.
New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said regional grouping SAARC had failed to achieve its potential because of Pakistans obstructionist approach.

Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State MJ Akbar said that the key initiatives of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) were being held back because of Pakistan.

SAARC has been unable to achieve its potential as key initiatives, including in the important area of connectivity, are held back due to lack of response and/or obstructionist approach of Pakistan.

Several SAARC Member States expressed their inability to participate in the 19th SAARC Summit that was scheduled to be held in November 2016 in Pakistan due to concerns arising from increasing cross border terrorist attacks in the region and growing interference in the internal affairs of member states by that country, Akbar said.

He added that India remains steadfast in its commitment to regional cooperation, connectivity and contacts but believes that these can only go forward in an atmosphere free of terror.

The minister further said that under this scenario of obstruction, initiatives to enhance connectivity in the region have been pushed to sub-regional level, for instance in concluding the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement.

In initiatives such as Indias offer of a satellite for SAARC region, where Pakistan conveyed that it would not be joining, the project has moved forward with participation from other SAARC member states. It is important that substantive progress in key initiatives is made to meet people's expectations, Akbar said.

His statement came a day after reports said that India had excluded Pakistan from the SAARC countries with which it will coordinate on National Knowledge Network, a multi-gigabit network that will help in providing a high speed network for educational institutions in India.

India had, over two years ago, said that it was extending the NKN to SAARC countries to enable students across the region to access digital libraries and networking sources.
New Delhi: Have you ever visited a gaushala, do you have knowledge of animal and baby ethics, why not focus on Indian thinkers.

These are some of the questions that make up Jawaharlal Nehru Universitys (JNU) criteria to hire professors.

The bizarre interview questions came to light in an email sent by a Delhi University professor to his colleagues in DU and JNU. The email was sent by the Assistant Professor in DUs Department of English in October and has been accessed by News18.com.

In the email, the professor said he had met the JNU selection committee, which included Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar, to present his research on the idea of aesthetic regime as proposed by French philosopher Jacques Ranciere.

The professor told his colleagues that the Vice-Chancellor kept nudging him to end the eight-minute-long presentation and then shook his head and said he should instead have focused on baby ethics and animal ethics.

You should pay more attention to different kinds of ethics like baby ethics and animal ethics, the email quoted V-C Jagadesh Kumar as saying.

When the professor mentioned that his research had found a place in the prestigious New Literary History, the other members of the selection committee reportedly told him to move on from foreign thinkers and concentrate on our own tradition.

One gentleman in the group thought that others were being too roundabout it, and directly asked me if I had generated any work on Indian authors. I told him that I had indeed worked on Bangla literature, and published on the early novels of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. He summarily dismissed it, and said he meant Indians like Panini and Bhartrihari (sic), the email said.

Signing off the email, the professor said, Clearly, even Bankim is not enough Indian for him!

News18.com contacted Vice-Chancellor to elaborate on baby and animal ethics and whether research on Indian thinkers was a requirement for hiring. The V-C, however, did not respond.

A similar experience was shared by Devesh Birwal, an Economics professor in the Delhi University who had appeared before a different Selection Committee for the post of Assistant Professor in JNUs School of Social Sciences.

Gaushalas formed a major part of the interview, Birwal told News18.com. Have you visited a gaushala? Is there a gaushala around your work area? were some of the questions thrown at Birwal, who studied economics from JNU and focusses on livestock holding of farmers.

But in my interview all the interest was on my visit to gaushalas. I was surprised that just because I have studied livestock and animal husbandry I was asked about gaushala. This was also shocking because the government is very seriously working on doubling farmers income, in which livestock plays an important part. There could have been questions on my work or the disposal of cattle, said Birwal.

The panel that Birwal appeared before had three external members  NK Taneja, the V-C of Meeruts Chaudhary Charan Singh University; Mohal Lal Chhippa, the former V-C of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi Vishwavidyalaya in Bhopal; and Professor Naresh K Sharma, Economics Dean in the University of Hyderabad.

When contacted, VK Taneja said he wasnt the one who asked the gaushala question, but didnt remember who did.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday requested a Constitution Bench to decide the validity of a penal provision that makes adultery an offence only against men.

A bench, led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, noted that Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code has already been approved by a four-judge bench in 1954, and therefore, only a five-judge bench can now reconsider the validity of this provision.

Section 497 makes adultery an offence only with respect to a man who has a relationship with somebody's wife. The wife is considered neither adulterous nor an abettor in law, while the man faces a jail term of up to five years.

However, a PIL has now questioned the constitutional validity of Section 497, asking how only a man can be the only seducer in a relationship and if a woman is incapable of committing adultery.

The court had last month admitted for petition, stating a law which apparently "patronises" women by treating them as victims in an adulterous relationship will have to pass the muster of gender equality and legality.

On Friday, the top court noted the previous ruling, and hence, referred the issue to a larger bench.

"As indicated in our earlier order, we had noted that the provision seems quite archaic and especially, when there is a societal progress. Thus analyzed, we think it appropriate that the earlier judgments required to be reconsidered regard being had to the social progression, perceptual shift, gender equality and gender sensitivity," said the bench.

It added that there has to be a different kind of focus on the affirmative right conferred on women under Article 15 of the Constitution.

During the last hearing, the court had further took exception to the language of Section 497, which lays down that fulcrum of the offence is gone if consent or connivance of the husband can be established.

"This provision thus creates a dent in the individual identity of women... it appears to be quite archaic," it had added.

The Court had then emphasised that when society progresses and new rights are conferred upon people, new thought should also rise and hence, Section 497 must be reviewed in present times.
New Delhi: A major hurdle in the dream of a 17- year-old girl to pursue her higher education in the USA was cleared after Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj intervened to facilitate in getting her visa confirmed from the US Embassy.

The visa was confirmed on Thursday after the intervention of the union minister, a Rajasthan government release said on Friday.

Bhanupriya Haritwal of Jalalpur village, who was one of the three girls given a Rs 1 crore scholarship by the Rajasthan government to study abroad for securing a rank in the Class 10 state board exams in 2015, will now pursue computer science from the California State University in the USA, it said.

She had secured second rank in the examination following which she got the scholarship for the four-year course, the release said.

Haritwal, whose father Sohan Lal is a teacher at a private college in Sikar district, had applied for the visa, but the application was rejected twice by the embassy, it said.

"The girl had cleared the internal test conducted by the California State University and then applied for the visa. But, it was rejected twice by the US Embassy.

"The family had approached me, and I took up the case with the external affairs minister who helped her securing the visa yesterday," Sikar MP Swami Sumedhanand told PTI.

The girl is talented and will now pursue her higher education from the university, the MP said.

Haritwal after clearing her class 12 board exam had secured good scores in SAT and IELTS to secure admission at the California State University.

From a middle class family, she completed school education in Hindi medium, the release said.
Colombia's Cartagena has emerged the top trending destination of 2018 for Canadians, in a new forecast that predicts which destinations Canadians will be heading to in the new year.

According to Kayak's 2018 Travel Forecast, interest in Cartagena as a tourist destination has risen dramatically among Canadian globetrotters, with a 58 percent spike in travel searches for the stylish city compared to the previous year.

For the report, analysts looked at searches conducted on Kayak's Canadian portal between June 1 to Dec. 1, 2017, for travel from Canada between Jan. 1 - June 1, 2018.

Analysts credit increased flight routes, record low crime rates and a booming economy to the rising interest.

Cartagena is also touted as a romantic, Caribbean getaway, thanks to its old city center, cobblestone streets, and sun-soaked beaches.

Rounding out the top five spots on the trending destinations list are Casablanca, Morocco, Phuket, Thailand, Osaka, Japan and Bali, Indonesia -- all far-fetched destinations for Canadian travelers.

"Flying within Canada can cost travelers a small fortune. Perhaps because of this, we see less Canadians travel domestically, looking instead to destinations where they can maximize their time off while getting the best bang for their buck," explained David Solomito, VP NA brand marketing, Kayak in a statement.

Another standout destination for Canadians is the Maldives: Along with landing sixth on the top trending destinations list for 2018, the tropical island is also the top travel deal of 2018, with flight prices down 31 percent from the year before.

- Travel hacks 2018 -

Kayak's travel forecast also comes with a few tips and tricks on how to maximize the travel year ahead.

For instance, for domestic flights, experts recommend flying in April when the median airfare is at its lowest. Flying in April to a destination within Canada could save travelers more than $150 compared to taking the same flight in December.

When it comes to international flights, the most expensive month to fly is July, when the kids are out of school and the weather is at its warmest in the Northern Hemisphere. Budget flyers are better off reserving their international trip in February, when median flights can drop under $670, says Kayak.

Meanwhile, budget-conscious flyers may also want to consider domestic destinations like Saskatoon, Edmonton and Kelowna, which are posting price drops of 30 percent compared to last year, and US cities like Boston, Dallas, Palm Springs, Chicago, Denver and Tampa, which are also seeing prices drops of at least nine percent.

Here are the top 10 trending destinations among Canadian travelers:

1. Cartagena, Colombia - Searches up 58%

2. Casablanca, Morocco - Searches up 51%

3. Phuket, Thailand - Searches up 50%

4. Osaka, Japan - Searches up 49%

5; Bali, Indonesia - Searches up 46%

6. Male, Maldives - Searches up 44%

7. Jacksonville, Florida - Searches up 38%

8. Faro, Portugal - Searches up 38%

9. Oranjestad, Aruba - Searches up 37%

10. Kahului, Hawaii - Searches up 36%

Top 10 Deal Destinations among Canadian Travelers (destinations that have decreased in flight price year over year)

1. Male, Maldives - Flight prices down 31%

2. Boston, Massachusetts - flight prices down 19%

3. Dallas, Texas - Prices down 16%

4. Palm Springs, California - Prices down 15%

5. Chicago, Illinois - Prices down 12%

6. Denver, Colorado - Prices down 11%

7. Jacksonville, Florida - Prices down 11%

8. Belize City, Belize - Prices down 11%

9. Copenhagen, Denmark - Prices down 10%

10. Tampa, Florida - Prices down 9%

Top 10 Most Popular Destinations among Canadians (the most searched for destinations on Kayak)

1. Orlando, Florida

2. Fort Lauderdale, Florida

3. Cancun, Mexico

4. Honolulu, Hawaii

5. San Jose, Costa Rica

6. Las Vegas, Nevada

7. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

8. Miami, Florida

9. Los Angeles, California

10. Kahului, Hawaii
The specter of the Kevin Spacey allegations, following right on the heels of Harvey Weinsteins, could have loomed large over All the Money in The World, and indeed did so until the Oscar-bait films actual release. So first, let us tip our hats to both director Ridley Scott (aged 80) and thespian Christopher Plummer (aged 88), as well as the rest of the production unit, for having exorcised it of even the slightest miasma. That too in nine days.

Following Scotts decision to release his movie on the initially planned date while also scrubbing off all traces of scandal from its rushes, the cast and crew snowballed together to re-shoot all the scenes featuring J Paul Getty between November 20-29, with Plummer replacing Spacey in the role. And its quite the role.

J Paul Getty, was of course, the infamously miserly billionaire, who was at one time the richest man in the world. Getty, who made the majority of his fortune out of lucrative oil deals with Ibn Saud and the Saudi state, was widely known for his penny-pinching. The British-American magnates economic measures included installing pay phones at his sprawling estate in the English countryside to reduce telephone bills, and perhaps most notoriously, negotiating his eldest grandsons ransom demand with the kidnappers.

It is this particular episode that Scott has captured for his cinema, and even if its not entirely Verite, its certainly an engaging crime periodical. In the summer of 1973, 16-year-old John Paul Getty III was kidnapped from Rome by members of 'Ndrangheta, the Calabrese mafia, and held captive at a mountain village while a ransom note demanding $17 Million for his safe return was sent to his family.

While some investigators suspected it was a hoax perpetrated by the teenager himself, others, well basically his kind of estranged billionaire grandfather believed that giving into the kidnappers demands would expose his remaining 13 grandchildren to future kidnappings and, more importantly, his own fortune to future ransom demands, and so refused to pay up. Over several months of negotiations in which the kidnappers losing their patience and poor Paul III lost a ear, the ransom was finally whittled down to a relatively low 2.9 million dollars, with the Getty patriarch finally forking out $2.2 million (which was the highest tax-deductible amount) and lending the remainder of the sum to his son at a rate of 4% interest, which was presumably the family rate.

Scott sticks to most of the facts, though he doesnt shy away from the occasional post-truth flourish. Paul Jr, Paul IIIs father and the senior Gettys son, is relegated to either narcotic and post-coital hazes or a wheelchair bound catatonic existence (the obvious results of his hedonism), while Paul IIIs mother Abigail (Michelle Williams) is given the unenviable task of negotiating with the kidnappers as well as her former husbands family and hanger-ons. Mark Wahlberg plays Fletcher Chase, a former CIA operative-turned wheeler-dealer for Getty Sr. who is sent to advise and support Abigail.

The cast do a commendable job, with Plummer of course, and Williams walking away with most of the applause. Whether hes reading stock tickers or appraising a priceless art work or just being a tremendous cheapskate, Plummer carries himself with the sort of sociopathic eminence grise youd expect from a titan of industry, without skipping a beat; until the films ending anyway, when his heart skips several (thats hardly a spoiler, so dont get mad about the lack of a trigger warning).

Williams, as the middle-class Abigail married into an a glut of wealth and influence, stays admirably restrained in front of her cinematic father-in-law, but lashes out in taut fear and anger when the scenes call for a mother worried about the life and safety of her son. Caught between a rock and a hard place, while simultaneously being hounded by a news-hungry Italian press, William manages to convey the despair and desolation as well as the resoluteness that the role demands.

And Mark Wahlberg is well, Mark Wahlberg - the serious actor, not the Mark Wahlberg of broad-accented action comedies and vapid blockbusters. He lets his co-stars score the dramatic points while playing it simple and efficient as would behoove an international fixer of deals. More importantly he doesnt walk around shirtless in a single scene; there is a brief shot of him answering a phone-call literally between push-ups but hey, theres still a bit of Marky in Mark.

And then there's the film itself. Given the power and hedonisms of various Getty family members and the funds at their disposal the film could have devolved into an incessant orgy of wealth and excess (a la The Wolf of Wall Street), yet Scott turns the gluttony into gravitas. In this hes helped by the fact that Getty Sr. owned an incredible hoard of art treasures from around the globe and across history (the J. Paul Getty Trust established by him remains the world's richest art foundation) and Scott uses these several museums worth of masterpieces as symbols of the magnates influence and wealth.

Indeed even outside the sumptuously laid grounds of the Getty family estate, Scott provides us with a rich cinematic landscape with the rambling rural landscapes of Calabria juxtaposed against tight office shots of Romes red-tape layered bureaucratic agencies and the claustrophobia of an salacious media with its face always pressed against your windows. The Italian Mafiosi sing and cook and dance even as they discuss dismemberment or count ill-gotten stacks of money, while in the beautifully captured Eternal City a mother is bereft. And in the midst of it all, yet away from it, is a remote old man keeping an eye on the stock markets while turning his back on his own kith and kin. There truly are some things that money can't buy, but a ticket to this film is luckily one of them.

Rating: 3.5/5
Dimple Kapadia's nephew Karan Kapadia is all set to make his debut alongside none other than Sunny Deol. The son late actress Simple Kapadia, Karan is a huge fan of Sunny and is excited to have him as his co-star. The film will be directed by Behzad Khambata and the debut actor will play a 26-year-old boy trying to find his way in the world.

Confirming the news of Sunny starring in Karan's debut film, the producer of the project Tony D'Souza told Mumbai Mirror, "It's very different from his current lot of films, including Poster Boys and Yamla Pagla Deewana 3 and takes him back to the action genre. He is in the forces and will start shooting by the end of this month."

Well, rumor has it that Dimple might just make a cameo appearance in the film and if that happens it will be after 28 years that Sunny and Dimple will be sharing screen space.

A few months ago a video of Sunny and Dimple holding hands on a secret foreign vacation went viral on social media, reigniting rumors of their age-old romance.

The two actors have worked together in films like Aag Ka Gola, Narasimha, and Arjun.

Akshay Kumar is also rumored to make an appearance in Karan's first film.
Mumbai: Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who has returned to Twitter after taking a break for about seven months, says he got bored of not being on the micro-blogging site and, so, he got back on.

"When I stopped tweeting, I had got bored with being on Twitter and got off and now I got bored of not being on Twitter and I got on," he said.

He is back to being provocative. Is that again going to be his USP?

"Neither a tiger changes its stripes nor a snake changes its fangs and whether that's my USP or not, that's me," he said.

Why is his first tweet so aggressive in challenging actor Pavan Kalyan to get into politics?

I wish @PawanKalyan will contest all seats in AP like @superstarrajini doing in TN ..if he doesnt do,PKs fans will feel he doesnt have guts like Rajinikanth ..it will be an insult to telugu peoples prestige if our Superstar has lesser guts than the Superstar of Tamil people Ram Gopal Varma (@RGV_Offl) January 2, 2018

If @PawanKalyan doesnt with guts contest in each and every seat of AP, both his fans and all telugu people will feel hes just a very ordinary star and not a SUPERSTAR like @superstarrajini of the Tamil people Ram Gopal Varma (@RGV_Offl) January 2, 2018

"I was not challenging, just suggesting," said Varma.

He seems very sure that megastar Rajinikanth will make an impact in politics. "I am not just sure but I am convinced that Rajini will sweep the elections and no other party will get even one vote," he said.

Does he genuinely feel that Rajinikanth has a bright future in politics and Pavan doesn't?

"I never said PK doesn't have. All I said is he should show the same courage and confidence like Rajini," said Varma.

Does he see an MGR-Karunanidhi kind of clash between Rajinikanth and actor Kamal Haasan?

"They belong to two different states and so the comparison is misplaced," said the filmmaker.

On his NTR biopic's progress, he said: "It's timed for release before the next election."
New Delhi: Around 8 pm on a chilly January night, a couple is walking its dog on a posh street in East Punjabi Bagh. They look irritable when they are stopped and asked for directions. Their expression, though, softens when they find out they are being asked for directions to the house of Sushil Gupta.

When asked if they know Gupta, the man says with a smile, Arrey, unhe kaun nahi jaanta? (Who doesnt know him?). He points to another street around the corner and continues walking his dog.

The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday announced its pick of three nominees it plans to send to the Rajya Sabha. With an overwhelming majority in Delhi, AAP should have no problem sending three MPs to the Upper House.

The first name that Delhis Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced was that of Political Affairs Committee member Sanjay Singh, a name that did not surprise anyone, and the second one was that of Delhi-based chartered accountant ND Gupta.

Singh has been a loyal foot soldier in Arvind Kejriwals army while ND Gupta has been helping the party out with its taxes, free of cost, for a few years. The name that raised most the most eyebrows was of businessman and former Congress leader Sushil Gupta.

Kejriwal has drawn a lot of flak for nominating Sushil Gupta to Parliament. Yogendra Yadav, who was a founding member of AAP, said he was ashamed at ever having been associated with Kejriwal and AAP. Kumar Vishwas, another founding member who is now the Rajasthan AAP chief, likened Kejriwal to a dictator.

Harsh words like moneybag were thrown around describing Sushil Gupta on social media. Some on Twitter, such as former AAP member Mayank Gandhi, even alleged that Gupta had bought his way into Parliament. But for residents of Punjabi Baghs posh localities, Sushil Gupta can do no wrong.

Once a settlement created by Partition migrants in Delhi, Punjabi Bagh has turned into one of the most upscale neighbourhoods in the national capital. The street in East Punjabi Bagh that Gupta lives on is consistent with the stereotype of wealth and prosperity that this neighbourhood has come to represent. One house has an Audi A6 parked outside it, another has the newer Audi Q8.

Guptas house, while not extraordinarily larger or smaller than the others on the street, is palatial compared to the average home in Delhi.

AAP Rajya Sabha nominee, Sushil Gupta's house in Delhi's posh Punjabi Bagh. (News18)

At his house, a guard says Sahab ghar par nahi hain (Sir is not home). A neighbour, out on an evening walk, is asked what he thinks about Gupta. Sajjan aadmi hain. Hum sabke sukh-dukh ke saathi. (He is a great man. He stands with us in happiness and sorrow). Whether it is a wedding in the colony or a birthday, he is always there to bless our children. He helps us out whenever we need him.

Gupta, the Chairman of Delhis Punjabi Bagh Club for the last 25 years and chairman of the Punjabi Bagh Co-operative Housing Society for 13 years, is technically, not even a member of the Aam Aadmi Party.

He has wide-ranging business interests from land development to private education and healthcare institutions. Among others, he owns and operates Delhis Ganga Group of Institutions, but when asked how he would describe himself, Gupta told News18, Main purely kisaan hoon (I am purely a farmer). His 2013 election affidavit mentioned his profession as agriculturalist.

At Punjabi Bagh Club, a sprawling premises spread over 18 acres in West Punjabi Bagh, a chauffeur-driven sedan rolls up in front of the main foyer. Vijay Kumar Arora, whose family has been living in Punjabi Bagh for over 40 years, steps out. When asked if he knows Gupta, Arora instantly says, Yes, of course, I know him. Aur main unhe aaj se nahi, shuru se jaanta hoon (My friendship with him is not recent). My family moved to Punjabi Bagh in 1977. In those days, Sushil Jis brother owned a fast food restaurant called Nibbles here. We used to go there frequently and that is how far back our friendship stretches. You ask anyone at the club and they will tell you he is a great man. He maintains close relations with everyone and none of us have ever heard him be impolite or rude. There is a reason why we all elect him again and again as the President of the club. But if you want to hear more about him, you should go to the bar room.

Not everybody, however, shares Aroras enthusiasm about Gupta. Certainly not the teachers of Ganga International School, which sued their employer over non-payment of arrears to the staff. During the press conference on Wednesday, Manish Sisodia introduced Sushil Gupta as an educationist and philanthropist.

Sushil Gupta Ji is running charitable schools in fourteen districts of Delhi and Haryana. His institutions provide education to 15,000 children free of cost, Sisodia said. But Sisodias claims about Gupta are in sharp contrast with the allegations levelled by teachers of Ganga International School. The school, owned by Gupta, has been accused of not paying teachers arrears of salary that is due to them as per the Sixth Pay Commission. This is despite a Delhi High Court order on January 19, 2017.

Some have argued that Guptas appointment, while controversial, will help Kejriwal gain ground among Delhis middle-classes and upper-middle-classes  a constituency that the AAP has struggled to keep hold of. Guptas work in the neighbouring state may also help the party in Haryana, Kejriwals home state. But if Guptas electoral performance is anything to go by, it may not help the AAP much. In 2013, he unsuccessfully contested from Moti Nagar on a Congress ticket.

Gupta started his political career as a student activist of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) and until three months ago, was a member of the Congress party. When News18 asked him why he chose to take an active role in politics, he said, Bas Ji, bachchon ki shaadiyan kar di. Socha thoda kaam samaj ke liye bhi karoon. (Well, I got my children married. So I thought I should do something for society too).

When asked about his jump from Congress to AAP, he said, In 2013, I was asked to contest on an AAP ticket but I wanted to watch the partys working style first. I saw them (AAP) do good work, so I decided not to contest against them in 2015.

Gupta also said he doesnt believe in attaching himself to parties. See, I dont believe in political parties. I believe in good people. I want to do work in the health and education sector and I will go with anybody who lets me work in that sphere. When I quit the Congress, I had said I was open to all, he said.

Back at the bar in Punjabi Bagh Club, Guptas electoral debacles dont matter. As glasses of whiskey clink against one another and Hindi gives way to chaste Punjabi, one tipple says, Gupta sahib change bande ne. Parliament vich vi vadiya kam karange. Kejriwal ne sahi kitta Gupta sahib nu utthe bhej ke (Gupta is a good man. Even in Parliament, he will do good work. Kejriwal did well by sending him there).
Puducherry: Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, briefing him about the allegations, she said, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and his cabinet colleagues were making against her office.

In the letter, she alleged that Narayanasamy and his colleagues were making "persistent" allegations that her office was a "bottleneck" in implementing welfare schemes.

She shared a copy of the letter with reporters through WhatsApp.

Bedi said she wrote the letter after reading reports in local media that Narayanasamy has complained to PM Modi at a recent meeting about "bottlenecks" his government had to face because of her office.

Bedi returned from New Delhi yesterday. She told the Prime Minister that it was important "to bring to your notice that the Chief Minister and some of his cabinet colleagues have been persistently propagating the false allegation...that the Lt Governor's Office has been a bottleneck in implementing welfare schemes. These pronouncements are far from truth, and are a false propaganda".

Making her case, she said the proposal for ex-post facto approval of the free rice scheme was cleared after due diligence by her office in July and October with the observation to exclude "above poverty line families".

Bedi also referred to the fact that "not a single day was lost in clearing the proposal for payment of old-age pension to 1,44,847 beneficiaries" when the files were received by her office in November and December last year.

She wrote about "the detection of improper use of welfare funds" meant for civic amenities in Scheduled Caste colonies. Bedi said her office has referred the matter to the Central Vigilance Commission and a disciplinary action was also launched against defaulting officers.
Bhopal: Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar on Friday said that if politics of religion is not checked, it could give rise to "Hafiz Saeeds" among Hindus.

Prakash, the grandson of BR Ambedkar, made the comments while addressing a function organised by Akhil Bharatiya Mahatma Phule Samta Parishad in Bhopal, equating the religion-based politics to Hitlers rule.

"The politics of religion can become uncontrollable if it is not checked and it can give rise to many Hafiz Saeeds among the Hindus," he said, referring to the Pakistan-based co-founder of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba.

"This new order, in the name of religion, that is coming into existence is like Hitler-shahi (Hitler's rule)," Prakash added, at the programme organised to mark the birth anniversary of former Satna MP, late Sukhlal Kushwaha.

Referring to the recent violence in Maharashtra over the 200th anniversary celebrations of the battle of Bhima-Koregaon, Ambedkar, who had subsequently called for a bandh which brought life in Mumbai and elsewhere in the state to a halt, said, "People belonging to Hindutva organisations attacked those from the backward classes.

"We are demanding that the (Maharashtra) government arrest those who were involved, but the government appears to be helpless. It is the government's responsibility to act and if not checked immediately, it (violence against Dalits) may spread to the other states."

He urged the backward class communities to recognise their electoral strength and vote only for backward class, Dalit and tribal candidates, so that they could control the reins of power.

Referring to the BJP-led government at the Centre, Ambedkar said, "If it comes to power again, even the right to speak, which we are enjoying now, will be taken away. Therefore, we have to fight to save this right and the Constitution."

The former MP urged the Congress to declare backward class leader and the president of the party's Madhya Pradesh unit, Arun Yadav, its chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming state Assembly election.

"If the Congress fails to do so, we will have to choose our own way," he said.

Arun Yadav and former JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav were also present at the meeting.

(With PTI inputs)
Bengaluru: The road to Bengaluru begins from Manguluru, or so predict political observers in Karnataka, as the southern coastal city makes itself to front pages again and again, all the time for the wrong reasons. In the latest, a BJP worker Deepak Rao was killed allegedly by workers of Muslim radical outfit the Popular Front of India (PFI). The city is on edge, and the chill is spreading to other parts of the state.

The do or die Karnataka Assembly polls are just three months away, and a lot is at stake for the three dominant players in the state. For the ruling Congress, it is a battle for survival, because it is the only large state the party rules in India after Punjab. For BJP, winning Bengaluru is essential to prove that the Narendra Modi wave is not limited to north of the Vindhyas. And for regional player JD (S) of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, it is another chance to play kingmaker and, probably, once again have a foothold in New Delhi.

Mangaluru is not new to communal violence. Since early 1990s, the prosperous region has been in the news mostly for wrong reasons. Hindu-Muslim clashes, attacks on churches and moral policing, you name it, Mangaluru has it all.

The rapid growth of fringe Hindutva elements and Muslim radical organizations like PFI (and its political wing SDPI) has contributed to the worsening situation. According to Karnataka BJP, over 30 of their affiliated activists have been killed here since the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government came to power five years ago. The ruling Congress disputes these claims and blames the BJP for fanning communal tensions to come to power.

Wednesdays incident has once again brought Congress and BJP face to face raising the fears of more violence ahead of elections. BJPs chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa was quick to react directly holding Siddaramaiah government for the deaths. Speaking to News18, he said Siddaramaiahs appeasement politics has been responsible for the death of our workers in the state. Mangaluru district in charge minister B Ramanatha Rai must quit immediately. He is encouraging and protecting radical elements. The Congress will pay a huge price for it in the elections.

The Union minister of state for Skill Development and the face of Hindutva in Karnataka Ananthkumar Hegde was more vocal about it. In a series of tweets he attacked Siddaramaiah government branding it as an anti-Hindu administration. BJP MPs from the state also held a protest outside Parliament building in New Delhi on Thursday.

The unending spiral of communal deaths have sent shock waves across the Congress party in the state. According to insiders a visibly tense Siddaramaiah pulled up his minister and MLA from Mangaluru UT Khader for failing to rein in radical elements. He also held a detailed discussion with Home minister R Ramalingareddy ordering him to douse the raging flames immediately. Talking to media he said BJP statements are the most irresponsible ones. They want to use communal tensions to get the votes. Our government is not protecting anyone. We will take the strictest action irrespective of their religion and political affiliations. We have already arrested the killers and investigating it from all angles.

Reddy also accused BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje of having a political alliance with PFI in her native village Panchayat near Puttur in Mangaluru district. He said, Congress will do no business with PFI or SDPI.

In the meantime BJP has released a picture of food and consumer affairs minister UT Khader sharing a meal with a youth Congress leader who is an alleged member of a gang called Target Group formed to extort money from local traders. The BJP claims that the same group is linked to radical Muslim elements behind the murder of its workers. Dismissing the charges against him speaking to News18, Khader said he has nothing to do with the said person. At a function he was sitting next to me. I did not invite him to that place. He is a local criminal who is into extortion. We sent him to jail for that. If I am correct he was not involved in any communal incidents. Let the police take action against him. Who is stopping them?

The developments in the last one month has given enough hints that Hindutva versus Muslim radical elements issue is going to be the main issue in Assembly polls at least in coastal and adjoining Malnad (hilly region) Karnataka.

But some pro-Kannada groups and forums are expressing fears over communal agenda hijacking the polls ignoring the real issues. Vasanth Shetty, leader of a Kannada and Karnataka centric organization Banavasi Balaga feels that real issues like interstate water disputes, irrigation, infrastructure, uncontrolled migration of outsiders to Karnataka, corruption etc will be given a quiet burial and emotive issues will dominate the polls. He said the mainstream media is at fault here. They are behaving like as if the entire Karnataka is burning in communal fire. There are disturbances only in and around Mangaluru. The rest of the state is peaceful and people want their issues to be discussed during the elections. It is sad that BJP is focusing only on communal issues. The political parties cant address the real issues and find easy things like these to fool the voters.

Even though Yeddyurappa is trying his best to assure the people development will be the main issue in the elections, the straws in the wind tell of a different picture.
Ujjain: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has called upon Indians to foster social harmony and banish discord in society, saying India is more than just a piece of land. During his speech, Bhagwat also invoked DMK founder CN Annadurai and the change in his position following Indias 1962 war with China.

Addressing a gathering after unveiling a 16-feet statue of Bharat Mata, Bhagwat said there should be no ego among Indians. While worshipping the 'motherland', we have to consider the entire society as ours. We should be free from barriers of 'ours versus theirs' and 'big versus small'. Where there are cordial ties, there is no ego."

Bhagwat's remarks came two days after violence erupted in Maharashtra during the anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in Pune district. Simmering caste tensions came to the fore, triggering protests by Dalits.

"India is not just a piece of land. There are people who say it is just a piece of land and keep doing something. Such people are neither our brothers and sisters nor the off-springs of 'Bharat Mata'," the RSS chief said. "We should rid ourselves of discrimination and treat all equally," he said.

Bhagwat said DMK founder CN Annadurai once considered Tamil Nadu as a "separate country", which had "nothing to do" with India. However, when China attacked India in 1962, Annadurai changed his stand and opined that when the country is in danger, to advocate separatism would be to give way to the foreigner, he said.

"Who taught this to Annadurai? It is the soil of India which has sowed seed of patriotism in every citizen," Bhagwat said.

Touching upon the RSS concept of Akhand Bharat, he said, "We should always worship the undivided image of Mother India."

Bhagwat said the Indian ethos is rooted in the idea of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is one family). "We consider the world as one family. We find God in ourselves and everywhere. Indian ideology is based on this concept," the RSS leader maintained.

Violence erupted in Pune district when Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in which the forces of the British East India Company defeated the Peshwa's army. Right-wing groups have been blamed for the clashes which left one person dead.

Dalit leaders commemorate the British victory as it is believed that soldiers from the Mahar (Dalit) community were part of the East India Company's forces. The Peshwas were Brahmins, and the victory is seen as a symbol of Dalit assertiveness.
Washington: Following his brutal disavowal by President Donald Trump, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon's dream of spearheading a new US political movement appears in tatters while the Republican establishment he challenged is feeling more secure.

Trump turned on Bannon over his comments to the author of a book highly critical of the president and his family. The White House followed up on Thursday by suggesting that Bannon be ousted from his influential perch as chief executive of the hard-right news site Breitbart News.

Bannon appeared to have few close friends left among the more conservative factions of the Republican Party, which swiftly proclaimed their loyalty to Trump following the breakup.

"I don't know anyone in the conservative movement that's supporting Steve over Donald Trump right now in this, Christopher Ruddy, a close Trump ally and chief executive of the conservative Newsmax site, told Reuters.

Mike Cernovich, a leading social-media voice of the so-called alt-right movement that Bannon helped energize on Trumps behalf, had no doubt about which of the two men had more popular support. The base will stay with Trump.

Reader comments on Breitbarts site seemed overwhelmingly supportive of the president compared with Bannon. The Wall Street Journal reported late on Thursday that the sites board was considering letting him go.

Bannon's representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

Last year, media outlets as diverse as Time magazine and the comedy show "Saturday Night Live" portrayed Bannon, Trumps election campaign strategist, as the power behind the president, an unshaven, shabbily dressed Svengali bending the Republican Party to his economic nationalist agenda.

But Bannons star had been tumbling long before this weeks flap over criticism Bannon leveled at Trumps family in Michael Wolffs new book on the White House.

In August, Bannon was fired amid a power struggle in the West Wing, forcing his return to Breitbart.

His reputation as a political mastermind then took a hit after Republicans lost a US Senate seat in Alabama they had long held when the Bannon-backed Roy Moore, who was accused of improper conduct with teenage girls, fell to Democrat Doug Jones.

After leaving the White House, Bannon proclaimed his loyalty to Trump and vowed to wage an insurrection against the Republican establishment, especially Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, whom he accused of stalling Trumps policy agenda.

But last month, on the heels of Moores loss in Alabama, McConnell helped steer an overhaul of the US tax code through Congress, earning praise from Trump and depriving Bannon of his argument that the Republican-controlled Congress had not produced results.

'GREATLY DIMINISHED'

Trump turned on Bannon on Wednesday, saying he had lost his mind when he lost his job as chief strategist. He said Bannon did not represent Trump's political base and had exaggerated his influence even when he was at the White House.

Following Trumps attack, some of the candidates who had aligned themselves with Bannon's movement began stepping away, including Arizona US Senate hopeful Kelli Ward and New York congressional candidate Michael Grimm, who called the attacks against Trumps family baseless.

Bannons influence, Ruddy said, had always stemmed from the belief that he was close to Trump.

Hes greatly diminished, he said. What Steve forgets is the base is all about Donald Trump. Its not about Steve Bannon.

Josh Holmes, a former top aide to McConnell, said Bannon had been on a "self-interested mission" to play kingmaker inside the Republican Party.

"I think thats over. ... A leader without followers is just a guy taking a walk, Holmes said.

A friend of Bannon, former Trump adviser Sam Nunberg, said he doubted Bannons relationship with Trump could be fully repaired. But he added that Bannon would retain some sway over Trumps supporters, particularly on issues such as immigration.

This is not the end of the world, particularly with this president, Nunberg said.

Trump is known for casting associates out of the fold, but also for bringing them back, particularly if there are common political interests or common enemies.

The president did appear to be in a slightly forgiving mood on Thursday, noting that Bannon had praised him the night before on a radio show.

I dont know, he called me a great man last night," Trump told reporters, "so you know, he obviously changed his tune pretty quick.
Seoul: North and South Korea will hold official talks next week for the first time in more than two years after Pyongyang accepted Seoul's offer for dialogue, just hours after the United States and South Korea delayed a joint military exercise.

The South's unification ministry said North Korea had sent its consent for the talks to be held on Jan. 9 in a statement at 0116 GMT. The last time the two Koreas engaged in official talks was in December 2015.

The talks will be held at the border truce village of Panmunjom and officials from both sides are expected to discuss the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and the improvement of inter-Korean relations, ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun told a regular briefing.

North Korea asked for further negotiations regarding the meeting to be carried out via documented exchanges, Baik said. The officials to represent the two Koreas have yet to be confirmed.

The spokesman added there was no change to South Korea's stance that efforts aimed at the denuclearisation of North Korea should be continued, while Seoul would engage Pyongyang as it keeps close communications with the United States and allies.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un opened the way for talks with South Korea in a New Year's Day speech in which he called for reduced tensions on the Korean peninsula and flagged the North's possible participation in the Winter Olympics.

But Kim remained steadfast on the issue of nuclear weapons, saying the North would mass produce nuclear missiles for operational deployment and again warned he would launch a nuclear strike if his country was threatened.

US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in announced late on Thursday that annual large-scale military drills usually held in spring would now take place after the Winter Olympics scheduled for February in Pyeongchang.

The North sees these drills as exercises for a possible invasion. South Korea and the United States are technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.

Trump had called the proposed inter-Korean talks a "good thing" and that he would send a high-level delegation, including members of his family, to the Winter Olympics, according to South Korea's presidential office.

In a tweet, Trump, who hurled fresh insults at the North Korean leader this week, took credit for any dialogue.

"Does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total 'might' against the North," Trump tweeted.

The ramped-up momentum for inter-Korean dialogue follows a year of missile and nuclear tests by North Korea as well as an exchange of bellicose comments from Trump and Kim, which raised alarm across the world.

Earlier this week, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations said Washington was hearing reports that Pyongyang might be preparing to fire another missile.

South Korea's defence ministry said on Thursday they had yet to see any evidence of an imminent missile launch but there was always a chance North Korea could test missiles at any time.

Analysts with the website 38 North, which tracks North Korea, reported Pyongyang may be preparing to test a rocket engine at a facility in Sohae, North Pyongan Province where all of the North's satellite launches have taken place since 2012.

Commercial satellite imagery from Dec. 25 showed a rail-mounted environment shelter had been moved away from a test stand, indicating that an engine test may be in the near future, the website said.

Despite recent media reports that North Korea could soon fire a new rocket, the imagery showed no indications of preparations for such a launch, the analysts found.
If you cant control your tweeting habits, then stop tweeting, said a seasoned political commentator of CNN, Ana Navarro, on national television in her remarks against the not-so-friendly-tweeter American President Donald Trump.

This came as no surprise since President Trump doesnt let go off anything from his Twitter radar; be it his white supremacist rant, anti-Mexican sentiments, selective trade restrictive policies, or anti-Muslim videos retweets  Trumps twitter handle is all encompassing.

It is the very reason for his sweeping electoral victory, as per most analysts. His Twitter following is second only in popularity to his political arch-rival and former American President Barack Obama.

Nonetheless, given the habitual rhetoric of the US President whose electoral victory itself generated endless riots, civil resentment and divide amongst Americans, his very first tweet of 2018 spoke volumes of his grudges against the only nuclear-armed Muslim State of the world, Pakistan.

Recovering from the shock of his approval rating released by the PEW Research Centre on December 7, 2017 at mere 32%, President Trump tweeted of generously showering Pakistan with $33bn of US Aid stretched over a span of 15 years.

It was never worth the tireless war undertaken by the state of Pakistan for eradication of terrorism; a war that was always Americas and had begun with their militarizing of the Talibans and Haqqanis against the Soviet Union.

This policy was always foreseen as a never ending one and eventually turned out so, with the Americans being the first ones to unsubscribe to it as a paradigm shift in their policy doctrines; when America walked out on these wine and dine partners of theirs, they turned bitter and resentful. Notably it came as no surprise since President Trumps Afghan Policy of August 2017 which sought face-saving from the 15-year old American troops deployment in Afghanistan, followed by his latest anti-Pakistan tweet rant, werent mandated by the relevant historical and context which is aforementioned.

One would arguably question that if, as per New York Times and officiated USA figures, 15 years of NATO troops deployment in Afghanistan has been incapable of mainstreaming/taming 30% of Afghan territory till date, why would these questionable terror outfits need a safe haven/hideout in Pakistan, when theyre readily available and well-harboured in Afghanistan itself? Alas!

Retrospectively, Pakistan was at the crossroads and dilemma of this soured alliance between the US and its unofficial warriors- faithful but war-torn state of Pakistan chose to abide by this mess that wasnt theirs in the first place and it cost them a fortune.

Accredited as the country that have undertaken multiple clean-up operations along counterterrorism narrative namely Operation Al-Mizan (2002-2006), Operation Raah-e-Haq (2007), Operation Sher-e-Dil (2008), Operation Zalzala(2008-09), Operation Sirat-e-Mustaqeem(2008), Operation Raah-e-Raast & Raah-e-Nijaat(2009), Operation Koh-i-Safaid(2011), Operation Zarb-e-Azb(2013-2017) and Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad (2017 and ongoing), this didnt come easy for Pakistan.

Sacrifices and costs amounting to US $123.13bn, stripping the countrys GDP growth, loss of 70,000 people in indiscriminate bloodshed including women and children, armed and paramilitary forces, Pakistan bore heavy losses due to cross-border terrorism and must we reckon that irrespective of a civilian or military government in power, this particular cause was common and dear to all.

As we speak, the intelligentsia is pre-emptive of any malicious plans of the non-state actors which may be under engineering outside Pakistan and also within through their internal proxies at work, success rate of these recent most operations particularly Radd-ul-Fasaad and earlier Zarb-e-Azb has been as high as upto 90% and this is exactly what the USA is envious of, given the fact that 15 years of American occupation only epitomizes failures and exhaustion which has only worsened in the last week of year 2017 with around 100 casualties in Afghanistan, claimed by the ISIS.

On the contrary, those 30% of uncontrolled Afghan territory is hosting Mullah Fazlullah, chief of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who has unapologetically masterminded heinous acts of cross border terrorism in Pakistan.

Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Umar Zakhelwal is one end, on record for having admitted to these safe havens in the uncontrollable half of Afghanistan while on the other side of the picture former Afghan President Hamid Karzai (informal alias Mayor of Kabul since only Kabul was what he could control) has backed President Trump for his unabashed, far from reality anti Pakistan rant. One may now comfortably subscribe to the truer picture and decide for themselves who in here has duality in their role(s).

Talking business, in totality of the $123bn worth losses bore by Pakistan itself for the war against terrorism, only $33bn was reimbursed by the USA alongside violation by USA of the bilateral Coalition Support Fund Agreement through halting these disburses in last three years which tantamount to most of this figure of $33bn, far from the term aid.

Thankfully for Pakistan, this made up only 1% of the countrys total budgetary expenditure which it could well beyond compensate through other friendlier and time-tested means/avenues such as China.

The magnanimous China Pakistan Economic Corridor project is the most recent testament and fortification of the historical bond between China and Pakistan, further bolstered by Russia, China and Iran.

Given the magnitude of this project, rumours and politicisation are natural to follow but theyve always been brushed aside by the robustness of bilateralism between the two main stakeholders; China and Pakistan. Enlivening like always was the back of China, post President Trumps stance; standing solid as a rock by the side of Pakistan as in the Kashmir issue, NSG membership and Palestinian struggle. Not like all eggs in one basket, rather different eggs from different baskets assembling under the common roof of CPEC; as if the USA had left Pakistan with any other option but this.

(Mona Alam is Islamabad-based political and security analyst. Views are personal)
United Nations: The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting about Iran at the request of the US which asked for the session to show support for anti-government protests.

The council has scheduled a meeting today afternoon in the Middle East. Alma Konurbayeva, a spokeswoman for council president Kazakhstan, confirms the session will be about Iran.

It's not yet clear how the discussion will take shape. Members are divided in their views of the protests.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley has praised the demonstrators, saying "the UN must speak out" to support them. But Russia has warned against "external interference" in what it sees as an Iran's internal affairs.

At least 21 people have been killed and hundreds arrested in a week of protests and unrest. Pro-government rallies happened on Wednesday and Thursday.
Washington: The United States has suspended $2 billion security assistance to Pakistan until it takes "decisive actions" against terror groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network, but said the move has "nothing to do" with Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed.

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes after President Donald Trump in a New Year's Day tweet accused the country of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

The suspended amount also include USD 255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

The US has suspended about USD 2 billion in security aid to Pakistan for failing to clamp down on the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network terror groups and dismantle their safe havens, a senior White House official told reporters on the condition of anonymity.

The USD 2 billion security aid includes USD 900 million in the Coalition Support Funds (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017, the senior White House official said.

In addition, the Department of Defence has suspended other unspent money from previous fiscal years. "Today we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance only, to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters.

"We consider them (terror groups) to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan," she said.

The US, she said, will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law.

The White House has also denied allegation that the US is speaking the language of India, saying it is the decision of the administration.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday alleged that Trump's recent remarks against his country showed that he was "talking in the language of India".

Reacting to the Trump administration's move, Pakistan had earlier said, "We are engaged with the US Administration on the issue of security cooperation and await further details."

"Arbitrary deadlines, unilateral pronouncements and shifting goalposts are counterproductive in addressing common threats," the Foreign Office said in a statement in Islamabad earlier.

It said that Pakistan believed that its cooperation with the US in fighting terrorism directly served US national security interests as well as the larger interests of the international community.

Historically, the US has provided Pakistan over USD 1 billion in security assistance annually.

In August, while unveiling his new South Asia strategy, Trump had accused Pakistan of giving "safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror," and said the time had come "for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilisation, order, and to peace".

Referring to Trump's new strategy, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by Trump administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack the US and allied personnel.

At the same time, Nauert made it clear that the US action has nothing to do with Pakistan not taking action against the Mumbai terror attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed.

"We have certainly expressed our concern about the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks being let out of house arrest in Pakistan. To my knowledge, that has nothing to do with that," she said in response to a question on Saeed, who was released by Pakistan on November last year.

"There is a USD 10 million reward out for information leading to his re-arrest, the person who is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks who was let go in Pakistan," Nauert said.

Meanwhile, Department of Defence Spokesperson Lt Col Mike Andrews told PTI that National Defense Authorisation Act 2017 provides up to USD 900 million for Pakistan in the CSF. Of these funds, USD 400 million can only be released if the Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis certifies that the Pakistan government has taken specific actions against the Haqqani Network.

"At this stage all Fiscal Year 17 CSF have been suspended, so that's the entire amount of USD 900 million," Andrews said.

During an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis did not respond to question if he was in favour of cutting off the aid to Pakistan. According to a senior State Department official, no decision has been taken on the fate of USD 255 million security assistance to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017. The deadline for that is September 30 this year.

Mattis along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have travelled to Pakistan in recent months to deliver tough message to the country's leadership. So, this action should not come as a surprise to them, Nauert said. "They may say it's a surprise, but what is no surprise is that the President has expressed his concerns, Secretary Tillerson has expressed his concerns, as has Secretary Mattis, and I imagine many other government officials having those conversations with Pakistan," Nauert said.

Now, the money that has been suspended at this time does not mean that it will be suspended forever, she said. "Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps," she added.

"People have long asked, why don't you do more about Pakistan, and I think this sort of answers that question," she said. "They understand that, but still they aren't taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism," she said.

In an interaction with reporters, two senior state department officials insisted that such a move is not a punishment, but to provide an "incentive" to Pakistan to take more action against terrorist groups.

"We have not done anything that's irreversible here. All this funding is available to Pakistan, if they undertake to take the measures that we've asked of them," one official said.

"So we were hoping that this is an incentive that they don't want to see this relationship deteriorate any further..," he added.

The US and others have long complained that Pakistan offered safe haven to the Afghan Taliban and their allies, the Haqqani Network, allowing them to carry out cross-border attacks in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies allegations but President Trump has escalated the criticism against the country since he took office last January. On Thursday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had placed Pakistan on a special watch list for severe violations of religious freedom.

(With PTI inputs)
Harare City Council workers have accused Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni of being hypocritical over the contentious subject of the local authoritys salary structure since he has recently been complaining that his $1 200 monthly allowance was low.



According to the workers, Councillor Manyenyeni had erroneously compared council workers gross salaries, including overtime and other allowances, with the net salaries of their peers in Government.



The mayor recently claimed that HCC employment costs are the big elephant crippling council operations as even low-level employees are paid two to five times more than their counterparts in similar jobs elsewhere. The City of Harare monthly salary bill currently stands at $10 million.



Four unions representing more than 9 000 municipal workers  the Harare Municipal Workers Union, Water Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Urban Council Workers Union and the Zimbabwe Allied Municipal Workers Union (ZAMWU)  said they were surprised by Clr Manyenyenis decision to use the media as a negotiating platform.



To put the record straight, our mayor has chosen to assume some executive power and started commenting on the area he is least knowledgeable (about). The salaries the city employees get are a result of negotiations, said the unions in a statement on Thursday.



During the tenure of our mayor (Manyenyeni), negotiations were done numerous times as enunciated in the Labour Act Chapter 28.01 and collective bargaining agreements are a clear testimony. The mayors office is supported by relevant professions for the smooth running of the city.



The unions maintain that the mayor is least qualified to comment on council salaries as he was not knowledgeable about the issue. They further claim that in August last year, council, at the instigation of Clr Manyenyeni, engaged Industrial Psychology Consultants for a salary survey and benchmarking, but the report hasnt been made public yet.



In spite of his effort to have the report to himself, we also have it from reliable sources that City of Harare is generally paying market rates. There is no evidence to suggest that City of Harare is overpaying its employees in relation to the market. The report said affordability and sustainability of remuneration depends on the overall performance of the city, especially in relation to the revenue collected, said the workers.



It was surprising, the city workers claim, for the mayor to say HCC is producing water of the poorest quality, yet the biggest water loan for the local authority was secured under his watch. During his tenure, the workers added, the city witnessed the privatisation of most of its revenue-generating units such as Easy Park, City Park, crusher stations, Harare Holdings, while debts ballooned to $700 million owing to poor revenue collection methods.



As workers, we endured the longest period of non-payment of salaries again during his tenure. As trade unions, we demand our rights to be observed and respected, especially among other rights, bonuses and timeous payment of salaries, said the workers.



Mayor Manyenyeni yesterday said he should not be blamed for merely pointing our facts as it was the numbers and not himself, that were doing the talking.



This council did not set these salaries. The salaries cannot be afforded by the struggling council. How do they feel getting overpaid by struggling rate payers? All our efforts to negotiate correct pay levels have failed. Herald






This State's Road Signs

Were Too Much for the Feds
A 600-year-old scroll describing the wars that inspired Game of Thrones might not be done making its mark on history. For the first time, the Canterbury Rolldetailing England's history until the Middle Agesis being published online, making it accessible to the world, reports News.com.au. (The first stage is here, and the rest should be out in 2018.) As New Zealand's University of Canterbury celebrates 100 years since it acquired the 16-foot genealogical scroll, British scientists will begin studying the 15th-century manuscript next week in the hope of discovering hidden features. Using specialized equipment, they'll complete ground-breaking work that has never before been applied to this type of manuscript, according to a release.

Researchers have so far gathered that the manuscript dates to the Wars of the Roses, a series of wars fought for England's throne by two noble families: the Lancasters and Yorks, who became the Lannisters and Starks in George RR Martin's Game of Thrones, per Mental Floss. Created by the Lancaster side, the "visually spectacular" scroll then "fell into Yorkist hands and they rewrote part of it," says researcher Chris Jones. He notes the University of Canterbury acquired it in 1918 from a Canterbury nurse named Sybilla Maude, whose family claimed to have been keeping it since the Middle Ages, per Radio New Zealand. It's now "the most significant and substantial medieval artifact in New Zealand," Jones says, adding that the public can "interact directly with the manuscript." Check out how here. (Read more New Zealand stories.)
Fresh off watching his opponent sworn in as a US senator, Alabama's Roy Moore was sued for defamation Thursday by a woman who says he molested her when she was 14 and he was 32, AL.com reports. Leigh Corfman is suing Moore and his campaign for "repeatedly and in all forms of media, calling her a liar and questioning her motivation." According to the Washington Post, Corfman says Moore, then an assistant district attorney, brought her to his home in 1979, took off her clothes, touched her over her underwear, and made her touch him over his underwear. She went public with her allegations in November. In response, Moore called her claims "politically motivated" and "completely false," adding that he had never met her.

"Mr. Moore sexually abused me when I was only 14 years old," Corfman says in a statement. "Then he and his campaign called me a liar and immoral when I publicly disclosed his misconduct." Corfman is seeking a public apology from Moore, for him to retract his statements against her, and for the court to bar him or his campaign from further statements against her, as well as money to cover her legal costs. The lawsuit states her "only motivation is to clear her name," and she says the suit will "do what I could not do as a 14-year-oldhold Mr. Moore and those who enable him accountable." Moore, who has been accused by multiple women of pursuing them sexually or romantically when they were teens, has still not conceded after losing to Doug Jones in a Dec. 12 election in Alabama, the Hill reports.

(Read more Roy Moore stories.)
How bonkers was the weather in Florida? It was raining iguanas. The AP reports temperatures in parts of South Florida were below 40 degrees Thursdaywell cold enough to freeze iguanas, which aren't native to the area. Theyll fall out of trees. Theyll end up in areas where your cars are, parking lots, areas where theyre cold stunned, Emily Maple, reptile keeper at the Palm Beach County Zoo, tells CBS12. "It's too cold for them to move," the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Kristen Sommers adds to the AP.

But the lizards aren't necessarily dead. "Theyre still able to breathe. Theyre still able to do bodily functions just very slow, Maple tells CBS12. She adds the iguanas will revive and get more active if temperatures increase. But more than two days of sub-45 degrees, and they'll likely die, typically from pneumonia. Maple says people can move the iguanas into the sun or out of the road "if you feel comfortable." Meanwhile, the Wildlife Conservation Commission rescued around 100 sea turtles stunned by cold waters Thursday, the Miami Herald reports. (Read more iguana stories.)
The disappearance of two teenage girls in Oklahoma 18 years ago is getting renewed attentionand the case is potentially making progressthanks to the lucky discovery of an old crate. Craig County Sheriff Heath Winfrey was moving into the Sheriffs Office in 2017 when he found a crate containing case notes on a shelf in a closet, reports Tulsa World. "We weren't digging for itwe just found it," says Winfrey. Indeed, an investigator with the district attorney's office says authorities didn't even know the notes existed until Winfrey discovered them. And they're being described as "extremely valuable," having "produced leads that have produced additional leads," the investigator says. "You don't think finding something like that in a crate would push the case forward this much," adds Winfrey.

Though on a "definite course," per KOTV, authorities hope $60,000 in combined rewards will encourage more tips. What's known is that Danny and Kathy Freeman were found shot dead inside their burned mobile home in Welch, having been killed late on Dec. 29, 1999, or early the next morning. Their 16-year-old daughter, Ashley, was having a birthday sleepover with Lauria Bible, also 16, in the home. No evidence of the girls has been found since, including in a Kansas mineshaft where a man once claimed he'd placed their bodies. Citing an unpaid debt, Jeremy Jones said he killed the Freemans before driving the girls to Kansas and shooting them, per Inside Edition. However, Jones never faced charges in the case and later recanted his confession. He's currently on death row in Alabama for a woman's rape and murder. (A Coke can might've solved this 1989 murder.)
Scientists have long wondered about the "prosocial" activity of bonobos, noting how the apes appear to be more sharing and cooperative than other primates such as chimps, per the Los Angeles Times. But humans may still have them beat after a new study out of Duke University suggests bonobos prefer "jerks" rather than more helpful subjects, a release notesperhaps setting humans apart from our closest kin in the animal kingdom. The study, which appears in the Current Biology journal, notes that by the time human infants are 3 months old, they exhibit a preference for more helpful people, but "whereas humans already prefer helpers by [that age], bonobos favor hinderers." The researchers went to work on this theory via four experiments on semi-free-ranging bonobos in a Democratic Republic of Congo sanctuary.

The scientists used both live-action participants and animated videos to see if the bonobos preferred "prosocial" or "antisocial" actors. In one experiment, for example, the bonobos had to choose whether to accept apple slices from a "helper" (someone the apes had previously seen return a dropped toy to someone who'd dropped it) or a "hinderer" (someone who'd taken that toy and run away). The bonobos tended to reach out to the thief. The researchers theorize the apes may think such insolent behavior is a signifier of dominance and social status, and by choosing the bully, they'd avoid being bullied themselves and increase their chances of getting food or mates. That trait may keep bonobos from working together in large groups like humans. (Bonobos are the closest humans can get to a "living ancestor.")
President Trump, who slammed Pakistan in his first tweet of the year, has now made good on his threat to cut off aid. The administration says it's suspending all security assistance to the country until it takes "decisive action" against Taliban and Haqqani militants on its territory targeting American troops over the border in Afghanistan, NBC News reports. "Despite a sustained high level of engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani network continue to find sanctuary in Pakistan," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert says. The department also accuses Pakistan of violating religious freedom, the AP reports.

Earlier this week, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, saying Pakistan has "played a double game for years," announced that the US was freezing $255 million in military aid that would have been used to buy equipment from American companies. Trump's New Year's Day tweet has brought Pakistan's deeply divided government, opposition, and military together to oppose American policy, the Wall Street Journal reports. "The behavior of America is not the behavior of an ally or friend, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said Thursday. "They have abandoned us at every difficult moment in our history." Analysts warn that if relations deteriorate further, the US may have to stop using the country as a supply route for American forces in Afghanistan. (Read more Pakistan stories.)
A 13th person has died from injuries suffered in one of New York City's deadliest fires in decades. Police say 27-year-old Holt Francis was critically injured in the Dec. 28 Bronx apartment building fire and died at a hospital on Thursday, the AP reports. They say the fire was caused by a 3-year-old boy playing with stove burners. Francis' wife, their two daughters, and a niece were also killed in the fire. Eight adults and five children died in the blaze.

Among them was 28-year-old Army National Guard soldier Emmanuel Mensah, who rescued at least four people that night before going back into the burning building and dying of smoke inhalation. Sen. Chuck Schumer has written to the Army, asking them to honor Mensah's bravery with a posthumous award, the New York Daily News reports. (Read more New York City stories.)
A white supremacist accused of stopping an Amtrak train in Nebraska has been charged with terrorism. Documents unsealed Wednesday in US District Court in Lincoln show 26-year-old Taylor Wilson of St. Charles, Mo., is charged with terrorism attacks and other violence against railroad carriers and mass transportation systems, the AP reports. The eastbound train with about 175 people aboard halted around 2am on Oct. 22 in Oxford, Neb., about 200 miles southwest of Omaha. Per an affidavit cited by the Lincoln Journal Star, FBI Special Agent Monte Czaplewski said the assistant conductor found Wilson sitting in the engineer's seat, "playing with the controls." That conductor and others reportedly subdued and held Wilson down until the authorities could arrive.

A deputy says Wilson had a loaded revolver (he had a permit for concealed carry in Missouri), plus more ammunition and a knife. Wilson, who was traveling from Sacramento, Calif., to St. Louis, was initially charged in Furnas County with felony criminal mischief and use of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony. In an affidavit regarding the new charges, Czaplewski said there was probable cause to believe that electronic devices possessed by Wilson and firearms owned by him "have been used for or obtained in anticipation of engaging in or planning to engage in criminal offenses against the United States." Court documents show the FBI has evidence of Wilson's activities with white supremacist groups, with an informant telling the agency Wilson has previously expressed interest in "killing black people."

(Read more white supremacist stories.)
Handsome Santa Claus and one-time Late Show host David Letterman has a new talk show on Netflix, and his first guest truly needs no introduction. The Hollywood Reporter reveals the first guest on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman will be none other than Barack Obama. The episode, which hits Netflix Jan. 12, is notable for two reasons: It will be Obama's first talk show appearance since becoming a former president, and it marks Letterman's first return to a regular TV gig since leaving The Late Show in 2015.

EW.com quotes Netflix on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction: "The conversations are intimate, in-depth, and far-reaching, with the levity and humor Daves fans know and love." A new episode will be available every month. Other confirmed guests include Malala Yousafzai, George Clooney, and Jay-Zbut not President Trump, who Letterman had said he hoped would be his first guest. (Read more David Letterman stories.)
Two Republican leaders are recommending the Justice Department investigate Christoper Steelethe former British spy who authored the infamous dossier alleging collusion between Russia and the Trump campaignfor possibly lying to the FBI, the Washington Post reports. According to the New York Times, it's the first known criminal referral made as part of a Republican-led investigation into possible Russian election interferenceand notable because it was made against someone attempting to expose that interference. "I dont take lightly making a referral for criminal investigation," Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of Senate Judiciary Committee, writes in a letter to the Justice Department. "But ... I feel obliged to pass that information along to the Justice Department for appropriate review." Sen. Lindsey Graham signed on to the letter.

In recommending a criminal investigation into Steele, Grassley and Graham aren't calling the contents of his dossier into question but rather claiming there's evidence he lied to the FBI about contacts with journalists. Politico notes the senators didn't provide any public evidence for their claim. Democrats obviously weren't taken with the criminal referral. Sen. Dianne Feinstein says "it's clearly another effort to deflect attention from what should be the committees top priority: determining whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia." And veteran prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg tells the Post the referral is "nonsense." The FBI doesnt need any prompting from politicians to prosecute people who have lied to them, Zeidenberg says. "They should stay in their lane." (Read more Christopher Steele stories.)
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Mumbai:

The Reserve Bank of India on Friday introduced a brand new chocolate brown coloured ten rupee note.

The new note remains same in height of 63mm as the current ten rupee note, however, its width will be 123 mm, slightly less than the 137 mm width of the old note.

The reverse of the note will bear a motif of the Konark Sun Temple, which is another striking feature. The image of fauna of India  rhinoceros, elephant and tiger are imprinted on the existing ten rupee note.

The new note bearing the signature of Reserve Bank of India governor Urjit Patel will be put into circulation shortly, the RBI said in a press release.



Geometric patterns, other designs aligning with the overall colour scheme can be seen on both sides of the note.

All the banknotes in the denomination of Rs 10 issued by the Reserve Bank in the earlier series will continue to be legal tender, said RBI.

Features of new Rs 10 note:

Obverse (Front)

1. See through register with denominational numeral 10

2. Denominational numeral 10 in Devnagari

3. Portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the centre,

4. Micro letters 'RBI', Bharat (In Devnagri), INDIA' and '10',



5. Windowed demetalised security thread with inscriptions Bharat (Devnagri) and RBI



6. Guarantee Clause, Governor's signature with Promise Clause and RBI emblem towards right of Mahatma Gandhi portrait



7. Ashoka Pillar emblem on the right



8. Mahatma Gandhi portrait and electrotype (10) watermarks



9. Number panel with numerals growing from small to big on the top left side and bottom right side.

Reverse (Back)

10. Year of printing of the note on the left



11. Swachh Bharat logo with slogan,



12. Language panel

13. Motif of Sun Temple, Konark,



14. Denominational numeral 10 in Devnagari

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Shillong:

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Friday accused the BJP of implementing the RSS' agenda and claimed that the "ultimate aim" of the saffron brigade was to amend the Constitution and allow a only single religion in the country.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma lashed out at the BJP-RSS for their alleged involvement in dividing the people of the country and called them "the agents of the devil".

Sangma claimed that the RSS had failed to include their single-religion ideology into the Constitution when it was framed because of the Congress and its leaders.

"So, to achieve their agenda, they even got Congress leaders eliminated," he alleged.

Stating that the RSS was trying to "eliminate the Congress, which is still there", Sangma said the "Congress-mukt Bharat" campaign of the BJP was aimed at preventing the party from coming in the way of fulfilling the agenda of the saffron brigade of amending the Constitution.

"They (BJP-RSS) have been trying to amend (the Constitution) for a long time...to make India a country of one religion. They have not been sleeping since 1947.

"The (aim of the) NDA is to implement the agenda of the BJP and that of the BJP is to implement the agenda of the RSS...Their ultimate aim is to amend the Constitution. They now need the numbers in the Rajya Sabha," the senior Congress leader said while addressing a party meeting, in which the newly-appointed Meghalaya PCC president took charge.

Keeping up his vitriolic attack, Sangma said, "It is the RSS which dictates, it is the RSS which decides. The prime minister does not have the power to decide on his own and even as regards who should be a minister...This is how this NDA government is working, that is why you see what you see."

He claimed that the country would "surely disintegrate" if the BJP was allowed to implement its programme.

"We have to fight against the agents of the devil. I am calling them agents of the devil because they want to divide the people, make them fight among themselves and kill each other," Sangma said, adding that the BJP and RSS were successful in engaging in these agendas because the people were not alert and were complacent.

He also alleged that the RSS had started dividing the Garo people of Meghalaya by saying that their culture and tradition were different from those of the Christians and that they were like the members of the organisation.

"But how is it that our people (Garos) are like them (RSS members) We are tribals, we are non-vegetarian and our people eat everything that moves," he said, in an oblique reference to the BJP-ruled South Delhi Municipal Corporation's proposed ban on the display of non-vegetarian food outside eateries.

Sangma said he had to write to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh before Christmas, following requests by parents whose children were living in other parts of the country and allegedly facing threats.

The ruling Congress had to live up to its promises on the law-and-order front, which were made ahead of the 2013 state Assembly polls, the chief minister said and urged the people to remember the help they got from his government.

Also read: Bajrang Dal volunteer hacked to death in Mangaluru; Karnataka Police arrests 4 persons



The Assembly election in Meghalaya is due this year.

Sangma also called on the pro-Inner Line Permit (ILP) activists in the state to protest against the BJP-RSS.

Also read| Congress, BJP avoided talking about Muslim empowerment: Asaduddin Owaisi



"The ILP-walas should first stop these people (RSS) from coming to the state because they are already making social and cultural invasions to divide our people and it is dangerous for us," he said.

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Chennai:

After a hunt of 24 years, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) claims to have arrested the alleged key accused involved in the bombing of RSS Tamil Nadu headquarter in 1993 from Chennai outskirts on Friday.

The arrested person has been identified as Mushtaq Ahmed. CBI said he is member of Ul-Ummah, a banned terrorist organisation based in Tamil Nadu.

CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said, aAhmed was arrested on Friday morning from outskirts of Chennai. He had managed to evade arrest for 24 years.a

Members of Ul-Ummah had triggered a RDX bomb at the multi-storeyed RSS office at Chetput in Chennai on August 8, 1993. Eleven people were killed in the blast.

The agency has been in hunt for Ahmed, 56, after his name erupted in the case during their initial days of investigation. The CBI had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh on him.

Also read| Virendra Dixit ashram: CBI registers 3 cases



According to CBI, Ahmed had allegedly procured explosive materials for assembling bombs and provided shelter to other accused persons.

The investigative agency increased its pace to nab Ahmed after Chennai TADA court convicted and awarded life term to 11 persons. The court had earlier in 2007 had announced life term for three in 2007.

CBI was entrusted with the probe in 1993 and it filed charge sheet against 18 persons.

Also read: Special CBI Court to pronounce quantum of sentence for Lalu Yadav in Fodder scam case today



After the trial in 2007, the special court had acquitted four persons, including SA Basha, founder of the banned al-Ummah for lack of evidence against them.
New Delhi:

A man and a woman in their early twenties, believed to have eloped, were stabbed in full public view allegedly by the girls family members in New Delhis Vasundhara Enclave area on Friday evening. The 32-year-old man died on the spot.

Delhi Police suspects the incident to be a case of honour killing'.

According to police, the girls brother and uncle chased the eloping couple for kilometers before they were stopped near Vasundhara Enclave in East Delhi.

Police said, The girls relatives pulled out of the couple from the cab and attacked them with sharp weapons.

A senior officer of Delhi Police said, The boy died at the incident site. The girl was rushed to a nearby hospital with major stab injuries."

(More details awaited)





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New Delhi:

Capping airfares will push up ticket costs, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said on Friday after a parliamentary panel recommended "fixing an upper limit" for air tickets and restricting cancellation charges to 50 per cent of the base fare.

The report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture noted that "airlines are charging more than ten times of the advance booking fare" and that "deregulatory environment does not mean unlimited freedom of exploitation", while urging the government to intervene.

"The Ministry of Civil Aviation, though aware of the rampant exploitation is not showing any proactive role in regulating the airfares.

Also read: Chennai-Doha IndiGo flight suffers bird hit after take off, passengers accommodated on different plane



"The committee therefore recommends that Ministry of Civil Aviation consider fixing an upper limit of the air ticket for every sector," says the report which was tabled in the Rajya Sabha yesterday.

The Aviation Minister told reporters that there were only 1.7 per cent of cases where fares were higher than normal, and putting a cap on them will result in pushing up fares for 98 per cent of the cases.

"We did an analyses and we took up ticketing of an entire year and we realised 1.7 per cent of the ticketing was a matter of concern and that was mostly on certain sectors. If we go into floors and caps, we will be pushing up the cost for 98 per cent to reduce the cost for less than 2 per cent," Raju told reporters outside Parliament.

Junior aviation minister Jayant Sinha said that dynamic pricing practised by Indian airlines is a global practice.

"Dynamic pricing in our country is a global practice and we have not seen that our airlines are doing anything apart from global practices," he said.

He added that if anyone had a complaint they could approach the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Competition Commission of India.

The parliamentary panel has said that "pricing mechanisms applicable in the developed countries may not be suitable for India", adding that despite a fall in Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices, airlines have not passed on the benefits to the passengers.

The report has also highlighted "arbitrary" cancellation charges.

"There is no uniformity or minimum standards to impose charges for rescheduling, cancellation and no-show. Attractive offers by private airlines veil the fact that passengers are charged the entire ticket amount if they want to cancel the tickets.

"The airlines must be restricted to charging not more than 50 per cent of the base fare as cancellation charges," said the report titled "Issues related to improving consumer satisfaction of airlines".

Also read: Air India ties up with foreign banks to acquire 3 B777 planes

The committee also points out that often passengers standing in long check-in queues miss their flights and are forced to book afresh at exorbitant rates. Therefore, it suggested, that airlines must depute additional staff at counters to ensure passengers do not spend more than 10 minutes in a queue.

The panel made a slew of other recommendations including improving the quality of food served onboard, monetary compensation for unservicable seats as well as cleaner toilets at airports.

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New Delhi:

The budget session of Parliament will start from January 29 and the Union Budget will be presented on February 1, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said on Friday.

President Ramnath Kovind will address the joint sitting of the two Houses on January 29 and the Economic Survey will be tabled on the same day, the minister told reporters in Delhi.

The first phase of the session will be from January 29 to February 9. After a recess, Parliament will meet again from March 5 to April 6, Kumar said.

The Recommendation of the session dates was made by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.

First part of budget session to be held from 29 January to 9 February, budget to be presented on 1 February. Second part to be held from 5 March to 6 April: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar (File Pic) pic.twitter.com/rigPOGiFXK a ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018

Earlier in the day, both lower and upper houses were adjourned sine-die as the winter session of the Parliament came to an end.

The winter session of the Parliament, which started on December 15 has generally been a stormy affair with Opposition creating ruckus over a number of issues be it PM Modi's "colluding with Pakistan" remark or the Triple Talaq Bill that could not see the light of the day in Rajya Sabha.

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Washington:

The Trump administrations decision to suspend over USD 1.1 billion security assistance to Pakistan has nothing to do with Islamabad not taking action against Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, a US official has said.

We have certainly expressed our concern about the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks being let out of house arrest in Pakistan. To my knowledge, that has nothing to do with that, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters at her daily news conference.

Nauert was responding to a question if the suspension of security assistance was related to Hafiz Saeed, the Mumbai attack mastermind who was released by Pakistan on November last year.

There is a USD 10 million reward out for information leading to his re-arrest, the person who is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks who was let go in Pakistan. So weve been very clear about our displeasure with that individual being let go, and thats why we like to remind people that there is a USD 10 million Rewards for Justice program out for him, Nauert said.

A senior State Department official told reporters that the US continues to have conversation with Pakistan not only on Haqqani network, and Taliban, but also on India-centric terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

We cant continue to have a relationship that has a business as usual with Pakistan. This conversation is not new to this administration. There have been concerns about Pakistans issue of sanctuaries for the Haqqani network and the Taliban. But we have concerns about their nuclear programme. We have concerns about the ability of anti-Indian groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish e Mohammed to fundraise and operate, the official who spoke on anonymity said.

Also Read | US suspends security assistance to Pak for harbouring terror groups

Hafiz Saeed who was recently released from house arrest is among the issues that have been a feature of Americas conversation with Pakistan for many years.

This administration felt that we needed to take additional steps to underscore that were not going to be able to continue the relationship on autopilot. We cant continue a status quo relationship. We need to be able to move beyond these challenges and put our relationship on a more solid footing, the official said.

Responding to a question, the official disputed the general impression coming out of Pakistan that it will not rearrest Hafiz Saeed as being demanded by the US.

I have not seen them say theyre not going to take any of these steps. What the Pakistani government has objected to is our characterisation of the situation on the ground. But I have never heard the Pakistani government say theyre not going to re-arrest Hafiz Saeed or theyre not going to prosecute him, the official said.

The Pakistanis have clearly indicated that they are unhappy with the public rhetoric of the Trump administration.

Also Read | US puts Pak on 'Special Watch List for violations of religious freedom

What I would say to that is we had a number of months where we have had very serious conversations and private discussions with them and have not seen the responsiveness that we need. And at some juncture they knew that we were going to take additional steps if they did not respond to the requests that we made to them, the State Department official said.

Appreciating the help of Pakistan in the release of Coleman family, the official said at the same time if there is an ongoing relationship between elements of the security forces in Pakistan and the group that took the Colin Boyle family hostage that is a concern.

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Seoul:

Nuclear-armed North Korea on Friday accepted the Souths offer of talks next week, said Seouls Unification Ministry, which oversees relations with Pyongyang.

The meeting will take place in Panmunjom, the truce village in the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula.

Tensions have been high after the North carried out multiple missile launches in 2017, including a number of ICBMs, and its sixth atomic test, by far its most powerful to date.

The tentative rapprochement comes after the Norths leader Kim Jong-Un offered Seoul an olive branch, saying Pyongyang could send a team to next months Winter Olympics in the South.

Also Read | South Korea responds to Kim Jong-Un's Olympics offer, proposes high-level talks

Seoul responded with an offer of talks between the two, and earlier this week the hotline between them was restored after being suspended for almost two years.

On Thursday, the Souths president Moon Jae-In and his US counterpart Donald Trump agreed to delay joint military drillswhich always infuriate the Northuntil after the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang which begin on February 9.

A unification ministry official told AFP that the North faxed a message to Seoul saying it accepted the proposal for talks on Tuesday.

Ministry spokesman Baek Tae-Hyun told journalists that the agenda would include the Pyeongchang Olympics and the issue of improving inter-Korean relations.

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Islamabad:

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday alleged that US President Donald Trumps recent remarks against his country showed that he was talking in the language of India.

Briefing the Parliamentary Committee on National Security about the tension between Pakistan and the US following Trumps remarks, Asif said the US is making Islamabad a scapegoat for its failure in Afghanistan.

Trump had accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but lies and deceit in return for $33 billion aid.

Sources privy to the discussion in the meeting said Asif told lawmakers, Trump was speaking in the language of India.

The statements from the US leaders are contrary to the facts, Asif said.

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who heads the body, told the media after the meeting that there should be balanced response to the statements from the US.

The countrys dignity should be maintained while engaging with the US, he said.

He said the committee has decided to reconvene next week for a briefing by security agencies.

The closed-door meeting came at the heels of a high-level National Security Committee meet and the cabinet meeting earlier this week.

Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir was also present in the meeting.

Dastagir said when US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defence Secretary James Mattis visited Pakistan, they presented their stance in accordance with diplomatic norms and the talks were not threatening and insulting, Geo TV reported.

[But] this was present in Trumps tweet and before that when US Vice President Mike Pence made the put Pakistan on notice statement from Afghanistan, the defence minister said, referring to the threatening tone of the US leaders.

We need to have a holistic review of the entire situation. We are conducting a complete analysis and coolly formulating our response, he said, adding that there should not be any doubts when it comes to the defence of Pakistan.

The question is will America create a situation which will harm Pakistan...We are ready for this but still want to engage the US, he shared.

Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and NSA Lt Gen (retd) Nasser Janjua also briefed the participants.

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Washington:

The US has suspended more than USD 1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network within its border and showing unwillingness to take decisive actions against them.

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump in a new year tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but lies and deceit and providing safe haven to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

Prominent among the suspended amount includes USD 255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

In addition, the Department of Defence has suspended the entire USD 900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.

Today we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance only, to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. We consider them to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters.

The US, she said, will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law.

Referring to the new South Asia Policy announced by Trump in August, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack the US and allied personnel.

Department of Defense Spokesperson Lt Col Mike Andrews told PTI that National Defense Authorisation Act 2017 provides up to USD 900 million for Pakistan in CSF.

Also Read | US puts Pak on 'Special Watch List for violations of religious freedom

Of these funds, USD 400 million can only be released if the Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis certifies that the Pakistan government has taken specific actions against the Haqqani Network.

At this stage all Fiscal Year 17 CSF have been suspended, so thats the entire amount of USD 900 million, Andrews said.

During an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis did not respond to question if he was in favour of cutting off the aid to Pakistan.

I prefer not to address that right now because its obviously still being formulated as policy. But Ill give my advice on it to the president. I also agree on some confidentiality there, he said.

According to a senior State Department official, no decision has been taken on the fate of USD 255 million security assistance to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.

The deadline for that is September 30 this year.

Mattis along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have travelled to Pakistan in recent months to deliver a tough message to their leadership. So, this action should not come as a surprise to them, Nauert said.

They may say its a surprise, but what is no surprise is that the President has expressed his concerns, Secretary Tillerson has expressed his concerns, as has Secretary Mattis, and I imagine many other government officials having those conversations with Pakistan, Nauert said.

Now, the money that has been suspended at this time does not mean that it will be suspended forever, she said.

Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps, she added.

Also Read | Hafiz Saeed's release not the reason behind suspension of security aid to Pakistan, says US

People have long asked, why dont you do more about Pakistan, and I think this sort of answers that question. Obviously, Pakistan is important, an important relationship to the US, because together we can work hard to combat terrorism. Perhaps no other country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan and many other countries in that part of the region, she said.

They understand that, but still they arent taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism, she said.

In an interaction with reporters, two senior state department officials asserted that such a move is not a punishment, but to provide an incentive to Pakistan to take more action against terrorist groups.

We have not done anything thats irreversible here. All this funding is available to Pakistan if they undertake to take the measures that weve asked of them, a senior administration official said in response to a question.

Noting that a country is going to react very differently to an irreversible step, the official hoped Pakistan would react differently than they would react to something which is reversible.

Pakistanis have repeatedly said we dont care about this money. What matters I think to the Pakistanis is that it is the symbolism of doing this that it represents a deterioration of our relationship that they care about a great deal, the official said.

So we were hoping that this is an incentive that they dont want to see this relationship deteriorate any further and that theyre going to commit to working with us to try to find a way to put it on a more solid footing, the official added.

According to another senior administration official, as part of the latest decision, the US will now not deliver military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless required by law.

Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis if theyre determined to be critical for national security interests, the official said, adding that this suspension is not a permanent cut off at this time.

Security assistance funding and pending deliveries will be frozen but not cancelled as we continue to hope Pakistan will take the decisive action against terrorists the militant groups that we seek, the official said, adding that the US does not intend to reprogram any funds at this time.

This suspension includes FMF 2016 (USD 255 million) as well as prior year FMF that has not yet been spent or delivered.

Final figures are still being calculated, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The suspension also includes coalition support funds for Pakistan.

However, the suspension does not include US civilian assistance programs in Pakistan.

Pakistan remains an important country in the region and in the world and has historically been a vital partner for the US, the official said.

The State Department official defended the decision not to suspend civilian assistance.

We all have no reason to believe that civilian assistance represents any form of leverage. The elements of the Pakistani government that needs to take the steps that were talking about are not touched by civilian assistance. So, it wouldnt make any sense to tie civilian assistance to those steps that were asking for, the official said.

The US has been holding regular talks with Pakistan, the official said, adding that they do not believe that talks are an impasse as reported in some section of the media.

We are having conversations on a weekly basis at senior levels with the Pakistanis. Our hope is not that they will see this as the end of the road, the official said.

Our hope is that they will see this as a further indication of this administrations immense frustration with the trajectory of our relationship and that they need to be serious about taking the steps we asked in order to put it on a more solid footing, the State Department Official said.

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South Korean President Moon Jae-in apologized to former "comfort women" Thursday, saying the 2015 agreement with Japan negotiated by his predecessor's government in an effort to bring closure to the wartime issue failed to consider the wishes of the women themselves.

It seems unlikely at this point that Moon's administration will decide to scrap the agreement or seek to renegotiate it, but Seoul may push for additional measures to show consideration for the women, some of whom demand a formal apology from the Japanese government.

Moon hosted a lunch at the presidential Blue House for eight of the women as well as Yoon Mee-hyang, representative of the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha also attended, the president's office said.

The meeting appears to have been meant to inform the Moon government's new position on the 2015 accord, expected to be finalized later this month. Moon also visited a woman earlier Thursday who was sick and unable to attend.

Statues commemorating wartime "comfort women," such as this one in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, have become a sticking point in bilateral relations.

As part of the deal, Tokyo agreed to provide 1 billion yen ($8.9 million at current rates) to a foundation organized by the South Korean government to help former comfort women, while Seoul pledged to address Japan's concerns about a comfort women memorial that remains in front of the Japanese Embassy here.

Moon acknowledged that a formal agreement exists between the two countries but told the eight women that it not only went against the principles of truth and justice, but also neglected to take their views into account. He apologized "as president" for the faulty negotiation process.

He also indirectly criticized the administration of impeached President Park Geun-hye, claiming that the government failed in its duty to help heal the women's emotional suffering.

But the president stopped short of offering concrete promises of his own. Moon simply said he will work to ensure their opinions are reflected in government policy.
The price of food and drink in Japan is set to rise this year. The growing cost of raw materials and distribution, on the back of the country's labor crunch, are to blame.

Three major milling companies are hiking flour prices for bread and sweets by up to 4 percent, starting on Thursday.

Pre-cooked rice will also cost more. Packaged food company TableMark will raise its prices by as much as 17 percent in February.

Beverage-makers Asahi, Kirin, Suntory and Sapporo will hike prices of bottled beer and kegs in the spring.

Wholesale prices of bottled beer are expected to rise by about 10 percent.
Many economists predict the Japanese economy will continue to expand in 2018.

They expect Japan's exports to grow this year, led by strong global demand. They also say consumer spending will moderately rise, because of an improved job market.

Ten think tanks project Japan's gross domestic product will expand 1 to 1.3 percent in price-adjusted real terms in fiscal 2018, which starts in April.

Japan's economy began picking up in December 2012. If the economy continues to expand throughout the year, it would be longest period of recovery since the end of World War Two.

But wage hikes are outpaced by improvement in corporate performances and stock prices.

Economists say the key is whether the effects of economic recovery will be felt by many across the country through wage hikes.

They also point to some possible bumps for the global economy.

They note the challenges for Japan's economy include whether it can decrease its reliance on exports and achieve growth driven by domestic demand.
YouTube star Logan Paul has stepped away from posting videos following an outcry when he uploaded images of what appeared to be the body of someone who killed themselves in a Japanese forest.

Paul took to Twitter on Wednesday to say he was suspending his video blog "for now" and "taking time to reflect."

A petition on Change.org that demands his YouTube channel be deleted had been signed by more than 125,000 people by Thursday mo0rning.

Paul created a furor when he posted a video of him in a forest near Mount Fuji showing what seemed to be a body hanging from a tree. YouTube said the controversial images violated their policies.

The video was viewed some 6 million times before being removed from Paul's YouTube channel, a verified account with more than 15 million subscribers.

A storm of criticism followed despite two apologies, with commenters saying Paul seemed disrespectful and that his initial apology was inadequate.

YouTube said that while it may allow some graphic content if it is posted in an educational, documentary, scientific or artistic manner or limited to users who are 18 or older, Paul was issued a so-called "strike," or told in an email that he had violated the site's guidelines.
A rescue team on Thursday found the body of a man on a mountain after he is believed to have engaged in a suicide pact with a teenage girl who backed out, reports the Sankei Shimbun

At around 11:20 a.m., the team found the body of the man collapsed on the snow on Mount Asahi about 1.5 kilometers northwest of Sugatami Station on the Daisetsuzan Asahidake Ropeway. He was confirmed dead at the scene.

The day before, the girl told police that she climbed the mountain with a man, aged in his 20s and living on Honshu, that she met on a social-networking service. She said the pair discussed committing suicide together.

On Tuesday, they ascended the mountain together. The following morning, the girl backed out after finding the man motionless and descended, police said.

Police are attempting to confirm the identity of the man and the cause of death.
We just celebrated Christmas, and already I am thinking ahead toward Pascha (Easter), because Pascha comes early this year, on April 8. In a few weeks the Orthodox Church will begin its preparation; we take a full month to get ready for our Lenten journey.

This should not come as a surprise; getting ready for a journey can take weeks or months. We pick a destination and plan our route. We ponder what we will take with us or leave behind. We think about who will accompany us.

Maybe we buy luggage. When I was young we always bought plenty of film for our camera. I just use my phone now.

Perhaps we are intentional about our trip. We choose a place with museums, because we love art. Or we like the outdoors, and we seek out beautiful vistas. Sometimes we travel to see relatives.

Lent also is a journey with a purpose. In the Orthodox Church, Lent lasts six weeks. It is followed by Holy Week and Pascha.

Lent is our journey to Christs crucifixionthe voluntary suffering and death of Jesus on the crossand beyond, to his victory over death. We believe that by accompanying Christ on His journey to the cross, we can fully enter into His resurrection.

During Lent, members of the Church fast from meat and dairy, increase their giving to others (financial and otherwise), and pray. This is not easy, but it is not supposed to be easy. Its an arduous journey with a powerful reward at its end.

Most of us nowadays tend to be busy. We can forget about God. If you dont think this is true, try deciding to think about God all day and watch what happens. The noise in this world can easily drown out any spiritual promptings we have, no matter how committed we are.

Lent offers an opportunity to shut the door on the chaos of the world, to pray more often and say no to our appetites. We set aside the things we are attached to. Lent is a gift to help us return to God.

My experience of Great Lent is that it truly is a journey. I get to see new things, and I am changed. I learn a lot about myself - some of which I would rather not see. In seeing my weakness, I am pushed to pray and to seek God in my life.

At the end of the journey is a light-filled experience at our Pascha service, held in the middle of the night. At the beginning, we stand in the darkened church, candles in hand, singing beautiful, joyous music.

We hear an ancient sermon, repeated every year throughout the world, in which all are invited to the feast, whether we have kept the fast or joined at the last minute. On that night, Christs victory over death is all that matters to us, and we rejoice as a community.

But we have a distance to go before we get there. On Jan. 21 we will start the preparation for our journey. During this month we will hear specific passages from the Bible to prepare us - for example, the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee (Luke 18:9-14,) a passage that warns us to let go of pridean important reminder before we fast and give alms.

We also hear the Parable of the Prodigal Son who returns home (Luke 15:11-32). During our journey of Lent, it is as if we too are striving to return home.

Finally, right before Lent (this year on Feb. 18) we have a special time in the service, during which parishioners turn to each other and ask forgiveness. Having done this, it is as if we have shed old baggage and are ready for our journey.

Toward the end of Lent, we hear the Parable of the Last Judgment (Matthew 25: 31-46), in which we are warned that we will be judged at the end of time according to how we have helped the poor, the prisoners, the sick, and the stranger.

Lent will be difficult, but we have plans and have been instructed; we are ready to pray, give alms and fast. We know these three actions will help transport us to our destination.

We know that our traveling companions are the fellow members of our Church. We believe that the holy ones who have gone before us on this road will be with us also. We know we are not alone, and we venture forth.

Pascha is coming!

Beryl Knudsen is chaplain at Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, 93 Dodgingtown Road in Bethel. She can be reached at Beryl.knudsen@wchn.org .
FAIRFIELD  The next owners of the charming historic colonial farmhouse at 34 Harbor Road will not really purchase a home so much as they will buy into a particular lifestyle.

This 2,376-square-foot waterfront house in Southport Village boasts water views from every room. From the rear section of the house and the large wrap-around wood deck there are stunning views of the Mill River. The front rooms and the covered front porch offer a front row seat to the beauty that is Southport Harbor. That lifestyle includes relaxing views of stellar sunrises and sunsets over those bodies of water, recreational activities on the water - which can be accessed from this property, and enjoyment of Mother Natures gifts. Waterfowl and other birds are abundant and worth observing in their natural habitat - cormorants sunning their wings, swans gliding gracefully downstream, great blue herons majestically standing near the shore, egrets stalking fish.

At the far end of the backyard there are wooden steps that go down to the banks of the river, from which the current owners launch kayaks and canoes. They enjoy leisurely paddling down the river, taking strolls into Southport Village, and sipping their morning coffee on the comfortable back deck, which they added to the house. The also expanded the footprint of the house adding a first floor room and the second floor room above it.

The next owners will also be buying a piece of Southport history. This pale coral colored shingle house with ecru and colonial blue trim was built in 1884 and it is included in the architectural and historic survey, sponsored by the Fairfield Historical Society and Connecticut Historical Commission. It was the local millers house. The grist mill is next door. This late 19th century home was lovingly cared for and updated by current owners, who have lived there for more than 30 years. They maintained its vintage integrity while also making sure it accommodates modern living. The bottom portion of the built-in cabinets and shelves that flank the brick fireplace in the spacious living room are the original chimney cabinets. Despite its vintage, this house has tall ceilings and ample storage.

More Information ABOUT THIS HOUSE TYPE: Antique Colonial Farmhouse ADDRESS: 34 Harbor Road PRICE: $899,000 NUMBER OF ROOMS: 7 FEATURES: water community, waterfrontage, water views, walk to water, not in a flood zone, walking distance to Southport Harbor and Southport Village, walk to Metro North Southport train station, convenient to I-95 and Post Road (Route 1), 0.22-acre level and gently sloping property, partially fenced property, new boiler (2015), new hot water heater (2016), storm doors and windows, large wrap-around wood deck, covered front porch, one fireplace, fieldstone wall, walk-up attic and separate pull-down attic stairs, attic fan, ceiling fans, full unfinished 750-square-foot walk-out cellar, plenty of storage, zoned natural gas heat, constant hot water, three bedrooms, three full baths SCHOOLS: Mill Hill Elementary, Roger Ludlowe Middle, Fairfield Ludlowe High ASSESSMENT: $620,690 TAX RATE: 26.59 mills TAXES: $16,026 See More Collapse

The kitchen was remodeled, during which it was given sliding glass doors to the side portion of the large deck. It also has a center island with a breakfast bar for two, granite counters, and stainless appliances including a new refrigerator. Open to the kitchen is the sizable sun room with French doors to the deck and a ceiling fan. Rounding out the first floor is the formal dining room and a charming black and white-tiled full bath, which contains the laundry.

On the second floor there are three bedrooms with some nice surprises for a house of this vintage, the listing agent said. The master bedroom suite is quite large and has two closets, one of which is a walk-in. The guest bedroom has a large adjoining room that has flexible use as an office, playroom, media room, or exercise room. The third bedroom has a long closet along its back wall. The full bath in the hall features an old-fashioned claw-foot tub.

Should the next owners need additional living space there is an unfinished walk-up attic with lots of room for additional bedrooms or a recreation or game room.

Outside, there is ample off-street parking in the wide crushed stone driveway.

This house has a great price point for this area, especially one with water views. It also enjoys convenience to local amenities. Not only is it walking distance to Southport Village but it is equidistant to the Metro North train stations in Southport and downtown Fairfield. Commuters take note, it also has easy access to nearby Post Road (Route 1) and is not far from I-95.

For more information or to set up an appointment to see the house contact Pamela Foarde of Al Filippone Associates with William Raveis Real Estate at 203-257-9110 or pamf@afahomes.org.
Snagging a good deal on airfare is becoming a complicated process. Ticket prices fluctuate constantly, while different fare categories and fees can make it difficult to understand exactly what you are  or aren't  getting. Finding a steal on airfare isn't impossible, though. We have five tips to help you get the best buy on your next flight.

Shop Around With a Search Engine

It's no surprise that with airfare, like everything else, you should comparison shop before you hand over your cash. Plenty of sites can help you find the cheapest fare by searching multiple airlines, suggesting less expensive days to travel, and emailing you when prices drop. Here are three of our favorites to get you started:

Google Flights

It automatically pulls up what it considers to be the best flights  typically those with the lowest cost and shortest duration  so you don't wind up with pages of search results.

Hipmunk

By showing results in a chart, Hipmunk lets you easily see when each flight takes off and lands, so you can pick the one that best fits your schedule. Hipmunk also sorts flights by "agony" level, a combination of price, the number of stops, and the travel duration; it's a good way to find a flight that won't make for a miserable start to your trip.

Expedia

This site clearly lists baggage fees to help you see the total cost. Google and Hipmunk provide links to baggage fees, but the prices aren't included with the rest of the flight info. A second cool feature is Expedia's flight rating system. It scores each flight on a 10-point scale, based on duration, aircraft type, and amenities.

SEE ALSO: People Hate United Airlines, But They REALLY Hate Spirit

Another thing to consider is whether any nearby airports could work for you. For example, if you're flying to Los Angeles, you may think Los Angeles International is your only option, but four other major airports are in the area: Ontario International, John Wayne, Hollywood Burbank, and Long Beach. You may find an alternate airport that's in a better location  and has a better ticket price, too. Both Expedia and Google let you easily check nearby airports, but won't do it automatically. (Click "nearby airports" in Expedia or the plus sign next to the airport name in Google.)

Also consider bundling your flight and hotel purchase for big savings. If you're looking for a hotel anyway, it's worth checking to see if a bundle is your best deal.

Pick the Right Time to Fly

When you leave can have as much of an impact on ticket price as which airline you choose. The general rule of thumb is that you'll find cheaper fares during less-busy times of year (or times of week or even times of day). The first thing to do is consider when you're taking your vacation; it's often more expensive to travel during the summer and holidays when everyone else is doing the same.

Traveling in the off-season is usually cheaper  and as a bonus, hotel rates are typically cheaper, too.

However, traveling in the off-season is usually cheaper  and as a bonus, hotel rates are typically cheaper, too. (Though be warned, the off-season is also when hotels and vacation destinations typically do any refurbishing because fewer people are there.) Just remember, what's considered "off-season" varies based on your destination. For example, while summer is a busy season for many tourist destinations, Las Vegas is quieter during that time due to the intense desert heat.

You'll want to pick the right day to travel, too. Again, the goal is to fly when fewer people are traveling, which means you'll benefit from lower fares and fewer crowds. The best days are typically Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday (with Thursday being a toss-up). Google Flights and Hipmunk will check for cheaper days to travel  and if your schedule is flexible, it can be well worth shifting your plans a day or two. Less desirable hours of the day can be cheaper as well, like extremely early morning and extremely late evening.

And Pick the Right Time to Book

Airline prices are constantly changing. Sometimes you can score a deal by booking very early  but other times you end up missing out on later sales. Sometimes booking late means you're seriously overpaying  but other times it means snagging a last-minute bargain. These price trends can vary based on the airline and destination, making them tough to keep track of. However, the usual ideal is to book two to three months in advance.

And, while it's not a surefire way to find low fares, many airlines update their pricing in the middle of the week based on what's selling, so booking between Tuesday and Thursday could result in a cheaper flight. (Though a recent report has Sunday as the best day to buy.)

Know Your Fare Types

Every airline has a selection of different fare categories, from modest economy to lavish first class. But some fare classes aren't quite so obvious. What's the difference between United Airlines' Economy and Basic Economy? The carrier has made waves for its Basic Economy fare, which doesn't let passengers pick seats or store a bag in the overhead bin. It's a restriction that sounds like a cash grab, but United isn't the only airline that doesn't include carry-ons in its base fare  Allegiant, American, Frontier, and Spirit charge as well.

SEE ALSO: I Flew to London on a Budget Airline for $380  Here's What I Learned

For some travelers, these fares could even be a cost savings. If you just bring a bag that fits under your seat or check a bag, you have the option of paying less. But getting a deal requires finding the fare that fits your needs the best.

Know Your Fees

Some airlines lure you in with cheap fares before tacking on fees that make for a very pricey flight. Baggage fees are the best known  often around $25 per checked bag, with additional charges for oversize or overweight bags  but there are plenty of fees that can hurt your pocketbook:

Seat selection: Seats with more legroom or in more desirable locations can cost up to $150.

Carry-on bags: While many airlines still offer two carry-ons for free, some charge from $15 to $65, like Allegiant, American, Frontier, Spirit, and United (depending on fare type). Certain airlines even charge hefty amounts for a bag you decide to check at the gate.

Drinks: Allegiant and Spirit don't even offer water for free.

Snacks and other food: These can vary a lot in price  but are certainly more expensive to buy on the plane than to bring from home or buy at the airport. (American, Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest still offer complimentary snacks, though.)

While some of these fees are avoidable  say, by packing carefully, so you don't need a large carry-on that goes in the overhead bin  if you know you're going to pay a fee, it's often best to pay it in advance. Many airlines offer discounts for paying up front, with higher prices at the check-in desk. You could also investigate different fare classes; if you plan to pay for more legroom, is it cheaper to just book business class instead?

Readers, what are your best tips for saving on flights? Let us know in the comments!
CALGARY and TORONTO, Jan 5, 2017 /CNW/ - AltaCorp Capital Inc. and ATB Corporate Financial Services are hosting a three-day institutional investor conference on January 9 - 11, 2018 in Toronto, ON. The conference will be focused on key sectors for AltaCorp and ATB: Oilfield Services, Energy Infrastructure, Diversified Industries, Agriculture, and Cannabis. Senior management from 50+ public and private companies will be participating.

Key issues facing the different Oilfield Services subsectors will be discussed via moderated panels. Select companies within the Energy Infrastructure, Diversified Industries, Agriculture, and Cannabis sectors will be presenting individually in a fireside chat format.

Keynote luncheons will feature:

Energy Transitions ( Tuesday, January 9 , featuring Vaclav Smil )

, featuring ) Cannabis in '18 and Beyond ( Wednesday, January 10 , featuring W. Brett Wilson moderating an expert panel), and

, featuring W. moderating an expert panel), and Smart Cities ( Thursday, January 11 , featuring SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., WSP Global Inc., and Stantec Inc.).

Paul Sarachman, President and CEO of AltaCorp Capital, and Jon Horsman, Co-Head of ATB Corporate Financial Services, are pleased to announce the sixth edition of this joint initiative - highlighting both firms' breadth of experience - as they continue to build on the success of this very well-attended, institutional investor conference.

Participating Companies:

ENERGY SERVICES

Akita Drilling Ltd. (AKT.A)

Calfrac Well Services Ltd. (CFW)

CES Energy Solutions Corp. (CEU)

Civeo Corp. (CVEO)

ClearStream Energy Services Inc. (CSM)

CWC Energy Services Corp. (CWC)

Enerflex Ltd. (EFX)

Ensign Energy Services Inc. (ESI)

Essential Energy Services Ltd. (ESN)

High Arctic Energy Services Inc. (HWO)

Horizon North Logistics Inc. (HNL)

MATRRIX Energy Technologies Inc. (MXX)

NCS Multistage Holdings Inc. (NCSM)

PHX Energy Services Corp. (PHX)

Precision Drilling Corporation (PD)

Questor Technology Inc. (QST)

ShawCor Ltd. (SCL)

Source Energy Services Ltd. (SHLE)

STEP Energy Services Ltd. (STEP)

Strad Energy Services Ltd. (SDY)

Total Energy Services Inc. (TOT)

Trican Well Service Ltd. (TCW)

Western Energy Services Corp. (WRG)

Xtreme Drilling Corp. (XDC)

Zedcor Energy Inc. (ZDC)

ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE

Inter Pipeline Ltd. (IPL)

Keyera Corp. (KEY)

Parkland Fuel Corporation (PKI)

Pembina Pipeline Corporation (PPL)

Superior Plus Corp. (SPB)

Tidewater Midstream & Infrastructure Ltd. (TWM)

DIVERSIFIED INDUSTRIES

Air Canada (AC)

AutoCanada Inc. (ACQ)

Bombardier Inc. (BBD.B)

The Boyd Group Inc. (BYD.UN)

Crown Capital Partners Inc. (CRN)

Distinct Infrastructure Group Inc. (DUG)

Exchange Income Corporation (EIF)

New Flyer Industries Inc. (NFI)

PFB Corp. (PFB)

SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. (SNC)

Stantec Inc. (STN)

Stuart Olson Inc. (SOX)

Waste Connections Inc. (WCN)

WestJet Airlines (WJA)

WSP Global Inc. (WSP)

AGRICULTURE & CANNABIS

Ag Growth International Inc. (AFN)

Aphria Inc. (APH)

Cannabis Wheaton Income Corp. (CBW)

CannaRoyalty Corp. (CNNRF)

CanniMed Therapeutics Inc. (CMED)

CannTrust Holdings Inc. (TRST)

Canopy Growth Corporation (WEED)

GreenSpace Brands Inc. (JTR)

Hydropothecary Corporation (THCX)

Input Capital Corp. (INP)

Liberty Health Sciences Inc. (LHS)

MedReleaf Corp. (LEAF)

OrganiGram Holdings Inc. (OGI)

Supreme Pharmaceuticals Inc. (FIRE)

Village Farms International Inc. (VFF)

For more information, please contact [email protected] or visit www.altacorpcapital.com.

About AltaCorp Capital Inc.

AltaCorp Capital is a full service brokerage firm that provides advisory and institutional financial services including: Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions, Equity Financings, Debt Capital Markets, Acquisitions & Divestitures, Equity Research, Sales & Trading, Market Making, and Private Wealth Management. AltaCorp is focused on the key drivers of the Western Canadian economy and overlapping subsectors of Energy, Agriculture, and Diversified Industries. AltaCorp is in a strategic relationship with ATB Financial, Alberta's largest financial institution with assets over $46.8 billion. AltaCorp is a member of IIROC, CIPF, FINRA, and SIPC.

About ATB Financial

ATB Corporate Financial Services, a division of ATB Financial, is a full service financial institution serving the needs of commercial and corporate businesses with operations in the province of Alberta. Offering a wide range of capital solutions, cash management services and financial markets offerings, ATB Corporate Financial Services offers custom built solutions for clients operating in industries critical to the Alberta economy including the energy, real estate, food & forestry and diversified sectors.

SOURCE AltaCorp Capital

For further information: For media inquiries please contact Victoria Hoa, [email protected], 403 539 8607.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 5, 2018 /CNW/  MYM Nutraceuticals Inc. (CSE: MYM) (CSE: MYM.CN) (OTCQB: MYMMF) (the "Company" or "MYM") is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into a binding letter of intent with Budly Software Inc. ("Budly"), a leading software company that has developed a smartphone-enabled sales and distribution system connecting medicinal cannabis patients with local dispensary drivers for fast delivery and monitoring of orders. Using the system, a customer can select a dispensary, place an order, and then choose a driver to deliver it. The customer can then track the order on his smartphone and knows exactly when it will arrive. Orders can be placed via the Budly app on iOS, Android and Windows phones, and via the website www.budly.com.

"The Budly software is a game-changer for MYM because it brings us one step closer to becoming a fully integrated global cannabis company," commented Rob Gietl, CEO of MYM. "Budly's clean and simple interface allows orders to be easily placed by patients, right on their phone, and provides extensive back end management and logistics control for licensed producers and dispensaries."

The Budly system consists of two iOS apps, two Android apps, one web app, a dispensary backend admin and a master admin system. The system also has advanced features such as GPS tracking of drivers, flexible geo-fencing adjustments for customers, and real-time order confirmations. MYM intends to add more features and functions to the Budly system in the near future, and to launch Budly globally as more jurisdictions legalize cannabis. The Budly system can easily be customized for the individual requirements and regulations for different countries and regions.

Pursuant to the letter of intent, MYM will issue 800,000 common shares to Budly in exchange for all non-U.S. rights to Budly's software and intellectual property. Should federal legislation change in the States, MYM will have first right of refusal for the rights in that country. The completion of the transaction is subject to the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange.

About MYM Nutraceuticals Inc.

MYM Nutraceuticals is an innovative company focused on acquiring Health Canada licenses to produce and sell high-end organic medicinal cannabis supplements and topical products. MYM has two production projects in Quebec that when completed will have over 1.5 million square feet of production space. MYM is also a partner in a 1.2 million square-foot production project (the Northern Rivers Project) in New South Wales, Australia. Australia is an exciting new market that has recently legalized medicinal cannabis. To ensure a strong presence and growth potential within the industry, MYM is actively looking to acquire complementary businesses and assets in the technology, nutraceuticals and CBD sectors. MYM shares trade in Canada, Germany and the USA under the following symbols: (CSE: MYM) (OTC:MYMMF) (FRA:0MY) (DEU:0MY) (MUN:0MY) (STU:0MY).

About Budly Software Inc.

Budly is the modern way for medicinal cannabis patients to get their medication quickly, safely and easily. Budly is a mobile application that enables patients to order medicinal cannabis from their local dispensary. Simply choose a dispensary, place an order, then choose a driver. Accept the order and the countdown clock starts, letting the customer know when the order will arrive. Learn more at www.budly.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Rob Gietl, CEO

MYM Nutraceuticals Inc.

www.mymarijuana.ca

Keep up to date with MYM on our social media channels:

Twitter: @MYM_Nutra

Facebook: @mymcanada

Instagram: @MYM_Nutra

No stock exchange or securities regulatory authority has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Some of the statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements, such as estimates and statements that describe the Issuer's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Issuer or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties.

Investor Relations

Terry Brown

+1-855-696-2261

[email protected]

SOURCE MYM Nutraceuticals Inc.

Related Links

http://www.mymarijuana.ca


It might be a season of icy tweetstorms and bomb cyclone snowstorms, but TVs Nova has greater forces to explore in the two-hour special Black Hole Apocalypse Jan. 10.

While the topic is almost unimaginably vast, a key voice in the show is very local in Yales Priyamvada Natarajan (Priya to friends), a professor of physics and astronomy in New Haven. Natarajan says that thanks to new technology and a momentous discovery in 2015, it is a special time for astronomy.

I think this is a moment of grand confluence for many subjects in astrophysics in particular and science in general, Natarajan says in a phone chat recently. There is a convergence of the sophistication of the theoretical understanding ... and really amazing observational data from satellites and telescopes.

We previewed some of the new special and it can be a tad mind-blowing, as Columbia University astrophysicist/author Janna Levin takes viewers on a CG-assisted journey to the frontiers of black hole science where Natarajan researches, interprets and teaches.

I find these objects super enigmatic, Natarajan says. I mean, theyre just enticing because theyre within reach in terms of science detection but out of reach in terms of being physically visible.

New research means opening the window on the universe in every wavelength, says Natarajan, from optical to infrared, mid-infrared, X-ray and gamma ray. The one thing that still needs to happen, she says, is to get new space telescopes because the Earths atmosphere interferes with infrared wavelengths.

More Information "Nova: Black Hole Apocalypse," 9 p.m. Jan. 10, on PBS. The show's host and several key scientists shown are women, which is a positive sign for women in science fields. "It's still not a level playing field," says Yale's Natarajan, "... but things are changing ... and we have a lot of prominent women at the moment in the field, pushing at the frontier." See More Collapse

The Spitzer Space Telescope (2003) was a window to star-forming clouds, but its a battle to see clearly into the light of the distant past because there was so much space dust when galaxies were forming and the dust scatters that light. Using infrared detection helps peer further back in time, and Natarjan is looking forward to the James Webb Space Telescope launch in 2019.

Natarajans decade-plus work is trying to get a handle on the first black holes that formed  the seed black holes  and the new telescope will help prove certain theories. Scientists know that black holes can form from burned-out stars but they have also noticed powerful, ancient quasars (a billion times the size of our sun, powered by black holes) from the early years of the 13.8 billion-year-old universe.

Natarajans leading theory to explain these fast-developing beasts can be verified by the Webb telescope, she says.

The math and physics behind the theories trace back to a century ago and people like Karl Schwarzschild, but a big a-ha! moment came on Sept. 14, 2015, when twin interfermometers at the LIGO detection experiment produced audible chirps that confirmed the existence of long-sought gravitational waves produced by the collision of black holes more than 1 billion years ago.

Oh my God, that was transformative, says Natarajan, before we point out that the actual chirps sounded less than momentous in the TV special. I totally get your point ... but remember, when were dealing with the cosmos, a lot of what weve uncovered about the cosmos is invisible stuff. So actually detecting something that you can hear, see, whatever, to test or to validate a model, is huge.

Scientists knew black holes existed along with general relativity  for example, we have GPS instruments in our pockets, says Natarajan, which are based on Einsteins theory of relativity. But another part of that theory is when two black holes clash, they have to shake all of space time. The 2015 detection chirp made black holes and black matter real while bolstering theories about the supermassive black holes that Natarajan studies.

The show spends time exploring the twisting logic of these mysterious black holes, which hold gravity so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape their pull: Where do they come from? Whats inside them? And what can they tell us about the nature of space, time and gravity?

The Apocalypse title may be a little marketing flair, of course, but it evokes a black holes enormous power to pull everything into its gravity vortex.

The special does a fairly good job exploring the advances in our understanding, pointing out that black holes are at the center of each galaxy, including ours (another local angle, although our black hole is dead and no longer feeding). So says India-born Natarajan, who studied at MIT and in Cambridge, England, and has a favorite Japanese anime character, named Miroku, who  wait for it  holds the curse of a black hole in his hand.

jamarante@nhregister.com; @Joeammo on Twitter
"When I was growing up, I would tell people to get out of Downtown L.A. by 6 or 7 p.m.-it wasn't safe," my Uber driver told me as we wrapped around the Hollywood Freeway before making a turn onto West Fourth Street. I looked at my watch. It was about 7 p.m., and I was heading into the once-verboten neighborhood-now the city's nexus for great restaurants and hip hotels.

The emergence of Downtown Los Angeles, dubbed DTLA, is no news flash: The area has been on the rise since the late 1990s. But that was the start of a long uphill climb. By 2009, it had already undergone the transition from bleak badlands to vibrant cultural mecca, thanks to early pioneers like the Broad art museum and the Standard Hotel. Since then, a slew of new hotels, restaurants, and museums have joined, and the neighborhood is showing no sign of slowing down.

This past year, cultural and lifestyle developments Row DTLA and City Market South opened up-bringing with them a string of restaurants and indie shops, and warranting the city a slot on our annual "Where to Go" list of hot travel destinations. In September, the Institute of Contemporary Art relocated from Santa Monica to Downtown. And a shopping complex in the Arts District, At Mateo, is in the final stages of development-proving that DTLA has yet to peak.

"I don't think it would be inaccurate to say that 15 years ago, it was an urban wasteland," said real estate developer Tom Gilmore, referring to DTLA. An architect by trade, Gilmore almost single-handedly spearheaded the inner city's rejuvenation. He first took note of DTLA's architectural stock in the early '90s: The inner city was a ghost town with potential, brimming with abandoned beaux arts and art deco buildings.

The city's redevelopment agency had attempted to revitalize the neighborhood before. In the 1990s, $29 million was injected into the Los Angeles Theater Center in the hope that it would draw suburbanites and ignite the opening of bars and restaurants. People came for the shows, but retreated back to the suburbs after nightfall. By 1998, the only occupants of Downtown's beautiful buildings were addicts and squatters; the project had failed.

Gilmore's strategy? To purchase and convert four old buildings into loft apartments, then add bars and restaurants. The timing couldn't have been better. Simultaneously, Staples swooped in to build its 21,000-seat arena, and Lillian Disney (Walt's wife) had lined up Frank Gehry to design a metallic curved concert hall-venues that were sure to draw thousands of visitors.

"It was like a hat trick. It became a very collaborative urban advocate-based environment," he said.

Those three projects and the Broad Museum have been cornerstones to a $20 billion investment in DTLA-with cash coming not just from Gilmore, but from a handful of forward-looking hoteliers, foreign companies, the city of Los Angeles, and several private sources.

In the past 15 years, more than 3,500 hotel rooms have been added within the DTLA area, with several notable newcomers arriving in 2017, such as the 889-room InterContinental (now the tallest building on the West Coast, at 73 stories) and the offbeat, $30 million Hotel Figueroa, a redo of a 1926 icon.

The neighborhood's highest-profile opening yet, the NoMad, is coming this month to the historic Giannini Place building. After standing empty for 17 years, it'll now have 241 Italian-inspired rooms designed by Jacques Garcia, a library, a rooftop pool, and a restaurant by Daniel Humm and Will Guidara (of New York City's Eleven Madison Park). A Soho House is reportedly on its way, too, this summer.

To Gilmore, these are the brightest signs yet of the neighborhood's arrival. "When a tastemaker brand like the NoMad comes in, you realize that whole block is going to change because of them, and you know that the bump from that is going to be significant," he said.

If Downtown's initial struggle was to prove its worth, now its struggle is to ensure that its success doesn't lead to its demise.

As global brands such as Whole Foods and H&M find their way here, Gilmore sees New York's SoHo-an excessively commercialized place that was once filled with character-as a cautionary tale.

Balancing out the big names is Row DTLA, a 30-acre complex of historic buildings that has been overhauled into a creative district: It includes a smart collection of independent retailers, businesses, and restaurants, and draws up-and-coming talent by offering short -to medium-term pop-up leases. That's what allowed French independent menswear label Bonaparte 13 to open its first permanent store in the U.S. here, after testing the waters.

"It's hard for a young brand to commit to a long-term lease, which a lot of retailers require," said Maxwell Anderson, U.S. director of Bonaparte 13.

"They're carefully curating the stores that come in here with a strong bias toward independent retailers," said Andy Griffith of A+R, a stalwart furniture company in L.A. that recently opened at Row DTLA. Joining him in the neighborhood are other cult brands that have found standalone spaces. Locally born clothing brand 3.1 Phillip Lim recently opened a concept store in the Arts District, and Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster opened its second U.S. store wedged between the historic Orpheum and Tower theaters.

For all its progress, DTLA is far from finished. Gilmore, for one, says the area is only halfway there. There are major projects still under way: the renovation of Pershing Square and the addition of the Regional Connector Rail, part of a $1.7 billion high-speed rail project that will link a trio of lines (it's expected to be completed in 2021).

"I think the reason that it's an important moment for Downtown right now is that people from other cities are beginning to take notice on a level that is more than just mild curiosity. The idea that Los Angeles is a viable alternative for the creative class and for the entrepreneurial population around the country-that's new," he said.

Freehand: A bright hotel and hostel (there are a few bunk rooms available) that has a distinctive easygoing California sensibility.

NoMad: The design sensibility nods to the building's roots as an Italian bank.

Hotel Figueroa: One of the city's most iconic hotels has just undergone a revamp resulting in an offbeat Moroccan look.

Shibumi: A modern, seasonally driven Japanese kappo-style (a method that uses various traditional cooking techniques) restaurant with just a handful of seats along a salvaged-wood chef's counter.

Rossoblu: One of L.A.'s rising culinary stars, Steve Samson, is creating authentic Bologna-inspired dishes in a lofty warehouse space.

The Exchange: Considering its chef Alex Chang is Mexican-Chinese, this lively joint has an unexpected culinary bent-the menu is Israeli, just like the wunderkind bartenders.
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EAST HARTFORD  An East Hartford native with a long military career but with little campaign experience is joining the lengthy list of candidates who want to call 990 Prospect Ave. in Hartford their next address.

Sean Connolly, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and a former commissioner of the state Department of Veterans Affairs, is expected to announce in Hebron on Tuesday that hell seek the Democratic nomination for governor.

Connolly, who now lives in Hebron, will be joining fellow Democrats Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, Middletown Mayor Dan Drew, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin and businessman Mark Stewart Greenstein, among others.

Some of the Republican hopefuls include former Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst, Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, Fairfield attorney Peter Lumaj and Joseph Visconti of West Hartford.

Connolly said hell answer questions from the media at the Hebron kick-off announcement. That will take place at noon in the American Legion Post 95 Hall, he said.

Ive been exploring this for the last three three months, he said. Were excited about taking the next step and weve been talking to people all over the state of Connecticut.

According to his website biography, Connolly is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was a prosecutor and brigade legal adviser with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, as well as in Kuwait and Iraq.

In 2017, he graduated from the U.S. Army War College. His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, three awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Connolly received his bachelors degree from Bryant University and his law degree from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.

Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced on April 13, that he wouldnt be seeking a third term.

jburgeson@ctpost.com
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The following snow closures and parking bans have been announced for the Greater New Haven area as a storm bringing up to 16 inches of snow is predicted:

 Bradley International Airport is open and operating. Cleanup operations are continuing. Real time flight status updates are available on our website, Twitter users can also receive automated updates by tweeting their flight number @BDLFlightInfo.

 Cheshire: Parking ban lifted at noon Friday. Public schools closed.

 Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles: Motorists are also warned to clear snow and ice from their vehicles or face fines.

 Derby: City Hall, the Derby Senior Center and Derby Public Library are closed Thursday by order of Mayor Richard Dziekan. Regular winter parking regulations will be in effect. The Derby Parking Garage will be open for use at no cost by downtown residents during the storm. Garbage pickup is already delayed one day due to the New Years holiday; no additional delay will be implemented.

 Hamden: A parking ban for the Town of Hamden has been issued effective Thursday, Jan. 4 at 6:00 a.m. until further notice. The parking ban prohibits any person to park or remain parked on any odd-numbered portion of a town street or highway.

The ban further prohibits any person to allow or permit a vehicle to stand or park on any Town street or highway in such a manner as to constitute a hazard or obstruction to vehicular or pedestrian traffic. The Hamden Police Department is authorized to remove any vehicle parked in violation of this ordinance. Such removal shall be at the risk and expense of the owner of the vehicle.

Additionally, the Hamden Transfer Station will be closed effective January 4, until further notice.

 New Haven Public Schools are closed Thursday.

 North Haven: Parking ban for all day Thursday, ending Friday at 8 a.m. Parking on any town road is prohibited.

 Shelton: Plumb Library, Huntington Branch Library and the Shelton Senior Center will be closed on Thursday, Jan. 4 2018.

A parking ban is in effect. Parking is permitted on the even-numbered side of the street only until the ban is lifted.

 Southern Connecticut State University will be closed Thursday for students, faculty and nonessential staff. All classes are canceled. Commuters should not drive to campus for any reason so that clearing of the lots can proceed without interruption.

 Wallingford: Parking ban ends at noon Friday. Public schools and school offices closed.

 West Haven: No parking on the even-numbered side of the street Thursday. No parking is in effect during a storm and 36 hours after the storm ends. Only when a snow emergency is declared by the mayor do the following streets have a parking ban on both sides, meaning no parking at all, from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.: Campbell Avenue, Savin Avenue, Morgan Lane, Elm Street, Meloy Road, Main Street between Washington Avenue and Savin Avenue, and Second Avenue between Elm Street and Beach Street. Vehicles in violation may be towed at owners expense.

 Yale University is closed Thursday.
NEW HAVEN  Connecticut State Police are seeking information about an anti-police banner found hanging on the northbound side of Wilbur Cross Parkway near the West Rock tunnel, which is also known as Heroes Tunnel.

State police received numerous calls Wednesday about the banner, which, according to an image posted on Facebook, stated, abolish the police, revolutionary justice for Daniel Shaver, Jayson Negron, Zoe Dowdell and all victims of police terrorism.

New Haven Police Chief Anthony Campbell said officers were made aware of the banner in case there were any spontaneous protests or incidents during a motor vehicle stop, adding that some of the departments crime suppression patrol officers had doubled up.

Im very grateful that we still live in a democratic society where people can express their feelings, whether they are pro-police or anti-police. We support peoples rights to be able to express themselves, Campbell said. It was nonviolent and they have the right to express themselves in that way. Of course, we believe we support all members of the community, whether they are for us or not. We support their right to speak out against what they may view as something they dont agree with.

Luther Dee White, 70, a former New Haven resident, said he believes the people behind the sign are expressing their frustration with a system that is predicated on making sure everybody stays in their place. He said he is a product of apartheid and marched on Washington, D.C., in 1963, and is aware of both the advances and frustrations of the black community.

The police by themselves arent doing anything wrong. Theyre being mandated to do what theyre doing, White said. Because of all the other influences in the inner city, whether were talking about mass incarceration or drug enforcement or lack of education or lack of opportunities and jobs, whatever the fundamental underlying cause is, for these young black males, their structured discipline life ends at 18.

Marshall Segar, attorney for the New Haven police union, said the union doesnt have an opinion on what was done, but he disagrees with the message expressed.

I mean, the police officers protect everyones rights, and if somebody chooses to utilize their free speech to hang a banner and protest the police, they have a right to do so, but we dont agree with their sentiments, he said.

Campbell said the New Haven Police Department will continue to monitor the situation, making sure the entirety of the public is kept safe at all times.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Connecticut State Police Troop I in Bethany at 203-393-4200.

jessica.lerner@hearstmediact.com; @jesslerner on Twitter
HARTFORD, CT  Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who has been careful during his first seven years in office never to say he would veto something before its on his desk, told legislative leaders Friday that he would veto their proposal to increase benefits for the Medicare Savings Program.

The bill, which was released online Wednesday night before a snowstorm hit the state, details how they would find the $54 million in spending cuts and savings to restore the program to its previous levels.
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When Tom Fowkes tells his friends in Pennsylvania that he commutes to work in Oakland, they all tend to react in the same way:

"You work in California? Are you nuts?!"

And he couldn't disagree more. The Kaiser pediatric nurse began his bi-weekly trip to work 9 years ago, and, he is happy to report, it "has changed my life."

When Fowkes was working as a nurse in Pennsylvania, he had to work three jobs, barely made ends meet and never saw his son because he was working all the time. Now that he works at Kaiser, he says, "I am making California money and I live very nice."

Those in the Bay Area who find it a challenge often forget wages in this region are much higher than many parts of the country. At SFGATE, we've been telling stories of locals who have moved to distant states where they can afford to buy a home, or even rent a place that doesn't cost over half their salary.

But Fowkes feels like he can have it all, the California money and Pennsylvania's cheaper cost of living. The difference in wages is so big that even with the cost of flying across country four times a month, it's a no-brainer.

"These are the highest paid nursing jobs on the planet," he says, referring to his job at Kaiser. "I make more than some doctors do back home."

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He got his first taste of California several years ago when he came out on a travel assignment with an agency. After his agency job ended, a friend introduced him to Kaiser, where he had an interview and got hired the same day.

In his early days at Kaiser, he would work six -12-hour shifts in a row and then fly back to Pennsylvania for two weeks. But "that would be kind of brutal. By the sixth day, I was kind of burnt out."

At the time, he was sharing a trailer in Concord with a nurse from Mississippi. The trailer was small but all he needed was a place to sleep and shower since he was spending all his time working.

Nowadays, his schedule has softened a bit. He works 12-hour shifts on Monday and Tuesday every week and then 12-hour shifts every other weekend. It works out to 36 hours a week and after he has worked his 72 hours, he heads back to his home near Pittsburgh.

Fowkes says other nurses are living the long-distance commuter's life. On the floor he works on, Fowkes estimates that 10 percent of the workers travel from other places. Most are like him, Kaiser employees who work on a per diem basis, which gives them greater schedule flexibility but no benefits.

Fowkes took the Kaiser job for the money. But he wasn't sure he could take all the flying. "Now it has become so routine I don't even think about it," he says.

"I can't believe I've been doing it for 9 years. It seems like 4 or 5. It's changed my life. I spend more time with my son. And when I'm home and I don't work, we can do things because I have money now."

And, he adds, he also has a new $160,000 swimming pool.
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HARTFORD, CT  With the biggest state in the country now selling recreational marijuana and Massachusetts ready to start in a matter of months its a sure bet that legalizing pot will once again be a hot issue when the General Assembly session opens in February.

California began selling recreational marijuana Monday in whats seen as a milestone. California is the sixth state to allow sales of recreational marijuana, and as the nations most populous state, its widely seen as a tremendous boost to mainstreaming marijuana.
File photo (state governors)

Some politicians and activists have disagreed with President Muhammadu Buhari on an issue he raised in his new year broadcast that Nigerias problems were mainly on processes and not the structure.

Buhari had during a nationwide broadcast, said that his view about agitations for restructuring was that Nigerias problems were more to do with process than the structure. The politicians and activists expressed disagreement with the President in separate interviews in Lagos on Thursday.

Chief Martin Onovo, a former Presidential Candidate of National Conscience Party, said that Nigerias problems were not mainly about processes.

Nigerias problems are multifaceted including leadership, corruption, and skewed structure. It is wrong to claim that the problems border mainly on processes, he said.

Onovo, however, urged the President to fulfill his campaign promises to Nigerians. Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, the President of Women Arise for Change Initiative, said that there could never be a good process without a proper structure.

It is difficult to have a good process without a proper structure. It is a case of a software and hardware. You put software in hardware. Nigeria must first get its structure right and a good process shall be added unto it, Okei-Odumakin. Mr. Ehiz Omokhuale, the Lagos State Chairman of Civil Liberty Organisation, said processes should be means to the main objective of restructuring.

Any system needs a process, the process is not the destination as the president believes, he is postponing our evil day if he does not embrace restructuring."

The present system is over concentrating at the center; it is a wasteful system, for instance, the National Assembly and states. Our state governors are the richest set of humans on earth. That is why most governors gravitate to the National Assembly after their tenure to combine the buffet," Omokhuale said.

Alhaji Musa Umar, a Chieftain in Kano Chapter of All Progressives Congress, urged Nigerians to understand the concept of restructuring.

The concept of restructuring is not well understood by Nigerians, it means different things to varied opinions, ranging from power devolution, resource control, federal character and zoning of the presidency and so on."

Whatever aspect of the Nigerian way of life we decide to restructure, it will come to naught if the processes are not right. However, being a democratic nation, if it is the wish of the majority to restructure, then let it be, we cannot run away from it forever."

My fear is if we dont have an attitudinal change and we can not get the processes right, restructuring may fail, then what?," Umar said.
Parents of three girls from Ekiti State, who were allegedly given three slots to travel to Dubai but ended up at a slave camp in Libya, are demanding the safe return of their children.

They spoke yesterday at the headquarters of the State Police Command in Ado-Ekiti, the capital.

The police paraded a suspect, Dada Ogundare, for allegedly facilitating the trip to Libya.

Ogundare was paraded with a prophetess, Omoseeke Komolafe, who was said to have collected money from the parents and gave same to the trafficking suspect.

The suspects claimed that they only assisted the girls, one of who was said to be pregnant, to get jobs outside the country without knowing that they will end up as slaves.

The victims reportedly left Nigeria on November 25 by road, rather than by air  as they were promised that they were going to Dubai  but were taken to Libya and sold as slaves.

The parents said they attempted to bring their children back home but the traffickers in Libya demanded N1.2 million for their freedom.

One of the parents, Mrs. Margaret Olorunfemi, said she, the deputy governor and Prophetess Komolafe are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the same ward at Ikere-Ekiti.

Mrs. Olorunfemi said Prophetess Komolafe told her daughter that the deputy governor was given four slots to share among children of party members in his ward to travel to Dubai.

She said they were told to make N150,000 available for the trip.

The woman said she was worried when she did not hear from her daughter.

According to her, she was able to speak with her daughter on December 10 and she reportedly told her that she was in a slave camp in Libya.

Mrs Olorunfemi said: My child called that the prophetess had sold her into slavery and that we should meet the deputy governor to get N1.2 million to free her from slavery.

Another Ikere woman, Mrs. Feyisayo Adedayo, whose daughter was reportedly trapped at a Libyan slave camp, said her daughter was pregnant.

She said: My daughter, Ayomiotan, spoke with me on phone that she and the others went through the desert and not by flight, as they were promised. I dont have N1.2 million to send to them to free my daughter. (Ekiti State) Government should return my daughter to me in her pregnancy.

She is my only girl and my last born. I reported the matter at the Ikere Police Station. I want my daughter back because I dont want her to die in a slave camp.

Another parent, Mrs. Bukola Bamise, said she was shocked to learn that her daughter had been sold as a slave.

She said: It was the deputy governor who said he wanted to give the four slots given to his ward to our children. But I was shocked to learn that they were camped somewhere and they had been sold as slaves.

Ogundare told reporters that she helped the prophetess to find girls interested in getting jobs in Libya.

The suspect said he did not collect money from the victims.

He said his wife and younger sister were in Libya, adding that she told the prophetess to inform the girls parents of their destination.

Ogundare said: I didnt collect one naira from anybody. I have so far taken four persons to Libya while madam (prophetess) had taken nine persons to Libya.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Mr Julius Okoro, warned parents against allowing their children to embark on questionable trips.

He said: The girls were trafficked to Libya on the pretext that they were being them to Dubai. Information reached their parents that they were suffering and they had been sold out in the slave camp in Libya.

One of the girls trafficked to Libya is pregnant and was rejected by those buying them because of her pregnancy. We understand that they are suffering seriously in Libya.

Our advice to parents is that they should be careful of those they entrust their children to. Let them be careful and be sure of the persons they are handing over their children to.
Joshua Iginla, the founder Champions Royal Assembly, has released his prophecies for 2018.

Joshua Iginla, the founder Champions Royal Assembly, has released his prophecies for 2018.

The clergyman said God told him that President Muhammadu Buhari will know his real enemies who are close to him this year.





Addressing his members in Abuja, Iginla said he sees Buhari embarking on an impromptu journey, stressing that the president would not be poisoned.





Iginla also urged the former Vice President to pray that forces greater than him dont push him out of the race.





He also said the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose should spend more time pursuing the Vice President or senate ambition than the number one seat.





He said, In 2018, the President of Nigeria will finally know his Judas, they will be so exposed that he will be amazed.





I see an Impromptu journey like it happened in 2017 that would to medical vacation again.





For his Excellency, you will not be poisoned, there are many snakes around you but you will not die on the throne. They are closed to you like the cloth you put on.





I see a major shake up in the cabinet and some sensitive people will go.





There will be a lot of defection from APC to other parties and from PDP to other parties and these are powerful leaders that would be aggrieved.





Senate President should pray because hard times are coming in 2018.





I see important politicians, key players in politics and seasoned business men should avoid flocking together in aircraft. I see plane crash, call it mechanical fault or set up before 2019.





Atiku should pray that his presidential ambition is not twatted by forces stronger than him out of the race.





EFCC will make major exploits that will shock people this year, it would be different from what we know last year.





Fayose should spend more time pursuing the Vice President or Senate ambition than the number one seat.




The General Overseer of the Christ Apostolic Deliverance Evangelic Ministry, CADEM, Mowe, Ogun State, Apostle S. S. Aderigigbe, has reveale...

The General Overseer of the Christ Apostolic Deliverance Evangelic Ministry, CADEM, Mowe, Ogun State, Apostle S. S. Aderigigbe, has revealed what God told him concerning 2018.

The prophet said one senator each from the South East, South West and North will die this year.









He also said President Muhammadu Buhari will travel out again for medical vacation in London but may not return.





The cleric also predicted that a governor from the South East part of the country will die in 2018.





See full prophecy:





1. There will be surplus food and money in 2018. Nigeria will begin to change for the better in 2018.

2. There will be an outbreak of children diseases early in 2018. The Lord said that Nigerians should pray and fast for 3 days before 21st of January to avert the death of children in 2018.

3. We should pray against sudden death of four Northern Governors in 2018.

4. We should pray to avert serious strike action in 2018 as Government will punish lecturers in 2018.

5. We should pray for Gods protection as the rate of kidnappings will be alarming in 2018.

6. A great and popular man of God along Lagos-Ibadan Exp. Way will pass away in 2018.

7. We should pray against plane crash involving powerful people travelling from Abuja early in 2018.

8. We should pray seriously for President Buhari so that the plans of enemies will not re-visit him in 2018.

9. Nigerians should also pray very well for President Buhari for him to return if he travels back for medical treatment in 2018.

10. We should pray against sudden deaths among those contesting for political offices ahead of 2019 general elections.

11. There will be serious conflict/chaos between Egypt and Israel in 2018. This will impact heavily and adversely on Egypt.

12. There will be an outbreak of a new deadly disease in China that will take away life within 5 minutes. We should pray very well to prevent the disease from spreading beyond China.

13. Kogi State will witness another political crisis in 2018. We should also pray for the Governor of the state.

14. One Governor from the Eastern part of the country will die in a road accident in 2018.

15. There will be serious political crisis in South Africa that will claim many lives in 2018.

16. Petrol price will fall massively in 2018. Dollar will also crash in 2018.

17. One popular senator in Lagos will pass away in 2018.

18. There will be great disastrous flood in Lagos Island (from Ikoyi to Lekki) in 2018.

19. There will be serious conflict in the senate which may likely split the nation in 2018.

20. Many actors and actresses will die in 2018.

21. Donald Trump will attempt to attack Korea in 2018 which will shake the world.

22. Three senators will die in 2018 (1 from north, 1 from south east & 1 from south west); One minister in Buharis cabinet will die in 2018.

23. A great and famous businessman/entrepreneur will pass away in 2018.

24. There will be minimal road accident in 2018.

25. Ghanaians should pray very well to avert an imminent crisis that may claim many lives in 2018.

26. There will be serious trouble between Donald Trump and the United Nations (UN) in 2018.

27. There will be immense success for SSCE and JAMB students in 2018.

28. One former president in Nigerian will pass away in 2018.

29. Five great and popular professors will die in 2018.

30. One great traditional ruler in Yorubaland will die in 2018.

31. There will be serious fire disaster in a market in Lagos Island in 2018.

32. Nigeria will enjoy economic boom and business activities will thrive well in 2018.

33. We should pray very well for Abuja FCT against Boko Haram attacks in 2018.

34. Trouble looms in Ekiti State due to selection of governorship candidate in 2018.

35. There will be serious catastrophic occurrence in Lagos State that will claim many lives.

36. Four governorship candidates will die in 2018.

37. Many fake ministers of God will be exposed in 2018.
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, yesterday, urged support for the families of fallen soldiers, who fought gallantly for the unity of Nigeria.Tambuwal, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Bashir Garba, made the call at the launch of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Emblems in Sokoto.According to him, the great contribution of the gallant heroes who had given their lives for the nation to live peacefully today cannot be over emphasised.It is worthy to note and profoundly appreciate that our gallant heroes gave their lives so that we can live in peace today. The activities of the Armed Forces will therefore remind us of the sacrifices they have individually and collectively made for our dear nation.So in recognition of this clarion call, I therefore urge all stakeholders in the state and local government councils, private agencies and well meaning individuals to support this noble cause, Tambuwal said.Earlier, the state Commissioner for Home Affairs, Alhaji Isah Achida reiterated that the Armed Forces Remembrance Day is a unique time for reflection.Compassionate show of love and kindness to the bereaved families as well as supporting the veterans will make them move ahead with their lives with a sense of belonging to the nation, he said and commended Tambuwal for the continued moral encouragement and financial support to ensure success of the ceremony.The Chairman, Nigerian Legions in the state, Alhaji Bello Bado commended the state government for honouring and respecting the gallant heroes.
The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris, Friday said that communal crisis was responsible for the gruesome murder of over 30 persons in Guma and Logo local government areas of Benue State.IGP Idris said that he has directed a Deputy Inspector General, DIG, the Assistant Inspector General of Police AIG, in-charge of Zone Four, Makurdi and the Benue State Commissioner of Police Police to get to the root of the crisis.The Police boss disclosed this to State House correspondents after over one hour meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at Presidential Villa, Abuja.Though the IGP refused to mention the communities involved in the alleged communal clash, he said that Fulani herdsmen were part of the community.According to him, Obviously it is communal crisis, herdsmen are part of the community. They are Nigerians and are part of the community are they not?He said he was at the State House to meet with the President on how to have effective policing in the country even as he said that the allegation that there was breakdown of law and order in the country was not true, rather enthusing that Nigeria is secured.On the reason for his meeting with the President, Idris said, You know any time we meet Mr. President you know the area of discussion is how to have effective security of the Nation.Fielding question on what he was doing about Benue following the alleged attacks of two council areas of the state by the herdsmen, he said, You know I deployed my DIG there yesterday (Thursday) and you know we have different stages of police.You have the AIG in Benue, Commissioner of Police in Benue and all of them are putting their heads together to see how we address this issue of community problems in Benue.The IGP who debunked the allegation that the country was under siege as a result of insecurity, said, Obviously I think Nigeria is well secured you have to be frank with us.When asked the reason why herdsmen killings were escalating in parts of the country, he replied, Like I said, you know we have different levels of Police in this country. We have the Commissioner of Police in Benue, the AIG of Police in Benue.Yesterday (Thursday) I deployed my DIG operations there and definitely we are doing all we can to see we maintain law and order in all parts of the country.On the accusation that Police has been reactionary rather than proactive to stop the killings, the Police boss said, Lets use the example of Benue, you know most of these states where you have several languages, you know is an issue of communal misunderstanding.I think what we should be praying for is for Nigerians to learn to live in peace with one another, I think is very important.He said every time the security operatives meet the President he always give them a charge, adding, He said that we should go and take care and ensure that we tighten our security.The IGP said there were so many measures he was putting in place like in Benue State where he was going to deploy more units to support the efforts the Police were making in the state to ensure they have adequate protection to the men and communities members.Assuring that the Benue murder will not repeat itself, he refused to answer the question on whether the country was under policed but said the force was not overwhelmed.On whether the arrest of an online publisher by SARS was on his orders because he published something against you, he said, Anyway I dont need to send anybody but whenever you commit an offense it is our duty to ensure that we respond.
Reno Omokri, former Presidential aide, on Friday revealed why President Muhammadu Buhari cannot arrest killer Fulani herdsmen.

Reno Omokri, former Presidential aide, on Friday revealed why President Muhammadu Buhari cannot arrest killer Fulani herdsmen.

Omokri, a former Personal Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan alleged that Buhari was the Grand Patron of Fulani herdsmen.





He also claimed that the President was the godfather of the mafia group called Fulani herdsmen killing Nigerians.





Omokri make these claim while faulting Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom for calling on the President to arrest the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.





In a series of tweets via his twitter handle, the former presidential aide wrote: I laugh when Gov Ortom says I call on the FG to arrest the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.





Why is Ortom talking like a child? Can a Mafia godfather arrest a mafioso to please a non mafioso? You are asking the Grand Patron to arrest the people who made him Grand Patron!





When herdsmen killed people in Plateau last year, didnt President Buhari order the arrest of the perpetrators? How many have been arrested? How many have been tried? None. Zero. So if you like celebrate his order that perpetrators of herdsmen killing in Benue should be arrested.





He said rather than weep, Ortom should ask his Ekiti State counterparts, Ayodele Fayose how he tackled herdsmen in his state.




Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has authoriSed the release of funds from the Paris Club Debt Refund to pay one and half months salary arrears owed workers during the peak of the biting recession in the country in 2016.The Governor, in a bid to promote transparency called a consultative meeting of top government officials and Labour leaders and their representatives to keep them abreast with modalities of the judicious distribution of the Paris Club Fund received in December 2017.Contained in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, Dickson averred that the state government received a total of N14.8 billion from the Federal Government.The breakdown shows the state received N13.5 billion while the local government councils received N1.37 billion.According to the statement, N5.6 billion of the Fund is being spent to defray the one and a half months salary arrears out of the four and half months owed workers in the state in 2016.Dickson explained that the outstanding salaries arrears were a balance of half salaries he paid for seven months during the recession in 2016 which came to a total of three and a half months.The governor appreciated the work force for displaying understanding during the biting economic recession of 2016 which affected the resources of the state in an adverse way.According to him, while most of the older states in the country have lower wage bills, Bayelsa States Wage Bill was over N6 billion (State and LGAs) because of the detrimental activities of some fraudulent characters.The Governor lamented that the state was among those highest wage bill in the country in spite of its low Internally Generated Revenue base which he put at N500 million per month on the average.He added that the recurrent burden on the state had become too high as Civil Servants in Bayelsa earn almost twice the income of their counterparts in other states of the Federation.He explained that the government was making sustained efforts to also clean up the payroll mess to reduce the abominable wage bill.Dickson submitted that he had always taken the issue of payment of salaries as a priority as shown by the fact that the state under his leadership did not owe workers throughout his first tenure.The Governor also warned that he would not tolerate any complaint of inability of the Councils Chairmen to pay their workforce as at when due as from January, 2018.He emphasised that local government enjoys financial autonomy in the state since the inception of his administration, noting that the state had not deducted any money from local government funds.Dickson who said that he would not fund the councils with monies from the state government urged the leadership of the councils to have a sizeable workforce that they have the capacity to manage and maintain.According to him, the state could only come in to support the primary school education system.This January, I would not want to hear that Councils Chairmen are not able to pay salaries. I will not also augment your salaries with state money.You are also at liberty to fire those that are not working. You employ them and you also have the power to fire them over gross misconducts and fraudDickson lamented that Bayelsa States Wage Bill was over N6 billion (State and LGAs) because of the detrimental activities of some fraudulent people, while older states in the country have a wage bill of N2 billion.He lamented that the state had the highest wage bill in spite of its low Internally Generated Revenue base which he said was N500M per month on the average.The Commissioner for Finance, Maxwell Ebibai, who was directed to give a statement of the total amount of money received from the Paris Club Fund, said that the state received a total of N14.8 billion out of which N1.37 billion was for the local governments and N13.5 billion for the states government.Ebibai, reiterated that N5.6 billion of the Fund is being spent to pay the one and a half months salary arrears owed workers in the state.
The Federal Road Safety Corps, has redeployed 109 personnel as part of efforts to enhance its operational efficiency, the Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem has said.Kazeem in a statement on Friday in Abuja, quoted the Corps Marshal, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, as saying the shakeup was aimed at actualising the 2018 strategic goals of the FRSC.The redeployment exercise is coming barely five days after the promotion of 1,925 officers and marshals of the corps, some of whom were affected by the shakeup.Deputy Corps Marshal Abubakar Ringim, who was the Zonal Commanding Officer of Zone RS3HQ, Yola is now in charge of Special Duties and Partnership at the National Headquarters, Abuja.Assistant Corps Marshal Victor Nwokolo, formerly Head of Section, Special Marshals, is now the Head of Section, Command and Strategy Administration, while ACM Kayode Olagunju, who was the Head, Policy Research and Statistics, will proceed on a course at the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos.Kazeem said ACM Stephen Maitizumahs, formerly in charge of Administration and Training, is now the Zonal Commanding Officer, Zone 3, Yola.ACM Kayode Fanola, formerly on a course at NIPSS, takes over from Olagunju as Head of Policy, Research and Statistics at the headquarters.The FRSC spokesman said, ACM Godwin Ogagaoghene, former ACM Personnel at the headquarters, is now the Zonal Commanding Officer, Abuja.ACM Shehu Zaki, former Zonal Commanding Officer, Lagos is now the Zonal Commanding Officer, Bauchi; Assistant Corps Marshal Jonas Agwu, formerly in charge of Zone RS4 Jos, is now Assistant Corps Marshal Motor Vehicle Administration at the National headquarters.
There are indications that the National Assembly will soon appropriate funds for the settlement of N800 billion subsidy debts to oil marketers as part of moves to enable them import petroleum products.This was one of the recommendations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, towards ending the prolonged fuel scarcity to the Joint National Assembly Committees on Petroleum Downstream in Abuja, yesterday.Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Maikanti Baru, who made the presentation, stated that the Corporation will solicit the National Assembly in writing to appropriate funds for the settlement of outstanding claims.He said the Federal Government has agreed to undertake a review of the pricing template and landing cost of petrol in addition to a number of incentives for oil marketers, petroleum tanker drivers and labour in a bid to ensure uninterrupted supply of petroleum products across the country.The incentives were unveiled by Baru, in his presentation to the Joint National Assembly Committees on Petroleum Downstream in Abuja.Baru noted that the major complaints and challenges confronting Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN and the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association, DAPPMA, include complaints of outstanding subsidy payments, insufficient volumes and high landing cost which had brought about low margins.Others are freight differentials, especially at the Port Harcourt and Calabar ports and low draft at the port of discharge of petroleum products.Subsidy paymentsIn response to these challenges, Baru said the Federal Government was banking on the National Assembly to appropriate monies for outstanding debt payment, while the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, is to provide foreign exchange guarantees, especially during periods of high foreign exchange demands.He also stated that the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, had been directed to dredge the water channels to address the issue of low draft at the ports, while the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, is to undertake a review of the petroleum products pricing template as well as the landing cost to address the issue of freight differentials, high landing cost and low margins.For Petroleum Tankers Drivers, PTD, Baru said: The Federal Government and the CBN will guarantee truck loan facility to the National Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, to address the challenges of ageing trucks, while the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing will rehabilitate roads across the country to address the complaints of bad roads.The Federal Government is also considering reviewing the duties for spare parts of trucks, to address the transporters complaints of high duty on spare parts, put at 35 per cent compared to five per cent.Manpower shortageAlso, petroleum workers unions concerns bothered on manpower shortage, outstanding subsidy payments, while Baru stated that in addition to writing to the National Assembly for appropriation to offset the outstanding claims, the NNPC will conduct a recruitment exercise to inject new manpower.The NNPC boss also said the CBN will henceforth, expedite or waive certain requirements for PMS import and downstream facilities, as well as ensure effecting same day payment to beneficiaries upon advice by the NNPC to address marketers complaints on long processing time for Letters of Credit (LC) and payment delays.Letters of CreditIn the aspect of high LC charges, Baru stated that the CBN has agreed to remove such charges for petroleum marketers or reduce same to commercial banks rate of 0.25 per cent.In addition, Baru said the NPA will henceforth, accept evidence of payment to CBN to allow marketers clear petroleum vessels, instead of insisting on receipt of confirmation of payment for port charges.The NPA is also to remain within the provisions of the PPPRA template, instead of the imposition of new charges, such as stevedoring charges, he added.Meantime, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, urged the National Assembly to criminalise the activities of illegal marketers of petroleum products to serve as a deterrent to saboteurs and unscrupulous individuals seeking to profit from crisis in the sector.In addition, Kachikwu reiterated the need for the country to address the issues of the refineries and infrastructure deficit, while stating that there is the need to take a critical look at a piping system that would be sufficient to transport refined fuel.Fixing refineriesKachikwu noted at the hearing that the Federal Government was working assiduously to revamp the countrys refineries to address the lingering fuel crisis.The minister, who decried the poor state of the refineries over the years, condemned their inability to produce sufficient fuel for the country.According to him, it was shameful that a country after over 35 years, cannot produce sufficient fuel for its citizens.I have said that selling crude is a fairly wrong model which is akin to selling our agricultural products in the wrong way and nobody does that anywhere in the world anymore.Unless we have operational refineries, there will be no permanent solution to the fuel crisis in the country. The gearing up of private refineries and the modular refineries will complement the efforts of the government-owned refineries to ensure there is adequate supply of petroleum products in the country.He said government had mapped out strategies to ensure availability of petrol which will be sold at government regulated price.Sympathising with Nigerians for the difficulties experienced during the period of fuel shortages, Kachikwu blamed it on the inability of major oil marketers to import fuel due to price differentials between rise in price of crude oil and the cost in Nigeria.Before you have both sides complementing each other because 100 per cent supply is demanding and people took advantage of the situation to perpetrate a lot of diversion. There is always a commercial reaction.The business module of fuel supply in the country is not yet where it should be but within the 18 months period, we are expected to have the refineries working. We are working on how to accept benefits of crude price increase and ensure fuel sells at regulated price, he said.
The Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Friday disclosed that his administration resorted to borrowing N10bn before it could clear four-month salary areas before the last Christmas.He said the loan was added to the over N1.2bn that accrued to the state from Paris Club refund as well as the states November and December allocation before the feat could be achieved.The governor spoke in an interview with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.He said, In Kogi State today, we are up to date as far as salary is concerned. In December, Mr. President magnanimously assisted us with another tranche of Paris Club refund. Our own figure was N1.2bn and some other change on top.We didnt just stop at that, we borrowed up to N10bn and we added November/December allocation to our figures and we were able to clear four months at a stretch before Christmas and some leftover were cleared before this January in Kogi State.As you all know the salary was very bogus and according to the figure we had we were able to distribute it among these months. So glory to God as far as Kogi State is concerned.From January however, the governor said workers in the state would be earning salaries based on the number of times they are present at work.Moving forward from this January, we have decided that we are going to make use of our clock-in device for every civil servant in Kogi State-both at local and state levels.So, as you come to work and clock-in, that is exactly how your salary will be generated. It is online, it is automated so nobody is going to cheat anybody.That is how we are going to go in the state. So, Kogi State civil servants and pensioners are all happy with this administration. Thanks to God and Mr. President for this magnanimity, he said.The governor also claimed that his administration had worked so hard on the security situation in the state to the point that no case of kidnapping or armed robbery has so far been recorded in November, December and January.The security operatives are collaborating with us, we are spending a lot on security.So collaboration between the security agencies and understanding by the people, they are giving us a lot of information and we are treating them with utmost secrecy and we are working harmoniously together.The Fulanis in Kogi State are equally collaborating with us. Even the criminal elements amongst them, they are the ones even apprehending them and handing them over to the security agencies. So we are living very harmoniously with the Fulani herdsmen, farmers and the citizens.Travelers are safe day and night because anywhere you go, you see security operatives and we have even vigilantes, hunters that are equally assisting us in our farms and so many other deserted areas. So Kogi is very safe, he claimed.On the 2019 general elections, Bello recalled that his state has already endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari for second term.He boasted that the state would return a number of votes that will dwarf that of the Presidents home state, Katsina.
The supply of gas from Nigeria to Ghana may have suffered another setback following the damage caused by a fire incident on the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System, which supplies gas from Escravos in the Niger Delta area to Lagos.The pipeline, which supplies gas to power plants in the South-West, also feeds the West Africa Gas Pipeline System.The $1bn WAGPS, operated by the West Africa Pipeline Company Limited, was built to supply natural gas from Nigeria to customers in Benin, Togo and Ghana.Ghana gets about 25 per cent of its power supply through gas from Nigeria, which flows through the pipeline via Benin and Togo. The country has a deal with Nigeria to receive 120 million standard cubic feet of gas daily.But gas supply from Nigeria to Ghana has often been curtailed in recent years by several challenges.In 2016, the resurgence of militant attacks in the Niger Delta, which caused Nigerias oil production to plummet to a near 30-year low, significantly reduced gas supply to the West Africa gas pipeline.On Tuesday, the fire incident on the ELPS led to a total collapse of Nigerias power grid, worsening the nations electricity woes.The Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, on Wednesday ordered an immediate assessment of the damage caused by the fire to the pipeline, owned by the Nigerian Gas Processing and Transportation Company Limited, a subsidiary of the national oil firm.The NNPC said to put off the fire, the line would require being isolated and depressurised, which might lead to a complete shutdown of the pipeline segment for repair works to be carried out.Last year, the WAPCo said it was looking to capture new gas supply from Nigeria, with a focus on the Aje field offshore Lagos, as part of its key interventions to reposition the company for the dynamic market landscape.The Managing Director, WAPCo, Mr. Walter Perez, who spoke in Lagos at a business forum organised by the Nigerian Gas Association, said the company was also seeking increased supply from the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System.Efforts to reach the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, WAPCo, Mrs. Harriet Wereko-Brobby, on the telephone on Thursday, were not successful as she had yet to answer calls or responded to a text message from our correspondent as of the time of filing this report.
Alhaji Hashimu Jibrin-Gurku, representing Karu/Gitata constituency at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, has appealed to people of the state to continue to support President Muhammadu Buhari and Gov. Tanko Al-Makura to succeed.Jibrin-Gurku made the call on Friday while speaking with newsmen in Karu Local Government Area of the state.He stressed the need for the support to enable them succeed in the delivery more dividends of democracy to the citizens.According to him, sustained prayers by adherents of the two major religions in the country will definitely assist the President, Al-Makura, other elected and appointed leaders to achieve growth and speedy development of the country.Praying and supporting our leaders will bring more good things and will also bring peace, unity and national development.President Buhari and Al-Makura have done a lot by initiating policies and projects that had impacted positively on the lives of the people of the state and the country as a whole, he said.Jibrin-Gurku also lauded Buhari and Al-Makura for doing well in the areas of infrastructure development, youth empowerment, security, fight against corruption, peace promotion among others.The lawmaker also promised his constituency of a robust and quality representation, and solicited for their support and cooperation to enable him succeed.Everybody in my constituency can testify to what I have done towards improving the standard of living of the people and the state at large.I will continue in that direction as it is good to always show love, affection and to extend hand of friendship to the needy and other people in the society so as to better their standard of living, he said.The lawmaker advised Nigerians to be law abiding, respect constituted authorities, shun negative tendencies and to live in peace with one another irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliations.
The National legal adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barrister Emmanuel Enoidem says Udom Emmanuel is on course to become the best governor in Nigeria.Enoidem stated this in a chat with journalists after a breakfast meeting of Stakeholders of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District with the governor at the governors Lodge Uyo.Have you read Trendiee Today? Click here to readEnoidem said the projects, ideas, passion and love of Udom Emmanuel for the people of Akwa Ibom is overwhelming and thanked Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio for the role he played to pave way for Udom to become an answered prayer to Akwa Ibom People.He recalled when Godwill Akpabio was asked what his greatest legacy would be after eight years as a governor and Akpabio said he wants to be remembered as the governor who produced the best governor in Nigeria.In the dying days of 2015, when a journalist asked Governor Akpabio what he will like to be remembered for after eight years as Governor of Akwa Ibom State. He said that he wants to be remembered as the Governor who produced the best Governor in Nigeria He saidEnoidem said with what they have seen on ground, Udom Emmanuel is right and is on course to become the best Governor in the history of Nigeria after Godswill Akpabio.Today on the account of what the Governor has enumerated in the meeting a while ago, it is very obvious that he is on course. The Governor is meeting the target of becoming the best Governor in the history of Nigeria after Godswill Akpabio.Every event that has unfolded since May 29, 2015 has demonstrated the fact that it was a wise choice and it was in line with the prayers of Akwa Ibom people that after Godswill Akpabio we should be able to have another Governor who will be focused, sincere, dedicated to Akwa Ibom project like Udom Gabriel Emmanuel is doing presently.He commended Senator Godswill Akpabio for effective representation in the National Assembly and assured Akpabio that Ikot Ekpene Senatorial district will queue behind him to return him back to the senate come 2019.I want to thank the Senate Minority Leader for very eminent representation in the National Assembly. We want to tell him that come 2019, he will return to the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to continue to represent us and the State. He added
#FIFA World Cup Ghana coach 'happy' to see old pupil Son Heung-min in Qatar When South Korea and Ghana square off in their second Group H match of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this month, it will also set up a reunion for a coach and a former player o...
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Femi Fani-Kayode, has lamented the long absence of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the outlawed Indigen...

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Femi Fani-Kayode, has lamented the long absence of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, from the public scene.

He said Nigerians needed the former Radio Biafra boss more than ever..





Kanu went missing last year after the Nigerian Army launched Operation Python Dance to curtail the activities of the pro-Biafra agitators.





The former Minister of Aviation in a Facebook post, expressed hopes that Kanu, whom he described as Lion of the eastern Nigeria, will surely roar again.





He wrote, How I miss you brother. We need you now more than ever before. Wherever you are and whatever they did to you, you shall live forever.





Your sun shall never set but it shall rise again. Your courage and love for your people is humbling and second to none. You sacrificed everything and risked all for them.





You refused to abandon your noble cause, prostitute your principles, bow before the slavemasters or kiss the feet of the tyrant.





You are bold. You are irrepressible. You are unbeatable. You are strong. You shall never be forgotten.




It was a sort of homecoming for Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC penultimate Thursday when the Benin National Congress, BNC honoured him.Odigie-Oyegun, a former federal permanent secretary, first civilian governor of Edo State, former vice-presidential candidate is presently the national chairman of the ruling APC.It was as such not surprising that a reception for a man like him, presently, the most politically exposed Benin man would attract a tumultuous crowd. That exposure has inevitably attracted darts, even from home. It was as such significant that the BNC in the face of the trials of the party leader decided to appreciate him and rebuff his traducers.The ceremony which took place at the Best Western Hotel, Benin  City had a representative of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki in the person of Senator Francis Alimikhena, the Senate Deputy Majority Whip, the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, former national women leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Iyom Iyom Josephine Anenih, Justice Samson Uwaifo , a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria who was chairman of the occasion; Mr. Parry Osayande, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, the Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District in the 8th Senate.Also present were Rev Peter Obadan, who served as deputy governor in the Odigie-Oyegun Government House, former Deputy Governors Pius Odubu and Mr. Lucky Imansuen and the Edo State chairman of APC, Anslem Ojezua.Also, present were Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), Dr. Clement Alile and from the academia, Prof Samuel Aibueku and Prof Benson Osadolor, the first Benin Historian who read Chief John Odigie  Oyegins citation.However, conspicuously missing were the immediate past governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the large chunk of his political disciples. The state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki was represented by his Special Adviser (Politics), Chief Osaro Idah, the Obazelu of Benin Kingdom.Also, conspicuously absent were the State Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, commissioners, members of the State House of Assembly and some APC party chieftains in the state.Oyegun was quick to explain the absence of the former governor and other political leaders to what he claimed was his idea of making the function a private affair. They were not invited because I dont want it to be a political affairs, but wanted it to be with my own people honouring me before my people, he told journalists shortly after the event.Secondly, I wanted it to be a private affair, and you will notice that most of the politicians especially from my party were not even there and also know that for four days, there were no flights to Benin, so, those that came were personal friends. Seemingly asserting his clout in the party, he said: If I wanted governors to come, it would have been mandatory, but I dont want it to be like that because of the flight problem; what was important is that Benin youths and people without any inducement properly discussed as one people and what I have been through being the longest-serving chairman of the party, decided on their ownChairman of the occasion, Justice Uwaifo (retd) described Chief Odigie- Oyegun as having an exemplary character worthy of emulation.And in his welcoming address, the President of the Benin National Congress (BNC), Comrade Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo, said that the decision to organise the reception in honour of the National Chairman of the APC was painstakingly conceived by the socio- cultural organizations board of trustees in response to the yearnings of Edo people at home and in the Diaspora on the need to thank him for re- asserting the irreplaceable norm of the average Benin man and woman which is the courage for expression of truth and exemplary standard.In his response, the APC National Chairman while recalling his upbringing said that he grew up in a family where disgrace to the family was not tolerated, saying, so in all my life, this is the circumstance that has conditioned me. I do not do things that will not make me not to sleep soundly at night. I do nothing that I will be afraid to read as headlines in any of the national dailies. Yes, I have been through several trials, but I have overcome them all. Why have I done so? Because at the end of the day, whether detailed or forensic examination, you will not find that your own Oyegun has done something dishonorable.He mocked the politicians that wanted him out as the national chairman of the ruling APC and described the plot as another whimper, adding that he had been under pressure over his disposition and his loyalty to President Muhammadu Buhari who he said has put necessary machinery in place to develop the country. I just survived another attempted coup which died with a whimper.So in all my life, I was brought in a family where it is a disgrace to bring the family into disrepute. It is the circumstance that has conditioned me. I do not do things that will not make me sleep soundly at night. I do nothing that I cannot read that appeared as headline in any of the national dailies.
Alex Wong/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump took to Twitter late Thursday night to slam a scandalous new book about his first year in office as "full of lies," just hours ahead of its new, pushed-up Friday morning release.

In the same tweet, the president also seemingly coined a new nickname for former White House strategist Steve Bannon: "Sloppy Steve."

"I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!" Trump tweeted, without naming journalist Michael Wolff, author of "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House."

Following his father's tweet, Donald Trump Jr. chimed in on Bannon's nickname, tweeting, "I have a feeling #SloppySteve is going to go big. Branding gold."

And within minutes of Trump's tweet, "Sloppy Steve" rose to the top of the list of trending terms in the U.S. on Twitter.

At Thursday's press briefing, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders denied that Wolff had special access to the White House.

"There are probably more than 30 requests for access to information for Michael Wolff that were repeatedly denied," Sanders said. "At least two dozen requests are of him asking to have an interview with the president. He never discussed this book with the president ... To me, that would be the most important voice [Trumps] you could have if you were looking to write about an individual."

Sanders said Wolff was denied access to Trump because "we saw him for what he was. No reason to waste the president of the United States' time."

In "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," Bannon is quoted as worrying about the legal implications of the June 2016 meeting between Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort and a group of Russians who promised damaging information against Hillary Clinton.

"Even if you thought that this was not treasonous, or unpatriotic, or bad [expletive], and I happen to think its all of that you should have called the FBI immediately, Bannon is quoted as saying, according to Wolff's book.

As ABC News first reported, Trump lawyer Charles Harder demanded in a letter Wednesday on behalf of his client that Wolff and his publisher Henry Holt & Co. immediately "cease and desist from any further publication, release or dissemination" of the book.

But on Thursday, Henry Holt & Co. said it was undeterred by the cease and desist letter, and was pushing up its release date from next Tuesday to Friday morning.

"Due to unprecedented demand, we are moving the on-sale date for all formats of 'Fire and Fury,' by Michael Wolff, to Friday, January 5, at 9 a.m. ET, from the current on-sale date of Tuesday, January 9," the publisher said in a statement.

It followed up with another statement adding, "Henry Holt confirms that we received a cease and desist letter from an attorney for President Trump. We see 'Fire and Fury' as an extraordinary contribution to our national discourse, and are proceeding with the publication of the book."

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
In this March 2017 file photo, small piles of beads can be found randomly scattered around the parade route more than a week after Mardi Gras 2017. (Photo by Chris Granger, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, 285 new NOPD vehicles and 21 new NOFD ladder trucks are among the public safety investments the city will have made by the spring of 2018. (New Orleans Fire Department)
The NOPD responded to seven robberies, carjackings or attempted robberies between Thursday morning, Jan. 4, 2018, and Friday morning, Jan. 5, 2018. (Google maps)
David Hester, 29, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Vashawn Tate on Dec. 4, 2017.(NOPD)
Murder suspect took victim's mom out in car used to dump body, family says
Orleans Parish dropped from a "B" letter grade to a "C" letter grade for 2017 in the state's annual school report card.(Terrapin Flyer, Creative Commons)
A car whizzes past a pothole on Magazine Street in New Orleans near the Pontchartrain Expressway in December 2010. (Photo by Michael DeMocker, NOLA.com | The Times-PIcayune)
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, right, listens while Blessey Marine Services president Clark Todd speaks to employees at the company's Elmwood offices on Jan. 4, 2018. (Greg LaRose, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
A judge this week rejected St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith's effort to get his former chief deputy's whistleblower suit against him thr
Among columnist's Robert Mann's New Year's resolutions is to read more works of fiction in 2018, like Chris Cleave's "Little Bee."
Former President Donald Trump is preparing to launch his third campaign for the White House with an announcement Tuesday night. Trump is looking to move on from disappointing midterm defeats and defy history amid signs that his grip on the Republican Party may be waning. The former president had hoped to use the GOP's expected gains in last week's elections as a springboard to win his party's nomination by locking in early support and keeping potential challengers at bay. Instead, Trump now finds himself being blamed for backing a series of losing candidates in last week's midterm elections.
Two major retailers on Thursday announced additional store closings as they grapple with declining sales and customers who are increasingly shopping online.

Sears Holdings said it would close 64 Kmart stores and 39 Sears stores, while Macy's said it will shutter an additional 11 stores in coming weeks. Both companies have closed hundreds of stores in recent years in an effort to cut costs.

In Iowa, Kmart locations in Red Oak and Urbandale will close in early April. The Council Bluffs store was not on the list of upcoming closures. The Sears in Waterloo will also close in early April.

"We will continue to close some unprofitable stores so that our physical store footprint and our digital capabilities match the needs and preferences of our members," Sears said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

The company did not say how many employees would be let go as a result of the closures, but said it would provide severance to eligible workers. Liquidation sales will begin as early as next week, with store closings expected to begin in early March.

The news comes after a tumultuous few years for the nation's department stores. More than 300 retailers filed for bankruptcy last year, and many others posted deep losses.

But there are signs that a solid holiday season has provided at least a temporary reprieve for some as shoppers stocked up on home goods, clothing and beauty products. JC Penney on Thursday said same-store sales, a measure of sales in stores open at least one year, rose 3.4 percent in November and December compared to a year earlier. Macy's, meanwhile, reported 1.1 percent growth in same-store sales during that period led by increased demand for active apparel, shoes, dresses and coats.

"Consumers were ready to spend this season," Jeff Gennette, Macy's chief executive, said in a statement. "We saw improved sales trends in our stores and continued to see double-digit growth on our digital platforms."

But analysts cautioned that it could still be a rocky road for retailers like Macy's. The company has already closed 124 stores since 2015, joining a number of other retailers that are paring down as more customers shop online. For 2017, Macy's says it projects total sales to be 3.6 percent to 3.9 percent lower than they were a year earlier.

"These results are simply not strong enough to suggest that Macy's has transformed the business nor that future success is guaranteed," Neil Saunders, managing director of analytics firm GlobalData Retail, wrote in a note to clients. "Growth remains relatively weak."

Overall, holiday spending is projected to rise about 4 percent to a record $682 billion, according to the National Retail Federation, which will report final numbers late next week. Early projections show that sales rose 4.9 percent during the holidays, accounting for the largest annual increase since 2011, according to Mastercard's SpendingPulse report.

But even otherwise healthy retailers, analysts said, could face new challenges in coming weeks as snow and ice blanket much of the East Coast was blanketed in snow and ice, leading to hundreds of school closures and workplace delays. Consumers who might have otherwise shopped at the local mall have been hunkered down indoors, keeping tabs on their children, shoveling their driveways or preparing for power outages.

And although some types of retailers  hardware stores, say, or grocery chains  may see a rush of customers before and after major storms, analysts said department stores, which rely heavily on foot traffic, are a different story. (Online retailers aren't immune either: A series of snow storms in early 2015, for example, led to a $35 million decline in e-commerce sales, according to data from Adobe Digital Index.)

"Department stores definitely take a hit when the weather turns bad," said Anya Cohen, a retail analyst at research firm IBIS World. "Bricks-and-mortar stores are already struggling to get shoppers into their doors, and inclement weather is one more reason to keep them at home."

The "cyclone bomb" of snow and ice, meanwhile, is adding to retailers' woes. A brisk holiday season left many stores with lower-than-usual inventory levels, and weather-related transportation delays could add new complications in coming weeks, according to Rachal Snider, a vice president at AFN, a logistics firm that provides transportation services to retailers.

"Not only are people not shopping, but there's also a whiplash effect when companies can't get products into their stores," she said. "It's a perfect storm of bad conditions for retailers."

 Nonpareil Managing Editor Courtney Brummer-Clark contributed to this report.
A 19-year-old who fatally shot a 20-year-old man during a Russian roulette-style party game was sentenced Friday to six to 12 years in prison for manslaughter.

Prosecutors said the shooting occurred early April 2 of last year after a group of people gathered at a party in a home near 27th Street and Camden Avenue in Omaha. The partygoers were playing a game of chance with a gun when Montana Garbez pointed the gun at Scott Evans head and fired a shot, officials said. The shot killed Evans. He was from Council Bluffs.

Under state sentencing guidelines that cut most sentences in half, Garbez could get out of prison after serving three years. He was given 277 days credit for the time he already has served in jail.

At the time of the shooting, Garbez was expecting his first child and lived in Glenwood with his parents.

Garbezs attorney, James Martin Davis, said Friday that Garbez and Evans had been drinking and doing drugs.

- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
At Bahia Honda, the mosquitoes were so thick no one slept for two nights.

Although the insects were annoying, the group of Iowans from a floating marine biological laboratory were in the midst of an experiment that would produce a trove of valuable information.

It was the spring of 1893. Charles C. Nutting, a State University of Iowa zoology professor, led a team from Iowa to Cuba and the Bahamas traveling on a floating laboratory. The group consisted of professors and students from SUI and other colleges, as well as a doctor, attorney and journalist. It gave the scientists and students an opportunity to study saltwater marine life firsthand, something they werent able to do in Iowa. They would be collecting and preserving a wide variety of marine life that would be studied back in Iowa City in the universitys laboratories and classrooms.

Preparations for the trip began in winter 1892 and spring 1893, when Professor Nutting lined up a vessel, the Emily E. Johnson, a 116-ton, 95-foot, two-masted schooner. There were four staterooms, a small saloon and a toilet room. He immediately began modifying the boat to accommodate the work of the scientists and students. Dredging equipment, a hoisting machine and 300 fathoms of wire rope were installed. Sky lights were inserted to allow natural light into the lab. And, of course, there were microscopes. Capt. Charles Flowers, a seaman of first class, was hired as skipper, along with a small crew.

The university was not able to provide funds for the endeavor, so the professor got creative. Engineering students designed and built trawls, and the rest of the expenses were picked up by the participants themselves  $200 each. The money went for provisions, transportation to and from the coast, port charges and the wages of the skipper and crew. Railroads offered special discounts for participants traveling from Iowa to Baltimore, where the boat would depart.

Students applied to become part of the team. Some of the first applicants were women, and this caused a dilemma. After much discussion, the decision was made to give the girls a chance but only after reliable chaperones were found. Seven of the 21-member team were women.

The floating lab sailed from Baltimore on May 5. The team experienced severe sea sickness the first few days. Their first stop was at Egg Island, Bahamas, on May 12. They spent a day collecting samples of seaweed, in which they found interesting forms of animal life. On their way to Havana, Cuba, they crossed the Great Bahama Bank, a submerged plateau of great extent. Here they conducted their first dredge, where they collected their most valuable specimens. The team reached Havana on May 21. Here they collected a magnificent series of about 150 specimens from depths of 150-250 fathoms.

Then it was on to Bahia Honda, a port 60 miles west of Havana. Here the locals were suspicious of the Iowans, so they decided to stay within 30 yards of the shore. Next, on to Key West, Cuba, arriving on June 5. Rather than face 15 days of quarantine there, they traveled to Dry Tortugas, where they stayed for 11 days, exploring the waters around abandoned Fort Jefferson. Spending two weeks at Pourtales Plateau, they gathered large numbers of corals, hydroids, crustaceans and echinoderms. They also secured dolphins and sharks.

On July 1 the group spent time at Eleuthera, where the boat ran aground as a result of the actions of an incompetent pilot. They had to wait for the next high tide, when they were pushed out to sea. The team stopped at Spanish Wells, where they gathered corals, star fish and sea urchins. Their last stop was Little San Salvador. Then the expedition began to make their way back to Baltimore, arriving in eight days.

They had packed their specimens in tanks filled with alcohol and soldered them tightly shut for the return trip. The team had collected about 15,000 specimens.

This was probably the largest amount of marine natural history specimens ever shipped at one time into the interior of the United States, Professor Nutting wrote in 1894. He expected the collection to provide decades of lab study and research.

In June 1894, the team held a reunion in Iowa City. The room was decorated with objects from the voyage: an S.U.I. pennant, the log book and the ship quadrant. Blackboards in the room were decorated with sketches of scenes from the expedition. The meal replicated a typical meal onboard the boat, hard tack and corned beef. Professor Nutting was the toastmaster. Samples of the toasts: The Moral Aspects of the Expedition, Medical Friends at Tortugas and Those Who Didnt Go.

The University of Iowa Libraries holds texts and photos from the expedition in its William Larrabee Jr. Collection of 1893 Expedition.
WASHINGTON  Isaac Dodge of Callaway has received a nomination to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. Dodge was among 30 Nebraskans nominated Thursday for the U.S. five military service academies by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Its my privilege to announce the names of the outstanding Nebraska students I am nominating to attend our nations military service academies, Fischer said. Every one of these students has demonstrated an incredible work ethic, impressive leadership skills and great integrity. I thank all of these young Nebraskans for their willingness to serve our country and continue our states longstanding tradition of military service.

Every year, senators nominate a select group of eligible individuals from their states for enrollment at the U.S. Air Force, Merchant Marine, Coast Guard, Military and Naval academies.

Sen. Fischers other nominees for the class of 2022 are:

 Mitchell Koch, Omaha, to the U.S. Military Academy

 Leon Linhart, York, Military Academy

 John Quigley, Omaha, Military Academy

 Andrew Dunham, Omaha, Military Academy and Naval Academy

 Jacob Wicker, Norfolk, Military Academy

 John Avilla, Omaha, Military Academy

 Montana Cottle, Fort Calhoun, Military Academy

 Alex Eisele, Omaha, Military Academy

 Madalyn Allen, Papillion, Military Academy

 Cooper Smith, DeWitt, U.S. Air Force Academy

 Shanna Hoven, Wahoo, Air Force Academy

 Kobe Everson, Omaha, Air Force Academy

 Gavin Fox, Grand Island, Air Force Academy

 Grace Protzman, Norfolk, Air Force Academy

 Luke Nolley, Lincoln, Air Force Academy and Naval Academy

 Megan LeClere, Bellevue, Air Force Academy

 Meredith Wichman, Omaha, Air Force Academy and Naval Academy

 Bryan Fitch, Lincoln, Air Force Academy

 Ally Hall, Lincoln, Air Force Academy

 Greg Matya, Omaha, Naval Academy

 Sam Hupp, Lincoln, Naval Academy

 Dylan Horton, Alliance, Naval Academy and Coast Guard Academy

 Joseph Dodson, Lincoln, Naval Academy

 Andrew Merritt, Omaha, Naval Academy

 Brendon Brown, Sidney, Naval Academy

 Jack Buglewicz, Bellevue, Naval Academy

 Samuel Willard, Papillion, Coast Guard Academy and Merchant Marine Academy

 Gideon Fink, Stratton, Coast Guard Academy and Merchant Marine Academy

 Joseph Noonan, Omaha, Merchant Marine Academy
Like any incoming Miss Rodeo Nebraska, Kristin Kohmetscher spent the months ahead of this weekends coronation planning her years travel schedule.

As she planned her first four months, Kohmetscher made sure each trip worked around her last semester at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine  shell graduate with a doctorate in veterinary medicine in May.

On Saturday the Lawrence, Nebraska, native will focus on her upcoming reign at her coronation ceremony at the Nuckolls County Fairgrounds. Social hour begins at 6 p.m.; dinner begins at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $15 for children and the event is free for those age 5 and younger.

The 2018 Miss Rodeo Nebraska will be the first woman to have also been crowned Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska, in 2008. She waited until June 2017 to come back to Wild West Arena in North Platte to compete for the queen title, taking home the Miss Rodeo Nebraska Lady in Waiting title at the pageant during Nebraskaland Days.

Waiting almost a decade meant giving up the chance to become Miss Rodeo America  a discrepancy in age requirements between the Miss Rodeo Nebraska and the Miss Rodeo America pageants made Kohmetscher ineligible.

The news brought mixed feelings. In June she expressed both optimism to get a jump at her career and sadness after shed intentionally waited so she could mature between her competitions.

But Kohmetscher is no less excited. While she cant think of one specific event shes most excited for, she looks forward to promoting her slogan, Ride for the Brand. Having grown up on a cattle operation, she said she hopes to speak about the agricultural lifestyle to those who are unfamiliar. She also looks forward to using her veterinary experience to talk about ethical practices in the treatment of rodeo animals.

As she finishes her studies, the farthest that Kohmetscher will travel before graduating is Florida. But Kohmetscher planned ahead for her last semester, discussing road-trip and carpool options with other state queens, including Miss Rodeo Iowa. She coordinated time off and talked to her professors and pageant officials.

Kohmetscher found support in her college, which featured a story on its website after her crowning last summer. She plans to wear her belt buckle and noticeable boots under her graduation gown.

While she joked that I might hate Mondays even more in her final semester, the ability to both finish her studies and complete her reign makes 2018 even more awesome, she said.

The venue for Kohmetschers coronation is also special to her. Located about 20 miles from Lawrence, the Nuckolls County Fairgrounds, near Nelson, is where her mother served on both the fair board and rodeo board. In 2013, Kohmetschers mother died unexpectedly.

While Kohmetschers parents hadnt been involved extensively in rodeos, they became interested because of her passion for horses and rodeo pageants, she said. Her sister, Halee, is now Miss Nuckolls County Rodeo Queen 2017 and gets to give visiting rodeo queens tours around the area, Kohmetscher said.

As Kohmetscher planned her coronation, she wished she could bounce ideas off her mother, or talk as the two once did. But Kohmetscher said she feels her mothers presence and has felt an outpouring of support through the whole process.

Its eye-opening to see how many people do love and support me, she said.

Kohmetscher also values the support of her father, who, while not understanding the hair and makeup side of rodeo pageants, makes sure the vehicles are fueled up and the tires are good to go.

Hes just beaming with pride knowing my dreams are coming full circle, Kohmetscher said. Im really excited for him to enjoy the event.
A fitness center in what was once Sears Hometown Store will offer personal training, fitness classes, tanning and aqua massage as well as a traditional gym.

Anytime Fitness, a franchise with 3,000 locations worldwide, will open by February in North Platte at 310 E. Fifth St.

Customers can choose from a number of video and live classes, said Brian Barton, franchise owner. Membership also gives customers access to any of the chains locations.

Barton said that while searching for a location to open the fitness center, he noticed that North Platte has numerous great gyms.

But nothing that offers everything, he said.

Barton owns 10 Anytime Fitness locations  in addition to North Plattes location, he owns locations in Colorado, Scottsbluff and McCook. While Barton lives in Colorado, he has family in Nebraska, spends time in the summer at Lake McConaughy and frequently visits North Platte, he said.

Ive been a Big Red fan for as long as I can remember, he said.

A couple of years ago, Barton and his wife, Kelly, began looking for a North Platte location and were attracted to the old Sears buildings location.

The parking lot gives room not only for on-site parking, but outdoor classes when the weather is nice, he said. He plans to keep the bricks and historic look of the building as renovations continue.

The fitness center is currently taking pre-registrations for a discounted rate and can be contacted at 308-221-6677.
Kids across Lincoln County can use their time after school to build robots, sew and make crafts this year, with the return of Lincoln Countys 4-H SPIN clubs.

This years clubs feature several programs for students of different age groups. Price per club varies from $35 to $50, plus a $5 annual membership fee. Clubs begin in February and continue throughout the year.

Unlike a traditional 4-H club, SPIN Clubs focus more on hands-on learning and creating a project and less on team leadership and contest preparedness, said Brenda Aufdenkamp, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension educator.

This years SPIN clubs  a name shortened from the term special interest  include clubs for both beginning and intermediate sewing, hands-on science experiments, crafts, robotics and the world of bugs, Aufdenkamp said. They also feature a club that focuses on the Cloverkids age group, for students younger than 8, and an agricultural-based club, styled more like a traditional 4-H club.

In the robotics club, students will begin by learning robotics programming and return each week to tinker with their robots, Aufdenkamp said. The other clubs aim to offer similar hands-on activities: sewing garments, learning new science experiments, first aid and constellations. Volunteers with knowledge of each clubs interest will lead the student participants, she said.

SPIN Clubs are emerging across the country, but just starting to take off in Nebraska, Aufdenkamp said. Lincoln County began with one club three years ago and has expanded, she said. Today, each club includes 12 to 16 students coming to develop a skill to occupy their after-school time, Aufdenkamp said.

Parents can learn more by visiting llm.unl.edu (select pull-down menu for Lincoln/Logan/McPherson 4-H) or contacting North Plattes Extension office at 308-532-2683.
Serving Nebraska during the last five years has been an honor, and as I begin 2018, I look forward to continuing to work on behalf of our great state and our great people. My staff, both in Washington and throughout Nebraska, work hard to ensure that Nebraskans receive the best representation and guidance when navigating federal bureaucracy, planning a trip to the nations capital or looking for other services that my office can provide.

My offices in Omaha, Lincoln, Norfolk, Kearney and Scottsbluff are always ready to help you. Whether working with the VA to help you with services you earned protecting our nation, getting an answer about Social Security benefits, or obtaining passports for your next trip out of the country, my Senate staff is committed to serving you.

Sometimes problems in foreign countries can become matters of freedom, or even life or death. In 1999, Marcel Pika moved his family to Lincoln following the start of a civil war in his native country of the Republic of Congo. In 2016, after becoming an American citizen, he was arrested while visiting the Congo following their election. He was never charged with a crime.

Working with the State Department and Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, my office helped to secure his release. When I met with the Pika family, I was touched by their incredible strength and courage. I was happy to join all Nebraskans in welcoming Marcel and his wife, Josephine, home and wishing them well as they reunite with their family.

My casework staff is also dedicated to dealing with issues closer to home. In March 2017, the conservator of Bert Crum, a 100 percent disabled Vietnam veteran, contacted my office. He hoped to obtain the service medals Mr. Crum earned during Vietnam. A fire at the National Personnel Records Center in 1973 destroyed his records outlining his commendations. Working with the National Personnel Records Center, we checked battle reports and contacted archivists to find Mr. Crums service records. He had earned a Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and Presidential Unit Citation, among other awards. In May, Mr. Crum received all of his medals from serving in the United States Marine Corps.

For those who want to meet in person with a member of my staff about any issue, we also hold mobile office hours in communities all across Nebraska. In 2017, our office held 93 of these meetings  one in each of our states counties. These mobile office hours act as a convenient place where you can ask questions and share concerns regarding the challenges you have encountered with the federal government. To find more information about upcoming office hours in 2018, check your community newspapers, my website and Facebook page or my Twitter account.

Every year, thousands of Nebraskans visit our nations capital to experience our countrys rich history and tour some of our wonderful museums and monuments. I encourage you to use my Washington office as a resource as you plan your trip. Staff can schedule tours of the White House or U.S. Capitol. They also have information about many other attractions in Washington, D.C.

If you visit the nations capital, I also hope you consider attending a time-honored state tradition: the Nebraska Breakfast. Hosted in the Senates Dirksen Office Building, the Breakfast is open to all Nebraskans and attended by the entire Nebraska congressional delegation. This will mark the 75th year of the breakfast, which Senator Hugh Butler instituted in 1943. The Nebraska Breakfast is the longest-running meeting of its kind. More information regarding the Nebraska Breakfast can be found by visiting my website or contacting my office.

Serving Nebraska families is the most rewarding aspect of my job. Please contact me if you have concerns regarding your interaction with the federal bureaucracy, are planning to visit Washington, or want to voice your suggestions on important issues.

Happy new year and thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.
First Financial Bank, which has branches in Highland, Hammond, Schererville and Crown Point, announced Thursday it would raise pay for new and existing hourly associates to $15 an hour, becoming the third bank with a Northwest Indiana footprint to do so.

The Cincinnati-based bank employs 1,335 associates throughout Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, and said about 220 would get raises. The bank did not disclose how much it was currently paying tellers and other hourly workers but the salary and career website Glassdoor estimates First Financial's wages had been about $13.99 an hour for new hires.

Fifth Third Bank, which has locations in Hammond, Gary, Munster, Schererville, St. John, Merrillville, Hobart, Portage, Chesterton and Valparaiso, also said it would raise its minimum hourly wage to $15 and give its more than 13,000 employees a one-time bonus of $1,000 after the federal tax cut legislation was signed into law. PNC Bank, which has branches in Merrillville and Schererville, also bumped its pay up to at least $15 an hour and handed out $1,000 bonuses.

First Financial, Fifth Third and PNC were just a few of the companies that announced wages or bonuses after the tax cut reduced the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent.

Aflac, American Airlines, Associated Bank, AT&T, Bank of America, Boeing, Comcast, Southwest Airlines, Wells Fargo, Sinclair Broadcasting, First Farmers Bank & Trust and a few dozen regional banks also announced increases in compensation through raises or bonuses, though both AT&T and Comcast also have been laying hundreds of workers off across the country.

First Financial said the corporate tax rate reduction was the explicit reason it was contributing $3 million to charity and raising wages.

Our associates are our greatest asset. Each day they work to exceed the expectations of our clients, invest time in our communities and live our values, First Financial CEO Claude Davis said. We continue to look for ways to attract and reward the best talent to help serve our clients and drive the success of the business, as well as ways to be intentional and impactful with investments in our communities.
U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville, lobbied for the ongoing continuation of steel tariffs before the U.S. International Trade Commission, which is weighing whether to extend 18-year-old duties on cut-to-length carbon-quality steel plate from India, Indonesia and South Korea.

ArcelorMittal makes the plate at its Burns Harbor Plate Mill.

"As a representative and resident of Northwest Indiana, I am acutely aware of the challenges facing the American steel industry due to the onslaught of illegal steel imports," Visclosky said during testimony at a hearing in Washington, D.C. "The ArcelorMittal facility at Burns Harbor in Northwest Indiana makes cut-to-length carbon-quality steel plate, and every one of those dedicated workers deserve to be able to continue to fairly compete and make the best steel to the best of their ability in our global economy."

The United States has imposed tariffs of up to 72.49 percent on plate from India, Indonesia and South Korea since 2000, and the tariffs were renewed twice  in 2005 and again in 2011, according to the International Trade Commission. Visclosky said the duties  meant to offset subsidies and steel dumping  should stay in place at a time when imports were up more than 17 percent, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

He said duties were still needed since U.S. steel plate manufacturers operated at only 59 percent capacity from 2015 through most of 2017, and was only 70 percent at the end of last year.

"We can do better and we will do better when countries around the world know without doubt that we do not allow unfairly traded products into our market," Visclosky testified in Washington. "I am pleased to be able to stand here today to testify before the commission during the third review, and to again state our steelworkers remain under the constant threat of illegal imports, and should the current trade remedies be removed they would again face a new explicit threat of material injury."

Visclosky described cut-to-length carbon-quality steel plate as an "essential component of American infrastructure." It's used in Navy vessels and also to build bridges, railway equipment, barges, ships and refinery tanks across the nation.

"It is essential for both our national defense and our national economy, and we cannot afford to threaten our production capabilities," Visclosky said.
HAMMOND  Two Illinois men have been indicted in the Northern District of Indiana on allegations they worked together in an attempt to distribute 3.6 kilograms of heroin.

Michael Cruz, 38, of Algonquin, and Rigoberto Ortiz-Dominguez, 32, of Joliet, were each charged with possession with intent to deliver more than one kilogram of heroin, according to court records.

The indictments appear to be the result of a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation.

Cruz allegedly directed his courier, Ortiz-Dominguez, on Nov. 16 to deliver "multiple kilograms of heroin" to a buyer, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Indiana.

When Ortiz-Dominquez arrived to sell to the buyer, officers conducted a traffic stop and seized 3.6 kilograms of heroin from his car, the release stated.

The news release and court records do not specify where in Northwest Indiana that Ortiz-Dominquez was stopped, but the release notes that the Hammond Police Department and Indiana State Police assisted the DEA.

Cruz and Ortiz-Dominguez were arrested and have been detained pending trial.

"Cooperative partnerships between local, state and federal agencies are essential to reducing the availability of controlled substances in the Northern District of Indiana," U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II said in a news release.
A man was shot to death Thursday evening in Gary's Miller neighborhood, near the South Shore Line station.

Terrence Conley, a 55-year-old Gary resident, was found dead at 800 S. Lake St., the Lake County coroner's office confirmed Friday. The area is a parking lot across from a vacant Walgreen's pharmacy, a McDonald's and a gas station in the commercial area along the Dunes Highway outside the entrance to the residential part of the lakefront neighborhood.

Conley was a Miller resident who lived about a mile away from the scene of the crime, according to the coroner's office.

Deputy coroners were called out to the site of the shooting about 6 p.m. Thursday. They pronounced Conley dead at the scene about 6:45 p.m.

Gary Police said they found an unresponsive man slumped in a vehicle with a gunshot to his face. The manner of death was homicide and the cause of death was a gunshot wound, according to a news release.

The Gary Police and Fire Departments and the Lake County Crime Scene Investigators also responded to the call.

Check back at nwi.com for updates.
HAMMOND  A Schererville man was sentenced Thursday to 70 months in prison on one count of soliciting the transportation of a person across state lines for prostitution.

According to court records, 43-year-old Aleksandar Jokic solicited a pimp between June and October 2015 to transport a 16-year-old girl for the purpose of engaging in paid sex acts. He paid using a combination of cash and bank checks.

Over that same time period, Jokic also solicited and received commercial sex acts at his residence on separate occasions from two other teens, ages 15 and 16, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Indiana.

Although he denied knowing that three prostitutes transported were minors, Jokic pleaded guilty in 2016 in U.S. District Court to federal charges of transportation for prostitution.

On top of paying a $5,000 fine, when released from prison, Jokic will be placed on supervision for five years, according to his sentencing agreement.

The U.S. attorney's office previously said Melinda Milton, 35, of East Chicago, transported the teenage girls after Jokic contacted her on his smartphone. She's one of 12 people indicted in a Latin Kings case being prosecuted by the U.S. attorney's office.

Milton is accused in that case of working with Joseph Little Foot Uvalle, 33, of Crown Point, to pimp out underage girls.

The Latin Kings case is the first in the history of the U.S. District Court Northern District of Indiana that sex trafficking has been charged as part of a street gang prosecution.

In the federal case against Milton, she is charged with six felony counts, including sex trafficking by fraud and coercion, and forfeiture allegations and transportation of a minor for prostitution. She is in federal custody.

Court records show Milton's case remains pending.
The Lake County Coroner's Office has identified three men who were shot to death in Gary and neighboring Calumet Township in separate incidents over a 12-hour span.

Louis Watson, 25, of Gary, was shot to death early Friday morning on the 2100 block of Harrison Street by Roosevelt Park, about a half mile from the childhood home of Michael Jackson in Gary's Midtown neighborhood.

The Lake County Coroner's Office was called out to the scene at about 3:03 a.m. Friday. Watson was pronounced dead at 3:37 a.m.

"Upon arriving officers were met by a male who stated his friend was shot inside the residence," the Gary Police Department said in a news release. "Officers entered the residence and discovered a man ... shot multiple times. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene."

The manner of death was homicide, and the cause of death was a gunshot wound, according to the coroner's office.

At 5:07 a.m. Friday the Lake County Coroner's Office was called to a scene in the 4300 block of Roosevelt Street in unincorporated Calumet Township, just outside of Gary's Black Oak Neighborhood. A man was pronounced dead of homicide by gunshot wound at 5:30 a.m.

The coroner's office on Friday identified the shooting victim as Shawn Magerski, 36, of Gary.

The overnight shootings followed a fatal shooting of 55-year-old Gary resident Terrence Conley about 6 p.m. Thursday at 800 S. Lake St., near the South Shore Line train station in Gary's Miller neighborhood.

"Upon arriving officers discovered a male unresponsive in a vehicle at that location with an apparent gunshot wound to the face," the Gary Police Department said in a news release.

He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Anyone with information about the killings is urged to contact Sgt. Jeremy Ogden or Cpl. James Bond of the Lake/Gary Metro Homicide Unit at 219-755-3852.

People also can leave anonymous tips on the Gary Tip Line at 866-CRIME-GP.
CROWN POINT  A robbery by two Chicago teens caused a chaotic and deadly shootout Halloween day in Hammond, according to court documents.

Paradise Haynes, 19, and Lucky R. Tyler, 17, are both charged with murder in the shooting death of Khalil Carter, 19, at an apartment in the 500 block of Pointe Drive.

Haynes and Tyler also were charged Dec. 20 in Lake Criminal Court with murder in perpetration of a robbery, aggravated battery and two counts each of robbery and criminal confinement.

The shooting occurred at 4 p.m. Oct. 31, court documents state. Carter was killed, and three other people  Haynes, Tyler and Carter's cousin  were injured after a shootout.

Hammond police spoke with the 18-year-old cousin, who was treated for gunshot wounds at Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus in Gary, documents state.

The cousin said he and Carter invited Haynes, Tyler and a third unidentified male to the home, which they shared with Carter's mother, according to documents.

The teens purchased marijuana and hung out in the living room, when the unidentified male asked to use the bathroom, documents state.

The male reentered the room with a .22 caliber pistol, which the cousin said was in his bedroom, and announced, It's a caper.

Haynes and Tyler both pulled out pistols and ordered Carter and the cousin to the floor, documents state.

The cousin said the robbers asked for $4,000 cash, money the cousin flashed in a social media video the day before Halloween, documents state.

The cousin and Carter denied having the money and the robbers threatened to start shooting, according to documents.

Carter grabbed Tyler, and Haynes shot the cousin in the stomach, documents state. The cousin found a gun that dropped on the floor and heard more shots fired.

The fight moved to the living room, and the cousin fired several rounds, wounding Haynes and Tyler, documents state. The cousin said the Chicago teens staggered out a sliding glass door and escaped in a black SUV.

The cousin found Carter dead in the home, documents state.

Haynes and Tyler were both treated at St. Margaret's Hospital in Hammond. Tyler refused to discuss his injuries with police.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for Haynes' Facebook account, court documents state.

Officers learned Haynes had contacted several people, including the cousin, asking if they could find her a victim to rob in the days before Halloween.

Neither teen is afforded bond on their charges, according to court records.

Haynes was arrested Wednesday, according to court records.

Tyler was not in custody as of Friday, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
CROWN POINT  The Lake County Council started the new year the same way it ended 2017, without Councilman Jamal Washington present.

Washington, D-Merrillville, was one of three council members absent from Thursday's workshop meeting to discuss filling job vacancies, granting two pay raises and a variety of other topics on the council's seven-page agenda in advance of Tuesday's vote.

Council President Ted Bilski, D-Hobart, and Councilwoman Elsie Franklin, D-Gary, also were absent. Councilman David Hamm, D-Hammond, said Franklin, who has been ill, was unable to attend because of the cold. Bilski, who arrived just as the meeting ended, said he had a prior commitment, but had been working earlier this week on county government matters in preparation for Tuesday's council meeting when votes will be taken.

Washington, reached by telephone after the meeting, said he had a flat tire.

Washington missed the council's last 2017 meeting Dec. 12 because he was incarcerated for 14 days in Lake County Jail on domestic violence charges.

Washington posted bond Dec. 21 and is denying charges he assaulted a female cousin living with him last month. She has since recanted her accusations, but a special prosecutor is still pursuing this case as well as revocation of Washington's suspended jail term arising from the 2015 battery of his wife.

Washington said he will attend Tuesday's council meeting to vote to end the council's hiring freeze policy that requires county government officeholders and department heads to request the council's permission to fill job vacancies after staff members resign.

A majority of the council has had the hiring freeze in place for two years and voted to renew it again last month on grounds it creates about $1 million in annual savings by delaying, for several weeks, having the replacement employee on the payroll. There are 17 job vacancies up for council approval Tuesday.

The board of commissioners vetoed the hiring freeze last month for the second year in a row.

Commission President Mike Repay, D-Hammond, said the freeze creates a lot of unnecessary paperwork. He told the council Thursday, "Some department heads are apprehensive about talking directly to you about this, but I'm not."

The council must now muster five votes to override the veto. Washington said he will vote to uphold the veto, calling the hiring freeze an inappropriate attempt to "micromanage" other county government agencies.
INDIANAPOLIS  Two proposals that could dramatically change Indiana's alcohol sales environment will receive Senate committee hearings this month.

State Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, chairman of the Senate Public Policy Committee, confirmed Friday the panel will consider whether to approve separate measures authorizing Sunday retail alcohol purchases and allowing cold beer to be sold at businesses other than package liquor stores.

The Sunday sales legislation appears to be on the fast-track to passage. It not only is sponsored by Alting, but it also carries the Senate Bill 1 designation that's typically assigned to a proposal that Senate leadership considers the most important of the session.

Alting's plan mirrors the November recommendation of the Indiana Alcohol Code Revision Commission by allowing any liquor store, grocery store, convenience store, drug store or restaurant that currently sells alcohol for off-premises consumption Monday through Saturday to also sell on Sundays between noon and 8 p.m.

"Indiana is the only state in the nation with a statewide ban on the Sunday (retail) sale of alcohol," Alting said. "Times and public opinion on this matter have changed, and as author of SB 1, I think it is time that we make a concerted effort to pass that law here in Indiana."

Alting was less optimistic about Senate Bill 26, sponsored by state Sen. Phil Boots, R-Crawfordsville, that would end the liquor store monopoly on cold beer sales by allowing grocery, drug and convenience stores to also sell canned or bottled beer out of refrigerators.

That idea won a plurality of support on the Alcohol Code Revision Commission, but not enough to make it an official recommendation to the General Assembly  due in part to opposition by Alting and state Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn, chairman of the House Public Policy Committee.

Alting said he nevertheless is willing to give Boots' cold beer proposal its first committee hearing. Though Alting explained that he continues to be concerned about the dangers of expanding cold beer availability to more retail outlets.

"In an attempt to balance my personal views, the views of my constituents and the best interest of the state, I believe that holding a hearing on this issue is now appropriate," he said. "As with all bills presented in my committee, I will give it a fair hearing."

The Sunday sales hearing is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in the Senate chamber. Cold beer will be before the committee Jan. 17.

Committee approval would be just the first step in the long process of making an Indiana law.

The proposal then would have to be endorsed by the full Senate, advance out of a House committee, pass the full House and have the different Senate and House versions reconciled and re-approved by both chambers to get to Gov. Eric Holcomb for his enactment signature or veto.
VALPARAISO  Every day, President Donald Trump receives thousands of pieces of mail and emails from around the U.S. and the world. Ivy Tech Community College Valparaiso student Emily Muellers recent White House internship gave her an opportunity to help read and categorize that mail.

Mueller, who is majoring in business administration, worked in the Office of Presidential Correspondence from Sept. 6 through Dec. 6, in Washington, D.C.

Its probably one of the best places to be an intern because you can see the opinions and viewpoints of the American people, Mueller said.

You see a lot of interesting things, sometimes even shed a tear. Every piece of mail and email is different. You never know what youre going to get.

She explained that staff and interns provide "first eyes" for all correspondence addressed to the president. We read it to be sure its nothing threatening," she said.

Once the letters and emails are read, they are separated into hundreds of categories, and a team of writers responds to the correspondence, Mueller said.

The mail she read ranged from grade-school students writing as part of a class assignment, to correspondence from senior citizens. The little kids would write saying, Hey, we have to write this, she said.

Much of the correspondence addressed to Trump this past fall concerned opinions about health care, she said, adding that this was one of the hot button topics the Office of Presidential Correspondence staff tracks.

There were very heart-warming letters, Mueller said. There are wow letters. The staff said this is just what the president needs to see.

One of those letters came from a veteran who was shot in the line of duty.

He underwent surgery that lasted 12 hours. As soon as he stood up after the surgery, he re-enlisted. His father sent in a photo of his son re-enlisting, Mueller recalled. The president deserves to see that.

Another letter the Office of Presidential Correspondence forwarded to Trump came from a little boy who asked if he could mow the lawn at the White House, she said.

The President said, Lets bring that kid to the White House, Mueller said.

There is more support (for the president) than people would think, she said. To work in the Office of Presidential Correspondence, its very important to be impartial and, as strange as it sounds, put politics aside.

Mueller, who became interested in the White House internship opportunity last spring, decided to finalize her application with the support of Ivy Tech, including Ivy Tech President Sue Ellspermann.

We are proud one of our students was chosen for such a prestigious internship opportunity, Ellspermann said.

Emily was well qualified and tenacious in pursuing the internship. The experience Emily brings back will be invaluable as she continues on her educational journey. Emily as a role model will also inspire more Ivy Tech students to pursue these prestigious opportunities.

As Mueller returns to classes at Ivy Tech, she will continue to serve as secretary of the Student Government Association at the Valparaiso campus. She also plans to join the Kappa Beta Delta International Honor Society.

This is an honor society for those students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, she said.

Mueller said she plans to complete her associate degree in business administration this summer and apply to Valparaiso University where she would like to double major in business administration and economics.

After receiving her bachelors degree, Mueller said she would like to return to Washington, D.C.

I loved where I was. Hopefully, I can go back to the office of correspondence, she said. I also want to continue my education.
The frigid cold in Northwest Indiana has formed beautiful but unstable shelf ice along the Lake Michigan shoreline over the last few weeks.

Shelf ice, which forms when a portion of a lake surface freezes, is not solid.

Bruce Rowe, spokesman for Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, said shelf ice can be deadly.

"The ice surface starts to freeze, and you get waves from the north, and it crashes against the shoreline," Rowe said Thursday. "It looks like little mountains of ice, and then you get calm weather and flat ice forms behind it, and then you get more ridges of ice mountains."

Rowe said while it looks solid, only parts of it are. "But the lake moves and churns, and you get weak spots or gaps, and you can fall through the lake. The odds of getting out are close to zero," he said.

It looks like the arctic, but "because of wave action on the ice it is never safe to go out there, especially at Indiana Dunes. Any sort of ice, big or small, you really have to be careful," Rowe said.

And with all the cold weather lately, the ice is building up.

Rowe said people can check it out safely by going to the Lake View Beach picnic area on Lakefront Drive in Beverly Shores, or from the park's bathhouses.

Michigan City Park Superintendent Jeremy Kienitz issued a shelf ice warning Thursday, asking people to stay off both the shelf ice and the lighthouse pier.

According to that advisory, a person applying even a small amount of weight on the shelf ice can easily fall through and into frigid water. If they fall through, hypothermia will set in quickly and survival is unlikely.

The lighthouse pier is also coated in ice, which can lead to slipping and falling off the pier.

Indiana Dunes State Park interpretive naturalist Marie Laudeman said ice is a beautiful phenomenon, but shelf ice is a different creature.

"The ice pockets are freezing together, leaving room for lots of holes and cracks, and that makes it unsafe to walk on. The forces of Lake Michigan are difficult enough to manage during the warm weather months without adding the more severe elements of winter," she said.

Laudeman said all park employees have been versed on the dangers of shelf ice.

"The main thing is to respect its beauty," she said. "At the Indiana Dunes State Park, we promote safety first. We have signs out there encouraging visitors to respect the ice and view it from the shorelines." She said there has been an increase in traffic at the park with people checking out the phenomenon.

"But when you are out there, don't step onto surfaces that are slippery," she said. "I appreciate the cold, and this is the closest you can get to the arctic landscape."

Laudeman said visitors are checking out the shelf ice and abiding by the rules.

"I'm really excited to see the formation," she said.

At Whihala Beach in Whiting, beach supervisor Nick Kalwinski said the park staff issued a warning for people to heed the signage at the beach and not go out on the ice.

"It is so dangerous to go out there on the ice because it gives a false sense of security," Kalwinski said. "I've been keeping an eye on things here every day, and people are heeding the warnings and common sense is prevailing. We try to do a lot of education, and that helps."

Kalwinski said they also tell people to keep their dogs on a leash and off the ice.

"The dogs can get into trouble on the ice, too," he said. "We have plenty of safe areas here at the beach for people to view the shelf ice."
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BOSTON  Most of the largest U.S. public universities do not track suicides among their students, despite making investments in prevention at a time of surging demand for mental health services.

Tabulating student suicides comes with its own set of challenges and problems. But without that data, prevention advocates say, schools have no way to measure their success and can overlook trends that could offer insight to help them save lives.

"If you don't collect the data, you're doing half the job," said Gordon Smith, a former U.S. senator from Oregon who became a prevention advocate after his son, Garrett, took his life in 2003 while attending college. "We need information in mental health if we're actually going to be able to better tailor health and healing."

The Associated Press asked the 100 largest U.S. public universities for annual suicide statistics and found that 46 currently track suicides, including 27 that have consistently done so since 2007. Of the 54 remaining schools, 43 said they don't track suicides, nine could provide only limited data and didn't answer questions about how consistently they tracked suicides, and two didn't provide statistics.

Schools that don't track suicides include some of the nation's largest, including Arizona State University and the University of Wisconsin, which have both dealt with student suicides in the recent past, according to news reports. There were at least two suicides at Arizona State in 2017. Health officials at Wisconsin said they're finalizing a database to track the causes of student deaths.

"We will create a formal model to accurately document all student deaths at UW-Madison," Dr. Agustina Marconi, an epidemiologist at the university, said in a statement. "Our findings and the standards we create will benefit other universities moving forward."

The issue has come to the fore as some schools report today's students are arriving on campus less prepared for the rigors of college. Many schools have increased spending on mental health services to counter what the American Psychological Association and other groups have called a mental health crisis on campuses.

Surveys have found increasing rates of anxiety and depression among college students, but some experts say the problem only appears to be worsening because students who might have stayed silent in the past are taking advantage of the increasing availability of help.

"It's unfortunate that people are characterizing this outcome as a crisis," said Ben Locke, who runs a national mental-health network for colleges and leads the counseling center at Penn State. "It's counterproductive because it's criticizing the exact people we've encouraged to come forward."

Adding to the skepticism is that young adults in college have been found to have lower suicide rates than their peers. But they are also at an age when disorders including schizophrenia and bipolar depression often start to develop.

Federal health officials have sought to encourage data collection as part of a grant program named after Smith's son, which has awarded $76 million to more than 230 colleges since 2005. Schools have separately spent millions on their own, often adding programs that teach basic life skills, and training staff across campus to identify students in need.

The U.S. Education Department asks colleges to collect data on student deaths but not suicides specifically, and a variety of factors can discourage schools from tracking it.

Often it's difficult to confirm the cause of death, and medical examiners don't always notify universities when a cause is determined. There are concerns about legal liability. Some families prefer to keep it private. Even schools that collect data differ on whether they count suicides that occur away from campus or during breaks.

And if the statistics become public, some schools fear it could damage their reputations.

"No school wants to be known as a school with multiple suicides. It's not good for business," said Nance Roy, chief clinical officer for the Jed Foundation, a nonprofit that works with colleges and high schools on prevention.

Advocates in at least three states have pushed to require universities to collect suicide data  in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington  but without success so far.

After the 2014 suicide of freshman track star Madison Holleran at the University of Pennsylvania, one of her former teachers in her hometown of Allendale, New Jersey, was surprised to learn many universities don't report suicide statistics. He pushed for a law that would have required the state's public universities to collect and publicize annual numbers, but it never made it to a vote amid pushback from schools.

"He felt that it was something that the public had every right to know," said Pam Philipp, a New Jersey mental-health advocate who lobbied for the legislation along with Holleran's former teacher, Ed Modica, who died in 2017 at age 66.

A similar proposal by a state task force in Washington was sidelined amid budget woes last year, while lawmakers in Pennsylvania have yet to vote on recommendations to improve data collection.

National studies have found that suicide rates are on the rise in the United States, reaching 13 per 100,000 among all Americans and 12.5 among those ages 15 to 24. Much of the data on suicide comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which does not specifically track college suicides.

The gap in information led Dr. James Turner to seek funding for a national reporting system for student deaths in 2009 when he was president of the American College Health Association, but the National Institutes of Health didn't see the value, he said, and it never happened.

"I became puzzled, because we as a society are so interested in the health of college students," said Turner, who is now retired from the University of Virginia. "Why is it we don't have a comprehensive way of approaching this?"

The NIH declined to comment for this article.

A total of 27 schools provided statistics to the AP that they say were consistently tracked from 2007 through 2016, amounting to an overall suicide rate of about 4 per 100,000, although numbers from some universities were so low that experts including Roy at the Jed Foundation questioned their accuracy. The University of Arizona, for example, averaged more than 40,000 students per year over the decade but reported just three suicides, a rate of 0.7 per 100,000.

Earlier studies have found average rates between 6.5 and 7.5 per 100,000 among college students. Schools that provided data to the AP had rates ranging from 0.27 to 8. Because of the inconsistency in responses, The Associated Press is not publishing figures for colleges that provided data.

Schools that do track suicides, however, often use their data to refine prevention efforts.

After Clemson University started gathering more data in 2015, campus officials noticed an increased suicide rate among transfer students. The school is now redoubling efforts to connect those students with campus services.

Data at other universities have led officials to secure access to certain rooftops.

Among the oldest examples is at the University of Texas at Austin, where officials in the 1990s installed iron barriers atop a clock tower that had previously been closed following several student suicides. The 10-year rate on that campus is in line with averages found in earlier studies, its data show, and has decreased in the second half of the past decade, even as national rates increase.

But Chris Brownson, the counseling center director who analyzes the university's suicides, said it's hard to celebrate success when every new case brings so much pain.

"One death is one death too many," he said, "and that's why we come to work every day  to do the things that we do here to try to prevent any of those from happening."

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800-273-8255.
If you are looking for an unconventional way to get fit this winter, you may want to check out Twerk and Dance NWI.

I have people with Fitbits in the class and they are burning over 500 calories. It takes a lot of core control, said Nicole Alarid, owner of Twerk and Dance NWI.

Alarid has been a group fitness instructor for more than 10 years. She started her business, Twerk and Dance NWI, in January 2017. Alarid and her four instructors teach Hip-Hop Cardio Fitness Class and Twerk and Beyonce Dance Class.

The studio is inside Universal Fitness at 1516 N. Main St. in Crown Point.

Brittany Kelly, an instructor for Alarid, agrees that working big muscles, such as the legs and butt, aerobically helps increase persons heart rate, which burns calories.

It tones the glutes and legs because you are in the squat position the majority if the time, said Kelly, who minored in dance at Indiana State University.

But the class also teaches you to isolate muscles and that helps tone as well.

The class is for all levels of fitness because all moves can be modified.

People who attend class come from all walks of life  students, professionals, etc.

We are always working or taking care of our families and we finally get an opportunity to meet new people in our area and connect with them outside of class, Kelly said.

Amanda Myers, who has been attending classes for about six months, drives from Valparaiso.

At first I wanted to go because I wanted to lose weight. But once I did the first class I kept going because of how Nicole was  she was so welcoming and friendly. And all of the ladies in class were extremely cheerful and supportive. Ive never been to a class like that, where other students cheer each other on, Myers said. For me, it makes it worth the drive.

Alarid agrees that is the tone she sets for the class.

Its a judgment-free zone. Its a place to let go and do something fun. You come here in a bad mood you leave here in a good mood and you got a workout in, Alarid said.

Jennifer Deveaux, a student, agrees.

I have tried many classes in the past, but none compare to Nicole's classes. It is a judgement-free atmosphere and everyone encourages each other, she said. In order to stick with a routine, exercise program, etc., you do have to enjoy it. Regardless of how hard of a day I had or what happened during that day, I am going to class because that is my outlet and time to do something for myself.

Alarid said some people can feel intimidated or put off by the word twerk.

Some are imitated to go in. I cant twerk! Well thats why you go to the class  its not hard learn, and like belly dancing, you learn to isolate parts of your body. I dont expect you to come and be a twerk star, Alarid said.

For more information, visit twerkanddance.com.
A federal judge on Friday will decide whether disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes should serve a lengthy prison sentence for duping investors and endangering patients while peddling a bogus blood-testing technology. After being convicted of investor fraud and conspiracy earlier this year Holmes sentencing marks a climactic moment in a saga that has been dissected books and on TV. The federal government wants the 38-year-old Holmes to be sentenced to 15 years in prison. Holmes is arguing for an 18-month sentence, preferably in home confinement; her lawyers say she deserves more lenient treatment as a well-meaning entrepreneur who is now a devoted mother with another child on the way.
Two people who help organize "A Christmas Story" Comes Home in Hammond break into chuckles. Theyre describing the quirky contests and activities at the annual nod to local raconteur Jean Shepherd. The event and contests celebrate the late Shepherds classic A Christmas Story film replete with home-spun humor through a retro lens.

"A Christmas Story" Comes Home takes place at the Indiana Welcome Center, where lots of Christmas trees are decorated and the atmosphere is jolly, says Erika Dahl, director of communications at the South Shore Convention & Visitors Authority (SSCVA), which sponsors the event through Jan. 7.

Every weekend its fun and magical. We see a lot of families that make it their tradition to come here. Its lively with kids running around and enjoying it, says Danielle Sparavalo, special events coordinator for the SSCVA. Her son, 8, and daughter, 3, love it. My sons pretty good anyway, but with Santa here, hes extra good.

The contests are entertaining for participants and spectators.

There are plenty of laughs at events held in conjunction with the "A Christmas Story" Comes Home event. Take the Oh Fuuudge! Relay Race Dec. 9.

Like in the movie, the father takes off a tire and gives the lug nuts to the child, who runs through an obstacle course (carrying the lug nuts in a hubcap), then brings the lug nuts back to the parent, who puts the tire back on. Its always a good time, especially if it snows, because that makes it harder for kids to not drop the lug nuts , says Dahl.

There are all kinds of pairings: mother-child, father-child, and more in the timed contest that has two age categories: ages 4-7 and 8-12. Its fun to see parents team up and accomplish a goal with their kids, says Sparavalo.

If the contest leaves people with visions of actual fudge, the Gift Shop at the welcome center has the individually wrapped goodies for sale.

The Mommys Little Piggy mashed potato eating contest is a riot, says Sparavalo. Based on the moment in the film when Ralphies mother coaxes his little brother to eat, the contest, set for Dec. 16, has contestants in age categories from 4 to adult compete see who can eat the most mashed potatoes in a set time.

No hands. No condiments, either.

We had someone come in last year with seasoning salt, and we had to tell them it wasnt allowed, but Sparavalo is smiling. Bottled water is allowed, donated by Family Express; Strack & Van Til donates the potatoes. Dahl says there are some competitive eaters, but, the little kids and others are in it because its all in good fun.

There are prizes in all the contests and categories, including the Ugly Lamp contest. Though entries were due in November in Born Ugly (one that hasnt been altered) or Made Ugly (one thats been modified), voting for the winners closes with the SSVCA event Jan. 7. The winner gets a Major Award  a Leg Lamp from the Indiana Welcome Center Gift Shop.

But there's still time to Write A Theme, just like Ralphie did in school. Open through Dec. 15 to everyone in various age categories, You write what you want for Christmas, and it can be serious or funny, explains Sparavalo. The theme has to be at least 20 words but no more than 250. The four age categories include 18 and older. Themes can be dropped off at or mailed to the Indiana Welcome Center, 7770 Corinne Dr., Hammond, IN 46323.

Mailed themes must be postmarked no later than midnight Dec. 15. Winners will get a prize.

Theres more going on: photos with Santa, crafting, and cookie decorating on the weekends.

For more info, visit achistmasstorycomeshome.com.
I, too, believe we have become the laughing stock of the world.

But I believe it started nine years ago when we elected a community organizer from Chicago to the top spot.

The previous president went around the world bowing to every Tom, Dick or Harry and won a hands-down contest as the worst president in U.S. history.

He even beat out Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer.

I don't know how Mr. Trump will stack up in the long run, but I believe he deserves the same type of chance given to past presidents. I know that's not possible with the liberal press attacking every move, but I think he'll survive.

Dan Lane, Crown Point
The Auburn Police Division have identified both the victim and a suspect in a fatal shooting that occurred late Wednesday.

Marquavious Boler, 27, was killed in the shooting that took place in the vicinity of the College Arms apartment parking lot, located near the intersection of North Gay Street and Mimosa Avenue, according to police.

Jeremy Maurice Dowdell, 31, of Auburn, was charged with the capital murder of Boler, police said Thursday. He was located by the Auburn Police Division at a residence in Auburn and was transported to the Lee County Jail where he remains in custody without bond.

Additional arrests have not been ruled out as the investigation is still ongoing, said Auburn Police Capt. Lorenza Dorsey.

Confrontation

At approximately 9 p.m. Wednesday, police were notified of possible shots fired in the 800 block of North Gay Street. When they arrived on the scene, officers found Boler in the apartments parking lot with apparent gunshot wounds, authorities said.

The shooting allegedly stemmed from a heated confrontation that took place in the parking lot which ended with Dowdell firing at the victim, police said.

Boler was pronounced dead at the scene by Lee County Coroner Bill Harris. The victims body was later transported to the State Medical Examiners Office in Montgomery for further examination.

Dowdell was an acquaintance of the victim, police said, but was identified as a passenger of a vehicle fleeing the scene of the crime moments after the shooting occurred. Harris said he was given the impression, during the investigation, that Dowdell was a resident of the apartment complex.

This case is Lee Countys first reported homicide in 2018.

The case remains under investigation by the Auburn Police Division and the Department of Forensic Science State Medical Examiners Office.

Anyone with information regarding the case is encouraged to contact Auburn detectives at (334) 501-3140 or the anonymous tip line at (334) 246-1319.
Behind the joyous and bullish celebrations within NRM for the passage of Igara West MP Raphael Magyezis private members bill lies anxious anticipation of an opposition-led court challenge to the law which scrapped the 75-year age cap for presidential hopefuls.

The controversial bill, passed on December 20, and assented to by President Museveni on December 27, also proposed a term extension for elected leaders from five to seven years  a similarly polarising provision which has attracted widespread denunciation as an illegality.

Our lawyers are ready to battle in court, but since it was passed by parliament, the attorney general will have to take the lead, Usuk MP Peter Ogwang said over the weekend.

Well-placed sources have told The Observer that shortly after the bill sailed through on December 20, President Museveni called a strategy meeting at State House Entebbe.

The age limit law is set to be challenged in court

At this meeting, Attorney General William Byaruhanga and his deputy Mwesigwa Rukutana were appointed to lead lawyers within the NRM in laying down a plan of action.

MPs Guster Kyawa Mugoya (Bukooli North), Aston Kajara (Mwenge South), Veronica Bichetero (Kaberamaido), Sam Bitangaro (Bufumbira South) and Robinah Rwakoojo (Gomba West) were drafted onto this team.

The Entebbe meeting was attended by a coordination committee constituted in early October with Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda as chairman. Before leaving for State House, the team met in Rugundas office to review what had happened.

The executive Director of Uganda Media Centre, Ofwono Opondo, described the meeting as a follow-up get-together.

Once cabinet was brought on board, the committee has been meeting daily until the passing of the bill, Opondo said on December 28.

Opondo added that Museveni wanted to be briefed on certain issues in the bill. Other sources said Museveni wanted to be sure that there wasnt any breach of procedures because the opposition would use such a breach to discredit the bill.

On December 28, the attorney general was seen frantically looking for copies of the Hansard, parliaments official recording of the controversial age limit debate, largely to prepare himself and his team for the legal showdown.

In the State House meeting, Defence minister Adolf Mwesige is reported to have told Museveni that the opposition cannot disown the bill.

They sat in the Legal [and Parliamentary Affairs] committee that scrutinised the bill, wrote a minority report that was tabled and debated on the floor of parliament, and even took part in the voting when the bill was read for the second and third time, Mwesige is quoted as having said.

Mwesige also reportedly said that in consulting their constituents, the opposition endorsed the process, which deleted Article 102(b).



TERM EXTENSION

The president reportedly also raised questions about the implications of Mbarara Municipality MP Michael Tusiimes introduction of the clause, which stretched the tenure of MPs and local government leaders to seven years.

Tusiimes clause changed Article 77(3) of the Constitution. For now, Musevenis term remains fixed at five years since Article 105(1), which prescribes the five-year presidential period, is entrenched under Article 260. It can only be amended through a referendum.

We are all going to campaign for the referendum so that we align the presidential term with those of other elected leaders, Ogwang said on December 29.

Musevenis concerns probably stemmed from Article 61(3) of the Constitution, which provides that the Electoral Commission (EC) holds elections for parliament, the president and certain local government leaders on the same day.

The justices of the Constitutional court can either quash the entire bill or give a ruling approving it but cant give a ruling that allows sections of the bill and cancels the others, Museveni was told, sources said.

Only last week, shadow minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Medard Lubega Sseggona said the opposition will go to court. Sseggona said the term extension can neither apply to the current MPs nor to local governments because parliament has never amended Chapter 11 of the Constitution.

Chapter 11, Article 181(4) fixes terms of local governments at five years. Museveni is said to have also decided to host NRMs 317 MPs who voted in favour, and to reach out to the 28 who voted against.

But the suggestion of reaching out to the rebels reportedly did not please government chief whip Ruth Nankabirwa. Sources say Nankabirwa told Museveni that his private meetings with rebel MPs encourage rebellion.

Opondo said Museveni suggested that the rebels be profiled in different categories of indiscipline.

It is not a disciplinary action per se that is going to be taken, [we also] want them to explain why they maligned their friends that they had received bribes to vote for the bill, Opondo said.

In 2013, the NRM tried and failed to eject rebels; Ssekikubo, Barnabas Tinkasiimire (Buyaga West), Muhammad Nsereko (Kampala Central) and Wilfred Niwagaba (Ndorwa East) out of parliament for defying party lines.

The matter ended in a Supreme court judgement in favour of the MPs. Commenting, Ssekikubo said: Whatever questions they may have, we have the answers but there is nothing new they are going to raise because everything is out there, he said.

They should not tempt us by bringing up the bribery issues because we shall reveal everything. For now, propaganda is the least matter we want to engage in, we are focussed on serious national issues.



LEGAL CHALLENGE

Several sources have suggested that the president was against the seven-year term extension for MPs. He argued that such a proposal lacked legitimacy and would draw a strong backlash from a public already angered by the Magyezi bill.

But several MPs led by Deputy Prime Minister Gen Moses Ali warned that if the president refused to support the term extension, they would also ditch the Magyezi age limit proposal. Cornered, the president reportedly bowed.

A petition has already been lodged in the Constitutional court not only to challenge the entire process that led to the bills passage but also the constitutionality of parliament extending its own term.

Male Mabirizi Kiwanuka, a lawyer who filed the petition, argues that, The decision of the current parliament to extend its own term by two more years, under the Constitution was inconsistent with and in contravention of articles 1, 2, 77(3) and 77(4) of the constitution, which are clear that the current parliament was elected for five years and its term can only be extended by only six months at a time and only when there is a state of war.

Medard Lubega Sseggona, a lawyer and Busiro East MP, said, Its absolutely illegal and it shouldnt stand. I think those who brought that proposal were self-seekers. We have a fixed contract under article 77 for five years and it can only be extended by the person who gave you that mandate.

The Observer understands that as NRM MPs muscled through the bill, the Uganda Law Society assigned a few of its elite lawyers to find loopholes in its passage with the sole intention of challenging its constitutionality.

The team of ULS lawyers working on the petition are led by Peter Walubiri, Kampala lord mayor Erias Lukwago, Caleb Alaka and his partner Samuel Muyizzi Mulindwa, who doubles as DPs chief legal adviser.

Worth noting is that between 2013 and 2015, all the above lawyers were key members of the legal team that represented the so-called NRM rebel MPs. Interviewed last Friday, Walubiri said, We have been looking at the entire process of the amendment of the constitution. How legal is it?

He said their primary review found that the amendments tear the rock of the constitution and that the results of amendments are clearly unconstitutional.

We are closely monitoring each and everything; and once Museveni assents to the bill you will hear from us, he said.

Alaka added: We are questioning the constitutionally of the constitution being amended through a private members bill.

About the MPs term extension, Alaka said under the constitution, parliament was elected for five years and its term can only be extended by only six months and only when there is a state of war.

We are going to pose several questions, Alaka offered. Does the law work prospectively or retrospectively; its our view that the law works prospectively, not retrospectively and that means the current MPs cannot benefit from these amendments.

Interviewed, retired Supreme court justice George Wilson Kanyeihamba said in order to amend article 102(b), NRM needed to get two thirds of all members of parliament.

Were all members of parliament availableWe watched while the bill was being passed but we all know that not all members were there, he said.

The former Supreme court judges argument is crucial since by the time the bill was passed, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga had suspended six MPs; Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda (Kira municipality), Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West), Gerald Karuhanga (Ntungamo municipality), Jonathan Odur (Erute South), Anthony Akol (Kilak North) and Mubarak Munyagwa (Kawempe South).

ULS President Francis Gimara confirmed the societys legal team is ready to challenge the bill.

Our view is that we have to let the whole legislative process be completedYou cannot file before the president signs the bill into law. What if he doesnt assent to it and sends it back to parliament? What would you do? he asked.



sadabkk@observer.ug



Additional reporting by Derrick Kiyonga.
An Illinois man who has been offering shelter to homeless people in his Chicago neighborhood has been ordered by city officials to cease and desist or risk having his home condemned.

Greg Schiller, of Elgin, Illinois, began opening his home to a group of homeless people last month when the temperatures dropped dangerously low. He filled his unfinished basement with cots and blankets and started organizing slumber parties for homeless people with no place to go. He would offer them food and warm beverages and even put on movies for them to watch until the morning. Unfortunately, his kindhearted effort didnt sit well with local authorities who are now threatening to condemn his home if he doesnt stop his so-called parties.

Photo: Greg Schiller

Im trying to help these people get out of the cold, he told NBC 5. Theres not a lot of help for them as far as places to lay their heads. He added that he only opened the shelter when local licensed shelters werent open, and noted that several local shelters require a stringent set of criteria before allowing homeless people in, and only open when temperatures reach a certain level.

Schiller had initially set up a shelter in 2016 in his garage, but EMTs who were called to attend to a man with a heart condition alerted city officials who cited him for breaking city code.

The good Samaritan examined the code then and found a loophole that allowed for Slumber Parties, so he moved the shelter to his basement and introduced all the activities necessary for it to be considered a slumber party. City officials, however, claim that the loophole exists for childrens parties and that the gatherings Schiller host several times a week make his home a rooming house, which is prohibited by city code. There are also sleeping regulations for basements, which Schillers basement does not meet.

While we appreciate those who volunteer to provide additional resources in the community, Mr. Schillers house does not comply with codes and regulations that guard against potential dangers such as carbon monoxide poisoning, inadequate light and ventilation, and insufficient exits in the event of a fire, city spokesperson Molly Center said in a statement.

Schiller was given 24 hours to comply with code, and an emailed statement from Center read, If not, the City will take additional enforcement action to compel the removal of the unlawful basement sleeping area.

Photo: Franco Folini/Flickr

City officials came to his home with a warrant and went into the basement where they found the ceiling height too low, the windows too high and small for escape, and unsafe conditions regarding fire safety.

From the neighborhood services perspective, it is a concern  the safety of the occupants and for emergency services to get in if there is a problem. If they are sleeping down there and have propane heaters  that is not safe to have. If it is knocked over at the base of the stair, there would be no way to get out, said Coby Basham, Elgins department of neighborhood services director. Basham had been alerted to the situation by an anonymous neighbor, who reported that 10 to 15 people were sleeping in the basement each night.

They shut me down and said I have 24 hours to return my basement to storage and take down  I have several cots with sleeping bags for everybody  or theyll condemn the house, Schiller told NBC Chicago. Schillers girlfriend Teresa Quarles, who owns the property in question, told NBC that the citys actions were reprehensible.

We are talking about peoples lives, she added.

City officials had previously cited other violations at the house including a broken window, a fold-up trailer on the property and a portable toilet that had set up for the group to use. The citation gave the owners seven days to remove the port-a-potty, and 30 days to repair the window and remove the trailer before the city would levy fines.

Schiller had previously co-founded a homeless shelter with the organization Matthew 25:40 at First Methodist Church of Elgin, but had left after a falling out with another individual on the board. When he established the shelter, it was with an agreement that it would not open unless overnight temperatures fell below 10 degrees Fahrenheit. In 2017 that number was raised to 15 degrees.

Its cold enough to freeze to death, Schiller said to NBC Chicago.

While Schiller has agreed to stop hosting slumber parties, he is working to find other options to help the local homeless people that he has come to know so well.
Is he kidding?

Once viewed as a PR genius and master self-promoter, Donald Trump, committed a huge PR blunder today with his ham-handed demand that former chief strategist Steve Bannon apologize for "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," and publisher Henry Holt halt its release, which is slated for next weekor else face a lawsuit.

Once the book is published, the president has every right to sue, but today's bluster only guarantees more sales for "Fire and Fury," which is already topping Amazon's list. Holt must be saying, "Bring it on."

The threatened lawsuit is only the latest in a series of escalating audacious moves by the president.

Things started heading south for the tweeter-in-chief last month with his out-of the blue decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. That move drew global condemnation from US allies and derailed the Israeli/Palestinian peace talks.

The president couldn't even leave well enough alone about his sole legislative achievement (corporate/high earner tax cuts), spending the Christmas break gabbing to Mar-a-Lago buddies and paying guests about the tons of tax money that he will save them.

Trump though went in full-frenzy today, coupling the Bannon slap with a threat to unleash federal prosecutors to enforce pot laws in the states that have legalized weed, and green-lighting offshore oil drilling off the coasts of Florida and California.

Almost lost in that torrent of news is Trump's decision to ban security aid to counter-terrorism ally and nuclear power Pakistan. A nuclear ISIS would make Little Rocket Man look like a piker.

The president's snap decisions on major policy decisions gives one the feeling that either he's out-of-control, or grasping at straws to divert the nation's attention from the major threat facing his administration: special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian meddling into the US election and the potential of Trump family collusion.

Trump may be feeling the heat. Who knows what he may do next?

One thing for certain: a cornered Trump is a dangerous Trump.

God help all of us.
The Arthur W. Page Center is honoring Bill George, senior fellow, Harvard Business School and former CEO of Medtronic; John Onoda, consultant for Gagen MacDonald, and posthumously PBS NewsHour host Gwen Ifill.

Its our goal to advance ethics in as many areas of public communications as possible, from the news outlets to the corporations to the non-profits, said Denise Bortree, Center director and associate professor, PR/advertising, Penn State. The event is Feb. 21 at the Grand Hyatt, New York.

Our awards showcase professionals who established their integrity through challenging times and over long careers, said Bortree. We hope their good work will help us promote ethical decision-making in our field today and in the future.

Larry Foster Awards to Be Presented

Larry Foster Awards for Integrity in Public Communication will be presented. Foster, former head of PR at Johnson & Johnson who also had a career as a journalist, founded the Page Center in 2004 with PR leaders Jack Koten and Ed Block. It is a research center in the Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State, Fosters alma mater.

We continue to honor Larry by highlighting those who shared and share his vision, said Bill Nielsen, Center advisory board chair. Larry believed it was our job as communicators to fully inform the public truthfully and accurately. Gwen, John and Bill are shining examples of that mission.

Funds raised from the event support innovative research by Page Center scholars who represent universities all over the world. The Centers research projects aim to build the scholarly and public understanding of ethics in communications.

The Center has funded more than 200 scholars and awarded more than $750,000 in research funding. Areas of focus include corporate social responsibility, digital ethics, sustainability communication, fake news and more. Other Center initiatives focus on educational opportunities including an annual speaker series, oral history archiving and online educational modules.

Event information is available on the awards webpage at: http://awards.thepagecenter.org.

Bios of Award Recipients

George began his career as assistant to assistant secretary of defense for the U.S. Department of Defense. He joined Litton Industries in 1969 as director of strategic planning and president of Litton Microwave Cooking. This was followed by a position as executive vice president at Honeywell. George accepted the role of president at Medtronic and became CEO in 1991. He led Medtronic for 10 years building a strong reputation by demonstrating ethical leadership and integrity. He has been a professor at Harvard Business School since 2004. He has written several bestselling books including True North, Discover Your True North, Authentic Leadership and 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis.

Ifill spent 23 years as a pioneering and ethical journalist. Between 1981 and 1994, she moved from the Baltimore Evening Sun to The Washington Post to The New York Times, where she covered the White House. Ifill joined NBC as a Capitol Hill reporter in 1994 and moved to PBS in 1999, where she became the first African-American woman to host a national political talk show, Washington Week in Review. At PBS, she was a senior correspondent for PBS NewsHour. She was the first African-American woman to moderate a vice presidential debate, and led the debates in both 2004 and 2008. She died of cancer in 2015.

Onoda built a reputation as a provocative yet ethical leader in corporate communications. He started his career in 1977 as a journalist for the Omaha World-Herald. He then led corporate communications departments at companies such as Levi Strauss, General Motors, Visa USA and Charles Schwab. He then joined FleishmanHillard as a senior consultant. In 2018, he joined the strategy execution firm Gagen MacDonald. Onoda founded Dozen Best books, a passion project fueled by his love of reading, in 2015.
Arthur Solomon

When a company experiences a PR crisis, the effects on its workers, unlike top management, often go uncovered by the media. Its an underreported story because too often lower level employees become cannon fodder, even though theyve done nothing wrong, as top management looks to save their jobs by singling out scapegoats.

The effects on blameless, long-time and loyal employees can destroy lives, as management circles the wagons looking for ways to save itself. Friendships disappear. The promises of stick with me and youll go far, are forgotten. Niccolo Machiavells famous quote from The Prince: The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present, becomes a reality. Here are a few ways company employees may be affected by a crisis:

 A company with a PR crisis might have to revise its plans. This could lead to employees being terminated.

 A company in crisis will try to protect high-level employees at the expense of lower level employees, hoping that announcing terminations will make the problem go away.

 Companies in crisis often bypass their communications staff and engage outside, so-called crisis communications experts. This can be a morale breaker to the staff who feels management doesnt trust them to handle important decisions.

 Employees whose job it is to maintain contact with the media are told to cease media contact, another morale breaker.

 Companies in crisis might feel that PR/publicity efforts are dangerous because contacting media outlets with story pitches can lead to reporters asking questions about the crisis. Companies may instead want to reach the public by using controlled media efforts: print ads, websites and TV commercials. Doing so can also mean a reduction in the in-house PR staff and/or an agency account team.

 Depending on the cause, a crisis can have an important affect on employees self worth. If the crisis is caused by a report that a company has been deceiving the public, employees might feel theyve also been deceived and form a cynical view of management, causing work to suffer.

 On the other hand, some employees might rally around their company by denying the allegations  if the corporation denied them  and look for something positive to say, mistakenly believing theyll be rewarded by management.

 For employees, especially those whose job it is to maintain contact with the media, defending a company in a PR crisis situation can make the media lose confidence in employees that skirt the truth, try to defend employers actions and give boiler plate answers to questions. This could lead to such employees no longer being trusted, which is certain to limit the effectiveness of the employees media outreach efforts in the future.

 Also, some employees might feel the companys actions were so awful they no longer want to work there and begin looking for another job. This is especially true if employees feel the company was not truthful them.

In extreme cases, certain employees  especially those who feel unappreciated by management  might become whistle blowers.

 As the PR crisis grows, all level of employees might look for ways to protect their jobs at the expense of others, causing disruption in the workplace.

 Stock values of employees investments in their company may decrease.

 Innocent mid-level managers might become victims of new managements house cleaning to give the impression that theres a new culture in the company.

A companys PR crisis might have a negative affect on the social life of an employee, who might be tired of being questioned about the crisis by family and friends, especially if illegal activities and sexual harassment episodes become public.

In situations involving sexual harassment, a companys first actions may be to attempt to cover it up when it involves top management or a rainmaker. When that fails, We didnt know that was happening, is often the next top management response when the crisis becomes public.

And so it was yesterday, so it is today and so it will be tomorrow.

***

Arthur Solomon, a former journalist, was a Senior VP and Senior Counselor at Burson-Marsteller. He now is a frequent contributor to public relations publications, consults on public relations projects and was on the Seoul Peace Prize nominating committee. He can be reached at [email protected].


Roger Stone

GOP political operative Roger Stone is back in the foreign lobbying game, registering Capstone Financial as a client advocating for commodity rights and security in Somalia, according to his federal filing dated Dec. 29.

Capstone is a western New York State operation that serves as a middleman for the sale of African livestock.

Stone told The Daily Beast that his work also focuses on US military and foreign policy as it pertains to Somalia.

The US has about 500 troops in Somalia who battle terrorist organizations affiliated with Al-Shabab and the Islamic State.

The Trump Administration has stepped up drone strikes in Somalia.

The New York Times has reported that American forces carried out 30 drone strikes in Somalia during 2017, double the amount conducted in 2016, A November strike killed at least 100 militants ties to al-Sjabab.

The Pentagon last month submitted a plan to the Trump White House, calling for at least another two years of military directed against Islamic militants in Somalia.

Former New York Senator Al DAmatos Park Strategies represents the Government of Somalia for outreach to the US Congress.
It used to be that the winter and early spring were a dumping ground for bad movies, leaving the big dogs for summer and the holiday season.

Thats still true to some extent (see: Gerard Butlers Den of Thieves, opening Jan. 19). But then a few winter blockbusters came along and shifted the paradigm  movies like 300, The Lego Movie, Fifty Shades of Grey and Deadpool. These hits proved that the doldrums months held a lot of box-office potential, so long as studios are pushing the right product.

This winter is no exception, with several massive, hotly anticipated movies coming down the pike. Like Marvels Black Panther, Spielbergs Ready Player One and Ava Duvernays A Wrinkle in Time adaptation.

Heres everything coming to theaters through March, along with a list of the 10 movies Im most looking forward to.

Note: Im not including in the preview the 2017 releases that are just now making their way to Omaha. But you should see them, all of them: the Jessica Chastain/Aaron Sorkin poker drama, Molly Game (now in theaters); the Meryl Streep/Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg journalism drama, The Post (opening Jan. 12); the Margot Robbie-starring Tonya Harding biopic, I, Tonya (Jan. 12); the summer romance Call Me by Your Name (Jan. 19), starring Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer; and the Daniel Day-Lewis/Paul Thomas Anderson bad romance, Phantom Thread (Jan. 19).

Full film calendar

Dates are subject to change

Jan. 12

The Commuter

Liam Neeson re-teams with his Non-Stop, Unknown, Run All Night director for an action-thriller about a normal guy caught up in a crime conspiracy on a train.

Condorito: La Pelicula

An animated film based on the Chilean comic book about the adventures of an anthropomorphic condor.

Paddington 2

The tremendously well-reviewed sequel to the 2014 film about a sweet little bear who always keeps a marmalade sandwich under his hat.

Proud Mary

Meet Taraji P. Henson, action hero. The Oscar-nominated actress plays a hit woman working for an organized crime family in Boston.

I, Tonya (Omaha premiere)

The Post (Omaha premiere)

Jan. 19

12 Strong

It wouldnt be January without an R-rated military movie based on a true story. 12 Strong tells the tale of the first Special Forces team deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11. Among the strong are Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon and Michael Pena.

Den of Thieves

Gerard Butler plays a corrupt LAPD cop chasing an elite crew of bank robbers (one of them Curtis 50 Cent Jackson) in this probably-not-good heist film that Im nonetheless excited to see.

Forever My Girl

A country star comes home to the love he left behind.

Hostiles

Christian Bale stars in this unremittingly grim Western from the director of Black Mass.

Mom and Dad (limited)

Brian Taylor (director of the Crank movies) and Nicolas Cage (star of Nicolas Cage movies) team up for a horror-comedy-thriller in which Selma Blair and Mr. Cage play a mom and dad who decide to kill their children.

Call Me by Your Name (Omaha premiere)

Phantom Thread (Omaha premiere)

Jan. 26

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

The third and final installment in the post-apocalyptic action series.

Feb. 2

Winchester

Helen Mirren and Jason Clarke class up this period-piece horror film about a firearms heiress haunted by the souls of the people killed by the Winchester repeating rifle.

A Fantastic Woman (limited)

Acclaimed Chilean drama about a trans woman who faces prejudice and suspicion after the death of her older boyfriend.

Feb. 9

The 15:17 to Paris

Clint Eastwood directs this fact-based thriller about three American heroes who helped foil a terrorist attack on a train. One cool thing: the real-life heroes play themselves in the film.

Fifty Shades Freed

Our collective national crisis comes to an end with the final installment in the Fifty Shades trilogy.

La Boda de Valentina

Spanish-language rom-com from Mexico.

Peter Rabbit

Live-action adventure of Beatrix Potters hoppy hero. James Corden voices the titular bunny because how could he not?

Feb. 16

Black Panther

Early Man

From the makers of Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run comes an animated comedy set at the dawn of time. Eddie Redmayne voices the hero, an early human named Dug.

Samson

The biblical strongman rides again. Starring Billy Zane as King Baleck.

The Party (limited)

A dinner party goes awry in this black-and-white comedy starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Patricia Clarkson, Cillian Murphy and Timothy Spall.

Feb. 23

Annihilation

Game Night

The War With Grandpa

Robert De Niro stars in another movie with Grandpa in the title, but this one is a family-friendly comedy about a boy who is forced to share his room with his grandfather and declares war in an effort to regain lost ground.

March 2

Death Wish

A remake of Death Wish starring Bruce Willis, directed by Eli Roth and written by Joe Carnahan (Smokin Aces). Has the potential to be the most decadently trashy movie of 2018.

Red Sparrow

Foxtrot (limited)

Acclaimed Israeli film about a husband and wife coping with the loss of their son, who died in the line of duty.

March 9

Gringo

Dark action comedy starring Charlize Theron, David Oyelowo, Joel Edgerton and Amanda Seyfried.

The Hurricane Heist

Thieves attempt to rob the U.S. Treasury while a Category 5 hurricane rages on. Stars Toby Kebbell, Maggie Grace, Ryan Kwanten. Helmed by the director of the first Fast and Furious movie.

Strangers: Prey at Night

Strangers sequel starring Christina Hendricks and Martin Henderson.

The Upside

This remake of the 2011 French film The Intouchables stars Bryan Cranston as a paraplegic billionaire who hires a recently paroled convict (Kevin Hart) to help him. Nicole Kidman co-stars.

A Wrinkle in Time

The Death of Stalin (limited)

Thoroughbreds (limited)

Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One) and Anya Taylor-Joy (Split) play two upper-class teens who decide to break bad in this pitch-black comedy. Co-stars the late Anton Yelchin.

March 16

Love, Simon

Teen drama based on the book by Becky Albertalli about a high schooler (Nick Robinson) who has yet to come out as gay and who has fallen for an anonymous classmate online.

Tomb Raider

Nearly 15 years since Angelina Jolie hung up her pistols, Oscar winner Alicia Vikander takes on the role of Lara Croft in this series reboot.

Untitled A24 Horror Movie (maybe Slice)

7 Days in Entebbe (limited)

Rosamund Pike and Daniel Bruhl star in this fact-based thriller about the 1976 hijacking of an Air France flight en route to Paris. Directed by Jose Padilha (Narcos, Elite Squad).

March 23

Midnight Sun

Bella Thorne plays a young woman with a severe sunlight allergy. Patrick Schwarzenegger plays the young man she falls for. Their dates are in the dark.

Pacific Rim Uprising

Sequel to the robots-vs.-monsters movie. This one stars John Boyega and Scott Eastwood and is directed by Steven S. DeKnight (the guy behind the Starz Spartacusseries).

Sherlock Gnomes

Sequel to the animated family film Gnomeo and Juliet. Johnny Depp voices the titular character.

Unsane

Isle Of Dogs (limited)

March 28

Paul, Apostle of Christ

Biblical story about Paul, apostle of Christ.

March 30

Acrimony

Tyler Perry comedy starring Taraji P. Henson as a woman who tries to get back at her awful husband.

Gods Not Dead: A Light in Darkness

The third Gods Not Dead movie.

Ready Player One

Lean on Pete (limited)
Brian Tracy first heard about Bikram yoga in 2005, when a graduate student approached the exercise scientist with an idea for studying the classes, which last for 90 minutes in a room heated to about 105 degrees.

To investigate, Tracy tried it. More than a decade later, the researcher still practices Bikram yoga sometimes  and not always for science. "It's one of the things I do for exercise, and it makes me feel really good," says Tracy, who studies neuromuscular physiology at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.

Casey Mace Firebaugh had the opposite reaction. A public health researcher at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Mace Firebaugh has long practiced more-traditional forms of yoga. Although she gave hot yoga a chance, it often made her feel lightheaded.

"I'm a relatively fit and active person," Mace Firebaugh says. "But hot yoga made me feel terrible when I did it."

More than 36 million Americans practice yoga, according to a 2016 survey. And although there are no firm statistics on how many do their poses in heated spaces, anecdotal evidence suggests that hot yoga has grown in popularity since it was introduced to the United States in the 1970s.

Franchises that offer hot yoga say its benefits include strengthening the heart, cleaning out the veins, cleansing impurities from the body and regulating metabolism and the immune system, and they often suggest that those benefits are greater than from unheated yoga. But most studies have been small, short or limited in other ways: relying on people's perceptions, for instance, or including only people who were healthy to begin with. Most studies lack control groups, making it hard to detect or explain effects.

Overall research suggests that hot yoga is probably safe for most people and might help improve balance, strength and other health measures, experts say. But risks exist, particularly for people with certain conditions. And plenty of questions remain.

"I'm a yoga lover by heart," Mace Firebaugh says. "But my skeptical scientific self says, 'Let's put some data on this.' "

The project that Tracy did with his graduate student turned into one of the earliest studies of hot yoga. Published in 2008, the study randomly assigned 21 healthy young adults to attend three Bikram classes a week for eight weeks or to do whatever activities they normally did. Overall, most participants were only minimally active before the study, and none had a history of yoga practice. After two months, the yoga group showed improvements in flexibility, leg strength and the ability to balance on one leg, with the biggest gains in people who had been most unsteady and least flexible at the beginning.

Since then, according to a 2015 review by Australian researchers, a few studies of healthy young adults have suggested that hot yoga may be good for the heart. That review turned up evidence that arterial stiffness decreased in one small group of young adults and that insulin resistance declined among a small group of older participants who did Bikram yoga. In a 2011 study of 51 adults, people reported less stress after doing Bikram classes for eight weeks.

People who like hot yoga say they feel better after doing it, though the benefits they report vary among people, who have differing motivations for taking the classes. Among 700 people whom Mace Firebaugh has surveyed in an ongoing study, 48 percent say that hot yoga improves their mood. Forty-seven percent report better flexibility, 34 percent feel less anxiety and 33 percent report clearer skin. Some have reported negative effects such as nausea, dizziness and dehydration, but those symptoms are usually mild.

The survey found another intriguing result: 43 percent of participants reported losing weight as a result of doing hot yoga, but that linkage might be a coincidence. Studies have yet to connect hot yoga with weight loss, the 2015 review found. And as sweaty as a hot-yoga session can be, it may not burn as many calories as people think.

In a 2014 study of 19 experienced Bikram practitioners during a single 90-minute session, Tracy and colleagues found that men burned an average of about 460 calories and women burned about 330. It's about the same number of calories you'd burn during a brisk walk for the same amount of time, Tracy says. And even though that's about 50 percent more than what people burn in a typical yoga class, it was much less than what people thought they had burned. (Heart rates peaked above 150 beats per minute during the toughest parts of class  a sign more of the body's response to heat than of a boost in calorie-burning.)

Even as research begins to point to some potential pluses of hot yoga, it's not clear whether heat has anything to do with those benefits. Studies on other types of yoga have shown good outcomes, too, including improvements in heart health, range of motion and balance.

Heat's effects on the body, meanwhile, are complicated. Exercising in the heat carries risks, including heatstroke and dehydration. But emerging evidence, including a long-term study published last year by Finnish researchers, suggests that regular sauna use can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. A 2016 review found that raising body temperature might ease symptoms of depression. And applying heat directly to muscles can increase range of motion.

Whether hot yoga is dangerous remains a contentious question. There have been a few alarming incidents reported during and after hot-yoga classes, including the 2016 case of a 35-year-old woman who experienced sudden cardiac arrest during a session. And a 2015 study reported that people's core temperatures during Bikram classes could rise above 104 degrees. But that research was flawed, says Tracy, whose 2014 study showed a maximum core temperate of 101.6, with an average rise to 100.3. The danger zone, he says, begins at 102 degrees.

Tracy recommends lying down if you feel lightheaded during a class and giving your body several sessions to acclimate to the heat.

"My big piece of advice for people who want to try hot yoga is to take it slowly," Tracy says. "If you don't feel right, take it easy. If a yoga instructor starts yelling at you, remember you're a human being. You're not being held hostage."

People with pre-existing conditions  such as cardiovascular disease, back pain, asthma and diabetes  should consult a doctor before beginning a hot-yoga practice, adds Mace Firebaugh. Her own low blood pressure, she suspects, explains why hot yoga doesn't suit her.

Pregnancy is another time to be cautious, she says. In her survey, she found that nearly a quarter of women who had been pregnant continued practicing hot yoga during their pregnancies. But increased core temperatures in a pregnant mom can be dangerous to a fetus.

"In general, hot yoga is likely safe, and the risks are minimal and mild," Mace Firebaugh says. "If you love it, do it. If it doesn't work for you, there's probably going to be another type of yoga that is going to be fine. Hot yoga might not be for everybody."
FOR YOUNG READERS

"The Pink Hat" (Schwartz & Wade, Ages 2-7). Andrew Joyner's lighthearted celebration of the travels of a pink knitted hat is a tribute to the power of a symbol, a color, and to the millions of people who gathered around the world last January to demonstrate their solidarity. "First there wasn't a hat," begins the story and then, from the knitting needles of a happy-looking older woman in a city apartment, a hat is created. It is a lovely strong pink, a shocking pink, a Schiaparelli pink. The brightly attractive color of the hat and some pink accents here and there provide the only color in Joyner's amusing black-and-white cartoon-style illustrations. The hat warms the knitter's head, a teapot and toes before being taken by a playful cat. Out in the world the pink hat provides a cozy for a baby, and is carried away by a speedy small dog before it is rescued by the dog's companion, a young girl. Washed and dried, the pink hat adorns the girl's head as she marches in support of women's rights in a crowd of men and women  all wearing pink hats. Sharp-eyed readers will note that a photograph of the young girl rests on a table near the knitting older woman. This simple and cheerful tale suggests, with not an ounce of preachiness, values of care and comfort and the support women have for each other across generations.

 Kathie Meizner

"Facing Frederick: The Life of Frederick Douglass" (Abrams Books for Young Readers, Ages 10-14). The first chapter of this books opens with the earliest known photograph of the formerly enslaved American icon. He's in his early 20s, before becoming world famous, but he is serious, staring straight at the camera, and clearly in command. In this richly detailed and impeccably designed biography, author Tonya Bolden shows how Douglass' unshakable sense of purpose pushed him to become not only a driving force in the anti-slavery movement but also the 19th century's most photographed American. Bolden skillfully follows Douglass as he finds his voice as a speaker, writer and newspaper publisher who breaks away, during the 1840s, from the pacifist secessionism of his abolitionist mentors. The book also shows how Douglass' work was far from finished when Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. As Douglass said in May 1865, "Slavery is not abolished until the black man has the ballot." In presenting Douglass from many angles, Bolden provides plenty of close-up views of Douglass' family life, travels in Europe, advocacy of women's rights, and lifelong intellectual rigor. Many young readers will be impressed and inspired by the strength of purpose that Douglass carried till the day he died at his Washington home, readying himself to make another speech at the age of 77.

 Abby McGanney Nolan

"The Hazel Wood" (Flatiron, Age 13 and up). Melissa Albert's eerie, assured first novel, opens with what seems to be a happy turn of events for 17-year-old Alice. Her beautiful, fiercely protective mother, Ella, marries Harold, and mother and daughter trade in their itinerant, bad luck lives for a "vacuum of wealth" in Manhattan. Alice settles into a posh private school and befriends fellow misfit Ellery, one of the few people who knows about the rare book of fairy tales written decades ago by Alice's grandmother. Soon, though, oddly familiar strangers begin to appear, including the young man who tried to kidnap Alice years ago. This time he flees when Alice spots him, leaving behind three clearly emblematic items: a feather, a comb and a bone. But emblematic of what, Alice wonders. And are they talisman, lure or warning? When Ella suddenly disappears, Alice and Ellery plunge after her, clutching at clues. Their search leads to Upstate New York and the hidden estate of the grandmother Alice never knew. Desperate to find her mother, Alice enters a frightening realm where the sun hovers "like a pinned insect" and she must confront her own dark origins. Albert occasionally entwines the haunting fairy tales of the grandmother's book through this mesmerizing narrative, creating a YA fantasy as lush and twisty as ivy.

 Mary Quattlebaum
A legal dispute among members of Wayne Ryans family is continuing after his death last fall, with the latest allegation that a son and daughter helped form a revenge company to damage a business run by their sister.

Streck Inc. of La Vista, headed by CEO Connie Ryan, sued her brother, Steven Ryan, and sister, Carol Ryan, and Barry Uphoff, a partner and managing principal of Capricorn Investment Group of Palo Alto, California.

Steven Ryan and Uphoff are former members of Strecks board of directors, and Carol Ryan is a shareholder.

The lawsuit, filed Dec. 29 in U.S. District Court, alleges that they took advantage of their knowledge and positions to help Wayne Ryan and two former Streck employees form CFGenome of Greenwood Village, Colorado, to compete unfairly by using Strecks trade secrets and confidential information.

The latest lawsuit mentions Wayne Ryan, Strecks founder and the father of Connie, Steven and Carol Ryan, but says he is not a party to the lawsuit because he died last November.

An attorney for Carol and Steven Ryan declined to comment on the lawsuit. Steven and Carol Ryan did not respond to a request for comment through the attorney. Uphoff did not return a call seeking comment.

In an email, Connie Ryan said Thursday, Streck has been and remains open to resolution of any of the outstanding disputes among the Ryan family members and others but is committed to protecting the Companys interests through litigation if necessary. Connie Ryan continues to remain open to resolution.

In an earlier lawsuit filed by CFGenome against Streck, CFGenome denied wrongdoing in the formation of CFGenome and said that its products were developed separately, not from confidential Streck information and that non-compete periods for former employees had expired.

Connie Ryans email said the former Streck employees are obligated to keep Strecks secrets confidential regardless of the duration of any non-compete or non-solicitation clause.

Wayne Ryan and Connie Ryan had a dispute in the years before his death that resulted in him no longer working at the company and led to a series of lawsuits over ownership and control of Streck, which continues to operate its business.

Wayne Ryan, a Ph.D. biochemist, founded Streck in 1971 to turn his patented discoveries, including a blood preservative, into a business.

In the latest lawsuit, Streck alleges that while Steven Ryan served on Strecks board of directors, he gained confidential information and improperly used that information to benefit CFGenome, damaging Streck and Connie Ryan financially in retaliation for the dispute between Wayne and Connie Ryan.

The lawsuit alleges:

 CFGenome sells a blood collection tube that was derived from trade secrets and confidential information belonging to Streck.

 Uphoff helped Wayne Ryan secretly form CFGenome as a revenge company to compete against Streck. At one time, Capricorn Investment Group offered to purchase Streck.

 Carol Ryan knowingly participated in the scheme to damage Streck by encouraging Wayne Ryan to form CFGenome.

The lawsuit asks the court to cancel past transfers of Streck stock to Steven and Carol Ryan and Uphoff; to repay Streck for lost profits and other damages; and to make Steven Ryan and Uphoff return payments they received as Streck directors.

The lawsuit did not list an amount of damages but said each of the three had received Streck shares worth at least $150,000.
A Missouri man with connections to white supremacists has been charged with terrorism after authorities said he brought a cross-country Amtrak train to a halt last fall in rural Nebraska.

Taylor M. Wilson of suburban St. Louis intended to hurt passengers, authorities said.

The 26-year-old has been charged in federal court in Lincoln with terrorism attacks and other violence against mass transportation systems, according to federal court records unsealed Wednesday.

The incident occurred overnight as the train traveled through Nebraska during the third weekend of October, according to law enforcement officials.

A St. Charles, Missouri, resident, Wilson was a ticketed passenger on the California Zephyr, en route from California to Chicago via Omaha. Authorities believe he was headed home to Missouri.

Early on Oct. 21, Wilson entered a restricted area of the train as it neared Oxford, Nebraska, and triggered the emergency brake in what authorities say was an attempt to derail the train. Oxford is about 40 miles southwest of Kearney.

Passenger Bobbie Garris provided this account of the incident to NTV News of Axtell, Nebraska.

We lunged forward in our seats and all the power went out, it went completely black, Garris said. We could smell something burning and Im going to guess that was the brakes.

Passengers sat in darkness for more than an hour, she said.

In an affidavit, FBI Special Agent Monte Czaplewski provided this account of what unfolded:

When the train came to a stop, Amtrak staff searched it and found Wilson sitting in the engineers seat of the follow engine, playing with the controls.

He was behaving erratically, goaded staff with profanities and wrestled with them, sometimes reaching for his waistband.

Im the conductor, (expletive), he said.

Amtrak workers held Wilson on the ground outside the train until a deputy from Furnas County arrived. The deputy handcuffed Wilson and while patting him down found a fully loaded .38 caliber handgun in Wilsons front waistband along with a fully loaded speedloader in his front-left pocket. A speedloader enables rapid reloading of bullets.

Passengers on the train also pointed investigators to a backpack belonging to Wilson. The backpack contained three more loaded speedloaders, a box of .38 ammunition, a hammer, a fixed-blade knife, tin snips, scissors, a tape measure and a face mask similar to those used in construction.

During booking at the Furnas County Jail, Wilson was found in possession of a business card of the National Socialist Movement in Detroit, considered one of the largest neo-Nazi groups in the U.S.

A search of Wilsons phone found a depiction of a white supremacist banner over a highway and PDF files of The Anarchist Cookbook, and The Poor Mans James Bond and other works about violence.

Czaplewski, of the FBI, drew significance from the material.

The described documents are often (used) by individuals and groups attempting or planning to commit criminal acts or acts of terrorism or violence, Monte wrote in the affidavit in support of arresting Wilson.

In the affidavit, Czaplewski recounted statements from an acquaintance of Wilsons who said Wilson had traveled with neo-Nazis to protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, which authorities believe was the Unite the Right rally in which a woman was killed in August.

The acquaintance also said Wilson has expressed an interest in killing black people ... especially during the protests in St. Louis. The affidavit notes that Wilson is the chief suspect in a road rage incident on Interstate 70 in which a white man pointed a gun at a black female in another vehicle. The license plate of the mans car tracked back to Wilson.

St. Louis-based FBI agents searched Wilsons home on Dec. 21 and found a hidden compartment behind the refrigerator. In that compartment, they found a tactical vest, 11 AR-15 ammunition magazines with about 190 rounds, one drum-style ammunition magazine, 100 rounds of 9 mm ammo, white supremacy documents and paperwork, and other items.

Wilsons father subsequently provided agents with 15 firearms, including handguns and rifles and tactical body armor. One of those 15 firearms was a fully automatic rifle and a converted short rifle, both possible violations of federal firearms laws.

Wilson has also been charged with use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony and criminal mischief in Furnas County.

Shortly after his arrest, his attorney requested a competency hearing, saying that Wilson cannot appreciate ... the charges against him ... due to the fact that his mental health issues are currently untreated.

Wilson was deemed competent.
A 17-year-old Omahan was sentenced to prison Friday in the killing of a Central High School senior.

Antonio Bordeaux was sentenced to 20 years for manslaughter and five to six years for use of a weapon to commit a felony in the May 2016 slaying of 18-year-old Gustavo Soto. Prosecutors said Bordeaux shot Soto in the neck during a marijuana deal in a parking lot.

Under state sentencing guidelines, most prison terms are cut in half. Bordeaux will serve 10 years on the manslaughter charge and is required to serve five years on the weapons charge.

Bordeauxs mother is Christine Bordeaux, who in 2016 began a 20-year sentence for her role in robberies that led to the killings of three Omahans by her cousin Nikko Jenkins.

Soto was set up by Antonio Bordeauxs girlfriend, prosecutors said.

Police found Sotos body near 16th and Yates Streets in the blood-soaked drivers seat of the Honda Civic he had been driving. Three grams of loose marijuana had fallen out of a baggie and landed between the drivers seat and drivers door, prosecutors said.

Antonio Bordeauxs first recorded crime was damaging a neighbors property when he was 9, according to court documents.

In June 2011, at 11, he damaged $100 worth of another persons property. Two months later, he was charged with stealing a motor vehicle.

Antonio and his older brother were named wards of the state after Christine Bordeaux was arrested in January 2013.

Ashley Bordeaux, Antonios sister, and Karina Rodriguez-Lopez also were convicted in connection with the case. Both had been charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony, but the murder charges were amended to accessory charges and the firearm charges were dropped.

Rodriguez-Lopez, 19, and Ashley Bordeaux, 23, each was sentenced in December to three years in prison but had received credit for about half that time spent in jail. Both now are serving 18 months on probation.
A 19-year-old who fatally shot a 20-year-old man during a Russian roulette-style party game was sentenced Friday to six to 12 years in prison for manslaughter.

Prosecutors said the shooting occurred early on April 2 of last year after a group of people gathered at a party in a home near 27th Street and Camden Avenue.

The partygoers were playing a game of chance with a gun when Montana Garbez pointed the weapon at Scott Evans head and fired a shot, officials said. The shot killed Evans.

Under state sentencing guidelines that cut most sentences in half, Garbez could get out of prison after serving three years. He was given 277 days credit for the time he has spent in jail.

At the time of the shooting, Garbez was living in Glenwood, Iowa, with his parents.

Garbezs attorney, James Martin Davis, said Friday that Garbez and Evans had been drinking and doing drugs.

We defense attorneys would be out of business if there were no drugs and alcohol, Davis said. Its a tragedy.

Davis said Garbez accepted responsibility for his actions, apologized to Evans family and asked the judge for a fair sentence.
As a second-grade teacher at Dundee Elementary, Betsy Reed covered all subjects for her young charges.

Although she attended Catholic schools up through her degree at Duchesne College, she loved public education, especially the Omaha Public Schools, said her son Rob.

She was a huge fan of OPS, Rob Reed said Friday, and she gave up teaching only when she and her husband, Bob, started a family of their own. Rob and his brother, Tim, attended public schools until enrolling at Creighton Prep.

The Reed family grew to include eight grandchildren, and family members were with her when she died Tuesday at the Josie Harper Hospice House after a years-long struggle with various forms of cancer, Rob Reed said. She was 77.

Her longtime hobby at home was needlepoint, and the family planned to display some of her decorated Christmas stockings during Fridays visitation at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church and todays 10:30 a.m. funeral Mass.

We always joked that if it wasnt moving, mom was stitching it, Reed said. Christmas tree ornaments, pillows  all the grandkids (Mary Beth, Anna, Madeline, Allen, Josie, Abby, Maggie and Charlie) have some wonderful keepsakes.

The Reeds were founding members of St. Roberts parish, attending services at Crestridge School before the church building was constructed. They had a place at Iowas Lake Okoboji, where family members loved to gather for vacations and holidays.

Betsy was first diagnosed with breast cancer 15 years ago and then uterine cancer seven years ago. The past 18 months, cancer spread elsewhere, leading her to have home hospice care.

Were going to miss her terribly, Rob Reed said. She fought courageously. Shes a lot tougher lady than I could ever muster. But we know shes in a much better place.

She enjoyed Christmas at home with family members until moving to the hospice house last weekend, her son said.

A native of Omaha, Elizabeth Rahn attended Blessed Sacrament School and Holy Name High School before college.

She married Robert A. Bob Reed 52 years ago. He retired in 2014 after 40 years as CEO of Physicians Mutual Group in Omaha and is the insurance companys chairman. He succeeded Betsys father, Frederick Rahn, as head of Physicians Mutual.

Last year the Reeds were named members of the Aksarben Court of Honor for their community service leadership.

She is past president of Duchesne Academys board of trustees, chaired Creighton Preps BASH and was active in the Omaha Community Playhouse, the Omaha Symphony, the Assistance League of Omaha, the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, the Archbishops Educational Trust, Boys Town, the Catholic Charities Foundation and the Holy Name School Alumni Association.

She also is survived by a sister, Mary Louise Tunning, and a brother, Terry Rahn. The family suggested memorials to the church or to Duchesne Academy, the Institute for Priestly Formation, Creighton Prep and Creighton University.
Two people who were killed when a tow truck crashed into two vehicles stopped along the Kennedy Freeway were recalled Friday evening by friends as selfless and joyful.

Khalil S. Jones, 19, and Shamus D. Dean, 47, died and two other people were critically injured early Friday in Bellevue, police said.

Jones was an airman from Daytona Beach, Florida, who was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base. Dean is from Papillion.

A real tragedy like this is felt by everybody at Offutt, base spokesman Drew Nystrom said.

The crash occurred about 3:10 a.m. on the edge of the freeways southbound lanes at the Chandler Road exit.

Jones Pontiac G6 had stalled along the road, police said. Two passengers were inside. Dean had pulled over in his Chevrolet truck to help.

Police said an AR Towing tow truck driven erratically by James S. Helbert, 57, of Bellevue crashed into the Pontiac and Chevrolet.

Helbert was not injured.

Jones and Dean were pronounced dead at the scene.

The Pontiacs passengers, Tyquan M. Petty, 18, and a 15-year-old girl, were in critical condition at the Nebraska Medical Center.

Police did not release the girls name but said the passengers live in Omaha.

Police did not say whether Jones and Dean were inside or outside the vehicles when the accident occurred.

Police also said they had not determined Friday evening whether alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash.

Other than saying that the company was praying for everyone involved, a representative of AR Towing declined to comment Friday afternoon.

Helbert pleaded guilty and paid a $100 fine last month after he was convicted of careless driving early Nov. 21 in Bellevue. He was also convicted in July 2016 of speeding 11-15 mph on the Interstate.

The southbound lanes of the Kennedy Freeway were closed at Q Street until about 8 a.m. while authorities investigated.

Jones friend Griffin Sullivan said he was with the airman and others hours before the crash.

They were hanging out at a house, enjoying each others company, watching YouTube videos, listening to music and making summer plans, Sullivan said.

The last night that he was alive was a great night for him, he said.

All of Jones friends were stunned, Sullivan said.

Its a total tragedy. ... He was a great guy and loved to help others, which is why he was in the Air Force.

Deans friends expressed similar sentiments Friday evening.

Andrew Gearan grew up with Dean and went to Platteview High School with him.

A lot of people are going to miss him, Gearan said.

Dean, who leaves behind a teenage son and daughter, was fun to be around and tried to make others happy, even at the expense of his own happiness, Gearan said.

I was one of the first of our friends to find out, he said. As I made phone calls to people that we knew and I told them what I knew, that he stopped along the road to help somebody, the first thing out of all of their mouths was That sounds like Shamus. 

World-Herald staff writers Dan Golden and Steve Liewer contributed to this report.
The three dogs paw at the fence of their kennels, intent on winning the affection of strangers who hold the key to a better future.

Rey, Ron and Ripley have traveled more than 2,000 miles from the hurricane-ravaged island of St. Croix to Omaha in search of a new start.

These guys have such a compelling story, said Pam Wiese, spokeswoman for the Nebraska Humane Society.

The Humane Society sent two staff members to St. Croix last month to help with rescue efforts in the wake of hurricane damage.

Morgan Mattson, an animal program coordinator, was one of the two.

Its really awesome to see the dogs here and out of that environment and the heat, Mattson said.

Twelve dogs were brought to Omaha from St. Croix.

Rey, Ron and Ripley were the first three ready for adoption, and Rey was the first among them to find a forever home.

The other dogs will be put up for adoption as soon as they, too, are ready, which depends on their behavioral and medical needs.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals coordinated the rescue of the dogs from St. Croix. In addition to Omaha, rescued dogs were sent to shelters in Florida, Texas and Kansas City.

Mattson said she would volunteer to be deployed again if the opportunity presented itself. She brought more than just memories back with her from the island.

Mattson took home one of the rescued dogs.

I saw her and I just knew that I wanted her in my family, she said.
China opened its market to U.S. beef last year for the first time since 2003, and Nebraska provided the first shipment of American-grown beef.

New analysis by Wendong Zhang, an Iowa State University expert on Chinas economy and agricultural sector, points to potential opportunities for various Midwest ag products such as beef and corn, complementing already robust export opportunities for soybeans and distillers grains.

International competition for the Chinese agricultural market is strong, especially from Brazil. But Zhangs analysis indicates that the United States should be able to realize trade gains, long term, through smart marketing and by tailoring products to the Chinese market, plus diplomatic pressure for China to reduce trade barriers.

China provides a huge market for several of Nebraskas main agricultural products. That Asian nation buys 43 percent of Nebraskas exported soybeans and soybean products; 93 percent of sorghum, 54 percent of distillers grains and 57 percent of hides and skins.

The surge in Chinas demand for soybean and soybean-product imports has been spectacular, going from $5.5 billion in 2005 to almost $25 billion by 2016.

The growing Chinese demand for beef is also striking, as that country sees major increases in middle-class living standards.

Zhang notes that since 2008, Chinese per-capita beef consumption has increased by about 27 percent, from about 10 pounds per person in 2008 to about 12.7 pounds now.

Although thats modest when compared to the U.S. figure of 79 pounds per capita, the important thing is that beef demand in China  a nation of 1.3 billion people  is increasing significantly. And thats fueling a tremendous surge in Chinas beef imports. In 2012, they totaled 87,000 metric tons. The figure for 2017: some 950,000 metric tons.

A large portion of the increased imports are from live cattle from Australia and New Zealand, where Chinese investors have made major investments in cattle operations.

Zhangs analysis also showed that the U.S. overall market share in China for all meat exports (including pork, chicken and beef as a whole) has fallen greatly in the past three years as China seeks to diversify its meat imports. That foreign competition, plus Chinas technical requirements for beef imports, present challenges for U.S. producers.

Nonetheless, U.S. producers have significant long-term opportunities, given the immense size of Chinas market and the growing demand of its middle class for meat products.

U.S. corn producers also have the potential for long-term export opportunities, though our countrys corn sales to China are far smaller than U.S. exports of, say, soybeans. Nebraskas $820 million in 2015 soybean- related exports to China in far exceeded our $20 million in corn exports.

Zhang writes: As the Chinese people demand more pork and beef with rising per-capita income, China will likely need more corn and corn substitutes in the future. . . . The United States, along with Ukraine and Brazil, would likely be a major player if that were to happen.

China offers promising opportunities for U.S. producers, if we pursue well-chosen marketing and diplomatic strategies.
Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia:

Bermuda's tax neutral status, speed to market, and excellent local talent base make the island and attractive jurisdiction to engage business. These are also the reasons why Centaur Fund Services chose Bermuda as its second global hub, says the firm's Chief Operating Officer Marc Weaver.

Weaver told participants of the latest Opalesque 2017 Bermuda Roundtable that the tax-neutral status of Bermuda is important to Centaur as a global business, as well as the connectivity to New York and London is also critical.

He stated, "Having a pool of talent, and the ability to hire people here relatively easily to work in specialized positions, was vital. The island's reputation and credibility with our clients and investors, as well as the regulator and the political stabilityall of these were very important considerations as Centaur was thinking about where to expand its operations into."

Speed to market, crucial to operations

Weaver explained that speed to market is another important part of entering market in North America, and Bermuda made this possible for Centaur. He said Centaur incorporated the Bermuda company at the end of 2015 and receive their fund administrator license from the BMA by June 2016.

The Bermuda Government alongside the Ministry of Economic Development assisted Centarul......................

To view our full article Click here
The staff at Dow Chemical Employees' Credit Union is working to help ensure that local families start the new year off with stocked cabinets.

Throughout the month of January, DCECU is collecting food and personal care items to be divided among organizations in Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties that distribute resources to community members.

"In these bitterly cold winter months, we want to help local families keep food on the table and personal-care necessities in the bathroom cabinet," said DCECU Executive Assistant to the CEO Susan Phillips, who organized the drive. "What started out as an idea for a small, internal campaign for our employees has snowballed into something larger that the whole community can contribute to."

While each week features specific items that are being sought, all donations are welcomed. Contributions can be dropped off at the greeter desk at the credit union, which is located at 600 E. Lyon Road.

The weekly schedule of featured items for collection is as follows:

Week of Jan. 1: Canned green beans and shampoo

Week of Jan. 8: Canned baked beans and toothpaste

Week of Jan. 15: Canned corn and toilet paper

Week of Jan. 22: Canned soups/stews and toothbrushes

Week of Jan. 29: Canned meats (e.g., tuna, corned beef, chicken, etc.) and stick deodorant
In celebration of National Rural Health Day, State Rep. Jason Wentworth of Michigan's 97th House District visited with medical students and leaders at MidMichigan Medical Center - Gladwin to learn more about Michigan State University College of Human Medicine's Rural Community Health Program that is helping to train tomorrow's rural physicians.

The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health has designated the third Thursday of every November as National Rural Health Day, an opportunity to highlight the unique healthcare challenges that rural citizens face and to honor the efforts of rural healthcare providers and other stakeholders to address those challenges.

According to Wentworth, rural communities in Michigan and throughout the United States are wonderful places to live and work -- they are places where people know each other, listen to/respect each other and work together to benefit the community.

"Rural health care is important because we have a number of underserved communities that need providers. It's important to show health care practitioners that these great communities are good, viable options for practicing medicine," Wentworth said.

MidMichigan Health said one of the many ways that it is helping to address rural healthcare needs is by partnering with area medical schools to train the rural health physicians of the future and by matching them with career opportunities in our communities.

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine has been training rural physicians for more than 40 years, beginning with the Rural Physician Program in the Upper Peninsula. In 2014, the program was expanded to other regions of the state, including the MidMichigan Health communities of Alma, Alpena and Clare, through the Rural Community Health Program.

According to medical education research, the single strongest indicator of whether a physician will ultimately practice in a rural community is that they are from a rural community or trained in a rural community. Students are chosen for the Rural Community Health Program based on their prior rural life experience, interest in rural health and likelihood of eventual rural practice.

"During medical school, our students obtain hands-on clinical training at one of MSU-CHM's clinical campuses in Midland or Traverse City, or in one of our rural communities in Clare, Alma, Alpena, Pigeon, Ludington or Charlevoix," said Julia Terhune, assistant director of rural community health, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Midland Regional Campus. "This program has already resulted in two students from the program signing contracts to practice medicine in the MidMichigan Health system in the future."

The students on the MidMichigan Health campuses experience both urban and rural settings through our affiliated urgent cares, home care providers and community physicians.

"I am interested in rural healthcare because working in a rural community gives me unique chances to serve people who truly need health care in communities where these resources might otherwise be scarce," said Katie Lindauer, MSU-CHM medical student at the Medical Center in Gladwin. "I enjoy having the ability to connect with people on a more personal level while still helping them to meet their health goals."

Those interested in learning more about the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health or National Rural Health Day may visit www.nosorh.org. Those interested in learning more about the medical student program at MidMichigan Health may visit www.midmichigan.org/medicalstudents.
The challenges of growing up black and female in apartheid South Africa have been the foundation of Nontombi Naomi Tutu's life as an activist for human rights.

The daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Naomi Tutu will keynote Martin Luther King Jr. Week at Alma College. She will speak on "Being a Social Activist" at 7 p.m. Jan. 17 in the Remick Heritage Center, Presbyterian Hall.

"Naomi Tutu is an engaging and dynamic activist and speaker," said Candy McCorkle, director of diversity and inclusion at Alma College. "She will talk about her life as an activist."

Tutu's professional experiences include consulting in West Africa and coordinating race and gender programs for the African Gender Institute at the University of Cape Town. She also has taught at the universities of Hartford and Connecticut and Brevard College in North Carolina. In addition to speaking, Naomi Tutu leads "truth and reconciliation" workshops for groups dealing with different types of conflict.

This year's MLK Week theme is "Social Activism Today." In addition to the keynote presentation, activities will include a civil rights panel discussion, Red Cross blood drive, film screening and music and dance events. Admission too all events is free and open to the public. A complete list of events follows.

Jan. 15 -- The Responsible Leadership Institute at Alma College sponsors a Red Cross Blood Drive from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Tyler-VanDusen Commons. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome as space permits.

Jan. 15 -- The Alma College Choir and students honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with songs and readings at 2 p.m. in Dunning Memorial Chapel.

Jan. 16 -- The Alma College Multicultural Student Union sponsors a civil rights panel discussion at 6:30 p.m. in the Swanson Academic Center Room 113.

Jan. 17 -- Human rights activist Nontombi Naomi Tutu, the daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the first black leader of the Anglican Church in South Africa, keynotes Martin Luther King Jr. Week at Alma College. She speaks at 7 p.m. in the Remick Heritage Center, Presbyterian Hall.

Jan. 18 -- The Alma College Diversity and Inclusion Office and Multicultural Student Union sponsor a screening of the film "Betty and Coretta" at 6 p.m. in the Swanson Academic Center Room 113. The film documents the friendship forged between Betty Shabazz, widow of Malcolm X, and Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and how they continued their husbands' legacies and developed their own in the fight for civil rights and social justice.

Jan. 19 -- Alma College dance students honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a dance performance at 4 p.m. in the Remick Heritage Center Dance Studio.
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BLOOMINGTON  Shelly Roy and Lindsay Widlacki appreciated the extra layer of care their loved one received even though they never met the critical care nurses and doctors providing the additional oversight.

Jordan Roy, 33, of Fairbury, was a patient in the intensive care unit of OSF HealthCare St. Joseph Medical Center for 10 days after surgery after a spinal cord injury.

Throughout his time in ICU, he was cared for not only by hospital nurses and doctors (intensivists) but also by the eICU (electronic intensive care unit) Core in Peoria.

The eICU uses continuous electronic monitoring of patient vital signs and activates audio equipment, cameras and video screens at least twice a day and additionally as needed. Critical care nurses and doctors in eICU Core monitor and help to care for ICU patients at OSF hospitals.

"I think it's a wonderful service. It's definitely reassuring," Widlacki, of Fairbury, Jordan Roy's girlfriend, said on Dec. 29 after Roy was transferred to the post-ICU.

"The ICU nurses (at St. Joseph) are fantastic but they're busy," said Shelly Roy, Jordan's mother. "It gives the family extra peace, knowing there is an extra set of eyes watching your loved one."

The eICU service, called OSF ConstantCare, began five years ago and is used in all OSF Illinois hospitals with an intensive care unit, said Suzanne Hinderliter, OSF vice president of TeleHealth Services.

All ICU patients are admitted into the eICU, Hinderliter said.

From June 2, 2012, through Aug. 31, 2017, 53,852 patients were admitted into the eICU, Hinderliter said.

During that time, patient mortality rates in OSF intensive care units decreased by 26 percent and patient length of stays in intensive care units decreased by 30 percent compared with before eICU monitoring, Hinderliter said.

"These (ICU) patients are really sick and we have decreased complications across the (OSF) system," Hinderliter said. Complications include sepsis (which can lead to a life-threatening drop in blood pressure), ventilator-associated pneumonia, infections and blood clots.

"We had set goals of a 20 percent decline in mortality rates and a 20 percent decline in length of stay so we have surpassed our goals," Hinderliter said.

"That's what we were striving for  achieving better outcomes for our patients," she said. "In my opinion, this has taken care to the next level for these patients."

Results after five years have been comparable at St. Joseph and OSF HealthCare Saint James-John W. Albrecht Medical Center in Pontiac.

"It's going very, very well," said Dr. Venkata Dodda, a St. Joseph intensivist.

"The added support translates to increased excellent care," said Jennifer Peifer, nurse manager of St. Joseph's Comprehensive Care Center, which includes ICU and post-ICU.

"Nursing is constant collaboration," said Sheri Piper, critical care nurse and clinical educator in the Comprehensive Care Center. "This (bedside care combined with eICU monitoring) is the best teamwork out there for the patient."

St. Joseph has five to six ICU patients on a typical day, Dodda said.

Blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, temperature and medications of all ICU patients are monitored not only at the hospitals but by the eICU Core, located in the Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center in Peoria.

The Core consists of several work stations with video screens, cameras and audio equipment staffed 24/7/365 by three to four critical care nurses and, additionally, critical care doctors during nights, weekends and holidays when intensivists may not be on site in smaller and mid-size hospitals.

Running behind each patient's vital signs is trending data that may help quickly identify when a patient's condition is deteriorating. For example, the sooner that sepsis is identified, the quicker treatments may begin, Hinderliter said.

"We can monitor for subtle trends in medical conditions," she said.

Nurses and doctors in the eICU turn on cameras and audio to make a visual check of ICU patients after they are admitted, as well as checking their vital signs and IV medications. When they do so, a "doorbell" goes off, a light goes on and the eICU nurse or doctor introduces themselves so patients and family members know that the camera and audio are on and the patient is being electronically monitored.

Some ICU patients may be unconscious so may not be aware of the bell and the greeting, Dodda admitted.

"The family is aware," Peifer said. The bell and the greeting happen whenever staff from the eICU check in, which happens at least twice a day and whenever the patient's condition is deteriorating, Piper said.

Bedside nurses and family members may initiate an eICU visit by pressing a red alert button at the bedside, which prompts an eICU critical care nurse or doctor to appear on the video screen in the patient's room, allowing interactive communication. This happens when there is an emergency and the hospital intensivist isn't immediately available, when the patient's condition is deteriorating or when the bedside nurse has a question.

"If a patient's condition is deteriorating, we can get things started quickly with the eICU while the intensivist is on his way," Piper said.

In other cases, the nurse may simply wish to validate something, she said.

"I want to know, 'Am I doing everything I can for the patient?'" Piper said.

The service complements bedside nursing, nurses and doctors said.

"We are not replacing any bedside nurses," Dodda said. "There is only so much you can do with a camera."

"This doesn't change the care model that's delivered at the bedside," Hinderliter said. "This is adding an extra layer to the care team and allows us to provide standardized care across the geography."

Bedside nurses and doctors and eICU nurses and doctors collaborate and patients' physicians, family members and the patients themselves make final decisions on care.

When the camera is off, it points away from the patient. Because the camera is on intermittently and people know when it's on, concerns about patient privacy have been alleviated, doctors and nurses said.
BLOOMINGTON  A Bloomington man is accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl.

Andre L. Banks, 53, is charged with predatory sexual assault and criminal sexual abuse of a child under age 13 during an incident in November.

In a probable cause statement read in court Thursday by State's Attorney Jason Chambers, authorities allege that Banks assaulted the child after asking to take the child to the Children's Discovery Museum. The defendant was acquainted with the child's family, according to the statement.

The child was interviewed at the McLean County Children's Advocacy Center after reporting the alleged assault to her mother.

Banks also is charged with failure to register as a convicted murderer. He was convicted of murder in 1990 in Cook County.

Banks was jailed in lieu of posting $100,035 on the sexual offenses and $5,035 on the registration charge.
CARTHAGE  A 17-year-old boy is in custody in connection with the New Year's Day shooting death of an Illinois State University student.

Hancock County authorities said the student, Madison Finch, 19, of La Harpe in Hancock County in far western Illinois, was shot to death at a party in La Harpe.

Finch, a biological sciences major, had just completed her first semester at ISU.

In a statement, the school said the ISU "community is saddened by the death of Madison Finch. Our student affairs division and dean of students office received word of her death earlier this week. Those offices, along with our Student Counseling Services office, are available to assist students who are impacted by this tragic situation.

"We always encourage anyone impacted by a tragedy like this to reach out for help. Losing a member of the Redbird family is always difficult and the university extends its condolences to Madisons family and friends."

Spring semester classes begin Jan. 16.

According to a statement from Hancock County State's Attorney Jason Pohren, the 17-year-old was charged Tuesday with murder.

The boy's identity has not been released by authorities. Prosecutors intend to try him as an adult.

Hancock County Sheriff Scott Bentzinger said deputies were called to the residence at the corner of Conch Drive and Terre Haute Road in La Harpe at 1:30 a.m. Monday. Finch was pronounced dead at 5:22 a.m. at the house by Hancock County Coroner Kendall Beals.

WGEM reported the teen boy appeared in court Tuesday afternoon and faces charges of aggravated battery and three counts of first-degree murder.

Prosecutors said the suspect brought a .22-caliber handgun to the party and shot the victim once in the head from behind. The suspect then ran away.

Although the suspect was located and initially jailed in Adams County, he is being held in Hancock County jail. Bail was denied.

Although the suspect did not have an attorney, Hancock County Public Defender Kam Miller represented the boy at the court hearing.

He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 23 when the request to try him as an adult also will be considered.
NORMAL  The developer behind a proposed northern McLean County wind farm laid out its plan for what it said are safe sound and wildlife practices Thursday at the second in a series of public hearings.

Invenergy, the Chicago company planning to build its 100-turbine McLean County Wind Energy Center across 13,000 acres in Chenoa, Gridley, Lexington and Money Creek townships, presented on those topics for more than 100 people at Heartland Community Colleges Astroth Community Education Center in Normal.

Michael Hankard, president and principal at Wisconsin firm Hankard Environmental, spoke about noise levels residents and others can expect from the turbines, which are expected to total 250 megawatts in electrical generating capacity, or enough for 69,000 homes.

Residents questioned whether the state acoustic standards the project will satisfy are legitimate.

A woman who will live near six turbines questioned if it's possible for Invenergy or the county to accurately portray what the sound will be like there after the project is done, before 2021.

Invenergys website for the project cites a Maine Centers for Disease Control study that found wind turbines produce sound comparable to a quiet, air-conditioned office.

Invenergys environmental permitting manager, Andrea Giampoli, and others also discussed efforts to observe and respect the local wildlife population. Officials spent years documenting local wildlife behavior to make sure it wont be affected, and the plan includes specific setbacks to avoid impacting wild birds and bats.

None of the turbines we're installing will affect any streams," said Invenergy Vice President Kevin Parzyck.

Lexington resident Glenn Schwass questioned whether Invenergy is doing enough to study how the wind farms affect pets and other land animals, but Parzyck said "there's no evidence of a problem."

The company discussed the broad outline of the project at another hearing Tuesday. Parzyck said Chenoa, Gridley and Lexington officials are talking with the company to get on board with the farm.

Construction is to start in 2018 or 2019, and the farm is to be operational in 2019 or 2020.

Another public hearing is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Room 400 in the Government Center, 115 E. Washington St., downtown Bloomington.
Cheers

... to all law enforcement, social media mavens, and good samaritans who helped secure the safe return of a Bloomington woman who went missing Christmas Eve.

A police officer said social media "shares" reached 800,000 people, which made for an incredibly large search group across Central Illinois.

Everyone is grateful the woman was found (and returned) home safe and sound.

Condolences

... to the family of Alda Nauman Kleen of Minonk, who died Christmas Day. With her late husband, "Baldy," the couple portrayed Santa and Mrs. Claus for 30 years, bringing joy to an untold number of children.

Cheers

... to the Broom family of Effingham, which donated a priceless Lincoln heirloom (hairloom?) to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

The tiny ring belonged to Tad Lincoln, son of Abe and Mary, and was made of hair from Tad's pony. The museum said the ring is the first to commemorate one of the Lincoln family's pets.

Tad had given the ring as a gift to the wife of a Union officer. The officer later died and the woman remarried; the Brooms are her descendants.

Achoo

... as the flu continues to make its unwelcome rounds in Central Illinois, remember to follow personal hygiene practices to prevent further spread of illness.

If you're sick, stay home until you are better. Cough into your sleeve, use tissues or a handkerchief to blow your nose, and wash your hands frequently or use a liquid sanitizer. Stay away from the elderly and the very young, who are more prone to illness.

And if you haven't already gotten a flu shot, get one. It won't keep you from getting the flu, but it will help prevent a more serious case.

Cheers

... to the man who lives to make rhymes,

because Webster's should sound like chimes.

His story is cool,

He hires no fools;

And English lovers said it's about time.

Cheers

... to Funks Grove Nature Center, which understands the outdoors isn't just for warm weather months.

Workers at the center, located south of Bloomington, have many outdoor activities during the winter months, including a recent wilderness camp that put "outdoor" front and center during the current cold snap.

Brrrrrrr

... and thanks to all who have to work outdoors, despite cold temperatures to make our lives more pleasant: utility workers; police, firefighters and rescue workers; truckers, farmers and tow drivers; shovelers, snowplowers and snowblower operators; contractors, plumbers, electricians and cable workers; furnace fixers and chimney sweeps; mail carriers; newspaper carriers; store delivery workers; and more.

Whoever you are, whatever you do, thanks.

Cheers

... to the people behind the Young Hearts for Life test, a free screening for school students to determine if they have heart defects or problems.
The troubled state of Illinois doesn't need recreational marijuana to add more addiction problems to the list. The statistics on overuse and health dangers are just now starting to roll in from Denver (mile-high city) and La La Land. Lung problems and mental problems are just the start.

The tax money generated by it will not be used properly in this state. Politicians and Chicago warlords will find a way to move that money into their own pockets. We already have enough booze and gambling neon signs on every corner in Bloomington-Normal. The place looks like Pottersville at night, like in the movie "It's A Wonderful Life."

Rep. Dan Brady and Sen. Bill Brady are not for the idea of adding pot to the addiction problems in our state. I commend them for this. Write to state Sen. Jason Barickman and tell him we don't want our kids smoking pot. We don't need pot shops on the Uptown Circle or in downtown Bloomington.

James R. Bourke, Normal
U.S. Reps. Rodney Davis, Adam Kinzinger and Darin LaHood voted to raise my taxes until I retire, and my sons taxes. Eventually all taxpayers will have to pay for the windfall for the ultra-wealthy and corporations.

Have Davis, Kinzinger and LaHood taken the Grover Norquist pledge against raising taxes? If yes, did the pledge they took only relate to wealthy donors? How do they explain away a tax deferral that will become a $1 trillion-plus tax hike for our children?

How can any politician lower tax rates for the ultra-wealthy and corporations while restricting charitable contributions? Davis, Kinzinger, LaHood and House Speaker Paul Ryan, are too challenged on economics to understand that charitable dollars go right back to the community, but wealthy donors will hoard their windfall. It is even sillier to claim that corporations will share their tax break with workers.

Persons who work for a living will pay a higher rate than persons who make money off investments. Real estate developers will see a special break on taxes, while a consumers mortgage interest deductions will suffer. Hedge fund managers will continue to receive a preferential tax rate for playing around with investors money.

Politicians from California, New York and other blue states opposed the Tax Act since it will limit the deduction of state and local taxes. Davis, Kinzinger, and LaHood chose to support their wealthy, stealthy donors instead of constituents. Central Illinois voters need to replace them in the primary or fall elections in 2018.

Daniel G. Deneen, Bloomington
It was only a matter of time before Canada would be joining in on the Class Action litigation and it's no surprise that the first lawsuits would be generated by two Quebec law firms in the French speaking part of Canada. The two law firms are seeking authorization from the Quebec Superior Court to file a class action lawsuit against Apple, claiming that its warranty policies violate Quebec's Consumer Protection Act.

The English Montreal Gazette reports that the class action application was filed on Dec. 29 after it was learned that Apple admitted to slowing the performance of some iPhone models in certain situations.

Apple's acknowledgment of the battery issue along with the price of Apple products, is evidence that the company is violating Quebec's Consumer Protection Act, said Joey Zukran, a lawyer at LPC Avocats, which filed the application for authorization along with Renno Vathilakis Avocats.

Zukran stated that "There's something wrong with this. The law is very clear on this point, especially on electronic devices, that the manufacturer of the product  has to guarantee the product for a reasonable amount of time."

Currently, purchasers of Apple products receive a one-year limited warranty while they're able to purchase an AppleCare extended warranty. According to Zukran, that's not enough.

Under Quebec's Consumer Protection Act, goods "must be durable in normal use for a reasonable length of time, having regard to their price, the terms of the contract and the conditions of their use."

In the filing the law firm noted that "Considering the high prices paid by Class Members for Apple products, in normal use Apple products are not durable for a reasonable length of time."

The law firm noted that it would also be seeking punitive damages of $300 per class member and it would ask the court to declare that a reasonable amount of time for Apple products to last would be six years.

In England and Wales, sellers are required to repair, replace or refund faulty goods for six years. In the European Union, that guarantee lasts two years.

Zukran added that "If my product is the same product as guaranteed in Europe for two years and in the U.K. for six years, why is it different for Quebec consumers?"

To date, without the Canadian lawsuits, there have been 18 Class Action lawsuits filed against Apple since December 22, 2017.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.
I posted an entry yesterday titled Fidel Castro, Hugh Hefner, and Thomas S. Monson. So I was bleakly amused to learn this morning  my thanks to Kyle Pratt for bringing it to my notice  that, over at The Daily Wire, Ben Shapiro has made essentially the same point that I did:

The New York Times Proves It Hates Religious Americans With This Obituary

Incidentally, unlike me Ben Shapiro isnt a truth-hating Mormon apologist. Hes Jewish.

***

Newsweek has taken notice of the likely next president of the Church, offering a brief profile of him:

New Mormon President: Who is Russell M. Nelson, Set to Become 17th Leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

For what its worth, of course, technically speaking  and whatever happens when and if a new First Presidency is organized shortly after President Monsons funeral  Russell M. Nelson already is, right now, the president of the Church.

Does everybody understand this?

When a Church president dies, the First Presidency that he led is dissolved as a quorum, and his counselors revert to the positions that they held prior to their entry into the First Presidency. In this particular case, Elders Eyring and Uchtdorf have returned to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which now has thirteen members. (Recall that Elder Robert D. Hales died on 1 October 2017, and that his position in the Twelve has not yet been filled. So, even prior to President Monsons death, the Quorum was operating with only eleven members. The return of Elders Eyring and Uchtdorf thus brings the membership to thirteen.) They assume the position in the quorum that accords with their apostolic seniority.

In any event, absent a First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve is currently the presiding quorum in the Church. And Russell M. Nelson, as the senior apostle and the president of the Twelve, is thus the presiding officer in the Church. Now.

In a speech on Succession in the Presidency given at BYU on 8 January 1974 (shortly, that is, after the passing of President Harold B. Lee), Elder Bruce R. McConkie recounted a story that has always impressed me:

When President Lee passed he was attended by President Marion G. Romney, his second counselor, and President Spencer W. Kimball, the President of the Council of the Twelve. President N. Eldon Tanner was in Arizona at the time. Brother Romney, as the representative of and counselor to President Lee, was in complete and total charge at the hospital. He gave President Lee a blessing. He felt the spirit of peace and satisfaction, the calm assurance that whatever eventuated would be right. He did not promise President Lee that he would be healed. The President had become ill very rapidly, just in a matter of hours or moments. Shortly after this blessing, he passed away. At the moment he passed, Brother Romney, in harmony with the system and the established tradition and custom of the Church, stepped aside, and President Spencer W. Kimball was then in complete charge and had total direction. President Kimball was at that moment the senior apostle of God on earth. And as the last heartbeat of President Lee ceased, the mantle of leadership passed to President Kimball, whose next heartbeat was that of the living oracle and presiding authority of God on earth. From that moment the Church continued under the direction of President Kimball.

Historically, when First Presidencies have been reorganized, the counselors in the previous First Presidency have typically  but not always  been called to serve in the new presidency. Strictly speaking, again, they havent been retained, since there is discontinuity, a gap, between one presidency and the next, but they have been called again. And, while new Church presidents have most commonly called as counselors the men who counseled their predecessors  the practical benefits of doing so are pretty obvious, as the learning curve is less steep  a new president is under no obligation or requirement to do so.
All the way back in 2004, following the deaths of Elders Neal A. Maxwell and David B. Haight, I published an article titled Reflections on Two Apostles in Meridian Magazine. I thought of that article again now, as the unique fellowship of modern, living apostles has, once again, been deprived of two of its senior members:

After the longest period of stable membership since its founding in early 1835, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has lost two of its members to death within the space of ten days.

My wife and I first heard that Elder Neal A. Maxwell had been appointed to the Twelve (and Elder Gordon B. Hinckley called into the First Presidency) when we ran into a pair of missionaries near the train station in Lucerne, Switzerland, in July 1981.

Coincidentally, it was during another visit to Switzerland (my old mission field), that we learned of his death, which occurred on the anniversary of his call as an apostle. The flag on the temple grounds in Zollikofen was at half staff, and two temple missionaries provided the saddening explanation.

In the twenty-three years that intervened between his call and his passing, my wife and I both came to know and love Elder Maxwell, first from a distance and then more personally. He was an interested and informed friend of the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) and a committed, even indispensable, supporter of the Islamic translation projects with which Ive been involved at Brigham Young University. Much more importantly, of course, he was an eloquent special witness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and one of the kindest, most thoughtful men we have ever known.

A friend tells me of meeting him once, and telling him that he was a favorite of hers. Oh, he replied, but you deserve so much better. His response was entirely in character, but it was also utterly untrue. Consistently concerned about the welfare of others rather than his own (most strikingly so on one memorable occasion just a day or two after his release from a lengthy stay in the hospital, following some of his first leukemia treatments), he seemed entirely unimpressed with his own high status. He would call and identify himself as Neal, sometimes merely to compliment on an article that he had read, or a videotaped talk that he had seen. He cannot have realized how deeply honored I was by such gestures.

And, over the course of his own surprisingly long struggle with the disease that finally took him, he opened up a whole new ministry to fellow sufferers from cancer. How completely predictable that was.

Elder Maxwell was deservedly well known for the care with which he attempted to communicate his thoughts. One little known example: A number of years ago, he was assigned to the Christmas lighting ceremony at the grounds of the Washington D.C. Temple. Knowing that the person who would actually flip the switch was the ambassador of a leading Arab country, he asked me if there might be an appropriate Arabic phrase that he could use during his remarks. I suggested a passage from the Quran: Allahu nur al-samawat wa al-ard (God is the light of the heavens and the earth). We worked on getting the pronunciation right, and he incorporated it into a discussion of how the lights on the temple grounds reflected the far greater light and splendor of divinity. (Long afterward, he still remembered the phrase, with perfect accent.) The episode eloquently illustrates Elder Maxwells liberality, in the best sense of that word, and the liberality of the Saviors restored gospel. Im told that Muslim diplomats in the audience and on the stand were deeply impressed that one of the highest leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints respected them enough to cite their holy book, in Arabic.

They were able to be impressed by Elder Maxwell on other occasions, as well. In February 2000, for instance, following his after-dinner remarks to nearly fifty ambassadors at the United Nations in connection with BYUs Islamic Translation Series, one of the ambassadors approached me and whispered, There is something very special about that man. Indeed there was, and is.

My contacts with Elder David B. Haight were much fewer and far less sustained. (Like many other members of the Church, I loved his self-deprecating humor.) But one encounter stands out.

Years ago, a couple of colleagues and I were driving Emanuel Tov of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the international editor of the Dead Sea Scrolls, up to Salt Lake City for a press conference at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. We had, we thought, allowed plenty of time for the journey, but a freeway accident created a serious traffic jam and we were late. So, a bit desperate, we pulled up to the curb, dropped Professor Tov off with instructions on how to reach the meeting room, and then began unloading some of the books, visual aids, and handouts that he planned to use. As I was pulling boxes out of the van, I heard a voice behind me ask, Can I help? I turned and saw Elder Haight, then already roughly ninety. He explained that he was waiting for a ride, but that he had a few free minutes. Load me up! he said. Obviously, I was not about to let a nonagenarian apostle carry my boxes for me, so, despite his repeated offers, I thanked him and carried them myself.

I thought of that experience years later, when I heard that members of the Twelve had been assigned to live and preside in the Philippines and in Chile. Im told that, while the council was discussing whom to send, Elder Haight, by then even older than when he had offered to carry my boxes for me and, practically speaking, almost blind, kept reminding his fellow apostles not to forget about him. If they needed him, he was willing to go.

Of such is the Kingdom of God.

***

It being Friday, Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture has published a new article:

The Possibility of Janus Parallelism in the Book of Mormon

We hope you enjoy it.

***

We also hope that youll enjoy this LDS Perspectives interview with David W. Grua, who is a historian and documentary editor with the Joseph Smith Papers Project:

The Missouri War and Liberty Jail Letters

***

A new blog entry from Neal Rappleye:

Brace Yourself: The Old Testament is Coming!

***

A touching new entry from Stephen Smoot:

In Memoriam: Thomas S. Monson
This is one of a series of my reviews of the book by prominent Catholic journalist, editor, and author Philip Lawler, entitled Lost Shepherd: How Pope Francis is Misleading His Flock (due to be released on 26 February 2018). Phil was kind enough to send me a review copy, and he and others have encouraged me to read the book and review it. Their wish is granted!

For background, see my paper, On Rebuking Popes & Catholic Obedience to Popes, and three posts concerning a few statements from the book that I found very troubling and questionable, including dialogues with both Karl Keating (who positively reviewed it) and briefly with author Phil himself (one / two / three).

Previous Installments:

#1 Critique of Introduction

#2 Homosexuality & Judging

#3 The Pope Annihilated Hell?

#4 Communion / Buenos Aires Letter

***

Phil Lawler goes after yet another of the popes homilies in his Chapter Seven, pp. 154-155:

In a memorable homily delivered in May 2017, Francis argued that an excessive concern with doctrine is a sign of ideology rather than faith. Reflecting on the days Scripture reading from the Acts of the Apostles, which recounted the debate over enforcing Mosaic Law on Gentile Christians, the pope said that the liberty of the Spirit led the disciples to an accord. The dispute, however, he said was caused by jealousies, power struggles, a certain deviousness that wanted to profit from and to buy power, temptations against which the Church must always guard. The disciples who insisted on the enforcement of Mosaic Law, the pope said, were fanatics. They were not believers; they were ideologized. Thus he appeared to suggest that the early Church leaders who disagreed with St. Paul on the enforcement of Mosaic Law including St. James and, before the Council of Jerusalem, which settled the question, even St. Peter himselfwere not believers. The Scriptural account of that council offers no evidence that those on opposite sides of the question rendered harsh judgments of one other. They met, argued vigorously over a point that was not yet clear, and with the help of the Holy Spirit reached a decision that resolved their differences. Francis acknowledged that it is a duty of the Church to clarify doctrine, as the apostles did at the Council of Jerusalem. But he did not acknowledge that his critics within the hierarchy were calling for precisely the same sort of clarification with respect to papal teaching on marriage and the Eucharist.

Alright. Lets take a closer look at the homily and the scriptural passages the Holy Father was commenting upon. Lawler loves clarity. Im happy  delighted  to do my part in helping him achieve more of that (where the pope is concerned). Here he has temporarily gotten away from gossipy discussions of palace intrigue and internal Vatican politics that take up much of his book (which, personally, I have less than no interest in) and gotten down to a theological issue that can actually be objectively examined.

And as usual (like so many papal critics) he puts quite the obligatory cynical slant on a homily where I (for what its worth) see nothing whatsoever contrary to Scripture or good Catholic piety. But it seems that the critics invariably see what they want to see and it just so happens to so often come out as supposedly scandalous and objectionable.

The homily in question was preached on 5-19-17 and is preserved at the Vatican Radio site. Lawler characterizes the popes thoughts as Francis argued that an excessive concern with doctrine is a sign of ideology rather than faith. I dont see this at all in the homily. Lawler spins it as if the pope is somehow hostile to serious doctrinal discussion or examination: as if that is a bad thing, and hence, he dismisses such as mere ideology. These notions are not in the homily, folks (sorry, Phil!). The homily is accurately summarized at the top as: True doctrine unites; ideology divides. Perfectly true and uncontroversial . . . Pope Francis states:

It was at the heart of the first Council of the Church: the Holy Spirit and they, the Pope with the Bishops, all together, gathered together in order to clarify the doctrine; and later, through the centuries  as at Ephesus or at Vatican II  because it is a duty of the Church to clarify the doctrine, so that what Jesus said in the Gospels, what is the Spirit of the Gospels, would be understood well . . . this is the problem: when the doctrine of the Church, that which comes from the Gospel, that which the Holy Spirit inspires  because Jesus said, He will teach us and remind you of all that I have taught  [when] that doctrine becomes an ideology. And this is the great error of those people.

Hes not saying that excessive concern with doctrine is ideology. Thats a wholesale distortion. Hes saying that on the one hand there is true doctrine, determined by the Church, and on the other, the distortion or corruption of the true doctrine, which becomes mere ideology. This is essentially the same distinction that Cardinal Newman draws in his famous comparisons of true developments of doctrine vs. heretical corruptions, and how Scripture differentiates between good, apostolic tradition and bad traditions of men. Why cant Lawler grasp these rather elementary distinctions? Well, you tell me (if you can figure it out).

For my part, I think it is likely one of innumerable instances where intelligent, qualified people let their passions of one sort or another, cloud their judgment and logic in ways where it normally would be clear and logical. No one is so blind as one who will not see. It happens all the time. I critique it all the time, in my capacity as an apologist. And thats what I see here, because this homily is not difficult to understand, and there is nothing wrong with it whatsoever. The pope reiterates his clear comparison between the good thing and the bad thing at the end:

The Church, he concluded, has its proper Magisterium, the Magisterium of the Pope, of the Bishops, of the Councils, and we must go along the path that comes from the preaching of Jesus, and from the teaching and assistance of the Holy Spirit, which is always open, always free, because doctrine unites, the Councils unite the Christian community, while, on the other hand, ideology divides.

See what hes saying? Its not (Phils take): too much consideration of doctrine is bad! It is, rather: doctrine is good and unitive; mere ideology is bad and divisive. Its shameful to distort (unconsciously or not) a popes words and alleged thoughts like this.

If Lawler had actually cited the popes words at any length, readers could actually see what he meant. But instead, we get the cynical summaries. He tries to frame how his readers think, rather than letting them think and discern for themselves. He spoon-feeds them carefully selected aspects and phrases, that end up distorted. This is the propagandistic approach. One tires of this!

If someone wants to bring up some homily of the Holy Father, and object to it, let the people read it for themselves! He gives no specific date or link. I provide the date and a link, and very considerable excerpts. My readers can go read the homily (or read most of it here) and make up their own minds about whether my interpretation is accurate (or if Phils is). I believe that the truth always wins in the end and that knowledge is power.

In his breathtakingly erroneous analysis, Lawler claims that the pope was preaching (and believes) that The disciples who insisted on the enforcement of Mosaic Law, . . . were fanatics. They were not believers; they were ideologized.  Note the internal logic here: he is literally claiming that the pope thinks some disciples were fanatics and not believers at all (!!!). And this, in a book, one of the central themes of which is that the pope is consistently unclear and incoherent: a dim guide at best. I always appreciate irony.

Now, lets see what the biblical passage says in the first place. In the passage about the Jerusalem Council itself, apostles and elders are referred to, not disciples. The text (RSV) refers to some men (not disciples) who disputed with Paul and Barnabas before the council:

Acts 15:1-2 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. [2] And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.

Then during the council we see this one line:

Acts 15:5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up, and said, It is necessary to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses.

The word disciples never appears in the homily: at least not in this summary of it that appears to be the one Lawler referenced. Acts 15:1 doesnt even make clear whether those teaching this legalism are Christians. 15:5 refers to believers. We only have these little tidbits, so they could possibly be different groups, teaching (perhaps) somewhat different things. The second group was participating in the council, after all, so it is implied that they were at least elders. Its irrelevant that they called themselves Pharisees. Paul did that, too, and Jesus followed their ritual customs.

The pope seems to reference not only this group of Judaizers but the entire group of those who opposed early Church teaching. He often digresses in his talks, to make a larger footnoted point. Im very familiar with such a technique, because I do it a lot, myself, and sometimes people dont understand my meaning or reference point. The pope does specifically differentiate the apostles from others who disagree (my italics):

The group of the apostles who want to discuss the problem, and the others who go and create problems. They divide, they divide the Church, they say that what the Apostles preached is not what Jesus said, that it is not the truth. . . . These individuals, the Pope explained, were not believers, they were ideologized, they had an ideology that closed the heart to the work of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles, on the other hand, certainly discussed things forcefully, but they were not ideologized: They had hearts open to what the Holy Spirit said. And after the discussion it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.

As for the Judaizers themselves, respectable biblical scholars disagree amongst themselves whether they were Christians or not. Some of the most eminent ones, like F. F. Bruce, dont even take a stand for one view or the other. If the pope took one view or another on that question it would be inconsequential and well within the thought of existing scholarship. But its just as likely that he is referring to the dissenters described in Acts 15:1-2, and/or generally to the much larger group who dissent from Christian teachings. But he never says that disciples are fanatics and not believers and ideologized. Lawler, however, then decides to descend into yet more absurd speculations:

[H]e appeared to suggest that the early Church leaders who disagreed with St. Paul on the enforcement of Mosaic Law including St. James and, before the Council of Jerusalem, which settled the question, even St. Peter himselfwere not believers.

Huh? WOW!! Its beyond my comprehension that a learned Catholic man could include (not as some kind of joke) something so utterly ridiculous in a published book, and not only that: attribute the hyper-absurd opinion to the Holy Father, with no basis whatsoever for doing so. This exhibits a level of illogic and sloppiness (not even to mention, lack of rudimentary Christian charity) that I have rarely seen (and Ive been around the block many times).

How he arrived at this opinion (assuming he actually would claim to have some reason for it) is anyones guess. Its certainly not expressed in the homily. Anyone can go read it at the link I provide above and see that for themselves. The homily never mentions James or Peter. Lawler somehow nevertheless deduces that Pope Francis thinks as follows:

1) There were arguments at the council; 2) St. James was there, so he must have disagreed with St. Paul; 3) Therefore St. James is not a believer. 4) St. Peter isnt a believer either, because (before the council) he, too, clashed with St. Paul [who accused him of hypocrisy, not doctrinal error, readers may recall].

Oh boy. I have to really restrain myself at this point. This kind of nonsense is truly its own refutation, so I need not refute it, anyway. Suffice it to say that Paul and Peter never disagreed on Gentiles being received into the Church. It was St. Peter, after all, to whom God first revealed his plans for that. As I read the homily, the pope sure seems to be speaking about heretics in general, not just those (believers or no) who held that Gentile Christians had to observe the entire Mosaic Law.

Nor is there any basis in Scripture to conclude that Paul and James had any fundamental disagreement on this score. From what we know (the account of Acts 15): all three were in perfect agreement (see also Galatians 2:1-9). The Catholic Encyclopedia (Judaizers) backs up what Im saying about Paul and Peter:

This incident [of Paul rebuking Peter] has been made much of by Baur and his school as showing the existence of two primitive forms of Christianity, Petrinism and Paulinism, at war with each other. But anyone, who will look at the facts without preconceived theory, must see that between Peter and Paul there was no difference in principles, but merely a difference as to the practical conduct to be followed under the circumstances. . . . That Peters principles were the same as those of Paul, is shown by his conduct at the time of Corneliuss conversion, by the position he took at the council of Jerusalem, and by his manner of living prior to the arrival of the Judaizers. Paul, on the other hand, not only did not object to the observance of the Mosaic Law, as long as it did not interfere with the liberty of the Gentiles, but he conformed to its prescriptions when occasion required (1 Corinthians 9:20). Thus he shortly after circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:1-3), and he was in the very act of observing the Mosaic ritual when he was arrested at Jerusalem (Acts 21:26 sqq.).

And the pope says nothing different in this homily. He says:

But there were always people who without any commission go out to disturb the Christian community with speeches that upset souls: Eh, no, someone who says that is a heretic, you cant say this, or that; this is the doctrine of the Church. And they are fanatics of things that are not clear, like those fanatics who go there sowing weeds in order to divide the Christian community. . . .

No one in their wildest dreams, in any imaginable universe, can get out of this homily, that the pope was including St. James and St. Peter in the negative descriptions, let alone pitting Paul against both of them. They absolutely could not be part of those fanatics, according to what the pope said shortly after, because they were apostles, and the pope referred to that august group as follows:

The Apostles, on the other hand, certainly discussed things forcefully, but they were not ideologized: They had hearts open to what the Holy Spirit said. And after the discussion it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.

I suppose Lawler could argue next that Pope Francis denies that James and Peter were apostles, too. After all, anything goes in his mind, at this point. If he thinks the pope denies that they are Christian believers, then not being apostles would follow as a matter of course. One claim is as ludicrous as the other.

Case closed. Id like to see someone defend this shoddy pseudo-research of Phils. Its truly (no exaggeration at all!) some of the worst Ive ever seen in 35 years of Christian / Catholic apologetics and intense Bible study. And remember, hes accusing the pope (the lost shepherd who is misleading his flock) of having these views, that he  by some utterly inexplicable and mysterious chain of reasoning  invented in his own head.

***

Photo credit: Saints Peter and Paul (c. 1608), by El Greco (1541-1614) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

***
Iran Deploys Thousands of Security Forces Against Protesters, Shows Restraint

01/04/18

By Masood Farivar, VOA

The Iranian government has taken a lesson from the Arab Spring in responding to the worst anti-government protests the country has seen in nearly a decade.

Heavy-handed tactics by Arab governments against popular uprisings in 2011 led to the overthrow of regimes in Egypt and Libya and sparked a civil war in Syria.

Iran had its own Arab Spring-inspired demonstrations in 2011, but police deployed in relatively small numbers and refrained from using deadly force, leading the protests to die down.

Calls for end to protests

Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of the powerful Islamic Republic Revolutionary Corps, recalled the Arab governments experience as he declared an end to the protests Wednesday.

Our security preparation and public scrutiny allowed the enemy to be defeated again, because if our situation was like Egypt, Syria and Libya, the Islamic Republic of Iran would have suffered irreparable damage, Jafari said, in comments carried by the IRGCs news agency.



The head of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari

(source: Iranian daily Etemad)



The Iranian government has been condemned for using harsh tactics to suppress the protests.

Still, its response is seen as relatively restrained, with analysts saying the regime is wary that taking harder measures could exacerbate the unrest to the point of threatening its existence.

Theyve seen what has happened elsewhere, when you go in heavy-handed as far as protests are concerned, said Alex Vatanka, an Iran security expert with the American Enterprise Institute in Washington..

In contrast to their violent crackdown on demonstrators during the 2009 green movement protests, Iranian security forces have been relatively restrained during the most recent anti-government demonstrations, Vatanka said.

This certainly has not been the bloodiest of events, he said.

At least 21 people have died in clashes between security forces and protesters over the past week. In 2009, hundreds of protesters were killed and thousands jailed.

The Revolutionary Guards

The Revolutionary Guards, which led the crackdown against protesters in 2009, have kept a relatively low profile over the past week.

The Guards, created in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, have a force of 150,000 enlisted fighters, according to one estimate.

Jafari said the Guards have deployed limited numbers of forces to three cities: Isfahan, Larestan and Hamadan.

A spokesman for the Guards said Tuesday that there had been no need to deploy forces in Tehran.

But behind the scenes, the Revolutionary Guards are at the heart of it, Vatanka said.

I havent seen a single instance of a senior Revolutionary Guards commander at the street level, Vatanka said. That tells me they want to keep a distance, they sort of want to give the image that theyre watching, but they dont think the time is right for them to move in.

Basij paramilitary force

With the Revolutionary Guards staying on the sidelines, they have left it to the Basij paramilitary force to crack down on protesters.

Just how many Basij militiamen have been deployed remains unclear. Videos circulating on social media show uniformed and plain clothes Basij forces clashing with protesters in several cities. But they often have been seen behind police lines.

Deploying the all-volunteer peoples militia allows the government to inoculate itself against criticism for using force against demonstrators, Vatanka said.

Because there is that distance between the Basij and the regime, the regime then likes to say, This is not really us doing anything, this is the people, this is the good Samaritans of this country, acting in defense of their values and so forth, he said.

Riot police

Iranian riot police have been deployed in larger numbers, most recently to escort pro-government demonstrations held Wednesday.

The riot police officers are part of the Iranian national polices Special Unit Forces and operate under the Ministry of the Interior.

National Police Commander Gen. Hossein Ashtari said Tuesday that all police forces nationwide have been ordered to seriously deal with those threatening the lives of people or looters of public assets, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.

Videos on social media show confrontations between well-armed riot police officers and protesters in several cities. One police officer reportedly was killed in a confrontation in Isfahan on Monday.

But in other instances, police commanders have sought to engage protesters in dialogue. Protesters in turn have called on police to protect them against the Basij. In one video, protesters are heard chanting, Police, help us to get rid of the IRGC and its Basij force.
Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has says the implementation of the excise tax stamp policy should not impede the paperless clearing system at the ports.



This is contrary to some concerns being raised by businesses at the ports that the policy has a potential threat to the efficiency of the paperless clearing process.



The excise tax stamp involves the fixing of stamps on all excisable products.



This also includes all such goods that are imported through the various entry points across the country.



The decision is to clamp down on tax evaders.



With the current procedure we have, if you bring your goods normally, you will go through the clearance procedure and get cleared normally. But as I said it will be in your interest to ensure these are goods youve paid taxes and duties. Because you have paid duties and taxes, so as not to encounter any issues youll try to approach us to affix the stamp. Otherwise, when it comes to the point of verification you will have issues, the Technical Advisor to the Commissioner at the GRA, Sam Akwesi Nyankyera told journalists.



The policy had since Tuesday, January 2, 2018, been in operation at the Tema port as well as three other inland borders in the Volta region.



They are the Aflao, Kpoglo and the Akanu border points.



According to Mr. Akwesi Nyankyera, the automated systems should rather fast track the process.



The GRA has contracted a service provider to do this. We have some automated machines and we have some manual machines as well to cater for all quantities. We have forklifts and we have a system connected to the clearance system, such that we dont envisage serious problems. But should we have a serious problem we always have a fallback solution. Since we are involved, we can come up with ad-hoc solutions to address any unforeseen issue which I dont foresee right now.



Government had stressed that the excise tax stamp policy will not add unto the tax burden of manufacturers and retailers even as it begins to roll out the policy.



According to the Ministry of Finance, the policy will encourage tax compliance while protecting the consuming public against harmful and unwholesome products.



A Deputy Finance Minister, Kweku Kwarteng earlier explained that his outfit would continue the dialogue to reduce any apprehension.



All the things that have to be done in order to make this policy work will now be done. These will include; how we affix the stamps, how we engage, which other product we will rope in, among others. All those arrangements would have to be done, he stated.



Mr. Kwarteng added, suggestions such as not having enough consultations yet the ministry is rolling the policy out today, we urge the taxpaying business community to exercise patience and to continue engaging with us as they have.



Following the concerns that the implementation of the tax stamp will add unto the cost of production of businesses, the government has initiated measures to reduce the burden.



As a result, the cost of affixing the stamp has been absolved by the government from now till June 2018.



Subsequently, government will be expected to bear at least half of the cost between June and December 2018 until it eventually weans itself from bearing any cost.

Source: Today









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 Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr Johnson Asiama has resigned.



His resignation took effect on Tuesday, January 02, 2018.



It is however unclear what reasons may have led to the early resignation of Dr Asiama.



Dr. Asiamah in December 2017, dismissed reports of his resignation when the issue first came up, saying he was on a ten-day leave.



Dr. Asiama was appointed on the 5th of April 2016 by then-President, John Dramani Mahama.



He rose through the ranks after joining the bank in 1996 from Assistant Director, until his appointment as Deputy Governor.



He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Southampton, United Kingdom, and an MPhil in Economics from the University of Ghana, Legon.

Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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'ASIAN' = MUSLIM 99% OF THE TIME





The politically correct term 'Asian' is used by the leftist UK media as a way to cast suspicion on a wider group of people and take some of the negative attention away from the group usually responsible for committing the heinous acts.

A perfect example would be the Muslim grooming gang epidemic which are constantly referred to by the press and authorities as 'Asian' grooming gangs.

It isn't people from China, Japan or any Far Eastern Asian place.

Nor is it Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists,Christians Etc....

They are Muslims!!!!
The government of Kenya has released Sh37 billion (about $357,790,000) to all public schools towards the implementation of free education, a day after they reopened for the 2018 first term.



Sh29.5 billion (about $280,430,000) has been paid to all the public secondary schools for Free Secondary Education (FSE) that has been rolled out as part of President Uhuru Kenyattas 2017 pre-election pledge.



The remaining Sh7.5 billion will go to the printing and supply of textbooks for both secondary and primary schools.



As part of efforts to implement FSE, the government increased the capitation fund for secondary boarding schools to Sh22,244 which will be paid directly to the school.



A breakdown of the distribution of the Sh22,244 released Wednesday by the Ministry shows the government has allocated Sh5,122 per student for tuition, which brings the total to Sh13.4 billion.



Similarly, the capitation for cost of operations is Sh6,000 per student, totalling Sh15.7 billion a year.



In a statement, the ministry said a portion equivalent to the cost of the six core course books has been recovered from each learner towards payment for the books under the tuition vote item.



Under the arrangement, pupils in Standard Seven and Eight will each receive four books for English, Kiswahili, science and mathematics, while all students in secondary schools will receive six core textbooks for English, Kiswahili, mathematics, physics, biology and chemistry.



Schools are expected to acknowledge receipt of the grant by issuing official receipts to the principal secretary for each of the two vote heads followed by receipts to each student for the capitation after they have signed form to be attached to payment voucher as per accounting procedures, the ministry said in a circular to school principals.



GUIDELINES



The statement was signed by the director of secondary and tertiary education at the Ministry, Mr Robert Masese, on behalf of the principal secretary.



Mr Masese directed all schools to adhere to the guidelines as detailed in the circular issued by the Ministry on the implementation of Free Day Secondary Education.



For the avoidance of doubt, all national schools and extra-county Schools in Mombasa, Nakuru, Nairobi, Kisumu and Eldoret will charge Sh53,554.00 per year. Any other boarding school will charge Sh40,435.



In the 2017/18 budget, the government has set aside Sh33 billion for free secondary education and another Sh14 billion for free primary schooling.

Source: Daily Nation









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A 25-year old unemployed lady who threw a broken wine glass at his boyfriends left rib during a misunderstanding over another woman has been ordered to stay 100 meters away from him.



She will in default of the order go to jail for 12 months.



Bilasssa Mansah is also said to have pulled a cutlass on the complainant, destroyed his door and centre table and poured water into rice and stew prepared by the complainant.



Passing the sentence, an Accra Circuit Court further ordered her to sign a bond to be of good behaviour for 24 months or in default serve six months imprisonment.



Mansah charged with causing harm pleaded guilty, saying that she did not know what came over her.



According to her, their relationship was not over.



The trial judge, Mrs Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku on December 29, convicted her but deferred Mansahs sentence to today.



On her return from Police cells, Mansah who was unwell told the court that she felt uncomfortable in cells adding that she collapsed whiles in lawful custody.



The trial judge then told her that next time if she repeats her bad conduct, she (Mansah) would go to jail for a long time.



Prosecuting Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Agnes Boafo said the complainant Stephen Nsoh is self-employed residing at Adenta- Frafraha, Accra whiles Mansah also resides in the same vicinity.



ASP Boafo said during early part of December, this year, the complainant and Mansah entered into a relationship.



However during the course of relationship, a misunderstanding ensued between them and they separated for a while.



ASP Boafo said December 20, this year, at about 0800 hours, Mansah went to the complainants house to demand for her wine glass and met another lady with him.



Prosecution said Mansah got angry and when he complainant presented the wine glass to her she refused to leave.



Mansah then informed the complainant that she was pregnant and he should give her some money to seek medical care but the complainant who knew that she (accused) was undergoing a family planning regime neglected the comments about pregnancy



Prosecution said the complainants behaviour infuriated the accused who caused damage to the complainants centre table and poured water into his rice and stew which was on fire.



According to prosecution, a co-tenant in the case separated the accused and the complainant.



The co-tenant advised Mansah to leave but she pulled out a cutlass and dared the complainant to come out.



Mansah further destroyed the complainants trap door with the cutlass.



When the co-tenant succeeded in collecting the cutlass from Mansah, the complainant came out of the room to pick up a metal bucket.



Prosecution said Mansah collected the bucket and attempted to hit the complainants head with the bucket. The complainant however held the bucket and the edge of the bucket cut the complainants left thumb.



Whiles the complainant was bleeding, Mansah picked up the broken wine glass and threw it at the complainants left rib.



The incident was reported to the Police and complainant was given a medical report form to seek medical attention.



Prosecution said the complainant was rushed to the Pantang Hospital but due to the seriousness of his condition and he was transferred to the Legon Government Hospital where he was operated upon and discharged on December 26, this year





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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An Accra Circuit Court has remanded one Henry Yegbe, a farmer, into police custody for the possession of narcotic drug without lawful authority.



The accused, who plea was not taken, would reappear on Jan. 15.



Chief Inspector K. Adu told the court that on December 31, 2017 at about 12:40 pm, the Adenta Police Patrol team led by Inspector Samuel Tieku on their Patrol duties spotted the accused person in a suspicious circumstance.



He said the Police interrogated him but in the process, he took to his heels and was pursued by the team and arrested.



The Prosecution said a search on him led to the retrieval of a Polythene bag containing dried leaves suspected to be narcotic drugs.



When interrogated, accused claimed ownership of the exhibit, he added.



He said Yegbe was, therefore, charged with the offence of Possession of narcotic drug without lawful authority.



Meanwhile, the exhibit is yet to be sent to the Police forensic laboratory for analysis and report, he told the court.

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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Dr Lawrence Edusei, a pathologist at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, has told an Accra Central District Court that he cannot find the report of an autopsy he performed on the slain New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North in the Eastern Region, JB Danquah-Adu.



According to him, his home was burgled in September last year and a sizable number of autopsy reports were stolen.



He did not say who burgled and ransacked his home but said he had reported the matter to the Korle-Bu Police.



The pathologist said he could, however, not say with certainty whether the late JB Danquahs post-mortem report was among those stolen.



Dr Lawrence Edusei, who is currently on retirement, said due to the burglary, he had lost about one thousand reports.



Writing the report would demand additional work to be done. I need to get access to the pictures, take my time and recollect what I saw and put same into writing, he said.

He has over the past months been playing hide-and-seek with the court, which had ordered him to release the report to the police or come and explain reasons behind the delay in its release.



Although two separate summonses were served on him to appear before the court, he failed to comply.



The magistrate, Arit Nsemoh, whose patience had been running out, subsequently ordered the courts registry to serve a witness subpoena on the pathologist to appear before the court on January 4, 2018.



Dr. Edusei told the court that he had performed thousands of post-mortems and could not say with certainty when he did that of the late MPs.



Asked by the magistrate why he did not furnish the court with the report when he concluded the post-mortem, he said the Judicial Service had not paid him for services rendered for the past 15 years and had thus decided to hoard the reports until he was paid.



The magistrate, however, restrained him from saying anything further on the debt owed him and urged him to limit his responses to the JB Danquah case.



Dr Edusei told the court that he could not single out the JB case, stating, In medicine, you cannot give specific answers to specific questions, a claim the magistrate did not take lightly.



Magistrate Nsemoh then inquired from the pathologist what assistance he would need before releasing the report.



He (pathologist) said writing the report would need additional work to be done.



The presiding magistrate therefore adjourned the matter to January 18, 2018 for the pathologist to release the report to the courts registrar or appear in court to explain why the report was not ready.



Two suspects, Daniel Asiedu, 19, aka Sexy Don Don  phone dealer and Vincent Bosso aka Junior Agogo, phone repairer  are before the court for allegedly murdering JB Danquah-Adu.



The case is still at committal stage awaiting the Attorney Generals (AGs) advice and the autopsy report, which will play a huge role in determining the fate of the two suspects.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Education minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh aka Napo, has stated emphatically that people who are praying for the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy to fail will forever remain in a state of despondency.



According to him, the policy, initiated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration to properly educate the youth of the country and relieve poor parents/guardians of the burden of giving their children senior secondary education, is here to stay.



He stated that contrary to wild rumours by opponents of the NPP that the positive social intervention policy would hit the rocks; the Free SHS programme is solidly secured and would continue to flourish in the years to come.



Napo said funding for the programme is not a problem as the saboteurs have been alleging, stating that it is not facing any financial problems and so Ghanaians should remain calm.



They initially lied that the Free SHS policy was a mere campaign message, used by Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP just to win votes during the 2016 national elections; but we have proved them wrong by successfully introducing it.



Now they are saying that the policy will crash when the current batch of beneficiaries of the policy reaches second term, but that is also a great lie as the policy is rather growing from strength to strength.



Just as the Free SHS introduction was successful, so will the second term, third term, the second batch of beneficiaries and all other future beneficiaries of the policy be successful, Napo stated to a rapturous applause.



The minister, who doubles as the NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia South Constituency in Kumasi, was addressing hundreds of NPP delegates in his constituency at the Saint Annes Anglican Church on Monday.



The Manhyia South branch of the NPP used the occasion to take stock of its activities during the past year and formulated strategies to improve the party this year.



The education minister, sounding very confident, said the Free SHS policy is dear to the heart of President Akufo-Addo, who wants Ghanaian youth to climb high the academic ladder, and so nothing can stop it.



Napo called for total unity and oneness among the party members in the constituency and Ghana in general, stressing that the NPP administration would easily fulfill all its campaign promises if the party members remained united.



He stated that backbiting, insults and insinuations should cease in the NPP, now that the party is in power, adding that members should be mindful of the fact that they have a common destiny.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A mummy is shown in a handout photo. An international team of disease detectives has shed new light on a virus that kills almost a million people around the world each year by probing an unusual source - the mummified remains of a young child who died about 450 years ago in Renaissance Italy. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Gino Fornaciari, University of Pisa MANDATORY CREDIT
FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump sits with Attorney General Jeff Sessions during the FBI National Academy graduation ceremony in Quantico, Va. TrumpAos White House counsel personally lobbied Attorney General Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice DepartmentAos investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Andre Pepitone candidate to head Brazil's energy regulator ANEEL

By Luciano Costa

SAO PAULO

Petroleumworld 01 05 2018

Civil engineer Andre Pepitone is in line to take over as the head of Brazil's energy regulator, with the backing of two influential politicians, three sources told Reuters this week.

Former Brazilian President Jose Sarney and Senator Edison Lobao, members of the governing Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, want Pepitone to take over as director-general of regulator ANEEL, according to three people familiar with the matter. Pepitone has served on ANEEL's board of directors since 2010.

The term of current Director-General Romeu Rufino ends in August.

The move illustrates the influence that Sarney and Lobao have exercised over the energy sector for more than a decade. Both previously served as minister of mines and energy.

Representatives of Sarney and Lobao did not immediately comment, while Pepitone could not be reached.






Growing up in Michigan, Jessy Dick was used to her daily hour-long drives to the Grand Rapids Ballet School, where she trained. But when she started to think about summer intensives, a new problem emerged: Auditions for the schools she was interested in were even farther away, in Chicago or Detroit. I learned early on that if I wanted to do any summer programs, Id have to travel at least three hours in order to audition, says Dick, now a member of The Washington Ballets Studio Company.

Making plans for your summer training is complicated enough, especially with the sheer number of programs to choose between. But students who live far from popular audition hubs face the additional hurdle of organizing, scheduling and budgeting for audition trips. Luckily, with strategic planning, what can feel overwhelming at first can become a rewarding experience.

Organize, Prioritize Students at the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville look for weekends when auditions overlap in one city. Blair Chamberlain, Courtesy Ballet Conservatory of Asheville. For dancers without the luxury of an audition city nearby, prioritizing which schools to aim for is crucial. How to decide? Research, research, research. (Pointes 2019 Summer Intensive Guide is a good place to start.) Emily McDougall, a 14-year-old student at The School of Oklahoma City Ballet whos made several six-hour drives to auditions in Dallas and Kansas City, does some serious investigating in order to narrow down her choices. Im quite tall, so I look for places that seem to like taller dancers, and that are close to the technique I train in, says McDougall. She then makes a list of programs shes leaning towards and which auditions she can realistically travel to. I find overlapping dates, and make an Excel spreadsheet of how long each audition is, its location, requirements, et cetera. McDougall also uses online forums like Ballet Talk for Dancers to glean information about intensives from other students who have gone there, and turns to her teachers and Oklahoma City Ballet company members for insight beyond whats posted in school advertising or on websites.

If you know you wont be able to attend many auditions, Arantxa Ochoa, Miami City Ballet Schools director of faculty and curriculum, advises that you consider what you want out of your summer and eliminate schools that wouldnt fulfill your goals. Think not only about company affiliation and visibility, but class size, technique or style taught, performance opportunities, and how many hours a day you will be dancing.

Maximize Audition Weekends Jessy Dick in a production of Giselle at Butler University. Courtesy Dick. Planning an audition trip is complicatedexpenses, mode of transportation, family obligations, and school and rehearsal schedules all have to be factored in. Students at the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville in North Carolina look for auditions in Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Atlanta, each a two- to four-hour drive away. Director Angie Lynn helps them maximize each trip by identifying dates when several auditions overlap. We look at a weekend as a whole, says Lynn. If there are three auditions in two days, well consider staying overnight, even if theyre not all on our list of top choices, she says. And if outside factors dictate which weekends you can travel and which auditions you can attend, adding in a backup school isnt a waste of time. Its good practice and gives you more options, Lynn adds. Being well organized is critical if youre grouping multiple auditions into one weekend. Two may be in the same city but held at different studios in opposite areas of townand you dont want to be racing through traffic at the last minute. Penny Askew, director of the School of Oklahoma City Ballet, tells her students to prepare well in advance. Have each auditions requirementsfees, photos, resumesorganized in a folder. Is pre-registration required? What payment methods are accepted? And research the logistics of getting from one audition to anotherit may be too stressful to try to make it work. Cramming in too much puts you at risk for not looking your best. Lynn recommends limiting auditions to two per day. Once we lined up three in a row, which was overkill, she says. Theyd come out of one audition, change their number and run into the next. It was too much, and they were exhausted.

Be Travel-Savvy Audition trips can be expensive, but finding ways to minimize costs might allow you to make multiple trips. Talk with fellow classmates to see whos interested in the same auditions you are, says Katie van der Mars, conservatory director of Nebraska Ballet Theatre & School. The nearest location for us is Chicago, an eight-hour drive away. Its a trek, so our most serious students coordinate with each other to pick one weekend when someones mom can drive, and they all go together. (Price-comparison websites like Wanderu can help you find an affordable bus or train when driving isnt an option.) If hotels are too pricey, consider booking through Airbnb or staying with someone you know in the area. Dick, for example, was able to make several audition trips possible by staying overnight with relatives.
Birds, with their expressive wings and glorious flight patterns, have always made good fodder for beautiful ballets: Swan Lake, Firebird, Sleeping Beautys Bluebird pas de deux and variation, for example. This month, Shanghai Dance Theatre is presenting the U.S. premiere of Soaring Wings: Journey of the Crested Ibis at New Yorks Koch Theater (January 57) and Bostons Boch Center Shubert Theatre (January 1112). Blending traditional Chinese, ballet and contemporary dance styles, the two-act production is not a love story; instead, it focuses on the fate of the endangered crested ibis, a symbol of happiness and blessings in China.

Once populous throughout Asia and Russia, the elegant birds became nearly extinct during the 20th century due to human industrialization and urbanization. By the 1980s, only a handful were left, although conservation efforts have helped to slowly bring the species back. Its not a simple, linear storyline, says Soaring Wings director/choreographer Tong Ruirui. Instead, the ballet aims to show the bird at different stages of its existence, as well as the interdependence between humankind and nature.

Shanghai Dance Theatre principal dancers Zhu Jiejing and Wang Jiajun. Photo Courtesy Shanghai Dance Theatre.

Although the 52-member Shanghai Dance Theatre specializes in classical Chinese dance, Ruirui included elements of ballet and contemporary into the choreography. Since the dancers are portraying birds, it was very hard to only use Chinese folk dance, especially for the feet, she says. So what we did is incorporate Western dance for the feet and legs. However the top part of the body, including how they breathe and how they gesture, uses Chinese dance elements. The result is breathtakingsee for yourself in the preview above.
When authorities in Texas made a point of not mentioning the name of a man who killed 26 people during Sunday church services in November, saying they did not want to glorify him, their gesture was only the most recent expression of a sentiment that has found growing support in law enforcement and journalism.

The notion that rampage killers act, in part, out of a craving for attentionthe so-called contagion effecthas long found support in psychiatric and scholarly thought. But the popular urge to curb the problem by changing how journalists cover mass shootings can trace its roots to a moment on CNN in 2012, three days after the Aurora, Colorado, theater massacre, when Tom Teves, an anguished father of one of the shooting victims, lashed out at news-coverage priorities.

Why are we talking about that person? Teves asked after the shooters first court appearance ended up plastering the airwaves and social media with his bug-eyed, orange-haired visage. Why not ignore him, Teves challengedand focus instead on victims like Teves son Alex, 24, who was killed after heroically jumping into the line of fire to shield his girlfriend?

In the more than five years since, Teves first reaction grew into the No Notoriety campaign that Teves and his wife Caren run from their home in Phoenix. It has been endorsed by major law enforcement groups and a number of media figures, including Teves original CNN interviewer, Anderson Cooper.

Others have mounted like-minded efforts, among them the FBI-endorsed Dont Name Them campaign developed by the ALERRT Center at Texas State University; and guidelines crafted by Columbia Journalism Review, the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, and Mother Jones magazine. But, thanks to the Teves flair for branding, and their stature as a murder victims survivors, theirs has gotten much of the attention.

An interview with Teves can be read on the Crime Report.

Police Magazine published an editorial on this issue in 2012.

You can also read a discussion of this issue in our 2009 interview with Dave Cullen, author of Columbine.
Massachusetts State Police Air 4, a helicopter piloted by trooper John Hazelrigg and carrying Tactical Flight Officer Russ Phippen, was used to rescue a man from the icy Merrimack River. (Photo: MSP)

A Massachusetts State Police helicopter pilot lowered the skids of his aircraft into the icy waters of the Merrimack River Wednesday night during the daring rescue of an emotionally distraught man, a department spokesman said.

Lowell police and firefighters responded about 7 p.m. to a report of a person screaming in the river in the area of the Aiken Street Bridge, state police spokesman David Procopio said. There, firefighters located an emotionally distraught man who was sitting in waist-deep, icy water, Procopio said.

Although police and fire crews launched two boats to rescue the man, Procopio told the Boston Herald they became disabled when their propellers were damaged by ice.

A state police helicopter piloted by Trooper John Hazelrigg and carrying Tactical Flight Officer Russ Phippen arrived on scene.

After flying to the victim, Procopio said, Hazelrigg flew so low that the aircrafts skids were in the water and Phippen opened the door and, strapped in, hung outside the helicopter and grabbed the hypothermic victim, who was not moving on his own.
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Rep. Jamie Raskin is trying to get the bill through the House that would set up the bipartisan panel needed along with vice president to remove Trump from office. Risen told CNN that the situation is already dangerous as Trump has grown more isolated, erratic, and delusional.

Video:

CNNs Jake Tapper asked Rep. Raskin about Republicans not expressing public concerns about Trumps mental state.

The Maryland Congressman answered, Actually, a lot have confided their doubts about it. If you look at the statements made by Senator Corker and, you know  others in the U.S. Senate, a lot of Republicans have asked questions about whether theres an adult day care center existing over in the white house and so on, but Im trying to resist as much as possible just getting into the name-calling business. Obviously, there are a lot of things that are disturbing in terms of whats happened, like the president suddenly denying the veracity of the access Hollywood tapes which he had readily conceded to and apologized for just months ago. Theres increasingly delusional behavior it seems like and erratic behavior, and hes more and more isolated from his best friends like Steve Bannon who are beginning to call him out in terms of his behavior, but the issue is what is our institutional responsibility as the U.S. Congress? And we got that under the 25th amendment. Everybody should go and read it. Either the vice president can act with the cabinet in the event that the president becomes unable to conduct the powers of office or the vice president and body to be set up by Congress and the Congress in the last 50 years, never set the body up. At the very least, we have to set the body up, so its ready in the event of a crisis.

There is also a proposed bill in the House that would strengthen and clarify the 25th Amendment by making it easier to remove an unfit president from office. The alarms being sounded about the need for invoking the 25th Amendment are growing more bipartisan by the day.

Raskin was correct. Congress cant wait until it is too late. They have to be ready and have the body set up for action if necessary. With Trump in office not planning for a potential 25 Amendment crisis is nearly as irresponsible as not have a vice president would be for any other president.

Republicans know that this problem is real, and if they choose to ignore it, they will be committing a crime against their country.
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By Mica Rosenberg

NEW YORK (Reuters)  President Donald Trump is ramping up calls on the U.S. Congress to stop legal immigrants from sponsoring extended family members who want to move to the United States, saying so-called chain migration poses a threat to national security.

Even without legislative action, however, the number of immigrants approved for family-based visas has dropped this year to the lowest level in more than a decade, a Reuters review of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data shows. The drop has not been previously reported.

For a graphic on chain migration, click http://tmsnrt.rs/2CaWNJb

The Trump administration has taken a series of measures to more closely scrutinize legal immigration. These steps have been overshadowed by Trumps more public efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, such as his calls for a wall along the Mexican border and more arrests of people living in the country illegally.

Lately though, Trump has increasingly been taking aim at chain migration, saying it allows a single immigrant to bring in dozens of increasingly distant relations, with no real selection criteria. He said a Bangladeshi man who set off a homemade pipe bomb in a crowded New York City commuter hub in December was a prime example of the dangers of the system.

Immigration advocates counter that no one automatically qualifies for a visa because a relative is already in the United States. All immigrants undergo security vetting and can face years-long waits before they are given a green light.

The intensified focus on chain migration has been accompanied by an overall slowdown in adjudications of family-based visas, known as I-130s, the Reuters review shows.

The number of approvals dropped by nearly a quarter in the first nine months of 2017 to around 406,000 compared to the same period a year earlier when approvals were more than 530,000, despite a similar number of applications during both periods, USCIS data showed.

The drop was even starker when looking only at I-130s approved for relatives who were not immediate family members. Those fell by 70 percent in the same period, from more than 108,000 in the first nine months of 2016 to 32,500 in the same period in 2017.

The entire 2017 fiscal year had the lowest number of approvals for extended family visas since 2000.

USCIS said that since there are a limited number of visas for this category, it prioritizes processing visas that are more immediately available. The agency also said there are normal year-to-year fluctuations in the number of visas that are filed and decided.

At the core of the administrations long-term policy goal is a belief that immigration should be merit-based.

Those people are just coming in based on connection to a family member, the new director of USCIS, L. Francis Cissna said in a telephone interview, referring to chain migrants. That lack of selectivity; it takes us away from where we want to go as a country.

Cissna said no specific policy guidance has been put in place at USCIS to change the way family-based visas are issued. He also said there were no plans to restrict visas for immediate family members and pointed out that approvals of visas and citizenship applications overall are still high.

He has said, however, that his agency is looking closely at all visa categories to root out fraud. USCIS said separately that closer scrutiny could lead to longer processing times.

For example, H-1B temporary work visas for high-skilled workers are facing more hurdles, and applications are receiving far more requests for evidence, slowing down the whole program, according to immigration lawyers and data provided by the government.

USCIS has also put in place new interview requirements for U.S. citizens seeking to bring over their fiances. In the first nine months of 2017, approvals of fiance visas dropped by 35 percent over the same period a year earlier, the Reuters data review found.

ONTO THE MAIN STAGE

Immigration supporters said any efforts by the administration to restrict the entry of family members of migrants was shortsighted. They bring drive and entrepreneurial spirit to the United States, said Steve Yale-Loehr, an immigration law expert at Cornell University.

Chain migration has long been a target of groups that favor more restrictions on legal immigration. The idea, supported by organizations like NumbersUSA, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) and the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), failed to gain much traction at the highest levels of power in Washington before Trump took office.

We have been talking about this for a long time but we were kind of out there in the wilderness said Ira Mehlman from FAIR. It was never at this level of discussion before.

Now supporters of the ideas of restricting chain migration and tightening standards for legal immigration occupy key positions in the administration. They include Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who remains vocal on the issue, and his long-time aide Stephen Miller, who is now one of Trumps closest policy advisers.

The current USCIS ombudsman Julie Kirchner was previously the executive director of FAIR.

The White House and the Department of Justice did not respond to questions about the influence of the groups, which critics say are anti-immigrant, on administration policy.

Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at CIS, said she and her colleagues are in fairly regular contact with various administration officials as they solicit suggestions and ideas to improve policies. She said she had also spoken to officials in the Obama administration, but only occasionally.

Earlier this month NumbersUSA launched a national advertising campaign against chain migration. A day later the White House posted a presentation on the same subject making many of the same points.

NumbersUSA director Roy Beck said any similarity in the points was just a coincidence. Still, he is thrilled that his groups ideas on restricting legal immigration have been catapulted onto the main stage in an unprecedented way, he said in an interview.

In April, Trump signed an executive order directing agencies to draft new rules and guidance for the legal immigration system. In August, the White House backed the RAISE Act, proposed legislation sponsored by two Republican lawmakers, that aimed to cut legal immigration by 50 percent over 10 years.

(Reporting by Mica Rosenberg in New York; Additional reporting by Yeganeh Torbati in Washington; Editing by Sue Horton and Ross Colvin)
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CNNs Jake Tapper tore Trump a new one for trampling all over the Constitution because his feelings are hurt by a book.

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Tapper said, The third fact here about this letter, based on the presidents track record, this threat of a lawsuit is almost certainly nothing more than an intimidation technique. I always like to threaten to sue reporters, I think theyre among the most dishonest people Ive ever dealt with in my life. Notice the keyword there, threatened to sue reporters. Wolff and publisher are in good company. Hes threatened to sue CNN, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Associated Press, comedian Tom Arnold, 92-year-old Scottish widow, David Cay Johnston, Tony Schwartz, Governor John Kasich, Senator Ted Cruz, oh, and all of the women who accused him of sexual harassment and assault. And thats just a small sampling and those are just lawsuits because of criticisms, to say nothing of his business deals. The president almost never actually follows through with these lawsuits and it would be very difficult to win a liable suit, especially to block this book prior to publication which would be tomorrow morning. Lastly, lets all take a step back here. Its remarkable that the president of the United States is in any way trying to stop publication of a book, breaching the right of free speech and freedom of the press that we have in this country just because said speech to be candid, hurts his feelings. 

The interesting part of the reaction to Trumps days long outburst over this book is how there are few people in the media, outside of state run Fox News, who are defending, rationalizing, or trying to normalize what Trump is doing. The President has hijacked national discourse for two days because people who have worked and do work for him said some unflattering things in a book.

The consensus that Trumps behavior is unacceptable is becoming a form of nationally agreed upon common knowledge. Jake Tapper didnt say that Trumps behavior was unpresidential because he didnt have to. It is obvious.

More members of the press need to follow Tappers lead and call out Trump when he is tantruming like a toddler.

Trump has two choices. He can grow up, or resign, because America is sick and tired of the worlds oldest teenager stomping his feet and crying into his pillow when his feelings get bent the slightest bit out of shape.
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Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) said the stunning New York Times report published Thursday makes it increasingly clear that Donald Trump knows he is guilty of wrongdoing as it relates to the ongoing investigation into his campaigns ties to Russia.

According to the Times, Trump fought to prevent Sessions from recusing himself from the investigation, saying he needed protection. When the Attorney General went ahead to recuse himself anyway, the president lashed out in anger.

In an interview with MSNBCs Joy Reid, Lieu said this type of behavior just screams out consciousness of guilt.

Video:

Rep. Ted Lieu Says New York Times Bombshell Is Proof That Trump Knows He Is Guilty pic.twitter.com/D7DZc1Oqxl  Sean Colarossi (@SeanColarossi) January 5, 2018

Rep. Lieu said:

As a former prosecutor, I can tell you that this just screams out consciousness of guilt. All these actions the presidents taking to try to protect himself from the investigation. If he actually thought that there was nothing to this investigation, he would have cooperated and let the investigation complete, and then hed say, Hey, look, theres nothing here. Instead, hes fighting every step of the way to try to obstruct the investigation. That tells me theres a lot going on there that we dont know yet.

As I wrote a short time ago, innocent people dont need protection from fair and thorough investigations like the one being conducted by special counsel Robert Mueller. If Trump truly thinks hes in the clear, he likely wouldnt have panicked after Sessions recused himself from the Russia inquiry.

On a daily basis, Trump conducts himself like a man who knows he is guilty. The eye-opening New York Times report published Thursday is just the latest example of that.

Robert Muellers special counsel investigation seems far from over and it looks to be increasingly focused on building an obstruction of justice case against the White House  but with each new revelation, it seems clear that Donald Trump is in big trouble, and he knows it.
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(Reuters)  Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said Thursday she opposed the possible nomination of Manhattans interim top federal prosecutor Geoffrey Berman to permanently fill the post, citing concerns over his independence from President Donald Trump.

Gillibrand, the junior U.S. senator from New York, said in an emailed statement to Reuters she was concerned about reports Trump interviewed Berman for the job. She noted he would have jurisdiction over issues that personally impacted Trump, who has offices and real estate in New York.

Reports that President Trump took the unusual step of personally interviewing Berman are deeply disturbing considering the conflicts of interest, the statement said. If this meeting took place it shows a lack of judgment that she believes her colleagues should view as disqualifying as a nominee.

Berman was one of 17 current and former federal prosecutors appointed by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday as interim U.S. Attorneys in jurisdictions around the country.

Berman is scheduled to be sworn in late this afternoon as interim U.S. Attorney for Manhattan. The interim posts are for 120 days unless those holding them are re-appointed by a court or officially nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate.

The statement from Gillibrand is potentially significant because as a senator she could try to block Bermans nomination through the so-called blue slip process by which senators have traditionally held veto power over nominees in their home state.

Chuck Schumer, the senior senator from New York and also a Democrat, did not respond to a request for comment on Berman.

Several months ago, in a statement, a spokesman for Schumers office said: Senator Schumer plans to use his blue slip as needed to ensure that the integrity and independence of these offices are protected.

Berman, who was an assistant U.S. Attorney in Manhattan from 1990 to 1994, is a partner at the law firm of Greenberg Traurig. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, another supporter of Trumps presidential run in 2016, practices at the same firm.

Berman and another candidate for U.S. attorney positions in New York were personally interviewed by Trump, Politico and other media outlets reported in October. The White House has not denied that the interviews took place.

(reporting by Nathan Layne and Karen Freifeld in New York; Editing by Andrew Hay)
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WASHINGTON (Reuters)  U.S. President Donald Trump pushed for stricter voter identification rules on Thursday and accused Democratic-led states of failing to cooperate with a presidential election fraud commission that he disbanded this week.

In a pair of posts on Twitter, the Republican president reiterated his allegations, without offering any evidence, that there was voter fraud in the November 2016 presidential election.

Trump won the White House through the state-by-state Electoral College system but lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes to Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Most state officials who oversee elections, including Republicans and Democrats, as well as election law experts say voter fraud is rare in the United States.

On Wednesday, the White House said in a statement it was shutting down the bipartisan panel that Trump established in May to look into allegations of fraud in the 2016 contest, saying many states had refused to provide data.

Trump had now asked the Department of Homeland Security to investigate and decide what action was needed, the White House said.

The panel was headed by Vice President Mike Pence, along with Kris Kobach, who as Kansas Secretary of State runs elections in that state and who has long urged new voting restrictions.

Their effort, however, quickly met resistance from a number of U.S. states as well as civil rights groups such as the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the American Civil Liberties Union, which had both filed lawsuits opposing it.

States and the groups balked at the information requested by the commission such as names, birth dates, political affiliation and voting histories. More than 20 states refused outright to provide the data and others said they needed to study the issue.

On Thursday, Trump said uncooperative mostly Democratic states  fought hard that the Commission not see their records or methods because they know that many people are voting illegally. System is rigged, must go to Voter I.D.

A number of states such as Texas have already passed laws requiring voter identification. Critics say that can make it harder for some people, including minorities, to vote because they are less likely to have certain IDs. Proponents say such steps are necessary and are not onerous.

In July, a federal judge in Washington noted the advisory panel lacked legal authority to compel states to provide data, even as it allowed the commissions work to move forward. A U.S. appeals court later also allowed the panel to continue.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Frances Kerry)
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In a rare moment of bipartisanship, Democratic and Republican leaders joined together on Thursday to push back against the Trump administrations new plan to allow off-shore drilling virtually anywhere and everywhere  including the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Arctic.

As the Washington Post noted, [P]otential environmental disasters are on the minds of numerous Atlantic-coast governors who oppose drilling in four planning areas from Maine to the Florida Keys. In a resounding bipartisan call, Republicans and Democrats have said in no uncertain terms that oil and gas drilling should not be allowed.

According to the report, GOP Govs. Larry Hogan (MD), Henry McMaster (SC) and Rick Scott (FL) joined Democratic Govs. Roy Cooper (NC) and John Carney (DE) in opposing what is the largest off-shore drilling expansion in history.

On the Pacific coast, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, California Gov. Jerry Brown and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued a joint statement Thursday opposing Zinkes plan, the Washington Examiner notes.

Environmental groups were also quick to blast the move.

In a statement, Sierra Club president Michael Brune said the Trump administration is trying to sell out our coastal communities, our waters, and our climate in order to please corporate polluters.

Millions of Americans have raised their voices to send a message, loud and clear, that they do not want offshore drilling off our coasts, but rather than listen to the people they are supposed to work for, Trump and Zinke are listening to the industry thats bankrolled their campaigns and filled their administration, Brune added.

Its important to note that the president received more than $8 million from the energy sector to fund his inauguration last year.

Todays move is just the latest in a long list of actions taken by a president who seemingly doesnt care about or understand environmental issues.

Over his first year in office, the administrations anti-climate agenda has set the country back decades  whether its pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, repealing the Obama-era Clean Power Plan or allowing coal companies to dump their sludge into American waterways, among many other things.

Just last week, Trump openly wished for good old global warming to heat up parts of the country experiencing frigid temperatures.

In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Years Eve on record. Perhaps we 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. Bundle up!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 29, 2017

Whether its his rhetoric or his dangerous policy agenda, this is a president who continues to demonstrate just how little he understands environmental issues.
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WASHINGTON (Reuters)  A top House Democrat called for the immediate dismissal of White House counsel Don McGahn on Friday after a report that President Donald Trump asked McGahn to urge Attorney General Jeff Sessions not to recuse himself from the investigation of Russian election meddling.

U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler said the incident, reported in the New York Times, was a clear effort to obstruct the Russia probe and he expected McGahn to volunteer to testify before the Judiciary Committee.

The Times said Trump directed McGahn to stop Sessions, who was a chief adviser in Trumps 2016 presidential campaign, from removing himself from a Justice Department probe into whether the campaign worked with Russians to sway the 2016 election.

McGahn failed to persuade Sessions to remain involved and Trump erupted in anger in front of a number of White House officials, saying the attorney general needed to protect him, according to the Times, which cited two people with knowledge of the episode.

Nadler, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said the attorney generals job was to uphold the law, including rules on conflict of interest.

Either Mr. McGahn knows this and decided to interfere with the Russia investigation anyway, or he doesnt, Nadler said in a statement. Neither case is acceptable and he should be removed from his post immediately.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Nadlers call for McGahn to step down.

After Sessions recused himself in March, the Justice Department appointed special counsel Robert Mueller to lead the investigation into possible collusion and whether Trump tried to obstruct the FBIs Russian inquiry. Republicans have attacked Muellers probe as politically motivated, prompting concerns among Democrats that Trump would fire him.

Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal urged lawmakers on Friday to support legislation protecting the special counsel, citing the Times report. Explosive evidence of obstruction  and imminent danger to Special Counsel. White House Staff need to testify before grand jury, Blumenthal wrote on Twitter.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Bill Trott)
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Trump spun a wide variety of conspiracies as he claimed that everyone is out to get him, as the President is in the midst of a paranoid breakdown.

The President tweeted:

Well, now that collusion with Russia is proving to be a total hoax and the only collusion is with Hillary Clinton and the FBI/Russia, the Fake News Media (Mainstream) and this phony new book are hitting out at every new front imaginable. They should try winning an election. Sad!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018

It would be easy to get caught up in the debunking of each of the conspiratorial tales that Trump spun, but it is important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Trump is still trying to distract from the Russia scandal by blaming Hillary Clinton. He believes that Clinton is colluding with the FBI to bring him down. He also thinks that the media is out to get him, and the words of his own staff are fake.

This is more than Trump blowing off steam, or venting as the White House likes to describe it. The President is in the middle of a paranoid meltdown. The book and the words of his own people have sent him to a whole new level of delusion.

Trump is on the verge of a very public crackup, and it is time for the American people to pay attention. Even though he is loathed by the vast majority Americans, the President Of The United States has lost his grip on reality. People must be prepared to take the streets and demand Trumps removal from office, but this president has completely broken down.
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Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley (Iowa) and Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) are trying to get the FBI to file criminal charges against the author of the Steele Dossier in an abuse of congressional power to cover-up for Trump.

The New York Times reported, Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a senior committee member, told the Justice Department they had reason to believe that a former British spy, Christopher Steele, lied to federal authorities about his contacts with reporters regarding information in the dossier, and they urged the department to investigate. The committee is running one of three congressional investigations into Russian election meddling, and its inquiry has come to focus, in part, on Mr. Steeles explosive dossier that purported to detail Russias interference and the Trump campaigns complicity.

As has been flagged for months, the mission of Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee has been to cover-up for Trump and derail the Russia investigation.

Rachel Maddow discussed in June 2017 how Republicans are using the Senate Judiciary Committee to discredit the FBIs Russia investigation, These Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are now asking about why you started that investigation what you have, what you submitted to the court, how you got your warrants? What they appear to be up to is trying to discredit the FBI for having started this investigation at all. What they are implying is that the whole FBI investigation all stemmed from that dossier of allegations against Trump and his campaign that one that was published in Buzzfeed in January, the Christopher Steele dossier. Theyre saying implicitly that dossier of materials in unproven and suspect and that thats what the FBIs whole investigation is based on, and therefore, its nonsense.

Republicans think that if they discredit Christopher Steele, they discredit the dossier, and if they discredit the dossier, they also discredit the FBI investigation. The co-founders of Fusion GPS already made it clear that the dossier is not the basis for the FBIs investigation. The Senate Judiciary Committee has known since last August that the Steele Dossier wasnt the trigger for the FBIs investigation.

The demand for criminal charges is all about discrediting the FBIs investigation.

Senate Republicans know that Trump is running out of options, and the investigation is closing in.

The recommendation for criminal charges should be viewed as more evidence that the Russia scandal is a Republican Party problem. The party is trying to cover for their president, which means that it will be the party and Trump who pay for the Russia scandal.
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WASHINGTON (Reuters)  The author of a deeply critical book about Donald Trumps first year in office said on Friday he had spoken with the president while working on it, contradicting Trumps assertion that he had never talked to the writer for the book and had authorized Zero access to the White House.

Michael Wolffs book Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House went on sale on Friday, its release pulled forward after published excerpts this week set off a political firestorm, threats by Trump lawyers of legal action and an effort to halt publication.

The book, dismissed by Trump as full of lies, depicts a chaotic White House, a president who was ill-prepared to win the office in 2016, and Trump aides who scorned his abilities.

Wolff told NBC on Friday that he stood by his reporting and had talked to the president for the book.

I absolutely spoke to the president. Whether he realized it was an interview or not, I dont know, but it was certainly not off the record, he said on NBCs Today program, adding that he had spoken to people who spoke to Trump on a daily, sometimes minute by minute basis.

Asked to clarify what he meant when he wrote that Trumps entire circle questioned his fitness for office, Wolff said, Let me put a marker in the sand here: 100 percent of the people around him  They all say he is like a child. And what they mean by that is he has a need for immediate gratification. Its all about him.

On Thursday evening, Trump tweeted that, I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book.

Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve! Trump added.

The early excerpts have also caused a deep public rift with Trumps former chief strategist and top campaign aide, Steve Bannon, over his comments in the book about Trump and his family, shaking the presidents populist movement.

Lawyers for Trump had called on the books publisher, Henry Holt & Co, to halt the books release, originally scheduled for Tuesday. Instead, it began sales early. As of Friday, Fire and Fury was the top-selling book on Amazon.com.

Customers in Washington queued up in sub-freezing temperatures to purchase a copy at KramerBooks, which began selling copies at midnight. The bookstore had sold out of copies as of Friday morning at 9 am (1400 GMT).

The White House has said the book is riddled with errors. Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, who has called the book trash, said again on Friday that Wolff had talked only briefly to the president and did not have wide access.

This is a guy who made up a lot of stories to try to sell books, she said in an interview on Fox News.

Charles Harder, Trumps personal lawyer, in a legal notice provided to Reuters, warned on Thursday of possible claims including libel against Wolff and Henry Holt & Co and threatened to try to block publication of the book. Harder also told Reuters that legal action is imminent against Bannon.

Henry Holt said it had received a cease-and-desist letter from Trumps attorney but would go ahead with publishing the book.

Bannons reaction to the controversy has been muted. In interviews after the news broke with the conservative Breitbart News website, he called Trump a great man and pledged continued support for the presidents agenda.

(Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Susan Heavey and Frances Kerry)
Rochester police have made two arrests in connection with a Dec. 18 robbery of Sun Tan City after executing search warrants on Thursday.

Hoping to move the case forward, in what is still an open investigation, they executed search warrants at 3524 22nd Ave. NW and at 887 Homestead Village Drive SE. During the searches, police recovered other items that tie both the men to the robberies, including clothing and shoes, according to Capt. John Sherwin.

Dushawn Lee Minor, 21, of Rochester, was arrested last week and released. Police re-arrested him yesterday because of "digital evidence" found after a cell phone search. Minor had searched Sun Tan City on his phone five minutes before the robbery, and he had screenshots of media reports, Sherwin said.

The other man, 25-year-old Byron Rush, who's homeless but has been living in Rochester, is being held on his failure to register as a predatory offender upon arriving in Minnesota because of his record in Illinois, according to Sherwin.

Both men could face aggravated robbery charges, Sherwin said.

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The incident began around 10:40 p.m. Dec. 18, when police responded to a call at Sun Tan City, 3437 22nd Ave. NW. A 24-year-old victim was closing the business as her husband waited for her in the parking lot; both were "rushed" by armed men, according to Sherwin.

One suspect held the husband at gunpoint in his vehicle; two other men forced the woman back into the store  which had been locked, and the alarm set  and ordered her to open the safe, the report says.

At least one of those men also had a gun, Sherwin said, and when the victim wasn't opening the safe "fast enough" they "pistol-whipped her in the head."

Within a minute, an audible alarm sounded inside the business, prompting the suspects to run. They forced the husband out of the car at gunpoint and fled, the report says.

Responding officers started a police dog track from the business, which led to a maroon Pontiac G6  the same vehicle described by witnesses of an armed robbery Dec. 9 at the Fairfield Inn and Suites.

The Pontiac was found in the 3500 block of 21st Avenue Northwest, about a block away from Sun Tan City. The victims' vehicle was found another block away, on 20th Avenue.
Last week, Democrats and many in the mainstream media became highly perturbed by the Trump administration's suggestion that the United States might tie continued foreign aid to support for its agenda abroad.

Foreign dictators agreed. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who spent the last year arresting dissidents, announced, "Mr. Trump, you cannot buy Turkey's democratic free will with your dollars -- our decision is clear."

Herein lies the great irony of the United Nations: While it's the Mos Eisley of international politics -- a hive of scum and villainy -- and it votes repeatedly to condemn the United States and Israel, the tyrannies that constitute the body continue to oppress their own peoples. Among those who voted last week to condemn the U.S. for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moving its embassy to Jerusalem were North Korea, Iran, Yemen and Venezuela.

Why exactly should the United States evertake advice from those nations seriously?

We shouldn't. And we should stop sending cash to an organization that operates as a front for immoral agenda items.

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The United Nations spends the vast majority of its time condemning Israel: According to UN Watch, the U.N. Human Rights Council issued 135 resolutions from June 2006 to June 2016, 68 of which were against Israel; the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization onlypasses resolutions against Israel; and the U.N. General Assembly issued 97 resolutions from 2012 through 2015, 83 of which targeted Israel.

Meanwhile, the U.N. has done nearly nothing with regard to Syria. It has instead suggested that Israel turn over the Golan Heights to the Syrian regime. The U.N. can't even successfully prevent the slaughter of the Rohingya in Myanmar. But they certainly have something say about whether the United States ought to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

One of the great lies of the Obama administration was that diplomacy is a foreign policy. We often heard from it that the only two alternatives were diplomacy and war. That was the stated reason for pursuing a one-sided nuclear deal with Iran that left Iran with burgeoning regional power and legitimacy. "What? Do you want a war or something?" it asked.

But the moment that the Trump administration uses tools of diplomacy, including financial pressure, to achieve American ends, the left complains. Would it prefer war? Diplomacy is a tool, not a foreign policy, and the use of diplomacy to pressure other nations to follow our lead is not only smart but also necessary. That is why the Trump administration was exactly right to negotiate a $285 million cut to the U.N.'s budget. Now we ought to slash our contributions to the counterproductive organization, since we pay one-fifth of the total bill.

The U.N. has always been a foolish fantasy, a League of Nations knockoff that's been about as productive and twice as irritating. It's an outmoded organization that's outlived whatever small usefulness it once had. There's no reason for us to continue cutting checks to prop up regimes that condemn us publicly for exercising the most basic standards of morality.
With a little encouragement from a faithful Power Line reader in St. Paul, I posted A modest request for help for Jason Gatrell on Christmas. Readers may recall that Jason was working the afternoon shift with his younger brother, Jordan, at the Midway-Hamline SuperAmerica on Snelling in St. Paul when Jason jumped in to protect Jordan from an armed robber. In the ensuing melee Jason was shot in the neck.

The robbery was reported in the local papers; the Star Tribunes November 29 story with a blurred photo of the perpetrator is posted here.

Hundreds of Power Line readers responded to Jasons story with contributions to defray his expenses via his GoFundMe page. Within 24 hours Power Line readers had blown through the campaigns goal of $25,000. The fund for Jason topped out at $34,000. On December 27 I posted An update and thanks.

Jason is back at work and off the feeding tubes that sustained him during the first month of his recovery. Our reader reports that he stopped by the SuperAmerica station yesterday and found Jason working along with his brother. (He looked good and said he was so happy to be back at work. Still wearing the neck brace for about another month.)

Having taken a long look at the blurred photo of the perpetrator published by the Star Tribune, I thought the odds that the perpetrator would be apprehended ranged from slim to none. Todays Star Tribune reports, however, that law enforcement has got their man. His name is Donald Bell.

The Star Tribune gives this account of the incident at SuperAmerica as set forth in the criminal complaint:

Jordan Gatrell told police that he went outside to get something and was followed into the gas station by Bell. The suspect put a gun against Jordan Gatrells back and ordered him into the cash register area to get money. Jason Gatrell was in a backroom washing dishes. Bell saw him and ordered him to the ground. Jordan Gatrell was getting money from the register when Jason Gatrell grabbed for the gun. A struggle ensued, and the gun fired three to four times. Im gonna shoot you, cuz, Bell allegedly said during the struggle. Jason Gatrell said last month that he intervened to protect his brother, and fell to the ground after being shot. I thought I was going to die, honestly, Jason Gatrell said. Jordan Gatrell punched Bell in the face and jumped across the counter to call police, according to the charges. Bell fled on foot.

In a case that sounds like a candidate for Forensic Files, police found sunglasses that fell off Bells face in the course of the melee. DNA tests on the sunglasses matched Bells DNA profile in the Minnesota Convicted Offender DNA Database. Bell is the owner of the DNA; he is a repeat offender. The Star Tribune provides the dry recap of Bells identification via the complaint:

Surveillance video captured the attack. The suspects clothing matched clothing later found at Bells home [in LeSueur, Minnesota] on Jan. 2. Bells father and his fathers girlfriend also allegedly identified Bell as the man captured in a video still, according to the complaint. The investigation also showed that a person matching the shooters description had visited a Holiday Gas station about six blocks south of the SuperAmerica about 4:11 p.m. that day. Bell allegedly told police that he was in Le Sueur for Thanksgiving, but could not recall any specifics, the charges said. He previously pleaded guilty in Hennepin County District Court to robbing a man outside of a convenience store.

In good journalistic fashion the Star Tribune refers to Bell as the suspect, but law enforcement authorities have apprehended the perpetrator and deserve our thanks.
In the face of the sexual harassment panic Ammo Grrrll rises to speak up for the CREDIBLY ACCUSED. She writes:

Maybe 20 or 25 years ago I recorded on VHS tape a comedy set by a very funny Southern comic named Blake Clark. He had one bit I particularly liked that I will paraphrase badly now: A man goes into a bank to rob it. He is captured on security tape IN the bank. There are several witnesses IN the bank who can identify him. The teller has hit the silent alarm. The robber comes out of the bank and is arrested WITH the gun and the loot. And in the evenings news report, the media calls him  the SUSPECT. Who, of course, has been advised by his lawyer to plead Not Guilty.

This hypothetical bank robber caught in broad daylight with a mountain of evidence has far more rights than any man accused of sexual assault, sexual harassment, touching, or making a woman uncomfortable, itself apparently a brand new crime. Being comfortable is now a God-given legal right  evidently just for women  along with life, liberty and the pursuit of publicity. Who knew?

And how is a man described who has any of the above sex charges flung at him? CREDIBLY ACCUSED. What a charming new weasel phrase THAT is. Credible to whom?

When a stripper/hooker said she was raped at Duke, 88 faculty members found her word enough to demand the immediate expulsion of the credibly accused students plus  but, of course  a full scholarship offered to the drug-addled accuser.

When a delusional, lonely woman made up an imaginary lover who took her to a fraternity party and then organized her gang-rape, otherwise intelligent people  and a woman writer for Rolling Stone  found this laughably-unlikely scenario totally believable and the fraternity boys were credibly accused. Ah, all women must be believed, right? Even the certifiable.

So ingrained now into our social justice culture is the verifiably false notion that all women are telling the truth about sex that vast sums of taxpayer monies have been paid out on behalf of politicians. How many were for dreadful acts and how many were just to make things go away we have no way of knowing. This is surely not to imply that a lot of those grotesque excuses for human beings are not, in fact, scum-sucking pigs. But, think for one New York minute about the potential for get-rich schemes by #Me-Too accusers.

To be accused is to be guilty without any forum for confronting your accuser, determining the facts, or even  in the case of Tavis Smiley and hundreds of college boys  finding out what you have been accused of! Franz Kafka, meet Joseph Stalin.

Here are several things I know about men, women, and sex: these arent popular or permitted things to say, but they are true. Women like to be wanted, to be pursued, to flirt and try to seduce. To deny this reality is to be dishonest. Why else do you need a gas mask to get into an office building elevator filled with young secretaries? Who needs perfume to go to work?

The entire clothing industry is geared to be either peekaboo revealing or downright slutty. The sole purpose of a deep v-neck blouse is to say, Woohoo, look at me. I have large breasts! I defy anyone  of any gender  NOT to look when a woman is displaying six inches of cleavage. She can be disingenuous and point to her eyes and say, Im up here, but then, why the heck are you wearing that shirt, honey?? Im not saying she should be ashamed; Im just saying she should admit the effect she is after and own it.

When the actresses in Hollywood wear Oscar dresses with 2 ounces of fabric, when Megyn and Mika have publicity shots that could be accurately described as vampy at best, what is the message here? I will put up my Dream House in Arizona in a bet that no network of any kind will ever hire an on-camera journalist who looks like the late and unlamented Helen Thomas. Make no mistake; I do not want women in burqas. I just dont want them pretending that they arent trading on their looks and sex appeal. They are. And then getting all huffy and demanding money when a man responds.

Men are hard-wired to respond. They will try, especially when they feel that there has been at least a hint of a shadow of a penumbra of an invitation to do so. This, kids, is how people become couples and how, eventually, new people come into the world!

Ben Affleck was accused of touching one womans breast some 15-20 years ago. He has apologized and given the obligatory nod to how brave and important it is that these ancient accusations see the light of day. I am guessing that often alcohol is involved as well as mixed messages about whether such a touch would be welcome. Sometimes in these lurid tales it is reported that the woman told others at the time that it had happened. You bet your life she did! And there is an excellent chance that she dined out on it and hoped that it might mean that Ben would call her in the future. But now she will get more out of joining the vast, professional-victim horde of offended delicate maidens.

We have had several decades now of raunchy women proclaiming liberation from old-fashioned notions of ladylike behavior. A popular comedienne had an opening line: My mother has a bumper sticker that says Honk if youve f-d my daughter. Recently, Mr. AG and I were watching a standup showcase with six new comedians. After a couple of pretty funny opening acts, a cute, young blonde woman did 10 graphic, gross, cringe-worthy, and unfunny minutes on the mechanics of anal sex. After 30 years in the trenches, I am pretty hard to shock, but Mr. AG and I just stared at each other in disbelief before turning it off.

We had Sex in the City, in which the women had much sex with many partners and then gathered to talk about sex and silly overpriced shoes. We had House of Cards, in which the now-disgraced Kevin Spacey playing a Democrat politician had sex with men and women and had some inconvenient partners killed afterwards. Our culture is marinated in porn-level sex 24/7 and yet men are supposed to behave at all times like blind monks.

Credibly accused is no substitute for Innocent until proven guilty. Danger, Will Robinson! Giving power-mad, leftwing feminists the unassailable right to use unsubstantiated, decades-old accusations as a weapon in the War on Men is like giving razor blades to a chimp. Except that, to my knowledge, chimps dont deliberately lie for fame and profit.
Tweet first, announce policy later: that is the pattern that President Trump has followed with regard to Pakistan. On Monday, Trump tweeted:

The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018

Today the State Department announced a suspension of security aid to Pakistan until its government cracks down on the Taliban:

The Trump administration says it is suspending security assistance to the Pakistani military until it takes decisive action against the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network that are targeting U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert did not say Thursday how much assistance was being suspended. She said details were still being worked out. The administration is already holding up $255 million in assistance which is used by Pakistan to buy U.S. military equipment until it cracks down on extremists threatening Afghanistan. Nauert said the latest measure would also suspend other security assistance, but did not specify what that covered, saying it was administered by the Defense Department.

This is good. Pakistan has been playing a double game for a long time. It is long past time for an American administration to demand more from that countrys government.
The term Renaissance Man doesnt apply to many men but it clearly applied to the life of Dearborn native Dr. George Viscomi.

Teacher, musician, visual artist, military officer, author, arts patron and doctor are terms that can all refer to the longtime Dearborn area physician who died in early December after a long illness.

Born in Detroit in 1931 to Italian immigrant parents and raised in Dearborn, Dr. Viscomi attended Woodworth School for both elementary and junior high school and was deeply involved in the Boy Scouts, rising to Eagle Scout status. A graduate of Fordson High School, he was a superb student, visual artist and student musician, playing both the trumpet and French horn for the school marching band and orchestra. He was offered the opportunity to study French horn with the training program of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and pursue a career in music but passed on it in favor a career in medicine.

He continued his education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, earning both his bachelor and medical degrees. With medical degree in hand, he was drafted into the Army where he served as a captain in the Medical Corps for a tour of duty at both Ft. Valley Forge, Penn. and Ft. Campbell, KY..

Upon his honorable discharge, he began a 44-year career as an ear, nose and throat surgeon in Dearborn, rising to the position of Chief of EENT at Oakwood Hospital as well as a staff member at both Annapolis Hospital and Veterans Hospital in Allen Park. He held medical licenses in five states and was also a faculty member in the Wayne State University Medical School, as well as a guest lecturer in medicine at hospitals in southeastern Michigan, at the Dallas Medical Center in Texas and at one of the largest hospitals in Rome, Italy.

He also authored any articles and papers for various national medical journals, held membership in many national medical organizations including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Head and Neck Surgery, the American Board of Otolaryngology and served as the national President of the American Academy of Otolaryngologic Allergy.

During his career, Dr. Viscomi was also a member of Dearborn Kiwanis Club, The Dearborn Rotary Club, the Dearborn Community Arts Council, The University of Michigan Alumni Club of Dearborn, the University of Michigans Victors Club, the Scarab Club, and the Dearborn Country Club. He also was a patron of the Dearborn High School theatre program and the Schools of Medicine and Music at U of M as well as a passionate fan of the Michigan Wolverines.

Dr. Viscomi was also a visual artist and later in his life. Wanting to further his skills, he earned a degree in visual arts from the University of South Florida in Tampa. As a painter, his work was exhibited in art shows at the University of Michigan- Dearborn, the Birmingham-Bloomfield Arts Center, the Northville Arts Center, the Henry Ford Centennial Library and at the Dunedin Arts Center in Dunedin, Florida. He also had two solo art exhibits featuring his work at The Scarab Club in Detroit and at the Kennedy Library in Dearborn Heights.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Elda (Bolley); his son Gregory and daughter-in-law Christina of Dearborn; his son, Jeff and daughter-in-law Lindsey of Vienna, Virginia, and granddaughters Maria, Adriana, Gemma, and Francesca as well as many family members and friends. Funeral services were held in early December. Memorials in his name may be made to St. Jude Childrens Hospital at stjude.org or the American Heart Association at heart.org/.
ATLANTIC CITY  A fire routed 297 residents Thursday night at the Charles P. Jeffries Tower Senior Apartments, many of whom had to be carried more than 15 floors in chairs outside into snow and ice.

The building had to be shut down for repairs, which may take longer than five days, Fire Chief Scott Evans said.

At one point, we had a resident screaming from a 15th floor balcony that his apartment was full of smoke and he needed oxygen, Evans said Friday. Firefighters climbed the 15 floors to rescue the occupant and bring him down the stair tower to safety.

The incident happened after an electrical fire caused billowing smoke, sparks and flames to spread to several floors, officials said. Crews were dispatched at 5:40 p.m. Thursday for reports of smoke on seven floors of the 18-story, 300-room highrise at 227 N. Vermont Ave., the chief said.

Residents were relocated to Flagship, Showboat, Harrahs and Travelodge, he said. Red Cross responded and is working with the Housing Authority to help provide assistance.

On Friday, Evans recounted the tense moments when firefighters had to brave more than a foot of snow, icy conditions and single-digit temperatures.

Bright white flashes and sparks were raining down on the occupants as they were fleeing the building, Evans said. Ceiling tiles were falling, and the fire was spreading between floors. Chaos and panic ensued with residents as they were fleeing the building in all directions.

While firefighters determined the location of the fire, residents called for help. Firefighters climbed the stairs and evacuated residents in wheelchairs and with walkers and canes through the north and south stair towers.

The incident escalated quickly, Evans said, when firefighters found flames on the first through fourth floors in the main utility shaft.

It took firefighters more than an hour and a half to extinguish the flames and another two hours to clear the smoke from the building. At 8 p.m., residents were allowed back into their apartments to gather clothing and medication.

All on-duty firefighters responded, with 50 actively fighting the flames and evacuating residents.

This is a traumatic event for the residents of Jeffries Towers, and this will take some time to get back to normal, Evans said.

Mayor Frank Gilliam issued a statement Friday following the snowstorm and fire thanking all those that helped to keep our beloved City safe.

In the midst of the first storm of the season, and a three-alarm fire, it is wonderful to see all of our personnel and City entities working together to help displaced residents, Gilliam said.

The mayor cited the citys Police, Fire and Public Works departments for their assistance.
Nancy Hughes, the wife of former Congressman and Ambassador to Panama William J. Hughes, died Thursday night at age 82, her family confirmed Friday.

For eight years, she had battled a progressive neurodegenerative disease similar to ALS.

Born Nancy Gibson, she met Hughes at Rutgers University in Camden and married him in 1956. They soon moved to Ocean City, where they put down roots.

They had four children  Lynne Hughes, Barbara Sullivan, Tama Hughes and William J. Jr.  10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

She fought very long, and dad and mom were very courageous throughout the fight, Barbara Sullivan said.

My mom lived longer because of my dad, said Lynne Hughes. She said her dad was the primary caregiver and kept her mom at home surrounded by love and family. They were always holding hands.

William J. Hughes Jr. said both his parents put family first.

Mom and dad always said the best thing they ever did was have our family and raise our family, he said.

Her children said Nancy was dedicated to being a mother and wife but also was a partner to her husband in all aspects of his work.

When he was ambassador to Panama, she got a top security clearance so she could talk to her husband about important issues.

My dad was just reminiscing, saying what incredible political instincts she had, said son William Jr. She was not just his wife, partner and best friend but also his principal adviser. Her political and gut instincts were second to none. Dad always made sure to run things by her.

She organized volunteers and handled vast direct-mail campaigns for her husband when he was running for Congress, her children said.

Before the days of automated systems for handling direct mail, Nancy would organize hundreds of volunteers to send thousands of pieces of mail throughout the 2nd Congressional District.

One year there was so much mail the floor actually collapsed in the campaign office, in Ocean City, William Jr. said.

She did a lot of fundraising for orphanages in Panama when they lived there, her children said, and was involved in planning for and funding Ocean Citys new high school and its performing arts center, which named for her and her husband.

She traveled with her husband and met with Cuban leader Fidel Castro when Hughes negotiated flyover rights, her children said.

The family worshipped at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Ocean City.

Nancy was generous with her time, talents and treasure, said Holy Trinity Senior Warden Sue Beakley. She said Bill and Nancy Hughes have worshipped there for decades and brought their children up in the church.

Stockton University President Harvey Kesselman sent out an email to the Stockton community Friday, informing them of Nancy Hughes death.

Nancy was an extraordinary individual who gave so much to so many, Kesselman wrote. She was an unwavering advocate of Stockton and was present at so many of our historic events. We will miss her immensely.

The William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University is named for Ambassador Hughes, who was a distinguished visiting professor at the school after his years as a congressman and diplomat.

Nancy was a special person I met way back in the 1970s, when I had little kids and was volunteering on Bill Hughes campaign, said Sharon Schulman, former director of the Hughes Center. She was actively involved, interested in children, and taking care of her kids. Before it was popular, Nancy Hughes did it all with incredible grace.

She said Nancy was always there for her husband and children, but had her own identity.

Bill and Nancy donated memorabilia from Bills career to the Hughes Center some years ago, and Schulman said she visited their Ocean City home to see what was being donated.

There were 100 or more plaques, Schulman said. We were walking around and Nancy was next to me going, Yes, yes, get them out of here. My walls will be free.

She had quite a sense of humor, Shulman said.

Funeral arrangements are not yet set, family members said.
NORTHFIELD  A judge on Friday adjourned the trial of a former Linwood teacher charged with simple assault of a student a year ago and granted a continuance for at least 30 days.

The trial of Belhaven Middle School music teacher Kimberly Peschi had been scheduled to proceed Friday in municipal court in Northfield before Judge Timothy Maguire. Peschis attorney, Robert Agre, began the hearing requesting Maguire declare a mistrial on the basis that the state, represented by Atlantic County Assistant Prosecutor Seth Levy, planned to call a witness at the days proceedings who had been unnamed to the defense until earlier this week.

Agre said he was informed of the witness, Belhaven Principal Susan Speirs, via email Wednesday and it did not afford him time to interview her.

Peschi pleaded not guilty to simple assault and neglect in March 2017 in relation to a Feb. 9, 2017, incident in the Belhaven cafeteria in which a sixth-grade student fell to the ground allegedly after Peschis foot came in contact with his chair.

Linwood school board files tenure charges to dismiss teacher accused of assault on student LINWOOD  The Board of Education voted unanimously at a special executive session April 12 to file tenure charges against a Belhaven Middle School teacher charged with assault on a student, Interim School District Superintendent Michelle Cappelluti said Tuesday.

Agre told Maguire his private investigator, Cliff Goldsmith of Marlton, had the opportunity to speak with the other witnesses who were expected to testify but did not have the chance to speak with Speirs. Agre said that put his client at a disadvantage.

Agre also argued the testimony of the new witness could change the questions asked of two witnesses who have already testified before the court. Ashley Popa and Lauren Muffley were employed by the Linwood School District as lunchroom monitors when the alleged incident occurred and the student fell and struck his head on the floor. Both Popa and Muffley have already testified.

Maguire said he would permit re-examination of Popa and Muffley if Agre felt it necessary, but he said he would not permit re-examination of any of the Belhaven students who have been called upon to testify.

Levy said the records are not voluminous and suggested for convenience sake the defense speak with Speirs, who was present in the courtroom Friday.

In explaining his reasoning for granting the adjournment, Maguire said, The rights of the defense will always trump convenience.

Judge grants continuance in case of Linwood teacher accused of assault NORTHFIELD  Municipal Court Judge Timothy Macguire granted a pretrial continuance Wednesday in the case of a teacher charged with assaulting a student so that her attorney can review additional information from the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.

He said any papers that were not received are a mistake, adding there was nothing underhanded or nefarious and he would not declare a mistrial.

I will give the defense as much time as they need to investigate any new witness, said the judge. He added should the documents received change the information the investigator has in relation to Popa and Muffley, the defense will be permitted to recall them.

The judge directed Municipal Court Clerk Donna Clark to work with both Levy and Agre to find a suitable date to proceed with Peschis trial, adding he hoped it would be within 30 days but that if the defense requests more than 30 days he would review that request liberally.
ATLANTIC CITY  Firefighters evacuated 291 elderly and wheelchair-bound residents from the Charles P. Jeffries Tower on Thursday evening for a three-alarm fire at the high-rise condo complex.

The fire was reported shortly before 6 p.m. at the 227 N. Vermont Ave. property. Residents were allowed back in about 7:50 p.m. Electrical crews remained on the scene at that time.

The cause of the fire was electrical.

Jeffries Tower is a 17-story, affordable-housing property for low-income seniors and disabled residents. It is operated by the housing authority.

Big building to evacuate. One man told me firefighters are trying to help his wheelchair-bound brother on 6th floor @NBCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/oTiv5peSJg  Drew Smith (@drewsmithtv) January 4, 2018

Evacuated residents were taken across the street to the Uptown School Complex.

The frigid cold and snow hampered efforts to remove and relocate residents.
SEA ISLE CITY  Joe Cassidy is not too worried about coastal flooding, even though he has an investment property near the beach.

He carries flood insurance, which is a requirement for those with a mortgage in a flood zone, and his duplex near 22nd Street is in about the worst possible flood zone, whats known as a V-11. But its not the reassurance of the National Flood Insurance Program that keeps him from worrying  his house is far above any likely floodwaters.

Standing in the garage below his property, he reached up to touch the bottom joist of the first habitable floor of the house, which he has had since 2011. He has seen Hurricane Irene, Hurricane Sandy and Winter Storm Jonas bring plenty of floodwaters into the street, but they havent touched his first floor.

Sea Isle City saving property owners' money SEA ISLE CITY  The city has obtained Class 3 status in the Federal Emergency Management Age

Sea Isles strict construction codes were cited as part of the reason the city is now the highest rated in the state for flood protection, a change that will mean savings for owners with flood insurance.

Starting this spring, property owners with federal flood insurance will see a discount of 35 percent in this barrier island community, under a federal program aimed at improving flood protections.

Oh, I like that. That doesnt happen very often, said Mary Kee, who has owned property in town with her husband since the 1970s. For about eight years, theyve lived in the beach town year-round. They, too, got through the worst of the recent flooding without damage to their home, also because the first floor is well above the highest floodwaters.

Kee said Sandy seemed like the worst flooding shed seen. She and her husband lost some items they had stored under the house, but nothing of consequence.

Sea Isle has earned Class 3 status under the Federal Emergency Management Agencys Community Rating System, putting it among the top 10 percent of towns in the system across the country.

According to city officials, the upgrade means about $1.9 million in savings for Sea Isle ratepayers, including the city itself. Thats about $500,000 more in savings compared to last year.

Property owners interviewed for this story hadnt heard about the pending change, which was announced at a city meeting near the end of 2017. They havent seen any change in their bills so far.

The savings should appear on insurance bills in May.

Were still in the preliminary process of getting approvals, said Neil Byrne, Sea Isles floodplain manager.

Like all barrier-island communities, Sea Isle is in a flood zone. FEMAs mapping distinguishes between the most serious areas, the V zones, where properties could be battered by waves during a 100-year flood  a flood event that has a 1 percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year  and A zones, where water may rise, but waves are not likely.

Christmas memories come alive with doll display at Sea Isle museum SEA ISLE CITY  Dolls and Christmas go together, as visitors to the Sea Isle City Historical

Nuisance flooding is common at all times of year in Sea Isle, covering streets at high tides and during heavy rains. Years ago, the city was devastated by the March 1962 storm. But according to Byrne, these days flooding very rarely impacts homes and properties.

Even in Sandy, which slammed the coast in October 2012, Sea Isle escaped with relatively little damage, Byrne said.

We realized a lot less damage during Sandy than a lot of other towns because we had already adopted the higher standards, he said. With the direction of the mayor, weve made flood protection and resiliency a priority.

Its been about 20 years since Mayor Leonard Desiderio made flood policy a priority, and in the past decade, there has been significant progress. In 2013, Sea Isle reached Class 5 on the Community Rating System, under which the lower numbers mean a better score. That meant a 25 percent discount for local flood insurance ratepayers.

Byrne said the city will continue to work to improve its score, and to improve flood protection.

Nationally, only one town has Class 1 status  Roseville, California  Byrne said. Seven communities nationwide have a Class 2 rating. Most communities in the system come in at a Class 8 or 9, according to FEMA.

Obviously, this is very good news for our home and business owners, and it is something we can all be proud of, Desiderio said in a statement announcing the change.
1:02 p.m.: State Police responded to more than a thousand calls during Thursday's blizzard.

During yesterdays storm, we responded to 391 motor vehicle accidents and 949 motorist aids. pic.twitter.com/sjSPEoFC5g  NJSP - State Police (@NJSP) January 5, 2018

12:38 p.m.: Avoid Albany Avenue between West End and Winchester Avenue in Atlantic City due to a large water pipe break, according to police Twitter. Police advise drivers to seek alternate routes including the Atlantic City Expressway and Ventnor.

8:45 a.m.: Due to high winds and ice accumulation in the bay, all Cape May - Lewes Ferry operations are suspended Friday. Please continue to check https://www.CMLF.com throughout the day for an update on Saturday's operational schedule.

7:13 a.m.: The majority of arrivals and departures at Atlantic City International Airport are scheduled to arrive on time.

6:54 a.m.: NJ Transit train service is subject to 30 minute delays systemwide due to weather-related operational issues, according to its Twitter account.

6:23 a.m.: NJ Transit rail, bus and light rail are cross honoring passes and tickets systemwide due to weather conditions Friday, according to its Twitter account.

6:00 a.m.: Atlantic County travel ban has been lifted. A state of emergency remains in effect.

The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority is offering free parking overnight until 8 a.m. Friday at the Wave Parking Garage, located at the corner of Mississippi and Fairmount Avenue.
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Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester, delivered a holiday greeting to Gov.-elect Phil Murphy: We all need to carefully reassess the promises made during the last campaign in light of the new fiscal reality.

It wasnt necessary for Murphy to enlist the services of a translator to understand the point of Sweeneys published comments. An increase in the income tax for those earning $1 million or more is no longer a sure thing.

While Sweeney stopped short of declaring the idea dead on arrival, his remarks  particularly the reference to promises made during the last campaign  are in sharp contrast with his initial full-throated support to restore the so-called millionaires tax to generate $600 million to fund the states school aid formula.

The increase  the marquee promise of the Murphy campaign  was to be the Legislatures first order of business in 2018, Sweeney said at the time.

While he remains a supporter, his suggestion to move slowly was prompted by tax reform legislation signed by President Trump, including a limit of $10,000 on the federal deduction for state and local taxes.

The concern expressed by Sweeney and others is that the deduction cap will fall disproportionately on high income and property value states like New Jersey. The loss of the full deduction constitutes, in effect, a tax increase, Sweeney contended, and questioned whether it should be compounded by an increase in the state income tax.

He recommended creation of a study commission to assess the effect on New Jersey taxpayers of the new federal code and whether piling a state tax increase on top of it would lead to an exodus of high earners who might choose to take their business interests, income and tax revenue to a friendlier environment.

Its much the same argument made by Gov. Chris Christie on each time he vetoed the millionaires tax despite Democratic claims the governors concerns were overblown and there existed no empirical evidence to support his contention.

By no means should Sweeneys suggestion for a more prudent approach be interpreted as a veiled rejection of the increase. At the same time, delaying action for an indefinite period while the study commission conducts its work would be a setback for Murphy, who wants nothing more than an early high profile legislative victory for his agenda.

Any new administration is eager to hit the ground running and, for Murphy, quick approval of his major campaign pledge would be crucial.

Murphy will assume office facing exceedingly difficult fiscal challenges. The state budget reportedly is in a shortfall situation  half a billion dollars is one estimate  and economic growth has been relatively modest.

Revenue estimates have been overly optimistic in five of Christies seven budgets, necessitating last minute transfers and spending reductions to maintain balance.

Murphy comes to office largely unschooled in the intrigue, vote-swapping, favor-granting and throat-cutting that often defines the legislative process.

Sweeney, on the other hand, understands all those political cross currents and has demonstrated an ability to thrive in that environment.

He holds the key not only to the fate of the millionaires tax, but to every other administration initiative and there is some concern that Murphy has yet to fully understand that.

Sweeney is coming off his largest electoral victory  an 18-point margin  despite a $5 million negative advertising campaign mounted against him by the New Jersey Education Association, a strong Murphy ally.

While Murphys failure to convince the association to temper its attacks on Sweeney led to a degree of coolness between the two, Sweeney emerged in a position of greater strength and, while he may not hold the upper hand in his relations with the governor-elect, his is an equal hand.

He has already laid down his marker in his seasons greeting to the governor-elect and made it clear that the fate of the millionaires tax rests with him.

Carl Golden is a senior contributing analyst with the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University.
Create a Palestinian state with an alternate plan

When it comes to the Israeli/Palestinian peace process, the elephant in the room is ignored. Size!

The state of Israel is about the size of New Jersey, two-tenths of one percent the size of the Muslim Middle East. Its neighbor Jordan is about four times larger.

Logically, if the wealthy Arab nations would purchase a slice of Jordan contiguous with and as large as the West Bank, then declare this territory as a sovereign Palestinian state, this would be a giant step forward in the peace process.

Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and the West Bank would be guarded by Israel forces along with international peacekeepers. Safe passage and easy access would be guaranteed to all travelers. Furthermore, Jerusalem is effectively the capital of Israel since the seat of Israels government, including its Knesset, is located there.

No Palestinian family, enticed by incentives such as moving expenses and a prefabricated house, would be forced to relocate into its newly formed state. Those who choose to remain in their current abodes would be governed by the state of Israel.

Accolades would be bestowed upon all honorable participants in the peace process. Extremists who even deny the existence of the Jewish homeland, who attempt to thwart this momentous outcome, would be restrained by force if necessary.

Lawrence Uniglicht

Galloway Township

State subsidy not needed for rival energy firms

NRG Energy has called New Jersey home since 2004 and considered it a good place for our business. Unfortunately, the state Senate and Assembly are considering a corporate handout that is bad policy  for citizens, the economy and our business climate.

The nuclear subsidy bill (S3560) currently before the Legislature creates only one winner  nuclear plant owners  and many losers, including millions of business and residential electricity customers. By giving a blatant handout to PSE&G and Exelon to prop up three of their aging nuclear facilities, this legislation amounts to a $300-$400 million annual energy tax on electricity customers. It would take dollars out of the pockets of average citizens and put them in the coffers of two multi-billion-dollar corporations. And it wont create a single job or additional investment in New Jersey.

This legislation is also unnecessary. PSE&G and Exelon said these nuclear plants are profitable today. Theres no emergency, and nothing needs to be done right now.

Connecticut just went through a similar situation. Their legislature defeated a similar nuclear subsidy and instead decided to responsibly study the issue. Connecticut learned that the facts didnt support what the nuclear plant owner had said. The subsidy was completely unnecessary.

At the very least, the Legislature should take the time to conduct an independent study on the profitability of these nuclear plants.

Mauricio Gutierrez

Princeton

President and CEO, NRG Energy
SOFIA, Bulgaria, January 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Fibank was awarded by a professional panel and research team of the magazine, based on the following criteria: Asset Quality, Governance Structure, ROE, Tier 1 Capital Ratio, Corporate Social Responsibility and Customer Service.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160518/369255LOGO )



Jay Reddy, Head of branding at Global Brands Magazine commented, "I would like to congratulate First Investment Bank (Fibank) on winning the awards. These awards are a true testament on the bank's efforts in developing and improving the internal bank structures and systems, the service models and product positioning, and at creating prerequisites for future sustainable growth."

Fibank is known as the biggest Bulgarian bank, a growing, innovative, customer-oriented bank that offers outstanding products and services to their customers. With over 3100 employees, they have the largest branch network in Bulgaria and are first rated when it comes to investments for advertising in financial sector in Bulgaria. In terms of the coefficient of the marketing power of the brand, they are the most rapidly increasing. They are also the biggest corporate donor part of the long-term strategy for CSR. All these and more can be attributed to why they are very much successful when it comes to their area of specialization.

About Global Brand Magazine

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Global Brands Magazine is a leading brands magazine providing opinions and news related to various brands across the world. Content includes news, opinions, discussions, highlights and features sourced by expert analysts on various brands across the world.

About Global Brands Awards

Global Brands Awards was established with the aim of honoring excellence in performance and rewarding companies across different sectors. The awards honor companies who have performed extraordinarily well in the field of Finance, Education, Hospitality, Lifestyle, Automobiles, & Technology. The awards are given to acknowledge key players who strive for distinction and reward their performance with the ultimate global recognition. They also aim to identify and create awareness about the significance of exceptional solutions and service delivery in different segments.

Find out more about Global Brands Awards here http://www.globalbrandsmagazine.com/about-the-awards/

SOURCE Global Brands Publications Limited
LONDON, January 05,2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Infosys, a global leader in consulting, technology and next-generation services today announced that it has been selected by Proximus, the largest telecommunications company in Belgium, to implement Excite - a business transformation program aimed at delivering superior digital customer experiences for its enterprise clients. The multi-year program will strengthen Proximus' leadership in the professional services market by replacing legacy IT systems, streamlining processes and deploying advanced tools for quoting, selling, ordering, billing, invoicing and more.

As part of this program, Infosys has been entrusted with the joint overall responsibility and ownership of the Greenfield Excite program, which includes simplifying and remodelling the company's portfolio of products for the professional services market, realigning business processes and organization around it, and digitizing business transactions. To achieve this, the program will consolidate more than 40 legacy IT systems into six new robust platforms to enable better product lifecycle management.

Program highlights

Cloud-based solutions implemented by Infosys, including Salesforce, CloudSense and ServiceNow, will modernize legacy applications

Process automation will deliver 'first time right' service, thereby eliminating errors and rationalizing service costs

Leveraging Infosys digital capabilities, a user-friendly portal will be developed to enable self-service for enterprise customers and partners

Excite will leverage concepts of design thinking that embrace customer feedback and will contribute towards delivering a superior customer experience. In addition, agile IT methodologies such as Test Driven Development, Behaviour Driven Development and Pair Programming will improve responsiveness and simplify customer-oriented processes

A change management process enabled by Infosys will ensure business continuity while managing the interests of external partners and 6,000+ internal users

The standardized landscape, processes and organization will boost enterprise efficiencies and accelerate the lead-to-cash cycle

Remodelling the Enterprise Business Unit portfolio (comprising fixed, mobile and ICT products) will improve design, delivery and servicing across the product catalogue

Bart Van Den Meersche, Chief Enterprise Market Officer, Proximus, said, "At Proximus, we are committed to providing best-in-class products and service to our clients and partners. With this in mind, we have embarked on the Excite business transformation program that will further enhance and deliver new digital experiences for our enterprise clients. In the course of the next years, we want to manage all professional products through easy-to-use digital interfaces."

Geert Goethals, Chief Information Officer, Proximus, said, "We are committed to our program Excite that will transform the way we sell professional services to our enterprise clients. Through Excite we expect to establish greater agility, collaboration and bring in superior quality and efficiency in the way IT and business interacts. As part of this initiative, we have entrusted the co-responsibility of transforming our IT systems to Infosys, as our teams work together to deliver objectives of this program over the next years."

Rajesh Krishnamurthy, President and Head of Energy, Utilities, Telecommunications and Services, Infosys, said, "We are pleased to be a part of Proximus' journey of becoming a digital services provider. Companies need to continuously deliver more value and superior experiences to its customers, and the same applies for the telecommunications industry especially given the highly competitive nature of its business. Through this program, Infosys will be leveraging its core capabilities and expertise across its service offerings to help Proxmius simplify and digitize its processes, while streamlining its product offerings and driving efficiencies."

About Infosys

Infosys is a global leader in technology services and consulting. We enable clients in 45 countries to create and execute strategies for their digital transformation. From engineering to application development, knowledge management and business process management, we help our clients find the right problems to solve, and to solve these effectively. Our team of 198,000+ innovators, across the globe, is differentiated by the imagination, knowledge and experience, across industries and technologies that we bring to every project we undertake.

Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise thrive in the digital age.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements in this press release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements regarding our future business expectations intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. In addition, please note that any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of the date of this press release. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company unless it is required by law.

Media contacts:

Asia Pacific

Sarah Gideon

Infosys, India

+91-80-4156-3998

Sarah_Gideon@infosys.com

EMEA

Margherita Di Cerbo

Infosys, Europe

+44-2075162748

Margherita.DiCerbo@infosys.com

Americas

Chiku Somaiya

Infosys, USA

+1-408-375-2722

Chiku.Somaiya@infosys.com

This is a disclosure announcement from PR Newswire.

SOURCE Infosys Limited
(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/625055/Claire_Walters.jpg )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/625056/TCR_Display_Unipart_Group_Waterstones.jpg )



This new contract builds on the strength and success of the long term relationship between Waterstones and Unipart, which saw the two companies collaboratively win four awards at the European Supply Chain Excellence Awards in 2015.

Beccy Preece, Head of Supply Chain Services at Waterstones said: "We've extended our contract because Unipart really understands our business and provides an excellent service. Over the past 10 years our needs have changed - along with the change in the way our customers buy books - and with the introduction of a greater, non-book range Unipart have adapted to support our needs and so have helped our business to grow."

Key to the successful partnership has been Unipart's innovative supply chain thinking and agile delivery of change. For instance over the past 18 months, Unipart has completely reconfigured the service to the stores to deliver a next day delivery service by harnessing the power of The Unipart Way, which is the company's proprietary business system for continuous improvement. In addition, Unipart has also helped Waterstones increase availability of new and old titles whilst still reducing the overall inventory holding.

Claire Walters, Chief Commercial Officer at Unipart Logistics said: "We are incredibly proud of our long-term partnership with Waterstones, and our contribution to the turnaround of the business over the last few years through intelligent supply chain decisions. Our team feel part of the Waterstones family, and are passionate about delivering exceptional and rapid service to Waterstones customers. We are looking forward to taking our partnership to a new level, through implementing innovative ideas and digital technology to further enhance the Waterstones supply chain."

For more information about Unipart Logistics, please visit: http://unipartlogistics.com .

About Unipart Group:

Unipart Group is a leading UK manufacturer, full service logistics provider and consultant in operational excellence. Operating across a range of market sectors, including automotive, manufacturing, mobile telecoms, rail, retail and technology, Unipart offers a breadth of services from third party logistics to expert consultancy. The company, which has its headquarters in Oxford, provides services to a growing range of blue chip clients including Jaguar Land Rover, Vodafone, Sky, Sainsbury's and many other household names. Unipart has a number of accolades including winning the 'Fujitsu Award for Responsible Business in the Digital Age' at the 2017 Business in the Community's Responsible Business Awards. The company also received an Outstanding Achievement Award for Safety at last year's International Safety Awards.

SOURCE Unipart Group
Jammu, Jan 2 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said she hoped for a fruitful budget session even as the opposition disrupted Governor N.N .Vohra's address to a joint session of the state assembly.

In a tweet, Mehbooba said: "I firmly believe that dialogue is the core of a strong and vibrant parliamentary democracy. Looking forward to a fructuous winter session of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly."

Despite appeals from Vohra to restore order, opposition National Conference and the Congress created a ruckus in the legislature to disrupt the Governor's address.

The opposition legislators staged a protest outside the legislature after waking out from the session.
Jammu, Jan 3 : A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper was killed on Wednesday in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan Rangers on the international border in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district, officials said.

BSF sources said the trooper identified as R.P. Hanjrey of the 173rd Battalion was killed in sniper fire from across the border.

"After the BSF strongly and effectively retaliated, heavy firing exchanges are now going on between the two sides in Samba and Hiranagar sectors," a source said.
Pune, Jan 4 : Police have registered a FIR against Gujarat Dalit leader and MLA Jignesh Mevani and JNU student leader Umar Khalid for allegedly inciting passions between communities, an official said on Thursday.

The FIR was lodged late on Wednesday following a complaint by a 22-year-old student, Akshay G. Bikkad, of Pune who took objections to the speeches by Mevani and Khalid at Shaniwarwada on December 31.

In his complaint, Bikkad said that at a 'Yalgar Parishad' held that day, the two speakers made inflammatory speeches that could create misunderstanding between communities.

The complainant added excerpts from the speech by Mevani: "The (January 1, 1881) battle of Koregaon-Bhima can be a war of tomorrow. If they attack, it is time to retaliate, and winning this war will be a tribute to the martyrs. Crushing the new 'Peshwai' can be a homage to the heroes of the Koregaon-Bhima battle."

The alleged excerpt from Khalid's speech: "If we want to win this war against the new 'Peshwai', we must carry forward the battle of Koregaon-Bhima. If we want to carry ahead the struggle, it cannot be achieved merely by electoral politics.

"I believe that people who fight for the public causes must find a place in the legislatures in Gujarat and Maharashtra, and also in Parliament. However, caste system can be uprooted only by taking the fight to the streets. The dominance of one caste over the other can only be destroyed by battling it out on the streets," Khalid allegedly said.

The complainant said that such inflammatory speeches can create a wedge and enmity between communities and that provoked by these utterances some unknown miscreants attacked the Victory Pillar (Vijay Stambh) in Koregaon-Bhima, resulting in riots and arson on January 1.

Hours after the FIR by Pune police, the Mumbai Police denied permission for a Chhatra Bharati-sponsored All India National Students Summit scheduled in Vile Parle on Thursday morning.

The developments came in the wake of a series of disturbances in Maharashtra starting with the desecration of a monument in Vadhu Budruk on December 29, followed by the riots in Koregaon-Bhima that left one dead on January 1, the 'Maharashtra Shutdown' that killed a boy and left a trail of destruction across the state.
Lima, Jan 4 : The Dakar Village Fair, a prelude to the world's toughest rally, the Dakar 2018, opened its doors in Lima showing Peruvian culture and customs, before the 9,000 km race through Peru, Bolivia and Argentina begins on January 6.

In two days the drivers will start off from the Village trying to win the race. Among the favourite racers are Spain's Carlos Sainz and Nani Roma, France's Stephane Peterhansel, Sebastien Loeb and Cyril Despres, and Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah, reports Efe.

The Peruvian fans began attending the event on Wednesday, eager to see the 540 vehicles which will compete in the rally after having arrived just a few days ago at the port of Callao, the neighboring city of Lima, after they were shipped from France.

The drivers on Wednesday began to make first technical reviews and prepare their vehicles for the event's first stage on Saturday, when they will have to master the tracks between Lima and the city of Pisco, some 250 kilometers south of the capital.

The Dakar Rally, which returns to Peru this year after a five year hiatus, celebrates its 40th edition, and for the tenth time is taking place in South America.
Jammu, Jan 4 : The Border Security Force (BSF) on Thursday foiled an attempt by militants to sneak into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan by killing an infiltrator.

A BSF official said here: "Alert troops noticed suspicious movement of two to three persons near the Nikowal border outpost in Arnia sector around 5.45 a.m.

"The intruders were challenged and fired at, resulting in the death of an infiltrator. Other infiltrators managed to escape back to Pakistan."

Border Security Force sources also claimed they destroyed two Pakistani mortar positions on Wednesday evening.

A BSF Head Constable was killed in Pakistani sniper fire on Wednesday in Samba sector after which heavy firing exchanges started between BSF and Pakistan Rangers.
New Delhi, Jan 4 : The Congress on Thursday slammed the Narendra Modi government over the reported breach in Aadhar data, saying the right to privacy is being "flouted with impunity".

"Aadhar data breached yet again! As every citizen's personal information is exposed to hackers everyday and 'Right to Privacy' is mocked and flouted with impunity, Modi government remains immune," tweeted Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala attaching a Tribune story headlined "Rs 500, 10 minutes, and you have access to billion Aadhaar details".
Tehran, Jan 4 : Iran has accused the US of "grotesque" interference in its internal affairs in a letter to the UN.

Tehran said US President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in "numerous absurd tweets, (had) incited Iranians to engage in disruptive acts" which violated international law, CNN reported.

Twenty-one people died in six days of protests sparked by Iran's economic problems, which spanned several cities.

On Thursday, the state media focused on pro-government rallies after a second night without reports of major protests.

The unrest was initially over price rises and corruption but the focus quickly turned to the remote elite and particularly Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The protests are the largest since the disputed 2009 presidential election. Millions took to the streets that time against the election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Since the protests broke out, Trump has endorsed them, culminating on Wednesday with the suggestion that the US could offer "great support" to protesters.

In his letter, Iranian UN envoy Gholamali Khoshroo said the US had a track record of intervening in Iranian affairs.

However, he added, the current administration had "crossed every limit in flouting rules and principles of international law governing the civilized conduct of international relations".

The letter also pointed to a US State Department official's statement earlier this week that Washington was communicating with anti-government protesters in Iran through its Facebook and Twitter pages in Farsi, and was encouraging them to rally.

The Iranian UN envoy said that the US had actually insulted Iranians by banning them from entering the country (under Trump's travel ban) and with the US President's refusal to certify an internationally agreed deal to limit Tehran's nuclear programme.

The Russian Foreign Ministry echoed the concerns, urging the US not to interfere in Iran's "domestic issues", Russia's Itar-Tass news agency reported.

The anti-government protests, the most powerful challenge to the regime in years, appeared to have fizzled, following a claim by Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Ali Jafari that the unrest was officially over.

The Iranian government had restricted the use of social-media apps Telegram and Instagram to quell the unrest. It has said those restrictions will be lifted on Friday, and there were signs that it had begun easing some of them.
New York, Jan 5 : The US is suspending most aid to Pakistan because of its failure to curb terrorism enforcing President Donald Trump's repeated warnings to Islamabad, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert announced on Thursday.

The freeze covers most of the security aid to Pakistan and it follows the withholding of $255 million in military aid to Islamabad that was announced earlier.

Nauert said that if Pakistan took decisive action against terrorists, it "has the ability to get this money back in the future."

She also said that some exceptions could be made if it was determined that portions of the frozen aid were "critical to national security interests."

Earlier on Thursday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson placed Pakistan on a "Special Watch List for severe violations of religious freedom."

There were several indications that the suspension of aid to Pakistan was in the works.

In his first tweet of the New Year, Trump said that the US had given Pakistan $33 billion in aid over 15 years and accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorists while making fools of US leaders with lies and deceit. "No more," he said, of Washington's aid to Pakistan.

Hours before the tweet, a US Special Forces soldier had been killed in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan, and four were injured in a terrorist attack.

"We make massive payments every year to Pakistan. They have to help," Trump said last month unveiling his National Strategic Strategy last month.

In August, he was more forthright and warned that Pakistan "has much to lose" if ig persisted in aiding terrorists.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)
Washington, Jan 5 : NASA has announced that it would launch two missions to explore a little-understood area 96 km above Earth's surface.

The Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission will be launched aboard a commercial communications satellite in January 2018, and the designed spacecraft Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) will be launched later this year, the US space agency said on Thursday.

GOLD and ICON will team up to explore the ionosphere, a boundary area between Earth and the space where particles have been cooked into a sea of electrically-charged electrons and ions by the Sun's radiation, reports Xinhua news agency.

These layers of near-Earth space are increasingly becoming a part of human domain as it is home to radio signals used to guide airplanes, ships and Global Positioning System satellites.

NASA said the two missions were complementary. ICON in low-Earth orbit, at 560 km above Earth, flies through and just above the ionosphere, like a close-up camera.

GOLD runs in geostationary orbit over the Western Hemisphere, about 35,398 km above the planet's surface. It will build up a full-disk view of the ionosphere and the upper atmosphere beneath it every half hour.

The two missions can cooperate with each other when ICON passes through GOLD's field of view and each mission can get a snapshot of the same region. This overlap in their data makes it easier to identify what caused a certain change to the upper atmosphere at a given time, NASA said.

One of the missions' goals is to measure how upper atmosphere changes in response to hurricanes and geomagnetic storms.

"We used to think only solar wind could affect the ionosphere, and only the lower atmosphere was affected by terrestrial weather," said Doug Rowland, ICON mission scientist at NASA.

"But now we're going to get to see how that energy couples together."

The solar wind is the Sun's constant outflow of charged particles and magnetized material.

GOLD will also explore how the upper atmosphere reacts to geomagnetic storms, which are temporary disturbances of Earth's magnetic field set off by solar activity.

During night-time, GOLD will examine disruptions in the ionosphere, which are dense, unpredictable bubbles of charged gas that appear over the equator and tropics, sometimes interfering with radio communications.
Seoul, Jan 5 : North Korea on Friday accepted South Korea's proposal for official talks, in what will be the first high-level contact to take place between the two countries in more than two years.

South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun told the media that North Korea informed its southern neighbour by fax at 10.16 a.m., that they have accepted the Seoul's offer to initiate talks, reports CNN.

The person-to-person talks will be held January 9 -- one day after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's birthday -- at the Peace House, located on the South Korean side of the truce village of Panmunjom, located in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two nations, Baik said.

The spokesman said the two sides agreed to work on the details of the talks "through the exchange of documents", and added the agenda items of the talks will be "issues related to improving inter-Korean relationships including the Pyeongchang (Winter) Olympic Games".

The faxed message accepting the long-standing offer of talks was from Ri Son Kwon, chairman of the North Korean Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, CNN reported.

It was addressed to his de-facto counterpart, South Korea's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, Baik added.

The last high level inter-Korea talks were a deputy ministerial meeting between South and North Korea that took place in December 2015 at the jointly-run Kaesong industrial zone in North Korea.

The industrial park, which opened in 2004 in a rare show of cooperation between the two Koreas, was shuttered in 2016 in response to Pyongyang's ramping-up of missile and nuclear testing.

Friday's announcement comes after South Korea and the US agreed late Thursday to delay their joint military drills during the Winter Olympics, reports Yonhap News Agency.

North Korea has long denounced the military drills as a war rehearsal and used them as an excuse for its provocations. But South Korea and the US has maintained that the exercises were defensive in nature.

Contact between the two Koreas was initiated after the North Korean leader expressed hope during his annual New Year's day address that a Pyongyang delegation might participate in next month's Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

A hotline between Seoul and Pyongyang, which had remained unused for two years, also rang once again on Tuesday, in what has been widely regarded as a major diplomatic breakthrough.

At least five calls have been placed through the cross-border channel since.
Beijing, Jan 5 : A Twitter attack by US President Donald Trump against Pakistan on New Year's Day will further strengthen the already close ties between Islamabad and Beijing, a report in a leading Chinese daily said.

In his first tweet of 2018, Trump charged Pakistan with deceit and treachery and cut off all further aid to Islamabad for harbouring terrorists US troops were hunting in Afghanistan.

The move drew a stern backlash in Pakistan and a staunch defence of Islamabad in Beijing - a dynamic that experts said highlights the further strengthening of the relationship as the US seeks closer ties with India while "casting aspersions on Pakistan", the Global Times said.

A day after Trump's tweet, the State Bank of Pakistan announced it has taken steps to ensure the use of the yuan in bilateral trade and financing transactions.

It also said that public and private sectors were free to choose the Chinese currency for bilateral trade and investment activities.

According to the daily, the State Bank of Pakistan's statement "may not be a dramatic policy change, but the timing made the move significant.

"This is more of a political statement in response to pressure from the US, telling the US that Pakistan has a great relationship with China and that Pakistan would become even closer with China," said Dong Dengxin, Director of the Finance and Securities Institute at Wuhan University of Science and Technology.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Thursday: "We encourage market entities from both countries to use our own currencies in clearing bilateral trade and investment."

The daily said Washington's strategic shift towards New Delhi could also improve military cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing.

Citing a a report published in US media, the paper said China was in talks with Pakistan to build an overseas military base as part of a push for greater maritime capabilities along strategic sea routes.

"Both Beijing and Islamabad have the ability to build a joint naval and air facility in Pakistan. But it is unnecessary at this time," said Lin Minwang, a professor at Fudan University's Centre for South Asian Studies.

He said if "the US and its allies push their Indo-Pacific strategy to the extreme, China will surely carry out a plan with Pakistan to ensure the security of sea routes".
New Delhi, Jan 5 : The Shree Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena on Friday demanded a ban on "Padmavati" after slamming Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani and censor board chief Prasoon Joshi for allowing its release with a U/A certificate.

"I want to ask the central government what benefits will they get by supporting this movie? All the Hindu parties from whom we learnt about Hinduism are quiet on this film," Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, President of Karni Sena, told the media here.

"The central government is mum on this film as Viacom18 Motion Pictures, which is a foreign company, made it during the time of demonetisation. During a time when we were not able to get Rs 4,000, how come (Sanjay Leela) Bhansali managed to get 160 to 180 crore rupees."

"Bhansali has even got a certification from Britain through (David) Headley, who is currently in jail. I want to know why Bhansali has not been jailed? Why is he not being quizzed about (his) anti-national (activities)?"

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) last week announced its decision to grant the certification to the controversial Bhansali directorial -- subject to five modifications including a title change.

The decision was arrived at following a meeting in the presence of Joshi and a special panel comprising Arvind Singh from Udaipur, historian Chandramani Singh and Professor K.K. Singh of Jaipur University.

However, Gogamedi said: "After watching 'Padmavati', Arvind Singh and K.K. Singh said this film will ignite protests. Despite that, Prasoon Joshi has given the green light to the movie.

"If CBFC wanted to take a decision on their own, why they did they invite people from our community? We will soon protests against this movie and will burn effigies of Smriti Irani and Prasoon Joshi."

Joshi has said the special panel was only for an advisory purpose.

"Padmavati" was earlier slated for release on December 1 but it got caught up in a major row after leaders of the Rajput community claimed the film insulted their history. The makers are yet to make any announcement about the film.

The film features Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.
Jammu, Jan 5 : Indian and Pakistani soldiers on Friday traded heavy gunfire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, officials said.

Defence Ministry sources said the clashes began after the Pakistan Army resorted to heavy firing on Indian positions in Shahpur area.

"We retaliated strongly and effectively. No damage or casualty has been reported from our side," an official said.

On Thursday, the Border Security Force (BSF) foiled an attempt by militants to sneak into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan on the international border in Arnia sector of Jammu district.

One intruder was killed by the BSF. Police said the unarmed victim could have been a guide to the infiltrating militants who pulled back into Pakistan.

The BSF also said it destroyed two mortar pickets of Pakistan on Thursday.
Kabul, Jan 5 : At least 20 persons have been killed and 30 others injured here in a suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State terror group, an official said.

The attack happened on Thursday night in Banaee area of Kabul where a group of police officers were handling a protest, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

A police official told Efe news that the suicide attacker was on foot and wore a vest loaded with explosives that he detonated near the policemen watching the demonstration.

Earlier, the police said 11 people, including five police personnel, were killed. The number of fatalities jumped to 20 on Friday.

The Islamic State took responsibility for the attack through its news outlet Amaq. It said a suicide attacker with an explosives vest had targeted "a gathering of Afghan intelligence and police".

Tawab Khan, a resident, said a large number of security personnel had gathered in the area for a crackdown on shopkeepers involved in trading illicit substances.

Several shops and vehicles were also damaged in the area.
New Delhi, Jan 5 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday arrested Sandip Jhunjhunwala, Managing Director of REI Agro Ltd, in connection with a money laundering investigation against him for allegedly defrauding a consortium of banks to the tune of Rs 3,871.71 crore.

Jhunjhunwala is accused of "diverting the fund fraudulently for the purpose other than for which it was sanctioned".

The agency, in 2016, had registered a money laundering case against the company which claims to the world's largest basmati rice processing firm, and its directors based on the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) October 2015 case.

The CBI FIR alleged REI Agro, its directors -- Sandip and Sanjay Jhunjhunwala -- and others availed various credit facilities from 14 banks under consortium arrangement led by UCO Bank and defrauded them from 2013 onwards to the tune of Rs 3,871.71 crore.

In its investigation, the ED found REI Agro and its directors diverted the funds sanctioned as working capital loan by the consortium of banks using different modes including trading in fake bills, investing the money in Varrsana Ispat Pvt Ltd directly and through controlled companies.

Setting higher amount of "Capex advances" to various shell companies by way of arbitration at a very low amount, showing higher cost of construction and arranging fake purchase and sale bills were the other forms of modus operandi used by the REI Agro, an ED statement said.

It also revealed that Sandip was engaged in arranging false purchase and sales of invoices of rice and paddy through brokers and dealers of Delhi for availing maximum working capital limits from the consortium of banks and diverted working limits for capital expenditure, the statement said.

"Sandeep has also illegitimately diverted the funds over Rs 600 crore through Kolkata-based shell companies to the accounts of associates companies or companies controlled by him using banking channels.

"Later on, part of the above amount, approximately Rs 300 crore, was settled through arbitration against taking over of land valued around Rs 22 crore. He also arranged fake bills of iron and steel to the tune of more than Rs 25 crore and showed it as capital expenditure but received back this amount in cash," said the statement.

Earlier, the ED had attached properties of REI Agro in the form of land located at Sonipat in Haryana, of Varrsana Ispat, in the form of machinery and equipment, land and buildings located in Kutch district of Gujarat, of Quick Connect dot com and its director located at Sainik Farm in Delhi, totalling worth Rs 411.24 crore.
Kolkata, Jan 5 : The West Bengal government on Friday launched its official emblem, conceptualised and designed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, two days after getting the approval from the central government.

Terming the occasion as "historic", she said the state emblem - the "Biswa Bangla" logo with Ashoka Pillar of the national emblem - would be used in all the official works and documents of the Bengal government from now on.

"Today we have launched the official emblem of the Government of West Bengal. This is a historical moment. This is a new feather in the state's crown," Banerjee said after launching emblem at the state secretariat Nabanna.

"We will use this emblem in all the government works and documents from now on. It can be used immediately after issuing the official notification from today. But materialising the process across all the departments would take some time," she said.

Taking a swipe at the previous state governments for not making a move in this regard, the Trinamool Congress supremo said every state should have its individuality and rued that it took Bengal 70 years after the country's independence to finally get its own emblem.

"Some states already have their own emblem but no one here thought about it before. As soon as it came to our notice, we approved the design by a local expert committee here and sent it for central approval. It took quite a long time. But better late than never," she said.

Echoing Banerjee, Chief Secretary Malay Kumar De said the emblem gives the state an individual identity and would be used in all the government works from now on.

"You can see that the national emblem is also incorporated within our emblem," he added.

About the state's name change, the Chief Minister said the government would announce the details as soon it gets the approval from the central government.

"We have also sent a request for the state's name change along with the state's emblem. It is being discussed with the centre. We will announce it as soon as we get the official approval," she said.

The state cabinet have already cleared a proposal to name the state of West Bengal as 'Bangla' in September last year.

Congratulating the state Finance and Information Technology Department, Banerjee announced that they has been awarded by the Union Finance Ministry for issuing 53,000 e-tenders worth Rs 36,000crore in one year.
Jakarta, Jan 5 : India and Indonesia discussed bilateral ties across multiple sectors during the fifth Joint Commission meeting co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi here on Friday.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted that both the leaders "reviewed trade, energy ties, defence cooperation and people-to-people links".

Earlier in the day, Sushma Swaraj arrived here from Thailand on the second leg of her three-nation tour that will also see her going to Singapore.

The visit assumes significance given India's increasing engagements with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) bloc under New Delhi's Act East Policy.

New Delhi will host a commemorative summit on January to mark the 25th anniversary of the Dialogue Partnership between India and Asean in which all the leaders of the 10 Asean nations are expected to participate.

The next day, in a unique first, all leaders will collectively attend this year's Republic Day celebrations as chief guests.

As the biggest country in the Asean region with the largest economy, Indonesia is an important partner for India, including in trade and strategic matters.

In recent times, there have been intensive engagements between the two countries bilaterally as well as plurilaterally.

Prior to participating in the Joint Commission meeting, Sushma Swaraj called on Indonesian Vice President Muhammad Jusuf and engaged in discussion on "strengthening our strategic partnership", according to Kumar.

The Indian Minister will leave for Singapore on Saturday where she will inaugurate this year's Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on Sunday.
Sangli (Maharashtra), Jan 5 : Shri Shiv Pratishthan chief Sambhaji V. Bhide on Friday said all allegations against him pertaining to the violence in Koregaon-Bhima were "baseless" and demanded a thorough probe into the incident by the Maharashtra government.

He was giving his first reactions to Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) President Prakash Ambedkar's allegations against him of having incited violence on January 1 in Koregaon-Bhima where Dalits had congregated to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Anglo-Maratha war.

"Prakash Ambedkar's allegations against me are totally baseless. I urge the government to probe the incidents properly and punish the guilty. If I am found guilty, I am ready for the consequences," asserted Bhide, known as "Guruji" among his followers in large parts of western Maharashtra.

The controversial right-wing leader and a former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activist expressed his willingness to face any inquiry panel or probe that the state government might set up as demanded by Ambedkar.

Bhide dismissed Ambedkar's statements that he (Bhide) was present near Koregaon-Bhima and responsible for the caste riots as "fake", and said his name was being deliberately dragged into the entire matter.

The 87-year-old leader, an ex-professor holding an M.Sc. degree in Nuclear Science, demanded that anybody who perpetrated the violence should be booked and dealt with sternly by the law and, if required, the matter should be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

On January 2, the Pune police slapped cases against Bhide and Hindu Ekta Samiti chief Milind Ekbote under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and the Indian Penal Code after the January 1 rioting in Koregaon-Bhima, which left one youth from Nanded dead.

On Thursday, a day after the massive "Maharashtra Shutdown", which turned violent and left one schoolboy dead in Nanded, Bhide issued a statement to the media explaining that his organisation worked for awakening the spirit of nationalism among Hindus.

Referring to the cases lodged against him, he claimed that the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act was being misused in many cases.

For the past four days, Ambedkar has been making persistent demands for the arrest of both Bhide and Ekbote, accusing them of instigating the violence.

Most Dalits consider the historic battle on January 1, 1818 as a "victory" of the lower castes vis-a-vis the upper caste Peshwas and gather there in huge numbers at the annual commemoration events.

Acceding to Ambedkar's pleas, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced a probe into the incidents by a sitting judge of Bombay High Court, a CID probe and compensation for the victim's family.

The Pune police booked Bhide and Ekbote following a complaint by one Anita Salve that she and her friends were attacked by a group of people near Vadhu Budruk, adjacent to the historic site of Koregaon-Bhima and named the two leaders (Bhide-Ekbote) as allegedly responsible for the same.
New Delhi, Jan 5 : Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday ordered withdrawal of a Ministry letter which brought ranks of armed forces officers a notch down compared to earlier status vis-a-vis their civilian counterparts in the Army Headquarters.

The issue of rank parity between military personnel and armed forces headquarters (AFHQ) civil service officers was one of the issues that Sitharaman had taken up on priority after taking over change as the Defence Minister in September last year.

A circular issued by the Defence Ministry, dated October 18, 2016 on rank equivalence between defence officers and armed forces headquarters civil service officers, brings the ranks of armed forces officers a notch down compared to earlier status.

As per the circular, a Major General in the Army and equivalent, which will be Rear Admiral in the Navy and Air Vice Marshal in the Air Force, will be equal to a Principal Director in the civil service ranks at AFHQ.

A Brigadier in the Army, and equivalents -- Commodore in the Navy and Air Commodore in the Air Force - will be equal to a director, and a Colonel in Army - Captain in the Navy and Group Captain in the Air Force - will be equal to a Joint Director in the civil service.

Earlier, a Colonel was equated with a Director, Brigadier was treated at par with a Deputy Director General, and a Major General was treated as equivalent of a Joint Secretary.

An official statement, announcing withdrawal of the order, said "status quo" has been restored, and the position which existed prior to the issue of the letter shall prevail.

The statement added that restructuring of the civilian cadre will be carried out at a later stage as approved by the Union Cabinet.
Beijing, Jan 5 : China has begun working on its third aircraft carrier, a development reflective of its ambition to become a dominant sea power.

The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post has reported that work on the aircraft carrier began after March last year.

The paper quoted a source saying that work was still on at the carrier's hull and will be finished in about two years.

The source also said building the third carrier will be challenging than the other two.

China last year launched its first home-grown aircraft carrier, which is likely to operate later this year.

The one in service, Liaoning, was bought unfinished from the former USSR.

The sources, according to the report, said it was too early to say about the launch of the third aircraft carrier.

According to naval experts, China plans to have four aircraft carrier battle groups in service by 2030.

With maritime disputes and tensions with several countries, China is rapidly building its navy.

Beijing is locked in a dispute with five littoral states in the South China Sea while its claims to Senkaku islands are contested by Japan.

Its submarines have been spotted in the Indian Ocean where China is flexing its muscles.

China last year established its first overseas military base in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.

Another reason for China's naval buildup is to ensure the safety of the planned maritime route under the ambitious Belt and Road project.

The project aims to connect Asia, Africa and Europe through a network of ports, sea lines, highways and railways.

The second-most powerful navy after the US, China has some 65 submarines whereas India has 14. In comparison to China's 48 frigates, India has 14.

Experts say China's Yuan-class diesel-electric submarine models are quieter than the American nuclear ones.

However, China's overall naval strength is still far behind that of the US.
Tehran, Jan 5 : Iran and Pakistan held talks on defence cooperation following US President Donald Trump's Twitter spree voicing support for the anti-government riots in Tehran and lashing out at Islamabad for supporting terrorists.

Iranian Defence Minister Brigadier General Ali Hatami hailed growing cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad in a telephone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Khurram Dastgir-Khan on Thursday, Press TV reported on Friday.

"The latest developments in the region and in the Islamic world necessitate more interactions among officials of Iran and Pakistan, as two major countries in the Muslim world," Hatami said.

"The Americans always blame the others over their own failures in different parts of the world and they pursue the strategy of the Zionist regime (of Israel) to destabilize the region.

Hatami blamed the "evil and stupid policies of the US" as the root cause of deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and the deaths of innocent civilians in Yemen, Iraq and Syria.

"Iran and Pakistan should utilize such capacity to enhance their economic growth and security, said Hatami, pointing to the potentials for military cooperation between the two nations.

The Pakistani Defence Minister welcomed the promotion of military cooperation with Iran with regard to the regional issues. Dastgir-Khan also criticised Trump's tweets against Pakistan and underlined the importance of the Muslim nations' sovereign right to provide their own security.

Trump posted a series of tweets earlier this week, in which he voiced support for anti-government protestors in Iran and bashed Pakistan for lying and harbouring terrorists.
New Delhi, Jan 5 : Gujarat Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani on Friday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi if Dalits in the country had a right to hold peaceful protest rallies and urged him to speak up on the violence against the community in the last three years.

"Dalits were attacked when they held peaceful rally in Bhima-Koregaon. Why is Modiji silent on violence against Dalits? He must clarify his stand," he said while addressing a press conference here.

The Gujarat MLA recalled instances of Dalit atrocities in the past three years such as the Rohith Vemula suicide case, thrashing of Dalit youths in Gujarat's Una, and Saharanpur caste clash.

"Modiji calls himself an Ambedkarite, a follower of (B.R.) Ambedkar. Then why has he not spoken a word in these cases yet. There has been no action either. Why are Dalits not safe?"

"Do Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party government have any commitment to the annihilation of caste, which was Ambedkar's ultimate goal," Mevani asked.

Rubbishing the charges of inflammatory and provocative speech at Bhima-Koregaon which allegedly triggered caste tension between Dalits and Marathas, he said filing of an FIR against him was "a childish move" to tarnish his image.

Mevani said he had neither visited the Koregaon-Bhima event site, where violence on January 1 left one person dead, nor made any inflammatory or provocative speech.

He said the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were threatened due to his growing popularity and were worried about 2019 elections.

Dalits would have to take to the streets if they were to fight fascist forces in the country to stop their exploitation, Mevani said, adding the Maharashtra government's decision to file cases against him may anger Dalits, leading to more violence.

He made an appeal to the Dalits to maintain peace. Mevani said he would hold a Yuva Hunkar rally in Delhi on January 9.

"After the rally, I will go to Prime Minister's Office with Manusmriti (the laws of Manu) in one hand and the Constitution (of India) in the other. We will ask Modiji 'what do you choose'," he said.
Jakarta, Jan 5 : India and Indonesia on Friday "unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms" while agreeing to work together to harness the potential of the Indo-Pacific region.

"We unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms, irrespective of its motivation and origin," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said while addressing the media after the fifth Joint Commission meeting of the two countries which she co-chaired with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi here.

"We expressed our strong opposition to any selective approaches to deal with this global menace, and called upon all countries to stop providing state sponsorship of terrorism and prevent their territories being used for establishing terrorist safe havens," she said in a veiled reference to Pakistan.

She said that during Friday's discussions, "there was clear recognition that India and Indonesia, as two close maritime neighbours, are natural partners in peace and prosperity".

"We are two major countries in the Indo-Pacific region. This region is among the most dynamic regions in the world. We agreed to develop synergetic relationship to harness the potential of Indo-Pacific region and to meet the challenges that the region faces."

This assumes significance given China's aggression in the South China Sea and its increasing influence in the Indian Ocean region.

Sushma Swaraj said that Indonesia, as one of the largest countries with a diverse democracy, and the biggest economy in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region "has a critical role to play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region".

India has been increasing its engagements with the 10-nation Asean regional bloc under New Delhi's Act East Policy.

As the biggest country in the Asean region with the largest economy, Indonesia is an important partner for India, including in trade and strategic matters.

Stating that the Indonesian Foreign Minister conveyed her country's determination to play its part and make due contributions to the ongoing efforts to strengthen rule and respect of law, Sushma Swaraj said: "I welcomed it and conveyed India's commitment for peace, security and development in the region."

She also said that both sides agreed to enhance consultations and cooperation on maritime issues including on United Nations Convention on the law of the Sea (Unclos) with a view to strengthen rule of law and to ensure the freedom of navigation and safety of sea lanes of communication.

Stating that Marsudi expressed her appreciation over the increase of Indian tourists to Indonesia, the Indian minister said that both sides agreed to expand civil aviation links to further enhance bilateral economic and tourism ties.

Sushma Swaraj said that she expressed the importance of addressing the high trade deficit that India has with Indonesia and thet she conveyed that the best way to address this issue is not to restrict trade but to increase it.

India-Indonesia bilateral trade has increased from $4.3 billion in 2005-06 to $ 17 billion in 2016-17.

"We agreed to work together for a balanced and sustainable trade by providing greater market access, both in goods and services," Sushma Swaraj said in her address.

She said both sides also discussed the increasing demand for skill development "in both our countries given that we have a large proportion of young population".

"I conveyed that India will continue its skill development assistance in the form of short term training program and scholarships."

Sushma Swaraj also expressed her appreciation that Indonesian President Joko Widodo has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation to join the Special Commemorative Summit to be hosted by New Delhi on January 25 to mark the 25th anniversary of the India-Asean Dialogue Partnership.

Leaders of all 10 Asean nations are expected to participate in the Summit and together attend this year's Republic Day celebrations the next day.

Earlier on Thursday, Sushma Swaraj arrived here from Thailand on the second leg of her three-nation tour to southeast Asia.

Prior to participating in the Joint Commission meeting, she called on Indonesian Vice President Muhammad Jusuf and engaged in discussion on "strengthening our strategic partnership", according to External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

On Saturday, Sushma Swaraj and Marsudi will jointly inaugurate the Asean-India Think Tanks Forum before the Indian minister leaves for Singapore on the third and last leg of her tour.
New Delhi, Jan 5 : The CBI on Friday arrested a key member of Tamil Nadu-based banned terrorist organisation Al-Ummah for his involvement in 1993 bomb blast at the Chennai RSS headquarters in which 11 people were killed, an official said.

Mushtaq Ahmed, 56, was arrested from the outskirts of Chennai.

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official said that the investigators were on the hunt for Ahmed since the blast and that an amount of Rs 10 lakh was also announced as a reward for providing information about him.

Ahmed is accused of procuring explosives for assembling the bomb and providing shelter to other accused persons who used RDX on August 8, 1993 to blast the multi-storeyed RSS office at Chetput in Chennai, leaving 11 people dead and seven others injured.

The CBI registered a case in 1993 on the request of Tamil Nadu Government and took over from the state police the investigation of the case which was earlier registered at Chetpet Police Station and later transferred to CB-CID, Chennai.

The agency filed a chargesheet on June 8, 1994 against 18 persons under the stringent provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Explosive Substances Act and Terrorist and Destructive Activities Act (TADA).

Of the 431 witnesses, 224 were examined during the course of the trial which commenced on August 7, 1995.

After the trial, the special court on June 21, 2007 had convicted 11 accused and acquitted four persons, including S.A. Basha, founder of the banned Al-Ummah for lack of evidence against them.

The court abated chartes against two accused persons, who had died during the trial. The trial was pending against Ahmed, who was absconding.

Immam Ali, a suspected ISI agent who had escaped from custody in Madurai, was gunned down in Bengaluru by police on September 29, 2002, while another accused -- Jihad Committee Founder Palani Baba -- was hacked to death by suspected RSS sympathisers on January 28, 1997.
Indore, Jan 5 : At least five persons were killed on Friday when a school bus collided with a truck in Indore in Madhya Pradesh, officials said.

Those killed include four children besides the bus driver, Deputy Inspector General of Police Hari Narayan Chari Mishra told IANS.

The school bus belonged to the Delhi Public School here. The injured children have been admitted to the local Bombay Hospital.

Madhya Pradesh Transport Minister Bhupendra Singh has ordered an enquiry into the accident.
Chennai, Jan 5 : The Madras High Court on Friday directed striking workers to resume work immediately or face disciplinary action after a flash strike by thousands of employees crippled state-run bus services across the state.

But defiant striking unions refused to end the work stoppage unless their demands for better salaries and more were accepted by the government. The unions pledged to appeal against the court order.

Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose said essential services cannot be paralysed and ordered the government to take strict action.

The workers could face suspension or dismissal if they don't resume work. The court intervened following a PIL filed by a journalist who wanted the strike to be declared illegal.

Bus services were hit hard across Tamil Nadu, including Chennai where over 70 per cent of the buses went off the roads.

In many districts, however, more than 90 per cent of the state-run and corporation-run buses stayed off the roads, leaving daily commuters and long-distance travellers stranded.

A. Soundarrajan, President of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Employees Federation, justified the strike and accused the government of taking away Rs 7,000 crore of workers money for business operations and not paying retirement benefits over the past two years.

The strike began on Friday after talks between the unions and the authorities failed to end the stalemate. In some districts, the protest began on Thursday night.

The unions want a 2.57 per cent hike in wages but Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar said the government could only agree to a 2.44 per cent increase.

The government ran a few buses, including private ones hired on contract, with police protection. Strikers got into scuffles with those plying buses in some towns.

Chief Minister K. Palaniswami held meetings with ministers while opposition parties urged the government to accept the workers' demands.

In Chennai, only about 30 per cent of the state-run fleet was operational. In other parts of the state including Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Erode and Salem, private buses came to the rescue of commuters. But officials admitted the situation was grim all across Tamil Nadu.
Geneva, Jan 5 : UN experts have urged Iranian authorities to respect the rights of protestors and voiced concern over Tehran's restriction of social messaging services.

The joint statement by four Special Rapporteurs -- expert advisers to the UN who work on a voluntary basis -- issued on Friday by the UN agency for human rights came eight days after anti-government protests broke out in Iran over corruption, unemployment and price rise, CNN reported.

At least 21 people were killed and 450 arrested in the protests, many in clashes with security forces trying to quell the rallies.

The protests, the most powerful challenge to the regime in years, fizzled on Thursday after a claim by Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Ali Jafari that the unrest was "officially over".

"We are very disturbed by the way the authorities have responded to the protests," the four Special Rapporteurs said in their statement, released by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

"We are also very concerned at reports that the government has blocked the Internet on mobile networks and that social media services like Instagram and messaging services like Telegram were shut down in an attempt to quell the protests," the statement said.

"In some regions, Internet access was blocked altogether. Communication blackouts constitute a serious violation of fundamental rights."

The experts added that the lack of measures to address the causes of the unrest was "disturbing".

"The government's instruction to the Revolutionary Guards to hit hard against the protesters and the judiciary's threats of harsh punishment, are unacceptable.

"We urge the authorities to exercise restraint and respond proportionately in their efforts to control the protests, to limit the use of force to a strict minimum and to fully respect the human rights of the protesters, including their rights to life, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly," the statement said.

The UN experts said they shared the concerns of Iranian civil society groups for those arrested.

The protests began just over a week ago over Iran's stagnant economy and the rising cost of living and developed into a broader outcry against the government.

The UN Security Council was expected convene a meeting on the situation in Iran later in the day.

In Tehran, firebrand cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami delivered a fiery sermon at Friday prayers in which he accused the US and Israel of fomenting protest.

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli claimed that not more than 42,000 people had taken part in the anti-government protests since December 28, according to the semi-official Iranian Student News Agency.

"That isn't a high number of people, Fazli said, adding that protests were "normal occurrences and happen in all countries."
Islamabad, Jan 5 : Amid opposition calls for retaliation, the Pakistan government on Friday accused the US of betrayal and decried "arbitrary deadlines" and "unilateral pronouncements" after the Donald Trump administration suspended an estimated $1 billion in military assistance.

In one of the harshest actions in years between the troubled allies, Washington moved to block the military aid at the end of a contentious week that began with Trump bashing Islamabad for years of "lies & deceit" as well as for harbouring terrorists.

The US State Department officials said they were holding back the aid as an incentive for Islamabad to take "decisive action" to rid its lands of terrorist safe havens. It also placed Pakistan on a watch list of countries failing to protect religious freedom.

"Working towards enduring peace requires mutual respect and trust along with patience and persistence," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Arbitrary deadlines, unilateral pronouncements and shifting goal posts were counterproductive in addressing common threats."

The Ministry defended Islamabad's stance on terrorism, saying that "it has fought the war against terrorism largely from its own resources which has cost over $120 billion in 15 years.

"We are determined to continue to do all it takes to secure the lives of our citizens and broader stability in the region."

In an interview on Thursday with the Geo News channel, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said that the US was now neither a friend nor ally, but "a friend who always betrays". He also accused Trump of "speaking the language of India".

Pakistan's opposition, meanwhile, called for concrete actions to retaliate.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan said Pakistan should "delink" itself from the US after its humiliation "by an ungrateful Donald Trump".

Addressing a fiery press conference outside his residence in Islamabad, Khan called the Pakistan government to expel some US diplomatic personnel and cut off supply routes for the US-led coalition forces from the port city of Karachi to landlocked Afghanistan, as well as close its airspace to US forces.

The political elite of Pakistan were responsible for the threats and strained relations between the two countries, Khan said, referring to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government.

The US has given Pakistan more than $20 billion in reimbursements and military assistance since 2002, but that aid has diminished over the years, to the point that Pakistani officials have insisted its suspension will have minimal impact, the New York Times reported.

"The suspension is arguably more significant as a signal of Washington's discontent than as an act of financial deprivation," said Joshua T. White, an Asia analyst who was director of South Asian affairs at the National Security Council during the Obama years.

"The Trump administration has likely sketched out an escalation strategy, and would be wise to pause after Thursday's announcement to give Pakistan the opportunity to quietly address US concerns."
New Delhi, Jan 5 : The Delhi government is mulling requesting Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to hand over Kathputli Colony here to the city-government-administered Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) for rehabilitation of its displaced residents, informed sources said.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA), of which Baijal is the Chairman, had demolished the colony in October 2017 for redevelopment and the incident triggered violence.

The DDA had handed over rehabilitation of the Kathputli Colony, in west Delhi, to a private company, Raheja Developers, in 2007.

An official close to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told IANS that no work has been done in the colony in the past nine years and the government proposes to ask Baijal to hand over the colony's rehabilitation work to DUSIB.

"The 13 acres of land (Kathputli Colony) worth Rs 1,000 crore was handed over to Raheja Developers for Rs 6 crore and they have not done anything in the past nine years. This is a scam," the official said.

On Thursday, Kejriwal had written to Baijal asking him to hand over 333 slum clusters on DDA land in the city to the Delhi government for rehabilitation.

"Of this 13 acres (Kathputli Colony), a huge portion of land will be used by the private builder (Raheja Developers) for construction and sale of a large number of flats and commercial space in open market to private people in this prime location of Delhi," Kejriwal had written in his letter to Baijal.

The official said the developer would earn a "profit of Rs 700 crore" through this and said that if handed over to the government, they would make more flats available to the public and save crores of rupees of public money.
Mumbai, Jan 5 : Mumbai police on Friday denied permission for a lecture by pro-Hindutva leader and Shri Shiv Pratisthan chief Sambhaji V. Bhide, two days after it cancelled a lecture by Gujarat Dalit legislator Jignesh Mewani and JNU student leader Umar Khalid.

Bhide was scheduled to deliver a lecture in Lalbaug on Sunday in the wake of the January 1 Koregaon-Bhima riots followed by the violence during the Maharashtra shutdown on January 3.

"In view of the recent developments and the manner in which Bhide Guruji's name is being linked with the Koregaon-Bhima incidents, we have decided to postpone the lecture to avoid any disturbances," Pratishthan spokesperson Balwant Dalvi said here.

Earlier on Friday, Bhide denied all allegations against him vis-a-vis the violence in Koregaon-Bhima as "baseless" and demanded a thorough probe into the incident by the Maharashtra government.

He broke his silence after the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) President Prakash Ambedkar levelled against him allegations of having incited violence on January 1 in Koregaon-Bhima where Dalits had congregated to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Anglo-Maratha war.

"Prakash Ambedkar's allegations against me are totally baseless. I urge the government to probe the incidents properly and punish the guilty. If I am found guilty, I am ready for the consequences," asserted Bhide, known as "Guruji" among his followers in large parts of western Maharashtra.

The controversial rightwing leader and a former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activist expressed his willingness to face any inquiry panel or probe that the state government might set up, as demanded by Ambedkar.

Bhide dismissed Ambedkar's statements that he (Bhide) was present near Koregaon-Bhima and responsible for the caste riots as "fake", and said his name was being deliberately dragged into the entire matter.

The 87-year-old leader, an ex-professor holding an M.Sc. degree in Nuclear Science, demanded that anybody who perpetrated the violence should be booked and dealt with sternly by the law and, if required, the matter should be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

On January 2, the Pune police slapped cases against Bhide and Hindu Ekta Samiti chief Milind Ekbote under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and the Indian Penal Code after the January 1 rioting in Koregaon-Bhima, which left one youth from Nanded dead.

On Thursday, a day after the massive "Maharashtra Shutdown", which turned violent and left the Nanded schoolboy dead, Bhide issued a statement to the media explaining that his organisation worked for awakening the spirit of nationalism among Hindus.

Referring to the cases lodged against him, he claimed that the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act was being misused in many cases.

For the past four days, Ambedkar has been making persistent demands for the arrest of both Bhide and Ekbote, accusing them of instigating the violence.

Most Dalits consider the historic battle on January 1, 1818 as a "victory" of the lower castes vis-a-vis the upper caste Peshwas and gather there in huge numbers at the annual commemoration events.

Acceding to Ambedkar's pleas, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced a probe into the incidents by a sitting judge of Bombay High Court, a CID probe and compensation for the victim's family.

The state government on Friday made a formal request to the acting Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, seeking appointment of a judge for the probe.
New Delhi, Jan 5 : The winter session of Parliament saw the opposition targeting the government on a number of issues, including the triple talaq bill, which could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha despite strenuous efforts by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The government was, however, able to push some of its legislative agenda during the session, which had got delayed due to the Gujarat Assembly elections.

The session concluded on a note of confrontation over the triple talaq bill, with a joint opposition insisting that it should be sent to a select committee to address its "shortcomings".

The opposition also attacked the government on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat polls, the violence in Maharashtra and Minister of State for Skill Development Anant Kumar Hegde's remarks concerning the Constitution.

The opposition raised the terror incident in Kashmir, in which five CRPF personnel were killed, also raised concerns over the first National Register of Citizens draft in Assam, which had several prominent names missing.

Apart from the triple talaq bill, which is set to be taken up in the budget session beginning January 29, another priority bill for the government -- on granting constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes -- could not be passed in the winter session.

The session, which began on December 15, had 13 sittings over 22 days. The productivity of Lok Sabha was 91.58 per cent and that of Rajya Sabha 56.29 per cent.

The Lok Sabha saw introduction of 14 bills, out of which 13 were passed. The Rajya Sabha passed nine bills.

PRS Legislative Research, which tracks the functioning of Parliament, said the winter session was the shortest since 2009, but a large proportion of time was spent on legislative business -- the highest since 2014.

However, discussions on general topics were the lowest since 2014, and fewer bills were sent to House committees.

Trina Roy, Program Officer of the PRS Legislative Research, said fewer bills being referred to committees raises a question "if there is adequate scrutiny before the laws are enacted".

"At the beginning of the session, the government had announced an extensive legislative agenda of around 39 bills to be passed, but only 10 of these were cleared. Fifteen new bills were also brought in by the government and only one of them was sent to a committee," Roy told IANS.

The Lok Sabha saw an engaging discussion on the bill related to hiking salaries of judges of Supreme Court and high courts, with several members complaining of encroachment upon the legislature's powers by the judiciary.

The session saw passage of the second and third batches of supplementary demands for grants -- Rs 66,113 crore and Rs 80,000 crore, respectively -- as also the related appropriation bills by the Lok Sabha. The bills will be deemed to be passed by the Rajya Sabha.

Three bills replacing ordinances -- Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Bill, Indian Forest (Amendment) Bill and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill -- were passed by the Lok Sabha. The bill on GST will also be deemed to be passed by the Rajya Sabha as it is a money bill.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made a statement during the session on the visit of mother and wife of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav to Pakistan and accused the neighbouring country of committing serious and gross violation of human rights of the family members.

The External Affairs Minister Sushma also accused Pakistan of creating an intimidating atmosphere for his wife and mother.

Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu made a statement on the "India's stand at WTO".

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar termed the session as "successful" and blamed the Congress for not allowing passage of the triple talaq bill.

"We hope the Congress will understand the public opinion on the issue, reconsider their stand and pass it in the budget session. There is anger among people on this issue," Kumar told reporters.

Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad accused the Modi government of "misleading" Muslim women on the bill that seeks to criminalise instant triple talaq.
New Delhi, Jan 5 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday hit out at the Narendra Modi government for not bringing in the Jan Lokpal, and asked how long will it lie.

"Beet gaye chaar saal, Nahi aaya Lokpal, Janta puche ek sawaal, Kabtak bajaoge jhuti taal (Four years have passed, Lokpal has not been implemented, People ask one question, till when will you play the rhythm of lies).," said Gandhi on Twitter in a poetic dig at the government.

"Are the 'defenders of democracy' and 'harbingers of accountability' listening? #FindingLokpal," he added attaching a December 18, 2013 tweet of then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying: "Am very proud of the positive and proactive role played by BJP MPs under the leadership of @SushmaSwarajbjp and @Arunjaitley in passing Lokpal Bill."
New Delhi, Jan 5 : The Supreme Court on Friday said it was not a "super guardian" as it allowed a woman, who is legally an adult, to stay with her father in Kuwait and pursue her career, rejecting the mother's plea that she was in his illegal custody.

"The daughter is entitled to enjoy her freedom as the law permits and the court should not assume the role of a super guardian being moved by any kind of sentiment of the mother or the egotism of the father. We say so without any reservation," said the bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud.

"It needs no special emphasis to state that attaining the age of majority in an individual's life has its own significance. She/he is entitled to make her/his choice. The courts cannot, as long as the choice remains, assume the role of parens patriae," said the order pronounced by Chief Justice Misra.

The court order came after the woman, who became an adult on September 19, 2016, told the court that she was pursuing graduation from the Indira Gandhi National Open University and doing an internship in Huawei Technologies Kuwait Co. W.L.L. and wanted to go back to Kuwait to pursue her career.

She conveyed her choice in person as the court, in its earlier order, had asked her to be present in person.

The court was hearing a plea by Soni Gerry, the woman's mother, who had alleged that her daughter was in illegal custody of her (Soni Gerry's) husband Gerry Douglas.

The court did not accept the contention of the lawyer appearing for the mother that the woman's "opinion was not an informed one as she has been pressurised by the father".

"In such a situation, we are of the considered opinion that as a major, she is entitled to exercise her choice and freedom, and the court cannot get into the aspect whether she has been forced by the father or not," the court said.

"There may be ample reasons on her behalf to go back to her father in Kuwait, but we are not concerned with her reasons. What she has stated before the court, that alone matters and that is the heart of the reasoning for this court, which keeps all controversies at bay," the court said.

The court directed the husband to pay Rs 50,000 to Soni Gerry when their son comes to Kerala, where she lives, to spend his summer vacation with his mother. The son studies in Kuwait.

Earlier, the Kerala High Court had rejected Soni Gerry's habeas corpus plea, holding that daughter has attained 18 years of age in 2016.
New Delhi, Jan 5 : Four eunuchs have been arrested in the national capital on charges of killing a man over a financial dispute, Delhi Police said on Friday.

Police said the accused eunuchs, Kuldeep and his three accomplices -- Anamika, Ajay and Sandeep, all in the age group of 20-25 -- are residents of Mangolpuri and Sultanpuri areas in west Delhi. They were arrested on Thursday from their hideout in the same area.

"On the intervening night of December 16 and 17, 2017, the accused killed one Mohit, 25, and dumped his body near a CNG pump in Sector-22 of Rohini. We later found that Mohit used to stay with the eunuchs," Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta said.

"The investigation revealed that before killing Mohit, the accused searched for him as he had stolen some money from Kuldeep. They were arrested after police teams examined several transgenders in Rohini area," Gupta said.

"During interrogation, they told police that Mohit had stolen Kuldeep's money from his residence. In a fit of rage, they caught Mohit on December 16 and took him to Sandeep's residence where they thrashed him until he died.

"They kept the body the whole day and later dumped it near the CNG pump in Sector-22 of Rohini," the officer added.
New Delhi, Jan 5 : Women are now eligible to serve in the Territorial Army as the Delhi High Court on Friday said that any provision of any Act that bars or discriminates women in the recruitment transgresses the fundamental rights of equality provided under the Constitution.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar gave the go ahead to recruitment of women in the TA, the second line of defence after the regular Army, saying the restriction is "neither reasonable nor rational".

"It is declared that 'any person' mentioned in section 6 of the Territorial Army Act, 1948 includes both males as well as females," said the court, adding that government has "failed to show any decision of policy, let alone binding policy, enabling them to deny opportunity to the women to serve in all units of the TA".

"No rationale has been offered to justify or sustain the action of the respondents (government) enforcing a bar against recruitment of women through their advertisements," said the order.

Quashing advertisements issued in the year 2015 and 2016 inviting application from men only for joining TA, the bench said: "The impugned advertisements to the extent they exclude women from appointment to the Territorial Army and the claimed policy in this regard are ultra vires of Articles 14, 15, 16 and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution of India and are hereby quashed."

It added that these advertisements imposing a blanket bar on appointment of women to both departmental and non-departmental battalions of the TA "without any credible, reasonable or compelling justification for imposing such restrictions".

TA comprises volunteers who get military training in order to be mobilised for the country's defence in case of an emergency.

It is part of the regular Indian army and its present declared role is to relieve the regular army from static duties and assist the civil administration in dealing with natural calamities and maintenance of essential services in situations when life of communities is affected or the security of the country is threatened as well as to provide units for the regular army as and when required.

The court's order came on a PIL filed by petitioner Kush Kalra, who alleged institutionalised discrimination against women for not being recruited in the TA.

Kalra had contended that the government has a duty to ensure that there is no discrimination practiced by anyone in the country and non-recruitment of female candidates who are gainfully employed is against the spirit of the Constitution.

The bench in its order also stated there is not an iota of empirical or statistical data or any scientific study or analysis produced by the government to justify such policy prohibiting recruitment of women as manifested by the impugned advertisement.
Kolkata, Jan 6 : The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Friday said it has arrested a Nigerian national from the citA and recovered around 170 gram of cocaine valued at Rs 1 crore from his possession.

Acting on a tip off, the officials of the agency arrested Kevin Edward James, who was to hand over the consignment on behalf of his associates, who are running the drug racket from Mumbai.

"Preliminary enquiry revealed that James, 28 is indulging in trafficking of narcotic drugs in many cities in India including Kolkata," NCB's Zonal Director Dilip Kumar Srivastava said.

The accused revealed that the stuff were brought to India from the source country by swallowing and concealing inside the body cavities and sold to the customers and local peddlers in different cities in India, the agency said in a statement.

"Accused revealed that this type of delivery has already been done in past on two occasions in Kolkata. The ultimate recipient of these stimulant narcotics drug are the people from elite class of the society," it said.

James usually sold the drug at Rs 60,000 per gram in the Indian market whereas he also revealed that the value of the seized cocaine in international illegal market is Rs. one crore, Srivastava added.
Ujjain, Jan 6 : Ujjain city of Madhya Pradesh, better known for its Mahakaleshwar temple, has turned into the centre of political activities these days, with both RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and BJP president Amit Shah present there.

While Bhagwat has been camping in Ujjain since December 30, Shah arrived in the city on Friday and soon after held a closed-door meeting with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief.

According to informed sources, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Shah and Bhagwat discussed the political situation in both state and at the national level in view of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly election due later this year and parliamentary polls next year.

They also hinted at some changes in the Madhya Pradesh unit of the party. It would be interesting to see whether the changes in state BJP is done in consultation with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan or the RSS has the final say, they added.

After the meeting, both Bhagwat and Shah, accompanied by Chouhan, visited the Shaiva Kala Sangam Exhibition in thye city.
"Over 1,000 action-filled pages picture a future where the cost of war is inconceivable." - Robert Fletcher, CEO of Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Agency

At the end of the 21st century, an exodus of Northern Europeans in a colony spaceship heads for Alpha Centauri. They never arrive.

The ship is trapped in a worm-hole for two years, until it emerges in the star fields of the Larger Magellanic Cloud, one of two small companion galaxies of the Milky Way. Theres no way back to Earth for the colonists.

"Pax Magellanica: Reichworld" follows the powerful van Diemen family, who are voyagers of the colony ship looking for a new home.

Stars are plentiful in the galaxies, but humans are not. There are riches to be found in space, especially for the great trading houses, which includes the van Diemens. Over the centuries, these houses have competed for territory and wealth.

When two life forms are encountered  a benign entity as well as a voracious pack of frightening dog-like warriors  mankind is outnumbered and losing the fight for survival. The best human minds call for a new brotherhood, known as the reich, to defeat the enemy. Bio-ships are created, and special pilots are needed to run them, including Axel van Diemen, a man who has everything to lose.

War breaks out across the universe between aliens and men in this powerful science fiction saga. Over 1,000 action-filled pages picture a future where the cost of war is inconceivable. We are thrilled to be the publisher, said Robert Fletcher, CEO of Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Agency.

About the Author: Now retired, Michael Lingaard was born in Manchester, England, moved with his family to New Zealand, studied engineering, and then ended up in Australia, where he married and raised a family.

PAX MAGELLANICA: REICHWORLD (ISBN: 978-1-946540-89-8) is now available for $43.99 and can be ordered through the publishers website:

http://sbprabooks.com/MichaelLingaard or at Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com.

WHOLESALERS: This book is distributed by Ingram Books and other wholesale distributors. Contact your representative with the ISBN for purchase. Wholesale purchase for retailers, universities, libraries, and other organizations is also available through the publisher; please email bookorder(at)sbpra.net.
With Canons 120 megapixel image sensor, we will develop the MACHCAM 120, a camera that can be used in machine vision applications and to digitize archival materials at an extremely high resolution, meeting stringent imaging guidelines...

The Crowley Company will exhibit as one of Canon U.S.A., Inc.s visionaries at the Consumer Technology Associations CES expo in Booth 16206. The firm will demonstrate the use of Canon EOS 5Ds R cameras in its digital imaging operations and will highlight a concept camera utilizing Canons 120-megapixel (MP) image sensor.

We are excited to introduce The Crowley Company as one of Canons visionaries at this years CES, said Ross Held, senior vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies and Communications Group, Canon, U.S.A., Inc. By leveraging our technologies to explore the development of Canons 120- megapixel image sensor into a high-resolution camera, The Crowley Company is innovating new concepts of imaging and showcasing the true essence of being a Canon visionary.

Notes Christopher Crowley, The Crowley Company president, Weve successfully engineered a 71MP camera for use in the security, machine vision and cultural heritage industries. With Canons 120-megapixel image sensor, we will develop the MACHCAM 120, a camera that can be used in machine vision applications and to digitize archival materials at an extremely high resolution, meeting stringent imaging guidelines such as FADGI, metamorfoze and others. He continues, As the preservation and records management industries rapidly move toward a consolidation of imaging specifications, it is essential that cameras and scanners are developed to meet these specs. Currently, there are very few products on the market  and none that are complete at this resolution  that can meet these specifications.

The Crowley Company has one of the largest service bureaus in the nation headquartered in Frederick, Maryland. The bureau employs, among other Canon products, an impressive number of Canon EOS 5Ds R cameras with specialized lenses to digitize images from photographs, film negatives, color slides, glass plates and other graphic arts media. We use Canon cameras for their speed, image quality and durability, says Crowley. The collections that we digitize number in the millions of images, such as those completed for the LIFE Photo Archive. Each image is digitized manually so we are constantly on the search for products and processes that enhance productivity while ensuring maximum image quality. Canon superior technology and quality has been a good fit.

The firm also manufactures the production-level Mekel Technology and Wicks and Wilson brand microfilm and microfiche scanners and overhead document scanners that are used worldwide to digitize large volumes of microform, books and other materials for in-house or public access. As with the MACHCAM 120, Crowley continues to engineer and manufacture digitization solutions for proprietary and commercial use.

Visitors to CES can stop by Booth 16206 to discuss cultural heritage digitization and machine vision applications with Crowley and Canon professionals.

About The Crowley Company

The Crowley Company is a world leader in digital imaging technologies and services, manufacturing and utilizing front-end capture systems for the purposes of archival preservation and records management.

About Canon USA, Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean (excluding Mexico) markets. With approximately $29 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. ranks third overall in U.S. patents granted in 2016 Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes in the United States. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. In 2014, the Canon Americas Headquarters secured LEED Gold certification, a recognition for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of high-performance green buildings. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting http://www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA. For media inquiries, please contact pr(at)cusa.canon(dot)com.

 Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

About CES

CES is the worlds gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. With over 170,000 attendees from more than 150 countries, CES is a platform for innovators of all sizes to build their brands. Every major technology company on the planet participates in CES in some way  by exhibiting, speaking, sponsoring, attending or holding co-located events and business meetings.

#CES2018 #crowleyscans #canonusa
Precision Vision - locations in Oklahoma This groundbreaking development is great news for our patients in Oklahoma and the future of our practice; we are excited to again be on the cusp of innovation in eye care.

The first intraocular lens (IOL) capable of post cataract surgery modifications has been given the green light by the FDA. Precision Vision, an eye care and surgery center with four offices in Oklahoma, is one of many practices considering this technology in 2018. The RxSight Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) is the only FDA-approved IOL that offers this type of adjustment.

The LAL and the accompanying Light Delivery Device (LDD) greatly improve refractive precision, which prior to this development was impossible to promise despite estimates and measurements made before surgery. Patients in an FDA study of 600 who received treatment with the LDD and LAL had uncorrected visual acuity of at least 20/20 at twice the rate of individuals who received a monofocal lens.

The aging process can cause the natural lens of the eye to become clouded, resulting in a cataract. A leading cause of preventable blindness, cataract removal is one of the most common and safest surgical procedures around the world. The use of the Light Delivery Device and Light Adjustable Lens further refines cataract surgery by making refractive alterations to the lens possible once the cataract has been removed.

Nearly half of patients who have had traditional cataract surgery require glasses for distance afterwards. The Light Adjustable Lens significantly diminishes the use of prescription glasses after cataract surgery. Via the LAL and LDD technology, individual prescriptions are applied directly to the lens. Light treatment adjusts the curvature of the lens based on the patients prescription to achieve the needed visual outcome. Dr. Darrell J. Pickard, Precision Visions principal ophthalmologist, was the first Oklahoma City surgeon to offer laser cataract surgery and dropless cataract surgery. This groundbreaking development is great news for our patients in Oklahoma and the future of our practice; we are excited to again be on the cusp of innovation in eye care, Dr. Pickard said.

Dr. Pickard is a board-certified ophthalmologist and cataract and LASIK surgeon. His specialties include advanced cataract surgery, lens implants, and refractive surgery with an emphasis on LASIK and PRK. Dr. Pickard grew up in the Mid-Del area and has practiced in and around Oklahoma City with Precision Vision for nearly 25 years. He attended Oklahoma Christian College, Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, and the University of Texas Health Sciences in San Antonio. Dr. Pickard is also a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract Refractive Surgery, the American Medical Association, and the Oklahoma State Medical Association.

Dr. Pickard and the surgeons at Precision Vision are considering use of the Light Adjustable Lens and the Light Delivery Device in cataract surgeries this coming year.

About Precision Vision Eye Care and Surgery Center:

Precision Vision has provided Oklahoma with full-service eye care for over 30 years. Their core value is to deliver premier eye care to their patients using the latest technology combined with a compassionate touch and decades of expertise. R. Randall Robinson, MD, opened the first Precision Vision location in Midwest City in 1981. Dr. Pickard joined the practice 12 years later and worked closely with Dr. Robinson for 11 years. Doctors Selina McGee, OD, and Cris Thompson, DO, joined in 2002 and 2014 respectively.

To learn more or to schedule an appointment, call (405) 733-4545 or visit precisionvisionOK.com.
PPOk today announced the retirement of Lonny Wilson, D.Ph., as CEO. The board of directors elected John Crumly, D.Ph., to be the companys next CEO, effective April 1, 2018, adding to Crumlys current responsibilities as President of MaxCare and Executive Vice President of PPOk.

We thank Lonny for his outstanding leadership of PPOk, said Crumly. During Lonnys tenure, the company experienced significant growth which has helped our independent member pharmacies in Oklahoma and around the United States to continue competing in a very complex and everchanging marketplace while serving patients in their communities.

Wilson received his Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 1973. He has served as the CEO of PPOk since 1989, was named President of RxLinc in 1998, and served as the National Community Pharmacists Associations President from 2011-12. Throughout his accomplished career Wilson has received many awards, including the Southwestern Oklahoma State University School of Pharmacy Outstanding Alumni Award in 1990 and the Deans Distinguished Service Award in 2012. Most recently, Wilson received the prestigious NCPA Calvin J. Anthony Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.

As CEO, Wilson has been instrumental in adding to the companys mission of becoming an innovative-leading and more strategic organization. Under Wilsons leadership, PPOk has seen growth and success as the organization completes its 32nd year in business.

I am grateful and deeply honored to have had the opportunity to lead PPOk for the last 28 years. I am very proud of what my PPOk colleagues have been able to accomplish together over three decades of both successes and challenges.

The organizations board of directors have elected Crumly as CEO, effective April 1, 2018. Crumlys career with PPOk and MaxCare spans 16 years. Wilson said, Johns decisive leadership and vast experiences across the entire landscape within the pharmacy industry uniquely qualifies him to step into this role in April.

I am excited for the opportunity to lead PPOk, particularly during a time of great challenge and unique opportunity within the community pharmacy industry. We will stand by the values in which our Board of Directors has communicated and Lonny has championed over the years, yet act resolutely to uphold our strong competitive position within the industry. We will be laser focused in our mission to make sure patients have the choice to receive high-quality pharmacy services in their own community.

PPOk is committed to cost containment strategies and information management. PPOk provides services for over 3800 pharmacies nationwide. PPOks sole purpose is to ensure the viability, success, and competitiveness of its participating pharmacies. More news and information about PPOk can be viewed at http://www.ppok.com
SipcamRotam Our combined customer base has had the exposure to broader plant protection solutions and we have learned even better ways to serve them.

Rotam North America and Sipcam Agro USA, Inc. have announced that their Joint Venture SipcamRotam LLC will be separated at the end of 2017. The Joint Venture was formed in 2016 for the marketing and sales of crop protection products in the United States.

The two companies will retain individual rights to manufacture, market and sell their individually-owned products to distribution channel partners. Customers of both companies can expect no interruption in service or in product delivery. The JV will legally expire December 31, 2017.

We entered into the joint venture to increase product availability to our distribution partners, said Steve Slaveck, Country Manager of the US and Canada. Both companies have now expanded individual market access and were looking forward to continuing to provide exceptional customer service and high-quality agricultural products to our customers.

Both companies will continue to develop, register and sell new products with the active ingredients growers need. Both companies agree the primary focus is their customers, and will continue to collaborate to bring new agronomic solutions to the market.

The joint venture was a worthy enterprise for our customers and our companies, said Adam Burnhams, General Manager of SipcamRotam. Our combined customer base has had the exposure to broader plant protection solutions and we have learned even better ways to serve them.

About Rotam

Rotam (http://www.rotam.com) is a fast-growing international organization operating in Crop Protection, Turf & Ornamental, Public Health and Veterinary sectors. Excellence and innovation may not be what you first associate with off-patent crop protection chemistry, but thats exactly what Rotam stands for. State-of-the-art facilities house our research and development, while our global registration and manufacturing draw on the highest caliber expertise. Our product development teams pioneer the use of innovative technologies to remove impurities, improve safety and enhance delivery systems. We work on a global platform, but offer local crop protection solutions. Rotam has a worldwide presence with direct operations in over 60 countries, with a corporate office in Hong Kong, principal manufacturing base in China and operations split into 9 regions.

About Sipcam Agro USA, Inc.

Sipcam Agro USA, Inc. is proud to play an important role in the production, distribution, and marketing of plant protection products and Biostimulants in the agricultural, turf, and ornamental industries, as well as in the material preservation industry. Headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, Sipcam Agro is owned by the Sipcam-Oxon Group, a private company based in Italy and recognized worldwide for its formulation and manufacturing expertise. Sipcam-Oxon Group is present in all key world agro market and has demonstrated the excellence of Italian creativity in the field of agro chemicals for over 70 years. In addition, recent partnership and acquisitions by Sipcam-Oxon group has further expanded its market share in the growing fertilizer and bio-solutions segments.
Arsenal Firearms SHOT Show Banner, Created by Xibit Solutions Attendees can get the feel of the brand exhibiting right off the bat, even from all the way across the expo hall, because our designs are so focused

The 2018 Shot Show is right around the corner, and this years event marks the 40th anniversary of the biggest tactical self-defense trade show on the planet.

The show opens on Tuesday, January 23, at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Last years event surpassed 65,000 attendees, and this show could be even bigger as it marks the 40th anniversary of the expos founding in 1978. Former congressman and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Allen West will be a keynote speaker.

Companies of nearly every size in the industry flock to the Shot Show because of the huge exposure, passionate attendees, and the general excitement the event offers. They look to custom trade show booth builders as well as modular trade show booth rental companies to help them stand out on the busy show floor.

Xibit Solutions, which offers both services in addition to custom graphics and install/dismantle services, looks forward to helping businesses of all sizes and scopes make an impact at an event that can lead to significant sales and lucrative contracts.

Brands like Norma, FAB Defense, the Mako Group, WPA, and Fausti have procured custom and modular trade show exhibits from Xibit Solutions that draw attention while representing the unique values of the brand. Faustis booth, for instance, took the form of a simulated wood display featuring their heirloom-style vintage inspired product line on elegant racks. FAB defense booths instead highlighted the tactical side of the industry, boasting the brands ties with the Israeli Defense Force and advanced technologies.

Our favorite thing is to approach each brand as a unique challenge, says Xibit Solutions owner Richard Spinella. We envision a booth that helps encapsulate the feel of the brand while trying to meet the exhibitors budget and their unique goals behind attendance.

Spinella says that one of the most surprising aspects of trade show booth design is how modular and portable designs can come together to create something that feels custom-made.

Attendees can get the feel of the brand exhibiting right off the bat, even from all the way across the expo hall, because our designs are so focused, explains Spinella.

His company will represent X tactical defense brands at this years Shot Show, and he says he is more excited than ever to see the results.

40 is a big number, and many of these companies have been coming here for years. Youre usually able to feel the excitement coming through the building, but Im getting jitters just thinking about it now.

Companies interested in exhibiting at next years Shot Show or any trade event exhibition in Las Vegas can learn more about Xibit Solutions services by visiting: http://www.xibitsolutions.com.

About Xibit Solutions

Richard Spinella founded Xibit Solutions in 2001 after working for 14 years as a sales leader in the biggest trade show contracting company in the world. Spinella learned to construct his own booths for clients using mastery techniques which are now utilized by skilled personnel within the company. Since that time, Xibit Solutions has grown to become a market leader in the trade show industry both in terms of volume and quality of achievement.
National Aquarium Deep Dive into Secure Communications With the Azure AD Single Sign-on the reduction in time and aggravation is immeasurable.

Enabling Technologies, focused on Enabling Secure Productivity in the Cloud, helps the National Aquarium save real money and aggravation with their secure communications and collaboration infrastructure.

The challenge for the Aquarium was how to quickly communicate across multiple facilities as well as scale with Azure Active Directory without spending on infrastructure. The initial Azure Active Directory single sign-on was greeted with enthusiasm by Les Kidwell, Director of Technology. With our seasonal staffing needs, our deployment of Single Sign-on was a big win. It enabled us to reduce password resets and lockouts that plagued HR and IT teams. The reduction in time spent and aggravation is immeasurable.

Sam Tawiah, CTO relies on Enabling for new cloud security initiatives as well. The Single Sign-on (SSO) project is not something I wouldve entertained doing on our own, he said. You want to work with a provider that has been there before. Using Enabling made that seamless, and we knew they would meet their commitment when done.

Since its opening in 1981, the National Aquarium has consistently ranked as one of the nations top three aquariums. Such lofty recognition requires the organization to put a premium on protecting the data of its customers and employees. One of the main goals Ive set for this year, and an area thats wildly important, is security, and improvement of our Office 365 Secure Score, said Tawiah, Were also looking to reduce the risk of phishing through Enablings PhishHunter solution.

Selling security to management has been easy, stated Tawiah, because they hear news of all these breaches. The leadership team has embraced new behaviors like Multifactor Authentication (MFA). The Aquarium uses MFA for IT already and will enforce conditional MFA to prompt users with a second factor only when off-campus.

As one of Marylands largest paid tourist attractions, success breeds success. Tawiah said, I hear this all the time, like when we first rolled out SSO for the first application, users said, Wow, I like that! and started demanding more. Thats when you know youve made an impact!

About Enabling Technologies:

Enabling Technologies is the leading Systems integrator of Microsoft Office 365 solutions. Enabling has 25 years of messaging and real-time communications experience and over 1500 deployments of Microsoft Skype for Business/Lync, Exchange and Exchange Unified Messaging and Office 365. Enablings tried-and-true processes have helped customers minimize risk, maximize existing investments, and optimize the end-user UC experience. Enabling takes an all-inclusive approach to projects, mastering the technical components while also optimizing the people and process side to technology rollouts. We specialize in secure Cloud solutions including Office 365 and Azure AD, Multifactor Authentication, Intune, Azure Information Protection, Cloud App Security, and Azure Security Center. Having Enabling design, implement, and proactively monitor your Office 365 and Skype for Business systems is the first step to changing the way your workforce thinks about communications, for the better. Enabling Technologies staff is comprised of seasoned, certified IT professionals who work with a range of next-generation technologies and can recommend and implement the right solution for our customers. As validation, Enabling Technologies, a four-time recipient of the Microsoft Partner of the Year award, has provided professional services and solutions to organizations of various sizes from such diverse industries as government, legal, financial, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and medical.

For additional information: Elle Vollerthum - 443.625.5112 evollerthum(at)enablingtechcorp(dot)com
Juan Dominguez I started my law firm 30 years ago in Los Angeles, California and because of our dedicated staff at The Dominguez Firm, Im honored and privileged to be in the position to give back to children in need.

On Friday, January 5, 2018, attorney Juan J. Dominguez will be cutting the ribbon on a brand new housing building at Los Angelitos Orphanage. The new building includes a kitchen and dining room as well as dormitory style rooms totaling 22 additional beds for the children of Los Angelitos. The building will be named after Mr. Dominguez, its principal donor.

Los Angelitos Orphanage is a Tijuana, Mexico based home for abandoned and homeless children. It was founded in 2003 by Norma Angelica Contreras and Ed Perry to provide children a place to live, learn, and grow in a safe, family style environment.

Los Angelitos is 100 percent funded by private donations, said Mr. Perry. Through the generous donations of Mr. Dominguez, we broke ground on our new building about three years ago. Mr. Dominguez then provided the subsequent donations to finish the building. We could not be more excited heading into the New Year - our 15th year.

Los Angelitos has an approximate monthly budget of $5,000 that covers all housing costs, food, water, school supplies, uniforms and tuition, medical and dental coverage, transportation, child care, and payroll for five staff. Los Angelitos is currently at capacity with 20 children and the new building will more than double that.

Mr. Dominguez said, I started my law firm 30 years ago in Los Angeles, California and because of our dedicated staff at The Dominguez Firm, Im honored and privileged to be in the position to give back to children in need.

Los Angelitos services children 1-21 years old and has seen several of its children make it into college. Nadia is one such success story. She was just 6 years old when she first arrived at Los Angelitos and has only one year left to earn her law degree from Universidad Xochicalco in Tijuana, Mexico

I want to give a big thank you to Mr. Juan Dominguez for his help with Los Angelitos, Nadia said. Without his help, my life would not have been possible, and I am excited to follow him in the legal profession

The Dominguez Firm donates to over 50 charities and has been giving to Los Angelitos for the last eight years. Los Angelitos is one of my favorite charities to support because of the very important work that they perform, said Mr. Dominguez. So much of what we do at the The Dominguez Firm is about providing the individual with dignity and a voice in a court of law. Likewise, Los Angelitos provides children an equal footing and a chance to succeed in life when they otherwise might not. When I hear stories like Nadias, I could not be prouder.

For more information about Los Angelitos Orphanage, including information about how to support or donate, please visit its website at http://www.losangelitos.org.

Media Contact: Miriam Serrano, miriam.serrano@dominguezfirm.com
Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP, a leading investment management boutique law firm, has acquired Cott Law Group, P.C. to operate as Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLPs Atlanta office. In addition to its strong national presence and recognition as a leading law firm to both emerging and existing asset managers, Cole-Frieman & Mallon has developed an industry-leading cryptocurrency fund formation practice. Cott Law Group and its founder, Kevin Cott, have also been at the forefront of the cryptocurrency trend and developed a similarly aligned practice.

Kevin has developed a strong national investment management practice that caters to both emerging and established asset managers, said Karl Cole-Frieman, co-founder of the firm. It is evident he has a focus on providing high-end legal representation to groups along the asset spectrum, and his ability to work with all manager sizes fits nicely with our firms focus on providing appropriately tailored legal advice to our clients.

I am excited to be joining Cole-Frieman & Mallon to extend its presence in the Southeast and nationally. The Atlanta office will be able to provide clients with the same attention to detail, responsiveness, and sophistication we pride ourselves on, but now with the backing and resources of the preeminent investment management boutique in the country, said Mr. Cott.

Mr. Cott has more than a decade of experience in the investment management space and has developed a national practice working with managers of all sizes and asset classes to structure and launch domestic and offshore funds. I have known Kevin for a number of years, and Karl and I have always thought highly of Kevins work and his attention to providing legal advice in the right way. We are excited to have an Atlanta office and for the continued growth of the firm in 2018 and beyond, added Bart Mallon, co-founder of Cole-Frieman & Mallon.

The firm counts among its 700+ clients some of the countrys largest fund managers and most prominent cryptocurrency managers, and manages over 80 private fund launches annually. Cole-Frieman & Mallons Atlanta office will be centrally located at One Buckhead Plaza, 3060 Peachtree Road NW, Suite 240.

About Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP

Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP is a premier boutique investment management law firm, providing top-tier, responsive and cost-effective legal solutions for financial services matters. Headquartered in San Francisco, and with offices in Boston and Atlanta, Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP has an international practice that services both start-up investment managers, as well as multi-billion dollar firms. The firm provides a full suite of legal services to the investment management community, including: hedge fund, private equity fund, venture capital fund, and mutual fund formation, adviser registration, counterparty documentation, SEC, CFTC, NFA and FINRA matters, seed deals, hedge fund due diligence, employment and compensation matters, and routine business matters. Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP is also a recognized leader in the burgeoning cryptocurrency fund formation space. The firm also publishes the prominent Hedge Fund Law Blog which focuses on legal issues that impact the hedge fund community. For more information please visit us at: colefrieman.com
Logo We are thrilled to be able to offer expanded services in the construction field  from construction crews to advanced fabrication  and of course, welders  with a high level of expertise

Longtime oil and gas industry construction company B&S Welding is set for improved management and growth after its acquisition by industry leader Crosby Energy Services.

The move comes with a new name for the company  Crosby Construction Services  to cement its place under the Crosby umbrella. Robie Crosby will helm the company as CEO, while Kevin Bordelon will serve as Senior Vice President.

Crosby Energy Services intends to leverage its longstanding reputation for providing its clients exceptional value, safety and ethical standards to make Crosby Construction Services a success.

We are thrilled to be able to offer expanded services in the construction field  from construction crews to advanced fabrication and, of course, welders  with a high level of expertise, Crosby said. B&S has been providing good support services in the Gulf of Mexico since 1979. We plan to take existing service models from good to great, by incorporating our streamlined and efficient processes and personnel. This change makes for a stronger, safer and more diversified organization.

Crosby Construction Services will provide construction and maintenance crews supporting the onshore and offshore oil and gas industry along with related fabrication. Crosby Construction Services also opened a new 35,000sqft waterfront fabrication facility at the Port of Iberia in Louisiana, on more than 15 acres which provides design, engineering, fabrication, installation and maintenance of production systems. It will also be performing large-scale fabrication and dockside services. Crosby will also bring many years of expertise to customers in the fabrication and repair of ASME pressure vessels. These services will include new shop fabrication and field repair.

About Crosby Energy Services

Founded as C&D Wireline in 1968, Crosby Energy Services is a certified Women's Business Enterprise National Council member (WBENC) that has established itself as an industry leader, providing exceptional service to oil and gas producing companies across the Gulf of Mexico and North America. We strive to hold ourselves to the highest standards of conduct in all aspects of our business and remain vigilant toward safety, health, and the environment. For more information, visit http://www.crosbyenergyservices.com
ActiveScaler Inc., a startup that develops Managed MaaS (Mobility-as-a-Service) systems powered by artificial intelligence, announced today it has secured funding from DENSO, a leading global automotive components manufacturer, as well as Sumitomo Corporation of Americas (SCOA) and other strategic investors. ActiveScaler will use the investment to continue development and deployment of its Managed MaaS system for leading mobility operators and fleet service providers.

"We want to be the engine behind the future of MaaS  hence the term Managed MaaS, which will transform current fleet businesses to provide next generation mobility services." said Abhay Jain, CEO of ActiveScaler. "Traditional fleet management services and systems are quickly becoming obsolete because of issues like high upfront software and hardware costs, poor ecosystem integration, and lack of flexibility, which are limiting the type and quality of services that can be offered.

With the increase in global demand for more scalable and efficient services for moving people and goods, ActiveScaler aims to be the leading provider of fully automated operations management for transportation businesses. We accelerate growth and simplify implementation with a modular set of components that enable mobility service providers to deploy solutions to meet their evolving business needs. ActiveScaler is working with a variety mobility providers offering services ranging from regional door-to-door plan, book and pay services with multiple transport modes, to comprehensive AI-based systems for managing fleets of autonomous vehicles and delivery trucks.

Our new technology and fresh approach provides the ability to build end-to-end MaaS businesses featuring advanced analytics and automation, high security, and regulatory compliance while reducing environmental impact. This is essential for current as well as future businesses built around multi-mode transportation and autonomous vehicles, continued Abhay Jain, CEO of ActiveScaler.

DENSO is a leading global automotive supplier and we focus on developing technologies for the future of mobility, connected and automated driving," said Yoshifumi Kato, Senior Executive Director at DENSO Corporation. "MaaS will disrupt the future of urban mobility for people and goods integrated with advanced automotive technologies. We are pleased to work with ActiveScaler to accelerate fleet operators' new business opportunities to be integrated with the emerging MaaS ecosystem with higher performance and faster time to market.

"Sumitomo is a leader in global fleet management and supports its customers in efficiently transporting passenger and cargo from point A to point B, so we see real value in ActiveScaler's technology platform," said Sam Kato, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Auto & Aerospace Group at SCOA. We believe this technology will aid the MaaS industry in optimizing fleet management efficiency and getting the best performance out of their vehicles. We look forward to supporting both our investee and the fleets by linking them together.

Currently operating in Asia with over 400 fleets and 35,000 vehicles under management, ActiveScalers In-Motion platform is proven to be reliable and scalable while improving operational efficiency. Many types of fleets including taxi, limo, shuttles, busses, delivery and service vehicles and long-haul trucks are becoming part of the MaaS movement and making operational efficiency a priority.

The ActiveScaler founding team includes Abhay Jain CEO, Paul Gulati COO, Amit Jain CTO, and David Nagy CMO, bringing broad experience from companies like Apple, Cisco, Evernote, F5, Nuko, Seeing Machines, Verifone, and @Road.

About ActiveScaler Inc.

ActiveScaler exponentially improves the flow of people and goods for transportation providers. The company's Managed Mobility-as-a-Service (Managed MaaS) product suite includes FleetFactor, In-Motion global platform and API, and IMBOT that revolutionize mobility by automating operations management with contextual analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence. Transportation providers can readily improve and expand service offerings while making sense of a growing stream of real-time data. ActiveScaler focuses on serving a range of transportation providers from individual mobility operators to multi-mode integrators and large scale commercial fleets. For more information, please visit http://www.activescaler.com.

About DENSO Corporation

DENSO Corp., headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan, is a leading global automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in the areas of thermal, powertrain control, electronics and information and safety. Its customers include all the world's major carmakers. Worldwide, the company has more than 200 subsidiaries and affiliates in 38 countries and regions (including Japan) and employs more than 150,000 people. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017, totaled US$40.4 billion. Last fiscal year, DENSO spent 9.0 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development.

DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges. For more information, go to http://www.denso.com, or visit our media website at http://www.denso.com/global/en/news/media-center/

About Sumitomo Corporation of Americas

Established in 1952 and headquartered in New York City, Sumitomo Corporation of Americas (SCOA) has 9 offices in major U.S. cities. SCOA is the largest subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation, one of the worlds leading traders of goods and services. As an integrated business enterprise, the firm has emerged as a major organizer of multinational projects, an expediter of ideas, an important international investor and financier, and a powerful force for distribution of products and global communications through a network of offices worldwide. Its core business units include Tubular Products, Environment and Infrastructure, Steel and Non Ferrous Metals, Transportation and Construction Systems, Chemicals and Electronics, Media and IOT Applications, Real Estate, Mineral Resources and Energy, and Food. SCOA is an experienced leader in promoting advances in automobile manufacturing, and has provided technical innovations to aid U.S. enterprises like Ford, GM and Navistar. Its Transportation Unit provides total project management for its clients, including sourcing, logistics and installation of product equipment for leading manufacturers. In collaboration with SCOA affiliate company, Presidio Ventures, an early stage investment firm headquartered in Silicon Valley for more than 20 years, SCOA is expanding its portfolio by incorporating new technologies emerging in the mobility space.

For more information, visit http://www.sumitomocorp.com.
Invest Southwest, in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority, today announced the final list of companies scheduled to present at the 2018 Venture Madness Conference. Formatting for the annual conference has changed for this year resulting in a new, one-day format of a live pitch competition from companies representing four categories: Saas Launch, SaaS Scale, Hardware Tech and Deep Tech. One winner from each category will receive a $10,000 cash prize for their business and a chance to take home an additional $10,000 grand prize.

The one day conference will include keynotes from Rei Carvalho, Founder and CEO of Emailage, Jerry Coleman, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of OfferPad and Todd Davis, former CEO of LifeLock. The conference will kick off with a networking reception on Monday, Jan. 29, 2018, with the pitch competition taking place on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018 at Galvanize Phoenix.

We are excited for the caliber of talent and innovation represented in our finalists this year, said Nate Mortensen, Invest Southwests 2018 chair. There are a lot of new faces in the competition including more representation from surrounding states  more than any previous year. The formatting change will be a refreshing pace for attendees while also making it a more accessible event for investors both locally and on a national level.

The 2018 Finalists include:

Deep Tech

Blue Matador, Inc., Utah

Codelucida, Inc., Arizona

Dentavations, Utah

I.Me.Mine, Arizona

Reglagene, Arizona

Seek, Utah

Hardware Tech

Emagine Solutions Technology, Arizona

Hydronalix, Arizona

Hygiea, Inc., California

OTOjOY, Arizona

Somatic Labs, Arizona

Swift Coat, Arizona

SaaS Launch

Hivemetric, Arizona

JANIIS, Utah

LoyalStream, Arizona

NewLAW Technologies, Arizona

Persosa, Arizona

VIBEcx, Utah

Translucent, Utah

SaaS Scale

NetChain Squared, LLC, Arizona

Attribytes, Inc., Arizona

Cheddar Up, Colorado

Fullbay, Arizona

Gyde & Seek, Utah

Life365, Arizona

Naya Energy LLC, Arizona

SimpleWAN, Arizona

Finalists in will pitch live in concurrent competitions with a winner selected in each category. The winners will then go on to present a second time with an overall Venture Madness Champion crowned at the close of the conference. Categories and criteria for this years competition can be found here.

To register or learn more about the event please visit the Venture Madness website. Event sponsorships are still available, please contact contactus(at)investsouthwest(dot)org for details.

Follow the latest Venture Madness news on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About Invest Southwest

Invest Southwest is the premier organization for connecting investors with the best and brightest ventures in the region. In addition to providing valuable information on topics important to the investment community, Invest Southwest offers year-round opportunities for investors to connect with emerging growth companies. Its signature event, Venture Madness, is a unique competition presented in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority. Venture Madness pits thoroughly vetted, emerging startups against each other in a competition to crown the champion of champions. Visit InvestSouthwest.org for more information.
Xenomatix and Dibotics By integrating the unique hardware and software technologies offered between our two companies, we believe that we can deliver a feasible mass production solution - Filip Geuens, CEO of Xenomatix

The greatest obstacle in the way of autonomous vehicles is their ability to accurately and reliably collect and process environmental data that will keep passengers safe.

This is why, Dibotics and XenomatiX have engaged in open collaboration to jointly elaborate the latest and most promising solution through a solid-state LiDAR data processing system.

A real-time, solid-state LiDAR data processing system is necessary for allowing autonomous cars to be responsive and make sound judgments against high resolution data. By integrating LiDAR and efficient point cloud analysis software, this new solution will give autonomous vehicles the potential to process millions of data points per second through a rich 3D perception of the environment.

Higher levels of automation of vehicles require a total solution for reliable 3D detection in all circumstances. By integrating the unique hardware and software technologies offered between our two companies, we believe that we can deliver a feasible mass production solution that will satisfy the needs of OEMs, Tiers1 and consumers.  said Filip Geuens, CEO of XenomatiX.

XenomatiX and Dibotics offer unique key building blocks in the solid-state LiDAR domain.

XenomatiX brings game-changing LiDAR hardware and sensor technology that meets the needs of challenging automotive requirements. This comes from their ability to combine a robust laser-based sensor with a high frame-rate detector to produce reliable 3D and 2D data for the detection of objects and free space.

Dibotics is using this XenomatiX data to create an embedded software solution that can keep up with the LiDAR sensors rich data sets. It requires no additional input from IMUs, GPS or wheel encoders which simplifies the integration and development processes, creating a seamless computation of sensor data and real-time processing for autonomous driving.

The seamless integration of LiDAR hardware and software technologies will play a key part in the future of the autonomous automotive industry. Were excited to begin a collaboration with XenomatiX and their team of open-minded researchers and technicians to find a practical solution to this effort. Raul Bravo, CEO of DIBOTICS

Dibotics will be exhibiting at CES in Las Vegas from January 9-12, 2018 (Booth #CP-5, located in the Business France AutoTech Pavilion in the Central Plaza). Xenomatix will be exhibiting as a guest partner in the same booth.

Come visit them to learn more in depth about their collaboration and existing technologies.

About Dibotics

Dibotics is a Paris-based company offering innovation in real-time LiDAR processing. Founded by Raul Bravo and Olivier Garcia, two serial entrepreneurs with extensive experience of 15 years in LiDAR processing for mobile robotics applications, Dibotics has an original approach that differs from the traditional model. Its sensor-agnostic 3D SLAM technology (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) and Augmented LiDARTM created the first solution allowing advanced features like point-wise classification, objects detection & tracking and calibration- less Sensor Fusion to be performed only based on the sensor data itself. All of this performs without requiring any learning (deterministic) and can be embedded in a small and low-power integrated circuit (SLAM on ChipTM).

For more information about the Augmented LiDARTM solution, please visit http://www.augmentedlidar.com

For sensors other than LiDAR (Radar, 3D ToF Camera, Sonar), please visit http://www.dibotics.com

About XenomatiX

XenomatiX is a Belgium-based company developing automotive LiDAR solutions. XenomatiX has been putting to work its vast knowledge of 3D LiDAR technologies to comprise a unique, solid- state vision system to be incorporated in autonomous vehicles. This technology has been evaluated and approved by leading automotive companies and promises to lead the world into an age of complete autonomous transportation. To do this, XenomatiXs laser-based, solid-state vision systems relies on a high resolution point cloud to accurately and reliably produce a real- time road profile of the environment and possible obstacles.

To learn more about XenomatiXs LiDAR technologies, visit http://www.xenomatix.com
ProcessQM is hosting a series of Business Excellence and Quality Assurance Training Workshops this April and May in Los Alamos, NM. Inadequate leadership and poor change management practices are some of the primary reasons why so many quality programs and other initiatives dont work. The workshops are designed to help the business community gain inside expertise in these areas and find viable, lasting solutions.

ProcessQM LLC, a quality management company based in Northern New Mexico, announced it is hosting a series of Business Excellence and Quality Assurance training workshops in Los Alamos, NM in April and May 2018, respectively. The training will be conducted in partnership with GiANT Worldwide and MixEllaineNews Consulting.

Lena Isaacs, president of ProcessQM, said that leadership development and change management challenges are quite alarming at a nationwide level. Most change management studies show that approximately 70% of organizational change initiatives fail. Furthermore, according to the Brandon Hall Groups, State of Leadership Development 2015: Time to Act is Now report, 71% of surveyed companies said their leaders are not ready to lead their organization into the future.

While there are a lot of organizations committed to organizational transformation and business excellence, not all of them successfully sustain organizational change initiatives and nurture leadership development, said Isaacs. Inadequate leadership and poor change management practices are some of the primary reasons why so many quality programs and other initiatives dont work. The workshops are designed to help the business community gain inside expertise in these areas and find viable, lasting solutions.

What:

Part I: DISCOVERING YOUR TRUE PERSONALITY

Part II: DISCOVERING YOUR LEADERSHIP VOICE

When: April 9-10

Time: 8:30 a.m.  4:00 p.m.

Location: Los Alamos, NM

Details: Maria Guy, MBTI Certified Practitioner and Senior Partner at GiANT Worldwide, will help attendees understand their wiring and how their personality affects those around them. This workshop focuses primarily on helping individuals develop greater self-awareness, and includes the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment. Part II is designed to identify strengths, blind spots, and help participants understand how to recognize the value each team member brings in order to unlock potential, build a high-performing team and create a healthy culture. This two-part training includes a 30-minute follow-up phone call with the instructor to address the attendees specific needs.

What:

INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE MANAGEMENT

When: April 11-12

Time: 8:30 a.m.  4:00 p.m.

Location: Los Alamos, NM

Details: The majority of todays organizations recognize the importance of being agile to survive and grow in this economy, where profound shifts in market conditions have become the new normal. Businesses have to continuously change and innovate in order to adapt and respond to challenges in a competitive landscape. As such, executives and managers are given the additional responsibility to ensure their organizations undergo successful transitions as new strategic initiatives are implemented. This interactive course, taught by Ellaine C. David, Owner of MixEllaineNews Consulting, will lead participants through critical topics in effectively managing their organizations change processes. Participants will also be provided with a structured and proven approach to implementing effective change in their own organization. This training includes a 30-minute follow-up phone call with the instructor to address the attendees specific needs.

In addition to the Los Alamos, NM April workshops, ProcessQM will also be offering UNDERSTANDING AND IMPLEMENTING ASME NQA-1 training, taught by Norman P. Moreau, PE, CSQE, CQA, ASME Fellow, May 7-9, 2018.

For additional information, updates, and registration, visit: http://www.processqm.com/training/ or call (505) 975-2148. Early-bird registration discounts are available.

About ProcessQM LLC:

ProcessQM LLC offers process-based quality management and organizational excellence solutions to various industries throughout the U.S. Our team consists of an extensive network of professionals in various areas including strategy planning and execution, quality management systems, project quality assurance, internal auditing, and Lean Six Sigma. We help businesses reach their next level by setting a strategic path, building efficient and effective quality management systems, equipping organizations with quality assurance tools and strengthening their processes using Lean and Six Sigma methodologies. For more information on ProcessQM services, visit http://www.processqm.com.
I am so excited to be part of a show as iconic as House Hunters and share my love of Charleston with the HGTV audience

Born and raised in Charleston, REALTOR Anna Gruenloh has been practicing real estate for well over a decade and is a currently a broker at The Cassina Group. As a certified investor agent specialist (CIAS), she excels in matching her clients investment needs with their personal wants.

In the upcoming episode of House Hunters airing January 9th, Anna combines her experience and intimate knowledge of downtown real estate to find a second home for her clients, David and Ana Maria Seifarth of Urbana, MD. The couple fell in love with Charleston while travelling to the area over the past six years and are in the process of opening a Lowcountry location of their Maryland-based salon, DNA Lab. Tuesday nights episode will highlight the Seifarths search for a second home that is close to their downtown salon located at 10 Exchange Street. Properties to be showcased include 59 Hanover Street, 34 Montagu Unit B and 40 Poinsett Street.

I am so excited to be part of a show as iconic as House Hunters and share my love of Charleston with the HGTV audience, said Anna. The episode will feature several unique downtown properties which provide a glimpse into the variety of real estate options Charleston has to offer.

The episode airs on HGTV on Tuesday, January 9th at 10:30pm. For more information on Anna Gruenloh or The Cassina Group, please visit http://www.TheCassinaGroup.com.

About The Cassina Group

The Cassina Group is a boutique real estate brokerage with offices in Mount Pleasant, SC and Charleston, SC. Recent awards include top honors from Charleston Magazine, Inc. 5000 and SC Biz News. For more information, visit http://www.TheCassinaGroup.com or call 843.628.0008.

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To be recognized for our commitment to safety is the highest compliment and further representation of Gilbanes dedication to the safety of our team members, trade contractors and the communities where we build. Dennis Mullen, New England Safety Director, Gilbane Building Company

Leading global construction and facilities-related services firm, Gilbane Building Company, was recently honored with a Platinum Safety Award in Building Construction for overall safety performance over the past three years from the Connecticut Construction Industries Association (CCIA). This is the highest safety honor awarded by the CCIA.

The Platinum Level Safety award is bestowed to only a select few contractors each year. The award was presented to Gilbane at the CCIAs Annual Membership Meeting on December 2, 2017 at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, CT.

We are honored to once again receive this award from the Connecticut Construction Industries Association, noted Dennis Mullen, Gilbanes Safety Director for New England. To be recognized for our commitment to safety is the highest compliment and further representation of Gilbanes dedication to the safety of our team members, trade contractors and the communities where we build.

CCIAs Safety Committee established the Safety Recognition Awards to encourage safety in construction and recognize companies that maintain a formal safety and health program or related policies and procedures. In order to be recognized at the Platinum level, recipients must have met or exceeded national safety statistics.

About Gilbane Building Company

Gilbane provides a full slate of construction and facilities-related services  from pre-construction planning and integrated consulting capabilities to comprehensive construction management, general contracting, design-build and facility management services  for clients across various markets. Founded in 1873 and still a privately held, family-owned company, Gilbane has 49 office locations around the world.

A builder in Connecticut since 1944, Gilbane has grown to become one of the largest providers of construction management services in Connecticut. Gilbane opened an office in Glastonbury in 1984 and has remained a leader in the delivery of comprehensive pre-construction, construction management services and construction administration. In 2014, Gilbane was named Contractor of the Year by Engineering News Record (ENR) for the Tri-State Area (NY, NJ, CT) and the #3 Top Construction Firm in the State of Connecticut in 2013 according to Book of Lists CT. Gilbane is ranked one of the top three best construction firms in the State of CT by the Connecticut Subcontractors Association.

For more information, visit http://www.gilbaneco.com.
OrCam MyEye 2.0 Im motivated to keep going when I help an individual impacted by Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma, or other eye diseases, and change their life for the better simply by introducing them to a new technology

Lesa Berg, CEO and Founder of Florida Vision Technology, has been helping people with low vision or blindness lead more productive lives for well over 24 years. In a recent interview, Berg was asked what drives her to continue serving the low vision and blind community after so many years. Berg replied, Im motivated to keep going when I help an individual impacted by Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma, or other eye diseases, and change their life for the better simply by introducing them to a new technology.

Berg has appeared in radio and TV interviews, conducts workshops and seminars all over the state, and works directly with the blind and visually impaired. The Florida Division of Blind Services honored her with the Successful 75 Award for her work in the community and fostering independence to so many in Florida. Berg also employs several individuals with low vision, making her company uniquely qualified to understand the challenges people with low vision or blindness face every day, and what technology is available to help solve those issues.

Berg was asked what the biggest challenges are for individuals struggling with vision loss. Navigating a new environment is a BIG challenge, stated Berg. She explained that even in familiar environments, objects can be moved, new objects might have been brought in, all of which create unexpected obstacles, not to mention a safety issue for a person with impaired vision. Trying to self-navigate in an unfamiliar surrounding can be nerve wracking, Berg added. For example, walking down a street could pose a safety threat to someone who just wants to meet a friend for lunch. Because of this, many people with low vision will wait to leave the house until they can get a sighted friend or family member to help them. Not everyone has a person they can call. And that person isnt always available. This often results in immobility, isolation, and dependence.

Berg was asked about the possible technology solutions for this challenge. Berg responded, Individuals with visual impairments often lose their confidence as their environment gets more difficult to navigate. However, Berg is confident that technology can help. She talked about several new products including video magnifiers that read text aloud, special IrisVision glasses that provide extra magnification where the user needs it while maintaining a wide field of view, Braille tablets, and the new Orcam MyEye device which reads whatever text the user points to.

OrCam MyEye is a small, portable product with a camera that clips onto the users glasses, and a small computer base that slips into a pocket. Whatever text the user points to is read back to them through a discreet earpiece, Berg explains.

After asking Berg a few more questions, she explains how this would work to ease the challenge of navigating in a new environment. OrCam MyEye will read street signs if the user points to them. It can also read red or green signals at pedestrian crossings to help them when crossing. Berg also talked about the facial recognition feature. OrCam will store faces, so that when that person enters the cameras field of view, they are announced. This is in addition to reading all text  product identification, telling time, reading menus, books, signs, labels, smartphone screens, computer screens, and even identifying currency notes. So, theres no reason why that lunch date with a friend cant happen, asserts Berg.

As an advocate for the blind and visually impaired, Berg says shell continue to introduce new technological solutions to those that can benefit from the products. Berg operates a retail store inside the Lighthouse of Broward where end users can test out many products first-hand, including the OrCam MyEye, to see which technology works best for them. From big button phones and keyboards to reading machines, magnifiers, talking watches and clocks, Florida Vision Technology offers over 500 products that help those who suffer from Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy and other retina diseases live more comfortable, convenient and independent lives. Larger equipment purchases may be eligible for delivery, set up, and training from Berg or one of her expert staff members.

To connect with Lesa Berg and Florida Vision Technology, call 1-800-981-5119 or stop by the store at 650 N. Andrews Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33311. Like what they are doing? Visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/FloridaReading. To learn more about the company and its efforts, watch this video.

About Florida Vision Technology

Florida Vision Technology is a minority certified small business based out of Fort Lauderdale. Lesa Berg, founder and CEO, has worked in the blindness and low vision industry for more than 24 years. She is committed to placing the best adaptive technology and products available today within reach of blind and visually challenged people of all ages and walks of life.
The women behind the Confident Woman campaign "It is important that women empower and support each other to make a difference, not only in the cannabis industry, but in the world. - Lilach Mazor Power

The Giving Tree Wellness Center, one of Arizonas leading medical marijuana dispensaries, has announced a partnership with three other women-led Phoenix-based organizations to launch a Confident Woman campaign to raise awareness about domestic violence.

The Giving Tree Wellness Center, Monarch Wellness Center, Kindred and Huxton, have partnered to create a collaborative medical marijuana product to benefit a nonprofit organization. This collaboration is the first time two dispensary organizations and cannabis brands have come together to launch a hybrid product, called Confident Women. The Confident Woman campaign and the proceeds from the Confident Woman product sales will benefit Chrysalis Domestic Abuse Shelter.

The Giving Trees pioneering partnership between Huxton and Kindred, two of the highest quality cannabis brands in the U.S., and Monarch Wellness Center, Scottsdales premier medical marijuana dispensary, have merged two of their most prominent cannabis strains to create the Confident Women blend. Confident Woman is a blended product of The Giving Tree Wellness Centers "LA Confidential" and Huxtons "Wonder Woman, which are both Indica strains regarded for their quality and remedy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety and restlessness. These two prominent Indica strains have been harvested, blended together, and packaged to be sold in Pre-Rolls.

I launched The Giving Tree in 2013 with the mission to make a difference in the community, said Lilach Mazor Power, the co-founder and managing director of The Giving Tree Wellness Center. Partnering with Monarch Wellness Center, Kindred, Huxton and Chrysalis continues that mission. It is important that women empower and support each other to make a difference, not only in the cannabis industry, but in the world.

Confident Woman Pre-Rolls will be sold at Monarch Wellness Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, and The Giving Tree Wellness Centers locations in Mesa and Phoenix, Arizona until January 19th, 2018.

The Confident Woman blended flower is evenly distributed to two half- gram Pre-Rolls for $15. Fifty percent of all Confident Woman product sales will benefit the Chrysalis Domestic Abuse Shelter.

Since the start of the campaign on December 1st, 2017, the groups have already raised over $3,000 for Chrysalis.

We are honored to partner with The Giving Tree to create the first ever co-branded product and give back to our community, said Jennifer Dresbach, operations manager of Monarch Wellness Center. This is the first time that two dispensary organizations have come together to not only create a product, but to benefit the greater good of the community. Monarch is passionate about the responsible development of our industry for the goodness and care of our community- locally and nationally."

"Chrysalis is proud to be part of a collaboration that is bringing businesses together to help raise awareness of domestic abuse and raise funds to provide services to people impacted by abuse, said Patricia Klahr, president and CEO of Chrysalis Domestic Abuse Shelter.

For more information or to learn more about Confident Woman and the cannabis partnership between Monarch Wellness Center, Huxton and The Giving Tree Wellness Center benefiting Chrysalis Domestic Abuse Shelter, please visit http://www.confidentwoman.us.

About The Giving Tree Wellness Center

The Giving Tree Wellness Center is a leading Arizona Licensed Medical Marijuana Dispensary that began with a single location in Phoenix in May 2013. A second location was opened in Mesa, Ariz. in July 2013. The Giving Tree staff works with medical professionals collaboratively to help certified patients access high quality medical cannabis to treat pain, nausea and other symptoms. Unlike other dispensaries, Giving Tree Wellness Center takes a holistic approach in supporting its clients by offering a range of medical marijuana products along with alternative healing methods to promote the best quality of life possible. For more information, please visit http://www.givingtreeaz.com.
This Is Infinity, also known as Tii215, is a hip-hop and R&B group blowing up out of Philadelphia. The core members, "Always" Blue and "i95" Outlaw, have built their careers on shared friendship, passion, and ambition. Giving back by day and taking over the stage by night, the two pride themselves on putting all the efforts into their careers, while never forgetting where their roots in their community.

Recently, Tii215 have announced the cities and dates for their upcoming Headliner tour, presented by Coast 2 Coast LIVE. The full schedule of tours dates is listed below:

1/25 - Miami, FL (Miami LIVE)

2/13 - Charlotte, NC (360 Lounge)

2/19 - Atlanta, GA (Harlem Nights)

3/4 - Baltimore, MD (OXYGEN Baltimore)

3/5 - Washington, D.C. (Pure Loung DC)

3/8 - West Havn, CT (RVP Studios)

3/11 - Richmond, VA (Club Infuzion)

3/12 - Columbia, SC (Blue)

3/22 - Pittsburgh, PA (Galaxy Lounge)

For all the latest music and news from This Is Infinity, fans can visit their official website.

Tickets for upcoming Coast 2 Coast LIVE concerts and showcases are available for purchase through the official website.

About Tii215:

Will Always Blue was raised in North Philly. At a young age he decided he would never fold under pressure. Early on he had made a name for himself as an amateur boxer, but after breaking his hand in a fight he spent his recovery time studying music. His talents flourished and he began drawing attention as innovative producer.

Josh i95 Outlaw is the son of a North Philly hustler and a West Philly Choir girl. After experiencing some turmoil in the city, his family relocated to Georgia. Being an outsider he had to find some way to connect with new people, and music was the perfect tool. He first began writing poetry, which eventually led him to start freestyling rhymes. It became a consistent habit from him to practice in front of his classmates.

In 2012, returning home from the Army, Outlaw moved back to Philly where Blue had been living. After years of individual losses and hardships, the two connected to form a brotherly bond. Through music, family connections, and shared experiences they built a foundation on which they could build an authentic brand. In the winter of 2015 Blue and Outlaw decided to go public with their work. With the help of an experienced business partner, This Is Infinity (Tii215) was born.

About Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes:

Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes are the most widely distributed mixtapes in the world, with over 100 million downloads/plays generated by over 300 volumes officially hosted by major artists. Coast 2 Coast has a solid reach in the new music industry with a digital magazine, DJ coalition, industry tips blog, yearly convention, and more. Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes represents a unique opportunity for artists of all urban genres, from major to indie. For more information, visit http://www.coast2coastmixtapes.com
What I like about Champion is that it gives you hope, says Trejo. "I'm really proud of ["Champion"]. Not for me, but because I think it can reach a lot of people," Trejo said. "I think these guys caught what Danny's all about. I think it's some of the best stuff I've ever done. Trejo continues.

Rock On! Films announced today the release of the long-awaited documentary film, Champion, exclusively on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon on January 3rd.

A lifetime in the making - Champion is the original documentary which traces the incredibly inspirational and unique life of Hollywood's most unlikely champion, Danny Trejo. says filmmaker Joe Eckardt. Champion offers a one-of-a-kind intimate view into the true life of Danny Trejo - directly told by Danny himself.

Youll also hear amazing stories from some of his closest friends in Hollywood, including the late Dennis Hopper, Steve Buscemi, Val Kilmer, acclaimed director Robert Rodriguez and many others.

The producers of the film are Danny Trejo and Joe Eckardt. Eckardt helmed the film.

Danny Trejo - you know the man  he has those fierce tattoos and is very likely the thug in your favorite movies. Though behind the ink and his wicked on screen characters lies the story of a troubled childhood - riddled with addiction, armed robbery and extensive prison time.

What I like about Champion is that it gives you hope, says Trejo. "I'm really proud of ["Champion"]. Not for me, but because I think it can reach a lot of people," Trejo said. "I think these guys caught what Danny's all about. I think it's some of the best stuff I've ever done. Trejo continues.

The movie is Trejos cinematic memoir of the good and bad of his life in and out of prison  at times humorous (thanks to Trejos impish laugh), at times sad, but always inspiring and real. Ben Quinones - LA WEEKLY

I know that the world has been waiting for this film for many years, and its finally here for you to learn what Danny Trejo went through to become who he is today. We know that there is an audience out there for this film and by capitalizing on the growing variety of film release opportunities, it allows our film to find its voice, and for the audience to discover independent films such as ours, continues Eckardt. There is something to be said for a movie like this that eschews cynicism and unabashedly wears its heart on its sleeve and were excited for audiences who love these types of films to discover ours.

You dont want to miss Dannys unique feel good story of redemption!

Images and poster art for Champion can be accessed via the following dropbox:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zqo8mrl048gcq8b/CHAMPION-TREJO.zip?dl=0
Performance Brokerage Services Announces Sale of Dudley Perkins Co. Harley-Davidson Rich with history, Dudley Perkins Co. Harley-Davidson endured global events such as World Wars I and II, and the Great Depression.

Performance Brokerage Services, a new car and Harley-Davidson dealership broker is pleased to announce the sale of Dudley Perkins Co. Harley-Davidson in South San Francisco, California from Janet Perkins to Rich Gargano and Cliff Chester. Dudley Perkins Co. Harley-Davidson is the worlds longest running family owned Harley-Davidson dealership. The dealership was established in 1914 by Mr. Dudley Perkins, Sr. in San Francisco and remained in the family ever since. The business also operates Harley-Davidson of San Francisco, an alternate retail outlet on the famous Fishermans Wharf.

Rich with history, Dudley Perkins Co. Harley-Davidson endured global events such as World Wars I and II, and the Great Depression. During WWI, Harley-Davidson Motor Companys entire manufacturing inventory was supplied to the United States Military, so Dudley Perkins, Sr. shifted the dealerships focus to buying and selling used motorcycles. Years later, the motorcycle unit for the California Highway Patrol was formed and the dealership provided not only the equipment to the CHP, but the training for the riders. After WWII, Dudley Perkins Co. Harley-Davidson purchased the excess used motorcycles from the military, refurbished them and offered them for sale to their customers. In 1968, Perkins, Sr. handed over the baton to his son, Dudley Perkins, Jr. who owned and operated the dealership until 1996, when he then passed control onto his son, Thomas Perkins, the third Perkins generation. Wounded in a motorcycle accident, Tom Perkins had lost his leg, although that did not stop him from continuing to ride. Tom operated the dealership until his untimely death in 2015. Toms wife, Janet and their son, Christopher continued to manage the dealership in his honor and the way Tom would have run it. Janet and Chris, along with Nicole Perkins, Sgt. Eric Batchelder and Mark Sangervasi, founded the Tom Perkins Legacy Foundation, which provides support and assistance to individuals who have been affected by the loss of a limb.

Today, Dudley Perkins Co. Harley-Davidson is a nationally renowned dealership and a significant piece of Harley-Davidson Motor Companys history.

In 1998, Dudley Perkins, Sr. was inducted into the American Motorcycle Association Hall of Fame honoring him for pioneering the sport of motorcycle racing, his success as a racer, and for lobbying the city officials and arguing on behalf of motorcycle rallies and the benefit to their communities.

Dudley-Perkins Co. Harley-Davidson was purchased by Rich Gargano and Cliff Chester. Rich and Cliff also own West Coast Harley-Davidson in Salinas, California and its alternate retail outlet on Cannery Row in Monterey, as well as House of Thunder Harley-Davidson in Morgan Hill, California. Following the purchase, Gargano commented, I want to thank George Chaconas from Performance Brokerage Services for introducing us to the iconic and historic Dudley Perkins Co. Harley-Davidson. This is a perfect strategic fit for me and my partner, Cliff. Each dealership we own together was purchased with Georges assistance. Thank you for helping to make our dreams become reality.

George C. Chaconas, the exclusive agent for this transaction and the head of the National Harley-Davidson and Powersports Division for Performance Brokerage Services commented, I feel honored to have represented the Perkins family and blessed to have met them. After so many years of taking care of their employees, customers and their community, they have selected the perfect buyers in Rich and Cliff to carry on the Perkins family legacy.

About Performance Brokerage Services

Performance Brokerage Services, an auto dealership broker, specializes in professional intermediary services to buyers and sellers of automotive, Harley-Davidson and Powersports dealerships.

The company offers a different approach to the automotive, Harley-Davidson and Powersports industries by providing complimentary dealership assessments, no upfront fees, no reimbursement of costs and is paid a success fee only. Performance Brokerage Services gets paid only after the client gets paid.

With over 25 years of experience, the company utilizes an extensive network of industry related accountants, attorneys, hundreds of registered buyers and enjoys longstanding relationships with most of the auto manufacturers and the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. The intermediaries at Performance Brokerage Services have been involved in well over 600 transactions. Pledging loyal and unwavering representation, confidentiality is vigilantly protected during the selling process and after the transaction closes.

With corporate offices in Irvine, California, six regional offices in Utah, Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Alberta and Ontario, and a dedicated Harley-Davidson and Powersports Division, Performance Brokerage Services provides its clients national exposure with local representation. For more information about the services offered by Performance Brokerage Services, visit https://performancebrokerageservices.com.
Slippery Rock University Portfolium is like LinkedIn on steroids; the potential connections to employers offered by this program is going to make it much easier for students to effectively display their full body of work, said Dr. Lawrence Shao, Dean of the College of Business.

Slippery Rock University (SRU) of Pennsylvania has selected Portfolium to provide ePortfolios to 2,100 students, 75 faculty in the College of Business (COB) and l thousands of alumni. SRU chose Portfolium in order to help their students and alumni track achievements throughout their college career and postgraduate, connect with employers, and meet expectations of the workforce.

Portfolium is like LinkedIn on steroids; the potential connections to employers offered by this program is going to make it much easier for students to effectively display their full body of work, said Dr. Lawrence Shao, Dean of the College of Business.

SRUs goal is to stay ahead of the curve as much as possible. Portfolium gives their students an advantage by helping them reflect on their competencies and achievements then use the evidence of skills to better connect with and showcase to employers.

For the 2017-2018 academic year, SRU revised the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for all students. Portfolium can be used to report on how students achieved the SLOs. Portfolium can pre-populate the SLOs and report on student learning progress, while seamlessly connecting to their learning management system (LMS).

We are thrilled to help Slippery Rock University with their career readiness initiative and give their students a leg up on the competition by displaying their achievements on Portfolium in a portable way, said Troy Markowitz, VP Academic Partnerships at Portfolium. SRU students now have the unique ability to better connect and articulate whats learned in the class and also measured by faculty as SLOs, to the skills attained from curriculum matching workforce needs.

As both a software platform and a network, Portfolium uniquely advances the shared interests of higher ed, students, and employers. Portfoliums learning graph links validated student learning outcomes from co-curricular and academic learning artifacts to a digital marketplace of internships and jobs requiring those same competencies. SRU students and alumni will benefit from free, lifelong access to Portfolium, and SRU will expand upon its ability to measure student progress through and beyond graduation using Portfoliums reporting and analytics capabilities.

ABOUT SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY

Slippery Rock University, founded in 1889, is a member of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education. The University is shaped by its normal school heritage and characterized by its commitment to intellectual development, leadership, and civic responsibility. SRU provides students with a comprehensive learning experience that intentionally combines academic instruction with enhanced educational and learning opportunities that will help them succeed in their lives, professional careers and be engaged citizens. Today, Slippery Rock University is a four-year, public, coeducational, comprehensive university offering a broad array of undergraduate and select graduate programs to more than 8,500 students. The University has earned full institutional accreditation through the Middle State Commission on Higher Learning and discipline-specific accreditations. For more information, see https://www.sru.edu

ABOUT PORTFOLIUM

Portfolium is the worlds fastest growing learning and career development network. 2,000+ colleges, universities and high schools use Portfolium to manage and align competency assessment, student success, and career readiness programs. Portfoliums academic solutions plug students into an open ecosystem of employers, mentors, educators, and peers around the world. Our 3.5M+ users are linked to internships, jobs, and lifelong learning opportunities via ePortfolios that showcase their proven competencies. To learn more about Portfolium's network for learners and solutions for educators, visit: https://portfolium.com
Neurologist, Dr. Diana Blum, is bringing a case against Sutter Health and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Group, according to court documents and involving alleged claims that the health system retaliates against doctors who advocate for their patients and protest Sutter Health policies and practices that doctors believe impair patient care. The trial is set to begin Monday, January 8, 2018 in Santa Clara Superior Court, Department 16 before Judge Drew Takaichi (Case: 115CV277582).

According to court documents, Dr. Blum was a shareholder physician with the Palo Alto Foundation Group (which is part of the Sutter Medical Network). She explains in her lawsuit that during the course of her employment, she allegedly disagreed with, protested, and refused to follow policies and practices she believed impaired her ability to provide medically appropriate health care to her patients. Because Dr. Blum did what she believed was best for patients, the lawsuit alleges she was labeled a troublemaker, accused of not being a team player, and forced to resign.

The jury trial will proceed in the downtown Santa Clara Superior Court, located at 191 North First Street, San Jose, California. Dr. Blum is represented by Theresa Barta of Barta Law, a Physician Advocacy firm in Southern California.

About The Agency at Brown Books (ABB)

The Agency at Brown Books is a full-service public relations, marketing and branding firm within a publishing house. The Agency is backed by 20 years of excellence and experience, and the one-of-a-kind, integrated platform is available to established writers, entrepreneurs, CEOs and anyone seeking smarter strategies for building their business. For more information, visit http://www.TheAgencyAtBB.com.
Toys for Tots is a very meaningful program for the RevSpring family in that it promotes the spirit of giving and helps ensure each child has a present under the Christmas tree.

In the spirit of gift giving this holiday season, RevSpring sponsored a Toys for Tots program that provides brand new toys to children in need. RevSpring employees collected nearly 800 donated toys, which were given to children in the Phoenix; Oaks, PA; and Livonia, Mich. area weeks before Christmas. RevSpring has participated in the toy drive for six years, which originally starting as a yearly tradition at RevSprings Livonia office in 2011. The program was eventually adopted across all RevSpring offices. Toys for Tots is a very meaningful program for the RevSpring family in that it promotes the spirit of giving and helps ensure each child has a present under the Christmas tree, said Emily Myers, Director, Human Resources. Remember that excited, joyful feeling as a child opening up presents? It is our hope that every child and parent should have that joyful experience this holiday season.

Toys for Tots is a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, which distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas. The program was founded in 1947 by reservist Major Bill Hendricks. The mission of the program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted. To learn more about the toy drive, visit http://www.toysfortots.org.

RevSpring is a high-growth technology services organization that provides intelligent communications and payment solutions to over 2,000 of the leading accounts receivables management, credit grantors, healthcare providers, and healthcare technology companies throughout North America. Visit RevSprings website at http://www.revspringinc.com
Total Raised by Innovation Domain

AngelMD collated public data and proprietary data from its network to provide deep insights into capital invested in Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical and Other Healthcare startups. The result is AngelMDs 2017 Private Investment in Healthcare Technology Report -- a comprehensive view of the medical specialties receiving the most attention and capital in 2017.

The SEC reporting lists $9.2 billion invested in Other Healthcare, with an overall private investment increase of 15.5 percent over 2016, AngelMD CEO Tobin Arthur said. This $25 billion figure for total investments is staggering when taken on the whole. This report provides our members, many of whom are physicians, a more detailed picture of both capital deployment and interest level broken down by medical specialty.

The report details not only a breakdown of offerings within medical specialties, but also highlights trends that appear in specific offering sizes. For example, Oncology is somewhat overrepresented at $7.4 billion in total investments, leading all other specialties by a wide margin. By refining the scope to the common startup size of $50 million and under, we see Ear, Nose & Throat-related investment at the top of average money raised, followed then by Gastroenterology. Cancer-related funding falls to ninth place in this subset.

When you look at seed-stage investments -- total funding under $2 million -- the picture changes again with a significant percentage invested in infectious diseases and pathology, said Arthur.

The report also gives geographic insight to investing. For instance, California-based healthcare startups dominated in 2017 at $7.16 billion; as much as the next five states combined.

AngelMD reviewed over 2,500 Form D submissions filed in 2017 as part of this report. The report first assesses the type of innovation (medical device, digital health, etc.). Just over 20 percent of the companies had a focus that was very broad -- such as Health IT or Practice Management. Overall, AngelMD was able to identify a specific clinical application and speciality addressed in 66 percent of the companies.

The full report is available to AngelMD members, but an infographic summarizing the data can be found online here.

About AngelMD

AngelMD is an investment and networking platform connecting innovative medical startups, physicians, investors, and industry partners. Leading physicians from all over the US have joined AngelMD to help source, evaluate and advise companies in biotechnology, medical device, and healthcare technology. For more information, visit http://www.angelmd.co.
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Benchmark, one of Uber's largest shareholders, offered to sell a quarter of its stake to Japan's Softbank and in the end sold about 14.5% for about $900 million, Recode reports citing anonymous sources.

The sale was part of Softbank's huge investment into Uber. Softbank is buying up a 15% stake mostly by buying shares from existing shareholders at $33 a share, a steep

There has been much hand-wringing about this deal. Softbank told Uber that if it didn't sell it a big enough chunk of the company, the deal would be off and it would turn around and back Lyft, Uber's major rival, instead. Softbank has been backing Uber's rivals in other parts of the world.

The tender offer was said to be conducted blind, meaning that shareholders were not allowed to tell each other if they were selling or how much. The risk was that shareholders wouldn't offer enough of their shares at the discounted price to satisfy Softbank.

But in the end, investors were tripping over themselves to cash out at that price. Even ousted CEO Travis Kalanick, who had previously boasted that he never sold any shares, is selling about one-third of his stake worth, about $1.4 billion, Bloomberg reports.

Benchmark had previously said it thought Uber could be worth $100 billion. Before selling, it owned about 13% of the company.

While this sounds like these shareholders are losing money, the truth is Uber according to PitchBook
Step up to the auction block, oil companies.

In an announcement on Thursday, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke unveiled a new proposal to lease huge new sections of US waters to oil and gas companies for offshore drilling  a move unlike anything seen in decades.

The new plan would make "more than 98%" of the waters off the United States available for oil and gas leasing over the next five years, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management wrote in a report released Thursday.

There are a few notable exceptions. That other 2% of US waters includes an area of the Aleutian basin next to Alaska, as well as 12 coastal "marine sanctuaries" (those dot the shoreline in places like Monterey Bay in California and Stellwagen Bank at the mouth of the Massachusetts Bay). There's also a temporary hold on a section of the Gulf of Mexico that Congress has put a moratorium on until 2022.

But many other protected areas of water could be up for grabs. The National Parks Conservation association said the shores bordering 88 other protected areas, like the waters off Acadia National Park and along the Santa Monica mountains could all be sold off. The last offshore oil sales on either coast of the continental US occurred in the 1980s, according to Reuters.

President Donald Trump already re-wrote some of the rules that former President Barack Obama put in place to protect waters in the Atlantic and Arctic oceans with his "America First Offshore Energy Strategy" in April 2017.

Oil and gas industry leaders voiced their approval for that move, as well as this new plan.

"I think the default should be that all of our offshore areas should be available," Thomas Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance, told The New York Times.

The Governors of Alaska and Alabama, along with the Department of Natural Resources in Louisiana and Georgia support the idea too, as does the lieutenant governor in North Carolina.

But Sierra Club director Michael Brune doesn't see it that way.

"

Leaders of many coastal states up and down the East and West coasts, including California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Virginia and New York are against it. New York officials are also concerned that the plan might interfere with their intentions to build more offshore wind farms. Even Florida Governor Rick Scott quickly voiced his opposition.

"

In addition to lawmakers and environmentalists, the Pentagon is also worried about the move, according to The Washington Post.
According to thesun.co.uk, doctors at Antonio Carlos Magalhaes Hospital (ACM) in Conceicao do Jacuipe in Brazil said they had to cut off the babys head in order to save the life of the 28-year-old mother, Renata dos Santos.

READ MORE: This woman carries her heart on her back to keep her alive

However, Renata believes a caesarian section would have saved both her life and that of the baby.

She told TV Subae that I left home with contractions to have my son and returned home without him.

I have all his clothes and crib ready and no baby in my arms I have suffered so much.

The treatment was brutal, and I still have the bruises on my body from the force the doctors used to try to get him out, Renata lamented.

The disgruntled mother added that I was woken by one of the nurses slapping me around the face telling me to wake up to help the doctors deliver my baby.

A doctor pushed my legs wide open and a nurse pressed down hard on my stomach. The pain was so bad I screamed in agony and begged for help.

In the case of Reina Natalia Valazquez from Buenos Aires, Argentina who suffered a similar fate in the same December last year, The Sun reported that she asked doctors to perform a C-section when she went into labour prematurely at around 22 weeks pregnant.

Dr. Bruno Bittencourt Costa who operated on Renata said The childs shoulders got stuck with the body inside the womb and the head outside. He died after being deprived of oxygen and before we could get his mother into theatre.

He added that the baby weighed nearly 5kgs (11lbs) and this made it difficult to withdraw him normally.

However, Renata and her family have attributed the incident to ineptitude on the part of the doctors.

Conceicao do Jacuipe health secretary, Zenaildes Lisboa reportedly said an investigation has been initiated into the babys death and the appropriate action would be taken after the truth is unveiled.
READ MORE: Suspects charged with murder

According to Dr Adusei, all the autopsy reports in his possession has been stolen and he cannot say specifically whether the late MPs own was part.

The court presided over by Ms Arit Nsemoh pleaded with Dr Adusei to try and produce the report for the former MP since the progress of the case depends on the report.

The case has been adjourned to January 18, 2018.

J.B Danquah Adu was murdered in his apartment in 2016 at Shiashie.

Two suspects, Daniel Asiedu and Vincent Bosso, were subsequently arrested and charged with murder following the incident.

Facts of the case

The facts of the case, as presented by DSP Amegah, were that the deceased MP lived with his family in a one-storey house at Shiashie, near East Legon, a suburb of Accra, whilst Asiedu and Bosso lived at Agbogbloshie, also in Accra.

About 11:40 p.m. on February 8, 2016, the MP arrived home in his private car driven by his driver.

The driver had handed over the ignition keys of the car to Danquah-Adu and left for home, after which the MP retired to bed in a room located on the first floor of his house.

READ ALSO: Magistrate fumes over delay in ruling

At about 1 a.m. on the same night, Asiedu and Bosso, armed with a catapult, a cutter and a sharp knife, went to the legislators house.

Bosso is said to have assisted Asiedu to enter the house by scaling the fence wall on the blind side of a security man who was fast asleep.

On entering the house, Asiedu picked a ladder and climbed onto a porch on the top floor and entered the MPs bedroom through a window, whilst Mr. Danquah-Adu was sleeping.

Whilst Asiedu was searching the room, the MP woke up and held him. There ensued a struggle, during which Asiedu stabbed the MP in the right chest above the breast.

The MP consequently held the knife, and Asiedu pulled it through the MPs hand, making a deep cut in his palm.

The legislator, who bled profusely, fell by his bed, after which Asiedu stabbed him several times on his right chest and neck.

On realizing that the MP was dying, Asiedu left the room and took with him three iPhone smart phones.

Meanwhile, the struggle between the MP and Asiedu had drawn the attention of the security man in the house, who alerted other security men in the neighbourhood.

Having been alerted to the impending danger, Bosso took to his heels, leaving Asiedu behind.
This was during a survival course conducted by their Ghanaian counterparts on May 19, 2017, at the Jungle Warfare School at Achiase military base in Akim Oda, Eastern Region.

Stripes.com reported that one of 63 soldiers, Spc. Bryan Young, with the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division who took the course, described the python meat as extremely spicy.

READ ALSO: Transport Ministry rejects DVLA charges for First Aid Kits

Brig. Gen. Kenneth Moore, USARAF deputy commander, said it was kind of a ground-breaking event to have the U.S. soldiers taught by African instructors.

And it contributes to Army readiness, Moore added.

He said this was good since the soldiers were exposed to something they dont normally train in is an Army priority in leadership training.

Young said that the course, which taught jungle navigation, ambush offence and defence tactics, and survival tactics, was eye-opening.

Sgt. 1st Class Eric Kramer said: I dont think anyone will forget this experience, to be honest with you.

Its too real, just the threat, the spiders, insects, getting lost in the jungle, hydrating.

On Friday (January 5, 2018) the U.S Embassy tweeted Were grateful for our partnership.
"I will do so with respect but with the concern to defend... our values and our interests," Macron said Wednesday.

But Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Macron's comments were "based on a lack of information, unless it was a prejudiced evaluation or judgement".

"In Turkey, judicial issues come under the responsibility of the judiciary," Kalin said.

Kalin told reporters in Ankara on Thursday that "being a journalist... does not mean that a person is innocent and does not mean that they are unable to commit a crime".

The P24 press freedom group says there are 151 journalists behind bars in Turkey, most of whom were arrested under the state of emergency in place since July 2016.

Among those detained but later deported were two French citizens: the photojournalist Mathias Depardon and young French journalist Loup Bureau. They had been taken into custody last year on terror charges.

Kalin said Turkey was fighting against "three terrorist organisations", referring to the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the movement led by Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania.

Ankara claims Gulen ordered the July 2016 failed overthrow of Erdogan and has arrested over 55,000 people in a controversial crackdown after the putsch bid.

Gulen strongly denies the accusations and insists his movement is a peaceful one.

The spokesman said that Erdogan would present documents and explain in a "detailed" manner how those being tried are a member of a terror group.

Erdogan's visit will be the first to France since the 2016 attempted putsch, and his third bilateral talks in a European Union member state after visits to Poland and Greece.

High on their agenda will be Ankara's relations with the EU as well as the conflicts in Syria and Iraq, and increasing bilateral trade.
The West African nation was put on alert Wednesday after a senior government official announced that a putsch mounted by foreign mercenaries on December 24 had been put down.

Hours after Security Minister Mahamat Zen Cherif's televised statement, state broadcaster TGVE reported clashes with "mercenaries" near the border with Cameroon.

Government troops shot dead one "mercenary" and "used gunfire to disperse (others) in the forests along the border", it said, without specifying how many fighters were involved or how long the clashes lasted.

Chad's Foreign Minister Mahamat Zen Cherif, in a visit to Malabo Thursday, condemned the attempted coup as a "major threat" to central Africa.

"The attempt at destabilisation is not just an affair that only concerns Equatorial Guinea, it is also a major threat of destabilisation that concerns the entire sub-region of central Africa," he said in remarks reported by TVGE.

Formerly a small Spanish colony, Equatorial Guinea has become one of sub-Sahara's biggest oil producers but a large proportion of its 1.2 million population lives in poverty.

Obiang, 75, who seized power in 1979, has faced a string of coup attempts during nearly four decades in office.

Critics accuse him of brutal repression of opponents, electoral fraud and corruption.

Dozens of Chadians held

A UN spokesman said that the organisation's envoy for West Africa, Francois Louceny Fall, will travel to Malabo for talks next week.

The spokesman said that while "little information" had emerged over last month's alleged coup attempt, "we condemn all attempts to seize power unconstitutionally" in the country.

Cherif, who was cited by state media after he spoke with Obiang on Wednesday, called for an inquiry and said he would travel on to Cameroon for talks with leaders there.

According to Malabo's security minister, the mercenaries were Chadian, Sudanese and Central African Republic nationals, as citizens of the Central African Republic are called, and were recruited by Equatorial Guinean militants from certain radical opposition parties with the support of certain powers."

The attempted infiltration had been repelled with the help of the Cameroon security services, according to the authorities.

Sources told AFP that the country's ambassador to Chad, Enrique Nsue Anguesom, who was on holiday in Equatorial Guinea's Ebibeyin district, had been arrested and was being held in a military camp.

Cameroon says that on December 27 it arrested 38 heavily armed men on its border with Equatorial Guinea, which consists of mostly dense forest territory on the African mainland and an offshore island where the capital lies.

Cameroonian security sources on Thursday said those arrested included an ex-general in the Chadian army, Mahamat Kodo Bani, who was once a senior officer in the presidential guard.

He is being held in Yaounde, the Cameroonian capital, they said.

In Gabon, which also borders Equatorial Guinea, a senior government official said "security measures" had been taken on the border.

Chad's ambassador to Malabo, Paul Nahari Nguaryanan, told AFP that more than 65 Chadian merchants had been detained in recent days, though a foreign ministry source said some had been released.

Opacity

Facebook, Whatsapp and VPNs in Equatorial Guinea have been blocked. "There is a real lack of transparency on what's really going on," a diplomat in the region said.

Obiang took power in a coup on August 3, 1979, ousting his own uncle, Francisco Macias Nguema, who was shot by firing squad.

He was re-elected to a fifth seven-year term in 2016, gaining more than 90 percent of the vote according to the official results.

Legislative elections on November 12 last year saw the ruling party win 92 percent of the vote, a result condemned as fraudulent by dissidents.
Lithuania's centre-left government has pledged to raise doctors' wages by 20 percent in May this year from the current average 1,093 euros ($1,320) a month.

But the protesters, who marched along the main street of the capital, demanded a bigger rise for junior doctors, who still study and receive 750-900 euros a month, including their scholarship.

Some of them brought suitcases to warn they will be forced to seek a better life in the West.

"I want to work here!" they chanted in front of the government building, also calling for less bureaucracy.

Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said his cabinet was planning a stable increase in doctors' wages for the years to come.

"It's not like we are sitting on a sack of money and refusing to spend it," he told reporters after meeting the protesters.

Lithuania's finance ministry expects the economy to post 3.6 percent growth for 2017 and to grow further by 2.9 percent this year.
World War II

- Walther Funk: The former chief of the German Reichsbank from 1939 to 1945 is sentenced to life in prison at the Nuremberg trials in 1946 for having accepted gold extorted by the SS from deportees to concentration camps. He is freed in 1957 for health reasons.

- Erich Raeder: The commander of the German Navy until 1943 is sentenced at Nuremberg to life in prison, before being freed in 1955 as he approaches 80 for medical reasons.

- Maurice Papon: A senior official under France's wartime Vichy government, Papon is sentenced to 10 years in jail in 1998 for his role in organising the deportation of 1,690 Jews between 1942 and 1944. Imprisoned in 1999, he is freed in September 2002, aged 92, on medical grounds. He dies on February 17, 2007.

- Erich Priebke: In 1998 the former SS officer is condemned to life in prison by an Italian court for his role in the massacre of 335 people in the Ardeatine complex of caves near Rome in 1944. Due to his age -- 85 -- and ill-health he is allowed to serve out his life sentence at the home of his lawyer and dies in 2013.

The former Yugoslavia

Several people convicted by the Hague-based International Criminal Court for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) received early release having served two thirds of their sentences.

Some notable examples:

- Biljana Plavsic: The former president of Bosnia's Serbs, Plavsic is the only woman tried by the ICTY for genocide, crimes against humanity and warcrimes. In 2003 she is sentenced to 11 years in prison. She is freed in 2009 aged 87 having served two thirds of her sentence. She returns to Belgrade in a private jet and is welcomed by the Prime Minister of Bosnia's Serb republic.

- Mirko Norac: The former Croat general, sentenced in Croatia to 15 years in prison for warcrimes committed against Serbs, is granted early release in November 2012.

- Nikola Sainovic: The former Yugoslav deputy prime minister is sentenced to 18 years in prison for warcrimes and crimes against humanity for his role in the Kosovo conflict. Freed in 2015 after serving two thirds of his sentence he is then appointed to a top body of Serbia's Socialist Party.

- Fikret Abdi: The Bosnian Muslim militia leader is given a 15-year jail term on appeal for imprisoning some 5,000 people in detention camps, at least three of whom died of maltreatment. He is released in 2012 after serving two-thirds of his sentence.

Argentinian soldiers

Around 60 top officials from Argentina's last dictatorship from 1976 to 1983, are convicted then amnestied, before going on trial again and sentenced for crimes against humanity between 2005-2009.

Many of them are allowed to serve their time at home given their age.

Two examples:

- Miguel Etchecolatz: the former Buenos Aires police commissioner is sentenced in 1986 to 23 years in prison for having executed and tortured 91 people. He is granted amnesty then tried and sentenced again in 2006 to life in prison for crimes against humanity. In 2017 he is allowed to serve the rest of his sentence at home due to his age of 88.
After an announcement designed to force Pakistan's military and intelligence apparatus to cut support for the Taliban and other Islamist groups, the official said that both US military assistance and Afghanistan coalition funding to Islamabad could be suspended.

It is "approximately two billion worth of equipment and coalition support funding that is in play," the official said on condition of anonymity.

After more than a decade of simmering US anger at links between Islamabad and the Taliban and the Haqqani network -- a Taliban affiliate -- President Donald Trump is trying to draw a line in the sand.

On the hook is almost $1 billion of US military equipment that has allowed Pakistan access to advanced military technology, but also funding that is meant to pay Pakistan for helping get US and NATO materiel into Afghanistan.

Analysts believe the United States is highly unlikely to freeze all that funding, which totals $1.9 billion, according to the source.

US officials have already indicated that there could be "exemptions" for programs deemed vital to US national security -- likely including cash for keeping Pakistan's nuclear weapons safe.

But nevertheless, the total figure of $1.9 billion is much higher than first indicated and is a signal of Washington's seriousness.

The senior administration official said "all options are on the table" when it comes to further moves, including stripping Pakistan of its status as a "major non-NATO ally" or calling in vital IMF loans.

The White House is demanding Pakistan crack down on Taliban elements and other groups that raise funds and take refuge in the border areas with Afghanistan.

It believes that a Pakistani crackdown could be pivotal in deciding the outcome of the war in Afghanistan -- entering its 17th year -- by weakening the Taliban militarily and forcing the organization to the negotiating table.

US officials believe that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency and other military bodies have long helped fund and arm the Taliban for ideological reasons, but also to counter rising Indian influence in Afghanistan.

Islamabad denies those allegations and has called Trump's decision to threaten funding "counterproductive."

Pakistan's foreign ministry issued a cautious statement in which it said it was "engaged" with US officials and awaiting further details.

Without referring to the decision directly, it warned that "arbitrary deadlines, unilateral pronouncements and shifting goalposts are counterproductive in addressing common threats."

The announcement ignited some small protests in Pakistan on Friday, including in Chaman, one of the two main crossings on the border with Afghanistan where several hundred people gathered to chant anti-US slogans.
"These sanctions target key entities involved in Iran's ballistic missile program, which the Iranian regime prioritizes over the economic well-being of the Iranian people," Mnuchin said.

"As the Iranian people suffer, their government and the IRGC fund foreign militants, terrorist groups, and human rights abuses," he added.

"The United States will continue to decisively counter the Iranian regime's malign activity, including additional sanctions targeting human rights abuses.

"We will not hesitate to call out the regime's economic mismanagement, and diversion of significant resources to fund threatening missile systems at the expense of its citizenry."

The five designated companies are all subsidiaries of Iran's Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group (SBIG).

Under the sanctions, any assets that the firms hold in places under US jurisdiction will be frozen and US citizens are forbidden from doing business with them.

And, perhaps more importantly, foreign institutions who work with the companies could be locked out of the US financial system -- a risk that European banks, for example, would be loathe to take.

Earlier, the State Departament had warned that Iranian officials involved in the arrest or killing of protesters would be held to account.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the deaths to date and the arrests of at least one thousand Iranians," spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

"We have ample authorities to hold accountable those who commit violence against protesters, contribute to censorship, or steal from the people of Iran," she said.

"To the regime's victims, we say: 'You will not be forgotten.'"

Popular unrest flared in Iran last month and at least 21 people are known to have died in clashes between demonstrators and the Islamic republic's security forces.

Washington, a long-standing foe of Tehran, has stood up for the protesters' right to be heard, and Nauert has now gone further in endorsing what she said were their demands.

"We support these legitimate aspirations of the Iranian people, and call on the government to allow the free exchange of ideas and information," she said.

"All of us should be able to enjoy the same basic economic and political freedoms, including the right to peaceful demonstration."
Macron said the international community should "not give ground to certain powers which think that just a few, recognising one part of the opposition from the outside, will be able to find a stable and lasting solution for the situation in Syria," he said.

"In this context, the United Nations, regional powers, Europe and the United States have a great responsibility, and I will fully commit... to succeeding in building the peace in Syria," he told the diplomatic corps in Paris.

Macron is due to meet Friday with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who backs the rebels fighting Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, while Moscow and Teheran have thrown their support behind Damascus.

The French leader also said that peace in Syria and neighbouring Iraq is urgently required in order to avoid any resurgence in jihadist attacks once the Islamic State was defeated "militarily".

France will focus its efforts on ensuring free and secure elections in Iraq this spring, and appeared to target Iran by calling for "vigilance" over "any destabilisation linked to foreign powers," said Macron.

He added that France would pursue talks with Iran aimed at a "framework accord" on its influence in the Middle East, in order to safeguard its landmark nuclear deal with foreign powers, which US President Donald Trump has threatened to drop.

Referring to the street protests that have rocked Iran in recent days, Macron said "We will continue to watch that these rights (freedom of thought and demonstrations) be fully respected".
The lunch and talks at the Elysee Palace are expected to take in Syria and EU-Turkey relations, but Macron is also expected to voice concern over Erdogan's post-coup purges.

The visit to France will be Erdogan's first since the botched July 2015 putsch and one of only a handful to Europe since the attempted army takeover.

In an interview with France's LCI television on Thursday, he said he had got off to a "very good start" with France's new leader.

But in an interview with Le Point magazine in August, Macron listed "having to talk to Erdogan every 10 days" as one of the drawbacks of the job.

The invitation to the Turkish strongman, who has presided over the arrest of tens of thousands of officials, academics, journalists and activists, has drawn criticism on the French left.

The Socialist mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, said she was "concerned" about the state of "human rights and local democracy in Turkey".

The French presidency has however insisted on the need to "maintain dialogue" with Ankara without "covering up differences of views."

Macron and Erdogan already met at a NATO summit in Brussels and at the UN General Assembly in New York in September, and held telephone talks leading to the release of two French journalists held in Turkey.

Macron has said he will also bring up the plight of jailed Turkish reporters during Friday's talks.

Amnesty International, whose Turkey head Taner Kilic has been jailed, said Macron should "strongly remind (Erdogan) that human rights defenders are not terrorists."

High on the agenda will also be Turkey's relations with the EU, which Ankara has sought to join for the last 50 years in an epic membership saga that appeared to hit the buffers amid bitter rows in 2017.

'Essential partner'

The purges carried out by Turkey in the wake of the coup bid have dealt the biggest blow yet to its ambition of joining the European Union.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been particularly condemnatory of the crackdown.

But Macron has stressed the need to avoid a breakdown in communications with a country he calls an "essential partner" on conflicts, including Syria, where France is seeking to play a greater role.

Speaking to LCI, Erdogan -- who is trying to mediate in Syria alongside Russia and Iran -- reiterated his position that President Bashar al-Assad should stand down.

France has taken a similar line but has appeared to be less unbending on that condition of late.

Hosting Erdogan forces Macron, who has attempted to boost France's standing on the European and world stages, to again walk a diplomatic tightrope.
Tiger Global Management is making a big bet on a California investing startup.

Wealthfront, a robo-adviser with more than $9 billion under its management, announced Thursday that Tiger Global, the New York investment firm, would lead a $75 million fundraising round. The firm, which declined to share its valuation with Business Insider, was founded in 2011. It counts Benchmark Capital, DAG Ventures, and Greylock Partners among its investors.

Wealthfront plans to use the new capital to enhance its Path platform, which allows users to view all of their financial accounts.

"Path's appeal to young people propelled our growth such that people under 45 now represent 85% of our clients," Wealthfront cofounder Andy Rachleff said in a statement. "We believe our success with this group is based on our unique ability to optimize and automate our clients' personal finances."

Wealthfront has adamantly held on to its belief that the future of financial advice is in automation. Unlike fellow robo-adviser Betterment and incumbent rivals such as Charles Schwab, Wealthfront has remained a pure robo without human advisers. The strategy appears to be working. On Wednesday, the firm's assets grew by $100 million, a spokesperson told Business Insider. That growth was fueled by both new desposits and stock market gains.

"A software only approach specifically appeals to a younger demographic, and we have embraced that," Rachleff told Business Insider during a recent visit to New York.

"Whereas the rest of the industry, as Wayne Gretzky would say, is skating to where the puck is, not where it is going to be," he added.

That laser focus was part of the appeal for Tiger Global.

"Wealthfront's exclusively software-based model gives the company a superior approach to capture the younger, fast-growing market of investors," said , a partner at Tiger Global Management, in a press release. "We're excited to support continued growth of the business and help Wealthfront become to the Millennial generation what is to Baby Boomers."
Fitch Ratings, which is an international credit rating agency whose ratings are used as a guide by investors as to which investments are most likely going to yield a return, published a report on the probability of Nigerian banks low profitability in 2018.

The low profitability of Nigerian banks was attributed to the federal government in 2017 introducing a new debt strategy designed to refinance some of its maturing domestic debt with external borrowing.

In December 2017, the Debt Management Office(DMO) used proceeds of the $500 million Eurobond offer, issued in November 2017 to repay N198 billion worth of T-Bills which matured during the month.

Also the T-Bills issuance calendar for the first quarter of 2018 issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), showed a N200 billion difference between the N1.2 trillion worth of T-Bills scheduled to mature during the quarter and the N1.1 million worth of T-Bills to be issued during the quarter, indicating lower borrowing from government.

How much impact will this strategy on Nigerian banks?

According to Fitch Ratings, this strategy by the government may affect 30 percent of banks interest income in the 2018 financial year. "The slowdown in T-bill issuance marks a change of strategy as the government looks to increase its financing from external sources and longer-dated domestic issuances," said Fitch Ratings in its statement.

It also went on by saying, "Record T-bill issuance in 2017 helped support the Central Bank of Nigerias strategy to maintain naira exchange-rate stability. High yields on T-bills issued in 2017 attracted investors and helped to support the naira."

An increase in oil export earnings and the introduction in April 2017 of the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Rate Fixing (NAFEX) mechanism, commonly referred to as the 'Investors and Exporters' FX Window, also helped naira stabilization during the second half of 2017.

"We expect falling T-bill yields and lower issuance to put pressure on Nigerian banks profitability in 2018. The CBNs latest issuance schedule shows NGN1.1 trillion ($3.6 billion) of rollovers in 1Q18 against N1.3 trillion of maturing bills. In 2017, rollovers fully covered maturing bills. Performance metrics at all banks will be affected by weak demand for lending, falling T-bill yields, lower foreign-currency translation gains, and rising loan impairment charges, but the largest banks are best placed to withstand these challenges."

Nigerian banks are highly reliant on net interest income for profitability and T-bills proved to be an important source of profits in 2017 but bank profitability could drop drastically with this new government strategy.
Ripple's XRP cryptocurrency slumped as much as 34% Friday morning, trading down to $2.45 a coin, after New York Times reporter Nathaniel Popper said he was unable to verify many of the cooperating banks the company had previously announced. CEO Brad Garlinghouse denied those claims.

Meanwhile bitcoin, the only cryptocurrency worth more than XRP by market cap, was trading up 7.9% at $16,465. Here's Popper:

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse responded, saying that his company had set up interviews for Popper, and that he would be able to verify the its claims by speaking to those people. It's not clear the subjects of those interviews, or whether they had actually been scheduled.

Ripple has been on a tear since late last year, exploding in value by over 37,000%  making it the second-largest cryptocurrency with a market capitalization of $115.1 billion, according to CoinMarketCap.com

Those massive gains have made many of its founders, who own billions of the digital XRP tokens, millionaires. Chris Larsen, who co-founded the company but no longer serves as an executive, owns 5.19 billion XRP, worth more than $12 billion at Friday's exchange rate.
LONDON  Nick Clegg has told Business Insider that he doesn't take criticism of his imminent knighthood "too seriously" and says his critics are "free to whinge" about it.

The former deputy prime minister and ex-leader of the Liberal Democrats was named in the New Year's honours list for "public and personal service" at the end of last month.

However, the news was met with anger and confusion from various figures across the political spectrum.

Guardian columnist Owen Jones described the knighthood as a "safety net for the shameful and shameless," while The Daily Mail said Leave campaigners like Nigel Farage had been ignored to accommodate Remainers like Clegg.

Two e-petitions calling on Clegg to be blocked from becoming a knight of the realm were created in response to the news. Over 100,000 people had signed the petitions at the time of writing.

However, speaking to BI on Thursday evening, the former MP for Sheffield Hallam said the negative reaction "doesn't really affect my pride" in what he achieved in government with Cameron's Conservatives.

"You can hardly call it a backlash when the entirely predictable people dont share my views on things and criticise," he said.

"The Daily Mail is never going to agree with my worldview and neither is Owen Jones. I dont take it too seriously.

"I was included in the honours because of the work I did as deputy prime minister and I remain immensely proud of what me and my team succeeded to do in providing stability to the country at a time of immense turbulence and difficulty.

"It doesnt really affect my pride in what we achieved that there are people on either side who want to snipe."

On whether he thought the honours system was biased in favour of pro-EU figures, he said: "I dont decide who gets honours and my honour had nothing to do with my views on Europe.

"It was entirely to do with my service over five years as deputy prime minister. People who dont like what the Coalition did or dont like my views on Europe will whinge. Its a free country  if people want to whinge, they can."

"Labour should be 20% ahead"

Clegg was speaking in north London at an event hosted by anti-Brexit group Islington In Europe.

At the event, the former Liberal Democrat MP accused the Labour Party of failing to capitalise on the "mugs" in Theresa May's government who are struggling to deliver Brexit.

"Labour should be 20% ahead. A good opposition would kill this government in a week. Its absolutely pathetic," he said.

He described the recent resignation of Andrew Adonis as chair of the government-backed National Infrastructure Commission as a "significant" moment in the Brexit process.

There is a limit to how much the public follow these Westminster dramas," he said.

"But it is significant nonetheless that someone who is widely regarded as thoughtful about politics and has friends across party divisions has found it simply impossible to work for a government that is so paralysed about politics.

"It just lifts a lid on something that is becoming incredibly obvious, which is that the obsession with hard Brexit has rendered this government dysfunctional."

Clegg: Lib Dems need to switch their focus

Clegg also distanced himself from his former party's insistence that there must be a second referendum on the terms of Britain's exit from the European Union, claiming the party's primary focus ought to be pressuring MPs to vote down a bad deal when it is put to Parliament later this year.

"This is where I slightly disagree with Sir Vince Cable," Clegg said. "The vote in Parliament is the only cul de sac out of Brexit."

He later told BI: "The realistic deadline is the vote in parliament.
In the fight against the terrorist group ISIS in Iraq and Syria, US and US-led-coalition jets have flown thousands of sorties and dropped tons of munitions  but in doing so, they've tipped their hand to Russian fighter jets that have eagerly stalked them.

"The skies over Iraq and specifically Syria have really just been a treasure trove for them to see how we operate," Lt. Gen. VeraLinn "Dash" Jamieson said at an Air Force Association briefing hosted by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies on Thursday.

"Our adversaries are watching us  they're learning from us," said Jamieson, adding that Russia's air force cycled most forces through Syria to give them real-world combat experience.

During the air campaign in Syria, Russia got a look at the tactics, behaviors, radar, and thermal signatures of the US's top air-dominance fighter, the F-22.

Russia is figuring the US out and gloating over it

In the skies over Syria, Russia's top fighter jets came face to face with the F-22 and appeared to show it little reverence.

Russia's air force has gloated over its dominance in such encounters, though that should be taken with a grain of salt.

"We always found ourselves 'on their tails,' as the pilots say, which means victory in a dogfight," said Maksim Makolin of Russian Aerospace Forces, according to state media.

Though Russia often exaggerates or fabricates stories of its air force's prowess, there's reason to believe Russia gained valuable information that could help it in a fight with US jets.

"Russia can learn more than just observing US/coalition tactics, techniques, and procedures," Justin Bronk, an expert on aerial combat at the Royal United Services Institute, told Business Insider. "They can also 'paint' Western fighters and other air assets with ground-based and aerial fire control and search radars."

The F-22 relies on stealth for its major advantage against Russian jets, which perform similarly, if not better, in traditional confrontations like dogfights. If Russia gained experience tracking the F-22 with infrared-search-and-track radars, as Bronk suggested it might have, it would be "very useful stuff."

Russia's operating close to the US most likely allowed it to tune its air- and land-based sensors to detect all varieties of US and coalition aircraft operating over Syria.

Russia in Syria has been a double-edged sword

As a result, the advantages afforded to planes like the F-22 that utilize stealth  and all US fighter jets that use classified tactics in combat scenarios  may have been eroded.

"Russia has gained invaluable insights and information with operating in a contested airspace alongside of us in Syria, and they're incorporating lessons learned of actually doing a first 'away' fight," Jamieson said.

But as Bronk points out, the observation was most likely mutual  and most likely cut both ways.

"Whilst Russia is certainly making every use that it can of the opportunity to learn about Western air operations and capabilities in the shared skies over Syria, that process goes both ways since whatever Russian military aircraft do is done within airspace heavily surveilled by Western assets," Bronk said.

Still, as adversaries catch up, the future of US air supremacy becomes less clear.
The digital director of the Trump campaign said Friday that the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and son Eric Trump "were joint deputy campaign managers" whose "approval" was required for every decision before the 2016 election.

"Nobody else. Not one person made a decision without their approval," the digital director, Brad Parscale, tweeted. "Others just took credit for this family's amazing ability. I'm done with all these lies. They will be embarrassed!"

Kushner was Parscale's "patron," according to a person familiar with the campaign's inner workings, which could explain their closeness.

Kushner got Parscale hired, the person said, "despite the fact that a number of people in the campaign wondered whether he had any idea what he was doing."

"He's Jared's boy," the person added. "I had [campaign] deputies telling me they couldn't question anything the guy did or said, and they were unhappy about that."

In recent days, an explosive new book about the Trump campaign and the president's first year in the White House has rocked the administration. The book, Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury," features the former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon lambasting Trump and members of his family.

But Parscale's tweet also raises new questions about how involved Kushner and Eric Trump were in episodes that have drawn the most scrutiny from investigators probing the campaign's ties to Russia.

Those include agreeing to with the Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and other Russian nationals at Trump Tower in June 2016; green-lighting a trip to Moscow for Carter Page, an early campaign aide, in July 2016; and altering the GOP's Ukraine platform during the Republican National Convention that month.

Page told the House Intelligence Committee last year that days before the convention, Corey Lewandowski, then the campaign manager, gave him permission to travel to Russia. Lewandowski has denied that, but Page has said he has emails to prove it. It is not clear whether Lewandowski consulted with Kushner beforehand.

Parscale's statement also raises questions about what Kushner and Eric Trump knew about George Papadopoulos, the former campaign aide who was charged late last year with making false statements to the FBI.

The campaign has characterized Papadopoulos as a "coffee boy," but evidence has emerged that he attempted for months to set up a meeting between the Trump campaign and Russia, helped craft Trump's first major foreign policy speech, and brokered campaign talks between Trump and Egypt's president.

Papadopoulos also gave an interview as a Trump campaign official to Russia's Interfax News Agency six weeks before Election Day, and he met with Israeli leaders as a foreign policy adviser during the presidential transition period.

Eric Trump, the cohead of the Trump Organization, has so far evaded the spotlight in the Russia investigation. That could change now that the organization has turned over documents to the special counsel Robert Mueller, CNN reported Thursday.

Meanwhile, federal and congressional investigators are reportedly scrutinizing the data operation Kushner supervised and Parscale directed, looking into whether it colluded with Russian bots and trolls that targeted voters with disinformation and propaganda before the US election.

Congressional committees are also investigating whether voter information stolen by Russian hackers from election databases in several US states made its way to the Trump campaign.
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It was a nationwide agitation that brought the National Union of Nigeria Students (NUNS) into an open confrontation with the Olusegun Obasanjo led Military government and the stern looking men of the Nigerian Army.

The bloody episode which popularized the power of Nigerian students started in April 1978, when the government asked the students to make more contributions by adding 50K to their cost of meal per day.

The increment meant that their cost of meal would rise from N1.50 to N2.00.

The then Minister of Education, Ahmadu Ali was at the centre of the matter until everything collapsed on his head.

Following the announcement, which didn't go down well with the National Union of Nigeria Students, Segun Okeowo, the then president of the union made a move to address the issue.

The students held a meeting in Maiduguri, Ilorin and finally in Calabar before taking a bold step to challenge the military government on the increment.

All along, Ali was trying to make the students believe that the increment was made by the Supreme Military Council and not by the Ministry of Education.

ALSO READ:Who remembers Edo teacher who could not real well

However, when the NUNS realized the government was not willing to reverse its decision, they resorted to demonstration and that was the moment things began to fall apart.

And the Police fired the first shot

The first day of the protest brought the students and the Police face to face at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). A student was fired in the leg and bled to death because Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Orthopedic hospital, Igbobi refused to treat him.

That infuriated Okeowo, the national students union president who immediately sent a message to his counterparts at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the University of Ibadan and other Federal Universities.

The students' protests escalated and for over a week, they engaged themselves in an open confrontation with the Police and the Army.

Touched by the incident the student shot dead by the police in UNILAG, the students, went on a rampage and about eight other students were reportedly gunned down in Zaria by Nigerian soldiers.

ALSO READ:Throwback to what a bad day looks like in Nigerian Secondary School

The murder of the students caused more problems for the government as the students refused to be cowed by the gun-wielding murderers sent to put the situation under control.

The protest slogan, ALI MUST GO rent the air as the Minister of Education was believed to be the cause of the crisis that led to the students' deaths.

After one week of the nationwide protest, the Federal Government shut down all universities and students were advised to leave the campus.

The Segun Okeowo led students union and the ALI MUST GO saga remains a notable students led aluta in Nigeria.

In fact, the history of students unionism in Nigeria will largely be incomplete without mentioning Segun Okeowo and the infamous protest that demonstrated the strength of Nigerian students.
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According to Punch News, the youngster who was earlier seeking for a job got introduced by one Obamoyegun Omotayo, alleged to be the leader of the terror group.

In his statement, the teenager revealed that he contacted the head who owns a number of cars because he wanted to be his driver.

I am a Badoo member. Around November, I told Obamoyegun (Omotayo) that I wanted to be his driver because I saw him with new cars. He told me that it would take some time before he would give me the job," Igwe told Punch before Edgal Imohimi, the state police commissioner ordered that he and some other suspects be taken away.

The commissioner mentioned that Chibuzor Igwe was apprehended during their last strike.

He was arrested while trying to flee from the law at a location described as Alabo Street, Abule Osorun, Ibeshe, Ikorodu. This was where a family of three was attacked on Saturday, December 30, 2017.

Others also paraded by the police include Uche Igwe; a welder, believed to be the youth's elder brother, Samuel Akaeze, a.k.a Samito; his wife, Gift Akaeze who provides information to gang members concerning where to attack; and a herbalist, Fatai Adebayo, a.k.a Adaripon.

The latter who reportedly prepares 'juju' for members of the notorious cult group was captured earlier in the week. He was apprehended at his shrine in Imosan village, located around Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

The arrest was confirmed in a press statement forwarded to Punch News by the Lagos police.

It detailed the activities of SP Chike Oti, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the aftermath of the arrest.

Some representatives of the gang who were taken into custody over the weekend told law enforcement officers about the involvement of the herbalist.

According to the police, the Badoo agents don't go for a killing without first consulting him. He reportedly administers an oath for the cultists.

Members, Chibuzor Igwe, Samuel Akaeze and Gift Akaeze were recruited by a Badoo commander called Obamoyegun Omotayo.

Their activities can be likened to some African terror groups who have not been able to provide just reasons for their attacks.

The Boko Haram insurgents for example whose army are largely folks from countries such as Chad, Niger and Cameroon.
Nwajagu who is a banker was reportedly arrested and arraigned in court for locking up a child who was brought to her to work as a housemaid.

The child was allegedly brought to her by a woman she claims was her elder sister.

Instablog9ja reports that according to the police public relations officer, SP Chike Oti, the suspect reportedly locked up the child in a poorly ventilated apartment before leaving for work and would not release the child until she returned home at night at the close of work.

The police report read: "Nwajagu, from Ajali in Orumba LGA of Anambra state but residing at No.12 Baderin street, Mafoluku Oshodi, reported to the police last night at Makinde Police Station Oshodi from where she was taken to the Human Rights Section of Lagos State Command Ikeja."
The men were reportedly arrested on December 31, 2017 after reportedly receiving a report from one Ijeoma who laid a complaint at the Ojodu Abiodun Division.

According to the reports, she complained that she was picked up in a taxi by three men on December 29, 2017 from Afrikan Shrine, Agindingbi, Ikeja, Lagos state to Iwo street, Ojodu Abiodun on Ogun state. Ijeoma was dragged by the men and raped, before being robbed of her belongings.

Ijeoma also stated that she had seen the three men at Adebayo area of Ojodu and was able to recognize them.

Following her report, the DPO Ojodu Abiodun, SP Bamidele Job ordered detectives to the area where two of the suspects were arrested. The third suspect managed to get away.

Daily Post reports that upon interrogation, the suspects confessed to their crime.

Further investigation also revealed that the trio have been involved in series of rape cases around the area, adding their mode of operation has been to use a taxi to pick up victims and take them to isolated areas where they are raped and robbed.
In carrying out their heinous crime, the suspects, which included a couple and a herbalist, would first hypnotise their victims to sleep before smashing their heads, one of the gang members said.

The suspects were identified as Chibuzo Igwe, Samuel Akaeze aka Samito and his wife Gift, who doubles as their informant, Omotayo Abamoyegun and Fatai Adebayo, their herbalist, who fortifies them before they embark on each operation.

Giving details of his 'first operaton', 18-year-old Igwe revealed that last year, he and other members killed an RCCG pastor at Igbogbo, Ikorodu.

ALSO READ: Police arrest Badoo shrine owner over murder of couple in Ikorodu [Video]

The pastor, Victor Kanayo, was attached to Finger of God Parish in the town.

He said, "We usually spray a powdery substance on a target, while he is sleeping. The person will then fall deeper into sleep. We would then smash the person's head with stone, and then scrub his blood with a white handkerchief.

"Abamoyegun introduced me to the Badoo group. I was forced to take an oath before I started working with them. My first operation was the killing of the RCCG pastor at Igbogbo.

"They promised to give me N500,000 if I successfully carried out the operation. It was Gift, the lady among us that showed us the pastor's house. Gift's husband, Samuel, a welder, was the one who assisted us to break into the pastor's house.

"Omotayo sprayed a substance on the pastor while he was still sleeping. I then used the stone to smash his head. I was given N20,000, instead of the N500,000. I was also given the pastor's Asha Nokia phone.

"They promised to balance me. I was leaving the scene when a local vigilante group arrested and handed me over to the police."
A close friend of the deceased wrote on a Facebook platform named "Hapimom" where she expressed a sad feeling concerning the passing of the newly wedded woman who got hitched on Thursday, December 27, 2016.

The sympathizer shared regrets about missing an opportunity to see the dearly departed before her passing.

"Typing RIP is what I prayed against on 31st night over the new year, I never knew I'm going to do it so soon.

"December 27 2016 was your wedding day, I saw how happy you are and how so excited your mom and only sister was.

"I saw a happy family, not so long you get pregnant and things was moving fine... Last two weeks I dream where you were giving birth to twins, I wanted to call your sister to gist her about it but it later skip my mind..

"On 25th morning I called your sister and I also talk with your Mom, I told them I will come over in evening but I didn't make it. (Had it been I come that could be the last time I will see you)

"Today by 11:12am I got a call from your sister that you are dead.. She said you die while giving birth to twins. You lost your life and non of the kids survive.

"I was speechless, perplex and sad. I couldn't imaging what I heard I was left with only one question"Why" "Why" "Why" why? Why you!!, why now after everything why!!!

"If I could be so down this way I wonder how your mom is feeling.

"I wonder how your only sister and brother is feeling now, do I have to talk of your husband who just wedded you 12 months ago I wonder what is going through his mind now. Father lord have mercy

"Rest in peace Ifeoma. Why!!!!!! This is too hot for me," the solacer narrated in a long note.

Similarly, a woman named Chinyere Sylvia Akaleme, described as a victim of serial domestic violence was murdered by her husband, Obinna Akaleme, alongside their baby, on her due date.
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The Ijaws are a collection of people that are indigenous to the Niger Delta in Nigeria. And owing to the affinity they have with water, a good number of them are found as migrant fishermen in camps as far west as Sierra Leone and as far east as Gabon.

With a population of over fourteen million, the Ijaws are unarguably the most populous tribe inhabiting the Niger Delta region and arguably the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria.

Historically, it is almost impossible to give a precise account as to whence the Ijaws originated. Different accounts have been given by different historians. But what is certain is that the Ijaws are one the worlds most ancient people.

Believed to be the descendants of the autochthonous people or ancient tribe of Africa known as the (H) ORU, the Ijaws were originally known by this name (ORU). At least it was what their immediate neighbours deemed them.

Although this was a very long time ago, the Ijaws have, however, kept the ancient language and culture of the ORUs.

Being the first to find a settlement in the Lower Niger and Niger Delta, it is possible that they may have started inhabiting this region as far back as 500 BC.

However, language and cultural studies prove that they are related to the founders of the Great Nile Valley civilization complex (and possibly the lake Chad complex). They immigrated to West Africa from the Nile-Valley during antiquity.

Language

The Ijaw language consists of two prominent groupings.

The first, which is termed as either Western or Central Izon (Ijaw) consists of Western Ijaw speakers: Ekeremor, Sagbama (Mein), Bassan, Apoi, Arogbo, Boma (Bumo), Kabo (Kabuowei), Ogboin, Tarakiri, and Kolokuma-Opokuma (Yenagoa).[citation needed] Nembe, Brass, and Akassa (Akaha) dialects represent Southeast Ijo (Izon).[citation needed]. Buseni and Okordia dialects are considered Inland Ijo.

On the other hand, the second major Ijaw linguistic group is Kalabari. Although the term Eastern Ijaw is not the right term, that is what Kalabari is considered as.

Kalabari is the name of one of the Ijaw clans that reside on the eastern side of the Niger-Delta (Abonnema, Buguma, Bakana, Degema etc.) who form a major group in Rivers State.

Other "Eastern" Ijaw clans are the Okrika, Ibani (the natives of Bonny, Finima, and Opobo) and Nkoroo. They are neighbours to the Kalabari people in present-day Rivers State, Nigeria.

Marriage

Unlike most tribes, the Ijaws have two forms of marriage.

The first which is a small-dowry marriage, the groom is traditionally obliged to offer a payment to the wifes family, which is typically cash.

Here (this type of marriage) the children trace their line of inheritance through their mother to her family: Meaning that when the children grow up, they have more choices as to where they can live.

They can either decide to live with their fathers people or mothers people.

In contrast to the first type, the second type of marriage is a large-dowry marriage. And here the children belong to the fathers family.

Belief

With the coming of Western civilization, the present day Ijaw seems to have changed from traditional worshipers to Christianity.

However, there are some among them who still have faith in their traditional religious practices.

In the traditional religion of the Ijaws, veneration of ancestors plays a central. While water spirits, known as Owuamapu, figure prominently in the Ijaw pantheon.

In addition, the Ijaw practice a form of divination called Igbadai, in which recently deceased individuals are interrogated on the causes of their death.

They also believe that water spirits are like humans in having personal strengths and shortcomings and that humans dwell among the water spirits before being born.

Traditionally, the Ijaws hold celebrations to honour the spirits, lasting for several days. And the highlight the festival is the role of masquerades.

Here, men wearing elaborate outfits and carved masks dance to the beat of drums and manifest the influence of the water spirits through the quality and intensity of their dancing.

Particularly spectacular masqueraders are taken to actually be in the possession of the particular spirits on whose behalf they are dancing.

Interestingly, the Ijaws are one of the few peoples in the world known to practice ritual acculturation (enculturation).

ALSO READ: History and culture of the Itsekiri people

In this practice, it is possible for an individual, who hails from an entirely different tribe or group, to become an Ijaw after undergoing some certain rites.

It is said that King Jaja of Opobo, the Igbo slave who rose to become a powerful Ibani (Bonny) chief in the 19th century, is an example.
Mr Okoli Sunday, the Chairman, Auto Spare Parts Association in the state told newsmen in Yenagoa that the closure had caused setbacks to their businesses.

Okoli said that the association members had always paid their taxes and rents.

We do not know how the issue of non-payment of tax and rents came up because we have always paid our rents through the Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association, who are in charge of the shops in the market.

From what we learnt, out of the 484 shops in the mechanic village, only 78 are being accounted for, he alleged.

Okoli appealed to the state government to reconsider the reopening of the village and dialogue with the auto dealers because the dealers were facing untold hardship.

An official, who preferred anonymity in the State Ministry of Trade and Investment, said the permanent secretary was not on seat to comment on the matter.

The permanent secretary was around some hours ago, but he has gone out for an official duty.
Channels TV reports that a statement issued by the Deputy Director of Public Relations, Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, confirmed the news.

ALSO READ: Boko Haram releases video of kidnapped women

The statement revealed that the feat was achieved by troops of Operation Lafiya Dole in the ongoing artillery and aerial bombardments of Boko Haram enclaves in the Lake Chad region.

Currently an evaluation report of the ongoing operation indicates that a major factional leader of the terrorist group, Mamman Nur, has been fatally injured in the bombardment as he and his sub-commanders fled from the onslaught.

Several of his foot soldiers have also been killed by troops, while many of the insurgents who escaped are now surrendering to Republic of Niger Defence Forces, following the Amnesty granted the insurgents by the Government of Niger Republic, the military said.

ALSO READ: Army recover more Boko Haram items
The Benue State lawmaker had earlier been questioned on December 18, 2017 for seven hours and had been given two weeks by the anti-graft agency to recover from an illness.

According to a report by The Nation, Mark arrived at the EFCC office in Abuja around 2pm on Thursday accompanied by one of his sons.

An EFCC source told The Nation that the lawmaker has more than three cases to answer with the anti-graft agency.

He said, "He was calm during interrogation, which involved the presentation of some of our findings to him.

"Altogether, he has more than three cases before the EFCC but we are gradually isolating every issue in which he was implicated.

"By the time we release the facts to the public, Nigerians will realise that the ongoing probe of the former Senate President has nothing to do with politics. We have been on some aspects of the investigation since 2015.

"In one of the findings, about N200million was collected in cash for Mark from ONSA through a proxy."

Allegations against Mark

The former Senate President is expected to account for an alleged N200m - N550m arms procurement fund from the Office of the National Security Adviser and another N2.9 billion paid into the account of the National Assembly during his tenure and shared among senators.

He is also expected to explain his role in the spending of N2 billion campaign funds meant for Benue State that also involves a former Minister of State for Niger Delta, Sam Ode.

According to another EFCC source, Ode has provided useful information that implicates PDP chieftains in Benue State who allegedly diverted the N2 billion for personal use.

Mark denies allegations

Mark has denied all the allegations against him in a statement released through his media aide, Paul Mumeh, after the first interview.

He said, To set the records straight, Senator Mark was invited by the EFCC via a letter addressed to the National Assembly to answer questions on the 2015 presidential election campaign funds as it concerned Benue State.

"As a law-abiding citizen, Senator Mark honoured the invitation. Curiously, they also alleged that the PDP paid over N2bn into the National Assemblys account which he, as then President of the Senate, allegedly shared among the 109 senators, including PDP, Action Congress of Nigeria and All Nigerian Peoples Party (members) in 2010.

"Again, to the best of his knowledge, Senator Mark is not aware of such transactions. This simply did not make sense to any right thinking member of society.

"Senator Mark wondered why anybody would think that PDP will pay money into National Assembly account. He, however, clarified all the issues raised before returning home."

"Sen. Mark believes in due process and rule of law. He has maintained a clean record of public service over the years and will continue to uphold the highest standard of conduct expected of public servants.

"Sen. Mark's house has since become a pilgrimage of sort to politicians across party lines, friends and well-wishers identifying with him at this moment.

"He however appealed to his supporters, friends and associates to remain calm and see his current travails as a price he has to pay for leadership.
According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ayuba Aloson, a relative to Pagu, said her rescue is evidence of the army's commitment to rescuing all the abducted girls.

He said, "I am happy over the development; our abducted daughters are still with their captors. This demonstrates the commitments of the military to the rescue of the girls."

Aloson, who has been displaced by Boko Haram's insurgency and lives in a Maiduguri host community, revealed that four of his nieces who were also abducted are still in captivity.

Pagu was intercepted by troops in Pulka, a village in Borno, on Thursday in the company of another young girl, Jamila Adams, who is about 14 years old with a child.

BBOG confirms Pagu's identity

The Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) activist group that has campaigned relentlessly for the return of the girls confirmed Pagu's identity hours after her rescue was announced.

The group's spokesperson, Sesugh Akume, said, "Our movement is delighted to confirm this news to be true.

"Salomi Pogu; is a daughter of Malam Pogu Yahi from Kaumutahyahi, a village in Kuburmbula ward of Chibok Local Government Area.

"Her parents are currently at an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Rumirgo village, near Askira-Uba in Borno.

"She is number 15 on the list of missing Chibok girls. This brings the number of our missing girls to 112."

The group could not verify Adams' identity as part of the abducted schoolgirls.

Abduction of Chibok Girls

In April 2014, Boko Haram invaded Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok and kidnapped 276 female students.

After several escapes, rescues, and releases, 112 of the girls are still in captivity of the deadly terrorist group.

Boko Haram menace

Since the insurgency of the terrorist group escalated after a 2009 crackdown by the military, Boko Haram, chiefly under the leadership of Abubakar Shekau, has been responsible for the death of over 20,000 people and the displacement of more than 2.5 million scattered across Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps across the country and its neighbours.
In line with the partnership, the Army would acquire 100 variant of utility vehicles from the company to support its operations, especially in the northeast.

In view of this, the South East Revival Group (SERG) has commended the COAS over this move.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, president of the group, Charles Mbani said the partnership further shows the commitment of the Army towards the growth of business in the Southeast.

His words: The patronage of Innoson Motors Manufacturing Company may appear insignificant, or may be promoted by saboteurs as something to be taken for granted. But we dare say the gains from this singular act are unquantifiable even as they tally with the government's avowal to diversify the economy which involves strengthening the manufacturing sector and saving crucial foreign exchange for the country.

From our informal interaction with relevant stakeholders, we can already confirm that the deal between the Nigerian Army and Innoson is already deepening local manufacturing. When we make this point it is not about the number of cars that roll off Inosson Motors Manufacturing Company's production line but the multiplier effects that come from such enterprise. We foresee more companies keying into the expansion that the Army's orders portend for Innoson.

ALSO READ: Full story of how Innocent Chukwuma fell out with GTB

The Army's order is also building the economy as a lot of money has been saved since the vehicles delivered to it were not ordered from abroad. The resources committed to their purchase have been left circulating within our economy. For us, it is a thing of joy that the Nigerian Army has practically sent a strong message about the quality of Made in Nigeria Products. This will rub off on the products from the south-east. The Army has given a lifeline to the hundreds of industries located in our part of the country.

We must note at this point that the Army also bought its boots and shoes from Aba, so its commitment to seeing industries in our land grow is not mere eye-service but a well calculated attempt to address youth unemployment and their resulting restiveness. It is our firm belief that continuing along this path will leave terrorist groups without idle youths to recruit for making trouble and harassing law-abiding Nigerians, he added.

Buratai had said that the Army would partner with the company in the modification and production of other military equipment, including armoured fighting vehicles.
It was jointly signed by its Coordinator and General Secretary Mr AbdulWaheed Odunuga and Mr Adekunle Aderibigbe respectively.

BYO said: Licensing here implies that their engagement with the government will not just be limited to capturing their data, but also providing some forms of guidance and regulations for their operations.

With such process in place, any breeder caught wandering around without licence can be arrested as a potential criminal herdsman.

When the herdsmen are licensed and educated accordingly on how, when and where to graze, it will make them solely and severally liable and responsible for damages and losses incurred.

This will also make it easier for the herdsmen to communicate with the local traditional rulers and authorities when contingencies are encountered.

Animals should not be used as a yardstick for measurement with human lives when losses arise and on the other hand, animals should not be killed unjustly.

Nobody should take laws into their hands, but for justice to be served by the appropriate jury with fairness, BYO said.

The group, however, commiserated with people and Government of Benue State over the recent violent attacks on the farmers by some herdsmen, who killed many farmers in the process.

The situation is so pathetic that the sympathisers can only conclude that no human should have been dealt with in that manner, it said.

The group also called on the Federal Government and security agencies to ensure that the culprits were not just caught, but given appropriate punishment.

We also offer our condolences to the families of those who were killed indiscriminately by unknown gunmen at Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA) Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The Police chief said that regardless of the troubling killings that have taken place in three different states in 2018, what the country needs is prayer for citizens to live in peace.

Since the early hours of January 1, violent killings have been recorded in Kaduna State, Rivers State, and Benue State with dozens of people dead and several more injured.

While speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting at the Presidential Villa, he said Nigerians should learn to live with one another.

"I think Nigeria is well secure. I have to be frank. I think what we should be praying for is for Nigerians to learn to live in peace with each other, I think is very important," he said.

IGP Idris further said the president encouraged him to tighten the country's security.

He said, "Every time we meet with the President, he gives a charge. He said that we should go and take care and ensure that we tighten our security.

"Definitely we are doing all we can to see we maintain law and order in all parts of the country. There are so many measures.

"For instance, in Benue we are going to deploy more units to support the efforts the police is making in the state to ensure we have adequate protection to the men and communities and members.

"Of course we are assuring the people that this will not repeat itself. I cannot say Nigeria is under-policed. We cannot be overwhelmed."

The attacks

The paramount chief of Numana Chiefdom in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Gambo Makama, and his pregnant wife were killed by suspected herdsmen in the early hours of Monday, January 1.

The Etum Numana had been in his hometown of Arak to celebrate the New Year when gunmen reportedly broke into his home around 12:05 am and shot him, his pregnant wife and a third person identified as his son.

At least 15 people were killed by unknown gunmen in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State also on Monday, January 1.

The gunmen attacked the community while residents were celebrating during the early hours of the new year.

In attacks allegedly carried out by Fulani herdsmen in Guma Local Government Area and Logo LGA of Benue between Sunday, December 31, 2017, and Tuesday, January 2, 2018, 50 people were reportedly killed.
A frail-looking Fujimori, 79, held up a hand to wave to supporters as aides rolled him out the main entrance of Lima's Centenario Clinic in a wheelchair, before he was whisked away in a convoy of vehicles accompanied by his lawmaker son Kenji.

A woman repeatedly shouted "We love you, we love you!" as she tried to reach Fujimori's vehicle through a line of security officials.

"With my dad," wrote Kenji Fujimori on Twitter, publishing a selfie taken with his father in the back of their SUV.

Fujimori, who wore a dark coat over a blue shirt, looked tired in the photo, while the son who orchestrated his release seemed euphoric. Later, he published a video in which both wave to the camera.

"They are the first minutes of Alberto Fujimori in freedom," the family's doctor Alejandro Aguinaga told AFP.

He said Fujimori would meet later with his four children in what would be "an emotional family reunion."

Analysts said the ailing ex-leader's first task would be to reconcile his rival children, Kenji and his sister Keiko, amid fears of a lasting split in the opposition Fuerza Popular party whose leadership Keiko inherited from her father. The Fujimori party is the main political group in the country and controls Congress.

"What will happen now is a sort of attempt by the father to soothe the family trouble," political analyst Fernando Tuesta told AFP.

Kuczynski, a 79-year-old businessman turned center-right politician who beat Keiko to the presidency in 2016 by capitalizing on the anti-Fujimorist vote, said he had pardoned the ex-president for humanitarian reasons - reneging on an election pledge never to do so.

Fujimori was pardoned days after Kenji and a raft of Fujimorist lawmakers abstained from voting on Kuczynski's impeachment in what was seen by many as a backroom deal to save the president from corruption charges.

The December 24 announcement prompted a wave of protest in Peru. Fujimori was released after serving less than half of a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses.

UN human rights experts condemned the pardon as politically motivated and said it was a slap in the face to victims of his brutal rule from 1990-2000.

A court held him responsible for the killings of 25 supposed guerrillas and sympathizers in 1991 and 1992. It sentenced him in 2009 to 25 years in jail.

Relatives of victims have condemned the pardon, but many Peruvians admire him for his ruthless campaign to put down uprisings by leftist guerrillas, and supporters have hailed the decision to free him.

Victims' relatives said they would appeal the pardon to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, based in Costa Rica.

Fujimori, who has been in the clinic since December 23 -- the day before the pardon was announced -- was transferred from prison after suffering low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat.

Peru's defense and culture ministers, as well as a string of leading officials, have resigned from the government in protest.

Peruvian analysts now expect Kuczynski to announce a reshuffled "reconciliation" cabinet, to include figures close to Kenji and Alberto Fujimori.

More than 230 Peruvian writers, including Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, have denounced the pardon, insisting Fujimori "does not suffer from any degenerative or terminal illness" and deserved to remain in prison as a "criminal against humanity."

Lawmakers wanted to impeach Kuczynski for allegedly lying to cover up his ties to Odebrecht, a giant Brazilian construction company that has admitted to paying hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to officials across Latin America to secure public works contracts.

After initial denials, Kuczynski in December admitted he had taken money from Odebrecht for what he and the Brazilian company insisted were legitimate consulting fees. He denies any wrongdoing.

Meanwhile Aguinaga, the Fujimori family doctor, said the ex-president "is going to be in a house in Lima" for the foreseeable future.
Xi's exhortation to the world's largest fighting force, parts of which were revealed only late Thursday, came during what state media characterised as a rare address by the Chinese leader to the country's entire military.

Xi cemented his status as China's most powerful leader in decades during an October Communist Party congress, and this week's rhetoric and images of massed soldiers and tanks seemed designed to back up his new strongman image.

China's military personnel should "neither fear hardship nor death," Xi told thousands of military personnel during an inspection visit Wednesday to the People's Liberation Army's Central Theater Command in northern Hebei province, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Xi also called for the military, a once-backward force whose rapid modernisation over recent years has raised alarm in Asia and Washington, to continue upgrading.

He urged the PLA to step up research into high-tech means of warfare and engage in "real combat training", Xinhua said.

"Create an elite and powerful force that is always ready for the fight, capable of combat and sure to win in order to fulfil the tasks bestowed by the Party and the people in the new era," he was quoted saying.

As head of the Communist Party's Central Military Commission, Xi is commander-in-chief of China's more than two-million-strong armed forces.

Xinhua called Xi's address to the troops "the first time for the commission to hold a mobilisation meeting for the whole armed forces."

Other media reports said thousands of troops elsewhere in the country assembled at their installations to hear his speech.

Since taking office in 2012, Xi has pushed for a muscular China, including calls in October to develop a "world-class" Chinese army by 2050.

China's neighbours have watched warily as the PLA has upgraded its arsenal with increasing sophisticated weaponry and sought to create a more effective and professional fighting force.

Analysts say Xi is very unlikely to risk putting China's still-untested new prowess into an outright military confrontation.

But concerns have grown as Beijing has imposed increasingly assertive claims to vast expanses of the contested South China Sea, while engaging in confrontations with Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea, and with India over Himalayan regions.

Temperatures also have risen over North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un thumbing his nose at the world by repeatedly testing his country's banned nuclear weapons and missiles, while exchanging tit-for-tat threats with US President Donald Trump.

During his visit to the military command, Xi was shown in combat fatigues inspecting troops, tanks, sniper training, and peering down the sights of an automatic rifle.
The Diyanet religious affairs directorate said on Tuesday the minimum age for girls to marry was nine, while for boys it was 12, according to Turkish media including Hurriyet daily quoting the agency's official website.

The post, which took the form of an explanatory statement on Islamic law, has since been taken down, after a backlash from the opposition and women's rights groups.

The head of the High Commission of Religious Affairs Ekrem Keles on Thursday told Hurriyet that the earliest age for a girl to marry is 17 and 18 for a boy.

"Forget a nine or a 10 year old child marrying, a child at 15 should not marry and should not be married," he said.

The legal age to get married in Turkey is 18.

But Turkish law says that in an extraordinary circumstance, a judge can give permission for a male and female aged 16 to marry.

The controversy touched a nerve in Turkey, where child marriages are not uncommon and the fight continues to raise girls' level of education.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmaker Gaye Usluer accused the government of being "more interested in how to marry children at a young age when there needs to be talk on children's education, health".

Meanwhile CHP lawmaker Murat Bakan on Twitter said child marriages "violates children's rights, women's rights and human rights", adding that the party had called for a parliamentary investigation into child marriages.

Women's rights groups also criticised the agency, which is similar to a religious affairs ministry, accusing it of trying to legitimise child abuse and urging Diyanet to "get their hands off our children".

The ministry said it had "never and will never approve early marriages" in a statement, saying it was only defining Islamic law.

"Forcing girls to marry before psychological and biological maturity, and before they obtain the responsibility to become a mother and form a family is not compatible with Islam which says will and consent are conditions for marriage," it added.

Women's groups as well as Usluer raised concern over Diyanet's move coming after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan approved a controversial law in November allowing state-approved clerics to conduct marriage ceremonies.

"When we said 'if you give muftis (clerics employed by Diyanet) the power to conduct marriages, the issue of child brides will increase', this is what we meant," she said, according to CHP's website.

Opponents often claim that Erdogan and his Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party are attacking the republic's secular foundations, claims dismissed by the government.
The Treasury alleged that the four were either involved in repressing protesters or tied up in major corruption schemes.

Washington has already targeted Maduro himself for sanctions, and is a long-standing opponent of what it sees as his increasingly authoritarian regime.

The sanctions designations "highlight that corruption and repression continue to flourish under the Maduro regime, both by those in current government positions and former officials who continue to benefit from a corrupt system," the Treasury said.

"President Maduro and his inner circle continue to put their own interests above those of the Venezuelan people," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

"This action underscores the United States' resolve to hold Maduro and others engaged in corruption in Venezuela accountable," he added.

"We call on concerned parties and international partners around the world to join us as we stand with the Venezuelan people to further isolate this oppressive regime."

Under the US Treasury order, Aragua state governor, retired general and state oil firm board member Rodolfo Clemente Marco Torres is designated for his alleged role in food smuggling.

Francisco Jose Rangel Gomez, another retired general and a former governor of Bolivar state, is accused of pressuring Venezuelan courts to release suspected members of armed pro-government gangs.

General Fabio Enrique Zavarse Pabon, commander of the defense zone that includes Caracas, is accused of using National Guard troops to violently repress demonstrations.

And Major General Jose Izquierdo Torres is accused of using his rank and position to corruptly enrich himself.

The Treasury blacklists freezes any assets the four might have in US jurisdictions, and bans Americans and US businesses from doing business with them.

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the sanctions would only be removed if one day the officials change their behavior and respect the rule of law.
At the end of December, more than 3.2 million displaced Iraqis had gone home while 2.6 millions still lived away, the International Organization for Migration said.

Iraqi forces have regained large swathes of the country from the Islamic State group since the jihadists seized them in 2014, sending tens of thousands running for their lives.

In December, Baghdad declared victory over IS after a three-year war against the jihadists that caused tens of thousands more to flee.

"The retaking of areas by the Iraqi forces is significant, as is the improvement of security," said IOM communications officer Sandra Black.

Nearly one third are reported to have returned to houses that have been significantly or completely damaged, she said.

Around 60 percent went back to housing that was only moderately damaged.

Other infrastructure has also been affected in the fighting, with residents in some areas reporting no water or power supply.

More than one million Iraqis have returned home to the Sunni-majority western province of Anbar, from which Iraqi forces expelled the last jihadists late last year.
The show of unity comes at a trying time for Spain after its wealthy Catalan region attempted to break away, and where 47 percent of voters want to live in an independent, monarchy-free republic.

Credited for leading Spain to democracy after decades of dictatorship, Juan Carlos will appear at a military ceremony Saturday in Madrid alongside Felipe, who replaced him in June 2014 after a tearful abdication following several royal scandals.

"Father and son haven't been seen together at an institutional event for seven months," says Ana Romero, author of a book on the latter years of Juan Carlos's reign.

Left on sidelines

Widely lauded for his negotiating skills, political acumen and role in defusing an attempted coup in 1981, Juan Carlos fell from grace during Spain's economic crisis as his lavish lifestyle drew anger.

Adding fuel to fire, his youngest daughter Princess Cristina and her husband Inaki Urdangarin were embroiled in a corruption and tax fraud investigation, with the latter since found guilty of siphoning off millions to fund a lavish lifestyle. Cristina was acquitted.

When he took the throne, Felipe VI, 49, took his distances in a bid to restore the image of the monarchy.

In June, Juan Carlos was markedly absent from an event marking 40 years since the first democratic elections after Francisco Franco's dictatorship.

Jose Apezarena, Felipe VI's biographer, says the explanation given at the time was that he didn't show up "so as not to outshine his son."

But "people close to him conveyed his unease, he was angry at having been excluded."

But that "really hurt" the man who reigned 38 years because "it was thanks to him that there was an exemplary transition from a dictatorship to a full democracy," adds Jaime Penafiel, a royal affairs journalist.

So "he made it known that if they humiliated him again, he would go celebrate his 80th abroad."

Reluctant abdication

So it is that on Saturday, Juan Carlos and his wife Sofia will accompany Felipe VI and Queen Letizia to a ceremony held annually to mark the start of the year for the military.

Four years ago, that same ceremony had been a torture for Juan Carlos, physically weakened after health issues and tainted by scandals.

"He made mistakes in his speech, lost track of what he was saying, offering a pathetic spectacle," says Apezarena.

That's when he asked for preparations to be made for his abdication, he adds.

Later that year in June, he stepped down in favour of his son and became "king emeritus," a title he hates according to the press.

For Penafiel, "it wasn't what he wanted as he had repeatedly said he would be king until he died."

He would have preferred the fate of King Harald V of Norway, who is still in power and in May celebrated his 80th birthday with a big bash attended by other European royals.

Low-key celebrations

So why isn't Spain doing that for Juan Carlos?

"He isn't king anymore, and the Spanish monarchy has more of a tradition of austerity than the northerners," says Apezarena.

Celebrations are planned to mark his birthday and that of Sofia this year, but "lower key," he adds.

At his family birthday meal on Friday, Princess Cristina and Urdangarin are expected to be conspicuously absent.

"The more they are kept away, the better it is" for the royals, says Apezarena.

And while Juan Carlos was once criticised for his lavish lifestyle -- going on a luxury elephant hunt in Botswana at the height of the economic crisis, for instance -- he is still widely admired for his role in Spain's recent democratic history.
Saakashvili, who was president from 2004 to 2013, was found guilty of illegally pardoning four men who were convicted of the high profile murder of Georgian banker Sandro Girgvliani in 2006.

According to the judge, Saakashvili promised the then chief of Georgia's Constitutional Security Department to give the men pardons.

Saakashvili, who is now a politician in Ukraine, has called the case politically motivated and questioned the independence of the court.

"This is a revenge against me," he said at a press conference in Kiev.

Saakashvili accused Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, a former ally turned political foe, of orchestrating the case.

"I have not a single doubt that the decision of the Tbilisi court was dictated from Kiev to the Georgian authorities," he said. "I have no doubt that Poroshenko made a deal with (billionaire and former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina) Ivanishvili."

Last month Saakashvili also faced legal problems in Ukraine when police rearrested him in Kiev after an earlier attempt to detain him failed because supporters swarmed the van he was held in.

Saakashvili was released by a court after denying charges of trying to stage a coup sponsored by Russia, although he is still under investigation.
The meeting will take place in Panmunjom, the truce village in the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula.

Tensions have been high after the North carried out multiple missile launches in 2017, including a number of ICBMs, and its sixth atomic test, by far its most powerful to date.

The tentative rapprochement comes after the North's leader Kim Jong-Un warned in his New Year speech that he had a nuclear button on his desk, but at the same time offered Seoul an olive branch, saying Pyongyang could send a team to next month's Winter Olympics in the South.

Seoul responded with an offer of talks between the two, and earlier this week the hotline between them was restored after being suspended for almost two years.

Late Thursday, the South's president Moon Jae-In and his US counterpart Donald Trump agreed to delay joint military drills -- which always infuriate the North -- until after the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang which begin on February 9.

A unification ministry official told AFP that the North faxed a message to Seoul saying it accepted the proposal for talks on Tuesday.
His appearance in court follows snap regional elections in Catalonia on December 21 which saw separatist parties, including a ticket led by his leftist ERC party, retain their parliamentary majority.

Madrid had called the poll after Catalan lawmakers declared independence on October 27, triggering Spain's worst political crisis since democracy was reinstated following the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy then sacked Catalonia's government, dissolved its parliament and stripped the region of its treasured autonomy.

Catalonia's president at the time, Carles Puigdemont, left for Brussels. He now faces arrest in Spain over charges linked to rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds while other independence leaders, including Junqueras, are behind Spanish bars pending trial.

Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena last month refused to grant Junqueras bail, arguing there was a risk that he would repeat the crimes he is investigated for but the former Catalan vice president appealed the ruling.

Junqueras argued before the judges on Thursday that he should be released to be able to take his oath as a regional lawmaker, his lawyer, Andreu Van den Eyden, told reporters.

"What he said was that they free him, that they let him represent the people who voted for him," he said.

Junqueras also reiterated that he favours a "peaceful" path to achieve Catalan independence based on dialogue, he added.

The court is expected to issue its decision in the coming days.

Separatist parties won 70 seats in the 135-seat Catalan parliament, but eight belong to politicians who will not be able to be sworn in either because they are in jail or have fled to Belgium.
"What we are seeing in America is a chain of serious plots," Erdogan told reporters at Istanbul airport after the conviction of Mehmet Hakan Atilla, deputy chief executive of Turkish lender Halkbank.

"If this is the US understanding of justice then the world is doomed. There can be no such understanding of justice."

The trial, which rested on the testimony of Turkish-Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab, a suspect turned prosecution witness, implicated former Turkish ministers and even Erdogan in the Iran sanctions busting scheme.

But Erdogan lambasted the case as being "full of contradictions".

He also took aim at the United States for hosting the Pennsylvania-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey accuses of being behind the failed 2016 coup and also of influencing prosecutors in the Atilla case.

"Those who are attempting a coup against us in my country... live like pashas in 400 acres of land," Erdogan said in apparent reference to Gulen's leafy estate.

The United States has so far resisted pressure from Ankara to handover Gulen for trial. Gulen denies any involvement in the failed coup bid.

Erdogan indicated that consequently bilateral agreements between Ankara and Washington were losing their value.

"Well then what are the international and bilateral legal agreements doing? They are becoming obsolete. I am saddened to say this but after this, the process will work like that," said Erdogan.
A total of 21 people died and hundreds were arrested in the week-long protests which were the biggest challenge to the Islamic regime since the 2009 mass demonstrations.

"We cannot accept that some countries -- foremost the US, Israel -- to interfere in the internal affairs of Iran and Pakistan," Erdogan told reporters before heading on a trip to France.

"It is turning the people against each other in these countries. It's a shame that we have seen this done in many nations... We saw this in Iraq."

Erdogan did not expand on the nature of the alleged meddling in Pakistan but on Thursday the US announced a freeze in deliveries of military equipment and security funding until Pakistan cracks down on the militants.

The Turkish president then referred to problems in "Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia" and in African countries including Sudan and Chad.

He claimed a "game was being played" in certain countries, which he noted were all Muslim-majority nations.

"They are taking steps towards making the plentiful underground riches in all these countries their own resources," he said.

"Sorry, these realities should be known by our people and all people," he said.

Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke on Wednesday in a call in which the Turkish leader gave his support for the return of "peace and stability" to Iran.

Erdogan on Friday praised Rouhani's statements that the street protests were the people's "democratic right", saying this had helped normalise the situation.

Turkey's conservative media had previously accused the US and Israel of stoking the Iran protests as part of a purported plot to transform the Middle East.

Erdogan has on occasion criticised Iran's "Persian imperialism" in the Middle East amid bouts of tension in the Turkey-Iran relationship.
The move came just hours after US President Donald Trump said that high-level talks set for next week between North and South Korea were "a good thing."

North Korea has rattled the international community in recent months with multiple missile launches and its sixth and most powerful nuclear test -- purportedly of a hydrogen bomb.

"The two leaders agreed that the US-South Korea joint military exercises will not be carried out during the Olympics period, and the armed forces of the two countries should do their best to guarantee the safety of the Olympics," said a statement from the office of South Korean President Moon Jae-In.

Trump and Moon made the decision during a phone conversation Thursday, Seoul said.

The statement quoted Moon as telling Trump that delaying the exercises would help ensure the success of the Winter Olympics -- being hosted by the South next month in Pyeongchang -- "in case the North does not make any more provocations."

"The Department of Defense supports the president's decision and what is in the best interest of the ROK-US Alliance," a Pentagon spokesman, Colonel Rob Manning, said, referring to South Korea by its official acronym.

The North-South talks set for next week -- which would be the first since 2015 -- are meant to focus on "matters of mutual interest", including the North's participation in the Winter Olympics.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has shrugged off a raft of new sanctions and heightened rhetoric from Washington as his regime drives forward with its weapons programmes, which it says are meant to defend against US aggression.

But the new year has begun on a more positive note -- on Wednesday, the two Koreas restored a cross-border hotline that had been shut down since 2016.

The move came after Kim offered to send a team to the Winter Olympics, which will take place from February 9-25 in Pyeongchang, a mountain resort just 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the heavily fortified North-South border.
Alstom will supply its OptOnix traction system, which is designed for the Chinese market. The equipment will be manufactured by Satee and Chengdu Alstom Transport Electrical Equipment (Catee), with support from Xian Alstom Yongji Electric Equipment and Alstom sites in Belgium and France.

Alstom and Casco will equip Chengdu Line 9 with Alstoms Urbalis signalling system, and Casco will be responsible for the whole life-cycle management of the system.

The first phase of Line 9 will be about 22km long with 11 stations and will connect the southwest of the city centre with the West mainline station. Line 9 is expected to open by the end of 2020.

Alstom has already supplied traction systems for 1252 metro cars for lines 3, 4 and 5 in Chengdu, and Casco has supplied signalling systems for lines 4 and 7.

For more detailed information on metro projects in China, subscribe to IRJ Pro.
New Jersey Transit Executive Director Steve Santoro, who has spent 18 years with the agency, submitted his resignation to New Jersey Transportation Commissioner Rick Hammer on Jan. 5. He will be leaving in April and said he is committed to ensuring a smooth transition for the new administration of incoming Governor Phil Murphy.

Santoros resignation comes as no surprise, as it is customary in the State of New Jersey for a new governor to appoint his or her own NJT Executive Director, particularly if the governor is of a different political party than the one who is being replaced. Phil Murphy is a Democrat. Chris Christie is a Republican.

Prior to his appointment as Executive Director, Santoro was in charge of NJTs capital programs, overseeing numerous expansion and new-build projects.

We have seen amazing projects through to completion during my career here at NJT, together working on the construction of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail, River LINE and Sandy Resiliency efforts, which will leave a lasting impression on NJT for generations to come, Santoro said in a memo to employees. Since having the honor and privilege of leading NJT as Executive Director, we have made improvements and customer enhancements across all of our business lines. We have improved rail safety with the installation of inward and outward facing cameras and begun the process of modernizing our rail fleet with additional multi-level cars and new locomotives. Weve expanded capacity by utilizing larger light rail vehicles on Newark Light Rail and Hudson-Bergen Light Rail. We are advancing environmental review for expanding HBLR into Bergen County and a new Glassboro-Camden line. Our New Jersey Transit Police Department has opened a state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center and continues to keep a vigilant watch against terrorism. Weve progressed major projects such as a new Portal Bridge and new Raritan River Bridge that will leave the transit system in better shape for our children.
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Cities are amazing, and as the world continues to urbanize (quite rapidly), theyre going to come under continued scrutiny by historians (as well as social and physical scientists). Cities are places where humans gather to live, work, innovate, eat, consume, travel, indulge in leisure, and learn. Cities are also reflections of the geography around them. Thus some cities are better for farming, others for living, and yet others for trading or governing. The art of governing is trickier than you might think. Throughout history, many cities have served as seats of government power, and many more have fallen out of favor as the center of political life.

Below are 10 cities that used to be capitals of important political units (whether monarchies, republics, or otherwise). As always, feel free to add your own in the comments section. Behold:

1. Monterey (Alta California): Nestled on the south side of Californias Monterey Bay, about 120 miles south of San Francisco, is the small, affluent college town of Monterey. Its a gorgeous little town, worthy of the tourists it attracts in droves, and it also used to be the capital city of Alta California, a vast territory of New Spain (and then Mexico) that covered most of what is now the American Southwest. Fun fact: Argentina once flew its flag over Monterey. An Argentine pirate sacked the city in 1818 and, after a week, continued up the coast to find more booty. Before he and his crew continued on their merry way, though, the Argentine made sure to hoist Argentinas flag up Montereys fort flagpole (he burned the fort before he left).

2. Samarkand: Now located in Uzbekistan, has always played a central role in the Silk Road trade routes as a major commercial city, but has never felt quite comfortable being a center of governance. That changed, once, during the time of the Timurid Empire and especially the reign of Tamerlane, a Mongol emperor with a Muslim-Turkic background. As a capital city, Samarkand flourished culturally, but the financial health of the city was questionable. Today Samarkand has just over half 1 million people living in it, and is slowly recovering from tsarist and Soviet governance. Much of Samarkands splendor is still there, for all who are adventurous enough to explore Central Asia.

3. Rio de Janeiro: The sixth largest city in the Americas (North and South) and its metropolitan area is home to 12 million people. The coolest thing about Rio is that it once served as the capital of a European polity, Portugal, when the Portuguese monarchy fled the devastating Napoleonic War. Rio was also the center of the slave trade in the Americas and, somewhat paradoxically, was also the home of Brazils small but determined abolitionist movement. When Brazil transitioned from a monarchy to a republic, Rio remained the capital city until 1960, when Brazil decided to build a brand new capital city (Brasilia) closer to the heartland of the Brazilian state.

4. Cusco: Now in Peru, was once the capital city of the feared, loathed, and admired Inca Empire. Its 11,000 ft above sea level (for reference, Denver is just over 5,000 above sea level). Cusco was the quintessential political city when it served as the Inca Empires capital. Its population was never vast, its wealth always concentrated to a few politically-connected neighborhoods, and its public spaces were built for ceremonial purposes rather than, say, open and cooperative ones. Today Cusco has just under half a million people living in it, but its blend of Spanish and Inca architecture makes it worth visiting.

5. Gao: The once mighty capital city of the once mighty Songhai Empire in West Africa, today is home to about 85,000 people and is nestled in the eastern part of Mali. Like Samarkand, Gao spent much of its life as a commercial center, and was considered one of the most prominent cities involved in trans-Saharan trade. All of this changed when Sonni Ali, a Songhai conqueror, made Gao his empires capital city, thus becoming a target for Songhais rivals. In 1951, the Moroccans conquered and sacked Gao and declared Timbuktu, the traditional political center of West Africas trans-Saharan trading world, as the new capital city. Interestingly, when Malian rebels tried to secede and create the country of Azawad in 2012, they named Gao their capital city.

6. Kumasi: Aside from Monterey, this is the only city your humble correspondent has actually spent any time in, and it was worth it! Kumasi is the bustling political, cultural, and economic center of the Ashanti homeland, located in south-central Ghana. Home to just over 2 million people, the Ghanaian state has gone to great lengths to incorporate Kumasis distinct cultural heritage into its nation-building efforts. The Ashanti Empire was probably the most powerful empire in all of West Africa during the 18th century. It owed much of its strength to the slave trade, and when the United Kingdom decided the slave trade was immoral, it began picking fights with Asanteland. The two sides fought three major wars during the course of the 19th century, and even today Asanteland sits on the fence when it comes to Ghana. Kumasi was the capital of the Ashanti Confederacy from 1695-1957.

7. Lubeck: Located in what is now northern Germany, was the capital city of the Hanseatic League, a major trading confederation in the 13th and 14th centuries. From its perch along the Baltic Sea and the Trave River, Lubeck led a revival of trading fortunes for not only members of the Hanseatic League but everybody else in the broader Baltic region, too. The city was considered one of the most beautiful and influential cities in all of Europe during the Middle Ages. The Hanseatic League cannot be described by any terms we have today for political units, but confederation comes closest (even though it wasnt technically a confederation either). So Lubeck was more like the primus inter pares among commercial cities in the Baltic. Today the city of Lubeck is home to about 220,000 people and largely known for its - surprise! - medieval architecture.

8. Aachen: A German resort town of just over half a million people today, it is located on the border of both Belgium and the Netherlands, but during the Middle Ages it served as the capital city of the Holy Roman Empire, or at least the place where most of the Emperors resided and were crowned. Like the Hanseatic League, the Holy Roman Empire is tough to categorize. Favored by Charlemagne, Aachen was as close to a capital city as you can get for the HRE until the mid 16th century, when Frankfurts (further east of Aachen and closer to the center of the Holy Roman Empire) gradual ascension to the center of Germanic life came to full fruition. In 1944, Aachen became the first German city to fall to the Allies.

9. Kyoto: The capital of Japan for 1,000 until the capital was moved to Tokyo in the mid-19th century. Although there were periods of decentralization in Japan during the 2,000-year time frame, Kyoto remained the cultural capital of Japanese life throughout periods of warfare and political fracture. It wasnt until the Japanese state underwent intense nation-building efforts in the mid-19th century that Kyoto lost its cultural stranglehold on Japanese life. One interesting tidbit to note, for various reasons, is that this vast, medieval metropolis was modeled after the ancient Chinese capital city of Changan.

10. Changan: Also known as Xian, Chang'an served as the capital city for at least 10 separate Chinese dynasties spread out over a period of millenia. That said, Xi'an is isn't exactly on the same ground Chang'an was on, but because it's in the same vicinity, modern and pop culture references often refer to Xi'an rather than Chang'an, though they were two distinct cities. Changan is the home of the Terracotta Army. During the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD), Changan became one of the largest cities in the world, perhaps serving as a home to over 1 million people. The city was the political, economic, and cultural capital of China (no small feat) until warlords sacked the city in 880 BC and 906 BC. When political elites packed up and left for good in 907 BC, commercial and cultural elites followed close behind, suggesting that the Tang political economy was based more on rent-seeking than on property rights, The devastation of the barbarian hordes was so great that Changan actually disappeared: farmers today plow their fields atop the ruins of this once-thriving capital city.
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Price: $ 749,300 Zoning: zoned Agriculture / Forestry / Residential Zip/Postal Code: 28312 Seller State of Residence: North Carolina State/Province: North Carolina City: Fayetteville Type: residential, commercial, agricultural development Property Address: 5556 Murphy Rd. Location: 283**, Fayetteville, North Carolina

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A surge in taxi fares earlier led Maharashtra govt to set up committee to recommend prices for these players

After investigating the alleged unfair practices adopted by private health care providers and the pharmaceutical sector, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) is set to bring cab aggregators under its scanner over surge pricing.

Taxi-hailing apps like Ola and Uber introduced surge pricing to adjust the prices of rides to match driver supply to rider demand at any given time.

Officials from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs told Business Standard a study was being planned on surge pricing in the cab aggregator industry.

The government felt there were serious competition issues on pricing by these cab aggregators, the officials said, adding that Indias two major cab operators might be abusing their dominant position.

Insiders said the focus of the competition watchdog was now sectors that directly dealt with the common man - cab aggregators and the health care sector being just two of them. Competition lawyers said the hotel segment would also be looked into.

Cases are being filed with the CCI by rival cab aggregators, which feel the two leaders in the sector are distorting the market.

One recent complaint by Meru alleged that Ola and Uber were disrupting the market by bringing in foreign investors.

The commission had earlier rejected a complaint by Meru against its rivals.

A surge in taxi fares had earlier led the Maharashtra government to set up a committee to recommend prices for these players.

The committee had suggested that the basic fare between 8.1 km and 12 km be reduced by 15 per cent, and for distances beyond that, by 20 per cent.

The committee had also recommended setting up the floor and ceiling prices.

Apart from cab aggregators taking on each other on pricing issues, there have been complaints by NGOs in courts on overcharging.

When the commission undertook a study on the health care sector, it found that the Max Hospital had margins of over 500 per cent on certain items like syringes.

It showed how hospitals made super normal profits on certain devices.

With these studies, the CCI is trying to get in-depth knowledge before coming to any conclusion on action.

Many orders of the commission have been overturned over the fact that natural justice has not been done and that procedure has not been followed.

Also, there has not been enough evidence in a number of cases to prove that there is a contravention of the Competition Act.

A recent Vidhi report argues that the CCI needs to follow the principles of natural justice while writing orders so that they are not quashed by the appellate body.
The total quantum of non-performing assets in the Indian banking system increased to Rs 7.33 trillion as of June 2017, from Rs 2.75 trillion in March 2015.

The finance ministry sought Parliaments approval to spend Rs 800 billion extra this fiscal year to recapitalise state-owned banks through bonds.

Thursdays move kick-starts the Rs 1.35-trillion bank recapitalisation bond programme announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in October to help public sector banks come out of the spiralling non-performing asset mess.

The Rs 800-billion infusion would take place before March 31, officials said.

These bonds will have non-SLR (statutory liquidity ratio) status, and will be non-tradable, an official said on condition of anonymity.

"The SLR is a portion of deposits that banks need to invest in government securities. The SLR status to any instrument provides a traceability option and they can be traded in the secondary market.

The intention is to ensure that banks ability to support growth is not diminished.

"Reckless lending by state-owned banks during the tenure of the previous government has impacted the ability of the banks to support economic growth. This has, in turn, impacted private investment, Jaitley said during a reply in Rajya Sabha later in the day.

After the Centre moved forward on its bank recap programme, the benchmark Sensex reacted positively and reversed a three-session slide.

The scrip of UCO Bank soared 8.50 per cent, IDBI Bank surged 8.33 per cent, Punjab National Bank gained 5.97 per cent, Bank of India went up 3.83 per cent and Bank of Baroda jumped 3.77 per cent on BSE.

Index heavyweight State Bank of India rose 1.72 per cent.

The Rs 800-billion expenditure has been sought by the government in the form of the Third Batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2017-18.

The demand is for meeting additional expenditure towards the recap of public sector banks through issue of government securities, a finance ministry document said.

The additional expenditure would be matched by receipts of Rs 800 billion on issues of securities to the banks and would not entail any cash outgo, it added.

While finer details are not known, the whole transaction will only be a below-the-line book entry for calculation of the fiscal deficit and, hence, would not impact an already precarious fiscal situation this year, banking experts said.

The Rs 1.35-trillion bank recap bonds, to be issued over this fiscal and the next, would be part of a larger Rs 2.11-trillion bank recapitalisation programme.

Apart from the recap bonds, the Centre will cough up a total of Rs 180 billion this year and the next, and the rest Rs 580 billion would be mobilised from the market by the banks.

The issuance of these bonds will be front loaded. While the Centre hasnt announced anything yet, there are a number of parameters on the basis of which the recap bonds will be distributed among the banks.

It is likely that weaker banks will be infused with further capital only to cover their provisioning requirements, while the stronger banks will be provided with capital for growth as well.

Which bank gets how much will depend on how the lenders have dealt with non-performing assets, what is the progress of cases that have been referred under the insolvency and bankruptcy code, how effective has their provisioning been, and other issues.

The banks may be required to clean up their books further by writing off a small portion of non-performing assets, apart from the cases being referred to the National Company Law Tribunal under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.

The total quantum of non-performing assets in the Indian banking system increased to Rs 7.33 trillion as of June 2017, from Rs 2.75 trillion in March 2015.

Photograph: Krishnendu Halder/Reuters
'The Dalits have always asserted themselves, but there has never been any gain for Dalits.'

'But now the most significant thing that has emerged, and which has got all the political parties in denial mode, is the assertion of smaller OBCs along with the Dalits.'

'I accept that the Dalits by themselves are not in a position to make a Mumbai bandh successful.'

'It was only because of the participation of the smaller OBCs that the bandh has become a success.'



IMAGE: A scene from the January 3 bandh in Mumbai. Photograph: Sahil Salvi

Prakash Yashwant Ambedkar, founder of the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh -- and, more importantly, Dr B R Ambedkar's grandson -- minces no words as he takes on the Maharashtra government.

Ambedkar tells Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore about the RSS concerns about the January 1 attack on Dalits in Bhima Koregaon and how he hopes to create a coalition of forces to offer an alternative to the BJP and Congress.

What has the Dalit movement achieved from the Maharashtra bandh you called on January 3?

This bandh was supported not just by the Dalits who were attacked during the January 1 celebrations at Bhima Koregaon. A large number of smaller OBCs (other backward classes) too joined in the bandh and that is the reason why it was so successful.

Till now we knew only dominant OBCs in Maharashtra like Dhangars (the shepherd community) and Wanjaris (nomads) etc, but you don't get to hear about the other not so dominant OBCs like Kumbhars (potters), Shimpis (tailors), Lohars (blacksmiths), Sonars (goldsmiths) etc.

These smaller OBCs participated in large numbers in the bandh.

These people (the not so dominant OBCs) were protesting against the attacks on those who were on their way to celebrate the bravery of soldiers who had fought and died valiantly fighting the socially oppressive Peshwas in Pune some 200 years ago.

In that army (which fought the Peshwas), there were soldiers belonging to these OBC castes too.

The 500-odd army was made up of 400 Mahars and Matangs and the rest belonged to the OBCs and the Kunbi caste.

This bandh has exposed the hypocrisy of the forward castes and fundamentalist, Brahminical, Hindu organisations.

Why were those celebrating their history with pride attacked? What was their fault?

Has the honouring of bravery and martial expertise of those belonging to the Dalit community pinched Brahminical Hindus the most?

Another important achievement is that organisations like the RSS -- which vouches for the Hindu culture and ethos -- have also called for punishment for the people who attacked the Dalits on January 1 near Bhima Koregaon.

But Chief Minister Fadnavis, who is also Maharashtra's home minister, is yet to take action against Sambhaji Bhide and Milind Ekbote, who you have alleged are the behind these attacks on the Dalits.

The chief minister has assured us that he is going to take action (against Bhide and Ekbote).

There has been no action three days after the attacks.

We will wait for another day or two and then we will formulate our action if the CM doesn't act against these people.

We will chalk out a detailed plan if these two (Bhide and Ekbote) are not arrested.

Organisations like the RSS, which had once stood behind them (the fringe outfits), have come out openly, saying that these people should be arrested and action taken against them.

The RSS, which is an intelligent organisation, will know the consequences of not speaking against such people.

Secondly, their own existence is in question now.

Whose existence?

The RSS' existence!

Why?

You must read between the lines as to why they (the RSS) made these statements.

This is the first time ever that the RSS has come out with such a statement.

And you think this is a very significant change in how the RSS is dealing with fringe elements?

I find it very significant because this statement makes one believe that the RSS wants to get these fringe elements under control.

Do you think the coming together of the Dalits and smaller OBC groups to commemorate the Bhima Koregaon battle can lead to the formation of a rainbow coalition that can acquire political strength across India?

A case in point being that Dalits in Madhya Pradesh are protesting against the January 1 attacks and demanding action against the guilty.

I am in Bhopal and getting reports of Dalit protests in Indore and Bhopal. It is only natural for the Dalits and other oppressed castes across India to protest against such atrocities.

I have already indicated that I would be interested in bringing together an alternative to the Congress and BJP.

Let me tell you that with the RSS statement galle ki haddi kehte hai na jisko (these fringe outfits are like a bone for the RSS).

With the RSS going ahead with the Hindutva agenda and its implementation being carried out by the BJP, the nation will be scrutinising it thoroughly in 2019. The voters can always accept or reject it.

So, there is a self-imposed limit to the Hindutva agenda; they can't go beyond a point.

Now, these fringe organisations are like Frankenstein's (monster) and the BJP wants to get rid of them, but the people will always doubt its intentions.

With the Congress taking up the temple card and the BJP and RSS sticking to their Hindutva card, it will be difficult for the latter to get rid of this bone in their throats.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale's Republican Party of India (a party founded incidentally by Prakash Ambedkar's grandfather) has lashed out against you for inciting Dalits for political gain.

Who bothers (about Ramdas Athawale's RPI)?

You have seen what I control and what I can do.

I have never exercised my rights, but when I did it (by calling a Maharashtra bandh), people now know what my strength is.

I just don't bother about these people (Athawale).

Don't you think Dalits in Maharashtra are politically fragmented? There are more than 10 Dalit political outfits that vie for votes.

That's your version. I have been in politics for 35 years and whenever Dalits wanted to change the politics of Maharashtra, they have done it.

Do you view the Maharashtra bandh as a significant marker of Dalit assertion in the state?

The Dalits have always asserted themselves, but there has never been any gain for Dalits.

But now the most significant thing that has emerged, and which has got all the political parties in denial mode, is the assertion of smaller OBCs along with the Dalits.

I accept that the Dalits by themselves are not in a position to make a Mumbai bandh successful. It was only because of the participation of the smaller OBCs that the bandh has become a success.

Will it make the Dalits politically powerful in Maharashtra?

Even today, in Kolhapur, there are organisations that have called a bandh against the government's inaction against those who attacked the Dalits on January 1 and these are not Dalit organisations.

2017 was marked by scores of Maratha mook morchas (silent protests). Do you think the January 1, 2018 attacks on the Dalits will galvanise the Dalits to stage similar protests to assert themselves?

The (Maratha) mook morchas were politically favourable for the BJP. Those protests antagonised other dominant OBCs and Dalits, so it was a win-win situation for the BJP.

Now, with this January 3 Maharashtra bandh, that win-win situation will favour any other party but the BJP.

The BJP can again get into a win-win situation only with their (Bhide's and Ekbote's) arrests.

If the BJP government doesn't arrest them, these protests and heartburn will continue.

The Dalits and not so dominant OBCs will then form a political bloc against this government for their inaction.

If they (the BJP government in Maharashtra) want to prevent such polarisation from happening, they will have to act.
The residents of Bhima-Koregaon village, the epicentre of caste violence in Maharashtra, on Friday blamed "outsiders" for the January 1 incidents and claimed there was inadequate security for the mega gathering that preceded the unrest.

Sunita Kamble, 'sarpanch' of Bhima-Koregaon, said all the communities in the village, including Dalits and Marathas, have been living peacefully. The villagers also sought compensation for people who suffered losses in the rioting and vandalism.

Earlier this week, the event to mark 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle, in which forces of the British East India Company defeated Peshwa's army, was marred by incidents of violence, in which one person was killed.

Right-wing groups were blamed for the violence.

Following this, Dalit organisations called for a Maharashtra bandh on January 3 during which normal life was crippled in Mumbai and other parts of the state.

The bandh also saw attacks on police personnel and damage to public and private property by protesters.

A group of residents of Bhima-Koregaon today organised a press conference and spoke about the entire episode, which has brought simmering caste conflict in the state to the fore.

They alleged that "outside" elements unleashed the violence and destroyed and torched their shops and houses.

The villagers sought a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the next of the kin of Rahul Phatangale, who was killed during the clashes.

Sunita Kamble said, "All the communities in the village, including Dalits and Marathas, have been living peacefully. In the future too, we will continue to live in peace. The unrest in the village was unleashed by some outside elements."

"We appeal for peace and demand that the government pay compensation to the people whose properties such as shops, houses and vehicles were destroyed in the violence," she said.

A villager accused the local authorities of "negligence" and said despite knowing that lakhs of people come to Bhima-Koregaon on January 1 every year, they failed to provide adequate security arrangements, which led to the violence.

Recalling the ordeal, another resident Vrushali Gavhane claimed women, children and elderly people were attacked by mobs.

"In the last three days, we have been facing a lot of issues. There is no water, electricity in the village but unfortunately the government has not taken any cognisance of the situation," Gavhane lamented.

She alleged that some "outside" people even tried to assault a visually-impaired girl.

Every year, villagers help the visitors who come to commemorate the battle of Bhima-Koregaon by facilitating parking places and providing eatables and drinking water to them, Gavhane added.

Meanwhile, the villagers resolved to rebuild the 'samadhi' of Govind Gaikwad, a Dalit, in Vadhu Budruk near Bhima-Koregoan which was vandalised by a mob.

IMAGE: Police personnel arrive to control the situation following Republican Party of India activists' violent protest in Aurangabad on Tuesday over the clashes that broke out during 200th anniversary celebrations of the Battle of Bhima in Pune. Photograph: PTI Photo
Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani on Friday denied making any inflammatory speech in Pune and said he was being targeted by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

A day after a first information report was filed against him and Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Umar Khalid for their alleged "provocative" speeches during an event in Pune on December 31, the Gujarat MLA said he smelt a "conspiracy".

Khalid echoed Mevani and said he was being targeted in an attempt to exonerate the real accused who are closely associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Mevani said, "Neither did I make any inflammatory speech nor did I take part in the bandh in Maharashtra. Ask any constitutional expert to analyse my speech and find anything that is derogatory."

Mevani said he suffered from a migraine after the public meeting on December 31.

"After the meeting, I was down with a terrible migraine. Neither did I indulge in any activity in Mumbai nor did I take part in the bandh or visit Bhima Koregaon," he said.

"Despite all this, when I am being targeted, I smell a conspiracy. I am being targeted by the BJP and Sangh," Mevani told reporters at the Press Club of India.

Mevani and Khalid had attended the Elgar Parishad, an event organised to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima Koregaon in Pune on December 31.

According to a complaint filed by a Pune resident, their "provocative" speeches were aimed at creating disharmony and rift between the communities, which led to violence at Bhima Koregaon on January 1.

"Bhima Koregaon is 30 km from Pune and I did not speak anywhere after the 31st public meeting. Despite having video evidence of the violence, it is ridiculous that we are being targeted. This is a part of an agenda to divert attention from Sambhaji Bhide and Milind Ekbote," Khalid said.

Ekbote of Samast Hindu Aghadi and Bhide of Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan are in the spotlight for allegedly "orchestrating" the violence at Bhima Koregaon.

"Sambhaji Bhide was called tapasvi or mahapurush by Modi during a rally in Maharashtra in January 2014. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was also present," Khalid added.

Mevani, the newly elected MLA from Vadgam, also urged the prime minister to break his silence on incidents of violence against Dalits in the country.

"Why is PM Modi, who is claiming to be an Ambedkarite, silent? He must clarify his position on whether Dalits have the right to hold peaceful rallies," Mevani said.

During his 'Social Justice' rally on January 9, Mevani said he would carry the Manusmriti and Constitution to the PM's office and ask him to choose between the two.

Normal life was crippled in Maharashtra on January 3 due to a bandh called by Dalit groups to protest the violence on the anniversary of the battle fought 200 years ago.

Dalit groups commemorate the British victory against the Peshwas of Maharashtra in the Bhima Koregaon battle as it is believed that soldiers from the Mahar community were part of the East India Company's forces. The Peshwas were Brahmins, and the victory is seen as a symbol of Dalit assertiveness.

IMAGE: Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani addresses a press conference in New Delhi on Friday. Photograph: ANI
United States US President Donald Trump's recent outburst on Pakistan will further boost economic and defence ties between Beijing and Islamabad, including China acquiring a Pakistani military base close to Iran's Chabahar port, an official media report in Beijing said on Friday.

Trump's January 1 Twitter attack against Pakistan where he accused it of providing safe havens to terrorists appears to be helping boost already close ties between Pakistan and China, a report in the state-run Global Times said.

It attributed Islamabad's decision to allow Chinese currency in bilateral trade and financing transactions as China has stepped up its investments in the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Significantly, the report quoted a Washington Times report that China is in talks with Pakistan to build its second overseas military base as part of a push for greater maritime capabilities along strategic sea routes.

The facility could be built at Jiwani, a port near Iran's Chabahar close to the border in the Gulf of Oman, and is located a short distance from Gwadar in Balochistan province which is currently being developed by China to gain entry into the warm waters of the Arabian Sea opposite the Mumbai coast.

Jiwani is located just a stone's throw from Chabahar port being jointly developed by Iran, India and Afghanistan to ensure a trade corridor for Indian exports to Afghanistan.

Observers say Jiwani could be a pressure tactic by Pakistan as China is already developing Gwadar where earlier reports said Beijing plans to station its marines.

While the official Chinese media said Trump piling pressure on Pakistan may push it closer to Beijing, analysts point to already existing close ties between the two countries.

Pakistan's move to allow Chinese currency is not a dramatic policy change, as the yuan is already accepted by many Pakistani companies, said Dong Dengxin, director of Finance and Securities Institute at Wuhan University of Science and Technology.

He said the timing may be significant.

"This is more of a political statement in response to pressure from the US, telling the US that Pakistan has a great relationship with China and that Pakistan would become even closer with China," Dong told the Global Times.

On China establishing a military base at Jiwani, Lin Minwang, a professor at Fudan University's Centre for South Asian Studies said "both Beijing and Islamabad have the ability to build a joint naval and air facility in Pakistan, but it is unnecessary at this time".

But he said it could be a backup plan in response to the Indo-Pacific strategy of the US and its allies.

Lin believes if the US and its allies push their Indo-Pacific strategy to the extreme, China will surely carry out a plan with Pakistan to ensure the security of sea routes.

Interestingly, the Global Times said China has established its "first overseas military base in Djibouti", in the Horn of Africa in Indian Ocean.

China officially states that it is only a logistics base to service its naval personnel deployed for anti-piracy operations.

Besides Djibouti, China has also acquired the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka on a 99-year lease.
The truncated winter session of Parliament ended on Friday during which the Lok Sabha passed 12 bills and the Rajya Sabha 9, even as the two chambers lost 15 and 34 hours respectively due to disruptions.

The session that started on December 15 ended on Friday with the adjournment of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sine die.

Prime Mnister Narendra Modi was present in both the Houses when they were adjourned.

The highlight of the Lok Sabha proceedings was the passage of the 'triple talaq' bill that seeks to criminalise the practice of instant divorce among Muslims with imprisonment up to three years for the errant husband.

Announcing the adjournment of the lower house, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the session held 13 sittings spread over 61 hours and 48 minutes and lost about 15 hours due todisruptions and adjournments.

"In this session, while we lost over 14 hours and 51 minutes of time due to interruptions followed by forced adjournments. The House also sat late for 8 hours and 10 minutes to discuss various important issues," she said.

In the Upper House, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said though Parliament was a political institution, it "cannot be an extension of politics in its typical sense which is marked by deep divisions and acrimony."

He also urged members to seriously introspect on their conduct in the House which lost almost 34 hours due to frequent disruptions.

Ahead of adjourning the House sine die at 1 PM, Naidu said the session had its highs and lows, but lamented that it ended up "losing some degree of esteem" on account of disruptions.

"It is unfortunate that despite discharging its responsibilities to a great extent, the august House ends up losing some degree of the esteem of the people on account of disruptions and substantial loss of functional time.

"Intense and passionate submissions and debates are the order of democracy, but disruptions are certainly not. I urge upon members to seriously introspect in this regard," he said.

Naidu also said it was "an opportunity for all of us to review, recall and introspect" about how the proceedings have been conducted in the House.

This, he said, was the first full session after he took over as the Chairman, and it could have been better than what it proved to be.

Parliament, he said, is an important institution for furthering the shared socio-economic goals of the nation which are critical to fulfilling the aspirations of the citizens whoare the chief patrons of our parliamentary democracy.

"The legislatures of our country including the apex Parliament need to quickly evolve in the way we conduct our proceedings so as to meet the needs of our evolving nation," he said.

Recalling the highs and lows, Naidu said one high point was that the government and the opposition reiterated their commitment to respecting and upholding the high office of the prime minister and ex- prime minister, and hoped this spirit prevails in future.

Another high point of the session, he said, was the way all sections of the House spoke in one voice in a restrained way about Kulbhushan Jadhav meeting his family members in Pakistan.

"This has been an exemplary case of members going beyond party lines on larger issue of common concern," he said.

Naidu said he was glad that leaders of all parties in the House created a record by taking up all listed starred questions on January 2, 2018 after 15 years. The need of the hour is to carry this spirit into the future, he said.

The Lok Sabha passed several important bills during the session including those for raising the salaries of judges, central road fund (amendment) bill, the requisitioning and acquisition of immovable property bill, the national capital territory of Delhi laws (special provisions) second (amendment) bill and the goods and services tax (compensation to states) amendment bill.

The Speaker said 16 bills were introduced by the government in the session.

During the session, she said, 280 starred questions were listed, of which 45 were answered orally. Written replies to the remaining starred questions along with 3220 unstarred questions were tabled.

About 198 matters of urgent public importance were raised by the members who sat till late in the evening.

Standing committees presented 41 Reports to the House.

The Lok Sabha held a short duration discussion on natural calamities in various part of the country, with special reference to cyclone Ockhi in south India.

In the Rajya Sabha, 19 Private Members' Bills were introduced and one was discussed at length. The House also deliberated on important issues like the state of economy and employment generation, besides the high levels of air pollution in Delhi.

The Rajya Sabha also bid farewell to three members -- Karan Singh, Janardan Dwivedi and Parvez Hashmi, representing the National Capital Territory of Delhi, who would be retiring on January 27.
The US will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law, says the State Department.

Toughening its stance, the United States on Thursday suspended about $2 billion security assistance to Pakistan for failing to take decisive actions against terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network operating from its soil.

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump in a new year tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but 'lies and deceit' and providing 'safe haven' to terrorists in return for $33 billion (about Rs 2,14,500 crore) aid over the last 15 years.

Prominent among the suspended amount include $255 million (about Rs 1,600 crore) in Foreign Military Funding for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

In addition, the Department of Defense has suspended the entire $900 million (about Rs 6,000 crore) of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.

Such a drastic step has been taken at the direction of US President Donald Trump who is frustrated at Pakistan's inaction on terror groups, a senior administration official told reporters on the condition of anonymity.

Despite four months of high-level engagement with Pakistan, the information that Trump was receiving from the ground was not satisfactory, as a result he decided to suspend security assistance to Pakistan, the official added.

He, however, said that suspension can be lifted if Pakistan takes decisive actions against militant groups and terrorists.

The White House official disagreed with Pakistani allegations that the US is speaking the language of India and that US has dumped Pakistan.

"We do not believe this is the language of India. This is the language of the president and the US administration. So we just disagree with that," the official said.

The official was responding to a question about a statement made by the Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawja Asif in this regard. In an interview, Asif alleged that the US is "trumpeting India's lies and deceit" and is speaking the "language of Indians".

"Today we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance only, to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters.

"We consider them to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan," she said.

The US, she said, will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law.

In August, while unveiling his new South Asia strategy, Trump had accused Pakistan of giving 'safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror', and said the time had come 'for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilisation, order, and to peace'.

Referring to Trump's new strategy, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack the US and allied personnel.

Department of Defense Spokesperson Lt Col Mike Andrews told PTI that National Defense Authorisation Act 2017 provides up to $900 million for Pakistan in CSF.

Of these funds, $400 million (about Rs 2,600 crore) can only be released if the Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis certifies that the Pakistan government has taken specific actions against the Haqqani Network.

"At this stage all Fiscal Year 17 CSF have been suspended, so that's the entire amount of $900 million," Andrews said.

During an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis did not respond to question if he was in favour of cutting off the aid to Pakistan.

"I prefer not to address that right now because it's obviously still being formulated as policy. But I'll give my advice on it to the president. I also agree on some confidentiality there," he said.

According to a senior State Department official, no decision has been taken on the fate of $255 million security assistance to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.

The deadline for that is September 30 this year.

Mattis along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have travelled to Pakistan in recent months to deliver tough message to their leadership. So, this action should not come as a surprise to them, Nauert said.

"They may say it's a surprise, but what is no surprise is that the President has expressed his concerns, Secretary Tillerson has expressed his concerns, as has Secretary Mattis, and I imagine many other government officials having those conversations with Pakistan," Nauert said.

Now, the money that has been suspended at this time does not mean that it will be suspended forever, she said.

WATCH: United States cuts off military aid to Pakistan

"Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps," she added.

"People have long asked, why don't you do more about Pakistan, and I think this sort of answers that question. Obviously, Pakistan is important, an important relationship to the US, because together we can work hard to combat terrorism. Perhaps no other country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan and many other countries in that part of the region," she said.

"They understand that, but still they aren't taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism," she said.

In an interaction with reporters, two senior state department officials asserted that such a move is not a punishment, but to provide an incentive to Pakistan to take more action against terrorist groups.

"We have not done anything that's irreversible here. All this funding is available to Pakistan, if they undertake to take the measures that we've asked of them," a senior administration official said in response to a question.

"Pakistanis have repeatedly said we don't care about this money. What matters I think to the Pakistani's is that it is the symbolism of doing this that it represents a deterioration of our relationship that they care about a great deal," the official said.

"So we were hoping that this is an incentive that they don't want to see this relationship deteriorate any further and that they're going to commit to working with us to try to find a way to put it on a more solid footing," the official added.

The US and others have long complained that Pakistan gives safe haven to the Afghan Taliban and their allies, the Haqqani network, allowing them to carry out cross-border attacks in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies allegations but President Trump has escalated the criticism against the country since he took office.

The Pakistanis say they have suffered great losses from the longstanding war against Islamist networks and are furious that Trump has failed to acknowledge the role they have played.

On Wednesday, the State Department accused Pakistan of severe violations of religious freedom.

It announced that it was placing Pakistan on a special watch list, pursuant to 2016 legislation.

The step does not carry any serious consequences.

US decision has nothing to with release of perpetrators of Mumbai attack

The Trump administration's decision, however, has nothing to do with Islamabad not taking action against Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, Nauert said.

"We have certainly expressed our concern about the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks being let out of house arrest in Pakistan. To my knowledge, that has nothing to do with that," she told reporters.

Nauert was responding to a question if the suspension of security assistance was related to Hafiz Saeed, the Mumbai attack mastermind who was released by Pakistan on November last year.

"There is a $10 million reward out for information leading to his re-arrest, the person who is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks who was let go in Pakistan. So we've been very clear about our displeasure with that individual being let go, and that's why we like to remind people that there is a $10 million Rewards for Justice program out for him," Nauert said.

A senior State Department official told reporters that the US continues to have conversation with Pakistan not only on Haqqani network, and Taliban, but also on India-centric terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

"We can't continue to have a relationship that has a business as usual with Pakistan. This conversation is not new to this administration. There have been concerns about Pakistan's issue of sanctuaries for the Haqqani network and the Taliban. But we have concerns about their nuclear programme. We have concerns about the ability of anti-Indian groups like Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish e Mohammed to fundraise and operate," the official who spoke on anonymity said.

Hafiz Saeed who was recently released from house arrest is among the issues that have been a feature of America's conversation with Pakistan for many years.

"This administration felt that we needed to take additional steps to underscore that we're not going to be able to continue the relationship on autopilot. We can't continue a status quo relationship. We need to be able to move beyond these challenges and put our relationship on a more solid footing," the official said.

Responding to a question, the official disputed the general impression coming out of Pakistan that it will not rearrest Hafiz Saeed as being demanded by the US.

"I have not seen them say they're not going to take any of these steps. What the Pakistani government has objected to is our characterisation of the situation on the ground. But I have never heard the Pakistani government say they're not going to re-arrest Hafiz Saeed or they're not going to prosecute him," the official said.

The Pakistanis have clearly indicated that they are unhappy with the public rhetoric of the Trump administration.

"What I would say to that is we had a number of months where we have had very serious conversations and private discussions with them and have not seen the responsiveness that we need. And at some juncture they knew that we were going to take additional steps if they did not respond to the requests that we made to them," the State Department official said.

Appreciating the help of Pakistan in the release of Coleman family, the official said at the same time if there is 'an ongoing relationship between elements of the security forces in Pakistan and the group that took the Colin Boyle family hostage that is a concern'.

IMAGE: US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
A mere pair of shoes sets off the kind of harsh condemnation Indrani draws in these corridors of justice.

That she being a woman who killed her daughter -- never mind that she is an undertrial and the crime has not yet been proven -- apart from making her an object of curiosity, also makes her, by perception, more evil than the men that flood these corridors, facing trial for similar or worse crimes.

Vaihayasi Pande Daniel reports from the Sheena Bora murder trial.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Indrani Mukerjea got a trendy new pair of shoes on Friday, January 5, 2018.

An elderly lawyer friend, who is not representing her in the Sheena Bora murder trial but supports her, brought her a New Year gift, it would seem.

A tan pair of high heels emerged for her from a box emblazoned with the logo Rosso Brunello, an online store for designer shoes.

Indrani, who was anyway looking girlish beyond her years on Friday, in a red and blue kurta ensemble with her French pleat hair do, became even more girly in her glee, as she contemplated the pretty footwear, her eyes snapping with delight.

She gave her friend a little foil-wrapped bar of chocolate, no doubt purchased from the jail shop.

The shoes, their expensive wrapping and Indrani's joy set off a chain of reactions down the gloomy corridors of the city civil and sessions court.

The smart-looking policewoman, her bun tucked under her hat, wearing a neat pair of regulation brown police shoes herself, who brought Indrani from Byculla jail to the court, glanced at the shoes and then carefully at Indrani.

She looked part-amused, part-uncomprehending, part-exasperated and muttered in Marathi something to the effect that she is getting small happiness and why not, but that then she always had to also remember who Indrani was and what she had done.

CBI Prosecutor Bharat Badami, who was circling between the CBI special courtroom 51 and the hallway outside, stopped in his tracks as he viewed this tableau.

He wondered aloud, in his theatrical manner, as to where Indrani planned to wear the shoes. Then he pondered if she could use the heels to attack someone in jail because she was, he alleged, a ringleader type over there.

Later, close to 1 pm, after Indrani (Accused No 1) had been escorted back to jail, Badami began chatting, in a mildly interrogative style, with the kindly lawyer who brought Indrani her heels.

He wanted to know what kind of lawyer he was and why he should be running these errands for Indrani and why didn't he send a "man" instead.

The advocate, who helped Indrani with her financial matters and apparently had known her and the Mukerjea family for many years, said he was trying to help her.

Badami seemed taken aback as if not all people were worth helping.

The prosecutor went on to talk about Indrani, the substance of his dialogue being to point out disapprovingly who she was like the lawyer may not remember.

He said he was "not doubting her character", but reminded Indrani's lawyer friend roundly, "But she killed her daughter!"

That conversation -- that, if you think about it, a mere pair of shoes set off -- was quite reflective of the kind of harsh condemnation Indrani draws in these corridors of justice.

That she being a woman who killed her daughter -- never mind that she is an undertrial and the crime has not yet been proven -- apart from making her always an object of curiosity, also makes her, by perception, more evil and reject-able than the men that flood these corridors, facing trial for similar or worse crimes, including the co-accused.

Friday's hearing was a washout and ended with an adjournment.

Even post 11 o'clock, when the trial was meant to start, no one was outside or inside courtroom 51 apart from Judge Jayendra Chandrasen Jagdale who had been on leave earlier, and his team of clerks and peons.

When Shrikant Shivade, Accused No 4 Peter Mukerjea's advocate, showed up, he looked perplexed wondering if he had got the date wrong.

But no the matter was up on the board outside the courtroom and a CBI officer was waiting further along the corridor.

Although Investigating Officer K K Singh was absent -- likely still in Ranchi, vital to the final wrapping up of the fodder scam case where former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's sentence was to be delivered, but has been postponed to Saturday.

Then Sanjeev Khanna, sporting a new, red and black checked shirt for 2018, and a less attractive grey stubble of a beard, wandered in, without either Peter or Indrani in tow.

Evidently Peter didn't make that jail truck from the Arthur Road jail to Kala Ghoda, south Mumbai, because he was in the "beauty parlour", which is shorthand for his long toilette.

Someone sent by Peter's friends or family -- neither his sister nor his brother nor his adopted daughter were present -- waited anxiously with a hot flask of coffee/chai, a ceramic mug and a packet of sandwiches, wondering if the former CEO of Star India, and later INX Media, would finally show since Friday's trajectory of events at courtroom 51 was showing itself to be already quite peculiar and unpredictable.

Sanjeev was not brought into the apekshee (accused) enclosure of the courtroom.

It transpired that there would be an adjournment because due to a "law and order" problem Accused No 3 turned approver, Shyamvar Pinturam Rai -- the Mukerjeas' former driver -- had not been brought from the jail in Thane, an area still simmering from the Maharashtra bandh called on Wednesday following Monday's violence at Bhima Koregaon, near Pune.

Shivade and Judge Jagdale had a long exchange in Marathi about a critical application the senior lawyer had filed on Friday on behalf of his client 'Pratim@Peter Mukerjea'.

Shivade's courtroom style never wanders into theatrical territory and he never raises his voice, but his soft-spoken, persistent, long-winded detailed manner is quite effective in wearing anyone into agreement.

The application, Shivade explained to the judge, contended that the call data records the defence received of Rai's 2015 Airtel phone -- that took many months to arrive because Airtel's nodal officer first said that the company did not have them -- had been tampered with.

The CDRs had been converted into excel sheets via wrong legal procedure and when Shivade and his team examined the soft copy of it they discovered that it was "edit enabled", allowing whosoever to tamper with the data especially the "call timing", Shivade said.

As the application said: 'That the Nodal Officer Airtel has produced certain printouts purportedly of telephone number 9004812319 allegedly belonging to PW2 Shyamwar Rai. The said printout appears to have been downloaded from server maintained by the (sic) Airtel for the purpose of billing and other purposes.'

'Whenever a Nodal Officer is required to retrieve CDR, he has to make request to the concerned authority that in turn provides the CDR to the Nodal Officer in electronic format. The Nodal Officer takes its printout in Excel format which is essentially having an option of "Enable Editing".'

'Once this option is selected, any column or rows can be deleted, altered or added by the nodal officer. Thus the law requires generate such document by giving a certificate under 65B of the Indian Evidence Act and the same is mandatory while producing such electronic document provided either as a soft copy or in form of print out.'

Initially Judge Jagdale remonstrated with Shivade saying, "You are not making a contention but an allegation against the service provider."

Shivade agreed and added, "There has to be some connivance of the prosecutors."

The judge suggested it was a "technical point" that a "technical expert" had to explain.

The advocate offered, "I have a cyber expert with me," pointing to his colleague lawyer Vishal Gupta.

"This is a generation gap (issue)," Judge Jagdale said with a laugh.

The application also alleged that the cellphone handset number was spurious, with 'Further the prosecution has supplied IMEI (cell phone instrument serial number) no in column 9 throughout in the said CDR the number 358914057081990 has been given as IMEI number which is clearly fictitious one.'

'The accused states that the entire incident of seizure of weapon at Carter Road (north west Mumbai in 2015) has been seriously disputed by the accused and in order to support this fictitious incident the CDRs have been manipulated by the police.'

The judge then proposed that he needed to give the issue much more consideration and that he was not sure.

"At this stage I cannot convince myself," Judge Jagdale added with some thought. "One should not conclude anything at the primary stage."

The judge firmly requested that this issue should not interfere with the ongoing cross-examination of Rai -- although Shivade's application on Peter's behalf suggested it did -- which is in its final stages, ever since it began last August, and that Shivade should conclude his querying of the driver on January 9, the fresh date set for the next hearing, after an unshaven Badami swept in.

Shivade reluctantly consented and Friday's abbreviated matter came to a close.

Sanjeev's lawyers were not there, nor any family, and he sat about killing time. His police escorts finally took him away.

Shortly after Peter arrived, he pored over legal documents with Shivade and Gupta, had his meal and then departed.

Finally Indrani wandered in looking for her lawyer team -- "Have you seen Gunjan (Mangla)?" -- who were not in either.

Instead she sat around on the wooden benches outside, bantering with her lawyer friend, the women police, after she had opened her shoes.

She probed Badami about why he was trying a new look. If Narendra D Modi could sport a look like his, Badami said, so could he.

"Are you trying to be like Modi?" Indrani asked.

When Indrani was taken downstairs she met Peter and Sanjeev in the outer courtyard of the sessions court, where the prison trucks rumble in.

2018 seemingly had brought more bonhomie between the three accused, as they chatted and Indrani gave her past and present partners a bar of chocolate each and they got on the bus and went back to jail.
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HARTFORD  Ahead of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) has announced the launch of his second annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Essay Challenge.

Murphy encourages elementary, middle, and high school students from across Connecticut to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by submitting essays that reflect on Dr. Kings dream and their own aspirations.

Racism, homophobia, and prejudice are tragically alive and well in America today, said Murphy in a statement. Im launching the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. essay challenge for the second year to encourage young people all over Connecticut to commit to making Dr. Kings dream for equality  no matter your skin color, national origin, religion, or sexual orientation  a reality. Dr. Kings leadership united millions of Americans, and his legacy will live on forever because of it.

Full guidelines of Murphys Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Essay Challenge are below:

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s birthday was designated as a federal holiday in 1983. The first Martin Luther King Jr. Day was celebrated in 1986. Since that time, on the third Monday of each January, we celebrate the life and dream of Dr. King, the impact he made on our nation, and the work that remains to be done to fulfill his vision. For this essay, students should reflect on what Dr. Kings dream was and what he would think about his dream today.

Students should further answer what their own dream is and how it relates to the work of Dr. King. The deadline for submission is January 10, 2018. Essays should be no more than 500 words for high school students (grades 9-12), 300 words for middle school students (grades 6-8), and 100-200 for elementary school students (grades K-5). Pictures are optional for elementary school submissions.

Submissions can be made here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfzdDWmdOHGThZA_

EAIMsD838wKlHc9xumbFutN9Um6tdkJAQ/viewform

For questions about the contest email MLK_Essay@murphy.senate.gov.

Bookstore to comemmorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day

WINSTED  The Winsted Community Bookstore located at 414 Main Street, Winsted will commemorate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Jan. 13 at 1 p.m. Nigerian-born author, Okey Ndibe, will discuss his memoir, Never Look an American in the Eye.

At 3 p.m., Cuatros Puntos will return and perform excerpts from their program, Roots at 40. This world-renowned chamber ensemble will play African and African-American music.

Coffee and snacks will be provided between events.

RSVP is required, and seating is expected to fill quickly. RSVP to winstedbooks@gmail.com.

Girl Scouts launch cookie season with rallies

Its almost Girl Scout Cookie time, and On Saturday, Jan. 6, Girl Scouts of Connecticut will kick off the beginning of the 2018 cookie season by hosting two Cookie Rallies to help prepare girls to become the next century of female entrepreneurs. Current Girl Scouts are encouraged to attend and bring a non-Girl Scout friend to join in on the fun and learn about all the benefits of being a Girl Scout.

The Cookie Rallies will be held at Shelton Intermediate School in Shelton and at RHAM High School in Hebron. At the Cookie Rallies, girls will immerse themselves in activities to prepare them to be true cookie bosses this Girl Scout Cookie season. They will learn marketing tips, play games, and have access to a number of marketing tools to help them reach their cookie goals. There will also be tables with general Girl Scout information for non-Girl Scouts who wish to learn more about all of the incredible things that Girl Scouts has to offer.

For over 100 years, Girl Scouts has been the experts on girls. Girl Scouts is the best girl leadership experience in the world. Only Girl Scouts gives girls access to an inclusive, safe, girl-led, all-female environment where they can try new things, develop a range of skills, take on leadership roles, and feel comfortable failing, dusting themselves off, and trying again.

To learn about joining Girl Scouts, visit gsofct.org. To find out when Girl Scouts are selling cookies near you, visit girlscoutcookies.org.

Repertory school to hold auditions in Torrington

TORRINGTON  Princeton Ballet School, the official school of American Repertory Ballet, brings its 2018 Summer Intensive U.S. audition tour to Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts (58 Main Street, Torrington,CT) on Saturday, February 3 (Registration at 4 p.m., followed by auditions from 4:30-6 p.m.

Leading the audition will be ARB Resident Choreographer Kirk Peterson, who had a distinguished career for 17 years with American Ballet Theatre as principal dancer and choreographer.

First held in 1982, Princeton Ballet School's Summer Intensive is one of the longest running Summer Intensive programs in the United States. Based in Princeton, N.J., the Summer Intensive runs from June 25-July 27.

The Summer Intensive is a program of serious study in a warm and companionable atmosphere. The faculty provides caring and careful instruction conductive to technical and artistic progress. In seeking to maintain a feeling of community, Princeton Ballet School purposely limits the number of students in class. Students receive individualized attention and intensive training led by ARB Artistic Director Douglas Martin, Resident Choreographer Mary Barton, and master teachers Kathleen Moore and Maria Youskevitch. Guest faculty have included Franco De Vita, Raymond Lukens, Kirk Peterson, Trinette Singleton, Aydmara Cabrera,Sterling Baca and Unity Phelan, among others.

Auditions are conducted by Princeton Ballet School faculty members throughout the United States and Europe to select 100 students for the program. The audition will give students the opportunity to experience the approach to classical ballet technique that Princeton Ballet School is known for teaching. Students must be 13 and older; classes are held at the Princeton Studio location with optional housing at Princeton University. There is an audition fee of $30 (the pre-registration audition fee is $25).

For those unable to make the in-person audition, a video audition is possible.

To pre-register and for more information, visit www.arballet.org/summer-program or call 609-921-7758.
It is commonly thought that Connecticut did not ratify the Bill of Rights Amendments until 1939, a pro forma ratification. But in fact, misfiled documents newly discovered in Connecticuts archives show that Connecticut ratified the first 12  significantly, not 10  Amendments to the Constitution, commonly called the Bill Of Rights, in 1790.

The ratification document, discovered by researcher Eugene Martin LaVergne and misfiled under Revolutionary Documents, has been reported to Connecticuts archivist. The newly discovered document  misfiled in the year 1780, rather than in its proper year, 1790  is itself revolutionary because the earlier ratification dates of Connecticut and Delaware mean that at least one important long forgotten amendment  a reapportionment amendment, the real First Amendment to the Bill of Rights reported out for ratification by Congress  must now be considered an amendment lawfully ratified in 1790. In order to make the amendment operational, it must be reported to the U .S. Congress by David Ferrierno, the Archivist of the United States, an office delegated with the task of accepting this amendment and presenting it to Congress. Alternatively, the ratification notice may also be presented to congress by a Connecticut U.S. Senator.

Mr. Ferrierno was apprised of the ratification, according to Mr. LaVergne, when in 2011 he was presented with a lawsuit, Eugene M. LaVergne v. Rebecca Blank, Acting Secretary of Commerce, el al, No. 12-778, that detailed all the votes of the states, including a copy of Connecticuts voting record from 1790 on this amendment certified by the Archivist of Connecticut.

In the original Bill of Rights, the so called freedom of speech amendment, presently the First Amendment was, in fact, the Third Amendment. The common understanding that the amendments were arranged in order of importance is simply not true; the ordering follows references in the Constitution. Every amendment in the Bill of Rights is equally important.

The history of the ratification in Connecticut is a bit of a winding road. Mr. Lavergnes discovery puts a period, he believes, on a historical point  there is no doubt that Connecticut did, in fact, ratify the Bill of Rights shortly after the Constitution was offered for ratification. And the discovery leads to an inescapable conclusion: The first 12 amendments to the Constitution were ratified by both houses of Connecticuts General Assembly in 1790.

If one adds Connecticuts ratification vote to that of Vermont, it would appear that all 12 amendments to the Constitution were properly ratified: The votes for ratification of Connecticut and Vermont were the trip wires that affirmed ratification of the 12 amendments to the Bill of Rights. Once appropriately ratified, no amendment may be ungratified. The Civil War teaches us that the ratification votes that bind the disparate states into what Abraham Lincoln thought of as an indissoluble nation cannot be undone. The un-ratification of one amendment would open the door to the un-ratification of any or every amendment to the Bill Of Rights.

For more than two centuries, we have been laboring under the misapprehension that passage of the 12 amendments to the Bill Of Rights, significantly including the apportionment amendment, had fallen short of ratification by one vote; we were told that four states, Connecticut among them, had never voted to ratify the original Bill Of Rights. Mr. Lavergnes discovery upsets this historical apple cart. Given the earlier ratification date, Connecticut and Vermont become the two states that, having ratifying all 12 amendments, carry the vote across a threshold that established the First 12 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution in 1790.

From a historical point of view, Mr. Lavergnes discovery is astounding. A Connecticut ratification of the original Bill of Right lay sleeping in the wrong bed in Connecticut archives for more than 200 years. During the modern period, the commonly accepted wisdom was that Connecticut had spurned amendments to the Constitution, a charter of liberties guaranteeing freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and other rights and immunities familiar to many Americans.

The commonly accepted wisdom was wrong.

In addition, Connecticuts fingerprints are all over the original First Amendment. The ratified original First Amendment as proposed and affirmed in the House and Senate reads as follows. The bracketed portions are Mr. Lavergnes interpretive remarks:

After the first enumeration required by the first article of the Constitution, there shall be one Representative for every thirty thousand, until the number shall amount to one hundred, after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall be not less than one hundred Representatives, nor more than one Representative for every forty thousand persons [sets a minimum of 100 Representatives thereafter, and creates a floor of 40,000 persons per District], until the number of Representatives shall amount to two hundred; after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall not be less than two hundred Representatives, nor less than one Representative for every fifty thousand persons [sets a minimum of 200 Representatives thereafter, and creates a ceiling of 50,000 persons per District].

The account above of the original First Amendment presented to and affirmed by Congress is the only accurate record we have of the committee proceedings. It was written by then acting majority leader in the Senate Oliver Ellsworth, who sat on the drafting committee. Ellsworth was a Connecticut senator who played a major role, along with Roger Sherman, also of Connecticut, in proposing to the Constitutional Convention the so called Connecticut Compromise, a bicameral arrangement in which members of the U.S. Senate were to be elected by state legislatures. Ellsworths version of the Connecticut Compromise, adopted by the convention and written into the Constitution, was later revised by Amendment XVII, which provided for the popular election of U.S. Senators.

It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of a documentary find that so radically alters our understanding of the part played by the Constitution State in U.S. Constitutional history.

Don Pesci is a writer who lives in Vernon. E-mail: donpesci@att.net
Largo, FL -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/05/2018 --With age comes health issues and the need for constant care. In today's busy world and nuclear families, there is hardly anyone free to take care of the senior members of the family. Things get complicated if there is a patient who is terminally ill and needs to be taken care of round the clock. Such patients cannot be left just to anyone and hiring someone who has experience in providing home care is the best idea. There is one home health agency in Clearwater and Tampa Florida named Bayshore Home Care that has proven their worth in this field.



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Support for a drinking water company owned by Prime Minister Hun Sens daughter is drying up after the firm provided elderly residents of Cambodias Kampong Thom province with free coffins and other funeral supplies, leading social media users to label the stunt disrespectful.



On Thursday, Hun Manas Vital Premium Water Company distributed drinking water to Kampong Thoms Prasath Balaing district, as well as more than 20 coffins, white cloth for covering the deceased, and other funerary items.



Members of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodiawhich is directed by Hun Manas brother, Hun Manywere on hand to deliver the gifts, saying they had been requested by elderly residents and that there was no ill will meant in the gesture.



Photos taken at the event of bewildered-looking villagers sitting in plastic chairs next to coffins soon made the rounds on local media websites, as well as on social media sites such as Facebook, where they drew condemnation from netizens who called the gifts inappropriate and offensive.



Commenters suggested that a better gesture might have involved donations of medicine or the construction of senior centers to help improve the lives of the elderly.



A staff member who answered the phone at the Vital Premium Water Company refused to comment when asked for clarification about the event by RFAs Khmer Service on Friday.



Luon Savath, an award-winning rights activist known as the multimedia monk, told RFA that the gifts had frightened residents of Prasath Balaing instead of bringing them comfort, noting that Hun Sen has previously issued threats against villagers there who have opposed his rule.



No one wants to diethey dont want coffins when they are still alive, the monk said.



People need to live with dignity. They need food, shelter, employment, land for farming, access to free medical care and rights, and other basic needs, he said.



We need to help to people to live as long as they can. We should not encourage them to die.



More appropriate gifts could include medicine, cash donations, clothing or food, Luon Savath said, adding that keeping a coffin at ones home is unpleasant and scary for young people.



A July 2016 report by London-based Global Witness found that Hun Sens family members are amassing vast personal fortunes in Cambodias private sector, and wield significant control across most of its lucrative industries, with links to major international brands including Apple, Nokia, Visa, Procter & Gamble, Nestle and Honda.



Hun Sens family has a combined wealth estimated to total between U.S. $500 million and U.S. $1 billion, the report said, while 40 percent of Cambodians still live below or close to the poverty line.



Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Hong Kong's Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen (C) speaks to the press after a meeting to discuss the high-speed rail link that will connect the city to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, at the Legislative Council building in Hong Kong, Aug. 3, 2017.

Hong Kong's justice secretary Rimsky Yuen resigned on Friday, four years ahead of term amid ongoing tensions between the former British colony and Beijing over the rule of law and judicial independence.

"The Central People's Government has accepted my resignation," Yuen told reporters. "Today is my last day as secretary for justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government."

Yuen's time in office was marked by a series of hands-on interventions in the city's political life by China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress, one of which led to the expulsion of six pro-democracy lawmakers from the Legislative Council (LegCo).

That intervention, in the form of a legal interpretation of Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, by the NPC standing committee, sparked public protest by 2,000 members of the city's legal profession.

Yuen, 53, is also believed to have order the re-sentencing of three former student leaders of the 2014 pro-democracy Occupy Central movement, Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow, overriding a court decision that handed down non-custodial sentences on public order charges.

However, he was tight-lipped on the reasons behind the timing of his departure, which comes just one year in to a second, five-year term.

"Making the decision not to continue ... was not an easy one, but I believe that at different stages of life, one should do different things," Yuen said.

"We understand that people would have perhaps very divergent views, and I think in my post my belief has been all along that we have to stick to ... legal principles, even though we know that some people might not like them," he said.

Separate legal jurisdiction

Yuen's successor, senior counsel Teresa Cheng, said that the "prime mission" of the secretary for justice is to uphold the rule of law in the city's separate legal jurisdiction.

"Hong Kong has returned to the mainland for 20 years now," Cheng, 59, told journalists on accepting the post. "One country, two systems, is the most favorable and appropriate arrangement for Hong Kong."

Under the terms of its 1997 handover to Chinese rule, Hong Kong was promised a "high degree of autonomy" under the "one country, two systems" model, including the continuation of its existing freedoms of speech, association and publication, and its separate and independent legal system.

But the city's Bar Association has hit out at a decree last month by the NPC standing committee that part of a high-speed railway station linking Hong Kong to mainland China's high-speed rail network will be subject to its laws.

The decree will extend Beijing's authority to parts of the high-speed rail terminus to enable a streamlined process for passengers boarding the trains in Hong Kong, despite of the city's status as a separate immigration, policing, and customs jurisdiction.

The "co-location" arrangement has already been criticized as unconstitutional as a violation of Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law.

The Bar Association called the move "the most retrograde step to date [that] severely undermines public confidence in one country, two systems and the rule of law."

Cheng appeared unwilling to get into the specifics of the legal argument on Friday.

"There have been situations whereby some unprecedented legal challenges have arisen," she said. But she claimed that the use of "objective and rational analysis based on legal principles" would result in the convergence of all opinions on the subject.

Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai said he already has doubts about Cheng's thinking on the Basic Law.

"She may not take the position of Hong Kong in the highest priority in order to uphold the Basic Law, as a result that may hurt the core value of one country, two systems," Wu told reporters.

"The things she says could very easily mean that she will say the NPC standing committee's decision on the West Kowloon rail terminus is totally constitutional," he said. "I don't think that is an appropriate attitude for a justice secretary towards ... our judicial system, not according to my understanding of the Basic Law."

Rule of individual officers

University of Hong Kong legal scholar Eric Cheung said Yuen had already failed to protect Hong Kong's status as a separate legal jurisdiction, however.

"The Hong Kong government went ahead and did something which they knew very well was in breach of the Basic Law," Cheung said. "Now, all the power lies with the NPC standing committee, whose word is law, and actions that were once in breach of the Basic Law are no longer in breach of it [according to them]."

"This isn't the rule of law, it's the rule of individual officials," he said.

Opposition lawmaker and barrister Tanya Chan, who heads a group protesting the rail terminus plan, said Yuen had left the destruction of the rule of law as his parting gift to Hong Kong, leaving Cheng with something of a poisoned chalice.

Meanwhile, lawmaker Dennis Kwok, who represents the legal profession in LegCo, said the justice secretary should be able to say no to Beijing.

"They shouldn't be making decisions for political reasons, or under political pressure," Kwok said. "That will destroy the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people, as well as one country, two systems and the Basic Law."

Reported by Lam Kwok-lap for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Gao Feng for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
A detained petitioner in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong has been on hunger strike in a police-run detention center for a month out of despair at the lack of justice in the country's legal system, her husband told RFA.



Li Yanxiang is currently being held at the Qingdao No. 2 Detention Center on suspicion of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble" after she petitioned on behalf of Xu Chunhe, who was shot dead in May 2015 by railway police in Suihua city, in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang.



Li was detained last August after making repeated trip to lodge complaints with central government departments in Beijing.



Her husband Li Hongcai said his wife, who weighed 130 pounds when she was detained, and now weighs about 80 pounds, has been on hunger strike for some 30 days.



"She went on hunger strike ... because she had lost any faith in China's legal system," Li Hongcai said. "When I went to see her on Jan. 2, she was unable to walk, and had to be dragged along by two people."



"Her health used to be pretty good, and she was 1.5 meters tall, weighing more than 130 pounds, but she is so thin now, she can't weigh more than 80, I'd say," he said.



"I took some photos of her on my phone, but the guards saw me and told me to delete them," he said. "Her health just gets worse and worse, and if things carry on like this, she's going to die in there."



Li Hongcai said he had applied for Li Yanxiang's release on medical parole on Jan. 3.



Beijing-based rights activist Ji Xinhua, who was among several dozen people who signed a petition in support of Li Yanxiang, said she had stayed by his side in the hospital after he was beaten up by police during a petitioning visit, requiring surgery.



"I had broken bones, courtesy of the local police station, and underwent surgery at the Airforce Hospital, and she took care of me that evening, so we are on pretty good terms," Ji said. "She is a very polite and well-mannered woman, very soft-spoken."



"Now they are persecuting her like this; I know of so many people who have died in detention," he said.



Li Yuxiang's attorney Song Yusheng has lodged a formal complaint at her continued detention, saying she has already been punished for the allegations of trouble-making.



Last month, officials in the United States sanctioned a Chinese police officer under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act for his role in the death by neglect of human rights activist Cao Shunli while she was in a police detention center in Beijing.



Cao Shunli died in at the age of 52 after being denied medical care while in a police-run detention center overseen by Gao.



She was only taken to hospital on Feb. 20 when her situation was already critical, doctors said at the time. Lawyers say they had urged officials holding her to allow her medical treatment but no action was taken until she was seriously ill.



Gao Yan was chief of police in Beijings Chaoyang district from to , and bears command responsibility for the denial of medical care and other human rights abuses during his tenure.



He is the first Chinese national to be targeted under the Act, which allows the U.S. to target overseas officials in connection with human rights violations committed in other countries.



The Magnitsky Act enables U.S. officials to freeze any U.S. assets held by those sanctioned, and to bar them from entry into the United States.



Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Authorities in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang have seized the remains of a protester who committed suicide earlier this week, amid bitter protests over the seizure of local farmland by the government.



Fang Zengliang, 61, died in Zhejiang's Yongkang city after drinking pesticide on Wednesday in protest at the loss of his farmland to a government land grab, prompting the authorities to mobilize large numbers of riot police to quell further protests.



A fellow protester, an unnamed 50-year-old woman, also took pesticide at the scene, and is currently being treated in hospital, sources told RFA.



The protests flared as the local government sent in security personnel in large numbers to requisition land for the rerouting of State Highway 330, which runs through Zhejiang.



"Two people took pesticide, one died and the other is receiving treatment, during an obstruction of a key infrastructure project by a minority of villagers," the Yongkang municipal government said in a brief statement on Thursday.



"Investigations into the incident are ongoing," it said.



A source close to the protests said Fang's family now has no idea where his body is.



"The daughter of the dead man is my classmate," she said. "She wasn't there at the time and now they don't know where his body is."



"The other lady who drank pesticide is in the intensive care unit; she wasn't the dead man's wife. His wife is in a poor state, both mentally and physically, and she has also been admitted to hospital, though she's not in danger," the source said.



A doctor who answered the phone at the intensive care unit at the Yongkang No. 1 People's Hospital confirmed that the second protester is still alive.



But she declined to give further details.



"We can't give interviews right now, so you'll have to contact the hospital office," she said, before ending the phone call.



Anger over project



Villagers near Yongkang are angry that a planned corridor of land for the State Highway 330 re-routing project was initially 42 meters (138 feet) wide, and has since been extended to more than 80 meters (263 feet), swallowing up a number of graves belonging to village families.



For the past three years, villagers have been congregating to stop the bulldozers moving in, and many have never signed any kind of agreement allowing the move to go ahead, but the government continues to send out riot police to enforce the excavation work, sources said.



Repeated calls to the offices of State Highway 330's Yongkang section rang unanswered during office hours on Friday.



A local resident surnamed Lu said the use of force seems to be the government's go-to strategy when faced with opposition to its plans.



"They simply use force to suppress opposition to a lot of things," Lu said. "Especially the bigger incidents; they just get internally suppressed by the government, and no news is allowed to get out about them."



A member of Yongkang's Chengxi New District management team told RFA that the dispute has caused a huge headache for local leaders.



"Our entire leadership has been mobilized to deal with the aftermath," she said. "There are people posted to the hospital just to keep watch on the situation, as well as officials sent to try to reassure [the family and other villagers]."



"All the leaders are involved, talking to people and giving their condolences," she said.



Attempted suicides are growing increasingly common among disgruntled petitioners, many of whom are forced evictees, and most of whom pursue complaints against local officials for years or even decades with no result.



Petitioners, who flood China's official complaints departments with more than 20,000 complaints daily across the country, frequently report being held in "black jails," beaten, or otherwise harassed, if they persist in a complaint beyond its initial rejection at a local level.



Demolition gang



Meanwhile, residents of the southwestern megacity of Chongqing said they had been violently and forcibly evicted by a sudden visit from a demolition gang on Tuesday, evictee Li Guoxian told RFA.



Li, a resident of Chongguang village in Chongqing's Yubei district, said the family had been living in temporary structures on the site of their previously demolished brick home for the past six years.



"About 40 or 50 unidentified men burst into our home suddenly at around 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday wearing tin helmets," she said. "They wrapped my mother up in an army coat and took her away."



"Then, the diggers moved in, and destroyed our home and all of our belongings, razed it to the ground," Li said.



Land acquisition for development, often resulting in profitable property deals for local officials, sparks thousands of protests by local communities across China every year, many of which escalate into clashes with police.



But the authorities are quick to suppress news and social reports of such clashes, and anyone who posts details of such "mass incidents" risks detention for spreading rumors.



Reported by Wong Siu-san and Wen Yuqing for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Qiao Long for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Kachin Independence Army soldiers move towards the frontline near Laiza in northern Myanmar's Kachin state during two days of fighting with the Myanmar military, Oct. 11, 2016.

In an attack using heavy weapons, the Myanmar military on Thursday captured several hillside camps operated by an ethnic armed group and killed an unspecified number of enemy soldiers during hostilities in the countrys northernmost Kachin state.

The army said it killed some Kachin Independence Army (KIA) soldiers in the attack and seized arms and ammunition, according to a Facebook post on Friday by the office of Myanmar's commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

The government army seized 22 outposts, four main camps, and 18 small camps belonging to the KIA between Nov. 13, 2017, and Jan. 3, and cut off a popular route that it says the rebel group had been using to smuggle timber to China.

Government soldiers conducting the military operation, which began about 25 miles southwest of the town of Namkham, found and seized camps where the KIA was engaging in smuggling natural resources, including timber, to China, the army said.

The Myanmar army confiscated buildings, vouchers used in the collection of extorted money, and small arms and ammunition at the scene, it said.

A main route which passes illegally through Momeik and Mabein townships and is used to smuggle Myanmars precious natural resources and timber to [China] could be closed and placed under [Myanmar army] control, the Facebook post said.

The Tatmadaw [Myanmar military] columns are in hot pursuit of fleeing terrorist insurgents and continue to expose main points [of activity], including other illegal routes, it said.

KIA soldiers from Mangan village in Manweingyi village-tract attempted to shoot down a helicopter used by government forces for administrative affairs on Nov. 27, damaging it slightly, the Facebook post said.

Colonel Naw Bu, spokesman of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the KIAs political wing, downplayed the Myanmar militarys account of the attacks.

We dont have that many camps in this area, he told RFAs Myanmar Service. They [the Myanmar army] got some small posts not by fighting, but because we left them.

Naw Bu also denied the KIAs involvement in smuggling timber to China

The army has talked about how the KIA is smuggling timber to other countries, and it is just to damage the KIAs image, he said. We dont have any forests in Kachin state. The timber they spoke of is coming from Mandalay and Sagaing region.

As far as we know, businessmen, forest officials, and [Myanmar] military officials are engaged in this business, he said, adding that the government army has not tried to stop timber smuggling in the other two areas where businessmen cut down trees, though they do so in Kachin state.

Naw Bu also siad that the fighting between the KIA and government military would not end any time soon.

Because the government army has been conducting offensive attacks, there will be more fighting as long as it doesnt retreat.

Clashes since 2011

The KIA, which controls large swathes of northeastern Kachin state, has regularly engaged in clashes with the Myanmar army since a 17-year bilateral cease-fire agreement collapsed in 2011, forcing about 100,000 residents to flee to safety over the years.

Its territory includes Tanaing townships gold and amber mining region, on whose natural resources it depends as a source of income through the levying of a five-percent tax on mine operators.

Some of the KIAs most recent hostilities with the Myanmar military have occurred in Tanaing and in neighboring northern Shan state.

The KIA is one of several militias with which the Myanmar government is trying to end decades of ethnic separatist civil wars and forge peace in the country through a series of peace negotiations launched in August 2016 by de facto national leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Earlier this week, the KIO reshuffled its top leadership, replacing departing officers with a younger generation of leaders as hostilities between the group's armed wing and government forces continued to flare up.

Reported by Wai Mar Tun for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Myanmar soldiers walk away from a helicopter that took them to Maungdaw in western Myanmar's Rakhine state to track down attackers who staged deadly raids on border posts, Oct. 10, 2016.

Six Myanmar army soldiers and a civilian driver were injured in an ambush on a military vehicle near Taungbyo in northern Rakhine state on Friday, underscoring ongoing instability in the area in the wake of a brutal military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, local residents said.

A truck from Infantry No. 124 hit a landmine near Tarein, an ethnic Rakhine village in Maungdaw township, as it traveled to Taungbyo, sources said.

A border police officer told the online journal The Irrawaddy that the soldiers were escorting a sick army officer in a civilian vehicle to Maungdaw for medical treatment. The ill officer was not injured in the explosion.

Around 9:20 a.m., a landmine explosion hit the tire on a military truck, said Eain Sor Maung, the head of Tarein village south of Taunbyo. When the truck stopped, a group shot at the truck, and seven people, including the driver and a major, were injured.

The injured were taken to a hospital in neighboring Buthidaung township, sources said.

The military is checking and clearing this area now, he said.

The blast was followed by about 15 minutes of gunfire by the group from a nearby hill, though no one suffered further injury, The Irrawaddy said.

The government military accused the militant Muslim group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) of carrying out the attack, though ARSA has not made any statement confirming it.

ARSA conducted deadly raids on border guard stations in October 2016 and on police outposts in August 2017 in northern Rakhine state.

The attacks sparked two military crackdowns targeting the Rohingya, who endured indiscriminant killings, rape, torture, and arson. About 655,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh to escape the violence that the United Nations and other Western countries say amount to ethnic cleansing.

Muslim militants have also been accused of attacking Hindu villages in northern Rakhine state and planning and carrying out further armed assaults against security forces, usually at night.

The border police officer who spoke to The Irrawaddy speculated that an ethnic Rakhine armed group had ambushed the vehicle and soldiers, because the attack occurred near a Rakhine village during the daytime.

On Dec. 8, four Myanmar army soldiers were injured when their convoy hit three mines in Myebon township just an hour after Rakhine's Chief-Minister Nyi Pu and government officials traveled through the same area. It was not known who may have planted the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or what their motive may have been.

Though Myanmar plans to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh during the crackdowns later this month, rights groups have warned that the untenable situation on the ground and continued discrimination against the group may not bode well for those who voluntarily return.

Reported by Min Thein Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Authorities in northwestern Chinas Xinjiang region have jailed the four wealthiest ethnic Uyghurs in Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) city for acts of religious extremism, according to an official, amid a crackdown he said is unlikely to end any time soon.



A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, recently told RFAs Uyghur Service that Abdujelil Hajim, Gheni Haji, Memet Tursun Haji, and Imin Hajimall successful business owners in Kashgarwere taken into custody in May 2017.



The four men, whose last names signify that they have made the Muslim holy pilgrimage to Mecca, were later sentenced to a total of 42 years in prison, the source said.



Chairman of the Kashgar Prefectural Trade Association Abdujelil Hajimwho owns a firm that transports goods between China, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as large tracts of property in Kashgar and Xinjiangs capital Urumqiwas sentenced to 18 years in prison.



Gheni Haji, the owner of the Emin Trading Plaza at Kashgars Sunday Market; Memet Tursun Haji, owner of Eziz Diyar Plaza at the same market; and Imin Hajim, owner of the Ibnsina Dental Facility; were each sentenced to eight years in jail, according to the source.



The sources claims were verified earlier this week by Yasinahun, the chief of security for Kashgars Chasa township, who confirmed that the four men topped the list of the citys wealthiest Uyghurs and that they had all been arrested in May, although he was unable to say where they are being held.



Gheni Haji, Imin Hajim, and Memet Tursun Haji had displayed signs of religious extremism, so they were arrested, he told RFA in a phone interview, adding that their activities were characterized as abnormal by authorities.



I was told that Memet Tursun Haji did not hold a funeral when his father passed away. Not holding a funeral is one of the signs of extremism. Gheni and Imin prayed only eight times at prayer service, not 20 as others usually do. That is also a sign of extremism.



Imin Hajim, Yasinahun said, is a man of few words who normally kept to himself, but had protested police searches of his home.



He expressed extreme displeasure with our visits to his house related to our security work and said, I am a Chinese citizen, why do you conduct so many searches, he said.



China regularly conducts strike hard campaigns in Xinjiang, including police raids on Uyghur households, restrictions on Islamic practices, and curbs on the culture and language of the Uyghur people, including videos and other material.



While Yasinahun did not provide the specific reason for Abdujelil Hajims arrest, he said that all four men had also undertaken unapproved, private hajj pilgrimages and been involved with imams who were not sanctioned by the state.



Re-education camps



Since April last year, ethnic Uyghurs accused of harboring extremist and politically incorrect views have been jailed or detained in political re-education camps throughout Xinjiang, where members of the ethnic group have long complained of pervasive discrimination, religious repression, and cultural suppression under Chinese rule.



Yasinahun said he was unsure of how many people are currently being held in re-education camps in Kashgar city, but that around 2,000 people were being held from Chasa alone.



Most people are being detained at the Yawagh Street detention facility in Kashgar city, he said.



The security chief also said it was unclear when the campaign of political re-education in Kashgar would end.



At one of the meetings held in the city, one of the Chinese officials said, you cant uproot all the weeds hidden among the crops in the field one by oneyou need to spray chemicals to kill them all, he said.



He went on to say, re-educating these people is like spraying chemicals on the crops. That is why it is a general re-education, not limited to a few people.



The message I got from this was that the re-education will last a very long time.



Region-wide purge



Dolkun Isa, president of the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress exile group, told RFA that China has been targeting all Uyghurs as potential state enemies since Xinjiang party chief Chen Quanguo was appointed to his post in August 2016.



Chen has initiated an unprecedented region-wide purge of Uyghur intellectuals, religious figures, businessmen, and any Uyghur who is not pleased with Chinese rule as two-faced people, Isa said.



He has locked up tens of thousands in the political re-education camps, in much the same way that the Nazis did the Jews, soon after coming to power in Germany, he added.



The international community should closely monitor what the Chinese government is doing in [Xinjiang] and express concern, because the Uyghur homeland is now simply a massive concentration camp.



While China blames some Uyghurs for "terrorist" attacks, experts outside China say Beijing has exaggerated the threat from the Uyghurs and that repressive domestic policies are responsible for an upsurge in violence there that has left hundreds dead since 2009.



Reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by Alim Seytoff and Mamatjan Juma. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
A Vietnamese democracy advocate was taken into custody in Hanoi on Thursday by police who charged him with disorderly conduct after they broke up a lunch meeting held with friends at a local restaurant, sources said.



Vu Hung, a former political prisoner and school teacher, was taken first to a local police station and then transferred to a district station, and was beaten in detention, his wife Ly Thi Tuyet Mai told RFAs Vietnamese Service on Friday while waiting to visit her husband in jail.



Hung was arrested by the police yesterday afternoon, and after that they took him to the Thanh Xuan Bac ward police station, Mai said, adding, Now hes here at the Thanh Xuan district station.



Im waiting for the investigator to send in some personal things that I brought, including clothing and food, but the investigator said that hes busy right now and will let me in when hes done.



Hung was having lunch with friends at a local restaurant on Thursday while a lot of policemen stood watch outside, Mai said.



While they were still eating, the restaurant owner suddenly told them to pay their bill and leave, she said.



Police told Mai later that Hung had quarreled with two people after leaving the restaurant, leading to his arrest.



But when I came to see him at around 10:00 p.m. he told me he is innocent, and that they had slandered him and had beaten him in custody, she said.



Phone calls to the Thanh Xuan District police station and to police investigator Kim Minh Duc, the officer in charge of Hungs case, rang unanswered on Friday.



Belonged to banned group



In a Jan. 5 statement, the rights group Defend the Defenders identified Hung as a member of the banned online advocacy group Brotherhood For Democracy.



The restaurant meeting of the Chu Van An Teachers Association he had attended on Thursday was disrupted as the restaurant owner under district police pressure asked the participants [to leave in] the middle of the event, the rights group said.



Arrested in 2008 for hanging banners calling for multiparty democracy in Vietnam, Hung was handed a three-year prison term for spreading propaganda against the state and later launched a month-long hunger strike to protest authorities treatment of the prisoners where he was held.



Hungs current arrest comes amid an ongoing crackdown on political dissent in Vietnam, with at least 46 activists jailed in 2017 for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly, according to a Jan. 5 statement by the Paris-based Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR).



The crackdown accelerated in late December 2017, when 15 activists were sentenced to prison terms, VCHR said.



At least 130 political prisoners remain behind bars in jails across the country, the rights group said.



Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Emily Peyman. Written in English by Richard Finney.
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Aubrey Trail, who is a person of interest in the death and disappearance of Sydney Loofe, has been transferred from the jail where he was being held on unrelated federal charges.

Trail, 51, was transferred to an undisclosed facility Wednesday evening, according to the Saline County Sheriffs Office.

But sheriffs office officials declined to provide further details on where he was being taken or why.

A spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed Trail remains in their custody but wouldnt provide further information.

The U.S. Marshals Service does not disclose any personal information, location held, court scheduling, transportation details or other inmate information, other than to verify an inmate is in federal custody, Deputy U.S. Marshal Carlos Najera said in an email.

Trails attorney Korey Reiman said he didnt know where his client was moved.

But he said its not uncommon for the federal agency to transfer people in their custody between jails where they house federal detainees.

A spokesman for the FBI, which is leading the investigation, referred questions to the U.S. Marshals Service.

Trails girlfriend, 24-year-old Bailey Boswell, remained at the Saline County jail in Wilber on the same charges.

Both had been held there since Nov. 30 on pretrial detention on federal charges accusing them of transporting stolen property from Hiawatha, Kansas, to Beatrice.

Investigators believe they were the last two people to have seen the 24-year-old Loofe alive on Nov. 15.

Loofe went on a date with Boswell, whom she met on the dating application Tinder, that night.

She was reported missing by her family Nov. 16 after she failed to show up for work.

Her body was found off a country road southeast of Clay Center Dec. 4.

Investigators suspect foul play in her death but havent provided further detail in the case since a Dec. 5 news conference.

Boswell and Trail remain persons of interest in the case, though no charges have been filed against them in Loofes death or disappearance, according to an FBI spokesman.
Notch, a technology consulting company founded in Richmond in 2014 that specialized in data engineering and machine learning, has been acquired by Capital One Financial Corp.

The small company has left its office in Richmonds Shockoe Bottom and moved its 16-person staff to Capital Ones West Creek office campus in Goochland County.

They have joined a group of Capital One employees working on ways to utilize new, cutting-edge artificial intelligence in the credit card companys services.

The thing we are really excited about is (Capital One) is trying to harness machine learning for the good of the customer, said Paul Hurlocker, who co-founded Notch in 2014 with David Der. There are a number of areas where that can be done.

In particular, Capital One is using machine learning and data to drive personalization in the digital space, he said. Mobile and web-based experiences are being tailored to make product offerings that are more fitting for the customer.

The acquisition comes about 15 months after Capital One created an in-house Center for Machine Learning, which is housed in several of the companys locations in New York, Northern Virginia and the Richmond area.

Machine learning is an area of artificial intelligence that involves developing computer systems that can automatically analyze large amounts of data and learn from it, without being explicitly programmed to do so. One goal is to make better predictions about how people and systems behave.

If you look around, industry after industry is being disrupted by breakthroughs in machine learning, said Adam Wenchel, Capital Ones vice president for machine learning and data innovation.

One example of machine learning is the way online businesses such as Amazon and Netflix use predictive analytics to offer customers products based on their preferences. Machine learning also is harnessed in transportation and health care.

In the financial industry, we believe there is a great deal of potential for using machine learning to offer better value to customers, Wenchel said.

For 15 months, there has been a heavy focus on recruiting for the companys center for machine learning, Wenchel said. The team is growing. We are working hard to attract top-notch machine-learning talent.

Right now, the demand outweighs the supply, so we are investing in training and apprenticeship programs, he said.

Notch provided consulting services for businesses ranging from small startups to Fortune 100 companies, and it was primarily serving businesses outside the Richmond area, though its clients also included some local startup businesses.

The firm had been working on projects for Capital One, the Richmond regions largest employer, for more than a year before the acquisition, which was finalized in December. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

We just got more and more excited about the direction they were going and felt like the missions aligned, Hurlocker said. Ultimately, (the acquisition) just came naturally out of the engagement. It wasnt something that either party was thinking of when we first started working together.

Hurlocker and Der formed Notch a few years after they had worked together at Amentra, an information technology consulting firm founded in Richmond that was acquired by Red Hat Inc. in 2008.

Der became Notchs chief operating officer, and his two brothers, Bryan and Matt, subsequently joined the company. The Der brothers grew up in Chester. Matt Der earned a doctorate in computer science, specializing in machine learning, from the University of California at San Diego.

The more we learned about them and the more we saw of them, the more impressed we were, Wenchel said of the Notch team. It made sense to take it to the next step and make them part of our team.

The Notch team will continue working on a variety of projects for Capital One, he said. That includes developing new tools for customer experience, as well as in such areas as cybersecurity and fraud prevention.

Hurlocker, now senior director of software engineering at Capital One, said Capital One has a deep understanding of what makes developers productive.

It is not technology for technologys sake, he said. lt is about how we apply technology to help the customer. That is similar to the goals we had at Notch.
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U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., has joined the call for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reconsider its approval in October of a pair of controversial natural gas pipelines that are planned to cut through Virginia.

In a letter Friday, Kaine asked the commission to grant new hearings for the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast pipeline projects, which have cleared most regulatory hurdles and could be headed for tree-clearing and construction soon.

The commission approved the MVP and ACP on 2-1 votes when two of the five commissioner slots were vacant, Kaine wrote. The split decisions were most unusual  98 percent of FERC orders in 2016 were unanimous. Given that the commission now has a full complement of five members, there is real concern about whether the divided rulings by a partial commission fairly reflect the FERC position.

Kaines letter comes amid mounting criticism of how FERC evaluates the need for such projects, which come with a sizeable rate of return baked in for the developers, and concerns about the use of eminent domain to take private property in the absence of a compelling public need. The agency largely relies on capacity contracts, in some cases with the pipeline developers own subsidiaries, to demonstrate market demand for the gas.

The new FERC chairman, Kevin J. McIntyre, announced last month that the agency will review its nearly 20-year-old policies for certifying natural gas pipelines. There is no indication, however, that the review would affect the Mountain Valley or Atlantic Coast pipeline projects. In an unusual dissent, FERC Commissioner Cheryl A. LaFleur said she could not conclude that either pipeline was in the public interest.

Kaines letter is not an official request for rehearing. Those have been filed by a range of groups opposed to the pipelines, including the Southern Environmental Law Center in Charlottesville.

But the letter raises another important deficiency in the FERC process, said Greg Buppert, an attorney with the law center. That, he said, is FERCs practice of using a tactic known as tolling orders to delay decisions on requests for rehearing, preventing plaintiffs from getting into a courtroom to challenge FERC decisions.

FERC uses this process all the time. It might sit on a rehearing request for six months, Buppert said. While FERC is sitting on the rehearing request, the developer is out building the pipeline.

Kaine asked the commission to provide fuller understanding of the tolling orders.

This suggests that even if an original FERC decision changes upon either rehearing or judicial order, it could be moot if the project is already built, Kaine wrote. I would like to know whether this is your interpretation as well and, if so, whether you believe this is consistent with the intent of the rehearing option.

Kaine added that he does not endorse or oppose the views of these petitioners on the substantive merits of these projects.

It is appropriate that a technical agency consider projects according to a robust public input process laid out in federal law, Kaine wrote. It is important for the public to have confidence in the integrity of FERCs process. All I request is for every step of that process to be followed to the fullest extent of the law.

Mary ODriscoll, a FERC spokeswoman, said she couldnt predict when the agency might make a decision on the requests to reconsider the pipelines.

Aaron Ruby, a spokesman for Dominion Energy, which is spearheading the roughly $5.5 billion, 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline, said the project has received one of the most thorough regulatory reviews in history.

The commission addressed every issue raised during the process and left no stone unturned. Opponents have given FERC no reason to change course or allow unnecessary delay, Ruby said. We agree with Senator Kaine that FERC should follow the process to the fullest extent of the law. We believe FERC has done so. The law requires a quorum of three commissioners to make permitting decisions, and FERC had such a quorum when it approved the ACP.

***

Missing from Kaines letter was the signature of Sen. Mark Warner, his Democratic colleague and, like Kaine, a former Virginia governor.

Asked why, a Warner spokeswoman said while Senator Warner has no formal role in the FERC approval process, he has represented the concerns of affected Virginians in his capacity as a legislator.

She said Warner has criticized the FERC process and believes it is important to balance our countrys energy infrastructure needs with the safety of our environment and respect for our local communities, which is why he will remain vigilant as these projects move forward to ensure constituent concerns are being heard.

Warner and Kaine introduced legislation this past summer aimed at making the FERC process more transparent, requiring more cumulative analysis of environmental effects and reining in the use of eminent domain, among other provisions. The bill has been referred to committee, and, Kaines staff said, the senators hope it will be included in the Senates bipartisan energy bill.

Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, said Kaines request for reconsideration makes a lot of sense for the senator. Kaine was former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clintons running mate and is up for re-election to his second term in the Senate this year. He faces an unsettled GOP field and the pipelines could figure in the race, Farnsworth said.

A lot of Democrats are angry about the pipeline and urging a reconsideration is a low-cost way to respond to that anger, he said. The environmentalists are a key part of the Democratic coalition. And there seems to be little political downside to requesting a reconsideration.
Vianne Smith, a resident of Gilpin Court, has been keeping warm by any means necessary  an open kitchen oven, a boiling pot of water on the stove, a heating pad.

Oh yeah, its cold, she said Thursday. The radiators are warm, but not enough to heat the apartment.

The lack of adequate heat in her apartment is nothing new, she said. It was better last winter than it is now. It still wasnt warm warm.

Smith hadnt requested one of the space heaters being distributed by Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority to tenants in chilly apartments, because that only heats one room. Its not enough to keep the apartment warm.

Besides, shed prefer the portable units go to families with little children. I would rather they take care of them instead of me, because I can take care of myself.

Did I mention that Smith, 57, is on dialysis?

Whats odd is the way the RRHA has couched its heating issue as a problem involving units in Creighton Court. But others said Thursday that the problem is more widespread.

Tasheeda Jackson said her mother, Rosetta Jackson, has been without decent heat in her Whitcomb Court apartment. We are using the stove and the oven for heat. And this has been for two weeks now, she said. They have not brought us any portable heaters yet. No nothing. Eventually, she purchased a heater.

The other day, it was so cold I took my mom out of there and we stayed in a hotel, said Jackson, 30. We couldnt even have Christmas there.

Jackson, her 6-year-old son and her mother spent Christmas Eve in a hotel before returning to the apartment on Christmas morning. Compounding matters, the apartment was without hot water for a week, she said.

T.K. Somanath, RRHAs director, told a Times-Dispatch reporter Wednesday that the housing authority has been shutting down furnaces as leaks spring in the 70-year-old radiator pipes in the ceiling. He said officials began seeking bids from contractors to repair them as soon as they broke. The authority expects to complete the legally required bidding process Jan. 12.

That timeline for relief is clearly unacceptable  The weathers cold now. We need help now, Smith said.

By Thursday, the authority eventually took measures befitting a community crisis. But not before indignation rained down on the authority.

Rep. A. Donald McEachin, D-4th, said the authority has created an intolerable living situation. He questioned why officials hadnt acted sooner to make repairs on a problem that he said RRHA representatives had known about for months. Why wait until wintertime to address it?

Community activist Lynetta Thompson agreed that the heating problem didnt just crop up. She said the authority is too focused on redeveloping Creighton Court into a mixed-income community and not focused enough on maintaining livable spaces for its low-income residents.

Why would you invest in (space) heaters instead of fixing the problem? she asked.

Thursday, RRHA announced that it would move affected Creighton Court residents to available RRHA units to the extent available by the end of the day. Otherwise, the authority would secure hotel rooms for residents, it said in a release. Shamin Hotels, the regions largest hotel operator, offered free rooms Thursday to the affected Creighton Court tenants.

Community activist Omari Al-Qadaffi described the RRHA response as damage control and controlling the narrative to have a Creighton Court focus when the issue is widespread.

Council Vice President Cynthia Newbille acknowledged as much.

This is not a Creighton-specific problem. The overwhelming majority of reported cases are from Creighton, she told me via Facebook message. Please encourage residents to contact and make work orders so all can be accounted for.

Mayor Levar Stoney weighed in Wednesday via Twitter.

It is shameful and unacceptable that some residents in Creighton Court lack access to properly heated buildings, he tweeted. The city will do whatever it can to assist RRHA as it addresses the current situation and works toward ensuring this does not happen again.

At Wednesdays meeting of the councils Organizational Development committee, Councilman Parker Agelasto said the city needs to act in the interest of the residents.  If this cannot be resolved by (Thursday), then I ask that we instruct the mayor to fully investigate this matter and to send the maintenance code and building inspectors out there to validate that theres a violation.

I dont think we should be exempting RRHA when there are plenty of other landlords that we would do the same to, Agelasto said.

Councilwoman Kimberly Gray cited safety concerns.

With small children, which we have a lot of in Creighton Court, they tend to huddle near those space heaters without being a safe distance and blankets tend to fall over in the middle of the night. (Agreed, Councilwoman. And personally, Id worry about ovens as a primary heat source.)

Its very concerning for anybody to be put in that situation, Gray said. Im hopeful that we take some swift action.

Action is needed to ensure that nothing like this happens again. It reflects on the city in the worst way, highlighting how much we are indeed two Richmonds, despite the mayors One Richmond mantra.

To describe this situation as a hot mess would be cruel to those residents, who no doubt find cold comfort in RRHAs inadequate response. This is a situation where a lack of heat suggests a lack of heart.

The initial lack of urgency in the face of a crisis is unfathomable. Even if all the affected residents are relocated, that response wont mean much without a more proactive and compassionate approach to public housing in Richmond and greater accountability when that doesnt happen. If there isnt a culture change, the disregard that permeated this debacle will manifest itself in another form or fashion.

The spectacle of Richmonds public housing residents relying on space heaters, ovens and boiling pots for heat should be appalling to all of us. The cold, hard truth is until we treat our most vulnerable residents humanely, One Richmond will be nothing more than a catchphrase.
The FBI says an armed 26-year-old Missouri man who breached a secured area to stop an Amtrak train in southwest Nebraska in October has links to a white supremacist group and expressed an interest in killing black people, according to court documents unsealed Wednesday.

Taylor Michael Wilson, of St. Charles, Missouri, is charged in U.S. District Court in Lincoln with terrorism attacks and other violence against railroad carriers and mass transportation systems.

In an affidavit attached to the criminal complaint, FBI Special Agent Monte Czaplewski said there was probable cause to believe that electronic devices possessed by Wilson and firearms owned by him have been used for or obtained in anticipation of engaging in or planning to engage in criminal offenses against the United States.

Just before 2 a.m. on Oct. 22, an assistant conductor felt the train braking, searched for what was causing it and found Wilson in the engineers seat of the follow engine playing with the controls, Czaplewski wrote.

The conductor, and others, subdued Wilson, then held him and waited for deputies from Furnas and Harlan counties to arrive in Oxford, 23 miles southwest of Holdrege, where the eastbound California Zephyr with about 175 people aboard stopped.

No injuries were reported.

Czaplewski said Wilson, who has a permit in Missouri to carry a concealed handgun, had a loaded .38 caliber handgun in his waistband, a speed loader in his pocket and a National Socialist Movement business card on him when he was arrested.

He also had a backpack with three more speed loaders, a box of ammunition, a knife, tin snips, scissors and a ventilation mask inside.

Wilson, who was traveling from Sacramento, California, to St. Louis, later was charged in Furnas County with felony criminal mischief and use of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony.

A judge ordered Wilson to undergo a competency evaluation at his attorneys request in late October. He later was found competent to proceed, according to court records.

His $100,000 bond was posted on Dec. 11 and he was released.

Two days later, according to the federal case, FBI agents searched his home in Missouri and found a hidden compartment with a a handmade shield as well as: a tactical vest, 11 AR-15 (rifle) ammunition magazines with approximately 190 rounds of .223 ammunition, one drum-style ammunition magazine for a rifle, firearms tactical accessories (lights), 100 rounds of 9mm ammunition, approximately 840 rounds of 5.45x39 rifle ammunition, white supremacy documents and paperwork, several additional handgun and rifle magazines, gunpowder, ammunition reloading supplies, and a pressure plate.

Czaplewski said they also found 15 firearms, including a fully automatic rifle, ammunition and firearms magazines, and a tactical body armor carrier with ceramic ballistic plates.

In the newly unsealed federal case, Czaplewski wrote that investigators had found videos and PDF files on Wilsons phone of a white supremacist banner over a highway, other alt-right postings and documents related to how to kill people.

He said an acquaintance contacted by the FBI said that Wilson had been acting strange since June and had joined an alt-right neo-Nazi group that he found while researching white supremacy forums online.

Czaplewski said they believe Wilson had traveled with members of the group to the Unite the Right rally at Charlottesville, Virginia, in August, where a woman was killed and 19 injured when a man used his vehicle to ram a crowd of counter-protesters.

An informant told the FBI that Wilson has expressed an interest in killing black people and others besides whites, and they suspect Wilson was responsible for a road rage incident in April 2016 in St. Charles where a man pointed a gun at a black woman for no apparent reason while driving on Interstate 70, Czaplewski said.

Wilson now is in federal custody. He was arrested Dec. 23, a day after the complaint was filed under seal in federal court in Nebraska.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.  Malachi Love-Robinson was 17 when he first posed as a doctor in South Florida, watching at least one gynecological exam. Three years later, he is trading his white lab coat for blue jail scrubs.

Love-Robinson, now 20, was facing 14 criminal charges when on Thursday he admitted the con and agreed to a 3-year prison term with credit for 16 months already served. He must repay his victims $80,000 when he gets out, although he wont be on probation.

He was facing up to 90 years for his propensity to masquerade as a doctor in West Palm Beach. His ruse made national headlines as authorities unraveled a trail of deceit that included fraudulent diplomas and a real stethoscope.

His plea deal ends a criminal saga that included trouble in northern Virginia  he pleaded guilty last year on fraud counts not involving medicine and served a year behind bars.

Love-Robinson was first accused of being a fake doctor three years ago this month, when a West Palm Beach police report said he peeked in on at least one gynecological exam at St. Marys Medical Center. He said at the time he was deeply saddened and a little disrespected by the allegations.

Records show that later in 2015 he opened a clinic in Boynton Beach but closed it after he was issued a cease-and-desist order from the Florida Department of Health because he didnt have a medical license.

In one meeting with state investigators, Love-Robinson admitted that a diploma from Arizona State University that he had presented at the clinic was fraudulent, records show.

Love-Robinson also said he had a degree from an online Christian school and explained that medical doctors on staff would be consulted if a client needed drugs, according to a report of the interview.

The state investigators found Love-Robinsons role at the clinic went too far, saying that for nearly a month he was leading the public to believe (he) was a licensed medical doctor, without holding an active license, the report said.

Later, investigators learned Love-Robinson was again practicing medicine without a license from an office called The New Birth New Life Medical Center in West Palm Beach, according to an arrest report.

Love-Robinson was presenting himself as a licensed physician and had employees, but no one there was licensed to diagnose and treat patients, the report said. He was arrested in early 2016 after allegedly conducting a physical examination of a female undercover officer, who came to his office complaining of feeling sick.

That year, one of Love-Robinsons former lawyers announced plans to explore a mental health defense.

But on Thursday, Love-Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of practicing medicine without a license concerning that incident. The plea terms were negotiated by Assistant State Attorney Michael Rachel and Assistant Public Defender Ilana Marcus. Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Colbath approved the punishment.

Love-Robinson also admitted guilt on charges of practicing naturopathy without a license and grand theft. That centered on allegations that he stole personal checks from an 86-year-old West Palm Beach woman with severe intestinal pain whose home he visited several times.

Officials said Love-Robinson tapped Anita Morrisons checking account to make $34,504 in payments for his car loans and credit cards.

The victim said she found Love-Robinson during a computer search for doctors using natural therapies. He always wore a white lab coat and stethoscope in her home, she said.

During one visit, Love-Robinson called for an ambulance when she became too ill.

Morrison told detectives Love-Robinson recommended against bringing her keys and purse to the hospital so she gave them to him and asked that he lock up her home. The woman said she later discovered her bank account was empty.

I made sure I told (Morrison) I was not a doctor, Love-Robinson told a detective, moments before cutting off questions and asking for a lawyer.

In preparation for a trial, prosecutors got sworn statements from bank tellers who cashed Morrisons allegedly forged checks.

One Bank of America teller wrote she encountered Mr. Love several times, but couldnt recall details of the transactions. She did remember that Love-Robinson asked about setting up business accounts, and she found him suspicious.

I found it very odd that a doctor at the age of 18-19 years old runs errands in a white coat, full name badge and a stethoscope, the teller wrote.

While free on a $26,000 bond on the Palm Beach County charges, Love-Robinson was arrested in Stafford County, Va.

There, he was accused of trying to buy a $35,000 Jaguar from a car dealership by using his 73-year-old godmothers personal information without her permission.

Love-Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of false statement to obtain credit and a forgery-type charge.

The Virginia judge imposed a 10-year prison sentence but immediately suspended nine years of the term.
Iranian streets are again awash with protesters demanding an unequivocal end to religious tyranny. On the heels of a largely irrelevant nuclear deal with Iran, people in the United States and governments around the world struggle to understand these protests and their potential implications for the future.

Although motivations behind the protests are complex and worthy of considerable examination, words of a prominent political prisoner, spoken this week from within Iranian regime gallows, may prove prophetic. Time for the regime that has committed all types of crimes has come to an end and it is stuck in a whirlpool of death, said Ali Moezzi in a statement. The regime of Velayat-e faqih (clerical rule) will come to end he added, predicting that a future government elected by the people would be established.

In understanding this optimism and in shaping a constructive role, the international community should acknowledge the Iranian peoples century-long struggle for democracy and three major home-bred revolutions. The 1906 constitutional revolution, the 1951 nationalist movement, and the 1979 anti-monarchy revolution have a number of common denominators: They were secular in nature, demanded freedom, were not supported by any foreign government, and had roots in peoples desire to address injustices  from either foreign sources or unelected ruling regimes.

As is the case today, these movements were organized and supported from within the country. Longing for freedom and liberty is thus ingrained in the Iranian peoples psyche and nurtured by their resistance network, both within and outside of Iran.

Those in the streets across Iran, chanting slogans against harbingers of terrorism and religious dictatorship, are hence encouraged by recent positive steps from the United States and look for palpable supportive steps to follow. U.S. leadership in pushing back against the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), and its designation as a foreign terrorist entity late last year have served as one such investment in the Iranian people and their democratic aspirations. Prominent American officials of both the past and present have repeatedly argued that in the struggle against religious tyranny, support for the Iranian people and their organized resistance will change the balance of power in favor of secular democracy.

The ongoing demonstrations in Iran affirm the balance of power is in fact shifting. Demonstrators are today openly calling for an end to velayat-e-faghih. They want regime change and they want to do it themselves. The recent developments in Iran also suggest that concomitantly addressing the Iranian nuclear threat, its support for international terrorism, and its wanton disregard for human rights are not only possible, but also very much attainable. The only viable option is a democratic change in Iran  in the hands of the Iranian people and their organized opposition movement.

As the smoldering embers beneath the ashes of oppression ignite one fire after another, the United States must continue to provide moral support to the 80 million disenchanted people in Iran and compel its allies to demand that Iranian authorities be held accountable for their murderous deeds  past and present.
Thursdays noreaster brought a wide range of snow totals to central Virginia, with the heaviest amounts east of Interstate 95.

Most parts of Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover counties got a powdery, wind-blown coating of 2 to 3 inches, but amounts were abruptly higher just to the east of the metro area.

One band of steady snow hovered just east of the Interstate 95 corridor late overnight and dumped heavier-than-expected totals from several inches to 1 foot in a narrow zone.

Here are some preliminary reports relayed by the National Weather Service offices in Wakefield and Sterling and other observers between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thursday.

These are not necessarily the final event totals for each site, as snow continued across eastern Virginia into Thursday afternoon.

Richmond

Bellevue area: 2.5 inches

Henrico

Elko area: 6 to 9 inches

Varina: 2 inches

Glen Allen: 1.9 inches

Innsbrook area: 1.8 inches

Chesterfield

Enon area: 4 inches

Meadowville area: 3.7 inches

Chester: 3 inches

Midlothian: 2 inches

Winterpock: 1.8 inches

Brandermill area: 1.4 inches

Hanover

Ashland: 2.5 inches

Caroline

Bowling Green: 2 inches

Ruther Glen: 1.2 inches

Tri-Cities and vicinity

Burrowsville area: 9 inches

Dinwiddie: 2.5 inches

Disputanta: 12 inches

Fort Lee area: 4 inches

Hopewell: 5 inches

Petersburg: 3.5 inches

Piedmont counties

Amelia Courthouse, in Amelia: 2 inches

Cumberland, in Cumberland: 1 inch

Crozier, in Goochland: 1 inch

Victoria, in Lunenburg: 1 inch

Boydton, in Mecklenburg: 1 inch

Crewe, in Nottoway: 1.5 inches

Verdiersville, in Orange: 0.4 inch

Farmville, in Prince Edward: 1 inch

Southeastern Virginia

Emporia: 2 inches

Franklin: 9.2 inches

Purdy, in Greensville: 4 inches

Courtland, in Southampton: 10.5 inches

Claremont, in Surry: 9 inches

Waverly, in Sussex: 9 inches

Wakefield, in Sussex: 8.5 inches

Hampton Roads metro area

Great Bridge, in Chesapeake: 11 inches

Hampton: 14.8 inches

Newport News: 7.5 inches

Norfolk: 10.3 inches

Portsmouth: 11 inches

Suffolk: 7.3 inches

Princess Anne area of Virginia Beach: 12.2 inches

Williamsburg: 5 inches

Middle Peninsula and the Northern Neck

White Marsh, in Gloucester: 5 inches

West Point, in King William: 7 inches

Mollusk, in Lancaster: 6.5 inches

Gwynn, in Mathews: 7 inches

Reedville, in Northumberland: 9 inches

Northern Virginia

Reagan Washington National Airport, in Arlington: 0.8 inch

Vienna, in Fairfax: 1 inch

Fredericksburg: 1.5 inches

Washington Dulles International Airport, in Loudoun: 0.1 inch
Hazardous Device Technicians with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) Bomb Squad disposed of a live hand grenade in Snyder Wednesday evening.

The grenade was found in a truck which had recently been purchased from the family of a deceased individual, released information from the Nebraska State Patrol says.

While the new owner was cleaning out the truck, he discovered the grenade in the back seat and alerted authorities with the Dodge County Sheriffs Office.

While en-route to Snyder, Sgt. Dustin Weitzel of the DCSO called-in the NSP Bomb Squad to dispose of the device. NSP Hazardous Device Technicians determined that grenade was live. They safely removed it from the vehicle and used counter charges to destroy it in an empty field.

This is a great reminder for anyone who comes across anything resembling a grenade or an explosive device to call 911, said Lt. Jim DeFreece, NSP Hazardous Device Coordinator through a released statement. Weve had people find them when cleaning out storage areas, garages, or in this case a vehicle. The safest thing to do is to avoid touching the device and call the authorities.

After being alerted of the situation and being dispatched around 5:15 p.m., Weitzel said he advised the NSP that he was en-route to Snyder and that he may be dealing with a live grenade.

I advised them that I was on my way to Snyder and what the call was, Weitzel said. When I got there he (NSP officer) said to take pictures of it if I thought it was safe to do so, which I did, and at that time he said not to touch it because he didnt know if it was live or not.

Weitzel said that two members of the NSP Bomb Squad arrived, assessed the situation, and used their training to remove the grenade from the vehicle.

While the situation certainly isnt commonplace, NSP Bomb Squad members said it isnt completely out of the norm.

They said that it happens more frequently than you would expect, Weitzel said. It was a live grenade, and he could tell that from the explosion that it made. The crater in the ground showed that, because the explosive (counter charge) they used would have just misplaced some of the top soil. The crater left showed it was a live grenade.

Weitzel has seen a variety of interesting things during his tenure on the force, but dealing with a situation like this was a first.

This was the first time Ive ever been called to a grenade, he said. It was pretty cool though, and it was like a World War II one. Now they said they are seeing more Korean War and Vietnam War explosives because a lot of people collect that stuff and dont always know they have a live weapon.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
A pioneering feminist artist and writer opened a solo show this week in the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University.

A Kentucky native, Susan King is best known for her artists books, which are books, often handmade, that are intended to be viewed as art objects, akin to mixed-media collages.

Shes a fascinating artist, said Wilson Museum director Jenine Culligan. Shes quite the storyteller.

Susan King: Chronicles of a Southern Feminist contains a sampling of Kings work, much of it from the 1980s and 1990s. The show will stay on display until April 8.

King didnt start out making books. After studying sculpture at the University of Kentucky, she went to Los Angeles in 1973 to join the Feminist Studio Workshop, the first independent art school for women. The workshop was held in the Womans Building, an L.A. nonprofit, where women were encouraged to create experimental art and explore political themes.

Feminist statements are central to Kings art, Culligan said. She really was one of the pioneers of the feminist movement out in L.A. in the 70s. Her subjects have ranged from observations on fashion to her experience as a cancer survivor.

At the workshop, King began her artists books. She became studio director of the Womens Graphic Center at the Womans Building. She worked with other pioneers of feminist art such as Judy Chicago, known for large-scale art installations, including The Dinner Party, a huge work encompassing the history of women in Western civilization thats permanently housed at the Brooklyn Museum.

King herself has art in the collections of the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris.

In the 1990s, she returned to her home state and began incorporating photography into her art. She runs a publishing imprint, Lexington-based Paradise Press.

In an artist statement, King describes listening to her grandparents stories, especially those of her grandfather, a retired Methodist preacher. She also played with Victorian postcard albums as a child, another influence that led her to bookmaking as an artistic discipline.

My strong identification with southern life and culture found its way into my early books, King wrote.

I just think shes somebody who hasnt received the recognition she deserves, Culligan said.

The Wilson Museum is also exhibiting Obsessive Collage: Matthew Cusick, Tom Nakashima, Diane Samuels, which gathers seven large-scale collages by three United States artists. Obsessive Collage will stay on display through Jan. 21.

The Wilson Museum is open Tuesday and Wednesday and Friday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., and Thursday, noon to 8 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 362-6532 or visit www.hollins.edu/museum.
The head of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine has been elected president of the American Osteopathic Foundation.

Dr. Dixie Tooke-Rawlins, president and provost of VCOM, said her key goals for the philanthropic foundation, will be to seek new opportunities that enrich and advance osteophathic medicine, along with fostering personal connections and ensuring the foundations relevancy in a changing landscape.

"Being elected president during this transformative time in our profession is exhilarating, as there are many opportunities for the AOF to provide leadership and direction to ensure sustainable, impactful programs are administered that will have a lasting impact on the health of patients across the country," she said in a news release. "While the AOF has a strong and proud legacy, I'm excited for the future, as the AOF is positioned to help advance activities of osteopathic doctors that improve health care in communities around the world."

The Chicago-based foundation receives donations from about 11,000 osteopathic physicians, industry benefactors, and others interested in advancing osteopathic and offers grants, scholarships and awards to students, physicians and osteopathic programs.

Tooke-Rawlins was the founding dean of VCOM when it established its first campus in Blacksburg in 2001. It has two branch campuses in South Carolina and Alabama with the same mission to educate physicians to serve rural and medically underserved areas.

Tooke-Rawlins is past president of the Virginia Osteopathic Medical Association, served on the board of deans for the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and is on its council of presidents.

Her husband, Frederic Rawlins, and both of her sons are also osteopathic physicians.
Renovations will begin later this month to make room for a new Planet Fitness location at the New River Valley Mall, according to Planet Fitness of Central and Southwest Virginia CEO Bill Asbell.

The 24-hour gym will occupy two storefronts beside Kohls, but it will have its own exterior entrance.

Asbell wrote in an email that he hopes to open toward the end of summer. Membership sales will begin about six weeks before the grand opening, with discounts on startup fees.

The Christiansburg gym, which will be the first Planet Fitness in the New River Valley, will feature a cardio area with around 90 machines, including ellipticals, stationary bikes, rowing machines, treadmills and stair-climbers. There will also be locker rooms with showers.

Monthly memberships will cost $10 and include unlimited educational classes to learn about fitness.

Those who upgrade to the Black Card membership for $21.99 will also get access to the new locations tanning beds, water massage loungers and massage chairs, according to Asbell. Black Card members can also visit any other Planet Fitness location for free, including the companys two gyms in Roanoke.

Asbell says the gym isnt designed for bodybuilders, but rather tries to foster a welcoming atmosphere where people of all fitness levels feel they belong.
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine is asking a federal agency to grant requests for a rehearing of its split-vote decision last year in support of a proposed natural gas pipeline that would run through the Roanoke and New River valleys.

In a letter Friday to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Kaine backed a position taken by more than 20 petitioners: that the commission should reconsider its decision allowing plans for the Mountain Valley Pipeline to go forward.

Kaine, D-Virginia, made the same request for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a second project planned for Central Virginia.

When FERC voted 2-1 to approve both pipelines in October, there were just three members on what is normally a five-member commission.

Calling the split votes most unusual, Kaine noted that 98 percent of FERC decisions in 2016 were unanimous.

Given that the Commission now has a full complement of five members, there is a real concern about whether the divided rulings by a partial Commission fairly reflect the FERC position, Kaine wrote in his letter to the panels chairman, Kevin McIntyre.

After FERC issues a final order on whether there is a public need for a proposed pipeline, anyone opposed to the decision has 30 days to file a petition seeking a rehearing and a stay of the order while the case is pending.

More than 20 such petitions were filed by landowners whose property the Mountain Valley Pipeline would dissect, counties it would cross and environmentalists who say that sediment dislodged from its construction would pollute the regions streams and creeks.

On Dec. 13, FERC issued whats called a tolling order, which is neither a denial of the petitions nor a decision to promptly hold a rehearing. Instead, such an order continues the case indefinitely, often allowing construction to proceed but not providing an avenue for opponents to take legal action because there is no final order to appeal.

In his letter, Kaine asked for an explanation of how tolling orders work.

This suggests that even if an original FERC decision changes upon either rehearing or judicial order, it would be moot if the project is already built and any impacts already felt, he wrote to McIntyre.

I would like to know whether this is your interpretation as well, and if so, whether this is consistent with the intent of the rehearing option.

FERC spokeswoman Mary ODriscoll said Friday that the commission chair plans to respond to Kaine in writing. She declined to elaborate.

Kaine made it clear in his letter that he was not taking a position on the substantive merits of the two pipelines.

Having Congress vote on individual projects would inevitably lead to partisan decision-making, and it is appropriate that a technical agency consider projects according to a robust public input process, laid out in federal law, he wrote.

Nonetheless, Kaine has been critical of the FERC decisions, noting the very suspicious circumstances of how they were released on a Friday night after the close of business hours.

When somebody puts something out at 7 oclock Friday night, theyre trying to hide it, Kaine said at the time. That means theyre ashamed of their decision. Why would they be ashamed of it?

In its order, FERC found that there was a public need for the natural gas that would be transported at high pressure through the two buried pipelines  a position taken by supporters who say the projects will boost the energy market and the larger economy.

As proposed, the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline would run from northern West Virginia, near where the natural gas is extracted through the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing, to connect to another pipeline in Pittsylvania County.

The project is designed to and will support growing demand for natural gas supplies in the Appalachian, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic markets, Mountain Valley officials said in a filing with FERC that opposed the requests for a rehearing.

A Republican spokesman said Kaines letter came as no surprise.

Environmentalists have been skeptical of him before, and he saw the unending headaches pipeline protests caused for Ralph Northam, said Garren Shipley of the Republican National Committee.

Its not so much a letter to FERC as it is a please take me back letter to Tom Steyer, Shipley said, referring to a billionaire environmentalist who has been active in Democratic causes.
No information about Nebraska voters was shared with a commission formed by President Donald Trump to investigate claims that millions of illegal votes were cast in the 2016 election before the president disbanded the panel on Wednesday, the Nebraska Secretary of States office said.

Led by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the bipartisan Presidential Commission on Election Integrity met only twice before its work was bogged down in a series of lawsuits from states across the country.

Trump signed an executive order Wednesday asking the Department of Homeland Security to review the commissions findings, essentially dissolving the panel, before casting blame onto his political opponents through Twitter.

Many mostly Democrat States refused to hand over data from the 2016 Election to the Commission On Voter Fraud. They fought hard that the Commission not to see their records or methods because they know that many people are voting illegally. System is rigged, must go to Voter I.D., Trump tweeted.

In July 2016, Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale  a Republican  said he planned to comply with the request if the commission could offer assurances that data turned over as part of the request would be stored and used in compliance with Nebraska state law.

Most states had issued full or partial denials to the commissions request, which including obtaining voters names, addresses, birth dates, political party registration and voter history, while also seeking more clarification about how the information would be used.

Much of that information is public record in Nebraska, Gale said last summer, but a request for the Social Security numbers of Nebraskans was not, and would not have been included in the request.

Gale told The Associated Press in September he still had not received the assurances he sought from the commission after its work had been put on hold following several lawsuits from states and civil rights organizations. Gale also sought information on the status of those lawsuits.

On Thursday, a spokeswoman from the Secretary of States office said no voter information had been released before the commission disbanded.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.  Malachi Love-Robinson was 17 when he first posed as a doctor in South Florida, watching at least one gynecological exam. Three years later, he is trading his white lab coat for blue jail scrubs.

Love-Robinson, now 20, was facing 14 criminal charges when on Thursday he admitted the con and agreed to a 3 1/2-year prison term with credit for 16 months already served. He must repay his victims $80,000 when he gets out, although he wont be on probation.

He was facing up to 90 years for his propensity to masquerade as a doctor in West Palm Beach. His ruse made national headlines as authorities unraveled a trail of deceit that included fraudulent diplomas and a real stethoscope.

His plea deal ends a criminal saga that included trouble in northern Virginia  he pleaded guilty last year on fraud counts not involving medicine and served a year behind bars up there.

Love-Robinson was first accused of being a fake doctor three years ago this month, when a West Palm Beach police report said he peeked in on at least one gynecological exam at St. Marys Medical Center. He said at the time he was deeply saddened and a little disrespected by the allegations.

Records show that later in 2015 he opened a clinic in Boynton Beach but closed it after he was issued a cease-and-desist order from the Florida of Department of Health because he didnt have a medical license.

In one meeting with state investigators, Love-Robinson admitted that a diploma from Arizona State University that he had presented at the clinic was fraudulent, records show.

Love-Robinson also said that he had a degree from an online Christian school and explained that medical doctors on staff would be consulted if a client needed drugs, according to a report of the interview.

The state investigators found Love-Robinsons role at the clinic went too far, saying that for nearly a month he was leading the public to believe (he) was a licensed medical doctor, without holding an active license, the report said.

Later, investigators learned Love-Robinson was again practicing medicine without a license from an office called The New Birth New Life Medical Center in West Palm Beach, according to an arrest report.

Love-Robinson was presenting himself as a licensed physician and had employees, but no one there was licensed to diagnose and treat patients, the report said. He was arrested in early 2016 after allegedly conducting a physical examination of a female undercover officer, who came to his office complaining of feeling sick.

That year, one of Love-Robinsons former lawyers announced plans to explore a mental health defense.

But on Thursday, Love-Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of practicing medicine without a license concerning that incident. The plea terms were negotiated by Assistant State Attorney Michael Rachel and Assistant Public Defender Ilana Marcus. Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Jeffery Colbath approved the punishment.

Love-Robinson also admitted guilt on charges of practicing naturopathy without a license and grand theft. That centered on allegations that he stole personal checks from an 86-year-old West Palm Beach woman with severe intestinal pain whose home he visited several times.

Officials said Love-Robinson tapped Anita Morrisons checking account to make $34,504 in payments for his car loans and credit cards.

The victim said she found Love-Robinson during a computer search for doctors using natural therapies. He always wore a white lab coat and stethoscope in her home, she said.

During one visit, Love-Robinson called for an ambulance when she became too ill.

Morrison told detectives Love-Robinson recommended against bringing her keys and purse to the hospital so she gave them to him and asked that he lock up her home. The woman said she later discovered her bank account was empty.

I made sure I told (Morrison) I was not a doctor, Love-Robinson told a detective, moments before cutting off questions and asking for a lawyer.

In preparation for a trial, prosecutors got sworn statements from bank tellers who cashed Morrisons allegedly forged checks.

One Bank of America teller wrote she encountered Mr. Love several times, but couldnt recall details of the transactions. She did remember that Love-Robinson asked about setting up business accounts, and she found him suspicious.

I found it very odd that a doctor at the age of 18-19 years old runs errands in a white coat, full name badge and a stethoscope, the teller wrote.

While free on a $26,000 bond on the Palm Beach County charges, Love-Robinson was arrested in Stafford County, Va.

There, he was accused of trying to buy a $35,000 Jaguar from a car dealership by using his 73-year-old godmothers personal information without her permission.

Love-Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of false statement to obtain credit and a forgery-type charge.

The Virginia judge imposed a 10-year prison sentence but immediately suspended nine years of the term.

Love-Robinson then came back to face justice in South Florida.
A man accused of shooting a man and a dog in Giles County has been taken into custody following a standoff with authorities Thursday night, according to the sheriffs office.

Deputies received a call at 5:36 p.m. about a person who had been shot in the leg in the 3500 block of Church Hill Road in Eggleston, the sheriffs office said. The suspect was also accused of shooting a dog inside the house.

Deputies were unable to make contact with the suspect, Brian Keith Albert, beginning the standoff. The sheriffs office requested the Virginia State Police Tactical Team to assist.

By about 9 p.m., Albert exited the front door of the house and surrendered. Authorities took into him custody uninjured, the sheriffs office said.

The sheriffs office did not say if any charges have been filed.

No fatalities were reported as of late Thursday.

Its the second shooting incident to happen in Giles County this week. A man was shot to death and another wounded during an apparent break-in in Narrows on Wednesday, the sheriffs office has said.
RADFORD  A judge affirmed a 55-year sentence Friday for a South Boston man convicted of robbing Radford University students of marijuana and cash.

Tavaras Aquil Hamlett, 22, was found guilty in September of 22 felony charges tied to a series of hold-ups that occurred two years before. After a two-day trial in Radford Circuit Court, a jury found Hamlett guilty and recommended the minimum sentence allowed for the offenses, a string of prison terms that totaled 55 years if run consecutively.

In a brief hearing Friday, Judge Joey Showalter said that he was imposing the jurys recommendation. He had been asked by Hamletts defense attorney, Matt Roberts of Blacksburg, to reduce the sentence, perhaps by suspending some of it or allowing prison terms to run concurrently.

Showalter offered little comment on his decision except to note that the prison term was an upward departure from state sentencing guidelines that called for a term between just over 15 years and 23 years behind bars. The reason for the departure, Showalter said, was to follow the decision of the jury that had found Hamlett guilty.

Hamlett was convicted of being a principal in the second degree to 14 offenses, including grand larceny, three counts of robbery, two counts of burglary, three counts of abduction and five counts related to using firearm to commit a crime. He also was convicted of eight conspiracy charges.

Hamlett was the first of three South Boston men involved in the hold-ups to come to trial. The other two, Malik Jamal Williams, 22, and Jeremy Michael Hill, 23, are next due in court on Jan. 26 for the possible scheduling of their trials.

Testimony at Hamletts trial last year outlined how on Sept. 24, 2015, the three men arrived at the Deli-Mart near Radford Universitys campus and asked a woman there if she knew where they could buy marijuana. She directed them to her boyfriend, a student who lived in a nearby apartment.

The trio robbed the boyfriend at gunpoint and tied his hands with a phone charger cord, according to testimony. When a friend arrived  another student who also was involved in marijuana sales  the three robbed him as well, taking money he said he needed for rent.

The second student offered a deal: If he could have his money back, he would take the South Boston men to someone who he thought would have more marijuana and money.

They agreed, and the trio went across town, entered another apartment, and took about four ounces of marijuana and money from a resident.

Hamlett had insisted that he hadnt actually robbed or abducted anyone but was just in the wrong place when his friends decided to carry out the hold-ups.

He repeated that insistence in December, when he was first brought for sentencing, saying, I wouldnt apologize for something I didnt do.

The December sentencing hearing was halted when it turned out that sentencing guidelines had been improperly calculated. As the session resumed Friday, Hamlett did apologize to the victims of the hold-ups, his family and the court, saying his earlier remarks had been prompted by frustration.

Showalter said that he understood his frustration and accepted the apology.

The judge said he was noting Hamletts appeal and appointed Roberts to represent him. Hamlett said that he would rather have a different attorney, but Showalter said that was a request and a decision for another day.

After the hearing, Radford Commonwealths Attorney Chris Rehak congratulated city detectives Eric Martin and Jimmy Smith for their work on the case. Rehak said he and others in city law enforcement were grateful to jurors, witnesses and victims who had helped convict Hamlett.

And he noted that at one point, a far shorter prison term had been considered.

The jurys recommended punishment, as upheld by the judge, was much higher than the 15 years I offered defendant as part of a proposed guilty plea agreement, Rehak wrote in an email.
A Blacksburg woman died Friday morning after a head-on collision between her car and a tractor-trailer, the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office reported.

Louise Lephew, 46, was killed after her car crossed the center line of Riner Road (Virginia 8), near its intersection with Rustic Ridge Road, according to a sheriffs office news release.

Volunteers from the Riner rescue squad and fire department were called to the crash soon after 9:30 a.m. They found Lephew dead, the news release said. Witnesses said her car had hit an oncoming truck, which had tried to swerve onto the shoulder away from her vehicle.

The truck driver sustained what the news release described as minor injuries.

Traffic was detoured for more than four hours after the crash.
GLEN LYN  A new utility trailer manufacturing facility is coming to Giles County, bringing 83 jobs and a $4.1 million investment, Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced Friday.

Interstate Group, an Idaho-based company, that builds a variety of enclosed trailers for automotive hauling, will turn a warehouse that formerly housed a GE Fairchild Mining Equipment factory into the companys East Coast manufacturing hub. The site will also host a call center and administrative offices.

In addition to the manufacturing center, Interstate Group CEO Michael Snow said the company plans to open around 12 new stores to sell the trailers built in Glen Lyn. The plant will produce the companys full product line, with towable trailers ranging from 6-feet to 32-feet-long.

The company employs around 400 people with plants in Idaho, Arizona and Arkansas. But Snow said the Giles County facility may be the companys largest producer.

Renovations at the facility will begin soon, and Snow said he hopes to have production running by May.

McAuliffe , entering his final week as governor, called Fridays event as his last jobs announcement for the New River Valley. He used the event as a chance to look back at his time in office, painting a rosier outlook for Southwest Virginia than when he took office four years ago.

McAuliffe said he knew the coal, textile, furniture and tobacco industries that had propped up the region were losing jobs. Thats why he focused on new employers in fields like unmanned systems and advanced manufacturing.

The facility Interstate Group is moving into, for instance, represented 60 coal-industry jobs lost when GE Fairchild moved out in 2016.

Theres nothing I love more than coming here to see a facility that had been shut down, jobs lost, dreams had been shattered and families had been hurt, he said. You [Interstate Group] are going to bring life to this, economic opportunity to over 80 individuals. It really is something special.

Interstate Group received a $200,000 grant from the Governors Opportunity Fund to help fund the project. In return, the company has pledged an average salary for its 80 workers of around $40,000.
The Salem Museum recently awarded its highest honor, the James Simpson Award, to Virginia Savage and Peggy Shifflett for their outstanding service and commitment to local history.

Named after Salems founder, the honor has only been awarded eight times over the past 30 years, the last time in 2010.

Prior recipients Dave Foster and David Robbins presented the awards to Savage and Shifflett at the Salem Museum & Historical Societys annual dinner on Dec. 7.

Savage served as president of the historical society in 2006 and was a member of the capital campaign committee that successfully built the museums addition in 2010. She received the societys Distinguished Service Award for that effort. Over the years, she also has organized numerous tours and bus trips to historic sites, adding to the programs that the museum offers.

Most recently, Savage served as the chairwoman of the Preston Place committee. Her vision and leadership were essential to the projects success, said Fran Ferguson, the museums executive director.

That committee successfully completed the restoration of Salems oldest home in 2017. The historic house is now the home of the White Oak Tea Tavern on West Main Street.

Savages late husband, Lon Savage, was a prior recipient of the award.

Shifflett has been an intensely active volunteer who for the past two years has spent nearly seven days a week at the museum.

In 2016, while president-elect of the board, she volunteered to serve as the museums full-time interim executive director and curator. In those roles, she developed programs and exhibits, strengthened fundraising efforts, organized the museums collections and archives and handled all administrative matters. In 2017, she spearheaded the museums Appalachian Festival, made her Ghost Walk debut as the ghost of Grace Smyth, supervised bookkeeping and facilities tasks and provided support to the museums new staff.

She is serving her second year as president of the board during 2018.

We are incredibly grateful to all of our volunteers, and especially to Ginny and Peggy, Ferguson said. Its our volunteers who have made the museum what it is today, and such an important asset for Salem.

For more information, call 389-6760 or visit www.salemmuseum.org.

Lions Club donates van to Big Brothers Big Sisters

The Lions of Multiple District 24 E recently celebrated the centennial of Lions Clubs International worldwide by presenting a new van to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Virginia.

The Lions of Virginia Foundation and the Lions Clubs International Foundation also were involved in the project.

Big Brothers Big Sisters had identified the need for another van to help take children and their mentors to projects and educational opportunities. It initiated the van purchase project by reaching out to then-Lions District Governor Martin Alford in October 2016.

With district and state approval, the club applied for grants from Lions of Virginia Foundation and Lions Clubs International Foundation and raised $11,918 in matching funds.

Alford said in a news release that the project was unique because it was the first time that Lions Clubs reached out and solved a community need for an organization that provides lasting impact that changes the lives of our young people who may be at risk and provides the children involved in the BBBS program with positive mentoring and support which builds character and self confidence in the children involved.

As part of their Centennial Celebration, Lions Clubs around the world worked to help more than 100 million people in Legacy Projects that make lasting contributions to their communities.

Lions Clubs International is a service organization with 1.4 million members in more than 46,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. For more information, visit lionsclubs.org or email Marty Alford at marty.alford1960@gmail.com.

Screening of Rosenwald slated for Jan. 13

The Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation is partnering with Preservation Virginia and Brian Wishneff & Associates to screen the documentary Rosenwald at 4 p.m. Jan. 13 at The Dumas Center, 108 Henry Street N.W.

The event is free, but a $5 donation is suggested.

Aviva Kempners Rosenwald tells the story of Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish philanthropist who never finished high school but rose to become the president of Sears. Influenced by the writings of the educator Booker T. Washington, Rosenwald joined forces with African-American communities in the South to build more than 5,300 schools during the early part of the 20th century.

Because of his modesty, Rosenwalds philanthropy and social activism are not well-known today. He gave away $62 million in his lifetime.

Seating for the screening is limited, so reserve seats online by visiting www.eventbrite.com/e/rosenwald-tickets-41441836649?aff=es2.

For more information about the foundation, visit www.roanokepreservation.org or email info@roanokepreservation.org.

Boys & Girls Clubs open rec center

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia formally opened its newly renovated recreation center Thursday.

The organization received a $50,000 Lowes Renovation Across the Nation Grant to renovate its facilities in Southeast Roanoke.

The program has been serving youth ages 6 to 18 in the Roanoke Valley for more than 20 years and currently works with 160 youth daily.

For more information, visit www.bgcswva.org or call Michelle Dykstra, executive director, at 904-7401.

Jabberwock contestants sought

The Roanoke Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. is seeking contestants for the April 20 Jabberwock, its major fundraiser for scholarships.

The talent competition and pageant showcases youth of all ages and will be held at the Jefferson Centers Shaftman Hall.

In addition to high school girls competing for Miss Jabberwock, girls in the third through fifth grades will compete for the Little Miss Jabberwock title. Boys and girls in the second through fifth grades will compete as Jabberwock Kids.

For more information, contact Tanisha Nash at 293-0910 or 1stvicepres.rac6658@gmail.com.
On Thursday morning, Frank Cerabino, a columnist for the Palm Beach Post, woke up to a 40-degree weather and was greeted by a "frozen iguana" lounging by his pool in Boca Raton, Florida.

He responded as many people probably would: he shared a photo on social media. Then he pondered, "What do you do?" he told the New York Times.

One of the strongest winter storms on the East Coast in modern history has pummeled cities with snow and sleet, forcing schools and businesses to close while grounding thousands of flights.

And in South Florida, it is "raining iguanas."

Green iguanas, like all reptiles, are coldblooded animals, so when the temperature falls to a certain level iguanas become immobile, said Kristen Sommers of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Under 50 degrees Fahrenheit, they become sluggish. Under 40 degrees, their blood stops moving as much, Sommers said.

They like to sit in trees, and "it's become cold enough that they fall out."

This is not a new phenomenon - there were similar reports in 2008 and 2010 - though it is not typical.

"The reality is South Florida doesn't get that cold very often or long enough that you see this frequently," Sommers said.

But what should one do with a fallen iguana?

Cerabino told the New York Times that he prodded the iguana with a pool skimmer.

"He didn't move," Cerabino said. "But he's probably still alive. My experience is that they take a while to die."

Maxine Bentzel, a reporter at CBS12 News, suggested that "iguanas have a good chance of thawing out if you move them into the sun."

The experts would prefer you didn't.

Sommers said the reptiles could become frightened as they warm.

"Like any wild animal it will try to defend itself," she said.

And there are cautionary tales.

Ron Magill of the Miami Zoo told WPLG TV in 2010 about a man who collected sleeping iguanas and threw them into the back of his station wagon. Then they awoke.

"All of a sudden these things are coming alive, crawling on his back and almost caused a wreck."

The situation was much worse for iguanas in 2010, when temperatures in South Florida fell to the low 30s, the Sun Sentinel reported.

"Neighborhoods resounded with the thud of iguanas dropping from trees onto patios and pool decks," Sentinel reporter David Fleshler wrote.

Many iguanas died that year, as did other animals.

"Many pythons were reported dead, floating in the Everglades," the Fish and Wildlife Commission said in a statement to the Palm Beach Post.

The deaths resulted from both the low temperatures and the length of time of the frigid weather.

The iguana population has since recovered, to the consternation of residents.

"We have been receiving more calls from people that are experiencing wildlife conflicts with iguanas. . . . Iguanas in their yard that they are not happy about, you've seen them further north in large numbers," Sommers said.

According to the Sentinel, iguanas arrived in Florida first as pets, and once they escaped or were freed by their owners, first moved into Miami-Dade County in 1966, then to the Keys in 1995, before making a home of Broward County in 2001 and in Palm Beach in 2003.

The winter storm sweeping across parts of the East Coast has prompted animal rescue organizations and local authorities to issue warnings about giving pets shelter, with dogs left out to freeze to death in the cold.

In South Florida, the cooler temperatures also affect sea turtles, manatees and other creatures that hang out in trees.

"Bats sometimes will fall out of the roost of trees when we have a pretty cold snap," Sommers said.

Sommers said that while she's heard of falling iguanas on social media, the agency hasn't gotten any reports of falling iguanas.

"There have not been an influx of calls to FWC about people worried about iguanas falling out of trees," she said. "It's not like something you see every year."

But this is no ordinary weather.

On Thursday the National Weather Service issued a freeze warning for parts of South Florida.According to the Sun Sentinel, temperatures in the area will be the coldest since the cold snap in December of 2010.
Outspoken white nationalist Christopher Cantwell is suing two people for nearly $1 million to seek relief for what he calls malicious prosecution.

Cantwell, 36, currently faces charges of illegally using pepper spray at a torch-lit white nationalist march on University of Virginia Grounds on Aug. 11. Now, he is suing Emily Gorcenski and Kristopher Goad  the two accusers in the charges against him.

In the complaint filed in federal court in Danville, Cantwell said diverse groups and individuals  referred to as Monumentals in the lawsuit  came together on Aug. 11 to hold a political rally at UVa when counter-protesters, called ANTIFA, confronted them.

The lawsuit then claims two of the ANTIFAs  Gorcenski and Goad  subsequently swore out false and fraudulent criminal warrants against Plaintiff  in an effort to stop his exercise of his rights guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Constitution of Virginia, also maliciously punish, discredit, vex and harass him.

In the complaint, Gorcenski is referred to as Edward, and is subsequently described as pretend[ing] to be a transgender woman of color,  according to the document. Goad is referred to as a violent political activist, supporter, and adherent of ANTIFA.

About 10 p.m. Aug. 11, ANTIFA individuals had gathered around the base of the Thomas Jefferson statue in front of the Rotunda, according to the document. Goad, Gorcenski, and an unidentified man  named Undersleeves in the complaint  were reportedly standing near one of the corners of the statue when the Monumentals began arriving.

While a group of ANTIFA linked arms around the statue, the Monumentals then formed a circle around them, according to the complaint. At that point, the lawsuit alleges that Undersleeves attacked someone who was filming him. Goad was reportedly standing near Undersleeves when he and another unidentified individual, nicknamed Beanyman, allegedly charged toward Cantwell.

Claiming self-defense, Cantwell used pepper spray against Beanyman, from about 12 inches away, the document states. Goad reportedly pointed at Cantwell and identified him as the person with pepper spray.

A few seconds later, an arm with a dragon tattoo belonging to an unidentified individual, nicknamed Dragonarm, sprayed more pepper spray at Goad, the complaint states. The document states that it was this man, and not Cantwell, who sprayed Goad.

The suit also argues Goad was standing with his hands in a curious praying mantis position, according to the document. The document does not define the position.

Gorcenski filmed the incident on her phone while standing near an alleged member of ANTIFA who is holding a stick, the document states. At that point, the suit claims Cantwell attempted to disarm the woman with the stick when he himself was reportedly pepper sprayed by Beanyman.

According to the complaint, Gorcenski was not affected by Cantwells pepper spray, but by a later spray from someone else.

The next day, on Aug. 12, the complaint states that Gorcenski contacted UVa police to report that she had experienced symptoms of pepper spray and said Cantwell was the person who sprayed it at her.

In a recent interview with The Daily Progress, Gorcenski said her accusation was never that Cantwell approached her directly with deliberate intent to injure her. Rather, she said her accusation was that Cantwell used the spray in a public space in such a way that it affected her and others around her.

Based on Gorcenskis false information, the complaint asserts, Goad met with police on Aug. 17 to swear out a warrant against Cantwell, testifying that he, too, was affected by Cantwells spray.

In his statement, Goad swore his statements were true to the best of his knowledge, according to the document.

On Aug. 21, Cantwell turned himself in to Lynchburg police after learning about the warrants for his arrest.

Then, according to the document, Goad met with Albemarle County Commonwealths Attorney Robert Tracci and said he was no longer sure it was Cantwells spray that affected him. At Cantwells preliminary hearing, Goad testified that he learned there were other people using pepper spray on Aug. 11, and he was no longer certain Cantwell sprayed him.

Because of Goads testimony, a judge did not certify one of the charges against Cantwell to a grand jury. He also did not certify a charge that claimed Cantwell directly targeted Gorcenski.

Highlighting three causes of action  malicious prosecution, abuse of process and false imprisonment  Cantwells suit claims there is no probable cause for the charges against him and that they were brought with actual malice from Goad and Gorcenski.

Plaintiff has had to expend monies to defend against Defendants claims, has had direct injury in the loss of present and future earnings and profits in his business, and has suffered injury to his reputation and good name, the document states.

The suit also alleges Gorcenski and Goad misused prosecution proceedings in an effort to prevent Cantwell from speaking and to punish, vex and harass a political opponent, according to the complaint.

By making these statements, the suit alleges that Gorcenski and Goad caused the illegal detention of Cantwell.

Cantwells suit asks for damages in the amount of $107,000 each from Gorcenski and Goad, as well as an additional $350,000 each in punitive damages. The total amount of damages sought is $914,000. However, on another document attached to the suit, $214,000 was reported as the demanded damages.

When asked for clarification, Cantwells attorney, Elmer Woodard, replied in an email, Im not going to give you any information.

Neither Gorcenski nor Goad could be reached for comment Wednesday.

Cantwell is scheduled for a jury trial on Feb. 12. He is currently free on bond, but is restricted to home incarceration.
Sen. Paul Schumacher of Columbus on Thursday introduced an imaginative, out-of-the box legislative proposal designed to attempt to spur major economic development in western Nebraska.

Schumacher's resolution (LR269CA) proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow the Legislature to delegate complete or partial sovereignty over a designated, limited and sparsely settled area of the state for not to exceed 99 years.

That could tempt major enterprises that might be attracted by the prospect of no city or state taxes and no local or state regulations, Schumacher said.

"A major global company or coalition could have their own development in the center of the country," he said.

"If I were a major business, I would not want Omaha or Lincoln or Des Moines telling me what to do," he said.

Economic development opportunities in Nebraska outside of Omaha and Lincoln have become limited, Schumacher said, especially in smaller towns and sparsely settled counties that are experiencing population and economic decline.

His proposal would confine the grant of sovereignty to one area of the state not to exceed 36 square miles in area and a population density of 10 persons per square mile.

Schumacher sees possibilities in western Nebraska where there are nearby rail lines, transmission lines, fiber-optic cable connections, recreation sites and an array of transportation options.

"We're talking about Nebraska's future," he said.

"To build out here, you do not have to tear down something. And property is the ultimate economic tool."

This presents an opportunity, he said, to essentially "have your own state."

And, Schumacher said, "nobody else has done it."

If the Legislature approves the resolution, voters would decide whether to adopt the constitutional amendment.
Dominique Bryant became homeless when she was 17.

Now 23, Bryant was placed in foster care in New York immediately after she was born. She was adopted when she was 10 and moved to Charlottesville with her adoptive mother. But when Bryant was 17, the mother terminated her parental rights.

Bryant went to a foster family and then to a psychiatric clinic to be treated for depression. After that, she said, the foster family didnt want to take her back.

Because I was right on the cusp of 18, there werent many options for me, Bryant said. I was placed in a sobriety house, even though I wasnt an alcoholic.

Residency in the home was contingent on attending regular meetings. Bryant missed one, because she couldnt get transportation. She lost her place and spent four months homeless in the Charlottesville area. The outcome that Bryant faced as a result of aging out of foster care without achieving permanency  being adopted or finding a permanent foster placement  is common.

According to the results of a national survey conducted by Child Trends for the Childrens Home Society of Virginia and Better Housing Coalition, 20 percent of the people who age out of foster care are homeless within two years. Twenty-five percent are incarcerated, 42 percent drop out of school and 71 percent of the women are pregnant by age 21.

The report estimates that if this population graduated from high school at the same rate as the general population, they would earn $1.8 billion more over their working lifetimes and contribute $430 million in additional taxes.

The results of the survey, released Nov. 14, also show that Virginia has one of the highest percentages of youth exiting foster care due to aging out  20 percent compared to 9 percent nationally.

Young and homeless

Meghann Cotter, executive director of Micah Ecumenical Ministries, a faith-based nonprofit that supports the Fredericksburg areas homeless population, said she has seen the number of homeless youth increase in the 10 years shes worked at Micah.

When I started, the faces of those we were seeing were drastically older and sicker  more what you think of when you think of homeless on the street,  she said. But in the last three or four years, the faces have become drastically younger.

Between July 1, 2015, and July 1, 2016, the homeless services system in Planning District 16, which includes Fredericksburg and Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline and King George counties, served 162 clients between the ages of 18 and 24  12 percent of the total population served.

Cotter said she sees former foster care kids either age out of the system or emancipate themselves at age 18.

They bounce around with friends or whatever, and theyre OK for a while, she said.

But she said research shows that 85 percent of former foster-care youth have experienced some kind of trauma.

So not only are they lacking the life skills that all 18-year-olds lack, but theyre also dealing with a lessened amount of coping skills as a result of trauma experience, and they have no social support system to wrestle with that, Cotter said.

Though 18 is the age of legal adulthood, research quoted in the CHS report shows that the brain continues to develop through age 25. Todays young people tend to rely on their parents for emotional and financial support well into their 20s. When kids dont have a built-in support system, bridging the gap between adolescence and adulthood is that much harder.

For a lot of kids, the first year of college is tough, said Gail Crooks, director of the Spotsylvania Department of Social Services. But you bounce back to mom and dad. When you dont have a safe place where you can go to come back from tough spots, they just have a cumulative effect.

In 2016, 464 foster-care youth aged out of the system in Virginia. Those figures have the potential to grow, as the number of children in foster care nationally grew by 8 percent between 2011 and 2015, possibly due to the opioid epidemic  which was declared a national public health emergency in October.

Bruin Richardson, chief advancement officer at Childrens Home Society, said there are a number of reasons why Virginia has higher numbers of youth leaving foster care without being adopted.

One is that were a county-administered system, and that creates some barriers that make it more difficult to get kids adopted, he said in a phone interview. Also, kids tend to be older when they come into the system in Virginia than the national average. What that results in is they may have more significant trauma and then they really are teenagers before they become eligible to be adopted. And its harder to place those kids.

In 2014, the proportion of older children  ages 16 to 20  in Virginias foster care system was larger than it was for the nation as a whole, the CHS report shows.

Crooks said that, anecdotally, kids tend to be 10 or 11 years old when they come into foster care in Spotsylvania.

In Virginia, we try very hard to maintain children in their home, she said. We try to support the family to stabilize it. So when we do come in, weve exhausted a whole lot of options, and kids are coming in with higher levels of need.

We try to prepare our kids, because we know there might be challenges to permanency, she added.

Extending help

Virginia is one of 36 states that elected to extend foster care services beyond the age of 18. Last year, the state introduced a new program, Fostering Futures, which went into effect July 1, 2016, for people who turned 18 on or after that date. It uses federal Title IV-E funds to extend care past the age of 18, so youth in successful foster home placements can stay there. They can stay in contact with their case managers or receive stipends for rent and groceries.

However, Fostering Futures is an opt-in program, and young people often dont choose to opt in, leaving the system before the mandated cut-off age.

Richardson said this was one of the most surprising findings of the CHS report.

Maybe it shouldnt have been a surprise to us, but even in states where there are programs for youth through the age of 21, in the vast majority of those states, the majority of youth are opting out of those programs at 18 or 19, he said. And that was eye-opening.

Crooks said that many kids who have been in the foster care system for years choose emancipation as soon as they are able because they just dont want to be connected to social services anymore.

Sometimes, all they want is distance, she said.

She thinks it would help those kids to hear from their peers.

They need to hear from someone else the value of it, she said. They need someone to help them see down the road and see how staying associated with us can help them get to their tomorrow.

Crooks said she would love to set up a body of mentors from the local community to act as cool, caring aunts or uncles to older foster care kids.

It would be like Big Brothers/Big Sisters, for anyone who wants to sign up to be a mentor or who has something these kids respect, she said. Like the mom of your best friend that you can talk to when you cant talk to your mom.

Another way to fight the problem of youth aging out of foster care is to find more families willing to foster or adopt teenagers, and adequately supporting those who do.

Cotter said shes seen kids at Micahs cold-weather homeless shelter who were dropped there by their adoptive parents.

The parents are just done, for whatever reason, she said.

Crooks said it is very difficult to place teenagers in adoptive homes, especially when the teens have years of traumatic experiences behind them.

So thats building block number one  beefing up resources for families willing to take older kids, she said.

Richardson said another crucial step is improving access to affordable housing.

Its very difficult to take advantage of those programs that may exist if youre trying to figure out where your next meal is coming from and whether you will have a roof over your head tomorrow night, he said. These are young people who have almost uniformly been victims of trauma. Theyre already in survival mode, and then when we dont do things that will help provide housing, they lack the stability to get beyond that.

Tapping potential

Taylor Landrie, director of the Great Expectations program at Germanna Community College  a statewide, grant-funded program that helps current and former foster youth transition into college  said supporting former foster care kids can be as simple as giving them lots of pep talks.

These kids are just the most resilient, intelligent, tough individuals Ive ever met, Landrie said. They have this huge amount of potential to be incredibly successful. They already have the life skills, they already have the grit and tenacity that they need to be successful in college, but in some cases, no one has ever told them that theyre smart or ever told them they were college material or that they can do anything they want to.

When we support these students, theyre able to reach their own academic goals and support themselves and their families, she continued.

Tiffani Beissel, 21, is one student who benefited from Great Expectations. She was placed in foster care at age 14 in her birth state of Missouri, and though she was adopted by a friends family when she was 15, that situation didnt work out, she said. She moved in with a boyfriend, but he was abusive, and she moved to Virginia to get away from him.

There have been so many times when I wanted to give up, Beissel said. When you dont have anybody to love or care for you, its easy to just give up.

But Beissel knew the statistics about former foster youth and didnt want to become one of them. She said her resilience saw her through. She now lives with her aunt and uncle in Caroline County and will graduate from Germanna in May with an associate degree and a specialization in psychology.

Bryant also has benefited from Great Expectations. Shes now pursuing an associate degree in early childhood education and has found a stable home in Locust Grove with a member of her church.

CHS has put together a task force made up of experts in affordable housing, foster care, child welfare and education, as well as Virginia delegates and senators and aged-out foster youth, to make policy recommendations for improving access and services to youth aging out of foster care.

The task force aims to complete its work in mid-2018.
Who are our peer cities?

Thats a question that can start a lot of fights. Is Asheville, North Carolina, our peer? Were both cities on the Blue Ridge Parkway, both cities that have competed with each other for breweries. So that makes us peers, right?

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says no.

The Fed says Roanokes peers are . . . get ready for this . . . Sacramento, California, and St. Petersburg, Florida, and San Antonio, Texas.

Before you wonder what the Fed is smoking  after all, Illinois is a state that has legalized medical marijuana  perhaps we should explain.

The Fed has put together an online database of economic and demographic statistics to help policymakers and practitioners understand a municipality in the context of peer cities. The Chicago office of the Federal Reserve originally conducted a study of ten industrial cities in the Midwest, tracking their socioeconomic fortunes over time. That apparently proved so useful that its now expanded the database to include 300 cities across the United States  a list big enough to bring in Roanoke, Lynchburg, Richmond and the cities of Hampton Roads.

So whats it say about us?

That depends on which criteria youre using. As with any database, the first thing to understand is the limitations of that data. Different questions will get you different answers  our peer cities in some categories will be different from our peer cities in other categories. There is no one single answer identifying who our peer cities are.

The second is to keep in mind the Fed is looking here at legally-defined cities, not metro areas  so the data below is for the City of Roanoke, not the entire Roanoke Valley. That does limit the datas utility. Municipal boundaries are artificial constructs. Our regional economy doesnt stop at the city limits sign. This data only gives us a peek at part of the regional economy, albeit the core of that economy.

Still, city officials have to deal with those city limits all the time. Those are the confines within which they have to work, on everything from collecting taxes to serving the people who live there. So the Feds database is helpful in understanding how our core city stacks up against others.

With those caveats and advisories, lets get to it, shall we?

The most interesting category is the resilience category, which looks at how diversified the economy is, how well the city made it through the Great Recession and how well prepared the city is to adapt to the new economy now being created.

This is where Roanoke gets its most favorable rankings  and comparisons to some much larger cities in the Sunbelt, not just Sacramento, San Antonio and St. Petersburg, but also Columbia, South Carolina, and even Las Vegas.

The reasons for this lie deeper in the data. Roanokes labor force participation rate exactly matches that of the 11 other peer cities the database identifies  63.9 percent  and the change in that labor force participation rate runs slightly better than our peer cities.

However, Roanoke is considered more economically vulnerable than our peer cities in that category because we have a higher share of the labor force working in manufacturing  9.3 percent, versus an average of 5.9 percent for our peers. Manufacturing is not exactly considered a growth area in the economy, the Trump administrations goals notwithstanding. Manufacturing output may increase, but its clear that many more manufacturing jobs will be automated in the years to come.

Getting ranked with some Sun Belt boom towns for economic resilience is certainly a good thing  although Roanoke fares less well when the data is sliced and diced a different way.

For instance, in percentage of adults 25 and older with a college degree, Roanoke starts to look more like a Rust Belt city. Roanokes 23.6 percent figure there is well below that of both peer cities  and the national average (26.2 percent). In fact, it comes close to that of Joliet, Illinois (22.9 percent) and the oil town of Beaumont, Texas (23 percent).

Heres where we start to see some tension in the structural underpinnings of Roanokes economy. In some ways, Roanoke is a Rust Belt city that just happens to be on the edge of the Sun Belt  a point that the nationally-known urban affairs consultant Dean Rusk made way back in the 1990s when he analyzed Roanokes economy at the request of this newspaper. Weve done a pretty good job transitioning from the old economy to the new economy  but still have work to do. Educating our workforce is one of those areas where work remains.

Thats one reason why business and political leaders joined together back in 2008 to create the Community College Access Program at Virginia Western Community College to provide scholarships for qualifying students. The idea is to get kids into college who otherwise wouldnt be going  and eliminate that deficit in the number of adults with college degrees. Thats not a problem unique to Roanoke, of course. Theres now a similar program at New River Community College aimed at students from Floyd County, Giles County and Radford, as well as Dabney S. Lancaster Community College in Clifton Forge, Wytheville Community College and Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap.

Roanokes demographics also skew older. An influx of young adults in recent years has helped pull that median age down a little bit, but we still tend to be a gray city. Thats why the Feds database doesnt give Roanoke particularly good marks in the outlook category  which is based entirely on demography. We simply have fewer children than other cities, which has the long-term effect of slowing our economic growth. The Fed ranks some of our peer cities there as Albany, New York, and Duluth, Minnesota, and Muncie, Indiana  all more Rust Belt cities.

The takeaway seems clear  and not exactly new. To ensure our long-term prosperity, Roanoke needs more young adults and we need more educated adults of all ages. The good news is, we already knew this and were working on both. The difference is now the Federal Reserve says were focused on the right problems.
SYP special constables OHalloran and Dobson pose with TV star Ross Kemp

TV hard-man Ross Kemp has been spotted in Rotherham wearing a stab vest.

Two South Yorkshire Police officers unearthed more than they bargained for when they attended a call at McDonalds in Rotherham.

The special constables were called to the restaurant to deal with a group of unruly youths and bumped into the former Eastenders actor who played Grant Mitchell.

SC OHalloran and SC Dobson attend a group of youths causing issues at a McDonalds in #Rotherham

After the group left our officers managed to #copaselfie with a familiar face @RossKemp@syptweet #rotherhamiswonderful pic.twitter.com/dVVpUFIBj5  SYP Specials (@SYP_Specials) January 4, 2018

Kemp, who has gone on to become a BAFTA-award winning investigative journalist, posed for a selfie with the coppers.

The TV star, known for his Ross Kemp on Gangs and Ross Kemp Behind Bars series, has been filming with firearms support units as part of a project involving a number of UK police forces.

He has recently been seen filming with Northumbria and West Midlands Police also wearing the body armour - but his management refused to reveal anything more about the project.


Washington State Patrol

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its preliminary report on the Amtrak 501 accident in Washington state and explains that positive train control (PTC) could have prevented the over speed condition.

The train, which was carrying 77 passengers and five Amtrak employees on its inaugural run along a new route, derailed on a 30 mph curve with its last recorded speed being 78 mph. The lead locomotive, the power car and two passenger railcars derailed onto Interstate 5 below the right-of-way. Three train passengers were killed and another 70 people, including eight on the highway, were injured in the accident.

NTSB says it has not been able to interview the engineer or qualifying conductor, both in the lead locomotive cab at the time of the incident, due to injuries the two men sustained. NTSB was able to obtain the lead locomotives event data and video recorders and the agency notes that the two crew members in the cab did not appear to use any personal electronic devices and the engineer did comment on an over speed condition about six seconds prior to the derailment.

NTSB says a 30-mph speed sign, was posted two miles before the curve on the engineers side of the track, with another 30-mph speed sign on the wayside at the beginning of the curve on the engineers side of the locomotive. The agency also explains that had PTC been operational on the line, the engineer would have been alerted to slow the train and if no action was taken, PTC would have applied the brakes.

NTSB says the investigation is ongoing and will determine a probable cause of the accident at a later date.
After initially coming under pressure, treasuries staged a recovery over the course of the trading session on Thursday.

Bond prices climbed well off their worst levels of the day before closing roughly flat. Subsequently, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, inched up by less than a basis point to 2.453 percent after reaching a high of 2.487 percent.

The initial weakness among treasuries came following the release of report from payroll processor ADP showing private sector employment jumped by much more than expected in the month of December.

ADP said employment in the private sector surged up by 250,000 jobs in December after climbing by a downwardly revised 185,000 jobs in November.

Economists had expected an increase of about 190,000 jobs, matching the job growth originally reported for the previous month.

Paul Ashworth, Chief U.S. Economist at Capital Economics, said the stronger than expected job growth in the ADP report was probably skewed upwards by the recent strength of the Labor Department's non-farm payrolls figures, which are used as one of the inputs

"Nevertheless, after the earlier disruption caused by the hurricanes, the labor market clearly ended 2017 with some considerable momentum," Ashworth said.

A separate report from the Labor Department showed initial jobless claims unexpectedly inched higher in the week ended December 30th.

The report said initial jobless claims edged up to 250,000, an increase of 3,000 from the previous week's revised level of 247,000.

The increase surprised economists, who had expected jobless claims to drop to 240,000 from the 245,000 originally reported for the previous week.

"We wouldn't read too much into that increase, however," Ashworth said. "Claims are notoriously volatile at the best of times and particularly around holidays."

"The bottom line is that claims remain at an unusually low level, providing more evidence of labor market strength," he added.

Traders picked up treasuries at reduced levels following the early decline as they looked ahead to the release of the Labor Department's more closely watched monthly employment report on Friday.

The report is expected to show an increase of about 190,000 jobs in December following the jump of 228,000 jobs in November. The unemployment rate is expected to hold at 4.1 percent.

The jobs data is likely to overshadow separate reports on international trade, service sector activity, and factory orders.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Canadian stocks continued to edge higher Thursday, touching fresh record highs despite a rough day for weed producers.

The TSX Composite Index was up 46.37 points to 16,417 at last check.

Canada's red-hot marijuana sector cooled off dramatically today, as President Trump's administration said they aim to repeal Obama-era tolerance for states that legalized weed.

Canopy Growth (WEED.TO) shares plunged 10 percent.

Suncor Energy Inc (SU.TO) and Teck Resources Ltd (TECKb.TO) have taken higher stakes in the Fort Hills oil sands mine from partner Total SA. Shares rose 0.75 percent.

Nutrien (NTR.TO), the new combination of Agrium and Potash, earned an outperform rating at CIBC. Shares jumped in their first two sessions, but were flat today.

Sadly, former Shaw Communincations boss Jim Shaw (SJR.TO) has passed away at 60. Shares were up fractionally.

Crude oil futures rose further Thursday as the government confirmed another significant drop in U.S. oil inventories.

Feb. WTI oil climbed 38 cents, or 0.6%, to settle at $62.01/bbl on Nymex, the highest in more than three years.

U.S. commercial crude oil inventories decreased by 7.4 million barrels from the previous week, the EIA said today. That result is roughly in line with yesterday's industry survey by the American Petroleum Institute.

In economic news, Canada's Industrial Product Price Index increased 1.4% in November, mainly attributable to higher prices for energy and petroleum products.

The Raw Materials Price Index rose 5.5%, primarily due to higher prices for crude energy products.

Private sector employment in the U.S. jumped by much more than expected in the month of December.

ADP said employment in the private sector surged up by 250,000 jobs in December after climbing by a downwardly revised 185,000 in November.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Williams-Sonoma Inc. has launched launches Robin, a new multi-channel specialty brand focused on sleeping line of accessories.

SleepScore Labs alson announced its exclusive retail distribution partnership with Williams-Sonoma.

SleepScore Labs and WSI brands are now partnering to offer the Robin Sleep System, a combination of the SleepScore Max and Robin Pocket Spring Mattress Set, available online and in select stores including Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, PBteen, West Elm and Williams Sonoma Home.

"The Robin Sleep System is where sleep and innovation meet. The world's most advanced non-contact sleep monitor pairs with the comfortable and proven Robin mattress to help millions achieve high quality sleep," said Colin Lawlor, CEO of SleepScore Labs. "It's an honor to be the first consumer-sleep tech device in the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. home furnishing stores, and to combine our goals to foster healthier lifestyles through sleep."

The exclusive Robin Sleep System, which includes a complete sale of a SleepScore Max and Robin Pocket Spring Mattress Set, is available starting in twin for $629. The SleepScore Max is available individually for $149, and the Robin Pocket Spring Mattress Set is available starting at $519 for a twin.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Constellation Brands Inc (STZ) released a profit for its third quarter that gained ground compared to the same period last year.

The company said its bottom line came in at $497.1 million, or $2.47 per share. This was up from $364.4 million, or $1.77 per share, in last year's third quarter.

The company said revenue for the quarter rose 3.0% to $2.08 billion. This was up from $2.02 billion last year.

Constellation Brands Inc earnings at a glance:

-Earnings (Q3): $497.1 Mln. vs. $364.4 Mln. last year.

-Earnings Growth (Y-o-Y): 36.4%

-EPS (Q3): $2.47 vs. $1.77 last year.

-EPS Growth (Y-o-Y): 39.5%

-Revenue (Q3): $2.08 Bln vs. $2.02 Bln last year.

-Revenue Change (Y-o-Y): 3.0%

-Guidance:

Full year EPS guidance: $8.25 - $8.40



For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
A suspect has been taken into custody for the murder of Rihanna's cousin in Barbados. Her cousin, Tavon Kaiseen Alleyne, was walking on the Caribbean island over the Christmas holiday when he was shot and killed hours after hanging out with his celebrity cousin.

A 23-year-old man named Shawayne Dashawn Williams will remain in custody in Barbados until he is formally arraigned on charges on January 31. Riri shared a photo of the pair together on Christmas eve and captioned:

"RIP cousin . . . can't believe it was just last night that I held you in my arms!" she wrote. "Never thought that would be the last time I felt the warmth in your body!!! Love you always man!"

The man's sister Tanelle also tweeted about his passing, noting:

"I never thought the day would come that I would have to bury you my love , omggg!!!" Tanella wrote. "This was our first Christmas together we clean we decorate and everything!! Tavon I know you was trying to be a better person!! I loveee you soooo muchhhhhhhhh brother omg!"

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Entertainment News
Two top Republican Senators have referred "Trump Dossier" author Christopher Steele to the Justice Department for criminal investigation for allegedly making false statements to federal investigators.

A former British Spy, Steele authored a dossier containing allegations of cooperation between President Donald Trump's campaign and the Russian government.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., sent the referral to the Justice Department on Thursday.

The referral does not pertain to the veracity of the claims contained in the dossier but instead purportedly includes evidence that Steele made false statements about the distribution of the claims.

Grassley and Graham said the referral includes a classified memorandum related to certain communications between Steele and multiple U.S. news outlets regarding the dossier that he compiled on behalf of Fusion GPS and also provided to the FBI.

"I don't take lightly making a referral for criminal investigation," Grassley said in a statement. "But, as I would with any credible evidence of a crime unearthed in the course of our investigations, I feel obliged to pass that information along to the Justice Department for appropriate review."

"Everyone needs to follow the law and be truthful in their interactions with the FBI," he added. "Maybe there is some innocent explanation for the inconsistencies we have seen, but it seems unlikely."

Graham argued that a special counsel needs to review the matter, claiming the Justice Department ignored many stop signs in its use of the dossier.

Meanwhile, Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said none of the Democrats on the committee were consulted about the referral.

Feinstein called the referral "unfortunate" and accused the Republicans of seeking to deflect attention from the investigation of Russian meddling in last year's election.

(Photo: Gage Skidmore)

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
The Budget Session of Parliament will start on January 29 and the Budget will be tabled on February 1, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said on Friday.

President Ram Nath Kovind will address a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on January 29. The Economic Survey will also be tabled on the same day.

The session will go on a break on February 9. The second part of the Budget Session will start on March 5 and conclude on April 6, the Minister said.
With the Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die on Friday, the controversial triple talaq bill was pushed to the budget session that begins on January 29.

Government sources ruled out any possibility of an ordinance on the bill, stuck in the Rajya Sabha.

The bill, already cleared by the Lok Sabha, could not be passed in the upper house due to a deadlock over opposition's demand seeking its reference to a Select Committee for close scrutiny.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said he hoped that the Congress and other opposition parties would agree on passing the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights in Marriage) Bill, 2017. The legislation proposes to criminalise instant triple talaq and suggests up to three years in jail as punishment for a Muslim husband who divorces his wife by uttering "talaq" thrice.

Asked about a possibility of bringing in an ordinance till the bill cleared, Ananth Kumar parried a direct reply and said: "The dates for the budget session have already been announced.

"We hope the Congress will understand the public opinion on the issue, reconsider their stand and pass it in the budget session. There is anger among people on this issue."

The minister slammed the Congress for stalling the bill. He said they were against the empowerment of Muslim women in India.

He said the government was committed to passing the legislation, also opposed by various Muslim groups.
Siaumau Loni from Aele fou is calling on parents to ensure the safety of their children.

The mother of seven is a street vendor and she says part of her new years resolution is to keep her children away from the streets.

I am urging other parents to do the same, to let their children stay at home for their own safety because we have seen how dangerous it is for our children to be on the streets at night, Siaumau said.

Initially, she sold Band-Aids, matches and other goods around town with her 18-year-old daughter.

However, when Samoa Observer spotted Siaumau on Tuesday, she was alone selling her goods in front of the Marias Pharmacy car park.

My daughter was found by police officers in front of the Sanalele Complex around 2am and she was taken home, she said.

She wasnt selling any stuff at that time because she was with me and my husband who works around that area.

My daughter is now staying at home because I told her not to come and sell anymore. I will do it myself.

Asked if her daughter had any chances of a formal education, she replied no.

She used to take one of her siblings to Fia Malamalama School; however she no longer attends school.

She never encountered any problems like being threatened by some drunken people on the streets, she usually sells from the morning until the evening and then we go together where my husband works.

Siaumau added if they did not sell their goods to the public, then they wouldnt survive.

In this life, if we do not find a way to earn money, our families will not be able to survive.

However, I do support the law that says that no children should be on the streets during school hours and that they need to have proper education.

The choice is there for a parent to make because I already made mine, she said.

The Labor and Employment Relations Act states that children under the age of 15 should not be employed, unless carrying out light and safe work suited to his or her ability.
Meet John Alofa Sauvao of Faleasiu-uta.

The 38-year-old father of three has a story to tell about poverty that exists in Samoa.

Working as a security guard at one of the shops in the village with a fortnightly income of $150 doesnt necessarily make the cut, considering the expensive cost of living these days.

And on top of that, his family does not have access to water or electricity to help with their daily survival.

Whats worse is that he lives with his children, wife and father in a small shack that was pieced together with housing materials he gathered from around the area.

As you can see, these kinds of house people would think dont exist anymore, but it still does, Mr. Sauvao told the Village Voice team yesterday.

Its difficult living this way and as a father, my only wish is to give my family a better life.

However, its impossible to give them a better life when you are the only one who works and earns income to ensure that theres food on the table for your family.

Then you have church and village commitments that you must be a part of because if you dont, then you will be punished by the village matais for not doing your duty as a member of the village.

Mr. Sauvao also spoke of how he was able to put a roof on top of their heads.

The iron roof of our small shack, I just got them from here and there, but as you can see, its all rusty and it has holes on it too, he said.

So when it rains, its like we are outside because it leaks.

During the past rainy days, we all had to curl up in one corner because the roof was leaking and there were no tarpaulins to prevent the rain from getting inside the house.

As much as it breaks my heart looking at my family and our situation, there is nothing I can do.

I can only hope and pray that one day a Good Samaritan will come knock at our door and lend us a helping hand.

Mr. Sauvaos main concern is their way of living and the safety of his young daughter.

Even the toilet that we use is a pit toilet and I am not ashamed to say it, he said.

Its unhealthy, but what can we do when we dont have access to water or electricity.

Having no access to water is the cause of all these problems and we have requested our Member of Parliament for water, but up until now, nothing.

He hardly comes here too, the only time we would see him is when its close to the election and then we hear all these promises that up until now has never come true.

I keep hearing the government saying there is no poverty in Samoa, but Im here and I can tell you we are poor and there is poverty in our country.

He says government ministers need to visit their part of the country so that they can have firsthand experience of peoples poor living condition.

Its just that I dont think they ever get the chance to come out here and take a drive around and properly look at the way most of us are living, Mr. Sauvao said.

People are poor because the cost of living is sky rocketing and I am telling you that we can barely afford it.

Its easy for them to say theres no poverty because they live inside mansions and drive around in flashy cars, but this is the real world and this is the real Samoa.

We are suffering and I am urging the government to help us.

We cannot survive on $150 fortnightly it is just impossible with the cost of living ridiculously increasing every day.

My plea is for the government and most especially our members of parliament that we had voted for to help us.

Come and take a drive around here and you will see the difficulties that we are facing every day.

For those of you willing to help the Sauvao family, please contact them on cell phone numbers 7225310/7520057.
For people who doubt the existence of struggles and hardship in Samoa, heres Liutoto Tauevas everyday life.

Mr. Taueva, 40, is from the village of Faleasiu-uta.

He is a father of six and he lives with his family in a small hut.

Mr. Taueva says life has been hard for him and his family in terms of finances and standard of living.

Things have been so hard for me and my family here in our place, because my wife and I both dont have regular jobs, he told the Village Voice team yesterday.

The only money that we have that supports our six children and our family is from our vegetables that we sell.

We sell Samoa cocoa, beans and cabbage and we usually earn $150 per week, if its good then the number will double.

Mr. Taueva mentioned that while school break is coming to an end, he is working hard to provide for his children.

Last year only three of my kids went to school, but this year I have another child all set to attend school too.

The problem is that I have to work hard to provide for their uniforms and their lunch money every day.

Another thing is that we have to wake up early to catch the bus, if we miss that trip, I have to pay extra money so my kids can get to school.

Mr. Taueva says he also has to support church and village commitments.

I am supporting our family and at the same time whatever money I make, I have to support our church and village.

Mr. Taueva mentioned they had recently received water connection.

One of the hardest part back then for us was having no access to running water, but luckily now we have been blessed to receive one from the Red Cross.

I am really happy that we have a tank now for us, so the only thing we are struggling with today is in terms of our finance and our shelter.

Mr. Taueva adds he needs help with his house.

This was the only house we could afford, and here I am still trying to make money and save some in order to get me and my children a safer place.
The poor road condition in Faleasiu to Aleisa contributes to financial hardships faced by residents of the area.

The concern was expressed by 50-year-old Ruby Fesolai, a mother, from the village of Faleasiu-uta.

For as long as she can remember, Mrs. Fesolai says this has been an issue for residents in the area because she grew up there.

This is not a new issue to the people and residents around here because the road has been damaged for about five years now, she told the Village Voice team yesterday morning.

We have been spending lot of money fixing and repairing our car because of the road here in our place.

We are facing financial crisis too here because the cost of one tire is now more than $100 now, so we are spending so much on our car and not our children.

If you come all the way from the coastal area, the good part of the road just covers the first 15 kilometers.

And she is calling on the government to intervene because the bad road is also a health concern.

We are also breathing the dusty air generated from the roads to our houses and this is a serious concern, especially for the children.

And not only that, Mrs. Fesolai says bus services in their area have also been affected.

Our buses have decreased their trips here and if the bus stops coming to our area for good, then it will be another added burden for people here.

Mrs. Fesolai said the poor road status could be a cause of future problems.

I just hope this road will not gona take any lives in the near future due to the condition it has today.

In case someone from our area needs to get to the hospital early, I dont think that will happen because of the road we have now.
The student loan debt plan is on hold, again, and no one knows when (or if) it's coming. What could this mean for you?

Host Teri Barr is talking with Cecilia Clark, a Student Loans Expert with Nerd Wallet, to learn why this newest hold on the program, could take awhile, the 3 things you need to know about and prepare for right now, including making your loan payments again in the New Year.

The latest from Cecilia at NerdWallet:

More episodes on debt:

Support the show: https://omny.fm/shows/pennywise

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The village of Asau in Savaii has set a great example for all men and all villages in Samoa at the start of 2018.

Their decision to set rules in place to deal with abusive men is something every village in Samoa should look to emulate  if they are not doing it already.

When it comes to dealing with the scourge of domestic violence, weve always maintained that we can only progress when all pillars of Samoan society are working hand in hand to do their part. This involves the government, churches, villages and families.

There is absolutely no denying the fact that the Village Councils is one of the strongest pillars of Samoan society. Without their work, governance and diligence, there will be social chaos all across these islands. Thats because we barely have enough Police officers to man traffic violations in town. What hope is out there therefore to monitor behaviour in villages and rural communities?

Which makes the policing and monitoring role of the village councils that much more critical. We know this much. Samoa will not be what the peaceful country it is today without them. Their work to maintain order and social stability is absolutely vital. And this applies to dealing with many things, from drunks, theft, fights, land disputes and so forth.

Now on the far west of Savaii, the village of Asau is taking things a step further. At the start of the new year, it has publicised that they have put in place a zero tolerance policy for violence against women. That means any man of the village who is found to have beaten his wife, spouse or laid a hand on a woman will get the boot, no questions asked.

The decision according to the Member of Parliament and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Lopaoo Natanielu Mua, reflects their commitment to a nationwide effort to eliminate violence against women once and for all.

The females are the most precious beings on this earth, he said.

That is why for Asau Village, our women are special. We will do everything within our authority to assure that our women are protected, even from their husbands.

Like anything new, there will be teething problems. There is also the question of how the village council will prove allegations against the men and what happens in cases where families reconcile and the woman pleas for the Village Council to give the man another chance.

What weve got here is basically the Village Council stepping into the role of a Judge and Jury. Which means that everything the Justice system is experiencing when it comes to dealing with the issue of violence against women will be felt by the Village Council. Are they prepared for it? Well no one knows.

What we can say is that its not as easy as it sounds. Which is why we commend the Village Council of Asau for being brave enough to give it a go. They wouldnt know where the problems are unless they try. Thats the thing about life; we would never know our strengths and weaknesses unless we step out to give it a go.

It all comes down to us, men who are the head of the families and chiefs in our villages, said Lopaoo. We see the issue and we step in to fix it. Asau does not condone violence against their women. Women from Asau and women who are married into our village, are all protected.

That is great to know.

We are at the time and age for men to realize that women should not put up with any type of attack, whether its physical or verbal, he said.

Violence not only has negative consequences for women, but also their families, the community and the country at large.

But its not just violence that Asau is targeting. Lopaoo said they would also deal with sexual offenses and other shameful sex crimes.

Lastly, the Minister said he hopes other villages will follow the example.

One can only wish that this initiative will be considered by other villages, he said. I am not telling anyone what to do, but merely asking that they consider the need for this issue to be addressed in the villages.

An issue that will be discussed and the Village Council must act on it, not just talk about it and not take any action. This issue should be addressed by the families in the villages and in the churches, we must act.

We couldnt agree more with Minister Lopaoo.

And now that a village on a very remote far flung corner of Savaii has shown the way, what is stopping every other village in Upolu, Apolima, Manono and Savaii from taking their cue and following this most wonderful example?

What do you think?

Have a wonderful weekend Samoa, God bless!
Mario Fatima Ah Tong, of Vailele and Luatuanuu, was the happiest person in Samoa yesterday.

He was a winner and he drove away with a brand new 2018 Toyota Hilux, worth $105,500, courtesy of Bluesky Samoa and Asco Motors.

Bluesky Group C.E.O., Toleafoa Douglas Creevey, presented Mr. Ah Tong with the keys to his brand new pick up truck during a hand over ceremony at the Bluesky headquarters.

Bluesky customers were asked to text the word Hilux to 4444 to go into the draw for the vehicle and $1,200 tala worth of mobile phone credit. There was also $50,000 worth of instant prizes during the two-month period.

And with more than 100,000 individual entries, Mr. Ah Tong won after sending more than 1,200 text entries, valued at 99sene per text.

He said the car would be presented to his father.

Firstly I would like to thank the Lord for this opportunity, he said.

I would also like to thank Bluesky Samoa because if it werent for you, I wouldnt be able to drive in the car sitting behind me.

I would also like to thank my family for all their help and support during the competition. They would say to keep texting because you never know what will happen and now I have won.

To Samoa, Bluesky has helped us so much. As you can see that this brand new car behind me is mine so keep trying next time with more promotions that will come.

Toleafoa thanked everyone who took part.

The grand prize is the vehicle in the background and we would like to acknowledge our partnership with Asco Motors for the prize of a 2018 model Hilux, Toleafoa began.

We would also like to thank all of our retail outlets and agents who have participated to be able to allow our customers to register.

And also to our customers, you are the backbone of this company and we thank you sincerely for all of your patronage.

Toleafoa also took the opportunity to wish Samoa a wonderful 2018 and gave a word of thanks to all the patrons and supporters of the telecommunication company.

Bluesky Samoa would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very successful and happy 2018, he said.

We take this opportunity to thank you for all your patronage, your support, your partnerships and also your trust in the management team here.

We are taking this opportunity to pass this message of appreciation for all our participation and contributions from the public and especially our customers.

Toleafoa added Bluesky is looking into many more major programs throughout the year with one being the Tui Cable which is now undergoing transmission testing and will be commissioned in the next couple of months.
The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Lopaoo Natanielu Mua, has accused the American Samoa government of dragging their feet in lifting the ban they placed on taro exports from Samoa.

Speaking to The Weekend Observer, Minister Lopaoo said he is puzzled by the behaviour of the American Samoa government  especially when some of their own residents have been asking Samoa to supply them with taro.

According to the Minister, since the announcement of their intention to lift the ban, they have been trying to communicate with the relevant officials in the territory.

He said they had sent another letter during the holidays asking American Samoa to consider lifting its ban prior to March 2018, the schedule date they intend to lift the ban.

Whats puzzling is that American Samoa is only a small market compared to the bigger markets that we cater for such as Hawaii and Utah, and yet they are giving us the run around, Lopaoo said.

The ban by American Samoa was imposed last year.

In June 2017, American Samoa Director of Agriculture, Filifaatali Mike Fuiava, said they were concerned by an unknown virus that broke out in Samoa affecting taro crops in Savaii and Upolu.

He noted the need to take every precautionary measure to make sure this unknown virus would not enter American Samoa.

He said he did not want to experience another epidemic like the taro leaf blight of 1993-1994.

The D.O.A. director said lifting the suspension would depend on test results of taro samples affected by the disease, which were being sent to Germany.

Lopaoo told the Samoa Observer people who suffer are in American Samoa.

I receive calls from American Samoans, asking me if there is a way that I can lift the ban or if we can just send over the taro and pay no attention to American Samoas ban, he said.

I cant do that so I sent over a letter to Filifaatali to reconsider his decision.

We have made an effort to comply with requirements set forth by American Samoa to lift its taro ban imports from Samoa.

My concern is that our farmers are suffering and those in American Samoa are literally calling us to send over taro.

According to the Minister, even the date they claim the ban will be lifted is uncertain.

There is no clear indication from American Samoa they will proceed to lift the ban in March, 2018, he said.

Emails sent to Filifaatali have not been answered as of press time.
The governments week of Prayer and Fasting was officially closed at the Methodist Church at Matafele, yesterday.

The Head of State, His Highness, Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II and his Masiofo, Faamausili Leinafo, Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament and public servants were present during the service.

The gathering ended a week where public servants and members of the public were encouraged to fast food and drinks from morning until the afternoon.

This year is the 27th year since the government of Samoa initiated the annual week of prayers and fasting to ask God for his protection upon Samoa as the country cycles through the Cyclone season.

The service was conducted by Reverend Elder Iosefa Uilelea, Secretary of Elders at the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa.

So far, Samoa has been spared of any major calamity since 2012 when Cyclone Evan hit.

As of yesterday, Tile Tofaeono, Acting Chief Executive Officer, there was a trough of low pressurenorth of Samoa bringing with it associated clouds and showers.

There will be a time that we experience the hard pouring rain but that is not something to be worried about, he said.

Of course the weather patterns will change from time to time but there is nothing to be worry about at this stage.

The man in charge of the Met Office, Mulipola Ausetalia Titimaea, said he is grateful to God for his protection upon Samoa during the festive season.

I thank the heavenly father for saving Samoa from natural disasters as we have seen on television, many countries have been affected, he said.

I acknowledge the initiative of the Prayer and Fasting Week which presents us an opportunity to ask God for his divine protection upon Samoa.
Belinda Macdonald from Sydney, Australia, is in love with the ocean.

And being in Samoa where it is literally surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, she says there is something fantastic about Samoas ocean temperature and environment that has captured her heart.

This is her first trip to our island and so far so good for the 50-year-old.

Mrs. Macdonald and her partner were waiting for a taxi at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel yesterday to head to Palolo Deep when Dear Tourist team met them.

We learned from the couple that they had arrived on the 31st of last month and they will depart our shores on Monday.

It was also interesting to hear about her stories about the ocean and her passion for scuba diving, which is the main reason they chose our country in the first place.

Since we arrived, weve enjoyed our stay so much, the Samoan people are so friendly and the place is so quiet. It was very relaxing, she said.

We have been in and out of many resorts here on the island and the hospitality of people working within those resorts is so amazing.

I still havent had any chance to taste Samoan food, but I am hoping for our last three days here, I will be able to taste local food.

Despite the hot weather, Mrs. Macdonald and her partner still believes that Samoa is the best country for vacation.

And with their experience so far, it is for certain that Samoa will see their faces again.
The Aiga Folau o Samoa (Samoa Voyaging Society) have taken Samoas traditional Vaatele (double-hulled voyaging canoe, or Waka) called the Gaualofa to New Zealand to strengthen ties with local Maori iwi ahead of the 2018 N.Z. Festival in Wellington.

The Gaualofa arrived in Auckland on January 4 to take part in A Waka Odyssey to celebrate a shared Pacific voyaging history during the New Zealand Festival next month.

It has always been important that we get to this Festival, says Aiga Folau President Schannel Fanene van Dijken.

Not only does this allow us to honour and celebrate our shared ancestral bonds with our Maori aiga, but also highlight to our Samoan based aiga who we are and what we represent.

It is also not lost on us the responsibility that we are the only Pacific Island Vaa that will be present, and we will be doing our best to represent and showcase our Pacific family well.

The organisers of the New Zealand Festival have been very helpful in making this trip a reality.

Vice President of Aiga Folau, and Tulafale for the Gaualofa, Lauaki Lavatai Afifi Mailagi says its an honour and very humbling that they are there, but more importantly hopes to strengthen bonds with their Maori whanau.

Its very important that we connect to our Maori family and hapori (community) as the Gaualofa, which translates to do and act out of love, is a symbol of unity.

The name of the vaa also comes from an old Samoan proverb Ualeai se gaumatauuanao le gaualofa meaning what is done out of love rather than fear will last forever a value taught aboard the Gaualofa.

There is no fear because of the love we have for our future generations, says Lauaki, who advises that although they sail forward for future generations, its important to pay respect and homage to the ancestors who first voyaged to and around the Pacific.

We need to look back and honor the lessons of the past, and use this to help chart our way forward. The Gaualofa is a symbol of our connection to our past, and signifies a special way of using the power of nature (sun and wind) as we move forward, agrees President van Dijken.

The theme of aiga is an important one to the crew and to the wider Aiga Folau because the not-for-profit organisation works not only to revive Samoas traditional sailing and navigation skills, but also our past stewardship responsibilities that promoted sustainable land and ocean resource use among communities.

For us, its very important that we try and spread as much of what we do to as many people, says President van Dijken.

And it starts with the crew who are all village-based and capable tama and tamaitai Samoa (young Samoan men and women).

We teach traditional navigation; sailing and environmental knowledge and our crew learn to build confidence in themselves and their skills, they become better people physically, mentally and spiritually.

As the Gaualofa crew prepare for their role in showcasing the navigation and voyaging traditions of the Pacific at the festival in February, they will visit various schools and also participate in other community engagement events such as the Auckland Anniversary and Waitangi celebrations.

Just before the opening of the New Zealand Festival, there will be a Pacific Climate Change Conference, at which the Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi will be giving the keynote speech at the conference opening.

Aiga Folau will have a session during the conference to talk about the Gaualofa being used as an effective symbol and tool for highlighting the importance of environmental and cultural stewardship.

They hope many more people will journey with them and become part of the wider Aiga Folau.

One way to support the Aigafalou and their journey is to head along to one of two upcoming fundraising events in January to raise funds for the general maintenance of the Gaualofa and provisioning of the crew.

South Auckland

WHERE: St Marys Papakura

WHEN: 20 January 2018

Central West Auckland

WHERE: TBD

WHEN: 26 January 2018.
A 43-year-old mother of four is seeking help for her two-year-old daughter, Lupe Faaeteete.

Neetia Faaeteete, of Tapatapao, was selling vegetables in front of her home yesterday when the Village Voice team met her.

There is a reason I have to do this apart from trying to raise money for my family, she said.

I have a daughter who was born prematurely who doesnt take any other milk except for the Golden Farley brand that was recommended by the doctors, she said.

If I dont sell all of these, I wont be able to feed my daughter and if she takes any other milk other than the one recommended by the doctors, she gets sick.

It breaks her heart when she is not able to sell any vegetables because it would mean baby Lupe having sleepless nights.

Mrs. Faaeteetes compassion towards her daughter speaks volumes because she has come out of her comfort zone to seek help from the community.

I know asking a person for help to supply milk for your child isjust embarrassing, but as a mother, if worse comes to worse, you will climb the mountains and go through valleys just to find some help.

As much as I am very much ashamed of doing this, I need help.

Mrs. Faaeteete said baby Lupe was born when she was seven months, hence her critical situation.

When Lupe was born, we were told by the doctors that she needs to be well looked after, she said.

We were told that she is premature and that she also has seizures.

I dont regret having her, but what I do regret is the fact that my husband and I can barely take care of her.

Her daughters situation is the reason she and her husband cannot work.

We are a poor family my husband and I dont work because of our daughters situation.

I cant leave the house because I have to take care for my daughter everyday and every night and my husband cant go to work because I need him around for our chores and our plantation.

Especially when baby Lupe gets sick, I cant handle it by myself, so we both cant work and all we rely on are our vegetables.

But even with their vegetables, it still cannot cater for the expensive cost of milk that baby Lupe consumes.

Every day is a struggle for my husband and I, especially in caring for our baby girl.

So what happens when baby Lupes milk runs out?

Well, we have no choice but to get her Anchor or Devondale milk, but it makes her even more sick, Mrs. Faaeteete said.

She gets diarrhea and she wont stop crying because it doesnt fill her up.

We also try to give her papaya we would boil the papaya and then we give her juice, but it still wont help because she would vomit and have stomach pain.

As a mother, I would cry because I dont know where else to go and who to turn to for help.

Mrs. Faaeteete added they had to turn to the Samoa Victim Support Group for help numerous times.

I went to them for help and I asked them if there was any chance that they can supply milk for my daughter and I have told them about our situation and the reason my husband and I cant work, she said.

They told me that they will help me and that they will start supplying my daughters milk before the end of 2017, however its 2018 and I havent heard from them since.

Having no water is an added burden for the family, especially when it is essential for baby Lupes situation.

We really need to have access to water, she said.

You see when my daughter gets a seizure; water helps to calm her down.

When her seizure strikes, we would put her inside a bucket of water and massage her and thats when shes calm.

As you can see, we dont have a water tank and we use buckets to store water.

This is why we need water, so there is so much that we need, but our priority is our daughter.

With a thankful heart, Mrs. Faaeteete says baby Lupe is a blessing from God.

If you want to help the Faaeteete family, especially baby Lupe, please contact them on cell phone number 7248074.
Barely more than a month after the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) rejected a request by San Diego Gas & Electric to have ratepayers pick up $379 million in costs related to three deadly wildfires in 2007, the utility is not giving up.

Attorneys for SDG&E have filed an application with the CPUC, asking for a rehearing.

The CPUCs decision to deny recovery of expenses related to the 2007 wildfires is unsupported by the evidence, violates the CPUCs own prudent manager standard and deprives the company of its due process, SDG&E communications manager Allison Torres said in an email.

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In an unanimous decision on Nov. 30, the CPUCs five commissioners agreed with a recommendation made last year by a pair of CPUC administrative law judges that SDG&E did not reasonably manage and operate its facilities leading up to the Witch, Guejito and Rice fires that killed two people, injured 40 firefighters and forced more than 10,000 to seek shelter at Qualcomm Stadium.

The three fires combined to destroy more than 1,300 homes.

The call for a rehearing does not come as a complete surprise. Moments after the CPUC rendered its decision, SDG&E officials said, The CPUC got it wrong and vowed to fight to overturn it.

But critics who battled the utility in the proceeding blasted SDG&Es request to revisit the decision.

Utility customers must remain vigilant, said San Diego attorney Michael Aguirre, who represented a ratepayer advocate in the case. Californias utility giants are pounding on the doors of the CPUC, demanding utility customers pay SDG&E $379 million for the 2007 San Diego fire SDG&E equipment caused. The CPUC should focus on improving fire safety at the utilities, not subsidies for careless behavior.

The states two other investor-owned utilities, Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison, filed their own application to the CPUC in support of a rehearing.

For utilities, the case highlights questions about how to fairly distribute costs in rural and backcountry areas where more homes are being built in an environment where wildfire conditions seem to grow more deadly each year.

Accountability is a critical element in any regulatory environment, but so is fairness, Edison said in an email to the Union-Tribune. Californias utilities should be held responsible when their serious misconduct causes damage in our communities. However, if California courts continue to hold utilities accountable for wildfire damage without any showing of misconduct, then utilities should not solely absorb the cost.

But critics of utilities say the companies see the SDG&E case as a financial threat.

They are very scared of the concept that their shareholders are actually expected to be held accountable for their poor business practices, said April Maurath Sommer, executive director and lead counsel for the Protect Our Communities Foundation, an environmental group based in San Diego County. This just has to do with fear of their bottom line, that they are not going to be able to take advantage of their ratepayers for everything.

Last April, the CPUC fined PG&E $8.3 million for failing to maintain a power line that sparked the Butte Fire that killed two and destroyed 549 homes in September 2015. Investigations are underway into whether PG&E equipment ignited some of the catastrophic Wine County Fires in Northern California last fall.

In its application for a rehearing in the 2007 wildfires, SDG&E attorneys argued the weather and wind conditions surrounding the blazes were extreme and unprecedented and the utility operated responsibly.

The Decision imposes an unreasonable and unattainable standard of perfection even when damages are caused by extreme factors beyond SDG&Es control, the filing said.

But the commissioners agreed with the report from the administrative law judges that said SDG&E is not expected to be perfect and sided with fire investigators and witnesses who said the utility did not properly manage its facility and equipment in the moments leading up to the fires.

In the Witch Fire, for example, a Cal Fire investigator determined arcing SDG&E power lines dispersed hot particles on a grassy field, igniting a fire that was spread due to windy conditions.

The report said SDG&E should have acted more proactively to de-energize the line. SDG&E has argued it actively monitored the faults on the line and sending an engineer to determine its location would not have prevented the fire.

Although the commissions vote was 5-0, CPUC President Michael Picker and Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves expressed qualms, calling their votes close calls.

Another of the utilities objection to the Nov. 30 ruling centers on a legal doctrine called inverse condemnation a California constitutional claim that requires just compensation when property has been taken or damaged for the public use.

Along with SDG&E attorneys, PG&E and Edison said the CPUC decision was wrong to say inverse condemnation was not relevant to the 2007 case.

When making their ruling, some commissioners ruling acknowledged that inverse condemnation should be clarified by the courts or the state Legislature.

The decision on a potential rehearing rests with the five commissioners. CPUC observers say requesting a rehearing is not unusual but getting commissioners to reverse a ruling would be tough sledding. Commissioners, however, have been known to modify some of their decisions.

There is no set timetable for the CPUC to respond to the request, but SDG&E in its application said it hopes the commission will act expeditiously so that SDG&E may pursue legal remedies through other means.

A month before the CPUCs decision, SDG&Es parent, Sempra Energy, announced it was taking a $208 million after-tax write-down in case the decision went against utility.

Sempra CEO Debra Reed said at the time, We vehemently disagree with the administrative law judges report and said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission looked at the same set of facts and believed we were a reasonable utility operator.

Maurath Sommer said it is time to move on.

They just need to shut the door on this thing, she said. Its been 11 years, come on.

Torres said under the commissions own procedures, SDG&E has the right to challenge the decision and hopes the CPUC will correct its errors.

SDG&E had $1.1 billion of liability insurance in place in 2007, which utility officials say was the maximum amount they could obtain.

SDG&E ended up paying more than $2 billion in settlements and other costs in the aftermath of the fires, leaving it with about $379 million in outstanding costs. The utility estimated the average customer would have had to pay $1.67 more per month, spread out over a six-year period.

Business

rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski

ALSO

CPUC rules against SDG&E in 2007 wildfires case

Why two other California utilities have joined SDG&Es 2007 wildfire case

Sempra takes write-down on 2007 San Diego wildfire costs
Q: Should infrastructure be the next big economic issue for Congress to tackle?

Phil Blair, Manpower

NO: It should be health care. We have millions of Americans that for the first time have been able to afford health care for their families and now it is being pulled out from under them. The U.S. is one of the few developed countries that does not provide a level of care for their citizens. Solve health care and then move on to infrastructure.

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Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research

NO: The next priority of the federal government should be to reduce, not increase, spending. Governments massive overspending is just as destructive as having more taxes imposed on the private sector. Both are stages in the same process of burden and redistribution to the real economy. Obligating future revenues on inefficient, not really shovel-ready projects, saddled by pork and uncertain delivery, crowds out production capacity of the private sector, where real wealth and prosperity originates.

David Ely, San Diego State University

YES: A competitive economy requires modern highways, bridges, airports, ports, public transit systems, and water systems. Along with the inconvenience to the public, the aging and inadequately maintained infrastructure has diminished U.S. business productivity and competitiveness. The extent of the underinvestment is well documented by the American Society of Civil Engineers. However, Congress will be challenged to find funding and ways to incentivize state, local, and private entities to partner with the federal government.

Gina Champion-Cain, American National Investments

YES: The nations infrastructure is riddled with deferred maintenance and antiquated major physical plant systems from coast to coast. There should be bipartisan support for national infrastructure spending for which one would be hard pressed to argue against. That said, Im sure Congress will find a way to turn infrastructure spending into a political issue, tying the legislation into knots and further postponing both the needed projects and the jobs they would create.

Alan Gin, University of San Diego

He is not participating this week.

James Hamilton, UC San Diego

YES: Infrastructure investment was a theme in both Trumps and Clintons presidential campaigns. There are substantial improvements that could be made in Americas transportation, communication, and electrical transmission infrastructure. My hope would be we could see a real effort for Democrats and Republicans to work together to find a plan that is positive for America and does not put big new burdens on the governments debt.

Gary London, London Group of Realty Advisors

YES: I was disappointed that infrastructure spending ultimately wasnt a priority coming out of the Great Recession, as it would then have provided an excellent economic stimulus. Today, the economic stimulus is less apparent, but the need to improve roads, bridges, pipes and plants is even more critical. The dilemma is where does the money come from, since the new tax law will almost certainly add to the national debt?

Norm Miller, University of San Diego

NO: Immigration policy reform is a more pressing issue. Letting DACA expire in March will negatively impact the California and U.S. economy more than any ill-conceived wall. REMI, an economic consulting firm, did a study on the impact of allowing the so-called Dreamers to have a path to residency versus strict enforcement, and REMI suggests very negative impacts on our GDP growth rate and domestic employment if business owners and high skilled workers are forced to leave.

Jamie Moraga, IntelliSolutions

YES: Although, selfishly I would love to see sequestration repealed. Our military is being devastated by this law and the constant use of continuing resolutions. Passing a better health care bill would also be high on my list. However, we do need to invest in our countrys decaying infrastructure. Both parties cant deny this necessity and it would be great for both sides of the aisle to rally for a plan that will not only improve our infrastructure, but create jobs and continue to better our national economy.

Austin Neudecker, Rev

NO: About 80 percent of the money raised by the U.S. government is from your salaries, about 10 percent from corporate taxes. The government should address spending, not just on infrastructure, but in a larger sense: Are we spending our money in a way that reflects our long-term national best interest? Vital societal institutions (education, minimal health, a fair justice system, and basic research) feel vastly underfunded while other sectors (e.g. defense) dwarf these combined.

Bob Rauch, R.A. Rauch & Associates

NO: Granted, there is some economic benefit to federal spending on infrastructure. However, Id rather see Congress ensure that our defense, homeland security and military are funded properly; additionally, health care, welfare reform and immigration are critical topics for a 2018 congressional agenda. And trade, energy and research are valid topics that should hit the docket. Then we should tackle infrastructure, where the private sector must take the lead on spending.

Lynn Reaser, Point Loma Nazarene University

YES: The nations bridges, roads, tunnels, pipes, and dams badly need repair and upgrading. Our research shows that the condition of an individual states infrastructure is a key factor impacting an industrys ability to grow. A careful cost/benefit analysis is needed to prioritize projects to avoid political favoritism. Because public private partnerships may not be the panacea often promised, a number of capital sources will need to be assessed to complement federal financing.

John Sarkisian, SKLZ

YES: Our political leaders have continued to ignore the reality that our countrys infrastructure is crumbling around us. We cannot assume our economy will grow while we fail to invest in the infrastructure necessary to facilitate that growth. Investments in clean water, working sewer systems, reliable power sources, airports, trains, and communication systems will have a multiplier effect on our economy.

Chris Van Gorder, Scripps Health

NO: I think Congress needs to address the stabilization of the health-insurance market. Eliminating the insurance mandate will lead to 13 million more uninsured and insurance rates that will increase for individuals and employers. But, it is unlikely Congress will address this issue, and this countrys infrastructure does needs work. If funds are spent on needed improvements and not wasted on pork barrel projects, that could be a catalyst for additional business spending and the creation of well-paying jobs.

Have an idea for an EconoMeter question? Email me at roger.showley@sduniontribune.com

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roger.showley@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-1286; Twitter: @rogershowley
If you became the owner of a new computer over the holidays you may be wondering if there is an easy way to copy all your important data from an older PC onto the new one. Yes, there is.

Its called Laplink and its worth has been proven over several decades.

Laplink is a combination of hardware (a cable that connects the old and new computers) and software (one or more applications that tell the computers systems what data to move and how to move it, making necessary updates as certain data goes from an older operating system to a new one, including updates for Windows 10).

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Because Laplink has been around for many years, there have been many incarnations of the product, including some that use serial cables and others that use parallel cables. Also, there are specific software versions that were matched to various versions of Windows.

Beyond all the above, Laplink recently partnered with Microsoft,

If youre wondering if Ive ever used Laplink, the answer is no. However I can give the names of IT friends who have. Ive never needed it because I constantly back up all my important files to Google Drive and to my own website, pcdon.com.

For full information I suggest visiting web.laplink.com. The packages of software and cables have historically listed for less than $99, and I noticed that Amazon.com has a package currently listed for $29.99.

Dana P. Wilcox suggested that my recent column on streaming devices that connect to the backs of television sets would have benefited from a more thorough description of the devices.

Well, this might be easier to understand after taking a look at the history of TV signals. Early TV sets were designed to receive over-the-air VHF (very high frequency) signals via an antenna.

Later came UHF (ultra high frequency), which increased the number of over-the-air channels available to appropriately-equipped sets.

Eventually came Cable TV with access to virtually hundreds of channels.

Finally, cellphones arrived, which could deliver TV signals to sets equipped with a special cellphone antenna device, such as the Amazon Fire TV stick, the Google Chromecast, the Apple TV, and Rokus multiple devices.

Regarding another issue, Mary and I have been getting our groceries from Amazon Fresh for over a year, and we continue to be satisfied with the service and prices. However, the downside of receiving goods at home seems to be the arrival of porch pirates who are stealing packages.

Ive read that some homeowners have installed security cameras and other devices to discourage thieves, including placing dummy packages on their porches that are rigged to scare off the crooks with loud noises or even explosive gadgets.

However, Id worry that such tactics might tempt a thief to return when were away and sabotage our house. I think a better solution would be a stay-at-home neighbor offering to receive packages for others who might not get home till later in the day.

Contact Don Edrington at (949) 891-1731 or donedrington@gmail.com.
Each year, San Diego New Music offers a weekend platform to a remarkable ensemble who call themselves NOISE. Thursday evening, its eight members  assembled from New Zealand to San Diego and points eastward  launched the 11th edition of what they call the soundON Festival of Modern Music.

New Zealand-based violinist/violist Mark Menzies curated the concerts and workshops scheduled to take place through Sunday afternoon in the Jacobs Music Room at La Jollas Athenaeum Music & Library. His colleagues on Thursday evening included pianist Christopher Adler, clarinetist Robert Zelickman, flutist Rachel Beetz (flutist Michael Matsuno will appear later in the weekend), cellist Franklin Cox, guitarist Colin McAllister and percussionist Morris Palter. Several guest artists will join NOISE for workshops and two more concerts through Sunday, including harpist Anne LeBaron, whose performance of her 1988 work I Am an American  My Government Will Reward You punched a hole from the past to our war-haunted present in Thursday nights program.

Finding titles for musically eclectic concerts is challenging, but exotic images from an inner journey contained two words that encompassed the programs range and effects: images and journey.

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Menzies, Beetz and Palter (playing vibraphone) put their toes in the water first with Finnish composer Risto Pulkkinens Trio, a way station from our everyday world into an increasingly exotic sonic environment. Pulkkinen balances two instruments that produce sustained lines (violin and flute) with the vibraphone, whose tones decay as soon as they are produced. Immaculate articulation and buoyant rhythms set the bar for everything that followed, characteristics that mark everything that NOISE presents.

Composer Juan Pablo Contreras gave a brief introduction to Palimpsesto for solo violin: In the Middle Ages, on old manuscripts from which the text has gradually faded or been scraped, new text is laid on an old surface. Beneath, above and inside difficult notation (Menzies drew sweetness, richness, and anguish from high harmonics) an almost-unheard melody wanders, asserting its presence by its elusiveness. Marvelous.

LeBarons I Am an American  My Government Will Reward You summoned ghosts (composed in 1988 and re-invented, as LeBaron noted, for this concert) while prodding us to think about todays headlines. Using objects and extended techniques (the least of them plucking and strumming the strings), along with electronic processing (sound beds, looping), LeBaron turned her sound into physical presence, lightened by hints of pop harmonies and jazz-like improvisation. I Am an American is above all what art cannot do without being: provocative and thoughtful.

Menzies played UC San Diego composer Roger Reynolds imAge/viola with tonal richness that evoked the human voice. Rhapsodic, declamatory, sometimes rough, sometimes soothing, this music says everything and nothing, at once reticent and assertive: pure music that seeks only to leave us changed in ways we will have to figure out for ourselves.

Guitarist Colin McAllister played the world premiere of Adam Greenes Absence with such beauty and tenderness that I and the whole room held our breath, not wanting its perfect spell to end. I will only say this: It should be played at every event in this weekends programs.

Toshio Hosokawas Stunden-Blumen closed the program. For piano, violin, cello and clarinet, this meditation on time goes fast and slow, skitters and shatters into pieces long and short, unfolds and blooms, beautiful and tangible as flowers, as featureless and intangible as hours.

Give yourself a gift this weekend and join these voyages.

Overton is a freelance writer.
Were spotlighting stories on the hit musical Hamilton in the runup to the start of its San Diego tour visit, which begins this Saturday. Today on the Hamilton beat:

For just about anyone encountering Hamilton for the first time, seeing the musical (or reading about it, or listening to its cast album) is likely to be an education.

After all, the story of its title character  the founding father, U.S. treasury secretary and Revolutionary War hero Alexander Hamilton  tended to be a little foggy in many Americans minds before the show came along. (Partly because Hamilton never became president.)

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But for students of American history at more than a dozen high schools in the San Diego area, Hamilton is looking to be an education in a more concerted way.

Those Title I schools, which serve a higher percentage of low-income families, have been participating in the Hamilton Education Program, or #EduHAM.

The program not only teaches the participating students history through the story of Hamilton, but gives them an opportunity to create their own original songs, poems or other works inspired by both Hamiltons life and times and the show.

And then it gives them a chance not only to perform those works, but to see the musical, too.

In San Diego, #EduHAM will culminate Jan. 11 with the student performances, a Q&A between the students and cast members, and then the matinee performance of the show at the Civic Theatre.

Nationally, #EduHAM  designed by the Gilder Lehrman Institute and supported by the Rockefeller Foundation  aims to reach some 100,000 students as the show tours the country.

jim.hebert@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @jimhebert
Touring presenter Broadway/San Diego announced this morning that it is severing ties with the actor Ben Vereen, namesake of a local theater awards program that the company oversees, in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct during an unrelated Florida production Vereen directed in 2015.

Effective immediately, Broadway San Diego is ending its association with Mr. Ben Vereen, the statement reads.

Broadway San Diego will continue its support of excellence in high school musical theater at the fifth annual Broadway San Diego High School Musical Theatre Awards on Sunday, May 27, 2018 at the Balboa Theatre.

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The allegations against Vereen concerning a Florida production of the musical Hair came to light in the New York Daily News, which quoted female cast members as saying that the longtime Broadway and screen star forced unwanted kisses, hugged them aggressively, stripped naked during an acting exercise and made degrading comments about their weight, sex appeal and personal lives.

Vereen, the Tony Award-winning actor (for Pippin) and star of TVs Roots and more, had lent his name to the local Ben Vereen Awards (which existed previously under a different title) since 2014.

The awards honor top high-school theater artists from both the San Diego and Phoenix/Tucson areas; winners in those regional finals are sent to the national Jimmy Awards in New York, named for James M. Nederlander, the late chairman of Broadway/San Diegos parent company.

Vereen also had launched an essay contest in conjunction with the local awards.

This morning, Vereen issued a statement of apology on Twitter. It reads:

I would like to apologize directly to the female cast members of the musical Hair for my inappropriate conduct when I directed the production in 2015. While it was my intention to create an environment that replicated the themes of that musical during the rehearsal process, I have since come to understand that it is my conduct, not my intentions, which are relevant here.

So I am not going to make any excuses because the only thing that matters here is acknowledging and apologizing for the effects of my conduct on the lives of these women. Going forward, my having come to terms with my past conduct will inform all my future interactions not only with women, but with all individuals. I hope these women will find it in their hearts to accept my sincere apology and forgive me.

jim.hebert@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @jimhebert
James Hester Hargett, an influential pastor who marched from Selma to Montgomery with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and fought for equality and social justice in the schools and neighborhoods of Los Angeles, has died at age 87.

A theologian and civil rights crusader, Hargett served parishes across the United States during his lengthy pastoral career and arrived in L.A. near the beginning of what would be a tumultuous but defining era in the fight to end the racial and economic segregation that divided America.

Hargett helped launch outreach programs, health clinics and academic enrichment projects, raised funds for scholarships, marched in the streets for justice and conjured up ways to help children get to school.

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After retiring, Hargett and his wife, Louilyn, moved to Pilgrim Place, a Claremont retirement home for social activists. He died there Monday.

For him, Christian service meant addressing the needs of the community, his daughter Hester Hargett-Aupetit said. The church was always the backbone of that effort.

Hargett was born July 24, 1930, in Greensboro, N.C., the son of a minister. He loved to read, listen to music and play sports, and church was interwoven in all of it. He met his future wife, Louilyn Funderburk, at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, where he earned a pre-law degree. He went on to earn a masters degree at Yale Divinity School and a doctorate from what was then Colgate-Rochester Seminary.

He was ordained in 1955, the same year he became an associate minister at Crossroads United Church of Christ in Honolulu, the first African American minister to lead a Protestant church in Hawaii, which was still years away from statehood.

When Hargett arrived in L.A. as the new minister at Congregational Church of Christian Fellowship, he inherited a congregation that faced an uphill climb  excluded from suburban neighborhoods, overlooked for high-paying jobs, targeted by the police and far removed from the choice schools.

The elements of that divide boiled to the surface in the Watts riots in 1965.

That same year, Hargett joined King in the historic marches from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery, the state capital. The marches became an emblem of the civil rights movement.

Later, King asked Hargett to serve as the West Coast representative for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, then a guiding force in the national civil rights movements. Hargett also helped organize the Poor Peoples Resurrection City, a shantytown that was erected in Washington, D. C., to dramatize the needs of the economically disadvantaged.

Former Los Angeles City Controller Rick Tuttle was a fiery young civil rights fighter when he first took stock of Hargett.

I was inspired by him, as were others, said Tuttle. If you were planning something  anything, youd always ask What would Jim think? 

When King was assassinated in Memphis in 1968, Hargett saw it as his moral duty to call for calm in the streets of L.A.

He just wanted to keep the city from exploding, his daughter said.

The year after Kings death, Hargett was named secretary for Black Ministries of the United Church of Christ and moved to New York to recruit, train and place African American ministers in church across the country. He later became a senior minister in Chicago and then moved to San Diego, where he was a minister at Christian Fellowship Congregational Church until his retirement in 1997.

His loss is immeasurable. His work is not completed, said William Funderburk, Jr., Hargetts nephew and a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power commissioner. It will guide innovation for national impact, just like the life he richly lived.

Hargett-Aupetit, a film producer, said her father was well-read and scholarly and pragmatic about his activism.

He never entered into a cause thinking everything would succeed, she said. But he knew with effort and patience, it might succeed.

Hargett is survived by his wife, Louilyn; daughters Meloni Burgess and Hargett-Aupetit; son Darryl; and five grandchildren,

steve.marble@latimes.com

twitter.com/stephenmarble
London-based Spanish chef Jose Pizarro is often described as the Godfather of Spanish cooking. He worked in some of Londons most prestigious Spanish restaurants before opening his own, Jose Tapas Bar, in 2012. Since then, Pizarro has gone on to open two more locations and has also written three cookbooks.

In his latest cookbook, Catalonia, Pizarro guides readers through the Catalan region of northeast Spain and dispels any myth that cooking tapas and other Spanish cuisine at home has to be difficult.

Stunning photographs depict the beauty of the region, which lies on Spains Mediterranean coast and borders France across the Pyrenees Mountains, as well as the delectable recipes offered within the book. In addition to the clear, easy-to-follow recipes in the four chapters (Meat, Fish, Vegetables, and Desserts) of Catalonia, Pizarro provides menu plans for inspiration and guidance and a list of places to eat both in Barcelona and in the surrounding area.

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Recipes featured in Catalonia include:

To purchase Catalonia, click here.

The Daily Meal: What is your philosophy of cooking (and/or eating)?

Jose Pizarro: For me, cooking is all about simplicity, and con carino - putting love into food. When I was a child, my mother did all the cooking, I did not cook, but I observed her and saw how, even as a working mother, she put so much love into the food our whole family would eat. And it is this that I want to do in my restaurants, con carino, because food brings people together.

How did it inspire the recipes you chose to include in this book?

It was actually a very difficult process, because I had 120 recipes, but I had to cut that down to 80 that I could include in the book. Every one of these recipes really means something to me. I have been so lucky, to be travelling through Catalonia (aka Cataluna), the whole way from the north to the south, eating with people. The research I did was all eating and drinking. Such hard work!

The recipes in the book come from those people I shared time with. They all mean something to me because of the people they have been passed down through. For me, it is about the people, the moments, the history. I love all of it, and I love to cook all of the recipes because they remind me of my experiences with these people, what I consider to be the experience of life. And the photography, the pictures in the book, they capture those moments of this life. I love their life, and life there, because it is simple. Yet there is so much behind the recipe! Con carino...

What is your favorite recipe in the book and why?

It is so difficult to say one recipe! But if I have to choose, I would say Lobster Rice. Because of the moment. It was the last picture we shot for the book, in the Delta del Ebro region halfway between Barcelona and Valencia, where the Ebro River meets the sea. In that moment, it was about the people I was with while we were shooting this last photo. It was a beautiful moment, and because of my memories of that moment, this photo had to be in the book. It is something that will be savored forever.

The whole experience of making the book, everything was amazing all along the way, of course. But it is tiring, too, and so to be at the end, sitting outside in the heat, with a glass of wine, with this dish, that really captures everything about the dish in the moment.

Also, I do love the Catalan Spinach - it is so simple, it is all about its flavors. When you are really enjoying a meal, it is the flavors that you are tasting that make you want the memory of that meal - so important.

What are some of the foods you cant live without?

Olive oil. I cant imagine my life without it. Pimenton, Spanish paprika, definitely. Saffron. Egg - it is very important to always have eggs in the fridge. When you are hungry and you dont have much available, make an omelette and everything is happy, everything is much better.

Would you rather dine out or cook at home?

Oh, I love both. I love eating out, but I also love to cook for myself, and bringing people into my home to cook for them. I love cooking together, eating together, drinking together. At the same time, I really enjoy tasting new food, with friends, in new places.

What is your favorite go-to meal or drink?

Very hard to decide... I would say, my drink, the Negroni. And... Lobster Rice! When someone asks me this question, it is all about how Im feeling in the moment. There is no better feeling than when you are in the mood for something. And, in this moment, I am thinking about con carino, so the Lobster Rice. And the Negroni. They would go well together. In fact, I would enjoy doing the interview at this moment while enjoying this meal together!

How do you hope readers will use this book, what do you hope they take away?

I hope people have an amazing time cooking from the book. Take from it how beautiful Catalonia is, how diverse the food of Catalonia is, and feel the love I have for the people there. I really hope people enjoy cooking from the book, and come back time and again to cook recipes from it.

And I also hope the photographs in the book, the pictures, will help transport people to Cataluna, because they are amazing, and it is an amazing place.

Is there anything else youd like to share?

Nothing more than simply have a good time! That is the important thing: that people enjoy, and keep cooking from the book.

More Cookbook of the Week
Back in its North Island homeport for only six months, the North Island-based supercarrier Carl Vinson returned to sea on Friday, bound for the West Pacific amid simmering tensions over North Korean nuclear weapons and regional disputes over islands peppering the South China Sea.

At the rails of the Vinson and its destroyer escort Wayne E. Meyer, more than 6,000 sailors departed Naval Air Station North Island and Naval Base San Diego in the morning. The guided-missile cruiser Lake Champlain left on Thursday to retrieve ammunition from Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach in Orange County and is slated to rendezvous at sea with the other warships and an attack submarine.

The armada includes more than 70 aircraft from the Black Nights of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 4, Blue Hawks of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 78, Bounty Hunters of Strike Fighter Squadron 2, Blue Blasters of Strike Fighter Squadron 34, Kestrels of Strike Fighter Squadron 137, Golden Dragons of Strike Fighter Squadron 192, Black Eagles of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 113, Gauntlets of Electronic Attack Squadron 136 and Providers of Fleet Logistic Support Squadron 30.

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The Hawaii-based destroyer Michael Murphy will join the flotilla next week as it heads west toward Asia, forming a strike group organized as Third Fleet Forward. Thats the Navy initiative designed to transform the Point Loma- based Third Fleet into an independent arm of Pacific Command in Hawaii, patrolling the western waters of the Pacific Ocean usually controlled by the Seventh Fleet headquartered in Japan.

Fridays departure of the Vinson marked the second time since World War II that Third Fleet has prowled the Western Pacific under its own banner. The first was the Vinson Carrier Strike Groups voyage that began slightly more than a year ago and included a show of power northeast of the Paracels, a chain of islands and rocks occupied by China for four decades after ousting Vietnamese troops.

Beijing claims much of the South China Sea, disregarding territorial claims by Vietnam and neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan.

The Vinson returned to North Island on June 21  about a month later than expected  after the White House ordered it to the Yellow Sea during a standoff over North Koreas missile programs.

Standing in the shadow of the Vinson on Friday, Third Fleet commander Vice Adm. John Sarge Alexander said he expects the armada to serve as Americas lethal, ready, innovative and engaged force in the Western Pacific before its scheduled return in the summer.

Since replacing retired Third Fleet commander Nora Tyson in September, Alexander said hes done a bit of innovating, too.

Weve changed our battle rhythm, he said in an interview. Weve changed the way we conduct our morning briefs. Weve made them more of an operational nature and less administrative.

Lake Champlains Thursday departure also drew notice throughout the fleet because it came soon after the Navys Nov. 1 release of a comprehensive review into a rash of surface warship collisions in the Western Pacific.

On May 9, the Lake Champlain crashed into a South Korean fishing boat in the Sea of Japan, an accident the Navy blamed on poor seamanship.

Five months earlier, the sister cruiser Antietam ran aground in Tokyo Bay, gushing hydraulic oil into the sea. Then in June the destroyer Fitzgerald struck a Philippine-flagged vessel, killing seven American sailors. Two months later, the destroyer John S. McCain collided with a Liberian-flagged oil tanker, drowning 10 more American sailors.

In hopes of ensuring that such collisions never occur again, Navy leaders vowed to change the culture of a maritime force that prized mission accomplishment over safety, deprived overworked and undertrained sailors of sleep and saddled ships with bumbling skippers in the bustling sea lanes of the Western Pacific.

I think we took a good look at ourselves, Alexander said. We did that in the comprehensive review. We looked at what the Vinson Strike Group needed to get ready for deployment. We added some extra days of training onto that and Im confident that theyre safe to get underway and conduct all the missions they need to do in the Western Pacific.

Carrier strike groups usually spend a year or two in port after returning from overseas deployments, but rising tensions in Asia, ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and long repairs to sister flattops meant a quicker turnaround for the Vinson.

In November, Vinsons strike group aced three weeks of war games off the California coast. Called a SUSTAINEX by sailors, the truncated exercise was designed to sustain skills the strike groups crews already possessed after a short time back home.

Alexander said that he hopes not to extend the carriers tour again, but crises in the Pacific might force families to wait a little longer for the return of their loved ones.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
Long Beach police shot and killed a gunman who was holding employees of the Holiday Inn hostage in the hotel lobby early Friday, officials said.

Police received a call from an employee just before 1 a.m. who told dispatchers he was being held hostage by an armed suspect, the department said. The hotel is at Lakewood Boulevard and Willow Street.

Officers found the gunman in the lobby with employees and shot him, said police spokeswoman Nancy Pratt.

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The man was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A gun was recovered at the scene and an investigation into a motive for the incident was underway. The mans truck was found parked at a gas station next door, KTLA reported.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.
Three Chinese immigrants were found hidden in the trunk of a vehicle trying to cross into the U.S. from Mexico Tuesday.

The driver, Eun Ku Lee, a 33-year-old South Korean citizen, was trying to cross at the San Ysidro Port of Entry about 4:45 p.m. with a valid SENTRI pass when his illicit load was discovered, according to court records.

Lee, who was driving a Jeep Compass with Baja California license plates, told the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer that he was alone and traveling to Chula Vista, the complaint states. He was stopped for a closer inspection because of undisclosed discrepancies.

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In the cargo area under a stock cover, an officer found three women stuffed inside. They were from China trying to cross into the U.S. illegally, court records say.

One woman told investigators that she agreed to pay $60,000 to be smuggled to New York, while another said her uncle had paid her way across and she was going to pay an extra $2,000 if she made it to North Carolina. The third said her cousin had paid her way and she was going to New York.

The women are being held as material witnesses in the prosecution against Lee, who was arrested on a human-smuggling charge. Lees temporary visa allowing him to be in the U.S. legally was also revoked, border authorities said.

A San Diego federal magistrate judge set his bond at $20,000 during a hearing on Wednesday.

Concealing persons in vehicles is dangerous and could have severe consequences, Pete Flores, director of field operations for CBP in San Diego, said in a statement. CBP is pleased that this outcome was not life threatening and the Chinese nationals were removed safely without medical complications.

Authorities at San Diegos ports of entry have seen an increase in Chinese being smuggled in hidden compartments. In fiscal 2017, which ended Sept. 30, CBP at California ports of entry discovered more than 261 unauthorized immigrants from China  nearly a 50 percent increase from the year before.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
A man accused of molesting several girls  some of whom were strangers to him, asleep in their own homes  was sentenced Thursday to 100 years to life in prison.

Gilbert Andrew Chavarria, 29, pleaded guilty in October to six charges of committing a lewd act on a child under 14 years old, and three counts of assault with the intent to commit a lewd act on a child under 14.

The charges are linked to nine victims, including six girls he molested after sneaking into homes in Escondido and San Marcos. Escondido police dubbed their suspect the Creeper.

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The three other victims  two 8-year-old girls and 5-year-old girl  were children the defendant knew.

He also pleaded guilty to four counts of residential burglary.

In a Vista courtroom Thursday, Deputy District Attorney Ryan Saunders read a statement from a mother of one of the victims, a child that Chavarria knew. The woman called Chavarria a monster, and said she initially blamed herself by not seeing the signs that showed he was sick, and feared that the molestation would ruin her daughter.

But I was wrong, she wrote. I did not fail as a parent, this will not ruin her, and she will get past it. She is so smart and driven! We refuse to let this repulsive person dictate our future.

In summer 2013, Chavarria slipped into several North County homes, often cutting or removing the screen on a window while the victims slept. He would then cut holes into the victims pajamas or underwear and molest them, authorities said.

Twice, he left behind DNA, but the state database did not turn up a match. Investigators then received permission to run a familial DNA search in the hopes of finding a biological relative who might be in the system.

Eventually, they got a hit. After further investigation, Chavarria was arrested in February 2015.

It was the first arrest in the county stemming from a familial DNA search of the offender database, prosecutors said.

In California, familial searches to solve a crime are to be done only as a last resort, as per policy implemented by state Attorney Generals Office in 2008.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

(760) 529-4945

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT
MASON CITY | G8 Development filed papers Friday to drop its lawsuit against the city of Mason City.

That fulfills one of the requirements in the development agreement with G8, approved by the City Council last week, to build a downtown hotel and conference center.

Mason City Council approves G8 development deal MASON CITY | The City Council voted 6-0 Thursday night to formally approve an agreement with

Interim City Administrator Kevin Jacobson said he received word Friday afternoon. "It's dismissed," he said.

Mayor Bill Schickel said, "I am encouraged to see this. It is one of the steps the state wanted to make sure got done, so it is progress."

G8, a San Diego-based development company owned by Philip Chodur, is the City Council's choice to build the hotel in the Southbridge Mall parking lot, connect it to The Music Man Square via a skywalk, and build a conference center inside The Music Man Square.

The lawsuit resulted from an earlier hotel proposal with G8 which fell through. G8 had negotiated with the city to build a hotel in the parking lot west of City Hall but was found in default when it failed to meet deadlines for starting construction.

When the city sought new bids, it received proposals from Gatehouse and G8 and chose to go with Gatehouse.

G8 then sued the city for breach of contract on its first hotel plan. An attempt to reach Chodur for comment Friday afternoon was unsuccessful.

As negotiations with Gatehouse bogged down, a quirk in state law allowed for new proposals to be accepted. Once again G8 offered what city officials considered a competitive bid to Gatehouse's and chose to go with it.

One of the provisions of the subsequent development agreement with G8 is that its lawsuit against the city be dropped. That's the action that was fulfilled Friday when the court accepted G8's filing that the case be dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be brought up again.

The hotel is a key component in the city's River City Renaissance project that also includes a performing arts pavilion and an ice arena/multipurpose center.

The total project is estimated at just over $38 million. The city has applied for up to $10 million in state money through the Iowa Reinvestment Act to help leverage the project. One of the requirements is $10 million in private investment. The hotel value is $15 million.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority, which oversees the Iowa Reinvestment Act, met with city officials last month and put off making a final decision on the city's application, pending the signing of the development agreement, the dropping of the lawsuit and G8 having financing in place.

City officials said Chodur has preliminary approval on financing.
A San Diego State University lecturer who has complained that the schools use of the Aztec mascot is racist made disparaging remarks about whites, blacks and Native Americans to a student, triggering an investigation that concluded that the teacher often refers to white people in derogatory terms.

The California Attorney Generals Office says in a Dec. 20 report that Professor Oscar Monge sent at least 15 offensive Facebook messages to Crystal Sudano last year, when she was a student in his Native American studies class.

The report says Monge, who is Native American-Chicano, refers to Sudano, who is white, as a white savior, a term sometimes used to refer to a white person who hides their racism by helping minorities. Monge also repeats hearsay that a prominent black SDSU student is an Uncle Tom.

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The report says, All in all, Monge uses white whenever he wishes to explain someone who has done something wrong, or bad. Indeed, in an essay to the investigator, Monge wrote, It is quite easy to argue that whiteness is synonymous with evil.

Monges Facebook comments and other behavior led Sudano to withdraw from his class. She then filed a complaint with SDSU, alleging four counts of discrimination and harassment. The case was turned over to the Attorney Generals Office, which found that three of the allegations were true, including the charge that Monge threatened to lower Sudanos grade in retaliation.

The report says Monge did not discriminate against Sudano based on her hearing disability.

Monge and Sudano have until mid-January to appeal the reports findings.

The Union-Tribune made several unsuccessful attempts to reach Monge for comment.

He is quoted in the report as saying that he is not a racist. In one Facebook post to Sudano on Feb. 25, he denied calling her a racist and in a March 1, 2017, e-mail, he said, Im deeply concerned by the manner (in) which you somehow managed to believe Im labeling you (and apparently a lot of other people) as racists.

Sudano said, The Attorney General did an amazing job on this. They really nailed what happened.

The report says that Monges boss, Native American studies Chair David Kamper, recommended that he stop talking to students on Facebook because it is inappropriate, and so were some of the things that he said.

Kamper also suggested that Monge watch an online video to get suggestions on how to discuss diversity and racism with students, the report says.

The university would not say whether Monge, who joined the faculty in 2014, will be further disciplined, or fired.

In a statement, the campus said it is committed to creating a learning environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity. The university prohibits discriminatory behavior and harassment of any kind of campus, and takes allegations of misconduct by any member of the campus community very seriously.

The clash between Monge and Sudano involved two strong personalities.

In blunt terms, Monge has publicly pressured SDSU to drop the Aztec mascot and moniker, noting that the Aztecs lived in central Mexico, about 1,000 miles from San Diego.

This is a public university, Monge told the Union-Tribune in 2016. Were not supposed to perpetuate ignorance. Were supposed to be seekers of truth and knowledge.

He fleshed out his thoughts in his Masters thesis, which is titled, Fail Montezuma! The Last Vestiges of an Obscured Yet Stubbornly Persistent Culture of Racism at San Diego State University. Kamper signed off on the thesis.

Sudano is a criminal justice student who has been involved in a variety of political activities, from protesting campus budget cuts to the Occupy San Diego movement. She said she can sometimes be pushy.

The tension between Monge and Sudano began to surface in January 2017, before she began taking his class.

The situation is mostly captured in Facebook Messenger messages between the two, largely over a seven week period. Here is a sample of of parts of the messages, cited in the report:

Monge counseled Sudano on how to talk to Native Americans, saying, ...you keep talking past me. And frankly, this is precisely the sort of behavior I dont want you to bring with you if you meet with the Native Students, to get all white savior on them and tell them that they dont known what theyre doing. The use of white savior was tantamount to calling Sudano racist, the report says.

While discussing student leader Chimezie Ebiriekwe, Monge said, I dont know, but Ive been told by other Black students that hes more of an Uncle Tom (not my words, and like I said, I dont know him). The report notes that Uncle Tom refers to a black who is overeager to win the approval of whites.

While talking about the Native American Student Association, Monge said, The main problem going on within NASA has more to do with a couple of white students who are members, who apparently have great grandmothers tgat (sic) are Cherokee Princesses (this is a joke that has specific meaning among natives.). The report says, As the Cherokee nation does not have any royalty, when one says they are related to a Cherokee Princess, they automatically reveal their ignorance.

Monge mistook the clothes and hairstyle Sudano wore to a Native American event, assuming that she was trying to resemble a Native American. She was actually dressed for riding her motorcycle. Even so, Monge wrote, It may have been an innocent coincidence, within a specific context. I have seen more intentional stuff, where white women will come to powwows with fringed clothing and headbands and well be all wtf? but  we wont say anything  we try to maintain our politeness and hospitality even in the face of rudeness to a point.

While talking about student government, Monge comments on how damned white the Associated Students are. The report says.Monge claimed to have used that phrase as a shorthand for how the student government works to exclude and marginalize the voices of those who are not white. The report adds that the student government includes members of various racial and ethnic groups.

During one message, Sudano used the term low man on the totem pole. Monge replied: Dont use totem pole. White people get the whole thing wrong, btw. The lowest part of the totem pole is a place of honor. The most experienced carver does that part. Sudano quickly apologized. The conversation switched to how SDSUs University Counsel might deal with the mascot issue. Monge said his side was severely outnumbered by ...us...er...by...People who dont easily empathize with ...non-whiteness? Lol Frat Bros and Sorority Sisters.

Sudano largely stopped going to class as a result of these and other conversations, the report says. She then withdrew from the course, and she complained to the administration about Monges behavior. Sudano claimed that Monge had threatened to lower her grade in retaliation, a claim that was found to be true by the state investigator.

The investigator also issued numerous and stark criticisms about Monges racial attitude.

One passage says: Monge has repeatedly told Sudano her point of view doesnt matter because as a white person she could not possibly understand his perspective.

In other words, he is saying white people are ignorant and cannot be taught  and he is stating this to a white student. If a white professor made a similar comment about, for example, how black people could not possibly understand the concept of manifest destiny, it would be universally understood to be a discriminatory comment.

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gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com
Some parents in the Encinitas Union School District are blasting the districts decision to spend roughly $189,000 on a three-year pilot program that will require facial recognition software to be installed on some school-issued iPads.

The software  which uses biometric technology  scans the face of a student every 60 seconds, and automatically logs him or her into multiple programs. Officials say the technology could make iPad use easier for elementary school students who cant remember passwords and would keep others from using the devices should they be stolen.

Such features arent unusual  Android smartphones have utilized facial recognition for years  but some Encinitas parents say the program is too expensive and that it raises privacy concerns.

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Its creepy to take a photograph of a kid every 60 seconds, said Gil Saidy, who has a third grade son at Flora Vista Elementary School. I dont trust them. I dont want these roving cameras in my house.

Its a momma-bears instinct to protect their child. I just dont know who has access to the face scans, said another parent, Darcy Brandon. Where is the data being stored?

The pilot program would start with 100 students and, if successful, the technology could ultimately be added to all district iPads. Parents must opt-in to have their child use biometrics.

Biometrics technology analyzes human body characteristics such as fingerprints, eye retinas and irises, voice patterns, facial patterns, and hand measurements, for authentication purposes.

In March, the Encinitas district inked a $189,000 contract with Utah-based Virtual Keyring LLC to implement the program. District officials arent providing details on what it will involve, other than to say that its in a proof of concept phase, according to an email provided to the Union-Tribune by David Delacalazada, the districts director of information technology.

The district will be reimbursed all moneys paid if the pilot project is not successful, he wrote.

Superintendent Tim Baird and Virtual Keyring President Rod Garlick did not respond to requests for comment this week.

Encinitas Union launched its iPad program in 2012, equipping each third-through sixth-grade student with a device to use for school work and lessons. Since then, the district has put iPads into the hands of all of its 5,400 students, at a cost of $2.7 million.

Students in kindergarten and first grade arent permitted to bring the iPads home, but students in all other grades can. (Second graders are given the option.)

Baird has posted a notice on the school districts website that says the district is in the very early stages of exploring the project.

Information will be sent out before anything is implemented districtwide, the notice said. The goals of the project are to provide single sign-on capability as well as protection of student data.

He said facial recognition would be an optional feature in lieu of a password. Parents can indicate their preference at the time of implementation, if the project makes it through the pilot phase, which begins soon. District officials arent saying which schools will participate in the pilot program.

Critics of the program say it is wasteful spending and does little to allay their concerns over privacy. They also said its an unnecessary expense when schools are cutting music, arts and other programs.

For sure, Encinitas is charting new territory with the program, according to experts.

Janice Kephart, chief executive officer of the Secure Identity & Biometrics Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group looking out for the interests of the biometrics industry, said she isnt aware of any other school district in the United States using biometrics for iPad authentication.

From a security point of view, biometrics prevents misappropriation of technology on the iPads in the homes of students, and ensures that mom doesnt use it for work, or dad or older brother watch porn or play video games, said Kephart, a former counsel for the 9/11 Commission that looked into the circumstances surrounding the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Kephart said biometrics first made its way into public schools in 2009 when West Virginia implemented a fingerprint-scan for students participating in the states federally subsidized school lunch program. Schools highly dependent on federal dollars had been unable to reliably account for school lunches as required under the law.

Other school districts have used biometrics for eye scans on students before they board buses, or enter school buildings, she said.

Florida is the only state to have banned biometrics from use in public schools. Florida State Sen. Dorothy Hukill, a Republican, said she led the bandwagon to ban the technology last year because of concerns about government intrusion in the lives of children.

Who owns the data? she said in an interview. Can it be sold, and what happens if its breached? Kids have moved through lunch lines for decades to buy grilled cheese sandwiches. Why do they now have to have their irises scanned?
As families began moving into the third and final tent the city has opened for homeless people Thursday, one woman in the program became the first to leave for a permanent home.

Oh, wow, Lynnette Gresham said as she stepped through the doorway of what would become her new home. This is big. Its beautiful.

The property owner has offered the vacant six-bedroom Spring Valley house to help in the citys efforts to house the homeless, and Gresham looked through each room to find the one to call her own. Other homeless people soon will join her.

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At 51, Gresham said this would be the first house she had ever lived in, having been homeless since she was 12.

I feel like crying, she said. Its finally going to happen.

Lynette Gresham is the first of hundreds of people living in three industrial tents set up for homeless people in San Diego to transition through the program to permanent housing. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune )

Since early December, Gresham had been living in a large tented structure run by the nonprofit Alpha Project on Newton Avenue just off of 16th Street in downtown San Diego.

That tent is one of three the city has opened to shelter and help find homes for about 700 homeless people.

Besides the 325-bed Alpha Project structure, the program includes a 200-bed structure in the Midway district run by Veterans Village of San Diego and a 150-bed structure for families run by Father Joes Villages, which opened Thursday downtown.

Gresham is the first person in the program to move into a permanent home, a milestone and an encouraging sign for a long-term goal of finding housing for thousands of homeless people in San Diego County.

While the tents will take 700 people off the street, they are not considered a solution to homelessness and will make only a dent in the large population of people living on the streets, in canyons and temporary shelters.

A January 2017 count found about 9,100 homeless people in the county, with about 5,600 unsheltered. The next count is scheduled for Jan. 26.

The tented structures are referred to as bridge housing, meaning their purpose isnt to just shelter people, but rather to provide a bridge to permanent housing. Under the plan adopted by the San Diego City Council late last year, the goal is for people to stay in the structures no longer than 120 days, with 60 percent leaving to permanent housing.

Having moved in a week after the tent opened in December, Gresham beat the goal by a wide margin. Even more encouraging, Alpha Project staff members didnt start focusing on finding housing for people until after Christmas because they were busy checking people in.

Abby Shrestha, a housing navigator with the Alpha Project, found the house for Gresham. She said she usually can find a home for a client in three weeks once the process starts.

Over the past three years, Shrestha said she has found housing for about 225 households, including individuals and families, while working at the Alpha Project and the Interfaith Shelter Network.

The process begins with a person filling out a survey with a long, bureaucratic name and equally cumbersome acronym. The Vulnerability Index - Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool, more commonly called the VI-SPDAT, is a nationally used survey that helps agencies prioritize homeless people they are trying to house.

Gresham was living at Wells Park in El Cajon when her depression reached a breaking point and she went to seek help. She filled out her survey at Rachels Women Center.

Some of the questions were uncomfortable, but if youre honest and open, it helps them decide how to help you, she said.

The surveys are sent to the San Diego Regional Task Force on the Homeless, where they are prioritized and put into the countywide coordinated entry system. The people who go to the top of the list are those who have the greatest needs, have been homeless the longest and are most likely to find housing because they have a voucher or an income.

Those people are referred to agencies ready to help find them housing. At that step, Shrestha asks clients about their income, whether they are OK with shared housing and other questions.

People with little or no income might be offered units where rent is continually subsidized with housing vouchers. Those can be scarce and have a long waiting list, however.

More units are available through a program called rapid rehousing, which doesnt offer ongoing rental assistance but does pay for a deposit and offers a rent subsidy. That subsidy tappers off over six months, however, so tenants must have some income and learn to become self-sufficient.

Gresham has income from Supplemental Security Income, which she has received for two years, and was offered a home through rapid rehousing.

Case workers help rapid rehousing tenants learn how to manage their money and make ends meet, areas in which Gresham acknowledged she could use some help.

I have to learn how to be an adult, she said.

Showing the house to Gresham on Thursday, Shrestha steered her away from the master bedroom, saying it was above what she could afford.

We dont want to re-traumatize a client by setting them up for failure, Shrestha said about the effort to help people become self-sufficient and live within their means.

While finding the first home for someone in the bridge housing program is encouraging, high rents and low vacancy rates will be a challenge as it continues.

Im always optimistic, said Alpha Project Chief Operating Officer Amy Gonyeau. But the bottom line is theres only so much housing out there. Theres only so many units that are going to be affordable for the clientele we serve.

Gresham was ready to move in on Thursday, but said she wanted to go back to the big tent one more night to say goodbye to her friends there.

Im about to leave the only family Ive known, she said about the bonds shes made.

She hopes to stay in touch and maybe invite some friends back for a dinner she can make in her new home.

I love to cook, she said.

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gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
Assemblyman Todd Gloria of Mission Hills has been named the Democratic whip in the Assembly, a position that makes him responsible for tracking how much support a bill has and figuring out which legislators his partys leaders can nudge for a favorable vote.

Gloria, 39, was appointed majority whip by Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount, after working as the assistant majority whip.

Last year, we achieved the most productive and progressive legislative session in recent memory. Now, its time for us to build on that progress and I look forward to being part of the team to make that happen, Gloria said in a news release.

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He was not available for comment.

His predecessor, Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra, D-Pacoima, resigned a week after women said he sexually harassed them.

Legislative whips in Sacramento and elsewhere are responsible for helping their parties pass legislation by keeping tally of which members support of a bill, which ones are opposed, and which ones are undecided through the lawmaking process. They can help nudge legislators one way or another on bills on the margin of passing, and  in votes that could have political consequences  can help determine which members can vote against their partys majority without internal repercussions.

Glorias appointment is the fourth major leadership post filled by San Diego Legislators. In December Senate President pro Tem Kevin De Leon announced that State Sen. Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, will succeed him when he steps down from his position leading that chamber. A formal vote on Atkins is expected later this year.

Additionally, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzales Fletcher, D-San Diego, is chairwoman of the the Appropriations Committee, a position that gives her some control of state spending, and, by its nature, influence with other legislators.

Across the aisle, Sen. Pat Bates, R-Laguna Niguel, is the Senate minority leader. While her district is based in Orange County, it includes parts of northern San Diego County.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841
Four politicians in San Diego say labor leader Mickey Kasparian should step down from his union and a regional labor coalition as he fights against allegations of sexual misconduct.

The statements came in response to a survey by The San Diego Union-Tribune, following up on lawsuits against Kasparian.

In one lawsuit, former union employee Isabel Vasquez alleges that Kasparian pressured her into an ongoing sexual relationship while she worked for him. In another, county employee Melody Godinez alleged that Kasparian groped her on several occasions and at one point held her down on his couch inside his office. Kasparian denies the allegations.

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Former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher of City Heights, a candidate for county supervisor, said Kasparian should resign as head of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 135.

The best thing for Mickey Kasparian to do is step down to ensure these serious allegations are fully and fairly investigated and there are no distractions from the unions critical work on behalf of its members, Fletcher said in a statement.

Likewise, Fletcher said Kasparian should resign from the San Diego Working Families Council, a coalition of unions, including local chapters of the Teamsters and Service Employees International Union.

Fletcher is running to replace Supervisor Ron Roberts, who is prevented by term limits from running for re-election on the county Board of Supervisors.

Two other candidates for the seat  Ken Malbrough of Encanto and Omar Passons of North Park  also said Kasparian should step down from both posts. They were offered an opportunity to elaborate on their answer and did not. San Diego City Councilman David Alvarez also called on Kasparian to resign both posts.

The four who called on Kasparian to step down from both posts also said they would not accept campaign support  including money  from Kasparians organizations while hes at the helm.

Still, Passons said, UFCW 135 members need a voice and I will work with them if elected.

The Union-Tribune surveyed Democratic candidates and office-holders because Kasparian has been influential in the party, and has already stepped down from the Democratic Central Committee.

Out of 19 surveyed so far, as part of an ongoing process, nine have responded. Four called on Kasparian to resign both posts. San Diego Councilman Chris Ward and Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher both called on Kasparian to step down from the labor coalition, but said they could not comment on the food workers union, as non-members.

Other respondents declined to answer yes-or-no questions as posed by the Union-Tribune, or took issue with the survey.

State Sen. Toni Atkins, D-South Park, Assemblyman Todd Gloria, D-Mission Hills, and former Assemblywoman Lori Saldana  now a county supervisor candidate from Clairemont  said they remain open to receiving campaign support from Kasparians organizations.

I dont intend to silence the voices of the tens of thousands of San Diegans who are part of UFCW Local 135 and the Working Families Council by refusing their support because of the alleged actions of one person, Atkins said in a statement from her office.

The accusations against Kasparian, particularly in the context of the national discussion of allegations of sexual assault against men in powerful positions, has divided San Diego Democrats.

The Union-Tribune survey was not well-received by some of the respondents.

What the hell? Are you an agent for the GOP? This Google doc yes or no interview shows a total lack of insight about politics, labor and human behavior, Gonzalez Fletcher said by email.

She declined to answer whether Kasparian should resign from Local 135.

Anyone who believes in unions would have a hard time answering that question. A more appropriate question would be, If you were a UFCW member, would you ask him to resign? My answer would be yes to that, but I refuse to answer your question as written.

Gonzalez Fletcher worked with Kasparian when they were both at the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, and support from unions was critical to her campaigns. She said she has no intention of turning away money from organizations headed by Kasparian.

Any support from UFCW 135 is based on a democratic internal union process & is the decision of the workers, she said on Twitter. Painting that as MK support is wrong and shows a lack of understanding of the union COPE process. I would never insult workers by not accepting their support.

Gloria said that it was up to Local 135 and the Working Families Councils members if Kasparian should resign.

Like UFCW Local 135, a change in leadership is a decision for those who selected Mr. Kasparian for his position, Gloria said in a statement. His spokesman did not respond to a question seeking clarification since Kasparian could resign independent of the wishes of his organizations members.

Progress is being tracked at https://sdut.us/kasparian.

Background

Labor leader Mickey Kasparian accused in lawsuit of sexual assault, seeking foursome 

Dems tried to kick out Mickey Kasparian months ago, and the party boss said no 

Assemblywoman says labor leader should resign Democratic Party post over harassment allegations 

Progressives, Democrats demand investigations, suspension of labor leader 

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841
Greg Cox is wary, waiting to see if the next shoe drops in Washington.

The San Diego County supervisor was a national point man for local governments lobbying Congress as the recently signed tax bill was taking shape.

He called the final measure a mixed bag for San Diego County, with some losses but others averted.

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As the incoming president of the National Association of Counties, Cox again will take a lead role, this time trying to ward off potential cuts in social service and safety-net programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, housing assistance and food programs for low-income Americans.

Thats kind of the next big unknown, he said. ...We have to expect thats going to come.

The push for substantial cuts to social programs gained steam in Congress even before the tax bill was passed, but momentum has slowed.

House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin has been the leading advocate for entitlement reform  a term critics denounce as a euphemism for deep cuts. However, in late December Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said such action would not be considered in the Senate this year. His statement was an acknowledgment Republicans now have just a one-vote majority and face elections made more difficult by the disputed tax bill, in addition to President Donald Trumps low ratings and repeated controversies.

McConnells proclamation did little to assuage Coxs concerns.

We need to remain on guard against changes that will financially impact counties and harm our most vulnerable residents  children, families and the elderly, he said.

The National Association of Counties will continue working with congressional leadership to advocate for county priorities, he added. We cant lose sight of the impact of budget changes on the people who need county services the most.

It might seem awkward that Cox, a Republican, must remain vigilant against possible action by a Republican Congress, but he shrugs that off.

This is not a position of being political, of being partisan, he said. We just deliver services.

He also is wary of what could be coming from Democrats who control Sacramento.

He described a trickle-down effect from some potential federal cuts. Many responsibilities would fall on the states which, in turn, would cram it back down on county governments.

As it stands, Cox said counties likely will have to pick up some slack due to the federal tax bill. Perhaps the biggest immediate concern, he said, was the elimination of the mandate requiring individuals to obtain health care or pay a penalty.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated the loss of the mandate will increase the number of uninsured by 13 million nationwide by 2027. The UC Berkeley Labor Center estimated that 1.7 million Californians would no longer be covered without the mandate. The county did not have a specific estimate for San Diego, but Cox said there likely would be an impact.

Were going to have a bigger call on uncompensated health care costs, he said.

Federal costs would go down, but the burden on state and local governments likely will rise.

Cox pointed out a couple of other provisions in the tax bill  one good, one not, in his view  that will affect local governments:

So-called private activity bonds that provide tax advantages when building such things as hospitals and university facilities were on the chopping block, but ultimately were left alone.

A type of government refinancing known as advance refunding essentially was done away with, which could affect future local government savings. However, some have questioned how much benefit this method provided in the first place.

He said counties across the nation have common goals to preserve programs and funding, but it can be a challenge to speak with a unified voice. There are more than 3,000 counties in the United States.

Once youve been to one county, youve been to one county, Cox joked.

A supervisor beginning his 24th year in office, Cox has come to learn that counties are a little-known level of government, making it harder to make their case.

One of his goals as leader of the national organization is to encourage more counties to develop 2-1-1 programs like the one in San Diego County. Its an online and telephone clearinghouse where people can find all manner of services from health programs to utility assistance.

Though San Diegos 2-1-1 program suffered a temporary glitch during the Lilac fire because the system was overloaded, Cox said it is widely viewed as a model for non-emergency services. Most California counties have similar systems and a push is on to get them in the 20 that dont.

Cox said the county wants the 2-1-1 program to connect the unconnected with services provided by government, nonprofits, faith-based organizations and more. He said local governments will need to rely more and more on community partnerships as federal and state funds inevitably get squeezed.

Were playing more defense than offense these days, he said.
Twelve Hillcrest homeowners are suing San Diego for denying them weekly trash pick-ups provided to most city residents under a law voters approved in 1919.

A legal victory for the homeowners could force the city to restore fee-free service to many similar residential developments, where groups of single-family homes are constructed with limited access to public streets.

That could increase the nearly $50 million San Diego spends each year providing trash pick-ups to eligible residents under the Peoples Ordinance.

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Its the only major California city that doesnt charge residents a fee beyond ordinary taxes for refuse collection services.

The Peoples Ordinance requires the city to collect, transport, and dispose of residential refuse, recyclables and green waste, and prohibits the city from charging a fee for this service. To be eligible for city-provided trash collection, residential refuse must be placed at the curb line of a public street in a city-approved container.

The city has shrunk its costs over the years with regulations making many homeowners ineligible for city pick-ups. San Diego no longer provides pick-ups to most large condominium and apartment complexes because of access issues for city trash trucks.

The attorney for the homeowners said the denial of service to his clients is an example of the city going too far in its efforts to reduce trash collection costs.

You talk to anyone at City Hall and they will tell you theyd like to be able to charge everybody for trash pick-up, which is what most cities do, said the attorney, Bob Ottilie. To minimize costs, I believe they are improperly using these regulations to minimize service.

Ottilie, speaking by telephone, said the homeowners he represents on Third Avenue just south of Robinson Avenue are the tip of a large iceberg.

I believe there are probably thousands of individuals in the city of San Diego that qualify as residential facilities under the Peoples Ordinance who are now being deprived of refuse collection under these regulations, he said.

Cheryl Nolan, a spokeswoman for City Attorney Mara Elliott, declined to comment on the lawsuit Ottilie filed on behalf of his clients on Nov. 30.

We will discuss the complaint with our client and respond through the court, Nolan said in an e-mail.

Ottilie said strong evidence San Diego is looking for any possible reason to deny service is that city officials have twice changed the reason that his clients arent eligible for city pick-ups.

They were first told last year by Matthew Cleary, a program manager in the citys Environmental Services Department, that there was inadequate space on their public alley to place the trash cans, the lawsuit says.

When the residents argued there was ample space and that other housing developments on the alley get city trash pick-ups, Clearys boss  Environmental Services Director Mario Sierra  said they were ineligible because they share a common driveway, the lawsuit says.

The argument was that the homeowners are ineligible because they must roll their trash cans across a private, shared driveway in order to get them to the curb where city trash trucks will empty them.

I dont mind having a regulation that advances some interests, but the regulation that youre precluded from refuse pickup because of how you got to the public right of way serves no purpose to the city, Ottilie said. Theres no safety or welfare issues and theres no liability issues of the city going on to someones private property.

Ottilie predicted the Superior Court judge in the case, Judith Hayes, will declare the regulation the city is relying on arbitrary and capricious.

When the court reviews any regulation, they have to find a purpose and benefit, he said. You cant just have regulations to have regulations.

According to the lawsuit, the city shifted its position again in December 2016, when the city attorneys office informed the homeowners they live in a multifamily development similar to a large condominium or apartment complex.

Residents in such complexes are almost always ineligible for city trash pick-ups based on a long list of criteria approved by the City Council in 2010.

They include the need for city trash trucks to enter private property, lack of adequate storage areas for trash cans, lack of adequate space to set cans out for pick-ups and the presence of overhead obstructions that could hamper the operation of trash trucks.

In the lawsuit, the homeowners say the multifamily designation is inaccurate because none of their homes share any walls and they have separate property parcel numbers.

The city has done everything it can for the last 30 or 40 years to minimize what it has to spend under the Peoples Ordinance, Ottilie said. But this one just goes way too far. They thought the homeowners would just fold, and when they got challenged they just kept changing their story.

A March 9 hearing is scheduled in the case.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
Mira Mesa High School was locked down briefly Friday morning until police arrested a student who brought a knife into a classroom where a teacher was alone.

The 17-year-old girl held the closed pocket knife in her hand and made no threats, but the teacher became nervous, slipped out of the room and called police, school district spokeswoman Maureen Magee said.

The call was made about 11:50 a.m. San Diego Unified School District police got to the campus quickly and San Diego police headed that way.

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The student left the school grounds but was spotted a short distance away on Hillery Drive. She was taken into custody about 12:20 p.m.

Magee said no students were in the classroom, during a break, at the time the student walked in with the knife.

Twain High School, located next to Mira Mesa High, also was locked down during the incident.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
San Diego police are on scene and homicide detectives are investigating after a report of shots fired in a Point Loma Heights apartment complex Thursday night.

The report of gunfire on Adrian Street south of West Point Loma Boulevard came shortly after 9 p.m., San Diego police said.

Multiple television stations reported that two people were shot, and one has died.

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Homicide detectives have been called to the scene. No further information was immediately available.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

(760) 529-4945

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT

UPDATES:

11:10 p.m. This story was updated to reflect police confirmation of a homicide. The story was initially posted at 10:05 p.m.
A man and a woman were found suffering from gunshot wounds at a Point Loma apartment Thursday night in what police are calling a murder-suicide case.

San Diego police officers were called to an apartment on Adrian Street near West Point Loma Boulevard about 9 p.m., where they found a woman lying in a hallway at the top of a stairway.

The woman had been shot several times.

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Officers carried the woman to an area of safety and began CPR, but she died at the scene, police said.

Other officers searched the area for a suspect and found the man lying inside an apartment on the second floor of the building. He had a gunshot wound to his head that appeared to be self inflicted.

Because police did not know if anyone else was inside the apartment, SWAT units were called to the building. The man died at the scene.

No other suspects were identified.

Police said a preliminary investigation has revealed that the man and the woman, who were in a dating relationship, had been arguing before the shooting. Investigators believe the man shot the woman before shooting himself.

It is not known why the couple had been arguing. Their identities are being withheld pending notification of their families, police said.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the San Diego Police Departments Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield
MASON CITY | John Stone is being remembered today as a loyal, hard-working Democrat whose goal in life was to try to help others.

Stone, 71, Cerro Gordo County Democratic chairman, died Thursday at the Muse-Norris Hospice In-Patient Unit.

Dean Genth, county Democratic vice chairman, said "What I will carry with me that I learned from John is that he always gave voice to those who needed help. That drove his political philosophy  meeting the needs of the most number of people.

"He knew that election results didn't always go the way he wanted them to, but he approached them like he approached life. He would always say, 'onward and upward,'" said Genth.

Randy Black, a fellow Democrat who worked with Stone on many Democratic Wing Ding fundraising events over the years, said, "He was a guy who told you straightforward what he thought. But he was a lot fun too. His mind was a file cabinet of trivia. He could tell you dates, he could tell you times, he could tell you places about political events from years ago.

"He truly cared about people and he was loved and liked by everyone because he wanted what was right for everyone."

Dr. Gary Swenson also reflected on Stone's thoughtfulness. "I think that John will always be remembered for the fact that his driving concern in this life was to better the lives of others," he said.

State Rep. Sharon Steckman, D-Mason City, reflected on Stone's dedication to party politics.

"For years, John took responsibility for running and planning county caucuses and he made sure our monthly meetings were focused and efficient," she said.

"During campaign season he was always looking for ways to get out the vote. I really appreciated his steadfast, strong support. John was a true patriot and a proud Democrat. He will be missed," said Steckman.

State Sen. Amanda Ragan said, "John was a good friend. He was dedicated to the Democratic Party for many years. He strongly supported the issues he believed in. His passion and advocacy will be missed."

Cerro Gordo County Treasurer Pat Wright said Stone was her representative on the County Compensation Board as he had been for her predecessor, Michael Grandon.

She said she and Grandon also worked closely with Stone in many county Democratic party functions. "He worked diligently to advance the Democratic Party in Cerro Gordo County and the state of Iowa," she said.

Jay Urdahl, former Cerro Gordo County supervisor, said, "John was a real foot soldier for the Democratic Party. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for a candidate or the party. His loyalty set him apart from other people."

Urdahl said Stone worked so hard for Sen. John Kerry when Kerry ran for president in 2004 that many thought Stone might get a job in his administration had Kerry won.

A memorial service for Stone will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Hogan-Bremer Memorial Chapel.
A Coronado surfing coach died while surfing with a friend before sunrise Friday off Sunset Cliffs, according to friends and authorities.

Stan Searfus, 56, was pulled unconscious from the ocean by lifeguards and could not be revived.

He was identified in a GoFundMe account as a surfing coach at Coronado middle and high schools, a lifeguard and founder of Blue Wave Coronado Surf Camp.

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Searfus leaves a wife and six children, according to the fundraising site.

Coronado Unified School District Superintendent Karl Mueller issued a statement saying Searfus had been a surfing coach for many years, with a passion for the ocean and the environment.

His influence over the youth in our town cannot be overstated, Mueller wrote.

Searfus and a friend had started surfing around 5:30 a.m. below Point Loma Nazarene University. His friend lost track of him in the dark, then saw his surfboard wash ashore, San Diego lifeguard Lt. Rick Romero said.

The friend called 911 about 5:50 a.m. to report the missing man and looked for Searfus in vain.

He was very well-experienced at surfing, according to the friend, Romero said. We did our best to give him a chance.

Four lifeguards combed the beach and four searched in two boats with the aid of a San Diego Fire-Rescue Department helicopter.

An hour after the emergency phone call, lifeguards in one of the boats found the man floating face-down, Romero said.

They pulled the man into their boat, started CPR and headed for lifeguard headquarters in Mission Bay. Medics met them at the boat dock but were unable to revive the man, Romero said.

He said the Medical Examiners Office was notified and would conduct an autopsy to determine whether the man drowned or died of another cause, such as a medical condition.

In an interview posted on YouTube in 2013, Searfus said he started surfing in seventh grade, a passion that took him around the world to chase waves.

In the piece, posted by BenOutlawVideos, Searfus said his own father was a Navy jet pilot, a career that brought him to Coronado, where Searfus father met his mother. He said his father was killed in Vietnam, and his mother and siblings settled in Coronado in 1968 after the fathers death. He joked that he was a free-range chicken there as a kid.

Searfus  who the piece calls a Coronado legend also spoke of helping to found and coach the surf club at Coronado Middle School.

Here is the full text of the Coronado school district superintendents statement, emailed Friday morning to staff, parents and community members:

Good morning, CUSD Family.

This morning, we learned of the sudden and tragic passing of Mr. Stan Searfus. Having served as CMS & CHS surf coach for years, Mr. Searfus and his family are beloved and well-connected members of our Coronado (and greater San Diego surf) community. He advocated for, and encouraged, opportunities for our students to experience and appreciate nature with care and compassion.

Stans passion for surfing, the ocean, and the environment was infectioushis influence over the youth in our town cannot be overstated.

Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

Understanding the impact this will have on our student body, Ms. Mellina and Ms. Moore will gather surf club members this morning to inform them of this tragic news and provide opportunities for students to access counseling services and/or reach out to their parents. All CUSD principals and staff are aware of Mr. Searfus passing and are planning appropriate supports for our students.

This is a very sad day for Coronadowe have lost one of the jewels in our crown.

Very Respectfully,

Karl J Mueller

Superintendent

Coronado Unified School District

pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
A 13-year-old boy was injured Thursday when he was struck by a pickup truck in San Diegos Encanto neighborhood, a police officer said.

The collision occurred just after 5:30 p.m. as a 48-year-old man drive a Nissan pickup eastbound on Brooklyn Avenue in the vicinity of 63rd Street, Officer Robert Heims said.

The teens injuries were considered serious but not life threatening, Heims said.

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He said that neither alcohol nor drugs played a role in the incident.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

(760) 529-4945

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT
Ringing in a new year usually includes the tradition of resolving to improve ourselves in some way. We may want to lose weight, learn a new language or save more for retirement. But what about our city or region? How can we improve our community? We asked some local residents to offer suggestions for community resolutions for 2018. Here are their responses.

ISMAHAN ABDULLAHI, Director of civic engagement and community partnerships, Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans

As the new year dawns upon us, many of us create new years resolutions that we hope to achieve. We are driven by our passion to change and start a new chapter in our lives. It is a time of a renewed sense of energy to let go of disappointments from the past year. We set these goals because we care about our sense of self and growth.

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As a community, it is no less different. Last year was tough for many, especially for communities of color. Some of us are protected by privilege and dont see the trauma and struggles many communities experience. Weve boxed ourselves in, divided ourselves by labels and forgotten the sense of humanity that we all share. It doesnt matter who you are or your political affiliation, we all bleed the same color.

As our nation tries to find its way and write its next chapter, our goal as a community should be dreaming about how to usher in a more just and equitable world and then acting on that dream. Expand your world by having meaningful conversations with people who are different from you. Get out of your comfort zone. Be informed and vote.

In 2018, we all have a role to play to write the nations next chapter. I leave you with a quote from Arundhati Roy: Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.

Believe it, work for it and stay steadfast.

GORDON WALKER, CEO, Regional Task Force on the Homeless

My prayer for all of San Diego region residents for 2018 is:

That we become unified in thought, purpose and goals in the hope that we become a significant force for good during this upcoming year;

That we are filled with compassion for those who do not share the bounties of life that we enjoy;

That we seek out opportunities to serve our brothers and sisters who are homeless and economically disadvantaged;

That we share with those in need the gifts of life that we enjoy;

That we feel the love of others and the warmth of giving, thereby receiving the love of others;

And that we might recognize our own fragility in this life and recognize that the plight of the homeless persons could be ours.

I have great hope that if we do these things for even just one person during 2018, this will be one of the greatest years in our lives, and that the good that will come from this will be noted worldwide, and that our own personal satisfaction will be at the pinnacle of enjoyment and happiness that we will ever experience in our life.

These are my own personal resolutions for good and change for 2018.

SAM ABED, Mayor, city of Escondido

The resolution for our community for this year is to reflect on the values that made America a great country. A resolution inspired by the values entrusted to us by our Founding Fathers, values that we all share as Americans, values of tolerance, understanding, respect and love. Respect and love each other, our neighbors, our friends and our families.

The America that I immigrated to 30 years ago is not the same today. With a new year upon us, we should count our blessings and cherish the wonderful country we have. Let us commit to embrace all the things that unite us and bring us together as one country, one community, one neighborhood and one family.

For America to remain an exceptional nation, we must commit to a more civil discourse motivated by mutual respect, accommodation and compassion. Lets also resolve to protect our fundamental rights of freedom, liberty, pride and love of America. We need to do so and to begin to do so now.

DULCE GARCIA, Immigration attorney, DACA recipient

Our resolution for 2018 should be the restoration of human dignity and respect to our undocumented families that form such a vital part of our community.

To move us forward, we should acknowledge the invaluable contributions of millions of undocumented people. People like my mother, a hotel housekeeper, and my father, a welder, have taught their children to dream notwithstanding all adversities. Thanks to my parents sacrifices, I am a lawyer, a business owner and a job creator. But even after decades contributing to this community, we still lack basic human and civil rights. Therefore, we should speak of the problem not as an immigration policy issue but as a human rights issue.

Our community should lead the nation through dialogue and sincere attempts to understand each other and drown out sounds of hate and fear that divide this great nation. We should aim to say simple yet powerful statements to each other, such as, I see you and if you hurt, I hurt. We should be driven by principles of fairness and justice for all.

Unlike my yearly resolution to exercise more, in 2018, protections for the most vulnerable in our community should be more than just a dream.

HANEY HONG, President and CEO, San Diego County Taxpayers Association

As we start a new year, we at the Taxpayers Association want to challenge ourselves and every San Diegan to be reasonable in the pursuit of real solutions to tough public problems. And this starts with resolving to talk and to actively listen to those with whom we disagree.

In the coming election season, we will have an opportunity to address a variety of issues we have struggled with for far too long. Affordable housing, growing homelessness and unfunded pensions sit atop a long list of challenges that demand community action and leadership.

Our inaction is partially due to our inability to come together with folks of differing viewpoints. Effective public leadership will require our elected leaders to reach across the aisle and to take meaningful steps towards tackling these problems. As a community, we should also challenge ourselves to engage with people who dont share our beliefs and do our best to understand.

With this resolution, we believe we can work together to solve issues that will make San Diego an example for the rest of the country. So much focus over the past year has been on federal politics, and we cannot forget how much great work can be done here locally. By coming together and solving some of our most pressing regional problems, we can make 2018 a great year for San Diego.

The San Diego County Taxpayers Association (@sdcta) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, dedicated to promoting accountable, cost-effective and efficient government and opposing unnecessary new taxes and fees.

MARY CASILLAS SALAS, Mayor, city of Chula Vista

For 2018, the city of Chula Vista looks forward to a final agreement with the Port of San Diego and RIDA Development for a world-class resort and conference center on our Bayfront which will create thousands of jobs. We will increase opportunities for higher education in our University Innovation District, and address the chronic understaffing of our Police and Fire Departments. Thanks to Measure P funds, we will repair and rebuild all streets that are in the worst condition, improve our parks and recreational centers, and replace two fire stations.

Although still a long shot, we made a splash with our proposal to Amazon for HQ2 and a positive response by Amazon would be the icing on the cake.

MADISON T. SHOCKLEY II, Pastor, Pilgrim United Church of Christ, Carlsbad

My new years resolution for the tri-city area of Carlsbad, Oceanside and Vista is to meet with a person of the other political persuasion, at least bi-monthly, for a cup of congenial coffee. Congenial coffee means a discussion that does not devolve into slogans or shouting but is a genuine engagement with the values, motivation and lives of our neighbors, who happen to disagree with us.

The divisions between Republicans and Democrats on fundamental political values ... reached record levels during Barack Obamas presidency. In Donald Trumps first year as president, these gaps have grown even larger, Pew pollsters reported.

Making polarization worse, too many people do not even know someone of the other party. In the tri-city area, we are registered as 30.1 percent Democratic, 39.4 percent Republican and the rest other or non-affiliated (slightly leaning Democratic); so we are almost evenly split.

Where better to start reversing the trend toward polarization and begin the healing that our culture (wars) so desperately needs? Who better than faith communities to lead us toward this healing? Ours is a congregation with a passion for social justice. There are other congregations whose passion reflects more traditional values. If we do not begin to talk, we will never finish healing. Ephesians 2:14 says, For he is our peace ... he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. That was the hard part, coffee is easy. Call Pilgrim Church to set up a cup of congenial coffee.
On Dec. 6, San Diego lifeguards voted on whether to pursue an independent department or to stay within the citys Fire-Rescue Department. The fact that 95 percent of the guards cast a vote, and 80 percent voted to leave the Fire Department, was unprecedented and clearly shows that there are deep problems.

The vote represents an indictment of Fire Department leadership but also of the structure and history of the department. It is a clear message to the mayor and the City Council from rank-and-file lifeguards who love serving and saving lives.

For the last 40 years, there have been repeated attempts by Fire Department leadership to encroach on lifeguard job responsibilities. This has not been a battle fought by the line personnel, who work well together, but rather by the fire union and fire chiefs determination to expand their department. For this reason, there was considerable concern when the lifeguards were placed in the Fire Department 18 years ago. Since then, the lifeguards have been saving lives under five fire chiefs.

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While none of the fire chiefs had any lifeguarding experience, each attempted to significantly alter the successful and high-performing system developed over our 100-year history. The attempted alterations have created turmoil every three to four years. The latest attack is the same, only disguised as integration with a new chief mandating that 22-30 firefighters assist us on routine rescues.

This 18-year attack has demoralized the lifeguards. With 50 percent retiring over a five-year period and the Fire Department continually usurping the lifeguards decision-making and budget, lifeguards are losing the ability to maintain reasonable standards of safety and professionalism.

Fire Department leadership is compromising the Boating Safety Unit and other important positions because lifeguards were not allowed to prepare for the current attrition. Limited lifeguard staff used for operations and training are continually ordered to train fire personnel rather than focusing on the new generation of lifeguards. Lifeguards are being sent on duty to parades, ball games and fire-training courses, while beaches are left understaffed. Monthly supervisor meetings held to evaluate operations and employees are now prohibited.

Money allocated for lifeguard operations is instead being used to cover Fire Department overtime. Over $9 million dollars of hotel tax money intended for the lifeguard budget to keep swimmers safe was instead shifted to cover the $22 million increase to last years Fire Department budget. The lifeguard vessel replacement fund was similarly misappropriated.

The Fire Departments latest attempts to expand into lifeguard duties have been much more insidious and damaging. Fire Department leadership is now using your tax dollars to induce the loyalty of lifeguard leadership. They have provided take-home vehicles and unlimited overtime to lifeguard lieutenants to ensure their loyalty. They have also abandoned the citys EEO policy to selectively train and promote those who are willing to go along with the Fire Departments agenda. We now have sergeants and others in the Boating Safety Unit who are not qualified to operate the boats.

Keeping San Diego beaches safe requires constant training and mentoring. Skills are developed slowly to ensure there are no mistakes. Each year, lifeguards make between 7,000 and 9,000 water rescues, 50 cliff rescues, thousands of medical aids and much more.

Lifeguards have historically stayed within their budget, making them one of the best deals for taxpayers. San Diego is a beach city that must maintain safe beaches for its residents and visitors. Having an independent department led by a lifeguard chief who has the experience to understand what is needed to maintain a high-functioning department has now become critical. The city and its residents will benefit because the lifeguards will be able to continue prioritizing safe beaches, while operating on a reasonable budget. Leaving the Fire Department will once again allow lifeguards to pursue an agenda that protects the coast, marine protected areas, residents and visitors.

Imperial Beach took lifeguards out of their Fire Department and created a stand-alone department 18 months ago. San Clemente and Laguna Beach have had stand-alone Lifeguard Departments for some time. Once independent, the lifeguards will continue to work well with the Fire Department just as we do with the Police Department.

The Fire Department is a very important large organization. The lifeguards are a very important small organization. They are completely different and need to operate independently.

Harris, a former interim San Diego City Council member, is a lifeguard sergeant and chief steward for Teamsters 911.
We know too little about the 20 people whose deaths were tied to last years unprecedented local hepatitis A outbreak, which caught city and county officials so off-guard that they had to abandon vague, bureaucratic talking points and less ambitious goals about helping the homeless and scramble to address a problem rooted in years of neglect.

Seventeen were men and three were women. Eleven were homeless, one was an illicit drug user and three others were both. They died between Feb. 25 and Oct. 26, ranged in age from 35 to 81, and had 1,136 years of cumulative time on planet Earth  an average of 56 years and 10 months each. But San Diego County officials refuse to release their names or other information about them even though their lives merited more than statistics and their deaths make details crucial to members of the public.

The fiasco was San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconers Flint, Michigan, a crisis that could have been avoided had government done its job protecting people. But theres enough blame that the City Council and county supervisors deserve some, too.

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Across America, there have been other examples where people died from government neglect, but such deaths are often sudden. The 2016 Oakland Ghost Ship warehouse fire and the 2003 West Warwick, Rhode Island, Station nightclub fire, for example. Here there were warning signs for years that San Diegos hepatitis A outbreak  or something like it  was inevitable with more and more homeless people living closer and closer together with fewer and fewer public bathrooms in downtown San Diego.

These 20 hepatitis A deaths represent the real cost of a series of public policy errors, missteps and inaction. While there has always been some pressure on city and county leaders to find short-term and long-term housing solutions, these 20 lives are largely the reason that 700 homeless San Diegans can now find shelter in three massive tent structures downtown and that hundreds more homeless residents have hand-washing stations and bathrooms available to them on city streets that have fewer homeless camps on them. After a history of dragging their feet, city officials quickly opened a city-sanctioned homeless encampment and expanded safe parking spacesfor people living in cars this fall. The life-or-death stakes lent an urgency to 2017 that had been missing.

The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board chooses these nameless, voiceless individuals as our 2017 people of the year. Even with what little we know about them, their impact is undeniable.

County officials wouldnt even say much about patient zero, only that hes a homeless man who tested positive for hepatitis A at a La Mesa hospital after an exposure period that was mainly in El Cajon. For geographic details, the county has only shared a breakdown of 577 confirmed cases by ZIP code. It shows 94  the highest number by far  were downtown, another sign city officials should be ashamed they ignored numerous warnings about how a lack of restrooms could fuel a public health emergency.

It was only after media attention in late August and early September began a cavalcade of bad press that Faulconer, the San Diego City Council and the county Board of Supervisors showed any sense of urgency for this emergency. Entirely avoidable and readily fixable, U-T columnist Dan McSwain wrote in January of San Diegos homeless crisis. Without these deaths, its unsettling to think that bureaucrats would have bungled along, moving slowly to address homeless issues worsened by their inaction.

Sadly, the deaths are already overshadowed by the 45 people the county says have died from influenza since July, including 34 this week. The 20 hepatitis A victims deserve our undying thanks. We wont forget them even if the county wont identify them.

Related editorials:

How Faulconer handles homeless in 2017 a big question

Hepatitis A outbreak needs broad response

Hepatitis A scare: shame on city, county of San Diego

Faulconers tent homeless plan is half-baked, has too many questions

Hepatitis A outbreak: Public restroom problem something San Diego saw coming

San Diego City Council border wall resolution: wrong priority, wrong time

Hepatitis A outbreak is San Diegos Katrina as urgency underscores a slow initial response

San Diego steps up homeless response, blunders on housing

San Diego homeless tents start off on right foot at last minute

Hepatitis A outbreak must stay priority for San Diego city, county officials

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Twitter: @sdutIdeas

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Late last year, the Centers for Disease Control reported that 2016 had more fatal drug overdoses than any other year inU.S. history  about 63,600 or nearly 175 a day  with two-thirds linked to the opioid epidemic. The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board called then for the Trump administration to do far more to address the crisis, in keeping with Donald Trumps promises on the campaign trail.

Now Attorney General Jeff Sessions has outlined a new anti-drug strategy  and he seems more worried about marijuana, which kills no one by overdose and far fewer people accidentally than dangerous and deadly opioids. This is the stuff of bad farce.

On Thursday, Sessions gave local U.S. attorneys the discretion to use federal laws to crack down on marijuana as they see fit, including in the eight states like California that have legalized recreational use. He did so by rescinding a 2013 memo issued by the Obama administrations Justice Department that allowed states to permit recreational marijuana use with certain safeguards. Those included keeping children from having access to pot and minimizing exports of marijuana grown in states where it is legal to states where it is illegal.

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With his action, Sessions didnt just ignore Trumps repeated promises as a candidate to let states go their own ways on recreational drug use. The attorney general also disregarded the intent of Congress that the feds should butt out, expressed by the passage of budget riders since 2014 forbidding federal interference with state laws permitting medical use of cannabis. Sessions also ignored another issue: the need to wisely use the Justice Departments limited resources in an era of tight budgets.

The attorney generals aides couldnt even explain to reporters whether Sessions goal was a return to a full-on federal war on marijuana or just an effort to hurt the momentum building behind the cannabis legalization movement. Starting now, the 94 U.S. Attorneys Offices nationwide can choose their own paths. Thats extraordinary, and crazy.

Congress must respond to Sessions edict by passing another rider that applies to state laws allowing recreational use as well in coming votes on budget and federal spending cap measures. Otherwise, Sessions move threatens chaos in California, where recreational marijuana sales began Monday, and in the other states that allow it even though federal banking laws make it dangerously all-cash.

At the state level, another lawsuit and another round of Trump name-calling seem inevitable. But a more constructive approach might be for politicians from Gov. Jerry Brown and Sen. Dianne Feinstein on down to remind the president that Sessions is breaking promises that Trump repeatedly made. Trump is so mercurial that he may welcome a new chance to humiliate Sessions by overruling him. The president has derided Sessions for months over decisions related to special prosecutor Robert Muellers investigation of possible ties between Russia and the Trump campaign and White House.

At the local level, U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman is not offering clarity on his intentions. Braverman is a Sessions appointee who was sworn in nearly two months ago and has nearly a decade of experience working as a San Diego federal prosecutor who targeted international drug cartels.

In a statement Braverman sent to NBC San Diego, he said Sessions step returns trust and local control to federal prosecutors, which could signal a crackdown on recreational marijuana in San Diego  or not.

The Department of Justice is committed to reducing violent crime and enforcing the laws as enacted by Congress, Braverman wrote. The cultivation, distribution, and possession of marijuana has long been and remains a violation of federal law. We will continue to utilize long-established prosecutorial priorities to carry out our mission to combat violent crime, disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations, and stem the rising tide of the drug crisis.

This statement offers no acknowledgment that Californians, with their decisive vote for Proposition 64 in 2016, want access to cannabis to be legal. Sessions and Braverman need to explain exactly what they hope to accomplish with this new policy  not leave the nations largest state in a confused legal limbo.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

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CHARLES CITY | On July 7, 2017, Jeannie Westby and her husband, Pete, received a call from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

The call was one bearing good news: a liver was available for Jeannie's daughter, 15-year-old Faith, whose own liver was starting to fail. The price, however, was that it would be the liver of 15-year-old Logan Luft, a Charles City teen who died from injuries sustained in an ATV accident July 4.

The Westbys were flown into Rochester from Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, that day, and Faith underwent surgery for the liver replacement. It was successful, but Jeannie was initially overcome with mixed emotions.

"I think as a recipient, you're not prepared for how thankful and how sad you are," she said. "It took me a while to work through the fact there's a set of parents that don't have their child."

Now, however, the Lufts and Westbys have become good friends, according to Wendy Luft, Logan's mother. The Westbys plan to visit Charles City on Jan. 29, and see much of the community where Logan thrived and was well-respected.

The connection between Logan and Faith was apparent right away, Wendy said. She added that despite Logan's death, it was important to focus on the positive aspect of the liver donation.

"It's hard for her (Jeannie) to think Logan's loss was for their gain," she said. "But like I told her, Logan passed away no matter what ... the fact he gets to live on is a gift for us."

Both Wendy and Jeannie said they're noticed similarities in the Pelican Rapids and Charles City areas  they're tight-knit communities that have been extremely supportive, given the circumstances surrounding Logan and Faith.

Faith has spent much of her life at Mayo Clinic, as she suffers from Kabuki syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes several medical complications involving growth delays, intellectual disability and other symptoms.

The commute from Pelican Rapids to Rochester is about a five-hour drive  but Jeannie said the care at Mayo has been excellent, and the "drive has gotten to be a bit shorter after all these years."

Initially, Logan's liver was intended for a 3-year-old boy or girl, Wendy said. But after more tests, doctors determined the organ would be more suitable for someone around Faith's age, 15.

Jeannie said Faith was put on a active donor list for a liver sometime in April, after doctors revealed she scored a 30 out of 40 on the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scale. A score of 40 indicates the highest need for an organ.

Then, at 3:40 p.m. on July 7, the Westbys got the call that a liver was available. Faith was in surgery between 7 to 7:30 p.m. that night.

When Wendy found out Faith was the liver recipient, she admitted that there was uncertainty  how would their personalities mesh? Would they be friendly?

Those doubts quickly disappeared, however, when the two families met at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester on Dec. 30, 2017.

"Instantly, you could tell we would be friends and relatives forever," Wendy said. "We are really, really blessed; (Faith) is just a little dolly."

Jeannie said that the community support in Pelican Rapids  a town of just under 2,500  for Faith has been overwhelming.

"She is like a celebrity in town," she said. "She is just so loved ... her class has been so kind and caring. Everybody that has known her has been so nice ... she has people praying for her that haven't prayed in years."

She added that she expects much of the same when the Westbys visit Charles City later this month.

"I think she is from a very similar community we are from, theres a unity that is so exciting to go and be a part of that," Jeannie said. "We have a huge family in Pelican Rapids, and I feel were going to have that in Charles City, too ... the more people in our lives, the better."
The North Iowa Court Appointed Special Advocates program is seeking volunteers for MLK Day and beyond.

A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a person who volunteers for abused and neglected children. Local judges assign CASAs to help monitor and assist children who are in the foster care and child welfare systems.

These volunteers are assigned to children until their case is closed, and they are in a permanent home.

In order to be involved and/or learn more about becoming a CASA, call 1-866-469-2522 or visit iamforthechildiowa.com.

 Steve Bohnel
FOREST CITY | The last remaining barber in Forest City has retired.

After nearly 48 years of cutting hair in North Iowa, Ron Owen had his final customer on Dec. 22.

During his last week at Progressive Image, Owen said he was looking forward to retirement but would miss his customers.

Some of them began coming to him for haircuts in the 1970s.

"It's been great over the years," Owen said.

Saying goodbye to his regular customers has been difficult.

"I have been telling them they have to look for somebody new," he said. "It makes it kind of tough on the customer, too."

He said there's a lot fewer barbers nowadays. Many of the towns surrounding Forest City don't have one anymore, he noted.

Owen grew up on a farm near Lytton. After graduating from Sioux City Barber College in the 1960s, he began cutting hair in Cedar Rapids.

After three years he took a break from barbering and worked in management for Pizza Hut.

Ron and his wife, Linda, moved to Lake Mills in 1970, where he opened a barber shop. Ron opened another shop in Thompson, where he worked in the evenings while continuing to cut hair in Lake Mills.

In late 1973, he bought his own barber shop in Forest City, located right across from the movie theater. For a few months he continued to cut hair in Thompson as well.

His wife, Linda, a licensed cosmetologist, later opened a beauty salon in the Forest City shop, so they called the place Ron and Linda's.

Over the years the name of the business changed to Progressive Image. At one time it was located on U.S. Highway 69 before moving to its final home at 246 N. Fourth St.

Linda retired eight years ago. Now that Ron has also retired, he has sold the building to Eddy's Glass & Door. It will be used for storage.

Hairstyles have changed a lot over the years, Ron said.

When he first started cutting hair in Cedar Rapids, flat-top haircuts were still popular with his customers who were executives at Collins Radio (now Rockwell Collins).

In those days boys were sporting the "John-John" cut, made popular by the young son of President John F. Kennedy.

Later on longer hair became the trend, particularly with young people.

Hair nowadays is "a little bit of everything," Owen said.

"It's a blend of the old and new," he added, noting flat-tops have made a comeback.

The Owens like to go to Lake Elysian in Minnesota in the summer.

Now that both of them are retired, "we will probably enjoy spending a little more time at the lake," Ron said.
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We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way  everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want  everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear  anywhere in the world.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Message to Congress, January 6, 1941

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Inspired by Franklin D. Roosevelts famous Four Freedoms speech to Congress on January 6, 1941, on the eve of World War II, Norman Rockwell wanted to contribute to the war effort by creating paintings that depicted each one.

The artist struggled with how best to visualize the abstract concepts. I juggled the Four Freedoms around in my mind, reading a sentence here, a sentence there, trying to find a picture, he later recalled. But it was so high-blown. Somehow I just couldnt get my mind around it.

One night in bed, Rockwell was mulling over the proclamation, getting more discouraged as hours ticked by. I suddenly remembered how [neighbor] Jim Edgerton had stood up in a town meeting and said something that everybody else disagreed with, Rockwell said. They had let him have his say. No one had shouted him down. I thought  thats it. Freedom of Speech  a New England town meeting. Freedom from Want  a Thanksgiving dinner. Ill express the ideas in simple, everyday scenes  in terms everybody can understand.

Excited and confident, Rockwell rolled up his sketches and boarded a train for Washington, D.C., to visit the governments propaganda department, the Office of War Information, proposing that the illustrations be made into patriotic posters that could be sold to raise funds for the war effort. I showed the Four Freedoms to the man in charge of posters, Rockwell said, but he wasnt even interested. On his way back to Vermont, the discouraged artist stopped in Philadelphia to discuss future projects with Post editor Ben Hibbs. In passing, Rockwell mentioned his Washington trip, explained what the series was about, and then showed him the sketches. Hibbs loved the idea, telling the artist, Norman, youve got to do them for us.  Drop everything else, just do the Four Freedoms.

Rockwell spent seven months painting the Four Freedoms, which were published in four consecutive issues of the Post, starting on February 20, 1943, accompanied by essays by four distinguished writers  Booth Tarkington, Will Durant, Carlos Bulosan, and Stephen Vincent Benet. The paintings were a phenomenal success, with the Post receiving 25,000 reprint requests. A few months later, the government changed its tune, and in May 1943, the Post and the U.S. Treasury Department launched a joint fundraising campaign, sending the paintings on a 16-city national tour. More than one million people attended the exhibition that raised an astounding $132 million.

Now hanging in the Norman Rockwell Museum, the iconic paintings capture the freedoms we enjoy as Americans and the cherished ideals that unite us  timeless reminders of what we have and what we have to lose.

Freedom of Speech: Rockwell started the first painting in the series at least four times. He initially depicted an entire town meeting full of people, with one man standing up in the center of the crowd talking, but later felt there were too many people in the picture. He altered the composition significantly, tightening the focus on the speaker, now positioned in front of a blackboard, as townspeople listened respectfully to the speakers words.

Freedom of Worship: The original painting was set in a barbershop, with patrons of various races and religions patiently waiting their turns. I wanted it to make the statement that no man should be discriminated against regardless of his race or religion, Rockwell said. Ultimately, Rockwell rejected that scene as ambiguous. Instead, his finished composition groups faces and hands  a melange of different cultures  in prayerful contemplation, bearing the legend, Each according to the dictates of his own conscience.

Freedom from Want: One of Rockwells most famous and beloved works, Freedom from Want became an iconic representation of Americas quintessential national holiday, Thanksgiving. To create the scene, he grouped members of his own family and friends around a dinner table for a holiday meal. After two difficult paintings (Speech and Worship), this one came easy: Mrs. Wheaton, our cook (and the woman holding the turkey), cooked it, I painted it, and we ate it.

Freedom from Fear: The last in the series depicts children, oblivious to the mounting conflict in the world, resting safely in bed as their parents look on. The serenity of the scene is belied by the newspapers bold headline, Bombing  a reference the 19401941 blitz in London. Rockwell said the idea he hoped to convey was this: Thank God we can put our children to bed with a feeling of security, knowing they will not be killed in the night.

Rockwells Lasting Legacy by Abigail Rockwell We are living in chaotic and even alarming times, but heres the tremendous gift: We are compelled to go within  so much outside of ourselves is beyond our control  to discover what our true values are  what is really important to us, for our families and our lives. Everything becomes clear in times of crisis. All of us are now urged to revisit the Four Freedoms and what they mean to us. Freedom of Speech (and the Press) is more relevant and vital than ever before; Freedom from Want  the polarity of the haves and the have-nots is starkly apparent and pressing; Freedom of Worship as everyones faith is being tested, judged, and at times viciously condemned; and Freedom from Fear haunts all of us as we attempt to gather greater strength, courage, and renewed purpose in the face of escalating troubles around the world. The process of painting the Four Freedoms ushered in a new phase in my grandfathers work; a greater sense of purpose, refined technique, and heightened storytelling began to inform his art from then on. The great studio fire that occurred shortly after he completed Four Freedoms  a blaze that destroyed his entire studio and its contents, including the collection of his own work  forced him to immediately let go of the past and start all over again in the harsh light of an inestimable artistic and personal loss. But he embraced it, moved to a less isolated home on the West Arlington town green, and became very close with his neighbors  the Edgertons and the entire community in Vermont  which also greatly benefited his work and life. Without his seven-month struggle in painting the Four Freedoms and the subsequent studio fire, the period of Norman Rockwells masterpieces in the late 40s to mid-50s simply would not have occurred.

To read the complete Four Freedoms essays, visit saturdayeveningpost.com/fourfreedoms.

This article is featured in the January/February 2018 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.
CALGARY, Alberta, Jan. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Newton Energy Corporation (the "Company" or "Newton") (NEX:NTN.H) announces, subject to regulatory approval, the granting to employees, officers, consultants and members of the Board of Directors, stock options to purchase up to 195,621 common shares of Newton, pursuant to the Stock Option Plan of the Company. The options are for a period of five years, have an exercise price of $0.25 per share and will vest immediately.



For further information, please contact:

Newton Energy Corporation

Gino DeMichele, President & CEO

1600, 333 - 7th Avenue S.W.

Calgary, Alberta T2P 2Z1

Phone: 403-680-7898

This news release may contain certain forward-looking information and statements, including without limitation, statements pertaining to regulatory approval for the grant of stock options. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and such information involves various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. A description of assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information and a description of risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in Newtons disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Newton does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Neither the NEX Board of the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the NEX Board) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
The Panama Maritime Authority of (AMP) has begun cancelling the registration of the Orient Shenyu (also known as Glory Hope 1) one of 10 vessels the US called on the UN to blacklist for trading with North Korea.

Likewise, a cancellation process has been established for the 8,100 dwt-oil tanker Koti being held by South Korean Authorities in Pyeongtaek-Dangjin port, in western South Korea, suspected of supplying oil to North Korea, in violation of the international sanctions imposed by theUN.

The AMP said it reiterates its commitment to continue co-operating and executing the necessary measures to prevent the use of the Panamanian Ship Registry by companies and/or owners operated or controlled by the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea (DPRK).
The ferry designed to operate the fjords of Norway will have the capacity for 60 cars and 199 passengers and crew.

The fully electric solution battery-powered ferry is designed by Multi Maritime for Norwegian public transport operator Boreal. The ferry will be built at Vard Bralia in Romania and scheduled for delivery in Q3 2019 from Vard Brevik in Norway. The value of the newbuilding contract was not disclosed.

We are delighted to welcome Boreal as a new client to Vard, and look forward to building the battery-powered ferry, in which we can utilise our strong expertise in battery technology for efficient and environmentally friendly vessels, said Roy Reite, ceo and executive director of Vard.

The ferry will commence operations in Norway from January 2020, crossing Kvanndal-Utne at the west-coast of Norway, where Boreal has been awarded a nine-year contract with the Norwegian government.
TORONTO, Jan. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With reports that employees at various Tim Hortons franchises in Ontario have been informed that they will no longer receive paid breaks and health benefits because of the January 1 increase to a $14.00 minimum wage, the Ontario Federation of Labour is sending a message to those owners: an affront to one worker is an attack on all working people.



Workers in Ontario are disgusted by the actions of these employers, said Chris Buckley, President of the Ontario Federation of Labour. Its shameful that a company like Tim Hortons, which trumpets its Canadian values, would stoop this low. This spiteful action toward their own workforce only goes to show working people, including their customers, the level of greed at which they operate. My advice to their employees is to join a union and fight for better rights in the workplace, said Buckley.

The Ontario Federation of Labour is encouraging its one million members to support these workers and call on Tim Hortons to reinstate paid breaks, using the hashtag #Istandwithtimhortonsworkers.

Forget your double-double, the labour movement will double down against these bully employers set on attacking their vulnerable minimum wage earners, said Buckley.

The action of these Tim Hortons franchise owners has got the attention of our entire movement, and the many millions of decent Ontarians that frequent their establishments every day, said Chris Buckley. Workers across this province recognize that employers are using the rise in the minimum wage to reduce the quality of work in this province, and the Ontario Federation of Labour will take action to maintain decent work for all, he added.

The OFL represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For more information, visit www.ofl.ca and follow @OFLabour on Facebook and Twitter.



For further information

Meagan Perry, Director of Communications, Ontario Federation of Labour

416-948-5720

Cope343
BROOKFIELD, NEWS, Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield Business Partners L.P. (NYSE:BBU) (TSX:BBU.UN) ("Brookfield Business Partners"), together with institutional partners (collectively "Brookfield"), announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a 75% controlling interest in the Schoeller Allibert Group B.V. (Schoeller Allibert or the Company), one of Europes largest manufacturers of returnable plastic packaging systems for 205 million. The stake is being acquired from an indirect subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:JPM) (J.P. Morgan).



Brookfield completed the transaction by partnering with the founding Schoeller family who will continue to hold the remaining 25% interest in the Company through Schoeller Group and expects to be a long-term partner in growing the business. The Schoeller Group have the opportunity to increase their ownership over time.

This is a great transaction for the Company and completes a successful period of ownership by J.P. Morgan, said Ian Robinson, CEO of Schoeller Allibert. We are looking forward to building on our successes of recent years as we move into a new and exciting phase of our development with the support of the shareholders.

An increased global focus on sustainability, waste reduction, e-commerce and logistics automation positions the returnable packaging sector for meaningful growth, so we are pleased to invest in Schoeller Allibert which has built a highly regarded reputation in this space, said Cyrus Madon, CEO, Brookfield Business Partners. We look forward to partnering closely with the management team and the Schoeller Group to bring our operational expertise and geographic reach to create further value and grow the business.

We valued the partnership with J.P. Morgan and are excited about the new partnership with Brookfield. We look forward to an increased ability to grow the business organically through continued innovation as well as internationally, organically or through acquisitions, supported by Brookfields global presence, financial strength and expertise, said Martin and Christoph Schoeller, Managing Partners of the Schoeller Group.

Business Overview

Schoeller Allibert has a product portfolio of over 1,000 types of returnable plastic crates and containers used by a diversified, global customer base across essential industry sectors, including agriculture, beverage, food processing and retail, industrial and automotive manufacturing and container pooling and rental companies.

Business highlights:

Strong competitive position. Schoeller Allibert is a key player in Europe with a scale footprint of manufacturing sites in key markets including Germany, Netherlands, France, Spain, the UK, and one facility in the United States.



Schoeller Allibert is a key player in Europe with a scale footprint of manufacturing sites in key markets including Germany, Netherlands, France, Spain, the UK, and one facility in the United States. Favourable market dynamics. As a substitute for one-way packaging, the returnable packaging industry is positioned for growth, a trend driven by a global focus on sustainability, waste reduction and growing e-commerce and logistics automation.



As a substitute for one-way packaging, the returnable packaging industry is positioned for growth, a trend driven by a global focus on sustainability, waste reduction and growing e-commerce and logistics automation. Diversified, long-term customer base. The business serves over 10,000 customers, many through long-term relationships, that are diversified across segments and geographies.



The business serves over 10,000 customers, many through long-term relationships, that are diversified across segments and geographies. Reputation for innovation. Schoeller Allibert has a comprehensive patented product range of foldable containers, rigid pallet containers, beverage crates as well as trays, stackable boxes and pallets. The business helps its clients reduce logistics costs and produces innovative designs that can meet demanding logistics and retail marketing display requirements.

Funding

Brookfield Business Partners will commit to fund up to 50 million of the equity on closing using existing liquidity. Prior to or following closing, a portion of Brookfield Business Partners' investment may be syndicated to other institutional investors.

Schoeller Allibert has 210 million in 8% Senior Secured Notes due in 2021 currently outstanding. The terms of the notes currently permit the issuance of additional notes and, in certain circumstances, holders may tender their notes for repurchase following the occurrence of a change of control.

Transaction Process

Closing of the transaction remains subject to customary conditions, including, among others, regulatory approvals and is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2018.

Schoeller Allibert is one of Europes key manufacturers of returnable plastic packaging systems. It has extensive expertise in a range of industries, including agriculture, automotive, food and food processing, beverage, retail, industrial manufacturing and pooling. For more information, visit www.schoellerallibert.com

Brookfield Business Partners is a business services and industrials company focused on owning and operating high-quality businesses that benefit from barriers to entry and/or low production costs. Brookfield Business Partners is listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges. Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information.

Brookfield Business Partners is the flagship listed business services and industrials company of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (NYSE:BAM) (TSX:BAM.A) (EURONEXT:BAMA), a leading global alternative asset manager with over $265 billion of assets under management. For more information, please visit our website at https://bbu.brookfield.com.

Schoeller Group, Munich is the management holding of the Schoeller family for their industrial and service businesses and has an established track record in complementary businesses in the supply chain logistics, intellectual property, consulting and real estate segments with annual revenues over 1.2 billion. www.schoellergroup.com

Media:

Claire Holland

Tel: +1 (416) 369-8236

Email: claire.holland@brookfield.com

Investors:

Courtney Burke

Tel: +1 (416) 369-2629

Email: courtney.burke@brookfield.com



Rogier Kloek

Head of Treasury and Investor Relations

Tel +31 (0) 88 0047312

Investor.relations@schoellerallibert.com



BROOKFIELD BUSINESS PARTNERS CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION

Note: This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and in any applicable Canadian securities regulations. The words "will," "expect," increase, "may," derivatives thereof and other expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events, trends or prospects and which do not relate to historical matters will tend to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the expected completion of the transaction described herein and the anticipated timing thereof, and the future performance and operation of the acquired business.

Although we believe that the forward-looking statements we make are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, the reader should not place undue reliance on them or any other forward-looking statements or information in this news release. The future performance and prospects of Brookfield Business Partners are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to: the impact or unanticipated impact of general economic, political and market factors in the countries in which we do business; the behavior of financial markets, including fluctuations in interest and foreign exchange rates; global equity and capital markets and the availability of equity and debt financing and refinancing within these markets; strategic actions including acquisitions and dispositions; the ability to complete and effectively integrate acquisitions into existing operations and the ability to attain expected benefits and in particular completion of the acquisition referred to in this news release, which cannot be assured; changes in accounting policies and methods used to report financial condition (including uncertainties associated with critical accounting assumptions and estimates); the ability to appropriately manage human capital; the effect of applying future accounting changes; business competition; operational and reputational risks; technological change; changes in government regulation and legislation within the countries in which we operate; governmental investigations; litigation; changes in tax laws; ability to collect amounts owed; catastrophic events, such as earthquakes and hurricanes; the possible impact of international conflicts and other developments including terrorist acts and cyber terrorism; and other risks and factors detailed from time to time in our documents filed with the securities regulators in Canada and the United States.

We caution that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Except as required by law, Brookfield Business Partners undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether written or oral, that may be as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SPRING HOPE, NC, Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hemp, Inc. (OTC PINK: HEMP) executives respond today to the U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions decision to rescind the Cole memo that ignited a marijuana stock sell-off . However, Sessions stance on cannabis does NOT include industrial hemp and it definitely does NOT include kenaf, says Bruce Perlowin, CEO of Hemp, Inc. With 18,000,000 pounds of kenaf in inventory and another, approximate, 2,000,000 pounds of kenaf to be harvested early this year, Hemp, Inc. executives are not the least bit worried about their supply chain or if there will be any marijuana pushback by the federal government.

Investors in Hemp, Inc. have nothing to worry about or fear, says Perlowin. Hemp, Inc., as reported in a press release yesterday , is processing its first two purchase orders, a truckload of kenaf fiber and a truckload of its kenaf loss circulation material (LCM). This was not two truckloads of recreational marijuana. This was not two truckloads of medical marijuana. This was not even two truckloads of industrial hemp. It was one truckload of kenaf LCMs thats going to Texas and one truckload of kenaf fiber thats going to New Jersey. So no matter how Sessions marijuana obsession plays out, Hemp, Inc. is a safe bet for anyone concerned or hesitant about this new development, said Perlowin. As a global leader in the industrial hemp industry, with the largest multi-purpose industrial hemp processing facility in the western hemisphere, Hemp, Inc. is as sure of an investment as it was before Sessions unpopular new war on the marijuana industry was announced.

This opinion is shared by many others in the industrial hemp industry. Whole Foods Magazine published an article , What Sessions Move on Marijuana Means for Hemp, CBD, and it says Sessions decision should not affect businesses that are hemp-based. Sessions rescinding the Cole memo applies to marijuana related companies, not hemp companies. Read the full article here .

According to the article published in the RollingStone , Jeff Sessions unpopular decision brought swift condemnation from both Republicans and Democrats alike, with National Republican Senatorial Committee head, Senator Cory Gardner blasting Sessions as a liar. Gardner was quoted saying, This reported action directly contradicts what Attorney General Sessions told me prior to his confirmation The Justice Department has trampled on the will of the voters in CO and other states I am prepared to take all steps necessary, including holding DOJ (Department of Justice) nominees, until the Attorney General lives up to the commitment he made to me prior to his confirmation. As being reported across the net, Sessions decision is not likely to stop the multi-billion dollar industry from growing.

In fact, according to a 2017 report from Marijuana Business Daily entitled "Marijuana Business Factbook 2017," the legal cannabis market in the U.S. is slated to grow by 45% in 2018, and by an aggregate of 300% between 2016 and 2021 to approximately $17 billion. With statistical figures like these, can Sessions or anyone else ultimately stop an industry that is practically bursting at the seams? At most, it will only cause a hiccup or two. But its important to note that the marijuana industry is here to stay, just like the industrial hemp industry its only going to grow, said Perlowin.

Hemp, Inc. is totally unaffected by this I declare war game. Hemp, Inc. is not even harvesting large scale hemp grows yet. Our current focus is still on kenaf . We have 18,000,000 pounds of it in inventory and another 2,000,000 to be harvested in the next couple of months. At $2 to $4 per pound, we are looking at some very hefty revenues! As of this moment, hemp is a safe bet. We doubt very seriously that it will come under fire, much less kenaf fiber or our kenaf loss circulation material. Sessions decision does not affect our current sales and revenues. We just sold a truckload of kenaf fiber and a truckload of LCMs. If people are concerned about marijuana, then just buy hemp because theres no government backlash, said Perlowin.

It is important to note that hemp products are completely legal for consumers to purchase and/or consume in the United States. Marijuana, while medically legal in many states and recreationally legal in a few states, is deemed illegal on the Federal level, and thus the reason Hemp, Inc. focuses on various industrial hemp and kenaf products and not marijuana. To clarify, hemp products such as Hemp Milk, Hemp Cereal, and Hemp Oil that American consumers nationwide are increasingly purchasing every day, are obviously, legal.

The major market for Hemp is as a food or supplement as it is rich in protein, Omega fatty acids and has a high fiber content. Costco carries hemp hearts, and Natural Grocers and Whole Foods Market stock many brands of Hemp food products and supplements. The clothing industry has targeted Hemp as a provocative niche market fabric. High fashion designers Ralph Lauren and Versace make apparel from Hemp blended fabric. Footwear giants Vans, Nike, New Balance and Adidas all make Hemp sneakers. Trendy companies market hemp T-shirts , hats , jewelry , backpacks , even pet beds and leashes . Auto manufacturers use durable, green Hemp composites and fabrics when feasible. Industrial Hemp can also be used for building materials , plant-based plastics , and paper products . One of the only things you cant do with hemp is get high from it, thus avoiding Sessions obsession.

Industrial Hemp is cultivated much differently than marijuana. Marijuana is used solely for its medical and psychoactive aspects. Hemp, on the other hand, has a low THC content and produces no psychoactive results. The main difference in cultivation between marijuana and Industrial Hemp is that in cultivating marijuana, the plants are spaced far apart, and the male plants are destroyed to assure that they cannot seed the female plants, which would result in undesirable, less potent and less marketable, seeded marijuana buds. Hemp, on the other hand, is planted close together and commonly hermaphrodites, which creates an abundance of seeds, the main component of Hemp foods and supplements. The Hemp stalks are processed and used for fiber, composite, and other hemp-based end products.

Industrial Hemp has long been known for its versatility, durability, sustainability, and high-quality. Industrial Hemp grows quickly, in just about any climate and doesnt require pesticides, while simultaneously removing toxins found in soil. Industrial Hemp has been used for over 12,000 years and was once the primary fiber used to produce rope, paper, canvas, and clothing in the United States and Europe.

The industrial hemp industry is here to stay and it's only going to grow and Hemp, Inc. is at the forefront of that industry. Hemp, Inc. is full speed ahead with their first purchase orders for Drillwall and kenaf fiber. The companys infrastructure divisions continue to create a strong growth platform for it and it is handsomely paying off now. Hemp, Inc.s five key infrastructure divisions are:

Industrial Hemp Manufacturing and Processing Infrastructure  Division One Hemp Oil Extraction Infrastructure  Division Two Hemp Farming Infrastructure  Division Three Hemp Education Infrastructure  Division Four Marketing Infrastructure  Division Five

1. Industrial Hemp Manufacturing and Processing Infrastructure - Division One

Spearheaded by David Schmitt, COO of Hemp, Inc.s, wholly owned subsidiary, Industrial Hemp Manufacturing, LLC, the Industrial Hemp Manufacturing and Processing Infrastructure division consists of the largest multi-purpose industrial hemp processing facility and milling operation in the western hemisphere that has grown to become the pre-eminent center of the industrial hemp industry. The 85,000 square foot facility sits on a 9-acre campus in Spring Hope, North Carolina. With the patent pending manufacturing process, it is operating full time to process kenaf into all green, natural LCMs that will be sold to the oil and gas drilling industry. Hemp, Inc. is currently stockpiling tons of LCMs to be prepared for the demand. (See Bruce Perlowins Facebook post December 10, 2017.) Hemp, Inc. has been negotiating sales with oil companies on 5 continents with one company in America stating they are interested in purchasing our entire productive capacity of the plant. (To see a one-minute video of the millions of pounds of kenaf on hand, go to Bruce Perlowin's personal Facebook page, September 7th, 11th, 13th, 20th and 22nd.)

2. Hemp Oil Extraction Infrastructure - Division Two

Spearheaded by an array of talented professionals such as extractors, chemical engineers and formulators, the Hemp Oil Extraction Infrastructure currently consists of its NuAxon Tech Industrial CO2 Supercritical Extractor from NuAxon BioScience, manufacturer and the producer of the world class, large capacity CO2 Supercritical Extraction equipment. Hemp, Inc. currently has a growing inventory of raw CBD oil. The company has been processing CBDs since the extractor became fully operational on August 15, 2017. The companys post processing equipment is scheduled to be installed on January 8, 2018, giving Hemp, Inc. the ability to further purify the product. Hemp, Inc. is currently in negotiations with several other extraction companies to house other extractors at its campus. According to Perlowin, Hemp, Inc. is currently in more negotiations that are expected to dramatically increase the companys extraction capability in order to keep up with the thousands of acres of hemp that the company will grow in the upcoming new year. (To see Hemp, Inc.'s NuAxon Tech CO2 Supercritical Extractor in operation, visit Perlowin's Facebook page, Sept. 27th and Aug. 16th.)

3. Hemp Farming Infrastructure - Division Three

Spearheaded by 3rd, 4th and 5th generational farmers and master growers, the Hemp Farming Infrastructure division consists of hundreds of acres of hemp and kenaf growing in multiple locations, farm equipment, cloning rooms, clones and seeds, grow rooms, greenhouses, hemp drying facilities and a huge amount of peripheral farming tools and equipment. Thus far, the state of North Carolina has planted 2,134 acres of hemp and issued 133 licenses. The companys greenhouse is currently being erected and is scheduled to be operational by the end of the month. According to executives, cloning is also in process and will expand from the cloning barn into the greenhouse once the greenhouse is operational. (Some of this farming infrastructure can be seen on Bruce Perlowin's Facebook page, Sept. 8th, Aug. 30th, 19th, 15th - 11th, 9th and 4th, July 31st, 29th, 21st - 16th.) Hemp, Inc. also has a model family farm situated on 5 acres that consists of a cloning room, a greenhouse, and 5,000 hemp plants. (This model farm can be seen on Bruce Perlowin's Facebook page, Aug. 22nd - 26th.) Hemp is showing farmers how to grow high CBD hemp plants, operate a greenhouse and turn a barn into a cloning room to earn up to $500,000 or more per year. By demonstrating this model, the small family farm can now reappear on the American landscape. After all, the original small family farms in America were able to survive economically by growing hemp as their main cash crop and the first 5 presidents of the United States were all hemp farmers.

4. Hemp Education Infrastructure - Division Four

Spearheaded by Rick Rainbolt, Dr. Brock (double Ph.D.) and many other talented educators and trainers of various disciplines, the Hemp Education Infrastructure division includes Hemp, Inc.'s Hemp University; attending various events (see Bruce Perlowin's personal Facebook page, Oct. 7th and 8th); and, attending, speaking and displaying at industry expos (see Bruce Perlowin's personal Facebook page, Sept. 14th through 16th) to, in turn, educate the public on hemp in the industry. The educational seminars, through The Hemp University, are held approximately every 6  7 weeks and teach farmers and landowners how to create a profitable income stream by maximizing their per-acre crop revenue. The Hemp University is also one way the company is contributing to making America great again by making America hemp again. (To see the Hemp University, visit Bruce Perlowin's personal Facebook page, Oct. 30th, 24th - 29th and Jul. 1st - 10th, 2017.)

"Since our launch with the first educational symposium, the number of attendees has grown consistently and it has been a great success, each time. Our interactive, hands-on learning approach is invaluable. By learning in an interactive cohort format , students gain the necessary skills they need to immediately implement them on their farm or in their organization. We've achieved the powerful mix of quality instruction, relevant educational content and a high level of commitment, to ensure the educational success of each attendee," said Rick Rainbolt, President of Hemp, Inc.'s wholly owned subsidiary, Hemp University, LLC.

5. Marketing Infrastructure - Division Five

Spearheaded by Bruce Perlowin, David Schmitt and a talented team of master distributors and marketers, the company is now in full swing implementing its fifth infrastructure division: Marketing Infrastructure - Division Five. "Our focus on operational expansion and education-focused outreach allow us to grow sustainably while helping shape America's newest industry as it continues to evolve," said Perlowin.

Hemp, Inc. is a solid choice as a supplier for manufacturers, formulators, entrepreneurs, and distributors to shape the industrial hemp industry with products ranging from fiber and oil absorbents to custom blended CBD oil. Hemp, Inc. is the largest multi-purpose industrial hemp processing facility and milling operation in the western hemisphere and it has grown to become the pre-eminent center of the industrial hemp industry.

About Hemp Inc.

With a deep-rooted social and environmental mission at its core, Hemp, Inc. seeks to build a business constituency for the American small farmer, the American veteran, and other groups experiencing the ever-increasing disparity between tapering income and soaring expenses. As a leader in the industrial hemp industry with ownership of the largest commercial multi-purpose industrial hemp processing facility in North America, Hemp, Inc. believes there can be tangible benefits reaped from adhering to a corporate social responsibility plan.

HEMP, INC.'S "TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE"

With a deep-rooted social and environmental mission at its core, Hemp, Inc. seeks to build a business constituency for the American small farmer, the American veteran, and other groups experiencing the ever-increasing disparity between tapering income and soaring expenses. As a leader in the industrial hemp industry with ownership of the largest commercial multi-purpose industrial hemp processing facility in North America, Hemp, Inc. believes there can be tangible benefits reaped from adhering to a corporate social responsibility plan. Thus, Hemp, Inc.'s "Triple Bottom Line" approach serves as an important tool in balancing meeting business objectives and the needs of society and environment at the same time.



Social networks:

http://www.twitter.com/hempinc (Twitter)

http://www.facebook.com/hempinc (Facebook)

http://investorshangout.com/Hemp-Inc-HEMP-87248/ (Investors Hangout)



Subscribe to Hemp, Inc.s video updates:

"Hemp, Inc. Presents" is capturing the historic, monumental re-creation of the hemp decorticator today as America begins to evolve into a cleaner, green, eco-friendly sustainable environment. What many see as the next American Industrial Revolution is actually the Industrial Hemp Revolution.

"Hemp, Inc. Presents" is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by visiting www.hempinc.com. To subscribe to the "Hemp, Inc. Presents" YouTube channel, be sure to click the subscribe button.

FORWARD-LOOKING DISCLAIMER AND DISCLOSURES

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties.

The statements in this press release have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. The Company does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act. The Company does sell and distribute hemp-based products.
Finnish English

Helsinki, Finland, 2018-01-05 10:00 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SRV GROUP PLC INVESTOR NEWS 5 JANUARY 2018, AT 11.00

SRV to launch construction work on new Siltasairaala Hospital for HUS



The Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa HUS has made the decision to launch the implementation phase of the Siltasairaala Hospital in collaboration with SRV. The construction site of the Siltasairaala Hospital, the largest construction project in the history of HUS, will start up in early 2018. In connection with the Siltasairaala Hospital, a separate investment project comprising radiotherapy devices (linear accelerators 7, 8, and 14) will also be implemented for the client. According to the projects target timetable prepared in the development phase, construction work is due to be completed in June 2022 and the hospital and the radiotherapy device facilities to be taken into use in 2023.

The new building will be constructed at Meilahti in Helsinki, in the centre of the emergency hospital area. The Siltasairaala Hospital will provide patients with high quality care in an attractive, safe, accessible and environmentally friendly setting. It will replace the Toolo Hospital, which is in poor condition, as well as part of the Department of Oncology building, combining functions in the same campus. The Siltasairaala Hospital will be located between the Meilahti Tower Hospital and the current Department of Oncology building. These, together with the Meilahti Triangle Hospital, will then form an integrated complex both operationally and in terms of healthcare premises.

The scope of the project in terms of gross floor area is approximately 71,500 m2, including the hospital and the radiotherapy facilities. The number of floors of the hospital will vary from five floors in the lowest part of the complex to nine floors in the highest part. Among other things, the hospital will have 215 beds in four wards, 58 intensive care unit beds, 69 day-hospital treatment places, 16 operating theatres, outpatient clinics, a restaurant, and lecture and teaching premises.

The project management contractor agreement for the Siltasairaala Hospital was signed in June 2017, at which time a development phase that lasted until the end of the year was launched. Through the decision now made to launch the implementation phase, the Siltasairaala Hospital project will be entered into SRVs order backlog, with a target budget of EUR 243 million. The Siltasairaala Hospital project further strengthens SRVs current position as Finlands largest builder of hospitals and healthcare projects. HUS is investing EUR 295 million in the hospital construction project. The investment for the separate linear accelerator 7, 8 and 14 project, to be implemented in the same complex, is valued at EUR 17 million. The projects will be implemented as a joint project management contract.

In recent years, SRV and HUS have collaborated in the implementation of a number of other projects, including an additional emergency unit at Jorvi Hospital in Espoo and the renovation and extension of the L section of the Womens Hospital in Helsinki. SRV also has other significant hospital projects under way, such as the new Hospital Nova in Jyvaskyla and the new building project at TAYS University Hospital in Tampere. The HUSLAB laboratory building at Meilahti was completed significantly ahead of schedule and as an error-free delivery in June 2015. Most recently, a new health and wellness centre, completed at Kalasatama in Helsinki, was handed over to the client in October 2017, and it will be taken into use in February 2018.

The Siltasairaala Hospital agreement is an excellent addition to an already strong hospital and wellness construction portfolio. The combined value of all of SRVs current hospital project agreements is still approximately EUR 830 million, even after the completion of the Kalasatama health and wellness centre. The Siltasairaala Hospital is being built by our top professionals, who have strong experience of constructing healthcare premises and other demanding special facilities, such as the New Childrens Hospital, which is being built close by to the Siltasairaala Hospital. SRVs role in society is in many ways culminated in the hospital projects, and we aim to improve quality of life through sustainable solutions for the built environment, says SRVs President & CEO, Juha Pekka Ojala.

The Siltasairaala Hospital will complement the Meilahti campus as a demanding specialised complex that enables the examination and care of patients in all specialist medical care fields 24/7. Although the Siltasairaala Hospital will have many premises containing very demanding technology, the hospital will be a humane setting for patients, enabling individual needs to be taken into account, explains HUS Project Director Raija Malmstrom.



For further information , please contact:

Juha Pekka Ojala, President & CEO, SRV, tel. +358 40 733 4173, jp.ojala@srv.fi

Paivi Kauhanen, Senior Vice President, Communications, SRV, tel. +358 50 598 9560, paivi.kauhanen@srv.fi

www.srv.fi

Raija Malmstrom, Project Director, HUS, tel. +358 50 428 6730, raija.malmstrom@hus.fi

www.hus.fi



www.srv.fi/tyomaa/siltasairaala

You can also find us on the social media:

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SRV - Building for life
In the spring of 1970, an inmate at the California Mens Colony filed one of the more eccentric legal pleas ever to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

Timothy Leary was the nations highest-profile LSD advocate, but it was marijuana that got him in trouble. Caught holding a pittance of pot, Leary was convicted on possession charges, and a harsh judge imposed a long prison term.

That June, the 49-year-old hippie luminary decided that his final appeal needed a literary touch. In his cell in San Luis Obispo, he typed out a poem and addressed it to William O. Douglas, one of the top courts left-leaning justices. They have hunted us to the ground, he wrote, Rashly, wickedly, and in violation of our/ national law... / Because we laughed and cried/ FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDOM!

Douglas, evidently not a fan of free verse, was unmoved. Weeks later, Leary settled on another path to liberty: Hed bust out of jail, leave Amerika for good. Remarkably enough, his plan worked  for a while, anyway.

Bill Minutaglio and Steven L. Davis revisit this wild saga in The Most Dangerous Man in America, a rip-roaring tale of hallucinogenic drugs, revolutionary politics and an intercontinental standoff between a law-and-order president and a louche ex-professor.

The coauthors  their previous collaboration was Dallas 1963, an acclaimed account of the John F. Kennedy assassination  say their new book draws on thousands of freshly available and unexamined primary resources from multiple countries. Their deep dive into government archives supports a narrative that never lacks for drama. Davis and Minutaglios prose is lean and brisk, and in Leary, theyve found a brilliant, ridiculous main character who was one of the eras emblematic figures.

As a Harvard professor, Leary began experimenting with LSD in the early 60s, and he soon became a countercultural tribune. He had some advice for the thousands who gathered in Golden Gate Park for a Be-In in January 1967: Turn on, tune in, drop out. In other words, try psychedelics and forsake mainstream values. From the time he took office in 1969, President Richard Nixon believed he was among the nations most destructive voices.

Learys notoriety, combined with draconian sentencing guidelines, earned him a term of up to 10 years after he was caught with two joints in the small Orange County city of Laguna Beach. When his appeals failed, he resolved to escape from CMCs minimum-security wing. On Sept. 12, 1970, he climbed a tree, crawled over some barbed wire and took off into the night. Aided by self-declared subversives who helped him get money and fake IDs, he fled to North Africa.

In Algiers, Leary and his wife, Rosemary, linked up with another outlaw expat. Eldridge Cleaver, a Black Panther whod been on the run since a 1968 shootout with Oakland police, was enjoying the largesse of Algerias power brokers. The Panthers were given a beautiful two-story manor to use as their embassy, the authors write. For the Algerians, Leary was a valuable bargaining chip ... as they negotiate(d) huge oil and gas deals with the Americans. But for the intense Cleaver, his libertine housemate was a pest whose mind has been blown by acid.

Learys next lifeline came from Switzerland when a weapons dealer, hoping to skim some cash from the fugitives future book deals, stepped in to sponsor him. His arrival in Europe was big news  Switzerlands French-language papers dubbed him le Pape de la Drogue: the Pope of Dope, the authors say.

The Justice Department repeatedly tried to have Leary extradited, but foreign officials who objected to Americas conduct of the Vietnam War werent eager to help Nixon. That summer, the president targeted drug users  hopheads, he called them  with renewed intensity. During a July meeting, Nixon and his staff discussed labeling Leary as Americas most notorious drug offender. In August, the feds arrested dozens in coordinated raids, and Leary, still at large, was hit with new charges. His bail, the authors note, was set at an astonishing $5 million  the highest ever levied in America.

Leary evaded authorities for almost 2 years, and as Minutaglio and Davis tell it, there was never a boring moment. But his saga ended without much of a bang. Detained in Afghanistan, he ended up in Folsom State Prison. The erstwhile rebel was soon cooperating with FBI agents. In April 1976, he was set free.

This is an energetic nonfiction narrative, one made up of short chapters and cinematic scenes. Attentive readers will note that the authors dont hesitate to describe their characters facial expressions and body language. These are details that seem to be harvested from memoirs written by key players (among other sources), but ultimately, theyre unverifiable. On the whole, though, this is a well-researched and factually sound book.

And an eventful one, too. Minutaglio and Davis have taken a largely forgotten chapter from the recent past and turned it into a vigorous page-turner. The Most Dangerous Man in America isnt what youd call an important work of history, and it has its imperfections. But it also happens to be awfully entertaining.

Kevin Canfield has written for Bookforum, Film Comment and other publications. Email: books@sfchronicle.com

The Most Dangerous Man in America

Timothy Leary, Richard Nixon and the Hunt for the Fugitive King of LSD

By Bill Minutaglio and Steven L. Davis

(Twelve; 384 pages; $30)
Because they carry multiple passengers, ride-hailed cars contribute fewer miles per person to traffic than personal cars making equivalent trips, according to a report released Thursday. Thats true even after accounting for the miles that ride-hailed drivers spend waiting for fares and going to pick up passengers, it said.

The big takeaway is that (ride-hailing cars) are at least as efficient, if not more so, than personally owned vehicles, said study co-author E.J. Klock-McCook, manager of the mobility transformation program at the Rocky Mountain Institute.

The energy think tank said its motivation for the study is to give cities reliable ways to assess ride-hailed cars impact on congestion, convenience, mobility cost, and carbon emissions. The impact of Lyft and Uber on traffic has become a flash point in many cities, including the companies hometown of San Francisco. Some 45,000 Lyft and Uber drivers work throughout the Bay Area.

The report used a years worth of trip data provided by Lyft for San Francisco, New York and Chicago, covering Nov. 1, 2016, to Oct. 31, 2017. Lyft did not financially back the study. Using Lyfts data, Klock-McCook said, sets this report apart from studies that rely on rider surveys or other indirect ways of getting information.

In San Francisco, the city where Lyft has operated the longest, Lyft trips were 24 percent more efficient than those in personal cars, according to Klock-McCook. The difference was modest in the two other cities, with Lyft rides calculated as 6 percent more efficient than personal cars in Chicago and 2 percent more efficient in New York.

Heres how the study worked: For each ride, it added up the number of miles a Lyft car spent waiting for ride orders, driving to pick up passengers, and then actually giving the ride. It assumed that each regular Lyft ride held an average of 1.67 riders, based on previous studies. For Lyft Line rides, the companys carpool option, it assumed that each averaged 2.67 passengers when a match occurred. (Some riders who request Lyft Line rides are not matched with other passengers. In San Francisco, close to half of all rides are Lyft Line, and about half of those have matches. In New York and Chicago, about a third of rides are Lyft Line; the company would not disclose how many are matched.)

The study then compared the miles per Lyft rider to the miles per rider for the same trip in a personal car. It used the Census Bureaus American Community Survey data to assume that the personal vehicles largely had just one occupant. In San Francisco, it assumed the personal vehicles had 1.1 occupants; in New York, 1.11; and in Chicago, 1.08.

That difference in how many people were in the cars meant that the miles per person were lower in the Lyft cars.

The study confirms what we believe: ride-sharing can help with some of the congestion problems we see, said Joseph Okpaku, Lyft vice president of public policy. In fact, the company was founded to address the issues of people driving alone in personal cars, he said.

The study did not consider how long the personal cars might spend seeking parking, which would have shown them being even less efficient. It also didnt account for the fact that some of the drivers miles with no passengers may have been for their personal transport.

Nor did it look at the critical question of how Lyft passengers would have gotten to their destination in the absence of ride-hailing  whether they would have walked, biked, taken public transit or driven. The Rocky Mountain Institute said future studies would look at this issue, as well as the traffic impact of driver loading/unloading practices (which has sparked many complaints about double-parking in San Francisco and elsewhere).

Other researchers have drawn different conclusions about how Lyft and Uber cars affect traffic. A major study in New York last year found that ride-hailed cars averaged 11 minutes with no passengers between rides, and said this contributed to city congestion.

The San Francisco County Transportation Authority led a study last year that used special software to calculate Lyft and Ubers impact, finding that their cars rack up more than half a million vehicle miles a day within city bounds, and account for a fifth of all vehicles miles for trips that start and end within the city.

San Francisco went to court last year to force both companies to produce details on their San Francisco rides to help the city understand their impact. Andrea Guzman, a spokeswoman for the city attorneys office, said it is negotiating with Lyft over the release of its data and expects that to happen at a yet-to-be-determined time. The city has obtained a court order compelling Uber to provide most of its data by Feb. 14.

Both Lyft and Uber share data with their regulator, the California Public Utilities Commission, but said they wanted to shield it for privacy and competitive reasons.

The city has broad investigatory powers, which include the power to obtain information from third parties, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Harold Kahn wrote in the Uber court order. That power is a prerequisite to the adequate enforcement of law.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
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The Trump administration is working on plans to limit extensions of H-1B visas, a move that would affect hundreds of thousands of foreigners working in the United States, a source briefed on the plans told The Chronicle.

Foreigners commonly use H-1B visas as a stepping-stone for permanent residency in the U.S. But H-1Bs are initially valid for only three years, while the wait for a green card can be more than a decade. To fill that gap, companies rely on extensions  which can be from one to three years  to keep the foreign employee until he or she gets permanent residency.

The administrations plan to limit extensions, first reported by McClatchy Newspapers, is being discussed in internal memos within the Department of Homeland Security.

Department officials essentially view this move as a way to shrink the H-1B population in America, according to the source, who asked not to be identified in order to speak freely about the administrations plans. This move would be consistent with President Trumps campaign promise to curtail foreign work programs in the interest of preserving American jobs.

How can the administration accomplish this? The administration is looking at reinterpreting a law passed in 2000, the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, which overhauled the H-1B visa program. That law says that the government shall grant one-year extensions and may grant three-year extensions to foreigners while their green card is pending.

The department is specifically looking at reinterpreting the may language, the source said.

While that means the agency could still issue one-year extensions, the government said in November it would no longer give deference to prior visa decisions. That means regardless of how long a foreign citizen has been in the country, immigration officers must review the application as if it were new.

Reinterpreting the act would require a lengthy notice and comment period, and any new regulations are unlikely to become public before mid-2018, according to the source. The administration is still deciding how it will go through with this plan, as it could lead to lawsuits.

Jonathan Withington, a spokesman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security that oversees visas, said it is considering a number of policy and regulatory changes to carry out the presidents Buy American, Hire American executive order, including a thorough review of employment-based visa programs.

Withington added that the agency is not at liberty to discuss any part of the pre-decisional processes.

How would the Bay Area be affected? The impact on the Bay Area could be outsized, as Silicon Valley relies on H-1B visas to staff a significant number of technical positions. Facebook has so many H-1B employees that it is deemed dependent on the visa by the government, a status that brings extra scrutiny to applications.

Tech companies large and small use extensions to keep an employee living and working in the U.S. beyond the visas three-year limit.

Dean Garfield, president of the Information Technology Industry Council, which represents major tech companies such as Amazon, Google and Apple in Washington, said his clients are worried about how this move will affect their employees.

It would result in a lot less certainty around our ability to hire and retain the best and the brightest, he said. And it would be incredibly disruptive to the lives of the people who have committed to work in the U.S. and contributed to the economy.

Many immigrants hold high positions at Bay Area tech companies. Google CEO Sundar Pichai, for example, came to the U.S. from India to pursue a masters degree at Stanford University. In Silicon Valley, being an immigrant doesnt matter, Pichai told the Verge in 2017. Its the ideas that matter. We are able to build products for everyone because we attract talent from around the world. Immigration is a strength for this industry and our country  its one of our defining characteristics.

How many people are involved? Each year, 85,000 foreigners hired by for-profit companies are granted an H-1B visa through a lottery. Thousands more are given to universities, hospitals and research facilities.

More than 254,000 foreigners filed for an extension in fiscal year 2016 alone, a 20 percent increase from the year prior, according to the most recent government statistics available.

The wait for a green card varies by country of origin. For Indian and Chinese citizens, the wait can be decades. Indian citizens, who receive the majority of H-1B visas, could see the biggest impact from the loss of extensions, as they are most likely to see their visas expire with a green card still years away.

Satish More, a Livermore resident, came to the U.S. with his family 12 years ago to work for an information technology firm, and he is still waiting for his green card. Over the past decade, he, his spouse and his children  who are now 18 and 21  have become accustomed to an American way of life.

But if his visa extension is denied when he seeks to renew his H-1B in February, More will be left with few options other than to leave the country.

If that happens, it will be a big disaster, More said. My children came here in early childhood, and they dont know any other country than the U.S. ... They cannot go to any other country now.

Why would the administration do this? The move is consistent with the Trump administrations Buy American, Hire American executive order, which has been used over the past year as a justification to curtail the H-1B program without changes to the underlying law.

Scrutiny on H-1B visa applications has increased significantly over the past year, correlating with a significant dip in approvals, according to data obtained by The Chronicle last month.

Critics of the program say it has been abused by companies that hire foreign workers willing to work for a lower wage than an American. Shortening the duration of an H-1B visa would put it back on the path of original intent as a guest-worker program, John Miano, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, a conservative think tank, said in an email.

This is a good way to reform the H-1B program because H-1B is supposed to be for nonimmigrant guestworkers, he wrote. People are trying to turn it into a path for immigration.

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

How might the program be overhauled? There are several bills seeking changes to the immigration system. They include:

The Protect and Grow American Jobs Act, a bill sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista (San Diego County) that would raise the minimum salary for H-1B holders and change the definition of an H-1B-dependent company. This bill was introduced in the House on Wednesday.

The Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2017, sponsored by then-Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, which would eliminate the per-country cap for green cards. This act could help H-1B holders stuck in visa backlogs by phasing out the per-country cap on green cards and moving to a first-come, first-served system. This bill was introduced in the House last year before Chaffetz resigned.

Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani
It starts with the sniffle, the drip in your nose, the scratchy throat that you hope you can sleep off, but instead it intensifies and lingers. But I was just sick, I howled over winter vacation. My husband took up the complaint a few days later; he thought hed escaped the cold that battered Didi, then Gege, then me and finally him. Getting sick again seemed unfair, but life is anything but fair. Even though Id washed my hands at every chance, sprayed and wiped down surfaces as if we were in a surgical ward, we all succumbed to the illness that has carried into the new year.

In the Bay Area, the flu season has gotten off to an early and severe start, and medical experts say that the latest vaccine has been disappointing in terms of warding off the most widely circulated strain. But I suppose some protection is better than none. Fortunately, when our household falls ill again, or suffers from assorted aches and scrapes  and we will, we most definitely will  we can call upon advice from readers who shared their childhood cures, some of which sound soothing and healing, and some of which it seems they were lucky to have survived!

Charles Huddleston suggested warm milk and honey. Comforting but not good for a cold. Cold baths for a fever. Hot water running in a sink, for the steam, to ease congestion, said Huddleston, whos 75. He also recalled an oily yellow liquid concocted by a friends father in the basement. We had it put on cuts, poured in sore ears, and we forced it down orally as a cure for general sickness. It was supposedly root beer flavored. Imagine root-beer-flavored motor oil! It was my late teens before I could stand root beer.

He waxed fondly about BFI Powder, based upon the antimicrobial sulfa, which dried up wounds. Likewise, Jean Abbe recalled how, back when she was a kid, her mother used to make trips to Mexico to buy the powder, which had just come on the market, to treat cold and fevers.

American soldiers carried pouches of sulfa powder during World War II to sprinkle on open wounds, which helped reduce the mortality rate. Stronger antibiotics later emerged and became more prevalent, though sulfa remains in use  just not over the counter. (I found preparations available for fish, dogs and horses, but not intended for humans!)

For infected toes, Abbes mother prepared soaks in extremely hot water straight from the boiling teakettle.

As soon as I could stand to put my foot in the water for more than a few seconds, she would pour in more boiling water, said Abbe, 78. Then she would apply a bread and milk poultice to draw out the poison.

When another reader came down with whooping cough  in the days before vaccines  her Russian grandmother boiled chopped onions with honey into syrup. It was about the grossest thing I ever tasted, but it worked, she said. The cough was no more. To me it was a miracle. Would I use it now? No way.

For colds, her parents applied mustard plasters, and her Norwegian father made her and her brother hot water, sugar and whiskey at bedtime, to keep coughs in check. To me, that sounds far more delicious than NyQuil, and the sort of concoction you might see at a craft cocktail bar  locally sourced, of course.

What goes around comes around. A friend of mine, also from a Chinese immigrant family, said they applied Tiger Balm ointment on their temples for headaches and around belly buttons for stomachaches. Now it cracks me up that my CrossFit gym mates arrive with the aroma of Tiger Balm on them, having rubbed it all over their muscles, she said.

Something about the sense of smell reaches into our reptilian brain and can instantly transport us back to our earliest memories, to those moments that might have been mostly wordless but nonetheless remain deeply felt and deeply remembered.

Sandy Malloys mother used to apply Vicks VapoRub when she came down with a cold. My mother would put it around my nose and then on my chest, and would cover my chest with a rag so I wouldn't get my nightgown dirty, she said. Then I would go to bed and invariably wake up with the rag somewhere other than my chest. My mother and I didn't always have a perfect relationship but that treatment made me feel loved, even if it only did a little bit for my breathing.

And isnt that what were looking for as part of any cure, whether traditional or modern, panacea or placebo?

Vanessa Hua is a Bay Area author. Her columns appear Fridays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com
As it is with The Post, so it is with many Steven Spielberg movies. We sit there, a little interested, a little bit detached, thinking, well, this is OK, nothing special, but perfectly fine. And then  who knows how he does it?  the camera moves in on a face, the soundtrack swells, and suddenly half the crowd has tears in their eyes, and youre one of them.

In The Post, the moment comes when the political columnist Meg Greenfield (Carrie Coon) gets word of a Supreme Court decision concerning a newspapers right to publish material gleaned from whistle-blowers. She holds the phone and repeats to her colleagues the decision of Justice Hugo Black: that Americas founders affirmed freedom of the press to serve the governed, not the governors. And if someone could put a mirror in front of your face as you watch this, youd be surprised at your own transport and wonder.

Spielberg is so good at this sort of thing that the question raises itself: Is he feeling it, too, or is he just a master manipulator? In a way, the question is immaterial  the movie is the movie, however its made  and yet it would be nice to know if were all just that easy.

Spielberg crafts another moment, almost as effective. Publisher Katharine Graham leaves the courthouse after testifying on behalf of her newspaper, and a phalanx of young women watches her walk down the steps, in speechless awe. Did it really happen that way? Probably not. Is the scene so obvious that the ghost of Frank Capra himself would call it corny? Oh yes. But Spielberg knows something about movies, and that tableau, obvious though it may be, is lovely.

It also hammers home the feminist nature of this real-life journalism tale. The Post is set in 1971 and deals with the Washington Posts decision to publish the Pentagon Papers, a leaked secret report proving that just about everything presidential administrations had said about the Vietnam War was a lie. By this time the New York Times had run some stories, but theyd been silenced by a court injunction. Now it was up to Graham whether to risk violating the court order by publishing the papers in the Post.

As played by Meryl Streep, Graham is a woman from an earlier time who became the boss only because her husband died. The newspaper, owned by her father, was in a sense part of her dowry  and she took it for granted that her husband should be in charge. Now that its all hers, she has to push through her own insecurities and the stridency and condescension of her board of directors in order to find herself. The Post is a rare coming-of-age film, in that its about a womans coming of age in her mid-50s. Yet for middle-aged women of that second-wave feminist era, this was not an unusual phenomenon.

The Post is on safe ground when it focuses on Streep as Graham  tentative, slightly affected, but growing by the day  and with Grahams relationship with her gruff, hotshot editor, Ben Bradlee, played by Tom Hanks, against type but winningly. The movies challenge is the journalism story, which is not as clear-cut as Watergate and is therefore harder to dramatize.

In fact, as a story, the whole Pentagon Papers saga has everything against it. The revelations were about the Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson administrations, but Nixon was now president. The papers didnt represent one story, but a number of stories. And the stories themselves were complex, not as simple as dirty tricks, a break-in and a cover-up  or, as in Spotlight, priests molesting boys. Also, the reporters didnt have to dig for the story. It landed on their lap, thousands of undigested pages, which they had to read.

These challenges cant completely be overcome, no matter how many times they crank up the John Williams score, and so the movie sags in the middle. Still, when Spielberg has to bring it home, he does. If the intention was to send audiences out feeling inspired about journalism and its function in a republic, consider that mission accomplished.

Finally, it hardly needs to be said, and yet it needs to be acknowledged, that everyone connected with the film was thinking about the story in terms of todays events. The Post was filmed in a hurry  principal photography began at the end of May  with the intention of celebrating an institution and a profession under constant attack by the present administration. As such, The Post is not just a pretty good Spielberg picture, but mainstream Hollywoods first response to life in the Trump era  the trickle before the flood.

Mick LaSalle is The San Francisco Chronicles movie critic. Email: mlasalle@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MickLaSalle

The Post

Drama. Starring Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep. Directed by Steven Spielberg. (PG-13. 115 minutes.)
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A homeless undocumented immigrant acquitted of killing Kate Steinle on San Franciscos Pier 14 is scheduled to be sentenced on a lesser gun charge Friday in San Francisco Superior Court.

Jose Ines Garcia Zarate was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter in the July 1, 2015, killing, but was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

Garcia Zarate, 45, was arrested and jailed shortly after Steinles death and likely has enough credits for time served to cover the sentence.

But rather than being released, Garcia Zarate will be turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service, Sheriffs Department officials said.

Now Playing: San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon today defended the work of prosecutors following last week's acquittal of Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, the man charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Kate Steinle, and said the blame for any failure in Video: KTVU

Thats because five days after he was acquitted in Steinles killing on Nov. 30, a federal grand jury indicted Garcia Zarate on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and being an undocumented immigrant in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

He will be represented by well-known San Francisco attorney J. Tony Serra on the federal gun charges. Garcia Zarate faces up to 10 years in federal prison before deportation to his native Mexico if convicted.

Serra defended notorious Chinatown gangster Raymond Shrimp Boy Chow, who was found guilty of racketeering and murder and sentenced to life.

Serra is currently defending Derick Almena, the leader of the Ghost Ship warehouse that burned on Dec. 2, 2016, killing 36 people. Almena and his sidekick, Max Harris, face 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter in the fire.

Matt Gonzalez, the attorney in the San Francisco public defenders office who is Garcia Zarates attorney in the state case, said his client couldnt be in better hands with Serra.

Before Fridays sentencing, Judge Samuel Feng will rule on a motion for a new trial on the gun charge filed in December by Gonzalez.

In his motion, Gonzalez argued that Feng failed to properly instruct the jury on facts regarding the possession of the gun and didnt explain that momentary possession is not necessarily a crime.

Gonzalez also said Feng made a mistake in not allowing the use of a jailhouse interview Garcia Zarate did with a local TV station after his arrest.

The district attorneys office filed a rebuttal to the motion on Tuesday.

Fridays hearing comes as the latest turn in the twisting saga of Garcia Zarate, whose arrest drew national attention and debate over San Franciscos sanctuary city policy.

Garcia Zarate was on track for a sixth deportation when he was released from federal prison in Southern California on a conviction of felony re-entry into the country.

He was instead brought to San Francisco to face a 20-year-old warrant for possession of marijuana  a charge that was immediately dismissed. Garcia Zarate was subsequently released from San Francisco Jail under the citys sanctuary policy in April 2015.

Gonzalez argued that Steinles killing was unintentional and said Garcia Zarate found the gun wrapped in a cloth under a bench on Pier 14 and it went off accidentally. The Sig Sauer pistol had been stolen four days earlier from a federal agents car along the Embarcadero.

Evidence presented at trial showed the bullet ricocheted off the pier before hitting Steinle in the heart and killing her.

Then-candidate Donald Trump used the case to argue against stricter immigration policy. Trump, now president, called the verdict disgraceful in a tweet following Garcia Zarates acquittal on the homicide charges.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
Jim Newman is a handsome man of 84, but he is likely recognized only by friends at the art events he often attends. He stands with an almost military bearing, though he steadies his walk with a cane  the result of a childhood bout with polio. Quiet and unassuming, he could be any interested fan, shyly skirting the edge of the crowd.

To those who know the history of art and music on the West Coast, however, Newman is hardly a peripheral figure. From the early 1950s until very recently, he has played a central role, helping forge the Bay Areas identity as home to the experimental and the visionary.

Newman was among the first to seriously promote as collectible the avant-garde art of San Francisco. Beginning in the 1960s, his work as a television and film producer helped bring underground art and music into the light, and his support of new music as co-founder of the forms best-known annual festival has helped expand the definition of classical for the past 25 years.

Walter Hopps, the curator who organized the first Marcel Duchamp retrospective and the first show of Andy Warhols Campbells Soup Cans, talks about Newmans early efforts in his engaging book, The Dream Colony, published posthumously in June 2017. The two met around 1950 at Stanford University, where they tried to organize jazz concerts.

Hopps writes, When every attempt to book one on the Stanford campus was blocked by the administration  they wouldnt have black musicians on the stage of the Memorial Auditorium  (Jim) transferred to Oberlin College. Hopps moved to UCLA, but they formed a cross-country partnership called the Concert Hall Workshop.

I was sure that jazz musicians would become heroes and rake in the fortunes they deserved. But I didnt think the art I loved was ever going to go anywhere, really; there was no way the world would embrace it. I had everything absolutely backward, of course. The artists would make the money, and the jazz musicians would die off.

The two continued to indulge their parallel interest in visual art, however, consulting long distance by telephone and, to save money, by shortwave radio and by sending tape recordings through the mail. They discussed, but Newman claims no credit for, what became the first exhibition of West Coast Abstract Expressionism, formally titled Action One but called by everyone The Merry-Go-Round Show (it was held at the Santa Monica Pier carousel).

Still, that show was held in 1955, just a year after Newman and his friend Chico, as Hopps was known at the time, made the rounds together to San Francisco studios. The exhibition ultimately included works by many of the artists they met that summer, Newman told Paul Karlstrom in a 1974 interview for the Archives of American Art. Among the people they visited were such now-legendary figures as Jay DeFeo, Sonia Gechtoff, Wally Hedrick, James Kelly, Hassel Smith, Julius Wasserstein and quite a number of other painters.

Hopps and Newman co-founded an art gallery called Syndell Studio in Los Angeles in 1954. Newman lived in the back until he decided to move to San Francisco, just as the gallery closed. Hopps then opened the seminal Ferus Gallery in March 1957.

I was sort of an out-of-town distant partner in that operation, Newman said. At that time, our thought was eventually to have an operation going in San Francisco and in Los Angeles. ... We were totally captivated by all the strange images that were being produced  and being put into some ... bizarre concrete forms by these artists that we were meeting.

In 1958, Newman decided to open his own space, working with an artist partner. In a recent interview at his home, he said, the Jazz Workshop, which was a prominent jazz club on Broadway in North Beach, had an empty floor up above. We used to go there a lot to listen to music, and met the owners. Bob Alexander and I somehow broached the idea of renting the upstairs space and putting an art gallery in there, which we would keep open on evenings and on weekends.

They opened with a group show, with a small bookstore in back. This piano, actually, he said, pointing across his living room, I had it shipped out. I kept it in the main part of the gallery, and some of the musicians from the Jazz Workshop would come up and play. They hoped to sell drinks from downstairs to make ends meet, but that did not work out.

They called their project Dilexi Gallery, from the Latin to select, to value highly, to love.

I cant remember that we sold much of anything, that first year. Things had prices, and artists wanted to sell, but it wasnt absolutely mandatory that we sell anything. ... If somebody did sell something, it was an event.

Within a year, Alexander left and Newman moved the gallery to the corner of Union and Laguna streets. In 1965, he moved again, to Clay Street. Each space marked an improvement in the gallerys fortunes, but it was never about the money.

I gave (the artists) a showplace, and I was very open to let them do exactly what they wanted to do. And they would be very much involved in the installation of their shows. They were friends, and I think valued some of the contacts I made for them.

It didnt cost much to run a gallery  certainly not like today. And Newman had some help, coming from the Omaha family that owned the Hinky Dinky market chain. I had some stock in my familys business  you know, a modest amount. Some of it was given to me in my mothers will.

... I would occasionally sell some shares to my brothers  they could see the value in it. And that kind of helped subsidize my operating the gallery over a period of time.

One person who did buy occasionally was Robert Bransten, now a steadfast supporter of contemporary art programming at the Fine Art Museums of San Francisco. Dilexi was the place in San Francisco for contemporary art. There was nothing that competed with it, he said by phone.

Art was so different from what it is today. Then it was more like book collecting  it was a small group of people that were interested.

Newman was totally engaged, Bransten said. He cared for his artists. They tended to be local  local meaning California.

Courtesy the artist

A 1984 exhibition at the Oakland Museum, The Dilexi Years, 1958-1970, chronicled the artistic achievement of the gallery. It included the work of 36 artists  people like Roy De Forest, Tony DeLap and Deborah Remington.

The late DeFeo, also in the show, was quoted in the exhibition catalog. Jim came along with something that was an absolute original, she said. He was in a position not to be commercial but to be selective in the artists that he chose to handle, and because of that he was totally unique from the so-called more commercial schlocky kind of galleries that will always prevail, I suppose.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Wanting to reach a broader public, Newman produced a series of open-air events, and began to work with the Bay Area public television station, KQED. He closed the gallery in 1970.

I particularly remember a show he did (in 1968) with Terry Riley and Arlo Acton called Music With Balls, the composer Charles Amirkhanian said in a recent interview. The entire TV program consisted of 30 minutes of these silver balls spinning, with electronic organ music playing. I thought, What a terrific use of television!

Other artists he enlisted included Anna Halprin, Warhol and Frank Zappa. He also produced films, including one on the jazz musician, philosopher and seer Sun Ra called Space Is the Place, which was recently re-released.

Amirkhanian, meanwhile, had been playing a major role in introducing new music to the region through his efforts as music director at the nonprofit FM station KPFA from 1969 to 1992. When it was announced he was leaving to be co-director of the Djerassi Resident Artists Program in Woodside with his wife, Carol Law, he got a call from Newman.

What am I going to do?, Amirkhanian remembers Newman saying. I get all my information on contemporary music from your program. Is there anything I can do for you to keep some kind of presence in the city?

The result was the Other Minds Festival, which was first produced as the grand opening event for the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in 1993. That one brought together Robert Ashley, Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, Conlon Nancarrow, Trimpin, Julia Wolfe and others. The festival saw its 22nd edition in 2017, and has grown to include a record label; a regular show on KALW, 91.7 FM; two websites (www.otherminds.org and www.radiom.org) and occasional non-festival concerts.

When Jim spoke about music, he was not coming to it from the stance only of a listener but a practitioner. Im not sure how many in the visual arts world ever knew that, said Amirkhanian. For more than 30 years, Newman played baritone saxophone with the Junius Courtney Big Band in the East Bay.

Newman has been reducing his load of public activities of late. He recently retired from playing the sax and left the board of Other Minds. He and his second wife, photographer and former gallerist Jane Ivory, hold weekly screenings for friends of international films in their home. But it is hard to say there might not be a next intellectual chapter for the octogenarian avant-gardist.

Hes a calm, curious guy who enjoys  cutting edge is a cliche  hes eclectic and broad in his interests, said Bransten, the collector.

As Amirkhanian put it, Hes most excited when he hears something hes never heard before.

Charles Desmarais is The San Francisco Chronicles art critic. Email: cdesmarais@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Artguy1
English French

Frankfurt - On February 6th, 2018, CF&B Communication is organizing the 11th edition of the Frankfurt European 'MidCap Event', where selected Midcaps travelling to European financial capitals will make a stop in Madrid to meet the attending Spanish institutional investors.

For one day, the top managers of listed companies ( France, Italy , Spain mainly but also Germany and Finland) will present fund managers with their activity and perspectives in pre-organized one-to-one meetings from our company.

About sixty listed companies, as well as about one hundred institutional investors are expected to attend this event.

BOLSA DE MADRID will be the Partner Stock Exchange for the event.

INTERMONTE (Milan), INVEST SECURITIES (Paris) and BANKINTER (Madrid) are the main Partners in this edition.

Registration is free for investors: www.midcapevens.com

For further information and queries, please contact Caroline BADER - c.bader@cfbcom.fr
Last month in Shanghai, Chinese venture capitalist Eric X. Li made a provocative suggestion.

The United States, he said, was going through its own Cultural Revolution.

For those unfamiliar, Mao Zedongs Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) was a traumatic period of political upheaval, ostensibly intended to cleanse the Peoples Republic of impure and bourgeois elements.

Universities were shuttered. Public officials were purged. Youth paramilitary groups, known as Red Guards, terrorized civilians. Citizens denounced teachers, spouses and parents they suspected of harboring capitalist sympathies.

Millions were uprooted and sent to the countryside for re-education and hard labor. Millions more were persecuted, publicly humiliated, tortured, executed.

All of which is why, when Li first made this comparison  at a lunch with American journalists sponsored by the Asia Society  I laughed. Li is known as a sort of rhetorical bomb-thrower, an expert defender of the Communist regime, and this seemed like just another one of his explosive remarks.

And yet I havent been able to get the comment out of my head. In the weeks since Ive returned stateside, Lis seemingly far-fetched analogy has begun to feel  a little too near-fetched.

Li said he saw several parallels between the violence and chaos in China decades ago and the animosity coursing through the United States today. In both cases, the countries turned inward, focusing more on defining the soul of their nations than on issues beyond their borders.

He said that both countries were also torn apart by ideological struggles, with kinships, friendships and business relationships being severed by political differences.

Virtually all types of institutions, be it political, educational, or business, are exhausting their internal energy in dealing with contentious, and seemingly irreconcilable, differences in basic identities and values  what it means to be American, he said in a subsequent email exchange. In such an environment, identity trumps reason, ideology overwhelms politics, and moral convictions replace intellectual discourse.

Li also pointed to the big-character posters  large, hand-painted propaganda slogans and calls to action  used during the Cultural Revolution to denounce purported enemies of the state and call for class struggle against them.

These find a contemporary counterpart in the hashtags and public pilings-on in social media, which also frequently leverage paranoia and mob rule. Todays big (280) character posters  whether crafted by public figures, trolls, political groups or us laobaixing (commoners)  often take the form of calls for resignations or collective harassment, threats of violence and attacks on adversaries as the enemy of the American People.

Li didnt mention these other similarities, but in both periods higher education is demonized, national symbols and cultural artifacts once seen as unifying such as the Statue of Liberty and the American flag become politicized, and specific words and ideas are stricken or banned from government communiques.

Both Maos decade-long tumult and todays Cultural Revolution with American characteristics also feature cults of personality for the national leader, who thrives in the surrounding chaos. Each also gives his blessing, sometimes explicitly, for vigilantes to attack ideological opponents on his behalf.

But the most troubling parallel is the call for purges.

Then, Mao and his allies led purges of political and military ranks, allegedly for seditious or just insufficiently loyal behavior. Today, White House officials, right-wing media hosts and federal lawmakers have called for a cleansing of the nations top law-enforcement and intelligence agencies, because the deep state is conspiring against the president.

We are at risk of a coup detat in this country if we allow an unaccountable person with no oversight to undermine the duly elected president of the United States, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said on the House floor in November as he called for special counsel Robert Mueller to resign or be fired. He repeated this demand on TV last week.

Also last week, Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Fla., called for a purge of both the Justice Department and FBI to remove the influence of the deep state.

The more you look around, the more parallels appear. Its almost like  stick with me here!  authoritarian, anti-intellectual, expulsionist tendencies are not confined to halfway around the world, half a century ago. Political tribalism can be fed and exploited for personal gain in any society, even our shining city on a hill.

What differentiates the (fully cataclysmic) China then from the (only relatively chaotic) United States now is, among other things, our political institutions. Our system of checks and balances. And perhaps a few statesmen willing to keep those institutions, checks and balances in place  occasionally turning their backs on their own political tribe.

As we brave 2018, may their spines stay strong.

 2018,

Washington Post Writers Group

Email: crampell@washpost.com Twitter: @crampell
Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press

For futile and confusing crusades, its hard to top a bid by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to eliminate legal cannabis. Hes dropping Washingtons quiet tolerance of state-adopted acceptance and allowing prosecutors to enforce a federal ban on marijuana.

How it will work is as big a mystery as why hes bothering. A fifth of the U.S. population lives in states, including California, where marijuana is fully legal. More than half the states allow medicinal cannabis. Thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in anticipated tax revenue are at issue. If Sessions turns back the clock, then an illegal world will flourish once again.
Resistance remains all the rage in California, where the gas tax increase is quite a bit more popular than President Trump. But sometimes, in the famous words of a fictional alien collective cybernetic organism, resistance is futile.

Take state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leons response to the tax rewrite passed by Republicans in Congress and signed by Trump last month. He wants to help Californians circumvent the new $10,000 limit on deductions for state and local taxes, which disproportionately hurts California and other high-tax states, by disguising their payments to the government as charitable donations to a California Excellence Fund and therefore still deductible. In other words, it would make dodging federal taxes the states official policy.

De Leon, D-Los Angeles, deserves credit for creativity in countering an irresponsible, partisan tax overhaul and for the vigor of his efforts to approach the name recognition of Dianne Feinstein, whom he is attempting to oust from her U.S. Senate seat. And Congress certainly encouraged such gamesmanship with provisions that conspicuously target Democratic states.

But the proposal looks most likely to provoke a losing battle with the IRS, which has already countered state and local efforts to allow taxpayers to squeeze more out of the deduction before it expires. True, federal tax officials position would be complicated by the fact that they allowed a similar maneuver enabling states to subsidize private schools through tax credits for charitable donations. But one government tax gimmick doesnt justify the next.

Another controversial recent change in national policy, the Federal Communications Commissions reversal of rules guaranteeing equitable Internet access, has state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, taking on another uphill fight. In a potentially quixotic bid to regulate the Internet from Sacramento, Wiener has crafted legislation that would use state rules and purchasing power to force telecommunications companies to abide by the so-called net neutrality requirements repealed by the FCC.

California legislators have been so eager to resist Trump, whose historic unpopularity makes him the softest target in Democratic politics, that they have sometimes moved to counter policy before he makes it. Now that they have more concrete causes for resistance, they still have to choose their battles wisely and focus on problems that are clearly within their purview  many of which will have nothing to do with the president. Sometimes the only realistic means of undoing federal policy is a federal election.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
Contrary to his recent crowing about long-standing airline safety improvements, President Trump might not be single-handedly responsible for keeping the nations planes aloft. But if he wants to take credit for a travel trend that does appear to be linked to his administration, it could be keeping more potential foreign tourists on the ground.

Trumps virulent xenophobia appears to be mutual: He is presiding over a bust in foreign travel to the United States that has grown grim enough to send the tourism trade scrambling to reverse course. True, the travel industrys Trump slump is hardly the weightiest consequence of the administrations Fortress America footing, but it does point to a striking alteration of the nations image around the world.

About 1.7 million fewer foreign visitors entered the country in the first seven months of last year than during the same period of 2016, a 4 percent decline, according to the latest counts available from the Department of Commerces National Travel and Tourism Office. Having climbed steadily since early in the Obama administration, foreign tourism began falling in the second quarter of 2016 and dropped more steadily last year.

California experienced a concurrent 5 percent drop in foreign tourists arriving at its airports through the first five months of the year, according to federal data compiled by Visit California, whose All Dreams Welcome campaign is one of a number of regional efforts to reassure international tourists.

Canada, in contrast, was expected to enjoy a 7 percent increase in overseas tourism compared with the previous year.

U.S. Travel Association Chief Executive Roger Dow has called the government data deeply concerning ... to anyone who cares about the economic well-being of the United States and said correcting this troubling trend needs to become a national priority. A new industry coalition, Visit U.S., is planning to highlight the contributions of foreign tourists, who according to the trade group generated $246 billion in spending in 2016 and directly support 1.2 million jobs.

Dow and others have noted that foreign travel faces headwinds unrelated to the administration, including a strong dollar, which makes the country more expensive for international visitors, a slowing global economy, more affordable airfares to other destinations, and natural disasters in California and the Caribbean. But Trumps rhetoric and policies probably have played a major role.

His impact can be seen not only in the timing of the tourism decline  coinciding with the rise of his candidacy and accelerating under his administration  but also its composition. Reflecting his anti-Muslim rhetoric and travel restrictions, the steepest regional decline was in visits from the Middle East, which were down 32 percent through July 2017 compared with the same period of 2016. Latin America also figured heavily, with sharp decreases in visitors from Argentina (19.1 percent), Brazil (12.5 percent) and Colombia (10.6 percent). The first half of 2017 also saw an 8.5 percent decline in visits from Mexicans, who account for about a quarter of Americas foreign tourists and have been excoriated by Trump since the first day of his campaign.

Even beyond his infamous vows to fortify the U.S.-Mexico border and shut down Muslim immigration, Trump has hardly missed an opportunity to signal hostility to the world. He has disparaged international alliances, threatened multilateral agreements, and gone so far as to propose eliminating Brand USA, the organization that promotes the United States as a tourist destination abroad, suggesting the traveler fees that support it should be redirected to border security. The administration has further discouraged foreign tourism by cracking down on visas and imposing additional restrictions on some air travelers.

That helps explain the diverse nature of the global souring on America, which encompasses substantial declines in tourism not only from south of the border and the Muslim world, but also from Europe and Asia. Trumps America First message has justifiably inspired worldwide revulsion.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
I was just a child when my parents emigrated with me from Argentina six decades ago. Yet even as an inquisitive youngster, it never crossed my mind to ask if we had proper documentation to enter the United States. My parents, like so many before them, were filled with the hope of a better life in America for themselves and their children, and they were willing to sacrifice much and overcome even more to secure those opportunities.

We settled in California, and in due course I took advantage of my states extraordinary commitment to education by enrolling at Diablo Valley Community College before transferring to Fresno State University, where I earned my bachelors degree. Later, I attended California State University East Bay, where I received my masters, and ultimately earned a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley.

When I consider the investment California made in my education  a number that undoubtedly reaches into the hundreds of thousands of dollars  I am always humbled and grateful. This willingness by my fellow Californians to believe in the profound possibility of potential continues to inspire and motivate me today. As chancellor of the California State University, I am often reminded of the power of that potential when I hear about the remarkable contributions CSU students and alumni are making in the world.

How shortsighted it would be to deprive our nation of the extraordinary possibilities inherent in these dedicated women and men! Yet that is exactly what will happen if Congress neglects to address the misguided decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. More than 8,000 members of the CSU family  along with some 800,000 men and women around the United States  will be prevented from giving back to the nation they consider home.

Within the CSU, we count DACA recipients among our top student leaders and most dedicated employees. I have met with many of them. Ive heard their stories, celebrated their achievements and marveled at their courage and determination. They are thoughtful innovators, inquisitive scholars, adept researchers and dazzling creators. They bring a vitality and perspective to every CSU campus that enriches our academic communities and benefits our neighborhoods. In every way, they illuminate the best aspects of the American dream  hard-working, passionate, engaged and collaborative members of our society.

Why, then, would we wish to exclude these individuals from contributing to the strength and success of our country? We cannot allow a flawed decision that hurts individuals and damages our nation to become the new normal.

Immediately following the DACA announcement, I met with legislators on both sides of the aisle to encourage them to initiate a swift and permanent resolution. At the time, I found them willing to engage in respectful but vigorous discussions that could lead to equitable solutions. Yet I worry now that other issues have crowded the legislative agenda and supplanted the dialogues about DACA that so desperately need to occur. Such matters should not prevent Congress from immediately enacting legislation that would eliminate uncertainty and preserve the proven benefits of Dreamer-related programs.

As Americans, we cannot  indeed we must not  allow empty rhetoric or political posturing to silence our input or marginalize our insight. We must step forward with courage and confidence to speak for talented students who are not in a position to speak for themselves, for wonderful employees who risk losing their opportunity to work, for brilliant colleagues who bring diverse and illuminating perspectives, and for vital communities that wonder about their place and status in todays America.

When my parents left everything behind to emigrate to the United States, they opened possibilities that changed my life for the better. I owe it to them and to so many others to ensure the same opportunities are made available to those who are themselves extraordinary representatives of the California spirit and the American dream. I urge Americans  native-born or naturalized  to join me in vigorous advocacy with their congressional delegations. Let them know how important it is to all of us, and to the future of our nation, to pass legislation that creates the just and equitable solution we so sorely need. If ever there was a time for our voices to be heard, it is now.

Timothy P. White is chancellor of California State University.
San Francisco acting Mayor London Breed signaled her intent to become an official mayoral candidate in the June election, pulling her nomination papers at the citys Department of Elections on Friday.

After attending a community cleanup event at Reservoir Playground in the Outer Sunset, Breed put an end to speculation about her candidacy, saying that after careful consideration, she intended to enter the race.

Clutching an umbrella against the morning drizzle, Breed said her lifes trajectory  from growing up in an impoverished family to becoming acting mayor  had given her a unique perspective on how to make government work better for the citys most vulnerable.

Breed said she is uniquely qualified to address the citys homeless crisis and quality-of- life issues on the streets but she offered few specifics.

Being one of the few elected officials who actually grew up in poverty in this city who understands what it feels like to be neglected, to be left out, to not feel supported ... I have a unique experience to bring to the table, Breed said. I want to make sure that I am not the only one coming from a situation of poverty and doing well in life.

As president of the Board of Supervisors, Breed became acting mayor after the unexpected death of Ed Lee from a heart attack last month. Occupying multiple roles  she is also the supervisor for District Five  has raised the question of the board appointing a neutral, caretaker mayor who would not run in the June 5 election, preserving the separation of legislative and executive powers.

Having Breed step out of the role of acting mayor as she conducts her campaign would also prevent her from capitalizing on her incumbency in the mayors office.

Breed said Friday she would support any decision by the board to appoint an interim mayor.

I want my colleagues to do what they think is best, she said. What Ive made clear in some of the conversations Ive had with my colleagues  I dont want this to change how we work together. Our actions will demonstrate that for us in the months to come.

Breeds allies have begun an aggressive campaign  reminiscent of the Run, Ed, Run strategy that helped persuade Lee to run for the office while he was serving as interim mayor to fill out the term of Gavin Newsom  to keep Breed in the citys top job.

Last month, Breeds most prominent backer, former Mayor Willie Brown, dismissed in his Chronicle column the idea of a caretaker mayor. It was followed Tuesday by an opinion piece written by Christine Pelosi and BART board member Lateefah Simon that painted Breed, who would be the citys first female African American mayor, as a symbol of the national #MeToo reckoning on sexual harassment.

The opinion piece spread on social media, with a boost from Los Angeles comedian Chelsea Handler, who tweeted about it Thursday evening.

Also Thursday, Breeds supporters held a rally on the steps of City Hall. Several attendees carried signs, some with the slogan Girl Power and others with messages about fair and transparent government.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

While pressure is building on the Board of Supervisors to decide on a caretaker mayor, the issue is not on the agenda for its next meeting Tuesday.

Last week, a group called the San Francisco Progressive Alliance inundated the supervisors and their aides with emails, urging them to pick an interim mayor who would not run in June.

 Dominic Fracassa

and Rachel Swan

Dominic Fracassa and Rachel Swan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: cityinsider@sfchronicle.com, dfracassa@sfchronicle.com, rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfcityinsider, @dominicfracassa, @rachelswan
The Marijuana Legalization Company More Relevant Than Ever; The Important Role of Informed Investors Conservative Republicans Strongly Object

LAS VEGAS, NV, Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clifford J. Perry and Richard Cowan, Co-Founders of Freedom Leaf, Inc., "The Marijuana Legalization Company" (OTCQB: FRLF), a group of diversified, international, vertically-integrated Cannabis/Hemp businesses and media companies, issued a statement today noting that Attorney General Jeff Sessions supposedly new marijuana policy is no threat to FRLF, which is compliant with all relevant laws, in the U. S. and Europe.

Freedom Leaf CEO, Clifford J. Perry, explained, We believe that The Marijuana Legalization Company has an important role to play in educating marijuana investors and the extreme volatility of Cannabis related shares over the last few days illustrates that point. While we are very grateful for the buying in FRLF shares following legalization in California, the fact is that it will have little or no impact on FRLF as we do not handle, grow, sell, or dispense marijuana, but neither will Sessionss threats, which sparked a sell-off in our shares.

Richard Cowan, a former Executive Director of NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), a long time marijuana author and activist, noted that there is really nothing new in Sessions statement because, when he first became Attorney General, he said, We should enforce the laws as we are able. That is really all that yesterdays DoJ memo announcing a return to the rule of law and the rescission of previous guidance documents said.

Cowan explained, The Federal Government simply does not have the resources to suppress Americas booming cannabis industries. If they couldnt stop it 20 years ago, when it was in its infancy, they certainly cant stop it now.

Sessionss statement may have been intended to satisfy his Prohibitionist friends, but unfortunately, it was so vague that it is also a threat to medical marijuana laws, which are supported by over 80% in national polls and which candidate Trump promised to uphold.

Cowan noted, Marijuana Legalization was the only clear winner in the 2016 elections, and we beat the Drug Warriors in every state, except one out of the eight on the ballot. In Arizona, recreational legalization lost with 46.68%, where President Trump won with 49.5%.

Sessions is reportedly already on thin ice with the President, so the timing of this announcement is puzzling. After these overwhelming victories for the marijuana movement. No one has a mandate to oppose the will of the people that was so clearly expressed in these elections.

Cowan also noted that many of the states where the people voted for marijuana reform (in 2016 or before) also have Republican Senators: Alaska (2), Arkansas (2), Colorado (1), Florida (1), where Marco Rubio won reelection with 51.9% and medical marijuana got 71.32%, Maine (1), Montana (1), Nevada (1), North Dakota (1). Nevada Republican Senator Dean Heller is up for reelection this year and is considered especially vulnerable.

Moreover, Gallup reports that over 60% of Americans now support marijuana legalization, whereas President Elect Trump got less than 48% of the popular vote. Nonetheless, there has been a rash of alarmist articles about how the Trump administration might somehow block the clear will of the people, but they rarely consider the blowback from such a policy reversal, especially from Republicans.

Twenty-eight states and Washington, D.C., allow marijuana for medical or recreational purposes. Will they represent their voters or the DEA?" Cowan asked. The answer came immediately.

Yesterday, Colorado senator Cory Gardner, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, that funds GOP Senatorial candidates and is consequently very influential in the 2018 midterm elections, is especially angry. He told reporters last winter that he would vote to confirm Sessions as Attorney General only after securing Sessions' word that the Justice Department would not interfere with state-level decisions about marijuana policy.

Gardner Tweeted: "I will be putting today a hold on every single nomination from the Dept. of Justice until Attorney General Jeff Sessions lives up to the commitment that he made to me on legalized marijuana in Colorado.

Other conservative Republicans with ties to President Trump also denounced Sessions action. Orange County Republican Representative Dana Rohrabacher, an old friend of both Trump and Sessions, issued a press release saying, The attorney general of the United States has just delivered an extravagant holiday gift to the drug cartels. By attacking the will of the American people, who overwhelmingly favor marijuana legalization, Jeff Sessions has shown a preference for allowing all commerce in marijuana to take place in the black market, which will inevitably bring the spike in violence he mistakenly attributes to marijuana itself. He is doing the bidding of an out-of-date law enforcement establishment that wants to wage a perpetual weed war and seize private citizens property in order to finance its backward ambitions.



This is a profound misreading of the Constitution, which allows states, not the heavy-handed federal government, to determine such issues. How ironic that the attorney general has long championed states rights when it suits other parts of his agenda! More than that, by attacking the clear will of the American people, the attorney general contradicts President Trumps campaign pledges to leave medical and recreational marijuana questions for the states to decide. By taking this benighted minority position, he actually places Republicans electoral fortunes in jeopardy.

Other Republicans also reacted negatively. See Washington Post article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/01/04/what-republicans-are-saying-about-jeff-sessions-war-on-marijuana/?utm_term=.314cea3b9c21



The full text of the Memo and a link to the DoJ Press Release:

Justice Department Issues Memo on Marijuana Enforcement

Thursday, January 4, 2018



The Department of Justice today issued a memo on federal marijuana enforcement policy announcing a return to the rule of law and the rescission of previous guidance documents. Since the passage of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in 1970, Congress has generally prohibited the cultivation, distribution, and possession of marijuana.

In the memorandum, Attorney General Jeff Sessions directs all U.S. Attorneys to enforce the laws enacted by Congress and to follow well-established principles when pursuing prosecutions related to marijuana activities. This return to the rule of law is also a return of trust and local control to federal prosecutors who know where and how to deploy Justice Department resources most effectively to reduce violent crime, stem the tide of the drug crisis, and dismantle criminal gangs.

"It is the mission of the Department of Justice to enforce the laws of the United States, and the previous issuance of guidance undermines the rule of law and the ability of our local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners to carry out this mission," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "Therefore, today's memo on federal marijuana enforcement simply directs all U.S. Attorneys to use previously established prosecutorial principles that provide them all the necessary tools to disrupt criminal organizations, tackle the growing drug crisis, and thwart violent crime across our country."

Full text of Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1022196/download



About Freedom Leaf

Freedom Leaf, Inc., The Marijuana Legalization Company, is a fully reporting and audited, publicly traded company trading under the symbol (OTCQB: FRLF). Freedom Leaf, Inc. is a leading go-to resource in the cannabis, medical marijuana, and industrial hemp industry. It is involved in mergers and acquisitions and business consulting in the marijuana industry, including incubation/acceleration and spin offs of new marijuana/hemp related companies.

Freedom Leaf, Inc.s flagship publication is Freedom Leaf Magazine, The Good News in Marijuana Reform. The company produces a portfolio of news, print and digital multi-media verticals, websites, blogs and web advertising, for the ever-changing emerging cannabis, medical marijuana and industrial hemp industry.

Freedom Leaf, Inc. does not handle, grow, sell, or dispense marijuana.

All of our European activities are in full compliance with relevant EU laws.

Corporate Website and Investor Relations www.FreedomLeafInc.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements, including any financial projections above, generally can be identified by phrases such as Freedom Leaf, Inc. or its management believes, expects, anticipates, foresees, forecasts, estimates projections or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements herein that describe the Companys business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to differences include the uncertainty regarding viability and market acceptance of the Companys products and services, changes in relationships with third parties, and other factors described in the Companys most recent periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K dated June 30, 2017 and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.




Raiders cornerback Sean Smith was arraigned Wednesday on felony charges of assault and battery stemming from an incident last July 4 in Pasadena.

Smith was charged with assault by means of force to produce great bodily injury and battery with serious bodily injury, according to the Los Angeles County Superior Court. He pleaded not guilty to both charges and is due back in court Feb. 13 for a pre-trial hearing.
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Former employees of Four Barrel Coffee, San Franciscos popular coffee roaster, filed a lawsuit on Friday in San Francisco Superior Court against the company and its founder Jeremy Tooker, alleging he sexually assaulted multiple women, harassed others and created a toxic workplace culture for Four Barrels female staff members.

The eight women named in the lawsuit allege incidents where Tooker assaulted a female employee in a hotel room; grabbed another female employees neck with enough force to cause soreness; and threatened to fire a staff member for speaking to a former Four Barrel employee.

Overall, the suit depicts a company with rampant sexual misconduct, and an ownership group  led by Tooker, along with partners Jodi Geren and Tal Mor  that chose to address neither the misconduct nor employees complaints about it.

The ethos was evident to the public in the brands merchandise  mugs adorned with F it and Suck it, and secret menu items like the Dickens Cider, meant to sound as if the customer said dick inside her.

The Chronicle interviewed 14 former employees over two months, 10 of whom spoke on the record regarding the workplace culture at the coffee company. All 10 said both Geren and Mor were aware of Tookers behavior yet did not address complaints in an official capacity.

Neither Tooker, Geren nor Mor responded to Chronicle inquiries regarding the allegations.

Though eight women came forward with allegations in the lawsuit, two  Megan Kepnach and Karley Webb  are listed as plaintiffs, seeking damages from Tooker and Four Barrel.

The accusations against Tooker and Four Barrel are a continuation of a watershed moment in the food world that has seen detailed investigations surrounding high-profile chefs like John Besh in New Orleans, and Johnny Iuzzini and Mario Batali in New York.

In the Bay Area, 17 women accused Oakland chef Charlie Hallowell of sexual harassment. In the wake of The Chronicle investigation, he apologized and stepped down from day-to-day duties, though his future at his restaurants, which include Pizzaiolo, Boot & Shoe Service and Penrose, remains unclear.

Ken Friedman, a co-owner of Tosca Cafe in San Francisco, was accused by 10 female employees of harassment and blacklisting, according to the New York Times; he also apologized while retaining ownership. Michael Chiarello, who owns Coqueta in San Francisco and Bottega in Yountville, has settled two sexual harassment lawsuits in recent years.

As with many of those cases, female workers at Four Barrel have been inspired by the #MeToo movement to come forward and speak out about behavior that many said has been normalized in the restaurant industry.

Jeremys behavior has been an open secret for years. But its always been kind of shrugged off, Umeko Motoyoshi, who worked for Four Barrel from 2013 to 2015, told The Chronicle. A lot of people were afraid of hurting their careers by saying something.

Brant Ward/The Chronicle

Tooker is well known in national coffee circles. In 2008, he made headlines when he left Ritual Coffee Roasters to open Four Barrel on Valencia Street. Five years later, he partnered with Josey Baker to open the Mill on Divisadero, where news of the cafes $4 artisan toast went viral. Both businesses have proved incredibly popular in San Francisco, with regular lines out the door. A third Four Barrel outpost opened in Portola in October 2013, and the companys beans are sold throughout San Francisco.

If Blue Bottle was the high-end Bay Area coffee roaster with a clean-cut image, Four Barrel was the coffee outfit embracing San Franciscos counterculture history.

Molly Haight, a former employee who worked at Four Barrel for more than two years, told The Chronicle Four Barrels sexually explicit merchandise and secret menu items were seen as a boon to business by upper management.

I think these branding tactics and products are a way for Four Barrel to be represented as cool and not corporate, and thats exactly what people in San Francisco want to buy into, she said.

Another former employee, Erika Schrader, who worked for Four Barrel between 2013 and 2015, described Four Barrel to The Chronicle as an anti-hipster empire where Tooker hired employees with punk rock styles.

I think he watched too many Guns N Roses road documentaries. That type of lifestyle just doesnt happen, Schrader said. It was a misunderstanding of the employee-manager dynamic.

Tayler Mehit, a former employee who worked for Four Barrel between May 2013 and April 2017, said the companys reputation was common knowledge within the industry. Other folks within specialty coffee companies certainly know about Jeremy and the general sexist atmosphere at Four Barrel.

While the lawsuit spans multiple years, it largely focuses on Tookers behavior at two company parties in 2015. In court documents, the events are described as alcohol-fueled affairs where the company management mingled closely with lower-level employees.

According to the lawsuit, Tooker made lewd comments during speeches to staff members at these parties, as well as simulated sexual acts with employees and forced attendees to play a game called kiss or slap, wherein Tooker would approach employees and force them to either kiss him or slap him.

Cobrina Grieco, an employee of Josey Baker Bread at the Mill, said in the lawsuit that she attended Four Barrels family night music show anniversary party at Smileys Saloon in Bolinas on Oct. 8, 2015.

The lawsuit states that Tooker forcibly grabbed Grieco and kissed her against her will multiple times throughout the party. In court documents, Tookers actions at the Bolinas party are corroborated by fellow employees Britta Leijonflych, Mehit and Kepnach.

According to the lawsuit, the following is alleged to have taken place later that night: In a hotel room reserved for Four Barrel employees, Tooker forcefully pushed onto the bed and laid on top of Grieco, while she repeatedly said no. Tooker managed to get her pants down to her thighs and only stopped when several Four Barrel employees entered the room.

Kepnach alleges in the lawsuit that Tooker also attempted to kiss her that night in Bolinas, at one point grabbing the back of her head. One week after telling her manager, Brett Whitman, about the incidents, she was called into Whitmans office and was told she was fired because she was not a good fit for the company, according to the lawsuit.

Webb, a Four Barrel barista from 2014 to 2016, said she too was forcibly kissed by Tooker at the Bolinas party, according to court documents. Webb also said in the lawsuit that she went to the hospital following a different Four Barrel party, out of fear that shed been given a date rape drug. The lawsuit does not mention if Webb brought the incident to the attention of Four Barrel management, yet the company subsequently fired her for being difficult, according to the filing.

For those women who remained with the company after being propositioned or forcibly touched, such parties created uncomfortable workplace dynamics, said Mehit.

This is the person who basically gives us the money to pay our rent. We work for him. Hes the one who helps us survive in San Francisco, Mehit told The Chronicle. It was just an awkward situation.

Four Barrel had a human resources department, several employees told The Chronicle, but the responses to complaints were often dismissive, they said. The lawsuit describes an instance in which former Four Barrel employee Emily Haddad was overheard by the companys human resources representative discussing the offensive nature of Four Barrel merchandise, and was told that she was not permitted to speak disparagingly about the company.

I, as well as others, did not feel like HR was actually there for the safety and comfort of employees, Haddad told The Chronicle.

Employees said they received similar reactions when bringing concerns about Tookers behavior to upper levels of management. According to the suit, partners Geren and Mor responded to complaints about Tooker sexually assaulting multiple women at the Bolinas party by telling the employees not to create drama.

HR was just an extension of the owners. I never felt comfortable saying anything to the HR rep because he was a close friend with the owners, Motoyoshi said.

According to Mehit, the behavior by Tooker and members of the Four Barrel management team was rarely addressed in an overarching capacity, leaving some employees feeling as though the culture would never change during their tenures with the company.

The Four Barrel workforce was diminutive enough for Tooker to have close relationships with many of the employees, said another former employee, Haight. Tooker often described the company as a family, she told The Chronicle.

It wasnt like a positive environment. said Haight. The dysfunctional family term is one I threw around a lot while I was there.

Haight described Tooker as the foundation from which the companys toxicity grew.

Jeremy wanted to be cool. He wanted to be part of the crowd, I think, Haight said. I just dont think he ever learned to set boundaries.

Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips
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Water is San Diegos lifeblood. (That other thing pumping through San Diegos heart is beer.) The Pacific Ocean and San Diego Bay have given the city food, Spaniards, tasty waves and its identity as a laid-back-but-populous beach town. And whether youre into wringing-wet fun or you prefer to be dry in aquatic settings, get to this land of sunshine for an energetic, all-water day. Note: The sublime journey ahead keeps you out of the rowdy bro areas, including Pacific Beach, the site of a 2007 Labor Day riot that led to an alcohol ban for all San Diego beaches.

Morning

Spanish for the jewel, La Jolla is in the northern part of San Diego. If youve ever wanted to visit a wealthy hamlet that also has wildlife bursting from its nooks and crannies, go here.

Rugged La Jolla mornings are magnificent on the coastal bluffs of Torrey Pines City Park, which offers the regions most dramatic Pacific Ocean views. This is also home to Torrey Pines Gliderport, where hang gliders and paragliders launch from a seaside perch. (Fly tandem with an instructor for $165-$225; or just hang out on the deck of the Cliffhanger Cafe with a breakfast burrito and a killer view.)

Nearby is a sandy trail leading 350 feet down to Blacks Beach  a place for surfers, nudists and shocked first-timers who didnt get the naked beach memo. Theres no guard rail on the footpath and the breathless climb back up is a knee-buster. Sitting serenely atop one of the Torrey Pines cliffs, taking in natures purest designs, is OK, too.

Keli Dailey/Special to The Chronicle

Midday

Whats next? Marine life. But you have to make a choice: Carve three hours out of your day to whale watch, perhaps on a San Diego Whale Watch no-frills boat out of Mission Bay  good for families, yet spotting a migrating whale is not guaranteed. Luckily the Pacific feels crowded with dolphins. (Overfishing led San Diegos once-thriving tuna industry to collapse in the 1980s. Now these waters teem with cruise ships.)

Or you could stay in the Jewel and take in the coastal enchantments around La Jollas Ecological Reserve and Marine Life Refuge. Referred to as the Underwater Park, its 6,000 acres of ocean and tidal shoals, and the obsession of the neighboring Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Squeeze into a rented wetsuit, let La Jolla Kayak guide your ocean kayak into La Jollas Sea Caves. (Launching past the surf takes some core work.) You could instead wade in the shallows or scuba dive at the pungent La Jolla Cove, a cliff-enclosed beach with lifeguards on duty until about sundown. Or stay dry, take a 10-minute walk from this cove to watch sea lions at a beach called the Childrens Pool  theyre roped off because some residents have tried to violently evict them.

Speaking of locals, get in close contact with them at Windansea Beach, which has helped define surf culture. Windanseas bare-knuckle, territorial past is captured by Tom Wolfes book, Pump House Gang. Now its for skilled surfers, body boarders and people enjoying #VanLife in their VW buses. Everyone is welcome at the nearby Surf Shack, a national landmark overlooking the ocean. The historic structure is easily mistaken for a thatched beach umbrella.

Afternoon

Youve done your exercise for the day. If youre in La Jolla, wind down at Georges at the Cove with kale salads and booze on an outdoor terrace high above the water. With so many old-guard restaurants in La Jolla, Georges is a perfect dinner choice, too. Its upscale dining area is called Georges California Modern and chef Trey Foshee makes cosmopolitan locavore treats.

If you went with the whales, detour to Point Loma for a casual experience at Mitchs Seafood. Choose from its daily fish board. Get something grilled and served on corn tortillas  fish tacos are the celebrated cuisine of San Diego (and Baja California). Eat yours on the wraparound patio deck facing sport-fishing yachts parked outside.

A short drive down the Point Loma peninsula is Cabrillo National Monument and historic lighthouse, honoring the Spanish ships that anchored on the spot in 1542 and came ashore California for the first time.

Evening

A sunset fanatic knows there are good displays everywhere in San Diego, yet the ones at Sunset Cliffs are surreal. Dont you want uncluttered views when the sun takes its dip into the ocean?

Not all San Diego waterfront faces the Pacific. So buy tickets for one of Humphreys outdoor concerts on Shelter Island on the San Diego Bay (kayakers park outside and take in tunes for free). Cross the street to a nearby pier for a nightcap. This is a drinking town that often makes the list of drunkest U.S. cities. Grabbing a local craft beer at a tiny, hipster-y Fathom Bistro, Bait & Tackle is the right call.

If you go

Torrey Pines City Park: 2800 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla.

Torrey Pines Gliderport (and Cliffhanger Cafe): 2800 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla; (858) 452-9858; www.flytorrey.com.

Blacks Beach: Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla.

San Diego Whale Watch: Seaforth Sportfishing, 1717 Quivira Road, San Diego; (619) 224-3383; www.sdwhalewatch.com.

La Jolla Kayak: 2199 Avenida de la Playa, La Jolla; (858) 459-1114; www.lajollakayak.com.

La Jolla Underwater Park: Off the coast between Ellen Browning Scripps Park and La Jolla Shores, San Diego.

La Jolla Cove: 1100 Coast Blvd. (at Girard Avenue), La Jolla; (619) 235-1169; www.lajolla.com.

Childrens Pool: 850 Coast Blvd., La Jolla; (619) 235-1169; www.sandiego.com/beaches/childrens-pool.

Windansea: 6800 Neptune Place, La Jolla; www.sandiego.gov.

Surf Shack: 6800 Neptune Place, La Jolla.

Georges at the Cove: 1250 Prospect St., La Jolla; (858) 454-4244; www.georgesatthecove.com.

Mitchs Seafood: 1403 Scott St., San Diego; (619) 222-8787; www.mitchsseafood.com.

Cabrillo National Monument: 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive, San Diego; (619) 557-5450; www.nps.gov/cabr.

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park: 1253 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., San Diego

Fathom Bistro, Bait & Tackle: 1776 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego; (619) 222-5835; www.fathombistro.com.

Humphreys Concerts by the Bay: 2241 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego; (619) 224-3577; www.humphreysconcerts.com.
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Work started so quietly that the news barely made the paper.

"Without ceremony, without the tension which might be expected in the culmination of a dream of years, operators swung two big steam shovels into action at Lime Point, digging a pit for the Marin county shore anchorage," the San Francisco Chronicle announced on page 19 of the Jan. 6, 1933 edition.

And, with that, the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge had officially begun.

Although the actual groundbreaking ceremony would take place a month later, Jan. 5, 1933 is the official birthday of California's most beloved span. That day, 100 workers on the San Francisco and Marin sides of the bridge started digging the massive holes that would host the two anchorages. They'd eventually excavate 3.25 million cubic feet of dirt; By the end of the first six months, the Marin (north) tower was already done.

Now Playing: A look at the construction of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. Video: Martin do Nascimento, SFGATE

MORE: Underrated San Francisco landmarks every local should visit at least once

The bridge was seen not just as a great California accomplishment, but as a great international one. In February of 1933, the Sotoyome Scimitar of Healdsburg wrote that the bridge would be a "key link in the projected 'all-coast' highway system, eventually to stretch magnificently from South America to Alaska."

Even though that lofty goal didn't quite pan out nearly a century later, there's nothing to disappoint about the Golden Gate. When the bridge opened to traffic on May 28, 1937, it was then the longest suspension bridge in the world; New York City's Verrazano Narrows eclipsed it in 1964.

The Golden Gate Bridge was also finished ahead of schedule and under budget  a feat that's hard to imagine happening today.

To see rare photos of the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, click through the gallery above.
Now Playing: U.S. Army combat engineer Francois Clerfe took advantage of a special policy that allowed him to return home for the delivery of his firstborn. It took him two days, 10 connections and more than 1,000 miles of flying time, but he made it in time to see his daughter, Julia Clerfe, born in Monterey. Video: KSBW

A U.S. soldier took 10 flights in two days and traversed thousands of miles. His wife was in labor with their firstborn back home in Monterey, Calif., and Francois Clerfe had to be there.

Taking advantage of a special military policy, the U.S. Army combat engineer left his post in Iraq and rushed to the bedside of his wife, Natalia Svistunova.
Getty Images

A 23-year-old Vallejo man died in the citys first fatal crash of the year after an accident involving multiple vehicles on a residential street, police said.

Officers arrived at the crash site in the 500 block of Sonoma Boulevard about 5:20 p.m. Thursday. They found two vehicles crashed into two parked cars, according to the Vallejo Police Department.
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SAN DIEGO  A man visiting his girlfriend for the holidays after his first semester as a transfer student at the University of California, Berkeley was arrested by Border Patrol agents at an immigration checkpoint in San Diego County.

Luis Mora, 20, and his girlfriend Jaleen Udarbe, 21, were on their way home from a party around 10 p.m. on Saturday when they missed a turn and ended up at the checkpoint in Jamul. Mora has been detained in a temporary holding cell in a Border Patrol station since then.

"Luis Mora was found in violation of his visa condition," said Tekae Michael, a spokeswoman for Border Patrol in the San Diego sector. "Currently, Luis Mora is listed in DHS custody. This is all the information I have on the subject at this time."

Mora became an unauthorized immigrant after he came to the U.S. from Colombia as a child and overstayed his visa, Udarbe said.

He grew up in the San Diego area and went to Otay Ranch High School. He met Udarbe in an honors society at Southwestern College, and they've been together for almost a year.

In December, he told her about his immigration status. It didn't bother her, she said, but it did make her worry about him.

"He said it's really hard to be a U.S. citizen here," Udarbe said. "He's been trying, but they just won't let him."

Now Playing: ope Francis in Christmas Eve remarks Sunday likened the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem to the migrations of millions of people today who are forced to leave homelands for a better life, or just for survival. Video: Time

Neither knew that there is a checkpoint along Campo Road between Jamul and Dulzura. They passed it after they knew that they'd missed the turn home.

Once they realized they would have to go back through the checkpoint to make it home, they were in shock, she said.

"He said, 'This is it for me. I'm sorry,'" she said.

After Mora's arrest, she called her mother in tears. Then, she started trying to figure out how to contact Mora's mother, who is in Ecuador. The two had never spoken before.

Udarbe spent New Year's Eve making more phone calls to find a way to help Mora. Assisted by a student organization at UC Berkeley called Rising Immigrant Scholars through Education, she rallied friends and community members on social media to campaign for Mora with the hashtag #FreeLuis.

Because of the campaign, Prerna Lal of the East Bay Community Law Center, a lawyer who represents unauthorized immigrant students at UC Berkeley, is now working on Mora's case.

Since Mora is still in Border Patrol custody, it's more difficult for her to communicate with her client, Lal said. She didn't want to comment on details of his case before meeting with him in person.

The San Diego Union-Tribune was unable to interview Mora because he is in Border Patrol custody.

He will eventually be transferred to a longer-term detention facility by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency responsible for carrying out deportations.

Lal doesn't know why Mora hasn't been transferred to such a facility. Mora told Udarbe that more than 60 people are detained with him at the Border Patrol station, slowing down processing.

Lal hopes that ICE officers will agree to release Mora while his case is pending so that he can return to UC Berkeley in time for the semester starting in mid-January. By law, ICE can only hold people if the agency believes that they won't show up for their court dates or that they are dangerous to society.

Neither applies to Mora, Lal said.

If ICE will give him a bond, the university will help pay it, she said.

"It should be simple," Lal said. "It doesn't serve anyone's interest to keep him for longer."

Mora is studying political science and has dreams of going to law school. In 2016, he was selected for the Young Latino Champion award given out by the Union-Tribune.

At the time, he told the Union-Tribune that for him, a successful life would mean helping as many people as possible.

"I like to show that you can make an impact in your community no matter who you are," Mora said. "What inspires me is seeing how little things can make a big change."

Mora's mother is in Ecuador, and his father died a few years ago, Udarbe said.

After he began dating Udarbe, her family became his family. He calls Udarbe's mother, "Mom."

Udarbe took the Union-Tribune to see where she should have turned from Campo Road onto Otay Lakes Road. In the process, she had to drive through the checkpoint again. Though she is a U.S. citizen, she tensed as she looked for her ID before driving up to the agent.

"I'm traumatized," she said. "It's a scary process to be in."

Udarbe hopes that sharing Mora's story will not only help him, but also other young unauthorized immigrants, known as "Dreamers," who are hoping Congress will pass legislation giving them a pathway to citizenship.
Recommendations of recent books from the staffs of a rotating list of Bay Area independent bookstores. This weeks list is from Rakestraw Books, 3 Railroad Ave., Danville. (925) 837-7337. www.rakestrawbooks.com.

Less, by Andrew Sean Greer: Staring down the barrel of 50 prompts the hero of Greers romantic comedy to grow up at last. Readers will laugh all the way through this delicious romp of a novel (though they may brush a tear or two away at the end).

Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales, by P.D. James: Nothing quite matches the pleasure of the traditionally cozy English mystery on a winter evening.

Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days, by Jeanette Winterson: Winterson captures the beauty, the magic and the poignancy of the Christmas season.

Dinner at the Center of the Earth, by Nathan Englander: A writer known for his literary style and emotional sensibilities, Englander presents one of the years tautest and most arresting page-turners: an intrigue thriller set in Israel.

Nonfiction

Women and Power: A Manifesto, by Mary Beard: The classics professor traces the roots of present-day misogyny to their ancient roots in this passionate manifesto. She makes a powerful case about the nature of power and the need to reform it.

What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism, by Dan Rather: The veteran brings all of his experience, knowledge and fundamental decency to these wise essays about our national identity.

The Wisdom of Sundays: Life-Changing Insights From Super Soul Conversations, by Oprah Winfrey: Through conversations with thinkers ranging from Eckhart Tolle to Cheryl Strayed, Winfrey shares her powerful steps on her journey to being more fully open and [living] with a wide-open heart.

The Gourmands Way: Six Americans in Paris and the Birth of a New Gastronomy, by Justin Spring: In this deeply enjoyable book, Spring weaves together the stories of M.F.K. Fisher, Alexis Lichine, Julia Child, Alice B. Toklas, A.J. Liebling and Richard Olney during the decades when France was transforming the way they (and eventually Americans) ate, drank and lived.
Southwest Airlines will pay $15 million to settle class-action lawsuits that accuse the four biggest U.S. carriers of conspiring to boost prices by holding down the supply of tickets for sale.

Southwest denies breaking the law but says it settled to avoid the expense of more litigation. It will also provide information to the plaintiffs.

American, United and Delta said Thursday that they did nothing wrong and will continue to defend themselves.

Lawyers for consumers filed dozens of lawsuits against the four airlines in mid-2015 after the Associated Press first reported that the Justice Department was investigating possible collusion.

Federal officials demanded documents from the airlines  which control more than 80 percent of the U.S. air-travel market  to see if they were colluding to limit the number of seats in order to keep prices high.

The Justice Department hasnt taken any formal action against the carriers. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Social media

CEOs goal:

Fix Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg says his personal challenge for 2018 is to fix Facebook.

The CEO has declared a goal each year since 2009. Past challenges have included wearing a tie every day, learning to speak Mandarin and eating meat only from animals he killed himself. Last year, he visited every U.S. state he hadnt been to yet.

This may not seem like a personal challenge on its face, but I think Ill learn more by focusing intensely on these issues than I would by doing something completely separate, Zuckerberg wrote.

He added that while Facebook wont prevent all mistakes or abuse, we currently make too many errors.

Facebook had a tough 2017. It testified before Congress about Russian election meddling using its service and drew harsh criticism from early employees and investors about its role in the world and problems with hoaxes.

But Zuckerberg also has little choice but to fix Facebooks problems. Regulators in Washington, Europe and elsewhere are expecting concrete results.

Investing

CalPERS

seeks partner

The California Public Employees Retirement System, the largest U.S. pension fund, is formally soliciting a partner to help manage its $40 billion private equity portfolio.

The retirement system, which oversees more than $350 billion, sent requests for information in December to a group of asset managers seeking a strategic partnership for its private equity portfolio, according to a document released by CalPERS.

Possible partners include BlackRock Inc. and Neuberger Berman Group, according to people familiar with the matter who asked to not be identified because the information is private. Spokesmen for both firms declined to comment.

Chronicle News Services
NEWTOWN, Pa., Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. (TSX:HSM) (TSX:HSM.WT) (OTCQB:HSDT) (Helius or the Company), a medical technology company focused on neurological wellness, announced today that it has completed its competitive selection process and has contracted with Key Tronic Corporation (Key Tronic) as its commercial contract manufacturing partner for the Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS). Helius intends to submit applications for marketing clearance of the PoNS in the US and internationally in the first half of 2018.

The commercial design of the PoNS will be manufactured and assembled at Key Tronics facilities located in Oakdale, Minnesota. Key Tronic leverages decades of experience in manufacturing medical devices, a 1.6 million square foot global manufacturing footprint and a multi-disciplinary team necessary to optimize manufacturing of the PoNS device.

The execution of a commercial contract manufacturing agreement is a critical step for Helius in its efforts to obtain marketing clearance for the PoNS device, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Key Tronic, said Joyce LaViscount, CFO/COO of Helius. This partnership has developed over the last several years, as Key Tronic has proven to be a reliable supplier and partner during previous phases of PoNS product development and clinical manufacturing as they were subcontractors for the clinical mouthpiece builds. Key Tronic has also played an integral role in planning and transferring the Companys scaled manufacturing efforts over the previous 6 months and we are confident in their ability to lead commercial manufacturing, balancing our companys need for quality and cost control.

We are pleased to be selected by Helius for the commercial manufacture of the PoNS device, added Craig Gates, president and chief executive officer of Key Tronic. Our Oakdale facility is very well matched to manufacture developing medical products.

About PoNS Therapy

The PoNSTM is an investigational, non-invasive, medical device designed to deliver neurostimulation through the tongue. Clinical research has shown that electrical stimulation of the tongue activates two major cranial nerves  the trigeminal nerve and the facial nerve. Electrical stimulation of these cranial nerves creates a flow of neural impulses that are then delivered directly into the brain stem and cerebellum. PoNSTM Therapy combines the use of the PoNSTM device with physical therapy. The Company has completed its clinical trials for balance disorder in patients with mild to moderate Traumatic Brian Injury (TBI) and plans to submit applications for marketing authorization in the US and other jurisdictions for the PoNS device in [the first half of] 2018. Additional trials in multiple sclerosis, stroke and cerebral palsy have shown promising results and provide support for pursuing additional indications for use.

About Helius Medical Technologies, Inc.

Helius Medical Technologies is a medical technology company focused on neurological wellness. Helius seeks to develop, license and acquire unique and non-invasive platform technologies that amplify the brains ability to heal itself. Helius intends to file for FDA clearance for the PoNS device. For more information, please visit www.heliusmedical.com.

About Key Tronic Corporation

Key Tronic specializes in PCB assembly, plastic molding, precision metal stamping, fabrication and finishing, and full product assembly, with products ranging from simple consumer devices to complex, high-end commercial and industrial electromechanical products. Headquartered in Spokane Valley, Washington, Key Tronic was founded in 1969 as an OEM manufacturer and later transitioned to be a premier electronic manufacturing service (EMS) provider in numerous industries, including the medical device industry with the in-depth technical, quality and regulatory knowledge needed to develop and manufacture sophisticated medical products. To ensure success, the company provides their customers and unparalleled level of customer service. They are small enough to be nimble, flexible and responsive while still providing the combination of world-class pricing and off-shore manufacturing normally available from only much larger EMS providers.

The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

Cautionary Disclaimer Statement:

Certain statements in this news release are not based on historical facts and constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Canadian securities laws (forward-looking statements).

All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements include, among others, statements regarding ongoing or planned clinical research, expected future development timelines, regulatory submissions and approvals or other business initiatives and objectives.

Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as estimate intend and similar expressions.

There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Companys expectations include the failure of the Company to achieve its business objectives and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators.

The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Risks and uncertainties about the Companys business are more fully discussed in the Companys disclosure materials, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian securities regulators and which can be obtained from either at www.sec.gov or www.sedar.com.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such statements except to the extent required by law.

HELIUS CONTACTS:



Investor Relations:

Josh Berg, 415-205-7891

info@heliusmedical.com
Three former Santa Clara County correctional deputies convicted in the 2015 fatal jail-cell beating of a mentally ill inmate each was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison by a judge Friday.

In June, a jury found Jereh Lubrin, 30, Matthew Farris, 28, and Rafael Rodriguez, 28, guilty of killing 31-year-old Michael Tyree, who was found dead in his cell, covered in vomit and feces.

We asked the court to give the maximum sentence because when these so-called guards broke Michael Tyrees body that night two years ago, they also broke the publics trust, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said.

During the trial, several inmates testified to hearing the guards beating Tyree and another inmate hours before his body was discovered.

Tyree was in jail on misdemeanor drug and theft charges and was housed on a floor for inmates with mental illness or other special needs. According to court documents, the violent encounter with the guards began when Tyree refused his medication.

In a statement to the court at the Friday sentencing, Shannon Tyree described her brother as a sweet and sensitive individual whose mental illness slowly took over parts of his life.

He believed doctors, hospitals and even his family were part of plots by the CIA and FBI that would endanger him, Shannon Tyree said, which prevented him from receiving the help he needed.

Just before their father died, Shannon Tyree said she made a promise to take care of Michael. But his illness made it impossible to communicate, she said, since Michael believed she was part of a plot to harm him.

I will never have a chance ... to tell him Im so sorry that I didnt understand that he was so afraid, Shannon Tyree said. Im accountable for failing Michael. These three men walked into his cell and beat him to death. And they are accountable for that.

Lubrin was called by a nurse when Tyree pocketed his pills instead of ingesting them, but he eventually took the medication without incident. During routine checks later that night, the three jailers allegedly beat another inmate, Juan Villa, before entering Tyrees cell.

Witnesses testified to hearing Tyree screaming for help as the three guards entered his cell and beat him. The county medical examiner concluded that he died of internal bleeding from severe damage to his liver and spleen.

The jury convicted the three guards of second-degree murder in the killing of Tyree, but did not reach a verdict on the attacks on Villa.

Annie Ma is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ama@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @anniema15
Marilyn Nieves/Getty Image

An Oakland man was charged Wednesday with murder after the New Years Day shooting of his wife at their home, prosecutors said.

Enrique Sandoval, 44, was arrested Monday after calling his brother and telling him that he had shot his wife over a dispute, according to court records.
San Jose police have arrested a 23-year-old man suspected of sexually assaulting and robbing a teacher in her classroom at Harker Middle School in San Jose.

The suspect, Andrew Bracamonte, was identified by police as a San Jose resident who lived about a half-mile from the school.

Police Chief Eddie Garcia said that around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, Bracamonte walked into the teachers classroom, locked the door and turned off the lights.

The suspect then sexually assaulted the victim and stole personal items before leaving the room, Garcia said. In addition, the suspect threatened to shoot the victim if she did not stay inside the classroom. Though she did not see a weapon, she feared for her life.

The teacher, who has not been identified, called the police immediately. Officers found video footage that showed Bracamonte before and after the assault. They found the victims cell phone and the suspects beanie cap in a nearby field, Garcia said, and a police dog traced the scent to a neighborhood where police later learned Bracamonte lived.

Police released a description of the suspect to the public. He was caught on video surveillance at a liquor store in Santa Clara and again outside a flower shop. Garcia said they were able to match the description to Bracamonte, using investigative techniques.

Though Bracamonte fled to San Francisco and cut his hair, San Jose police located him and arrested him without incident around 7:55 p.m. Thursday.

Garcia said that Bracamonte has a criminal history, including charges of sex with a minor and assault with a deadly weapon. He was not a registered sex offender, on parole or on probation at the time of this arrest.

Bracamonte has been booked into Santa Clara County Jail on felony charges, including forced oral copulation, robbery, false imprisonment and criminal threats.

Garcia emphasized the bravery of the victim after extreme trauma.

The strength of this victim in this case cant be forgotten, either, Garcia said. I dont think any of us can really imagine what the victim went through. Just to be able to cooperate with the police and give us a detailed segment of the horror that she must have felt was just ... I cant even put it into words.

Sophie Haigney is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophieHaigney
WEST KELOWNA, British Columbia, Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- COLORADO RESOURCES LTD. (TSX-V:CXO) ("Colorado" or the "Company") reports the results of its fall 2017 rock, soil and geophysical programs completed at the Castle target on its 100% owned 17,839 hectare Kinaskan-Castle (K-C) Property (see Figure 1). The Castle portion of the Property was acquired by Colorado in February 2017 (see news release dated February 6, 2017).



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/56be6f5f-9ac8-4f83-8270-ea6eba65da0b

2017 Colorado Exploration Work

As a result of GT Golds Saddle discovery, work by Colorado on K-C focused on the 4km long central and eastern end of the Castle Alteration Zone (CAZ). Colorado collected soil and rock samples, geologically mapped a 10 sq km area and completed 11 line km of I.P. and 150 line km of airborne magnetics in September. The programs were prematurely terminated in late September with the arrival of winter conditions.

Soil and Rock Sampling Programs (Figure 2 and 3 )

During the 2017 field program, 856 reconnaissance soil samples were collected on 200m line spacings with 50m centres on north-south orientated lines south and east of the Castle Minfile occurrence. Prospecting covered much of the 5km strike of the CAZ and resulted in the collection of 191 rock samples (73 chips, 15 composites and 103 grabs). The merged data from the 2017 program along with the historic soil samples (1,242 soil samples) are illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. Of the 191 rock samples collected in 2017, 34 returned >5g/t Au and 35 returned >3% Cu. Individual higher grade samples for both gold and copper are plotted on these figures.

Figure 2 illustrates that anomalous gold soil geochemical data closely track the CAZ. Gold geochemistry >200ppb Au in soils forms a series of well-defined segments, from a few hundred meters to >600m in strike length within the broader CAZ. The >200ppb Au contour is superimposed on a broader 100ppb Au in soil anomaly.

Figure 3 shows that strongly elevated copper geochemical data, defined by the >300ppm Cu contour tracks portions of the CAZ over its 5km strike length. Elevated copper values are also noted to the east where copper mineralization is hosted by structural zones which may be both concordant and discordant to coarse grained mafic fragmental volcanic and intrusive contacts.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9b7e7db6-61f5-4f3d-990a-87c62dc14505

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d6d0ecd1-e680-4ecb-bb74-3cab8296f352

Geological Mapping

The results of geological mapping suggest that rock alteration is associated with enhanced gold and copper geochemistry, with multiple intrusive phases and brittle deformation zones. The CAZ forms a slightly arcuate shaped east-west trending, corridor which has a strike length of approximately 5km. The CAZ continues to the eastern property boundary and is overlain to the west by younger volcanic cover. Within the CAZ, rock alteration is characterized by both enhanced QSP and locally potassic alteration. Mineralization has affinities to both porphyry goldcopper systems and intermediate sulphidation structurally controlled goldsilver veins.

IP and Airborne Magnetic Programs

A total of 11km of ground I.P. and 150km of airborne magnetic surveys were flown across much of the Castle portion of the K-C Property. Ground I.P., although prematurely terminated, suggests that strong chargeability responses have been identified on a single line 1,500m to the east of the historic drilling. The airborne magnetic data indicates that the CAZ is defined in part by an east-west striking magnetic high anomaly. Historic drill results suggest that better mineralized zones may be associated with the margins of magnetic highs.

Historical Drill Programs (1988  2013)

Approximately 1.2km of the western part of the CAZ was tested by 21 diamond drillholes (4,805m) between 1988 and 2013. Only 48% of the core from the 11 drillholes completed in 1988 was sampled. All drillcore (3,605m) from the 2012 and 2103 West Cirque Resources drill programs was sampled. The results of these historical exploration drill programs provide strong initial evidence that both high grade structurally controlled gold-silver veins as well as intrusive hosted porphyry gold-copper mineralization is associated with the CAZ. Structurally controlled gold-silver veins would be exemplified by the results of West Cirques DDH CA13-03, 8.92g/t Au and 129.95g/t Ag and 4.0% Cu over 2m and with intrusive hosted gold-copper mineralization characterized by West Cirque Resources DDH CA12-04 coring 150m of 0.35g/t Au, 1.59g/t Ag and 0.09% Cu. Further information on the results of the 1988 to 2013 drilling, the collar locations, a detailed plan map and a summary of significant drill results have been compiled and are presented on the Companys website under the Kinaskan Historical Drill Results section.

Adam Travis, Colorado President and CEO states, The Castle mineralized trend strikes east-west for at least 5km and the historical drill results in the western 1 km indicate that the CAZ has the potential to host significant gold-copper mineralization. The focused 2017 field program, although terminated prematurely due to winter weather, has provided the initial geological and structural framework which defines and characterizes the Castle mineralized trend, and confirms and expands upon the historical results in this area. We view the results of the 2017 preliminary exploration program at Castle as encouraging and fully anticipate undertaking a much more extensive field program at Castle during 2018.

QA/QC Statement On Assay Results

The 2017 samples from the Kinaskan-Castle Property were analyzed by Actlabs Kamloops, British Columbia. Soil samples were prepared by the S1 method, drying (60o C) and sieving (-80 mesh), save all portions. Rock samples were prepared by the RX1, method crush (<7kg) up to 80% passing 10 mesh, riffle split (250g), and pulverized to 95% passing 105 microns, save all portions. Base metal assays were first determined using the total digestion ICP and ICP/MS UT-1 method, which reports results as parts per million (ppm). The gold assays were determined using the 1A2 fire assay method which reports results in ppm and are equivalent to grams per tonne (g/t). Any samples returning greater than 10 ppm gold were analyzed by the 1A3 fire assay method with a gravimetric finish. The analytical results were verified with the application of industry standard Quality Control and Quality Assurance (QA-QC) procedures.

For more information on the Kinaskan-Castle Property the reader is directed to the Companys website at www.coloradoresources.com.

Qualified Person s

Dr. Jim Oliver, Ph.D, P. Geo., the Companys Chief Geoscientist, is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 who reviewed the preparation of the technical data in this news release.

About Colorado

Colorado Resources Ltd. is currently engaged in the business of mineral exploration for the purpose of acquiring and advancing mineral properties located in the Golden Triangle British Columbia and holds approximately 1,200km2 of mineral claims in the Golden Triangle. The Companys main exploration projects within British Columbia include KSP and North ROK. Additionally the Company holds an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Greensprings project located in Nevada.

Please see the Colorado web site for additional information on these projects.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF

COLORADO RESOURCES LTD.

Adam Travis

Adam Travis

President and Chief Executive Officer

For more information, please contact:

Colorado Resources Ltd.

Adam Travis, President & CEO; or

Terese Gieselman, CFO

T: (250) 768-1511 F: (250) 768-0849 TF: (855) 768-1511

W: www.coloradoresources.com

NR 18-01

Cautionary Notes 1-5 for release and figures

 This news release contains information about adjacent properties on which Colorado has no right to explore or mine. Readers are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on the Companys properties.

 Historical information contained in this news release, maps or figures regarding the Companys project or adjacent properties are reported for historical reference only and cannot be relied upon as a Companys QP, as defined under NI-43-101 has not prepared nor verified the historical information.

 Mineral resources that are mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral resource estimates do not account for mineability, selectivity, mining loss and dilution. These mineral resource estimates include inferred mineral resources that are normally considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is also no certainty that these inferred mineral resources will be converted to measure and indicated categories through further drilling, or into mineral reserves, once economic considerations are applied.

 Cu EQ (copper equivalent) has been used to express the combined value of copper and gold as a percentage of copper and is provided for illustrative purposes only. No allowances have been made for recovery losses that may occur should mining eventually result. Copper equivalent calculations herein use metal prices of US $3.25/lb of copper and US $1,318 per troy ounce of gold using the formula CuEQ= (Cu%+71.65)+(Au g/t *42.37)(/71.65).

 The intervals reported in these tables represent drill intercepts and insufficient data is available at this time to state the true thickness of the mineralized intervals and all gold values are uncut.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release, constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions, including: that the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events, that the Company obtains required regulatory approvals, that the Company continues to maintain a good relationship with the local project communities. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause the forward-looking information in this news release to change or to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to, the risk that any of the assumptions referred to prove not to be valid or reliable, which could result in delays, or cessation in planned work, that the Company's financial condition and development plans change, delays in regulatory approval, risks associated with the interpretation of data, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, the possibility that results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to mineral exploration and development activities and to the Company as set forth in the Company's Managements Discussion and Analysis reports filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information or statements, other than as required by applicable law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
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WASHINGTON  Michael Wolffs a provocateur whos said to love a brawl and once bemoaned the glare of the spotlight  and the bigger disappointment of watching it move on. Obscurity is a threat to Wolff no longer.

His incendiary new book on President Trump is drawn from what he said was regular access to the West Wing and more than 200 interviews, including some three hours with Trump himself. It blew open what seems an inevitable feud between the publicity-loving president and his former adviser Steve Bannon, who is quoted extensively and unflatteringly describing Trump, his family and advisers.

Trumps lawyers sent Wolff and his publishers cease-and-desist letters, as they had to Bannon. Instead of halting publication of Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, Wolffs publisher accelerated its sale to Friday, due to unprecedented demand.

Where do I send a box of chocolates? Wolff, 64, said on NBCs Today. Earlier, he had tweeted: Thank you, Mr. President.

The book was No. 1 Friday on both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

Trump tweeted late Thursday that Wolffs book was fiction and reliant on fake sources.

I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist, Trump wrote.

The author retorted on NBCs Today show: I absolutely spoke to the president. Whether he realized it was an interview or not I dont know. But it certainly was not off the record. Wolff said he spoke with Trump for a total of about three hours over the course of the campaign and after Trumps inauguration. He added that he has recordings and notes and remains absolutely in every way comfortable with everything Ive reported in this book.

My credibility is being questioned by a man who has less credibility than, perhaps, anyone who has ever walked on earth, Wolff said.

For his part, Trump went after Bannon in an unusual White House statement. Wolff and his publisher did not respond to a request for comment and an interview.

Wolff built his four-decade career writing about some of the worlds rich and powerful people  including Rupert Murdoch  in seven books and across a wide range of newspapers and magazines. Sometimes, he critiqued the media. And often, he got scathing reviews back on his writing style, his focus on atmospherics and his factual mistakes.

Laurie Kellman is an Associated Press writer.
WASHINGTON  More than a year after Republican leaders promised to investigate Russian interference in the presidential election, two influential Republicans on Friday made the first known congressional criminal referral in connection with the meddling  against one of the people who sought to expose it.

Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a senior committee member, told the Justice Department they had reason to believe that a former British spy, Christopher Steele, lied to federal authorities about his contacts with reporters regarding information in the dossier, and they urged the department to investigate.

The committee is running one of three congressional investigations into Russian election meddling, and its inquiry has come to focus, in part, on Steeles explosive dossier that purported to detail Russias interference and the Trump campaigns complicity.

The decision by Grassley and Graham to single out the former intelligence officer behind the dossier  and not anyone who may have taken part in the Russian interference  was certain to infuriate Democrats and raise the stakes in the growing partisan battle over the investigations into Trump, his campaign team and Russia.

Republicans have sought to cast doubt on Steeles dossier and the political research firm that helped produce it, Fusion GPS, whose work was partly funded by Hillary Clintons campaign.

The criminal referral appears to make no assessment of the veracity of the dossiers contents, much of which remains unsubstantiated.

But the dossier has emerged as Exhibit A in Republicans insistence that Obama-era political bias could have affected the FBIs decision to open a counterintelligence investigation in July 2016 into whether Trumps associates aided the Russia election interference.

Republicans, including the two senators, have argued that the dossier is tantamount to political opposition research, and claimed that it might have been used by the FBI to open its investigation.

Current and former U.S. and foreign officials with direct knowledge of the investigation say that the federal inquiry did not start with the dossier, nor did it rely on it.

Grassleys decision to recommend criminal charges appeared likely to be based on reports of Steeles meetings with the FBI, which were provided to the committee by the Justice Department in recent weeks.

By Nicholas Fandos and Matthew Rosenberg are New York Times writers.
WASHINGTON  Striving to fulfill a campaign promise, the Trump administration on Thursday proposed regulations to facilitate the interstate sale of health insurance policies that cost less but may not cover as much.

The complex proposal from the Labor Department aims to deliver on President Trumps long-standing pledge to increase competition and lower costs by promoting the sale of health plans across state lines. Yet its success depends on the actions of insurers, state consumer protection regulators, plan sponsors and customers themselves. Some already have concerns.

Frustrated in its efforts to repeal the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, the administration is pursuing regulations to change the insurance marketplace.

The new rule would make it easier for groups, or associations, to sponsor health plans that dont have to meet all consumer protection and benefit requirements of the Obama law. Those requirements improve coverage, but also raise premiums.

Because health insurance, like real estate, reflects wide variation in local prices, its not immediately clear whether an insurer could charge Texas premiums for policies sold to people in Manhattan.

Insurance industry groups are skeptical of Trumps idea. Patient groups are concerned about losing protections. Some state regulators object to federal interference. Some experts foresee potential legal challenges.

In a recent interview, Trump predicted that insurance markets would be transformed by the combination of this expected proposal, often referred to as association health plans, and the GOPs recent repeal of the health laws requirement that most people get health insurance or risk fines.

So now I have associations, Trump said. I have private insurance companies coming and will sell private health care plans to people through associations. Thats gonna be millions and millions of people. People have no idea how big that is. And by the way, and for that, weve ended across state lines. So we have competition.

Trump appeared to be referring to current obstacles that deter a health insurance company in one state from marketing to individual customers in another state. Some of those barriers have to do with state regulations that differ in the kinds of benefits that insurers must cover. For example, one state may require robust coverage for children with autism, while another may not.

Under the administrations proposal, health plans sponsored by associations would gain enhanced status under a federal law that generally exempts large employer plans from state regulation.

The goal of the rule-making is to expand access to affordable health coverage, especially among small employers and self-employed individuals, by removing undue restrictions on the establishment and maintenance of association health plans under federal law, the proposal said.

Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar is an Associated Press writer.
1 Deadly fire: Two children and a woman died in a house fire Friday in Baton Rouge, La., where a neighbor watched in horror as another young woman ran from the home with her clothes on fire. A 19-year-old woman and a 5-year-old boy were taken to a hospital in critical condition, fire officials said. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known. Louisiana is experiencing a surge in fire-related deaths  some of which are likely due to the use of space heaters during the recent spate of cold weather, the state fire marshals office said. Since December, fire officials have responded to more than six residential fires that resulted in more than 10 deaths.

2 Homeless eviction: Orange County officials are planning to clear an extensive homeless encampment on a riverbed trail within weeks. Authorities will post notices Tuesday that the hundreds of people living in tents on the 2-mile stretch near Angel Stadium in Anaheim will need to move. Supervisor Todd Spitzer said the county will clear the encampment on Jan. 22. The county has long said it eventually planned to clear the encampment that has ballooned in recent years along with a rise in homelessness. Homeless advocates say the plan will simply shuffle homeless people elsewhere due to a lack of housing.
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An Alameda County court commissioner ordered a Berkeley middle school teacher and activist to pay $11,100 in legal fees to the former head of the Berkeley College Republicans after the teacher dropped a demand for a restraining order against the ex-leader of the GOP group.

The tentative court order requires Yvette Felarca, national organizer for By Any Means Necessary, a group that led protests against conservative speakers at UC Berkeley in 2017, to pay the attorney and court fees for Troy Worden, whose group promoted the speakers events.

Felarca filed for a civil harassment restraining order against Worden in September, claiming he was stalking her by following her around on the UC Berkeley campus, taking a selfie with her and appearing at By Any Means Necessarys events. Worden denied any wrongdoing.

Felarca was granted a temporary restraining order. She then dropped the request for a permanent order at the end of October, prompting Wordens attorneys to seek legal fees.

In his order Thursday, Commissioner Thomas Rasch ruled that Felarcas request for a restraining order was not brought in good faith. He denied a request for sanctions against Felarcas attorney for taking frivolous legal action.

The order evoked strong and sharply differing responses.

Wordens attorney Mark Meuser said he hoped the ruling would send a strong signal (to Felarca) that she cannot abuse the court system to silence speech. Another of Wordens attorneys, Harmeet Dhillon, accused Felarca of abusing the courts to achieve her anarchistic ends.

Shanta Driver, Felarcas attorney, said she would appeal the ruling, saying it sends a message to women that they face a financial risk for seeking protection from harassment through a restraining order. She said Felarca had dropped the request for a permanent restraining order because Worden stopped stalking her after the temporary order was issued.

This says to every woman out there that if you file for a restraining order, and dont pursue the case, you are subject to these court fees, Driver said. We cant have this message given to women, especially now when there are the beginnings of a period where women feel they can go forward against men harassing them, stalking them, using their power over women.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES



VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AbraPlata Resource Corp. ("AbraPlata" or the "Company") (TSX-V:ABRA) (OTCQB:ABBRF) (Frankfurt:1AH) is pleased to announce that the Company intends to complete a non-brokered private placement of up to 7,500,000 units, each consisting of one (1) common share in the capital of the Company (a "Common Share") and one (1) common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant") (together, a "Unit") at a price of $0.20 per Unit for total gross proceeds of up to $1,500,000 (the "Financing"). Each Warrant will be exercisable for two years to purchase an additional common share at a price of $0.30 but will expire earlier if, for any ten (10) consecutive trading days on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"), the closing price of the Company's common shares equals or exceeds $0.40.

Proceeds from the Financing will be used for continuing exploration on, and evaluation of, the Company's Diablillos property and its other mineral exploration properties in Argentina, payment of outstanding accounts payable, general and administrative expenses and working capital. Closing of the Financing is subject to the approval of the Exchange. In compliance with Canadian securities laws and the rules of the Exchange, all securities issued in connection with the Financing will be subject to a hold period of four (4) months. The Company expects to complete the Financing within 30 days.

SSR Mining Inc. (formerly Silver Standard Resources Inc.) ("SSR Mining") holds a contractual anti-dilution right (the "Anti-Dilution Right") entitling SSR Mining to maintain a 19.9% equity interest in the capital of the Company, under the second amended and restated share purchase agreement dated March 21, 2017 (the "SSR Agreement"). A copy of the SSR Agreement is available from the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). Completion of the Financing, and any subsequent exercise of the Warrants, will oblige the Company to issue additional common shares to SSR Mining pursuant to the Anti-Dilution Right sufficient for SSR Mining to maintain a 19.9% equity interest in the capital of the Company.

In connection with the Financing, the Company may pay a commission or finder's fees.

About AbraPlata

AbraPlata is a junior mining exploration company focused on delivering shareholder returns by unlocking mineral value in Argentina. The Company's experienced management team has assembled an outstanding portfolio of gold, silver and copper exploration assets, and is focused on advancing its flagship Diablillos property, with an indicated resource of 81.3m oz Ag and 755k oz Au, through the various stages of feasibility. In addition, AbraPlata owns the highly prospective Cerro Amarillo property with its cluster of five mineralized Cu-(Mo-Au) porphyry intrusions located in a mining camp hosting the behemoth El Teniente, Los Bronces, and Los Pelambres porphyry Cu-Mo deposits. Further exploration work is also planned for the Companys Samenta porphyry Cu-Mo property, located south of First Quantum's TacaTaca project, as well as its Aguas Perdidas Au-Ag epithermal property.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

ABRAPLATA RESOURCE CORP.

"Willem Fuchter"

Willem Fuchter

President and Chief Executive Officer

For further information concerning this news release, please contact:

Willem Fuchter

President & Chief Executive Officer

AbraPlata Resource Corp.

Tel: +54.11.5258.0920

E-mail: willem@abraplata.com Rob Bruggeman

Investor Relations

AbraPlata Resource Corp

Tel: +1.416.884.3556

Email: rob@abraplata.com

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements that address future plans, activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur are forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Pirates liked to drink, shoot and plunder. They also read books, at least the notoriously nasty ones aboard Queen Anne's Revenge did.

Blackbeard, nee Edward Teach, captained the 18th century ship, famed for its reign of terror around the open waters of North Carolina. The ship sunk off the coast of Beaufort, N.C., in 1718. A couple hundred years later, in 1996, researchers with the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources dredged it from the depths of the seafloor, and set out to uncover its waterlogged secrets.
English French

NOT FOR PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA OR JAPAN

This press release does not constitute a solicitation to purchase or an offer of the Bonds or the Shares (as defined below and together, the "Securities") in the United States of America or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended). The Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States of America or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. Persons unless they are registered or exempt from registration under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Michelin does not intend to register all or any portion of the offering in the United States of America or to conduct a public offering of the Securities in the United States of America. The Securities may not be offered or sold or otherwise made available to retail investors (no key information document under PRIIPS Regulation will be prepared).

Clermont-Ferrand, January 5, 2018

Michelin successfully places USD 600 million non-dilutive cash-settled convertible bonds due 2023

Michelin announces today the successful placement of a USD 600 million offering of non-dilutive cash-settled convertible bonds due 2023 (the "Bonds") following the exercise in full of the increase option. Concurrently, Michelin purchased cash-settled call options (the "Call Options") to hedge its economic exposure to the potential exercise of the conversion rights embedded in the Bonds. Since they will only be cash-settled, the Bonds will not result in the issuance of new shares or the delivery of existing shares of Michelin (the "Shares") upon conversion.

This USD-denominated debt was immediately converted into euros.

Michelin intends to use the net proceeds of the issuance of the Bonds for general corporate purposes, including purchase of cash-settled call options.

The Bonds will be issued at an issue price of 95.50% of their nominal value on January 10, 2018, the expected settlement date of the Bonds. The Bonds will have a nominal value of USD 200,000 per Bond, will not bear interest and will be redeemed at par on November 10, 2023.

The initial conversion price (the "Initial Conversion Price") will represent an issue premium of 30% over the Share Reference Price (as defined below). The reference price of the Share (the "Share Reference Price") will be determined as the arithmetic average of the daily volume-weighted average prices of the Share in euros on the regulated market of Euronext in Paris ("Euronext Paris") over the 10 consecutive trading days commencing on (and including) January 8, 2018 (the "Reference Period"). The initial conversion ratio of the Bonds will correspond to the nominal value converted in euros and divided by the Initial Conversion Price.

The Bonds have been offered via an accelerated bookbuilding process through a private placement to institutional investors only, outside the United States of America, Australia, Canada and Japan. No prospectus, offering circular or similar document will be prepared in connection with the offering.

It is anticipated that the hedge counterparties to the Call Options will enter into transactions to hedge their respective positions under the Call Options through the purchase or sale of Shares or any other transactions, on the market and off-market, at any time, and in particular during the Reference Period and at the conversion or redemption of the Bonds.

The Share Reference Price and the Initial Conversion Price will be announced through a press release at the end of the Reference Period, expected to occur on January 19, 2018.

Application will be made for the Bonds to be admitted to trading on Euronext AccessTM, the open market of Euronext Paris, and such admission to trading is expected no later than 30 days following the expected settlement date.

In the context of the offering, Michelin has agreed to a lock-up undertaking in relation to its Shares and equity-linked securities for a period ending 60 calendar days after the settlement and delivery date, subject to certain exceptions.

This press release does not constitute or form part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for or to sell the Bonds and the offering of the Bonds is not an offer to the public in any jurisdiction, including France.

Investor Relations







Valerie Magloire

+33 (0) 1 78 76 45 37

+33 (0) 6 76 21 88 12 (cell)

valerie.magloire@michelin.com







Edouard de Peufeilhoux

+33 (0) 4 73 32 74 47

+33 (0) 6 89 71 93 73 (cell)

edouard.de-peufeilhoux@michelin.com







Matthieu Dewavrin

+33 (0) 4 73 32 18 02

+33 (0) 6 71 14 17 05 (cell)

matthieu.dewavrin@michelin.com







Humbert de Feydeau

+33 (0) 4 73 32 68 39

+33 (0) 6 82 22 39 78 (cell)

humbert.de-feydeau@fr.michelin.com



Media Relations







Corinne Meutey

+33 (0) 1 78 76 45 27

+33 (0) 6 08 00 13 85 (cell)

corinne.meutey@michelin.com















Individual Shareholders







Jacques Engasser

+33 (0) 4 73 98 59 08

jacques.engasser@michelin.com





DISCLAIMER

Available information

The issue of the Bonds was not subject to a prospectus approved by the French Financial Market Authority (Autorite des marches financiers) (the "AMF"). Detailed information on Michelin, including its Shares, business, results, prospects and related risk factors are described in Michelin's registration document, the French version of which was filed with the AMF on March 8, 2017 under number D.17-0131 (the "Reference Document"). The Reference Document and Michelin's interim financial report as at June 30, 2017, are available together with all the press releases and other regulated information about Michelin, on Michelin's website (https://www.michelin.com).

Important information

This press release may not be published, distributed or released directly or indirectly in the United States of America, Australia, Canada or Japan. The distribution of this press release may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession any document or other information referred to herein comes, should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

No communication or information relating to the offering may be transmitted to the public in a country where there is a registration obligation or where an approval is required. No action has been or will be taken in any country in which such registration or approval would be required. The issuance or the subscription of the Bonds may be subject to legal and regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions; none of Michelin and the Joint Bookrunners assumes any liability in connection with the breach by any person of such restrictions.

This press release is an advertisement and not a prospectus within the meaning of Directive 2003/71/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of November 4, 2003 as amended (the "Prospectus Directive").

The Bonds will be offered only by way of a private placement in France to persons referred to in Article L.411-2-II of the French monetary and financial code (Code monetaire et financier) and outside France (excluding the United States of America, Australia, Canada and Japan), and there will be no public offering in any country (including France). This press release does not constitute a recommendation concerning the issue of the Bonds. The value of the Bonds and the Shares can decrease as well as increase. Potential investors should consult a professional adviser as to the suitability of the Bonds for the person concerned.

Prohibition of sales to European Economic Area retail investors

No action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make available any Bonds to any retail investor in the European Economic Area. For the purposes of this provision:

the expression "retail investor" means a person who is one (or more) of the following:

a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, "MiFID II"); or

a customer within the meaning of Directive 2002/92/EC (as amended, the "Insurance Mediation Directive"), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or

not a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive; and

the expression "offer" includes the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the Bonds to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the Bonds.

Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the "PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the Bonds or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the Bonds or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPS Regulation.

France

The Bonds have not been and will not be offered or sold or cause to be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France. Any offer or sale of the Bonds and distribution of any offering material relating to the Bonds have been and will be made in France only to (a) persons providing investment services relating to portfolio management for the account of third parties (personnes fournissant le service d'investissement de gestion de portefeuille pour compte de tiers), and/or (b) qualified investors (investisseurs qualifies) acting for their own account, as defined in, and in accordance with, Articles L.411-1, L.411-2 and D. 411-1 of the French monetary and financial Code (Code monetaire et financier).

United Kingdom

This press release is addressed and directed only (i) to persons located outside the United Kingdom, (ii) to investment professionals as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order"), (iii) to people designated by Article 49(2) (a) to (d) of the Order or (iv) to any other person to whom this press release could be addressed pursuant to applicable law (the persons mentioned in paragraphs (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) all deemed relevant persons ("Relevant Persons")). The Bonds are intended only for Relevant Persons and any invitation, offer of contract related to the subscription, tender, or acquisition of the Bonds may be addressed and/or concluded only with Relevant Persons. All persons other than Relevant Persons must abstain from using or relying on this document and all information contained therein.

This press release is not a prospectus which has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority or any other United Kingdom regulatory authority for the purposes of Section 85 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

United States of America

This press release may not be published, distributed or transmitted in the United States of America (including its territories and dependencies, any State of the United States of America and the District of Columbia). This press release does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase for securities in the United States of America or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The securities mentioned herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act, the law of any state of the United States of America and may not be offered or sold in the United States of America or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. Persons, except pursuant to an exemption from, or a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act or the law of the above states. The Bonds will be offered or sold only to non-U.S. persons in offshore transactions outside of the United States of America, in accordance with Regulation S of the Securities Act. Michelin does not intend to register any portion of the proposed offering in the United States of America and no public offering will be made in the United States of America.

Australia, Canada and Japan

The Bonds may not and will not be offered, sold or purchased in Australia, Canada or Japan. The information contained in this press release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in Australia, Canada or Japan.

The distribution of this press release in certain countries may constitute a breach of applicable law.
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A homeless immigrant acquitted of killing Kate Steinle on San Franciscos Pier 14, but found guilty on a lesser gun charge, was sentenced to time already served Friday, clearing the way for him to face two pending federal firearm charges.

Jose Ines Garcia Zarate will be turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service and is expected to be arraigned in San Francisco federal court early next week.

Well-known attorney J. Tony Serra will represent Garcia Zarate on federal charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and being an undocumented immigrant in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

After Fridays hearing, Serra called the charges against his client retaliatory and a vindictive prosecution, stemming from the immigration policy of the Trump administration.

This is a case that ultimately will be summed up that a vote for guilty in the federal case is a vote for Trump, and a vote for not guilty correlates to what our community has already indicated, he said.

Garcia Zarate was indicted by a federal grand jury less than a week after he was acquitted on Nov. 30 on murder and manslaughter charges in the Steinle case. The case was launched into the national spotlight after it was revealed after his arrest that Garcia Zarate was an undocumented immigrant from Mexico facing a sixth deportation.

He had been brought to San Francisco to face a decades-old marijuana charge after being released from federal prison in Southern California. The drug charge was swiftly dismissed and he was released in April 2015 under the citys sanctuary policy.

Then-candidate Donald Trump used Steinles July 1, 2015, death in his presidential campaign, calling for stricter immigration policies and an end to sanctuary cities. Now-President Trump called the jurys acquittal on the homicide charges disgraceful.

The same day the jury acquitted Garcia Zarate in Steinles killing, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions released a statement condemning the citys sanctuary policy and its decision to protect criminal aliens.

Five days later, Sessions Justice Department filed the federal charges against Garcia Zarate. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison before being deported.

Serra said he plans to file a motion to dismiss the federal charges on double jeopardy grounds.

During Fridays sentencing hearing, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Samuel Feng also denied a motion for a new trial by Garcia Zarates attorney in the state case.

Matt Gonzalez, chief attorney for the citys public defenders office, argued, among other things, that the jury was not properly instructed that momentary possession of a firearm was not necessarily a crime.

During the sensational six-week trial, Gonzalez argued that Steinles killing was an accident, and the gun went off after Garcia Zarate found it wrapped in a cloth under a bench on Pier 14.

Evidence presented at trial showed the bullet had ricocheted off the pier 12 to 15 feet in front of Garcia Zarate before traveling 78 more feet and hitting Steinle in the heart as she walked with her father.

The pistol had been stolen four days earlier from a federal agents car along the Embarcadero.

Garcia Zarate was arrested shortly after Steinles death. He was sentenced Friday to the maximum three-year term on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, but his time in jail gave him enough credits to cover the sentence.

District Attorney George Gascon said his office agreed with Fengs ruling on the motion for a new trial and the sentencing.

I want to express the sorrow and how bad we feel for the family, he said. There will be some closure at least.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Metallis Resources Inc. (TSX-V:MTS) (the Company or Metallis Resources) is pleased to announce that it has arranged a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to $2,000,000. The financing is expected to close shortly.



Private Placement Details

1,739,130 units will be issued at $1.15. Each unit will consist of one (1) common share of the Company and one-half of one (1/2) non-transferable share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional common share of the Company at a price of $1.60 per share for a period of three years from the date of closing. Any finders fees and/or agents fees will be paid in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. The private placement is subject to Exchange approval.

Proceeds from the private placement will be used for the 2018 Drilling Program on the Companys 100%-owned Kirkham Property situated in the heart of the Golden Triangles Eskay Camp in northwest British Columbia and for general working capital.

About the Kirkham Property

The 106 sq km Kirkham Property is located about 65 km north of Stewart within the prolific Golden Triangle. The northern border of Kirkham is contiguous to Garibaldi Resources E&L Nickel Mountain Project whereas the northeast corner of Kirkham is within 12 km of the Eskay Creek mine while the eastern border is within 15 to 20 km of Seabridge Golds KSM deposit and Pretium Resources Brucejack mine.

About Metallis

Metallis Resources Inc. is a Vancouver-based company focused on the exploration of gold, copper, nickel and silver at its 100%-owned Kirkham Property situated in northwest British Columbias Golden Triangle. Metallis trades under the symbol MTS on the TSX Venture Exchange and currently has 29,748,487 shares issued and outstanding.

On behalf of the Board of Directors:

/s/ Fiore Aliperti

Chief Executive Officer, President and Director

For further information:

Tel: 604-688-5077

Email: info@metallisresources.com

Web: www.metallisresources.com

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Press Release may contain statements which constitute forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities and operating performance of the Company. The words may, would, could, will, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities or performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Companys future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such risks, uncertainties and factors are described in the periodic filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including quarterly and annual Managements Discussion and Analysis, which may be viewed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The TSX-V Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.




ANAHEIM, CA, Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioCorRx Inc. (OTCQB: BICX) (the "Company"), a developer and provider of advanced solutions in the treatment of alcohol and opioid addictions, today announced that it has retained regulatory drug experts Priya Jambhekar and Bruce Firestone, PhD, to assist with the drug development and regulatory process for BioCorRxs product pipeline. Ms. Jambhekar and Dr. Firestone are additions to the Companys current team, which is preparing for its pre-Investigational New Drug (pre-IND) meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scheduled on January 24, 2018. As previously announced, the Company is seeking FDA approval for BICX102, a naltrexone implant for the treatment of opioid and alcohol use disorders.



Ms. Jambhekar is a drug development entrepreneur with over 25 years of executive experience in worldwide regulatory, quality, clinical and pharmacovigilance operations, as well as early and late stage development product registration and commercial support. She has held positions including Global Senior Vice President of Regulatory & Quality Operations at Paramount BioSciences, Global Vice President at Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson company, and Worldwide Vice President of Regulatory and Government Relations at Alkermes. Other senior positions include Baxter ACC, as Regulatory Head of Compliance, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, as Manager of Regulatory, Safety, Compliance. She is also certified by the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society and the New Jersey Pharmaceutical Quality Control and Assurance Society.

Dr. Firestone has over three decades of pharmaceutical research & development experience with on-time delivery of over 15 product approvals as new chemical entities and line extensions. Dr. Firestone is an accomplished author with over 40 publications, abstracts and patents. He also has extensive chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) expertise with: small molecules, drug and drug-device combinations, sustained-release products, semisolids, topical and intravitreal routes of administration. He has held senior positions at Allergan and is an expert in pharmaceutical product development, manufacturing process development and scale-up, technology transfer, process validation, risk management, technology assessment, due diligence, CMC documentation, and CMC strategy.

Brady Granier, President, CEO and Director, stated, Priya and Bruce are valuable additions to the BioCorRx team and we are honored to have them on board. They both bring extensive regulatory and manufacturing experience in drug development and have proven track records bringing drugs to market. We look forward to their contributions as we accelerate our efforts to obtain FDA approval for our naltrexone product that we feel will help many families suffering from the current opioid epidemic and massive alcohol dependence problem.

About BioCorRx

BioCorRx Inc. (OTCQB: BICX) is an addiction treatment company offering a unique approach to the treatment of substance abuse addiction. The BioCorRx Recovery Program, a non-addictive, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program, consists of two main components. The first component of the program consists of an outpatient implant procedure performed by a licensed physician. The implant delivers the non-addictive medicine, naltrexone, an opioid antagonist that can significantly reduce physical cravings for alcohol and opioids. The second component of the program developed by BioCorRx Inc. is a one-on-one counseling program specifically tailored for the treatment of alcoholism and other substance abuse addictions for those receiving long-term naltrexone treatment. The Company also has an R&D subsidiary, BioCorRx Pharmaceuticals, which is currently developing injectable and implantable naltrexone products for potential future regulatory approval. For more information on BICX, visit www.BioCorRx.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

The information in this release includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "project," "estimate," "become," "plan," "will," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties. Although the Company believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof.




PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- gr8 People Inc., a leader in enterprise recruiting software for Corporate and Recruiting Process Outsourcing (RPO) Enterprises, has been recognized by consulting firm LAROCQUE as one of HRWins Top HR Companies to Watch for Employee Experience.



Celebrating innovations and trends that impact the way both work and HR get done, HRWins placed the spotlight on technology providers that enable forward-thinking companies to deliver an exceptional candidate (and user) experience. The list was developed through research the HRWins team conducted with thousands of employers and hundreds of technology briefings over the course of more than a year.

Just as consumers have demanded a better experience with brands, candidates are expecting the same. Candidates want to be heard. They want communication in return. And, they want their experience to be relevant, said Diane Smith, gr8 Peoples CEO. gr8 People provides a robust platform to help strengthen and improve the entire candidate experience. We are thrilled that HRWins has recognized us for helping hundreds of organizations effectively and competitively achieve this.

From the HRWins ranking about gr8 Peoples One-Experience Platform:

The platform includes enterprise-grade recruitment collaboration, marketing, analytics, intelligent workflow, automation, and process with an open Platform as a Service (PaaS) architecture at the core. That's a lot of jargon that means just about anything is possible for the large enterprise employers.

More details and a complete list of the companies to watch can be found here: http://larocqueinc.com/hrwins-companies-to-watch-employee-experience-is-everything/

About gr8 People

gr8 People is 100 percent purpose-built to deliver the unfair advantage companies demand to compete for talent around the world. Its the enterprise Platform that brings CRM, recruitment marketing, hiring and on-boarding together; connecting entire talent ecosystems into one-experience of performance, agility and results. Its everything talent professionals need to Recruit gr8. Worldwide. (www.gr8people.com)

About HRWins

Drawing from more than 20 years of HR and technology experience, HRWins provides research-based insights that help employers better understand the changing world of work and the rapidly shifting technology landscape that will empower a digital HR strategy. (http://larocqueinc.com/abouthrwins/)

Alex Fricke

africke@gr8people.com

215-693-1122
English French

Villers-les-Nancy, 5 January 2018 - 6:30 p.m. (CET)

PRESS RELEASE

The PHARMAGEST Group is Revolutionizing

In-Home Connected Care for Seniors with Human AI

The PHARMAGEST Group, the leading innovator in French health-tech, is introducing a new way of monitoring seniors' health from the comfort of their home, at CES 2018 in Las Vegas. From January 9th-12th at Eureka Park Marketplace booth 51243, the PHARMAGEST Group will be demonstrating the uses of the NoviaCare and CareLib, in-home assistants that can extend seniors' autonomous time at home for up to 36 months, before needing to move to assisted care.

Thierry CHAPUSOT, Chair of the Board of Directors of PHARMAGEST INTERACTIVE and Chair of the La Cooperative WELCOOP Executive Committee, parent company of the PHARMAGEST Group, declares: "The PHARMAGEST Group saw a real need to be filled in elder-care. We noticed there was a need to maintain frail people at home as long as possible. Today's home-based solutions allow for elderly people to postpone their entry in a specialized institution for 18 months only. With our boxes, we can go well beyond this expected timeline and enable this population to remain over 36 more months in their apartment and/or their home. This is a big increase in autonomy and we're very excited about it."

NoviaCare solution is compact Plug & Play all-in-one AI companion built for people who live alone or need highly specialized care such as elderly people, or persons with disabilities. The system tracks the subject around the house, learns habits and follows the individual during their routine hygiene, meals, home security, and sleep patterns all without an Internet connection. Collected data is stored locally. The NoviaCare is the perfect "electronic safety kit" to accompany any isolated person in need of.

CareLib solution is an all-in-one system provides secure recording and storage of measured health data and medical procedures, allowing automated follow-ups with medical professionals and a social network for other needs such as ordering meals or medicine. The intuitive Box, features a large color touch screen, a high-resolution camera, sensor speakers and microphone. Plus, with 2g/3g connectivity, the box is always on and connected, an important feature in the case of an emergency. CareLib also allows access to other online applications to support frail people in their daily lives

CareLib monitors and stores all health data or information from medical procedures, conveniently at patient's home. Data can be accessed by the patient, health care providers, or family caretakers directly from the device or via secure remote access within health databases. The Boxes maintains a senior patient's medical records conveniently within their home, allowing for regular in-home treatments and ensuring their ability to live longer at home, while maintaining their autonomy.

The NoviaCare will be available for purchase in June 2018 for 49 including VAT per month and the CareLib offer will be available for purchase in June 2018 for 99 including VAT per month. They will be available in Europe and in late 2018 in the United States.

About PHARMAGEST Group :

PHARMAGEST Group is the French pharmacy information technology leader, with a market share of more than 41% and more than 900 employees. The Group's strategy is based on a core business of improving healthcare through information technology innovation and developing two priority areas: 1/ Services and technologies for healthcare professionals, with a focus on assisting pharmacies in patient medication compliance; and 2/ technologies for improving the efficacy of healthcare systems.

To roll out this strategy, PHARMAGEST Group has developed specialised businesses, including pharmacy IT, e-Health solutions, solutions for healthcare professionals, solutions for pharmaceutical laboratories, connected health devices and apps, and a sales financing marketplace.

These businesses are divided into four Divisions: Solutions for Pharmacy Division - Europe; Solutions for Health and Social Care Facilities; Solutions for e-Health; and Fintech.

Listed on Euronext Paris(TM) - Compartment B

Indices: CAC SMALL and CAC All-Tradable par inclusion

Eligible for the Long-Only Deferred Settlement Service (SRD)

ISIN: FR 0012882389 - Reuters: PHA.PA - Bloomberg: - PMGI FP

For all the latest news go to www.pharmagest.com

All the news from the e-Health Division of the PHARMAGEST Group is online

at www.connexion.pharmagest.com

Follow the company on Twitter @Phgest_esante

and LinkedIn / Pharmagest Division e-Health
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bravatek Solutions, Inc. (OTCPink:BVTK) (Bravatek or the Company) announces that it has entered into a Strategic Alliance Agreement with QBRICS, Inc. (QBRICS), whereby Bravatek will act as a business partner for prospective clients found in both the private and public sectorsfor QBRICS private blockchain solutions.



Dr. Thomas A. Cellucci, Bravatek's Chairman and CEO commented: "The team at QBRICS is comprised of highly experienced executives with the perfect blend of strategic vision coupled with the ability to execute rapidly. They are an excellent match for Bravatek." Dr. Cellucci continued: "A special word of thanks to Dr. Douglas Rosendale, my Board colleague at the Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium (NCOIC), a renowned expert in Medical Interoperability and Healthcare IT, who introduced us to the founders of QBRICS (see https://www.ncoic.org/)."

The QBRICS platform addresses the interoperability issues of private Blockchain data governance. This platform provides a security layer that enables seamless integration of two or more private Blockchain networks to communicate and share complex data through a proprietary node payload delivery system. This functionality is available regardless of the decentralized protocol supporting a given clients private Blockchain network. Any node and/or network running the QBRICS security feature can communicate once authorized by both client end users through their administrative settings.

QBRICS is a leader in developing intelligent private blockchain solutions for government and industry, with a focus on improving the security and efficiencies of an organizations workflows and business operations.

James Safran, CMO and Co-founder of QBRICS, commented: After seeing how effective Bravatek is as a strategic channel partner for the public and private sectors, we are extremely excited to be joining forces with Bravatek in our efforts to make the world more secure."



Mr. Safran continued: We are pleased about joining forces with Bravatek. Our organization is ready to deliver our highly-published capabilities with Bravatek who has the team to capitalize on our blockchain and interoperability capabilities.

About Bravatek Solutions, Inc.

Bravatek Solutions, Inc. is a high technology security solutions portfolio provider that assists corporate entities, governments and individuals protect their organizations against both physical and cyber-attacks through its offering of the most technically-advanced, cost-effective and reliable software, tools and systems.

For more information, visit www.bravatek.com

About QBRICS, Inc.

The QBRICS platform enables rapid adoption of blockchain solutions in the enterprise by providing integration with existing workflows and applications, encryption of data in storage and transport, business unit interoperability and real-time blockchain analytics.

For more information, visit www.qbrics.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, as defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and the actual results and future events could differ materially from managements current expectations. The economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors identified in the Companys previous filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward looking statements in this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Media contact:

Bravatek Solutions, Inc.

media@bravatek.com

1.866.490.8590
Days before he was charged with plotting a terror attack, Everitt Aaron Jameson went with his father and some friends to an Oakland Raiders game.

His father said everything seemed fine and that his son expressed no anger and plans for violence.

"It was a great time. It was a great game," Gordon Jameson told the Merced Sun-Star.

His family said they cannot believe charges by the FBI that Everitt Jameson planned to launch a suicide attack on Christmas Day at a popular San Francisco tourist attraction.

Family members say Jameson, a 26-year-old tow truck driver and former Marine, was depressed and even suicidal over losing custody of his children and had begun studying Islam about a year ago. But they insist he never talked about violence or being influenced by terrorist groups.

"He just ain't no terrorist, no way," his father told the Sun-Star. "He would never hurt people. Not ever. It's just unbelievable. That's not who he is."

'He was ready to die'

Acting on tips from an informant, authorities said they saw that Jameson liked and loved pro-Islamic State and pro-terrorism Facebook posts. In the coming weeks, the FBI alleged, Jameson would plot a Christmas suicide terror attack on San Francisco's Pier 39.

"He had been there before and knew that it was a heavily crowded area," an FBI affidavit filed Friday said. "Jameson explained that he also desired to use explosives, and described a plan in which explosives could 'tunnel' or 'funnel' people into a location where Jameson could inflict casualties."

Authorities announced terrorism charges against Jameson on Friday. His suspected plot comes as Islamic State has called for attacks on Western cities around the Christmas holiday.

Authorities claim in court documents that Jameson told an undercover FBI employee he believed to be a senior Islamic State leader that Pier 39 would be an ideal location for a terrorist attack because it is often crowded with tourists. On Monday, he sent the undercover employee a map and photos of the site, authorities said.

Jameson, authorities said, sought from the undercover employee an assault rifle, ammunition, powder, tubing, nails, timers and remote detonators - materials that can be made into a pipe bomb. According to the FBI, he said he "did not need an escape plan because he was ready to die." He also said he was trained in both the M-16 and AK-47 rifles, the court filing said.

A former Marine

FBI agents conducted a search warrant on Wednesday at the suspect's Modesto, Calif., home and found a note signed by Abdallah abu Everitt ibn Gordon al-Amriki, dated Dec. 16, which in part said, "I Abdallah (abu) Everitt ibn Gordon have committed these acts upon the Kuffar (non-Muslims), in the name of Dar al Islam (the Muslim world), Allahu Akbar!"

"You've Allowed Donald J Trump to give away Al Quds (Jerusalem) to the Jews. Both You and he are wrong, it belongs to the Muslemeen (Muslims)," the letter allegedly says. "Long Live Isil, Long Live Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi."

The FBI also said that it had seized firearms and ammunition from the home.

Jameson completed basic U.S. Marine Corps recruit training in 2009 and earned a sharpshooter rifle qualification, according to the affidavit. He was discharged for failing to disclose a history of asthma.

Late Monday, Jameson told the undercover employee that "I  don't think I can do this after all. I've reconsidered."
ATLANTA, Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WestRock Company (NYSE:WRK) today announced that it will host a conference call to discuss first quarter fiscal 2018 results and other topics on Wednesday, Jan. 31, at 8:30 am EST. WestRock will release its first quarter fiscal 2018 results prior to market open on Wednesday, Jan. 31.



The webcast of the call, along with the presentation, press release and other relevant financial and statistical information, will be accessible on the Investors section of WestRock's website at westrock.com. The webcast and presentation will also be archived on westrock.com.

Investors who wish to participate in the webcast via teleconference should dial 833-287-0804 (inside the U.S.) or 647-689-4463 (outside the U.S.) at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the call and enter the passcode 5795614.

About WestRock

WestRock (NYSE:WRK) partners with our customers to provide differentiated paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. WestRocks 45,000 team members support customers around the world from more than 300 operating and business locations spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Learn more at www.westrock.com.

WestRock

Investors:

Matt Tractenberg, 470-328-6327

Vice President  Head of Investor Relations

matt.tractenberg@westrock.com

John Stakel, 678-291-7901

Senior Vice President  Treasurer

john.stakel@westrock.com

Media:

John Pensec, 470-328-6397

Director, Corporate Communications

mediainquiries@westrock.com
TORONTO, Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZoomerMedia Limited (TSXV:ZUM) (the Company), the leader in serving the interests of the 45+ Zoomer market in Canada, today announces the appointment of Wayne Ingram to its Board of Directors.



Wayne Ingram is the Country Managing Director for Slalom Consulting in Canada (www.slalom.com). Slalom is a purpose-driven consulting firm that helps companies solve business problems and build for the future.

Prior to starting Slalom in Canada, Wayne held several Canadian, North American, and Global Managing Director roles at Accenture. Wayne has close to 30 years of experience in technology consulting, and large scale systems transformation. He has extensive experience with emerging technologies and helping companies transform their business to leverage technology.

About ZoomerMedia Limited

ZoomerMedia is a multimedia company that serves the 45plus Zoomer demographic through television, radio, magazine, internet and trade shows. ZoomerMedias television properties include; Vision TV, Canadas only multi-faith specialty television service; ONE: Get Fit, offering programs on exercise, meditation, yoga, natural health and living a planet-friendly lifestyle; JoyTV in Vancouver, Victoria, Surrey and the Fraser Valley, and HOPETV, a lifestyle television service out of Winnipeg devoted to broadcasting Christian programming and is available in approximately 6 million Canadian homes. ZoomerMedias radio properties include CFMZ-FM Toronto  The New Classical 96.3FM, CFMX-FM Cobourg  The New Classical 103.1FM, CFMO-FM  Collingwood  The New Classical 102.9FM, Canadas only commercial classical music radio stations serving the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), eastern Ontario and Collingwood, CFZM-AM 740 Toronto and CFZM-FM 96.7FM Toronto  Zoomer Radio, Torontos Timeless Hits Station. ZoomerMedia also publishes ZOOMER Magazine, the largest paid circulation magazine in Canada for the mature market. ZoomerMedia is Canadas leading provider of online content targeting the 45plus age group through many properties, the key one being www.EverythingZoomer.com. ZoomerMedia also has trade show and conference divisions that produce the ZoomerShows, annual consumer shows directed to the Zoomer demographic and ideaCity, an annual Canadian conference also known as 'Canada's Premiere Meeting of the Minds'.

For further information please contact:
RIO DE JANEIRO  The doctor was late. So the women sat quietly in the waiting area of a clinic in an upscale neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro until they were overcome by thoughts of what they were about to do and what might happen to them. They began to talk.

One woman said she was in a relationship with a drug lord and knew he would force her to have his baby if he found out she was pregnant. Another was a successful businesswoman who had separated from her childrens father and become pregnant accidentally by another man. A third just cried.

As in many countries, abortion is a subject of taboo in Brazil, a socially conservative nation with the worlds largest Roman Catholic population as well as a growing evangelical Christian community. Abortion is illegal here except when a womans life is at risk, when she has been raped or when the fetus has a usually fatal brain abnormality called anencephaly.

But amid a rising tide of conservatism in Brazil and concerns that abortion will become further restricted, women are coming out of the shadows to tell their stories in the hopes of galvanizing support for expanded access to abortion.

We have stopped thinking of this as a private subject. Its a public subject, said Rosangela Talib, a coordinator for Catholics for Choice, a leading advocate in Brazil for reproductive rights.

An estimated 400,000 to 800,000 women have an abortion each year in Brazil  the vast majority of them illegal. According to Health Ministry statistics, more than 200 women died in 2015 after abortions. If caught, a woman can be sentenced to up to three years and the performer of the procedure up to four, though prosecutions are rare.

More than 170 women, including prominent actresses, directors and academics, have signed a manifesto declaring publicly that they had abortions. Thousands of women have also taken to the streets to protest attempts to further restrict abortion, and more than 34,000 have signed petitions sent to Congress.

The wave of public testimony is amplifying a heated debate in Latin Americas largest country, where conservatives fear the Supreme Court could rule to legalize the procedure and womens activists fear Congress will roll back the already limited abortion rights.

Support for legal abortions has been rising, though most Brazilians apparently still oppose them.

A Datafolha survey released Dec. 31 said 36 percent of Brazilians interviewed were in favor of decriminalizing abortion, up from 23 percent in 2016. But 57 percent were still against abortions.

Renata Brito and Sarah DiLorenzo are Associated Press writers.
LONDON  A political storm is brewing ahead of Prince Harrys and Meghan Markles May 19 wedding over whether to crack down on homeless people and beggars in the well-to-do English town of Windsor.

The wedding will be held at Windsor Castle, the towns most famous landmark and a favored residence of Queen Elizabeth II. It is expected to draw thousands of extra visitors to a picturesque riverside town 20 miles west of London that is already popular with international tourists.

Borough council leader Simon Dudley kicked off the controversy by tweeting over the Christmas holidays about the need to clean up the towns streets. He then wrote to police and Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May suggesting action be taken to reduce the presence of beggars and the homeless.

Dudley referred to an epidemic of homelessness and vagrancy in Windsor and suggested many of the people begging in the town are not really homeless. He said the situation presents a beautiful town in an unfavorable light.

Homeless charities reacted angrily Thursday to his suggestion that homelessness should be treated as a police matter so that Windsor can make a positive impression on visitors drawn to the royal nuptials. They reject the assertion that the homeless in Windsor are living on the streets by choice.

Greg Beales, a spokesman for homeless advocacy agency Shelter, said people sleeping on the streets are in desperate need of help, particularly in winter, when the weather can be dangerously cold. Stigmatizing or punishing them is totally counter-productive, he said.

Harry and Markle will be wed on the closed-off castle grounds but have said they want the public to be involved to some degree. Harry has supported a number of charity events designed to help the homeless.

Gregory Katz is an Associated Press writer.
Sometime around the start of spring, a 9.4-ton Chinese space station is expected to come hurtling back to Earth.

The space station, Tiangong 1, is predicted to make that return trip in mid-March, give or take a few weeks, according to an analysis by the Aerospace Corp., a federally funded research and development center in El Segungo, Los Angeles County. But dont worry: Odds are no one will be hurt.

It most probably will not harm anyone, said Andrew Abraham, a member of the team behind the analysis. The odds of being struck by a piece of this space station as its re-entering are exceptionally tiny.

While the researchers are confident that humanity will probably be spared, their ability to pinpoint specific details about the re-entry is limited.

Tiangong 1, which has been unmanned for more than four years, could fall anywhere on about two-thirds of the Earths surface, although it is most likely to land in one of two bands that encircle the globe parallel to the equator, the researchers said.

One of those regions, in the Southern Hemisphere, includes Tasmania and parts of New Zealand, Chile and Argentina. The other, in the Northern Hemisphere, covers more land, cutting across swaths of the United States, Europe and Asia.

But even in those areas, the likelihood that anyone will be hit by part of the station is incredibly low.

The probability that a specific person (i.e., you) will be struck by Tiangong 1 debris is about 1 million times smaller than the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot, Aerospace noted in the analysis.

Re-entry events like the one predicted for Tiangong 1 are common: Thousands of objects have re-entered the Earths atmosphere over the past half-century, according to Aerospace. That includes dozens of large objects each year.

As they come flying back to Earth, the objects compress the air beneath them, generating intense heat, up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the researchers. That heat and pressure can cause the objects to break apart, melt and vaporize, leaving little left to reach the Earths surface.

Even when objects survive the fall, they rarely cause substantial harm. Only one person is known to have been hit by such debris: Lottie Williams of Oklahoma was struck without injury by a small chunk of a rocket booster in 1997.

Niraj Chokshi is a New York Times writer.
In her statement cutting ties with Steve Bannon, Rebekah Mercer said they have not been in contact for many months.

Meanwhile, a party goer tells me she hosted a cocktail party on October 18, 2017 at her Upper West Side home. Steve Bannon was a featured guest. https://t.co/yV96f8x3g0  Stephanie Ruhle (@SRuhle) January 4, 2018

It's not because "Mueller is getting close." It's because the corporatists have no use for him anymore, now that he signed his name on the tax bill. Yes, another Republican president could have done it, but now Trump takes the fall when account for its malice comes due.  Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) January 5, 2018
New Zealand shares gained with global equity markets in the absence of local corporate news, with Metro Performance Glass and Sky Network Television rising while Freightways dropped.

The S&P/NZX 50 Index rose 12.05 points, or 0.1 percent, to 8,455.55. Within the index, 23 stocks gained, 15 fell and 12 were unchanged. Turnover was $122 million.

"There's no new fundamental news at all," said Matt Goodson, managing director at Salt Funds Management. "It's really just flow driven on light volumes, not much meaning can be read into price movements at the moment."

"There have been some brokers' stock picks for the year published - every year you see a little rush into those names, at a time of year where the market is almost illiquid," Goodson said. "Give it a few weeks and that will fall out."

MetroGlass led the index higher, rising 2 percent to $1.03, while Sky TV gained 1.8 percent to $2.85.

Fletcher Building advanced 1.6 percent to $7.81. All three stocks suffered last year, with Metro Glass down 48 percent in 2017 making it the worst performer, Sky TV second-last with a 38 percent fall, and Fletcher Building declining 28 percent in the year.

Freightways was the worst performer on the day, dropping 1.4 percent to $7.61. Trade Me Group fell 1 percent to $4.79 and Spark New Zealand dipped 1 percent to $3.615.

Outside the benchmark index, Trilogy International fell 0.4 percent to $2.81. It has attracted the interest of Australia's largest ethical investment fund, Australian Ethical Investment Ltd, which has lifted its stake in the scented candle and natural beauty products maker above 10 percent. Trilogy's businesses include its flagship rosehip oil skincare range Trilogy, scented candle maker Ecoya, skincare brand Lanocorp, and distribution business CS & Co and Australian Ethical Investment lists the investment under its "sustainable products" category.

TIL Logistics Group gained 0.5 percent to $2.01. The New Plymouth-based freight and logistics company has retained some of the former shareholders of Bethunes Investments after completing a reverse listing transaction.

Shareholders of Bethunes, which changed its name to TIL Logistics last month, had until Jan. 3 to exercise their right to sell their shares to the dominant owner and a total of 35 shareholders with 928 shares in aggregate did so.

The company was granted a waiver from NZX listing rules that require a company to have at least 25 percent of shares held by 500 members of the public to allow the transaction to proceed and the spokeswoman said it is now working through options to increase the spread of shareholders.

(BusinessDesk)

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ATLANTA, January 5, 2018 - The Board of Directors of Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE: AYI; "Company") today declared a quarterly dividend of 13 cents per share. The dividend is payable on February 1, 2018 to shareholders of record on January 22, 2018.

About Acuity Brands

Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE: AYI) is the North American market leader and one of the world's leading providers of lighting and building management solutions. With fiscal year 2017 net sales of $3.5 billion, Acuity Brands currently employs over 12,000 associates and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with operations throughout North America, and in Europe and Asia. The Company's products and solutions are sold under various brands, including Lithonia Lighting, Holophane, Peerless, Gotham, Mark Architectural Lighting(TM), Winona Lighting, Juno, Indy(TM), Aculux, Healthcare Lighting, Hydrel, American Electric Lighting, Carandini, Antique Street Lamps(TM), Sunoptics, Distech Controls, nLight, ROAM, Sensor Switch and Atrius(TM). Visit us at www.acuitybrands.com.

# # #

Contact:

Dan Smith, 404.853.1423

dan.smith@acuitybrands.com
Trilogy International has attracted the interest of Australia's largest ethical investment fund which has lifted its stake in the scented candle and natural beauty products maker above 10 percent.

Australian Ethical Investment Ltd. increased its stake in Trilogy to 10.4 percent from 9.4 percent, the Melbourne-based fund said in a substantial shareholding notice to the NZX today.

Demand for ethical investments has grown as consumers shun companies that don't heed the needs of community, the environment, animals or other issues and seek out companies that support their values. Australian Ethical Investment's ethical charter hasn't changed since 1986, saying it seeks out investments that support people, quality and sustainability and avoids investments that harm people, animals, society and the environment. Last year, its funds under management grew above A$2 billion as it had record inflows of new members and funds.

Trilogy's businesses include its flagship rosehip oil skincare range Trilogy, scented candle maker Ecoya, skincare brand Lanocorp, and distribution business CS & Co and Australian Ethical Investment lists the investment under its "sustainable products" category. Trilogy shares last traded at $2.82 and have dropped 6.6 percent the past year.

In mid-December, Auckland-based Trilogy said it had entered a scheme of arrangement with Chinese investment manager CITIC Capital Partners, to sell all shares in the company for $2.90 cash per share. Trilogy directors have appointed Grant Samuel to prepare an independent adviser's report to help them and shareholders assets the merits of the scheme. At the time, the directors said if the offer price per share is within or above the valuation range and no superior proposal arises, Trilogy's directors intend to recommend the deal and sell their shares.

Other Kiwi investments in the Australian Ethical Investment portfolio include utilities software developer Gentrack Group, telecommunications company Spark New Zealand, energy companies Contact Energy, Mercury NZ, Meridian Energy, and Transpower New Zealand, medical device maker Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, health software developer Orion Health Group, online auction company Trade Me Group, and cloud-based accounting software firm Xero, according to the investment list on its website which was current as at March 31, 2017.

Australian Ethical Investment last traded on the ASX at A$141, valuing the fund at A$158 million.

(BusinessDesk)

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Engender Technologies, the agricultural technology company spun out of Auckland University, is moving to scale up its sex-selection product for the dairy industry to full commercialisation in the next 18 months and is targeting the US$2 billion dairy artificial insemination industry.

Co-founded by the University of Auckland and seed investment company Pacific Channel in 2011, Engender has secured option-to-license agreements for its technology with three of the world's largest artificial insemination companies, has successfully concluded laboratory trials and is preparing for scaling commercialization, the Auckland-based company said in a statement. In August, the company's first key patent was allowed in the US and its patent attorneys have confidence that it will be granted in its other key markets, it said.

Engender is hoping to capitalise on demand for technology which can control whether calves are born male or female, enabling dairy farmers to focus their production on higher-value milking cows. In the US, it will compete with the dominant market player Inguran, which claims it can deliver heifer calves in about 90 percent of pregnancies, according to a Bloomberg report. Engender claims its technology is gentle on the cells which helps preserve the sperm's fertility resulting in higher conception rates, and it can be brought to market with low capital and low operating costs.

The company said having control over whether a calf will be born a male or female is "extremely attractive" to artificial insemination businesses and dairy farmers as elite female calves bred for their dairying characteristics can be slotted into the production scheme, while male calves offer less utility to dairy farmers.

"Access to a low-cost sex selection technology for dairy would enable farmers to breed off the top half of their herd to double the current rate of genetic gain," said Engender founding scientist Professor Cather Simpson.

"There is an unmet need in the international animal breeding industry for an affordable and effective sperm sex sorting product, notable in the dairy sector," the company said.

Engender said it is preparing a further 11 patent applications related to individual aspects of its technology.

The company said its patents will assist in future discussions with potential licensees, significant investors or acquirers.

Sex-determined semen for breeding remains relatively new and accounts for only 3 percent of a global market, according to Bloomberg.

(BusinessDesk)

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Related News:

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Belvedere Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:BEL) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that, on January 5, 2018, it closed the previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") of 4,166,666 common shares of the Company ("Common Shares") at an issue price of C$0.06 per Share, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately C$250,000.

The securities issued in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the closing of the Private Placement.

The net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used in connection with continued operations of the Company, payment of outstanding debts, examining what financial and strategic alternatives may be available to the Company and towards general and administrative expenses.

In connection with the Private Placement, the Company has agreed to pay Smaller Company Capital Ltd. ("SCC") a finder's fee in the form of 208,333 Common Shares, an amount equal to 5% of the total issued Common Shares under the Private Placement, as well as an agent's warrant to acquire up to 208,333 Common Shares at a price of $0.06 per share for a period of 12 months from the date of issuance.

BELVEDERE RESOURCES LTD.

Brian Hinchcliffe, Executive Chairman

c/o 82 Richmond Street East, Suite 200, Toronto, ON, M5C 1P1

Tel. +1 (914) 815 2773

bhinch3@gmail.com

www.belvedere-resources.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
NEW YORK, Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield Global Listed Infrastructure Income Fund Inc. (NYSE:INF) and Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc. (NYSE:RA) (each, a Fund, and collectively, the Funds) today announced that their Boards of Directors declared their monthly distributions.



Brookfield Global Listed Infrastructure Income Fund Inc. declared a monthly distribution of $0.0817 per share, payable on January 25, 2018 to stockholders of record on January 17, 2018. The ex-distribution date is January 16, 2018. Based on the NYSE closing price of $13.36 on January 4, 2018, the Fund's annualized distribution rate was 7.34%.

Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc. declared a monthly distribution of $0.1990 per share, payable on January 25, 2018 to stockholders of record on January 17, 2018. The ex-distribution date is January 16, 2018. Based on the NYSE closing price of $23.60 on January 4, 2018, the Fund's annualized distribution rate was 10.12%.

Shares purchased on or after the ex-distribution date will not receive the distribution discussed above. Please contact your financial advisor with any questions. Distributions may include net investment income, capital gains and/or return of capital. The distribution rate referenced above is calculated as the annualized amount of the most recent monthly distribution declared divided by the stated stock price. Any portion of the Funds distributions that is a return of capital does not necessarily reflect the Funds investment performance and should not be confused with yield or income. The tax status of distributions will be determined at the end of the taxable year.

Brookfield Investment Management Inc. (the Firm) is an SEC-registered investment adviser and represents the Public Securities platform of Brookfield Asset Management, Inc., providing global listed real assets strategies including real estate equities, infrastructure equities, multi-strategy real asset solutions and real asset debt. With more than $16 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2017, the Firm manages separate accounts, registered funds and opportunistic strategies for institutional and individual clients, including financial institutions, public and private pension plans, insurance companies, endowments and foundations, sovereign wealth funds and high net worth investors. The Firm is a wholly -owned subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management, Inc., a leading global alternative asset manager with more than $265 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2017. For more information, go to www.brookfield.com.

Brookfield Global Listed Infrastructure Income Fund Inc. and Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc. are managed by Brookfield Investment Management Inc. The Funds use their website as a channel of distribution of material company information. Financial and other material information regarding the Funds are routinely posted on and accessible at www.brookfield.com.

COMPANY CONTACT

Brookfield Global Listed Infrastructure Income Fund Inc.

Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc.

Brookfield Place

250 Vesey Street, 15th Floor

New York, NY 10281-1023

(855) 777-8001

funds@brookfield.com
NAPLES, Fla., Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FTE Networks, Inc. (NYSE American:FTNW) ("FTE" or the "Company"), a leading provider of innovative technology-oriented solutions for smart platforms, network infrastructure and buildings, today announced that it has retained KCSA Strategic Communications (KCSA), a leading New York-based communications firm, to support the Companys public and investor relations programs.



KCSA intends to deploy a comprehensive communications program designed to increase awareness of FTE across the investment community and targeted media. Since KCSA's inception nearly fifty years ago, the firm has developed a strong reputation for its work representing public companies.

We are pleased to partner with KSCA to help us expand our presence in the investment community and communicate FTEs vision and strategy. We believe that FTE Networks is well positioned for an exciting 2018 and beyond as we continue to build a strong momentum, said Michael Palleschi, President and CEO of FTE Networks.

Todd Fromer, Managing Partner of KCSA Strategic Communications, commented, FTE Networks has established a platform for growth, with its combination of innovative technology-oriented solutions that span state-of-the-art building and smart platform and network infrastructure installation. KCSAs extensive history of providing strategic communications counsel based on best practices will enable FTE Networks to expand the reach of its exciting story.

About FTE Networks, Inc.

FTE Networks, Inc. ("FTNW"), is a leading provider of innovation technology. We enable adaptive and efficient smart network connectivity platforms, infrastructure and buildings. FTE provides end-to-end design, build, and support solutions for state-of-the-art networks, data centers, residential and commercial properties. We create transformative smart platforms and buildings. FTE's services are predicated on smart design and consistent standards that reduce deployment costs and accelerate delivery of leading edge projects and services. The Company works with Fortune 100/500 companies, including some of the world's leading Telecommunications and IT Services Providers as well as REITs and Media Providers.

For more information, please visit www.ftenet.com.

About KCSA Strategic Communications

KCSA is a fully integrated communications agency specializing in public relations, investor relations and social media, with expertise in financial and professional services, technology, healthcare, digital media and energy. Since 1969, the firm has demonstrated strategic thinking and program execution that drives results for its clients in the ever-changing communications and digital landscape. The firm's clients are its best references. For more information, please visit www.kcsa.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: believe, enable, will, and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements in this release may include, without limitation, statements and forecasts we make regarding our performance, including any desired results in connection with our engagement of KCSA or any investor and media awareness efforts, and other matters that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from results expressed or implied by this release.

Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and market trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. These risk factors and others are included from time to time in documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to, our Form 10-Ks, Form 10-Qs and Form 8-Ks. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this update is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

For more information, please contact:

Investor Contact:

Phil Carlson / Steve Silver

KCSA Strategic Communications

Phone: (212) 896-1233 / (212) 896-1220

Email: pcarlson@kcsa.com / ssilver@kcsa.com

Media Relations Contact:

Kate Tumino / Zoe Tobin

KCSA Strategic Communications

Phone: (212) 896-1252 / (212) 896-1251

Email: ktumino@kcsa.com / ztobin@kcsa.com

Corporate Contact:

FTE Networks, Inc.

999 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Suite 601

Naples, FL 23108

(877) 850-4308

ir@ftenet.com

NYSE American: FTNW
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Credit: Architect of the Capitol(WASHINGTON) -- With seven working days until a government shutdown, immigration remains a key factor in negotiations over a spending deal. Enter President Donald Trump, who is taking a more-active-than-usual role in bringing Democrats and Republicans to the table to work out a deal that would address Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients and border security.



While all sides say the negotiations are going well, using words like intense and serious Thursday, there are still serious issues that need to be resolved.



As Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., pointed out, most of the work on big agreements like this doesnt get done until the 11th hour anyway.



You know how it works around here. Youve got a lot of work to do and then all the work get done in the remaining twenty percent of the time you need to get it done, he told reporters.



Heres a look at all the individual components of an immigration deal:



Standalone bill, or included with budget deal? Senate Democrats are insisting that immigration be included as part of a deal to fund the government before Jan. 19. But when asked whether he will tell Democrats to vote against the funding deal if it does NOT include protection for Dreamers, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer whiffed. Republicans, for their part, prefer that the immigration bill be dealt with separately.



DACA recipients  What happens to them? Most lawmakers agree that something should be done to provide a fix to permanently safeguard DREAMers from deportation. The question is what? At least two Senate Republicans  Tillis and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who both attended a meeting on immigration with Trump Thursday  have said that the parties are discussing a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients, and that there is bipartisan support for such an approach, but nothing has been decided on that front yet.



Border security  What does that look like? Trump mentioned at the meeting with senators Thursday that any DACA bill must secure the border with a wall. But most senators are interpreting that broadly. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) alluded to what a final agreement will look like during an interview on ABCs Powerhouse Politics podcast Wednesday, before he attended Thursday's White House meeting: In some places its a traditional wall, in other places its technology, and in other places its traditional manpower. But I don't think it's going to be a 2,000-mile tapeworm along our border, 30 feet tall. Tillis told reporters that the White House and congressional leaders did not discuss details of the border security component on Thursday.



Chain/family migration Republicans are intent on ending the process of what they call chain migration that allows immigrants to sponsor their family members. This has not been a huge issue of contention with Democrats but they will likely use it as a bargaining tool for other parts of the immigration deal because ending the practice is so important to Trump and the GOP.



Diversity visa lottery Ending the diversity visa lottery, which is how the late-October New York City truck assailant got to the United States, is also a big priority of Republicans. Schumer, for one, has also said in the past that the program has outlived its usefulness, so its likely this program in its current form gets cut. It could be replaced with a similar program run like a lottery, but one that is merit -based, in which applicants have already lined up an employer stateside. President Trump has expressed support for that type of system.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
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A dog linked to the US embassy which attacked five people in Canberra last year has been put down, ACT authorities revealed.

A second dog, which was also living at a property owned by the embassy in Stirling and involved in at least one of the attacks, was deported back to the US on December 18, a government spokeswoman said. It is believed to now be living with relatives of its diplomat owner.

A dog linked to the US embassy which attacked five people in Canberra last year has been put down. Credit:Janie Barrett

The news comes amid a push to swell the ranks of the capital's dog rangers in 2018.

It is understood the ACT's Domestic Animal Services has been running with a limited staff of about four dog attack investigators since at least October.
If former Gold Coast defender Trent McKenzie is known for one skill, it's his prodigious left foot kicking.

But with just 14 AFL games next to his name in the past two seasons the man who earned the nickname 'The Cannon' in his early days at the Suns hasn't had the chance to show us how far he can fire a Sherrin off his left boot.

So his new club, Port Adelaide, decided their new recruit should give everyone a reminder of what he can deliver.

They set him a challenge to kick the footy over the club's Allan Scott Power headquarters while the cameras were rolling.

Off about six steps, the Cannon kicked the ball high over the complex's flat roof to clear the building with ease.
Insurers are set to pay out a record $US135 billion ($172 billion) to cover losses from natural disasters in 2017, the world's largest reinsurer said, driven by the costliest hurricane season ever in the United States and widespread flooding in South Asia.

Overall losses, including uninsured damage, came to $US330 billion, according to the reinsurer, Munich Re of Germany. That tally was second only to 2011, when an earthquake and tsunami in Japan contributed to losses of $US354 billion at today's dollars.

Insured losses from weather-related disasters were at a high, making up most of the $US135 billion. Munich Re executives warned that losses would continue to escalate.

"Some of the catastrophic events, such as the series of three extremely damaging hurricanes, or the very severe flooding in South Asia after extraordinarily heavy monsoon rains, are giving us a foretaste of what is to come," Torsten Jeworrek, a Munich Re board member, said in a statement.
Surf brand Billabong International's directors have unanimously recommended a takeover bid from the US owners of Quiksilver worth about $198 million.

Queensland-based Billabong last month received an indicative and non-binding proposal from Boardriders to acquire all of the company's shares for $1 each.

The takeover follows a flat few years for Billabong. Credit:Glenn Hunt

They've now entered into a scheme of arrangement, which Billabong said had limited conditions.

Billabong also confirmed it expected earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, excluding significant items, to be in a range between last year's $51.1 million and $54 million in 2017-18.
A new wage deal struck by Domino's Pizza and the shoppies union will see part-time employees trade regular working hours for a 2 an hour pay rise, in a move a rival union says will "casualise" permanent work conditions.

The pizza shop and the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA) announced the deal on December 28, after the workplace tribunal in November tore up previous agreements that saw workers miss out on penalty rates worth tens of millions of dollars a year.

Domino's workers will start voting on the deal next week. Credit:Wayne Taylor

Domino's said the new enterprise bargaining agreement would deliver among the highest wages in the fast food industry for its more than 20,000 workers, but would not disclose pay rates and other details.

A copy of the proposed agreement has now been obtained by Fairfax Media, and shows that entry level workers will be paid a base rate of $20.10 per hour - 2 more than the basic wages safety net.
I've been overcharged by Telstra for more than two years (that we agree on  I think it might be longer but I don't have any records). I have spent, on average, two hours per week for six months trying to resolve the issue  this doesn't take into account the endless hours on the phone. I keep being told it's a "back room" issue and it will take time to resolve. We can't seem to speak with the person in charge of the "back room" to fix the problem. Meantime, I continue (on a monthly basis) to be overcharged and then can't do anything because my account shows up overdue amounts. Further, a helpful soul at Telstra told me to continue paying so I wouldn't be charged late fees. Like others, I've been to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman  but it seems it is hopelessly understaffed for the problems of 2018. All I want is a properly rendered, and accurate account. And I want to stop being overcharged. I'm glad I've been their customer for more than 40 years. Big corporations can't do it. Helen M. Goddard, Turner Developers cavalier

In our highly valued and environmentally sensitive RZ1 (typical suburban) zones, substantial, subdividable dual-occupancies are generally only permitted on the scattered "Mr Fluffy" blocks. For neighbourhood equity reasons, the Territory Plan strives for due developmental sensitivity in RZ1, and a dual-occupancy dwelling there that does not "front a public road" is limited to one storey and a constrained footprint. That's to ensure minimal impact from rear-sited dwellings on neighbours and the local environment. On Mr Fluffy blocks with wide frontages (and corner ones), each dwelling may be able to front a road, and therefore can be two-storeyed, with a larger footprint. But in those situations, especially with unfavourable topography, the technically legal maximum height of the back building sections can still have significant detrimental impacts on neighbours' private open spaces, etc. Despite government efforts to prevent that happening, through reasonable development approval processes, cavalier developers appear to be thumbing their noses at the problem and/or the approval regime, and greedily insisting on, or proceeding with very intrusive dual occupancies on wide or corner blocks in the RZ1 zone.

The government needs to take a tougher line to avoid serious privacy and environmental problems, as well as property devaluations, among affected Mr Fluffy neighbours. Jack Kershaw, Kambah Crossing etiquette Terry Wright (Letters, January 3) makes a good point about the visibility of cyclists at pedestrian crossings: "It is not the cyclist's 10km/h speed on the crossing nor the visibility of the crossing, it is the sudden emergence of the cyclist onto the crossing. Reacting in time to that demands too much of the car driver." The real problem in my view is the proximity of the "zebra crossing" to the intersection itself. In my observations there are too many "zebras" at intersections. My belief is that this a design fault as it requires a driver turning left for example to look right for cross traffic, ahead for turning traffic and at the same time left and right for pedestrians and cyclists.

A cyclist can appear from nowhere even though the driver is actively checking for other traffic. My view is that pedestrian crossings or zebras should be located at least 20 metres back from a road intersection so that all participants can see each other and make adjustments. This practice is common in many cities of the world where balustrades are fitted in a curve to prevent pedestrians and cyclists crossing at the intersection. It would also be a good idea that pedestrians and cyclists be provided with an etiquette which says "stay back from the crossing if you see a break in the traffic coming and then cross". Something I do regularly as a pedestrian, allow the flow of traffic through and then cross. Simple, effective and safe. Steve Provins, Latham Marx no hero

Jane Wallace (Letters, January 5) seems to suggest that the 200th anniversary of the birth of Karl Marx in May is worth celebrating in the same way as the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War in November. A quaint idea given the horrors that were inflicted on the people of Russia (and subsequently in many other parts of the world) by leaders trying to apply Marx's bankrupt philosophy to the real world. Has any "economist" ever wrought more harm than him? M. Moore, Bonython More work to do on air safety

Sadly, fatal accidents continue to happen on charter, cargo and private flights, a reader points out. Photo: Christopher Pearce Rejoice. In 2017, not one passenger died in an accident on any scheduled jet airliner. That includes the proliferation of budget airlines which are booming around the world. More amazingly we got to November 15 without a passenger fatality on any scheduled service; not even on small turbo-prop airliners. Since then five passengers have died in two turbo-prop accidents. Airlines rarely instigated the techniques and technology that now make air travel so incredibly safe. Regulators imposed them; usually in response to accidents and deaths. It's called the "Tombstone Imperative". Let's also give credit to the International Civil Aviation Organization. In recent years ICAO's mentoring and audits have helped ensure that its Standards and Recommended Practices are implemented worldwide. ICAO has a neat tool to compare the competencies of different national aviation authorities; https://www.icao.int/safety/pages/usoap-results.aspx. For instance China has overcome its poor safety record to rank alongside Australia, but not as highly as Canada. Singapore is brilliant.

Sadly, fatal accidents continue to happen on charter, cargo and private flights; as Australia saw with fatal crashes at Essendon in February and into the Hawkesbury River on New Year's Eve. There's still work to do. Martin Aubury, Scullin Westminster system Mike Hutchinson (Letters, January 4) expresses concern that Australia's Westminster-system constitution combines explicit provisions  generally big-picture structural  with tried and tested conventions, generally covering the procedural matters of government. As an example, despite existing by convention since the early 1700s, the prime minister and cabinet are not mentioned in our written constitution. Neither, incidentally, is the term head-of-state, although in 1907 the High Court ruled the Governor-General exercised this authority in practice.

Our founding fathers naturally considered it unnecessary to write down the precedent-based conventions of cabinet government in a Westminster-system democracy. They also recognised conventions based on applying first principles adapt better to changing circumstances than densely-prescribed written rules that inevitably are soon out of date  as the US, for example, is perpetually forced to endure. Similarly, while every Westminster-system parliament has three equal parts (Crown, House of Representatives and Senate) by convention no GG has ever declined to sign a bill into law nor, in Australia's case, referred one to the reigning monarch despite our constitution explicitly allowing this. Finally, by convention the exercise of Australian government must be carried on by a cabinet capable of legally providing advice to the Crown. So even if we were temporarily conquered because of our successful separation of power and authority, Australia's legal sovereignty and indeed much popular hope would endure by the Crown declining to validate quasi-legal measures imposed by a puppet government. Neil James, Burra

Grim scenario Reports that the rate of coral bleaching is on the rise raises serious concerns about the health and future of the Great Barrier Reef. Most worrying is the observation by scientists studying the reefs that coral bleaching events have become five times more frequent in only forty years because of climate change (ocean warming and acidification), and that since 1980 only six of the 100 reefs studied had escaped severe bleaching. Another worrying finding of the study was that before the strong El Nino year of 1982-83 there was no coral bleaching on a global or even regional scale. More recently, however, bleaching has occurred even in the slightly cooler La Nina years, its extent has expanded, and its frequency has increased from once every 25-30 years before the 1980s to once every 5.9 years by 2016.

A situation in which bleaching and death of coral occur at a regional scale every hot summer was judged by the scientists to be approaching and to be inevitable because of the man-made carbon dioxide emissions already in the atmosphere. This is bad enough, but there is also the likelihood of the added warming effect of increasing amounts of methane being released from the Arctic tundra, which is thawing at an increasing rate. To add further to this rather grim scenario, I heard on ABC news on January 5 that an infestation of crown of thorns starfish had been found feasting on a large area of the southern Reef about 150km off Yeppoon. Something serious must be done to save the irreplaceable reef over which we have custodianship. Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

Community infrastructure Brian Stone and M Flint (Letters January 4) have misrepresented what I proposed in my letter (Letters, January 2). I am not discussing the merits of Light Rail. What I am debating is the best way for Canberra residents to arrange the financing of community infrastructure whatever that infrastructure might be. The ACT government has entered into a Private Public Partnership with a consortium including financiers to fund and build Light Rail. With a PPP the government guarantees a financial return to the private party. My suggestion to the ACT government is that it goes into Public-Public Partnerships to finance all infrastructure. The first Public in Public-Public is the ACT community. The second Public is the ACT government. Many ACT residents are either on allocated pensions or are saving up for them.

I suggest they go to the Money Smart ASIC website and find out how long their superannuation money will last. They will be surprised at the low rate of return on allocated pensions. Putting savings into a Public-Public Partnership annuity for ANY community infrastructure will return at least twice the amount of money compared to an allocated pension. The high return from Public-Public Partnerships annuities comes because it removes the private financial intermediary. With today's technology we do not need financial intermediaries. Implementing a Public-Public Partnerships is low-cost and quickly deployed. A Public-Public Partnership can finance it, and it could be operating within six months. Kevin Cox, Ngunnawal

Mental health The Adverse Reactions Database of the Therapeutic Goods Administration indicates suicides induced by effects of antidepressants have more than doubled in the last seven years. Unfortunately, some affected have been adolescents and children. Let's usher in the new year with resolve to demand greater safety within the mental health industry. Linda Vij, Mascot, NSW TO THE POINT

PLANE'S AGE A CONCERN The plane that crashed killing six was reportedly 55 years old. For a car to be classified as vintage the prime requirement is to be more than 20 years old. A minimum age of 45 years is usually required for an antique classification. And they don't have to fly. Something seriously wrong somewhere. Colliss Parrett, Barton

LANE HOGS INFURIATING Bob Salmond (Letters, January 4) uses the petty calculation of time variances to justify the bad-mannered and dangerous habit of right-lane hogging. Impeding the progress of others creates anger in other people; it is an act of deliberate dangerous driving and is recognised as such in Germany where the penalty can be three months' imprisonment and cancellation of driving licence. There is no excuse for sitting in the right lane; it is not about "doing the speed limit" it is about not impeding others. Consider this, the driver behind you may be a doctor rushing to an emergency, an unmarked police car on an urgent call or perhaps even an armed robber trying to escape who might shoot you! Whatever the reason just do not do it.
One of the more alarming anecdotes in Fire and Fury, Michael Wolff's incendiary new book about Donald Trump's White House, involves the firing of James Comey, former director of the FBI. It's not Trump's motives that are scary; Wolff reports that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were "increasingly panicked" and "frenzied" about what Comey would find if he looked into the family finances, which is incriminating but unsurprising. The terrifying part is how, in Wolff's telling, Trump sneaked around his aides, some of whom thought they'd contained him.

"For most of the day, almost no one would know that he had decided to take matters into his own hands," Wolff writes. "In presidential annals, the firing of FBI director James Comey may be the most consequential move ever made by a modern president acting entirely on his own." Now imagine Trump taking the same approach toward ordering the bombing of North Korea.

Wolff's scabrous book comes out on Friday  the publication date was moved up amid a media furor  but I was able to get an advance copy. It's already a consequential work, having precipitated a furious rift between the President and his former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, who told Wolff that the meeting Donald Trump Jr. brokered with Russians in the hope of getting dirt on Hillary Clinton was "treasonous" and "unpatriotic." On Thursday the president's lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to Wolff's publisher, Henry Holt, demanding that it stop publication, claiming, among other things, defamation and invasion of privacy. This move would be fascistic if it weren't so farcical. (While some have raised questions about Wolff's methods, Axios reports that he has many hours of interviews recorded.)

There are lots of arresting details in the book. We learn that the administration holds special animus for what it calls "D.O.J. women", or women who work in the Justice Department. Wolff writes that after the white supremacist mayhem in Charlottesville, Trump privately rationalised "why someone would be a member of the KKK". The book recounts that after the political purge in Saudi Arabia, Trump boasted that he and Kushner engineered a coup: "We've put our man on top!"
It was always the men in my family who fished. My dad, uncles and grandfather cast lures and baits off the sharp rocks and into the swell on the NSW South Coast. They told the tall tales of giant fishes and near misses. My mum and grandmother cooked the catch.

I'm not quite sure how I was allowed to interrupt the unquestioned gender divisions and tag along. But I did, and I loved it.

Family with big game fish catch at a Queensland beach in the 1960s.

When I grew up, I realised I wasn't alone.

While the fishing stereotype is invariably masculine  men in tinnies holding up trophy barra while drinking tinnies  fishing is a little more diverse than perhaps that image allows for.
Dumped Turnbull government minster Darren Chester has denounced a lack of national leadership on curbing the road toll and regrets not being more "aggressive" on road safety during his time in the infrastructure and transport portfolio.

The Victorian Nationals MP also chastised state governments and federal bureaucrats for a "timid" approach to curbing the road carnage.

His comments follow a Fairfax Media report on Thursday in which government expert Dr John Crozier declared the national black spot program a "Band-aid" road safety solution that should be scrapped, and claimed inertia by successive federal governments was contributing to a rising number of road deaths.

Mr Chester lost the infrastructure and transport portfolio to Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce in a Turnbull government reshuffle last month, after 20 months in the job.
Inside the fractured Liberal party, there was instant alarm that the Prime Minister had begun the new year by pressing on what was a sensitive nerve for the party's conservative wing. That group was already smarting from failed attempts to amend the same-sex marriage legislation just before Christmas. Why stir 'the base' up so soon afterwards? Conservative wagons started circling. Prominent right-winger Alex Hawke tweeted "Constitutional monarchy continues to serve Australia well, as does our Queen". Similar utterances emanated from Tony Abbott and allies such as David Flint. Turnbull's republican musings didn't survive 24 hours. Under the headline "PM bursts own thought bubble", Fairfax reported a spokesman clarifying the next day that there would be no vote on a republic this parliamentary term, even if there was a change of British monarch. A source close to Turnbull insisted he'd never intended to hint at any sense of imminence or a plan for the near future in the first place. Reaction in the pro-republic camp has been dismay. Chair of the Australian Republic Movement, Peter FitzSimons said he didn't doubt that Turnbull was the "most passionate republican in the country" but that he found the Prime Minister's view that nothing could happen until after the Queen's reign "surprisingly circumspect". There is no good will Malcolm Turnbull can take from the same sex marriage debate and translate to a republic Senator Dean Smith, Liberal

A blunter reaction came from a former chair of the ARM, Tasmanian lawyer Greg Barns, who'd campaigned alongside Turnbull for the republican case during the failed 1999 referendum on the issue. Barns told Fairfax it was "disappointing" to see the Prime Minister "recant so swiftly" from his "utterly sensible" New Years' Day remarks. "I think most people think the best way forward is to have a plebiscite and then go to a vote [at a referendum] having decided on a particular option". Barns added: "I can only put down his quick recanting to an unhealthy reliance on the right wing of the Liberal party". Another broadside came from prominent Liberal backbencher Senator Dean Smith, whose same-sex marriage bill was enacted just before Christmas on the back of the national postal survey. Smith shot down the Prime Minister's suggestion of a segue from same-sex marriage to a republic. Smith, a self-described "staunch constitutional monarchist", told Fairfax: "My assessment is that there is no good will that Malcolm Turnbull can take from the same-sex marriage debate and translate to a republic debate. None at all. The temperament and issues that framed people's consideration of same-sex marriage are not the same as the sorts of issues that will frame their judgement about a republic". The Western Australian added that despite his own commitment to the same-sex marriage campaign, postal surveys or plebiscites were a "coward's way of resolving contentious issues". Making hard decisions was the job of parliament, "and the community judges MP's accordingly at the following election".

"People are quick to forget that I not only vehemently opposed the plebiscite concept on same-sex marriage but that I consciously did not vote for it," Smith added. "In relation to the same-sex postal survey, we got the right result but it came at significant cost to many LGBTI Australians and their friends and families. People in my peer group and others [experienced] restlessness, anxiousness and weariness caused by the postal survey campaign. We should not forget that a YES outcome was never assured." Smith said his backing for continuing the monarchy in Australia was not based on the personality of the Queen  despite Turnbull's recent claim that many republicans are 'Elizabethans"  but on an unwavering conviction that the existing model delivered stability. Acting Opposition leader Tanya Plibersek has doubled down on Keating's jibe by labelling Turnbull a "ditherer", and reminding voters that Labor will put the threshold question  whether or not there should be an Australian head of state  to the people during the first term of an ALP government. But getting agreement to that general proposition is almost certainly the easier stage of the journey. As veterans of the 1999 republic campaign know too well, the hard part is securing a clear consensus on a republican model: a directly elected President, versus one (most likely) appointed by at least two thirds of the parliament on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.

Disagreement over competing models among 'yes' proponents was the jagged rock which holed the pro-republic campaign below the waterline in 1999. "Giving people the opportunity to say 'oh yes, we want an Australian head of state' without having to talk about alternative models is worthless and mischievous," Smith says of Labor's position. Cabinet papers from the Keating prime ministership released this week serve as a stark reminder of the complexity of alternate selection mechanisms. A 1995 submission from the Prime Minister's Department noted overwhelming popular support for a directly elected president but said that this would not guard against politicisation of the office, as "only the major parties would appear to have the expertise and resources to undertake the campaigning required for a national poll". And it warned that an upstart head of state "might be tempted to assume, or presume to take moral authority from, a popular national mandate so as to exercise the powers of that office in a manner which could bring the office into conflict with the government of the day". Those dilemmas remain as fresh as ever.

The most recent polls point to there only being a slim majority currently in favour of a republic. Newspoll found 51 per cent of voters supporting a republic in August 2017, with men significantly more likely (59 per cent) to back the change than women (44 per cent). Surprisingly, the proportion of younger voters in favour had barely shifted since July 1999, with 46 per cent in support then, and 45 per cent in support last year. Labor's answer to this has been to appoint NSW MP Matt Thistlethwaite as its "Assistant Shadow Minister for an Australian Head of State". The title sits awkwardly with Thistlethwaite's assurance that "we'll make sure this time that it's not seen as something that's coming from Canberra". Republicans cling to the hope that should the throne pass to Charles, their cause will gain an instant boost. Speculation that the succession might go straight to the more popular Prince William, bypassing Charles, is wrong, according to Ingrid Seward, editor of Majesty magazine, who last year was quoted as saying William doesn't want the throne yet and Charles wants to keep that burden off his oldest son's shoulders for some time to come. In late 2016 Turnbull told the Australian Republic Movement that the groundswell of support for a republic would have to build "house by house, street by street, suburb by suburb". Such a groundswell has yet to come about, though Fitzsimons remains hopeful . "Every state premier and the chief ministers are for a republic, so is the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader," he says. "The dual citizenship thing has absolutely played our way. It highlights the absurdity of our colonial constitution which says if you spend three months of your life as a baby in Canada then you get the hell out of parliament, but then incoming senators have to pledge their allegiance to the Queen, a British national."
When Affleck won for Argo, he famously said of Garner in his acceptance speech. "I want to thank my wife who I don't usually associate with Iran. I want to thank you for working on our marriage for 10 Christmases. It's good. It is work but it's the best kind of work and there's no one I'd rather work [with]."

While doing promotion press for a movie, in 2015, Garner made the statement that it was her turn now. "I've been home for a long time," she told reporters. "It's my turn and I'm going to go to work this spring. I think I'll work the spring and summer, maybe the fall too, as long as some of it's at home."

"You'd be amazed how we figure it out," she continued. "I've never been away for more than I think four days. I sit down at the beginning of the movie and say to the people making the schedule, 'Let's look at this.' Then I figure out where I'm going to take the kid and when I can get home."

It was a year later, in March of 2016, and in the wake of the Affleck and Garner split, amid reports of his repeated infidelity and lapses into alcoholism, that Garner appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair for a sit-down interview. There were many pearls to gather from the piece, including the following reveal from Garner about her sleeping habits, post-split.

"I used to think I would never watch television on my phone, but there I am, because I am sleeping next to my daughter." Garner tells me she and Violet have become temporary roommates. "I'm happy to have her; she's happy to have me."
Military prosecutors should take a more active role in investigating cases in a bid to improve confidence in the military discipline system, a prosecutor argues.

Laws governing defence force disciplinary investigations are also decades out of date and in "urgent need of review", Director of Military Prosecutions, Jennifer Woodward, CSC, said.

Brigadier Woodward warned that without reform, most fraud offences committed by defence force personnel would need to be investigated and prosecuted by civilian authorities.

The military's top prosecutor used her annual report to argue the Australian Defence Force should consider abandoning the current military discipline system  based on the largely adversarial civil criminal justice model  and adopt alternative approaches, such as an inquisitorial system.

In inquisitorial-based court systems, such as those in Europe, judges and magistrates play an active role in the gathering of evidence and questioning witnesses.
The budget for a controversial state government tax-break scheme has more than doubled, with major corporations among its biggest beneficiaries, new data shows.

Previously unreported data released under freedom-of-information laws late last year shows a near tripling in a controversial state government payroll tax break for corporations hiring new employees.

Victor Dominello says the scheme has successfully created jobs. Credit:Peter Rae

The latest data shows that in 2015 a little less than $120 million was spent on the controversial Jobs Action Plan, designed to reward companies with $5000 cash bonuses for hiring new employees.

But in 2016 spending on the scheme ballooned to nearly $290 million.
Surf life saving clubs could be turned into small hotels under a proposal to raise more money for lifesaving operations.

Barry Tilley would also equip surf clubs with liquor licences to operate bars beyond the limited circumstances in which they currently serve alcohol.

Property developer Barry Tilley said surf clubs should offer accommodation to raise money for water safety and lifesaving. Credit:Daniel Munoz

A property developer and businessman, Mr Tilley's preferred model is a pensione, or small hotel, offering "a couple of meals of the day like they do in Italy".

Mr Tilley said accommodation and dining facilities would help pay for the maintenance of facilities and provision of water safety and training instead of relying on donations.
Likely new Speaker Curtis Pitt could be referred to Queensland Parliaments ethics committee over claims he misled the House about a train driver enterprise agreement.

The opposition will write to Parliament's speaker to recommend Mr Pitt be referred to the ethics committee in light of reports Mr Pitt and then transport minister Stirling Hinchliffe told Queensland Rail to approve the driver pay deal amid an ongoing driver crisis, despite concerns from the board.

Labor will nominate former treasurer Curtis Pitt for the job of Speaker in the 56th Queensland Parliament. Credit:AAP/Glenn Hunt

Mr Pitt told Parliament in February there was no informal direction made to the rail body to accept the deal, which included a 3 per cent per year pay rise over four years.

"I can safely say that there is no informal direction; either you are issuing a direction or you are not," Mr Pitt told Parliament on February 14.
A blaze which tore through an abandoned house in Melbourne's north-west this morning has been deemed suspicious.

The vacant property on five acres of land in Highland Road, Keilor North caught alight about 6.30am on Friday morning.

Firefighters bringing the Highland Road blaze under control. Credit:Darrian Traynor

The Metropolitan Fire Brigade has deemed the fire suspicious.

Thirty MFB and CFA crews battled the blaze and brought it under control in 40 minutes.
Four more teenagers have been arrested after the trashing of a rented Airbnb house in Melbourne's west in December.

The Attunga Grove property was extensively damaged. Credit:Jason South

The property in Attunga Grove, Werribee, as well as neighbouring homes and cars, was extensively damaged after a party raged out of control.

Police officers trying to break up the party were pelted with rocks and the public order response and critical incident response teams were called.

A 16-year-old Tarneit boy was this week arrested and charged with criminal damage and assault. He was bailed to appear before a children's court at a later date.
Police are searching for a pedestrian who was hit by a car in Melbourne's east this week, only to crawl towards the passenger door and get in.

The unidentified man was walking along Canterbury Road, Kilsyth about 4pm on Wednesday when he was struck by a white Toyota Corolla.

The force of the impact sent the man flying through the air and he landed on the nature strip.

In an unexpected twist he then crawled towards the car, opened the passenger door and got in before the car drove off.
Two police officers have been hospitalised after being assaulted by a man in Kardinya on Thursday evening.

A man was seen in possession of a pole at about 9.10pm on South Street, near Dixon Street.

Two police officers had to be taken to hospital on Thursday evening after being assaulted by a man in Kardinya.

Police chased after him on foot over fences and through backyards.

Officers caught up to the man in the backyard of a house where a scuffle ensued.
The two passengers of a single-engine plane that crashed in the Goldfields on Friday afternoon had a lucky escape after walking away uninjured.

Police spokesman Adam Brouwer said emergency services rushed to the scene of the crash near Boorabbin, between Southern Cross and Coolgadie, about 4:40pm after reports a Cessna had crashed into scrub about 30 metres off Burra Rock Road at Victoria Rock.

The plane crashed neat Victoria Rock in the Goldfields. Credit:DPAW

It was reported that the aircraft suffered mechanical issues and the pilot had attempted to land on the Burra Rock Road.

The male pilot and male passenger were assessed by St John Ambulance officers at the scene but did not require any medical treatment.
Police are hunting a masked gunman who shot a man in Perth's south east on Thursday night.

Gun shots were fired at the 48-year-old man outside his house on Kenwick Road at about 9.30pm, sparking an investigation by Armadale detectives.

The male perpetrator of the attack, who had his face covered, fled the scene in a vehicle and is now being hunted by police.

The victim suffered a wound to his hip and was conveyed by ambulance to Royal Perth Hospital where he was set to undergo surgery on Friday.
Dylan Voller, who was thrust into the public spotlight last year in a youth detention scandal, says he would be willing to work with Australian corrections authorities in an effort to help young people in custody.

And he has a message for young WA men currently caught up in juvenile detention: "There is no such thing as failing, there is always an opportunity to try again."

The image of Dylan Voller in a spit-hood at the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre that helped trigger the royal commission. Credit:ABC

Voller, 20, made international headlines last year when disturbing images of him being mistreated in Darwin's Don Dale Youth Detention Centre came to light.

The images, which first appeared on Four Corners, showed him strapped to a chair with his head covered in a spit hood.
The diaspora is diverse, with different ethnic and religious groups, including Zoroastrians, Jews, Christians, Muslims and Baha'is. Supporters of Reza Pahlavi, the heir to Iran's deposed monarchy, carry his image during protests outside the Iranian embassy in London this week. Credit:Victoria Jones Compared to the US and Europe, where millions of Iranian-born people reside, Australia has a much smaller community. Around 58,000 Australians said their country of birth was Iran in the 2017 census. The diaspora is largely Western-educated and well-to-do. It has remained connected to Iranians inside Iran via two main channels  family ties and satellite broadcasts. A demonstrator holds the flag of monarchy-era Iran outside the Iranian embassy in Rome. Credit:GREGORIO BORGIA

To circumvent the Islamic republic's censorship of opposition voices as well anything it deems "anti-Islamic", for years Iranians have been accessing hundreds of Persian-language satellite TV channels broadcasting into Iran, mainly from the United States. Middle-class Iranians have long been switched on to this Western world. Unlike the Green Movement, which mainly stemmed from this more affluent group, the latest wave of protests includes Iranians from lower socio-economic backgrounds. An Iranian woman carries rocks at a protest in Tehran during the 2009 Green Movement. Credit:STR The protests The protests started in Iran on December 28, in the conservative holy city of Mashhad, mainly due to economic woes. Iranians are hurting under high unemployment and rising food prices  especially for eggs and poultry, which in recent weeks leapt about 40 per cent after chickens had to be culled following an outbreak of bird flu.

But soon protests spread to dozens of towns and cities across Iran, with people condemning government policies and corruption. Students run away from stones thrown by police during a protest inside Tehran University. Credit:AP Having suffered under international sanctions for years, Iranians turned their anger on the country's leaders, President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They chanted "Death to the dictator" (referring to Khamenei) and "Death to the Revolutionary Guard". In some cities protesters chanted the name of Reza Shah, monarch of Iran from 1925 to 1941 and the father of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the Shah who was overthrown in 1979. Reza Pahlavi is interviewed by Barbara Walters in January 1985, when he said: "We are getting to a period where we are going to see a lot of substantial changes occurring in Iran." Credit:AP Laserphoto

Videos show some protesters chanting, "O king of Iran! Come back to Iran" and "Reza Shah! Bless your soul!". The crown prince For some Iranians who left Iran during and shortly after the 1979 revolution, the US-based eldest son of the late Shah remains their hope. Reza Pahlavi  known to the diaspora as the Crown Prince of Iran  has been a fierce and regular critic of Iran's government, but he lacks an organised following within the country. As a result, there is no serious monarchist movement in Iran itself. On Twitter, Pahlavi dismisses the Iranian regime's claims that the protests are being supported and funded by outside groups.

In an interview with the Persian-language channel Manoto, Pahlavi called for a national referendum under international law so Iranians can determine their own future. The Pan-Iranists One of the groups that support the return of the Pahlavis as constitutional monarchs at the head of a secular democracy call themselves the Pan-Iranists. Political activist and blogger Mehdi Mirghaderi is a member of the group. He says he was forced to flee Iran in 2014 under the threat of arrest due to his political activities. He now lives in Turkey and says his vision is for a secular parliamentary monarchy in Iran, similar to that of Denmark or Norway.

He points to the chants in the recent demonstrations as proof that Iranians within Iran seek the return of Reza Pahlavi. He says satellite channels and social media have allowed Iranians to compare the achievements of the Islamic republic with those of the late Shah. He uses the Iranian passport as a comparison, saying: "The current passport of the Islamic Republic doesn't have much credibility around the rest of the world, but under the Shah, Iranians didn't require visas to Western countries." He says the only way there can be regime change is for the West to hear and support the Iranian people's calls for change. But there are others who don't have such a rosy picture of monarchists. The Pahlavi dynasty was criticised by many for using secret police to stifle dissent. The Mujahideen-e-Khalq

Another group that wants change in Iran is the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK), or People's Mujahideen, but it comes with a chequered history and it is not widely popular among Iranians inside Iran. Long listed as a terrorist group in the United States and Europe, it was delisted in 2012 under the Obama administration. The group, which also goes by the name of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, is based in France under the leadership of Maryam Rajavi. A woman holds up the image of Mujahideen-e-Khalq leader Maryam Rajavi outside 10 Downing Street in London during a demonstration by Britain's Iranian community. Credit:AP The group is backed by a wealthy elite in Europe and the US. And according to a New York Times article, in recent years it enlisted the public support of prominent Americans including former CIA directors and journalists, including Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame.

Its spokesman, Shahin Gobadi, told Fairfax Media that its is "a patriotic force with deep belief in a democratic, tolerant and anti-fundamentalist Islam ... it has struggled for almost 50 years against the two dictatorial regimes of the Shah and the mullahs to establish democracy, human rights and gender equality". He says "MEK supporters form an extensive social network inside Iran, which consists of three generations amongst various sects of the society like academics, intellectuals, scientists, traders, and businessmen", and adds that this network was instrumental in uncovering Iran's nuclear weapons program. The Mujahideen-e-Khalq say they were instrumental in uncovering a covert Iranian nuclear program at the Natanz site, pictured. Credit:GeoEye via AP "If it was not for the MEK disclosing the nuclear sites of Natanz and Arak in 2002, today the world would have faced the fundamentalist mullahs equipped with a nuclear bomb," he says. But others say that Iranians have to date been unable to forgive the MEK's alliance with Iraqi tyrant Saddam Hussein in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution.

No chance for change? Professor Amin Saikal is the director of the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University. He believes that groups like the Pan-Iranists and the MEK "don't stand a chance" of effecting change in Iran. "I don't think one could expect the [MEK] or similar organisations to play an important role," Saikal says. " The only person one could think of who could possibly provide leadership is Abolhassan Banisadr." Banisadr was Iran's first president after the 1979 revolution, serving from February 1980 until he was impeached by Iran's parliament in June 1981. "But he is based in France and he is very old," Saikal says. "And let's not forget he's an Islamist himself, so I don't think he's in a position to provide leadership."

Another possible leader for change is ex-president Mohammad Khatami, Saikal says. "But he is a reformist Islamist - so he would only be interested in reforming the system, not changing the system." He dismisses protesters' chants for Reza Pahlavi as "just nostalgia". "The Pahlavis are isolated and don't have a presence in Iran. They have visibility in the US. They run events and they have meetings with politicians and policymakers in the US and that's where they try to remain relevant." He also says that tweets from US President Donald Trump and statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "don't help the protesters". "The only purpose they serve is to vindicate the regime's claims that there are foreign powers behind the uprising ... I don't think the US or Israel will go beyond those declaratory statements, which are harmful. They better stay quiet and let the Iranians sort it out."

Saikal agrees that while Trump and Netanyahu "want to take advantage of the protests, and fuel them as much as they can", ultimately Iranians want to control their own destiny. Technology's role A new factor in recent revolutions is the added power that technology gives the people. Saeed Ghasseminejad, an Iran research fellow at the Washington-based Foundation for Defence of Democracies, says: "In the recent waves of revolutions in different parts of the world, the classical model of political leadership has not been a necessary part of a revolution. "The authority, decision-making power, and communication channels are more and more horizontal and dispersed. People's ability to self-organise has exponentially increased. If this [protest] movement fails, the main reason would not be its lack of central leadership."

Striking back: pro-government demonstrators rally in the restive south-western Iranian city of Ahvaz on Wednesday. Credit:AP He says it is important to listen to what protesters are actually saying, aside from calling for Reza Pahlavi. Protesters are also chanting "death to the Islamic Republic" and demanding an "Iranian Republic". They chant "reformist [or] hardliner, it is game over now", "Death to Rouhani", "Death to Khamenei", "Shame on you mullah". Ghasseminejad says this is a total "rejection of clerical rule, Islamism, the Islamic Republic, and both its factions". But he says unlike the early phase of the 2009 movement, Persian-language TV and radio stations outside the country are not all supportive of the latest protests, mainly because many of their staff have deep connections to the moderate wing of the Islamic Republic. And not all of the international media is supportive of these protests, he says, "because many reporters are looking at these protests through the Obama-versus-Trump lenses".

"To win, the protesters need to endure; it does not seem they are organised in a way that can quickly topple the regime by conquering the capital," Ghasseminejad says. "Their success may depend on their ability to organise crippling strikes. "As the balance of power between the protesters and the regime is unfavourable to the protesters, it is essential for them to have international support. Pro-democracy Iranians outside the country should urge their governments to put pressure on Tehran, isolate the regime politically and financially and support the protesters." Diminished power To date, no one has succeeded in toppling the Islamic regime in Tehran. There are also grave concerns that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Basij militia could crush the protesters, as they did nine years ago. The protesters are unarmed and leaderless. They also depend on communicating with the outside world via social media apps such as Telegram and Instagram, given that Facebook and Twitter are already banned. But the government in recent days has restricted access to these sites too.

Saikal sees two possible outcomes: the position of the regime's conservatives relative to its reformists is weakened, or the conservatives resort to a "bloody suppression of protesters if the protests don't fizzle out". Akbarzadeh says that so far, despite about 20 reported deaths, the government has avoided using the paramilitary Basij in most cities. "They're trying to be measured and ride the storm," he says. "Once the dust settles there will be more infighting between reformists and conservatives and [President] Rouhani will be in a weaker position." But Ghasseminejad disagrees. He says Rouhani and Khamenei have already seen their power diminish. "Khamenei has murdered and arrested people in small cities, which have always been [the regime's] stronghold," he says. "Since the 1999 student riots, each wave of protest has been more powerful and more widespread than the previous one  even if protesters fail this time, the next wave will be even more powerful."
Berlin: The large migrant influx to Germany of recent years has fuelled a rise in violent crime, according to the findings of a government report.

Rejected asylum-seekers from countries considered "safe" were behind much of the rise, while genuine refugees from countries such as Syria and Iraq were more rarely involved, the study found.

Migrants are silhouetted as they warm themselves inside a waiting tent to get an appointment at the central registration centre for refugees and asylum seekers in Berlin in 2016. Credit:Markus Schreiber

The report's authors called on Angela Merkel's government to do more to return economic migrants posing as asylum-seekers to their own countries.

Violent crime rose by 10.4 per cent between 2014 and 2016 in Lower Saxony, the state chosen for the study.
Cape Town: A passenger train burst into flames on Thursday after striking two vehicles at a crossing in a remote part of central South Africa, killing at least 18 people and injuring more than 260, authorities said.

Mondli Mvambi, a spokesman for the provincial health department, said that a truck driver had miscalculated the train's speed and tried to dash across the tracks at the crossing, just outside the town of Kroonstad, and that a passenger vehicle had also been involved.

"The death toll may rise," Mvambi said. "Three burnt carriages are yet to be lifted to check if anyone is trapped inside. It can take 36 hours. Rescuers are working as fast as they can."

National Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi told news outlets that the truck driver had been taken to the hospital. "We are going to do a blood test to verify if he was sober or not," Maswanganyi said.
New York: Beware the falling iguanas in South Florida.

When temperatures fall somewhere between 4 and -1 degree Celsius in America's warmest state, people from West Palm Beach to Miami know to be on the lookout for reptiles stunned - but not necessarily killed - by the cold. They can come back to life again when it warms up.

In Boca Raton, Frank Cerabino, a Palm Beach Post columnist familiar with the critters, stepped outside and saw a bright green specimen by his pool on Thursday morning, feet up.

"It's one of those ethical things: What do you do?" he said.
Gothenburg: A man has been arrested for the murder of Kai Foley, an Australian man stabbed to death in Gothenburg, Sweden in the lead up to Christmas.

A warrant for the arrest of the 25-year-old was issued on Friday morning, and the suspect was taken into custody by lunchtime, prosecutor Niklas Hogden told Expressen.

Tributes in Gothenburg for Australian Kai Foley who was killed on December 20. Credit:Lily Ray

Hogden said a short interrogation had already been held, but the suspect's lawyer was not present at the time.

The Gothenburg Post, which was the first newspaper to detail the arrest, reported the prosecution and the Swedish police believed the suspect and victim did not know one another before the evening of the attack, but rather that it was a random meeting ending in murder or manslaughter.
Bangkok: Health authorities are alarmed about a phallic fad in the Thai capital where men are having their penises whitened.

A Bangkok hospital clinic that uses a laser whitening procedure has been attracting a growing clientele in a country where many women are obsessed with whitening their skin.

"The skin of the private part is sensitive. Such laser services may cause irritation, allergies and inflammation," said Dr Thongchai Keeratihuttayakorn, Thailand's Health Service Support Department deputy director-general.

"What if your skin becomes spotted?"
Kabul: At least 20 people have been killed in a suicide bombing that targeted a mobile police checkpoint in Kabul on Thursday night.

As many as 30 others were injured in the incident, Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said.

Ambulances and security forces near the scene of an explosion in Kabul, on Thursday. Credit:AP

Casualties included both civilians and policemen, Rahimi said.

Rahimi said a protest held in the area earlier was over, but that protest organisers were still in discussions with police at the time of the bombing.
A Warren motorist is charged with felony assault after police say he fired a handgun and hit a womans car in Hazel Park in a road rage incident.
I recently had the privilege of participating in the ultimate "Americana," and needless to say as a foreign-born and by the grace of God, a proud and grateful naturalized American citizen, I was party to a true neighborhood gathering in Wise River.

Once a month a group of ladies puts on a a feed for the local citizenry; there is no cost to attend, and if you are ill or housebound, local teenagers will deliver a meal to your home.

The meal was your choice of roast beef, or chicken and crab stuffed in a puff pastry crust with all the fixins.

Now I know there are events like this happening in communities throughout our great country; why don't we hear more about these functions and less about the drunk drivers, scumbag husbands, philandering politicians etc., etc., etc.?

We are a nation of greatness; it's time to celebrate our good qualities and reward the hardworking people, like the ladies of Wise River.

Thomas Davis

Wise River
DECATUR  Local mechanics and auto shops are seeing a blizzard of customers since the first arctic blast came across Central Illinois more than a week ago, and the chill has hung on tightly.

Maintenance is the best course for your vehicle  especially tire pressure, batteries and coolant  local mechanics say.

Before the temperatures drops, get it checked out, said Matt French, manager for Tommy House Tire Co.

The National Weather Service in Lincoln forecast calls for a high of 13 degrees on Saturday with wind chills in Central Illinois as low as 16 below zero.

Sunday could be messy, with snow likely, possibly mixed with sleet before 2 p.m., then snow likely until 5 p.m. when rain will begin to dominate. After 5 p.m., a snow/rain mix is expected. The high will reach 33 degrees with wind gusts as high as 21 mph. The snow/sleet accumulation is predicted to be less than 1 inch.

American Automobile Association (AAA) agent Larry Bradley of Springfield said he has been receiving a constant stream of phone calls from stranded motorists.

The percentage is way up. The cars just wont start," Bradley said. They either fix the car or tow it."

French said his business has helped many customers with dead batteries throughout the week. He said drivers should check their car batteries before the cold weather hits.

Jason Fisher, owner of Fisher Auto Repair, said his staff has been extremely busy due to weather-related problems.

With the colder conditions, the auto shop has received phone calls from car owners experiencing flat tires, dead batteries and frozen coolant. Fisher said maintenance is key to keeping a car running.

You dont know when a cold spell will happen, he said.

One of the concerns drivers have when temperatures dip below freezing is whether the car will start at all. The key is turned, and for a dread-filled moment as the engine tries start, a motorist wonders if this is the day their car finally surrenders to the sub-zero temperatures.

Ross Howard, manager for Firestone Complete Auto Care, said if the battery needs to be jumped in the cold weather, it should be replaced.

But everybody procrastinates, he said.

Fisher said one of the problems usually comes from cars without the proper level of coolant in the radiator. He has seen cars using pure antifreeze.

That can be just as bad as water, because it gels up, he said.

Fisher recommended a coolant containing 60 percent antifreeze and 40 percent water.

They should have this coolant year-round, he said.

The coolant is important for the vehicles temperature regulation Without the proper coolant, an engine can overheat, even in arctic temperatures. Many vehicles are made with plastic and aluminum radiators, Fisher said.

The cold weather can make them split, then you lose the antifreeze. It can cause the car to overheat. You have coolant to run at the proper temperature, Fisher said.

Fisher said drivers should have the coolant level checked during oil changes.

Mechanics also recommend drivers dont wait for the bad weather to address the problems.

Check batteries in the fall, French said. And keep an eye on the tire pressure all the time.

Information on your cars ideal tire pressure should be located on the driver side door frame or in the owners manual, he said.

Standard vehicles should have a tire pressure of 32 pounds per square inch. According to the Firestone Auto Care website, tires will lose 1 pound of pressure for every 10-degree drop in temperature. The tire pressure will also rise with temperatures.

Mechanics suggested protecting vehicles from the harsh weather as much as possible if you don't have a garage.

Attempt to park out of direct wind, Fisher said. And it is a good idea to start the vehicle for 15 to 20 minutes a day.
A decade ago, helping fund school extracurriculars could be as simple as snipping a label from a soup can.

But in recent years, even those options have begun to dwindle, leaving schools wondering where funding for extra activities will come from in an increasingly tight budget.

Last year, Campbell Soup Co. announced that after 42 years of raising extra funds for schools, it will be ending its Soup Labels for Education program.

Schools received a point per label that people could cut from participating Campbells products and turn into the school. Then, schools picked items to purchase from the Labels for Education merchandise catalog, which includes items from art supplies and gym equipment to iPads and minivans.

The last day for schools to turn in labels was Tuesday.

During the past year, weve been assessing the impact of these programs and through this, weve seen that participation in Labels for Education has declined considerably. Sadly, it is at the point where we have no choice but to make the very difficult decision to wind down the program, Campbells said on its Labels for Education website.

A Campbells representative could not be reached for direct comment.

The Labels for Education website lists dozens of Akron-area preschools, elementaries, middle schools and charter schools that participate in the program, including more than 12 elementaries in the Akron Public School district.

Jennifer Douglas, the principal at Voris Elementary, said the schools PTA has collected labels since 2001. The average yearly amount theyve collected has varied, but it often amounts to at least a few hundred dollars per year.

Its not a large amount, but it is enough to purchase non-instructional items that kids use regularly, like balls, jump ropes and sidewalk chalk for recess.

These are items we dont really have much of a budget for, Voris said. The program has been a way to help offset some of those costs.

Campbells cited declining consumer participation as its reason for ending the program.

Other programs like it have seen a similar fate in recent years. My Coke Rewards, which gave people redeemable points for items for both themselves and their schools, discontinued in July of 2017 after less than 10 years of operation.

Programs of the sort face several challenges. One is backlash from opponents who say the programs are simply a ploy to market unhealthy and processed foods to children. Another is slowed growth of the packaged food market as consumers have started opting for healthier and organic alternatives.

Individual brands also contribute to the costs of some of the programs, putting their participation on the line if product sales are down.

But other programs have remained afloat or been rejuvenated by incorporating technology and swapping points for actual dollars.

Coca Cola replaced My Coke Rewards with the Coca Cola Gives program, which allows people to donate to the school or charity of their choice. Consumers simply need to buy a Coke product, scan the code on it with a mobile device and choose where to direct the funds. Instead of points, schools earn dollars to spend any way they want.

And General Mills Box Tops for Education, a program that has raised more than $868 million in its 21 years of existence, recently introduced a feature on its website called Clip Board, where schools can form collection drives for items they want and people can pledge a certain number of Box Tops toward the drive.

The company also developed a mobile app last year called the Box Tops Bonus App, which not only provides an easier alternative to cutting and sending the labels away in baggies with kids, but also helps find products with Box Tops and track earnings.

Lilly Moeding, the assistant manager for Box Tops for Education, said the program has the highest awareness and participation of any school fundraising program, with more than 70,000 schools participating across the country.

Still, even Box Tops is seeing participation issues. Moeding said the number of schools involved has remained stagnant in the last five years, and big labels like Betty Crocker have recently reduced the number of products that participate.

Douglas said shes noticed a declining number of kids participating in the fundraising through Box Tops and Labels for Education at Voris, which is one of 35 schools in the Akron Public School district that participate in the Box Tops program.

Akron Public School Treasurer Ryan Pendleton said schools in the district have brought in about $11,000 from Box Tops in the past few years, which only equates to about $100 a year for participating schools.

Still, every little bit counts. And at a time when state funding is growing at a slower rate and schools are increasingly looking to property tax levies to fund operations, school leaders are searching for extra pennies anywhere they can.

Now that the Labels for Education program is ended, the PTA at Voris is increasing its fundraising efforts by publishing a newsletter and holding contests for students to participate other programs, like Box Tops and Giant Eagles Apples for the Students, which allows shoppers to earn points for schools of their choice every time they use their Giant Eagle Advantage Card.

It was a great program, said Voris PTA President Janna White about Labels for Education. Im sad its going away.
Which came first: Complex life or high atmospheric oxygen?







Berkeley CA (SPX) Jan 04, 2018





We and all other animals wouldn't be here today if our planet didn't have a lot of oxygen in its atmosphere and oceans. But how crucial were high oxygen levels to the transition from simple, single-celled life forms to the complexity we see today? A study by University of California, Berkeley geochemists presents new evidence that high levels of oxygen were not critical to the origin of animals. The researchers found that the transition to a world with an oxygenated deep ocean occurred betwe ... read more
CHICAGO  University of Illinois President Timothy Killeen said he will recommend that the school freeze its base tuition for incoming, in-state freshmen for a fourth consecutive year.

The Chicago Tribune reported Killeen will make the recommendation in an effort to arrest an exodus of Illinois high school graduates to colleges in other states.

If the university's board approves Killeen's proposal, Illinois residents will pay $12,036 a year at Urbana-Champaign, $10,584 at Chicago and $9,405 in Springfield. Those numbers do not include required fees or room and board.

University of Illinois' board is scheduled to vote on Killeen's proposal on Jan. 18.

Following a two-year budget impasse that starved Illinois' public universities of aid, all but the Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and University of Illinois at Chicago recorded enrollment drops in the fall.
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America

German foreign policy experts are still debating how radically the estrangement between the U.S. and Europe has become. Atlanticists are calling for optimism, even though Trump, so far, has served to affirm the worries of the pessimists. They continue to cling to the illusion that, Trump aside, trans-Atlantic relations are actually still entirely intact. They see the U.S. president as a painful, but temporary illness. They believe that once America returns to health, the status quo will return to trans-Atlantic relations.

The problem with that view, however, is that America's retreat from its role as a shaper of global politics began before Trump -- and it won't end with his departure, either. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel went even further in reiterating Merkel's beer-tent sentiments in an important foreign policy speech a few weeks ago in which he stated that Germany might also have to get by without America if need be.

Leadership

What does it mean when the U.S. abandons its global leadership role? The idea that Germany might assume that role was nonsense from the beginning. The notion that the German chancellor would step in as the leader of the free world and that Germany, as actor and philanthropist Richard Gere put it, would be the "wise, stable, forward-thinking moral country on the planet" was the desperate hope of a handful of American romantics. They flattered Germany and fueled the naive illusion that values can be upheld without having to defend them.

Germany may view itself as a major moral power, but politically and economically, we're not nearly strong enough -- and militarily, we possess only moderately equipped armed forces without any nuclear deterrent.

Furthermore, Germany's inability to form a governing coalition this fall and winter has shown that Berlin is not immune to the crisis of liberal democracy. Germany cannot rescue the West but, together with France, it could do a lot more in Europe and its backyard than it has previously done. Four years ago, Joachim Gauck and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany's president and foreign minister at the time, both called for such a focus, saying that Germany must act "earlier, more decisively and more substantially."

Values

In his works, the German historian Heinrich August Winkler has described the triumph of the West, its values and its ideas. But even he has been at a loss since America ceased upholding these values. His most recent book, "Is the West Crumbling?" can't even answer the question it asks. Winkler has become a chronicler of an historical event that he is no longer able to interpret.

The crisis of the West is particularly painful for Germany. The country's long journey to the West described by Winkler ended as the West's decline began, like some train that has arrived at a station that has just been decommissioned.

As the West's position of power eroded, its claims of moral leadership only grew louder. This divergence was particularly apparent to those watching from outside of Europe. There, the West had long since been viewed as presumptuous and arrogant. It was a tone they didn't care for, and they reacted with rejection and defiance.

Authoritarian systems have now entered into open rivalry with the West, pitting their models against ours. The narrative -- disseminated by China, above all -- is one of efficient, benevolent half-dictators who promise prosperity and progress in contrast to cumbersome, inefficient and crisis-plagued democracies.

Strategy

Europe must stand up for its values. To that end, it would be helpful if it changed its attitude and tone and shed its arrogance, shifting away from gestures of finger-pointing and rebuke. Europe must allow its virtues to speak for themselves. It has to stand its ground in the competition with other societal models. With Emmanuel Macron at the helm of France, we now have an opportunity to make Europe attractive again.

One of the favorite bits of wisdom adhered to by Merkelism is that politics begins with observing reality. But that's not so easy these days. Germany's foreign policy lacks a strategic approach that describes, analyzes and shows possibilities. So long as the most critical coordinates had already been set, Germany didn't have to think so critically. Others used to do this for us, but those times have passed. A few years back, the Foreign Ministry set in motion a review process and the Defense Ministry also began working on a new policy "white book." That's all fine and good, but it doesn't go far enough. Germany needs more foreign policy minds who in turn have greater influence. The smartest thinkers in politics should not be entering the corporate sector as many have done. They should instead be going to foundations and think tanks.

It's also no longer sufficient for each nation to plan and think for itself. If Berlin and Paris want to lead together, then they will also need to think together. The German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Germany's most important foreign policy think tank, recently proposed the creation of a joint German-French "white book." That, at least, would be a start.

Interests

Values and interests aren't mutually exclusive by default. It's in Germany's interest to promote rule of law, human rights, multilateralism and the adherence to global agreements. Even so, it can still be necessary to accept limitations to achieve foreign policy goals. German foreign policy must weigh morals and interests against each other. For example: The EU Association Agreement with Ukraine represented a sovereign decision by Kiev to link itself more closely with the European Union. But was it in the European interest given the ultimate cost -- a war in Ukraine and a row with Russia? In the end, the unwillingness to budge served neither Ukraine nor the EU.

Another example: Was it right to insist to Britain that the principle of freedom of movement was non-negotiable, thus paving the way for the Brexiteers? Surely the free movement of labor forces is a central principle of the single market. But out of fear that the principle would be abandoned, there was never even a discussion over whether a compromise could be made.

Yet another example: In the conflict over Catalonia's quest for independence, Germany and the EU have held strictly to the principle of not intervening in a member state's domestic politics. But it would indeed be in Europe's interest if Berlin or Brussels -- or whoever -- could find a way to serve as an intermediary between Madrid and Barcelona.

Part of our consideration has to be accepting things that we do not have the power to change. Germany must prepare for the fact that democratic developments are unlikely in Russia in the foreseeable future. And yet we still need policies that bind Russia and Turkey to Europe. In the Middle East, we need to come to an understanding with a Russia that has filled the void left by the U.S. And when it comes to China, we need a European policy that limit's Beijing's influence.
London, Jan 05, 2018 (SPS) - The Observatory of Western Sahara Resources Watch (WSRW) has denounced the illegal financing of the European Union to the fishing projects of Morocco in occupied Western Sahara.

WSRW affirmed that in 2017, Morocco devoted most of the financial support of the European Union (EU) to fisheries for the illegal development of this industry in occupied Western Sahara, with the "explicit approval" of the European Union.

In the framework of the fisheries agreement between the two parties, Morocco receives an annual EU aid of 14 million euros for the development of its fishing industry, but the Moroccan government spends "an important part" of this support for illegal expansion of the fishing industry in the part of Western Sahara that has occupied since 1975, the observatory said in a statement.

The communique states that the Observatory's report for 2017 on the expenditure of Morocco in Fisheries states that this situation is repeated for the third consecutive year.

In December 2016, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) concluded that the Association and Trade Agreements between the EU and Morocco are not applicable to Western Sahara, which is a separate territory from Morocco.

WSRW recalled in its statement that "the only way to make the application of such agreements in Western Sahara legal is through the explicit consent of the Saharawi people, who were never consulted," laments the observatory.

WSRW has also denounced that the EU "has turned a blind eye on this legal condition and has begun negotiations with Morocco to modify the trade agreement to incorporate Western Sahara."

WSRW believes that Morocco's report on the spending of EU funds "illustrates the absurdly different approach of the EU towards the occupied territories of Palestine and Western Sahara."

The observatory notes that by the end of the Protocol, in July 2018, Morocco will have received a total of 56 million euros to support fishing.

WSRW has affirmed that according to the Moroccan government's own admission, at least 66.5% of this amount, 37.27 million euros, has been spent in its illegal fishing exploitation facilities in the occupied Western Sahara territory. "

WSRW has also emphasized in its annual report, that Morocco asked the EU to fund 36 of its fishing projects, 15 of which are located in occupied Western Sahara and 13 are partially planned and only seven projects will be carried out in Morocco.

Finally, the Observatory concludes that the European Commission is "fully aware" that it is financing Moroccan fisheries projects in occupied Western Sahara. SPS

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STAMFORD  Construction is set to start this month on a residential complex next to Congregation Agudath Sholom after the developer acquired from the synagogue the land for the project.

RMS Cos., the Stamford-based developer of the University of Connecticuts new downtown dorms, bought the vacant 4.5-acre lot at 159 Colonial Road from the synagogue last month for about $6.2 million. The parties closed on the deal after RMS gained local land-use boards approvals for the development.

At 159 Colonial, RMS plans to build 25 single-family detached houses and 37 townhomes. The complex would also include a clubhouse, pool and playground.

I think its going to fulfill a need we have in the area for single-family detached homes, RMS founder and CEO Randy Salvatore said in an interview last week. Thats a product where theres a big demand that has not been fulfilled recently.

An unused ball field and defunct building that once housed the synagogues Hebrew school now stand on the site. The old structure will be torn down.

We chose RMS because of Randy Salvatores reputation as a developer of high integrity in Stamford, said Rachel Dayan, the synagogues board president. We think this will be a huge benefit to the neighborhood. It will attract new residents to Stamford and it will also appeal to a lot of older residents interested in downsizing, but remaining in the area.

The sale proceeds would be set aside for the future of the synagogue, Dayan said.

The first group of homes at 159 Colonial are expected to be ready for occupancy within the next seven to eight months, according to Salvatore.

Some of the homes will have first-floor master bedroom suites, Salvatore said. It will appeal to many seniors because you wont need to use the stairs. By the same token, it will appeal to a broad range of people, including young families, singles and young couples.

The site stands a couple of blocks from the Glenbrook business district and about 1 mile from both Stamford High School and the Newfield Green shopping center.

The location is so convenient  you can walk to downtown and walk to Glenbrook, but you still feel like you have a little bit of privacy, Salvatore said. Its the best of both worlds.

The residential development will not affect the modern Orthodox synagogues operations. Based at 301 Strawberry Hill Ave. for approximately 50 years, the synagogues congregation includes about 425 family memberships.

Were not going anywhere, Dayan said. Thats our home.

RMS, which is based in downtown offices at 1 Landmark Square, represents one of southwestern Connecticuts most active developers. It is the owner and developer of the University of Connecticut residence hall that opened last August at 900 Washington Blvd. About 260 full-time students are living this school year in the dorms.

Recent RMS development and renovation projects include several apartment buildings in downtown Stamford and townhomes in other parts of the city; condominiums in Norwalk; townhomes in Danbury and Bethel; apartments in New Haven; Hotel Zero Degrees buildings in Stamford, Norwalk and Danbury; the Delamar Southport hotel in Fairfield; and the Goodwin Hotel in Hartford.

Were very excited by the market and how Stamford continues to grow, Salvatore said. Were bullish on Stamford, and were bullish in general.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschott
The massive 2017 tax bill enacted before Christmas was a legislative triumph for President Donald Trump, congressional Republicans and especially House Speaker Paul Ryan, who had sought to revamp the nation's tax system for the better part of a decade.

Whether a package of goodies that primarily helps corporations and wealthier taxpayers can become a 2018 political victory for the Republicans is another question that may prove more elusive than the GOP's ultimately successful quest for the 50th Senate vote for its signature legislative initiatives on health and taxes.

But history -- underscored by the current political climate -- suggests that enactment of the tax measure will be this administration's legislative high point, as mid-term election politics exert increasing influence and Republicans in competitive states and districts become warier of tying themselves to the unpopular President.

With the signature exception of Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose massive majorities amid the lingering Depression enabled him to maintain his influence on lawmakers well beyond his first year, presidents from Woodrow Wilson to Barack Obama have discovered their initial burst of legislative achievement was inevitably followed by either pause or resistance.

Even Lyndon Johnson, whose 1964 landslide triggered the biggest congressional majorities of any post-FDR president, began to encounter Democratic resistance in the second year of the landmark 89th Congress.

And if there was any doubt the current modest congressional Republican majorities would likely shift more from offense to defense, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a shrewd reader of the changing political tides, signaled that at his year-end news conference.

Just days after Ryan said the House GOP would take on the always contentious subject of entitlement reform in 2018, in part to reduce a budget deficit exacerbated by the shortfall in the tax bill, McConnell shot that down.

"We'll not be doing entitlement reform unless we have enough Democratic support to achieve it," McConnell said in an AP interview, adding at the news conference, "There's not much you can do on a partisan basis in the Senate."

That's because it takes 60 votes for the Senate to consider and pass all but the most uncontroversial legislation, unless the measure is wrapped into the budget framework as was done for both tax cuts and Obamacare repeal. With Wednesday's seating of Alabama Democrat Doug Jones, the GOP Senate majority is down to 51-49, though Vice President Mike Pence can break a tie.

Both Trump and the Democrats have pointed to bolstering the nation's sagging infrastructure as a top 2018 priority. But passage of any legislation is likely to be complicated by significant differences between the two parties on how to finance it and, in particular, how much federal money to provide. House Republicans are likely to be especially resistant to including any federal dollar amount close to the $1 trillion Democrats favor.

Other GOP wish list items such as revamping the nation's welfare system, comprehensive immigration reform and yet another attempt to scrap Obamacare will have difficulty attracting much Democratic support, though some Republicans hope the minority's quest to protect the so-called "Dreamers" from deportation may permit agreement on broader immigration curbs.

The latter issues may be the first to indicate how contentious the year will be on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers and Trump agreed to extend federal spending authority until Jan. 19 to get past the Christmas holidays without the threat of a government shutdown, creating the prospect of a major confrontation in just two weeks.

Democrats are under pressure from their Hispanic supporters to follow through on their promises to extend legal protection for the "Dreamers," which runs out in early March, and Republicans face their own pressures to further limit immigration. Trump, meanwhile, is trying to leverage the issue to get a down payment on funds to build his cherished wall across the Southern border, though the project has minimal support from voters and Democrats and only modest backing from fellow Republicans.

The White House sought unsuccessfully to exclude immigration-related issues from Wednesday's meeting on budget issues that included top congressional Democrats. But Trump's taunts only intensified Democratic desire to force the matter, and how to handle that will presumably be a major topic when Trump hosts Ryan, McConnell and other GOP congressional leaders this weekend at Camp David.

Some Republicans may believe bipartisanship is unnecessary after passing the tax bill without Democratic support. But the patterns of history -- plus Trump's continuing low job approval -- suggest that is a prescription for failure in a Congress likely to achieve little this year at best.
In the final days of 2017, protests erupted and quickly spread to cities across the country of Iran. More than a week later, a government crackdown has left more than 20 people killed and 450 arrested, as demonstrations continue in the most serious show of resistance to the oppressive regime in Tehran since the 2009 Green Revolution.

These protests are worthy of careful consideration - and while there may be a productive role for the United States to play moving forward, the Trump Administration hasn't landed on it just yet.

It is notoriously difficult to get reliable information from within Iran, but the protests seem to have started small and spread quickly. Initial rallies were possibly an attempt by conservatives to foment dissatisfaction with pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani. Rouhani had promised that engagement with the international community would produce greater economic opportunity in Iran, but improvement has been slow thanks to weak foreign investment and chronic corruption and mismanagement in Iranian institutions that transcend his administration.

Now, all across the county, an overwhelmingly young mass of people is protesting not just Rouhani, but the broader government, its foreign and domestic policies, and Supreme Leader Khamenei himself. The protests are leaderless and agnostic to the political cycle (unlike the Green Revolution, which followed a presidential election), leaving Iran's various political factions unsure of how to leverage the moment.

Enter President Trump, who sprung on the moment with his typical grace and chose to support the protestors by insulting the regime on Twitter. This is partly his natural approach to any situation, but also a reaction to President Obama's behavior in 2009. Many Republicans have lambasted President Obama's "silence" on the Green Revolution protests - even though the then-president waited less than two days before condemning the government's violence against demonstrators.

One reason for that slightly delayed reaction was the heightened sensitivity of the Iranian people to American interference in their domestic affairs. After years of support for the Shah (who ruled Iran before the Islamic Revolution in 1979), the U.S. government removed a democratically elected Iranian Prime Minister named Mohammed Mossedegh in the 1950s. Many Iranians have never forgotten nor forgiven this intervention, and President Obama's calculus was likely that by giving the Green Revolution some breathing room, he could convey that it was genuinely for and by the only people who should be choosing Iran's leaders: Iranians.

Of course, to hear many Republicans tell it, President Obama all but put down the protesters himself. Regardless, President Trump's own strategy is, so far, hardly functionally different: snide tweets do little for Iranians in the street. There are things the administration could do, however, to be helpful.

First, messaging against the crackdown and in favor of Iranians' human rights should continue - but with much more careful wording and through allies, partners, and international institutions. Next, with the Iranian people fed up with their leaders' military adventurism in the Middle East, Congress should also increase its oversight of recent sanctions against Iran's ballistic missile program, and the administration could bolster counter-threat finance efforts against extremist groups receiving Iranian funding. And finally, if he truly believes the Iranian people to be under the boot of a regime that does not represent or respect them, President Trump should remove them from his insulting and useless 'Muslim ban' policy. This wouldn't directly bolster the protesters - but it would make U.S. support look far more genuine.

Direct intervention in the protests, conversely, would be catastrophic; it would likely lead to retaliation against American troops and allies around the region, not to mention the complete de-legitimization of the demonstrators inside Iran. An equally grave mistake would be to choose this moment to upend the agreement that is currently preventing Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. Should President Trump break the word of the United States, the regime in Tehran will be left with no nuclear limits or inspectors, and a convenient external villain to rally its fractured population against.

With the situation in Iran remaining uncertain, some paths are wiser than others. The Trump Administration may even come up with other ways to play a productive role, if it can get past attacking the Obama Administration and moderate its messaging with some historical context. Ultimately, however, it will be up to the people of Iran to decide when and how they want to start a new chapter in their governance; here's hoping they are able to do so sooner rather than later, for the good of the world and themselves.

Graham F. West is the communications director for Truman Center for National Policy and Truman National Security Project, Email him at gwest@trumancnp.org.
It seems inconceivable that soldiers who fought wars overseas, who managed to return home despite the bullets and bombs constantly aimed their way, could be felled by a bacteria that can't even be seen.

Yet that is what has happened at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy, where 13 residents have died of Legionnaires' disease since 2015. The first outbreak in 2015 killed 12 and left dozens more ill. There have been subsequent outbreaks in each of the following two years: Five people were sickened in 2016, and this year, six fell ill and it contributed to one death.

Legionnaires' disease, a severe form of pneumonia, is caused by bacteria that grows in warm water. It's suspected those who became ill in Quincy have inhaled the bacteria through various water sources, like showers and sinks. The 132-year-old facility in some places has galvanized pipes that are more than a century old, which is likely where the Legionella bacteria lurks.

The outbreak has prompted 11 families to file negligence lawsuits against Illinois. And reporting by WBEZ in Chicago has raised serious questions about how the administration of Gov. Bruce Rauner responded to the outbreak and notified those affected and the public about what became a public health epidemic.

Two WBEZ reports have laid out the timeline: By Aug. 21, 2015, the state knew of two reported cases. The first death was recorded Aug. 22, 2015, and the Illinois Department of Health notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of five cases on Aug. 23, 2015. The first news release went out Aug. 27, 2015, publicly acknowledging the growing number of cases.

That six-day hesitation between being made aware of the cases and alerting the public was called "inexcusable" by Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, during an interview with WBEZ, as staff and family could have taken preventative steps if they were aware of the outbreak. Experts have told WBEZ it's not uncommon to find the bacteria in large, older buildings, but have also noted repeated outbreaks are a sign the correct steps haven't been taken to address it.

Those efforts have been considerable, and it's notable that the outbreaks in 2016 and 2017 have affected fewer people than the one in 2015. Among the changes: The Rauner administration spent about $6.4 million to rehabilitate the water treatment plant after the 2015 outbreak. The state says patients showing symptoms of pneumonia are automatically tested and put on antibiotics before results even come back. Special $150 filters that screen out Legionella are attached to every shower head and sprayer (and replaced monthly).

The CDC has commended the steps Illinois has taken, but told WBEZ that the Quincy home's plumbing system still poses a "potential risk" for the disease and "completely eradicating Legionella is very challenging." State officials have said it could cost $500 million-plus to replace the miles of pipes at Quincy.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin has called on the state to close the facility until the water is safe. State officials have said they contemplated moving the 400 residents who reside at the Quincy home, but thought it would be a hardship to move people who already have medical ailments.

An already emotional issue has become a political one too, as candidates for governor in the 2018 election have pounced on the opportunity to bash Rauner. It's fair to demand accountability, but let's not exploit the loss of 13 people into political campaign fodder.

The push for accountability needs to start with the General Assembly, and it's good that its two veterans committees have scheduled a joint legislative hearing for Jan. 9 to address the outbreak. The questions about the state's response to the outbreaks, as well as how transparently they were handled, must be answered. The appropriate people need to be held responsible if this outbreak could have been better contained and the public been made aware sooner.

The public must demand answers on behalf of our veterans and their families, who sacrifice so much for this country. They deserve to be treated better than they have been here.

--The State Journal-Register
Although they didnt receive the hoped-for outcome from the U.S. Department of Labor, former Culpeper County Spanish teachers Leo and Gabriela Legora appear to be in good spirits, if filled with trepidation.

The couple, along with their young daughters and the family pets, arrived safely on Dec. 29 in their new homeSantiago, Chile. Theyre staying with Gabys family until they find an apartment or home to rent.

Desde el pais al sur del mundo, Chile, Gaby wrote shortly after their 5,000-mile journey. Les saludo a todosGreetings from the country south of the world. I salute you all.

On Thursday, Gaby said, Its always good to be with family. Today is my daddys birthday. First time in years I can be here with him. Undoubtedly, its been rewarding to feel hugs long awaited from friends and family, but...I can frankly say Im scared.

After an ongoing fight to remain in the U.S. failed, the educators left Culpeper three days after Christmas.

The Legoras, whose last official day working for Culpeper County Public Schools was Dec. 22, spent the days leading up to their departure tackling a mountain of detailshealth certifications for the pets, travel paperwork for Leo, who is from Argentina, shipping their belongings, selling items through an online yard sale site and more.

Gaby says she needs full-time work soon to provide schooling for Victoria, 6, and Annie, 5, both American citizens. The education system in Chile differs from that of the U.S. and shed prefer the girls attend a private school.

Leo was offered a part-time position teaching English in the school where Gaby taught 13 years ago in Santiago, but his immigration status in Chile makes a full-time job hunt more complicated, he said.

Their house in Culpeper near Ira Hoffman Lane is still on the market. An offer made on the house in mid-December fell through and, according to Leo, theyd still maintained hope for a last-minute reprieve from the government. Now, theyll have to manage the sales transaction from afar.

The Department of Labor in Atlanta did not respond to a Dec. 6 letter from Virginia Senator Tim Kaine seeking assistance for the two teachers.

I am concerned that the Legoras applications did not receive due process and that their denials stem from a clerical error made by the Department of Labor, the senator wrote.

Kaine also pointed to a previous letter sent to the labor department from Congressman Dave Brat. The DOL did respond to Brats inquiry, stating that the matter could no longer be revisited because the Legoras teaching jobs had been filled.

My office has confirmed with the school system that they have not, Kaine wrote. My office has been in contact with Culpeper County Schools, who assure us that if the Department of Labor reconsiders the Legoras applications, the Culpeper County Schools will welcome them back.

Kaine called the Labor Departments error troubling.

CCPS Director of Human Resources Michelle Metzgar confirmed this week that both positions are now filled with fulltime, licensed teachers.

Last summer, the U.S. Department of Labor closed their applications for PERM statusthe first step to earning a Green Cardclaiming that their audit paperwork was not received on time.

The couple provided proof of delivery of the audit paperwork supplied by their sponsor, Culpeper County Public Schools, to the USDOL in Atlanta; however, the department in early December declined to reopen their case and informed them all administrative remedies had been exhausted.

Their original applications sat in appeal for four years before they were denied based on the missing audit information.

On Nov. 29, the Department of Labor advised the Legoras that if they remained in the U.S. beyond Dec. 31, they would be subject to removal.

Rather than risk possible deportation, the family left. Still unknown is whether they could return to the U.S. if the labor department revisits their case. Without employer sponsors, securing a Green Card isnt possible and they dont qualify for any other visa categories having already exhausted the lifetime limit of six years on an H1-B permit.

Gaby said she hasnt gotten used to the drastic weather changeits summertime in Chileand she keeps seeing the faces of friends left behind.

I miss you all, she said.

Neighbor Kimberly Morris described arriving to take Gaby to the airport on Dec. 28 to check in early and deliver the animals. Leo drove separately, a little later in the morning, with the girls.

Annie was wide awake and ready for travel, Morris said. Victoria, sound asleep. Leo was running around making sure everything was in place. Gaby printing out the tickets.

Morris brought her 11-year-old twins, Iliana and Aidan, over to say their last goodbyes to their friends.

Weve been neighbors since 2008 and they were always the kindest most generous people we knew, she said. We got lucky!

I, unfortunately, got super sick that morning and kept having to pull over on the ride to the airport and eventually Gaby says, You know, I could drive for you if you want. I felt awful that she had to offer but it was necessary, Morris said. I wanted to be the one to keep her in a positive spirit on the ride but she was trying to do that for me instead.

At the departure area, Morris said, they were all able to say their good-byes.

But not forever, she noted. Theyll always be my friends that were more like family.
RICHMONDA Republican won a Virginia state House of Delegates race so close that its outcome was determined by pulling the candidates name out of a ceramic bowl Thursday.

The win allows the Republicans to maintain a slim majority in the House, though a final tally is still uncertain because the Democrat in the race could ask for another recount. The outcome of another close legislative race is also in doubt because its locked in a court battle.

The drawing of lots Thursday drew quite a crowd at the Virginia elections board meeting. Officials detailed how the drawing would work and Del. David Yanceys name was chosen first out of a ceramic bowl, making him the winner of the 94th District race.

The name of each candidate was printed on a piece of paper and placed into separate film canisters. The canisters were put into a cobalt-blue-and-white ceramic bowl made by a local artist, stirred around and Yanceys name was chosen.

Its been nearly 50 years since a legislative seat was settled by drawing lots in Virginia.

The race between Yancey, a three-term incumbent, and Democratic challenger Shelly Simonds has bounced back and forth since the November election, when Virginia Democratsfueled by voter anger directed at Republican President Donald Trumpwiped out a 66-34 advantage held by Republicans in the House. The election has been widely seen as a potential harbinger of the 2018 midterm congressional elections.

Simonds appeared to have lost the November election by 10 votes, but on Dec. 19, she won a recount by a single vote. The next day, a three-judge panel declared a tie based on a previously uncounted vote for Yancey.

At the heart of the dispute in the race for a seat in the oldest legislative body in the country is a single ballot on which the voter filled in the bubble for both Simonds and Yancey. The voter also drew a single slash through the bubble for Simonds and picked Republican candidates in statewide races.

The ballot wasnt counted during the recount and was identified after a Republican election official raised concerns the following day.With Yanceys win, Republicans hold a slim, 51-49 advantage over Democrats in the Virginia House. But the race may not be over. Simonds could ask for another recount, a move that would likely delay a winner being declared before the 2018 legislative session begins next week. That would still allow Republicans to elect a speaker and make committee assignments based on a 50-49 advantage.

The balance of power in the House could shift again because a lawsuit is pending over the results of another House race in Northern Virginia. Democrat Joshua Cole lost to Republican Bob Thomas by 73 votes in a recount. But voters filed a federal lawsuit after at least 147 ballots were found to be assigned to the wrong districts. A federal court hearing on that election is schedule for Friday.

The General Assembly is set to reconvene Wednesday.A similar tie vote was settled by lot at least once before in Virginia. In 1971, Republican William H. Moss Sr. appeared to lose the election for a seat in northern Virginia. But after a recount ended in a tie, Moss was declared the winner after a blindfolded state elections official pulled his name out of a large decorative cup, according to news reports at the time.
Three ladies arrived a little before 9 a.m. at Farmer's Den at Main Street Market. Carrying two large industrial-sized garbage bags full of plastic bags they made their way to the back corner.

Pulling a few tables together, they spread out the bags and went to work creating Portable Hugs.

It takes 720 bags to make a 3 foot by 6 foot mat, Sally Jo McGarry said as she crochets a mat.

At first glance, the mat Sally Jo works on looks like its made of yarn. But when you touch it, you notice it is plarn.

Using plarn instead of yarn takes some getting use to, but it is not a new technique.

My grandparents used it, Sally Jo said, but she used it for the first time about a year ago.

The plarn is made out of strips of plastic cut about 2 inches thick.

The strips are rolled into a ball of plarn and the crocheting begins.

Im using a P hook, Sally Jo said. I know a lady who uses a K hook and Ive made a door mat using an N hook.

The bags come from many different places, one is the recycle bid outside Main Street Market.

We use the recycled bags and recycle all our scraps, Pam Goding said.

Pointing out different colors of plarn in the mat, Sally Jo said, These are from Target, these are from Home Depot, these are from Runza, these are from Coop and this row is from Targets big bags turned inside out.

It is fun to see the places the bags come from, Susan Elsberry said. We had one from Macys.

That bag made quite the trip, Pam said.

The future of the bags will help keep a homeless person warm.

Ive been homeless, Pam said. I wish I would have had one of these.

Sally Jo said, We call them Portable Hugs because everyone needs a hug.

The ladies come together two or three times a week to work on the mats. They work on the mats, eat lunch together and enjoy their time together.

It is a way of socializing with some good friends and giving back to the community, Susan said.

There are two ladies who can crochet in the group but anyone can help in creating the mats. Others can cut the strips and create the balls of plarn.

We need more help, Pam said.

Most everything is simple, Susan said. Cutting the strips, putting the strips together; the only complicated task is the crocheting.

From start to finish, it can take about nine days to complete a mat. When finished, the plastic bags are turned into comfy mats for people in need.
The death of U.S. Navy Petty Officer Logan Palmer, 23, of Harristown, in August was a tragedy. How his family was treated only made it worse.

Palmer, a Sangamon Valley High School graduate, was aboard the USS John S. McCain in the South China sea. The ship and an oil tanker collided. The bodies of 10 sailors were later recovered.

Those remains were taken to Dover Air Force Base for autopsies. Normally, the Department of Defense pays travel expenses for families of military members killed in combat to get to Delaware. But this wasnt combat. And the families were told they would have to ask for a waiver to have travel covered.

So a technicality caused grieving families, with loved ones killed serving under our country's flag, to sort out travel arrangements on their own.

Eventually this all reached U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, who has made it a mission to fix a seemingly cruel oversight by the Navy in honoring the families of sailors killed overseas.

Such a lapse is just one in a series of troubling problems involving the McCain and other ships. Seven sailors died in June when the USS Fitzgerald and a container ship collided near Japan. Several Navy leaders have been ousted in the wake of the incidents, and a November report about the crashes cited poor judgment and decisionmaking of the commanding officer and a lack of preparation, ineffective command and control and deficiencies in training and preparations for navigation.

Navy officials in September went to Capitol Hill and said years of deferred maintenance and budget problems have strained them. The Palmers attended the hearing, two stoic reminders of the lives lost.

Davis also been a visible figure, talking on the floor of the U.S. House and during meetings of the House Armed Services Committee.

He told the Herald & Review Editorial Board last week that hes had three constituents die in military service since he was elected to the House in 2012, and this is the first time hes had to deal with such circumstances. Davis said the situation is unique to the Navy and hes been told officials are reviewing what happened.

"We got the Navy to commit that they are going to look at changing their policy, and they are on the path," he said.

For Palmer and all those military members who have died, it cant come soon enough.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 54F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 41F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
This years Oscar best picture free-for-all will put more attention on the movies the Hollywood Foreign Press Association rewards at the Golden Globes on Sunday. Lady Bird stands as a heavy favorite on the comedy side, but the drama race is up for grabs.

Who will win? Heres a first stab at predictions.

Motion picture, drama

The nominees  Call Me by Your Name, Dunkirk, The Post, The Shape of Water, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

And the winner is  The Shape of Water picked up a leading seven nominations; The Post and Three Billboards earned six each. You could make a case for any one of this trio winning, so Ill simply go with Shape since it has the numbers ever so slightly on its side. A safer bet: Ill probably change my mind at least twice before the ceremony.

Unless  The Post, the more obvious topical movie, prevails. Or Three Billboards for capturing cultural rage. Who knows? This is the group that nominated All the Money in the World.

Lead actress, motion picture drama

The nominees  Jessica Chastain, Mollys Game; Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water; Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; Meryl Streep, The Post; Michelle Williams, All the Money in the World

And the winner is  McDormand has been nominated six times but never won  not even for Fargo or Olive Kitteridge. Youd think shes overdue. But she also doesnt schmooze with voters, which the selfie-loving HFPA might take personally.

Unless  Voters really, really love Shape of Water and reward the gifted Hawkins.

Lead actor, motion picture drama

The nominees  Timothee Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name; Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread; Tom Hanks, The Post; Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour; Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

And the winner is  With Darkest Hour failing to catch on outside its lead performance, Oldmans march to the Oscar isnt quite as inevitable as it seemed a month ago. But it still feels like one of the evenings safest bets.

Unless  Young Chalamet shocks the world.

Motion picture, musical/comedy

The nominees  The Disaster Artist, Get Out, The Greatest Showman, I, Tonya, Lady Bird

And the winner is  Lady Bird feels like the movie of the moment, a mother-daughter story, written and directed by Greta Gerwig, that, in its own quiet way, celebrates confident women.

Unless  That other movie of the moment, Get Out, pulls off an upset. The absence of a screenplay nod for its creator, Jordan Peele, suggests that this might be a long shot.

Lead actress, comedy/musical

The nominees  Judi Dench, Victoria & Abdul; Helen Mirren, The Leisure Seeker; Margot Robbie, I, Tonya; Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird; Emma Stone, Battle of the Sexes

And the winner is  Ronan. Its possible Lady Bird wins all four of its categories  picture, lead and supporting actress, and screenplay.

Unless  Hard to see another scenario playing out. Ronan is the evenings biggest lock on the film side.

Lead actor, comedy/musical

The nominees  Steve Carell, Battle of the Sexes; Ansel Elgort, Baby Driver; James Franco, The Disaster Artist; Hugh Jackman, The Greatest Showman; Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out

And the winner is  As an ode to outsiders, Francos film and performance should resonate with this group.

Unless  The HFPA wants to find a spot to reward Get Out and tips its hat to Kaluuyas superb work here.

TV drama series

The nominees  The Crown, Game of Thrones, The Handmaids Tale, Stranger Things, This Is Us

And the winner is  The Handmaids Tale. Blessed be the fruit.

Unless  Common sense is cast aside. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.

Lead actress, TV drama series

The nominees  Caitriona Balfe, Outlander; Claire Foy, The Crown; Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Deuce; Katherine Langford, 13 Reasons Why; Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaids Tale

And the winner is  Moss repeats her Emmy triumph for her urgent, intense and always unpredictable work on Handmaids Tale.

Unless  The HFPA loves going in a different direction in this category. Maybe Langfords heartbreaking turn on 13 Reasons Why will linger in their minds.

Lead actor, TV drama series

The nominees  Jason Bateman, Ozark; Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us; Freddie Highmore, The Good Doctor; Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul; Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan

And the winner is  Voters veer here between veterans in established roles (it took a long time for Jon Hamm and Bryan Cranston to finally prevail) and actors in first-year shows. Highmore never got his due for Bates Motel, and it feels like the time is ripe for recognition. Plus, who doesnt like The Good Doctor?

Unless  Its Emmy-winner Brown, who the HFPA strangely overlooked last year, not even giving him a nomination.

TV comedy series

The nominees  Black-ish, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Master of None, SMILF, Will & Grace

And the winner is  If youre an Amazon Prime member, you might want to catch up with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel so you can be in the know.

Unless  The years other lauded newcomer, SMILF, prevails for its unapologetic, empathetic story about a single mom.

Lead actress, TV comedy series

The nominees  Pamela Adlon, Better Things; Alison Brie, GLOW; Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; Issa Rae, Insecure; Frankie Shaw, SMILF

And the winner is  Brosnahan never did comedy before Mrs. Maisel, but youd never know it from her charismatic, expressive turn as the title character. Shell likely have a Globe six weeks after her shows premiere.

Unless  Shaw created, wrote and directed SMILF, and her acting  dialed-down, yet still dynamic  is a big reason for its success.

Lead actor, TV comedy

The nominees  Anthony Anderson, Black-ish; Aziz Ansari, Master of None; Kevin Bacon, I Love Dick; William H. Macy, Shameless; Eric McCormack, Will & Grace

And the winner is  Globes voters nominated McCormack five times during the original run of Will & Grace but never gave him the prize. In the absence of a clear front-runner, lets say he finally prevails.
You hate me, you really hate me.

That may well be Stephen Colberts acceptance speech if President Donald Trump makes good on his promise (threat?) to hold an awards program recognizing excellence in the field of fake news.

Trump tweeted about the idea Tuesday night, announcing plans to announce THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday.

Almost immediately, Colbert  Trumps longtime late-night nemesis  began a lobbying campaign.

Personally, Im excited for The Most Dishonest and Corrupt Media Awards of the Year, or as we call them in the biz, The Fakies, Colbert said on his show Wednesday night. Because nothing gives you more credibility than Donald Trump calling you a liar.

And I, of course, dont want to get snubbed.

The CBS host rented space on a digital billboard in Times Square at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, asking Trump to consider him for numerous awards  including Corruptest Fakeness and Least Breitbarty.

CBS spokeswoman Lauren Kamm said the For Your Consideration ... plea will appear on the billboard through the weekend, leading up to Trumps Monday announcement.

See you on the red carpet, @AndersonCooper, Colbert tweeted, adding a custom hashtag: #TheFakies.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Wednesday to expect an actual awards show, but did not say whether it would be televised, or whether journalists would be invited.

I certainly dont want to spoil anything, but my guess is that there are quite a few individuals that could be up for those awards, she said at a White House press briefing. And beyond that, I think well have to see what happens on Monday.

Colbert wasnt the only late night host to skewer Trump over his awards idea. ABCs Jimmy Kimmel suggested a new name for the potential show: The Stupid Peoples Choice Award.

Will he be physically able to give a trophy to someone other than himself? Kimmel asked about Trump.

Both hosts have targeted Trump in the past, but Colberts persistently biting jokes and monologues have driven headlines throughout Trumps campaign and presidency.

It reached a fever pitch in May, when Colbert addressed Trumps cordial relationship with the Russian president: The only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putins (expletive) holster.

The comment drew enormous backlash on social media and among conservative personalities, launching a #FireColbert campaign that the host successfully weathered.

Colbert also drew the presidents ire: Trump told Time magazine shortly after the Putin joke that you see a no-talent guy like Colbert. Theres nothing funny about what he says. And what he says is filthy. And you have kids watching. And it only builds up my base. It only helps me, people like him.

Colberts response: Mr. Trump, Mr. Trump. Theres a lot you dont understand. But I never thought one of those things would be show business. Dont you know Ive been trying for a year to get you to say my name?! And you were very restrained. Admirably restrained. But now you did it! I won.

Trump has employed the term fake news to discredit coverage over every aspect of his personal and presidential life, with CNN, the New York Times and the Washington Post his favorite targets.

While it may make good comedy fodder, attacks on the media have provided cover to oppressive governments motivated to keep journalists and their prying questions at bay.

There is no such thing as Rohingya, said U Kyaw San Hla, a security ministry official in Myanmar, referring to the Muslim majority in the country Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned was being ethnically cleansed. It is fake news.
ST. LOUIS  Stephen Hempstead, a wealthy newcomer in 1811, regarded this wilderness town as the most immoral place I ever knew.

His was a common first impression among the pious. Roman Catholic Bishop Benedict Flaget of Bardstown, Ky., was distressed by the lax practices of his fellow communicants during a visit in 1814. Six years later, Methodist preacher Jesse Walker pledged to battle this fountain-head of devilism.

Their zeal bore fruit. By the 1820s, the map of the towns religious formation was taking shape.

St. Louis was Catholic by law during its four decades as a French and Spanish colony. Mission priests served here periodically, but the first log church wasnt built until 1770, six years after the town was founded. The parish got its first full-time pastor, the Rev. Bernard de Limpach, in 1776.

The original town plan included the church lot, the only city parcel never to change hands. The fourth church on that site is todays Old Cathedral, near the Gateway Arch.

After the United States took over in 1804, the migration of Americans accelerated. Overwhelmingly, they were Protestants. Because most of them moved here to farm, not work in a city dominated by popery, a few Protestant congregations were formed in outlying areas before things got organized in St. Louis.

Hempstead, a veteran of the American Revolution and a sturdy Presbyterian, became the driving force in establishing the towns first Protestant congregation. He helped recruit the Rev. Salmon Giddings, of the Connecticut Home Missionary Society, who founded First Presbyterian Church in 1817. It met in a house at Market and Fourth streets.

The Rev. John Mason Peck helped establish and preached at First Baptist Church in 1818. Its building, at the southwest corner of Third and Market streets, was the first Protestant church building in town.

Episcopalians first gathered in 1819 in a building at Walnut and Second streets. First Methodist Church was founded in 1821 and soon built a log church near Fourth and Walnut.

The Catholics, led by bishops Louis DuBourg and then Joseph Rosati, created St. Louis Academy, forerunner of St. Louis University, in 1818; invited the Daughters of Charity to open the citys first hospital, at Fourth and Spruce, in 1828; and dedicated their cathedral in 1834.

Harvard-educated Rev. William Greenleaf Eliot established the Unitarian Church of the Messiah in 1834 and later co-founded Washington University. United Hebrew Congregation, the towns first Jewish assembly, began meeting in 1837 over a grocery at Second and Spruce streets.

German immigrants created their first congregation, the Evangelical Church of the Holy Ghost, at Seventh and Clark streets, in 1834.

By 1860, the city had 66 houses of worship, 32 religious schools, 13 church-sponsored orphanages and eight convents. The skyline was thick with steeples.

First black minister founds church, buys freedom for slaves

John Berry Meachum was born a slave in Virginia, where he learned carpentry. Allowed to work for pay, Meachum bought freedom for himself and his father.

In 1815 he arrived in St. Louis married to a slave woman from Kentucky. He bought her freedom, too, and established himself as a skilled barrel-maker.

First Baptist Church held Sunday school for blacks, and Meachum was a regular. In 1827, he became founding pastor of First African Baptist Church, the town's first black congregation. It built a church on a site just east of today's Busch Stadium.

First African Baptist soon had more than 200 members, most of them slaves whose masters allowed them to attend. It held classes in reading and arithmetic.

But in 1847, Missouri banned educating blacks. Undeterred, Meachum obtained a steamboat and continued instruction in the Mississippi River, safe from Missouri laws. Students rowed to class.

He also bought freedom for 20 more slaves. In 1854, Meachum was fatally stricken at age 64 while preaching a sermon. He is buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery.

A French nun teaches and prays in the wilderness

Rose Philippine Duchesne grew up in a wealthy family and entered the convent in her native Grenoble, France, in 1787. She yearned to be a missionary to faraway Native Americans.

She reached St. Louis in 1818 as a 48-year-old member of the Society of the Sacred Heart. Even then, she didn't get her wish.

The Rev. Louis DuBourg, bishop of the Lousiana territory, recruited Duchesne to America to serve Indians. But when she reached St. Louis, he sent her to open a free school for girls in the village of St. Charles. It moved one year later to Florissant, where she finally opened a school for Indian girls in 1825.

But by then, the last tribes were being forced from Missouri, and she couldn't attract students.

At age 72, Mother Duchesne finally served at a mission for the Potowatami tribe in present-day eastern Kansas, where the Indians called her "woman who prays always."

After one year, poor health forced her back to St. Charles, where she died at 83 in 1852. She was canonized a saint in 1988. Her remains are interred on the grounds at the Sacred Heart Academy grade school in St. Charles.

"How little I have accomplished," she wrote in 1850.

How wrong she was.
Since 1997, property owners in four St. Louis special business districts have been paying too many taxes. In October, a letter from the deputy city assessor, Shawn Ordway, broke the news.

This letter is to inform you that the assessors office discovered some properties in the Cherokee Station Special Business District (SBD) were incorrectly charged the special business district tax over several years, Ordway wrote.

Jason Deem received several of the letters. The south-side developer found out he had been overpaying taxes on one of his properties since 2006, another since 2009 and others since 2010.

It wasnt a lot of money: He overpaid just a couple hundred dollars on one property, $2,200 on another.

But for small-business owners, every dollar matters. Getting that money back wont be easy.

The city doesnt have the money to repay property owners because it paid the money out to the special business districts, Deem says. The special business districts dont have the money because they used it to make improvements to their respective districts. The money is spent.

The special business districts affected by this bureaucratic snafu are among the smallest in the city. Besides Cherokee Station, there was Cherokee/Lemp, the Baden Market Centre and the Kingsway Center.

Each of the districts, designed to help encourage development and improvements in the neighborhoods, contains a heavy dose of mixed-use buildings. Think of the storefront on Cherokee Street that has a commercial property on the main floor and apartments above.

The special business districts charge commercial taxes for the business, but dont collect on the residential properties. For a couple of decades, though, the assessor was collecting taxes from properties that shouldnt be paying them.

In the case of the Cherokee Station district, the quasi-governmental body not only doesnt have any money, its ceasing to exist, giving way to a community improvement district that will serve a similar function.

Some of the property owners are calling us wondering when they will get their tax refund, says Kaveh Razani. Hes the outgoing president of the special business district. Deem is a former president. The money is not there to give back.

The situation has property and business owners in the tightknit Cherokee Street area looking to the city for a solution. The mistake was made by the assessors office, they say. Why shouldnt the city fix it?

This is not a problem new Assessor Steve Conway wanted to inherit.

The former alderman for the 8th Ward was appointed by Mayor Lyda Krewson as the new assessor in November, replacing Freddie Dunlap, who retired.

The error, Conway says, goes back at least three assessors. Its a problem with multiple causes, he says, from the 1983-era software the office uses, to the fact that the special business districts involved have mixed-use buildings that often change uses, and that smaller districts dont have capacity to audit the tax amounts assessed and sent to them by the city.

Folks along Cherokee Street are hoping Conway can find a way to fix the problem of the citys making.

Id like to see the assessor work with the city to pay back at least the taxes from the past three years, says Anne McCullough, who is the liaison between the Cherokee Station district and property owners. Its an investment back into the community.

In his old job as an alderman, Conway would agree.

The political solution is simple, the new assessor says. Give their money back. But political, practical and legal are all different things. My hands are tied by what the city can do.

Conway says there is a proper way for property owners to protest tax overpayments, and to his knowledge, none of the property owners in the four districts has filed a protest.

Of course, they didnt know their taxes had been overcharged until long after they had paid.

The city has fixed the problem going forward, everybody agrees.

But the problem remains. Because of a city mistake, property owners paid too much. They deserve a refund. A broken bureaucracy stands in the way. In some ways, the entire affair is a metaphor for the struggles of St. Louis. People who love the city and want it to succeed find themselves at odds with the very government apparatus that exists to serve them.

The whole thing is awkward, says Razani, who operates two music venues in the Cherokee Street area. We want to find a way to make St. Louis work. Its deflating.
ST. LOUIS  Analicia Kocher had just pulled up outside her home in the Southwest Gardens neighborhood early one morning last month when she saw someone running up to her car.

The 29-year-old, who had already had a weird feeling as she drove home from a comedy show, quickly locked the doors. But the man, who was wearing a ski mask and holding a gun, ordered her out and threw her to the ground when she opened the door.

A masked accomplice then jumped in, and the pair took off.

When police arrived, Kocher learned that she was the latest victim of a growing problem.

Carjacking in St. Louis has doubled in recent years. And its also growing in surrounding areas.

On Dec. 20, a driver in a carjacked sedan led police on a nearly hourlong chase from St. Louis to Illinois and back. He was charged the next day.

Last week, prosecutors charged a man with multiple felonies for the Dec. 29 carjacking of a woman in St. Louis County.

Even public officials have become victims.

State Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. was carjacked a year ago, before he took office. His attacker went on to victimize a woman who was leaving Mass at Christ Church Cathedral on Christmas Day, charging documents say.

St. Louis Circuit Clerk Tom Kloeppinger was carjacked and pistol-whipped in St. Louis Hills on Dec. 4, according to a police report. His attackers took off in Kloeppingers SUV, followed by a white Chevrolet Cruze that had been carjacked in the 5500 block of Delmar Boulevard in the DeBaliviere Place neighborhood the day before.

Kloeppinger declined to comment on the incident.

Numbers are way up

Carjacking cases are sometimes difficult to count, because they are not charged as such in Missouri state court and are not listed as an offense in crime statistics reported to the FBI.

Police in St. Louis and St. Louis County tallied more than 250 carjackings in 2017.

St. Louis police recorded 190 carjacking calls for service through November, more than double the number for all of 2014, police data show. That number is for crimes in which a criminal incident report was deemed to be needed upon initial investigation, a spokeswoman said.

In St. Louis County, there were 57 carjackings in 2017, Sgt. Shawn McGuire said in an email. There were 50 in 2016 and 39 in 2015.

Capt. Mike Dixon of the Madison County sheriffs office said they had no vehicle hijackings in 2014 or 2015, one in 2016 and three in 2017.

Other jurisdictions contacted by the Post-Dispatch about carjacking statistics did not respond.

St. Louis police Maj. Kenneth Kegel said carjackers typically go out in groups of three, and commit several carjackings in one night. They may already be driving a stolen car, he said. Many are between 15 and 24, with the vast majority on the younger side, he said.

Kegel said carjackers sometimes follow a vehicle with a single occupant, waiting for that person to park. He said he hasnt seen a lot of violence associated with the crime. That hasnt always been the case, though.

A 2004 Bureau of Justice Statistics study of a decade of carjackings showed that a weapon, most often a gun, was used in 74 percent of the crimes, and 68 percent occurred at night. In 32 percent of completed carjackings and 17 percent of attempted carjackings, the victim was injured, with 1 percent of victims being hospitalized. The carjackers often committed the crime more than once.

Car thefts drop as carjackings rise

Richard Wright, the chair of the Criminal Justice and Criminology Department at Georgia State University, published a paper on carjacking in St. Louis in 2003, when he was working at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Wright said carjacking has become increasingly popular over the last decade, in part because technology is making it harder to steal parked cars. Many cant be driven without a key fob nearby.

Kegel said that police have seen a real drop in car thefts over the last seven to eight years as carjackings have increased.

Wright said stealing a moving car minimizes the damage to windows or a steering column that would be caused by breaking into a parked car  and that would more easily attract police attention and diminish any cachet of driving the car.

As fewer people carry cash, it also becomes harder for criminals to profit from robbing them directly. A carjacking, however, might yield the car and cellphones as well as a purse or wallet, Wright said.

The crime, he said, is also becoming more fashionable, as criminals want to drive higher-end cars. He said they also may seek to punish those showing off by driving through a tough neighborhood with a nice car.

Kegel said some do it as part of a gang, or for bragging rights, promoting it on social media.

Victims are left shocked and really shaken, he said.

Some people steal a vehicle to commit another crime, officials say, including robberies, other carjackings and drive-by shootings.

Some carjackers appear to be joyriding, and some pass the stolen vehicle to others, said St. Clair County Sheriffs Capt. Bruce Fleshren. Fleshren said a group from St. Louis was carjacking people in Madison and St. Clair counties last year.

Whats being done

Kegel said police had already spotted the trend and devoted resources to address it, as well as reaching out to prosecutors and other jurisdictions.

Federal prosecutors in St. Louis have been working with police and federal agents since 2016 to prosecute carjackings federally, then-Acting U.S. Attorney Carrie Costantin said in an email last year, focusing on defendants accused of multiple carjackings.

U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen said the St. Louis police initiative is being expanded to include a dedicated federal prosecutor, more personnel from both Illinois and Missouri and a dedicated office in the St. Louis Police Department.

His office has also shifted resources from a white-collar unit into an additional group of prosecutors targeting violent crime, high-crime areas and people believed by police and federal agents to be active shooting threats, he said.

Justice Department data show that the Eastern District of Missouri already leads the nation in cases where carjacking is the lead charge, with 13 new cases in fiscal year 2017, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. The Middle District of Florida had 11 and the Detroit area had nine.

There were 165 new carjacking prosecutions in federal court in fiscal year 2017, the highest in at least 20 years, the clearinghouse says.

Acting U.S. Attorney Don Boyce of the Southern District of Illinois said the number of federal prosecutions would be higher, but a lot of the carjackings involve juveniles, who are rarely prosecuted federally. Other cases may involve carjacking, but defendants are charged with other offenses. The federal carjacking statute requires prosecutors to prove that defendants intended to cause death or serious bodily harm, he said.

Jensen said the advantages of a federal prosecution are that defendants can face more certain sentences in federal court, the cases are handled more quickly and carry the potential for more prison time. A base carjacking charge can carry a penalty of just three years in prison. But a gun charge could add seven more years, and each additional gun charge could mean 25 more years in prison.

Defense lawyer John Stobbs agreed, saying some defendants are used to cases handled in state court.

Here, when they say 20 years, its 20 years. I dont think these young guys get it.

If carjacking-related injuries are more severe, defendants can also face other charges.

Two teens accused of carjacking were charged with murder in December for a crash near St. Louis Lambert International Airport in April that killed a 9-year-old boy who had just returned from Disney World.

Wright, the criminologist, says that technology may also help combat carjacking. Police are already tracking cellphones, using in-car computer systems such as OnStar and using license plate recognition systems to spot stolen cars.

Cooperation is key

McGuire, a St. Louis County police spokesman, said that police encourage victims to cooperate with carjackers to minimize the potential for injury.

We dont want anyone fighting over a car, he said. The biggest thing is just to be a good witness.

He said victims should call police immediately and provide a detailed description of the suspect, so police can link robberies and identify suspects. He also recommended that drivers keep an eye on their surroundings, park in a well-lighted area with other people and cars when possible.

Kocher suffered only scratches and bruises. But she says she now doesnt like to drive at night, gets nervous at stop signs and obsessively hits her lock button when she drives. The crime has also accelerated by a month her planned move out of her neighborhood.

Kocher said her distinctive red and white Kia Soul was found before Christmas in East St. Louis, littered with liquor bottles, spent shell casings and trash.

She said that after posting about the theft on Facebook in hopes that someone would recognize her car, hundreds and hundreds of people reached out her.

She said it made her realize that two misguided souls did something bad ... but there are far more good people in the world.

Joel Currier of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Earlier versions of this story contained an incorrect description of Kocher's neighborhood. She lived in the Southwest Gardens neighborhood at the time of the carjacking. This version has been corrected.
ST. LOUIS  The Circuit Attorneys Office has dropped criminal charges against a St. Louis man in a deadly crash in 2013 after learning that the man was not driving the car.

Prosecutors dismissed Thursday charges of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action against Ronnie Spencer, 31, of the 2400 block of Shirley Avenue.

Spencer was accused of driving while drunk and high during a crash on North Kingshighway on Nov. 25, 2013, that killed Robert Gilbert, 31, a passenger in the car. Police estimated the car was speeding at 80 mph when it crashed after swerving to avoid another car, hitting a curb and flipping over.

Three men were ejected from the car; the driver had to be extricated. Gilbert died at the crash scene. He had lived in the 4700 block of Vernon Avenue.

Spencer, Gilbert and two other men in their 20s were in Spencers car that crashed on their way back from Metro East clubs, Spencers attorney Terence Niehoff said. He said all were intoxicated.

Niehoff said records obtained from the fire department identified another man whom paramedics extricated and treated at the scene, while police reports indicated only that it was the cars driver who was pulled from the wreckage.

That person is the one that fingered my guy as the driver, Niehoff said. Weve always maintained that Ronnie was not the driver. He honestly didnt know who was driving.

Niehoff said Spencer spent about six months in jail before being released on bail.

A spokeswoman for Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner said in a statement Friday that Spencer was identified by witnesses as the driver, and prosecutors continued investigating after police pursued charges against Spencer.

When pursuing justice, prosecutors must be open to going where the evidence takes them, the statement said. In this case, we determined that the wrong person was identified as the driver of the car and charges were dismissed.

Spencer was charged in 2014. His trial was set for Jan. 28.
JEFFERSON CITY  The state representative who publicly wished vandals of a Confederate monument be hung from a tall tree with a long rope appeared to escape punishment Thursday.

Rep. Warren Love, R-Osceola, originally agreed to whatever punishment the House Ethics Committee handed down in response to the comments he posted on Facebook in August. However, when the committee voted 6-4 to reprimand him, meaning the speaker of the House would decide his punishment, Love backtracked.

He said he did not intend to accept the punishment before it was handed down and had been confused about the proceedings. Committee chairman Rep. Kevin Austin, R-Springfield, allowed him to walk back his original agreement.

Rep. Gail McCann Beatty, D-Kansas City, called on the speaker to remove Love from his committee assignments.

House rules for the hearing state the committees decision required the consent of the respondent, but it doesnt explicitly state when the consent must be given or how many times it can be given.

Anyhow, with Thursdays hearing done, it appears Love has sidestepped any consequences.

We are not in a position to recommend punishment, said Rep. Gina Mitten, D-St. Louis, the committees vice chair, adding that the committee has to issue a report in 45 days. It was unclear what will be in the report.

Loves defense was that he didnt mean to imply lynching, that he was talking metaphorically and that political correctness was out of control.

Why would African-Americans be offended by what I said when I did not say race? Love asked Rep. DaRon McGee, D-Kansas City, in response to questioning. Do you think white people or Spanish people have never been lynched?

Before the vote, Beatty drew a distinction between Loves lack of punishment so far and that of Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, who was removed from committee assignments for calling for the assassination of President Donald Trump. Love was not.

Also, Thursdays hearing was originally scheduled for the Friday before Christmas, which Beatty criticized as a sign the Republican majority in the House wasnt taking the issue seriously.

There seems there is one standard for black Democratic women and another for white Republican men, Beatty said Thursday.

In August, Love, referring to an article about a Confederate monument in Springfield, Mo., being vandalized, said the culprits should be punished extrajudicially.

This is totally against the law, Love wrote on Facebook. I hope they are found & hung from a tall tree with a long rope.

Democrats swiftly criticized Love and called for his resignation. Love told the Post-Dispatch at the time that he wasnt trying to evoke lynching but was using a Western term.

During the hearing, Love was represented by Buffalo, Mo., attorney Melvin Lee Gilbert, who said he has never heard hung from a tall tree used to mean lynching. Love was simply trying to say the vandals should be punished, Gilbert said.

It was a crime, he said, referring to the vandalism. That seems to be lost in this case. At times, it seems Warren is treated worse than the crime in this case. ... He is not a racist.

But Rep. Marsha Haefner, who represents the Oakville area, and the only Republican on the committee who voted to reprimand Love, said she found it hard to believe he didnt recognize a connection between hung from a tall tree and a Confederate monument.

Love maintained there was a difference between a lynching and a hanging.

If I was going to say lynching, he said, I would have said lynching.

I just think youre smarter than not knowing its connotations in regard to race, Haefner replied. Its not cowboy talk. ... I dont understand how you could interpret it any other way than to call out a race.

At one point, Beatty and Rep. Alan Green, D-Florissant, who brought the complaint against Love, were being questioned, and Rep. Steve Lynch, R-Waynesville, said different things offend rural people and city people. This was just a difference of opinion, he said.

I spent five years in Texas working on a ranch, Green replied. I shoveled a lot of manure so I understand when I hear a lot of manure.

Green, the leader of the Houses black caucus, said he was initially shocked when he saw Loves comment. Love and he would talk history in Loves office from time to time, Green said.

Have I changed any feelings on Warren? No, he said. Ill continue to hold him to a higher standard. If he wants to, well hang out in the office and talk, but, if he slips or I slip, we should all be reprimanded. I dont care who it is.
ST. LOUIS  A settlement has been reached in the monthslong legal battle between St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green and Kiel Center Partners, the group that owns the St. Louis Blues.

At issue was Greens refusal to sign the financial agreement funding the citys commitment to Scottrade Center renovations, which the St. Louis Board of Aldermen narrowly approved in February.

Green said she was hesitant to issue the $64 million in bonds for the arena upgrades because she feared it would hurt the citys credit rating. Kiel Center Partners filed a lawsuit in August.

In November, Judge Joan Moriarty ordered Green to sign the agreement, saying nothing in the city charter gave the comptroller the discretion to refuse to countersign the financing agreement based on her belief that the expenditure is imprudent.

Green later said that she had signed it but was withholding it so she could appeal the decision, eventually delivering her signed copy after the Blues accused her of being in contempt of court.

A settlement agreement announced on Friday doesnt change the citys payment obligations under the initial financing agreement, which enable the city to offset payments with revenues outside of the general revenue fund.

Green will dismiss her appeal and agree not to take any further action to block the arena renovations. All parties will pay their own attorneys fees and costs.

In a statement, Green called the agreement a positive outcome in the best interest of city taxpayers.

It is my hope it will mitigate impact on the citys general fund and credit rating, Green said.

Blues President and Chief Executive Chris Zimmerman said in a statement that the ongoing improvements to the arena would benefit everyone attending events at Scottrade, and the St. Louis region as a whole.

We are pleased to have resolved all the issues necessary to allow us to complete the financing and construction of our Phase I improvements to Scottrade, Zimmerman said.
JEFFERSON CITY  If you have thoughts on the future of three shuttered state parks, you will have one extra day to make your voice heard.

Missouri State Parks announced this week that because of website maintenance starting Friday evening, the public will have through Saturday to submit opinions.

The public comment period had been scheduled to end Friday.

At issue is the fate of three closed state parks: Bryant Creek State Park in Douglas County; Ozark Mountain State Park in Taney County; and Jay Nixon State Park in Reynolds County.

Those interested can make comments by following this link.

The parks were purchased in recent years under the guidance of former Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat. They have been mothballed under current Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican.

Park acquisitions came under fire from the GOP-led Legislature during Nixon's tenure.

Park officials have indicated that one possibility is selling the parks, a move that has drawn criticism from parks boosters and environmental groups. In November, the state drew criticism for a planned 12-day public comment period, which the Sierra Club called "unprecedented."

Parks officials subsequently extended the comment period through the new year.

Connie Patterson, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, did not say earlier this week when the public comments would be released.

"Right now, we're focused on obtaining public comments," she said Tuesday.

She also said the agency would provide updates after the comment period on the process and timeline for decision making.

A fourth state park purchased under Nixon, Eleven Point State Park in Oregon County, is the subject of a pending lawsuit challenging its legality. The Department of Natural Resources has filed a motion to dismiss that case.

A hearing on that case is scheduled for Jan. 16.

Patterson said a similar public comment period is likely once that lawsuit is resolved.
ELLISVILLE  Sharing concerns of neighbors about potential traffic and safety problems at the site, the Ellisville City Council on Wednesday night unanimously rejected plans for a Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers restaurant at 15627 Manchester Road.

Numerous officials and residents said that they didn't object to the restaurant itself but to the location, a site of about an acre where there is now a vacant commercial building at the northeast corner of Manchester and Mar-El Court.

Greg Sofio is the owner of Anvil Development LLC, which has that property and an adjacent acre of residential land behind the commercial site under contract to purchase. He said he wanted to bring a family friendly restaurant to the area.

Matt Fogarty, with Premier Engineering, said changes had been made to the original plan, such as removing the residential property from being rezoned to be part of the commercial use and removing a planned large storm water detention basin. Also, a dedicated right turn lane was proposed to be added to Mar-El, he said.

Fogarty said Freddy's officials had considered three or four other sites in the city over the last six months but determined that the Manchester/Mar-El property would serve them best.

There would be an increase in traffic at the intersection if we or any other commercial development locates there, he said.

City Manager Bill Schwer added that the city recently has suffered an estimated decrease in sales tax receipts of $700,000 to $900,000. He said some city businesses, like Lucky's Market, have recently closed and local stores are struggling to compete with online retailers. He said the Freddy's restaurant would generate about $50,000 per year in sales tax revenues.

But about 40 residents attended the council meeting, all  in a survey of the audience by Mayor Adam Paul  opposing the proposal.

A petition was submitted by resident Scott Cool with signatures of 87 residents of Mar-El, Lemar Drive, Lemar Park Court and Flesher Drive opposing the plan for a 3,232-square-foot restaurant building.

This is not the right spot for a restaurant with a drive-thru that will put residents in danger, and I feel there already are too many fast food restaurants in Ellisville, Cool said.

Paul said he supports fast food restaurants but this plan would be sticking a square peg in a round hole.

Our traffic expert has said, on balance, traffic would get worse (due to Freddy's), Councilman Dan Duffy said, adding he didn't want a new business to cannibalize existing ones.

Councilman Ken Newhouse said he'd prefer a smaller use, such as an insurance agency, for the tract.

In other action, the council gave final approval, by a 6-1 vote, to changes to regulations regarding parking of motor vehicles, boats, campers, recreational vehicles and trailers. The changes mean such vehicles must be in a garage or parked on a driveway or other hard-surface parking area that exceeds the square footage of the vehicle or vehicles.

Some residents unsuccessfully asked that existing owners of such vehicles in the city be exempted.

Harlan Johnson, of Clayton Oaks Drive, said he's owned and regularly used a motor home for 40 years and said the city's actions will make it untenable to own a motor home and keep it on your own property.

Mayor Paul, who is moving out of state for a new job in Las Vegas, was attending his last council meeting. He was recognized for serving as mayor since 2012.

Numerous residents, during public comment, complimented his service, especially in working to defeat plans for a Walmart supercenter on Manchester Road.

Without his leadership, the apartments (where the Walmart would have been located) would be gone and we'd have a completely different city, Councilman Dan Duffy said, as he presented a recognition plaque to Paul.

It's been one hell of a ride, Paul said, thanking residents, city staff and his family.
WARREN COUNTY  The murder case of a Foristell woman charged with fatally shooting her husband three years ago has been sealed from the public a little more than two weeks before her trial date.

He could not be reached Friday; Warren County Prosecutor Kelly King said it is common practice there before trials to make cases invisible  on Case Net, the state's online court system  to prevent potential jurors from learning details about cases.

The practice prevents not just potential jurors, but anyone from accessing information about charges or dockets listing public court proceedings before trial.

Authorities say Ashley Hunter shot her husband Nicholas Hunter, 29, seven times on Jan. 15, 2015, in their home in the 29000 block of Old Cotton Road. Sheriff's deputies found him dead on the living room floor.

She has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Her lawyer Scott Rosenblum said Hunter shot her husband in self-defense.

Charging documents filed in 2015 said the couple had been arguing before Ashley Hunter retrieved a handgun and killed her husband. Two children, then 3 and 7, were home at the time of the killing.

Sheriff's deputies arrested Ashley Hunter a week after her husband's death; police said she was taken into custody after running into traffic on Interstate 70 while driving to turn herself in.
DETROIT  The warehouse of a Michigan man who sold donated body parts to researchers was littered with dead flies, dog bowls and human remains frozen together in flesh-on-flesh chunks, a federal agent testified Friday.

The grisly description came during the opening day in the federal trial of businessman Arthur Rathburn, who sold or leased donated body parts, including human heads, to medical researchers for two decades.

The buying and selling of body parts for research and education is legal under U.S. law, which does not govern the industry. Current regulations only cover body parts intended for transplant, such as hearts and livers.

Rathburn, however, is charged with defrauding customers by selling them body parts infected with hepatitis and HIV, and with lying to federal agents about shipments.

During opening statements, Asst. U.S. Atty. John Neal told jurors that human remains were stored so haphazardly that Rathburn needed a crowbar to separate frozen parts. Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Leslie Larson testified that during the 2013 search of Rathburns warehouse, officials found a filthy scene, with no running water or heat.

Body parts were out in the open, in coolers, Larson testified. Some of the freezers had heads and torsos, some had arms and legs. Many were frozen together in flesh-on-flesh chunks.

Rathburns lawyer, James Howarth, urged the jury to focus on the documents in the case, not gruesome photographs. He said that Rathburns ex-wife, Elizabeth, is most responsible for any wrongdoing. She has pleaded guilty to one count of fraud and is expected to testify for the government.

This case is so sensitive because the nature of the evidence is going to make us all cringe, make us all uneasy, Howarth told the jury. Theres nothing particularly pretty about a deceased body that has been separated into parts, but I would hope no one would have bad feelings toward Mr. Rathburn because of that.

The governments failure to stop Rathburn sooner, despite a decade of warning signs, was one in a series of stories Reuters reported last year about the largely unregulated body broker industry.

As part of the news agencys examination of the industry, a Reuters reporter was able to purchase two human heads and a cervical spine from a body broker in Tennessee. The deals were struck after just a few emails, at a cost of $900 plus shipping.

The series also profiled two Phoenix brokers  one who earned at least $12 million from the sale or use of donated body parts and another who regularly supplied Rathburn. The broker who sold Rathburn body parts, Steve Gore, pleaded guilty to defrauding customers and is expected to testify against Rathburn.

Last month, Reuters reported that federal agents discovered four preserved fetuses during the search of Rathburns warehouse. According to government photographs obtained by the news agency, the fetuses appear to have been in their second trimester.

The fetus photographs are not cited in any court filings and it is unclear if they will be presented at trial.

Friess reported from Detroit and Shiffman reported from Washington.
SPARTANBURG, S.C.  A South Carolina man who says he killed his ailing parents because they asked him to has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The Herald-Journal of Spartanburg reported that 40-year-old Stephen Belcher of Boiling Springs pleaded guilty Thursday to voluntary manslaughter in his 69-year-old parents' deaths. Belcher said his parents had asked him to kill them because of their health problems.

Belcher initially was charged with murder in the November 2016 shooting deaths of Henrietta Green Belcher and William Edward Belcher.

Defense attorney Doug Brannon said his client acted illegally, but with mercy. Belcher's wife, brother and sister told the judge the same thing.

Prosecutor Barry Barnette says the lesser charge was part of a plea deal.

Circuit Judge Derham Cole gave Belcher a 10-year prison sentence.
United Flight 895 was diverted to Anchorage on Thursday night, according to CBS affiliate KTVA, and police officials at Ted Stevens International Airport said the landing was due to a "passenger smearing feces everywhere."

More specifically, officials said the man had dirtied "a couple" of lavatories on the plane, and had also tried to cram his shirt down a toilet.

United said in a statement only that the flight was diverted due to "a disruptive passenger."

The airline said the passenger, who was reportedly cooperative, was met by authorities in Anchorage.

Staci Feger-Pellessier, a spokeswoman for the FBI in Anchorage, told NBC affiliate KTUU that authorities were alerted that "an unruly passenger had caused some kind of disturbance" on the plane. The FBI, which is reportedly investigating the incident, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post.

Airport police told the news station that no charges were filed against the passenger, but he was taken to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.

According to local news reports, the plane was grounded overnight for maintenance.

United said in its statement Friday that the other passengers were put up in hotels, and that the airline was working to get them to their destinations.

The incident comes amid a number of onboard events that have diverted planes, created misery for passengers and flight crews, and otherwise thrust airlines into a national spotlight - from allegations of infidelity and sexual misconduct to mechanical failures and severe weather.
Philip Morris International has made a dramatic New Years resolution: Were trying to give up cigarettes.

The company, which makes Marlboro, L&M and Chesterfield brands among others, took out ads in newspapers in the United Kingdom that said its ambition for the new year is to build a smoke-free future and eventually stop selling cigarettes.

The ambition described on the company's website is to help people quit smoking traditional cigarettes and replace them with alternatives like e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

The company claims the alternatives are less harmful.

The World Health Organization has refused to partner with The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World which is funded by Philip Morris International. "The tobacco industry and its front groups have misled the public about the risks associated with other tobacco products," the World Health Organizations said in a September 2017 statement.
Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.
The commentary "Should city aldermen stir the pot?  (Jan. 2) was great, but it could have added one more point.

Missouri prides itself on biotech and agriculture research. Missouri has some of the worlds leading ag firms, so its imperative that they stay ahead of the biotech curve. How can Missouri hope to be taken seriously as a biotech leader when cannabis is still illegal here?

When most Americans are OK with legalized marijuana, its sad that our legislators are holding our state back. On top of that, Missouri is losing tax dollars to other states.

What a shame that our short-sighted legislators are keeping Missouri behind the times  and, behind bars.

Jerry Weil  St. Louis
As we have since July 2006, each Friday well post our sampling of cigar news and other items of interest from the week. Below is our latest, which is the 561st in the series.

1) Crux Cigars this week began shipping the latest in its Limitada PB5 line. A thousand ten-count boxes of PB517 (5.75 x 54) will be available. Like earlier PB5s, it uses a proprietary Enganoso wrapper grown by Plascencia in Nicaragua. We continue to appreciate the positive response to the Limitada PB5, said Crux Vice President Casey Haugen, and are pleased to offer this limited edition again. Each Crux PB5 quickly sells out to retailers when it is announced, and the PB517, the third iteration in the series, was no exception.

2) Davidoff is celebrating its 50th anniversary by issuing new bands for some its cigars. The white bands will feature a large gold 50 above Davidoff, though the cigar blends, boxes, and prices will remain the same. It was in 1968 when Davidoff launched its cigar brand from its flagship store in Geneva. At the head of this journey was Zino Davidoff, reads a press release. It was his sense of pioneering and innovation that set Davidoff apart from the outset. His restless pursuit of new tobaccos and blends has been the inspiration for all the fine cigars that have since carried the iconic Davidoff ring over the last five decades. In addition to the new bands, expect a series of events and several specially commissioned cigars in celebration of the companys half-century milestone.

3) Drink what bartenders drink when theres an open bar: Before you default to a generic glass of red or white (seriously, where else do you order wine by the color except airplanes and open bars?), we asked six bartenders across the country for their go-to open bar orders. So this holiday party season, you can go forth and order with confidence.

4) Two centuries of Wild Turkey bourbon: a timeline.

5) From the Archives: Its really cold out, so warm up with these five warm beverages perfect for pairing with a cigar.

6) Deal of the Week: StogieGuys.com recommends Bespoke Post, a monthly collection of awesome items (think fine bar accessories, hot sauce kits, wine, workout gear, exclusive cigars, and more) delivered for just $45. Once you are signed up there is no obligation; you can skip or purchase every month. Sign up here to be eligible for the January box called Churchill that features four cigars, an ashtray made of reclaimed wood, an odor-eating candle, cedar spills, and a cutter.

The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Crux Cigars
FILE- In this April 27, 2015 file photo, Erica Garner, the daughter of Eric Garner, poses for a photo as she attends the funeral for Freddie Gray in Baltimore. Garner, daughter of Black Lives Matter icon Eric Garner, died in New York on Dec. 30, 2017, after a weeklong hospital stay following a heart attack. (AP Photo/Amanda Meyers, File)
Editor Emeritus Dave Zweifel has been with The Capital Times since he graduated from UW-Madison in 1962, serving as the paper's editor in chief from 1983 to 2008. He was president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council for 15 years, served as a Pulitzer Prize judge in 2000 and 2001, and named to the Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2011. A native of New Glarus, Wis., where he grew up on a farm, he serves on several non-profit boards and is a military veteran, having served on active duty as a field artillery officer in the early 1960s and for 26 years in the Wisconsin Army National Guard where he retired as a colonel in 1993.
In the past few weeks the estuary of the Rio Verde in Marbella has been playing host to a new guest which was not only unexpected but is also a remarkable sight in Malaga province: a red-knobbed coot, also known as a crested coot.

This bird is a member of a family of rallidae in serious danger of extinction; they are mainly found in Ethiopia and there are very few of them in Spain and Morocco. In fact, in Andalucia they are normally only seen on the Guadalquivir marshes and some lagoons in Cadiz province.

The situation of this species is very delicate everywhere it inhabits, mainly due to the regression of the wetlands and the pressure of hunting, because these birds are sometimes confused with their close relative, the Eurasian coot.

There are believed to be between 50 and 80 reproducing pairs in the whole of Spain

The species is officially classified as being in Critical Danger of Extinction, which is the highest degree of threat to any species, according to the Red Book of Birds in Spain which is produced by the SEO ornithological society and published by the Ministry of the Environment.

It is calculated that in the best of cases there are only 50 to 80 reproducing pairs in this country and the situation in Africa is no better, so the sighting in Marbella is very unusual indeed.

Juan Caracuel, a member of SEO Malaga, was able to photograph this lovely bird on 7 December, but other people say they have seen it before and after that date in the same place.

Juan says this is not the first time a crested coot has chosen to spend time at the Rio Verde estuary in the winter. The same thing occurred in 2011 and 2013, and he believes that it will probably stay for a few weeks, as it did before. This is long enough for it to enjoy abundant food from the Rio Verde, especially the submerged vegetation and stalks of marshland plants it enjoys so much.

Once the breeding season is over, these birds go from one place to another to look for food, but without a fixed route. We don't know where they come from, because there's no way we can find out. They may have been in a wetland in Valencia, or Donana, or even north Africa, explains Juan, who believes the bird in Marbella is probably the only crested coot in the province at present. Two others were spotted a few months ago on the reservoir at Cancelada, in Estepona.

His expert eye does not let him down. There is no way of confusing a crested coot with a Eurasian coot, he says, because among some other differences it has two red protuberances on its head, and it's slimmer and smaller than the Eurasian variety.

The one on the Rio Verde is medium-sized, and about 40 to 45 centimetres long, but Juan Caracuel says it is difficult to know how old it is. It doesn't appear to be a young bird, though, he says.

The presence of the crested coot is not the only surprise on the Rio Verde at the moment. A western swamphen has also been spotted there.

This bird can be seen all over Spain and, although it is not an endangered species as it was in the 1950s, it is unusual to spot them in this region because they do not breed in Malaga province.
There will be great excitement in the streets of Malaga this evening, just as there has been since 1923, when the first 'cabalgata' or Kings' parade, took place in the city.

Since 1913 it had been a tradition in the city to take toys to children in orphanages and hospitals. The idea was started by the lawyer, poet, journalist and regional primary education delegate, Narcisco Diaz de Escovar. The Magi would visit the Casa Cuna orphanage and children in the Hospital Civil but on 5 January 1923 they took to the streets of Malaga. Organising the event was down to a citizens' commission, with Diaz de Escovar at the helm. A number of other public figures were also involved, including the then mayor of Malaga, Narciso Briales Franquelo, and the then president of the Diputacion and owner of the conservative newspaper 'El Cronista', Eduardo Leon y Serralvo, among others.

The parade started in the park next to the City Hall and from there went along Calle Larios to Plaza de la Constitucion, Calle Granada, Plaza de la Merced, Calle Alamos, Calle Torrijos (today Carreteria), to the Casa Cuna orphanage (now the Centro Cultural Provincial), the Hospital Civil and finally Tacon (today Avenida de Barcelona).

According to newspapers reporting the event, the parade was led by a section of the Guardia Civil, who were followed by representatives from the Red Cross with their cornets and tambourine band, musicians with panderos, zambombas and all sorts of instruments. The Three Kings were accompanied by 10 pages and behind them came a float disguised as a giant shoe (it is traditional in Spain to leave a shoe for the Kings to fill rather than the stocking traditionally left out for Father Christmas in some countries) pulled by oxen. There were fireworks and people watched from balconies as the cavalcade made its way slowly through the streets. One newspaper reported that without doubt, the most moving moments were when the procession went to the Casa Cuna and the hospital.

It is said that the Kings had difficulty getting into the Casa Cuna due to the number of people outside. However, they managed to enter and distributed their presents to the children who apparently almost snatched them with indescribable delight and enthusiasm, while singing an opportune and moving song.

The first Magi to visit Malaga were played by students of the Academia de Declamacion, a local drama school.
The tension caused by air travel delays got the better of a passenger on a Ryanair flight to Malaga from London Stansted, who left the aircraft using the emergency exit over the wing after landing at the Costa del Sol airport on Monday night.

The 57-year-old Polish national told Guardia Civil officers that the wait to disembark was too stressful and so he made for the emergency door. The dash for freedom could cost him dearly though. According to the Spanish Air Safety law cited by the officers, the man could face a fine of up to 45,000 euros for interfering with the aircraft's equipment.

The man's escape was captured on film by another passenger, Fernando del Valle, whose images went viral on Facebook and were picked up by national and international media.

According to Del Valle the flight had left Stansted an hour and a half later than scheduled, and the passengers had been waiting for half an hour after landing to disembark.

In the video the surprised comments from the rest of the passengers, queuing patiently to leave the plane through the front door, can be heard as the man follows the arrows shown along the wing as guides in case of real emergencies.

Ground staff prevented the passenger from jumping off the wing, however, and he was taken back inside the aircraft. There he was questioned by the captain first, and then the Guardia Civil.

We received a call from Ryanair at 12.15am, then 2 January, and they informed us of the incident, explained the Guardia Civil captain Miguel Sanchez, who is responsible for the Malaga Airport Company of the armed force.

After speaking to the captain of the aircraft, who confirmed the events, we identified the passenger. He told us that he did it because he was stressed by the delay of his flight, so he opened the door and avoided the usual exit, said the captain who added that the passenger didn't appear to be under the influence of alcohol. He was sitting quietly in the cabin, he said.

Once inside the terminal the officers reported him for a violation of air safety laws. He was not placed under arrest, however, as the incident did not put anyone else at risk.

When asked for his details the Polish man gave the address of a shelter in the city. Sources from the shelter told SUR that he has not been there for some time, but that he has been a user of the city's social services on several occasions. It appears, according to one volunteer, that he had left the problems that made him homeless in the past behind him and that he had even started taking part in some of the cultural activities organised to integrate people on limited resources, including a choir.

We knew he was going away for Christmas, said the volunteer.
Condemnation of the use of the future Archidona prison complex, in inland Malaga province, as a detention centre for illegal immigrants has increased this week. It follows the death of one of the detainees held there, a 36-year-old man from Algeria who was found hanged on the morning of Friday, December 30th. The preliminary results of the autopsy suggested it was a suicide.

The dead man was one of an estimated 300 Algerians who were inside awaiting processing of deportation orders. Some opposition politicians, civil rights groups and charities have called for no more immigrants held there to be removed while an investigation into the death continues.

The renewed criticism of the Archidona centre comes on top of ongoing outrage at the temporary use of the new prison facility. In November 570 illegal Algerian immigrants, mostly from boats found off the coast, were brought there as other official detention centres were full, although gradually many have been returned to Algeria. Sources say that there has been a rise in unrest within the jail building as deportations increased.

National leader of the Izquierda Unida party, Alberto Garzon said that the death should weigh on the consciences of those running a policy violating human rights.

Appearing alongside campaigners against the Archidona centre, the brother of the dead man said that he used to speak with him daily and that he never talked about suicide.

Following the discovery of the man's body, there were increased protests from campaigners at the gates of the centre as well as other points in the area including Plaza de la Merced in the centre of Malaga.

Attempt to stop buses

Objectors have argued that the deportations should be stopped while the death is investigated. This week the Junta de Andalucia regional government and Malaga Acoge, a charity supporting immigrants, asked the court in Archidona to stop two buses leaving the centre taking immigrants away to Algeria, for fear of the investigation being harmed if witnesses left. Family members of the dead man and campaigners tried to stop the buses leaving on Monday, forcing police on duty at the gates to intervene.

Spain's official immigrant centres have no places available, forcing the use of Archidona jail, according to central government. Minister of the Interior, Juan Ignacio Zoido has explained the move by saying that the conditions in Archidona are the same [ as normal detention centres], adding that the decision to house immigrants there was taken to avoid putting them into camps like you see in other countries.
Estimates for the potential cost to Spain of the Catalonia crisis are like those of Brexit for the UK: in both cases, the figures are constantly changing, depending on what side of the argument they're coming from. The latest forecast regarding the Catalan issue came from Spain's economy minister Luis de Guindos, who told Spanish radio on Monday that it will cost his country about a billion euros.

Although this was an offhand prediction, it does tell us one thing very clearly: that De Guindos is concerned that the Catalan issue is far from being resolved. It was probably also intended as a frightening statistic, one that will further encourage independence parties in Catalonia to unite and form the region's next government.

Compared to estimates made by the Bank of Spain in November, De Guindos' damage forecast is actually quite optimistic. In one scenario, the Bank envisaged the secessionist issue being resolved by the end of last year, perhaps with the installation of an anti-independence government after the December 21st elections. Total cost: 3 billion euros. But in a worst-case scenario, the bank assumed that the crisis triggered by the illegal independence referendum of October 1st (O1) would continue well into 2018 and possibly beyond. Total cost in that case? Up to 27 billion euros and the possibility of a recession in Catalonia.

In other words, the Bank's most optimistic prediction for the cost of the Catalonia issue - based on assumptions that have since been proved false - was still two billion more than that made by De Guindos this week. The bank's Scenario A is now a long-gone possibility, because the Catalan election on December 21st handed pro-independence parties a slim majority in the regional congress (although they have yet to form a government). Might De Guindos' prediction that the independence crisis will cost Spain a billion euros turn out to be absurdly optimistic?

As things stand, there is little reason to think so. Although Catalonia itself has been hit hard by the fallout from O1 - over 3,000 companies have left the region and tourism takings are down - the damage has so far been contained. Spain's Q4 GDP growth was 0.8% - the same as its Q3 expansion, suggesting that the country as a whole has yet to register the effects of the latest Catalan independence drive.

The Spanish economy is likely to have expanded by 3.2% in 2017, sustaining its steady growth of the last three years. That growth, it's important to remember, has been completely unaffected by the ten-month governmental vacuum of 2016 and the Catalonian saga that dominated the final quarter of last year. Yet as we enter 2018, projections for the economic impact of the Catalonia crisis will continue to express the profound uncertainty felt by everyone involved.
Changes are in progress at the George Phlegar Family Homestead. Volunteers have taken on the task of getting the historical structure back in shape.

The Phlegar House, dating back to around 1816 and built by a family who was among the first German settlers in the area, is one of several properties the Floyd County Preservation Trust, Inc. is trying to restore. Listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places, it stands in the middle of the Floyd County Commerce Park and is owned by the Trust, at the pleasure of Floyd Countys Economic Development Authority.

Recently, after reading about the history of the house, Bill St. Pierre of St. Pierre Woodworking and Sawmill in Floyd agreed to offer his skills, time and equipment, free of charge, for the restoration of the house. Other volunteers signed on. Some Radford University students also agreed to help.

Already some excavation work has been done. Later additions to the house, including a screened-in side porch, have been removed. Were getting it down to the two original cabins, St. Pierre said. Those cabins include a 20X20 kitchen cabin and a 20X30living quarters cabin, which had two stories. Both cabins were joined by a breezeway.

The house has been covered up like a Band-Aid, St. Pierre commented. You couldnt see inside.

St. Pierre said workers will be trying to expose the hand-hewn, chestnut/white oak logs to determine their condition. Damaged logs will be replaced.

The house is covered by clapboard siding, and after that is removed to replace the damaged logs, it will actually be put back in place, in order to protect the logs, St. Pierre explained. Well also be jacking up the house to put in the new logs and to sturdy up the house. It is starting to fall over.

Anything that is found in the walls will be saved and displayed behind glass in the restored structure. St. Pierre hopes that in the future school groups will be able to tour the house and revisit a past way of life.

St. Pierre estimates the houses restoration could be a $300,000, 5-year project. Donations are being accepted to help with the cost of materials. Its hard to raise money for this stuff.but we cant lose this one.

Plans also include restoring the granary, which stands nearby.

Any of the old wood being taken from the later additions will be saved to make furniture, similar to furnishings from the early 1800s, for the house. Some wood will be used for material inside a timberframe picnic shelter, which will be built by Streamline Timberframe.

The houses wide, heart pine plank floors will be preserved.

Other work has been done around the property. Volunteer Jim Connor has met with a metallic artifact recovery team to help locate metallic artifacts. Another volunteer, Viron Fessler, has trimmed the overgrown boxwoods in front of the house.

The volunteers plan to meet on a Friday and Saturday, twice a month, to work. More volunteers are welcome. Days will be posted on the Facebook page  Phlegar House Restoration Project.

Its a slow process, but its moving along faster than I thought it would, St. Pierre said.

Mike Ryan, a retired archivist and Park Ranger, is one of the volunteers. Having known the history of the house and the Phlegars, he commented that he has admired the house through the years as he walked with his dog past it. This is tangible history  something you can see and touch and talk about.
A January deadline is approaching for Chilhowie residents warned about having inoperable vehicles and blighted structures on their property.

A letter sent out Nov. 27 by Town Manager John Clark and Police Chief Steve Price was a second notice to property owners about inoperable vehicles.

The first notice went out in September to approximately 39 addresses. Clark said a few of those should have gone to a different address or were in error. The second notice went to approximately 17 addresses.

Attached to the November letter was a copy of the revised ordinance adopted by the Chilhowie Town Council on Nov. 9 giving a person reasonable notice to remove inoperable vehicles or bring them into compliance. There is a $200 civil penalty for the first offense and $500 for additional violations.

Appropriate measures for compliance are due to be taken by Jan. 26.

In Clarks message to the council at last months meeting, he included three addresses where the property owners were notified of abandoned, burned-out properties requiring compliance within 60 days. After that, a second letter is sent and council would need to finalize steps the town would need to take to get the property into compliance.

The three properties in question are at 132 River Road, 505 Whitetop Road and 207 Double D Drive.

Anyone wishing further information can contact town hall at 646-3232.

In other business at the Dec. 14 meeting, the council heard an update from Price about a Dec. 12 program on workplace safety at town hall.

There was a good turnout with excellent questions and discussion, said Price. We should have done this years ago, he said, but now weve made a start and we plan to do it annually.

The program included a video presentation and information from the Virginia Municipal League and Smyth County Sheriffs Office. Another program can be scheduled, Price said, for those who had missed the first.

The council also sent the issue of providing security glass at the town hall to the public works committee for further discussion and price information. Several quotes have been obtained for the committee to consider.
Essberger to absorb Crystal Nordic

Nordic Tankers and Embarcadero Maritime (a joint venture between Borealis Maritime and KKR) are to sell the jointly held company, Crystal Nordic, to Hamburg-based John T Essberger.

Danish-based Crystal Nordic was established following the consolidation of Nordic Tankers inter-European stainless steel chemical tanker business with Crystal Pool in 2015. The parties have agreed not to disclose any financial information. Crystal Nordic owns 14 chemical tankers of between 4,000 and 12,000 dwt, serving customers primarily in Northern Europe. Since its inception in 2015, Crystal Nordic, under managing director Jan Eghj, has developed positively and grown its business portfolio significantly, the company claimed. The company is owned 50/50 by Nordic Tankers and Embarcadero Maritime. Nordic Tankers is a Triton Fund III Portfolio Company. Essberger Tankers fleet consists of 23 vessels capable of carrying a wide range of chemicals. We are of the opinion that John T. Essberger will be a very good owner of Crystal Nordic and thus enhance the service and flexibility offered to the customers, says Per Sylvester Jensen, Chairman of Crystal Nordic. Meanwhile, Essberger Tankers Elsa Essberger struck a disused oil platform around 16 miles southwest of Den Helder on 31st December, the Netherlands Coastguard said. The Coastguard reported that its vessel Guardian was on location within 15 minutes being on standby in the vicinity. After determining there were no casualties, the coast guard carried out an inspection to both the tanker and the platform, revealing considerable damage to both the vessels bow and the platforms support structure, the organisation claimed. There is no direct danger to the ship, cargo or crew, the Coastguard said. The 5,300 dwt Elsa Essberger was fully laden on voyage from Antwerp to Malmo. According to Genscapes VesselTracker AIS data, the tanker was sailing at more than 12 knots until roughly the time of the collision. She then appeared to drift or proceed at low speed for some hours before anchoring near the platform. The AIS data then showed the vessel sailing towards Rotterdam, where she arrived on 2nd January.




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Born and raised on Chicagos South Side, Sheray Wallace struggled with adversity and family dynamics but found support in a community where children respected each others parents and neighbors were like family.

Those impressions and lessons helped the now 51-year-old mother of three with six grandchildren to dedicate much effort and time to making the Meadowood neighborhood on the Southwest Side, where shes lived for 14 years, a better place.

Since childhood, Wallace wanted to be a nurse, and left Chicago for Madison in 1999. She earned a bachelors degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice from Upper Iowa University. She has a community health worker certificate and is certified nursing assistant. She currently works as a community health worker based at the Meadowridge Library.

Wallace has also been a champion for her neighborhood. She created the Meadowood Health Partnership, which focuses on health education at the Meadowood Neighborhood Center. She organizes community suppers. She is a volunteer for Today Not Tomorrow-Project Babies. Shes the founder and president of Neighborhood Connectors, Inc., which provides information and referrals to community resources. Shes also Meadowoods community ambassador to the Race to Equity project.

For leisure, she writes poetry and enjoys being around her grandchildren and her mentor, activist Betty Banks.

In November, Mayor Paul Soglin announced that Wallace is the recipient of the annual Jeffrey Clay Erlanger Civility in Public Discourse Award.

What should people know about Meadowood?

Our neighborhood is a beautiful neighborhood and you have many people in this community that are vested and concerned about the people that are least fortunate. They would like to see everyone thrive to be able to live comfortable and safe. This is a neighborhood that continues to reach out and help each other.

What are the neighborhoods strengths?

Meadowood Neighborhood Association, Good Shepard Church, Orchard Ridge Church and the other churches in our immediate community that get involved in the community. Joining Forces for Families has been a positive strength that has served our community well. The Meadowridge Library director, Alice Oakey, has brought a new dynamic to the community as she supports my community health work and the kids in our community. Her staff is awesome, especially how they engage the kids in projects and programs in the evening. They make sure the kids are not hungry and that they are doing their homework. Our alderman, Matt Phair, represents our community and engages with the people in our community, which makes a difference.

What about needs?

We need more support to help the people in our community to stay stabilized in housing and offer them help in searching for employment. Joining Forces for Families should receive more funding to help the people they are serving.

What is the Meadowood Health Partnership?

It is a collaborative of community-based organizations, city government entities, and local health agencies working together to provide information, services and access to residents living in the Meadowood community. The collaborative was established in 2016 to address racial disparities in healthcare in the Meadowood neighborhood. MHP will improve access to health and medical information and services to families by each community partner providing assistance and services in which the entity excels.

Why is it important?

It opens the door for understanding what the peoples needs are, seeks solutions and allows you to hear and advocate for the voiceless people that dont have time or feel it is useful to speak about their disparities.

How have things improved since the troubling Race to Equity findings were released a few years ago?

Conversations have improved awareness about the disparities in our community which have led to people like me being able to continue my work. More resources need to be made available so that neighborhoods will be strengthened.

What else do you do to make the neighborhood a better place?

I organize community suppers. I provide resources to people that are in need, such as the work I do with Project Babies Mobile Babies Closet. I have a Neighborhood Baby Closet in my home. I also provide needed information about community resources through my nonprofit, Neighborhood Connectors, Inc. My membership on the Equal Opportunities Commission has allowed me to enhance my interest in providing advocacy and information for people who are looking for justice.

What have you learned about the neighborhood and city through your efforts?

Be a part of the process. Make a difference in how you perceive your community.

 Interview by Dean Mosiman
Today, Hisense announced that the company is bringing Amazons digital assistance, Alexa, to some of its 2018 4K Smart TVs. This will be the first time Hisense has offered Alexa on any of its TVs. This step also shows Amazons continued dominance in the voice assistant market.

Hisense has currently been using its own TV platform on its smart TVs, with some running the Roku operating system.

The Hisense TVs already have quite a few features using the companys TV platform, which allows users to access popular apps like Netflix, Amazon Video, YouTube, TikiLIVE and much more. But now with Alexa support included, users will be able to control not only the content on the TV but the hardware on the device.

How Will Alexa Work On Hisense Smart TVs?

As users would use other Alexa devices, the Hisense Smart TVs will enable the user to perform various actions using only their voice. This will include things such as opening and closing apps, open various content, play music, smart home controls and much more.

The company further revealed that the Smart TVs with Alexa will be able to directly control the TVs hardware. This means users will be able to utilize Alexa to do things like control volume and change inputs with different voice controls.

Aside from TV controls, users will be able to access as they would an Alexa enabled smart speaker. Some of the highlights will be shopping, using smart home devices and much more. There are currently 10,000 skills available for Alexa and the list continues to grow.

Prices and availability arent stated at this time.

What TV Models Will Incorporate Amazon Alexa?

As of now, we dont know which TVs will work with Alexa and Hisense is expected to reveal its 2018 lineup in Las Vegas at CES 2018 next week. The company has been tight-lipped regarding which TVs will gain support but we do know the 100-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart Laser TV will support Amazon Alexa.

The 100-inch Laser TV was unveiled last year and has been quite the popular product for Hisense.

This isnt the first time Hisense has added the digital voice assistant to their products, but it will be the first smart TV from the company.

Hisense will undoubtedly give more details about Amazon Alexa on their smart TVs at its press conference at CES 2018 next week. Plus users will be able to try it themselves as the company will also demo Alexa support at its booth in Las Vegas.

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A new report claims that LG is sourced to supply OLED screens for a 6.5-inch device for Apple rumored to be the iPhone 9 Plus.

It does not seem like the company has canceled its previous deal with Samsung. Sources recently confirmed it will still provide the OLED screens, albeit for a smaller variant with a 5.8-inch display, which could be the regular iPhone 9 model.

Shipment Details

Based on the information from a reliable source in the supply chain, LG will begin its shipments in the second half of 2018. That means Samsung will continue to provide the smaller OLED units, which are most likely going into the iPhone X. Apple's flagship model continues to be popular despite its costly price tag.

Initial shipment volumes for the bigger OLED screens will total anywhere between 15 and 16 million units for 2018. The numbers are smaller compared to its South Korean competition, which currently provides 10 million displays each month.

iPhone 9 Rumors

Technology experts are closely monitoring Apple's activities for any information relating to this year's new models. The Cupertino Technology firm presumably plans to keep Samsung as a source for the iPhone 9, which is speculated to use the same 5.8-inch display as the X.

Now that LG has confirmed that its production lines are capable of meeting production demands, the American company secured a deal for the larger 6.5-inch OLED panels for the iPhone 9 Plus. Other details also confirm that the components will be manufactured in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea instead of China.

A Deal In The Making

Earlier last year, there were hints that Apple has plunked down a sizeable investment for OLED screens from LG. However, industry analysts quickly pointed out that the current state of the latter's production lines was not yet capable of meeting demand.

The unforeseen drawback presumably prompted the American smartphone brand to continue its deal with Samsung until LG confirms that its operational capabilities are finally optimal.

Screen-Related Issues Reported

Google was recently in the headlines after users complained about screen burn-in issues with the Google Pixel 2 XL. The OLED screens used by the Pixel 2 XL were provided by LG, which explained that the aforementioned issues are common after extended usage.

However, the smaller Pixel 2 and the first generation Pixel units had Samsung's OLED display installed and never experienced the same issue detailed above.

Apple is most likely aware of the reported issues with LG's OLED and confident that its new production might be free from the issues.

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The purported Nokia 6 (2018) has dropped by TENAA and could make its debut soon enough, perhaps as soon as CES 2018.

TENAA is China's telecommunications authority, similar to the FCC in the United States, and it's usually among the last stops a device has to make before it's ready to hit the market.

Nokia 6 (2018) At TENAA

The upcoming Nokia 6 (2018) first dropped by TENAA last month, and now, the authority added more information. TENAA has now listed the core specs for the Nokia 6 (2018), painting a pretty clear picture of what to expect from the new handset.

Based on the newly-surfaced details, it seems that the new Nokia 6 (2018) will sport a slight redesign and a new chipset, but it will also share many specifications with its predecessor. In other words, the Nokia 6 (2018) won't be a huge upgrade from the existing Nokia 6, so users should not expect major changes.

Nokia 6 (2018) Specs

According to the TENAA listing, the Nokia 6 (2018) will feature a 5.5-inch display with a full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels and a 16:9 aspect ratio, the same as last year's model. Under the hood, the device will pack an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, an Adreno 508 graphics processing unit.

Moreover, the device will have a 4 GB of RAM and it will reportedly come in two native storage configurations: 32 GB or 64 GB. These are both expandable up to 128 GB via microSD.

The Nokia 6 (2018) will further sport a 16-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel front shooter, and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. It will boast a 3,000 mAh battery to keep things up and running.

The TENAA listing also mentions that the smartphone will come with Android 7.1.1 Nougat on board out-of-the-box. This, however, seems rather odd considering that Nokia's new parent company, HMD Global, has already released Android 8.0 Oreo for the Nokia 8.

As the specs suggest, the Nokia 6 (2018) will come as a midrange offering just like its predecessor and will leave many specs unchanged. No information is currently available as to how much the device will cost and which markets it will hit first. However, more details could hit the surface at CES 2018, which is just around the corner.

The company is also expected to launch new Nokia 9 and Nokia 1 handsets, as well as a new Nokia 8 version. Until an official announcement, however, it all remains in the rumor stage at this point. As always in such cases, a grain of salt is advised.

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Apple is blaming software issues, not a design flaw, for the winter problems encountered by the newly opened Apple Store in Chicago.

Apple Store Chicago, with a carbon fiber roof inspired by the MacBook Pro, was thought to have overlooked the effects of the city's notoriously brutal winter season, resulting in a dangerous defect.

Apple Store Chicago Winter Problems

Last week, reports and images circulated on an alleged design flaw with the newly opened Apple Store located along the Chicago riverfront.

While the Apple Store drew praise for the aesthetics of pure glass walls and slender steel columns, it appeared that London-based architectural firm Foster + Partners forgot about the Chicago winter. Pictures taken of the Apple Store showed icicles forming along the edges of its roof due to the lack of gutters to catch the water from melting snow.

Caution signs were placed around the Apple Store, with its community areas closed off due to the danger of falling snow and ice.

Apple Blames Software, Not Design

In response to the criticism against the new flagship store in Chicago, Apple said that the snow and ice problems were not caused by a design flaw but rather by a technical malfunction.

Apple spokesperson Nick Leahy explained that the carbon fiber roof of Apple Store Chicago has a built-in warming system. The technology, however, needed fine-tuning and was reprogrammed to restore the heating function, which would prevent ice and snow from forming on the surface.

Leahy also disputed concerns that the melting snow will fall off the sides of the roof and hit pedestrians because there are no gutters. Apple Store Chicago has four internal support columns through which the melting snow is intended to pass through, instead of the traditional gutters.

The Latest Apple Issues

Apple has been accused of prioritizing form over function, and critics thought that the winter issues of Apple Store Chicago were another example. While Apple has explained what happened that resulted in the unsightly decor of dangling icicles, the company is not without troubles early on in 2018.

Apple is currently in the middle of an iPhone battery controversy. While the company has reduced the cost of battery replacements from $79 to $29 throughout 2018 for the iPhone 6 and later models, Apple is still facing several lawsuits in relation to the issue. One of these lawsuits is even seeking nearly $1 trillion in damages.

Apple also entered the new year with a loss in the legal battle against an Italian clothing company that decided to name itself Steve Jobs, after the company's former CEO.

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It's goodbye time for Zagat. Apparently, Google is in talks with multiple companies to sell off the restaurant review guide it acquired back in 2011.

Many might not be familiar with Zagat, which is actually part of Google Maps and is currently run by a small team of Google employees. The search company purchased it for $151 million back in the day, under the supervision of then-Google executive Marissa Mayer.

Zagat: Heard Of It?

Google promptly subsumed Zagat into Maps, which added restaurant listings and reviews to the app. But it became less visible as Google slowly shifted focus to its social network and as a competitor, Yelp, rose to the ranks of restaurant curation. As a result, the name might not even ring a bell for some.

The Zagat deal would likely involve selling off the brand and website. It's not certain how much Google is charging, and there's no guarantee that Google will agree to the sale, according to sources.

To say the least, Mayer's vision for Zagat back in 2011 is a far cry from what it's shriveled into in the present:

"Moving forward, Zagat will be a cornerstone of our local offering  delighting people with their impressive array of reviews, ratings and insights, while enabling people everywhere to find extraordinary (and ordinary) experiences around the corner and around the world," said Mayer at the time.

Zagat

Zagat originated as pocket-sized guides that featured restaurants from different cities around the world. It was founded in 1979 by husband-and-wife Tim and Nina Zagat, who frequently listed restaurants they like or didn't like.

But Zagat's popularity waned over the years, in large part because of Yelp, which perhaps is still the most popular restaurant listing and review service that exists currently. Whereas Zagat featured short blurbs, Yelp was more in-depth, with users breaking down every aspect they like or didn't like about a restaurant, complete with a five-star rating system. It doesn't take a genius to realize that Yelp's system became more accepted in the internet era than Zagat's.

For its part, Google helped Zagat a month after acquiring it by redirecting mobile searches for Yelp as a way to leverage the service. But Google failed to do anything more than that. As a result, Yelp blossomed while Zagat slowly retracted into oblivion.

Any of you ever heard of Zagat? What do you think of the Zagat-Yelp rivalry? Do you suppose Google should've done more to increase Zagat's mainstream appeal? As always, feel free to sound off in the comments section below!

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A mysterious star thought to be orbited by an alien megastructure has had scientists intrigued with its sporadic brightening and dimming. Scientists now find that space dust could be the likely reason for the star's unusual behavior.

'Alien Megastructure' Theory Debunked

KIC 8462852, also known as Boyajian or Tabby's star, is a pretty normal star that doesn't differ too much from our own Sun. It is just slightly larger and a thousand degrees hotter. However, scientists have been baffled by the star's unusual dimming and brightening behavior for years so much so that some have theorized that it could be orbited by an alien megastructure that causes the sporadic behavior.

However, a new study finds that dust is the likeliest reason for the star's brightening and dimming. Contrary to the alien megastructure theory, the scientists found that the light from the star dims at different intensities, suggesting that what is blocking it is not opaque, hence it's not very likely to be a megastructure or even a planet.

Even More Interesting And Mysterious

Since March 2016, researchers observed Tabby's star with the help of the Las Cumbres Observatory. From May 2017, there were four observed dimming episodes, which were named Elsie, Celeste, and after equally ancient and mysterious "lost" cities Scara Brae and Angkor. The latter were named as such because these dimming events they observed are actually from over a thousand years ago but are only being seen from where we are now.

These findings are in line with a previous study published in The Astrophysical Journal just last October, which reported a similar explanation for Tabby's star's dimming episodes, pointing to interstellar dust as the likely culprit.

Before then, the theories for the sporadic behavior include the popular alien megastructure theory, the possibility of the star being surrounded by a swarm of comets, and even the possibility of the dimming episodes being caused by the star eating a planet.

Thanks To Citizen Scientists

Even as they debunked the alien megastructure theory, researchers are glad to be gathering so much data on the star, especially with the help of citizen scientists who observed the unusual dimmings in the first place.

"If it wasn't for people with an unbiased look on our universe, this unusual star would have been overlooked," said Tabetha Boyajian, lead of the study and inspiration for the star's name.

The current study is published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and was a result of the team work of over a hundred researchers.

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A research team at Chile's Very Large Telescope observatory has discovered more than a thousand massive stars.

The massive stars are 200 to 300 times larger than the Earth's Sun, a size range that astronomers previously considered to be impossible. The supergiant stars are found along the Tarantula Nebula or 30 Doradus, a star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy where the largest and fastest stars have been observed. Its intense starburst activity has also been postulated to resemble that of the early Universe.

Massive stars have been known to exist but not in excessive numbers. They were believed to be rare as such stars lived shorter than their smaller counterparts.

In contrast, the Sun is estimated to be around 4.6 billion years old. It is expected to continue existing for another five billion years while supergiant stars have been theorized to last only for a few million.

Excessive Population Of Supergiant Stars Changes Astrophysics

The recently discovered abundance of massive stars does not only disprove theories about their nature. In a study published on Jan. 5, the team reports that the excessive population of such heavenly bodies has far-reaching implications in the history of the Universe itself.

Dramatic events and unique formations in the Universe, such as black holes, are produced by these stars. For instance, NASA explains that the death of one supergiant star alone can result in a violent explosion that could outshine an entire galaxy.

When a star loses its capacity to support its own mass, its core begins to collapse. Within seconds, the core shrinks in size from being 5,000 miles across to a dozen, and its temperature jumps to a hundred billion degrees or more.

The outer layers initially collapse along with the core but they are eventually thrown outward as the star releases an unimaginable amount of energy, causing an explosion called a supernova. According to NASA, this celestial event only happens once in a several hundred years, with up to 50 supernovae discovered in other galaxies each year.

More Massive Stars May Mean More Supernovae And Black Holes

Such calculations, however, could be wrong. The new study's lead author and astrophysicist Fabian Schneider believes that the excess of massive stars in the Universe suggests more frequent explosions. Specifically, he estimates that supernovae might occur 70 percent more often than previously theorized.

Black holes, which are also formed when a massive star dies, may also be bigger in size than what astronomers thought. Schneider postulates that black holes could actually be 180 percent larger than existing models.

While the study was limited to only one stellar nursery, the implications of its results reach throughout the entire cosmos. In a separate report, Schneider describes their discovery at 30 Doradus as a "stepping stone to the distant universe."

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Archaeologists believe that a stone shrine discovered in the middle of a pond beside a volcano in Mexico served as a map of the universe for the ancient Aztec civilization.

The shrine was discovered at a location known as the Nahualac site, alongside organic remains, lapidaries, lithic materials, and ceramic fragments associated with the Aztec god of rain, lightning, and thunder, Tlaloc.

Aztec Stone Shrine: A Map Of The Universe

The National Institute of Anthropology and History referred to the structure as a tetzacualco, which are ancient astronomical observatories that were constructed on high mountain slopes. It was found at a height of almost 13,000 feet below the Iztaccihuatl volcano, the name of which translates to "white woman." The volcano is named so because its peaks remain covered in snow due to it being dormant.

"The existence of a tetzacualco in the middle of a natural pond and the optical effect that occurs when the water mirrors, from which it seems that the structure emanates, suggests that the place is the representation of a primeval time and space, a miniature model of the universe," INAH said in a statement.

Iris del Rocio Hernandez Bautista, an archaeologist from INAH's Subaquatic Archeology Subdirectorate, explained that in their creation myths, the Aztec believed that the world started without any land. The monster of the Earth, Cipactli, was floating on top of the ancient waters, and the earth and sky were created from his body.

Bautista thinks that the Aztec controlled the flow of water from springs nearby into the pond where the stone structure was located to make it look like the shrine was floating on water. The water then reflected the stone shrine's surroundings.

The "floating" stone is believed to have depicted Cipactli, which is sometimes described as a creature that resembled a crocodile with other physical features similar to fish and frogs.

What Else Is In The Nahualac Site?

There are two sections in the Nahualac site. The first section is where the pond with the tetzacualco were discovered, while the second section is located within a valley with several natural springs.

Archaeologists found ceramic materials at the surface of the second section, dating back to between 750 A.D. and 1150 A.D. and covering an area of about 300 meters by 100 meters.

The ceramic pieces are all associated with Tlaloc, who was believed by the Aztec to be a wrathful god capable of bringing about both floods and droughts.

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Lelux Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand started to offer a bizarre treatment about six months ago after one of its male customers complained of dark parts on his groin.

The hospital, renowned for its body whitening procedures, launched a procedure to change the pigmentation of the penis's skin in July. Now, it has 100 clients a month, or up to 4 clients a day, for this $650 five-session treatment.

How The Penis Whitening Treatment Works

The procedure received coverage from Thai television and went viral on social media after Atittayapa Photiya, a hospital employee, shared on Facebook images of a man undergoing the treatment.

The treatment uses a laser to break down melanin in the skin. Bunthita Wattanasiri, a manager at Lelax Hospital's Skin and Laser department, said that most clients were between 22 and 55 years old, many of whom belong to Thailand's LGBTQ community.

"We use the same pigmentation laser equipment employed in other skin treatments. All of the equipment received certification [by Thailand's Ministry of Public Health]," said Lelux's marketing manager Popol Tansakul.

Tansakul said that there's no reported issue so far, but health authorities in Thailand raised concern over subjecting the private parts to this kind of treatment.

Health Authorities Warn About Subjecting Private Parts To Laser Treatment

Health Service Support Department deputy director-general Thongchai Keeratihuttayakorn said that the skin of private parts is so sensitive to laser treatments such as this one may result in allergies, irritation, and inflammation. He said that stopping the treatment would just cause the skin color to return back to normal. Worse, the treatment may even result in unsightly spots.

"Penis laser whitening is not necessary, wastes money and may give more negative effects than positive ones," Keeratihuttayakorn said.

Urologist Kampanat Pornyoskrai said laser treatments on genitalia may have different results depending on each person. He said that while laser can help whiten the face and may also work for the genitalia of some people, he urged those interested in the treatment to study the bad points of the procedure first.

"Usually, the male genitalia is darker than other parts of the body because of androgen," he said. "No other medicines can change that."

Beauty And Skin Color

Beauty standards in some parts of the world push people to get tanned but in some countries such as Thailand, the trend is to make the skin look whiter using cosmetic procedures or certain products. Pharmacies and supermarkets sell products that whiten the face, body, and armpits while billboards, newspapers, and television feature ads for whitening products.

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OSHKOSH  Whom should we believe when it comes to national security: military experts preparing for future dangers, or politicians preparing for their next election?

Yes, thats a rhetorical question, but it deserves consideration. When it comes to global warming, national security has taken a back seat to ideology and campaign contributions.

There is little doubt, outside of Washington, D.C., about the causes of climate change. That the planet is getting warmer due to human activity is confirmed by 97 percent of climate scientists and nearly 200 scientific academies around the world. As the American Association for the Advancement of Science has noted, science is as certain of the reality of human-caused climate disruption as it is of the link between smoking and cancer.

But an alternate reality has been promulgated by fossil fuel interests and free-market fundamentalists. These merchants of doubt have sought to create distrust in climate science. The tobacco industry ran a similar campaign successfully for decades.

Now we have an EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt, who wants a public debate on the issue. This is like the head of the American Medical Association calling for a debate on whether smoking causes cancer. Such efforts are working. In a recent poll, less than a quarter of Americans reported being very worried about global warming.

But the U.S. military is very worried, and has been for years.

In 2007, when George W. Bush was president, a military board produced the report National Security and the Threat of Climate Change. It affirmed that climate change can act as a threat multiplier for instability ... and it presents significant national security challenges for the United States.

The 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review Report by the Department of Defense termed global warming an accelerant of instability or conflict. Dozens of other reports have expounded on this threat.

David Titley, a retired rear admiral who has a Ph.D. in meteorology, spoke for many in the military when he wrote in 2014: The climate is changing. We can do something about it. For the sake of our nation and the world, we must act.

The last five defense secretaries, starting with Bushs Robert Gates, have urged government action on global warming. In testimony to Congress in 2017, Donald Trumps Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis called climate change a challenge that requires a broader, whole-of-government response.

Military strategists, unlike politicians, cant afford to play ideological games when it comes to national security. They must focus on how climate disruption is creating political destabilization globally and straining the militarys ability to respond to crises.

But Republicans in Congress are not being helpful. They tried to pass an amendment last year to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have prevented the Defense Department from studying the security impacts of climate disruption. Fortunately, enough in the GOP cared about national security to join Democrats in voting against the effort.

But Trump remains incalcitrant. His new National Security Strategy, released in December, ignores the defense experts and avoids any mention of global warming as a national security concern. Trump is dismissing a threat the military considers to be severe.

So here are two more questions: What politicians do you want in office making decisions about national security? And where does your representative in Congress stand?
Clear Cut Pictures has brought two new staffers into its post producing team with Megan Rutty hired as a Post Production Producer and Laura Dodd Wild as a Junior Post Producer.

Rutty joins the team after five years at Evolutions, where she started as a runner and was promoted into bookings, before working her way up to be a Post Producer. She has worked on programmes including The Undateables for Channel 4, The Met: Policing London for the BBC and Slider: Ice Warrior for Discovery.

Rutty said: "After five years at Evolutions, Im really excited to be joining the team at Clear Cut and very much looking forward to being involved in the fantastic programming they have to offer. Clear Cut has a great reputation in the industry; Im thrilled to be a part of it."

Dodd Wild was previously at Sequence Post and her credits include Rolling Stones: Ole Ole Ole! A Trip Across Latin America, Harry Styles Behind the Album for Apple Music and various shows for BBC World.

Clear Cut md, Rowan Bray, said: "These key appointments for two experienced producers meets our need to expand our client-facing team, delivering world-class post-production expertise and great support for our growing client base. Laura and Megan have fantastic experience and a passion for what we do, they will enable us to support our clients even more widely in 2018. A great start to the New Year."

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CHICAGO  Depending on your politics, George Papadopoulos may be described in various ways.

To some, hes just a low-level coffee boy who, as an unqualified 20-something boaster, wormed his way into the chaotic Donald Trump presidential campaign and was later played by the Russians, a mysterious professor and a young woman presented as Vladimir Putins niece.

Others see him as a top foreign policy adviser, with influence in Trumps 2016 presidential campaign and inside access that allowed him to arrange meetings with foreign governments.

But after The New York Times dropped its most recent scoop about the Trump-Russia investigation, you might want to think about Papadopoulos in a different light:

As a boy made of wood, tossed into the maelstrom to save drowning reputations desperate to grab any floating object.

What we do know is that special counsel Robert Mueller announced back in October that the 30-year-old from Chicago pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

What did he lie about? His attempts to connect the Trump campaign with Russians promising dirt on Trumps rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton.

If you despise Trump, you might see Papadopoulos as a martyr with hysterical Republican hatred pouring down on him.

If you support Trump, you might see Papadopoulos as a useful idiot, a tool of both the Russians, who know all about useful idiots, and Democrats clinging to their Russian collusion theory to delegitimize the 2016 election and explain away Clintons loss, an outcome that led news anchors to cry on national TV.

In its recent story on Papadopoulos, the Times did not describe him as a boy made of wood. Nor did the paper describe him as the kind of good, buoyant timber that can be useful to men drowning in a stormy sea.

But the Times tossed him out on the water, as the Mueller investigation suffered self-inflicted bad publicity, as Democrats worried about the strength of their Russia-collusion theory and as astounding conflicts of interest were revealed in stories about the personal politics of federal investigators.

Amid all this are questions about the FBIs use of a salacious file involving rumors about Trump and Russian hookers that was paid for and developed as an anti-Trump propaganda document crafted in support of the Clinton campaign.

What the Times reported is this:

Papadopoulos got drunk with some Australian diplomats at a fancy London wine bar, and like drunken pretend foreign policy experts tend to do, he opened his mouth.

He said the Russians had dirt on Hillary. The Australians let the Americans know.

And the Obama administration, horrified, just had to do something.

As noted by the National Reviews Andrew McCarthy, the Times reported months ago that what started the investigation was a Russian trip by another Trump adviser, Carter Page.

So the Trump-Russia story keeps morphing.

For much of 2017, the Trump-Russia story involved the so-called Steele dossier, funded by the Clinton campaign, opposition research worked on by the wife of a top Obama Justice Department official that was likely used by the feds to secure surveillance warrants against team Trump.

Then, more recently, came something for Republicans to sink their teeth into, reports of conflicts of interest among top officials at the FBI and others.

Now it turns out it was really Papadopoulos all along? A young guy who couldnt hold his liquor in an evening out with Australians, bragging as some do when they get sloshed and want to be thought of as the most interesting man in the world?

It was not, as Mr. Trump and other politicians have alleged, a dossier compiled by a former British spy hired by a rival campaign, reported the Times. Instead, it was firsthand information from one of Americas closest intelligence allies.

Ah.

How convenient can this be? Its almost like a coincidence.

And it smells like herring.

Yet before the left dislocates its Twitter thumbs in tribal rage, lets be clear:

Muellers investigation into Trump and Russia should proceed.

As should a responsible congressional inquiry about the political conflicts of interest among the investigators of Trump and how the Obama Justice Department used the dossier to seek secret surveillance warrants for Trump advisers.

If Trumps people and/or the president are guilty of crimes, let them pay. But so far, we havent seen any hard evidence. All weve seen is politics and more politics.

What we know is the Trump people actively sought dirt on Hillary and didnt much care where it came from. And we know that some of the same investigators who found nothing wrong with Hillary Clintons use of private email while the secretary of state determined  according to released FBI phone texts  to have an insurance policy should Trump do the unthinkable and win the election.

The danger in all of this isnt partisan tribal warfare. We survived the brawl between Jefferson and Adams. We survived Obama. Well survive Trump too.

What we might not survive are unelected bureaucrats acting on their personal views, bending policy to their politics, whether that means unleashing Internal Revenue Service investigators on political groups they find objectionable, or crafting an insurance policy to take down a president.

Because if the American people come to believe that a vast unelected bureaucracy runs things and remains unaccountable to voters, then well all be in deep water soon.

And there wont be enough floating boys made of wood to help us.
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Interim BRPD Chief Jonny Dunnam left, gives the BRPD Chief's badge to Louisiana State Police Lt. Col. Murphy Paul, right, who was appointed as the new Chief of Police for the Baton Rouge Police Department by Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome Friday Dec. 29, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. He was chosen from a list of five candidates provided by the Police Chief Review Selection Committee after public interviews held in November and December. All five candidates were then subsequently interviewed by the Mayor-President earlier this month.
Louisianas members of Congress are reviewing potential legislation to roll back tariffs on imported newsprint that have hiked operating costs
Four Canberra childcare providers have been named and shamed on a public register released by the federal government on Saturday.

The blacklist, part of the Turnbull government's crackdown on the notorious day care sector, showed the four operators had their funding cancelled or suspended between July 2016 and September 2017.

There were four Canberra child care providers named on the federal government's new register. Credit:Peter Braig

One had its funding cancelled because of fraud, while the other three had their funding immediately suspended because of non-compliance with the law.

It is the first time the federal government has used a public register to name and shame dodgy operators in the sector.
The weather bureau has forecast a hot weekend in Canberra, with Sunday set to reach a sweltering 38 degrees.

The heat arrives just as tens of thousands of rev heads pour into the city for the annual Summernats car festival.

Canberra kids cool off at the Dickson aquatic centre. Credit:karleen minney

Festival organisers said they were prepared with water and sunscreen to hand out to patrons. They have warned everyone attending to take it easy in the heat.

On Saturday, bureau forecasters are expecting a top of 36 degrees during the day.
. To do so, first type the original number into the text box. Then click on the "Scientific Notation" option located at the top of the floating window. Finally, click on the "Standard" button found beneath the text box to display your result. This program is useful for scientists and engineers working with decimal-based numbers. It provides easy access to those who need to convert those numbers into more compact forms without having to do heavy math calculations first.

Scientific notation is a way to express very large or very small numbers. It is used in physics, chemistry and other fields where large numbers are common. Those numbers are written as a power of 10 followed by a number with an exponent. For example, 1,000,000 (one million) is written as 1  103. The exponent shows how many zeros are after the first digit. For example, 1,000,001 is written as 1  102. Scientific notation is a useful tool for making calculations easier. You can use it to write down very big or very small numbers in one step instead of writing out both the large and small numbers separately. You can also use it to express large or small numbers in terms of other units like centimeters or millimeters.

Scientific notation solver is an online tool that can be used to convert any number into scientific notation. Simply enter any number to the left of the decimal point and it will automatically convert it into a scientific notation equivalent. This web tool can be very helpful when you need to convert a large number into scientific notation. However, please note that this online tool can only convert numbers that are in scientific format. For example, it cannot convert a non-scientific number like "1,085" into a scientific notation equivalent. It is also important to keep in mind that this web tool only works when converting numbers from one particular format to another. For example, if you want to change a non-scientific number like "1,085" into standard format, then you will have to use another online tool like NumberFormatting.com.
The retail downturn has claimed the be-scarfed scalp of one of Australia's best-known brands, with plus-size retailer Maggie T entering administration this week.

Maggie T Corporation appointed administrators on Wednesday after struggling to pay its debts in the lead-up to Christmas.

Maggie T has 28 stores listed on its website.

Maggie T was developed to celebrate the famed model Maggie Tabberer, who has championed fashion for fuller-figured women.

Ms Tabberer  a two-time Gold Logie winner  has long been an ambassador for the brand that bears her name but is not a director or shareholder of Maggie T Corporation Pty Ltd.
Should Australia be worried if the Trump administration has not appointed its ambassador to Canberra? Former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer thinks so. He argues that by not appointing a successor to John Berry, who left the post in September 2016, Washington is in effect insulting one of its closest allies.

The issue matters because the current President bears little resemblance in the way he conducts himself to previous holders of the position. He is best understood as someone for whom the intricacies of international diplomacy are only comprehensible as personal transactions. If this is an insult, it may therefore matter more than normal.

Donald Trump behaves like few presidents. Credit:Evan Vucci

The relationship is already supposed to be tense. Malcolm Turnbull's phone call to the newly installed President Donald Trump last January, on this view, got the relationship off to a bad start. By seeking a commitment from Trump to stand by the agreement Australia had struck with his predecessor, Turnbull was apparently taking risks with the relationship.

Yet the logic of this criticism is hard to see. If allies cannot be relied on to do what they promise, how strong is the relationship anyway? In Trump's testiness, we see clearly the personalisation of diplomacy already mentioned. But it was really only the reaction of a business personality unaccustomed to diplomatic niceties, and used to getting his own way. The fact the phone call then caused a diplomatic flurry, with senior officials rushing to reassure Australia of the strength of the relationship, suggests things are by no means as tense as they were portrayed.
Lorraine James, Burwood So many are giving their time and services Catherine Walsh correctly identifies distributional flaws with some fundraising techniques. However, this should not be taken as a wholesale condemnation of our volunteering system As a former councillor, my major learning was the extent to which our communities depend on volunteers  from organisations that provide emergency, sporting or personal services for less fortunate people through to individual parenting. Without volunteers, our society would not exist in its present form. Incidentally, not-for-profit entities that apply accounting standards are now required to book voluntary labour as income in their accounts. So we are at least starting to recognise the monetary value of this important asset. Graeme Macmillan, Blackburn

The human element of being a volunteer Catherine Walsh's idea to replace volunteers with government action is appalling. Volunteering is personal involvement and commitment. It says we are a society and that not all transactions are economic ones. Contracting out our human endeavours to bureaucracy is to deny personal responsibility and demand that "they" do something about "it", even though "they" may be overburdened meeting the demands of the middle-class whingers who dominate electoral politics. The Christian injunction is "love thy neighbour as thyself", not "tell the government to love thy neighbour because thee are too lazy to get out of thy chair". Chris Curtis, Hurstbridge THE FORUM Try living in a camp

Does Peter Dutton know who he is talking about when he vilifies the Sudanese people? Having worked in Darfour  and seen displaced families living in camps with only a sheet of plastic to shelter them from the cruel heat, children lining up for hours to get the minimal amount of water needed for their parents to share out, and children dying from malnutrition  I have a different view. Mr Dutton, I dare you to you spend even a week under plastic in one of these camps before you continue your racist criticism regarding the behaviour of the luckiest of these Sudanese who have survived. Would you be running out cheerfully to greet the white aid workers who have everything, and who can pack up and return to luxury, or would you be frightened to leave your plastic at night because you decided your neighbour's skin was darker than yours? Belinda King, South Melbourne Gross generalisations I work in a community-based setting with young people, many of African descent. We need to focus on the systemic racism experienced by this group  racial profiling, unfair treatment, exclusion in educational and employment settings  rather than scapegoating communities and perpetuating divisiveness.

As a colonised nation, Australia has a poor track record and immense discomfort with recognising and addressing such areas. Until we peel back the layers, it is impossible to achieve fair and equitable outcomes for all Australians. Fearmongering is a common tactic deployed in election campaigns. Let us not succumb to such gross and simplistic representations. Annabel Darbyshire, Collingwood Work with communities As a South African immigrant to Australia, it is with a sore heart that I am witness to Peter Dutton's racism. There is no doubt there are violent criminals who emanate from Sudanese and Somalian communities, and they should be prosecuted with the full might of the law. There is no excuse for thuggery, regardless of your background or circumstance. That said, violent criminals emanate from all communities. The way to deal with this is to focus on the thugs, work positively with the communities  who, generally, are victims of the thuggery themselves  and refrain from racist political posturing. Gangs of predominantly Sudanese/Somalian youth are not criminals because their parents came from Somalia/Sudan.

Elise Margow, Caulfield South Following Howard's lead It really is a poor state of affairs when politicians feel the need to rule with fear and divisive language. If Peter Dutton were standing by the water cooler in any workplace spouting this crap, would be hauled straight into the HR department. So tell me, why is it acceptable in politics? If the only way you can gather a few more votes is by inciting fear, Peter Dutton, you are in trouble. Oh, wait, don't tell me you actually believe this stuff? I feel an election landslide coming on. Ginny West, Jan Juc

Voting with their feet In my area, white-skinned people have been showing how they feel about stupid remarks by Peter Dutton and Malcolm Turnbull by eating out at local Somali, Ethiopian and Abyssinian cafes, to the extent that we had to queue outside our favourite one this week. Nobody seemed to be scared. David Muir, Kensington Face the world, Minister Peter Dutton, in the next 10 days, I will be out for dinner in three different suburbs, will have coffee in another suburb and will go to the theatre in the city  all by public transport and walking. You need to get out more, like Melburnians are doing, without fear, every day.

Kerry Lewis, Williamstown Look to the statistics Of course, "more crime is committed in Victoria by Australian-born and "white" offenders", Katharine Spencer (Letters, 3/1). This is because there are far fewer African youths in Victoria. However, what is relevant is that "people of Sudanese backgrounds are over-represented in crime statistics" (The Age, 5/1). Tony O'Brien, South Melbourne Governance, not racism

It is ironic that when MPs cannot really subscribe to Pauline Hanson's racist rhetoric, they do the next best thing: bleat on about race violence on our streets. Odd, though. I frequently travel, as do my friends, on public transport, and walk the streets and eat in cafes on my own. No Africans have rushed in and threatened to smash up the places. We have had one attempted break-in to our property in 33 years and we saw the perpetrators: young white males. This is an attempt to stitch-up the Victorian government, but why? Is it because it is doing something to assist its citizens? Dreadful things like removing railway crossings, building schools, introducing assisted dying laws and community inclusivity programmes. Enough self-righteous rage, Peter Dutton. Just get on with real governance. Paulette Gittins, South Yarra Pushing our buttons The Prime Minister knows xenophobia is endemic in the community. Like his predecessors, John Howard and Tony Abbott, he also knows if you press the right buttons, you can change xenophobia into outright racism and gain a huge advantage at the ballot box. Hence his pressing these buttons during the Bennelong byelection with respect to asylum seekers on Manus, and now with respect to the Sudanese community in Melbourne.

John Uren, Blackburn A lack of statesmen? For several years, thinking Australians have vainly pined for some good federal government, as the polls attest. Now, Peter Dutton, stepping outside of both his areas of responsibility and enlightened knowledge, brings their hopes crashing down yet again. The term politician has become a pejorative description. We crave statesmen but, regrettably, we keep getting politicians. Mr Dutton's comments, with no intent but to harm the image of a state government he does not like, have the additional effect of increasing the very fear that he cites. There is certainly a need for effective action against the gangs he alludes to, and the evidence is that progress is being made. But his formula is to make young criminals into hardened recidivist ones. I swear that he frightens me. Peter Wigney, Pakenham

Why so long to act? This weak state government has known about the rise of African gangs for several years, and has done little. As soon as Malcolm Turnbull jumps in, all of a sudden there is a problem and Police Minister Lisa Neville know how to fix it. The inhumane actions of this government with this issue, and others, is the only thing it will be remembered for. Peter Lesuey, Kennington Listen to the people It is outrageous that the state government failed to consult with Melbourne City Council (other than Councillor Robert Doyle) or the community before signing off on the gross commercialisation of our primary gathering space (The Age, 5/1). The Apple store will overwhelm the civic and cultural use of Federation Square, which was always to be its primary intent. We can only hope that the state government acknowledges the broad community concern and abandons the deal.

Gary Bateman, North Melbourne Second-class citizens The shortest definition of democracy is "a system of government by the whole population". Yet 77,000 residents who have signed online petitions opposing the Apple development in Federation Square are being ignored. Our lot as lowly citizens is relegated to paying ever-increasing rates and taxes, and putting up with what the "government" decides to do. Moreover, developments are now notoriously planned in secret and presented to the community as a fait accompli. While we spend months in frustrating planning procedures for minor alterations to our properties, the "government" is exempt from such mundane requirements. When in this instance even the Planning Minister remains unheard, the mind boggles. Uschi Felix, South Melbourne

Surely not false news? Michael Wolff's fascinating new book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, is filled with "false and misleading accounts", according to the White House press secretary. Well, aren't these just "alternative facts"? Catherine Miller, Mont Albert Time to get real on tax Perhaps while they are sailing off Sorrento, our corporate leaders could search for a moral compass. Calling for tax cuts when many companies pay no tax, and the average rate is close to 20per cent, may be legal but it is not moral. Where is the evidence for our tax rate being a disincentive for investment when income can be sent offshore and little, if any, tax paid here? Where is the evidence that the "trickle down effect" will reduce wealth and income inequality?

Ian Coles, Anglesea RIP, my dear ABC First, Red Symons. Now Gerard Whateley. Waleed Aly is but a distant memory. Intelligence is seeping from the ABC and we are the poorer for it. The erudite have left the building and I am bereft. Kat Perdriau, Yarraville AND ANOTHER THING

Trump and Kim I presume this is the usual male contest about whose belly button is bigger. John Hensler, Tesbury Your button or mine?

Rod Matthews, Fairfield Beware the small hand on the big button. Robert Forbes, Camberwell Why describe Murdoch's calling Trump "a f---ing idiot" as a "bombshell"? He only stated the obvious. Jane Conway, Moonee Ponds

Gangs Malcolm Fraser would turn in his grave over Turnbull's demonisation of African Australians. Liz Robson, Port Melbourne People "scared to go out"? Who are they? I'm more scared of the mad drivers on our roads. Lye Weng Lee, Glen Waverley

Peter, I'm very afraid of what will come out of your mouth next. Phil Quinn, Williamstown Mr Dutton, the people of Victoria don't want a bar of your racist rhetoric. Gloria Meltzer, Chewton If you see Dutton in the street, run to safety.

Dean Wotherspoon, Northcote When Dutton and his gang are there, I'm afraid to go to Canberra. John Wood, Surrey Hills Dutton's memo to self: "Done refugees to death. Find something new for 2018". Giuseppe Corda, Aspendale

Furthermore Steve Trumble (2/1), life would be easier if pedestrians kept to the left of the footpath. Fat chance of that happening. Christine Hurwood, Newport Will an increase in tax on draught beer (4/1) pass the pub test? Bryan Fraser, St Kilda

As a regular tram traveller, I'm looking forward to the "passenger experience regime" (4/1). It sounds exciting. Ian Singleton, Melbourne To the ABC: if you won't bring back Red Symons, please retain David Astle. Richard Sykes, Bell Park The Apple in the Garden of Eden?
All smiles now: SA Premier Jay Weatherill tours the new Tesla battery site at the start of December. Credit:AAP "It appears to be far exceeding expectations," the LA Times trumpeted. "In the last three weeks alone, the Hornsdale Power Reserve [as the battery is known] has smoothed out at least two major energy outages, responding even more quickly than the coal-fired back-ups that were supposed to provide emergency power." 'Lumbering coal' The concept of the battery beating out coal-fired power was a key part of the story, prompted by an article on the RenewEconomy website, headlined: "Tesla big battery outsmarts lumbering coal units after Loy Yang trips". Hazelwood Power Station in Victoria closed in March 2017, with more coal-fired plant closures to come. Credit:Pat Scala

"By the time that the contracted Gladstone coal unit had gotten out of bed and put its socks on so it can inject more into the grid  it is paid to respond in six seconds  the fall in frequency had already been arrested and was being reversed," the report said. As impressive as it seemed, the reality, though, was probably more prosaic. Analysis by Dylan McConnell, a researcher at Melbourne University's Climate & Energy College, found each of Gladstone's six units increased output and had supplied 12.7 MW of the shortfall before the battery "had done anything". It also appears that at least for the Loy Yang unit tripping on December 14, the battery was not "enabled" in the back-up market for Frequency Control Ancillary Services (FCAS). In other words, the battery operators probably weren't paid for that intervention.

'Outstanding' While the hype rings a bit hollow in that instance, there's no doubt the battery has been making a difference, responding to four coal generator trips in December alone. Franck Woitiez, managing director at Neoen  the French operator of the battery  told Fairfax Media its performance had been "outstanding". (Tesla, as is its wont, declined to comment.) "We are very proud of the battery performance throughout December and the start of January," Mr Woitiez said, adding the company had received "quite a few inquiries" about its operations. Critics have quibbled at the battery's size, highlighting that alone it could only supply perhaps 30,000 homes for an hour or so, at a cost guessed at $US50 million ($64 million).

But such figures ignore the many benefits  including supporting the security of the grid  that are only beginning to be understood. "The battery has been dispatched on multiple occasions for both energy and FCAS," a spokesman for the the Australian Energy Market Operator tells Fairfax. For December, "the battery was dispatched for energy on over 380 separate five-minute dispatch intervals, and enabled on over 4600 separate dispatch intervals in one or more FCAS markets", he said. 'Significant' savings The SA government also spruiks the benefits.

"It is difficult to determine price trends at this early stage, however the battery has been active in the Raise and Lower Regulation Frequency Control and Ancillary Services [R-FCAS] markets since commissioning," a SA government spokesman tells Fairfax. "The cost of Raise and Lower R-FCAS in SA in December 2016 was $502,320, compared with just $39,661 in December 2017, following the operation of the battery," he said. "In recent times FCAS services have cost South Australians about $50 million each year," he says. "The battery is expected to significantly reduce the cost." According to Mr McConnell, the battery dispatched about 2.5 gigawatt-hours of electricity while consuming about 3 gigawatt-hours, representing a round-trip efficiency of about 80 per cent. "The performance to date has been very impressive. It's ramp-up from zero output to maximum in seconds (or less) is something that we haven't seen in the electricity market before," Mr McConnell said, noting the current fleet of "fast start" units take five to 10 minutes to synchronise to the grid and start providing power.

Cases of the Tesla battery responding without being "enabled" could also be part of its testing, and there may also be arrangements with the SA government separate from the FCAS market, he said. Victoria moves too A smaller 20-MW battery deal signed with last week between Neoen and the Victorian government  again using Tesla  will provide similar benefits to Victoria when it comes online in mid-2019. The site, next to a wind farm near the western Victorian town of Stawell, could be the first of perhaps a dozen or more battery and storage ventures in the pipeline, according to the Smart Energy Council. "What we're seeing in South Australia and in Victoria is really the tip of the iceberg for projects that will be coming along," John Grimes, the head of the council, said.

Bruce Mountain, director of Carbon and Energy Markets, a consultancy, said the battery is already proving its worth with the full implications still to come. "The biggest single source of insecurity to the power system is a trip of a major coal thermal generator unit simply because they are so large  [it's] not the wind or the sun, or people switching on their airconditioners," he says. Batteries are also useful in taking up excessive supply should demand suddenly drop, affecting the frequency of the grid on the upside. "In the olden days, this was simply sent out to large heatloads, which would just heat up, and waste all the energy into the air," he said. Slowing down progress

The arrival of batteries and other storage that can be immediately released has exposed flaws in the existing market. One issue remains the fact generators supply at five-minute intervals that are priced on the average over half an hour, with an alignment of the two not due to kick in for years. "Bringing the settlement period in line with the trading period, which will come from 2021, will be a major step in allowing batteries to compete effectively and get their full value," Mountain said. That delayed implementation is "symptomatic" of how the industry, including regulators, continues to be dominated by major, centralised operators, he said. (AGL, Energy Australia and Origin Energy are the three biggest so-called gentailers, combining generation and energy retailing.) "They do all they can to slow down progress and ensure the market compensation mechanisms don't suit them," Mountain said. "And the energy market authorities have generally been in their pockets." The power industry has been struggling for years as ageing coal-fired power plants close and shifting federal and state policies have created busts and booms in renewable energy. Troubles included South Australia and its 1.7 million residents being hit by a blackout following a storm in September 2016 and NSW narrowly dodging major forced outages during a heatwave in February 2017.

Snow job Mountain is scathing of the federal government's response, not least its promotion of the Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro scheme as a way to support the grid. By his estimates, it will need 1.8 megawatt-hours to generate each MW-hour of storage for the proposed scheme that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has touted as one of his government's major responses to the nation's energy crunch. "There is no doubt at all that the revenues it will produce won't compensate the capital costs," Mountain says, estimating it would take as much as a decade to build and balloon out to $8 billion  or four times Turnbull's initial estimate. "It took them a couple of months to build Musk's battery, which is essentially a white good that you plug and play," he said.
The crowd showed a disposition to rush in upon the surf club members who had manned the reels. Surf club officials acted with extraordinary promptness and foresight. They established a ring of lifesavers who could be spared, and volunteers to keep back the crowds. Lifesavers rescue swimmers on Black Sunday, February 6, 1938. Credit:North Bondi SLSC When the magnitude of the rescue work became evident, they called for doctors. Many responded, two of them in bathing costumes Oxygen apparatus and medical supplies provided by ambulances and those doctors who carried their own kit, were set out on the beach, and in the surf club premises. There were poignant scenes on the beach as swimmers were brought ashore, many of them unconscious. There was no means of identifying them, and hundreds of people, fearing that friends or relatives were among the rescued, were frantic with anxiety. The work of artificial respiration was carried on almost without cessation, doctors giving injections, and administering oxygen when this was necessary. Australian Surf Life Saving Championships Bondi Beach 1935. Credit:Fairfax Media

Rescuers' accounts Rescuers afterwards gave vivid accounts of the scenes in the water. They agreed that the seas were among the worst they had known. Carl Jeppeson, captain of the club, was asked to give the names of men whose work in the surf had distinguished them. Crowds sunbathing and swimming at Bondi Beach, Sydney, ca. 1930's. Credit:Fairfax Archive The men were crying like girls, shrieking with terror and shouting wildly for help. On the other hand, the girls were calm, and seemed to wait quietly, keeping above water as best they could, until they were rescued.

Jeppeson, who was one of the chief rescuers, said that it was impossible to mention individuals, so many were the acts of heroism. "Everyone did his job. All the men who were on the beach went straight into the water and started swimming towards the helpless people," he said. "There were at least 200 people in trouble at the same time. We saw a succession of three huge waves, and then out went the people. We were preparing to start a surf race, with three teams of 15 each ; the relieving patrol was just about to take over from the patrol which had been on the beach. "But for the fact that there were so many lifesavers on the beach, many more would have been drowned," Jeppeson added. "As it was, there were about 70 lifesavers on the beach, and they all went in at once. There were seven reels out, but most of us had to go in without a line. Many went out on surf floats, and these proved valuable, for as many as five people were able to hang on to them and keep their heads above water. A surf ski which went out tipped over, but seven people were able to cling to it, and were dragged ashore. 'Sinking all round' "It is hard to look back now on what it was like out there in that surf," Jeppeson said, and many of his companions who were around him agreed. "They were sinking all round us. We were doing our best to hold them up, to get them to surf floats, and to stop their panic.

"It was our 'Black Sunday,' " Jeppeson added. "The club has been in existence for 30 years, and these are the first deaths since we have had patrols on the beach." The rescuers all agreed that one of the most amazing features of the tragedy, and one which would remain always in their minds, was the extraordinary panic among the men, and the comparative calmness of the women. "The men were crying like girls, shrieking with terror and shouting wildly for help," one of the rescuers said. "On the other hand, the girls were calm, and seemed to wait quietly, keeping above water as best they could, until they were rescued." One of the most extraordinary features of the tragedy was that nearly all the women who were in difficulties remained calm, whereas men screamed and begged to be saved. Many of the beltmen were seized by men they had gone to rescue, and two of them Arthur Elm, of Burwood Road, Enfield, and Clem Walsh, of Lamrock Avenue, Bondi, were almost drowned through being dragged under water.

Elm said that when he reached a group who were among those farthest out from shore five men seized him and refused to let go. "Some of the men seemed to go mad," he said. "I was trying to take the belt to a youngster who was right out but I didn't get the chance. As I went by, dozens yelled for help and tried to grab me. I told them to hang on to the rope as soon as I had got it out, but they didn't wait. They made for me. "I didn't think I had a chance when they all came at me. One grabbed me round the neck, two others caught me by one arm, another held me round the waist, and another one seized my leg. I hit the man who had me round the neck. I managed to get in on his chin, and he let go. I had to do it. But for that I would have been drowned myself, and some of the others too. I know that scores of us went back to the beach on the line but I can't remember much about that part of it." Surfer missing Mrs. Michael Taylor, of Goodchap Street, Surry Hills, last night identified clothing which had remained unclaimed at Bondi dressing shed as that of her husband.

Mr. Taylor left his home about 1.30 p.m with his son Jack, aged 13 years, to swim at Bondi. About 2.30, his son left him on the beach, but returned to the shed about 5.15p.m. His father was not there, and he took some money from a pocket of his father's clothing and returned to his home. Later in the evening, Mrs. Taylor heard a broadcast announcement about clothes having been left at the sheds unclaimed. She got in touch with the Bondi police, and identified the clothes left in the shed as those of her husband. Mrs. Taylor told the police that her husband suffered at times from loss of memory, and thought that it was possible that he might have suffered a recurrence of the trouble. Mr. Taylor's description is as follows : About 45 years of age, 5ft 10in in height, medium build, fair hair, blue eyes, clean shaven, a gash on the forehead over the right eye. When he entered the water he was wearing a red costume. Throughout last night the Bondi police received many inquiries from the relatives of persons who had not returned to their homes at the customary time.

The police believe that most of the inquiries were prompted by the news of the tragedy, which spread rapidly, and that people consequently became over anxious about their relatives. American doctor's praise Police and patrol men paid a particular tribute to Dr. Marshall W. Dyer, an American who happened to be taking some moving pictures of the surf at Bondi. They said that Dr. Dyer had rendered wonderful service, both in helping with the resuscitation, and also in keeping back the crowd, and generally helping to keep matters balanced, and preventing what might have become a general panic, if the public had swarmed on to that part of the beach on which the rescued people were lying. "I have never seen, and I never expect to see again, such magnificent work as was done by those lifesavers," said Dr. Dyer. "It is the most incredible work of love in the world," Dr. Dyer said. "Just imagine those men all going into the water without a moment's hesitation, risking their lives, and all for love. In America all our lifesavers are paid, except a few students, who during their vacations do voluntary work on the inland lakes without pay," Dr. Dyer said. "Yesterday's rescue was the most amazing I have ever seen.

"It was a scene which I shall never forget," Dr. Dyer said, "and when I get back to the United States I will tell them about your magnificent surf men. There are no men like them in the world." Treacherous surf Experienced surfers who had swum for years at Bondi said that yesterday's was, at the very best, a "tricky" surf. One noted surfer described it as "too tough for me." "It was a peculiar surf," said Mr. S. Platt, a well-known Bondi surfer. "People who understand surfing could handle it all right. The waves were fairly ordinary dumping ones, with a heavy curling crest on them. They were the sort one has either to dive under or sink down to the bottom until they passed. "There seemed to be a terrific tow or backlash to the waves," Mr. Platt said. "Many people who were not strong surfers would be carried out in about two yards by the broken dumpers, and would then be carried out farther than the wave had taken them in. It was definitely a queer surf, and one for strong swimmers."

'Swept out like debris' "The whole thing was so tragically sudden that one hardly knows what happened," said Mr. Alfred Scott Muir, of Hampton Court, King's Cross, who was one of the rescued surfers. "I was on a sandbank with the water up to my waist when I remarked to another surfer that I was thinking of leaving the water. The water seemed to be pulling us out. Shortly afterwards there was a huge backwash from the shore, and it crashed into an oncoming wave. There was a terrific impact, and we were all taken out probably 100 yards seaward, and all of us were struggling in deep water. We were swept out like debris. "The life-savers did marvellous work," he added. The casualty list The known dead are:

Bernard Fred Byrne, 34, property officer, employed by Tooth and Co., Ltd., of Parker Avenue, Earlwood. Ronald McGregor, 21, radio mechanic, of Studley Flats, Ramsgate Avenue, Bondi. Leslie Potter, about 19, of Waratah Avenue, Bondi. Charles Leonard Saur, about 53, also known as Sweet. Last known address was William Street, Darlinghurst. One man is missing. He is Michael Taylor, Goodchap Street, Surry Hills.

Those admitted to hospital were: Leonard Mitchell, 30, of Hamilton Street, Rose Bay suffering from immersion. James Mooney, 30, of Railway Street, Petersham abrasions and shock. Dozens of others were unconscious when brought ashore but recovered quickly after treatment. Loading There has been no similar tragedy in Sydney for nearly thirty years, and none of this magnitude since the system of voluntary surf patrols was instituted.
A crackdown on people who fail to vote at council elections disproportionately hurts people with insecure housing or psychiatric problems and is weighing down the legal system, lawyers say.

Victoria Legal Aid said its telephone service, Legal Help, was experiencing greater calls for help in relation to people being sent to court for failing to vote at council elections.

There has been a crackdown on people failing to vote in council elections. Credit:Chris Hopkins CNH

Its program manager for summary crime, Kate Bundrock, said: "We know that minor matters, like the enforcement of fines, are one of the factors clogging up the justice system, and taking up time and resources in the Magistrates Court.

"The fines issued for failing to vote are a good example of the sort of measures which should be kept out of court."
Rivers and creeks in Melbourne's west deserve the sort of planning and environmental protections given to the Yarra, a campaign launched by environmental, legal and local river groups says.

The Rivers of the West campaign, which is being co-ordinated by legal group Environmental Justice Australia, wants similar tough planning rules to those brought in last year to protect the Yarra from inappropriate development.

Lawyer Bruce Lindsay, of Environmental Justice Australia will help co-ordinate a campaign for the rivers of the west. Credit:Justin McManus

"We want to shift these rivers from industrial drains to well-functioning waterways," said lawyer Bruce Lindsay, of Environmental Justice Australia.

The campaign wants to replicate the protections granted along the length of the Yarra in 2017 under the Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Act.
"Her husband had a heart attack Christmas Eve, and he's in intensive care," Paul said. "She begged them not to take her iPad because that's her connection to her husband." After the youths left, the woman staggered out of the house and contacted neighbours, who eventually called Paul and Samantha. The couple spent Friday mopping up a trail of blood and blocking over the smashed glass door. "These cops I spoke to this morning, they are frustrated," Samantha said. "I said 'I feel sorry for you guys, you do all the hard work, and it gets to the next level, and there is no consequences'."

She said the police officers agreed with her. "I just don't know how they can bluntly come into people's homes and grab onto things that aren't even theirs. They don't realise the impact they have on your spirit and the way you feel. I feel unsafe, I feel scared for my kids." The Age understands police have taken CCTV footage from a nearby house, as well as fingerprints from the crime scene. The attack was part of a violent crime spree in Melbourne's west, including home invasions and assaults, that police described as "thuggish and abhorrent". A second home invasion took place about 12.45am on Friday in Coleridge Drive, Delahey.

An 18-year-old victim of the home invasion said he was returning home from work when he found three young men trying to smash their way through his front door as he pulled into the driveway. He said the men broke the glass panel next to the door. The noise alerted the victim's dad who armed himself with a baseball bat. "He just started hitting their hands with the baseball bat so they couldn't undo the lock," the teenager said. "But as soon as I got there, they saw the headlights of the car, and they just started running I think they thought I was the cops or something." The father, who did not want to be identified, said one of the men got into the house through the garage door and stole a mobile phone before fleeing. Two more at the front door were screaming "come out here, we're going to kill you". "My wife was already in bed and she didn't know what was happening," he said. "I thought they were going to kill me, I just kept hitting them with the bat then my son got home. We feel really scared to be here now."



The teenager said his 25-year-old brother and mother were also inside during the attack and the family would be installing security cameras this weekend.

"We're all pretty shaken up and tired," he said. "It's made us feel like we aren't even safe in our own home." The teenager said the three young men fled in a getaway car. The number of young men involved in the home invasions is yet to be determined. Victoria Police Commander for the north-west metro region Russell Barrett said all the victims had described the offenders as of "African appearance". Commander Barrett said it was too early to determine whether one group was responsible for the crime spree, however, it was likely given the crimes were committed within a few kilometres of each other. Other residents in Coleridge Drive say they're living in fear, with cars and houses regularly broken into.

One resident, Samuel Momo, said his family no longer parked their cars on the street after his dad's car was broken into a number of times last year. Mr Momo said he wasn't shocked by the home invasions in his neighbourhood. "There was a gun shooting across the road from our house a few years back," Mr Momo said. "It's almost like the norm here. I don't think it's a recent thing either, there's always been a fair bit of crime. We keep the house locked up at night. Even if it's a hot night, we might open a window to let a bit of air in but we turn off all the lights so nobody can see in." Another resident said he stepped out the front of his house last week to see his mum's car has been "kicked in".

"The windscreen was smashed, there was glass everywhere," he said. "It's a pretty common occurrence. At one stage it was happening about twice a week. Other times cars speeding down the street have ploughed straight into houses." The man who has lived in the neighbourhood for seven years said while he felt there had always been an element of crime in the area, he had noticed an increased presence of teenagers on the streets at night in recent months. "I see mobs of youth walking down the street at night a lot," he said. "Sometimes they're not doing anything too suss from what I can see, but they're always loud and they walk together in big groups, which would be intimidating for anyone walking down the street." Another resident who also did not want to be named said she never opened her windows or doors and kept her car inside her garage at all times. "To be honest I don't feel safe to do that anymore," she said.
Victorians should cancel outdoor activities during extreme heat on Saturday, authorities say, as emergency services roster on more paramedics for what is expected to be the hottest day in two years.

The advice comes as authorities are also bracing for an extreme fire risk, with strong northerly winds set to whip the state as temperatures climb to near-record levels.

Temperatures are expected to soar to 44 degrees in some parts of the state, with Melbourne predicted to reach a maximum of 42 degrees.

The burst of hot weather has already started to affect the state, with a 10 kilometre stretch of road on the Hume Freeway melting due to warm temperatures.
All but one of the nine travellers who landed in hospital after a mass drug overdose on Tuesday night could face hefty medical bills.

Paramedics called to a house on Colombo Street, Victoria Park around 11pm found the seven men and two women violently ill.

One man returned home with an electrode still attached. Credit:9 News Perth.

They arrived at emergency departments across Perth in a state of delirium, with soaring body temperatures doctors said would have killed the worst affected had they not got to hospital in time.

Six have been discharged but three remain in critical condition, two men in Royal Perth and one woman in Sir Charles Gairdner.
Judge Moore wasn't a natural campaigner, a particularly polished interviewee or an experienced fundraiser, but these are not necessary for a Republican to win in conservative Alabama. What Judge Moore did have is an impeccable record of Christian character, his Viet Nam military service after a West point graduation, and a history of courageous stands for conservative and constitutional issues in his state. This should have been more than enough for a landslide victory. But as revealed post-election, the major news of the campaign -- the GOP subterfuge and slander -- was and is still totally ignored by both the liberal and the conservative press. This was effective in suppressing the Republican turnout in Alabama in comparison with other general recent elections.

Condemnation of Moore by GOP Establishment



The GOP leadership did not hide their dislike for Moore or their involvement to destroy his candidacy. They announced openly what they were going to do in case Moore won and how they were going to keep him out of the Senate. Unprecedented in modern politics is the concerted effort of fellow Republicans to take down Judge Moore. In the 1964 presidential election when Nelson Rockefeller, George Romney and the GOP Establishment abandoned Barry Goldwater, they didnt stoop to planting false sexual assault charges against him but withdrew their support and let him die politically.

Alabama Senator Richard Shelby did the unthinkable working to elect a liberal, socialist, pro-abortion Democrat over a solid conservative in concert with other GOP Establishment members who were willing to jeopardize the Supreme Court and the whole Trump agenda because they didnt like Moores Christianity and brand of conservatism. Extremely disappointing was the widespread abandonment of Judge Moore by his fellow evangelical Christian leaders. Many leaders stayed silent while others felt they had to add to the condemnation of Moore.

Rev. Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminar and Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, both outspoken and unrepentant Never-Trumpers, piled on with the Establishment to attacked Moore. They have done an enormous disservice to the Church by attacking Judge Moore and unknowingly have paved the way for Establishment forces to continue their strategy to defame them and other Christian leaders using dishonest charges with impunity.

Moore's post-election complaint over voter fraud

Roy Moore's lawsuit concerning election fraud was dismissed Thursday, December 28, 2017, by a Democratic judge, on jurisdictional grounds (!) without ever reaching its merits. See here the Notice of Electronic Filing in the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Alabama, filed on 12/27/2017 10:33:34 PM - ROY S. MOORE ET AL V. JOHN HAROLD MERRILL SECRETARY ET AL - 03-CV-2017-902015.00.

Moore's lawsuit provides a useful road-map, however, of how Democrats steal elections, and how to push back and expose election fraud with statistical analysis. In addition to implausibly high turnout in the late-reporting Jefferson County, there were 20 anomalous, late-reporting Republican-majority precincts that had results vastly different from the overall voting pattern. There were several precincts with strangely high numbers against Moore when neighboring precincts stayed within the expected margin. These "funky" numbers, of course, were all swept under the rug by the media and the Democrats.

Allegations Without Substance

Noteworthy is that none of the news reports rebutted any of the substance of Roy Moore's voter fraud lawsuit. When reporting on election fraud Fox News commentators, such as J. Christian Adams, criticized Moore's allegations without rebutting their substance. It becomes difficult to deny that some fraud didn't occurred in the Alabama election, where the liberal candidate did 4 points better than independent polling, which is nearly unheard of. Experts taking a detailed look at the election patterns did conclude there was fraud.

Moore's defeat represented a loss of a conservative Republican vote in the Senate and an emboldened Democratic machine planning to repeat its tricks and stunts in the upcoming midterm elections. Moore, however, was the first candidate to fight back against real election fraud, which is more than merely a few hundred or few thousand votes that election fraud organizations spend all their time focusing on.

McConnell vs Bannon

But it isn't only the emboldened Democrats machine that conservative will face in the upcoming midterm elections. A week after trashing Moore's candidacy, Mitch McConnell moved on to his great nemesis, Steve Bannon, mocking him with this comment:

The political genius [Bannon] on display throwing away a seat in the reddest state in America is hard to ignore. McConnells new tactic is inspired from the Joseph Goebbels school of disinformation, Accuse the other side of that which you are guilty of.

McConnells revealed by taking on Bannon that there is is now an on-going battle over who will control the future of the Republican Party. Will it be the old GOP Establishment wing led by Rove, McConnell and Ryan or the new populist America First movement of Trump and Bannon. In light of the recent dust-up between Bannon and Trump, where Bannon was quoted in a new book disparaging the presidents children, asserting that Donald Trump Jr. had been treasonous in meeting with Russians and calling Ivanka Trump dumb as a brick," the new populist First movement no longer includes Bannon.

McConnell and the Republican Establishment have their political infrastructure, the House and Senate leadership, donor lists, D.C. offices, think tanks and friends in the press. Their political vision is one of globalism and is driven by personal greed and lust for power as they plan to raise up more Establishment recruits like McCain, Flake, and Corker; hence, the Establishment has all at its disposal to succeed except what propels Trump's new populist conservative movement: THE PEOPLE.

The mid-term elections in 2018 are going to be a tough battle. But at least statistical scrutiny of election results has begun, as a way of deterring and exposing future fraud. More scrutiny, not less, is needed of elections or the upcoming midterms are going to be extremely disappointing.

Moore must serve as a wake-up call to conservatives. We absolutely must defend our majorities in both the House and Senate. Democrats will be on the move with all sorts of dirty and unethical tricks and the Republican Establishment will put its money and support behind status quo Republicans who will advance their policies, not Trump's

Trump Post Bannon?

Bannon in the past has functioned as something of a mascot for Trumpism, both in terms of personality and policy. Neither Bannonism nor Trumpism ever really conformed to any strain of traditional conservatism, but they intersected with each other in important ways.

As Trump's base is made up of people with whom Trump's appeal is primarily personality-based or policy-based it isn't likely Trump's base will desert Trump, but it will continue to support Trump on the basis of his drain-the-swamp, anti-establishment attitude as long as Trump says firm in keeping his campaign promises
An elderly man has been hospitalised after an alleged would-be-thief tried to prise his gold necklace from him as he was shopping in Victoria Park on Wednesday.

The incident happened at a store along Albany Highway about 10.15am.

The elderly man was attacked while shopping in Victoria Park. Credit:Georgia Matts

The 82-year-old man was shopping when police claimed a 22-year-old man approached him and attempted to steal a gold necklace from him.

The younger man was unsuccessful, but as a result of the altercation the elderly man fell to the ground and received several injuries.
Washington: If President Donald Trump would actually sue Steve Bannon for violating a nondisclosure agreement made with his campaign, it would be great for the freedom of speech.

That may sound strange, because Trump's threatened lawsuit is precisely aimed to silence Bannon and other potential leakers who worked on the campaign. Bannon has been extensively quoted in excerpts published this week from the journalist Michael Wolff's new book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.

But Trump's suit would almost certainly fail, and that's why it would serve free speech. Faced with an attempt to suppress speech that is so plainly of public importance and interest, a judge would have little choice but to conclude that the First Amendment disallows enforcement of an NDA made with a presidential campaign. The legal precedent created - and publicity it received - would be a blow to the bullying use of the courts to silence speech and a boon to free expression.

Start with Trump's threat. His lawyer, Charles Harder - who successfully represented Hulk Hogan in his invasion of privacy suit against the website Gawker - wrote to Bannon on Wednesday that he had breached his NDA with the Trump campaign by "communicating with author Michael Wolff about Mr. Trump, his family members, and the Company, disclosing Confidential Information to Mr Wolff, and making disparaging statements and in some cases outright defamatory statements to Mr. Wolff about Mr Trump, his family members, and the Company."
Jason Jennings, president of the Baylor Scott and White College Station region, is set to become the newest member of the Blinn College board of trustees.

Jennings, who was appointed by Brazos County commissioners this week, will replace former fellow Baylor Scott and White employee Tammy Spohn, who accepted a job in Oregon and announced her departure from the board last fall.

Jennings said the opportunity to serve as one of Brazos County's two representatives on the Blinn board is an exciting responsibility.

"I think the future of Blinn is so bright with the RELLIS Campus and the future growth," Jennings said. "I love this community and while healthcare is so important, I would say education is even more important. We need strong education from not just Blinn, but also Texas A&M and the Bryan and College Station [school districts]."

Most of all, Jennings said he hopes to provide continuing support to the "great work that's already coming forward" and to offer his insights, specifically on healthcare education programs, moving forward.

Brazos County Judge Duane Peters said he believes Jennings, like Spohn, will prove to be a valuable trustee and provide the Blinn board with a beneficial perspective as a member of the healthcare industry.

"I think he's going to do a great job," Peters said. "[Spohn] really brought something to the board that it hadn't had before... I think [Jennings] will continue to help the Blinn board in making some of the decisions related to health education and workforce classes."

Blinn board Chair Charles Moser said in a statement he too believes Jennings' knowledge of the healthcare industry will be "invaluable" as the college continues to "grow and develop programs for our students and the health-related entities of the Brazos Valley."

Peters said Jennings was one of two eligible applicants to show interest in the position. College Station city councilman John Nichols, who was elected to the seat in November, also applied for the position. However, Peters said the commissioners decided it would be best not to have a sitting city official serve on the board -- a decision he said was informed by a previous opinion from the office of the Texas Attorney General that required former College Station Mayor Nancy Berry to relinquish her spot on the Blinn board of trustees after she became a Brazos County commissioner.

Jennings will participate in his first meeting of the Blinn board later this month. He said he holds great respect for Blinn and looks forward to serving the institution that played an "instrumental part" in his own education at Texas A&M University.

"I'm selective in what I choose to serve on and it's a great honor to be able to be a part of a fine institute under Chancellor [Mary] Hensley's leadership," Jennings said.
Former Bryan Superintendent Tommy Wallis has until mid-January to contest the release of documents related to his forced resignation from the school district.

Wallis has been fighting the release of such documents, arguing through lawyers that the documents pertain to performance reviews and therefore it's his right to keep them private. A district judge ruled Dec. 20 that the Bryan school administration must release some documents related to Wallis, but not all the materials requested by local media under the Texas Public Information Act when Wallis first left.

Wallis has until Jan. 19 to appeal the decision. Bryan schools will not release the documents until then.

Wallis' lawyers have not returned requests for comment. Both the Attorney General's Office and Harry Wright, Bryan ISD's lawyer, have declined to comment, citing the possibility that Wallis might contest the ruling.
PITTSBURGH (AP)  One of the traditional highlights of an English Christmas is the plum pudding served at the end of the meal - dense, rich, and dripping with rum butter or other boozey glaze.

It used to be a standard in Pittsburgh as well, if the recipes in the old cookbooks in the Heinz History Center archives are any indication, and it merits a return.

But first, some clarification. Jell-O brand forever altered Americans' sense of what is "pudding." The gloopy stuff we tend to think of would traditionally have been considered a custard. "Pudding" before the the advent of add-milk-and-stir was a combination of fruits, sugar, eggs, fat and spice with just enough bread or flour to hold it all together. There were many variations, but the English plum pudding, also known as Christmas Pudding, was the richest.

Charles Dickens immortalized the Christmas pudding in "A Christmas Carol." In Victorian England - because each of the pudding's many ingredients could be sourced from various of the far-flung dominions - there was an explicit effort to make it a symbol of the Empire itself. But the pudding's ancestry is solidly Medieval, the age of stone castles and armored knights, when bread crumbs were the common thickening, when meats and fruits were often combined, and when spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon were like our champagne and caviar: high-priced luxuries denoting wealth and status. Never forget: Columbus discovered America because he was in search of cloves.

The PG tested three recipes for Christmas pudding: two from Pittsburgh in the 1890s and England's historical favorite dating to 1845.

While our testers praised all three, most preferred the recipe from Kate Edna Negley, who ran the McKelvy school kitchen in Homewood and who published her own cookbook here in Pittsburgh in 1898.

All the recipes contain a key ingredient that will give some cooks pause: beef suet. It's key to the luxuriant texture of the pudding. Ask your butcher for a thick piece, more than you think you're going to use, and tell her what you're making. The easiest way to deal with suet is to pop it into the freezer till it's frozen solid, then - with a sharp heavy kitchen knife - cut it into slices and dice them fine. The frozen suet will shatter nicely and not make a slippery mess.

Two of the recipes call for bread crumbs - these are NOT the dry crumbs with Italian seasoning sold in cardboard canisters, but rather soft, two-day old bread slices with the crusts removed and diced or torn into pieces.

Traditionally, the puddings were tied up in a wet, well-floured cloth and boiled for hours.

It's much easier to put them into a 1 1/2 quart bowl or mould and steam them. If you don't have a steamer, put the bowl into a pot of shallow boiling water, so that the water comes about 2/3 up the side of the bowl, cover, and steam. A saucer in the bottom will keep the pudding from burning. Replenish occasionally with boiling water from a kettle.

All the puddings can be made ahead and set aside in a cool place (not the refrigerator) for a month or more - simply reheat by steaming for another couple of hours.

Serve with rum butter: two sticks of soft butter creamed with 3 Tbsp. brown sugar and 3 Tbs. of high quality rum, such as Pyrat.

Negley's Christmas Pudding

Kate Edna Negley's Christmas Pudding, 1898

This pudding, the only one without any sugar or booze, was the general favorite among the PG staff, who preferred its drier, more cake-like texture. Ironically some called it "more sweet." The lack of sugar seemed to bring the full flavor of the fruits to the fore and allowed the "nutty" character of the bread-crumb base to come through. Taken from "The Negley Cookbook," Pittsburg, 1898.

Negley recipe

Kate Edna Negley's recipe for Christmas pudding in her 1898 cookbook, located in the Heinz History Center.

PG Tested

1 cup flour

4 oz. (about 8 slices) soft bread crumbs

8 oz. (2 cups) beef suet, frozen and then sliced and chopped fine

8 oz. (1 1/3 cups) dried currants

8 oz. (1 1/3 cups) raisins

1 oz. (1/8 cup) candied peel

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 cup milk

4 beaten eggs

Mix together in order, stir (hands actually work best) until everything is well mixed, pack into a well-buttered 1 1/2 qt bowl or pudding mould (a round slip of baking parchment in the bottom of the bowl will help pudding come out easier). Cover bowl with waxed paper and secure it with a string tied snugly around under the rim; cover with a piece of aluminum foil. Steam for 5-6 hours.

Prof H. I. Blits' Christmas Pudding, 1890

This pudding, more traditional and rich, was a very close second. It brings all the fireworks: two kinds of booze, four kinds of spice and a smooth, moist texture. Taken from Prof H. Blits' "Canning Fruit and Vegetables by Hot Air and Steam, and Berries by the Compounding of Syrups, and the Crystallizing and Candying of Fruits, Etc., Etc.," Pittsburgh, 1890

PG Tested

4 oz (3/4 cup) flour

4 oz (35 or one sleeve) Saltine crackers - rolled fine or pulverized in a food processor

8 oz (2 cups) beef suet, frozen and then sliced and chopped fine

8 oz (1 1/3 cup) dried currants

8 oz (1 1/3 cup) raisins

8 oz (1 cup, packed) dark brown sugar

2 oz (1/4 cup) candied peel

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cloves

pinch of salt

grated peel of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup brandy

1/2 cup sherry

5 eggs

Mix together in order, stir (hands actually work best) until everything is well mixed, pack into a well-buttered 1 1/2 qt bowl or pudding mould (a round slip of baking parchment in the bottom of the bowl will help pudding come out easier). Cover bowl with waxed paper and secure it with a string tied snugly around under the rim; cover with a piece of aluminum foil. Steam for 6 hours.

Eliza Acton's Christmas Pudding, 1845

This is the pudding that most often wins blind taste tests in England. It was easily the most sumptuous of the three, with the fresh apple making the pudding so moist it seemed just on the brink of falling apart. The flavor was more subtle, with some detecting a slightly "bitter" undertone.

PG Tested

3 oz. (1/2 cup) flour

3 oz. (5 or 6 slices) soft bread crumbs

6 oz. (1 1/2 cups) beef suet, frozen and then sliced and chopped fine

6 oz. (1 cup) dried currants

6 oz. (1 cup) raisins

one apple, diced fine

5 oz. (3/4 cup, packed) dark brown sugar

2 oz. (1/4 cup) candied peel

1 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

pinch of salt

small glass (1/2 cup) brandy

3 beaten eggs

Mix together in order, stir (hands actually work best) until everything is well mixed, pack into a well-buttered 1 1/2 qt bowl or pudding mould (a round slip of baking parchment in the bottom of the bowl will help pudding come out easier). Cover bowl with waxed paper and secure it with a string tied snugly around under the rim; cover with a piece of aluminum foil. Steam for 3-5 hours.

Fygey recipe

"Bring us some figgy pudding"

Technically, the "figgy pudding" referenced in the Christmas carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is the same thing as the recipes above. Some recipes employed dried figs or dates instead of - or in addition to - the raisins. But it also serves as a reminder of the Christmas pudding's Medieval roots.

One of the oldest collections of recipes in the English language, compiled by the head chef for King Richard II in the late 1300s, contains a recipe for "figgy" - a clear ancestor of the Christmas pudding and a tasty treat in its own right.

Fygey. Take almaundes blaunched; grynde hem and drawe hem up with water and wyne, quarter fyges, hole raisouns. Cast therto powdour gynger and hony clarified; seeth it wel & salt it, & serve forth.

PG Tested

1 cup dried figs, chopped into quarters or eighths

1/2 cup sherry

1 cup blanched almonds, ground fine

1 cup water

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

4 Tbsp. honey

1 cup raisins

pinch of salt

Soak the chopped figs in the sherry overnight. Combine the ground almonds and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the figs, sherry, spices, honey, raisins and salt. Simmer until it thickens, about 20 minutes.

Although the original recipe calls only for powdered ginger, other versions of the recipe in other manuscripts call for "good spices," and the flavor improves with the addition of a little cinnamon and nutmeg, both "good spices" in the Medieval culinary mind. Other versions of the recipe thicken it with bread crumbs and serve it garnished with fresh pomegranate seeds.

Although fygey would have been served to King Richard II warm, it's also very tasty cold.



Online:



Information from: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, http://www.post-gazette.com
Heres a modest proposal to jumpstart the new year: Do away with what passes for debate on the floors of the House and Senate.

Doing so would mean Congress is facing up to its current rank among the worlds least deliberative bodies. It may be a place suffused with rhetoric, some of it pretty convincing at times, but next to no genuine cogitation happens in open legislative sessions and precious few ears are ever opened to opposing points of view.

In todays polarized climate, all the hours of speechmaking have essentially no persuasive power or predictive value.

On top of that, empirical evidence reveals how in 2017 the Republicans running the Capitol curtailed to a bare minimum the minority partys powers to have a say in deliberations. So getting rid of all the time for talking could be construed as simply the next logical step in making the legislative branch autocratically majoritarian.

Put another way, eliminating debates would make Congress operate more efficiently without changing its work product. Voters actually might appreciate their lawmakers acting with such candid self-awareness. And the universe of people to populate the Hill would appreciate the reduced time spent in the once-hallowed halls  not only the lawmakers themselves, but also their aides, the support staff and the legion of lobbyists who have all just come off a holiday season characterized by another balky end to an annual session of Congress.

This radical notion springs from three decades worth of observation about the evolving rhythms of the modern legislative process, in which the steady dissolution of the way things used to be is the driving narrative arc.

Memorable if rare

From the late 1980s into the early days of this millennium, there were memorable if rare occasions when a House member or senator would take to a podium in the well to confess  and sometimes even to boast  about being persuaded by a colleagues presentations on the floor.

Its been years since such a change of heart has been attributable to an erstwhile opponents cogent or eloquent public pleadings.

Given the deeply engrained, almost hypothalamic reliance on partisan identity in Congress today, a members willingness to deviate from the party line is what gets noted  and such ideological malleability almost always is shaped behind closed doors in encounters with parochial special interest advocates, loyal donors, venerable staffers or trusted colleagues.

Consider the final chapter of the tax overhaul, the climactic and most consequential legislative achievement of 2017. In the five weeks between when the House passed the first version and when the Senate embraced the final compromise, a grand total of two minds in Congress were changed. One Republican in the House, Tom McClintock of California, and one in the Senate, Bob Corker of Tennessee, switched to yes after voting no the first time around  but in neither case were their altered positions attributable to anything said during the debates.

By the time the conference report was printed, the whip counts on both sides of the Capitol were totally locked down. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, nominally with just two Senate Republican aye votes to spare, was so confident in the outcome that he encouraged one of them (the ailing John McCain) to be absent.

The four hours of debate in the House, and nine more in the Senate, had no quantifiable effect beyond delaying the inevitable headlines until well past bedtime on the East Coast. (In fact, the most memorable turn of phrase in either chamber came not from a lawmaker but from a protester in the House gallery, who interrupted Speaker Paul Ryans closing arguments about the economic benefits of the bill to shout: Youd better go back to school to learn math.)

The sweet sound

So then why do they want to spend so much time nattering? The simplest answer is that members of the political class seem genetically predisposed to loving the sound of their own voice.

This phenomenon was captured perhaps most succinctly by the late Morris K. Udall, a liberal House power player from Arizona often heralded as the wittiest member of Congress during a three decade-career that ended in 1991. He liked to sum up the going-through-the-motions nature of congressional debate this way: Everything that needs to be said has been said, but not everyone has had the chance to say it yet.

Floor speeches, of course, generate an official record of a members particular way of professing a point of view. Even if no colleagues are listening, the texts (which lawmakers may edit) get memorialized forever in the printed and online versions of the Congressional Record  and forwarding those transcripts is an easy way to answer constituents looking for members rationales for voting the way they do.

The footage, as captured by cameras controlled by the House and Senate sergeants-at-arms (but not, as is often assumed, by C-SPAN) may not be used by the lawmakers themselves in campaign spots or in fundraising appeals. But if the rhetoric is clever and punchy enough to merit a sound bite in news coverage, fair use of that TV tape for political purposes is within bounds.

Finally, and way more often than not these days, going to the floor to make a speech is the only option available to an opponent of a bill who wants to contribute something to the process.

On both sides of the Capitol, GOP leaders moved assertively in 2017 to close off venues that might have afforded Democrats opportunity to do more than vent disagreement with President Donald Trumps agenda.

Changes in the Senate that have limited the minoritys clout in recent years are widely understood, but the breadth of their application last year was particularly profound.

Trumps top legislative goals, his successful bid to cut taxes and his failed drive to replace the 2010 health care law, both were debated under budget reconciliation rules that dramatically limit debate time, conscribe the scope of amendments and decree most decisions get made by simple majorities. And Trumps other top-tier objective, pushing the federal appeals courts to the right, succeeded on a series of 50-something mostly party-line votes because filibustering nominations is now a thing of the past.

Astonishingly small

That left just four bills and one small treaty  an astonishingly small roster compared with recent years  to move through the Senate in what might be called the old fashioned way: After critics from the minority vowed to stall the measures through rhetorical procrastination, the majority forged enough bipartisan consensus so that 60 or more senators voted to invoke cloture, limit debate and move toward passage.

In the new year, some Republicans plan to push for making the Senate even more efficient  by changing the rules so opponents of a nominee may no longer protest by running out the clock on the 30 hours currently allowed for debate. Oklahomas James Lankford is leading an effort to limit that dilatory tactic to two hours on a potential federal judge and 12 hours for a Cabinet pick.

The House has cut down on dissenting behavior at least as forcefully. When Ryan became speaker, he made bold promises about a return to regular order, including allowing consideration of many more amendments. But the opposite has turned out to be true. Of the 494 measures passed by the House last year, 89 percent (all but 54 of them) moved without debate on a single amendment being made in order. And not once did the majority allow a truly open rule on a bill, the process under which members may get an up-or-down vote on any germane proposal.

Given that newly intensified procedural chokehold, the next logical step for the majority seems to be eliminating the rhetorical grease that has unnecessarily lubricated their guaranteed victories.

David Hawkings is a columnist for CQ-Roll Call.
NORWALK  After nearly two years in the making, a group of students and teachers at Brien McMahon High School will take the trip of a lifetime next month.

BMHS AP Art History teacher Diana White will travel with 12 students to Peru, where theyll see first-hand the places and art they study in the classroom.

Its going to to be an amazing, once in a lifetime opportunity for these students, White said. In 2015 I was given an opportunity through Fund for Teachers and the Dalio Foundation to pursue my interests, and I was also given an opportunity to go to Italy and share my excitement with my students when I got back, and that rubbed off on them. The students said, When can we do a field trip like that? And from that conversation, we talked about where they would want to go. We talked about the importance of getting out of the classroom and learning through experience.

The students will visit Lima, Cuzco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and more on the guided trip through Education First Tours, which provides comprehensive trip planning and support for educators.

They provide such a piece of mind, White said. They offered a training tour, so Ill be going to Panama in two weeks to learn how to be an international group leader for a field trip like this. Its really an amazing opportunity for myself and for the kids. Its exciting and nerve-wracking, so Im happy that theyre preparing me with training.

Now, White and the students are working to raise money to cover expenses associated with the trip. Though its entirely self-funded by the students and their families, and mostly paid for already  the trip is $3,435 per student, including the flight  there are a few expenses not included in that price, White said.

More Information To learn more about the trip, or to donate, visit www.youcaring.com/bmhshighschoolstudents-989531 See More Collapse

Transportation to and from the airport will be about $1,000, White said, and tips for tour guides are not included in the price. Additionally, though breakfast and dinner are provided, students will have to pay for their own lunch.

The group recently hosted a fundraiser at Chipotle, are in the process of planning a bake sale for later this month, and have set up a YouCaring site for people to donate directly. So far, they have raised $450 of a $2,000 goal.

White is also hopeful that if enough money is raised shell be able to offer a partial scholarship to a student on next years trip.

We want to help defray the costs as much as possible, White said.

White said the trip provides an opportunity for international travel many students dont get. Though the Center for Global Studies is housed within Brien McMahon High School, only the students enrolled in the program have the opportunity to travel. CGS students can go on the trip to Peru even though it is not organized through CGS.

I just think its really amazing because McMahon students havent had as many opportunities for travel as our counterparts in CGS, White said.

CGS junior Olive Fengel, who just returned from Japan, will also go on the trip to Peru. She said shes always been interested in art and is excited to learn about the history in a place she studies in the classroom.

I think that its a really great idea to have trips like this or just out of the classroom in general because you spend so much time looking at textbooks and this delves into the learning youve done in class, Fengel said. I think this trip is important because Ive been looking at the itinerary and it seems like were visiting a mixture of different places that will really help us get a good view of Peru in nine days.

kkrasselt@scni.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt
Most people would agree that 2017 relations between Democrats and Republicans were uncomfortable at best and downright acrimonious at worst. Especially for the minority, there was a tendency to descend into name-calling and gross exaggeration in order to get attention.

This was the case for Democrats last year, as they were out of power in both houses of Congress as well as the White House. For example, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi assailed the Republican tax plan as brazen theft...betrays the aspirations of our children...a moral obscenity and unrepentant greed. We could add similar commentaries by Senators Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, but they would only be more of the same.

Among winners last year, President Trump continued to display an amazing degree of hyperbole when describing his plans or accomplishments, a habit he continued from his years as a real estate developer. And as for using the presidency to bring conflicting views into a consensus, he seemed to have little interest.

A result is that the public has little confidence in either congressional Republicans or Democrats. Even more unusual are the continuing low popularity numbers for the president, despite todays strong economy and other positive conditions. The public simply doesnt see the president as a unifier capable of solving todays problems.

The trouble with all of this is that there are plenty of problems that need solutions. In particular, Nebraskans have been plagued by decades of failed immigration policies. Our lives would be improved by new and sensible border security rules, and we need a sensible policy for dreamers. Almost everyone should agree that it makes no sense to deport a 20-year-old because that person was brought to the United States at the age of 2.

In looking at 2018, this newspaper continues to support much of President Trumps agenda. We applaud his efforts to undo regulations that do little but restrict public and personal freedoms. We support his efforts to unleash the forces that can produce a robust economy with opportunities for all.

But success in these matters will be enhanced if people in both parties will look for areas of agreement, rather than chances to attack.

President Trump has demonstrated a remarkable ability to gain the publics attention. If he will use this skill to promote consensus, the nation will benefit.
Authorities are awaiting the return of toxicology reports that will help them decide whether 37-year-old James Rico Serrano of Granite City died on Nov. 17 from an overdose of fentanyl.

The drug is considered 50 times more powerful than heroin.

Granite City police found Serranos body shortly after 11 a.m. on the back porch of a house in the 2800 block of Pershing Street.

If the toxicology results confirm police suspicions, Serranos death would be the 36th fentanyl-related death in Madison County in 2017, Madison County Coroner Steve Nonn said Thursday. Twenty-one of those deaths have been due to fentanyl alone while 15 involved a combination of fentanyl and heroin or fentanyl and methamphetamine.

So far this year there have been 86 confirmed drug overdoses in the county, just five fewer than record high of 91 reached in 2015.

The Serrano death is one of half dozen suspected overdoses that Nonn and his staff have been investigating lately.

It comes as evidence is growing that fentanyl  along with heroin and other opioids  is increasingly finding its way into the Edwardsville area. Three Edwardsville residents have died from overdoses since September, which has drawn warnings about fentanyls alarming potency from Edwardsville Police Chief Jay Keeven and Fire Chief Rick Welle. Dealers, Keeven has said, are incorporating fentanyl into the heroin supply to increase heroins potency. The effect has been devastating and has also been posing an increasing danger to first responders.

Welle said the community has seen an uptick in drugs such as cocaine laced with opioids, usually fentanyl or a stronger synthetic version of fentanyl. This is extremely dangerous and has led to many accidental overdoses, he said. Often, he added, users are not aware of the opioid component.

Granite City officials suspect that fentanyl may have been involved in Serranos death based on comments one witness made to investigators.The witness said that a woman had told him that she had obtained fentanyl in Missouri and that she and Serrano had injected it on the back porch on the morning of Nov. 17.

No charges have been filed so far though police continue to investigate it as a likely drug-inducted homicide.
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Linkedin Nopriyanto Hady Suhanda (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 5, 2018 14:22 1778 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c006ddd 3 Opinion daycare,child-care,children,parents,Mother,workforce,office,working-women Free

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim has said one of the most powerful ways to expand the global economy is to expand the role of women in business.

According to Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesias female participation was only a little over 55 percent by February 2017, compared to male participation at above 83 percent. Female participation in the workforce in other countries like Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand has reached above 60 percent in 2017according to the World Bank.

As expected, both the preference and expectations that women should take care of the family is a main reason behind the low figures.

Working mothers must rely on family or professional private care to take care of their children, by hiring nannies or enrolling the children at a daycare, while professional nannies are lacking.

Childcare is one alternative solution. Childcare does not only reduce mothers stress and anxiety, but also allows children to interact and socialize with their peers, improving their cognitive and motoric skills and better ensuring their security. Childcare business also creates jobs for many people.

Nevertheless, most of the childcare rates present additional strain on the family financial condition. In Jakarta, daycare rates range from Rp 1 million to above Rp 4 million per month. As the monthly income per capita as of January 2017 was around Rp 4 million and minimum wages in Jakarta was under Rp 3.65 million, the expenditure for childcare often raises the dilemma for the working mothers whether to continue working or to quit.

In other countries, the government and the employers give childcare incentives to eligible employees, to enable women with infants to return to work.

In Germany, child allowances and tax deductions explicitly encourage the provision of care within the family, usually by the mother. Public childcare services are mostly subsidized, with most funding from local authorities, although the recent push to expand childcare for younger children was bolstered with funding from the federal government.

In Hungary, these services are technically free of charge, but parents pay for childrens meals and extra activities, with low-income households eligible for reductions in these fees.

In Italy, the scuole dellinfanzia, which is part of the public education system provided nearly generally for children aged three until they ready to enter the school (aged six years)are largely free of charge other than fees for meals.

In Australia, the government gives incentives in childcare rebates for their employees up to 50 percent.This benefit can be utilized for those whose partners are working, in training or study.

Countries like the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland, and Canada provide at least two years of preschool for free. In ASEAN, Singapore also childcare incentives for workers. And in Malaysia, employers childcare facilities which are registered in the Department of Social Welfare are exempted from tax to some extent.

In Indonesia, some of the ministries and state-owned enterprises have facilitated childcare such as the Finance Ministry, but even employees have to pay for the services. However, the services are not listed and are not yet well administered by a government body. In addition, not all employers in government have childcare facilities with ample facilities. Some only provide temporary childcare during the annual Idul Fitri holiday period. Therefore policymakers should issue a regulation relating childcare facilities, incentives, or subsidies as a form of support and care to employees.

Some of the above practices could also encourage employers in Indonesia to consider childcare incentives or establishing their own childcare center at the office. Meanwhile, government incentives can be direct subsidies, rebates for child care enrollment, or reimbursement schemes. The source of funding for this incentive could come from the annual budget of companies or the state budget.

In conclusion, childcare incentive is essential regardless of the level of income of working mothers. This is a form of support, care, and loyalty of employers to the employees. Such incentives could increase the performance of employees who feel they are supported, and more mothers could return to work.

***

The writer works at the Center for Regional and Bilateral Policy, Fiscal Policy Agency, Finance Ministry and is studying at the Diploma-IV program at Polytechnic of State Finance (PKN-STAN).The views expressed in the article are personal and do not reflect the official stance of the above institutions.

---------------

We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to community@jakpost.com.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin EDITORIAL (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 5, 2018 08:05 1778 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2ff99c0 4 Editorial #Editorial,Jokowi,Jokowi-administration,#Jokowi,fake-news,hoax,cyber-security,freedom-of-expression,privacy,security,#CyberSecurity,#FreedomOfExpression,#Hoax,#FakeNews Free

It has become clear that social media brings more harm than good. More governments are now waking up to the new reality that social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are threatening the fabric of society by encouraging users to share fake news and hoaxes.

In a recent interview, former United States president Barack Obama warned that the internet risked reinforcing peoples prejudices and that it could lead to a fractured society. Obama knows about this from experience as his successor, Donald Trump, was reportedly elected to office largely as a result of a massive social media campaign directed by Russian troll farms. On New Years Day, Germany began censoring inflammatory content on social media by imposing fines on platforms failing to remove hate speech the moment they were reported.

President Joko Jokowi Widodo has also made a priority of squashing smear campaigns, fake news and hoaxes. As a subject of fake news, including one claiming that he came from a communist family, Jokowi knows the damaging impact of online smear campaigns and has moved aggressively against purveyors of fake news.

He even declared war against disseminators of fake news in December 2016. The Communications and Information Ministry subsequently launched an anti-hoax society and quickly blocked at least 800,000 websites.

The National Police have also taken steps to crack down on fake news and hoaxes. In August 2017, they rounded up an alleged news syndicate called Saracen, which stands accused of disseminating hoaxes and profiting from them.

This week, Jokowi upped the ante in the war against fake news by inaugurating the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN) and inducting Djoko Setiadi, a two-star general, as its chief.

Djoko instantly drew uproar and ridicule, first for claiming there was such a thing as a constructive hoax, and second, for promising that his agency would deal with hoaxes and fake news on social media. Civil liberty activists were further alarmed when Djoko claimed that the BSSN was designed to have law enforcement authority.

The BSSN should have no business dealing with hoaxes and fake news, especially if they come from within the country. Traditionally, a cyber agency only deals with threats from abroad, such as ransomware that could disrupt public services, or hackers who attempt to attack government agency websites and try to steal sensitive information that could harm national security.

As governments and terror groups opt to fight a new war in cyber space, Indonesias new cyber agency should only focus on dealing with related threats  which is already too complicated to handle. The BSSN should not deal with problems that other government agencies, like the Communications and Information Ministry or the National Police, could handle more effectively.

These agencies have already launched massive tech surveillance programs on citizens, encroaching on our privacy and civil liberty. We do not need another government body that would further empower Big Brother.
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Paris  Fri, January 5, 2018 09:05 1778 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2ffb329 2 Health alcohol,cancer,health,#health Free

Alcohol damages the DNA of stem cells responsible for producing new blood, according to a mouse study which may explain the link between drinking and cancer, scientists said on Wednesday.

Health watchdogs have long warned that alcohol consumption contributes to seven types of cancer -- of the mouth, throat, larynx or voice box, oesophagus or food pipe, breast, liver and bowel.

What was not well understood was: how?

For the new study, published in the science journal Nature, researchers gave lab mice diluted alcohol, known chemically as ethanol.

They then used chromosome and DNA analysis to examine genetic damage caused by acetaldehyde, a chemical produced when the body processes alcohol.

"They found that acetaldehyde can break and damage DNA within blood stem cells, leading to rearranged chromosomes and permanently altering the DNA sequences within these cells," Cancer Research UK, which helped fund the research, said in a statement.

"It is important to understand how the DNA blueprint within stem cells is damaged because when healthy stem cells become faulty, they can give rise to cancer."

Read also: 'Moderate' drinking linked to brain damage: study

DNA damage can lead to cell death, but can also trigger the body's natural repair mechanisms. However, if the DNA is repaired incorrectly, it can lead to cancer.

"While some damage occurs by chance, our findings suggest that drinking alcohol can increase the risk of this damage," said lead author Ketan Patel of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge.

The team also examined how the body fights against alcohol damage using a family of enzymes called ALDH, which turn acetaldehyde into acetate, which cells can use as energy.

Millions of people -- particularly from Southeast Asia -- either lack these enzymes or carry faulty versions, said the team. And mice lacking ALDH, given alcohol, suffered four times as much DNA damage.

"Our study highlights that not being able to process alcohol effectively can lead to an even higher risk of alcohol-related DNA damage and therefore certain cancers," said Patel.

It may be a contributor to an "extremely high prevalence" of throat cancer in countries such as China, commented Malcolm Alison of the Queen Mary University of London, who was not involved in the study.

Commentators welcomed the paper's contribution to the knowledge base.

"This is beautiful work, which puts our finger on the molecular basis for the link between alcohol and increased cancer risk and stem cells. Very important," said Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz of the University of Cambridge.
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Linkedin Jessicha Valentina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 5, 2018 16:47 1778 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c00fdb7 1 People ananda-sukarlan,pianist,social-media,#SocialMedia Free

Indonesian pianist Ananda Sukarlan is synonymous with classical music, but an incident at the 90th anniversary of his alma mater, Canisius College, put him in the social media spotlight.

Ananda sat down with The Jakarta Post to share his two cents on social media and the impact he feels.

Q: We heard about the recent incident at the 90th anniversary of Canisius College. What actually happened? Why did you decide to walk out of the hall during Governor Anies Baswedans speech?

We knew a few hours before the event that the governor would come. [Some of my friends] and I were considering not to enter the hall until he would finish his speech.

However, Canisius College gave awards to five people, including me. Hence, there were five VIP seats [at the front], and everybody knew that [I had arrived at the venue]. I thought it would not be nice to just stay outside the hall. I entered [the hall] so that my seat would not be empty.

After the opening speech by the schools head, [the governor delivered] his speech. I disagree with all the things he did during the election, and [his speech contained words that I think] he did not apply.

I did not listen to all of [his speech] and [decided] to walk out, which, I thought, was a normal thing to do. It was purely spontaneous.

As I was walking out [of the hall], I was thinking about my speech, as [I was required to give a speech]. [Assuming] that the governor would be there, I [decided] to direct my criticism at the organizers, not the governor. He was invited and we should all respect him.

I wanted to criticize the organizers, as they invited someone whose values and integrity are not what the school had taught us, the students, many years ago and until now, presumably.

Apparently, the governor left the building after [delivering his speech], and [I decided] not to change any words, it was all in my head, I had not written it down.

I do not regret what I said or I did. I think it was the right thing to do. I thought and I still think if we disagree about something, we should express it nicely and in an ethical way. When I walked out [of the hall], I did it silently and did not disturb anyone.

What I regret is what people did in response to my action, the hoaxes, the media and the cyber army.

Q: Did you expect it to go viral on social media?

No. I thought [people would talk] about it, but not in such a viral way with slander, twisting and hoaxes. Everything got out of hand, because of the cyber army and hoax creators.

Q: How did you respond to the backlash?

I responded through Twitter and Instagram. Some media outlets asked me for interviews, but at the time, my focus was on calming things down.

Read also: Ananda Sukarlan's musical celebration of human emotions

Q: Did your followers on Twitter and Instagram increase after the incident?

Yes. There were many new followers that followed me to attack me.

I asked some of my friends, social media experts, what to do. They suggested I just let it be, [allowing these new followers to] say anything they want on social media and investigate them afterwards. Some of the accounts only have 10 followers or fewer, which means they are fake accounts and we should block them. I blocked them two weeks later.

There were [thousands] of paid [or fake] accounts, and they worked 24 hours. When I woke up in the morning [] there were thousands of comments on Twitter and Instagram. And the comments insulted me.

I dont think they were dangerous, but it was annoying. Apparently, they also attacked other [accounts] that put my name as a hashtag or videos on YouTube, where other musicians play my music. They wrote dirty words.

Q: If the incident had happened years ago, before the digital age, do you think it would have been different?

I think so. I know its for political reasons. Despite the benefits, Im sure that social media could be dangerous for our country. All the hoaxes and account farming, as one person can have 50 accounts.

Dont get me wrong, social media is good for democracy, as everybody can talk and express their feelings and opinions. However, we have to be careful, as not many of us are prepared to use it wisely.

Q: What have you learned from the incident?

[I learned] that we can do anything, and anybody else can also do anything in response to our [action]. We need to be careful.

Q: Since walking out of the venue, have you changed your mind about our current governor?

A: I still feel the same way about him.

Q: Lets talk about your next project. Can you share a bit about your upcoming project?

Im thankful, as many music institutions and music schools will be celebrating my 50th birthday throughout this year by teaching the students to play my music and inviting me to their school.

I will also bring the issue of former Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama to the international [scene]. I composed a piece called No More Moonlight over Jakarta, [commissioned by the project 32 Bright Clouds to write music] based on a theme from one of Beethovens 32 piano sonatas. [The piece] was taken from Beethovens Moonlight Sonata.

Moonlight means Tjahaja Purnama in Bahasa, which is the name of our former governor.

"No More Moonlight over Jakarta" will see its World Premiere by Israeli pianist Yael Weiss at the Changwon International Chamber Music Festival in South Korea on 7 April, followed by a tour to the United States. (asw)
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Linkedin Nedi Putra AW (The Jakarta Post) Kediri  Fri, January 5, 2018 10:19 1778 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2ffdac8 4 Art & Culture Kediri,East-Java,traditional,traditional-fabrics,tenun-ikat Free

As the oldest kingdom in Java, Kediri left behind a legacy of tenun ikat(handwoven fabric), which, today, has spawned home industries, most notably in Bandar Kidul subdistrict.

Physical evidence of the Kediri art form is widely available, including six pieces of tenun ikat from 1910 that are kept at the Tropen Museum in the Netherlands. However, literature on the origins and history of the traditional fabric is harder to find.

Records indicate that a large-scale tenun ikat business was pioneered by an ethnic Chinese citizen named Freddy Jie, who thrived in the 1950s with around 200 manual weaving looms and hundreds of craftspeople. At the time, his business only produced woven sarongs with simple checker motifs.

Political turbulence in 1965 adversely affected Freddys business, which was forced to shut down. A policy to import modern weaving machines adopted by the New Order regime further worsened the citys traditional fabric production, until its gradual revival in the mid-1990s.

Siti Ruqoyah and her husband Munawar, who both live in Bandar Kidul, Kediri, East Java, are among the families that have helped to revive the traditional art form.

The couple, who own the Medali Mas brand, started their business in 1989 with only one manual weaving loom. Today, they operate 60 weaving looms and employ 98 workers.

Besides hard work, innovations and creations are important elements of the production process, Siti said.

Do not disturb: A worker rolls thread in a process that requires intense focus in Kediri, East Java. (JP/Nedi Putra AW)

Kediri tenun ikat is known for several motifs, such as ceplok (round shapes), salur (straight stripes), shapes resembling Yogyakartas lurik (striates) and gunungan (mountain).

Handwoven cotton with traditional motifs covers about 20 percent of our total production, she said.

Despite the complex and long process of weaving a piece of woven cloth, sales have run smoothly and they have even had to employ more workers to meet demand.

Their woven products are sold to Jakarta and several regions outside Java.

They were also introduced to the public at Jakarta Fashion Week some time ago, Siti said.

The demand for woven sarongs is generally high during the fasting month. Producing at least 60 pieces of silk and non-silk woven fabric daily with a starting price of Rp 165,000 (US$12) per piece, Siti also creates shoes and bags with woven cloth.

Gender equality: Men work with manual weaving looms in Bandar Kidul subdistrict, Kediri, East Java. (JP/Nedi Putra AW)

She allows her skillful workers to use her looms for weaving cloth in their respective homes. She tries to share her fortune when demand is high by channeling some of the orders to other woven fabric producers.

This system allows her to exercise quality control over her products. A sheet of woven cloth is crafted through 14 intricate stages, all being handled traditionally.

One phase of the process affects the outcome of the next, so Im conducting very tight supervision over employee management and raw material handling, she said.

The woven fabric business also helps young men get employed, challenging gender expectations in weaving, which many believe is a womans job.

Siti, a mother of two who was a migrant worker before she began hand weaving, said she wanted to see younger generations preserve the Kediri tradition.

Time to dye: A worker engaged in the dyeing process produces a piece of tie-dye woven cloth. (JP/Nedi Putra AW)

Despite strong sales, she noted there were constraints in the industry, including limited land to accommodate larger operations and the fact that the regional administration had never organized overseas exhibitions.

So far, foreign marketing of our woven products has only been done through purchases by foreign tourists as gifts and consignment of the products to foreign expos, she said.

Kediri Mayor Abdullah Abu Bakar said there was a foreign market for woven sarongs, particularly in the Middle East.

Foreign consumers indeed like exclusive handmade products very much, but theres some reluctance if theyre still in cloth form as the tailoring costs are high, he said, adding that he has been attempting to train local artisans to make ready-to-wear woven products.

If demand soars moving forward, land would be provided, he pledged.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 5, 2018 18:17 1778 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c0156ba 1 City #Jakarta,#TrafficAccident,#car Free

South Jakarta Police have arrested a man for alleged reckless driving that injured a pedestrian in Radio Dalam, South Jakarta on Thursday night.

The head of the traffic accident unit of the South Jakarta Police, Comm. Adj. Sunar, said on Friday that the driver had been identified as 21-year-old Demas Dhandito Alwi.

The victim is a 27-year-old man named Irsan. He was crossing the street at 7:15 p.m. when an Innova car approached at high speed from the opposite direction and hit him, Sunar said, as quoted by kompas.com.

The victim was immediately taken to Muhammadiyah Hospital in Gandaria, he added.

Sunar explained that Demas had allegedly been speeding and had hit the victim in front of the Grand Lucky superstore at Radio Dalam before crashing into a tree on the sidewalk.

Police suspect the driver had a drug in his possession. A urine test conducted on him came back negative.

The police have brought the suspicious item to the laboratory for investigation, Sunar said. (dpk)
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Linkedin Agnes Anya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 5 2018

Indonesia is taking advantage of its rising movie industry in an attempt to secure a place among the non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council for the fourth time.

Having last sat on the council from 2007 to 2008, Indonesia is seeking enough votes to allow it to take a seat for the 2019 to 2020 period.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 5, 2018 12:46 1778 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c0030bc 4 Business commuter-trains,pso,passengers,target,2018 Free

Commuter train operator PT Kereta Api Commuter Indonesia (KCI) president director Muhamamd Nurul Fadhila has said the government subsidy allocated to KCI's public service obligation (PSO) only covers 56 percent of the companys passenger number target in 2018.

The government has allocated Rp 1.29 trillion (US$96.23 million) to PT KCIs PSO, while the total allocation for state-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), the parent company of KCI, is Rp 2.4 trillion, he said.

The fund is only enough for 295 million passengers. Our target is to increase the number of passengers to 320 million, said Fadhila when speaking at a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday as reported by kompas.com.

He said the commuter trains transported 315 million passengers last year, up from 292 million in 2016.

But Fadhila could not mention by how much the fund was short, saying his company had to calculate the number of passengers in every three months. He said the calculation of PSO in every three months was stated in a contract signed by the company and the Transportation Ministry.

Last year, PT KCI got a PSO allocation of Rp 1.26 trillion, said Fadhila, adding that the entire fund had been spent on providing a subsidy for 315 million passengers. (bbn)
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Linkedin Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 5, 2018 10:22 1778 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2ffdfd9 1 Business LNG-export,cargoes,2018,SKKMigas Free

Indonesia plans to sell at least 264 liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes throughout 2018, with a capacity of around 150,000 cubic meters of gas each, according to the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas).

As many as 144 cargoes will be shipped from the Bontang LNG plant in East Kalimantan, while the remaining 120 cargoes will come from the Tangguh LNG plant in West Papua.

However, it must be noted that it is possible that the shipped LNG cargoes do not contain the full capacity of 150,000 cubic meters of gas. The actual figure can be lower than that, SKKMigas communications head Wisnu Prabawa Taher said on Thursday.

Read also: Indonesia faces daunting challenge of bridging gas imbalance

Throughout 2017, the Bontang and Tangguh LNG plants shipped 176 and 111 cargoes, respectively. The capacity of each cargo ranged from 80,000 to 150,000 cubic meters of gas.

In a separate development, state-owned energy giant Pertamina delivered on Thursday its first LNG cargo with a volume of 2 billion British thermal units (bbtu) from the Mahakam block in East Kalimantan to a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) in West Java.

The FSRU is operated by PT Nusantara Regas.

Pertamina officially took over Mahakam, Indonesias largest gas block, from Frances Total E&P Indonesie and Japans Inpex Corporation on Jan. 1. (bbn)
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Linkedin Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 5, 2018 10:18 1778 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2ffccdd 1 Business Masela,Inpex,shell,Pre-FEED Free

The government has set a target for Japan-based Inpex and Dutch Shell to conduct a preliminary front-end engineering design (pre-FEED) for the development of the gas-rich Masela block in the Arafura Sea in January and to complete it by April at the latest.

The pre-FEED is crucial to determine the location of the onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant that will be built by Inpex and Shell, which currently hold 65 and 35 percent stakes in Masela, respectively.

The pre-FEED should start this month [January] and it is expected to be completed within three months, Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arcandra Tahar said on Thursday in Jakarta.

During the pre-FEED, two prospective locations will be assessed. After the most feasible one is selected, [Inpex and Shell] will be able to conduct the FEED study, which will later determine the production capacity [of the LNG plant].

The government has given the companies two options for the LNG plant capacity: 7.5 million tons per annum (mtpa) with 474 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of gas or 9.5 mtpa with 160 mmscfd of gas.

Masela is estimated to be able to produce 1,200 mmscfd and 24,000 barrels of condensate per day for 24 years.

While the government is optimistic that the block can start operating by 2023, the previous plan on development (POD) estimated that the gas field could start production by 2024, and start piping gas in 2026, just two years before Inpex's and Shells contracts expire. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 5, 2018 11:39 1778 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c001c12 4 Business business-to-business,jakarta,200-kilometer-lrt-projct Free

Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno has said that the city administration is considering an offer from PT Ratu Prabu Energi to develop a 200-kilometer light rail transit (LRT) project with a US$200 billion investment value.

Today, Ratu Prabu Energi, one of the largest business groups in Indonesia, visited us to offer a mature concept for the construction of 200-kilometer LRT project in Jakarta and surrounding cities, Sandiaga said on Thursday at City Hall as reported by Antara.

He added that the project was a full business-to-business (B2B) scheme without government guarantee and would be implemented between 2020 and 2025.

The project will involve investors from South Korea, China and Japan. We are happy because the proposal is a concrete measure for solving traffic congestion in the capital, Sandiaga added.

Sandiaga said he was informed that Ratu Prabu Energi had already talked to the Greater Jakarta Transportation Body (BPTJ) and the Transportation Ministry about the project.

The city administration will carry out a comprehensive feasibility study on the project, Sandiaga said, adding that such a massive project would create many jobs and would help Jakarta have better public transportation. (bbn)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 5, 2018 17:03 1778 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c010710 1 Business national-payment-gateway,Jakarta-administration,tax,payment Free

The Jakarta provincial government will automate tax and levy payments using the recently established national payment gateway (NPG) this year.

Jakarta Governor Anies Rasyid Baswedan said on Friday taxes and service charges would automatically be transferred to the city's treasure agency.

"With the new system, when customers pay for food in restaurant or for hotel accommodation, the tax will automatically be transferred to the treasure agencys account," he said after meeting with Bank Indonesia governor Agus Martowardojo at the banks headquarters in Jakarta.

The NPG which was established last month, is a consortium of all local switching companies operating in Indonesia -- PT Artajasa Pembayaran Elektronis (ATM Bersama), PT Alto Network (ALTO), PT Rintis Sejahtera (Prima Network) and PT Jalin Pembayaran Nusantara (Link).

The switching companies shared their infrastructure in the NPG, creating interoperability between ATMs and EDCs.

Anies did not specify when the NPG-based tax payment would be applied, but he expressed the hope that with the easier way to pay tax, the government would be able to achieve its revenue target.

"Last year, our revenue collection was 103 percent of the target," he said. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 5, 2018 17:50 1778 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c01460a 1 Politics KPK,Jambi,graft,zumi-zola Free

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) questioned Jambi Governor Zumi Zola on Friday as a witness in a bribery case pertaining to the deliberation of the provinces 2018 provincial budget.

The governor will be questioned in our investigation into bribery suspect Saifudin, the commissions spokesman, Febri Diansyah, said as quoted by Antara.

Saifudin, a former Jambi administration official, along with three other suspects, has been accused of bribing a Jambi Legislative Council (DPRD) member to approve the administration's proposals in the budget.

The KPK questioned Jambi Deputy Governor Fachori Umar on Thursday. He said he did not know anything about the alleged graft.

No, I know nothing. I dont want to lie, he said.

The commission had named four Jambi officials suspects in the case. They are acting provincial secretary Erwan Malik, Jambi Public Works and Public Housing Agency acting head Arfan, National Mandate Party (PAN) councillor Supriyono and Saifudin.

The KPK has seized Rp 4.7 billion (US$350,000) from the suspects in the case. (vla/ahw)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 5, 2018 14:58 1778 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c007e20 1 City #ChildAbuse,#child-molestation,#Jakarta,#ChildSafety Free

The East Jakarta Police arrested a 40-year-old man on Thursday for alleged sexual abuse of his daughter, who lives with him in a rented house.

The alleged act was reported on Wednesday by a neighbor, who was suspicious of the victims strange way of walking. The child also complained of pain.

After receiving conflicting answers from the child about why she felt the pain, the neighbor took the child to her home to ask once again what the reason was. The girl finally admitted that she had been sexually abused by her own father, the neighbor said, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

The girl said she had been abused seven times by her father in their house. The suspect reportedly admitted to the act but claimed he had only committed it four times.

According to the neighbors report, the mother had been away from the family for two months.

The suspect was arrested on a riverbank while he was working to clean the river.

East Jakarta Police crime unit head Adj. Sr. Comr. Sapta Maulana said the suspect was detained at the East Jakarta Police headquarters, while the victim was undergoing a medical examination.(vny)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 5, 2018 17:57 1778 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c0148a4 1 City #trains,#commuter,#Jakarta,#airport Free

Commuter train operator PT Kereta Api Commuter Indonesia (KCI) will allow passengers to take bigger luggage onto commuter trains to accommodate passengers who continue their trip using the train to Soekarno  Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten.

Passengers were previously only allowed to carry on one piece of luggage measuring no bigger than 40 by 30 by 100 centimeters.

With the implementation of the new rule, passengers can take on two carry-on pieces measuring a maximum 40 by 30 by 100-cm and two suitcases no bigger than 48 by 74 by 29-cm.

Starting Jan. 8, passengers can carry bigger luggage onto the commuter train, KCI president director Muhammad Nurul Fadhila said Friday as quoted by kompas.com. (dpk)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 5, 2018 08:24 1778 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2ffaec5 4 City #TanahAbang,#Police,#Jakarta,#StreetVendors Free

Jakarta Police traffic management director Sr. Comr. Halim Pagarra has said he appreciates the Jakarta administrations intention of accommodating street vendors in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, but it was against the law to allow them to take over Jl. Jati Baru Raya.

We support the policy for street vendors, but dont violate the law, Halim said on the sidelines of a focus group discussion on traffic management around Tanah Abang Station in Jakarta on Thursday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Halim said changing the function of a road violated Article 63 of Law No.38/2004 on roads.

If activities cause disruptions on a road, the punishment is a Rp 1.5 billion (US$105,000) fine and 18 months imprisonment, Halim said.

In December, the Jakarta administration closed one lane of Jl. Jati Baru Raya in front of Tanah Abang Station from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The street vendors are given small shelters for free.

The plan is part of the Tanah Abang Market arrangement initiated by Governor Anies Baswedan and his deputy Sandiaga Uno.

The remaining lane is the dedicated Transjakarta bus lane. There are six bus shelters around Tanah Abang, where buses operate on a route that circles the whole market. (wnd)
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Linkedin Rizal Harahap (The Jakarta Post) Pekanbaru  Fri, January 5, 2018 17:46 1778 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c01423f 1 National #saracen,saracen,hate-speech,#hate-speech,court-hearing,Pekanbaru Free

Prosecutors have demanded that the Pekanbaru District Court in Riau sentence Saracen member M. Abdullah Harsono to four years in prison for spreading hate speech on social media.

Abdullah is also accused of being an administrator of Saracen, an online syndicate believed to have been involved in creating and spreading hoax news about President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and former Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, among others, for money.

Prosecutor Sukatmini told the court on Thursday that Abdullah had been proven guilty of violating the Electronic Information and Transactions Law.

"Abdullah spread hate speech against Jokowi through an account of Harsono Abdullah. Using the name of Muhammad Ali Firdaus, the defendant also spread hate speech on social media to spearhead an anti-Chinese campaign," Sukatmini said at Thursdays hearing.

Abdullah was arrested on Aug. 30 last year at his residence in Pekanbaru, about a month after the police arrested Jasriadi, the alleged leader of Saracen.

The trial was adjourned until next week, when Abdullah will present his defense statement. (vla/ipa)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 5 2018

The Tangerang Police arrested a man at his parents house in Sakem village, Gunung Kaler, Tangerang, West Java, on Dec. 20 for allegedly raping 25 children.

The man, identified only as WS, said he was a contract teacher at an elementary school.

After receiving a report from a parent of one of the alleged victims of molestation on Dec. 14, the police conducted an investigation and found the suspect allegedly began sexually abusing children in April 2017.

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Linkedin (AFP) Pekanbaru  Fri, January 5, 2018 07:56 1778 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2ff8c76 2 National tiger,palm-oil,plantations,attack,Pekanbaru,#PalmOil Free

A Sumatran tiger has mauled an Indonesian palm oil plantation worker to death, officials said Thursday, the latest in a string of deadly conflicts between humans and animals blamed on rampant deforestation.

Jumiatik, 30, was found dead at the plantation in Riau province on Sumatra island Wednesday with horrific bite wounds on her neck and legs, police said.

The victim, who like many Indonesians went by one name, was collecting data on pests with two female colleagues before the tiger appeared and chased the trio some 200 meters (655 feet) through the plantation.

Her two workmates, who survived the brutal attack, told authorities they tried to evade the animal by scrambling up oil palm trees, but the tiger latched onto Jumiatik's leg and dragged her to the ground.

"Jumiatik struggled with the tiger for about 15 minutes," local police chief Iptu Rafi told AFP.

"(She) suffered serious injuries on parts of her neck and was eventually killed."

There have been several cases in recent years of tigers killing people in Indonesia, where logging of rainforest to make way for palm oil plantations is destroying animals' habitat and bringing them into closer contact with humans.

Last month, a pregnant elephant was found dead at another palm oil plantation on Sumatra, in what authorities suspect was a deliberate poisoning after the elephant ate farmers' fertilizer.

Sumatran tigers are considered critically endangered by protection group the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with 400 to 500 remaining in the wild.
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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan  Fri, January 5, 2018 15:24 1778 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c00976a 1 National #SumatranTiger,Sumatran-tiger,endangered-animal,#EndangeredSpecies,animal-trading,poaching Free

The Medan District Court sentenced Ismail Sembiring, a trader of Sumatran tiger skins and organs, to two years in prison after declaring him guilty of endangered wildlife trade on Thursday.



Presiding judge Riana Pohan said Ismail had violated the law on the conservation of natural resources and the ecosystem.



"The court also orders the defendant to pay Rp 100 million (US$7,500) in fines or serve an additional three months' imprisonment, Riana read out in the verdict.



Ismail, a resident of Batang Serangan district in North Sumatra's Langkat regency, was caught red-handed selling a dried tiger skin to an undercover Mount Leuser National Park patrol force officer in August 2017.



Authorities also confiscated one dead Sumatran tiger as evidence during the operation.



The Thursday verdict, however, fell short of prosecutors' demand of three years' imprisonment and Rp 100 billion in fines. (vla/ipa)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 5, 2018 17:19 1778 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c01190c 1 National Kostrad,military Free

Jakarta



Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto has appointed Lt. Gen. Agus Kriswanto as the chief of the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad).



Agus, formerly the head of the Armys doctrine, education and training division, replaces Let. Gen. Edy Rahmayadi, who is set to run in the North Sumatra gubernatorial race.



Former TNI commander Gatot Nurmantyo had previously named Sriwijaya Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sudirman to the post in an order that came to light a day after Hadi was announced as Gatots replacement.



Hadi canceled the order on Dec. 19, 2017, saying the call to undo Gatots reshuffle was made after an evaluation of human resources and the needs of the military in facing future challenges.



"The evaluation was based on professionalism and a merit system," he said on Dec. 20. "In the development of a military career, there is no such thing as like and dislike.



Considered to be one of the most strategic command positions in the military, the Kostrad chief is capable of mobilizing a strike force of more than 40,000 personnel. (kmt/ipa)

Topics : Kostrad military
By PTI: New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) Four transgenders were arrested today by the Delhi Police in connection with the murder of their 25-year-old roommate, whose body was dumped near a CNG pump in Rohini area in north Delhi.

According to the Delhi Police, the deceased was identified as Mohit. Mohit used to live with the transgenders.

A senior police officer said that murder charges have been slapped against the transgenders -- Kuldeep, Sandeep, Ajay and Anil, all residents of Delhi.

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The senior police officer said the accused were apprehended on a tip-off.

During interrogation, they told police that Mohit had stolen some money from Kuldeeps house.

On December 15 last year, the accused took Mohit to Sandeeps house. Then, they beat Mohit to death.

The body remained in their house the next day and in the intervening night of December 16-17, they dumped it near the CNG pump in Rohini Sector-22. PTI PPS SMN

--- ENDS ---
Aid agency Save the Children has reported that some 48,000 babies will be born this year in the overcrowded, unsanitary camps for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

Rohingya women stand holding their sick children after Bangladesh border guard soldiers refused to let them journey towards a hospital. Source: AP

By India Today Web Desk: The Rohingya crisis has not seen its end. Rohingyas are still fleeing Myanmar and seeking refuge in other countries to outrun the military operations against them.

As the crisis continues to mount, an aid agency has reported that some 48,000 babies will be born this year in the overcrowded, unsanitary camps for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

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Aid agency Save the Children warns that if born in such squalid tents, the babies will be at increased risk of disease and malnutrition, and of dying before age 5.

"The camps have poor sanitation and are a breeding ground for diseases like diphtheria, measles and cholera, to which newborn babies are particularly vulnerable," said Rachael Cummings, the agency's health adviser.

"This is no place for a child to be born," said Cummings.

More than 650,000 Rohingya have fled what the United Nations calls "a campaign of ethnic cleansing by the Myanmar military and mobs" since August last year in Rakhine state in western Myanmar.

The UNICEF has said almost 60 per cent of them are children.

A Bangladeshi official called the projection of 48,000 babies mind-boggling."Simply, this will be disastrous and terrible for us," said Priton Kumar Chowdhury, a deputy director of the government's social services department.

"I can't imagine it, and my brain does not actually know how to deal with this," said Chowdhury, whose department has identified more than 36,000 orphans in the camps.

Save the Children based its projection of new births on an estimate of how many of the refugees were pregnant.

Bangladesh has been negotiating with Myanmar to set up a protocol for the voluntary return of the Rohingya, but it remains unclear if they will return, given concerns for their safety.

[With inputs from AP]

--- ENDS ---
Sometimes it is good to reminisce. As US President Donald Trump continues his obsessive quest to reverse the decisions of the previous administration it is worth pointing out a similar routine was deployed by Barack Obama, with the 44th US President reversing many of President George W. Bushs policies subsequent to his election in 2008.

It is a practice synonymous with bi-partisan politics. When a nation's political parties align so ably with the populations opposing opinions on divisive topics such as abortion, capital punishment, and same-sex marriage, it makes sense for laws to amend on these issues succeeding a change in government.

Yet progress on the matter of Guantanamo Bay has, for the most part, stifled. If President Trump wishes to reach out to the 48.2% of Americans who voted against him he could do a lot worse than backing its closure.

The Cuban prison, within the grounds of a US Naval base on land leased to the US government prior to the Communist Revolution, was opened by President George W. Bush to hold terrorism suspects captured overseas after the 11 September 2001 attacks. Guantanamo Bay inmates are detained indefinitely without trial.

Amnesty International has, and still does, label the detention centre as a major breach of human rights. After widespread allegations of severe torture, it was no surprise Obamas promise of closing the prison during his campaign was well received by Democrats.

But the 44th President of the US. was unable to fully close the camp after strong Republican opposition led to Congress passing a new law prohibiting detainees from Guantanamo being imprisoned on US soil. The number of inmates did reduce from around 245 to 41 during Obamas two terms yet the precedent had been set. The Republicans are generally for Guantanamo, the Democrats generally against it.

Trump seems to have taken this tradition to heart. Back, in 2016 the 71-year-old was met with huge cheers on his campaign trail when he claimed: Dont tell me it doesnt work  torture works. Last October, after Uzbeki immigrant Sayfullo Saipov plowed a pickup truck into people in Lower Manhattan on Halloween, killing eight of them, the presidents reflex was to send him to Gitmo.

For Trump to negate his previous pro-Guantanamo stance, he would be going against a significant proportion of his party. A CNN/ORC poll in March revalead 83% of Republicans are against a future closure of the prison up from 76% in August.

However Trump has done little to bridge the party lines, his views on climate change and immigration solely please those in red, the 45th US President seems to be governing only for those in his corner rather than the greater US. population.

Any hope of Trump siding with Amnesty International and dozens of other human rights charities were quashed when he asked Congress earlier this year for funds to upgrade the jail, having said during his election campaign that he wanted to "load it up with some bad dudes, no new inmates have been added since 2008.

Guantanamo costs the US taxpayer approximately $445 million per year, more than $10 million per prisoner. The prison not only tramples on core American principles but also produced little intelligence while potentially endangering United States troops who might fall into enemy hands.

Civilian courts are vastly more effective in bringing terrorists to justice. Since Sept. 11, 2001, there have been 516 terrorist-related cases brought to US federal courts, according to the Center on National Security. A vast majority of these cases have been settled with plea agreements. Of the 109 cases that went to trial, every defendant was convicted.



Contrast that with Guantanamos record of military tribunals. Since opening in 2002, they have produced a mere eight convictions  and three of them were overturned on appeal.

The Republicans reputation for hard national security is blinding the partys moral judgement , a stronger President, prepared to listen to opposing views could make waves by reaching out to the populations' conscience. Would it not be wonderful if Trump exposed Guantanamo's futile record, its destitute conditions. A headline of: Trump makes America Care Again would be a secure first step into rebuilding his currently tattered domestic and international reputation.

Guantanamo Bay is expensive, it opens the US up to accusations of torture and Human Rights abuses all whilst being unjust and unfair in the eyes of the law.

Guantanamo inmate Khalid Qassim wrote in the Guardian three weeks ago: After almost 16 years here, you think youve been through everything. But now its as though theyre sending us back to the old standard operating procedure  from the bad old days, when we first arrived here.

The Yemeni citizen is currently on hunger strike in protest of his detention without charge: Theyve recently told me: If you lose some of your organs, it is your choice. We are like lab rats. I can see and feel the results of this experiment on myself.

The prisons conditions are so unfamiliar to the general American public, so incomparable it becomes difficult to fully understand Qassims struggles. The President has the power to change this via executive orders, for every day longer Guantanamo remains open, does he garnish more blood upon his hands? If Trumps election was revolutionary, his views are disappointing.

Qassim concludes with: I always ask the people in charge of the camp: why? If something would happen like this in another country, people would rightly ask, Why do you put them there for 16 years without a trial?

Terror suspects deserve a fair trial regardless of the strength of accusations against them. Even if the evidence against certain detainees is overwhelming, by not holding a fair case the US stoops to a level more akin to extremists and terrorists themselves.

The White House appears immune to criticism of its Human Rights breaches. It would take a braver man than Trump to simply listen.
Andrew Gunn, University of Leeds

Its been quite the week for the UK journalist turned champion of free schools, Toby Young, whose appointment to the new universities regulatory board  The Office for Students (OfS)  has sparked outrage.

Toby Young, a lesson in how to lose friends and alienate people? Screen Shot/BBC News

Overnight, Young has deleted around 50,000 old tweets, many of which have been deemed to be sexist and inappropriate . He also posted a 40 tweet thread explaining the controversy surrounding his role on the board. In the thread, Young explains why he is the right man for the job and says he regrets the politically incorrect remarks he made in the past. He says he should be judged not on these, but on his actions promoting social mobility in education.

The Department for Education has defended the appointment , as has Boris Johnson  whose brother Jo Johnson is the higher education minister. Boris has spoken out in support of Young saying he is the ideal man for the watchdog role.

Although Young has no major experience in running universities, he is popular among Conservatives because of some of his right-wing and free-market causes . And given that in the future, higher education will be regulated more like other industries  such as communications and energy  its not hard to see why he was given the role in the first place.

Whats in the role?

The OfS was created by the Higher Education and Research Act , charged with promoting choice and acting in the interests of students, employers and taxpayers. The launch of the OfS means a move to what is known as  risk based regulation , which is already used for other industries, such as water . This is where regulation is more selective, focusing on newer providers while reducing the burden on universities with established track records.

The OfS will run the Teaching Excellence Framework  a new university ranking system which came into play last year  which measures teaching quality and graduate outcomes at higher education institutions. And it will also have powers to fine or suspend institutions that fail to protect freedom of speech on campus. Universities and other higher education providers are required by law  under the Education Act  to take reasonable steps to secure freedom of speech for staff, students and visiting speakers.

The OfS will also take over from the Office for Fair Access  which was previously responsible for promoting and safeguarding fair access to higher education. In its new role, the OfS will monitor access to higher education  but this is no longer just about getting more disadvantaged students into universities. It is also about ensuring they complete their studies and move into jobs.

Negative publicity

For Toby Young, then, his involvement in the OfS  as one of the 15 board members  will involve overseeing all these areas. And given his lack of expertise in higher education, his position may well seem an unusual one in many ways.

But not so for the UK government, which often likes to draw from people outside the higher education community to inform policy development. An example being Lord Brown, the former chief executive of BP, who was commissioned to conduct an independent review on the future of fees policy and financial support for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Many university councils and governing bodies also include members from business and industry. The OfS board , for example, includes Elizabeth Fagan, the managing director of Boots, as well as Katya Hall, formerly of HSBC, and Simon Levine CEO of DLA Piper.

So just a whole lot of fuss about nothing, then? Not quite. The main problem now for the UK government, is that this is a massive distraction that overshadows the whole launch of the new regulator  whose work hasnt yet even to begin. And given the amount of negative publicity Youngs appointment has generated, it may well undermine the OfSs authority  with some claiming the new university regulator is already doomed from the outset
Without a doubt the biggest star in the television series Big Little Lies is the stunning scenic backdrop of Monterey and its Californian coast surrounds.

This lead to it being a 2017 travel must-visit. I headed to California with a distinct vision of the place in my mind. A vision of an exclusive, sleepy town surrounded by stunning beaches, rolling hills and coastal views to take your breath away.

But the reality of Monterey turned out to be almost completeld unexpected. Televisual trickery had created a world of its own, unlike the reality. But that does not mean Monterey didnt exceed expectations in many other ways.

Situated between an hour and two hours drive south of San Francisco (it is a longer journey taking the recommended and breathtaking route along the legendary Highway One), Monterey is a working-class town steeped in history and is a far cry from the exclusive enclave depicted on the small screen.

It is a town where historical influence of the Spanish and Mexican eras is in abundance and as much a tourist destination with all the trappings (if somewhat classer and more laid-back than the UKs idea of seaside tourism) as rich persons playground.

Our stay was based right in the heart of the action at Portola Hotel and Spa, a luxurious spa hotel with views of the bay and on the doorstep of the famous Fisherman's Wharf. Complete with the award- winning restaurant Jacks Monterey and its own brewpub, Peter B's Brewpub, alongside its spa facilities, it is the perfect place to relax and indulge and the perfect place to explore the city on foot or further afield by car or bike.

Perfectly situated the hotel backs onto the heart of Monterey tourism and opened up the unexpected experience of the city.

All in all it is a city at odds with its on-screen representation. It does have a wonderful laid-back and tranquil vibe that matches the sunshine and its position amongst awe-inspiring beauty but it has an energy all of its own.

Portrayed on screen Fishermans Wharf, and its surrounding Marina, is a classy, tranquil place to relax and grab a coffee but in reality it is a largely brash, tourist trap certainly at the more commercial, tacky end of the seaside pier experience, think restaurants, bars and amusements. For a British traveller it is more classy than our stereotypical seaside amusements but hardly the classy destination of the show.

Finding the corner of the Wharf frequented by the main characters in Big Little Lies you discover it is not a coffee house at all but an Italian restaurant. While the exterior was used in the show, the inside was filmed in an entirely different location.

For me, while the Wharf is worth a visit, with any limited time in Monterey it is not a place to focus too much time on. It is however the place to depart on fantastic whale watching trips and other ocean activities such as fishing trips if that takes your fancy.

The Marina itself is nice to walk around in the sunshine.

Heading south from the Wharf, along the coastal path, is a wonderful walk where you start to appreciate the setting. Signs explain the history of the city which shows where the clash of influences in architecture comes from, and as you stroll the coast youll see seals, sea lions and incredibly cute sea otters in their natural habit up close and personal.

In reality the area depicted in the show expands much further into the surrounding area. Inside Monterey youll recognise the views at Lovers Point, which is featured in several key scenes, inside the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, considered one of the best in the world and the stunning expanse of Del Monte Beach which is mainly used by locals and is a definite must visit for a beach day.

Beaches in this area are beautifully wild and wind-swept but are completely spectacular and worth spending many hours on just relaxing or walking their length.

On the Municipal Beach, at the end of Del Monte Beach closest to the Marina, we witnessed a sea otter leave the sea and walk up the beach to check out the noise from a beach volleyball tournament before heading back into the sea and swimming near the shore. Spending time in this area opens up many opportunities for such amazing experiences.

Other big sites from the show are further out of the city. The stunning house occupied by Nicole Kidmans troubled character reportedly sits in the ultra-exclusive Carmel Highlands, while the stunning Bixby Bridge (the bridge of the opening credits) is a way out along Highway One as you head into Big Sur.

This whole drive down the coast is more than worthwhile with its abundance of life changing views.

Back in town the vision of Monterey portrayed on screen continues to be contradicted in Cannery Row which is also a main tourist trap. As a street that was home to many sardine canning factories up till 1973, and was renamed in honour of legendary author John Steinbeck (who was known to frequent the area) it is a street that oozes classic Americana which much of its aesthetic bringing to mind the stories of the Beat writers and of the classic American dream.

Now it is home to many of the citys top restaurants, hotels and stores as well as the world famous Monterey Aquarium (which is used in Big Little Lies frequently). From Fishermans Wharf and Portola it is about 25 minutes walk along the coast, or you can catch the regularly running free Trolley Shuttle which connects Fishermans Wharf with Downtown Monterey and Cannery Row. This traditional form of transport will only add to the overall experience.

In Cannery Row itself, we enjoyed beautiful sea views from the glass-fronted balcony of A Taste of Monterey Wine Market & Bistro whilst sampling a range of great local wines. This is not the only place to enjoy the view with 20 eateries in all that offer similar vistas.

For beer aficionados the Cannery Row Brewing Company has over 70 beers on offer in a friendly, classic American bar setting, but they dont actually brew their own beers despite the name! For great locally brewed beer in a stunning, modern bar Alvarado Street Brewery has exceptional beer and a mouth-watering menu. This place was such a favourite we visited twice in our three-day stay in the city.

As much as Monterey keeps giving for visitors, if you want more of the stunning scenery that sets Big Little Lies up a journey along the 17-Mile Drive is a must. Some people are put off by the $10 fee to travel the route by car (its free on foot or by bike) but it is more costly, in the long run, to miss out. It packs in so much history and beauty into a short space that it should not be missed. Read more about the memories made on this drive HERE.

All in all Monterey was not what was expected but became so much more because of its surprises. It is a place that is often missed on British travellers Californian trips but, from experience, it shouldn't be.
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By PTI: fume

(Eds: Updating with details; oppn SP, Shia body reax)

Lucknow, Jan 5 (PTI) The boundary wall of the Uttar Pradesh Haj office, opposite the state legislature building in the heart of the city, has got a saffron look overnight, days after the secretariat building facade was given the same coat.

The Haj office compound wall got a bright saffron shade within days of the BJP government reducing the number of holidays allotted to state-recognised madrasas in the 2018 calendar.

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The paint was carried out late last night by the Uttar Pradesh estates department and the Haj office staff was not immediately available for a reaction, Friday being a holiday.

The move prompted the opposition Samajwadi Party to accuse the BJP government of indulging in "blatant saffronisation".

"The BJP is a party known for changing colours. It is indulging in these antics only to hide its faults and failures. If the BJP really considers the saffron colour as sacrosanct, it should not indulge in politicisation of the colour and indulge in blatant saffronisation," SP spokesman Sunil Singh Sajan said.

All India Shia Personal Law Board spokesperson Yasoob Abbas took strong exception to the change in colour.

"What is this? The BJP will paint it saffron, the SP will choose green and the BSP blue...This is politics of colour and should be avoided," he said.

When contacted, Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mohsin Raza told PTI, "I fail to understand the problem of those having issues with the new colour. Is saffron an anti-national colour? Saffron is a colour which symbolises ujala (brightness) and urja (energy)."

He said, "When the first rays of the Sun fall on the Earth, it comes with saffron light."

Raza said, "Saffron is a colour, which is synonymous with positivity. It is a gift of God. I think those who are against the usage of saffron colour on the (boundary) wall of the UP Haj committee office, may also object to saffron colour in the national tri-colour."

He said, "This is peculiar politics. After all, only the outer wall of the government office has been painted and not the building or any personal property of any individual."

The saffron colour, mostly associated with Hinduism and especially with the Sangh Parivar of which the BJP is a part, was painted on the front portion of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Bhawan Annexe where the offices of the chief minister and top bureaucrats are located.

After assuming office in March last year, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath showed his fondness for the colour as the state government gave saffron tinge to covers of official booklets and background of official posters issued by the public relations department and ministries.

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In October last year, 50 saffron-coloured buses of the UP State Road Transport Corporation, named Sankalp Seva, were launched to provide service in rural areas.

The department of energy also announced that power connection to unauthorised colonies would be provided through electric poles painted saffron.

Saffron is Adityanaths favourite colour as even the towel on the chair he sits for meetings or conferences is of that shade.

The 45-year-old monk-turned-politician is always seen in saffron robes and the BJP hardliner is referred to as "Maharaj ji" by his followers.

Sajan, a member of state legislative council, claimed that though the chief minister wears saffron from head to heel, he has not been able to do anything for the people of the state in the last ten months.

Interestingly, in Adityanaths home turf Gorakhpur, the historic "Ghantaghar" (clock tower) has got the same tint.

Built in 1930 in the memory of freedom fighters Pt Ram Prasad Bismil, Seth Ram Khelawan and Thakur Prasad, the imposing tower was painted yellow four years ago, but recently it got the saffron shade.

The clock tower has historical significance. It was where freedom fighters such as Ali Hasan were hanged in 1859. PTI NAV SMI SC

--- ENDS ---
By India Today Web Desk: Though it has been over two decades since her debut, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan remains one of the most popular faces in Bollywood. This year, Aishwarya has some big shoes to fill, as she is all set to reprise Nargis Dutt's role in the remake of the 1967 hit Raat Aur Din. If a report in Mid-Day is to be believed, she is getting a hefty paycheck for the same.

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Apparently, Aishwarya has demanded a staggering fee of Rs 10 crore for the film. A source told the publication, "Since Aishwarya has a double role, the film will require extensive preparation. It will be a time-consuming project, which means she will have to let go of the other films that come her way. The fee she has quoted is fair. The producers have agreed to the amount without any negotiation."

Nargis had won the National Award for Best Actress in 1968 for her portrayal of a woman suffering from split personality in the film. Naturally, the expectations from Aishwarya are sky-high. The actress will start prepping for the film soon, since she has wrapped up her portions for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Fanney Khan.

"Though trade insiders are squirming at the possibility of a 44-year-old female actor walking home with a fat paycheck, producer Prernaa Arora believes that Ash is putting a lot at stake for her film, and the fee is warranted," the source added.

ALSO WATCH: In conversation with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) Senior officials of the US-based iPhone maker Apple today called upon Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu.

The meeting assumes significance as the technology giant is seeking concessions like duty exemptions to set up manufacturing unit in India.

"CIM @sureshpprabhu in meeting with Mr. Nick Amman, Director, Government Affairs and Ms. Priya Balasubramaniam, Global Vice President, Operations, Apple Inc,"

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a tweet of the commerce minister said.

When contacted, Apple India spokesperson declined to comment on the meeting.

The company has sought concessions including duty exemption on manufacturing and repair units, components, capital equipment and consumables for smartphone manufacturing and service/repair for a period of 15 years.

It also wants reduction in customs duties on completely- knocked-down and semi-knocked-down units of devices that are to be assembled in the country.

In March, the then Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had informed the Rajya Sabha that the government had not accepted most of the demands of Apple. PTI RR SR MKJ

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Myanmar

Kolkata, Jan 5 (PTI) Bangladesh Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu has expressed hope that the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from his country to Myanmar will start "very soon".

Myanmar had in November last year agreed to take back tens of thousands of Rohingyas who fled to Bangladesh following a military crackdown.

"There is an agreement between the Myanmar and Bangladesh governments. We hope the repatriation will start very soon. Although there is no time frame but those who have recently crossed over to Bangladesh, they have been scrutinised and Myanmar has agreed to take them back," Inu told reporters here last night.

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He lauded Bangladesh Prime minister Sheikh Hasinas leadership for the way it tackled the Rohingya crisis.

Any refugee crisis is a stress on the economy, but the Bangladesh government has passed the test, he said.

Over 6,00,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmars violence-hit Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh since August 2017 when the military intensified crackdown on their alleged militant outfits.

Asked about the updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, Inu said there had been no incident of violence in bordering districts of Bangladesh which might have forced migration to India in the last 40 years.

"There has been no major incident of violence in the last 40 years that might have forced migration from bordering districts of Bangladesh to Assam or Tripura. Also, there are no family connections (relatives) in those areas," Inu said.

The NRC of 1951 is being updated in Assam under the supervision of the Supreme Court to identify original residents of the state in order to check illegal migration.

On the issue of terrorism, Inu said Bangladesh had adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and Dhaka would not allow its soil to be used for terror acts against any country. PTI PNT RG SNS GVS

--- ENDS ---
Family of 29-year old techie in Bengaluru has moved the Karnataka High Court demanding a CBI investigation into their son's missing case.

By Nagarjun Dwarakanath:

Two weeks after 29-year old techie Ajitabh Kumar went missing, his family has moved the Karnataka High Court demanding a CBI investigation into their son's missing case.

Father Ashok Kumar Sinha on December 31, 2017 filed a writ petition in Karnataka High Court asking for a CBI probe.

"My son has gone missing since December 18, 2017 and the state police have not made much of a headway since then," said Ashok.

Techie Ajitabh on December 18, 2017 at around 6:30pm left his house in Whitefield area to sell his car to a potential buyer he had found on OLX website after which he never returned home.

Bangalore Police since then have formed a special team to crack the case and have questioned more than 50 people.

"This looks like an organized crime. There is no ransom call, none of our family members have received a call till date. Such kind of criminal act can be probed only by central agencies," added Ashok.

Meanwhile the Bengaluru Police are confident of cracking the case. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Whitefield said that police have certain clues and are sure of cracking it.

"People who have committed the crime are very smart. We will need some more time to reach the end of it, we have enough clues right now. This act can be done for foul play also by gang or an individual. We are at present probing all angles," said Abdul Ahad, DCP Whitefield.

--- ENDS ---

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Delhis first automated commercial vehicle fitness testing centre will be opened during the current month, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said.

All commercial vehicles, including buses, taxis, autorickshaws, heavy and light commercial vehicle, among others, have to undergo testing and get a fitness certificate.

The testing centre at Jhuljhuli of west Delhi would be better compared to visual inspection currently done at the testing facility in Burari of North Delhi, according to officials.

New commercial vehicles have to be tested and also every year after the first two years, for the vehicles overall performance and its condition.

For the past one month, we have been doing fitness testing of school buses and AITP (All India Tourist Permit) buses at the Jhuljhuli centre on a pilot basis, Delhi Transport Department Special Commissioner K.K. Dahiya told IANS.

The testing of different parts of a vehicle like brakes and headlights will be done by machines and a test result would be generated.

Dahiya said that the new centre would take pressure off the only vehicle fitness testing centre in Burari.

The Jhuljhuli centre, set up in three acres of land, is a joint venture between the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Delhi government.

Dahiya said that the Burari centre will continue to function and they plan to automate the centre by the end of the current year.

A Transport Department official told IANS that the automated centre would end corruption as it would not be up to the inspecting officer to give the fitness certificate and the whole process would be more transparent.

If the vehicles are in a better condition it would also decrease road accidents, the officer said.

According to officials, the drivers waiting area of the centre is under construction.
Women are now eligible to serve in the Territorial Army as the Delhi High Court on Friday ruled that any provision of any Act that bars or discriminates women in the recruitment transgresses the fundamental rights of equality provided under the Constitution.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar gave the go-ahead to the recruitment of women in the TA, the second line of defence after the regular Army, saying any person in section 6 of the TA Act, shall include both men and women.

TA comprises volunteers who get military training in order to be mobilised for the countrys defence in case of an emergency.

The courts order came on a PIL filed by petitioner Kush Kalra, who alleged institutionalised discrimination against women for not being recruited in the TA.

Kalra had contended that the government has a duty to ensure that there is no discrimination practised by anyone in the country and non-recruitment of female candidates who are gainfully employed is against the spirit of the Constitution.

The petition had sought that the provisions of the Act which prohibit the recruitment of women into the TA be either struck down or interpreted in such a manner that both sexes can join the organisation.
The Bhima-Koregaon strife and the caste violence in Maharashtra again made waves in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, with Opposition members expressing serious concerns over continuing atrocities against vulnerable sections like Dalits and minorities in different parts of the country. During a brief discussion on the issue soon after the Upper House met this morning, the

Rajya Sabha members condemned the violence against Dalits in Maharashtra and other parts of the country and demanded an impartial and speedy judicial inquiry into the Bhima-Koregaon episode. Some members also appealed for peace and unity in the society.

The issue had on Wednesday rocked both Houses of Parliament and triggered political fireworks outside Parliament too, with the Congress-led Opposition attacking the ruling BJP and the RSS over it. They had also gone after Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his continued silence over atrocities against Dalits across the country.

Accusing the RSS and certain Hindutva outfits of allegedly sparking the caste violence in Punes Bhima-Koregaon that spread to other parts of the BJP-ruled Maharashtra, the Opposition had then also demanded an inquiry by a Supreme Court judge into the incident. Hitting back, the BJP had charged the Congress with stoking the caste conflict to divide the people for political gains.

Initiating the discussion on the issue in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Congress MP Rajani Patil alleged that the violence against Dalits had taken place on the watch of the Maharashtra government. Alleging that Hindutva outfits were behind the Bhima-Koregaon violence, she demanded action against them and pressed for setting up of a Commission to probe into the entire episode.

NCP president and former Maharashtra Chief Minister, Sharad Pawar apprised the Upper House of the history of the Bhima-Koregaon event and the sentiments of Dalits associated with it. He said over the past 50 years no violent incident has taken place there during its anniversary on 1 January every year, but this time stone-pelting was carried out targeting Dalits participating in it.

Pawar said the state administration should have been more vigilant as a large gathering was expected in Pune. He made an appeal to all sections to come together and bring about peace and harmony in society.

DMK member Kanimozhi said the Maharashtra violence should not be looked as an isolated incident.
India will host the first-ever conference of serving Members of Parliaments and mayors of Indian origin from across the globe on 9 January to further strengthen its diaspora connect.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate PIO Parliamentarians Conference on the day earmarked to celebrate the return of the most respected Pravasi Bharatiya ~ Mahatma Gandhi to India from South Africa in 1915.

As many as 141 PIO lawmakers and mayors of 23 countries will participate in the conference, where representatives from each country will share their experience and expectations of the

India connect, senior officials of the External Affairs Ministry said at a media briefing on Friday.

The first thematic session will focus on PIO parliamentarians ~ journey of struggle to Parliament with former minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor as special guest.

The second session will be on Resurgent India ~ role of PIO parliamentarians with minister for parliamentary affairs Ananth Kumar as special guest.

Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu will address the valedictory session while Sushma Swaraj will host dinner for delegates.

In the long term we will see how this diaspora family could contribute to furthering bilateral relations and people to people ties, said Dnyaneshwar Mulay, secretary, Consular Passport

Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs.

Guyana with 20 MPs and 3 mayors will have the largest representation, followed by Trinidad and Tobago with 16 MPs and 4 mayors. Fifteen lawmakers and one PIO mayor from UK and 5 MPs from Canada will also attend the conference.
India and Indonesia discussed bilateral ties across multiple sectors during the fifth Joint Commission meeting co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Friday.

EAM @SushmaSwaraj had a tete-a-tete with Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia ahead of the India-Indonesia Joint Commission Meeting in Jakarta. Reaffirmed our desire to enhance partnership across all sectors. #ActEastPolicy. pic.twitter.com/fZQRahjUm3  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 5, 2018

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted that both the leaders reviewed trade, energy ties, defence cooperation and people-to-people links.

EAM @SushmaSwaraj and Ms. Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia led the 5th Joint Commission Meeting between two countries. Leaders reviewed trade, energy ties, defence cooperation and people to people links. #ActEastPolicy. pic.twitter.com/1n0Bf0tiZz  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 5, 2018

Earlier in the day, Sushma Swaraj arrived in Jakarta from Thailand on the second leg of her three-nation tour that will also see her going to Singapore.

EAM arrives in Jakarta to a warm welcome in Indonesian tradition. EAM will be holding JCM with her counterpart FM Retno later today! pic.twitter.com/Ar3IoJmWtQ  India in Indonesia (@IndianEmbJkt) January 5, 2018

The visit assumes significance given Indias increasing engagements with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc under New Delhis Act East Policy.

New Delhi will host a commemorative summit on January to mark the 25th anniversary of the Dialogue Partnership between India and Asean in which all the leaders of the 10 Asean nations are expected to participate.

The next day, in a unique first, all leaders will collectively attend this years Republic Day celebrations as chief guests.

Indonesia as one of the largest country, the most diverse democracy, and the biggest economy in ASEAN region has a critical role to play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region.

India agreed to enhance our consultations and cooperation on maritime issues including on UNCLOS with a view to strengthen rule of law and to ensure the freedom of navigation and safety of sea lanes of communication.

India also agreed to enhance education sector cooperation with Indonesia. Currently, India offers close to 150 training slots and scholarships to Indonesia.

Prior to participating in the Joint Commission meeting, Sushma Swaraj called on Indonesian Vice President Muhammad Jusuf Kalla.

EAM @SushmaSwaraj met H.E. Mr. Jusuf Kalla, Vice President of Indonesia at his office today. They discussed issues of bilateral interest. Ms. Preeti Saran, Secy(East), Ambassador Pradeep K Rawat, Mr. Vinay Kumar, JS (South ) and DCM were part of Indian delegation. @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/5yEPSzKgdg  India in Indonesia (@IndianEmbJkt) January 5, 2018

The Indian Minister will leave for Singapore on Saturday where she will inaugurate this years Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on Sunday.
Triple talaq crusader Najia Ilahi Khan joined the state BJP today in presence of BJP president Dilip Ghosh and BJP leader Mukul Roy. Earlier Ishrat Jahan, one of the petitioners in the triple talaq case also joined the BJP.

Speculations are rife that advocate Khan could be the Lok Sabha bypoll candidate from Uluberia Parliament constituency.

BJP president Dilip Ghosh today said chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her party instead of concentrating on development issue for the minority community is playing appeasement politics rather.

Ms Khan complimented Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for waging a fight for the dignity and rights of Muslim women and said the Bill against the practice of triple talaq was a big boost to all the muslim women who are fighting for their self respect and unalienable civil rights.

Ghosh also today accused chief minister MamataBanerjee of practising soft Hindutva to stop consolidation of Hindu votes in favour of BJP. He said the TMC practices Muslim appeasement and it has started backfiring in several parts of the state.

If we go to temple we are branded as communal. But if Trinamul leaders visit temples, they are secular.

The Trinamul is practising soft Hindutva in Bengal to stop the consolidation of Hindu votes in favour of BJP, Ghosh said.

Another BJP senior leader expressed hope that the joining of Ishrat and Khan into the party will rejuvenate minority women which will also strengthen the vote bank of the BJP.

Ishrat was one of the five petitioners who approached the apex court in the triple talaq case. Her husband had divorced her over phone from Dubai in 2014 by uttering talaq thrice.

The controversial Islamic practice was struck down by the Supreme Court on 22 August last year and had ordered the Centre to frame appropriate laws for the same within 6 months.

The government has introduced The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 in the Lok Sabha which was also passed by the lower house after a detailed discussion.

The Bill makes the pronouncement of talaq-e-biddat void and illegal. The Bill entails jail term for upto three years and fine in case anyone pronounces triple talaq on his wife. This Bill also makes the pronouncement of talaq-e-biddat a non-bailable offence.

The Bill will be introduced in Rajya Sabha this week and after assent of the upper house will be subsequently sent for the Presidents approval.

However, a senior BJP leader said the central leadership will take the final decision to fix the candidate for Uluberia Parliamentary constituency. Trinamul selected the wife of the former MP Sultan Ahmed as the candidate from Uluberia Parliamentary constituency.
Prime accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence, Sambhaji Bhide on Friday dismissing all charges of rioting against him and said that he was a victim of political conspiracy.

Speaking to a news channel in Sangli, Maharashtra, Bhide who is the President of Shivjagar Pratisthan said false allegations against had been leveled against him

I have no role to play in the riots There is a conspiracy to vitiate the atmosphere. I never tried to divide communities and I am just a victim of political conspiracy, Bhide said in Marathi.

Bhide along with Hindu Janjagruti Samiti chief Milind Ekbote are accused of perpetrating the Bhima Koregaon violence against Dalits in which a youth was killed.

On January 2, the Pimpri police (Pune) lodged a complaint against Bhide and Ekbote while the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh, a Dalit party headed by Prakash Ambedkar  the grandson of Bharat Ratna BR Ambedkar, called for a peaceful Maharashtra shutdown to express anger over the Pune incident.

On Thursday, Prakash Ambedkar called on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding the arrest and prosecution of Bhide and Ekbote.

However, Bhide rebuffed Prakash Ambedkars charges and demanded a thorough investigation into the matter.

Prakash Ambedkar blamed me for the conspiracy which is completely wrong, demand the government to investigate this matter thoroughly, strong punishment must be given to whoever is guilty, Bhide said in a statement.

The disturbances erupted in the village of Koregaon-Bhima on January 1 during the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Anglo-Maratha War of January 1, 1818, between the army of Peshwa Bajirao II and a small force of the East India Company that comprised a large number of Dalits.

Several lakhs of Dalits had congregated around the Victory Pillar (Vijay Stambh) erected by the British in Sanaswadi village when suddenly stone pelting started, allegedly by some right-wing groups carrying saffron flags.

In the ensuing clashes, more than 30 vehicles, including buses, police vans and private vehicles, were torched or damaged and one youth, Rahul Fatangale, 28 of Nanded lost his life.
Police have booked Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani and JNU student leader Umar Khalid for making provocative speeches ahead of the Bhima-Koregaon clashes and denied permission to a meeting they were to address in Mumbai.

The newly elected MLA and Dalit leader Mevani and the Jawaharlal Nehru University student Khalid were scheduled to be among the main speakers at the now-cancelled All India Students Summit 2018 under the aegis of Chhatra Bharti.

Mumbai police on Thursday denied permission for the meeting. Their preventive action followed a decision late on Wednesday night by Pune police to book the two leaders for their speeches at the Bhima-Koregaon village on 31 December.

They were charged under sections 117 and 153A of the Indian Penal Code for fomenting communal disharmony through provocative speeches at an event at the village near Pune.

The FIR was lodged at Punes Vishrambaug Police station on a complaint by two local youths, Akshay Bikkad and Anand Dhond, who claimed they did not belong to any organisation.

Sources said the Mumbai police decision to scuttle students meet in the city was a follow-up action prompted by the FIR filed by their Pune counterparts as more details of 31 December meet were gathered by them.

According to intelligence sources, the Bhima-Koregaon conference called Elgar Parishad (roughly translated as war cry meet) was also attended by Naxal or pro-Naxal activists.

The Pune police case is that the speeches incited violence and arson on 1 December when thousands of people assembled in the village to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle

In that battle, British forces with the participation of the Mahars inflicted a defeat on the Peshwas.

The FIR cites extracts from the speeches by Mevani and Khalid in which they allegedly asked people to rise against present day Peshwas ~ a barb directed at the Maratha community.

In next days violence, a 28-year-old Maratha youth was killed and 12 other people injured.

The alleged call for an uprising is being cited by Pune and Mumbai police as a cause of violence not only in these two cities but across Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, as Dalit anger calmed down, the Gujarat MLA tweeted, asking people to shun violence and maintain peace. He also appealed to Maharashtra government to ensure that the rule of law prevails.
On the face of it the Aam Aadmi Partys selecting two virtual outsiders for the three Rajya Sabha seats it should bag shortly is quite a story particularly since founder-member Kumar Vishwas was ignored for a position he had made no secret of wanting to attain. The bigger story is that Arvind Kerjriwal had to settle for businessman Sushil Gupta and chartered accountant Narain Dass Gupta (in addition to party-activist Sanjay Singh) only because his overtures to more than a dozen eminent persons were spurned. When will Kejriwal come to accept that there are few takers for the larger-than-life image he projects of himself? It ought to be a sobering thought that persons who would otherwise have deemed a seat in the House of Elders a singular honour opted to stay aloof rather than touch AAP with the proverbial bargepole. Was it the supreme arrogance of Kejriwal that caused him to embarrass people like a former RBI governor and apex court judge by going public about offering them tickets to the Rajya Sabha without any pre-consultation? For there would be few who would accept the AAP-line that those eminent non-political persons declined the offer because they feared running foul of the government ~ there are limits to paranoia. There is little need to be exercised over poet-politician Kumar Vishwas not making it, nobody can claim a nomination by right. Yet there will be much resonance with Vishwas lament that his prospects were axed because he had aired his differences with Kerjriwal over several issues. The allegation that Kejriwal functions in dictatorial fashion has been levelled by many, a reflection of which is to be seen in his confrontations with successive Lieutenant-Governors, union ministers etc. The need to build a party organisation, or foster internal democracy, seems to elude the AAP leadership, a couple of persons call the shots, always.

In terms of time the AAP is still a fledgling, yet to write off all its convulsions as teething troubles would be to miss a point. In the short time it has been in business it has been disowned by its mentor Anna Hazare, and no longer enjoys the favour of those who had played prominent roles in its formation ~ Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan, Kiran Bedi, Mayank Gandhi and a host of others whose dreams of new politics have gone up in flames like the effigy of Ravana at the Ramlila Ground. Simultaneously have AAPs electoral ambitions come a cropper in Goa and Gujarat, after partial success in Punjab. The election to the Delhi Assembly is looming on the horizon, Kejriwal and his chosen few must resurrect the spirit that brought the party into existence, and power. Are they capable of proving themselves more than short-term wonders, or just the irritating mosquitoes the Prime Minister had dubbed them?
Residents of three Maharashtra villagers come together and accuse outsiders of fomenting trouble that spread across large swathes of the state.

Dalit protestors stop a train during the Rail Roko protest at Ghatkoper station over Bhima Koregaon violence, in Mumbai on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI)

By Mayuresh Ganapatye, Pankaj P. Khelkar: Villagers of Bhima Koregaon, Vadubudruk and Sanaswadi have charged outsiders of causing the violence in Bhima Koregaon, a village on the outskirts of Pune.

The violence that erupted on January 1 spread quickly to other parts of the state leaving one person dead and scores injured. Arson and rioting affected large parts of Maharashtra.

While Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has blamed Maoists for the violence, the villagers of the three villages have said that outsiders are maligning their name.

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"Outsiders are responsible for the rioting. We the people of Bhima Koregaon have been living in peace and harmony and will continue to do so," said Sangita Kamble, sarpanch of Bhima Koregaon.

In Friday's townhall, villagers demanded that the government compensate them for the destroyed properties. They also demanded a Rs1 crore compensation for the family of the deceased Rahul Fatangade.

The Maharashtra government has ordered a judicial probe and announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to Fatangade's family.

Varsha Shilve, a resident of Vadubudruk village and from the Maratha community, alleged that the district administration had failed to provide enough security for the January 1 celebrations.

She also alleged that due to the lackadaisical attitude of the district administration outsiders sneaked into the village and instigated the violence.

Vadubudruk's villagers allege that the violence was triggered by the desecration of the samadhi of Govind Gaikwad, a Dalit icon.

The villagers have decided to contribute to reconstruct the samadhi and not allow outsiders to intervene in the matters of the villages.

Girish Bapat, Maharashtra Minister of Food and Civil Supplies, visited the family of Fatangade.

Bapat is a five-time MLA from Kasba Peeth constituency which falls in Pune district.

"Such incidents should not take place as they not only create unnecessary tension between communities but also widen the rift between them," he told India Today.

ALSO WATCH | Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani questions Prime Minister Modi's silence on Bhima Koregaon violence

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From Pakistan to Palestine, Donald Trump is set to turn the screws again. It is now obvious that in the reckoning of his administration, the threat to foreign assistance is a potent weapon of reprisal, indeed a means of leveraging. He has reinforced the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel with a threat to cut funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. More accurately, he has threatened to truncate the assistance towards a humanitarian effort. Viewed through that prism, Wednesdays announcement, specifically the latest intervention in the Middle East peace process, is potentially far more damaging to the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian camps run by UNRWA are home to the poorest and most disadvantaged. Indeed, the camps in such places as Ramallah, Nablus and Jenin on the West Bank and Gaza are inhabited by the most radicalised of the Palestinian factions. It was from these camps that the first and second intifadas emerged and where both Fatah and the Islamist group, Hamas, were born. They are places that pride themselves both on their resilience and on being the conscience of the Palestinian national movement. Ever since the second intifada, the weapons still held by the factions have largely remained inside these camps, and under the control of the Palestinian security forces helmed by President Mahmoud Abbas. The US President, given as he is to impetuous action, has betrayed a lack of understanding of the delicate dynamics that help maintain relative peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Though Pakistan will take a while to reflect on Mr Trumps bluster, he may have rocked the Middle East boat fair and square.

The President and his advisers regard the moves at the UN Security Council and in the General Assembly to condemn the Jerusalem announcement as an escalation in the situation. It is hard not to wonder whether he has binned the conventional negotiating strategies used by past US administrations in the Middle East peace process as failures. The purported paradigm shift lends a new dimension to the theory and practise of international law. The working arrangement between UNRWA and the Palestinian Authority, fragile as it was, is bound to get destabilised. For years, international financial and technical support for the Palestinian bureaucracy has taken care of salaries and has supported NGOs working in key social sectors. This flow has underpinned the Palestinian Authoritys security cooperation with Israel, thereby checking the influence of Hamas on the West Bank. Indeed, that international support has spared the Palestinian Authority from a possible coup by the Hamas or coup-proofed, as the political scientist, Edward Luttwak, reacted on Wednesday. The US President has emitted a distressing signal ~ there is no peace process and no peace plan in the Middle East. Donald Trump has taken care of the essentials.
On a whirlwind road trip across many cities in Western Nepal, one can find a lot of similarities with Kathmandu, the capital. Although construction is booming, the roads are dug up without a timeframe for when they will be re-laid, and houses are built in an unplanned manner. Its as if the road conditions are accepted as long as there is enough space for motorcycles to pass through, never mind ambulances or fire engines.

Ugly hoarding boards jostle with each other; and, if there is anything that unites Nepal visually, it is the presence of massive boards advertising alcoholic beverages everywhere. It is sad to see that people have aspirations to consume and build in the same manner as folks in Kathmandu, even in the most remote of areas. Ugly banquet halls or party palaces, shopping centres that resemble garbage centres from afar, shops occupying most of sidewalks, two-wheelers and four-wheelers parked on the streets in a haphazard manner  it is easy to not react to all these as we can blame politics and politicians for all this chaos.

My colleague Samriddhi Pant, who joined us recently after her studies in Singapore, had some interesting insights to share as we crossed the border from Nepalgunj to Rupaidiha in India. Her thoughts were that Kathmandu resembles a border town in terms of how the shop-fronts and houses are built. We discussed quite a bit on this topic. Yes, perhaps the commonality in how Nepal now looks across cities and towns is that it is just an aggregation of border towns. Historically, in all trading cities, it used to be shop-fronts lined up on the main street or thoroughfare through which travellers, including traders, passed by. With limited roads, the shops and houses on High Street commanded a premium. Temples and resting places were built along these routes.

In the 20th century, with automobiles proliferating worldwide, the roads that automobiles could use became the key trading routes. These were routes where vehicles would be parked and travellers would spend a night at roadside inns, eat at the eateries.

The replication of the trading route and border town mindset in Kathmandu is visible in the encroachment of all open spaces, compounded by the lack of sense to have parking lots that can accommodate the rising flow of cars. Traditional Newa architecture, prevalent in the Valley before the days of horse carriage and automobile, did focus on community living and community spaces. However, this was destroyed as everyone wanted to claim every inch of land in a market where land prices continue to skyrocket each year.

Border towns do not believe in open spaces. Everyone is absorbed in the myopia of the moment  with people in transit conducting business with the like-minded in a jostle. Never is it about long-term planning. And this mindset has become contagious. Even in the industrial estates all over Nepal that are basically capturing high value land at low lease rentals, the concept is about just having a row of establishments.

Travelling across Nepal, every municipality or village council seems to find it very easy to build what look like temporary structures on river beds, disputed land and land without papers. The business of just replicating border towns and trading streets has been quite easy, it seems. Far away from the beautiful postcard pictures of the seventies, towns and cities in the past 40 years have started to look alike in their ugliness.

Two of the other common sights in Nepal are the tipper trucks that carry extracted natural resources and ferry them, and the bulldozers that are deployed to extract resources in the name of building roads. River beds are contracted out for low amounts to people who are either politicians turned into business persons or business persons turned into politicians. These contactors then engage in extensive extraction, depleting river beds. Stretches of roads are destroyed by the heavily loaded tippers that enjoy impunity from prosecution by police and other agencies as the cartels that operate the business and transport vehicles have tremendous political clout.

In a country where we are never concerned about the source of our construction materials, these issues never become a point of public discourse. Extensive extraction facilities crated on river beds are creating irreparable damage, but of course, putting up Open Defecation Free Zone signage is easier to work on and get engaged with rather than such bigger issues. The world as we know it has been built on natural resources extracted; there is no debate on that. But regulation on extraction methods is something that needs more public discourse as well as policy framework. The proper implementation of the framework drawn is important, too.

In two generations, Nepal, like many other countries, has moved quickly in integrating itself to the ever globalising world, but the key question to ask is whether our sense and sensibilities are also moving forward. Travelling by air, bikes, and cars or in busses, communicating with our gadgets, eating out at eateries and restaurants, shopping in large format stores, watching movies in halls that have best of technologies, attending programmes including concerts etc are all the amenities to have reached the common Nepali  in just the past three decades. However, we are yet to get to learn basic ways to deal with situations.

Comments coming from the Tourism sector single out Chinese and Indian tourists as the most difficult ones to handle. And now, Nepalis are getting on to this list. Money can buy space in hotels and restaurants, tickets to the cinema, mobile phones and recharge cards but one has to invest in good behaviour as well. Otherwise, the identity of a country gets associated with all the things you dont want it to be associated with. So perhaps 2018 will be a good year to focus on how we improve the sense and sensibilities around simple things like driving or parking etiquette, behaviour at restaurants, hotels, stores and cinema halls and many other daily activities. Surely, we dont need to sort out the political situation first to achieve this!
In a workshop on quality education held in March-April 2015 at Busan, South Korea, by the Global Education First Initiative, under the auspices of the UN Secretary General, a teacher from Argentina recounted her attempt to promote career education in her institution. She said: In my institution, parents of students came to the classroom once a month to talk to us about their careers. The events brought the community together, and helped provide students with career education which was not imparted systematically to students. The anecdote was well-received by the stakeholders present not merely because of its innovative nature but because of its potential ability to overcome the challenges of higher education by converting these institutions into community learning and interaction centres.

The challenge to ensure both quality and quantity in higher education is has emerged the world over. Students can contribute to the socio-economic needs of the country once their higher education is formally complete. While there is general unanimity among all stakeholders on the need to improve quality, our educational scenario has three special characteristics which make it difficult to adopt mechanisms on quality that are modelled on developed nations. The first is the inter-relationship of educational levels in the country. We have been following what they call a chain continuation system that is strictly followed with a structured primary, secondary and higher secondary system. Any scope of lateral entry to higher education without the mandatory minimum of twelve years of schooling is not allowed as a matter of policy. This quality of higher education therefore rests on the quality of school education. The admission to centres of higher education through compromised schooling standards can render quality control ineffective.

One major reason for the rather indifferent quality of higher education in India is the poor skill attainment during the twelve years of schooling. No wonder the World Conference on Higher Education held in 1998 under the aegis of UNESCO declared under Article 3 that Higher education institutions must be viewed as, and must also work within themselves to be a part of and encourage, a seamless system starting with early childhood and primary education and continuing through life. The higher education system must work in active partnership with parents, schools, students, socio-economic groups and communities. Secondary education should not only prepare qualified candidates for access to higher education by developing the capacity to learn on a broad basis but also open the way to active life by providing training on a wide range of jobs.

The second challenge to the quality of higher education is the limited geographical reach of such institutions. While the current concept of infrastructural augmentation in the education scenario is limited to an increase in investment on tangible assets, such as classrooms or advanced teaching aids, a holistic assessment of the special requirements of diverse backgrounds of learners is largely neglected. The framing of the curriculum is typically urban-centric, and a large section of learners are forced to compromise academic tastes and interests while attempting to fit into pre-determined higher education modules.

The third challenge is a skewed distribution of manpower to teach and administer higher education institutions, with the best in quality and efficiency limited to the geographical reaches of metro-cities and large urban centres.

Steps have been taken over the past few decades to address these three critical anomalies, but its effectiveness still eludes us. Attempts to overhaul school education through compulsory training of teachers, setting up of model schools in backward districts, enforcing effective evaluation of skill development of school learners through continuous and comprehensive evaluation systems have failed to make the desired impact. The reason is lack of coordination in the framing of policy and implementation by the states and the Centre.

The scrapping of detention as a matter of policy in schools without matching progress in the evaluation of learners have ensured that millions of school children without basic school-level skills have passed and entered the higher education institutions. Such students are a drag on the quality of higher education. It is a universally recognised principle that the no-detention system in schools can only work when the evaluation and remedial framework function in tandem with due seriousness and efficiency.

As regards the skewed distribution of quality manpower and infrastructure in higher education, the usual remedy of setting up of such institutions in rural areas has not been effective. This is due to the obvious disconnect between the prospective learners background and the urban-centric curriculum framework adopted in such institutions. Learners in remotely situated areas have been forced to adopt learning systems and standards which are removed from their interests, inclination, and sometimes, even ethos. The obvious consequence is a half-hearted participation in the higher education process, resulting in dropouts from higher education institutions and attaining degrees without the desired skill-sets required for effective participation as socio-economically active individuals.

One innovative course to circumvent such disparities is to introduce a nationally admissible choice-based framework that would cater to both core educational subjects as well as specialised academic and vocational areas. This is how Australia, Canada and China could overcome vast disparities in terms of higher education. These countries adopted a choice-based curriculum at the national level a decade back, and the fact that many higher educational institutions there routinely rank among the best reaffirms the viability of choice-based curricula framework in countries with vast diversities in geography, languages, and culture.

An area that is critical to higher education, which our policy-makers still have to grapple with and for which there are no readily available and tested models internationally, is to correct the skewed patronage of general and vocational streams among learners. The 2014 Survey of Higher Education, conducted nationally, points to the fact that nearly 90 per cent of school pass-outs enter the general streams in colleges and a single-digit per cent actually volunteer for vocational and technical education, thereby resulting in a critical shortage of technical manpower and burdening the system with an overwhelming number of general stream graduates with limited and unemployable skill sets. This is unlike most developing and developed countries where the popularity of vocational stream courses far out-run general stream courses in terms of popularity and learner interest.

While we have made some progress in assessment and accreditation of higher education institutions through the objective assessment criteria over the past decade, a review of the funds disbursed to such accredited institutions in accordance with their assessment grades, reveals that a disproportionate amount earmarked for higher education are diverted to institutions with suitable infrastructure. This is reflected in their higher assessment grades, leaving institutions with a challenged infrastructure and poorer assessment grades with little financial support to correct and remedy areas of quality. If quality has to be assured with equity, funds meant for higher education ought to be disbursed to geographically remote and financially challenged institutions.

Neglecting areas which cry out for resource-support would lead to another crisis in higher education that we can well do without, because the international higher education scenario has already evolved an equity of quality mechanism from an assurance of quality regime in contemporary higher education.

The writer is Assistant Professor in English, Pritilata Waddedar Mahavidyalaya, Nadia in West Bengal.
The judgment in the 2G case has flummoxed everyone. The accused, who were being branded as icons of corruption, have emerged as white knights while the accusers have received their comeuppance. The electronic and print media is eating its words and the social media is afloat with jokes and weird theories.

Apart from the thinly-veiled innuendos emanating from political opponents and corresponding protestations of injured innocence from the accused and their well-wishers, acquittal of the accused in the 2G case has brought to the fore the dichotomy between judicial and public perception. With the public failing to accept the judgment, we need to introspect as to why in so many instances of high profile corruption the courts have not gone along with the public perception of guilt.

Take the Bofors scam, the 2G scam, the Gujarat riots cases. In all these cases all the accused walked free or only some small fry got indicted. To explain this anomaly one can perhaps say that unnecessary hype is often created by the media which makes the accused appear guilty in the public eye. Combined with the fact that the public actively distrusts bureaucrats and politicians, it is ready to believe the worst about the accused persons. On the other hand, a conscientious judge decides a case based only on legal provisions and the evidence available on record, therefore, persons who have been presumed to be guilty by the public are often acquitted by the Courts.

However, this does not explain the situation fully. One also has to keep in mind that the accused in scam cases are extremely rich and influential who hire the best legal brains and do not mind going down to any level to get a clean chit. The role of the investigators is often not above board; many a time investigators were found to be hand in glove with the persons they were investigating. The Mumbai Police Commissioner was jailed for connivance with Telgi & Co, the CBI Directors role is under investigation in the 2G scam and in the Adarsh scam the Government advocates were found to be colluding with the accused.

Many years were wasted in all cases in filing charge-sheets and the subsequent court proceedings. The Bofors scam first surfaced in 1987 but the charge-sheet was filed only in 1999. The trial in the 2G scam dragged on for 7 years. Generally, there is inordinate delay by investigating agencies in filing voluminous charge-sheets after which court proceedings drag on for decades. By the time the Court takes up the case in earnest, witnesses may have been compromised, investigating officers may have changed and the main culprits may have died. The judge in the 2G scam case succinctly noted that initially the CBI was very prompt in its submissions, but towards the end the CBIs responses were faltering.

Starting from the days of Bofors, allegations of a scam are a sure-fire way to win elections. In fact everyone, except the Government of the day, loves a nice juicy scam. The media gets a good story, the public gets a chance to bring down the high and mighty and the Opposition gets a handle to beat the government with. Conversely, constant media attention puts immense pressure on the Government. To avoid further ignominy Government agencies drag the accused to court without proper investigation which ensures that generally the accused walk free. The results could have been quite different had the agencies acted professionally.

It would thus appear that like God, scams have to be invented if they do not exist. Analysing, with hindsight, the Bofors, Coalgate and 2G scams and taking a contrarian view one would notice that the decision to allot airwaves on first come first served basis was a policy decision of the Government which put mobile telephony within the reach of the poorest Indian. The JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile) model of dispensing benefits of the present Government would not have been possible had mobile telephony been expensive, as it would have been after auction of air waves. Therefore, a sustainable charge against the 2G dramatis personae could only be that of cronyism in allotment of Spectrum and not that of framing a faulty policy, which was what the CBI set out to prove.

Similarly, not auctioning coalmines ensured that the price of coal remained low, which meant lower prices of electricity as also other manufacturing products. However, it is also a fact that coal mines were allotted in violation of extant policy. It would thus appear that 2G and Coalgate were instances of the ever-present venality in our system and were not scams in the sense the term is generally understood. The Bofors scam can also be summarised in similar terms. The Bofors gun was undoubtedly most suited for our requirements; later on, the gun acquitted itself honourably in the Kargil conflict. Under-the-table payments were made at the time of the purchase of the Bofors gun because this is how the armament industry works.

After the Bofors scam surfaced, the gun manufacturer was blacklisted and no purchases were made from it for many years. This led to a piquant situation where at the time of the Kargil war we had the Bofors gun but no ammunition to feed it. Consequently, we had to purchase ammunition at $10,000 per round from South Africa. Since the Bofors gun fires one round every 20 seconds, the cost of the ammunition was exorbitant; much more than the cost of the gun or the amount defalcated. However, our knee-jerk reaction to the Bofors scam ensured that we did not manufacture the Bofors gun indigenously which was our right under the contract. The Bofors ghost continues to haunt defence purchases; even essential purchases are inordinately delayed fearing allegation of corruption. No lessons were learnt from the Bofors scam; the Tehelka sting (2001) showed the entire defence establishment still mired in corruption. Tehelka was different from Bofors in only that the journalists responsible for the Tehelka sting were jailed.

Unproved allegations of a scam cause damage to society at large because allegations of corruption in high places shake the confidence of the public in the system and not in the government of the day alone. The public begins to justify their own corruption in light of the perceived corruption of the high and mighty, which corrupts the system at all levels. Another consequence is that regular politicians stand discredited in the public eye and community and caste leaders intrude into mainstream politics.

Persons involved in scams are seldom punished because the very mention of scam sends all enforcement agencies ~ Enforcement Directorate, Income tax, CBI and their ilk ~ on overdrive. Working in silos, each agency tries to prove offences under its domain; contradicting other agencies in the process which ensures that the charges against the accused are seldom proved. In the Malegaon blasts case, the Maharashtra ATS and the NIA charged different sets of persons for the same blasts. After a change of Government, the NIA gave a clean chit to the very persons it had charged leaving everyone baffled. At another level, the hyperactivity of investigating and regulatory agencies ~ which smell a scam in every routine transaction ~ has led to bureaucratic inertia with top bureaucrats blaming 5Cs ~ CBI, CVC, CAG, CIC and the Courts for their lack of performance.

Looking at the frequency with which allegations of scam are bandied about and the consequent drop in public confidence, a standard response to such allegations has to be thought of. Any credible allegation of widespread corruption should be thoroughly probed by a combined team of enforcement agencies working with a common strategy for a common object viz. ensuring punishment of the accused and recovery of the defalcated money. All agencies should file a common charge-sheet and day-to-day hearings should be held in designated courts. Investigation and judgment should both be time-bound under law. Persons found guilty of perpetrating scams should be banned from public life forever. Finally, any law can only be as strong as its enforcers. Political parties have to realise that all scams are bad; not necessarily those of their political opponents. Till the time political parties fight over our scam and their scam there would be no reprieve from scams and corruption would continue to bedevil our polity.

The writer is a retired Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax
At least 46 people, including 11 civilians, were killed in the last 24 hours in bombings allegedly by the Arab coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, in western Yemen, medics said on Thursday.

Coalition aircraft attacked several positions by Houthi rebels in the province of al-Hudaydah, killing 35 combatants and wounding dozens, Efe news agency reported.

In addition, 11 civilians lost their lives on Wednesday night and eight suffered wounds when coalition planes targeted a group of Houthis near a restaurant in the town of Zabid, southeast of the port of al-Hudaydah, medical sources in the area said.

Al-Hudaydah is a strategic port on the Red Sea and is controlled by the Houthis.

Yemen is the scene of a civil war between forces loyal to President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, exiled in Riyadh, and the Houthi rebels, who control regions in the north and west of the country, as well as its capital, Sanaa.
Russia considers a US proposal to hold an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council over recent protests in Iran as harmful, Sputnik news agency reported on Thursday, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

The Security Council is responsible for maintaining global peace and security, and Irans internal issues have nothing to do with its mission, Ryabkov said.

Irans domestic affairs have nothing to do with the United Nations Security Councils role, he said.

He said Russia will roll out its own position, which is in line with the norms of international law.

Earlier this week, US envoy to UN Nikki Haley said Washington sought to convene emergency meetings at the UN headquarters and human rights council in Geneva.

Over the past week, riots broke out in some Iranian cities in protest against price hikes and economic woes.

US President Donald Trump and a number of other US officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, have sided with the protesters.

Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Gholamali Khoshroo has slammed the US governments recent attempts to intervene in the domestic affairs of the Islamic Republic.
South Korea and North Korea on Friday agreed to hold high-level talks next week to discuss Pyongyangs potential participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and ways to improve bilateral ties.

North Korea notified that it has accepted South Koreas latest offer for talks on January 9, Yonhap News Agency quoted the Unification Ministry as saying.

The two sides decided to discuss working-level issues for the talks by exchanging documents, Baik Tae-hyun, ministry spokesman at the ministry, told a press briefing.

The move comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed willingness to send a delegation to the Olympics to be held in South Korea next month and said the country was open to inter-Korean talks over the matter.

The agreement came as South Korea and the US agreed late Thursday to delay their joint military drills during the Winter Olympics.

North Korea has long denounced the military drills as a war rehearsal and used them as an excuse for its provocations. But South Korea and the US said that the exercises were defensive in nature.

Next weeks talks will be the first inter-Korean dialogue since December 2015.

After a nine-year rule of two conservative governments, liberal President Moon Jae-in, who favours engagement with Pyongyang, took office in May 2016.

But North Koreas nuclear and missile threats have prompted him to maintain the dual track of seeking sanctions and dialogue.

Seoul hopes that better inter-Korean relations can help pave the way for the resolution of North Koreas nuclear issue and broader talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

Some experts said that North Koreas overture to South Korea may be aimed at weakening the united front in enforcing sanctions on Pyongyang and driving a wedge in the decades-long alliance between Seoul and Washington.
Bhide added that it was an attempt to vitiate the atmosphere and take political mileage.

By India Today Web Desk: The main accused in orchestrating the violence at Bhima Koregaon on Monday, Sambhaji Bhide, in an exclusive interview to India Today said that he was never involved in tactics to divide communities.

The right wing leader also took a delegation to the Superintendent of Police's office on Thursday to seek withdrawal of charges. Bhide (85) heads the outfit Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan.

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"I have nothing to do with it. I have never indulged in any acts to divide communities. Some people want to include my name for political motives. There is a big conspiracy behind this," said Bhide on the allegations.

Bhide added that it was an attempt to vitiate the atmosphere and take political mileage.

"Allegations on me going there and inciting violence are as true as someone seeing a moon on amavas," said Bhide.

On January 2, Pune police filed a complaint against Bhide and others under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and other various sections of the IPC.

Dalit protests erupted across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, in the aftermath of the violence in Pune during the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Bhima Koregaon Battle.

Watch: Sambhaji Bhide says he wasn't involved in dividing communities

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But the tribe has a long way to go
Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy

By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat
Bengaluru-based start up Koovers is aiming to change the way how multi-brand car garages offer services to its customers in India. This company has tied up with Hella, the German automotive component manufacturer to offer innovative services to different car garages. It aims to cash in on the fact that majority of Indian car owners incur huge prohibitive costs in continuing with the brand service centre (centre operated by their car brand) and they move in on to the multi-brand car garages to get their car serviced.

Image source: Koovers.in

We will not be owning the multi-brand garages and they will continue with their own owners but we will be offering them innovative technical knowhow that will help them offer much better service to their customers at much lesser prices when compared to the brand owned car garages. With the growing car population in India post warranty service and support are a billion dollar industry and I feel that a significant percentage of entrepreneurs fail trying to capitalise on this massive opportunity due to lack of professional support to this ecosystem, B.S. Sandeep, the CEO and co-founder of Koovers.

This start up plans to tie up with different multi-brand garages in the country and plans to establish 300-500 such centres over the next 3-4 years and plans to create employment for more than 10,000 plus garage technicians in the country. The aim is to have skilled garage technicians who are well versed with the latest in automotive technology and have the ability to provide quality service to customers who come in for car service in the country. Besides India we are also aiming to start two centres abroad one in France and the other one in Morocco, added Sandeep who himself comes in from an automotive background.

The company through its tie up with Hella aims to offer innovative technology in the form of a mobile app, a prognosis tool to keep track of the engine health, cashless repairs (through its tie up with different insurance companies), reasonable service fees etc. The start up Koovers will have a revenue sharing model with the garage owners and will focus only on multi-brand car garages in the country.

Hella, on the other hand, will be able to use this platform to offer its products in the different multi-brand car garages in the country. We are one of the top 40 automotive manufacturers in the country and through this tie up we will get much better access to the customers who come in for car service in the country. We have seen that majority of car owners in India come to multi-brand car service garages as they find cheaper service and better transparency there, said Ramashankar Pandey, managing director, Hella India Lighting Limited.
The Indian diaspora is getting influential across the world. So much so that there are over 270 people of Indian origin in various positions of leadershipheads of state and government, senators, state leaders and Members of Parliament. In a unique initiative to forge ties with this influential diaspora, India will host the first ever PIO parliamentarian conference in New Delhi on January 9. As many as 124 MPs and 17 mayors from 23 countries will participate in this meet.

Dnyaneshwar Mulay, secretary, Overseas Indians Affairs, said that they deliberately restricted the invites to MPs and mayors and not ministers and heads of states and governments. At those levels there are regular interactions; we wanted to connect with the parliamentarians, instead. Also, at higher positions, there are too many layers of protocol to observe.'' Former president of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo and former prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad Bissessar will also attend in their present capacity as parliamentarians.

The event will start with an address by Prime minister Narendra Modi. The two working sessions will be on PIO parliamentarians, the story of the journey to parliament, and Resurgent India, the role of PIO parliamentarians.

Mulay said the one-day interaction hopes to establish a network with leaders of Indian origin in various countries, and get a feedback on the direction in which Indian engagement with the diaspora should proceed. It will be a cathartic experience for many of them,'' said Mulay. He said that a strong India encouraged the diaspora, just as an emerging diaspora encouraged India.

Guyana is sending the largest delegation of 20 MPs and three mayors followed by Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom and Mauritius. Despite a rise in numbers of Indians in state governments and even the senate and Congress in the US, it is sending only two delegates. This, the ministry of externals affairs explained, was because the senate is in session in the US.

Although there are four MPs from Sri Lanka, the rest of the neighbourhood is not being represented in the meet. India did not send invites to SAARC nations for the obvious reasonthey are part of the same subcontinent. This effort was to reach out beyond.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asking him to review the progress of the tuberculosis elimination programme every quarter. In the letter sent to Fadnavis last montha similar one has reportedly been sent to all the chief ministersa copy of which is with THE WEEK, the Prime Minister's Office has asked the Maharashtra chief minister to "closely monitor key performance indicators such as case notification (including from private sector), treatment success rate", and active cases finding in tuberculosis.

Maharashtra followed Uttar Pradesh in recording most number of TB cases in the country in 2017, according to data from the health ministry.

The letter assumes importance in the light of the fact that India has the highest burden of tuberculosis in the world. The PMO has underlined the grim statistics29 lakh new cases of TB each year; 4.20 lakh people, mostly poor, are known to die of the disease. Economic loss due to TB has been calculated to be Rs 20,000 crore per annum.

The Revised National TB Control Programme has taken several new initiatives such as daily regimen, universal drug susceptibility testing, active case finding in vulnerable groups, and cross reference between HIV and TB cases, says the letter. Recently, the government also announced a cash incentive of Rs 500 for all TB patients as nutrition support. The cash incentive, however, is one-fourth of what the government had planned to give initially.

In order to help ease the direct and indirect costs incurred by TB patients, especially those below the poverty line, the National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Elimination (2017-2025) had proposed a cash benefit of Rs 2,000 per month for those seeking care in public and private sector facilities. An Aadhaar-linked direct benefit, this cash incentive was proposed to ostensibly support the nutritional needs and loss of wages incurred by patients of tuberculosis, THE WEEK had reported in November. However, the amount has been reduced due to lack of funds.

The health ministry's target is to eliminate TB by 2025, a plan that several experts have pointed out is unrealistic. There has, however, been a decline in the number of cases, as per the Global TB Report 2017. The incidence of TB has reduced from 217 per lakh per year in 2015 to 211 per lakh per year in 2016 and mortality has reduced from 36 per lakh per year in 2015 to 32 per lakh per year in 2016.
To safeguard its customers from potential security bugs in chips, Google has deployed a novel chip-level patch across its entire infrastructure, resulting in only minor declines in performance in most cases.

"In response to the vulnerabilities that were discovered, we developed a novel mitigation called 'Retpoline'a binary modification technique that protects against 'branch target injection' attacks," Matt Linton, Senior Security Engineer and Pat Parseghian, Technical Programme Manager at Google wrote in a joint blog post on Thursday.

"We shared 'Retpoline' with our industry partners and have deployed it on Google's systems, where we have observed negligible impact on performance," the engineers added.

In addition, the tech giant has deployed "Kernel Page Table Isolation" (KPTI) which is a general purpose technique for better protecting sensitive information in memory from other software running on a machine.

"KPTI" has been deployed to the entire fleet of Google Linux production servers that support all of our products, including Search, Gmail, YouTube and Google Cloud Platform, the company said in a statement.

Earlier, Intel had confirmed serious security flaws in modern processors that could affect its computers released in the last two decades.

The chip-maker had said that the bug, if used for malicious purposes, has the potential to improperly gather sensitive data from computing devices and promised to fix the bug as soon as possible.

It added that the vulnerability, discovered by a British tech website, the Register, is not unique to Intel products.

It argued that "many types of computing deviceswith many different vendors' processors and operating systemsare susceptible to these exploits".

Software major Microsoft has already issued emergency updates to supported versions of Windows that was part of a number of fixes that would protect against the processor bug in Intel as well as AMD and ARM CPUs.

Amazon was also reportedly working on security updates to their Cloud services and other products.
With barely six months left for the assembly elections and voters in south and central Karnataka still indifferent to the party in what is a traditional stronghold, the BJP is falling back on its familiar saffron agenda. December witnessed a flurry of political activity with party leaders and affiliated Sangh parivar activists pushing the Hindutva narrative in Uttara (north) Kannada, Chikkamagaluru and Mysuru.

On December 3, riot police were forced to lathi charge Hindutva activists who turned unruly at the Datta Peetha-Baba Budan Dargah, a pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Muslims. Raising communal tensions here has paid rich political dividends for the BJP in the past in Chikkamagaluru district. In Hunsur, the same day, police arrested the BJP's Mysuru MP Prathap Sinha for violating security restrictions around the Hanuma (Hanuman) Jayanthi celebrations. Meanwhile, tension was rife across Uttara Kannada following the death of a BJP man under mysterious circumstances on December 8. Amidst all the trouble, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's belligerent speech in Hubballi attacking Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for supporting beef consumption and staging celebrations for Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary, only fuelled things further.

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Analysts say the incidents show that the BJP was intent on driving the Hindutva agenda to its advantage. A fast emerging saffron face in the state, Union MoS for skill development and entrepreneurship Ananth Kumar Hegde, who represents Uttara Kannada in Parliament, has been at his vitriolic best in targeting the Siddaramaiah-led Congress regime. "The Congress will be rooted out of Karnataka. People are fed up," Hegde thundered describing the youth's death on December 8 as "Congress-sponsored terrorism". The minister has been exhorting partymen to court arrest and fill Karnataka's jails in protest.

The BJP is increasingly turning to Hegde as its possible CM candidate in Karnataka. This move comes after former CM and state unit chief B.S. Yeddyurappa's Nava Karnataka Nirmana Parivarthana Yatre campaign failed to register any significant impact. Cornered by the Congress in the Lingayat versus Veerashaiva conflict, Yeddyurappa is clearly in a spot. Both BJP president Amit Shah's November 3 rally in Bengaluru and Union home minister Rajnath Singh's political meeting on December 17 saw thin crowds and lots of empty chairs.

"The BJP cannot afford to wait anymore," says veteran political analyst A. Veerappa, "its poll campaign issues are not attracting voters. The party hasn't been able to mobilise support in south and central Karnataka." He feels that Yeddyurappa cannot spearhead the BJP campaign. The issue is clearly leading to a rift within the party. And Siddaramaiah knows it. "He (Hegde) speaks the language of goondas, instigating people in the name of religion. He is not fit to be in public life," the CM said in Belagavi during his poll campaign.

Wise to the saffron party's machinations, the ruling Congress is countering the BJP's Hindutva narrative by showcasing the development achieved by the government. On a month-long campaign, Siddaramaiah has described the BJP programme as "empty religious rhetoric". Eyeing a second term, the CM says, "The people of Karnataka are aware of the actual issues. They want the BJP to talk about the Centre's anti-poor, anti-farmer policies. The BJP has forgotten that Karnataka has been at the forefront in the nation in attracting investments."

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In an apparent case of honour killing, a Pakistani man shot dead his niece and her fiance as they were chatting with each other. The incident took place in Nayi Waha village in Ghotki district in Pakistan's Sindh province.

The woman's maternal uncle and two other relatives found her and the man she was about to marry talking. They chased the couple - Nazreen and Shahid - and shot them dead, police said.

"It is a most tragic case of honour killing. Normally such killings are carried out if a girl or boy have an affair, elope or get married against the wishes of their families. But in this case families of the boy and girl had got them engaged recently," Daud Bhutto, a senior police official in Ghotki said.

Their bodies have been handed over to the family.

The two suspects, both of whom happen to be the girl's uncles, have been arrested, the police said, adding that further investigations into the matter was underway.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has reported an average of 650 honour killings annually over the past decade. But since most go unreported, the real number is likely to be much higher.

Last year in Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi there were at least three cases of honour killing where tribal elders ordered couples to be killed for insulting and bringing shame to their families.
Terror attacks in Kabul, alas, have become a familiar pattern in the blood-splattered security narrative of Afghanistan. The January 4 attack at a police station, the responsibility for which was claimed by the Islamic State, took the lives of 11 innocents. The incident occurred within the first week of the new year pointing yet again to the tenacity of the terrorism challenge that the region and the global community have to grapple with 17 years after the enormity of 9/11.

The decision of the Trump administration to suspend all security-related aid to Pakistan that could affect as much as USD 1.3 billion, announced on the same day, is indicative of the downgrading of the very opaque, complex, contradictory and troubled bi-lateral relationship that Washington has with Islamabad. The decision also included another reprimandthe inclusion of Pakistan in a watch-list for violation of religious freedom.

C. Uday Bhaskar

The decision to turn the heat on Pakistan over its duplicity in the war on terror was already conveyed as unambiguously as is possible in the first tweet of 2018 that President Donald Trump launched when he warned: "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!"

Do these early 2018 developments represent a major shift in US policy towards Pakistan? While the Trump tweet is a highly visible and unorthodox means of conveying decades-old American frustration with the duplicity associated with Rawalpindi (GHQ of the Pakistan army), it may be assumed that the US will maintain the core continuity in its Pakistan policy, which is to remain engaged and use the fiscal aid as a leverage to ensure compliance by its most mendacious ally. Perhaps, downgrading would be a more appropriate word to describe the current public reprimand and US assertion in relation to Pakistan.

The impact of the Trump tweet in Pakistan has been predictable. The nationalist sentiment is aggrieved and the honor brigade has denounced the US in publicon TV, social media and elsewhere. A late night demarche has been served on the US ambassador and a minister has questioned the veracity of the 33 billion dollar figure, adding that the White House could appoint a certified accountant to crunch the aid numbersand the barb was that this would be at Pakistani expense!

However, both Rawalpindi and the Pentagon are aware that Pakistan is not devoid of its own leverages apropos the USA. The presence of American personnel in Afghanistan is a vulnerability that Pakistan has exploited in the past and can do so again. But Islamabad is acutely aware of the penalties that will accrue in the political and diplomatic domain if it decides to buck the USA beyond a point. A high percentage of the Pakistani elite and their immediate family live/work/study in the western block (North America and EU) and an irrevocable split with Washington is a low probability exigency.

Should India take advantage of this development and gloat over Pakistani discomfiture? Short answer, no. US-Pakistan relations have a roller-coaster element and the manner in which the current American initiative plays out must be monitoredquietly. The steadfast Indian objective ought to be to ensure Rawalpindi compliance with the January 2004 Vajpayee-Musharraf agreement, wherein Pakistan would desist from supporting or allowing any kind of terror activity against India. This has been elusive for 14 years and it would be imprudent to infer that one tweet will make the substantive difference that is being sought. It merits recall that the entire US policy focus is on the Pak support to terror groups in Afghanistan while those targeting India are in a different basket.

The immediate poltico-diplomatic fallout has been the manner in which Beijing has rushed to support Pakistan over the support to terrorism. The US reprimand has been rejected and China has again drawn attention to Pakistan as a terror victim. This is a selective approach and is no surprise. But it is unlikely that Beijing will replace the US as a major financial aid provider, with no strings attached. May be a long term loan such as for the Belt and Road Initiative mega project, but 33 billion dollars in aid which accommodates embedded duplicity (AQ Khan, Daniel Pearl, Osama bin Laden et al) that is akin to biting the hand that feeds will be a non-starter for China.

May be Islamabad is drafting its own tweet, in which case, the world will see twiplomacy displacing old-fashioned diplomacy. That is if Trump survives the Bannon disclosures!

Bhaskar is director, Society for Policy Studies, New Delhi

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the publication
Michael Wolff's book Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, has been very much under the scanner especially since President Trump has threatened legal action against it for defamation. Trump has also threatened legal action against former top aide Stephen Bannon for defamatory statements he has made in the said book. Here are some interesting revelations from the book.

As per Wolff's book, Trump contested the elections not with the hope of becoming President, but to be the most famous man in the world. He was very much unprepared for the job. He didnt read. He didnt really even skim. Some believed that for all practical purposes he was no more than semi-literate, Wolff claims. He also claims that first lady Melania was in tears when Trump won and they weren't tears of joy.

Read more: Trump targets book, threatens ex-ally Bannon with legal action



According to the book, Trump was also sympathetic to the H1B visa and issues of the Silicon Valley, despite having taken a tough stand against it now. The book contains some interesting revelations about Ivanka Trump too, including that she and her husband Jared Kushner are actually Democrats, having previously made donations to Democratic candidates like Hillary Clinton and that Ivanka would run for president if and when the opportunity rose.

The book also goes on to say that for Ivanka everything was a business move including supporting her father's campaign, building the brand Trump, though in reality, she shares a relationship of certain detachment with her father. Bannon, Wolff reveals in the book, had said that referring to the meeting between Jared Kushner, former campaign manager Paul Manafort, Donald Trump Jr and a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower, without any lawyers in 2016; regardless of whether or not it was unpatriotic, the FBI should have been tipped off.

Whether or not these details about Trump and his tenure as President are true, is not clear. But it can definitely be said that this is a chaotic time to be at the White House.
Pakistan is shrugging off proposed US aid cuts but frets that Washington could take more drastic measures to deter what it sees as the South Asian nations support for Taliban militants causing chaos in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Washington plans to imminently slash security assistance to Pakistan, US congressional aides said on January 3, although the type, scale and length of the cuts was unclear. A day earlier, the White House said it would suspend about $255 million in already delayed military assistance.

Tense ties between the uneasy allies nosedived on January 1 when President Donald Trump lashed out on Twitter against Islamabads lies and deceit despite $33 billion in aid and the White House warned of specific actions to pressurise Pakistan.

A staunch US Cold War ally and key player in the US-backed invasion of Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Pakistan has watched warily as Washington has in recent years pivoted towards its arch-foe India.



Read more: Pressured Pakistan mainstreaming JuD in hope of reining it in

Over the past decade, US threats to cut aid have been part and parcel of its frustrating relationship with Pakistan, a nation also seen as vital to the peace process in Afghanistan.

Aid cuts will not hurt us, Miftah Ismail, Pakistans de facto finance minister, told the media.

Thats not the leverage they have, because it is something they have reduced drastically over the years.

Pakistan received about $1 billion in US assistance in 2016, down from a peak of about 3.5 billion in 2011, Pakistani and US officials say.

About $550 million of the 2016 total came from the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), a US Defence Department programme to reimburse allies for the costs of supporting counter-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations. Pakistan was the largest recipient of such funds.

The remaining $450 million was a mix of military assistance and funds for international non-government bodies (NGOs) and other development programmes, Pakistans finance ministry says.

Analysts say there are limits to how much the US can fracture relations, since Pakistan cannot be isolated or completely sidelined, because of its proximity to, and influence in, Afghanistan.

There is really no way forward for the United States in Afghanistan without Pakistan playing some kind of cooperative and collaborative role, said Huma Yusuf, a Wilson Center Global Fellow.



Part of solution

Islamabad worries that the United States, seeking to exert greater pressure on its ally, could in future train its crosshairs on Pakistans fragile economy and impose some sort of financial sanctions.

Pakistani officials warn economic damage would weaken the country, proving counterproductive in Washingtons battle against Islamist militant groups in South Asia.

I cant imagine how the US financially or militarily hurts us and their own war effort doesnt get hurt, said Ismail, adding that it was impossible to find a solution to the Afghan conflict without Pakistan being part of it.

Last year, US officials said the options being discussed to push Pakistan to change its behaviour included targeted sanctions of officials with ties to militant groups waging an insurgency in Afghanistan.



Read more: Pak's double game can end with six steps: Ex-US envoy

The US officials have also suggested the Pentagon may ramp up drone strikes, driving Pakistani media to speculate if such air attacks would be widened beyond areas bordering Afghanistan.

Islamabad could review its cooperation if it is not appreciated, its United Nations representative, Maleeha Lodhi, told media this week, which many interpreted as a reference to the vital transport route ferrying supplies to US troops in Afghanistan through Pakistans territory.

Pakistan remains committed to friendly relations with the United States, its powerful army chief, Qamar Javed Bajwa, told the media on January 3, but warned Washington against coercion, and vowed not to compromise on our self-respect.

Pakistan supported the Afghan Taliban in the 1990s as a foil to Indian influence in Afghanistan, and analysts say its military and security services maintained ties long after the Taliban regime was toppled in 2001.

Today the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network militants are effectively an arm of Pakistans foreign policy, US officials say. Pakistan staunchly denies using proxies.

Ties with the United States are likely to stay fraught as Pakistans strategic calculus remains unchanged, said Raoof Hassan, executive director of the Islamabad-based Regional Peace Institute.

As long as Pakistan continues to consider the Afghan Taliban as a strategic asset, which it can use some time in the future to become more relevant and influential in Kabul, there is no meeting point, he said.

The positions are diametrically opposite.



 Reuters
Not quite knowing know how to deal with internationally declared terrorist Hafiz Saeed and the organisations that he leads  Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and charity wing Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), the Government of Pakistan appears to be making an effort of mainstreaming these institutions politically in the hope of reining in their militant activities, claims an editorial.

The editorial says, Faced with the conundrum of how to accommodate this large body of militants, especially given the official policy of cracking down against extremism in all its manifestations, the state  or certain elements of it  has adopted the path of mainstreaming them.

The governments inability to build a prosecutable case against JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, and its unsuccessful attempts to have his detention extended, has made the task more difficult, the editorial adds.

Under global pressure to act firmly against extremists and their outfits if it does not want aid to be stopped, the Pakistan government has initiated action through the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), wherein, the corporate sector regulator has prohibited registered companies from donating cash to entities and individuals included in the consolidated list issued by the UN Security Councils sanctions committee.



Read more: Action against Hafiz Saeed not under US pressure

The government has already prescribed a penalty of up to Rs.10 million for those violating the sanctions regime. The SECPs latest measure is reportedly specific to the FIF, which like the JuD, is listed as an affiliate of the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba.

According to the editorial in the Dawn, there are examples globally of former militant outfits laying down arms and even evolving into political entities. The decommissioning of the Irish Republican Army is an example.

For the sake of credibility, it is essential that such groups must expressly abjure violence, as did the IRA. The international community has to be convinced that the FIFs charitable activities do not mask a more sinister agenda. So far, Pakistan has not been able to ensure that this criterion has been met, claims the editorial.

The JuD predictably has accused the government of kowtowing to Western powers.

The editorial concludes by saying that the government should not allow JuD to obfuscate the matter; instead, it must clearly explain why it has taken this step and what has necessitated this action now. Measures against militancy may coincide with Western expectations, but they are ultimately in Pakistans own interest.
A Twitter attack by US President Donald Trump against Pakistan on New Year's Day will further strengthen the already close ties between Islamabad and Beijing, a report in a leading Chinese daily said.

In his first tweet of 2018, Trump charged Pakistan with deceit and treachery and cut off all further aid to Islamabad for harbouring terrorists US troops were hunting in Afghanistan.

The move drew a stern backlash in Pakistan and a staunch defence of Islamabad in Beijinga dynamic that experts said highlights the further strengthening of the relationship as the US seeks closer ties with India while "casting aspersions on Pakistan", the Global Times said.

A day after Trump's tweet, the State Bank of Pakistan announced it has taken steps to ensure the use of the yuan in bilateral trade and financing transactions.

It also said that public and private sectors were free to choose the Chinese currency for bilateral trade and investment activities.

According to the daily, the State Bank of Pakistan's statement "may not be a dramatic policy change, but the timing made the move significant.

"This is more of a political statement in response to pressure from the US, telling the US that Pakistan has a great relationship with China and that Pakistan would become even closer with China," said Dong Dengxin, Director of the Finance and Securities Institute at Wuhan University of Science and Technology.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Thursday: "We encourage market entities from both countries to use our own currencies in clearing bilateral trade and investment."

The daily said Washington's strategic shift towards New Delhi could also improve military cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing.

Citing a a report published in US media, the paper said China was in talks with Pakistan to build an overseas military base as part of a push for greater maritime capabilities along strategic sea routes.

"Both Beijing and Islamabad have the ability to build a joint naval and air facility in Pakistan. But it is unnecessary at this time," said Lin Minwang, a professor at Fudan University's Centre for South Asian Studies.

He said if "the US and its allies push their Indo-Pacific strategy to the extreme, China will surely carry out a plan with Pakistan to ensure the security of sea routes"
Democratic California lawmakers are exploring ways to blunt the impact of the new federal tax law on the states taxpayers.

Federal law has long allowed people to deduct their state and local taxes from their federal tax bill, but the tax overhaul signed last month by President Donald Trump caps that deduction at $10,000.

That change will be especially notable in high-tax states like California, where more than a third of taxpayers claimed the deduction for an average of $18,438 in 2015  the third highest after New York and Connecticut.

Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon plans to introduce legislation allowing people to make a donation to the state in lieu of income taxes. That would allow them to claim the federal charitable deduction, at least partially getting around the change.

De Leon, of Los Angeles, is running for U.S. Senate. His legislation could be introduced as soon as Wednesday, when lawmakers return to Sacramento after a three-month break.

Our hard-earned tax dollars should not be subject to double-taxation, especially not to line the pockets of the Trump family, hedge fund managers and private jet owners, de Leon said in a statement last week.

De Leon said he is working with law professors from University of California, Los Angeles; UC Davis and the University of Chicago on his plan.

Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association that lobbies for lower taxes, said he is skeptical that the proposal is legal and suspects it would be quickly overturned by Congress.

I think its clever but Im not sure its going to fly, Coupal said.

If De Leons bill passes, taxpayers affected by the $10,000 cap would be allowed to make a charitable contribution to the state.

In return, they would get a dollar-for-dollar discount on their state taxes. In theory, their overall contribution to the state would remain the same but because its classified as charity rather than taxes, theyd be allowed to deduct the entire amount from their federal taxes.

Its not clear how the measure would affect property taxes, which are paid to local governments.

(AP)
By PTI: New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) The Congress today held the BJP responsible for the impasse in Rajya Sabha due to which the triple talaq bill could not be taken up, and accused the ruling party of trying to use Parliament as a "rubber stamp".

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said that for the first time in the countrys parliamentary history, people could see ministers stalling proceedings leading to an impasse for the last three days and the triple talaq bill could not be taken up.

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"They (the ruling BJP) are squarely responsible for this impasse in Rajya Sabha. For the first time, Union ministers and (ruling party) MPs were seen standing in Rajya Sabha and stalling Parliament," he told reporters.

Azad said the government was responsible for the situation and the House not being able to take the triple talaq bill for sending it to a select committee for further scrutiny.

He said the current bill does not have provisions for taking care of Muslim women whose husbands would be sent to jail.

Congress whip in Lok Sabha Deepinder Singh Hooda alleged that the government was not taking Parliament seriously and was using it as only a "rubber stamp".

"They do not believe in Parliament. They only believe in Ordinances. They only use Parliament as a rubber stamp," he told reporters. PTI SKC SMN

--- ENDS ---
Arun Jaitley will have a daunting task to keep everyone happy and yet maintain fiscal discipline when he presents the last full Budget before 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

By Prabhash K Dutta: The Winter Session of Parliament ended today. The Budget Session will commence on January 29 with the joint address of the two Houses by President Ramnath Kovind. Finance Minister will present Unoin Budget 2018 on February 1.

This will be the last full Union Budget for the Narendra Modi government before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. This is expected to be a Budget to please everyone as it comes close on the heels of a tough electoral fight in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, Gujarat.

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Among the reasons for the mighty scare that the BJP got in Gujarat even after being in power for more than two decades are agrarian crisis and rural distress accentuated by the loss of employment on account of poor growth in manufacturing and farm sectors.

Arun Jaitley has a tough challenge to manage fiscal discipline in Budget, maintain upward GDP growth rate and keep voters happy for 2019 general elections. Here is what the country may expect Arun Jaitley to broadly do in his Union Budget presentation this year.

FOCUS ON WELFARE SCHEMES

The Union Budget 2018 is likely to be election budget for the NDA government. Having been accused of being anti-Dalit, the Narendra Modi government is expected to focus more on the welfare schemes targeting Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) population.

The government had constituted a committee under Ratan Watal, the principal advisor for social sector in the NITI Aayog, to suggest a formula for making budgetary allocations for SC/ST welfare schemes.

The Wata committee has suggested an allocation of half the percentage of their share in countries population. As per 2011 Census, SCs and STs constitute about 25 per cent of thepopulation. A corresponding allocation in the Union Budget 2018 will, at least, double the allocations meant for SC/ST welfare schemes.

SOCIAL SECURITY AND MINIMUM WAGES

The government is also likely to increase allocations for social security schemes. Noted activists Baba Jadhav and Aruna Roy recently wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the behalf of the Pension Parishad, a body linking over 100 civil society organisations working in the field of social security.

The current the old age pension scheme provides an assistance of mere Rs 200 to vulnerable senior citizens. The activists have sought to increase to the level of half of the monthly minimum wage notified by the government.

After the labour ministry raised the minimum wages substantially in 2016, the current floor level monthly income for a family is fixed at Rs 9,100 taking Rs 350 as the daily minimum wage. The labour ministry is said to be in the process of revising the minimum wage.

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The minimum wage is likely to be doubled in Union Budget 2018 to Rs 18,000 per month. On the other hand, traders' bodies have demanded that minimum wage for all the labourers across the sectors and states should be fixed at Rs 21,000.

PUSH TO FARM SECTOR

Farm sector is passing through a difficult phase despite relatively good monsoon and ensured irrigation in most parts of the country for consecutive years. Agrarian crisis and rural distress is the cause of worry for the BJP-led NDA government.

Rural distress had led to defeat of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, which went to the Lok Sabha polls in 2004 with the India Shining campaign. The achchhe din campaign brought the Modi government to power in 2014. Rural distress in Punjab and then in Gujarat has given enough indications to the Narendra Modi government that if the burden on farms does not improve, retaining power in 2019 may be an uphill task.

The government has desisted from doling out loan waiver from central coffer but on February 1, Arun Jaitley may announce some measures in Union Budget 2018 to directly benefit the farmers in the country. The Madhya Pradesh government's scheme for ensuring income security to farmers is being talked about.

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To ensure that the farmers get the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops, the Madhya Pradesh government has brought scheme under which if the farmers don't get the price at par with the MSP, the state pays the difference to them. Arun Jaitley may announce such a scheme through direct benefit transfer route and make Aadhaar linking mandatory for it.

RELAXATION IN CORPORATE AND INCOME TAX

In his 2015 Budget speech, Arun Jaitley had said that he would gradually bring down the corporate tax from 30 per cent to 25 per cent. This has not happened yet.

When GST was rolled out, Jaitley said that as the revenue collection stabilises, he would offer relaxation in direct taxes. Corporate India expects him to announce a relaxation.

The argument by the corporates is simple that the twin reforms - demonetisation and GST - have impacted the industry adversely in the short term and a tax relaxation would give the sector a boost.

Having offered some rebate in income tax for salaried class in the last Budget and implemented the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission, the government may not give further relaxations to the middle class in this year's Union Budget.

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But, speculations are being made that Jaitley may actually announce no tax slab for income up to Rs 5 lakh in Union Budget 2018 before going into election mode for 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

FISCAL DISCIPLINE UNDER SCANNER

With increased public spending, including an almost Rs 3 lakh crore bank recapitalisation, a fiscal slippage is on the cards for 2017-18. The Budgetary target for fiscal deficit for 2017-18 was set at 3.2 per cent of the GDP. It is expected to be around 3.5 per cent of the GDP.

Arun Jaitley may prefer a higher fiscal deficit target in Union Budget which will allow him more borrowing during 2018-19 giving him wider elbow space to push social welfare schemes in order to ameliorate rural distress.

However, an increasing fiscal deficit may bring another headache for him if Narendra Modi government is voted back to power in 2019.

ALSO WATCH | Union minister's shocker: Piyush Goyal calls job loss a good sign

--- ENDS ---
Profits at housebuilder Cairn more than trebled last year as the Irish property market continued to inflate.

The London-listed firm expects earnings to leap from 3.3 million to 13.3 million in 2017. Revenues are also expected to climb, from 36.4 million to 132.5 million.

Ireland's property market has bounced back from the devastating years of the global financial crisis, as its economy has recovery robustly.

According to recent figures the Irish gross domestic product (GDP) has accelerated by 10.5 per cent in the 12 months to September.

Cairn is predicting sales of 119.5 million in 2018, at an average selling price of 343,000 per home

Cairn's CEO, Michael Stanley, believes the company's results provide positive indications for 2018.

He said: 'Our practice of acquiring and building on larger scale developments, on average in excess of 400 units, allowed us to respond quickly to increased demand during 2017.

'Given the quality and historical cost of our land bank, our dual focus on competitively priced houses and premium apartments and our increasing operational capability, we continue to look forward with confidence.'

For 2018 Cairn is predicting sales of 119.5 million, at an average selling price of 343,000 per property.

The London-listed firm believe strong demographics, a strengthening mortgage market and a growing economy will support further growth.

Cairn is currently building on three sites and expects to start work on further apartments in prime Dublin city locations during 2018. The company also has a student apartment pipeline of 1,700 beds at five developments.

According to the Global Property Guide, Ireland is the sixth strongest performer in the year to September 2017, with property prices rising 7.6 per cent.

Property Industry Ireland (PII), the Ibec group that represents the sector, believes the growth in the housing market provides opportunities and risks for investors.

In particular, the group, believes that a hard Brexit could deliver 'a significant shock' to the Irish economy, which in turn could undermine the performance of the property sector.

Dr David Duffy, director at PII, said: 'Given the broad nature of the property sector it seems likely that in the short-run we will see mixed impacts.

'Some parties could see an upturn in activity as UK firms look to locate some of their activities here, while others will see a negative impact on their trade with the UK due to a weaker sterling.

'Our concern is that in the longer run any negative impacts on economic activity will feed through to the property sector.'
In an exclusive chat with India Today, Prasad said Sonia had an opportunity to wash the sins of Shah Bano of 1986 by helping to pass the Bill.

Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a scathing attack on Congress for its efforts to stall Triple Talaq Bill in the Rajya Sabha. (Photo: ANI)

By Rahul Shrivastava: After the contentious Triple Talaq Bill failed to pass the Rajya Sabha test, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a scathing attack on the Congress by saying that the party could have washed the sins of the 1986 Shah Bano case by backing the legislation.

"Sonia Gandhi had an opportunity to wash the sins of Shah Bano of 1986 by helping to pass the Bill," Prasad said in an exclusive chat with India Today today.

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Prasad reminded the Congress that the party then led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had overturned a Supreme Court judgment on Shah Bano, who had asked for maintenance following her divorce in 1986.

"Today, the same party is asking for maintenance," he said. "Can a government bring a law providing for maintenance for women from just one community? It has an obligation to provide to all communities like the Sikhs, the Hindus, the Parsis etc."

The Shah Bano case, which is one of the milestones in Muslim women's struggle for marital rights in India, is about the Rajiv Gandhi government negating a Supreme Court verdict which favoured alimony for a divorced Muslim woman on the advice of Muslim fundamentalists.

The senior BJP leader also attacked the current Congress president Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of political opportunism. "Rahul Gandhi turned janeudhari (holder of sacred Brahmin thread) in Gujarat. See what he has done now."

The Union Minister said his ogvernment is determined to pass the Triple Talaq Bill in the Rajya Sabha when Parliament meets for the Budget session later this month.

"Every Constitutional weapon will be utilised to make it a law. The Bill will be passed, the government is determined," he said.

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: By K J M Varma Beijing, Jan 5 (PTI) China has started building its third aircraft carrier with a hi-tech launch system even as it is completing a new type of destroyer with modern weapons to be deployed in Indian Ocean and South China Sea, a media report said today.

The carriers construction has started even as another home-grown carrier is being built at a Shanghai shipyard since last year, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported quoting Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) officials.

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China launched its first aircraft carrier in 2014 which is a refitted vessel of the hull of a former Soviet ship.

Last April, China launched its first indigenously-built aircraft carrier which is being fitted with equipment. It had already announced plans to build a third one earlier. The second aircraft carrier is expected to be launched this year.

The Shanghai shipyard is still working on the third aircraft carriers hull, which is expected to take about two years, the Post reported.

"Building the new carrier will be more complicated and challenging than the other two ships," it quoted a PLA official as saying.

China has been trying to build up a blue-water navy giving precedence to its navy as it looks to expand its influence globally.

China has also designed an aircraft to operate from the deck of the carrier and is currently training pilots.

Sources said it is too early to say when the third vessel would be launched, but China plans to have four aircraft carrier battle groups in service by 2030, the Post report quoted naval experts as saying.

Also state-run Xinhua news agency reported that China is building a new type of destroyer for its navy equipped with modern defence, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons.

The new destroyer is expected to be in service soon and its future missions might include assignments to the South China Sea and Indian Ocean, state-run Global Times reported.

Construction of the destroyer has focused on improving the ships fighting capability, a military representative, Leng Jun, was quoted as saying in the report.

After soliciting opinions from military officers and soldiers, designers changed the original plan for helicopters on the warship, increasing the height of the cabins to improve the passing efficiency, said a report by the PLA Daily, the official organ of the Chinese military.

A new welding technique was explored and used in building the outer hull, which was made of a new type of material, the report said.

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To provide a more comfortable environment for soldiers on the ship, workers used new materials to protect against shock and noise and increased ventilation equipment in the destroyers living cabins.

The vessel will have to undergo planned testing, including equipment operation, berthing and sailing, before it is commissioned for use, it said. PTI KJV KUN AKJ KUN

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: By K J M Varma

Beijing, Jan 5 (PTI) A new type of naval destroyer equipped with anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons is being built by China, state media reported today.

Workers are installing conduits and cables in the 10,000 -tonne vessel at Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) in Shanghai, state-run Xinhua news reported.

It will be equipped with new air defence, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons, the report said.

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Construction of the destroyer has focused on improving the ships fighting capability, a military representative, Leng Jun, was quoted as saying in the report.

After soliciting opinions from military officers and soldiers, designers changed the original plan for helicopters on the warship, increasing the height of the cabins to improve the passing efficiency, a report by PLA Daily the official organ of the Chinese military said.

A new welding technique was explored and used in building the outer hull, which was made of a new type of material, the report said.

To provide a more comfortable environment for soldiers on the ship, workers used new materials to protect against shock and noise and increased ventilation equipment in the destroyers living cabins.

The vessel will have to undergo planned testing, including equipment operation, berthing and sailing, before it is commissioned for use, it said.

China recently has assigned a major role for the navy over and above the army as it expanded its global influence.

It has commissioned one aircraft carrier and building two more. PTI KJV PMS

--- ENDS ---
ALBANY  When Omran Naaso first came to Albany from Turkey in January 2017, she thought she was well-prepared with her jacket made specially for the cold. But as soon as she stepped outside, she felt like she wasn't wearing anything at all.

"Even the boots I came in are only good for the spring, not winter," she said.

So the 40-year-old refugee who had traveled all the way from the Syrian city of Aleppo  where the temperature rose into the mid-50s on Friday afternoon  started making concoctions she learned from her late mother to fend off the cold.

"I started boiling ginger with water and lemon and drinking it, and I mix two spoons of tahini and two or three spoons of grape molasses and eat it, all before going outside," Naaso said in Arabic. "It keeps your body warm for a few hours."

There are days when it's so cold that Naaso won't leave the house, instead stocking up on supplies to last her for a week. Rana Safeih, a refugee from the Damascus suburb of Ghouta al-Sharqiya (high temperature on Friday: 54) who arrived in Albany a year ago, said the cold makes it "feel like we're cut off from the outside world."

"The snow just stops our lives," she said. "We don't know how to come and go in this weather. But al hamdulillah (thanks to God), our homes are warm and our kids are safe and secure."

Naaso and Safeih are just a few of the many refugees in Albany trying to adjust to frigid temperatures, and local organizations have been making it a priority to help educate and prepare them for the frequently harsh Upstate New York winters. With most of the roughly 400 refugees and immigrants who resettle in the area annually coming from warmer countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Burma, Syria and Iraq, there's a lot of work to do.

Ilham Almahamid, founder of New York for Syrian Refugees, said this year has gone relatively smoothly compared to last year, when many refugees were experiencing their first winters.

"Last year they were not used to the cold at all; we had complaints about the heat (in apartments)," Almahamid said. "But this year we made sure everybody is able to communicate with their landlords. They were not able to drive really well last year, but this year they're doing much better."

Francis Sengabo, operations director at Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus, said that a family originally from Yemen  currently enjoying temperatures in the 70s  came into his office Thursday with their two boys not wearing jackets. "They said to me, 'I left the jacket in my car.' And I said, 'You have to be careful.' They forget their jackets and once they go outside they realize it's cold," he said.

Russ Altone of the Refugee Community Health Partnership Program of Trinity Alliance said he and his wife and co-organizer Susan Kuruk focus on cold-weather preparedness with their refugee clients. He recalled one instance eight years ago, when he was a volunteer with the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.

"I met a mother and child to take them to a mandatory health appointment, and the mother came outside in flip flops," he said. "I right away called my wife and we got blankets for the child and some boots for the mother."

Through RCHPP, Altone and Kuruk now organize annual flu vaccine clinics with local doctors, and reach out to refugees in their group on snow days to make sure they are aware of school closings and delays.

The group New York for Syrian Refugees also sends out mass messages to families with information about school closings, as well as warnings and tips on driving in the snow.

All three organizations hand out warm winter clothing to their families, although Almahamid said "we couldn't enough warm shoes this year."

Regardless, refugees are grateful for the help and are slowly adjusting.

"The young people are going out and shoveling cars and driveways for people as a thank-you, and help people get their cars out if they're stuck," Almahamid said.

As for Naaso, she's learned to "wear a lot of layers." In addition to her mom's concoctions, she has discovered one more handy device for fending off the cold. There isn't a word for it in Arabic.

"I put those warm things in my boots and they keep my feet warm for hours," she said.
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Youths who vape are more likely to light up.

Thats the conclusion reached by UCSF researchers, who found that using any form of tobacco  including electronic cigarettes, chewing tobacco, water pipes and snuff  makes a teenager more likely to get hooked on conventional cigarettes.

Teens who experimented with tobacco in any form were at greater risk of future smoking, said senior author Benjamin Chaffee, a UCSF dentistry professor and one of those who conducted the study of 10,384 youths ages 12 to 17 who were nonsmokers at the outset of the research.

The authors said their study was the first to investigate whether using all forms of non-cigarette tobacco leads to smoking cigarettes. Clearly, they said, it does.

After a year, 4.6 percent of the youths in the survey had smoked cigarettes. Those who had tried a non-cigarette alternative were more than twice as likely to have smoked a cigarette within the previous month as those who had not tried e-cigarettes or other smokeless tobacco products, the UCSF study said.

Trying more than one alternative increased the odds of becoming a regular cigarette smoker, the researchers said. And all the alternatives  vaporizers, cigars, water pipes, chewing tobacco  were equally likely to lead to cigarettes, the study found.

The study, published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Associations online Pediatrics magazine, runs counter to the message of the e-cigarette industry, which touts electronic vaporizers as a safer alternative to cigarettes. A vaporizer, or vape, allows a user to inhale a mixture of liquid nicotine and water vapor instead of cigarette smoke.

At Gone With the Smoke, an e-cigarette store near Union Square in San Francisco, customers stand at the tasting bar where, for $1, they can sample such nicotine flavors as bubble gum, milk and honey, apple pancake custard and dozens of others designed for young palates. A thick cloud of vapor enveloped the store Tuesday.

Saleswoman Jenny Park said blaming e-cigarettes for hooking children on regular cigarettes wasnt fair.

There could be lots of reasons why people smoke, she said. Peer pressure. Friends. Parents. There are so many factors.

Chaffee called for tighter federal regulation of liquid nicotine, including a ban on flavors and raising the legal age for purchase to 21. The researcher said the e-cigarette industry is using the same arguments  flavor, satisfaction, safety  that the tobacco industry used half a century ago to turn young people into users.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted last year to ban the sale of e-cigarettes, menthol cigarettes, and fruit- and candy-tinctured tobacco products. Tobacco firms led by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. fought back, sponsoring a petition drive that gathered nearly double the number of required signatures to put the ban on the ballot. The citys voters will get their say on the matter in June.

A spokesman for Lets Be Real San Francisco, a tobacco-industry-funded group that supported the petition drive, noted that California already bans the sale of e-cigarette products to people under 21. The group is fighting the citys attempt to ban adult consumer choices, said the spokesman, Kevin Keane.

Many consider vaping to be the most successful and widely accessible tool to help adults transition away from smoking, Keane said.

Chaffee, the UCSF researcher, said e-cigarettes are helping to reverse a 20-year decline in cigarette use and are contributing to the rising popularity of cigarettes.

In the last few years, research has focused on the potential of e-cigarettes to engage never-smoking adolescents in tobacco use, Chaffee said. Our findings confirm that the use of the full range of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, cigars, tobacco water pipes, and smokeless tobacco, is associated with greater odds of future cigarette smoking.

The study found that 90 percent of adult smokers tried their first cigarette by age 18. In 2016, nearly 4 million middle and high school students said they used tobacco.

Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com
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Malta

The recent computer chip security vulnerability that was uncovered by Google and others this week doesn't have an impact on GlobalFoundries, which employs 3,000 people in Saratoga County and makes chips for companies like Advanced Micro Devices.

An analysis by Google and others found that the chips of Intel, AMD's largest vival, and others such as AMD itself, had design issues that could be exploited to steal data.

Although Intel quickly sought to stem the issue with software updates to the products that use its chips, Wall Street hammered the company's stock, which lost billions of dollars in market value as traders dumped it.

AMD appeared to benefit as its shares were pushed up Wednesday and Thursday, although they were down more than 2 percent in trading Friday.

AMD spun GlobalFoundries out in 2009 as a chip "foundry" that makes chips for various companies. AMD remains GlobalFoundries' largest customer.

Intel makes its own chips.

However, AMD said in a statement that because of its own design, its chips have "near zero risk of exploitation" of the security issue. Any issues were patched up with software changes.

An AMD spokesman also said that the issue has nothing to do with GlobalFoundries or the manufacturing process.

AMD has been surprising Intel lately with faster chips than Intel, pushing up AMD's stock well before the security issue happened.

A GlobalFoundries spokesman declined comment.
US lawmakers and advocacy groups have criticised the Trump adminisration's reported plan to curb H-1B visa extensions that could result in self-deportation of an estimated 500,000-750,000 Indian Americans, saying it would drain America of talent.

By PTI, Press Trust of India: Some US lawmakers and advocacy groups have criticised the Trump adminisration's reported plan to curb H-1B visa extensions that could result in self-deportation of an estimated 500,000-750,000 Indian Americans, saying the move would drain America of talent.

The proposal, which was part of President Donald Trumps "Buy American, Hire American" initiative that he vowed to launch on the campaign trail, is being drafted by Department of Homeland Security leaders, according to reports.

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The H-1B program offers temporary US visas that allow companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers.

But since taking office last January, the Trump administration has been cracking down on the scheme.

Influential Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard said, "Imposing these draconian restrictions on H-1B visa holders will tear families apart, drain our society of talent and expertise, and damage our relationship with an important partner, India."

"This proposal could lead to the deportation of an estimated 500,000 to 750,000 Indian H-1B visa holders, many of whom are small business owners and job creators who are helping to build and strengthen our US economy. This brain drain will stifle innovation and decrease our ability to compete in the global 21st century economy," Gabbard said.

In a statement the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) sounded alarm over the Trump administration's proposal to deny extensions of H-1B visas to green card applicants and leaving them with no choice but to return to the country of origin or be deported.

"It is a baffling calculation. How would deporting hundreds of thousands of skilled workers, the very backbone of our STEM industries, in any way advance an America First agenda?" Shukla asked.

Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said while priority must continue to be improving advanced training for domestic workforce, ending H-1B visa extensions would kneecap American economy and encourage companies to further offshore jobs, instead of making those investments here.

"I hope the administration immediately rejects this proposal," he said.

Congressman Ro Khanna said the proposal was "anti- immigrant".

"My parents came here on green cards. So did Sundar Pichai, Elon Musk, Satya Nadella. Trump is saying to immigrants and their kids we don?t have a place in America. Its not just wrong. Its dumb. Mr President, would America really be greater without us?" he asked in a tweet.

According to Aman Kapoor of Immigration Voice, H-1B extension change would be just wrong at every level.

"It will be a catastrophe of epic proportion for Indian- American community leading to mass exodus of close to 1.5 million people (around 750,000 primary applicants on H-1B visa and another 750,000+ spouses and children)," he said.

Tsion Chudnovsky, an immigration and business lawyer in California said, "Given the dramatic effect this proposal could have on the technology industry, it doesnt seem likely it could garner enough support to be enacted as stated."

--- ENDS ---
New York

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is partially abandoning its "pay-what-you-wish" admissions policy that has made it an egalitarian destination for generations of art lovers, even those who could barely afford a bus ticket into town.

Starting March 1, the museum will charge a mandatory $25 entrance fee to most adult visitors who don't live in New York state, the Met's president and CEO, Daniel Weiss, announced Thursday. Admission will still be pay-what-you-wish for New Yorkers.

He said the extra money  an estimated $6 million to $11 million per year  will help bring long-term fiscal stability to the institution. The Met, which has a $305 million operating budget, registered a shortfall of about $10 million in its most recent fiscal year.

People from all over the world have been able to come to the museum for nearly nothing since its founding in 1870, but the number of people willing to pay a suggested donation of $25 has dropped off substantially in recent years.

"The goal of the policy is to find a better balance for the institution," Weiss said. "The current policy has failed."

Entrance will remain free for all children under 12 and pay-what-you-wish for students up to graduate school in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Students living outside the tri-state area will be charged $12 and seniors $17.

The fee change will affect about 30 percent of the museum's visitors. The rest are either state residents, Met members, or they come in as part of a tour group or via a multi-attraction pass.

Weiss said the $25 fee will allow visitors to enter the Met over three consecutive days, instead of just one.

Two cousins visiting the Met from Italy on Thursday chose to pay $15 each and said that was plenty.

"But $25 is a lot, it's absolutely too much," said Francesca Betocchi, an attorney from Bologna celebrating her 35th birthday.

"We think art education should be a free, open door for everybody, not only for those who have more money," said her cousin, Paola Borri, 51, an accountant, also from Bologna.

The formal change follows years of debate and litigation over the Met's admissions policies.

As part of the late 19th-century legislation that allowed the museum to open in Central Park, admission was initially required to be free most days of the week. In 1970, city officials agreed to let the museum charge fees, as long as the amount paid was up to the visitor. Lawsuits in recent years have challenged signage at the museum listing a $25 "recommended" admissions price, saying some visitors were misled into thinking they had to pay that amount.
Jeff McCarthy first played Billy Flynn, the slick lawyer who defends murderous wives in the Kander-and-Ebb musical "Chicago," 21 years ago.

He returns to the role now, at age 63, for the seventh time  "Wait, maybe it's the eighth," he says  including four stints on Broadway. He's also played it in Thailand and the Philippines, Saskatchewan and, this weekend, Schenectady, when the touring production he's in stops at Proctors.

"I bring something different to (Flynn) each time I do it," says McCarthy. Sometimes it's to keep his interest in the role, and sometimes it's a result of how he's changed as a person over the years or because of what's going on in the world.

"The music never gets old," he says, "and the story"  about the tabloid media and fame-seekers mutually exploiting each other in the Windy City in the 1920s  "has a particular resonance again." He notes that the Broadway revival that is the basis for the touring production originated in 1996, 21 years after the musical's premiere. The revival returned in an America obsessed with the O.J. Simpson trial, while today's obsessive media attention is on the White House, occupied by a former star of reality TV.

More Information If you go "Chicago" When: 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday Where: Proctors, 432 State St., Schenectady Tickets: $20 to $85 Info: 518-346-6204 or www.proctors.org See More Collapse

"The show always seems to reflect whatever's going on in the world," says McCarthy, who is known to Capital Region audiences for frequent appearances at Berkshires summer theaters, particularly Barrington Stage Company. He played legendary civil rights attorney William Kunstler in "Kunstler," a play written for him, at BSC in May and June, then returned to it in September as a result of the popularity of the original run. In between, he co-starred in the world premiere of the musical "A Legendary Romance" at Williamstown Theatre Festival. "Kunstler" is co-produced by Creative Place International, a Saratoga Springs theatrical entity run by William Snyder and Patricia di Benedetto Snyder. The production originated a few years ago in New York City, had a brief Manhattan stint in early 2017 before running in Pittsfield last summer and will tour nationally this coming fall, all starring McCarthy.

The current tour of "Chicago" runs for seven months, from Saskatchewan in November to New Haven and Minneapolis in June. The ensemble largely stays intact, but major roles have different talent shuffled in and out. McCarthy, who started when the tour did, is done with his engagement at the end of January.

"It's nice to do two or three months of a show you love," he says. "Before you can get tired of it, it's over."

After "Chicago," McCarthy, who lives in a New Jersey suburb of New York City, will audition for TV roles. Over the years he's had guest and recurring roles on series from "Designing Women" to "Matlock" and, more recently, "Elementary," "The Good Wife," "Madam Secretary" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." He also hopes to return to the Berkshires in summer 2018, though the full Barrington Stage season hasn't yet been announced, and he's unsure what roles he'd be right for in one of the productions, "The Royal Family of Broadway," a world premiere by the team that created "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." The other announced show at BSC is "West Side Story."

"I did that a long time ago now, but I'm too old for it now," says McCarthy. "I suppose I could play Officer Krupke."

Regardless, after two decades, he considers BSC and the Berkshires his second home.

He says, "There's no better place in the U.S. to do theater in the summer."

sbarnes@timesunion.com  518-454-5489  @Tablehopping  http://facebook.com/SteveBarnesFoodCritic
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The Motel 6 chain has admitted that six corporate-owned locations in Washington state regularly provided names of guests to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Wednesday.

Ferguson announced that Washington is suing the hotel chain, alleging that Motel 6 violated the state's Consumer Protection Act and Washington State Constitution.

"It wasn't just folks that ICE was interested in. It was everyone staying at the hotel," Ferguson said during a news conference.

"Motel 6's activities violated our state's Consumer Protection Act thousands of times in thousands of ways. ... Motel 6 told the federal government where thousands of people were staying on a given night."

Immigration officials used the information to detain six people who stayed at two Seattle-area hotels, but, said Ferguson,"we expect that number to be higher."

At present, the Attorney General's Office has information that four of the six motels released personal information of at least 9,151 guests to ICE.

Now Playing: Immigration and Customs Enforcement approved a plan to separate families at the border. Elizabeth Keatinge (@elizkeatinge) has more. Video: Buzz 60

MORE FROM JOEL CONNELLY: AG Ferguson'Shocking, illegal conduct by Comcast'

The guest lists released by Motel 6 included customers' names, room numbers, guest identification numbers, dates of birth, license plate numbers -- all information that the attorney general believes is protected under Washington state law.

"We feel that where we sleep at night is private," said Ferguson.

In a landmark landmark decision, the Washington State Supreme Court rules that hotel guest registry information is private and that random, warrantless searches violate privacy rights in the state constitution.

The 2010 State v. Jordan ruling noted lawful reasons why a guest might want his/her hotel stay to stay private: "The desire for privacy may extend to business people engaged in confidential negotiations. ... One could also imagine a scenario ... where a domestic violence victim flees to a hotel in hopes of remaining hidden from an abuser."

The privacy policy of the Motel 6 chain states that it is "committed to safeguarding the privacy of the personal information that we gather."

Motel 6 is a big outfit. It has more than 1,200 locations across North America with more than 105,000 rooms. The company directly operates 11 motels in Washington, franchisees another 15 outlets.

The AG's interest was sparked by controversy in the Phoenix area, where a newspaper reported that Motel 6 staff at two hotels were handing over guest lists and guest information. A penitent Motel 6 said in a statement at the time:

"This was undertaken at the local level without the knowledge of senior management. When we became aware of it, it was discontinued."

Ferguson explained how the ICE men cameth to a South Everett Motel 6 location.

ICE agents would arrive at the motel late at night or early in the morning. They would ask for the guest list, and circle any Latino-sounding names. The agents would return to their vehicles and check identifications.

"Motel 6 trained them (employees) to release guests' private information to ICE," said Ferguson. Between Feb. 1 and September 30 of 2017, the South Everett location gave guests' private personal information to ICE on approximately 228 occasions.

The AG's suit remains a work in progress. Motel 6 has only released partial information, and no data on two of the hotels where guest data was turned over to ICE.

But the lawsuit filed Wednesday charges Motel 6 with violating the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) and Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) in the following ways:

Motel 6 committed unfair acts by violating its guests rights to privacy;

Motel 6 committed deceptive acts in violation of the CPA by violating its own privacy policy and misrepresenting that policy to guests and prospective guests;

Motel 6 automatically violated the CPA by violating the Washington Law Against Discrimination in the course of trade and commerce;

Motel 6 violated the WLAD when its motels, as places of public accommodation, directly or indirectly discriminated against its guests on a basis of guests' national origin."

Each name disclosed to ICE, argued Ferguson, qualifies as a separate violation of the Consumer Protection Act. A judge can impose civil penalties of up to $2,000 for each violation.

The Consumer Protection Act is a powerful tool, already deployed in the Attorney General's $100 million lawsuit against Comcast.

"It is fair to say we are alleging many violations of the Consumer Protection Act," Ferguson said Wednesday.
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ALBANY  A new lawsuit alleges pharmaceutical manufacturers knew the addictive nature of opioids but peddled them to doctors and patients anyway. Albany County wants the companies to take responsibility.

The county on Friday filed a federal suit against several national drug manufacturers that seeks to recoup some of the public costs associated with drug overdoses and change the way companies market their products.

Its about changing the cohesiveness and the culture of whats going on in the pharmaceutical companies. Its about giving a better life for people who are addicted to heroin, County Executive Daniel McCoy said Friday in a news conference. We cant do that when the companies continue to pump these out like drug dealers on the street corners.

McCoy, who is co-chair for the County Executives of America's Opioid Abuse Task Force, said the lawsuit is part of a national initiative to hold drug companies accountable.

McCoy and the County Executives of America started exploring legal options with the South Carolina-based Motley Rice law firm in July. The firm is known for its work on suits targeting tobacco companies as well as negotiating lawsuits involving the energy giant BP's 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Unlike the impacts of opioid addiction, participation in the legal action won't cost taxpayers, McCoy said.

The lawsuit lists Purdue, Teva, Janssen and Endo pharmaceutical companies as the defendants, and attempts to hold them responsible for health care and treatment costs related to opioid addiction, rising crime rates and escalating social issues across Albany County, said Elizabeth Smith, an attorney with Motley Rice.

The complaint alleges that for more than 20 years, these defendants developed and executed a coordinated, sophisticated, highly deceptive and fraudulent marketing campaign, Smith said. Knowing that long-term opioid use causes addiction, (they) misrepresented the dangers of long-term use to physicians and patients, and overstated the benefits of opioids.

In 2014, opioids generated $11 billion in revenue for pharmaceutical companies, which officials say is a result of the companies' allegedly deceptive marketing.

Albany officials estimate taxpayers shell out well over $1 million annually dealing with drug overdoses.

Taxpayers pick up the costs of social services, law enforcement and Medicaid linked to medication abuse, fueled by drug companies encouraging the prescription of painkillers. Those taking the drugs can become addicted and turn to the cheaper high of heroin for their fix.

In 2016, the county had 11 heroin-related deaths, eight opioid overdose deaths and nearly 1,200 people admitted to treatment for heroin and opioid use, officials said.

Between 2014 and 2016, more than 140,000 opiates were prescribed to people in Albany County, where the population is just over 300,000, the lawsuit states.

This comes on the heels of Gov. Andrew Cuomos State of the State address, in which he pledged to sue pharmaceutical companies that breached "their legal duties to monitor, detect and report suspicious orders of prescription opioids."

Governments across the state have launched task forces to combat the crisis, and many counties have filed individual lawsuits against some pharmaceutical companies seeking compensation for costs associated by the epidemic.

Many of those have been earmarked to be consolidated into multidistrict litigation for the discovery and pretrial procedures, Smith said. She was uncertain how many will be part of this procedure.

Smith said this allows cases with similar factual issues and evidence to remain on the same track, but doesnt negate the separate lawsuits.

While the federal lawsuit Albany County filed is tailored to the Capital Region communitys specific issues, it goes further than just looking for monetary relief. There is no price tag calculated for that sum in the suit at this point.

Its not just monetary recovery, its injunctive relief to try to make the defendant do things to stop the deceptive practices and to help fix the problem that theyve caused," Smith said, noting that the creation of programs educating physicians and patients about the truth of opioids could be part of those solutions.

Unlike many other jurisdictions, McCoy said the county pursued federal litigation because it provides more tools and goes to the heart of the matter. It also allows for communities across the nation to band together in their pursuit against the pharmaceutical industry.

The companies knew what they were doing and took advantage of the situation, McCoy said.

Whats the difference between a guy or lady wearing a suit making six figures, and a drug dealer on the street corner? Theyre both pushing drugs, he said. Ones legal and ones not, but they both know what the outcome is. Shouldnt they be held accountable?
TROY  A Democratic challenger to U.S. Rep. John Faso said the congressman should not have attended Monday's swearing-in ceremony for Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin, who has been accused by his female former chief of staff of physical abuse and harassment.

"It is unacceptable for Rep. Faso to participate in McLaughlin's swearing-in ceremony and fail to speak out about the disturbing assault allegations from a female staff member," Gareth Rhodes, a candidate for the New York 19th congressional district, said in a statement. If these allegations turn out to be true, Steve McLaughlin must immediately step down as county executive, and Rep. Faso must also make this clear.

Rhodes called on Faso to "demand a criminal investigation into the circumstances desribed in a recent report in the Albany Times Union" in which the former staffer, Jennifer Polaro, said McLaughlin had pressured her to retract her allegation of physical abuse. She said the former assemblyman told her she needed to "take a bullet" for him after he learned the Times Union had obtained an audio recording of her accusing McLaughlin of roughing her up during an argument in which he also directed vulgar language at her.

Faso, a Kinderhook Republican and former state assemblyman who was elected to Congress in 2016, was not the only elected official to attend the swearing-in ceremony. Republican state Sen. Kathy Marchione and Assemblyman John McDonald, a Democrat who helped lead McLaughlin's transition team, also attended the event.

"I was there because I represent a large portion of Rensselaer County and both the county executive and the county legislators were being sworn in that day," Faso said. "Obviously, I didnt like what I read in the newspaper, but at the same time I was there strictly as a representative of people in my district. ... This is just an unknown candidate trying to create an issue and get attention."

McLaughlin declined to comment.

Following his swearing in, McLaughlin brushed aside questions about the woman's allegations that he had pressured her to claim her abuse allegations were false at a time when he was locked in a Republican primary with former deputy county executive Chris Meyer.

"I'm not really going to address it," McLauglin said. "It doesn't remain a controversy. It's been addressed. The person recanted it, and now has recanted the recantation. ... It's at this point getting to be a little bit ridiculous."

Copies of text messages obtained by the Times Union indicate Polaro sent a photo and message to McLaughlin shortly after the argument in which she said she may have suffered a concussion. The photo depicted apparent injuries to her ear.

Polaro also notified an Assembly minority official of the incident, text messages show.
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Schenectady

Hourly workers at General Electric's power systems plant in Schenectady and its research lab in Niskayuna received news that 130 of them will be laid off within the next two weeks, according to information shared at an "all-hands" meeting early Friday morning.

The layoffs affect various hourly worker job titles, from production to maintenance, according to several sources familiar with the matter.

But which workers will lose their jobs, and from which sites, must be sorted out based on seniority and according to the union contract rules. The workers are represented by IUE-CWA Local 301 in Schenectady.

"We are extremely disappointed by GE's recent announcement to lay off up to 130 of our hourly union members," Rob Macherone, the business agent for Local 301, said in a statement to the Times Union. "This will be devastating to both the members and their families impacted as well as the community.

"It is disheartening that despite our members' hard work and dedication, they have to pay such a steep price for GE's mismanagement while the ones responsible such as (former CEO Jeff) Immelt are rewarded with lucrative severance packages," Macherone added. "Our main focus right now is on supporting our members affected and continuing our efforts to preserve middle-class jobs."

Local 301 represents 800 factory workers in GE Power's large steam turbine plant at the Schenectady campus, which is home to GE Power's international operations.

It also represents a much smaller number of blue collar workers at GE Global Research in Niskayuna that are involved in maintenance, material handling and machining.

The layoffs do not affect scientists or researchers at the lab, and the total head count in Niskayuna will not change because any job that is impacted at the research campus will be refilled by the union.

The layoffs are part of a larger cost-cutting effort at GE Power, which until now had not cut hourly worker positions in Schenectady County as part of its downsizing.

"As announced last month, based on the current challenges in the power industry and a significant decline in orders, we plan to reduce our global headcount, affecting both professional and production employees," the company said in a statement provided by spokeswoman Katie Jackson. "As part of these actions, we are restructuring our production capacity in Schenectady. This action is difficult and does not reflect the performance, dedication, and hard work of our employees. GE will be providing a comprehensive severance package to impacted employees including transition support to new employment."

Friday's layoffs announcement comes a month after news that GE Power would seek to cut roughly 12,000 job worldwide  nearly one of every five positions at General Electric's largest division.

The job eliminations are primarily outside the United States and include jobs cut in 2017 as well as those that will be cut this year and next. In some cases, GE plans to shut entire locations, meaning the cuts won't be spread proportionally at each site.

The cuts announced in December are the deepest reported so far at the financially troubled company. GE seeks to reduce its overall corporate expenses by $3.5 billion through the end of this year.

GE Power is headquartered in Schenectady, where GE overall has 4,000 people at its River Road plant. The unit makes power plant equipment and also has a large steam turbines and generator factory at what used to be known as the Schenectady Works.
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A Rensselaer County grand jury on Friday indicted two Schenectady men on 13 counts of murder and four other counts in the slaying of two women and two children the week before Christmas during the theft of video gaming equipment.

James W. White, 38, and Justin C. Mann, 24, were arraigned before County Court Judge Debra Young on nine counts of first-degree murder, four counts of second-degree murder, one count of first-degree burglary, one count of second-degree robbery and two counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

The indictments were handed up after the grand jury completed a second day of hearing testimony in the killings of Brandi Mells, 22; Shanta Myers, 36; Jeremiah Myers, 11, and Shanise Myers, 5, in their basement apartment at 158 Second Ave. in the city's Lansingburgh neighborhood.

The indictment accuses White and Mann of stealing an Xbox video game system and flat screen television from the apartment. Eight of the first-degree murder counts are related to the robbery and burglary charges.

The bodies of the women, who were a couple, and the children were discovered Dec. 26 when a property manager visited the basement apartment to check on the four who had not been heard from since before Christmas. The victims were bound and their throats were cut, authorities said.

Police have not given a possible motive for the killings. Police have said the crimes occurred at about 9 p.m. Dec. 21.

White and Mann are being held in the county jail without bail.

The grand jury hand-up came within hours of a ruling by Judge Young that White should not be released on a writ of habeas corpus.

A grand jury indictment had been expected Wednesday, but it didn't materialize, setting off legal maneuvering by District Attorney Joel Abelove and police in Troy City Court. Abelove had presented no evidence at Thursday's hearing and City Court Judge Christopher Maier ordered the two defendants released. But the new first-degree murder charge against White immediately led to him being sent back to jail without bail. A parole hold placed on Mann also kept him in jail without bail.

Defense attorney Greg Cholakis said Abelove's move to keep White in jail violated the intent of state law that requires a defendant to be indicted or a preliminary hearing to be held.

"We do not hold a citizen in jail based on a piece of paper for more than six days," Cholakis said, referring to the new first-degree murder charge.

The six days Cholakis cited was the time permitted for evidence to be presented against a defendant. Cholakis said the district attorney could keep filing new charges one after another to continuously extend the time a defendant would be held without ever seeing any of the evidence against him.

In this instance, the new charge filed by the State Police Troop G Major Crimes Unit prompted the arrest of White on a first-degree murder count for allegedly killing 11-year-old Jeremiah during a burglary.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Jessica Hall on Friday renewed Abelove's argument from Thursday's City Court appearance that this was a new charge based on a new theory of the crime. This would start another six-day countdown. During her appearance, Hall said the grand jury was hearing new evidence, which police continue to develop.

Police have secured video that shows the two men on a CDTA bus, according to authority officials.

Mann was released from prison in June after being convicted in 2014 of an armed robbery in Queens. He is being represented by Joseph Ahearn.

White pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2001 for his part in the stabbing death of a Bronx man and served nearly nine years in prison before being paroled.

A memorial service will be 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Troy Middle School's auditorium for Myers and her two children. A fund has been established at McLoughlin and Mason funeral home for Myers' eldest son, Isiah Smith, who was not in the apartment at the time of the killings.

Mells' family has said they want to hold memorial services for her at various locations where she has lived, such as Syracuse and New Jersey.
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ALBANY  Republican Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro will not run for governor this year.

In an email to Republican county leaders and in a Twitter thread, Molinaro said it's not the right time.

"While I will not be running for governor, I deeply believe New Yorkers deserve new leadership, new ideas and renewal of a spirit of community that too many of our elected officials have abandoned," Molinaro wrote. "I will be an ardent supporter of the Republican nominee for Governor, promoting the strong ideas and values that throughout my career in public service have proven to work."

Meanwhile, former Erie County Executive Joel Giambra told Buffalo media this week that he was entering the race.

It is now clearer than ever that the Cuomo administration is intellectually, ethically and financially exhausted and that todays speech was more a litany directed to politics in 2020 than to governing in 2018," Giambra said in a statement Wednesday following Gov. Andrew Cuomo's State of the State address.

He added that New York needs new leadership, new ideas and a new sense of purpose in Albany.

Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb also is seeking the Republican nomination for governor.

Molinaro joins businessman Harry Wilson in deciding against a challenging Cuomo, who is seeking a third term.

State Senate Deputy Republican Majority Leader John DeFrancisco is still considering whether to run.

mhamilton@timesunion.com  518-454-5449  @matt_hamilton10
By PTI: New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) The Supreme Court today acceded to the wish of a girl, for whose custody her estranged parents have been fighting legal battles, saying that she was now a major and entitled to enjoy her freedom and the courts should not assume the role of a "super guardian".

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud interacted with the 18- year-old girl in a packed courtroom during which she said that she has become a major and has been pursuing studies in Kuwait and wanted to live with her father.

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Trashing the plea of the Kerala-based mother, who was seeking her custody, the court said that the daughter of the couple "without any hesitation, clearly stated that she intends to go back to Kuwait to pursue her career".

"In such a situation, we are of the considered opinion that as a major, she is entitled to exercise her choice and freedom and the court cannot get into the aspect whether she has been forced by the father or not," the court said.

"There may be ample reasons on her behalf to go back to her father in Kuwait, but we are not concerned with her reasons. What she has stated before the court, that alone matters and that is the heart of the reasoning for this court, which keeps all controversies at bay," the bench said.

"It needs no special emphasis to state that attaining the age of majority in an individuals life has its own significance. She/he is entitled to make her/his choice.

"The courts cannot, as long as the choice remains, assume the role of parens patriae. The daughter is entitled to enjoy her freedom as the law permits and the court should not assume the role of a super guardian being moved by any kind of sentiment of the mother or the egotism of the father. We say so without any reservation," it said.

The bench was hearing the plea of the Kerala-based woman seeking contempt action against her Kuwait-based estranged husband for not obeying the orders of the apex court in the custody matter of their son and daughter.

While the daughter has now turned major, the son is still a minor.

"As far as the son is concerned, he is still a minor. The counsel for the respondent-husband submits that as per the order...the petitioner-mother will be entitled to have interim custody during his summer vacation.

"However, if during the summer vacation, the son is undergoing any essential summer courses, that period will be excluded (not exceeding one month)," the bench said.

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Disposing of the case, the court said that the father shall pay a sum of Rs 50,000 to the mother on every visit of their son.

"The respondent-husband shall inform the petitioner- mother about the flight and other relevant details well in advance. Needless to say, the petitioner-mother would be entitled to talk to the son and the respondent-husband shall not create any kind of disturbance in that regard," it said. PTI SJK MNL RKS SC

--- ENDS ---
SOUTH GLENS FALLS  A settlement that reduces the assessment of the SCA Tissue plant in South Glens Falls will result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue for the village, the school district and the town of Moreau.

The late-November agreement between Moreau officials and the plant, now a subsidiary of Essity, will reduce the facility's assessment from $25.59 million to $14 million in five years.

It will also force the school district to pay Essity back $85,404 in taxes this school year.



"This is going to be very expensive for the town, school and village," said South Glens Falls Mayor Harry Gutheil. "I would have hoped that the town would have never accepted a reduction in its value like this. This is a Christmas gift to SCA. If you are going to give out lower assessments, what about the individuals who have homes in South Glens Falls? Shouldn't they get a break? Instead, the problem is passed onto the residents."



Gutheil projects the village will lose $317,872 in tax revenue in the next five years. In the first year, when SCA Tissue's assessment will drop to $20.59 million, the village will have to reduce its $2.7 million general fund budget by $30,000. And as SCA Tissue's assessments ramps down to the final figure of $14 million in 2022, the village will have to trim its budget even more.

"It's going to be tight," said Gutheil, who noted that the village was already grappling with the state's 2 percent tax cap. "We went to a high-deductible health care plan. For our 2018-19 budget, we will have to look at everything, but try to keep the services that residents find essential like plowing streets and emergency services."

More for you Stefanik at SCA Tissue

The school district administration said the district will suffer a $879,096 loss over the next five years.

"Our hands were essentially tied," said Michael Patton, who was superintendent at the time of the settlement. He said the change "will have a significant negative impact on our school district revenue."



Making matters worse, the school district and the village were not privy to the town's negotiations with the company. Gutheil and Patton, who started this week at Saratoga Springs superintendent of schools, also said that the town agreed to SCA Tissue's demands even before the town completed its own assessment of the property. The agreement was approved by the Moreau town board on Nov. 28.

Moreau Supervisor Todd Kusnierz also said the town had no choice. If they didn't enter into the settlement, the village and school district would have lost more money by having to give refunds to Essity every year.

"The schools and the village would have been more exposed than the town," Kusnierz said. "They could have not sustained that. The refunds would have been significant."



Gutheil said the village and the school should have teamed up on court costs to fight the settlement. But the school district declined, saying it had no legal standing to pursue any litigation.

Gutheil disagreed, saying that when he was Moreau town supervisor he fought Erie Boulevard Hydropower plants twice, spending $1.3 million in 2006 and $700,0000 in 2003, and won both times. If he didn't fight the corporation's assessment challenges, Moreau would have lost $12 million in tax revenue.

"It would be a heavy lift," Gutheil said of a potential legal battle with SCA Tissue. "But it would have been worth it. The school collapsed on us. I haven't gotten over it yet."

Company officials did not return requests for comment.
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Now that the snow that delayed flights and caused fender benders is heading out, Capital Region residents must brace for Arctic temperatures heading in.

While some areas saw higher snow totals than originally anticipated Thursday, meteorologists stressed the true concerns are extremely low temperatures and high winds that threaten to bring frostbite or hypothermia.

Youre looking at a matter of minutes with any exposed skin, said Brian Montgomery, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albany. Its going to be very raw, windy, bitterly, dangerously cold weather.

With blowing snow a concern into Fridays morning commute, temperatures arent expected to get above 6, with wind chills as low as -25. The weather service has issued a wind chill warning through Saturday night.

The frigid temperatures also are expected to create issues for plowing crews as salt becomes ineffective.

"There is a certain point at which the roads are just slick and dangerous," Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said. "If (motorists) have to go out, they need to use extreme caution."

The heaviest snow fell south and east of the Capital Region, with Hoosick Falls seeing 4.5 inches. A shift in the storm prompted a handful of Rensselaer County school districts to dismiss students shortly after arriving Thursday.

But generally, the Capital Region saw between 1 to 4 inches of snow, Montgomery said.

The storm also diverted a Kennedy International-bound Norwegian Air jet to Albany International Airport, where over 300 passengers were cleared through customs and immigration and then bused to New York City. A JFK-bound American Airlines flight was also diverted to Albany.

The storm is part of a nor'easter that pummeled the East Coast, with coastal cities bearing the brunt of a system that meteorologists have dubbed a "bomb cyclone."

Montgomery said this is a relatively common phenomenon where the central pressure of the system drops 24 millibars in 24 hours.

We blew that out of the water, he said. We exceeded that with 54 millibars in less than 24 hours.

Arctic air from the North moving in and fresh snow cover sets up a recipe for dangerously cold temperatures, Montgomery said.

I cant emphasize this enough, its going to be a dangerous, life-threatening situation setting up for the weekend with temperatures and wind chills, he said, adding that neighbors and family should check up on one another.

Sheehan encouraged residents to notify the city codes department if they're having issues with frozen pipes or a lack of heat.

"We do everything in our power, if there is an apartment that is not habitable, we do try to ensure that people have a warm place to be," she said.

Homeless shelters in Albany County are ready to shelter all in need, and during the extreme weather will allow residents to stay during daytime hours, Albany County officials said.

The Homeless Action Committee van, which picks up homeless people to take them to shelter, ran until 10 p.m. Thursday.

When demand is high and there is Code Blue weather conditions slam the area, the van can run until midnight, but staffers said Thursday theyd be handle all the demand by 10 p.m.

HAC staffer Stephanie Deyo said there are homeless people who decline the offer to sleep in a warm shelter, even on nights as frigid and dangerous as this one.

We keep a supply of jackets, gloves, warm socks, pants, blankets and food in the van that we can give them if they decide they want to spend the night outside, Deyo said.

Cody Rana, who also works for HAC, said that donations of sleeping bags would be very welcome now. Homeless locals determined to sleep outside rather than enter a shelter sometimes ask for a sleeping bag.

Officials encourage residents to call police if they see someone who is in danger of exposure.

There also are several designated warming stations that people can use during the day:

The Safe Haven, at 26 S. Swan St., and the Capital City Rescue Mission, at 259 S. Pearl St.

All Albany libraries.

CTDA buses are offering free transportation to a shelter, or the Safe Haven drop-in.

For those in need of shelter, or who have no heat at their residence, individuals to come to the county Department of Social Services, at 162 Washington Ave., for shelter or fuel from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. Those without heat, or fuel, can also go to offices at 230 Green St. in Albany or 9W Faith Plaza in Ravena.

Those in need of sheltering after hours should contact HATAS at 518-463-2124, or 866-201-7399.

Information can also be found on the Albany County website.

The Capital Region could break a record for the lowest high temperature Saturday if temperatures dont get above zero as expected, Montgomery said. The record of 2 degrees was set in 1986.

Cold temperatures will remain until Sunday, when meteorologists expect temperatures to climb to 15.

After this bitterly cold weekend, there is a little storm that may go by Monday, but after that we have a nice moderation heading into the mid-week period, Montgomery said. Right now, were forecasting for mid- to upper-20s on Wednesday and freezing Thursday.
A nine-digit number typed at the bottom of a letter believed to be sent by the infamous hijacker D.B. Cooper confirms the letter could have come from only one person, according to a cold-case investigative team.

That person is a San Diego man named Robert Rackstraw who served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and is alive and well, and who may have put the code in the letter thinking it would signal to his co-conspirators that he survived a leap from a Boeing 727 over Southwest Washington, said Tom Colbert, who with his wife, Dawna, has led a 40-member cold-case team investigating the 46-year-old case.

The code was at the bottom of the fifth letter allegedly sent by D.B. Cooper shortly after the Nov. 24, 1971 hijacking, a letter that was not released or reprinted until Colbert obtained through a public records request last year. A former code-breaker on Colbert's team noticed the number and, once a corresponding code was dug up from an L.A. Times archive, figured it out.

According to Colbert, the combined codes refer to three "masked" Army units that Rackstraw was connected to during his service. A former commander of Rackstraw told Colbert that the he would have learned some basic encryption codes before he was pulled from the unit because he didn't qualify for security clearances.

Dorwin Schreuder, a former FBI agent who worked on the case in the early 1980s, said the codes, if accurately translated, are significant.

"I think the coding thing is remarkable, but I'm a hard skeptic," Schreuder told SeattlePI. ""The circumstances of those codes being what Tom says they are, that he says nobody but him would know these units and these figures, if it's true that's pretty hard to argue against. Rackstraw might be his guy."

The mystery began on Nov. 24, 1971 when a man calling himself Dan Cooper bought a one-way ticket from Portland to Seattle on Northwest Orient Airlines. Once aboard the Boeing 727, he slipped a note to the flight attendant saying he had a bomb and that he wanted $200,000 and four parachutes, as well as a refueling truck ready when the plane landed in Seattle.

In Seattle, the man exchanged the passengers for ransom money and the plane took off, headed for Mexico. Somewhere over southwest Washington, Cooper jumped out the rear stair door of the plane and was never seen again.

Five letters, sent allegedly by Cooper to newspapers from several locations up and down the West Coast, were collected by the FBI. Four were reported at the time, but the fifth, the only typewritten letter, was not revealed at the time. Those letters were the last anyone heard from Cooper.

The only verifiable evidence ever found was a small cache of $20 bills found near the Columbia River in 1980.

The FBI officially stopped pursuing the case in 2016, but said it would review any physical evidence of the parachutes or the money that turned up. It remains the only unsolved case of air piracy in the U.S.

Now Playing: An amateur detective may hold the key to finding notorious plane hijacker D.B. Coopers $200,000 ransom, long believed lost forever. Ryan Sartor (@ryansartor) has that story. Video: Brandpoint

READ MORE: D.B. Cooper: Former FBI agents support parts of new theory

Colbert's team has amassed tons of research over several years investigating the case, and was featured in a 2016 History Channel documentary about the case. Last year, Colbert turned several pieces of what he believed was a parachute strap from Cooper's jump to the FBI, discovered after following an old story that detailed Cooper's plan and escape with the help of several other men.

The FBI has not officially given credence to Colbert's theory, nor has it said whether it is looking at the evidence turned over last year, but repeated in a statement late last year that the bureau would consider any physical evidence from the hijacking.

Colbert said if the FBI doesn't pursue the case further, his team -- or others interested in moving the case forward -- will return to the dig site and continue looking for more evidence. He also has said he believes the letter and other clues indicate the bureau has worked to cover up that Rackstraw is a likely suspect.

READ MORE: Investigators: D.B. Cooper letter confirms suspect, FBI cover-up

Former FBI agent Schreuder, though skeptical of parts of Colbert's theory, has repeatedly complimented his work and said in a recent email to Colbert, that the team's work has moved the case forward.

"No one, yes I admit it, no one has come up with a more complete explanation and thorough documentation of this matter than you and your team," Schreuder wrote in an email he shared with SeattlePI. "While I may not have done it in the same way, you seem to have gotten very near the finish line, while I and my colleagues did not. Congratulations."

RELATED: New 'evidence' may have been found in D.B. Cooper case

Daniel DeMay covers Seattle culture, city hall, and transportation for seattlepi.com. He can be reached at 206-448-8362 or danieldemay@seattlepi.com. Follow him on Twitter: @Daniel_DeMay.


For the first show of 2018, Clonmel World Music is delighted to welcome Scullion, one of the best ever Irish Folk/Rock bands for the first show in the ninth year of Clonmel World Music shows.

Scullion grew from the chance meeting in the late seventies, of its two main founders, Philip King and Sonny Condell and Robbie Overson. As a band they started rehearsing and writing in a small apartment above a chip shop in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin, which eventually followed with regular appearances at various Dublin haunts.

Condell is the creative core and inspiration for the band and he continues to invent and innovate writing music and songs that are powerful, poetic, soulful and joyful. He is one of Irelands most enduring creative artists and with Overson and King creates the signature sound that is Scullion.

Scullions back pages include the anthems, Down In the City; Eyelids into Snow; The Actor; and John the Baptist. Recent Scullion performances have sold out quickly, confirming their status as one of the best Irish bands ever.

During Scullion rest periods the trio keep busy: Kingwith his film and radio work, Bringing it all back home,  Other voices, for TV and the South wind Blows his much loved radio series on RTE Radio One, and countless musical documentaries films. Condell continues with his solo work and songwriting, and goes on tour from time to time with Tir Na nOG, his great collaboration with Leo OKelly. During his rest periods with Scullion, Overson has played with Sean Keane, Eleanor Shanley, Karan Casey and Mary Black.

After a series of successful appearances and performances in 2017, Scullion play their first 2018 show in Ireland in Clonmel on Thursday 18 January and it promises to be the return that has long been anticipated ahead of some new recordings and special shows being planned throughout Ireland for 2018.

The band never stopped, we just have some periods of intense rest. Philip is a successful filmmaker and broadcaster and produces Other Voices and I have my own band and recording career, Robbie plays music the world over, so we come together when the time is right for us, explains Condell.

Doors for the gig will open at 8pm, and the music will commence at 9pm. Tickets for this great gig are on sale now, and are available online at www.clonmelworldmusic.com, also in Marians Bookshop. OConnell St. Clonmel, from South Tipperary Arts Centre, Nelson Street Clonmel, or from Gerry Lawless on 086 3389619.
In case of emergency, you are supposed to call 911. But, what if calling the emergency number actually could cost you your life rather than saving it? That has become an issue for several states as reported hold times have skyrocketed. One place that felt this struggle was Memphis, Tennessee.





About two years ago, wait times to speak to a 911 operator were around one minute, which is now down to eight seconds. Resident, Brenda Woods, was shocked that anyone would have to wait 60 seconds to reach emergency assistance. "I'd be horrified. I'd be horrified. If I'm calling 911, that means I need help immediately." The national standard is having 95 percent of calls answered in 20 seconds or less.

This same issue occurred in San Antonio, Texas, prompting the hiring of an additional 49 people to the call center, enhancing quality and efficiency for patrons. The wait times were the general problem for call centers that experienced unanswered or dropped calls; staffing. Emergency Communications Administrator, Michael Spencer, monitored the problems and decided it was time to add approximately 30 new staff members to the call center. This doubled the staff which, with proper training and dedication, helped the dramatic lowering of the 911 wait times.

"It's nice they don't have that forced overtime anymore and that they're not answering calls back-to-back," said Spencer. "We have enough people. Now they have a small break in between phone calls."

Additionally, many callers would once hang up when the wait times got too long. That has decreased by two-thirds since the new tactics have been implemented. "When they call 911, they're already going through something difficult and stressful. So, having us answer quickly just eliminates another reason for them to be stressed out," Spencer added.

By adding more people to the call center which lowered answer times, Memphis saw results it had waited on for two years. The city spokesperson says that the goal is to keep the wait times low while adding a higher level of quality assurance to each call so no one hangs up feeling unfulfilled. Looks like Memphis has a great start.

Edited by Maurice Nagle
[January 05, 2018] UK International Trade Secretary Liam Fox Introduces GREAT Festival of Innovation to Officials and Business Leaders in Shenzhen China

Innovation and collaboration the key topics in lead up to Festival HONG KONG, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- UK International Trade Secretary Liam Fox visited Shenzhen China on Thursday, 4 January to speak with Chinese Government officials and business leaders about the GREAT Festival of Innovation, which will take place in Hong Kong in March 2018. During the visit, Liam Fox gave a speech at the Ritz-Carlton Shenzhen where he discussed strong developments in Chinese and British innovation and further growing thriving technology and trade opportunities (5 January 2018). In Shenzhen, Dr Fox promoted the government-backed GREAT Festival of Innovation which will showcase the latest technology from the UK and Asia. He also took the opportunity to meet with Design Society at its new home, the Sea World Culture and Art Centre in Shekou. The result of a partnership between China Merchants Shekou and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Design Society places emphasis on innovation through design via its exhibition programme and arrives in China at a time when policymakers are increasingly turning to design to address some of the vastly complex social, environmental, and infrastructural challenges of a growing country. The UK's Department for International Trade will be welcoming the UK and Asia region's top industry leaders, entrepreneurs, creatives, educationalists and businesses at the four-day Festival to be held at Asia Society Hong Kong Centre from 21 to 24 March 2018. Speakers from the business sector in China will be an important feature in the event schedule, to be announced next month. China is the UK's fifth largest trading partner in the world, with trade between the countries worth GBP59.1 billion based on the latest figures (2016). In the same period the UK exported GBP16.8bn of goods and services, making China the UK's eight largest export market. The Department for International Trade has also just announced up GBP25 billion in financial support -- including loan guarantees -- for UK businesses operating along the Belt & Road initiative (BRI). The initiative, set up by the Chinese government, aims to increase economic cooperation with countries around the world along key transport routes.



International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox said: "China as a world leading economy and the UK's fifth largest trading partner, is an important market for British companies as we look beyond the boundaries of Europe to build independent trading relationships with the rest of the world. "The Great Festival of Innovation will bring together the best entrepreneurs and the most advanced technology across the UK and Asia to explore how we will work, live, play and learn in the future. As global markets evolve, it will be crucial to embrace the change that comes with it."

Deputy Director-General of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Shenzhen Committee, Mr Jingwei Guo, pointed out: "Shenzhen has seen rapid development in technology, life science, AI, industry, design and finance. There are great opportunities for Shenzhen to work with the UK in areas of R&D and technical application. We should build up cooperation for innovation in order to further enhance collaborations on a policy and funding level." Representative from the Festival's Principal Partner HSBC, Head of Commercial Banking for China, Frank Fang, said: "Shenzhen has become the heart of a thriving "Silicon Delta" in Guangdong which connects high-end manufacturing expertise, entrepreneurs and capital. The Greater Bay Area strategy also holds great potential for Hong Kong to benefit from the growth of this innovation economy by capitalising on its established strengths as an international financial centre and launchpad for Chinese companies expanding overseas. HSBC is proud to support the Great Festival of Innovation and innovative businesses from across the Greater Bay Area." About GREAT Festival of Innovation 2018

The GREAT Festival of Innovation, to be held at Asia Society Hong Kong Centre from 21 to 24 March 2018, is the third of its kind after the success of the GREAT Festivals of Creativity in Istanbul (2014) and Shanghai (2015). Its vision is to share innovation and create life-long partnerships that will drive the future of free trade and prosperity between the UK, Hong Kong and the region. The Festival will explore the latest in cutting-edge innovation and the future of how we work, live, play and learn through a series of talks, panels and interactive workshops over four days. Bringing together some of the world's brightest minds, business leaders and policy makers, the Festival will provide a unique platform for powerful future partnerships. The GREAT Campaign

Bringing the best of Britain to the world

The GREAT Britain campaign showcases the best of what the whole nation has to offer to inspire the world and encourage people to visit, do business, invest and study in the UK. It is the Government's most ambitious international promotional campaign, uniting the efforts of the public and private sector to generate jobs and growth for Britain. The campaign has already secured confirmed economic returns of GBP3.1bn for the UK. The UK has a huge amount to offer, with world-class universities, ground breaking research, high tech start-ups and entrepreneurial business people. Global leaders in the creative industries like music, fashion, design and film, the UK can offer visitors unforgettable experiences, breath-taking landscapes and iconic attractions. The GREAT Britain campaign captures the best of all that is familiar about the UK, but also what is new and surprising about the country. Sponsors Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180105/2026066-1-a

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180105/2026066-1-b

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Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180105/2026066-1-f

Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180105/2026066-1LOGO SOURCE GREAT Festival of Innovation

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By PTI: New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) The Credit Enhancement Fund, announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley last Budget, is expected to be operational by the end of this fiscal, a senior Finance Ministry official said.

The IIFCL-anchored fund will help raise credit rating of bonds floated by infrastructure companies and facilitate investments from long-term investors.

"To ease flow of institutional credit to infrastructure projects, what the government has been thinking in this regard is credit enhancement. IIFCL is playing a lead role in that proposed institution," Kumar V Pratap, Joint Secretary (Infrastructure Policy and Finance) in the Finance Ministry said.

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"We had a meeting yesterday with RBI and the credit rating agencies. So we hope to launch this fund within this financial year. Mechanics are being worked out," he said at an event organised by India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL) on the occasion of its 12th foundation day.

Raising the credit rating of these companies would help easier access to institutional financing, he said.

Jaitley in 2016-17 Budget speech had proposed that LIC will set up a dedicated fund to provide credit enhancement to infrastructure projects.

However, LIC could not anchor the proposed company because of regulatory issues.

Some public sector banks, including SBI and Bank of Baroda, have evinced interest in picking up stake in the fund.

Public sector LIC, General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) also plans to pick up stake in the credit enhancement fund.

IIFCL Deputy Managing Director Sanjeev Kaushik said the RBI has agreed to most of the suggestions and the final guidelines on Credit Enhancement Fund should come out soon. PTI DP MR

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[January 04, 2018] Save Lives, Fish with President Carter and Patient Safety Movement Foundation

For the fourth year in a row, former President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter are supporting the Patient Safety Movement Foundation (PSMF) and demonstrating their commitment to ZERO Preventable Deaths by 2020 (0X2020) by offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fly fish with the Carters in the Georgia Mountains. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180104006438/en/ President Jimmy Carter and winners from last year's contest fly fishing in Georgia (Photo: Business Wire) The top three hospitals or hospital systems that commit to measurably saving the highest number of lives by implementing processes that eliminate preventable deaths, such as the Actionable Patient Safety Solutions (APSS), between January 2018 - August 2018, will be given a spot on this exclusive fishing trip with the Carters. "We are very excited to partner with the Carters for this exclusive experience. Their willingness to continue providing this opportunity to hospitals around the world year after year speaks volumes about their commitment to helping humanity," said Joe Kiani, Founder and Chairman of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation. The exclusive fishing trip will take place in Georgia on October 19-21, 2018. To be considered, make your commitment to ZERO on the Patient Safety Movement website by August 1st, 2018. Winners will be announced in September 2018.



Winners will demonstrate the most lives saved between January 4 and August 1, 2018. To participate in the competition:

1. Entrants must make a new Commitment or update an existing commitment online

All fields on the Commitment form must be completed. 2. The number of "lives saved" by the Commitment must be calculated according to the following formula:

Lives Saved = (Expected Events BASELINE - Observed Events MEASURED) x Mortality Rate* *Note: Mortality rate must be sourced by the applicant to a peer-reviewed journal. 3. See complete competition rules. About The Patient Safety Movement Foundation More than 200,000 people die every year in U.S. hospitals and 3 million worldwide in ways that could have been prevented. The Patient Safety Movement Foundation was established through the support of the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation, and Competition in Healthcare to reduce that number of preventable deaths to 0 by 2020 (0X2020). Improving patient safety will require a collaborative effort from all stakeholders, including patients, healthcare providers, medical technology companies, government, employers, and private payers. The Patient Safety Movement Foundation works with all stakeholders to address the problems with actionable solutions for patient safety. The Foundation also convenes the World Patient Safety, Science and Technology Summit. The Summit brings together some of the world's best minds for thought-provoking discussions and new ideas to challenge the status quo. By presenting specific, high-impact solutions to meet patient safety challenges, called Actionable Patient Safety Solutions, encouraging medical technology companies to share the data their products are purchased for, and asking hospitals to make commitments to implement Actionable Patient Safety Solutions, the Patient Safety Movement Foundation is working toward zero preventable deaths by 2020. Visit https://patientsafetymovement.org/. @0X2020 #patientsafety #0X2020 View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180104006438/en/

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[January 04, 2018] Mika Hakkinen, Double Formula One World Champion, Introduces New iNZDR Premium Social Media App

LUXEMBOURG, Jan. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Mika Hakkinen, 49, former McLaren racing driver, has co-founded a new tech startup. It is the first Premium-tier social media App enabling monetization and fundraising in social media. For fans, it gives an insider access to stars in their social media timeline. As a social media insider, you are always the first one to know and you know more than others. The iNZDR App introduces Premium tier in social media. The service is aimed at attracting various well-known social media influencers and Hakkinen's team is currently on-boarding actors, athletes, artists and video bloggers. iNZDR users can publish, view and comment Live Photos and videos on the App. Insiders can follow influencers, or Stars, for free but selected content on Premium Accounts can be hidden behind the paywall. Premium content, image or video, will appear as blurred without monthly subscription of approx. $1.99/month (or equivalent in the local currency). iNZDR Premium Accounts are expected to become a major revenue generator for social media influencers. Hakkinen, who is currently inviting influencers to join this new App, confirms that some of the influencers will donate proceeds to charity. Hakkinen himself has already more than 200 private, unseen pictures and videos in the App. According to Hakkine iNZDR athletes will share detailed information about their fitness or nutrition programs as well as share training tips and other personal interests. Insiders are also expected to get genuinely in touch with the stars, through chat and video features. The App will also feature star emojis, stickers and GIFs.



Since retiring from his driving career Hakkinen, 1998 and 1999 World Champion, travels around the world to promote companies including McLaren, UBS, Diageo, Hintsa Performance, Nokian Tyres, Unibet and Neuroth. Hakkinen is also a frequent keynote speaker sharing his personal Formula One experiences and how to apply his learnings to other areas. iNZDR App is advertising-free and can now be downloaded free of charge from Google Play and the App Store.

Website: www.inzdr.com Further contact:

Sami Raisanen

+41792903453

[email protected] Logo, App icon and screenshots: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HgENzmeWcNUBuaiYu_MdNlbtD31AMm9w?usp=sharing Related Images image1.png

Premium Accounts image2.png

Profile image3.png image4.png View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mika-hakkinen-double-formula-one-world-champion-introduces-new-inzdr-premium-social-media-app-300577835.html SOURCE iNZDR

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[January 04, 2018] Bryte Software Launches San Francisco Office to Bring Exciting Data Lake Innovations to Market

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bryte Systems, provider of award-winning Enterprise Cloud Data Lake Software, has incorporated in the US and opened up an office in San Francisco as it sets its sights on international expansion in 2018. Founded in Australia, Bryte has self-funded significant growth since launching its Enterprise Data Lake software in 2015 and has attracted large tier-1 firms like Under Armour, Woolworths Group Limited, Origin Energy, ANZ Bank and NIB Health as clients. Arun Kumar  General Manager and Director at Bryte, who will be relocating to San Francisco as part of the initiative, said, "The market size for Data Lake related solutions is expected to reach more than USD 8 Billion by 2021, with US Enterprises set to lead the market in this direction  after proving out the concept and technology with multiple large Australian Enterprises, it is the ideal time for us to focus on the U.S. market and international expansion." In relation to its choice of first presence in San Francisco, Kumar said, "As a business, we need to mass-market to a Global audience, hyper-scale and manage growth without sacrificing the customer experience. After working with more than 150 Startups in various capacities, I realized that the majority of Australian software companies who sell to Enterprises are unable to turn a vastly superior product into the Industry Standard or Market leader, with the top contributing factors being limited world-class access to early funding, marketing and operational expertise. Being in San Francisco and close to the Valley will provide more abundant access to the resources and expertise that will be required as we transition from emerging Innovator to established Market Leader." "As one of the first Big Data Partners in Australia, Bryte has continued to pioneer, innovate, reinvent and push the boundaries with cloud data management for large enterprises," said the Amazon Web Services Technology Alliance Team in a statement. Discussing Bryte's technical advantages that will differentiate the firm from inreased competition in new markets, Chief Technology Officer, Prashant Bhandary added, "With Bryte, enterprises can essentially create the equivalent of an infinite database. The technology leverages server-less architecture and provides an unmatched out-of-the-box Data Lake experience that is designed from the ground up for Object Stores  an essential component required to build efficient Data Lakes as they can enable unparalleled scale, low cost and near-infinite levels of workload concurrency. Also  Bryte has invented a number of Patent-pending technologies which facilitate unprecedented levels of ingestion, storage and processing performance for high volumes of complex enterprise data".



Senior Engineer Edwin Bhadolekar added, "Based on client feedback, Bryte consistently outperforms the closest available alternatives by more than 200  1000 percent." With Bryte's click to ingest, manage and query design, it is easy for organizations to centralize large amounts of data into cloud object stores, and then access or analyze it using their preferred Database, Hadoop, Machine Learning or AI processing and visualization tools. Bryte also provides a world first Enterprise Grade SQL workbench for Object Stores, which allows enterprises to leverage existing SQL coding skills for Map Reduce or Spark processing as they transition to an Object Store environment. Bryte's short-term strategic priorities for the U.S. market will include continued focus on using Amazon Web Services as the preferred cloud platform and channel alliances with agile cloud re-sellers, consultants and implementation partners. "Although the business is cash flow positive, a Series A round is also on the cards if it comes packaged with the right network, direction and operational insight," Kumar added.

About Bryte Systems

Bryte Systems is an ISV that provides innovative software tools to build Enterprise Grade Cloud Data Lakes. The company mission is to make Data Access, Innovation and Analytics more pervasive, cost-effective and easier than ever before by blending together the latest in the most exciting cloud, business intelligence and data liberation technologies. Bryte is loved by clients for world-class expertise with Amazon Web Services, Object Stores and Real-Time Data Access. To learn more about Bryte, visit www.bryte.com.au. Press Contact

Pradnya Bhandary

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From Data to Decisions Related Links Bryte's Data Lake Software View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bryte-software-launches-san-francisco-office-to-bring-exciting-data-lake-innovations-to-market-300577882.html SOURCE Bryte Systems

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[January 04, 2018] Ambiq Micro's Ultra-Low Power Apollo2 Platform Selected to Energize Spire's Game-Changing Health Monitoring Device

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ambiq Micro, the pioneer and leader in ultra-low power solutions, today announced that Spire has selected the Apollo2 platform to energize the Spire Health Tag, its new line of wearable, health monitoring products. The Health Tag is a small and discreet yet comprehensive health-monitoring device that makes clothes smart and never needs charging. At the heart of the Apollo2 platform is Ambiq Micro's patented Subthreshold Power Optimized Technology (SPOT), which dramatically reduces energy consumption while leaving abundant application processing power to add higher intelligence to personal health monitoring and wearable devices. The Spire Health Tag uses the 10uA/MHz active power efficiency of Apollo2 to deploy advanced algorithms to deliver personalized, real-time health guidance for daily activity, sleep, and stress situations. With Apollo2 and the SPOT platform, the Health Tag can continuously analyze breathing and heart-rate inflection points for up to two years on one battery. "Spire is using Ambiq Micro's Apollo2 to dramatically-increase the longevity of our batteries," said Benjamin Yule, CTO of Spire. "The Apollo2 platform is the only one of its kind on the market to support the power-t-performance ratio we needed."



"We're pleased to partner with Spire to power its revolutionary health monitoring device," said Aaron Grassian, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Ambiq Micro. "We're excited that our superior, ultra-low power Apollo2 platform has enabled Spire to design a fitness wearable that's nearly invisible, non-intrusive and requires no daily maintenance. Countless wearable devices end up in the junk drawer after a few months of battery-charging, replacement, and maintenance. Spire has eliminated this problem with a discreet design that disappears into the user's clothing and seamlessly blends into daily life." Ambiq will be showcasing SPOT-enabled, ultra-low power solutions at the Consumer Electronics Show 2018 (CES) on Tuesday, January 9, through Friday, January 12, at the Renaissance Hotel Las Vegas, Suite 532. For an appointment, please contact [email protected]

About Ambiq Micro

Ambiq Micro was founded in 2010 on the simple yet powerful notion that extremely low-power semiconductors are the key to the future of electronics. Through the use of pioneering ultra-low power technology, innovative companies around the world are developing differentiated solutions that reduce or eliminate the need for batteries, reduce overall system power and maximize industrial design flexibility. Ambiq Micro has developed breakthrough technology based on its patented Subthreshold Power Optimized Technology (SPOT) platform that dramatically reduces the amount of power consumed by semiconductors, thus making its integrated circuits (ICs) an ideal solution for energy-critical applications. Ambiq Micro is headquartered in Austin, Texas. http://www.ambiqmicro.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ambiq-micros-ultra-low-power-apollo2-platform-selected-to-energize-spires-game-changing-health-monitoring-device-300577975.html SOURCE Ambiq Micro

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[January 04, 2018] Blockchain Connect Conference, the First Cross-Border Event Between U.S. and Chinese Blockchain Markets, is to Set the Future of Blockchain

Blockchain Connect Conference will arrive in San Francisco on January 26, 2018. The theme of this conference is "The Evolution of Blockchain Technology in the United States and China". This conference will attract more than 1,000 blockchain practitioners worldwide. Well-known blockchain scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, developers and industry stakeholders from China, Japan, Singapore, and the U.S. will come to discuss the technological innovations, market dynamics, and development direction in the blockchain industry. SV Insight, a top-tier tech media company bridging the gap between the U.S. and China, will be hosting the conference. Co-organizers include Draper Dragon, DHVC, ConSensys, Bodhi, and BeeChat. More than 30 blockchain experts will speak at the conference, including Tim Draper, a legendary Silicon Valley investor who invested in companies such as Skype (News - Alert), Tesla, and SpaceX; Charlie Lee, the creator of Litecoin;Brad Garlinghouse, the CEO of Ripple, the world's top five digital assets; Kathryn Haun, member of the board of directors of Coinbase; Joseph Poon, co-author of the Lightning Network White Paper (News - Alert) and Plasma, and other blockchain experts.



An intensive and engaging full day of keynotes, panel sessions and market spotlights will include: Secrets of Exchanges: Who Are Buying Tokens and What Are They Buying?

Decoding Blockchain in Health Care: Hopes and Hypes

How to Promote the Adoption of Public Blockchain in China?

Consensus Protocols: Will 2018 be the Year of PoS?

New Crypto Trends: Race to the Frontline of Blockchain Technology

VC vs. ICO Funds: Token Valuation and Exit Strategy "Because China and the U.S. are both powerhouses in blockchain, it is critical to understand the Chinese perspective to capture where Blockchain is headed," says Paul Li, CEO of SV Insight.

The conference aims to set up a platform to exchange and cooperate openly and professionally for all participants, providing an excellent opportunity for all investors, project partners, infrastructure providers, and professionals to connect with each other. To learn more, please visit www.goblockchainconnect.com. About SV Insight SV Insight (www.svinsight.com) is a leading tech media company bridging the gap between China and Silicon Valley. As a top-tier Chinese tech media company, SV Insight is dedicated to providing in-depth coverage of current and future technology trends. It has covered more than 200 innovative companies and products around the world, and had a best-seller book published on Amazon China in 2016. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180104006464/en/

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[January 05, 2018]

Bitcoin Mining Can Power Neuroscience, Says Matrix Chief AI Scientist

BEIJING, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- At this year's BlockShow Asia, Yangdong Deng, chief AI scientist of Blockchain startup Matrix, explained how inserting Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the Blockchain ecosystem would make it possible to use Bitcoin mining computational power for scientific innovation.

According to Deng, the current computing power being used in Bitcoin mining operations is 8.23x1022 floating point operations per second (FLOPS), while the total computing power in the world is 1.2x1023 FLOPS. According to these calculations, Bitcoin mining is consuming 17 percent of total global computing power, justifying the frequent accusations that Bitcoin mining is wasteful.

Matrix is seeking to reinvent mining algorithms by including AI into the equation through a Bayesian mining system that utilizes a Markov cain Monte Carlo algorithm (MCMC). Because these computations function similarly to traditional mining functions, they work well for Bitcoin mining.







As Deng argues, using AI, the computing power used to verify transactions on the Bitcoin network can be leveraged for other uses outside the world of cryptocurrencies.

One example he gave his scientific research -- a brain network simulation requires approximately 1018 FLOPS, while a complete human metabolic network simulation requires 1025 FLOPS.

According to Deng, other important non-crypto use cases that require massive computing power are chemical reaction simulations, medical diagnoses and complex finance modeling.

Intel recently filed a patent for a Blockchain-based system that also works to harness the energy used in cryptocurrency mining for scientific development - in this case particularly for genetic sequencing.

The BlockShow Asia conference this November included a number of innovative projects in addition to Matrix. 1,500 entrepreneurs and experts gathered at the event in Singapore to share and discover the latest developments in the industry.

For more information, or to view the company's whitepaper, visit https://www.MATRIX.space

Facebook: Facebook.com/MATRIXAINetworks

Twitter: Twitter.com/matrixainetwork

GitHub: http://Github.com/MatrixAINetwork

SOURCE Matrix
[January 05, 2018] Proximus Partners With Infosys to Simplify and Digitize its Enterprise Solutions Ecosystem to Provide Superior Customer Experience

LONDON, January 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys, a global leader in consulting, technology and next-generation services today announced that it has been selected by Proximus, the largest telecommunications company in Belgium, to implement Excite - a business transformation program aimed at delivering superior digital customer experiences for its enterprise clients. The multi-year program will strengthen Proximus' leadership in the professional services market by replacing legacy IT systems, streamlining processes and deploying advanced tools for quoting, selling, ordering, billing, invoicing and more. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/610722/Infosys_Logo.jpg )

As part of this program, Infosys has been entrusted with the joint overall responsibility and ownership of the Greenfield Excite program, which includes simplifying and remodelling the company's portfolio of products for the professional services market, realigning business processes and organization around it, and digitizing business transactions. To achieve this, the program will consolidate more than 40 legacy IT systems into six new robust platforms to enable better product lifecycle management. Program highlights Cloud-based solutions implemented by Infosys, including Salesforce, CloudSense and ServiceNow, will modernize legacy applications

Process automation will deliver 'first time right' service, thereby eliminating errors and rationalizing service costs

Leveraging Infosys digital capabilities, a user-friendly portal will be developed to enable self-service for enterprise customers and partners

Excite will leverage concepts of design thinking that embrace customer feedback and will contribute towards delivering a superior customer experience. In addition, agile IT methodologies such as Test Driven Development, Behaviour Driven Development and Pair Programming will improve responsiveness and simplify customer-oriented processes

A change management process enabled by Infosys will ensure business continuity while managing the interests of external partners and 6,000+ internal users

The standardized landscape, processes and organization will boost enterprise efficiencies and accelerate the lead-to-cash cycle

Remodelling the Enterprise Business Unit portfolio (comprising fixed, mobile and ICT products) will improve design, delivery and servicing across the product catalogu



Bart Van Den Meersche, Chief Enterprise Market Officer, Proximus, said, "At Proximus, we are committed to providing best-in-class products and service to our clients and partners. With this in mind, we have embarked on the Excite business transformation program that will further enhance and deliver new digital experiences for our enterprise clients. In the course of the next years, we want to manage all professional products through easy-to-use digital interfaces." Geert Goethals, Chief Information Officer, Proximus, said, "We are committed to our program Excite that will transform the way we sell professional services to our enterprise clients. Through Excite we expect to establish greater agility, collaboration and bring in superior quality and efficiency in the way IT and business interacts. As part of this initiative, we have entrusted the co-responsibility of transforming our IT systems to Infosys, as our teams work together to deliver objectives of this program over the next years."

Rajesh Krishnamurthy, President and Head of Energy, Utilities, Telecommunications and Services, Infosys, said, "We are pleased to be a part of Proximus' journey of becoming a digital services provider. Companies need to continuously deliver more value and superior experiences to its customers, and the same applies for the telecommunications industry especially given the highly competitive nature of its business. Through this program, Infosys will be leveraging its core capabilities and expertise across its service offerings to help Proxmius simplify and digitize its processes, while streamlining its product offerings and driving efficiencies." About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in technology services and consulting. We enable clients in 45 countries to create and execute strategies for their digital transformation. From engineering to application development, knowledge management and business process management, we help our clients find the right problems to solve, and to solve these effectively. Our team of 198,000+ innovators, across the globe, is differentiated by the imagination, knowledge and experience, across industries and technologies that we bring to every project we undertake. Visit http://www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise thrive in the digital age. Safe Harbor Certain statements in this press release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements regarding our future business expectations intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. These filings are available at http://www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. In addition, please note that any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of the date of this press release. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company unless it is required by law.

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[January 05, 2018] PokerBaazi's 'The MoneyMaker' all Set to Kick-off the New Year

NEW DELHI, January 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- 2017 marked the fastest growing year that poker has witnessed in the country yet, and one can only imagine what 2018 has in store for the sport. The highlight of the year was the inception of India's Biggest Poker Tournament - The MoneyMaker, a 1 Crore-guaranteed online poker tournament hosted by PokerBaazi.com. To add to this, its third edition is scheduled for 26th January, 2018. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/525288/PokerBaazi.jpg ) Predicted to be larger than the previous two events, The MoneyMaker 3.0 guarantees INR 30 Lac to the winner and INR 20 Lac to the runner-up - a definite game changer. The very first event was launched in October 2017, and the fact that this is the 3rd such event in just four months says a lot about the pace at which the sport is growing and gaining popularity in the country. Back in October,it was Anujkumar 'aatmaan' Kodam who overcame a field of 800 players to be crowned champion of the very first 'The MoneyMaker', along with a gold bracelet and prize amount of INR 30.27 Lacs. The second edition was hosted on 26th November, and saw Delhi-based poker pro Devesh 'isildor1' Thapar oust a field of 772 players for the title and a sweet score of INR 30.57 Lacs. Come January 26th, there will be a new champion.



PokerBaazi.com is hosting a range of online satellite (step) tournaments leading to The MoneyMaker for as little as INR 10. Join up now and stand a chance to win tickets (worth INR 11k) to the next #GameChanger. Players can also get a free ticket of The MoneyMaker using deposit code. Check more details on https://goo.gl/QpCRPB. With only a few more weeks to go before the much anticipated event, join the satellites today and get set for India's biggest Poker tournament. This year is going to be massive for the sport of Poker in India, so gear up. About PokerBaazi.com:

PokerBaazi.com, a venture of Baazi Networks Private Limited, is India's most trusted poker website. PokerBaazi's internationally certified software lets players enjoy the two most exciting variants of poker - No Limit Texas Hold'em and Omaha. PokerBaazi.com encourages players to win with a zero investment by providing multiple free-entry tournaments every day. With a dedicated 24X7 customer support team, the primary focus of the company is to provide a world-class poker experience to Indian poker players. Media Contact:

Varun Ganjoo

[email protected]

+91-8588989054

Marketing Director

Baazi Networks Private Limited



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[January 05, 2018] Bell completes acquisition of AlarmForce to enhance its Connected Home strategy

Aligning AlarmForce with its Bell Aliant and Bell MTS home security and automation assets, Bell will deliver the latest Connected Home services to customers in Ontario , Quebec, Atlantic Canada and Manitoba

, Quebec, and Bell sells AlarmForce customer accounts in British Columbia , Alberta and Saskatchewan to TELUS Corporation MONTREAL, Jan. 5, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - BCE Inc. (Bell) (TSX: BCE) (NYSE: BCE) today announced the completion of its acquisition of Canadian home security and monitoring company AlarmForce Industries Inc. (TSX: AF) as part of Bell's strategic expansion in the fast-growing Connected Home marketplace. "Bell welcomes AlarmForce as we build on our position as Canada's most trusted name in residential communications with an accelerated focus on Connected Home technology and services," said Rizwan Jamal, President of Bell Residential and Small Business. "Building on our leadership and scale in broadband networks and residential services distribution, installation and customer services, Bell looks forward to delivering new and innovative smart home solutions to residential customers throughout Ontario, Quebec, the Atlantic region and Manitoba." Bell provides security and monitoring services from Bell Aliant NextGen Home Security in Atlantic Canada and from AAA Security, a Bell MTS company, in Manitoba. AlarmForce currently serves more than 100,000 subscribers across the country with intrusion, smoke, flood and carbon monoxide detection services; automation services including lighting, climate and lock control systems; and in-home and mobile medical alert systems. AlarmForce CEO Graham Badun has agreed to stay on as a special advisor to Bell for 6 months to support the business transition and integration. Bell has agreed to sell AlarmForce's approximately 39,000 customer accounts in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan to TELUS Corporation for approximately $66.5 million, an amount per subscriber equivalent to that paid by Bell, effective today. There are no immediate changes to services for any AlarmForce customers, and Bell will work closely with TELUS to ensure a smooth transition for Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC customers over the next several months. Information for AlarmForce shareholders

BCE acquired all approximately 11.4 million common shares of AlarmForce for a total aggregate consideration of approximately $182 million paid in a combination of cash and BCE common shares. BCE directly or indirectly funded the approximate $181 million cash component with available liquidity and issued 22,531 BCE common shares to fund the equity component. The share consideration was based on BCE's 20-day volume weighted price of $61.60 ending December 27, 2017 (5 business days prior to the effective date of the transaction). Any AlarmForce shareholder who did not properly make an election by 5 pm eastern time on January 2, 2018 was deemed to have elected to receive, for each AlarmForce common share, the cash consideration. The table below indicates the entitlement to be received by AlarmForce shareholders for each AlarmForce common share:







Election Entitlement to be received Cash consideration $16.00 in cash Share consideration 0.2597 of a BCE common share plus $0.01 in cash

No fractional shares will be issued

BCE will pay out fractional shares in cash No valid election $16.00 in cash

Certain AlarmForce shareholders who have elected to receive share consideration may be entitled to obtain a full or partial tax deferral subject to making a joint tax election with BCE. A tax instruction letter providing certain instructions on how to complete the tax election may be obtained at BCE's website at BCE.ca/investors/shareholder-info/AlarmForce within 5 days of closing. AlarmForce common shares are expected to be delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) effective as of the close of business on January 8, 2018 and AlarmForce will apply to cease to be a reporting issuer under applicable Canadian securities laws. Caution concerning forward-looking statements

Certain statements made in this news release are forward-looking statements. These statements include, without limitation, statements relating to BCE's business plans, objectives and strategies, and other statements that are not historical facts. All such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the "safe harbour" provisions of applicable Canadian securities laws and of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements, by their very nature, are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties and are based on several assumptions, both general and specific, which give rise to the possibility that actual results or events could differ materially from our expectations expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. As a result, we cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize and we caution you against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release describe our expectations at the date of this news release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Except as may be required by Canadian securities laws, we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this news release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Forward-looking statements are provided herein for the purpose of giving information about the proposed transaction referred to above and its expected impact. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Notice to U.S. shareholders of AlarmForce Industries Inc.

The transaction contemplated by this press release involved the securities of Canadian companies and is subject to Canadian disclosure requirements that are different from those of the United States. The BCE common shares issued pursuant to the statutory plan of arrangement under section 192 of the Canada Business Corporations Act, pursuant to which, among other things, BCE directly or indirectly acquired all of the issued common shares in the capital of AlarmForce, were not registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of such Act. About AlarmForce

AlarmForce provides security alarm monitoring, personal emergency response monitoring, video surveillance and related services to residential and commercial subscribers throughout Canada. More information about the Company's products and services can be found at www.alarmforce.com. About BCE

Canada's largest communications company, BCE provides a comprehensive and innovative suite of broadband wireless, TV, Internet and business communication services from Bell Canada, Bell Aliant and Bell MTS. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out of home and digital media. To learn more, please visit BCE.ca or Bell.ca. The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day, and provides significant Bell funding of mental health care and access, research and workplace leadership initiatives. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk. Media inquiries Marie-Eve Francoeur

514-391-5263

[email protected]

@Bell_News Investor inquiries Thane Fotopoulos

514-870-4619

[email protected] SOURCE Bell Canada

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[January 05, 2018] PetSmart Opens New Store in Redlands, Calif.

PetSmart is pleased to announce the opening of a new store in Redlands, Calif., located at 500 W. Stuart Ave., # C-1. To celebrate, PetSmart is having a grand opening event this Sat., Jan. 6, starting with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:45 a.m. including representatives from the local Chamber of Commerce. Media and pet parents are encouraged to attend and to bring their four-legged friends to join in the fun! This new store location will feature PetSmart's new Pinnacle Pet Nutrition Shop, an expanded collection of pet food products featuring high-protein, natural, grain-free, minimally processed and raw pet food. These food types are the fastest growing in the overall pet food category and include brands such as Only Natural Pet, a natural pet brand featuring holistic, paleo-inspired natural foods and wholesome high-protein recipes that are dehydrated, freeze-dried and air-dried. PetSmart is the exclusive national retailer for Only Natural Pet. The first 50 shoppers will receive a mystery gift card (values range from $5 up to $50), and all shoppers will receive free giveaways such as T-shirts, pet treat samples, pet toys and discount coupons.*







What: PetSmart Grand Opening Celebration When: Sat., Jan. 6, 8:45 a.m. Where: PetSmart 500 W. Stuart Ave. # C-1 Redlands, CA (News - Alert) 92374

The new store features more than 18,000 square feet of space, providing pet parents with a comprehensive line of pet products. The store also offers useful services such as pet training and adoption services, as well as a full-service grooming salon where dogs and cats receive hands-on care from academy-trained, safety-certified stylists dedicated to making pets look and feel their best.** PetSmart, The Adopt Spot, is where people save pets and pets save people. Since its founding in 1987, PetSmart recognized the pet homelessness problem and made the decision to never sell dogs or cats. To help end pet homelessness and save lives, PetSmart joins PetSmart Charities, PetSmart Charities of Canada and more than 3,500 local animal welfare organizations across North America on a range of powerful adoption events in PetSmart stores. PetSmart is a leader in ending pet homelessness through in-store adoptions that happen every day in its stores, and through National Adoption Weekends, held four times a year, where as many as 30,000-plus pets find forever homes in a single weekend event. Each year, millions of pets enter shelters across North America and some 3 million healthy, adoptable pets are euthanized. Every PetSmart store, including this store in Redlands, builds long-lasting relationships with local animal welfare organizations to utilize its stores as adoption centers. PetSmart and its adoption partners have reached a significant milestone - more than 7.6 million pets adopted since 1994! Nearly two out of every 10 pet adoptions in North America are facilitated at a PetSmart store. *All grand opening giveaways available while supplies last.

**Services are subject to availability. See store for details. About PetSmart PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart's passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they, together, can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000 associates, operate 1,600 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart PetsHotel dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as pet-focused services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart Doggie Day Camp and pet adoption. PetSmart, together with non-profits PetSmart Charities and PetSmart Charities of Canada, invite more than 3,500 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home. Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated more than 7.6 million adoptions - more than any other brick-and-mortar organization. The company's portfolio of digital resources for pet parents includes PetSmart.com, petMD.com, Pawculture.com, AllPaws, an online pet adoption platform that helps potential pet parents find the perfect pet to adopt based on their home, family and lifestyle, as well as BlogPaws, the world's first pet blogger and influencer network. Through these digital platforms, PetSmart offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, PetSmart launched its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program in March 2017. For every bag of cat or dog food purchased March 1 - Dec. 31, 2017, PetSmart donated a meal to pets in need and beat its goal of 60 million meals with more than 63 million meals generated through this leading philanthropic program. In May 2017, PetSmart acquired Chewy.com, a leading online retailer of pet food and products in the U.S., which operates as an independent subsidiary. Find PetSmart on Facebook (News - Alert): www.facebook.com/PetSmart

See PetSmart on Instagram: @PetSmart

Follow PetSmart on Twitter (News - Alert): @PetSmart

See PetSmart on YouTube (News - Alert): www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

PetSmart homepage: http://www.petsmart.com/. Turn your passion for pets into a career you'll love! Visit careers.petsmart.com to learn more about corporate, retail store, and Distribution Center opportunities. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180105005215/en/

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The autos can be driven only by women. The drivers wear uniforms, have GPS-enabled phones and earn Rs 300-400 per day.

Dantewada's Greenline First auto service in Naxal land

In Maoist-infested Dantewada, Chhattisgarh, the first organised public transport system is an all-woman preserve. The Danteshwari electric auto rickshaws service, launched in the district in October, aims to provide connectivity from nearby villages to Dantewada town, helping women access marketplaces, enhance income and, in a way, also fight Naxalism.

The service has been provided to women self-help groups, with the government financing 80 per cent of the cost, the remaining 20 per cent being paid by the beneficiaries. The district mineral fund is to be used to finance the project. The autos can be driven only by women. The drivers wear uniforms, have GPS-enabled phones and earn Rs 300-400 per day.

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The district administration feels that in case Maoists burn these autos, it would turn local people against them as people have invested money in it.

--- ENDS ---
[January 05, 2018]

CRTC and Japanese Agency join forces to fight spam

OTTAWA and GATINEAU, Jan. 5, 2018 /CNW/ - The CRTC today announced the signature of a memorandum of cooperation with Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. This agreement to combat unsolicited commercial electronic messages, came into effect on January 1, 2018.

This partnership will support close cooperation and a coordinated approach in the enforcement of spam laws in both jurisdictions to limit the amount of unwanted emails received by Canadian and Japanese residents.

As part of the agreement, both agencies have agreed to share information and provide investigative support, upon request, and in accordance with the law. The memorandum of cooperation also provides for research and education opportunities through sharing of best practices by both parties.

Quick Facts

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan's role includes the management and administration of the basic administration system of the country, the administration of local autonomy, and fire and emergency services, and the realization of growth strategies applying information communications technologies: http://www.soumu.go.jp/english/.

role includes the management and administration of the basic administration system of the country, the administration of local autonomy, and fire and emergency services, and the realization of growth strategies applying information communications technologies: http://www.soumu.go.jp/english/. The CRTC has entered into similar bilateral agreements with the United Kingdom's Information Commissioner's Office, the United States Federal Trade Commission, the United States Federal Communications Commission, the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs and the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Information Commissioner's Office, the United States Federal Trade Commission, the United States Federal Communications Commission, the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs and the Australian Communications and Media Authority. In June 2016 , the CRTC along with eleven other international agencies entered into an agreement to fight both unlawful spam and unsolicitd telecommunications. All eleven countries are members of the Unsolicited Communications Enforcement Network whose mandate is to facilitate and support cross border investigations.

, the CRTC along with eleven other international agencies entered into an agreement to fight both unlawful spam and unsolicitd telecommunications. All eleven countries are members of the Unsolicited Communications Enforcement Network whose mandate is to facilitate and support cross border investigations. Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation prohibits the sending of commercial electronic messages without the consent of the recipient, as well as online threats such as phishing, malware and botnets.







"Once again, the CRTC is demonstrating its commitment to combat unwanted commercial electronic messages. By establishing a partnership with Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, we are broadening our international engagement against spam to protect the citizens of Canada and Japan. Collaborating with Japanese authorities will heighten our expertise and ability to enforce Canada's anti-spam law."

- Steven Harroun, CRTC Chief Compliance and Enforcement Officer

Associated Links

Ask a question or make a complaint

Stay Connected

Follow us on Twitter @CRTCeng

Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/crtceng

SOURCE Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
[January 05, 2018] Government of Canada announces a new agile procurement initiative

SHAWINIGAN, QC, Jan. 5, 2018 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to improving the accessibility of its online services and to making its procurement process simpler and less burdensome for small businesses. The Honourable Scott Brison, President of the Treasury Board, today announced a new opportunity in the Government of Canada's agile procurement initiative. The government is seeking to improve online accessibility for Canadians, including those with disabilities, searching and applying for jobs in the public service, and individuals seeking documents released on the Open by Default Pilot Portal. Through the Call for Proposals issued in December, industry will take part in a challenge-based procurement process that will include a pitch event in March 2018 with a contract being awarded in the spring. The Pitch will be similar to last year's successful collaboration with industry, when a Dragon's Den style competitive process was held. Businesses are encouraged to submit bids and attend the upcoming webinar to get more information about requirements for this process. This simplified procurement could be adapted and extended to larger procurement processes in the future and represents a step forward in government transparency. Quotes "As we improve online government services, we must make them more easily accessible to all Canadians, including those with disabilities. Working with industry experts to find solutions to the specific challenges we are facing is the best way o improve services in a cost-efficient way that promotes innovation."



- The Honourable Scott Brison, President of the Treasury Board "With initiatives like this simplified procurement process, the Government of Canada is demonstrating that it is serious about supporting small business, strengthening its digital capabilities, and improving services to Canadians."

- The Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Member of Parliament for St-Maurice-Champlain and Minister of International Trade "Our government is committed to modernizing procurement processes to increase value for taxpayers, while decreasing the burden for businesses. This initiative is a prime example of a modern, efficient procurement process that respects the principles of openness, fairness and transparency." - The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement "The Public Service Commission is always looking for innovative solutions to further reduce barriers to employment in the federal public service. Exceeding current online accessibility standards will help federal organizations build a workforce that is more representative of the Canadian population." - Patrick Borbey, President of the Public Service Commission Quick Facts Agile procurement is a pilot project between the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). Through this process, industry is invited to solve a specific problem rather than respond to a lengthy Request for Proposals.

A Call for Proposals for the Accessibility Procurement Pilot was posted on Buyandsell.gc.ca on December 21, 2017 , and will close on January 31, 2018 .

, and will close on . A Letter of Interest was released on November 23, 2017 , to inform industry of the upcoming contracting opportunities and to outline the procurement process.

, to inform industry of the upcoming contracting opportunities and to outline the procurement process. A webinar will be held on January 9, 2018 , to allow potential bidders to ask questions.

, to allow potential bidders to ask questions. This challenged-based procurement approach allows for effective engagement with creative developers and technologists, and for streamlined procurement processes, which reduce the time to evaluate and award a contract.

Starting 2017-18, The Government of Canada also launched the Innovative Solutions Canada, a new procurement program modelled on the U.S. Small Business Innovation Research program. The program supports early-stage research and development, late-stage prototypes, and other goods and services for Canadian innovators and entrepreneurs. Associated Links Call for proposals for the accessibility procurement pilot

Open by Default Pilot Portal Stay connected Follow TBS on Twitter

Follow TBS on Facebook

PSPC

Follow PSC on Twitter SOURCE Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

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The grapevine was abuzz with rumours that Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh were to get engaged in Sri Lanka, but it looks like there is no truth to the reports.

By India Today Web Desk: Fans of DeepVeer, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are lovingly called, were over the moon when reports began doing the rounds that the couple are all set to take their relationship to the next level. It was being said that they will have a hush-hush engagement in Sri Lanka on Deepika's 32nd birthday today.

However, it looks like they might have to wait a while. If a report in IndianExpress.com is to be believed, there is no truth to the news of Deepika and Ranveer's impending engagement. YRF Talent, which manages Ranveer, told the publication that it is nothing but baseless speculation.

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Deepika and Ranveer rang in the New Year at a luxury resort in Maldives with their respective families, which is what sparked rumours of an engagement.

Sparks flew between them on the sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 2013 film Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram Leela, and despite innumerable reports of their break-up, Deepika and Ranveer have been going strong for about five years now.

Not too long ago, Ranveer expressed his love for Deepika in a video that was aired on a chat show. "There is nobody like you, god bless you. Love you a lot," he said in the video.

On the work front, 2017 was not the best year for the couple professionally, thanks to their film Padmavati attracting the ire of several groups for its alleged distortion of history. However, there is respite for Deepika and Ranveer in 2018, with the CBFC recently green-signalling the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed Padmavati for release, after some modifications, including the film's title.

ALSO WATCH: Ranveer says his outlook on romantic relationships has evolved

--- ENDS ---
I was asking for very basic information. I wasnt asking for all the inner workings of the commission. I wanted to know what our reference documents were, what are our communications like, who are we talking to, what are we saying to each other, whats our schedule? And I couldnt get that information at all, under any circumstances, and thats why we pursued the lawsuit.

Democrat on defunct voting commission says Kobach lied about why it dissolved Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap (D) had strong words for Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) on Thursday after Kobach tried to lay blame for the failure of President Trump's Election Integrity Commission at the feet of Dunlap and three other Democratic commissioners.

Opposition statement, perspective and old-timey insult:Read more:
A Kansas City Police Department Bomb and Arson Unit searched the area surrounding the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Thursday afternoon after a shooting outside the building. Kansas City police said they were called to the building south of the Liberty Memorial just before 2:30 p.m.
A homeless couple - kicked out of a Lenexa hotel room paid for by donors. This comes after two people living on the streets recently froze to death. Some are calling this a case of homeless discrimination. But the hotel has a different response.
"Police say they responded to a report that a car had crashed into a pole and there was an unresponsive a man inside the vehicle. The mans injuries were considered life threatening, and he later died at the scene. He had been shot.





"Police say it is possible that he was shot and rolled in the pole rather than just crashing into it."

And so, the cycle of Kansas City violence starts all over again with the latest local killing along local streets.Checkit:Deets:In 2016, KCMO counted 4 murders by this pointwe're already outpacing last year's near-record setting count year to date.Developing . . .
"Mike Shanin talks to Kansas State Representative Joy Koesten about her first year in the legislature. Arthur Benson, Mary O'Halloran, Ron Freeman and Woody Cozad discuss the latest updates on KCI, the Jackson County Jail and the KCK Fire Department, the NAACP's objection to Westport privatization and Trump's tax reform and other first year accomplishments."

Theof Kansas City political discourse begins another year of WINNING with a thoughtful conversation about local issues.Here's their latest show description:You decide . . .
As most people know, priests in the Catholic Church are required to be celibate and single. Almost the only exception are those priests who formerly were ordained within the Worldwide Anglican Communion and who later received permission to become priests...
One person was rushed to an area hospital Thursday night after a shooting near a Kansas City convenience store. That incident happened near 75th and Troost - police tape on scene surrounded a gas station at the corner of that intersection. One person was rushed to an area hospital in critical condition.
City Hall Fixes Busted Pipes

City Hall re-opens following water line break Employees returned to City Hall on the afternoon of Thursday, January 4, less than 48 hours after a broken water line saturated electrical equipment and caused flooding in the building's lower lobby. The two-inch main fire suppression line broke between the main lobby and lower level of City Hall at about 6:30 p.m.

Suburban Total Loss Report

Fire engulfs Blue Springs home Thursday morning Ross Ferguson/KMBC SOURCE: Ross Ferguson/KMBC A fire engulfed a Blue Springs home Thursday morning. Central Jackson County firefighters were called about 9 a.m. to the 2800 block of Northwest Emerald Place. The Fire Department said crews found heavy fire coming from the basement of the home, which spread to upper floors.

KCMO Youngsters FAIL Reading Test

Third-grade Reading Proficiency: There's work to do If you've ever seen the look on a child's face when they learn how to read a word, then you know there is simply nothing else like it. Reading is the basis for developing critical thinking skills and lifelong learning and that's why it's critical for our city to prioritize this issue.

Highway Shooting Aftermath

Homicide suspect shot by police on Northland interstate after high-speed police chase A homicide suspect is in custody after a high-speed police chase ended in the Northland. Just after noon Thursday, Kansas City, Missouri police became involved in a pursuit of a vehicle driven by a homicide suspect said to be armed and dangerous in the area of U.S. Highway 169 south of Smithville.

Meth Town Dude Confronts DUI Charge

Man charged in chain-reaction crash that killed 2 girls after blood test shows high levels of THC KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- An Independence man faces multiple felony charges in a fatal chain-reaction crash that killed to children and injured to others, prosecutors announced Thursday. Terry Gray, 51, faces two counts of driving while intoxicated, resulting in death, and two counts of driving while intoxicated, resulting in serious physical injury.

Downtown Big Money Price Tag

How much did Stanton Road Capital spend on KC's 2323 Grand tower? - Kansas City Business Journal "The market has spoken," Tim Schaffer, president of AREA Real Estate Advisors, said when asked for his reaction of the sale price. "That is the building's value today. There are several large long-term leases in place and the asset's quality and location support substantial future value."

Fanboys Start Week Of Worry

Alex Smith's recent history against Titans is less than glorious 7:00 AM ET Adam TeicherESPN Staff Writer Close Covered Chiefs for 20 seasons for Kansas City Star Joined ESPN in 2013 KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The last time Alex Smith played against the Tennessee Titans in December 2016, he was on his way to having a big game.

Inspired byclassic snowbunny hotness, we check some of the top Kansas City MSM news links tonight . . .And this is thefor right now . . .
"The East Kolkata Wetland, comprising 12,500 hectares, is like my child and I want to see my child protected," says Dhrubojyoti Ghosh.

Dhrubojyoti Ghosh, 70 Environment crusader Wetland Saviour

"The East Kolkata Wetland, comprising 12,500 hectares, is like my child and I want to see my child protected," says Dhrubojyoti Ghosh. Way back in 1982-83, Ghosh identified this area and raised his voice for conservation. The Ramsar Convention, an international forum for conservation of wetland, acknowledged it as a priority area. "Indifference on the part of people and government led to massive shrinking-in 2002, there was 88 per cent wetland, in 2017 there's only 16 per cent. I want people to realise that by neglecting the wetland, we are digging our graves," he says.

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HEADY DREAM

With some smart marketing, wetland can earn Rs 1,000 crore.

THE HURDLE

Ghosh says his efforts to conserve the wetland cost him his job.

Ghosh started his efforts by creating a map of the area, which was eventually accepted by the Ramsar Convention. "I lost my job as the chief environment officer of the environment department in the process. For filling in the proforma, I had to mention how the wetland was being grabbed by real estate sharks and even mentioned names of the real estate firms. That irked the powers-to-be," he says.

Ghosh hasn't given up. He is trying to draw people's attention to the fact that wetland can be an economic hub, create 20,000 to 25,000 direct and 1.5 lakh indirect job opportunities.

--- ENDS ---
Editorial: If Texas can protect domestic violence victims from guns, why not Missouri? T he Missouri Legislature opens its 2018 session Wednesday. Before moving on to tax breaks and special interest legislation, lawmakers should consider protecting women from being murdered by their husbands and boyfriends.

More legislation under consideration that isn't likely to go anywhere given the GOP super-majority andwilling to take up this issue . . . Read more:
The Lee's Summit Police Department is investigating a triple-shooting at an apartment complex in the 1100 block of NE Independence Ave. The shooting happened just after 8 p.m. on Thursday night. All three of the victims were found in the upstairs portion of the apartment complex.
THE KCKFD 'SHIFT TRADING CRISIS' LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER LOCAL NOTHING-BURGER OR JUST SOME POLITICAL SOUR GRAPES SERVED UP TO MSM!!!





Developing . . .

Today's Kansas City news cycle is completed with hard feelings throughout Kansas City, Kansas and the sneaking suspicion that the ousted Mayor might have been indulging inas his term nears a conclusion.Forgive ourfor not buying the advocacy of so many social media trolls who pretend they're working as fiscal hawks for the benefit of taxpayers . . .Translation . . .Fact is, a statement tonight from the FD and Unified Government seems to myth-bust most of the allegation as supporters of the FD seethed at some politicos in attendance at the big meeting tonight.Check the links . . .
Tragic Kansas City Homeless Testimony

Homeless man finds friend frozen to death on New Year's Day KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Another frigid night and Kansas City's homeless sought warmth, be it through the heat of a fire, a hot meal or a warm beverage. The bitter cold brings consequences that are at times - deadly. James McGlothin is now dealing with the aftermath.

KCMO Dead-Tree Weed Report

Caught with pot in KC? You can get a lawyer, despite warnings to the contrary When a new law eliminating jail time for marijuana possession in Kansas City went to a vote last year, some city leaders warned of unintended consequences. With jail time off the table, it was said, defendants would no longer be eligible for a defense attorney from Legal Aid of Western Missouri.

Local Hipster Bright Side Art For Our Beloved Kansas City Clock Watchers

Hello Atelier | A Sunny Outlook Your browser does not support the audio element. Seth Smith is a landlocked Midwesterner. The only sea surrounding him is a majestic ocean of gently waving green fields. But that is just where he is physically. Mentally, he has time-traveled back 50 years, to a rosy-colored mid-century hotel with a deep turquoise pool.

Fanboy Celebration List

Royals announce list of players taking part in FanFest The Kansas City Royals released the names of players scheduled to attend the 2018 Royals FanFest later this month. Royals FanFest is set for Jan. 26 and Jan. 27 at Kansas City Convention Center's Bartle Hall.

Local Gym Update For New Year

North Kansas City YMCA celebrates renovations NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo. - It's Fitness Friday, and the North Kansas City YMCA is in celebration mode. Thanks to a 15,000-square-foot expansion of the facility at 19th and Iron Street, nearly 10,000 members will be able to take on 2018 healthier and more fit than ever.

Kansas City Artsy Packing Product

Working In 'Magical' Cardboard, A Kansas Artist Finds Herself In A Universal Box Cardboard has a smell. You notice it as soon as you walk into the glass-encased Kansas Focus Gallery at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, where eight of May Tveit 's cardboard sculptures emerge from the walls like sentries, layers of flat, precision-cut cardboard stacked into pyramids arranged in various rectangles.

The Local Weekend Forecast

First Alert: Not as cold this weekend, but wintry mix possible Sunday It's not going to be as cold this weekend. Temperatures will near the freezing mark for Saturday's big game. A wintry mix is possible Sunday morning.

We roundup some of today's top Kansas City content with tribute toand a memory of her legacy on the pr0n game. Take a peek:And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now . . .
A high-level delegation from Bahrain's National Oil and Gas Authority held discussions with Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSC) to boost co-operation with the entity and discuss best practices in the energy sector.



The meeting is within the framework of mutual visits with organisations and entities operating in the energy, oil, and gas sector, said a statement from DSC.

Ahmed Buti Al Muhairbi, the secretary-general of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, received the visiting delegation headed by Jassim Issa Al Shirawi, the director-general of Oil and Gas Affairs and Hisham Zabari, senior advisor in the Oil and Gas Authority at his office in Dubai.

During the meeting, the parties reviewed the demand side management strategy that aims to reduce energy and water demand by 30 per cent by 2030, and the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to diversify the energy mix so clean energy will generate 75 per cent of Dubais total power output by 2050.



The delegation was briefed on the experience of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, and its most important programmes and initiatives.



This supports the vision of the wise leadership to achieve the Dubai Plan 2021, to make the emirate a smart, integrated, and connected city that sustainably manages its resources, said the statement.



At the meeting, Al Muhairbi stressed upon the importance of such meetings which enhance joint co-operation, as well as review the latest developments and best practices in the energy sector.
Search for Replacement New York Fed President Begins

And the search is on

The New York Federal Reserve Bank is now accepting applications and searching for a successor to William Dudley, its longstanding president.

According to Bloomberg, interviews with 10 members of the Feds advisory boards, which the committee is consulting, suggest they want a president with market expertise, crisis-management chops, strong leadership abilities, an eye on inequality and an ear for regional trends.

The NY Fed president is historically a powerful and very public position  and the appointment comes as Jerome Powell has been nominated to replace Janet Yellen as chairman in February and the vice chair slot is vacant.

The New York president has a permanent vote on monetary policy, elevating the appointee relative to the other 11 regional Fed bank presidents, who vote on a rotating basis. The person oversees both big bank supervision and market operations that manage the Feds policy rates and balance sheet, which it is carefully shrinking. And beyond that, the job entails keeping close tabs on the regions diverse economy.

On November 6, William Dudley announced his plans to retire in mid-2018.

Im hoping for someone who is as sensitive to information thats non-conventional, non-traditional, as Bill Dudley was, said Joseph Carbone, chief executive at The WorkPlace, a workforce development agency, and a member of the banks Community Advisory Group, in an interview with Bloomberg. I want someone whos going to be willing to look deeply into the numbers and spend as much time talking about the forgotten population.

The committee tasked with finding candidates to replace Dudley hasnt divulged any candidates names but New York Fed insider Simon Potter, who runs its markets group, Brian Sack, who previously held that position, and former senior Fed Board staffer Nellie Liang have also been discussed as potential candidates. Also, former Treasury economist Karen Dynan has been floated, as has Northwestern University economist Janice Eberly, JPMorgan Chase & Co.s Sandra OConnor, and UBS Securities economist Seth Carpenter.

On its website, the New York Fed says on its website the process is expected to take six to nine months, during which time the search committee will:

solicit input regarding the key attributes that are important in the ideal presidential candidate from stakeholders across the New York Feds district and beyond;

stakeholders will include representatives from academia, manufacturing, community development organizations, not-for-profits, industry, small businesses, minority and women-owned businesses, and labor members of the search committee will also meet with several of the New York Feds advisory groups, including those representing regional interests, communities and small businesses

identify a diverse slate of potential candidates;

interview a range of candidates reflecting the diversity of the qualified candidate pool; and,

recommend to the full Board (excluding the Class A and any ineligible Class B directors) one or more candidates for consideration for appointment as president and CEO, subject to approval by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

The New York Fed has hired search firms Spencer Stuart and Bridge Partners, which focuses on diversity, to help with the process.

For more information on related topics, visit the following channels:
Climbers and ecotourism lovers can understand the benefits of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro through Northern circuit route 9 days by reading this travel article below prepared by Kilimanjaro Safari Holidays Co.Ltd



(TRAVPR.COM) TANZANIA - January 2nd, 2018 - Adventure Kilimanjaro trip booking trekking to summit update news travel article.

Northern circuit is most scenery beauty Kilimanjaro route which offers chance to visit most attractions on Mount Kilimanjaro. Ecotourism enthusiasts who want nature trek, the best choice is northern circuit. Price budget cost to climb is reasonable and balances value you get to economy travel when you book trip with Kilimanjaro Safari Holidays Co.Ltd

It is quieter Kilimanjaro route, less traffic, and is route which cross almost all Mountain. Moshi is base camp to prepare and begin this adventure trip. After breakfast, climbers drive up to Londorosi gate to register and begin trekking through Lemosho route. First two days is trekking through Nature Kilimanjaro forest with 4WD Landrover or Landcruiser. Nature Kilimanjaro Forests hosts big game wildlife and small wildlife such as elephants, buffaloes, Giraffes, antelopes, monkeys, baboons, birds, black and white colobus. So Armed rangers from Government authority escorts you to walk safely through Forest. Geographical features include waterfalls, Lakes, Rivers and Volcano rocks to be seen on the way.

Climbing itinerary on Northern circuit route is as follows:

Day 1: Depart from Moshi or Arusha and Drive to Londorossi, to Lemosho Big Tree Camp (or Mti Mkubwa) (2,650 m)

After completing the necessary registration formalities at Londorossi Kilimanjaro National Park gate we start the adventure. We begin drive through varied farmland with open views over the plains to reach the Lemosho trailhead. The last section of the road is of poor quality and difficult to drive after rain, sometimes we start walking a kilometre or two below the trailhead. We often have our lunch at the trailhead before starting to walk. It is an easy day of walking up a small path through beautiful and lush forest. We camp at Lemosho Big Tree Camp (2,650 m); [2-3 hours walking].

Day 2: To Shira One camp (3550m)

After breakfast, leave the forest behind and trek to the moorland zone of giant heather. The trail climbs steadily with wide views to reach the rim of the Shira Plateau. There is a tangible sense of wilderness, especially if afternoon mists come in! We camp in the centre of the plateau at Shira One (3,550 m). [6-7 hours walking]

Day3: To Shira two Hut camp (3840m)

Guides leads walk to the summit of Shira Cathedral before reaching the next camp at Shira Hut (3,840 m). This campsite has stunning views, close to the glaciated dome of Kibo and the jagged rim of Shira Plateau. The views from here of Mt. Meru floating on the clouds are simply unforgettable. [5-7 hours walking]

Day 4: To Moir Hut (4200m)

In the morning we follow the main trail up to Lava Tower, and for those feeling strong there is a possibility to climb up to the ruined hut at Arrow Glacier around 4,800m. We then continue from Lava Tower to reach our campsite at Moir Hut (4,200m). [5-7 hours walking]

Day 5: To Buffalo Camp (4,150m).

We climb out of the Moir Valley and take a short detour to reach the summit of Little Lent hill at 4,375 metres. After admiring the views we return to the trail and head eastwards around the northern circuit trail. Here the trail passes through a field of rock slabs that clink as they are walked on. The final section of today's walk undulates until reaching the location of Buffalo Camp (4,150m). At the camp there is a huge feeling of space as the Kenyan plains stretch out far below to the north. [4-7 hours walking]

Day 6: To Third Cave Camp (Pofu) (3,900m).

From Buffalo Camp we climb up to the top of 'Buffalo Ridge' and drop down the other side to reach Pofu, nearby the is a small spring and some vegetation. The trail continues eastwards through a landscape that has increasingly sparse vegetation to eventually reach Third Cave Camp (3,900m). [5-7 hours walking]

Day 7: To School Hut Campsite (4,700m).

There is a steady ascent to reach The Saddle, a lunar landscape between the peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi. From here we continue upwards and reach School Hut Campsite (4,700m) in the early afternoon. The remainder of the afternoon is spent resting and preparing for the summit day. [4-5 hours walking]

Day 8: Summit day (5,896 m) to Millenium Camp (3,800 m).

We will start our ascent by torchlight at about midnight so that we can be up on the Crater rim by sunrise. On selected Non-Exclusive departure dates each month, the climb will be particularly beautiful as we ascend in the light of the Full Moon. The steep climb over loose volcanic scree has some well-graded zig-zags and a slow but steady pace will take us to Gilmans Point (5,685 m) in about five or six hours. We will rest there for a short time to enjoy the sunrise over Mawenzi. The trail leads west along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (5,896 m), passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy most of the summit area. We retrace our steps along the crater rim to Stella Point and then descend down through Barafu Camp to reach Millenium Camp (3,800 m). [11-15 hours walking]

Day 9: Descend to Mweka, then to Arusha.

Slow descent on a well constructed path through lovely tropical forest alive with birdsong and boasting lush undergrowth with considerable botanical interest. Our route completes down to the National Park gate at Mweka (1,650 m). Here we sign out from the national park before walking on for a further 15 minutes through coffee and banana farms to Mweka village where our vehicle awaits. The shower, the beer, and the swimming pool are tantalizingly close! [4-6 hours walking].

###


Search News Archive : Fast Travel News Promotion Via Search, Social Media + Email Follow Us On : ASCOTT SURPASSES 20,000-UNIT TARGET FOR CHINA WITH 9 NEW MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS Industry: Accommodation

On track to achieve global portfolio target of 80,000 units in 2018  two years ahead of schedule



(TRAVPR.COM) SINGAPORE - January 4th, 2018 - CapitaLands wholly owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), has exceeded its target of 20,000 units for China in 2017, ahead of its planned schedule of 2020, as it sealed contracts to manage nine properties with over 2,000 units in China. With these new properties, Ascott made inroads into new cities such as Harbin and Zhuhai, and widened its presence in Chongqing, Foshan, Shanghai and Wuxi. It also marked a record year of growth in China, as it added over 5,600 units across 28 properties in 2017, double the over 2,700 units across 15 properties added in 2016. Mr Kevin Goh, newly appointed Ascotts Chief Executive Officer, said: With these nine new management contracts secured in China, Ascott has exceeded our target of 20,000 units for our biggest market China three years ahead of schedule. 2017 was our strongest year as Ascotts global portfolio crossed 72,000 units, adding a record high of about 24,000 units within the year. We are confident of achieving our global target of 80,000 units in 2018, well ahead of 2020 as we press ahead with our aggressive expansion plans via strategic alliances, management contracts, franchises and investments. Mr Goh added: As we scaled up, we also opened 18 properties with close to 3,800 units last year in China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, the U.S., and this includes our first properties in Cambodia and Turkey. Ascotts commitment towards delivering consistent high-quality accommodation options and services was recognised with over 130 accolades in 2017, the largest number of awards garnered in a year. We expect our strong growth momentum to continue in 2018, and will continue to seek innovative ways to improve our operations and enhance customer experience. Mr Tan Tze Shang, Ascotts Managing Director for China, said: Ascott has been fast expanding in China, and the achievement of our 20,000-unit target is testament of our partners confidence in Ascotts strong brand reputation and management excellence. In 2017, we made our foray into Handan, Xuzhou, Yichang, Kunming, and now Harbin and Zhuhai. Harbin is a key political, economic and technological centre of Northeast China while our entry into Zhuhai will entrench Ascotts business in South China, specifically the economic zone of the Pearl River Delta, one of the fastest growing regions in China that is earmarked for further development into a world-class metropolis1. We also deepened our presence in existing cities to leverage greater economies of scale. This includes our latest ones in Chongqing, Foshan, Shanghai and Wuxi. Mr Tan added: To cater to the growing group of millennials and digital natives in China, we will be opening Ascotts first lyf property in Shenzhen this year. lyf Wu Tong Island Shenzhen is designed to meet the demand for coliving spaces. We have also introduced technological initiatives across our properties in China to boost operational efficiency and enhance customer experience. For instance, the service robots in Ascott Raffles City Beijing and Ascott IFC Guangzhou can perform a suite of tasks such as leading guests to their rooms or facilities in the property, providing concierge services, refilling room supplies, and delivering packages. Other new initiatives include the use of WeChat or smartphone apps to allow guests to request invoices, and staff to issue e-invoices instantly as well as enable digital check-ins. We will roll out more initiatives to strengthen Ascotts position as a leading serviced residence operator in China. In China, Ascott has a portfolio of over 20,000 units in more than 110 properties across 31 cities. Of the nine new properties, Somerset Gubei Shanghai will be the first to open in 2018, while Ascott Raffles City Chongqing and Tujia Somerset City Hub Zhuhai Serviced Residence are scheduled to open in 2019. Meanwhile, Ascott Jingan Shanghai and Citadines Baoyu Riverview Harbin are targeted to open in 2020. Ascott Zumiao Foshan, Ascott Gaoxin Wuxi and Gaoxin Serviced Residence Wuxi are slated to start operations in 2021 while Ascott Hengqin Zhuhai is due to open in 2023. Besides Ascott Raffles City Chongqing, four other properties which are part of CapitaLands Raffles City-branded integrated developments include operating ones such as Ascott Raffles City Beijing, Ascott Raffles City Chengdu, and Ascott Raffles City Shenzhen, as well as Ascott Raffles City Hangzhou which is slated to open in 3Q 2018. Please refer to the Annexes A and B for more information on Ascotts recent property openings and new management contracts secured in China. In China, Ascott has a portfolio of over 20,000 units in more than 110 properties across 31 cities. Of the nine new properties, Somerset Gubei Shanghai will be the first to open in 2018, while Ascott Raffles City Chongqing and Tujia Somerset City Hub Zhuhai Serviced Residence are scheduled to open in 2019. Meanwhile, Ascott Jingan Shanghai and Citadines Baoyu Riverview Harbin are targeted to open in 2020. Ascott Zumiao Foshan, Ascott Gaoxin Wuxi and Gaoxin Serviced Residence Wuxi are slated to start operations in 2021 while Ascott Hengqin Zhuhai is due to open in 2023. Besides Ascott Raffles City Chongqing, four other properties which are part of CapitaLands Raffles City-branded integrated developments include operating ones such as Ascott Raffles City Beijing, Ascott Raffles City Chengdu, and Ascott Raffles City Shenzhen, as well as Ascott Raffles City Hangzhou which is slated to open in 3Q 2018. Please refer to the Annexes A and B for more information on Ascotts recent property openings and new management contracts secured in China. ### Please contact the person or company listed above for information regarding the content of this press release. TravPR.com are not the issuers of this press release and are not responsible for the accuracy of the content. Share Release :



CONTACT INFORMATION Name: Chen MeiHui Company: CapitaLand Phone: 6713 3673 Email: chen.meihui@capitaland.com Web: PRESS RELEASE TAGS
3 days, 3 special walking tours between 12-14 Jan, 2018



(TRAVPR.COM) INDIA - January 5th, 2018 - The Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival 2018 from 11-15 January celebrates the spirit of books, art, and culture that Kolkata is famous for. The event, held at St Pauls Cathedral (established in 1847) and at Oxford Bookstore, will have meaningful discussions with men and women of arts and letters, discover new talents, and engage and interact with the finest creative minds in the nation and globally.

As the official holiday partner for AKLF 2018, Flying Squirrel Holidays will organize three heritage walks in the city where participants will be able to go back in time and learn about old Kolkata, its people, architecture, and neighbourhoods. Local historian and archaeologist Dr. Tathagata Neogi of Heritage Walk Calcutta, will be leading the walks and sharing interesting anecdotes about the citys past, the early days of printing, literary figures, the local heroes, and colonial life.

Writers, poets, and artists participating in AKLF 2018 will also be part of these heritage walks which will be as follows:

Mark Woods Map: Dalhousie Square Walk



In this heritage walk, we will retrace the steps of British administrator, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Wood to explore streets and identify buildings that were depicted in Woods detailed map of 1784 of the European Settlement in Calcutta. Several streets and buildings that the map depicted still survive, albeit in different names. You will learn about the history of the city following the Battle of Plassey when Calcutta emerged as the Second City of the British Empire, pass by Calcuttas infamous opium exchange which features prominently in Amitav Ghoshs Ibis Trilogy, take a peek at the Company Stables, walk by the Raj Bhavan, and hear the curious story of one specific late 19th century trash-can.

Friday, 12th Jan (7:00 - 9.30 am)

South Park Street Cemetery Walk



In this walk we take you inside the South Park Street Cemetery, the largest non-church cemetery outside the Anglo-American world in the 19th century, where you learn about life and death in colonial Calcutta and identify different types of grave architecture; visit the graves of pioneering personalities like Sir William Jones, Colin MacKenzie, Henry Louis Vivian De Rosario (Derozio); hear the story of the most beautiful girl in Calcutta in the late 18th century and learn about the hair-raising mission of a British envoy to Tibet.

Saturday, 13th Jan (8.30 - 10.30 am)

The Pilgrims Trail: Chitpore Road Walk

Chitpore Road is older than Calcutta. Under the East India Companys rule, this part of Kolkata was known as native/black town where both poor and affluent Indians lived. We will walk this historic route to explore its colourful past. The tour will take you through Kumartuli, the hub of the skilled idol-makers. You will visit some of the oldest surviving temples in the city, as well as the famous Sobhabazar Rajbari, home of Raja Nabakrishna Deb. We will talk about the history of early printing in this area, and see how Chitpore Road was perceived in the vernacular literature of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Sunday, 14th Jan (7.00 - 9.30 am)



Price: INR 2,500 for each walk (including refreshments).

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Police today detained the mother of late AAP leader Santosh Koli as she staged protest outside Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's residence demanding party ticket to contest the Rajya Sabha polls.

By Abhishek Anand: After a high voltage drama outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence over Rajya Sabha polls, the police today detained late AAP leader Santosh Koli's mother Kalavati.

Kalavati was on a sit-in outside Kejriwal's residence along with her supporters demanding Rajya Sabha ticket from the party. Kalavati and her supporters reached Arvind Kejriwal's residence at about 11:30 am with a photograph of her deceased daughter, Santosh Koli.

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She called various AAP MLAs seeking support for her nomination for the Rajya Sabha seat. The election to the Rajya Sabha will be held on January 16. Today was the last day for filing nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections.

"He (Arvind) stayed at my house and launched a campaign on my daughter's death. Today, he is not allowing me to enter his house. Why has he given tickets to Sushil and Naveen Gupta. I have never seen them working for the party," said Kalavati.

Kejriwal had left his residence minutes before Kalavati's protest. She alleged that Kejriwal denied her ticket for the Rajya Sabha seat because she was a Dalit.

"He gave tickets to Guptas and I am a Dalit. He stayed at my place, ate in my plate. Was I not a Dalit at that time? Why this discrimination now," she said.

A day after the AAP declared the candidates for the Rajya Sabha seats, former Delhi minister and MLA Kapil Mishra launched a campaign for Kalavati's nomination.

Santosh Koli, an AAP leader had died in a road accident in year 2013. Kejriwal had launched a campaign against the then Sheila Dikshit government of the Congress claiming that Santosh Koli was murdered for standing against the corrupt.

Two days back, Aam Adami Party had declared three names for Rajya Sabha polls - Sanjay Singh, ND Gupta and Sushil Gupta - drawing flaks from several in the party.

Party leader Kumar Vishwas has openly criticised selection of both Guptas. The Congress and BJP also accused the party for 'selling' the Rajya Sabha seats.

ALSO WATCH | After Rajya Sabha snub, Kumar Vishwas takes a dig at Arvind Kejriwal

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With the start of another new year, Iceland imposed a new law under which all kinds of firms will have to prove that they pay equally to all their employees, irrespective of gender.

By India Today Web Desk: Women's rights have always been an issue of concern all over the world. Both in the personal and professional spaces, the debate on gender equality is almost never ending.

However, Iceland has stepped up for equality and has become the first country in the world to legalise equal pay.

According to a law passed by the parliament in June, all companies, both private and public, need to prove that their wage practices don't discriminate against women. The only difference in wages that may exist, should be on the basis of education, output, and skills.

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In case any firm fails to prove itself, it can result in imposition of daily fines.

The law seeks to eliminate the current pay gap of around 5.7 per cent between men and women. In fact, the country aims to eradicate gender pay inequality by the year 2022 .

In many other countries, it is illegal to pay men and women differently. But Iceland, became the first nation to make it mandatory for both private and public firms to have equal pay.

Companies with more than 25 employees will be required to get an 'equal pay certification' which must be renewed every three years. Large scale companies with more than 250 employees need to get the certificate by the year end, whereas small scale firms have time till the end of year 2021.

According to World Economic Forum, Iceland already ranks first in terms of global gender equality index. In 2017, it bagged the first place for the ninth consecutive year.

No wonder!

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Mumbai, January 5

China Development Bank (CDB), the biggest foreign lender to Reliance Communications Ltd (RCom), today withdrew a petition seeking to drag the indebted telecom carrier into insolvency.

A lawyer for CDB told the National Company Law Tribunal that the Chinese bank had filed to withdraw the petition. The tribunal allowed CDBs plea to go forward.

CDB, which is owed around $2 billion along with two other Chinese banks, had filed the petition in November seeking insolvency proceedings against RCom, saying a large amount of loan principal and interest payments were overdue.

After RComs debt-reduction plan, including an asset sale to Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, was announced last week, CDB told Reuters it was in talks with RCom. Details of the terms of a possible settlement between the Chinese bank and RCom were not immediately known.

Last week, RCom signed a deal to sell most of its wireless assets to Jio in a deal people familiar with the matter said was worth nearly $3.8 billion, subject to final adjustments at the time the transaction closes.

RCom has said it will use proceeds from the deal, expected to close by March, to repay part of the $7 billion it owes to Indian and foreign banks.

As part of an overall debt-reduction plan, RCom Chairman Anil Ambani said RCom would shift Rs 100 billion of debt to a special purpose vehicle housing its real estate assets, including a corporate park in a Mumbai suburb.  Reuters
In 2008, Rahul Roushan, a journalist-turned-management student, started a spoof news website - Faking News - a comical spin on happenings around the world. There was nothing more to the hugely popular satirical website except innocent humour. In less than a decade, unlike the way Roushan had conceived it, social media and at times traditional media have seen a surge of information, often masquerading as news, and spread deliberately with less than honest intention. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter and instant messaging services such as WhatsApp have lent the phenomenon unprecedented reach and speed.

So a video of a group of people killing a small-time Bangladeshi politician got forwarded as that of a Hindu priest being killed by Muslim men in West Bengal. Or a footage of atrocities committed on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar was spread as violence against Muslims in Kokrajhar in Assam. If the purpose of such "misinformation" is to spread anger and violence, at other times information is created and spread to bolster a popular narrative. The GPS chip in a Rs 2,000 currency note to track black money is one such example. Sometimes, a false story does not even have to have any intent. Even a national news channel reported a recent hailstorm in Istanbul as happening in Pune.

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As the spread of 'Fake News' became rampant after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, a group of people, in different parts of the country, began a small but consistent battle against this menace. Techies, social activists, entrepreneurs or journalists, this tribe is united in its desire to seek truth and bust lies. They do patient and painstaking research to find the truth behind every video or photograph or piece of information and place it for public consumption on their websites or WhatsApp groups. The battle is uneven-they are not even a dozen against a deluge of misinformation travelling at lightning speed every day. Yet, these truth crusaders have made a bold beginning, busting some myths in recent times. India Today brings you six of these warriors and their moments of truth.

Computer engineer-turned-entrepreneur

Runs

SMHoaxSlayer.com

Operational since

2015

Based in

Mumbai

Why I became a fake news buster

In 2015, I would see a lot of fake information on WhatsApp groups sent by my friends and relatives. There were forwards about NASA releasing an aerial shot of India on Diwali night or UNESCO declaring Jana Gana Mana as the best anthem in the world. Many in the group believed such information. I realised this had become a national plague and something had to be done. So I started a Facebook page, which eventually became SMHoaxSlayer.com.

The biggest fake news I've busted

A viral message that claimed that the producer and lead actor of Baahubali 2 had decided to donate a day's earning-Rs 115 crore- to the families of martyrs. In September 2016, when cross-border terrorists attacked an army base in Uri, the video of a man beheading two captives went viral, claiming that the two beheaded men were Indian soldiers captured by Pakistan. I had to do a lot of digging and eventually traced the origin of the video to Spain.

My truth-seeking tools

The most basic requirement is common sense. We need to have an open mind that questions every piece of information. The tools I use include Google reverse image search, which produces results on where and when a particular photograph has been posted earlier, forming our own keywords and looking for them on Google, Facebook and other social media platforms. It takes a lot of time and one has to go beyond the first set of results.

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My team and business model

I work alone though many people have helped me at different stages of my research. I do it as a quest for truth, not for business.

Is it safe to be a truth crusader?

I received a few threats last year, but they were not of serious nature. Some tried to hack my website.

How to sniff out fake news

Apply common sense. For instance, a national media house fell for the hoax of a hailstorm on the Mumbai-Pune Highway though it happened in Istanbul. The video had enough proof. Unlike in India, the steering wheel was on the left; the number plate in a different format.

Get rid of biases. Not everything about someone you are a fan of has to be true. Never trust something that is too good to be true or too shocking.

WhatsApp is an awesome app but can't be treated as a source of news.

Always ask the sender for a credible source for the news; else, ignore.

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Software Engineer

Runs

altnews.in

Operational since

2016

Based in

Ahmedabad

Why I became a fake news buster

My parents have been involved with Jan Sangharsh Manch, a voluntary civil rights organisation founded in the 1970s. In 2013, when I returned to India as a software engineer, it was fighting a lot of "fake encounter" cases. I told my parents that they should create a website to publish all the documents and information. That resulted in the Truth of Gujarat. Meanwhile, since 2014, fake images on multiple issues began going viral. Traditional media was also ignoring significant developments. I felt the need for an alternative outlet and set up altnews.in with a friend in September 2016.

The biggest fake news I've busted

The home ministry had in its 2016-17 annual report put out an image and claimed that floodlights had been installed along 647 km of the India-Pakistan border. The landscape in the picture, however, didn't look like the Indo-Pak border. A colleague of mine, who goes by the pen name Sam Jawed, decided to do some research and found the picture was of the Spain-Morocco border, taken by Spanish lensman Javier Moyano in 2006.

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My team and business model

We have two more founding colleagues, but they remain anonymous. In October 2017, we registered as a not-for-profit company and opted for crowd funding. We raised a decent amount of money, and I got my first salary in November.

How to sniff out fake news

Beware of websites that don't mention the people or the group running them

Don't trust any information without an authentic source

If you see a shocking video on social media, wait for validation from traditional news sources

Fake news narrative is always aimed at fomenting anger; so take note of the language.

Govindraj Ethiraj, 48; Jency Jacob, 38

Journalists

Ethiraj founded boomlive.in; Jacob is the managing editor

Operational since

2016

Based in

Mumbai

Most embarrassing fake news

In September 2017, Pakistan's envoy to the United Nations, Maleeha Lodhi, tried to pass off a photograph of a girl wounded in an Israeli air strike in Gaza as that of a Kashmiri youth wounded by a pellet gun fired by the Indian army in Kashmir. The photograph had actually been taken by award-winning American photographer Heidi Levine in Israel in 2014 and had been featured in international newspapers such as the Guardian and the New York Times.

At another time, English news channel Times Now used an old and fake WhatsApp forward to substantiate a larger story about how Islamic terrorist group ISIS is converting Hindus in Kerala, raising serious questions about an editorial lapse in broadcasting a story with unverified information.

The toughest fake news we've busted

In the first half of 2017, a dramatic video of a police sniper killing a man who took a pregnant woman hostage at gunpoint was going viral in India as an ISIS terrorist shot dead by a 'police sharp shooter' in Spain. The actual incident took place on April 5, 1998, in the Cua district of Caracas, Venezuela. As it happened in the pre-Internet era, we had a tough time finding the origin of the video and finally traced it to the Associated Press's archive. Another challenging hoax was the circulation of plastic cabbage and rice. We did an inhouse experiment, exposing the truth.

Classical journalism

Whenever any video or photograph emerges claiming to be from a particular location, the best way to check its authenticity is to get in touch with the policemen of that area. This classical practice of journalism always works.

Our team and business model

We are a five-member team. Our USP is our credibility and neutrality, which will help us get advertisers as well as audiences. We are building ourselves up as the destination that discerning readers will come to in search of the truth.

Works for IBM

Bal Krishn Birla, 44

Tech and music entrepreneur

RUN

Check4spam.com

OPERATIONAL SINCE

2016

BASED IN

Bengaluru

Why we became fake news busters

Once I (Oliyath) saw a video of a man sobbing uncontrollably. His daughter had been dead for over a year, having succumbed to a fatal illness. But the social media post saying she had the illness and soliciting help had not been taken down. So people would continue to call him, offering help. Their well-meaning gesture would reopen the man's wounds and remind him over and over again of his grief. It was around 2015 that I realised that many people on Facebook were becoming victims of fake news, especially elderly users who were new to social media. I had a chat with a couple of friends-Zahir Ahmed and Srinath Raju-who had a similar passion and proposed the Check4Spam plan, starting a simple Wordpress website. In July 2016, I proposed the idea to Birla after which it took the current shape and structure.

The biggest fake news we've busted

In January 2017, a post claiming that Dawood Ibrahim's assets worth Rs 15,000 crore had been seized in the UAE started doing the rounds. Several media websites reported this, but without attributing it to a direct source. We did our own research, contacting UAE officials, and soon busted this piece of fake news.

Our truth-seeking tools

Effective Google search always helps. It needs a lot of time and effort. But Check4spam doesn't post unless it's sure.

They also try to use other social channels such as Facebook-verified pages and Twitter verified handles. When a post is about a celebrity, organisation or involving government sectors then the website tags the corresponding verified page/handle to get their response.

Our team and business model

Birla handles the tech side of Check4spam and I (Oliyath) handle the content, research as well as WhatsApp, Facebook and e-mail responses. We also have a group of volunteers from across the world. Check4spam is a non-profit, non-commercial venture. It doesn't take money from anyone as of now. Our costs are managed from the AdSense revenue we receive from our website.

How to sniff out fake news

Do a Google search before sharing a social media post

For international posts, use services such as snopes.com and hoax-slayer.net. In India, you can use services like smhoaxslayer.com, boomlive.in, altnews.in and check4spam.com to cross-check information and ascertain genuineness of any particular newsbite.

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Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 5

With the entry of Havells India in the water purifier segment, the competition in the Rs 6,000-crore industry is set to be intensified further. The company is targeting 8-10% of the market share in the next four years.

As per industry estimates, the water purifier market is growing at 15-20% annually. Out of Rs 6,000-crore, the share of the organised sector is Rs 3,500-Rs 4,000 crore.

Currently, over half a dozen players are operating in this segment with Eureka Forbes (Aqua Guard) and Kent RO dominating the market with over 75% market share. Other players are Hindustan Unilever, Whirlpool, Nasaka, Godrej and AO Smith etc.

We are banking on the growing water purifier market with premium range in India. In the very first year of operation we aim at Rs 100-crore turnover, said Narendra Choudhary, Executive VP, Havells India.

The companys water purifiers have been designed and developed at its R&D facility and manufactured at its manufacturing plant in Haridwar with an installed capacity of half a million units per annum. With an expected growth of 15-20% in this segment and aggressive plan to be a significant player, Havells is fully equipped to ramp up the capacity to 1 million units per annum.

He said, At present, the water purifier industry in the organised sector is around Rs 4,500 crore which is expected to double in the next four years.

Choudhary said, With only 1% of the country covered, this is an extremely under-penetrated market. As far as metros and big cities are concerned, the penetration could be anywhere between 25-35%. In case of smaller towns, it is as low as 10% or even lower, so there is a lot of potential in the under-served market.
Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 4

A day after a major rebellion in the BJP, the partys city unit president Sanjay Tandon put the onus on the party affairs incharge Prabhat Jha for nominating Davesh Moudgil as their official nominee for the top post in the Municipal Corporation (MC) House. Yesterday, as many as 14 BJP councillors and Tandon walked out of the UT Guest House after it was informed that the central councillors Heera Negi, Anil Kumar Dube, Kanwarjeet Singh Rana, Farmila and Chanderwati Shukla, who are in the MP Kirron Khers camp, stayed while all other councillors left the meeting.

The rebel group leader said, How can a party leader, who has been issued show-cause notices three times for indiscipline and has been in favour of Selvel company (involved in a scam), be nominated to the Mayors post. Councillors were against it. He had not been inviting Mayor Asha Kumari Jaswal and the party president Sanjay Tandon for events and often spoke against the party in the House.

Moudgil denied the charges, saying he had been a disciplined party worker and stood by the party even when Sood and Jaswal were announced as candidates for the top MC post.

Meanwhile, a rebel party councillor accused the party incharge Jha of not presenting the right picture to the central leadership.
Tribune News Service

Mohali, January 5

Fog continued to play spoilsport at the Chandigarh international airport with airlines revising departure timings of several flights. Three flights were cancelled and fourteen flights were delayed on Friday.

Particularly affected were operations between Delhi and Chandigarh. IndiGo called off its flight to Delhi at 8 am for Saturday (January 6) after disruption during the past week. Jet Airways revised the timings of three flights and SpiceJet revised the timing of one flight due to dense fog.

The cancelled flights today included IndiGos flight to Delhi at 8 am, SpiceJet flight to Delhi at 8.40 am and Jet Airways flight to Jaipur at 11.15 am. Airport officials said the visibility was less than 100 metres in the morning and started improving in the afternoon. Of the fourteen flights delayed, the Jet Airways flight to Delhi, which departs at 10 am, was late by 3 hours and 30 minutes. The Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHIAL) PRO said, On account of weather conditions, the Jet Airways flight 9W 2666 would depart on January 6 at 12.50 pm instead of its usual departure time (10 am), the Jet Airways flight 9W 2658 would depart at 1.10 pm instead of 11 am, the Jet Airways flight 9W 2163 would depart at 1.50 pm instead of 11.15 am and the SpiceJet flight 2834 would depart at 2.15 pm instead of 8.40 am.

Train services hit

Both Kalka Mail trains remained cancelled on Friday. While Chandigarh-Bandra Express arrived after late by over seven hours and the Sadbhawna Express reached late by over five hours.

AI flight advanced, passenger unaware
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 4

Unfazed by pressure from within the BJP and party affairs incharge Prabhat Jha claiming that rebel mayoral candidates will withdraw their nominations, the 14 councillors today claimed that they are not going to look back and will certainly emerge winners in the election on January 9.

Outgoing Mayor Asha Jaswal, who filed her nomination as the candidate for the post of Mayor against her partys official nominee Davesh Moudgil, said they were not going to withdraw nominations, come what may and would come out victorious 101 per cent.

Sources said a total of 14 councillors yesterday told the party leadership in a signed letter that they were against Moudgil as the city Mayor. It will be a smooth sailing for us as we need 14 votes to claim win in the mayoral election. Fourteen are already there and more are going to support us, said a senior BJP leader, who is among the rebels. After Moudgils name was announced by Jha, only party leadership has decided to make Moudgil the nominee for the post of Mayor.

For us, Prabhat Jha ji is the high command. He must be knowing whose decision it was to nominate Davesh as the partys mayoral candidate, Tandon replied when asked whether it was party high command or the party incharges decision.

Jha, also BJPs national vice-president, had yesterday maintained that the party was supreme and it was the partys decision and not his.

Tandon was also accused of supporting the rebel group unofficially. It is not true. Had this been the case, I would not have brought four of the 14 councillors to become proposers to the partys official Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor nominees, he said.

Tandon reasoned that his wife was unwell, which was why he had to leave the meeting with Jha and state party secretary (organisation) Dinesh Kumar midway.

When asked does he fear action from the party, he said, This is a superlative question. We will solve the issue amicably.

On rebels move, the city BJP chief said, It was a momentary step taken out of anger. In political life, there are upheavals but these make us emerge stronger, more resilient and more powerful.

Tandon refused to comment on Daveshs way of working.

Davesh is a close aide of former Member of Parliament Satya Pal Jain and is in the MP Kirron Khers camp.
Mohali, January 5

While Mayor Kulwant Singh and his supporters claimed zero corruption in the purchase of France-made tree pruning machine worth Rs 1.79 crore, Mohali MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu alleged a minimum Rs 1-crore scam.

It is a minimum Rs 1 crore scam in the inflated purchase, claimed Sidhu while talking to Chandigarh Tribune here today.

The MLA claimed that he saw the inquiry report in the case. A number of irregularities have come to the fore in the inquiry, indicating a big scam. Sidhu said the purchase was part of the table agenda of the House meeting held in January 2016. They managed to pass a resolution to purchase the machine in the same meeting. The then MC Commissioner, Uma Shankar, did not sign the file in this regard for around seven months. His successor Rajesh Dhiman, who had joined in August 2016, had signed the documents around nine months after passing of the resolution, said Sidhu.

When asked about his role (if any) behind the action against Kulwant Singh, Sidhu said he had nothing to do with it.  TNS
Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, January 4

Mayor Kulwant Singh is going to knock the courts doors against the show-cause notice served on him by Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu here today for his removal from councillorship.

Sidhu not only served a show-cause notice on the Mayor but also placed two other MC officials, including XEN Naresh Batta and Deputy Controller (Finance and Accounts) Vinayak, under suspension under Section 8 of the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment & Appeal) Rules 1970. The minister also recommended suspension of former MC Commissioner Rajesh Dhiman, who is now additional chief administrator of Greater Mohali Area Development Authority.

Besides, two other officials  ACE Mohinderpal and Surinder Goyal  have been chargesheeted.

Corruption charges have been levelled against the Mayor and the other officials in the purchase of a France-made Reach Mower-cum-tree pruning machine worth Rs 1.79 crore for the town. It has been alleged that the machine was purchased at highly inflated prices whereas a similar machine was available in the country for Rs 28 lakh and at Rs 80 lakh abroad.

Reacting sharply to the development, Kulwant Singh said it seemed to be repercussion of his tussle with his friend-turned-foe Congress MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu.

The corruption charges levelled against me and other officials were a bundle of lies and dirty politics. Everybody in Punjab was familiar with my integrity. I will move court against the show-cause notice issued to me, said Kulwant Singh, adding that the minister (Sidhu) might be honest but he should not consider other persons as corrupt.

He added that the development has tarnished his image.

The Mayor claimed that the resolution for the purchase of the machine was passed unanimously by the MC House in a meeting last year. Proper procedure was adopted in the entire process of purchase of the machine. Now if you compare a very advanced machine with a jugad machine, then I have no reply, he said.

When contacted, Rajesh Dhiman said he was only a signatory authority on the order made for the machine. The House had already passed the resolution for the purchase of machine before I joined as MC Commissioner. A global tender was floated in this regard. No such advanced machine is available in India, claimed Dhiman.

As you sow, so shall you reap, was the comment of Mohali MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu on the development. You have to pay for your deeds. Apparently, favours were made in purchase of the machine. There is no politics in it, said the MLA.

The issue

The Mohali Municipal Corporation authorities had placed an order for the purchase of France-made Reach Mower-cum-tree pruning machine at a cost of Rs 1.79 crore on December 21 last year. Half of the total price, around Rs 90 lakh, was paid in advance to a Delhi-based firm, Cosmic Healer Private Limited (which had got the order). As allegations of favouring the company were levelled, an inquiry was initiated at the head office of the Local Government in Chandigarh. The rest of the payment for the machine was yet to be made.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 4

Punjab Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu today issued a show-cause notice to Mohali Mayor Kulwant Singh for allegedly causing losses to the state exchequer by purchasing tree-pruning machinery at highly inflated prices. Two municipal corporation officials have been suspended while another two have been charge-sheeted.

The civic body had reportedly passed a resolution to buy the machinery at a whopping Rs 1.79 crore even as it was available at Rs 28 lakh in India and Rs 80 lakh abroad. The corporation even paid Rs 90 lakh as advance to Cosmic Healer Private Limited, a Delhi-based private firm contracted for the purchase.

Also read: Mohali Mayor blames it on MLA, to move court

The notice to the Mayor seeks to know why he should not be removed.

The suspended officials are Executive Engineer Naresh Batta and Deputy Controller (Finance and Accounts) Vinayak, while those charge-sheeted are Assistant Corporation Engineer Mohinderpal and JE Surinder Pal.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

A case recommending the suspension of then MC Commissioner Rajesh Dhiman has been forwarded to the Chief Ministers Office.
Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, January 4

The payment of Rs 90 lakh, which has been made in advance by the Mohali Municipal Corporation to Delhi-based Cosmic Healer Private Limited, for purchase of a French-made reach mower-cum-tree pruning machine, worth Rs 1.79 crore, has to be recovered from the company.

A senior official from the office of the Local Governmnet Minister said the Mohali MC has been ordered to recover the advance payment, which was made in early 2017. He said a number of discrepancies had come to the fore in the inquiry report, prepared by the Chief Vigilance Officer of the Local Bodies Department, on the purchase of the machine.

According to the inquiry report, conditions for the pruning machine were tailor-made to suit the requirements fulfilled by the machine in question by the MC authorities. Some favours were also made by the authorities while finalising the tender and the agreement, said the official.

He said the order was placed around 8-9 months after passing of the resolution by the house in this regard. It has also come out that the company had earlier quoted Rs 2.12 crore as the cost of the machine, but after some negotiations, the rate was finalised at Rs 1.79 crore whereas the similar machine is available for Rs 80 lakh in some other countries and for Rs 28 lakh in India, said the official.

Notably, the MC had also paid half of the total price of the machine as advance payment just after around a month of placement of order in December 21, 2017.
Apoorvanand

Apoorvanand

THE opposition parties, especially the Congress party, seem to have gathered their wits after displaying a pathetic loss of nerves in the face of the Bill criminalising triple talaq was introduced in Parliament. It was shocking to see a Bill of this nature being introduced, discussed and approved in a span of a few hours. The rush itself should have raised eyebrows. But the Opposition got thoroughly confused and failed even to properly press the serious objections raised by its members like Sushmita Dev, Adhir Ranjan Chawdhury and Asaduddin Owaisi.

Only a political fool or a naive person can accept the government's claim that the intention behind the Bill is to liberate poor Muslim women. The Law Minister loftily said that it was insaniyat which was driving the Bill and not siyasat. The way he dissociated insaniyat from siyasat says a lot about the vision of politics that his party professes and pursues. According to this view, it should be acceptable to divide people and create bitterness and hatred while doing politics. In fact, you should not even demand humanity from politics. That explains the ruthless use of metaphors implying anti-Muslim feeling in the election campaign by the senior leaders of his party.

In the recent Gujarat elections, the Prime Minister criminalised the very thought of a Muslim being a chief-ministerial candidate. He divulged a secret that the Congress party wanted to make a Muslim the Chief Minister of Gujarat! As if it was against the Constitution or anti-national for a Muslim to be proposed for the top job in the state!

Ironically, the Congress rushed to assure the people of Gujarat that there was no question of a Muslim like Ahmed Patel being made the Chief Minister if the party won the elections! It was sad to see Patel, a Gujarati to the core, clarifying that he was never in the race. That his name was being used to scare the Hindu electorate of Gujarat was very clear. But our learned Law Minster not only approved it but also campaigned on this political platform! There was no question of a Muslim being treated as a citizen who could claim equal rights as enjoyed by other citizen.

Let us hypothetically assume that if in place of a Muslim man like Ahmed Patel there was some Muslim woman! How would the BJP have reacted? How did it react when the name of Sonia Gandhi came up for the prime-ministerial post? The very thought of her being prime minister created such horror that the gentle ladies of the BJP threatened to go get their hair shaved off and sleep on bare floors for the rest of their lives!

A politics which disenfranchises Muslims or Christians and yet claims to be their saviour in any sphere of their life!

The Bill criminalising triple talaq cannot but be seen in the light of this politics. A government which is firmly against criminalising marital rape, arguing that it would break families, cannot say that it can go to any length to protect Muslim women from the tyranny of their men! For, the proposal to make marital rape a crime was truly human as it did not differentiate between a Hindu woman and a Muslim or Christian woman. Muslim women could also have availed themselves of this law if wronged by their husbands!

Some members rightly asked the government that if it was so serious about the human rights of women, why did it not even take up the issue of fair representation of women in the elected bodies by introducing the Women Reservation Bill. After all, it applies to all women, does not differentiate between Hindu or Sikh or Muslim women! It was a true insani call!

The government is, however, concerned about the human rights of Muslim women. It wants to save them from the tyrannical, orthodox, backward, cruel Muslim men! The state has to be on the side of the hapless Muslim women who would otherwise be driven out of their homes by their husbands by pronouncing triple talaq!

Jurists, who cannot be called misogynist, have repeatedly said that this law is unnecessary. They are not for triple talaq. There is also a wider support to the demand of Muslim women to do away with his practice. The Supreme Court has held that triple talaq cannot be treated as talaq.

After all this, why this rush to criminalise Muslim men? The Bill actually addresses a Hindu constituency. It is the same constituency which is built and nursed by the fear of cow-eating, gym-going muscular Muslim men eyeing and grabbing Hindu women to breed Muslims and out-populate Hindus in their own land. They need to be shown as cruel not only in relation to Hindus or Hindu women, but also as being naturally cruel, even to their women! Muslim men are themselves a conspiracy against the nation and Hindus! Since they cannot be driven them out of this land because of the secular sin of Gandhi and Nehru, they can at least be disciplined! Muslim women in this scenario are being presented as prisoners of their men who need to be liberated from their oppression.

The idea of freeing Muslim women from their men is very seductive and powerful for this politics. It explains a half-truth that the Prime Minister peddled: that his government had made it possible for Muslim women to go to Haj without a male escort, thus allowing them to exercise their religiosity autonomously. Soon, the fact came out that his government was merely following the change introduced by the host country Saudi Arabia which had allowed groups of women above the age of 45 to go to Haj without a male escort way back in 2014.

The state under this regime wants Muslim women to be individuals, human beings free from the familial chains. Is it not strange that Hindu women are constantly being reminded by this very politics about the primacy of marital relations, family, duty towards their children? That it never exhorts them to come out of the shadow of their men and be only woman human beings?

The writer is a Professor of Hindi in Delhi University (Views are personal)
Washington, January 5

A 34-year-old Indian national has been arrested in the US for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman sitting next to him while on a flight from Las Vegas to Detroit, according to a media report.

Prabhu Ramamoorthy was charged with aggravated sexual abuse and held without bail after an appearance in federal court in Michigan on Thursday, Washington Post reported.

Ramamoorthy is accused of abusing a 22-year-old sitting in a window seat next to him, while his wife was on his other side, on a flight from Las Vegas to Detroit on Wednesday.

The victim told investigators that she woke up to find her pants and shirt unbuttoned and the man's hand inside her pants.

The victim went to the back of the plane to report the incident to a flight attendant, the criminal complaint was quoted as saying by the report.

Ramamoorthy was arrested after the plane landed, according to court documents.

He said in a written statement that he had taken a pill and fallen into a deep sleep, and that he hadn't done anything.

Magistrate Judge R Steven Whalen, who said it was a "very unusual case", ordered Ramamoorthy to be held pending trial after the Federal prosecutor successfully argued that he was a flight risk and a potential danger to others around him.

The prosecutor said that Ramamoorthy's wife, who was also living in the United States on a temporary visa, would not make a suitable custodian for him.

"It seems that she's either colluding with the defendant to cover up his actions or she's completely oblivious to what he did," the prosecutor argued.

Ramamoorthy's lawyer, Richard O'Neill, had offered to turn over his client's passport. He said Ramamoorthy had worked as a project manager at a technology group for about two and a half years.

Stephen Schuler, a spokesman for Spirit Airlines, said that it was cooperating with law enforcement on the incident. PTI
By PTI: Mills fire: Report

Mumbai, Jan 5 (PTI) Flying embers from illegal hookah being served at Mojos Bistro was the probable cause of the massive fire in the Kamala Mills compound that claimed 14 lives on December 29, as per the preliminary investigation report by the Mumbai fire brigade.

The fire probably started at Mojos and spread to the adjacent rooftop pub "1 Above", the report indicates. Most of the victims were trapped in the toilet of the pub and died of suffocation, the police had said earlier.

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"It was revealed from most of the eye witnesses that hookah was served at Mojos restaurant at the time of fire... There is every possibility that during removal of lighted charcoal from the segree (stove) and or transferring it into Hookah or during the fanning of the charcoal the flying burning embers came in contact with the combustible curtains/ decorative material nearby and started the fire," the report stated.

The report has clarified that none of the two restaurants -- Mojos and 1 Above -- had permissions to serve liquor and hookah but still they served them.

Although there was an emergency exit, the pub staff seemed to be unaware of it, it said.

Beer kegs near the exit path also blocked the escape and the kegs eventually exploded and escalated the fire, the report said.

Use of bamboo and cloth to make the roof led to the quick spreading of the fire, while wind velocity and direction were the major contributors too, it said.

Mumbai municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta said the action against illegal alterations and constructions at commercial establishments will continue.

"We will start taking action across the city against all commercial restaurants and pubs and those who have illegal alterations. They have respite for 15 days so that they have time to remove the illegal constructions on their own without damaging their reputation," he said. PTI MM KRK TIR

--- ENDS ---
Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, January 5

Intense cold in North India has reduced the chances of yellow rust in the wheat crop, raising hopes of farmers for a bumper crop.

Last season, several cases of yellow rust were reported. Scientists of the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), too, expect a bumper crop if the climatic conditions remains the same for some days.

They, however, asked farmers to be vigilant as during the last wheat season, North India had witnessed fluctuation in temperature. The present climatic conditions are conducive for wheat sown in Punjab, Haryana and other parts of North India, said GP Singh, Director, IIWBR.

A dry phase of more than 10 days has reduced the chances of yellow rust in wheat, but farmers should remain vigilant if temperature increases suddenly or rain takes place, he said.

Teams of scientists visited yellow-rust-prone areas of Haryana, Punjab, HP and Uttarakhand in the past few days. Not a single case of yellow rust has been reported so far, Singh said.

If farmers find any symptom of yellow rust, he advised them to confirm it from an agricultural officer or a Krishi Vigyan Kendra or wheat research institutes before using any fungicide.

Yellow colour on wheat leaves does not mean yellow rust. The occurrence of the disease can be confirmed if yellow colour like that of turmeric appears on fingers or on a white cloth after rubbing the infected leaves, the IIWBR Director said.

He is expecting 100 MT of wheat production this time. Last year, the production was 98.37 MT. Cold conditions, can adversely affect vegetables and mustard crops. Farmers who have grown tomato and cauliflower should cover their crops with paddy residue, Singh added.
Our Correspondent

Kaithal, January 5

A joint team of the Forest Department and the police raided a grocery shop here and seized body parts of 20 monitor lizards.

Police spokesman Roshan Lal said here today that Deepak, a resident of Rohini in Delhi, and a member of the PFA, had informed Deputy Conservator of Forests Hairatjeet Kaur that Naveen of Matagate, running a grocery shop in Chhoti Mandi, was involved in illegal sale of body parts of monitor lizards.

Hairatjeet directed Range Forest Officer Anil Sheoran to immediately take action against the shopkeeper with the help of the police.

The joint team raided the shop last evening and recovered parts of 20 male and female lizards. The shopkeeper was arrested and a case under various sections of the Protection of Wild Animals Act was registered against him.

He was today produced in the court of judicial magistrate, Kurukshetra, which sent him in judicial custody.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to have purchased the body parts from a resident of Uttar Pradesh which were meant to be used in tantrik rituals.
Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Una, January 5

In a major crack down on illegal mining, the Una police today confiscated 27 tippers that were carrying illegally mined material. All the tippers were overloaded. Against the capacity of 25 tonnes all the tippers were carrying 40 to 45 tonnes of mined material.

SP, Una, Sanjeev Gandhi, when contacted, said the police had been receiving complaints from villagers. So a drive was carried out to check over-loaded tippers and 27 tippers were confiscated. On checking it was found out that they were carrying 15 to 20 tonnes more sand or gravel than the permissible limits. Most of the tippers were from Himachal and Punjab.

The SP said the cases under criminal conspiracy have been registered against the drivers of the tippers.

The extra mined material would also be linked to the owners of mines and stone crusher owners.

Most of the illegal mining in Una district is carried out along Swan river and its tributaries near Punjab border.

Most of illegal mining takes place near in Satokhgarh and Haroli areas. Sources here said that as per the Mining Act, the people allotted mines on lease can mine material up to 1.5 meters.

However, due to illegal mining trenches up to four to five meters have been dug in the riverbeds.

In addition to sand mining from the Swan river and many hillocks were being razed for gravel mining. In the recent past the state government had totally banned mining in Bangarh village in Una district as huge hillocks had been vandalized. However, the sources here said that illegal mining was still taking place in Bangarh village.

Presently the illegal mining was a compoundable offence in the state. It means in case the people are found to be mining illegally the JCB used in the crime can be released after imposition of limited fine. The police has written to the state government that illegal mining should also be made non compoundable offence as under the Forest Act. Under the forest any vehicle compounded cannot be released without the consent of judicial court.

The police is of the view that in case law was strengthened against illegal mining it would act as deterrent.

Cause of concern

Most of the illegal mining in Una district is carried out along the Swan river and its tributaries near the Punjab border. As per the Mining Act, those allotted mines on lease can mine material up to 1.5 metres. However, trenches up to four to five metres have been dug on the riverbeds.
Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 4

A day after a BSF jawan was killed in unprovoked ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Rangers, the BSF hit back hard and claimed having killed around 10 Rangers.

The BSF also foiled an infiltration bid in Ranbir Singh Pura sector by killing an intruder early this morning.

During the retaliation, the BSF first marked and targeted the mortar positions of Pakistan Rangers. During the process, we got information that around 10 Pakistan Rangers have been killed. There was no fire from the Pakistani side after that, sources said.

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The BSF said after Head Constable RP Hazra was injured in unprovoked firing by Pakistani forces on the Jammu International Border in Samba sector yesterday, the retaliation continued till late night. Hazra was evacuated to a medical facility, but succumbed to his injuries.

Initially, Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing using small arms, but later they also used mortars. BSF troopers consolidated their positions, located and marked Pakistani firing positions and started precision- targeted fire. Two Pakistani mortar positions were located, targeted and destroyed by BSF troopers yesterday night only, the BSF PRO said.

He said troopers noticed an intrusion attempt around 5.45 am in the RS Pura area. The intruder was neutralised around 7 am and the entire area was cordoned off, he added. Meanwhile, rich tributes were paid to Hazra at the BSF frontier headquarters, which was attended by J&K DGP SP Vaid, Jammu IG SDS Jamwal and BSF IG Ram Awtar.
New Delhi, January 5

Security agencies have flashed an alert after an SUV with a JK number plate belonging to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was stolen from outside a camp of the force late last month, official sources said.

The alert, warning against misuse by terrorists ahead of Republic Day celebrations, has been issued by multiple agencies, including the Delhi Police, CRPF and Central agencies.

Official sources said a white Sumo Victa of the CRPF was stolen from outside a camp of the force in the RK Puram area on the intervening night of December 29-30. The official number plate of the stolen four-wheeler is JK 02A W5441, they said.

The vehicle, with a police sticker, was stolen by at least three persons that night, the sources said, referring to CCTV footage of the incident.

The alert issued by security agencies, especially to agencies and forces based in Kashmir, said the vehicle could be misused for a possible sabotage attack or fidayeen raid.

Intelligence inputs have already stated that militants can use a vehicle laden with explosives to attack a camp (of security forces/agencies) in the run up to Republic Day celebrations.  PTI
Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 5

The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to take disciplinary action against the Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) who have failed to submit enrolment forms of employees for the Group Mediclaim Policy.

Officials said the Finance Department had set December 31, 2017, as the deadline for DDOs and head of departments to enrol the employees but several departments were yet to submit details.

The Finance Department had issued a circular directing administrative secretaries, head of departments and DDOs to ensure that enrolment forms of employees working in their offices were duly filled up and later submitted to the treasury officer concerned before the last day of last year.

For Durbar move officers, the circular said all the DDOs of the moving offices shall deposit the enrolment forms of the employees working in their offices with the civil secretariat treasury.

The enrolment process of the employees of universities, autonomous bodies and PSUs which are not in account with the treasuries will remain as notified in the (earlier) circular and their drawing officers will provide the duly-filled enrolment forms of their employees to the representatives of Trinity Reinsurance Brokers Pvt Ltd, says the circular.

As per the Mediclaim policy of Jammu and Kashmir for government employees, the insured persons would avail the cashless facility for treatment in network hospitals notified by the government after showing their health insurance card.

Various employee unions had raised doubts over the Mediclaim policy as the government had not clarified whether one or more members of a family working in government service had to pay the premium for the policy. Though the government clarified later that only one member would have to pay the premium, the employees and respective department heads did not show much eagerness towards completing the formalities.

Employees raise doubts

Various employee unions had raised doubts over the mediclaim policy as the government had not clarified whether one or more members of a family working in government service had to pay the premium for the policy. Though the government clarified later that only one member would have to pay the premium, the employees and respective department heads did not show much eagerness towards completing the formalities.
Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 5

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre on petitions challenging the new Haj policy that has resulted in reduction in the Haj Committee of Indias share to 70 per cent seats even as tour operators quota allegedly went up from 25 per cent to 30 per cent.

The private operators charge hefty amount from Haj pilgrims.

A three-Judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra  which asked the Centre to respond to the petitions by January 13, however, noted it would intervene in the Haj policy only if it was found to be arbitrary. This is a policy matter, it said refusing to defer state-wise draw of lots for the allotment of seats to applicants.

The bench, however, clarified the draw of lots shall not confer any vested right in the successful applicants and the results of the draw of lots shall be subject to the final outcome of the case.

This year, Haj is to be held during August and the quota allocated to India is 1.75 lakh pilgrims, for whom May 15 is the deadline, the SC was told.

On behalf of the Centre, Attorney General KK Venugopal sought to defend the new Haj policy, contending the allocation of subsidy for pilgrims was based on Muslim population in a state. He also said the tour operators quota has been brought down to 25 per cent this year.

On behalf of the Kerala

Haj Committee, advocate Prashant Bhushan submitted that smaller states such as Kerala would be at loss as the allocation of seats under the new Haj policy was on the basis of proportion of the Muslim population in a state. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have the largest Muslim population in India, he added.

Approximately, 12,000 seats have been set aside for Bihar, while only 6,000 applications have been received. This means, almost 6,000 seats shall remain vacant. Whereas in Kerala, there are more than 95,000 applicants and allocations have been made to only one out of every 15 applicants, Bhushan said, adding that smaller states would lose out on subsidised seats.

The Attorney General said the allocation of subsidy quota on the basis of the Muslim population of a state was not a new thing and it had been there since the very beginning.

Venugopal said the Kerala Haj Committees plea was not maintainable as all the 21 state Haj committees were supposed to implement the guidelines of the Haj Committee of India, which was consulted before finalising the new policy. He said seats remaining vacant in a particular state after the draw of lots were to be equally distributed to other states.

Govt defends move
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, January 4

To resolve the issue of solid waste management in city, a meeting between Principal Secretary of Local Bodies Department and officials of Municipal Corporation and A2Z group held at Chandigarh. The meeting was carried out following the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The NGT had earlier directed the Chief Secretary Punjab to take up the case and try to resolve the issue with an aim to ensure that the Refused Drive Fuel (RDF) Plant at Ludhiana is permitted to operate without any further delay. The Chief Secretary was also directed to submit a report in this regard on January 16.
Lucknow, January 5

The boundary wall of the Uttar Pradesh Haj office, opposite the state legislature building in the heart of the city, has got a saffron look overnight, days after the secretariat building facade was given the same coat.

The Haj office compound wall got a bright saffron shade within days of the BJP government reducing the number of holidays allotted to state-recognised madrasas in the 2018 calendar.

The paint was carried out late last night by the Uttar Pradesh estates department and the Haj office staff was not immediately available for a reaction, Friday being a holiday.

The move prompted the opposition Samajwadi Party to accuse the BJP government of indulging in "blatant saffronisation".

"The BJP is a party known for changing colours. It is indulging in these antics only to hide its faults and failures. If the BJP really considers the saffron colour as sacrosanct, it should not indulge in politicisation of the colour and indulge in blatant saffronisation," SP spokesman Sunil Singh Sajan said.

All India Shia Personal Law Board spokesperson Yasoob Abbas took strong exception to the change in colour.

"What is this? The BJP will paint it saffron, the SP will choose green and the BSP blue...This is politics of colour and should be avoided," he said.

When contacted, Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mohsin Raza told PTI, "I fail to understand the problem of those having issues with the new colour. Is saffron an anti-national colour? Saffron is a colour which symbolises ujala (brightness) and urja (energy)."

He said, "When the first rays of the Sun fall on the Earth, it comes with saffron light."

Raza said, "Saffron is a colour, which is synonymous with positivity. It is a gift of God. I think those who are against the usage of saffron colour on the (boundary) wall of the UP Haj committee office, may also object to saffron colour in the national tricolour."

He said, "This is peculiar politics. After all, only the outer wall of the government office has been painted and not the building or any personal property of any individual."

The saffron colour, mostly associated with Hinduism and especially with the Sangh Parivar of which the BJP is a part, was painted on the front portion of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Bhawan Annexe where the offices of the chief minister and top bureaucrats are located.

After assuming office in March last year, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath showed his fondness for the colour as the state government gave saffron tinge to covers of official booklets and background of official posters issued by the public relations department and ministries.

In October last year, 50 saffron-coloured buses of the UP State Road Transport Corporation, named 'Sankalp Seva', were launched to provide service in rural areas.

The department of energy also announced that power connection to unauthorised colonies would be provided through electric poles painted saffron.

Saffron is Adityanath's favourite colour as even the towel on the chair he sits for meetings or conferences is of that shade.

The 45-year-old monk-turned-politician is always seen in saffron robes and the BJP hardliner is referred to as "Maharaj ji" by his followers.

Sajan, a member of state legislative council, claimed that though the chief minister wears saffron from head to heel, he has not been able to do anything for the people of the state in the last 10 months.

Interestingly, in Adityanath's home turf Gorakhpur, the historic "Ghantaghar" (clock tower) has got the same tint.

Built in 1930 in the memory of freedom fighters Pt Ram Prasad Bismil, Seth Ram Khelawan and Thakur Prasad, the imposing tower was painted yellow four years ago, but recently it got the saffron shade.

The clock tower has historical significance. It was where freedom fighters such as Ali Hasan were hanged in 1859.  PTI
A special CBI court will today pronounce the quantum of sentence to Lalu Prasad, who was convicted in a fodder case in December.

By India Today Web Desk, Rohit Kumar Singh: Ahead of his sentence, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has today moved an application before court on health grounds over diabetes and heart surgery.

The RJD leader also said that he was suffering from bladder infection. In his application, Lalu Prasad said that the Birsa Munda jail did not have clean drinking water and this may affect his kidneys. He added that jail did not have any super medical facilities.

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Lalu is accused No. 25 in the fodder scam case. The application also said that there was only a case of criminal conspiracy and in same case co-conspirator Jagananth Mishra and others have been acquitted.

The RJD leader said that he had already contested this case for over 20 years and has suffered incarceration for about a year.

Lalu in his application also said that when Jagannath Mishra and others have been acquitted in the same case then the court should take a lenient view and award minimum punishment to him.

SENTENCING TODAY

The special CBI court, which held former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad guilty in a fodder scam case last year, will pronounce the quantum of sentence today in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The case pertains to fraudulent withdrawal of money from the Deoghar treasury between 1991 and 1994.

The court had convicted Prasad for offences of cheating with criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Under the sections, Prasad can be sentenced to a minimum jail term of one year and maximum of seven years.

The special court yesterday deferred the sentencing of Lalu Prasad till today. The sentencing is likely to be pronounced over video conference. Earlier, the judge said that he received phone calls from the RJD chief's well-wishers enquiring about the quantum of sentence for Lalu Prasad.

The case relates to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar treasury 21 years ago. Deferring the sentencing for the second day in a row, CBI judge Shiv Pal Singh said that he would decide today whether the sentence would be given over video conference or in the court.

With the judge expressing concerns, Lalu Prasad said that he would prefer personal appearance in the court. Lalu Prasad also assured the judge that there would be no slogans raised in the courtroom by his supporters. With the court room packed, the judge asked the advocates not connected with the fodder scam case to leave.

Fifteen others, who were convicted in the scam, will also be sentenced today along with Lalu Prasad waited in the court. The court had on Wednesday served contempt notices to senior leaders of the RJD and the Congress for criticising in TV channels the December 23 conviction of Prasad in the fodder scam case.

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The CBI court had convicted Lalu Prasad and 15 others in the fodder scam case on December 23. The court had acquitted six accused including former Bihar Chief Minister and JD (U) leader Jagannath Mishra (who was earlier with the Congress ).

With inputs from PTI

Watch: RJD leaders Manoj Jha, JP Yadav react to Lalu's conviction

--- ENDS ---
Bijay Sankar Bora

Tribune News Service

Guwahati, January 5

The BJP-led government in Assam has condemned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her reported inflammatory remarks over updating of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam and accusing her of trying to vitiate the situation in the state.

Assam Government spokesperson and Cabinet minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said, We condemn the statement of Mamata Banerjee, which is derogatory and insulting to the people of Assam. It is against the Constitution and the spirit of the Supreme Court.

Terming it a politically motivated statement, he said, Assam is like a mini-India. All sections live here peacefully.

She is making such emotional statements to appease her vote bank. She was unhappy that there was no disturbance after first part draft of the NRC was published and could not gain any advantage, he added.

Reacting to Banerjees allegation that Bengalis will be driven out of Assam post-updating of the NRC, Patowary asked her to submit evidence to the Supreme Court, which is monitoring the updating process, or to the chief minister of Assam.

She shouldnt make such statements without knowing all facts. Both our states enjoy good relations, he added.

According to reports here, Banerjee while addressing a public meeting in West Bengal on Wednesday had purportedly termed the NRC updating process in Assam as a step to push the Bengali-speaking people out of the state.

The first part draft of the updated NRC was published at midnight of December 31 last, which included the names of 1.9 crore citizens of Assam out of total 3.29 crore applicants.

The rest of the applicants are under various stages of verification and a second draft would be published shortly.

The NRC of 1951 is being updated in Assam which is faced with a vexed problem of illegal migration from Bangladesh, with March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date.

It is being done as per the decision taken in a prime minister-level tripartite talk held on May 5, 2005, among the Centre, Assam Government and the leadership of All Assam Students Union (AASU), the spearhead of tirade against the illegal migrants in the state.

The basic objective of the NRC updating is that once the registration of all the genuine Indian citizens is completed, it will become easier to detect illegal Bangladeshi migrants residing in the state.

As per the Assam Accord signed in 1985, illegal Bangladesh migrants who had entered the state after March 25, 1971, are to be detected and deported.
Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 5

As the government today resisted Opposition pressure to send the triple talaq Bill to a select committee of the Rajya Sabha, a fuming Congress alleged the ruling dispensation was selling lies to exploit the issue politically.

I have always said these people (the BJP) are masters at turning truth into lies and lies into truth.They are master propagandists. We are zero in this area, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said, reiterating Congress demand to review the Bill to make it women and child-friendly.

I will revise my stand if anyone can tell me how a divorced Muslim woman and her children will sustain themselves if the man is sent to jail for three years. Is this being pro woman? No, this is being anti-husband, anti wife and anti child, Azad said as the government let the winter session end today without taking up the Bill stuck in the Rajya Sabha.

In the Lok Sabha the Congress had supported the Bill after seeking a definition for subsistence allowance and a welfare fund for divorced women. It did not press for a vote on amendments. Senior Congress MP Veerappa Moily explained: We did not wish to come across as anti gender justice and anti-women. We had to proceed cautiously. Azad, however, maintained it was simply for lack of numbers that the Congress did not move amendments in the Lower House.

We are for a legislation that delivers complete justice. When we asked the government to provide for divorced women while their husbands were in jail, it flatly refused.They are selling lies. Theres a huge difference between what the Bill contains and what is being projected. The BJP says the Bill is progressive. Is destroying families progressive, argued Azad.

Blaming the Congress for stalling the Bill, the BJP hopes to reap rich dividends in eight state elections this year, beginning with Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Karnataka.

Congress Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha Deepender Hooda accused the BJP of having reduced Parliament to a rubber stamp, with 10 ordinances this year.

Its Thoughtlessly drafted, Says Maya

Lucknow: The triple talaq Bill, if passed in its present form, would multiply the problems of Muslim women, BSP national president Mayawati on Friday warned. Hitting out at the Modi government for its inflexible attitude, she said it was this approach of the PM that had caused immense hardship to the people, be it GST or demonetisation. The triple talaq Bill reflects the Modi governments anti-Muslim policy through which he wants to once again polarise society on religious lines to draw political mileage ahead of the General Election. She said her party was against triple talaq in one sitting. TNS
Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 5

Taking cognisance of reported instances of misbehavior by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel deployed on security duties at airports, a parliamentary panel has asked the government to ensure better training for the force.

The recent incidents of misbehavior definitely show the CISF in poor light and prove that the training programmes are insufficient and more needs to be done, the Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture has stated in its report tabled on January 4. The government should re-evaluate soft skill training programmes of CISF and security personnel and motivate them to be passenger friendly, the committee has suggested.

The CISF is one of the Central Armed Police Forces under the Ministry of Home Affairs and its mandate is to provide security cover to industrial units, government infrastructure projects and facilities, public sector undertakings and other sensitive high-value civilian establishments, including atomic power plants, space installations, mints, oil refineries and major ports.

At present, it is responsible for security at 59 airports in India. Besides perimeter security, controlling human and vehicular access to airport premises, frisking passengers and scanning baggage, the CISF also maintains mobile quick reaction teams and bomb disposal squads to deal with any contingency.

Observing that improper behaviour continued even after guidelines were issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security to facilitate proper and courteous screening of passengers, the committee said the government needed to be proactive to face emerging challenges of the growth in civil aviation sector.

While CISF personnel are required to carry out security checks efficiently while keeping the dignity and privacy of passengers in mind such as touch-free frisking with hand gloves and private screening areas, specific instructions have also been issued to them for ensuring that due courtesy is extended to judges of the High Court and members of Parliament. A proposal is also being processed to introduce full-body scanners at airports, which will further improve security checks while reducing human interface.
Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 5

Dalit leader and MLA of Gujarat Jignesh Mevani, who is in the eye of a political storm, on Friday debunked allegations of playing any role in the recent violence and caste clash at Bhima Koregan village in Maharashtra.

He said the Maharashtra Government has registered a frivolous case as the RSS and the BJP are afraid of his rising popularity.

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He said he neither visited Bhima Koregan nor took part in the Maharashtra bandh post the violence in Bhima Koregaon.

Mevani further said he had not made any inflammatory statement and cautioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi that if he was targeted and Dalits were tortured then he would teach him a lesson in the 2019 General Election.

He said the RSS and the BJP are against the Dalits, Muslims, farmers and youth.

Mevani further termed as childish, the case registered against him because the BJP arrogance of winning 150 assembly seats in the recent Gujarat elections was defeated.

He said he believed in the rule of law and therefore action should also be taken in the Koregaon incident.

The Dalit leader said his fight against casteism would continue and added that he was not against any particular caste.

Announcing his future programme, he said that a Yuva Hunkar rally will be organised in Delhi on January 9 to press for social justice.

Post the rally, he said he would meet the prime minister with Manusmriti in one hand and Constitution in another and ask him to choose any one of them.
Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 5

The Ministry of Defence today ended what was seen as false equivalence between civilian employees and armed forces. However, one part of the MoD order might require clarity.

The ministry said, The letter dated October 18, 2016, on the issue of equivalence between armed forces officers and Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Services (AFHQ) officers is withdrawn.

Sources said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, at a meeting to sort out the matter in the second week of December, was decisive and had issued instructions to withdraw the letter.

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The issue was first raised by The Tribune last October.

In the October 2016 letter, the AFHQ cadre had given itself a status higher than mandated. It had equated a Major General (Rear Admiral in the Navy and Air Vice-Marshal in the IAF) with a Principal Director at the AFHQ cadre. A Brigadier (Commodore/Air Commodore) was equated with a Director, a Colonel/Captain/Group Captain with a Joint Director.

The armed forces protested. The warrant of precedence (WoP) issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs says the Maj Gen is equivalent to a Joint Secretary and a Brigadier to a Deputy Director General. Then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar ordered rechecking of facts.

The MoD in its letter today said the cadre restructuring of the AFHQ, as approved by the Union Cabinet, would be implemented. Designations will be created in consultation with the armed forces. Local designations assigned to armed forces and civilian officers stood withdrawn. The civilian cadre had been using self-given designations that were much higher than actual designations.

A paragraph in todays letter will need clarity. It says: Rendition of APAR, status quo ante is restored, ie, the position that existed prior to the issue of MoD letter dated October 18, 2016, shall prevail. It seems the AFHQ will report to the armed forces and the immediate superior in the forces shall write the ACR. However, the APAR was amended in April 2015 and it mandated ranks in the forces as ACR authorities. So, will the April 2015 APAR be enforced?
Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 5

To further strengthen its diaspora connect, Delhi will host Indian-origin serving Members of Parliaments and Mayors from across the globe on January 9.

Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the first ever PIO (Person of Indian Origin) Parliamentarian Conference on the day earmarked to celebrate the return to India of the most respected Pravasi Bharatiya  Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa in 1915.

As many as 141 PIO lawmakers and mayors of 23 countries will participate in the conference where each country will make representation on their experience and expectations of the India connect.

The first thematic session will focus on PIO parliamentarians -- journey of struggle to parliament with Shashi Tharoor as special guest. The second session will be themed around Resurgent India-- role of PIO parliamentarians with Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar as special guest. Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu will address the valedictory session while Sushma Swaraj will host dinner for delegates.

In the long term we will see how this diaspora family could contribute to furthering bilateral relations and people to people ties, said Dnyaneshwar Mulay, Secretary, Consular Passport Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs.

Guyana with 20 MPs and 3 Mayors will have the largest representation, followed by Trinidad and Tobago with 16 MPs and 4 Mayors. Fifteen lawmakers and one PIO Mayor from UK and 5 MPs from Canada will also attend the conference.

United States though is sending two mayors and no MPs as the US Congress will be in session. Invitations were not sent out to Heads of States, Governments and Ministers to avoid any sensitivities involved. Among SAARC nations, only Sri Lanka was sent an invitation which will see four MPs attend the conference.

Diaspora members have become ambassadors for us and get reflected in economic, cultural and people to people links .They have played a major role in improving Indias image on the global stage, says Mulay.

Of the confirmed delegates Bharrat Jagdeo is a former president of Guyana while Kamla Persad-Bissessar was the former PM of Trinidad and Tobago. India has second largest diaspora globally with some 31.2 million overseas Indians of which 17 million are NRIs.

Some 270 people of Indian descent today occupy seats and various positions in world parliaments with Indian origin heads of governments and states in countries like Portugal, Ireland and Mauritus.
Guyana to send maximum representatives

 In all, 141 PIO lawmakers and mayors from 23 countries will participate in the conference

 Guyana with 20 MPs and three mayors will have the largest representation, followed by Trinidad and Tobago with 16 MPs and 4 mayors

 Fifteen lawmakers and one PIO mayor from the UK and five MPs from Canada will also attend the event

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 5

To further strengthen its diaspora connect, Delhi will host Indian-origin serving members of parliaments and mayors from across the globe on January 9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first-ever PIO (Person of Indian Origin) Parliamentarian Conference on the day earmarked to celebrate the return to India of the most respected Pravasi BharatiyaMahatma Gandhifrom South Africa in 1915.

In all, 141 PIO lawmakers and mayors from 23 countries will participate in the conference where each country will make representation on their experience and expectations of the India connect. The first thematic session will focus on PIO parliamentariansjourney of struggle to parliament with Shashi Tharoor as special guest.

The second session will be themed around Resurgent India-role of PIO parliamentarians with Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar as special guest. Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu will address the valedictory session, while Sushma Swaraj will host dinner for delegates.

In the long term, we will see how this diaspora family could contribute to furthering bilateral relations and people-to-people ties, said Dnyaneshwar Mulay, Secretary, Consular Passport Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs.

Guyana with 20 MPs and three mayors will have the largest representation, followed by Trinidad and Tobago with 16 MPs and 4 mayors. Fifteen lawmakers and one PIO mayor from the UK and five MPs from Canada will also attend the event. The United States though is sending two mayors and no MPs as the US Congress will be in session.

Invitations were not sent out to heads of states, governments and ministers to avoid any sensitivities involved. Among SAARC nations, only Sri Lanka was sent an invitation which will send four MPs to attend the conference

Diaspora members have become ambassadors for us and get reflected in economic, cultural and people-to-people links .They have played a major role in improving Indias image on the global stage, says Mulay.

Of the confirmed delegates, Bharrat Jagdeo is a former President of Guyana while Kamla Persad-Bissessar was the former PM of Trinidad and Tobago. India has second largest diaspora globally with some 31.2 million overseas Indians of which 17 million are NRIs. Some 270 persons of Indian descent today occupy seats and various positions in world parliaments with Indian origin heads of governments and states in countries like Portugal, Ireland and Mauritius.
Tribune News Service

Ranchi, January 5

The special CBI court in Ranchi on Friday completed the hearing on the quantum of sentence against RJD chief Lalu Prasad and others in connection with a fodder scam case, while it would pronounce the jail terms to them on Saturday.

The special CBI court of Shivpal Singh was hearing the quantum of punishment against Lalu Prasad and others as the former Bihar Chief Minister and others were produced through video conferencing from Birsa Munda central jail.

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The court would pronounce its verdict on jail terms on Saturday afternoon.

The court had held them guilty on December 23 in connection with fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Dewghar Treasury of Jharkhand between 1994 and 1996.

The court had acquitted six others, including another former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra.

Lalus counsel outside the court said: For minimum punishment to be awarded to Lalu Prasad, we appealed to the court on account of his poor health. Laluji is a diabetic and had his heart valve replaced and suffers other diseases too.

As per legal experts and senior advocate of Patna High Court Y V Giri, the court might punish Lalu Prasad from 3 to 7 years but the court has the discretionary power to pronounce the quantum of sentence.

The RJD supporters were found crowded outside the court premises again today.

The announcement of quantum of punishment was deferred twice since Wednesday.

This is the second fodder scam case in which the RJD supremo has been convicted. There are three more fodder scam cases pending against him.
Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 5

The Supreme Court on Friday referred to a Constitution Bench a petition challenging the constitutional validity of Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code which seeks to punish only men for adultery and treats women involved in the crime as victims.

A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra  which had on December 8 issued notice to the Centre on the petition  referred it to a five-judge Bench, noting that though criminal law was based on gender neutrality, the concept was absent in Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that criminalised adultery. Now it's for the CJI to set up the Constitution Bench.

An Italy-based NRI -- Joseph Shine  has challenged the provision which prescribes a jail term of up to five years or fine or both, terming it unjust, illegal and arbitrary and violative of citizens fundamental rights. He questioned the gender bias in the provision drafted by Lord Macaulay in 1860.

A four-judge bench had in 1954 upheld the validity of Section 497 IPC saying it did not violate right to equality. In 2011, the top court ruled that a woman in an illicit relationship with a married man cannot be punished for adultery despite being an abettor.

However, referring to societal transformation and changes in concepts of gender equity and gender sensitivity, the CJIs bench said earlier rulings needed to be examined by a larger Constitution Bench in the changed scenario.

It is perceivable from the language of the provision the fulcrum of offence is destroyed once the consent of husband is obtained. Viewed from that scenario, the provision creates a dent on the independent identity of women, the bench had said during the hearing in December.

Invoking a recent nine-judge Constitution Bench verdict that declared right to privacy a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution, the petitioner contended, Sexual privacy is an integral part of right to privacy.

Section 497 of the IPC is prima facie unconstitutional on the ground that it discriminates against men and violates Articles 14 (right to equality), 15 (right to non-discrimination) and 21 (right to life, liberty and privacy) of the Constitution of India, read the petition.

Shine has also challenged Section 198(2) the Criminal Procedure Code which allows a husband to bring charges against the man with whom his wife has committed adultery.

When the sexual intercourse takes place with the consent of both the parties, there is no good reason for excluding one party from the liability, Shine contended terming Section 497 IPC as an archaic and outdated provision.

The petitioner said even the Law Commission had in its 42nd report in 1971 recommended removal of the exemption provided for women from being prosecuted and reduction in the punishment for the offence from five years to two years.

Justice VS Malimath Committee which recommended measures for revamping the criminal justice system had said adultery should be made gender neutral. Whosoever has sexual intercourse with the spouse of any other person is guilty of adultery, it had said seeking to replace the existing provision.

However, the National Commission for Women had in 2006 recommended de-criminalising adultery but opposed making it gender-neutral.

Noting that the global trend was to decriminalise adultery, Shine said it was not a crime in the UK and in most of the European countries. In 2015, the South Korean Supreme Court struck down the law which stipulated imprisonment for two years or less for adultery and interdiction.
Islamabad, January 5

Two Hindu grain traders were shot dead by robbers in Sindh province of Pakistan on Friday.

The victims were brothers and identified as Dileep Kumar and Chandar Maheshwari. The incident took place when they opened their shop in the grain market in Tharparkar district, the Express Tribune reported.

According to the police, the robbers came on a bike and tried to snatch the money from the brothers. When they resisted, the robbers shot them dead.

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Thar is the only peaceful place in Pakistan where no theft and dacoity incident takes place. This is first such incident, the daily quoted a resident as saying.

Traders shut their business in the Hindu-dominated areas in the district in protest. People blocked all main roads and staged sit-ins, the daily said. IANS
By Harish V Nair: Soon, former Presidents and Prime Ministers may not get government bungalows. This is, if the amicus curiae (the senior advocate appointed by the Supreme Court to assist it), in the case wherein it is examining whether former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh can be allotted government houses, has his way.

In his note submitted to the court on Thursday, amicus Gopal Subramanium said that not only former CMs, but even former Presidents and Prime Ministers should not be allotted government bungalows.

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"It is submitted that once an office-holder (President, PM, CM, etc) demits office, he or she ceases to be an occupant of that public office and is, therefore, shorn of all its adornments. He or she reverts to being a citizen of India, and ought to be granted no greater privilege than that accorded to other citizens of India, except for the minimal courtesies of protocol, pension and other regular post-retirement benefits", Subramanium's note says. "Public property is not to be frittered away to private citizens, notwithstanding the high offices they may have previously occupied.

Any provision of law that grants accommodation to the former holders of public office is ultra vires the Constitution as breaching Article 14 (right to equality)", said the note submitted to a bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

The suggestion is significant as on August 23, the bench had appointed Subramanium as amicus curiae, noting that it needed assistance as the issue raised in the petition was of "considerable public importance" and once it is re-affirmed that former CMs of UP cannot hold on to government bungalows, it may also have an impact on similar legislation in force in different states and also central legislations.

The court is hearing a public interest litigation filed by NGO Lok Prahari against the UP government allotting government flats to former CMs despite a specific judgment of the SC in August 2016 holding it "bad in law".

In its verdict in August 2016, the SC had held that allotment of government bungalows to former CMs was bad in law and they should hand over possession of the bungalows occupied by them.

Following the SC verdict, the then Akhilesh Yadav government amended the UP Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act to allow the former CMs to occupy government bungalows. The PIL alleged the amendments were brought to defeat the Supreme Court's order.

"While the present matter relates to an attempt by the state of UP to overcome a judgment which quashed the allotment of government bungalows to former chief ministers, the matter raises a substantial question of law --whether the equality clause contained in Article 14 of the Constitution of India enables public houses to be retained by persons even after they demit office?" asked the amicus curiae.

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Subramanium said it is important to note that even Chief Justice of India, the Comptroller and Auditor General and other constitutional authorities have to demit office once the official ceases to hold public office.

In such circumstances, there cannot be discriminatory treatment and allocation of additional privileges in favour of some former public servants. "As this phenomenon seems to be a nationwide one, it might be necessary for a final quietus to be given to this practice on the anvil of Article 14 of the Constitution, lest further such claims emanate from all quarters, including the legislature and the judiciary", he said, urging the court to settle the issue forever.

Subramanium is also against government houses being converted into memorials. "The same principle would hold for those eminences who have passed away. No public property shall be allotted by the government as memorials to commemorate any personalities who are deemed to be eminent. It is in replicating their noble values that their memory may be truly preserved," he said.

--- ENDS ---
Varinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 5

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons for January 17 to Rana Inder Partap Singh, son of Punjab Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh, in connection with raising of funds abroad to the tune of $18 million (around Rs 100 crore) by floating foreign shares, or GDRs (Global Depository Receipts), for one of the family-owned companies, Rana Sugars Ltd, allegedly without the mandatory permission of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Inder Partap is the managing director of Rana Sugars, a Rana Group company founded in 1992 in collaboration with Punjab Agro Corporation, with its head office in Chandigarh.

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The Central investigation agency suspects the funds may have been raised in violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA). The ED also believes that the company extended its own guarantees for loans taken by foreign investors/entities from banks abroad for subscribing to its shares (GDRs) floated outside India.

Indian companies issuing GDRs have to comply with certain conditions under FEMA, and filing of information with the RBI is one of the mandatory requirements. The RBI has told the ED that it has no information regarding Rana Sugars issuing GDRs. The company had also not filed any information regarding the end utilisation of the money in India.

The money raised by Rana Sugars was kept in a Portugal bank based in Madira Island for a while before being transferred to India. This was also not reported to the RBI or the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The ED initiated its investigation into the matter after it was flagged by SEBI.

Responding to the EDs queries, Rana Sugars submitted copies of audited balance-sheets from 2005-06 to 2007-08, along with details of GDRs issued by the company. In a letter to the ED, Inder Partap Singh contended that no permission was required as the GDRs were issued under the automatic route in accordance with the Issue of Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds and Ordinary Shares (Through Depositary Receipt Mechanism) Scheme, 1993 and the guidelines issued by the Department of Economic Affairs dated January 19, 2000.

However, not satisfied with the response, the ED issued summons to the Rana Sugars MD on January 2. Rana Gurjit Singh expressed ignorance, saying, It is an old issue and has no basis, but Inder Partap can explain it better.

The Tribune then contacted Inder Partap, who said he or his company had not indulged in any wrongdoing.

We have not violated any law. We have been furnishing all requisite information to the RBI as well as the ED. The ED has now asked me to provide additional information in person. I will have no hesitation in submitting any information required. It is a government department like the Income Tax, he added.

He said confusion had been created by people managing his company accounts, who had inadvertently mixed up the money received from their 2008-09 sugar exports and the proceeds of the GDR floated, in the account books. It is a five-year-old issue. We have complied with each procedural requirement of all institutions concerned. Even subsequently we have been filing information to the ED as well as others whenever sought, Inder Partap asserted.

He claimed no permission of the RBI was required for floating GDRs at that time. After raising money from GDRs, we informed the RBI as per norms. He expressed ignorance about money being kept in a bank in Madira Island. However, according to the ED preliminary investigation, the money was parked abroad before being transferred to India.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 4

Even as the UIDAI tried to dismiss The Tribune story on Aadhaar data breach as misreporting, it is a fact that the unauthorised individuals had direct access to the data that even government agencies dont have.

To link beneficiaries of different government schemes to Aadhaar, the department concerned first collects the required data of beneficiaries, including their Aadhaar number. Following this, the data is sent for validation through an online verification gateway to the UIDAI.

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KAP Sinha, Principal Secretary, Food & Civil Supplies, Punjab, who is state registrar for Aadhaar, confirmed that the state did not have direct access to the UIDAI data. Departments like school, higher and technical education, welfare and food and civil supplies are using Aadhaar Payment Bridge to disburse the benefit directly to the bank accounts of beneficiaries using their Aadhaar number.

Same is the case with private and public sector orgnisations. Banks, telecom companies, financial institutions etc, which have been authorised to undertake Aadhaar-based e-KYC (e-Know Your Customer) for authentication, admit that they cannot access the data randomly.

Through e-KYC, the consumer has to provide biometric proof, say fingerprint, at the respective device. The Aadhaar database gives access to the requesting entity (banks, telecom operators etc) only if the biometric input matches the information available in the database.

A senior IT official of a nationalised bank says: The use of Aadhaar and accessing personal information of UIDAI for e-KYC can only be done after the consent of the customer. Any officer cant access the data of any Aadhaar holder.

Suppose a customer comes to the bank to open a new account or to link it with Aadhaar, the official concerned asks for his Aadhaar number and feeds it in the system. After that, he asks for biometric impression of the customer on a scanner which captures the customers fingerprint. Once the device reads the impression, it is communicated to the UIDAI via secure servers. The input biometric value is matched with the value stored in the database for that particular Aadhaar number. If the value matches, only then the officer is able to access the personal details of the consumer, he adds.

Following successful verification of the customers identity, the UIDAI releases all his credentials like photograph, address, date of birth etc to the bank.

Officials working with telecom operators too say e-KYC verification can be accessed only with the consent of the consumers. For linking mobile number and Aadhaar number, the subscriber receives a four digit verification code on his phone, which he provides to the store executive along with his/her biometric. After 24 hours, the subscriber receives a confirmation SMS. In case of new connection, one has to submit Aadhaar number and biometric impression. If both match, then only the operator has access to the details. In case of Insurance companies, Aadhaar number is being fed manually at present.

How UIDAI gives access to details

To link beneficiaries of different government schemes to Aadhaar, the department concerned first collects the required data of beneficiaries, including their Aadhaar number. Following this, the data is sent for validation through an online verification gateway to the UIDAI

Same is the case with banks, telecom companies, financial institutions etc, which have been authorised to undertake Aadhaar-based e-KYC (e-Know Your Customer) for authentication

Will act if asked: DGP

When asked about the case, DGP Suresh Arora on Thursday said it was up to the central agencies or the UIDAI to take action, if any, on The Tribune report. "The police will act if asked to do so by a competent authority," he added.

(With inputs from Rajmeet Singh, Vijay C Roy and Vishav Bharti)
Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 4

A day after the expose by The Tribune on unauthorised people freely accessing Aadhaar data, the government made no announcement of any formal investigation being launched, and the UIDAI denied there was any breach. However, multiple security agencies were understood to have got into motion as several made contact with The Tribune to get information.

EDIT: Unsecured Aadhaar

A cyber crime team of Punjab Police arrived in Jalandhar and started investigations, while the Intelligence Bureau (IB) was learnt to be checking on the extent of breach of the UIDAI data. The latter were also looking into whether any biometric access too had been sold out.

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Sources said the bureau was also investigating a case reported recently from Jalandhar in which a Pakistan national had managed to secure an Aadhaar card. The matter was till now being probed by the state police.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Government too started an investigation. During the sting operation by The Tribune, an anonymous group had provided it access to a portal that seemed to have been hosted by Rajasthan.

While the UIDAI claimed that it maintains a complete log of anyone accessing the data, the illegal activity is suspected to have been going on for the past six months. From the portals to which access was provided, it seemed one was of the Central government (portal.uidai.gov.in) and the other of Rajasthan. Yet, UIDAI and Rajasthan officials seemed to have been caught by surprise.

Shortly after the expose, the portal that seemed to be of the UIDAI became inaccessible. However, no one was named by any agency as suspect in the matter even after 24 hours. Shockingly, when contacted on Thursday by people cooperating with The Tribune in the sting, the anonymous groups selling data access were still found active. However, they refused to make a portal for Punjab, but offered to do it for any other state. A few other news channels and websites also attempted to contact the numbers of the data sellers published by The Tribune, and received a similar response.

When contacted, one of the Village Level Enterprise (VLE) operators in Punjab said while the government under the Digital India project had provided free logistic support to them, some agencies outsourced by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had taken up to Rs 3 lakh from them to install the systems for them.

After spending so much, our major job of Aadhaar service was taken away from us. So when the offer came for unauthorised access to Aadhaar details and printing cards, many of us were tempted to buy the access from the anonymous source, the operator said on the condition of anonymity.
Tribune News Service

Batala, January 5

Ghania-Ke-Bangar SHO Paramjit Singh, who was accused of inaction in the case of suicide by karate player Kuldeep Kaur, has been shifted to the Police Lines.

Opinderjit Singh Ghuman, SSP, said he had issued the transfer order to ensure a free and fair investigation in the case.

Satwant Singh, deceaseds brother, however, alleged that the transfer was a mere eyewash. The SHO should have been terminated. A transfer has no meaning. He can still influence the inquiry. In October last year when a murder attempt was made on my mother, the SHO had come to our house in an inebriated condition and used foul language against the family members. I had immediately complained to the SSP, but no action was taken against him, he alleged.

Earlier today, the police formed a three-member all-women special investigation team (SIT) to probe the case. IG (Border) Surinder Pal Singh Parmar said the SIT had been constituted after the deceaseds family accused the Batala police of inaction.

He said Amandeep Kaur, DSP (Headquarters), Amritsar rural, would head the SIT. Inspectors Palwinderjit Kaur of Gurdaspur and Bhupinder Kaur of Amritsar were the two members, he added.

Satwant Singh had yesterday alleged that cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa had snubbed his elder sister Balbir Kaur, when she met him in Chandigarh on October 24 last year. He alleged that Bajwa refused to help them by terming his family as "SAD loyalists". Bajwa had denied the allegations.
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 5

Two sisters, aged 10 and 12 years, reportedly died of asphyxia at their residence in Maiserkhana village early this morning. The three other family members  the couple and their third daughter  were rushed to the Civil Hospital at Maur Mandi in an unconscious state.

The family belongs to Nepal and has been living in an accommodation on the premises of a historic temple for the last six years.

They had kept an angeethi (brazier) in their room to keep themselves warm at night.

The Maur police have initiated a probe into the matter. Lachhman Sunar (33), head of the family, works as a langri at the temple.

He along with his family members  wife Seema Rani and three daughters Asha (15), Ranjana (12) and Manisha (10)  was sleeping in a room on the temples first floor. When Lachhman didnt come out of his room this morning, temple security guard Gurdeep Singh went to his room and found all family members unconscious.

He immediately called the manager, Rajveer, and local residents. They took all of them to a hospital in Maur where doctors declared Ranjana and Manisha dead. Lachhman, Seema and elder daughter Asha are under treatment.

Talking to mediapersons, Lachhman said he had lit up an angeethi inside the room to get relief from cold last night, but he didnt know what exactly happened.

His wife Seema Rani suspected food poisoning to be the reason behind it because her daughter got unconscious after having dinner.

Surinder Kumar, DSP, and Maur SHO Gurdeep Singh visited the spot. The SHO said they had started the probe and the exact cause of their death would be ascertained on the arrival of the viscera report.

Police await lab report

Lachhman said he had lit up an angeethi inside the room to get relief from cold, but he didnt know what exactly happened. His wife Seema Rani suspected food poisoning to be the reason behind it because her daughter got unconscious after having dinner. The police are awaiting viscera report
Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 5

Few police officials are willing to serve in the Jail Department as superintendent, thanks to ills afflicting the state prisons. Threat by gangsters, lack of infrastructure and shortage of staff are among the drawbacks.

This is evident from the fact that after posting as jail superintendent, many proceed on leave or use their connections to get posting elsewhere. At present, three central jails in the state are without a superintendent-level officer, as the ones named have refused to join.

Information gathered by The Tribune revealed that the officers sent on deputation as jail superintendents have proceeded on leave and are yet to join their posting almost a fortnight after the orders.

They are Jaspal Singh Hans (Faridkot), Shamsher Singh Boparai (Ludhiana) and SS Mand (Amritsar). The only exception is PPS officer Ranbir Uppal, who is serving as Gurdaspur jail superintendent. In central jails, only an SSP-rank officer holds the post of superintendent. Earlier last month, a senior IPS officer also sought exemption from jail posting. In 2016, three PPS officers had refused to join Kapurthala and Gurdaspur jails.

An official said: I do not want to serve in jails where gangsters threaten you openly and there are no weapons or vehicles. It is a sedentary job and demands undivided attention without any reward.

There are nine central jails, 12 district and six sub jails in the state. Even 16 deputy jail superintendents, who were given postings in 2016, only five joined. There is thus a dearth of officers in the Jail Department. Even at the junior level, the department has 1,300 vacancies of the total 2,450 sanctioned posts.

A senior jail official said: Even the jail-cadre officers are not happy as they have lower pay-scales as compared to the police. In case of any recovery from prisoners, they are always at the risk of facing departmental action.

Some officers cited increasing political pressure for giving preferential treatment to certain prisoners as a major drawback.

Refuting the claims, DIG (Jails) LS Jakhar said the officers would join soon and there was no problem on that front. Additional DGP (Prisons) IPS Sahota was unavailable for comments.
THE "Times" correspondence at Washington has thrown light on the attitude of the Allies towards the proposals for peace that have emanated from the central powers. He says that exchange of views are proceeding between London, Paris and Washington with regard to the Allies' reply to the proposals. It is not decided who will reply, but it is probable that the reply will contain a re-statement of war aims in the shape of an appeal to the enemy peoples over the heads of their rulers. This will, of course, amount to a practical rejection of the proposals, because the proposals have come not from the enemy peoples but from their Governments. But it is not easy to see how this can be helped. The trouble about Germany as both President Wilson and Mr. Lloyd George have pointed out is that its words cannot be relied upon.
New Delhi, January 5

Heavy rainfall, melting of snow and breach in the Chaurabari lake could have resulted in a massive outflow of water and debris that devastated the Kedarnath valley, the Lok Sabha was told today.

Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma, in his reply to a question, said the devastation in the Kedarnath area was not mainly due to the melting of glacier.

The devastation in the Kedarnath area is not mainly due to the glacier melt. The combined effect of very heavy rainfall, heavy snowmelt and breaching of the Chaurabari lake in the upstream could have resulted in a gushing outflow with large amounts of debris which devastated the entire valley, he said.

Sharma pointed out that very heavy rainfall in the entire catchment area further increased the magnitude of floods. Uttarakhand had witnessed a massive devastation in the June 2013 flash floods.  PTI
Karachi: Two Hindu brothers were shot dead outside their grain shop by bike-borne robbers in Tharparkar district of Pakistans Sindh province on Friday, triggering protests from the minority community. The victims, identified as Dileep Kumar and Chandar Maheshwari were grain traders. They were opening their shop in the grain market in Mithi area of the district when the incident took place, the Express Tribune reported. PTI
Seoul, January 5

North Korea agreed on Friday to hold official talks with the South next week, the first in more than two years, hours after the United States and South Korea delayed a military exercise amid a standoff over the Norths nuclear and missile programmes.

South Korea said the North had sent its consent for the talks to be held on Tuesday. The last time the two Koreas engaged in official talks was in December 2015.

The meeting will take place at the border truce village of Panmunjom where officials from both sides are expected to discuss the Winter Olympics, to be held in the South next month, and other inter-Korean relations, South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun told reporters.

North Korea asked for further negotiations about the meeting to be carried out via documented exchanges, Baik said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un opened the way for talks with South Korea in a New Years Day speech in which he called for reduced tensions and flagged the Norths possible participation in the Winter Olympics.

But Kim remained steadfast on the issue of nuclear weapons, saying the North would mass produce nuclear missiles for operational deployment and again warned he would launch a nuclear strike if his country was threatened.

US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in announced on Thursday that annual large-scale military drills would now take place after the Olympics.

The North sees these drills as preparations for invasion and just cause for its weapons programmes that it conducts in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions. South Korea and the United States are technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.

Trump had earlier called the proposed inter-Korean talks a good thing and that he would send a high-level delegation, including members of his family, to the Olympics, according to South Koreas presidential office.

In a tweet, Trump, who hurled fresh insults at the North Korean leader this week, took credit for any dialogue that takes place. Does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the North, Trump tweeted.

North Korea regularly threatens to destroy the United States and its two key Asia allies, Japan and South Korea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang welcomed North and South Korea taking positive steps to improve ties, and said the postponement of the military exercises was without doubt a good thing.

Chinas Commerce Ministry said it would limit exports of crude oil, refined oil products, steel and other metals to North Korea, in line with tough new sanctions imposed by the United Nations.

Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera sounded a note of caution about the proposed talks. I think what is important is to maintain a firm defence posture, he told reporters in Tokyo.  Reuters
By PTI: 2017: Survey

New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) Enrolment in higher education institutions has seen an increase of 8.2 millions from 2010-11 to 2016-17, according to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE).

"There is an increase in overall enrolment from 27.5 millions in 2010-11 to 35.7 millions in 2016-17 and improvement in Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) which is a ratio of enrolment in higher education to population in the eligible age group (18-23) years, from 19.4 per cent in 2010-11 to 25.2 in 2016-17 which is a significant achievement," Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar said, citing the survey.

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He expressed hope that a GER ratio of 30 per cent would be achieved by 2022.

The report also highlighted the growth in the sector such as the number of universities and undergraduate institutions.

"In last five years, the GER of Muslims and other minority communities has been slow. From 4.15 per cent GER of the Muslim youth (age group of 18 to 23 years) in 2012-13, it is just 4.90 per cent in 2016-17," the survey found.

"The survey also indicates that more efforts are needed for Gender Parity Index," it added.

In last five years, the student population of higher education between the age of 18 and 23 have increased by 35 lakhs.

"The government is aiming at 50 per cent GER in next three to five years. While there are just 9.3 per cent colleges exclusively for girls, there are 15 women exclusive universities across 10 states," Javadekar said.

While there has been a significant increase in the number of universities and colleges in last five years, the biggest share is shared by the state private and public universities. Among the colleges too, majority of them are private colleges.

Majority of the colleges (59.34 per cent) are located in rural areas.

Bangalore has emerged as the major education hub with the biggest cluster of colleges (1,025), followed by Jaipur and Hyderabad with 635 and 487 respectively.

The survey covers all the higher education institutions in the country. Identified nodal officers from each institution were primarily responsible for collecting and uploading the data on AISHE portal. PTI GJS SMN

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Washington, January 5

President Donald Trump is frustrated with Pakistan for supporting terror groups and using them as an arm of their foreign policy, US National Security Adviser HR McMaster said, underlining that their relationship can no longer bear the weight of contradictions.

The US and others have long complained that Pakistan offered safe haven to the Afghan Taliban and their allies, the Haqqani Network, allowing them to carry out cross-border attacks in Afghanistan.

Pakistan denies allegations but Trump has escalated the criticism against the country since he took office last January. The President is frustrated, and he values what we hope would be a partnership with Pakistan. But he is frustrated at Pakistans behaviour in that it continues to provide support for these groups, it goes after terrorist groups, really, very selectively, and uses others as an arm of their foreign policy, McMaster was quoted as saying by Voice of America, a Congress-funded US media-outlet.

McMaster was responding to a question on the New Year tweet by Trump in which he said that the The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies and deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools.

The US today suspended over $2 billion in security aid and the delivery of military equipment to it for failing to clamp down on the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network terror groups and dismantle their safe havens.  PTI
Islamabad, January 5

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said on Thursday that Pakistan could survive without United States aid, as a similar situation had occurred in the past too.

They did it in the past as well, which is evident from our history. They have always betrayed us in hard times, Geo News quoted Asif as saying.

The remark comes three days after President Donald Trump made a scathing remark against its ally in the war on terrorism and accused Pakistan of lying and deceiving while receiving billions in aid.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

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! Trump tweeted on Monday.

In the latest development, the United States State Department confirmed the stopping of the aid to Pakistan on Thursday.

As of now, they have announced suspension of only military aid, the humanitarian assistance would continue. ANI
Islamabad, January 4

Amidst reports that the Trump administration is set to announce more drastic steps to punish Islamabad for its support to terror groups, the Pakistan Army has said the country would respond to any US action in line with the aspirations of the people.

The statement by the military spokesman came in the backdrop of the White Houses announcement that the US would announce specific measures against Pakistan in the next 24 to 48 hours after President Donald Trumps stinging New Year tweet.

The US yesterday announced that it is withholding its $255 million military aid to Pakistan.

In case of [a] US action against Pakistan, it will be responded to [in line with] the aspirations of the people of Pakistan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor said.

In a terse Twitter post on January 1, President Trump had accused Pakistan of lying and deceit and providing safe havens to terrorists despite getting over USD 33 billion in aid over 15 years.

After Trumps statement, Pakistan had called a meeting of the National Security Committee which expressed disappointment over the statement, but said the country would not act in haste.

It is not clear whether the Pakistan Army issued the statement in anticipation of some possible unilateral action against Pakistan, The Express Tribune reported.  PTI
Washington, January 4

US President Donald Trump blasted former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon on Wednesday as having lost his mind in the fallout over damaging comments Bannon made about Trumps son Donald Trump Jr. in excerpts from a new book.

Trump, who had continued to speak privately with Bannon after firing him in August, essentially cut ties with his former aide at least for now in a blistering statement issued after Bannons comments came to light.

Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind, Trump said.

Trump had relied heavily on Bannon, chairman of the right-wing Breitbart News website, for advice in the months leading up to his upset victory in the November 2016 election.

Bannon helped Trump shape a populist, anti-establishment message and has been the Presidents link to his conservative base of support. It was not clear if the split would push Bannon to be even more aggressive in his campaign against the Republican establishment and whether he would now also target Trump, or would emerge much weaker.

According to excerpts from Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolff, to be released on Tuesday, Bannon described a June 2016 meeting with a group of Russians at Trump Tower in New York as treasonous and unpatriotic. The meeting was arranged by the Presidents son and attended by top Trump campaign officials.

Trump has in the past praised Bannon for his friendship, but the President said in his statement on Wednesday that Bannon had little to do with his election victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, calling him a staffer who worked for me after he had already won the Republican nomination.

The President said Bannon was to blame for the loss of a Republican-held US Senate seat in Alabama in December when Republican Roy Moore, whose campaign was derailed by accusations of sexual misconduct with teenage girls, lost to Democrat Doug Jones. Trump and Bannon backed Moore in the campaign.

Now that he is on his own, Steve is learning that winning isnt as easy as I make it look. Steve had very little to do with our historic victory, which was delivered by the forgotten men and women of this country. Yet Steve had everything to do with the loss of a Senate seat in Alabama held for more than thirty years by Republicans, Trump said.

Donald Trump Jr. attacked Bannon in a tweet. Steve had the honour of working in the White House & serving the country. Unfortunately, he squandered that privilege & turned that opportunity into a nightmare of backstabbing, harassing, leaking, lying & undermining the President. Steve is not a strategist, he is an opportunist, he said.

The President, an expert at self-promotion, said Bannon was trying to promote himself by leaking false information to the media to make himself seem far more important than he was. Steve was rarely in a one-on-one meeting with me and only pretends to have had influence to fool a few people with no access and no clue, whom he helped write phony books, said Trump, who famously values loyalty in associates and employees.  Reuters
Washington, January 5

US President Donald Trump today dismissed as "full of lies" a new explosive book about his administration that has taken the White House by storm after his lawyers failed to block its release.

Trump tweeted that he gave author Michael Wolff "zero access" to the White House for his book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House", which is set to be released on Friday.

"I authorised Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don't exist," Trump tweeted.

"Look at this guy's past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!" Trump wrote, apparently referring to his former chief strategist Steve Bannon, who is quoted extensively in the book.

The book which is sending shock waves to the Trump administration is releasing today, two days ahead of the schedule after Trump's lawyers made a move to stop its release.

American journalist and author Wolff tweeted: Here we go. You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr President.

The book, which is highly critical of Trump and his family, claims that president was "befuddled" by his election win, did not enjoy his inauguration and was scared of the White House.

Wolff says his work is based on more than 200 interviews and that he took up "something like a semi-permanent seat on a couch in the West Wing" following the president's inauguration for a close-up insight into the fledgling administration.

Trump's attorney has sent a cease and desists letter to former White House Chief Strategist Bannon for making liable comments against the president and the first family.

The White House has attacked the book, with press secretary Sarah Sanders calling it "complete fantasy" and full of tabloid gossip.

Sanders during her daily news conference said that the president absolutely believes in the First Amendment.

"But the President also believes in making sure that information is accurate before pushing it out as fact when it certainly and clearly is not, she said.

"There are numerous mistakes, but I'm not going to waste my time or the country's time going page by page, talking about a book that's complete fantasy and just full of tabloid gossip, because it's sad, pathetic, and our administration and our focus is going to be on moving the country forward, Sanders said.

Sanders said there are numerous examples of falsehoods in the book.

"The fact that there was a claim that the president did not know who John Boehner was is pretty ridiculous considering the majority of you have seen photos and, frankly, some of you have even tweeted out that the president not only knows him but has played golf with him, tweeted about him, she told reporters.

"I mean, that's pretty simple and pretty basic, she asserted.

The White House, however, refused to respond to questions related to Trump's attorney.

She took strong objection to the question that Trump, according to the book, did not want to win.

"The president, the First Lady, his family  they wouldn't have put themselves through that process if, one, they didn't believe they could win, and two, they didn't want to win. This was something they were very committed to and have been committed to since taking office, and will continue to do so over the next seven years, she said.

"It is absolutely laughable to think that somebody like this president would run for office with the purpose of losing. If you guys know anything, you know that Donald Trump is a winner, and he's not going to do something for the purpose of not coming out on top and not coming out as a winner. That's one of the most ridiculous things the claims in the book, she said.

The book, she noted, says that Bannon had been sidelined by April, which goes further to indicate that he had very little credibility to give much information, particularly after that point, which most of the book is based after that timeframe.

"This book is mistake, after mistake, after mistake, she said.

"It's completely tabloid, gossip full of false and fraudulent claims, Sanders said.

The White House press secretary said the author of the book, contrary to the claims, had no access to the White House or the president.

"In fact, there are probably more than 30 requests for access to information from Wolff that were repeatedly denied, including, within that, at least two dozen requests of him asking to have an interview with the president, which he never did. He never discussed this book with the President, Sanders said.

"That would be the most important voice that you could have if you were looking to write a book about an individual, would be to have some time with him. He never did. He was repeatedly denied that. I think because we saw him for what he was, and there was no reason for us to waste the president of the United States' time," she said.  PTI.
United Nations, January 5

The UN Security Council is planning an emergency meeting about Iran on Friday, after the US asked the world body to show support for Iran's anti- government protesters.

With council members divided in their views of the demonstrations that have roiled the Islamic Republic, it doesnt clear how the discussion will take shape or what might come out of it.

Alma Konurbayeva, a spokeswoman for current council president Kazakhstan, confirmed that the meeting is about Iran.

The US called on Tuesday for such a session, but council members could insist on a vote before taking up the topic, and it would take nine of the 15 votes to go forward.

"This is a matter of fundamental human rights for the Iranian people, but it is also a matter of international peace and security," the US envoy, Nikki Haley, said in a statement Thursday night.

She added that it would be "telling if any country tries to deny the Security Council from even having this discussion."

Iran's interior minister said up to 42,000 people took part in the week of protests and unrest sparked by economic woes.

At least 21 people have been killed and hundreds arrested. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people took part in counter-demonstrations Wednesday backing the clerically overseen government, which has accused the US of instigating the protests.

Iran's prosecutor general, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, said Thursday that an American CIA official was the "main designer" of the demonstrations. And Iran's UN envoy, Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo, complained in a letter to the Security Council president Wednesday that US President Donald Trump's "absurd tweets" had "incited Iranians to engage in disruptive acts."

Trump's administration has denied having any hand in the demonstrations, saying they arose completely spontaneously.

The CIA declined to comment.

The president's tweets haven't called for violence or disruptive acts, but he has commended the protests, expressing "such respect for the people of Iran as they try to take back their corrupt government" and pledging "great support from the United States."

Haley praised the anti-government protesters as brave and said "the UN must speak out" to support them.

"The people of Iran are crying out for freedom. All freedom-loving people must stand with their cause," she said at a news conference Tuesday.

Not all council members see a need to weigh in.

Russia's US embassy warned Monday against "external interference" in what it views as a domestic issue in the Islamic Republic; the two nations have close ties.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova went on to mock the US call for a UN discussion.

"The US delegation undoubtedly has something to share with the world. For example, Nikki Haley could share the American experience of dispersing protest rallies," Zakharova said on Facebook Wednesday, mentioning mass arrests during the Occupy Wall Street protests, among other things.

Russia's and Iran's UN missions didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday's Security Council meeting. Iran isn't a member.

The Iranian protests have given Trump a fresh avenue to try to muster world opinion against a nation he has decried since he ran for president.

After taking office last year, Trump refused this past fall to certify Iran's compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal that lifted some sanctions in return for Iran curbing its nuclear program. Trump said Tehran was getting disproportionate benefits, considering its concessions.

The US imposed new sanctions Thursday on five Iranian entities over their involvement in developing ballistic missiles.

While those sanctions were unrelated to the ongoing protests, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said more sanctions "targeting human rights abuses are coming."  AP.
Washington, January 5

The US has suspended more than USD 1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network within its border and showing unwillingness to take decisive actions against them.

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump in a New Year tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but lies and deceit and providing safe haven to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

READ: US aid freeze on Pak not linked to Saeed's release: Official

Prominent among the suspended amount include USD 255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

In addition, the Department of Defence has suspended the entire USD 900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.

Today we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance only, to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. We consider them to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters.

The US, she said, would not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it was required by law.

Referring to the new South Asia Policy announced by Trump in August, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continued to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plotted to destabilise Afghanistan and also attacked the US and allied personnel.

Department of Defence Spokesperson Lt Col Mike Andrews told PTI that the National Defence Authorisation Act, 2017, provided up to USD 900 million for Pakistan in CSF.

Of these funds, USD 400 million can only be released if the Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis certified that the Pakistan government had taken specific actions against the Haqqani Network.

At this stage all Fiscal Year 17 CSF have been suspended, so thats the entire amount of USD 900 million, Andrews said.

During an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis did not respond to question if he was in favour of cutting off the aid to Pakistan.

I prefer not to address that right now because its obviously still being formulated as policy. But Ill give my advice on it to the President. I also agree on some confidentiality there, he said.

According to a senior State Department official, no decision has been taken on the fate of USD 255 million security assistance to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.

The deadline for that is September 30 this year.

Mattis, along with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, had travelled to Pakistan in recent months to deliver tough message to their leadership. So, this action should not come as a surprise to them, Nauert said.

They may say its a surprise, but what is no surprise is that the President has expressed his concerns, Secretary Tillerson has expressed his concerns, as has Secretary Mattis, and I imagine many other government officials having those conversations with Pakistan, Nauert said.

Now, the money that had been suspended at this time did not mean that it would be suspended forever, she said.

Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps, she added.

People have long asked, why dont you do more about Pakistan, and I think this sort of answers that question. Obviously, Pakistan is important, an important relationship to the US, because together we can work hard to combat terrorism. Perhaps no other country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan and many other countries in that part of the region, she said.

They understand that, but still they arent taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism, she said.

In an interaction with reporters, two senior state department officials asserted that such a move is not a punishment, but to provide an incentive to Pakistan to take more action against terrorist groups.

We have not done anything thats irreversible here. All this funding is available to Pakistan, if they undertake to take the measures that weve asked of them, a senior administration official said in response to a question.

Noting that a country is going to react very differently to an irreversible step, the official hoped Pakistan would react differently that they would react to something which is reversible.

Pakistanis have repeatedly said they dont care about this money. What matters I think to the Pakistanis is that it is the symbolism of doing this that it represents a deterioration of our relationship that they care about a great deal, the official said.

So we were hoping that this is an incentive that they dont want to see this relationship deteriorate any further and that theyre going to commit to working with us to try to find a way to put it on a more solid footing, the official added.

According to another senior administration official, as part of the latest decision, the US will now not deliver military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless required by law.

Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis if theyre determined to be critical for national security interests, the official said, adding that this suspension is not a permanent cut-off at this time.

Security assistance funding and pending deliveries will be frozen but not cancelled as we continue to hope Pakistan will take the decisive action against terrorists and the militant groups that we seek, the official said, adding that the US did not intend to reprogram any funds at this time.

This suspension includes FMF 2016 (USD 255 million) as well as prior year FMF that has not yet been spent or delivered.

Final figures were still being calculated, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Suspension also includes coalition support funds for Pakistan.

However, the suspension does not include US civilian assistance programmes in Pakistan.

Pakistan remains an important country in the region and in the world and has historically been a vital partner for the US, the official said.

The State Department official defended the decision not to suspend civilian assistance.

We all have no reason to believe that civilian assistance represents any form of leverage. The elements of the Pakistani government that need to take the steps that were talking about are not touched by civilian assistance. So, it wouldnt make any sense to tie civilian assistance to those steps that were asking for, the official said.

The US has been holding regular talks with Pakistan, the official said, adding that they did not believe that talks were an impasse as reported in some section of the media.

We are having conversations on a weekly basis at senior levels with the Pakistanis. Our hope is not that they will see this as the end of the road, the official said.

Our hope is that they will see this as a further indication of this administrations immense frustration with the trajectory of our relationship and that they need to be serious about taking the steps we asked in order to put it on a more solid footing, the State Department Official said. PTI
By PTI: New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) Shares of Idea Cellular rallied for a second day, soaring nearly 14 per cent today after the company unveiled a plan to raise up to Rs 6,750 crore ahead of its merger with Vodafone. The stock after a positive opening jumped 12.91 per cent to Rs 118 on BSE. At NSE, shares of the company climbed 13.72 per cent to Rs 118.90. Idea Cellular yesterday unveiled a plan to raise up to Rs 6,750 crore which will alter the shareholding pattern of the company and have a bearing on its merger agreement with Vodafone.

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The board of Idea Cellular approved raising about Rs 3,250 crore from entities under the promoter Aditya Birla Group (ABG) and constituted a committee to evaluate potential routes for raising further capital of up to Rs 3,500 crore.

In a separate statement, Vodafone Group said that as a consequence of the change in shareholding in Idea following the capital raise, the two parties have agreed that ABG will buy a minimum of 2.5 per cent of the merged entity from Vodafone for Rs 1,960 crore. PTI SUM MR

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CATOOSA  A body was pulled from a residential pond Thursday night after authorities searched for several hours following reports that someone had fallen through the ice while skating.

The victim, a man, was about 47 years old. His identity was not released Thursday night, but Catoosa Police Chief Kevin McKim said he knew the man.

He would always have cookouts for first responders. He would cook hot dogs for us and invite us over. Wed go in the backyard and sit around and eat, McKim said. This is the kind of person this man is. Were a big family here in this town.

The body was recovered about 9:30 p.m.

The Catoosa Fire Department received a call about 3:25 p.m. concerning a person possibly falling through the ice on a pond.

When they arrived at the scene on Deer Valley Drive near Route 66, they were told that a UPS driver in the area had noticed someone skating on the pond, McKim said. When he drove back past the area after making deliveries, no one was on the pond, and he saw a hole in the ice.

A neighbor who lives near the pond flagged down the driver and said he thought someone had fallen through the ice. The UPS driver and the neighbor attempted a rescue, but the driver fell through the ice into water up to his neck, McKim said.

Emergency crews arrived and pulled him out of the water, and he was taken to a hospital. He was unable to speak due to hypothermia but is expected to fully recover, McKim said.

Multiple agencies, including the Tulsa Police Department dive team and the Catoosa police and fire departments, took part in the effort.
By PTI: By Harinder Mishra

Jerusalem, Jan 3 (PTI) A top Israeli arms firm has confirmed that India cancelled a USD 500 million deal to develop Spike anti-tank guided missiles and expressed "regret" over the decision just ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus first visit to the country.

"Rafael has now received an official notification from Indias Ministry of Defence concerning the cancellation of the Spike deal," Ishai David, a spokesman for the Rafael Advance Defence Systems Ltd, told PTI here.

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Spike, in use by 26 countries around the world, is said to have been selected by India after a long and rigorous process and after complying with all the defence procurement regulations.

"It should be emphasised that the cancellation was made prior to the signing of the contract and despite Rafaels compliance with all the demands," the company said in a statement.

"Rafael regrets the decision and remains committed to cooperating with the Indian Ministry of Defence and to its strategy of continuing to work in India, an important market, as it has for more than two decades, to provide India with the most advanced and innovative systems," it added.

The company did not give a reason for the cancellation of the deal.

The cancellation comes days before Netanyahus four-day visit to India starting January 14 and is likely to be taken up for discussion. Rafaels CEO would also be accompanying Netanyahu.

The company recently inaugurated its facilities in Hyderabad where the project was to be executed but company sources said that it is "designed to accommodate a number of other projects Rafael is engaged in with its Indian partners".

As per the original proposal, India had planned to acquire the ATGMs for the Army at a cost of USD 500 million.

The Indian defence ministry has been strongly pushing for transfer of technology in procuring various weapons and other platforms from foreign defence majors as part of its broad policy initiative to encourage domestic defence industry.

Official sources in New Delhi had earlier indicated that the proposal to acquire the missile system faced hurdles when Israeli side apparently expressed reservations in ensuring full transfer of technology as per the provisions of the Make in India initiative. PTI HM ZH AKJ ZH

--- ENDS ---
A UNHCR officer registers newly arrived refugees from the Central African Republic in Odoumian, Chad. Most are women and children who fled a recent flare up in violence in the northwest of the country.  UNHCR/Ezzat Habib Chami

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is registering and helping thousands of new refugees arriving in Chad, mostly women and children fleeing a recent flare-up in violence in the northwest of the Central African Republic (CAR).

More than 5,000 refugees are estimated to have arrived in southern Chad since late December, escaping clashes between the armed groups Mouvement national pour la liberation de la Centrafrique (MNLC) and Revolution et Justice (RJ) in the town of Paoua. Located in CARs prefecture of Ouham-Pende, the town also has an additional 20,000 people displaced internally.

With our government partners in Chad, UNHCR has so far registered some 2,350 new refugees in the village of Odoumian, located some 15 kilometres from the CAR border.

Many of the refugees trekked on foot to cross into the departments of Nya-Pende and Lam Mountains in Chad. Local officials say some 5,600 refugees have arrived since December 27, 2017, when the recent fighting started. Over 1,000 new refugees are also reported to have arrived at existing camps for CAR refugees near the town of Gore.

The influx is the largest movement of refugees from CAR, exceeding the total number for 2017, when about 2,000 fled into Chad. Many are reporting widespread human rights abuses committed by the members of these armed groups in villages alongside the CAR-Chad border.

The border with CAR is officially closed. UNHCR welcomes the humanitarian gesture of the Chadian authorities in allowing refugees seeking international protection inside its territory despite the closure.

The UN Refugee Agency is also helping Chadian authorities to register and aid refugees. With its partners, UNHCR is also providing medical check-ups for the many refugees arriving in poor health, some unable to walk.

Chad hosts over 75,000 refugees from CAR  out of the total 545,000 hosted in all neighbouring countries.

Inside CAR, the humanitarian situation significantly deteriorated during the second half of 2017. Armed violence and attacks against humanitarians and peacekeepers have provoked a 50 per cent increase in the number of internally displaced people  bringing the total number from 400,000 in May to 600,000 by the end of the year. The total number of refugees and internally displaced is the highest ever recorded for CAR  almost one-fourth of the population of around 4.6 million.



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President tells ECN to hold talks with parties

Kathmandu, Jan 5 (UNI) Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has suggested to the Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) to hold discussion with political parties if it was under pressure from the parties to announce parliamentary proportional representation election results.

During a meeting at the Office of the President, Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav and other commissioners complained that they were under intense pressure from political parties as well as their sister wings to announce election results, according to the presidents Chief Personal Secretary Bhesh Raj Adhikari.

The President suggested to ECN officials to hold discussion with parties to ease tensions, said Adhikari.
Leading global agencies agree that India is set to be the fastest growing major economy in the world in 2018. Will it also create more jobs and lessen rural distress?

By Prabhash K Dutta: Referring to forecast by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), India's permanent representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin posted a tweet this morning to drum up country's economic growth rate.

Syed Akbaruddin wrote on Twitter: "Different drum, same beat. India, yet again, projected to be amongst the best-performing economies in 2018."

The EIU has predicted a GDP growth rate of about 8 per cent for India. "With China losing momentum, India will be Asia's fastest-growing large economy in 2018?22, expanding at an average annual rate of 8 per cent," it said.

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India is expected to grow at the second fastest rate after Dominica, which is about half the size of Delhi. India is the only big economy to find a spot in the top ten performers in terms of GDP growth rate, according to the EIU forecast for 2018.

Different drum, same beat. India, yet again, projected to be amongst the best-performing economies in 2018 - courtesy @TheEconomist pic.twitter.com/9Q4I2j7SKZ- Syed Akbaruddin (@AkbaruddinIndia) January 5, 2018

By the evening, data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said that the GDP growth rate for 2017-18 was estimated at 6.5 against 7.1 per cent for the previous year.

The CSO estimate is a four-year low GDP growth rate for the country. It clearly indicates that despite agencies predicting India to grow fastest, the challenges for the Narendra Modi government are likely to be daunting in 2018.

MAINTAINING HIGH GROWTH RATE

In January-March quarter 2016, India emerged as the fastest growing economy surpassing China with 7.9 per cent GDP growth rate. Thereafter, the Indian economy went on a downhill for next five consecutive quarters before recovering in the June-September 2017 quarter.

In between, the GDP growth rate hit 5.7 per cent mark for April-June 2017 quarter - the lowest in three years. The growth rate rebounded with 6.3 per cent figures for July-September 2017.

Maintaining high growth rate is going to be a major challenge for the Narendra Modi government. There are some positive signs, though. Besides the EIU, the Fitch Ratings' Global Economic Outlook has also placed India at the top among the ten largest emerging markets.

It estimates India to grow at 6.7 per cent per annum for next five years. China and Indonesia are likely to be joint second-fastest growing economies with an annual GDP growth rate of 5.5 per cent over the same period.

Moody's has recently upgraded India's sovereign credit for the first time in 13 years. India has registered a jump of 30 places on the index of ease of doing business to come in top 100. Stock market registered a growth of about 30 per cent during the year.

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Still, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reduced the GDP growth rate forecast for India from 7.7 per cent to 7.4 per cent for April 2018-March 2019 period.

WHAT ABOUT REFORMS IN 2018?

While the GDP growth rate was on downward spiral, the Narendra Modi government introduced two big reforms that cause major disruptions in the economy. Demonetisation wiped out 86 per cent of money flow in one stroke in November 2016. It jolted the unorganised sector severely.

As the sector started to show some signs of recovery, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was rolled out in July last year. The GST rollout hit the manufacturing sector, among others, hard.

Demonetisation and GST rollout broke the traditional supply chain of agricultural products worsening agrarian crisis. The two big-ticket reforms are lauded for pushing India towards more formal economy but during the period of their implementation most of the states have witnessed increasing protests by farmers.

Banks are in bad shape with the non-performing assets emerging as their biggest headache. The government has already infused 2.1 lakh crore to revive public sector banks. The government yesterday decided to push Rs 80,000 crore more into PSU banks.

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With the Lok Sabha elections to take place in less than 18 months, it is more likely that the government will increase its public sector expenditure and allocate more funds to social welfare schemes. Further economic reforms are not expected over till the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

RURAL DISTRESS AND AGRARIAN CRISIS

Agrarian crisis and rural distress have taken many forms in various states over the last three years. Jats in Haryana, Patidars in Gujarat, Kapus in Andhra Pradesh and Marathas in Maharashtra took to streets seeking quota in government jobs. Dalit groups have demanded quota in private sector jobs.

Farmers from Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and other states have staged protests on several occasions. The BJP governments in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra announced special loan waiver schemes for farmers.

In Tamil Nadu, the Centre announced a relief package for farmers besides the aid given by the state government. In Punjab, the newly elected Captain Amarinder Singh government has sought Centre's help in dealing with agrarian crisis and rural distress. Same is the case with West Bengal and Bihar.

The data on rural consumption suggest that these regions are facing decreasing purchasing power. Rural distress and employment are intricately interlinked. And, this is where the government has failed miserably.

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JOBS ARE BIGGEST WORRY

In the run up to the 2014 elections, Narendra Modi, as prime ministerial candidate, had promised 2 crore jobs every year after coming into power. But, the economists have explained the handsome GDP figures under Modi government as "jobless growth".

Though there is no concrete study, demonetisation is estimated to have caused loss of millions of jobs after November 2016. The quarter preceding GST rollout registered a huge cut in production by manufacturing units. It was followed by massive layoffs in both organised and unorganised sectors.

Agriculture, construction and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the biggest employers in the country. These sectors were badly hit by demonetisation and GST rollout. The two reforms have aggravated the unemployment situation in the country.

This leads to the moot question: Can the fastest growing major economy of the world produce enough jobs and lessen distress in rural areas in 2018?

ALSO WATCH | Union minister's shocker: Piyush Goyal calls job loss a good sign

--- ENDS ---
When they were confronted by Indian troops, they returned but left their road building equipment including excavators.

One of the excavator machines left behind by the Chinese personnel was damaged by locals. (Photo courtesy: Yuvraj Mehta)

By Manogya Loiwal : According to locals in Bishing village near McMahon line, Arunachal Pradesh, Chinese personnel were caught doing track alignment construction work in the area.

When they were confronted by Indian troops, they returned but left their road building equipment including excavators. One of the excavators was damaged by locals.

The closest town to Bishing village is Tuting which is 40 kms away.

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Yingkiong is the headquarters of Upper Siang District in Arunachal Pradesh and Tuting town is more than 100km from Yingkiong.

It is believed that two brigades of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) - namely the 52 Mountain Brigade and 53 Mountain Brigade - are located in the town of Nyingchi in Mainling district.

The rugged area has mountains ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 metres, with most towns and villages located along the Brahmaputra, or Yarlung Tsangpo as the river is known on the Chinese side.

Construction of roads and tracks started in the late 1990s. Connectivity with Lhasa in the west and Chengdu in the east was bad in the past.

Google Earth satellite images from 14 November 2017 provide a startling insight into the Chinese infrastructure build-up in this remote area.

Several barracks, buildings and warehouses have been constructed for the PLA over the past 2-4 years in the Nyingchi area.

Recent satellite images reveal new constructions, most likely for the PLA, near the Mainling airport.

There are five large C-shaped three-storey buildings, along with 16 big sheds to accommodate both tracked and wheeled vehicles.

These garages and buildings could serve the needs of almost 2 mechanised brigades. The Nyingchi area can easily accommodate a division plus strength.

Considering the Doklam and Nyingchi divisions (if not division plus) of the Chinese PLA, it would require at least four Indian corps level formations to tackle Chinese troops in this mountainous terrain if a 1:6 or 1:9 ratio is considered sufficient.

Sources say China had planned a railway line between Lhasa and Nyingchi along the Brahmaputra, which was supposed to be completed by 2021.

(With inputs from Yuvraj Mehta)

Watch: Chinese building equipment found in Arunachal Pradesh village

--- ENDS ---
An Italian glamour model promised to perform oral sex on people who'd vote 'no' in Italy's referendum which could have undermined the political balance in the country. As many as 19 million people voted 'no' which kicked off the model's tour, however, after she was bit by a dog, she had to suspend the tour.

By India Today Web Desk: Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi proposed a referendum which would have reduced the powers of the senate. According to many people, the referendum had the capacity to undermine the political balance in the country.

Italian voters were asked whether they wanted to amend the constitution to change how parliament is run and the Italian voters rejected the proposals.

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As many people teamed up to go against the referendum, an Italian glamour model offered oral sex to everyone who voted 'no' in Italy's referendum.

Italian model Paola Saulino promised to perform oral sex on the 19 million voters who said no. Paola claimed that she will complete her 10-city Pompa (Pompa, meaning pump, is also Italian slang for oral sex) tour and found herself 'a little bit tired' after the first leg of referendum oral sex tour.

Ever since the voting, she claims to have been on the tour and by March last year, Paola said she had fellated 400 men, according to a Daily Mail report.

However, after a friend's dog reportedly bit her mouth and nose during a Halloween party in October, Paola says she has had to curtail her activities on the advice of her doctors, she told The Sun.

Describing the incident she told The Sun, "I started to pet it on its spine, after a few seconds the dog had a weird reaction, all of the sudden it moved its head to my face and I remember I was able to see its muzzle and fang closed (over) my eyes."

She further added, "I felt its bite on my face and I could smell its odour and see its saliva. Thank God it didn't proceed biting my face otherwise I could be totally disfigured now."

Explaining why she could not carry on with her Pompa tour, the 27-year-old model told The Sun, "The doctor suggested me to not do big movements with my mouth for several months. Reducing physical activity of my face helps it heal better, to cure the scar on the inside."

"After all I've learnt from this experience, I decided that my b*** j*** can wait for now, and my decision is to care of my health and heal my face."

According to an RT report, since the vote, Paola has also brought down her target of performing the act on every 'no' voter and is now going for for what she believes to be a far more achievable target of 1 million people.

--- ENDS ---

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The train burst into flames after colliding with a truck. (Photo: Twitter/Mani Maken)

KROONSTAD, South Africa: A passenger train smashed into a truck at a level crossing in South Africa on Thursday (Jan 4), killing at least 18 people, injuring 254 and throwing several carriages off the rails.

Flames ripped through the twisted wreckage and choking black smoke rose into the air as desperate passengers clambered out of the train travelling from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg to escape the inferno.

Tiaan Esterhuizen, who was travelling on the train as he returned from holiday, attempted to rescue three women who were trapped in a burning passenger wagon.

"I saw around 12 cars on their side and one was already burning. We heard some women screaming when we came closer' so a few of us climbed over the cars," he told the Times LIVE news site.

"Two of the women were sort of on top of each other. Another was further back. Her legs were trapped. One of the women was shouting that there was a baby inside also.

"We searched but could not find the child ... I am quite sure those women burned to death."

TRUCK DRIVER BLAMED

Rescuers rushed to the scene to search for survivors and treat the injured. Officials warned the toll could rise as operations continued to clear the crash site.

"Police are investigating. The truck driver was taking chances ... that cost lots of lives," Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi told reporters at the scene.

"The truck driver has been taken to hospital where we are going to do a blood test to verify if he was sober or not, or what was the problem."

The Shosholoza Meyl rail company, which operates long-distance trains in South Africa, said the train travelling from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg collided with the truck at about 09.00am (3.00pm Singapore time).

It said the truck had made an "untimely" crossing of the tracks when it was hit by a train at high speed, between the towns of Hennenman and Kroonstad, 200 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg.

One of the derailed carriages was the power generator behind the locomotive car. It caught fire and the flames spread rapidly.

Shosholoza Meyl said there were 429 passengers on board.

Mthuthuzeli Swartz, the acting chief executive of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa's rail division confirmed that 18 people had been killed and 254 injured, adding that it would be "tragic and unexpected" for the death toll to increase further.

"The pathologists who are here have given us the assurance they are convinced that the number of dead, 18, will be the final number," he told AFP adding that only 88 crash survivors remained in hospital.

Maswanganyi said in a statement that an investigation to determine the circumstances of the crash had been launched.

HOLIDAY TRAVELLERS

Some victims were treated on a strip of grass beside the railway line while others were taken to hospital. Uninjured passengers waited on a nearby road, some of them carrying their luggage.

The New Year is a busy period for transport in South Africa, with railways and roads carrying passengers returning to work after the holidays.

In 2015, 15 people were killed in eastern South Africa when a mini-bus taxi fell from a bridge onto railway tracks and was hit by a train.

In 2016-17, 495 people were killed on the country's railways according to the Railway Safety Regulator - an increase of eight per cent on the previous year.
Vehicles seen during a massive winter storm in New York City. From Maine to Florida every state along the east coast is expected to have to deal with winter weather. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images/AFP)

Four people were reported killed in the southeastern states of North and South Carolina, where icy roads sent vehicles skittering.

A cold wave gripping a large section of the United States had already been blamed for a dozen earlier deaths.

Thousands of flights were cancelled and schools were closed in many localities as snow piled up and blizzard conditions began taking hold in the northeast.

Temperatures were so low in northern New York that Niagara Falls - the giant waterfalls straddling the US-Canadian border - froze.

Relief in the form of warmer temperatures was not expected until next week, according to the National Weather Service, and the snow was not expected to taper off until late Friday as the storm moves northeastward into Canada.

'BOMBOGENESIS'

Weather forecasters dubbed the event a "bomb cyclone" - their nickname for a phenomenon known as "bombogenesis," in which a weather system experiences a sharp drop in atmospheric pressure and intensifies rapidly, unleashing hurricane-force winds.

Americans along the East Coast faced potential power outages in bitterly cold sub-freezing temperatures - so far, some 24,000 customers in Virginia, 9,000 in Massachusetts, and thousands more in Georgia, South Carolina and Florida already affected.

The southeast was the first to feel the storm's icy lash - Florida saw its first snow in nearly three decades.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper lamented the deaths of three people in his state, including two killed when their pickup truck slid off a bridge and landed on its roof in a creek bed.

Roads were closed in northern Florida and southeastern Georgia, where Governor Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency in coastal areas.

'VERY DANGEROUS'

With up to 30.5 centimetres of snow expected in parts of New York, accompanied by powerful wind gusts, schools were closed. More than a foot of the white stuff was expected in Boston.

Mayor Bill de Blasio urged New Yorkers to stay off the roads and take the storm "very seriously." The storm could bring "very dangerous conditions," he warned on Wednesday.

Wind gusts of up to 88.5 kilometres per hour were expected through Friday on Long Island and southeastern Connecticut, with wind chills as low as minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 29 Celsius), increasing the risk of frostbite and hypothermia from prolonged exposure.

"Very anomalous and potent winter storm system currently developing as it moves northward towards New England bringing multiple hazards: moderate to heavy snow, low visibility, strong to damaging winds, coastal flooding, and hazardous seas," the National Weather Service said.

"Anticipate travel and economic impacts today and tonight with accumulating snow and white-out conditions. Expect downed trees and power lines resulting in scattered to widespread outages."

TRAVEL DISRUPTIONS

Airlines have scrapped more than 3,700 flights into and out of the United States so far due to the storm, and delayed 1,400 others, according to flight tracker FlightAware.

Nearly 75 percent of flights out of Boston and New Jersey's Newark airports were cancelled due to the adverse weather conditions, though only about a quarter of flights to and from New York's main John F. Kennedy airport were scrapped.

Air France announced it was cancelling all flights on Thursday and Friday from Paris to New York and Boston.

Winter storm warnings were in effect from the Mid-Atlantic region northward through New England.

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency.

"Virginians living in the impacted areas should stay off the roadways to allow local and state road crews and first responders to do their jobs safely and efficiently," he said.

"With continued frigid temperatures expected to last for several more days, road conditions will remain treacherous beyond the expected end of the snowfall today," he added.

National rail line Amtrak cancelled service between Washington and Newport News, Virginia.

In Washington, despite only a dusting of snow, federal agencies opened two hours late, many schools were closed and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced the chamber would hold no further votes this week, shortening what was already a short workweek due to the New Year's holiday.

Senators had only returned to the upper chamber on Wednesday, and they face a series of critical votes in the coming weeks, including on funding to prevent a government shutdown and spending cuts.
Visitors at the Culture-Tourism Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups

The highlight will be performances of then -, the Tay groups songs which are usually sung in early Spring and at rituals such as ancestors worshipping ceremony and celebrations of new home or birthday of the elderly.

The performances will take place at the Tay ethnic hamlet in the Village, along with folk games and a space for tea lovers to learn about tea processing and tea drinking practice.

The Muong ethnic hamlet will host the re-enactment of the dam duong (rice pounding), a ritual performed by Muong women in the early morning of the first day of a year.

Traditional art theatres will stage many shows of cheo (traditional operetta), chau van (singing at trance rituals) and other folk dances and songs throughout the month.

Visitors can also take one-day homestay tours to experience the daily life of ethnic minority people.

The Culture-Tourism Village regularly organizes events to promote traditional cultural values and bolster exchanges among ethnic groups while attract tourists to the site.

Last month, a kaleidoscope of Vietnams ethnic culture, rituals and cuisine was introduced at the village.

Highlight of the event was the Mountainous market fair, which featured the northwest and northeast regions specialties, demonstrations of traditional handicraft making and folk games and traditional songs and dances by ethnic people.

In 2017, the Village served more than 415,000 visitors. It aims to attract 550,000 visitors this year.
Police swooped in on Bhaidas hall in Vile Parle in Mumbai and stopped the organisers from holding a program of which Mewani and Khalid were to be part.

By Vidya : After its programme with Jignesh Mewani and Umar Khalid was stopped by the police, student organisation Chhatra Bharati has now decided to take the discussion online. The discussion will take place on Chhatra Bharati's Facebook page. All the speakers will join in irrespective of their location as Umar and Mewani will not be able to enter the state.

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Police swooped in on Bhaidas hall in Vile Parle in Mumbai and stopped the organisers from holding a programme of which Mewani and Khalid were to be part. Many have called this police action 'cowardly'.

Some of the students at Vile Parle venue said, "We were asked to come out of the hall saying that the hall was to be checked for any bombs and when we were outside we were not let in. So we started protesting so for that we were detained then."

Maharashtra legislator Kapil Patil, who was also one of the speakers at the event, said, "There are approximately 700 to 800 students who have been detained and taken to various police stations. Some are at Juhu, many have been sent to Santacruz, DN Nagar and other police stations."

After couple of hours of detention at the police station, the students were let off. Many from Nashik, Sangamner and other places said they were upset with police station. Many had luggage that they had carried for the trip. Other speakers of the All India Student Summit included Allahabad University student leader Richa Singh and JNU student leader Pradeep Narwal.

Gujarat MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani was due to speak at the programme along with JNU student leader Umar Khalid. Both face accusations of inciting violence at Bhima-Koregaon a few days ago. The police said that the permission to the programme was cancelled because of the gag order against the two.

However, Chhatra Bharati claims otherwise. The student organisation said that programme was decided two months ago with inclusion of Mewani and Khalid as speakers.

"We had received all permissions for the annual programme. Till last night, police claimed that they will extend all help. But all of a sudden, they cracked down on the programme," said Chhatra Bharati's Mumbai president.

NCP leader Vidya Chavan condemned the police action.

"A government which cracks down on students programme cannot be supported in anyway. All opposition should unite against this action by government," said Chavan.

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Other speakers attending the programme included Allahabad University student leader Richa Singh and JNU student leader Pradeep Narwal.

Richa and Pradeep said the whereabouts of Jignesh Mewani and Umar Khalid are not known as police has taken them away.

--- ENDS ---
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini addressed Britain's departure from the bloc during a visit to Cuba, saying the union will "survive" and remain strong. (Photo: AFP/Jorge Luis Banos)

"Many believed that the referendum in the United Kingdom (on leaving the EU) was going to be the beginning of the end of the European Union," Federica Mogherini said during a two-day visit to Cuba.

"I'm very positive on the fact that the Union is not only going to survive, but it's going to go deeper," Mogherini said.

"The world needs the European Unions to stay strong, and so, this is what are we are going to do," she said.

Britons voted 52 to 48 per cent in June 2016 in favor of quitting the EU, putting their country on track to become the first to leave the bloc.

Britain began what is expected to be two years of difficult divorce negotiations with a formal notification by letter to the EU president in March 2017.

The talks between London and Brussels are set to move on to transition arrangements, trade and security as Britain prepares to leave the European Union in March 2019.
A snowplow clears a road leading to the French Alps ski resort of Les Menuires on Jan 4, 2018. (Photo: AFP/Jean-Pierre Clatot)

With the mountains packed with skiiers for the school holidays, major resort Val d'Isere closed its runs for the day because of heavy snowfall, while Chamonix said it was shutting many of its lifts as a precautionary measure.

"The objective is to keep everyone safe," said David Ponson, ski chief in the Alpine Savoie region, as many pistes were shut for a second day.

At the other extreme, nearly 400 firefighters on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica were battling blazes fanned by Eleanor's strong gusts of wind, with three people injured in a fire overnight.

Three hundred goats were killed in the blaze at Chiatra-Canale di Verde near the island's east coast and 10 homes burnt - five of them completely destroyed, local authorities said.

The prefecture added that the intensity of the blazes was "exceptional in the middle of winter." Troops from the local airbase have been deployed to help fight the flames.

Eleanor, the fourth winter storm to hit Europe since December, swept into the continent on Wednesday after battering Britain and Ireland.

It has left at least five people dead, including a 21-year-old skiier hit by a falling tree in France and a couple in their 60s swept away on Spain's northern Basque coast by a huge wave.

On Thursday, firefighters said a woman in her 90s died of a heart attack in Crets-en-Belledonne in the French Alps after floods sent a torrent of mud and water into her home.

And a farmer in Savoie was found dead under a snowslide.

Meanwhile a French volunteer firefighter was reported missing after rushing to help when a car plunged into an overflowing river in the Alpine village of Le Moutaret.

At Lenk in central Switzerland, eight people were hurt when a violent gust of wind overturned a railway carriage.

DAMAGE WORTH MILLIONS

In the Netherlands, Eleanor has dealt about 10 million (US$12 million) of damage to buildings and cars, the Dutch insurers' union estimated, cited by public television.

The whole of Spain's northern coast remained on "orange" alert - the second highest on a four-point scale - because of the risk from strong winds and large waves.

More than 40 towns in southwestern Spain have meanwhile brought forward their annual Epiphany feast parades - celebrating the coming of the three wise men with gifts for Jesus - to Thursday because of heavy rain forecast on Friday.

The worst of the storm appeared to have passed by Thursday, though much of eastern France was still on "orange" alert for heavy winds, floods and avalanches.

"The intensity of the rain and melting snow bring a risk of floods via overflowing streams and mudslides," warned forecaster Cecile Coleou.

About 29,000 French homes remained without power, a third of them in Corsica.

Germany lowered its alert for violent winds on Wednesday evening, but high tides were worrying several states, including in the Moselle Valley where heavy downpours have halted boat traffic.

The Rhine river was set to surge to seven metres on Thursday and was still rising, the Bild newspaper reported. River traffic will be suspended if it hits 8.3 metres.

The storm had snarled air traffic on Wednesday, briefly shutting the Strasbourg and Basel-Mulhouse airports and delaying departures from Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.

It also played havoc with road and rail transport, leaving branches, electrical lines and other debris strewn across tracks and highways.
This acquisition is still being inspected by the Vietnam Competition Authority

The Vietnam Competition Authority under the Ministry of Industry and Trade has set its eyes on the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deal between the two largest local electronic retailersMWG and TAG. Based on the acquisition documents and collecting opinions from similar businesses in the market, the authority defined that MWGs market share of IT products before the acquisition was over 30 per cent.

According to Article 18 of the Law on Competition, an economic concentration is prohibited if the combined market share of the two participating enterprises is more than 50 per cent.

The department said it will continue to oversee the activities of MWG in the retail market for household electronic devices and IT products to detect any abuse of its dominant position in accordance with the law.

Regarding the process of this deal, a representative of MWG said that the transaction has been finished and company leaders have started taking part in Tran Anhs supermarket operations in October 2017.

Tran Anhs revenue was VND2.4 trillion ($105.5 million) in the first nine months of 2017. They expect to hit over VND4 trillion ($176 million) in 2018. The merger of Tran Anh and MWG will increase MWGs scale to become the biggest retailer in the country and raise the business efficiency of Dien May Xanh, Tran Anh, and their suppliers.

MWG said that the two companies total retail market share was over 30 per cent at the time of the merger. The Dien May Xanh retail chain is popular nationwide but needs to rise its presence in Hanoi and big northern cities. Meanwhile, Tran Anh is a popular retail brand in the region with 34 large-scale electronics supermarkets in prime locations.

First, MWG will maintain the name Tran Anh but customers will enjoy MWG-standard after-sales policies and service quality.

Several days earlier, the MWG Board of Management approved buying 23.6 million shares, equivalent to 95.2 per cent of Tran Anhs charter capital. Thereby, MWG acquired the shares of nine shareholders, including 7.7 million shares from Nojima Corporation (equivalent to 30.9 per cent of the charter capital), 10.9 million shares of Tran Xuan Kien and his wife (44.2 per cent), and six other shareholders.

In case the authority finds that MWG and Tran Anh together hold more then 50 per cent of the home electronics and IT products market, the deal would violate Article 18 of the Law on Competition, essentially negating its legality and causing heaps of trouble for both companies forced to revert changes.

Mobile World officially acquires Phuc An Khang Pharmacy Tran Kinh Doanh, a member of the Mobile World Group (MWG) Board of Directors, confirmed that the company has acquired Phuc An Khang Pharmacy to officially set foot in the pharmaceutical sector.

Tran Anh reveals larger loss before MWG merger On the verge of a merger with Mobile World Investment Corporation (MWG), Tran Anh Digital World JSC (Tran Anh Digital) revealed a net loss of VND11.8 billion ($519,672), exceeding the net loss stated in its self-reported financial statement by VND4.8 billion ($211,392).
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has called for strict punishments for organisations and individuals who commit violations in land-use and management.- Photo tuoitre.vn

The PM ordered that those who commited violations in handing over, leasing land or switching land-use purposes, land registration, granting land certificate must be punished strictly.

In particular, tough punishments must be imposed on heads of organisations and units which loosen management on land encroachment, transfer, illegal land-use changes and unauthorised land handovers.

Land auctions must follow regulations, especially the auction of golden land to avoid waste to State budget and corruption.

The Ministry of Defence has been assigned to work with the Government Inspectorate, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and peoples committees of provinces and cities at central level to review and investigate the management and use of defence land nationwide.

Any violations such as illegal use, lease or encroachment of defence land must be dealt with. Heads of organisations and units involved in violations will also be fined. Investigation results must be reported to the Prime Minister no later than November 30 this year.

Authorised agencies have been asked to review the use of agricultural land donated for clinics, markets, community houses and other public places. They also have plans to relocate people out of dangerous areas.

The Government Inspectorate, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and peoples committees in provinces and cities at central level have also been asked to address prolonged land disputes, lawsuits and denouncements and propose solutions.

The PM also urged the setup of a land database to reduce administrative procedures and better serve people and enterprises in assessing land to implement investment and business projects.

The PM required chairpersons of provinces and cities at central level to compile and issue detailed regulations on the implementation of Land Law, make amendments or remove expired or inappropriate regulations, or ask competent agencies to do so.
Big shot Hanoi buyers are looking to spread the wealth to the provinces

A range of real estate projects have been introduced to Hanois market from Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Danang and Nha Trang. The projects include The Charm, Sunrise City, Ocean Villas, Hyatt Regency, Olalani, Fusion Alya, Azura and Blooming Park.

Talking with VIR at a recent road show to introduce Sunrise City, located in Ho Chi Minh, in Hanoi, Novaland Joint Stock Company marketing deputy director Huynh Du An said many units were sold to Hanoians and those from northern provinces.

Meanwhile, a range of other central and southern projects have been rushing into Hanoi. Setia Becamex launched Binh Duong provinces Ecolakes My Phuoc in the capital late last week, a week before TD Group introduced the Costa Nha Trang to Hanoians. This week Singapores Guoco Lands Canary, located at the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park in Binh Duong province, will be unveiled to northern customers.

Bringing Ecolakes My Phuoc to Hanois market is one of our key marketing strategies. Hanoians are paying more attention to higher standards of living and are interested in ecological housing, said Khoo Teck Chong, general director of Setia Becamex.

VIR was told that for many projects in the central and southern parts, roughly 70 per cent of customers were from Hanoi and other northern provinces.

Matthew Koziora, sales director of VinaCapital - developer of the Azura in Danang, said the first 60 units, out of 225, were launched in Hanoi recently.

Out of the 40 units sold, 90 per cent of the buyers had come from Hanoi.

Hanoi has, according to Koziora, proven itself to be a key market for most new projects in Vietnam, given the demographics of these immediate catchments.

While condominium offerings will always be available in Hanoi due to previous pent-up demands, we can see that not all projects will enjoy a healthy sell-through, as was seen 12 months ago.

We do see, however, given the price differentials between house and land packages in Hanoi versus Ho Chi Minh City, that this market will be better received in the current marketplace and over the next six months as opposed to condominium project offerings at this time, Koziora said

Ngo Huu Truong, managing director of a real estate agency in Ho Chi Minh City, said many customers from Hanoi and Haiphong had come to Ho Chi Minh City to find out information about new projects there.

Demand is real and many projects investors have realised this trend and they are coming to Hanoi to promote their projects, Truong said.

He also said the jury was still out on how effective the promotions were.

I think that these developers [who bring their projects to Hanoi] have at least seen their target to raise their image and brand names in northern customers, Truong said.
Fabrice Bregier, Airbus chief operating officer and president of Commercial Aircraft (middle) received a warm welcome by Vietjet vice president Nguyen Thanh Hung (left) and Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao (right) during his visit to Vietjets head office in Ho Chi Minh City

The upgrade order was a result of the recent agreement signed between Vietjet president and CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao and Fabrice Bregier, Airbus chief operating officer and president of Commercial Aircraft. Accordingly, the airline has a total of 73 A321neo and 11 A321ceo on order for future delivery.

The new A321neo is the 17th aircraft that Vietjet received in 2017, increasing its total fleet to 55.

Closing a successful 2017 with a tremendously improved repertoire of new domestic and international flight routes as well as skyrocketing passenger count, Vietjets optimism knows no bounds in 2018.

The low-cost airline has been one of the worlds most dynamically growing aviation companies, posting impressive achievements throughout the past year and setting itself up for even better business in the year ahead.

Updating the order to the Airbus A321 model and receiving the first A321neo model in all of Southeast Asia is not only a tremendously effective publicity stunt: the new airplanes will be a valuable addition to Vietjets budding fleet, reinforcing the already market-leading advantages of the airline.

While sporting the very latest in engine design, advanced aerodynamics, and cabin innovations, the new aircrafts will help further streamline operations by increasing efficiency and reducing costs (a whopping 16 per cent from day one and 20 per cent by 2020 in fuel consumption just from the new-generation GTF engines), the very areas that a modern airlines business hinges on.

Vietjet Management Board welcomes the delivery delegate of A321neo, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, at Tan Son Nhat International Airport

The A320neo aircraft has greatly contributed to Vietjets impressive operation performance with the airlines technical reliability rate standing at 99.6 per cent in 2017. The aircraft family has also helped us maintain some of the lowest operating costs in the airline world, said Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, president and CEO of Vietjet. The upgraded A321neo deal once again emphasises Vietjet's ceaseless efforts to modernise our fleet. We believe that the technical reliability rate and other operation and safety indexes will continue to increase in order to bring maximum comfort, joy, and safety to our valued passengers.

The upgraded models are expected to bring further gains in all indices related to efficiency, operations, and safety. The new GTF engines alone will cut fuel expenses and reduce noise by 75 per cent and emissions by 50 per centwithout counting improved aerodynamics.

Vietjet president and CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao (right) together with vice president Dinh Viet Phuong (left) and vice president Luong The Phuc (middle) boarding the new aircraft

We are proud when a dynamic airline like Vietjet endorses our products, said Fabrice Bregier, Airbus chief operating officer and president of Commercial Aircraft. The A321neo combines higher capacity with the lowest operating costs in its class, offering unbeatable efficiency. This aircraft will be a real asset in Vietjets expansion plans in such a fast-growing market. We look forward to seeing the A321neo flying in Vietjet colours.

Passengers stand to gain tremendously from the larger airplanes with more spacious and top-of-the-line cabin design, providing for improved comfort at extremely competitive prices.

As Vietjet has 73 A321neo and 11 A321ceo planes on future delivery, the new airplane line stands to revolutionise the carriers entire fleet operationsnot only by more than doubling its fleet, but by reducing average expenditure by aircraft, and promising opening a myriad new direct routes to exciting and popular destinations around the world.

Klaus Rowe, Airbus senior vice president of A320 Family Program (left, first) handed the A321neo trophy to Vietjet vice president Nguyen Duc Thinh (left, second) and flight crew representatives at Airbus factory in Hamburg, Germany

This new agreement is nothing short of Vietjet throwing down the gauntlet to the world aviation industry by announcing that it has every plan to forge ahead and expand to new destinations.

Vietjet has already carried more than 50 million passengers and opened 78 routes in Vietnam and across the region to international destinations such as Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar and Cambodia.

In 2018, the airline is admittedly planning to expand its network across the Asia-Pacific, a process it has already started by signing agreements with the worlds leading aircraft manufacturers and other airlines, such as Qatar Airways (interline agreement) and Japan Airlines (comprehensive partnership), not to mention the bustling activities of Thai Vietjet.

Vietjet improving regional rank with first A321neo in Southeast Asia With the breakingthrough decision to upgrade the order for 42 A320neo aircraft to the larger and superior A321neo models, Vietjet became the first and only airline in Southeast Asia to operate Airbus aircrafts equipped with Pratt & Whitneys latest-generation GTF engines.

Vietnams top five IPOs in 2017 The five enterprises having the most substantial contribution to augmenting the size of the Vietnamese stock market in 2017 are Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Petrolimex, VPBank, and Vincom Retail.

Vietjet CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao makes an impression at APEC Vietnam 2017 Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, CEO of fledging local budget carrier Vietjet and the first female billionaire of Vietnam and Southeast Asia, made a memorable stage appearance at the APEC Vietnam 2017, side-by-side with top politicians and business leaders from around the world.

Vietjet and Pratt &Whitney sign aircraft engine deal On the occasion of the APEC Vietnam 2017 and first state visit to Vietnam by US President Donald Trump, Vietjet and Pratt & Whitney, a world leader in the design, manufacturing, and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units announced the selection of the PurePower Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine to power the airlines ten new aircrafts.
Guitarist Nguyen Ba Truong Son from The Children rock band performed at the previous RockFire concert. - Photo courtesy of the organiser

The 10th RockFire music show gathers seven rock bands including Recycle, The Children, SinX, Shadetree, Clowns, Savage Monkey and Razo Rleaf. They play in various styles such as pop punk, pop rock, hardcore punk, indie, metal and alternative rock.

The event will be hosted by the Ha Noi Architectural University and First & Last Records Company from Japan.

Thanh Hai, representative of the organiser, said the music show will be a rendezvous for young people to come and enjoy rock, no matter where they are from.

We expect that the show will help connect and inspire people with music, and passion, he said. Rock is the music of free attitude, enthusiasm and creativity.

The show will take place at the university on Nguyen Trai Street, Thanh Xuan District. Entrance is free.
In an exclusive interview with TVTN Managing Editor Rahul Kanwal, Dalit leader and MLA Jignesh Mevani said the Hardik Patels, Alpesh Thakors and Jignesh Mevanis of India will restrict BJP below 100 seats in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

By India Today Web Desk: Dalit leader and Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani, who is undeterred by the first information report (FIR) lodged against him for allegedly promoting enmity between communities in Pune, is confident of pinning down the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) below the 100-seat mark in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

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In an exclusive interview with India Today, the confident Young Turk from Gujarat said that "if the Hardik Patels, Alpesh Thakors and Jignesh Mevanis of the country join forces, the BJP will be restricted to double digits in the general elections". Mevani said, "The entire progressive lot, victims of Gujarat model of development, marginalised youth and the poor should unite against the BJP."

What is Mevani's roadmap to restricting the BJP below 100 seats especially when the Opposition is not united? Mevani said that demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) have already alienated the youth. "Demonetisation and GST triggered unemployment and economic crisis, which affected the youth. Prime Minister Narendra Modi got the mandate on the promise of attracting more foreign investment, capital and corporate giants. But he has not fulfilled the promises."

MODI BELIEVES IN MANUSMRITI

Mevani also alleged that Modi believes in the Manusmriti-written by India's first law giver Manu-not the Constitution. He will lead a youth rally to the PM's door on January 9 with the Manusmriti and the Constitution. "In his book Karmyogi Narendra Modi, the PM wrote that sweepers enjoy their work. Who enjoys cleaning drains? This is Manusmriti thinking. Modi should implement Article 17 (abolition of untouchability) of the Constitution," Mevani shot back.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP have pounced upon the Dalit leader alleging that he does not believe in BR Ambedkar after a video emerged showing him 'criticising' the Father of the Constitution. An angry Mevani said that "the RSS and the BJP have no right to talk about Ambedkar". "He saw things objectively and scientifically. Rupani [Gujarat CM] says Ram's arrows and Indian missiles are same. Anyone who has read Ambedkar will find such statements utter nonsense."

When asked about the Maharashtra government's FIR mentioning him as the key player in stoking the 'caste' fire in the state, Mevani said, "It is a completely frivolous complaint. I have asked the media to show my speeches to any eminent criminal lawyer, the apex court or a Constitutional expert. There is not a single provocative word. I appealed for peace, but they lodged an FIR. I am hurt."

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BOOKED FOR CAUSING COMMUNAL DISHARMONY

Mevani and JNU student leader Umar Khalid have been booked for causing communal disharmony through their speeches at an Elgaar Parishad at Pune's Shaniwarwada on December 31. The very next day, violent clashes between two groups hit the bicentenary celebrations of the Koregaon Battle between the East India Company and Peshwa Baji Rao II, in which the Dalits sided with the British.

The young MLA stuck to his statement, made on the day of Gujarat election results, that Modi should retire. "He is irrelevant. He should retire and go home." He also maintained that Modi is "anti-democratic" and "does not listen to anyone".

On allegations of promoting caste-based politics, especially by espousing the Dalit cause, in 21st century India, Mevani said, "When Dalits are oppressed, we support the community. When we demand 2 crore jobs, we want it for everyone, not only Dalits or Patels."

ALSO WATCH: Jignesh Mevani to India Today: PM Modi should practice constitutional methods, not Manusmriti

--- ENDS ---
Sign ordinance adopted

An official ordinance regarding signage in the city of Richmond that had been put on hold got a second reading and was formally adopted by members of the city council at their Jan. 3 meeting. Ordinance 156-2 amends the official zoning ordinance and the definition of animated copy on signs while also clarifying the cycle rate for changeable copy. City council member Jaime Elizabeth Greene said she was pleased to see the planning commission taking the time to look at the ordinance. She said she thinks six seconds is a reasonable time for the signs changing and that she likes that animation on signs is prohibited under the new ordinance.

City to revamp website

The city of Richmonds website will soon have a fresh look, City Manager Jon Moore told officials at a recent meeting. He said city administrators are wrapping up work with CivicPlus, the company that revamps the citys website roughly every five years. He also told council members he expects a link to view the changes will be available to them soon.

The bones of the website are still the same, but every five years they kind of make it look more modern and up-to-date, Moore said.

Mayor Tim Rix asked if the changes would include the city taking online credit card payments. Moore said the ability to make payments online will be up and running in early April.

Mayor excited for 2018

At the Richmond City Councils first meeting of 2018 on Jan. 3, Mayor Tim Rix took time to say he is eager to continue serving on the council and to be part of the citys continued growth and prosperity.

Im looking forward to working with everyone. Its been an exciting time for city council and it will be even more exciting this year, Rix said. I think things are coming along really well for our community and hope that we can continue to stay ahead of the growth and have great planning and work with our neighbors to make our community a better place.

DPW workers recognized for work during Christmas snowstorm

Richmond City Council member Emily Allen took a moment at a recent meeting to thank city department of public work employees for working on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to clear the streets after a snowstorm.

We got a lot of snow, and so for those of who were traveling, especially throughout town, it was nice to see their sacrifice on the holiday, Allen said.

Mayor Tim Rix agreed the workers did a good job, but also noted how beautiful the 7- to 8-inch snowfall on Christmas Eve was and how wonderful the city looked.

City meetings scheduled

Richmond Mayor Tim Rix takes time out at the end of each city council meeting to share events and meetings coming up on the city calendar. At the Jan. 3 city council meeting, he said the Richmond Zoning Board of Appeals and the Richmond Planning Commission will host meetings at 7 p.m. Jan. 11 at city hall. The city council will host its quarterly round table meeting at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 15 prior to its regular bi-monthly meeting, which is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

 Barb Pert Templeton, For The Voice
Dalit leader says that he did not make any inflammatory speech that led to caste clashes at Bhima Koregaon.

By India Today Web Desk, Abhishek Anand, Anand Patel: Dalit leader and Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mewani has strongly refuted allegations that he delivered an inflammatory speech.

Mevani even asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi was silent on the clashes that broke out in Bhima Koregaon.

The Pune police have registered a case against Mewani and student leader Umar Khalid charging them of making "provocative speeches" at a gathering in Pune's Shaniwarwada on December 31.

"PM should speak on the rising number of incidents against Dalits, from Vemula suicide to Una in Gujarat to Saharanpur in UP and now Bhima Koregaon. Why are these attacks happening only in BJP-ruled states?" asked Mevani.

"The PM should clarify whether Dalits of this country have a right to peaceful demonstration or not, why is he not reacting to these atrocities," he further added.

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Addressing the media at the Press Club of India, Delhi, Mevani said that neither did he visit Bhima Koregaon nor give an inflammatory speech.

Targeting the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Dalit leader said that the ruling party was trying to cover its loss of face in the Gujarat Assembly elections by tarnishing his image.

"We want a casteless society. We are looking for water on the moon but at the same time caste fault lines continue to exist. I am being targeted...I am an elected representative...BJP is doing [this] to avenge its loss in Gujarat," he said

Mevani said that anybody who raised his voice for Dalits and farmers were being targeted.

He warned Modi that if this oppression of Dalits continued then the 2019 parliamentary elections would have far from positive repercussions for the Modi and his party.

Mevani said that a Yuva Hunkar Rally will be held in Delhi on Tuesday January 9 after which he'll march to the Prime Minister's office with a Manusmriti in one hand and the Constitution in the other, asking the PM to choose one or the other.

Watch: Jignesh Mevani questions Prime Minister Modi's silence on Bhima Koregaon violence

--- ENDS ---
The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition

Gibraltar Cultural Services on behalf of the Ministry of Culture is issuing an invitation to all Gibraltarian artists who wish to take part in the long-standing Royal Academys Summer Exhibition.

Applications are now being invited by the Royal Academy of Art in London and in the first instance, artists would submit digital images of their artwork. The submission deadline is 23.59 on Wednesday 14th February 2018. Further information to submit artworks can be found on www.royalacademy.org.uk/summer-exhibition

Out of the approximate 12,000 works that the RA expect will be entered, only 4,000 would then qualify for the second round. Any local artist who qualify for this final pre-selection, would then have to send the original artwork to the UK. GCS via the Ministry of Culture is committed to support these artists by helping with the cost of transporting the artworks to the UK.

Gibraltar Cultural Services looks forward to the participation of our local arts fraternity.
Photo: Matt Kennedy/Netflix

The movie Bright  hailed as The Worst Movie of 2017 by IndieWire  was  a lot. A lot of looks, a lot of big swings at saying something Important about Racism, a lot of dropped plot points. But somehow, the big-budget Netflix feature about cops and interspecies relations has been given the go-ahead for a sequel, with David Ayer (as director), Will Smith (as the police officer Scott Ward), and Joel Edgerton (officer Nick Jakoby) all expected to return. We have a lot of questions about this decision, but we have even more questions about the plot of the second film itself, considering the dozens of threads left dangling at the end of Bright. Here are just a few. (And, yes, we know were overthinking this.)

1. Have the Elves always been in power?

So the Elves are supposed to represent the one percent, right? The rich people in their ivory Elven towers, looking down at all us poors, judging as we clean up their waste and probably build those towers for them. But was it always that way? Was there an Elf coup? Did some Ur-Elf amass a great empire and fortune that all Elves through time have benefited from? To be fair to Bright (for some reason), the Shield of Light soldier who gets arrested at the beginning of the movie points out, You ever notice how most Brights are Elves? And Elves run the world? Thats a good start!

2. How long has the blended society been around?

Is this a forever thing? As in, since the beginning of time? Various characters reference the ancient wars in which the Orcs chose the wrong side and have been paying for it ever since by sitting at the inescapable bottom of a cross-species caste system  does that mean humans and Elves and Orcs and Fairies have always been aware of each other and semi-integrated? If there is a Bible in the Bright-verse, does it mention Brights? Was Jesus a Bright? If there are old Greek myths, would any of the gods be part Orc?

3. What is a Bright?

Are they a mutation? We know they are usually Elves but can be other species, so are they part of a bloodline? Do they come from some ancient civilization that was just all Brights who got dispersed to protect their Brightness after a threat of extinction? This one is fundamental, guys. Cant leave it unanswered.

4. What did that reported $100 million budget pay for?

Was it like $90 million for Will Smith and $10 million for  everything else?

5. Seriously, what happened to that assassin Elf that got magicd by Tikka?

When Ward and Jakoby go into the safe house with all the charred corpses on the floor, they find a body in a wall that has been turned into some kind of performance-art project. Theres a half torso of something human-adjacent, and from the breasts down it looks like the body is made of glass  except by body, we mean an elaborate formation of tubes that looks like an artists rendering of ribs and intestines fashioned into either wings or the corona of the sun. Oh, and those glass intestine wings are radiating light. Ward and Jakoby look sufficiently terrified by it, but they call it in, saying, Possible Bright at our location. What? Why? Because someone clearly used magic?

We find out later that the glass body was an Elf assassin sent to kill Tikka the Bright (Lucy Fry), who was in the apartment being protected by the Shield of Light, but Tikka snatched the wand from the assassin and magicd her into a piece of wall art. But when the Elf assassin magicd the humans, they just turned into burning corpses. Is the glass thing what happens when you magic Elves? Or just the Inferni Elves, who are the Illuminati replacements trying to bring back the Dark Lord? Why was this not very clearly explained?

6. What are the Inferni?

Yes, we know theyre renegade Elves and that they eliminated and basically replaced the Illuminati 100 years ago as Earths resident creepy band of shadow people you can blame every bad thing in the world for. But do they have to be Elves? Are all Inferni Brights? Are there Inferni familiars, like with vampires?

7. What good was the Shield of Light anyway?

So these Shield of Light guys are supposed to protect Earth from the rise of the Dark Lord. But how? They were protecting the Tikka, but they also all got wiped out pretty handily by the Elf assassin. That bum swinging a sword in the street? He was part of the Shield of Light, and did precisely nothing useful in the movie, besides giving that big speech. The Shield, presumably a militia in dystopian knits, had plenty of opportunities to swoop in and bail Ward and Jakobys asses out of trouble when they were shuttling Tikka around the city all night long, being pursued by Inferni killers and angry Orcs. It seems like it should have been their one job to do exactly that: rescue Tikka! Seriously, will the Shield of Light mean more in a Bright sequel? Will we find out their origins? Will they  do something?

8. Why did Tikkas veins turn black after she used the wand?Does using magic drain a Brights life force? Is the only way to regenerate it by getting into that spa under the sacred tree? Are there more sacred tree spas? Can we go?

Related Stories Bright Is an Amusing Genre-Bend, But a Mess in Just About Every Other Way

9. What accent was Tikka speaking with?

Lucy Fry, the actress who played Tikka, is Australian. If she comes back for the sequel, dont make her do that mystical accent again. Its so weird.

10. What does an Orc being blooded even mean?

How will other Orcs know Jakoby has been blooded after a lifetime of being ostracized from his people? Does he get to grow his teeth now? Is that how you can tell?

11. Will Jakoby be a better cop in the next one?

We get it. He seemed pretty new to the force, but even besides that whole thing where he was buying lunch when Ward got shot in the chest, he was kind of a liability in the field. Very charming. Very kind. But now that hes a hero cop, he really needs to actually be an effective cop.

12. Will the Orc who shot Ward actually matter at all?

Or was he totally a red herring?

13. Can Chance the Rapper be invited to the writers room for the sequel?

He has some thoughts.

14. Can there be fewer graphic fairy murders?

Those things look way too human to watch them get beaten to death. Even one was too many.

15. Are the Magic Feds really good guys, then?

The Magic Feds (Edgar Ramirez as Kandomere and Happy Anderson as Montehugh) were very confusing. They were presented as arrogant and brash and pursuing the wand just like everyone else, but were ultimately ineffectual and a nonfactor. Are we supposed to trust these guys, or did Ward and Jakoby just clean up a mess for them and do their jobs by securing the wand, which they will use for their own nefarious purposes in the sequel? The part at the end where they just peacefully left Ward and Jakoby after a mini-debrief in the hospital felt like a real nonevent for some supersecret government agency with some prickly Elves in the field who could have been playing both sides.

16. Can you un-kill Noomi Rapaces character, Leilah?

She was great at being a magical spooky ninja assassin Elf. And dont say you cant because it wouldnt make sense. Were so far past sense.

17. Can a skinny, rainbow-haired white guy play a minor role as an extremely annoying side villain who gets roughed up by Jakoby and Ward after he gets bounced from a bar for harassing women?

Asking for a friend. No particular reason.

18. Why does the predicted mass of the quantum vacuum have little effect on the expansion of the universe?

Surely $100 million could go a long way to addressing the vacuum catastrophe.

19. Have you considered splitting $100 million five ways and giving $20 million each to filmmakers like Jennifer Phang, Justin Chon, or Gina Prince-Bythewood?

Theres still time.

20. Why are you doing this sequel?

Why?
March is now robbin season. Photo: FX

Atlanta may have deserted us for far too long as Donald Glover went off to shoot (and reshoot) the Han Solo movie, but itll finally be back soon. FX announced today that Atlanta Robbin Season, will premiere on March 1  so not exactly what Lakeith Stanfield promised, but close. Meanwhile, The Americans will return for its final season on March 28 and Trust, the TV series about the Getty kidnapping that was also covered in All the Money in the World, will premiere on March 25. At this rate, look forward to the third season of Atlanta in, just guessing, 2020.
Harvey Weinstein Photo: LOIC VENANCE/AFP/Getty Images

As distressed assets go, the Weinstein Company has lately been causing its financial backers and shareholders no small amount of actual distress. Much of the mini-major studios brand value is inextricably tied to co-founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein and their alchemical skill at attracting top talent, squeezing maximum profit out of genre schlock, and reliably conjuring awards-season gold  seemingly on strength of the brothers brash personalities alone. But in the wake of Harveys still-metastasizing sex scandal, TWC has been under pressure to either file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, sell its assets to a third party, or simply shut down.

So the news Thursday that the embattled indie distributor had narrowed a field of about 20 potential buyers down to six finalist bidders  and could be soon sold for less than $500 million  came as something of a head-scratcher. Heavily leveraged, with reportedly more than $520 million in debt (including loans to various film and TV productions, tens of millions more in corporate debt, and approximately $100 million in profit participation and residuals still owed to talent from TWC movies and TV series), the Weinstein Company was hardly what youd call a thriving business. According to The Wall Street Journal, nearly half the money from the purported sale would go toward fulfilling preexisting financial obligations.

So in what world is less than $500 million for the Weinstein Company a good deal? With Harvey already fired and Bob all but certain to resign as a contingency of the sale, the company will have effectively lost its secret sauce. And with a substantial portion of TWCs film library already sold nearly a decade ago, even many seasoned industry observers have been wondering: What assets does TWC still possess to justify the nearly half-billion-dollar price tag?

Even with its litany of financial woes and toxic association to innumerable sexual assaults and serial predation, TWC still has plenty of moneymaking potential. Lets break it down:

Television

Last year, Harvey Weinstein bragged to Deadline that TWCs TV division alone was worth anywhere between $500 million and $900 million. He may have been gilding the lily, but the companys television side plowed into Peak TV with unvarnished gusto, producing and co-financing a string of expensive, high-profile series that will now be a core component of any deal.

In addition to TWCs long-running reality fashion show Project Runway on Lifetime* (with two spinoffs and four more in the works), the company produced two projects for Viacoms revamped Paramount Network: the mini-series Waco (starring Taylor Kitsch as Branch Davidians cult leader David Koresh, set to air this month) and Yellowstone, a ten-episode scripted drama written and directed by Oscar-nominated Hell or High Water screenwriter Taylor Sheridan. Over at Amazon, the Weinstein Company controls the rights to Julian Fellowess Doctor Thorne (a drama adapted from Anthony Trollopes Victorian-era novel) despite the streaming service cutting ties with TWC in October.

And the Weinstein Company TV library stands as a crazy cupboard of disparate (if not potentially lucrative in years to come) content including such series as Mob Wives, Jennifer Lopez: Dance Again, HBOs The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, and a six-part adaptation of Leo Tolstoys War & Peace that aired on the Lifetime, A&E, and History networks in 2016.

Film

After a string of flops compelled a major debt restructuring in 2010, the Weinstein Company sold more than 200 titles from its 350-movie library to Goldman Sachs and the insurance company Guaranty Ltd. But according to Harvey, TWC now controls the rights to a catalogue of some 525 titles it has accumulated over the last ten years. That includes such Quentin Tarantino touchstones as Inglourious Basterds, The Hateful Eight, and Django Unchained, Best Picture Oscar winners The Kings Speech and The Artist, a festivals worth of Sundance-anointed indies (Fruitvale Station, Cutie and the Boxer, Bachelorette), even genre fare like Scary Movie 5 and Piranha.

Then there are TWCs unreleased movies. In November, the company sold the domestic distribution rights to Paddington 2 to Warner Bros. for $28 million (a month later Warners also acquired, for an undisclosed price, one of the Weinstein Companys splashiest upcoming projects: The Six Billion Dollar Man, set to star Mark Wahlberg). But it still retains production credits on the upcoming Robert De Niro comedy The War With Grandpa; Polaroid, a teen horror flick; and The Upside (a remake of the French box-office smash Les Intouchables starring Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston). TWCs erstwhile 2017 awards-season hopefuls  The Current War, a period drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison, and Mary Magdalene (with Rooney Mara in the title role and Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus)  also have yet to receive theatrical distribution.

Projects in Development

Although Hollywoods top talent agencies stopped sending scripts to the Weinstein Company months ago as one side effect of the scandal backlash, TWC has a backlog of more than 60 projects in various stages of development that carry considerable value as the company attempts to sell itself off.

Among them: Elvis, a ten-part television biopic thats touted as the first scripted series ever to shoot at Elvis Presleys Graceland estate. Theres an adaptation of Stephen Kings novel The Breathing Method (in conjunction with Jason Blums low-budget/huge margin-generating Blumhouse Productions); a Richard Pryor biopic directed by Lee Daniels, co-starring Oprah Winfrey, Kate Hudson, and Tracey Morgan; and a big-screen blowup of the 1982 David Hasselhoffstarring Knight Rider that John Cena and Kevin Hart were circling last year.

Looking Back for the Future

In 2010, the template for TWCs impending sale was likely set when a consortium of investors led by Colony Capital founder Tom Barrack acquired Miramax Films  the first indie studio established by the Weinstein brothers  and its nearly 700-film library for $660 million. Although criticized for having wildly overpaid at the time, the investors reaped an unexpected fortune thanks to the meteoric rise of streaming platforms such as Netflix that licensed Miramax movies including The English Patient and Shakespeare in Love. We have made more money than we ever imagined, Barrack told the New York Times of the deal.

*A previous version of this article stated that Project Runway is on Bravo. In fact, it airs on Lifetime.
Photo: Getty Images

The worst idea the Insidious franchise ever had was killing off Lin Shaye, who plays the spirit medium Elise Rainier, in the very first movie. Fortunately, though, creators Leigh Whannell and James Wan understood that  and they spent the next three movies making her a bigger and bigger part of the narrative. In The Last Key, out Friday, Shaye finally gets a movie fully devoted to her character, complete with an origin story of her abilities, and some tender family drama. Once again working alongside her faithful companions Specs (Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson), Elise must go all the way back to her own beginnings to take on her most, er, insidious spirit foe to date. Vulture sat down with Shaye before the movies release to talk about the unexpectedly long-term employment opportunity of playing the spirit medium, how shes managed to amass nearly 200 roles over her 40-year career, and what it feels like to finally be playing the hero. (But we definitely do not refer to her as a character actress.)

I rewatched the first Insidious recently and I had straight-up forgotten that Elise dies. I guess I blocked it out.

Yeah. And really dies.

There is not a post-credits sequence where you come back, and the sequel is built on your death. So between parts one and two, or maybe two and three, did Leigh or James call you and say, Weve made a huge mistake. Were sorry. Or did you know Elises long game from the outset?

No. We didnt know. We thought we were making one movie. There was no grand scheme about a franchise or hope this goes forward. They made a movie. We hoped it was a good movie. I remember at the very end, James had said to me that they threw around if I should die or if I shouldnt die. Because he was thinking, What if something comes around and we want you back? But the deed was already done, so then when they decided to do the second one, I am in the Further. I am a ghost in the second one, and its kind of a continuation from the first one, so I think they thought that was going to be it again. And then when the numbers panned out and everybody thought, Okay lets go for another one, that was when the idea of the prequels came forward. And I loved the third one actually.

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I actually thought the third one was the scariest.

I thought it was really scary, too.

I watched it to refresh my memory, and the demons in that one, the images in the Further, were more frightening.

It wasnt really written that she was an agoraphobic, but when I saw the setup I said to Leigh, What if shes not just at home? What if shes closed her curtains, stopped working? She is in a suspicious, lonely vein, having not been able to deal with the death of her husband. So I think that ended up being a very strong setup for seeing where Elise could go in terms of her own pain, basically, and the way she very slowly comes back out of herself, because she wants to help this girl find her mother. So that was a surprise! And when we figured out we were going to do the fourth one, Leigh came over to my house and started talking, and none of it is per se in the fourth one, but what he did so skillfully is he created a backstory that was very different from the backstory I thought, to be honest. As an actor, I always try to build the before story, which informs the present in films, so I always thought Elise was an only child, and she spent a lot of time by herself, which then allowed these visitations that came to her. But as we all know, Leigh built a very different background, which I think ended up being a whole lot stronger, because to see who she becomes later  which is this very positive, strong woman  it kind of shows that you can have terrible beginnings and still pull yourself out to become a good person. The story itself is really poignant and I think has a really nice message.

And on the topic of arcs, it sounds like building the Insidious franchise has been a totally unexpected journey, and the character you had seen in your head ended up different onscreen than you had imagined her starting out eight years ago. Also, you have this career that has spanned decades and literally hundreds of roles 

Yeah. Who was that? How did I do that?

No, but how did you do that?

I dont know! I think the only answer I really have is, I never thought about being an actress. I really never did. But Ive always been an actress!

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And a prolific one.

But Ive always been a storyteller. When I was little I had very few children in our neighborhood  and I had an older brother who didnt want anything to do with me, of course  and I would entertain myself [telling] stories out loud. I would make up stories with my animals, and in school I liked being in the plays. I auditioned for the plays and never got the lead. I would always get these little parts. I was an art history major at the University of Michigan, and I got my first job in art history at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, in the registrars office in the basement, when I just remember thinking, So when do I get to be in the next play? And it literally dawned on me, Theres a profession called acting! So I applied to three graduate schools in theater. Columbia University had just started a theater arts program, and I got into that, so I went to school in New York for three years in Columbias theater program. Im a member of the Actors Studio and I studied with [Lee] Strasberg and [Uta] Hagen and Stella Adler  all the greats. I really have a wonderfully rich background.

You have amassed almost 200 credits since your screen career started in the 1970s, but now that youve become the face of a franchise worth hundreds of millions of dollars, does this feel like reaching a destination that you had been working towards? Or was there no destination in mind at all?

I love working, but I never had a goal of being in Los Angeles and working in the film industry. But I am having the best time ever, and the best part of it is, all these people who I had no idea even knew my name or  forget my name  knew anything about me at all, are involved in the stories Ive been allowed to tell. As an artist, its like people seeing your paintings. If youre in any form of art, you kind of do it in your bedroom and you dont realize, if it gets out there, how it feels for other people to appreciate what youve done. So Im just filled with gratitude and awe over this whole thing.

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I feel like Im getting better every time I work at what I do. So I dont think Ive arrived anywhere yet. I think Im still on the train, and I hope the train maybe never arrives at the station  What I have gained is confidence about myself. I just know better now how to tell a story, and Leigh was saying earlier today that Id go, Elise wouldnt say that! And Im not afraid to do that, because I know she wouldnt, because at this point I know probably more about her than anyone else.

Last year I interviewed Jason Blum and asked him if he would ever make a superhero movie out of Blumhouse, and he said hed make any kind of movie as long as its cheap. But then he added, Lin Shaye is my superhero.

[Audible gasp] Thank you for telling me that! That is such a great thing for me to hear!

Do you still feel like youre pushing against the label of character actress?

I still feel its a false designation. I think every actress is a character actor. Thats Hollywood BS. The labeling system is not my cup of tea. Unless youre playing yourself in a movie, youre playing a character! So doesnt that mean youre a character actor? Anyway, I detest that label. I think its false. [Puts on a nasally voice] Youre a leading lady or youre a character actress. Well, I guess Im both!
Ryan Murphy. Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly

After several years of creating multiple hit series with Foxs television studio, producer Ryan Murphy might be leaving the company. According to the New York Times, the heavy-hitting TV creator might choose to leave the studio after Disney acquires most of 21st Century Fox. The Times reports that he is weighing whether he would stick around when his contract expires sometime next year.

Murphy told the Times that he was very emotional about the merger. Three months ago, I thought I would be literally buried on the Fox lot, he said. He voiced his concern that the executives he worked with would be replaced and his fears that new owners might change the Fox brand. Am I going to have to put Mickey Mouse in American Horror Story? He asked. Disney executives allegedly assured him the answer was no.

Though nearly all of Murphys projects have been with Fox, including Feud: Bette and Joan, American Horror Story, Glee, and Scream Queens, Murphy has recently branched out. He signed a deal with Netflix for his One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Nurse Ratched prequel series. Whether he would completely jump ship for the streaming giant, however, remains to be seen. Im sort of interested to see what that company is going to look like before I make any decisions, he said.
Photo: Prashant Gupta/FX

FX has officially ordered Kurt Sutters Sons of Anarchy spinoff Mayans MC to series, announcing that the ten-episode first season will premiere sometime in 2018. To tide fans over until then, the network has also offered a first look at its new star, EZ Reyes (JD Pardo), a prospect of the titular gangs chapter along the California-Mexico border whos newly released from prison. The show will be set in a postJax Teller world where EZ must now carve out his new outlaw identity in a town where he once was the golden boy who had the American Dream within his grasp. Reyes will also struggle with balancing his desire for vengeance against the cartel and his need for respect from the women he loves. At Vulture Festival earlier this year, Sutter described the spinoff as the next chapter of a bigger mythology. He added, The world has to feel familiar enough for people to tap into it, and yet I dont want it to feel derivative or the Latino version of Sons.
Photo: Focus Features

Paul Thomas Andersons Phantom Thread stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Reynolds Woodcock, a persnickety couturier who adores  and butts heads with  his headstrong muse Alma (Vicky Krieps) and his fiercely protective sister (Lesley Manville). The film was at least partly inspired by the real life of designer Charles James, a British-born couture prodigy famously possessive of his dresses. But the House of Woodcocks designs dont borrow much from Jamess sartorial aesthetic; instead, Woodcocks gorgeous clothes were designed by costume designer Mark Bridges. Anderson tasked Bridges with creating the entire world of the House of Woodcock, mapping out its influences, impact, and clientele, which was no small feat: The clothes are, arguably, the films main character. They more than make Phantom Threads man  they occasionally undo him, as well.

Anderson pitched Bridges on the movie in the early stages, asking him if hed ever heard of James. He had  and was excited, but cautious: I said, Yeah, I went to the show last year at the Met, recalls Bridges. [Anderson] was a little secretive about it. I was probably breaking out in a sweat or something thinking, Why are you asking me this? Bridges, whos worked with the director on all of his films, wasnt quite certain what he was teasing. You just never know what youre going to get with him, laughs Bridges. Sometimes its just porn in the Valley, or its oil derricks in Texas or 70s hippies, and now weve got 50s couture.

The designers team  which included real couture seamstresses, and a cutter, Cecile Van Dyke  constructed the couture clothes made-to-measure and with as few seams as possible. But Bridges wasnt intimidated by the task of creating such luxurious, intricate designs: A lot of our research involved really knowing what was going on in the culture world in London at that time, knowing who the designers were, what they were producing, who their clients were, and where could Reynolds fit into that world, Bridges says. The challenge is always turning a design into a real, livable garment that will dramatically tell the story.

Below, Bridges breaks down the story behind four of the films most memorable looks.

Photo: Focus Features

Burgundy Velvet Dress With Cape

Phantom Thread introduces the House of Woodcock with one of its most luxurious designs: A client (Gina McKee) arrives for a fitting, and shes slipped into a magnificent burgundy dress with a rich velvet cape. It hits all of the Houses notes  and was conceived by Day-Lewis himself. The actor did a stick-figure sketch, and Bridges was charged with bringing it to life. Paul really wanted him to feel like he had some authorship because of the way he distinctly prepares, Bridges says.

Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features

Working from Day-Lewiss design took some editing: Cecile and I made decisions and choices along the way that made the sketch more practical. The original probably had about 30 pounds of velvet on it, so the cape is shorter, and we still had to make it seem 1950s high fashion, Bridges says. The result is a show-stopping gown, a design thats a perfect entry point into the Houses aesthetic: Its lace, rich fabrics, rich colors, a little nod to historical references, he adds.

Photo: Focus Features

Almas Red Dress

Whats good about it is its vaguely awkward, Bridges says of a crimson sheath dress Alma designs for herself. In the scene where shes wearing it, shes just dismissed Reynoldss staff to pull off a date night for the two of them. (This does not work out, partially due to some poorly planned asparagus.) When Alma walks down the stairs, its an uncomfortable moment; Reynolds eyes her up and down, less than pleased with her handiwork.

Its not a fine design, Bridges says of the dress. Its thought about and it serves its purpose for the scene, but theres something vaguely homemade and awkward about it. Throughout the movie, Alma fiddles with embroidery, and it was important to Krieps that we see that reflected in the dress her character designs: Bridges had his team add some flowers to the shoulders of the oddly structured garment. Again, it was another thing that made it not a couture garment, but a wonderful attempt, a passionate attempt, a little loving hands at home, Bridges says, laughing.

Photo: Photo : Laurie Sparham / Focus F/2017 Focus Features, LLC.

Almas Spring Collection Dress

For all the eyefuls we get of Reynoldss designs, we only get a glimpse of his full spring collection during a fashion show. In the scene where this dress appears, Reynolds watches through a peephole as dozens of models weave in and out of a showroom, clients pursing their lips and bidding on his designs. Alma is, of course, the most beautiful, modeling a crimson dress with buttons down the front and a lace design on the skirt that looks like the daintiest of aprons.

There was a tradition of hostesses entertaining at home very elegantly, so I thought that would be that beautiful silk-faille skirt, a wool-jersey sweater top  which is very comfortable and very at home and vaguely informal for the couture world  and that lace seemed to have a lot of tooth to it, explains Bridges. Then, of course, theres pockets in the skirt for that informal feeling of the sweater, and the lace. The dress has another secret meaning: Anderson asked that it bear a visual similarity to another look in the film, but Bridges wont say which. I will not say anything else about this  someone has to find it  but it connects to a dress that Alma wore at another time in the film.

As for the rest of the spring collection? Even though its spring, it feels English, because there are a lot of woolens and things, because its chilly in spring in England, says Bridges. Meanwhile, in France, their spring collection could be printed pastel.

Photo: Focus Features

Royal Wedding Gown

There are two wedding gowns in Phantom Thread: The first, seen in a sort of flashback, is the dress Reynolds designed for his mothers wedding. The second is a gown designed for Belgian royalty, seen in the present day. Its a simple, elegant design: high-collar, buttons, long sleeves, with lace and a sheer bodice. Its fabric catches the light very delicately  Bridges found the thick zibeline in London. Its a really unusual kind of fabric that has this a sheen, but its very stiff, he says. Its very much a fabric you dont see a lot, but it probably is used in wedding dresses. It seemed very 50s to me, and very regal. The only thing I said to Cecile was, Lets try and have the fewest amount of seams, because that was kind of an edict with couture. You were clever if you used the least amount of seams in your sculpture, so to speak.

The royal wedding gown also connects to a dress Alma wears to a restaurant with Reynolds and Cyril. The dress is black, with lace designs on the shoulders. Bridges was taken with that subtle continuity in the Houses styling. Theres kind of a Woodcock sensibility there, he says, and that was really typical in the 50s. [The bodice was] such a way to be alluring, yet staid, so it kind of seemed really nice and English.

Photo: Focus Features

Green Silk Gown on Phantom Threads poster

During a fitting with Krieps, Bridges let it slip that he really wanted to design a strapless gown. It fit with the period, he told her, but Day-Lewis wasnt into the idea. I really felt the film was missing a strapless gown, because that was so typical in that period, says Bridges. It could be really have a great foundation and be very controlled, but still have the allure of the bare shoulders, he explains. Krieps revealed she thought the same thing, until Day-Lewis corrected her: Only Alma could elevate a strapless dress to something more refined. (Not on you, Day-Lewis told his co-star, according to Bridges.)

With the green-light from his Reynolds, Bridges designed a peridot-green gown that looks mossy and golden all at once. A scene where Reynolds and Alma squabble at a ritzy dinner party seemed like the perfect fit: That scene takes place in a big, drafty manor house. That nice velvet throw to go with your bare shoulders would be practical and attractive and sort of English, with their dubious heating systems in the 50s.

Photo: Focus Features

And now, a few words about Reynoldss socks

For his own wardrobe, Reynolds prefers something streamlined over flash  except when it comes to his socks, which are tall and bright pink. That was purely a Day-Lewis touch, Bridges confirms. He was always trying to find ways to communicate eccentricities or the artistic bent of the man, and at some point I got a text saying like, Pink socks from Gammarellis in Rome, and I was like, Great! (For six generations, Gammarellis has been the official tailor of the pope.) I found it perfectly right for the character, because there is a gentleman type in London that wears all bespoke clothing but then adds his own twist to it to make it his own, Bridges says. That was a perfect way, between the pink socks and the vaguely lavender bow ties. It just mixed it up enough to be really interesting.
To protect its bastion in south, Congress has raised an army of around 8 lakh booth-level workers in Karnataka.

By Supriya Bhardwaj: Behind the close doors of 12 Tuglak Lane, newly appointed Congress President Rahul Gandhi is busy charting out the strategy for his next battleground in Karnataka.

Apart from doing SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats) analysis of ground situation in Karnataka, Gandhi scion has pumped in all of party's resources in the poll-bound state.

In the last 48 hours, many senior leaders and workers from across the country are heading to the Karnataka. Congress General Secretary in-charge KC Venugopal was the first to leave and hit the ground running.

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BOOTH MANAGEMENT

Post Gujarat, the churning was on as to why Congress lost the battle. According to sources, one of the main reasons was failure of booth management.

To protect its bastion in south, Congress has raised an army of around 8 lakh booth-level workers in Karnataka.

"From last six months we have been working in a 'Mission Mode' at each constituency level in Karnataka. We have formed 98% of booth level Committees in Karnataka. There are total 54,200 booth committees out of which we have formed 53,000 committees. There are 15 members each in each committee. We have roped in around 7 lakh 95 thousand people in Karnataka," Congress General Secretary incharge Karnataka KC Venugopal told India Today.

Apart from holding meetings with local leaders and booth level workers, Venugopal is also preparing an initial sketch for Gandhi's campaign.

"We have already requested Rahulji to campaign extensively in Karnataka too. We are keen that he comes and blow party's poll campaign bugle after January 20," added Venugopal.

SHASHI THAROOR'S ROLE

Meanwhile, Congress MP Dr Shashi Tharoor also landed in Karnataka to hold public meetings. However, the chairman of All India Professional Congress Tharoor is reaching out to professionals in Karnataka besides holding public rallies.

"In Karnataka, I have a dual role. Apart from doing campaign to reach out to professionals who are keen to work with us. We are reaching out to not just professionals, who want to join us politically. But even those professionals who just want to give ideas and don't want to get politically involved. They are also being welcomed," he said.

COMMUNICATION

Armed with orders to put the state communication department on track, Congress Communication Department Convener Priyanka Chaturvedi is going to set her base camp in Bengaluru. "Communication is an important tool for reaching out to our voters and at the same time also to counter opposition lies. The idea is to revamp the communication team and also identify voices that will strengthen the party on various communication platforms," said Chaturvedi.

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Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and former Union Minister Dr Veerapa Moily have left for their constituencies in Karnataka.

Congress, according to sources, will be keen to build up an aggressive campaign in the state. For this, all roads now lead to its southern bastion.

WATCH | Rahul Gandhi inaugurates Indira Canteen for a hunger-free Bengaluru

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The Malappuram Police have recovered a metallic container with explosives in it. The container was found abandoned underneath the Kuttipuzha Bridge across Bharathapuzha river.

By P S Gopikrishnan Unnithan: The Malappuram Police have recovered a metallic container with explosives in it. The container was found abandoned underneath the Kuttipuzha Bridge across Bharathapuzha river. The box contained five anti-personnel mines, which are similar to those used by the armed forces.

An abandoned baggage was found on the banks of the river Bharathapuzha between the rail and road bridge in the afternoon. The local police was alerted by the passers-by who spotted the suspicious baggage. Initial verification revealed that the metal box contained explosives and senior officials were alerted by the local police.

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District Police Chief Debesh Kumar Behra, who inspected the spot, told India Today that the explosives were similar to those used by armed forces and BSF.

"It is too early to make a comment on the sabotage or terror angle. The package has now been moved to district police headquarters where it will be inspected by bomb squad and forensic experts. We need to verify the batch number and other details to track down its source," added Debesh.

Malappuram district in Kerala has been on high alert for over the last two years after reports of youth joining extremists organisations.

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A former Hewitt man dubbed a serial domestic abuser by a prosecutor was sentenced to 20 years in prison Thursday for assaulting the mother of his son.

Jurors in 19th State District Court recommended maximum sentences for Danny Wayne Alcoser after convicting the 42-year-old former mechanic and tow truck operator of assault/family violence with a prior assault, endangering a child and interference with a 911 call.

Based on the jurys verdict, Judge Ralph Strother sentenced Alcoser to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine on the first count, two years in a state jail and a $10,000 fine on the second count and a year in the county jail and a $4,000 fine on the last count.

The sentences will be served concurrently. Alcoser, who has a federal drug distribution conviction and five misdemeanor convictions, will be given credit for the two years he has been in the county jail awaiting trial. He will be eligible for parole after he serves five years in prison.

Trial testimony showed Alcoser physically assaulted Ursula Woessner, the mother of his young son, on at least four occasions starting in October 2015. He also assaulted another woman, Misty Adkins, in Hill County in 2013, choking her in front of her twin daughters and stuffing a comforter down her throat.

The jury followed the punishment recommendations of prosecutors Hilary LaBorde and Gabrielle Massey, who asked for maximum penalties. Massey called Alcoser a serial domestic abuser. LaBorde said that while Alcoser may have engendered some sympathy by talking about his untreated mental health issues, she reminded the jury that the trial was in the punishment phase, not the sympathy phase.

What we need is Danny Wayne Alcoser to be afraid of what would happen in this room should he show up here again, LaBorde said. He spent five years in federal prison and came out and committed most of these crimes you have heard about after that. So that didnt teach him anything.

Defense attorneys Brittany Scaramucci and Jessi Freud told the jury Alcoser has not gotten the mental health treatment he needs and asked the panel for a 10-year sentence. Freud reminded the jury of a letter Woessner wrote that said she thought the year in jail Alcoser had already spent was enough for what he did.

Woessner, a former social worker with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, told the jury she met Alcoser while working on a case involving Alcosers oldest daughter. She said they did not start dating until after the case was closed.

She testified that Alcoser became physically violent with her on four occasions during the two and a half years they were together, including punching her in the face and choking her. She left him temporarily but returned.

She said Alcoser chased her around the bedroom and bathroom in May 2016 while she cradled their 10-month-old son in her arms, pushed her down into a bathtub and choked her. He broke her phone when she tried to call 911, she said.

Alcoser, who denied the allegations, told jurors he suffers from mental issues, including bipolar disorder. He has a federal felony conviction for distribution of methamphetamine and misdemeanor convictions for assault/family violence, resisting police, leaving the scene of an accident, bond jumping and DWI.

He is lawless in about every single way you can be, LaBorde said to the jury during summations. So what do you want to do with him? He doesnt respect police, he doesnt respect women, he doesnt care about kids, he uses drugs, he has mental health problems. I dont know what else could be wrong with him, frankly.
At least 20 unlocked cars were burglarized in Lorena and Hewitt neighborhoods overnight, leaving police asking for help identifying suspicious activity throughout the area.

Between midnight and 6 a.m. Thursday, 12 cars parked at six houses on Greystone Drive and West Nolan Street were burglarized, Lorena Police Chief Tom Dickson said. All the cars were unlocked, and change and other personal items were taken, he said.

"We encourage everyone to lock their vehicles and keep anything valuable out of your car," Dickson said. "We are working with other departments who have had (similar) reports like these recently."

Hewitt Assistant Police Chief Tuck Saunders said car burglars also struck neighborhoods on both sides of Old Temple Road overnight. He said police started getting reports at 3 a.m. of cars that were burglarized.

"At this point, we have eight cars that were unlocked that had items taken out of them," Saunders said. "We have two guns, a wallet and other personal items taken from cars."

Saunders said Hewitt police will also be contacting other agencies that have reported similar crimes in their cities in the last few weeks.

Robinson police reported at least six unlocked cars were burglarized and two handguns were stolen over the New Year's weekend. Lacy Lakeview police also were investigating a string of car burglaries in late November.

"We do not know if all these cases are connected, but we will be reaching out to everyone to see if we can help each other out," Saunders said. "We encourage anyone that may have video surveillance to reach out to us to help with these cases."
The extreme cold weather that enveloped southwest Iowa beginning in December has devastated the available breeding stock at The Peacock Information Center operated by Dennis Fett and his wife, Debra Buck, near Minden.

Fett, widely known as Mr. Peacock, said he has lost about one-third of the breeding stock that produce much of the nations peacock hatching eggs as a result of the prolonged cold weather.

He said he and his wife lost about 50 percent of their breeding stock when the farm was hit by a tornado in 2014. Fett and Buck have been working to rebuild their peacock breeding stock and were almost back to pre-tornado numbers until the onset of the current cold snap, when record below-zero temperatures caused the demise of the majority of their breeding stock.

And we still have another week of this cold weather in front of us, Fett said Tuesday morning.

The couple said it has also heard from people around the country wanting to purchase adult birds for replacement of their birds that they lost to the same conditions.

This is going to create a major shortage and a huge price increase for people wanting to have peacocks on their farm or ranches, Fett said.

It will also take three years at best for the nation to build up the peacock breeding stock from the prolonged arctic plunge.

Fett said his flock produced between 1,000 and 1,500 peacock hatching eggs prior to the tornado in 2014. Last season, as he worked to rebuild his breeding stock, the number of eggs produced had dwindled to about 600.

Well be lucky to have 300 eggs this coming season, he said.

Fett said he started his operation 37 years ago with five peacocks. By the time the tornado struck three years ago, he had about 200 peacocks on the farm, with about 50 percent of the birds lost to the tornado.

Now were down to about 50 to 60 birds. Its really hard to lose your favorite peacocks after taking such good care of them from eggs to adulthood in all sorts of Iowa weather conditions over the last 37 years, he said. I did not give up after the tornado in 2014, and I will not give up after this severe winter weather loss; Im here for the long run.

The Peacock Center appears to have taken the brunt of the losses for area livestock.

Chris Clark, a beef program specialist with the Iowa State University Extension who works out of the Armstrong Farm office near Lewis, said he hasnt received any reports of losses for farmers. Treynor-area farmer Scott Casson said hed received no word about losses either.

Its cold, but I think most farmers were ready for it and had their livestock ready for it, Casson said.

Clark said preparation for cold weather for cattle includes a focus on nutrition. That includes increasing the amount of feed for the cattle.

Farmers can supplement with high-energy feed  hay, corn and corn silage, are examples, he said. Corn silage is a product made from using the entire corn stock.

The other thing, really, is a lot of common sense stuff, Clark said, noting that offering wind breaks and bedding for insulation between the cold ground and the animal are a big help.

For farmers with outbuildings that can handle it, bringing the animals inside helps, of course.

If you got space and its feasible, that can help  especially when theres a lot of precipitation. When they get wet, it increases the cold stress they experience, he said.

Galen Barrett, chief animal control officer for the city of Council Bluffs, said his office has received a number of calls from residents concerned about pets that are seen outdoors in the extremely cold temperatures.

Fortunately, we have not had to pick up any animals, Barrett said. In most cases, were able to point out to owners  if there are any problems at all  that water for their pets might be frozen or they need more bedding in their shelters; and the owners are willing to take care of the issues.

As an example, Barrett said he answered a call Tuesday from a concerned resident who thought a neighbors pet might be cold.

When I got to the address where the animal was located, it turned out that the animals shelter was heated, he said.
A case of illegal kidney transplant has emerged in Guntur where Aadhaar records were forged and produced for the transplant.

By Ashish Pandey: Amid all the debate and denial by the government of any breach of Aadhaar data, a case of illegal kidney transplant has emerged in Guntur where Aadhaar records were forged and produced for the transplant.

The incident has come to light in Narasaraopet of Guntur district where the recipient forged the Aadhaar details and produced the donor as his relative to get the illegal transplant done.

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During the investigation conducted by the Narasaraopet tahsildar, it was revealed that donor was actually no way related to the patient as claimed and a police complaint was lodged.

Investigation has revealed that the accused Venkateswarlu Naik of Telangana used a fake Aadhaar card in the name of Ravuri Ravi Chowdary, door number 12-3-35/1, Prakash Nagar, Narasaraopet and produced it as an evidence that he is a relative of Siva

Ramakrishna whose both kidneys failed and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Guntur.

But as per law only a blood relative can be a donor, the entire conspiracy was hatched and executed with a fake Aadhaar card.

The donor Naik, a tribal, reportedly agreed to donate his kidney for Rs 4 lakh.

Now police is investigating whether this illegal donation is only a stray case or just the tip of an organised racket in the district.

A case of forgery and cheating has been registered and further investigation is on with police probing a possible involvement of more people.

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Iowas ethanol industry celebrated a record-breaking year in 2017 as 43 plants produced 4.2 billion gallons, an increase from 2016.

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association reported the increase is largely due to several plant expansions, increased demand of exports and higher blends, like E-15 fuel.

Iowa continues to lead the country and the world in ethanol production and efficiency, association executive director Monte Shaw said in a release. Several plant expansions just finished or will finish during the 1st quarter of 2018, so production could jump again next year.

Brian Cahill, president, CEO and general manager at the Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy plant south of Council Bluffs, said part of the growth is credited to increased demands.

A lot of the blended pumps in Minnesota and Nebraska have led to a larger need, he said.

The SIRE plant has increased its annual capacity from 125 million to 140 million gallons recently  expansions other ethanol plants are also doing, Cahill said.

This affects not just the ethanol facilities, but employees benefit in different industries, he said. Product transportation services through trains and trucking have felt the impact, as have those who grow the corn for ethanol.

Ethanol is renewable, better for the environment and is grown right here in the U.S. Those are all benefits, Cahill said.

The association said its top priority for 2018 is to secure funding for the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program to help more retailers offer ethanol blends.
According to reports, Meghna Malik was unaware of the fact that Avika Gor will be given more prominence in the show than her.

By India Today Web Desk: TV actress Meghna Malik, who became popular after her icnonic role of Ammaji in Colors TV's Na Aana Is Des Laado, recently made a comeback to small screen with yet another season of her show titled Laado- Veerpur Ki Mardani.

In the current installment, Ammaji is being portrayed as the polar opposite of her previous season's character. While in the first season, she was the one perpetrating crimes against women, in the current season she is working for the cause of women, in an attempt to wash away her sins.

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One of her two grand daughters gets gang raped and killed and that will bring back the old Ammaji, who is now all set to avenge her killers. On the other hand, her other grand daughter (Avika Gor) believes in law and she would stand against Ammaji.

Although Ammaji's role looked powerful in this installment also; looking at the current track, Avika Gor's character has taken a centre stage and Ammaji is hardly seen.

According to Spotboye.com, Ammaji aka Meghna Malik has reportedly quit the show as she was unhappy with the way her character was shaping up. Also, it is being said that Ammaji was reportedly getting killed and this did not go down well with Meghna.

Spotboye.com contacted Meghna Malik but she was not available for comment.

WATCH: Laado 2: Anushka's first night turns into a nightmare

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The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief's lawyer Chittaranjan Sinha said that the sentencing will be announced at 2 pm tomorrow via video conferencing.

By India Today Web Desk: The special CBI court hearing the fodder scam case will announce former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's sentencing tomorrow.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief's lawyer Chittaranjan Sinha said that the sentencing will be announced at 2 pm tomorrow via video conferencing.

Hearing over quantum of sentence for five accused, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, was completed at Ranchi special CBI court earlier today.

Sentence will be announced at 2 pm, tomorrow, via video conferencing: Chittaranjan Sinha, #LaluPrasadYadav's lawyer #FodderScamVerdict pic.twitter.com/JyBijWmowc&; ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018

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Lalu had today moved an application before the court on health grounds and sought minimum punishment in the case.

He was held guilty in a fodder scam case last year. The case pertains to fraudulent withdrawal of money from the Deoghar treasury between 1991 and 1994.

The court had convicted Prasad for offences of cheating with criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Under the sections, Prasad can be sentenced to a minimum jail term of one year and maximum of seven years.

The special court yesterday deferred the sentencing of Lalu Prasad till today.

Earlier, the judge said that he received phone calls from the RJD chief's well-wishers enquiring about the quantum of sentence for Lalu Prasad.

ALSO WATCH | RJD chief Lalu Prasad moves application on health grounds, says he's suffering from diabetes

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Much of south-east Australia will roast over the weekend, lifting fire risks to "catastrophic" in parts of South Australia, and sending the mercury in western Sydney to levels more akin to the outback.

"We're likely to see large parts of NSW move into [a] severe heatwave over the weekend," Andrea Peace, a meteorologist with the Bureau of Meteorology, said.

Sydney's top is expected to reach 31 degrees on Saturday and 38 on Sunday, but the most intense heat will be felt in western suburbs. Penrith is likely to reach 42 and 45 degrees on those two days.

"Parts of Sydney are going to be hotter than Bourke [in the state's far north-west]," Kim Westcott, a meteorologist with Weatherzone, said. "You don't tend to see it that often."
Rayya Elias, the partner of Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert, has died.

Gilbert announced Elias, who was diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer in 2016, has passed away in a statement posted on social media on Friday afternoon.

Elizabeth Gilbert and partner Rayya Elias Credit:Elizabeth Gilbert/Instagram

"I loved you so much, Rayya," Gilbert wrote on Instagram. "Thank you for letting me walk with you right to the edge of the river. It has been the greatest honour of my life."

She added, "I would tell you to rest in peace, but I know that you always found peace boring. May you rest in excitement. I will always love you."
It's not made any easier by our politicians, either. Just recently, Tony Abbott expressed his disdain for the Australian republic movement: "We don't need to dump the Queen to be a great country," he tweeted on Sunday.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, right, wait for their car following the traditional Christmas Day church service, at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, England, Monday, Dec. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Credit:Alastair Grant

But it's time to face it. The royals are bad. They're racist, they're outdated - and yet we do nothing about it. We tolerate - even love! - them despite every piece of evidence that suggests we should be more critical.

Don't get me wrong. I love Harry and Meghan as much as the next person. I teared up watching their engagement interview. I laughed when Prince George gave his first royal wave in Canada. I read articles on Kate Middleton's latest outfits with religious zeal.

Of course, Abbott isn't without opposition - as Turnbull showed on Monday, reaffirming his support for a republic referendum following the Queen's death. But statements such as these are merely empty gestures, relegated to the domain of future speculation (who knows how long it'll be before Elizabeth II is laid to rest?) without any concern for what's happening now.

The 96-year-old Prince Philip stepped down from his official royal duties this week. Credit:CP

Take, for example, the recent stir caused by Prince Phillip's unsavoury remarks on New Year's Eve.

The 'joke' in question  asking "is that a terrorist?" in relation to a man with a significant amount of facial hair  is the latest in a long string of racist comments. Before this, there was "do you still throw spears at each other?" aimed at an Indigenous elder in 2002. Before that, there was 1998's "you managed to not get eaten?" to a tourist in Papua New Guinea. Before that...you get the point.

And he's not the only one. Who can forget Princess Michael of Kent and the blackamoor brooch she wore to lunch with Meghan last December? Or that time in 2004 when she told black restaurant patrons to "go back to the colonies" before explaining later that she had only the best intentions - in fact, she was so non-racist that she had once even "pretended to be...a half-caste African."
Passengers could soon be flying to Rottnest Island in a lithium battery-powered electric plane if the idea takes off.

Based at Jandakot airport, Electro Aero is training pilots in a two-seat 'Alpha Electro' that it also eventually wants to fly to Rottnest as a commercial service as a cheaper alternative to the ferries.

The two-seater is being used to train pilots. Credit:David Allan-Petale

"This aircraft is revolutionary, quiet and is definitely the future of operating aircraft in big cities," Richard Charlton from Electro Aero told 9 News Perth.

The technology that drives the plane is accredited by NASA, combining the body of a regular plane with a small electric engine powered by two lithium batteries that charge up in forty five minutes.
Washington: A lawyer representing President Donald Trump has sought to stop the publication of a new behind-the-scenes book about the White House that has already led Trump to angrily decry his former chief strategist and one-time ally Stephen Bannon.

The legal notice - addressed to author Michael Wolff and the president of the book's publisher - said Trump's lawyers were pursuing possible charges including defamation in connection with the forthcoming book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.

The letter demanded the publisher, Henry Holt and Co., "immediately cease and desist from any further publication, release or dissemination of the book" or excerpts and summaries of its contents. The lawyers also seek a full copy of the book as part of their investigation.

However, several copies of the book have been obtained by reporters and pre-sales have propelled it to the top of Amazon's best seller list.
By PTI: connection with IS module case

Kochi, Jan 5 (PTI) The National Investigation Agency probing the Kerala Love-Jihad case today decided to interrogate "some accused" jailed in connection with an Islamic State (IS) module case in the state.

NIA sources said "some accused" in the Kanakamala IS module case knew Shafin Jahan, a Muslim man facing probe into his marriage with Hadiya, a Kerala woman at the centre of the alleged love-jihad case.

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The sources said they had communicated with Jahan so that the probe agency has "to speak to them to verify true facts."

The NIAs Kochi unit had earlier filed two charge sheets before the NIA special court in Kochi against eight people from Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the case relating to a secret meeting by the Kerala-based IS module (Omar Al-Hindi ISIS module) at Kanakamala in Kannur.

The NIA had last month questioned Jahan, after the Supreme Court gave its nod to it to continue its probe into his marriage with Hadiya and her conversion.

Their marriage was annulled by the Kerala High Court in December 2016 after her father alleged that his daughter was being indoctrinated and may be taken to Islamic State territories in Iraq and Syria by extremist Islamic outfits.

The Supreme Court in November last year had allowed Hadiya, who was placed under her parents? custody since her marriage was annulled by the High Court, to resume her studies at a homeopathy college in Tamil Nadu?s Salem district.

Born as Akhila, she converted to Islam and changed her name to Hadiya before marrying Jahan. PTI TGB BN

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Since assuming power in March last year as state Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath has pursued his "saffron" agenda, quite literally.

By India Today Web Desk: The Haj House in Lucknow, used by Muslims as a transit place on their way to pilgrimage in Mecca, is now saffron in colour.

The green-and-white exterior wall of the Haj House in the Uttar Pradesh capital has been painted saffron, with many Opposition parties and Muslims objecting to the move, and accusing the government of a deliberate provocation by raising religious sentiments.

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Since assuming power in March last year as state Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath has pursued his "saffron" agenda, quite literally. He began by getting his office - the Lal Bahadur Shastri Bhawan - in the same city painted saffron.

The various booklets and posters issued by the Uttar Pradesh government's public relations department and ministries these days have elements of saffron on its pages.

Even the towels on the chairs he sits for meetings or conferences is saffron. The 43-year-old BJP hardliner himself is always seen in saffron, and is referred to as Maharaj ji by his followers.

The painting of the Haj House into saffron comes two days after the Yogi government ordered the madrassas in his state to reduce the number of holidays on Muslim festivals, and remain closed on Hindu festivals too.

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By PTI: Los Angeles, Jan 5 (PTI) Starting off the new year on a positive note, music icon Madonna has announced plans to building four new schools in Malawi.

The 59-year-old artiste took to Instagram to share the news with her fans and followers.

She also urged people to help her in bringing the total number of schools to 14 in the African country, through her charity, Raising Malawi and non-profit organisation, Build On.

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"Lets start 2018 off right! Im challenging you all to stand up, come together and be the change you want to see in the world!

"This year well begin by building four brand new schools in the Kasungu District of Malawi with Raising Malawi and buildOn! Thats 14 schools in total that will help thousands of kids get the education they so rightfully deserve! Now is the time! Join the revolution of love!" Madonna wrote alongside her picture with the Malawian children.

The "Papa dont preach" hitmakers charity announced in January 2012 to build 10 primary schools to serve more than 1,000 children in rural Malawi with Build On.

Madonna adopted her children David Banda (12) and Mercy James (11) in 2006 and 2009 respectively, and twins Esther and Stella Mwale (five) earlier this year from Malawi.

She has a daughter, Lourdes (21) and a son, Rocco (17), from previous relationships. PTI RDS RB

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By PTI: By Vilas Tokale

Mumbai, Jan 5 (PTI) An ambitious farmers loan waiver scheme, resignation of former chief minister Narayan Rane from Congress and Lok Sabha member Nana Patole from BJP dominated the political landscape of Maharashtra in the year gone by which also saw a horrific fire tragedy and stampede.

In September, 23 people died in the stampede on a foot overbridge linking the Elphinstone Road and Parel stations.

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And as the year was drawing to a close, tragedy struck again when a massive fire swept through a plush rooftop pub in downtown Mumbai during a birthday bash before swiftly raging through the building, leaving 14 people dead and 21 injured.

Mumbai was also hit by floods due to torrential rains that claimed 10 lives in the city and the neighbouring districts of Palghar and Thane in August.

In June, farmers in the state went on a strike to press for their demands like loan waiver and free electricity.

The stir was withdrawn after they met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who promised a series of measures to meet their demands.

The same month, the state government announced the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana scheme for waiving loans of Rs 34,022 crore of 89 lakh farmers. Lengthy procedures and rescinding of a faulty list later, it finalised a first list of just 239,000 beneficiaries on October 27.

The Opposition criticised the government, saying the scheme demanded a digital application from farmers, as many were unused to online transactions.

In December, BJP veteran Yashwant Sinha was detained by police in Akola while protesting against the government for its alleged apathy towards cotton and soybean cultivators.

BJP MP Patole, a critic of the central and state governments handling of the agrarian issues, resigned from the party and the Lok Sabha in December, accusing it of failing to keep the promises it made to the people.

Patole announced his decision a day before the first phase polling in Gujarat and joined Congress president Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Ahmedabad on December 11.

In September, the state Congress unit received a setback when senior leader and former chief minister Narayan Rane quit the party and his Legislative Council seat.

In October, Rane launched a new party called the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksh, announcing that he was joining the BJP-led NDA. There was speculation that he would be inducted in the state cabinet but that hasnt happened yet.

Rane, who was the chief minister in 1999 while in the Shiv Sena, did not contest the council bypoll in December. BJP nominee Prasad Lad, considered close to Fadnavis, won the election with a handsome margin.

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In September, farmers leader and Lok Sabha member Raju Shetti left the NDA, saying farmers were cheated by the Modi government which promised them double input cost as minimum support price for their produce.

Following his ouster from the Shetti-led Swabhimani Paksha, Maharashtra minister Sadabhau Khot launched his own party, Rayat Kranti Sanghatana, in September.

The year 2017 began with a keen tussle between BJP and Shiv Sena for control of the Mumbai civic body, in the February election to the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the countrys richest civic body.

The Shiv Sena won 84 seats. The BJP was close behind, winning 82 seats, while the Congress was a distant third with 31 seats.

The two major parties failed to achieve the majority of 114 seats, which led to a deadlock over election of Mumbai mayor.

After days of speculation and backdoor negotiations, Fadnavis made a surprise announcement, saying the BJP wont field candidates for the post of mayor, deputy mayor or standing chairman in the civic body.

After bypolls in the later part of 2017, the BJP now has 83 corporators while the Sena is marginally ahead with 85.

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The BJP also registered an impressive performance in elections to various local self government bodies in the state this year.

In September, the Congress won 73 out of 81 seats in the Nanded Municipal Corporation, the home turf of state Congress president Ashok Chavan.

In a huge blow to the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), the Hyderabad-based party drew a blank in the Nanded poll.

In December, Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule was briefly detained in Nagpur, while participating in a Halla Bol padyatra (march) against the Fadnavis-led governments anti-farmer policies.

The march had started from Yavatmal, a district in the Vidarbha region prone to farmer suicides.

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackerays son Aaditya Thackeray in December said the party will snap ties with BJP in a year. Sena, the junior partner in the BJP-led coalition government, had threatened several times in the past to walk out of the government.

Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2014, the BJP and the Sena parted ways but that separation was short- lived as the latter joined the BJP-led government in December the same year.

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The two parties have been at loggerheads ever since, with Sena mouthpiece often penning editorial critical of the BJP and the Modi governments performance.

As 2017 came to a close, Fadnavis, having successfully staved off challengers from within his party during the last three years as chief minister, appeared on a strong wicket. PTI VT ZMN

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The street unrest by Dalits across most of Maharashtra on January 2, sparked by attacks on the community a day earlier, signal a deepening caste polarisation in the state. Many analysts point to a growing sense of alienation and political isolation among the community.

Trouble erupted on January 1 when 'miscreants' set upon a Dalit procession headed for Bhima-Koregaon, the scene of the 1818 battle in which 500 Dalit soldiers (of the British forces) withstood a 4,000-strong Maratha army led by the Peshwa Bajirao II. Dalits have commemorated the day as 'Shaurya Din' since 1937 when B.R. Ambedkar visited Bhima-Koregaon.

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Some 350,000 Dalits had congregated at the venue on January 1. Besides the attack on vehicles ferrying Dalits, what sent the situation out of control was news that a young Maratha, Rahul Phatangade, had been hacked to death at Sanaswadi outside Pune. It reignited the tensions between Dalits and Marathas.

Analysts say the trouble in Bhima-Koregaon was a trigger for the Dalits to give vent to their rage that has been building since the Maratha agitation 18 months ago when, besides seeking quotas in educational institutions and government jobs, the community demanded death sentences for three Dalit youths accused of the rape and murder of a forward caste teenager in Kopardi. While a special court sentenced the Dalit boys to death on November 29, the community took umbrage to the acquittal of eight Maratha youngsters charged with murdering a Dalit youth, Nitin Aage, who was reportedly in a relationship with a Maratha girl. And although the government said it would challenge the judgment, there's been no action on the promise.

There's also anxiety among Dalits over the Devendra Fadnavis government's bid to appease the Maratha agitators. They view the concessions-fee cuts, hostel facilities in every district, admissions to 647 professional courses, and cheap loans for entrepreneurs-as a dilution of quotas for Dalits. Dalit writer J.V. Pawar says the ongoing protests are a "cumulative effect of their (Dalits') suppressed feelings".

Dalits, who make up 19 per cent of the state's population, aren't politically united like the Marathas, who constitute 35 per cent. Dalits dominate 46 assembly segments and 10 Lok Sabha seats, but have never collectively backed a party. Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar says the divide with the Marathas will widen. He sees it as a Hindutva ploy to keep Marathas and Dalits at loggerheads.

The BJP's hopes of steering clear of the situation are pinned on the backing of Union MoS for social justice and empowerment and Dalit leader Ramdas Athavale, whose Republican Party of India is part of the NDA. In the past, Fadnavis has succeeded in containing the Marathas by pitching the Dalits and OBCs against them. Now, with the Dalit anger spilling into street violence, his manoeuvring skills will be tested again.

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Max Eastman's powerful and moving testimony of his disillusion with communist/socialist ideology

Download Reflections on the Failure of Socialism - Max Eastman (epub)

Download Reflections on the Failure of Socialism - Max Eastman (mobi)

This article was originally published on FEE.org. Read the original article.

People who read these reflections may wonder how I arrived at the understanding that socialism has failed. I am describing the whole experience in another book, but here a brief glance at the intellectual road I traveled may be helpful. It has not been so winding a road as some may think.

I stated the aim of my political activities in two articles in the Masses in 1916: not to reform men, or even primarily reform the world, but to make all men as free to live and realize the world as it is possible for them to be. In this, the years have brought no change.

In those same articles I dismissed Marxs philosophic system, his idea that socialism is historically necessary, as a rationalization of his wish, and declared: We must alter and remodel what he wrote, and make of it and of what else our recent science offers, a doctrine that shall clearly have the nature of hypothesis.

It was juvenile of me to imagine that humanity as a whole, especially by splitting itself into two halves, could turn a whole period of history into a scientific experiment.The hypothesis, as I conceived it, was that by intensifying the working class struggle, and pursuing it to victory either at the polls or in a revolution, we could socialize the means of production, and thus extend democracy from politics into economics. That, I thought, would give every man a chance to build a life in his own chosen way. It would liberate the proletariat and therewith all society, to use a Marxian formula that I liked to quote.

To me, in short, socialism was not a philosophy of history, or of lifemuch less a religionbut a large-scale social-scientific experiment. I came to it by a process of thought rather than feeling. I had no personal envies or resentments; I was happily circumstanced and wisely brought up; I thought of myself as free. I wanted to extend that freedom to all men; I wanted to see a society without distinctions of caste, class, race, money-powerwithout exploitation, without the wage system. I knew this could not be brought about by preaching; I had observed the effects of preaching. I was captivated by the idea that it might be brought about by a self-interested struggle on the part of those most deprived under the present system. Thus the class struggle as a method was the very center of my socialist belief. The articles quoted above were titled Towards Liberty, The Method of Progress, and they were meant to be the first chapters of a book.

It was juvenile of me to imagine that humanity as a whole, especially by splitting itself into two halves, could turn a whole period of history into a scientific experiment. Science requires a scientist, or at least an engineer, and the engineer, in this case, would have to have dictatorial power. But that thought, if it entered my mind, I managed to elude. I worked out a socialism of my own which enabled me to take an independent position on many concrete questions: feminism, population control, peace, and war. Both the doctrine of class morals and the propaganda of class hate I rejected. I could think freely on such questions because my socialism was not a mystical cure-all, but merely a plan which I considered practical for solving the one specific problem of making freedom more general and democracy more democratic.

Although I was a member of the Socialist Party, the magazines I edited from 1912 to 1922, the Masses and the Liberator, were arrantly independent, and I was pretty regularly flayed alive by the party officials for some heresy or other. It was usually a revolutionary heresy. I was decidedly at the red end of the party spectrum. Still, it wasnt always the reformists as against the revolutionists that I attacked. As often it was the dogmatism of both. Naturally, in my attempt to make Marxism over into an experimental science, I waged a continual war on the bigotry, the cant, the know-it-allism, of the party priesthood. This I think distinguished the policy of the old Masses and the Liberator as much as their militant insistence on the class struggle. I was always close friends with the I.W.W., and on good terms even with the anarchists, although I lectured them on their childish innocence of the concept of method. I was not afraid, either, of the word liberal with a small l, although I had my own definition of it. A liberal mind, I wrote in the Masses for September 1917, is a mind that is able to imagine itself believing anything. It is the only mind that is capable of judging beliefs, or that can hold strongly without bigotry to a belief of its own.

When the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia in October 1917, shocking the whole world of progressive and even moderate socialist opinion, I backed them to the limit in the Liberator. I raised the money to send John Reed to Russia and published his articles that grew into the famous book, Ten Days That Shook the World. I was about the only red still out of jail in those violent days, and my magazine was for a time the sole source of unbewildered information about what was happening in Russia. Its circulation reached a peak of sixty thousand.

When Lenins pamphlet, called in English The Soviets at Work, was publishedthe same that won Whittaker Chambers to communismI was enraptured. The monumental practicality, the resolute factualness, of Lenins mind, combined as almost never before with a glowing regard for poor and oppressed people, anxiety over their freedom, devotion to the idea of their entrance into power, swept me off my feet. I still think it one of the noblestand now saddestof political documents. It convinced me that Lenins mind was experimental. In every line he seemed to realize my ideal of a scientific revolutionist. I greeted him in two articles in the Liberator as a Statesman of a New Order, and dedicated myself with no doctrinal reservations to the defense of his principles of action and his Soviet regime.

Attacking those who accused him of dogmatism, I exclaimed: I have never seen a sign in any speech or writing of Lenin that he regarded the Marxian theory as anything more than a scientific hypothesis in process of verification.

There were few translations from Russian in those days. I had to go to Russia and learn the language before I found out that Lenin was a true believer in the Marxian mystique. He was, to be sure, more high-handed with its postulates than any other believermuch more so than Trotsky. He had the trick, as Karl Radek once remarked to me, of deciding a question on the basis of the facts and then fixing it up with the theory afterward. He also had Hegels notion of dialectic logic to help him with this trick. I did not know enough then to distinguish between the limited freedom dispensed to the faithful by this ingenious notion, and the complete freedom of a mind dealing only with facts, purposes, and plans of action. I gave my heart to Lenin more completely than I have to any other leader and fought for the Bolsheviks on the battlefield of American opinion with all the influence my voice and magazine possessed. From the October revolution until Baron Wrangel was swept out of the Crimea, I was engaged in a civil war, and my socialist convictions grew hard and firm. It took a long time after that, a steady and merciless bombardment of hostile and unanswerable facts, to unsettle them.

Going to Russia

Instead of liberating the mind of man, the Bolshevik Revolution locked it into a states prison tighter than ever before. Still, I was far enough from fanatical when I sailed for Russia in 1922 to remark to my friends that I was going over to find out whether what I have been saying is true. I arrived in September, in time to learn a little Russian before I attended the fourth congress of the Third International. I was not a delegate and had no official status, but the Liberator was well enough known so that I was hospitably received as a guest. Later on, Trotsky, who consented to cooperate with me on a biographical portrait, gave me a portentous document bearing his signature and the seal of the Red Army, asking everybody in Russia to receive me cordially and attend to my needs. I traveled wherever I wanted to with that document, and saw whatever I asked to see.

I traveled at the height of the swift recovery that followed the adoption of the New Economic Policy, and I experienced Soviet life at its best. Although surprised and shocked by some features of the experiment, I found ground for great hope also. Only one thing seemed to me calamitously bad. That was the bigotry and Byzantine scholasticism which had grown up around the sacred scriptures of Marxism. Hegel, Marx, Engels, Plekhanov, Leninthese mens books contained for the Bolsheviks the last word of human knowledge. They were not science, they were revelation. Nothing remained for living thinkers to do but apply them, gloss them, dispute about them, expatiate on them, find in them the germs of every new thought or thing that came into the world.

Instead of liberating the mind of man, the Bolshevik Revolution locked it into a states prison tighter than ever before. No flight of thought was conceivable, no poetic promenade even, no sneak through the doors or peep out of a window in this pre-Darwinian dungeon called Dialectic Materialism. No one in the western world has any idea of the degree to which Soviet minds are closed and sealed tight against any idea but the premises and conclusions of this antique system of wishful thinking. So far as concerns the advance of human understanding, the Soviet Union is a gigantic roadblock, armed, fortified, and defended by indoctrinated automatons made out of flesh, blood, and brains in the robot factories they call schools.

I felt this barbarous thing more keenly than any other disappointment in the land of my dreams. I was sure it contained the seeds of priest rule and police rule. Any state religion, as all the great liberals have pointed out, is death to human freedom. The separation of church and state is one of the main measures of protection against tyranny. But the Marxian religion makes this separation impossible, for its creed is politics; its church is the state. There is no hope within its dogmas of any evolution toward the free society it promises.

For these reasons, instead of writing the travel stories expected of me about Life under the Soviets, I went into the reading room of the Marx-Engels Institute in Moscow and got down to work on my old unfinished partial torso of a book, Towards Liberty, the Method of Progress. Although not deceived that anybody would pay prompt attention to me, I thought it my duty to the revolution to attack this roadblock, this prodigy of obtuseness parading as ultimate wisdom, in the only way it could be attacked, by an unanswerable demonstration of the conflict between Marxism and the scientific method.

I stayed a year and nine months in Russia, and put in a major part of my time learning Russian and reading, mostly in that language, the essential literature on which the actions of the Bolsheviks were based. Leaving Russia in June 1924, I spent the next three years in western Europe, where I finished a book on the subject and named it Marx and Lenin, the Science of Revolution. It was published in London in 1926. The Anglo-Saxon world had so little interest then in Marxian theory that I had to advance the money for its publication. But Albert and Charles Boni bought sheets and published it a year later in New York. La Nouvelle Revue Francaise published a French translation the following year. My money investment was well repaid. But my success in undermining the roadblock in Russia was not conspicuous.

The copy I sent to the Marx-Engels Institute was returned by the Post Office marked: Denied admission by the Department of Publications. The only murmur to come out of Russia was from the great scientist, Ivan Pavlov, who surprised me with a letter in his own hand sent fearlessly through the mail: I endorse completely your criticism of the philosophical foundation of Marxism. And he added this contribution to my painfully slow recovery from socialism: There isnt any science of revolution, and there wont be for a long time. There is only a groping of the life force, partly guided empirically, of those who have a much-embracing and strong common sense. Our Bolshevik Revolution, with its details so disastrous to our intellectual and moral development, I consider an anachronism which (of this I am convinced) will repeat itself in this form never and nowhere in the civilized world. Such is my deepest understanding of these matters.

Holding on to Leninism

In that book, I wrote as a believer in the Soviet system, and I still imputed to Lenin a stride forward, however unconscious, toward the attitude of experimental science, calling him by contrast with his more orthodox opponents an engineer of revolution. There was a great deal of truth in this, but I still managed to elude its implications. I thought it was a wonderful and hopeful thing that Lenin had succeeded, by basing himself on the Marxian analysis of class forces, in throwing a net over the whole of Russian society, and gathering the power into his hands and that of a party dedicated to building socialism.

This theoretic conception stood firm in my mind, even though I had seen before leaving Russia what I now believe to be its direct and normal consequence: the usurpation of power by a tyrant having no honest instinct for the liberties of men. I had not only seen but very carefully studied the plot by which Stalin made himself master after Lenins death. Besides studying his maneuvers, I attended the party congress of May 1924, at which his open attack was launched and Trotskys prestige in the party destroyed. Behind the scenes at that congress, Trotsky told me in whispers the drift and essential details of the suppressed document called Lenins Testament. I was leaving Russia in a few days, and I spent those days gathering, with his encouragement, what further documents I needed to expose the plot and explain it. To do this I laid aside my work on Marxism and wrote the little book called Since Lenin Died, which remains, I think, an authentic source for the history of the conflict about leadership which followed Lenins death.

In the evolution of my socialist opinions that book marked a rather modest step. My conclusion was only a caution to revolutionists in other countries against accepting in the name of Leninism the international authority of a group against whom Lenins dying words were a warning, and who have preserved that authority by suppressing the essential texts of Lenin. Fourteen years would pass before I was able to see in that group, not only an enemy of Lenins plans, but a result of the revolution as conceived and engineered by him.

I had said enough in my two books, however, to ostracize me completely from the official communist movement. When I came home from Europe in 1927 most of my old political friends refused to speak to me on the street. I was a traitor, a renegade, a pariah, a veritable untouchable, so far as the communists were concerned. And as the bitterness mounted, this mood spread to the radical, and even in some degree to the liberal, intelligentsia as a whole. To get rid of my facts, I was of course promptly and indelibly labeled Trotskyist, although I neither agreed with Trotskys Marxism nor ever shared the delusion that he might become the successful leader of a party. That the policies of Lenin and the original aims of the Bolsheviks were defended by Trotsky was made unmistakably clear in my little book, and will be unmistakably clear in history, I believe, if honest history survives. But my loyalty was not to any leader or group. My loyalty was still to the working class, to the idea of progress through class struggle. In principle, I was merely supplying the international working class and its leaders with information essential to the intelligent conduct of the struggle.

The struggle is still for freedom; the main facts are still economic; the arch-enemy is still the soft-headed idealist who refuses to face facts. With the same purpose I translated and published in 1928 the suppressed program and documents of the exiled Left Opposition of the Russian Communist party, calling the book The Real Situation in Russia. As the text was theirs rather than mine, I gave the royalties to a small branch of the Trotskyist Opposition which had by that time been formed in America. This added to a growing impression that I was a personal follower of Trotsky, although my private thoughts about his failure to outmaneuver Stalin were anything but those of a follower. It was always Lenins policies, and the truth about what was happening in Russia, that I was defending. My translation of Trotskys History of the Russian Revolution was made with admiration but not endorsement. To me that book is the supreme and most compelling application of the Marxian metaphysics to history, far outdoing the similar efforts of Marx himself. But I think it will be the last. No giant will ever again drive facts into those forms at such an expense of intellectual power.

A book which marks a longer step in my own development, emotional if not intellectual, was my Artists in Uniform, written in 193233, and published in 1934. There I described the hideous dictatorship in literature and the fine arts set up under Stalins knout, and the obsequious infantilism of Americans like Mike Gold, Joe Freeman, Bob Minor, Hugo Geliert, Maurice Becker, William Gropper, my ex-colleagues on the Liberator, who of their own free will kneeled down to it. No one who had believed in the socialist revolution as a liberation of spirit, as we all in those days so loudly did, could with intellectual honor pretend that this was it or any step in the direction of it. I did not pull any punches in that book, but I still spoke as a revolutionary socialist, a non-party old Bolshevik. I said in my introduction:

I am on the side of the Soviets and the proletarian class struggle. But I think that critical truth-speaking is an element of that struggle essential to its success . . . The efforts toward socialist construction in the Soviet Union must inevitably serve the world movement in some sense as a guide. These efforts should not be followed, however, as a seamstress follows a pattern, but as a scientist repeats an experiment, progressively correcting the errors and perfecting the successful strokes.

Those were, I think, my last published words as a defender of the Soviet Union.

Losing Faith

It is not easy to set dates in such a matter. Who can determine when it is that the scales in the balance of opinion begin to turn, and what was a greater probability in behalf of a belief becomes a positive doubt against it? Cardinal Newman asks the question in his Apologia, and I must say that with all the documents I have in hand, I can not be exact as to the moment when I abandoned my attitude of loyal to the Soviet Union but opposed to the Stalin leadership, and decided that thanks to that leadership the hope of socialism in Russia was dead. I only know that during the year 1933 those positive doubts grew so strong that I abandoned my pro-Soviet lectures, and remained silent for about two years. In the spring of 1936, I wrote an essay, The End of Socialism in Russia, which was published in Harpers Magazine, January 1937, and afterward by Little, Brown & Company as a book. To my mind, there is not a hope left for the classless society in present-day Russia, I said in that book. But I still regarded Stalins totalitarian dictatorship as an enemy, rather than a result, of the policies of Lenin.

It took me another two years to arrive at the knowledge that Lenins methodsor in other words bolshevik Marxismwere to blame. This further slow step in my enlightenment was recorded in another book, published in 1940, and called Stalins Russia and the Crisis in Socialism.

I now think, I wrote in that book, that this brilliant device for engineering a seizure of power, invented by Lenin with a super-democratic purpose, has shown itself to be in fatal conflict with the purpose. I think that an armed seizure of power by a highly organized minority party, whether in the name of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, the Glory of Rome, the Supremacy of the Nordics, or any other slogan that may be invented, and no matter how ingeniously integrated with the masses of the population, will normally lead to the totalitarian state. Totalitarian state is merely the modern name for tyranny. It is tyranny with up-to-date technique. And the essence of that technique is a reverse use of the very thing upon whose forward action Lenin ultimately relied, the machinery of public education.

This change of opinion invalidated much that I had said in the second part of my book, Marx and Lenin, the Science of Revolution. Moreover, I had learned a great deal more about Marxism since that book was published in 1926. Its demonstration of the unscientific, and indeed superstitious, character of Marxs whole mode of thought seemed more and more important as the battle between the Soviets and western civilization developed. It was my main contribution to the battle, and I wrote it over again as maturely and carefully as I know how. With the title Marxism: Is It Science, it was published in the autumn of that same year, 1940.

Even then, although rejecting Lenins system of party control, I had not decided that the socialist hypothesis was disproven. That decision, or the inner force to confront that fact, arrived in the following year. And in this case, I do remember the precise moment. At a cocktail party given by Freda UtleyI think for her friend Bertrand Russellduring a conversation about some last and most significantly dreadful news that had come out of Russia, she suddenly asked me:

Aside from these Russian developments, do you still believe in the socialist idea?

I said, No.

No More Socialism

The whole idea of extending freedom, or justice, or equality, or any other civilized value, to the lower classes through common ownership of the means of production was a delusive dream.Although I had never said this to myself, the answer came from the depths of my heart and mind. It seemed perfectly clear, once the question was boldly put, that if the socialist hypothesis were valid in general, some tiny shred of the benefits promised by it would have appeared when the Russian capitalists were expropriated and production taken over by the state, no matter how untoward the circumstances.

By that time everything in Russia was worse from the standpoint of socialist ideals than it had been under the regime of the Tsar. I did not need any additional experiments such as that in Nazi Germany, or in England, or the obvious drift in other countries, to convince me. I was sure that the whole idea of extending freedom, or justice, or equality, or any other civilized value, to the lower classes through common ownership of the means of production was a delusive dream, a bubble that had taken over a century to burst.

I have never had any hesitations or regrets about the decisiononly about the unconscionably long time it took me to reach it. When I am denounced as a turncoat by the true believers it does indeed bring a blush to my cheek, but only because it took me so long to turn my coat. I sadly regret the precious twenty years I spent muddling and messing around with this idea, which with enough mental clarity and moral force I might have seen through when I went to Russia in 1922.

This present book contains my principal conclusions, or the principal things I have learned politically, since making that decision. I imagine some of its readers will echo the remark of Upton Sinclair in a recent letter, that I have merely gone from one extreme to the other. I think, on the contrary, that the step is shorter from hard-headed class-struggle socialism to a firm defense of the free-market economy than to the old wishful notion of a high-minded slide into utopia. It is a straighter step to take. The struggle is still for freedom; the main facts are still economic; the arch-enemy is still the soft-headed idealist who refuses to face facts.

An excerpt from Reflections on the Failure of Socialism (1955).

Max Forrester Eastman (January 4, 1883  March 25, 1969) was an American writer on literature, philosophy and society; a poet, and a prominent political activist. He supported socialism early in his career, however, Eastman changed his views, becoming highly critical of socialism and communism after his experiences during a nearly two-year stay in the Soviet Union in the 1920s, as well as later studies.
ViWinTech could begin demolition of old Residential Care Center soon
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By Bill Hughes

Jan. 05, 2018 | PADUCAH, KY

By Bill Hughes Jan. 05, 2018 | 12:45 AM | PADUCAH, KY

The Commonwealth Policy Center hosted an informational meeting Thursday evening to discuss a controversial ordinance on the agenda at an upcoming Paducah City Commission meeting.



About 50 citizens, business leaders and pastors attended the meeting at Twelve Oaks Baptist Church. They are concerned about an ordinance that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to an anti-discrimination ordinance pertaining to the Paducah Human Rights Commission. The item was on the agenda at the December 19 meeting, but was not voted on after lengthy discussion. A change in language to the ordinance is being prepared for the January 9 meeting, where it could be brought to a vote.



The language change in the ordinance could include protections for religious organizations and business owners with deeply-held religious convictions, but Richard Nelson of the Commonwealth Policy Center said the ordinance was fine prior to December 19. While he wants everyone's rights and dignity upheld, Nelson said the Human Rights Commission has heard no claims of these types of discrimination, so these changes aren't needed.



Nelson said, "They're not necessary, they're very divisive. They can be used to really hurt people, their livelihoods, and hurt their religious convictions, so why in the world would the city commission want to enact something like this?"



He cited stories from around the country where similar agencies have ruled that religious business owners discriminated, costing them thousands of dollars in legal fees or fines. One such case has been appealed and is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, and another is scheduled to be heard by the Kentucky Supreme Court.



Nelson said it might be prudent for city leaders to wait and see what happens in those cases before passing their own changes.



Proponents of the ordinance say it would follow the lead of several other cities in Kentucky and neighboring states by including these people groups. They say it would promote fairness and inclusion, and could help attract jobs to Paducah.



Nelson and Pastor Brandt Lyon of Twelve Oaks encouraged everyone to emulate Jesus by showing love to everyone through the process, saying its not an issue of "us against them."



Lyon said, "It is an issue where we as Christians, I think, need to stand together and say, 'we want no one to be discriminated against.' Whether it be a person of the LGBT community coming into a business that one of our church people own - we don't want them turned away at the door. We also don't want the people in our pews to have to fear when they act in accordance with their convictions. That's what this is about."



Nelson encouraged people to come to Tuesday's meeting and share their opinions in a considerate manner, and to pray for the city's leaders.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Jan. 04, 2018 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 04, 2018 | 04:42 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Three teenagers were charged early Thursday morning after a woman reported seeing several people trying to break into vehicles on her street.



The Paducah Police Department says a woman called at 11:45 pm Wednesday and said some youths were trying to break into vehicles on Wallace Lane. She described the suspects and their clothing, and an officer found them a couple of blocks away near the Coca-Cola building on Broadway.



Another officer on Wallace Lane found a vehicle that appeared to have been broken into, with clothing strewn on the street. The owner said a new UK sweatshirt with tags was taken.



Police say one of the suspects, 18-year-old William Moore, was wearing a UK sweatshirt over his jacket and the tags were still on it. Other items were allegedly found in his vehicle that police believe were stolen: three pocket knives, earbuds, two cell phones, cell phone charging accessories, and a Fossil watch.



Moore was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property and booked into McCracken County Regional Jail. The other two suspects, ages 16 and 13, were cited at the Police Department for receiving stolen property and curfew violations. They were released to parents or guardians.



Police say as of 11 am Thursday, they have received reports of seven vehicles that were broken into in the area of Wallace Lane, West Jefferson and 32nd streets. All of the vehicles were unlocked with valuables in plain view.



Police are investigating to see if any of the break-ins are related, and they remind everyone to remove valuables from their vehicles and keep them locked.
By PTI: Kolkata, Jan 5 (PTI) BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvergiya today criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerje for her remarks on the National Register of Citizens in Assam, saying it was an insult to the Constitution and the Supreme Court.

Banerjees comment was part of her "sinister political motives", Vijayvergiya charged.

He also accused the Trinamool Congress of allowing cross border infiltration into Bengal just to reap "political benefits" out of it.

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"The NRC is being updated in Assam after consultation with all stakeholders, communities, political parties and outfits. Such comments are not only an insult to the Constitution and Supreme Court but also against the spirit of the federal structure of our country," Vijayvergiya said in a statement.

Addressing a meeting at Ahmedpur on Thursday, Banerjee had accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of "hatching a conspiracy" to drive out Bengalis from Assam by "excluding" their names from the first draft of the NRC published on the December 31 midnight.

The NRC of 1951 is being updated in Assam under the supervision of the Supreme Court to identify original residents of the state in order to check illegal migration.

Referring to Banerjees continuous protests against various policies of the Narendra Modi government, Vijayvergiya urged the West Bengal chief minister not to interfere in matters related to other states.

"The Assam government is competent enough to protect its citizens. Mamata Banerjee should concentrate on her own state and stop playing politics on each and every issue," he said.

The Assam police had yesterday registered an FIR against the West Bengal chief minister on complaints over her allegation that the Centre was conspiring to drive Bengalis out of Assam with the states NRC, that is being updated.

The FIR sparked an angry response from the Trinamool Congress which said, such an action would not stop her from fighting for the cause of the Bengalis while the BJP accused Banerjee of trying to make an "issue out of an non-issue" for reaping political dividends.

The BJP government in Assam had condemned Banerjees statement, saying it was "derogatory, insulting to the people of Assam and against the Constitution as well as the spirit of the Supreme Court." PTI PNT MM DV

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By Rakesh Ranjan: It is famed as the second most photographed structure in India, besides being the most iconic railway station in the country. But the 129-year-old Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai now faces the threat of losing its UNESCO World Heritage tag.

After railway minister Piyush Goyal 'desired' to convert the building into a rail museum, Central Railway has moved a proposal seeking to vacate the CSMT building and subsequently sought for a new zonal headquarter building. Railway officials and heritage experts told Mail Today that any alteration with the usage or structure of the building might jeopardise the world heritage tag, as per the UNESCO norms.

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A senior official of the Railways' heritage wing cited the precedence when UNESCO had put the famous ruins of Hampi in the list of 'world heritage sites in danger'.

The warning had come after the government began construction of a bridge near the protected monuments to connect Hampi and Anegundi, considered the 'cradle of the Vijayanagar Empire'. UNESCO officials maintained that the construction would cause major damage to the monuments and the natural landscape. However, after years of persuasion, the UNESCO gave its nod to complete the bridge with directions to take up several corrective measures.

"A proposal has been moved before the railway board to convert the building into a rail museum. It is in the initial stage and it is yet to be decided whether the entire building or a part of it will be used for the purpose," a top Central Railway official said.

He also confirmed that a proposal for the new zonal headquarters at P D'Mello Road in Mumbai has been sent to the railway ministry which is estimated to cost Rs 100 crore. Railway ministry officials, however, said that the world heritage status would be kept in mind while proceeding with the matter.

"We are aware of the UNESCO norms; we will inform the officials before moving ahead with the project," a senior official said Experts said if the CST station loses the world heritage status, it will not be possible to regain the tag for the next 20 years. The heritage department officials reminded that there is already a waiting period of 12-15 years to apply for the word heritage tag for a new monument and if the UNESCO strips the existing tag, it will be a big loss to the country's pride and sentiments. Built in 1888, CST was accorded the world heritage status by UNESCO in 2004.

As per the plan, the zonal headquarters of Central Railway will be shifted out of the CST building while the train operations will continue from the station.

Subsequently the upper floors of the building would be converted into a rail museum. Sources said the railway minister during his visit to the station last year had desired to "see the CST station being converted into a world-class rail museum". Every day, more than three million suburban commuters use the station that was previously known as Victoria Terminus, later called CST and then changed to CSTM this year.

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The station, however, is still popularly called "Bombay VT". The building currently has around 400 employees who work in three departments of the Central Railway headquarters, including the general manager's office. Central Railway has already sought expressions of interest from owners of spaces of approximately 8,000 square metres to house the offices that will be shifted out of CST.

In December 2017, the Central Railway general manager had written a letter to Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani, seeking his intervention in developing a world-class museum. He had requested Lohani that the Railway Board's Heritage Directorate be tasked with seeming expressions of interest from specialists in this area.

Sources said the ministry is considering roping in private players. Notably, India has 35 World Heritage Sites listed by UNESCO and that makes it among one of the top countries globally in terms of number of world heritage sites.

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Last year, UNESCO had recognised Ahmedabad as a world heritage city, while in 2016 Kanchenjunga National Park in Sikkim was given the status of world heritage site. Of the 35 world heritage sites in India, 27 are of cultural importance and eight are of natural importance.

Mumbai: Fire in Andheri building kills four people

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Mumbai Police has denied permission for Sambhaji Bhide's Sunday programme scheduled to be held in Lalbagh area of the city.

By Vidya : Mumbai Police has denied permission for Sambhaji Bhide's Sunday programme scheduled to be held in Lalbagh area of the city.

Now, the workers associated Bhide's organization called Shree Shivpratisthan Hindustan are postponing the programme.

The organisation had given letter to Mumbai Police to seek permission for Sunday's event where Bhide was expected to address a gathering, but it was denied. The organisers claimed that for the past one month they had been preparing for the Sunday event for which they had travelled across Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai and had expected 5000 people to come.

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Meanwhile, Bhide's supporters said that allegations made against him are baseless, and claimed that there are "other people" behind violence in Maharashtra. They added that they had faith in the present government to find out the real culprits behind the violence at Bhima Koregaon.

Advocate Chetan Paraskar, a member of Bhide's organisation, claimed, "Sambhaji Bhide was not in Pune when the violence took place. He was in Sangli that day. Even after the unfortunate incident, he has been before the police all this time. He never ran away and police can question him anytime."

Referring to the allegation of Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar, the Mumbai head of the organisation, Balwant Dalvi said, "Prakash Ambedkar made all allegation without any evidence."

Ambedkar had claimed that right-wing organisations were behind the tragic incident in Pune and had demanded the arrest of Sambhaji Bhide and Milind Ekbote, two leaders seen to be close to the BJP, and had said that their organisations were behind the violence.

On Thursday, Mumbai Police had cancelled the permission granted to a student summit organised by Chatra Bharti in Vile Parle area of Mumbai and had detained hundreds of students including student union leaders like Richa Singh and Pradeep Narwal.

Police had cited the fact that FIRs were registered against Gujrat MLA Jignesh Mewani and JNU student leader Umar Khalid for inciting violence in Pune.

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By Siraj Qureshi: The failure of Triple Talaq Bill to pass in the Rajya Sabha has disappointed the Muslim women.

A large number of Muslim women blamed the Congress for playing a double game with the Muslims and said that when the Congress had supported the Bill in the Lok Sabha, it should have allowed it to pass in the Rajya Sabha as well.

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Social activist Fahmida Begum said that the political parties are playing a very dirty game in the matter of this bill and it is very disappointing. She added, " Congress and other political parties are probably not liking it that the Modi government took a step to improve the lives of the Muslim women and it is clear that these other political parties do not want the Muslim women to rise above the social inequality they face in their everyday lives."

Sonam Qureshi, an Arts student, said that it is clear that all the political parties have planned to drag this issue till the upcoming eight state assembly elections, to be held this year, so that they can take full advantage of it in polarising the votes in their favor. She added, "BJP had made the Triple Talaq an electoral issue in the UP assembly elections and got a three-fourth majority in the assembly. Now, the party could pull up the opposition just like it does for the Shahbano matter, gaining the sympathy of millions of Muslim women."

However, she vehemently opposed Ishrat Jahan's move to join the BJP and said that Ishrat Jahan used the Triple Talaq issue for her personal gain and will now use her role in this entire matter to gain political mileage. She said that it would have been better if Ishrat had continued to work for the betterment of Muslim women without entering politics.

However, the Muslim men praised the Congress for making a last stand against this bill in the Rajya Sabha and said 'better late than never'.

They said that the Congress was probably regretting supporting the BJP in the Lok Sabha on this bill, so it corrected its folly in the Rajya Sabha. If the Congress really thinks about the welfare of the Muslims, it should come out on the streets against this despicable move of the BJP to interfere with the Islamic laws. They said that if the Congress does move to stand in the favor of Muslims on this issue, the Muslims will in turn, support the Congress in the 2019 elections.

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The WSU Retiree Centers Senior University program will host The Glory of Ancient Greece?: Homers Iliad and Odyssey and Hesiods Theogony from 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays, Jan. 16-Feb. 27 in Maxwell Hall, room 257.

Myths as stories are vital to how we see the world. Homers "Iliad" and "Odyssey" are considered classics and they continue to exert an important cultural influence. This course will examine these two major works in light of the creation myth established by Hesiod who wrote his work, Theogony, at about the time Homers epic works were finding literary expression.

Emilio DeGrazia, a long-time resident of Winona, began publishing poetry and creative prose in 1973 and founded Great River Review, the states most enduring small press literary magazine in 1977. In 2012, he was named to a two-year term as official Poet Laureate of Winona. Emilio has a special interest in mythology and has taught several courses that center on mythological themes.

Cost to attend this course is $40, and registration is online at winona.edu/retiree/senioruni.asp.

Senior University is open to all adult learners in the Winona community, not just WSU retirees. The program is a series of non-credit short courses that are peer-led by WSU faculty, retirees and community members. The goal is to provide intellectual and cultural stimulation and growth for lifelong learners. Courses cover current events, history, philosophy, science, art, poetry, wellness, nature, politics, literature and much more.

For more information contact the WSU Retiree Center at 507-457-5565 or visit the center website at winona.edu/retiree/senioruni.asp
Robert Armstrong, known for building and performing with puppets under the name Doctor Bob, lost almost everything in a fire that engulfed his Mankato Avenue home early Sunday.

An extensive collection of records and cassettes, family heirlooms, household items and two decades worth of handmade puppets and marionettes were taken by the blaze  and now Armstrong and his two children face the hard reality of starting over.

To get them going, Eds No Name Bar is holding a benefit from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, Jan. 5. There will be live music  Armstrong himself said he would like to play some acoustic guitar  and a silent auction of items donated by community members.

Armstrong could not be reached for comment, as his phone and other electronics were reportedly lost in the fire. He has posted sporadically on social media, however, confirming that he is in good spirits and thanking those who have already donated to his familys cause.

Everyone got out of the house safely on Sunday, but, according to Armstrong, it was a frenetic escape.

Armstrong waved through black smoke in search of his children, both in their teens, before learning that they had already gotten out. His friend and roommate, Travis Mord, had to jump to safety from a second-story window, breaking both of his ankles.

Armstrong and his family have spent time recovering at the Riverport Inn & Suites, though their living situation was unclear Thursday.

On Facebook, Armstrong said friends and strangers have been donating essentials to help the family get by  as of Wednesday, his wish list included sheets, pillows, vitamins and a kitchen knife.

A GoFundMe campaign for Armstrong and his family has raised more than $9,000, well above the original goal of $5,000. Mords GoFundMe campaign has raised roughly $2,000  his goal is also $5,000.

Crews from the Winona and Goodview fire departments spent several hours Sunday battling the house fire on the 350 block of Mankato Avenue, across the street from Washington-Kosciusko Elementary School.

The fire was contained and extinguished before it could reach any of the other tightly packed houses along Mankato, although it took firefighters nearly four hours to control the blaze.

Armstrong, who is well known in the Winona area for both his puppetry and his talents as a disc jockey, was profiled by the Daily News last month.

He described puppetry as a one-of-a-kind art form  his calling, more or less.

It constantly allows me to express my skillset: choreography, performance, music, he said. And its just a great way to share stories with people. Thats probably its most endearing quality.

To that effect, Armstrong had some good news to share the day after the fire.

The flames didnt touch his garage, so most of his tools should have been spared.

So I can make more puppets, he said on Facebook.
I was saddened to hear of Dr. Dorothy Durans resignation from Minnesota State College - Southeast Technical.

But I was surprised and confused by Rep. Gene Pelowskis comments after she resigned. He said that Dr. Duran was never a good fit- The technical college has always been very in touch with this region and its businesses, particularly those businesses that need workers to be trained. That focus was not as intensive these past three years.

Thats not what Ive seen in working with Dr. Durand for three years on the Winona Workforce Development Board. She has routinely worked with the boards business-sector representatives to find ways to create training programs based on employer needs and employer feedback. While doing that work she openly discussed with her fellow board members the challenges Southeast Tech faced and the strategies she and her staff were working on to address those challenges. She was diligent in looking for ways to increase enrollment through outreach to area high schools and area veterans and to provide support for at-risk students to increase retention.

Under Dr. Durans leadership, the region has seen the following:

 Retention among at-risk students increased by 10 percent thanks to a new advising program.

 Among new courses offered are Prototype Engineering AAS, Computer Engineering Technology, Automotive Technology Fundamentals, welding certification and an integrated Electronics program.

 An Associates of Arts degree was created for students wanting to pursue a four-year college or university degree.

 A scholarship program was added for past and current military.

 Twenty-two high schools between Red Wing and Winona work with SE Tech to offer PSEO to high school juniors and seniors.

 Close to 1,000 area juniors and seniors attended an on-campus career expo featuring 78 businesses.

 Boy Scouts aged 12-18 could choose from 26 classes to earn merit badges.

 Summer boot camps helped students in math, English and/or success strategies as they progressed in their majors.

On top of all that, Dr. Duran was recently selected president of the 7 Rivers Alliance effective January 2018. The alliance is a tri-state leadership council dedicated to regional economic growth by fostering collaboration in Southwest Wisconsin, Southeast Minnesota and Northeast Iowa.

Besides being innovative and effective professionally, she was, at a personal level, generous and gracious in acknowledging the contributions of everyone who was part of a project.

The Winona area has lost a strong leader, one genuinely concerned with the well-being of the Red Wing and Winona communities, one who embraced collaboration and had a vision that would have taken Minnesota State College - Southeast Technical to even greater accomplishments. And that would have benefited us all.

Margaret Schild, Winona
A Naval MiG-29KUB fighter jet which crashed at Dabolim Airport in Goa on on Wednesday could have been saved if the airfield had an aircraft arrester barrier system, officials at the crash site told India Today.

By Sandeep Unnithan : A Naval MiG-29KUB fighter jet which crashed at Dabolim Airport in Goa on Wednesday could have been saved if the airfield had an aircraft arrester barrier system, officials at the crash site told India Today.

The trainer variant of the MiG-29K fighter aircraft aborted takeoff during a routine training sortie and crashed at the end of the runway.

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"During deceleration, the aircraft veered off the end of runway and caught fire. The pilot jettisoned the canopy and egressed the aircraft safely," a defence spokesperson said in an official statement. The aircraft costing approximately Rs 400 crore is a complete write off, sources said.

The eastern end of the runway at Dabolim Airport had an aircraft arrester barrier system until 2005 when it was destroyed in an accident. It has not been replaced since.

An aircraft arrester barrier system comprises of elastic nets or barriers stretched across the ends of a runway and meant to absorb the forward momentum in a landing or aborted takeoff overrun by tactical military fighters. A DRDO-developed system costing approximately Rs 1.25 crore can arrest a Su-30MKI fighter aircraft of over 20 tons, doing a speed of 300 km/ph.

A Naval spokesperson said that that crash barriers were not a mandatory requirement since the MiG-29K was a twin-engined high-performance aircraft and the runway length of 13,000 feet was deemed adequate from the safety point of view, in bringing the aircraft to a complete halt.

"Nevertheless, we are pursuing the case for arrester barriers for both INS Hansa and INS Dega, (the Naval Air Station in Visakhapatnam), " the spokesperson said. He also added that the case for an indigenous aircraft arrester barrier system had been pending with the DRDO 'for over a decade'.

On December 5, 2005, a Sea Harrier jet tore through the INS Hansa's airfield's arrester barrier, broke through the perimeter wall killing the pilot. Sources say the barrier was not replaced after the accident even after the induction of the heavier MiG-29K jets in 2009, which at 18.5 tons is 7.5 tons heavier than the Sea Harrier which the Navy operated until 2016. The Air Force variant of the MiG-29 has a braking parachutes that slows its descent speed, but this has been replaced in the Indian Navy's MiG-29K with an arrester hook, a device used to stop the jet during aircraft carrier landings.

Air Marshal PS Ahluwalia, former C-in-C Western Command terms the lack of aircraft arrester barriers 'against the primary norms of flight safety.' "All IAF airbases flying fighters are mandatorily equipped with electrically operated arrester barriers, it's one of the basics of flying fighters," he said.

This is the first crash of a MiG-29K, an aircraft inducted into the Navy in 2009. The Navy operates 45 MiG-29Ks in two squadrons, including four trainer aircraft, first acquired as part of a 2004 contract signed with Russia for the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (ex-Gorshkov).

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No challengers have filed papers to oppose incumbents running for seats on the Baraboo Common Council. Barring write-in campaigns, a referendum question on a special vehicle fee will be the only bone of contention on the city ballot.

Only the incumbents up for re-election in April filed nomination papers by Tuesdays deadline, according to the city clerks office. That means Mayor Mike Palm will run unopposed April 3, as will council members Tom Kolb, Joel Petty and Michael Zolper. Incumbent Paul Kujak is up for re-election to the Police and Fire Commission, but hasnt filed nomination papers.

The offices of mayor and Common Council member come with three-year terms. Police and Fire Commission terms last five years.

Zolper faces his second election in as many years. He was appointed to fill the seat of retiring council member Eugene Robkin in 2016 and won election the following spring to finish that term.

Petty has served on the council since 2007, Kolb since 2009. Kujak has served one term on the Police and Fire Commission.

Wheel tax

In November, the council voted unanimously to ask voters permission to charge an extra $20 a year to pay for street repair. The wheel tax would generate an estimated $270,000 for road work.

Municipalities across Wisconsin are enacting taxes on top of the $75 the state charges each year for vehicle registration. The Legislature is considering requiring municipalities to get voters permission via referendum. With some council members on the fence about increasing citizens tax burden, Baraboo decided to pre-emptively put the question to voters.

Municipalities are turning to the wheel tax in response to declining state road aid. Baraboo is borrowing $1.8 million for street repairs next year. The city received $767,000 in general transportation aid in 2011, but only $577,000 last year.

In recent years, the city has borrowed $1.5 million every three years to fund road repairs, an amount that hasnt met demand. The city has about $500,000 in previously borrowed funds available for 2018 street work, but when it looked at a list of needed projects totaling $2.3 million, the council opted to borrow $1.8 million for street repair.
Over the next month or so, the city of Portages Historic Preservation Commission will choose a dozen of the citys most picturesque historic buildings to be featured in a free coloring book.

And thats just one facet of the commissions plans to celebrate May as Historic Preservation Month.

The celebration in one of Wisconsins oldest communities also could include a variety of other attractions, including:

A reprise of the self-guided tour of historic churches, held almost four years ago. On May 17, 2014, the doors were open, and church members and leaders were on hand to share historic stories, at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Portage Presbyterian Church and Trinity United Church of Christ. Which churches will be on the tour next spring remains to be decided.

A historic architecture scavenger hunt, in which participants are invited to find the locations of buildings whose architectural details are pictured in the Portage Daily Register.

An encore of Judy Eulbergs guided tour of Silver Lake Cemetery, held last year.

North Freedom artist Anna Krause said she needs a decision soon about which buildings to feature in the coloring book, if the commission hopes to have copies available in May.

Commission members werent ready to decide, but they had several suggestions of specific homes, in various architectural styles, that could lend themselves to line drawings that people of all ages could color with crayon, color pencils or markers.

The commissions consensus was to present the line drawings in a landscape (horizontal) format. Krause noted that some homes lend themselves to horizontal presentation more effectively than others.

Commissioners did not rule out the idea of including, in the coloring book, buildings that are not now, or never have been, used as residences.

Chairman Doug Klapper said Eulberg had once assembled a brochure outlining the various architectural styles present in Portage, and included in the brochure examples of each style.

That brochure is likely somewhere in the Portage Municipal Building, 115 W. Pleasant St., Klapper said. If he cant find it there, he said, maybe Eulberg has a copy.

Krause said she would take photos of buildings from various angles, to find the most effective presentation.

And, she suggested, if a building has a distinctive architectural detail that might not show up well in a line drawing, perhaps the coloring book page can include an inset to show the detail.

Klapper said owners of homes chosen for the coloring book will be notified, and will be allowed to opt out if they want to.

Were not trying to upset any property owners, he said.

Commissioners responded favorably to a suggestion from Commissioner Erin Foley, to give the owners of each property featured in the coloring book 10 copies of the book.

Krause suggested making the book available in places such as the Municipal Building, the Portage Area Chamber of Commerce, the Historic Indian Agency House and the Fort Winnebago Surgeons Quarters.
They don't run NGOs, wear khadi or carry jholas and protest banners. The only thing that drives them is wanting to make a difference to society. Which is why they have harnessed their resources and their education to find simple solutions to everyday problems and change millions of lives. There's Harvard graduate Gitika Srivastava, who founded Navya Network to help cancer patients access expert opinion and seek treatment accordingly. Warwick graduate Ankit Agarwal teamed up with his friend Karan Rastogi in Kanpur and found a way to process 800 kg of waste flowers into incense sticks and vermicompost, a venture they call Help Us Green.

IIM-A graduate Sucharita Mukherjee likewise teamed up with rural management graduate Puneet Gupta to set up Kaleidofin, a financial solutions firm that helps the poor manage their life goals, be it marrying off a child, completing a child's education or building a home. 'Impact entrepreneurs' such as these are turning traditional business models on their heads, and leveraging technology to deliver human-centric solutions. "As a service provider, your lens needs to shift from what products you have to what the customer actually needs.

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This is what these new-generation impact entrepreneurs do," says Roopa Kudva, managing director of Omidyar Network India Advisors, a firm that invests in early-stage innovative companies.

How do these entrepreneurs do this successfully and consistently? Higher levels of mobile penetration and better internet connectivity help. So does the access to data. Every user in the digital world is leaving a footprint as she browses, and that becomes marketable data. So Prerna Mukharya's Outline India captures qualitative data from rural India, which governments and others use to design effective social schemes. Equally perceptible, however, is the determination to do good. "You are seeing entrepreneurs as well as investors driven by a sense of purpose. That precedes the desire to make money," says Kudva, whose firm has invested $225 million (around Rs 1,440 crore) in Indian firms so far. May their tribe increase.

CANCER CRUSADER

FOUNDER

Gitika Srivastava

ORGANISATION

Navya

PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE

With a bachelor's in computer science from Harvard and an MBA from MIT Sloan, Gitika is also partner at Cambridge, Mass. angel investing firm KAHM Capital

WORKS FROM

Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Bengaluru

Technology became an obsession for Jamshedpur girl Gitika after she went to Harvard and MIT Sloan. In 2007, when a family member was diagnosed with cancer, she spent days at the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) in Mumbai, and discovered how hard it was for patients to access experts in oncology. Thus was born Navya Networks in 2010. It allows patients to register for a fee, upload medical history and access opinion from 200 experts, drawn mostly from TMC, AIIMS in Delhi and some from overseas. A team of 40 in Navya's Bengaluru and Cambridge, Massachusetts, centres synthesises information from medical literature and the experts' opinions and reverts in 24 hours. The network has advised 17,000 patients so far. "In 78 per cent of the cases, patients have received the treatment we had recommended," says Gitika. Navya also provides online service for the National Cancer Grid.

Sucharita Mukherjee, 38; Puneet Gupta, 38

PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE

Economics graduate from Delhi University and an MBA from IIM, Ahmedabad. Was founding CEO of IFMR Capital, a firm that works towards financial inclusion. Mukherjee has also worked with Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank in London Puneet is a commerce graduate from Kurukshetra University and a PG Diploma holder in rural management from IRMA. He was the cofounder of IFMR Trust.

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Chennai

For long, the financial services industry has been churning out products-credit, investment, insurance or savings-and trying to find customers to suit these. One casualty of this is that the economically weaker sections, who neither have any awareness regarding these financial products nor any credit history to help them apply for loans or other financial products, are left out. Sucharita Mukherjee and Puneet Gupta, who, in 2007, co-founded IFMR Trust, a firm working on financial inclusion, knew well the issues of the marginalised folk. "They may be poor, but they too have aspirations like anyone else, be it in educating their children or securing their future, or improving their homes," says Gupta. Thus was born Kaleidofin, which partners with customer-focused institutions, banking correspondent networks and producer co-operatives to give curated financial solutions to financially excluded customers. Moreover, there is a lot of jargon used around financial products, which further alienates customers. Kaleidofin works with these customers as well as the networks that could provide them with these financial products-agents, cooperatives, self-help groups or microfinance institutions-and brings both sides together. "We believe everyone deserves and requires access to financial solutions that are intuitive and easy to use. There are 800 million who have no financial access," says Mukherjee. "At Kaleidofin, we want to keep the customer at the centre and provide mass tailored solutions that are best suited to meet the customer's own goals."

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Shameek Chakravarty, CEO, 39; Gitanjali Rajamani, COO, 36; Sudaakeran Balasubramanian, CTO, 37

CO-FOUNDERS

Farmizen

PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE

Shameek is an alumnus of ISB, Hyderabad, and BITS, Pilani, has worked with Amazon and Yahoo Gitanjali handled large scale delivery management at TCS, and is founder &CEO of landscaping firm GreenMyLife Sudaakeran is a computer science graduate from Anna University.

Bengaluru

Horror stories of vegetables laced with pesticides, or sprayed with chemicals to make them look fresh have long haunted city-dwellers. You hear a lot about organic vegetables, but few know how and where to get them. That is where Farmizen, a company launched by Shameek Chakravarty, Gitanjali Rajamani and Sudaakeran Balasubramanian in June 2017, has stepped in. Enabling people to grow their own vegetables at a nearby farm according to their needs, Farmizen allows a customer to register and rent out a 600 square foot plot on a farm for a monthly fee. Each plot has 12 raised beds for growing various vegetables. The farmer who owns the land is already on the Farmizen network, and tends the crop. Farmizen, meanwhile, takes care of the distribution, marketing, inputs and know-how. There are adequate checks against violations-crowd-sourced audits, remote supervision using drones. Farmizen provides all inputs, to ensure no chemical is used. Customers, on the other hand, can control their farm through an app on Android and iOS-just like Farmville, the social network game. You can also visit your farm anytime and harvest your own chemical-free crop. Should you be busy, Farmizen can home deliver the produce every week.

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"What we offer is trust," says Rajamani. Moreover, farmers are assured of a steady income. Produce from 600 sq. ft of land can fulfil 70 per cent of the needs of a family of four, she claims. On an average, a family spends Rs 2,000 a month on vegetables via Farmizen.

Farmizen, which has over 250 customers, currently has five farms in Bengaluru, and will be launching five more in early 2018. It also plans to take its business to Hyderabad, and is looking at a presence in Chennai and Delhi thereafter. The company has an annual revenue run rate of Rs 75 lakh, and expects to break even by the middle of next year.

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Ayesha Ghandy, 32 Travel entrepreneur, animal activist

Ayesha Ghandy grew up in the midst of nature in Mahabaleshwar, and it is here that her fondness for animals developed. Now, she devotes a big part of her time on strays in her neighbourhood in Pune, feeding them, arranging for medicines and vaccination, and getting them neutered.

Ayesha's greatest passion, though, is travel. After college, she worked at KPMG in Mumbai before landing a job at DHL in Belgium. There she would use her free time to travel around. "I knew I eventually wanted to do something that offered me the flexibility of being able to take time off to see the world," she says.

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HEADY DREAM

Building the No Thepla Holidays brand, giving more time to animal welfare

STRAIGHT TALK

"Our market is urban youth looking for new experiences and keen to explore"

"We also saw a gap in this industry - no one was catering to the flash-packing needs of the modern urban traveller. This, combined with my need for personal freedom in terms of dictating my working hours, the headroom for making decisions and having a sense of ownership led to 'No Thepla Holidays'."

No Thepla Holidays offers flash-packing trips to offbeat places in the company of like-minded travellers. The locations include Europe, South East Asia and the Middle East. "We plan our trips around music festivals, major or quirky events and adventure or specific activities. We offer customised holidays," says Ayesha.

--- ENDS ---
By Santosh Chaubey: Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has declared US and Pakistan are no longer friends and the bilateral ties need a serious revisit. He, in fact, was so acerbic during an interview that he went on the say that US was a friend who always betrayed and added that in case of any US aggression, "Pakistan would respond in a manner that would reflect the nation's will."

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"The US behaviour is neither that of an ally nor of a friend. It is a friend who always betrays," Asif said in a television interview. He said Pakistan could survive without the US assistance as it had done during the Pressler Amendment, "They did it in the past as well, which is evident from our history. They have always betrayed us in hard times." He also advocated a tough resolution by the Pakistani parliament on the issue reflecting the national sentiment.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister doubted US motives in Afghanistan, blaming a nexus between US and India as, according to him, instability in the region suits both, "They, the US and allies, have best and highly equipped forces. How come they could not perform in Afghanistan? Why there is 9000 tons of opium being produced in Afghanistan and why is Daesh present there in as much as nine provinces."

Asif asserted that his views on the matter should be seen as Pakistan's official response as "he had no individual worth and he was just a public representative."

Asif's blunt remarks contradict the stand taken by the Pakistan Army on US President Donald Trump's latest accusation that Pakistan has given the US nothing but lies and deceit thinking of US leaders as fools and now is the time to stop the financial aid to Pakistan. He blamed Pakistan for giving safe haven to the terrorists the US hunts in Afghanistan in spite of receiving $33 Billion of US aid in last 15 years.

After Trump's latest accusation, the US withheld scheduled $255 million military financial assistance to Pakistan. The White House released a statement asking Pakistan to do more in the war on terror and today came up with a list of 27 Haqqani Network terrorists and wants action against them by 15 January.

In Pakistan Army's first official response yesterday, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, Director-General (DG) of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, though had said that no amount of coercion could dictate Pakistan but had also added that* "as far as Pakistan was concerned, it considered them (the US) as allies" declaring that "the Pakistan-US relationship has had its ups and downs but still, they were friends."

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When asked about reports emerging that the US is not willing to consider Pakistan a friend and ally anymore, he said Pakistan could have chosen the erstwhile USSR as its ally but instead preferred the US and still considers the country as its ally.

He, in fact, termed the US-Pakistan tension an issue of misunderstanding. He said Pakistan had taken action against the Haqqani Network but the US should give some time for its effects to become visible, "effects of these operations cannot be visible immediately. Only time will show how effective these operations were in establishing peace within the region."

--- ENDS ---
By Santosh Chaubey: US National Security General H R McMaster has said that Pakistan uses terror as state policy and goes after terrorists 'very selectively' and if the country tries its nuclear capability as a lever to blackmail others, it would end up as another North Korea.

McMaster, a former US Army General, was speaking on US President Donald Trump's New Year Day tweet on Pakistan in a Voice of America interview.

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He said that the tweet speaks for itself where Trump blamed Pakistan for being a lying and deceitful country in spite of receiving huge US aid and helping those very terrorists the US hunts in the Afghanistan and pledged 'no more US aid to Pakistan'.

McMaster said Pakistan's double-dealings have frustrated Donald Trump and America. He said by very selectively going after terror groups, hitting some while choosing others as an arm of its foreign policy, Pakistan has not only betrayed the values America hoped would make for a great partnership, but also its own people.

"What's frustrating at times is we see Pakistan operating against the interests of its own people by going after these groups only selectively, by providing safe havens and support bases for Taliban and Haqqani network leadership that operate out of Pakistan as they perpetuate hell in portions of Pakistan and in Afghanistan," he said.

"America has great sympathy for the Pakistani people and in particular, how much they've suffered at the hands of terrorists who have victimized so many Pakistanis with mass murders, with that horrible mass murder in a school a few years ago," McMaster says in the interview and emphasizes that for its own sake, the Pakistani government must go after these groups less selectively.

Putting the Trump tweet in a clear perspective, his NSA says this is not a blame game but an effort to communicate clearly to Pakistan that the US relationship can no longer bear the weight of contradictions, and that we have to really begin now to work together to stabilize Afghanistan, emphasizing that doing so would hugely benefit Pakistan.

PAKISTAN WOULDN'T WANT TO BECOME A PARIAH STATE

McMaster warns if Pakistan doesn't want to become a pariah state, it will have to stop going after terror groups only selectively, and will have to stop providing safe havens and support bases and other forms of support for leadership.

On asking if any other country may step in to aid Pakistan in case the US pulls out, McMaster says he doesn't think any country including China would like Pakistan to continue its support for terror groups like the Taliban or the Haqqani Network.

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China may be Pakistan's all-weather friend and has defended Pakistan in the wake of Trump tweet but it has a terrorist problem on its southern border that does have connections back into Pakistan, "It's not going to be any other country in the region, certainly, who will want Pakistan to continue this, really, pattern of behaviour that we've seen, where it goes after these groups only selectively, while it sustains and supports others who act as an arm of its foreign policy."

NUCLEAR BLACKMAIL WILL MAKE PAKISTAN ANOTHER NORTH KOREA

On the possibility of Pakistan using its nuclear capability as a leveraging tool, or to extort or blackmail, something that North Korea is doing, McMaster says he doesn't think so, "It would just be unwise for any Pakistani leader - I can't imagine a Pakistani leader using nuclear weapons to extort or for blackmail. That's the day when Pakistan would become North Korea."

He puts a very vital question before the Pakistani leadership, "Does Pakistan want to become North Korea? Doesn't look too appealing a model to me. So, I think Pakistan could be on a path to increase security and prosperity, or it could be on a path to replicating North Korea. I think that's an easy choice for Pakistani leaders."

--- ENDS ---




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EDF and MHI to collaborate on Atmea joint venture

05 January 2018

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The Atmea joint venture between France's Areva and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is to be reorganised following the sale of Areva's reactor business to EDF, MHI and Assystem. Atmea was created in 2007 to develop, market, license and sell the 1100 MWe Atmea-1 pressurised water reactor combining both companies' technologies.

A cutaway of a nuclear power plant based on the Atmea 1 reactor (Image: Atmea)

The sale of Areva's reactor business, which had been transferred to a wholly-owned subsidiary of Areva NP referred to as 'New NP', was completed on 31 December. As a result, New NP became 75.5% owned by EDF, 19.5% by MHI and 5% by Assystem. Yesterday it was announced that New NP had been renamed Framatome.

"The completion of the investment will result in a reorganisation of Atmea," MHI said today. "Under the new structure, there will be fifty-fifty ownership of Atmea between MHI and EDF, along with a special share owned by Framatome."

MHI noted, "Under the new arrangement, MHI, EDF and Framatome will collaborate in promoting worldwide sales of the Atmea-1 reactor." The company added, "Prospects for the sale of the Atmea-1 have been expanding worldwide, especially in emerging economies, where new nuclear power plant construction plans are moving ahead."

"MHI has been a key player in cooperation between Japan and France in the development of nuclear power generation technologies for many years," said MHI president and CEO Shunichi Miyanaga. "With the completion of our investment into Framatome, a new structure has been created that will further strengthen the ties between our nuclear energy industries, and I am confident this new relationship will enable further improvement in technologies to ensure the long-term sustainability and reliability of nuclear energy."

In 1991, MHI and Areva formed a joint venture in the nuclear fuel cycle business, and in 2006 they concluded an agreement on broader collaboration in the field of nuclear energy. That agreement led to the creation in 2007 of the Atmea 50-50 joint venture. Turkey's second nuclear power plant, at Sinop on its Black Sea coast, is proposed to feature four Atmea 1 reactors.

In 2009, Areva and Mitsubishi agreed to establish a joint venture company in the nuclear fuel fabrication business. The new company was established by restructuring the existing Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel (MNF) company, with Areva NP taking a 30% stake in the new company.

Since 2005, the Japanese company has received orders for 15 replacement steam generators for French nuclear power plants operated by EDF. In June 2016, MHI and EDF signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy. The MOU called for EDF's marketing, technological and other support of Atmea's business, as well as broad-based cooperation in global markets making use of the two companies' technological capabilities and specialised strengths.

MHI is also scheduled to acquire a 5% equity stake in New Areva Holding (formerly referred to as 'NewCo'), a company primarily focused on the nuclear fuel cycle business. The investment is due to be completed at the end of this month.

MHI said further cooperative ties between France and Japan's nuclear power industries will be strengthened in areas including equipment supply to nuclear power plants, after-sale servicing and decommissioning work.

"Going forward, through the increasingly close ties forged with EDF, Framatome and Areva Group, MHI will promote the development of global markets for a broad range of nuclear power generation-related technologies," MHI said. "In this way, MHI will contribute to the formation of a worldwide structure enabling stable acquisition and supply of energy with low emissions."

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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According to property portal Bayut, Al Reem Island is the most in-demand area among Abu Dhabi tenants this year with studios, 1-beds and 2-beds commanding AED 60k, 82k and 120k, respectively, (14% decline from 2016).Mohammed Bin Zayed City is the most affordable area for renting apartments, with studios, 1- beds and 2-beds demanding AED 30k, 47k or 65k, respectively (12% lower than last year). On the other hand, The Corniche Area, the most expensive for apartment rentals among popular areas, has experienced a 12% decrease in price from 2016. The average rent in The Corniche Area is AED 80k, 99k and 135k, depending on property type.Meanwhile, the price of 2-bed flats on Airport Street is 29% lower at AED 85k per year, which was the most significant drop among popular areas of Abu Dhabi for apartment units. Studios in Khalifa City A command the same AED 36k they did last year. The most popular area for renting villas in 2017 is Khalifa City A, especially because of the fall in average rents to AED 155k, 180k and 200k for 3, 4 and 5-beds, respectively (a 4-10% drop from 2016).Mohammed Bin Zayed City is the most affordable area among the top localities for villa renting on Bayut.com. The average yearly lease in MBZ City costs AED 120k, 150k and 165k for 3- beds, 4-beds and 5-bed villas, in that order (5-14% decrease from 2016). On the other hand, Bain Al Jessrain is still the most extravagant popular area of Abu Dhabi for villa renting, demanding AED 200k-250k depending on property type on average (3-4% decline from 2016).
A group of backpackers were rushed to a hospital after consuming date rape drug they had mistaken for cocaine.

Three backpackers are in critical condition at a hospital in Perth, Australia, while 6 others recovered.

The seven men and two women, who are between 21 and 25-years-old, took the powder and fell unconscious or semi-conscious. Some also suffered seizures.

The tourists, 5 from France, 2 from Germany, 1 from Italy, and 1 from Morocco lived in a shared house on Colombo Street in Victoria Park when the incident occurred.

The Italian man who identified himself as Simone said that a package arrived at the house and was addressed to someone who no longer lived there.

When the group opened it, they found a white powder wrapped in a piece of paper with the word scoop written on it.

Thinking it was cocaine, they divided the powder between them and inhaled it, Simone said.

But the substance was later identified as Hyoscine, a medication used to treat travel sickness, but it is also known to be used as a date rape drug.

Simone said that after consuming the drug, they all became paralyzed and couldnt scream for help.

We did not have any power, we could not do anything, he said.

Emergency workers were called when another housemate came home and found them in urgent need of medical care.

They were hallucinating, their hearts were racing, and some of them had to be put in a medically induced coma for their own protection, Royal Perth Hospital emergency room doctor David McCutcheon said during a press conference.

Two tourists from France and one from Germany remained hospitalized and are said to be in critical condition while the rest of them were treated and released.
PETA India has been inundated with calls from the public about the planned goat sacrifice happening in Rajinikanth's name.

By India Today Web Desk: Superstar Rajinikanth announced his political entry on December 31, 2017, which has raised a lot of eyebrows in the political circuit. While members of the film fraternity including Kamal Haasan have welcomed him with open arms, several political leaders are not happy with his foray into politics.

A few days after announcing his political entry, Rajinikanth launched his website, called the Rajinikanth Rasigar Mandram, where people can register themselves as members of the party. On its first day itself, nearly 50 lakh people registered on the website.

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Celebrating Thalaivar's political entry, ardent fans of Rajinikanth have reportedly planned to sacrifice goats for a feast organised at Alagarkoil in Madurai on January 7.

According to a statement released by PETA India, they have been bombarded with calls and emails from people who are upset with this practice.

"The plan of your fans to kill goats in a temple is cruel and an apparent violation of Indian laws. Goats who are killed usually transported and handled roughly and hacked at with dull knives in full view of their terrified companions," they added.

PETA India also congratulated Rajinikanth's decision to launch a political party. The statement further reads, "The power you already hold can help make a positive difference to the lives of all living beings and we are therefore writing to respectfully request that you use it now to stop the planned slaughter of goats in your name."

In response to PETA India's statement, Madurai Rajini fans' association said, "We are not planning to slaughter the goats or sacrifice them. We (fans) are going to purchase meat from meat shops to cook and serve food to the people. We won't be performing any ritual."

ALSO WATCH | Rajini meets Karunanidhi: Neta Rajini seeks spirituality or identity?

--- ENDS ---
A family is mourning the loss of a man who was killed in a random attack at a subway station in New York.

65-year-old Jacinto Suarez, who was a father of 10 children, was waiting at the R-line subway station in Brooklyn at about 2:30 p.m. when he was attacked.

According to police, 18-year-old Edward Cordero was talking to himself at the station before he walked up to Suarez.

Suarez asked him to back off and the teenager did so. However, police said that after a few moments, Cordero came back and sucker punched Suarez, causing him to fall onto the tracks.

A good Samaritan jumped onto the tracks to remove Suarez to prevent him from getting hit by a train but Suarez suffered fatal injuries and died.

Cordero did not leave the scene and was arrested by police.

Cordero, who according to his family has bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and was off his medication, was taken to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.

Heartbroken family members said that Suarez was on his way back from a meeting with city officials about his social security check that did not arrive on the first of the month as it should have.

Tylenea Gonzalez, 34, who is the oldest daughter of Suarez, said that her father joked and said that he was going to the government office and Iam not coming home until they give me something.
Suresh Arora said that a number of gangsters are active on social media and at times, have been caught updating their status from the jail.

By Manjeet Sehgal: The new year resolution of Punjab Police is to follow the gangsters on social media. The Director General of Punjab Police, Suresh Arora has said that a number of gangsters are active on social media and at times, have been caught updating their status from the jail.

Some of the gangsters had even confessed of killing their rivals on social media. One Bathinda gangster had also threatened a senior police officer on Facebook.

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For this, Punjab police has decided to open YouTube, Facebook and Twitter accounts to keep an eye on the gangsters. The police will follow the gangsters on social media, trace their IP addresses and will arrest them," says Suresh Arora.

The police will also chase Khalistani groups on social media. The Khalistani terrorists arrested recently had told investigators that they were in touch with their handlers in Pakistan and European countries using encrypted chat applications. Pro Khalistani groups are already trying to radicalise gullible Punjab youths on social media.

Punjab Police will also establish a connection with common man via social media and will also receive complaints on Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter.

Punjab DGP has claimed to have arrested 47 gangsters and recovered 183 weapons from them last year. The police has also recovered 149 vehicles from criminals.

Suresh Arora also said that the dreaded gangsters and hardcore criminals will now be produced in the court via video conferencing only.

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Reflecting mounting global and internal tensions, Chinese President Xi Jinping conducted a mobilisation meeting of the countrys armed forces on Wednesday, ordering soldiers to be ready to fight and win wars.

Speaking at a large military assembly in the northern province of Hebei, Xi told about 7,000 Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers they should fear neither hardship nor death as they obeyed their orders.

Xis speech was a measure of the escalating pressure on the Chinese regime by the US pivot to Asialaunched by Barack Obama and ramped up by Donald Trumpto combat Chinas growing influence, if necessary by war. The unprecedented military rally was also an indication of the buildup of the armed forces to deal with mounting domestic unrest.

Like the US and other governments around the world, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) administration, which represents a thin layer of the super-rich billionaires, is resorting to nationalism and militarism in response to growing geo-strategic conflicts and internal political discontent.

The Peoples Daily, the official newspaper of the CCP regime, reported that troops assembled in 4,000 separate locations across China to hear Xis address.

Sending a calculated message, the publication highlighted the event on its front page yesterday. It showed thousands of soldiers, lined up in battle gear, chanting in response to Xi, alongside a photograph of him addressing them, clad in combat fatigues and black leather gloves.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the CCP, spoke in his capacity as chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC)effectively the armed forces commander-in-chief. The Peoples Daily emphasised it was the first time the CMC had held a mobilisation meeting for the whole armed forces.

According to the newspaper, Xi declared that the PLA should create an elite and powerful force that is always ready for the fight, capable of combat and sure to win in order to fulfill the tasks bestowed by the party and the people in the new era.

Another CCP publication, the Global Times, called the assembly a landmark event. This is the first time since the founding of the country that instructions on military training have been directly issued by the chairman of the CMC, and it shows that improving combat readiness is now a strategic mission for the Chinese military, Xu Guangyu, a retired major general, told the Global Times.

Xu presented the shift as a defensive reaction to the expansion and increasing combat readiness of the much larger US military. China cant copy the US measures to improve combat capability through actual combat overseas since our national defence policy is defensive rather than offensive. Therefore, military training becomes extremely important for China.

On the same day that the CCP staged the assembly, Trump used Twitter to blatantly threaten a nuclear war against North Korea, the small impoverished state that sits on Chinas northeastern border, just 800 kilometres from Beijing. Taunting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Trump wrote: I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!

The turn by Chinas venal, corrupt and despotic capitalist class to military mobilisation is not only a reaction to Washingtons war-mongering, however. It expresses the material interests and aspirations of the wealthy elite that has arisen rapidly in China since the restoration of capitalism under CCP leader Deng Xiaoping in the 1970s and 1980s.

Song Zhongping, described as a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times that the ceremony demonstrated the new norm of military training after the 19th CCP National Congress, held last October.

That congress saw Xi, who came to power in 2012, consolidate his position as state president, party general secretary and military commander, after ousting factional rivals and restructuring the PLA to concentrate control in the CMC, which he chairs.

As the WSWS explained at the time, Xi has emerged not as an unchallengeable political strongman, but as a Bonapartist figure, seeking to maintain party unity by balancing, arbitrating and suppressing the conflicting interests in the CCPs massive bureaucratic police-state apparatus.

Domestically, the social chasm between the party bosses and billionaires, and the vast majority of the population whose cheap labour has underpinned global capitalism for three decades, is generating explosive class tensions, aggravated by signs of economic turmoil.

This year, while officially forecasting growth to continue at around 6.7 percent, Chinese officials are warning of over-capacity in traditional industries, structural contradictions in the economy and financial risks produced by record levels of debt.

Around 600 strikes or protests were reported during the first eight months of 2017, according to the China Labour Bulletin, a Hong Kong-based monitoring web site, which said this tally may represent only 1015 percent of the actual number. This was despite increased police powers to break up demonstrations.

Unable to credibly claim to represent socialism, the CCP is drumming up nationalism, invoking an image of restoring China to a mythical great power status, in a bid to divert the disaffection of the working class.

The social powder keg is being exacerbated by Trumps America First threats of trade war and nuclear conflict. Trump is ratcheting up Obamas pivot even more openly and aggressively, reflecting the view in American ruling circles that Beijing is a key obstacle to Washingtons world dominance.

Trumps National Security Strategy, released last month, branded China and Russia as revisionist powers and hostile competitors seeking to shape a world antithetical to US values and interests and challenge American power, influence, and interests. In essence, the document called for the preparation for a new era of great power conflict and world war.

Under Xi, China has reacted to Washingtons offensive by accelerating its own military build-up and efforts to assert economic power. Xis One Belt, One Road policy, in particular, involves ambitious transport and infrastructure projects to link up the Eurasian landmass, excluding the US and encouraging the European powers to loosen their ties to Washington.

While the CCP has sought to postpone a confrontation with the US, bowing to some demands for greater trade and investment access in China and for punitive sanctions on North Korea, it has refused to back down on critical strategic issues such as Chinese land reclamation in the South China Sea. Xis military mobilisation ceremony is another warning that global capitalism, with the US in the lead, is threatening to plunge humanity into another, even more terrible, world war.
All the Money in the World, directed by Ridley Scott, written by David Scarpa; The Shape of Water, directed by Guillermo del Toro, written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor

All the Money in the World

Ridley Scotts All the Money in the World is a fictional account of the kidnapping of J. Paul Getty III, the grandson of billionaire oilman J. Paul Getty, in Italy in 1973.

The film is loosely based on John Pearsons 1995 book, Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty. Getty was at one point the richest man in the US. By all accounts, he was also one of the most detestable.

The abduction of the 16-year-old Getty heir by Calabrian organized crime made international headlines at the time and undoubtedly possesses intriguing and suspenseful elements. In Scotts work, however, the episode is not treated in any great depth and, frankly, a more immediate and pressing drama overtook the films production and release.

As most readers will know, the shooting and post-production of All the Money in the World took place with Kevin Spacey in the central role of J. Paul Getty. However, once allegations of sexual misconduct emerged against Spacey in late October, Sony executives and Scott shamefully rushed to remove the actor from the film, replacing him with Christopher Plummer and in the process reshooting 22 scenes.

Brook Barnes in the New York Times (The Race to Erase Kevin Spacey, December 13) described what was involved in scrubbing out Spaceys performance. At a secret, hastily arranged meeting on November 7 between Scott, who had flown in from London, and Plummer, the director issued an urgent plea: Would Mr. Plummer help expunge the disgraced Kevin Spacey from Mr. Scotts latest film, one set for theatrical release by Sony in just six weeks? ...

And so began a race to pull off something never before attempted in Hollywood: revisiting a finished movie, reassembling major members of the cast, refilming crucial scenes, re-editing many sequences, retooling the marketing campaignand doing it all at the last possible minute. Mr. Scott and others worked 18-hour days as they rushed to finish in nine days what would typically have taken at least a month.

One of the extraordinary aspects of the entire discussion about replacing Spacey is that no one involved seems to have had any serious qualms about the operation.

Christopher Plummer did express some personal concern about Spaceys fate at the time he was handed the latters part in Scotts film. He told Vanity Fair, Kevin is such a talented and a terrifically gifted actor, and its so sad. The actor added: Im very saddened by what happened to Kevin, but what can I do? Ive got a role.

Plummers ineffectual sympathy for Spacey provoked outrage and an outcry online, and his advisers no doubt encouraged him to button his lip.

On the whole, the unprecedented expunging of Spacey, who had not been found guilty of or even charged with any crime, was treated by all the participants in the films production and by the media as a straightforward business practicality, even as a particularly clever maneuver by Scott and Sony.

The entire dirty operation indicates the lack of democratic sensibility or even of elementary decency in the contemporary film world and the obliviousness of these people to any broader social issues. Does anyone believe for an instant that this milieu, obsessed with or intimidated by the stalwarts of the reactionary #MeToo movement, will put up the slightest resistance to a new round of explicitly political, McCarthyite witch-hunting?

Whatever the merits or defects of All the Money in the World, it will never entirely escape the odor of deceit and betrayal that surrounded its reshooting. Amid all the revisiting and revising, apparently no thought was ever given to retitling the movie All the Treachery in the World.

As for the content of Scotts film, whose narrative jumps back and forth in time, it begins in 1973, when the bohemian Paul (Charlie Plummer) is abducted from a Roman street by thugs and thrown into the back of a van. Flashbacks reveal that the oil tycoon (Plummer) has strong feelings for his grandson, despite or because of the fact that Pauls father is a weak man, who at the time is a drug-addicted wreck.

The kidnappers, hiding out in southern Italy, expect that it will be an easy matter to extract a paltry $17 million from the fabulously wealthy Getty, but they reckon without his meanness and miserliness.

Getty in fact is so cheap that he has had a pay phone installed for his guests at his (rented, at company expense) palatial English manor. He also washes his own clothing by hand. He tells the media that he sees his 14 grandchildren as potential abductees and therefore 14 sources of financial vulnerability.

Pauls mother Gail (Michelle Williams) pleads in vain for the ransom money from her former father-in-law and eventually begins her own desperate negotiations with her sons captors. (Gail has no money of her own because she gave up all financial claims in the divorce settlement.) One of the kidnappers, Cinquanta (Romain Duris), who has a certain sympathy for Paul, becomes her point of contact.

Getty calls in company operative Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg), a former CIA agent, to help Gail obtain Pauls release without paying a penny. During the five months that Paul is held captive, the ransom will be knocked down to $4 million, and Getty initially agrees to pay only the portion of that amount that is tax deductible. To get to that point, Gettys grandson will suffer enormous physical and emotional damage.

The real J. Paul Getty (1892-1976), like fellow tycoon Howard Hughes, was an eccentric and particularly American abomination. His father had gone into the oil business, making a small fortune. Gettys great breakthrough was the deal he reached for a tract of barren land near the border of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in 1949. From 1953 onward, the venture produced tens of millions of barrels of oil annually, making Getty by 1966 the worlds richest private citizen.

In the 1930s, Like many foreign businessmen, John Pearson comments in his biography, he [Getty] also had a fairly uncritical attitude towards the Nazis, frankly admiring the efficiency with which they seemed to run the country. Later, however, Mussolini supplanted Hitler in Gettys affections. He became infatuated both with Rome and with Fascist Italy, Pearson writes. After seeing Mussolini in the audience at the opera one night, Getty wrote in his diary, The greatest son of Italy since the Emperor Augustus.

All the Money in the World doesnt shy away from portraying Getty unsympathetically. After all, this is a man willing to shell out $1.5 million for a painting at the same time as he refuses to part with any cash to save his grandson from possible mutilation or death. But, while presenting an unflattering portrait of a bad billionaire only in love with objects, the film does not raise a single question about the social order that produced Getty and his ilk.

Now 80, Ridley Scott has been making films for 40 years. Having directed over 40 movies, he is not without talent and efficiency when it comes to storyline and action. As opposed to a good many highly thought-of directors today, Scott is capable of creating a coherent and intelligible drama.

But his artistic biography has certain telling features. Born in 1937, Scott belongs to the same generation as some of the most prominent left-wing (or formerly left-wing) British directors, writers and actors (Trevor Griffiths, Ken Loach, Albert Finney, Vanessa and Corin Redgrave, Tom Courtenay, Nicol Williamson, Mike Leigh, etc.). However, he did not take part in the social realist filmmaking of the 1960s and early 1970s. Scott worked largely and lucratively in commercials during the turbulent portion of the latter decade. He came to feature filmmaking in the late 1970s after the tide of radicalism had largely ebbed and significant layers of the middle class were moving to the right.

Scott made his name with Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982), two striking and violent but essentially empty works. He was set on a course from which he has never seriously deviated. Although capable of pursuing vaguely anti-establishment themes, Scott has never identified himself with social opposition. His often ruthless heroes and heroines single-mindedly pursue their own interests. Scott has essentially gone with the flow of the commercial film industryalbeit working the slightly more sophisticated, independent, stylish side of the Hollywood blockbuster.

The director has always had his finger in the wind, including in relation to identity politics. Scott has built up a binder full of films feminist icons, in the words of one commentator, including Lt. Ellen Ripley and her unflinching resolve in Alien, Demi Moores determination in G.I. Jane [1997], Clarice Starling and her intellectual strength in the face of institutional injustice in Hannibal [2001], and Thelma & Louise [1991] flipping the bird to the patriarchy. Scotts filmography also prominently includes Gladiator (2000), Black Hawk Down (2001), American Gangster (2007) and The Martian (2015).

There is a connection between Scotts (and the other participants) willingness to sacrifice Spacey without a hesitation and the weaknesses of All the Money in the World. This is not a film made on the basis of penetrating thought or analysis. It takes things more or less as they present themselves on the surface. In interviews, Scott treats his lead actors elimination, as a mere logistical obstacle, like bad weather on location, to be overcome by rapid organizational means.

Along the same lines, the filmmaker doesnt seem to have any strong feelings one way or the other about the allegations against Spacey, or to have spent much time considering them or their implications. Speaking of his two performers, Scott blandly contends that Plummer can give it a bit more depth. Kevinwho, without question, did a great jobwas colder. The humor was cooler, except he was quite nice to the boy who he walks around the park of Hadrians Villa. That was a nice scene with Kevin. That was the softest Ive seen Kevin. The comment typifies Scotts publicly expressed thinking on the matter.

Overall, All the Money in the World is a mediocre artistic effort. It displays Scotts propensity for unnecessary brutality (the scene in which the thugs cut off Pauls ear is gratuitous), his tendency to pander to the cheap misanthropy of contemporary moviemaking. Like most fictional recreations of historical episodes these days, the film takes the line of least resistance, glossing over and truncating events, trying to fit complicated processes into easy templates. Nothing in the narrative is ever fully developed or worked through, which helps account for its generally superficial and choppy quality.

As a by-product, the actors are forced to fall back on mannerisms and other shortcuts. This is true of Williams, a genuinely talented performer. Wahlberg wanders around like he never left the Saudi desert. His only key and relevant scene is when he miraculously intimidates the presumably fearsome Getty into loosening the purse strings for the ransom and also relinquishing his claim on Gails children. (Getty had demanded full custody of the children for his son as a condition for helping Getty III).

One of Wahlberg/Chases more unconvincing and ludicrous moments occurs when he strolls into the offices of the Red Brigades (Italian left-wing terrorists in the 1970s), which is complete with a plaque identifying the group by name, in search of information about the kidnapping. One senses that Chase might as well have found the underground outfits address in the phonebook.

As for Plummer, having been parachuted into the film at the last moment, he could not possibly give a serious or in-depth performance, even if it had not been surrounded by the realities of bad faith and disloyalty.

The critics have generally praised Scotts film. Both Manohla Dargis and the newspaper for which she writes, the New York Times, have a great deal invested in the sexual witch hunt and the #MeToo movement. Dargis, after validating Spaceys purging, writes of the film itself: But while the kidnapping is the movies main event, it is only part of a story that is, by turns, a sordid, desperate and anguished tragedy about money. This is precisely what the film is about, but not in the sense intended by Dargis. Sony and Ridley Scotts removal of Spacey was, in the final analysis, a sordid betrayal that was all about money.

The Shape of Water

Directed by Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water is a well-meaning, charming fantasy set in the US. It touches upon militarism, police brutality, racism, anti-immigration and workplace sexual harassment.

Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is a mute janitor who works at the secret Occam Aerospace Research Center in Baltimore during the Cold War in the early 1960s. Her closest friends are Zelda (Octavia Spencer), a fellow cleaner, and Giles (Richard Jenkins), her gay neighbor and an unemployed Norman Rockwell-type illustrator, whose skills are being made obsolete.

One day, the military facility receives the shipment of a tank housing an amphibian-humanoid (Doug Jones) captured in the Amazon by Col. Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon), a sadist who cracks hard candy in his teeth and liberally uses a cattle prodhis Alabama howdy-do (a reference to attacks on civil rights activists in the South)on the creature. Strickland also reads books on the power of positive thinking and is vile to his robotic suburban wife and children.

When Elisa starts communicating with the Asset, she comes to the attention of Dr. Robert Hoffstetler (Michael Stuhlbarg), a scientist at the lab and also, it turns out, a Soviet spy. Realizing that both the Russians and the American military want to destroy the endearing amphibian-man, who has great healing powers, Robert helps Elisa, Zelda and Giles rescue the being. Normal boundaries are transcended by Elisa and her other-species love.

Del Toro is a creative filmmaker who has explored diverse genreshorror, science fiction and gothic melodrama, his best-known work being Pans Labyrinth (2006). The Devils Backbone (2001), Hellboy (2004), Pacific Rim (2013) and Crimson Peak (2015) are among his other films. In a 2007 interview, del Toro pointed out that most of his villains were authoritarian figures, including businessmen, Nazis and Francoists, and noted that he hated any institutionalised social, religious, or economic holding.

Undoubtedly, the director intended his imaginative The Shape of Water (Amphibian Man is a remarkable technical achievement) in part as a statement against Donald Trump and the US establishmentits savagery, callousness and slash-and-burn approach to the world (personified by Shannons Strickland). Del Toro has made two cleaning women, one impaired and one black, as well as an unemployed homosexual and a liberal scientist, his heroes.

In an interview, del Toro explains that he set the film in 1962 because shortly thereafter, [President John F.] Kennedys shot and Vietnam escalates and everything starts to disintegrate.  If you were a minority, if you were a woman, if you were the wrong gender, social class, sexual preference, 1962 is really hard. And I wanted to talk about now, not about 62.  And the beauty of the movie is it that it not only speaks of tolerance and solidarity, it gives voice, literally, to the voiceless. It gathers a group of invisible people [including a group of black loading-dock workers at the lab] that rescue the ultimate outsider, which is this creature and they find the beautiful and the divine and the lovable in the other and I think its a fable that is very healing for me, right now.

Del Toros fairy tale for troubled times has the limitations of even the best fairy tale, a lack of social concreteness and urgency, but its positive qualities are real.
Below is a transcription of an interview that this reporter held with Mark Flessner, a private attorney who represented Davino Watson, an American citizen who was illegally detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from 2008 until 2011. Flessner, a partner at the Chicago law firm Holland and Knight, is a former assistant US attorney who has received numerous awards and has decades of experience as a trial lawyer.

Watson is a naturalized American citizen who was detained by ICE in 2008. What followed was three and a half years of criminal ineptitude and malfeasance by the US government, as attempts by Watson to prove his citizenship were ignored or lost as he was shifted from detainment center to detainment center around the country.

In July of last year, Watson was denied damages from the US government, which had previously awarded him $82,500payment for just 27 days of his incarcerationon the grounds that a two-year statute of limitation for suing the government had elapsed while he had been detained.

Interview with Davino Watson

As the WSWS has noted, the governments ruling represents an attack on democratic rights against an individuals ability to seek redress against false imprisonment, and would have required Watson to begin suing the government before his own freedom and safety had even been secured.

Watson has established a Gofundme page to raise money to cover health care and other costs.

***

Nick Barrickman: Could you please briefly explain your relationship with Davino Watson?

Mark Flessner: We had an attorney/client relationship. He was referred to me by the National Immigrant Justice Center, which is an organization here in Chicago that does advocacy for asylum seekers, immigrants and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applicants. I do a lot of fundraising for them and I take on a lot of pro bono cases for them.

When they brought this case to my attention, I saw the injustice of detaining a United States citizen for three and a half years based upon bungle after bungle of error by the government agents at ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement). I assumed that, had there been adult supervision at the US Attorneys office in Brooklyn, they would have settled this case long ago and paid Davino compensation. They clearly violated his Constitutional rights and clearly treated him badly.

NB: Can you detail the courtroom behavior and some of the legal arguments used by the US attorneys to justify the governments treatment of Mr. Watson?

MF: The US Attorneys office for the Eastern District of New York went full force to paint Davino as being a criminal. I know that Davino felt that there was some racism therehad he been a white, upper-middle class guy that they would not have approached this case in the way they approached it. They treated him very disrespectfully.

Their cross examination of him on the stand, for instance, was all about things which were completely irrelevant to their mistakes and the incarceration. They put a guard on the stand from the detention facility in Buffalo [to say] how great a place it was to be detained and how lucky he was to be detained there for three and a half years. Number onethat claim wasnt true, and twoit completely misses the point: they unlawfully detained a US citizen.

Their cross examination of him was about his youthful indiscretions. When he was young he got into teenage problems as many people do who immigrate to this country and have to adjust. He went through a shock incarceration programa sort of military-style boot campand graduated. He really had a lot of hope in life; he started going back to school and was trying to make something of himself. But as you know, his hopes and desires were dashed when they detained him.

Another thing is the guards in the facilities: they just taunted him. They would tell him about how he was going to be on the next plane out of here and that he should just get used to it and that sort of thing. It was just disgraceful.

NB: Davino recounted to me that Judge Weinstein, who presided, had been asleep during the trial.

MF: Im not going to comment on that; its not appropriate. He did appear as if he had his mind made up about the case irrespective of the evidence. Davino did say that he observed that behavior, however.

NB: Do you believe that the trial was conducted in good faith? Or do you think the main effort was to destroy Davino Watson for seeking damages from the government?

MF: As far as if the trial was conducted in good faith, I cant speak to that. Almost any other US attorneys office in the country would have looked at this case and said, What we did here was wrong, and he deserves justice, and they would have paid him. Its not supposed to just be win at all costs, and there was no adult supervision there in order to prevent that from happening.

What was suspect was how the judge crafted the trial, by limiting the damages to just 27 days, which is just entirely contrary to the law. Then to award him just $82,000 in damages for three and a half years of incarceration and another two years of not being able to work because they wouldnt issue his certificate of citizenship. The idea of how callous the government had been was just simply not recognized. I mean, this obviously is going to inflict damage to someones life.

The government got to do whatever it wanted to do: It hiredlate, by the waya psychologist, after we had hired one to document how damaging the experience was to Davino. They said No, hes fine. They just hired a guy to say whatever they wanted him to.

NB: While we are on the subject of the damages, what was behind the judges reasoning for only awarding Davino compensation for 27 days of his incarceration?

MF: The judge had tried to find a loophole that was not based on anything real in the law. There was an opinion issued by the Board of Immigration Appeals that did not apply to Davinos case but the judge applied it to his case. That was his way of limiting the damages. It was just disgraceful. They admitted that it [the incarceration] was contrary to the law when they released him; they wrote memos saying that they shouldnt have done this.

NB: I appreciate you taking the time to go over this case with us.

MF: Youre welcome.
By PTI: New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi today met a delegation of Communist Party of China leaders and discussed various issues.

"Met with the CPC Delegation led by Mr Meng Xiangfeng, member of the CPC Central Committee for a meaningful exchange of views," Gandhi tweeted.

He also posted two pictures of his meeting on the micro blogging site.

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Gandhi had earler stroked a controversy when he met the Chinese ambassador in Delhi at the height of Doklam border standoff between the two countries. PTI SKC MP TIR

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An professor in Gujarat's Rajkot pushed her ailing mother from the fourth floor terrace of the building they lived in. The woman dies but accused cooked up a suicide story to mislead the police.

By India Today Web Desk: This incident happened three months ago, when Sandeep Nathwani killed his mother Jaishree Nathwani by pushing her from the fourth floor of the building they lived in Gujarat's Rajkot district.

Sandeep Nathwani is an assistant professor in a Rajkot college. After committing the crime, he presented the incident to the police as a case of suicide. Police believed his version until they examined the CCTV footage from his house.

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THE MURDER PLOT

Deceased Jaishree had suffered brain hemorrhage in early September last year. She was treated at a hospital in Rajkot and returned home after a few days. But, the stroke left her paralysed in legs. She could not stand up on her own or walk.

Sandeep Nathwani had to attend to her ailing helping her do her daily routine. He was getting frustrated with the kind of attention her mother required due to her illness. Jaishree had only one child, Sandeep, who did not wish to attend to her ailing mother.

On September 27 last year, Sandeep took her 64-year-old mother to the terrace of the fourth floor of the building, Darshan Avenue in Rameshwar Park area of Rajkot and pushed her. She died under the impact of fall from the building.

CULPRIT COOKS UP STORY

After committing the crime, Sandeep narrated a make-believe story to police. He told the police officials that his mother committed suicide. He told the police that his mother used to perform Surya Namaskar every day.

On the fateful day, Sandeep told the police that he had gone to fetch water and when he returned he found his mother dead. She died after falling from their third floor flat. Police believed for three months that it could be a case of suicide.

PHONE CALL NAILS LIE

But one day, the police officials probing the case received an anonymous phone call. The caller narrated a different sequence of events. This prompted police to launch a fresh probe securing the CCTV footage from the building.

In the CCTV footage of the day, Sandeep and Jaishree are seen together. The CCTV clip revealed to the police that Jaishree was paralysed and unable to walk. She could not have got up on her own and jumped from a four feet high wall to commit suicide.

Police also found that the building had CCTV cameras everywhere including parking and all the floors except the fourth floor terrace. The circumstantial evidence matched with the narration given over phone but not with the story cooked up by Sandeep.

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In the view of fresh evidence, police arrested Sandeep on the charge of killing his mother.

(Inputs from Tejas Shishangiya in Rajkot)

WATCH | Son throws ailing mother from terrace to kill her in Gujarat's Rajkot

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TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) - Most agree that everyone deserves a second chance.

Rebecca Kelly-Manders says that includes ex-felons.

What better way to start off on the right foot then cooking in a kitchen?

On the menu at Hope Community Center in Tallahassee; baked zettie and burgers, cooked to order.

"You have to live with it for the rest of your life," said Marcus Ferrell.

Marcus Ferrell was sentenced to four months for identificiation fraud.

After his release, Ferrell, a single dad of three, applied for 10 jobs and had 6 interviews.

"I have a felony on my background and they couldn't hire me," said Ferrell.

With three mouths to feed, he enrolled in REfire, a culinary training program for people with felony convictions.

"REfire is a kitchen term. It means to correct a mistake. So we're getting these individuals through the program, giving them the skills to allow them to correct the mistakes they make with their lives and move forward in a different direction so we can break the cycle of recidivism," said Rebecca Kelly-Manders.

Rebecca Kelly-Manders, who also goes by Chef Rebecca, founded REfire with Big Bend Homeless Coalition.

It's a grassroots program, completely funded by donations. It's at no cost to the students.

Students are placed by Career Source.

"Everybody has made a mistake," said Chef Rebecca.

"This accepted me for who I was regardless of the background," said Reginald Smith, REFire Student.

Reginald Smith is part of the first group to go through the pilot class.

He's learned a lot from Chef Rebecca about working in a kitchen.

"Food safety and technique," said Smith.

People also seem to really like the food.

Chef Rebecca runs a tight ship.

It's an 8-week-long program, students come four times a week and serve three meals a day.

"I know that the kitchen is one of the most forgiving places," said Chef Rebecca.

She's experienced first-hand how hard it is to get a job with a felony on your record.

"I've been clean and sober for 20 years now and I wouldn't make those same decisions today, but I still have to answer to them," said Chef Rebecca.

She says it costs her less to teach 20 individuals over an 8-week course than it does to house one individual in a prison for one year.

"It's better for our tax dollars to not spend on housing individuals in prison and it's better we have more contributing members of our society," Chef Recca said.

She says she alone can't fix the criminal justice system, but she can help students to succeed and graduate from the REFire program so they can land a job.

"I'm just doing what is the right thing to do. I'm just incredibly proud of them," said Chef Rebecca.

Also proud of their dad, Marcus Perrell's three kids got to see him graduate.

"I'm very hopeful for the future. The skies the limit," said Perrell.

"Someone else can believe in me even when you don't believe in yourself," said Reginald Smith.

All four of Chef Rebecca's students graduated and the icing on the cake is they now have jobs.

"We need to allow them to refire their lives, correct that mistake and move forward and be the best person we know we can be," said Chef Rebecca.

That's what makes Rebecca Kelly-Manders January's Difference Maker.

REFire is not grant-funded and runs solely from donations. If you would like to donate HERE ARE THE LINKS: http://refireculinary.org/.

If you know someone making a difference in our community, we are looking for nominations for February. Send us an email to abc27news@wtxl.tv.

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WTXL) - A Florida man is pleading guilty for posing as a doctor when he was a teen and stealing thousands of dollars from several victims, including an elderly patient.

Malachi Love-Robinson, 20, was in a West Palm Beach courtroom Thursday, where a judge sentenced him to 3.5 years.

Police say he stole more than $20,000 from an 86-year-old woman during a series of visits to her home.

Love-Robinson was arrested in 2016 after conducting an exam on a female undercover officer, who went to his office complaining of feeling sick.

He must also repay his victims when he gets out of prison.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Tallahassee Fire Department will participate in National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day by recognizing members of their community.

The men of F3 Tallahassee will lead a march Saturday to thank local law enforcement officers and first responders and to honor those who died in the line of duty.

Those include Engineer Chris Thurman, who died in January 2016; Captain Brad Deanda, in December 2016; Shelby Allen, the daughter of Engineer Jimmy Allen, in December 2016; and Engineer Jeffrey Atkinson, in December 2017.

The march will begin at Leon High School at 7 a.m., according to a TPD news release.

Marchers will visit memorials at the Capitol and lay wreaths at the Tallahassee Fire Depaartment, Tallahassee Police Department, Florida Depaartment of Law Enforcement, Florida Sheriffs Association and Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Members of the public are invited to show their appreciation by joining the march.

The National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day is Monday, January 9.

MOBILE USERS: Download our WTXL news app on your Apple and Android devices for the latest from South Georgia and North Florida. Also, download our WTXL First Alert Weather app for Apple and Android devices to get the latest local weather wherever you go.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for additional local news and hourly updates.
Television actress Rashami Desai is all set to make a comeback on the daily soap Dil Se Dil Tak.

By India Today Web Desk: Television actress Rashami Desai is all set to make a comeback on the daily soap Dil Se Dil Tak . Her character Shorvori had bid adieu to the show after meeting with an accident.

It will be interesting to see how the makers will bring back her character. As according to a report in SpotboyE she will start shooting from tomorrow.

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A source was quoted as saying, "Things have been finalised, Dil Se Dil Tak creatives are working on the return of Rashami. She will start shooting from Saturday, January 6."

Coming back to the show, lead actor Siddharth Shukla too had quit the show recently and has been replaced by Kaala Teeka actor Rohan Gandotra.

--- ENDS ---
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 02:35:43|Editor: yan

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VILNIUS, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Around 1,000 medical workers attended a rally in the Lithuanian capital on Thursday demanding better working conditions and reforms of the country's healthcare system.

Young resident doctors and their supporters held a symbolic march to the Lithuanian government palace. Some of the protesters carried suitcases to emphasize the mass emigration of medical workers.

On social media, organizers of the rally called themselves "the remaining Lithuanian resident doctors, nurses, doctors and the future medical personnel of Norway, Sweden, Germany."

Protesters demanded the Lithuanian government prepare legislational changes to reform the country's healthcare system.

"We want to show that we are the critical mass that is ready to change the system and the entire country," Urte Builyte, member of the council of the country's medical workers movement, told Lithuanian national television LRT.

The rally was held despite the parliament's recent decision to increase resident doctors' salaries by 10 percent as of January this year. "This is not enough," said Builyte.

Protesters say young resident doctors often have to find additional jobs to make a living while pursuing their medical studies and career. Last year, the youngest resident doctors earned 390 euros (471 U.S. dollars) per month before taxes, while senior resident doctors' monthly salary before taxes was 497 euros. Currently, the minimum wage in Lithuania is 400 euros.

Earlier this week, Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said the rally was politically motivated.

On Thursday, following the meeting with representatives of the protest, Skvernelis promised to allocate more funds to increase salaries for medical workers.

"Until 2019, we have to prepare sustainable funding model and make improvement in regards to resident doctors' education system, ensure their social guarantees," Skvernelis told journalists after the meeting.

According to the most recent survey of medicine students, around one third of them are determined and prepared to flee the country after their studies.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 03:05:47|Editor: yan

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RIGA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Latvian government has given a potential investor a fortnight to decide whether to buy Latvia's ailing steel company KVV Liepajas Metalurgs, Economics Minister Arvils Aseradens told reporters Thursday.

"The insolvency process of Liepajas Metalurgs has reached the stage where the search for a new investor has entered the finishing phase. One of the investors has asked for a couple of more weeks to complete bank formalities," the minister said.

Aseradens also does not believe the government will manage to recover all the budget money that has been injected in the financially troubled company.

He noted that the government had earlier decided to end the search for an investor by Dec. 20, 2017, but that the process was extended at a potential investor's request.

If the talks with the investor fail to produce a deal, the assets of KVV Liepajas Metalurgs will be split up and sold in pieces, the minister said.

Ukraine's KVV Group acquired Liepajas Metalurgs in 2014, promising to pay 107 million euros (129.1 million U.S. dollars) in several installments for the insolvent metallurgy company.

After struggling with financial troubles for months, KVV Liepajas Metalurgs halted production in March 2016 and laid off some 300 workers. About 100 workers remained to keep the steel plant on "standby mode".

The Ukrainian investor never paid the full price for the acquisition and the company ended up in the Latvian government's control again.

In September 2016, a district court ruled Liepajas Metalurgs insolvent.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 03:50:56|Editor: yan

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ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- As the African Union (AU) revealed fighting corruption at the helm of the upcoming AU summit, experts and policymakers have underscored the need to tackle corruption and maladministration so as to realize Africa's development.

The pan African block has recently announced that it will hold its 30th ordinary session of the assembly of African heads of state and governments from January 22 to 29 at its headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

The summit, which will be held under the theme "Winning the Fight against Corruption: A sustainable Path to Africa's Transformation," has already attracted the attention of experts and policymakers due to the expected impact it would contribute to the continent's overall growth and development.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission, said in his New Year remark that fighting corruption is key for Africa's overall development and, therefore, to avoid inequality among Africans.

"As we work towards building stronger institutions and promoting prosperity, the fight against corruption assumes even greater importance and urgency. It is a well-recognized fact that corruption hinders efforts aimed at promoting democratic governance, socio-economic transformation and peace and security," the chairperson stressed.

Corruption has created inequality in Africa's societies and erodes the rule of law in the continent. While empirical evidence shows that Africa has made some encouraging steps in the last five years, huge challenges remain, according to Mahamat.

According to the chairperson, in a bid to tackle the major challenges imposed by corruption in the continent, the AU Assembly has declared 2018 as the African Anti-Corruption Year (Project 2018), with the theme "Winning the Fight Against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa's Transformation."

Experts also argued the need to tackle the negative impact imposed by corruption in a bid to realize Africa's transformation.

According to Costantinos Bt. Costantinos (PhD), who served as an economic advisor to AU and UN-Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA), it's a high time to fight corruption in Africa.

"If the renaissance that will bring Africa into the global arena is going to happen, the AU Summit must primarily understand that the authority of state derives from the will of the people. It may be exercised only in accordance with that will," Costantinos told Xinhua on Thursday.

"For many post-independence African leaders, development was a major preoccupation and they espoused various slogans. What is different today is the slogans have become collective, under the resplendent auspices and premises of the African unity," he said.

Costantinos, who is also a professor of public policy at the Addis Ababa University, further indicated that fighting corruption is a timely and most important task for African countries' leaders and the general public.

The expert, however, argued that mal-governance and corruption cannot be seen in isolation. Its effects permeate societies, which in turn can either encourage or discourage corruption. Professional associations, civil society watchdogs, consumer associations and religious leaders can build coalitions to demand greater executive accountability.

"They can also play a crucial role in informing the public by galvanizing public opinion and persuade citizens to actively combat mal-governance: open, transparent, predictable and accountable state," he said.

The AU Summit should note that without the active involvement of civil society, it would not be possible to combat mal-governance, he stressed.

Costantinos also called on Africa's media to play its role in educating people, exposing corruption and building support for efforts to combat it.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 04:16:05|Editor: yan

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CAIRO, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Suez Canal revenues rose 5.4 percent to hit 5.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2017 compared with 5 billion dollars in 2016, Chairman of Egypt's Suez Canal Authority Mohab Mamish said on Thursday.

The 2017 statistics recorded a noticeable growth in the number of the ships and vessels transited the canal and their cargoes, which proved the economic feasibility of the New Suez Canal, Mamish said during a meeting with the international women's club at the Authority's Headquarters.

The official added that the Suez Canal revenues in Egyptian pound terms surged by 89.5 percent to reach 93.8 billion in 2017, compared to 49.5 billion in 2016, benefiting from the Egyptian pound flotation.

The Suez Canal Authority's policies supported the increase in the number of transited ships and its cargoes to 17,550 vessels and billion tons in 2017, compared to 16,833 vessels in 2016, he pointed out.

The Suez Canal is one of Egypt's main sources of national income and foreign currency reserves, besides tourism and foreign investment that have been suffering decline over the past few years due to political turmoil and relevant security challenges.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 04:51:17|Editor: yan

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by Maria Spiliopoulou

ATHENS, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Greek Shipping Minister Panagiotis Kouroumblis praised on Thursday the Sino-Greek cooperation at Piraeus port, speaking to Xinhua on the occasion of the launch of new projects to upgrade Greece's largest harbor.

Work has started to upgrade the harbor ahead of the arrival of the new floating dock "Piraeus III", at the end of February, in a project that the managing company, China COSCO Shipping, launched last June, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.

Since China COSCO Shipping acquired a majority stake in Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) and took over the management in 2016 after winning an international tender, the image of the harbor is rapidly changing.

The new works includes dredging the harbor to create up to 20 meters of operating depth, providing new electricity and water supply networks, and installing four mooring buoys for anchoring ships.

The new floating repair dock -- 240 m long, 45 m wide, 22,000 tons lifting capacity and full crane equipment -- will be able to service ships with a capacity of 80,000 tons.

"The projects that have started at Perama and will proceed with the lifting of two wrecks off Pier II by the Shipping Ministry, so that the infrastructure for the installation of PPA's large floating dock can be created, show how smoothly the cooperation of the Greek government with the investors is progressing," Kouroumblis commented.

"They also show that the Shipping Ministry's policy will continue to facilitate any development activity stemming from COSCO's contractual obligations regarding bureaucracy and other obstacles," the Greek official told Xinhua.

"At the same time, we support workers' rights by welcoming the latest agreement between employees and the PPA for the signing of a Collective Labor Agreement," the minister said.

Shipping officials have said that ships will no longer need to carry out repair and maintenance operations in other Mediterranean shipyards, while this move is also expected to create new jobs in the Greek market.

The latest projects at Piraeus have received a warm welcome by representatives of the market.

Speaking to Xinhua, George Koumpenas, vice president of operations at Celestyal Cruises, welcomed the works as a very positive development, in particular for companies managing passenger ships operating in the region as well as for the Greek shipbuilding industry.

"In recent years, due to a lack of suitable dock sizes, companies have been obliged to dock our vessels to neighboring countries such as Malta, Turkey and Croatia. This has resulted in the loss of significant revenues for the national economy," he explained.

"The installation and operation of a large floating dock will help maintain and develop the shipbuilding industry in the wider Piraeus and Perama areas, as an important criterion for the choice of the port for seafaring companies is the ability to make repairs," Koumpenas stressed.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 05:06:23|Editor: Jiaxin

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Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar (L) and his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban attend a joint press conference in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan. 4, 2018. Ireland and Hungary shared common views in several European affairs, such as taxes, budget, enlargement and Brexit, according to a joint press conference given here on Thursday by Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban. (Xinhua/Attila Volgyi)

BUDAPEST, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Ireland and Hungary shared common views in several European affairs, such as taxes, budget, enlargement and Brexit, according to a joint press conference given here on Thursday by Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban.

"We agree with the Hungarian government that the best way to stabilize the Western Balkans is if the European Union (EU) moves towards enlargement in the case of the former Yugoslavia member states and Albania," Varadkar said.

On the Brexit, Varadkar said "We both agreed that the European Union will be diminished, without the contribution of the British." He also expressed his gratitude for the Hungarian government's understanding of the specific Irish aspects of the Brexit negotiations, including the Irish-Northern Irish border issue.

Varadkar stated that it was in the interest of both countries to establish the closest possible link between the European Union and the United Kingdom following the withdrawal of the country from the EU.

According to the Irish chief of government, Hungary and Ireland share the same view of the European tax harmonization and both countries want the status quo concerning the EU budget and development funds.

However, he underlined that Ireland did not agree with Hungary on the issue of European migration management and supported the concept of joint burden sharing within the EU.

In the case of migration, where differences remain between Hungary and the majority of the EU, Orban made clear that "Hungary was not against anyone" but insisted on keeping its own identity, culture and achievements.

Schengen rules have to be respected, the external borders of the EU must be protected and closed, and the interior ones must remain open, Orban emphasized.

On the question of tax policy, Orban confirmed that Hungary did not consider tax harmonization desirable because "taxation was an important part of competition."

"We do not want to see any regulation in the EU that would tie Hungary's hands regarding its tax policy," he said.

As agriculture is important for both countries, the topic of agricultural subsidies was also on the table. "It is in Hungary's interest that the EU's current agricultural policy does not change on substantive issues," Orban pointed.

"We agreed with Leo Varadkar that the EU can become strong only if the member states of the EU are also strong one by one, individually," Orban underlined. "If we want a strong EU, everyone should do its homework back home," he added.
By PTI: Mangaluru, Jan 5 (PTI) Hundreds of activists of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal were today taken into custody after they staged a road roko here protesting the murder of right-wing activist Deepak Rao, the police said.

The protestors raised slogans against the state government, saying the murder was the result of its "anti- Hindu" policy.

VHP leader M B Puranik said the state government was supporting only minority communities.

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"Terrorists" had hijacked the government and they were trying to eliminate Hindus, he alleged, addressing protesters.

The police stopped the protest and took into custody local leaders, including Jagadish Shenava, M B Puranik, Sharan Pumpwell and hundreds of other VHP and Bajrang Dal activists.

They were later released.

At Udupi also, workers of BJP and Bajrang Dal staged a road roko at Triveni circle to register their protest against the killing of Rao.

Addressing the protesters, former MLA K Raghupati Bhat alleged that the law and order situation in the state had collapsed.

A well-hatched conspiracy to murder Hindu activists was going on in the state, he alleged.

Police, which maintained tight vigil at the spot of the agitation, took into custody the participants.They were taken in a vehicle and released later.

State BJP secretary Yashpal Suvarna, Bajrang Dal convener Dinesh Mendon, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) city unit president Santosh Kumar Bolje and activists of different pro-Hindu outfits took part in the protest.

Rao was hacked to death by four persons in broad daylight at Katipalla, near here, on Wednesday.

All the four were arrested within hours of the attack.PTI MVG RA BN DV

--- ENDS ---
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 05:21:27|Editor: Liu

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A woman runs by the frozen Potomac River in Washington D.C., the United States, on Jan. 4, 2018. At least 11 people in the United States have died in link with severe cold since Tuesday morning, officials said Wednesday. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- An intense "bomb cyclone" is battering the U.S. East Coast on Thursday with high winds and heavy snowfalls, leaving thousands of flights cancelled, numerous schools and offices closed, and millions of Americans bracing for potential power shortages.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said Thursday three people have died in the snow storm.

"The storm will produce heavy snow along the Mid-Atlantic Coast into Southern New England by Thursday morning that will move northward into the Northeast by Thursday afternoon, while ending over the Mid-Atlantic Coast by Thursday evening," the U.S. National Weather Service wrote in an earlier alert.

U.S. forecasters called the ongoing winter storm a "bomb cyclone" for its rapid and rare drop in atmospheric pressure. The storm is crawling up the northeastern American Thursday morning with a threat of winds gusting as high as 60 mph and a bone-chilling blast of Arctic air.

Through Thursday, parts of New York could see five to nine inches of snow, Philadelphia three to six inches and Washington one to two inches. In New England, Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, could get eight to 12 inches, while Portland, Maine, could see 10 to 15 inches, the U.S. National Weather Service said.

The service also said Atlantic City could record up to 18 inches of snow, Delaware beach towns were facing the prospect of a foot of snow and travel has become "very dangerous to impossible" in the highly populated Hampton Roads region of Virginia, which could receive up to 12 inches of snow in places.

More than 3,000 flights were cancelled on Thursday, with airports in New York and New Jersey; Boston reporting the most cancellations, according to FlightAware, an aviation tracking website.

The agency that runs New York City-area airports says all flights have been suspended temporarily at JFK and LaGuardia airports due to wind and whiteout conditions.

At Newark Liberty airport in New Jersey, airlines had cancelled 867 flights as of noon Thursday, 73 percent of normal flight activity.

The winter storm that is slamming U.S. East Coast also led to more than 200 flight cancellation in the widwestern city of Chicago.

According to Chicago Department of Aviation, by 9:30 a.m. local time, Chicago O'Hare International Airport had cancelled more than 180 flights and the Midway Airport, more than 50 flights.

In Washington D.C., the federal government delayed opening offices on Thursday as blowing snow swirled in the capital. The Office of Personnel Management informed that nonemergency federal workers could report two hours late, work remotely, or take an unscheduled leave.

Power firms have warned of possible fuel shortages to come since heating units in homes and commercial buildings running furiously to fend off the deep freeze.

In the state of Virginia, thousands of customers were without power on Thursday morning. Meanwhile, more than 12,400 Georgia Power customers, 10,200 Florida Power & Light customers and 2,700 South Carolina Electric & Gas customers have been affected since Wednesday night, local media reported.

Many governors or local leaders have declared emergencies, and blizzard warnings were in effect in Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Virginia. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for all of downstate New York.

The advancing storm first landed in the southern United States on Wednesday. Three cars on an Amtrak train carrying more than 300 passengers from Miami to New York derailed Wednesday night in snow-covered Savannah, Georgia. No injuries were reported.

The "bomb cyclone" storm is expected to continue to affect eastern North America into the weekend.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 05:31:29|Editor: yan

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RABAT, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani said on Thursday that the government is working on new development programs for the eastern city of Jerada.

Jerada has witnessed a wave of protests for nearly two weeks after the death of two brothers while they were digging in an abandoned mine 80 meters below ground.

The protesters have called for justice for the dead and demanded job opportunities and "economic alternative."

"Old promises of development will be fulfilled and new programs for the city's residents will be implemented to help them find decent jobs and live in dignity," the Moroccan prime minister said in a statement during his cabinet weekly meeting.

The city of Jerada had been growing on the back of flourishing mining activities since 1920s, but it suffered a major blow in late 1990s after state-owned coal mines that employed thousands of local people were forced to close down due to rising digging costs and declining coal prices.

However, many local residents have continued illegal mining in the abandoned mines.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 07:16:49|Editor: Liu

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. space agency NASA said Thursday its industry partners, Boeing and SpaceX, are targeting the return of human spaceflight from Florida's Space Coast in 2018.

"Both companies are scheduled to begin flight tests to prove the space systems meet NASA's requirements for certification in the coming year," NASA said in a statement.

"Boeing's Starliner will launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 and SpaceX's Crew Dragon will launch on the company's Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A."

Boeing is expected to perform an uncrewed flight test in August, during which the unmanned Starliner will dock to the International Space Station for about two weeks.

Then, the company will fly the Starliner spacecraft for its first commercial spaceflight to the International Space Station in November with two crew members on board.

Meanwhile, SpaceX is targeting the second quarter of 2018 for its first uncrewed demonstration mission with Crew Dragon to and from the International Space Station.

It will be followed by a crewed mission in the third quarter of 2018 that will see two NASA astronauts flying to and from the International Space Station in SpaceX' s Crew Dragon spacecraft.

The two crewed missions by Boeing and SpaceX "represent a major milestone in the return of human spaceflight from the United States," NASA said.

If everything goes well, the companies are each slated to fly six crew missions to the International Space Station beginning in 2019 and continuing through 2024, it added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 07:36:52|Editor: Jiaxin

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ROME, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- An Italian woman became the first patient in the world to be fitted with a bionic hand with a sense of touch, local media reported Thursday.

The bionic hand was assembled at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in the Tuscan city of Pisa, and the operation to implant the hand was carried out at Rome's Policlinico Gemelli Hospital in June 2016, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The recipient was named as Almerina Mascarello, a woman in her 50s who is a resident of the northern Veneto region and who lost her left hand in a factory accident when she was in her 30s.

The operation was publicized today because it has been deemed successful and is being published in international scientific journals.

Mascarello's bionic hand is "an improved version of a bionic hand implanted on a Danish man in 2014," Professor Silvestro Micera, the bioengineer whose team assembled the hand, told ANSA news agency.

Micera, who also directs the Translational Neural Engineering Laboratory at the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland, is a leading researcher in the field of hybrid neuroprosthetic systems, or the interfacing of the human nervous system with artificial systems, according to the Sant'Anna website.

The bionic prosthesis comes with an electronic system, which registers movements through electrodes implanted in the wearer's muscles, then translates them into electrical signals functioning as commands to the artificial hand.

The system also transforms information recorded by sensors on the artificial hand into signals that get sent to the wearer's nerves, and therefore into sensory information.

The prosthesis is bulky and expensive, with the whole operation running into the "millions of euros", according to local media.

However, this is a first step towards a high-tech future in which robotics and prostheses will merge seamlessly with the human body, bringing relief to the disabled.

"The next step is completely implantable technology," Michera told Sky TG24 private broadcaster in an interview.
A worker clears snow at Times Square in New York, the United States, Jan. 4, 2018. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared state of emergency for the entire downstate region on Thursday as a snow storm continued to pound the U.S. East Coast. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- An intense "bomb cyclone" pummeled the U.S. East Coast on Thursday with high winds and heavy snowfalls, leaving thousands of flights cancelled, schools and offices closed, and millions of Americans bracing for power shortages.

Snow plows and salt trucks rumbled down streets and highways as the powerful winter storm that has hammered the South swept across the Northeast, cloaking much of the region in a white haze.

More than 44,000 Americans were left without electricity, at least 8 million people are under blizzard warnings, and 58 million are in the path of this bitter winter storm, according to a CNN report.

Most of them were in the states of Virginia and North Carolina, where more than 31,000 people had no power.

Nearly 10,000 have lost power in the Boston area, while in New York City, more than 3,500 people are without power.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said Thursday three people have died in the snow storm. A cold snap gripping a large part of the country had already been blamed for a dozen earlier deaths.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared state of emergency for the entire downstate region on Thursday as the snow storm continued to deteriorate. The massive winter storm has swept most part of the state, dumping snow and bringing strong winds to the area. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

U.S. forecasters called the ongoing winter storm a "bomb cyclone" for its rapid and rare drop in atmospheric pressure. The storm is crawling up the northeastern American Thursday morning with a threat of winds gusting as high as 60 mph and a bone-chilling blast of Arctic air.

Through Thursday, parts of New York could see five to nine inches of snow, Philadelphia three to six inches and Washington one to two inches. In New England, Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, could get eight to 12 inches, while Portland, Maine, could see 10 to 15 inches, the U.S. National Weather Service said.

The service also said Atlantic City could record up to 18 inches of snow, Delaware beach towns were facing the prospect of a foot of snow and travel has become "very dangerous to impossible" in the highly populated Hampton Roads region of Virginia, which could receive up to 12 inches of snow in places.

More than 3,000 flights were cancelled on Thursday, with airports in New York and New Jersey; Boston reporting the most cancellations, according to FlightAware, an aviation tracking website.

The agency that runs New York City-area airports says all flights have been suspended temporarily at JFK and LaGuardia airports due to wind and whiteout conditions.

At Newark Liberty airport in New Jersey, airlines had cancelled 867 flights as of noon Thursday, 73 percent of normal flight activity.

After embracing the coldest day this winter on the New Year's Day, Chicago has stayed in cold and chill this year, with high general below minus 10 Celsius degrees and low around minus 18 Celsius degrees. Several schools were closed and many flights were canceled due to frigid weather. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

The winter storm that is slamming U.S. East Coast also led to more than 200 flight cancellation in the midwestern city of Chicago.

According to Chicago Department of Aviation, by 9:30 a.m. local time, Chicago O'Hare International Airport had cancelled more than 180 flights and the Midway Airport, more than 50 flights.

A woman runs among cold weather in Washington D.C., the United States, on Jan. 4, 2018. At least 11 people in the United States have died in link with severe cold since Tuesday morning, officials said Wednesday. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

In Washington D.C., the federal government delayed opening offices on Thursday as blowing snow swirled in the capital. The Office of Personnel Management informed that nonemergency federal workers could report two hours late, work remotely, or take an unscheduled leave.

Power firms have warned of possible fuel shortages to come since heating units in homes and commercial buildings running furiously to fend off the deep freeze.

Some experts said the extreme weather was a result of climate change.

"It is often difficult for public to link global warming to living environment, because the process between the two are non-linear," Yifang Zhu, associate director of Center for Clean Air and professor of Department of Environmental Health Sciences at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), told Xinhua.

"Global warming doesn't just mean warming," said Zhu. "It means the average temperature on Earth, including the ocean and the atmosphere, is increasing year by year."

While the globe is becoming hotter on average, this temperature increase can have paradoxical effects, such as more extreme snowstorms, she said.

"Extreme weather is one of the impacts of global warming. As the planet warms, many already-dry areas are becoming even drier. Many extremely cold areas are becoming even colder. Hurricanes in Texas is becoming more intense."

Many governors or local leaders have declared emergencies, and blizzard warnings were in effect in Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Virginia. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for all of downstate New York.

The advancing storm first landed in the southern United States on Wednesday. Three cars on an Amtrak train carrying more than 300 passengers from Miami to New York derailed Wednesday night in snow-covered Savannah, Georgia. No injuries were reported.

The "bomb cyclone" storm is expected to continue to affect eastern North America into the weekend.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 10:32:19|Editor: Jiaxin

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday announced sanctions against five Iranian entities.

The Treasury Department said the five Iran-based entities are subordinate to a key element of Iran's ballistic missile program, and the U.S. action targeted Iran's "destabilizing weapons systems."

As a result, U.S. citizens are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. Foreign financial institutions that knowingly facilitate significant transactions for, or persons that provide material or certain other support to, the designated entities risk exposure to sanctions that could sever their access to the U.S. financial system or block their property and property interests under U.S. jurisdiction.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said his nation will continue to counter Iran with "additional sanctions."

Over the past week, riots broke out in some Iranian cities in protest against price hikes and economic woes. U.S. President Donald Trump and a number of other U.S. officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, have sided with the protesters.

Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations Gholamali Khoshroo on Wednesday slammed the U.S. government's recent attempts to intervene in the domestic affairs of the Islamic Republic.

"The current U.S. administration has crossed every limit in flouting rules and principles of international law governing the civilized conduct of international relations," Khoshroo said in a letter to the UN Security Council and to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Khoshroo added that Iran expects all states to condemn such dangerous statements and policies and urge the U.S. government to act responsibly and adhere to principles of the UN Charter and international law.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 10:52:23|Editor: Jiaxin

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JOHANNESBURG, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Thursday's train derailment in South Africa rose to 20 and the number of the injured climbed to about 260, local media reported, citing Free State health department officials.

"This number will increase because the passengers in three carriages have burnt beyond recognition. The search and rescue operation in these carriages is still ongoing," Free State health department spokesman Mondli Mvambi was quoted by the Times LIVE news site as saying.

The incident occurred at about 09:00 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) at a level crossing between the towns of Henneman and Kroonstad in Free State province.

Seven of the 15 carriages of the Shosholoza Meyl train, which was traveling from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg, caught fire and several were derailed after the train collided with a truck whose driver allegedly tried to cross the tracks at a wrong time, according to officials at the scene.

"The truck driver was taking chances. He thought that he was going to pass through," Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi told a media briefing. "Little did he know that the train was going to hit him. That has cost a lot of lives."

The truck driver survived and was sent to hospital, where his blood will be tested "to verify if he was sober or not, or what was the problem," Maswanganyi said.

The minister added that it might take at least 36 hours to clear the wreckage and restore the rail line, and that the identities of the victims would be released later.

An investigation into the cause of the collision is under way while the state-owned Passenger Rail Agency that runs the train has pointed to "human error."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 10:57:24|Editor: Jiaxin

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SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) accepted South Korea's offer to hold a senior-level, inter-governmental dialogue next week, Seoul's unification ministry said Friday.

Baek Tae-hyun, spokesman of the unification ministry, told a press briefing that the DPRK side sent a notice to the South Korean side at about 10:16 a.m. local time (0116 GMT) via the communications channel in the truce village of Panmunjom.

With the notice, the DPRK accepted South Korea's proposal to hold high-level talks on Jan. 9 at the Peace House, a building controlled by South Korea in Panmunjom that straddles the heavily guarded inter-Korean land border.

The DPRK notice was sent in the name of the chief of the DPRK's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland to the South Korean unification minister.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 12:02:36|Editor: Jiaxin

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VIENTIANE, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Laos could accomplish economic growth of 7 percent in 2018, but needs to push for stronger development of mega projects, a Lao economist said.

Leeber Leebouapao from the National Economic Research Institute told Vientiane Times that the further progress of mega projects would serve as the main driver for economic growth amid the government's revenue shortfall.

"Laos is a small country ... just four or five mega projects can drive the nation's economic growth," the local daily on Friday quoted Leeber as saying.

Falling under this umbrella are the ongoing construction of the China-Laos railway, the Xayaboury hydropower project, development of special economic zones and other projects associated with the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, the report said.

"If these mega projects progress as planned, we can maintain economic growth at 7 percent in 2018. Construction of several hydropower projects will begin this year while others will be completed and become operational. These projects will be key to economic growth," Leeber said.

During the government's monthly meeting last month, Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith instructed the relevant ministries to push for the development of mega projects as a means to strengthen economic growth.

The premier told the cabinet to work with China to promptly implement projects to be financed by grants provided by the Chinese government.

Lao economists say 2018 could be a golden year for Laos if the Visit Laos Year 2018 campaign boosts tourist arrivals as expected and generates more revenue for economic growth and poverty reduction efforts, the daily said.

The Lao government is aiming to attract at least 5 million visitors in 2018, who it is hoped will generate revenue of about 900 million U.S. dollars.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 12:47:42|Editor: Yamei

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. State Department announced on Thursday that the nation is suspending its security assistance to Pakistan.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a press briefing that the suspension of military equipment or transfer of security-related funds will continue "until the Pakistani Government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network."

Washington accused these groups of "destabilizing the region and also targeting U.S. personnel" inside Pakistan "despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the Government of Pakistan."

Besides military equipment and the transfer of security-related funds, the U.S.-Pakistan Coalition Support Fund, which has been used to reimburse Pakistan for the money they spent on counterterror operations, will also suspended.

However, she said "there may be some exemptions that are made on a case-by-base basis if they're determined to be critical to national security interests," and the suspension will not last "forever."

"Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, if you will, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps," she noted. "They aren't taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism ... we have been clear with Pakistan what they need to do."

She also said that although the exact sum of the assistance is still being figured out, the total figure will be more than 255 billion U.S. dollars.

U.S. President Donald Trump and the White House have engaged in hawkish statements against Pakistan since the beginning of 2018, accusing Islamabad of not doing enough to support the U.S. anti-terrorism initiative in Afghanistan but providing "safe havens" to terrorists that the United States are hunting down.

Bilateral relations have been sour since Washington released its so-called new South Asia strategy and suspended its military assistance of 255 billion U.S. dollars to the Asian country.

In response, Pakistan summoned the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan late Monday to lodge a protest, saying Pakistan has taken action against all militant groups without any discrimination and its sacrifices are being ignored.
Also known as Sakat Chauth, this is an auspicious day devoted to the worship of Lord Ganesha.

By India Today Web Desk: If there is one god in the Hindu pantheon who is a marker of auspicious beginnings, it is Lord Ganesha. The elephant-headed god is worshipped at the beginning of seasons and rituals for this reason. And there is one day in every month of the year when this worship is said to be at its peak. Known as Sankashti Chaturthi or Sakat Chauth, this day is even more auspicious, especially if it falls on a Tuesday or Friday.

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Celebrated across India, Sankashti Chaturthi is observed on the fourth day, or chaturthi, of every month in the Hindu calendar. The day is also linked with the Krishna Paksha, or the waning phase of the moon. While people in many states of India celebrate this day, especially in Maharashtra, it is known by a number of different names. Known as Sankat Hara Chaturthi in Tamil Nadu, the day is also celebrated as Angaraki Chaturthi when it falls on a Tuesday.

Also Read: What is Navratri? What do these nine days of festivities mean?

The Sanskrit word "sankashti" means deliverance from troubled or difficult times, so worshipping Lord Ganesha on this day means you'll be blessed with peace and prosperity in the coming times. Devotees usually keep a fast to be free of obstacles on this day.

Here are a few rituals that are followed on Sankashti Chaturthi:

1. Devotees keep a partial or day-long fast on this day. They and eat only fruits, vegetables and root plants throughout the day. Peanuts, potatoes and sabudana khichdi are prepared especially to mark this day's fasting. The day's fasting is broken only after the main puja is done.

2. The main puja of the day is done in the evening, after the moon is visible. The idol of Lord Ganesha is worshipped with Durva grass, fresh flowers and incense sticks. Lamps are lit, and devotees read the "vrat katha" specific to the month in shich the Chaturthi is. The rituals for this day end with the sighting of the moon.

Also Read: What is Guru Purnima? Why is it celebrated?

3. Special sweets or naivedya, including modaks, are offered to the deity during the puja. After the katha and aarti, these sweets are distributed as prasad.

4. Apart from worshipping Lod Ganesha, the moon is also worshipped on Sankashti Chaturthi. Water, chandan or sandalwood paste, rice and flowers are offered in the direction of the moon.

5. Reciting the Vedic hymns or mantras devoted to Lord Ganesha garners blessings on this day. Devotees chant the Ganesha Ashtothra, Sankashtnashana sthothra and Vakrathunda Mahakaya especially on Sankashti Chaturthi.

To learn how to make Sabudana Khichdi for Ganesh Chaturthi, click here:

--- ENDS ---
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 13:47:56|Editor: Liu

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A South Korean government official communicates with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) side via the communication channel in Panmunjom, South Korea, on Jan. 3, 2018. South Korea's unification ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs said Wednesday that it reopened a communication channel with the DPRK in the truce village of Panmunjom amid rising expectations for the DPRK's participation in South Korea-hosted winter sports event. (Xinhua/Ministry of Unification of the Republic of Korea)

SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday accepted South Korea's offer to hold a senior-level, inter-governmental dialogue aimed at improving inter-Korean relations.

Baek Tae-hyung, spokesman of Seoul's unification ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs, said in a regular press briefing that the DPRK side sent a notice to the South Korean side at 10:16 a.m. local time (0116 GMT) through the communications channel in the truce village of Panmunjom.

With the notice, which was sent in the name of Ri Son-kwon, chief of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland to South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, the DPRK accepted Seoul's talks proposal.

South Korea proposed earlier this week to the DPRK holding the high-level dialogue on Jan. 9 at the Peace House, a building in the South Korean side of Panmunjom which straddles the heavily guarded inter-Korean land border.

If the talks are held as agreed upon, it will mark the first inter-Korean dialogue since South Korean President Moon Jae-in took office in May last year. The governments of the DPRK and South Korea had had no contact since the last was held in December 2015 between vice ministerial-level officials.

Baek said the dialogue agenda would include issues to improve inter-Korean relations and the DPRK's dispatch of its delegation to the South Korea-hosted Winter Olympics scheduled for February.

Details on how to form the delegations and who represents the delegations for the high-level talks will be discussed through the exchange of letters through the Panmunjom hotline, the spokesman said.

The Panmunjom hotline of direct dialogue between the two sides was reopened earlier this week for the first time in almost two years amid rising signs of a thaw in inter-Korean relations.

Top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un said in his New Year's Day address that his country was willing to dispatch the DPRK delegation to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and to talk with South Korea about it.

The following day, Seoul made the dialogue overture to Pyongyang, which accepted it Friday.

On Thursday night, President Moon and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed not to conduct the annual springtime war games between Seoul and Washington during the PyeongChang Winter Olympic period.

The war games, which tended to kick off in mid-march and last by the end of April, could have coincided with the 2018 Winter Olympics slated for Feb. 9-25 and the Winter Paralympic Games on March 9-18.

Pyongyang has denounced the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, codenamed Key Resolve and Foal Eagle, as a dress rehearsal for northward invasion.

Meanwhile, a senior official of South Korea's presidential Blue House told local reporters that other issues between the two sides, including the reunion of separated families and military affairs, could be discussed after completing a discussion on the DPRK's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

The unnamed Blue House official was quoted as saying discussions on improved inter-Korean relations could come after the completion of a discussion on the DPRK's Winter Olympic participation, but the official noted that it would be too early to predict how the discussions would go.

President Moon proposed last year to the DPRK holding humanitarian talks about the reunion of separated families across the two sides as well as the dialogue between the military authorities to ease tensions.

People from the two sides have been banned from visiting and contacting each other since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. The Korean Peninsula remains technically in a state of war.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 13:47:57|Editor: Jiaxin

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HANOI, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam exported bigger amounts of coal in 2017, although its coal output dropped by over 180,000 tons against 2016, the General Statistics Office said on Friday.

Vietnam exported roughly 2.3 million tons of coal worth 295 million U.S. dollars last year, up 84.7 percent in volume and 112.8 percent in value. Large amounts of the coal were shipped to Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.

In 2017, Vietnam National Coal-Mineral Industries Holding Corporation (Vinacomin), the country's biggest coal producer and exporter, made domestic coal sales of over 34 million tons, and exported 1.5 million tons of the product.

Vinacomin plans to produce nearly 35.4 million tons of coal, sell some 34.1 million tons in the Vietnamese market, and export 1.9 million tons in 2018. Meanwhile, it will strive to lower its coal inventory to 8 million tons, down over 2 million tons against 2017.

Vietnam is expected to produce a total of 86.4 million tons of coal in 2020, and 256 million tons in 2030, according to Vinacomin.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 14:18:08|Editor: Jiaxin

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SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in's approval rating rose this week amid rising signs of a thaw in inter-Korean relations, a survey showed Friday.

According to the Gallup Korea poll, support for Moon was 72 percent this week, up 2 percentage points from the previous week.

It was based on a poll of 1,007 voters conducted from Tuesday to Thursday. It had 3.1 percentage points in margin of error with a 95-percent confidence level.

The rise in support scores came amid growing signs of improved inter-Korean relations following the agreement between South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to hold high-level talks next week.

Top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un said in his New Year's Day address that his country was willing to participate in the South Korea-hosted Winter Olympics and to talk with Seoul about it.

South Korea offered to hold the senior-level dialogue with the DPRK on Jan. 9 in the truce village of Panmunjom, and Pyongyang accepted the dialogue overture early Friday.

President Moon agreed Thursday night with U.S. President Donald Trump that South Korea and the United States would not conduct the springtime joint military exercises between the two allies during the Winter Olympic period.

Support for Moon's ruling Democratic Party advanced 4 percentage points over the week to 48 percent this week.

It was followed by the main opposition Liberty Korea Party with 10 percent, down 2 percentage points from a week ago.

The centrist People's Party earned 7 percent in support scores, followed by the minor conservative Righteous Party with 5 percent and the minor progressive Justice Party with 4 percent.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 15:03:18|Editor: Yamei

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SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Google is facing allegations that it underpays female employees of the company's childcare center.

Heidi Lamar, Google's former employee, alleged in a complaint that female teachers were paid lower salaries than men with fewer qualifications doing the same job at the tech giant.

Lamar's allegation is part of a revised gender-pay lawsuit filed on Wednesday. The earlier version of this complaint, filed by three other women who also used to work for Google, had been rejected by a judge for being "overly broad."

The three former employees were engineer, sales and at management post before leaving the tech company.

Lamar, who had a master degree in teaching and five years experience in similar job before joining Google, said her starting salary was 18.51 U.S. dollars per hour, while at the same time, her male colleague was offered 21 dollars per hour.

That means his salary was 13 percent higher than hers even though, she alleged, he had only three years' experience and no master's degree in teaching.

"The biggest difference was that he's a man," she said. "My first reaction was to immediately feel angry and insulted."

Lamar said her case was not alone in Google's childcare center. She said she knew of only one woman hired during her time at Google who started at a higher rate than her, and she had over 10 years of experience.

Google spokeswoman Gina Scigliano said the company disagrees with the "central allegations of this amended lawsuit."

"Job levels and promotions are determined through rigorous hiring and promotion committees, and must pass multiple levels of review, including checks to make sure there is no bias in these decisions," Scigliano said in a statement.

The initial version of this lawsuit sought class action status for all women who worked at Google in California for the past four years, and was rejected for being overly broad.

The amended version proposes a narrower class of plaintiffs that includes engineering, research, management, sales and teaching staff.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 15:08:19|Editor: Chengcheng

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KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Malaysian consulting firm was given a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) contract for the Kuala Lumpur - Singapore High Speed Rail project on Friday, as part of the effort to mitigate potential social impact by the mega transportation project.

Malaysia's project delivery vehicle for the rail project, MyHSR Corporation (MyHSR), said in a statement that it had awarded the contract to Malaysian firm ERE Consulting Group, following an open tender exercise which was launched in November 2017.

According to MyHSR, the appointed firm will be responsible to complete an assessment on the possible social impact arising from the implementation of the KL-SG HSR project within Malaysia.

The study will also include a heritage impact assessment to ensure that the project complies with the relevant policies and plans, it said.

MyHSR's chief executive officer Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal said the appointed consultant will be responsible to assess the possible social impact arising from the three phases of the HSR project, which encompasses the pre-construction, construction and operational phases.

They will analyze all the feedback received from the Public Inspection exercise and will be conducting additional surveys and focus group discussions along the alignment, he added.

"From the assessment, effective mitigation measures will be formulated in order to further minimize any identified social impacts to the affected communities," he said.

The HSR project will cut travel time between the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to 90 minutes once it runs into operation by the end of 2026.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 15:18:22|Editor: Chengcheng

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KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian Ringgit breaks the 4.00 key level against the U.S. dollar on Friday amid improving oil prices and economic outlook.

The Ringgit rose 0.3 percent to 3.99 against the U.S. dollar on Friday afternoon, the highest level since August 2016.

Last year, Malaysian Ringgit was one of the performers in the region, rising 10 percent to 4.05 against the greenback in a year.

"We still expect Ringgit strength continued in the next few months amid Malaysia's general election, which is likely to be held in coming months," Maybank Forex Research said in a note Friday.

Other positive domestic factors that support the Ringgit outlook include shifts in investor sentiment, strong Malaysian economy outlook, hawkish tilt in Malaysia's Central Bank rhetoric, and widening current account surplus against supporting external environment.

There are also signs of stabilizing commodity prices amid production cut extension by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and steady demand for oil, said the report.

"We expect these external and domestics drivers to provide the near term support for Ringgit," it added.

Phillip Mutual's chief strategist officer Phua Lee Kerk told Xinhua earlier that the improving oil prices outlook will continue to outweigh other negative factors in supporting the Ringgit momentum this year.

"It will not be surprising if we see the Ringgit strengthen to 3.80 against the U.S. dollar in the first half," he said.

Foreign exchange firm Oanda's Asia Pacific trading head Stephen Innes also told Xinhua earlier that it has put the Ringgit as its top pick in the region this year, as he believed the Ringgit is under-positioned and has potential to test 3.80 against the U.S. dollar.

The Ringgit momentum will be supported by four drivers -- Malaysian Central Bank's rate normalization, strong economy, a direct beneficiary of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and projected higher oil prices, he said.

Proposed in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. Malaysia is one of the first countries that supported the initiative.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 15:23:22|Editor: Chengcheng

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SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The number of surviving South Korean victims to Japan's wartime sex slavery fell to 31 as one victim died of old age Friday.

The victim, identified only by her surname Lim, passed away earlier in the day after being hospitalized the previous day for bad health conditions, according to the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, a local advocacy group supporting the victims.

The bereaved family of the "comfort women" victim asked her identification not to be made known, the advocacy group said.

"Comfort women" is a euphemism for Korean girls and young women who were kidnapped, coerced or duped into sex servitude for Japanese military brothels during World War .

As Lim passed away, the number of surviving South Korean victims fell to 31 among 238 women who had identified themselves as former sex slaves. In 2017 alone, eight aged South Korean victims died of old age.

The South Korean government under President Moon Jae-in who took office in May 2017 announced the review result last week over the 2015 agreement with Japan over the comfort women victims.

It revealed secret deals between then South Korean government and the Japanese government led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

President Moon said the wartime sex slavery issue cannot be resolved by the 2015 agreement.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 15:38:27|Editor: Xiang Bo

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SHIJIAZHUANG, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Customs staff and police officers in north China's Hebei Province have caught 16 suspects smuggling hundreds of luxury cars to China, local authorities said Friday.

The suspects confessed to illegally transporting more than 320 limousines, such as Rolls-Royces, Bentleys and Ferraris, worth around 331 million yuan (51 million U.S. dollars), according to Shijiazhuang City customs.

Police received a report a man surnamed Wu was suspected of smuggling limousines at the end of 2016, and last April more than 80 police and customs officers launched a joint operation, catching 16 smugglers.

The investigation is ongoing.

Last year, Chinese customs launched the "Sword Guarding the Country's Gate 2017" campaign, to take tough measures against smuggling. The Shijiazhuang customs handled around 400 smuggling cases in the campaign.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 15:38:28|Editor: Chengcheng

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HAVANA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The European Union's top diplomat Federica Mogherini said Thursday that the EU is a reliable ally of Cuba and announced a series of agreements, in the face of the reversal in U.S.-Cuban relations under President Donald Trump.

Mogherini said at the end of a two-day official visit to Havana that the EU is a "solid, firm and reliable partner" of Cuba and despite differences, it remains "consistent" in its foreign policy.

She said cooperation agreements in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, culture and expertise valued at 49 million euros (52.04 million U.S. dollars) would be signed shortly.

To these can be added another 9 million euros (9.56 million dollars) recently donated by the bloc to help support the reconstruction efforts in the wake of Hurricane Irma, which caused economic losses of more than 13 billion dollars.

France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and 19 other EU members have also made enormous investments in Cuba, especially in its tourism industry.

New possibilities arose for the longtime strained EU-Cuba ties after a framework agreement for political dialogue and cooperation in various fields came into effect last November.

The Trump administration has partially rolled back a fragile detente between the old Cold War foes begun by former U.S. President Barack Obama.

"The EU's foreign policy and orientation is autonomous, independent and decided by the 28 member states. We regret that the U.S. administration has apparently changed its position with respect to Cuba," said Mogherini.

Earlier, Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez said his country was optimistic about the future of bilateral ties with the EU.

"Relations between the EU and Cuba are long-standing, with solid foundations based on cultural and friendly ties. That's why we see a promising future," Rodriguez said during a meeting with Mogherini.

Rodriguez regarded the EU as an important economic and trade partner, as well as an important investor.

Mogherini noted both sides are aligned in combating climate change and achieving the United Nations sustainable development goals, which call for greater cooperation, as opposed to the increased isolationism of U.S. foreign policy.

A delegation from the European Investment Bank will arrive in Cuba at the end of this month to explore joint investment opportunities.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 16:38:48|Editor: Chengcheng

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by Xinhua writer Zhu Dongyang

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Coming on the heels of the re-opening of a communication channel between the two Koreas, Washington and Seoul on Thursday agreed not to conduct any joint military drill until after the upcoming Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

This is apparently a constructive gesture in line with the international call for stability and peace on the Korean Peninsula. However, considering the unprecedented level of tensions there and the aggravated mutual rancor between Pyongyang and Washington, more reconciliatory efforts are needed to change the overall bleak mood in the region.

The Korean Peninsula has seen a few positive signs since the New Year. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) top leader Kim Jong Un said in his New Year speech that the country is willing to participate in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Later the two Koreas reopened a hotline in Panmunjom, which straddles the inter-Korean land border.

Together with the South Korea-U.S. decision to suspend war games, such gestures have indeed offered a glimmer of hope for the peninsula long haunted by confrontation and hostility.

Tensions on the peninsula reached a precarious level in 2017, driven up by the sixth nuclear test and multiple missile tests by the DPRK and the relentless Washington-Seoul war games.

Military tensions, amplified by blustery threats from both the United States and the DPRK to conduct nuclear attacks against each other, rasped the nerves of the whole world.

History has shown that tough talk and muscle-flexing could not help Washington and Pyongyang get what they want and achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Rather, they have created a vicious cycle that pushes a peaceful solution further away.

Therefore, instead of releasing more bellicose statements and moves of brinkmanship, Washington and Pyongyang are better advised to engage in constructive talks and suspend provocations.

The DPRK's offer to talk with South Korea and participate in the Olympics deserves credit and requires more reciprocal responses from the U.S. side.

It is highly advisable that Washington and Pyongyang could take the opportunity of the Olympics to extend good faith instead of bad blood. As for trust-building and peace-making efforts, there's much more to be done.
jcamilobernal/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- The U.S. is suspending security assistance to Pakistan "until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against [terror] groups including the Afghani Taliban and the Haqqani Network," State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Thursday.



The move comes after President Trump ramped up his criticism of the difficult American ally in a series of tweets earlier in the week, accusing Pakistan of giving the U.S. "nothing but lies & deceit."



The State Department declined to provide a total amount of assistance being suspended-- but this new announcement is in addition to $255 million in foreign military assistance the U.S. suspended on August 31. Those funds -- essentially money that the U.S. provides to Pakistan to purchase American military equipment -- remain suspended, in addition to past years' foreign military assistance that are now suspended as well.



In addition, the Pentagon will suspend further military reimbursements to Pakistan as part of its Coalition Support Fund, a program that reimburses U.S. allies for costs they have incurred in counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations. In fiscal year 2016, that figure totaled $550 million -- although Defense Secretary James Mattis withheld $50 million of that money in July, citing the same difficulties securing Pakistan's cooperation.



That puts the total new amount suspended likely in the hundreds of millions at least-- in addition to the $255 million already suspended.



ABC News first reported the decision had been made on Wednesday, after State Department officials called members of Congress to brief them of the decision.



But to critics, the announcement seemed to come quickly on the heels of the president's pronouncement Monday on Twitter where he charged that Pakistan has taken "more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years" and in return provided "safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help."



Pakistan is a key partner in the fight against terrorism, but the U.S. has also accused it of supporting and providing safe haven to terror groups like the Haqqani Network, an independent division of the Taliban responsible for multiple attacks in neighboring Afghanistan over the years.



"No more!" Trump vowed on Monday.



But senior State Department officials deny that the announcement was done quickly to make policy out of the president's tweet.



"It had always been our intention to evaluate on an ongoing basis Pakistan's responsiveness to our request for support of the South Asia strategy and as we evaluated, if we felt that Pakistan was not addressing the request that we had made, that we would take further actions to put pressure on Pakistan or to underscore our dissatisfaction with their lack of responsiveness," one senior official told reporters.



In real terms, the decision means that the U.S. will now not deliver military equipment or transfer security-related funds, unless required by law or if deemed in U.S. national security interests, Nauert said during the State Department's briefing Thursday. But she and two senior State Department officials stressed that the suspensions were not permanent -- with the possibility of Pakistan earning the funds back if it takes steps to show cooperation.



The State Department declined to say whether anyone in the administration called the Pakistani government to tell them this news, citing "private diplomatic conversations" -- but one senior official said Pakistan was briefed "in general terms," adding later, "When we talk to Pakistan, we will provide the information they need to be able to evaluate this."



But it is "something that should not come as a surprise to Pakistan," Nauert also said, because President Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and Secretary Mattis have all had conversations with Pakistani leadership about this concern -- and because Trump laid it out in his South Asia strategy speech on August 21.



"We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting, but that will have to change, and that will change immediately," Trump said at the time.



Two months later, however, Trump praised Pakistan with a tweet, writing, "Starting to develop a much better relationship with Pakistan and its leaders. I want to thank them for their cooperation on many fronts." The message came on the heels of Pakistani security forces helping secure the release of American Caitlan Coleman, her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle, and their three children from Taliban captivity.



When asked by ABC News Thursday what changed, Nauert said, "I don't know that anything necessarily changed," just that Pakistan must do more.



One senior State Department official was slightly more pointed: "They have not made decisive action on our requests, so the decision was made to take this step as one step to indicate that we cannot continue business as usual with the Pakistani government if they're not going to be a partner with us."



The danger in Thursday's move is that instead of incentivizing Pakistan to better cooperate, it could further alienate the unsteady ally and push them into the arms of a neighbor like China, which has growing financial and diplomatic ties to Pakistan.



"Both countries are committed to this relationship, and we're doing our best -- both countries are doing our best to try to move the relationship forward and put it on more positive footing," the senior official said, arguing that China and Pakistan's "relationship has never come at the expense of U.S.-Pakistan relations." In particular, the official cited the U.S.'s superior military capabilities that it can sell to Pakistan -- sales it is now suspending.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
In this issue, we feature people of various backgrounds who all have one thing in common: they like to fix things, helping change millions of lives.

Of late, there has been considerable criticism of the news business. Those in the establishment in the West and in India have suggested we are unfair, biased and a little too interested in "negative" news.

We in the media business have been called purveyors of fake facts, uninformed biases and personal agendas. But as a journalist for over 40 years, I can only say we reflect the society we live in, and the times we are going through. If there is violence, it is our duty to report it; if there is corruption, it is our job to expose it; and if there is incompetence or inefficiency, to flag it.

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This often makes the powerful uncomfortable and angry. Unfortunately, the tendency to malign the mainstream media is backed by the power of social media where everyone thinks he or she is a journalist. Like in any other profession, the media makes mistakes and has some bad apples, but a free and responsible press is essential for a functioning democracy. I can proudly say, by and large, the mainstream media in India has been responsible. With today's intense scrutiny from the powers-that-be and social media, the onus is on the media to get its facts right.

Having said that, I will admit that the mainstream media does tend to focus more on what may be termed negative news, whether it is violent events, natural disasters and scandals rather than stories of achievement, hope and aspiration. It was with this thought that we began the Good News Issue in 2016, to highlight stories that fall through the cracks of our everyday news grind.

In this issue, too, we feature people of various backgrounds who all have one thing in common: they like to fix things, helping change millions of lives. Like Umesh Malhotra, an IIT Madras graduate, whose learning centres give 11,000 children affordable, quality, pre-school education from 600 teachers in 285 schools. Or Shameek Chakravarty, Gitanjali Rajamani and Sudaakeran Balasubramanian, who launched Farmizen to supply organic vegetables to customers from farms that customers themselves manage through a mobile app. Or Ankit Mehta, who co-founded Ideaforge Technologies, and is making drones to be used by major security forces to rescue people during calamities.

Executive Editor Damayanti Datta, who curated this issue, has done an accompanying story on the science and art of happiness. Happiness, she says, is galvanising top universities across the world to study it. Equally, governments are no longer content to examine the progress of their people through GDP data.

The corporate world is hiring chief happiness officers. Google has a resident 'Jolly Good Fellow' to promote emotional intelligence. Consciousness lecturers are doing the rounds, from TED to Davos. How to achieve a state of constant happiness is the new obsession, but it is an elusive bird to catch. As noted author Yuval Noah Harari has said, the glass ceiling of happiness is held up by two pillars, one psychological and the other biological. Says Harari, "On the psychological level, happiness depends on expectations rather than objective conditions. We don't become satisfied by leading a peaceful and prosperous existence. Rather, we become satisfied when reality matches our expectations. The bad news is that as conditions improve so do expectations." So it is common to find that developed countries have higher suicide rates than poorer countries. Obviously, economic well-being is not the panacea for happiness.

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Unfortunately, India ranks a low 122nd among 155 countries in the UN's World Happiness Report 2017-a drop of 10 points from 2012.

Yet, the pursuit of happiness continues. In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is dreaming of retrofitting the ancient city of Amaravati for happiness. "It will be a happy city," he has declared of his prospective capital. Madhya Pradesh, India's first state to set up a Department of Happiness, held a week-long Happiness Festival and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is tying up with IIT Kharagpur's brand new "happiness lab", to chalk out a Happiness Index. Mental wellness is emerging as the next big frontier of research.

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Soon, we will not only know what makes us happy, but also how to achieve that state. Now that's a good news story that makes me happy. Have a great new year filled with happiness, well-being, wisdom and wonder.

--- ENDS ---
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 16:43:49|Editor: Chengcheng

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MANILA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Filipino couple have been beheaded by Philippine terrorist group Abu Sayyaf in a remote village on Basilan island in southern Philippines, a military official said on Friday.

Brig. Gen. Juvymax Uy, Joint Task Force Basilan (JTFB), identified the victims as Abdurahim Kituh and his wife Nadzwa Bahitla, both residents of Isabela City.

The couple was killed Thursday afternoon in a village on Basilan island on suspicion that they are feeding information to the military.

Uy said the bodies of the two were found in the village a few hours after they were killed.

Basilan, a province in southern Philippines, is a stronghold by the Abu Sayyaf militants with alleged links to the Islamic State (IS) extremist groups.

Formed in the 1990s, the Abu Sayyaf group is notorious for carrying out kidnapping-for-ransom preying on both foreigners and Filipinos, and known for bombings and brutality, including beheadings.

Several foreign kidnapping victims were beheaded last year after failing to pay millions of dollars of ransom, including Vietnamese, German and Canadian hostages.

Philippine authorities said the terrorist group is holding more than 20 hostages, including more than a dozen foreigners. Most of the hostages are kept in the boondocks of Basilan and Sulu, both island provinces off the southern island of Mindanao.

The Abu Sayyaf group helped plot the siege of Marawi City last May, triggering a five-month fighting that left more than 1,200 dead. The battle also ruined the city, displacing thousands of residents.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 16:48:49|Editor: Chengcheng

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CAIRO, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least one tourist was killed and seven others wounded when a hot air balloon crashed near Egypt's ancient city of Luxor on Friday, state-run Ahram reported.

The balloon was carrying around 20 people including travellers from different countries.

A U.S. citizen was killed in the accident, while the nationalities of the injured were not revealed.

The incident was caused by strong winds that forced the balloon to fall down, an official was quoted as saying.

Luxor has witnessed hot air balloon accidents in past years.

In 2013, 19 tourists, including nine from Hong Kong of China, were killed when their balloon caught fire.

In 2016, 22 Chinese tourists were injured when their balloon crash landed, after which Egypt temporarily halted balloon rides.
This file photo taken on Sept. 10, 2017 shows hot air balloons during a ride over the ancient city of Luxor. (AFP photo)

CAIRO, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least one tourist was killed and seven others wounded when a hot air balloon crashed near Egypt's ancient city of Luxor on Friday, state-run Ahram reported.

The balloon was carrying around 20 people including travellers from different countries.

A U.S. citizen was killed in the accident, while the nationalities of the injured were not revealed.

The incident was caused by strong winds that forced the balloon to fall down, an official was quoted as saying.

Luxor has witnessed hot air balloon accidents in past years.

In 2013, 19 tourists, including nine from Hong Kong of China, were killed when their balloon caught fire.

In 2016, 22 Chinese tourists were injured when their balloon crash landed, after which Egypt temporarily halted balloon rides.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 17:18:57|Editor: Yamei

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BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's forestry authority has made a plan to boost the domestic forestry industry and increase its forest resources to the world's average by 2050.

The plan unveiled by Zhang Jianlong, chief of State Forestry Administration, at a conference which closed on Friday, is the latest move taken by government sectors to implement the ruling party's modernization blueprint.

At its 19th National Congress in November, China's ruling party decided to make the country prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful by 2050.

Zhang said that by 2050, China's forest stock will expand to 26.5 billion cubic meters, and 72 percent of the growth of forestry industry will come from technological advancement.

Although China has seen its forest resources growing fastest in the world in the past five years, Zhang said that forestry remained "a weak link" of China's modernization drive.

"Inadequate forestry resources were a significant cause of China's fragile ecology and the lack of ecological products," Zhang said.

To improve the situation, the administration has broke down the country's forestry modernization goals into different phases.

In the first phase from now until 2020, China's forest coverage rate is expected to reach 23.04 percent from 21.66 percent, while the volume of forest resources will expand from 15.137 billion cubic meters to 16.5 billion cubic meters.

From 2020 to 2035, the percentage of forest coverage will grow further to 26 percent while forest stock will rise to 21 billion cubic meters.

Over the same period, the greening rate in the rural area will surge from 30 percent to 38 percent. By 2050, the figure will reach 43 percent.

Zhang said that in 2018, the afforested areas in both cities and counties would be 6.67 million hectares.

The aggregate output of the forestry industry will reach 7.5 trillion yuan in 2018 compared with 7 trillion yuan in 2017, while the imports and exports of forestry products will rise to 160 billion U.S. dollars from 150 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 17:23:59|Editor: Yamei

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TEHRAN, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian and Pakistani defense ministers held talks on defense cooperation amid U.S. President Donald Trump's recent Twitter spree against both nations, Press TV reported on Friday.

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ali Hatami hailed growing defense cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad in a telephone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Khurram Dastgir-Khan on Thursday.

The latest developments in the region and in the Islamic world necessitate more interactions among officials of Iran and Pakistan, as two major countries in the Muslim world, Hatami was quoted as saying.

"The Americans always blame the others over their own failures in different parts of the world and they pursue the strategy of the Zionist regime (of Israel) to destabilize the region," Hatami said.

The "evil and stupid policies of the United States" are the root cause of deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and the deaths of innocent civilians in Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, he said.

The two countries should utilize such capacity to enhance their economic growth and security, Hatami said, pointing to the potentials for military cooperation between Iran and Pakistan.

The Pakistani defense minister welcomed the promotion of military cooperation with Iran with regard to the regional issues, noting that the two countries should further enhance such cooperation given the rapid pace of changes and regional developments.

Dastgir-Khan also criticized Trump's repeated tweets against Pakistan and underlined the importance of the Muslim nations' sovereign right to provide their own security.

Trump posted a series of tweets in recent days, in which he voiced support for the scattered riots in Iran and lashed out at Pakistan for supporting terrorists.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 17:29:00|Editor: Yamei

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TUNIS, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Emirates Airlines resumed its flights to Tunisia after over two weeks of suspension, the Tunisian Ministry of Transport announced Thursday evening.

An agreement has been drawn to stipulate the company to respect the world regulations in the aviation industry and the accord signed between the two countries in the area of civil aviation, said the ministry in a statement.

The Emirates Airlines also needs to avoid affecting the relations between Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said the Tunisian ministry.

According to UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the decision of flights resumption was made after holding security dialogues with and receiving adequate information from Tunisia, a move that eased the security concerns of the Emirates company.

"In the context of bilateral relations with Tunisia, and in light of an extensive security dialogue and information collected from the Tunisian side, the concerned authorities in UAE decided to return to the original status," said UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

On Dec. 22, 2017, the UAE carrier refused to allow Tunisian women on board its planes from and to Tunisia for security reasons.

Two days later, the Tunisian Transport Ministry responded by issuing a ban on Emirates flights' access to the Tunisian territories.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 17:34:01|Editor: Yamei

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COLOMBO, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena honored on Friday a Sri Lankan child who set a Guinness World Record as the world's youngest author, a statement from the President's Office said on Friday.

The president received the boy Thanuwana Serasinghe, aged only four years and 356 days, in his office on Friday. The child arrived at the President's Office along with his parents and offered a copy of his book titled Junk Food to the president.

The president's office said the child had only taken three days to write the book. The president gave his blessings to the child and wished him success in his education.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 17:34:01|Editor: Yamei

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ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government has arrested 107 individuals relating to recent conflict along the border of Somali and Oromia regional states, an official said on Friday.

Abiyu Assefa, Commissioner of Ethiopia Federal Police Commission, gave the figure during a report to the Ethiopian Parliament.

He further said 98 of the suspects apprehended relating to the violence are from Oromia regional states while nine are from Somali regional state.

Heavy clashes along the 1500 km Oromia-Somali boundary in September spilled into ethnic violence that left hundreds of thousands displaced and an undisclosed number of people dead.

Oromia and Somali regional states have been locked in a dispute over the delineation of their common boundary for almost two decades.

A referendum in October 2004 was supposed to demarcate the boundary between the two regional states, but its implementation has been stalled ever since with both sides accusing each other of non-compliance.

The Ethiopian government has further pointed to competition to control illegal Khat trade as another reason for the conflict.

Khat, a mild stimulant leaf grown across Ethiopia, is chewed by millions of Ethiopians, who use it to help them conduct work, undertake home studies or use it for recreational purposes.

Oromia regional state is the largest Khat producing area in Ethiopia while Somali regional state borders Somalia and Djibouti, which are the main foreign destinations for Ethiopia's Khat exports.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 17:54:04|Editor: Yamei

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SINGAPORE, Jan 5. (Xinhua) -- Singapore shares closed 0.33 percent lower on Friday, as caution prevailed ahead of U.S. job data for December due later in the day.

U.S. stocks rose after the private sector ADP employment data released overnight showed December's figure picked up stronger than expected. Market in average expects non-farm payrolls in December to register at 190,000. Any stronger number in December employment data could further indicate a strengthening of the U.S. economy.

Maybank-Kim Eng Research said "technically, the Straits Times Index has broken above 3,500 points and heading towards the post-financial crisis high of 3,550 points set in April 2015. The downside support is now at 3,470 points."

Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index fell 11.71 points to 3,489.45 points. Trading volume was 1.97 billion shares worth 1.13 billion Singapore dollars. Advancers outnumbered decliners 217 to 192.

CapitaLand fell 0.3 percent to 3.65 Singapore dollars. Its serviced residence unit, The Ascott, sealed contracts to manage nine properties with more than 2,000 units in China, exceeding its 20,000 target for 2020 and on track to achieve its global portfolio target of 80,000 units in 2018.

Separately, CapitaLand is reconstituting its China mall portfolio and divesting stakes in 20 malls across 19 cities at an agreed value of 8.37 billion Chinese yuan. This is expected to generate sale proceeds of 660 million Singapore dollars and net gain of 75 million Singapore dollars. After the divestment, its shopping mall network in China will comprise 49 assets, of which 45 are located in first and second tier cities.

Citic Envirotech inched down 0.7 percent to 73.5 Singapore cents. It acquired the remaining 15 percent stake in United Envirotech Water (Changyi) for 32.5 million Chinese yuan. United Envirotech Water (Changyi) owns and operates five industrial wastewater treatment plants with total design capacity of 200,000 cubic meters per day in Changyi City, Shandong, China.

Among top gainers, Great Eastern Holdings rose 0.7 percent to 28.96 Singapore dollars, whereas Venture Corporation were one of the top losers by falling 1.2 percent to 21.70 Singapore dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals to 6.488 Chinese yuan and 1.33 Singapore dollars)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 17:59:07|Editor: Yamei

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ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, welcomed Ethiopia's pardoning or suspending ongoing judicial cases of members of political parties and other individuals.

According to Mahamat, the announcement made by the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, to pardon or suspend ongoing judicial cases of members of political parties and other individuals is an "important and farsighted decision."

"He commends the Ethiopian authorities for this important and farsighted decision; and for their commitment to foster national consensus and widen the democratic space," the statement issued by the pan-African block late on Thursday indicated.

According to Mahamat, these steps will also enhance the country's stability, which is of "paramount importance for the region and Africa as a whole."

Mahamat further called on all Ethiopians, irrespective of their political affiliations, to embrace and sustain the spirit of forgiveness and unity in the interest of their country.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, together with leaders of the four parties that make up the ruling party, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, announced the decision on Wednesday, which is said to promote national unity, dialogue and reconciliation among Ethiopians.

Desalegn also disclosed the shutting down of the notorious detention center, known as Maekelawi, which had been serving as Ethiopia's main investigation center since the Derg regime.

The prime minister also indicated that by turning Maekelawi into a museum, the government will set up another investigation center in line with the Ethiopian constitution and the country's human rights laws.
Framed by the Western Ghats, overlooking eucalyptus forests and coffee fields lies Bylakuppe, a little-known outpost of Tibetan Buddhism in Karnataka's Coorg district. A signboard reads, Sera Jey Monastic University. Inside, scarlet prayer flags flutter, as monks chant, study and meditate. But what goes on in a small laboratory in the campus makes for an unusual spectacle: here monks are strapped to electrode sensors, while scientists measure upward spirals of positive emotion in their brain on electroencephalogram, or EEG, machines. Call it a 'happiness project', where science meets spirituality.

Imagine 100 billion little wisps of jelly (or tofu, or toothpaste) that is your brain. It can 'talk' to itself-via molecules, neurons, nerve networks-faster than an F1 car. It can fall in love, do complex arithmetic, contemplate the meaning of life, god. It can go out of whack from loneliness and depression. And it can fill you with uproarious joy. Happiness, the domain of philosophers and spiritual masters for centuries, has found a new bed mate: science. Neuroscientists are strapping monks to EEG and MRI machines; geneticists are locating genes associated with happiness; psychologists are moving away from their customary focus on disorders and dysfunctions to shed new light on how positive emotions can help people flourish; economists have joined the party, seeking to find out what people really value. With it all, peer-reviewed academic journals are publishing papers on happiness, researchers are winning the Nobel Prize (economist Sir Angus Stewart Deaton in 2015) and the "science of happiness" has become the hot topic of the day.

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UNHAPPY NATION

What could it be that makes one happy? It's a question every Indian needs to confront now. India is not just one of the unhappiest countries in the world, Indians are also overwhelmingly afflicted with persistent sadness. Over 50 million Indians are suffering from depression, over 30 million others from anxiety disorders, reports the World Health Organization in its new global health estimates. India is one of the most depressed countries in the world, with the most years of life lost due to depression and anxiety, followed by China and the US. India ranks 122nd among 155 countries-a drop of 10 points from 2012-in The World Happiness Report 2017 published by the United Nations and measured by parameters like per capita GDP, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices and trust.

"It would be rare to find someone who would say, 'I am very happy with life'," says Dr Samir Parikh, director of mental health and behavioral sciences at Fortis Hospitals.

"There's a high level of stress, frustration, anger, discontent and irritability around us," he says. The reasons could be anything, from cut-throat competition to socio-economic disparities, urbanisation to smaller families, job pressure to time crunch, from getting stuck in traffic jams to desiring a more high-end car than the one you have. At a time when road rage, domestic abuse, temper tantrums and explosive outbursts of aggression and losing control have become everyday phenomena around us, discussions on happiness take on greater importance. "Most Indians seem to be locked into a life cycle, where the stressors and bad moments outstrip good moments," he points out. "We have to learn to outnumber bad moments by good moments, because good moments are in our control, bad moments are not. We do very little to make ourselves content and happy."

STUMBLING ON HAPPINESS

"The idea that positive emotions play a critical role in our health and well-being is not new, but happiness as a phenomenon has received very little attention from scientists so long," explains neurobiologist Sumantra Chattarji, director of the Centre for Brain Development and Repair at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru. Partly because neuroscience has been heavily reliant on rats and mouse models for understanding brain function and dysfunction, he says: "Can rats feel joy? It's hard to tell." The past 20 years have also witnessed the rise of a new field, cognitive neuroscience, that combines two traditionally distinct disciplines-cognitive psychology and neurology-to address the neural underpinnings of the human mind.

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"We are entering the golden age of brain science," says Chattarji. Because classical physics is over and the new physics of cosmology or string theory is still a mystery, the breathtaking pace of progress in the past two decades has brought neuroscience to the centre of scientific imagination. From supercomputing to neuroimaging, there has been a huge leap in our understanding of the brain, thanks to technology, explains Chattarji. Functional MRI has been responsible for much of the recent growth of human neuroscience research. It is now possible to map and measure activity, blood flow and changes in the brain, in real time and with high accuracy. With both the European Union and the United States announcing hefty funding to long-term programmes, mapping the human brain is being touted as "medicine's next Human Genome Project". "The science of happiness is emerging as a by-product of this intense engagement with the brain," he adds.

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What have the happiness researchers discovered so far? It's a concept called neuroplasticity, that the human brain has tremendous capacity to reorganise and re-engineer itself, both physically and functionally, throughout your life. The brain was once thought to be completely immutable, not capable of change, after childhood. Hence, if one of the complex circuits in the brain got damaged, it was gone forever. In 1995, neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran, currently director of the Center for Brain and Cognition at the University of California, San Diego, first showed, through a series of simple experiments, that even if parts of a brain were damaged, destroyed or missing, it was possible for remaining parts to learn how to take over the functions that were lost.

The brain is now considered a dynamic organ. We know now that it is possible to form new brain cells, called neurons, even in adulthood, it can reverse damage or dysfunction, it is capable of enormous plasticity, with circuits changing and various nerve cells and parts of the brain "talking" to each other constantly, as Ramachandran showed. This concept is at the heart of brain science.

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"Scientists simply underestimated the resilience and regenerative capacity in the human brain," adds Chattarji. Neuroplasticity is the process by which one learns to play a musical instrument, learn a new language, recover from stroke, injury, birth defects and improve disorders like autism or attention and learning disabilities. It is also the way to pull out of depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, addictions and reverse unhappiness patterns to happiness.

CAPACITY FOR HAPPINESS

In 2014, "the world's happiest man", a Buddhist monk from a Tibetan monastery, taught mindful meditation to the movers and shakers at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Matthieu Ricard, 70, once a molecular geneticist and now a close associate of the Dalai Lama, had become the poster boy for the happiness practice ever since he took part in a 12-year brain study at the University of Wisconsin, US. The neuroscientists had strapped 256 sensors to his skull and found that his brain produced a level of gamma waves-those linked to consciousness, attention, learning and memory-"never reported before in the neuroscience literature". The scans also showed intense activity on the left pre-frontal cortex, associated with pleasant emotions, indicating a very large capacity for happiness.

Mindful meditation has received the attention of psychologists since the 1990s, with a paradigm shift in the discipline, when psychologists started arguing for an increased focus on investigating how to make life better-health and well-being, motivation, capacities, potential, social functioning and other positive emotions-rather than on negative or dysfunctional forces in daily life. "In recent years, there has been increasing interest in mindfulness and meditation approaches for managing stress, anxiety and depression," says Dr Mahendra P. Sharma, professor and head of the Department of Clinical Psychology at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru. Mindfulness goes back to India's ancient techniques of Vipassana meditation and means 'conscious observation' in the Pali language. "It's a state in which one is required to remain psychologically 'present' with whatever happens within and around one, without reacting in any way," Sharma says.

MAKE YOU MINDFUL

New research in neurobiology has brought about crucial changes in psychotherapy. Mindfulness-based cognitive behavioural therapy methods (MBCT) are an approach being used increasingly, in collaboration with Eastern psychological strategies such as mindfulness meditation, as a treatment for major depression and anxiety disorders, explains Dr Sharma. Here is how it works: Mr S, a 34-year-old married male, a postgraduate, was referred to NIMHANS for the management of his anxiety symptoms. Each morning, he was asked to sit quietly for a while in a room near the doctor's chamber, breathe in and out naturally, easily and then focus on the breathing. And every morning, those thoughts would come flooding: his life eight years ago. His mother's face through the train window. Tearful. His father yawning, looking away. That boss in the Bengaluru office. How his voice jarred. What a huge nose that man had. How he picked on him, for every little mistake, in front of others. Why did he take such treatment? Why couldn't he protest? He was such a weakling. That's why everybody treated him so badly. "Allow the thoughts to come. They'll go away," Dr Sharma said. "If you block your thoughts, they'll be stored in your brain and come back, may be in your dreams. Just don't judge yourself, or others. Forgive them, forgive yourself."

Sharma said: "Notice every little bodily sensation, an itch or a slight ache, a tingling. Don't judge-good, bad, annoying-and let them pass. Notice each part of your body, from head to toe. Notice everything: sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches. Name them 'sight', 'sound', 'smell', 'taste', or 'touch'. Don't judge. Accept yourself. Accept others. And let the thoughts go." On most days, tears rolled down his cheeks: in memory, in sadness, of wasted years, wasted life. "Accept the presence of the emotions without judgement and let them go. Notice how your body feels, as anger and sorrow enter. Replace them with new thoughts, of how much your wife loves you, the dishes your mother cooks for you, how the cabbie thanked you for the Rs 10 tip. Wish for all the anger to go away, and not come back ever. Tell yourself, again and again."

For a doctor, mindful meditation with each patient takes time and energy. But it's a pleasure to see people benefitting from the treatment and getting stronger, happier, day by day. When the 34-year-old man came to Dr Sharma, he had such an acute sense of inferiority and anxiety about his future that he suffered from palpitations, he says. He believed he was doing well eight years ago, had to move to Bengaluru after completing his graduation to pursue higher studies. But his father refused to support him which forced him to take up a job to support his education. His boss chided him for every minor mistake, inflaming his sense of inadequacy. He failed in his examination, which led to a bout of depression and more inferiority. He began avoiding his friends and started changing jobs often. "He considered his life to be a complete waste and blamed himself for all that had happened to him," says Dr Sharma. The doctor worked with him, helped him identify his "irrational thoughts and beliefs", emotions that were negative, biased, self-critical, limiting or otherwise distorted. His thoughts and beliefs were evaluated and replaced over time with more positive, balanced and functional ones. "With five to 20 minutes of mindful meditation every day, I believe, he will lead a happy life again," says Sharma.

HAPPINESS MOMENT

'Happiness moment' is the hot new term. The jargon of the moment. Governments across the world are rushing to measure the happiness of citizens: Bhutan, Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela and Bolivia measure prosperity as well as well-being. The corporate world is hiring 'chief happiness officers'. Google also has a resident Jolly Good Fellow to promote emotional intelligence. Consciousness lecturers are doing the rounds on public lecture circuits-from TED to Davos. Brands are promoting 'joy marketing' campaigns: from T Mobile's Flash Mob Dance to Coca-Cola's "Open Happiness". The explosion of DIYs, how-tos and general wisdom books-182,246 titles on amazon.com-is yet another symptom of the happiness phenomenon. The world of technology is moving toward 'empathetic' gadgets: from wearable sensors to measure workplace happiness by Japanese giant Hitachi to the 'hedonometer' created by US mathematicians to record global happiness in real time, based on Twitter words.

Happiness has never seemed so precious or felt so precarious. Perhaps that's why the governing class has joined the happiness crusade with such vim and vigour.

In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is nurturing a capital dream: of retrofitting the ancient city of Amaravati for happiness. "It will be a happy city," he declared in July last year. He is planning a technological nirvana, where energy-efficient buildings will overlook water bodies, clean energy cars will hog the streets, while pollution, overhead wires and mobile towers will be a thing of the past. Here, happy people will live happily ever after.

He is not alone: last year, India's first state to set up a Department of Happiness, Madhya Pradesh, held a week-long Happiness Festival. Worried about the rising divorce rates, broken families, far too many single people and the high suicide rates among farmers, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is tying up with IIT Kharagpur's brand new "happiness lab" to chalk out a Happiness Index for the state. Over 32,000 "happiness volunteers" are holding "happiness tutorials," organising "happiness clubs" and festivities across the state. Inspired by MP, and faced with an alarming rise in farmer suicides, the Maharashtra government is now rooting for a "happiness department" to make sure its citizens are happy.

A tough call. Two Nobel-winning happiness researchers, economist Angus Deaton and psychologist Daniel Kahneman, analysed the responses of 450,000 participants in 2010 to show that there are two types of happiness: the day-to-day joy, stress, sadness, anger and affection that make life pleasant or unpleasant; and the deeper satisfaction about one's life when one thinks about it. What role does money play in both? The researchers found that everyday well-being was dictated more by ill health, loneliness and other misfortunes, while life evaluation by income and education. When plotted, the researchers found that income below $75,000 a year deprived people of both types of happiness, while those earning above it bought life satisfaction but not happiness.

HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE

Science now knows that happiness starts in your brain. Just behind your forehead, above the left eye. It lights up the pleasure hotspots deep inside your brain, signalling the corners of your eyes to crease and your mouth to tilt in a smile. Tiny feelgood molecules flood your nervous system with the news: your body relaxes, heart rate comes down, blood pressure drops, stress hormones take a back seat, and your mood improves. Unknown to you, your brain stores it all as a happy memory. The more you smile, the more you activate your happy brain.

Is that the answer the Buddha discovered 2,500 years ago? "All living beings desire happiness and recoil from suffering (sabbe satta sukha-kama dukkha-patikkula)," said the Buddha. Today, happiness is a universal human right and goal, mandated by the United Nations. But what is happiness, anyway? Do we even know what is it that could make us happy? Would frequency of positive experiences be a better predictor of one's happiness or the intensity of one's positive experiences? Would somebody with a lot of mildly nice things happening each day be happier than somebody with a single truly amazing thing?

As science meets spirituality, the road to happiness for the 21st century becomes clearer: be quick to laugh and slow to anger, meditate, exercise, get enough sleep, be compassionate, help others, nurture your social connections, be at peace, comfortable in your own skin, and thankful for all that is happening to you. "It is only when we have a mind under our own control that we can be truly happy," said the Buddha. Wait for science to tell us more on how to live the life we want to live.

--- ENDS ---
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 18:09:09|Editor: Yamei

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BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Guangdong Province received more express parcels than other Chinese counterparts in 2017, a report showed Friday.

Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces ranked the second and third, while Beijing failed to make it into the top 10, according to a report released by Alibaba's logistics arm Cainiao Network Technology with other delivery firms.

People in Shanghai spent the most on online shopping last year, followed by consumers in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou.

Consumers born in the 1980s and 1990s comprise the majority of online shoppers, while people in their 60s bought more products online than those younger than 20 years old.

The report showed that products from Japan, the United States, Australia, South Korea and Germany were the most popular among Chinese online shoppers, while Chinese mainland products sold well in Russia, Hong Kong, the United States and Spain.

The State Post Bureau expects China's express deliveries to exceed 36 billion in 2017, with about 100 million parcels handled each day on average.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 18:14:10|Editor: Yamei

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ISTANBUL, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday blasted the United States and Israel for their meddling in the internal affairs of Iran and Pakistan.

The same intervention was also seen in countries like Iraq, Syria, Libya, Tunisia, Sudan and Chad, Erdogan told the press in Istanbul before leaving for France for a visit.

"Look, all these countries are Islamic countries and their peoples are all Muslims," he said.

Since protests broke out across Iran last week, U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced his support for the demonstrators, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised them for taking to the streets to protest against the government.

In addition, Trump has lashed out at Pakistan for not rendering enough help to Washington to hunt down Afghan terrorists.

In his remarks in Istanbul, Erdogan also urged Washington to reconsider "its sense of justice" as a Turkish banker was convicted in a U.S. court for helping Iran evade sanctions.

"If this is the U.S. understanding of justice, then the world is doomed," said the Turkish leader.

Mehmet Hakan Atilla, deputy Chief Executive Officer at Turkey's Halkbank, was accused of several charges including bank fraud and conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions law, in a New York federal court on Wednesday.

Erdogan claimed that the United States has been operating a process that includes "a serious chain of plots" against Ankara.

"Not only in law but also in economy as well," he said, warning that bilateral legal accords with the United States were "losing validity."

"I am sorry to say that but this is how the process will work from now on," he added.

Turkey-U.S. ties have been strained over an array of issues, including Washington's military support to Syrian Kurdish militia, whom Ankara listed as terrorists, and its refusal to extradite Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based Turkish cleric who allegedly masterminded the failed coup in Turkey in July 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 18:24:12|Editor: Chengcheng

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SHARAN, Afghanistan, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Four militants, loyal to the Haqqani terrorist network, were arrested following a government military momentum in eastern Afghan province of Paktika, the provincial government said Friday.

"The arrested insurgents were involved in numerous distractive activities in the remote Urgun district of the province, where a police special force's overnight offensive finally resulted in their arrest," it said in a statement.

According to the statement, a quantity of arms and ammunition, as well as two Corolla-type cars were also seized in the incident.

As a Taliban-linked group of militants, the Haqqani network mostly operating in eastern provinces and capital Kabul, and has been responsible for many high-profile attacks against security forces.

The network, which was designated as a terrorist group by the United States in 2012, has yet to make comments.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 18:29:14|Editor: Yamei

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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang (Photo source: fmprc.gov.cn)

BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- China has said that it never allows its citizens and companies to engage in activities that violate UN Security Council resolutions.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks at a press briefing Friday in response to media reports claiming that a few Chinese ships had changed their flag country and registration place, to conduct activities that ran counter to Security Council resolutions.

"We have noticed the relevant reports," Geng told a routine press briefing. "China has always comprehensively and strictly implemented the UN Security Council resolutions and carried out its due international obligations."

"The international shipping industry is open, and it is common for ships to change flag country, registration place or charter to other parties," Geng said.

He said China had no further information regarding the operation of ships registered in a third country.

Geng said China would impose serious penalties on anyone that had been confirmed as violating Security Council resolutions.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 18:29:14|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- China has reduced poverty by more than two-thirds over the past five years, a senior poverty alleviation official said Friday.

There were around 30 million Chinese living below the national poverty line at the end of last year, compared with 98.99 million in 2012, Liu Yongfu, director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, said at a press conference.

"We are closer to the goal of eradicating absolute poverty," Liu said.

China is aiming to eliminate absolute poverty by 2020 in a bid to create a "moderately prosperous society."

Decisive progress has been made. With 28 counties casting off poverty in 2016, China shortened its list of poorest counties for the first time in more than 30 years, Liu said, predicting the number would rise to around 100 in 2017.

A county can be removed from the list if no more than 2 percent of its residents earn less than 2,300 yuan (around 350 U.S. dollars) at 2010 prices. In western regions, the threshold is 3 percent.

But Liu said that the task was still arduous, saying "to lift the remaining 30 percent of poor people out of poverty will be the toughest."

Policy makers have listed poverty alleviation as one of China's "three tough battles" for the next three years, along with risk prevention and pollution control. The year 2018 is a key year for the battle, Vice Premier Wang Yang said at a meeting last week, asking for improved policies and measures.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 18:29:14|Editor: Chengcheng

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Police cars and ambulances park at Luxor International Hospital where the wounded tourists receive medical treatment in Luxor, Egypt on Jan. 5, 2018. At least one tourist was killed and 14 others wounded when a hot air balloon crashed near Egypt's ancient city of Luxor on Friday, official news agency MENA reported. (Xinhua/STR)

CAIRO, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least one tourist was killed and 14 others wounded when a hot air balloon crashed near Egypt's ancient city of Luxor on Friday, official news agency MENA reported.

The balloon was carrying around 20 people including travellers from different countries.

A security official in Luxor told Xinhua that a 34-year-old South African male died in the accident, while the injured included five Australians, four French, three from South Africa and two from Argentina.

Two of the wounded are in serious condition, MENA added, noting the wounded were receiving medical treatment at Luxor International Hospital.

The incident, which took place when the balloon was touring the Western Bank of the city, was caused by strong winds and blowing dust that forced the balloon to fall down.

Other balloons had taken off around the same time but landed safely.

Mediterranean and Red Sea Ports were closed across Egypt due to strong winds that caused waves up to three meters.

Meanwhile, Cairo International Airport announced state of emergency due to the dusty winds and poor vision.

Luxor has witnessed hot air balloon accidents in past years.

In 2013, 19 tourists, including nine from Hong Kong of China, were killed when their balloon caught fire.

In 2016, 22 Chinese tourists were injured when their balloon crash landed, after which Egypt temporarily halted balloon rides.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 18:54:20|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Chinese top legislator Zhang Dejiang, various speakers from Nordic and Baltic countries will visit China from Jan. 7 to 13, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday.

Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, will hold talks with the delegates, including the speakers of Finland, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as well as the deputy speaker of Sweden, according to spokesperson Geng Shuang.

"Nordic and Baltic countries, with an established mechanism of joint visits to other countries, showed their willingness to visit China," Geng said.

It is the first time for the speakers from Nordic and Baltic countries to jointly visit China, Geng said, expressing his hope that the visit would deepen relations between China and these countries, and exchanges between their legislative bodies, thus to promote China-Europe ties.

"China attaches great importance to the ties with Nordic and Baltic countries," Geng said, noting that China is willing to make joint efforts with them to promote bilateral ties, regional cooperation and China-Europe relations.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 19:09:22|Editor: Yamei

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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang (Photo source: fmprc.gov.cn)

BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron's upcoming visit to China, from January 8 to 10, is of great significance to bilateral ties, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a daily press briefing.

"This is his first state visit to China," Geng said here Friday, noting it has great significance for China-France ties.

During the visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a series of events for Macron's state visit. The two heads of state will review the past achievement of bilateral ties, outline the direction for future cooperation in political, economic, and cultural fields, so as to further strengthen bilateral ties, according to Geng.

Xi and Macron will also exchange opinions on major international and regional issues, and discuss strengthening cooperation to safeguard multilateralism, build an open world economy, improve global governance, and work jointly to tackle global challenges, said Geng.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and top legislator Zhang Dejiang will also meet with Macron, Geng said.

Macron will visit the Forbidden City in Beijing. He will also visit Xi'an, capital city of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, which is home to the famous Terracotta Warriors.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 19:34:26|Editor: Chengcheng

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KIEV, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Friday criticized Georgia's court decision to sentence him in absentia to three years in prison for an alleged abuse of power.

"The 'verdict' of the Georgian court ... is completely illegal and contradicts all international and national norms," Saakashvili wrote on Facebook.

Earlier Friday, the Tbilisi city court found Saakashvili guilty of abusing power in 2009 during his second term as the president of Georgia.

Saakashvili allegedly abused the office by pardoning four policemen, who were charged with murder, the court said.

Saakashvili, 50, served two terms as Georgian president from 2004 to 2013, before moving to Ukraine in May 2015 when he acquired Ukrainian citizenship and was appointed governor of Ukraine's southern Odessa region.

In September last year, the Georgian Chief Prosecutor's Office asked Kiev to take measures for Saakashvili's extradition, but Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yury Lutsenko said Ukraine was not considering such option.

Currently, Saakashvili serves as a leader of the Ukrainian oppositional political party "Movement of New Forces".

In Ukraine, he faces investigation on charges of "aiding members of criminal groups and covering up their criminal activity."

Last month, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it would not discuss a possible extradition with the Georgian side.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 19:49:32|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- China plans to push the development of smart cars and aims to make smart car production account for half of the country's total new vehicles by 2020.

The country aims to develop core homegrown technologies, gain global reputation for quality smart cars and become a global leader in smart cars by 2035, according to a draft plan released Friday by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

Smart cars are vehicles installed with new technologies such as big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence, according to the plan.

The country will cover 90 percent of its big cities and highways with a wireless network that can support smart cars by 2020 and ensure product supervision and information security.

It will also work to build a technological innovation system and integrated industry cluster for smart cars, and unveil relevant laws and regulations to encourage the sector.

The plan said the country would set up a national leading group with officials from the State Council to guide the innovation of smart cars and preferential policies, including tax cuts, to support relevant businesses.

The NDRC will seek public feedback on the draft plan from Jan. 5 to 20.
By PTI: Aizawl, Jan 5 (PTI) One person died and at least 47 people have been infected with suspected scrub typhus virus at Phullen village in Aizawl district, Health department officials said today.

Nodal officer of the State Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) Dr Pachuau Lalmalsawma, who visited Phullen village yesterday said the spread of the disease has been contained and the patients were given medical treatment.

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Phullen village is about 125 kilometre north-east of the state capital.

Lalmalsawma said that the first case was detected during the last part of November and new infection detected till January 3.

Scrub typhus is a mite-borne disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi (formerly Rickettsia tsutsugamushi). Symptoms are fever, a primary lesion, a macular rash, and lymphadenopathy.

Cases of scrub typhus infection have been detected in Champhai, Aizawl and Lunglei districts.

Over a hundred people have died in the state during the past few years due to scrub typhus infection, Health department officials said. PTI HCV RG

--- ENDS ---
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 19:54:33|Editor: Xiang Bo

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Director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development Liu Yongfu (C) speaks at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on poverty alleviation in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 5, 2018. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- China has reduced poverty by more than two-thirds over the past five years, a senior poverty alleviation official said Friday.

There were around 30 million Chinese living below the national poverty line at the end of last year, compared with 98.99 million in 2012, Liu Yongfu, director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, said at a press conference.

"We are closer to the goal of eradicating absolute poverty," Liu said.

China is aiming to eliminate absolute poverty by 2020 in a bid to create a "moderately prosperous society."

Decisive progress has been made. With 28 counties casting off poverty in 2016, China shortened its list of poorest counties for the first time in more than 30 years, Liu said, predicting the number would rise to around 100 in 2017.

A county can be removed from the list if no more than 2 percent of its residents earn less than 2,300 yuan (around 350 U.S. dollars) at 2010 prices. In western regions, the threshold is 3 percent.

But Liu said that the task was still arduous, saying "to lift the remaining 30 percent of poor people out of poverty will be the toughest."

Policy makers have listed poverty alleviation as one of China's "three tough battles" for the next three years, along with risk prevention and pollution control. The year 2018 is a key year for the battle, Vice Premier Wang Yang said at a meeting last week, asking for improved policies and measures.

The work will shift to areas hit the hardest by poverty, put more emphasis on quality, and be more targeted and precise, Liu said. "We will work to foster local industries, create new jobs, relocate residents in poor areas...and strengthen aid to the aged, the disabled and people seriously ill."

Nearly 30,000 Chinese villages currently see more than 20 percent of their residents living below the poverty line, which is considered a weak link in the anti-poverty task.

"We will step up support...partly by sending more central and provincial cadres to those villages...who will work there for normally two years," said Xia Gengsheng, another official of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development.

Among the dispatched will be senior officials, as in west China's Xinjiang, their ranks could reach as high as the bureau-director level, which is equal to a mayor from a medium-sized city.

A year-long campaign will also be launched to deal with undesirable work styles, such as formalism and bureaucracy, in poverty alleviation, according to Liu.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 19:54:33|Editor: Chengcheng

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BERLIN, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- A majority of the German electorate is in favor of holding another election as support for Chancellor Angela Merkel continues to drop, showed a poll released Thursday evening.

According to the survey conducted by German public broadcaster ARD, 51 percent support holding another round of elections, while 53 percent are in favor of Merkel for another tenure as German chancellor, a steady decline from slightly over 60 percent support in October last year.

Merkel's Christian Democrats were victorious in last September's federal elections.

Only 42 percent prefer a re-launch of another "Grand Coalition" -- a government formed by the two largest parties, the Christian Democrats and Martin Schulz's Social Democrats.

Initial coalition talks between the two parties are expected to take place from Jan. 7 to Jan. 11.

Merkel had already sought a different coalition agreement with the Liberals and the Green Party but had failed to reconcile on some areas such as immigration.

Against the backdrop of dwindling support of the "Grand Coalition" by German voters, the negotiations will not be easy, with only 45 percent of participants supporting the continuation of such a coalition, a big drop in contrast to 61 percent in December last year.

The survey also showed that 75 percent of the electorate favors a "renewal in the Christian Democrats' personnel," while 33 percent claim that they would still vote for the Christian Democrats.

Asylum and immigration, the electorate's major concerns during last fall's elections, continues to be of vital importance as 27 percent of the surveyed believe that the issue should be the next government's top priority.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 20:04:37|Editor: Chengcheng

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PHNOM PENH, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia will host the 2nd Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Leaders' Meeting on Jan. 10, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement on Friday.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will co-chair the meeting in Phnom Penh, which will also bring together Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and Myanmar Vice President Myint Swe, the statement said.

It said that the meeting will be held under the theme "Our River of Peace and Sustainable Development".

"The six leaders of the LMC will discuss key issues to develop the Mekong sub-region with strong focus on the commitment to maintain peace, stability, sustainable development and prosperity of the Mekong sub-region," the statement said.

It added that the meeting will also stress the importance of the socio-economic development of sub-regional countries, in term of enhancing the well-being of their people, narrowing the development gap among countries, in support of the ASEAN Community building as well as advancing South-South cooperation to further contribute to the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

According to the statement, the leaders are expected to adopt four documents, namely the Phnom Penh Declaration, a five-year action plan of the LMC (2018-2022), a joint list of 2nd batch of cooperation projects, and reports of the Six Joint Working Groups of Priority Areas.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the handover ceremony of chairmanship to Laos will be held to be followed by a joint press conference of the co-chair, it said.

Initiated by China in 2015, LMC consists of six countries, namely China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Lancang is the Chinese name for the upper reaches of the Mekong River, and the trunk stream stretches nearly 5,000 km through the six countries.
File photo shows Salah Abu-Rgiga, African affairs official of the Foreign Ministry of Libya, speaking during a press conference in Tripoli, Libya, Nov. 19, 2017, after Libya's UN-backed government in Tripoli launched an investigation into the reported immigrant slave markets. (Xinhua/Hamza Turkia)

LAGOS, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government on Thursday said it has commenced mass evacuation of citizens stranded in Libya home.

Spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Sani Datti said a government delegation led by Geoffrey Onyema, Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, had arrived in the North African country to begin the process.

Datti said that the delegation arrived in Tripoli, on Wednesday ahead of the actual evacuation operation expected to commence on Friday to transport stranded Nigerians with two indigenous carriers engaged for the exercises.

A total of 5,037 stranded citizens have been identified for evacuation home, he added, noting that the Nigerian mission in Libya is coordinating the identification of the Nigerian migrants with the support of the International Organization for Migration.

He said the evacuation exercises was being led by the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and coordinated by the National Emergency Management Agency with the involvement of all the relevant agencies.

The evacuation exercise was in line with the directives of President Muhammadu Buhari to evacuate all Nigerian nationals stranded in Libya and other countries.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia is also working to repatriate its citizens stranded in conflict wracked Libya. Meles Alem, Spokesperson for Ethiopia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Thursday his country is collaborating with International Organization for Migration to give travel documents to stranded Ethiopians in Libya.

The civil war in Libya that has engulfed the North African nation ever since the demise of longtime leader Muammer Gaddafi in 2011 has made it a haven for terrorists and criminals.

Stories of African migrants being sold to slavery in Libya has been harrowing to Ethiopians who still remember the execution of about two dozen Ethiopian migrants by terrorists in April 2015 in Libya.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 20:14:39|Editor: Chengcheng

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RABAT, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Morocco and Denmark have discussed means to strengthen cooperation in migration issue, a statement from Morocco's PM office said on Friday.

During a meeting between the Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani and speaker of the Danish Parliament Pia Kjaersgaard, El Othmani affirmed the will of Morocco to develop relations with Denmark in the field of illegal migration that concerns southern Mediterranean countries, the statement said.

He also highlighted Morocco's experience in managing the issue of sub-Saharan migrants, adding that the kingdom has adopted an approach through the strengthening of win-win economic partnerships.

Since 2013, Morocco has adopted a more liberal migration policy in 2013, which opened avenues for regularization of thousands of unauthorized migrants.

In recent years, Morocco has turned from a country of passage for illegal migrants to Europe, to a country of settlement for migrants and refugees from sub-Saharan Africa, Syria and Iraq.

The two sides voiced also their shared will to develop bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism, a cross-border scourge that requires cooperation between the different countries of the world, it noted.

Speaker of the Danish Parliament hailed the development undertaken by Morocco in various fields, noting that stability in the kingdom has had a positive impact on other areas.

On an official visit to Morocco, she also met Speaker of Morocco's House of Representatives Lhbib El Maliki.
A herd of elephants are seen at the Chobe National Park in northern Botswana, July 15, 2017. Chobe National Park is known for its large herds of elephants and Cape buffalo. It is Botswana's first national park. (Xinhua/Yang Mengxi)

GABORONE, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Wildlife authorities and experts in Botswana on Thursday hailed an ivory trade ban in China as a vital step to reducing the slaughter of the endangered animals.

In a telephone interview with Xinhua, Botswana's Environment, Natural Resources Conversation and Tourism Minister Tshekedi Khama said the move offers hope for the future of elephants in Botswana and the better part of Africa.

China closed doors to the ivory trade on Dec. 31, 2017, as it became illegal to trade in ivory and its products in the world's most populace nation.

China has taken the eradication of ivory trade upon herself and public awareness campaigns featuring celebrities have helped boost awareness of the bloody cost of ivory.

According to Khama, it is estimated that 30,000 elephants are killed by poachers in Africa every year with Botswana bearing the brunt since her economy is hinged on tourism.

He said tourism is an increasingly important industry in Botswana, accounting for almost 12 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

"It (ivory trade ban) is the greatest single step toward reducing elephant poaching and ensuring that our tourism increases the revenue to the government coffers," said Khama.

Khama hailed China for a full closure of the door on ivory trade.

Kenneth Sechele, a board member with Elephants Scents - a non-governmental organization responsible for protecting elephants from extinction - said the ban on all ivory sales has already led to an 80 percent decline in seizures of illegal ivory entering China.

"A 65 percent decline in raw ivory prices has also been realized in China. This shows that China had taken a decision that qualifies to be a historic one world over," he said.

Sechele said the ban on imports of African ivory carvings will boost the fight against wildlife crimes in Botswana and the region.

"The move by the Chinese government is a strategic decision that will rejuvenate the fight against poaching in the country and the region. China has inspired governments and individuals campaigning for the stemming of wildlife crimes," Sechele told Xinhua in a telephone interview.

Executive Director of Our Elephants, Our Pride, a non-governmental organization in Botswana, Monwametsi Mothibi, praised China's ban on ivory trade as a revolutionary stride.

Mothibi said his organization is very grateful that the Chinese government has found in its heart to stop trading in this commodity.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the population of African elephants declined by 111,000 over the past 10 years.

The overall trends in the poaching of African elephants show a decline from the 2011 peak, but are still at levels too high when viewed continent-wide.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 20:29:46|Editor: Chengcheng

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ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least three Yemeni soldiers were killed on Friday in a mortar attack by fighters of the Shiite Houthi group in the the southern Lahj province, a military official said.

The military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that a number of mortar shells fired by Houthis had landed on government-controlled positions in the suburbs of Lahj province.

Residents said that several mortar shells hit a residential area, some of them exploded, but caused no casualties among the civilians.

The pro-Houthi forces claimed responsibility for the mortar attack as the group frequently carry out attacks targeting the government-controlled areas in the country's southern regions.

The attack came a day after the leader of the Southern Regional Military Command along with high-ranking officials inspected the pro-government forces during a visit to Lahj frontlines with Houthis.

Yemen's internationally-backed government, allied with the Saudi-led Arab military coalition, has for about three years been battling Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels over control of the country.

The coalition began a military air campaign in March 2015 to roll back Houthi gains and reinstate exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government to the power.

The coalition also imposed air and sea blockade to prevent weapons from reaching Houthis, who had invaded the capital Sanaa militarily and seized most of the northern Yemeni provinces.

UN statistics show more than 10,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed since the coalition intervened in the Yemeni civil war that also displaced around three million.

The impoverished Arab country is also suffering the world's largest cholera epidemic since April, with about 5,000 cases reported every day.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 21:04:52|Editor: Xiang Bo

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NAIROBI, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's government on Friday hailed China's landmark decision to ban domestic trade in ivory products and urged other countries to follow suit in order to save the remaining population of elephants.

Patrick Omondi, the Acting Director for Research in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, said the closure of domestic ivory market in China marked a new beginning in protection of elephants and other iconic species.

"As a government, we applaud China for closing the ivory market and the move will have a significant impact on wildlife conservation," Omondi remarked at a media briefing in Nairobi attended by wildlife campaigners.

China honors its commitment to ending commercial processing and sales of ivory by the end of 2017. The move affects 34 processing enterprises and 143 designated trading venues, with all of them to close, in the world's once largest ivory market.

Kenyan officials and wildlife campaigners noted that China's decision to ban trade in ivory products served as a wakeup call for other countries to outlaw this practice and help save elephants.

"As a country we will be advocating for closure of all ivory markets globally. We have been calling for closure of domestic ivory market in countries like the United Kingdom, Thailand and Japan. We believe the domestic market is used as a window to launder ivory," he added.

Kenya is a member of the African Elephant Coalition that has lobbied for total ban on ivory trade to help save the giant mammals that roam the continent's vast jungles.

Omondi said that besides supporting ivory trade ban, Kenya has enacted sweeping legislation while adopting innovative measures to protect elephants from human predators.

"In the last three years, we have witnessed an 80 percent decline in poaching after enacting punitive legislation to contain the vice," Omondi said.

Meanwhile, Kenyan wildlife campaigners welcomed China's ivory trade ban, terming it a giant step towards eradicating poaching in the region.

Jim Nyamu, the Executive Director of Nairobi-based Elephants Neighbors Centre, said the closure of ivory market in China has inspired campaigners to reach out to grassroots communities and educate them on the need to conserve their wildlife heritage.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 21:14:53|Editor: Chengcheng

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RIYADH, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Saudi-led coalition in a war in Yemen against Houthi militias announced on Friday the interception of a ballistic missile from Yemen towards the border city Najran, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The coalition's Spokesman Turki Al-Malki said in a statement that the attack was foiled on Friday morning, when the coalition forces spotted the launch of a ballistic missile from Yemeni territory.

The missile was deliberately launched towards Najran to target civilian areas, but it was intercepted and destroyed by the Brigades "Patriot" in the sky of Najran, said Malki.

The scattered fragments of the missile caused minor damage to a private property, while no injuries were reported.

The spokesperson described the attack as "hostile" and accused Iran of supporting Houthi militias.

Malki renewed his call for the international community to take more serious and effective steps to stop the Iranian violations of the continuing smuggling and transfer of ballistic missiles and weapons to terrorist and outlawed groups in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia has been leading a war against Houthis in Yemen since 2015 that led to hundreds of deaths among armed groups and civilians.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 21:14:53|Editor: Chengcheng

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TEHRAN, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The second international conference on Middle East security will be held in Iran's capital of Tehran next week, Tasnim news agency reported on Friday.

The upcoming event dubbed "Regional Security in West Asia: Emerging Trends and Challenges" will convene in Tehran on Monday with more than 200 Iranian and international officials and experts in attendance, according to the report.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli and Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami will be among the keynote speakers in the gathering.

The conference is expected to focus on the role of Iran and the other regional and trans-regional players in the Middle East security arrangements, the report said.

The conference will also discuss economic progress and regional security, collective defense and security cooperation, as well as the axis of resistance's role in West Asia security.

In an address to the previous security conference in Tehran, held on November 15, 2017, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that Israel is the main obstacle to the establishment of a nuclear weapon free Middle East.
BREWING COURAGE

Four years ago, Anshu Rajpoot, 19, was attacked with acid by a man she had been fending off. The Class 10 girl fought against odds to complete school and held on to her dream of building a career. The break came in 2016 at Lucknow's Sheroes Hangout. Anshu earns Rs 12,000 a month at the cafe and pays for her siblings' education.

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Jeetu Sharma, 22, another survivor, joined Sheroes last year. The final-year college student suffered an acid attack on July 17, 2014. Jeetu is not only pursuing her court case but also preparing for the civil services. "I want to become an IAS officer and work for women's empowerment," she says.

HEADY DREAM

To give acid attack survivors a new start

STRAIGHT TALK

"I want to become an IAS officer and work for women's empowerment ~ Jeetu Sharma

Sheroes, located in Lucknow's Gomtinagar, is an effort by the Uttar Pradesh Mahila Kalyan Nigam, with NGO Chhanv Foundation, to rehabilitate acid attack survivors. The cafe employs eight survivors. Abhay Singh, a volunteer with Sheroes, says: "The sheroes are the women who have shown the courage to live." The cafe also attempts to sensitise people about acid attack survivors. Nitin Kumar, a member of Sheroes management, says: "We organise debates, book launches and music sessions, spreading awareness about the challenges faced by acid attack survivors."

The Sheroes staff also receives behavioural training to gain self-confidence. "In the past one year, we have also held classes in computers, tailoring and apparel designing and dance as per the survivors' interests," says Singh. Sheroes is also associated with the city's King George's Medical University, where over a dozen plastic surgeries have been performed on the survivors. "Our effort is to help the survivors gain confidence," says A.K. Singh, head of the plastic surgery department at King George's University.

--- ENDS ---
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 21:24:56|Editor: Chengcheng

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BANGKOK, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's police are looking into allegations that the son of fugitive former premier Yingluck Shinawatra had traveled to London to see his mother lately.

Deputy Police Commissioner General Pol. Gen. Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said on Friday the Immigration Police are investigating the alleged travel of Supasek Amornchat, the son of the former premier, from Bangkok to London to see his mother during the New Year holiday.

Besides, the deputy police chief said the immigration police and other authorities are searching for an unidentified Thai woman who had allegedly posed for a picture with Yingluck in London during the New Year holiday.

That blurred picture has gone viral in social media in Thailand and abroad, prompting the Thai authorities to keep trying to find the whereabouts of the fugitive premier.

Last August, Yingluck reportedly slipped out of Thailand with the help of a few police officers and found her way to Dubai.

Yingluck escaped a final verdict of the Supreme Court which sentenced her to five years in jail on misconduct charges involving the populist rice subsidy program implemented by her previous government several years ago.

Srivara said the British authorities and Interpol are yet to clearly respond to the Thai authorities whether Yingluck may have traveled to Britain as reported by the media.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 21:24:58|Editor: Chengcheng

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NEW DELHI, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people including six school children were killed and 10 others injured Friday after their bus collided head-on with a goods truck in central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, local officials said.

The accident took place near Bicholi road in Indore district, about 192 km west of Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh.

"In a tragic accident here this evening, a school bus collided with a truck which resulted in death of six children and the bus driver," an official at Indore district told Xinhua.

"Ten school children injured in the accident were immediately rushed to nearest medical facility," said the official.

Reports said the bus was carrying students back to their homes, when it met an accident. Police have registered a case and ordered investigations to ascertain the actual reason behind the accident.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 21:34:14|Editor: Yamei

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A contestant shapes a snow sculpture during the 10th International Snow Sculpture Contest for College Students in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 5, 2018. The event attracted a total of 55 participating teams. (Xinhua/Wang Kai)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 21:35:00|Editor: Zhou Xin

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Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa (R) meets with the Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai (MDC-T) leader and former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai (C) at Tsvangirai's home in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Jan. 5, 2018. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Friday he will not form a coalition government with the opposition MDC-T. (Xinhua/Wanda)

HARARE, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Friday he will not form a coalition government with the opposition MDC-T.

He spoke after visiting the ailing MDC-T leader and former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at his Harare residence.

Tsvangirai disclosed in 2016 that he has colon cancer and has been receiving medical treatment from South Africa.

"He is fine. He is recuperating well and he says he will soon again go back for another medical check-up in South Africa," President Mnangagwa told reporters after the closed door meeting with Tsvangirai.

The president also said there was no need to form a coalition government with Tsvangirai's MDC-T.

"We are a democratic country. People can lobby for anything but currently there is no need," he said.

The meeting was also attended by one of Tsvangirai's three deputies, Nelson Chamisa, who praised Mnangagwa's gesture.

"It is a welcome thing. It's African to care for one another and it is very Zimbabwean," Chamisa said.

The former Prime Minister shared power with former president Robert Mugabe in a coalition government between 2009 and 2013.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 21:45:02|Editor: Chengcheng

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MANILA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines lauded on Friday the decision of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to re-start high-level talks with South Korea, expressing optimism the dialogue "would lead to meaningful progress" in efforts to bring peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Peter Alan Cayetano expressed hope that the resumption of talks is a first step towards the start of meaningful dialogue that would lead to peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

"The Philippines is hoping that the decision of the DPRK to resume official talks with the Republic of Korea would lead to meaningful progress in efforts to achieve not only the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula but also peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the rest of the Asia-Pacific," Cayetano said in a statement.

Cayetano issued the statement hours after South Korea's Unification Ministry announced Pyongyang's acceptance of Seoul's proposal to hold official talks on Jan. 9.

"The Philippines has constantly advocated for a peaceful and diplomatic resolution to the situation in the Korean Peninsula, and we encourage both countries to continue taking concrete efforts towards this end," Cayetano said.

He reiterated that Manila is also ready to play a role in bringing about peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula as this would usher in progress and prosperity that would also benefit the rest of the region.

This development came a day after both sides engaged in telephone calls following DPRK leader Kim Jong Un's expression of hope during his annual New Year address that a delegation could be sent to participate in the February Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 21:50:06|Editor: Chengcheng

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LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Trump administration's proposal to expand offshore oil development has met unyielding opposition in the U.S. state of California, whose residents have long showed their distaste for drilling in coastal waters.

The 2019-2024 Outer Continental Shelf Draft Proposed Plan, unveiled by U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, is scheduled to lease sales along the country's coast, and will vastly expand offshore oil drilling from the Atlantic to the Arctic oceans.

California Governor Jerry Brown released a joint statement Thursday morning with other governors who opposed the proposal, vowing to fight to keep federal waters off-limits to new drilling.

"This political decision to open the magnificent and beautiful Pacific Coast waters to oil and gas drilling flies in the face of decades of strong opposition on the part of Oregon, Washington and California -- from Republicans and Democrats alike," the statement reads.

In response to the proposed 2017-2024 Leasing Program in 2014, the Governor of California joined the Governors of Oregon and Washington in opposing federal offshore oil and gas leasing.

"For more than 30 years, our shared coastline has been protected from further federal drilling, and we'll do whatever it takes to stop this reckless, shortsighted action," said the statement.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra also said that he was evaluating all options to protect the state's natural resources from the Trump administration's offshore drilling proposal "because we don't want it and because we know what happens when it goes wrong."

Becerra tweeted Thursday afternoon that "drilling off the shore of California's coast is a non-starter ... And it should be underscored that regulatory agencies in our state will have a say in whether any offshore drilling ultimately does occur."

California has been taking a tough stand to protect its coast from the offshore oil and gas development since 1994 when the state legislature passed the California Coastal Sanctuary Act. It prohibits the state from entering into any new leases within state tidelands.

In 2017, the California Senate passed a resolution opposing new oil or gas drilling in federal waters located offshore California.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 22:10:10|Editor: Chengcheng

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TOKYO, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday that he wanted 2018 to be the year during which people in both Japan and China recognize "great improvement" in bilateral relations.

Abe made the remarks at a New Year celebration party organized by Jiji Press in Tokyo.

The Japanese prime minister has signaled his willingness to improve relations with China on a number of occasions in the second half of 2017, according to local reports.

He said last month during a speech in Tokyo that as 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, he wanted to take this opportunity to deepen high-level exchanges with China and elevate bilateral relations to a "new stage."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 22:15:11|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's forestry authority has made a plan to boost the domestic forestry industry and increase its forest resources to the world's average by 2050.

The plan unveiled by Zhang Jianlong, chief of State Forestry Administration, at a conference which closed Friday, is the latest move taken by government sectors to implement the ruling party's modernization blueprint.

The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October decided to make the country prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful by 2050.

Zhang said that by 2050, China's forest stock will expand to 26.5 billion cubic meters, and 72 percent of the growth of forestry industry will come from technological advancement.

Although China has seen its forest resources growing fastest in the world in the past five years, Zhang said that forestry remained "a weak link" of China's modernization drive.

"Inadequate forestry resources were a significant cause of China's fragile ecology and the lack of ecological products," Zhang said.

To improve the situation, the administration has broke down the country's forestry modernization goals into different phases.

In the first phase from now until 2020, China's forest coverage rate is expected to reach 23.04 percent from 21.66 percent, while the volume of forest resources will expand from 15.137 billion cubic meters to 16.5 billion cubic meters. The aggregate output of the forestry industry is expected to reach 8.7 trillion yuan by 2020.

From 2020 to 2035, the percentage of forest coverage will grow further to 26 percent while forest stock will rise to 21 billion cubic meters. Over the same period, the greening rate in rural areas will surge from 30 percent to 38 percent. By 2050, the figure will reach 43 percent.

Zhang said that in 2018, the afforested areas in both cities and counties would be 6.67 million hectares.

The aggregate output of the forestry industry will reach 7.5 trillion yuan (about 1.16 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2018 compared with 7 trillion yuan in 2017, while the imports and exports of forestry products will rise to 160 billion U.S. dollars from 150 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, he said.

In 2018, the country will pilot three large tree farms in the upstream region of Baiyangdian Lake of Xiong'an New Area, in Hunshandake Sandland of the northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Huangshui Basin in western Qinghai Province.

The new afforestation area at the three farms will exceed 48 hectares in total, according to Zhang.

Meanwhile, the central government will earmark 30 billion yuan of policy loans and 10 billion yuan of green financial bonds to increase about 670,000 hectares of national reserve forest.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 22:25:12|Editor: Yang Yi

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Guests unveil zodiac stamps for the Year of Dog at the Nanjing Museum in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, Jan. 5, 2018. China Post issued a set of special zodiac stamps for the Year of Dog with two different designs Friday. The Year of Dog, or Chinese traditional lunar New Year of this year, starts from Feb. 16. (Xinhua/Sun Can)

by Liu Xin and Li Mengxin

BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- China issued a set of zodiac stamps on Friday to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year of the Dog.

China Post invited 99-year-old artist Zhou Lingzhao to design this year's zodiac stamps. Zhou is noted as the portraitist of Chairman Mao Zedong on the Tian'anmen Rostrum at the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Zhou is something of a legend in Chinese design circles, having led the design of China's national emblem, the emblem of the Chinese Communist Youth League and the Medal of Liberation, not to mention being the chief designer of the second, third and fourth sets of renminbi banknotes.

Han Meilin, the 81-year-old designer of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games mascot "Fuwa" and the zodiac stamps of last Chinese Lunar Year of the Rooster, describes Zhou as his teacher.

"We have a close relationship like father and son," Han said.

At the launching ceremony for the dog stamps, the aged Zhou Lingzhao did not do anything more than simply sending a New Year's greeting.

Zhou spent about one year working on this year's zodiac stamps design.

The zodiac stamps contain two items at a total price of 2.4 yuan (about 37 U.S. cents).

The theme for the fourth round of zodiac stamps is "happy family," and the new stamps depict Chinese domestic dogs.

China Post says the first stamp depicts a male dog with its chin up and its eyes straight ahead. Its two ears point upward, while its hind legs are forcefully thrust against the ground, ready to pounce on any intruders.

The second stamp shows a brown bitch lovingly gazing at its puppy. The black puppy holds its head up high and tries to stand straight. The mother and the puppy stand side by side, demonstrating maternal love.

The two stamps are connected, signifying a peaceful, harmonious family, and a prosperous, flourishing nation.

The year 2018 marks Chinese "Wu Xu Year," the Year of the Dog.

In 1980, the Year of the Monkey, China issued its first round of zodiac stamps. Two years later in 1982, Zhou designed the dog year stamp for the first time.

There have been about 30 artists engaged in the designs until the current fourth round of zodiac stamps.

The characters on this year's dog stamps used "ink-free" carving to improve the effect of the format and prevent counterfeiting.

According to Gao Shan, distribution manager of China Post, this year's circulation of dog stamps will be 30 percent less compared with the rooster stamps last year.

"The dog stamps may have the lowest quantity of the fourth round zodiac stamps," Gao said.

The upcoming Year of the Dog begins on Feb. 16, 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 22:34:21|Editor: Xiang Bo

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People look at the dog-themed cultural relics in Nanjing Museum, Jan. 5, 2018. The dog-themed cultural relics exhibition, which kicked off on Friday, displayed nearly a hundred cultural relics themed on dog. The Year of Dog, or Chinese traditional lunar New Year of this year, starts from Feb. 16. (Xinhua/Sun Can)
By PTI: Gurudwaras

By H S Rao

London, Jan 5 (PTI) A prominent Sikh group in the UK wants to ban Indian officials from entering Gurudwaras, alleging that they are "interfering" in the internal matters of the Sikh community.

"Sikhs in the diaspora are fed up with Indian Government officials and their agents increasingly interfere in our institutions and Sikh affairs, undermining of Sikh campaigns for greater rights and internal matters for the Sikh community," said Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK).

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Indian authorities also target Sikhs from the diaspora when they visit India, Singh said, citing the case of UK national Jagtar Singh Johal who was arrested for his alleged role in targeted killings in Punjab.

Johal, who got married last month, was apprehended from Jalandhar in connection with the target killing.

The draft declaration by the UKs Sikh Federation being considered states that anyone in their personal capacity can pay their respects to the Sikh Holy Scriptures. PTI HSR UZM AKJ UZM

--- ENDS ---
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 22:45:17|Editor: Zhou Xin

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LUSAKA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in Zambia should quickly put in place adequate measures to contain a cholera outbreak as prolonged outbreak may have negative implications on the country's economic prospects, analysts said on Friday.

Cholera, which broke out in October last year in Lusaka, the country's capital, has now been reported in other parts of the country.

According to figures from the Ministry of Health, cumulative cholera cases have now reached 2,148 countrywide, with the country's capital accounting for 2,091 of the cases and 51 deaths.

The government has responded swiftly by closing markets, banning street vending and suspending transportation of farm produce to the capital while some fast food outlets have also been affected.

Among the closed markets is Soweto Market, a leading farm-produce distribution center situated south of Lusaka's central business district.

Many traders involved in small businesses in the city have been affected as they are not allowed to trade in markets and along the streets of the central business district.

On Thursday, authorities closed several food outlets in Lusaka after investigations revealed that their food had traces of vibrio cholera.

While commending the government for the measures put in place, Yusuf Dodia, chairperson of the Private Sector Development Association, said the economic prospects may be affected if businesses remain closed over a long period of time.

"Of course this is not good for business because there is no trading and if this continues, obviously it has implications," he told Xinhua.

He added that already some neighboring countries have expressed concern on the cholera outbreak and have put stringent screening measures on Zambian traders involved in cross-border trade which was also not good for the country.

Chibamba Kanyama, a local economist, said the cholera outbreak should be treated as a real crisis that may result in an economic catastrophe.

"Very soon, the limiting of public gatherings will be extended to supermarkets. Should this happen, the impact on VAT collections by Zambia Revenue Authority will be lowest this month of January," he said in a posting on his Facebook page.

According to him, the economic implications of the outbreak could not be underrated as the government has been forced to divert financial resources from other planned projects to contain the outbreak.

"This is certainly not a small matter that has in the past been about statistics of how many new cases and deaths. It is affecting the country, including the once safe and unaffected upmarket communities. It is a matter that requires urgent, effective, collective and vigorous national response," he added.

For the Zambia National Farmers Union, an umbrella body of farmers, the closure of Soweto Market has impacted negatively on farmers whose livelihoods depend on daily sales of fresh produce.

Jervis Zimba, the association's president, said farmers have lost out in monetary gains as tons of their fresh produce has gone bad due to lack of sales following the closure of the popular market.

"We are asking the government to set up a wholesale market space exclusively to farmers that would enable them to sell their fresh produce from 06.00 a.m. to 2 p.m. to avoid further losses," he said in a statement.

While commending the government for the measures taken to contain the cholera outbreak, the farmers' body feels that the government should look into the plight of the farmers as their incomes have dwindled.

Some traders who depended on selling along the streets have also expressed concern over the banning of trading in markets and along the streets.

"The government must quickly tackle this cholera problem because we are going to die of hunger. Our families are affected because we are not selling," Amos Zimba who trades in second-hand clothes said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 23:00:27|Editor: Zhou Xin

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LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists have credited the international ban on man-made chemicals containing chlorine with helping to bring the ozone back.

About 30 years ago under the Montreal Protocol, a United Nations emergency panel banned the use of the chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which left chlorine in the atmosphere destroying ozone molecules.

Through direct observations of the ozone hole by a satellite instrument built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), scientists for the first time have said that levels of ozone-destroying chlorine are declining, resulting in less ozone depletion.

In previous studies, researchers have used statistical analyses of changes in the ozone hole's size to argue that ozone depletion is decreasing.

The new study, published Thursday in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, is the first to use measurements of the chemical composition inside the ozone hole to confirm that not only is ozone depletion decreasing, but that the decrease is caused by the decline in CFCs.

CFCs are long-lived chemical compounds that eventually rise into the stratosphere, where they are broken apart by the Sun's ultraviolet radiation, releasing chlorine atoms that go on to destroy ozone molecules, NASA said on its website.

"We see very clearly that chlorine from CFCs is going down in the ozone hole, and that less ozone depletion is occurring because of it," said lead author Susan Strahan, an atmospheric scientist from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Stratospheric ozone protects life by absorbing potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation, which may cause skin cancer and cataracts, suppress immune systems and damage planet life.

The Antarctic ozone hole forms during September in the Southern Hemisphere's winter as the returning Sun's rays catalyze ozone destruction cycles involving chlorine and bromine that come primarily from CFCs.

To determine how ozone and other chemicals have changed year to year, scientists used data from JPL's Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) aboard the Aura satellite, which has been making measurements continuously around the globe since mid-2004.

The change in ozone levels above Antarctica from the beginning to the end of the southern winter, early July to mid-September, was computed daily from MLS measurements every year from 2005 to 2016.

Measurements show that the decline in chlorine has resulted in about 20 percent less ozone depletion during the Antarctic winter than there was in 2005, and scientists are crediting the international ban on chlorine-containing human-produced chemicals.

Evidence had been building during the 1970s and '80s that CFCs were damaging the ozone layer. The levels of ozone had been dropping, which ultimately resulted in a nearly ozone-free "hole" above the Antarctic.

The ozone hole spurred countries and companies into action.

Two years after the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole in 1985, nations signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer to regulate ozone-depleting compounds, later amendments to which completely phased out the production of CFCs.

Looking forward, the Antarctic ozone hole should continue to recover gradually as CFCs leave the atmosphere, but complete recovery will take decades, according to NASA.

"CFCs have lifetimes from 50 to 100 years, so they linger in the atmosphere for a very long time," said Anne Douglass, fellow atmospheric scientist at Goddard and the study's co-author.

"As far as the ozone hole being gone, we're looking at 2060 or 2080. And even then there might still be a small hole," she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 23:05:28|Editor: yan

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BERLIN, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rains and floods in the wake of storm "Burglind" have continued causing widespread damage and disruption in Germany on Friday.

Western and southern Germany in particular are affected by flooding rivers and mudslides. Shipping has already been halted on several key stretches of the Rhine route, including around the city of Karlsruhe. Authorities warned that Cologne could be affected by shipping bans as well over the weekend.

In Sankt Blasien, a small town in the Black Forest, 150 inhabitants were temporarily evacuated following mudslides in the area. So far, at least one death has been reported in Germany due to storm "Burglind" after a lifeguard drowned in a river in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.

Storm "Burglind" first arrived in Germany on Wednesday, bringing gale-force winds and heavy rain. According to media reports, the extreme weather has since caused material damage in a three-digit million figure.

The German Meteorological Service (DWD) expects the situation to improve in the next days as rain gives way to drier weather.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 23:20:32|Editor: yan

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SHIJIAZHUANG, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Police in Xingtai City in north China's Hebei Province have arrested 11 drug suspects.

About 2.4 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than 2,000 tablets of magu, a stimulant composed of methamphetamine and caffeine, 500 grams of ketamine, and 40 grams of heroin were seized, together with 8 pistols and more than 400 bullets, local police said on Friday.

In October, Xingtai police caught two drug users who led them to a drug dealer surnamed Liu in Chongqing and another one surnamed Song in Hubei Province.

The police then went to Chongqing and arrested Liu. Song was caught later in Qianjiang, Hubei Province. The rest of the gang were captured by the end of 2017.

The case is still under investigation.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 23:20:34|Editor: yan

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MOSCOW, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Moscow expects the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to voice a clear stance on the recent expulsion of Russian journalists from Latvia, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday.

On Thursday, a female journalist from the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) was ordered to leave Latvia within 24 hours for allegedly threatening Latvia's national security, while her husband, who is also a journalist from Russia's state-run TV Tsentr television channel, was deported from the country a day earlier.

"As a full member of the OSCE, Russia is expecting a clear public stance and specific steps from the OSCE representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Desir, as a response to the recent act of expelling Russian journalists from Latvia," the ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

A number of Russian journalists have been expelled from Latvia and other Baltic states since 2016 amid their increasingly tense relations with Moscow, triggering certain retaliatory measures from the Russian side.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 23:30:37|Editor: Zhou Xin

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HO CHI MINH CITY, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's police on Friday uncovered three drug trafficking cases and arrested three people, Vietnam News Agency reported.

Police in Ho Chi Minh City solved two drug trafficking cases and arrested two people for illegal trading and stockpiling of ecstasy, heroin and ketamine.

The arrested were Nguyen Van Toan, born in 1977, and Nguyen Thi Ngoc Ha, born in 1981, and both reside in Ho Chi Minh City.

Toan was caught red-handed with 13,000 ecstasy pills and 0.5 kg of ketamine wrapped as coffee packs. According to the police, he bought the drug from Cambodia to sell in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Ha was nabbed with two cakes of heroin weighing 700 grams. Searching her house in Go Vap district and workshop in southern Binh Duong province, police seized 10 kg of heroin.

Also on Friday, border guards in central Ha Tinh province caught red-handed Nguyen Nhu Ba, born in 1975 in central Nghe An province, for transporting 8,000 tablets of synthetic drugs. Ba said he was hired to transport the drug from the border area.

According to the Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine are punishable by death. Making or trading 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal drugs also faces death penalty.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 23:35:39|Editor: Zhou Xin

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MADRID, Jan, 5 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish Supreme Court on Friday rejected the appeal made by former Catalan deputy leader Oriol Junqueras on releasing on bail as he awaits trial on charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds.

Junqueras made his appeal on Thursday after spending over two months in prison.

He said that after being reelected to the Catalan assembly in December 21 regional elections, he should be allowed to represent his voters.

However, the Supreme Court judges unanimously rejected Junqueras' appeal, arguing there was no evidence he would abandon the idea of unilateral independence for Catalonia and saying the leader of Esquerra Republicana (ERC) had "risen up against the Spanish state, against the Constitution, against the Catalan Statute and against the remainder of judicial order."

The Supreme Court said it was an "illegitimate" and "very serious" act.
Students walk past a tent classroom in a school in Khazir Camp, some 50 kilometers east of Mosul, Iraq, on Jan. 3, 2018. Nearly six months after the liberation of Mosul, more than 3,000 displaced civilians still live in the Khazir Camp. Due to the tremendous damage Mosul has suffered during the fights between Iraqi army and Islamic State militants, the slow process of reconstruction makes homecoming still a dream for these civilians. (Xinhua Photo)

MOSUL, Iraq, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Standing in a long line in mud and puddles on the ground, Um Wasim waited anxiously for her turn to get fuel and blankets.

The temperature in Khazir Camp has fallen after a heavy rain and Wasim had to make some preparation for the chilly winter night.

"I have nine children to take care of. The war is over. I wish I could leave this camp and go back to my village with my family," said Wasim.

Forced to leave Badush village to the west of Mosul by the unstable security situation in March 2017, Wasim came to Khazir Camp, about 50 kilometers to the east of Mosul. She always dreamed about returning home, especially after Mosul was liberated in July 2017.

"The current security situation in my village is very good. There is no attack any more. I wish to go back as soon as possible," said Wasim. "But my house was completely destroyed by extremists and I have no money to rebuild my home or rent another house, so I have no choice but to stay in this camp."

"Homecoming is the dream of everyone here, but seemingly it will take a very long time for our dream to come true," Wasim said.

The harsh rule of Islamic State (IS) and the conflict between Iraqi forces and IS have left massive destruction to Mosul and neighboring region. According to United Nations, over 1 million civilians were forced to leave their home in Iraq. Even though the victory has been declared by Iraqi government, these displaced Iraqis find no date to return to their home.

Twana Anwer, Manager of Khazir Camp, said that one of the most important reasons that prevents IDPs (Internally displaced people) from returning home is the slow progress in the reconstruction.

The Old City of western Mosul is the hardest-hit area during the war in the past few years. According to Iraqi official statistics, more than 60 percent of buildings in the Old City were completely destroyed and another 30 percent suffered severe damage, and only less than 10 percent are slightly damaged.

Ahmed Jassim, a local official in charge of reconstruction of western Mosul, said that among the 100,000 population in the Old City, only about 1,000 families have returned since the liberation in July 2017. That is less than 10 percent of the whole population.

"We have started to clean the major streets in the Old City after it was liberated, but the streets are packed with damaged vehicles and wreckages, so the progress is not fast. The cleaning in the Old City is especially difficult due to the narrow alleys and close-spaced houses. We need special vehicles that can work in narrow spaces, and we need the residents to work with us," Jassim said.

Apart from reconstruction, security is another concern.

Ali Hussein left his home in Sinjar in 2014 and came to Khazir Camp in February 2017 when the battle started in western Mosul.

He said "I want to go home, but even though IS was defeated in my hometown, I don't dare to go back because I am afraid of Yazidis."

Sinjar is a town located in the west of Nineveh Province. Most of the residents are Yazidi people. This town was controlled by IS in August 2014 and many Yazidis were slaughtered or abducted under the rule of IS.

Due to the fact that IS is largely a Sunni-Arabic jihadist group, Yazidis took revenge on Arabic civilians in Sinjar after IS was defeated.

Hussein said "some of my friends were persecuted by Yazidis, even got killed. How can I dare to go back?"

"IS destroyed everything, my home, my dream. My biggest wish in the new year is that I could go back home," added Hussein.
File Photo: South Korean firefighters participate in a civil defense drill in Seoul, capital of South Korea, Aug. 23, 2017. The defense drill associates with the South Korea-U.S. Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint military exercise. (Xinhua/Lee Sang-ho)

by Xinhua writer Zhu Dongyang

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Coming on the heels of the re-opening of a communication channel between the two Koreas, Washington and Seoul on Thursday agreed not to conduct any joint military drill until after the upcoming Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

This is apparently a constructive gesture in line with the international call for stability and peace on the Korean Peninsula. However, considering the unprecedented level of tensions there and the aggravated mutual rancor between Pyongyang and Washington, more reconciliatory efforts are needed to change the overall bleak mood in the region.

The Korean Peninsula has seen a few positive signs since the New Year. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) top leader Kim Jong Un said in his New Year speech that the country is willing to participate in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Later the two Koreas reopened a hotline in Panmunjom, which straddles the inter-Korean land border.

Together with the South Korea-U.S. decision to suspend war games, such gestures have indeed offered a glimmer of hope for the peninsula long haunted by confrontation and hostility.

Tensions on the peninsula reached a precarious level in 2017, driven up by the sixth nuclear test and multiple missile tests by the DPRK and the relentless Washington-Seoul war games.

Military tensions, amplified by blustery threats from both the United States and the DPRK to conduct nuclear attacks against each other, rasped the nerves of the whole world.

History has shown that tough talk and muscle-flexing could not help Washington and Pyongyang get what they want and achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Rather, they have created a vicious cycle that pushes a peaceful solution further away.

Therefore, instead of releasing more bellicose statements and moves of brinkmanship, Washington and Pyongyang are better advised to engage in constructive talks and suspend provocations.

The DPRK's offer to talk with South Korea and participate in the Olympics deserves credit and requires more reciprocal responses from the U.S. side.

It is highly advisable that Washington and Pyongyang could take the opportunity of the Olympics to extend good faith instead of bad blood. As for trust-building and peace-making efforts, there's much more to be done.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 23:50:44|Editor: yan

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SOFIA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and his visiting Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar said here on Friday they wanted a strong and secure Europe.

"We are for a stable, united and strong Europe," Borissov said after bilateral talks. He believed that all difficulties would be overcome by will and desire.

Borissov also said his country would have Ireland as its good friend and supporter during Bulgaria's six-month rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) which began on Monday.

"I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate PM Borissov on his ambitious Presidency Programme, the preparations to date and to assure him of Ireland's commitment to working with you and your team in making it a success," Varadkar said in turn.

The slogan of Bulgaria's EU Presidency, "United We Stand Strong", and the key themes of "Consensus, Competitiveness and Cohesion" captured very well the essential needs of the EU at this time, Varadkar said.

Meanwhile, he said Bulgaria sees the EU as the route to development and prosperity and Ireland will continue to support the Balkan country on this journey.

"Improving Europe's economic competitiveness and also ensuring that Europe is equipped with a budget to meet the challenges of the future are vital," Varadkar also said.
Buzz has it that Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja are ready to take their relationship to the next level.

By India Today Web Desk: Move over Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma's grand wedding, another celebrity couple is all set to tie the knot soon. After keeping their relationship under the wraps for the longest time, Sonam Kapoor and beau Anand Ahuja have finally thrown caution to the wind. The lovebirds might not have made it official, but their PDA is a validation of their relationship status.

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And if a report in Mumbai Mirror is to be believed, Sonam and Anand are ready to take their relationship to the next level. The report suggests that Sonam and Anand will tie the knot in Jodhpur this April. Reportedly, it will be a small gathering of some 300-odd people.

Sonam and Anand, who welcomed 2018 in Paris, will reportedly soon begin preparations for the wedding. A source told the daily, "The couple has warded off all rumours about getting married saying celebrity watchers were mistaking the family's preparations for her cousin Mohit Marwah's upcoming wedding for her own nuptials. But they can barely hide it any longer."

Sonam and Anand's romance came in the spotlight when they made an appearance at Akshay Kumar's Rustom success bash in 2016.

Recently, on a show, Sonam was asked why she doesn't talk about her relationship with Anand openly, but still shares pictures.

She said, "Because that's in my control and I don't feel that I can speak about myself but I don't think it's okay for me to speak about somebody else. Now everything that is put out there is with his permission or whatever he puts out there is with my permission. But if somebody is asking me a question publicly I don't think it's okay for me to speak about the person because that person has not signed up for it. This is just keeping it a little sacred. Just keeping it in my control, whatever is out there is in my control, it's not something that is not. I just feel that it's not okay to talk about it. I will share whatever I have to share and that is with my filter."

On the work front, Sonam is awaiting the release of Padman. The film which also stars Akshay Kumar and Radhika Apte will release on January 25.

ALSO WATCH| I believe in ever afters and soul mates

--- ENDS ---
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 23:55:45|Editor: Yang Yi

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addresses the opening of a workshop attended by newly-elected members and alternate members of the CPC Central Committee, as well as provincial and ministerial-level officials, in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 5, 2018. The workshop is focused on the study and implementation of "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" and the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday asked senior officials to consistently uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics and promote the "great new project of Party building."

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the opening of a workshop attended by newly-elected members and alternate members of the CPC Central Committee, as well as provincial and ministerial-level officials.

The workshop is focused on the study and implementation of "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" and the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress.

Xi said that CPC Central Committee members and provincial and ministerial-level officials are "crucial" to the sound governance of the Party and the country.

He called on the officials to raise their political awareness, adopt a historical perspective, reinforce theoretical thinking, think in big-picture terms and improve their knowledge and intellectual attainments, so as to think and understand major theoretical and practical issues with broader perspectives.

"Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era must be upheld consistently as it is both the achievement and continuation of the people's great social revolutions led by the CPC," Xi said. "Both history and reality have proved that a long historical process is needed for a social revolution to be declared a final victory."

"We can grasp the essence of many problems only by looking back the path we have taken, comparing it with others' path and looking to the road ahead -- understanding where we came from and where are going," he said.

Socialism with Chinese characteristics does not drop from the sky, but comes out of 40 years of reform and opening up and the practice of exploration since the establishment of the People's Republic of China nearly 70 years ago, Xi said.

It is also the result of the 97-year practice of the people's great social revolutions under the CPC leadership, the 170-plus-year historical process during which the Chinese nation has become prosperous from decline, and the inheritance and development of Chinese civilization in the past 5,000-plus years, he added.

"It is extremely difficult to achieve this outcome," the president said.

The success of scientific socialism in China is of great importance for Marxism, scientific socialism and socialism across the world. It is most fundamental for the CPC to hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics so as to realize its historic mission in the new era, Xi said.

"To remain true to our original aspiration and keep our mission firmly in mind, we should not forget that we are communists and revolutionaries and should not lose revolutionary spirit," Xi said.

"The success yesterday does not mean that we can be always successful, and the glory of the past does not mean that the future can always be glorious," Xi said, adding that CPC members are like exam-takers and their results will be reviewed by the people.

All members of the Party should keep the revolutionary spirit and be brave to ensure the 97-year social revolutions achieve prosperity and enduring peace and stability, Xi said.

"The Party must not take pride in victory nor retreat from difficulty," Xi said, urging efforts for a more powerful of truth to be heard from socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The Party should have the courage to carry out self-reform and become stronger in order to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, he said. "To have the courage to carry out self-reform and conduct strict self-governance is the most distinctive part of our Party's character."

The great new project of Party building plays a decisive role in realizing the country's great cause and dream, he added.

The CPC should promote social revolutions led by the Party by self-reform, and build the Party into a vibrant Marxist governing party that is always at the forefront of the times, enjoys the wholehearted support of the people, has the courage to reform itself, and is able to withstand all tests, Xi said.

He urged the Party to consolidate basis, innovate, grasp the key points and judge from the overall situation to push forward the great new project of Party building in the new era.

It is not easy to stay ready to protect against potential dangers in time of peace, to maintain the hard-working and motivated spirit in time of success, or to keep modest and frugal and remain true to the original aspiration after one coming into power, Xi said.

Neither is it effortless to exercise strict discipline to officials and prevent and fight corruption at ordinary time or to follow the tide of the times and respond to the wishes of the people at the junctures of significant changes.

"To remain at the vanguard of the times, the backbone of the nation, and a Marxist governing party, our Party must always hold itself to the highest standards," he said.

Xi said the senior officials, also known as the "key few," are crucial to Party governance. He told them to have firm convictions and take the lead to embrace deep belief in and faithfully practice Communism and socialism with Chinese characteristics.

He required the officials to take a clear political stand in ideology and to uphold the authority of the CPC Central Committee, implement the Party's political line and strictly observe the Party's political discipline and rules in practice.

He asked them to enhance their sense of responsibility, strengthen their calibre and abilities, and improve their work style and conduct, urging them to serve the people wholeheartedly.

Action against the practice of formality for formality's sake, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance must be carried out persistently, he said.

Xi said officials should strengthen ethics and pursue healthy interests to keep up with the high standards of clean governance and self-discipline.

He stressed that the more achievements China makes, the more prudent and prepared officials should become to avoid making strategic and subversive mistakes.

Li Keqiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said when presiding over the workshop's opening ceremony that Xi's remarks expounded the consistency in sticking to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, in "the great new project of Party building", and in increasing sense of precaution and prevention against risks and challenges.

"The words are significant in guiding us to thoroughly understand and implement the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress, and understand and grasp 'Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era'," Li said.

Other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng also attended the workshop.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 00:05:48|Editor: Zhou Xin

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ISLAMABAD, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani foreign ministry said here Friday that the country fights the war against terrorism on its own resources, apparently in a reaction to the security aid suspension announced by the United States.

Washington announced on Thursday that it is suspending the transfer of military equipment and security-related funds to Pakistan, according to the State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert.

Pakistan is engaged with the U.S. Administration on the issue of security cooperation and await further details, the ministry said in a statement.

Impacts of the U.S. decision on pursuit of common objectives is also likely to emerge more clearly in due course of time. It, however, needs to be appreciated that Pakistan has fought the war against terrorism largely from its own resources which has cost over 120 billion U.S. dollars in 15 years, said the statement.

It added that Pakistan is "determined to continue to do all it takes to secure the lives of our citizens and broader stability in the region."

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Tuesday that Washington would withhold 255 million dollars in assistance to Pakistan from the Foreign Military Financing fund, which is used to provide military equipment and training to a friendly country, according to reports.

The U.S. Congress has also taken away half of the 700 million dollars set aside for reimbursing Pakistan for supporting U.S. war efforts along the Pak-Afghan border, according to local reports. The suspension will now affect the remaining 350 million dollars in this account, known as the Coalition Support Fund, it said.

"Arbitrary deadlines, unilateral pronouncements and shifting goalposts are counterproductive in addressing common threats," the Pakistani statement said, adding Pakistan believes that its cooperation with the United States in fighting terrorism has directly served U.S. national security interests as well as the larger interests of international community.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 00:05:51|Editor: yan

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GENEVA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The UN migration agency IOM said Friday that the number of migrants and refugees entering Europe by sea during 2017 more than halved from the preceding year with the tally standing at 171,635.

IOM said that just under 70 percent of those migrants and refugees arrived in Italy and the remainder divided between Greece, Cyprus and Spain, the migration agency's spokesperson Joel Millman said at a regular UN briefing, noting that the statistics are still preliminary.

This compares with 363,504 arrivals across the region through the same period last year.

"IOM's Missing Migrants Project reported 3,116 deaths in the Mediterranean during 2017, not including at least two deaths recorded in late December, when one body was recovered on the coast of Libya and an 18-month-old child reportedly drowned off Turkey," said Millman.

For 2016, the migration agency had recorded 5,143 during Mediterranean crossings into Europe.

IOM Rome had reported on Thursday that, according to Ministry of Interior figures, 119,310 men, women and children arrived by sea as irregular migrants to Italy last year, the lowest total in four years, or since the Mediterranean migrant emergency began, said Millman.

IOM has been compiling arrival data across the Mediterranean since 2014.

Millman cited IOM Athens as reporting Thursday that over the last 12 days of 2017, the Hellenic Coast Guard reported at least 10 incidents requiring search and rescue operations off the islands of Lesvos, Samos, Chios and Rhodes.

Greece's Coast Guard rescued a combined 320 migrants and transferred them to these respective islands.

A total of 795 irregular migrants entered Greece by sea during this same period, although on three of those days no migrants were detected entering.

The busiest day of the period was New Year's Eve, the last day of 2017, when 217 migrants came ashore on Samos and Lesvos. Christmas Eve was also busy; 177 migrants came ashore at Lesvos on December 24, the second busiest day of the period.

Overall, 2,574 migrants entered Greece by sea during December, bringing the 2017 total on the Eastern Mediterranean route to 29,595.

As with the Central Mediterranean route to Italy, this was the lowest total IOM has recorded in four years.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 00:05:53|Editor: yan

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LJUBLJANA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Slovenian Interior Ministry has started issuing new residence permits with added security features to citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.

The new permit was introduced on Jan. 1 this year, the Slovenian Press Agency STA reported.

The new measures was taken aiming at addressing certain difficulties experienced by EEA and Swiss citizens with the old ones when crossing borders, especially during identification.

The new cards have a broad multi-colored thread which is visible only under ultraviolet light, and a hologram stretching across the entire document.

There are around 24,000 persons in Slovenia eligible for new permits, for which they will have to pay less than 10 euros (12.04 U.S. dollars), said STA.

The Interior Ministry also reported that in five years, 65,000 foreigners attended an integration program for immigrants, includes Slovenian language courses.

A majority of the foreigners came from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia and Russia.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 00:15:56|Editor: Yang Yi

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The graphics shows China's image is improving internationally, according to the 2016-2017 China National Image Global Survey. Jointly conducted by the Center for International Communication Studies under the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, and Kantar Millward Brown and Lightspeed, the survey interviewed citizens in 22 countries, with 500 respondents from each country. (Xinhua/Ma Yan)

BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's image is steadily improving, with international appreciation of its performance in domestic and foreign affairs, economic influence and cultural and high-tech hallmarks, according to a survey released Friday.

The country scored 6.22 out of 10 for its overall image, maintaining a slight upward curve in recent years, said the 2016-2017 China National Image Global Survey, which has been conducted annually since 2011.

Jointly conducted by the Center for International Communication Studies under the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, and Kantar Millward Brown and Lightspeed, the survey interviewed people in 22 countries, with 500 respondents from each country.

INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE

China scored 6.5 and 6.2 points for its performance in global and domestic affairs, respectively.

The three countries whose China score saw the biggest rise were Italy, Canada and the UK, though developing countries had a better impression of China generally.

People aged 18 to 35 had the best impression of China.

In terms of influence, China ranked the second to the United States, followed by Russia, Germany and the UK.

China's "Belt and Road Initiative" is recognized by a growing number of people worldwide, according to the survey.

Eighteen percent of the overseas respondents had heard of the "Silk Road economic belt" and the "21st century maritime Silk Road," and 40 percent in Indonesia, India and other countries situated along the routes.

It also showed that more than 60 percent of those surveyed recognized China's active role in BRICS and expected it to play a more active role.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

Internationally, people are generally positive about China's future, according to the report.

Those in developed and developing countries believe that China's international status and global influence will continue to grow, and that China will lead the new round of globalization and contribute more to global governance.

Among the 11,000 surveyed, 33 percent thought that China would become the world's largest economy, a large increase on previous years.

"This shows that the international community has more confidence in China's economic prospects," the survey said.

However, 36 percent say China still faces challenges such as economic disparity and environmental pollution.

The survey shows that 28 percent of foreigners plan to study, work or travel in China in the next three years.

As for the most popular cities among foreigners, Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai remain the top three, but regions that respondents plan to visit are more various than in the previous survey in 2015.

CHINESE REPRESENTATIVES

To pick a representative of Chinese culture, 52 percent chose Chinese cuisine, with almost 80 percent saying they had tried it, 72 percent of whom spoke highly of it.

Chinese medicine and martial arts also stood out as significant representatives of Chinese culture, picked by 47 and 44 percent, respectively.

About 64 percent of the respondents who said they had tried Chinese medicine gave it the thumbs up.

Economically speaking, Lenovo remains the best-known Chinese brand among foreigners, followed by Huawei and the e-commerce conglomerate Alibaba.

The survey also featured foreigners' opinions on China's sci-tech innovation, with 59 percent of the respondents commending the country's ability to innovate.

China's high-speed rail was the most widely recognized sci-tech achievement from the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 00:20:58|Editor: Zhou Xin

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government is asking the Congress for nearly 18 billion U.S. dollars in a decade to expand the current U.S. border wall with Mexico to nearly 1,000 miles (1,600 km), it was revealed Friday.

The current barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border is 654 miles (1,000 km) long. The new request, if granted, will bring more than 700 miles (1,140 km) of new and replacement barriers altogether over 10 years.

The plans are laid out in a document prepared by the Department of Homeland Security for a group of senators who asked the administration to detail its request for border security, according to a Wall Street Journal report Friday.

The non-wall requests include 5.7 billion dollars over five years for towers, surveillance equipment, unmanned aerial vehicles and other technology; 1 billion dollars over five years for road construction and maintenance; and 8.5 billion dollars over seven years for 5,000 new Border Patrol agents and other personnel.

The document, which details only the border-security elements, isn't meant to be a complete outline of the Donald Trump administration's requests, which also involve changes to the legal immigration system and other enforcement measures.

The Trump administration has already requested 1.6 billion dollars for new barrier in Texas and San Diego for the current fiscal year. Congress hasn't passed the spending bills for 2018, and wall funding is one of the hang-ups.

The new revealment comes as the White House and the Congress negotiate an immigration package that would legalize young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. The White House has demanded that border security be included in the legislation.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 00:25:59|Editor: Zhou Xin

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JUBA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Friday commended China's continued financial and technical assistance to the health sector of the war-torn east African nation.

Health Minister Riek Gai Kok said health cooperation between South Sudan and China in the past six years has had enormous impact on the country's health sector.

China has become South Sudan's leading donor of pharmaceuticals, grants and a major partner in capacity building for South Sudanese health professionals, the minister said.

A grant of about 33 million U.S. dollars provided by the Chinese government in 2013 to modernize and expand health facilities in the war-ravaged country has greatly improved health care across South Sudan, he said.

Last year, China offered short training programs to over 250 South Sudanese doctors in different areas of specialization.

"Our relations with China is very excellent and we have seen what China has done to this country in the past six years," Kok told reporters during an inspection visit to a China-aided project for modernization and expansion of Juba Teaching Hospital, South Sudan's biggest referral hospital.

"The health facilities constructed by Chinese grants will go for generations providing services and standing very firm as a symbol of our relationship with China," he said.

The minister also lauded China's donation of 28 containers consisting of transport and communication devices, medical equipment to support the Boma Health Initiative, a community-based project that seeks to bring health services to grass-root communities.

"When we launched the community health initiative (Boma Health Initiative) last year, the first country to come to our support was China. They supplied us with tools, equipment, which were delivered quickly," Kok said. "That shows China's commitment to our country's health sector."

Economic and Commercial Councilor Zhang Yi at the Chinese Embassy in South Sudan said Beijing is committed to improving South Sudan's health sector by offering financial assistance and capacity building to health professionals.

"With all our struggles and efforts, the cooperation between the two countries can move the whole health sector in South Sudan and improve the livelihood of the South Sudanese people," Zhang said.

Zhang urged the South Sudanese people to embrace peace for development to take place in the country devastated by four years of civil war.

"We sincerely hope that the peace process and resumption of stability could be moving forward," he said. "Peace and development are just like twins. Without peace, you can hardly make any development, and without development, no peace can be sustained."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 00:46:03|Editor: Zhou Xin

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WARSAW, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Michal Dworczyk, an aide to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, said there were no signs that the European Union would implement disciplinary measures against Poland, known as Article 7, and that the Morawiecki government sought dialogue.

Quoted in the Friday issue of the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita daily, Dworczyk said the government sought to clarify Poland's judicial reforms.

"Our task is to clarify to European politicians what the judicial reforms in Poland are about. We will call on the experience of our neighbours... Today we are only solving these outstanding issues. We are calm that Article 7 will not be initiated against Poland," the official said.

Asked about changes to the judiciary, Dworczyk said that court reform was essential in Poland and that most Poles supported it. "It is a shame it is only now being done. I believe we will be able to persuade some of our EU allies to our point of view," he said.

In December, the European Commission (the EU's executive arm) launched disciplinary measures - known as Article 7 - over Poland's judicial reforms, giving Warsaw three months to amend its policies so that courts remain independent and the rule of law is upheld.

The next step under Article 7 would be a declaration by the Council of the European Union (made up of national ministers) that Poland is at risk of a serious breach of EU values. This would require a majority of 22 out of the 27 fellow EU countries.

Potentially the procedure could then result in sanctions against Poland, but all EU states would have to agree.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 00:56:05|Editor: yan

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JUBA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The South Sudan army on Friday confirmed that rebels led by a disgruntled former senior officer attacked its military outpost located on the outskirts of the capital on Thursday night.

Spokesperson Brig. Lul Ruai Koang of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) told journalists that forces led by Chan Garang, who defected in October last year, attacked a military outpost north of Kapur, located some 10 km from Juba town, but were repulsed.

"At about 10:30 p.m. last night, bandits under the direct command of Chan Garang attacked SPLA's position at Kapur. The attackers were repulsed and currently SPLA is in hot pursuit," Koang said in Juba.

The attackers first abducted an SPLA driver at gun point near the military facility, leading to the heavy fire exchange that left several rebels dead, he said, adding that AK47 rifles and PKM light machine guns were used in the fighting.

Koang said the rebels fled westward toward Omduruba, about 130 km west of Juba, and that Garang quit the army due to fear of reprimand for his past criminal record and declared allegiance to SPLA-in opposition (SPLA-IO), which is led by former first vice president Riek Machar.

"Today we are confirming that the same officer (Garang), who had defected from the SPLA some months back, is the one who launched the attacks last night on our defensive position," he said.

"It is not true that we had new defections and that they were getting out of Juba and as a result there was firing," Koang added.

Earlier, Garang had said he defected because he was unhappy with the manner in which the state had treated former SPLA Chief of General Staff Paul Malong, who was by then put under house arrest before being freed.

Koang also disclosed that they have intelligence that notorious militia commander Peter Gatdet Yak is plotting attacks on their positions at Mayom, Abiemnom and Thar-Wang-Yiele areas.

He said that the SPLA is on alert to foil any offensive by forces of Gatdet, who had been an ally of Machar before splitting from the main SPLA-IO rebel group some three years back.

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political disputes between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Machar led to split within the SPLA, leaving soldiers to fight alongside ethnic lines.

A 2015 peace agreement to end the conflict was weakened after outbreak of renewed fighting in July 2016 caused SPLA-IO leader Machar to flee the capital.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 01:16:09|Editor: Zhou Xin

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GAZA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement and Islamic Jihad (Holy War) in Gaza Friday called on the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to withdraw its recognition of Israel.

Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesmen in Gaza, said in an emailed official press statement that the PLO "should immediately withdraw its recognition of the Israeli entity."

He also called on the Palestinian National Authority to stop security coordination with Israel.

"The arms of resistance are a red line that can never be overcome, dropped or to be discussed," Qassem noted.

The PLO recognized Israel and signed Oslo peace agreements in 1993 throughout an exchange of letters between Palestinian and Israeli leaders, where Israel recognized the PLO as the representative of the Palestinians.

Meanwhile, Khader Habib, the senior Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza, said it's important to carry on with the Palestinian Intifada, or uprising against Israel in the Palestinian territories.

He said the Intifada broke out in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Habib told demonstrators in southern Gaza that the Palestinian Authority "must have severe security coordination with the Zionist entity and the PLO has to withdraw its recognition of this entity."

Earlier, the two groups said they received invitations to attend the meeting of the Palestinian Central Council (PCC), or the PLO parliament, which is scheduled in the West Bank on Jan. 14.

The PLO Central Council is holding an emergency meeting to discuss the consequences of Trump's Jerusalem declaration, his intentions to move U.S. embassy to the city and the current Israeli government's policy.

The council will also discuss the possibility of incorporating Hamas and the Islamic Jihad into the PLO executive committee.
Local students took out peace rally in Koregaon-Bhima village requesting all to maintain harmony after the violence.

The 'Unity Peace Rally' was taken out after the gram panchayat meeting in the village. (Photo: Mayuresh Ganapatye)

By Mayuresh Ganapatye, Pankaj P. Khelkar: More than 300 local school children took out a rally in Koregaon Bhima village on Friday chanting slogans of peace and unity and requesting all to maintain harmony.

The 'Unity Peace Rally' was taken out after the gram panchayat meeting in the village.

Students holding banners were joined by teachers and professors alongwith local police protecting the rally.

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A few days after the violence , schools were open in Koregaon Bhima village but classes were mostly empty. Local teachers visited many students personally to encourage their parents to send their wards to schools again.

"Students are still scared of that violence. No one has seen such violence here in this village before. It was a very difficult task for us to generate the confidence among students as well as parents," said Varsha Vaze, a local school teacher.

ALSO WATCH | Koregaon-Bhima violence: India Today's ground report from Mumbai's Chembur and Govandi station

--- ENDS ---
Iranian pro-government demonstrators set a makeshift U.S. flag on fire during a march after the weekly Muslim Friday prayers in Tehran on Jan. 5, 2018. (AFP Photo)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday announced sanctions against five Iranian entities.

The Treasury Department said the five Iran-based entities are subordinate to a key element of Iran's ballistic missile program, and the U.S. action targeted Iran's "destabilizing weapons systems."

As a result, U.S. citizens are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. Foreign financial institutions that knowingly facilitate significant transactions for, or persons that provide material or certain other support to, the designated entities risk exposure to sanctions that could sever their access to the U.S. financial system or block their property and property interests under U.S. jurisdiction.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said his nation will continue to counter Iran with "additional sanctions."

Over the past week, riots broke out in some Iranian cities in protest against price hikes and economic woes. U.S. President Donald Trump and a number of other U.S. officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, have sided with the protesters.

Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations Gholamali Khoshroo on Wednesday slammed the U.S. government's recent attempts to intervene in the domestic affairs of the Islamic Republic.

"The current U.S. administration has crossed every limit in flouting rules and principles of international law governing the civilized conduct of international relations," Khoshroo said in a letter to the UN Security Council and to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Khoshroo added that Iran expects all states to condemn such dangerous statements and policies and urge the U.S. government to act responsibly and adhere to principles of the UN Charter and international law.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 01:41:19|Editor: yan

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LUSAKA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Management at Zambia's biggest public university on Friday announced the closure of the institution following a cholera outbreak.

Students at the University of Zambia (UNZA), which is situated in Lusaka, the country's capital, who have already reported for commencement of classes have since been directed to return back to their homes.

Sitali Wamundila, the university's registrar, said management decided not to reopen the institution following a cholera outbreak, which has mainly affected the country's capital and following a statement by the health ministry postponing the reopening of all schools in the country.

Free transport will be provided for students without means to return back to their homes, Wamundila said in a statement.

The Zambian Ministry of Health said 100 new cases of cholera have been recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 2,248, according to a statement.

Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said three more fast food outlets have been closed in Lusaka after samples from their premises tested positive for the cholera bacterium.

No vendors will be allowed back on the streets after the containment of the cholera outbreak, the statement said, adding that two designated sites have been identified where the traders will be operating from.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 02:06:27|Editor: yan

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TRIPOLI, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Central Bank of Libya in Tripoli announced Thursday that the country's fiscal deficit has decreased by 48 percent during 2017.

The bank revealed that the deficit decreased by 48 percent in comparison to 2016 "thanks to the efforts of the Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord."

The bank also said the value of the country's foreign exchange expenditures in 2017 amounted to 15 billion dollars.

"The total oil revenues in 2017 amounted to 14 billion dollars, compared to 4.8 billion dollars in 2016. The expenditure were 15 billion dollars, compared to 12 billion dollars in 2016," the statement explained.

Following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime, Libya has been suffering economic crisis with a sharp decrease of oil revenues, the country's main source of income, as a lot of oil fields and ports have been closed because of armed conflict.

Libya's foreign exchange reserves have been shrinking over the past four years. The country has suffered losses of more than 140 billion dollars after years of closure of oil fields and ports.

Libya has also suffered political division between eastern and western authorities, including the Central Bank.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 02:26:30|Editor: yan

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on four Venezuelan senior military officers, accusing them of committing "corruption and oppression."

According to a statement issued by the Treasury Department, the four officers wereeither current or former military officers, and all of their assets that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction would be frozen, and U.S. citizens will be generally prohibited from dealing with them.

In an announcement, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also urged the international society to stand with Washington on the sanctions.

An oral war between the United States and Venezuela kept escalating, as U.S. President Donald Trump in July threatened to "take strong and swift economic actions" against Venezuela's government if the latter went ahead to pursue the creation of a National Constituent Assembly (ANC) tasked to rewrite the constitution.

On Nov. 9 of last year, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned against 10 current or former Venezuelan officials, whom it said "are associated with undermining electoral processes, media censorship, or corruption in government-administered food programs in Venezuela."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 03:11:37|Editor: yan

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DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities said on Friday they are investigating reports that a Tanzania-flagged ship carrying 1,600 kg of cocaine aboard has been seized by Dutch naval forces.

Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Susan Kolimba said the government is investigating the veracity of the reports.

The vessel was seized on Dec. 26 but the haul of cocaine was found on Dec. 31 upon thorough inspection, the World Maritime News website reported.

"We are investigating to establish whether the reports are true or not. That is what I can tell you for now," Kolimba said without going into details.

The vessel, together with the illegal cargo and its seafarers, has transferred to authorities in the Dominican Republic for further investigation, reports said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 03:46:42|Editor: yan

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NICOSIA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Cypriot court on Friday handed a jail sentence of two-and-a-half years to former Bank of Cyprus (BoC) chief executive officer Andreas Eliades for lying to shareholders before the economic crisis of 2013.

A criminal court in Nicosia found Eliades guilty of misleading shareholders on capital needs in a general meeting in July 2012.

BoC as a legal entity was also found guilty and fined 120,000 euros (144,578 U.S. dollars).

Cypriot media said this was the first court case in which bank officials have been found guilty and jailed in what the media described as the main reason for the near-meltdown of the Cypriot economy which led to a 10 billion euros bailout in March 2013.

Eliades was cleared of charges of manipulating the market after a Supreme Court ruling on a legal technicality. Four other former senior BoC officers were also cleared of all charges on the same technicality.

The court said Eliades was unscrupulously lying when he told the shareholders that the capital shortfall of the bank was just 200 million euros, but the next day he revised it considerably higher in a letter to the governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus.

BoC's capital shortfall resulted from a heavy purchase of Greek government bonds which were devalued by about 75 percent in a deal between Greece and its lenders in 2012.

The bank completely changed its management and was restructured with a second recapitalization in October 2014, raising 1 billion euros from international investors.
A supporter of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro holds a placard depicting U.S. President Donald Trump during a rally against imperialism in Caracas, Venezuela Sept. 19, 2017. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on four Venezuelan senior military officers, accusing them of committing "corruption and oppression."

According to a statement issued by the Treasury Department, the four officers were either current or former military officers, and all of their assets that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction would be frozen, and U.S. citizens will be generally prohibited from dealing with them.

In an announcement, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also urged the international society to stand with Washington on the sanctions.

An oral war between the United States and Venezuela kept escalating, as U.S. President Donald Trump in July threatened to "take strong and swift economic actions" against Venezuela's government if the latter went ahead to pursue the creation of a National Constituent Assembly (ANC) tasked to rewrite the constitution.

On Nov. 9 of last year, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned against 10 current or former Venezuelan officials, whom it said "are associated with undermining electoral processes, media censorship, or corruption in government-administered food programs in Venezuela."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 03:51:45|Editor: yan

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MINSK, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Belarus' gold and foreign currency reserves reached 7.315 billion U.S. dollars as of Jan. 1, 2018, the country's central bank said on Friday.

In December 2017, the country's gold and foreign currency reserves fell by 1.3 percent to 98.4 million dollars after a growth in November 2017 of 18.4 million dollars (0.2 percent), the central bank said in a statement.

Over the year 2017, the increase in reserves amounted to 2.388 billion dollars, up 48.5 percent over the previous year, the central bank said.

The major factors in the growth of the gold and forex reserves in 2017 were revenues from selling government bonds nominated in foreign currency, export duties on oil and oil products, the purchase of foreign currency by the central bank, tranches of the financial loans, and an increased cost of the monetary gold, it said.

According to the country's main monetary guidelines for 2018, the volume of international reserve assets as of Jan. 1, 2019, should amount to no less than 6 billion dollars.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 04:01:47|Editor: yan

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HOUSTON, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Governor of Texas Greg Abbott on Friday proclaimed January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month in the state.

The governor said the State of Texas will not tolerate the inhumane practice of human trafficking, adding "Texas' Child Sex Trafficking Team has implemented a number of statewide initiatives to help bring an end to the horrendous practice of child sexual exploitation, but we still have much work to do."

In addition to issuing this proclamation, the governor encouraged all Texans to learn more about the risks and indicators of human trafficking and to do their part to help end these horrific crimes.

In 2017, Texas officials launched an initiative to help victims of human trafficking after years of pressure for the state to provide better care, and named Kim Grabert as the state's first director of human trafficking prevention.

Houston is one of the largest hubs for sex trafficking in the United States. A recent University of Texas study estimated the state has more than 300,000 human trafficking victims.

Texas has long tried to address the problem of human trafficking in the state, but Texans have been critical of the government's efforts at providing rehabilitative care for victims of the crime.

In 2014, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called for a statewide effort to help over 79,000 minors and youth victims of sex trafficking in the state, but the Legislature has done little to address the problem.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 04:16:51|Editor: yan

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LONDON, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Arts Minister John Glen Friday placed a temporary export bar on a famous masterpiece, Rialto Bridge with the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi by Francesco Guardi, leaving Britain.

The extraordinary painting is at risk of leaving Britain for the first time unless a buyer can be found to match the asking price of 36.3 million U.S. dollars, said the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The export ban is aimed at providing a last opportunity to keep the work in Britain.

With its masterful coloring and dynamic composition in which a series of gondolas bisect the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge showcases Guardi's atmospheric style and the elegant depiction of light that would come to dominate his later works.

A spokeswoman for the department said: "Arguably Guardi's masterpiece, the painting is considered to be one of the ultimate expressions of Venetian vedute or view painting. Alongside Canaletto and his nephew Bellotto, Guardi was one of the great Venetian view painters of the 18th century."

The painting is believed to have been commissioned in 1768 by the relatively unknown grand tourist, Chaloner Arcedeckne, making it of great importance to the study of the British relationship with Venice and Grand Tour commissions.

Minister Glen said: "I very much hope that it can be kept in the UK, where it can be appreciated and admired by future generations for many years to come."

The decision to defer the export license follows a recommendation by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, administered by the Arts Council.

Its member Aidan Weston-Lewis said: "Commissioned by a British visitor to Venice in the late 1760s, it has remained in the UK ever since and has frequently been on public display. Its departure from these shores would be a regrettable loss."
The 'tampering' of the river courses of the Ganga-Padma system by Bangladesh is becoming a big stumbling block to the long-pending resolution of the sharing of Teesta river waters with India. Although Mamata Banerjee had raised the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi back in May 2017, it's taken centre stage now with the chief minister insisting a clean-up (by Bangladesh) of the Mathabanga river be made mandatory for resumption of Teesta talks. A distributary of the Padma, the Mathabanga enters India (Bengal) at Gede in Nadia district and after flowing for 19 km splits into the Churni and Ichhamati. The Churni flows for another 53 km before draining into the Bhagirathi Hooghly.

The latest provocation comes from a privately run sugar mill-cum-distillery on the banks of the Mathabanga at Darshana (Bangladesh) that is dumping untreated chemical effluents into the river. Consequently, a 72 km downstream stretch of the river that flows along some 120 fishing villages in Bengal has become unusable.

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Fishermen like Basudeb Haldar say the pollution is killing the fish in the river. Haldar says earnings from the prawns and shrimp he nets from the Mathabanga have fallen from Rs 20,000 to a mere Rs 4,000 per month. Like him, scores of fishing families are struggling to survive. Men like Bibhas Haldar have quit fishing and become daily wagers on farms. The filth from across the border is also beginning to contaminate the groundwater here.

Although Mamata took up the problem only now (many believe as a means to delaying a settlement on sharing the Teesta waters), the Mathabanga & Churni River Rescue Committee (MCRRC) has been raising the issue since 2007. In May 2017, the committee petitioned the prime minister's office seeking a resolution through diplomatic channels. Earlier, it had gone to the National Green Tribunal, which directed the Centre to take up the matter with Bangladesh. While New Delhi sat on things, in October, the MCRRC wrote directly to Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina apprising her of the NGT's order. Despite the late response, river experts are now confident that Mamata will also take up the problem of the severely curtailed flows in the Churni, Mathabanga, Atreyee, Punarbhaba and Tangon rivers, owing to a new dam on the Bangladesh side.

Notably, PM Hasina is very keen on an early resolution of the Teesta issue, ahead of the general elections in Bangladesh in 2018. But people close to her say Mamata isn't having any of it. Besides the rivers, there are a host of issues that have cropped up as irritants between Bangladesh and West Bengal. These include the stopping of exports (from Bangladesh) of the highly sought after Padma Hilsa fish since 2012 and doubling of import duty on Bengal's mangoes. The CM has also voiced concern over reduced flows at the Farakka barrage resulting in frequent shutdowns at the power station, a consequence of the sharing of Ganga waters with Bangladesh.

MCRRC secretary Swapan Bhowmik says Mamata's decision to link the Teesta issue with problems in Mathabanga and Churni is a clever move. "If Bangladesh is keen on the Teesta water, it will have to take care of the other trans-border rivers it shares with Bengal," he says. Analysts believe it will also politically benefit Mamata in Nadia and north Bengal.

--- ENDS ---
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 04:21:52|Editor: Zhou Xin

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Two U.S. Republican senators has asked the Justice Department and FBI for a criminal probe into Christopher Steele, the author of a controversial dossier on President Donald Trump.

Senators Chuck Grassley and Lindsey Graham referred Steele, a former British intelligence agent, for allegedly making false statements to federal investigators. It is the first known criminal referral from the congressional investigations into Russia's interference in U.S. presidential elections in 2016.

"I don't take lightly making a referral for criminal investigation. But, as I would with any credible evidence of a crime unearthed in the course of our investigations, I feel obliged to pass that information along to the Justice Department for appropriate review," Grassley said in a statement on Friday.

"After reviewing how Mr. Steele conducted himself in distributing information contained in the dossier and how many stop signs the DOJ ignored in its use of the dossier, I believe that a special counsel needs to review this matter," Graham said, adding that the referral "is not intended to be an allegation of a crime."

Grassley is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has been conducting an investigation running parallel to special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Trump's alleged ties to Russia.

The referral, which was made Thursday but revealed Friday, comes days after the latest public back-and-forth between Grassley and research firm Fusion GPS that hired Steele to compile the controversial dossier.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 04:21:52|Editor: yan

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NICOSIA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus is to table with the United Nations the coordinates for its marine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) which has not been demarcated as yet, in a move to safeguard its entire EEZ, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said on Friday.

Cyprus has already demarcated its exclusive economic zone to the east and south with Lebanon, Israel and Egypt, leaving out its marine areas adjoining Syria to the east, Turkey to the north and Greece to the northwest.

A move to table coordinates by Cyprus might anger Turkey.

"Thinks must start from somewhere (regarding demarcation) whether Turkey agrees or not for the rest of the EEZ of Cyprus," Kasoulides told the Cyprus News Agency in an interview.

Turkey, which occupied part of Cyprus in 1974, in reaction to a Greek-inspired coup, objects to license issued by Cyprus to several international energy companies for natural gas exploration off its southern and southwestern shores.

Cypriot authorities said the new coordinates to be tabled have already been submitted to Greece for the part that concerns it and the view by the Greek government is expected.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 04:26:55|Editor: Zhou Xin

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French President Emmanuel Macron (L) shakes hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who arrives for a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Jan. 5, 2018. (Xinhua/Jack Chan)

PARIS, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that political developments in Turkey were blocking the country's EU accession bid, suggesting a "partnership" instead of a full membership.

"For relations with the European Union, it is clear that recent developments and choices allow no progress in the process," Macron said, quoted by France 24, a Paris-based TV news network.

"I'd be lying if I said we could open new chapters," he said at a press conference with visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, referring to Turkey's accession process.

Erdogan, for his part, said his country was sick of waiting to join the European Union after half a century.

"Turkey has been waiting in the EU antechamber for 54 years. When it comes to saying why, the EU is not really capable of giving reasons," Erdogan said.

Although Turkey is hoping to warm frosty relations with Europe, Erdogan's talks with Macron were overshadowed by difference over Turkey's actions following a failed coup in July 2016, according to France 24.

Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based preacher, is accused by Ankara of orchestrating the coup attempt. At least 250 people were killed and over 2,000 people were injured in the coup attempt.

The Turkish government declared a state of emergency and launched a massive crackdown on Gulen's supporters in the aftermath of the coup attempt.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 04:26:55|Editor: yan

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RIYADH, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that 250 organizations violated the Value Added Tax (VAT) rule, which was introduced on Jan. 1, Saudi Press Agency reported.

General Authority of Zakat and Tax enforced the VAT taxation regime as part of various measures to boost economy. It imposes a 5 percent tax on most goods and services to boost revenue.

The VAT applies to a range of items like food, clothes, electronics and gasoline, as well as phone, water and electricity bills, and hotel reservations.

GAZT said that it has received more than 1,4000 complaints and inquiries about the tax and 90 percent of them were tackled.

Saudi Arabia said companies with an annual revenue of more than 270,000 U.S. dollars that fail to register for VAT will be fined 2,700 U.S. dollars. Companies who issue VAT invoices without registering for VAT are subject to fines up to 27,000 U.S. dollars.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 04:57:00|Editor: yan

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DAMASCUS, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- As many as 77 rebels have been killed during week-long battles with Syrian army in the Eastern Ghouta countryside of the capital Damascus, a monitor group reported on Friday.

The battles have been raging between the al-Qaida-linked Levant Liberation Committee (LLC) and the Syrian army in the vicinity of the Vehicle Base in Damascus' northeastern city of Harasta in Eastern Ghouta for eight days, following the rebels' attack on the base.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Syrian forces haven't succeeded yet to break the siege imposed by the LLC and the allied Failaq al-Rahman on that key base.

The UK-based watchdog group said intense shelling targeted areas in the Eastern Ghouta region, adding that 79 civilians have so far been killed in the battles there.

A day earlier, the Syrian army unleashed a counter-offensive to break a siege imposed by al-Qaida-linked militants on the base.

The army units captured buildings east of the municipal building in Harasta amid heavy artillery shelling and rocket fire on the rebels' positions.

The Vehicle Base is the largest military facility in the Eastern Ghouta region, stretching from Harasta to Arbeen.

The base hosts a large number of soldiers, including Republican Guards, as well as big weapon depots.

During the war, the base has become a major operation center and supply facility for the Syrian forces inside the Eastern Ghouta region, which has many towns and neighborhoods.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 05:07:04|Editor: yan

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HELSINKI, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Finnish restaurants are reintroducing an old practice of selling alcohol at low prices for one hour prior to dinner time every evening, media reports said on Friday.

The so called "happy hour" was prohibited in Finland ten years ago by an ordinance which required that alcohol prices in restaurants must remain the same for at least two months. The ordinance is withdrawn as of 2018.

During the happy hour, half liter of beer costs less than a euro, and long drinks are cheaper than in super markets, according to Erkki Koski, CEO of nightclub Hercules. "But we are trying to change the habit that people come to the restaurants later and later. We want them early," Koski told national broadcaster Yle.

Strict ban on advertising alcohol outside restaurants and the state liquor monopoly stores still remains, but the alcohol control authority Valvira has confirmed happy hour prices can be posted outside the restaurant.

The return of "happy hour" is one of the examples that Finland has gradually eased the strict alcohol laws over the years.

Strong beer is admitted to the shelves of food stores in Finland at the beginning of 2018, and also the regulation on licensed restaurants is eased.

Several changes in Finnish alcohol legislation and ordinances take affect at the turn of the year and will continue this spring. They reflect the view that more responsibility is being left for the customers to decide.

Later this spring, petrol stations will be allowed to offer hard liquer and wines in their cafeterias. However, not all operators will use the opportunity as they see automotive traffic and alcohol a risky combination.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 05:12:08|Editor: yan

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by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The conviction of a Turkish banker in New York constitutes yet a new trouble in the strained relations between Turkey and the United States, however, both NATO allies do not desire a full derailment of their decades-long partnership, said local analysts.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday slammed the conviction of Mehmet Hakan Atilla, the deputy chief executive officer of the state-run Halkbank, accused of helping Iran evading sanctions.

"If this is the U.S. understanding of justice, I pity the world," Erdogan told reporters before leaving Ankara for France, his first visit abroad of 2018, adding that bilateral accords with the U.S. are losing validity.

"There is a serious chain of plots in the United States" against Turkey, said Erdogan in an angered tone, adding that "there can be no such understanding of justice."

ARRESTED ON BUSINESS TRIP TO U.S.

Atilla, a 47-year-old Turkish national, arrested on a business trip to New York in March, was found guilty of five counts including bank fraud.

The conviction also could very possibly spell trouble for Halkbank, implicated in a money-laundering and sanctions-evasion scheme that formed the basis of the prosecution.

Atilla now faces up to 30 years in prison.

On Thursday, Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag described the trial on his Twitter as a "political conspiracy of no legal value to Turkey." Bozdag added that "Turkey is a fully sovereign and independent country," and that "another country cannot put Turkey's institutions on trial."

The case hinged on the testimony of a Turkish-Iranian gold trader, Reza Zarrab, who became the prosecution's key witness after admitting helping Iran evade sanctions. Zarrab was once close to President Erdodan's political entourage and admitted having bribed several of his former ministers in the multi-billion dollar scheme.

Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin denounced for his part "a scandalous verdict in a scandalous trial" in the United States. Turkish Foreign ministry adopted a moderate tone, described the ruling as "unjust and unfortunate."

Despite those harsh statements, everyone in Turkey was expecting some form of conviction for Atilla, and the New York court's decision was no surprise: Turkish markets and the national currency plummeted during the trial, before recovering in late December.

TURKEY, U.S. SEEK BETTER TIES

"U.S.-Turkey relations hit so low in 2017 that both parties are seeking way of improving them this year by means of comprehensive dialogue, despite this conviction," political analyst and Hurriyet Daily News Ankara Bureau chief Serkan Demirtas said.

"In light of the importance of their alliance, Ankara and Washington certainly do not wish that their relations move towards a derailment, and they are working in this direction. After plummeting so low the only way is up," said Demirtas who met recently with high-level officials of both countries.

And to show their willingness to work on improving ties, Turkish and U.S. senior officials have agreed to meet on Jan. 23 in Ankara for a joint working group to discuss the row over ongoing court cases that strained their relationship, Turkish diplomatic sources said.

This working group was set up in October after a long-standing Turkish local employee of the U.S. consulate in Istanbul was detained on terrorist charges, which led to a three-month visa suspension row between Ankara and Washington. Things returned to normal only last week.

"Despite all these (problems), the United States is our ally and we want to have good ties with it," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters on Wednesday, quoted by Hurriyet Daily News.

"The course of our relationship depends on steps taken by the United States," he said, criticizing Washington for failing to address Turkey's insisting demands for the extradition of U.S.- based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed for the masterminding of failed coup attempt in July 2016.

Cavusoglu also slammed the U.S. administration for not launching a federal probe into the activities of Gulen's group in the U.S. territories.

"If the U.S. side makes a step, we will make two. We do not want our relationship to suffer any further, and we feel and understand that this is also the desire over there (the United States)," a Turkish government source said on condition of anonymity.

ANKARA'S DIPLOMATIC ISOLATION

Faced with a growing diplomatic isolation, Ankara has made initiatives to reconcile with also its European allies with whom relations suffered bitterly in the aftermath of the botched coup and the strong criticism of the massive crackdown that followed.

Turkey maintains that the Atilla trial is based on Turkish corruption investigations in 2013, which it claims were hatched by Gulen's followers in the justice apparatus to bring down the government.

While on the political front, the impact of this foreseeable verdict could be limited because Erdogan has widely persuaded his large supporters that it is "conspiracy" against his nation. On the financial front, it could prove very costly for Halkbank and for the entire banking sector of the G20 member country, according to the experts.

The fact that Turkish president had not been indicted or targeted by new evidence revealed at the trial is also something that the Ankara government could rely on to try to improve ties with Washington at this stage, argued Demirtas.

Nevertheless, if the U.S. government finds that bank engaged in wrongdoing, it could take a range of actions up to curbing the bank's ability to conduct transactions in U.S. dollars, the lifeline for any bank operating globally.

In a statement to the stock exchange, Halkbank said it's not a party to the charges that were aired in the U.S. trial and that Atilla has a right to appeal.

Following the conviction, Joon Kim, the acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan, issued a blunt warning: "Foreign banks and bankers have a choice: You can choose willfully to help Iran and other sanctioned nations evade U.S. law, or you can choose to be part of the international banking community transacting in U.S. dollars. But you can't do both."

Kim's statement suggested that a response may be forthcoming from the U.S. Treasury Department. Some experts have speculated that state lender Halkbank, Turkey's fifth largest bank, could be fined up to 10 billion dollars by U.S authorities.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko attends a joint press conference after the Ukraine-EU summit in Kiev, Ukraine, July 13, 2017. (Xinhua/Chen Junfeng)

KIEV, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine's foreign exchange reserves increased by 21 percent in 2017, beating the official forecast, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) said on Friday.

The reserves had increased to about 18.8 billion U.S. dollars last year compared with an estimated forecast of 18.6 billion U.S. dollars, the NBU said in a report.

The deposits have risen mainly because the government bought 1.3 billion U.S. dollars in the interbank currency market and obtained one billion dollars from the International Monetary Fund, the report said.

The current level of the reserves can cover 3.6 months of the country's imports, and is sufficient to meet the obligations of the government and the central bank, it added.

In 2016, Ukraine's foreign currency deposits increased by 17 percent to about 15.5 billion U.S. dollars.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 05:22:14|Editor: Zhou Xin

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KHARTOUM, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Sudan on Friday said it deployed thousands of troops in Kassala State in eastern Sudan to confront human trafficking operations, denying tension with Eritrea, official SUNA news agency reported.

Thousands of soldiers of the Rapid Support Forces, an affiliate of the Sudanese army, recently arrived in Kassala State on Sudan's border with Eritrea.

Kassala State Governor Adam Jamma said the troops came "within the framework of an emergency order and a Republican Decree relating to collection of arms and unlicensed vehicles, besides confronting human trafficking operations and smuggling of arms and commodities," adding that "it has nothing to do with the border."

The governor further denied reports earlier circulated by social media outlets about closure of border crossings between Sudan and Eritrea.

He said no directives were given either by the federal or state governments to close the border crossings with Eritrea, reiterating that the relationship with Asmara "is deeply-rooted and there is nothing to disturb it."

He went on saying that "the relationship with the Eritrean security bodies and their leadership is continuing within the security framework and combating of negative phenomena."

On Dec. 30, 2017, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir issued a Republican Decree declaring a state of emergency in North Kordofan State in western Sudan and Kassala State in eastern Sudan.

According to the decree, the state of emergency will last six months.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 05:27:15|Editor: Zhou Xin

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KIGALI, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's ban on domestic ivory sales will have positive impact on elephant conservation, Rwandan experts told Xinhua in interviews recently.

China, which was once seen as a prime destination of ivory trade, made a commendable decision that stops the key supply channel of ivory and this will impact positively on elephant conservation, said Telesphore Ngoga, analyst at the tourism and conservation department of Rwanda Development Board.

China honors its commitment to ending commercial processing and sales of ivory in China by the end of 2017. The move affects 34 processing enterprises and 143 designated trading venues, with all of them to close, in the world's once largest ivory market.

It is obvious that the ivory supply is discouraged in favor of the elephants which had been kept under the threat of poaching, according to Ngoga. Such decision will hopefully influence other markets to finally follow the model, he said.

"This is the decision of the year," he added.

China's ivory ban will greatly contribute to eradication of poaching and killing of elephants which will promote conservation of elephants across all national parks in Africa and other areas outside the continent, said Greg Bakunzi, a wildlife conservation expert who is also the founder of a tourism enterprise.

Elephant numbers were severely depleted during the 20th century, largely due to the massive ivory trade, according to World Wildlife Fund (WWF). While some populations are now stable and growing, poaching, conflict and habitat destruction continue to threaten the species, said the wildlife conservation organization.

The 2015 trends in the poaching of African elephants showed that the steady increase in the levels of illegal killing of elephants witnessed since 2006, and peaking in 2011, had been halted and stabilized but at levels that remained unacceptably high overall, said the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in a statement in 2016.

Despite the slight decline and stabilization recorded since 2011, estimated poaching rates overall remain higher than the normal growth rate of elephant populations, or above the sustainability threshold, meaning the elephant population overall is likely to have continued to decline in 2015, said the statement.

Over 20,000 African elephants were poached across Africa in 2013 alone, CITES said in 2014.

China's commitment to expanding its involvement in reducing the ivory trade is vital toward shutting down other large ivory markets in the world, said Bakunzi, adding that China is showing a good example to the world about the importance of wildlife conservation and protection.

"Now it's time for other countries to take a stand for elephants and demonstrate global leadership on the closure of commercial processing and sales of ivory," he said.
The VRA identified as Boyini Sailoo was working at Kambapoor village of Pitlam Mandal of Kamareddy district.

By Ashish Pandey: A Village Revenue Assistant (VRA) was allegedly killed by sand mafia in Kamareddy district of Telangana.

The government officer was mowed down by a tractor by mafia on late Wednesday night. The police recovered his dead body on Thursday when villagers alerted them.

The VRA identified as Boyini Sailoo was working at Kambapoor village of Pitlam Mandal of Kamareddy district. He had recently made a raid after receiving information about illegal sand mining which is rampant in district and part of state.

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He informed his higher officer too before leaving to the Kakivagu stream where the sand mafia were present. But he never made it back home and later, his dead body was found by the villagers.

Police has registered a case and the investigation is ongoing.

However, the opposition parties of the state targeted the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti government and alleged that several of its party workers and leaders are involved in illegal sand mining. They also said that MLA, in particular, are protecting the Mafia and forcing officials to not take strap against them.

--- ENDS ---
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 06:02:23|Editor: Zhou Xin

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HARARE, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's wildlife conservation industry has welcomed China's ban on ivory trade but stressed on the need for strong enforcement for the measure to be effective.

The ban entered into force on Dec. 31, 2017, in China, once the world's biggest market for ivory.

Tom Milliken of Traffic International, a global wildlife trade monitoring network, told Xinhua Friday that the effectiveness of the ban was hinged on strict enforcement of the law.

"China's ivory trade ban will be as effective as its law enforcement action that will be employed to implement it," Milliken said. "Policy changes alone is not going to work unless strong action on law enforcement is taken."

Zimbabwe has over the years battled poaching of its wildlife, particularly the elephant and the rhino, with the number of its endangered rhino falling to about 800 due to poaching.

The size of Zimbabwe's elephant herd, at 84,000, is more than its carrying capacity.

Due to a Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) ban on ivory trade, Zimbabwe has been unable to sell its huge stockpile of ivory, which now stands at 70 tons.

Last month, authorities intercepted 200 kg of ivory at the Harare Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, which was destined for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

In 2013, Zimbabwe witnessed one of its worst poaching cases in years when poachers poisoned more than 100 elephants with cyanide in the country's largest game reserve, Hwange National Park.

Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, said China's ban on ivory trade could potentially help reduce poaching of wildlife in Zimbabwe.

"I believe it (ban) will help contain the poaching problem if the two countries enforce their policies and police their rules," Rodrigues said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 06:47:30|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The unrest in Iran does not constitute a threat to international peace and security, said Francois Delattre, the French ambassador to the United Nations, on Friday.

"However worrying the events of the last few days in Iran may be, they do not constitute, per se, a threat to international peace and security. We must react appropriately to what is going on," Delattre told the Security Council in a debate on the situation in Iran.

"In other words, we must ensure that we remain watchful and we give proper vigilance to what is happening ... we must be aware of any attempts to exploit the crisis for personal ends."

"Change in Iran will not come from without, it will come from the Iranian people themselves."

It's up to the Iranians and to the Iranians alone to pursue the path of peaceful dialogue, a dialogue based on full respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Iranian people, he said.

The French envoy stressed the need to uphold an international agreement on Iran's nuclear program. "We must commit fully to upholding the nuclear agreement with Iran ... and to promoting its implementation."

The July 2015 agreement between Iran and six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- is one of the cornerstones of stability of the Middle East as a whole, he said.

To lose this hard-won ground would be a major setback not just for the region, but also for the entire international community, and for the non-proliferation regime, he said. "The consequences and fallout might be very heavy."

He called for "realistic and robust dialogue" with Iran concerning Tehran's ballistic missile activities. He also asked countries to engage in frank and open discussions with Iran "so that with Tehran we can address the concerns pertaining to Iran's influence over the Middle East and its role in regional crises."

Despite sometimes deep divisions, dialogue with Iran is essential, said Delattre.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 06:47:31|Editor: yan

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CARACAS, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) "will never yield" to U.S. sanctions, Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza said on Friday.

The foreign minister made the remarks after the United States announced new punitive measures against four military officials.

Earlier, U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert reported the Treasury Department sanctioned the "senior military officers and officials for alleged corruption."

"Nauert and the whole world should know the FANB will never yield before any foreign power, much less before the imperialist and warmongering forces of the supremacist government of Donald Trump," Arreaza tweeted.

The first sanctions of 2018 come atop previous ones announced last year, including against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and Vice President Tareck El Aissami.

Ties with the United States have been less than friendly since Venezuela's ruling socialist party (PSUV) came to power under the late reformist leader Hugo Chavez.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-06 06:52:32|Editor: yan

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LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- A total of 11 films have been nominated for the top honor bestowed by the Producers Guild of America (PGA), the group announced Friday.

It's the first time, not 10 but 11 films will race for the the PGA's Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures as the result of a tie in voting.

The nominees are "The Big Sick," "Call Me by Your Name," "Dunkirk," "Get Out," "I, Tonya," "Lady Bird," "Molly's Game," "The Post," "The Shape of Water," "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," and "Wonder Woman."

Among the front-runners, fantasy drama film "The Shape of Water" about a mute, female janitor who is drawn into an otherworldly love affair, tops all movies with seven nominations, including Best Picture, at Sunday's 75th annual Golden Globes.

The black comedy crime film "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" led the nominations with four nods, including best ensemble, for the 24th annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards on Jan. 21.

The Producers Guild has made progress in reducing gender inequality with its nominations list this year, as two of the eleven nominees are directed by women, including Patty Jenkins' "Wonder Woman" and Greta Gerwig's "Lady Bird".

Only eight of the top 100 movies in 2017 were directed by women and only 4.3 percent of the 1,223 directors of the 1,100 top movies over the last decade from 2007 to 2017 were female, according to a new study released Thursday by the University of Southern California.

Producers Guild of America kicks out former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein disgraced by sex scandal in October.

The PGA has remained one of the most reliable Oscar precursors on the awards season trail, matching the Oscar for best picture in 19 of its 28 years.

The nominees of the Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures are "The Boss Baby," "Coco," "Despicable Me 3," "Ferdinand" and "The Lego Batman Movie."

All 2018 Producers Guild Awards winners will be announced on Jan. 20, 2018 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in western U.S. city of Los Angeles.

The PGA is a trade association representing television producers, film producers and New Media producers in the United States. The PGA's membership includes over 7,000 members of the producing establishment worldwide.
Marijuana products fill a display cabinet in the Herban Legends pot shop on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, in Seattle. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has rescinded an Obama-era policy that paved the way for legalized marijuana to flourish in states where the drug is legal across the country, creating new confusion about enforcement and use just three days after a new legalization law went into effect in California. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Update, 3:05 p.m. -- No new rocks fell onto Thorp Road and only very small, slow-moving rocks were found to have fallen in the direction of th
Gnanavel Raja, the producer of Thaanaa Serndha Koottam, says that they are happy that the song is hurting people it should hurt.

By Kirubhakar Purushothaman : After Mersal, Suriya's film has offended another Tamil Nadu politician. An ADMK official Sathish Kumar has filed a complaint with Chennai Police Commissioner office against the 'Sodakku Song' from Thaanaa Serndha Koottam, which is set to release this Pongal.

According to reports, Sathish Kumar has said that the song is 'anti-politician'.

A particular line in the song, 'Adhigara thimira, panakara powera, veratti veratti veluka thonuthu' (Feel like chasing and bashing the atrocities of the powerful and the rich), seems to have offended the politician, who has called for a ban on the song.

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However, when IndiaToday.in got in touch with the producer of the film, Gnanavel Raja, he said that he was rather amused by the complaint.

He said, "We are happy that the song is hurting the people it should hurt. Only a corrupt person will take offence to the song. The song is not 'anti-politician', it is actually 'anti-corruption'. I don't know which group of the ADMK Sathish Kumar belongs to. However, he is just exposing that his side is corrupt."

He added, "We haven't received any notice yet. We only got to know about such complaints through media reports. We hope it gets us good popularity like the controversy got it for Mersal. Also, ADMK is bigger than the BJP here, so we are expecting a bigger promotion than what Mersal got (laughs)."

Starring Suriya in the lead, the film is directed by Vignesh Shivn and has Keerthy Suresh, Ramya Krishnan in pivotal roles.

Here is the song:

ALSO WATCH: Mersal vs Modi - Don't filmmakers have right to be critical and make political statements?

--- ENDS ---
York Senior Center

 Join the guys at the York Senior Center and shoot a game or two of pool Monday through Friday mornings from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1  3:30 p.m.

 The York Senior Center will hold exercise classes Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:30  11 a.m. Classes are free for ages 55 and older. Resistance bands and light weights are used.

 Cards are played at the York Senior Center Monday through Friday at 1 p.m. Dominoes and Bridge are played on Mondays, Pitch on Tuesdays and Fridays, Pinochle on Wednesdays and Thursdays and Canasta on Thursdays.

Individuals and card groups are welcome all the time!

 The York Senior Center will be closed Dec. 25  Jan. 7 for the installation of a new floor.

Stromsburg Senior Center

 The Stromsburg Senior Center will hold exercise classes every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 9 a.m. each day at the Viking Center.

 The Stromsburg Senior Center will have cards every Friday at 1:30 p.m.

 Stromsburg Senior Center members will play Community Pitch with Osceola in Osceola on Monday, Jan. 8.

 The Stromsburg Senior Center will hold a business meeting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

 The Stromsburg Senior Center will hold a Crafts Class at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

 The Stromsburg Senior Center will hold at potluck lunch at noon on Monday, Jan. 15.

 The Stromsburg Senior Center will host a Blood Pressure Clinic from 9:30  11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16.

 Stromsburg Senior Center members will play pool at Shelby on Monday, Jan. 29.

Fairmont Senior Center

 The Fairmont Senior Center board will meet at 1 p.m., on Monday, Jan. 8.

Geneva Public Library

 Childrens Storytime will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 9:30 a.m. at the Geneva Public Library. Toddlers, preschoolers and their parents are invited.

 Geneva Public Library will hold Family Game Night on Thursday, Jan. 11. Drop in anytime between 6 and 8 p.m. with your friends and family to play board, card and dice games.

 Teen Activities Group (TAG) will meet Monday, Jan. 15 from 7 - 9 p.m. at the Geneva Public Library. this open group of teens will be discussing This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp. Its not too late to grab a copy of the book if youd like one. If you can, please bring a smartphone or tablet for games after the book discussion.

 Childrens Storytime will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 9:30 a.m. at the Geneva Public Library. Toddlers, preschoolers and their parents are invited.

 Childrens Storytime will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 9:30 a.m. at the Geneva Public Library. Toddlers, preschoolers and their parents are invited.

 LEGO Night will be held at the Geneva Public Library on Thursday, Jan. 25. Stop in anytime between 6 and 8 p.m. and build whatever your imagination desires.

York Adopt A Pet

YORK -- York Adopt A Pet will host a Woof & Whiskers Wingding fundraiser event on Saturday, Jan. 6 from 6:30  11:55 p.m. at the Cornerstone Ag & Event Center in York. Funds raised will go toward overhead and maintenance costs on the Adopt A Pet building, veterinary costs, medicine, payroll and other expenses. The social hour will begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. A live auction will start at 7 p.m. and the Beaver Creek Band will perform from 8 p.m.  12 a.m. Individuals must be 21 years of age or older to attend.

Gresham Seniors

GRESHAM -- A senior dinner will be held Monday, Jan. 8, at noon at the community center.

Fairmont Library

FAIRMONT -- Quilt Night at the library will be Monday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m.

Fillmore County Hospital Auxiliary

GENEVA -- The Fillmore County Hospital Auxiliary will meet Jan. 8, 2018 at 2 p.m. in the Conference Room A next to the hospital dining room. All current members need to pay their 2018 dues of $5 in the month of January. New members are always welcome. Come to the meeting in January or call Marsha Jorgensen at 402.366.9417, Joan Ackland at 402.759.2053 or April at the hospital at 402.759.3167 anytime if you need more information.

Palmer Pals to meet

YORK  The Palmer Pals will hold their regular meeting at the museum on Tuesday, Jan. 9, at 6 p.m.

Waco Village Board

WACO -- The Waco Village Board will meet on Monday, Jan. 9, at 7:30 p.m.

Benedict Village Board

BENEDICT -- The Benedict Village Board will meet Tuesday, Jan. 9, at 6:30 p.m., at the community center.

Fairmont Village Board

FAIRMONT -- The Fairmont Village Board will meet Tuesday, Jan. 9, at 7 p.m.

Girl Scout Troop #50011

BENEDICT -- Girl Scout Troop #50011 will meet Wednesday, Jan. 10, from 6-7:30 p.m., at the community center.

The Priscillas

FAIRMONT -- On Wednesday, Jan. 10, the Priscillas will meet at noon at the senior center. Call Darlene Fischer to make reservations.

Benedict Volunteer Fire Department

BENEDICT -- The next business meeting for the Benedict Volunteer Fire Department will be held Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m.

Cross County Booster Club

STROMSBURG -- The Cross County Booster Clubs chili cook-off fundraiser will be held from 5-7 p.m., on Thursday, Jan. 11, in the commons area. To enter chili in the contest, call Quinn Peterson at 402-363-1075. A suggested donation of $5 includes samples of all the chilis as well as a bowl of choice, plus a cinnamon roll.

Gresham Rural Fire Board

GRESHAM -- The Gresham Rural Fire Board will meet Thursday, Jan. 11, at 11:45 a.m., at the fire station.

Nebraska Czechs of York

YORK -- The Nebraska Czechs of York will meet at Hunters Lounge in Waco on Saturday, Jan. 13. Appetizers will be served at 6 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Dues will be collected. Jenny Magner, Fulbright Scholar recipient, will give a presentation on her stay in the Czech Republic.

Gresham Fire Department

GRESHAM -- The monthly firemens meeting will be held Monday, Jan. 15, at 7:30 p.m., at the fire station.

York Area Chamber of Commerce

YORK -- The annual York Area Chamber of Commerce banquet is set for Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 and will be at Yorks Holthus Convention Center. Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m. with dinner being served at 6:30 p.m.. Tickets are on sale now for just $20. Please contact our office at 402-362-5531 for tickets.

GFWC/NFWC Fairmont Womans Club

FAIRMONT -- On Tuesday, Jan. 16, the GFWC/NFWC Fairmont Womans Club will meet at the senior center at 1:30 p.m., for the regular meeting. Thought for the Day will be presented by Carol Bettger. The program will be about the March of Dimes. Those who attend are asked to bring $1 for each pair of shoes they own. There will also be a presentation by foreign exchange students.

York County Development Corporation

YORK -- On Thursday, Jan. 18, the York County Development Corporation will have its traveling office at the Benedict Community Center from 9-11 a.m. If someone has a business project they would like to discuss they can stop in during that time.

Benedict Volunteer Fire Department

BENEDICT -- The Benedict Volunteer Fire Department will have its annual beef and pork barbecue on Saturday, Jan. 20, at the community center. Serving will be from 5-8 p.m. Drive-through service will be available. Use the alley north of the community center and enter from the east off Lovena Avenue.

Fillmore County American Legion and Auxiliary

SHICKLEY -- The Fillmore County American Legion and Auxiliary joint meeting will be held on Jan. 21, 2018 at the Shickley Community Center in Shickley hosted by Post and Unit #164. Registration will be held at 2:30 p.m. and the meeting at 3 p.m. followed by lunch. Representatives from Exeter, Fairmont, Geneva, Ohiowa, Milligan and Shickley Posts and Units are invited to attend.

Waco CBO

WACO -- The next CBO meeting will be Jan. 22, at 7 p.m., at the community building. The CBO will hold officer elections at the January meeting. If anyone is interested in joining, or would like to be an officer, the following positions are available  secretary and treasurer.

York County GOP

YORK -- Kilgore Memorial Library will host a York County GOP Meet & Greet on Tuesday, Jan. 23 from 5:30  7 p.m. Candidates from various races will be present. Find more details on the York County GOP Facebook page.

Benedict Mens Club

BENEDICT -- The Benedict Mens Club will have a pitch tournament on Saturday, Jan. 27, at the community center. Six-point pitch will be played by two-player teams. Sign-up will start at 7 p.m., and card playing will start at 7:30 p.m.

Waco Cemetery Board

WACO -- The next Waco Cemetery Board meeting will be Thursday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m., at the Waco village office.

Friends of the Library

YORK -- The Friends of the Library will again host York Uncorked on Saturday, Feb. 10 from 5:30  8 p.m. at Kilgore Memorial Library. There will be fine wines, liquors and craft brews for tasting along with delicious chocolate treats and other savory delights. Advance tickets may be purchased for $20 at Kirks Korner, Kilgore Memorial Library and at the Chamber of Commerce office. Tickets will be $25 at the door. Must be 21 or older to attend.
As a homeowner, you probably already know that you should be working to maintain your home. But, chances are, you Read More
By PTI: New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) The truncated winter session of Parliament ended today during which the Lok Sabha passed 12 bills and the Rajya Sabha 9, even as the two chambers lost 15 and 34 hours respectively due to disruptions.

The session that started on December 15 ended today with the adjournment of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sine die.

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Prime Mnister Narendra Modi was present in both the Houses when they were adjourned.

The highlight of the Lok Sabha proceedings was the passage of the triple talaq bill that seeks to criminalise the practice of instant divorce among Muslims with imprisonment up to three years for the errant husband.

Announcing the adjournment of the lower house, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the session held 13 sittings spread over 61 hours and 48 minutes and lost about 15 hours due to disruptions and adjournments.

"In this session, while we lost over 14 hours and 51 minutes of time due to interruptions followed by forced adjournments. The House also sat late for 8 hours and 10 minutes to discuss various important issues," she said.

In the Upper House, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said though Parliament was a political institution, it "cannot be an extension of politics in its typical sense which is marked by deep divisions and acrimony."

He also urged members to seriously introspect on their conduct in the House which lost almost 34 hours due to frequent disruptions.

Ahead of adjourning the House sine die at 1 PM, Naidu said the session had its highs and lows, but lamented that it ended up "losing some degree of esteem" on account of disruptions.

"It is unfortunate that despite discharging its responsibilities to a great extent, the august House ends up losing some degree of the esteem of the people on account of disruptions and substantial loss of functional time.

"Intense and passionate submissions and debates are the order of democracy, but disruptions are certainly not. I urge upon members to seriously introspect in this regard," he said.

Naidu also said it was "an opportunity for all of us to review, recall and introspect" about how the proceedings have been conducted in the House.

This, he said, was the first full session after he took over as the Chairman, and it could have been better than what it proved to be.

Parliament, he said, is an important institution for furthering the shared socio-economic goals of the nation which are critical to fulfilling the aspirations of the citizens who are the chief patrons of our parliamentary democracy.

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"The legislatures of our country including the apex Parliament need to quickly evolve in the way we conduct our proceedings so as to meet the needs of our evolving nation," he said.

Recalling the highs and lows, Naidu said one high point was that the government and the opposition reiterated their commitment to respecting and upholding the high office of the prime minister and ex- prime minister, and hoped this spirit prevails in future.

Another high point of the session, he said, was the way all sections of the House spoke in one voice in a restrained way about Kulbhushan Jadhav meeting his family members in Pakistan.

"This has been an exemplary case of members going beyond party lines on larger issue of common concern," he said.

Naidu said he was glad that leaders of all parties in the House created a record by taking up all listed starred questions on January 2, 2018 after 15 years. The need of the hour is to carry this spirit into the future, he said.

The Lok Sabha passed several important bills during the session including those for raising the salaries of judges, central road fund (amendment) bill, the requisitioning and acquisition of immovable property bill, the national capital territory of Delhi laws (special provisions) second (amendment) bill and the goods and services tax (compensation to states) amendment bill.

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The Speaker said 16 bills were introduced by the government in the session.

During the session, she said, 280 starred questions were listed, of which 45 were answered orally. Written replies to the remaining starred questions along with 3220 unstarred questions were tabled.

About 198 matters of urgent public importance were raised by the members who sat till late in the evening.

Standing committees presented 41 Reports to the House.

The Lok Sabha held a short duration discussion on natural calamities in various part of the country, with special reference to cyclone Ockhi in south India.

In the Rajya Sabha, 19 Private Members Bills were introduced and one was discussed at length. The House also deliberated on important issues like the state of economy and employment generation, besides the high levels of air pollution in Delhi.

The Rajya Sabha also bid farewell to three members - Karan Singh, Janardan Dwivedi and Parvez Hashmi, representing the National Capital Territory of Delhi, who would be retiring on January 27. PTI SKC KR SK

--- ENDS ---
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - This morning, just before 12:30 am, a trailer was reported on fire at the Colorado Street Trailer Park, 1980 West Colorado Street. Arriving Yuma Fire Department personnel found a travel trailer with heavy smoke and flames coming from it. Firefighters quickly knocked down the fire, preventing it from spreading to other structures.

The trailer was completely destroyed and a neighboring trailer had a small amount of damage from radiant heat. The occupant of the trailer, where the fire occurred, was not home at the time of the fire. Investigators from both the Yuma Fire Department and Yuma Police Department are working to determine the cause of the fire.

Anyone with information about this fire is asked to contact Fire Investigator Bill Jones at 928-373-4850 or Detective Erick Fell at 928-373-4700.
Iohannis, scapat de amenda de instanta suprema

Inalta Curte de Casatie si Justitie a admis cererea presedintelui Klaus Iohannis de anulare a amenzii de 5.000 de lei primita in mai 2020 de la Consiliul National pentru Combaterea Discriminarii (CNCD), in urma unor declaratii pe care le-a facut privind un proiect de lege referitor la autonomia Tinutului [citeste mai departe]
For the first time in Saint Louis Zoo history, a Cheetah has given birth to eight cubs. Three males and five females were born at the Saint Louis Zoo Rivers Edge Cheetah Breeding Center on November 26, 2017.

In over 430 litters documented by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), this is the first time a female Cheetah has produced and reared on her own a litter of eight cubs at a zoo. The average litter size is three to four cubs.

The first few months of life are critical for newborn Cheetahs. The Saint Louis Zoos animal care staff is closely monitoring the new family and it appears that all eight cubs are healthy. Four-year-old Bingwa (BING-wah), which means champion in Swahili, continues to be an exemplary mother, according to the Cheetah care team.

She has quickly become adept at caring for her very large litter of cubs: grooming, nursing and caring for them attentively, says Steve Bircher, curator of mammals/carnivores at the Saint Louis Zoo.

Photo Credits: Carolyn Kelly & Saint Louis Zoo (Images 1,2,4) / Saint Louis Zoo (Images 3,5)

Bingwa is on loan to the Saint Louis Zoo from Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. The cubs nine-year-old father, Jason, is on loan from White Oak Conservation in Yulee, Florida. The birth of these eight cubs is a result of a breeding recommendation from the AZA Cheetah Species Survival Plan (SSP), a program to manage a genetically healthy population of cheetahs in North American zoos.

Weve brought together Cheetahs from great distances to continue this important breeding program, says Bircher. These handsome cats add genetic diversity to the North American Cheetah SSP population.

Since 1974, the Zoo has been a leader in Cheetah reproductive research and breeding. Over 50 cubs have been born at the Saint Louis Zoos Cheetah Breeding Center.

Historically, Cheetahs have ranged widely throughout Africa and Asia. Today, fewer than 10,000 individuals inhabit a broad section of Africa, and less than 100 remain in Iran. Over the past 50 years, Cheetahs have become extinct in at least 13 countries. The main causes of decline are human-cheetah conflict, interspecific competition and lack of genetic diversity.

To help protect Cheetahs in the wild, the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for Conservation of Carnivores in Africa is working with its partners in Tanzania and Namibia to coordinate cheetah conservation efforts, including education, research and other programs to mitigate human-cheetah conflicts.

Cheetahs are frequently persecuted for killing livestock. Our conservation partners are finding ways to improve the lives of local herders by providing education opportunities, food and medical supplies, so they can live peacefully with Cheetahs and support their protection, says Bircher.

According to staff, the Zoos mother and eight cubs are doing well and will remain in their private, indoor maternity den behind the scenes at Rivers Edge for the next several months.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-04 05:46:21|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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KIEV, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Ukrainian government has implemented a total of 399 major projects last year aimed at developing the regional infrastructure, the government press service said on Wednesday.

The projects include the construction or overhauls of hospitals, schools, kindergartens and transport infrastructure facilities, said the statement on the government's website.

To carry out the projects, the government has allocated about 125 million U.S. dollars from the State Regional Development Fund, the statement said.

The government's investments in regional infrastructure development are expected to rise by about two-thirds in 2018, it said.

In 2017, the Ukrainian government started a major modernization of the state and regional infrastructure. The infrastructure upgrade program included the projects on roads, seaports and airports overhaul.

Last month, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said that the infrastructure modernization in Ukraine will enhance the country's role in building the modern Silk Road.
By PTI: (Eds: Updating with additional inputs)

Karachi, Jan 5 (PTI) Two Hindu brothers were today shot dead outside their grain shop by bike-borne robbers in Tharparkar district of Pakistans Sindh province, triggering protests from the minority community.

The victims, identified as Dileep Kumar and Chandar Maheshwari were grain traders. They were opening their shop in the grain market in Mithi area of the district when the incident took place, the Express Tribune reported.

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According to police, in the first ever robbery incident in the city, bike-borne dacoits tried to snatch the money from the brothers, but when they resisted, the robbers shot them.

Following the incident, traders shut their business in Hindu-dominated areas in the district in protest and people blocked main roads and staged sit-ins, leading to traffic jams.

Local people alleged that police reached late at the spot as most of the personnel have been deployed in Mirpurkhas for the security arrangement of a rally organised by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), where former President Asif Ali Zardari is supposed to address, the report said.

Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal directed the Senior Superintendent of Police of Umerkot to probe the killing. PTI SMJ AKJ SMJ

--- ENDS ---
Ranchi: A Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court will on Friday pronounce the quantum of sentence in the infamous fodder scam case against former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and 15 others.

Fodder scam case relates to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar treasury 21 years ago.

The court had deferred the sentencing in the case till today.

The special court had earlier deferred the fodder scam sentencing till January 4 in wake of the demise of advocate Vindeshwari Parsad.

While deferring the sentence, the Ranchi special court also found RJD leaders Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Tejashwi Yadav and Manoj Jha guilty of contempt of court and summoned them on January 23.

Deferring the sentencing for the second day in a row, CBI judge Shiv Pal Singh said he would decide on Friday whether the sentence would be given over video conference or in the court.

To this, Prasad said he was for personal appearance and assured that there would be no slogans raised in the courtroom by his supporters.

The CBI court had on December 23, 2017, convicted the RJD chief and 15 others in a fodder scam case while acquitting six including another former Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra.

Lalu and Mishra are already convicted in a fodder scam case in 2013 and are out on bail.

Lalu and other convicts were taken into custody immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict.

In a series of tweets, Lalu Prasad had attacked the BJP over his conviction, accusing the party of playing 'dirty politics' to get votes by tarnishing the image of its opponents.

The RJD chief had said he would keep on fighting for social causes till his last breath.

"To hide its failures, false rhetoric and to get votes, the BJP uses every dirty immoral trick in politics to change the public perception of its opponents," he had said.

Lalu's lawyers had said that they will press for a minimum sentence for the RJD chief in view of his age and deteriorating health.

A chargesheet was filed against 38 persons on October 27, 1997, in the case. Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07.

Those convicted include three former IAS officials Phoolchand Mandal, Beck Julius and Mahesh Prasad.

Lalu is also facing trial in three more cases relating to the fodder scam.

(With Agency inputs)
Ranchi: Former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, who awaits sentencing in the fodder scam case, had complained of biting cold in a Ranchi jail where he is currently lodged.

The RJD chief, who was present before the CBI special court in connection with the fodder scam case yesterday, told the judge that he had ''done no wrong'' and that he found it "very cold" in prison.

According to a lawyer who was present in the courtroom, Lalu Yadav told the judge, "Sir, jail me thanda bahut lagta hai. (It is very cold in the prison.)"

The RJD leader added there were other problems too. "I am not allowed to meet people, he said."

The judge responded, ''That's why you are called to the court so that you can meet people. If you feel cold, then play harmonium or tabla to beat the cold."

When Lalu Prasad claimed innocence in the scandal he is accused of, the judge remarked, "You were Chief Minister and in-charge of the Finance department. You did not act on time. Please go. Today is not your (day) of sentencing."

The banter went on.

Lalu Prasad said, "Sir, I am also a lawyer."

"Then take a degree in jail," the judge replied.

"Sir, everything gets OK if one has a cool mind, " Lalu added.

To which the judge replied, ''I do not listen to anyone. Your well-wishers have been calling from far off places."

The judge then offered that video-conferencing can take place if the RJD leader had a problem coming to the court.

Lalu Prasad then said, ''No Sir, I have no problem, I will come to court."

Lalu Prasad's sentencing is expected today.

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on December 23 convicted the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and 15 others in a case relating to the multi-million-rupee fodder scam.

According to lawyers, Lalu Prasad can be awarded three to seven years of punishment. If he gets three years jail term, he would get bail soon after sentencing.

Lalu Prasad is currently lodged at the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi.

(With IANS inputs)
PATNA: A 29-year-old engineer in Bihar was on Wednesday reportedly abducted and forced to get married to a woman at gunpoint.

The incident that took place in Patna's Pandarak area, came to light after clips of the wedding went viral on social media.

(Video Courtesy: Amazing Videos)

In the video, Vinod Kumar, a junior manager at Bokaro Steel Plant, is seen being thrashed and compelled to perform wedding rituals.

"We are only performing your wedding, not hanging you," her relatives are heard saying in the video.

Media reports suggest that this is a case of forced marriage, popularly known as 'pakadua shadi' in the local language.

Vinod, who hails from neighbouring Khusrupur area, went to the place to attend his colleague's marriage. Following this, he was abducted and taken to Pandarak.

Vinod who hardly even knew the name of the bride was quoted by DNA as saying, "One of his family members pointed a pistol at me and ordered to marry the girl."

"After my forced marriage, the girl's family members kept me inside a room whole night. Next day, I contacted my brother who reached the village and contacted the police," he said.

Later, Vinod's family submitted a written complaint to Pandarak police station, however, he said that the police did not register an FIR.

"Instead, police asked my family to manage things as the marriage was already solemnized," he said. He alleged that Surendra and his family members were threatening him and his family over the home and asking his family to accept the girl.
New Delhi: The gorgeous Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has her kitty full of really plum deals. Besides much-talked project Fanney Khan starring Anil Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao, she has not just one but two films backed by the same producer Prerna Arora.

The producer had earlier confirmed that after collaborating with Ash on Fanney Khan, there are two other projects in the pipeline. The actress will be seen in the remake version of legendary actress Nargis starrer 1967 film, Raat Aur Din.

The Raat Aur Din remake will see her essay a double role reportedly and probably that explains why Ash has demanded a whopping Rs 10 crore fee. According to Mid-Day.com, Since Aishwarya has a double role, the film will require extensive preparation. It will be a time-consuming project, which means she will have to let go of the other films that come her way. The fee she has quoted is fair. The producers have agreed to the amount without any negotiation.

Legendary actress Nargis Dutt won the coveted National Award for Best Actress in 1968 for her powerful act in Raat Aur Din. The actress played a character suffering from split personality disorder.

At a time when pay disparity based on gender is a burning issue in Bollywood, Aishwarya demanded a Rs 10 crore fee for her part should not raise any eyebrows. Several generation next male actors such as Varun Dhawan, Ranveer Singh etc are striking an equally plum deal so it's high time that an actress of Ash's calibre takes home a fat pay cheque.
Mumbai: Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the Central Board of Film Certification may have reached a truce but there seems to be no respite for the makers of Padmavati (now Padmavat) as a nationwide protest led by Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena has reportedly begun today.

According to a report in CNN News 18, the Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena demanded the resignation of Union Cabinet Minister Information & Broadcasting Smriti Irani, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, and CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi.

The film based on an Avadhi poem written by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasis Padmavat penned in 1540, has been in the eye of storm since its inception over its historical content. Protestors allege that the film distorts history and misrepresents facts.

The magnum opus starring Deepika Padukone ( as Rani Padmavati), Shahid Kapoor (as Maharawal Ratan Singh) and Ranveer Singh (as Alauddin Khilji) was initially slated to hit the silverscreen on December 1 last year. But owing to relentless nationwide protests the makers of the film had to defer its release. Moreover, the film was also stuck at the censor board and hadnt been certified for screening.

On Sunday, December 30, the CBFC ended all speculations about the films certificate and the issues related to the cuts / modifications that were suggested to the filmmakers.

The censor board suggested no cuts but only five modifications in Padmavati, Joshi clarified on Sunday.

Among the modifications, the body has suggested "to change the disclaimer clearly to one that does not claim historical accuracy" and to further add a point that the film in no manner subscribes to the practice of Sati or seeks to glorify it.

Secondly, the title of the movie was asked to be changed from Padmavati to Padmavat, given the filmmakers have attributed their material/creative source to the fictional poem Padmavat and not history.

The song `Ghoomar` was also asked to be modified so as to make the depiction befitting the character being portrayed.

Lastly, the CBFC has also the filmmakers to modify the incorrect/misleading references to historical places.

Joshi also informed that the viewing of the movie took place on December 28, wherein the examining committee members and a special panel were also present.

After a long discussion, the team met with the filmmakers."The filmmakers, Bhansali Productions, in a written communication to CBFC had themselves too requested for a special panel of historians/academicians and members of the Rajput community to view the Film," the CBFC chief stated in an email sent to ANI.

The special panel consisted of Arvind Singh, a member of the former Royal family of Mewar, historian Dr. Chandramani Singh and Prof K.K. Singh of the Jaipur University.

After making the suggested changes, the film would be given a UA certificate.

The protests surrounding the movie has not ended even after the censor body cleared it for the release, as Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi on Saturday threatened to vandalise all the cinema halls showing the film.

Meanwhile, erstwhile royal of Udaipur, Vishvaraj Singh slammed the CBFC for suggesting modifications to the film without his accord.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Rebel Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas on Friday hit back at his party colleague Gopal Rai for alleging that he was at the "centre" of conspiracies hatched to topple the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi after the municipal polls.

Speaking to reporters, the poet-politician took a dig at Gopal Rai and said that latter has woken up from a deep slumber seven months after the party's loss in municipal elections in Delhi.

#WATCH Kumar Vishvas speaks on Aam Aadmi Party's Gopal Rai, says, "Mera unse anurodh hai ki naye-naye Congress aur BJP se aaye hue jo Guptas hain, unke yogdaan ka kuch din anand lain, mere shav ke saath ched-chad na karen." pic.twitter.com/XUzqKuxXvY ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018

''You have beaten me but now don't meddle with the remains,'' Kumar Vishwas said.

Vishwas also quoted popular characters from southern actor Prabhas's blockbuster 'Baahubali' while attacking Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders.

Comparing himself to 'Baahubali', he said someone else is the 'Shivagami Devi' (queen) of this Mahishmati kingdom. Here new Kattappas are born every day to kill 'Baahubali'.

The reactions from Kumar Vishwas came a day after he was not named as AAP's Rajya Sabha nominees.

AAP's Delhi convenor Gopal Rai had yesterday claimed that after the MCD polls in April last year, "there were attempts to bring down the government and Kumar Vishwas was the principal mover and at the centre of those conspiracies".

"Most of the meetings in this regard involving a few MLAs were held at his residence. Kapil Mishra was a part of it and later he was removed from the cabinet," he said during a Facebook Live session.

The disgruntled AAP leader had yesterday alleged that he was punished for saying the truth about Kejriwal's decisions and that he accepted his "martyrdom".

During the social media session, Rai referred to a video that Vishwas had released indirectly attacking the Kejriwal government on the issue of corruption.

Rai said that through the video, Vishwas sought to scuttle the AAP's chances in the municipal polls, which the party eventually lost to the BJP.

"He is a person who attacks the party from every possible public platform. Can such a person be sent to the Rajya Sabha?" Rai asked.

Earlier in the day, Vishwas had tweeted that he will never rethink the stance on various issues that he took in the video.

"The voice of this video was, is and will remain on top for me, despite the cost I had to pay recently. I will never compromise on any stand in this video, even if more sacrifices are needed in future, because it's not just me, it's We, The Nation!" he tweeted.

Vishwas had on Wednesday expressed his anger for not being included in Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP's final list of candidates for election to Rajya Sabha.

''Kejriwal had sometimes back said that I won't kill you but I will make a martyr of you,'' the poet-politician had said.

The reactions from Kumar Vishwas came minutes after the party announced the names of Sanjay Singh, Narayan Das Gupta and Sushil Gupta as its nominees for the Rajya Sabha.

The announcement was made by Kejriwal's close associate and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Vishwas has reportedly been at odds with the AAP central leadership for some time now - a major reason why he was not considered for the Rajya Sabha.

Delhi sends three members to the Rajya Sabha. Currently, the city-state is being represented by Janardan Dwivedi, Parvez Hashmi, Karan Singh, whose terms end in January next year.

With its brute majority in the 67-member Delhi Legislative Assembly, it won't be much difficult for the party to get its three members elected to the Upper House.

(With Agency Inputs)
New Delhi: Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday introduced a bill to protect the interests of consumers that proposes stricter action against misleading advertisements and food adulteration.

The Consumer Protection Bill, 2018, was introduced after Paswan withdrew an older bill, The Consumer Protection Bill 2015. The bill would amend the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.

Highlights of the Bill

-The Bill replaces the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The Bill enforces consumer rights, and provides a mechanism for redressal of complaints regarding defect in goods and deficiency in services.

-Consumer Dispute Redressal Commissions will be set up at the district, state and national levels for adjudicating consumer complaints.

-The Bill establishes a Consumer Protection Authority to investigate into consumer complaints, issue safety notices for goods and services, and pass orders for recall of goods and against misleading advertisements.

-If a consumer suffers an injury from a defect in a good, he may file a claim of product liability against the manufacturer. The consumer must establish seven conditions in order to prove such a claim.

-The Bill classifies six contract terms as unfair. These cover terms such as (i) payment of excessive security deposits; (ii) disproportionate penalty for a breach ; (iii) unilateral termination without cause; (iv) one which puts the consumer at a disadvantage.
New Delhi: BJP national president Amit Shah is likely to deliver his maiden speech in Parliament on Friday when the Rajya Sabha debates a GST bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha last week.

According to reports, Shah would deliver his speech in the Upper House on the proposed legislation, which sought to replace an ordinance issued in September to give effect to certain decisions of the GST Council.

During his speech, the BJP chief strategist is also likely to make a stinging attack on Rahul Gandhi-led Congress party, which has fiercely criticised the GST bill.

Congress's campaign in the recently concluded Gujarat assembly elections mainly focussed on a rollout of the new tax, which Rahul Gandhi had labelled "Gabbar Singh Tax" after the iconic Bollywood baddie.

The introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has been projected by the BJP as a major tax reform in the country since its Independence.

Shah had earlier said the new tax regime had led to an "economic integration" of the country.

Shah has been allocated the aisle seat right next to the two-seat block where Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Prime Minister Narendra Modi sit.

The seat allotted to Shah was previously occupied by M Venkaiah Naidu, who after being elected Vice President in August, is now the Chairman of Rajya Sabha.

The bill may come up for a discussion in a day or two, a BJP leader who did not wish to be named, said.

The ongoing Winter Session of Parliament is scheduled to conclude today.

(With Agency inputs)
Muzaffarabad (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir): The people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) continue to protest against Pakistan's exploitation of Kashmir's water resources.

Recently, the Awami Action Forum, political parties and people of Muzaffarabad staged a protest demonstration against the Kohala Hydropower project in PoK. They blocked the Muzaffarabad-Rawalpindi highway and raised slogans against the government.

The protesters demanded that the project should not commence without taking people into confidence.

Raza Mumtaz Khan of the Awami Action Committee said, "The Chinese company has not done any agreement with the Awami Action Forum and has not worked out to remove people's apprehensions over the project. The water resources of the area including Durbangarh and Narolla have dried up."

The China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC), the state-owned hydropower developer, won the right in January 2015 to develop the Kohala Hydropower Project.

The 1100 MW project is CTGC's largest investment in Pakistan, which is slated to be completed in 2021.

Construction of dams and hydropower projects in PoK has raised serious environmental concerns. Also, a large number of indigenous people have been displaced due to construction work at various sites.

People in PoK have been opposing these hydropower projects constructed by the Chinese companies as they are denied all rights including electricity and jobs.

Recently, over a hundred Kashmiri workers engaged at Neelum Jhelum Hydro Electric Project in were sacked by CGG-CMEC, a Chinese consortium.

Sacked employees carried out a massive protest against the consortium, demanding their jobs back or compensation in lieu of not being employed.

On July 7, 2007, the CGGC-CMEC (Gezhouba Gourp and China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation) was given a contract to construct the dam and power station in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a disputed territory of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The workers allege that they were sacked despite having a stay order from the court.

Despite all opposition, Pakistan has decided to build a new hydropower project of over700 megawatts in PoK through foreign financing at an estimated cost of USD 1.51 billion by 2022.

The Azad Pattan Hydropower Project (APHP) is a run of river scheme located on the Jhelum River in the Sudhanoti district of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and about 90 kilometres from Islamabad, Pakistani media reported.

The project would be completed by 2022 for which the authorities have sought an import tariff at Rs 8.05 per kilowatts.
Islamabad: In view of its growing international isolation and the administration of President Donald Trump freezing most of the United States' financial aid to Pakistan, the Asian nation appears to be in a fix over what to do and how to deal with the situation.

An article published in the country's leading daily Dawn claimed that ''Pakistan appears to be making an effort of main-streaming various organisations like Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and its charity wing Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation politically in the hope of reining in their militant activities.

"Faced with the conundrum of how to accommodate this large body of militants, especially given the official policy of cracking down against extremism in all its manifestations, the state - or certain elements of it - has adopted the path of main-streaming them," the Dawn editorial said.

The article, however, said that it appears to be a difficult task for the government in Pakistan to rein in and prosecute a popular figure like Hafiz Saeed, who is a UN-designated 'Global Terrorist'.

"The government's inability to build a prosecutable case against JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, and its unsuccessful attempts to have his detention extended, has made the task more difficult," the editorial said.

Clearly, the United States' announcement of aid cut has left Pakistan red-faced with several of its top figures accusing the Donald Trump administration of acting on India's behest.

Under global pressure to act firmly against extremists and their outfits if it does not want aid to be stopped, the Pakistan government has initiated action through the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), wherein, the corporate sector regulator has prohibited registered companies from donating cash to entities and individuals included in the consolidated list issued by the UN Security Council's sanctions committee.

The government has already prescribed a penalty of up to Rs10 million for those violating the sanctions regime. The SECP's latest measure is reportedly specific to the FIF, which like the JuD, is listed as an affiliate of the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba.

The Dawn editorial also cited several examples, including the decommissioning of the Irish Republican Army, to prove how global militant outfits have down arms and even evolved into political entities.

The editorial claimed that for the sake of credibility, it is essential the Government of Pakistan acts against such groups and their leaders abjure violence, as the IRA did.

Pakistan needs to convince the international community the FIF's charitable activities do not mask a more sinister agenda. So far, Pakistan has not been able to ensure that this criterion has been met, the editorial asserted.

The JuD predictably has accused the government of surrendering to Western powers. There were reports in the Pakistani media claiming that Hafiz Saeed has decided to register a political party in Pakistan. Reportedly, the party is being registered under the name of Mlli Muslim League Pakistan. Several Pakistani experts have expressed concerns that political main-streaming of JuD will have dangerous consequences for the country.

The editorial concluded by saying that the "government should not allow JuD to obfuscate the matter; instead, it must clearly explain why it has taken this step and what has necessitated this action now. Measures against militancy may coincide with Western expectations, but they are ultimately in Pakistan's own interest."

The article comes at a time when the United Sates suspended more than USD 1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network within its border and showing unwillingness to take "decisive actions" against them.

It comes days after President Donald Trump in a New Year tweet accused Pakistan of giving back nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing a "safe haven" to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

Prominent among the suspended amount include USD 255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

In addition, the Department of Defense suspended the entire USD 900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.

"Today we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance only, to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. We consider them to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a press briefing in Washington.

The US, she said, will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law.

Referring to the new South Asia Policy announced by Trump in August, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack the US and allied personnel.

(With Agency Inputs)
By PTI: considerations

Dehradun, Jan 5 (PTI) Madrassas in Uttarakhand are yet to comply with a state government order asking educational institutions to install a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi inside their premises, citing "religious considerations".

The order, issued to all government-run educational institutions after the Independence Day last year, asked them to install a picture of the prime minister inside their premises and to take a pledge to implement Modis vision of building a new India by 2022.

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"Madrassas in the state have not installed pictures of the PM because of religious considerations as Islam prohibits installation of pictures of living beings in mosques and madrassas," Deputy Registrar of Uttarakhand Madarsa Board Akhlaq Ahmad told PTI.

However, he said the refusal to install the picture of the prime minister should not be interpreted as their opposition to an individual.

"They arent opposed to any individual in particular. It is purely due to religious beliefs. Islam does not permit us to install pictures of living beings or individuals, including religious leaders inside mosques or madrassas," Ahmad said.

He said the order was issued by the state government in August last year and was passed on immediately by the Uttarakhand Madarsa Board to the district minority welfare officers for follow-up action.

"We have nothing against any individual. There is a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Uttarakhand Madarsa Board office here and all the board offices in the districts," Ahmad said. PTI ALM KJ

--- ENDS ---
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday referred to a five-judge Constitution bench a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the IPC's Section 497 which only punishes married man for having extra-martial sexual relations with another married woman.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud took a prima facie view that though the criminal law proceeds on "gender neutrality", the concept was absent in section 497 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which deals with the offence of adultery and referred the matter to the larger bench.

Section 497 on adultery says "whoever has sexual intercourse with a person who is and whom he knows or has reason to believe to be the wife of another man, without the consent or connivance of that man, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, is guilty of the offence of adultery, and shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both. In such case the wife shall not be punishable as an abettor".

The court order referring the challenge to the validity of Section 497 to the constitution bench came on a plea by petitioner Joseph Shine.

The PIL petitioner has also challenged Section 198 of the Code of Criminal Procedure that allows the aggrieved husband of the married woman in adulterous relationship to file a complaint and not the aggrieved wife of the man in adulterous relationship.

Shine has questioned the validity of these sections on the grounds of their being violative of the Constitution's Articles 14 (Equality before law), 15 (Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth) and 21 (Protection of life and personal liberty).

The apex court also referred to its 1954 judgement, delivered by a four-judge bench, that had upheld the validity of Section 497 saying that it did not violate fundamental rights like right to equality .

It referred to societal transformation and concepts of "gender equity" and "gender sensitivity" and said that affirmative rights have to be conferred upon women and earlier judgements needed to be examined by a larger Constitution bench.

The bench then referred the PIL filed by Joseph Shine, an Indian who is living in Italy, to a Constitution bench which would be set up by the CJI in his administrative capacity.

Earlier, the apex court had issued notice on the PIL that alleged that only married men can be punished for the offence of adultery for having consensual sex with the wife of another man.

It had also said if the husband gives consent for sexual intercourse between his wife and another man, then it nullifies the offence of adultery and turns the woman into a commodity, which goes against the principle of gender justice and the constitutional mandate of right to equality.

It had termed the provision "prima facie archaic" and said that it was "tantamount to subordination of a woman where the Constitution confers equal status".

"A time has come when the society must realise that a woman is equal to a man in every field. This provision, prima facie, appears to be quite archaic.

"When the society progresses and the rights are conferred, the new generation of thoughts spring, and that is why, we are inclined to issue notice," the bench had said.

The court had said it needed to examine why a married woman, who may have been an equal partner to the offence of adultery with a married man who is not her husband, should not be punished along with the man.

Secondly, the bench had said it will examine if the husband of a woman gives his consent or connives for sexual intercourse with another married man, then does it not turn her into a commodity.

"Prima facie, on a perusal of Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code, we find that it grants relief to the wife by treating her as a victim. It is also worthy to note that when an offence is committed by both of them, one is liable for criminal offence but the other is absolved," it had said.

Joseph, in his plea, said that Section 497 was "prima facie unconstitutional on the grounds that it discriminates against men and violates Article 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution".

He said "when the sexual intercourse takes place with the consent of both the parties, there is no good reason for excluding one party from the liability".

The plea also said that the provision also indirectly discriminated against women by holding an erroneous presumption that they are the property of men.

"This is further evidenced by the fact that if adultery is engaged with the consent of the husband of the woman, then such act seizes to be an offence punishable under the code," it said.

The plea said the provision has been treated to be constitutionally valid in three verdicts of the apex court in 1954, 1985 and in 1988.

The petitioner also challenged Section 198(2) of CrPC, which deals with prosecution for offences against marriages.

(With PTI/IANS inputs)
New Delhi: Congress leader Randeep Surjewala on Friday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'arrogant' and accused his government of destroying Indian economy.

Surjewala took to Twitter to mock PM Modi and wrote that the BJP government at the centre had hampered the country's economy. He also called Finance Minister Arun Jaitley 'amateur'.

Surjewala's tweet came on a day when Central Statistics Office (CSO) released its first advance estimates and predicted that India's GDP would grow at a slower 6.5 percent in 2017-18 compared to the 7.1 percent in 2016-17.

Most private economists have also pared India`s growth forecast to 6.2 to 6.5 percent for the 2017-18 fiscal year, citing the impact of the chaotic launch of Goods and Services Tax in July on business activities.

The opposition in recent months has ramped up its attack on the government - accusing that GST and demonetisation have taken a massive toll on the country's economic growth.



Congress President Rahul Gandhi has risen to become a very vocal advocate against most economic policies of NDA. While he has said in the past that demonetisation was responsible for wiping out confidence in the Indian economy, he even took a dig at PM Modi's 'Make in India' initiative on Thursday. "Guys a quick update on the Fake in India program," he had tweeted.
Mangaluru: Hundreds of activists of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal were today taken into custody after they staged a road roko here protesting the murder of right-wing activist Deepak Rao, the police said.

The protestors raised slogans against the state government, saying the murder was the result of its "anti- Hindu" policy.

VHP leader M B Puranik said the state government was supporting only minority communities.

"Terrorists" had hijacked the government and they were trying to eliminate Hindus, he alleged, addressing protesters.

The police stopped the protest and took into custody local leaders, including Jagadish Shenava, M B Puranik, Sharan Pumpwell and hundreds of other VHP and Bajrang Dal activists.

They were later released.

At Udupi also, workers of BJP and Bajrang Dal staged a road roko at Triveni circle to register their protest against the killing of Rao.

Addressing the protesters, former MLA K Raghupati Bhat alleged that the law and order situation in the state had collapsed.

A well-hatched conspiracy to murder Hindu activists was going on in the state, he alleged.

Police, which maintained tight vigil at the spot of the agitation, took into custody the participants.They were taken in a vehicle and released later.

State BJP secretary Yashpal Suvarna, Bajrang Dal convener Dinesh Mendon, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) city unit president Santosh Kumar Bolje and activists of different pro-Hindu outfits took part in the protest.

Rao was hacked to death by four persons in broad daylight at Katipalla, near here, on Wednesday.

All the four were arrested within hours of the attack.
NEW DELHI: Coming down heavily on Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani and censor board chief Prasoon Joshi for allowing its release with a U/A certificate, the Shree Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena on Friday called for a complete ban on 'Padmavati'.

"I want to ask the central government what benefits will they get by supporting this movie? All the Hindu parties from whom we learnt about Hinduism are quiet on this film," Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, President of Karni Sena, told the media here.

"The central government is mum on this film as Viacom18 Motion Pictures, which is a foreign company, made it during the time of demonetisation. During a time when we were not able to get Rs 4,000, how come (Sanjay Leela) Bhansali managed to get 160 to 180 crore rupees."

"Bhansali has even got a certification from Britain through Headley, who is currently in jail. I want to know why Bhansali has not been jailed? Why is he not being quizzed about anti-national (activities)?"

"If CBFC wanted to take a decision on their own, why they did they invite people from our community? We will soon protest against this movie and will burn effigies of Smriti Irani and Prasoon Joshi."

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) last week announced its decision to grant the certification to the controversial Bhansali directorial -- subject to five modifications including a title change.

The decision was arrived at following a meeting in the presence of Joshi and a special panel comprising Arvind Singh from Udaipur, historian Chandramani Singh and Professor KK Singh of Jaipur University.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmavati', that stars Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in key roles, was earlier slated for release on December 1. Aditi Rao Hydari, Anupriya Goenka, and Raza Murad feature in supporting roles.

However, the movie got embroiled in a major row after leaders of the Rajput community claimed the film insulted their history.

Later in December, the Central Board of Film Certification approved the film for theatrical exhibition and suggested 5 modifications to the film, which includes the addition of multiple disclaimers and amending its title to 'Padmavat'.

The makers are yet to make any announcement about the same.
LUCKNOW: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Friday condemned the prominent Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband's new fatwa directing Muslims not to marry into families earning money through banking and related jobs drawing income from interests.

"A large number of Muslims are working in the banking sector. Issuing a fatwa asking Muslims not to marry people employed in the banking sector is wrong. People who issued this fatwa must review this because it will lead to further rift and confusion in the Muslim society. There is no need to issue a fatwa on such things", AIMPLB executive president Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali told ANI.

The edict was issued after a person asked Darul Ifta if he should marry his daughter to a man whose father worked in a bank. Darul Ifta replied saying that as per an Islamic law, earnings through interest and any transaction involving interest particularly investment is 'haram' (forbidden).

Islam also forbids business in alcohol, narcotics, school, and weapons as well as any business undertaken with the motive of earning maximum profits, the Islamic seminary informed. Many Islamic scholars and clerics have upheld the fatwa, contending that the religious body's stand was in line with the Islamic law.

"Marrying in such a family is avoidable and not preferable. Those who are nourished with 'haram' (illegitimate) wealth usually they are not good in respect to instinct and morals. Hence, it should be avoided. One should find out a match in some pious family," the seminary's fatwa said in its reply.

"Darul Uloom Deoband is correct in its decision. One should avoid having any social bonds with such a person because everything including his lifestyle would be connected with 'haraam', and then it would be harmful to the person religiously, socially as well as individually", Majlis Ittehad-e-Millat General Secretary Othar Osmani told ANI.

Muslim scholar and Islamic researcher Maulana Nadimul Vajdi said that if a person, knowingly or unknowingly, has indulged in 'haram' earning, the person concerned should quit the job and find another one in which the income was not considered forbidden under the Islamic law.

The Islamic Law or Shariat prohibits paying any fee for renting of money (called riba) for specific periods of time.

It also prohibits any sort of investment in businesses that are considered 'haram' or against the principles of Islam.

It is largely believed that these principles have been derived from the Quran and have been in practice since then.

In Islam, money has no intrinsic value; money, therefore, cannot be sold at a profit and is permitted to be used as per Shariat only.

Islamic banks work on the principles of an interest-free banking. Riba or interest under Islamic law basically means anything in excess - the investor should not make an undue profit from the hard work of the other.

The banks invest the money collected by them in something that is Shariat compliant, that is not haraam and does not involve high risks. Thus, businesses involving alcohol, drugs and war weapons as well as all other high risk and speculative activities are prohibited.

While Islamic Banking is prevalent and is common in Islamic countries, there are plenty of non-Islamic countries that are now opening Islamic "windows" in conventional banks.

These are departments within the banks and they offer Shariat compliant products to customers. China, United Kingdom, United States, Germany are some of the countries that offer Islamic windows.

In India, introduction of Islamic Banking was mooted by Raghuram Rajan in 2008 in his report on the Financial Sector.

As an honorary economic adviser to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he had recommended that interest-free banking techniques should be operated on a larger scale so as to give access to those who are unable to access banking services, including those belong to economically disadvantaged sections of the society.

The recent proposal of RBI for opening of an Islamic Banking window has received mixed reactions from many especially in the light of the recent Uniform Civil Code debate.
Here's a quick look at the top news of the day:

US suspends over USD 1.1 billion 'security assistance' to Pakistan for 'harbouring terror groups'

White House has accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for 33 billion aid over the last 15 years. Read more

Lalu Prasad Yadav complains of cold in jail, CBI special court judge says 'play tabla'

RJD chief Lalu Prasad had complained of biting cold inside the Ranchi prison where he is currently lodged. Read more

Winter Session of Parliament concludes today; fireworks likely over triple talaq bill, Dalit protests

Fireworks are expected in Parliament on Friday over the contentious triple talaq bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha last week, and the Koregaon-Bhima violence that rocked Maharashtra recently. Read more

Bigg Boss 11: Fans go berserk at Mumbai mall, pull Hina Khan's hairVideo, pics

Host and dost Salman Khan will return on Weekend Ka Vaar episode and one person will be evicted. Read more

Deepika Padukone - The Dream Girl and her various avatars

Deepika Padukone, who made her Bollywood debut in Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'Om Shanti Om' is now one of the most sought-after actresses in the tinsel town. Today, as she turns a year older, here's taking a look at some of her best on-screen avatars. Read more
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the first PIO (person of Indian origin) Parliamentarian Conference on January 9, which is celebrated as Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas.

As many as 124 MPs and 17 Mayors of Indian origin from 23 countries will attend the conference.

Major countries including USA, UK, South Africa and Canada will participate in the event.
NEW DELHI: With 2019 Lok Sabha elections in mind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought a report card from all BJP MPs asking them to provide details of key achievements of their department and the work done for the people in their tenure so far.

The Prime Minister has asked the ministers to keep him posted on feedback from the ground over the central government's flagship programmes.

So far, at least 250 BJP MPs have already upgraded the NaMo app on their smartphones and are expected to respond to the latest survey posted on the app.

A special four-member team from BJP's information technology cells has been working to help ministers and lawmakers upgrade the app, as well as their mobile phones.

Further details awaited.
New Delhi: Salman Khan was threatened by gangster Lawrence Vishnoi inside Jodhpur Court on Friday. The actor was here for a hearing in a case against him for allegedly killing blackbucks in 1998.

While the nature of the threat was not immediately known, the incident happened when Vishnoi was presented in court under heavy police security. He is facing charges of extortion.

Salman Khan too was inside the court premises at the time Vishnoi was being produced. Friday was the second day straight when the actor was present.

The final arguments in the Kankani poaching case began in the trial court on September 13.
Panaji: The Shiv Sena has hit out at Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for his remarks on sharing river Mahadayi water with neighbouring states, including Karnataka.

Sena's Goa spokesperson Rakhi Prabhudesai-Naik yesterday said, "the chief minister's agreement to give river Mahadayi water to Karnataka was a shocking move for the coastal state, which trusted Parrikar's leadership."

"To make India 'Congress-mukt' (Congress free), BJP and Parrikar are all set to make Goa 'Mahadayi-mukt (Mahadayi free Goa) by stooping down to the lowest level of compromise over the (sharing of) river (water)," Prabhudesai-Naik said in a veiled reference to the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls.

Parrikar had recently said that sharing the water of the Mahadayi river with other states was "inevitable".

"One has to understand that 52 kms of the river runs through Goa, 35 kms through Karnataka and 16 kms through Maharashtra. As such, sharing of water of the Mahadayi river is inevitable as it is passing through all the three states," he had said.

She said the Sena had expected Parrikar to "fight like a real son of the soil" against all the attempts to share even a drop of water from the Mahadayi river.

"The statement by Parrikar that it is inevitable for Goa to give share of Mahadayi river water to Karnataka has completely exposed him and his party," the Sena spokesperson said.

She said her party disagreed with Parrikar's stand on the issue.

"The explanation given by Parrikar on why he has toned down his stand is completely unacceptable. It clearly smacks of his party politics and urge to win Karnataka elections," she alleged.
By PTI: (Updating with more details and quotes)

By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jan 5 (PTI) Putting Pakistan on notice, the US today suspended over USD 1.15 billion in security aid and the supply of military equipment to it for failing to clamp down on the dreaded Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network terror groups and dismantle their sanctuaries on its soil.

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The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes after President Donald Trump in a New Years Day tweet accused the country of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

The suspended amount also include USD 255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

In addition, the Department of Defense has suspended the entire USD 900 million of the Coalition Support Funds (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017 and other unspent money from previous fiscal years.

"Today we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance only, to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters.

"We consider them (terror groups) to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan," she said.

The US, she said, will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law.

Though there was no immediate reaction from Islamabad to the US move, Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir said yesterday that, "we need to have a holistic review of the entire situation. We are conducting a complete analysis and coolly formulating our response."

There should not be any doubts when it comes to the defence of Pakistan, he had said.

Historically, the US has provided Pakistan over USD 1 billion in security assistance annually.

In August, while unveiling his new South Asia strategy, Trump had accused Pakistan of giving "safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror," and said the time had come "for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilisation, order, and to peace".

Referring to Trumps new strategy, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by Trump administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack the US and allied personnel.

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At the same time, Nauert made it clear that the US action has nothing to do with Pakistan not taking action against the Mumbai terror attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed.

"We have certainly expressed our concern about the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks being let out of house arrest in Pakistan. To my knowledge, that has nothing to do with that," she said in response to a question on Saeed, who was released by Pakistan on November last year.

"There is a USD 10 million reward out for information leading to his re-arrest, the person who is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks who was let go in Pakistan," Nauert said.

Meanwhile, Department of Defence Spokesperson Lt Col Mike Andrews told PTI that National Defense Authorisation Act 2017 provides up to USD 900 million for Pakistan in the CSF.

Of these funds, USD 400 million can only be released if the Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis certifies that the Pakistan government has taken specific actions against the Haqqani Network.

"At this stage all Fiscal Year 17 CSF have been suspended, so thats the entire amount of USD 900 million," Andrews said.

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During an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis did not respond to question if he was in favour of cutting off the aid to Pakistan.

According to a senior State Department official, no decision has been taken on the fate of USD 255 million security assistance to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.

The deadline for that is September 30 this year.

Mattis along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have travelled to Pakistan in recent months to deliver tough message to the countrys leadership. So, this action should not come as a surprise to them, Nauert said.

"They may say its a surprise, but what is no surprise is that the President has expressed his concerns, Secretary Tillerson has expressed his concerns, as has Secretary Mattis, and I imagine many other government officials having those conversations with Pakistan," Nauert said.

Now, the money that has been suspended at this time does not mean that it will be suspended forever, she said.

"Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps," she added.

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"People have long asked, why dont you do more about Pakistan, and I think this sort of answers that question," she said.

"They understand that, but still they arent taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism," she said.

In an interaction with reporters, two senior state department officials insisted that such a move is not a punishment, but to provide an "incentive" to Pakistan to take more action against terrorist groups.

"We have not done anything thats irreversible here. All this funding is available to Pakistan, if they undertake to take the measures that weve asked of them," one official said.

"Pakistanis have repeatedly said we dont care about this money. What matters I think to the Pakistanis is that it is the symbolism of doing this that it represents a deterioration of our relationship that they care about a great deal," the official said.

"So we were hoping that this is an incentive that they dont want to see this relationship deteriorate any further and that theyre going to commit to working with us to try to find a way to put it on a more solid footing," he added.

The US and others have long complained that Pakistan offered safe haven to the Afghan Taliban and their allies, the Haqqani Network, allowing them to carry out cross-border attacks in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies allegations but President Trump has escalated the criticism against the country since he took office last January.

Yesterday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had placed Pakistan on a special watch list for severe violations of religious freedom. PTI LKJ AJR NSA AKJ AKJ

--- ENDS ---
BHOPAL: The Congress in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat over the deaths of hundreds of cows in a shelter in the state.

Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh said he wrote to Modi and Bhagwat demanding that the deaths of cows in the country`s biggest shelter in Agar Malwa district`s Salariya village be probed and guilty be booked for murder.

State Congress chief Arun Yadav asked why are the people who give a free hand to cow vigilantes, who kill people caught with a single cow, silent on the deaths of so many cows.

Ajay Singh said he visited the shelter with Yadav on Tuesday and saw that many cows were in a bad condition. "The cows who had died had not been buried properly and dogs were feasting on the carcasses... It was a shameful sight."

"To get votes, these people (in the Bharatiya Janata Party) do not shy away from calling the cow `gau mata` (cow mother) and even `rashtra mata` (mother of the nation) but once the votes are in, they forget everything."

The two Congress leaders said that in the past three months, more than 400 cows have died at the shelter but the administration is accepting only 117 deaths.

The letter was sent to Bhagwat in Ujjain where the RSS chief is currently camping with some Bharatiya Janata Party members.

Bhagwat and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan were both present at the foundation laying ceremony of this shelter, the letter said, adding Chouhan had even said the spot will be made a pilgrimage place of cows.
New Delhi: The productivity of the Lok Sabha was 91.58 percent while that of Rajya Sabha was 56.29 percent in Parliament's Winter Session which concluded on Friday, Union Minister Ananth Kumar said here.

"In a way this session was landmark... 13 bills were passed in the Lok Sabha and nine in the Rajya Sabha during the 13 working days of the Winter Session," the parliamentary affairs minister told reporters.

During the session, 17 bills were introduced and 12 bills were passed by both the Houses.

"I am grateful to all the parties and all members of both the houses for making this session fruitful," Kumar said.

Replying to a question on the bill criminalising Triple Talaq which could not be passed by Rajya Sabha in the session, Kumar blamed the Congress for stalling the crucial legislation and alleged that the opposition came up with a new excuse everday to defer its passage.

The winter session, which started on December 15 and concluded today on January 5, had 13 sittings spread over a period of 22 days.

Both the Houses were adjourned sine die today.
New Delhi: Fireworks are expected in Parliament on Friday over the contentious triple talaq bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha last week, and the Koregaon-Bhima violence that rocked Maharashtra recently.

Importantly, the ongoing winter session of the Parliament also concludes today.

In view of the deadlock over the triple talaq bill, the Narendra Modi government is likely to make its last-ditch effort to get the bill approved by the Upper House, chances of which are grim with the Opposition insisting on sending it a Select Committee for detailed scrutiny.

The BJP government, which is not too keen on sending the bill to the Select Committee, has rejected the Opposition demand. Meanwhile, the Opposition is also likely to press for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement over rising atrocities on Dalits in the wake of Koregaon-Bhima violence that recently engulfed entire Maharashtra.

With no agreement, the government on Thursday placed the bill in the bottom of priority in the list of business, which the Opposition strongly objected to and demanded that its motions for referring the bill to a Select Committee be taken up immediately.

As Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien said that the listing of business was the government's priority and decided to go ahead with a bill on GST, Opposition members created an uproar, forcing him to adjourn the House for the day on Thursday.

It now remains to be seen whether the government lists the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, which seeks to criminalise instant divorce by uttering talaq thrice, for consideration on Friday - the last day of the winter session.

Earlier, the Opposition wanted the Chair to put the motions moved by Congress leader Anand Sharma and Trinamool Congress member Sukhendu Shekar Roy for reference of the legislation to a proposed Select Committee be put to vote immediately.

They contended that before the House adjourned on Wednesday, a division was to be taken and so the Rajya Sabha should pick up the thread from where it was left. After some discussion, the two sides agreed to conduct a short-duration discussion on the economy and take up the matter regarding triple talaq bill after that.

After Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's reply to the discussion, the Opposition returned to its demand for a vote on the two motions. Jaitley raised questions over the validity of the two motions saying the statutory requirement of 24 hours advance notice was not given and that the proposed committee was not representative in character, IANS reported.

Citing earlier rulings, he said a Parliamentary panel has to represent the character of the House and be a "microcosm of the House". Jaitley, who is also Leader of the House, also said the work of a Select Committee was to improve a bill and a "saboteur" cannot be a part of the panel and as such was disqualified to be a part of it.

Intervening, Sharma said even when he had moved the resolution on Wednesday he had said in writing that the names of BJP and NDA MPs could be included in the proposed panel. Sharma demanded that under Rule 131 an unfinished business has to be finished first.

Later, slamming the Opposition, Union Minister Smriti Irani said, "Opposition stands exposed in Rajya Sabha. For past two days repeatedly it has been said that if there are any issues that need to be spoken on the bill, those issues must be put out on the floor of the House. Why is Congress-led Opposition running away from discussion?"

She added, "I think it is a shame on them that they are trying to obstruct this path of justice for Indian Muslim women," as per ANI.

On the other hand, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said, "The government is isolated, the Opposition is one. The bill should be sent to the select committee."

"Today BJP has been exposed, they don't have the guts to empower women," Trinamool Congress MP Derek O Brien said on the debate over the bill.

On January 3, 2017, too, there was a face-off between the government and the Opposition over the bill in the Rajya Sabha. Amid noisy scenes, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had introduced the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 for discussion and passage.

The bill, which seeks to make instant triple talaq illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband, was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 28, 2017.

(With Agency inputs)
Jammu: The Army on Friday launched a massive search operation to locate and defuse live bombs and IEDs planted along the Line of Control (LoC).

According to ANI, the operation has been launched in Rajouri's Nowshera sector.

J&K: Indian Army launched a massive search operation to locate live bombs and IEDs along LoC in Rajouri's Nowshera sector; Live bombs and IEDs were defused by Indian Army to avert casualties (4.1.18) pic.twitter.com/RUnOXUONYP  ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018

The operation to detect and defuse live bombs and IEDs will help the Army in preventing casualties.

#WATCH Indian Army launched a massive search operation to locate live bombs and IEDs along LoC in Rajouri's Nowshera sector,J&K (Jan 4) pic.twitter.com/xrbnjjYqQX January 5, 2018

Several live bombs and IEDs have been successfully defused so far by the security forces.

Live bombs and IEDs have been secretly planted along the LoC by Pakistan-trained infiltrators with an aim to foment trouble for the security forces guarding the international borders.

The move comes in the wake of fresh incidents of cross-border infiltration by a large number of Pakistan-backed terrorists.

The Army has in the recent past stepped up its counter-terrorism measures and eliminated many wanted terrorists, in a big setback to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Jamaat-ud-Dawah, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and the Lashkar-e-Toiba.
Pathanamthitta: Female devotees will now have to furnish their age proof while visiting Kerala's Sabarimala Temple, where entry of women aged between 12 and 50 is banned.

According to ANI, the direction from the temple authorities comes after numerous incidents of women of the banned age group being detained from entering the temple.

However, it is not mandatory and full-fledged verification will not be carried out, but those found suspicious will have to show their age proof which could be any ID card approved by the government, ANI reported.

Women of menstruating age group are banned from entering the shrine of Lord Ayyappa, but the rule was being violated during the three-month annual pilgrimage, which attracts scores of worshippers to the temple.

Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Annie Raja has slammed the temple authorities, saying that the directive was a violation of the rights of women to worship.

"It is once again denying the rights of women to worship any God. Women were actually demanding entry into the Sabarimala Temple, but it is unfortunate that the temple authorities deny and are now demanding age proof," Raja said.

"God does not discriminate between man and woman but these custodians of God are denying the women their rights to worship," she added.

(With ANI inputs)
Kochi: The National Investigation Agency probing the 'Kerala love jihad' case on Friday decided to interrogate "some accused" jailed in connection with an Islamic State (IS) module case in the state.

NIA sources said "some accused" in the 'Kanakamala IS module case' knew Shafin Jahan, a Muslim man facing probe into his marriage with Hadiya, a Kerala woman at the centre of the alleged love-jihad case.

The sources said they had communicated with Jahan so that the probe agency has "to speak to them to verify true facts."

The NIA's Kochi unit had earlier filed two charge sheets before the NIA special court in Kochi against eight people from Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the case relating to a secret meeting by the Kerala-based IS module (Omar Al-Hindi ISIS module) at Kanakamala in Kannur.

The NIA had last month questioned Jahan, after the Supreme Court gave its nod to it to continue its probe into his marriage with Hadiya and her conversion.

Their marriage was annulled by the Kerala High Court in December 2016 after her father alleged that his daughter was being indoctrinated and may be taken to Islamic State territories in Iraq and Syria by extremist Islamic outfits.

The Supreme Court in November last year had allowed Hadiya, who was placed under her parents custody since her marriage was annulled by the High Court, to resume her studies at a homeopathy college in Tamil Nadu's Salem district.

Born as Akhila, she converted to Islam and changed her name to Hadiya before marrying Jahan.
BHOPAL: Five children studying in Delhi Public School (DPS) Indore were on Friday died after a school bus carrying them collided with a truck here in Madhya Pradesh.

The incident took place on Indore's Kanadia Road. The accident also left the driver of the school bus dead.

#MadhyaPradesh: 5 school children and bus driver killed after a school bus collided with a truck on Indore's Kanadia Road. pic.twitter.com/Q7k8WQ4GoX  ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018

Following the incident, the injured were rushed to Bombay Hospital and MY Hospital.

Offering condolence, Home Minister Bhupendra Singh ordered an inquiry into the matter and has sought a report within 24 hours.
BHOPAL: The family of one of the Delhi Public School (DPS) Indore students, who died in a road accident, on Friday donated her eyes and skin.

The student has been identified as Kriti Agarwal.

Earlier in the day, five students including Kriti were killed after a school bus carrying them collided with a truck Madhya Pradesh's Indore.

#MadhyaPradesh: 5 school children and bus driver killed after a school bus collided with a truck on Indore's Kanadia Road. pic.twitter.com/Q7k8WQ4GoX  ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018

The incident took place on Kanadia Road. The accident also left the driver of the school bus dead.

Following the incident, the injured were rushed to Bombay Hospital and MY Hospital.

Offering condolence, Home Minister Bhupendra Singh ordered an inquiry into the matter and has sought a report within 24 hours.
New Delhi: A high alert has been sounded in states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat in view of escalating protests over the Bhima-Koregaon violence that erupted in Pune and soon engulfed entire Maharashtra.

The law and enforcement agencies have been directed to take all preventive measures to prevent any untoward incident or mob violence.

The instructions were reportedly given after properties worth Rs 300 crore were damaged and over 90 buses were gutted by protesters in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The Mumbai Police detained over 300 persons for inciting the mob, indulging in violence and on rioting charges.

The Dalits protests that erupted in Maharashtra over the killing of a youth in Bhima-Koregaon in Pune had spread to Gujarat yesterday.

Agitating over the killing of the Dalit youth in Pune, protesters on Thursday blocked the Madhuram bypass road in Junagarh, hitting road traffic in the region.

The administration acted swiftly to minimise any damage due to the protests.

Buses stationed at Junagarh bus depot were shifted to a division workshop in the area to prevent any damage.

This came even as an event of Gujarat MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani was cancelled by police in Mumbai. The Mumbai Police reportedly sealed the venue of Mevanis event, which was also slated to be attended by JNU student leader Umar Khalid.

Several students, who came to the venue to attend the event, were either evicted or detained by the police. The organisers of the event, Sachin Bansode and Sagar Balerao were also detained the police.

The authorities claimed that this has been done to maintain law and order in the city, a day after the Maharashtra bandh called by Dalit leaders over Bhima-Koregaon violence.

The cancellation of the event also led to minor clashes between student groups and the police.

The Mumbai Police had earlier received several complaints against Mevani and Khalid for making "provocative" speeches at an event held in Mumbai on December 31.

Mevani and Khalid had attended the "Elgar Parishad", an event organised to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima-Koregaon, at Shaniwar Wada in the city on December 31.

According to the complainants, Akshay Bikkad and Anand Dhond, Mevani and Khalid had made "provocative" comments at the event.

All this happened three days after violent clashes between Dalit groups and supporters of right-wing Hindutva organisations during the 200th-anniversary celebrations of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in Pune district left a man dead.

The clashes broke out at Bhima-Koregaon when people were headed towards the war memorial in the village, about 30 km from Pune city, the police had said.

Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle, which the forces of the British East India Company had won over those of the Peshwa.

Dalit leaders commemorate the British victory as it is believed that soldiers from the Mahar community -- then considered untouchables -- were part of the East India Company's forces. The Peshwas were Brahmins and the victory was seen as a symbol of assertiveness by Dalits.

(With Agency inputs)
BHOPAL: The Supreme Court on Friday put a stay on the death penalty of the accused who convicted of raping and murdering a minor girl in Madhya Pradesh.

The eight-year-old victim, who was a relative of the accused, was killed in the Dabra area of MP's Gwalior.

The death sentence was awarded by Madhya Pradesh High Court's Gwalior bench following which the accused, identified as Virendra, had appealed to the Supreme court.

Virendra was charged under Section 302 of the IPC.

On hearing the case, the apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice Deepak Mishra, stayed the death sentence.

The apex court also issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government regarding the matter and sought a response.
Muzaffarnagar: Activists of the Bheem Army, a Dalit group, protested violence against members of their community in Maharashtra, at the collectorate here.

A large group of protesters staged a sit-in and raised slogans against the Maharashtra government here last evening. Led by their leader Vaibhav Bawra, they gave a memorandum, addressed to the president, to the district magistrate.

In the memorandum, they demanded that the Maharashtra government be removed over its failure to protect Dalits in the state.

Violence had erupted in Pune on January 1 when Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in which the British defeated the Peshwas of Maharashtra.

Dalit leaders commemorate the British victory, as it is believed that soldiers from the Mahar community were part of the East India Company's forces. The Peshwas were Brahmins, and the victory is seen as a symbol of assertiveness by Dalits.
Mumbai: Sambhaji Bhide, who is one of those accused of instigating violence against the Dalit community in Pune district, has claimed innocence and appealed for a thorough inquiry into the matter.

Eighty-five-year-old Bhide, who heads Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, issued a statement saying, ''The allegations of a conspiracy made against me are completely baseless. I demand the Government to investigate this matter thoroughly. Strong punishment must be given to whosoever is guilty."

The right-wing leader also attacked Prakash Ambedkar, the chief of Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) leader and the grandson of Dr. BR Ambedkar, for making false allegations against him.

"Prakash Ambedkar blamed me for the conspiracy behind the Bhima-Koregaon violence which is incorrect. This should be thoroughly probed,'' he added.

Speaking to reporters, Bhide said that he was never involved in any conspiracy to divide communities.

On Thursday, Bhide met with Sangli district collector with thousands of his supporters and demanded the withdrawal of charges against him.

A day after the Bhima Koregaon violence on January 2, Pimpri Police in Pune district filed a case against Bhide and others under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and under various sections of the IPC including an attempt to murder as one person was killed in the caste clashes.

The Pimpri Police had also booked Pune-based Milind Ekbote of Hindu Ekta Aghadi under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and under various sections of the IPC including an attempt to murder.

Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) leader Prakash Ambedkar had alleged that Hindu Ekta Aghadi and Shiv Pratishthan were responsible for the Bhima Koregaon violence in which one person was killed.

The violence had occurred at an event to mark the 200th-anniversary of the battle of Bhima-Koregaon in which the British Army comprising Dalits had defeated the Peshwas. A large section of Dalits sees the historical battle as the defeat of the 'casteism' of upper-caste Peshwas.

The duo was booked after one Anita Salve approached the Pimpri police alleging that she and her friend were attacked by a group of people near Vadhu Budruk village adjacent to Bhima Koregaon on Monday.

She alleged that the entire attack and arson was orchestrated by Bhide and Ekbote. Salve, 39, is a social worker and the member of the Bahujan Republican Socialist Party.

Bhide is known among his followers as 'Bhide Guruji'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis are among those who admire him for his social works.

He is right-wing Hindu activist and an ardent admirer of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He has a big following in western Maharashtra.

A gold medallist in Chemistry, Bhide has worked as a professor in Pune-based Sir Parshuram College.

A former RSS member, Bhide founded the Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, which is mostly active in Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur districts in western Maharashtra.

Dalit protests erupted across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, in the aftermath of the violence in Pune during the 200th-anniversary celebrations of the Bhima Koregaon Battle.

(With Agency inputs)
MUMBAI: Police on Monday announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh to anyone who would provide information about the owners of '1 Above' pub accused in Kamala Mills fire incident.

Identified as Kripesh Mansukhlal Sanghvi, Jigar Sanghvi and Abhijeet Mankar, the pub owners have been absconding ever since the mishap took place.

On the night of December 28, as many as 14 people including 11 women were killed in a massive fire that engulfed Kamala Mills complex in Maharashtra's Mumbai. Twenty-three others were also injured in the mishap.

The fire was reported around 12.30 am from a rooftop restaurant in The Kamla Trade House. It quickly spread to another pub and a restaurant in the vicinity. Over 200 people on the premises were trapped in the fire.

Following the incident, an offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under sections 304, 337, 338, 34 of the Indian Penal Code was registered against the three pub owners at the NM Joshi Marg police station.

A lookout notice against the three accused was issued a day after the horrifying incident.

More than 12 fire tenders were rushed to fight the blaze which was brought under control around 6.30 am. Doctors had claimed that most of the people died due to suffocation.

On December 30, taking stock of the situation, the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had ordered the BMC Commissioner to conduct an inquiry into the incident.

The BMC suspended five people in connection with the mishap. BMC said that they had sent a few notices to the joints at the Kamala Mills compound for violation of norms.

Those suspended were attached to the fire brigade and the G South Ward. The suspended officials include an assistant divisional fire officer, while the remaining four are from the ward office including engineers and health officials.
New Delhi: Days after Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma's wedding, it seems Bollywood is ready to witness yet another big starry event likely to take place in the coming months.

Well, the buzz is strong that Anil Kapoor's darling daughter Sonam Kapoor will reportedly take the next big step in her life. According to BollywoodLife.com, Sonam, who is dating businessman Anand Ahuja will get hitched soon.

The report has been originally attributed to Mumbai Mirror. It claims that the couple will be tying the knot in April this year and it is going to be a royal affair. The report quotes a source as saying, April it is and in Jodhpur. Sonam and Anand will marry this summer in what is going to be a small, private wedding with 300 odd guests. Although the couple has warded off all rumours about getting married saying celebrity watchers were mistaking the familys preparations for her cousin Mohit Marwahs upcoming wedding for her own nuptials but they can barely hide it any longer.

Although Sonam has never really talked about her relationship status in public yet the duo has often been seen sharing adorable pictures and posts on Instagram. Their vacay pictures too have flooded the internet giving major goals to young couples.

Sonam has Veere Di Wedding lined-up for release on May 18 this year. It stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania besides Sonam in the lead. It has been produced by Rhea and Ekta Kapoor.

No official confirmation has been made regarding the wedding details as of now.
New Delhi: Speculations are rife that Bollywood stars Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone might get engaged on latter's birthday, that is January 5, 2018.

While the fans are most excited to see 'DeepVeer' (as the couple is fondly called) engaged, they will have to wait much longer.

As per a Bollywoodlife report, the couple isn't getting engaged anytime soon.

Here's what a source told Bollywoodlife-

All these reports of Ranveer and Deepika getting engaged on her birthday are absolutely false. In fact, they have not thought about getting engaged or married till now.

Well, that definitely is a heart-breaker for all the fans who have been waiting to see Deepika and Ranveer to announce their engagement.

After Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma surprised us all in December 2017 with their dreamy wedding in Tuscany, Italy, fans were hoping for another Bollywood wedding.

Ranveer and Deepika are currently in Sri Lanka to celebrate Deepika's 32nd birthday. Ranveer was seen at an airport in Sri Lanka last week on Thursday along with Tiger Shroff and Disha Patani. Deepika, who was holidaying in Vienna, flew to Sri Lanka to spend time with her beau reportedly.
New Delhi: It's only the beginning of the new year and NASA has already announced a number of important missions that will take place in 2018.

Apart from a mission that will 'touch the Sun' and one that will study Saturn's largest moon Titan, the American space agency has announced two more missions which will explore a less-understood area 96 km above Earth's surface.

The Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission will be launched aboard a commercial communications satellite in January 2018, and the designed spacecraft Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) will be launched later this year, the US space agency said on Thursday.

GOLD and ICON will team up to explore the ionosphere, a boundary area between Earth and space where particles have been cooked into a sea of electrically-charged electrons and ions by the Sun's radiation, reports Xinhua news agency.

These layers of near-Earth space are increasingly becoming a part of the human domain as it is home to radio signals used to guide airplanes, ships, and Global Positioning System satellites.

NASA said the two missions were complementary. ICON in low-Earth orbit, at 560 km above Earth, flies through and just above the ionosphere, like a close-up camera.

GOLD runs in geostationary orbit over the Western Hemisphere, about 35,398 km above the planet's surface. It will build up a full-disk view of the ionosphere and the upper atmosphere beneath it every half hour.

The two missions can cooperate with each other when ICON passes through GOLD's field of view and each mission can get a snapshot of the same region. This overlap in their data makes it easier to identify what caused a certain change to the upper atmosphere at a given time, NASA said.

One of the missions' goals is to measure how upper atmosphere changes in response to hurricanes and geomagnetic storms.

"We used to think only solar wind could affect the ionosphere, and only the lower atmosphere was affected by terrestrial weather," said Doug Rowland, ICON mission scientist at NASA.

"But now we're going to get to see how that energy couples together."

The solar wind is the Sun's constant outflow of charged particles and magnetized material.

GOLD will also explore how the upper atmosphere reacts to geomagnetic storms, which are temporary disturbances of Earth's magnetic field set off by solar activity.

During night-time, GOLD will examine disruptions in the ionosphere, which are dense, unpredictable bubbles of charged gas that appear over the equator and tropics, sometimes interfering with radio communications.

(With IANS inputs)
New Delhi: Ever since its smooth transit from Earth into its destined orbit around Jupiter, NASA's Juno spacecraft has been beaming back some amazing data on the planet as well as giving space enthusiasts spectacular visual treats from time to time.

With many turning points marking its one-year-long journey in Jupiter's orbit, Juno has revolutionized the world's perception and understanding of the gas giant.

In another magnificent image released by NASA, Juno captured a 'mind-bending', color-enhanced view of the planets tumultuous atmosphere.

At the time, Juno was a little more than one Earth diameter from Jupiter.

As per NASA, Juno took this image of colorful, turbulent clouds in Jupiters northern hemisphere on Dec. 16, 2017 at 9:43 am PST (12:43 pm EST) from 8,292 miles (13,345 kilometers) above the tops of Jupiters clouds, at a latitude of 48.9 degrees.

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).

Citizen scientists Gerald Eichstadt and Sean Doran processed this image using data from the JunoCam imager.
LUCKNOW: A cold wave sweeping over Uttar Pradesh intensified on Friday as the Met forecast more harsh weather in the coming days. All schools up to Class 12 have been closed till Monday, an official said.

Lucknow, Agra, Bareilly, Kanpur, Varanasi and Allahabad district authorities have ordered the schools to close.

Many parts of the state have been hit by fog and poor visibility, with traffic on most state and national highways disrupted completely.

More than 30 trains were running behind schedule and the Shatabdi Express between New Delhi and Lucknow has been cancelled following its late arrival in Lucknow on Thursday.

At least four persons have been killed in fog-related accidents in the state in the past 24-hours.

Regional Met Office Director J.P. Gupta said the maximum temperature in Lucknow was likely to hover around 13-14 degrees Celsius on Friday while the minimum temperature was recorded at seven degrees Celsius.

Allahabad recorded a low of 6.4, Jhansi (6), Kanpur (7.5) and Varanasi 6.4 degrees Celsius.

Icy winds blowing across the state was making life difficult and the sun has been playing hide and seek to add to the winter bite.

Conditions at many night shelters in the state continued to be dismal, despite instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to ensure proper arrangements.

Adityanath had conducted a surprise inspection at two-night shelters in the state capital here on Wednesday and made a brief stop over at night shelters in Varanasi on Thursday night.

He has directed officials to ensure that bonfires were lit at public places and that adequate blankets were distributed among the poor and the destitute.

A government spokesman informed that in pursuance of Adityanath`s orders till December 27, 2017, a total of 23,657 bonfires were lit across the state and 1,64,276 free blankets distributed to the needy and 708 night shelters were established in the state.

There have, however, been many complaints with regard to the bonfires as people alleged that most of the wood was being dropped outside or near the houses of Ministers and state officials, depriving the homeless and needy.
LUCKNOW: The dead body of a minor girl, who was abducted from Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr on late Thursday.

The victim was a class 12 student and was abducted on Tuesday.

The girl was returning back home on a bicycle and had gone missing for two days before her body was found by the locals who later informed police

Meanwhile, the victim's family has raised suspicion that the girl was gang-raped before being murdered by her abductors.

As per a report, the entire incident of kidnapping was recorded on CCTV camera, where it is seen that a car stops next to the girl, who was walking down the road with her bicycle. The people, sitting inside the car, steps out of the vehicle and pulls the victim inside before fleeing away.

As per the police officials, at least five people have been arrested on suspicion and a probe has been launched.

More details awaited.
LUCKNOW: A woman on Friday alleged that she was gangraped by her neighbour and his relatives, who used to stalk her and had abducted her at gun-point.

The incident took place in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut. She was taken to an unknown place, held captive for several days and was gangraped, she said.

"He used to stalk me and abducted me at gun-point & took me to an unknown place. I was held captive for several days and raped by them. I had complained about this earlier but nothing was done," she said.

She further alleged that despite lodging a complaint, the police did not take any action against them.

The husband of a woman, on the other hand, said that his wife was being brainwashed into eloping by his neighbour.

According to police, her husband said that the neighbour, who had kidnapped her, dropped her back home after three-four days.

The investigation, meanwhile, is underway.

"We received info about a case yesterday where husband of a woman says that a man, who is their neighbor, brainwashed his wife into eloping with him and dropped her home after 3-4 days. The woman alleges she was raped by the man and his relatives. Probe is on," Rajesh Kumar, SP Meerut, said.
Rand Paul, a Republican US Senator, posted a video on Twitter revealing his intention of introducing a bill to end US aid to Pakistan. He said Pakistan had always back-stabbed the United States and should not receive even a penny of US taxpayers' hard-earned money.

By Santosh Chaubey: A Republican US Senator has said that he would soon introduce a bill to end US aid to Pakistan.

Rand Paul who represents Kentucky in the US Senate posted a video on Twitter and YouTube in which he said Pakistan had always back-stabbed the United States and should not receive even a penny of US taxpayers' hard-earned money.

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He says the US should not give even one penny to countries like Pakistan, that burn the American flag and chant death to America.

He asserts that countries like Pakistan that stonewall access to information in fighting terrorism don't deserve American money and goes on to appeal, "I say we should stop now sending the hard-earned tax dollars to Pakistan. We have sent Pakistan over $33 Billion since 2002. What did we get for it?"

Highlighting Pakistan's double-dealings and treachery, he further says, "Pakistan didn't help us even in finding Osama bin Laden even though he was living in one of their cities for years. Then they jailed the informant who helped us get bin Laden. They have allowed suspected terrorist to operate from their country. Some say Pakistani intelligence agents actually aid and abate terrorists. It is wrong."

IA??m introducing a bill to end aid to Pakistan in the coming days. My bill will take the money that would have gone to Pakistan and put it in an infrastructure fund to build roads and bridges here at home. pic.twitter.com/SHlA00rWEd

- Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) 4 January 2018

Citing US President Donald Trump's New Year Day announcement a breakthrough, that enough was enough and no more aid to Pakistan as the country had only lied and deceived America in the name of helping in the war on terror in spite of receiving $33 Billion of US aid in last 15 years, Rand says he is going to introduce a bill in coming days to end aid to Pakistan.

"President Trump has publicly called to end their aid, and is currently holding up over $200 million of it. I want to end all of it and I am introducing a bill to do just that in coming days", he added.

He says his bill intends to take the money that would have gone to Pakistan and put it in an infrastructure fund to build roads and bridges back at home.

In another video message posted on YouTube that shows people in Pakistan burning Indian, American and Israeli flags and demonstrating against Donald Trump, Senator Paul asks some tough questions.

He says the continued US gesture makes no sense, "What I find particularly troubling is, US continues to give money to Pakistan over a billion dollar of taxpayers' money, to a country that imprisons the gentleman, the physician who helped us get Osama bin Laden" and concludes that as Pakistan only understands negotiation from strength so he is proposing a vote on ending aid to the country.

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Senator Rand Paul has been fighting to end US aid to countries like Pakistan and in fact came up with a bill to stop US aid to the Palestinian authority in 2015. And the time seems opportune this time as both, Pakistan and Palestine, are on Donald Trump's radar.

President Trump has threatened to stop US aid to Palestine as well.

After Trump's New Year Day shocker, his administration has, in fact, increased pressure on Pakistan manifold and the message is clear, shape in or shape out.

First America withheld a scheduled $255 million military financial assistance to Pakistan the same day Trump tweeted his intent. Then White House came with a statement asking Pakistan to do more in the war on terror.

Yesterday it sent Pakistan a list of 27 Haqqani Network terrorists and demanded action against them by 15 January and shortly before Rand Paul's video message, in another decisive blow to Pakistan, announced that it was suspending all military, technological and financial assistance to Pakistan till it shows proof that it has taken decisive action against terrorists.

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Washington: The Trump administration's decision to suspend over USD 1.1 billion security assistance to Pakistan has nothing to do with Islamabad not taking action against Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, a US official has said.

"We have certainly expressed our concern about the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks being let out of house arrest in Pakistan. To my knowledge, that has nothing to do with that," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters at her daily news conference.

Nauert was responding to a question if the suspension of security assistance was related to Hafiz Saeed, the Mumbai attack mastermind who was released by Pakistan on November last year.

"There is a USD 10 million reward out for information leading to his re-arrest, the person who is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks who was let go in Pakistan. So we've been very clear about our displeasure with that individual being let go, and that's why we like to remind people that there is a USD 10 million Rewards for Justice program out for him," Nauert said.

A senior State Department official told reporters that the US continues to have conversation with Pakistan not only on Haqqani network, and Taliban, but also on India-centric terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

"We can't continue to have a relationship that has a business as usual with Pakistan. This conversation is not new to this administration. There have been concerns about Pakistan's issue of sanctuaries for the Haqqani network and the Taliban. But we have concerns about their nuclear programme. We have concerns about the ability of anti-Indian groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish e Mohammed to fundraise and operate," the official who spoke on anonymity said.

Hafiz Saeed who was recently released from house arrest is among the issues that have been a feature of America's conversation with Pakistan for many years.

"This administration felt that we needed to take additional steps to underscore that we're not going to be able to continue the relationship on autopilot. We can't continue a status quo relationship. We need to be able to move beyond these challenges and put our relationship on a more solid footing," the official said.

Responding to a question, the official disputed the general impression coming out of Pakistan that it will not rearrest Hafiz Saeed as being demanded by the US.

"I have not seen them say they're not going to take any of these steps. What the Pakistani government has objected to is our characterisation of the situation on the ground. But I have never heard the Pakistani government say they're not going to re-arrest Hafiz Saeed or they're not going to prosecute him," the official said.

The Pakistanis have clearly indicated that they are unhappy with the public rhetoric of the Trump administration.

"What I would say to that is we had a number of months where we have had very serious conversations and private discussions with them and have not seen the responsiveness that we need.

And at some juncture they knew that we were going to take additional steps if they did not respond to the requests that we made to them," the State Department official said.

Appreciating the help of Pakistan in the release of Coleman family, the official said at the same time if there is an ongoing relationship between elements of the security forces in Pakistan and the group that took the Colin Boyle family hostage that is a concern."
Egyptian officials say a sightseeing balloon carrying foreign tourists over the southern city of Luxor has crash landed, killing one tourist and injuring seven.

The balloon, with tourists from different nationalities and Egyptians onboard, crashed to the west of the city of Luxor, MENA said.

The health ministry said a woman was killed and 12 people injured but gave no other details.

The officials say today's incident was caused by strong winds that forced the balloon off its course above the city's pharaonic temples and tombs.

There were no details immediately on the nationalities of the victims. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity under regulations.

Hot air balloon incidents have occurred in the past over ancient Luxor.

In 2013, 19 foreign tourists were killed when their balloon caught fire. In 2016, Egypt temporarily halted balloon flights after 22 Chinese tourists suffered minor injuries in a crash landing of their hot air balloon.

Since then, balloon rides are monitored by cameras and banned from flying above 2,000 metres.
Riyadh: A Saudi-led coalition fighting rebels in Yemen said a ballistic missile intercepted over southern Saudi Arabia on Friday served as proof Iran supported the Shiite Huthi rebels.

"This hostile act by the Iran-backed Huthis proves the Iranian regime remains implicated in supporting the armed Huthis," the kingdom`s state news agency SPA quoted coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki as saying.

Riyadh earlier said Saudi air defences had intercepted a ballistic missile over the southern province of Najran, hours after the Huthis announced they had launched an attack on the kingdom.

Maliki said Friday`s attack "deliberately targeted densely populated civilian areas" and had caused minor damage to the property of a Saudi citizen.

No casualties were reported.

Saudi Arabia and its allies, who support the Yemeni government in its fight against the Huthis, have long accused Iran of backing the rebels.

In December, Riyadh warned "Iranian-manufactured ballistic weapons" threatened the kingdom`s security following a foiled ballistic missile attack from Yemen.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansur Hadi`s government in March 2015, after the Huthis seized the capital Sanaa.

The rebels still control the capital and much of the north of the country.

More than 8,750 people have been killed since the coalition intervened, according to the World Health Organization.
Naypyidaw: Myanmar`s military has used heavy weapons to overrun remote rebel camps in northern Kachin state, the army said on Friday, as a seasonal offensive ramps up the long-running conflict.

A separate military campaign in Rakhine state, which has forced 655,000 Rohingya Muslims over the border into Bangladesh, has dominated global attention.

But the conflict in Kachin, a mainly Christian state in the Buddhist-majority country, has rumbled on away from international headlines and fighting is again intensifying now that monsoon rains have ended.

The army -- or Tatmadaw -- said it had gained the upper hand after seizing 22 camps of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) since mid-November and blocking off a key timber smuggling route to China.

Heavy weapons were used Thursday to attack hillside camps as the army killed "some enemies" and seized arms and ammunition, according to a statement posted on Facebook by the office of commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing.

"Tatmadaw columns are in hot pursuit of fleeing terrorist insurgents," the statement added.

The rebels and the army trade allegations of abuses, while observers accuse both sides of trafficking timber, jade and drugs to fund the fighting.

After a 17-year ceasefire, the KIA restarted its fight for autonomy in 2011 resulting in unrest that has killed hundreds and displaced more than 100,000 people.

The KIA confirmed the renewed hostilities were "very serious" and that the military was using airstrikes and heavy artillery against its positions.

"Our ethnic groups didn`t launch the offensive. It was the military. We are only fighting back," KIA spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Naw Buu told AFP, also denying rebel involvement in the illegal timber trade.

"That timber is not from Kachin state. We have no trees left to cut down," he said.

Like many restive border areas in the country, access for journalists, diplomats and aid groups is heavily restricted, making independent verification of claims on either side difficult.

Aung San Suu Kyi`s civilian government swept to power in the 2015 elections, but Myanmar`s military retains control of the key defence, border and home affairs ministries.

That effectively gives it a carte blanche to conduct operations without parliamentary approval.

Suu Kyi`s government is desperate to reach a binding peace agreement with some two dozen armed ethnic groups.

But fighting across Kachin and Shan states is threatening talks.

"If the fighting goes on, it could upset all the peace plans," political analyst Khin Zaw Win told AFP.

"The tragedy for Myanmar is these two processes are going on in tandem. There doesn`t seem to be any coordination and the military is upstaging everything."

Hundreds of people have been displaced across Kachin and neighbouring Shan, the UN said, confirming reports that army mortar shells on Christmas Eve landed near a camp sheltering some 6,900 people.

"Yet again we see men, women, and children fleeing violence for the second or even third time," UN spokesman Pierre Peron said.
Seoul: South Korea and North Korea on Friday agreed to hold high-level talks next week to discuss Pyongyang's potential participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and ways to improve bilateral ties.

North Korea notified that it has accepted South Korea's latest offer for talks on January 9, Yonhap News Agency quoted the Unification Ministry as saying.

"The two sides decided to discuss working-level issues for the talks by exchanging documents," Baik Tae-hyun, ministry spokesman at the ministry, told a press briefing.

The move comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed willingness to send a delegation to the Olympics to be held in South Korea next month and said the country was open to inter-Korean talks over the matter.

The agreement came as South Korea and the US agreed late Thursday to delay their joint military drills during the Winter Olympics.

North Korea has long denounced the military drills as a war rehearsal and used them as an excuse for its provocations. But South Korea and the US said that the exercises were defensive in nature.

Next week's talks will be the first inter-Korean dialogue since December 2015.

After a nine-year rule of two conservative governments, liberal President Moon Jae-in, who favours engagement with Pyongyang, took office in May 2016.

But North Korea's nuclear and missile threats have prompted him to maintain the dual track of seeking sanctions and dialogue.

Seoul hopes that better inter-Korean relations can help pave the way for the resolution of North Korea's nuclear issue and broader talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

Some experts said that North Korea's overture to South Korea may be aimed at weakening the united front in enforcing sanctions on Pyongyang and driving a wedge in the decades-long alliance between Seoul and Washington.
By PTI: (Eds: Rephrasing intro)

By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jan 5 (PTI) A top American Senator has announced that he will introduce a bill that would stop US aid to Pakistan, saying the country does not deserve American assistance as it is stonewalling access to key information in fighting terrorism.

"Im introducing a bill to end aid to Pakistan in the coming days. My bill will take the money that would have gone to Pakistan and put it in an infrastructure fund to build roads and bridges here at home," Republican Senator Rand Paul said after Trump Administration announced its decision to suspend its security assistance to Pakistan.

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"US should not give one penny to countries that burn our flag and chant Death to America. Countries like Pakistan that stonewall access to key information in fighting terrorism dont deserve our money," he said.

"We should stop now sending hard earned tax dollars to Pakistan. We sent Pakistan over USD 33 billion since 2002. What did we get for? Pakistan didnt even help us find it Bin laden even though he was living in one of their cities for years," he alleged.

Paul said he has been fighting to Pakistani aid for years but now there has been a breakthrough.

US President Donald Trump has publicly called to end their aid to Pakistan, the Kentucky Senator said.

"Theyve (Pakistanis) allowed suspected terrorists to operate in their country. Some say Pakistani intelligence agents actually aid and abet the terrorists. Its wrong," he said. PTI LKJ NSA

--- ENDS ---
" " A man climbs Mount Everest by himself, a practice to be banned by Nepal. Galen Rowell/Getty Images

At 29,029 feet (8,848 meters), Mount Everest is the world's tallest peak and an irresistible and (and sometimes deadly) draw for mountain climbers from all over the planet. It's also a place of political turmoil and intrigue, straddling the border of China and Nepal, which offer up different regulations for would-be adventurers. In late December 2017, Nepal's newest set of rules came under fire from some quarters for banning blind, amputee, and solo climbers.

The Nepalese tourism ministry tweaked the regulations in what it says is an effort to curb fatalities on the legendary slopes, which are steep, shifty, and so high that most climbers need supplemental oxygen to reach the summit. The moves would also create jobs for locals to act as guides for solo climbers.

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Some suspect that the new rules may be a ham-handed way to limit the ever-burgeoning crowds that now flood the slopes during the climbing season, which lasts for just a short time each year (mostly April and May) due to severe weather. Human waste, litter, and bottlenecks on narrow slopes make Everest look more like a packed movie theater queue than a wilderness journey on some days.

Adventurer and author Brian Dickinson summited Everest in 2011. "Over the past few decades Everest has had some bad press based on unqualified climbers," he says. "Nepal is struggling to find an answer on how to control who should and shouldn't climb, but they are focusing on the wrong demographic. They probably feel that others seeing blind and disabled climbers attempting the mountain makes the climb appear doable for anyone."

" " New Zealand's Everest summitter Mark Inglis (C) is helped by colleagues on his way to his hotel upon his arrival from a mountain base camp, in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 21, 2006. Inglis became the first double amputee to scale Mount Everest on May 15, 2006. DEVENDRA MAN SINGH/AFP/Getty Images

But Dickinson, who also works as a mountain guide, said that blind and disabled climbers are some of the strongest athletes he's worked with. The result? The new rules have created a feeling of injustice amongst fellow climbers. "The blind and disabled climbers have overcome so much in their lives," says Dickinson. "They should be treated like anyone else; if they qualify and don't create risk to themselves and others, then they should have the opportunity to fulfill their dream."

Due to its high-profile status a lot of mystique surrounds Everest, and one enduring myth is that the mountain is one of the most technically challenging peaks in the world. It isn't. There are slow, long routes that are relatively straightforward for average climbers. It's the peak's great height and low oxygen levels that cause a raft of potential health concerns, whether you're disabled or not.

Since the mountain was first summited in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, some 17,675 people have attempted to reach the summit, with 8,306 completing the journey. Around 288 non-disabled people have perished, as of late 2017.

In the same time frame, 29 disabled climbers set out for the peak, and more than half (15) completed the journey. Two died  one in 2009 and one in 2014. In short, the numbers don't seem to indicate the disabled climbers are making a lot of attempts, and those that do are generally making it back alive.

If Nepal truly wants to thin the crowds, a rule requiring previous experience of climbing a mountain of, say, 7,000 or 8,000 meters would likely keep part of the hordes at bay. However the permit fees for climbing Everest are $11,000 each, generating crucial revenue for an impoverished country.

Nepal has a history of proposing  and "proposing" is indeed the key word  seemingly odd or roundabout regulations meant to serve some ultimate end that's clear only to the rule makers. Instability in the government means that those proposals come and go, often with little impact on the climbing culture. It remains to be seen if the 2018 bans will truly affect many summit attempts and whether determined climbers will find a way to legally or illegally skirt the regulations.

NOW THAT'S Impressive In 2011, Brian Dickinson (a former Navy air rescue swimmer), was 1,000 feet (304 meters) from Everest's summit when illness forced his Sherpa guide to retreat. Dickinson opted to go on alone, reaching the peak four hours later. Then, severe snow blindness made it impossible for him to see  forcing him to miraculously descend on instinct and feel, a journey that's detailed in a book titled, "Blind Descent."
The Art of Christmas: New Mexico Style

PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
By Lalit K Jha, India Today Web Desk: The US has said that it has suspended all security assistance to Pakistan until Islamabad takes "decisive action" against terror groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network, which according to Washington is destabilising the region.

"Today, we can confirm that we are suspending security assistance only to Pakistan at this time," said US state department spokesperson Heather Nauert. She added tha Pakistan could receive the funding if it takes decisive action against terror groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network

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"It has been more than four months since the president's speech, and despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack US and allied personnel," Nauert said

"Until the Pak Govt takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, we consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting U.S. personnel, US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan" says Heather Nauert pic.twitter.com/3wMKmXMAwL- ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018

This is is another mega blow to Pakistan which will be deprived of more than 1 billion dollars in aid. This is the second time USA has snubbed Pakistan after suspending USD 225 million aid a few days ago.

"We will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law.There may be some exemptions that are made on a case-by-case basis, if they're determined to be critical to national security interests," Nauert told reporters

She said that the US had a series of discussions with Pakistan about terrorism, and had asked the country the need to take more decisive action against terror groups.

President Donald Trump in an angry tweet on the New Year day had accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years. Soon after the president's tweet, the White House had confirmed that the US had suspended its USD 255 million military aid to Pakistan.

-With inputs from PTI

Watch: US suspends all military aid to Pakistan

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Artist Nigel Conway shows his series focusing purely on pachyderms. Live music from Temporary Saints with special guest Tom Briggs.

Cerrillos Station in Cerrillos, New Mexico, is proud to host celebrated artist Nigel Conway for the opening of his newest show, Entirely Elephants, on Friday, January 5th. This will be Mr. Conways first show in the Madrid/Cerrillos area, which has been his home for nearly twenty years. The opening reception will feature the music of Temporary Saints (Tim Arnold and Lance Highers) with special guest Tom Briggs, from 4-7 pm.

While Mr. Conway has occasionally veered away from human figures, Entirely Elephants is his first series focusing purely on pachyderms. Since his childhood in England, Nigel has admired elephants for their patient power, longevity and dignity. These varied images present the iconic elephantine form  bumpy skin, long trunk, matriarchal bearing  with a childlike enthusiasm tempered by an adults comprehension of vulnerability.

Born in Manchester, England, in 1966, Nigel emigrated to the United States in the early 1990s and became a citizen one decade ago. Drawing comparisons to Heckel, Picasso, Giacometti, Basquiat, Miro and Schiele, Mr. Conways abstract figurative work is distinguished by the mute, watchful characters who emerge from his playful color compositions. He works primarily with pastel and ink on layers of plaster, resin, and varnish. Mr. Conways works are included in revered private collections and prominent galleries from Aspen to Dubai, as well as in public institutions such as the New Mexico Art Collection in Santa Fes Bataan Memorial Building.

Cerrillos Station opened in 2016, reinvigorating a 130-year-old building which had housed the Whatnot Shop since the 1950s. It received a commendation from the USDA for its extensive environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient renovations. Cerrillos Station is a multi-use space with an art gallery, mercantile boutique, yoga/dance studio, hair salon and massage services. In addition to art openings, it also hosts literary readings and cultural events.

The charming village of Los Cerrillos is located twenty miles south of Santa Fe on Highway 14. Over the last two centuries of its existence, it has gone from being a contender for the state capitol to a ghost town. Its authentic dusty streets and adobe buildings have kept it a highly-sought backdrop for feature films and television series.

directions: at the Galisteo Bridge on Highway 14, turn west onto Main Street. After 100 yards, make a right at the first (only) stop sign. Cerrillos Station is located at 15B First Street, last building on the right before the train tracks.

For more information, please call Cerrillos Station at (505) 474-9326, email cerrillosstation@icloud.com, or visit www.cerrillosstation.com.
LOS ANGELESMotorbunny is riding high today after a year of increased visibility and record sales growth. Following a slew of media attention and positive reviews, consumer response and interactions demonstrate the products advancing popularity.

Motorbunny gained much media attention this past year thanks to appearances at industry, health, and wellness shows around the world. A number of new attachments and innovative core product modifications have also provided newsworthy moments, such as the introduction of the Bluetooth-enabled Motorbunny Link controller for wireless partner control, as well as its one-of-a-kind 10-Year-Quality-Guarantee Program.

Its been an incredible sophomore year for Motorbunny with the organic media coverage we had and increased sales, said Craig Mewbourne, CMO of Motorbunny. Weve seen a marked rise across all segments while our media presence grew exponentially. We are very grateful to all our customers, team members and partners for this great success!

Fueled by media coverage and a marketing campaign that included 75 news articles, scores of media interviews, YouTube videos and more, Motorbunny had a record year which is paving the way for new developments in 2018.

Among the media outlets hailing Motorbunny and its capabilities was Cosmopolitan which wrote, The Motorbunny is a rideable sex toy that promises to be one of the most powerful experiences youll ever have. The kit includes the rub-only, small, medium and large attachments to use.

BostonSingleGirl.com wrote: Given that Im such as ass girl, I could not get away from the one attachment that just hours ago had me giggling and snickeringthe Jiggle Butt [attachment] I could see how men would find this attachment appealing. I couldnt keep my hands off of it! Its a thick, juicy silicone booty

YourTango.com wrote: I barely last thirty seconds before the machine had me cummingthen cumming again in rapid succession You do not need to get a Motorbunny to have awesome sex and awesome orgasms, but if you are a sex toy collector looking for the next big thrill, youve got to do it.

Others like Uproxx cited the Motorbunnys power and effectiveness: I only survive about 45 seconds at the maximum speed before I have to switch it off lest I embarrass myself in front of the masses yet again.

Recently nominated for Best Pleasure Product Manufacturer  Small for the 2018 AVN Awards, the Motorbunny was also named Outstanding Powered Product at the 2017 O Awards. As the industry-leading ride-on-top vibrator that is both affordable and easy to use, the Motorbunny offers a wide variety of attachments and accessories to heighten sensation for men and women.

For more, visit Motorbunny.com.
Governor declares state of emergency to respond to the storm

NCDOT crews have applied more than two million gallons of salt brine across roadways in 56 counties and have crews and equipment ready to clear ice and snow.

State troopers are marking abandoned vehicles along the roadway and are coordinating with local law enforcement to ensure no one is left stranded in these dangerous temperatures.

State troopers and transportation crews are working to clear disabled vehicles quickly so they don't impede traffic.

National Guard troops are on standby and prepared to respond as needed.

Adverse weather policy is in effect for state employees. State employees should coordinate with their supervisors.

Contact: Ford Porter

Ford Porter govpress@nc.gov

RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper today declared a state of emergency for all eastern and several central North Carolina counties as the state braces for snow and sleet along with bitter cold.said Governor Cooper.Forecasts call for two to eight inches of snow along the I-95 corridor and east with higher amounts of six to eight inches in areas between Greenville and Elizabeth City. The heaviest snowfall amounts are expected Wednesday night along the Highway 17 corridor. The expected snowfall amounts and high winds have prompted a blizzard warning for the northeastern counties of Camden and Currituck from 4 pm Wednesday until early Thursday afternoon. High winds are also expected in Carteret, Dare, Hyde and Tyrrell counties. Along with the snow, central coastal counties could see as much as a quarter of an inch of ice accumulate along with very strong winds.The Governor today declared a state of emergency to assist with storm response and recovery. The declaration also triggers state law against charging excessive prices during an emergency. He also issued an executive order waiving truck weight, size and hours of service restrictions to ease movement of supplies and equipment.Gov. Cooper activated the State Emergency Operations Center this morning to coordinate storm response throughout the impacted areas. Other storm preparations include:Gov. Cooper reminded citizens to heed the advice of law enforcement officials and emergency responders to ensure everyone's safety during the storm.Gov. Cooper said.While the storm itself will move through North Carolina quickly, the extreme cold will linger through the weekend, Gov. Cooper said.With the combination of snow, intense cold and winds, officials are urging people to take extra precautions when outdoors and when heating their homes. Wear multiple layers of clothing, cover any exposed skin while outside and limit time outdoors. If you must use an alternative heat source, make sure you know how to do so safely. Never run generators or use grills indoors. Get more tips on cold weather safety from the NC Department of Health and Human Services Real-time weather and road conditions and shelter openings, as well as winter safety tips, can be found on the free ReadyNC mobile app or online at readync.org Travelers are urged to go to drivenc.gov for up to date roadway conditions. Motorists are reminded NOT to call 911 or the State Highway Patrol Communication Centers for roadway conditions.
On the first day of the brand new year, I missed the early service. By the time I woke, the sun was up and shining. It was a bitter cold morning, but the wind that "cut to the bone" wasn't nearly as fierce as it had been, the last few days. This was not the day to walk by the laughing river. Besides, even without a kitchen, we were planning a traditional "new years' day" , meal.Jenny and I concocted a plan using all sorts of kitchen contraptions to prepare the traditional fare. Black-eyed peas simmered in a crock pot while a pork roast, smothered with potatoes, carrots, turnips and onions roasted in an electric roaster. Collards are the traditional green served on the first day of the year-but fresh ones just weren't possible. We decided on frozen and agreed we could use an electric skillet to warm them and could season them, as we saw fit. Though it was a feasible plan, there wasn't a single bag to be bought in the grocery, and so canned was our only option. I bought several cans and hoped for the best.With the temperature barely twenty degrees, we stayed in the house all day. Miss Claudia (Wills' mom) was coming, so at last, Lyla was changed into warm and very cute attire, in the late afternoon. The dining room, where everything was plugged in, smelled like the new years' day meal, but all the hope I had in the canned collards, was lost, when I tried them. They were awful and so I intended to warn the others.Thankfully, the peas were just right and the roast with its company of vegetables was as good as any I have ever cooked. Miss Claudia is not a fan of collards and so she spared herself the burden of trying them. She did compliment everything else, which is one reason I enjoy cooking for her. Will and Jenny agreed with me on the poor quality of the greens, meant to bring prosperity. We had to hope a few bites went a long way, if our financial success in the new year, depended on the amount of collards, we consumed.By, eight o"clock, Miss Claudia was safely home, and all traces of a gathering were -as Lyla says about the Christmas tree, "lost". Snow is in the forecast, for several days, starting on Wednesday. Before, I went to sleep, I hoped there wasn't anyone without shelter, anywhere, this night.I did see the early service, this day. It was cold again. I can not complain, as I was warm, inside Will and Jennys' home. Lyla woke up early and Jenny woke up with a kink in her neck. Will had to go back to work. Today, was the day for me to return to the rabbit patch. Christian had "held the fort down" on his own throughout the the brutal weather. The laundry room had frozen water lines-and Christopher Robin, the sweet gray cat, had managed to hurt his leg. I start work tomorrow, and with snow in the forecast, I needed to make sure the farmhouse kitchen was well stocked. Roads are not cleared in the countryside of a small, southern town. Farmers take mercy on us, and will clear the roads, the first chance they get. The truth is, under such conditions, the south shuts down, hence the chaos at the groceries. We are also liable to lose power. I certainly hope that does not happen. The rabbit patch, does not have water, in that case.Tonight, I saw the evening news and was quite shocked at the national weather reports. I can not fathom such circumstances as fountains frozen in the act of cascading and snow piled over cars. Here, in the south, we consider the event of snow, a winter holiday, of sorts, that occurs as often as a "blue moon".The drive home was sunny and bright. All three rivers I cross, were tinged with ice. I had dreaded the stop at the grocery, but I needn't have, as it was just a bit more busy than usual. I bought the ingredients for snow cream, just in case it really did snow. When I was growing up, we were never allowed to make snow cream on the first snow, which greatly limited the chances of making any at all. The first snow, "cleaned the air", and so was not considered sanitary. I am "throwing caution to the wind" and making a batch in spite of that.I was glad to see Christian. Kyle came in about an hour after I arrived. Christopher Robin was on the mend , though the laundry room would not give a drop of water up. I went straight a way to cooking. I made several things that could be warmed in a pot on the wood heater, if need be.School is dismissed early tomorrow in lieu of the pending snow. This will be a good time to read beautiful words and try to make cookies, as I have not attempted that since my last batch, which were barely edible. I have bird seed. Snow is the only event, that the country birds will visit my feeders. If I make snow lanterns, I will try to post about that- and there is always the "snow cream", though I have been warned about that, for generations. I will at least wait til "the woods are filled with snow" and the branches of the old oaks, around the farmhouse are laden, before I dare to "catch a bit of snow". Snow just changes everything.
The Democrat leadership has made constant, profound and incredible pronouncements that one's supportive vote for Republicans is tantamount to surrendering Democracy forever. Understanding their sincere thinking in their extreme position: How will you still vote on this election day?

Democrat; because the continuance of this Democracy from the existential threat of extreme Republicans is paramount.

Republican; the process of having a choice is the democratic method within what so called "Democracy" does exists.
This is no ordinary day at the rabbit patch, for snow blankets the territory. School was dismissed early, yesterday-and so all afternoon, I waited for snow. It has been more than five years, since I have seen more than a scant dusting. By around four o'clock, it was sleeting and I feared we would have to settle for an icy rain. Around nine, it started snowing at last. I was sorry not to be able to watch it fall as that is such a lovely sight, and so very rare in these parts, but I consoled myself that "Joy would come in the morning". I was up by four am .Snow was everywhere. There was wind and it caused the snow to swirl wildly. Such conditions are unheard of here . . and so I woke Christian. I could not stand thinking he would miss this event. Christian has stopped me from kneading bread to see the moon rise and so it did not seem the least bit odd, to wake him under the circumstances. We stayed up a while, and then went back to sleep until morning light.Temperatures are supposed to remain just below freezing until Monday, so I am prepared to stay on the rabbit patch for a while. Of course, snow does not come without a cost, it seems. I will need to replace a pipe in the laundry room, as a chunk the size of a large egg, broke off, due to ice. Today, the hot water is frozen up and the washing machine works when it cares to.Christopher Robin, does not share the enthusiasm for "the winter wonderland" that we do. His curiosity is satisfied by peering out the windows. Cash, on the other hand, dashed madly about and even rode a snow board! (left over from ski trips). Boxers are known as "eternal puppies" and Cash was living proof of that today.It is my great pleasure to announce, that I made cookies this morning-soft cookies, that tasted good enough to warrant second servings. I made "tea cakes" , an old southern variety. They are like a shortbread cookie and for a while, the kitchen smelled, like quite a baker, lived here. I so hope, it was not "beginners' luck". It just seems shameful that a "Honeybee", (or a grandmother) wouldn't be a good cookie baker.It was still snowing in Elizabeth City, when I talked to Jenny, in the late morning. They are likely to get some snow every winter, but not by the foot, as they had so far. Lyla was determined to build a snowman and so Will helped her out. I am trying to muster the courage to make snow lanterns, but the wind is something fierce and very uninviting.I did collect snow for snow cream. It snowed very few years in my childhood, but when it did, we made snow cream. Snow cream is a simple concoction of snow, vanilla, cream and sugar. It is made according to ones' taste and can be made by the bowl or in a batch. Powdery snow is the best kind and we were not short on supply of that, today. I suppose all sorts of variations would work . Honey could replace sugar-so could maple syrup and I am sure you could really add whatever your heart desired . . . but I made mine just like the kind I grew up with, today.I always think of Frosts' Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", when t does snow, and I did so today. I understand "stopping to watch woods, fill up with snow". It is as good a reason to stop, as I know of.
Producers plan expansion and new hiring but say more liberalization of ABC system would boost business further

"The main thing I've been trying to explain to everyone is that this is real job creation. Freeing up that money to a business like ours will allow us to hire two more employees, which we desperately need."

"Splitting that between four guys is taking its toll. Having two more employees will allow us to expand our production. Another great benefit is that it will allow us to put more money back into our building," which was built in 1946.

"I know we are not the only distillery ... that is in this situation, and it shows that across the state we have created a real and viable industry. The state has been slowly changing it's laws in our favor, and without federal and state laws continuing to modernize we will not be able to sustain this type of growth."

"Southern Grace will be able to hire more staff this year because of the excise tax reduction. We are investing the savings in creating jobs and in our process. We couldn't be happier."



Todd Ford, co-owner of NoDa Brewery in Charlotte, is part of a group of N.C. craft brewers who say state laws eventually will prevent their expansion. (CJ file photo)

"Lawmakers should allow beer producers to decide which company sells and delivers their product, just like in every other industry in the country. Shouldn't a business owner be allowed to choose how to run their business?"

Makers of craft alcohol in North Carolina - whether it's beer, wine, or liquor - generally agree on some expected benefits of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act , which the president signed in December.Mainly, lower excise taxes and some tweaking of alcohol-by-volume limits. The chance to expand and to hire more workers. To make new products and increase capital investments.This isn't to say these entrepreneurs, probably much like many Americans, support the act as a whole. They do, however, care about provisions such as a decrease from $7 per barrel to $3.50 per barrel on the first 60,000 barrels for brewers under 2 million barrels. Or, for spirits, the rate falling from a flat $13.50 per gallon produced or imported to a tiered rate of $2.70 per proof gallon on first 100,000 proof gallons.Put simply, the provisions are good for business.But what about North Carolina?Scott Smith is a founder of Outer Banks Distilling in Manteo, which makes rum. The Distilled Spirits Council of the U. S., he says, selected him to serve as a citizen lobbyist for the Craft Beverage Modernization Act. He spent a few days in June lobbying for reductions in federal excise taxes.Smith said.He said the distillery runs 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week.It's a common theme, those ideas of expansion, growth and jobs. NoDa's Todd Ford, as I wrote Thursday, said the Charlotte brewery is adding an employee next week, bringing the number of production workers to 12 and the employment roll to 44.Ford had said.Leanne Powell, a founder of Southern Grace Distilleries in Mount Pleasant, home to "Whiskey Prison," called the reduction in the FET a "game changer."Ford, too, is happy with the new, albeit temporary, rules.But, the question lingers: Where's the state?Ford said.He, along with other North Carolina brewers such as John Marrino at Olde Mecklenburg and Kristie Nystedt at Raleigh Brewing Co., lobbied hard to raise state limits on self-distribution, which stand at 25,000 barrels per year.he said.For their part, the distributors say the three-tiered system works well, so why try to fix something that's not broken?Lawmakers tried to raise the distribution limits last year, but that effort failed and wasn't part of the omnibus legislation that ultimately passed.Ford said.Just 5 percent of the beer consumed in North Carolina is made in North Carolina, Ford said. It's a telling statistic.Another part of the legislation left on the cutting-room floor was direct sales from distilleries to customer, as were tastings in ABC stores.Powell said.It will be a busy couple years, for North Carolina's alcohol producers and state lawmakers alike. These issues aren't going away.
Your passion for making us better, your belief that all individuals deserve an equal opportunity to succeed and your unwavering dedication to the highest aspirations of our university.

Just over a year ago, the University of Michigan launched a new, five-year-long initiative named the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) plan. In an official statement by President Mark Schlissel, the plan's primary goal is stated to be the creation of a "vibrant climate of inclusiveness" on campus.In order to heighten campus diversity, the plan pledged to increase enrollment of students from underrepresented backgrounds. These targeted demographics include the usual race and gender groups, but also, notably, students with underrepresented "political perspective[s]."As for equity, the plan pledged to rid campus of discrimination based on the aforementioned identities-although without mentioning "political perspective"-and for inclusion, the plan promised to foster a campus culture that welcomes different perspectives bythrough tangible actions, its administrators held accountable by measurable results.Despite this no-nonsense branding, the plan contains an enormous amount of inanity.Read through the official DEI materials and you soon feel overwhelmed by inspiring platitudes and glossy pictures of smiling minorities. As I noted in an earlier Michigan Review article , the administration has a nasty habit of hiding potentially controversial policy decisions deep in a matrix of feel-good fluff and pages of meaningless drivel, such as:Whether DEI will accomplish that is questionable, but the plan certainly succeeded in adding new positions within the administration, including the vice provost for equity, inclusion, and academic affairs. According to UM Salary , the University of Michigan's open salary database, the provost earned $385,000 during the 2016-2017 school year.Robert Sellers, who occupies this provost position, wrote an op-ed in the Michigan Daily last April defending those developments. Citing the importance of DEI's "personal, professional, and educational benefits," Sellers boasted of over 200 University of Michigan community membersHe didn't say exactly what are the "historic and contemporary contributions" those staff members provide, that Michigan taxpayers now sponsor.DEI resources mostly highlight various "advisory boards" and councils composed of graduate and undergraduate students. In practice, those bodies monitor Michigan's various administrative bodies for policy in academics and student life. The boards and councils approach this task with a specific angle: promote diversity principles through reform and increased DEI presence.One such body, the Multicultural Leadership Council , is a collective of graduate students who seek to ensureThis means advocating for mandatory graduate education programs thatWhat exactly does such advocacy entail? In a write-in to the Michigan Daily entitled "Pay Students for Diversity Labor," representatives of the Multicultural Leadership Council attempt to explain their value to the community. They write of their active role in pushing "school units to adhere to aggressive implementation timelines" of DEI plans and programs. In sum, the DEI appears to have enlisted undergraduate and graduate students to do its dirty work of maintaining strategic footholds and pressure points across the university.A major theme of the DEI plan thus emerges: to perpetuate the existence of our school administration's diversity industry. Committees are formed to produce unreadable diversity pamphlets; these committees recommend more committees, and finally, the diversity provost makes sure everyone gets paid.This self-serving cycle is most transparent in the plan's faculty recruitment initiatives designed to increase minority faculty numbers.One such initiative is the Collegiate Postdoctoral Fellowship, aimed at supporting the research of "diversity scholars." The university's National Center for Institutional Diversity defines "diversity scholars" as academicsDiversity scholars are tasked with propagating one particular set of educational policies; namely, the exact policies that got them hired in the first place. Undoubtedly, the DEI cabal uses the scholarly works those academics produce to justify the growth of their programs and administrative power. The DEI plan has also implemented a new system of mandatory faculty workshops designed to promote inclusivity and combat racism in the classroom.One might ask what value such workshops could add to the progressive classroom environment that most students already experience at Michigan. LSA Dean Andrew Martin tells us that these workshops provide additional strategies toAlthough students have already learned about the disproved science of implicit bias in computer science classes, they may now hear a Calc 1 graduate student instructor awkwardly attempt to broach the topic of "racial hatred." As staff reporters at the Michigan Daily have pointed out , many students see the DEI plan as ineffective at addressing discrimination on campus, specifically the "racist incidents" of racial slur graffiti and alt-right propaganda posters.Whether or not you believe these offensive actions were actually carried out by a covert league of racist Michigan students (I highly doubt this), the DEI can't possibly affect the situation at hand. The mythos of "equity and inclusion" boils down to the fantastical assumption that a hateful racist can be brought back into reason by his local "diversity peer educator." Short of destroying student privacy and installing a camera in every dorm room, the university has very little power to stop anonymous vandalism around campus.President Schlissel chose to promote the DEI plan at a community gathering in October 2016, wherein Michigan studentsHowever, to the dismay of protesters and those who felt targeted by racial incidents, Schlissel added,It seems, then, that President Schlissel's stamp of approval on the DEI initiative mainly represents an attempt at appeasing the angry mobs outside his home and a way of saying,What should the university do about our racial atmosphere on campus?One intuitively feels that something should be done to prevent rabble-rousers from peddling divisive racial rhetoric on campus. Racial slurs on dorm room doors and anti-race mixing posters undoubtedly disturb our learning environment through the small-minded bigotry they promote. However, free speech exists in this country and on its public educational campuses for good reason. We must accept free speech's monumental benefits along with its drawbacks.Perhaps the administration's most ethically and intellectually sound response to "racial incidents" would be the following: emphasize that the best way of dealing with truly prejudiced speech is simply to ignore it. The best punishment for racial instigators would be to let them fester alone and not give them the angry response they desire. Unfortunately, the Michigan administration won't do that and instead pushes the DEI plan's empty gestures of appeasement-which come with the hefty price tag of $85 million. Such wasteful spending and administrative abuse of power must be opposed now since it will not die out on its own. The nature of Michigan's DEI is one of self-preservation and entrenchment.Moreover, calls for "justice" on campus will not cease. President Schlissel, in his awkward bind, will feel compelled to increase appeasement expenses in the future. There are hardly any examples of American campus activists bribed into contentment; the Evergreen State fiasco , on the other hand, demonstrates just how far progressive activists will go once appeasement begins.Michigan should stop now.
Entry of women aged between 12 and 50 -- as in women of menstruating age -- is banned at Kerala's Sabarimala Temple. Now, they would have to show an age proof to prove it.

By India Today Web Desk: Female devotees will now have to provide their age proof while visiting Kerala's Sabarimala Temple.

Why?

Well, because the entry of women aged between 12 and 50 -- as in women of menstruating age -- is banned here. Now, they want to make sure the rule is not violated.

The Sabarimala temple authorities' direction comes after numerous incidents came up of women of the banned age group being detained from entering the temple.

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However, it is not mandatory for all.

Reports have it that a full-fledged verification will not be carried out, but those found suspicious will have to show their age proof, which could be any ID card approved by the government.

WHY THIS BAN?

Women of menstruating age group are banned from entering the shrine of Lord Ayyappa.

Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Annie Raja has slammed the temple authorities, saying that the directive was a violation of the rights of women to worship.

]"It is once again denying the rights of women to worship any God. Women were actually demanding entry into the Sabrimala Temple, but it is unfortunate that the temple authorities deny and are now demanding age proof," an ANI report quotes Raja.

"God does not discriminate between man and woman but these custodians of god are denying the women their rights to worship," she added.

This rule, however, was being violated during the three-month annual pilgrimage, which attracts scores of worshippers to the temple.

[With inputs from ANI]

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Michael Wolff's book about Trump, featuring treason accusations from former ally Steve Bannon and reports of the president's dementia, is being released early. Fire And Fury: Inside The Trump White House can be bought immediately at Amazon.

"Due to unprecedented demand," the book about President Trump's White House by Michael Wolff will be released Friday, four days ahead of schedule, according to the book's publisher. The announcement comes hours after President Trump's personal lawyer issued a cease and desist letter over "Fire and Fury: Inside Trump's White House" to Wolff and Wolff's publisher, Henry Holt and Company. Wolff, too, confirmed the early on-sale date on Twitter.

Wolff provides a wealth of new details about the chaos in the Oval Office. Among the revelations:

 What President Trump's staff really thinks of him

 What inspired Trump to claim he was wire-tapped by President Obama

 Why FBI director James Comey was really fired

 Why chief strategist Steve Bannon and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner couldn't be in the same room

 Who is really directing the Trump administration's strategy in the wake of Bannon's firing

 What the secret to communicating with Trump is

 What the Trump administration has in common with the movie The Producers

Evidently, Trump's threats were to no avail.

Previously: Bannon: Trump Jr and Kushner meeting with Russians was "treasonous"


With the rise of white nationalist groups whose allies in government extend all the way to the President of the United States, tech companies are finding themselves in the uncomfortable position of deciding where tolerance begins and ends  where they have a duty to step in and silence certain kinds of speech.



This is a very thorny question.





Today's strain of revisionist critique of "internet utopians" holds that once upon a time, dumbasses who'd read too many issues of the Whole Earth Review believed that the internet would bring us all together, if only speech were unfettered and free.





The reality is that organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation came into being precisely because the people who were excited about the internet also perceived how it could be a terrible force in the world, bringing surveillance, harassment and invasive attacks into our lives in the most intimate and terrible ways. These organizations were founded to guard against these outcomes  not in blithe denial of them.





One important insight from those days is that the internet helps minority and suppressed groups come together to form networks and coalitions, overcoming the transaction costs of finding people with the same outlier ideas as you. The internet helps people with weird hobbies find each other (manga, science fiction, making), and it helps people with socially frowned-upon sexual identities find each other (kink, lgbtq, poly), it helps people with suppressed politics find each other (anti-capitalist activists, Arab Spring dissidents), it helps people with weird sensibilities find each other (Boing Boing, Something Awful) and it helps people whose fringe ideas we hate come together, too (white nationalists, troll armies, flat Earthers, Holocaust deniers, anti-vaxxers, etc).





There's a folk-tale that holds that pornographers are prolific early technology adopters, first to use 8mm film, new printing techniques, polaroids, VCRs, and the internet. The reality is that mastering each of these technologies cost something in terms of time and money, and the people whose communications were easy and cheap based on the old technologies had no reason to expend the effort to master the new ones. But people whose communications were expensive  whose literature was seized in the mail, whose sales channels were subject to raids and shut-down, whose practitioners could be sued or jailed  were already paying a high price to communicate. For people whose programs could be aired on network TV or shown in national theater chains, VCRs were a stupid, distracting waste of time  but for people who were smuggling 8mm films around in plain brown postal envelopes, VCRs were a godsend.





That's why pornographers adopt to new technologies before anyone else  it's also why kids, terrorists, criminals and weirdos (ahem) jump on technological bandwagons ahead of others. They're already bearing high communications costs, so the costs of learning a new technology are a savings, not an additional expenditure. This is also why assassination markets, tax evaders and drug dealers figured out Bitcoin ahead of everyone else  they weren't allowed to use Paypal, BACS or SWIFT.

Big Tech got big because it can take advantage of network effects (the more people there are on a platform, the more valuable it is, to a first approximation). It also got big because tech came of age just as the Reagan-era, Chicago-School-led dismantling of anti-trust was really kicking in, allowing a few lucky companies to become global monopolists with unimaginable and unhealthy vertical and horizontal integration.





As a result, Big Tech is big. So big that it can't possibly examine all the communications and transactions on its platforms. Youtube's now getting north of 200 hours of video every minute  there literally aren't enough copyright lawyers in the entire history of the world to police all that video, and automated enforcement systems are stupid, terrible and rife with abuse.





Which brings us to tolerance and intolerance. Tech has historically been tilted towards erring on the side of more speech over more censorship, partly out of the ideology that free speech is a good in and of itself, imperfect but better than the alternative, and partly because policing speech at (Big Tech's) scale is a technical and logistical impossibility, and so any system to separate good speech from bad speech (even assuming some clear division between them) will either let a lot of bad stuff through, or stop a lot of good stuff (or, realistically, both).

(Advocates for internet controls in service of stopping harassment have a noble cause, but they go off the rails when they say things like, "Google can already stop copyright infringement on Youtube, why can't they stop harassment, too?" and "Our schools manage to prevent kids from seeing porn, so why can't we stop neo-Nazis from using Twitter?" Youtube's copyright detection system falsely flags several Libraries of Congress' worth of legitimate material every year, and allows several more LoC's worth of infringing material through  and kids are routinely censored from seeing legitimate material, including a large slice of the primary resources needed to complete the Common Core; and they're also able to stumble onto mountains of explicit pornography)

The bigness of Big Tech means that a few large companies hold the power to enable or block a large slice of our public discourse. It's true that the First Amendment primarily refers to government censorship, but there's more nuance than that. When Comcast has a government monopoly over the internet service in your city and decides to block a site, it's a private action, but the First Amendment is definitely implicated.





In a similar vein, when the state stands aside and lets a company muscle all the competition out of a market, eschewing its anti-trust powers, the blocking decisions that company makes have far-ranging impacts that go beyond mere private action.

That's why when Cloudflare decided to kick out the Daily Stormer, EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn wrote an important, nuanced piece about the implications for all kinds of speech on the web when the largest gatekeepers start to exercise the censor's pen: "It might seem unlikely now that Internet companies would turn against sites supporting racial justice or other controversial issues. But if there is a single reason why so many individuals and companies are acting together now to unite against neo-Nazis, it is because a future that seemed unlikely a few years agowhere white nationalists and Nazis have significant power and influence in our societynow seems possible. We would be making a mistake if we assumed that these sorts of censorship decisions would never turn against causes we love."

In the runup to last summer's white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, VA, Airbnb kicked suspected white supremacists off of its platform, canceling the reservations they'd made for housing during the event. I think that was the right thing to do, and it raises thorny questions about how and when Airbnb should exercise its power to decide who can be housed where (remember that in the USA, there is a long history of denying lodgings on the basis of race and belief, and that this has already been a serious problem for Airbnb).

To Airbnb's credit, they are serious about coming to grips with this. They engaged Valerie Aurora's Frame Shift Consulting to help them codify their principles. In a 2017 presentation, Aurora proposed that the only thing tolerant societies couldn't afford to tolerate was intolerance, something commonly called the "Paradox of Intolerance," and set out four principles for deciding whom to kick off a platform:



If the content or the client is: 1.

Advocating for the removal of human rights 2.

From people based on an aspect of their identity 3.

In the context of systemic oppression primarily harming that group 4.

In a way that overall increases the danger to that group Then don't allow them to use your products.



There is an admirable compactness to this, and Aurora's presentation goes into detail about adjudicating seeming contradictions between these principles.





It's certainly given me a lot to think about. I remain concerned about scale: even if this principle is as sound as it appears at first blush, it's still not one that can be readily automated, and even a company like Airbnb (which handles a fraction of the volume of Twitter, Facebook or Youtube, or even Reddit) would be hard-pressed to thoughtfully adjudicate all the instances in which these principles are implicated.

One thing we know about the suckiness of automated enforcement tools is that they are asymmetrically imperfect. It's not just that they're tuna nets that catch a few dolphins  that is, they don't just accidentally scoop up "good speech" and let through "bad speech" at about the same rate. Rather, they can be made to fail by the application of study and resources. The flaws in these systems can be systematically mined and evaded, which means that well-organized, well-resourced bad actors can get lots of "bad speech" through them, while the accidentally caught "good guys" are more likely to be acting individually, without access to reverse-engineered flowcharts about evading the filters.

That's how, for example, organized racists can create Facebook groups that are dedicated to racially stereotyping black children, but black people who complain about the cops get kicked off the service. The white supremacists are organized enough to figure out how to skirt violations of the rules, whereas heartbroken black people expressing themselves about police shootings aren't prone to first closely parsing the Facebook speech rulebook.

I don't know how we resolve this conundrum. Cohn's essay counsels that platforms should "implement procedural protections to mitigate mistakes" and the principles that Aurora provides feel like good ones.





But I'm still not sure how we make them work at scale.

The Paradox of Tolerance says that a tolerant society should be intolerant of one thing: intolerance itself. This is because if a tolerant society allows intolerance to take over, it will destroy the tolerant society and there will be no tolerance left anywhere. What this means for tech companies is that they should not support intolerant speech when it endangers the existence of tolerant society itself.

The Intolerable Speech Rule: the Paradox of Tolerance for tech companies [Valerie Aurora/Frame Shift Consulting]





(via 4 Short Links)
After an outbreak of measles at Disneyland, California lawmakers had enough and passed SB277, banning kids from attending the state's schools unless they were fully vaccinated, and eliminating the waiver that let parents put their kids and others' in danger by signing a form stating that "immunization is contrary to my beliefs."



Since then (thank goodness), the state vaccination rates have soared. But SB277 has a medical exemption clause, which allows parents of children who cannot be vaccinated (for example, children who are immunocompromised) to opt out of the rule.

After the passage of SB277, a new nonprofit called Physicians for Informed Consent was formed, consisting of "about 200 doctors, scientists, and attorneys who vehemently oppose mandatory vaccine laws," with notorious Orange County vaccine-denier Dr Bob Sears, a pediatrician, as a founding member.

These doctors are writing tons of permanent medical exemption letters for kids of vaccine-denier parents, using scientifically unfounded "genetic tests" and other shaky criteria to help parents continue to deny their kids potentially life-saving treatments. These parents and kids are clustered in charter schools, and in some of those schools in affluent places like Sebastapol, kindergartners have comparable vaccination rates to the poorest children in Haiti.



PIC's membership is confidential, but its list of founding members and board members is public. I called many of those doctors' offices and asked what I would need to do to secure a medical exemption. One clinic outside Los Angeles said I would just have to complete a genetic test. When I asked which conditions merited an exemption, some offices said there was a long list of conditions that would qualify; one office assistant said her thyroid problem had secured a medical exemption for her kid. According to Kathryn Edwards, a professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University, using such tests is not "scientifically sound." She adds, "There really are not specific genetic markers for telling us when patients are going to have adverse events associated with vaccines." Shira Miller, PIC's president, wrote to me in an email that her organization strives to make sure its doctors give medical exemptions "in accordance with California law."

There is a Whole Cottage Industry of Doctors Helping Parents Skip Their Kids' Vaccines [Joanna Nix/Mother Jones]





(via Naked Capitalism)
Nebraska State Senator Paul Schumacher [R-22] [(402) 471-2715] has proposed an amendment to the state constitution that would create 36-square-mile regions in the state where corporations would enjoy up to 99 years of sovereignty, with "no city or state taxes and no local or state regulations."



These states-within-a-state would be confined to sparsely populated regions with fewer than 10 people per square mile.





We're used to Republicans who've mistaken Nineteen Eighty-Four as a manual for statecraft, but Senator Schumacher is the first I've heard of who thinks Snow Crash is a blueprint for the future.



"We're talking about Nebraska's future," he said. "To build out here, you do not have to tear down something. And property is the ultimate economic tool." This presents an opportunity, he said, to essentially "have your own state." And, Schumacher said, "nobody else has done it."



Senator proposes sovereignty as a way to economic development | Nebraska Legislature [Don Walton/Journal Star]

(via Late Stage Capitalism)
Lily Cole is a famous actress, model, and recipient of a double-first class degree in Art History from Cambridge University. How dare they appoint her a partner of the Bronte Society, formed to honor the creative heritage of the Bronte sisters, rants Nick Holland.

If you don't know Lily Cole, and you'd be in the majority, she is described as 'a model and social entrepreneur' (whatever that is). I am unfortunate enough to have encountered Lily before as a few years ago I had a front row seat of a new play about Helen of Troy at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre. Lily had the title role, and the play was so bad that it is the only one I have ever walked out of at the interval. If the acting was bad, and believe me it was, the dialogue was even worse  one line in particular was of such clunking ineptitude that it has remained with me forever: 'women smell my power, men smell like sex'. It was when Lily delivered this line with all the passion of the announcer at Piccadilly station that I began longing for the train home. This was, quite simply, the worst play I have ever seen, and the writer of it? Simon Armitage, the incumbent creative partner at the Bronte Parsonage Museum

Holland, declaring his intention to leave the society, was slammed as a snob.

"I'm sorry that some people have felt angry about it or against it," Bronte scholar Samantha Ellis told the Guardian. "I think Lily Cole is a brilliant idea. With Tracey [Chevalier], Simon [Armitage] and now Lily, this move has been absolutely fantastic and brought loads more people to the Brontes and the parsonage. The Brontes were passionate, and that's why people care so much about them. "Lily's clearly passionate about the arts and I don't see why she wouldn't be a good advocate. I do think there is a whiff of misogyny about some of the statements made about Lily on Twitter and beyond. People must remember that the Brontes themselves were young women  I think it is interesting that the society chose a young woman."

Men like Holland are why women like the Brontes used pseudonyms. A key long-term challenge is making sure that enthusiatic mediocrities are no longer taken as authorities on anything beyond the fine details of their preoccupation.

Photo: @Kmeron
A class action suit by some of the 3,500,000+ Wells Fargo customers defrauded in the company's fake account scam was foundering in Utah, thanks to the company's insistence that its binding arbitration clauses also applied to the accounts it fraudulently opened (that is, by agreeing not to sue the company for defrauding you over the accounts you opened, you were also agreeing not to sue them if it opened a bunch more accounts and forged your signature on the papers).



But then its new CEO Tim Sloan told Congress that his company wasn't invoking arbitration clauses over fraudulent accounts.





This sent the plaintiffs back to their judge in Utah, to ask the judge to either let their case go forward, or ask Congress whether Sloan had perjured himself in his testimony. And now they get to sue Wells Fargo after all.

But Wells is taking the same approach to this case as it has with virtually every attempt to hold the company accountable: delay. Lawyers for the bank proposed eight weeks of depositions of the 80 customers in the Utah case. Every day they push off a judgment is a day they can drain the plaintiffs' resources and prevent having to pay any price. "When you've got a $22 billion annual profit, and a $185 million fine, it's cheaper for them to screw people over," said Christensen.



The CEO of Wells Fargo Might Be in Big, Big Trouble [David Dayen/The Nation]

(Image: Famartin, CC-BY-SA)
John Worboys is a cab driver thought to have sexually assaulted at least 100 victims and convicted on 19 counts in 2009. But he's getting out of jail after only 8 years, having nailed it as his first parole hearing.

He was convicted of one rape, five sexual assaults, one attempted assault and 12 drugging charges. As well as being ordered to serve at least eight years, Worboys was given an indeterminate sentence, meaning he could be kept in prison as for as long as he was deemed to remain a danger to the public. In 2010 Worboys had an appeal against his conviction thrown out by the Court of Appeal, where Lord Justice Moses labelled his offences as "appalling".

They didn't even bother to tell his victims.

The chairman of the Parole Board has apologised "unreservedly" after some victims of sex attacker John Worboys were not told about his release. Nick Hardwick said hearing the decision must have been "horrible" for the women but the board was "confident" 60-year-old Worboys would not reoffend. Former black-cab driver Worboys is believed to have carried out more than 100 rapes and sexual assaults on women.

One lawyer, quoted by the BBC, calculates his sentence as one month per sexual assault.
News / Africa

by Stephen Jakes

THE Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (SAHRDN) (a coalition of Southern African human rights defenders organisations), has called on the DRC authorities to respect the right to life, security and the integrity of all persons as well as drop charges against all anti-government protestors.SAHRDN is greatly disturbed by media reports that have been circulating since 31 December 2017 of security forces who violently dispersed peaceful protestors resulting in the death of at least seven (7) people and the arrest of at least one hundred and twenty (120) people.According to media reports the protestors were members of opposition political parties, religious groups and ordinary citizens expressing their concerns about DRC's governance issues, and calling for the resignation of the country's President Mr Joseph Kabila who has been in power since 2001. Tensions have been increasing in DRC after the expiration of President Kabila's second and last term in December 2016 and the postponement of elections.The Catholic Church brokered an agreement between the incumbent President Kabila and the opposition political parties that was signed in October 2016, giving timelines for elections that were due in December 2017.President Kabila signed the agreement making undertakings to step down once his term came to an end to pave way for a democratic election.Elections have not been conducted and the incumbent President has expressed interest to continue ruling until December 2018.Elections are now said to be scheduled for 23 December 2018. This change of election dates has triggered the current peaceful protests.It has also been reported that there has been a countrywide shut down of the internet and SMS communication services by the telecommunications Ministry."SAHRDN hereby reminds the DRC government and the security forces that: they have an obligation to respect the fundamental rights to life, security and integrity of all persons, freedom of expression, association and assembly as guaranteed in the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights; as a signatory to the African Union Constitutive Act, the DRC government has an obligation to hold free, fair and credible elections as well as facilitate a peaceful transfer of power; DRC has an obligation under the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights to promote and protect all human and people's rights including but not limited to the individual's right to liberty and the security of persons and not subject people to arbitrary arrests and detention," reads the organisation' statement."Therefore, SAHRDN calls upon DRC authorities to: drop all charges against the human rights defenders and ordinary people arrested for asserting their right to freedom of assembly during the peaceful protests and to immediately unconditionally release them from detention; take urgent steps to guarantee the security and safety of all human rights defenders and ensure that they are able to carry out their activities without fear of harassment, intimidation, arrest or detention; commit to crafting a roadmap in consultation with all stakeholders paving way for peaceful, free, fair and credible elections within a reasonable time."
News / National

by Staff Reporter

Citizens have been urged to desist from violently attacking members of the municipal police who will be carrying out their official duties.This comes after several municipal police officers got injured during clashes with Harare street vendors in the capital.City of Harare spokesperson Michael Chideme said following the injuries of at least 33 municipal police officers, 12 of them being women , the City of Harare has urged the public to desist from taking violent action against the officers but to report any abuses by them.He further noted that vendors must go to the old designated vending sites while they await the completion of new sites.The latest round of running battles between Harare street vendors and municipal police came after government ordered the street vendors and pirate taxis as well as public transport operators to move out from the capital's central business district and relocate to designated sites with immediate effect.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

According to a report from the United Nations Security Council, the two military generals who were named in President Emmerson Mnangagwa's new cabinet looted diamonds from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).Major General Sibusiso Busi Moyo who was named as the minister of foreign affairs and Air Marshall Perence Shiri, the new Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement are named in the report together with Mnangagwa.Part of the report reads: 27. The key strategist for the Zimbabwean branch of the elite network is the Speaker of the Parliament and former National Security Minister, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. Mr Mnangagwa has won strong support from senior military and intelligence officers for an aggressive policy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.His key ally is a Commander of ZDF and Executive Chairman of COSLEG, General Vitalis Musunga Gava Zvinavashe. The General and his family have been involved in diamond trading and supply contracts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A long-time ally of President Mugabe, Air Marshal Perence Shiri, has been involved in military procurement and organizing air support for the pro-Kinshasa armed groups fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is also part of the inner circle of ZDF diamond traders who have turned Harare into a significant illicit diamond-trading centre.28. Other prominent Zimbabwean members of the network include Brigadier General Sibusiso Busi Moyo, who is Director General of COSLEG. Brigadier Moyo advised both Tremalt and Oryx Natural Resources, which represented covert Zimbabwean military financial interests in negotiations with State mining companies of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Air Commodore Mike Tichafa Karakadzai is Deputy Secretary of COSLEG, directing policy and procurement. He played a key role in arranging the Tremalt cobalt and copper deal. Colonel Simpson Sikhulile Nyathi is Director of defence policy for COSLEG. The Minister of Defence and former Security Minister, Sidney Sekeramayi, coordinates with the military leadership and is a shareholder in COSLEG.The Panel has a copy of a letter from Mr Sekeramayi thanking the Chief Executive of Oryx Natural Resources, Thamer Bin Said Ahmed Al-Shanfari, for his material and moral support during the parliamentary elections of 2000. Such contributions violate Zimbabwean law.The report is from 2002 and can be read here.ZimbabwePerence ShiriEmmerson MnangagwaThe Republic of Zimbabwe is a country located in the Southern Africa region. Its capital city is :Harare and the country has 10 provinces. Zimbabwe is 390,580 sq km and is bordered on all sides by other countries (Zambia in the north, South Africa in... Read More About ZimbabwePerence Shiri is the minister of Minister of Lands Agriculture and Rural Resettlement and the former commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe. Read More About Perence ShiriEmmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is a politician and the First Secretary of the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu- PF). He is the current President of Zimbabwe and was sworn in on the 24th of November 2017 as Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief... Read More About Emmerson Mnangagwa
By Harish V Nair: Amid a spurt in complaints of sexual abuse, the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday asked the Central and state governments to file a status report on the implementation of law against sexual harassment of women at workplaces.

A bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra issued the notice after hearing a plea filed by NGO Initiatives For Inclusion Foundation. The Centre and all states have been asked to file responses within four weeks.

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In the plea, the NGO asked for the appointment of district and nodal officers, and the formation of local and internal complaints committees, under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, Redressal) Act, 2013.

The apex court will next hear the petition after four weeks. The law requires workplaces to form Internal Complaints Committees to hear cases of sexual harassment at work. For workplaces with fewer than 10 employees, or when the employer himself is accused, district officers are required to form 'local committees' to receive the complaints under the law's Section 6.

The bench sought reports on constitution of committees and the mechanism to monitor implementation of the law.

"The Act, which was passed in 2013, envisages setting up of district officers, nodal agencies as well as redressal mechanisms at the district level in the form of local complaints committee in each state with the intend to provide protection against sexual harassment of women at work place and for prevention and redressal of complaints.

"However, it is seen that even four years after the Act came into force in India such mechanism has not been created by many state governments and UTs," said the petition.

In its August 13, 1997 verdict, the apex court had in the Vishaka case laid down detailed guidelines for setting up of internal complaints committee headed by a woman in every government and private organisation to deal with complaints of sexual harassment at workplace. However, after the enactment of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, Redressal) Act in 2013, the SC's Vishaka guidelines ceased to exist. The Act, which replaced the top court's guidelines, is more elaborate and covers unorganised sector and domestic workers.

Darul Uloom issues fatwa against designer, slim fit burqas

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News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Norton Legislator Temba Mliswa has said the ruling Zanu PF must not unfairly treat the elders like Didymas Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo by making them write letters in order to be accepted back to the party as they were unfairly fired.Mutasa and Gumbo are some of the members of the party who were fired together with former Vice {President Joice Mujuru in 2014 accused for plotting to oust Robert Mugabe through unconstitutional means among other array of accusations."Zanu PF can't expect elders like Mutasa and Gumbo to write letters seeking readmission. The party should rather write offers as they were unconstitutionally expelled. The exercise has a window period and should be done as a block offer to all with the choice to accept or decline," Mliswa said.Gumbo has since shown interests to return to the party where he was fired when he was a spokesperson.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

A social and political commentator Zandile wako Dube has insinuated that First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa might be another Grace Mugabe in the making.Dube argues that the former first lady also started showing sympathy to orphanages and old people's homes before getting into political madness that led to the ouster of her husband Robert Mugabe.Auxillia following the inauguration of her husband Emmerson Mnangagwa as president started visiting orphanages and hospitals where she donated some goods to the under privileged."Another Grace Mugabe in the making. Grace started with orphanages and we thought she loved people," Dube said.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa today visited former Prime Minister and leader of the MDC-T Mr Morgan Tsvangirai at his Highlands home to check how he is recuperating.The President was accompanied by Vice President Retired General Constantino Chiwenga.In an apparent show of Ubuntu through the visit, President Mnangagwa was welcomed by MDC-T vice president Mr Nelson Chamisa, the party's director of elections, Mr Murisi Zvizvayi and Mr Tsvangirai's wife, Mrs Elizabeth Tsvangirai.Mr Tsvangirai and his wife updated President Mnangagwa and his deputy Retired General Chiwenga on Mr Tsvangirai's health progress in private and when the media was allowed in, the quartet was in a jovial mood exchanging pleasantries.After the visit, President Mnangagwa expressed optimism on Mr Tsvangirai's health progress saying the MDC-T leader indicated that he will be going for a health review soon.MDC-T vice president Mr Nelson Chamisa commended President Mnangagwa for the show of love.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

HARARE - Government is exerting pressure on Kenyan authorities to silence self-exiled former Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo (pictured) who is throwing tantrums at President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration using microblogging site, Twitter.The sharp-tongued politician has been a pain in the backside for Mnangagwa's government ever since he skipped the country last November to escape being apprehended by the army.This was after the military stormed out of the barracks last November to deal with "criminals" around former president Robert Mugabe, who ended up resigning to stymie an impeachment motion that had been set off in Parliament.Among the "criminals", Moyo had the biggest prize on his head.He is currently under investigation for allegedly siphoning over $400 000 from the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef).Even though he has found refuge among his in-laws in Kenya, Moyo has continued to put his social media skills to use by insulting Mnangagwa's administration through ferocious tweets.The Daily News also reports that government functionaries are now leaning heavily on Kenyan authorities to rein in the former Higher Education minister seen as the brains behind Mugabe and his pesky wife, Grace's shenanigans.Contacted for comment on Tuesday, Mnangagwa's spokesperson George Charamba professed ignorance over the matter, saying it was quite possible that the action could have been taken by the security ministries without his knowledge."When it comes to security matters it is not about us; the ministry of Home Affairs would probably know so you can get help from there," Charamba said.Home Affairs minister Obert Mpofu referred questions to national police spokesperson Charity Charamba, saying "this is an operational issue".The national police spokesperson did not return calls to her mobile.Zimbabwe and Kenya enjoy good bilateral relations and it is on the basis of these cordial ties that Harare is hoping to convince Nairobi to muzzle the former Zanu PF propagandist, whose tweets are making headlines in the private media.Sources said there are fears that Moyo could violate the Official Secrets Act by disclosing sensitive information he may have accessed during his time in government if allowed to continue spitting venom while hold up in Kenya, which may provide fodder to the opposition.Mnangagwa, whose name will appear on the ballot as Zanu PF's presidential candidate for the first time in his political career spanning over six decades, is desperate to win the elections to be held before the end of July to prove to critics that he is a viable candidate.It is being argued by the Zimbabwean authorities that their counterparts should not allow Moyo to undermine a sister liberation war movement without consequence.Harare is impressing on its counterparts that there are Kenyan immigrants in Zimbabwe whom it is now allowing to voice their dislike for Uhuru Kenyatta's government because of the camaraderie between them.Moyo is one of the few allies of Mugabe who are still defending the fallen dictator.Soon after Mugabe's ouster, Moyo wrote in November last year that, "the presumption that an old violent & looting dog can practice new tricks is nothing but a fallacy".He continued: "Once a 1980s military Gukurahundist, always a Gukurahundist& once a Chiadzwa diamond looter, always a looter! #GenerationalRenewal ".In one of his tweets, he narrated how he was raided during the crack of dawn by security forces as they went for "criminals" around Mugabe."What would you do if you & your family survived a 2am-15 minute ZDF attack on your house with 7 children one of them 12 years old, by 25 SAS snipers with semi-automatic weapons; randomly firing tracer bullets & stun grenades? Is this the New Justice? New Dawn? New Era? New Zim?" Moyo asked.He also attacked the then Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander Constantino Chiwenga saying "the tragedy of the gun in Zim is that it's controlled by the same 1980s Gukurahundists who've committed atrocities before and gotten away with it; and who are thus prone to repeat the atrocities ad infinitum unless & until the people take control of the gun! #GenerationalRenewal ".Since then Moyo has not relented churning out a series of tweets slamming Mnangagwa and his government at every turn.Mnangagwa is often accused of being behind the murder of over 20000 civilians in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces in the mid-1980s when he was Security minister.In his latest tweet on New Years' eve, Moyo shot from the hip.He wrote: "on this last day of December, the month Gukurahundi is recalled in Zim, and also the last day of a year in which gukurahundists have once again reared their ugly heads through a military coup, think of this Bill in 2018!"He was apparently referring to a Bill he pushed in the National Assembly when he was independent Member of Parliament for Tsholotsho in 2007.The Bill sought to establish a Gukurahundi National Memorial Board "to promote lasting national cohesion, unity, truth, justice, reconciliation, stability, conflict prevention and the healing of the emotive and divisive wounds along with the suffering dating back to what has become known as the Gukurahundi atrocities ""If you have issues with your father & the Devil kills him; says he did it for you & will care for you better. Would you hail the devil as a hero & your father's murder as a New Era?' reads one of his latest tweets."Vanoreva Nhema (They are liars) Down with Entitlement. It's a New Year, not a New Era".Towards the end of last year, government sent on forced leave Zimdef's top executives to pave way for a forensic audit to be facilitated by the Auditor-General.The audit is likely to provide ammunition to those who are hotly in pursuit of Moyo to bring him back to Zimbabwe so he could have his day in court.The central bank has already ordered banks to freeze accounts belonging to him and former Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere to enable government to look into their finances.Moyo, former Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and ex-Public Service minister, Patrick Zhuwao are linked to the Generation 40 faction of the ruling party, which wanted former first lady Grace Mugabe to succeed her 93-year-old husband, Robert Mugabe, whose government was toppled in a military coup.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

President Mnangagwa visits President Tsvangirai



President Emerson Mnangagwa today made a courtesy call to see President Morgan Tsvangirai who has not been well since he first went public that he has cancer of the colon.



President Mnangagwa came just as President Tsvangirai was about to leave the country for his routine medical checkup.



We thank President Mnangagwa for his gesture to come and pay a visit to the former Prime Minister of the land. We thank him for his gesture, which is in keeping with our African culture.



In the 45-minute closed door meeting, President Mnangagwa, was accompanied by Vice President Chiwenga. The two leaders discussed the current dire situation in the country, the plight of the people, the cash crisis afflicting the country, the urgency of free and fair elections to ensure a return to legitimacy as well as the need to engage the international community so that the country rejoins the family of nations.



The two also discussed other issues of national importance.



In President Tsvangirai's absence, Vice President Elias Mudzuri is acting President while the other two Vice Presidents will be in charge of their assigned tasks; with VP Khupe in charge of party administration while VP Chamisa will continue to drive the MDC alliance and the party's policy programme.



Luke Tamborinyoka

Presidential spokesperson and Director of Communications

Movement for Democratic Change

The Movement for Democratic Change led by former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has thanked president Emmerson Mnangagwa for visiting their ailing leader.In a statement this afternoon Tsvangirai's spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka said: "We thank President Mnangagwa for his gesture to come and pay a visit to the former Prime Minister of the land. We thank him for his gesture, which is in keeping with our African culture."Read full statement below:
Vic Rosenthal

Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

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Abu Yehuda..04 January '18..Recently Donald Trump and Nikki Haley made news by threatening to cut off (or at least sharply reduce) funds given to the Palestinians. Trump wasnt clear about which funds, but Haley referred to US support for UNRWA, the welfare agency which maintains the ever-growing class of Palestinian refugees.Its important to understand what a Palestinian refugee is, because it is very different from any other kind of refugee.A refugee is normally someone who fled or was driven from his own country by war, political unrest or natural disaster. Often they do not have a permanent home and are temporarily living in a refugee camp. They have no independent means of sustenance, and are dependent on charity.The UN has an agency, the UNHCR, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, whose job it is to help such people survive until they can either return home or make a new life in a new place. For example, today there are millions of refugees from places like Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, South Sudan, Libya, Yemen, and more. UNHCR feeds refugees and provides temporary housing and medical assistance in the short term, and tries to provide longer range solutions such as resettlement so that people can stop being refugees. In 2016, UNHCR says it has resettled over 189,000 people. This is a drop in the bucket when there are 17.2 million refugees in the world, by UNHCR figures, but it is something.
While this might surprise many, I found the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 to be one of the best sizes of the line.



Wrapper: Habano Seed Nicaragua Rosado

Binder: Habano Jalapa

Filler: Esteli Viso, Condegas Ligero, Ometepe Viso and Esteli Ligero

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (TABADOM)

6 x 60: 6 x 60

Price: $19.20

Review: Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 (6/14/17)

Appearances on Countdown (By Year/Brand): 5 ( (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

Coming in at #15 is the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60. The Davidoff Nicaragua was originally unveiled in 2013. It was a project where Davidoff Master Blender Henke Kelner was challenged to blend an all-Nicaraguan tobacco  something he had not done up until that time. It became the centerpiece to Davidoffs Discovery (Black Label) Pillar, which would be expanded to include Davidoff Nicaragua Box Pressed, Davidoff Escurio, and Davidoff Yamasa. In 2017, Davidoff unveiled a series of limited edition 6 x 60 line extensions. These would be the first 6 x 60 Davidoff branded cigars since the release of the Davidoff 2014 Year of the Horse.

Blend-wise the Davidoff 6 x 60 utilizes a Nicaragua Rosado wrapper over a blend of Nicaraguan tobacco from the four main growing regions on Nicaragua. This includes a Habano binder from Jalapa and fillers from Condega, Esteli, and Ometepe.

The Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 lands Davidoff on the Countdown for the fifth consecutive year. It becomes the second 60 ring gauge and the third Nicaragua puro to land on the 2017 Countdown. This is the second line extension to make this years Countdown. Finally, the inclusion of the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 lands means each of the Davidoff Discovery Pillar releases on the Countdown.

The Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 delivers a complex smoke from start to finish. Early on, the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 produced a mix of caramel, natural tobacco, fruit, and earth. As the cigar experience progresses notes of hay, bakers spice, and black pepper can be detected. Throughout the smoke, the cigar maintains both medium strength and medium body.

Dont let the 60 ring gauge turn you away from this cigar. The Davidoff Nicaragua blend shines in this format  easily making it qualify for this years Countdown.





For details of the 2017 Cigar of the Year Countdown, see our 2017 criteria.

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted
THURSDAY, Jan. 4, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- The mummified remains of an Italian boy who died 450 years ago suggest the hepatitis B virus has infected humans for centuries.

The child died in the 16th century. And prior testing suggested smallpox killed him.

But a new analysis evaluated DNA samples from the boy's bone and skin. This second look led investigators to conclude the killer was actually hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection.

"These data emphasize the importance of molecular approaches to help identify the presence of key pathogens in the past, enabling us to better constrain the time they may have infected humans," said study author Hendrik Poinar.

Poinar is an evolutionary geneticist with the McMaster Ancient DNA Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Hepatitis B is still a killer. It's estimated that 350 million people have the virus, while one-third of the world's population is thought to have been infected at some point.

These numbers point to the importance of studying ancient viruses, Poinar said.

"The more we understand about the behavior of past pandemics and outbreaks, the greater our understanding of how modern pathogens might work and spread," Poinar said in a McMaster news release.

"This information will ultimately help in their control," he added.

Poinar's team said the genetic analysis further suggests this ancient strain of hepatitis has changed little over the last four centuries.

The young child was buried within the Basilica of Saint Domenico Maggiore in Naples.

The findings were published online Jan. 4 in PLOS Pathogens.

More information

The World Health Organization has more on hepatitis B.
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New York, January 5, 2018  Saudi Arabian authorities must immediately release Saleh al-Shehi from detention and stop arresting journalists who criticize the countrys government, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Saudi security forces arrested al-Shehi, a columnist for the Saudi Arabian daily al-Watan, on January 3, according to Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and news reports, which all cited Saudi activists reporting on social media.

Despite promises of reform and moderation from Saudi Arabias emerging leadership, it is clear from Saleh al-Shehis arrest that repression as usual continues, CPJs Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, Sherif Mansour, said from Washington D.C. Saudi authorities must release al-Shehi immediately, and Saudi leaders should ensure that the press is able to freely report on all issues of public interest.

Authorities have neither confirmed the arrest nor announced any formal charges against al-Shehi, according to news reports.

CPJ was unable to verify the date and location of the arrest, and al-Watan did not immediately respond to CPJs emailed request for comment.

The Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington, D.C. did not respond to CPJs emailed request for comment.

In his column for al-Watan, al-Shehi frequently reports on topics such as the governments spending decisions regarding money recovered from a purported anti-corruption drive, as well as the governments economic policies and its treatment of expat workers.

In an appearance on the Rotana Channels show Yahalla on December 8, 2017, al-Shehi referred to the Saudi Arabian royal court as one of the sources of corruption in the kingdom. The journalist said that any Saudi citizen who has a contact within the royal court or someone associated with it automatically has an advantage in buying strategically located land otherwise not available to the public.

The channels majority owner, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, was arrested November 9, 2017, as part of a purported anti-corruption drive spurred by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, according to news reports.

Saudi authorities were holding at least seven journalists behind bars as of December 1, 2017, amid a widening crackdown on dissent in the kingdom, according to CPJ research. The countrys authorities have detained scores of activists and public figures since September amid an effort by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to consolidate power among the sprawling royal familys power centers.
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Nairobi, January 4, 2017Somali authorities should immediately release Abdishakur Abdullahi Ahmed, also known as Shaasha, who works as a correspondent for the Nairobi-based RTN Somali TV channel and owns a local radio station, City FM, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Authorities in Somalias southern Hirshabelle state arrested Abdishakur on December 28, 2017, and accused him of airing false news after he reported critically on the local administration, according to RTN Managing Director Fuad Haji and Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu, secretary general of the government-recognized National Union of Somali Journalists. The journalist has not formally been formally charged.

A court in Hirshabelles city of Jowhar ordered police to release Abdishakur on bail pending investigation on January 2, according to City FM director, Hamdi Buukar Hassan, Moalimuu, and documents seen by CPJ.

Jowhar police commander Mohamed Siyaad, also known as Canjeex, told CPJ he could not comment on Abdishakurs case and referred CPJ to state authorities. Moalimuu said that Jowhar police told him they had not received the court order.

Authorities should immediately release Abdishakur Abdullahi Ahmed. Holding him without charge is in clear violation of his rights, said CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney in New York City. Somali authorities should stop trying to intimidate journalists and make press freedom a priority.

On December 26, a report in which Abdishakur criticized the Hirshabelle governments performance during its first three months of power aired on RTN Somali TV. Fuad said he believes that this triggered the arrest.

Abdishakur had previously questioned Hirshabelle cabinet appointments and government decisions in his reporting and on Facebook, according to Ismail Sheikh Khalifa, chairperson of the Mogadishu-based Journalists for Human Rights, a new organization whose mandate includes providing legal support for journalists whose rights have been violated, and a Jowhar-based journalist who requested to remain anonymous for privacy reasons.

Somalias information minister, Abdirahman Omar Osman, told CPJ that his office had urged state authorities in Hirshabelle to release Abdishakur without further investigation.

CPJ was unable to reach Hirshabelle President Mohamed Abdi Ware despite repeated calls and text messages or Vice President Ali Abdullahi Hussein, also known as Ali Guudlaawe, despite repeated calls.
By PTI: Melbourne, Jan 5 (PTI) The window for saving the worlds coral reefs from the effects of global warming is rapidly closing, according to a study.

For the first time, researchers have measured the escalating rate of coral bleaching at locations throughout the tropics over the past four decades.

The study published in the journal Science documents a dramatic shortening of the gap between pairs of bleaching events, threatening the future existence of these iconic ecosystems and the livelihoods of many millions of people.

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"The time between bleaching events at each location has diminished five-fold in the past 3-4 decades, from once every 25-30 years in the early 1980s to an average of just once every six years since 2010," said Terry Hughes, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Coral CoE) in Australia.

"Before the 1980s, mass bleaching of corals was unheard of, even during strong El Nino conditions, but now repeated bouts of regional-scale bleaching and mass mortality of corals has become the new normal around the world as temperatures continue to rise," said Hughes.

The study establishes a transition from a period before the 1980s when bleaching only occurred locally, to an intermediate stage in the 1980s and 1990s when mass bleaching was first recorded during warmer than average El Nino conditions, and finally to the current era when climate-driven bleaching is now occurring throughout ENSO cycles.

The researchers show that tropical sea temperatures are warmer today during cooler than average La Nina conditions than they were 40 years ago during El Nino periods.

El Nino and La Nina are opposite phases of a naturally occurring global climate cycle.

"Coral bleaching is a stress response caused by exposure of coral reefs to elevated ocean temperatures. When bleaching is severe and prolonged, many of the corals die. It takes at least a decade to replace even the fastest-growing species," said Professor Andrew Baird of Coral CoE.

"Reefs have entered a distinctive human-dominated era - the Anthropocene," said C Mark Eakin of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration in the US.

"The climate has warmed rapidly in the past 50 years, first making El Ninos dangerous for corals, and now we are seeing the emergence of bleaching in every hot summer," said Eakin.

For example, the Great Barrier Reef has now bleached four times since 1998, including for the first time during back- to-back events in 2016 and 2017, causing unprecedented damage, researchers said. PTI SAR SAR

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The United States and Germany have spoken out concerning the recent conviction and sentencing of two Chinese human rights activists.

In a joint statement, the embassies of Germany and the United States said they are deeply disappointed that Chinese human rights defender and blogger Wu Gan and Chinese attorney Xie Yang have been convicted on vague charges of subverting state power, and that Wu has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

We call on the Chinese authorities to release Wu immediately, the statement continued. As Xie has been exempted from punishment, we urge China to allow Xie to resume his professional activities without preconditions and be free of any restrictions.

The joint statement noted that for many years, Xie Yang has helped fellow Chinese citizens defend their rights under Chinese law.He was among those lawyers and other rights defenders, including Wu Gan, targeted by Chinese authorities in the so-called 709 crackdown that began in July 2015.

Wu was held in pretrial detention for more than two years and denied access to independent legal counsel until December 9, 2016. Xie was held incommunicado for six months before being charged, then was jailed for 18 months longer before appearing at an unannounced trial in May.

During the trial, Xie read a scripted confession that directly contradicted his previous signed statement describing how he was treated while in detention.The court appointed an attorney to represent Xie and barred him from choosing his own counsel, after authorities detained his original attorney in May 2017.

In light of the allegations of serious mistreatment of Wu Gan and Xie Yang while in detention, and Xies public confession on state media, the joint statement read, we call on the Chinese authorities to adhere to procedures established by law and respect Chinas international human rights obligations and commitments. We urge Chinese authorities to view lawyers and rights defenders as partners in strengthening Chinese society through development of the rule of law.

The United States and Germany, the statement continued, also continue to call for the immediate release of Wang Quanzhang, who has been held in detention and denied access to independent legal counsel for over two years.

Nothing subverts a state more than injustice and repression. The rights of the people of China to express dissent should be respected.


The United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, and the Government of Maldives inaugurated a $3.8 million integrated water supply and distribution system recently, providing a safe and reliable water source for more than 4,000 residents of Hinnavaru Island.

The system collects water from rainwater harvesting tanks, mixes it with desalinated water, and distributes it through a piped network to households on the island.

The system includes an 80 cubic meter/day capacity reverse osmosis unit housed in a facility partially powered by solar energy and complemented by a ground water filtration system that collects excess rainwater and directs it to the islands aquifer, supporting the recharging of the islands groundwater over time.

To serve the water quality testing needs of Hinnavaru and nearby islands, the facility is also equipped with a regional water quality testing laboratory. Additionally, the facility includes space for utility staff daily operations.

The USAID-funded system was designed and constructed by the United Nations Office for Project Services, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Energy, Fenaka Corporation Limited, and the Hinnavaru Island Council. USAID also provided technical assistance and training for water utility officials to operate and maintain the system, currently operated by Fenaka Corporation Limited.

Around the world, USAID and its partners are working towards a healthier and water secure future for all, said Dr. Andrew Sisson, USAID Mission Director for Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Therefore, we are proud to have supported a successful partnership with the government and people of Maldives to ensure safe and high quality drinking water on one of Maldives most populous islands, through an integrated water supply and distribution system.
A march to support Catalan politicians in pre-trial detention. Cristobal Castro

Whether Catalan separatists are able to make use of the majority they achieved at the December 21 elections will largely depend on what happens in Brussels in the coming days.

Four members of the Catalan government that was ousted by Madrid authorities in late October over its illegal breakaway process  Clara Ponsati, Lluis Puig, Toni Comin and Meritxell Serret  remain in the Belgian capital, where they fled with dismissed premier Carles Puigdemont to avoid action by the Spanish justice system, which is investigating them over alleged rebellion.

If Puigdemonts bid for the premiership fails, Junqueras will attempt to become the new leader of the Catalan government

All four former ministers ran in a snap election on December 21 in Catalonia called by Madrid using emergency constitutional powers. The election yielded a mixed result: although the anti-independence Ciudadanos won the most votes and the most seats, the three separatist parties together achieved enough deputies for an absolute majority in the regional parliament, which is set at 68 seats out. Puigdemonts Junts per Catalunya earned 34 deputies, Oriol Junqueras Catalan Republican Left (ERC) secured 32, and the far-left CUP won four.

But because all four former ministers of the Puigdemont government have already said they are unwilling to return to Spain, where they would automatically be arrested in connection with the rebellion probe, they will be unable to vote in crucial parliamentary sessions such as the one that will elect the new premier or the members of the permanent council (la Mesa).

Sources familiar with the situation said that all four deputies-elect are negotiating with their parties the possibility of giving up their seat to another party member to make sure that all 70 separatist votes are put to good use.

Oriol Junqueras (left) and Carles Puigdemont. AFP

According to these sources, negotiations are focusing on two issues: first, the role that each one of the ex-ministers will play from now on, if they give up their seats  both within their own party and in any hypothetical executive headed by either Puigdemont or Junqueras. Junqueras, the former deputy premier of Catalonia  also ousted by Madrid  is now in pre-trial detention in a Madrid prison as part of the rebellion investigation, and has appealed to the Supreme Court for his release.

The second item on the negotiation agenda is what kind of support Ponsati, Puig, Comin and Serret will receive while they remain in Brussels. Sources admitted that financial issues regarding their stay in the Belgian capital have been addressed.

While Puigdemont is in the same situation as his former ministers, he is not expected to give up his seat as he heads the Junts per Catalunya ticket and will likely attempt to get reinstated as Catalan premier despite the fact that he is living 1,300km from Barcelona. This creates an unprecedented situation for which there are no parliamentary provisions, although his party says that a long-distance investiture is possible.

Meanwhile, ERC leader Junqueras is hoping to secure a release from custody so he can attend sessions of parliament and return to the front lines of politics, as his lawyer told the Supreme Court at a hearing on Thursday.

Puigdemont or Junqueras?

If Puigdemonts bid for the Catalan premiership fails, Junqueras will attempt to become the new leader of the Catalan government, a move that comes with its own set of complexities given his own legal situation.

Officials within his own ERC appear to disagree on the suitability of this idea. The ERCs deputy spokesman in Spanish Congress, Gabriel Rufian, said it was pure common sense that Junqueras should become the Catalan premier in the event that Puigdemont is not able to return from Belgium, and that this Plan B would be the closest thing to restoring the legitimate government of Catalonia.

Carles Puigdemont (top left) and the seven officials who originally traveled to Brussels with him. Atlas

But another ERC deputy in the Spanish Congress, Ester Capella, said that Puigdemont is the right candidate for obvious reasons, and that the results of the December 21 election should not be altered over disputes on matters of legal interpretation. Plan A, Plan A and Plan A is the possibility for everybody to effectively exercise their political rights fully, she said.

English version by Susana Urra.
Ousted Catalan deputy premier Oriol Junqueras. Paul White (AP)

The Spanish Supreme Court on Friday unanimously decided that former Catalan deputy premier Oriol Junqueras should remain in pre-trial custody.

The three justices on the panel stressed that Junqueras and his fellow ex-offficials are not being investigated for political dissidence or for defending independence, a political idea that is allowed by the Spanish Constitution, but for seditious crimes encoded in the law. As such one cannot talk about political prisoners.

The former deputy premiers behavior constituted an illegitimate and very serious act in a country governed by the rule of law, the Supreme Court said

Junqueras  ousted after Madrid used emergency constitutional powers to dismiss the Catalan regional government  has been in prison since early November. He faces charges including rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds for his role in a recent independence push in Catalonia which culminated in the regional parliament defying Spains Constitutional Court to pass a unilateral declaration of independence.

According to sources present at that appeal hearing, Junqueras stated that he was a religious man and a man of peace, and showcased his own civic behavior to convince the court that he should be released. He also underscored that he supported dialogue and a negotiated way out of the conflict pitting Spanish central authorities and Catalan separatists, according to his lawyer Andreu Van den Eynde.

However, the court has now rejected Junquerass appeal, citing fears he would commit the same crimes for which he is being investigated. There was no evidence to suggest Junqueras would abandon the unilateral independence route, the court said.

Several sources who were present at the Thursday hearing noted that Junqueras did not take this opportunity to expressly renounce unilateral independence, or to assert that he will obey existing legislation from now on. Other Catalan ex-officials involved in the same probe, including parliament speaker Carme Forcadell, did make such assertions at their own hearings, and were subsequently released from pre-trial custody.

The Supreme Court argued there was no evidence suggesting Junqueras would abandon the unilateral independence route

Following the hearing, prosecutors underscored this lack of commitment by Junqueras, and lamented that he did not abandon the use of illegal means to defend his political project. His call for dialogue should be construed only as a negotiation about the terms of unilateral independence.

In its writ on Friday, the court began by highlighting that under the Spanish Constitution, anyone can legitimately defend a political position based on the independence of part of Spains national territory. But existing laws must not be broken in the defense of such positions, the court said.

Junqueras, the court said, had not limited himself to defending independence for Catalonia, but had actively participated as deputy premier in a plan to declare unilateral independence in defiance of existing legislation. He had risen up against the Spanish state, against the Constitution, against the Catalan Statute, and against the remainder of the body of laws.

The former deputy premiers behavior constituted an illegitimate and very serious act in a country governed by the rule of law, the Supreme Court said. In its writ, the court analyzed the actions of Junqueras and argued that these could indeed be seen to constitute rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds.

The court stressed that actions by Junqueras and other key pro-independence figures to incite supporters to mobilize on the streets, and thus force the Spanish state to accept independence, involved assuming and accepting predictable and highly probably episodes of violence in order to achieve the proposed aim.

English version by George Mills and Susana Urra.
Juan Carlos embraces granddaughter Leonor on the day his son was crowned Felipe VI. GORKA LEJARCEGI

Juan Carlos I, father to Spains reigning Felipe VI, is turning 80 this Friday. Its been nearly four years since he passed on the throne to his son at an agonizing time filled with physical setbacks and a scandal  the Noos case  that entangled his daughter Cristina.

But his 38-year reign encompasses much more than this final picture that undermined the monarchy and has since been used by radical sectors to disparage what they term the 1978 regime which Juan Carlos unquestionably helped set up.

His time on the throne coincides with a period when Spain enjoyed its greatest prosperity, and the basis for it was the kind of political consensus that is hard to come by these days, a fact that has lately led the country into several political impasses.

La Zarzuela felt the need to ensure that Juan Carlos I would be remembered much more for his achievements than for his mistakes

Juan Carlos actions as head of state played a determining role in ushering in this period when the Spanish democracy and economy were able to flourish. He brought democracy to Spain even though he could have caved in to pressure by the military to keep things as they were under Franco, who had chosen him as his successor. He defended democracy against the attempted coup of February 23, 1981 and he helped place the country on the map through his tireless travel.

More than a few experts feel that the two most relevant facts in the evolution of the Spanish economy over the last 40 years  stability and opening up to the outside world  are intimately linked to Juan Carlos I and the Spanish Crown.

And many scholars are also calling for a reassessment of his public figure, to compensate for the fact that many of his historically relevant actions have been eclipsed over the years by anecdotal events.

A young Juan Carlos with his wife Queen Sofia and children Elena, Cristina and Felipe. Getty

Juan Carlos I is turning 80 at a time which may not be the best period in his own life, but which could give way to a second life. Unlike other royal households at similar moments, La Zarzuela, the seat of the royal household, has not programmed any special event to observe the anniversary. This is partly due to the austerity policies introduced by Felipe VI after his accession to the throne in 2014, and partly because of the complex political situation, with Spains territorial integrity at risk from the Catalan secession bid.

But Juan Carlos Is public appearances will increase in 2018 in a series of initiatives and public activities sponsored by La Zarzuela. These have already begun: for the first time since his abdication, Juan Carlos I will join his son on Saturday for a military ceremony that takes place every January 6. The Pascua Militar is also attended by the Spanish prime minister, cabinet members and high-ranking officials from the armed forces and the Civil Guard.

This will go some way towards compensating Juan Carlos for the fact that he did not receive an invitation to attend Congress on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the first democratic elections in Spain  which he had personally helped make a reality by embracing democracy instead of preserving the authoritarian state model. This omission angered Juan Carlos, and he gave vent to this feeling when he answered affirmatively after a friend asked whether the driver of the Transition truck has been excluded from the celebrations.

Juan Carlos I was crowned on November 22, 1975, two days after Franco's death. Sofia's red dress was a sign that the times were about to change. Getty

La Zarzuela was keeping the former ruler out of the spotlight because of his toxicity. His once-soaring approval ratings had plummeted in the latter years of his reign following media coverage of hunting expeditions, sentimental relationships and the Noos case, putting the very survival of the Spanish monarchy in doubt.

On February 28, 2014 he informed Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of his decision to abdicate, three months before the news became official. The move helped significantly reduce the pressure on the institution at a time when Spain was still struggling with a prolonged economic crisis and the threat of a EU bailout loomed on the horizon.

Under the new king, the monarchy set a new course underscoring values of morality, austerity and transparency in a bid to restore credibility to the institution. Since then, Felipe VI has crafted his own image as the Spanish head of state and stability has returned to La Zarzuela: according to the latest opinion survey by the Center for Sociology Research CIS, only 0.1% of Spaniards view the monarchy as a problem.

But the improved attitude towards the royals has been soured by the rise of antiroyal secessionists in Catalonia, and by an unprecedented presence of republicans in the Spanish Congress.

Juan Carlos addressed Spaniards on the night of February 23, 1981 to show support for the fledging democracy against a coup attempt. TVE

The time has now come to restore Juan Carlos Is public image. Although he has been out of the spotlight for some time, he never fully stopped carrying out official activities. Since 2014 he has participated in around 90 events, delivered 13 speeches and gone on eight official trips, most of them of a cultural nature. In more recent times, when Spains political life was at a standstill due to national elections that yielded a hung parliament, Juan Carlos adopted a higher political profile: he attended the signing of the peace accords in Colombia, the opening of the expanded Panama Canal, the funeral of Fidel Castro, and several Latin American presidential inaugurations.

Still, La Zarzuela continued to worry about the monarchs reputation, and felt the need to ensure that Juan Carlos I would be remembered much more for his achievements than for his mistakes.

Princess Cristinas acquittal in the Noos case on February 17, 2017 was a turning point in this endeavor, even though the royal familys unity was deeply eroded by that stage. For Cristina, who had refused to give up her rights to the throne despite her familys entreaties to do so, there was no possible rehabilitation.

But for Juan Carlos I, the time had come to give him greater visibility once again. He showed up at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Seville Expo, and at the 30th anniversary of the treaty by which Spain joined the European Community.

He was also seen at events with his son, Felipe VI, sending out a message of renewed unity and also of continuity  the idea that the Spanish monarchy can carry on with the kinds of achievements that it brought Spain in the 1980s.

English version by Susana Urra.
The United Nations Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting for January 5 on Iran's street protests at the behest of the United States and over strong objections raised by Russia.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley called for the meeting earlier this week in what she said was a bid to "amplify" the message of the antigovernment protesters, while Russia said such a meeting would be "harmful and destructive."

"The UN must speak out" in support of the protesters, Haley said. "This is a matter of fundamental human rights for the Iranian people, but it is also a matter of international peace and security."

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as as saying by Russia's RIA news agency on January 4 that "We see no role for the United Nations Security Council in this issue... Iran's domestic affairs have nothing to do with the United Nations Security Council's role."

Ryabkov added that Russia believes any bid by the United States to try to increase UN sanctions on Iran over the protests would be "illegitimate."

Iran's UN ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo has also objected to what he characterized as meddling in Iran's internal affairs by the United States. He had no immediate response to the decision to hold the meeting.

The UN debate was scheduled as protests continued late on January 4, in parts of the capital Tehran and in other cities amid a heavy police presence and more than 1,700 arrests.

In Tehran there was one protest gathering on Jomhouri (Republic) avenue, not far from Supreme Leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei's residence. Two other demonstration took place in different parts of Tehran.

In Isfahan protesters were shouting "Not Gaza, not Lebanon, I give my life to Iran".

There were protests in Shiraz in the south, Ahvaz and Dezful in the southwest, Aligoodarz in the West and Noshahr in the north.

In Tabriz, the most important city in the predominantly Azeri speaking northwest, crowds were chanting "spring of freedom".

Meanwhile, 133 exiled Iranian political and civic activists issued a joint statement supporting the protests, but asking demonstrators in Iran to avoid violence.

At least 22 people have been killed and more than 1,700 were reportedly arrested in the demonstrations, which are the strongest challenge to Irans leadership in almost a decade.

The new arrest toll comes with further confirmations announced by Islamic Republic officials. However, provincial officials have also mentioned new arrests without giving any numbers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 5

Trend:

Armenia undertakes consistent measures to consolidate the results of its occupation policy and to maintain an unacceptable and unsustainable status quo, reads an article published on the Daily Times of Pakistan.

Author Dr Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, who is a prominent expert on Azerbaijan and the CIS, highlights that Azerbaijan is a civilised country whereas the occupant Armenia has already been labeled as conspirator.

He reminds that Armenia occupied more than 20 percent of Azerbaijan whereas Nagorno-Karabakh remained an ancient and historical part of Azerbaijan.

"Azerbaijan is a decent country whereas Armenia has been categorised as a destructor of humanity and an enemy of economic development as well. Armenia has been notorious for its ethnic cleansing, prejudice, bigotry and state terrorism. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the bleeding wound for the Republic of Azerbaijan that is also a looming security threat to the whole region of South Caucasus. Azerbaijans successive leaders and people have been striving hard to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia that shows its firm belief in diplomacy and dialogue," the author says.

The author further notes that the right of Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh territories, are recognized by the United Nations Security Council which adopted four resolutions: 822, 853, 874 and 884 condemning the use of force against Azerbaijan and the occupation of its territories in 1993.

"Azerbaijan has always been open for dialogue whereas Armenia undertakes consistent measures to consolidate the results of its occupation policy and to maintain an unacceptable and unsustainable status quo. Moreover, Armenias direct and deliberate attacks against the Azerbaijani civilian population and civilian objects, constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, in particular the 1949 Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol I thereto, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms," the author says.

He reminds that Armenia illegally changes the demographic, cultural and physical character of the occupied territories.

"Holding of military drills, census, resettlement of Syrian Armenians, referendum and elections are serious violations of international law and ceasefire agreement. Armenia is notorious for cultural and heritage terrorism. Since the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and occupation of Azerbaijani territories, Armenian aggressors badly looted Azerbaijans rich cultural treasures. Armenia is purposefully extinguishing Azerbaijans culture, heritage and historical places, buildings and monuments of Islamic culture," the author says.

He stressed that Armenia, as an aggressor and destroyer of holy mosques cannot be a friend of any Muslim country.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 6

Trend:

Twenty-four years have passed since the Azerbaijani army successfully completed the Horadiz operation.

As a result of the operation, which started December 1993 and ended Jan. 6, 1994, being held under the command of Azerbaijans national leader Heydar Aliyev, the Horadiz city, 20 villages in the Fizuli district and the Jojug Marjanli village of the Jabrayil district were liberated.

In December 1993, the Armenian armed forces attempted to advance east of Fizuli city, but met strong resistance and were forced to retreat. After that, the Azerbaijani army launched a counteroffensive. On Dec. 15, Azerbaijani soldiers advanced in five directions - Fizuli, Khojavand, Aghdam, Aghdere and Kalbajar. The main strikes of the Azerbaijani military units on Horadiz were carried out from the Beylagan district located southeast of Nagorno-Karabakh. In early January 1994, Azerbaijani servicemen seized 40 kilometers of land along the border between 11 settlements and the Azerbaijani-Iranian border.

On Jan. 5, the 702nd brigade, which took part in the Horadiz operation, in one day seized three tanks, one self-propelled antitank complex Sturm-C, six cannons, about 10 vehicles, a large number of weapons and ammunition. The enemy suffered heavy losses and retreated, leaving the bodies of the dead on the battlefield.

On Jan. 6, the 702nd regiment, breaking the enemys resistance, entered Horadiz, located west of the Jabrayil, Gubadli and Zangilan districts at the intersection of important roads leading to Fizuli. Azerbaijani army captured a village, the Horadiz railway station and strategically important Khudaferin bridges across the Araz River. The flag of Azerbaijan was raised in Horadiz.

The Horadiz operation is the most successful operation of the Azerbaijani army conducted in the winter of 1994. For their heroism during the operation, eight people were awarded the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan.
Representatives of Azercosmos Open Joint Stock Company (OJSC) made a presentation about "CanSat Azerbaijan 2018" competition at Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS).

The presentation for BHOS students was conducted by an officer of Corporate Communications department Fidan Behbudova and Satellite Communications Engineer Rustam Zeynalov. The contest, which will be held with joint organizational support from Azerkosmos OJSC and the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan, offers students a unique opportunity to have a practical experience of a real space project.

CanSat is a simulation of a real satellite, integrated within the volume and shape of a soft drink can. The challenge is to fit all the major subsystems into this minimal volume. The CanSat is then launched to an altitude of a few hundred meters to carry out a scientific experiment and achieve a safe landing. Aimed at motivation of students in aerospace technology, the international CanSat competition has been held annually since 1998 with the support of NASA, American Astronautical Society (AAS), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), as well as leading aerospace companies.

The representatives of Azerkosmos OJSC provided detailed information about the CanSat Azerbaijan 2018 competition, which consists of seven stages, and its registration and participation rules. In conclusion, they answered numerous questions. The CanSat competition to be held in Azerbaijan in 2018 is aimed at raising students awareness of, and interest in, national satellite projects with the purpose to have more experienced teams, which are able to represent Azerbaijan at international CanSat competitions.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 5

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

2017 was spent in Azerbaijan under the aegis of the revival of non-oil economy. During the year, the government took a big number of steps aimed at increasing both production and export of non-oil products. Promotion of the Made in Azerbaijan brand on foreign markets became one of the priorities of the countrys foreign economic policy.

The number of Azerbaijan's trade partners increased from 165 to 186 countries.

Non-oil export of Azerbaijan amounted to almost $1.4 billion in 11 months of 2017, increasing by 22 percent during the year.

Export missions became one of the effective tools for expanding non-oil exports. Over the past year, Azerbaijan organized a number of different missions to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, China, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Germany, Qatar and other countries.

As a result of each export mission, organized by the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) and Ministry of Economy, various contracts were concluded or agreements were reached on future supplies. Thus, Azerbaijani entrepreneurs agreed to supply meat and milk products, honey, fruits, pomegranate juice, canned goods, mineral waters, wines, furniture and other products to foreign countries.

Special attention was also paid to the participation of Azerbaijani entrepreneurs at international exhibitions. Goods were presented under the Made in Azerbaijan brand at such big exhibitions as ANUGA, Worldfood Moscow, Prowein, Gulfood 2017.

Another tool created for the development of non-oil exports is the mechanism of expanding the exports. During the year, as part of this mechanism, which envisages the compensation of 3-6 percent of customs value of the exported goods, more than two million manats were returned to entrepreneurs.

Advertising of Azerbaijani products on foreign TV channels and in the media has also started since the end of the previous year. Azerbaijani products will also be sold in Duty Free shops of different airports, and agreements were concluded during the year with supermarket chains in Arab and European countries.

These are not all the measures that have been and will be taken in order to promote Azerbaijani products on foreign markets. It has been repeatedly noted that 2017 in many respects became preparatory for the development of economy in subsequent years.

In 2017, the Made in Azerbaijan brand began its expansion into the world markets and the first successful results give a chance that Azerbaijani products will be able to occupy a niche on store shelves in foreign countries.

---

Azad Hasanli is Deputy Editor-in-Chief on Economy at Trend News Agency, follow him on Twitter: @AzadHasanli
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 5

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has approved a framework agreement signed with the European Investment Bank (EIB).

The agreement defines the legal framework for the EIB's activities in Uzbekistan. The Bank will officially be able to support public and private sector projects in such areas as infrastructure, energy and energy efficiency, as well as small business development.

The framework agreement between Uzbekistan and the EIB on the bank's activities in Uzbekistan was signed on Oct.13, 2017 in Washington. The agreement on signing the agreement was reached after the meeting of the EU-Uzbekistan Council in Brussels on July 17.

Uzbekistan became the fourth state in Central Asia, cooperating with the EIB. To date, the EIB has signed transactions amounting to about 710 million euros in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Uzbekistan attaches significant importance to the signing of the agreement, which opens additional opportunities for attracting European investments and technologies to the country's economy, Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Kuchkarov said earlier.

The State Committee for Investments was appointed as the responsible body for interaction with the EIB and implementation of the agreement.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 5

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

After a 20-year break, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are again connected via a bus route.

The first pilot bus service between the two countries on the Tashkent-Shymkent intercity route was launched on Jan.5.

The total length of the route was 145 kilometers, travel time - about three hours. Passengers will cross the Gisht Kuprik checkpoint (Uzbekistan) / Zhibek Zholy (Kazakhstan).

Earlier, the Uzbek Agency of Road and River Transport stated that regular routes will be carried out daily from 6:00 to 20:00 with a frequency of one hour.

Reportedly, the return ticket costs 160,000 soums.

It is expected that the bus service will connect the major cities of Kazakhstan with the tourist centers of Uzbekistan, primarily Samarkand and Bukhara.

In 2017, the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan increased by 30 percent and amounted to about $2 billion.

In March 2017, an agreement was signed between the two countries on interregional cooperation and the Strategy for Economic Cooperation for 2017-2019.

In September last year, several important agreements were signed in various fields. These include, in particular, road maps for road and water relations between the two countries, an agreement on cooperation in the energy sector and other documents.

The rate for Jan. 5, 2017 is 8136.67 UZS / USD.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 5

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan intend to launch several new flights between their cities, Kazinform reported citing Kazakh envoy to Uzbekistan Yerik Utembayev.

"This year we are planning that the geography of flights will expand with Almaty-Bukhara, Almaty-Khiva and Almaty-Samarkand routes, which are very attractive in terms of tourism opportunities," said Utembayev.

The diplomat added that the creation of infrastructure opportunities will contribute to increase of the tourist flow.

Earlier, the aviation authorities of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan agreed on an increasing flights between the two countries. As a result, the total number of flights between the countries reached 22 flights per week from December, so passengers can travel to Tashkent from Almaty twice a day and on a daily basis from Astana.

In the future, it is planned to open flights to Samarkand, Bukhara and Urgench.

In 2017, the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan increased by 30 percent and amounted to about $2 billion.

In March 2017, an agreement was signed between the two countries on interregional cooperation and the Strategy for Economic Cooperation for 2017-2019.

In September last year, several important agreements were signed in various fields. These include, in particular, road maps for road and water relations between the two countries, an agreement on cooperation in the energy sector and other documents.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 5

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

The State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) sold $584.8 million at the currency auctions organized by the countrys Central Bank (CBA) in December 2017, SOFAZ said Jan. 5.

SOFAZ sold over $3.7 billion at the currency auctions in 2017. In total, the Azerbaijani banks bought about $4.92 billion from SOFAZ in 2016.

The currency is sold as part of SOFAZs transfers to the Azerbaijani state budget, which are envisaged in the volume of 6.1 billion manats for 2017.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 28

By Azer Ahmadbayli  Trend:

The draft convention of the final agreement on the legal status of the Caspian Sea that was discussed in Moscow on December 5 implies, inter alia, construction of underwater pipelines. If accepted, a consensus from all littoral states to allow underwater construction will no longer be required, except for an agreement between two contracting states.

Putting aside political rationale behind such a long-born decision, it would be worthy of paying attention to economic aspects of such projects.

When touching the subject of underwater pipelines construction on the Caspian Sea, the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline to export Turkmen gas westward is the first thing that comes to mind. It overshadowed another idea, announced for the first time about a decade ago, on construction of an oil pipeline crossing the Caspian to deliver growing volumes of the Kazakhstans crude to Europe, through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) export route.

It is important for both countries  Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan - to understand whether construction of a 700-kilometer underwater pipeline would be reasonably practicable in foreseeable future.

In 2016 Kazakhstan produced 78.1 million tons of crude oil including gas condensate (factual data from Kazstat, National Statistical System of Kazakhstan). Crude oil accounted for 65.6 million tons, while condensate made 12.5 million tons. From the total amount, 62.3 million tons fell on export, whereas 15.8 million tons fell on the consumption in the domestic market.

Within ten months of 2017, the production made 71.2 million tons (11.4 percent growth compared to the same period of 2016), from which export made 55.9 million (+10.1 percent) and domestic consumption amounted to 15.3 million t (+16.4 percent).

Recently, Kazakhstan has increased the forecast for oil production in 2017, from the planned 81 million tons to 85.5 million tons.

Most of the Kazakhstans crude was exported to European countries (50 million tons), while 5.3 million tons fell on the South-Eastern Asia, and about 325,000 tons was exported to the CIS states.

Enter the factor of export pipelines' capacities. Major pipelines to export oil from Kazakhstan include the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) pipeline to the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, the Kazakhstan-China pipeline and the Uzen-Atyrau-Samara pipeline to Russia. As lions share is exported through the CPC, it would be sensible to focus only on that option.

The CPC export pipeline transports over two thirds of all Kazakhstan export crude, as well as crude from Russian oil fields, including the Caspian region.

In December 2009, the CPC shareholders approved the plan of expanding the capacity of the pipeline up to 67 million t a year, which included a set of technical enhancements and commercial matters. Thanks to the expansion project, the CPC Marine Terminal shipped 42.8 million tons in 2015 and 44.3 million tons in 2016. As of December 18 of the current year, the CPC shipped 52.8 million tons of crude, from which about 47.5 million tons falls on Kazakhstan.

If the maximum planned capacity of 67 million tons is reached in the coming years, it would mean that Kazakhstan doesnt need any new facility for its oil export because CPC will take all the available volumes. It could be so, except for one little fact - the giant offshore oil field "Kashagan", with 4.65 billion tons (36.6 billion barrels) of oil in place, which is now just at the beginning of its production.

In November 2016, after a three year delay due to industrial accident, the commercial production of oil commenced at Kashagan and the first batch of crude was exported.

Initially it was planned to produce up to 420,000 barrels per day (21 mta) at Phase 1, with further increase gradually to 1.2-1.5 million bpd (from 60 to 75 mta) in later phases.

Within 11 months of 2017, 7.3 million tons of oil was produced at the Kashagan field, although the originally planned volume was 5 million tons. In 2018, production capacity is planned to reach a designated target of 370,000 bpd, according to NCOC  the projects operator.

In addition to the three main pipelines, there is another route planned for the most part to export the Kashagan oil to European markets. For that purpose it is necessary to deliver the oil to the BTC main export pipeline. Two options are considered here (the third option is tank-car ferry without unloading and then by rail to Georgian port of Batumi).

The main option suggests use of tankers transporting the oil from Kuryk port to Baku oil terminal (Kazakhstan Caspian Transport System, KCTS).

From time to time, official circles, project shareholders and experts of both countries touch upon the second possible option  construction of an underwater pipeline as an alternate to replace the tanker delivery system.

Both options have their disadvantages.

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have tanker fleet with most of vessels having 12-13 thousand ton deadweight. A tanker with such dwt, sailing between Aktau and Baku, can transport about 1 million ton of oil per year. It means that maritime traffic will multiply, which in turn can increase the risk of accidents resulting in environmental disasters.

To accelerate oil delivery Kazakhstan should purchase or build a number of oil tankers with at least 60,000 tons of deadweight, which is quite complicated, if not impossible, due to many reasons. In addition, strong winds and storms are a common thing on the Caspian Sea.

The underwater pipeline isnt an easy trip too. The chief researcher, Institute of economics of Kazakhstan, energy expert Oleg Egorov is concerned about some factors, which, he believes, might become an impediment to the project implementation.

The first factor is the quality of oil. Any leak in the pipeline could lead to disaster in the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstans oil is impregnated with a large quantity of sulfurous components, and taking into account oil spills that occurred at the Kashagan field since 2013, it is necessary to assess how safe it would be to use the underwater pipeline between the two countries.

The Kashagan consortium at that time had to replace 200 kilometers of pipes, incurring great financial and time losses. Oil from other massive fields like Tengiz and Karachaganak is of equally same quality with a large number of mercaptans in its composition, the expert says.

On the other hand, with the adequate preparation, that is the security of pipes together with thorough purification of oil, the construction of the pipeline may become relevant, he said.

The second factor, according to Egorov, is the project cost i.e. expenditures made to achieve full safety of the project might be too much and accordingly put its financial liquidity under question.

Tariffs may become another impediment to the project. The warranty to receive a set of profitable and stable tariffs for the transit of Kazakh oil through Azerbaijan is uncertain. In the absence of stable rates, the pipeline again loses its relevance.

Kashagan has a production life for decades, but only after reaching its designed capacity the idea of construction of the Transcaspian oil pipeline construction could become crucial. However, so far the fields operators cant disclose any exact data for oil volumes at different stages of the development due to the operation complexity of the production process.

Conclusions:

- Oil production in Kazakhstan is growing, as well as the oil export

- Europe is the destination of overwhelming quantity of the Kazakhstans crude

- The existing pipelines will cope with export volumes until the Kashagan field attains its designed capacity

- A large share of the Kashagan oil may be delivered to Baku oil terminal either by tanker or by construction of underwater pipeline for further export through BTC pipeline

- Both options are complicated enough to be put into practice, and have weak and strong points

- Yet, there is some uncertainty in timing and output regarding the Kashagan field development
The national currency of Kyrgyzstan is printed by three foreign companies, chairman of the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan Tolkunbek Abdygulov said at the session of the Parliament. He said that they are: "DeLaRue Currency", "Oberthur Fiduciaire" and "Crane Currency", Kabar reported.

MP Zhunus uulu Altynbek specified that Kyrgyzstan should not spend millions to print soms. He gave an example that Kazakhstan itself prints tenge. In addition, the parliamentarian said that the government could use the reserves of the National Bank, since the funds are not used there.

The chairman of Kyrgyz National Bank said that with reserve money no one can do anything. "We hope that 2018 will be a good year. But if something happens, then this reserve will be used to make up for the losses. By international standards, we cannot touch these funds. In addition, if there are no reserves, then we will not be able to pass an external audit, Abdygulov explained.
Tajik Ambassador in Cairo Khusrav Noziri met with Dr. Ahmed Al-Shoky, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Library and Archives of Egypt on January 4, Khovar reported.

The main topic of discussion of that meeting was the establishment and development of cooperation between libraries and manuscript centers of the two countries. In this regard, Dr. Ahmed Al-Shoky suggested signing a memorandum on cooperation between the National Library and Archives of Egypt and the relevant institutions of Tajikistan.

The National Library of Egypt was founded on March 23, 1870 by a decree from Khedive Ismail in order to preserve the Arabic and Oriental manuscripts. Currently, this library contains more than 57 thousand valuable manuscripts. A special place among them belongs to a large collection of Persian-Tajik manuscripts, numbering about 10,000 copies.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Jan. 5

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has sent a letter of congratulations to President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of establishment of the two countries diplomatic relations, the Turkmen government said in a message.

The Uzbek president said in his letter that he looks forward President Berdimuhamedovs upcoming visit to Uzbekistan, which, undoubtedly, will become a historic event, will serve the fullest disclosure of the enormous potential of comprehensive Uzbek-Turkmen relations.

The letter says that joint efforts have given momentum to cooperation in trade, production cooperation, transport and transit, energy, and intensified cultural and humanitarian exchanges.

We have opened a very important and promising direction of bilateral relations  there is a direct dialogue between our border regions, noted the Uzbek president.

The two countries continue constructive cooperation and mutual support on the international arena, as well as within the framework of regional structures.

Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which have impressive reserves of hydrocarbon resources, stand for diversification of energy flows. A good example of that is the implementation of the project on construction of the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline, commissioned in 2009.

Recently, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov invited business circles of Uzbekistan to participate in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.

Turkmenistan started to construct its TAPI section in December 2015. The foundation laying ceremony for the Afghan section of the TAPI gas pipeline is planned to be held in the second half of February 2018.

Earlier, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Japanese government expressed their interest in financing TAPI. The Islamic Development Bank has already allocated a loan worth $700 million for Turkmenistan to construct its TAPI section.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 5

By Umid Niayesh  Trend:

The latest statistics released by the Turkish Statistical Institute, indicates that the exports of Turkey to Iran in November 2017 were valued at about $279.57 million, 12.7 percent less compared to $320.276 million in November 2016.

Meanwhile the country imported goods worth $418.697 million from Iran in the same month, compared to $475.37 million worth of imports in November 2016.

The trade turnover between the two countries reached $698.27 million in November 2017.

The trade turnover between Iran and Turkey stood at $9.9 billion during the first 11 months of 2017. The figure indicates a rise by 12.5 percent compared to same period of the preceding year ($8.8 billion).

Turkey's exports to Iran in the period amounted to $2.882 billion, compared to $4.633 billion in the first 11 months of 2016.

The country also imported $7.017 billion worth of goods from Iran in the 11-month period, 68.6 percent more compared to January-November 2016 ($4.163 billion).

So, the trade balance between the two countries was $4.135 billion, in favor of Iran.

The trade turnover between the two countries was $13.71 billion in 2014, which stood at $9.76 billion in 2015, indicating a 29-percent plunge.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 5

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Mahmoud Vaezi, the Iranian head of presidential office and chief of staff, has reacted to a request by a group of university students calling on Hassan Rouhani to resign from his post as the president, ILNA reported.

I have not heard about this. You should see the footprint of those who make such comments in the beginning of recent movements in Mashhad, he said.

A news website affiliated with Imam Sadiq University has reportedly urged President Rouhani to step down from his post and hold snap election due to economic shortcomings in the country.

The call for Rouhanis resign came amid recent demonstrations in the country which began last week in the city of Mashhad protesting against high prices.

Iranian First Vice-President Es'haq Jahangiri earlier on Dec 29 accused the domestic opponents of President Hassan Rouhanis administration of being involved in organizing protest in the city of Mahshad.

Following the protests, Iran saw turmoil and political unrests in several cities across the country which eventually took the lives of at least 21, including the law enforcement forces.

The government officials have urged people to refrain from participating in the protests.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 5

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

A large number of people have taken to streets across Iran to express support for the Islamic Republic on the third day of pro-government demonstrations responding to the recent turmoil in the country.

People have taken to the streets in major cities across Iran for a third consecutive day to reiterate support for the Islamic establishment following scattered riots in some parts of the vast country, Press TV reported.

According to the report, the capital Tehran and the cities of Tabriz, Sari and Kerman hold pro-government rallies on Friday.

Demonstrators denounced violence by those who infiltrated peaceful protests to turn them into scenes of confrontation and attack on public property.

Following the protests, Iran over the last week saw turmoil and political unrest in several cities across the country, which eventually took the lives of at least 21, including the law enforcement forces.
NATO adopted an official hymn for the first time in the Alliances history on Wednesday (3 January 2018), NATO's web site reported. Composed for NATOs fortieth anniversary in 1989, the NATO Hymn was written by Captain Andre Reichling, conductor of the Luxembourg Military Band. Since then it has been played at many NATO events, including the most recent meeting of Allied Heads of State and Government in May 2017.

The earliest proposals for a NATO hymn can be traced to the late 1950s, in preparation for the Alliances tenth anniversary. In 1958, the UKs Thomas Hildebrand Preston composed a NATO ceremonial march to welcome visitors to NATO Headquarters in Paris. In 1959, a NATO Song was performed by an orchestra and a choir at NATOs tenth anniversary pageant, composed by Captain Hans Lorenz of the German Air Force with lyrics by Captain Stephanus van Dam of the Netherlands and Leon van Leeuwen of the United States. In 1960, the UKs Air Marshal Sir Edward Chilton proposed a NATO anthem arranged by Squadron Leader J. L. Wallace, which combined all fifteen national anthems of NATOs member states at the time. Captain Reichlings 1989 composition proved most successful of all, becoming NATOs de facto hymn for nearly thirty years.

The NATO Hymn approved by the North Atlantic Council has no lyrics, and is scored for twenty musical instruments: piccolo, flute, oboe, three clarinets, three saxophones, two cornets, two trumpets, horn, baritone horn, three trombones, tuba, and snare drum. Listen to it here.
Slightly fewer than half as many migrants reached Europe by sea in 2017 than 2016, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday, with curbs finally cutting traffic on the deadly route from Libya to Italy, Reuters reports.

Two years after more than a million people entered the EU, mostly fleeing war in the Middle East and poverty in Africa, the IOM recorded 171,635 arrivals by boat in 2017. The 2016 figure was 363,504.

The biggest influx of refugees and migrants in Europe since World War Two caused a political and humanitarian crisis two years ago.

Arrivals by boat in Italy accounted for most of the 2017 arrivals: 119,310 in total, down by a third compared to the previous year, the Italian Interior Ministry said on Dec 31.

Some 21,663 migrants arrived in Spain as of Dec. 28 last year, while 1,067 landed in Cyprus, preliminary figures show.

More patrols and rescues off the coast of Libya, as well as fighting between smuggling groups, contributed to the overall drop, Millman said.

The number of migrant deaths at sea has not been finalised, but stands at 3,116, compared to 5,143 recorded in 2016, Millman said.

African migrants in Libya continue to depart for Europe from the coast, where the IOM is monitoring rescues, he said, adding: Boats are still rescuing in the hundreds every day, depending on the day, sub-Saharan Africans who have come through Libya.

Nearly 20,000 Africans went home last year under IOMs voluntary repatriation program from Libya, including 7,000 since an African Union - European Union agreement reached in Abidjan on Nov. 29, Millman said.

The United Nations agency aims to repatriate a further 15,000 migrants from Libya by the end of January, he told Reuters.
Yemeni Chief of the General Staff Maj. Gen. Taher Ali Auqaili has been injured when a car he was traveling in was hit by a mine near the border with Saudi Arabia, a Yemeni military source told Sputnik.

"Chief of the General Staff Maj. Gen. Taher Ali Auqaili has been injured in a mine explosion in the Al Khab and Al Shaaf districts of the Al Jawf province," the source said.

According to the source, Auqaili had a hand injury and was hospitalized. Al Jawf Governor Amin Ukaymi was travelling in the same car and also survived the explosion, the source added.
Brazilian environmentalists are trying to figure out why more than 80 dolphins have been found dead in a bay west of Rio de Janeiro, ABC reports.

Eighty-eight dead dolphins have been retrieved from the Bay of Sepetiba, about 45 miles from Rio de Janeiro, in the last 18 days, Leonardo Flach, a biologist and the chief coordinator of the Boto Cinza Institute in Mangaratiba, Brazil, told ABC News today. Thats about 10 percent of the dolphin population that live in the bay, he said.

The cause may be bacteria or a virus, Flach said.

"We've never experienced this before. Its a tragedy," Flach said. "Every day we are finding four or five dolphin carcasses."

He added, "One day we will find dolphin corpses that are male and adults, and the next day, female and puppies. But most of them are skinny and with deep skin lesions. I've never seen anything like that."
A former state governor for Mexicos ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) was extradited on Thursday from Panama to Mexico, where he faces corruption charges, Mexicos attorney generals office and secretary of external relations said in a statement, Reuters reports.

Roberto Borge, who governed the touristy state of Quintana Roo from 2010 to 2016, was taken under strict security from the offices of Panamas national police to an air force base, where he boarded a Mexican plane, local television footage showed.

Mexican prosecutors accuse Borge of using funds obtained illegally, embezzlement and abuse of public office. Borge has denied the allegations.

Borge was arrested in Panama City in June as he was preparing to board a flight to Paris. Panamas foreign ministry said last week that it would send Borge to Mexico.
North and South Korea will hold official talks next week for the first time in more than two years after Pyongyang accepted Seouls offer for dialogue, just hours after the United States and South Korea delayed a joint military exercise, Reuters reports.

The Souths unification ministry said North Korea had sent its consent for the talks to be held on Jan. 9 in a statement at 0116 GMT. The last time the two Koreas engaged in official talks was in December 2015.

The talks will be held at the border truce village of Panmunjom and officials from both sides are expected to discuss the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and the improvement of inter-Korean relations, ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun told a regular briefing.

North Korea asked for further negotiations regarding the meeting to be carried out via documented exchanges, Baik said. The officials to represent the two Koreas have yet to be confirmed.

Japans defense minister on Friday sounded a note of caution about the talks, saying North Korea would continue developing its weapons program and Tokyo would remain vigilant.

I think what is important is to maintain a firm defense posture, Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera told a press conference in Tokyo.

North Korea goes through phases of apparent dialogue and provocation but either way, North Korea is continuing its nuclear and missile development. We have no intention of weakening our warning and surveillance (activity).

Baik also said there was no change to South Koreas stance that efforts aimed at the denuclearization of North Korea should be continued, while Seoul would engage Pyongyang as it keeps close communications with the United States and allies.

North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un opened the way for talks with South Korea in a New Years Day speech in which he called for reduced tensions on the Korean peninsula and flagged the Norths possible participation in the Winter Olympics.

But Kim remained steadfast on the issue of nuclear weapons, saying the North would mass produce nuclear missiles for operational deployment and again warned he would launch a nuclear strike if his country was threatened.

U.S. President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in announced late on Thursday that annual large-scale military drills usually held in spring would now take place after the Winter Olympics scheduled for February in Pyeongchang.

The Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises are drills conducted regularly to maintain readiness on the peninsula, according to a statement from the U.S. Forces Korea, which added new dates for the exercise would be announced later.

The North sees these drills as exercises for a possible invasion. South Korea and the United States are technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.

Trump had earlier called the proposed inter-Korean talks a good thing and that he would send a high-level delegation, including members of his family, to the Winter Olympics, according to South Koreas presidential office.

In a tweet, Trump, who hurled fresh insults at the North Korean leader this week, took credit for any dialogue.

Does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the North, Trump tweeted.

The ramped-up momentum for inter-Korean dialogue follows a year of missile and nuclear tests by North Korea as well as an exchange of bellicose comments from Trump and Kim, which raised alarm across the world.

In a tweet, Trump, who hurled fresh insults at the North Korean leader this week, took credit for any dialogue.

Does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the North, Trump tweeted.

The ramped-up momentum for inter-Korean dialogue follows a year of missile and nuclear tests by North Korea as well as an exchange of bellicose comments from Trump and Kim, which raised alarm across the world.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 5

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

As part of the fight against the "Islamic State" (IS) terrorist group, 5,600 foreign mercenaries were deported from Turkey, the Turkish media quoted the countrys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying Jan. 5.

Erdogan said that 54,000 people were banned from entering the country as part of the fight against the IS.

Turkey will continue to fight against the IS, he added.

On Dec. 1, 62 foreigners, who are members of the IS terrorist group, were detained in Istanbul.

The Istanbul police said that 117 operations were conducted in Istanbul against the IS members from August 2016 to August 2017, as a result of which over 1,000 people were detained.

It was also reported that 940 people were deported from Turkey as part of the fight against the IS during the reporting period.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 5

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during a telephone conversation with the Iranian president, urged Hassan Rouhani to listen to the demands of the Iranian people.

Erdogan spoke about this in an interview with the French media before his visit to France, the Turkish media outlets reported.

The Turkish president said that during a telephone conversation with Rouhani, the Iranian president noted that the situation in the Iranian cities is under full control and there is no reason for concern.

Events in Iran are internal affairs of the country and any external interference in the ongoing processes is unacceptable, added Erdogan.

Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that the US, particularly, President Donald Trump, is provoking the events in Iran.

Over the past week, some groups of people joined demonstrations in a number of cities of Iran, including the capital Tehran, Mashhad and Kermanshah to protest against high prices, but the economic protests soon turned into anti-government demonstrations.

The government officials have urged people to refrain from participating in these protests.

According to the Iranian media outlets, 28 people were killed during the ongoing protests.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 5

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Agreements between Turkey and the US are losing relevance, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said before his visit to France, the Turkish media reported Jan. 5.

This is due to the fact that the US does not comply with Turkeys demands for the extradition of Fethullah Gulen, he said.

The Turkish president also noted that the US has no right to give the world lessons of justice.

On July 15 evening, 2016, Turkish authorities said a military coup attempt took place in the country. Meanwhile, a group of servicemen announced about transition of power to them. However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed.

The death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stood at 250 people, and more than 2,000 people were wounded.

The Turkish authorities accuse the leader of the Hizmet movement, Fethullah Gulen, of involvement in an attempted military coup and demand the US to extradite him.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Turkey has got "tired" of its EU membership process and it cannot request for the bloc's membership indefinitely, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, Anadolu reported.

We cannot continuously ask the EU please take us, too now, Erdogan said at a joint press conference with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

Turkey applied for membership in the European Economic Community, a precursor to the EU, in 1987.

It became eligible for EU membership in 1997 and accession talks began in 2005. To gain membership, Turkey has to successfully conclude negotiations with the EU in 35 policy chapters that involve reforms and the adoption of European standards.

Earlier, Turkeys undersecretariat for defense industries and Franco-Italian EUROSAM signed an anti-missile defense system agreement.
Ripple has a complicated relationship with its native cryptocurrency XRP, one that critics contend many recent buyers of the token may not understand.

Ripple's native cryptocurrency, XRP, is on a bull run.

According to CoinDesk data, the price of XRP is up over 1,000 percent in just the last month alone, eclipsing $3.50 per coin Thursday after spending much of 2017 under $0.30. With a market capitalization above $120 billion, the token has usurped ethereum as the No. 2 cryptocurrency after bitcoin, and social media is rife with speculation about when it might take first place.

But where some might see the kind of meteoric growth that's often associated with a breakout product, industry insiders have been quick to tap the breaks.

Rather than herald the run-up as a success story, some are using the spotlight to revive long-standing controversies that have dogged the Ripple blockchain network, the startup that created it and its fair-weather approach to marketing the cryptocurrency.

Indeed, founded with the mission to bring bitcoin's decentralized, cryptographic architecture to financial services, Ripple has had a complex relationship with XRP  at times touting it as a way for banks to transact seamlessly across borders, while at other points describing it as a benign value-add to enterprise versions of the company's software.

Such hot-and-cold thinking has long been on display in the company's public remarks on the subject.

As far back as 2012, for instance, the founder and former CEO of Ripple, Chris Larsen, spoke of the service as a bitcoin-like payment system. Only a couple years later, Larsen was de-emphasizing XRP's role, telling the Financial Times, "The world is not going to adopt a new math-based currency."

Seemingly aligning with a rise in regulatory concerns over bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, executives at Ripple even explained to Fortune in 2014 that its cryptocurrency is not meant to be a store of value or a medium of exchange.

And there were times when Ripple leadership hesitated to call XRP a cryptocurrency at all.

Asked directly about its use of terminology in 2016, Larsen pegged the decision to marketing, dismissing the term outright. "It's not powerful," he said then. "I think sometimes the word 'crypto,' branding-wise, is less institutional than 'digital asset.'"

Story continues

Yet, as the term "cryptocurrency" has come back into fashion over the past year, that narrative has changed.

In contrast to his predecessor, Brad Garlinghouse, who replaced Larsen as CEO when he stepped down at the beginning of 2017, has proclaimed the value of cryptocurrency, specifically XRP.

And in interview with CoinDesk Thursday, Asheesh Birla, who's been the vice president of product at Ripple for five years, said he doesn't remember anyone at the company downplaying the necessity of digital assets. Rather, he said:

"What we did realize is that there is a pragmatic way of developing use cases that will use digital assets. I think that is a very pragmatic approach of building a payments solution. I think the patience, and the pragmatic nature that were working towards is paying off."

And Birla has a point  three years ago digital assets were thinly traded compared to today, so it was hard to market XRP as a liquidity play.

Yet the company's shift in tone, coupled with the XRP cryptocurrency's recent boom, has brought out a sea of critics who want to take Ripple to task for its seemingly opportunistic stance.

However, they're being met by an equally strong force: a new group of crypto adopters who, all of a sudden, see XRP as an affordable way to get exposure to cryptocurrency and relieve their FOMO.

The XRP faithful

Given the passionate support of its online fanbase, it's perhaps not a surprise that Ripple's XRP cryptocurrency has attracted interest, especially as new investors seek to diversify in the cryptocurrency market.

For instance, Ripple evangelist and XRP bull Tiffany Hayden wondered in a tweet whether XRP could jump 740 percent to reach $20 a coin, and while that might seem a stretch, it sounds more plausible when considering that XRP gained 30,000 percent over 2017.

Further, according to a tweet from Chris Burniske, a partner at Placeholder VC, if XRP's price stayed around where it's at today and bitcoin's stayed around $15,000 a coin, by the time each of those network's cryptocurrency units (100 billion for XRP, 21 million for bitcoin) had been released, the XRP Ledger would have a network value greater than bitcoin's.

Since bitcoin hit $20,000 this past December, a slew of cryptocurrencies have reached new all-time highs, some even outperforming bitcoin by leaps and bounds. But what sets XRP's activity apart may be the sheer volume of crypto enthusiasts who, seemingly, are working under cloudy impressions of the industry.

In speaking with retail buyers, CoinDesk has found that, for some, XRP is their very first foray into cryptocurrency. In one conversation, a source, who wished to remain anonymous, reported that a friend had pushed him to buy XRP.

This investor also cited other reasons for taking the plunge:

"Surely, because of the advantage of transferring funds very quickly and efficiently anywhere in the world; also its endorsement by [potentially] Amazon and Amex. It didn't hurt that it went from 20 cents to $1 rather quickly."

It's an interesting answer that sheds light on the state of the crypto industry as it moves into 2018.

Bogged down  at least in the eyes of new investors  by a years-long technical debate, bitcoin seems to have lost its hold on the faster, more efficient payment method use case. In turn, cryptocurrencies that seem more mainstream (such as XRP in its proximity to Ripple) are looking more attractive to rookies.

Yet, the partnerships Ripple has forged recently hide an inconvenient truth  that enterprises using Ripple's services aren't necessarily using XRP.

And as such, XRP investors might not understand they're buying into a cryptocurrency very different from bitcoin and the others that have gained widespread attention over the years.

Without XRP

Case in point: While XRP investors might be charmed by the thought of holding a cryptocurrency that one day a large swath of the banking system may use, the vast majority of Ripple's banking clients are using the company's xCurrent product  a glorified messaging platform.

This product provides banks with real-time, bi-directional messaging with which they can track and manage cross-border payments, and is superior, Ripple executives say, to SWIFT's messaging platform, which only allows for one-way communication.

So for instance, if an account number, name or some other data needed to send a payment gets mistyped when sending a SWIFT message, that message must go through its life cycle before the error can be corrected, with the receiving party sending back an error-and-cancellation message. The sending bank then has to go find where it messed up, and once the errors are corrected, a new transaction must be initiated. (However, SWIFT recently revealed a real-time gross settlement platform and is experimenting with blockchain technology to enhance its processes.)

Ripple's platform, on the other hand, allows senders and receivers to communicate in real time, so simple errors can be fixed quickly, and transactions aren't canceled, but instead merely put on a momentary hold of sorts.

Laid out to CoinDesk during the company's inaugural Swell conference in Toronto in October, Ripple's main product doesn't involve its XRP token at all.

Onstage during the event, a number of banks using xCurrent asserted that they would not be using XRP anytime soon, contrary to what XRP investors might be banking on today.

And xCurrent is the platform American Express is using. In mid-November, Amex announced that it had partnered with Ripple to connect Amex customers in the U.S. using U.S. dollars to Santander bank accounts in the U.K. using British pounds.

During the launch, Ripple's global head of strategic accounts, Marcus Treacher, told CoinDesk that Amex and Santander were connected directly with no need for an intermediary cryptocurrency.

Yet, the price of XRP rallied on that news, hitting a high, for the time, around $0.30 per coin.

And now, with the price of XRP continuing its upward momentum, there seems to be another pump based on misperceptions about the Amex relationship and speculation that Amazon will accept XRP sometime this year  both were mentioned by the anonymous neophyte as reasons he's investing in XRP.

Secondly, many investors new to the cryptocurrency space might not be aware of where all the XRP actually exist. Unlike bitcoin and many other cryptocurrencies, XRP isn't created on a particular timeline through mining  or the act of securing decentralized networks.

Instead, the 100 billion XRPs (the cryptocurrency's coded limit) are already available, with most under the control of Ripple itself. Ripple currently controls about 61 billion XRP, although in May (where the price ranged from 5 cents to 41 cents) the company announced it would move to lock up 55 billion XRP is escrow, to be released at a rate of 1 billion a month for at least four and a half years.

According to Birla, that lock-up started in December, and any XRP not used during the month is put back into the escrow accounts.

In May, Garlinghouse told CoinDesk funds were being spent at a rate of 300 million per month, but Birla declined to disclose any updates to that number.

Yet, Birla did say, with the price increase, the company would be re-evaluating what it needs.

What's wrong?

First and foremost, XRP's rise on old news and unconfirmed speculation displays one of the challenges within the crypto market  that there's no foolproof way to value cryptocurrencies.

And not only that, but the definition of cryptocurrency is a bit murky as well. Because XRP's use is fixed to the Ripple Network, its protocol doesn't involve any mining and Ripple itself controls the majority of tokens, many long-time crypto enthusiasts would put XRP in a separate (albeit in some ways similar) bucket from bitcoin and other, more decentralized cryptocurrency projects.

"XRP will go down as the Icarus of cryptocurrency," tweeted Preston Byrne, an outspoken blockchain pundit, referencing a Greek mythological tale about hubris.

In an interview, Byrne said he finds extremely troubling the trend of private companies issuing their own monies, retaining some for employee compensation and working capital, listing them on exchanges for speculation and then selling their monies on those exchanges to fund operations.

Byrne, the founder of Tomram Consultancy and former general counsel of blockchain startup Monax, told CoinDesk:

"The scale of this activity has become distinctly market-distorting. My greatest fear is that these schemes could, if left unchecked, lead to a systemic crisis."

And chief among the criticisms leveled at Ripple is that the project is not truly decentralized, and so is little more than blockchain hype on a traditional system.

The Bitcoin Core developer and perennial blockchain skeptic Peter Todd has recently taken to tweeting a number of his concerns, and while they're all focused around the question of decentralization, his real uneasiness with Ripple revolves around the company's opaqueness.

Ripple relies on a Unique Node List (UNL)  currently encompassing five core validators all run by Ripple  when matters of consensus need to be determined. According to Ripple, it cannot recommend any new validators to this list. In Todd's interpretation, Ripple has been slow to add new nodes to the UNL primarily because these validators must be trusted entities that stay in consensus with Ripple itself.

And while a number of people and organizations run nodes on the Ripple network, according to Todd, choosing to route transactions through a node that's not a part of the UNL means that if your node comes to a different determination about the state of consensus than those nodes run by Ripple, it could split you off onto a separate "Ripple" chain.

While Birla seemed to acknowledge the issue in conversation, he also said XRP Ledger (which was rebranded from Ripple Ledger last year) was decentralized in that it is open for anyone to use or build on top of.

"Anyone can download the XRP ledger package and become a validator and start broadcasting immediately, but getting everyone else to listen to you is a second point," Birla said.

To address the paltry number of trusted nodes on the UNL (in comparison, bitcoin has about 10,000 validating nodes and ethereum has about 30,000), Ripple released a scaling roadmap which stated it intends to increase the number of trusted nodes on the UNL to 16 over the next 18 months.

But according to Todd:

"The really dangerous thing here is Ripple's technical documentation doesn't make any of these risks clear  nowhere do they describe in detail how nodes can fall out of consensus with one another if their UNLs don't match."

First step

Todd continued, saying that for Ripple's bank clients, being transparent about it's model as a centralized system that users can fully validate shouldn't be much of a problem..

"For some customers that may even be seen as an advantage," Todd told CoinDesk.

Yet, he alleges that Ripple muddies the waters because "they don't want the market to lose confidence in XRP."

This much is clear: right now the market has a lot of confidence in it.

Yet, while it seems people are rushing into XRP ahead of any real use of the cryptocurrency, Birla said that more companies will be announcing their use of XRP in the first quarter of 2018.

Birla said he expects a "full list" of XRP users this year, telling CoinDesk about the xRapid product, which is basically xCurrent with XRP on top:

"There is a whole pipeline of folks now integrating into that product. We'll release names early this year."

He continued, saying the success of getting banks to use Ripple's non-cryptocurrency-related products is positioned as the first step of a bigger plan to move banks to XRP.

And Ripple has had success in getting financial institutions to see the value in its xCurrent product. In total, since it started its "war" on SWIFT and the legacy financial system, more than 100 companies have joined its network.

As far as XRP itself is concerned, though, only one company has publicly revealed its use of the cryptocurrency. In October, Mexican financial services firm Cuallix partnered with Ripple to convert cross-border fund transfers into XRP for easy delivery between currencies.

When asked whether new XRP investors understand the relationships between Ripple, its clients and XRP, Birla said, "Big names like Amex and smaller names, like other companies were signing, are all helping build out the network. We're adding on the liquidity [part] after that"  that is, the xRapid product that uses XRP.

He continued, "We've been really clear. The way that we looked at solving problems was a very methodical approach, a pragmatic approach."

According to him, XRP's use case couldn't be realized until Ripple had built out the network.

"We've identified a use case, we've identified a pain point, we have real customers using our product," Birla said, concluding:

"We have continued to get market traction. That has continued to get a lot of interest in Ripple and XRP in general."

Disclosure: CoinDesk is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which has an ownership stake in Ripple.

Surging sea image via Shutterstock.

Related Stories
On Friday, January 5th, Constellation (STZ) will release its third quarter earnings results after the bell. The company is a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), and have a Value, Growth, and Momentum score of B.

Dave will look at Constellations past earnings, take a look at what is currently going on with the company, and give us his thoughts on their upcoming earnings announcement.

Furthermore, Dave will uncover some potential options trades for investors looking to make a play on Constellation ahead of earnings.

Constellation in Focus

Constellation Brands is a leading producer and marketer of beverage alcohol brands, with a broad portfolio across the wine, spirits and imported beer categories and operations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and Italy. The company's major wine and spirts brands include Robert Mondavi, Clos Du Bois, Kim Crawford, SVEKDKA Vodka, and Casa Noble Tequila. Constellation Brands is based in Victor, New York.

Constellation is expected to report earnings at per share according to the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Last quarter they beat earnings expectations by 14.35%. They reported earnings at $2.47per share, beating their estimate of $2.16. They have an average earnings surprise of 13.63% over the last 4 quarters.

Constellation Brands Inc Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Constellation Brands Inc Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Constellation Brands Inc Quote

Bottom Line

How should investors play Constellation ahead of their earnings report? For insights on the best options trades, then tune in at 1:00pm CST today to see Davids thoughts.



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Chinas ride-hailing application Didi Chuxing has agreed to acquire control of Brazils 99, the companies said in a statement on Wednesday, potentially creating a formidable rival to Uber in Latin Americas largest economy.

The companies did not disclose the stake acquired nor the value, but two people familiar with the deal told Reuters that the transaction would value 99 at over $1 billion and that Didi would hold a significant majority of the Brazilian firm.

The Chinese company bought out investors such as Riverwood Capital, Monashees Inc, Qualcomm Ventures, Tiger Global Management LLC and SoftBank Group Corp, said one of the people.

Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico earlier reported the valuation of the deal and the investors involved.

The acquisition intensifies Didis global rivalry with Uber Technologies Inc, especially in Latin America. Reuters reported in December that Didi planned to enter Mexico this year.

It has previously partnered with overseas ride-hailing companies to offer reciprocal services in other countries, but Didi is now looking to launch its own services overseas.

Didis Mexico entry represents the 4-year-old firms first move to deploy drivers under its own brand outside of China.

Cheng Wei, founder and chief executive of Didi, said in Wednesdays statement that globalization is a top strategic priority for Didi.

Didi first invested $100 million in 99 in January 2017, getting a stake and management rights in the Brazilian app.

For more on Uber, watch Fortunes video:

One source with knowledge of the matter said the funds selling their stakes in 99 started looking for a buyer several months ago, in mid-2017.

Riverwood, Monashees, Tiger Global, and SoftBank did not reply to requests for comment.

Didi has made no secret of its desire to expand beyond China, particularly in light of the growing number of Chinese customers who travel overseas.

The firm sealed its dominance in the Chinese market after buying out Ubers local China business in 2016, ending an expensive subsidy war that cost the U.S. firm roughly $2 billion.

In December, Didi raised $4 billion from investors, in part to fund global expansion, following on from a $5.5 billion fundraising in April.
A woman works at the reception of ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing at its headquarters in Beijing, China, May 18, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/Files

BRASILIA/SAO PAULO (Reuters) - China's ride-hailing application Didi Chuxing has agreed to acquire control of Brazil's 99, the companies said in a statement on Wednesday, potentially creating a formidable rival to Uber in Latin America's largest economy.

The companies did not disclose the stake acquired nor the value, but two people familiar with the deal told Reuters that the transaction would value 99 at over $1 billion and that Didi would hold a 'significant majority' of the Brazilian firm.

The Chinese company bought out investors such as Riverwood Capital, Monashees Inc, Qualcomm Ventures, Tiger Global Management LLC and SoftBank Group Corp, said one of the people.

Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico earlier reported the valuation of the deal and the investors involved.

The acquisition intensifies Didi's global rivalry with Uber Technologies Inc, especially in Latin America. Reuters reported in December that Didi planned to enter Mexico this year.

It has previously partnered with overseas ride-hailing companies to offer reciprocal services in other countries, but Didi is now looking to launch its own services overseas.

Didi's Mexico entry represents the 4-year-old firm's first move to deploy drivers under its own brand outside of China.

Cheng Wei, founder and chief executive of Didi, said in Wednesday's statement that "globalization is a top strategic priority for Didi."

Didi first invested $100 million in 99 in January 2017, getting a stake and management rights in the Brazilian app.

One source with knowledge of the matter said the funds selling their stakes in 99 started looking for a buyer several months ago, in mid-2017.

Riverwood, Monashees, Tiger Global, and SoftBank did not reply to requests for comment.

Didi has made no secret of its desire to expand beyond China, particularly in light of the growing number of Chinese customers who travel overseas.

The firm sealed its dominance in the Chinese market after buying out Uber's local China business in 2016, ending an expensive subsidy war that cost the U.S. firm roughly $2 billion.

In December, Didi raised $4 billion from investors, in part to fund global expansion, following on from a $5.5 billion fundraising in April.

(Reporting by Jake Spring in Brasilia, Tatiana Bautzer and Gram Slattery in Sao Paulo; Additional reporting by Cate Cadell in Beijing; Editing by Adrian Croft and Rosalba O'Brien)
"The Justice Department has trampled on the will of the voters"

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is cracking down on legal marijuana  and Colorado lawmakers are not happy about it.

Sessions issued a memo on Thursday rescinding policies enacted during the Obama administration that enabled states to grow marijuana legally. Eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana, including Colorado. And its benefitted states economies; according to the Denver Business Journal, the marijuana industry has generated $226 million in revenues through November 2017.

Colorado Republican Senator Cory Gardner blasted Sessions memo, arguing that the decision about marijuanas legality should be up to the states.

This reported action directly contradicts what Attorney General Sessions told me prior to his confirmation. With no prior notice to Congress, the Justice Department has trampled on the will of the voters in [Colorado] and other states, he said. I am prepared to take all steps necessary, including holding DOJ nominees, until the Attorney General lives up to the commitment he made to me prior to his confirmation.

This reported action directly contradicts what Attorney General Sessions told me prior to his confirmation. With no prior notice to Congress, the Justice Department has trampled on the will of the voters in CO and other states.  Cory Gardner (@SenCoryGardner) January 4, 2018

Gardners Democratic counterpart, Colorado Senator Michael Bennett, said Sessions failed to listen to Colorado, and will create unnecessary chaos and confusion.

At least five of Colorados seven members of the House of Representatives  including two Republicans, Mike Coffman and Scott Tipton  voiced their disapproval with similar sentiments. Democratic Congressman Jared Polis, who leads the Congressional cannabis caucus, called the memo absurd, while his Democratic colleague characterized it as unconscionable. And Mike Coffman insinuated the memo was a violation of the constitutions commerce clause, which prohibits the federal government from regulating intra-state commerce.

The decision that was made to legalize marijuana in Colorado was made by the voters of Colorado and only applies within the boundaries of our state, he said. Colorado had every right to legalize marijuana and I will do everything I can do protect that right against the power of an overreaching federal government.






When the FBI seized Silk Road founder Ross Ulbrichts assets a few years back, the bureau confiscated 144,336 bitcoins, or around $28.5 million.

That was 2013, when a single bitcoin went for around $200. As both institutional and retail investors have taken a hold of the cryptocurrency looking to make it big, bitcoins value has exploded from around $1,000 per coin at the beginning of 2017 to over $15,000 at the end of 2017.

Today, if Ulbricht hadnt lost his bitcoin, hed have an amount equal to around $2.2 billion.

For years, bitcoin has been the de facto currency of black markets on the so-called dark web. Near anonymous (when used properly), easy to store, and able to be transferred without an in-person interaction, bitcoin was a natural fit for the Amazon for drugs, other illicit online black market trading, and terrorism. And if these actors store significant amounts of assets in bitcoin like Ulbricht, then its very possible the bitcoin boom has made criminals assets balloon.

This frame grab from the Silk Road website shows thumbnails for products allegedly available through the site. (AP Photo/silkroaddrugs.org)

Mainstream America is sending billions to cash out some really smart guys on computers, some drug dealers, some arms dealers  nefarious people, said Lee Munson, Chief Investment Officer of Portfolio Wealth Advisors. Its crazy. All of us who put in $5 or $1,000, were providing liquidity, one bag of fentanyl at a time.

Its not just bitcoin. In September 2016, cryptocurrency Monero was heralded as the new preferred dark web alternative when AlphaBay, a Silk Road successor, added it to the platform. Unlike bitcoin, Monero uses a different address for each transaction and has a few other security features that enhance anonymity.

Since then  and since the 2017 crypto boom began  Monero has exploded, up 344% since November and 3,400% since AlphaBay began accepting it. Someone has gotten rich, though the anonymity makes it impossible to know who.

Bitcoin and terrorism

Terror groups crypto interest has also increased of late, perhaps tied to the boom. A recent report from the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center in Israel detailed a drive on an ISIS-affiliated website for donations in bitcoin in December, and noted that the organization makes extensive use of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. A few days later, a Long Island woman was caught sending around $62,000 of bitcoin to fund terror.

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ISISs crypto interest is not recent, though the group has traditionally relied more on less technological means, according to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. In 2013, Ghost Security Group, a collective that tracks terrorist cryptocurrency wallets, noted that it had tracked ISIS accounts that had $3 million in bitcoin. Back then, a single bitcoin was worth around $330, giving that $3 million a value of over $136 million today.

This doesnt mean that ISIS still has these bitcoins and benefited from the boom, however. Roger Rice of Ghost Security Group declined to comment on specific tracking of wallets, but told Yahoo Finance that anyone who was currently holding funds during the bull market profited immensely from it, be they criminals, civilians, or nation-states.

We have certainly seen an increase in general cryptocurrency discussion groups on the Telegram platform  not necessarily related to terrorism specifically, he said. Those who have benefited from the increase in valuation of their holdings have surely seen the light by now.

Bitcoins anonymity hides the truth

Bitcoin transactions are more or less anonymous when done properly, making it hard to know exactly how much bitcoin bad guys hold.

According to Mark Testoni, CEO of SAPs National Security Service (NS2), which helps the U.S. government track the digital trails of terrorists, theres only anecdotal evidence at the moment about who is using bitcoin.

Obviously its a platform that lends itself to these kinds of [actors] because of its ability to be anonymous, he said. This is a modern-day version of Swiss bank accounts. Its very hard to say criminals control 30% or ISIS controls x-percent.

Stephan Simon, a security researcher with Binary Defense Systems, a company that deals with the dark web and cyber-crime and tracks some bitcoin wallets, explained how hard it is, even when they manage to infiltrate or find addresses bad actors use.

Once you find an address, without the use of some kind of tool  and Im not aware of them  it gets very hard to track. Coins move from wallet to wallet and eat up fees and you have to follow that through the blockchain transaction, he said. Then you have two addresses to track. Then four, then eight, then 16. It could spread like crazy. And then you cant tell when someone cashes out.

Anecdotes and bad actors

Though global data seems impossible to get, anecdotes do paint somewhat of a picture. While dark web forums indicate that many people do quickly cash out via web consulting businesses and other money-laundering fronts  to avoid bitcoins historic volatility  the Ulbricht case and the barriers to convenient money laundering suggests that its at least likely a solid portion of illicit wealth has stayed in bitcoin.

Other anecdotal holders of bitcoin include ransomware operators. Binarys Simon noted that 99.999% of ransomware attacks hes seen use bitcoin as the means of payment. North Korea has made a habit of stealing bitcoin  or participating in bitcoin ransomware  which has enabled it to get around sanctions. In December, North Korea was suspected in a heist of $81 million worth of bitcoin. In recent months, the regimes cyber army has turned to focus on cryptocurrencies, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The piecemeal picture painted by anecdotes doesnt necessarily prove broad, systematic usage or massive gains by bad actors during the boom. Or at least, not ones that can cast a shadow over bitcoin to give speculators too much pause. But as the Center of New American Security noted in a recent report, the anecdotal evidence does highlight bitcoins relationship to criminal entities as something for law enforcement and intelligence to pay close attention to in the future.

Ethan Wolff-Mann is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann. Confidential tip line: FinanceTips[at]oath[.com].

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By Divya Grover

(Reuters) - CVS Health Corp (CVS.N) said on Thursday it expects the recent tax reform to boost its cash flow by about $1.2 billion, sending its shares up nearly 5 percent in afternoon trading.

CVS Health said it expects its tax rate to be about 27 percent in 2018, and that it would use the finances to invest in growing its business after it completes its purchase of Aetna Inc (AET.N).

The company said last month it would buy health insurer Aetna for $69 billion to tackle soaring healthcare spending through lower-cost medical services in pharmacies. It then suspended its share buyback program to fund the deal.

The company on Thursday forecast fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share at the lower end of its previous outlook of $1.88-$1.92 as it suspended its share buyback program.

CVS Health said its plan to cancel share buybacks has eroded about 340-610 basis points of growth in its annual adjusted earnings per share.

It also forecast its full-year net revenue to grow 0.75 percent-2.5 percent in 2018, helped by strong growth in scripts and claims.

The range, however, came below analysts' estimates of 3.9 percent-4.4 percent, according to Leerink Research.

The company also expects to see the lowest level of year-over-year enterprise operating profit growth in the first quarter of 2018, CVS Health's CFO David Denton said on a conference call.

Retail operating profit would contract in the first quarter as the company would incur costs associated with investments made to grow the business, he said, adding that the number would improve as the year progresses.

The guidance is operationally disappointing but is somewhat explainable with a couple of one-time payments negatively impacting the company's spending, Needham analyst Kevin Caliendo told Reuters.

Analysts believe that the benefit CVS Health expects to gain from the tax overhaul is driving its stock up.

Shares of the No. 2 U.S. drug store chain spiked as much as 4.7 percent to $76.67 in afternoon trading.

Story continues

"The 27 percent number versus the current tax rate of 39 percent is a material positive," Caliendo said.

Rival Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (WBA.O) reported weak quarterly retail sales on Thursday, but declined to provide an update on the tax code revamp. Walgreens' shares were trading down 4.7 percent at $71.95.

(Reporting by Divya Grover in Bengaluru; Editing by Martina D'Couto)
(Adam Lashinsky is on vacation. Todays essay is by Fortune writer Robert Hackett.)

A bomb cyclone hit the IT world on Wednesday as tech giants and computer security researchers released details pertaining to two major security holes that affect the processors in almost all computers. Researchersincluding ones employed by the likes of Google, various tech firms, and academic independently discovered the attacks last year.

The vulnerabilities could allow attackers to swipe sensitive secrets from the memory of almost all devices, including phones, tablets, PCs, and computer servers. Experts have warned that hackers could develop exploits to purloin personal data, passwords, cryptographic keys, and other supposedly inaccessible information from targets.

Several programmers have already demonstrated proofs of concept for these so-called side channel attacks.

The attacks plague hardware produced by top chip makers like Intel and Advanced Micro Devices, and SoftBank-owned chip designer ARM Holdings. Big tech companies, including Microsoft and Apple, have been scrambling in recent weeks to address these threats by developing fixes for their software while cloud computing giants, like Amazon and Google, have been rushing to apply patches to their data center infrastructure.

The first attack, dubbed Meltdown, is specific to Intel chips and allows hackers to circumvent the isolation barrier between user applications and operating systems, thereby opening up access to otherwise restricted machine memory. The second problem, Spectre, which is harder to exploit but has no available patches, lets hackers pry secrets out of the memory of devices running Intel, AMD, and ARM chips.

For more coverage of the flaws and the industrys response so far, see our in-depth story.

NEWSWORTHY

Speed Racer. The next generation of faster wireless networks is drawing closer. AT&T says it will begin offering 5G service for mobile phones in a dozen cities by year end. Just how many 5G-capable phones will be on the market and in the hands of consumers by then is an open question, however.

Story continues

Underdog. Google may sell Zagat, the restaurant review guide started by Tim and Nina Zagat back in the 1970s that the search giant bought for $151 million seven years ago, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Google had informal talks with multiple potential buyers, but no deal has been struck yet.

Schoolhouse Rock. The worlds largest streaming music service, Spotify, filed to go public with the Securities and Exchange Commission last month, Axios reported. The confidential filing contemplates a so-called direct listing rather than an offering of shares underwritten and sold by Wall Street banks.

The Jetsons. Its almost time for the big CES show in Las Vegas and that means lots of new product announcements. Dell and Lenovo updated some of their best-selling laptops with the newest Intel processors and USB-C ports. Tired of black? The new Dell XPS 13 comes in rose gold.

Inspector Gadget. Mesh Wi-Fi gear maker Eero said it decided not to pursue an undisclosed related project, resulting in layoffs. (TechCrunch put the number at 30 people or 20% of the companys workforce.)

Beavis and Butthead. Russia and Venezuela are looking at developing state-sponsored digital currencies as a way to avoid international sanctions, according to the New York Times. This instrument suits us very well, Sergei Glazyev, an advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said. We can settle payments with our business partners all over the world regardless of sanctions.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I wonder how many people made a New Years resolution to spend less time in meetings in 2018. Its probably a smart strategy in most organizations. Marketing strategist Dorie Clark has a clever piece in the Harvard Business Review to help make that happen. Titled How to Get Out of a Meeting You Know Will Waste Your Time, the article offers a handful of excuses and arguments to duck the next time-wasting get together. Heres one:

If you want to get out of the meeting but still feel its difficult to say no, suggest a minimally invasive compromise. A meeting will almost certainly take an hour or more of your time. See if the meeting organizer would be willing to update you over email, or if a short phone call to get your input might suffice. Alternatively, if the topic isnt urgent, you can try a time dodge: Im traveling heavily for business the next three weeks, but we could reconnect after that. Perhaps you could email me the week of the 23rd for us to find a time? Oftentimes, the requester will get distracted and forget, or discover that whatever they felt was so urgent has diminished in importance. Youll get points for appearing helpful, but ultimately wont have to attend the meeting.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Apple and Reese Witherspoon Are Developing Another Original TV Series By Tom Huddleston Jr.

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Why the Next iPhone X Could Be Apples Biggest Smartphone Ever By Don Reisinger

Trump Doesnt Have a Nuclear Button. He Has a Football and a Biscuit By Kristen Korosec

BEFORE YOU GO

The ubiquity of smartphones has an upside for the environment, it seems. As small portable electronic devices have proliferated, people are using a lot fewer big electronic devices, like TV sets and desktop computers. Bottom line? Consumer electronics use 25% less energy than they consumed in 2010.
WASHINGTON  Leading Democrats blasted Attorney General Jeff Sessions Thursday announcement that he would open the door to a federal crackdown on states that have decriminalized forms of marijuana use.

Sessions action reverses a Department of Justice policy from the Barack Obama administration that effectively shielded those states from federal prosecution.

Sessions needs to focus on issues like transnational criminal organizations and what the nation needs to do on investigating and prosecuting human trafficking, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), a rumored 2020 presidential candidate, told HuffPost on Thursday.

Sessions needs to leave grandmas medicinal marijuana alone! she continued with a chuckle.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), a centrist, declared that the move would seem to be the absolute opposite direction of where the countrys headed and one more example of this administration being completely out of step with where both Americans are headed and, for that matter, Democratic and Republican state legislatures.

This is a big mistake, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) told HuffPost. In those states where the people in the states have made a determination to decriminalize or legalize marijuana ... the federal government would better spend its resources going after real problems weve got.

But criticizing Sessions move is one thing. Turning his marijuana crackdown into an election-year political cudgel  in stump speeches, campaign literature and ads  is something else entirely.

And when asked whether Democrats planned to use the marijuana crackdown against Republicans in the November elections, some of the same Democrats keen to clobber Sessions were noncommittal.

Its way too early to predict that, Warner said.

Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Senate campaign arm, said, Every Democratic member of the Senate will have to decide whats best in their states.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said Democrats' election-year message on marijuana would vary by state. (Photo: Aaron Bernstein / Reuters)

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), who also expressed her displeasure with Sessions decision, argued that Democrats ought to run on kitchen-table economic issues rather than marijuana.

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There are so many other things to run on, like the tax bill that just passed that does not help working families at all, she said in an interview.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee did not respond to multiple email requests for comment on the political salience of Sessions move. The DSCC referred HuffPost back to Van Hollens remarks.

When asked about making marijuana an election issue, Democratic National Committee spokesman Michael Tyler provided a statement indicting Sessions morally bankrupt and economically stupid decision without commenting on the potential political effect.

Part of the challenge for Democrats who might want to turn Sessions move into a partisan issue is that so many of their Republican colleagues responded with similar outrage. Lawmakers from states that have legalized the drug, including Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), were especially firm in their criticism. In a scathing floor speech, Gardner, who chairs the National Republican Senate Committee, the GOP Senates campaign arm, said he was prepared to take all steps necessary to get Sessions to reverse the decision, including holding up Department of Justice nominees.

Warner and Hirono both cited Republican condemnations in explaining the difficulty of making marijuana an election-year issue.

Still other Democrats were reluctant to even condemn Sessions order. Sens. Bob Casey (Pa.), Jack Reed (R.I.) and Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), who faces a tough reelection battle, all said they were still too unfamiliar with Sessions action to comment. (Casey later issued a statement expressing serious concerns about how this action by Attorney General Sessions could impact Pennsylvanias medical marijuana law.)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) also pleaded ignorance when asked about the matter at a Thursday news conference.

I havent seen Sessions comments on marijuana, Schumer said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Thursday that he had not yet seen Attorney General Jeff Sessions' change on marijuana policy. (Photo: Yuri Gripas / Reuters)

Jeff Hauser, a former political communications chief at the AFL-CIO who runs the progressive Center for Economic and Policy Researchs executive branch accountability project, observed that congressional Republicans, partly at the prodding of the libertarian-leaning Koch brothers, have warmed to criminal justice reform in recent years.

But Democrats would be mistaken to think that they are forfeiting opportunities for bipartisan progress by making an unrepentant drug warrior like Sessions a political liability for Republicans, according to Hauser.

If Democrats get elected in part on this platform, that will ultimately make passing a [bipartisan reform] bill more likely because Republicans will want to put the issue in the past, Hauser said. The way you get Republicans to repudiate hacks like Jeff Sessions is by causing them to pay a political price.

At the state level, Democrats appear less hesitant to make marijuana a significant part of their electoral strategy.

Sessions action will be a net positive for Democrats pretty much everywhere, said Jared Leopold, communications director of the Democratic Governors Association.

I dont see this as a winner for Republicans anywhere, Leopold added. But its especially a problem in a state like Colorado, where marijuana is a major source of revenue for the state government.

At least 15 Democratic gubernatorial candidates and current governors blasted Sessions decision, including Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a former Detroit health director running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Michigan, where legalization is likely to be on the ballot in November, vowed in a statement that, if elected, hed fight [the crackdown] tooth and nail.

This is how the federal government interferes with a States will. I will join our new Progressive Attorney General and fight this tooth and nail when Im elected. Its bad policy. https://t.co/6UcBHMs87k  Abdul El-Sayed (@AbdulElSayed) January 4, 2018

Later in the day, former Michigan Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer, the frontrunner in the race for the states Democratic gubernatorial nomination, tweeted that Sessions move takes us backward in our fight to level the playing field.

In Nevada and Colorado, two states with legal recreational pot where Republican attorneys general are seeking the GOP gubernatorial nomination, the Democratic Party was eager to jump on Sessions announcement.

Two Colorado Democrats vying to succeed Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper  Rep. Jared Polis and former Colorado Treasurer Cary Kennedy  delivered stinging rebukes of Sessions decision. Polis slammed Sessions for waging war on local marijuana; Kennedy called it an attack on Colorado voters.

By contrast, Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, a Republican who is running against Polis and Kennedy, reaffirmed her commitment to defending the Colorado law but declined to criticize Sessions decision. Coffman noted that it would still be up to federal prosecutors discretion and consequently admonished residents to not freak out.

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We'll give Jeff Sessions our legal pot when he pries it from our warm, extremely interesting to look at hands. https://t.co/LF0RpdCiHG  Colorado Senate Dems (@COSenDem) January 4, 2018

Nevada Democratic Party spokeswoman Hellen Kalla called on state Republicans, including Attorney General Adam Laxalt, to clearly and firmly commit to standing up against any meddlesome attempt by the Trump administration to infringe upon our states right to grow our economy as our voters see fit.

Nevada Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Sisolak denounced the move as well, declaring, We cannot and will not stand for this or any threat by the Trump administration to undo progress in Nevada.

But Laxalt, one of Sisolaks opponents, merely offered a statement highlighting his past willingness to defend the states marijuana law against legal challenges despite his opposition to the ballot measure that legalize it.

Rep. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), who is launching a competitive bid to unseat Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), noted on Twitter that Heller voted to confirm Sessions despite knowing about Sessions stance against marijuana legalization.

Let's not forget: @SenDeanHeller knew Jeff Sessions' stance against marijuana legalization and voted to confirm him as Attorney General anyway. https://t.co/NAW8dzYmLr  Jacky Rosen (@RosenforNevada) January 4, 2018

The polling on marijuana legalization suggests that it could be a potent issue at the ballot box. Nationwide, 64 percent of Americans support legalizing marijuana, an increase from 12 percent in 1969, according to Gallup.

Broken down by party affiliation,Gallup found that legalization has the support of 72 percent of Democrats, 67 percent of independents and 51 percent of Republicans. As the data journalism site FiveThirtyEight observed, that makes marijuana legalization one of the least polarizing public policy issues in the country today.

Since Democrats struggle to turn out infrequent voters during the midterms, the galvanizing power of protecting state-level marijuana laws could work in their favor. In 2014, the last nationwide midterm election cycle, 69 percent of voters in a pre-election poll said they were more likely to turn out if a marijuana legalization proposal were on the ballot.

It is far from clear, however, that marijuana initiatives ultimately provided Democrats a meaningful boost in 2014. The party continued its midterm losing streak that year, prompting the Democratic National Committee to release an autopsy with recommended improvements a few months later.

I dont see this as a partisan issue, said Tom Angell, founder of the nonprofit Marijuana Majority. Either party that wants to latch on to this will find that it will benefit them. The opportunity is there.

But the circumstances this fall are different from 2014 and more likely to benefit Democrats, according to several political strategists from both parties. There are now 29 states that have legalized some form of recreational or medical marijuana, including several, like Colorado, Washington and California, where it is already ingrained in the economy and culture.

And with Democrats poised to ride a midterm election wave, Sessions marijuana offensive could further tip the scales against the GOP, these strategists say.

Assuming federal prosecutors take advantage of the new powers Sessions has granted them, it is likely to be the most politically damaging in GOP-held swing districts with a higher proportion of libertarian or socially liberal voters, such as Washingtons 8th and Californias 45th, according to GOP strategist Liz Mair.

When you are looking at races that are potentially going to come down to a few hundred votes or a thousand votes, shit like that matters, said Mair, who has advised leading conservatives, including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R).

Sunjeev Bery, a progressive strategist who has worked for MoveOn.org and the ACLU, predicted that campaigning on that heavy-handed response is going to peel off independent voters, especially in places like Colorado.

Whats more, Bery said, if the Trump administration goes after marijuana users in a state like California, that will significantly hurt their fundraising in high-net-worth libertarian communities like Silicon Valley.

Rep. Mimi Walters (R-Calif.) is among the GOP politicians who might face a tougher re-election battle now that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has introduced his new marijuana policy. (Photo: Bill Clark/Getty Images)

Hauser of the Center for Economic and Policy Research argued that the marijuana crackdown buttresses an existing Democratic narrative about the Trump administrations misplaced law enforcement priorities  whether it involves police brutality or white-collar crime.

It can bring home to people who may or may not have been following other issues closely that Trump is a destabilizing force, and things that people have grown to rely on, including access to marijuana, can be taken away from them, Hauser said.

That message would likewise appeal to conservative-leaning libertarian voters fed up with federally driven encroachments on civil liberties, states rights or free trade, free movement of people-type stuff, according to Mair.

That just doesnt play out West. And this fits into that narrative and that problem, she said.

Some progressives are already concerned, though, that Democrats are too timid to capitalize on Sessions action.

In an NBC News column Thursday, New York City-based activist Sean McElwee appealed to Democrats to, among other things, abandon their historic reluctance to make marijuana reform a theme in campaign advertisements.

To really set their sights on large-scale change, top Democrats need to stop being so squeamish and lead with weed, McElwee wrote.

Castigating Democrats for their lack of backbone is a familiar refrain from the the partys progressive base.

And there is evidence to support their arguments. A widely cited 2013 study co-authored by two researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Michigan found that politicians in both parties assume that their voters are more conservative than they actually are.

But Mair said that Sessions action would hurt Republicans at the ballot box regardless of how well Democrats campaign on marijuana policy.

Individual candidates are capable of overcoming damaging national narratives, Mair said. But your average congressional candidate from either party is not going to be a rockstar.

Democrats dont need to message on it, she added. The point will be made.

Also on HuffPost

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Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) talks with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) before the start of a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing concerning the roles and responsibilities for defending the nation against cyberattacks, on Oct. 19, 2017.

With Liberty And Justice...

Members of Code Pink for Peace protest before the start of a hearing where U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on Oct. 18, 2017. Committee members questioned Sessions about conversations he had with President Donald Trump about the firing of former FBI Director James Comey, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, the ongoing investigation about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and other subjects.

Whispers

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), right, speaks with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) before a confirmation hearing for Christopher Sharpley, nominee for inspector general of the CIA, on Oct. 17, 2017.

Not Throwing Away His Shot

Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the musical "Hamilton," makes his way to a meeting of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies in the Rayburn Office Building during a round of meetings to urge federal funding for the arts and humanities on Sept. 13, 2017.

Medicare For All

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), center, speaks on health care as Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), left, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), right, listen during an event to introduce the Medicare for All Act on Sept. 13, 2017.

Bernie Bros

Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pack his office on Sept. 8, 2017. Members of the "Draft Bernie for a People's Party" campaign delivered a petition with more than 50,000 signatures to urge the senator to start and lead a new political party.

McCain Appearance

Sen. John McCain, second from left, leaves the Capitol after his first appearance since being diagnosed with cancer. He arrived to cast a vote to help Republican senators narrowly pass the motion to proceed for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act on July 25, 2017.

A Narrow Win

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, center, speaks alongside Sens. John Barrasso, left, John Cornyn, right, and John Thune, rear, after the Senate narrowly passed the motion to proceed for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act on July 25, 2017.

Kushner Questioning

Jared Kushner, White House senior adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump, arrives at the Capitol on July 25, 2017. Kushner was interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee in a closed-door meeting about contacts he had with Russia.

Hot Dogs On The Hill

Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) prepares a hot dog during the American Meat Institute's annual Hot Dog Lunch in the Rayburn Office Building courtyard on July 19, 2017.

And Their Veggie Counterparts

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) visits the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals veggie dog giveaway on July 19, 2017, countering a National Hot Dog Day event being held elsewhere on Capitol Hill.

Poised For Questions

Callista Gingrich, wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, waits for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on her nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican on July 18, 2017.

Speaking Up

Health care activists protest to stop the Republican health care bill at Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 17, 2017.

In The Fray

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speaks to members of the media after announcing the revised version of the Senate Republican health care bill on Capitol Hill on July 13, 2017.

Anticipation

Christopher Wray is seated with his daughter Caroline, left, as he prepares to testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be the next FBI director on July 12, 2017.

Up In Arms

Health care activists protest to stop the Republican health care bill at Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 10, 2017.

Across A Table

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Capitol Hill on June 29, 2017.

Somber Day

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks about the recent attack on the Republican congressional baseball team during her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill on June 15, 2017.

Family Matters

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), right, and his sons, Jack, 10, and Brad, arrive in the basement of the Capitol after a shooting at the Republican baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 14, 2017.

A Bipartisan Pause

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), right, coach of the Republican congressional baseball team, tells the story of the shooting that occurred during a baseball practice while he stands alongside Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), left, a coach of the Democratic congressional baseball team on June 14, 2017.

Hats On

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) reacts about the shooting he was present for at a Republican congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, as he speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 14, 2017.

Public Testimony

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is sworn in to testify before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on June 13, 2017.

Comey's Big Day

Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election on Capitol Hill on June 8, 2017.

Conveying His Point

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats testifies at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on his interactions with the Trump White House and on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on June 7, 2017.

Selfie Time

Vice President Mike Pence takes a selfie with a tourist wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat inside the U.S. Capitol rotunda on June 6, 2017. The vice president walked through the rotunda after attending the Senate Republican policy luncheon.

Budget Queries

Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney testifies before the House Budget Committee about President Donald Trump's fiscal 2018 budget proposal on Capitol Hill on May 24, 2017.

Flagged Down By Reporters

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, leaves a closed committee meeting on Capitol Hill on May 24, 2017. The committee is investigating possible Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.

Shock And Awe

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) hold a news conference on the release of the president's fiscal 2018 budget proposal on Capitol Hill on May 23, 2017.

Seeing Double

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) arrives in the Capitol for the Senate Democrats' policy lunch on May 16, 2017.

Honoring Officers

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Peace Officers Memorial Service on the West Lawn of the Capitol on May 15, 2017.

Whispers

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.), right, and ranking member Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) talk during a hearing with the heads of the U.S. intelligence agencies in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 11, 2017.

Skeptical

Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates arrives to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election on Capitol Hill on May 8, 2017.

Differing Opinions

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) gives a thumbs-up to protesters on the East Front of the Capitol after the House passed the Republicans' bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on May 4, 2017. The protesters support the ACA.

Real Talk

United States Naval Academy Midshipman 2nd Class Shiela Craine (left), a sexual assault survivor, testifies before the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Military Personnel with (2nd from left to right) Ariana Bullard, Stephanie Gross and Annie Kendzior in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 2, 2017. Kendzior, a former midshipman, and Gross, a former cadet, were both raped twice during their time at the military academies. The academy superintendents were called to testify following the release of a survey last month by the Pentagon that said 12.2 percent of academy women and 1.7 percent of academy men reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact during the 2015-16 academic year.

In Support Of Immigrants

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), center, is joined by dozens of Democratic members of the House of Representatives to mark "Immigrant Rights Day" in the Capitol Visitor Center on May 1, 2017 in Washington, D.C. The Democratic legislators called on Republicans and President Donald Trump to join their push for comprehensive immigration reform.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Thursday Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the Justice Department would be reversing several Obama-era rules pertaining to states that legalized marijuana.

While several states such as Colorado, Oregon, and this week California have made cannabis legal to possess and use, it still remains illegal under federal law. Rules enacted by the Obama administration made it so the federal government agreed to not interfere with states that had voted to legalize the drug as long as that legalization didnt interfere with other federal laws. Think things like drug trafficking.

So, what does Sessions decision mean for legalized marijuana?

Right now, thats sort of unclear. Sessions has said that he plans to leave the enforcement of the law up to U.S. attorneys in each state. In exceptionally green-friendly states, that might mean that nothing changes, but at the very least it makes the legality seem a bit murky.

Specifically, he said prosecutors should take into account a departments resources, the seriousness of the crime, and the deterrent effect of the prosecution before filing charges.

While a judge might not choose to prosecute a marijuana business for growing or selling, he or she could choose to do so. That means getting involved in the industry, even in states where its legal is now a bit of a gamble.

Technically, people like growers and dispensary owners can now be prosecuted in recreationally legal states. The move could mean investors are less likely to fund marijuana-based companies.

And Sessions might already have a few judges in green-friendly states who share his point of view. On Wednesday Sessions picked 17 U.S attorneys to serve in interim posts across the United States, several are posted in states such as Washington, Nevada, and California where marijuana is legal.
On Wednesday, The Guardian unveiled excerpts from a controversial new book about President Trump by journalist Michael Wolff. Now Tom Barrack, one of Trumps closest friends and confidants in the business world, tells Fortune that the book attributes a disparaging quote to him that he never saidand that the author never asked him whether the quote was real.

The book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, quoted sundry current and former Trump White House and campaign officials leveling explosive criticism at the president and his family. The Guardian excerpt also related a seemingly astounding broadside from BarrackTrumps leading champion in the business world, and the supporter whom Trump handpicked to lead his inaugural festivities. According to the Guardian excerpt, Wolffs book states that in describing Trump, Barrack allegedly told a friend: Hes not only crazy, hes stupid.

Its not clear whether Wolff used the word allegedly, or if the Guardian added the term. The Guardian may have included it because Wolff had gotten the quote not directly from Barrack, but second-hand. Its also possible that the quote comes not directly from Barracks friend, but from a third person who told Wolff he or she heard about it from that friend. Of course, we wont know until we see the actual wording in Fire and Fury. Fortune reached out to Fire and Furys publisher, Henry Holt and Co., but did not receive an immediate response.

I spoke to Barrackthe billionaire chairman of real estate firm ColonyNorthStaron Thursday morning, and he was outraged. I never gave Wolff an interview, or any quote, Barrack told me. I dont talk like that. Wolff texted me repeatedly, eight or nine times asking for an interview, and I always said I was busy, or cant do it. Barrack further states that he never said anything, to anybody that could have filtered back to Wolff as hes not just crazy, hes stupid.

What bothers Barrack most is that, he says, Wolff never called him to check his facts. Whats amazing is thathe had my phone number, but didnt call to run the quote by me, Barrack said. How can you report that some person allegedly heard this and not call to ask, Did you really say it?

Story continues

Staunch defender

Tom Barrack, real estate investor and CEO and founder of Colony Capital, at Colony's offices in Los Angeles.

In conversation with Fortune, Barrack went on to stress his view that because of his outrageous outbursts, Trump is both misunderstood and greatly underrated. Hes so much brighter and smarter than what people give him credit for, says Barrack. Hes a warrior. People get put off by the abruptness of his reactions. Hes intuitively and instinctively brilliant. Most of the things that appear to be off the cuff are part of a strategy.

Indeed, in this reporters many conversations with Barrack since the beginning of the 2016 presidential campaign, he has at times expressed dismay at Trumps attacks on the press, but has always heaped praise on Trumps skills as a leader.

Barracks persona is that of a courtly, old-fashioned gentleman. Ive never heard him be harshly critical of anyone, let alone Trump. Barrack first bonded with the developer when Barrack negotiated the sale of New York Citys Plaza Hotel to Trump in 1988, and has been probably his closest confidante, and defender in the business community, ever since.

Barrack gets plenty of flak for lauding Trump as a kind of improbable, improvisational genius, a view Trumps critics find ridiculous. But this writer doesnt doubt that Barrack is a true believer. To be frank, I dont believe Barrack ever called Trump stupid and crazy.

Wolffs willingness to use a second hand quote that rings so false, and according to Barrack, to neglect to call the supposed source for confirmation, is troubling. No doubt, the book is a phenomenon. Given the reported bashing from Trumps closest associates, Americans will be extremely interested in knowing whether Wolff has the tapes, multiple confirmations, and other evidence to back his reporting. But Wolff has been criticized about his fact-gathering before. Based on the Barrack anecdote, folks should be skeptical.
The move is a radical change from the bans placed on drilling by Barack Obama - AP

Donald Trump's administration has announced plans to vastly expand oil and gas drilling in nearly all US coastal waters, reversing protections in the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific.

Environmentalists, and some Republicans, sharply criticised the move which is part of Mr Trump's "American Energy Dominance" plan.

It would be the most expansive US offshore drilling proposal in decades, including opening up federal waters off the California coast for the first time in more than 30 years.

The US Interior Department said the proposal called for 47 lease sales over five years, a radical increase from the level allowed under President Barack Obama.

Weeks before leaving office Mr Obama had banned new oil and gas drilling in federal waters in the Atlantic and Arctic oceans, protecting 115 million acres of waters off Alaska and 3.8 million acres in the Atlantic.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said the new five-year plan would make over 90 per cent of the outer continental shelfs total acreage available for leasing.

US oil production

He said it would boost jobs and economic security while providing billions of dollars to fund conservation along US coastlines.

Mr Zinke added: "We want to grow our nations offshore energy industry instead of slowly surrendering it to foreign shores."

The bid to expand American energy production faces objections from environmentalists, state officials and some business groups worried about spills and the potential impact on coastal tourism.

Republican Governor Rick Scott of Florida was among the early critics of the plan, saying oil drilling threatened Florida's natural resources.

A spokesman said he was "aggressively fighting to protect Floridas environment".

A coalition of more than 60 environmental groups denounced the plan, saying it would impose "severe and unacceptable harm" to America's oceans, coastal economies, public health and marine life.

The group said: "These ocean waters are not President Trump's personal playground. They belong to all Americans and the public wants them preserved and protected, not sold off to multinational oil companies."
TipRanks

2022 has undoubtedly been a rough one for investors. Even accounting for the recent gains, all the major indexes are still down for the year and the backdrop of economic uncertainty still hovers menacingly. Such an environment makes it difficult to find the stocks which are primed to charge ahead, but one way to sort the wheat from the chaff is to follow in the footsteps of legendary stock pickers. And few are as well-versed in the investing game as billionaire Steve Cohen. Famous for his high-r
Mark Zuckerberg

Robert Galbraith/Reuters

Mark Zuckerberg made his first public New Year's resolution in 2009, when the economy tanked and Facebook wasn't profitable.

Since then, he's made all sorts of resolutions, like learning a new language and meeting new people.

The full list of his resolutions serves as a reminder that it's not too late for anyone to make one of their own.



Every year since 2009, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has challenged himself to broaden his perspective "and learn something about the world beyond my work at Facebook," he once explained.

His tool of choice? A New Year's resolution.

Zuckerberg on Thursday announced his 2018 resolution  and this time, it's focused on his job.

This year, he wants to fix Facebook's hardest problem: He wants to end the abuse of the platform, whether through election-interference efforts, fake news, or other nefarious practices.

His resolution last year, to meet someone from every US state, was made after the 2016 presidential campaign, during which many people accused Facebook of having a role in the nation's divided political discourse.

That resolution took Zuckerberg on a tour of the country that included visiting the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where a white supremacist killed nine black worshippers in 2015. He met people recovering from opioid addiction in Dayton, Ohio, and hung out with a dairy farmer in Blanchardville, Wisconsin.

His first resolution, in 2009, was also focused on his job: wear a tie every day.

"That first year the economy was in a deep recession and Facebook was not yet profitable," Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday. "We needed to get serious about making sure Facebook had a sustainable business model. It was a serious year, and I wore a tie every day as a reminder."

But many of his resolutions have focused more on personal growth  the kind that any of us might make.

Story continues

Here's the full list, in case you need inspiration to take on a New Year's resolution of your own:

2009: Wear a tie daily.

2010: Learn Mandarin.

2011: Be a vegetarian or eat meat only if he killed the animal himself.

2012: Code daily.

2013: Meet a non-Facebook person every day.

2014: Write a thank-you note daily.

2015: Read a book every two weeks.

2016: Build an artificially intelligent app for his home and run 365 miles.

2017: Meet someone from every US state.

2018: Focus on fixing Facebook's platform-abuse problems.

NOW WATCH: The best phones of 2017 that you can buy right now

See Also:

SEE ALSO: 23 startups that became unicorns in 2017, scoring valuations of $1 billion or more
FMC Corporation FMC has revised its operating agreements in Argentina. The move will enable the company to expand production and complete a major step toward the intended separation of its lithium business this year.



The amended operating agreements update FMC Corps corporate social responsibility programs and royalties in Argentina and remove restrictions that could prevent a change of control over its lithium business. Notably, the revised royalties and CSR programs are consistent with the current commitments.



FMC Corp expects to double its production in Argentina over the next several years with total annual output to be more than 40,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalents.



Notably, FMC Corps debottlenecking projects in Argentina contributed to its third-quarter results. The completed project has a deferred run rate of 2,000 tons per annum of carbonate and will be at the full run rate of 4,000 ton by the end of 2018.



During third-quarter earnings call, FMC Corp stated that it will continue to move ahead with the expansion in Argentina where it aims to add at least 20,000 tons of lithium carbonate capacity with an initial investment between $250 and $300 million. The engineering work is under progress and discussions are on with the local authorities to finalize these plans. The company will provide an update on plans to separate its lithium business and expand its Argentina operations during its fourth-quarter 2017 earnings call.



Shares of FMC Corp have gained 6.9% in the last three months, outperforming the industrys 5.6% growth.





In November last year, FMC Corp had raised its earnings outlook for 2017 and now sees adjusted earnings in the range of $2.59-$2.69 per share for the year (up from the prior view of $2.30-$2.50), which includes the impact of two months contribution from the DuPont Crop Protection acquisition.



FMC Corp is gaining from its strategic investments, acquisitions and efforts to expand its market position and strengthen its portfolio. Upbeat prospects for the companys Lithium unit have also provided a boost to its shares.



The company is expanding its lithium hydroxide production capacity in three phases. The move is based on the growing demand for electric vehicles.

Story continues

FMC Corporation Price and Consensus

FMC Corporation Price and Consensus | FMC Corporation Quote

Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider



FMC Corp currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).



Some better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space are Huntsman Corporation HUN, Daqo New Energy Corp. DQ and Kronos Worldwide Inc. KRO, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Huntsman has an expected long-term earnings growth rate of 8%. Its shares have soared 78.8% over a year.



Daqo New Energy has an expected long-term earnings growth rate of 7%. Its shares have rallied a whopping 205.3% over a year.



Kronos Worldwide has an expected long-term earnings growth rate of 5%. Its shares have surged 99.5% in the last year.



Zacks Editor-in-Chief Goes "All In" on This Stock



Full disclosure, Kevin Matras now has more of his own money in one particular stock than in any other. He believes in its short-term profit potential and also in its prospects to more than double by 2019. Today he reveals and explains his surprising move in a new Special Report.



Download it free >>



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Tom Ford Spectre

Sony

Techies are going crazy after "Meltdown" and "Spectre," two new methods for stealing data from seemingly-secure computers, were revealed by Google on Wednesday.

One worry was that the fix for the problems could come with a major negative impact on performance.

Google and Amazon say they're not seeing any major slowdowns.

On Wednesday, Google revealed that there's a big security hole in pretty much every processor, including the one in your phone, the one in your laptop, and the processors running servers "in the cloud."

The two vulnerabilities, "Spectre" and "Meltdown," could even allow an attacker to steal passwords as a user typed them. Even worse, early speculation suggested that the fix for the two related but separate problems, "Spectre" and "Meltdown," could cause a major performance hit as the CPU would have had to do lots of extra work just to stay secure  maybe even reducing performance by 30%, according to The Register, which first reported the flaw.

Google and Amazon now say all of that gloom and doom is overstated.

In a technical blog post published on Thursday, Google says the software it built to fix the issue  it calls it KPTI  causes "negligible impact on performance."

Here's the key passage:

There has been speculation that the deployment of KPTI causes significant performance slowdowns. Performance can vary, as the impact of the KPTI mitigations depends on the rate of system calls made by an application. On most of our workloads, including our cloud infrastructure, we see negligible impact on performance.

In our own testing, we have found that microbenchmarks can show an exaggerated impact. Of course, Google recommends thorough testing in your environment before deployment; we cannot guarantee any particular performance or operational impact.

Basically: Google's not stressing about any impact to performance, and it believes that the performance hits that other analysts are seeing were conducted without the right data, leading to an "exaggerated impact."

Story continues

Of course, Google's findings are only applicable to Google's cloud and services, which run on Google's version of Linux, presumably on an Intel processor.

But Google's findings are based on data from some real-deal, heavy-duty services that would be dramatically impacted by a major decrease in performance, including Gmail, Search, and YouTube.

Amazon also says all-clear

Jeff Bezos net worth

David Ryder / GettyThe lead cloud provider, Amazon, also said on Thursday that it did not expect performance to be severely impacted.

"We dont expect meaningful performance impact for most customer workloads," an AWS representative told Business Insider. "There may end up being cases that are workload or OS specific that experience more of a performance impact. In those isolated cases, we will work with customers to mitigate any impact."

Amazon said on Wednesday that it had already protected its customers from nearly all AWS instances from the vulnerabilities.

Although Microsoft hasn't yet commented on what performance slowdowns it expects, its Azure service will also be closely watched to see if there are any impacts to processor performance. On Wednesday, it said it was in the process of implementing fixes.

NOW WATCH: Here's what losing weight does to your body and brain

See Also:

SEE ALSO: EXPLAINED: 'Meltdown' and 'Spectre'  the massive Google-discovered security exploits that have Silicon Valley in a tizzy
Google has headed the latest funding round of Chinese e-sports startup Chushou TV. Google does not currently operate its core businesses in China and the deal is only Googles second investment deal in the country.

Founded in 2015, Chushou operates a platform where gamers can live stream their mobile phone game activities. It claims to have 90 million viewers, 8 million streamers and some 250,000 live streams per day.

In a joint statement, the two companies said that Google is joining existing investors in a Series D funding round, in which Chushou raised some $120 million. The value of Googles investment was not disclosed, though Chinese media have reported it as $77 million (RMB500 million.)

Chushou has built an impressive platform, with a dedicated and quickly growing base of content creators and consumers, and smart expansion plans. Were excited to be supporting Chushou through this investment to help them execute those plans, bringing great mobile gaming content to more people around the world, said Frank Lin, Googles head of corporate development in North Asia, according to the statement.

Google pulled its search business out of China in 2010 after it decided not to comply with mainland Chinese requirements on censorship, and relocated its Chinese-language business to Hong Kong, which operates under different jurisdiction. Access within mainland China to most of Googles products  notably search, maps and YouTube  are blocked by Chinas technological defense system, colloquially known as The Great Firewall of China.

Being unable to operate the worlds most populous country is problematic for the otherwise global technology giant, and Google has recently appeared to step up contact.

In 2015 it invested in Chinese artificial intelligence startup Mobvoi. In December last year, Google opened an AI research lab in China. The same month Google CEO Sunder Pichai attended the World Internet Forum in Wuzhen.

Related stories

Story continues

Will the Force Be With 'The Last Jedi' in China?

Pokemon, Sony Seek Games Expansion in Greater China in 2018

China Court to Hear Test Case on Gay Depiction in Media

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Invesco Ltd. IVZ and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. TROW have market capitalization of $14.9 billion and $25.3 billion, respectively. These publicly-owned investment managers are influenced by the same economic backdrop as they have almost similar business operations.



The Zacks Industry Rank is #70 (top 26%) for the industry to which these companies belong. Our back-testing shows that the top 50% of the Zacks Ranked industries outperforms the bottom 50% by a factor of more than two to one.



In terms of price performance, Invescos shares have gained 20.4% in 2017 while T. Rowe Prices shares have rallied 39.4%.









As both asset managers have similar business trends, a thorough research of their financials will help pick the potential winner.



Invesco



Invesco has a trailing 12-month return on equity (ROE) of 13.02% compared with the industry average of 12.92%. This shows that the company reinvests earnings more efficiently.



However, its debt/equity ratio of 0.75 is higher than the industry average of 0.11. This reflects that the company has a relatively higher debt burden and will not be financially stable during turbulent economic conditions.



Nonetheless, Invescos earnings are projected to grow 19.2% in 2017 and 10.2% in 2018. Also, the stock has a Growth Score of B. Our research shows that stocks with a Style Score of A or B when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) offer the best upside potential.



Additionally, sales are expected to increase 10.1% in 2017 and 8.5% in 2018. Invesco has a dividend yield of 3.19%, above the industry average of 2.25%.



Further, the stock is undervalued with respect to its price-to-earnings (P/E) and price-to-book value (P/B) ratios. It has a P/E ratio of 12.41 compared with the industry average of 12.76. Also, the companys P/B of 1.73 is below the industry average of 1.92.



Invesco currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. Moreover, it has a Value Score of B and VGM Score of A.



T. Rowe Price



T. Rowe Price has a trailing 12-month ROE of 24.76% compared with the industry average of 12.92%. This shows that the company reinvests earnings more efficiently.



Also, its debt/equity ratio is 0.00 compared with the industrys average of 0.09, which implies no debt burden. It highlights the financial strength of the company in an unstable economic environment.



T. Rowe Prices earnings are projected to grow 33.5% in 2017 but decline at the rate of 2.8% in 2018. Additionally, sales are expected to increase 27.6% in 2017 and 7.1% in 2018. Nonetheless, the stock has a Growth Score of F.



The company has a dividend yield of 2.21%, below the industry average of 2.25%.



However, the stock is overvalued with respect to its price-to-earnings (P/E) and price-to-book value (P/B) ratios. It has a P/E ratio of 17.70 compared with the industry average of 12.76. Also, the companys P/B of 4.52 is above the industry average of 1.92.



T. Rowe Price has Value Score of D and VGM Score of C. The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Our Take



T. Rowe Price looks better positioned in terms of superior ROE and better leverage as well as higher earnings and sales growth expectations for 2017.However, Invescos favorable Style Scores and superior earnings and sales growth expectations for 2018 make it a better pick. Also, Invesco stock is undervalued.



Wall Streets Next Amazon



Zacks EVP Kevin Matras believes this familiar stock has only just begun its climb to become one of the greatest investments of all time. Its a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in pure genius.



Click for details >>



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Zacks Investment Research
Theres a cryptocurrency on the market that is making huge waves right now, thanks to the booming popularity of the likes of bitcoin, Ethereum, and litecoin.

Launched in 2012, ripple (XRP) is a pretty obscure cryptocurrency compared to its peers, but its valuation has soared in recent weeks. Its currently worth about $3.30, with a market cap of more than $100 billion, according to Coinmarketcap; compare that to the $0.25 it was trading at just a few weeks ago in early December.

Its still worth considerably less than bitcoin, however, which is currently trading around $15,000, and has a market cap of over $250 billion.

Ripple differs from bitcoin in a few ways. Instead of being created, or mined, by users, ripples supply is controlled by one company, San Francisco-based Ripple. The firm initially created 100 billion ripple coins38 billion are in circulation at the momentand the company has the ability to release up to one billion coins per month.

Interestingly, ripple was actually launched in order to help simplify global financial transactions, and is connected to legitimate banks; Bank of America BAC, UBS UBS, and Santander SANPRA all utilize the Ripple platform. And, some financial services companies in Japan and South Korea have recently begun using Ripples technology, which has helped the cryptocurrencys price jump.

Ripple is believed to offer both better security and better prices over other digital currencies, and allows users to send, receive, and hold any currency in a decentralized way via RippleNet, Ripples payment network. According to the company, cross-border payments can go through in a matter of seconds compared to hours using bitcoin or days with other traditional financial transactions.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse spoke to Fortune last year about ripples liquidity appeal, saying The liquidity needs of banks today is managed with literally ten trillion of float that sits in these nostro and vostro accounts. We believe very strong this is an inefficient model. You can use digital assets to fund liquidity, and Ripple is uniquely positioned to capitalize on that. Bitcoin takes four hours to settle a transaction. XRP takes 3.6 seconds.

Story continues

But like bitcoin, ripple does use blockchain, which is like a public transaction ledge. Updated by all network users, blockchain is vital for cryptocurrencies. Blocks are produced through code by employing users computer power, and are then added to the blockchain. Bitcoin, for instance, is created through the generation of blocks on this network, and blockchain ensures that a unit of bitcoin is not spent more than once.

The past few months saw investor and analyst interest in ripple surge, no doubt aiding its huge price gain. The company Ripple licensed its own blockchain technology to more than 100 banks as of last October, while credit card giant American Express AXP recently introduced instant blockchain-based payments using the firms network.

Wall Streets Next Amazon



Zacks EVP Kevin Matras believes this familiar stock has only just begun its climb to become one of the greatest investments of all time. Its a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in pure genius.



Click for details >>



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There are plenty of juicy details in Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, the new book by Michael Wolff, but for Ivanka Trump watchers, perhaps the biggest reveal is that the First Daughter hopes to eventually add another big first to her resume: President of the United States.

An excerpt from the book, published Wednesday in New York Magazine, describes Trump and her husband Jared Kushner (who, according to Wolff, former White House strategist Steve Bannon refers to as Jarvanka) settling into their new White House rolesand looking ahead:

Between themselves, the two had made an earnest deal: If sometime in the future the opportunity arose, shed be the one to run for president. The first woman president, Ivanka entertained, would not be Hillary Clinton; it would be Ivanka Trump.

So, would she actually run? Trumps been asked beforeand her responses have been mixed.

Back in early 2016, Town & Country asked Trump, then still EVP of development and acquisitions at the Trump Organization and head of the Ivanka Trump brand, if shed consider getting into politics herself. Its not something Ive ever been inclined to do, but Im 34, so who knows? she said. At this point I would never even contemplate it, but that doesnt mean that when Im 50 I wont have a change of heart.

Subscribe to The Broadsheet, Fortunes daily newsletter on the worlds most powerful women.

In the wake of her fathers election, the question has become more pointed. In April, CBSs Gayle King asked, Should voters get their Ivanka 2024 campaign signs out? No, said Trump, noting that, Politics is a tough business.

Wolff also characterizes Trumps relationship with her father as transactional. According to the excerpt, For Ivanka, it was all businessbuilding the Trump brand, the presidential campaign, and now the White House. She treated her father with a degree of detachment, even irony, going so far as to make fun of his comb-over to others.

President Trumps attorney, Charles Harder, is demanding that Wolff and his publisher immediately cease and desist from any further publication, release or dissemination of the book, saying that the firm is investigating possible defamation of the Trumps, as well as invasion of privacy. Harder has also demanded that Bannon stop making allegedly false statements against the president and his family.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is facing widespread criticism for his newly announced decision to roll back an Obama-era policy that allowed states to legalize marijuana without federal intervention.

Given the Departments well-established general principles, previous nationwide guidance specific to marijuana enforcement is unnecessary and is rescinded, effective immediately, Sessions said in a one-page memo sent to federal prosecutors across the country on Thursday, according to Politico.

The decision is expected to create chaos in the growing industry, particularly in states where the drug has already been legalized. As the Huffington Post reports, Although marijuana remains illegal under federal law, eight states and Washington, D.C., have voted to legalize the substance for recreational use. A total of 28 states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes.

Heres how some people are reacting on Twitter:

User @kormega tweeted: Jeff Sessions is like a villain from Footloose.

Another commenter struck a similar chord: Honestly wouldnt be surprised in Jeff Sessions called for a crackdown on ragtime music for promoting fornication.

Jeff Sessions is like a villain from Footloose  Zachary Korman (@kormega) January 4, 2018

Jeff Sessions never met a buzz he couldn't kill.  Sean Kent (@seankent) January 4, 2018

Attorney General Sessions, your unjust war against Americans who legally use #marijuana is shameful & insults the democratic processes that played out in states across the country.  Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) January 4, 2018

Jeff Sessions' going after marijuana is dumb, but it's also anti-freedom and anti-federalism https://t.co/tnZUCytWlj via @dcexaminer  Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) January 4, 2018

Jeff Sessions War On Drugs is a direct attack on communities of color, who bear the burden of overzealous policing & mass incarceration. This Attorney General makes a mockery of the so-called Justice Department.https://t.co/phJaVRD3Mr  Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) January 4, 2018

Jeff Sessions has destructively doubled down on the failed, costly, and racially discriminatory war on drugs, ignoring facts and logic, and trampling on the will of CA voters.



Have no doubt -- CA will pursue all options to protect our reforms and rights. https://t.co/0EuSp5GJ2z  Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 4, 2018

.@CoryBooker: Jeff Sessions determination to revive the failed War on Drugs knows no bounds" pic.twitter.com/hdqd1ub5Jy  Gideon Resnick (@GideonResnick) January 4, 2018

Honestly wouldn't be surprised in Jeff Sessions called for a crackdown on ragtime music for promoting fornication.  Capitol Hill Books (@chbooksdc) January 4, 2018

The fact that opioid, meth and heroin usage/sales/and deaths are at epidemic proportions in white communities, yet Jeff Sessions chooses to declare "war on weed", shows you the racial agenda behind this  Tariq Nasheed (@tariqnasheed) January 4, 2018

That should confuse a lot of people and businesses. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end policy that let legal pot flourish https://t.co/IpnCilD09j  BROOKS HOFFOS (@BrooksHoffos) January 4, 2018

Jeff Sessions is trying to end legal marijuana, double down on the failed War on Drugs.



We need to legalize weed everywhere.



Empty prisons of nonviolent offenders, allow law enforcement to focus on bigger issues, make pot a revenue generator not a taxpayer drain.  Adam Best (@adamcbest) January 4, 2018

Dear Attorney General Jeff Sessions and @TheJusticeDept: Let me give you a list of things more important for federal prosecutors and federal law enforcement to pursue other than marijuana:



1. Basically anything. https://t.co/ctyJui7g4c  Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) January 4, 2018

If Jeff Sessions makes it harder to get weed, its going to make people turn to other drugs for pain medication. A lot of times that will turn out to be opiates. You know, the drugs people are dying from on a daily basis... How many people die from weed overdoses? Zero.  Scott Dworkin (@funder) January 4, 2018

"I used to think they were OK, but they are pot smokers." -Jeff Sessions in 1981 referring to KKK members who at that time were being investigated for lynching a Black man named Michael Donald in AL.  Bree Newsome (@BreeNewsome) January 4, 2018

Sessions, a longtime vocal opponent of marijuana legalization, also faced immediate backlash from at least two Republican senators from states that allow its use, Politico reported.

Story continues

Sens. Cory Gardner of Colorado, where recreational marijuana legalized in 2012, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, where marijuana was decriminalized in 2003 and legalized recreationally in 2014, both slammed Sessions regrettable plan on Thursday.

This reported action directly contradicts what Attorney General Sessions told me prior to his confirmation. With no prior notice to Congress, the Justice Department has trampled on the will of the voters in CO and other states, Gardner tweeted. I am prepared to take all steps necessary, including holding DOJ nominees, until the Attorney General lives up to the commitment he made to me prior to his confirmation.

And Murkowski wrote in a statement, Over the past year I repeatedly discouraged Attorney General Sessions from taking this action and asked that he work with the states and Congress if he feels changes are necessary. Todays announcement is disruptive to state regulatory regimes and regrettable.
Facebook shares fell around 5% on Friday following the news that the company would retool its News Feed to boost social interactions over stories from publishers.

In what is Mark Zuckerberg's now-traditional New Year speech, the Facebook supremo pledged to fix the social network's many problems which bubbled up in 2017. Perhaps understandably, that admission hogged the headlines but Zuckerberg also said he plans to study encryption and the blockchain "see how best to use them in our services."

That statement comes amid a period of crypto frenzy, with the cryptocurrencies themselves rising in value significancy, and it's already prompting some people to speculate on what companies Facebook should buy. It marks a rare time that the CEO of a major global tech company has committed to even exploring the blockchain.

It's really is a no-brainer for Facebook to look into these technologies since there is serious potential to advance the current tech status quo in meaningful ways.

In his post, Zuckerberg makes mention of international censorship and, in theory, a decentralized service could circumvent such measures -- such China's blocking of Facebook and Twitter, or Iran's recent clamp down on Instagram and Telegram.

We know that appeals to Zuckerberg. The Facebook founder has long believed his company's mission is to connect the world -- to the point that he still makes much-mocked efforts to woo the Chinese government -- and the blockchain is a technology that, if utilized correctly, could give Facebook a platform to beat censors worldwide, even in China.

For example, Steemit is a Reddit-like decentralized social network that operates on the blockchain. Beyond a more robust position against censors, the service rewards its users for good content with small amount of cryptocurrency and has penalties for spam and fake content. It's an early effort with a small community that has struggled to gain widespread adoption, but it might give Zuckerberg some early clues.

But censorship is just one of many areas where Facebook could utilize the blockchain and a decentralized network. It has invested heavily in peer-to-peer payments -- perhaps in the hope of emulating the high level of user engagement WeChat sees in China -- and fintech is a hotbed for blockchain-focused technology and startups. Beyond launching its own project or buying another, Facebook could also piggyback any number of decentralized payment platforms that are currently in development and aimed at making global payments cheaper (free?) and faster.

Story continues

Others less obvious areas relevant to Facebook that others are attacking with decentralized projects including transparent online advertising platforms, local discovery platforms, artificial intelligence platforms, music/video streaming platforms and more.

Zuckerberg's past New Year's resolutions have focused on his own challenges such as learning Mandarin, making his own AI, and visiting all American states, but this time around it could impact Facebook's tech and products.

This article originally appeared on TechCrunch.

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CEO reveals this years personal challenge as site faces relentless criticism over spreading of misinformation and damage to users mental health

Mark Zuckerberg sets a personal challenge each year. Photograph: Noah Berger/AP

Amid unceasing criticism of Facebooks immense power and pernicious impact on society, its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, announced Thursday that his personal challenge for 2018 will be to focus on fixing these important issues.

Zuckerbergs new years resolution  a tradition for the executive who in previous years has pledged to learn Mandarin, run 365 miles, and read a book each week  is a remarkable acknowledgment of the terrible year Facebook has had.

Facebook has a lot of work to do  whether its protecting our community from abuse and hate, defending against interference by nation states, or making sure that time spent on Facebook is time well spent, Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page. We wont prevent all mistakes or abuse, but we currently make too many errors enforcing our policies and preventing misuse of our tools.

At the beginning of 2017, as many liberals were grappling with Donald Trumps election and the widening divisions in American society, Zuckerberg embarked on a series of trips to meet regular Americans in all 50 states. But while Zuckerberg was donning hard hats and riding tractors, an increasing number of critics both inside and outside of the tech industry were identifying Facebook as a key driver of many of societys current ills.



The past year has seen the social media company try  and largely fail  to get a handle on the proliferation of misinformation on its platform; acknowledge that it enabled a Russian influence operation to influence the US presidential election; and concede that its products can damage users mental health.

By attempting to take on these complex problems as his annual personal challenge, Zuckerberg is, for the first time, setting himself a task that he is unlikely to achieve. With 2 billion users and a presence in almost every country, the companys challenges are no longer bugs that can be addressed by engineering code.

Story continues

Facebook, like other tech giants, has long maintained that it is essentially politically neutral  the company has community standards but no clearly articulated political orientation. While in past years, that neutrality has enabled Facebook to grow at great speed without assuming responsibility for how individuals or governments used its tools, the political tumult of recent years has made such a stance increasingly untenable.

The difficulty of Facebooks task is illustrated in the companys current conundrum over enforcing of US sanctions against some world leaders but not others, leaving observers to wonder what rules, if any, Facebook is actually playing by.

Zuckerberg acknowledged that the problems facing a platform with 2 billion users touch on questions of history, civics, political philosophy, media, government, and of course technology and said that he planned to consult with experts in those fields.

But the second half of Zuckerbergs post, in which he discusses centralization and decentralization of power in technology, reveal Zuckerbergs general approach: proposing technological solutions to political problems. If Zuckerberg is interested in decentralization of power, he might wish to address his companys pattern of aggressively acquiring its competitors  or simply copying their features.

Instead, the executive introduced a non sequitur about encryption and cryptocurrency, neither of which will do anything to address Facebooks role in, for example, stoking anti-Rohingya hatred in Myanmar. If Zuckerberg truly intends to spend a year trying to figure out how the blockchain can solve intractable geopolitical problems, he would be better off just doing Whole30.
ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis drug Promacta has received breakthrough therapy designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for first-line treatment of severe aplastic anemia (SAA). The drug has received the designation for use in combination with standard immunosuppressive therapy in treating the rare blood disorder in which a patient's bone marrow fails to produce enough red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, the Swiss drug maker said on Thursday. Promacta is already approved as a second-line therapy in SAA, as well as for adults and children with chronic immune thrombocytopenia. Breakthrough status is a designation given to treatments demonstrating substantial improvement over existing therapies in treating a serious or life threatening illness. Novartis said it expects regulatory filings in both the United States and the European Union this year. (Reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi; Editing by Maria Sheahan)
Investors in Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. PAA need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the January 19, 2018 $10 Call had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today.



What is Implied Volatility?



Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. It could also mean there is an event coming up soon that may cause a big rally or a huge sell off. However, implied volatility is only one piece of the puzzle when putting together an options trading strategy.



What do the Analysts Think?



Clearly, options traders are pricing in a big move for Plains All American Pipeline shares, but what is the fundamental picture for the company? Currently, Plains All American Pipeline is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) in the Oil and Gas - Production Pipeline - MLB industry that ranks in the Bottom 35% of our Zacks Industry Rank. Over the last 60 days, one analyst has increased its earnings estimates for the current quarter, while seven analysts have dropped their estimates. The net effect has taken our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter from 45 cents per share to 42 cents in that period.



Given the way analysts feel about Plains All American Pipeline right now, this huge implied volatility could mean theres a trade developing. Often times, options traders look for options with high levels of implied volatility to sell premium. This is a strategy many seasoned traders use because it captures decay. At expiration, the hope for these traders is that the underlying stock does not move as much as originally expected.



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Each week, our very own Dave Bartosiak gives his top options trades. Check out his recent live analysis and options trade for the NFLX earnings report completely free. See it here: Bartosiak: Trading Netflix's (NFLX) Earnings with Options or check out the embedded video below for more details:



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Penn Virginia Corporation PVAC has decided to boost its acreages in the oil and gas rich Eagle Ford Shale play.

About the Deal

For the acquisition, the upstream energy player is expected to give roughly $86 million in cash to Hunt Oil Company. The transaction  expected to conclude on or before March 1, 2018  will likely be financed with debt capital under the credit facility of Penn Virginia.

Benefits

The upstream energy players core leasehold resources in Eagle Ford will likely get boosted by roughly 9,700 net acres. Hence, with the closure of the deal, Penn Virginia will be able to operate more than 99% of its resources in the Eagle Ford play. On top of that, net drilling inventory of Penn Virginia is also anticipated to increase 17%.

The acquisition will also boost the companys production by 1,870 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BoE/D). Investors should note that 89% of the increased production will likely be oil.

Higher production, especially in the face of partial crude recovery, is highly beneficial for the company. Oil is now trading above the $60 per barrel mark, way higher than multi-year low marks reached during 2016.

About the Company

Headquartered in Houston, TX, Penn Virginia is primarily involved in the exploration and production of crude resources in domestic plays. The company has no current debt and the long-term debt of $245 million is way lower than $1.1 billion during 2014  reflecting sound financial positions.

However, the pricing chart scenario is not impressive. Over the past year, the stock fell 14.8%, underperforming the industrys13.2% decline.

Zacks Rank & Stock Picks

As a result, Penn Virginia carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Meanwhile, better-ranked stocks in the energy sector are Lonestar Resources US Inc. LONE, Northern Oil and Gas Inc. NOG and Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation COG. Lonestar and Northern sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), while Cabot carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Story continues

Headquartered in Fort Worth, TX, Lonestar is an upstream energy player. The company is expected to post year-over-year earnings growth of 81.3% in 2017.

Based in Minnetonka, MN, Northern Oil is an upstream energy player. The companys 2017 revenues are estimated to grow almost 48%.

Headquartered in Houston, TX, Cabot is involved in exploration of oil and gas. The stock will likely report earnings growth of 350.8% in 2017.

Zacks Editor-in-Chief Goes ""All In"" on This Stock

Full disclosure, Kevin Matras now has more of his own money in one particular stock than in any other. He believes in its short-term profit potential and also in its prospects to more than double by 2019. Today he reveals and explains his surprising move in a new Special Report.

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The Trump administration is proposing to open almost all U.S. coastal waters to oil drilling, including those off California and Florida where activists have fought for decades to spare delicate ecosystems from oil spills.

The proposal being released Thursday will go far beyond President Donald Trumps April order directing the Interior Department to consider auctioning oil and gas leases in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans as well as the Gulf of Mexico.

Instead, the Interior Department is proposing 47 possible auctions of drilling rights in more than 90 percent of the U.S. outer continental shelf, including Pacific waters near California and Atlantic waters near Maine. The draft plan opens the door to selling leases in 25 of the nations 26 offshore planning areas.

Under President Trump, we are going to become the strongest energy superpower this world has ever known, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke told reporters.

The draft proposal illustrates the Trump administrations commitment to expanding domestic energy development beyond the Gulf of Mexico. Both Trump and Zinke have celebrated American energy dominance, and the president has vowed to unleash the vast energy wealth of the U.S.

The Obama-era plan Trump is aiming to replace forces drillers to focus on the central and western Gulf of Mexico; only one of the existing programs 11 sales is of territory elsewhere, a 2021 auction of acreage in Alaskas Cook Inlet.

The new proposal will ignite a clash with environmentalists and coastal residents who have fought offshore drilling that they say poses too great a risk of oil spills befouling beaches, harming marine life and jeopardizing tourism.

This radical offshore drilling free-for-all is a clear example of politics over people, ignoring widespread local and state opposition, said Diane Hoskins, a campaign director for the marine conservation group Oceana. The Trump administrations plan not only ignores the risky nature of dirty and dangerous drilling, but also the people and coastal businesses who would be most affected.

Story continues

All three governors on the U.S. West Coast oppose expanded offshore drilling, and on the East Coast, more than 140 municipalities have lodged their opposition. The governors of North Carolina and Virginia also expressly asked the Trump administration to leave their states out of any new plan, and Floridas governor announced his opposition Thursday.

The administrations backward-looking approach puts oil and gas profits first  and will place our coastal communities and all they support at risk of the next BP-style disaster, said Natural Resources Defense Council President Rhea Suh, referring to the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Well stand with leaders of vision, business owners and fishing families on every coast to protect our oceans and shores.

The Interior Departments draft is just an initial step in a process of assembling a new five-year schedule for selling offshore oil leases from 2019 to 2024, replacing Obamas plan that spanned 2017 to 2022. The process for assembling that blueprint begins broadly, with the number of potential sales and the available acreage generally whittled down as regulators move from an initial draft to a proposal and ultimately, the final program.

For instance, the Obama administration originally proposed selling drilling rights in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans before ultimately abandoning the idea.

The administration could finalize a sale schedule by the end of the year, after multiple rounds of environmental analysis and public comment.

Oil industry advocates argue companies need new options beyond the Gulf of Mexico, where drilling has been ongoing for decades.

We should keep as many options on the table for our future oil and gas and energy needs, said Erik Milito, a director with the American Petroleum Institute. The decisions that are being made now are really decisions about five, 10 and 15 years down the line. We dont want to prematurely take areas off the table that may be critically important for our energy and national security down the road.

It is not clear how much oil and gas exists under Atlantic waters off the East Coast, because existing data stems largely from decades-old geological surveys and more than four-dozen wells drilled in the 1970s and 1980s. Some petroleum geologists examining the location of continents before they drifted apart point to discoveries and development in other parts of the Atlantic Ocean as illustrating potential oil deposits along the U.S. East Coast.

Oil is still being produced from wells off southern Californias coast, even though the government last sold leases in the area in 1984.
[caption id="attachment_8085" align="alignnone" width="620"]

John W. Vardaman III, general counsel of Hypur Inc.[/caption] When U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday rescinded Obama-era policies shielding marijuana-legalized states, John W. Vardaman III said he wasn't exactly surprised. The former Department of Justice attorney and current Hypur general counsel had, like everyone else, heard and read Sessions' criticisms of cannabis use and states that have chosen to allow it.What did stun Vardaman was the vague and short nature of the memo. In three paragraphs and a footnote, Sessions axed five DOJ guidance documents on marijuana and simply urged prosecutors to "follow the well-established principles that govern all federal prosecutions." Among the discarded documents is the original 2013 Cole memo. Written by then-Deputy Attorney General James Cole, the memo details steps states with legalized marijuana can take, such as keeping the drug away from kids, to avoid a federal crackdown. "I just don't think it's as simple as saying that memo that was issued four years ago is rescinded and we now go back to the way things were," said Vardaman, who helped write a now-rescinded 2014 DOJ memo advising financial institutions serving marijuana clients. "This is not the same situation we were in when the original Cole memo was issued," he said. "There are many more states that have done it. There's much more legal infrastructure. There are many more jobs. There's much more money. There's much more tax revenue." Vardaman spoke with The Recorder Thursday about what Sessions' actions mean for states such as California, which just launched a recreational marijuana market on Monday. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: When a memo like this is issued, are there discussions with U.S. attorneys about its enforcement? What's happening behind the scenes? A: I can only speculate. I have no idea how much groundwork was laid in advance of this. I don't know if the White House was involved. I don't know if they reached out to every U.S. attorney's office and told them this was coming. Usually, if something like that is about to happen, you get some kind of indication. But there were no advanced warnings, at least that I heard, that this was coming. It puts U.S. attorney's offices in states where marijuana has been legalized in a very tenuous position. On one hand, the views of this attorney general are very clear in terms of his hostility to marijuana. U.S. attorneys are usually not apt to act contrary to the wishes of the attorney general. On the other hand, it says the U.S. attorneys retain discretion to enforce laws as they see fit depending upon a variety of factors, including prioritization and resources. So if the U.S. attorney in Colorado says I don't have the resources to go after this industry, with no help from state and locals, even if you wanted to, where would you start? Do you just start mass arrests and raids of every legalized marijuana shop? It also may be that this was just a way of trying to force Congress to stand up and to do something and to say, listen, if you really want legalized marijuana, the best way to do that is through a change in the law. Q: What about this memo's potential to affect access to banking for those in the industry and those serving the industry? A: It's going to have a chilling effect on an area that was already pretty chilly to begin with. Banks hate uncertainty and what this has done has just injected more uncertainty into marijuana legalization generally and marijuana banking specifically. It certainly doesn't help, that's for sure. Q: Does the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment [set to expire later this month] offer any protections? A: This definitely raises the stakes on the import of that amendment. Without it there are literally no legal protections for state-legalized marijuana. Even with it, it's not a full safe harbor but it's at least something. I think you're going to start seeing a lot of attention on that and you might start seeing more serious efforts at more sweeping legalization or state harbor efforts in Congress as a result of this. Q: Is there anything that regulators in states such as California can do to protect their industries? A: Other than making sure that the state marijuana market is run as transparently and compliantly as possible, that's always been my advice under the Cole memo. Now with it gone, even the most compliant state marijuana regime arguably doesn't have any legal protection anymore. At the end of the day, there's nothing they can do because it's really up to the feds and the U.S. attorneys in California. If they decide for whatever reason that marijuana enforcement is a priority, you can't rely upon state law in the face of a conflicting federal law. So there's really not a lot they can do. At a minimum they should make sure that the market in their state is being run as compliantly as possible. If nothing else, if you have a state where the market is being run in an irresponsible, noncompliant, nontransparent way, then if there really is going to be enforcement, then obviously you're going to have a real bull's-eye on your back. Q: Do you feel confident at all in making predictions on where this is all going in, say, six months? A: Guessing anything in the short term would be difficult. Again, I don't know what's been done in anticipation of this. I don't know if there's an understanding of what this really means is, OK U.S. attorneys, go back and really enforce the law and resources be damned. I don't know if the understanding is just the opposite, that this attorney general wants to issue something that makes clear his opposition to this, that it's being done with the understanding that the train has left the station, you can't legitimately go after every single individual and entity that's involved in state legalized marijuana, and so nothing is going to change. In some ways short-term bad news could be long-term good news in that if there really is a crackdown because of this, that could really spur efforts at the federal level or within Congress to afford some legal protection.
A simmering feud over Ripple, which in recent days has become the second most valuable digital currency after bitcoin, boiled over Thursday evening in bitter Twitter exchange involving the companys CEO Brad Garlinghouse.

The fight erupted after Nate Popper, a New York Times journalist and author of a popular book on bitcoin, suggested that Ripples currency (technically known as XRP) is simply a tool for speculation and has little purpose in the real world.

Popper backed this up by claiming that bankers are not using XRP--a damning assertion, if true, since Ripple contends banks are embracing its currency as part of a larger shift away from the legacy money transfer system known as SWIFT. Heres what Popper said:

Over the last day I've asked several people close to banks if banks are indeed planning to begin using Ripple's token, XRP, in a serious way, which is what investors seem to assume when they buy in at the current XRP prices. This is a sampling of what I heard back: pic.twitter.com/zbfMqg4TpD  Nathaniel Popper (@nathanielpopper) January 5, 2018

Garlinghouse pounced in response, claiming that Popper had his facts wrong and listing a series of alleged rebuttals from others in the banking industry. He also accused Popper of journalistic malpractice by failing to speak to available sources who would allegedly have disproved his assertions:

Over the last few months I've spoken with ACTUAL banks and payment providers. They are indeed planning to use xRapid (our XRP liquidity product) in a serious way. This is a sampling of what I heard: pic.twitter.com/y3TN8YRC34  Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) January 5, 2018

then why did you tweet this without doing the 2 interviews we arranged for you!!? You have those names. I don't think you want to hear validation for XRP. The @NYTimes should be above spreading anonymous FUD. Do those calls and update your story.  Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) January 5, 2018

[Update: Popper replied on Friday, explaining he had not initially been able to reach the Ripple sources but has since done so].

Unsurprisingly, the rough-and-tumble world of crypto Twitter quickly piled on with a series of taunts and schoolyards GIFs aimed at Popper from Ripple partisans:

NY times @nytimes : Hey Nathan, did you research and follow up with those leads for your @Ripple article, it's due in an hour Nathan @nathanielpopper : Yeah for sure, calling them now pic.twitter.com/youuy8Gmdh  Lord Crypto (@Lord_of_Crypto) January 5, 2018

Meanwhile, Ripples product manager for XRP also shot back at Popper, claiming that the company is about more than its blockchain software, which banks are using to record transactions:

Do you think I left #Bitcoin and joined @Ripple to build bank software? Think again. $XRP https://t.co/v9fwoTcOi6  Warren Paul Anderson (@warpaul) January 5, 2018

Not everyone sided with Ripple, though. A Twitter user in Canada responded by asking Garlinghouse to provide evidence, using the public blockchain ledger where XRP transactions are recorded, that banks are indeed using the currency.

Where are these transactions on your ledger? Can you point us to a single bank transaction on XRP? A URL is all we need. Or are you going to continue to make forward looking statements while retail investors buy your unregistered security product?  Moe (@moeadham) January 5, 2018

The brouhaha on Twitter comes at a time of intense interest in Ripple and XRP, which has soared exponentially in recent weeks and made the companys co-founders one of the worlds richest men.

The controversy over XRP may also stem in part from a lack of familiarity, including among some in the cryptocurrency world, about the company and its products.

Unlike digital currencies like bitcoin and Ethereum, Ripples XRPs are not mined by a decentralized network of computers, but were instead created in a single 100 billion batch by the company--a situation that has long engendered mistrust and contempt from longtime bitcoin backers.

Currently, there are around 40 billion XRP in circulation while Ripple has placed most of the rest in escrow and is releasing them in slow increments.

In an interview with Fortune last October, Garlinghouse said Ripple has provided some XRPs to hedge funds at a discount in order to increase overall liquidity in the currency. Meanwhile, the company has also licensed its blockchain technology to credit card giant .

As for its relationship with banks--more than a hundred of which have signed on to use Ripples software products--it remains unclear to what extent these partnerships will involve the use of XRP.

Garlinghouse argues that XRP will be an integral part of the money transfer and market making process, while skeptics question whether the use of XRP is a superfluous and unnecessary step.

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
Ripple price

Markets Insider

XRP, a cryptocurrency by Ripple, reached new highs on Thursday.

The digital tokens have risen astronomically since last year, making its cofounder a multi-millionaire, provided he could sell his stake.

It's important to distinguish the value of XRP from the value of its controlling company, Ripple.



XRP, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, hit an all time high of $3.315 per unit just before 8 a.m. Eastern on Thursday.

The massive jump in value  up more than 1300% since December  has made multimillionaires out of the lucky few who own massive amounts of the cryptocurrency.

Chris Larsen, who cofounded Ripple Labs (now just known as Ripple) in 2012, owns 5.19 billion XRP, or 13% of the total XRP in circulation, the company told Business Insider on Tuesday. At Thursdays exchange rate, that stake is worth $16 billion  provided he could find a way to sell any or all of his holdings.

Some crypto fanatics on Twitter have said Larsen could be the richest man in the world, even ahead of Bill Gates. None of the calculations could be confirmed by Business Insider. Still, the tweets have gained traction with hundreds of retweets.

Screen Shot 2018 01 04 at 9.20.02 AM

Twitter

Larsen, who could not be reached for comment, also owns a 17% stake in Ripple, the company behind XRP, the company confirmed Tuesday. The company has raised $93.6 million in funding over nine rounds to date, according to CrunchBase.

"It would be helpful to think of Ripple as a corporation, Ripples vice president of product, Asheesh Birla, told Business Insider on Wednesday. We make software products and we sell them to banks, payment providers, like MoneyGram just as an example, and then corporates. XRP ledger is a standalone decentralized product, and the primary use-cases are around digital assets."

XRP currently has a market cap of $115.1 billion, making it the second-largest digital currency behind bitcoin. The decentralized ledger for XRP was created and is maintained by Ripple, which is also holding 54 billion of the currency in escrow to provide predictability about XRP supply, it said last month.

Story continues

The digital currency took a hit later in the week, after Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse got into a very public spat with New York Times reporter Nathaniel Popper on Twitter. Popper said he was having issues verifying many of the partner banks that the company had previously touted, a claim Ripple categorically denies.

XRP was down more than 17% as of Friday afternoon.

Screen Shot 2018 01 05 at 12.29.56 PM

Markets Insider

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Southwest Airlines is upsizing. The airline has exercised options for 40 Boeing (NYSE: BA) 737 Max 8 airplanes worth $4.5 billion at list prices, it said late Tuesday. Southwest (NYSE: LUV) is also deferring orders for smaller models to at least 2023. The carrier, like other airlines around the world, has been mulling which aircraft to add to its fleet as record numbers of passengers take to the skies. If airlines choose planes that are too big, they risk owning multimillion-dollar behemoths that are expensive to fly and tough to fill with passengers . If they go too small, their costs per seat could be high and they may need more aircraft to meet demand. Compared with other airlines whose fleets include planes from different manufacturers, Southwest only flies Boeing 737s, and the carrier is the biggest operator of the Chicago-based company's narrow-body jets.The change in Southwest's order does not change its plan for capacity growth this year, it said.The Boeing 737 Max 8 fits as many as 189 seats, according to Boeing, but Southwest intends to fly them with 175 on board.Southwest debuted the 737 Max 8 last year in the 175-seat configuration, with 32 inches of legroom. The airline intends to fly the smaller Max 7 with 143 passengers. The airline announced the fleet changes in a statement applauding the passage of the tax law late last year, which it said allows it to give its workers $1,000 bonuses . Southwest will get 15 of the 737 Max 8s next year and 25 in 2020, it said. Twenty-three of the smaller 737 Max 7s will be delivered in 2023 and 11 others in 2024, according to the airline.The airline said the delay in accepting the smaller 737 Max 7 jets would allow it to line it up with the retirement of some older 737 planes."They both still fit in with our fleet plan," spokesman Chris Mainz said of the two new 737 models.For its part, Boeing said that "there is no impact to the Max program" as a result of Southwest's decision and noted that the airline still plans to take delivery of seven of the smaller 737 planes next year. Southwest Airlines is upsizing. The airline has exercised options for 40 Boeing (NYSE: BA) 737 Max 8 airplanes worth $4.5 billion at list prices, it said late Tuesday. Southwest (NYSE: LUV) is also deferring orders for smaller models to at least 2023. The carrier, like other airlines around the world, has been mulling which aircraft to add to its fleet as record numbers of passengers take to the skies. If airlines choose planes that are too big, they risk owning multimillion-dollar behemoths that are expensive to fly and tough to fill with passengers . If they go too small, their costs per seat could be high and they may need more aircraft to meet demand. Compared with other airlines whose fleets include planes from different manufacturers, Southwest only flies Boeing 737s, and the carrier is the biggest operator of the Chicago-based company's narrow-body jets. The change in Southwest's order does not change its plan for capacity growth this year, it said. The Boeing 737 Max 8 fits as many as 189 seats, according to Boeing, but Southwest intends to fly them with 175 on board. Southwest debuted the 737 Max 8 last year in the 175-seat configuration, with 32 inches of legroom. The airline intends to fly the smaller Max 7 with 143 passengers. The airline announced the fleet changes in a statement applauding the passage of the tax law late last year, which it said allows it to give its workers $1,000 bonuses . Southwest will get 15 of the 737 Max 8s next year and 25 in 2020, it said. Twenty-three of the smaller 737 Max 7s will be delivered in 2023 and 11 others in 2024, according to the airline. The airline said the delay in accepting the smaller 737 Max 7 jets would allow it to line it up with the retirement of some older 737 planes. "They both still fit in with our fleet plan," spokesman Chris Mainz said of the two new 737 models. For its part, Boeing said that "there is no impact to the Max program" as a result of Southwest's decision and noted that the airline still plans to take delivery of seven of the smaller 737 planes next year.



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Anyone who has built, or has considered building, their own desktop PC knows it can get very expensive and time consuming, especially if youre hoping to outfit it with the latest and greatest hardware. But according to French startup Blade, using a powerful gaming PC shouldnt be much different than subscribing to Netflix.

Thats the crux of Blades monthly subscription service, Shadow, which will soon be launching for a small number of users in the U.S. after first arriving in France. The service will be available in California starting Feb. 15, with a limited batch of preorders on offer on Jan. 4. It will expand to the rest of the continental U.S. this summer, according to the company.

The idea is certainly enticing: the Shadow app allows essentially any mobile device or computer to run full PC games, whether it be on a Samsung Galaxy phone or a five-year-old MacBook Air. The company is pitching it as a way to turn any gadget with a screen and an Internet connection into a speedy gaming rig that can run demanding PC games and fit in your pocket.

The Shadow app works by outsourcing all the heavy lifting to Blades hardware in its data centers, which offers users the experience of gaming on a Windows 10 PC featuring Nvidia graphics and an Intel Core i7 processor with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Using Nvidias tech, Shadow can run graphics in 1080p at 144Hz or 4K resolution at 60Hz. The service is available for Windows, Mac OS, Android, Android TV-powered smart TVs, and will be coming soon to iOS. The company will also sell a hub with ports and a microprocessor later this year for users who want to game with accessories like a monitor and keyboard when accessing the service. In terms of data usage and battery life, Blade says running games through Shadow is just about as taxing on your mobile device as streaming an HD movie.

One thing thats important to us is not [having] to teach the player a new way to use the device, or a new way to play, says Asher Kagan, Blades president. Its the same experience that theyve had so far. Another part of Blades sell is that gamers wont have to worry about upgrading their computer, since the company plans to update its own gear as new tech becomes available.

Story continues

Blades Shadow is far from the first attempt at building a streaming gaming service  services like Parsec and LiquidSky have similar ambitions. But latency has been a key obstacle for cloud gaming services in the past. Perhaps the most memorable example of this was an early service that debuted in 2010 called OnLive. Although there was plenty of excitement behind the idea, business troubles and concerns over laggy performance eventually contributed to the services downfall, with Sony buying the companys assets in 2015. But companies like Shadow could have a better chance at succeeding today thanks to faster Internet connections and advanced cloud computing services like those operated by Amazon and Microsoft. We didnt really have this notion of cloud or mobile computing that we have today, says Brian Blau, a research vice president at Gartner. Its really a different landscape.

Blade maintains that latency wont be an issue with its service. The company claims that its conducted blind tests in which professional competitive gamers couldnt tell the difference between Shadow and a physical PC when playing Overwatch and Counter-Strike, two fast-paced shooters that demand zero latency for maximum enjoyment. In a live demo of the technology, I witnessed Tomb Raider running on a Samsung Galaxy phone, Samsung Galaxy tablet, and a smart TV with no visible lag.

But there are other potential hangups to consider. Getting the best performance out of Blades service will depend on the strength of your Internet connection  Shadow requires at least 15 Mbps. Thats important to consider if youre primarily interested in using Shadow for the degree of portability it provides, since you may not always have a strong enough Wi-Fi connection if youre planning to stream games on the go.

The pricing may also be tough for some users to justify. At $34.95 per month for a one-year commitment, $39.95 per month for a three-month commitment, or $49.95 per month for no commitment, you would be spending a minimum of about $420 per year for your high-end gaming PC. Thats expensive for gamers that may be used to spending roughly $500 or $600 to upgrade the graphics card and processor in their PC every three or four years. Plus, gaming giants like Nvidia and Sony already operate their own cloud gaming services, which could make it difficult for startups like Blade to compete for gamers attention and money. Still, Blades Kagan is optimistic his company can make a dent despite the competition. And for Blade, winning with gamers could ultimately serve as a stepping stone towards launching more general purpose cloud-based PCs. Gamers are unforgivable for any latency or quality issue, he says. If we can prove that this will work for gamers, it will work for anyone else.
AT&T Inc. T had a disappointing 2017. We believe that the U.S. telecom behemoth is currently facing several headwinds. However, the FirstNet Project may appear as a ray of hope for the company in 2018.



Recently, AT&T and the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) together revealed that all the 50 states of the nation, as well as two U.S. territories and Washington D.C., have entered the FirstNet project, the first dedicated nationwide wireless network for first responders.



Notably, in March 2017, AT&T was selected by FirstNet to build and manage the first nationwide broadband network dedicated to America's police, firefighters and emergency medical services. The network aims to cover all 50 states, five U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, including rural communities and tribal lands in those states and territories.



As part of the 25-year contract, FirstNet will provide AT&T with a swath of 20 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz frequency band for the entire duration. AT&T will also be given success-based payments of $6.5 billion over the next five years to design and build the network. The company is expected to spend around $40 billion over the life of the contract to build, deploy, operate and maintain the network. AT&T has projected that this contract will create more than 10,000 jobs over the next two years.



In October 2017, AT&T and FirstNet introduced a new developer programme focused on public safety innovation. The programme will supply applications to a new FirstNet app store. These apps will be utilized by first responders who will select appropriate solutions to work on the FirstNet network, which AT&T is set to build.



The FirstNet project aims to convert every city in the United States as smart cities with state-of-the-art IoT (Internet-of-Things) opportunities. AT&T will deliver a portfolio of IoT devices by March 2018. These gadgets will be used by police, firefighters and other first responders to create monitoring and tracking systems.



Importantly, AT&T plans to roll out next generation 5G wireless broadband (Internet) in a dozen U.S. cities by late 2018. It aims at becoming the first U.S. carrier to introduce 5G wireless Internet if the deadline is met. The company will connect FirstNet users to its telecom network assets, valued at more than $180 billion. This contract can be considered a necessary boost to the companys profile.



AT&Ts consortium to deploy FirstNet includes Motorola Solutions Inc. MSI, General Dynamics Corp. GD, Sapient Consulting and Inmarsat Government. Per the deal, AT&T will be able to use this highly valuable spectrum for both commercial and consumer purposes. This is why several industry researchers believe that the FirstNet project may come as a boon to cell tower operators such as American Tower Corp. AMT and SBA Communications Corp. SBAC.



Price performance and Zacks Rank





In 2017, AT&Ts shares decreased 9.89%, worse than the industrys decline of 8.14%. Notably, the benchmark S&P 500 index has gained a whopping 18.25% in the same time period. AT&T carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). General Dynamics also carries the same Zacks Rank. However, Motorola Solutions has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



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Stamford Land and Pacific Century Regional Developments are two of the companies on my list that I consider are undervalued. Investors can profit from the difference by investing in these stocks as the current market prices should eventually move towards their true values. If capital gains are what youre after in your next investment, Ive put together a list of undervalued stocks you may be interested in, based on the latest financial data from each company.

Stamford Land Corporation Ltd ( SGX:H07 )

Stamford Land Corporation Ltd, an investment holding company, owns, operates, and manages luxury hotels in Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. Stamford Land was established in 1935 and with the companys market cap sitting at SGD SGD436.36M, it falls under the small-cap stocks category.

H07s shares are now trading at -57% below its value of $1.17, at the market price of $0.51, according to my discounted cash flow model. The divergence signals an opportunity to buy H07 shares at a low price. Furthermore, H07s PE ratio stands at around 10.6x compared to its hospitality peer level of 25.9x, suggesting that relative to its competitors, H07 can be bought at a cheaper price right now. H07 is also strong financially, as current assets can cover liabilities in the near term and over the long run. Finally, its debt relative to equity is 61%, which has been diminishing over the past couple of years signalling its ability to pay down its debt.

SGX:H07 PE PEG Gauge Jan 5th 18

Pacific Century Regional Developments Limited ( SGX:P15 )

Pacific Century Regional Developments Limited, an investment holding company, provides business management and consultancy services primarily in Singapore, Hong Kong, and India. Pacific Century Regional Developments was formed in 1963 and with the market cap of SGD SGD980.40M, it falls under the small-cap category.

P15s stock is currently hovering at around -36% beneath its intrinsic level of $0.58, at the market price of $0.37, based on my discounted cash flow model. This mismatch signals an opportunity to buy P15 shares at a discount. Additionally, P15s PE ratio is around 9.1x relative to its diversified financial peer level of 17.9x, indicating that relative to its comparable set of companies, P15 can be bought at a cheaper price right now. P15 also has a healthy balance sheet, with short-term assets covering liabilities in the near future as well as in the long run.

Story continues

SGX:P15 PE PEG Gauge Jan 5th 18

Tai Sin Electric Limited ( SGX:500 )

Tai Sin Electric Limited, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and trades in cable and wire products. Established in 1980, and currently headed by CEO Boon Hock Lim, the company employs 1,000 people and with the companys market capitalisation at SGD SGD176.38M, we can put it in the small-cap category.

500s shares are currently hovering at around -27% below its actual level of $0.55, at a price of $0.41, based on my discounted cash flow model. The discrepancy signals an opportunity to buy low. In terms of relative valuation, 500s PE ratio is currently around 10.7x against its its electrical peer level of 21.6x, indicating that relative to its comparable company group, 500s shares can be purchased for a lower price. 500 is also strong in terms of its financial health, with current assets covering liabilities in the near term and over the long run. Finally, its debt relative to equity is 9%, which has been dropping for the last couple of years signifying 500s ability to reduce its debt obligations year on year.

SGX:500 PE PEG Gauge Jan 5th 18

For more financially sound, undervalued companies to add to your portfolio, you can use our free platform to explore our interactive list of undervalued stocks.

To help readers see pass the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price sensitive company announcements.



The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned.
The Trump administration announced new plans Thursday to allow drilling for natural gas and oil in 90 percent of the nations offshore reserves, paving the way for conflict with state officials and environmental protection groups.

The five year plan would open up 47 sites for gas and oil production, and roll back Obama-era bans of offshore drilling near the coasts of Florida, California, and in the Arctic. If the plan moves forward, it would be the first time that offshore drilling would be allowed off of California since 1984.

The proposed plan would also increase the number of drilling sites off of Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico, and reinstate leasing sites, canceled under President Obama, in both the Pacific and the Atlantic.

This is a start on looking at American energy dominance and looking at our offshore assets and beginning a dialog of when, how, where and how fast those offshore assets could be or should be developed, said Secretary Ryan Zinke of the Department of the Interior in a call with reporters.

The plan drew immediate pushback, even from fellow Republicans.

Rick Scott, the Republican governor from Florida, released a statement asking to have Floridas coasts removed from the list of potential leasing sites, citing environmental concerns. My top priority is to ensure that Floridas natural resources are protected, he said.

Nancy Pelosi, the current House Democratic Leader, released a statement Thursday condemning the plan. The American people deserve smart, strong action to keep our communities healthy, clean and safe. Yet the Trump administration is racing forward with its increasingly brazen attempts to loot our environment and our planet, she said.

Meanwhile, North Carolinas governor Roy Cooper said in a press release, I can sum it up in four words: not off our coast.

This is the second time in recent months that the Trump administration has surged forward with plans to industrialize the wilderness, despite environmental concerns. When the GOPs tax bill passed the Senate in December, it included an authorization for oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or ANWR for short. A cluster of protected wildlife areas in Alaska, the refuge has been called one of planet Earths own works of art, by biologists.

Story continues

Obamas efforts to end oil drilling started on the heels of the devastating Deepwater Horizon Spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010, when he let current leases expire in some areas and banned drilling in others, before rescinding leases in the Atlantic and then withdrawing leasing plans for the Arctic in 2017.

It could take up to 18 months before the plan goes into effect, giving its opponents a chance to challenge it in court, as they likely will.

Photos via Getty Images / David McNew

Photos via Getty Images / David McNew

Written by Eileen Guo

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Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has sued special counsel Robert Mueller , Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and the Department of Justice in U.S. federal court, alleging that Mueller has strayed beyond the scope of the investigation he was authorized to pursue. Manafort's suit also alleges the order appointing Mueller exceeds the deputy attorney general's authority. As a result, all actions taken by the special counsel "must be set aside," it argues. "The actions of DOJ and Mr. Rosenstein in issuing the Appointment Order, and Mr. Mueller's actions pursuant to the authority the Order granted him, were arbitrary, capricious, and not in accordance with the law," the suit reads. The appointment order authorizing Mueller as special counsel permits him to investigate any matters that "may arise directly from the investigation." Experts have said it gives Mueller wide latitude to determine the course of his investigation. "I think it's going to be an uphill battle," said Sol Wisenberg, a leading white-collar attorney, referring to Manafort's suit. "These kinds of things usually don't prevail."Manafort was indicted Oct. 27 on 12 counts related to unlawful financial dealings. He pleaded not guilty and has been contesting the charges. A trial is scheduled to begin in May.The special counsel's office declined to comment. Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has sued special counsel Robert Mueller , Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and the Department of Justice in U.S. federal court, alleging that Mueller has strayed beyond the scope of the investigation he was authorized to pursue. Manafort's suit also alleges the order appointing Mueller exceeds the deputy attorney general's authority. As a result, all actions taken by the special counsel "must be set aside," it argues. "The actions of DOJ and Mr. Rosenstein in issuing the Appointment Order, and Mr. Mueller's actions pursuant to the authority the Order granted him, were arbitrary, capricious, and not in accordance with the law," the suit reads. The appointment order authorizing Mueller as special counsel permits him to investigate any matters that "may arise directly from the investigation." Experts have said it gives Mueller wide latitude to determine the course of his investigation. "I think it's going to be an uphill battle," said Sol Wisenberg, a leading white-collar attorney, referring to Manafort's suit. "These kinds of things usually don't prevail." Manafort was indicted Oct. 27 on 12 counts related to unlawful financial dealings. He pleaded not guilty and has been contesting the charges. A trial is scheduled to begin in May. The special counsel's office declined to comment.



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The Trump administration plans to allow oil drilling in nearly all waters off the U.S. coast, according to a proposal unveiled Thursday.

The Trump offshore drilling plan would let oil suppliers drill in protected areas of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans  places where governors, attorneys general and lawmakers along the East and West Coasts oppose offshore drilling.

Offshore drilling stocks, other oil and gas stocks and oil prices rose following the Trump news Thursday afternoon. West Texas Intermediate, a benchmark for oil prices, went up 0.4% following the announcement. Offshore drilling companies Noble Corp. and Ensco saw shares rise 0.2% and 0.21%.

We want to grow our nations offshore energy industry, instead of slowly surrendering it to foreign shores. We will produce enough energy to meet our needs at home, and we will export enough energy to lead the world, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, who is leading the proposal, said in a conference call with reporters.

The Obama administration considered opening some of the affected areas to oil exploration, but abandoned the idea in 2016 because of concerns from states, coastal residents and the military, which uses waters that would be affected.

That plan was nowhere near as broad in scope as the new Trump oil drilling proposal, which would make available drilling rights in more than 90% of the continental shelf. Only one out of 26 planning areas across the Pacific, Atlantic and Artic Oceans and the Gulf of Mexico would be totally off limits to oil drilling.

President Donald Trumps decision will likely spark protests from and legal battles with environmentalists and other opponents of offshore drilling. Republican and Democratic governors of Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina, North Carolina, Delaware and Florida all opposed the proposal, the Washington Post reported, with many citing billion-dollar tourism industries dependent on their states coastal beaches.
FILE PHOTO: Job seekers line up to apply during "Amazon Jobs Day," a job fair being held at 10 fulfillment centers across the United States aimed at filling more than 50,000 jobs, at the Amazon.com Fulfillment Center in Fall River, Massachusetts, U.S., August 2, 2017. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo

(Reuters) - U.S. private employers added 250,000 jobs in December, marking the biggest monthly increase since March, a report by ADP Research Institute showed on Thursday.

Economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast the ADP National Employment Report would show a gain of 190,000 jobs, with estimates ranging from 165,000 to 225,000.

Private payroll gains in the month earlier were revised down to 185,000 from an originally reported 190,000 increase.

The report is jointly developed with Moody's Analytics.

The ADP figures come ahead of the U.S. Labor Department's more comprehensive non-farm payrolls report on Friday, which includes both public and private-sector employment.

Economists polled by Reuters are looking for U.S. private payroll employment to have grown by 185,000 jobs in December, down from 221,000 the month before. Total non-farm employment is expected to have changed by 190,000.

The unemployment rate is forecast to stay steady at the 4.1 percent recorded a month earlier.

(Reporting by Richard LeongEditing by Chizu Nomiyama)
A successful portfolio manager is aware of the importance of having well-performing stocks in ones portfolio. Indicators of a stocks continued performance include a rise in share price and strong fundamentals.



One such stock that investors need to hold on to right now is Equinix Inc. EQIX. Though there are a few concerns, these are short lived. The stock has the potential to perform well over the long run.

Equinixs share-price movement has been quite encouraging. Over the past year, its shares have gained 25.1%, while the industry, to which it belongs to, witnessed a decline of 9.9%.





Whats Driving Equinix?



Equinix is a global provider of network-neutral data centers and internet-exchange services for enterprises, content companies, systems integrators and network service providers. The company is on a growth trajectory, gathering momentum from its positive earnings surprise history and robust fundamentals.



It delivered a positive earnings surprise in three out of the last four quarters, with an average positive surprise of 6.8%.



Last quarter, Equinix reported solid year-over-year improvement in revenues as well as earnings. The year-over-year improvement was primarily driven by strong booking activity, Equinix's global platform, continued enterprise momentum and synergies from acquisition. The company witnessed revenue growth across all three geographic regions and verticals.



Acquisitions have been a major contributor to growth at Equinix. The company has made several buyouts to continue expanding its data-center capacity in many of its key markets since 2003. Last year, the company bought various assets, including Itconic and Zenium businesses, and data-center assets from IO UK and ICT-Center AG.



Furthermore, the company completed the pending acquisition of 24 data-center sites, which consist of 29 data-center buildings across 15 metro areas, in operation from Verizon Communications VZ for a total cash consideration of $3.6 billion in 2017. Other notable acquisitions in the recent past include Telecity Group Plc, Bit-isle and Nimbo. All these acquisitions are making decent contributions toward total revenue growth.



Bottom Line



Expansion in important markets and consolidation of facilities in the existing ones are important parts of Equinix's core strategy. The company strives to boost its revenue base and profitability by offering upgraded technology to clients. Moreover, its recurring revenue model has provided the much-needed support to the company's revenue stream over the years. The company's cloud and IT service businesses are its fastest growing segments, and account for roughly one fourth of its total revenues.



Further, Equinix remains positive on the growing demand for data centers. To meet the rising demand for cloud services, this global interconnection and data-center company is expanding its IBX data centers globally, and gaining popularity among tech companies looking for data management.



Additionally, the companys earnings are projected to grow 15.3% over the long term and it has a Growth Style Score of B.



Nonetheless, we are slightly concerned about the companys growing debt burden, which will affect operating results as interest expenses are likely to flare up. Also, intensifying competition from established internet data-center operators such as AT&T T and CenturyLink Inc. CTL might affect product pricing, thereby denting Equinixs margins.



Equinix has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



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Iceland has been at the forefront of equal pay for women and men for years (Arnaldur Halldorsson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Iceland has become the first country in the world to make it illegal to pay men more than women.

As of January 1, companies and government agencies with more than 25 employees will have to prove they do not pay women workers less than men.

They will be obliged to secure government certification of their equal-pay policies or face fines.

MORE: Women in the UK are now working for free until the end of the year

Its a mechanism to ensure women and men are being paid equally, Dagny Osk Aradottir Pind, a board member of the Icelandic Womens Rights Association, told Al Jazeera.

We have had legislation saying that pay should be equal for men and women for decades now but we still have a pay gap.

The legislation was supported by Icelands centre-right coalition government, as well as the opposition, in the countrys parliament, where nearly 50% of members are women.

MORE: London now has the widest gender pay gap in the UK

Aradottir Pind told Al Jazeera: Women have been talking about this for decades and I really feel that we have managed to raise awareness, and we have managed to get to the point that people realise that the legislation we have had in place is not working, and we need to do something more.

In the UK, larger employers will have to reveal the scale of their gender pay gap by April.

However, as doubts have been raised whether one of Theresa Mays flagship policies is enforceable by sanctions, just over 500 of the estimated 9,000 companies obliged to submit figures have done so thus far.

The Equalities and Human Rights Commission last month warned employers faced unlimited fines and convictions.

MORE: UK gender pay gap drops to record low in 2017  ONS

However, Ruth Christy, an employment specialist at law firm Blake Morgan, told the Financial Times earlier this week that neither the gender pay gap regulations, nor the EHRCs powers under current equality legislation, would allow that to happen.

On the whole, the UKs gender pay gap has narrowed to 9.1% among full-time workers.

Story continues

Iceland has been ranked the best in the world for gender equality by the World Economic Forum for nine years in a row.

The WEF ranked Britain in 15th spot last year, with a 16.9% pay gap between men and women.
The Afghan Health Ministry says at least 11 people were killed and 25 injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up in Kabul as security personnel were conducting an operation at the scene before the attack.

"We can confirm that so far 11 bodies have been brought to our hospitals as well as 25 wounded," the AFP news agency quoted Health Ministry spokesman Wahid Majroh as saying on January 4.

The spokesman cautioned that the toll could rise.

AFP quoted a security source as saying 20 people had been killed in the attack, which occurred about 8:30 p.m. local time.

The Islamic State (IS) militant group claimed responsibility through its Amaq news agency, although it provided no evidence to back up the claim.

'Inhumane' Attack

President Ashraf Ghani late on January 4 called the attack "inhumane" and against the tenets of Islam.

Witnesses told RFE/RL that the blast could be heard throughout the capital.

Kabul police spokesman Basir Mujahid said police were conducting operations against illegal drug and alcohol sales in the area and that security personnel were attempting to maintain safety among crowds that had gathered.

"Kabul police forces were there to prevent a possible protest when a suicide bomber approached them and detonated his suicide vest," Mujahid said.

Tolo News reported that local residents had participated in a street demonstration in the area earlier in the day.

Recent Incidents

Kabul has been hit hard by terror attacks attributed to Taliban, Islamic State (IS), and other militants operating in the country.

On December 29, Afghan authorities said at least 41 people were killed and 84 wounded by multiple bomb blasts at a Shi'ite cultural center in Kabul.

IS claimed responsibility for the December 28 attack, which Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called a "crime against humanity" committed by terrorists.

The Sunni extremist group has recently increased its attacks against Shi'a in Afghanistan -- particularly in Kabul.

U.S. forces led an invasion to drive Taliban extremists from power after Al-Qaeda militants whose leaders were sheltering in Afghanistan carried out the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

U.S. troops have remained in the country, although at greatly reduced numbers, helping to train and support Afghan forces in their battles against the militant groups.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, RFE/RLs Radio Free Afghanistan, Tolo News, and Khaama Press
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. State Department has singled out Pakistan, Iran, and three Central Asian countries for policies violating religious freedom.

In a statement on January 4, the State Department said Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan were among a group of 10 nations redesignated as "countries of particular concern" (CPC) for having engaged in or tolerated violations of religious freedom.

Also on the list of 10 countries were Burma, China, Eritrea, North Korea, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia. The same 10 were designated as CPCs a year earlier.

The statement also said Pakistan had been placed on a special watch list for "severe violations of religious freedom."

U.S. relations with Pakistan have been particularly strained in recent days. In a separate matter, the administration of President Donald Trump has said it will soon take "specific actions" against Islamabad for what it calls a lack of cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

The State Department did not break down alleged violations of religious freedoms for each country on the lists. The designations were made on December 22, it said.

The U.S. secretary of state annually designates governments it determines to have engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing, and "egregious" violations of religious freedom as CPCs.

"In far too many places around the globe, people continue to be persecuted, unjustly prosecuted, or imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief," the statement said.

"Today, a number of governments infringe upon individuals' ability to adopt, change, or renounce their religion or belief, worship in accordance with their religion or beliefs, or be free from coercion to practice a particular religion or belief."

"These designations are aimed at improving the respect for religious freedom in these countries," the statement said, while adding that it welcomed moves by "several designated countries" to improve their respect for religious freedom.

The designations are part of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), pass in 1998. It requires an annual report on religious freedom to be provided to the U.S. Congress and for a list of countries of particular concern to be designated each year.
With the dawn of the new year, bilateral relations between Pakistan and the United States are worsening after President Donald Trump accused Islamabad of giving safe haven to terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan.

Amid Pakistani denouncements, Washington then suspended nearly $1 billion in security assistance to Islamabad until its takes "decisive action" against Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network militants operating from its territory.

The question now is whether the two countries are heading toward a complete breakdown in their fraught relations or can yet again pull back from the brink.

Marvin Weinbaum, a former Afghanistan-Pakistan analyst for the U.S. State Department, sees little chance of relations improving in the short term.

This is a New Year's gift to the hard-liners in both countries anxious to see a divorce, he told RFE/RLs Gandhara website. What could really set off a downward spiral in relations is if Pakistan responds by tightening or closing U.S. air and ground access to Afghanistan.

Islamabad has yet to announce any such measures. But Pakistani Foreign Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif said their alliance with Washington was over.

We do not have any alliance with the United States. This is not how allies behave, he told the Wall Street Journal on January 5.

But Asif Ghafoor, a spokesman for Pakistans powerful military, adopted a more reconciliatory tone. He told Pakistans Geo News Television that the effects of Pakistans actions against the Haqqani network will be visible in due time.

We are allies [with the U.S.], and a war cannot be fought with allies, he said. There are several occasions where Pakistan has sided with the U.S. At one time, Pakistan had the option to become the ally of Russia, but it opted to join hands with the U.S. instead.

Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's former ambassador to the United States, however, sees relations between the two countries heading for a divorce.

Now the director for South and Central Asia at Washingtons Hudson Institute think tank, Haqqani told the BBC that by accusing Pakistan publicly, Trump has demonstrated a level of candor that has never been demonstrated at such a high level.

The American dilemma has been that Pakistan is useful to the United States, and so is the usefulness more important than the lack of strategic convergence or is the lack of strategic convergence, which results in the deaths of American personnel in Afghanistan, more significant? he asked. President Trump is moving in the latter direction.

Relations between nuclear-armed Pakistan and the United States have been volatile for decades. Their Cold War alliance ended with Washington sanctioning Islamabad for nuclear proliferation in the 1990s after fostering it as a frontline ally in a decade-long guerrilla war against the Soviet occupation of its neighbor, Afghanistan.

Islamabad again became a U.S. ally after terrorist attacks killed more than 3,000 people in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001.

In the words of Zalmay Khalilzad, a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Pakistan has played a double game with the United States, providing just enough sporadic assistance in capturing members of Al-Qaeda and logistical support for our forces to give an impression of helpfulness, while at the same time harboring, training, and assisting violent extremist groups such as the Taliban and the Haqqani network that have killed thousands of American, Coalition, and Afghan soldiers and an even greater number of innocent Afghan civilians, he wrote.

Khalilzad says Washington has concluded that Pakistan is unlikely to cooperate. "A step that is being debated in the United States is how to pressure Pakistan's military," he told Radio Free Afghanistan, adding that Pakistani security officials accused of aiding the Afghan insurgency could be put on a blacklist or travel ban or see their assets under U.S. control frozen.

He said Washington is also considering measures that could further squeeze the struggling Pakistani economy. Such measures, he says, can be undertaken by global financial organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund or World Bank, or rich donor countries such as Saudi Arabia, Japan, and U.S. allies in Europe.

Michael Kugleman, a South Asia specialist at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington, says Islamabads reaction to such pressures will determine its future relations with Washington.

If Pakistan comes out with angry statements, I think the relationship would settle into a typical uneasy status of coexistence, he told Radio Mashaal. If Pakistan has to retaliate with closing the NATO supply routes, that could make things worse.

For now, Weinbaum sees Washington waiting to see whether Islamabad undertakes any tangible steps.

A next step by the U.S. would likely be the removing of Pakistan's non-NATO alliance status, though with military sales already effectively blocked, it would mostly have symbolic meaning, he said.

Wienbaum, however, says a U.S. declaration of Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism will have deep financial and political implications for a country already struggling with its international image.

It would make for a virtual divorce of the countries, and a difficult step given U.S. military commitments in Afghanistan, he said.

Given that the United States killed Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and Taliban leader Akhtar Mohammad Mansur in special forces operations and drone strikes inside Pakistan, Marvin says he fears that unilateral U.S. military incursions into Pakistan in pursuit of Afghan insurgent leaders hiding there will have more serious consequences.

This would turn the relationship from unfriendly to adversarial, he noted.
CHICAGO, Jan. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN), www.ncsbn.org, marks reaching its 40th anniversary milestone in 2018 with the inspiring theme of Regulatory Excellence Surging Toward the Future. Founded March 15, 1978, as an independent not-for-profit organization, NCSBN was initially created to lessen the burdens of state governments and bring together boards of nursing (BONs) to act and counsel together on matters of common interest. It has evolved into one of the leading voices of regulation across the world.



This year we celebrate 40 years of regulatory excellence and anticipate a future of transforming nursing regulation and embracing innovations to further our mission of public protection, comments NCSBN Board of Directors President Katherine Thomas, MN, RN, FAAN, executive director, Texas Board of Nursing.

Throughout its 40-year history, NCSBN has been a groundbreaker. Some of its many accomplishments include:

Being the first organization to implement computerized adaptive testing (CAT) for nationwide licensure examination in 1994. Since then, more than 5 million candidates for nurse licensure have taken the NCLEX exam via CAT.



In 2014, NCLEX-RN Examination became the licensure/registration exam for Canadian nurses (for all provinces except for Quebec), marking the first time that the test was utilized for the purpose of licensure in another country.



Conducting the landmark, award-winning, multisite National Simulation Study examining the use of simulation in prelicensure nursing programs.



BONs were the first health care provider regulatory bodies to develop a model for interstate practice with the original adoption of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) in 1997 and its implementation in 2000. The enhanced NLC will be implemented Jan. 19, 2018, with a membership of 27 states*.

NCSBN CEO David Benton, RGN, PhD, FFNF, FRCN, FAAN, remarked, Forty years is a major milestone. It is a time to reflect, a time to celebrate but also a time to look to the future. 2018 will be a year where we look to build on our successes, learn from our failures and recommit to advancing public safety and regulatory excellence as we move forward.

In the coming year, NCSBN will unveil a seminal Global Regulatory Atlas; publish, in cooperation with The National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers, the 2017 National Nursing Workforce Survey; reveal a new logo; launch a new website; and distribute a booklet for new nurses with the goal of providing one to every newly licensed nurse in the U.S.

About NCSBN

NCSBNs membership is comprised of the boards of nursing (BONs) in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories  American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands. There are also 30 associate members that are either nursing regulatory bodies or empowered regulatory authorities from other countries or territories.

NCSBN Member Boards protect the public by ensuring that safe and competent nursing care is provided by licensed nurses. These BONs regulate more than 4.5 million licensed nurses.

Mission: NCSBN provides education, service and research through collaborative leadership to promote evidence-based regulatory excellence for patient safety and public protection.

The statements and opinions expressed are those of NCSBN and not the individual member state or territorial boards of nursing.

*eNLC states include: Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Contact: Dawn M. Kappel

Director, Marketing and Communications

312.525.3667 direct

312.279.1034 fax

dkappel@ncsbn.org
French English

IBA signs contract for additional treatment capacity at Latin America's

first proton therapy center in Argentina

Contract for additional gantry treatment room for ProteusPLUS solution,

already under construction

Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, January 5, 2018 - IBA (Ion Beam Applications SA), the world's leading provider of proton therapy solutions for the treatment of cancer, announces that it has signed a new contract with INVAP for an additional gantry treatment room at the CNEA - UBA New Technologies Cancer Treatment Center to be installed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in a collaboration between CNEA, UBA (University of Buenos Aires), and other institutions. This new equipment order has been booked in 2017 and is worth between EUR 10 and 15 million to IBA, including a multi-year service agreement. IBA expects to receive a down payment for this new contract in the coming weeks.

In September 2015, IBA signed its first collaboration contract with INVAP and CNEA (Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica) to install the first proton therapy system in Latin America. The ProteusPLUS* solution will now include two gantry treatment rooms with next generation Pencil Beam Scanning capability and integrated Cone Beam CT as well as a dedicated research room. The center will also benefit from the most advanced room matching available, enabling maximum flexibility of room scheduling and allowing for a minimum 30% reduction in commissioning time therefore giving maximum flexibility for patient treatment.

Olivier Legrain, Chief Executive Officer of IBA commented: "The extension of our collaboration with INVAP endorses IBA's position as the trusted partner for the development and delivery of proton therapy treatment facilities around the world. We are delighted to expand on our original agreement to install the first proton therapy system in Latin America as it will give improved access to this life changing treatment to more patients globally."

Alberto Lamagna, Vice President of CNEA, commented: "By bringing an innovative new cancer center closer to the people that need it, doctors have a greater variety of methods to treat cancer. Proton therapy is used today to treat a wide range of cancers and it can be used where treatment options were previously limited. Proton therapy has the potential to improve treatment results and decrease the risk of secondary effects or long-term complications, leading to improved patients' quality of life.

"This collaboration between CNEA, INVAP and IBA, the global leader in proton therapy, is significant and an important milestone for our future long-term partnerships with these organizations to benefit more cancer patients in Argentina and Latin America."

Notes to Editors

About IBA

IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.) is a global medical technology company focused on bringing integrated and innovative solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The company is the worldwide technology leader in the field of proton therapy, considered to be the most advanced form of radiation therapy available today. IBA's proton therapy solutions are flexible and adaptable, allowing customers to choose from universal full-scale proton therapy centers as well as compact, single room solutions. In addition, IBA also has a radiation dosimetry business and develops particle accelerators for the medical world and industry. Headquartered in Belgium and employing about 1,500 people worldwide, IBA has installed systems across the world.

IBA is listed on the pan-European stock exchange NYSE EURONEXT (IBA: Reuters IBAB.BR and Bloomberg IBAB.BB).

More information can be found at: www.iba-worldwide.com

*ProteusPLUS is a brand name of Proteus235

About INVAP

INVAP is an Argentinian company devoted to the design and construction of complex technological systems, with more than 40 years of history in the domestic market and more than twenty in the international scene. Its mission is to develop state-of-the-art technology in different industrial, scientific and applied research fields, thus creating "technological packages" with high added value, to meet domestic requirements or to be exported to international markets. www.invap.com.ar/en/

For further information, please contact:

IBA

Soumya Chandramouli

Chief Financial Officer

Bernard Dandoy

Investor Relations

+32 10 475 890

Investorrelations@iba-group.com

Thomas Ralet

Vice-President Corporate Communication

+32 10 475 890

communication@iba-group.com

For media and investor enquiries:

Consilium Strategic Communications

Amber Fennell, Matthew Neal, Ivar Milligan

+44 (0) 20 3709 5700

IBA@consilium-comms.com
English French

IBA Trading Update

Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, January 5, 2018 - IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A., EURONEXT), the world's leading provider of proton therapy solutions for the treatment of cancer, today provides a trading update ahead of the Company's full year results on March 22, 2018.

Further to the Company's announcement this morning of the signature of a proton therapy contract in Argentina worth EUR 10-15 million, IBA is finalizing late stage negotiations for contracts with at least four proton therapy prospects that had been expected to be signed in 2017. IBA continues to be confident in signing these contracts, however, the timescale for when final signature will be received is difficult to determine. Consequently, the Company will not meet its previously announced full year 2017 revenue guidance and will report a negative REBIT.

Taking into account the strength of its equipment and service backlog, its pipeline and its cost control measures, IBA will return to a positive REBIT and net profit after tax in 2018. However due to the difficulty in predicting the timing of signature of proton therapy contracts and the impact this has on IBA's revenue recognition, IBA is withdrawing all other guidance until further notice.

IBA has put into action a number of measures to drive growth and profitability, whilst continuing to improve on tight cost controls and efficiencies. Revenue recognition from the conversion of the Proton Therapy and Other Accelerators backlog is on track (Q317: EUR 284 million for equipment expected to be converted over three years and EUR 682 million for services expected to be converted over a median of eight years) and Dosimetry continues to demonstrate good performance. Upgrades of existing proton therapy systems and services also remain strong sources of future revenues. A reorganization of the Company's Proton Therapy business unit was conducted in 2017 as part of the plan to further enhance efficiency, project management and delivery. This, alongside the collaborations announced with Elekta and Vinci Construction last year, will further reinforce IBA leadership in offering highly competitive and attractive proton therapy solutions to its customers worldwide.

Olivier Legrain, Chief Executive Officer of IBA commented: "The fundamentals of the proton therapy market continue to be solid, as demonstrated by the number of projects for which we are in late stage negotiations and the numerous prospects we are pursuing across all global markets. IBA remains fully focused on driving growth and has moved quickly to mitigate the 2017 challenges resulting from customer project delays and more competitive market conditions. Alongside our strategic partnerships and ongoing focus on cost controls and maintaining the world's most competitive and attractive proton therapy offering, IBA will continue to drive towards a positive REBIT and net profit after tax in 2018 and beyond."

***ENDS***

About IBA

IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.) is a global medical technology company focused on bringing integrated and innovative solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The company is the worldwide technology leader in the field of proton therapy, considered to be the most advanced form of radiation therapy available today. IBA's proton therapy solutions are flexible and adaptable, allowing customers to choose from universal full-scale proton therapy centers as well as compact, single room solutions. In addition, IBA also has a radiation dosimetry business and develops particle accelerators for the medical world and industry. Headquartered in Belgium and employing about 1,500 people worldwide, IBA has installed systems across the world.

IBA is listed on the pan-European stock exchange NYSE EURONEXT (IBA: Reuters IBAB.BR and Bloomberg IBAB.BB). More information can be found at: www.iba-worldwide.com

For further information, please contact:

IBA

Bernard Dandoy

Investor Relations

Soumya Chandramouli

Chief Financial Officer

+32 10 475 890

Investorrelations@iba-group.com

Thomas Ralet

Vice-President Corporate Communication

+32 10 475 890

communication@iba-group.com

For media and investor enquiries:

Consilium Strategic Communications

Amber Fennell, Matthew Neal, Ivar Milligan

+44 (0) 20 3709 5700

IBA@consilium-comms.com
Materials Used

Timeline:

Tips:

every

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IMG-5206.jpg [ 676.68 KiB | Viewed 24945 times ]



Hi guys, I had a lot of help from this community in preparing for the GMAT so decided to give back and do a debrief for future GMAT-takers. Will keep it short and sweet.I think this will mainly be of help to those with a solid foundation in Math and English already. Prior to the prep I hadn't touched Math for close to 5 years but the great thing about GMAT Quant is that it really just tests relatively simple concepts but disguises it in various ways, and I was familiar with these concepts from my high school days (with a bit of refreshment help from the prep books).The one thing I will say for those with solid Q/V backgrounds and aiming to score high is that it's all about mentality; you have to go into the centre prepared, gunning for that perfect 800 and looking to rip each question to shreds (yeah I know this is corny). For those coming from a humanities undergraduate background like me, if you think about it every question in the GMAT has either a right or wrong answer, which is much more straightforward than writing an essay where the mark will be influenced by the marker's subjectivity.: books, , GMATPrep Mock Exams (2), Manhattan Practice CATs (6)I honestly feel that these are all the books you need, did not cover other books (e.g Kaplan / others) but Manhattan was very comprehensive on theory and the books on practice questions. Manhattan is definitely crucial for a deeper understanding of Geometry / Number Properties / Sentence corrections concepts, but guides give a better guide of how difficult the questions will be in the actual exam.Decided to take the GMAT, searched online for the best books, ordered and Manhattan.Day 1-5: Finished (800 questions)Day 6-8: Finished GMAT Official Verbal (300 questions)Day 9: Took Manhattan CAT 1, ran out of time for Q and got the last 8 questions wrong. Final Score 710 (Q47, V40)Day 10-12: Took a break from GMAT, brain was feeling fried.Day 13-14: Blazed through Manhattan Quant books, only doing the harder practice questions.Day 15-16: Blazed through Manhattan Verbal books, only doing the SC questions.Day 17: Manhattan CAT 2. Again ran out of time for Q (jeez, Manhattan's Quant is literally impossible), got the last 6 questions wrong. Finished with 720 (Q46 V42).Day 19: GMATPrep Test 1 (780, Q50 V47) at this point i realised Manhattan's Q was way harder than the real thing, so on all future i just paused without guilt when it came to a particular tough question as I knew in the real test I would have more time anyway. Would only recommend if you are sure you won't run out of time on the actual test though.Day 20-21: Did CAT 3 (720, Q47 V42) and CAT 4 (780, Q51 V45).Day 21-27: Was feeling pretty confident after CAT 4, so took a break for a week, intermittently doing the harder questions from the Guide. Planned for a ramp-up in the last three days before the exams, doing a test per day.Day 28: Manhattan CAT 5 (780, Q51 V45)Day 29: GMAT Prep Test 2 (790, Q51 V48)Day 30: Manhattan CAT 6 (780, Q51 V45)Test day: Didn't get much sleep the night before. The test was booked for the afternoon, so I did some revision in the morning then took a taxi over to the test centre 30 minutes before. I thought Q wasn't too bad and V was alright apart from the one or two Sentence Correction questions of doom which seem to prop up every test. IR / AWA were the usual. Came out of the test and got the unofficial score of 780. Tinge of disappointment for the Q 50 especially since I'd been consistently hitting 51, but obviously very happy with the overall result.- Make a timeline for yourself from the very beginning + Set goals for what scores you want to hit for each practice test.- During preparation, for, and I stress every, question that you do (whether from the CATs or the books) that you are unsure of, OR you feel like there can be a faster way to do it, flag it and go over the explanation in the answer sheets. I cannot stress this enough, whether you get the question right or not is inconsequential, the most important thing is understanding how to do it properly and how to do it fast. At the start of my revision I was flagging one in every 3 questions for about 500 questions, some might find it a huge pain to go over all the explanations but you'll come out of it with rock solid concepts to apply to all future questions.- Not sure how one can prep for IR, but for AWA i found Manhattan as well as some resources on this forum pretty useful in terms of stuff like connectors ('further, in addition, moreover') and structuring your argument. Haven't gotten my AWA score yet though so take it with a grain of salt.- Do Quant first then Verbal, I feel like mental fatigue really hits after the first section which hurts you much more for Quant (especially since I seem to always go closer to the time limit for Q), whereas for Verbal you can kind of slowly work your way through. Of course this is my personal opinion and may be different for others. V was just generally more pleasant for me to face after a good 75 minutes of numbers.- Take both the 8 minutes breaks after the Q/V sections to steel yourself for the next section.I hope that helps! Attached my scoresheet below.P.S my earlier posts on other subforums were going off my CAT 4 scores, wanted to get advice on my profile asap so I could work on my applications beforehand.
Rock750 wrote:

The recently reelected president of Cyprus has asked that the United States would encourage Turkey, which invaded the island in 1974 and now controls their northern regions, to withdraw from his country.



(A) that the United States would encourage Turkey, which invaded the island in 1974 and now controls their

(B) of the United States that it would encourage Turkey, which invaded the island in 1974 and now controls their

(C) that the United States would encourage Turkey, which invaded the island in 1974 and now controls its

(D) that the United States encourage Turkey, which invaded the island in 1974 and now controls their

(E) the United States to encourage Turkey, which invaded the island in 1974 and now controls its

KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:

The phrase asked that in choices (A), (C), and (D) requires the following verb to be in the subjunctive mood which, in situations like this (technically known as indirect speech), looks like the infinitive form of the verb. The options in the three choices are would encourage and encourage. The second is correct since encourage is indeed the infinitive form of the verb (to encourage). Eliminate (A) and (C). Answer choice (B) makes the same error. Even though it separates asked and that with some more information, (B) still presents the asked that construction and needs to use the subjunctive encourage rather than would encourage. (D) and (E) remain. (E) is correct because it uses its rather than their to refer to Cyprus.An 800 test taker realizes that he doesn't need to know all of the details of the subjunctive mood in order to ace the GMAT. He familiarizes himself with the three situations in which the subjunctive is used so that he can spot them in Sentence Correction questions._________________
voodoochild wrote:

Travel Agent: In the book travelling abroad, the author claims that European hotels are better designed than American hotels. This claim is justified by a thorough comparison of 25 populat European hotels and 25 popular American hotels. In this comparison, none of the American hotels were as complexly designed as any of the European ones.



The travel agent's argument is most vulnerable to which of the following criticisms?



a) The hotels reviewed by the book may be those that best serve its proposal.

b) Hotels can be judged by other merits besides design

c) The author of the book has written other books favoring European travel.

d) Hotels in other parts of the world may be better designed than those in Europe.

e) Someone who hasn't been to Europe might not appreciate hotel design.





OA is A - Why? After all, A) supports Travel Agent's argument. Travel agent tends to disagree with the author of the book. How could A) be a criticism of his argument?



I am unsure about all the five answer choices.





Thanks



Owner of Angles and Arguments





Check out my Blog Posts here: Blog

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Responding to a pm: Why do you feel that the travel agent is disagreeing with the author? The travel agent's argument is the same as the argument of the author. He says that the book claims so and so and the claim is justified by a thorough comparison of so and so etc. I don't see the travel agent disagreeing with the author or being skeptical of the book/author. If anything, the use of the word 'thorough' makes me feel that he is trying to persuade the listener of the author's opinion._________________
letta1900 wrote:

Hi everyone,



I've had the fortune of being admitted at Tuck ($$) and Kellogg (No $). A little about my background and plans:



I'm from Latin America and I work in PE. My intention is to stay in PE or do corporate finance inside companies (NO IB). I can consider consulting (MBB) if PE doesn't work out.



My plan is to work in the US for a couple years after the MBA and then return to Latin America (maybe Kellogg can help me more on this side). Initially I was very driven to Tuck due to the $$ and proximity to Boston/NY, but now I'm having second thoughts. I'm a little concerned about lifestyle at Tuck (I like outdoors but not sure that much) and the difficulty of recruiting for PE / other companies (different than consulting /IB) if you are not in a big city. On the other hand sometimes I perceive that Kellogg has a week brand in finance and that Tuck might be better for PE and finance roles.



Any ideas?



Thursday with Ron updated list as of July 1st, 2015:

Rules for Posting in Quant Forums:

Writing Mathematical Formulae in your posts:

GMATCLUB Math Book:

Everything Related to Inequalities:

Inequalities tips:

Debrief, 650 to 750: My Kellogg Journey (2016-2018): https://gmatclub.com/forum/my-kellogg-journey-325661.html Thursday with Ron updated list as of July 1st, 2015: http://gmatclub.com/forum/consolidated-thursday-with-ron-list-for-all-the-sections-201006.html#p1544515 Rules for Posting in Quant Forums: http://gmatclub.com/forum/rules-for-posting-please-read-this-before-posting-133935.html Writing Mathematical Formulae in your posts: http://gmatclub.com/forum/rules-for-posting-please-read-this-before-posting-133935.html#p1096628 GMATCLUB Math Book: http://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-math-book-in-downloadable-pdf-format-130609.html Everything Related to Inequalities: http://gmatclub.com/forum/inequalities-made-easy-206653.html#p1582891 Inequalities tips: http://gmatclub.com/forum/inequalities-tips-and-hints-175001.html Debrief, 650 to 750: http://gmatclub.com/forum/650-to-750-a-10-month-journey-to-the-score-203190.html Signature Read More
Image: Twitter

Winnipeg, Jan 5 (IBNS): A woman was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Canada's Manitoba province on Dec 28.

According to police, the frozen cadaver was recovered from a street in Winnipeg, the provincial capital.

Though they did not identify her in terms of gender, age or name, the family of the deceased identified her as 29-year-old Windy Sinclair, a mother of four.

Windy's death could have been passed off as one among many similar incidents that take place around this time of the year, due to the extreme dip in temperatures, but what baffled her family is the location of her death.

According to her mother, Eleanor Sinclair, Windy struggled with a raging methamphetamine addiction.

In distress, the deceased had sought help and dialed 911 on Christmas night, following which she was admitted to Winnipegs Seven Oaks General Hospital.

Her body was found around 8.5 kilometres from the hospital, behind an apartment in Furby street.

Speaking to local CTV, the deceased's mother said that she was angry upon finding out that the facility had released her daughter the next day without informing her.

According to a statement by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, which condoled the loss, Sinclair had left the hospital without informing anyone.

"When staff returned to her treatment area to share results of some testing, Ms. Sinclair had taken her belongings and left the building, the statement said. Staff searched the area for her, but were unable to locate her. Calls to the number on Ms. Sinclairs file were unanswered.

The whole incident has left the patient's family angry, who are now demanding answers.

The incident has also raised concerns about lack of services for meth addicts.

According to a recovering addict, help 'isn't accessible'.

Speaking to CTV, Shane, who paints house as part of his recovering process, said that the hospital where he had gone to sought help, told him that they couldn't do much for him.

According to expert Marion Willis, who works with meth patients, such death will continue without proper support in place.

Image: Twitter
Former President Mohammad Khatami, condemned anti-government protesters in a meeting he presided over that was held by the reform-oriented Assembly of Militant Clerics.

In a speech to his forces, police chief Hossein Ashtari claimed that 70 percent of the protests organizers have been arrested, although he stopped short of giving a specific number. However, reports by media, such as

IranWire, and statements issued by governors and security officials in several provinces, indicate that more than 1,000 people have been arrested since the protests began on December 28th.

By Tuesday, more than 450 people had been arrested in the province of Tehran, said Ali Asghar Naserbakht, the provinces deputy governor-general.

In Malard County, officials said the admin of a social-media page that was creating rumors had been arrested, in just one of many cases in which officials have tracked people and arrested them based on posts to social media.

According to the deputy prosecutor of Mashhad, the holy city where the protests began, 138 people have been arrested, and more than 20 people were arrested in Karaj, a large suburb of Tehran. The epicenter of the protests,

Isfahan province, saw the arrests of more than 100 people. As well, more than 100 people were in Markazi province, which includes the major city of Arak.

The governor of Hamedan said 150 had been arrested, mostly of them aged between 17 to 25. Authorities said that some of them had connections with networks and media abroad.

150 people were arrested for chanting slogans against the regime and for disrupting the public order and security in the northern province of Golestan, according to its governor-general.

The Lorestan city of Borujerd made international news whena European citizen was arrested. In interviews with the media, Judiciary chief, Hamidreza Bolhasani, claimed, This person was leading and directing the chaos and had been trained for this by espionage organizations in Europe and had come to Borujerd to run the riots. Ali Sabzevari, the judiciarys head of public relations said the suspect had been arrested while carrying a camera and other equipment. Officials affirmed that the arrested suspect is originally from Borujerd, but has been naturalized as a citizen of a European country.

A workshop inside Tehrans notorious Evin Prison has been ordered to stop making uniforms. Workers have been instructed to make 1,200 blue blindfolds, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), who speculates the these blindfolds are for new detainees.

An inmate serving a sentence for financial misconduct who is held at the prisons Ward 7 spoke to IranWire, and described the scene there, saying,I was awakened early in the morning by the noises of prisoners traffic. They were emptying one of the rooms in the middle of Ward 7, mostly occupied by financial offenders. He said further that leaves of absence for both political and ordinary prisoners have been revoked until further notice. We are keenly following the news and we are very worried, he said. We dont receive many newspapers and the TV reports the news in dribs and drabsbut one can get an idea about what is happening outside by the unusual situation inside the prison.

According to the inmate the new detainees who have no record of political or security arrests have been sent to the isolation ward, where they have no contact with other prisoners. The ones who have records of being arrested for political activities have been sent to Ward 2A, controlled by the Revolutionary Guards, and Ward 209, run by the intelligence ministry.

Mostafa Mohebbi, director general of Tehran provinces prisons, told Fars News Agency, Teams have been dispatched to the prison and are separating out those [who] have been arrested in the events of recent days, and added, The number of arrests was not so high as to create a problem for us in receiving them. According to Mohebbi, the number of people arrested over the last four days was less than 200.

Still, the intelligence ministrys public-relations office announced that a number of hostile elements and rioters have been arrested, and that there is a continuing search for others.

Reportedly, in the capital, a number of student-activists have been arrested, as have followers of the minority Sufi religious order the Gonabadi Dervishes. Mehdi Azadbakht, a webmaster for the dervishes website Majzooban-e Noor, has apparently also been arrested in Arak by intelligence ministry forces.

Iranian state TV broadcast confessions of some of those arrested, on January 3rd. President Hassan Rouhani, remarking on the protests, chided the broadcaster for not genuinely reflecting all sections of Iranian society.

Iranians abroad have organized an active network of human-rights organizations to monitor the fate of the more than 1,000 incarcerated citizens, and to report the ongoing arrests.
As the death toll from days of ongoing protests climbed to at least 21, Telegram has remained intermittently blocked in the country. Some 40 million Iranians, totaling about half of the population, use the app. Its encryption allows them to talk to each other away from the eyes of their government.

Also blocked were Instagram and Signal. Iranians woke up in the New Year to find themselves cut off from one another in a country that already ranks close to the bottom when it comes to political rights and civil liberties.

Sanam Vakil an associate fellow at Chatham House says that the Iranian government has a lot of experience with censorship. Its about preventing networking and preventing people from making meaningful connections, she says. Iran bans YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and the BBC Persian services, and Iran is said to have one of the strictest internet censorship policies of any country in the world.

Oliver Farnan, a cybersecurity doctoral student, at the University of Oxford in the UK says, All of their internet goes through internet exchanges controlled by the government, so it generally makes it a lot more straightforward to block things.

The Iranian government can cut off access to a website by just adding the sites IP address to their list of blocked websites. Its become the standard play for governments in these situations, says Farnan.

It is possible to visit blocked websites by using VPNs or Tor software, but only a small number of Iranians seem to be using this technology. On Tuesday there were around 12,000 people in Iran using Tor software says Joss Wright at the Oxford Internet Institute, which is only a tiny portion of the countrys 56.7 million internet users.

Wright adds that without a large number of people using a website, that sites usefulness is affected. If 99 per cent of the internet cant get to Instagram theres not much point people accessing it at all, he says.

Telegram, created by Pavel Durov has been very successful in Iran. The app is a hybrid of a messaging app and a social media feed. It allows people to talk directly with each other or subscribe to public channels. When one of those channels started calling on subscribers to use firearms against Iranian police, Telegram took the channel offline because it violated its terms of service. Still, Durov only did that after Irans ICT Minister tweeted, asking him to do so. The minister, Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi, demanded that Durov starts blocking terrorist channels of people opposing the regime. If Telegram[s] manager does not respect Iranians demand, the application will be closed completely, he said, according to the state-backed news agency IRNA.

If Durov doesnt make concessions to the Iranian government the app may be banned for good in the country. Its easy for them to be blocked, says Farnan. So they either have to deal with [that] or make some kind of agreement with the government.

Durov recently tweeted, We dont care about complying with local laws. We care only about applying our own rules fairly and equally to all public content on @telegram.

Just using certain apps can be enough to attract the attention of the state. Theyve identified individuals and gone after them having tracked them on Telegram and Instagram, says Vakil. As well, he says its not just protesters who are using new technology to rally people to their cause, but in fact, the Iranian government sent messages to peoples smartphones, urging them not to take part in the protests.
In late October of 2016, Justice Department officials began investigating Reza Zarrab, a dual Iranian-Turkish national. He was a gold trader who had helped Iran evade sanctions with the help of Turkish banks in 2013 and 2014, yielding Iran an estimated $13 billion. In Istanbul, in March 2014, a leaked report suggested that Zarrab led another sanctions-busting scheme involving fake invoices for billions more in fictitious humanitarian shipments to Iran that were processed through Turkish banks.

However, last March, when Zarrab inexplicably brought his family to America for a vacation at Disney World, U.S. authorities arrested him in Florida for engaging in conspiracies to violate sanctions, commit bank fraud, and launder money.

The case took a turn on March 28, when, Justice Department officials from the Southern District of New York arrested Atilla, the deputy CEO and general manager at Turkeys state-owned Halkbank. He was accused of conspiring with Zarrab to launder hundreds of millions of dollars through the U.S. financial system on behalf of Iran. Halkbank held one of the oil escrow accounts for Iran, and it constituted a creative method of withholding petrodollars from Iran, as mandated by the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act (ITRA) of 2012.

Defying U.S. sanctions, Halkbank released those funds to buy gold, that was then shipped to Iran. Halkbank was also accused of helping to process Zarrabs fictitious invoices, the ones first exposed in the 2014 prosecutors report.

Halkbank it hired Ballard Partners, a U.S. lobbying firm that already represented the Turkish government in September, for $1.5 million. Zarrab hired former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Attorney General Michael Mukasey in an attempt to derail the proceedings. However, in late November, Zarrab pled out, making him a witness for the prosecution. Atilla would stand trial alone.

Zarrab delivered seven days of sensational testimony. He testified that in 2010, when Iran began to feel the squeeze from U.S. sanctions for its nuclear drive the scheme began. He said that in 2012 the Iranian government gave him explicit directions to conduct these illegal transactions. Zarrab claimed that the Turkish economy minister allegedly took $50 million in bribes to help facilitate the scheme.

David Cohen and Adam Szubin, two former Treasury Department undersecretaries testified that Halkbank officials repeatedly reassured them their gold-trader clients, including Zarrab, were in compliance with U.S. sanctions against Iran.

The jury returned a verdict of guilty on five out of six counts.

Will the United States government now issue a fine against Halkbank? French Bank BNP Paribas was fined $8.9 billion for far lesser transgressions in 2015, for its violations of sanctions against Sudan, Cuba, and Iran.

Given Tehrans current domestic turmoil, the regime probably gave little thought to the Atilla verdict. But this is what the people are calling for  better economic conditions, and a foreign policy that doesnt squander Irans wealth on adventurism outside the countrys borders.
The Southeast Asian Press Alliance, a regional network of media freedom advocacy organisations, is looking for an Executive Director to lead its Secretariat office in Bangkok, Thailand. The position is open to eligible and qualified nationals of Southeast Asia to be based at its Secretariat office in Bangkok, Thailand.

The employment duration is for three years starting May 2015. The successful candidate will be subject to a three-month probation and a performance evaluation to be conducted by the Board of Trustees.

As a registered organisation in Thailand, employees of the Secretariat will be subject to local labour and tax laws.

Salary and Benefits
Actor Cate Blanchett will head the awards jury at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival in May.

The Australian movie star is a major voice in the campaign against sexual harassment.

In a statement, Festival officials Pierre Lescure and Thierry Fremaux praised Blanchett. They called her a rare and unique artist whose talent and convictions enrich both screen and stage.

Blanchett is a two-time Academy Award winner. She also was an early supporter of the women who accused Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual wrongdoing.

Weinstein resigned as head of the powerful Weinstein Company in October. He left a few weeks after the first reports of widespread accusations against him were published.

Blanchett recently joined the Time's Up campaign with movie stars Reese Witherspoon, Emma Stone and others. The campaign aims to act against sexual harassment and inequality in the workplace.

Blanchett said she had been to Cannes for many reasons over the years: as an actress, producer and in competition. But the actor said she has never attended only for the pleasure of watching the many films the festival offers.

I am humbled by the privilege and responsibility of presiding over this year's jury. This festival plays a pivotal role in bringing the world together to celebrate story, Blanchett said.

Blanchett won the 2014 best actress Oscar for her part in the movie Blue Jasmine. Ten years earlier, she had won the Academy Award for best supporting actress in The Aviator.

In 2012, the French government honored Blanchett with the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

Blanchett follows Spanish director Pedro Almodovar. He headed the 70th festival in the coastal town of Cannes last year. This year's event will take place from May 8 to 19.

Im Caty Weaver.

Caty Weaver adapted this story for Learning English based on Associated Press news reports. Mario Ritter was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

unique  adj. used to say that something or someone is unlike anything or anyone else

conviction  n. a strong belief or opinion

harassment  n. the act of annoying or bothering (someone) In a repeated way

humbled  adj. not thinking of yourself as better than other people

privilege  n. a special opportunity to do something that makes you proud

pivotal  adj. very important
Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. produces and distributes specialty plant nutrients, iodine and its derivatives, lithium and its derivatives, potassium chloride and sulfate, industrial chemicals, and other products and services. The company offers specialty plant nutrients, including potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, sodium potassium nitrate, specialty blends, and other specialty fertilizers. It also provides iodine and its derivatives for use in medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial applications comprising x-ray contrast media, polarizing films for LCD and LED, antiseptics, biocides and disinfectants, pharmaceutical synthesis, electronics, pigments, and dye components. In addition, the company offers lithium carbonates for various applications that include electrochemical materials for batteries, frits for the ceramic and enamel industries, heat-resistant glass, air conditioning chemicals, continuous casting powder for steel extrusion, primary aluminum smelting process, pharmaceuticals, and lithium derivatives, as well as ingredient in manufacturing of gunpowder. Further, it supplies lithium hydroxide for the lubricating greases industry, as well as cathodes for batteries. Additionally, it offers potassium chloride and potassium sulfate for various crops, including corn, rice, sugar, soybean, and wheat; industrial chemicals, including sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, potassium chloride, and solar salts; and other fertilizers and blends. The company operates in Chile, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, North America, Asia, and internationally. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. was incorporated in 1968 and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile.
AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of prescription medicines. Its marketed products include Calquence, Enhertu, Faslodex, Imfinzi, Iressa, Koselugo, Lumoxiti, Lynparza, Orpathys, Tagrisso, and Zoladex for oncology; Brilinta/Brilique, Bydureon/Byetta, BCise, Byetta, Crestor, Evrenzo, Farxiga/Forxiga, Komboglyze/Kombiglyze XR, Lokelma, Onglyza, Qtern, and Xigduo/Xigduo XR for cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism diseases; Bevespi Aerosphere, Breztri Aerosphere, Daliresp/Daxas, Duaklir Genuair, Fasenra, Pulmicort, Saphnelo, Symbicort, and Tudorza/Eklira/Bretaris for respiratory and immunology; and Andexxa/Ondexxya, Kanuma, Soliris, Strensiq, and Ultomiris for rare diseases. The company's marketed products also comprise Synagis for respiratory syncytial virus; Fluenz Tetra/FluMist Quadrivalent for Influenza; Seroquel IR/Seroquel XR for schizophrenia bipolar disease; Nexium, and Losec/Prilosec for gastroenterology; and Vaxzevria and Evusheld for covid-19. The company serves primary care and specialty care physicians through distributors and local representative offices in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. It has a collaboration agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to research, develop, and commercialize small molecule medicines for obesity; Neurimmune AG to develop and commercialize NI006; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop eplontersen, a liver-targeted antisense therapy in Phase III development for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis; Proteros Biostructures GmbH to jointly discover novel small molecules for the treatment of hematological cancers; Sierra Oncology, Inc. to develop and commercialize AZD5153. The company was formerly known as Zeneca Group PLC and changed its name to AstraZeneca PLC in April 1999. AstraZeneca PLC was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom.
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WestRock Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides fiber-based paper and packaging solutions in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It operates through two segments, Corrugated Packaging and Consumer Packaging. The Corrugated Packaging segment produces containerboards, corrugated sheets, corrugated packaging, and preprinted linerboards to consumer and industrial products manufacturers, and corrugated box manufacturers. It also provides structural and graphic design, engineering services and custom, and proprietary and standard automated packaging machines, as well as turn-key installation, automation, line integration, and packaging solutions; distributes corrugated packaging materials and other specialty packaging products, including stretch films, void fills, carton sealing tapes, and other specialty tapes; operates recycling facilities that collect, sort, grade, and bale recovered paper; and provides lithographic laminated packaging products, as well as contract packing services. The Consumer Packaging segment manufactures and sells folding cartons that are used to package food, paper, beverages, dairy products, tobacco, confectionery, health and beauty, other household consumer, and commercial and industrial products; and express mail packages for the overnight courier industry. It also offers inserts and labels, as well as rigid packaging and other printed packaging products, such as transaction cards, brochures, product literature, marketing materials, and grower tags and plant stakes for the horticultural market; and secondary packages and paperboard packaging for over-the-counter and prescription drugs. In addition, this segment manufactures and sells solid fiber and corrugated partitions, and die-cut paperboard components principally to glass container manufacturers and the automotive industry, as well as producers of beer, food, wine, spirits, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. WestRock Company is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Exxon Mobil Corporation is the largest direct descendent of John D. Rockefellers Standard Oil and one of the worlds largest companies. Its earliest roots lie with Vacuum Oil which got its start in the 1860s. Vacuum Oils primary product was kerosene, an important advancement for heating and lighting in rural America. Vacuum Oil was later merged with Standard Oil of New Jersey which was the parent operation of the Standard Oil empire prior to its breakup. Standard Oil of New Jersey would merge with other independent operators over the next few years until settling on the brand Exxon for most of its operations.

Meanwhile, Standard Oil of New York was operating under much the same impetus, merging and growing, until it became known as Mobil. Then, in 1999, the two giants became one with a merger of equals that on paper had Exxon buying Mobil. Now, the combined company operates under the Exxon, Mobil, and Esso brands as an international vertically integrated energy and petrochemical business.

Today, the company explores and produces crude oil and natural gas and their derivative products globally. As of 2022, it was ranked 6th on Forbes Fortune 500 list and 12th on the Global 500 list but it has held positions from #1 to #10 over the years. In terms of its operations, it is the worlds second-largest oil refiner and the largest refiner outside of China. In terms of reserves, ExxonMobil claimed about 18.5 million barrels of oil and oil equivalents at the end of 2021 and was ranked 15th globally.

ExxonMobil operates through three segments that are the Upstream, Downstream, and Chemical segments. The Upstream segment explores for and produces oil and oil equivalents and represents roughly 70% of the income. The Downstream segment gathers, receives, stores, transports and refines oil and equivalents and their derivatives. The Downstream segment also markets and delivers fuel products to consumers and businesses. The Chemicals segment produces the full range of petrochemicals including plastics, resins and synthetic rubber.

ExxonMobil is committed to advancing sustainable and carbon-free energy solutions. The company is targeting 2050 for net-zero emissions and its 2030 interim targets are in alignment with the Paris Accord, the EU's Global Methane Pledge, and US Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan. The companys plans include investing $15 billion into reducing greenhouse emissions by 2028.






Navistar International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells commercial trucks, diesel engines, school and commercial buses, and service parts for trucks and diesel engines worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Truck, Parts, Global Operations, and Financial Services. It manufactures and distributes Class 4 through 8 trucks and buses in the common carrier, private carrier, government, leasing, construction, energy/petroleum, and student and commercial transportation markets under the International and IC brands; and designs, engineers, and produces sheet metal components, including truck cabs and engines. The company also provides customers with proprietary products needed to support the International commercial truck, IC bus, and engine lines, as well as other product lines; and a selection of other standard truck, trailer, and engine aftermarket parts. In addition, it manufactures and distributes mid-range diesel engines, as well as provides customers with additional engine offerings in the agriculture, marine, genset, and light truck markets; sells engines to original equipment manufacturers (OEM) for various on-and-off-road applications; and offers contract manufacturing services under the MWM brand to OEMs for the assembly of their engines. Further, the company provides retail, wholesale, and lease financing of products of its trucks and parts, as well as financing for wholesale and retail accounts receivable. Additionally, it exports trucks, buses, and engines. The company markets its commercial products through an independent dealer network, as well as through retail outlets; and its reconditioned used trucks to owner-operators and fleet buyers through its network of used truck dealers. It operates approximately 1,052 outlets in the United States and Canada, and 89 outlets in Mexico. Navistar International Corporation was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Lisle, Illinois.
High-end gaming computers can be expensive and its not necessarily a one-time investment. If you spend $1000 or more to get the best CPU, graphics card, memory, storage, and peripherals available today, you may be tempted to upgrade one or all of those components in a year or two.

So maybe French startup Blades idea to essentially rent users a virtual high-end gaming rig isnt entirely crazy.

For prices starting at $35 per month what you get is a dedicated virtual PC that Blade calls Shadow. Its hosted in the cloud and has the equivalent of an Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card.

You can then use it to stream games over the internet to virtually any device including a PC, Mac, tablet, smartphone, or even smart TV.

While it might seem kind of crazy to rent a computer thats not even sitting in your house, the upshot is that Blade says Shadow will be upgraded regularly, so you never need to shell out extra money to get a better graphics card or a faster processor.

On the down side, since games are streamed over the internet, youll want a pretty speedy internet connection with low latency. Blade recommends a connection of at least 15 Mbps, and the company will only offer its Shadow service in areas where Blade has data servers. The service is already available in France, and this week the company announced that its rolling out service in California on February 15th, with plans to be available across the US by this summer.

Keep in mind, this isnt a Netflix-for-games style service. Youre not paying a monthly fee to access games. Youre paying to access a virtual PC. Youll still need to buy and install games separately.

While you should be able to stream games to your current hardware using Windows, Mac, or Android apps, Blade also plans to offer a Shadow Box later this year, thats basically a compact computer with two DisplayPort jacks, two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet jack, and an AMD processor.

Its basically a little computer designed for interacting with your virtual PC, allowing you to leave a piece of dedicated hardware by your TV if you dont want to keep plugging and unplugging your computer to game in the living room, for example.

The Shadow box supports real-time decoding of 1080p content at 144 Hz or 4K content at 60 Hz.

Overall, its an intriguing idea for folks that want a dedicated gaming PC that also lets you play PC games on a phone or tablet and who dont want to go through the hassle of setting up their own system and then keeping it up to date. But streaming over the internet is intrinsically less reliable than playing games locally, so even though Blade says its technology offers zero latency, theres always a chance that you could experience a little lag that would affect gameplay based on your network conditions.

The solution also isnt exactly cheap: $35 per month equals about $420 per year, and you only get that price when you make a 1-year commitment. A three-month commitment brings the price up to $40 per month, and a no-commitment plan is $50 per month.

press release via Polygon
The Macau International Airport (MIA) achieved a record high volume of traffic last year, with 7.16 million arriving and departing passengers amounting to an increase of 8 percent year-on-

year, the MIA said yesterday in a press release.

The airport handled over 58,000 aircraft movements last year, representing an increase of 2.8 percent.

It is the highest passenger traffic MIA has achieved in a year in its 22 years of operation, the airport stated, adding that the number of incoming and outgoing passengers equated to over 11 times the local population.

During Christmas and the New Year holiday, a total of 29 airlines were operating at MIA, connecting Macau to some 46 destinations covering the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia.

In 2017, the local airport added six new routes, including flights to Sihanoukville of Cambodia, Siem Reap (Cambodia), Jakarta (Indonesia) and Johor Bahru (Malaysia). It also launched a regular transit flight from Macau to Lisbon via Beijing.

Reviewing the achievements of last year, the MIA statement claims that five new airlines expanded their flights to Macau, namely, Lanmei Airlines, Indonesia Air Asia, Beijing Capital Airlines, JC Cambodia International Airlines and JSC Royal Flight Airlines.

In 2017, the Taiwan market for airline travel remained stable, while the Southeast Asia market and mainland China market increased by 10 percent and 15 percent respectively. There was a growth of 32 percent in passengers choosing to fly with low-cost airlines.

The press release anticipates the targets for this year. Local airport management pledges to fully develop a long-haul route, aiming to increase and change the current passenger market structure, thus attracting more international and local travelers flying to and from MIA.

In addition, the airport intends to keep upgrading its hardware and software. A number of infrastructure projects are expected to be completed in 2018, including the north terminal building expansion project. Upon completion, the airport capacity will increase to 7.5 million passengers per year.
The consequences of Typhoon Hato and the responsibilities of government officials in the wake of the typhoon were the main topic of discussion during yesterdays plenary session at the Legislative Assembly. The meeting was convened to discuss 16 spoken enquiries posed by several lawmakers around October last year.

Lawmaker Ng Kuok Cheong called on the government to explain what actions had been taken to remedy the notable shortcomings in the alert and prevention system used by the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG). Ng also asked how the government plans to improve their ability to evaluate and attribute an appropriate degree of responsibility to the relevant officials. Ng also noted flaws in the operation of the Committee for Responding to Unforeseen Incidents, a committee that is led by the Chief Executive (CE), and raised questions about weaknesses in the drainage infrastructure in the Inner Harbor area.

Lawmaker Ella Lei wanted to know more about the governments response concerning the measures that were proposed to address the serious flaws which became apparent during the passage of Typhoon Hato.

The commissioner-general of the Unitary Police Services, Ma Io Kun, and the interim director of the SMG, Raymond Tam, responded that a decision had been made to categorize storm surges as a more severe threat, reflected as an alert level of five, (instead of an alert level of three).

Tam also noted the cooperation with cartography services to review the altimetry (the science of measuring altitudes) quotas regarding potential flood risks.

Tam highlighted that typhoon warnings will now be issued three hours earlier than has been done previously, as this extra time will allow the population to prepare itself for the storms. This measure is undertaken in conjunction with an increase in cooperation with Guangdong authorities, said Tam.

In response to the two lawmakers, the director of the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) Li Canfeng, also noted that the government is evaluating whether there is a possibility to elevate the existing structures, so that they will be able to successfully prevent flooding.

As noted by Li, there were issues not only in the Inner Harbor; the dikes in the areas of Areia Preta and Coloane were also not high enough to contain the tides.

In the Inner Harbor we have the additional problem with drainage. We are finding locations to proceed with the necessary works to improve in this matter, Li added.

One of the other measures noted was the change to the policy concerning the frequency of wind speed evaluation by the SMG. SMG will be required to evaluate the changes in wind speed at more regular intervals and these changes will need to reported to the public every 10 minutes, instead of every hour.

On the second round of questions, Ng reaffirmed that there was a tendency from higher government officials, including the CE, to hide. Ng noted the retirement of former SMG head Fong Soi Kun, whom he said lacked transparency. Ng feels that his criticism was confirmed later with the suspension of the process [of retirement]. Further, Ng noted that the contingency plan from the government has not been effective and has caused suffering to victims.

The Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak replied to Ngs accusations, we never had any intention to cover one thing with another thing [responsibility with retirement]. There were already installed disciplinary procedures to the leaders on the line. We are still in [too] early [a] stage to be able to attribute responsibilities.

Wong also took the opportunity to mention that the surveillance system installed recently in the streets will be integrated as one of the mechanisms that the new Civil Protection Bureau can resort to to prevent and respond to emergencies. This surveillance will be in addition to the existing communications system.

We will distribute 60 walkie-talkies through the community associations in order to establish close contact with the authorities in case other kinds of communication experience difficulties or fail, Wong said, noting that such equipment is already being prepared.

Wong also refuted the idea that the CE is hiding from responsibilities, noting that he has been leading the process since the start and that he has recognized since the first moment our insufficiencies.

As the debate opened to the intervention of other lawmakers, several proposals were then aired. The first came from Zheng Anting, who noted that the major issue was with the alert system. According to Zheng, we should follow what the neighboring regions [in mainland China] did the previous day [August 22], which was to evacuate the populations from the lower and most vulnerable areas. Zheng claimed that such measures could have saved lives and prevented major destruction.

Lawmakers Pereira Coutinho and Pang Chuan proposed that the automatic activation of the Civil Protection Service, which happens when typhoon signal eight is issued should have happened at an earlier stage. They also proposed that the automatic activation should be lowered to a signal three warning in order to give enough time for authorities to convene and discuss what measures to take before a signal eight is issued.
French President Emmanuel Macron will head to China next week to strengthen commercial ties with the worlds second-largest economy.

It will be Macrons first state visit to China since he won election last year.

According to the Elysee, Macron will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Jan. 9 after visiting the ancient imperial capital of Xian.

Talks also will focus on North Korea, the fight against terror financing and international efforts against climate change.

Macrons office yesterday said a number of commercial deals are expected to be signed during the three-day visit but they have yet to be finalized. A Franco-Chinese investment fund worth more than a billion euros (USD1.2 billion) also should be announced.

France says China has a major role to play in the North Korea nuclear crisis and Macron hopes that good cooperation between France and China could improve chances of a denuclearization agreement.

While in Xian, an eastern departure point of the ancient Silk Road, Macron will deliver a speech on the Franco-Chinese relationship from an historical standpoint.

The second day of his trip is expected to feature a visit to Beijings Forbidden City. Macron also will meet with French and Chinese entrepreneurs and sign deals with Xi before a state dinner.

The Elysee said China is Frances leading commercial partner in Asia, but Frances trade deficit with China reaches about 30 billion euros ($36.2 billion). Macron, who will travel with representatives of large French companies, wants to secure new deals that would guarantee reciprocal market access.

In terms of agriculture exports, French authorities want to open a market for beef products and will ask China to abolish non-tariff barriers to trade on wine and spirits, which represent 50 percent of French exports.

The final day of Macrons visit will include talks on the fight against climate change and meetings with Chinese artists. France says China is committed to the Paris climate deal and wants to form a joint leadership on the issue, especially after President Donald Trump announced the United States withdrawal from the agreement. AP
The Macau Polytechnic Institute (IPM) is holding its annual Open Day tomorrow at its main campus on Gomez Street, featuring explanations and demonstrations of its teaching and management philosophy.

The Open Day will present IPMs teaching and research facilities, programs and courses, and information about its admission policies and processes to the public.

According to a statement issued by the university, the 2018/19 academic year will cater to students interested in a range of Bachelor Degree programs including Chinese-Portuguese/Portuguese-Chinese Translation & Interpretation, Chinese-English/English-Chinese Translation & Interpretation, and International Chinese Language Education.

In addition to the above, Portuguese Language, Computing, Social Work, Public Administration and Sino-Lusophone Trade Relations courses are also offered.

The Open Day will feature a guided tour of the campus, teaching exhibitions and showcases of the institutions research achievements, trial tests of physical fitness, and performance and interactive activities.

Art workshops, nursing demonstrations, experiment demonstrations, talent shows, library tours and hands-on trials with teaching equipment will also be held.

IPM noted that on-site applications are strongly encouraged and will be processed immediately, although the application period will continue until January 19.

The university recommends that interested students visit the Exhibition of Programs & Curriculum in the Chi Un Building and enjoy other thematic exhibitions in the IPM Library in the Wui Chi Building.
The France Macau Chamber of Commerce (FMCC) will celebrate its 10th Anniversary Charity Gala Dinner with the theme Extravagance au Moulin Rouge on January 26, and will give the funds that are raised to the Macao Fok Sin Association.

FMCC, previously known as the French Macau Business Association (FMBA), aspires to reach MOP50,000 to MOP60,000 to support the local associations project, Visit the Elderly.

The project aims to provide visits and useful gifts to underprivileged elderly residents with low mobility, who do not have families and who lack emotional and financial support.

The association will provide essential items including food, winter clothes and articles such as walking sticks and eyeglasses as part of the project.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, FMCC chairman Rutger Verschuren explained to the press that its target amount would greatly benefit the population of disadvantaged elderly residents in the region, particularly those who have yet to fully recover from Typhoon Hato.

In previous years, we are talking in a range of MOP50,000 to MOP60,000. If we reach that, were quite happy and we can make a big difference for the underprivileged elderly residents. That would be the target, said Verschuren.

Last year, FMCC raised over MOP48,000 to support Architecture Sans Frontiere Macau (ASF-M) to revamp the local Good Shepherd Sisters Center.

The chamber raised funds for ASF-M at its 2016 and 2017 gala dinner.

We did a great project [and] this year, were looking for a change. We found this association that is a really down-to-earth charity [which will donate] immediately, said the chairman.

This charity is also close to our personal sentiments as well, and it is not just one corporate donation, he continued.

Macao Fok Sin Association provides a platform for young residents to participate in community works, while expanding their social network.

We have to understand and accept that the unfortunate and underprivileged are a part of the community, said Karen Wong, who represents the association.

The local association will organize visits during the Chinese New Year, which will take at least 30 minutes per group.

During the gala dinner, the two parties will raise funds through sales of raffle tickets, while the association will retail handmade silk balls that symbolize happiness, luck, safety and good health.

Meanwhile, Verschuren disclosed that the chamber would now act as a magnet for companies in France who want to expand their services to Macau.

The chairman noted that the chamber has received several enquiries from French companies about how to conduct business in the region and host visits to the SAR.

FMCC pledged to host more activities and business events, and provide further opportunities for its members now that it has transitioned from an association to a chamber.
Indonesian security forces have retaken control of a prison in the countrys west following a riot yesterday, an official said.

The riot began when three inmates refused to be transferred to another prison, said Edy Hardoyo, the head of Aceh province correctional office. Other inmates joined in the protest before it turned violent.

He said the three inmates who started the riot were angry that they will be transferred to a prison in neighboring province of North Sumatra, far from their families.

Angered inmates torched the Banda Aceh prison, which has a capacity to house 400 inmates but now has more than 540 inmates.

Eight fire trucks were mobilized to extinguish the fire while hundreds of police and soldiers were being deployed around the prison to prevent prisoners from escaping.

The situation is now under control, Hardoyo said, adding that no one was hurt.

Riots and jailbreaks are common in Indonesia, where overcrowding has become a problem in facilities that are struggling to cope with poor funding and an influx of people arrested in a war on drugs. Most prisoners have been convicted on drug charges.

Last year, more than 440 prisoners escaped from a penitentiary in neighboring Riau province when they were let out of their cells to take part in Friday Muslim prayers.

In July 2013, about 240 prisoners, including several convicted terrorists, escaped during a deadly riot at a prison in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra province. AP
Prosecutors in Taiwan said theyre investigating a man suspected of involvement in illegal oil sales to North Korea.

In a statement, prosecutors said they questioned a man surnamed Chen before releasing him on bail of 1.5 million New Taiwan dollars (USD51,000) while they continue their investigation.

The prosecutors office in southern Kaohsiung began its investigation after reports last week that South Korean authorities seized a Hong Kong-flagged ship for violating U.N. sanctions by selling oil to North Korea and that a Taiwan company was involved.

During questioning, they discovered the man, who owns a fishery company, knew the oil shipment would be sold in international waters but falsely declared its destination as Hong Kong.

South Korean officials believe the ship, the Lighthouse Winmore, transferred about 600 tons of refined petroleum products to a North Korean vessel, the Sam Jong 2, in the East China Sea in October.

South Korea impounded the ship, and a second one registered in Panama days later, after new United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea came into effect last month that let member states seize, inspect and freeze vessels suspected of transferring banned goods to the country.

Another set of U.N. sanctions adopted in September limits oil imports and includes measures aimed at stopping high-seas smuggling.

North Korea has faced increasingly tight sanctions as it steps up efforts to expand its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles program. In recent months, Pyongyang carried out its most powerful nuclear test to date and flight-tested intercontinental ballistic missiles three times, raising concerns its closer than ever toward gaining a military arsenal that can viably target the United States.

South Koreas Foreign Ministry said this week that a Taiwanese company incorporated in the Marshall Islands chartered the Lighthouse Winmore while a Netherlands-based commodities trader, Trafigura, consigned the oil shipment.

Trafigura denied it ordered the shipment, saying in a statement that it sold the cargo on a free on board basis to a Hong Kong-based company, Global Commodities Consultants.

Global Commodities Consultants said it in turn sold the oil to another company called Oceanic Enterprises on an arms length basis and wasnt involved in any onward sales.

The prosecutors statement said Chen founded a company with a similar name that was now dissolved.

Both Trafigura and Global Commodities Consultants said their sales contracts prohibit sales that breach sanctions. Kelvin Chan, Hong Kong, AP
Work on the main section of the Hong Kong  Zhuhai  Macau bridge (HKZMB) is due to be completed in early February, according to the new schedule released by Su Quanke, chief engineer of the HKZMB Authority, in statements given to the China Daily newspaper.

The schedule is the first update since the official announcement made several months ago, that indicated that work on the main section of the bridge would be completed before the end of 2017.

Su told the newspaper that the HKZMB Authority will announce the completion date of the main section of the bridge before the Lunar New Year, which this year will fall on February 16.

The completed bridge will have a total length of 55 kilometers, and the latest estimate of the building costs is RMB120 billion (USD18.4 billion), according to the financial director of the HKZMB Authority, Su Yi.

China Daily also reported that neither Su Quanke nor Su Yi specified a date for opening the bridge to traffic, which is a matter that will be decided by the Chinese central government. MDT/Macauhub
A U.S.-based company has dispatched a ship into the Indian Ocean in hopes of quickly resuming the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 if it soon secures a contract to do the job.

The search vessel named Seabed Constructor left the South African port of Durban earlier this week as part of the Ocean Infinity companys plan to look for debris in the southern Indian Ocean. The ship has unmanned submarines that can descend deep into the ocean.

Ocean Infinity was taking advantage of favorable weather to move the vessel toward the vicinity of the possible search zone, the company said in a statement.

This is designed to save time should the contract award be forthcoming, as hoped, it said. We will confirm as and when the contract is awarded and the search can resume.

The Malaysian government is negotiating with Ocean Infinity and will make an announcement next week, Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said on Wednesday.

The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 disappeared soon into its flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. The plane was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew.

The governments of Malaysia, China and Australia called off the 1,046-day official search on Jan. 17 last year. The Australian Transport Safety Bureaus final report on the search conceded that authorities were no closer to knowing the reasons for the planes disappearance, or its exact location.

Australia ran the original search on behalf of Malaysia because the airliner is thought to have crashed in the vast area of Australian search and rescue responsibility.

New Australian Transport Minister Barnaby Joyce told Australian Broadcasting Corp. yesterday that the decision on whether to resume the search was Malaysias.

I can understand how Malaysians are incredibly driven by finding the wreckage, said Joyce, who became transport minister two weeks ago.

I have, to be quite frank, some concerns as to whether it will be found, he added.

Search conditions are best during the current southern hemisphere summer, before the colder months bring storm-force winds and mountainous seas. AP
Real estate has been around as humanity. There has never been a time where we did not need shelter and a place to live. All of us have lived in properties in one form or another, and are aware of the benefits of having four walls and a roof to protect us from the elements, store our other possessions and provide a sense of privacy homeliness. But besides its basic function as a place of abode, real estate has a number of other important roles in todays society which we will explore today.

Enables economic activity

Besides the obvious function of providing commercial space for businesses to operate, the real estate industry supports economic activity by acting as a common form of security to finance entrepreneurial ventures. Innovation and business ownership financed and supported by loans taken out on property enables a dynamic and healthy economy.

Provides employment

The real estate industry itself is huge and thus provides employment for a significant portion of the working population. Employment takes the form of construction workers, architects, maintenance personnel and surveyors, contractors, real estate agents and consultants. In Q317, DSEC states that the construction industry employed 32,300 people while the Real Estate and Business Activities sector employed 29,700 people in Macau.

Supports institutional funds and retirees

The real estate market has always acted as a secure and attractive asset class for institutional investors such as pension funds, REITs and insurance companies to invest in. Although it has had its share of hiccups, the real estate market has traditionally been less volatile than the financial markets, providing a good foundation for institutional investors.

Acts as an instrument of personal financial investment, wealth storage and accumulation

If youve been in Macau for a while you probably know someone who has made money from the property market, if you havent done so yourself. Property investment is one of the most common ways for people to invest and growth their wealth. But without knowing the key concepts, youre just guessing when you try to figure out whether property is a good investment. Over the next few articles I would like to introduce you to some basic concepts of property investing, starting with the The 4 Ways to Make Money in Real Estate.

Juliet Risdon is a Director of JML Property and a property investor.

Having been established in 1994, JML Property offers investment property & homes. It specializes in managing properties for owners and investors, and providing attractive and comfortable homes for tenants.

www.JMLProperty.com

info@JMLProperty.com
The Mattoon Chamber of Commerce hopes that our business community can build on the successes of 2017. The Mattoon business community has been able to grow and prosper despite the issues many other communities face with the ongoing state budget issues and state government dysfunction.

Some of the highlights of 2017 include Rural King's purchase of the Cross County Mall. This is great news since we now have a local entity as the owner, who will have a vested interest in filling up the open store fronts. Once Rural King moves their corporate headquarters to the former Sears location, what retailer wouldn't want to come to a mall that has over 200 potential customers at their doorsteps a minimum of 5 days a week? We have also seen many new business construction projects completed in 2017, including the addition of Copper Creek Cottages Memory Care, Sarah Bush Lincoln's new Walk-in Clinic and Cancer Center, Planet Fitness, KC Summers GMC-Buick-Toyota, and CRAVE Coffee & Cafe just to name a few. Many other new business projects that are currently under construction to be completed early in 2018 include a new retail center, just to the west of Cracker Barrel. This location will host Starbuck's; an AT&T authorized retailer, Kay's Jeweler's, and a Great Clips. Copper Creek Cottages is developing a new professional project called the Lone Elm Center which has a chiropractor's office and room for 3 other professional businesses.

Downtown Mattoon has probably seen the biggest growth through a revitalization plan where over a dozen new businesses have opened in the past 2 years. New businesses downtown include, Sears Hometown Store, E & R Beauty Supply, Team ITS Technologies, Rejuvenate Salon, Osaka Sushi and Steakhouse, Helms Chiropractic, Fischer & Wozniak, Clark's Hearing Aids, Sapphire Salon & Spa, Wild Rose Boutique, Artsy Chic Studios, Luigi's Italian Restaurant and Brittany Jane's and Co. The great news for 2018 is that downtown Mattoon already has commitments from 3 other new businesses including Mattoon Flower Shop and a beauty supply business. Keith Summers, Dr. Don Freesmeier and others have been instrumental in the revitalization of downtown Mattoon. Many of these new businesses have unique store fronts, facades and interiors based on Keith and Don's investment in keeping a consistent overall historic appearance to Mattoon's downtown business district.

Included in the revitalization of Downtown Mattoon, Heritage Park, a collaborative effort between the City of Mattoon and the Lumpkin Family Foundation was dedicated in 2017 and has become a destination for music, events and a great spot for holiday photos. Historical markers and native prairie grasses highlight some of the unique characteristics of the park.

We hope everyone is as excited as we are for what 2018 has to offer our community. We wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.
On one the highlighted topics of the plenary meeting at the Legislative Assembly yesterday, Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo

do Rosario refuted the criticism of several lawmakers alleging the government had overlooked the needs of youngsters, public servants and others citizens included in the so-called sandwich class in terms of public housing studies.

Replying directly to spoken enquiries by lawmakers Song Pek Kei and Ho Ion Sang, but also to the interventions of Pereira Coutinho and Angela Leong, Rosario said, you keep calling me to find solutions for this and that [youngsters and civil servants] but you seem to forget that there is no law to support this. Everything is possible as long as there is a law to support [it]. he remarked.

Similarly to what transpired during the discussion on the consequences of Typhoon Hato, the Secretary reminded that in four days [on January 8] there is a meeting held by the Housing Bureau that aims to provide clarification over the public housing study held by the government. The responsible people from the consultancy firm that performed the study will be present in order to clarify to all of you how was it done and why.

Rosario also refuted the idea aired by lawmaker Song that the government was reserving half of the housing units initially planned for construction in Zone A of the new landfills.

No, we dont have such an idea. We will disclose all the plans of Zone A as well as the Avenida de Wai Long and the land plot of the former Thermal Power plant, he answered. I believe that, at least for the last one, we can start the construction works by the end of this year.

Adding to the reply, the director of the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau, Li Canfeng, explained that the work at Zone A is being split into several phases [] including the housing units as well as other public installations and facilities.

Leong once more wanted the Secretary to say if the land plot of the Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome will be used for residential purposes, but Rosario refused to answer.

Im not going to say anything about the Canidrome. It will be the chief executive who will say what is going to be built there. Only in the second quarter of the year, I will be able to inform on that. RM
Hong Kong-based risk consultancy Steve Vickers & Associates has released its annual Asia Risk Assessment report, finding that Macaus political outlook for 2018 promises stability and that the economy should stay solid. Chief Executive Officer Steve Vickers also praised the efforts of local security officials in strengthening anti-terrorism mechanisms in the unlikely event of an attack.

The annual report covers 13 jurisdictions in the Asia-Pacific region, including mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. The entry for the MSAR is titled Two Cheers for Macau, comparably more optimistic than Hong Kongs A Tighter Grip and Taiwans Walking the Tightrope.

Speaking to the Times last night, Vickers explained that the recent growth in gaming revenue was a strong sign of stability in the SAR, but the reliance on the VIP market was a slight cause for concern. For that reason, he said, Macau gets two stars [cheers], instead of three.

Vickers also reiterated concerns of a marginal threat of terrorist activity in Macau  as in previous reports  given the nexus of Chinese, American and Jewish interests in the gaming sector. Gaming tycoons Sheldon Adelson and Steve Wynn are both American and have Jewish origins.

The risk analyst said that the biggest threat comes from Chinas Muslim-majority Xinjiang Province; the believed origin of a number of recent attacks on Chinese soil including a 2014 knife attack at the Guangzhou Train Station Plaza.

Vickers praised recent efforts by Macau law enforcement agencies in stepping up security and anti-terrorism drills, but stressed that incidents such as Octobers Las Vegas mass shooting and Junes arson attack in a Philippine casino still remain a possible, albeit unlikely, occurrence in Macau. This is in part due to the difficulty in acquiring firearms and explosives in the city, the report notes.

I am happy to see Macau authorities taking this threat more seriously, he told the Times.

In terms of the economy, Vickers highlighted the strong recovery seen last year in Macaus gaming sector and concurred with analyst predictions of continued strength into this year.

However, growth in gaming revenues may yet be stifled by Xi Jinpings ongoing anti-corruption campaign, as well as recent policies to curb capital outflows from the mainland.

Moreover, the gaming concessionaire negotiations due to be held between 2020 and 2022 will be of particular concern to U.S. operators, the report noted, as each applicant must submit a formal tender, meaning American companies interests may possibly become hostage to volatile Sino-U.S. relations.
South Koreas president yesterday apologized to Korean women forced into sexual slavery by Japans imperial army in World War II over what he called a flawed 2015 deal with Tokyo to settle long-running disputes over the issue.

President Moon Jae-in issued the apology during a meeting with nine former sexual slavery victims, all of them now elderly women. Its the first time that Moon has apologized over the deal, which was struck before he took office last May.

I feel sorry for the fact that the deal was reached without listening to your opinions and was against your wills. Im offering words of apology as president, Moon said.

Last week, a state-appointed panel concluded Seouls previous conservative government failed to properly communicate with the victims before reaching the deal. Moon later ordered officials to map out measures to meet the victims demands, though he said the issues over history shouldnt affect the efforts to build future-oriented relations between the countries.

Moons moves placed the prospect for the deal into doubt, with Tokyo warning that any attempt to revise the accord would make bilateral relations unmanageable and unacceptable.

In December 2015, the government of Moons conservative predecessor, Park Geun-hye, agreed to settle the sex slavery dispute in return for an apology from Japans prime minister and a pledge of 1 billion yen (USD8.8 million). Park was later removed from office over a separate corruption scandal and is now on a trial.

Some experts say its unlikely that Moon will completely scrap the deal and trigger a major diplomatic row with Japan at a time when they are working closely with the United States to resolve the standoff over North Koreas nuclear program.

Historians say tens of thousands of women from around Asia, many of them Korean, were sent to front-line military brothels to provide sex to Japanese soldiers. Japan colonized the Korean Peninsula from 1910-45, before it was divided into North and South Korea later.

A total of 239 South Korean women have officially registered themselves as former sex slaves with authorities, a status that makes them eligible for state subsidy and benefits. Thirty two of them are still alive. Experts say many other former sex slaves havent come forward largely out of worries about social stigma in a conservative country that had long prized womens chastity.Hyung-Jin Kim, Seoul, AP
Investors are finally getting a crack at the resurgent music business. Spotify, owner of the worlds largest paid music service, plans to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange this quarter, passing up a traditional public offering for whats called a direct listing. The debut will test whether investors are ready to buy into the music industry, which was left for dead just a few years ago.

Record industry sales have increased for three years in a row thanks to the legions of consumers paying to listen on Spotify and Apple Music. Their spending has far outstripped shrinking album sales in retail outlets and online stores like iTunes, allowing the USD15.7 billion global business to prosper again after years of decline. Analysts project revenue could more than double over the next decade.

Investors have few direct opportunities to tap this potential growth. All three major music companies are part of larger concerns or closely held. Vivendi SA owns Universal Music, while Sony Music is part of the Japanese media and tech conglomerate and billionaire Len Blavatnik owns Warner Music. Music accounts for a small share of business for the industrys biggest retailers, like Apple Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Spotify built the most popular on-demand music service in the world, outflanking the largest technology companies, including Apple. The company has signed up more than 60 million subscribers and is trying to prove a music service can prosper without being a vehicle to sell mobile phones or other products.

If you look at the leaders in each form of media, music is the last uncaptured sector, said Rohit Kulkarni, an analyst at SharesPost Inc. Players 30 times bigger than Spotify took stabs at it, but none has won.

Newfound optimism about the future of the music business has boosted the value of catalogs in recent years. Kobalt Capital Ltd. raised $600 million to buy music rights in November and promptly agreed to acquire the collection of Songs Music Publishing for about $150 million. Imagem, which holds rights to 250,000 songs including Daft Punk, Pink Floyd and Stravinsky, was sold to Concord Bicycle Music in a deal Billboard valued at $600 million.

Vivendi, the French media company, has weighed a public offering of Universal Music, the worlds largest music company, to tap investor enthusiasm.

For now though, Spotify is the biggest opportunity. The company was valued at $8.5 billion when it raised money in March 2016, and has since been pegged at more than $15 billion.

A direct listing, usually done by much smaller companies, is risky, and Spotify is trying to pull off the biggest one ever. Most would-be stock issuers hire investment bankers to underwrite their shares and go on a roadshow where they raise money by touting their future to potential investors.

Spotify isnt trying to raise capital. Its seeking a listing so existing investors can begin selling their shares. Without the roadshow, the company and its bankers wont have much control over where the shares begin trading or as much insight into the thinking of investors.

There is no example of a successful music-streaming service from a financial standpoint, said Greg Howard, co-founder of TuneCore and Music Audience Exchange, and associate professor at the Berklee College of Music.

Spotify believes it is well-known, and investors can also look at limited financial results that have been posted publicly. Yet the company isnt a sure bet. Music industry growth could slow, and the company cant predict how many people worldwide will pay for a service.

Pandora Media Inc., an online radio service, went public in June 2011 at $16 a share via a traditional offering. The stock peaked above $40 in March 2014 but now trades below $5, felled by accumulated losses and management turmoil.

Spotify lost $601 million in 2016, thanks largely to contracts that require it to pay the majority of its sales to music rights holders. High content costs hampered Pandora before it began losing customers.

Spotify has since negotiated new contracts with major music companies that reduce its costs provided it reaches certain performance targets. Those deals have improved its margins, according to Kulkarni, who says the only clear threat to the company is Googles YouTube, which is itself developing a paid subscription service.

Spotify is the only reason for hope in the music business, Kulkarni said. Lucas Shaw, Bloomberg
An activist promoting the Tibetan language stood trial yesterday in western China for inciting separatism after he appeared in a documentary video produced by The New York Times, highlighting the risks that Chinese citizens often face when speaking to the foreign media on sensitive issues.

Tashi Wangchuks lawyer Liang Xiaojun told The Associated Press that a judge in Qinghai province heard oral arguments for four hours and will issue a verdict at an unspecified date.

Tashi, 32, has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face a prison term of five years or as many as 15 years, Liang said.

Liang says prosecutors presented evidence focused on a nine-minute video the Times made in 2015 that told of how Tashi tried to sue local officials for denying Tibetans language and culture education. The Times website is blocked in China.

Tashi was detained in January 2016, two months after The Times published its video and accompanying article. Liang said Tashi, who has been in jail for two years while awaiting trial, was treated well in detention and in good mental condition.

Liang added that he was given ample time to present his defense, which hinged on the argument that appearing in the documentary did not amount to separatist activity.

The prosecutors are ideologically too strong, said Liang. Their main evidence was this video  just nine minutes and 13 seconds.

In the documentary, Tashi, who was also described as a shopkeeper, speaks extensively in Mandarin about the pressure and fear felt by Tibetans and his worry that their culture is being wiped out through the steady erosion of their language.

He notes that 140 Tibetans have died from self-immolations since 2009 and says he believes they were also protesting the disappearance of their culture under Beijings rule.

I want to try to use the Peoples Republic of Chinas laws to solve the problem, Tashi says in the documentary.

He added that if the courts refused to hear his case, it would prove that issues surrounding Tibetan rights would not be solved through the Chinese legal system. If this comes to an end and Im locked up and cannot proceed with what Im doing and they force me to say or do things I dont want to say, I will choose suicide, he added.

He is shown seeking redress through official channels as he travels to Beijing, where he tries, unsuccessfully, to file a lawsuit against local officials and convince journalists at Chinas powerful state broadcaster, CCTV, to cover his case. Minority rights are protected under Chinas constitution, as is the right to sue government officials, he says in the video.

All Tashi Wangchuk has done is peacefully advocate for constitutionally guaranteed rights, said Human Rights Watch China director Sophie Richardson. If Chinese authorities consider that inciting separatism, its hard to tell what isnt.

Chinas ruling Communist Party often equates advocacy for greater autonomy or rights for its ethnic minority Tibetans, Uighurs and Mongolians with outright separatism. And its courts often hand down particularly harsh punishment to those criticizing the governments ethnic policies relative to other issues.

Rights groups around the world widely condemned China after it issued a life sentence in 2014 to Ilham Tohti, a moderate though outspoken Uighur critic of Beijings policies in Xinjiang, the region that is home to the Uighurs. He was convicted of fanning ethnic hatred, advocating violence and instigating terror through his classroom teaching and a website on Uighur issues. AP
Credit: University of Oregon

It's only a first step, but a project led by two UO scientists eventually could deliver welcome news to outdoor lovers and the medical community.

By using genetic information, researchers hope to stop blood-feeding by mosquitoes. That, in turn, would stop the spread of many serious diseases.

Focusing on Wyeomyia smithii, a species known as pitcher plant mosquitoes, a team of scientists from five institutions methodically sorted out 902 genes related to blood feeding and 478 genes linked to non-blood feeding among females.

Pitcher plant mosquitoes, which UO biologists William Bradshaw and Christina Holzapfel have studied for decades, are found in swamps and bogs along the east coast of North America from north Florida into Canada. The species completes its pre-adult life cycle in the water of pitcher plants.

The approach used in isolating the genes  reported in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  will be pursued in other species to identify which ones are universal, said Bradshaw and Holzapfel, who are members of the UO's Institute of Ecology and Evolution.

Next to be targeted are common house mosquitoes (Culex pipiens), which spread many encephalitis diseases, West Nile virus and heartworm; Asian tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus), which is spreading rapidly in the United States and carries, among other viruses, dengue, Zika and yellow fever; and the African malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae.

"We are seeking the genes that are in the transition between biting and non-biting," Holzapfel said. "The reason we are seeking those genes is because if we can figure out how to incapacitate biting genes, that would mitigate vector-borne disease worldwide. If there is no bite, there is no disease transmission, period."

The research initially targeted the pitcher plant mosquito because it is the only known species to have females that either bite to obtain blood or are obligate non-biters  those that don't seek blood.

Bradshaw and Holzapfel said that they had realized the possibility 20 years ago that genes guiding these lifestyle differences existed and had evolved in nature, but the technology was not yet developed to isolate these genes.

Females are the blood-feeding mosquitos, making them the vectors of diseases; males feed on nectar, as do female non-biting pitcher plant mosquitoes.

In the project, funded by two National Science Foundation grants, the research team examined 21,618 potential genes in the pitcher plant mosquito. Over seven generations, they identified and extracted 1,380 genes that were determined to have direct effects on differentiating the biting and non-biting lifestyles.

The step-by-step method involved strong, directional gene selection on a low-biting Florida population. By saving and mating only females about to blood-feed, researchers created an avid, voracious biting line. A group of disinterested non-biters also was developed from the same population by eliminating all females that bit or attempted to bite.

The research team also examined known metabolic pathways of the isolated genes. Key proteins, like fatty acid synthesis and energy production, are being produced in both biters and non-biters, but the linking enzymes that determine which metabolic pathways are turned on are missing in the non-biters.

"The car is gassed up and running at the intersection but the light is red," said co-author Michael E. Pfrender, director of the Genomics & Bioinformatics Core Facility at the University of Notre Dame.

Understanding specific genes and metabolic pathways are tied to blood-feeding behavior, Holzapfel said, will be helpful for future efforts by pharmaceutical companies to harness a control approach that nature already has established. Such an approach, she added, would allow mosquito populations to thrive and keep their place in the food chain.

More information: William E. Bradshaw et al. Evolutionary transition from blood feeding to obligate nonbiting in a mosquito, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2017). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences William E. Bradshaw et al. Evolutionary transition from blood feeding to obligate nonbiting in a mosquito,(2017). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1717502115
Credit: Imperial College London

People with the lung disease COPD have higher levels of glucose in their airways, researchers have shown for the first time.

An estimated 1.2 million people in the UK have diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung condition that make it difficult to breathe because of a narrowing of the airways. Many of these people are prone to suffering from bacterial lung infections.

In the latest study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers found that the concentration of glucose in the airways of people with COPD was almost twice as high as in people without the condition.

Increased glucose levels

According to the authors, when subjects with COPD contracted a virus, glucose levels in their airways further increased, alongside increases in airway inflammation and increases in bacteria.

Results suggest that reducing glucose levels in the airways could provide an alternative approach to antibiotics in reducing bacterial infection of the lungs.

Lead author Dr John Tregoning, Senior Lecturer in Department of Medicine at Imperial College London, said: "When airways are rich in glucose this provides an important food source for bacteria. Healthy lungs are continually pumping out glucose and it is likely we have developed this as a protective mechanism to starve bacteria and stop infections."

"We believe that the glucose levels are higher in the airways of people with COPD because inflammation in the lungs makes them leakier so the glucose can move from the blood into the airways," added Dr Tregoning. "When people with COPD catch a virus this further increases inflammation and therefore the levels of glucose also rise, heightening the risk of a bacterial infection."

The research analysed existing sputum samples from people with COPD. These had been collected at the Imperial Clinical Respiratory Research Unit (ICRRU) at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington.

Many patients who get a viral infection, such as from rhinovirus (pictured) suffer from secondary bacterial infections. Credit: Imperial College London

The analysis of the existing samples found that the average concentration of glucose in sputum samples of COPD subjects was 743 micromoles compared to 390.5 micromoles in non-COPD subjects.

Analysis also demonstrated a negative relationship between glucose concentration and forced expiratory volume (FEV), which is a measure of lung function, suggesting that glucose levels increase with the severity of COPD.

Secondary infections

To investigate how glucose levels vary when COPD symptoms worsen, the research team also analysed samples from volunteers with COPD who had contracted a respiratory virus either naturally, or after being deliberately infected with the virus that brings on symptoms of a common cold (rhinovirus).

Results indicated that when subjects caught a respiratory virus by either means there was a further increase in levels of glucose in their airways. The analysis also showed a relationship between levels of glucose and levels of bacteria in their airways following the virus infection.

This indicates that treatments that reduce airway glucose may have the potential to reduce bacterial infections in people with COPD, without the use of antibiotics.

Professor Sebastian Johnston, co-lead author and Asthma UK Clinical Chair at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, said: "Many patients with lung disease who get virus infections suffer from secondary bacterial infections following the virus infection, and these tend to be treated with antibiotics. However there is a growing concern that widespread antibiotic use is leading to increasing antibiotic resistance."

Professor Johnston added: "Reducing levels of glucose in the lung could provide an alternative approach that could reduce bacterial infections, and thus help patients with lung disease, while also reducing antibiotic use, and thereby reducing development of antibiotic resistance."

The researchers pointed out that the analysis included only small numbers of subjects with more severe COPD and focussed only on glucose levels in the airways, although other substances in the lung may also influence bacterial growth. They called for further research with larger numbers of COPD subjects with a range of COPD severity, to investigate the relationship between the wider metabolic profile in airways, with airway inflammation and infection.

The next step will also see the team seeking funding to investigate the use of anti-diabetic drugs such as metformin to control levels of airway glucose and therefore hopefully reduce bacterial load. Metformin is safe as it is already in use to treat diabetes. The team aim to test how effective it is at reducing bacterial infections in people with COPD.

More information: Role of airway glucose in bacterial infections in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. DOI: Journal information: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Role of airway glucose in bacterial infections in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.. DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2017.10.017
The vaccine strategy introduces stable components of flu virus to the body's dermal layer to spur universal, and long-lasting DNA-enhanced protection. Credit: ThinkStock

Getting a flu shot every year can be a pain. One UW Medicine researcher is hoping to make the yearly poke a thing of the past with the development of a universal vaccine that would protect from all strains of influenza virus, even as the viruses genetically shape-shift from year to year.

The research in Deborah Fuller's lab uses a DNA vaccine to instruct the individual's own skin cells to produce antigens and induce antibodies and T cell responses to fight the infection. Her most recent research on this effort was published today in PLOS ONE.

"Relatively speaking, DNA vaccination is the new kid on the block with regard to the types of vaccines," said Fuller, a professor in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. This year, U.S. medical professionals expect a challenging flu season, with 7,000 confirmed cases reported nationwide by the end of November  double the number from last year at the same time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The DNA vaccine in Fuller's lab was engineered by using genetic components of influenza virus  the conserved areas  which do not change. This is one way Fuller's DNA vaccine gets around the genetic drift, or changes, that occur in influenza strains from year to year, and challenge clinicians who combat the disease.

It is also administered through the epidermis with a "gene gun" device that injects the DNA vaccine directly into the skin cells. The cells then produce the flu vaccine and prompts the body to create antibodies and T-cells to fight infection.

"With the immunized groups, we found that using this conserved component of the virus gave them 100 percent protection against a previous circulating influenza virus that didn't match the vaccine," Fuller said. "This was very exciting for us."

The vaccine developed by Fuller's lab takes a different approach to attacking the influenza virus within the body. Instead of simply repelling the virus, as on-the-market vaccines do now, this vaccine seeks out infected cells and kills them. The T-cell responses against the virus were so swift and complete in the tested non-human primates that they simply did not get sick, she said. Fuller's team also was able to direct the T-cells to go to the lungs first, where much of the damage of an influenza infection occurs.

Another advantage: This approach requires production time of about three months, whereas it typically takes about nine months to produce the U.S.-approved vaccine for a flu season that begins in December (in the United States) and runs through February.

Fuller firmly believes this is the new direction of vaccine research.

"We've been working essentially with the same vaccine (techniques) over the last 40 years. It's been a shake-and-bake vaccine: You produce the virus, you kill the virus, you inject it. Now it's time for vaccines to go through an overhaul, and this includes the influenza vaccine."

A "universal" vaccine would eliminate the need for yearly flu vaccinations and could be on-hand for rapid deployment should a deadly pandemic strain of the virus emerge.

The idea of a DNA-based vaccine might also pose a mechanism for vaccines for other viruses, such as Zika, and for possible pandemic outbreaks which might emerge in the future, she said.

But don't expect the vaccine in Fuller's lab to appear on the drugstore shelves anytime soon. It can take five to 10 years from the time a vaccine shows promising results in the lab to commercial availability.

A deeper look into this research:

In the Fuller lab, senior research scientist, Jim Fuller, engineered a vaccine that contained DNA coding for viral proteins from four different influenza A strains. These proteins, called HA, are targeted by standard vaccines and are known to trigger a strong immune response to each individual strain. In addition, the vaccine included DNA for a protein that is highly conserved and, thus, shared across different strains of virus.

Because DNA vaccines often fail to generate a strong immune response, the researchers sought to boost the vaccine's effectiveness by fusing the DNA for some of the antigens with DNA proteins from a bacteria, a toxin from E. Coli, and protein from the hepatitis B virus that are known to be antigens that elicit a strong immune response.

In an animal study in cynomolgus macaques, researchers in the Fuller lab, Drs. Merika Treants Koday and Jolie Leonard, found that after three doses, the DNA vaccine generated a strong antibody response against each of the flu strains it targeted. Antibodies bind to and help clear microbial invaders, preventing an infection from taking hold or reducing its severity.

More importantly, the vaccine triggered a strong cellular immune response that was effective not only against the strains covered by the vaccine but also strains that were not.

Deborah Fuller was the co-inventor of the gene gun used in this research, and co-founded Orlance, Inc. a startup which is working on engineering a clinical version of the DNA vaccine delivery system and commercializing it for vaccines, including influenza.

More information: Merika T. Koday et al. Multigenic DNA vaccine induces protective cross-reactive T cell responses against heterologous influenza virus in nonhuman primates, PLOS ONE (2017). Journal information: PLoS ONE Merika T. Koday et al. Multigenic DNA vaccine induces protective cross-reactive T cell responses against heterologous influenza virus in nonhuman primates,(2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189780
Dr Mark Blaskovich. The number of patients dying from vancomycin-resistant bacteria prompted his team to look at revitalising old antibiotics. Credit: University of Queensland

An old drug supercharged by University of Queensland researchers has emerged as a new antibiotic that could destroy some of the world's most dangerous superbugs.

The supercharge technique , led by Dr. Mark Blaskovich and Professor Matt Cooper from UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), potentially could revitalise other antibiotics.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria  superbugs  cause 700,000 deaths worldwide each year, and a UK government review has predicted this could rise to 10 million by 2050.

Dr. Blaskovich said the old drug, vancomycin, was still widely used to treat extremely dangerous bacterial infections, but bacteria were becoming increasingly resistant to it.

"The rise of vancomycin-resistant bacteria, and the number of patients dying from resistant infections that cannot be successfully treated, stimulated our team to look at ways to revitalise old antibiotics," Dr. Blaskovich said.

"We did this by modifying vancomycin's membrane-binding properties to selectively bind to bacterial membranes rather than those of human cells, creating a series of supercharged vancomycin derivatives called vancapticins."

The rebooted vancomycin has the potential to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE).

Professor Cooper said pharmaceutical companies had departed the antibiotic discovery field because new antibiotics were difficult to find and were not as lucrative as cholesterol-lowering medications or cancer treatments.

"Hence many scientists are re-engineering existing drugs to overcome bacterial resistance, rather than searching for new drugs," he said.

"Drug development is normally focused on improving binding to a biological target, and rarely focuses on assessing membrane-binding properties.

"This approach worked with the vancapticins, and the question now is whether it can be used to revitalise other antibiotics that have lost effectiveness against resistant bacteria.

"Given the alarming rise of multi-drug resistant bacteria and the length of time it takes to develop a new antibiotic, we need to look at any solution that could fix the antibiotic drug discovery pipeline now," Professor Cooper said.

More information: Mark A. T. Blaskovich et al. Protein-inspired antibiotics active against vancomycin- and daptomycin-resistant bacteria, Nature Communications (2017). Journal information: Nature Communications Mark A. T. Blaskovich et al. Protein-inspired antibiotics active against vancomycin- and daptomycin-resistant bacteria,(2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02123-w
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After reaching record levels in November, consumer and business confidence fell in Nebraska during December, according to the latest monthly surveys from the Bureau of Business Research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Nebraskas consumer confidence index, which is based on the monthly Survey of Nebraska Households, fell from 106.2 in November to 93.3 in December. The December value is well below the neutral level of 100, indicating that consumer confidence is weak. Half of the respondents reported a rising cost of living as the top financial issue they face, while another one-quarter cited low wages or concerns about their job or business.

The November surge in consumer confidence proved to be short-lived said Eric Thompson, an economist who serves as bureau director. Ongoing concerns about employment and earnings power resurfaced in December.

There was a similar decline in Nebraskas business confidence index, according to responses to the December Survey of Nebraska Business. Business confidence, however, remained above the neutral level of 100. The Business Confidence Index-Nebraska fell from 114.1 in November to 107.5 in December.

Businesses expressed concerns about customer demand, labor availability and increased competition, Thompson said.

The surveys are sent each month to 500 randomly-selected Nebraska businesses and households. During December, 111 businesses responded to the Survey of Nebraska Business, for a response rate of 22 percent. There were 113 responses to the Survey of Nebraska Households, for a response rate of 23 percent.

For more information, the full survey report is available on the Bureau of Business Research website, www.bbr.unl.edu.
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Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has released the 2017 National Senior Certificate results, revealing a matric pass rate of 75.1%.

However, the official pass rate does not tell the full story  ignoring the large percentage of students who drop out before they write the matric exams.

Equal Education has described the matric pass percentage as a superficial and misleading indicator of public education quality.

The pass rate reflects only the performance of those learners who managed to stay in school for 12 years and obscures how many dropped out along the way, said Equal Education.

It said the Basic Education Department has systematically failed to address learner retention. For a broader perspective, you must use a cohort matric pass rate, it said.

Equal Education defines the cohort matric pass rate as the percentage of learners in grade 2 who pass matric 11 years later.

South Africas true pass rate

Of the 1,022,853 grade 2 cohort class enrollment, only 629,155 students registered for the matric final exams. This is a dropout rate of 38.49%. When one considers only the 534,484 grade 12 students who actually wrote matric, this dropout rate increases to 47.75%.

The 2017 cohort matric pass rate, which Equal Education has referred to as the true pass rate, is therefore 39.25%.

It should be noted that where Equal Education uses the total number of enrolments across public and private schools in its calculations, the table below uses enrolments in public schools, which is what the DBE matric pass rate is based on.

The Democratic Alliance has offered another analysis of this years matric results, comparing the pass rate to the number of learners who enrolled for grade 10 in 2015.

Last year, 41% of the learners who had enrolled in Grade 10 in 2015 did not enrol for matric, the DA said. The number of Grade 10s from 2015 who passed matric 2017  was only 37.3%. This is cause for serious concern, rather than celebration.
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Participation of GeoProMining in state subvention projects in Armenia reaches 1 billion 700 million drams

Macron calls US, China 'big elephants'

Azerbaijan carries out tactical maneuvers

Azerbaijani Armed Forces shell villager working in fields of Artsakh village of Hatsi

Erdogan and Putin discuss grain deal

Politico: Viktor Orban has taken the EU hostage

Kremlin confirms Putin's visit to Yerevan

Expert: Armenia becomes one of the main auto exporters to Russia

Turkish court arrests 17 suspects in connection with Istanbul street bombing

Mishustin and Aliyev meet in Baku

Nikol Pashinyan is questioned as witness

CSTO Collective Security Council to discuss joint assistance measures for Armenia

Republican congressmen introduce resolution calling for audit of funds sent to Ukraine

Biden caught using 'cheat sheet' with instructions on where to sit and when to speak

Armenia to receive loan of 100 million and $100 million to finance budget: Agreements are signed

Azerbaijan plans to open embassy in Israel

Cavusoglu accuses U.S. and EU of pressure and threats against members of TDT

Hungary: EU wants new sanctions to somehow justify its flawed decisions

RBC TV channel does not publish interview with Ruben Vardanyan because of Azeri threats

Armenian Central Election Commission representatives to monitor presidential election in Kazakhstan

Newspaper: Deputies from ruling party go on another 'voyage'

Cavusoglu calls incident in Poland 'accident'

Biden administration says Saudi prince has immunity in lawsuit over Khashoggi murder

Marukyan reminds Aliyev: The UN, OSCE and EU do not deal with the 'internal matter'

Azerbaijani MP demands 'serious conversation with adherents of Iranian influence in Azerbaijan'

Inflation in Japan accelerates to 40-year high

Seoul and Riyadh sign $30 billion investment agreements

North Korea launches intercontinental ballistic missile that lands near Japan

FBI: U.S. concerned about China 'setting up' unauthorized 'police stations' in U.S. cities

Prime Minister of Finland: Europe is now too reliant on Chinese technology

Turkey to require insurance from oil tankers when passing through its waters

EU to provide Ukraine with generators and kits to repair power grids

Turkey sentences sect founder to 8,658 years in prison

Xi Jinping urges world to abandon any Cold War mentality

Aliyev rules out talks with Artsakh State Minister

FP: Ukraine's appetite for weapons depletes Western stocks

Putin and Aliyev discuss energy cooperation

Armenian financial technologies to enter international market: VISA and Idram sign memorandum in Yerevan

Incident in Poland causes disagreement between Kyiv and West

Mark Milley urges Kyiv and Moscow to find political solution: Chances of military victory are unlikely

New NATO Secretary General to be announced at Vilnius summit in 2023

Finnish Defense Ministry announces largest batch of military aid to Ukraine

Pashinyan receives Ukrainian businessmen of Armenian origin

Armenian soldier wounded in Azerbaijani shooting

Erdogan: Turkey-Israel relations entered a new phase of development

Mishustin: Cooperation between Moscow and Baku has become truly strategic and allied

Igor Khovaev to visit Baku

Mishustin arrives in Baku

Russian Foreign Ministry: South Caucasus is a strategic transport hub for Eurasia

U.S. general lays flowers at eternal flame at Armenian Genocide memorial

Republicans stand for same-sex marriage rights

Pallone says US State Department should not hesitate to speak about Azerbaijani aggression

Aliyev refuses to discuss Nagorno-Karabakh and threatens Armenia with new aggression

Greek minister doesn't get off plane to meet head of Libya's presidential council

Sergey Lavrov to visit Yerevan

Lebanese parliament fails to elect president of country

Kremlin on Zelenskyy's proposal to hold 'public' talks

National Assembly Speaker: Armenia is extremely interested in establishing strategic relations with Georgia

Canada provides additional military aid to Ukraine

Representatives of defense agencies of CSTO countries discuss crisis response issues

Armenian Defense Minister and American General discuss defense cooperation

Tehran accuses Israel and West of trying to organize civil war in Iran

Oppositionist: No guarantees that war with Azerbaijan can be avoided

Issue of biometric passports to Armenian citizens is temporarily suspended

Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement to be signed till end of year? Pashinyan's associate voices conditions

Erdogan says Russia and US agreed to refrain from using nuclear weapons

Azerbaijani oppositionist complains of torture by police

Kyaram Sloyan and Andranik Zohrabyan posthumously bestowed 'Hero of Artsakh' title

UN Secretary General Guterres welcomes parties' agreement on renewal of food deal

Eurasian Development Bank: Armenia is the leader among EEU countries in terms of economic growth

Greece promises to continue military support to Ukraine

Number of appeals from Azerbaijan to ECHR is growing

Pashinyan: The wheel of processes related to confiscation of illegal property is spinning

Fire hits Baghdad airport

North Korea fires ballistic missile towards Sea of Japan

Istanbul agrees to extend 'grain initiative' for another 120 days

'Hayastan' Fund to build 6 residential houses in Nerkin Khndzoresk village

Vocal as Russophobic propaganda: Azerbaijani singer sings about 'disgusting peacekeepers'

Biden congratulates Republicans on winning majority in House of Representatives

14 freight cars derailed in Kazakhstan, train traffic suspended

Newspaper: Ruben Vardanyan does not hurry to make changes in composition of Karabakh government

Russia attacks Ukraine with missiles in morning: Explosions heard in Dnieper, air defense works in Kyiv region

U.S. National Security Council: It is clear that the party ultimately responsible for this tragic incident is Russia

Gold prices decline

Russian Trade Representative to Armenia: Situation at Upper Lars checkpoint is not related to geopolitical issues

Trade Representative of Russia: Trade turnover with Armenia sets new record

Copper falls in price

Gas explodes in Fatih district of Istanbul, 10 people injured

Oil prices go down

Meteorite that fell in Britain contains key information about how oceans and life formed on Earth

Gamer drinks 12 energy drinks in ten minutes and ends up in hospital

Chinese customs officers accidentally find cockroach unknown to science

Man removes cobra's teeth with manicure pliers and gets arrested

Sweden to provide Ukraine with new military aid worth $287 million

Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania meet conditions for joining Schengen zone

Oil prices may reach $120 a barrel and stay at this level for 2 years

Zelenskyy receives 'signals' that Putin wants direct talks

Security Service of Ukraine puts Ramzan Kadyrov on wanted list

Unidentified men open fire at market in Izeh city in southwestern Iran

Karen Donfried tries to explain State Department's decision to exempt Azerbaijan from 907th Amendment
YEREVAN.  Relations between Moscow and Brussels are rather tense, chairman of Armenian parliaments standing committee on European integration Naira Zohrabyan told Armenian News- NEWS .

Her comment came in response to a question whether the country would face new challenges amid the continuing escalation of the situation between Russia and West and after signing new Armenia-EU partnership agreement.

According to her, the sanctions that were imposed on Russia have only become stricter.

So I think the deterioration in these relations have reached their peak. Concerning the Armenian-Russian relations, I would like to emphasize that for me the tone of certain experts in Moscow is absolutely unacceptable, Zohrabyan concluded.

The EU and Armenia signed a comprehensive and enhanced partnership agreement on November 24, 2017 in Brussels.
YEREVAN.  The settlement of the Karabakh conflict depends on the active and purposeful work of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, secretary of Tsarukyan blocs parliamentary faction Vahe Enfiajyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

According to him, he does not expect any progress in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict in the near future.

Armenia is interested in constructive talks and in the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict, said Enfiajyan, adding that at this stage the conflict can be resolved only through meetings, agreements at the level of ministers and parliamentarians.
YEREVAN.  Over the years, Turkey has demonstrated that it is not ready to follow the way of establishing relations with its neighbors, especially with Armenia, Deputy Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Eduard Sharmazanov told the Armenian News - NEWS.am.

His remark came in response to a question whether there can be any positive preconditions for the Armenian-Turkish relations, given that Turkey are moving away from democratic principles.

According to him, Armenia has repeatedly stated that this process can proceed only without preliminary conditions between the parties.

Armenia is against the establishment of relations by issuing ultimatums. Turkey shares borders with us, by blocking borders with Armenia, said Sharmazanov, adding that such a behavior is unaffordable in the 21st century.

The Armenian-Turkish border has been closed since 1993 on the initiative of the Turkish side. Reconciliation in the relations started in autumn 2008 initiated by Armenia's president Serzh Sargsyan.

Armenian and Turkish Foreign Ministers signed The Protocol on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Armenia and Turkey and The Protocol on Development of Relations between Armenia and Turkey in Zurich on 10 October 2009. Later, Ankara put forward preconditions for the Karabakh conflict that disrupted the Armenian-Turkish reconciliation process.
YEREVAN.  Armenians are among the peoples whose bulk, or at least the intellectual part of the population, understands modern realities and the opportunities, limitations, and hardships they have.

Aghvan Vardanyan, Secretary of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation [ARF] Faction at the National Assembly of Armenia, told the aforementioned to Armenian News-NEWS.am. He noted this when asked whether the further deteriorating of the countrys already bad socioeconomic situation can lead to a societal explosion and people staging protests in the streets.

The ARF representative, however, does not believe that there may be major shocks in Armenia solely for societal reasons.

Our [Armenian] peoples mentality, mindset, ideas, and the awareness of the need to maintain security [in Armenia] is such that shocks [in the country] are possible only as a result of the joining of national and societal issues, added Vardanyan.

In his words, the work which the coalition government is doing to further develop Armenia has made positive changes in the country.

Also, the ARF MP expressed a conviction that there will be considerable preconditions in Armenia for the effective development of economy, and that this will lead to a tangible improvement of the socioeconomic situation in the country.
YEREVAN.  As long as the Azerbaijani side continues the anti-Armenian propaganda and preaches hatred toward Armenians, starting from school desks, it is impossible to conduct any dialogue.

Gevorg Gorgisyan, secretary of the opposition Way Out Faction of the National Assembly of Armenia, told the aforementioned to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In his words, hate speech should stop, first and foremost, to achieve a pacific resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

We know that at this moment, a hate campaign is conducted in Azerbaijan at a very serious pace, stressed Gorgisyan.

He added that a final settlement of the Karabakh conflict as well as positive respective developments is not expected in the near future.
The Demirdjians, a family from the city of Rosario, Argentina, are a team of audiovisual producers and documentary film makers, and also the granddaughters of the Armenian Genocide survivors and the third generation of Armenians born in Argentina.

Several years ago they made a film about their grandfather Guiragos titled GUIRAGOS, A Child Survivors Story.

This documentary tells the story of our grandfather, and includes a part dedicated to journalist Hrant Dink. It was filmed in Armenia and Argentina. We believe that it is interesting, we have made more than 100 exhibitions of the documentary, and more than 5000 people attended to see it, granddaughter Delfina Demirdjian said.

Our grandfather, Guiragos, was born on September 27, 1908 in Yozgat, which was later seized by Turkey during the revolution perpetrated by the Young Turkish military officers. Our grandfather was 7 years old on April 24, 1915. That was the last night he spent with his family. Sitting on his grandfathers knees, Guiragos felt his face wet, and wondered why. Years later, he would realize that it was his grandfathers tears rolling down his long white beard and getting down on his own face. That night he saw how his entire family was slaughtered. Only our grandfather, two of his brothers and some cousins, were able to escape, she said.

Days later, Guiragos was caught and deported to Aleppo, to the Syrian desert with his two brothers and cousins. The caravans final destination was death. In the following months, the Turks carried out the plan of forced mass deportation to the Syrian Desert.

Besides surviving death, our grandfather had to endure the death marches, and in those subhuman conditions, he faced horror over and over again. One night, they took his little brother away, who was sleeping in the tent, by his side. That would torment him for the rest of his life.

In 1927, only 77,435 out of 2,100,000 Armenians remained alive. Guiragos was 19 when he came to Argentina where our grandfather met Assanna, another survivor from the genocide. They got married and had three children.

We are three of his ten grandchildren, who went back to Armenia 100 years later, Delfina emphasized.

The Demirdjians are one of 50 families living in Rosario. Thanks to their efforts, Yerevan State University (YSU) and Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences signed an agreement with the National University of Rosario (UNR - Argentina) to open an Argentinean corner in Yerevan. The institutions will begin to work with proposals such as a student exchange with the YSU.
Apple has acquired Canadian start-up buddybuild, a mobile iteration platform focused on building integration and debugging tools for iOS developers, for an undisclosed sum.

"We're excited to share that the buddybuild team has joined the Xcode engineering group at Apple to build amazing developer tools for the entire iOS community," buddybuild said in a statement on Wednesday.

The company said that it would stay in Vancouver -- a hotbed of developer and engineering talent.

"The buddybuild service will remain available to existing customers to build, test and ship iOS apps to testers through buddybuild.com," it added.

The startup is no longer accepting new customers.

"Existing 'Free Starter' plans and Android app development will be discontinued on March 1, 2018," the company said.

According to TechCrunch, buddybuild would be rolled into Xcode, Apple's suite of development tools for iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS.

Apple still generates significant revenue from apps.

"Of the $17 billion generated in Q3 from apps globally (excluding China), Apple accounted for around $11 billion of it, according to App Annie," the report added.

Buddybuild was founded in 2015 by former Amazon employees Dennis Pilarinos and Christopher Stott.

In 2014, Apple acquired TestFlight which began to require users to employ Xcode to utilise the service.
IS' West Africa Province Publishes Photos from Raid on Nigerian Army Barracks in Kanama
UC Santa Cruz assistant professor of music David Dunn has been selected for a Rydell Visual Arts Fellowship for 2019.

He is one of four local artists who will receive $20,000 grants from the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County in 2018-19.

The fellowships are awarded solely on artistic merit by a panel of arts professionals from outside the Santa Cruz area. They help individual artists pursue their creative work and are not tied to the completion of any specific project.

Developed with input from the local arts community, the awards were created to honor the wishes of Roy and Frances Rydell, both lifelong advocates of the arts. They established the Rydell Visual Arts Fund at the foundation in 1985 to promote Santa Cruz County artists and arts organizations.

After their passing, the Rydells estate was bequeathed to the Community Foundation, with the proceeds of the sale added to the fund, which has since grown to more than $2.4 million. The fund is used to support the arts through grants to visual arts organizations and fellowships to individual artists.

Dunns research and practice cross the boundaries between sound, performance, media arts and bioacoustics research. Last year, he received a patent in collaboration with two forest scientists from Northern Arizona University to help fight a bark beetle infestation that is killing millions of trees in Western forests.

Dunn holds an M.F.A. in New Media from Danube University, Austria, and is a core faculty member in the UC Santa Cruz Digital Arts and New Media graduate program.

His recent work has been exhibited at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History; Artpark Lewiston, NY; Art Center, Miami; The Lab, San Francisco; Gallery of Fine Arts Ostrava, Slovakia; and frieraum quartier 21, Vienna.

Dunn is also the author and editor of six books and has contributed to more than 100 academic and arts publications. He has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ford Foundation, The Foundation for Contemporary Arts, two from the Henry Langlois Foundation, three from the Rockefeller Foundation, and an Alpert Award.

In addition to Dunn, the three other new 2018-19 Rydell fellowship recipients include two UC Santa Cruz alumni--Myra Eastman and Robert Chiarito--along with intermedia artist Robin Kandel.

Eastman, who received her B.A. in art from the campus in 1977, is a painter whose works engage with political and social change issues such as war, occupation, neighborhood chaos, and gun violence. She has shown in solo exhibits at Museo Eduardo Carrillo; the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History; Felix Kulpa; Gallerie Lumiere, Savannah, GA; and the San Francisco Public Library.

Eastman has also participated in group shows at venues including the Petaluma Arts Center; bG Gallery, Santa Monica; San Diego Art Institute; Mint Gallery, Atlanta; Phoenix Gallery, New York; and OnSite Brooklyn. A recently retired public school educator, she taught elementary and middle school students for more than three decades in Santa Cruz County.

Chiarito earned his B.A. from UC Santa Cruz in 1970 and an M.F.A. from Stanford University. Currently a professor of art at San Jose State University, he is a painter whose work has received solo exhibitions at the Triton Museum; Stanford Art Gallery; Galleria Jose Maria Velasco, Mexico City; Ahknaton Gallery, Cairo, Egypt; Casa de la Cultura Tlalpan, Mexico City; and Ovsey Gallery, Los Angeles.

Chiarito has also received commissions to create public work for the Oakland City Center, Bramalea Pacific/Cafe Fontebella, and the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union. His paintings are held in private collections throughout North America and Europe, as well as Lloyds of London, Los Angeles, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Roy and Frances Rydell would be proud to see how their support is making a difference for local artists, noted program director Christina Cuevas. "It was the Rydells intent that the visual arts would be supported in perpetuity and thats what the fund is doing. It is a permanent legacy that benefits everyone in Santa Cruz County.
For the first time, the Lancaster County Attorney's Office will hire a temporary investigator to work on a big case that it refused to identify.

"It is for a specific case where we anticipate a great deal of background work, a lot of reports from various agencies," Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly told the County Board, which unanimously approved the hire at its meeting Thursday.

Kelly would not comment after the meeting on whether this investigator would work on one of the state's most highly publicized cases  the disappearance and death of 24-year-old Lincoln woman Sydney Loofe.

Initially a Lincoln Police Department missing persons case, the search for Loofe ultimately expanded beyond Lancaster County into Saline and Clay counties and was investigated by six agencies. The FBI is now at the helm.

Loofe's body was found along with evidence of foul play off a country road southeast of Clay Center on Dec. 4. Two persons of interest in the case remain in custody on unrelated charges as the investigation continues.

The investigator would likely be a retired police sergeant who would be responsible for finding and interviewing witnesses, gathering evidence and possibly serving subpoenas, he said. The position would expire in a year, Kelly said.

The position would cost the county a maximum of $70,872 if the investigator worked 40 hours a week every week for the yearlong stint.

Kelly told the board he doesn't anticipate the investigator would draw the entire salary.

This is outside the County Attorney Office's $7.7 million annual budget, he said.

Kelly said in an email this would be the first investigator employed by the Lancaster County Attorney's Office.

Generally, prosecutors work with law enforcement investigators on individual cases, sometimes from start to finish.

The Douglas County Attorney's Office has four full-time investigators of its own, Kelly said.

"We learned a long time ago that when you get a case like that, at least up front, you need somebody on the inside who is familiar with the law enforcement side as well as our clerical side and our court side," Kelly said.

County Board Chairman Todd Wiltgen also declined to specify what case the investigator would be working on, but said if Kelly felt the position is necessary the board supports him.

"He has his reasons," Wiltgen said. "The county attorney has our confidence."
A Lincoln woman who worked as a service provider for jail inmates got probation Wednesday for lying about the amount of time she worked with two patients and overbilling Medicaid more than $9,500.

Tammy Bolles, 53, pleaded no contest to theft by unlawful taking, a felony.

The Nebraska Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Unit discovered in January 2016 that Bolles, a personal assistance-services provider, billed Nebraska Medical Assistance for services she claimed she provided to patients but was working at another job, according to a court document.

She was overpaid $9,596.32, the document says. Bolles since has paid the money back.

Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong sentenced her to two years of probation.
A 34-year-old Lincoln man was sentenced to three years in prison and a year and a half of post-release supervision Thursday for sexually assaulting a young girl.

It was the maximum Lancaster County District Judge Jodi Nelson could give Yarnell Payne on the charge of third-degree sexual assault of a child.

Payne, who got credit for 300 days he's already served, also will be on the Nebraska Sex Offender Registry and subject to lifetime community parole supervision as a result of the conviction.

He was charged last year, after the girl's mother called police because someone told her they had seen Payne watching pornography on his phone and exposing himself to the girl, according to the affidavit to arrest him.

In a forensic interview, the girl said Payne had touched her sexually.
Margaret Reist Local government reporter Margaret Reist is a recovering education reporter now writing about local and county government and the people who live in the city where she was born and raised. Follow Margaret Reist Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

When Laura Erickson moved to Lincoln with her husband, Adam, five years ago, she was working on her doctoral dissertation in medieval history.

Thats been put on hold for other learning  about insects and Antarctica, tying shoes, puzzles, South America and U.S. history, or whatever ignites the passions of 12 young students at Bluestem Montessori.

Erickson is executive director of the small school that opened this fall  Lincolns only nonreligious private school, operating out of leased space at the Unitarian Church, 6300 A St.

A strong supporter of public education, Erickson realized there was no secular alternative for kids for whom a traditional school setting wasnt a good fit.

If kids are not thriving, there really wasnt another place, she said. We know not all kids learn the same way, so it seems to me there should be other options when your kids arent doing as well as they should be or if things are not going well in a traditional setting.

Shes now being trained in the Montessori method at the Mid-America Montessori Teacher Training Institute in Omaha and she shares teaching duties with Lookkaew Mongkonrat Parks, who has a masters degree in curriculum and instruction from a Bangkok university and a doctorate from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Among the schools 12 students are the Ericksons' two daughters, Eleanor, 9, and Elizabeth, 6. They had been attending Prescott Elementary School and Erickson said she loved all the teachers, but felt her kids were better-suited to the more-individualized education thats a hallmark of Montessori programs.

Erickson, who earned her bachelor's degree from Hastings College and went on to earn a master's at the University of Washington, got her start with a Montessori education.

The Montessori philosophy is so much more individualized, so children really work at their own pace on things that interest them, she said. If a kid is ahead or behind their peers, its just not an issue.

The Montessori style is child-led and students are grouped in three-year age increments, which allows older children to help younger children.

Prairie Hill Learning Center near Roca is another Montessori elementary school, and there are two elementary programs in Omaha. Montessori also runs preschools, including two in Lincoln offering kindergarten.

Prairie Hill and the Omaha schools, as well as the Montessori kindergarten classes in Lincoln, are nonpublic schools approved by the Nebraska Department of Education.

Bluestem, whose name comes from the state grass, is now operating as a home school for children in grades kindergarten-3. Erickson hopes to expand that each year until it has classes through sixth grade and eventually apply to be an approved nonpublic school.

State education officials said thats a common way for new schools to start and establish their enrollment before seeking state approval.

Bluestem Montessori opened as Nebraska is knee-deep in a debate about charter schools, vouchers and tuition tax credits for nonpublic schools, though Erickson said as a home school those would not likely apply to Bluestem.

She hopes to create a scholarship program once the school is more established.

In the long run, I would hate to ever be a school that took money from public education, because I think public education is so, so important to our community. Were just trying to offer another avenue to education to our community.

Chickens lay and dogs lie

If youre a Nebraska student, chances are you can correctly use the words to, too and two.

NoRedInk, an online, adaptive-learning platform for teaching grammar, usage, mechanics and style, analyzed answers of 3 million students who took diagnostic evaluations before using the platform in 2017.

Nebraska students performed fifth-best overall at grammar and writing skills, with an error rate of 36 percent.

The business analyzed U.S. students in grades 5-12 and found the biggest usage conundrum is nailing down the difference between lay and lie. The top-10 usage issues also included difficulty knowing the difference between discreet and discrete, fewer and less, among and between.

The biggest writing problem: eliminating wordiness.

Fairly disturbing: Just 30 percent of students nationwide could identify the subject of a sentence.

Just 23 percent of Nebraska students can cite evidence correctly, though they did better (65 percent) recognizing active and passive voice.

As for lay and lie, a Lincoln Journal Star editor once offered this tip: Chickens lay; dogs lie. She made her point by lying on the floor in front of the offending reporter (not me, but it obviously made an impression).

Some things never change

Over the years, in the great school calendar debates (and those used to happen pretty regularly), winter break has never been much of a sticking point in Lincoln Public Schools.

In fact, it hasn't changed much in the last century.

Case in point: In 2003-04, winter break began on Dec. 20 (a Saturday) and ended Jan. 4 (a Sunday). It lasted 10 weekdays and both Christmas and New Years Day fell on Thursdays.

That's the exact same dates as winter break 101 years earlier, during the 1902-03 school year, when the 10-weekday break encompassed Christmas and New Years Day that both fell on a Thursday.

That comes from LPS administrator John Neal, who discovered it when providing context on winter breaks for a recent story.
more consequences! more consequences! fucking convictions! jail! jail! jail!

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I can't believe so many actors from That '70s Show turned out to be shitty

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Mila Kunis and the adults, legit the only decent people left.

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What did Topher Grace do?

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basically, though topher is tolerable in small doses.

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Have Ashton and/or Mila said anything about this POS?

I know that Laura Prepon wont say anything because shes a Scientologist but yeah.

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Laura is currently trapped in la la land



Another big realization I had in my auditing is that there is a bigger picture. This is my career but it does not define me. I am so much bigger than this career and industry. Its my job and its very important to me, but, when I have huge wins in session, and when you really cognate that you are a thetan and you have a mind and body, and that the MEST universe does not control youit puts things into perspective. It takes the weight off you and things become very easy.



I am still wondering how she is able to be on OITNB because Scientology hates LGBTQ people so her portrayal....conflicts with their ideology.

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a MESS

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https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/elisabeth-moss-emmys-night-swearing-has-storied-tradition-scientology-say-insiders-1041783



So maybe her taking the role, even though its portraying someone who is sinful, is her way of showing that shes trendy and with it and relative to current society.

Look at everything Laura and Danny did on That 70s Show. Drugs, sex, etc. That conflicts with it too. But whatever, if they do it, it looks normal and they can tone down.

I think its like what someone said about how Elisabeth Moss curses and flips the bird when engaging with the public because its her way of communicating with us normies, meaning: Non-Scientologists.So maybe her taking the role, even though its portraying someone who is sinful, is her way of showing that shes trendy and with it and relative to current society.Look at everything Laura and Danny did on That 70s Show. Drugs, sex, etc. That conflicts with it too. But whatever, if they do it, it looks normal and they can tone down.

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Also, I need about tree-fiddy.

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They bend the rules for celebs.

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my 70 year old in-laws fucking love it!



/not kidding

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I think if he never did The Ranch, wed never know about them. Being on that show gave his victims another leg to stand on because it gave them media interest. Without that everything would have just been swept under the rug & hed be going about his life like nothing happened.

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if he keeps losing cash and jobs, scientology will stop protecting him, right? if he brings no money, he'll have no clout and maybe he'll finally get what he deserves.

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Dont they get sent away, like David Miscaviges wife?

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She is probably dead...sad to say.

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He was accused of rape by four women, not sexual harassment. Different things, and precision is important.

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thanks for that

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Oh dear

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that's a start, but it's not nearly enough



prison plz

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Next stop - state prison. Next stop - state prison.

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I wonder how many other abusers scientology is protecting

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I think most people in Scientology are either abusers or abused.

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I wouldn't be surprised if you're right.

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Supposedly C@asey Assfleck.

His gf is one, and supposedly they want to recruit him to be one.

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I will Carlton dance in the streets with no shame rn

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But will you tap dance naked through Whole Foods?

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thank fuck. someone i know was harassing one of his victims (and another woman that came* public about domestic assault too) like the total douche canoe that she is after bragging about working with jared leto and i was about to go fucking off but didn't want to deal with scientology harassment after since that whole group is scary as fuck.



she runs a celebrity magazine that's been posted in here before once or twice and i keep going back and forth between wanting to say fuck it and publicly drag her or not giving* myself the headache.



Edited at 2018-01-05 04:37 am (UTC)

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Blind Item that shit and post it as a locked ONTD Original

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I'll settled for the tweets I shared below being posted on any post that's from her magazine. or if someone wants to share one of the shoots when they get released and share it, please feel free.

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I have a horrid cough and could use some soothing TEA



Edited at 2018-01-05 05:08 am (UTC)

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Are you gonna be okay? It seems like she could come after you if you denounce her.

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Took them long enough...

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about damn time

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Did you finish Fargo?

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BLAIR  The former Dana College campus will be renamed for the couple donating it to an organization planning to offer housing and programs to low-income elderly perople, young people aging out of foster care and others.

The 151-acre campus will be called the Frank and Jane Krejci Life and Learning Center. The organization is Angels Share, which is a resource and support for service organizations.

Frank Krejci is an Omaha developer who bought the Dana campus for $3.5 million in 2013. The school has been closed since 2010 after an accreditation body refused to approve the college's sale to for-profit investors.

Midland University announced in 2013 plans to reopen the campus but dropped them after officials learned the costs were prohibitive compared to other growth options.
Are you ready for 5G?

On Thursday, AT&T confirmed the first smartphones supporting the new wireless service will arrive later this year.

The transition to 5G promises faster smartphones, and a lot more. Here's what you need to know about 5G.

1. What is 5G?

It stands for fifth generation. So, this would mark the fifth generation mobile network.

2. What does this mean for my smartphone?

Compared to 4G, which is what most smartphones use now, 5G offers a lot more bandwidth and lower latency, which means it can support the transfer of more data with fewer delays. Put simply, smartphone owners will be able to do things like upload or download videos and photos a lot faster. How much faster is still not clear yet.

3. Will I be able to get 5G with my current phone?

That's highly unlikely. If you recall the transition to 4G earlier this decade, your old 3G phone didn't support the faster networks, which meant buying a smartphone capable of running on both 4G and 3G. Expect something similar here, where newer phones will work on both 5G and 4G networks.

4. Is this the only reason to get excited?

It's more than providing you with a really fast smartphone. Perks such as low latency will benefit technology such as virtual reality, where any delays can really ruin the experience. It also will have enough bandwidth to offer a lot more support to Internet-connected devices. As John Stankey, head of AT&T's Time Warner Merger Integration Planning Team, summarized it during last year's Mobile World Congress: "5G is the enabler of what I would call the connected society that today's current technology wasn't engineered to handle."

5. When can I start using 5G service?

Although AT&T confirmed 5G service will land on smartphones later this year, expect access to really pick up starting in 2019. One of the first big tests for 5G arrives next month at the Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games in South Korea.

2018 USA Today

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
From self-driving cars to finding disease cures, artificial intelligence, or AI, has rapidly emerged as a potentially revolutionary technology  and the pace of innovation is only set to speed up.

To get a sense of where the field is headed in 2018, U of T News sat down with the University of Toronto's Richard Zemel, a professor of computer science and the research director at the Vector Institute for artificial intelligence research.

He was just back from the annual Neural Information and Processing Systems (NIPS) conference in Long Beach, Calif.  a once staid academic gathering that's more than tripled in size over the past five years, drawing dozens of giant corporations.

Zemel's take? Get ready for a world where businesses enjoy unprecedented insight into their products and services, Toronto continues its ascent as a major AI research hub, and digital assistants like Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa become ultra-personalized.

"It will be like being friends with someone for many years," predicts Zemel, who spoke on the sidelines of an event at the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), one of U of T's numerous entrepreneurship hubs. "The computer or phone may know more about you, potentially, than anyone else."

What can we expect to happen in AI over the next 12 months?

One of the things that will affect people in their daily lives will be personalization. People know about personalized assistants like Alexa and Siri, but those are just the first generation. They're going to get a lot better in the next six to 12 months. They will be able to really understand what you're asking and be able to formulate answers and get to know you better  not just look things up in your calendar or on the web.

Is that a function of improved speech recognition capabilities?

Speech will be part of it. But there's all this other information about you that's available. It's your daily habits, what you do and where you go. So, if people allow it  if you give it access to your emails and photos, what you look at online, watch on TV and the books you read  it's going to be a much bigger package. It will be like being friends with someone for many years. The computer or phone may know more about you, potentially, than anyone else. So it's a question of combining all that information and getting a real profile of your tastes.

Beyond personal assistants, there's a lot of other industries that are potentially going to be impacted by this technology, if they aren't already. What other sectors do you think we may be hearing about?

Education is one example. There will be more systems that learn how you learn best. These could be online learning tools that are custom tailored to you. There will also be lots of manufacturing applications. Here at CDL, there's a lot of companies who are using sensing technologies to find out what's happening in the environment  ranging from smart cities down to a company I was just chatting with that's putting sensors in cows' milk to determine how healthy it is. All of these things that were typically very expensive to assess can now be done with a few sensors and a lot of training data.

Medicine is another area where you have a ton of data, although there's a lot of privacy and data-sharing issues in that. The big companies like Microsoft and Google have talked for years about getting into it, but they've always stopped because of privacy issues. But I think there's enough momentum now that there will be progress in health, ranging from health records to medical imaging diagnoses and robotics in surgery.

On the research side, which areas do you find exciting right now?

One of the most exciting areas  and it's reflected in the research I'm doing  is called transfer learning. That's the idea of performing a new task without a lot of training data. This has a lot of applications in business. Let's say a robot has to climb hills and take out the garbage, and it has a lot of data it's trained on to do that. But now you give it a new task  moving a bin from one place to another, and it's never done that before. So now it has to transfer its knowledge to this new task. The novel thing here is you're training it with a huge amount of data, but you're testing it on something else.

I'm guessing that's more difficult to accomplish than it sounds.

Exactly. That's the interesting piece in all of this. The things that seem easy to us, because people do them naturally, are typically the biggest challenge for these systems. That's true for perception and speech. I mean, we speak pretty easily, but it's taken computers a long time to figure out speech and produce speech. All these things we take for granted are big challenges.

Any other areas of research interest?

Another one goes back to what we were saying about personalization. If it takes off, you will need to allow the [AI] system to see all your personal details. So it becomes a question of whether you're going to be hesitant to release your personal details because of privacy and fairness issues. So there's a lot of research now  a really growing field  called fairness in machine learning. I do lot of research in this. In past years, there were just two or three papers at NIPS. This year there were 20.

Is this a technical issue or an ethical one?

It's both. It's an ethical and societal issue to define what it means to be fair, but the technical issue is how do you build a machine learning system that embodies those principles? It's a very interesting area. The challenge is defining it in a good way, and then you take this definition and formalize it into a mathematical statement we can use to train up the machine learning.

There's also a field called FAT ML, which is fairness, accountability and transparency in machine learning. That's going beyond fairness and privacy to ask whether you can get explanations from the system, so it can be useful for doctors and lawyers. In those high-risk situations, you need systems that are more interpretable. That's an increasingly important direction, too.

[U of T University Professor Emeritus] Geoffrey Hinton made a statement last year about how the current paradigm for deep learning needs to be thrown out the window so we can start over. What do you make of his comments and what should the rest of us make of them?

What he's talking about actually follows a trend in machine learning. And that's to build more structure into the system. Now, a lot of people don't like that point of view. They think of it as a plain vanilla system and you should allow it to learn everything. But he's saying you actually need to build in some structure  capsule networks  where you learn about parts of objects and some parameters associated with them and how they're related. There's a lot of work in that area. There's always been this debate between a sort of tabula rasa view of learning to something where you start with some structure and learn on top of it. So throwing out current deep learning might mean, in my view, that you want to incorporate some sort of structure and the key question is: What's the right structure?

AI has been a big story for U of T and Toronto, particularly with the creation of the Vector Institute last year. Can you give me an update on what will be happening at Vector in 2018?

It's exciting. We finally have the space to move into with desks, chairs and everything. People were worried we wouldn't have enough critical mass to get going. But, actually, when we put it all together, there will be 90 people moving in, including students, post-docs and faculty. And that's just the full-time people. There will be a lot affiliates coming in part-time from other parts of Toronto and the province, including the Universities of Guelph, Waterloo and McMaster. It's going to be a real hub of AI activity. We'll do some growing as well, hiring some additional research scientists and bringing in a new batch of grad students in September. We're hiring some post-docs, as well as software and research engineers.

How will the relationship between Vector and U of T work?

The idea is people will be working at U of T in their faculties, but are also cross-appointed to Vector, so they will move back and forth. Many will also have students whose main desks will be at Vector, but they will also be teaching and holding talks on campus. The way I think about it is as an additional facility with a lot of good researchers who will facilitate collaboration.

In a broader sense, how do you see the concept of an AI hub developing in Toronto?

There's a lot of AI around. A lot of the hospitals are doing AI and health is an application that we're very interested in at Vector. We're going to try and co-ordinate things to get the hospitals working and talking with each other and sharing data. We could also play an important role working with businesses when it comes to finding talent. One of our main aims is graduating master's and Ph.D. students. We're not going to co-ordinate all AI, but we can be an important resource and hub for research.

What do you think are the misconceptions rattling around out there about AI?

One thing people don't realize is that machine learning systems, the way they are right now, require a lot of data and a lot of labelled data  thousands of examples with annotations. If you don't have that then you're in the research field, not the applications field. People need to know that. You need a lot of data.

Is it difficult to get access to sufficient data in a less populous country like Canada?

Not really. There's data everywhere. It's just a question of harnessing it and figuring out how to get labels. We're big players in this. People are trying to emulate what's going on here. I had meetings with top people all over Europe, asking "How did you do Vector? We want to copy you." I think we're sitting on a model for the rest of the world.
This April, 2017, photo provided by the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys shows geologist Katreen Wikstrom Jones using an avalanche probe to measure snow depth at Thompson Pass, Alaska. Researchers in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are looking for backcountry enthusiasts who want to aid a science mission. A program funded by NASA is recruiting citizen scientists to measure snow levels in mountain terrain. (Gabriel Wolken/Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys via AP)

America's space agency wants you to head for the mountains with a smartphone and a measuring stick.

NASA's earth science arm is funding research that recruits citizen scientists on skis, snowshoes and snowmobiles to measure the depth of snow in backcountry locations in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

Their measurements will be incorporated into computer models that calculate how much water will end up in the region's rivers and reservoirs.

Early results have been promising.

"Our initial model runs show that citizen science measurements are doing an amazing job of improving our simulations," said David Hill, an Oregon State University professor of civil engineering, who is collaborating with Alaska and University of Washington researchers. They received one of 16 NASA citizen science grants for the project.

The snowpack measurements are incorporated into computer models estimating "snow-water equivalent," the amount of liquid water contained in snow cover, of a watershed.

In western states, according to NASA, nearly three-fourths of annual stream flow that provides drinking water comes from spring and summer melt.

NASA in February began a multiyear research project to improve the accuracy of its snow measurements with partners in Europe and Canada, trying to solve challenges such as detecting snow through trees.

The grant awarded to Hill, Anthony Arendt of the University of Washington and Gabriel Wolken, a research geologist with the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, is not directly connected to that project but has a mutual interest, said Kevin Murphy, a program executive for science data systems at NASA headquarters.

"We decided about two years ago to start this program, which really looks at how can we harness the creativity and the capabilities of citizens to augment a lot of our satellite or aircraft measurements," Murphy said.

Snow telemetry stations maintained by the U.S. Agriculture Department are another important tool for measuring snow in high-elevation and other hard-to-access places, Hill said. The unmanned stations collect data using a system of automated sensors.

But too few of them exist, Hill said. "They're expensive to install, they're expensive to maintain, so there just aren't that many."

The citizen snow-measuring program, Community Snow Observations , aims to supplement that with people.

"We want to turn the public into these mobile snow telemetry stations," he said. "You just need a probe to do it."

The measuring device can be as rudimentary as a yardstick, Hill said, but most people venturing into mountains already carry an avalanche probe, a 5- to 6-meter stick that folds down like a tent pole. After an avalanche, the probes are used to feel for buried people. Probes typically carry measurement markings.

"You want to know when you actually find that person how deep they are," Hill said. "They're really just a big, long ruler."

For the citizen science program, an online tutorial tells participants to find undisturbed snow, push the probe firmly to the ground, read the depth in centimeters and enter the data onto a smartphone app. Participants are asked to repeat that several times and average the measurements.

The app records the location and time of the measurement and uploads the information. The program accounts for measurements in continental climate locations with light, dry snow or the wet, dense snow of maritime climates.

Initial measurements were made last winter in Alaska's Thompson Pass north of Valdez, where other snow research was being conducted.

"I recruited some of the folks from Valdez Avalanche Center. They brought friends along," said Wolken, the Alaska research geologist. "That was our first go at getting sort of a grassroots, citizen science team."

The hundreds of measurements collected far outpaced what the scientists could gather themselves. When NASA announced grants for citizen scientist projects, the researchers jumped to apply, Wolken said.

Preliminary calculations have been "striking," Hill said, and the subject of a paper written by a doctoral student.

"He has results that basically show that the errors in our modeled snow-water equivalent are cut by about 90 percent with this input from public," Hill said. "We're thrilled about that."

Other NASA grants in the program will use citizen scientists to collect data on mosquito populations and their breeding environments around the world, water depths in lakes in North Carolina and elsewhere, moisture in soil at various locations, changes in giant kelp across the globe, and images of clouds from the ground in Colorado.

 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
A map of Gotham City is laid out in a Finite Element Analysis grid. The grid shows how stresses to different lifelines affect various parts of the city. Credit: Colorado State University

If a community is resilient, it can withstand and recover from an unanticipated disaster, like an earthquake, fire or flood.

But since every disaster and every community is unique, a uniform measure for defining "resilience" has been hard to come by for engineers and social scientists.

In a new study, Colorado State University civil engineer Hussam Mahmoud offers an innovative approach to defining resilience that could help communities better prepare for hazards. Integrating a community's infrastructural, social and economic features, Mahmoud's team has created a dynamic mathematical model that quantifies, in space and time, how well a community would withstand a major shakeup  regardless of whether it's a natural disaster like a flood, or a social disruption like the Arab Spring in 2011.

Mahmoud and graduate student co-author Akshat Chulahwat describe their "hazard-agnostic," finite element resilience model in the journal Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering.

Finite element analysis is a mathematical tool that engineers use to assess stresses and strain in structural elements, like beams and columns. Mahmoud and Chulahwat's work is built on the principle that a community  be it a town, city or suburb  responds to a disaster very much like a swinging pendulum or vibrating violin string responds to a force.

"Our mathematical formula allows you to cause disruption to a community at any location, and see what that disruption would do to the entire community," said Mahmoud, associate professor of civil engineering.

Batman's home town

To demonstrate the versatility of their model, the team used the fictional city of Batman, Gotham City, as a test bed. They chose a fictional city to provide a proof-of-concept for their model.

Many engineers and social scientists are working to define community resilience. Mahmoud is one of them, as a member of the CSU-led NIST Center for Risk-Based Community Resilience Planning. Typically, resilience is viewed as an engineering, social or economic problem, and individual communities decide which metrics matter most to them. The metrics usually fall into a series of "lifelines," like water, housing, power, health, community and transportation.

In Mahmoud and Chulahwat's approach, recovery of all lifelines is integrated to form a unified resilience metric. The metric combines engineering, social and economic features of the lifelines together, as opposed to selecting only one of them.

Classical mechanics

The approach applies these same lifelines, but simplifies resilience into three classes: social, economic and infrastructure. Using an equation from classical mechanics, the team considered mass to represent social vulnerabilities; damping to represent funds available for recovery; and stiffness to represent robustness of infrastructure

If one or more of these variables experiences a change, the rest of the system follows suit  just like when a violin string is plucked, the force of the plucking affects the time it takes for the string to stop vibrating.

They verified their model using a map of the fictional Batman home city. Dividing Gotham into uptown, midtown and downtown, they recorded the effects of various "disasters," including a jail riot at Arkham Asylum, which is located near uptown Gotham.

Among their observations was that a fast recovery is not necessarily best; if a community bounces back too quickly from a disruption, it can cause instabilities.

Resilience against social uprisings

Mahmoud was inspired to take this approach to defining resilience in part by studying the Arab Spring uprising of 2011 in Egypt and other parts of the Middle East. The widespread demonstrations lasted many weeks and took social and economic tolls on communities for years, but the impact was difficult to measure.

The new hazard-agnostic model provides a framework for better defining how disruptions like the Arab Spring affect communities long term.

"Our model can help us determine what happens to your community, both spatially and temporally, if it's struck by a natural disaster, economic downturn or social disruption," Mahmoud said.

More information: Hussam Mahmoud et al. Spatial and Temporal Quantification of Community Resilience: Gotham City under Attack, Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering (2017). DOI: 10.1111/mice.12318
Credit: Columbia University Islands like Barbuda may seem like paradise now, but they face many challenges from climate change in the future. Credit: Tiffany Challe

Barbuda, the sister island of Antigua, is a small, low-lying Caribbean island. Most of its 1,700 residents lived in Codrington, the central location for stores and schools. The town is also the location for the Barbuda Research Complex, where I attended sustainability field school in 2013.

What makes this island so unique? The beauty of the natural beaches untouched by tourism developments, the rich vegetation, diverse wildlife, fascinating archaeological sites and the people of Barbuda. During my three-week stay there, it became clear to me that Barbudans were a proud, happy and resilient people. Their community identity is heavily steeped in their food culture, which forges their intricate relationship with the environment. This entry in my field journal captures their spirit: "I admire how Barbudans respect and use all their resources on the island and understand their environment." Their livelihoods and culture center on fishing, hunting and farming. However, climate change has altered the island's food system and therefore their livelihoods. Droughts and rising seas that encroach on freshwater supplies are causing crop yields to decline, and Barbudans must increasingly rely on expensive imported foods.

Hurricane Irma hit Barbuda in September and decimated most of the island  95 percent of the buildings and infrastructure were destroyed. One person died and countless animals were killed by debris or separated from their owners. For the first time in 300 years, the island was rendered uninhabitable. All the residents were evacuated and temporarily relocated to Antigua, where they still remain today. Barbudans are eager to return to the island, as they have a strong sense of place-based identity. Rebuilding efforts are currently under way, though funds are sorely lacking and a bitter dispute over land rights has ensued. This story illustrates tragedy for the islanders, who are at the front lines of climate change.

And they're not the only ones. This year, hurricane season hit U.S. coastal communities and islands in the Caribbean at an alarming scale, causing massive infrastructure damage and loss of life. Meanwhile, wildfires are wreaking havoc in Southern California. These natural disasters are influenced by a warming climate. As the sea level rises and average temperatures continue to increase, these disasters will become more frequent and intense. Climate change is expected to displace millions of people in the coming decades, and countries will increasingly have to grapple with this issue.

When disaster strikes, what happens to the communities in harm's way? Where do the displaced people stay? Will they be able to return to their homes in areas that climate change may have rendered unlivable? Experts from Columbia University discussed these challenges and more at a recent event hosted by the Earth Institute.

Climate scientist Radley Horton from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory moderated the panel. The speakers included: Lisa Dale, a lecturer in the undergraduate program in Sustainable Development; Alex de Sherbinin, a geographer at the Center for International Earth Science Information Network; and Michael Gerrard, director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School. The event was part of the Earth Institute's Climate Adaptation Initiativea three-year project to enhance Columbia's impact on sustainability problem-solving. One of the themes of this initiative is climate-induced retreat to safer areas.

Where Will Climate Migrants Go?

Some experts estimate that climate change could force between 150 and 300 million people to find a new place to live by the middle of this century, though there is considerable uncertainty about the amount. Finding suitable locations to house them will be a significant impediment. As Michael Gerrard explained, "part of the problem is scale. If we're talking about millions of people having to be on the move, it just doesn't work."

Credit: Columbia University

In the U.S., there are very few habitable places that aren't already occupied by homes, businesses, or agriculture, or preserved as park lands or forests. Meanwhile, rural areas would provide few opportunities for migrants to find employment and rebuild their lives.

Instead, Gerrard suggested moving people from high-risk areas to cities whose populations are shrinking, such as Detroit, Michigan. He sees cities' potential for vertical development, energy-efficient buildings, and public transportation as a way to sustainably host climate migrants.

The 1951 Refugee Convention defines a protected refugee as someone who leaves his or her home country due to racial, religious, or social persecution, or reasonable fear of such persecution. These refugees have the right to seek asylum and protection from participating members of the United Nations (though these countries are not obligated to take them in). However, people displaced by climate change do not fit this definition. At the international level, there is no legal mechanism in place to protect climate migrants' rights and to ensure assistance from other countries. In terms of cross-border migration, Gerrard said, "there is no international law that compels a country to take in people from other countries; it's wholly voluntary."

When Should Climate Migration Happen?

Once a major disaster strikes with little or no warning, victims can become 'distressed' migrantspeople who have lost their homes and are forced to flee with nothing but the shirts on their backs.

A better scenario would be to resettle people outside of at-risk areas before disaster strikes. That way, people would have some degree of choice in where to go and what to bring.

However, Alex de Sherbinin pointed out that the U.S. government has no policy mechanism designed to relocate people before a disaster strikes.

Not only does relocating people cost money, but governments miss out on tax revenues if land is left empty. "This is why there is an impetus to build up and grow in vulnerable coastal zones," said de Sherbinin.

But it's not impossible to be proactive about climate migration. China has 'ecological migration,' a relocation program designed to anticipate future disasters. The government has resettled large communities from rural areas damaged by climate change, industrialization, and other problems. The program is partly an effort to reduce dust storms produced by agriculture. It works out economically because it was no longer financially tenable for the Chinese government to support these communities in rural areas.

Where Would the Money Come From?

Michael Gerrard views carbon pricing as an ideal solution to funding climate relocation. Displacement by sea level rise, hurricanes, and wildfires is, as he put it, "a negative externality of burning fossil fuels, so if you were to build that into the price and pay for some of this through a price on carbon, you would generate a whole lot of money that way." In this scenario, the money paid by carbon emitters could help fund climate relocation while creating a major economic incentive to move away from fossil fuels.

The panelists agreed that countries also need to be forward-looking. In order to avoid the US' reactive disaster planning, we must plan ahead for future damage and associated costs from natural disasters when thinking about how to manage the retreat from at-risk areas.

Unfortunately, U.S. disaster response is typically reactive instead of proactive. Lisa Dale explained how, much like flood planning, the federal fire budget is backward-looking. "The U.S. Forest Service's annual budget is based on the last 10 years of fire costs," she said, "so they are always estimating too low." Meanwhile, the cost of suppressing fire has grown substantially, she added.

A more progressive approach would lead to better management of funds to add protective measures against climate-related catastrophes, build resilience, and in extreme cases relocate at-risk communities.

With a lack of finance, policy, and legal frameworks, managed retreat will be a huge challenge in the United States. So it is no wonder that developing nations are not receiving the financial and technical assistance they so desperately need to recover from disasters and to rebuild in a climate-resilient way. Gerrard pointed out that the U.S. is "one of the richest places on the planet and we're struggling to come up with resources to fund it."

Changing Climate, Changing Cultures

For climate relocation to work, governments need to care and commit to international responsibility and burden-sharing. However, in the current global political context of fear of terrorism, an increased refugee influx into Europe, and an overall rise of xenophobia, countries are more likely to opt for stricter policies on cross-border migration. Rex Tillerson announced on December 3 that the U.S. is pulling out of the Global Compact for Migration, arguing (falsely, in Gerrard's view) that it was a threat to U.S. sovereignty.

"There is such an anti-immigrant fervor that it's hard to imagine the U.S. in the short-term taking in large numbers of people," Gerrard said.

According to Alex de Sherbinin, framing migration as a useful adaptation (and life- and cost-saving strategy), rather than a retreat, can encourage governments to take actions to support migration.

On the other hand, there is a human cost to any kind of permanent relocation: The threat of losing one's cultural heritage, particularly in native communities on coastal areas and islands such as Barbuda. Many islanders have a deep attachment to their homeland, which is inextricably linked to their culture and traditions.

Gaston Browne, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, is pushing for tourism development and land ownership to regenerate Barbuda's economy and reduce the island's reliance on Antigua. The Barbuda Land Act of 2007 formally recognized that citizens communally own Barbuda's landa practice dating back hundreds of yearsand must consent to major developments. In its place, Browne proposes to institute a system in which Barbudans can buy their plots for $1, opening up the possibility of securing bank loans for reconstruction. Many people and representatives in the Barbuda Council are opposed to this new system, as it would threaten their culture and would potentially open up their island to foreign investment and development.

As Alex de Sherbinin noted, "rebuilding homes is one thing, but also rebuilding communities and allowing the tissue of community to reform requires funds to facilitate."

There is a lot of work ahead of us to solve the climate migration issue, and as Michael Gerrard pointed out, "it's really a question of trying to find sufficient humanity."

Provided by Earth Institute, Columbia University

This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu.
A maize farmer in Tanzania stands in front of her crop. Credit: Laura Paul /AMA Innovation Lab

The poorest people in the world are among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including droughts, floods and wildfires. This is especially true for poor farmers in drought-prone regions of the world who rely on crops or livestock to feed their families.

A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Davis, shows insurance can be the most effective way to increase the resilience of poor households in the face of climate change while also preventing other households from falling into poverty. In the long-term, it also reduces the number of households that need emergency aid and stretches the aid budget further.

"If you're in a region that's prone to severe droughts, and you don't do anything about it until disaster strikes, that's expensive," said Michael Carter, a professor of agricultural and resource economics at UC Davis and director of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Assets and Market Access. The study, published in the journal Environment and Development Economics, shows insurance becomes even more effective as the risk of drought increases.

Eastern Africa as model

A major driver of poverty among agricultural households is some kind of catastrophic shock, such as a drought. This is especially true in eastern Africa, which is still in its worst drought in a generation.

"This is an area of the world where a severe drought event can destroy 50 to 60 percent of a family's wealth. Families can lose absolutely everything in the space of a couple of months," said Carter.

Without a social safety net to protect them following a drought, households have little choice but to cut spending on food, eating only once a day or less. Extended periods of undernutrition can delay a child's brain development and stunt growth. In the rural areas of developing countries, this causes children to make less progress with schooling. It also leads to a compromised ability to contribute to farming or livestock activities or even to earn a living.

"A child not properly fed in the early stages of life is never going to reach their human potential," said Carter. "It can cause poverty to be passed on to future generations."

Carter and his co-author Sarah Janzen, an assistant professor of economics at Montana State University, developed an economic model to determine what types of interventions would work best to break this cycle. The model shows that partially subsidized insurance can be much more effective than conventional aid programs that target families only after they have fallen into misery.

The small premiums poor farmers pay for coverage at the start of each season almost guarantee that they will receive funds in an emergency. Not only is this more predictable than emergency aid, it also has the potential to be self-sustaining through the payment of premiums.

"This analysis suggests that targeting vulnerable householdsin addition to the already destitutewill protect households against heightened risk and minimize unnecessary poverty in future generations," said Janzen.

Insurance will make a difference only to a point

While the study shows that insurance becomes more effective as the risk of drought or other climate-related event increases, this effect lasts only up to a point. Eventually, the risk of a catastrophic event becomes so high that poor farmers could end up spending too much money on insurance.

"If climate change gets sufficiently severe, then even addressing those at risk of falling into poverty is not going to work. Parts of the earth are going to become economically nonviable, and people are going to go elsewhere," said Carter. The more pessimistic climate change projections suggest that we will already be facing this scenario in some parts of the earth before the end of this century.

In the short term, insurance is a smart public policy to help prevent chronic poverty, before it's too late.

More information: Michael R. Carter et al. Social protection in the face of climate change: targeting principles and financing mechanisms, Environment and Development Economics (2017). DOI: 10.1017/S1355770X17000407
Volunteers are asked to classify photographs of the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse, including whether other objectslike the star Regulusappear in the image. Credit: University of CaliforniaBerkeley

Although August's total solar eclipse was over in minutes, analysis of the 50,000 photos uploaded to the Eclipse Megamovie website is a time-consuming job, so team leaders are asking citizen scientists for help.

The images have been put online at Zooniverse so that the public can scan and categorize them, a project dubbed Megamovie Maestros I.

Initially, volunteers are being asked to determine what the project's photographers actually captured by identifying eclipse phases, diamond rings, Baily's beads and other interesting phenomena.

The photos, snapped by thousands of recruited volunteers, have already been stitched together once by Google to create a first round extended view of the eclipse (aka the Megamovie). The Zooniverse project will help the team improve the Megamovie, and ultimately, better understand the behavior and mechanisms of the solar corona. Analysis of individual images will provide even more scientific data, according to the project team.

People who are more technically inclined are invited to dive into the project's entire image database to see what they can discover or create (see instructions here). That could mean constructing a collage, spotting an unusual phenomenon or even making a better Megamovie.

"It's a great way to relive the eclipse and see some stunning eclipse imagery, thanks to our oh-so-talented volunteers," said Dan Zevin, who is with the Multiverse education team that is leading the Eclipse Megamovie project at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory.
Inserting the second BS when the two sub-waves have an encounter, as in (a), can produce two resultant sub-waves, as in (b), if two-sub waves inside the MZI are in-phase. Credit: Science China Press

Quantum mechanics is a pillar of modern science and technology, and has benefited human society for a century. The wave function, also known as the quantum state, is the description of a quantum object and plays a central role in quantum mechanics. Nonetheless, the nature of the wave function is still debated. So far, there have been several interpretations of the wave function, including the Copenhagen interpretation, the De Broglie's pilot wave interpretation, and the many-world interpretation.

Among them, the Copenhagen interpretation dominates. It treats the wave function merely as a complex probability amplitude used to calculate the probability of finding the quantum object at a given place. In this case, the wave function is a pure mathematical tool, and thus is supposed only to provide the knowledge of phenomena. However, the Copenhagen interpretation cannot describe the real existence of the quantum object. Hence, exploring the nature of the wave function is of fundamental importance for unlocking the mysterious quantum world.

In a recent study, a realistic interpretation (REIN) for the wave function was proposed by Gui-Lu Long, a researcher at the Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, in the Chinese city of Beijing. The REIN states that the wave function of a quantum object is an actual state rather than a mere mathematical descriptionin other words, the quantum object in space exists in the form of the wave function. To demonstrate this, Gui-Lu Long and his collaborators, Wei Qin, Zhe Yang and Jun-Lin Li, also from the Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, designed an encounter-delayed-choice experiment and experimentally realized the scheme. This study, titled "Realistic Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics and Encounter-Delayed-Choice Experiment," has been published in Science China Physics, Mechanics and Astronomy.

The researchers showed that a quantum or microscopic object is extended in space or even, in some cases, in disjointed regions of space, with amplitude and phase. The square of the modulus of the wave function represents the spatial distribution of the quantum object. When measured, the space-filling quantum object will, according to the measurement postulate in quantum mechanics, collapse instantaneously. In this case, the object behaves as a particle. Owing to the existence of a phase, the interference between two coherent wave functions can occur when they have an encounter. Consequently, the resultant wave function will change differently at different locations: Some are strengthened due to constructive interference, whereas some others are canceled due to destructive interference. This changes the spatial distribution of the quantum object. In this case, the object behaves as a wave.

A good demonstration of the delayed-choice experiment is given by a two-path interferometer, the Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI). Our discussion is restricted to the case where a single photon is directed to the MZI followed by two detectors. According to the traditional perspective, the nature of the single photon inside the MZI depends on whether or not the second BS is in place. If the second BS is absent, the single photon then travels along just one arm, showing the particle nature.

On the contrary, when the researchers inserted the second BS, the single photon traveled along both arms, exhibiting the wave nature. However, in the REIN, the first BS splits the single photon into two sub-waves traveling along the two arms, whether the second BS is inserted or not. That is, the photon in an MZI is an extended and separated object that exists simultaneously at both arms. In this interpretation, if the second BS is absent, the two sub-waves are directed, respectively, to the two detectors, and with a probability independent of their relative phase, the measurement collapses them into a click in one detector. This is the particle nature of the single photon.

Furthermore, the presence of the second BS can cause the two sub-waves to interfere and, instead, two resultant sub-waves are directed to the two detectors. The single photon exists in the form of the two resultant sub-waves. As a consequence, the measurement collapses the resultant sub-waves into a click in one detector, with a phase-dependent probability. This is the wave nature of the single photon. In contrast to the traditional interpretation, the REIN demonstrates that there is no difference between a single photon in a closed MZI and a photon in an open one before they arrive at the second BS.

To support this idea, the researchers also implement an encounter-delayed-choice (EDC) experiment. In the experiment, the second BS is inserted or not when the two sub-waves traveling simultaneously along the two arms of the MZI have an encounter, as shown in Fig. 1(a). It is different from previous (or quantum) delayed-choice experiments where the decision is made before the encounter occurs. In the EDC case, the parts, subject to the second BS, of the two-sub waves, will interfere and their forms change according to the relative phase. But the remaining parts, not subject to the second BS, will not interfere, leaving their forms unchanged. The single photon can therefore be divided into two parts, one showing the wave nature and one showing the particle nature. Correspondingly, as depicted in Fig. 1(b), the sub-waves having left from the MZI can be divided into two parts, one from the wave nature and the other from the particle nature. Note that Fig. 1(b) shows a special case where the two-sub waves inside the MZI are in phase. The experimental data in the article is in good agreement with the prediction of the REIN, implying that the REIN idea is strongly supported.

"This difficulty is pertinent to our stubborn notion of a rigid particle of microscopic object for a quantum object, as the name, 'quantum particle', suggests," the researchers write. "If we adopt the view that the quantum object does exist in the form of the wave function, it is easier to understand this form change."

More information: GuiLu Long et al, Realistic interpretation of quantum mechanics and encounter-delayed-choice experiment, Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy (2017). DOI: 10.1007/s11433-017-9122-2
Credit: 123RF.com/Rice University

The geopolitical risks to the United States' oil supply are the lowest since the early 1970s, due to fracking, climate action and a more diverse global supply, according to a new paper by experts at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. America's energy prosperity contrasts with a more fraught period for energy-exporting countries where geopolitical challenges have been compounded by fiscal stress and rising domestic energy demand, the authors said.

"Geopolitical Dimensions of U.S. Oil Security," co-authored by Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at the Baker Institute, and Kenneth Medlock, senior director of the institute's Center for Energy Studies, was published online this month in the journal Energy Policy.

The authors argue that while U.S. security guarantees for America's Persian Gulf allies remain important, enhanced U.S. oil security and other factors could allow a downsizing of military commitment. At the same time, the oil-exporting world is turning toward the developing world to find markets for its crude. Someday, conceivably, these countries may participate in ensuring the security of global oil supply, the authors said.

Climate policies also, ironically, enhance oil security due to the greater fuel efficiency and push toward alternative technologies and fuels. "Hence, the more Americans adopt alternate vehicle technologies and fuels, the more they insulate themselves from oil disruptions," the authors wrote.

Despite these factors, oil stands to remain the world's primary transportation fuel for decades, ensuring its strategic value and U.S. interest in protecting the trade.

"The security of America's oil supply and stability in global oil trade remain critical components of U.S. national security," the authors wrote. "While the potential exists for rapid shifts in energy systems at the regional level, energy transitions tend to occur slowly on a global scale. Geopolitical forces, by contrast, are far more volatile.

"As the Iranian revolution and the fall of the Soviet Union demonstrate, sweeping change can upend longstanding relationships overnight," they wrote. "Ongoing trends in global oil markets appear to be pointing to continued improvement in the security of U.S. oil supply. U.S. domestic production is increasing, as is the geographic diversity of global oil supply, and environmental pressures are encouraging greater efficiency and adoption of substitute technologies. All of these factors contribute to U.S. oil security."

However, trends in oil geopolitics point in the opposite direction, the authors said. "The Trump administration's transactional approach to international relations has intensified the uncertainty of an already volatile period among oil exporting states," the authors wrote.

"Since the onset of the Arab Spring uprisings in 2010, instability has been exacerbated by fiscal stresses of low oil prices, the rise in tension between Sunni and Shia Muslim-dominated regions and the attendant proxy wars in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya, crumbling stability in Venezuela and a breakdown in relations among Gulf oil sheikhdoms. Most recently, the Trump administration has aggravated regional geopolitical tensions by taking sides in the intra-Gulf dispute. It has also created broad rifts with long-standing allies over its announced intention to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement," the authors said.

Improvements to U.S. energy security despite rising tensions in oil-producing regions have prompted questions about whether the United States needs to continue enforcing the provisions of the Carter Doctrine that require Washington to maintain a large and costly military presence in the Persian Gulf. "Despite a strong prima facie case for drawdown, we argue that a continued U.S. presence remains compelling," the authors wrote.

Looking to the future, U.S. oil security depends on development choices made in China, India and other Asian states where once impoverished masses are rising into the middle class, the authors said. "The oil intensity of China and India, as well as populous ASEAN states like Indonesia, will weigh greatly on future oil security in the United States," the authors wrote.

More information: Jim Krane et al. Geopolitical dimensions of US oil security, Energy Policy (2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2017.12.050 Journal information: Energy Policy
Ten years of planning and sampling has led to the creation of the largest harmonised European soil dataset, and the Joint Research Centre, the European Commission's science and knowledge service, is ready to carry out the most comprehensive assessment of soil biodiversity across the continent.

Soil scientists at the JRC have been busy gathering and analysing soil samples from across the Europe.

Around 22,000 samples were collected from all European Union (EU) Member States in 2009-2012, while a further 23 000 samples were acquired in 2015 from the EU, Switzerland and Western Balkan countries.

Scientists are now concluding the process of analysing the physico-chemical soil properties of the second batch. Once completed, the JRC will be able to carry out assessments of how the impacts of EU and national land based policiessuch as those designed to tackle climate change and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) - are manifested through changes in soil characteristics over time.

The assessment includes things like the physical and chemical properties of the soil, biodiversity, density, structure and pollutants present.

The soil sampling is done within the framework of a European-wide survey entitled LUCAS (Land Use/Land Cover Area Frame Survey), which is coordinated by the EU Statistical Office, EUROSTAT, and aims to assess changes in land cover and land use across the EU every three years.

A new LUCAS campaign will be organised in 2018, which will also include soil sampling at 26,000 locations.

While several new exciting soil parameters will be measured in the next survey, there is particular interest is the collection of data on soil biodiversity so that they can be integrated with land use information and the soil properties, such as texture, pH, organic carbon and nitrogen content, measured so far.

"This will make LUCAS SOIL the first ever pan-European assessment of soil biodiversity and one of the largest continental assessments of soil life at global scale. It is extremely exciting as it represents a unique opportunity to develop baseline maps of soil biodiversity at European scale.

It also represents a great opportunity to finally contribute to and realise a global soil biodiversity assessment," said JRC soil scientist Alberto Orgiazzi.

The success of the JRC's Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas demonstrates an increasing interest in, and awareness of, soil life not only among scientists but also among policy makers. The JRC plans to build on this by analysing the biodiversity of soil organisms from 1 000 locations by means of DNA-fingerprinting techniques.

JRC researchers are in contact with researchers responsible for similar projects in other continents (Biome of Australia Soil Environments, African Soil Microbiology Project and China Soil Microbiome Initiative) in order to build synergies, combine results and to generate a first ever global soil biodiversity assessment.

The JRC has also launched a call for support and collaboration on soil biodiversity assessment. Through this call, scientists can propose strategies for large-scale DNA fingerprinting of soil organisms and actively contribute to both the LUCAS Soil and other global soil biodiversity assessments.

This JRC initiative represents an innovative way to make research more open and shared in order to shed light on the complex  yet essential  systems that soils are. Researchers can declare their interest to contribute to the project through this table.

JRC scientists confirm the need for open-access and a large-scale soil data to facilitate science-driven decisions on the EU environmental and economic agenda. And therefore, one of the most important features of the LUCAS soil project is the totally open access to all data.

Hosted by the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC), the dataset also contains all data products  including over 20 maps  that were created by the scientific team on the basis of the data obtained during the analysis of earlier surveys.

The flexibility of adding new parameters to meet direct policy demands, together with the regularity of the LUCAS programme and increasing sampling locations, gives LUCAS SOIL the potential to be Europe's, or eventually the world's, largest harmonised and expandable soil dataset.

Provided by CORDIS
A University of Texas at Arlington researcher is part of a team of authors who have found that using a mobile device at home for work purposes has negative implications for the employee's work life and also their spouse.

Wayne Crawford, assistant professor of management in UTA's College of Business, was one of five authors on "Your Job Is Messing With Mine! The Impact of Mobile Device Use for Work During Family Time on the Spouse's Work Life," recently published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.

Dawn Carson, Baylor University; Meredith Thompson, Utah State University; and Wendy Boswell and Dwayne Whitten, Texas A&M University; also contributed to the study.

In all, 344 married couples were surveyed. All participants worked fulltime and used mobile devices or tablets at home for work purposes.

"There is plenty of research on technology and how it affects employees," Crawford said. "We wanted to see if this technology use carried over to affect the spouse negatively at work."

The couples' survey results showed that use of a mobile device during family time resulted in lower job satisfaction and lower job performance.

"It's really no surprise that conflict was created when a spouse is using a mobile device at home," Crawford said. "They're sometimes engaging in work activities during family time. What that ultimately leads to, though, is trouble at work for both spouses. So, whether companies care or don't care about employees being plugged in, those firms need to know that the relationship tension created by their interaction with their employees during non-work hours ultimately leads to work-life trouble."

Abdul Rasheed, chair of the Department of Management, said Crawford's work is illuminating for businesses.

"That extra time spent on mobile devices after hours might not be worth it if the grief it causes results in productivity losses once the conflict is carried back to work," Rasheed said. "Businesses have to think about accomplishing tasks more efficiently while people are at work."

More information: Dawn S. Carlson et al. Your Job Is Messing With Mine! The Impact of Mobile Device Use for Work During Family Time on the Spouse's Work Life., Journal of Occupational Health Psychology (2017). DOI: 10.1037/ocp0000103 Journal information: Journal of Occupational Health Psychology
A stream in the Potrero-Caimital watershed in Costa Rica during the dry (top) and wet (bottom) season. Residents depend on high rainfall during the wet season to provide enough water to get them through the four-month long dry season. Credit: Silja Hund

A new tool could help local authorities in Costa Rica prepare for periods of drought during the dry season based on rainfall during the wet season, scientists reported last month at the 2017 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in New Orleans.

As part of an interdisciplinary, international research team called FurturAgua, researchers from the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University have developed a tool they call the Groundwater Recharge Indicator for two watersheds in the Guanacaste Province of Costa Rica. The Groundwater Recharge Indicator can help community leaders prepare for the dry season by providing an estimate of water availability based on rainfall during the wet season. With this new tool, authorities can implement water conservation efforts such as collecting rainwater or using surface water instead of groundwater before the dry season begins and potential droughts occur, according to the researchers.

In areas with few resources, like rural Costa Rica, "a drought can kill people, millions of peopleso you really cannot exaggerate the importance of water in a developing country," said Feyera Hirpa, an environmental engineer at the University of Oxford who studies water resources in impoverished communities in Kenya who was not involved with the new research.

The researchers developed the Groundwater Recharge Indicator for the Potrero-Caimital watersheds and aquifer. Along with the rest of Costa Rica, this area experiences distinct wet and dry seasons. The dry season lasts from December to March, and the wet season lasts from April to November.

Researchers installed water monitors along rivers and streams in the Potrero-Caimital watershed in Costa Rica. Residents are concerned about water availability and were happy to let the researchers install monitors on the side of their houses. Credit: Silja Hund

Although the wet season lasts for eight months, some years there isn't enough rain to get through the dry season, according to the researchers. "That's when a lot of the communities [in this area] start struggling," said Silja Hund, a hydrologist at the University of British Columbia who led the research. Communities in this area use groundwater for both agricultural and residential use, and that causes their wells to run dry, Hund said.

Hund and her colleagues wanted to better understand the impacts of climate variability and water use on water resources and use that knowledge to help communities come up with ways to effectively adapt to seasonal droughts.

The research team set up water monitoring stations at five river sites, three groundwater wells and a central meteorological station in the Potrero-Caimital watersheds. They collected data on streamflow and water level for two and a half years.

The researchers also collected historical water use data from 2005 to 2016. They used the data from their monitors and the historical water use data to create a model of water use changes over time.

Researchers worked with locals to install water monitors along rivers and streams in the Potrero-Caimital watershed in Costa Rica. Credit: Silja Hund

They found that water use had increased by about 33 percent from 2005 to 2016, which was due to population increases during that period. The population in this area continues to grow, so increased water use will likely become more problematic, Hund said.

The researchers also found that the variability in rainfall and drought from year to year is influenced by the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a periodic variation in sea surface temperature and winds that primarily affects the tropical regions of the Pacific Ocean. Droughts occurred in this area after extreme El Nino years, which are warm, while high precipitation during La Nina years, which are cooler, would provide enough water for the community to make it through the dry season.

They used the water monitors to develop the Groundwater Recharge Indicator, which is a model that consists of two graphs depicting cumulative rainfall and cumulative groundwater, respectively, over one year. Communities can use the graphs to predict water availability in the dry season based on cumulative rainfall at any point during the wet season.

Hund and her colleagues have handed the water monitors over to the local university and stakeholders in that region of Costa Rica, who will continue to use them to learn about and monitor their water resources.

This story is republished courtesy of AGU Blogs (http://blogs.agu.org), a community of Earth and space science blogs, hosted by the American Geophysical Union. Read the original story here.
Enhanced reprogramming of skin cells (blue) to liver-like cells (red and green) by reducing expression of a repressive protein. Credit: The laboratory of Ken Zaret, PhD, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Newly described stretches of super-silenced DNA reveal a fresh approach to reprogram cell identity to use in regenerative medicine studies and one day in the clinic, according to a study in Molecular Cell last week by investigators from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

"In the past, most labs, including my own, used gene activators to turn on a new program to change the identity in a given cell," said senior author Ken Zaret, PhD, director of the Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine and a professor of Cell and Developmental Biology. "Our study shows that in some cases we will need to disassemble a cell's gene repression machinery to activate important genes to reprogram a cell's identity."

The team attempted to reprogram skin cells to make new liver cells. Conversions of one cell type to another usually have low efficiencies, and this study identifies one reason why. The long term goal of this preclinical research is to be able to replenish diseased liver tissue with healthy tissue derived from a different tissue, such as skin cells, from the same individual in a process called direct-cell reprogramming

The Zaret lab untangled an extreme form of gene silencing, opening up regions of tightly wound DNA that is difficult for activators to reach to turn on certain genes. They found the regions by characterizing an increase in chemical cross-linking due to DNA being more compacted in the scaffolding of repressed regions of chromosomes

"Think of a piece of fishing line that has been used for a while, with several knots along its length," Zaret said. "The knotted areas are more easily cross-linked regions, reflecting them being super-silenced areas of DNA."

For the body to maintain its 200-plus different cell types, cells must activate genes specific to their type while simultaneously repressing genes of alternative types. Most genes in silenced DNA regions (not available to be "read" and made into a protein) are typically functions not used by the current cell type. Zaret likens it to insurance so cells don't mix up their identity, which could induce problems such as uncontrolled, cancerous cell replications, or so that brain or liver genes are kept from being expressed in skin cells, for example.

The team characterized the proteins that help make the regions "knotted" and found they were more complex than expected. "We found more types of different proteins than we thought we would," Zaret said. To do this, they turned on the activity of once-silenced genes in human skin cells grown in culture to see if the knotted domain would open more easily when each was eliminated. Of the 50 proteins tested, some are also mutated in such neurodegenerative disorders as Lou Gehrig's disease.

"While most reprogramming genes are not in these super silent regions of DNA, very important genes are; so this gives us a new way to think about reprogramming," Zaret said. The ultimate goal of their study is to find more efficient ways to reprogram one cell type into another by awakening silenced genes plus adding activators.
Critically endangered swift parrots. Credit: Australian National University

New research from The Australian National University (ANU) has found genetic evidence that critically endangered swift parrots, which breed all over Tasmania and on predator-free islands, form a single nomadic population at high risk of extinction.

Nomadic swift parrots breed across Tasmania wherever their food is most abundant.

Dr. Dejan Stojanovic from the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society said DNA collected from nestling swift parrots showed those birds from predator-free Bruny Island and Maria Island were not genetically isolated from populations on mainland Tasmania.

He said the findings supported the need to manage the swift parrot population as a single unit, and that even local threats like deforestation and predatory sugar gliders may impact large proportions of the mobile parrot population.

"We already recognise the importance of predator-free islands as havens for swift parrots, but our findings demonstrate that protecting islands is only part of the solution to saving the parrots," he said.

"This new genetic evidence shows that islands don't support a genetically distinct subpopulation of swift parrots. Birds that nest on islands in one year may move to the Tasmanian mainland the next year, putting them at risk of being eaten by sugar gliders."

Credit: Australian National University

Dr. Stojanovic said the genetic findings supported previous predictions of severe extinction risk to swift parrots from loss of habitat and sugar glider predation on mainland Tasmania.

"Protecting islands from deforestation is a good start for the swift parrot, but this alone will not save them from extinction. We need to better protect mature forests on mainland Tasmania to stop these birds from going extinct" he said.

The work is part of the Difficult Bird Research Group at ANU, which focusses on Australia's most endangered birds and is dedicated to understanding their ecology and conservation.

The research was published in Animal Conservation.

More information: D. Stojanovic et al. Genetic evidence confirms severe extinction risk for critically endangered swift parrots: implications for conservation management, Animal Conservation (2018). DOI: 10.1111/acv.12394
Every 2 seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. More than 15 million units of blood are transfused every year.

Blood centers across the country struggle at certain times of the year to meet that demand. Different parts of the country struggle more than others. Although approximately 38 percent of Americans meet all the eligibility requirements to donate blood, only a small percentage actually donate.

On the coasts, only 2 to 3 percent of the population are blood donors. Our internal data show that locally, with our great Midwestern values, that figure is around 6 to 7 percent. Midwesterners have long been known for their generous spirits and willingness to volunteer.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the blood donors in Lancaster County and the surrounding counties in eastern Nebraska.

The need for blood donors is continual. Red blood cells have a shelf life of only 42 days, so replenishment is constant. Platelets have a shelf life of only five days, so that can present an even bigger challenge to maintaining stable inventories for hospitals and patients in need.

The donor pool is shrinking. For years, the largest segment of blood donors was made up of baby boomers, many of whom are now becoming blood recipients. Some studies predict 90 percent of us will need a blood or a blood component transfusion by the time we reach 75 years old.

New donors are constantly needed to make up for the loss of donors who become ineligible and those who stop donating for other reasons. Many donors make their first donations in high school or college. Then life gets in the way; they get busy with other things, and donating blood drops off the to-do list.

The donation process is simple and often takes less than an hour. After a questionnaire and quick health exam, the actual donation will take about 10 minutes. Procedures other than whole blood donation can take a little longer. Depending on your blood type, you could be asked to do one of these. Blood centers always want to make the most of the precious gift that you are giving, so please allow them to steer you toward the donation type that maximizes its life-saving impact.

When asked why they do not donate, many non-donors say that no one ever asked them. So now Im asking: Will you please donate blood today? If this is something you have thought about doing but just never got around to, or something you never considered, now is the time.

Since 1970, January has been designated National Blood Donor Month. Traditionally, this time of year is historically more difficult to get blood donors in the door.

The holidays, the weather, seasonal illnesses -- all are factors that keep donors away. However, patients are in the hospitals and may need blood transfusions, regardless of the holidays, the weather and seasonal illnesses.

If you are a current donor, thank you for all that you do to improve the lives of people within your community. If you have never donated blood, I challenge you to make 2018 the year you became a blood donor.

If you are a lapsed donor, please make 2018 the year you starting donating again. The FDA changes eligibility requirements periodically. If you were previously told you were not eligible, give the blood bank a call, as things may have changed, particularly with regard to medications and travel.

Now is the time to make a New Years resolution to donate blood. The lives of many depend on the generosity of a few.
The year 2023 may seem like a long way off, but it will be here before you know it. If youre starting to think about 

Read more
Evacuated migrants taken out of detention centres by the UNHCR from Tripoli in Libya arrive at the military airport Pratica di Mare in Rome, Italy, December 22, 2017. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi (Reuters)

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - Slightly fewer than half as many migrants reached Europe by sea in 2017 than 2016, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday, with curbs finally cutting traffic on the deadly route from Libya to Italy.

Two years after more than a million people entered the EU, mostly fleeing war in the Middle East and poverty in Africa, the IOM recorded 171,635 arrivals by boat in 2017. The 2016 figure was 363,504.

The biggest influx of refugees and migrants in Europe since World War Two caused a political and humanitarian crisis two years ago.

Since then, the main Eastern Mediterranean route between Turkey and Greece has largely been shut by a deal between the EU and Ankara.

Reducing traffic has been slower on the other main route, across the central Mediterranean from North Africa to Italy, where thousands of people have died at sea. But numbers finally started coming down sharply in the second half of last year.

Arrivals by boat in Italy accounted for most of the 2017 arrivals: 119,310 in total, down by a third compared to the previous year, the Italian Interior Ministry said on Dec 31.

"We can tell you with confidence that the numbers from North Africa to Italy this year are under 120,000...That's the lowest in the last four years for arrivals in Italy," IOM spokesman Joel Millman told a news briefing.

"The same can be said for the arrivals in Greece with 29,595 for 2017, absolutely the lowest in the four years we have been keeping numbers on Greece," he said. In 2016, some 173,614 migrants arrived by sea in Greece, according to IOM figures.

Some 21,663 migrants arrived in Spain as of Dec. 28 last year, while 1,067 landed in Cyprus, preliminary figures show.

More patrols and rescues off the coast of Libya, as well as fighting between smuggling groups, contributed to the overall drop, Millman said.

The number of migrant deaths at sea has not been finalised, but stands at 3,116, compared to 5,143 recorded in 2016, Millman said.

Story continues

"We think of those as extremely positive developments," he said.

African migrants in Libya continue to depart for Europe from the coast, where the IOM is monitoring rescues, he said, adding: "Boats are still rescuing in the hundreds every day, depending on the day, sub-Saharan Africans who have come through Libya."

Nearly 20,000 Africans went home last year under IOM's voluntary repatriation programme from Libya, including 7,000 since an African Union - European Union agreement reached in Abidjan on Nov. 29, Millman said.

The United Nations agency aims to repatriate a further 15,000 migrants from Libya by the end of January, he told Reuters.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Peter Graff)
Theobalds Cap Co presents Joel Banner: Reconstruction, a collection of Joels 2017 footage for your eyes to enjoy while he goes in for various wrist surgeries. Joel was on one throughout 2017, cropping up in various Hold Tight London and Theobalds Cap Co edits alongside radio signals from the Kingston skate scene and always standing out as one to watch. As hes now out of action until the weather picks up in mid spring, Theobalds and Henry Edwards-Wood have put together this dose of recovery hype which sees him smoothly destroying the most awkward spots that the streets of London town can throw at him.

Whether its charging tricks out of the Southbank quarterpipe to flat, making Wandsworth Roundabouts badgers arsehole rough banks look like a Catalan marble plaza (last trick is a straight up highway to the danger zone) or generally having it in some of South Londons most frustrating council estate spots, Joel the spots in his path look way more manageable than they actually are. Press play to watch this compilation of the previous year, then go out and skate a brick wall until your knee cartilage turns to bloody trouser jelly.

Today we bring you some Friday blessings in the form of Joel Banner: Reconstruction.

Joel has been out injured for quite some time now needing multiple ops on his wrist before he can properly skate again meaning he will be out of action until mid Spring at least Because of this myself and Henry decided to surprise him and release Joel Banner: Reconstruction, a celebration of all his footage gained in 2017 to help keep his spirits up in a time when he cannot skate.
On Thursday, marijuana-hating Attorney General Jeff Sessions invalidated a document that has served as the legal scaffolding for the state-level pushes to legalize recreational use of marijuana. There are, as Mark Joseph Stern writes in Slate, many reasons to believe that some kind of federal crackdown on marijuana could be in the works. But there are also plenty of reasons the legal marijuana industry no longer needs to fear a prohibitionist like Sessions.

Despite the initial surprise, the industry appeared to absorb the news with an appropriate sense of proportion. This is not a sky-is-falling moment, Kris Krane, president of 4Front, a company that operates medical cannabis businesses in four states, told me. It may wind up being nothing.

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In his missive, Sessions rescinded the Cole memo, an August 2013 document named for its author, thenDeputy Attorney General James M. Cole. The Cole memo guided federal prosecutors not to expend resources prosecuting state-legal marijuana businesses unless a case met one of eight law enforcement priorities, such as distributing pot to minors or trafficking product across state lines. Within the industry, and in legal practice, it was widely interpreted to mean working or investing in this federally illegal industry did not put people at risk of federal prosecution.

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With this protection in place, legal cannabis became one of the fastest-growing industries in the country. Sales jumped from $1.5 billion in 2013 (U.S.) to an estimated $10 billion (for North America) in 2017, according to Arcview Market Research. The industry now employs more than 150,000 Americans and has become more deeply entrenched in every quantifiable way.

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With Thursdays reversal, Sessions is alerting state-legal cannabis businesses that once again they are fair game for federal prosecutors. But the legal climate has changed so much it probably doesnt matter. When the memo first came out, Colorado and Washington state had voted to legalize recreational marijuana the previous November, but neither market had opened. No one knew if it would be a disaster. Today, industries operate in several states and have given alarmists almost no fodder for complaint.

And legalization is popular. An October 2017 Gallup poll found an all-time high of 64 percent of Americans support full legalization. The same poll was also the first time Gallup recorded a majority of Republicans, 51 percent, favoring full legalization.

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As for medical marijuana, public support now hovers at about 90 percent. Veterans, a traditionally right-leaning demographic, are now among the most vocal advocates for medical-marijuana research. In particular, they want to see it studied as a therapy for PTSD and traumatic brain injury. There is also growing, and increasingly credible, interest in cannabis as an exit drug from opiate addiction. (FiveThirtyEight considers legalization is among the least polarizing issues in the country.)

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Sessions has sat out this remarkable shift in public opinion. In 2016, he said, Good people dont smoke marijuana. By November 2017, his views had evolved slightly to acknowledge that marijuana is not as destructive as heroin. However, he remains skeptical about the plants medical uses and has not shown any outward interest in how much the politics of pot, and the facts on the ground, have changed since the Just Say No era.

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Instead, during his first year as attorney general, Sessions has repeatedly tried to clear a path to crack down on the federally illegal drug.

This has been more difficult than you might think for the nations top law enforcement official.

This is not a sky-is-falling moment.  Kris Krane

The Cole memo provided guidance for federal prosecutors, but since December 2014, a law has been in effect that blocks the Justice Department from spending resources prosecuting state-legal medical-marijuana businesses. Now known as the RohrabacherBlumenauer amendment, for two of legalizations strongest supporters in Congress, it was renewed annually until November 2017, despite Sessions efforts to kill it. The next question is whether it will be renewed again with the spending bill that needs to pass by Jan. 19 to avoid a government shutdown.

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On a conference call with reporters Thursday, a bipartisan group of pro-legalization members of Congress suggested Sessions move may backfire. Sessions, they said, may have galvanized legalization supporters there to attempt to include recreational as well as medical cannabis businesses in the law. In 2015, such a provision fell slightly short in a 222206 House vote. If it passed this time, it would cancel out Sessions decision to rescind the memo.

If Sessions thought killing the Cole memo would be easy, the past 24 hours have been a rough correction. Colorado Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, who has a robust marijuana industry in his state to worry about, tweeted that ending the Cole memo directly contradicts what Attorney General Sessions told me prior to his confirmation. Gardner threatened to hold up Justice Department nominees until the Attorney General lives up to the commitment he made to me.

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By killing the Cole memo, Sessions may have accidentally underscored that the industry no longer needs the protections the document offered.

Gardner, whos up for re-election in 2020 in a state Hillary Clinton comfortably won, doesnt want to be the guy voters remember for taking away their weed. Neither, it seems, does anyone else. Sessions critics on Thursday included Republicans from Alaska, Massachusetts, Nevada, California, Florida, Virginia, and Kentucky. Freedom Partners, a group linked to the Koch Brothers, who support criminal justice reform from the right, said, When it comes to marijuana laws, we agree with President Trump that its up to the states.  (Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday that Trump believes in enforcing federal law.)

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Aside from tepid support from one congressman, Maryland Republican Rep. Andy Harris, it appears that virtually no politician or entity in Washington shares Sessions fixation on marijuana. Kevin Sabet, the countrys most prominent anti-legalization activist, and the head of a group called Smart Approaches to Marijuana, told me he favored Sessions decision because it might make it harder for weed companies to raise money but said he didnt expect it to lead to a substantial crackdown, at least in the short term. A few U.S. attorneys even made statements saying the end of the Cole memo would have little to no effect on deciding which cases to prosecute.

There may be good reasons to oppose legalization, but with medical marijuana now legal in 30 states, including big swing states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Florida, its hard to see any political upside to opposing legalization. The exception might be within the states themselves. In part to keep Sessions away, some legal states have made a point of stepping up enforcement of state cannabis laws. (For example, recently in Colorado, 10 low-level employees at the dispensary chain Sweet Leaf have been charged with felonies and misdemeanors associated with looping, allowing shoppers to make repeat visits to exceed legal purchasing limits. The charges stemmed from a yearlong police investigation.)

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There is a way Sessions could succeed in catalyzing some kind of crackdown. He has given greater discretion over federal marijuana cases to 93 U.S. attorneys, among whom theres bound to be some who want to see more marijuana prosecutions, especially as more are Trump appointees.

Sessions also supports a controversial practice known as civil asset forfeiture that gives law enforcement broad leeway to seize and keep assets when they believe theres probable cause of a crime being committed. On the conference call, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a California Republican, said asset forfeiture can create perverse incentives to prosecute crimes that shouldnt be prosecuted. And cannabis companies that now operate expensive factories and often have to keep large amounts of cash on hand make tempting targets for law enforcement keen on using this tactic.

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For prosecutors, though, it may look like a mixed bag. After the Cole memo came out in 2013, thenU.S. Attorney Melinda Haag continued prosecutions against Harborside Health Center, a prominent dispensary in Oakland, California, and two other Bay Area dispensaries. None of her prosecutions were successful. In May 2016, when the federal government abandoned the case, Harborside co-founder Steve DeAngelo, one of the industrys most prominent executives, said the dismissal signals the beginning of the end of federal prohibition. Krane, of the cannabis company 4Front, suggested prosecutors may now be wary of repeating such a boondoggle.

This Monday, Californias recreational market officially came online, and Harborside opened its doors at 6 a.m. The lawyer who defended Harborside made the first legal purchase.
On Friday, North Korea agreed to hold its first official talks with South Korea in more than two years, the latest sign of a very preliminary easing of tension on the peninsula, which until this week seemed to be careening toward catastrophic armed conflict.

The rare diplomatic opening began with North Korean leader Kim Jong-uns New Years speech, in which he boasted that North Koreas nuclear deterrent was now complete and that the launch button is always on the desk in my office but also offered talks with the South over sending a delegation to the upcoming Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. On Thursday, after a phone call between President Trump and President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, the two countries agreed to postpone a planned joint military exercise until after the Olympics and Paralympics, which run through March 18. North Korea views the exercises as provocations.

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This is very good news coming out of the peninsula this week, says Joe Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund, which advocates nuclear disarmament. Rescheduling the exercises was a big deal.

In the United States, the diplomatic overtures have been overshadowed by Trumps taunting response to Kims button remark, but the U.S. president also described the talksset for next weekas a good thing and took credit for them in another tweet, saying, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the North.

Tong Zhao, a nuclear policy analyst at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center in Beijing, says that international pressure did likely influence the Norths new willingness to talk but disagrees that it was the deciding factor. The reason why North Korea launched its recent diplomatic overture is primarily because it has made an important technological breakthrough recently, he says, referring to the recent test of an ICBM that could theoretically reach the East Coast of the United States. North Korea has obtained a primitive but effective nuclear deterrent capability, so it can afford to not conduct additional ICBM tests. Therefore, it can exercise some self-restraint as a result.

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That means Kim will have no interest in giving up the countrys nuclear deterrent now that North Korea has acquired it. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, who is fast defining herself as the most hawkish member of the Trump Cabinet, has said that the U.S. will not take any talks seriously unless Kim is willing to give up his nuclear arsenal, though thats not a universally held position in the U.S. government. But only one countrySouth Africa near the end of apartheidhas ever willingly given up nuclear weapons it constructed itself. North Korea, which views its nukes as the best defense against invasion, has no incentive to do so.

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So if disarmament is off the table, what can we expect from these talks? I dont want to say low expectations, but we should have small-step expectations, says Katharine H.S. Moon, a professor of Asian Studies at Wellesley College who studies South Korean foreign policy. We need to encourage both North Korea and South Korea to take baby steps. Theyre not going to go for nuclear issues first. Theyre going to go for the traditional issues they have worked on.

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These baby steps could include the Souths desire to allow the reunions of families divided by the Korean War. Another could be reopening some the joint North-South industrial ventures that were shuttered in response to the Norths nuclear and missile tests.

North Korea will certainly be looking for ways to end its economic isolation. Kim has described his nuclear program as one-half of an overall strategy known as Byungjin, or parallel development, with economic development being the other half. With the deterrent in place, he may now pivot to development and will likely look to bring back foreign investment, if not to benefit his impoverished population, then at least to enrich his own government.

Professor Moon also notes that the South Korean government is limited in how many concessions it can make, given that it is bound by international sanctions agreements and also faces pressure from many conservative voters who view any cooperation with the North with suspicion. I doubt that President Moon will be on a highway course to change the dynamics with North Korea, she says.

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All the same, these initial contacts are a welcome lowering of pressure in a very volatile situation. With tensions so high, theres a risk that an exchange of tweets and taunts could turn into an exchange of bullets and bombs, says Cirincione.

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If these tentative negotiations last, discussions could eventually turn to the nuclear issue. But what is Kim actually looking for, and what would he be willing to give up?

North Korea hasnt made its expectations clear, says Tong. I was in meetings with North Korean officials recently. They always said that the U.S. has to stop its hostile policy against North Korea, which is a very vague term.

The Chinese government has been pushing a concept known as dual suspension or freeze for freeze, under which North Korea would halt its nuclear tests in return for the U.S. and South Korea halting their military exercises. The South Korean government might be open to that eventually, though it could be a tougher sell for the U.S., despite this weeks agreement. Tong notes that the timing of the Olympics was fortuitous, since it offered the opportunity for the U.S. and South Korea to [delay the exercises] without the appearance of making concessions to North Korea.

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The U.S. is mostly on the sidelines, for now. But eventually the U.S., still formally at war with North Korea since the Korean War ended in an armistice, is going to have to be involved in the talks. And despite what Trump has claimed, there is precedent, mainly from Bill Clintons administration, of productive U.S.North Korean nuclear diplomacy.

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We have to get rid of this mythology that nothing has worked, Cirincione says. The only thing that has worked is negotiating. When weve talked to North Korea, weve slowed or even stopped their development of nuclear weapons. Its when weve stopped talking to them that their program has advanced.

Obviously, though, the differences between the two sides are vast and wont be bridged easily.

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[Kim] wants to have that peace treaty based on recognition of North Korea as a nuclear power. We want it to be based on North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons, Cirincione notes. But, he adds, Thats what diplomacys for.

Professor Moon notes that while much of the coverage of the overture has discussed it in terms of the North trying to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington, the wedge already existed, with President Moons government differing sharply with Trumps bellicose rhetoric. She sees the past weeks events as a sign that if the U.S. is not reliable as a dialogue partner, then other parties will figure out a way to get on with it. Its not a life-or-death issue for the United States. For the Koreans, it is.
On Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions threatened the burgeoning legal marijuana industry by rescinding an Obama administration memo that effectively ensured states could legalize pot without federal interference. Before Sessions reversal, the Obama administrations decision to allow states to try legal marijuana and Donald Trumps initial support for those state-based experiments seemed to establish how far and fast the policy conversation on pot has moved since the end of the previous decade, when legalization was still considered a punchline. That joke is now bringing hundreds of millions of dollars to state governments, is projected to create more than 250,000 jobs by 2020, and could ameliorate vast inequities in a criminal justice regime that egregiously impacts minorities.

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All of this seems to be moving public opinion very quickly, and the growing consensus among pundits is that Democrats should think about catching up. An October Gallup poll found that 64 percent of Americans back full legalizationa figure that has increased by more than 15 points in five years. Moreover, a CBS News poll from April found that 71 percent of Americans would oppose a federal crackdown on pot businesses in states where marijuana has been legalized. Democrats: Stop being freaking nerds and tack marijuana legalization onto your national platform, Splinters Emma Roller wrote that month (yes, on the 20th). Because honestly, what do you have to lose at this pointmore state legislative seats? Do I really need to sit you down and explain to you that peopleand especially young peoplelike marijuana, and will vote for candidates who support legalizing it?

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As contenders in the partys already crowded 2020 field try out potentially distinguishing stances, at least two hopefuls have signaled they might not need that talking to. Cory Bookers Marijuana Justice Act, introduced in July, would not only legalize pot but also allow resentencing and record expungement for those convicted of federal marijuana offenses, cut law enforcement funding from states that disproportionately arrest and imprison minorities for marijuana offenses, and allocate $500 million for reinvestment in communities impacted by the war on drugs. Bernie Sanders, who might also run in 2020, supports descheduling marijuana and allowing states to set policy. Then theres Kirsten Gillibrand, a co-sponsor with Booker of the CARERS Act, which would protect medical marijuana operations from federal intervention and facilitate marijuana research. She responded to Sessions with tweets focusing mostly on medical marijuana patients, as did Elizabeth Warren, who has co-sponsored a bill that would allow banks to service marijuana businesses without federal intervention. Kamala Harris, who called for the decriminalization of marijuana last year defended her state, which began legal recreational sales just this week. Jeff Sessions should drop his agenda to re-escalate the complete failure that was the War on Drugs and leave California alone, her tweet read.

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Of course, the war on drugs never really ended. President Obama, whose administration nodded to drug reformers with the Cole memo and drug commutations, and disappointed them by refusing to reschedule pot unilaterally, bears no small share of responsibility for that. To little notice, Hillary Clinton argued for the classification of marijuana as an Food and Drug Administrationregulated Schedule II drug during her campaigntroubling those in the cannabis industry who have said navigating medical regulations could be even more of a headache than the status quo. 2020s top contenders as a whole appear more progressive on the issue than either of them, but only Booker and Sanders are conducting themselves like candidates who know recreational marijuana has broad and growing public support.

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Marijuana advocates and voices on the partys left argue this reticence leaves votes from young and minority voters on the table. At first glance, polls seem to bear this out. In August, Quinnipiac found that 71 percent of voters younger than 35 support legalization as well as 65 percent of nonwhite voters. But this is a different question from whether the prospect of legalization significantly increases turnout among those voters. As of now, government data indicate it does not, at least for young voters. As FiveThirtyEights Harry Enten has written, the Census Bureaus numbers show that the 14 marijuana state ballot measures between 1998 and 2014 corresponded with, on average, a 0.2 percentage point drop in youth turnout overall and a 0.1 percentage point increase specifically during midterms. This isnt terribly surprisingsupport for legalization might be growing quickly, but slightly fewer than a third of Americans strongly support it.

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Legalization is not, today, a vote-driving issue for most Americans or even those Americans more likely than others to say they support it. That does not mean, however, that it cant become one. Its possible that the promise of full legalization at the federal level might be a better driver of turnout than state initiatives. More critically, it is also fully plausible that the Democratic Party could increase the salience of marijuana as an issue by making legalization central to campaigns, talking loudly about the failings of prohibition, and offering proposals both concrete and bold in the vein of Bookers Justice Act. Promises to restore the Cole memo, timid policy planks focusing largely on medical marijuana, and throwaway lines about decriminalization cannot reasonably be expected to make substantially more voters go to the polls for a Democratic candidate than would normally do so.

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Democrats should also consider the likelihood of countervailing rhetoric from the right, even though legalization has picked up not inconsiderable Republican support over the past several years. Much has been made of Gallups finding that 51 percent of Republicans back legalization. Colorados Cory Gardner, one of a handful of Republicans representing the partys pro-pot constituency in Congress, is reportedly responding to Sessions with a push for congressional action to protect states like his that have legalized recreational marijuana. This is encouraging, but theres reason to believe Republican attitudes could shift quickly and dramatically if marijuana were to become the center of political attention. There were tentative moves toward criminal justice reform by Republicans in Congress late in Obamas second term. All came to a halt with the election of Donald Trump, a law and order candidate who intones about American carnage as crime remains near historic lows. Trumps rhetoric, the prevailing mood on the right, partisan polarization, and persistent narratives about race, drug use, and crime, collectively suggest a marquee debate on legalization could be ugly and fractious, particularly if Democrats follow Bookers lead in tying legalization to restorative measures that would help black Americans as disproportionately as they are hurt by current policy.

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Already, there are glimmers of where Republicans might take such a debate. In April 2016, Sessions urged grown-ups in Washington to send the message that good people dont smoke marijuana. If so, America is quite obviously in a state of moral crisis. Surveys indicate that perhaps a majority of Americans have tried pot while more than a fifth currently use itthats either a basket or several dime bags of deplorables depending on how broadly Sessions meant his indictment. On Fox & Friends on Tuesday, Ainsley Earhardt warned that the bad people using marijuana in California could soon be joined by unsavory, pot-smoking immigrants now that the state has both gone through with legalization and declared itself a sanctuary for the undocumented. Not only if youre illegal youre welcome in California, she said. Also if you want to get high, you are welcome there, too. So you can be illegal and wasted on marijuana and live in that state and be just fine.

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If the right is as unreliable and given to demagoguery on the issue as it seems to be, the prospects of federal legalization in the near future could depend almost exclusively on the vision, willpower, and political courage of the Democratic Party. That should concern advocates.

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But if resolve is in short supply, activists should badger ambivalent or hedging Democrats into getting on the right side of the issue. The fact that voices on the right might endorse the Trump administrations crackdown as a strike against the minorities Republicans believe are corroding law and order makes it all the more imperative substantively and politicallyfor the Democrats to move swiftly away from prohibition. If they do, it will be indicative of the partys capacity to shed defensive gradualism in favor of good, ambitious policy. Whether or not marijuana in particular drives more voters to the polls, a party that champions and enacts legalization will certainly seem a more compelling and convincing agent of change. And the promise of changeat least as intoxicating as pot and considerably harder to come bygenerally polls pretty well, too.
Robert Gilpin, R.I.P. - The Washington Post : His greatest book was written in 1981, but the main theory in it is perhaps more trenchant now...
OPENING

INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY. A parapsychologist discovers a horrific threat inside her own home. The film was not screened in advance for critics. R. (East Park, Edgewood, SouthPointe)

JANE. Utilizing newly discovered Technicolor footage, this absorbing documentary tells the story of Jane Goodall, who, in 1960, began living in the wild in Tanzania, observing and interacting with chimpanzees. PG. (Ross) Grade: A

THE SQUARE. This potent social satire follows a Swedish art museum curator as he deals with the aftermath of the theft of his wallet and phone while trying to open an exhibition about kindness and humanity. R. (Ross) Grade: A

NOW SHOWING

ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD. The film about the 1973 kidnapping of the grandson of billionaire oil tycoon John Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer), is, for better and worse, every bit a Ridley Scott production: a solidly built, no-nonsense drama, largely without surprise. R. (Edgewood, Grand) Grade: C+

DOWNSIZING. This tale of an Omaha occupational therapist who is shrunk to 5 inches tall is a thought-provoking sci-fi satire from director/co-writer Alexander Payne. R. (East Park, Edgewood, SouthPointe) Grade: B+

FATHER FIGURES. This listless, low-energy and profoundly unentertaining "movie" is more accurately described as a nearly two-hour borderline hostage situation, with torture involving bad, offensive and unfunny comedy. R. (East Park) Grade: F

FERDINAND. With a lovely voice performance from John Cena, the spirit of Ferdinand the bull shines through, but the rest of the story filler is mostly forgettable. PG. (Edgewood, SouthPointe) Grade: C

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN. This wild and wacky musical biopic of circus impresario P.T. Barnum is a profoundly confused and muddled film, with a story thats at once too thin and too busy. PG. (East Park). Grade: D+

JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE. This re-imagining of the Robin Williams movie feels like a John Hughes movie dropped into an Indiana Jones films that, thanks to its actors, works. PG-13. (East Park, SouthPointe). Grade: C+

PITCH PERFECT 3. Pitch Perfect 3 jettisons the body humor for action-adventure, and leans so far into the weird that its very, very strange, yet sometimes amusing. At least the musics fun. PG-13. (East Park, Edgewood, SouthPointe). Grade: C+

STAR WARS: The LAST JEDI. Though there are countless familiar broad strokes  rebel escapes, Jedi soul-searching, daddy issues  "The Last Jedi" has discovered some new moves in the galaxy far, far away. PG-13. (East Park, SouthPointe) Grade: B

WONDER. The film about a boy overcoming a physical setback likely will make you cry, but you wont feel manipulated into doing so  those tears are rightfully earned. PG. (SouthPointe) Grade: B

NOTE: Theaters are for Friday only and are subject to change the other days of the week. Listings for Grand Cinema were not available at press time.
Telecom Argentina S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services in Argentina and internationally. The company offers telephone services, including local, domestic, and international long-distance telephone services, as well as public telephone services; and other related supplementary services, such as call waiting, call forwarding, conference calls, caller ID, voice mail, itemized billing, and maintenance services. It also provides interconnection services, such as traffic and interconnection resource, dedicated Internet access, video signals transportation in standard and high definitions, audio and video streaming, dedicated links, backhaul links for mobile operators, data center hosting/housing services, dedicated links, layer 2 and layer 3 transport networks, video links, value-added services, and other services. In addition, the company offers mobile telecommunications services, including voice communications, high-speed mobile Internet content and applications download, online streaming, and other services; and sells mobile communication devices, such as handsets, Modems MiFi and wingles, and smart watches under the Personal brand. Further, it provides internet connectivity products, including virtual private network services, traditional Internet protocol links, and other products; data services; and programming and other cable television services. The company was formerly known as Cablevision S.A. and changed its name to Telecom Argentina S.A. in January 2018. Telecom Argentina S.A. was founded in 1979 and is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Nucor Corporation manufactures and sells steel and steel products. The company's Steel Mills segment produces hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and galvanized sheet steel products; plate steel products; wide-flange beams, beam blanks, and H-piling and sheet piling products; and bar steel products, such as blooms, billets, concrete reinforcing and merchant bars, and special bar quality products. It also engages in the steel trading and rebar distribution businesses. This segment sells its products to steel service centers, fabricators, and manufacturers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Its Steel Products segment offers hollow structural section steel tubing products, electrical conduits, steel racking, steel joists and joist girders, steel decks, fabricated concrete reinforcing steel products, cold finished steel products, steel fasteners, metal building systems, insulated metal panels, steel grating and expanded metal products, and wire and wire mesh products primarily for use in nonresidential construction applications. This segment also engages in the piling distribution business. The company's Raw Materials segment produces direct reduced iron (DRI); brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron, hot briquetted iron, and DRI; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap metal, as well as engages in the natural gas drilling operations. This segment sells its ferrous scrap to electric arc furnace steel mills and foundries for manufacturing process; and nonferrous scrap metal to aluminum can producers, secondary aluminum smelters, steel mills and other processors, and consumers of various nonferrous metals. It serves agriculture, automotive, construction, energy and transmission, oil and gas, heavy equipment, infrastructure, and transportation industries through its in-house sales force; and internal distribution and trading companies. Nucor Corporation was incorporated in 1958 and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
MILWAUKEE  A Milwaukee alderman expects the City Council to object to having its ratepayers share in the cost of $140 million in new electrical transmission line infrastructure needed to serve the planned Foxconn Technology Group manufacturing campus in Mount Pleasant.

And Alderman Robert Bauman believes that Milwaukee will prevail.

American Transmission Co. is seeking approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin for new electric transmission line infrastructure. It includes the new Mount Pleasant substation south of Braun Road along the east side of County Trunk Highway H and Braun Road to provide electrical service for the Foxconn campus.

ATC says the impact on a typical residential electric bill will be shared among approximately 5 million customers over a 40-year period. Company spokeswoman Alyssa Braatz said the project will cost ratepayers pennies per month, pennies per year.

ATC will submit an application to the PSC in February and is requesting a decision by August.

On Thursday morning, the Milwaukee city attorney briefed the city Public Works Committee, of which Bauman is chairman, about whether the city could plausibly object to sharing in the cost of ATCs Foxconn-related projects.

The city attorney said Milwaukee does have standing to object, Bauman said. He added, Thats probably what were going to do.

He predicted there might be only one or two dissenting votes on the 15-member Milwaukee City Council. The next step, Bauman said, will come on Jan. 24 when his committee considers a resolution directing the city attorney to file an objection to the citys participation in the ATC project costs.

Im looking for fairness here, Bauman said.

The alderman also recently proposed the City of Milwaukee try to annex land in Racine County to help Milwaukee citizens reach Foxconn jobs. We either transport our workers from Milwaukee, or the workers from Milwaukee will relocate to Racine, he said.

Streetcar case

About ATCs proposed projects in Mount Pleasant, Bauman cited a case in which Milwaukee was in the opposite position: In 2011, the City of Milwaukee had applied to the PSC to recoup utility relocation costs incurred for Milwaukees downtown streetcar project. The City of Brookfield objected to sharing in those costs, Bauman said, and the conservative MacIver Institute lodged a complaint with the PSC.

We made the argument that its pennies, or a fraction of a penny, Bauman said. We were told (by the PSC), It doesnt matter,  and lost. He said the decision added $15 million to the streetcar project cost and delayed it by four years.

Because of that case, Bauman said he feels confident Milwaukee can get out of paying for ATCs Foxconn work.

If Foxconn wants to pay for it, Bauman said, they can build whatever the hell they please.

Jenny Trick, Racine County Economic Development Corp.s executive director, said that American Transmission Co. has a duty to provide reliable transmission service throughout its service area. ATC has identified a need for transmission line and substation upgrades to meet the growing electrical needs in Racine County, including the new Foxconn campus.

Trick added, This project will require the review and approval by the Public Service Commission to ensure that the project is in the public interest; this review process will include significant opportunities for public review and feedback.
At a conference on the sidelines of the 20th Vietnam Film Festival in November 2017, a senior filmmaker expressed her surprise that many young filmmakers in Vietnam have chosen to delve into such dismal themes as if they had just personally experienced a traumatic shock, while in fact they had grown up in the comfort of a loving family.

This is in stark contrast to their predecessors, who always managed to look on the bright side of life and to infuse that optimistic outlook into their cinematic works even in the face of wartime terror and financial hardship, other directors asserted at the conference.

Why is it that the young generation has a tendency to make such gloomy films while their life is arguably more comfortable than that of their forebears? Ngoc Diep, a columnist for Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, raised the question.

Many youths now delve into the themes of sex and mental illness, building up characters that are desolate, depressed and suicidal. This air of despair is most commonly found in indie movies and those made by students of cinema schools where they are free to experiment with different genres, Diep wrote.

A scene from The Call, a movie about a young Vietnamese man who has lost touch with real life due to his video game addiction. Courtesy of the filmmakers

A gloomy picture

Le Hong Lam, a journalist, said he had been surprised by how over half of the end-of-course projects made by film production students at Hoa Sen University in Ho Chi Minh City in 2015 involved violence, mental illness, and torture.

After that year, Hoa Sen professors tried to encourage their students to pick topics more grounded and relatable to everyday life, and the result was the dominance of lovey-dovey movies.

I dont understand how youths can swing between the two extremes like they did, Lam said.

In 2015, a group of young Vietnamese filmmakers were summoned by police officers for making a film based on the true events of the Binh Duong massacre, in which a family of six were brutally murdered in their own home, using the victims real names.

A scene from Emotions, a 2015 student film project that involves elements of mental illness and violence. Courtesy of the filmmakers

Nguyen Hoang Diep, an independent filmmaker, said around 70 percent of the films submitted to regional film festivals that she happened to be a member of the board of judges involved psychiatric disorders and murder.

Scripts with elements of horror, violence and blood also accounted for up to 80 percent of those received by the TPD center for developing film talents in Hanoi, according to Hoang Phuong, an official at the center.

Indie films  movies that place more importance on their creators cinematic statements than how they would be received by the audience  are an especially fertile land for aspiring filmmakers to depict what they see as the miserable lives of people in the modern age who struggle to exist in half-developed metropolitans.

A scene from Buffer Zone, a film about the miserable lives of construction workers in a big city. Courtesy of the filmmakers

Many of my students have submitted scripts that are quite peculiar, with the protagonists being described as leading desolate lives and being constantly depressed to the point of suicide, said director Nguyen Khai Hung.

I find it strange because [my students] wake up at ten in the morning, go to school on a fancy motorbike, and always own the most expensive smartphone on the market. I wonder what could be the cause for their frustration with life that had produced such a dreary story, Hung added.

While it is true that life does not always look pink, is it as grey as how many young filmmakers are painting it to be? he said.

The poster of Suckermouth, a film about the life of a depressed young girl who spends her days cleaning the bathroom. Courtesy of the filmmakers

Final words

Each filmmaker has their own creative tendency and style of artistic expression that should be respected and valued, as should the right to freely express their outlook on life in their works, observers said.

A gloomy film can by all means be a good one, they added.

However, when too many young filmmakers express the same sense of gloom in their movies, it is only reasonable to try and find the answer to the question why.

Is it because the social reality is truly funereal? Is it because making dark-themed films is the best way to showcase ones cinematographic talent?

Or is it simply what attracts the most monetary support from foreign cultural funds?

A scene from Ting, a film about a Vietnamese man who commits suicide after being haunted by the notification sounds of his smartphone. Courtesy of the filmmakers

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While the risk of explosion at a scrap village in the northern Vietnamese province of Bac Ninh where a fatal blast occurred this week has loomed for years, local authorities are still working out a feasible way to mitigate the situation.

The blast at around 4:10 am on Wednesday at a scarp warehouse in Quan Do Village, Van Mon Commune, Yen Phong District, killed two children and injured seven people. Seven nearby houses were also leveled by the explosion.

Nguyen Van Tien, the owner of the facility who was arrested later the same day, claimed the explosion was caused by the seven metric tons of old bullets he had recently bought to extract scrap metal.

The bullets were being stored in the warehouse yard when they triggered the blast.

Quan Do has long been a notorious scrap village, with many residents earning small fortunes from buying and reselling metal.

Unfortunately, the quest for riches has led these entrepreneurs to make several questionable scrap metal purchases over the years, including used parts from missiles, tanks, and airplanes.

All of these parts have already been deactivated before being sold to us. What we have are just the damaged metallic covers, an insider told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in a documentary 10 years ago.

But the abundant profit is also accompanied by great risk, including pollution, disease, fire, and explosion.

A house is completely destroyed by the force of the explosion on January 3, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

According to Nguyen Van Ly, chief of Quan Do Village, local authorities are unable to track which material scrap metal businesses are buying and selling.

Its shocking that someone would take the risk of storing such a large volume of bullets in the middle of a village, Ly stated.

About 500 households in Van Mon Commune make their living from the scrap metal trade, said Nguyen Chi Cuong, vice-chairman of the Peoples Committee in Yen Phong District.

When it comes to how the business activity is managed, Cuong claimed that such responsibility belongs to another district deputy chairman.

There are specific regulations on the trade of scrap material, the official continued, adding that regular inspections are carried out at local facilities.

However, competent authorities have no way of knowing if local residents are secretly storing prohibited material, he elaborated.

Bullet shells fill the yard of a residence following the blast. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Living in fear

Dang Tran Quyet, who resides near the facility of Nguyen Van Tien, said that local people relentlessly complain to authorities about the pollution and danger posed by local scrap businesses.

However, no changes have been made, he stated.

Quyet urged district- and provincial-level leaders to listen to locals opinions and determine a suitable solution.

Nghiem Thi Gai, who also lives in the neighborhood, considers it lucky that no one in her family was harmed by the blast.

We were terrified to realize that we had been living amid a large haul of explosives, Gai added.

According to the local administration, a 25-hectare area was proposed for these types of business operations, but a lack of land financing has put the project on an indefinite hold.

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Check out the news you should not miss today:

Politics

-- During her reception for Chief Justice of the Lao Supreme Peoples Court Khamphanh Sithidampha in Hanoi on Thursday, chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan urged deeper cooperation between the judicial systems of Vietnam and Laos.

Society

-- The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training has proposed the municipal Peoples Committee encourage private kindergartens to install surveillance cameras with the consent of parents in order to prevent child abuse.

-- Market watchdogs in the southern province of Binh Duong on Thursday detected 300kg of expired frozen buffalo meat and chicken as well as more than two tons of frozen meats of unknown origin at a company supplying meals to workers at many other firms.

-- The People's Procuracy of the south-central province of Khanh Hoa on Thursday said it had approved a decision to prosecute Dinh Tien Su, general manager of Bavico Ltd. Co., for organizing prostitution for 25 hostesses with Chinese guests at Bavico Nha Trang Hotel.

-- Leading health experts from Cuba will work at the Vietnam-Cuba Dong Hoi Hospital in the north-central province of Quang Binh from the beginning of this year, pursuant to the terms of an agreement between the Vietnamese province and the Cuban Ministry of Public Health.

Business

-- Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has recently requested a clarification on the cessation of Vietnams first-ever soda water production plant which cost VND2.3 trillion (more than US$101 million) in the central province of Quang Nam.

Lifestyle

-- In recent years, Ho Chi Minh City has seen a boom in the number of pet coffee shops where customers are free to play with dogs and cats as long as they pay for drinks costing from VND40,000 ($1.7) to VND70,000 ($3).

-- A culinary festival on Vietnamese and international foods is expected to take place at Le Van Tam Park in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, from January 11 to 14, with a focus on The Journey of How Cuisine Connects the World.
The general director of a company in south-central Vietnam is being investigated for letting 25 of his female employees unlawfully sell sex to Chinese at the firms hotel in a resort city.

The Peoples Procuracy of Khanh Hoa Province on Thursday approved the decision to initiate legal proceedings against Dinh Tien Su, general director of Bach Viet Production and Trading Services Company (Bavico), for being involved in prostitution activities at the Bavico Nha Trang Hotel.

Located in the beach city of Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa, the hotel is owned by Bavico.

Su, 45, who is residing in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, is being released on bail.

According to the Khanh Hoa Department of Police, the general director, along with a man named Nguyen Van Hieu, allowed 25 female employees to illegally sell sex to Chinese clients at the Bavico Nha Trang Hotel on October 24, 2017.

Hieu was the hotels business operating staff and was previously arrested by police officers on October 31, 2017.

According to news outlet Dan Tri, Hieu was directly in charge of running the prostitution operation.

Customers were required to pay over VND1.6 million (US$70.46) each time, of which the sex worker would receive VND1 million ($44) while the rest was given to Hieu and the hotel.

Su was summoned to the police station on Wednesday afternoon to verify his involvement in the offense.

However, Bavico later submitted a document to officers, asking for the general director not to attend such a working session until January 11, as he had to solve some urgent issues of the company, including a dispute with investors of the Bavico Nha Trang Hotel and another hotel in Da Lat, a tourist city in the Central Highlands.

Su has been caught in a series of scandals after many investors and clients, who purchased tourist apartments at the Bavico Nha Trang Hotel, filed a complaint and accused him of fraud.

The company was also accused of constructing the Bavico Nha Trang Hotel on land zoned for national defense purposes.

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CALEDONIA  The Village of Caledonia has approved contracts for architecture and construction management of the new Department of Public Works and Highway Superintendent offices that will be built at the site of the current DPW facility and former Village Hall, 6922 Nicholson Road.

During a Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday, Village Trustees Lee Wishau and Jay Benkowski said they had negotiated the architectural fees with Kueny Architects of Pleasant Prairie to $100,485.

The board also approved a contract with Camosy Construction of Kenosha for construction management of the project. Once Kuenys design is approved, Camosys budget will be brought to the Village Board for approval.

The total budget for the project is $2.5 million.

Those present at the meeting discussed the possible cost of demolishing the building. The former Village Hall was built in 1952 and it is unknown whether it contains asbestos, which would increase the cost of demolition.

The current contract with Camosy contains language that states the company may or may not be responsible for demolition. The board also has the option to contract out for demolition services.

During the Finance Committee meeting, the board formed an ad-hoc committee for the DPW project that includes Benkowski, Wishau and Trustee David Prott.

The committee will work on the project with the villages new Public Works Director, Tom Lazcano, who started in December. Lazcano previously worked for Oneida Total Integrated Enterprises in Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Neighbours will feature a same-sex proposal when it resumes next week as David Tanaka (Takaya Honda) proposing to Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson).

The writing department actually fluked this, Wilson told News Corp.

We filmed this about three months ago and the writers came up with the idea about six months ago so the timing has worked out perfectly.

Neighbours continues to upstage Home and Away with its progressive storylines, despite the earlier classification, but there are rumours Summer Bay may be getting a gay character soon.

Meanwhile the News Corp article headlined Neighbours to air first same-sex marriage proposal on Australian TV overlooks earlier examples.

In 2012 Big Brother winner Benjamin Norris proposed to his boyfriend, also named Ben, following his Live eviction.

In 2015s House Husbands Alex (Darren McMullen) proposed to Kane (Gyton Grantley).

Last year on Bride and Prejudice Chris Jewell also proposed to partner Grant, while the show also featured Sydney couple Charity & Phoebe.
Shares in Audioboom , the spoken word audio on-demand platform, jumped 10% on Friday after the company said it had signed a multi-year contract to host Casefile, a true crime podcast, on its digital platform.

There was no acquisition cost, instead the two parties agreed a revenue sharing agreement.

Audioboom said it was hopeful that the contract will generate potentially material incremental hosting, distribution and advertising revenues from Casefile podcasts in the current and future financial years.

Casefile regularly features among the top 50 shows on the Apple Podcasts chart, rising as high as fourth in July 2016, Audioboom said.

Its mini-series on the 'Yorkshire Ripper' serial killer Peter Sutcliffe received 5.8m downloads, while its most popular single episode was on tourist Peter Falconio, who disappeared, presumed murdered, in the Australian outback, with more than 4.2m downloads.

Casefile moves to Audioboom for no acquisition cost in a commercially focused revenue sharing agreement, which further demonstrates Audioboom's growing industry recognition as the 'go-to' podcast advertising company for podcasters and advertisers across the globe.

The board believes that the acquisition of some of the biggest podcasts in the world will help drive audience adoption of Audioboom's original content network which launched in 2017, Audioboom said in a statement.

Audioboom shares were up10.2% to 3.39p at 1317 GMT.
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Reports from Nigeria indicates that police have arrested about 39 men suspected to be separatists from Cameroons restive south.

They were apprehended on Thursday by security forces in the town of Nguroje, in the countrys northeastern Taraba state.

Locals who spoke to Africanews correspondent Ibrahim Abdul Aziz said the alleged separatists have been hovering in the area for more than two weeks having training sessions on gun shooting.

They were initially arrested by the military before being handed handed over to police divisional headquarters in the town of Gembu.

The gun trainees numbering 39, comprises of five trainers suspected to be Niger Delta militants from Nigerias south along with 34 Cameroonian trainees a local chief told our correspondent on condition of anonymity.

Taraba State police spokesperson, Assistant Superintendent of Police, David Missal, confirmed the arrests to newsmen in the state capital, Jalingo. He, however, disputed the account of locals by saying there were no incriminating weapons found on the detainees.

Mr. Missal, added that the age range of the suspects was between 30 and 40 years. Their arrest he stressed followed an alarm raised by residents of Nguroje. Interrogations are underway to ascertain their mission in Nigeria.

The strange men, who were allegedly harboured by a woman in the community, were first taken to Gembu Divisional Police Headquarters where they were interrogated and later transferred here, the Command Headquarters in Jalingo for further investigation.

They claimed to be refugees from Cameroon Republic, but their movement was suspicious because they did not report their arrival in the area to any security agency or any other appropriate authority, he said.

Missal recalled that earlier batches of refugees who fled the crisis-ridden northeast and northwest Cameroon especially women, children and the aged, had reported to appropriate quarters and were camped and catered for.

This set of able bodied men only sneaked into Nguroje, passing through other towns and Gembu, the councils headquarters, without information, he said. Meanwhile, a local government official has said the suspects, who claimed to be from Bamenda in Cameroun, did not notify the council of their coming.

Ibrahim Abdul Aziz, Africanews correspondent in Yola, Nigeria
The term refers to natural spring water that is not filtered or treated in any way (typical bottled water, even expensive bottled spring water, is treated in some manner). Proponents claim the water has qualities not available in treated water, including extra minerals and probiotics (helpful bacteria). The water also avoids potential contaminants and additives in tap water, including fluoride  a common additive that helps fight tooth decay but can be hazardous at high levels.

It shows signs of turning into a big business, with some companies actively seeking investors. On the other hand, tech site Ars Technica refers to raw water as ludicrously priced unfiltered water with random bacteria.

We're glad people are so interested in water quality and the value they're placing in safe water, Vincent Hill, acting chief of the waterborne disease prevention branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Washington Post. But I think it's also important for people to know where their water comes from, what's in it, how it's delivered and whether its safe to drink.

"The whole reason we do not have a lot of the disease you see in third world countries is because of our water-filtration system," Jamin Brahmbhatt, M.D., of the Florida health care organization Orlando Health, told USA Today. "The things our forefathers died of  we don't see it, because our government is so strict about how our water is cleansed."

Those things include cholera, E. coli infections and parasites, the CDC notes.

The water can be expensive. Although some people collect untreated water on their own from springs, a 2.5-gallon bottle refill costs $14.99 at one San Francisco cooperative, the Times reports. So without care, the water might harm your pocketbook as well as your health.
Washing towels frequently can be a tedious chore, and it uses up water and detergent, adding expense to your weekly budget. But drying your nice clean body with a bacteria-laden towel probably isn't the best idea either. So what do the experts recommend?



A recent Dr. Oz poll shows there is a great mix of opinions on how long you should use a towel before washing it. Sixteen percent of respondents said they wash their towels daily, but most people stretched it out longer with 33 percent washing them two or three times per week and 40 percent just once a week. Eleven percent admitted to only washing their towels every two weeks or more. t

Warm, damp towels are an ideal environment for microbial growth, including bacteria, mold and yeast. Dr. Mehmet Oz and NSF International, an independent organization that checks product safety, tested 31 towels that had been used for either one, seven or 14 days. Significant amounts of bacteria were present on all of the towels tested, including those used for only one day, and significant yeast microbes were present on more than half of the towels. Mold was present on nearly half of the towels, and some even held significant amounts of E. coli.

Towels, not unexpectedly, tended to get dirtier the longer they went without washing. NSF concluded that for every seven days a towel was used, the amount of microorganisms almost doubled. The study recommended using a towel for no longer than seven days, with changing it at least twice a week being preferable. While most bacteria is not dangerous, levels of E. coli found at two weeks could potentially cause a serious illness or infection if ingested, or if it comes in contact with an open wound.

While it is extremely unusual to pick up a disease from your bath towel, and your own germs wont make you sick, you up your chance of disease exposure when you share towels, Reader's Digest notes. But even if you are the only one using a towel, it is good to wash them every two to three days. "When you use a towel vigorously, you scratch your skin, Chuck Gerba, a microbiology professor at the University of Arizona, told the publication. These tiny breaks can give bacteria a path into your body. Dirty towels can also increase your risk for acne.



Don't forget about hand towels

Hand towels by your sink should be swapped out every one or two days since they are used frequently and your hands may not be completely clean when you dry them, according to a report from the Today Show and Good Housekeeping. This is especially true for kitchen hand towels, which are exposed to food-borne bacteria.

After using all of those nice clean towels, you won't want to sleep on dirty sheets. The Today Show recommended changing sheets and pillowcases weekly, and mattress covers and pillow liners every few months.
How to watch and what to know about Northern Iowa at South Dakota
On Jan. 21, 1914, 55-year-old President Theodore Roosevelt set off on a joint American/Brazilian expedition to map a mysterious Amazon river known only as the River of Doubt.

Along on the journey were a small band of Americans, more than 140 Brazilians hired by Brazilian explorer Candido Mariano Da Silva Rondon to transport the expeditions cargo, 110 mules and 70 oxen.

Still reeling from a crushing defeat 15 months earlier when he failed to win a third term as president, Roosevelt had embarked on the journey hoping to cast aside thoughts of the election and test himself in the world of adventure that had sustained him throughout his life.

His wife, Edith, fearful that the loss had left her husband reckless, was reassured when their 25-year-old son Kermit decided to accompany his father into the jungle.

The story is told in the documentary Into the Amazon, written, produced and directed by John Maggio, and executive produced by Mark Samels, which airs at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 9 on New Mexico PBS channel 5.1.

Filmed in the Brazilian Amazon, the film features the voices of Alec Baldwin as Roosevelt, Wagner Moura as Rondon and Jake Lacy as Kermit Roosevelt.

Roosevelts trip also inspired his great-grandson Tweed Roosevelt to take the same trip in 1992, around the time he turned 50 years old.

I think this documentary and story is an important thing, he says. It gives a different insight into Theodore Roosevelt. Americans need to be reminded of that.

Tweed Roosevelt is also the CEO of the Board of Trustees of the Theodore Roosevelt Association and is featured in the documentary. Roosevelt says the organization helps keep his great-grandfathers memory alive.

TR was progressive about race relations and with womens rights. He was ahead of his time, he says.

Tweed Roosevelt wanted to complete the trek to experience what his great-grandfather did in 1914. There were a lot of advances since TR did the trek and it was still difficult, he says.

Roosevelt is looking forward to getting this story out to the world.

Hes also excited about it airing in New Mexico, where he once spent time working with the United States Forest Service at Carson National Forest in Taos.

Its a tradition in the Roosevelt families to spent time in the West, he says. The summer before I went to college, my grandfather arranged for me to spend time at the Carson National Forest.  Getting into Taos was amazing because I became like a resident there. I experienced everything that was going on in the town.

SEND ME YOUR TIPS: If you know of a movie filming in the state, or are curious about one, email film@ABQjournal.com. Follow me on Twitter @agomezART.

ON TV

The documentary Into the Amazon airs at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 9 on New Mexico PBS channel 5.1
The birds of New Mexico have a new advocate well versed in forming community partnerships to enhance conservation efforts.

The National Audubon Society announced in early December that it has named Jonathan Hayes as executive director of Audubon New Mexico. Hayes office is located at the Historic Randall Davey Audubon Center & Sanctuary in Santa Fe. The 140-acre sanctuary sits in the Santa Fe National Forest and was once the property of artist Randall Davey.

Birds are a means to conserve ecosystems, Hayes said. I know coming here and helping birds Im going to help the natural world.

Hayes, 34, is a native of Michigan and grew up enjoying outdoor activities. A backpacking trip to Oregon as a child solidified his love for the natural world and his desire to protect it.

I realized how valuable the lands are, he said. That put the hook into me.

The Audubons main focus is to conserve native bird species and their habitats, which in New Mexico are rivers, grasslands and forests. Hayes said New Mexico has 542 bird species. As the new director, Hayes is responsible for bird conservation efforts around the state, managing the sanctuary, and building relationships with private citizens, other government organizations, community groups and private corporations.

Strong partners

The New Mexico organization is part of the National Audubon Society. Brian Trusty, the Central Flyway vice president, called Hayes a rising star in the conservation field. He said Hayes strengths lined up with the societys values.

Hes extremely entrepreneurial and creative in building strong partnerships with both private and public interests, he said. Its such a complex challenge that solutions must include an inclusive approach.

Hayes attended college at the University of Colorado-Boulder where he earned his wildlife biology degree. He met his wife while living in Colorado and the two moved to Missoula, Mont., where he attended graduate school.

I became interested in not just wildlife but the human proponent, he said. We do not have much luck telling animals where and how to live but we can with people. We need to be able to work with people to find solutions.

For his thesis, he studied ranchers in the area and what impacts their decisions when it comes to resources and wildlife. Hayes said he learned a valuable lesson. He said conservation is almost always the goal for both groups but how they get there is sometimes the sticking point that lands the two on opposing sides of conservation efforts.

They (ranchers) really have a sense of stewardship, he said. Theres common ground. Eighty percent we agree on but we get caught up in the 20 percent.

Focus on education

The Pacific Legal Foundation, which represents several farming and ranching groups in New Mexico including New Mexico Wool Growers Inc., New Mexico Cattle Growers Association and the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, filed a petition in 2015 with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requesting the removal of the Southwestern willow flycatcher from the endangered species list. The willow depends on a healthy riparian, or river, environment to thrive. Fish and Wildlife denied the request in December, saying that although some improvements have occurred, the birds and their environment are still threatened.

Ranchers have argued that protective measures they took on their own before the species was listed as endangered actually helped secure the birds continued existence. Ranchers must also fence off livestock from streams and rivers to protect the flycatchers habitat, a costly task.

Audubon approaches conservation issues in a solution-oriented way, Hayes said. They want to help wildlife and people at the same time. That appeals to me.

He said one of the best ways to secure conservation efforts is through education.

When I look at the long game and how we are going to have tangible outcomes I think its by supporting a generation that is connected to the outdoors and cares about it, he said. The most immediate impact is to build a community of people who are conservation minded.

Hayes and his wife relocated to central Texas after graduate school where he once again was in a position to interact with the public. He was an on-staff biologist for the state of Texas, working with private landowners to restore grassland habitats. Just a year ago he took a job with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in New Mexico as a wildlife biologist. He said he decided to make a change when the new president was elected because he was unsure how much support there would be for the work he wants to do.

What were the priorities going to be? he said. I want to do work where we are talking about and can talk about climate change and looking to find solutions.
MADISON  Gov. Scott Walker announced Thursday that the state will close the troubled Lincoln Hills juvenile detention facility for boys and Copper Lake School for girls in Irma as part of a long-term plan to improve the states juvenile corrections system.

Juveniles in those facilities, which are the target of a federal investigation and the subject of multiple lawsuits alleging inmate abuse, will be relocated to five new juvenile correction facilities and one new juvenile mental health facility.

Under the reorganization plan announced by Walker, the Lincoln Hills-Copper Lake facilities will be transformed into medium security adult prisons.

Multiple sources said its possible that three of the new juvenile facilities will be located in southeastern Wisconsin, however it is unknown if any facility will be located in Racine County.

Walker also announced the expansion of a program for youths with mental health needs at the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center.

By moving from one facility to several facilities across the state, and placing a focus on mental health and trauma-informed care, we believe this plan will improve long-term outcomes for both juveniles and our staff working at these facilities, Walker said. Republicans and Democrats alike agree this is the way forward to reform juvenile corrections, and I thank state and local elected officials and interested organizations for partnering with us to develop this plan.

As part of the overall plan, Walker announced the Department of Health Services will expand treatment for male juveniles located at the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center and create a new facility at that center for female juveniles.

Funding will be provided in the governors 2019-21 executive budget to construct, purchase and or rehabilitate existing facilities to house juvenile inmates.

According to preliminary estimates from the Department of Corrections, construction costs for the new facilities would total about $80 million.

Officials praise the decision

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, applauded Walker and said he would support the governors efforts to change the juvenile corrections system.

Its essential that we find a workable solution that will bring about better outcomes for juvenile offenders, their families and their communities, Vos said. I look forward to the future discussions on this proposal. We must focus on how we can work with Wisconsin counties in order to make the system more effective and accountable for juvenile offenders without putting undue burden on state taxpayers.

State Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, praised Walker for going to a more regional approach but said it is only a partial solution.

This regional approach has seen success in southeastern Wisconsin through the Racine County ACE program, Wanggaard said. The renewed emphasis on mental health and drug treatment may be the key to addressing the problem of repeat juvenile offenders. I think that emphasis makes this approach somewhat unique and potentially highly successful.

Wanggaard said hes not sure if five new facilities is the right number and the state may need to add more.

Well see how those five work out, Wanggaard said. I think its going to be good for using local resources and getting families involved in part of the process to get these kids reform, rather than putting them through a revolving door.

Wanggaard said Lincoln Hills will be changed into a medium security adult prison.

They can do that modification, relatively inexpensive I believe, Wanggaard said. Plus it still keeps the staff that we have there to be able to transition into that ... so that will help that area for job expansion and retention.

Racine County open to having a facility

Before becoming Racine County executive, Jonathan Delagrave was in charge of the Racine County Juvenile Detention center and said there have been drastic changes in care since he was involved.

The needs of the juvenile are not just multiple, the service level is different with each juvenile, Delagrave said. In the past it was one size fits all.

Delagrave said it is a good move from a care factor.

I think were going to be able to handle those kids in corrections much better, he said. Now a majority of the kids are on medication, weve got to provide mental health services, weve got to provide family integrated services, school services. You can kind of see how weve transformed over the last 15 years.

He added hes not sure if any of the new facilities will be located in Racine County.

We would love for that to be possible but we dont know that yet, Delagrave said. Were certainly going to make it known that we would love to have one in Racine County.

Wanggaard said there will likely be discussions with officials in the counties in southeastern Wisconsin to determine the best places for the facilities.
Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

The University of New Mexico has suspended a physicians research while investigating her transfer of human tissue to a private company and whether she had the proper approvals for any underlying study, internal documents show.

Officials suspended Dr. Robin Ohls research duties and barred her from her lab in October after learning she had acquired fetal tissue for months from the Southwestern Womens Options abortion clinic and transferred it to a private company in Michigan, according to an internal memo obtained by the Journal.

UNM Health Sciences Center staff discovered the practice when Ohls asked if the company could reimburse the university to help cover her lab assistants salary, since the assistant had spent time preparing the samples for transport, the memo states.

Ohls is a faculty member in UNMs Division of Neonatology and has been at the university since 1995, according to the universitys website.

The memo to the UNM Board of Regents, written by Dr. Paul Roth, the HSC chancellor, and Elsa Cole, university counsel, identified the company as Zietchick Research Institute LLC.

HSC staff was concerned that: 1) an issue was being raised that would potentially infringe on the Universitys policy to not buy or sell human tissue, and 2) appropriate research compliance approvals and processes protocols had not been followed, the memo states.

An HSC spokeswoman provided a written statement in lieu of a requested interview with Roth or Executive Vice Chancellor Richard Larson. She said the Journal was citing what appears to be a legally protected confidential document.

However, the University of New Mexicos Health Sciences Center (HSC) has launched an internal compliance investigation. The investigation is on-going and therefore we cannot comment further, Alex Sanchez wrote. While we always strive to be transparent, and believe research must be conducted according to the highest ethical and legal standards, we cannot compromise the integrity of the investigative process by releasing details at this time.

Zietchick was founded in 2012 by Dr. Tammy Movsas to develop novel treatments for eye diseases that affect moms and infants, according to its website.

It is a single-employee operation with a Plymouth, Mich., address, according to online information from a federal government program that distributes research and technology development grants to small businesses. Zietchick has received three such grants, according to the federal site.

Movsas did not respond to Journal messages.

HSC staff relayed their concerns about Ohls research to Larson, who immediately ordered an investigation, the memo states. Roth and the chairs of HSCs Human Research and Rights Committee and its Human Tissue Oversight Committee were also apprised.

Roth ultimately suspended all Ohls research duties and barred her from access to her lab pending completion of this investigation, the memo said.

Roth and Cole wrote that they take the matter very seriously and will use the investigation to understand the situation more fully and assess any regulatory or legal liabilities that may exist.

Regent President Rob Doughty declined a Journal request for comment Thursday, citing the ongoing investigation.

UNMs relationship with Southwestern Womens Options has drawn criticism from anti-abortion advocates and some lawmakers, and a U.S. Department of Justice official recently notified Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., that requests for a criminal inquiry had been forwarded to the FBI.

However, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas office announced Thursday that it found no evidence that laws were broken in the clinics transfer of tissue to UNM.

UNM has used fetal tissue from the clinic in its research but said it did not pay for the samples, which were provided with the womens consent.

Larson told the Journal in 2015 that it received fetal tissue only from Southwestern Womens Options, and that it was used in research conducted by a consortium of 19 academic institutions.

Sanchez, the HSC spokeswoman, did not directly address a series of specific Journal questions Thursday. Among them were inquiries about the number of current UNM research projects that involve sending human tissue to private companies and the nature of Ohls relationship with the Zietchick Research Institute.

Ohls did not respond to a Journal email seeking comment.
A man died after being struck by a car Wednesday evening north of Columbus, NM, according to a New Mexico State Police spokesman.

Officer Carl Christiansen said the crash occurred in Luna County around 6:30 p.m. when a man, dressed in all black, was struck by a car at the intersection of State Road 11 and Herrington.

It appears the male intentionally walked into the oncoming traffic, he said.

Christiansen said the investigation is ongoing and the man is not being identified at this time.
Over the past several decades, DK Warner says hes gone back in time in terms of musical taste. Starting out in bands back in the 80s playing that eras modern music, he was eventually drawn to vintage rockabilly, whose heyday was the 1950s.

The Los Alamos native discovered the twangy, swinging sounds of rockabilly later in life while working for the citys Summer Concert Series. Now his band, DK & The Affordables, does its own take on the music, with one goal in mind  getting people out of their seats and moving.

The band, which offers classics from acts like Elvis Presley and present-day rockabilly stalwarts The Paladin, along with its own original music, will be at Ski Santa Fe this weekend.

Warner actually calls the bands genre affordabilly, which he describes as a mixture of vintage rock n roll, jump and swing blues, and more. Pianist Aaron Anderson said making up its own category means the band  also with drums, bass, guitar and sax, and sometimes more horn sounds  can play whatever it wants.

(It is) kind of a rockabilly slash garage punk attitude, said Warner.

The bands set list includes the likes of Trailer Trash Queen and Cougar Paradise. Warner, who moved to Los Alamos when he was 10, also has written several original songs with clear ties to his New Mexican roots, like Espanola Girl and Chile Peelin Mama.

Warner said the songs are homages to el Nortes female population. His Espanola girl is shakin and shimmying until I nearly lost my mind.

Chile Peelin Mama goes Say hey, Mama / What you cookin for me? / Are those some hot tamales on the stove I see? / Shes my chile peelin Mama.

Its basically a huge jam, pianist Aaron Anderson said of that song, which utilizes almost all of the bands instrumentation for a big band feel.

Another song with regional roots is Big Foot Saturday Night, which describes a true story of Warner and his friends hiking in southern Colorado in hopes of a Sasquatch sighting.

Theyre all pretty simple lyrically, Warner said of his songs. He just wants people to have a good time. Were a dance band  . Were out to get people moving, having fun, smiling and forgetting about all the things going on in their life.

The group will be at Totemoffs Bar from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. as part of Ski Santa Fes Winter Music Series.

If you go

WHAT: DK & The Affordables

WHEN: Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.WHERE: Ski Santa Fe, Totemoffs Bar

COST: Available with ski admission, which varies depending on half day or full day and by age. See skisantafe.com/lifttickets for prices
When locals in western Colorados old uranium mining towns of Naturita and Nucla get word that a journalist is coming to town, they reach for their guns. Not to shoot the fake news media. No, they dust off their firearms as props for photo ops. Ever since Nucla passed a law in 2013 requiring every household to own a gun, the story has drawn the press like flies on fresh roadkill.

This area was once a uranium mining and milling hub for the Atomic Energy Commissions Manhattan Project, and later for nuclear power. As cheaper sources of the ore emerged, the industry tanked. There was a brief jolt of optimism in 2007, when Energy Fuels announced plans to build a new uranium mill in Paradox Valley, just down the road from Nucla and Naturita. Depressed uranium prices and opposition soon scuttled that project.

To outsiders, whats called the West End of Montrose County has long been a poster child for white poverty and ignorance, a hotbed of hardcore, uranium-clinging yahoos. It was the subject of a patronizing documentary, Uranium Drive-In, and recently was featured in a bleak article in The Guardian, with photos that look like full-color versions of Walker Evans famous casualties of the Great Depression.

Same old story, says my neighbor, Dianna Reams, a local business and community booster whose family goes back generations. When she was interviewed by The Guardian, the reporter asked her to bring out her gun for a photo op. Its predictable, she said. They think were a bunch of hillbillies living in a kill zone, and theyre smarter than we are.

Fortunately, a new story has come to town. Its still badass, in keeping with our popular image. And thats weed  cannabis, or more precisely, hemp. Thanks to new legislation and good growing conditions (lots of sun and water and dirt), the region has become a magnet for hemp farming. More recently, processing has also begun, in a startup based in Nuclas old elementary schoolhouse. The facility is run by Paradox Ventures, owned by Republican state Sen. Don Coram.

Historically a conservative mining region, the West End has enthusiastically embraced a trade usually associated with illegal grows and hippies. Yet everyone here, from miners to cattle ranchers, seems to be trying to get a piece of the action, much the way Coram is. His partners, Reams Construction and its subsidiary Tomcat Mining, all sponsor the nonprofit West End Economic Development Corporation, which works to promote the hemp economy. This summer, Paradox Ventures planted a hemp field on some Reams property next door to my house. A small team of farmers sprayed the crop by hand with natural pesticide, walking the crop rows wearing wide-brimmed hats in the sun. They looked like Vietnamese rice farmers.

Now, you can feel a growing sense of optimism in the area, despite some continuing challenges. This time, in contrast to the uranium boom, the hope is not based on a single industry. Telemarketing and recreation projects are also in the works, along with hemp farming.

Its the first thing thats attracting our young people, said Deanna Sheriff, the economic recovery coordinator for the West End Economic Development Corporation. For whatever reason, we can hold on to our young people who have been leaving, and get them into agriculture  get them to grow hemp. Theres been nothing else here to attract their attention.

Uranium still may return, but it will never dominate the region the way it once did. Theres far too much of it available in other places around the world. Vanadium, which also occurs in the region within uranium deposits, holds promise as an alternative to lithium batteries for large-scale energy storage. But at the moment, the story here is hemp, and its spreading across the West, especially where mining has died and fertile fields remain. In fact, the development corporation is collaborating with a consortium of hemp growers in other counties outside Montrose, such as neighboring Delta and Mesa, to smooth the path for people to enter into the industry and help them distribute their products.

The hemp deal is the wild, wild West, said Sheriff. Everybodys looking at it as a great new way to make some money and thats not the case. Its still a very fragile industry. But its the first thing thats come along thats really positive in a long time. So, Im looking at it cautiously, with optimism, and also realizing that its got about five more years of development.

So, now, when the press comes to town, as the Denver Post did recently, filing a positive story for once, we no longer draw our pistols. Instead, we reach for our hemp oils and cannabis dog treats.

Richard Linnett is a contributor to Writers on the Range, the opinion service of High Country News (hcn.org). He is a writer who lives in Naturita and commutes to work in California.
It was close to midnight on Sunday, New Years Eve, when Mayor Javier Gonzales took the mic to lead a big crowd on the Plaza in song.

Auld Lang Syne? Nope. John Lennons Imagine? Not in Santa Fe on this night.

Gonzales did a pretty good job of intoning the late, great Leonard Cohens Hallelujah. And a lot of people in fact joined in, at least on the refrain of hallelujah repeated four times.

But the song is like Bruce Springsteens Born in the USA, with dark tones that belie the uplift of an anthemic chorus. Cohens tune has certain non-celebratory details, like All Ive ever learned from love/Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you.

And one verse ends: And its not a cry that you hear at night/Its not somebody whos seen the light/Its a cold and its a broken hallelujah.

Happy New Year!!

Cohen also throws in some murky, at least PG-rated funny business. Theres that line about being tied to a kitchen chair.

In other words, Hallelujah was probably the perfect song to sing at a City Different New Years party that also featured a big Zia sun symbol rising 60 feet above the Plaza as the seconds ticked off to midnight. The fireworks that followed got off to a slow start, but eventually provided a suitable closing crescendo.

As Gonzales moves off the local political stage with the completion of his four-year term in March and his run for lieutenant governor, Santa Feans should give him credit for starting this new tradition. The New Years Eve on the Plaza event is 3 years old.

Its not exactly fixing potholes or cleaning up ugly street medians. But like former Gov. Bill Richardson, who always made sure there was lots of cake for free in the Roundhouse rotunda on New Mexicos birthday and helped free some Balloon Fiesta balloons from entrapment in China, Gonzales appreciates a community celebration.

The New Years Eve gathering is low-key and family-friendly (even with Cohens poetic subtext). Check it out next year, and well see if whoever is mayor at that point chooses to follow Gonzales lead and surprises us with another song.
One of my roles at Journal North is to cover Los Alamos National Laboratory. And since February 2014, I have been writing news articles on the aftermath of an accident at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant at Carlsbad that was caused by the lab.

Ive come up with a sentence to quickly explain what happened. It goes: A drum of radioactive waste that was improperly packed with a combustible mix at LANL breached, causing a shutdown of the nations nuclear waste storage facility.

These days, to save space and avoid too much repetition, I seldom note the incidents most bizarre detail  that the improper ingredient added to the drum was wheat-based kitty litter to absorb liquids, instead of the clay-based litter that was supposed to be used. The Swheat Scoop brand litter reacted with nitrates and caused a chemical reaction that popped open the waste drum, spreading radioactive contamination.

Its been noted by critics of the nations pre-eminent nuclear weapons lab that any high school chemistry teacher would likely have known that organic material like wheat would react with the nitrates in the messy stuff that goes to WIPP.

Now the tables have turned. The smirk has been wiped off my face.

Over Christmas, I created my own combustible mix that caused a near-disastrous accident. I should have paid more attention to my own chemistry teacher.

Today, in this space, I present my mistake as a cautionary tale.

Our family follows the Santa Fe tradition of putting out farolitos along our driveway and the sidewalk on Christmas Eve. Part of our tradition is for our son, now an adult and visiting for Christmas, to head over to the nearby arroyo and shovel up a bucketful of sand to put into the paper sacks to anchor the farolitos.

This year, amid busy holiday preparations, a change was made in the interest of convenience and speed. We decided to use soil from the big pots in which I grow tomatoes over the summer instead of the sand.

It turns out that theres this thing called Google that we should have used before altering our hallowed holiday customs.

Search for potting soil and fire hazard, and the third item from the top is a six-year-old news article headlined: It is now so hot even the SOIL is catching fire: Home damaged in blaze caused by a bone-dry potted plant.

From 2016, theres: Firefighters suspect potting soil as possible cause of Aurora deck fire. There are numerous Google hits on the same theme.

From July, from Canada, comes Potting soil emerging as a fire hazard. This article begins, In March, a massive fire destroyed a Calgary condominium complex, leaving at least 250 occupants homeless. The combustive culprit was a cigarette in a planter outside the complex. Recently there has been a spike in fires sparked by smoking materials in potting soil.

The thing is that potting soil contains peat moss, which National Geographic describes as the forgotten fossil fuel. Im one of those people who forgot. Peat moss isnt much different from Swheat Scoop.

Potting soil also contains pellets of fertilizer, which everyone knows these days can be used to concoct improvised explosive devices. Id even added some manure to my pots to boost my tomatoes a bit more  amplifying the mix with another forgotten fossil fuel.

An additional problem: My family ignored standard fire department warnings about letting farolitos burn overnight.

Long story short, at about 3 a.m., our Christmas visitors were not ol Santa and his reindeer. We had firefighters and emergency lights.

A neighbor who keeps late, or early, hours spotted the huge yucca plant in our front yard burning with flames higher than our roof and called it in. Although no one woke us up via doorbell until the fire had been extinguished, the responding crew must have acted quickly, limiting the damage to the yucca, reduced to huge, charred stumps, and our car that was parked in the driveway.

The lead firefighter was great, and she spared us a wee-hours lecture on farolito safety.

Our cars bumper was partially melted  they dont make em like they used to  as was the red plastic cover for the brake light. We considered ourselves lucky that the car didnt blow up.

There has been no official confirmation of my eventual deduction that we had created a mini-bomb of peat moss, fertilizer and manure ignited when a farolito candle burned down to the potting soil.

But a couple of other farolitos away from the burn site, and not near the vegetation ready to become fire fuel after months of hot and dry weather, had also been reduced to burned remains.

Fire Chief Erik Litzenberg said this week he has never encountered a potting soil fire in Santa Fe.

You might be the first person to admit what happened, he said.

I have a bit more empathy now for those guys who packed that WIPP drum.

Just dont let this happen to you.
The recent opening of the states first privately financed interchange off N.M. 599 at Jaguar Drive has provided easier access to Tierra Contenta residential subdivision and the new SWAN Park on the citys south side.

The completed highway exit also paves the way for use of commercial sites being offered for sale by the heirs of the late Espanola businessman Richard Cook, who died in April. A Cook family business built the interchange at a cost that the company has previously said would amount to $7 million.

Exit and entrance ramps for 599 in both north- and south-bound directions off the freeway-style interchange opened in late November.

But an extension of Jaguar Drive west from the interchange to Aviation Drive, which would provide new and quicker access to the Santa Fe Regional Airport, hasnt been completed.

That section of road, as well as the interchange construction, was required under a city agreement to annex Cooks land that was reached about 10 years ago, said city government assets manager Matthew OReilly. The annexation agreement doesnt set a deadline for completion of the westward Jaguar extension, OReilly said.

But he said the city would like to see the link to Aviation Drive, with an estimated cost of about $1.7 million, built sooner rather than later, as a better entrance for the airport and a boost to Santa Fes economic development, and has offered credits on impact fees required of builders as an incentive for completing the road.

As of this date, there has been no response for over a year, said OReilly.

Katharine Cook Fishman, Richard Cooks daughter and owner of Commercial Center@599, the company that built the overpass and that as promoted plans for developing two large tracts of property on either side of the 559/Jaguar interchange for years, did not return phone messages from the Journal on Wednesday or Thursday.

Still, the new interchange as its now stands does ease traffic flow in and out of Tierra Contenta.

Thats a good thing in a lot of ways, said James Hicks, executive director of the Tierra Contenta Corp., a nonprofit tasked with implementing the master plan for the residential subdivision. Number one, it gives people that live in Tierra Contenta fairly easy access to 599, which connects with I-25 to Albuquerque, and it makes for an easy drive for people who want to go downtown.

About 7,500 people who live in the 1,400-acre master planned Tierra Contenta subdivision, made up of 2,450 dwelling units with a possible total build out of up to 6,000 units. Most of the existing units are single-family homes, and Hicks said that 46 percent of them qualify as affordable housing.

It also helps traffic flow, Hicks said of the new interchange. In the morning, traffic can get pretty backed up on Cerrillos and Airport roads. What this does is put traffic on 599 and helps prevent traffic from getting bogged down on those other roads.

Tierra Contenta also borders the citys Southwest Activity Node, better known as SWAN Park. Phase 1 of what will ultimately be a 90-acre park opened about two years ago. With the new interchange, people have easy access to the park from 599 without having to wind through city streets.

Commercial plans

The opening of the interchange appears to clear a path for developing the smaller of Commercial Center@599s two sites near 599, a 60-acre tract on the east side of the highway called Village Plaza, which borders Tierra Contenta.

In 2010, Tierra Contenta sold the land to Fishmans group. Building or bonding the interchange was also part of that deal. The city Planning Commission approved a subdivision plat and development plans for the Village Plaza project in 2011.

Development on the larger, 360-acre Santa Fe Commercial Center site on the west side of 599 cant start until Commercial Center@599 completes the roughly three-quarters-of-a-mile stretch of Jaguar west to Aviation Drive, the citys Engineering Division director, John Romero, said.

The commercial real estate agent listing the properties for sale said Commercial Center@599 is looking for help to build the road.

The hope is that the city and airport will do their part to finish off the extension, said Jeremy Gonzales, an agent for The Brokerage ABQ, Inc. Its unknown at this time who will pay for that completion.

OReilly said the Cook group signed the same kind of agreement that everyone signs when they want to be annexed, in this case requiring the construction of the link to Aviation Drive.

Under the terms of the deal, the city has offered as an incentive to complete the road that anyone constructing buildings on Commercial Center@599s land could use credits against the impact fees they would otherwise have to pay to support the cost of city infrastructure to accommodate new development.

I still would love to continue to work out an agreement with them (Fishmans firm) for the impact fees, OReilly said Thursday.

Asking price

The asking price for the entire 420 acres on both sides of 599 allowing for mixed-use development is listed at $50 million, though Gonzales said individual lots are available for purchase or lease.

A brochure for the property states that there is approximately 1.3 million square feet of building space planned for the entire property suitable for commercial, office and light manufacturing. Potential uses include hotel, restaurant, grocery, medical, bank, warehouse, gym, school, church, gas station, office and car wash sites.

The brochure also highlights the propertys attributes, including its proximity to Tierra Contenta, SWAN Park, the airport, and the Rail Runner Express train station at 599 and Interstate 25, and a direct route to northern New Mexico. N.M. 599 links to U.S. 84/285 as it heads north out of Santa Fe.

Fishman told the Journal in 2015 that shed like to see an airport hotel built on the property. She also said the commercial center could accommodate restaurants, light industrial or film studio uses and offices. Your basic business park, she said.

Well have to see what comes along, Fishman said then. Well have to see how the economy does, and what grows and what comes to Santa Fe.

Several years ago, representatives for Richard Cook were pushing for new state office buildings to be located at the site, but that idea never materialized.

Journal North editor Mark Oswald contributed to this story.
An out-of-this-world free presentation and slide show from NASA astronaut and Albuquerque native Sidney M. Gutierrez titled An Escape to Space is set for 2:30 p.m. Jan. 13, a Saturday, to commemorate the 225th anniversary of the first air voyage in America.

The Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, 9201 Balloon Museum Drive NE, is hosting the event.

Gutierrez will bring attendees face-to-face with space travel aboard the shuttle, organizers said in a news release.

Gutierrez, who joined NASA as an astronaut in 1984, served as pilot on the crew of STS-40 Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-1), a dedicated space and life sciences mission, and his first mission.

On his second, he commanded the STS-59 Space Radar Laboratory (SRL-1), part of Mission to Planet Earth, according to the release.

Gutierrez, now retired from NASA, is currently the chairman, president and CEO of Rocket Crafters Inc., a startup rocket company. He was also recently appointed to the Balloon Museums Board of Trustees.

The special presentation is being held in conjunction with the museums exhibition, First Air Voyages in America: Ballooning and Other Innovative Forms of Flight. The exhibition will be open prior to and after the lecture, and will remain on display through 2018.

We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump directed his White House counsel to tell Attorney General Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Departments investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The conversation between Don McGahn, the presidents White House counsel, and Sessions took place on the presidents orders and occurred just before the attorney general announced that he would step aside from the ongoing inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, according to a person with knowledge of the interaction. Two other people confirmed details of the conversation between McGahn and Sessions.

All three people spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press to avoid publicly discussing an ongoing investigation.

The episode is known to special counsel Robert Mueller and his team of prosecutors and is likely of interest to them as they look into whether Trumps actions as president, including the May firing of FBI Director James Comey, amount to improper efforts to obstruct the Russia investigation. Investigators recently concluded a round of interviews with current and former White House officials, including McGahn and former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus.

The New York Times first reported that Trump had McGahn lobby Sessions against a recusal.

Reached Thursday evening, Trump personal attorney John Dowd said, I know nothing about that, and hung up. Jay Sekulow, another of the presidents personal lawyers, did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment.

The White House also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sessions announced on March 2 that he would recuse himself from the Russia probe. He said at the time that he should not oversee any investigation into a campaign for which he was an active and vocal supporter, though the recusal also followed the revelation that he had had two previously undisclosed interactions during the 2016 campaign with the Russian ambassador to the United States. At his Jan. 10 confirmation hearing, he had said that he had no meetings with Russians during the campaign.

But soon before the announcement, with White House officials anticipating that Sessions might be poised to step aside, McGahn spoke to Sessions by phone and urged him against recusing himself from the investigation.

During the conversation, according to people familiar with the matter, McGahn argued to Sessions that there was no reason or basis at that time for him to recuse. One person said McGahn also told him that recusal would do nothing to resolve concerns over whether Sessions had given a misleading answer at his confirmation hearing.

Sessions ultimately declined the urging, and McGahn ultimately accepted the conclusion of career officials who believed that it was proper for Sessions to recuse.

Sessions recusal left Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in charge of the Russia investigation. But once Trump fired Comey two months later, Rosenstein appointed Mueller, the former FBI director, to run the investigation and to report to him.

Four people, including Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and national security adviser, Michael Flynn, have been charged so far in the investigation.

The Sessions recusal has been a sore spot for Trump for months, with the president publicly deriding the decision and lamenting his selection of the former Alabama senator as his attorney general.

In a July interview with the Times, Trump said, Well, Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job, and I would have picked somebody else.

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Associated Press writers Chad Day and Jill Colvin contributed to this report.

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Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
WASHINGTON  At the behest of President Donald Trump, the White Houses top lawyer called Attorney General Jeff Sessions shortly before he recused himself from the FBI investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and tried to convince him not to do so, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

By then, one of the people said, Sessions had essentially already made up his mind to step aside, and though the lawyers phone call sparked some additional discussions, the attorney general would ultimately turn over the probe to his top deputy.

But the lobbying effort by Don McGahn, first reported Thursday night by the New York Times, could be an important episode in the very probe over which McGahn urged Sessions to maintain his authority.

After Sessions recusal, his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, appointed special counsel Robert Mueller III to lead the investigation, and Mueller is now exploring  among other things  whether Trump might have attempted to obstruct justice and interfere with investigators work. He is also investigating possible coordination between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign to influence the 2016 election.

Spokespeople for the Justice Department and the special counsel declined to comment for this story. McGahn and White House representatives did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Trump was taken aback by Sessions recusal, and afterward, he raged to staffers and publicly that his attorney general had made the wrong choice. In July, he told the New York Times that if he had known Sessions would recuse himself, he would have picked somebody else to be attorney general. At some point, Sessions offered to resign, but the president would not accept it.

Sessions has said publicly he isolated himself from the Russia investigation from almost the moment he took office in early February, and all the while, consulted with career officials about whether he would have to formally recuse himself because of his role on Trumps campaign. A person familiar with his thinking said he had decided to step aside formally by late February.

On March 1, The Washington Post reported that Sessions had spoken twice with Russias ambassador to the United States  encounters he did not disclose when asked at his confirmation hearing about contacts between members of Trumps campaign and representatives of Moscow. That report increased the public pressure on him to give up supervision of the probe.

A person familiar with the probe said McGahn had a conversation with Sessions early the next day, trying to convince him to stay in control. Sessions, the person said, was not immediately committal. But he would soon announce to the public  not long after the news was passed to McGahn  that he was stepping aside and leaving the matter to Rosenstein.

Two months later, Trump fired James Comey as the FBI director, and soon after that, Rosenstein appointed Mueller to lead the probe. Mueller has been looking at the events surrounding the firing of Comey  which the president has said he did with the Russia controversy on his mind  and his examination would likely also involve examining other efforts by Trump to influence the investigation, such as Trumps request of McGahn.

Mueller has interviewed Rosenstein, who drafted a memo supporting Comeys firing and retains supervision over the special counsel, and he has obtained memos that Comey wrote memorializing his dealings with the president. By Comeys account, the president asked him to pledge loyalty and said he hoped Comey could let go of the bureaus investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who recently pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

Mueller also has obtained notes from Reince Priebus, Trumps former chief of staff, indicating Priebus and Trump talked about the president urging Comey to say publicly he was not being personally investigated, according to a person familiar with the matter.
MOUNT PLEASANT  Three people were transported to the hospital on Thursday night following a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Highway 31 and Highway 38.

The crashed occurred at about 5:42 p.m. when a woman driving east on Highway 38 in a Honda failed to yield the right-of-way when turning left onto Highway 31, according to Sgt. Eric Relich with the Mount Pleasant Police Department.

The Honda reportedly turned in to the path of a Saturn, causing the vehicles to collide.

The driver of the Honda and the driver and passenger of the Saturn were all transported to the hospital by the South Shore Fire Department for non-life-threatening injuries, Relich said.

The driver of the Honda was ticketed for failure to yield the right-of-way while making a left turn.

Southbound Highway 31 and westbound Highway 38 were closed from approximately 5:46 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., due to the crash.

Relich speculated that both vehicles were likely totaled.

The cars were really banged up, he said.
LOS ANGELES  The buzz kill long dreaded in the marijuana industry came just days after California opened what is expected to be the worlds largest legal pot market.

The Trump administration announced Thursday that it was ending an Obama-era policy to tread lightly on enforcing U.S. marijuana laws. The declaration renewed anxiety, confusion and uncertainty that has long shadowed the bright green leafy drug still forbidden under federal law but now legal in a majority of states as medicine and in a handful of those for recreational purposes.

Everybody is super worried. My phone has been going off the hook, said Terry Blevins, who runs a security firm and is part-owner of a marijuana distribution company in Southern California. They are all, What does this mean?  Is the federal government going to come into California to raid businesses?

Officials wouldnt say if federal prosecutors would target pot shops and legal growers, nor would they speculate on whether pot prosecutions would increase.

The action by Attorney General Jeff Sessions was not unexpected given his longtime opposition to pot, but comes at a heady time for the industry as retail pot sales rolled out New Years Day in California.

In 2013, President Barack Obamas attorney general advised prosecutors not to waste money targeting pot growers and sellers that were abiding by state laws, but to go after flagrant violations such as trafficking across state lines or selling to minors. Under this policy, several states legalized recreational pot, growers and sellers had begun to drop their guard over fears of a federal crackdown and the business blossomed into a sophisticated, multimillion-dollar industry feeding state government programs with tax dollars.

Sessions and some law enforcement officials blame legalization for a number of problems, including trafficking black market weed. Authorities are also concerned about stoned drivers and fear that widespread acceptance of the drug could increase its youth appeal.

Advocates for the drug that is classified in federal law in the same category as heroin have argued that it has medicinal qualities and causes less harm than alcohol. They have said the government needs to focus on rampant opioid abuse and allow a regulated marijuana market that will reduce crime by eliminating the need for a black market.

Pot proponents along with some members of Congress, including Sessions fellow Republicans, roundly condemned the change in direction Thursday and said it was an intrusion upon the rights of states whose voters had approved use of the drug.

If  Congress allows the Department (of Justice) to crack down on individuals and state governments, it will be one of the biggest derelictions of duty I will have witnessed, said U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska. Congress is the voice of the people and we have a duty to do what is right by the states.

Some sheriffs in California welcomed the news, particularly in the northern part of the state where the majority of weed has been grown illegally for decades and enforcement of laws largely falls to rural authorities with limited budgets.

Yuba County Sheriff Steve Durfor said hes hopeful Sessions actions signal a new willingness of federal authorities to help the impoverished region enforce marijuana laws. His department outside Sacramento has struggled to slow a large and growing influx of illegal operations setting up shop in the region. Officers destroyed a record 30,000 plants last year, surpassing the previous record of 8,800 plants destroyed in 2016.

Colorados U.S. attorney, Bob Troyer, said his office wont change its approach to prosecution, despite Sessions guidance. Prosecutors there have always focused on marijuana crimes that create the greatest safety threats and will continue to be guided by that, he said. In Oregon, U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams said he would maintain the same level of enforcement and focus on unlicensed production of marijuana and smuggling out of state.

Before the Obama administration put the policy in place, the feds sent shivers through the medical marijuana community by threatening landlords and operators with property seizure notices, resulting in many shops shutting down in cities where they were considered a nuisance.

Federal prosecutors also sued and prosecuted some nonprofit dispensaries that were raking in money or dealing to people with no medical need, though the latter was hard to prove in a state like California, where regulations were loose at best.

It was not clear how Thursdays announcement might affect states where marijuana is legal for medical purposes. A congressional amendment blocks the Justice Department from interfering with medical marijuana programs in states where it is allowed. Justice officials said they would follow the law, but would not preclude the possibility of medical-marijuana related prosecutions.

Sessions decision led to a skid in prices for marijuana-related stocks that had surged for weeks surrounding California pot sales.

Officials denied the timing of the announcement was connected to California sales, which are projected to bring in $1 billion annually in tax revenue within several years.

In addition to stock market losses, the change in policy in the short-term could chill investments in a burgeoning industry that will also see Canada and Massachusetts begin to allow recreational sales in July, experts said. However, many suggested that a large-scale crackdown was unlikely given the industrys size.

Legal marijuana has become so entrenched in the U.S.  its a multi-billion-dollar industry, said Don Morse, director of the Oregon Cannabis Business Council. I dont see the people who are behind this, people like myself, rolling over for the Justice Department.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said the state, which along with Colorado in 2012 were the first to allow retail pot sales, would continue marijuana operations.

We should, in my book, not push the panic button on either your individual lives or your businesses, Inslee said.

At Harborside in Oakland, one of Californias largest shops, founder and CEO Steve DeAngelo said it was business as usual and he wanted to assure customers not to fear shopping there.

Weve been targeted by the federal government before and we stand up and we fight for our rights, DeAngelo said. Six months from now if U.S. attorneys have not taken Jeff Sessions up on this crazy offer, then I think that it absolutely makes no difference to anybody.

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Gurman reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Michael R. Blood in Los Angeles; Paul Elias in San Francisco; Terence Chea in Oakland; Becky Bohrer in Juneau; Andrew Selsky in Salem, Ore.; Sally Ho in Olympia, Wash.; and Nicholas Riccardi and Kathleen Foody in Denver contributed to this report.
BRIGHTON, Colo.  A Colorado woman who left her 2-year-old son alone in a car overnight during a snowstorm, leaving him with hypothermia and frostbitten feet, has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

Nicole Carmon was sentenced Thursday after previously pleading guilty to felony negligent child abuse causing serious injury and attempted first-degree assault.

Investigators say the 28-year-old mother told them she drank six shots of vodka the evening before she abandoned her son in the parking lot of a strip mall north of Denver in December 2016. The child was left in the car for more than 14 hours, and the temperature outside dipped to minus 8 degrees (-22 Celsius).

Adams County District Court Judge Thomas Ensor said Thursday that what she did was something I wouldnt do with my dog.
FARMINGTON  The Farmington police officer who shot and killed a suspect last month fired five shots after the man allegedly pointed an object at the officer he believed was a gun.

The object later was identified not as a gun, but as an e-cigarette, according to New Mexico State Police.

The agency identified Officer Brandt Warman, an approximate six-year veteran of the Farmington Police Department, as the officer involved in the Dec. 20 shooting, according to a state police press release.

The press release gives a look into what the Investigations Bureau of the New Mexico State Police has uncovered as part of the investigation.

Felicia Florez, the sister of Frankie Anchondo, the man who was killed in the shooting, said the family is declining comment on the shooting.

The shooting occurred after Warman pursued a black pickup truck Anchondo was driving.

Warman was at the intersection of Broadway Avenue and McCormick School Road around 6:20 p.m. Dec. 20 when he heard a woman later identified as Alicia Jackson screaming, waving her hands and hanging outside the window of the truck, according to Farmington police and state police press releases.

Jackson later told investigators Anchondo had threatened to kill her. Warman and Jackson were not injured during the incident.

Fearing for Jacksons safety and believing she had been abducted, Warman attempted to stop the truck, but Anchondo avoided the stop and sped away.

The truck was traveling along Broadway Avenue toward the Bloomfield Highway, also known as U.S. Highway 64. Warman pursued the truck in his patrol vehicle. Anchondo was weaving in and out of traffic as he drove, at one point passing traffic on the shoulder of the road, the press release states.

The truck then turned north onto Riverstone Road from U.S. Highway 64 and turned off its lights. The press release states the road was dark and unlit at the time.

Warman followed the truck onto Riverstone Road, slowly approaching the vehicle until his patrol vehicle came to a complete stop.

Before Warmans vehicle came to a complete stop, Jackson jumped out the passenger window of the truck, according to the press release.

Anchondo exited the truck and started to approach Warman, charging toward the officer while holding and pointing a dark object with both hands at the officer as if it were a gun, the press release states.

Anchondo ignored Warmans commands to stop, and Warman believed Anchondo had a gun and was about to shoot him, the press release states.

Warman fired one shot from his weapon at Anchondo, then fired an additional four shots, stopping Anchondos aggressive action toward the officer, the press release states.

The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator pronounced Anchondo dead at the scene.

An e-cigarette was identified as the object located near Anchondos body at the scene.

Warman was placed on paid administrative leave following the shooting. Farmington police spokeswoman Georgette Allen said today Warman is still on paid administrative leave.

The incident remains under investigation. Once completed, the case will be referred to 11th Judicial District Attorneys Office in Farmington for review.

The shooting was the first fatal officer-involved shooting for the Farmington Police Department since a pair of officer-involved shootings occurred in January 2013.

Joshua Kellogg covers crime, courts and social issues for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.



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WACO, Texas  A Central Texas man described by a McLennan County prosecutor as a serial domestic abuser has been sentenced by a judge in Waco to 20 years in prison for assaulting the mother of his son.

The 20-year term was the maximum jurors in state District Judge Ralph Strothers court could recommend for 42-year-old Danny Wayne Alcoser. The former mechanic and tow truck operator from Hewitt was convicted of three counts related to abuse. Two of the counts also carried $10,000 fines.

The Waco Tribune-Herald reports testimony showed Alcoser physically assaulted the mother of his young son at least four times beginning in October 2015 and also assaulted another woman in adjacent Hill County by choking her in front of her twin daughters and stuffing a comforter down her throat.

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Information from: Waco Tribune-Herald, http://www.wacotrib.com
CLOVIS, N.M.  Two Air Force service members were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on Friday for their roles in making a combat resupply drop of ammunition to ground forces in Afghanistan who were in danger of being overrun during an enemy attack on a forward operating base.

Officials of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base in eastern New Mexico said Capt. Charlotte A. Raabe was a combat systems officer on a MC-130J special operations aircraft and Staff Sgt. Gary P. Bjerke the planes loadmaster during the Jan. 5, 2016 engagement.

A morning ceremony for the two went off beautifully before dozens of fellow service members, according to Cannon Air Force Base spokesman JP Rebello.

Their award citations said enemy fire hit the aircraft multiple times as it successfully dropped the ammunition to a Special Forces team at the base, enabling a successful counterattack.

Bjerkes identification of ground threats prevented further successful emergency engagement with the aircraft, while Raabes decisive actions and expeditious recalculation of the combat airdrop was key to the missions success, the citations said.

Cannon base officials said Raabe is 29 and from Indian Harbour Beach, Florida. Bjerke is 25 and from Waukesha, Wisconsin.

The MC-130J is a commando version of the four-engine C-130 transport plane. It is used for low-level of refueling special operations aircraft and to resupply, deliver and pick up special operations personnel by airdrop and landing on remote airfields.

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This story corrects the spelling of Capt. Charlotte Raabes surname.
WASHINGTON  The acrimony surrounding former White House adviser Steve Bannons very public break with President Donald Trump is escalating, suggesting a permanent split between the president and the pugilistic strategist who helped put him in the Oval Office.

The new fissure in an already fractious Republican Party cast doubt on Bannons hopes to foment a movement centered on Trumpism without Trump.

It already has cost him a key backer. Rebekah Mercer, the billionaire GOP donor and Breitbart co-owner, issued a statement Thursday distancing her family from Bannon.

I support President Trump and the platform upon which he was elected, she said. My family and I have not communicated with Steve Bannon in many months and have provided no financial support to his political agenda, nor do we support his recent actions and statements.

Trump hailed that move on Twitter Friday, saying: The Mercer Family recently dumped the leaker known as Sloppy Steve Bannon. Smart!

White House officials described the president as furious at Bannons criticisms, laid out in an explosive new book that quoted the former aide as questioning Trumps competence and describing a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between Donald Trump Jr., Trump campaign aides and a Russian lawyer as treasonous and unpatriotic.

On Twitter Thursday night, Trump said the book was full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. He also came up with a new nickname for Bannon: Sloppy Steve.

A parade of administration officials and allies worked to discredit Bannon as a disgruntled has-been. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders went so far as to suggest that Bannon ought to be booted from Breitbart, the populist website he helps run.

I certainly think that its something they should look at and consider, she said.

Michael Wolff, author of Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, spoke on NBCs Today Show Friday, defending his reporting and saying the presidents efforts to halt publication have been good for sales.

Asked about Bannons comments in the book and in recent days, Wolff said: The president has tried to put this, this book is about Steve Bannon. So let me say very forthrightly: This book is not about Steve Bannon. This book is about Donald Trump.

Bannon had helped Trump form a coalition of anti-establishment Republicans, blue-collar working class and economic nationalists that launched him to the White House, but Trump had long ago grown frustrated that Bannon seemed to be overstepping his role as a staffer.

The self-appointed keeper of Trumps nationalist flame during the presidents first six months in office, Bannon had soured on the president even before he was pushed out of the White House for feeding the perception that he was Trumps puppeteer.

None of Bannons close associates was willing to speak publicly about the fallout but privately conceded that the explosive comments may forever tarnish his brand. Bannons political appeal had been deeply tied to the perception that he was an ally of Trumps. Those close to Bannon feared that the connection had been permanently severed.

Bannon was preparing to launch a nonprofit organization designed to help give Trumps brand of conservatism populism a permanent base. Its unclear how Bannons new rift with the president, and the related impact on major donors, will affect the organization, dubbed Citizens of the American Republic.

Current and former White House officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations, said Bannon had miscalculated by attacking the president and his family. Much of Bannons political clout, they argue, stemmed from the assumption that he was acting with the imprimatur of the president, even if Trump wasnt visibly in lockstep.

Some Trump allies also expressed satisfaction that Bannon appeared to be finally cast out of the presidents inner circle.

Bannon has no contingent, former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Wednesday between media interviews to defend Trump. On Thursday, Gingrich echoed Trumps charge that Bannon had lost his mind.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a longtime punching bag for Bannon, reveled in the aides break with the president. Id like to associate myself with what the president had to say about Steve Bannon yesterday, he said mischievously Thursday.

Since leaving the White House, Bannon spent much of his time courting donors to help finance his self-declared war on the Republican establishment. He vowed to find Republican challengers for virtually every GOP senator seeking election this fall, chiefly for the purpose of electing candidates who would remove McConnell as majority leader.

Bannon publicly backed conservative challengers in Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Mississippi and New York, where House challenger Michael Grimm issued a statement denouncing the ex-advisers comments as baseless attacks that were beyond disturbing.

Others who have received boosts from Bannon, including Arizona Senate candidate Kelli Ward and potential Mississippi Senate challenger Chris McDaniel, were more circumspect, wary of alienating either faction of the partys insurgent grassroots.

Bannons political standing was already weakened after he went all-out last month to support failed Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore despite multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against Moore.

Doubling down on Moore left Bannon politically incapacitated, said Steven Law, president and CEO of the super PAC led by McConnell.

The only concern left was whether the president might give Bannon a temporary lease on life, he said. But this repudiation was so methodical and so absolute that it really slams the door on that.

White House aides have tried to look past other loaded comments from Bannon in recent months while seeking to marshal his political following on the presidents behalf.

But they warned Bannons allies over the last 24 hours that Trump would likely never take his calls again. However, there are few absolutes in Trumps orbit, White House aides acknowledge, and he has been known to bury the hatchet with those he perceived to have wronged him.

Some Trump allies even encouraged him to welcome Bannon back into his good graces.

You can either excise him or shun him, which I dont think is the best recommended strategy, or tell him to knock it off and bring himself back into the fold, Anthony Scaramucci, the former White House communications director, said on MSNBC.

Trump coolly noted Thursday that his full-throated counterassault appeared to have its desired effect on Bannon.

He called me a great man last night, Trump said, referring to Bannons radio show appearance. He obviously changed his tune pretty quick.

Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, quickly shot atop Amazons best-seller list, and the publisher moved up its release date by four days, to Friday.

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Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wis., Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver and contributed to this report.
LAS CRUCES  State Rep. Bill McCamley announced Thursday that he will introduce legislation this session intended to protect the medical marijuana program in the state, which could now be under threat following a change in policy by the federal government.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has rescinded a 2013 directive by the Obama administration that allowed states to establish their own laws on marijuana use. The new policy will allow federal prosecutors in states that have legalized marijuana for either recreational or medicinal uses to decide how aggressively to enforce existing federal law, according to The Associated Press.

That will put 40,000 medical marijuana users in New Mexico at risk, McCamley said.

During the last five years, I have talked with countless people who have better lives because of their use of cannabis, including many cancer patients and vets suffering from PTSD, McCamley said. For the past 10 years, tens of thousands of New Mexicans have used cannabis safely for their condition, and threatening them with jail time is sick and wrong.

The New Mexico Legislature approved a bill in 2007 allowing marijuana to be prescribed for a list of specific medical conditions. Since then, McCamley has introduced legislation three times to legalize recreational use. The bill made it through a committee for the first time last year, but has never made it to the House floor for a vote.

McCamley said that in recent surveys, more than 60 percent of residents supported legalization for recreational use, and support for medical use is even higher.

New Mexicans support a 21st Century approach to dealing with cannabis, McCamley said. They oppose Trump and Sessions on this issue, and will strongly support our federal delegation protecting New Mexicans from being put in jail solely for improving their health.

McCamley said he would introduce a memorial, which does not carry to same force of law as a bill, but does express the will of the Legislature.

The Legislature meets Jan. 16 for a 30-day session. McCamley has announced that he will give up his seat and run for state auditor in November.



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A federal economist is predicting that New Mexicos economy will expand at a modest pace in the coming year.

Its more optimistic than it was a year ago, said Alison Felix, vice president and Denver Branch executive at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The state is better positioned than it has been in the past, and several sectors are showing improvement.

One of those sectors is construction, which Felix said is gaining momentum in Santa Fe and especially Las Cruces. Single-family home construction appears to have grown quite a bit in the state over the past few months, she said.

Coming Monday: Other economists weigh in on 2018

Also picking up is the leisure, hospitality and tourism industry, which has seen growth across the country due to strong consumer confidence. That bodes well for New Mexico, which Felix categorized as a tourism-heavy state.

Much of New Mexicos economy is tied to oil prices, which are currently hovering around $60 a barrel. Felix said a recent industry survey showed that producers expect to turn a profit when prices hit $51 a barrel. And while she said its difficult to predict what will happen with prices throughout 2018, its possible they could increase because of international developments.

A market disruption in Iran or Venezuela could change things, she said.

Employment in the mining industry, which includes oil and gas, began to rally in the first half of 2017 and then began to level off. Felix said she expects a slight uptick in oil industry jobs for 2018, as well as employment generally in New Mexico.

One sector that appears to be struggling as it relates to jobs: state and local government. Thats directly related to the states finances, said Felix, which have only recently recovered thanks to the oil industrys rebound.

She also noted that, on average, New Mexico is still seeing net migration out of the state. The most recent U.S. Census figures show a net migration rate of -.2 percent in 2017, meaning more people are leaving New Mexico than moving here.

Still, Felix said, businesses here appear to be more hopeful about their future in New Mexico than they have in recent years.

Overall, its looking better, she said.
WASHINGTON  Two Republican senators have made the first known criminal referral in congressional investigations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, targeting the author of a dossier of allegations about President Donald Trumps ties to Russia.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said Friday they had referred former British spy Christopher Steele to the Justice Department for investigation about false statements he may have made to the government. Graham is the chairman of a Judiciary subcommittee that is investigating the Russian meddling.

The referral comes after Republicans in Congress have made several attempts in recent weeks to undermine the credibility of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation, the Justice Department and the FBI, charging there is anti-Trump bias within the ranks of federal agents and prosecutors.

In a cover letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray released by the committee, the senators say the referral relates to certain communications between Christopher Steele and multiple U.S. news outlets regarding the so-called Trump dossier.' The rest of the referral is classified and was not released.

Lawmakers cannot prosecute, but generally refer any criminal violations they find to the Justice Department. On Friday, Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said the department had received the referral and will review it.

The dossier is a compilation of memos Steele wrote during the 2016 campaign that contained several allegations of connections between Trump and Russia, including that Trump had been compromised by the Kremlin. Trump has called the dossier phony and derided it as a politically motivated hit job, and many Republicans in Congress have been focused on discrediting it.

The cover letter does not say who the senators believe Steele lied to, but Grassley said in a statement about the referral that everyone needs to follow the law and be truthful in their interactions with the FBI.

Republicans have been asking the Justice Department for months whether the dossier was used as part of its initial investigation into Russian interference.

The dossier was turned over to the FBI in 2016, and federal investigators worked to corroborate portions of it. Some of the information was distilled into a summary that then-FBI Director James Comey presented to then-president-elect Trump in January 2017.

More recently, Muellers investigators interviewed Steele in Europe as part of their probe into Russian election interference and ties between Trump associates and the Kremlin.

The rule of law depends on the government and all who work on its behalf playing by the rules themselves, Graham said in a statement. I hope the Department of Justice will carefully review our letter and take appropriate action.

On Friday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, a Democrat on the Judiciary committee, called the move a partisan effort aimed at someone who reported wrongdoing, rather than committed it.

These vaguely stated, secret allegations seem designed more to distract attention from the priority issues for investigation, and discredit the FBI and other law enforcement, Blumenthal said in a statement, noting that the FBIs investigation into Russian interference and the Trump campaign was triggered by information completely independent from the dossier, Steele or Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm who hired him.

The Judiciary Committee has not interviewed Steele. A release from the committee said that the referral, which is based on both classified and publicly available information unearthed by investigators, does not pertain to the veracity of claims in the dossier.

The referral is for further investigation only, and is not intended to be an allegation of a crime, the committees release said.

A lawyer for Fusion GPS, which was initially paid by a conservative website tied to Republicans and then later by Democrats to carry out the research into Trump, criticized the senators for the referral and also for publicizing it.

After a year of investigations into Donald Trumps ties to Russia, the only person Republicans seek to accuse of wrongdoing is one who reported on these matters to law enforcement in the first place, said Joshua A. Levy, counsel for Fusion GPS. Publicizing a criminal referral based on classified information raises serious questions about whether this letter is nothing more than another attempt to discredit government sources, in the midst of an ongoing criminal investigation. We should all be skeptical in the extreme.

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Follow Mary Clare Jalonick and Chad Day on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MCJalonick and https://twitter.com/ChadSDay
DENVER  Whether to crack down on marijuana in states where it is legal is a decision that will now rest with those states top federal prosecutors, many of whom are deeply rooted in their communities and may be reluctant to pursue cannabis businesses or their customers.

When he rescinded the Justice Departments previous guidance on marijuana, Attorney General Jeff Sessions left the issue to a mix of prosecutors who were appointed by President Donald Trumps administration and others who are holdovers from the Barack Obama years.

Legal experts do not expect a flood of new cases, and people familiar with the job of U.S. attorney say prosecutors could decide against using already limited resources to seek criminal charges against cannabis companies that abide by state regulations or their customers.

There are higher priorities: terrorism and opiates to start with, said Rory Little, a former prosecutor and a professor at the University of California Hastings College of Law. You also have to draw the jury pool from the local people, who appear to generally support the state policy. Youre not going to waste your resources on cases you cant win or cases your community is against.

Until Sessions announcement on Thursday, federal prosecutors followed guidelines laid out in the so-called Cole memo, which was issued by the Justice Department during the Obama administration. The memo discouraged prosecutors from going after people participating in the marijuana trade in states where recreational marijuana is legal, except in cases with aggravating factors.

Sessions revoked that document and others, citing the fact that pot remains illegal under federal law.

Federal prosecutors are not elected, but they often have long histories working in their districts. They are surrounded by attorneys who have spent their careers arguing federal cases before judges who can make their displeasure with a U.S. attorney known in sentencing decisions and in the scheduling of cases. That environment will not change because of a memo from the attorney general, Little said.

But the change will undoubtedly create some confusion and an uneven landscape, said John Walsh, the former U.S. attorney for Colorado appointed by Obama who left the office in 2016.

Prosecutors in Western states wanted guidance from the Justice Department when the likelihood of state marijuana legalization became clear in 2010 and 2011. They hoped to avoid a patchwork of prosecution strategies, Walsh said.

When the policy is so broad and uncertain that its left case by case to different decision makers, it creates confusion and uncertainty that can be unjust, Walsh said.

The author of the Obama administrations policy, James Cole, told the AP it was intended to put states on notice that they had to regulate the industry and the federal government would still prosecute cases that threatened public safety. The goal, he said, was to encourage a tightly regulated industry letting legitimate businesses operate but keeping cartels and gangs out.

I couldnt immunize people through the policy, but it did give them a level of comfort that was enough for them to say, if I behave, were basically going to be OK, Cole said.

The change, he said, removes clarity and consistency for an industry that depended on it.

U.S. attorneys around the country responded cautiously to Sessions announcement. Some issued written statements suggesting the change would not dramatically alter their approach to marijuana.

In Colorado, U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer said his office will continue to focus on identifying and prosecuting those who create the greatest safety threats to our communities around the state.

Troyer took over the office on an acting basis when Walsh, the Obama appointee, left. In November, Sessions named him the interim U.S. attorney. Trump could nominate a replacement at any time or decide to keep Troyer, a career prosecutor and attorney.

The new U.S. attorney in Massachusetts, Andrew Lelling, a Trump appointee who was confirmed by the Senate in mid-December, called marijuana a dangerous drug in his statement on Sessions action. But he also said his office will focus on bulk cultivation and trafficking cases, and those who use the federal banking system illegally while considering its available resources, the seriousness of each crime and its effects.

In Californias Eastern District, newly sworn-in U.S. Attorney McGregor Greg Scott grew up in Humboldt County, deep in Californias famed Emerald Triangle marijuana-growing region. He later became a career state and federal prosecutor who has spoken favorably of a previous federal marijuana crackdown.

Scotts spokeswoman, Lauren Horwood, said he declined to comment on the most recent federal move.

The cultivation, distribution and possession of marijuana has long been and remains a violation of federal law for all purposes, she later said in a statement. We will evaluate violations of those laws in accordance with our districts federal law enforcement priorities and resources.

Brian Vicente, a Denver attorney who co-wrote Colorados 2012 constitutional amendment legalizing recreation marijuana, said the industry will closely examine the background of any new U.S. attorney nominees.

If this is in any way accompanied by a changing of the guard through the appointment of very conservative, anti-marijuana candidates, thats a red flag, he said.

Walsh, the former U.S. attorney for Colorado, said sitting and incoming top federal prosecutors in pot-friendly states should rely on their staffs, who have years of experience investigating cases, to put marijuana in context with other priorities.

Those people make decisions about which cases they can win and which cases are crucial, he said.

___

Thompson reported from Sacramento, California. Associated Press writers Sadie Gurman in Washington and Bob Salsberg in Boston contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to use the correct spelling of Brian Vicentes name.
Yatra.com, Indias leading online travel portal, has launched a self-booking platform for Small & Medium Enterprises to provide its corporate customers with comprehensive and convenient travel solutions. This easy to use online platform includes a range of enhanced features which will empower the SMEs to automate their process to fulfil end-to-end travel business needs.

SMEs can now manage their company and employee profiles, travel policy compliances and approval workflow. The GST complaint system will allow the user to search through a range of flight and hotel options as per the company travel policy and follow the in-built trip approval process to seek their supervisors approval. As part of this offering, SMEs shall get curated hotel options, best corporate deals and NIL to economical cancellation/rescheduling charges. Additionally, designed for enhanced experience, the SMEs shall also have access to real time MIS reports to enable them to monitor their travel expenses. Furthermore, the invoices are instantly mailed to the registered email ID. There is a 24x7 support helpline available for support required on visas, passports and other offline requests.

Commenting on this development, Dhruv Shringi, Co-Founder & CEO, Yatra.com said, Yatras latest self-booking platform significantly reinforces our position in the large and growing corporate travel market in India. The platform will revolutionize the way business travellers search and book flights & hotels, ultimately saving both time and money in the process. We believe that this technological advanced platform will empower SMEs to control their travel needs, while at the same time making it inherently easier for their employees to make bookings in an easy and convenient manner. 

With the goal to be Indias Travel Planner, Yatra.com has been providing a best in class customer experience. With this new launch, Yatra further strengthens its position as Indias largest independent corporate travel service provider.
A pastor drives 1,000 miles to get to his small church, and the people who need him
The watch night service can be found in many denominations; it is begins late in the evening and ends just after midnight. The service often includes singing, praying and preaching.
1st Provincial Assembly meet a month away

The first meeting of provincial assemblies, which is a must for state legislators to be enlisted for the National Assembly vote, will take a month to convene from the appointment of governors.
Dominion Energy's looming purchase of SCANA Corp. had immediate financial impacts Wednesday and Thursday.

By market close Jan. 3, SCANA stock  SCG on the New York Stock Exchange  had surged 22 percent, reaching $47.65 a share. On Jan. 4, SCANA stock fluctuated: Just after 10 a.m., shares hit $48, maxing out at $48.26 about an hour later. The afternoon wasn't as pretty.

On Jan. 3, after Dominion Energy  known as D  released details of the total $14.6 billion SCANA takeover, Dominion Energy stock fell 3.8 percent to $77.19 a share by close. On Jan. 4, prices were mercurial, bottoming out around 3:30 p.m. at $76.44 and reaching a high of $78.14.

Both companies' stock closed lower Thursday than the day before.

Dominion Energy to purchase SCANA; Aiken legislators have mixed reactions The deal, announced Wednesday, includes a total $1.3 billion refund to SCE&G customers affected by the V.C. Summer-related surcharge.

As of Wednesday, SCANA share price was the highest it's been since Oct. 26, 2017, according to NYSE data. Dominion Energy prices that same day marked the lowest since Oct. 10, 2017.

Moody's Investors Service, a finance company that researches and assess creditworthiness, announced Wednesday that they deem Dominion Energy to be risky  changing their rating from "stable" to "negative."

Moody's attributes the downturn to Dominion Energy's apparent attempt to reform South Carolina politics.

Dominion Energy shares have remained relatively flat, however, with .1 percent loss over a rolling one-year period, according to MarketWatch data.

Moody's has said they will continue analyzing SCANA and subsidiary South Carolina Electric & Gas. SCANA shares have suffered a massive devaluation, losing, to the day, approximately 35 percent over a one-year period, according to MarketWatch.

On July 31, 2017, the company announced it was abandoning a decade-long nuclear project at the V.C. Summer site in Fairfield County. The project cost $9 billion. SCANA cited inflated costs, miscommunication and unforeseen obstacles as reasons to exit the unfinished project. Following that announcement, SCANA stock began to fall: The high that day has yet to be matched since.

The companies' merger  SCANA will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Dominion Energy and will retain a South Carolina headquarters  is a $7.9 billion stock-for-stock deal.

SCANA investors will receive .669 shares of Dominion Energy per SCANA share they own once the purchase goes through. The deal equates to $55.35 per share, according to a Dominion Energy press release.

During a Wednesday afternoon conference, Dominion Energy President and CEO Thomas Farrell II said the deal, which includes $1.3 billion in SCE&G customer refunds related to V.C. Summer surcharges, is "unprecedented."

SCANA CEO Jimmy Addison described the deal, at the same conference, as "a solution far better than what we can do on our own." According to Addison, the SCANA board overwhelmingly approved the takeover.

"Their values are very much like ours," Addison said of Dominion Energy, a utilities goliath that operates in 18 states and recently purchased pipelines in South Carolina and Georgia.
3 Nepalis die in one week in Sydney

Three Nepalis including a student, a nurse and one elderly woman have died in the span of a week in Australia.
January 4, 2018

CAIRO  Many citizens, experts and observers are wondering if Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's security reshuffling in October was related more to the war on terrorism or to his apparent competition with potential rivals in the upcoming elections.

One week after militants killed at least 16 policemen (The Associated Press reported 54) in Giza province in October 2017, the Interior Ministry gave several high-ranking officials the boot. Sisi named a new top military leader, replacing Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Hegazy as armed forces chief of staff and appointing him instead as presidential adviser of strategic planning and crisis management. Some people attributed the change to the continuing violence, but since then there's been a lot of speculation about why Hegazy was replaced.

One theory is that the armed forces were (and continue to be) preparing Hegazy to replace Sisi in the 2018 elections in case Sisi doesn't run for a second term.

Opposition journalist Musa al-Otaibi highlighted such a possibility, among others, in a report published Oct. 29 on The Lens Post website. Because nothing is impossible in politics, observers say Hegazys referral was arranged by both the junta and Sisi in order to keep [Hegazy] away from the political conflict arena and then have him serve as a possible political alternative in the event the situation degenerates for the worse in the country. The current period is witnessing a growing public discontent against Sisi, given the worsening economic and security conditions plaguing the country, Otaibi wrote.

Baseera Center for Public Opinion statistics for January 2017 reflected Sisis decreasing popularity since he adopted economic reforms  mainly floating the Egyptian pound and lifting fuel subsidies in November 2016. Sisis popularity stood at 27% then, compared with 32% in 2015 and 54% in 2014.

Some observers believe someone with a military background might be able to replace Sisi or compete with him in case no other person submits his candidacy. The pro-regime media has been leading harsh campaigns against potential rivals in the upcoming elections, such as former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq. Shafiq was accused of conspiring against the Egyptian regime with the Muslim Brotherhood and the Qatar-based Al Jazeera channel.

Otaibi continued in his report, Hegazy might also be prepping for the premiership, as pro-regime media outlets started saying that the next prime minister will be a military figure and that Sisi is considering dismissing Prime Minister Sherif Ismail from his position because of his illness that requires him to travel abroad for treatment.

Asked whether Hegazy could serve as a pro forma competitor to Sisi in the 2018 elections, freelance opposition political and media journalist Ahmed Sami told Al-Monitor, Over the past few months, many high-level military and media leaders have been replaced [by people close to the regime] in a way that affects the 2018 presidential elections. The evidence is that some state institutions pressured Ahmed Abu Hashima, who is close to the armed forces, to sell his share in the Egyptian Media Co., which owns the Youm7 website and the ONTV channel, to former Minister of Investment Dalia Khurshid, who is close to Sisi.

He continued, I think that Sisi is trying to replace pro-military media leaders such as Abu Hashima with his close associates and loyalists such as Khurshid. He fears that the armed forces would support the alternative candidate and thus lead media organizations to support this candidate. There are several potential military candidates in the elections, namely Shafiq, former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Sami Annan and probably Mahmoud Hegazy.

Sami said Sisi's opponents might root for Hegazy, as many social networking activists shared a Facebook post by his son, Moataz Mahmoud Hegazy, criticizing his fathers dismissal for not going with the flow. In one of his Facebook posts, Hegazys son ridiculed the Ashan Tebniha campaign (Arabic for "To Build It"), which calls for Sisis candidacy for a second term.

Muhammad Salah, the bureau chief in Cairo for Al-Hayat daily and an expert focusing on political affairs, told Al-Monitor that speculation over Hegazy's candidacy was initiated by Muslim Brotherhood websites and some inexperienced social networking site users were influenced by them.

He contends that Hegazy's dismissal as chief of staff came for military action purposes and the armed forces desire to rely on his replacement, Lt. Gen. Mohamed Farid Hegazy (no relation), as chief of staff, given his vast experience in leading operations in the Sinai Peninsula from 2010 to 2012 and his ability to combat terrorism in that region.

Salahs opinion is supported by retired Maj. Gen. Jamal Mazloum, who told Al-Monitor, I believe Sisi wanted to take advantage of the military experience of Mohamed Farid Hegazy in the fight against terrorism, while benefiting from the wisdom and military and political experience of Mahmoud Hegazy [in his new position as presidential adviser] when it comes to crisis containment and border control with Libya, especially considering that Mahmoud Hegazy was in charge of that dossier several months ago. This dossier is expected to gain more momentum.
January 5, 2018

After seven years of war in Syria, countries like Australia and Russia declared in December the end of the military air operations in the country and of the war on the Islamic State (IS), announcing the return of their warplanes to local bases.

A new journey now begins to reconstruct Syria, amid conflicting estimates of the total reconstruction cost that ranges from $250 billion to $500 billion and even $900 billion. United Nations envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura said during a press conference in November that reconstructing Syria will cost $250 billion at least. Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit disagreed and said that the reconstruction would cost $900 billion.

Egypts Ministry of Trade and Industry launched wide-scale calls and steps with Egyptian companies to participate in the reconstruction of Syria, especially after the expulsion of IS, according to a statement of the Export Council for Building Materials at the end of November. Egypt seeks to participate in the reconstruction plans in Syria, unlike in Iraq in the 1990s when it was excluded from the process.

The council said in an official statement Nov. 24, The ministry held meetings in the last few days regarding agreements and foreign trade to strengthen the Egyptian role in the reconstruction of Syria, especially as there is already great demand for iron, steel, copper and aluminum products as well as ceramics, insulation material and sanitary ware from the Syrian market.

Syria had officially asked for the help of international organizations to rebuild schools in November. The Rebuild Syria 2017 exhibition was launched in September in Damascus, under the patronage of the Syrian Ministry of Public Works and Housing, with the participation of 162 companies and 24 countries. Egypt also took part in the Damascus International Fair in August, and according to the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, 30 Egyptian companies were present to highlight the role of the Egyptian private sector in rebuilding Syria.

Tarek al-Nabrawi, the head of the Egyptian Engineers Syndicate, told Al-Monitor over the phone, The Engineers Syndicate is playing an important role in reconstructing Syria. A syndical delegation visited Syria in early 2017 and met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to discuss engineering coordination with the syndicate in Syria and the development of work to cater to the demands of the upcoming stage and to discuss the role of the syndicate in helping the Syrian people post-war.

He noted that Egypt will be firmly present in Syria to make way for the Egyptian engineers, engineering companies and contracting companies to rebuild the country. He told Al-Monitor, The calls between the Egyptian Engineers Syndicate and the concerned Syrian parties aim at opening the job market for Egyptian consultancy offices and professional companies in Syria.

Nabrawi expects 2018 to witness a boom and influential role for Egyptian construction companies in Syria and to open the door for other companies  in the electricity, building material, steel, aluminum, ceramics and sanitary material fields among others  to work in the Syrian market and participate in rebuilding cities and facilities that the war has destroyed.

According to studies and estimates from the Engineers Syndicate, rebuilding Syria will cost $500 billion. Nabrawi said that the syndicate expects Egyptian companies to get a share ranging from 20% to 25%, or between $100 billion and $125 billion. Thousands of job opportunities could open up for Egyptians in the Syrian market.

Regarding the security measures needed to ensure the work of Egyptian companies in Syria, Nabrawi said, The work of these companies is limited to consultations, technical advice and engineering as well as complete coordination with concerned Egyptian authorities like the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Egyptian Businessmen's Association, as well as Syrian authorities.

The Construction and Building Committee of the Egyptian Businessmens Association, a nongovernmental organization supporting economic development and raising the competence of human resources, launched Nov. 30 the Syria Reconstruction Initiative, in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, through Egyptian contracting companies. Groups were formed to determine the work requirements and means of guaranteeing the entitlements of the Egyptian companies that will participate in the reconstruction efforts.

A delegation from the Construction and Building Committee was preparing to visit Syria at the end of December to discuss reconstruction operations in Syrian territories and hold mutual meetings with its Syrian counterpart to set the parameters of cooperation and coordination in the reconstruction process. But, according to Said al-Atroush, the media consultant of the Egyptian Businessmen's Association, the visit was delayed to allow more time for more research and make arrangements before the Egyptian companies travel to Syria.

Egyptian security expert Brig. Gen. Khaled Okasha told Al-Monitor that the Syrian authorities should oversee the work of the companies and protect them. Only places under the control of the regime and the Syrian army will be selected to guarantee the safety of the workers, their lives, the equipment and the work process. Okasha said, Multinational companies are participating in the reconstruction, including European companies, which means that [some of] the Syrian territories are now completely safe.

He added, The assessment of companies and commercial offers [by the Syrian authorities] is subject to several criteria, including the readiness of their technical staff to work. Besides, the offers undergo commercial assessment and the previous work of these companies is evaluated, as well as their logistic and equipment-related dimensions. The Syrian-Egyptian relations can play a general role, which does not go beyond facilitating the work of these companies or receiving an invitation from the start to participate in the reconstruction of Syria.

Nabrawi noted that Egypt enjoys good relations with Syria and supported the Syrian army in the conflict. Sisi had said in November 2016, My country supports the Syrian army in facing extremists, protecting the Syrian lands unity and rebuilding what the war destroyed.

Egypt also contributed to setting the stage for many agreements between the warring parties in Syria, such as the truce in eastern Ghouta in July and brokering the cease-fire in the Homs countryside in October 2017. He said that the Egyptian role in Syria is honorable and decent.
January 4, 2018

Shirin is unsure about what to make of the recent protests that have rocked Iran, including the 35-year-old's hometown of Sanandaj in the heart of Iranian Kurdistan. The region is afflicted with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. The atmosphere in Sanandaj is intimidating, with so many armed security forces standing by the side of the streets, she told Al-Monitor on the popular messaging app Telegram, which had 25 million daily active users inside Iran before the authorities reportedly moved to start filtering it. Peoples patience is wearing thin; they have lost the ability to meet their basic needs.

Simmering discontent with mismanagement of the economy, high unemployment and the governments declared intention to soon remove some of the critical subsidies that the poor have come to rely on for survival  all while spending huge sums of money on adventures in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen  are voiced by some protesters in confrontations that have left at least 22 people dead.

While Kurds in the main urban centers in western Iran have taken to the streets to voice their anger, many of their ethnic brethren in small towns and cities have refrained from joining the protests. They say the regime uses Kurdish separatism as an excuse to militarize the Kurdish areas and use brute force to crack down on protests. This fear appears to have some merit in the light of a reported Jan. 3 confrontation between Kurdish militants and Intelligence Ministry agents.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) has claimed that its forces inside Iran, known as urban peshmerga, clashed with security forces in the village of Ziwa, near the town of Piranshahr on the border with Iraqi Kurdistan. The KDPI claims that six members of the Iranian security forces were killed in the incident. The following day, on Jan. 4, the Tasnim news agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), quoted a security official who linked the clash to the recent wave of protests. The official said the confrontation in Ziwa was carried out by armed counter-revolutionaries whose aim was to carry out explosions, killing and to prolong the recent riots in the country.

Irans economic woes have, however, cut across religious and ethnic lines and united the poor in their opposition against the establishment  including the government of President Hassan Rouhani, which hoped to improve living standards by removing the crippling sanctions via the nuclear deal. But dispute has lingered between Washington and Tehran with the coming to power of President Donald Trump, who campaigned with a pledge to abolish the landmark accord.

Many people hoped that Barjam would improve the quality of their life, but it did not, Shirin said, referring to the nuclear deal by its Persian acronym. Quality of life has gone down for many Iranians since the UN Security Council first imposed sanctions over Iran's nuclear program back in 2006.

While the official unemployment rate stands at 12%, the real figure is believed to be much higher  particularly in the countrys Kurdish areas. Kermanshah, which has seen constant protests in recent days, has the highest official unemployment rate in the country at 22%. This level of joblessness coupled with endemic corruption are two of the main reasons why people have taken to the streets in Iranian Kurdistan.

A 31-year-old female teacher from Sanandaj who knows several protesters who have been arrested in the city cited "unemployment, poverty, injustice, lies, theft and discrimination" when asked by Al-Monitor about the root causes of the current protests.

Amer Kaabi, a member of the Iranian parliaments economic commission, said the government lacks a genuine will to fight corruption. In a recent interview with Tasnim news agency, he said, There are numerous laws enacted in the parliament to fight corruption and poverty, but there are no guarantees for their implementation, and [successive] governments have not taken serious steps. He added, Corruption destroys the economic pillars of the country.

Economist Hossein Raghfar said the lack of genuine will to control unchecked corruption is a result of the entry of some sectors of the security forces and the clerical establishment into the economic sphere. In an interview with the Fararu news website Jan. 1, he said, With the entrance of these institutions and individuals, there was no chance to uphold transparency, and the corruption that we see in the country is the result of a lack of transparency.

However, officials in Tehran have focused on foreign enemies rather than corruption as a cause of the unrest. "In recent events, the enemies of Iran united by using different tools in their disposition, including money, weapons, politics and intelligence, in order to create problems for the Islamic system," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a congregation Jan. 2, promising more detailed remarks when the time is right.

Several Iranians Al-Monitor spoke with ridiculed the idea that foreign governments were behind the protests. "Severe economic pressure is the reason why people are on the street protesting, one resident of Sanandaj said. The honest truth is that people in Iran cannot afford to eat three meals a day.

Even though she has intentionally avoided the protests for fear of a vicious crackdown by the authorities, Shirin sympathizes with the demonstrators. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in Persian literature and has finished a separate course in accounting. Yet she only earns 250,000 tomans ($69) a month working for a food wholesaler in the city. She lost custody of her only son two years ago when she separated from her husband because she was not deemed to be earning enough to care for him by the judge. She now lives with her parents. Still, Shirin considers herself one of the lucky ones, being able to rely on family support. She told Al-Monitor, "One of my friends who has a degree in graphic design is earning even less than I am. She earns 150,000 tomans ($42) per month.

Shirin added, Many single women who cannot even find a low-paying job are resorting to other means  prostitution. In a country with so many natural resources, why should the majority of people be poor?"

For now, Iranian Kurds, who are often at the forefront of protesting against government oppression, are weighing their options, even as Kurdish opposition groups support the protests. A possible crackdown by the IRGC is a double-edged sword that could either put an end to the protests or embolden Iranians  including in the countrys Kurdish areas  to widen the rallies against the regime.

These problems [protests] are neither caused by imperialism nor by celestial forces," Raghfar said in his interview with Fararu. The economist added, "These are the results of three decades of postwar management that has created a deep crisis in the country."
January 5, 2018

Roughly a week after protests began in several Iranian cities, the main challenge facing the establishment in Tehran is how to deal with them. On Dec. 28, few thought that the gathering of a few hundred people in Mashhad, Irans second-largest and holiest city, was going to result in a domino effect, with protests popping up in several cities around the country. Over the past months, sit-ins and demonstrations were organized by families who lost money in bankrupt financial institutions across the country. These sit-ins, however, did not give any indication to the organizers that such protests might turn into a bigger situation, where anti-corruption and anti-government chants would end up turning into anti-Islamic Republic slogans.

For President Hassan Rouhani, the protests should be dealt with as an opportunity, not a threat. Rouhani was originally the target of the first demonstrations, which were organized under the auspices of some of the Principlist camps figures, such as defeated presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi and his father-in-law, Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda, the imam of Mashhad. While the Principlists were accused of organizing the first gathering that sparked the demonstrations, a political source close to the Principlist camp denied this allegation in an interview with Al-Monitor. The source insisted that Rouhanis economic and social policies are to be blamed for all thats happening. In his Jan. 5 sermon, Alamolhoda criticized conservatives who are riding the protests to settle political scores.

Regardless of whether the Principlists are responsible for the protests, theres a problem in the country and both sides lack a common vision for how to reach a solution. Rouhani and his Reform camp allies believe that its important to sort the demonstrators into categories, hence, refraining from accusing all of them of being part of a foreign conspiracy against the country. However, so far no steps have been taken to address the peoples grievances.

People who follow daily politics in Iran believe that the government is not dealing with the widespread rage. On the Principlist side, there are daily calls for acknowledging the reality of the protesters economic grievances. Yet besides these calls, they are dealing with the events as part of a wider foreign conspiracy thats aimed at shaking the stability of the country.

Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, announced at a Jan. 3 press conference the end of what he described as the sedition of 1396, referring to the current Iranian year ending March 20. Jafari hinted that a former official may have been involved in initially starting the protests that quickly spiraled out of control. He said, This call [to protest] started with a website that is linked to an individual who has opened his mouth in opposition to the values and principles of the system.

Jafari continued, Security officials are investigating this matter, and if they see interference by this former official, certainly he will be confronted by law enforcement. While Jafari never named the official, its believed he was referring to former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Ahmadinejads relationship with the political establishment in Iran is at its worst; it comes after his refused candidacy in the May 2017 presidential election and the latest charges by the judiciary against him and his former deputy Hamid Baghaei, who was sentenced to 63 years in jail. The former president challenged the supreme leaders advice not to run for office, and later he started an open confrontation with the judiciary, mainly its chief, Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani. Ahmadinejad also organized a sit-in at the shrine of Shah Abdul Azim near Tehran in protest of measures against his close aides. His steps are seen as an escalation, and his choice of means, a sit-in at a religious site, is a historical practice that was used by several Iranian movements and politicians before the Islamic revolution.

But Ahmadinejads case remains a problem from within the system. The protesters are proving day after day that besides raising socio-economic slogans, they are challenging the whole system. This is attracting all of the anti-establishment forces  from royalists to the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq and secularists. These anti-establishment forces are backing the protesters with the help of regional and international political figures and media from countries that regard the Islamic Republic as an adversary, such as Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Irans revolutionary institutions decided that the best response to this wave would be to get people marching in the streets showing support for the Islamic Republic and denouncing foreign intervention. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke at a gathering Jan. 2 stressing that in recent events enemies of Iran have allied and used the various means they possess, including money, weapons, politics and intelligence services, to trouble the Islamic Republic. The enemy is always looking for an opportunity and any crevice to infiltrate and strike the Iranian nation. The supreme leader also promised hes going to say something about these events when the time is right. It remains to be seen when that will be.
January 4, 2018

The unrest in Iran has exacerbated a split among Republicans who were widely critical of the Barack Obama administrations tepid response to similar protests in 2009.

Some congressional hawks are urging President Donald Trump to show solidarity with anti-government demonstrators by reinstating sanctions that were lifted as part of the 2015 nuclear agreement and pull out of the deal. But others are advocating a more cautious approach.

President Obama did far too little to encourage the 2009 protests and indeed his administration tragically was far more focused on cutting a deal with [Tehran] on sending billions of dollars to that despotic regime than on standing up for the people of Iran who desire to be free, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Al-Monitor. The president should not sign the next waiver but instead should reimpose sanctions and we should be doing everything humanly possible to put pressure on the regime and to topple the ayatollah [Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei], who poses the single greatest long-term national security threat to the United States.

Other members echoed the sentiment.

Americas timid response to the '09 Iranian Green Movement was a mistake, tweeted Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. Iran is censoring and killing protesters once again. The awful Obama nuclear deal has only emboldened this oppressive regime.

But Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Al-Monitor that a blunt US response could do more harm than good.

We still obviously want the protests to be about the Iranian government, Corker said. I think us getting in the middle of that relative to this deal is probably not a good thing.

The debate comes as Trump faces key deadlines next week that could seal the fate of the nuclear deal.

On Jan. 11, Trump must once again decide whether to certify that the deal meets congressional requirements. More crucially, the president then faces a series of deadlines regarding the renewal of waivers on Iran sanctions that were lifted as part of the deal, starting Jan. 12.

Trumps refusal to certify the deal in October gave congressional Republicans a now-expired 60-day window to reinstate nuclear sanctions with a simple 50-vote majority instead of the usual 60. The White House, however, did not ask the Republican leadership to do so and instead opted to work with Corker to draft new legislation that would automatically renew sanctions on Iran should Tehran come within one year of obtaining a nuclear weapon.

When Trump first refused to certify the deal, he said, In the event we are not able to reach a solution working with Congress and our allies, then the agreement will be terminated. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders reaffirmed Tuesday that the president hasnt made a final decision on renewing the sanctions waivers for Iran.

While Corker initially said he would release his bill in October, he has yet to do so. But he told Al-Monitor he was hopeful Trump would not renew sanctions next week because theres a little momentum [on the draft legislation] right now.

He said, It doesnt feel to me like were in a place where the president might do that but who knows.

Corker said he has made progress in negotiations with Senate Democrats and the White House, including national security adviser H.R. McMaster. According to Corker, his office is currently circulating draft legislation between the White House and the office of Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"We had good conversations with our European allies and I think Senator Cardin and we both may be meeting with the [White House] national security folks tomorrow again, Corker told Al-Monitor on Wednesday. Its moving along and the language is being developed and the White House has done a good job communicating with our European allies.

What the president said at the time was he either wanted to solve or wanted to see progress and we have that language thats floating back and forth between the Security Council and our office and Cardins office, added Corker. He has to know that progress is being made.

But between Democrats who refuse to sign on to any legislation that could be construed as violating the deal and Republican hard-liners who want Trump to outright scrap it, the bill could face significant hurdles clearing the Senate. Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for example, has made clear his preference for taking a hard line.

As the next deadline for waiving sanctions approaches  I urge the president to consider whether it is truly in Americas national security interest to keep our most powerful non-military tools off the table and to continue suspending the Iran sanctions measures that have a proven track-record of changing the Iranian regimes behavior, Rubio wrote in a December statement before the protests began.

Rubio signed on to a nonbinding Senate resolution introduced today by Corker and Cardin that calls on Iran to respect the rights of the demonstrators while making no mention of the nuclear agreement. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., has introduced a similar resolution in the House.

The Trump administration, for its part, has vowed not to repeat what it views as Obamas mistake in handling the 2009 protests. The White House has promised to support the demonstrators, but offered few details while declining to respond to Al-Monitors request for specifics.

You will see great support from the United Sates at the appropriate time, Trump tweeted Wednesday, addressing the protesters. Vice President Mike Pence followed up with a Washington Post op-ed today noting that Trump has also committed to provide assistance in the days ahead.

While Pence provided no details on what that assistance would entail, he highlighted Trumps previous refusal to certify the nuclear deal to Congress and the administrations additional sanctions on Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Furthermore, the Treasury Department also placed sanctions on five Iranian entities involved in Tehrans ballistic missile program today.

However, Democratic critics of the administration argue that Trump has ceded much of his credibility with the Iranian public because of his controversial travel ban, which prevents most Iranians from coming to the United States. While Cardin encouraged the administration to explore options for sending signals of support to the Iranian people, in a statement on Tuesday, he noted that a good start would be immediately removing Iran from the travel ban.
January 4, 2018

In his first comments since protests erupted in Iran a week ago, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, Irans prosecutor general, discussed the role of social media in the unrest in the country and called for a national internet.

Montazeri, who was speaking in Qom, the religious center of Iran, addressed the inability of the countrys officials and seminaries to control the social media narrative. If the seminaries do not get involved in this discussion, others will take this ground for themselves, he said. He added that Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that social media targets Islamic values and norms and has called for a national internet.

The idea of creating a national internet began under the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad administration with the support of the countrys leaders and security establishment. Storing all of the countrys data on domestic servers would give authorities more control and access to online content. However, the project has so far been little more than a money pit.

In response to the 2009 elections, Iran blocked access to social media websites such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, though many Iranians are still able to circumvent the blocks on those sites. With the latest round of protests, Iran has blocked Telegram, by far the countrys most popular social media site with some estimates at 40 million users, which would constitute half of the total population.

Montazeri denied, however, that the internet on the whole would be blocked off. Today a society cannot live without technology and social media, but the best path is to manage it, he said. None of the officials are able to close off social media sites, and if someone in their propaganda says this, it is rhetoric.

Montazeri added, It is treason to put social media at the discretion of the enemy. He noted that the judiciary has taken steps to manage social media websites but that the Hassan Rouhani administration has not been cooperative.

Rouhanis minister for information and communications technology, Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi, discussed the problems with blocking a site like Telegram. What is clear is that the positive capacity [of Telegram] for development and employment that was created was taken advantage of by some, and its impacts can be witnessed in the last few days, Azari-Jahromi said.

He continued, There are many Telegram channels that have promoted terrorist activities. He said there were channels instructing people to burn the homes of government officials, mosques and police stations.

Azari-Jahromi said that many of the protests have died down and the next steps to discuss would be the reopening of social media sites. However, he said that the decision would be taken up at the Supreme National Security Council. He also said that they spoke to the executives at Telegram and said its return is conditioned on the elimination of terrorist content. He added that he hoped Telegram would abide by its own regulations and respect the countrys desires to block such content.

While signs point toward the protests dying down, especially after the comments by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad Ali Jafari, some officials have been critical of announcing the end of protests. Hesam al-din Ashna, an adviser to Rouhani, tweeted, CNN has given a lot of coverage to the commander of the IRGCs comments about the end of the protests. This is not beneficial to Irans world image. Confronting violence in a protest is the work of the police and information about it the work of the Interior Ministry, not the IRGC.
January 5, 2018

Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman convened a press conference on July 15, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, attacking what he perceived as the weakness of the government of which he was a member. We should conquer Gaza, he said in a confident tone. We cant contemplate and hesitate all the time. This hesitation works against us. We have to go all the way. There is no other alternative here.

Liberman already called to conquer the Gaza Strip and topple the Hamas government back in June 2013, in response to rocket fire from Gaza. There will not be a choice; what is needed is to seriously consider conquering Gaza and carry out a thorough cleansing, he said in a radio interview. Today there are hundreds of factories there working to develop and manufacture weapons, not to improve the quality of life or develop a civilian industry but to develop weapons.

In the election campaign for the 20th Knesset, Liberman started a campaign to be appointed defense minister. In a tour of the area surrounding the Gaza Strip, looking out at Gaza from afar, he said [in March 2015], When Im defense minister, Hamas end will come.

And one cant forget his statement two days before he was appointed defense minister in May 2016, when he threatened then-Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in the course of an event in the southern city of Beersheba. Im telling you, and you can catch me at my word, Liberman turned to the interviewer, everything is recorded here. When Im defense minister, I give Mr. Haniyeh 48 hours. Either you return the bodies and civilians or you die. As far as Im concerned, just reserve a spot at the closest cemetery.

Two days later, Liberman was appointed defense minister in Netanyahus government and abandoned his threat. When he was confronted with his words in March 2017, Liberman responded, Talk to me at the end of my term.

These days Liberman is dealing with a security challenge that is not so simple, like defense ministers who served before him. They, like he, tried to find an efficient solution to the threat of rockets from Gaza. Since US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Dec. 6, dozens of rockets and mortar shells have been fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip.

On Dec. 29, three rockets were fired toward Kibbutz Kfar Aza during a ceremony marking the 24th birthday of Oron Shaul, the soldier whose body has been held by Hamas since Operation Protective Edge. The rocket fire disrupted the ceremony and its participants had to take shelter when a code red alarm went off. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) estimates that the rockets were launched by Islamic Jihad militants, who knew about the ceremony and in firing on it wished to respond to the killing of their men in a tunnel bombed by the IDF in October 2017. Miraculously, no one was hurt in this incident: The Iron Dome anti-missile defense system intercepted two rockets and a third hit a building in the area.

The IDFs response to the rocket fire was feeble. The IDF spokesman announced that a short time after the rocket fire, tanks and air force planes struck at two Hamas positions in the north of Gaza. This time the voice of Defense Minister Liberman was hardly heard, and he did not repeat his calls from the past to conquer Gaza and eliminate the leaders of Hamas.

Liberman reached the height of cynicism when he mocked Zionist Camp leader Avi Gabbay, who attacked the defense ministers restrained approach and demanded to return quiet to the south. In a radio interview, Gabbay said, The defense minister has become a military analyst; he says that this involves conflict among the Palestinian factions and so claims that we havent lost our deterrence capabilities. In my opinion, we have lost our deterrence.

Liberman subsequently accused the opposition of trying to drag the IDF into a military campaign. At least for now, I dont think a general operation in Gaza against Hamas fits the Israeli security interest, said Liberman. Hamas has no interest in a general war. Those who try to drag us into that are all sorts of Salafist groups, and I saw that some of our opposition leaders are interested in the same thing.

Liberman, who until his appointment as defense minister treated Hamas as a terror organization that must be toppled and whose leaders must be eliminated, now understands, by virtue of his role, the extent to which things are complicated. He even understands Hamas difficulties in trying to stop the rocket fire from Salafist or Islamic Jihad groups.

On Jan. 4, he sent messages to Hamas by means of an interview for the website of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Al-Munsak. From what he said, we can see that Liberman Model 2018 even recognizes the sovereignty of Hamas over the Gaza Strip. We suggest that the leaders of the government in Gaza get it together and clean house. As far as we are concerned, there is one address, and those who claim to govern Gaza will also bear responsibility, Liberman said.

He added that Israel knows exactly who fired the rockets during the ceremony in Kfar Aza. Its Islamic Jihad, Liberman determined. He didnt threaten to eliminate the rocket launchers but only asked Hamas to take responsibility and clean house.

The politician who was prepared to lead Israel into a bloody adventure conquering the Gaza Strip, without considering the hundreds or thousands of victims the operation would have exacted, now suggests that Hamas leaders get it together. Its interesting to consider what Haniyeh thinks about the messages from the man who now sits in the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.
January 5, 2018

Israels opposition spent recent days struggling against the supermarket law (which would have enabled the interior minister to shutter businesses on the Sabbath) and against governmental corruption. After these passionate struggles, it was disappointing to see a main center-left party toe the line of the populist right-wing agenda on a core diplomatic-security issue. More specifically, it was disappointing to see the way Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid embraced an ultimatum conveyed by US President Donald Trump to the Palestinians.

On Jan. 2, Trump tweeted a threat to cut monetary assistance to the Palestinians because of their refusal to renew diplomatic negotiations with Israel: We pay the Palestinians hundreds of millions of dollars a year and get no appreciation or respect. They dont even want to negotiate a long overdue peace treaty with Israel.  But with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?

The presidential tweet, which appears to have been planned, rather than rash or instinctive, appeared on Twitter several hours after US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley threatened that if the Palestinians dont return to the negotiating table, the United States might well halt its aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The Palestinians, who have not yet recovered from Trump recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital in December, hit back. We will not be blackmailed, said Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the PLO's Executive Committee, in a Jan. 3 statement. Palestinian rights are not for sale.

The Israeli political system responded variously to Trump's threat, from support to silence to criticism. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu  who recognizes the explosive potential of the Gaza Strip as a territory in the throes of a humanitarian disaster even before a cutback in aid  took care not to publicly rejoice over Trumps statement. While the prime minister of course welcomes Trumps continuing showering of gifts, Netanyahu was ambivalent in this instance.

One expression of this ambivalence was reported on by News 2 in a Jan. 4 exclusive report. According to that story, the Foreign Ministry, which Netanyahu heads, opposes Trumps threatened move because it would likely lead to humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The report also revealed that Netanyahu is maintaining behind-the-scenes contacts with the Americans to find the best way to walk between the raindrops, namely between lending principle support to Trump (in whatever he decides on the region) and the fear of a catastrophe in Gaza. In this respect, the Israeli defense establishment shares the same view as the Foreign Ministrys experts.

Among opposition party leaders, Avi Gabbay of the Zionist Camp and those of the Arab parties (Joint List) chose, each for their own reasons, not to react to Trumps statements. Lapid, however, took advantage of the situation to siphon a few more votes from the right.

The US president is right, Lapid tweeted. Aside from the fact that UNRWA acts as a shield for terror, it is also responsible for the fact that the 750 thousand [Palestinian] refugees in Israel from 1948 (most of whom have died already) have morphed into todays fake 5.5 million refugees who were never expelled from anywhere. UNRWA has long since lost the mandate for which it was created.

Meretz Chair Zehava Gal-On rose to redeem the honor of the opposition, stating the obvious on Twitter: I understand that its considered popular now to clap our hands every time Trump declares that hell mess up the Palestinians even more. But any deepening of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the [specter of the] collapse of the Palestinian Authority and security cooperation [with Israel], constitutes playing with fire. We havent even finished yet with the deterioration that took place since the last time people here applauded Trump.

Unfortunately, Gal-On has remained more or less a lone voice. It is perhaps absurd that, in this instance, Gal-On is closer to the position of Netanyahu's Foreign Ministry than Lapid is, even though a considerable proportion of Lapids electorate comes from the left.

In essence, Lapids response is even farther right than the Likud's. This is true even though the hot-potato issue under discussion could set Gaza on fire, according to the Foreign Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces. Lapid, who aspires to the premiership, chose in this case to present a passionate but simplistic stance to show the right that he doesnt really care about the Palestinians. He was not able to view the picture from all angles, including the dangers involved in adopting such a course of action.

This is not the first time that center-left leaders have joined ranks with Netanyahu on diplomatic-security issues. The same thing happened in October when Trump delivered an aggressive speech on Iran in which he threatened to cancel the nuclear deal signed during the tenure of his predecessor, Barack Obama. At the time, satisfaction in Israel crossed party lines, with Gabbay and Lapid both partaking in the anti-nuclear deal rhetoric led by Netanyahu. This was despite current and former senior members of the Israeli security apparatus expressing opposition to nullifying the agreement. Among them was former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who argued that such a step would only lead to Iran producing the bomb even sooner. Another example relates to the settlement issue. In October, Gabbay shocked the Labor Partys political base when he declared that the settlements would not necessarily have to be evacuated within the context of a peace agreement.

The Trump administration's threats against UNRWA offered Israeli opposition leaders an opportunity to differentiate themselves politically from the Netanyahu government and to present an alternative to the public. With all due respect to the struggles against the supermarket law, corruption and religious coercion  and indeed, such opposition activism deserves respect  anyone who views himself as an ideological alternative to Netanyahu should conduct himself as such on all issues. The center-left public deserves a strong leadership to represent it courageously and authentically.
January 4, 2018

Two major themes are emerging in the aftermath of the Dec. 6 statement by US President Donald Trump recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital. Trumps statement has opened the floodgates of Israeli expansionism, and Israel is now clearly marching toward becoming a full-fledged apartheid state.

Palestinian officials and a number of Israeli pundits and peace movements have argued that radical elements in the Israeli government have picked up the signals coming from Washington that they can do what they want without having to worry about US or international restrictions.

The ruling Likud Party's Central Committee unanimously endorsed Dec. 31 a resolution calling for the annexation of West Bank settlements, sending a tough message to the Palestinians in the wake of Trump's recognition of Israel's capital.

Nasser Laham, the editor-in-chief of the independent Maan news agency, said in a column published Jan. 1 that the Likud decision has set the stage for theft of Palestinian lands. Settler companies and Jewish terrorists have been given a wide-open opportunity to steal whatever is left of Palestinian lands, waters, mountains and valleys, he wrote.

According to Laham, what is happening presently is reminiscent of what happened in the 1933-36 period during the British Mandate of Palestine. At that time, Britain (todays United States) was fighting the Palestinian people on the one hand, while arming the Jews and helping them control land, airports and seaports on the other.

Israeli columnist Gershom Gorenberg said in his Jan. 3 article on The American Prospect site that the Likud resolution will greatly speed up settlement annexation efforts under the larger call for annexation of all the West Bank. The narrower reading actually shows the true intent: annex the settlements; leave Palestinian communities subject to Israeli rule without making the Palestinians citizens.

Gorenberg continued that the Likud is making the Israeli goal very clear: It's a call to transform de facto occupation into de jure apartheid.

The overwhelming decision by members of the Likud Central Committee ordering its members to work toward annexing the occupied territories has provided Palestinian leaders with a new charge to be added to the case that is expected to be presented in the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The crime of apartheid has been defined in the 2002 Rome Statute of the ICC as inhumane acts of a character similar [to other crimes against humanity] committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime.

Paul Eden, a law professor at the University of Sussex, writing in the Law Explorer in October 2015, argued in a long legal paper the applicability of the apartheid crime in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

If Israeli practices were considered apartheid in 2015, they will undoubtedly be so if the Likud efforts succeed in annexing all or parts of the occupied territories. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas picked up on this international legal issue.

In response to the decision of the ruling Israeli party to annex the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank to Israel, Abbas said that this would be one of the issues to be decided upon in the upcoming Palestinian Central Council meeting due to take place in Ramallah Jan. 14. We shall make important decisions during 2018, including regarding legal venues, in order to hold Israel accountable for its grave and systematic violations of international law, and to revisit agreements signed with Israel, Abbas said in a press statement Jan. 1.

He said the Likud's decision, among others, could not be taken without the full support of the US administration, which has refused to condemn Israeli colonial settlements as well as the systematic attacks and crimes of the Israeli occupation against the people of Palestine.

Abbas continued, We hope that this vote serves as a reminder for the international community that the Israeli government, with the full support of the US administration, is not interested in a just and lasting peace. Rather its main goal is the consolidation of an apartheid regime in all of historic Palestine."

The Palestinian presidents statement concluded that the Palestinians will not accept to live as slaves, in reference to the potential of the full apartheid situation that would result if the Likud calls are implemented.

The Israeli government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have denied any plans to annex the occupied territories. Netanyahu was not present when the annexation call was voted on.

But Netanyahus senior party members enthusiastically supported the vote. We are telling the world that it doesnt matter what the nations of the world say, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan told the 1,000-strong Likud Central Committee. The time has come to express our biblical right to the land, Erdan said.

Yousef Jabareen, a Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset, has described the Likud Partys decision to annex Area C of the occupied West Bank as representing Israeli apartheid. Jabareen, a member of the Law and Justice Committee in the Knesset, reacted Dec. 31 to the Likud decision by recalling that Palestinians accepted the two-state solution as part of the Arab Peace Initiative, and instead get annexation decisions. Such an annexation establishes an apartheid system, which gives the Palestinians some degree of autonomy in the major Palestinian cities. This is similar to the South African Bantustans [under apartheid white rule].

In the United States, Americans for Peace Now  a support group to Israels Peace Now movement  also responded angrily to the Likud decision arguing that with such a move, Israel opens itself up to charges of apartheid. In practice, Israel has extended many of its laws to settlers in the West Bank, but has done so through military orders, thus maintaining the facade of a separate legal regime there. Once that facade is removed, American Jews will find themselves with little grounds for defending Israel against charges of apartheid, Americans for Peace Now said in a statement Jan. 3.
January 4, 2018

Israel shares a convoluted and ambivalent relationship with UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East], a civil administration source told Al-Monitor, speaking on the condition of anonymity. On one hand, Israel views UNRWA as an entity that serves to camouflage Hamas terror acts, since Hamas exploits UNRWA facilities for its own purposes. On the other hand, people in Israel understand that without the agency, the entire Strip would become a humanitarian disaster site.

The UNRWA dilemma has haunted Israel since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. The main question is how does one deal with an organization that averts a total collapse of the Gaza Strip, thus allowing Hamas to direct its resources toward terrorism instead of toward humanitarian aid for residents?

The dilemma grew more pointed after Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the United Nations, issued a warning, asserting that the Donald Trump administration will halt monetary aid to UNRWA. This warning came after President Mahmoud Abbas refused to conduct negotiations with Israel under US mediation after Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Israel is fed up with the relief agency, mainly because of what is viewed as UNRWAs tacit acceptance of the way Hamas exploits UNRWA institutions. Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, head of Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, has often criticized UNRWA workers. He claims that they steal raw materials and other essential resources that Israel allows to be brought into Gaza for humanitarian purposes. Also, Mordechai says, UNRWA staff turn their heads while Hamas digs tunnels under schools operated by the agency. In June 2017, Mordechai disclosed that Hamas had dug a tunnel under a school in northern Gaza. He also accused Hamas of using pupils as human shields and upbraided UNRWA leaders and staff for not preventing the digging of tunnels despite the danger it poses to the schoolchildren.

Four months later, in October 2017, the heads of UNRWA reported that they had discovered a tunnel that had been dug under one of the agency's schools. They said they had adopted steps to make the school grounds safe and had halted studies for 10 days.

In the first visit by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Israel in August 2017, Mordechai revealed information about UNRWA-Hamas relations. Mordechai protested that the aid organization allows Hamas to exploit all UNRWA humanitarian assistance channels in order to harm the security of the State of Israel. Despite lodging sharp protests, Israel did not threaten to halt the organizations activities in Gaza. It also did not consider making it more difficult for UNRWA to bring in equipment, raw materials and energy products.

UNRWA distributes basic foodstuffs, including flour, rice, sugar and oil, to residents of the Palestinian refugee camps. There is no exact information regarding how many [Gaza] residents live off UNRWAs foodstuffs, the civil administration source told Al-Monitor. But according to data published by UNRWA, we can definitely say that at least half of the Gaza Strip residents rely on the foodstuffs distributed by the organization  some partially, others fully.

UNRWA was established in December 1949. Unlike the objective of the UNHCR, which is to rehabilitate and integrate refugees in the countries in which they live, UNRWA perpetuates the condition of the refugees in Gaza. That UNRWA in Gaza takes care of hundreds of thousands of refugees, whose numbers increase from year to year, allows Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas to absolve themselves of responsibility toward this population.

From the Six-Day War in 1967 until the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) withdrew from Gaza in August 2005, UNRWA filled the gap, providing basic services and decent living conditions. The Israeli civil administration in Gaza did not have to worry about feeding the numerous needy mouths in Gaza. UNRWA did the work. This arrangement was also convenient for the PA after its establishment in 1994, as well as for Hamas after the movement took control of Gaza by force.

Subsequent to the Hamas coup, the closure of Gaza and the territory's economic collapse, the dependence of Gaza residents on UNRWA became absolute. Thus, under such circumstances, it is clear that should US aid to UNRWA come to a halt, the result would be system-wide failure in Gaza and a security problem for Israel.

On Jan. 2, Haley explained to journalists that Trump does not want to continue to underwrite UNRWA so long as the Palestinians refuse to come to the negotiating table. A short time later, Trump himself tweeted, With the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them? Although Trump did not mention UNRWA specifically, the reference was clear.

UNRWA leaders, who already have great difficulty meeting the demand for foodstuffs in Gaza, are concerned and worried about Haley's and Trumps comments. Their feelings are shared by the PA, Hamas and even Israel. So long as there is no alternative to UNRWA, no one wants it to disappear.

One of the nightmare scenarios that arose in IDF discussions of the issue is that of thousands of hungry Palestinian residents marching toward the Erez Crossing. Such a scenario could become a reality if Trump actually stops funding UNRWA and, as a result, people in Gaza begin to starve.

In recent weeks, Israel has been finding it difficult to put a stop to a drizzle of rockets being fired at it from Gaza. Under such circumstances, putting pressure on UNRWA constitutes fanning the flames in Gaza. The problem is that Israel has trouble publicly communicating this view to the US president.
Bulldozing history

Without our priceless heritage sites, we run the risk of losing our very identity as Nepalis in the long run
January 5, 2018

Turkey's president is continuing to assume more and more power by issuing emergency status decrees. Most recently, he has taken over the country's defense industry.

This is the second major move illustrating how executive powers are being transferred from the prime minister to the president, following an August decree that attached the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) to the president.

On Dec. 24, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued the decree placing the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) under the president's full control rather than the Defense Ministry's. SSM is the key government institution in charge of the state's defense procurement and was allocated nearly $11 billion in the 2018 general budget. SSM has the power to procure, produce and sign deals for all military and police forces of the country. SSM has the highest share of the defense budget, with authority to decide what to buy and from whom. SSM is also directly responsible for the Defense Industry Support Fund, which had about $3 billion in reserve funds in 2016.

According to the new decree, the president will also chair the Defense Industry Executive Committee, which consists of the prime minister, the chief of general staff, and the interior and national defense ministers. The committee will meet upon invitation of the president, who will determine meeting agendas. The SSM provides the committees secretariat services.

The committee will decide on the strategic goals of Turkish security-sector actors, primarily the military and the Gendarmerie General Command, and select companies to work on procurement for the sector. The committee is also authorized to finance scholarships and training to develop human resources for the defense industry.

With this major decree, the president will control the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, which earns 43% of the Turkish defense industry's total revenues while undertaking 41% of defense exports. As a result, the president will also control the foundation's extensive holdings, including 85% of the equity of Aselsan, the electronics giant of the Turkish defense industry, which ranked No. 67 on the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's 2016 top 100 list of armsproducing and military services companies. (The Turkish government's Anadolu Agency just announced that Aselsan signed a $92.5 million contract with Turkish defense and commercial vehicle maker BMC Otomotiv.)

The Turkish Armed Forces Foundation also owns 54.5% of Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (TAI), a pioneering Turkish defense firm in the field of aerospace and satellites, and SSM owns another 45.5%. TAI ranked No. 76 on the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's list.

Other major holdings include 55% of Roketsan, the only designer and manufacturer of rocket systems in Turkey; 99% of Havelsan, Turkey's top software, informatics and systems integration firm; 55% of Tusas, Turkeys pioneering firm in aerospace technologies; 99% of Isbir, which provides power generators and alternators for important defense and public projects; and 97% of Aspilsan, a manufacturer of original equipment battery and battery pack products for major defense industry systems.

With the new legislation, the president will also serve as chairman of the Defense Industry Support Fund, replacing the defense minister as the final authority over SSM and the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation. The foundation, with its slickly produced promotions, is managed mostly by retired generals and receives serious donations in the form of money, businesses and real estate from all segments of society.

The decree also designates $15 million in starting capital for the Military Factories and Shipyards Management Corp. (ASFAT) to regulate about 30 military factories attached to the Ministry of Defense. ASFAT is authorized to take orders from national public institutions and foreign customers and can hire foreign personnel.

Erdogan recently told reporters, I had 11 years of experience with the Defense Industry Undersecretariat when I was the prime minister. The Turkish defense industry has to operate as an integral unit. When they are separate pieces, it becomes difficult to succeed. When Havelsan, Aselsan and TAI are all separate hegemonic entities, success isn't possible. We thought of bringing them all under a single authority. The prime minister will be on its executive council, which will also include the minister of interior, chief of general staff, defense minister and undersecretary of the defense industry."

Erdogans remarks revealed his reasons for attaching the entire Turkish defense industry to him:

To minimize the monopoly of the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation companies and the bureaucratic tutelage that dominates the defense industry.

To encourage innovation in the sector by enabling the participation of small- and medium-sized firms in the defense industry.

To ensure effectiveness and efficiency to prevent duplication in the defense industry, using a holistic approach.

To ensure cooperation, harmony and coordination among state companies involved in the defense industry structure, thus increasing its self-sufficiency in domestic procurement.

The president will personally supervise the following critical projects, he said, to improve motivation and speed project completion:

But the political opposition objects to Erdogan's absolute control of the entire Turkish defense industry, which they say denies parliament its essential oversight function.

If we remember the enormity of the budget of the defense industry and the importance of its decisions related to national security, what's being done is making the parliament powerless while boosting the powers of the palace [presidential] regime," said lawmaker Murat Bakan, a member of the opposition Republican Peoples Party.

"Why didnt they enact a law for this arrangement instead of an emergency status decree? We see hundreds of arrangements imposed with emergency decrees that are not submitted to the parliament, Bakan added.

With this decree, we see the merging of three processes:

Removing any remaining influence of the exiled Gulen movement from all the states security bureaucracy and Turkish Armed Forces Foundation-affiliated defense industry firms.

Building capacity within the states security apparatus.

Transferring executive power from the prime minister to the president in the domains of defense procurement and military maintenance.

To me, those three processes should be managed delicately and separately. Their merging, at the end of the day, risks politicizing all of them, particularly defense procurement and maintenance systems. In addition to the risk of politicization, if we factor in the decline of meritocratic management and a shortage of intellectual capital in the countrys security sector, it might become difficult to manage Turkeys military procurement system, which requires top-notch technical input.

We can't ignore that burden on Turkeys presidential palace, and that reality is becoming clearer by the day.
January 4, 2018

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey  In the last week of December, an armed group ambushed a convoy on the Kirkuk-Hawija road in Iraq, killing seven people. Iraqi security forces couldnt track the attackers. The identities of those killed were determined quickly: They were Col. Fazil Sebawi of the Iraqi police, his son and five bodyguards.

Shortly afterward, reports of another attack came from south of Kirkuk. Walid Nuri, the leader of the Jiheshad tribe and commander of Hashd al-Ashayer forces southwest of Kirkuk, his wife and son were killed.

Nobody could explain the attacks. After ousting Kurdish forces from Kirkuk, the Iraqi army and Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) had imposed total control over the area and ensured its security. However, the Islamic State (IS) soon claimed responsibility for both attacks.

After seizing Mosul in 2014, IS had turned toward Kirkuk but was repelled by Kurdish forces controlling the town. Yet, possibly because of the region's oil wealth, IS never gave up on Kirkuk. Although the extremist group couldn't control the city center, its influence over the province's southern regions never waned.

Although IS was not active after it left Kirkuk, it resurfaced after the Iraqi army took control of the region. Iraqi forces went after the IS militants, killing 10 of them in two attacks. Six militants were killed, three in Sadiye and three in Beshir villages. Military commander of Kirkuk army operations announced the six killed were the attackers who had staged the two attacks.

But how did IS resurface even after the region came under the total control of the Iraqi army and the PMU? Security sources in the region, who asked not to be identified, said IS has resumed operations south of Kirkuk. They said sleeper cells of the group have been reactivated and are preparing for new operations.

According to Sahawan Abdullah, an Iraqi member of parliament from Kirkuk and head of the parliamentary Security Commission, IS units have infiltrated Kirkuk.

"There have been explosions and kidnappings in Kirkuk. The last [attack] involved the abduction of four Kurds in an Arab village. There have been similar incidents at the Dakuk border. Although Shiite militias are responsible for some of these incidents, others are carried out by IS," Abdullah told Al-Monitor. "There is a vacuum because we don't have Kurdish security forces. The Kirkuk-Hawija border is empty now without any military presence. We heard IS has penetrated Kirkuk from the Hawija area. IS elements are freely moving between Rashad-Dakuk-Tuz Khormato without encountering any Iraqi army."

Abdullah believes that the central government cannot secure the area by itself and that a joint security force has to be set up. "Today conditions in the area are like those in the days of Saddam Hussein. It is very bad. There must be joint efforts by peshmerga forces and security units as in the days before IS," he said.

Shiwan Dawudi, a member of parliament from Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, says even if IS has lost territory, it is still active. Dawudi told Al-Monitor, "True, IS has lost territory but the organization is still alive, their militants are around. For example, there were 2,000-2,500 armed IS militants in Hawija. But after the liberation of Hawija, about 300 IS militants were captured dead or alive. What happened to the rest? Where did they go? They retreated to the mountains and valleys around Kirkuk.  Some joined sleeper cells and some hid among the people. They reorganized after a few months and resumed operations. Their action style has changed as well. They now want quality operations, Like guerrillas, they launch hit-and-run operations."

According to Dawudi, the sleeper cells only provide logistical support. He insists the absence of Kurdish security forces from Kirkuk has created a vacuum. "Sleeper cells take care of their needs while IS militants carry out operations. They pose as local people. In previous years, Kurdish security forces were responsible for the security of Kirkuk. They had impressive intelligence sources. They knew IS sympathizers. They were even able to classify the people in refugee camps as IS or friends. But after Oct. 16, the governor of Kirkuk was replaced. Because there are no security forces inside Kirkuk, there is a vacuum that IS benefits from. IS today has become an organization active in Baghdad and Kirkuk," he added.

After Kirkuk, Hawija was the location where IS was most powerful. On Oct. 5, when IS was expelled from Kirkuk province, everyone felt good but that lasted only three months. The nightmare can resume any moment with different tactics. IS militants, who earlier fought in towns and did not withdraw until the last moment, have used hit-and-run tactics in the last two operations, as noted by Dawudi.

If IS adopts this guerrilla warfare style, everything could start over. IS does not want to give up Kirkuk and the Iraqi army and international forces do not want to ease up on IS. With guerrilla warfare tactics, this war could go on for years as both the societal and political environments are conducive to it.
January 5, 2018

For those who know Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his predecessor Abdullah Gul, a war between the two should not come as a surprise. The only mystery was its timing, and now we know it has just begun.

Deliberately keeping his distance from Erdogan, Gul has issued some critical but cautious statements against the current president's practices for some time now. Yet the declaration of war came when Gul issued a statement that was critical of a new emergency decree that critics say grants impunity to civilians who go after Erdogans opponents.

Fully equipped for the war, Erdogan has now invited Gul to engage in conventional warfare. Gul, on the other hand, is well-aware that the war imposed upon him is asymmetrical and that Erdogan can be ruthless when it comes to burying rivals. Therefore, it seems that Gul would prefer a guerrilla war with hit-and-run tactics. Given the uneven balance of power between the two, Gul's choice may be legitimate.

Perhaps this is exactly why Gul's modus operandi in this war hasnt impressed anti-Erdogan circles. Indeed, some leftists and liberals are as angry at Gul as they are at Erdogan supporters. Timur Kuran, a Turkish-American professor at Duke University, is one such individual. Abdullah Gul will probably be remembered as the Neville Chamberlain of Turkish politics. He spent the past decade appeasing Erdogan, missing every chance to stop the destruction of Turkeys democracy. To regain credibility, hell need to do much more than whisper mild discomfort, Kuran said on Twitter, echoing the feelings of those who have high hopes for Gul.

Yet, in this equation, the most important question is how Erdogan sees his rival. And for Erdogan, Gul constitutes a critical and actual threat to his rule. All those familiar with the background of the feud can attest to the validity of Erdogans worries. The two have never had a camaraderie but instead have been forced into a relationship due to converging interests.

Gul, 68, and Erdogan, 64, were members of the same right-wing student union. Coming from an academic background, Gul made his debut in Turkish politics in 1991, when he served as a member of parliament for the right-wing Welfare Party. Erdogan, coming from a working-class background, belonged to the same political party and was elected as mayor of Istanbul in 1994.

As he continued to establish a personal network within national and international Islamist circles, Gul also joined the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, thus initiating his burgeoning ties with Western institutions. Years later, he said that the council was a school of democracy for him. Gul also served as a minister of state and government spokesman during a short-lived coalition government in the late 1990s, thereby gaining knowledge of the structure of the Turkish state and the bureaucratic functioning of the capital.

Erdogan, on the other hand, became a member of the Turkish parliament in March 2003, and almost one week later he took over the premiership from Gul. In a way, Erdogan parachuted into Ankara politics. He had to work in an unfamiliar bureaucratic environment with a staff handpicked by Gul, including figures like adviser Ahmet Davutoglu and economy czar Ali Babacan.

Even today, Erdogan works with individuals who once belonged to Guls inner circle. For example, Hakan Fidan, chief of Turkeys intelligence agency, was among Guls men. Chief of Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar was a high school friend of Gul's.

Gul and Erdogan again crossed paths in 2001 as Reformists in Turkey's Islamist movement. Gul joined forces with Erdogan, as well as with then-parliamentarians Bulent Arinc and Abdullatif Sener, to establish a conservative democratic party similar to European Christian democratic parties. While Gul was the principal founder of the party, Erdogan was its charismatic leader who had unmistakable mass appeal. From the beginning, Erdogan has been considered a primus inter pares  a first among equals  of the quartet, yet Gul has always trailed behind.

Gradually, Erdogan became the foremost leader. Gul kept his grudges mostly to himself, thanks to his self-control, but he revealed his displeasure over Erdogans one-man tyranny in private conversations.

Contrary to general perception, Gul knows very well that Erdogan did not endorse his presidency in 2007. Back then, I was among those journalists who were told by Erdogans inner circle that Gul was not his first choice.

Gul believes Erdogan prevented his return to active politics after Gul's presidency ended in 2014.

The two have experienced many disagreements over the last decade, ranging from domestic matters to foreign policy, mainly on Syria. In Gul's private conversations  some of which I was privy to  he complained about the end of the successful Turkish example of a model of democracy and Islam. Recalling the democratic reforms Turkey implemented during the first years of the Justice and Development Party rule, he indicated that Turkey's transformation was being hailed as a silent revolution.

Nevertheless, the bad blood between the two men has always been kept under control, as both knew it was impossible to contain their differences. Yet Erdogan, who is aware that 2018 will be a crucial year for the 2019 elections, wants to eliminate his most credible rival. Thats why he gave the signal and the media under his control, along with his troll army, have mobilized against Gul.

Now, the war of Turkeys presidents has been declared. Will undefeatable Erdogan once again prevail against his most formidable challenger? Or can Gul pose a real challenge? The destiny of Turkey hinges upon the answers to these questions.

Erdogan invites Gul to a duel and Gul limits himself to firing arrows from afar, Amberin Zaman writes in her Al-Monitor column, quoting a well-known conservative intellectual. Some pollsters agree that Gul could win back the presidency, yet as one argued, The greatest risk remains Guls aversion to risk-taking and that he could buckle under further pressure from Erdogan. He wants the keys [of power] handed over to him without taking the slightest risk.'"

For those familiar with the strategies of Erdogan and Gul, the above observation indicates how the war of the presidents will unfold. Erdogan will be the bully, and Gul will be the soft-spoken, hesitant chess player.

But the most critical question is: Who will be the winner? Multiple factors, from the economy to international developments, will help determine the answer. This will be the most important Turkish "war" to monitor in 2018.
January 4, 2018

Turkey and key European Union members like Germany and the Netherlands have started to exchange positive messages, signaling a desire to leave behind what was possibly the worst year in Turkish-European ties in recent memory. Reconciliatory statements are being backed by high-level phone conversations and visits aimed at increasing cooperation on issues of mutual interest.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be in Paris this week for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, with terrorism, the migration crisis, Syria and the status of Jerusalem high on the agenda.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, on the other hand, is due in Germany over the weekend for talks with his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel aimed at normalizing bilateral ties, which were near a breaking point in 2017.

Serious problems that have undermined Turkish-European ties, however, remain in place, indicating that the road ahead is still bumpy and beset by pitfalls that could result in new upheavals.

Meanwhile, not everyone is convinced that the friendly outreach to Ankara by Berlin, The Hague and other European capitals is driven by the best of motives regarding Turkeys EU membership bid.

Turkeys positive response to the friendly overtures from Europe shows that Ankara is also wary of a total breakup with Europe, given the detrimental effect this would ultimately have on Turkeys vital interests.

Erdogans attitude toward Europe, often marked by unrestrained insults in the past, also saw a marked improvement after EU members supported the UN resolution, co-sponsored by Turkey and Yemen, against US President Donald Trumps decision on Jerusalem.

Erdogan has been underlining the fruitful phone conversations he held on this topic with European leaders such as Macron, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Pope Francis.

Friendly remarks by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the year was coming to a close also helped break the ice. I think that it will be good if relations are repaired. Turkey is a NATO partner, Rutte told the Dutch daily De Telegraaf in an interview. He added that ministerial contacts aimed at improving ties between The Hague and Ankara were also continuing.

Holland is not just Turkeys NATO ally but also the largest investor in Turkey, with investments in excess of $22 billion.

Erdogan had accused the Netherlands of behaving like Nazi Germany after Ruttes government prevented Turkish ministers from canvassing Turkish expatriates in Holland eligible to vote in Turkeys constitutional referendum in April.

The proposed constitutional changes, which have since been adopted, aimed to turn Turkey into a presidential system, giving Erdogan absolute power over the legislature and judiciary.

Erdogan leveled the same accusation at Germany after Turkish ministers or members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) were prevented from holding rallies to seek support for the constitutional changes from expatriate Turks.

In the closing days of the year, German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Adebahr told reporters in Berlin that the foreign ministers of the two countries had talked over the phone on Dec. 22 and agreed to meet to iron out differences.

Adebahrs announcement followed the release in Turkey of German human rights activist Peter Steudtner, who was being held on terrorism charges. Gabriel had referred to Steudtner, whose trial is still pending, and other German citizens held in Turkey on similar charges as Ankaras hostages.

The release in Turkey of some of the other German citizens being held, and the easing of conditions for Deniz Yucel, the German-Turkish journalist who was being held in solitary confinement since February 2017 on espionage charges, was also welcomed by Berlin.

The Yucel case nevertheless remains a bone of contention between the two countries. Reflecting a more conciliatory tone toward Germany, Cavusoglu told the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle last week that he was not happy over the delay in the preparation of the indictment against Yucel. He said his government was trying to speed this up.

Cavusoglu also expressed his belief that 2018 will be a good year for Turkish-German ties. He is due to travel to Gabriels hometown of Goslar in Lower Saxony on Jan. 6, to follow up on their meeting in Cavusoglus hometown of Antalya in November.

Erdogan responded to the friendly overtures from Europe by saying that Turkey had no problems with Germany or the Netherlands. Talking to reporters on Dec. 27 during a tour of African countries, he referred to the Dutch and German leaders as old friends, adding that Ankara would of course like to have good ties with the EU.

Meanwhile, more stringent measures in Germany against organizations promoting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) have been welcomed by Ankara as a step in the right direction.

Nevertheless, problems relating to the PKK, as well as the refusal by Berlin to extradite persons Ankara accuses of involvement in the failed coup against Erdogan in 2016, continue to cloud ties.

The deteriorating state of democracy and human rights in Turkey also continues to pose insurmountable obstacles not only to advancing Ankaras EU membership bid but also to fully normalized ties between Turkey and Europe.

Talking to journalists during his New Year press conference, held only days before Erdogan was due in Paris, President Macron described Turkey as an authoritarian state where press freedoms are curbed and journalists incarcerated.

Macron, who said he would discuss this with Erdogan in Paris, added, however, that he opposes severing dialogue with countries that dont share French standards on press freedom.

Retired Ambassador Uluc Ozulker, who was Turkeys envoy in Paris in 2002-2005, sees a hidden message in these remarks and in the overtures from Germany and the Netherlands.

The EU has made its position on Turkeys membership bid clear and has forced Ankara into a corner in this regard, Ozulker told Al-Monitor. Ankaras EU bid cant mature with so many members opposing it and with Turkey drifting away from democratic criteria, he added.

Ozulker said Europe does not want to push Turkey over the brink either because it needs it for geo-strategic reasons. It wants to encourage Turkey to remain close to Europe without becoming an EU member, he said.

Ozulker also pointed to recent remarks by Bulgarian President Boyko Borissov, whose country took over on the EUs term presidency on Jan 1. Borissov, who will be in Istanbul on Jan. 7 for the inauguration of a restored Bulgarian Orthodox church, believes in the need for honesty with Turkey.

We should stop being two-faced about Turkeys EU membership. It is best if we sit down and work out a special agreement between Turkey and the EU, Borissov told the Bulgarian state broadcaster BNT.

Ankara opposes any offer short of full membership and was also displeased with Gabriels suggestion that the Brexit deal could provide a model for Turkey-EU ties.

Even if the EU was ready to admit Turkey tomorrow, Ankara has no desire to fulfill the democratic prerequisites for membership, a Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Al-Monitor. It fears that doing so will weaken Erdogans hold on power.

Nevertheless, Ankara needs to maintain strong economic ties with EU members like the Netherlands and Germany, which are the largest investors in Turkey and which provide the largest markets for Turkish goods.

The bottom line is that Turkey is being relegated to the category of lesser democracies that Europe has to deal with for the sake of its broader interests. Turkey may ultimately have to accept this for the sake of its own interests.
Web giant Google announced back in October that it would be revamping the user interface for the web version of its calendar app, and that revamp will begin making its way out to all users very soon. When the rework first became available, users had to actually opt-in to it, and it was only available to a limited crowd. As of January 8, any users on G Suites rapid release schedule will begin to see the new UI, unless they manually chose to opt out of it at an earlier time. The UI will reach users that previously opted out on February 5, and the rollout will be complete as of February 28, with all users migrated to the new UI and no available option to use the old one.

While users on G Suites rapid release track will start seeing the new UI as early as January 8, G Suite users on the scheduled release track will have to wait until January 15. The specific date that automatic upgrading will begin for normal users who did not previously opt out of the new UI was not specifically mentioned, so it will presumably be some time before the February 28 deadline. Users who wish to can manually upgrade to the new UI at any time, regardless of previous opt-out status.

The new UI update for Google Calendar brings overtones of the mobile interface to the desktop version. While the current interface does hold itself to Material Design conventions, the mobile version, and by extension the new UI as well, embraces things like vertical scrolling, horizontal columns, and resizing of UI elements that depends on a users screen size and resolution. This interface lays out information vertically in a block format, presenting users with their events and reminders set along vertical strips representing individual days. This new interface boasts all of the same features as the old one, but is geared more toward supporting a wide range of viewing formats. This may be another step in Googles quest to converge its various software landscapes, with Chrome, Chrome OS, and Android all beginning to have more and more features and user interface conventions in common across apps in the last few months.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus front panel has just leaked, or at least it seems that way. If you take a look at the provided image above, youll get to see the Galaxy S9 Plus front panel, next to the Galaxy S8 Plus front panel, which allows us to compare the two. These two seem to be quite similar, though the Galaxy S9 Plus front panel seems to be wider, and the bottom bezel is noticeably thinner.

Now, one could wonder why is the Galaxy S9 Plus front panel noticeably wider than the Galaxy S8 Plus, well, the Galaxy S9 Plus display will probably be larger, if this leak is accurate. You will notice that these two front panels are more or less the same height, despite the fact that the Galaxy S9 Plus bottom bezel is thinner, which suggests that the S9 Plus display is bigger in general, though it will almost certainly retain an 18:9 aspect ratio. The display on the Galaxy S8 Plus measure 6.2-inches, which could indicate that the Galaxy S9 Plus display will be around 6.3 or 6.4-inches, at least thats our guess based on the provided image. This front panel also reveals that the Galaxy S9 Plus will sport Samsungs Infinity display which comes with curved sides, though that was pretty much expected. It is worth noting that this image comes from a third-party market, according to the source, so take the provided info with a grain of salt.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is expected to launch side-by-side with its sibling, the Galaxy S9, at the end of February, if the company decides to launch those two devices during MWC in Barcelona. Its worth noting that Samsung may opt to host a separate event in March or April instead, though, as the company did last year, so well just have to wait and see. Those two smartphones will arrive in two SoC variants, US consumers will be able to get the Snapdragon 845-powered variant of the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, while consumers in Europe will get the Exynos 9810-powered models. Both devices will ship with Android Oreo out of the box, while Samsungs custom UI will be installed on top of Googles offering. The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus will be made out of metal, and they will both sport a 3.5mm headphone jack if a recent leak is accurate.
Hot design, high value

OPPO has long been a favorite in its home country of China, frequently holding the reigns in the top 5 largest OEMs in the country. As such its expected that their products feature a refined look and feel, with industry setting designs and features. The OPPO R11S is one of two latest phones from the company, sporting a slightly smaller frame than the nearly identically specced OPPO R11S Plus. With a design similar to the recently released OnePlus 5T, as well as a cheaper price tag in some regions, is this worth taking a look at? Lets find out.

Video Review

Specs

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OPPO sells the Black or Champagne Gold R11S for a 2999, while the Red version is 3199 in China. Sites like Oppomart sell it Internationally for around $490/415/365 at the time of this writing. The main model ships with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, and OPPO also sells a version with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage for 3599. Both units feature the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-core SoC, which is made up of a quad-core 2.2 GHz Kryo 260 CPU, a quad-core 1.8 GHz Kryo 260 CPU, and an Adreno 512 GPU. Along the front sits a 6-inch 18:9 Super AMOLED display, sporting a resolution of 1080 x 2160 (401 pixels-per-inch density) and tiny bezels all around.

Dual nano-SIM support is available, and the second SIM slot doubles as a microSD card slot for expandable storage capability. On the front sits a 20-megapixel camera with f/2.0 lens, while the back of the phone holds dual cameras. The primary rear camera is a 1/2.8 16-megapixel sensor with 1.12-micron pixel size and phase detection autofocus (PDAF), while the secondary camera is a 1/2.8 20-megapixel sensor with 1.0-micron pixel size and standard contrast autofocus. Both cameras have f/1.7 lenses. Inside the aluminum unibody shell is a non-removable Li-Po 3,200mAh battery. A microUSB port with USB 2.0 speeds sits at the bottom, alongside a 3.5mm audio jack and a single speaker. The R11S measures in at 155.1mm high, 75.5mm wide, and 7.1 mm thin, with a very nice median weight of 153 grams.

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In The Box

Despite already having a great price for the specs, OPPO adds in a good bit of extra value inside the box. A film screen protector is pre-installed on the phone, and a luxuriously soft padded TPU case is included, which is lined on the inside with a soft fabric to keep the phone from getting scratched, and to help absorb blows from drops. The usual manuals and SIM tray ejector tools are included, and youll also find a VOOC capable microUSB to USB Type-A cable that works with the included 5V/4A VOOC wall charger. A pair of white earbud headphones with 3.5mm jack at the end are included too.

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Display

2017s biggest trend has clearly been abolishing bezels as quickly as possible, in favor of a large, tall display. OPPO is following suit on the R11S, dropping a 6-inch 18:9 (2:1) display on the front and minimizing the bezels in a way weve not yet seen from the company. At 401 PPI density, this is a crisp display with nary a hint of visible pixels. Other flagships may have higher pixel density, but unless youre using a VR headset or looking extremely close at the display, youre not going to notice much of a difference between this and a Quad-HD screen at this size. Also following trends is the adaptation of an AMOLED display; something that was in the R11 earlier this year, but isnt necessarily common among other OPPO branded phones.

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AMOLED displays are loved for their infinite contrast ratios and deep blacks, incredibly vibrant and beautiful color reproduction, ultra high motion resolution and response times, and the ability to individually light pixels to save power. White balance sits slightly on the warm side, which is generally more visually appealing than a cool (blue) screen. Theres no adjustment for color temperature, so what you see is what you get. Similarly, OPPOs ColorOS skin only allows for font size adjustment, but not screen size (DPI) adjustment, so text and the overall user interface cant get as small as it can on many other Android-powered phones. Attempting to adjust DPI in Developer Options breaks quite a few things, including the placement of the PIN on the unlock screen, so this should never be adjusted by the user.

Similarly the new taller 2:1 aspect ratio means that apps designed for 16:9 content will either be displayed with bars on top and bottom, or can be scaled to fit the whole screen. This will crop the left and right sides of scaled apps, but for the most part this doesnt cause any issues in our testing. OPPO utilizes some very handy gestures that automatically turn the screen on when you lift up the phone, and if this is utilized along with the facial recognition technology, makes picking up and unlocking the phone a seamless, touchless experience. There is no always-on screen functionality on the R11S. Unique to the R11S is the ability to not just hide the on-screen navigation bar and virtual buttons, but to completely replace them with gestures instead. This is something weve seen hinted at for years, but for whatever reason isnt widely adopted by Android manufacturers.

OPPOs new navigation gestures are a thing of brilliance, and will have you wondering why in the world it took so long to get these integrated into our lives. Instead of the usual three button back/home/overview layout on the bottom, swiping up from the bottom bezel in the same physical locations will perform the same task. Locations can be reversed, but by default swiping up from the right navigates back, swiping up from the middle goes to the home screen, and swiping up from the left opens the Control Center. Swiping up and holding from the middle will open Overview, allowing you to easily multi-task by simply swiping.

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Hardware and Build

OPPOs design is unmistakably similar to the OnePlus 5T, but it is 1mm shorter and .2mm thinner than the 5T, so its not entirely identical. OPPO also features a gorgeous red fade on the top and bottom of the front of the red model phone, giving the illusion that the bezels slowly fade into the display. The other colors dont have this fade, but they all feature the same near bezel-less design and incredibly thin metal build too. This thin metal build is only spoiled by the camera hump around back, which is at least protected by a raised metal ring around the glass. Still this is an annoyance when placing on a flat surface, as the phone will wobble significantly if touched.

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The rest of the back is flat, and even the fingerprint sensor is barely recessed into the frame. This makes it difficult to find sometimes, as even the unusual elongated circular shape is tougher to find without an obvious indentation. The antenna lines are kept at the top and bottom of the phone, and overall the back feels incredibly solid and sturdy. The separated volume buttons are on the left side, while the right side holds the smooth power button and SIM/microSD card tray. Along the top and bottom edges is a unique indentation that doesnt appear to serve any specific purpose, but looks cool and keeps the top and bottom edges flat. Youll find a single speaker, 3.5mm audio jack and a microUSB 2.0 port on the bottom, of which seems to be a strange inclusion for a phone thats new to the end of 2017.

Performance, Battery Life and Benchmarks

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Qualcomm has so vastly improved the Snapdragon 600 series of processors that youd likely never know this was a mid-range SoC unless told so. Performance on the phone is perfect in every way, and I never noticed a time where it felt like this had anything less than the fastest processor on the market. This speed is certainly aided by the fact that the phone only has a 1080p+ resolution screen, which keeps the processor from stressing as much as it would on a quad-HD display. This also keeps video and gaming performance high, as again it doesnt have to push as many pixels as higher resolution screens would. Loading and switching between apps is super fast, and I never found myself waiting an inordinately long time for this to happen. OPPO also features a game acceleration mode thats enabled out of the box, helping games and other intense apps run better at the expense of battery life, as well as providing options to limit notifications, navigation mistouches/swipes and keeping brightness from auto adjusting.

Multi-tasking needs some serious work, but probably not in the area that you might expect. Much like a number of other Chinese OEMs out there, OPPO has built in quite a few extra battery saving features that keep apps from running in the background or automatically starting up with the phone. These are pretty easy to turn off, and for the most part youll find said options in the battery section of the settings menu. For the rest of the tweaking youll need to head over to the Phone Manager app and mess with some settings in here. Any messaging or email app you use should be added to the Startup Manager section, although this isnt necessary so long as you open the apps regularly anyway. The real trick is to lock them in memory though, otherwise only the last handful of apps will be allowed to continually run in the background, but even this isnt a catch all. I would still find apps getting killed in the background, and plenty of times where I missed notifications for long periods of time because I hadnt re-opened the app.

OPPOs multi-tasking Overview carousel has been turned on its side from stock Android, and closely resembles iOS in many ways. Swiping up will remove the app, and swiping down will lock it in memory, denoted by a lock icon in the top left of the thumbnail. Im personally not a fan of the horizontal carousel, especially since calling up the Overview window is done with a swipe-up-and-hold, meaning the animation of swiping up feels disconnected from the windows moving in from the left side. Theres at least a cute little animation that looks good, but it would have made more sense to just keep it scrolling vertically instead. Split screen apps are supported, but this is the standard in Android 7.0 Nougat and beyond anyway.

Battery life is a bit difficult to judge because of the massive changes OPPO has made in the battery use logging. Instead of presenting the usual histogram that Android builds throughout the day, complete with breakdown of hardware statistics for screen on time and the like, only apps appear on the list of battery draining culprits. As such youll find some weird entries that dont exactly line up with the rate of battery draining throughout the day. For instance at this time of writing my top two battery drainers were Allo and Discord. Allo shows a 13.46% battery drain with a 49 minute Keep Awake time, while Discord shows a 10.18% battery drain with a 6 second Keep Awake time. Its difficult to understand these statistics and how they work, and theres no good way to see the usual stats that Android users love to judge by. Regardless though, I had zero issues getting through a full days use, often having 30% or more battery left at the end of even a heavy use day. OPPOs VOOC quick charging is unbelievably fast, with an incredible 20W+ charging that keeps the phone from getting hot, all while charging the phone fully in under an hour.

Wireless Connectivity and Audio

Despite only selling in a few markets, the OPPO R11S has support for some incredibly wide wireless spectrum around the world. There seems to be no support for WiFi Calling or Voice over LTE (VoLTE) out of the box, as there are no options within settings to enable or disable these features. Dual-band WiFi 2.4GHz and 5GHz are supported up to 802.11ac speeds, and Bluetooth 4.2 is available for common Bluetooth-enabled accessories. OPPO features a number of options to manage cellular and WiFi network data, with options both to automatically switch between the two depending on connection quality, as well as options to restrict apps from using cellular data if desired.

Unfortunately for me, on T-Mobile US, group MMS messaging simply would not work correctly on this phone. The problem likely lies solely with the stock messaging app, which would allow me to send group messages but not to receive them; every message would come in as an individual message from the sender, making group messaging extremely difficult to keep track of. Normally I would just switch the messaging app out, as this is a common issue with phones not made specifically for T-Mobile US, however ColorOS would not allow me to set any other text messaging app as default; it simply was not in the list of default apps to change. I tried a dozen different texting apps too, none of which showed up in the list, so its something thats clearly being actively blocked, and made texting on this phone overly difficult.

Bluetooth 4.2 doesnt feature the extended range of Bluetooth 5.0, and the phone doesnt appear to support any high resolution audio codecs like aptX or LDAC, meaning youll be getting standard quality Bluetooth audio at best. Wired audio is a much better situation, as the 3.5mm audio jack provides active noise cancellation with supported headphone accessories, but no high-res audio support. OPPO has partnered with Dirac Research to provide a nice equalizer for use with wired headphones only, helping users easily tweak the sound if needed. The single bottom-firing speakers is pretty average in quality, only offering mono sound but at least offering clean, clear and loud audio when needed.

Software

One of the biggest highlights of the OPPO R11S is the massive feature list offered by OPPOs ColorOS Android skin. ColorOS has long been the most iOS-like Android skin out there, and has kept with this design and mantra despite other Chinese OEMs moving away from such design. In a way its charming; the OPPO R11S is basically the iPhone for folks that dont want to be locked into Apples ecosystem, and in many ways that makes it the best iPhone you can buy. This design will be polarizing, theres no doubt, as iOSs navigational aspects are very different from Androids in many ways, first and foremost is the notification system as a whole.

While Androids notification system is superior to iOSs in most ways, combining the notification shade with the quick toggle buttons is something that can overcomplicate things for users. This isnt a complication in that its confusing, rather a complication in how many swipes it takes to get something done. For instance on most Android phones, if you wish to toggle airplane mode, youll usually have to swipe down once from the top to bring down the notification shade, then swipe down a second time to expand the row of icons at the top just to see the airplane mode quick toggle. OPPO places an iOS-style Command Center at the bottom of the screen, so a single swipe up reveals a row of 10 icons, brightness adjustment slider and quick share options. This eliminates swipes that are needed to perform simple tasks, and also cognitively separates quick toggles with notifications.

Other unique navigational aspects include the excellent full-screen mode with navigation gestures, which was detailed in the display section, but offers unique navigation that other Android phones dont, and keeps the virtual navigation keys from staying on screen. This both creates more room for content, as well as keeping the navigation keys from burning into the display over long periods of time. Screen off gestures can also provide a quick way to launch apps without having to first unlock the phone and find the app, and there are a little over half dozen different gestures that can be customized to launch any app on the phone. The R11S also detects when you pick up the phone from a table or your pocket and will turn the screen on as you lift it up, giving you buttonless access to the lock screen. If you enable face unlock, this will double as a way to unlock the phone without having to press or do anything at all.

Face unlock, as a whole, is a fantastic way to unlock your phone without having to interface with it at all, especially when combined with this pickup gesture. Its not a catch-all though, as it wont work in dark rooms, and often times I found it had difficulty unlocking if I wore certain hats or was walking/moving in any way. When it does work, however, its a thing of brilliance, and the quickest way to get access to the phone. The fingerprint scanner is still lightning fast though, and definitely more secure than facial recognition, so if youre most concerned about security, the fingerprint scanner is the way to go.

Security is a central facet of ColorOS, and OPPO implements a number of additional security measures over the usual app permissions management thats already present in Android itself. Individual apps can be encrypted behind a separate password, keeping sensitive data away from prying eyes (or thieves). OPPOs Secure Keyboard will automatically appear over your default chosen keyboard when passwords are being input, which OPPO says keeps sensitive passwords from being leaked by 3rd parties, as weve seen with some recent data breaches for 3rd party keyboards. Here youll also find the ability to restrict apps from using floating windows (like Facebook Messenger for instance with its chat heads), and even automatic pseudo base station blocking to keep fake cell towers from getting information from impersonating your carrier.

Kids space is also found under security, but represents a slightly different kind of security than the rest of the options here. As other similarly named modes on other phones work, you can select a list of apps that are safe for your kids to use and to restrict them from others, set the duration of use so that theyre not using it for hours, and even turn off cell data so they dont eat up your data downloading stuff or watching videos. Similarly you can also clone supported apps like WhatsApp, BBM and a scant few others that allow such a feature, letting you stay logged into more than one social media account at a time.

Camera

Much like the rest of the phone, the camera app on ColorOS looks impeccably similar to its iOS counterpart, and thankfully in most ways the photos taken from it also bear a striking resemblance to ones coming from a much more expensive phone too. Starting with the software, youll find a very full, feature-rich camera experience all around. Theres no shortage of modes, all of which are switched between by swiping left or right on the main interface. In total youll find Pano, Beauty, Photo, Video, and Timelapse make up the modes, and you can almost switch between any of the modes by pressing on the words for each mode on the bottom. This gives a faster way to switch between modes than swiping, although Pano is off-screen if youre in the time-lapse mode, so you cant jump between those.

All of these modes can be used with the front or rear facing cameras, but the Expert and Portrait modes are only available with the rear facing main cameras. Expert mode is a full manual mode for folks that like to make adjustments to the auto image presented, and the options available range from white balance (2000K to 8000K), Exposure value (+/-2), ISO (22 to 3200), Shutter (1/8000th second to 16 seconds), and manual focus. Like the OnePlus 5T, OPPO packs a 16-megapixel and a 20-megapixel camera on the back, which both use the same f/1.7 28mm lens. What OPPO does differently from OnePlus is its ability to use a traditional cropped view in portrait mode, which helps crop out the background in favor of the foreground, or take in the whole shot as well. Both of these options offer the same quality amount of blurring, and both do an excellent job of separating the foreground from the background and making the subject really stand out.

Portrait mode can also be enabled on the single front-facing camera, and mostly works pretty well. So long as youre looking straight at the camera, it does a great job of making the subject stand out nicely by blurring the background, but pictures taken from angles can tend to get a bit of the side of the face or hair a little blurrier than I would have liked. In general the front-facing camera looks excellent, and provides a crisp image in any lighting condition. OPPO offers both HDR for the front-facing camera, helping to fight overbright lighting conditions by balancing out the scene with multiple exposures, as well as offering a soft-flash for darker scenes. This soft flash consists of making the screen an off-white color and bringing up the brightness in a slow roll, presumably taking a few shots and choosing the best one automatically. This can tend to be a bit on the harsh side, although its less harsh than a dedicated LED flash would be.

Like the front-facing camera, the rear camera is quite good, and can certainly be considered an excellent camera for the price of the phone. There arent many phones that can be bought for under $500 brand new that can produce images this good, although OPPOs close relative, OnePlus, will certainly give them a run for their money in that regard. In general the images are quality, from the good dynamic range, excellent color reproduction, and good performance under low lighting conditions. Processing is usually excellent, and OPPO doesnt seem to be afraid to let a little noise in here and there to preserve overall detail, although lower lighting conditions tend to make things a little soft.

This last part is a little surprising given that the ISO never seems to push itself beyond 1200 or so, which normally wouldnt produce an abundance of extra noise that needs processing out of an image. Thankfully though the times where processing is overly heavy are few, and more often than not the R11S does an impeccable job of preserving detail while eliminating noise. Images are shot quickly, and the camera launches quickly too, although theres no support for Androids default double-tap on the power button to instantly launch the camera. Rather youll need to draw a circle when the screen is off, or just launch the camera from the lockscreen or homescreen. The lack of an instant launch means the camera will naturally take longer than it really needs to, as it will instantly launch within a single second after pressing the actual icon.

Videos are about the only place where the camera feels lacking in any meaningful way, and its mostly down to not having very good stabilization. Taking the same video on the OnePlus 5T, for example, will net super smooth 4K video, and some phones do it even better than that. Dynamic range can be a bit lacking in some situations during video recording too, and lower light can bring a bit of a reduced framerate when the ISO jumps up higher. Overall its just average video recording quality at best. Check out the gallery below for all the samples taken during the review.

The Good

Killer, thin metal design

Super small bezels

Great AMOLED screen

Ultra fast VOOC charging

Above average battery life

Great photo performance from the camera

Tons of awesome features

Superb full-screen navigation gestures

Truly good pack-in case

Screen protector applied by the factory

The Bad

Camera video quality can be hit or miss

User interface will definitely be a turn-off for some

Group MMS not working on T-Mobile US

Cant change some default apps

MicroUSB port instead of USB Type-C

Not IP rated for water or dust resistance

Multi-tasking RAM management closes apps too aggressively

Conclusion

The OPPO R11S is a stylish phone, particularly in the striking red color we have for review, and certainly checks all the right boxes for the price. A killer build, great screen, excellent battery life and tons of awesome software features are just some of the positives that make up the experience here. Some software quirks keep it from feeling more perfect, but the bright side of this is that these issues can easily be patched or changed in an update. The base performance, camera quality and overall experience are certainly solid, and the skin is pretty unique among Android phones nowadays. Full-screen navigation gestures set the R11S apart, and are a must-have feature for phones going forward. If you enjoy iOS style but dont want to be locked into Apples limited ecosystem, this is certainly the phone to consider.
Photonics Crystal Corporation, a relatively unknown company based out of China, has somehow managed to engineer a new transparent display called NanoAR aimed at bringing futuristic AR applications to reality. Although the companys statement hasnt been scientifically verified or confirmed, Photonics Crystal says that shouldnt even be possible since it violates known laws of physics. Bearing that in mind, the company first announced its display back in December alongside YouTube videos showing off its achievement. Whats more, the company plans to give a live demonstration of NanoAR in action at the upcoming CES 2018 event in Las Vegas  which is scheduled to take place between January 7 and January 12.

Photonics Crystal openly admits that there are already a number of ways around the problems that arise when attempting to display light on a surface that is intended to let light pass through it. However, the company claims that the vast majority of the methods used to create that effect either sacrifice image clarity and brightness for transparency or sacrifice transparency to attain a better image. On the other hand, Photonics Crystals own patented displays are 85-percent transparent and that the amount of haze created in the transparency is below 2-percent. Those numbers, the company says, are actually good enough that they could feasibly be used in automobile windshields to create a heads-up display for drivers. Better still, that can be accomplished without the need for AR glasses. In spite of that clarity, the company is still able to project a bright, clear image through the NanoAR display.

Looking past the relatively limited possible uses of NanoAR in vehicles, the company says there is a wide range of uses for the new technology and plans to demo NanoAR at least two uses at the upcoming CES expo. The first of those will showcase the use of NanoAR to create fully transparent digital signs. The advantages to that are fairly obvious since the technology could be used as standalone advertisement platforms or be embedded directly into the windows at any number of retail locations for a huge variety of businesses. The second demonstration will show off how NanoAR could be used to bring a more life-like presence to A.I. by featuring a holographic robot.
One owner of the Galaxy Note 8 unexpectedly received Android 8.0 Oreo from Samsung earlier this week, having been prompted to upgrade their device to the latest version of Googles operating system via a notification signifying the arrival of a new over-the-air package. The source provided the two images seen below that depict their Galaxy Note 8 running Android 8.0 Oreo, adding that the device in question is an international model powered by Samsungs own Exynos 8895 SoC, even though theyre located in the United States where consumers can generally only purchase Snapdragon 835-equipped variants of the phablet. The same person also claims to be a Samsung employee but didnt have any immediate knowledge of the newly released update.

While an unexpected appearance of a major OS upgrade is usually indicative of a soak test, the South Korean phone maker rarely resorts to such experiments and even when it does, it rolls them out in a more transparent manner, i.e. accompanies them with some kind of an announcement. Whether the spotted OTA package suggests Samsungs mobile software support practices are changing or if it was launched by a mistake remains to be seen, though no other owners of the 2017 phablet have yet claimed to have received the update and provided some evidence to support that. Samsung itself is still in the process of optimizing Android 8.0 Oreo for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, having just recently announced its beta test will be concluded on January 15th, and while recent reports suggested Oreo development for the Galaxy Note 8 is already underway, the lack of official comments on the matter indicate a relatively stable build of the new OS may still not be ready for beta testing. Besides a new software build, the OTA package received by the source also contained the January Android security patch which Samsung detailed earlier this week.

As is the case with the Galaxy S8 lineup, Android 8.0 Oreo is unlikely to introduce support for Googles Project Treble to the Galaxy Note 8. Instead, the reworked OS framework designed to facilitate the process of updating devices is only expected to arrive with the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus, as well as other Samsung-made smartphones and tablets running Oreo out of the box. The tech giants new pair of flagships is rumored to be announced at MWC 2018 in late February and start retailing around mid-March.
Samsungs foldable Galaxy X may feature a screen capable of identifying numerous levels of pressure exerted on it, as suggested by one of the companys recent patents that appeared in the database of the World Intellectual Property Organization in late December, having first been spotted by Dutch tech blog Mobiel Kopen. The patent application itself was filed last June, suggesting Samsung may already be able to commercialize the technology described in its filing. While no specific products have obviously been named by the companys attorneys, the fact that its solution utilizes a highly flexible display panel capable of bending in a single direction is highly reminiscent of numerous reports about the Galaxy X which most insiders claim will be a much more advanced take on the concept embraced by the ZTE Axon M.

The South Korean tech juggernaut apparently came up with a system that may initially seem similar to Apples 3D Touch present on the last several generations of the iPhone lineup, though it serves an entirely different purpose and the full extent of its capabilities remains unclear, with the patent being as vague as such applications usually are. The only capability of the technology thats been specifically outlined by the filing is the one pertaining to its flexibility control, with Samsung envisioning a panel that users can simply press at certain points in order to command it to automatically bend as they see fit. The degree of bending curvature would depend on the amount of force applied to the screen, though the number of different curve levels supported by the panel hasnt been specified. Unlike Apples 3D touch, Samsungs patent doesnt describe a technology capable of measuring pressure levels in all areas of the screen, at least not with equally high accuracy. Instead, the companys patent mentions several specialized sensors placed under certain areas of the screen where the panel is meant to bend.

A number of Samsungs executives already said the companys first foldable smartphone will be released at some point in 2018, though its still unclear whether it will truly be marketed as the Galaxy X, which is a name thats been circulating the industry for several years now. Besides the experimental Android flagship, Samsung should also release three more traditional premium devices in 2018  the Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9 Plus, and the Galaxy Note 9.
Chinese Red Cross to build warehouse for Nepal Red Cross

The Red Cross Society of China has agreed to build a central warehouse for the Nepal Red Cross Society.
Major US carrier T-Mobile has brought its first commercial 5G cell based on the 28GHz band online, thanks to help from network equipment maker Nokia and chipset giant Intel. The three set up the cell and managed to create a successful data session in tandem with T-Mobiles normal commercial network in the Un-Carriers hometown of Bellevue, Washington. The test took place in a downtown area where the network was already jam-packed with workers, commuters, and tourists simply enjoying the downtown area. It used Nokias commercial-stage AirScale radio communications system, along with Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit and a specialized 5G Mobile Trial Platform made by Intel. Nokia was the one to put out a press release on the test, and did not specify how the test went in terms of speed or latency.

According to T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray, this test is one of the biggest steps in T-Mobiles plan to get 5G out to its customers using its full array of spectrum holdings, from the ultra-low 600MHz spectrum that it won at the most recent FCC incentive auction all the way to mmWave spectrum, an extremely high spectrum band that acts as a key component in many carriers 5G plans. Nokia North America head Rick Corker, meanwhile, said that his company is proud to be a part of T-Mobiles fledgling 5G plans in the United States, and will continue to work together with the Un-Carrier going forward. Intel did not issue any official comment on the matter.

T-Mobile is working hard to be the first carrier to put out a reliable, consistently fast, and well-built 5G network for its customers. The Un-Carrier has been making heavy use of enhanced LTE technologies like LTE-U, carrier aggregation, and massive MIMO in building out its commercial LTE network. Todays test focused on simulating a mature 5G network functioning alongside T-Mobiles current network, but in reality, the companys network buildout efforts seem to be moving toward using futuristic 5G technologies with its current network. This means that T-Mobile could very likely have the option open in the future to make a few simple adjustments and hardware additions to its base stations to convert swaths of its LTE network over to 3GPP-compliant 5G, all at minimal cost and over the course of a relatively short time, as far as timelines for commercial 5G deployment go.
Chinese electric vehicle start-up Xiaopeng Motors is allegedly getting ready to launch a new crossover which was at least partially made possible due to financing from Xiaomi. Thats according to a report from the companys home region which says that Xiaomi made its contribution during round three of financing, along with several other companies  including TenCent, Foxxon, and Alibaba Group. It bears mention that, because this is not an announcement directly from Xiaopeng or Xiaomi, the news should be taken with a bit of skepticism. However, if the news turns out to be accurate, the vehicle itself looks promising, based on information and images shared by the source.

As to the vehicle itself, it bears repeating that the images  which have been included below  are renders. That effectively places the vehicle in the concepts category and there is a chance that, even if it is completed, the renders are not an adequate representation of the final product. Bearing that in mind, Xiaopengs crossover doesnt just look promising because it is shown with a decidedly sleek and modern aesthetic right down to the luxury-inspired black leather interior. A BETA version of the crossover is already said to be in testing and, powered by Samsung-made batteries, can achieve a range of just over 186 miles before it needs to be recharged. That range would ultimately be affected by driving style, road condition, and a host of other variables but it isnt at all a bad start for a start-up-built vehicle effectively falling into the electric SUV category. Meanwhile, on the inside and as shown by the included images, the crossover also features a 15.6-inch touchscreen-enabled infotainment console. That screen also allows drivers to take control of various functions, such as environmental controls and navigation, which would ordinarily be placed behind knobs and buttons in a more standard control panel. That makes sense with consideration for the fact that Tesla Motors and its new Gigafactory are cited as a big source of inspiration for Xiaopeng. However, it also adds an extra layer of technological convenience and modern luxury to the vehicle.

Unfortunately, for now, thats all the information that is currently available with regard to Xiaopengs crossover electric vehicle. As mentioned above, theres also no guarantee that the vehicle will ever be brought to market or that any of the information provided about it is accurate. Although the source does state that Xiaopeng is likely to officially announce its project in the near future, it is also reportedly still seeking investors in order to take its annual production capabilities up to 100,000 vehicles.
The Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Xiaomi, is currently looking for beta testers for its Android Oreo beta program for the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2. The company provided detailed instructions on how to apply as a beta tester on the MIUI official forums. There are also several recruitment requirements that the manufacturer has listed on the forum. For example, it is important for interested beta testers to know the English language since it is the communication language for this beta program. In addition, users should also install the messaging app QQ, which will serve as the communication tool for this beta program. Interested individuals should also be knowledgeable on testing beta ROMs and they should already be running the latest Global Developer ROM of MIUI. In order to participate in this program, it is also a requirement that the interested users are also active posters on MIUI forums.

To apply for the Android 8.0 Oreo beta program of the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2, users should first download the MIUI Global Forum app, which can be obtained from the Google Play Store, or by scanning the QR code posted on MIUI forums. The APK for the app can also be downloaded from MIUI forums. After installing the application, users should then proceed to the recruitment section of the application, where they will be asked to select their country of residence and some other info. The deadline for applications into the beta program is on 11:59 PM of January 8th (Beijing Time), and the manufacturer will contact individuals who get selected to enter the beta program by January 11th.

Once individuals successfully enter the beta program, they are expected to flash the regular beta updates that will be released by the manufacturer. They are also expected to report the software issues that they encounter on the beta software, and they should also vote on whether or not a certain build is fit for public use. Moreover, people who are a part of the program are tasked to respond to questions posted by users regarding the software on Xiaomis MIUI forums. Nonetheless, there are a number of privileges that the user gains once they become part of the beta program, including direct communication with MIUI officials and access to MIUI daily updates.
The system by which most Spanish regions are funded (1) works in a most peculiar way: it is known as the system of advance payments. In July every year, Spains Treasury forecasts the tax revenue for the following year and notifies the regional governments of the sum which they will be receiving as an advance payment. Since Spains autonomous regions do not have a Treasury Office of their own, all tax revenue is collected by the Spanish Treasury, which then transfers a lump sum to every region so that it may fund the basic services provided by the regional government. In the case of a few regions, Madrid retains some of that revenue until the accounts are settled two years later, when it often becomes apparent that the Treasury had erred in Madrids favour by grossly underestimating the amount that the regional government was due. During the last few years of the recession, Catalonia contributed an excess of 4.233bn to the central governments coffers precisely that way.

Last July, Spains Treasury Minister Cristobal Montoro informed the Catalan authorities that Catalonia would be receiving 17.618bn towards its funding for 2018. Yesterday he went back on his word and announced that the actual sum will be lower: 16.838bn. That is 780m lower than initially expected. Other regional government have also seen their cash payments trimmed after many of them had worked out their budget based on the sum that was announced in the summer.

Mr Montoros reasoning is that Spain has not been able to pass a new budget and, therefore, last years must be extended, which means that advance payments to regions must be cut back accordingly. However, Monotoros subterfuge does not hold water: his July forecast was based on projected tax revenues that wont be affected by extending the budget another year. If anything, revenue should increase thanks to a positive economic outlook. To make matters worse, with Mr Montoros revised advance payment Catalonia will be shortchanged by 125m. If the budget is the same as the previous year, so should be the sum transferred to Catalonia, at the very least.

In fact, minister Montoros sleight of hand conceals an attempt to put pressure on lawmakers to approve his budget, now that he cannot count on the support of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNB) in the Spanish parliament. As ever, it is the general public that stand to lose, at least until Catalonia is able to handle all her own taxation affairs.

_________

Translators note:

(1) Unlike all other Spanish regions, the Basque Country and Navarre actually collect all tax revenue and then contribute a percentage to Spains coffers in exchange for services rendered by Madrid. This is very much a sore point for many Catalans.
Will Smith On How He Became Successful

Trending News: Will Smith Revealed How To Reach Your Goals And It's Motivating AF

Long Story Short

On his vlog, Will Smith talked about how he was able to accomplish his dreams and shared some hilarious stories with fellow A-listers Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone.

Long Story

Will Smith is one of the highest paid actors, he's consistently been in big movies for decades and when he swerved to a side career, Michael Jordan-style, he won two Grammys. But you don't get as successful as Will Smith has reached by slacking.

On a recent episode of his vlog, Will Smith was on a press tour for his new Netflix movie Bright in Mumbai, India, and shared some fascinating thoughts. Smith says that traveling to different parts of the world to meet new people and promote his movies is one of the main reasons he became so successful  but that wasn't always his goal.

At first, he thought success just meant getting big in the U.S., but then Arnold Schwarzenegger came around. Well, actually Big Willy met Arny at the opening of a Planet Hollywood somewhere and Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone also happened to be there.

OMG I got these three guys in the room," Smith recalls thinking (can you blame him?). And then he said: "Okay, I want to be the biggest movie star in the world and I need you guys to tell me how to do it.

Here's what the ex-Governator said: If your movie is only big in America, it doesnt matter. Youll be a movie star only when you are a movie star in every country in the world. You have to travel, you have to go meet the people.

And so he did. But it wasn't easy. He had to stay extremely committed and dedicated every minute of every day to promote his movies.

In that part of my career, I refused to do anything that wasnt in the best interest of the goal I had set for myself, explained Smith in the vlog. There was probably a 12-year period of my life where I didnt take a drink, where I didnt go out on the weekends, I was so set on my goal it created a serious circle of protection and elevation because I refused to do anything that wasnt in my best interest." He added: Its hugely important that if you have a dream, that you have to dedicate your life to it and every hour of every day has to be dedicated to bringing into fruition the things that you dream about.

Whatever New Year's resolution you have, this has to be an excellent motivator to keep it. Whether your goal is getting ripped, falling in love or getting that promotion, just make it happen.

Smith also shared a fun story about a little game he used to play with another extremely successful actor, Tom Cruise. He says they'd compete to see who could stay on the red carpet the longest. Because Tom is not actually a human, he stayed on the red carpet for three-and-a-half hours one time," Smith said. "Then I just let him win because I see he was willing to die.

Check out the full vlog episode here:

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Wouldn't Will Smith be the coolest guy to have a non-alcoholic beer with?

Drop This Fact

For the movie Girls Trip, Jada Pinkett Smith learned an oral sex trick from none other than Will.
Cold shouldered

The vulnerable have to be protected from cold, as respite from winter is yet far-off
The city is soon to close on the purchase of a 56-acre parcel in Woody Creek next door to the gravel pit, which it may someday turn into a water storage reservoir. Moving water rights to this site or some other alternate site is a crucial part of settlement negotiations with parties opposed to dams on upper Castle and Maroon creeks.
MQB

HP

TDI

4WD

The Tiguan Allspace is a more extended version of the regular Tiguan, but it's still based on theplatform. This North American build crossover is thus a direct competitor for the Skoda Kodiaq. Not surprisingly, the engine range is pretty much the same.The entry-level SE Navigation model for the UK market is powered by a 1.4 TSI engine producing 150and 250 Nm, hooked up to 6-speed manual and the front wheels. The same SE trim level combined with the 150 HP 2.0-litermeans you'll have to pay 31,550.But you don't want that; you probably want theversion with the 7-speed automatic, which will set you back 34,905.The SE Navigation model is better equipped than the American model, though. It comes with 18-inch aluminum wheels, parking sensors, 3-zone climate control, the Discover Navigation infotainment with an 8.0-inch touchscreen display, DAB radio, and navigation... obviously. Volkswagen. Another difference is that the 7-seat configuration is also standard. With all four seats in place, there are 230 liters of trunk space, while folding the back bench results in 700 liters of space.Step up to the Tiguan Allspace SEL, and you will receive the 12.3-inch digital screen in place of the analog dial, as well as sportier front seats with 14-way adjustment, a panoramic sunroof, 19-inch wheels and more. You probably wouldn't enjoy those feature in anything but the top-end version of American Tiguan. So the 32,545 base price of the SEL doesn't sound too bad.The most expensive version of this would be the 39,965 2.0 TDI with 240 HP and 500 Nm of torque. Honestly, that's more power and torque than you would expect from a four-cylinder turbo engine.And finally, the Tiguan Allspace is expected to have an R-Line version in the first quarter of 2018. Bigger wheels, a body kit and sportier design - honestly, it's what everybody wants.
You've probably owned other Toyotas before and are now in need of the largest sedan available on the U.S. market wearing the Japanese company's badge, or you simply like to play it safe and get a reliable, ubiquitous car that you won't have any problems selling when the time comes.In other words, it's precisely what cars need to be: tools we use to serve our purposes that we replace when they no longer meet our requirements. Now that we've written this not very flattering introduction, it's about time we got to the "it's all going to change with the new generation" part.Except it probably won't. Yes, the 2019 Avalon looks like it values styling more than what we've been used with so far from Toyota, and yes, there is a design revolution currently going on at the carmaker, but there are some models where the company can't risk alienating its clients. And going too crazy would do just that.We expect it would settle for something in the middle - not so boring, but not exactly rocking the boat either - which should keep the existing customer base and attract a few new ones as well. The spy shots we've had so far seem to confirm this idea, as does the first teaser released last month which showed the headlight unit of the new model had a pretty Lexusy feel to it.Now, Toyota has released a video teaser for the Avalon's taillights, and even though the shape still shows some influences from the company's luxury brand, the way it functions shows somebody has been watching the German competition as well.The main talking point of the five-second clip is the sequential indicator. Instead of just blinking, the lights will go out gradually from the inside of the car toward the outside, as if blinking on one side or another wasn't enough to suggest which way the driver wants to go. Well, if the clip came two weeks earlier, we could have at least put it on repeat and use it instead of the Christmas lights.
One of an estimated 24 production XKDs delivered in the United Kingdom, #518 is one of as few as two D-Type models delivered in red according to the auction house. And boy, does this blast from the past have the history to match its fine physique and whopping performance!Finished in December 1955 and dispatched to Jaguar-Rover dealership Henlys of Manchester, XKD 518 was sold to Bernie Ecclestone . Indeed, that Bernie who got a taster for motorsports in the late 1940s, and who became the top dog in F1 as the years passed, only to be let off from his position as chief exec of the Formula 1 Group by Liberty Media.A year later, British racing driver Peter Blond saw the car, fell in love with it, and convinced Ecclestone to sell it to him. Blond remembers that Bernie had a small office on Warren Street, a sort of box with a secretary in it. It was already registered KDB 100 when I bought it. It was brand new and was offered to me for 3,500, which was not a bad price as Brian Naylor in Stockport was offering one for 3,750 at about the same time.The current owner bought the car in 2008, and as you can tell from the photo gallery, its a time capsule. Equipped with the original 3.4-liter inline-6 engine and four-speed manual transmission, the short-nose 1955 D-Type develops 250 brake horsepower and 242 pound-feet of torque on full song, enabling a top speed of more than 260 km/h (162 miles per hour).The distinctive livery, owner and racing history, as well as the A+ condition distinguish XKD 518 from its peers, which are good enough reasons to spend that much money on an old heap of aluminum. As a brief refresher, the most expensive D-Type to change hands is the Ecurie Ecosse-raced XKD 501, which sold for $21.78 million. The record for the most expensive British car ever auctioned, however, is $22.6 million and goes to the Aston Martin DBR1
After more than a day of silence, Apple confirmed Thursday that the Mac, iPhone and iPad are all affected by the recently disclosed massive chip vulnerability.

Why it matters: Although the vulnerabilities are at the hardware level, most of the mitigations are being done at the operating system level, putting the onus on companies like Apple, Microsoft and Google. Microsoft and Google have already released and detailed patches for Windows, Chrome OS and Android. (For more on the Meltdown and Spectre, check out our explainer here.)

The company said in an online support document that it has recently added security protections to MacOS and iOS designed to prevent one series of attacks, known as Meltdown, and is working to update Safari to prevent against another type of attack, dubbed Spectre. The Apple Watch is not affected, it said.

Apple said there are no known exploits for the vulnerabilities and said the iOS and MacOS updates "resulted in no measurable reduction in the performance of macOS and iOS" as measured by various benchmark tests.

The current updates to MacOS and iOS protect against Meltdown, but Apple said it will look to incorporate better protections against Spectre-type attacks in future updates to those operating systems.

The bigger immediate threat from Spectre, Apple said, is in the Safari browser. "Analysis of these techniques revealed that while they are extremely difficult to exploit, even by an app running locally on a Mac or iOS device, they can be potentially exploited in JavaScript running in a web browser," Apple said. "Apple will release an update for Safari on macOS and iOS in the coming days to mitigate these exploit techniques."

Apple said its current testing shows little impact on most benchmarks with a 2.5% impact on one test, known as JetStream. "We continue to develop and test further mitigations within the operating system for the Spectre techniques, and will release them in upcoming updates of iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS."
Chinese President Xi Jinping Jan. 3 convened a military mobilization meeting  the first ever for the entire Chinese armed forces. PRC media reports showed Xi in battle dress addressing the troops, looking at a tank, and peering through the sights of an automatic weapon.

"The Chinese military should modernize its buildup and management and focus on becoming an elite fighting force that uses digital technologies, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday" per China Daily.

Quick take: Xi has undertaken the most ambitious reform of the military in decades, and in spite of resistance at the start, he looks to have largely won the political battles over those reforms.

Threat level: In what may have been a warning to the U.S., the China Daily says that after the mobilization meeting Xi inspected a division that fought the U.S. in the Korean War. The paper reports:

Xi viewed pictures of the division's intense battle near the Kaechon region in the Korean Peninsula during the "War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea," aka the Korean War, from 1950 to 1953. He praised the soldiers who fought in it for their valor.

"Our military has always fought with great spirit, Xi said. In the past, we had more spirit than steel. Now we have plenty of equipment, so we need an even tougher and stronger spirit to wield it, he said."

Buildup continues: According to the South China Morning Post, China has started construction on its third aircraft carrier, and per Xinhua the military is outfitting a new 10,000 ton destroyer.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai canceled his speaking appearance at the widely attended Consumer Electronics Show after receiving death threats, according to an FCC official. Details of the threats to Pai remain unclear.

Why it matters: The debate around FCC's move to reverse net neutrality rules drew sharp criticism from net neutrality supporters, including some threats of violence. A bomb threat was reportedly called into the agency before the commissioners voted on the repeal last month  although its origin was not known.

What they're saying: "We look forward to our next opportunity to host a technology policy discussion with him before a public audience," Consumer Technology Association President Gary Shapiro said in a statement sent out about the cancelation. FCC spokesman Brian Hart declined to comment beyond saying Pai would not attend CES. Digital Music News, an industry blog, and Recode earlier reported the circumstances of Pai's decision to cancel on the annual Las Vegas trade show.
Cold wave claims 9 in Tarai

Six people have died in Saptari district as a wave of cold weather continued to shiver people across the country. The toll climbed to six following the death of three more people in the district on Thursday and Friday.
Google's search engine may be banned in China, but it just invested in Chinese mobile game live-streaming company Chushou.

Why it matters: This is Google's latest attempt to be involved in a massive market where its search engine is disallowed. In 2015, it invested in artificial intelligence startup Mobvoi and, this past December, it opened an A.I. lab in Beijing.

Google's interest in Chushou also relates to YouTube, as the startup offers a game broadcast service for gamers.

Other investors in Chushou include Qiming Venture, Shunwei Capital and Alpha X Capital. The company has raised $120 million to date.
Michael Wolff interviews Kellyanne Conway at the Newseum in April. (AP's Carolyn Kaster)

Michael Wolff has tapes to back up quotes in his incendiary book  dozens of hours of them.

Among the sources he taped, I'm told, are Steve Bannon and former White House deputy chief of staff Katie Walsh.

So that's going to make it harder for officials to deny embarrassing or revealing quotes attributed to them in "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," out Tuesday.

to make it harder for officials to deny embarrassing or revealing quotes attributed to them in "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," out Tuesday. In some cases, the officials thought they were talking off the record. But what are they going to do now?

the officials thought they were talking off the record. But what are they going to do now? Although the White House yesterday portrayed Wolff as a poseur, he spent hours at a time in private areas of the West Wing, including the office of Reince Priebus when he was chief of staff.

yesterday portrayed Wolff as a poseur, he spent hours at a time in private areas of the West Wing, including the office of Reince Priebus when he was chief of staff. The White House says Wolff was cleared for access to the West Wing fewer than 20 times.

says Wolff was cleared for access to the West Wing fewer than 20 times. Wolff, a New Yorker, stayed at the Hay Adams Hotel when he came down to D.C., and White House sources frequently crossed Lafayette Park to meet him there.

Part of Wolff's lengthy index entry for Bannon:

Some reporters and officials are calling the book sloppy, and challenging specific passages.

How could Wolff possibly know for sure what Steve Bannon and the late Roger Ailes said at a private dinner?

possibly know for sure what Steve Bannon and the late Roger Ailes said at a private dinner? It turns out Wolff hosted the dinner for six at his Manhattan townhouse.

Get more stories like this by signing up for our daily morning newsletter, Axios AM.
President Trump is so furious about Michael Wolff's book, "Fire and Fury," that some aides are just trying to avoid him. Key aides tried to talk him out of legal threats against the author and Steve Bannon, the key source.

Lawyers laughed: Does Trump really want to give discovery to Michael Wolff?

But Trump was insistent on following a tactic he frequently used in business  rattling cages with lawyers' letters that resulted in no actual legal action.

was insistent on following a tactic he frequently used in business  rattling cages with lawyers' letters that resulted in no actual legal action. His demand that the publisher withhold the book (POTUS needs to see "The Post," with its takeaway on prior restraint) was a publisher's impossible dream that had the predictable effect: more publicity and presales.

that the publisher withhold the book (POTUS needs to see "The Post," with its takeaway on prior restraint) was a publisher's impossible dream that had the predictable effect: more publicity and presales. The publisher issued this statement: "Henry Holt confirms that we received a cease and desist letter from an attorney for President Trump. We see 'Fire and Fury' as an extraordinary contribution to our national discourse, and are proceeding with the publication of the book."

issued this statement: "Henry Holt confirms that we received a cease and desist letter from an attorney for President Trump. We see 'Fire and Fury' as an extraordinary contribution to our national discourse, and are proceeding with the publication of the book." Not only that: "Due to unprecedented demand, we are moving the on-sale date for all formats ... to [today] from the [previous] on-sale date of [next] Tuesday."

"Due to unprecedented demand, we are moving the on-sale date for all formats ... to [today] from the [previous] on-sale date of [next] Tuesday." In D.C., Kramerbooks started selling copies at midnight.

Below is a screenshot of a letter from Trump's lawyer to Wolff and Steve Rubin, president and publisher of Henry Holt:

P.S. WashPost Style front, "Breitbart may see a Bannon backlash," by Paul Farhi:

"The website and its chairman found themselves isolated ... after Bannon's comments ... caused a backlash inside the White House, among rival conservative media outlets and among Trump supporters."

and its chairman found themselves isolated ... after Bannon's comments ... caused a backlash inside the White House, among rival conservative media outlets and among Trump supporters." "Bannon's comments ... prompted a key backer, the billionaire Mercer family, to withdraw financial support for Bannon's political activities. So far, however, the Mercers have not signaled that they will walk away from Breitbart itself, which would be a crippling blow."

Be smart: Key conservatives tell us Bannon could wind up being ousted from Breitbart.
A sticker advertising the use of an Intel processor used inside a laptop in London. Photo by Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images

Despite the revelation of a massive vulnerability affecting more than a decade's worth of chips, Intel says it believes it has the issue well in hand, both for current and future chips.

Why it matters: For the issue not to hit the bottom line, as Intel maintains it won't, the chipmaker needs to keep current customers happy, maintain its market share and ensure future products don't suffer big delays.

In an interview, two of Intel's top technical leaders told Axios that mitigations are place for all three known vulnerabilities and insists it already has a plan in place to protect future chips. (For more on the chip issues, see this explainer.)

Fixes coming: Initial reports suggested the chip problem was exclusively Intel's issue, that systems can't be fully patched and that even those that could be patched would see a substantial performance hit. But Intel insists none of those three things are true.

"We have in place complete mitigations for all three variants," VP Donald Parker told Axios. The company said Thursday that it has firmware updates for half the chips made in the last five years and will have mitigations for 90 percent of those chips by the end of next week.

"We will continue to work on products older than that," Parker said, though at a certain point the company says it will gauge demand to figure out how far back to offer fixes.

Performance concerns overblown: While there can be specific instances where the necessary updates slow performance, Intel reiterated that typical users shouldn't see much of a performance impact and pointed to comments from Google, Microsoft and others that seem to bear that out.

Future chips not impacted: Parker said that the company has been designing upcoming chips with changes that will help protect against attacks without giving up entirely on "speculative execution", the technology at the heart of the vulnerability.

That's important because speculative execution has proven to be an important technique for making the best use of a chip's processing power.

The technique lets chips use excess computing power to essentially play what-if  calculating next steps that might or might not be called for later.

Giving up the technique entirely would likely result in slower performance since the chips would spend more time idle.

Making the changes, Parker said, shouldn't cause any significant delays or product cancellations. He said the techniques used to protect against the vulnerability in the new products will be more efficient than the software-based mitigations being used to secure existing ones.

But, but but: Intel says it has been looking around for other, similar vulnerabilities. So far it hasn't found any, but Intel fully expects that outside researchers will be studying if other types of attacks can be crafted using the recently revealed vulnerabilities.

"That's what they do," says Intel corporate VP Stephen Smith.

Stock sale: Also Intel CEO Brian Krzanich is facing renewed scrutiny over millions of dollars of stock sales made last year, after Intel was made aware of the vulnerabilities.
"2017 turned out to be the global economy's best year since 2010, according to the International Monetary Fund, and 2018 looks even better," the WashPost's David Lynch writes:

The takeaway: "Investors and corporate executives ... have learned to cope with an unpredictable president, often by ignoring his most provocative statements ... the contrast between Trump's inflammatory rhetoric and the placid economic scene is striking..."

The big picture : "Economics dominated politics last year outside the United States, too. In Europe, fears that ascendant populism in Britain, Poland, and Hungary would destabilize the E.U. proved exaggerated. And in Asia, prosperity surged despite rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula."

: "Economics dominated politics last year outside the United States, too. In Europe, fears that ascendant populism in Britain, Poland, and Hungary would destabilize the E.U. proved exaggerated. And in Asia, prosperity surged despite rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula." What's next: "[S]ome foreign executives are acting on concerns that the president may finally erect barriers against countries that sell more to the United States than they buy. ... Japanese companies [including] Toyota ... have stepped up investments in U.S.-based research, production and distribution."

N.Y. Times Quote of the Day ... From a front-page James Stewart "Common Sense" column, "The Dow Hits 25,000: The Party Will End One Day, but When?":
Extremely massive stars may be more abundant in at least one corner of the universe than astronomers have previously thought, according to new research published today in the Science. The finding, if confirmed elsewhere in the cosmos, could change our understanding about the evolution of galaxies, how these stars brought the universe came out of its dark period, the number of supernovae and the occurrence of black hole mergers in the universe.

"These stars and black holes are responsible for converting the universe into the state we see today," says lead author Fabian Schneider from the University of Oxford. "It is important to know how many progenitor stars may have been out in the universe."

How they did it: Using the Very Large Telescope, astronomers observed about 900 stars in 30 Doradus, a star nursery in the Tarantula Nebula that is part of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a galaxy neighboring our own Milky Way. The proximity of 30 Doradus was key because individual stars could be resolved and the distance of the stars was known so their brightness could be calculated, says Schneider.

They analyzed the spectra of the stars to determine their temperature, the acceleration due to gravity on their surface and other information about the stars that allowed them to calculate their mass. By comparing those parameters to theoretical models, they then calculated the age of the stars.

What they found: Focusing on the most massive stars  those 15200 times the mass of our Sun, they discovered about 1/3 more stars above 30 solar masses than predicted by some star formation models. Other theories have suggested massive stars may be more prevalent than astronomers thought but this is "the first observational hint" that this may be the case, says Schneider.

Ponder this: The diameter of 30 Doradus is 600700 light years. If you put it at same distance to Earth as the Orion nebula (about 1300 light years away), Schneider calculates it would cover 60 full moons of the night sky. It would be so bright it would cast shadows.

Go deeper: Charles Choi at Space.com has more details.
The AP reports that "North Korea has agreed to hold high-level talks with South Korea next Tuesday."

Why it matters: South Korea proposed the talks earlier this week, primarily focusing on the Olympics and any military drills, after Kim Jong-un struck a softer-than-expected line in a New Years address. Per Axios' Shannon Vavra, this will be the first official dialogue between North and South Korea since last year.

Go deeper: Trump took credit for the planned dialogue.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, will unveil a carbon tax proposal in his address to the state Tuesday, local media reported Thursday.

Why it matters outside of that Washington: The debate, while unique to the Evergreen State, is also emblematic of the struggles any effort to push a federal carbon would face. Washington state voters opposed a ballot measure that would have created a carbon tax in 2016. That effort failed partly due to disagreements among environmental groups and others about what to do with the revenue raised from a tax: return it to taxpayers or use it to fund specific policy priorities. That's a question sure to drive any national carbon tax debate.

Driving the news: Inslee said in early December that he plans to use at least some of the revenue from the proposed carbon tax to fund education. The plan would need to pass the state legislature, which Democrats recently gained control of.

Some levels deeper: I spoke with Inslee on the sidelines of the United Nations climate-change conference in Bonn, Germany in November about this topic and others. He rejected the notion that the ballot measure failed due to disagreements over how to spend the money, and expressed optimism for his push this year. Excerpts:

On the failed ballot measure in 2016: "The initiative was poorly conceived and poorly drawn."

"The initiative was poorly conceived and poorly drawn." On the environmental groups agreeing on the carbon tax policy: "The environmental community is now engaged in looking at an initiative for next fall if the legislature is unable to move forward in the next session in January and February to further climate action. They're doing a good job of having an alliance. I've spoken to them on several occasions."

"The environmental community is now engaged in looking at an initiative for next fall if the legislature is unable to move forward in the next session in January and February to further climate action. They're doing a good job of having an alliance. I've spoken to them on several occasions." On what to do with any revenue raised from a price on carbon emissions: "We have several needs associated with climate. We have to have a fund to fight forest fires and help manage better forests health that have been ravaged by effects of climate change."

"We have several needs associated with climate. We have to have a fund to fight forest fires and help manage better forests health that have been ravaged by effects of climate change." He indicated he's not going to push a policy that returns revenue to directly taxpayers: "The people feel if they're going to make an investment in a revenue source, they want to see some action."

Go even deeper:
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers his New Year wishes to the press at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on Jan. 3, 2018. Photo: Ludovic Marin / AFP / Getty Images

French President Emmanuel Macron's push for a law to battle "fake news" looks like a tough stand against Russia. Macron himself was the victim of a Russian disinformation campaign during last year's election season, and he earned praise for calling the Russian outlets RT and Sputnik "agencies of influence and propaganda" during his first meeting with Putin.

But while Macron has styled himself as a defender of Western democracy, his government has sought closer economic ties with Russia, despite EU and U.S. sanctions and Russia's continued support for the war in Ukraine.

France is already the biggest foreign investor in Russia, where French firms have 170,000 employees and send over $5 billion in exports. Macron seems set to double down on his pivot to Russia in May, when he is expected to launch a renewed economic agenda at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russia's Davos.

Why it matters: Economic sanctions are only as strong as the EU block's weakest link, and Macron's overtures to Russia give other nations an excuse to follow suit. But he can't have it both ways: Being tough on Russia for its bad behavior means putting your money where your mouth is.

Alina Polyakova is the David M. Rubenstein Fellow for Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution.
Kim Jong-un delivered his 2018 New Year's speech at an undisclosed location, as seen in this picture from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. Photo: AFP / KCNA via KNS

Kim Jong-un's New Year's speech, in which he boasted about a nuclear launch button on his desk, mixed bluster toward the U.S. with overtures to South Korea. While threatening an attack, he also offered enticements around inter-Korean talks, aiming to split Seoul off from its allies on sanctions by exploiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in's anxieties around next month's winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

In the past, Pyongyang's pattern has been to escalate tensions, offer minor conciliations, collect concessions, and repeat the process. The key to breaking this unproductive cycle and compelling North Korea into credible negotiations over its nuclear program  the purpose of the sanctions  is unity among allies. South Korea certainly has unique stakes, but engagement will not end well if Seoul parts company with Washington and Tokyo.

Given North Korea's aggressive posture, a military response can't be ruled out, which is why the U.S. has kept 28,000 troops on the Korean Peninsula. Nevertheless, the high costs of military action make diplomacy the preferred route.

The bottom line: Testing Kim's willingness to engage with the South and forego provocations through the Olympics makes sense, but bribing Pyongyang in exchange for "good" behavior would be a mistake.

Daniel Russel is the diplomat in residence at the Asia Society Policy Institute and a former U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs.
Conflict victims want their personal details secured

Conflict victims have demanded the transitional justice bodies not to disclose their private details for the sake of their safety.
5 January 2018 10:14 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

For many families in Armenia the New Year has long ceased to be a holiday but a heavy burden. Armenian media note that in conditions where about a third of the countrys population live in poverty, peoples attempt to properly celebrate the New Year turns into a huge headache.

Armenian monopolists further complicate the situation of the population  taking the opportunity, they bid up food prices by the New Year. Poor population often has to take loans to duly celebrate the holiday. Naturally, many of them are unable to repay the loans on time. Armenian media note that as of October 2017, the amount of overdue loans in the country made up about $73 million, while the extended loans amounted to $253 million.

Despite the low ability to pay and the rising unemployment, Armenians still continue to take loans since they have no other choice. Thus, consumer loans are growing. The amount of loans taken in 2017 increased by almost six times compared with 2016. The amount of consumer loans issued to residents was $860 million in November 2015, $885 million in November 2016 , and it already exceeded $1 billion in November 2017.

Thus, more and more people in Armenia owe debt. If we add to this the state debt of the country, the debt burden per capita becomes insufferable. Economists note that every Armenian citizen owes almost $2,500.

The preliminary data says that the ratio of the state debt to GDP made up more than 55 percent at the end of 2017. The state debt of Armenia increased by $108 million to $6.4 billion in November. In the current growth rate of the state debt, in 20 years, every resident of Armenia will owe the world about $10,000.

Thus, the Armenian population and the government, unable to fix the situation, continue to live in debt. Obviously, this will lead to the total collapse in the economy of Armenia unless necessary measures are taken and that promises to bring poverty not to only a third part, but to the whole Armenian population consequently.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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5 January 2018 10:03 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 125 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on January 5.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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5 January 2018 17:34 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

While congratulating the Armenian people in his New Years message, the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan was so excited that he did not notice how his lies became even more unrealistic than before.

The Armenian leader said that the past year has become a year of large-scale economic growth, achievements in all areas, growth of peoples prosperity, etc. In the meantime, Armenian media write that the spending on culture, education and medicine in the country is declining, despite Sargsyan and other officials statements about the alleged economic growth.

In this regard, Armenian theatre figure Ruben Babayans recent interview to ARKA news agency is worth noting.

The situation when the highest rostrum announces about economic growth recorded in Armenia, whilst reduces the financing of such sectors as education, medicine and culture for 2018, seems at least paradoxical, he noted.

In accordance with Armenias budget for 2018, the Ministry of Culture is provided with $55.27 million, while the figure was $59.41 million in 2017.

Babayan noted that he sees a purposeful policy in the reduction of funding for these sectors.

The government adopted a policy of reducing everything that does not bring profit. But art, culture, medicine and education are those sectors that bring revenue in the long term, and their reduction will have a negative impact on the development of society as a whole, he said.

Armenia, in contrast, increased spending on defense for 2018, whereas this sector produces nothing to improve the well-being of Armenias population. Meanwhile, Armenia is the first most militarized country in Europe and third in the world, according to the Global Militarization Index 2017 analysis. The question arises why does the Armenian government unwisely increase spending on defense when there are dozens of other sectors that are dying and need funding?

In addition, during the past two years there was no increase of pensions in the country and the state budget for 2018 also does not include this. In a nutshell, the Armenian government has again chosen wrong proportions of financing sectors of the countrys economy, and it will be foolish to expect that with such mismanagement, Armenia will achieve serious economic growth in 2018.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 January 2018 15:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

The Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Saudi Arabia, Rasim Rzayev, paid a business visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

During the visit, Rzayev met with Deputy Foreign Minister of Bahrain Abdullah bin Ahmad Al Khalifah, Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism Zayed bin Rashid Alzayani, Minister of Interior Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa and Chairman of Chamber of Commerce and Industry Khalid ibn Abdulrahman Al-Moayyed.

The Deputy Foreign Minister of Bahrain expressed satisfaction with the level of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Bahrain, and stressed the high level of political relations.

At the meeting with the Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism, the sides exchanged views on the development of trade and tourism cooperation between the countries, as well as the organization of direct flights between Baku and Manama.

In accordance with the decree of President Ilham Aliyev, since February 2016, the procedure for obtaining a visa to Azerbaijan for citizens of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf has been simplified.

The main sphere of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Arab countries is tourism.

In all international airports of Azerbaijan, a simplified visa processing system was introduced, which caused a growth of the tourist flow mainly from Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and other countries.

The sides pointed out that the issuance of electronic visas for Bahrain will promote cooperation between the two countries in the field of tourism.

At the meeting with the Chairman of Chamber of Commerce and Industry, issues of cooperation between the chambers of commerce and industry of Azerbaijan and Bahrain, development of relations between the companies of the two countries in the field of agriculture, food industry were discussed.

Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Bahrain Kingdom was established in November, 1996.

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5 January 2018 13:53 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The function of childrens safe access to the Internet will be integrated into the Butterfly mobile browser, the project manager Shamkhal Huseynli told Trend on January 5.

He said that work is currently underway to include this feature in the application, and this may happen in one of the updates of the distribution kit in 2018.

The service of filtering unwanted Internet content will protect the younger generation from the influence of undesirable sites through restricting access to certain digital content, such as web pages containing information for adults, gambling, obscene language, information promoting violence, etc. Children will be able to use only sites that contain only useful information.

The Butterfly browser has built in adBlocker, which blocks annoying ads. It is activated through the settings of the application, Huseynli said.

Also, the advantage of the distribution kit is its small volume  less than one megabyte, which is significantly less compared to Firefox and Chrome, he added.

The mobile browser operates on devices running Android OS. Currently, the number of the browser downloads exceeds 50,000.

Huseynli noted that attraction of additional funding is envisaged for the development of the project. Therefore, it is planned to apply to the State Fund for Development of Information Technologies under Azerbaijans Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies.

Nowadays, children start their acquaintance with high technology and the Internet from early infancy. Adults must realize the psychological danger the Internet use can pose, and therefore, they must use all means to prevent this danger.

It is noteworthy that in Azerbaijan, the population, including children, is highly computerized. Today, the number of Internet users in the country exceeded 7.8 million, accounting for about 78.2 percent of the countrys population, according to Statistical project Internet World Stats. Azerbaijan ranks first among the countries of Post-Soviet region for the level of broadband internet penetration.

Therefore, there is a need to develop the safe Internet concept among the Azerbaijani Internet users.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 January 2018 17:46 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

Azerbaijan doesnt import poultry meat and its products from the Kostroma region of Russia, where bird flu was detected, so there is no need to impose a ban on the imports of these products.

Yolchu Khanvali, head of the press service of the State Veterinary Control Service under the Agriculture Ministry of Azerbaijan told Trend that Azerbaijan imports poultry meat and its products from Turkey, Brazil and Ukraine, and eggs from Ukraine and Turkey.

Azerbaijan imposed a temporary ban on the import of poultry meat and its products after bird flu was detected in March-April last year in Moscow and the surrounding areas.

Russia exports to Azerbaijan mainly food products and agricultural raw materials, metals and metal products, machinery, equipment and vehicles, timber and pulp and paper products, chemical products, mineral products.

Russia is the main market for Azerbaijani fruit and vegetable products, accounting for 90 percent of exports of fruits and vegetables.

Even in winter Azerbaijan exports tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and eggplants grown in greenhouses to Russia.

Azerbaijan is one of the main economic partners of Russia among the CIS countries. Interregional cooperation plays an important role in the development of Russian-Azerbaijani trade and economic relations and the increase in trade turnover.

At present, enterprises of 71 regions of the Russian Federation cooperate directly with Azerbaijan. Fifteen regions of Russia have relevant agreements with Azerbaijan on trade and economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation.

The trade turnover between Russia and Azerbaijan amounted to almost $951.32 million in January-June 2017.

Moreover, Azerbaijan will open its first Trade House in Russia in Arkhangelsk region.

Trade houses in foreign countries will facilitate the export process, promote an export of competitive Azerbaijani production and enable the countries to expand trade operations.

Azerbaijans first Trade House was opened in the Belarusian capital Minsk, on May 26.

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5 January 2018 12:38 (UTC+04:00)

By Aygul Salmanova

Ganja, one of the three largest in size and population of Azerbaijani cities, is famous for its rich historical and natural heritage, which makes it the largest tourist center of Azerbaijan.

An open sky archaeological museum on the 3,300 years old remains of the Bronze Age exploring the history of Ganja and discovered in the area of the Heydar Aliyev Park complex will be created, said Academician-Secretary of Ganja Department of ANAS Fuad Aliyev told Azertac.

Aliyev said that a large group of scientists from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of ANAS was involved in the field for investigations in 2015 with the support of Ganja City Executive Power.

As a result of preliminary investigations 62 mounds were registered in the city. Four of these mounds were involved in scientific research last year by the decision of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography. First, archaeological excavations have been started in the No. 1 mound. During the research, human skeletons and numerous material and cultural samples were discovered.

Noting that archaeological excavations continue in the territory of Heydar Aliyev Park Complex of Ganja by expedition group of archaeologists, Aliyev said that after the completion of the research, it is planned to set up an open sky archaeological museum.

Ganja is an ancient city in the west of Azerbaijan, which played a big role in the history of the whole country. There are different points of view about the history of the formation of the second capital of Azerbaijan. Some refer the foundation of the city to the period BC, while others relate it to the beginning of the Middle Ages.

According to the scientific research conducted recently, Ganja has existed for more than 4 millennia. The funds of the local lore museum - craft items, samples of local ancient ceramics, precious stones that were discovered in the valley of the Ganja-chay river - helped to make this amazing discovery. All these artifacts were sent to the famous Alexandria Library and the Archaeological Center of Egypt for analysis in 2013.

Shortly before that, the age of the ancient settlement of Ganja was also investigated by specialists from the Smithsonian Institution of the United States. As a result of the research, archaeologists have found that the first urban settlement in the territory of Ganja was built at least 4,000 years ago.

All these discoveries are sensational in nature, since more recently it was believed that the age of Ganja is no more than 2,500 years.

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5 January 2018 11:36 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Azerbaijan' President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order on construction of Afatli-Hajiturali-Hasankhanli road in Aghdam district.

Under the order, 2 million manats are allocated from the state budget for construction of the road connecting seven residential areas with a total population of 5,000 people.

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5 January 2018 15:21 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Azerbaijan's delegation to PACE will include new members, before participating in the January session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), said Samad Seyidov, head of Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation, the Azerbaijani Parliament told Trend Jan. 5.

He noted that this is an ordinary process adopted in the PACE member countries.

The new delegation includes MPs Ulviya Agayeva, Elshad Hasanov and Asim Mollazade. Former members of the delegation Elhan Suleymanov, Elshan Musayev and Muslim Mammadov will continue their activities in other areas of the sphere of international parliamentary relations.

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5 January 2018 13:40 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

OPECs oil production remained stable in December ahead of another year of production cuts in full accordance with the OPEC+.

Fourteen members of the cartel in December produced 32.47 million barrels per day, 12 OPEC members, bound by the obligations to limit production, in December fulfilled the terms of the transaction by 121 percent, as in the previous month.

Saudi Arabia, the largest oil exporter in OPEC, reduced production by 20,000 barrels per day in December - up to 9.95 million barrels per day.

Today, oil prices have changed slightly, remaining at the highest levels in three years due to signals of another reduction in the U.S. fuel inventories.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $61.81 a barrel. That was 0.3 percent, below their last close. WTI hit a $62.21 the previous day, which was its strongest since May, 2015.

Brent crude futures were at $67.88 a barrel, 0.3 percent, below their last settlement. Brent hit $68.27 the day before, also the highest since May, 2015, according to Reuters.

The U.S. Energy Department reported that the U.S. oil inventories fell by 7.4 million barrels last week. Experts interviewed by S & P Global Platts, on average, expected a decrease of 5.7 million barrels.

Gasoline stocks in the U.S. increased by 4.8 million barrels, distillates by 8.9 million barrels. Analysts estimated a weekly increase in gasoline stocks of 2 million barrels, distillates - 1.3 million barrels.

Experts are concerned about the situation in Iran, where at the mass protests against the Iranian leadership and the difficult economic situation in the country, killed at least 20 people.

Tensions in Iran have caused fears of a reduction in oil production in this country, writes MarketWatch.

The situation in Iran is unpredictable, and if the riots continue or intensify, we can expect an oil price increase of at least $1 per barrel, said Long Leaf Trading Group analyst Scott Gekas.

In December 2016, OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached their first deal since 2001 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices. OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 1.

Non-OPEC oil producers such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce oil output by 558,000 barrels per day, including Russia by 300,000 barrels per day, starting from January 1, 2017 for six months, extendable for another six months.

OPEC and its allies reached an agreement on prolongation of the deal until the end of 2018 on November 30 in Vienna.

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EC could seek deal on declaring poll results

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has suggested that the Election Commission pave way for the victorious parties to form a new government by presenting the results of the elections at the earliest.
5 January 2018 10:44 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

As part of the fight against the "Islamic State" (IS) terrorist group, 5,600 foreign mercenaries were deported from Turkey, the Turkish media quoted the countrys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying on January 5.

Erdogan said that 54,000 people were banned from entering the country as part of the fight against the IS.

Turkey will continue to fight against the IS, he added.

On December 1, 62 foreigners, who are members of the IS terrorist group, were detained in Istanbul.

The Istanbul police said that 117 operations were conducted in Istanbul against the IS members from August 2016 to August 2017, as a result of which over 1,000 people were detained.

It was also reported that 940 people were deported from Turkey as part of the fight against the IS during the reporting period.

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5 January 2018 11:59 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Uzbekistan introduced the renewed Commodity Nomenclature for Foreign Economic Activity on January 1.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev earlier signed the Decree on Introduction of the 2017 Commodity Nomenclature for Foreign Economic Activity.

The document notes that the World Customs Organization made changes and additions to the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding Systems (HS), which came into force in 2017.

Thus, President Mirziyoyev put the 2017 Commodity Nomenclature for Foreign Economic Activity - developed on the basis of the updated HS - into effect on Jan. 1, 2018.

Uzbek foreign trade turnover for the first nine months of 2017 grew 16.7 percent compared to the previous year and amounted to about $20 billion.

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5 January 2018 12:25 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has slammed US President Donald Trump over his remarks expressing support and respect for protesters in the Islamic Republic.

Trump had earlier said that protesters would see a great support from the US.

Iran saw turmoil and political unrests over the past week, which took the lives of at least 22, including security forces.

The unrests began after some groups joined demonstrations in a number of cities, including the capital Tehran, Mashhad and Kermanshah to protest against high prices, but the economic protests soon turned into anti-government demonstrations.

The government officials have urged people to refrain from participating in the illegal protests.

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5 January 2018 11:25 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Uzbekistan will purchase 5,778 units of equipment for agricultural needs of the country in the first half of 2018.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree On additional measures to further improve the technical equipment of agriculture on January 4.

The document notes that the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources jointly with Uzagrotehsanoatholding JSC determined the primary need for the supply of modern arable and tilled tractors, combine harvesters, plows, seeders and other agricultural equipment for the spring agrotechnical work in 2018 in the amount of only 5,778 units, including 758 arable tractors, 1,500 tilled tractors, 330 horticultural tractors.

In addition, 2,790 units of hinged and trailed agricultural machinery, as well as 400 combine harvesters will be also purchased, according to the decree.

In particular, it is planned to purchase John Deere, Belarus, T-7060, T-6070 tractors, CASE, Vector, Dominator 130 grain harvesters, plows, seeders, sprayers, cultivators, etc.

The delivery of agricultural equipment is carried out at the expense of credits of Agrobank, own funds of farms and machine and tractor parks, as well as loans provided to machine and tractor parks from Uzagrotehsanoatholding and Uzagroservis.

The Uzbek leader recommended Agrobank to issue loans to farms and machine and tractor parks that are part of Uzagroservis JSC for a period of 10 years at a rate of 5 percent per annum under security (guarantee, pledge of property) of Uzagrotehsanoatholding and organizations in its composition.

Uzbekistan's economy depends heavily on agricultural production. Last year the volume of gross agricultural production in Uzbekistan reached 47.4 trillion soums. As of January 1, 2017, the number of operating farms exceeded 132,000 and dekhkan farms - 4.7 million.

In total, 8.2 million tons of grain, 2.9 million tons of potatoes, 11.2 million tons of vegetables, over 3 million tons of fruits and berries, 1.7 million tons of grapes, 2 million tons of melons and 2.9 million tons of raw cotton were produced in the country last year.

Because of the risks associated with a one-crop economy as well as from considerations of food security for the population, Uzbekistan has been trying to diversify its production of other agricultural products, while reducing cotton production.

The Central Asian nation intends to decrease production and public procurement of raw cotton up to 3 million tons by 2020.

Thus, Uzbekistan aims to increase production of grain crops up to 8.5 million tons with the growth rate of 16.4 percent by 2020 due to optimization of lands and introduction of modern agriculture technologies. It is also planned to increase production of potatoes by 35 percent, other vegetables by 30 percent, fruits and grapes 21.5 percent, meat by 26.2 percent, milk by 47.3 percent, eggs by 74.5 percent and fish by 2.5 times.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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5 January 2018 14:22 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Uzbekistan has reduced the excise tax on cars of GM Uzbekistan by 5.4 times.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a resolution "On the forecast of the main macroeconomic indicators and parameters of the State Budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2018" on December 29, 2017.

According to the document, the tax rate of the excise tax on cars of GM Uzbekistan in 2018 will amount to 5 percent.

At the beginning of 2017, the rate of the excise tax on passenger cars of GM Uzbekistan was 29 percent. Last summer, the excise rate was reduced by 2 percentage points to 27 percent.

Excise tax refers to an indirect type of taxation imposed on the manufacture, sale or use of certain types of goods and products.

GM Uzbekistan, formerly known as UzDaewooAuto, was created in 1996 on a parity basis by Uzbekistan and South Korean Daewoo Motors.

In 2005, Uzbekistan acquired Daewoo's shares in UzDaewooAuto. In 2007, Uzavtoprom (Uzbek Association of Automotive Industry Enterprises) and the U.S.-based General Motors signed an agreement to establish the GM Uzbekistan with an authorized capital of $266.7 million.

General Motors owns 25 percent shares in the GM Uzbekistan plus one share with a possibility of increasing it to 40 percent. At the moment, 75 percent of the shares belong to the UzAvtosanoat.

Currently, 10 Chevrolet and Ravon car models are being produced at three production sites of the company.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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5 January 2018 12:25 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan transferred his powers to Speaker of Turkish parliament Ismail Kahraman, says a message posted on the website of the countrys official newspaper Resmi Gazete.

According to the message, such a decision was made in connection with Erdogans visit to France on January 5.

During the visit, Presidents of Turkey and France, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Emmanuel Macron, will discuss regional issues, as well as the issue of declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the situation in Iraq, Syria and Iran, as well as relations between Turkey and the EU.

The two sides also intend to sign an agreement in the military sphere.

It is expected that Turkey and Eurosam consortium will sign an agreement on purchase and sale of Aster-30 Block 1NT long-range missile.

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5 January 2018 15:15 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Uzbekistans State Tourism Committee intends to intensify work on creating and promoting the logos of the country's regional tourist brands.

Each region of Uzbekistan should be recognized in the tourism market. An important step in this direction is the creation of logos of tourist brands in the regions. They will be created in the near future for all places that are attractive for the development of tourism. The process of creating them has already begun. Unfortunately, it was not successful in all regions. In some cases, for one reason or another, it was necessary to take a decision on the cancellation of the approved logo, the committee said.

The starting point of a new stage of this process will be an inventory, during which it is worthwhile to look again at the real state of affairs. As a result, for those places of tourist pilgrimage, where there are no logos, those will be created. Other logos will be assessed in terms of their compliance with the established requirements.

After that, a nationwide competition will be announced for the development of tourist brands of the regions based on the approved single tourism and investment brand of Uzbekistan.

When developing the logos of regional brands, on the one hand, attention will be paid to the provision of a unified style, and on the other - each of them will reflect the tourist features of the region, its history, cultural diversity and other individual factors of the terrain.

At the state level, the promotion of logos and, along with it, regional tourism brands will be encouraged.

According to the State Committee for the Development of Tourism, it is currently planned to develop standards for the provision of privileges and preferences to producers of souvenirs and packaging products, which place advertisement of the tourist brand of Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan, being home to Bukhara, Khiva and Samarkand  three cities considered jewels along the Old Silk Road trade routes that used to connect Europe and Asia, enjoys a large number of tourists. Thousands of tourists visit the cities every year.

There are many types of tourism being offered in Uzbekistan: historical and cultural tourism, ethnic tourism, adventure tourism, ecological tourism and health tourism.

The tourist infrastructure in recent years has been raised to a fairly high level. In particular, 1,176 tourist organizations, including 621 tour operators, 555 hotel farms, successfully operate in Uzbekistan. An extensive network of hotels for more than 25,000 seats meet modern international standards.

Over the past nine months, about 1.8 million tourists have visited Uzbekistan, which is 17 percent more than in the same period of last year. At the same time, exports of tourism services grew by 17 percent.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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5 January 2018 17:59 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

China will introduce limits on exports of crude oil, refined oil products, steel and other metals to North Korea within the framework of implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2397, the countrys Commerce Ministry reported on January 5.

This measure will come into force on January 6, according to the message.

Starting from December 23, 2017 till December 22, 2018, within 12 months, the export of oil of each UN member state should not exceed 4 million barrels or 525,000 tons of oil, the document said.

In addition, exports of refined oil are also limited. So, from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018, according to the requirements of the resolution, the export of refined oil cannot exceed 500,000 tons.

The move comes after the UN Security Council unanimously voted in favor of new penalties on North Korea for its recent ballistic missile test, aiming to limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil.

It also follows an agreement to hold official talks North Korea and South Korea next week which will be the first such contact in more than two years.

China, which has constantly called on the parties to talks in order to ease tensions, was pleased with such a decision.

China welcomes and supports North Korea and South Korea taking earnest efforts to treat this as an opportunity to improve mutual relations, promote the alleviation of the situation on the Korean peninsula and realize denuclearisation on the peninsula, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

The active phase of the crisis on the Korean peninsula began in August 2017, when Pyongyang tested ballistic missiles and announced the successful testing of the hydrogen bomb.

Since then a number of international sanctions were applied to North Korea. However, they havent proved to be effective by now.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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Evolent Health acquired assets from New Mexico Health Connections, which will allow the companies to operate a new health plan.

Here are five things to know:

1. The acquisition was first announced on Sept. 27 and closed on Jan. 2. Evolent acquired assets related to New Mexico Health Connection's commercial business for $10.25 million in cash.

2. The acquisition resulted in a managed service organization called True Health New Mexico, which will serve as an alternative health plan in the New Mexico commercial market. Former NMHC CEO, and current True Health New Mexico CEO, Dr. Martin Hickey said, "Working with our physician partners, we will continue to deliver differentiated care to our members and see multiple potential opportunities to grow True Health New Mexico."

3. NMHC expects to continue operations as an independent nonprofit healthcare organization in New Mexico while True Health New Mexico will enter into managed service agreements with NMHC to support its individual business.

4. Evolent expects to extend a 15-month capital-only reinsurance agreement to NMHC, predicted to reach around $10 million, with True Health New Mexico underwriting the contract.

5. As of Dec. 31, 2017, True Health New Mexico covered just under 20,000 members.
Rochester, N.H.-based Frisbie Memorial Hospital delayed billing patients for more than 10 months as it rolled out a new medical records system, Foster's reports.

Here's what you should know:

1. The hospital delayed sending out 10,000-plus bills, while it implemented its new medical records system. Fisbie's President John Marzinzik said the delay was by design to ensure all the bills were accurate while the new system was being installed.

2. Hospital staff members sent an anonymous letter to Foster's outlining concerns about the hospital's finances and its administration. The staff members specifically criticized the over-budget and delayed implementation of the hospital's new $13.5 million Meditech system.

3. In the letter, the administrators also reference the hospital's recent decision to close Skyhaven Surgery Center in Rochester. The hospital closed the center as a "business decision."

4. In addition to closing the surgery center, the hospital suspended employees' holiday bonuses and stopped matching 403(b) plan contributions.

5. Frisbee's Medical Executive Committee President Shannon Nedelka, MD, sent a separate letter to Foster's saying not all hospital staff members share the anonymous group's concerns.
'Everyone should take blame if nation fails to provide momentum to development'

CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that everyone should take the blame if the country fails to provide momentum to development works and prosperity.
Children's Hospital of New Orleans will construct a 50-bed Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Center as part of its $300 million systemwide expansion and renovation project, according to the New Orleans Advocate.

The plans call for constructing a new behavioral health center at the hospital's State Street campus in a space currently used for parking. Construction on the health center is expected to finish in fall of 2019.

"Childrens hospitals across the nation are struggling to meet the demands of child and adolescent behavioral health," John Nickens IV, president and CEO of Children's Hospital, told the Advocate. "When construction is complete, what Childrens Hospital in New Orleans will offer in terms of behavioral health will be among the best in the entire nation."

The $300 million project also includes renovating the main hospital building, constructing a new outpatient pavilion and expanding the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit.
Claim denials continue to be a problem area for hospitals as they seek to improve revenue cycle performance.

This is evidenced by the Advisory Board's 2017 revenue cycle benchmarks, which revealed the average 350-bed hospital saw denial write-offs increase from $3.9 million in 2011 to $7 million last year.

To address the problem of increasing denials, healthcare organizations should focus on categorizing claims by type, as well as success of appeals, according to Kemberton, which provides specialized revenue cycle management and revenue recovery services.

Kemberton President Brandon Rife provided four tips for lowering claim denial rates.

1. Don't wait to identify denials. The earlier a hospital identifies denials, the greater chance they have to resolve the issue. However, hospitals still struggle to identify denials early enough to be effective, according to Mr. Rife. This could be due to lack of technology or not being familiar with coding from the payer.

As a solution, Mr. Rife recommends hospitals develop a clear understanding of types of denials, such as technical and medical necessity, and categorize them in a way that is logistically easy to understand. That way accounts are routed appropriately and claims don't stay in accounts receivable too long for the appeals process.

"If a hospital lets an account age in their receivables, they can quickly let six months lapse and any rights to appeal the denial can go by the wayside," says Mr. Rife. "So timely and early identification is important, whether that's dedicating a team to it or spending money on software to help them identify and then categorize the types of denials the hospital is seeing."

2. Track denial appeals. Mr. Rife also recommends hospitals keep an eye on each denial appeal to see if it is successful. Then organizations can build on those successes. "Know what you're good at, know the payers you're having success with and go back  and identify the accounts that are denying with that payer with that same issue ," he says. "Don't do appeals in a fragmented, disconnected environment. Do it where there's a reported methodology where the hospital is benefiting from the knowledge that group of people doing appeals is gaining."

3. Dedicate employees to claim denial work. Hospitals may have employees who work on claim denials but also do other things besides appeals. Mr. Rife said hospitals should instead optimize the people working claims, allow them to become a subject matter expert in that area, and [allow employees] to build a knowledge base from what they've learned. "The hospital will benefit from it. That subject matter, that knowledge that they [the employees] gain won't walk out the door," he says.

4. Bring in nontraditional hospital employees. Hospitals, particularly those in smaller geographic areas, shouldn't be afraid to bring in some nontraditional hospital employees, such as a paralegal or attorney, to help with the denial appeal process, according to Mr. Rife. He says these nontraditional hospital employees are good at advocating, which is essentially what appeals are. "It's advocating for the hospital. It's crafting an argument in a light most favorable to the patient and the hospital to get the insurance company to do what they were supposed to do and indemnify the patient," he says. "You can find great business office staff, but if you look at nontraditional hospital employees like paralegals and attorneys, they may give your business office an additional resource that traditionally you're not going to have access to."

More articles on healthcare finance:

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The following hospital and health system credit rating and outlook changes and affirmations took place in the last week, beginning with the most recent.

1. Fitch affirms 'BBB+' rating on Catholic Health Initiatives, resolves rating watch evolving

Fitch Ratings affirmed its "BBB+" rating on Englewood, Colo.-based Catholic Health Initiatives and removed the health system from rating watch evolving, affecting $5.7 billion of outstanding debt.

2. Moody's downgrades FirstHealth of the Carolinas to 'A1'

Moody's Investors Service downgraded Pinehurst, N.C.-based FirstHealth of the Carolinas to "A1" from "Aa3," affecting $53 million of rated debt.

3. Moody's affirms 'A2' on Heritage Valley Health System

Moody's Investors Service affirmed its "A2" rating on Beaver, Pa.-based Heritage Valley Health System's outstanding debt, affecting $48.7 million of debt.

4. Moody's revises Holy Redeemer Health System's outlook to negative

Moody's Investors Service affirmed its "Baa3" rating on Meadowbrook, Pa.-based Holy Redeemer Health System, affecting $46 million of debt.

5. S&P revises Morris Hospital and Healthcare Center's outlook to stable

S&P Global Ratings affirmed its "BBB+" underlying rating and "AA-/A-1+" rating on Morris (Ill.) Hospital and Healthcare Center's series 2009A and 2009B revenue bonds.

6. S&P affirms 'A-' rating on Southern New Hampshire Health System

S&P Global Ratings affirmed its "A-" rating on Nashua-based Southern New Hampshire Health System's outstanding debt.
Rules for Medicaid work requirements are forthcoming, according to The Hill.

Here are six things to know.

1. CMS has said it will consider proposals that include work requirements as a condition for Medicaid eligibility. Such proposals were not approved under former President Barack Obama.

2. The current administration plans to release the rules  which establish conditions for allowing states to implement the requirements  soon, according to the report, which cites "sources familiar with the plans."

3. CMS Administrator Seema Verma showed support for Medicaid work requirements in a November speech at the National Association of Medicaid Directors Fall Conference.

"Let me be clear to everyone in this room, we will approve proposals that promote community engagement activities," Ms. Verma said. "Believing that community engagement requirements do not support or promote the objectives of Medicaid is a tragic example of the soft bigotry of low expectations consistently espoused by the prior administration. Those days are over."

4. But Democrats have contended more people would become uninsured as a result of the work requirements, because they are unable to comply for various reasons (such as a disability) or they are discouraged from signing up for coverage due to "new bureaucratic hurdles," according to The Hill.

5. The publication reports lawsuits are expected over any approvals of Medicaid work requirements.

6. Currently, nine states, including Kentucky, are applying to implement Medicaid work requirements, according to the report.

Read the full article here.

More articles on healthcare finance:

Hospitals face $1.6B in Medicare payment cuts after judge dismisses lawsuit: 6 things to know

Hospital CFOs: 3 things demanding your attention in 2018

Colorado hospitals now required to post prices: 3 things to know
The Minnesota Department of Health uncovered "huge swings" in pricing across four common procedures performed at Minnesota hospitals.

In a report released Jan. 3, the department examined commercial payer data for common procedures like knee surgery and cesarean section delivery. DOH officials discovered the price for such procedures varied drastically depending on which hospitals patients chose.

Between July 2014 and June 2015, the average price for a knee replacement across Minnesota hospitals was $23,997. However, knee surgery prices ranged from $6,186 at the lowest-priced hospital to $46,974 at the highest-priced hospital  a roughly eight-fold difference.



The department also found a nearly five-fold difference in the price of a cesarean section delivery during the same time period. The procedure price, averaging $10,234 across Minnesota hospitals, ranged from $4,693 at the lowest-priced hospital to $22,831 at the highest-priced facility.



The report stems from the state's larger initiative to analyze the complexity of healthcare pricing through its All-Payer Claims Database. Under state legislation passed in 2008, Minnesota required its health commissioner to provide greater price transparency for hospital fees. The database, which constitutes one component of the initiative, comprises more than 1.1 billion unidentified healthcare claims from private and public payers. Minnesota law prevents the database from identifying individual hospitals and providers.

Minnesota Department of Health officials said they hope the data will help employers choose networks with high-value care and competitive pricing. Officials aim to publish prices for heart procedures and back surgery later this year.



More articles on healthcare finance:

Hospitals face $1.6B in Medicare payment cuts after judge dismisses lawsuit: 6 things to know

Hospital CFOs: 3 things demanding your attention in 2018

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Carl S. Armato serves as President and Chief Executive Officer for Novant Health.

On April 12th, Carl will give a keynote presentation at Becker's Hospital Review 9th Annual Meeting. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place April 11-14, 2018 in Chicago.

To learn more about the conference and Carl's session, click here.

Question: When was the last time your organization responded to concerns or needs expressed by physicians? What unfolded?

Carl Armato: At [Winston-Salem, N.C.-based] Novant Health, it became clear that the increasing demand for physicians and higher rates of physician burnout threatened the organization's ability to consistently deliver quality care and maintain a healthy physician workforce. To address these concerns, in May 2013 we established a physician resiliency program, which helps physicians achieve better work-life balance, develop leadership skills, build up their engagement, resiliency and wellness, and find more fulfillment in their professional and personal lives. Since establishing this program, it has helped over 700 Novant Health physicians regain their commitment to the pursuit of medicine. In fact, in an employee engagement survey, the Novant Health medical group providers who have participated in the wellness program were at the 97th percentile in both engagement and alignment with the organization's mission, vision and values. This is a huge increase over the previous year, when providers scored in the 60th percentile. The program is also having a secondary impact on other clinical and acute care providers that work alongside those physician leaders who participated in the program  many of which have also identified ways to improve their overall wellness. Additionally, in May 2017, the American Hospital Association sponsored a number of participants at a Novant Health-led resiliency training program, which included 16 physicians from multiple healthcare systems from across the country. This was the first time we hosted other hospital systems that are interested in learning how our program works and what steps they could take to address burnout among their doctors and nurses. As hospital systems across the country overhaul their operations to meet the demands of a new healthcare landscape, physician burnout is an issue that cannot be ignored. With one of the largest medical groups in the United States, Novant Health is making strides to reduce the implications associated with physician burnout and establish a higher quality of care for patients.

Q: How do you see the barrier between competitors and collaborators changing?

CA: Healthcare in the U.S. has undergone a radical transformation from which hospital systems have not been immune. From changing payment models to the increasing demand for healthcare services, hospital systems now find themselves with their business models in question. To achieve financial stability, hospitals must operate more efficiently, eliminate redundancy and increase employee productivity while still meeting patients' needs for high-quality, personal care. Competition is the cornerstone of the U.S. economy  it fosters innovation while moderating prices to ensure affordability in the marketplace. Because every hospital is so similar, there are incredible redundancies and duplicative offerings between hospitals operating in the same communities. These redundancies and inefficiencies simply drive prices up. Imagine the possibilities in improved care and cost savings if competitors partnered on new programs and initiatives that build off each others' strengths and reduce operational redundancies. By partnering with competitors, we may be able to free up tens of millions of dollars to invest in programs that drive community health. One area for collaboration is in back-end infrastructure, such as billing and collections  these are essential services that are similar from one hospital to the next. We have saved more than $52 million in consolidating collections just at Novant Health alone, [but] imagine the savings we could achieve if we consolidated across organizations. A second area for potential collaboration with competitors is in health IT. If hospital systems shared the cost of IT solutions, it could save hundreds of millions of dollars and simplify the process for patients at both hospitals. Incremental collaboration among competitors has the potential to save hundreds of millions of dollars in our healthcare system and dramatically change the way we think about healthcare in the communities we serve.

Q: Describe one of your best colleagues. What it is that person does/brings that makes them indispensable to your organization?

CA: I am incredibly proud of the team at Novant Health. I write a weekly internal blog, and I often highlight some of our most remarkable people. Our nurses understand and deliver on the medical and emotional needs of our patients and are the heart of our organization, so they are often featured in the blog. Just one example is Monica Melvin. As nurse manager of Forsyth Connects, Monica touches the lives of new parents every day. Forsyth Connects, a new department of Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center, provides free postpartum and newborn in-home visits to all Forsyth County residents. Monica's team is available to connect with every mom  and father  shortly after birth, when the baby is two to four weeks old. In the past year, Monica has worked diligently to develop a new team, create procedures and workflows, and build relationships within the community. She always has a smile on her face and treats people with compassion, honor and respect. She empowers new parents who appreciate her support and advice during a time that is both joyful and challenging. She represents the best of our organization, authentically, and I am honored to work with her.
Tony Snyder serves as Chief Executive Officer for Pomerene Hospital.

On April 12th, Tony will speak on a panel at Becker's Hospital Review 9th Annual Meeting. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place April 11-14, 2018 in Chicago.

To learn more about the conference and Tony's session, click here.

Question: All healthcare is local. What about your market influences your organization's business or operations most?

Tony Snyder: The largest influence on our local market is most likely the makeup of the county's population. The total population is approximately 50,000, of which 49 percent is Amish. This segment has been our focus for nearly 10 years as we have built an Amish Service Program specifically designed to serve the healthcare needs of the Amish in a culturally sensitive manner and to keep appropriate healthcare services local. Our service offerings include on campus housing, transportation, bundled payments, and an Amish Advocate who assists individuals with several access matters. This strategy has been successful with keeping care local and improving access, cost and outcomes.

Q: Who or what are the disruptors that have your attention? Why?

TS: Telemedicine and telehealth are recent innovations that have the potential to be major disruptors. If the Triple Aim is our goal, telehealth can drive improvements in the way we deliver care (increased access), and can help make care more efficient, thus addressing the issue of cost. Convenient and quick care are highly sought-after traits when it comes to primary care. Teleheath can help provide both in addition to reducing the cost of a visit to a provider.

Q: Please share a new consumer-centric capability your organization has built or tapped into within the past 18 months.

TS: Corporate health and wellness is an area that has gained our attention in the past 18 months. We view this as a component of our population health strategy and started with our own employees. We were able to raise awareness within our employee group of the importance of wellness by offering educational programs, fitness center memberships, biometric screenings and health-risk appraisals. After a couple of years, we enjoyed several successes in turning around health risks within our employee population. The word of these successes spread quickly in the community and we now have ten corporate clients taking advantage of this program.
In November, Maine voters approved a measure to expand Medicaid in the state, but Gov. Paul LePage, R, has continued to stall implementation until legislators create a new way to fund the program, according to Kaiser Health News.

Nearly 70,000 Maine residents could be eligible for Medicaid coverage after 59 percent of residents approved the expansion proposal, but instead, Mr. LePage, who is entering the final year of his governorship, is pushing back against voters and politicians alike.

"You have to pay for the law. It's going to cost money. And I intend to implement it, and the legislature is required to fund it. If they do not fund it, it will not be implemented," Mr. LePage said, according to Kaiser Health News. "When able-bodied people, who are able and should be working, choose not to work, then I don't think it's society's responsibility to cover their insurance at the expense of our mentally ill, our disabled and our elderly. We're asking hardworking Maine families to pick up the extra tab for people who should be working, but elect not to be."

Advocates for the expansion argue that the majority of eligible enrollees work full-time but are simply not able to afford insurance on their own. State Democrats remain confident they will be able to pull together the $54 million necessary to fund the program.

It is not only patients that are calling for greater Medicaid access but rural providers as well. Many leaders of rural hospitals complain they cannot sustain the amount of charity care they are forced to give to uninsured patients. They hope to see the expansion, as well as its guaranteed reimbursements, come sooner rather than later.

"You can only go so many years in a row where your business doesn't lose money, before you depreciate to the point that you have to start closing services, decreasing services," said Marie Vienneau, CEO of Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft, according to Kaiser Health News. "And then access goes away."
Stock prices tumble when CEOs use abstract or vague language to describe company progress on earnings calls, according to a study published in Strategic Management Journal.

Researchers examined 500 companies from the S&P 1500 from 2007 to 2013. They used a computer program to identify language used on more than 6,000 earnings calls as either concrete or abstract and compared company stock performance immediately after the call and 24 hours after. They found when CEOs used concrete, detailed words, it built trust among analysts  especially if the company wasn't performing well.

If a company falls short of expectations but the CEO can explain specifically why they missed the mark, they will still develop trust with analysts, according to study author Jerayr "John" Haleblian, PhD, professor of management and associate dean of UC Riverside. He gave the university's news site UCR Today two examples of CEO statements to demonstrate his findings:

"Our gross profit increased by 8 percent to 20.2 million from 18.7 million because we have launched five new products and opened 52 new stores nationwide." "We expect to do better this year because of actions we're taking to grow the firm."

Although both statements communicate similar themes, the first is much more specific. The researchers found concrete language was generally associated with positive investor reactions. However, they note if a company has a low-risk profile, it may be more appropriate to use abstract language when communicating performance.

Read more about Dr. Haleblian's work here.

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The body of a woman who had reportedly gone missing Dec. 30 was found at Toledo, Ohio-based Mercy Health-St. Vincent Medical Center just before 8 a.m. Thursday, according to The Blade.

The Toledo Police Department said Sharon Ward may have fallen or jumped from the sixth floor of the hospital's parking garage, the report states.

Authorities said they discovered a body after a maintenance worker said he noticed a shoe in the bushes near the parking structure, and later discovered Ms. Ward's body.

Police, who reported Ms. Ward's disappearance on their Facebook page Jan. 2, said the coroner's office will complete an autopsy of the body.

The situation is still under investigation.

Editor's note: Becker's Hospital Review reached out to Mercy Health-St. Vincent Medical Center for comment and will update this story as more information becomes available.
Businessman shot dead in Rupandehi; locals obstruct East-West Highway

Two unknown assailants shot and killed a businessman at Dhekar of Devdaha Municipality in Rupandehi district on Friday.
In an op-ed for the journal American Academy of Ophthalmology, Malcolm Gladwell, an author and contributor to The New Yorker, suggested that to help medical students develop their empathy and observational skills, they should be sent to art school.

Mr. Gladwell's conclusion is based on recent research examining whether art observation can improve medical students' ophthalmology skills. For the study, 36 first-year medical students from the Philadelphia-based University of Pennsylvania were randomly selected to attend six 90-minute art observation sessions taught by professional art educators at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Researchers discovered students who attended the sessions demonstrated significant improvements in their observational skills and displayed a greater amount of empathy for their patients.

The results of the study suggest the intense preparation students undertake in medical school may not necessarily need to take place solely in the classroom, according to Mr. Gladwell. The study, and other similar experiments, should prompt medical school officials to explore the benefits of cross-disciplinary preparation, he noted.

"Taking would-be physicians out of the hospital and into a museum  taking them out of their own world and into a different one  made them better physicians," Mr. Gladwell wrote, adding, "the best expert is the one who also belongs to the wider world."
While 2017 marked the first year more women enrolled in medical school than men, the tendency to discriminate against female medical practitioners has existed for decades. Documents and records dating back to the mid-19th century show women at one of the world's first medical schools for women were often bullied and harassed by their male peers for pursuing a career in the medical field.

Records from the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, which was founded in 1850, depict the type of harassment women endured on a daily basis, according to Atlas Obscura.

Here are five takeaways regarding women's daily lives at WMCP.

1. Anna Broomall, MD, a graduate of WMCP, said during an interview later in her life she and her female classmates attended a lecture at the affiliated teaching hospital and, upon entering, endured jeers and taunting from their male counterparts, according to the report.

"When we turned up at the clinic, in what was then the new amphitheater, pandemonium broke loose," Dr. Broomall said. "The [male] students rushed in pell-mell, stood up in the seats, hooted, called us names and threw spitballs, trying in vain to dislodge us."

2. However, the medical college's founders fervently believed in the importance of women's education, arguing the idea "that the exercise of the healing art, should be monopolized solely by the male practitioner  can neither be sanctioned by humanity, justified by reason, [nor] approved by ordinary intelligence," according to the report.

3. Several newspapers nationwide opposed the notion women can and should practice medicine. An editorial from the Boston Journal stated, "the needle [serves as] a much more appropriate weapon in the hands of woman than the scalpel."

4. Despite incidents similar to that described by Dr. Broomall, women continued to attend clinical lectures and other hands-on learning activities, according to Joanne Murray, director of the Philadelphia-based Drexel University College of Medicine Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections.

"Women students learned through dissecting human cadavers as well, which of course was and is considered a rite of passage for medical students," said Ms. Murray. "But in the 19th century it was seen as a practice that women should not be undertaking.  [However,] the students generally valued the experience and even boasted about it to friends and family."

5. Ms. Murray said female students also engaged in clinical instruction at the Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia once it opened in 1861. They received hands-on training treating a variety of medical conditions including measles, typhoid fever and tuberculosis.

To access the full report, click here.
The California Department of Managed Health Care has demanded nine health plans end their contracts with Monterey Park, Calif.-based Employee Health Systems Medical Group after a company affiliated with the medical group, Monterey Park-based SynerMed, was accused of improperly denying care to thousands of patients and falsifying documents to hide the scheme, according to the Sacramento Business Journal.

The allegations against SynerMed, which manages physician practices and administers managed care contracts, were made by a whistle-blower and summarized in an internal investigation report last year. According to the whistle-blower's report, a small team at SynerMed routinely falsified denial letters without supervision from physicians or other clinicians. The falsified letters were allegedly often written solely to satisfy auditors and were not sent to the patients.

Within two days of a decision to deny coverage for services, Medicaid managed care companies and commercial health plans are required to provide members with a written denial notice. The notice gives patients the ability to appeal the decision with their health plan and then with regulators. However, SynerMed's compliance department determined the company did not properly inform patients, leaving thousands of members unaware of their appeal rights. This may have caused members to experience delays in care or financial hardship.

In November, SynerMed said it was closing. At that time, SynerMed CEO James Mason said EHS Medical Group and another medical practice had already terminated their contracts with the company.

In the cease-and-desist order recently sent to health plans, the department of managed health care also alleges SynerMed blocked access to specialists by removing certain high-cost providers from the web portal used by primary care physicians to refer patients to specialists. The department alleges EHS Medical Group acted "through SynerMed" to reduce costs.

According to the Sacramento Business Journal, EHS Medical Group and SynerMed share the same headquarters and offices in three cities, and EHS Medical Group subcontracts to SynerMed for administrative and medical management services.

EHS denies knowledge of SynerMed's actions and expressed concern about the department of managed care's demand.

"Moving 600,000 patients from their primary or specialty care provider to another [so] abruptly given there is no imminent threat disrupts patient care and threatens their health and welfare," an EHS Medical Group spokeswoman told the Sacramento Business Journal. "Uprooting them from their primary care provider or [specialist] is simply creating a problem where none exists."

EHS said in December that it is conducting an investigation into SynerMed's actions and is cooperating with the state's investigation.

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Malachi Love-Robinson first posed as physician three years ago when he was 17 years old. After pleading guilty Thursday to practicing medicine without a license, practicing naturopathy without a license and grand theft, the now 20-year-old is headed to prison for 3.5 years, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

Here are seven things to know about his case.

1. Mr. Love-Robinson was caught pretending to be a physician at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., in 2015. He was wearing a white lab coat, a stethoscope around his neck and a surgical mask the day he was discovered at the hospital. No charges were filed against the teenager regarding the incident, and the hospital said he did not gain access to any patient care areas.

2. Later in 2015, Mr. Love-Robinson opened a clinic in Boynton Beach, Fla., but he shut down the facility after the Florida Department of Health issued a cease-and-desist order because he did not have a medical license.

3. In February 2016, Mr. Love-Robinson was arrested and charged with practicing medicine without a license. He allegedly performed physical exams and gave medical advice to people  including an undercover officer  at an illegal medical office he ran in West Palm Beach.

4. On the website for his fake medical practice, New Birth Life Holistic and Alternative Medical Center and Urgent Care, Mr. Love-Robinson claimed to have a string of degrees including a PhD. In paperwork for the business, his title was Dr. Malachi Love-Robinson, and he was listed as CEO.

5. Mr. Love-Robinson was also charged with grand theft in February 2016 for stealing more than $30,000 from an 86-year-old woman, using checks he stole during house calls.

6. After posting bail of $26,000, Mr. Love-Robinson was arrested in Virginia in September 2016 for allegedly trying to use an elderly woman's credit cards to purchase a vehicle without her permission. A Virginia judged sentenced him to 10 years in prison in early 2017. However, the judge immediately suspended nine years of the term.

7. Mr. Love-Robinson then came back to Florida where he faced 14 criminal charges. He reached a plea deal with prosecutors Thursday and agreed to serve 3.5 years in prison with credit for 16 months already served. He also agreed to repay his victims $80,000 when he gets out of prison, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

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To assess the public's perception of the nation's ongoing opioid overdose and addiction crisis, two public health researchers with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston analyzed findings from seven national polls conducted in 2013, 2016 and 2017.

The analysis was published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine. Here are six key findings from the polls.

1. In a poll conducted by PBS NewsHour and Marist Poll in September 2017 38 percent of respondents said the opioid crisis was a major problem within their own community.

2. Among individuals who view opioid addiction as a serious health problem, 28 percent of respondents to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll conducted in April and July of 2016 said the problem ranked fifth among health crises facing the nation.

3. In a Pew Research poll conducted in October 2017, 38 percent of respondents said the opioid crisis was an extremely serious public health issue, compared to just 19 percent of respondents who shared this belief in a 2013 Pew survey.

4. Twenty percent of respondents to a 2016 poll conducted by STAT and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said they'd known someone who'd died as a result of their prescription opioid use in the last five years.

5. In an April 2017 poll conducted by the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 45 percent of respondents said they were in favor of limiting opioid prescriptions to seven days.

6. In a poll conducted by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Politico in November 2017, only about half of respondents  49 percent  said there's effective long-term treatment for prescription-painkiller addiction.

"An important finding from our review is that at a time when public- and private-sector leaders are seeking a substantial increase in government funding for opioid-addiction treatment programs and legislation requiring insurers to offer coverage for these treatments, polls show a large share of the public uncertain about the long-term effectiveness of treatment," concluded the authors of the analysis. "There is a clear need for the medical and scientific communities to educate the public about the issues surrounding the potential effectiveness of treatment."

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The FDA opened submissions for nominations to its new patient engagement collaborative Dec. 20, according to an agency blog post.

The agency plans to model the collaborative after the European Medicines Agency's Patients' and Consumers' Working Party, a program that engages patients in regulatory activities, wrote Nina L. Hunter, PhD, deputy director for medical programs in the FDA's Office of Medical Products and Tobacco, and Rachel E. Sherman, MD, the agency's principal deputy commissioner.

The FDA's patient affairs staff in the Office of Medical Products and Tobacco will spearhead the collaborative in conjunction with the agency's medical product centers and Office of External Affairs. The patient engagement collaborative will organize an ongoing forum for patients to discuss how to improve transparency and facilitate meaningful engagement in the medical product development process.

The FDA will work to incorporate these patient perspectives into its regulatory decision-making processes, according to Dr. Hunter and Dr. Sherman.

For the nomination process, the FDA is seeking patients who have experience with various diseases, caregivers who support patients and representatives from patient groups.

To access the Federal Register's notice on the nomination process, click here.
CVS Health and Aetna were talking with other potential parties amid early discussions of their $69 billion deal, inked Dec. 3, Bloomberg reports.

Here are four key takeaways from the report.



1. CVS Health and Aetna executives began talking in March 2017 about their shared interest in retail health. As late as August 2017, Aetna was in talks with "Party X" concerning a "strategic partnership, business combination or other opportunities," according to a Jan. 4 Securities and Exchange Commission filing. "Party X" told Aetna in October 2017 it was not going to make a deal with the insurer.



2. CVS Health also sought other potential partners. The company "continued to have discussions with multiple managed-care companies" early last year, Bloomberg reports. The filing did not name the other companies CVS Health and Aetna were speaking with.



3. CVS Health and Aetna declined Bloomberg's request for comment on the filing. In addition, the companies filed for U.S. antitrust approval Jan. 2. The Department of Justice will take the case.



4. Aside from CVS Health-Aetna relations, the filing notes Aetna began contemplating new ventures in September 2016, while it was still working on its Humana deal. Aetna and Humana mutually terminated their $37 billion merger agreement in February 2017, following a U.S. District Court's decision to block the proposed deal over antitrust concerns.



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The Roseburg (Ore.) Veterans Administration Medical Center allegedly attempted to limit the patients it admitted to improve its quality ratings, according to a report in The New York Times.

Here are six things to know about the report.

1. About four years ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs started grading its 1,200 hospitals and clinics on a scale of one to five stars based on 110 performance indicators, including wait times, infection rates and nurse turnover. In 2016, 82 percent of facilities improved on ratings, according to the department.

2. However, physicians and nurses at Roseburg VA Medical Center told the Times hospital administrators allegedly began turning away patients with complex conditions and admitting only the lowest-risk patients in 2016 to improve care ratings. In December, the hospital allegedly turned away a veteran who came to the hospital's emergency room malnourished and dehydrated with several broken ribs from a fall. Although the hospital had empty beds, a nurse responsible for enforcing administration restrictions allegedly said he was not sick enough to qualify for admission to the hospital.

3. As the hospital is penalized when patients are hospitalized with congestive heart failure, hospital leaders allegedly told physicians to list congestive heart failure as hypervolemia, a condition that occurs when there is too much fluid in the blood. Hypervolemia is a diagnosis that is not tracked via quality metrics. The administration also allegedly persuaded veterans to be admitted as hospice patients, which signals they are terminal and do not want treatment. Hospital physicians claim veterans were also switched to hospice without their knowledge.

4. Roseburg VA Medical Center saw its ratings jump from one star to two in 2016 after allegedly engaging in these practices. Doug Paxton, the hospital's director, earned an $8,120 bonus check for the improved ratings, according to the report.

5. Mr. Paxton denied the hospital was turning patients away to improve scores, but admitted that being more selective had improved ratings. Mr. Paxton said tightening admissions benefited patients since Roseburg does not have proper resources for acute patients. As a result, many patients have to be sent to larger hospitals in the community.

6. "All admission decisions are based on the hospital's ability to provide the care patients require and are made by clinicians, including the facility chief of staff and her clinical chiefs of service  nonclinical administrators have nothing to do with these decisions," the Department of Veterans Affairs said in a statement cited by the Times. The hospital has no plans to change its admitting practices.
A 52-year-old California woman is suing Redding, Calif.-based Shasta Regional Medical Center after physicians allegedly left an 8-inch long surgical tool inside her after surgery, reports WBIR Channel 10.

Mary Harber underwent surgery at the hospital last spring to remove a benign tumor from her stomach. She was discharged April 19. After experiencing severe back, kidney and stomach pain, she sought care at Susanville, Calif.-based Banner Lassen Medical Center's emergency room on May 1, where physicians discovered she had a pair of surgical forceps in her abdomen. Physicians had to remove 18 inches of Ms. Harber's small intestine, which had "looped through the handle of an 8-inch surgical forceps," according to the lawsuit.

The suit names Shasta Regional Medical Center and Richard Mooney, MD, who was involved in the initial surgery and the removal of the forceps, as defendants. Ms. Harber seeks to recoup funds for medical and incidental expenses, along with a loss of earnings in the past and future, according to the report. The lawsuit also seeks damages on behalf of her husband, Jacob Harber.

Ms. Harber's lawyer, Michelle Jenni, said she was in settlement negotiations with the defendants' lawyers as of Wednesday. Dr. Mooney and Shasta Regional Medical Center CEO Richard Fletcher did not respond to WBIR's request for comment.

Editor's note: Becker's Hospital Review reached out to Shasta Regional Medical Center for comment and will update as more information is available.

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Since U.S. News & World Report first published Best Hospitals in 1990, the annual series has become the most publicized and coveted ranking among healthcare organizations. For this we have Avery Comarow, editor and director of Best Hospitals, to thank.

Avery Comarow, director of U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals and other healthcare rankings, retired Dec. 27 after 31 years with the organization.

For a leader in the methodical world of rankings, Mr. Comarow's career path to healthcare journalism was hardly calculated. He says he "stumbled" into journalism, although he paid his undergraduate tuition at the University of Maryland as a part-time proofreader for a nearby news production plant of The Wall Street Journal. He attended graduate school at Indiana University to study and teach folklore before changing paths and working at a Bloomington, Ind.-based daily newspaper and then a larger daily in Middletown, N.Y. From there, he gained experience in consumer-driven reporting as a writer for Money magazine and Washington editor for Consumer Reports before landing as an editor at U.S. News.

Mr. Comarow, who ran the "News You Can Use" column of U.S. News, drafted the first steps to develop the Best Hospitals rankings after Mortimer Zuckerman, owner of U.S. News, approached him with the idea in 1987. However, Mr. Comarow worried it was impossible to rank hospitals  at the time, there was no available data to evaluate them.

To start gathering data, Elizabeth Gross, the magazine's then director of research, helped Mr. Comarow partner with a research team at Georgetown University to develop a plan for surveying a small number of physicians. The initial survey gathered opinions from 480 physicians  40 physicians across 12 specialties. Researchers asked the physicians to name the hospitals they would choose to send patients with challenging medical conditions.

The survey was based strictly on the physician's perception of a hospital's reputation. "Whatever the physicians thought, we used that," Mr. Comarow said. "I refused to use the word 'rankings' on the cover because statistically there was no way we could take the small number of responses from the 480 physicians and characterize them as robust rankings."

To build a more credible system, Ms. Gross then connected Mr. Comarow with the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. From 1990-1992, U.S. News published rankings driven by physician surveys as the NORC worked to develop the model the magazine uses to organize rankings today  the Donabedian paradigm. The move proved to be critical in evolving the list from a limited, reputation-based tool to a credible, data-driven resource.

The Donabedian model  a three-part framework to evaluate health services and healthcare quality  establishes a hierarchy for rankings based on a health system's structure, process and outcomes. The framework, which U.S. News first used in 1993, was based on data from physicians and nurses who participated in focus groups and ranked the attributes of hospitals they found most important.

Structure analyzes aspects such as the hospital's technology or number of staff, process examines how few mistakes are made during care and outcomes assess whether patients live or die under the hospital's care. But a model informed by focus groups presented challenges  Mr. Comarow said it was difficult to determine if physicians and nurses accounted for how well patients were taken care of, not just whether they lived or died.

All while the NORC conducted analyses and provided data, Mr. Comarow worked as the one-man team at U.S. News to complete the published lists. Nonetheless, he is sure to emphasize the team effort it took to complete the rankings. "If I had tried to do this on my own, I'm not sure this ever would have been possible," he said. U.S. News parted from NORC in 2005 to contract with RTI International in North Carolina.

As Best Hospitals continued to evolve, Mr. Comarow was vocal in emphasizing the importance of transparency to both consumers and hospitals, which guided his role at the helm of an increasing number of U.S. News healthcare rankings.

"We have to treat consumers as if they are as smart as we are but don't happen to know as much as we do," Mr. Comarow said. "We give them information and help them understand what it's about. Six different people may make six different choices, but that's what you want. You don't want to make the choices for them."

In 2006, Mr. Comarow proposed a session for quality analysts and clinical executives to give U.S. News feedback on its hospital rankings. "We invited professionals from 40-50 hospitals to let them throw rocks at us for a whole day, and it was amazing," Mr. Comarow said.

If U.S. News hadn't been open to receiving constructive criticism from hospitals, "we would have lost out on input from the people who are in the trenches," Mr. Comarow said. "They know much more than we do and it would have been idiotic to pretend we were the authority."

To keep the consumer's interests and needs top of mind, Mr. Comarow had to push back on data and make it as accessible as possible. "My role was to be an informed medical reporter who tries to wear the mask of a reasonably smart but naive consumer," he said. "Our contractors did all the behind-the-scenes work, but I would push NORC and RTI to come up with data that I could understand."

Mr. Comarow remained the only member of the hospital rankings team until current health analysis editor Ben Harder joined U.S. News in 2007. Mr. Harder has since grown the health analysis team to five people. "[Mr. Harder] has been running the show for the last three or four years, but he insisted I keep my title," Mr. Comarow said.

Now that Mr. Comarow is retired, he's planning to volunteer at a fire department near his home in Maryland, where he will help with administrative work and recently participated as a simulated patient in an emergency call. "I'm not going to be an EMT, I'm 72 years old," he said. "But I know how to write and I know something about putting numbers together."

And the numbers Mr. Comarow put together in the decades he spent with U.S. News endure as the true purpose of the Best Hospitals rankings. "These rankings really can matter in the most fundamental way  whether patients live or die," Mr. Comarow said. "Whatever harm we might have helped people avoid, that's the real legacy of these rankings."
Govt formation will go smoothly: Dahal

CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that the process of forming a new government will move forward smoothly with the hurdles to National Assembly election having been cleared.
Five spine surgeons share some of their professional goals for the upcoming year.

Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses.





Next week's question: What are some of the biggest opportunities for spine surgeons on 2018?

Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 5 p.m. CST.

Question: What is a professional goal you would like to accomplish this year?

Vladimir Sinkov, MD. Spine Surgeon at New Hampshire Orthopaedic Center (Nashua): My goal is to continue providing excellent care for my patients while maintaining independent practice, despite all the challenges spine surgeons face in today's environment. This is not always easy but the satisfaction I get from this job and seeing my patients get better and get back to their lives with less pain and more function is worth it. I will also continue improving my minimally invasive surgery skills and will learn endoscopic spine surgery techniques. I am looking forward to using the newest robotics and navigation technology to perform minimally invasive fusion procedures.

Payam Farjoodi, MD. Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at Spine Health Center at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center (Fountain Valley, Calif.): I would like to maximize minimally invasive techniques and computer-assisted navigation in my surgical practice. I currently use these tools, but would like to expand their application.

J. Brian Gill, MD. Spine Surgeon at Nebraska Spine Hospital (Omaha): I would like to take on more leadership roles within my medical and hospital practice. I think physicians who are in the "trenches" on a daily basis need to provide their input to administrators who may not see things from a certain perspective.

Brian R. Gantwerker, MD. Founder of the Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: This year, my goal is to educate my patients about the insurance industry. A particular carrier has been errantly sending our payments for service to another provider, seemingly out of the blue. They attached our information to a different group, after being contracted for almost seven years, and they are continuing to send the payments even after being contacted multiple times by our biller.

As part of a larger goal, we intend on making these insurance agencies accountable and to encourage my local legislators to enact rules to allow for the recoupment of such payments, with interest, as they do to us, and to educate the public as to what these companies do. We as a practice have made the decision to drop this carrier and we have been notifying all of our patients and explaining the reasons when they ask. Patients have a right to know.

Richard Kube, MD. Founder and CEO of Prairie Spine & Pain Institute (Peoria, Ill.): This year we are hoping to expand our Southern Illinois satellite office to a more comprehensive center. It will have physical therapy and interventional pain services onsite with imaging, like our Peoria flagship office. We will not be adding a surgical facility there. As healthcare trends towards disease management, I believe it is important to be able to handle all aspects of the spine care under one roof whenever possible.
Here are eight spine and neurosurgeons making headlines.

Edward Benzel, MD, of Cleveland Clinic, published a new edition of Benzel's Spine Surgery.

Roderick Claybrooks, MD, joined Tampa, Fla.-based BioSpine Institute.

Paul Slosar, MD, president of SpineCare Medical Group in Daly City, Calif., discussed three big trends for 2018.

Carl Giordano, MD, published an autobiography detailing his life as a medical student and physician, which includes crashing a small plane in 2015.

Kirkland, Wash.-based EvergreenHealth welcomed Dustin Hayward, MD, to its spine and neurosurgical team.

P. Merrill White, III, MD, is the new medical director of Knoxville-based Tennessee Orthopaedic Clinics.

Tampa, Fla.-based Physician Partners of American welcomed minimally invasive spine surgeon James St. Louis, DO.

Dean Toumbis, MD, PhD, of Crystal River, Fla.-based Citrus Spine Institute, shared how independent spine practices can thrive in the future through personalized patient care, hospital collaboration and smart business tactics.
US tax reform will make the country a more attractive destination for business, the head of the Republic's inward investment agency (IDA) has warned.

Martin Shanahan of the IDA said US authorities will be hoping firms will now decide to stay in America, rather than invest in Ireland or Europe.

But he said he doesn't see a significant impact on Ireland.

In addition to cutting the US corporate income tax rate to 21% from 35%, the new debt-financed legislation gives other business owners a new 20% deduction on business income and reshapes how the government taxes multinational corporations along the lines the US's largest businesses have recommended for years.

"Let's be honest. This is an effort to make the United States more competitive. It will make the US more competitive," Mr Shanahan said.
Channel 4's new comedy Derry Girls premiered on Thursday night and social media was soon full of verdicts with lots of praise for the first episode.

The six-part series is written by Lisa McGee and focuses on her own stories of growing up in the Northern Ireland city in the early 1990s.

Starring Irish comedian Tommy Tiernan, as well as Saoirse Jackson, Louisa Harland, Nicola Coughlan, and Jamie-Lee ODonnell, the programme is set against the backdrop of The Troubles.

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It focuses on a girl called Erin, played by Jackson, and her friends who are used to seeing their country on the nightly news.

Its a time of armed police in armoured Land Rovers and British Army check points, but its also the time of Murder She Wrote, The Cranberries, MJ and Lisa Marie, Doc Martens, bomber jackets, The X Files, Nirvana and Waynes World.

Derry Girls starts tonight #4 lets see what the craic is there. Xx  Nadine Coyle (@NadineCoyleNow) January 4, 2018

I thought we were going to be individuals this year?



I wanted to but me ma wouldnt let me.



Well Im not being an individual on me own.



Brilliant. Already love #DerryGirls  Sinead Doyle (@SineadDoyle) January 4, 2018

Havent stopped laughing since it started #DerryGirls  Joanna (@joannacoops) January 4, 2018

Awh, loved #DerryGirls. Well done @LisaMMcGee and Co. That was absolutely brilliant!  Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) January 4, 2018

In the 90s, nothing spelled rebellion like wearing denim to school #DerryGirls pic.twitter.com/UZPaWEkhQR  Channel 4 (@Channel4) January 4, 2018

Ahead of the series kicking off on January 4, Channel 4 issued a "Derry Girls glossary" for viewers who may not be familiar with the vernacular.

How many do you know?

Bars: Gossip / scandal

Boke: Vomit

Brit: A member of the British armed forces

Broke: Embarrassed

Broke to the bone: Hugely embarrassed

Buzzing: Very happy

Catch yourself on: Dont be so ridiculous

Cack attack: A state of extreme nervousness Im having a complete Cack attack

Chicken ball special: A local delicacy

Class: Brilliant

Craic: Fun, but also news e.g. Tell us your craic?

Cracker: Beyond brilliant

Critter: Someone who evokes sympathy e.g. You poor Critter

Dose: An unbearable human being

Eejit: Idiot

Hi: A sound placed at the end of almost any sentence for no particularly reason e.g. No problem hi

Gone: Please

Head melter: Someone who causes you mental distress

Lurred: Absolutely delighted

Mind: Do you remember?

Mouth: Someone prone to exaggeration

Mucker: Friend

No Bother: Thats no trouble whatsoever

Raging: Annoyed/angry

Ride (n): A very attractive person

Ride (v): To have sex

Ripping: Extremely annoyed / angry

Saunter: Be on your way

Sh**e the tights: Someone of a nervous disposition

Slabber: A show off

So it is/so I am: A phrase used for emphasis e.g. Im delighted, so I am

Start: To provoke e.g. Dont start me

Stall the ball: Stop what youre doing immediately

Tayto cheese and onion sandwich: A local delicacy

Wain: A child or young person

Watch yourself: Take care

Wile: Very or Terrible

Wise up: Dont be so stupid and/or immature

Yes: Hello
As Stephen Fry steps down from his role as host of the Bafta Film Awards, here are some of the memorable quotes from the much-loved wordsmiths tenure:

Addressing the then-recent election of Donald Trump as US president, Fry last year hit back at the White House leaders branding of Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep as overrated, by saying: I look at row after row of the most overrated people in the audience. He also joked that the awards were chosen by the Russians.

His return last year surprised some after he faced huge backlash for jokingly referring to costume design winner Jenny Beavan as a bag lady. He took a break from Twitter to avoid the wave of complaints after posting his defiant response: So just a word to the tragic figures who think calling Jenny Beavan a bag lady was an insult. Shes a dear friend and she got it. Derrr.

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Freshly married Fry made 2015 the year of kisses, receiving pecks from Birdman stars Edward Norton and Michael Keaton after saying that smooches were a Bafta tradition. He also planted a smacker on Cuba Gooding Jr after the Selma star joked that he was deeply hurt not to have received one.

In 2010 he cheekily acknowledged his much-loved role voicing the first Harry Potter audiobook series, stating: So successfully, inventively and faithfully have the Harry Potter movies translated JK Rowlings vision to the screen, some have suggested  sacrilege though it may seem  that the films may actually be better than the quite brilliantly voiced audiobooks.

He once made a light-hearted swipe at the Queen as he referenced her appearance in a sketch with James Bond actor Daniel Craig to mark the London 2012 Olympics. He joked at the 2013 ceremony: This year 007 came up against his most formidable adversary yet  a steely, implacable foe who has run a secret, powerful syndicate for 60 years. As ever, Bond emerged victorious when, in the final scene, he threw Her Majesty out of a helicopter.

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The same year also saw him join the facial hair trend and he quipped: Ive a very strong feeling that Im not the only actor whos come here this evening with a beard.

When he first took the awards stage in 2001, he marked the success of best picture-winner Gladiator with a fitting analogy to establish himself as head of the show. I want you all, my lords, ladies and gentlemen, to think of this (cinema) as a kind of Colosseum  and yourselves as ruthless, highly oiled gladiators, he told the audience. I am your emperor your faintly deranged and perverted emperor. Should any speech go on too long, a hand signal will cue the release of four hungry tigers.
Cheng Ran was born in 1981 in inner Mongolia. He is one of the most promising Chinese artists of his generation.

Since 2005, he has been producing film and video works that draw widely from both Western and Chinese literature, poetry, cinema and visual culture, fabricating new narratives that combine myths and historical events.

In Course of the Miraculous (2015) is a durational work, lasting almost eight hours, which imagines the stories behind three real-life mysterious disappearances.

These include British mountaineer George Mallory, who went missing while ascending Mount Everest in 1924; artist Bas Jan Ader, who vanished during his 1975 journey across the Atlantic as part of a performance titled In Search of the Miraculous; and the Chinese fishing trawler Lu Rong Yu no. 2682, which in 2011 returned to land after eight months with only one-third of its original crew still alive.

The film was shot across continents in the East China Sea, Tibet, Switzerland and Amsterdam, with a large-scale set created in an indoor shooting stage in Beijing to recreate the dramatic scenes at sea.

Admission is free.
For Donald Trump, 2017 ended in the last way his many critics expected: in victory. Presidents tend to be remembered for very few things. And long after the noise has faded on Trump's bombast and vulgarity, Americans will remember the tax reforms he pushed for, which Congress passed just before Christmas.

His critics say the long-term legacy of these reforms will be a gaping deficit and a widening gap between the wealthy and the rest. But in the short term, the tax cuts are likely to support an already strong American economy.

Paul Ryan, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, said the law will "deliver more jobs, fairer taxes and bigger paychecks for Americans from all walks of life".

That will be the message in the autumn's congressional elections, in which Republicans hope to retain control of both houses of Congress, giving Trump another two-year lock on Washington.

Love or loathe the tax bill, that it passed is some kind of miracle, given all we were led to think of Trump and his administration.

The idea that out of all the chaos could emerge the most sweeping tax legislation since Ronald Reagan's presidency has many resetting their view of Trump.

He never promised to be conventional, but he did promise to get things done. On tax he has been true to his word.

He scored the kind of legislative triumph all presidents covet, but not all achieve.

Trump surged into 2018 propelled by the economy.

The stock market is at a record high, unemployment is at its lowest in 17 years, the economy is growing at more than 4% a year and business confidence is booming.

Any other president would take that backdrop and simply revel in it. Not Trump. On Tuesday morning, having returned to the White House after his holiday in Florida, he resumed his usual riot.

On Twitter, he attacked the "dishonest and corrupt" media, calling for Hillary Clinton's former aide, Huma Abedin, to be sent to jail and taunting North Korea's Kim Jong-un: "North Korean leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times'. Will someone from his depleted and food-starved regime please inform him that I, too, have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!"

Then came Wednesday's publication of extracts from Michael Wolff's new book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.

Wolff claims to have spoken at length to people in Trump's circle. He reports that Rupert Murdoch, supposedly a Trump confidante, called the President a "f****** idiot" after speaking to him on the phone.

Trump's staff, according to Wolff, came to believe that "for all practical purposes he was no more than semi-literate", given his reluctance to read documents. He was so impulsive and insecure that his former deputy chief of staff, Katie Walsh, said that dealing with him was "like trying to figure out what a child wants".

But what appears to have irked Trump most about the book was the involvement of Stephen Bannon, his former adviser. Bannon called a meeting between Trump's top advisers and Russians, promising dirt on Hillary Clinton during the presidential campaign of 2016, "treasonous" and "unpatriotic".

He added that the investigation into allegations of Russian collusion was focused on possible money-laundering by Trump's family.

Bannon is often portrayed as Trump's Rasputin, the devilish genius who orchestrated his unlikely rise to power.

Trump has clearly grown sick of that storyline.

"Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my Presidency," he said in a statement. "When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind. Steve was a staffer who worked for me after I had already won the nomination by defeating 17 candidates, often described as the most talented field ever assembled in the Republican Party."

He continued: "Now that he is on his own, Steve is learning that winning isn't as easy as I make it look. Steve doesn't represent my base - he's only in it for himself."

For traditional Republicans, the passage of the tax bill and the repudiation of Bannon are rekindling hopes that Trump may after all return to become a more mainstream politician.

That his natural home isn't with the core of voters who turn up at his rallies and cheer his most outrageous statements, but somewhere in with the business people who like his tax cuts and his efforts to lighten the regulatory load on corporations.

When he arrived in office, Trump promised to cut two existing regulations for every new one and claims so far to have been as good as his word. He has also picked solidly conservative judges, notably Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court.

Republicans more focused on foreign policy have been delighted by Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and his support for the recent anti-government protests in Iran.

They say he is showing the kind of spine in the Middle East that President Obama never did, recognising and rewarding America's friends and attacking its enemies.

But they despair that his craziness, not to mention his perceived xenophobia, racism and sexual boorishness, is obscuring his good work.

His poll numbers are abysmal for a president with an economy this good. His approval rating is just shy of 40% - not the worst they have been, but still low compared to his predecessors.

But there is still time. Republicans hope that having passed tax reform, Trump will have a taste for more legislative victories.

He has said he still wants to dismantle President Obama's Affordable Care Act and reform the healthcare system, despite failing to do so last year.

He has promised a new infrastructure plan to upgrade everything from bridges, roads and airports to hospitals, energy and broadband-delivery networks.

Congressional Republicans are also keen to take on welfare reform. They are hoping for more bipartisan support having failed to win a single Democratic vote for tax reform.

It is also conceivable that something positive emerges from Trump's unorthodox approach to foreign policy.

For years, American diplomats scratched their heads over North Korea.

Now North Korea is scratching its head over Trump.

The general assumption is that by trashing the delicate diplomatic furniture, and a policy of "strategic patience", Trump is risking war.

An alternative view is that he is creating room for a new order to emerge.

The old one, through generations of cautious diplomacy, had grown stale.

The next few weeks before the Winter Olympics open in Pyeongchang, South Korea, will keep a spotlight on North Korea.

Meanwhile, Trump will have to deal with the rising protests in Iran. His allies in Saudi Arabia are willing an end to the current Iranian regime, which they blame for stoking conflicts in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

Managing relations with China and Russia will also remain essential to Trump's entire foreign policy.

As if that all wasn't enough, Trump is still awaiting the outcome of the Special Counsel's investigation into alleged collusion between his campaign and the Russian government.

If it's bad, Democrats will try to impeach him.

But if Trump has proved anything in his outlandish first year, it's that he won't shirk a fight.
A 23-year-old man has been arrested after an attempted arson attack at Craigavon Area Hospital.

A large wheelie bin was set on fire in a loading bay close to the pharmacology unit of the hospital on Wednesday night.

Police said it could have caused extensive damage to surrounding buildings and had the threat to endanger life.

No members of staff were evacuated from the unit.

The PSNI and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service both attended the scene, with the incident ending around 20 minutes after the emergency call was made by hospital staff.

PSNI Superintendent David Moore said he was relieved to hear that no patients or staff members were hurt in the attack.

"Thankfully, no one was injured during the incident, which is being treated as arson at this time," he said.

"Shortly after 11am, a 23-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of arson endangering life with intent.

"The man currently remains in custody assisting police with their enquiries. I would ask anyone with any information about this incident to contact police in Lurgan on the non-emergency number 101."

Politicians condemned the attack, which comes amid a crisis facing the NHS during the busy Christmas and new year period.

Latest figures show a total of 2,059 people attended the hospital between December 24 and January 1.

In 125 cases, the patient waited more than 12 hours.

Carla Lockhart, DUP MLA for Upper Bann, praised the efforts of the emergency services and their rapid response.

"I am glad that due to the swift action of the Fire and Rescue Service and the PSNI, an attempted arson attack at Craigavon Area Hospital was halted," she said.

"Thankfully any risk posed to staff and further damage to this unit was averted last night. Praise must be given to the Fire and Rescue Service who dealt with the matter efficiently and to the PSNI who have made a subsequent arrest.

"This sinister incident has come at a time when our health service is under incredible pressure. It defies logic that someone would seek to destroy our local hospital."

It is understood that the DUP MLA met with the Southern Health Trust yesterday to discuss the recent crisis.

Ms Lockhart's statement was echoed by Sinn Fein MLA for the area, John O'Dowd.

"I want to condemn this attack outright," he said.

"Our health services are under severe pressure. Any lasting damage caused to the pharmacy wing of the hospital could have resulted in multiple deaths.

"Fortunately, on this occasion, there were no fatalities and no lasting damage was caused. But it could have been so very different.

"I want to praise emergency services and staff at Craigavon Area Hospital for their quick response which helped bring the fire under control - ensuring no loss of life."

The Southern Health Trust operates across Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon, Dungannon, and Newry and Mourne districts.
A battle over free speech has set Belfast City councillors at loggerheads - with a loyalist councillor claiming it would hinder her ability to criticise Islam.

Independent councillor Jolene Bunting claims new debate rules in the council will restrict freedom of speech.

"We are not going to be able to speak out about problematic members of society in Belfast," Ms Bunting told councillors at City Hall on Wednesday.

City Hall was debating a Sinn Fein proposal to ban councillors from using "offensive expressions in reference to any person or section of society".

"We are not going to be able to say very much in this council chamber," Ms Bunting said.

"It (the proposal) infringes our human rights and freedom of expression."

The independent unionist, who recently hit the headlines over links to the controversial Britain First group, added: "We must be able to speak our minds, and we must be able to stand up for our constituents.

"If our constituents have an issue, they must be able to raise the issue with us, to raise it in this council chamber."

She also raised the issue of Islam as an example of the kind of topic councillors would be banned from discussing.

"Do we have to wait until people are dying on our streets until people actually speak about Islam, before we speak about the Koran, and what it says in it?" she asked.

But last night Green Party councillor Georgina Milne slammed her remarks, saying: "I was astounded that during this debate, independent councillor Bunting announced her feelings on 'problematic' people in society with special reference to those who follow the Muslim faith.

"Councillor Bunting could have made any number of thoughtful points on freedom of speech and freedom of expression but instead, she chose to attack an entire religion.

"Ironically, she highlighted why, exactly, the protections she argued against are required.

"From my perspective, free speech is a critical component of democracy, but hate speech is not."

Last night Ms Bunting stood over her statements, insisting she would not be silenced, and would continue to speak out about controversial issues - including Islam.

"I'm been getting a lot of hate from some other councillors - but they're not going to silence me," she said.

"They won't prevent me from speaking out. I'm happy to justify everything I said."

The controversial motion was carried, despite some members feeling the wording was open to legal challenge.

Ulster Unionist councillor Jeff Dudgeon expressed concern the plan could conflict with Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of expression.
Govt to come to aid of cash-strapped banks

The Ministry of Finance (MoF), in coordination with the central bank, will formally introduce a short-term policy next week to ease the pressure on banks and financial institutions that are facing severe shortage of funds that could be immediately disbursed as loans.
The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) has warned that UK food security could be at risk if post-Brexit agricultural subsidies focus on environmental protection.

Currently, EU farm subsidies - worth about 3bn to UK landowners each year - are mostly linked to the amount of land that is farmed.

The Government has agreed to maintain the level of farming subsidies until 2024 - a move welcomed by the UFU.

But UFU president Barclay Bell expressed concern that the Government wants to see taxpayers' money going in future years to environmental protection, rather than food production.

In a speech to the Oxford Farming Conference yesterday, Environment Minister Michael Gove said farming subsidies will be replaced by payments for "public goods", from boosting access to the countryside to recreating wildflower meadows.

But Mr Bell said: "We need a balanced approach and Mr Gove must recognise the overwhelming importance of food production and food security.

"Farmers can deliver environmental goods, but if funding is not there to support food security, the UK's reliance on imported food will increase. This would undermine local food production and drive down food and environmental standards."

It is understood that decisions on the level of subsidy for Northern Ireland will have to be made by a local minister.

DUP MEP Diane Dodds gave a guarded welcome to Mr Gove's proposals which, while aimed at England, are likely to influence farm support policy across the devolved regions.

She said a local agriculture minister will be needed to shape the local implementation of future agri-support policies.

"Northern Ireland civil servants will require direction as to how they would implement agriculture policy going forward," she said.

Calling for acceleration in the pace of change, the MEP also hit out at what she described as the "unacceptable vacuum" in politics here.

"We want Northern Ireland to have the flexibility under devolution to shape this policy area but we need a functioning Executive," she said. "Unfortunately, due to the ongoing intransigence of Sinn Fein, local farmers are left without a local voice and the ability to take decisions."

Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann expressed concern that the guarantee of subsidy levels until five years after Brexit may not apply to Northern Ireland.

"By setting a final date of 2024 it means that farmers will have guaranteed support at the same level as EU member states for five years after Brexit," he said.

"However, Mr Gove's comments only specifically referred to those in England so it is essential that this commitment is also quickly made for farmers in Northern Ireland. This is something I fear the ongoing absence of a minister or local Executive will likely delay, however."

Sinn Fein's Michelle Gildernew - a former Stormont agriculture minister - said the UK commitment to protect farmers after Brexit had no basis in reality.

"The British Government's professed commitments to protect local farmers will be met with bewilderment in the north of Ireland," she said.

"The Tory-DUP Brexit pact are committed only to dragging the north out of the EU, leaving rural farmers without almost 90% of their funding, and potentially devastating the agri-food industry."
Sir William Hastings died last month at the age of 89 (Hastings Hotels/PA)

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - 'The Priests' perform at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - A framed portrait at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - 'The Priests' perform at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - Professor Julie Hastings, daughter of William Hastings at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - Dr Howard Hastings, son of William Hastings, at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - Aileen Martin, daughter of William Hastings at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - Ulster Unionist Party leader Robin Swann pictured at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - Lady Joy Hastings at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - 'The Priests' perform at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - 'The Priests' perform at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - Right Reverend The Lord Eames pictured at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - Dr Howard Hastings and Lady Joy Hastings pictured at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - Singer Van Morrison pictured at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - Well wishers with Dr Howard Hastings after the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - General view of the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - Right Reverend The Lord Eames pictured at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - Dr Howard Hastings and Lady Joy Hastings pictured at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - Lady Joy Hastings at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2017 - Right Reverend The Lord Eames pictured at the Memorial Service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Sir William Hastings in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Customer service was in the DNA of hotelier Sir William Hastings, his son has said.

The big decisions were as easy as the small for the kind and fair father-figure with an entrepreneurial spirit honed in post-war East Belfast, Howard Hastings added.

Sir William helped lead Northern Ireland's hotel industry and became one of the best-known personalities in tourism, dying last month aged 89.

Sir Van Morrison and PSNI chief constable George Hamilton were among those who attended a memorial service on Friday at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast.

Mr Hastings said: "He grew his business leading from the front, with a hands-on approach, customer service was in his DNA."

Sir William founded the Hastings Hotels group more than 50 years ago.

It owns six hotels across Northern Ireland.

In 1993 he bought the Europa in Belfast city centre, famously known as the most bombed hotel in Europe.

His son said: "The big decisions were as easy for him as the small ones, after a couple of sleepless nights he'd assure himself that this was the right thing to do, agree a price and shake hands and that was that."

The Priests sang at a service which was a celebration of a life rather than a second funeral, organisers said. St Anne's was packed with up to 1,000 people.

Sir William was self-taught but architects were impressed by his understanding of their designs, accountants by his mental agility, his son said.

Mr Hastings added: "What you saw was what you got, he was straightforward, his pet hate was bluffers."

His kindness was evident at Christmas when he invited widows and spinsters who would otherwise be alone.

He was a man of deep faith, in times good and bad.

His son said: "Dad was definitely a joiner, he enjoyed being in the thick of things.

"Dad's energy and his constant engagement with people was a source of his energy."

His daughter Professor Julie Hastings said he lit up a room and was an inspiration and a legend.

His training started early; from 12 he was washing glasses in his father's pub.

Right to the end of his life he was busy, beginning another hotel development in Belfast aged 87 which is still under construction.

Mr Hastings said: "He knew his illness would not improve and ensured his affairs were in order.

"His hardest job was to give away his golf clubs."

He died at home surrounded by family, with Christmas carols on the radio.
The sister of a man killed in the Omagh bomb said funding from the Irish government will help provide a "fitting tribute" to all Troubles victims through events marking the 20th anniversary of the atrocity.

Dublin yesterday announced that 53 organisations in Ireland and the UK, including over 40 across Northern Ireland, would receive a total of 793,000 from its Reconciliation Fund.

Omagh Support and Self-Help Group, which is run by and for those bereaved by the tragedy and offers services such as welfare and complementary therapies, is among those to benefit.

A cash injection of 14,300 will help it pay for remembrance works of art and music. The Irish government will fund a special series of commemoration projects ahead of the Omagh bombing anniversary this summer.

The Real IRA blast killed 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins, in the busy Co Tyrone market town.

No-one has been has been convicted of the murders in a criminal court.

Cat Wilkinson, whose brother Aiden Gallagher (21) died in the August 1998 explosion, said she was grateful for the funding.

"It will help the families who will be thinking and reflecting back over the last 20 years," she said. "It gives them something to focus positively on and really connect with the rest of the community."

The biggest local beneficiary of the newly-released funding is the NI Council for Integrated Education (NICIE), which will receive 70,500. Development officer Paula McIlwaine said the money would help to train at least 300 school teachers under the organisation's initiative Inspiring Anti-Bias Practice In Northern Ireland Schools.

"This grant is a ringing endorsement for integrated education," she said.

Yesterday, the Omagh Support and Self-Help Group said the annual routine of public memorials to the tragedy should end after this year.

"The 20th anniversary is a milestone for those closely affected as well as the wider community who were moved by this horrific event," it said.

"There is a sense that this point in time offers an opportunity to start to dissolve and disperse the routine of the memorial."
Jayne Toal Reat's daughter Charlotte is comforted by friends and family, including Joe Tweedie (left), father of the teen accused of her mother's murder

The daughter of a nurse stabbed to death on Christmas Day carried her mother's coffin in tears yesterday at her funeral in Banbridge.

More than 300 mourners gathered at St Patrick's Church on a freezing winter's day to pay their respects to Jayne Toal Reat (43), a mental health nurse at Craigavon Area Hospital.

Many of her work colleagues attended in uniform, while others wore items of clothing in her favourite colours of pink and blue.

During emotional scenes her daughter Charlotte, dressed in a blue coat and bearing cuts to her face, spent some time saying goodbye to her mother outside the church while placing her hands on the coffin.

With the support of a large crowd of family and friends, the 21-year-old bravely proceeded with the service.

The knife attack occurred at a property on Mornington Lane in Lisburn early on Christmas Morning.

Ms Toal Reat died in Charlotte's arms after she intervened to save her daughter's life.

A 19-year-old man, Nathan Ward, has been charged with her murder and the attempted murder of both Charlotte and his own father Joseph Tweedie, the deceased's partner.

Parish priest Canon Liam Stevenson said the devoted mother had been baptised in the same church over 40 years ago.

"We have all been shocked, upset and deeply troubled when news of her untimely death began to circulate on Christmas Day," he said.

"Those who knew Jayne well would have expected to be celebrating.

"But the opposite was to be the reality for all Jayne's family circle and friends.

"Instead, they were trying to absorb the reality of a sudden, unforeseen and violent death. What a contrast to the Nativity scene in the stable of Bethlehem."

Born in Banbridge on March 11, 1974, Ms Toal Reat helped out in her gran's confectionery shop growing up and studied in St Mary's Primary and St Patrick's College. She was an avid art student, and Fr Stevenson said some of her work was still on display at her old school.

After moving to Belfast to work in the hospitality industry, she married Simon, with whom she had Charlotte.

She later moved to Scotland and Cambridgeshire and resumed her studies, graduating as a mental health nurse, following in her late mother Anne's footsteps.

"The call of Banbridge, her native town, was strong and she returned with Charlotte and lived across the street from her mother," added Fr Stevenson.

"Charlotte and Anne bonded well together, as so often happens between granddaughter and grandmother.

"Jayne's mother fell ill and she helped nurse her, day and night."

Turning to Charlotte, he said her mother had been proud of her dancing skills, which she began to develop aged six.

"She was happy to see Charlotte go off to the United States, but insisted on four phone calls daily to keep in touch," he said.

"It's a very strong example of the closeness between Charlotte and Jayne."

He added: "Jayne found great friendship with Joe and she moved to Lisburn a few years ago to be close to him."

Concluding, he shared the family's appreciation for the many messages of loyalty and sympathy they had received from well-wishers.

As the funeral cortege left St Patrick's, nursing colleagues formed a guard of honour for Ms Toal Reat.

The service was followed by a private cremation.

Charlotte attended court to face her mother's alleged killer when he appeared in the dock.

She also shared on social media her last ever picture with her mother, which was taken on Christmas Eve.

"My mummy has been taken from me, her life was taken from her far too soon in the most cruel way," she said. "Love my angel with all my heart and soul. My life is changed forever but I can feel you giving me the strength to get you the justice and face the creature who murdered you."

At yesterday's service Mr Tweedie showed his support for his late partner's grieving daughter.

He earlier shared a picture on social media of the two, adding the message: "Love these pair so much, miss you Jayne."

Ms Toal Reat's brother Peter Toal commented: "All I can say is what a wonderful person she was, not only beautiful on the outside but even more on the inside.

"She really did have a heart of gold, she was a wonderful nurse, mother, sister and friend who followed in her mum's footsteps helping and caring for others the best she could.

"She didn't get it easy most of the time, but one thing she did get right was in the upbringing and her relationship with her daughter Charlotte, which she proved by making the ultimate sacrifice in the death of herself defending her.

"Anybody that knows them both will know the bond that they have - 'like two sisters' is all I used to hear."

He added: "Just when she had found happiness with her partner Joe, this was tragically taken from her."
Was the recently disbanded and self-styled 'Irish Republican Army' entitled to claim the term 'Prisoners of War' for its captured combatants?

To qualify under the Third Geneva Convention, a combatant must be part of a chain of command, wear a "fixed distinctive marking, visible from a distance", bear arms openly, and have conducted military operations according to the laws and customs of war.

Since the IRA did not wear any fixed distinctive markings visible from a distance, did not bear arms openly and did not conduct military operations according to the laws and customs of war, its captured combatants could never qualify as prisoners of war.

Since the IRA did not grant POW status to any of the enemy combatants it captured but instead tortured and summarily murdered them, and since it also tortured and summarily murdered civilians it abducted - including disappearing their corpses - its combatants could never be internationally recognised as qualifying for POW status and not least according to the principle of reciprocity.

Is it possible to argue that the IRA might have established its own localised human rights' rules that rendered the Geneva Conventions and International Humanitarian Law inapplicable in Britain and Ireland?

If the IRA never made appeal to such International Humanitarian laws or courts, it might be argued that it was recognising a different set of localised rules, but this is undermined immediately by the fact that prominent captured Irish republicans did indeed make appeal to the very institutions and international laws whose protections they denied to the combatants and non-combatants they captured or abducted and subsequently tortured and murdered.

One obvious case which clarifies this was the matter of the arrest by Irish police of a number of prominent republicans in Burt, Co Donegal, three miles from the border where, the day before, civilian Patsy Gillespie was abducted from his home, chained to a bomb and made to drive the bomb into an Army checkpoint at Coshquin, at which point some unknown IRA combatants triggered the bomb, killing Patsy Gillespie and five soldiers.

The prominent republicans captured three miles from the scene were found in possession of gloves, balaclavas, and other clothing.

Among the men arrested in Burt, were well-known Derry republicans William McGuinness (younger brother of Martin McGuinness) and Gary Fleming, along with Anthony Heaney from Castledawson.

William McGuinness and Anthony Heaney refused to answer questions and were subsequently tried, convicted and imprisoned in the Irish Republic for failing to give an account of their movements which was an offence under the Offences Against the State Act at the time.

They were acquitted of charges of IRA membership.

However, these prominent republicans later appealed to various Irish courts and to the European Court of Human Rights regarding the breach of their 'right to silence' and received favourable judgments and financial compensation which they accepted.

By making this kind of appeal to the ECHR, the entire republican movement - political and militant - was effectively recognising the jurisdiction of the International Humanitarian Laws and associated Geneva Conventions it was meanwhile denying to combatants and civilians it captured and murdered. It was effectively admitting that its own campaign was outside the laws and customs of war.

The IRA therefore operated in the full knowledge that its campaign was pure and unadulterated terrorism in every sense of the word. Following the ECHR judgment in favour of William McGuinness and Anthony Heaney, the Irish courts were obliged to overturn their convictions.

With all of the legal expertise and knowledge available to the IRA through prominent firms of publicly-financed solicitors and lawyers, the IRA was fully aware of the gravity of its human rights violations, the definition of its combat as terrorism and also of the possibility of war crimes' charges which might have been applied later to its leadership if the British or Irish governments had been of a mind to press these.

The Spanish government has proceeded with charges of crimes against humanity against ETA leaders even after ETA has surrendered, disbanded and decommissioned its weaponry. ETA's prisoners are still serving their prison sentences. The Spanish government has not countenanced any kind of deal or negotiation with what used to be ETA.

So it is only within the brainwashed cult and grand lies of the IRA that captured IRA combatants were imagined to be POWs. Everywhere else, IRA prisoners were recognised as terrorists, pure and simple.

The 1916 Proclamation's penultimate line reads: "We place the cause of the Irish Republic under the protection of the Most High God, Whose blessing we invoke upon our arms, and we pray that no one who serves that cause will dishonour it by cowardice, inhumanity, or rapine."

The seven signatories of the 1916 Proclamation could never have imagined a future IRA so devoid of honour, integrity, humanity and truthfulness as the Provos' crimes against humanity later proved them to be.
Stephen McKinney appears at Omagh Court on charged with the murder of wife Lu Na McKinney. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press 04/12/2017

A man charged with murdering his wife on a family boating holiday allegedly subjected her to "controlling, degrading and manipulating" treatment, the High Court heard on Friday.

Prosecutors claimed Stephen McKinney had verbally abused 35-year-old Lu Na McKinney about their sex life before her death at Devenish Island on Lough Erne, Co Fermanagh last April.

A judge was also told the 41-year-old accused provided varying recollections of how his wife fell into the water while checking their mooring and after taking sleeping pills.

According to a pharmacology expert she couldn't have functioned as described due to the "hypnotic-sedative effect" of the drugs in her system.

It was further alleged that she had once spoke about a case where another woman went missing from a cruise ship and stated that if anything should happen to her "it would be Stephen".

McKinney, originally from Strabane but with an address at The Flax Fields in Lifford, Co Donegal, denies murder, insisting he tried in vain to rescue her.

Adjourning his application for bail, Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan indicated he was minded to release the defendant if a suitable address can be found.

Mrs McKinney, a Chinese national, was initially believed to have died in a boating accident.

But based on statements from staff at the marina where the family hired the cruiser, expert witnesses, work colleagues of the deceased and telecommunications evidence, police launched a murder inquiry.

The court heard that after marrying in 2003 the couple moved between the Republic of Ireland and China, returning to Donegal in 2016.

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In a statement to police McKinney said he had taught English to students online and hoped to find further work in the same field.

He described his wife as "a beautiful woman who couldn't cook", said they were happy together and added that she looked after the family's finances as he had no concept of money.

According to his account they hired the boat to go on a two-night Easter break with their two children, aged 14 and 11.

He confirmed there were only two life jackets on the cruiser, used by his son and daughter, and claimed they had set off without two more being provided because of the excitement of the trip.

On the night his wife died McKinney claimed she took possibly two sleeping tablets the couple had previously purchased on the internet.

Crown lawyer Kate McKay set out how the accused told police he was later woken by Mrs McKinney standing beside him fully dressed, saying she thought the boat was moving and was going out to check the ropes.

McKinney claimed he followed his wife out onto the deck, saw her fall overboard and possibly shout for help.

He said that he immediately jumped into the Lough and managed to get hold of her.

But she couldn't swim and was struggling, pulling him down and grabbing his necklace, the court heard.

McKinney claimed that after he lost grip of his wife she was "gone".

He recalled pulling himself back onto the boat and using the torch function on his mobile phone to search for her before calling 999 for help.

The two children remained asleep throughout the incident, according to his statement.

However, Mrs McKay disclosed a pharmacology expert's opinion that it would not have been possible for Mrs McKinney to function as described by her husband due to the level of drugs in her system.

"Optimum effects would leave Lu Na experiencing a hypnotic-sedative effect," the prosecutor said.

Setting out further details of the circumstantial case against the accused, she contended:

:: Staff at the marina told McKinney to go to the office to obtain two more life jackets.

:: He allegedly refused to accept being told by his wife that she didn't want to go on the boat trip.

:: He gave different reasons for the family trip, ranging from an Easter holiday, early wedding anniversary, surprise for the children, and celebration of a new job.

:: McKinney allegedly provided varying accounts of how his wife came to be in the water - seeing her fall in, and hearing a splash before discovering her in the Lough.

:: He had allegedly been advised to moor at a different jetty on Devenish Island.

The court also heard that mobile phones and computers seized from McKinney led to the recovery skype chats, sex videos and sexual images involving the defendant, his wife and other unknown individuals.

One chat log from 2014 included more than 1,000 entries and took place while McKinney was wither separated from or loving away from his family, Mrs McKay said.

She claimed they depicted him as being verbally abusive towards his wife about their sex life, blaming her for their separation and then encouraging her to take part in activities.

"This is eventually agreed by Lu Na, saying she will change and do whatever McKinney wishes if he will come back to the family," the barrister continued.

"From reading the entirety of this chat it can be said that McKinney is displaying controlling, degrading treatment toward Lu Na, and manipulating Lu Na to the extent that regardless how she answers or agrees to McKinney's request the goalposts are continually moved."

Defence counsel Martin McCann countered that witness evidence against his client involved "second or third-hand hearsay".

He insisted: "The situation, as described by Mr McKinney to the emergency services and ultimately to the police is that this was an accident.

"He attempted to save his wife's life and he failed."

Disputing that a prima facie circumstantial case had been established against his client, Mr McCann added: "The circumstances appear to consist of rumour and innuendo."

But with detectives still to speak to the accused's children, Sir Declan confirmed McKinney will not be allowed out of custody to live close to them.

Adjourning the case, he said: "I'm minded in principle to releasing this man on bail when a suitable bail address has been found."
Police investigating the brutal murder of a man have made a fresh appeal for information on the third anniversary of his death.

Brian McIlhagga was beaten by a gang of masked men and shot in the leg in Ballymoney on January 5, 2015.

The 42-year-old was visiting a friend in Riverview Park when the gang entered the house, brutally assaulted him and took him out through the front door before shooting him.

He died at the scene from his injuries.

The attack occurred when four young children under the age of 13 were in the house.

The officer leading the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Michael Harvey, said: This was a vicious and brutal attack on a man who was enjoying a visit with a friend when his life was brought to a savage end.

We have made arrests in this investigation but, no one has been charged with this horrific act.

The devastation on Mr McIlhaggas loved ones and his circle of friends as a result of this horrific murder by cowards has been unimaginable.

DCI Harvey said he believed some in the community can help bring the killers to justice.

He added: I believe there are people out there who have information about the men behind the masks, and those involved in this murder.

I would urge those people to think about the information they hold, and to do the right thing. I urge them to think what if this was your loved one?

No matter how small or insignificant you think this information might be, please come forward  it could make a difference and bring those responsible for the murder of Brian McIlhagga before the courts, and some much-needed justice for Brian McIlhagga and his loved ones.

DCI Harvey appealed to anyone who saw or heard anything in the Riverview Park area between 10pm and 11pm on Monday, January 5, 2015, to contact police.

He added: I want to hear from anyone who saw men or vehicles moving in and around the area.

Anyone with any information can contact detectives at Maydown police station on the non-emergency number 101.

Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.
a man accused of the sectarian murder of a Catholic civil servant in Londonderry has had threats made against him, a court has been told.

Paul McCauley, a father-of-one, died on June 6, 2015, having spent nine years in a coma.

Mr McCauley was aged 29 when he sustained serious head injuries when he and a group of friends attending a barbecue at Chapel Road in the Waterside area of Derry were attacked by a loyalist gang on July 16, 2006.

Brian Matthew Gillen (30), whose address was given as Bonds Hill in the Waterside, appeared at a preliminary inquiry yesterday charged with murdering Mr McCauley.

When asked if he had anything to say in answer to the murder charge, the defendant replied: "No."

Defence barrister Sean Doherty told Londonderry Magistrates Court yesterday he accepted that the defendant had a prima facie case to answer.

Mr Doherty told District Judge Barney McElholm that the defendant, who currently lives and works in England, has had threats made against him.

The defendant was released on continuing bail to attend Belfast Crown Court for his arraignment on a date to be fixed.

He was released on his own bail of 750 together with a surety also of 750.

As part of his bail conditions he must reside at the Bonds Hill address or at an address in England approved by the PSNI.

He must also report to North Kent police station once a week.

Two other men have also been charged in relation to the murder.

A previous hearing in 2016 heard from a PSNI detective who said there was concern for Gillen's safety after they became aware of death threats against him from a paramilitary organisation.

That court also heard the officer tell the court that the International Monitoring Commission had described the murder of Mr McCauley as an unsanctioned UDA attack.
The couple in their later days

Joseph McMulkin, during his army days, with wife Margaret

A Co Fermanagh couple married for more than 60 years died just weeks apart in the same nursing home.

Margaret and Joseph McMulkin died before they would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.

The pair, from Irvinestown, had been together in the nursing home for 18 months, but Margaret, who was also known as Rita, died on October 17.

Her husband Joe then passed away on November 9.

Their son Liam said his dad "lost the will" to go on after his mother's death.

"It was more to do with giving up the ghost after mum died," he said.

"Dad really did deteriorate after her funeral.

"He was able to go to it but he did get weaker and did a fair bit of grieving.

"Mum died of natural causes and dad suffered three strokes a couple of years ago.

"He also developed a tumour," Liam said.

After losing his speech, Joe, who was a former sergeant in the Army, went into County Care Nursing Home in Enniskillen.

"Dad was there for three years while mum went in 18 months ago," he added.

"Mum also suffered from dementia and arthritis.

"She was in good enough form but had regressed and became forgetful. While dad lost his speech, he was still mentally sharp and he and mum would communicate in some form as they sat beside each other in the communal area.

"It did both of them good when they were together.

"When it came to her funeral, it was the soldier in him that helped him get through it.

"He acknowledged everyone that went but then he went downhill and looked like he had no will to go on.

"They were so close and were always together.

"After mum died we talked to him a lot about her and he seemed to do a lot of thinking and reflecting. They were at school together and knew each other for a very long time."

The couple would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary the day after Joe passed away.

Margaret and Joe were also buried in the same graveyard.

During Margaret's early years she worked as a cleaner, maid and cook in various places before she married Joe in November 1952.

She lived in "married quarters" while Joe served in the army.

As a young man, Joe worked for a contractor before enlisting in the army.

He first served with the Royal Engineers in 1949 then, in 1951, he transferred to the North Irish Brigade.

Joe then served with the Inniskilling Fusiliers until 1969 when he left the army.

During his time in the army he served in Cyprus, Egypt and Kenya as well as various postings in the UK.

He was also awarded the military medal - an award given for bravery and gallantry.

Throughout his career, Joe quickly attained the rank of corporal and rose to the rank of sergeant before his discharge with an exemplary record.

The couple are survived by their three sons Martin, Ned, Liam and daughter Shelia.
A young man charged with the murder of a Japanese worker in Co Louth yesterday made a number of outbursts in court including "I'm no gay" and "I'm no Muslim".

A massive garda security operation was put in place as Mohamed Morei (18) was brought before a special sitting of Dundalk District Court. He was charged with the murder of Yosuke Sasaki (24) on January 3.

The accused appeared before Judge Gerry Jones, and the court heard that there were issues with confirming Mr Morei's nationality.

Garda Inspector Martin Beggy told the court that there was nothing "in common between the deceased and the accused".

When asked if there were any concerns for Mr Morei, the investigator replied: "We have a concern. He has presented certain matters to us and we would have concerns. We would request that he receive appropriate medical and psychiatric care in custody."

Garda Damien Welby said Mr Morei made no reply when cautioned. The charge was then read by an interpreter.

Mr Welby, of Blackrock garda station, was the unarmed officer who initially arrested the accused on Wednesday.

Mr Morei made a number of outbursts including: "I'm no gay", "F*** you" and "I'm no Muslim".

Defence counsel Barry Callan applied for free legal aid for the accused, that an Arabic translator be provided, and that Mr Morei be medically and psychologically evaluated. There was no application for bail, and the accused will re-appear before Cloverhill court next Thursday, via video link.

Several people had gathered outside the courthouse, with gardai forced to restrain some.
Govt to hold NA election on Feb 7

The long-drawn dispute among the parties has come to an end on Friday after the government announced the date of National Assembly (NA) election for Feb 7.
Britons can expect a calmer and more settled end to the week after high winds swept across England and Wales on Thursday.

A yellow wind warning covered all of southern England, Wales and up to Yorkshire and the Humber for the majority of the day.

Gusts as high as 77mph were recorded in High Bradfield, Yorkshire, whilst the Isle of Wight saw winds of 69mph.

In Epsom, Surrey, a four-year-old boy and his mother were injured by bricks falling from a building  wind and poor light meant it was not possible to secure the roof and brickwork of the damaged building after the incident as it was unsafe to install the scaffolding needed.

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A spokesman for the Met Office said: All the warnings have now expired for wind, which is good news. There will be a breeze around, particularly across the south of the country, and thereafter it gradually turns a lot more settled into the weekend.

By the time we get through to Saturday night and Sunday most of the rain will have cleared, so for many it will be dry and brighter with some sunshine.

However, the weekend will also see a cold snap that is expected to bring plummeting temperatures and widespread frost.

Across parts of Scotland temperatures on Saturday night could fall as far as minus 10C (14F).
The man died at a branch of Paddy Power in Rookery Road, Handsworth, Birmingham (Matthew Cooper/PA)

A 35-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder after a stabbing at a betting shop has been detained under the Mental Health Act.

The victim, a man aged 28 who was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering severe head injuries, has yet to be named by West Midlands Police.

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The force said a post-mortem examination had not yet been carried out after the death at a branch of Paddy Power in Rookery Road, Handsworth, Birmingham.

Officers were called to the premises at 12.45pm on Thursday, where the victim was declared dead due to the extent of his injuries.
A police community support officer (PCSO) commended for helping victims of the Manchester Arena terror attack within a minute of the explosion has said: Im just an ordinary bloke who puts a uniform on and goes to work and helps people.

Jon Morrey was on patrol at Manchester Victoria Station when the blast ripped through the foyer of the arena on May 22 last year, leaving 22 victims dead.

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On Friday, he was one of four British Transport Police (BTP) officers to be commended for their actions in a special ceremony at Manchester Town Hall, along with dozens of colleagues and rail staff.

Mr Morrey, 43, said he and his colleagues were trained not to run towards explosions but they ignored that advice and were treating the seriously wounded within 60 seconds of hearing the blast.

The former Royal Navy chef from Shaw, Greater Manchester, said he knew immediately what had happened as the explosion sounded like a warship gun blast.

He said what he saw was horrible and shocking.

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I remember there was glass everywhere and shrapnel and people crying out for help, Mr Morrey said.

I just went into automatic and just treated it like training exercise.

They were everywhere, all asking for help. And Id be dealing with one and Id say, Dont worry, Ill be there in a second.

I helped all the people I helped to the best I can. Im glad that I could help them.

Mr Morrey was the first at the scene with fellow BTP PCSOs Mark Renshaw and Lewis Brown, and Police Constable Jessica Bullough.

Expand Close PCSO Mark Renshaw (left) is highly commended during the ceremony at Manchester Town Hall (Peter Byrne) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp PCSO Mark Renshaw (left) is highly commended during the ceremony at Manchester Town Hall (Peter Byrne)

BTP Chief Constable Paul Crowther told the packed hall it was very humbling to hear the stories of those involved on the night.

He said: There is no doubt that the extraordinary acts of bravery, professionalism and compassion demonstrated by all the individuals commended today were truly remarkable.

Pc Renshaw  who is now a police officer with BTP  described how he was confronted with one young girl who wanted him to help her seriously injured mother, who did not survive.

He said: She asked me if I could help her mummy and, when I went round, her injuries were that severe that I couldnt.

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I just made a decision to take her daughter out of what was a horrendous scene and I told her that before I took her daughter out.

His colleague, Pc Bullough, had only been a police officer for just over a year when she raised the alarm after hearing the explosion.

She said the four officers at the station rushed over the bridge, where they were confronted by a horrific scene.

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She said: All four of us went inside. It was full of smoke, smell and there was blood everywhere.

It was scary. I will admit. Youre never in that position in your life. But weve been trained to deal with people and we just did what we could on the night.

The fourth officer  Lewis Brown  had only been a PCSO for a few weeks at the time of the blast. He said he now wants to be a police officer.
President Donald Trump says responsible development of offshore energy resources would boost jobs and economic security (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The Trump administration has moved to vastly expand offshore drilling from the Atlantic to the Arctic oceans with a plan to open up waters off the California coast for the first time in more than three decades.

The new five-year drilling plan also could open new areas of oil and gas exploration in areas off the East Coast from Georgia to Maine, where drilling has been blocked for decades.

Many politicians in those states support offshore drilling, although the Democratic governors of North Carolina and Virginia oppose drilling off their state coasts.

Florida Governor Rick Scott, a Republican, also opposes offshore drilling near his state, as do the three Democratic governors on the West Coast.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced the plan on Thursday, saying responsible development of offshore energy resources would boost jobs and economic security while providing billions of dollars to fund conservation along US coastlines.

The five-year plan would open 90% of the nation's offshore reserves to development by private companies, he said, with 47 leases proposed off the nation's coastlines between 2019 and 2024.

Nineteen sales would be off the coast of Alaska, 12 in the Gulf of Mexico, nine in the Atlantic and seven in the Pacific, including six off California's coast.

Industry groups praised the announcement, which would be the most expansive offshore drilling proposal in decades.

The proposal follows President Donald Trump's executive order in April encouraging more drilling rights in federal waters, part of the administration's strategy to help the US achieve "energy dominance" in the global market.

"To kick off a national discussion, you need a national plan - something that has been lacking the past several years," said Randall Luthi, president of the National Ocean Industries Association.

A coalition of more than 60 environmental groups denounced the plan, saying it would impose "severe and unacceptable harm" to America's oceans, coastal economies, public health and marine life.

"These ocean waters are not President Trump's personal playground.

"They belong to all Americans and the public wants them preserved and protected, not sold off to multinational oil companies," read the coalition statement, which was signed by leaders of the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defence Council, League of Conservation Voters and other environmental groups.

They said the " extreme proposal is a shameful giveaway" to the oil and gas industry, which supported Mr Trump in the election campaign.

The proposal comes less than a week after the Trump administration proposed to rewrite or kill rules on offshore oil and gas drilling imposed after the deadly 2010 rig explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The accident on BP's Deepwater Horizon rig killed 11 workers and triggered the biggest offshore oil spill in US history.

The Trump administration called the rules an unnecessary burden on industry and said rolling them back will encourage more energy production.

Environmentalists said Mr Trump was raising the risk of more deadly oil spills.

Mr Scott said he has asked for an immediate meeting with Mr Zinke to discuss his concerns, adding: "My top priority is to ensure that Florida's natural resources are protected."

AP
A court in Georgia has sentenced the country's former president, Mikheil Saakashvili, in his absence to three years in prison for abusing his power in the pardoning of four policemen convicted of murdering a banker.

Saakashvili, who was president from 2004-13, left Georgia when his presidency ended and eventually went to Ukraine, where he had been appointed governor of the Odessa region.

He resigned in 2016 and harshly criticised President Petro Poroshenko.

Last year, the Ukrainian leader stripped Saakashvili of his citizenship while he was abroad.

Saakashvili returned to Ukraine in September and has led a series of protests against the government.

A court in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, sentenced Saakashvili on Friday.

Georgia has requested Saakashvili's extradition, but Ukraine has not complied.

AP
Emmanuel Macron and Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose for a photo before a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris (AP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he is "seriously tired" of waiting for the European Union to decide if it wants his country as a member.

Mr Erdogan was in Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, part of efforts to improve his government's strained relationship with Europe.

Mr Macron confirmed that Turkey's wait for EU membership was far from over, and suggested a partnership in the meantime.

The current process "does not allow for an outcome in the coming years," Mr Macron said during a joint news conference with Mr Erdogan, adding that stringing Turkey along was hypocritical.

Mr Erdogan made it plain that Turkey would not wait forever.

"One cannot permanently implore and wait to be finally included," he said, adding that frustration might tempt Ankara to turn its back to Europe.

Ties between Turkey and Europe worsened last year amid mass arrests and firings carried out by Mr Erdogan's government following a July 2016 coup attempt.

Relations deteriorated further after authorities in several countries prevented Turkish ministers from holding political rallies to court expatriates' votes in a referendum to expand the president's powers.

Mr Erdogan unleashed a series of insults at Nato allies, accusing European officials of racism, harbouring terrorists and behaving like Nazis.

The Turkish president was less bombastic, but just as emphatic, on Friday while discussing his country's decades-long pursuit of Europe's acceptance.

"Unfortunately, we did the first steps in 1963. And it's now been 54 years that Turkey has been waiting in the antechamber of the EU," Mr Erdogan said.

Mr Macron said the two leaders held "frank" talks on Turkey's bid for EU membership and the human rights situation in Turkey - a major sticking point.

"We should... see if we cannot rethink this relationship, not in the framework of the (EU) integration process, but perhaps a cooperation, a partnership," he said, adding the main goal must be to keep Turkey - a Nato member - "anchored" in Europe and its "future... built looking towards Europe and with Europe".

Mr Macron and Mr Erdogan also discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the fight against terror and the war in Syria.

France and Turkish officials also signed defence, banking and commercial deals, including the planned sale of 25 Airbus A330s to Turkish Airlines.

The trip was Mr Erdogan's first to France since his government strongly cracked down on suspected opponents following the failed coup.

About 50,000 people have been arrested and 110,000 others removed from public sector jobs in Turkey. Many have protested they are innocent.

Protests over deteriorating press freedoms and human rights abuses in Turkey greeted Mr Erdogan upon his arrival.

About 30 activists from Reporters Without Borders held images of jailed journalists outside the Turkish embassy.

A dozen demonstrators, mainly ethnic Kurds, later tried to reach the presidential Elysee Palace, but police pushed them back.

The French Communist Party and several left-wing parties have criticised Mr Erdogan's visit to France, which came the day before the fifth anniversary of the killings in Paris of three Kurdish women activists.

"The French judicial system has pointed out Turkish secret services' involvement in this crime," the Communist Party said.

Mr Macron said he raised the issues of media freedom and fundamental human rights with Mr Erdogan, giving the Turkish leader a list of journalists and non-governmental workers he thinks were wrongly targeted during the post-coup crackdown.

"We will find concrete and real solutions that will allow the few cases to be settled, and to settle what has sometimes been a misunderstanding, a harmful misunderstanding," Mr Macron said.

Mr Erdogan responded that some "columnists and opinion leaders are the gardeners of terrorism".

While Mr Erdogan travelled to Paris, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is scheduled to meet with German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel on Saturday.

AP
Austria's new chancellor has rejected suggestions that his government will align broadly with eastern nations which have clashed with the European Union over migration and other issues.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz leads a coalition with the traditionally eurosceptic Freedom Party.

Both Mr Kurz's People's Party and the Freedom Party have taken a hard line against migration.

The position has generated speculation that Austria could move closer to the Visegrad group of Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia than its western EU allies.

However, Mr Kurz warned against "over-interpreting things".

He said after the Cabinet met: "There are measures and initiatives where we have goodwill in western European countries.

"There are others where we will perhaps get applause from the Visegrad countries, and still others where we agree with all other 27 EU member states."
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Indian company likely to get Dhalkebar job

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is all set to appoint a new contractor to complete the 220 kV Dhalkebar substation which remains unfinished since the original Chinese contractor was fired.
Medical team sent to viral fever-affected areas in Humla

The District Public Health Office (DPHO) in Humla has dispatched a medical team to the areas affected by viral fever.
Naya Shakti blames failure to convince voters for defeat

The Naya Shakti Party Nepal has concluded that it faced a debacle in the parliamentary and provincial elections held on November 26 and December 7 due to the failure to take its agendas effectively to the people.
Oli flying to Bangkok on Jan 10 for health check-up

CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli is leaving for Bangkok, Capital of Thailand, for a regular health check-up.
On Left silence, govt to name state chiefs, HQs

With the left alliance staying aloof from the governments duty of announcing temporary capitals of the seven provinces, appointing governors and scheduling the National Assembly election, the Cabinet is preparing to take unilateral decisions on the three matters probably on Monday.
An 18-year-old has been charged with the murder of a Japanese man in Dundalk.

Mohamed Morei appeared in court this evening charged in connection with yesterday's attacks.

The court heard the nationality of the accused has not been determined yet and he is to receive psychological treatment while in custody.

A large crowd  some shouting abuse - gathered outside Dundalk District Court this evening as Morei was brought in for this hearing.

Garda Damien Welbey said he charged the 18-year-old at 4.31pm this evening at the Crescent, Dundalk

He was charged with the murder of 24-year-old Yosuke Sasaki and made no reply.

Yosuke was stabbed to death on Avenue Road.

Two other men were also attacked a short while later.

The court heard there is an issue with determining the accuseds nationality and he has no connection with the deceased.

An Arabic interpreter was present for the hearing and an interpreter was requested for further court appearances.

Judge Gerry Jones ordered that the accused should receive the appropriate medical and psychological treatment while in custody.

The accused, who was dressed in a black jumper and grey tracksuit bottoms, made some chants during the brief court appearance including "I am not Muslim" and "I am not gay".

The accused was remanded in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court next week via video link.

Gardai have said no terrorist link had been established for the random killing and assaults.

Initially, following the man's arrest gardai said a number of lines of inquiry into the motive for the attacks were being investigated, including terrorism.

The dead man was Japanese, aged 24, and had been living in Ireland for a year.

He has been named as Yosuke Sasaki and is understood to have come from Ebina, west of Tokyo.

He worked in a call centre in Dundalk and it is believed he was targeted randomly on Avenue Road in Dundalk shortly before 9am on Wednesday as he made his way to the office.

Officials in the Japanese embassy in Dublin have been liaising with the dead man's family and have appealed for privacy.

In the second incident, an Irish man was injured when he was stabbed a short time later on Coes Road in Dundalk, near the scene of the first incident.

At 9.40am yesterday gardai received a report that another local man had been injured in an attack with a fence pole at Seatown Place.

Morei had come into contact with gardai in Dundalk on January 1 when inquiries about his immigration status were conducted.

It is believed he had applied for asylum in the Irish Republic.
A 35-year-old Dublin man has been granted bail after being charged over a stab attack on his brother Ross Hutch during an "ongoing dispute", writes Tom Tuite.

Ross Hutch, 25, who once appeared on RTE's Winning Streak, was treated by emergency services after he received a head injury on Wednesday night.

His brother Alan Hutch, 35, from Portland Place, in north inner city Dublin, was arrested.

He appeared before Judge Bryan Smyth at just after 4.30pm an evening sitting of Dublin District Court.

He was charged with assault causing harm at his home address to Ross Hutch on January 3.

The alleged offence is contrary to Section Three of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.

Garda Damien Kildea, from Mountjoy Station, told Judge Smyth that Alan Hutch was charged at 3.13pm on Thursday and he made no reply after caution before he was handed a copy of his charge sheet.

He said there was no objection to bail subject to conditions. Garda Kildea asked that one term would state the accused could have no contact with the injured party in this matter.

He said the two men were brothers and added that there appears to be an on-going dispute between himself and his brother.

Judge Smyth agreed to make that one of the bail terms and imposed other conditions sought by the Garda.

He set bail at 250 in Mr Hutchs own bond but did not require a cash lodgement.

He ordered the accused to sign on three days a week at a garda station  the name of which was written on a note and given to the judge but not read out  and remain of sober habits.

The accused was warned by the judge that he must be of good behaviour and have no contact with the alleged injured party Ross Hutch.

Ross Hutch in 2016. Photo: Courtpix

Alan Hutch, dressed in a navy hoodie, black trousers and runners, did not address the court during the hearing and there has been no indication as to how he will plead.

Garda Kildea said directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) needed to be obtained and he asked for a four-week adjournment.

Mr Hutch was released and ordered to appear again on February 1 next when the case will be listed for directions from the DPP to be outlined.

Legal aid was granted after defence solicitor Declan Fahy told the judge his client was unemployed and a statement of his means was furnished to the court.

ENDS..//
A male duty manager at a Dublin airport-based food franchise firm lost his senior post after a disputed kiss incident with a junior female colleague, writes Gordon Deegan

In the case, Select Service Partner Ireland, trading as SSP Ireland, fired Albert Fordjour arising from the incident in March 2016 outside a lift at the airport.

In the incident, Mr Fordjour was waiting for a lift to open and after it did, a junior female employee from one of the units he supervised exited and as she did so, Mr Fordjour placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her towards him.

The woman said that he tried to kiss her on the cheek or on the lips while Mr Fordjour maintains that he was hugging her as he was of the view that they were friends and did not attempt to kiss her in any way.

Fifteen days later, the woman made a complaint to the SSP Ireland regarding the incident and this culminated in Mr Fordjours sacking in May 2016.

SSP Ireland sacked Mr Fordjour for gross misconduct and found that his behaviour was unacceptable and incompatible with his status as a manager in a position of authority.

Mr Fordjour claimed unfair dismissal and an Adjudication Officer found that his claim was well founded, that he was unfairly dismissed and ordered that he be re-instated.

However, SSP Ireland appealed this ruling to the Labour Court and the Labour Courts examination of CCTV of the incident shows Mr Fordjour leaning towards her but is inconclusive on the question of whether he tried to kiss her on either the lips or the cheek.

Mr Fordjour did admit placing his hand on the employee and pulling her towards him to hug her.

In its determination, the Labour Court found Mr Fordjour's behaviour unacceptable, and an invasion of her right to bodily integrity.

The court stated that it found Mr Fordjours actions as an abuse of authority in the workplace that cannot be treated lightly.

The court stated that while it may seem innocuous to Mr Fordjour, what is important is that it was uninvited and unwanted by the woman who has a perfect right to attend at work without any fear or anxiety that her bodily integrity will be compromised by anyone and especially not by a person who holds a position of authority over her.

The Court also found that Mr Fordjours explanation of his actions as a friendly gesture of salutation that he made while speaking on the phone as wholly unconvincing.

The Court further found that such action without a context of consent would warrant dismissal.

However, the court found that Mr Fordjour was not afforded fair procedure by his employer in the investigation in that it failed to interview two witnesses put forward by him who would give evidence on the relationship between Mr Fordjour and the woman.

The Court found that in those circumstances that the dismissal was unfair. In its recommendation, the Court has recommended that SSP Ireland re-employ Mr Fordjour but that he demoted to one level below duty manager level and pay to be associated with the new role.

The court has ruled that Mr Fordjour commence his work from Monday, January 8 and the period from the date he was sacked in May 2016 to January 8 be considered as a period of suspension without pay.
The strength of protests shaking Iran was unclear on Thursday after a week of unrest that killed at least 21 people.

There were fewer reports of demonstrations as government supporters again took to the streets in several cities and towns.

It was not immediately clear if the drop in reports of new demonstrations challenging Iran's theocratic government meant the protests are subsiding or that the authorities' blocking of social media apps has managed to stop protesters from offering new images of rallies.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration acknowledged the speed and breadth of the protests took both it and the Iranian government by surprise.

The past week's protests have been the largest in Iran since the disputed 2009 presidential election, which ended in bloodshed.

While many Iranians denounce the violence that has accompanied some demonstrations, they echo the protesters' frustration over the weak economy and official corruption.

Thousands rallied on Thursday in support of the government in various towns and cities, including in the northeastern city of Mashhad, where the anti-government protests began last week and extended to other cities.

State television repeatedly broadcast nationalistic songs and described the pro-government rallies as an "answer to rioters and supporters to the riot".

That appeared to be a reference to President Donald Trump who tweeted in support of anti-government rallies.

The TV also broadcast footage of similar pro-government gatherings on Thursday in the cities of Shiraz, Isfahan, Ardabil, Birjand and Yasuj.

Meanwhile, a top Russian diplomat warned the United States not to meddle in Iran's affairs and suggested that Washington wants to use the unrest to undermine the Iran nuclear agreement.

"We warn the US against attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told the state news agency Tass on Thursday.

Mr Ryabkov also said Washington "is tempted to use the moment to raise new issues with regard to the JCPOA", the joint comprehensive plan of action that limits Iran's nuclear programme, including restricting uranium enrichment for 10 years.

Vice President Mike Pence said on Wednesday the US wants an agreement lasting longer.

In a letter on Wednesday to United Nations officials, Iranian ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo complained that Washington was intervening "in a grotesque way in Iran's internal affairs".

He said Mr Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were personally stirring up trouble.

"The president and vice-president of the United States, in their numerous absurd tweets, incited Iranians to engage in disruptive acts," the ambassador wrote to the UN security council president and UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres.

Mr Trump's UN envoy, ambassador Nikki Haley, has called for an emergency security council meeting on Iran, saying the UN needed to speak out in support of the protesters.

As yet, no meeting has been scheduled.

- AP
Canberrans instinctively bustle away to the coast at this time of year. Oodles of you rapturously reading this column are probably lolling on beaches at this very moment.

But have you ever wondered why the coast has such an allure? Why have you gone there, to Dolphins' Playground, to Mollymook, to Pornography Point? Why choose to forsake the metropolitan paradise (though landlocked) of the national capital? What has lured you away, to the seaside?

Now there's a story: Canberra holidaymaker Nigel was abducted by nymphomaniacal mermaids as he took his dawn dip at Broulee. Credit:SWNS

In his 2014 book Blue Mind, marine biologist and oceans enthusiast Wallace J. Nichols examines "why our brains love the ocean". He wanted to "consider a fundamental question: what happens when our most complex organ - the brain - meets the planet's largest feature - water?"

"There's something about water that draws and fascinates us," Nichols marvels.
A woman accused of fleeing the scene of a fatal crash in Hughes appeared in court on Friday after her release from hospital.

Jozef Stefaniak, 24, died on Tuesday from head injuries after he was thrown from a rolling car on Yarra Glen. He was the son of long-time ACT Liberal politician Bill Stefaniak.

Police attend the scene of an accident on Yarra Glen in Hughes on Tuesday evening. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

Police allege the driver was Kane David Kell, 21. He has been charged with speeding and culpable driving causing death. He was remanded in custody when he appeared in court earlier this week.

Mr Kell denies he was the driver, and has told police it was Mr Stefaniak who was behind the wheel.
Sixteen years ago, the NSW government introduced changes to planning laws that started to reshape the way much of Sydney looks, and the dwellings in which a growing minority live.

The State Environmental Planning Policy No 65 imposed new standards for natural light, outdoor access and size on new apartment developments; it is because of this policy, for better or worse, that so many new unit blocks in Sydney look similar.

A pedestrian walks past a new building in Campsie on Canterbury Road. Credit:Daniel Munoz

But with the volume of new apartment developments fast increasing, some architects and designers are pushing for further planning reforms that would extend the principles of apartment planning rules to the streets outside the block.

"The essence of the problem is that no one thinks about the street as a public place," said Shaun Carter, a Sydney architect and former former head of the state's Institute of Architects.
A woman was trapped in a car for more than an hour on Friday after a multi-vehicle crash on the Bruce Highway north of Brisbane created almost 15 kilometres of delays.

Emergency services were called to the three-car crash in Palmview, at the Sunshine Coast, about 10am just past Aussie World near the Sunshine Motorway off-ramp.

The three-car crash on the Bruce Highway at Palmview. Credit:@Kyle_Laidlaw - Twitter

A woman in her late teens, who was trapped in a car, suffered non-life-threatening neck, knee and back injuries, according to a Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman.

She was free of the wreckage and on her way to hospital by 11.40am.
PM Deuba summons emergency Cabinet meeting

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has summoned an emergency Cabinet meeting on Friday.
An outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish has appeared near the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef.

The severe outbreak of the notorious coral-eater has hit the Swain Reefs  which extend from Gladstone to Rockhampton  further south than usual outbreaks of the species between Townsville and Cooktown.

Field officers started culling crown-of-thorns starfish in the Swain Reefs before Christmas and are continuing surveillance this month.

Marine scientist Taylor Simpkins holds up a crown-of-thorns starfish on Southern North Opal Reef off the coast of Port Douglas (file image). Credit:Jason South

Divers inject starfish with a compound of sheep and cattle stomach bile causing a fatal allergic reaction, killing the starfish with its poisonous spines dropping off.
Paris: One of France's smelliest cheeses is under threat from rampaging wild boars as farmers kick up a stink over their destructive habits.

Farmers in the eastern Haut-Rhin department of the Alsace region say the animals' foraging is ruining pastures for cows that produce the milk used for Munster, a particularly pungent cheese.

A large boar stops, cautiously sniffing the air. Credit:SHUTTERSTOCK

Makers of Munster must respect strict rules to obtain its coveted label of quality. These stipulate that at least 70 per cent of cow fodder must come from a local farm.

However, a rocketing boar population in the region has led to up to 60 per cent of pastures being uprooted as the beasts forage for acorns, tubers and underground grubs. Farmers now say the production of Munster is in peril.
The relationship is already supposed to be tense. Malcolm Turnbull's famous phone call to the newly installed President Donald Trump last January, on this view, got the relationship off to a bad start. By seeking a commitment from the new president to stand by the agreement Australia had struck with his predecessor, Turnbull was apparently taking risks with the relationship.

The issue matters, because as most people can see, the current occupant of the White House bears little resemblance in the way he conducts himself to previous holders of the position. He is best understood as someone for whom the intricacies of international diplomacy are only comprehensible as personal transactions. If this is an insult, it may therefore matter more than normal.

Yet the logic of this criticism is hard to see. If allies cannot be relied on to do what they promise, how strong is the relationship anyway? In Trump's testiness, we see clearly the personalisation of diplomacy already mentioned. But it was really only the reaction of a business personality unaccustomed to diplomatic niceties, and used to getting his own way. The fact that the phone call then caused a diplomatic flurry, with senior officials rushing to reassure Australia and Australians of the strength of the relationship, suggests that things are by no means as tense as they were portrayed.

Most recently it has been revealed that Australia's high commissioner in London, Alexander Downer, played a role in confirming the links between the Trump election campaign team and Russian operatives. Informed by a member of the Trump team that the Trump campaign knew of a dirt file held by Russian agents on his Democrat opponent, Hillary Clinton, Downer noted the conversation, and later sent a cable to inform the Department of Foreign Affairs. It appears the information filtered from there through intelligence agencies which share information routinely with their US counterparts, and as a result has come to the attention of the current US special prosecutor's investigation as confirming evidence of the Trump campaign's Russia links.

In this process, the Australian side acted with propriety throughout. No leak of the information came from an Australian source to the US media; the information appears to have been obtained from US domestic sources. Sensitive as he is to the Russia issue, Trump may pay no attention to details like this if ever he focuses on the Australia connection  but the US has plenty of senior diplomats for whom these things matter, and who will base decisions on what really happened.

Trump behaves like few previous presidents. It's his shtick. That being so, we should not use normal standards, nor hold conventional expectations, when judging the administration he leads. We know that at the top it will appear more mercurial than usual. Trump cannot resist the urge to win every exchange in a conflict. His instinctive aggression, expressed not only in tweets, but in his decisions, makes his administration look both chaotic and childish. His verbal clash with the North Korean leader over the relative size of the buttons which launch their nuclear missiles is only the latest example. But in assessing the US administration, we must also look beyond the president's newsworthy shouts, raspberries and fist-shaking.

The Trump administration has been slow to fill a large number of positions  far slower than either the Obama or Bush administrations. Hundreds remain vacant in many government departments, according to reports. In the State Department, senior diplomatic posts remain unfilled even in embassies to key US allies like Saudi Arabia and South Korea  places where core US interests are daily the subject of challenges. The US relationship is currently managed there, as in Australia, with complete professionalism by a charge d'affaires. Australia is a useful US ally, but not a challenging one. If we are being ignored, well, we can say we are not alone  in fact are part of the mainstream. And we should not worry too much about things we cannot control. Rather we should heed the useful message of the poster issued in Britain when tumult of another kind threatened the stability of the world: keep calm, and carry on.
Ireland and Hungary expressed strong opposition on Thursday to any effort to harmonise corporate and other tax rules across the European Union, saying such moves would damage competition in the single market.

Hungary, which relies heavily on foreign investment to power its economy, runs the EU's lowest corporate tax rate at 9%, while Ireland's 12.5% rate is also among the lowest in the 28-member bloc.

"Taxation is an important component of competition," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told a joint news conference with his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar.

"We would not like to see any regulation in the EU, which would bind Hungary's hands in terms of tax policy, be it corporate tax, or any other tax," Orban said. "We do not consider tax harmonisation a desired direction."

There have been attempts to harmonise the corporate tax base in the EU, but those efforts have struggled to make headway as opponents say that would just be a foot in the door, eventually leading to harmonised tax rates.

Varadkar said the two leaders agreed that the European economy was strongest where there was competition among member states.

"We share a view as governments that we should continue to have competition among member states in terms of tax policy," he said.

"We are very much of the shared view that countries should set their own taxation rates. Both for corporation taxes and income taxes."

The EU's tax commissioner Pierre Moscovici said in November that the Commission was considering using extraordinary powers to strip EU states of their veto power on tax matters to break resistance over blocked legislation.

Orban and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki demanded a bigger say in the bloc's future after a meeting on Wednesday, with Orban saying trade between countries in central Europe and Germany was bigger than between Germany and France. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
NAMA yesterday issued an end-of-year summary of progress made in 2017, and since its inception, on a number of its key objectives and targets.



According to the report, NAMA has the capacity to fund the delivery of 20,000 residential units by end-2020, if commercially viable. It is estimated that 7,200 units have been delivered between 2014 and end-2017 through NAMA funding. Construction has begun on sites which will deliver a further 2,500 units.

An additional 7,000 units have received planning permission but are not yet under construction. Planning applications have been lodged, or will be submitted during 2018, for another 8,500 units.



Since inception, NAMA has generated over 40.5 billion in cash and, subject to favourable market conditions prevailing, it currently expects to return a surplus of 3 billion to the Exchequer by the time it completes its work in 2020.



Since the start of 2012, NAMA has delivered 2,456 houses and apartments for social housing, excluding houses provided under Part V arrangements. NAMA provides whatever funding is required to make social housing units habitable and has established a special vehicle, NARPS, to purchase suitable units for onward leasing to local authorities and approved housing bodies. To date, NAMA has invested approximately 350 million in remediating, completing and purchasing properties for social housing use.

The report states that NAMA exposure to unfinished housing estates has reduced from a peak of 335 in 2010 to just 8 estates. It is expected that these remaining estates will be resolved during 2018.

In his October 2017 Budget speech, the Minister for Finance announced that the Government had decided to establish a new vehicle, Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI), to increase the availability of debt funding to commercially viable residential development projects. HBFI will draw on the expertise and skill in residential development funding that resides in NAMA but will be a legally independent entity.

The 750m initial funding for HBFI will come from Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF). HBFI funding has potential to fund the construction of 6,000 units in the coming years. This will be additional to the output from NAMAs residential delivery programme. New legislation is currently being drafted and, subject to Oireachtas approval in early 2018, it is expected that HBFI will commence operations in mid-2018.



Source: www.businessworld.ie
Most of the ecological impact from offshore wind farms is caused during the construction phase, during which sediment near construction sites can lower levels of oxygen, and the disperse substances harmful to marine organisms, a non-governmental enivronmental organization said in a document sent to Caixin. Photo: Visual China

Guangdongs plan for a major increase in green power capacity from offshore wind farms has environmental activists worried over potential harm to the southern provinces marine ecosystems.

The Guangdong Development and Reform Commission recently called for work to have started or been completed on at least 12 gigawatts of offshore wind power capacity by late 2020  six times a goal it previously set last year.

But Guangdongs aggressive push toward cleaner, more renewable wind power could come at the expense of protecting the marine environment, the Guangzhou-based Cross-Border Environment Concern Association (CECA) told Caixin.

Many planned wind power projects off the coast of Guangdong include cables that would cut through ecological red zones, according to CECA. The non-governmental organization has been studying the ecological impact of offshore wind power projects since 2014.

Wind farms designed with cables cutting through these zones, which are delineated by the government, include a China Three Gorges Corp. project near Yangxi county, and three projects near the city of Yangjiang run separately by Guangdong Yudean Group Co. Ltd., China General Nuclear Power Group Corp., and the China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group.

Over a quarter of the marine area surrounding Guangdong is classified as red zones by the provincial government, which said in October that it was splitting zones into forbidden and restricted areas. In forbidden zones, land reclamation and all other activities that may damage the marine ecosystem are prohibited. In restricted zones, only land reclamation is banned.

Some offshore wind power projects will have a serious impact on precious fishery resources, and will damage the environment, CECA said in a document sent to Caixin. CECAs director of research Zhang Jiawei cited the 2015 death of a Chinese white dolphin near Guangdongs Zhuhai Guishan Offshore Wind Farm, which is only 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) away from the Pearl River Estuary Chinese White Dolphin National Nature Reserve.

Most of the ecological impact from offshore wind farms is caused during the construction phase, according to a paper by Zheng Leifu, a member of a technical research organization affiliated with the China Three Gorges Corp. During construction, sediment concentration increases in the area surrounding the construction site, resulting in lower levels of oxygen, and the dispersal of substances harmful to marine organisms, according to Zhengs paper.

Caixin contacted the Guangdong Provincial Oceanic Fishery Administration for comment Tuesday, but the administrations representative said they were still in the process of understanding the situation.

Contact reporter Teng Jing Xuan (jingxuanteng@caixin.com)
Twelve state-owned enterprises in Shanxi province will be giving up stakes worth a total of 70 billion yuan ($10.8 billion) in 41 other state-owned companies, including over a dozen in coal-related industries. Photo: Visual China

Empty the cage and change the birds.

Thats what coal-rich Shanxi province says it wants to do, as it announced the latest batch of state-owned assets it will divest as part of an ongoing provincewide industrial restructuring plan.

Twelve state-owned firms will be giving up stakes worth a total of 70 billion yuan ($10.8 billion) in 41 other state-owned companies, including over a dozen in coal-related industries, Shanxis State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) announced Tuesday.

The province introduced its cage-clearing plan last year in order to encourage the departure of capital from traditional industries, and to give priority to these funds entering non-coal industries, according to the Shanxi SASACs official website.

Twelve transfers were announced in the first round of cage-clearing on Nov. 20, with the former owners of the transferred assets including major coal-related companies like Shanxi Coking Coal Group Co. Ltd., Yangquan Coal Industry Group Co. Ltd., Shanxi Luan Mining Industry Group Co. Ltd. and Jincheng Anthracite Mining Group Co. Ltd.

More than three-quarters of the assets selected for the second round were in companies that made no profit or lost money in the first six months of 2017, according to information released by Shanxis SASAC.

Many also had high debt ratios, including Shanxi Huaneng Yushe Power Generation Co. Ltd., which had a debt ratio of 152% as of June. Gemeng International Energy Co. Ltd., a joint venture between state-owned Shanxi International Energy Group Co. Ltd. and a group of foreign investors, will unload its 40% stake in Shanxi Huaneng Yushe Power Generation under the cage-clearing plan.

Meanwhile, Shanxi has been transferring state-owned assets into the Shanxi State-Owned Capital Investment and Operation Co., which was set up in July under a nationwide push to improve the management of state-owned assets.

Centrally controlled SOEs and Shanxi SOEs also agreed to cooperate on the latters reform plans and develop communication channels after talks between provincial and central authorities in late October.

The phrase empty the cage and change the birds was originally used in South Chinas Guangdong province in 2011 to describe a plan to shift the region away from traditional manufacturing and toward the service and technology sectors. It has since become a catchphrase for governments attempting to change the type of industries (the birds) operating within their regions (the cages).

From 2014 to 2016, Shanxis economic growth was below the national average, and the province has lately been engaged in an effort to diversify its economy. Over the past two years, Shanxi cut its coal production capacity by 45.9 million metric tons (50.6 million tons), according to Shanxi Coal Industry Association figures released in December.

Contact reporter Teng Jing Xuan (jingxuanteng@caixin.com)
Ottawa, Ontario  January 4, 2018  The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, will visit San Franciscoon January 4 and 5, 2018where she will participate in activities and meetings focusing on climate action and promoting trade and investment in clean technology. This visit will include a meeting with the Office of the Governor of California, Jerry Brown.

California is an important partner for Canada when it comes to climate action. Canadas two most populous provinces, Quebec and Ontario, together with California, currently form the worlds second-largest carbon market. Canada and California are cooperating on regulatory policies and standards to reduce emissions and on clean-technology investment to drive clean innovation, create jobs, and grow the economy.

Quote

California is the sixth-largest economy in the world, and I am proud that we are working together on climate action and clean growth. I am happy to be going to San Francisco to advance Canadas collaboration with California. We both understand that the environment and the economy go hand in hand.

 Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Should you require additional information, please refer to the contact section below.

Contacts

Marie-Pascale Des Rosiers

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

613-462-5473

marie-pascale.desrosiers@canada.ca

Media Relations

Environment and Climate Change Canada

819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll free)

ec.media.ec@canada.ca

Environment and Climate Change Canadas Twitter page

Environment and Natural Resources in Canadas Facebook page
Protests for capital city status continue

Protests over which city or town should become the provincial capital under the federal set-up are breaking out in different parts of the country.
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.
Tajikistan produced 3Mt of cement in 2017

ICR Newsroom By 05 January 2018

Tajikistans cement factories turned out 3Mt of cement in 2017 and exported some 1Mt of this output.

Domestic deliveries were primarily used in the construction of hydraulic structures, roads and bridges as well as housing. The countrys demand is estimated at 3-3.5Mta, with imports from Pakistan and Iran covering the domestic supply deficit. Total cement capacity in the country stands at 4.7Mta.

Afghanistan is the main export destination, but cement was also dispatched to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

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Safety rules-flouting LPG bottlers to face stern action

The Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology has been preparing to move against liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bottling plants flouting government safety regulations as they pose a risk of harm to the public.
Seven Nepali girls rescued from Kenya; mission goes on

Seven Nepali girls, who were held captive in Kenya, have been rescued along with three Indian girls, External Affairs Minister of India Sushma Swaraj said on Thursday.
The California Board of Registered Nursing has given a green lightfor the third timeto a class teaching nurses how to reverse drug-induced abortions.

The boards decision, coming just months after it decided to cut the class, surprised leaders of Heartbeat International, the Ohio-based nonprofit organization that offers the continuing education credit.

We thought it would be more paperwork involved and more of a protracted process, Heartbeat spokesman Jay Hobbs told me. In the end, really what we saw was them  conceding that this is a science-based approach to medicine, that theres just no good grounds to stop nurses from learning about that.

The abortion pill reversal process, developed by Drs. Matthew Harrison and George Delgado, uses injections of progesterone to counteract the effect of mifepristone, the first of a drug duo used in chemical abortions. Mifepristone blocks the pregnancy-sustaining hormone progesterone, ending the babys life. The second drug, misoprostol, induces contractions that expel the baby.

After taking the first drug, more than 400 women have called the Abortion Pill Reversal hotline and successfully saved their babies lives, according to Heartbeat.

The pro-life organization offers 33 other continuing education credits for nurses and received approval from California officials in 2012 for the course on abortion pill reversal. Bad press in 2016 from a pro-abortion website initiated a 17-month audit of Heartbeat International that ended with the state reiterating its confirmation of the class in July. But in September, California reversed its decision, demanding Heartbeat stop offering the course.

In its December letter to Heartbeat announcing the latest decision, the board didnt cite a reason for the about-face but simply said it has restored your organizations ability to offer continuing education courses in abortion pill reversal to registered nurses in California.

Hobbs called the decision great news for moms who change their minds about having an abortion soon after taking the first abortion pill.

There are actual babies that are toddling around or [were] being held by moms this Christmas because of that process, he said. We really are just thankful to have more of a platform to save lives.

Courtesy: WORLD News Service

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: January 5, 2018
Government military operations in northern Burma (Myanmar) escalated in December, culminating in civilian casualties on Christmas Eve that left Christians feeling attacked in part for their faith.



Offensives against rebel groups in Kachin state, where predominantly Christian, ethnic Kachin live, displaced dozens of villagers and seriously injured two civilians on Christmas Eve, local sources said.



Burma army artillery fire on Dec. 24 struck a village near Laiza, headquarters of the rebel Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), seriously injuring a schoolteacher and a student, according to the local sources.



Sin Gau, assistant pastor with the Kachin Baptist Convention in northern Kachin state, said fighting should have halted on Christmas Eve, when many celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.



They launched attacks when Christmas approached  it happens almost every year, Sin Gau told Morning Star News. So, we even felt as if they deliberately did it.



Area Christians felt the fighting disrespected their religious rights, he said.



As we are Christian, Christmas Eve is the most important thing for us, but we couldnt fully enjoy Christmas as fighting continued, Sin Gua said.



The Burma army and KIOs military wing, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), have been fighting since 2011 following the breakdown of a bilateral ceasefire.



Clashes also broke out on Dec. 22 and 23 between KIA and the Burma army in Mansi Township, northern Kachin state, forcing more than 100 villagers to flee their homes. They are now staying in Man Wing Gyi village tract, according to local humanitarian organizations.



Thang Zua, a Kachin refugee in Tanai township, northern Kachin state, said he was saddened as the fighting continued into Christmas Eve.



We as Christians should have had celebrated Christmas without fear, but we couldnt fully enjoy Christmas, Thang Zua said.



The Burma army has intensified offensives on KIA military outposts in Hpa-Kant, Tanai and Mansi townships since early December. Local sources said the Burma army wanted to gain control of those areas, which are rich in natural resources such as jade and other precious gems.



The fighting that escalated in early December in Kachin state has spread to Shan state, in northeastern Burma, where the Burma army reportedly also used helicopters and jets, according to rebel sources. Shelling further spread in Shan state on New Years Eve, forcing more than 900 local villagers in Kyaukme Township and Namhsan Township to flee, according to the Relief and Resettlement Department in Kyaukme.



KIA is one of some 20 ethnic rebel groups that have fought for self-determination, autonomy, freedom and other fundamental rights since Burma gained independence from the British in 1948. The Burmese government and ethnic rebels have been in peace talk since 2011, and eight rebel groups have signed bilateral ceasefire agreements and a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with the Burmese government.



More than 10 ethnic rebel groups, including the powerful KIO and ethnic Wa, Kokang and Palaung peoples, havent signed the agreements.



Ethnic groups believe the fighting in Kachin state is meant to pressure the KIO to sign the ceasefire agreement.



Christian ethnic minorities have long suffered in Burma, where the government has recognized the special status of Buddhism and promoted it as a means to consolidate support. Burma is about 80 percent Buddhist and 9 percent Christian.



The Burma military routinely occupies churches and summons entire congregations for interrogation, according to a report the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released in December 2016.



The Tatmadaw [Burmese armed forces] occupied Chin, Naga, and Kachin areas and routinely occupied, desecrated, or destroyed places of worship, Christian crosses, and other sacred sites, the report states. This practice continues today in active armed conflict zones.



The military continues to perpetrate grave human rights violations with near total impunity, including sexual violence in church compounds and the torture of pastors, church workers, and ordinary civilians, according to the report, Hidden Plight: Christian Minorities in Burma.



After more than five years of intensified conflict since Burma violated the 17-year cease-fire in 2011, many Kachin face protracted displacement and are desperate to return home, according to the report.





If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.o rg/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved.



If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at http://morningstarnews.org/don ate/ ?
It may soon be a criminal offense to be an atheist in Egypt.

Shortly before New Years Day, the Egyptian Parliament considered enacting a law that would make it illegal to profess no belief in God. It is already against Egyptian law to insult or defame religion, and blasphemy arrests are on the rise. A conviction can bring up to five years in prison.

The new measure would criminalize the act of not believing in God  no insults or defamation of another faith required.

The legislation was proposed Dec. 24 by Amro Hamroush, head of the Parliaments committee on religion.

It must be criminalized and categorized as contempt of religion because atheists have no doctrine and try to insult the Abrahamic religions, Hamroush said in announcing the proposed law.

The legislation has the support of Egypts highest Islamic religious organization, the Al-Azhar. Mohamed Zaki, an Al-Azhar official, called it necessary to punish those who have been seduced into atheism.

The Egyptian government has long punished blasphemy and has targeted atheists since the 2014 inauguration of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. At that time  three years after the 2011 revolution that ousted longtime Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak  the government announced a national plan to confront and eliminate atheism.

Later, a government-run newspaper denounced atheists as the countrys second enemy after the Muslim Brotherhood.

Since then, arrests of atheists have been on the rise. On Dec. 21, police in Cairo arrested a 29-year-old computer programmer who they say administered a Facebook page that is critical of religion. Under interrogation, the man acknowledged being an atheist.

Under el-Sissi, there have also been crackdowns on journalists and LGBT people.

A 2017 report from the London-based International Humanist and Ethical Union does not list countries that outlaw atheism but says that because of blasphemy and apostasy laws that carry the death penalty   in effect you can be put to death for expressing atheism in 13 countries.

Those countries, according to the IHEU, are: Afghanistan, Iran, Malaysia, Maldives,

Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

The proposed Egyptian law came in for harsh criticism from Ani Zonneveld, founder and president of Muslims for Progressive Values, an international group based in Los Angeles.

This criminalization of atheism contradicts the very essence of the Quran, verse 2:256, There is no compulsion in faith,' she said.

This legislation is anti-Islam.

Courtesy: Religion News Service

Photo: Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, right, addresses Parliament in Cairo on Feb. 13, 2016.

Photo courtesy: MENA via AP

Publication date: January 5, 2018
Iranian security forces killed nine protesters Monday night, bringing the death toll from recent unrest to at least 21. The rallies began Dec. 28 over the countrys weak economy and rising food prices. But experts remain uncertain whether the demonstrationsIrans biggest since 2009will bring lasting change.

Protesters in the capital city of Tehran and elsewhere have called for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down amid overall criticism of the countrys Islamic leadership. Authorities have arrested more than 400 protesters, and the head of Tehrans Revolutionary Court warned they could face the death penalty.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani earlier said, People have the right to criticize, but he vowed to crack down on those who instigated violence and destroyed public property. The Iranian government also blocked access to Instagram and the Telegram messaging app, which authorities said helped spread information on the protests.

The economy has improved under Rouhani, who reached a deal with world powers that lifted some sanctions against Iran in January 2016. But unemployment remains high, especially among youth; living costs have risen; and the country recently experienced a spike in food prices. The latest unrest follows months of smaller-scale protests over unpaid wages and the collapse of unauthorized lending companies.

There is a crisis of expectations in Iran, Tamer Badawi, a research fellow at the Turkey-based Al-Sharq Forum told Reuters. It is a deep sense of economic frustration.

Video footage from central Tehran showed people shouting, Down with the dictator, and others in Khorramabad in western Iran yelled, Khamenei, shame on you, leave the country alone!

The ongoing demonstrations are the worst since 2009, when protests followed Mahmoud Ahmadinejads reelection as president. The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs noted the protests once again show that the real threat to the stability of the religious regime in Iran is the Iranian people, who have already proven in the past that they can topple a regime that abandons and ignores their needs.

In his first comment since the crisis began, Khamenei accused enemies of Iran of using various means, including money, politics, and intelligence, to stir problems in the country. The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Jan. 2 expressed solidarity with Iran and criticized the United States and Israel for destabilizing the region after they voiced support for the protesters.

But as the protests turn from economic to political and continue without any defined leadership, analysts question whether they will have a significant lasting effect.

The system prefers political protests over economic because theyre easier to control, Tehran-based political analyst Mojtaba Mousavi told Agence France-Presse. People protesting economic issues will give up when it turns political because unrest can only worsen the economic situation of the country.

Courtesy: WORLD News Service

Photo courtesy: Thinkstock/BornaMir

Publication date: January 5, 2018
Has President Trump Lost His Mind or Has CNN Lost Its Bearings? It appears that President Trump has lost his mind.

Hour after hour, with unrelenting intensity, CNN reporters bring the grim news. It appears that President Trump has lost his mind. This is a serious report about a serious story, without any bias or malice. It's looking really grim.

Yes, we are told, about a dozen senators and representative met last month with Yale psychiatrist Bandy X. Lee, deeply concerned about the president's mental health. (Of course, they were not biased either.)

"Lawmakers were saying they have been very concerned about this, the President's dangerousness, the dangers that his mental instability poses on the nation," Lee told CNN by phone last Thursday. "They know the concern is universal among Democrats, but it really depends on Republicans, they said. Some knew of Republicans that were concerned, maybe equally concerned, but whether they would act on those concerns was their worry."

Of course, Dr. Lee is not biased either. She is telling us the shocking facts.

And what did she tell the congressmen who met with her? One came on CNN to explain, sounding like a doctor who must inform the patient's family that there's nothing that can be done. Yes, the president's condition is untreatable and incurable. He's showing increasing signs of paranoia, delusion, and isolation. It's all downhill from here.

Politico reported on the meeting on January 3 before CNN jumped on it, while leaks from the new, Trump-bashing tell-all book provided the perfect backdrop, not to mention the president's verbal attack on Steve Bannon adding further fuel to the fire.

And on and on the story goes on CNN, with the utmost seriousness and without the slightest self-consciousness that their "reporting" might appear to be in the least bit biased. Not at all. They're just doing their job. (Hey, at least they weren't advocating smoking pot on the air, right?)

Unfortunately, not only does their anti-Trump prejudice jump off the screen, but their reporting hardly considers that this is the same old story being repackaged again.

Consider this headline from Mother Jones dated September 24, 2017: "A Group of Experts Wrote a Book About Donald Trump's Mental Healthand the Controversy Has Just Begun."

In the words of Bill Moyers, who interviewed psychohistorian Robert Jay Lifton in the article, "Some of the descriptions used to describe Trumpnarcissistic personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, paranoid personality disorder, delusional disorder, malignant narcissisteven some have suggested early forms of dementiaare difficult for lay people to grasp. Some experts say that it's not one thing that's wrong with himthere are a lot of things wrong with him and together they add up to what one of your colleagues calls 'a scary witches brew, a toxic stew.'"

Note also that Dr. Lee was cited in this article as well.

Two months earlier, on July 25, 2017, Chelsea Schilling posted an op-ed piece on World Net Daily, stating, "It's a 'gag rule' that mental-health professionals have followed for 44 years: It's unethical for psychiatrists to 'diagnose' politicians or public figures based solely on that person's public actions or statements, without conducting an actual in-person examination.

"But now that Donald Trump is president, a national psychology organization has given psychoanalysts the green light to publicly comment on Trump's mental health. And the move could usher in a flood of mental-health 'experts' on TV news programs claiming the president is unstable or even unfit to serve in the White House.

"Without ever having examined Trump, psychological professionals already have called the president 'psychotic,' 'narcissistic,' 'paranoid,' 'hypomanic,' 'emotionally unstable,' 'delusional' and 'psychologically isolated' and claimed he has a 'dangerous mental illness.' One physician suggested Trump could be suffering from an untreated sexually transmitted disease known as neurosyphilis."

Three months before that, on May 16, 2017, the (totally unbiased) Huffington Post ran this headline: "Fears Over Trump's Mental State Gaining Traction In The Media." Then, "We can't maintain the pretense that Trump is a sane and balanced adult, however much we'd like to,' says Andrew Sullivan."

Three months before that, on February 16, 2017, Psychology Today ran this two-part story: "Is Donald Truly Delusional? The president and mental incapacitation."

And four months before that, on October 16, 2016, an article on Slate noted, "Several people, spanning media and medicine, have tried to answer these questions, psychologizing Trump or at least discussing the propriety of psychologizing Trump. Can we blame the candidate's apparent insanity on an actual psychological condition? Are we watching the manifestation of a severe case of narcissistic personality disorder?

"There have been cautiously speculative stories in the New York Times, here on Slate, in Vanity Fair and the Washington Post and the Atlantic, all of them seeming to grow from the same unspoken wish: to explain away the crazy by labeling it as a real disorder. We like to put a name to our monsters. Diagnosing Trump, whether doing so without examining him is proper or not, helps."

So, it looks like CNN's big story is the same old recycled story from the 2016 elections, with this one twist: This deluded, narcissistic candidate who was crazy enough to believe that he could become the president of the United States actually did become the president.

That, to CNN, is the scariest possible news of all.

Postscript: While doing research for this article, another headline popped on my screen: "Donald Trump SHOCKED After Daughter Publicly Admits to Taking Controversial 'Skinny Pill' - Behind Her Amazing Transformation!"

Upon further investigation, I discovered that this was just an ad, not news at all. These days, it's hard to tell what's real news and what's not.
How to Survive as a Christian in a Post-Christian Post-Truth Culture In the media we see hatred, fake news and vitriol on all sides.

The country has changed so much since I was a young boy. Many like to pretend it isn't really happening, or that they don't notice the changes. But I notice these things. I see them. And it is a difficult life for a Christian. We are relatively new believers, in a strange world that seems to have gone insane.

We gather together, sing songs, listen to the message given to us and when we are home we read our Bibles and we pray. We watch things happen in the world around us. We see people on the streets living differently than us.

Strange things happen in the world, like the Harvey Weinstein affair and the rash of child sex abuse cases. And then there's human sex trafficking. And there is abortion, the killing of unborn children for convenience.

It doesn't feel as safe as it used to be. I used to bike around the neighborhood without a problem. Today it isn't safe. Today I don't feel like I can trust most people I run into. There isn't a common ethic, there is moral anarchy. Relationships are haphazard in such a place. And if one spends any time at a bar, they might worry that one may drop something in their drink with the intention of taking advantage of them.

Worse yet, there is a genocide being carried out against Christians in the Middle East. No one seems to care. President Obama ignored it. The media won't talk about it because it doesn't fit their narrative of imperialist Christian oppression. But hundreds of thousands are dying. ISIS is decimating the Christian populations across Iraq especially, and the Middle East at large. But the media won't talk about it, and the corrupt UN won't even acknowledge it's even happening.

Christians are tormented and murdered, yet regarded as mean and judgmental by people in the west. There is social justice, race baiting and identity politics. There are all sorts of mad things around us.

In the media we see hatred, fake news and vitriol on all sides. Ideologies war against each other. Christian values are misused and abused, and most often, simply neglected.

What can we do? We see that Christianity has changed the world before. We've seen how the Gospel has transformed entire societies, and we wonder how things can change in our society. We wonder if the field is even ripe for the harvesting anymore.

We hide indoors sometimes. We hide behind the four walls of our churches. And we're afraid to speak, at times. We hear about attacks on religious liberty. We hear about people being shut down for speaking out on social media. We're told by the media that there is no threat to religious liberty and if you even think there is a threat, then religious liberty is a code phrase for hatred, bigotry and white supremacy. If we dare to speak up about religious freedom or identity politics, or political correctness we're slandered as racists, sexists, bigots and homophobes.

We'll do what we can, is the answer to that question. We'll do what the Spirit of God, our High Commander instructs us to do in this conflict. We'll pray hard and we'll pray often. We'll throw off the shackles of sin in this world. And we'll pull the plugs from our arms and legs and torso, of the worldly views and secular thoughts that have invaded our Christian worldview. And we'll participate in the holy resistance to the kingdom of satan. That's what we'll do. And if we're destined to go down on the sinking ship of western civilization, then we'll go down in the ship preaching the gospel, though few believe. And if we're destined to rally the people of western humanity to revival, and Christian great awakening, then rally we shall. We'll obey the Spirit.

But we are in need of rest. We must rest, regularly. And we ought to realize that we can't do it all ourselves. We shouldn't try. The Spirit will do His work. We dishonor the Spirit if we think we can do ourselves with excessive work. So rest.

You know, let me tell you something: We can't help everyone. We can't save everyone. And I don't mean that some people are beyond help, though many certainly are.

My point is this: I can't do everything. I'll go crazy if I try, and I'll burn out. So I have to be strategic in how I do my work. It's OK if I can't reach every person out there in the neighborhood with the gospel. That's not what I'm here for right now. I'm here to learn and study, to be a minister. It's OK to focus on that right now. But can you understand how I could lose track of that? I hope you can. Because I get convicted about everything, and I get burdened about a lot. That's OK. But I can't do it all, I'm not God. I'm just a man. And that's OK!

Additionally, I need to pick and choose my battles. This is a hard lesson for me, because I am someone who is outspoken. I like to speak my mind. In fact, I believe Jesus calls me to speak up when it matters. But sometimes I need to shut up and listen, especially at the beginning. Sometimes you have to punt on 4th down. Fundamentally if I do something, it's because I'm trying to do what God has called me to do. Sometimes that gets me into trouble.

We have an odd ethic today. We seem to think being a Christian means never offending anyone, never pointing out sin, and never speaking tough truth. By the ethics of the culture and the world, we think even talking about something controversial is bad. We treat even bringing up a difficult topic as sinful. But it's not sinful. In fact we're called to deal with sin, to preach the gospel and to be different from the world.

Jesus offended people. He did it out of love and a desire to speak the truth. Jesus was speaking to a crowd, including some Pharisees. Recorded in Matthew 15:10-14 NIV:"Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them."

Then the disciples came to Him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?"

He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."

Am I arguing that we should intentionally offend people? Absolutely not. What I'm suggesting is that we should speak the truth, the truth of the Scriptures, applied to our day and age and we should speak it in love. But we should speak it clearly and not shy away from those difficult conversations. And we shouldn't shy aware from controversial topics. Because everything important and relevant today is considered controversial. We can't be silent on controversial topics, otherwise we end up rendering ourselves irrelevant.

Love is the answer, right? No. Jesus Christ is the answer. He came full of love. Yet He also came full of grace and truth. He spoke truth and He showed mercy. Yet he instructed the woman caught in adultery: "I do not condemn you. But go and do not sin again."(John 8:1-11). If we leave out that second part, we're not speaking a full Gospel.

Repentance is key. Time and again in the epistles, the letters of Paul specifically, address first the grace found in Christ, and secondly Paul will speak in the strongest terms for our need to live in holiness. Holiness is our calling as Christians. We're saved 100 percent by Jesus, but our response to God is the most pure and holy life.

We to obey Jesus' teaching about not being judgmental or condemning. That's certainly an important thing to do. And yes, love is a central ethic of the Christian worldview. But the Christian concept of love is quite different from the worldly concept of love.

Christian love is sacrificial love. Christian love is a love that speaks difficult truth. Christian love is selfless. Christian love is grounded in doctrine and the teachings of Christ. Christian love is scandalous love, a love that is not mere emotion or words, but deeds and actions.

So in conclusion, we will fight, we must fight, there's no other choice, we must continue.

As Winston Churchill said: "We must all hope it will bring a blessing; that after we have averted our gaze for a while from the process of subjugation and liquidation, everyone will breathe more freely; that a load will be taken off our chests; we shall be able to say to ourselves: "Well, that's out of the way, anyhow. Now let's get on with our regular daily life."

But are these hopes well founded or are we merely making the best of what we had not the force and virtue to stop? That is the question that the English-speaking peoples in all their lands must ask themselves today. Is this the end, or is there more to come?
Politically Homeless: How Both Parties Are Leaving a Generation of Christians Behind More and more each day, we are in an urgent time that calls for action on the Gospel text of Matthew 25  which could be central to the new moral movement in politics that we need.

I feel politically homeless as we enter 2018  and I know I am not alone. Many Christians are feeling the same as other Christians, especially white evangelicals, have undertaken completely uncritical support for a President who is the antithesis of the Gospel of Jesus Christ  endangering the reputation of Christianity, especially among a new generation.

Of course, the two political parties are not morally equivalent; it makes a great difference how we vote, as we will have the opportunity to do later this year. The Republican Party's political sellout to Donald Trump  and the lack of a clear moral alternative by the Democrats many people of faith are excited to support  leaves many of us feeling politically homeless.

Republican leadership has sold its party's soul to a bad, amoral, childish and dangerous man. Most of my Republican friends agree. Trump was elected President by anti-establishment backlash and in a series of political accidents by both parties, many candidates and our electoral system. He has been revealed as an intellectually shallow and a mentally incompetent leader, a person who lacks any moral conscience, an unapologetic promoter of racial bigotry and misogyny, a personality with embarrassing emotional immaturity and alarming instability that threatens disorder in the nation and a leader whose disrespect for the rule of law and our political system of checks and balances can best be described as narcissistic and authoritarian paranoia.

The President of the United States is now a very dangerous threat to American democracy and national security. While there are some Republican commentators and elected officials who have voiced opposition to the President's behavior, the Republican Party has shown itself unable or unwilling to hold him accountable and has, in fact, become a captured party by an aspiring autocrat who is telling the world that he has the biggest nuclear button.

The GOP has disregarded the best values of principled conservatism: fiscal integrity and responsibility, an allegiance to truth and honesty, genuine pro-family values, national security through global engagement, the commitment to opportunity for all, the value of empathy for those in need and the worth and equality of every person under the law. The Republicans have substituted a moral relationship to the presidency for a transactional one, ignoring Trump's consistent incompetence, immorality and hateful divisiveness of the tweeting President. In exchange for economic and environmental regulations and tax cuts that support the greedy demands of their wealthiest donors. All this makes many conservatives with Christian and other moral values feel politically homeless.

The Democratic Party, on the other hand, has lost its historic relationship to working class people around the country, and has indeed become dominated by cultural elites who have little connection to ordinary families and the many pressures on their lives. Democratic Party rhetoric doesn't appeal to the values of many Christians who care most about poverty and racism. For many election cycles, Democratic consultants have replaced the word "poor" with the words "middle class," and the party is no longer perceived as one that cares nearly enough about the needs of people on the margins of life in America. The text from Matthew 25 that draws many Christians into engaging in politics does not say, "As you have done to the middle class, you have done to me." It rather has Jesus saying to us, "As you have done to the least of these, you have done to me." It's a Biblical text many Democratic consultants seem not to have read or have forgotten.

"It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped." Those words from Hubert H. Humphrey would likely not be described as the mission of Democrats today, many of whom are as connected to the Wall Street elites as the Republicans are.

Despite being dependent on African-American voters, the Democratic Party has often taken them for granted instead of courageously addressing the realities of institutionalized racism and by refusing to invest in organizers, mobilizers and candidates in African-American and Latinx communities. Unfortunately, the Democrats are no longer a faith-friendly party. Voters with religious faith are often ignored or even dismissed without serious outreach or respectful dialogue. I have fought religious fundamentalism for most of my life, but the secular fundamentalism that controls much of the left and the Democratic Party at the national level can be equally ideological, irrational and divisive  too often even seeming to attack religion itself.

Moral issues of intrinsic concern to the faith community are often disregarded or disrespected. by Democratic Party orthodoxy, which often takes extreme or overly strident views on issues like abortion. Many of us in the faith community regard abortion as a moral issue and part of a consistent ethic of life and seamless garment of concern for the many threats to human life and dignity. While many of us pro-life Christians don't support the criminalization of often desperate and tragic choices, we find the Democrats even reluctant to make a commitment to reducing abortion by supporting women with health care, nutrition and social services. Many in Democratic leadership don't seem to want to talk about or even being willing to use the word "reduction" as a positive term in relation to abortion.

While you can't resolve an issue as complex as abortion in a couple of paragraphs, the denial of a moral conversation about it within the Democratic Party continues to alienate many people of faith. While a younger generation in the faith community is indeed more welcoming of LGBTQ people than their parents have been, they are not so welcoming of abortion as the Democratic elites seem to be, and the Democratic Party needs to figure that out.

Gratefully, there are Democrats who want a more faith-friendly party and wider inclusion of ideas, but I still hear many progressive Christian women and men feeling that the Democratic Party makes no outreach to them and offers them very little. Elements of the Democrats' richest donor base continue to enforce extreme positions on abortion, not allow serious moral discussions and seem to want to close the party's tent to pro-life Democrats. Similarly, the central importance of marriage, family and parenting for the common good of society is not a central topic in Democratic Party language and policy. Many people of faith are turned away by Democrats' perceived endorsement, whether intentional or by marked silence, of recreational sexuality over covenantal sexuality and an "anything goes" attitude when it comes to sex. Why is the discussion of family values  among every type of family  so absent from conversations on the left when we know it is a part of critical solutions to overcoming issues of poverty? Those voices on the left advocating for strengthening families are seldom heard.

With part of the Christian community putting faith at risk by their idolatrous support of Donald Trump, and other Christians feeling alienated by the other party's dismissal of faith and the moral questions it raises, our nation's moral discourse is in serious trouble. Third parties have not been a successful way forward in the American system of politics. But perhaps a "third way" or better yet a "moral movement" to revive and renew American politics, on both sides of the aisle, is the way forward for people of faith who put the poor and vulnerable, the consistent dignity of human life, strong families and gender equality and the priority of racial and economic justice and peace at the center of their political convictions.

Jim Wallis is president of Sojourners. His new Audible spoken-word series, Jim Wallis In Conversation, is available now, as is his book, America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America. Follow Jim on Twitter @JimWallis.
Reasons Why I as an Evangelical Leader in the Middle East Don't Agree With Trump's Declaration on Jerusalem I want to address several reasons why evangelical believers in the Middle Eastand particularly in Palestine and Israelare upset with Trump's declaration.

Recently, I was asked to share my thoughts about our situation in Jerusalem. How has Donald Trump's recent declaration impacted our people?

I am a son of Jerusalem. In my city, there are around 300,000 Palestinians whose ancestors were born here and remained in Jerusalem through its long and difficult history. As someone who grew up in the Christian Quarter of the Old City and has called Jerusalem home for my entire life, I care very much about my city and its residentsboth Arabs and Jews.

I want to address several reasons why evangelical believers in the Middle Eastand particularly in Palestine and Israelare upset with Trump's declaration. My critique is from an evangelical perspective and it is a plea to my brethren across the water.

Because reports indicate that it was primarily American evangelicals who encouraged President Trump to make this declaration, the term "evangelical" has become increasingly despised in our region. When our people hear American evangelicals speak, they assume that all evangelicals (or maybe even all Christians) believe the same things. This makes it easy for them to dismiss Christianity and its message.

While some of our evangelical brethren celebrate Trump's declaration as a fulfillment of prophecy, their uncritical support of Israel is blinding their eyes to the injustices committed in the land. Moreover, they justify these things with a distorted interpretation of scripture. May I ask them a question? What is their good news to the Palestinians? What is their Gospel for the Arab nations?

For many years, we Arab evangelicals have been "guilty by association." We've been criticized or stigmatized with the label of Zionist. Sadly, it is because of our evangelical brethren overseas that we have had to work twice as hard to maintain our witness hereand there are many who have no interest in hearing us at all.

For example, one brother that I had the honor to meet one day in Bethlehem wrote an article with an absurd title: "Evangelicals Support Trump's Jerusalem decision because we care about the Palestinians." With all due respect to him, I believe he is trying to whitewash a political declaration that dismissed the right of a people for self-determination. Please, my friend, whom are you trying to fool?

It is shameful that so many of our Christian brethren overseas have such feeble concern for the millions of Arabs who live in the Middle East. The church here feels marginalized as we listen to our brethren who would try to speed up the return of Christ at the expense of justice and stability in this regioneven if their efforts lead to another world war.

Even so, we assert that not all evangelicals support this move by Trump. In fact, I suspect that there are more who warned against it. For a better evangelical perspective on Palestine and Israel, I would recommend authors such as Mike Kuhn, Yohanna Katanacho and Gary Burge. Their writings outline the challenges and heartbeat of the people in the Middle East and particularly in Palestine.

My next point is that Mr. Trump's declaration is not in line with the Biblical teaching of justice and thus, it undermines the peace process. "Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favor to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly" (Leviticus 19:15). Leaders should issue words of reconciliation and make every effort to be true and impartial mediators. They should not be instruments for division and the escalation of violence.

To expect full justice in this world is unreasonable. But at the least, a leader should try to heed the way of justice. This is especially true if he is surrounded by a host of people who know the Bible well. President Trump's advisors should know that every human bears the image of God and we are all of equal importance to Him. But instead, these evangelical leaders continue to show partiality. Their words and actions reveal that their concern is not mainly for the human beings who live here, as much as their particular end-time theology. How I wish that our evangelical brethren who have the privilege of advising the President would remind him that "The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern" Proverbs 29:7 and "Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you" (Deuteronomy 16:20).

I would be remiss if I did not mention that many Christians throughout the Middle East and North Africa suffer because of their faith. It is also true that when some of the regimes in the Middle East are compared to the state of Israel, Christians here are flourishing in comparison. But why should those religiously oppressive regimes be the standard of comparison for Israel? Should we praise what is bad just because it could be worse somewhere else? When atrocities are committed against Christians or anyone elsein any contextwe should be prophetic voices within the nations that we live.

As I mentioned earlier, it seems that evangelicals in the US are ignoring the existence of their evangelical brethren in particular and Christians in general in the Middle East. It is almost as if we don't exist. They don't want to listen to our advice, which is born out of the reality on the ground. Often, our opinions and experiences are dismissed as merely "politically" motivated. I wonder at their reactions and I cannot help but marvel at how they call themselves promoters of unity within the body of Christ.

I pray that my evangelical brethren will engage in more reconciliation efforts in the Middle East instead of indirectly inciting violence through their statements. I pray that instead of pouring millions of dollars into activities that are secondary, they would join us by investing in true kingdom work throughout this region. I believe if these millions were spent in efforts to bring the people to Jesus, we would have already seen revival here.

It is our King, Jesus Christ, who allows nations to live side by side; therefore we ought to help them live in harmony, peace, equality and justice. Please join us in that prayer and work with us for that reality. As it is written, "From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being'" ( Act 17:26-28).

Blessings and peace be upon all those who follow the Lord; who want to obey Him and serve His Kingdom.

Rev. Dr. Jack Y. Sara is an Evangelical Leader in the Holy Land, after serving as senior pastor for the Jerusalem Alliance Church in Jerusalem, he assumed the leadership of Bethlehem Bible College, an Evangelical institution that trains people for Christian ministry. Dr. Jack serves as advisors for some important Evangelical institutions including consultancy for the World Evangelical Alliance for the Middle East & North Africa.
'Boruto: Naruto Next Generations' spoilers: Team 7 takes on their first mission in upcoming episodes

Fans of the anime series "Boruto: Naruto Next Generations" will see team 7 in action in the upcoming episodes. The anime will resume on Jan. 10 with episode 40, "Team 7: First Mission."

Boruto, Mitsuki, and Sarada led by Konohamaru will engage in their first mission on the next episode. Spoilers for episodes 40, 41, 42, and 43 have surfaced via Reddit. Otaku Kart then confirmed that the spoilers are 100 percent accurate.

Team 7 will face a group of bandits who are terrorizing a village for their first mission. A new character by the name of Kiri will be introduced in episode 40. According to Otaku, Konohamaru will be the hero in this episode rather than the younger generation of ninjas. The mission to stop the bandits and turn them away turns into a major rescue mission after Kiri is taken away in episode 42. Kiri is the daughter of the village's leader who died.

The new team 7's first mission is somehow different to another mission taken by the original team 7, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi. In the first season of the anime "Naruto," Team 7 were given a C-rank mission to escort a man to the Land of Waves. However, it was then revealed that the C-rank mission happens to be an A-rank one. Team 7 ended up clashing against Haku from the Yuki Clan and Zabuza, member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

Looks like Boruto, Mitsuki, Sarada, and Konohamaru are successful in rescuing Kiri because Boruto will demand harder missions in episode 43, "The Work of Shinobi." A group of Robin Hoods will reveal themselves in episode 43, "The Appearance of the White Night Band." The White Night Band are a group of thieves who are stealing money and items from rich people and handing them out to the poor.

There are no information if Mitsuki's sage mode will be in motion in the coming episodes.
Epiphany: Why the journey of the Magi is all about mission

This Saturday will mark the Christian feast of Epiphany, a world-wide Church celebration that particularly recalls the tale of the Magi who visited the infant Christ. Though easily imagined as a familiar part of the Christmas story, the wise men are more radical than we think: their story is all about mission  one that turns the world upside down.

In the liturgical calendar Epiphany follows the twelfth day of Christmas and largely focuses on the visit of the Magi to Christ as told in Matthew 2. The word epiphaneia means 'manifestation' or 'appearance' and celebrates the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ.

The tale of the wise men makes for colourful, enthusiastic re-enactment across the world, and in school nativity plays is ripe for the traditional dramatic treatment. But an over-familiarity with the story can dull audiences to its significance. At its heart lies a radical message about mission, a shocking challenge to its original 1st-century audience.

In the Gospel of Matthew, the Magi or 'wise men' represent the Gentiles, 'the nations', those who were not part of God's chosen people, Israel, and therefore outside of God's specific blessing. It was not that the Hebrew Bible showed no openness or generosity to those outside the Jewish nation, but a sharp identity distinction between Jew and Gentile remained. When God's Messiah (his chosen king) would come, he would come to restore the children of Israel.

That Matthew, whose audience was predominantly Jewish, then narrates that the first visitors to Christ were Magi 'from the East' is therefore a dramatic development. Not only do they visit, but they bring their gifts, worship him as true king, and subsequently reject the demands of the genocidal King Herod. One king is displaced by another.

In contrast of course, we see it is the Jewish religious elite of the day who oppose the adult Jesus, not bowing down in humility but jealously plotting his demise. They mock his claim to kingship. The Gentiles see what the religious leaders miss.

This thread is present throughout Matthew's story. In chapter 8, Christ applauds the faith of a Gentile centurion, saying: 'Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth' (Matthew 8: 10-12).

There is profound news for those considered 'outsiders' (like the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15: 21-28)  they are welcomed in. And those convinced they're 'in', the heavyweights of the religious regime  they might just be thrown out. In the Magi we see the beginning of Jesus' upside-down kingdom, where the first shall be last, and the last, first.

It's a theme of both radical upheaval and (literally) magisterial mission. God is proved not to be the God of one nation, but of the entire world, one who reaches out to all. In this way he fulfils the promise to Abraham that through him 'all nations will be blessed' (Genesis 12:3). As Jesus tells his followers at the close of Matthew's Gospel: 'Therefore go and make disciples of all nations...' (Matthew 28:19). God it seems, from first to last, is a missionary God.

The story remains radical because God's people easily forget his prodigal generosity, choosing instead a small god who only serves the religious status quo. It's a valuable reminder, an epiphany even, that in the humble infancy of Christ we glimpse God's grand purposes for the world  plans that might not go the way we think.

You can follow @JosephHartropp on Twitter
Siberian birds start to arrive in Nepal to avoid cold

Birds of various species have started to arrive in Nepal to escape the biting cold.
Jill Saward anniversary: Widower speaks of horror at John Worboys' release

The widower of sexual assault campaigner Jill Saward has spoken of his horror that victims of serial rapist John Worboys were not told of his imminent release.

Worboys, a black cab taxi driver, was convicted in 2009 of 19 charges of drugging and sexually assaulting 12 women passengers and one of rape. However, the Metropolitan Police has said other women have come forward since his conviction and the true total number of victims may be as high as 100, making him Britain's most prolific sexual predator in modern times.

Gavin Drake, speaking to Christian Today on the anniversary of his wife's death last year, described being with Jill, who was raped aged 21, when she was told one of her attackers was being released from jail.

'There are very few times I have seen Jill paralysed by fear. Literally paralysed.'

She was told of the release when a reporter from the BBC rang her to say they were repeating a programme about her case. One of the issues she went on to campaign on was to put concern for victims at the heart of the criminal justice system and ensure victims were told by police before the press.

But victims of Worboys were also not told about his forthcoming release, despite it being a policy of the Parole Board to do so.

'In 25 years, this is one of the things that is supposed to have changed,' Drake told Christian Today. 'The chair of the Parole Board [Professor Nick Hardwick] said he was "very concerned" that that had happened. He apologised for it and said it must have been distressing.

'But I have been with a victim when they are told their rapist is being released and I can say it is more than distressing.'

The fear of what her attacker would do to her when he was released forced Jill Saward to flee the country. Despite officers offering to install panic alarms and a direct line to the police in her home, the fear was so great she fled to America while a new home was arranged for her in the UK.

Drake said it was 'no comfort' whatsoever to Worboys' victims that he would remain under surveillance following his release and pointed to the case of Jonathan Vass, 30, who murdered his ex-girlfriend Jane Clough, 26, in a frenzied knife attack while on bail for raping her.

'The police have their systems to say "in cases of sexual violence this is what we will do". The whole thing with Worboys being allowed to attack more victims was because the police didn't follow their procedures.

'Here we have the parole board again not following their procedure. You have to ask the question, "What is the point in the criminal justice system having procedures if, when it comes to it with one of the most predatory sexual attack cases, they don't follow them?"'

Jill Saward died on January 5, 2017 after collapsing following a stroke on January 3. She had became known as the Ealing vicarage rape victim after becoming the first rape victim to waive her right to anonymity and become a campaigner on the issue.

Speaking of his grief at the time, Drake described being carried on an initial wave of adrenaline as he didn't sleep and barely ate while his wife was in intensive care before she died.

'There comes a point when the adrenaline runs out and the support, while it doesn't run out, it is not as upfront as it is at the time. That is understandable.

'Then you fall into a pit from which you can see that maybe there is a way out but you don't have the inclination to use it. You stay in bed and don't get up because there is nothing to get up for.'

Now more than 20,000 has been donated to continue his wife's work and a charity is being launched this year to work on behalf of victims of sexual violence.

Writing in a blog post Drake, a journalist, said 2017 was his 'own personal annus horribilis', but he was looking forward 'with a positive mind' and thanked friends, family and strangers for 'the love, the care, and the compassion' shown to him and his three sons.
Philippines military personnel charged with murder of Italian Catholic priest

The Philippines' Department of Justice has brought criminal charges against several military personnel for the murder of an Italian Catholic priest in Mindanao, in the Philippines.

Father Fausto Tentorio was shot dead inside his church grounds in Arakan town, Mindanao on October 17, 2011. The state prosecutor said it was a 'plain murder' premeditated and by executed paramilitary group Bagani, according to UCA News.

The filing of charges against Lt Col Joven Gonzales, Major Mark Espiritu, and several members of the Bagani group based in the province of North Cotabato has now been ordered, state prosecutors said.

Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan diocese said his community had 'prayed and waited for this time of retribution,' but warned that the 'men who are now being charged could just be pawns'.

He added: 'We would like to know who is behind the killing, who gave the order.'

State prosecutor Peter Ong said that Tentorio was 'shot 10 times' in the attack, but said authorities had ruled out a political motive for the killing. He said at least 30 witnesses were 'not afraid' and willing to give testimony in the case.

'You have no reason to kill a person who is not a combatant,' Ong said of the attack, calling it 'plain murder.'

However, others suggested the government was behind the killing of Tentorio; the priest was known for vocal environmental activism and opposition to local mining operations.

Cristina Palabay, the secretary-general of human rights group Karapatan, said the killing of the priest was 'an act to silence progressive groups and individuals who work for comprehensive and meaningful societal change.'

The filing of charges against ranking military members is being taken by some as confirmation of government corruption. 'The government's denial of political motive behind Father Tentorio's death is meant to evade accountability,' Palabay added.

Nardy Sabino of the Promotion of Church People's Response warned that other clergy were being targeted by the military. He said he case against Tentorio 'reveals a pattern of how they silence activist-priests', following the killing of social justice activist Father Marcelito Paez on December 4.
'The Real Housewives of New York City' news: Luann de Lesseps pleads not guilty to Palm Beach arrest charges

"The Real Housewives of New York City" star Luann de Lesseps pleads not guilty to all the charges filed against her after her disorderly conduct in Palm Beach last Dec. 24.

On early morning of Christmas Eve, the 52-year-old reality star was arrested after trespassing a hotel room with a man, who was later identified by de Lessep's friend Julie Olson as someone the RHONY star previously dated.

According to a police report obtained by E! News, the pair entered the room while a housekeeping staff was completing a turn down service. A security guard allegedly asked them multiple times to leave the room, to no avail, forcing him to ask for back-up from a couple of police officers.

The cops said that instead of leaving, de Lesseps, who smelled of alcohol, ran and locked herself in the bathroom. When the security guard tried to unlock the door, de Lesseps opened it before he did. An officer then tried to detain her, but she pushed him away with her palm, then immediately shut the door on his face, hitting him on the forehead.

When she was finally brought out of the bathroom, the TV personality reportedly resisted arrest several more times, by "pushing and pulling away" while she was being put on handcuffs, and slipping out of it and trying to leave the patrol car she was in. Police added that de Lesseps repeatedly threatened to kill all of them.

She is charged for disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest, and battery of a law enforcement officer, before being released on her own recognizance just before noon.

According to TMZ, de Lesseps entered a not guilty plea in Florida, days before the end of 2017.

De Lesseps has since apologized for the incident, explaining that being in Palm Beach since her wedding to now ex-husband Tom D'Agostino brought up "buried emotions."

In a recent Twitter post, the mother of two also revealed that she was checking into an alcohol treatment facility "to turn this unfortunate incident into a positive life changing event."
One clear message from New York governor Andrew Cuomos State of the State address earlier this week is that the Democratic governor wants everyone to consider him a progressive. Cuomo used the term 14 times in his address to describe his policies and the political character of the state under his leadership. Never one for understatement, Cuomo proclaimed New York the progressive capital of the nation and touted what he called the states remarkable economic and social progress under his leadership, including increases in the minimum wage, mandatory paid family leave, and efforts to fight climate change. He also sounded an alarm that the states progressive agenda is threatened in Washington by the Trump administration, and advised the president to rediscover the nations founding ideals, which, to Cuomos thinking, apparently revolve around an expansion of government-run economic-development programs.

Throughout Cuomos speech, however, the economic and social reality of New York hovered like a ghost at the feast. Though the state has a long history of progressivism dating to governors like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Nelson Rockefeller, and Mario Cuomo, and New York City does, too, with mayors like Fiorello LaGuardia and John Lindsay, New York is also the nations most unequal state, with a Gini coefficient (the traditional measure of inequality) of .522, compared with a median among all states of .464. The states largest city, led by another notable progressive, is the second-most unequal among the nations 100 largest municipalities. While the rich have the resources to negotiate New Yorks high costs and highly regulated working and living conditions, the poor struggle to advance in a state that keeps shedding middle-class jobsand residents, forced to seek opportunity elsewhere.

This disconnection between New Yorks long history of progressivism and its grinding inequality is startling only if you ignore basic economics. While Cuomo touts the $15 minimum wage, hundreds of studies published in the United States and around the world have consistently documented that government-driven increases in basic wages destroy low-wage jobs, denying entry-level opportunity to workers looking to begin their ascent up the economic ladder. Meanwhile, New Yorks heavy-handed regulatory regimes, distinguished by policies like paid family leave, impose high costs on businesses, especially growing ones, restraining job growth and limiting entrepreneurship. Thats one reason why New York City, the engine of the states economy, ranks low on small-business creationa traditional path into the middle class, especially for immigrants. The ironic result: New Yorks heavy-handed and expensive regulations favor big, entrenched firms over enterprising ones, even as politicians like Cuomo and New York City mayor Bill de Blasio advertise their progressive bona fides.

These policies have contributed to the hollowing out of New Yorks economy: high-paying jobs endure, and low-wage workers find employment delivering basic services to the rich, but middle-income jobs flee. In 2014, a New York City Partnership study documented New Yorks difficulties in creating middle-class employment, even as its economy recovered from the 2008 recession. For years, New York enjoyed abundant middle-income employment in crucial industries like financial services, but those jobs, typically in technology and support services, have since fled, as companies moved data processing and other back-office functions to Florida, South Dakota, and the Carolinas to escape New Yorks high taxes and regulatory burden. Residents have followedmaking New York one of the longstanding leaders among states in net domestic outmigration.

As a self-proclaimed progressive, Cuomo is more than willing to sacrifice good jobs in pursuit of political virtue-signaling. The Cuomo administration banned fracking, ensuring that depressed upstate New York communities desperate for decent jobs would miss out on Americas energy boom. Cuomo promised, instead, that he would supply government-led programs to replace the lost economic opportunity. The programs were slow in coming and had little impact on upstate, even as energy production boomed in Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Dakota, and Texas. That didnt stop Cuomo from promising new economic initiatives, bolstered by his belief that New Yorkers have short memories.

All politicians tout their achievements and ignore their failings. Even so, progressivism, with its unerring faith in government, offers a striking disconnect from reality. To progressives, merely announcing new government programs or passing legislation amounts to success, no matter what results these policies produce. As long as Cuomo continues to define his performance in terms of the number of new government initiatives he undertakes, New York will remain the progressive capital of the nationhowever little its people have to show for it.

Photo by Philip Kamrass/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Lets face itDonald Trump, the 45th president of the United States, is a classic Twitter troll. The Troll in Chief, if you will. He routinely uses the platform to lash out at his critics, he peddles fake news and conspiracy theories, and he has repeatedly threatened to start a nuclear war with North Korea. But does all of this bad behavior mean Twitter should ban him from using the network? No, and there are several good reasons why.

Calls to ban Trump have been around for some time, based on the idea that his routine harassment of other users represents a breach of Twitters code of conduct. But the pressure on Twitter to take action has ramped up recently, driven in part by tweets like the one Trump posted Tuesday, in which he belittled North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un and bragged about the size of his nuclear button.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times. Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018

Leaving aside the fact there is no nuclear button on the desk in the Oval Office, a number of commentators argued that this tweet was beyond the pale, and that Twitter should take action not just for the sake of other Twitter users but for the safety of the US as a whole. A scientist working with the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (which runs the Doomsday Clock) called Trumps tweets about North Korea an existential threat to humanity.

ICYMI: Viral tweet exposes the dilemma around the explosive new Trump book

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Writing in The Atlantic, meanwhile, Conor Friedersdorf said that Trumps tweet was the most irresponsible tweet in history, and called for the platform to block not just the president but all world leaders. Twitter encourages impulsive hostility, Friedersdorf argued (which is arguably true), and the results of such behavior are potentially catastrophic.

Twitter, for its part, said in a blog post published on Friday that blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial Tweets would hide important information people should be able to see and debate. It would also not silence that leader, but it would certainly hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions.

Twitter is one of the primary news-delivery mechanisms of the 21st century, and the comments made there by the president of the United States are by definition newsworthy. After all, according to both former White House press secretary Sean Spicer and the Department of Justice, his tweets are are considered official statements from the president.

Apart from their news value, Trumps tweets also provide something else, and that is a real-time look inside the mind and psyche of the president of the United States. It may be a dark place, and looking into it repeatedly may be soul-destroying and depressing for a number of reasons, but it is still arguably valuable to have those thoughts out in public where we can see them.

We learn an enormous amount about his mindset from his tweets, CNN media reporter Brian Stelter said in an interview with CJR earlier this year. Its a raw, shocking use of media by a president, like hes hosting a late-night talk showpicking fights, getting even with enemies.

Banning Trump would also be an example of the kind of censorship that Twitter and Facebook arguably already do too much of. Its true that the First Amendment doesnt apply to private corporations like Twitter, which are allowed to regulate their content in any way they wish. But the idea that we should ban people from using dominant social platforms simply because we dont like what they say is still problematic.

ICYMI: The subject of a news sites seven-month investigation commits suicide

This all leads to the third point, which is that blocking Trump from Twitter would be a big, fat present to the alt-right and conservative movements in the US, and to any of his supporters, because it would give them even more ammunition to argue that left-wing social media platforms are out to get conservative voices and remove their content whenever possible.

Are there risks in having the president tweet whatever pops into his mind? Of course. The idea that he could tweet his way into a nuclear war with North Korea seems like a bit of a stretch, but he can certainly complicate negotiations with all sorts of countries (and probably has), move the share prices of public companies, and target people for criticism unnecessarily.

Another risk is the media will pay too much attention to specific tweets by Trump, some of which could be designed to distract or shift attention away from more important issues, like the investigation into ties between his campaign and Russian government operatives. For a press corps that is desperate to generate traffic and revenue by any means possible, Trumps Twitter pronouncements can be like manna from heaven.

These are all valid points to make when criticizing the presidents tweets and/or the medias response. But that doesnt mean the president should be removed from Twitter completelyand doing so could have far more negative consequences than it would positive ones.

ICYMI: Not the best look for The New York Times

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Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg.
Mi-Ai Parrish, president and publisher of The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, is leaving her newsroom to teach at Arizona State University. On January 8, Parrish will become the inaugural Sue Clark-Johnson Professor of Media Innovation and Leadership at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Its the latest stop in Parrishs trailblazing journalism career, including her benchmarks as the first woman publisher at The Kansas City Star (where she worked from 2011 to 2015) and the first Korean-American publisher of a major metropolitan daily newspaper in the US (when she joined the Republic in September 2015).

ICYMI: The most recent Trump bombshell, and a stunning revelation about Melania

The latest drama for Parrish came in late 2016, when The Arizona Republic editorial board endorsed Hillary Clinton, the first endorsement for a Democrat in the papers history, a move that led to death threats against her and her staff. Parrishs essay about the experience went viral.

CJR spoke with Parrish about that moment, her transition to academic life, and her advice for ambitious young journalists. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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Its been a really interesting year since Republic Media published its endorsement, 40 years after the bombing death of reporter Don Bolles. What kinds of challenges did this present at the time and afterwards?

I knew it would be controversial and explosive and people would quit us. But we were absolutely, in hindsight, on the forefront of a storm. We were the first wave of that incredible, almost irrational partisanship over disagreeing over an opinion and a party.

Its humbling too. You grow up in a business where you feel like you tell the truth and the truth will win. And thats not whats gone on. Its a different situation. We all have to learn from it, deal with that, be mindful of it and smarter.

ICYMI: Newspaper endorsements are imperiled for the same reasons theyre now urgently needed

Why did you feel like this was the right time to transition to academia?

I was a journalist first. When I moved to the business side, I felt it wasnt about money. I felt like I could make a bigger difference about something I cared about so deeply. I became a publisher in a very difficult, chaotic time in 2006. What I was looking to help solve was on the business side and figuring out the business model. Ive spent almost a dozen years doing that. I feel like its never exactly the right time, but [ASU] is where the opportunity is.

I feel like I can do work on a bigger scale for the industry and also help businesses that are in disruption. Ive been thinking about it for a while. I think the business and the job that I have done is going to be transforming a lot in the coming weeks and will look very different. Its bittersweet, too. I love the people here. Ive known some of them for more than two decades. I worked here before, and coming back here is a privilege and a joy.

What do you think youll be able to talk about or advise on that you wouldnt be able to do in your current role?

Partly, I run a newspaper company. And thats just a tiny fraction of the media industry. [I want] to be able to be talking about media on a much larger scale. How do you fund journalism? How do you help protect and lift up and provide a hopeful future for a democracy for the state that isnt just within the confines of a newspaper company?

One of the things Im good at is collaborating and seeing lots of disparate parts, putting those together, and helping communicate them. How can I help connect and translate technologies and partnerships out to the community, state, and internationally? And also learn from the people here about how to make journalism, businesses, and universities better and innovate on a larger, global scale.

In past interviews, youve talked about work-life balance. I was going to ask if this transition to academia was going to help, but it sounds youre planning to be just as busy.

[She laughs.] I was planning to take a couple weeks off, but Gannett was like, Lets talk about staying. I was really tempted. I love what I do, but I felt like I really needed to do this. Its funny, a couple of people have said, Youre doing this so you get summers off. And I wasnt planning on that. Ive got things I want to do! I can affect more change in a positive way for more people. And thats not disparaging in any way to running the largest local media operation in Americas largest media company. I want to learn from [the people at ASU]. Ive got thoughts about a socially-conscious social network. What could that look like? I couldnt do that inside the office I sit in now.

ICYMI: A better way to praise journalists for putting in extra hours

What other advice would you give to young journalists wanting to follow a similar path from editorial to business?

Its a challenge. Especially in a newspaper newsroom. [Deep sigh.] Im pretty sure Im the last president and publisher in Gannett, in 109 markets, who came from the newsroom. So theyre sad too. Theres no one left who knows journalism and business. And I dont think thats really going to change.

I think I can help the next generation of journalists be innovative entrepreneurs from the ground up. Hopefully I can help them going in. But there wont be anyone left to lead the way at the top. Theyre going to have to do it from the bottom. And the business is going to need to be increasingly smart in both directions. The journalists are going to have be more sophisticated on the entrepreneurial side to help them and the industry succeed.

Im going to be teaching seniors, The Business and the Future of Journalism. I imagine it will come up. Theyre going to need to be more entrepreneurial and integrated leaders. Theres going to have be a shift in thinking in how we approach the content, figuring out how to make money with it and still have journalistic integrity.

You were an assistant business editor at The Virginian Pilot at 22. But only a small number of newsroom leaders are minorities (13.4 percent) and most arent women (38.9 percent). Having gone through multiple newsrooms in competitive markets, what are the current challenges for women and minorities aspiring to follow in your footsteps?

A few weeks ago I wrote about an Arizona legislator who said some racially and sexually inappropriate things to me. Itll be a lot easier to do in the place that Im going to. I think things are very different from when I started, but they havent changed enough. You have to seek out mentors and partners, but they dont all have to be women of color. There just arent enough of us to be for everyone.

There are lots of men who are fellow travelers. They need to help us more because we cant do it by ourselves.

You have to keep your nose clean, do the work, and do the time. Raise your hand. Be brave. Be kind. Be strong. And its going to be harder. I dont know if it will ever get easier. Its going to take some thoughtful, sophisticated, creative, innovative people partnering with people we hadnt partnered with before. Thats the other reason Im excited about the university. Its not just our little isolated universe within a newspaper company. It makes it fun. The skys the limit.

ICYMI: Four ways newsrooms can address a lack of diversity

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Karen K. Ho is a freelance business, culture and media reporter, based in New York. She is also a former Delacorte Fellow at CJR. Follow her on Twitter @karenkho.
If theres ever been a better sales pitch, I cant think of one. This morning, Americans around the nation can head to their local brick-and-mortar to purchase the book the President of the United States doesnt want you to read. Michael Wolffs Fire and Fury has dominated conversation this week, with two new excerpts published yesterday in The Hollywood Reporter and the British edition of GQ only fueling the anticipation. In response to the attention, publisher Henry Holt and Co. has chosen to ignore a cease and desist letter from the White House, and has pushed the books publication date forward from next Tuesday.

Though much of the focus has been on the rift between Trump and his former consigliere Steve Bannon, the excerpts published to date paint a broad picture of a White House in chaos and a president viewed by those close to him as unfit for office. Wolffs narrative depicts Trump as a man with a volatile temper, obsessed with media coverage of himself, and possessing an inability to digest written briefings. He was, in words used by almost every member of the senior staff on repeated occasions, like a child, Wolff writes.

ICYMI: The subject of a news sites seven-month investigation commits suicide

Trump dismissed the book as full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist, but no one denies that Wolff enjoyed significant access to the West Wing over several months in 2017. On NBCs Today, Wolff defended his reporting, telling Savannah Guthrie he had spoken to the president since the inauguration. Whether he realized it was an interview or not, I dont know, but it certainly was not off the record, Wolff said. I have recordings, I have notes. I am certainly, absolutely, in every way, comfortable with everything Ive reported in this book.

While Wolffs reputation for stretching the truth has raised red flags, several journalists have come to his defense. The Tow Centers Emily Bell crystallized the conflict that many are feeling, tweeting: dilemma of the Wolff book for journalism commentators: those who said press should break the rules, not normalize Trump, call it what it is etc., did not anticipate the most effective route to that would be by pulling off the most audacious act of access journalism of all time.

ICYMI: The most recent Trump bombshell, and a stunning revelation about Melania

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Its hard to overstate the commotion Wolffs book has caused in political circles. From dirty laundry aired in gossipy asides to serious questions about the presidents mental state to journalistic ethics debates about the authors methods and credibility, Fire and Fury continues to driveto steal a phrase newly relevant to those of us on the East Coasta bomb cyclone of coverage. This morning, Axioss Mike Allen presents a concise summation of the current situation: There are definitely parts of Michael Wolffs Fire and Fury that are wrong, sloppy, or betray off-the-record confidence. But there are two things he gets absolutely right, even in the eyes of White House officials who think some of the books scenes are fiction: his spot-on portrait of Trump as an emotionally erratic president, and the low opinion of him among some of those serving him.

Below, more on Wolff, Trump, and the fallout from an explosive account.

Other notable stories

ICYMI: The myth of journalistic betrayal

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Pete Vernon is a former CJR staff writer. Follow him on Twitter @ByPeteVernon.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is rescinding the Obama-era policy that had paved the way for legalized marijuana to flourish in states across the country, two people with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. Sessions will instead let federal prosecutors where pot is legal decide how aggressively to enforce federal marijuana law, the people said.

The people familiar with the plan spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it before an announcement expected Thursday.

The move by President Donald Trumps attorney general likely will add to confusion about whether its OK to grow, buy or use marijuana in states where pot is legal, since long-standing federal law prohibits it. It comes days after pot shops opened in California, launching what is expected to become the worlds largest market for legal recreational marijuana and as polls show a solid majority of Americans believe the drug should be legal.

While Sessions has been carrying out a Justice Department agenda that follows Trumps top priorities on such issues as immigration and opioids, the changes to pot policy reflect his own concerns. Trumps personal views on marijuana remain largely unknown.

Sessions, who has assailed marijuana as comparable to heroin and has blamed it for spikes in violence, had been expected to ramp up enforcement. Pot advocates argue that legalizing the drug eliminates the need for a black market and would likely reduce violence, since criminals would no longer control the marijuana trade.

The Obama administration in 2013 announced it would not stand in the way of states that legalize marijuana, so long as officials acted to keep it from migrating to places where it remained outlawed and out of the hands of criminal gangs and children. Sessions is rescinding that memo, written by then-Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole, which had cleared up some of the uncertainty about how the federal government would respond as states began allowing sales for recreational and medical purposes.

The pot business has since become a sophisticated, multimillion-dollar industry that helps fund schools, educational programs and law enforcement. Eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational use, and Californias sales alone are projected to bring in $1 billion annually in tax revenue within several years.

Sessions policy will let U.S. attorneys across the country decide what kinds of federal resources to devote to marijuana enforcement based on what they see as priorities in their districts, the people familiar with the decision said.

Sessions and some law enforcement officials in states such as Colorado blame legalization for a number of problems, including drug traffickers that have taken advantage of lax marijuana laws to hide in plain sight, illegally growing and shipping the drug across state lines, where it can sell for much more. The decision was a win for pot opponents who had been urging Sessions to take action.

There is no more safe haven with regard to the federal government and marijuana, but its also the beginning of the story and not the end, said Kevin Sabet, president and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, who was among several anti-marijuana advocates who met with Sessions last month. This is a victory. Its going to dry up a lot of the institutional investment that has gone toward marijuana in the last five years.

Threats of a federal crackdown have united liberals who object to the human costs of a war on pot with conservatives who see it as a states rights issue. Some in law enforcement support a tougher approach, but a bipartisan group of senators in March urged Sessions to uphold existing marijuana policy. Others in Congress have been seeking ways to protect and promote legal pot businesses.

Marijuana advocates quickly condemned Sessions move as a return to outdated drug-war policies that unduly affected minorities.

Sessions wants to maintain a system that has led to tremendous injustice  and that has wasted federal resources on a huge scale, said Maria McFarland Sanchez-Moreno, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance. If Sessions thinks that makes sense in terms of prosecutorial priorities, he is in a very bizarre ideological state, or a deeply problematic one.

A task force Sessions convened to study pot policy made no recommendations for upending the legal industry but instead encouraged Justice Department officials to keep reviewing the Obama administrations more hands-off approach to marijuana enforcement, something Sessions promised to do since he took office.

The change also reflects yet another way in which Sessions, who served as a federal prosecutor at the height of the drug war in Mobile, Alabama, has reversed Obama-era criminal justice policies that aimed to ease overcrowding in federal prisons and contributed to a rethinking of how drug criminals were prosecuted and sentenced. While his Democratic predecessor Eric Holder told federal prosecutors to avoid seeking long mandatory minimum sentences when charging certain lower level drug offenders, for example, Sessions issued an order demanding the opposite, telling them to pursue the most serious charges possible against most suspects.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A conductor injured when a speeding Amtrak train flew off the tracks and onto a Washington state highway last month, killing three and injuring dozens, filed a lawsuit Wednesday claiming the rail company failed to provide a safe work environment.

Garrick Freeman, who was in the front of the train with the engineer at the time of the Dec. 18 crash, suffered multiple broken ribs, a fractured clavicle and serious internal injuries when the train entered a curve too fast near DuPont, Washington, said his lawyer Anthony Petru, who filed the complaint in Pierce County Superior Court.

Another lawsuit was filed Wednesday in King County Superior Court on the behalf of passenger Pennie Cottrell.

Cottrell was aboard when the train entered a sharp curve and derailed, causing Cottrell to suffer multiple broken bones and other injures, according to the complaint.

The train carried 85 passengers and crew members as it made its inaugural run along new 15-mile (24-kilometer) bypass route. Authorities say it was traveling more than double the posted 30 mph (48 kph) speed limit as it entered the curve, causing it to plunge off an overpass and onto a busy interstate.

Federal investigators trying to determine the cause of the wreck say their full investigation could take more than a year.

As a conductor, Freeman of Bellevue, Washington, normally works in the body of the train, but he wanted to familiarize himself with the new route, so was riding in front with the engineer, Petru said. After the crash, Freeman was taken to Harborview Medical Center where he remained until Dec. 30, when he was taken by ambulance to a rehabilitation hospital, where hes expected to say for about a month.

Freemans lawsuit said Amtrak violated the Federal Employers Liability Act, which required it to ensure the workplace was free of dangerous conditions. It also said Amtrak failed to train its employees to operate trains safely on the new route.

An Amtrak spokesman said Wednesday evening that the company doesnt comment on pending litigation.

Petru said they plan to expand the lawsuit to include all of the public entities involved. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

Cottrells lawsuit said Amtrak equipped the train with a Positive Train Control system, which is supposed to help avoid excessive speeds in dangerous situations, but didnt make the system operable. It provides real-time information to crew members about areas where the train should be slowed and warns the crew about the trains safe braking distance over reduced-speed areas, the suit said.

`If the engineer does not respond to the ample warnings and on-screen displays, the positive train control system will automatically activate the brakes and safely slow or stop the train, the suit said. Amtrak knowingly and intentionally failed to put in place and utilize an operable PTC or similar safety control system, despite knowing it could prevent derailments, the suit said.

The lawsuit also claimed the engineer lacked the experience and training to operate on that new route.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Students urge IoM, NMC to resolve college dispute

The ongoing protest in the Gwarko-based KIST Medical College has affected its academic programmes, including postponement of examinations.
Two LPG bottling plants shut in Kavrepalanchok

The Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM) on Friday shut two liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bottling plantsSurya Gas and Chandeshwori Gasoperating in Kavrepalanchok district after finding them flouting the safety regulations.
Jewelry store Claire's said Thursday that lab results certified its products as asbestos-free, following allegations of the toxic substance in its products last month.

"We are pleased to report that test results received to date from two certified independent labs confirm that the products in question are asbestos free, completely safe and meet all government requirements," the retailer said Thursday.

"We also confirmed that the talc ingredient that is used in the cosmetics was sourced from Merck KGaA and is asbestos free. Any report that suggests that the products are not safe is totally false."

A report in December from WJAR-TV in Rhode Island cited Kristi Warner, who mailed her daughter's glitter makeup kit to a lab, which said it contained tremolite asbestos, a toxic, cancer-causing material.

Warner works at the Deaton Law Firm, which focuses primarily on mass tort asbestos litigation. Warner sent the products to be tested, because her background made her aware of the potential danger of the makeup, which was a gift to her daughter, she told CNBC at the time.

Sean Fitzgerald, director of research and legal services at the Scientific Analytical Institute, which conducted those tests, frequently testifies on behalf of plaintiffs in asbestos tort litigation. He did the initial tests for free for Warner, he told CNBC. When the lab tested more products to see if asbestos results proved to be widespread, the Deaton Law Firm footed the bill, he said.

Fitzgerald told CNBC on Thursday that he stands by the results. He said some companies can use testing methods that, although approved, are not up to today's testing standards.

Testing methods are not always black and white. Last year, Fitzgerald's testimony in an asbestos suit against Colgate-Palmolive was excluded, because the judge deemed that Fitzgerald "[modified] and/or var[ied] from accepted methodologies," according to legal news website Law360.

Fitzgerald addressed the issue in the Colgate-Palmolive suit by saying his testing methods have been accepted in other courts, and each judge views testing methods differently.

Claire's also said in its statement that it has made multiple request for detailed test data, but it has not been provided.

Fitzgerald said the detailed data is with his client, the Deaton Law Firm. Warner said that a document has been sent over to Claire's outlining testing methods. She also said the firm was still in possession of the items that had produced the asbestos positive results, so Claire's has not tested those specific products for asbestos.

A source familiar with the situation said Claire's believes the documents sent to its lawyers were insufficient.

John Deaton, who founded the East Providence, Rhode Island, law firm, could not be immediately reached for comment on Thursday.
With the U.S. Department of Commerce on the cusp of deciding whether to place tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, CNBC's Jim Cramer wanted investors to be prepared for the fallout.

"We're at a major crossroads when it comes to trade policy in this country, and I think you need to seriously consider the protectionist course of action before you decide to buy international stocks with foreign exposure," the "Mad Money" host said.

Cramer expected President Donald Trump to move quickly if the Commerce Department, led by Secretary Wilbur Ross, recommends tariffs for purposes of national security.

Chinese "steel dumping," or the practice of keeping costs artificially low to stymie competition, has become a central concern of Trump's trade policy.

If the dumping continues, U.S. steel producers could fall under serious pressure or even shut down because they can't compete, raising the issue to one of national security, Cramer said.

"I think there's a good chance that Commerce, run by Wilbur Ross, a tough, no-nonsense guy, will recommend that Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act should be used to ban those imports, or at least slap some very heavy tariffs on them," the "Mad Money" host said.

Enabling Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act would not only give the United States a better grasp on its strained, yet symbiotic trade relationship with China.

It could also bring Democrats and Republicans into rare agreement, the "Mad Money" host said.

"Both sides of the aisle want to protect this industry  the Democrats from the point of view of labor, the Republicans from the point of view of capital," Cramer said. "President Trump could triangulate this issue and actually do something bipartisan."

But using Section 232 to uproot trade with China will likely cause a windfall in the stock market, Cramer said. Big industrial stocks with overseas exposure like Caterpillar , United Technologies , General Motors and the perpetually struggling General Electric would sell off, he said.

Still, Cramer predicted that China would agree to these demands. Why, he wondered, would China sacrifice trade with the United States to produce low-quality metal that pollutes its already smoggy air?

Moreover, shares of Nucor , a U.S.-based steel producer and a major proponent of Section 232, have been climbing in the face of the company's weak earnings, suggesting that the move could be more imminent than many market-watchers expect, Cramer said.

"I want to steel you ... for the oncoming barrage of stories about how we're in a trade war with China," the "Mad Money" host said. "Breaking news: we've been in one for years. If Wilbur Ross does what I think he will do, the only difference will be that we'll actually finally be fighting back. So be ready; it will happen smack in the middle of earnings season and it definitely isn't baked into the stock market, but it could be your next big buying opportunity."
Dominion Energy CEO Tom Farrell told CNBC on Thursday that Dominion's acquisition of South Carolinian utility Scana would set his company up for significant long-term gains.

"We're investing for the long-term in South Carolina," Farrell told "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer. "Scana's a very good company. It's got very good growth in its electric and gas utilities. South Carolina's a wonderful state to do business in. We're already there with a pipeline business and some solar farms. Great prospects ahead."

On Wednesday, Dominion announced it would buy Scana in an all-stock deal worth nearly $15 billion. Shares of Scana popped on the announcement while Dominion's stock slid.

The merger will help Scana stem customer and shareholder outrage after a $9 billion nuclear project gone wrong, which resulted in Scana's former CEO stepping down.

Farrell said that Dominion would absorb nearly $1.7 billion in costs from the uncompleted plant that were not yet reflected in customers' utility rates.

The deal also includes a unique provision loosely tied to Congress' newly enacted tax code: all residential customers of Scana's South Carolina Electric & Gas utility will receive an average payment of $1,000 within 90 days of the deal closing.

Farrell said that customers would also receive a 5 percent rate reduction as consolation for the failed nuclear project, a nearly $600 million subsidy provided by Dominion.

"[It's a] very, very unusual thing to give a company's customers value in a transaction. I've never heard of it before," Farrell said. "All in all, there's a tremendous amount of value going to the customers of Scana."

Yet even with all of Dominion's payouts, the deal will still be "immediately accretive" once it closes, the CEO said.

"It's been too long a period in South Carolina that they've been going through this uncertainty, uncertainty for Scana, its employees, its retirees, its shareholders, uncertainty for the citizens of South Carolina and their customers," Farrell told Cramer. "It's really good for the people who have been paying the bills."

In an emailed response to CNBC's request for comment, Scana's new CEO Jimmy Addison wrote:

"Dominion Energy is a strong, well-regarded company in the utility industry and its commitment to customers and communities aligns well with our values," Addison said. "Joining with Dominion Energy strengthens our company and provides resources that will enable us to once again focus on our core operations and best serve our customers."

In a later email, Addison added:

"The acquisition of SCANA by Dominion Energy will stabilize a situation for all involved that was destabilized by the bankruptcy filing of Westinghouse."


This week, Tilman Fertitta travels to Chicago to meet with two companies putting a twist on classic products. First, is Nino's, a family run pasta maker, is trying to rebuild their legacy. Next, Social Sparkling Wine, is a clean alcohol beverage, whose owner is trying to tap into bars and restaurants. If they can impress Tilman, he could take their businesses to the new heights. But if they can't, their chance for a deal will fizzle out.

Check out the clips above.

Billion Dollar Buyer All New Wednesdays 10P ET/PT

About "Billion Dollar Buyer"

Billion Dollar Buyer introduces promising companies across the country to one of America's most successful businessmen: billionaire hospitality mogul Tilman Fertitta, Chairman, CEO, and sole shareholder of Landry's, Inc.
Two persons, two eras

KP Oli has been given a chance to make a real difference, something that was stripped away from BP Koirala in 1960
The high profile move by the United States to drastically cut corporate taxes has increased the pressure on other economies to hand out similar incentives to keep investors on their shores. Just days after President Donald Trump signed the new bill that lowered the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, China announced it would grant certain tax exemptions to local and foreign companies operating in the country. China's move signaled its "determination to gain an edge in global competitiveness" at a time when the U.S. made its biggest tax reform in three decades, the South China Morning Post reported  a conclusion shared by many in the business circle.

The national flags of the U.S. and China. Getty Images

Countries, both developed and developing ones, hope that lowering taxes could help them gain an edge amid an uncertain global environment. Governments also want to prevent companies from artificially shifting profits across borders to keep overall tax exposure low. That practice is known as base erosion and profit shifting and typically sees businesses favoring jurisdictions offering low taxes and tax havens. "These efforts [by the U.S. and China] may prompt other countries to also review the competitiveness of their own tax regimes," said Chiu Wu Hong, head of tax at KPMG in Singapore. Indeed, the two largest economies in the world are not alone in a battle of tax codes  commonly deemed a race to the bottom. Even before the U.S. passed its latest tax bill, countries including the United Kingdom, France, Norway and Argentina have cut, or announced plans to cut, the amount they levy on companies. "Countries still want to win more investments and jobs," said Chester Wee, partner and international tax services leader at EY. "Assuming all other factors being equal, a more attractive tax regime and treaty network may swing a company's investment decision from one country to the other."

Are lower taxes effective?

Even as more countries throw their hats into the low-tax ring, experts said such policies are merely one of many factors contributing to an economy's competitiveness. In the case of the U.S. and China, some said lowering taxes may not make them more attractive than they already are.

watch now
Citing Seoul's Unification Ministry, Reuters said on Friday that bilateral discussions will focus on the Winter Olympics as well as "other issues of mutual interest."

North Korea has reportedly accepted South Korea's offer for talks on January 9, the latest event in a significant week for inter-Korean relations.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is seen during the inspection of a potato flour factory in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang December 6, 2017.

South Korean President Moon Jae-In's administration on Tuesday offered high-level talks to its northern neighbor even as Pyongyang and Washington began the New Year with fresh hostile rhetoric.

And on Wednesday, the pariah state reopened its cross-border communications channel with its southern neighbor for the first time in almost two years. President Donald Trump has since claimed it was his tough rhetoric against North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un that resulted in fresh dialogue.

Expectations for inter-Korean dialogue rose after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Monday that he was open to sending a delegation to the upcoming Winter Olympics in the South Korean city of PyeongChang.
Most of us can find areas to cut back in. How much do you spend on takeout? Uber? What about coffee? If you want to build more wealth in 2018, start by identifying where you're wasting money. Do any of the purchases below sound familiar? If so, try giving them up and redirecting the savings toward your savings goals or retirement account, where it could grow significantly over time.

ATM fees

It'll cost you a record high of $4.57 to withdraw money from an out-of-network ATM. There's no reason to continue paying these fees, which can add up significantly over time. A simple 2018 resolution: If your bank's logo isn't on the ATM, don't use it.

Late fees

Like ATM fees, late fees are a pointless money suck. And there's more to late payments than simply paying a fee. Missing payments can also lower your credit score, which affects your ability to borrow money for bigger purchases, like a home or car, in the near future. Never miss a bill again by setting up automatic payments online for fixed costs such as cable, internet, and insurance. For expenses that can't be paid online, such as rent, set up calendar reminders and pay them at the same time each month so it becomes routine.

Underused subscriptions

While you're doing some deep cleaning and purging at the start of the new year, also go through all of the subscriptions you're signed up for. Look over your last couple of credit card statements and figure out exactly what you're paying for, whether it be subscriptions to magazines, software or online services. Next, ask yourself which you can eliminate, and cancel them on the spot to save a couple hundred dollars a year. You could also use Trim, which automatically finds and cancels your subscriptions with a text.

Buying lunch every day

Dining out can add up quickly. The more food you can prepare at home, the better off your food budget will be. Plus, packing lunch also tends to be better for your waistline. Of course, it's OK to treat yourself and buy the occasional meal out, but if you're aiming to hit major financial goals in 2018, going homemade is one of the simplest ways to cut back without making dramatic sacrifices.

Bottled water

While you're getting into the habit of packing your lunch, start filling up a water bottle too. Whether it's bottled water or grabbing a coffee on your way to work, it's all too easy to spend mindlessly. But that money leaving your pocket could be directed toward your 2018 savings goals.

Unused gym membership

If you're a gym rat, power to you, but if you can't remember the last time you stepped foot inside the facilities, it may be time to cancel your membership. Plus, if you're ever itching to work out, there are plenty of ways to do it without a gym. Try following free YouTube workouts at home, walking, biking or hiking outside, making the most of training apps or joining a running club.

Cable

The average American spends more than $100 a month on cable. That's a large sum to pay for a service that people often don't take full advantage of. Consider cutting the cord in 2018 and getting your TV from the internet, through services like Netflix ($8 a month), Hulu ($8 a month) or HBO Now ($15 a month).

Excess groceries

Collectively, we waste a lot of food. Every time you throw away excess groceries, that's money down the drain. Before you grocery shop, think about the meals you're going to make for the week and write down exactly what ingredients you'll need to prepare those meals. When you actually go to the store, stick to just the ingredients on your list.

Brand-name products

Going generic  for certain groceries, toiletries or pet supplies  is an easy way to save money over time. You don't have to buy generic for everything. Identify what's really important to you and what you're willing to sacrifice. Then buy brand-name for the stuff you care about and go generic for everything else.

Impulse buys
Irwin Simon, CEO, Hain Celestial Scott Mlyn | CNBC

Shares of Hain Celestial dropped Friday on a report in the New York Post describing the company's sale prospects as grim due to its "overload" of brands. Indeed, Hain's many brands have complicated a sale process for quite some time. Some of the country's biggest food companies have already looked and passed. But this year, several factors  continued pressure on Big Food, Hain itself and even tax reform  may finally lead to a deal transpiring. related investing news Here's our November rapid-fire update on the stocks in Cramer's Charitable Trust portfolio

The challenges

The primary challenge has been that the company is a collection of seemingly haphazard brands and businesses: its protein business (Empire Kosher Poultry, Plainville Farms), its personal care business (Alba Botanica, Avalon Organics), and its snacks and other foods (Terra Chips, Ella's Kitchen). There has never been a clear buyer for all of these businesses, but there has been for select parts. The personal care business could make sense for Unilever . The protein business could work for Tyson or Pilgrim's Pride . The snack business could be attractive for a number of food giants, if not for the fact that Hain's larger brands, such as Celestial Seasonings, are swarmed by brands that have less than $75 million in revenue. It takes a lot of money for big food companies to turn small bits of revenue into large national brands. Companies have been largely averse to making that gamble on Hain. Hain's founder and CEO, Irwin Simon, led the acquisitions and management of these small brands himself. Companies have been concerned that without his knowledge and relationships it might be uniquely difficult to pass the torch.

What's changed
Amazon announced new tools on Friday that will allow gadget-makers to include the smart voice assistant in a whole array of new products.



Alexa is 's smart voice assistant, and it has slowly made its way from the Amazon Echo into third-party speakers, refrigerators and, soon, . Now, with Amazon's Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit, device makers will be able to build Alexa into headphones, smartwatches, fitness trackers and more.

That means you may soon be able to look down at your wrist and ask Alexa the weather or to remind you to pick up eggs at the grocery store.

Some firms have already started to build smart voice assistants into products. Bose's new QC35 II headphones have Google Assistant built in, for example, and the Apple Watch has long offered support for Siri.

Amazon said Bose, Jabra, iHome, Beyerdynamic and Linkplay plan to bring Alexa to products this year.
Embraer and Boeing jetliners stand on the Tarmac of Le Bourget on June 18, 2017 on the eve of the opening of the International Paris Air Show.

Brazil has said it will not allow Boeing to take over aerospace and defense firm Embraer.

Embraer first confirmed in December that it was in discussions with Boeing over a potential deal. Embraer is the third largest producer of civil aircraft, after Airbus and Boeing.

The Brazilian government holds a controlling "golden share" in Embraer and can veto any deal agreed.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Brazil's defence minister said that his government would allow a partnership or joint venture but ruled out any change of ownership to Boeing.

"The only limitation we see is the transfer of shareholding control," Raul Jungmann said. "Other than that, partnership, joint venture, whatever it is, is very welcome."

The article also cited unnamed sources who are reportedly close to discussions and claim Boeing isn't interested in a joint venture and is only seeking a takeover.

CNBC has contacted Boeing and Embraer for comment but had not had any response at the time of publication.

For more on this story please click here.
All signs and numbers point to a huge year for the construction industry. Even in December, with much of the nation frozen, the construction industry added 30,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

For all of 2017, construction added 210,000 jobs, a 35 percent increase over 2016.

Construction spending is also soaring, rising more than expected in November to a record $1.257 trillion, according to the Commerce Department. That was up 2.4 percent annually. Spending increased across all sectors of real estate, commercial and residential, with particular strength in private construction projects. The only weakness was in government construction spending.

Construction firms are clearly looking to hire more workers. Three-quarters of them said they plan to increase payrolls in 2018, according to a new survey from the Associated General Contractors of America. Industry optimism for all types of construction, measured by the ratio of those who expected the market to expand versus those who expected it to contract, hit a record high.

"This optimism is likely based on current economic conditions, an increasingly business-friendly regulatory environment and expectations the Trump administration will boost infrastructure investments," said Stephen Sandherr, the association's CEO.

Contractors are most optimistic about construction in the office market, which has seen little action since the recession. Transportation, retail, warehouse and lodging were also strong in the survey. Respondents were less encouraged by the multifamily apartment sector, which is just coming off a building boom.
Just two days after California began sales of legalized adult-use cannabis, Attorney General Jeff Sessions decided to rescind the Justice Department's Cole Memorandum.

This Obama-era document listed guidelines for states that legalized marijuana. Sessions decision, however is more bark than bite because it doesn't change the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment which cut off funds to the Justice Department to enforce laws that say marijuana is federally illegal.

It also looks like Sessions will leave it up to state attorneys to choose whether they want to crack down or not.

This will be welcome news for the state of California that began legal sales on January 1 of adult-use cannabis. Its state attorney general, Xavier Becerra, defends his state's law, with good reason. Legal marijuana is a major jobs creator and tax generator.

The recently released Green Market Report predicts that legalization is going to create 160,000 new jobs. New government jobs, new retail jobs, new manufacturing jobs. Many of these jobs will pay well and that will be the best part of this green rush for the state of California. This is something that Sessions should be taking seriously when he considers curtailing legal weed.

As of November 2017, California had a record low 4.6 percent unemployment rate. Still, compare this to Colorado's unemployment rate of 2.9 percent.

In 2012 Colorado suffered from a whopping 8 percent unemployment rate. That was before legalization. Colorado has since reaped the job benefits of the marijuana industry. Its biggest problem now is managing the massive growth of Denver.

Legalization brought high achieving scientists, chemists, retailers, horticulturalists and tech entrepreneurs to the state ready to solve the industries challenges. This should happen in California as well.

While people outside California see the riches of Beverly Hills, the country's most expensive zip code in Santa Monica, and the outrageous housing costs of San Francisco, many towns in the state have never recovered from the 2008 financial crisis.

There is a great deal of attention paid to the outsize salaries of Silicon Valley workers, but real Californians know that when you venture outside these specific areas the economy declines dramatically.

In some areas, housing prices remained stagnant and employment fell by 15 percent. These depressed desert towns are welcoming the large cannabis cultivation facilities that cities like Los Angeles have no desire for.

Desert Hot Springs declared a fiscal emergency in 2014. The median income was $33,000 in 2015. It was one of the first cities to embrace legalizing marijuana cultivation. Land prices have now tripled in value.

Not to be outdone, nearby Adelanto has issued 27 licensed permits for cultivation. Two years ago, this town also faced a fiscal emergency. It now boasts one million square feet of warehouse space ready to be used for marijuana.

Weed jobs are also a boon to workers that other industries overlook. Older women, people with multiple visible tattoos and people that don't fit into the traditional corporate cubicle are welcome in the weed industry. Someone with a neck tattoo might not be the best choice for a bank job, but this industry doesn't bat an eye at neck ink or ear gauges.

ICF International published a white paper last year saying they believe that these jobs would result in $3.57 billion to $4.52 billion in labor income. The ripple effect of all these new salaries is felt throughout the local economies. Then there are the secondary jobs  from security to construction jobs to build grow facilities and create new dispensaries that meet new local laws.

California's current budget deficit is $1.6 billion. The state is projected by ICF to earn between $2.4 billion and $3 billion a year in tax receipts from sales of marijuana. This will essentially wipe out the state's deficit in one year.

Not only will marijuana reset the state's financial health, it will foster a new wave of entrepreneurs and jobs that will revitalize depressed parts of the state. So, all those people lining up to buy Pineapple Express are creating a whole new industry for the state that will revitalize employment and the economy. Let Sessions put that in his pipe and smoke it.

Commentary by Debra Borchardt, co-founder, CEO and editor-in-chief at the Green Market Report, which focuses on the financial news of the rapidly growing cannabis industry. Follow her on Twitter @ WallandBroad.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
A view of the newly developed intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15's test that was successfully launched is seen in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang November 30, 2017.

China's Commerce Ministry said on Friday it will limit exports of crude oil, refined oil products, steel and other metals to North Korea, in line with tough new sanctions imposed by the United Nations for Pyongyang's missile tests.

The statement comes after the U.N. Security Council last month unanimously voted in favor of new penalties on North Korea for its recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, seeking to limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil.

The move by China will be effective on Jan. 6, it said.

It also follows an agreement on Friday by North Korea to hold official talks with the South next week, the first in more than two years amid rising tensions over its nuclear and missile programs.

On Tuesday, the Chinese government said it would continue to adhere to the recent U.N. sanctions.

In November, China, one of North Korea's top trading partners, exported no oil products to the isolated country, apparently going above and beyond the U.N. restrictions.

Among the measures in the December resolution, the U.N. prohibits nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea by capping them at 500,000 barrels a year and limits crude oil supplies to 4 million barrels a year.
Upon reading the news, the president tweeted that his secretary of state was "wasting his time" issuing overtures to the Kim regime. "Save your energy, Rex," Trump added , "we'll do what has to be done."

The contradictions between what Donald Trump says and how his government behaves were already evident when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued a direct appeal to North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un . While on a September visit to Beijing, Tillerson admitted that the Trump administration was "probing" the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for an opening that could lead to talks between the two nations and had opened several lines of communications to Pyongyang.

To illustrate the discrepancies between the president's approach to a foreign crisis and the administration he supposedly manages, look toward the Korean Peninsula.

Given the discrepancies between how the president talks about foreign affairs and how his administration conducts itself abroad, foreign governments could be forgiven for thinking that the president did not have the final word on how U.S. pursues its interestsor even what those interests are. That could put the United States and the world in a uniquely parlous place.

When it comes to the conduct of American foreign affairs, the Trump administration has recently been performing competentlyeven admirably. That comes as a surprise to many observers because the administration's successes are a direct result of the president's failure to govern as he campaigned .

An adversarial power is justified in concluding that Trump is not the last word when it comes to American foreign policy, and that could be extremely dangerous.

Perhaps the administration was playing the good-cop-bad-cop game with Pyongyang? If so, Tillerson didn't get the memo. In December, the secretary of state again approached the Kim regime. "We are ready to have the first meeting without precondition," Tillerson said of his North Korean counterparts. "Let's just meet, and we can talk about the weather if you want."

But within hours, a National Security Council source contradicted the secretary of state, insisting that the DPRK must suspend all missile and nuclear tests for a significant period before there could be any dialogue. Tillerson soon withdrew his offer of condition-free talks.

In Kim's New Year's Day address, the North Korean despot issued a perfunctory bleat of bellicosity, declaring his nuclear arsenal functional and capable of reaching the entirety of the United States. But in a more consequential part of that speech, Kim entertained the prospect of bilateral talks with the South Korean government.

Donald Trump responded to this speech by disregarding its most substantial elements and instead tweeted cavalierly about the prospect of a thermonuclear exchange with the rogue state. South Korea, by contrast, ignored the threat and responded warmly to the overture.

The following day, the North Korean government accepted contact with the South Korean government on a hotline that had been dead for two years and indicated that further communications were forthcoming.

"[D]oes anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasn't firm," Trump tweeted, apparently missing the fact that Pyongyang's objective has always been to shut the United States out of the diplomatic process on the peninsula.

And in a significant departure from Trump's alleged firmness, Washington and Seoul announced on Thursday their intention to halt all military exercise during the forthcoming Olympic Games in South Koreaa small but important concession to Pyongyang that should facilitate further thawing on the Peninsula.

There will always be those who suggest that Donald Trump is playing a masterful game, keeping all his opponents off balance. More likely, the Trump administration is of multiple minds on many subjects and is so poorly staffed at the consular level that the United States is diplomatically rudderless.

An adversarial power is justified in concluding that Trump is not the last word when it comes to American foreign policy, and that could be extremely dangerous. If Trump comes to be seen as a man who can be ignored in favor of other voices or signals from elsewhere within the administration, it could lead foreign governments to take Trump's statements for granted.

That presumption could lead a foreign power to miscalculate; after all, miscalculations are only miscalculations in hindsight. An adversarial power that executes a gambit on the world stage that does not elicit a response from the United States hasn't miscalculated at all.

If, however, Russia, or China, or Iran, or another revisionist powers were to conclude that Trump could be ignored and accidentally pushed him to a point at which he feels compelled to respond, that could trigger a crisis from which no one has a face-saving way out; and those have the potential to spiral out of control.

As erratic as this president may be, and despite the sighs of relief that the "generals" like James Mattis, H.R. McMaster, and John Kelly are largely in command of American foreign affairs, it is terribly dangerous if the United States fails to speak with one voice.

That condition leads to confusion; confusion leads to mistakes; and mistakes lead to confrontationeven the kind that no one wants. If Trump is going to outsource the role of the president to his subordinates, he's better off keeping quiet. Ambiguity about who is really in control of American affairs could get people killed.

Commentary by Noah Rothman, the associate editor of Commentary magazine. Follow him on Twitter @noahcrothman.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
Woman held with 13.5 kg marijuana

Police have arrested a woman in possession of 13.5 kg marijuana from Pipalbot of Changunarayan Municipality-6, Bhaktapur district.
A tell-all book about President Donald Trump's White House will hit shelves today despite a demand from Trump's lawyer for an apology and retraction of material. The book features comments from ex-White House chief strategist Steve Bannon. (CNBC)

The Trump administration is reportedly seeking nearly $18 billion from Congress to construct more than 700 miles of barriers along the Southwest border. Trump campaigned on a promise to build a wall and that Mexico would pay for it. (WSJ)

President Trump reportedly directed his counsel to urge Attorney General Jeff Sessions not to recuse himself from the Justice Department's investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. (AP)

A powerful blizzard battered the Northeast this week, knocking out power for tens of thousands of people and snarling travel. The wintry weather has been blamed for at least 14 deaths in the past few days, including in North Carolina and Texas. (Reuters)

The massive winter storm is moving out of the Northeastern U.S. region, but flight disruptions will continue through the end of the week. Airlines have canceled more than 4,600 flights because of the storm and more delays are expected. (CNBC)

North Korea has accepted South Korea's offer for talks on January 9, according to Reuters, citing Seoul's Unification Ministry. The bilateral discussions will reportedly focus on the Winter Olympics as well as "other issues of mutual interest."

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has announced the space exploration company will launch its biggest rocket yet, called the Falcon Heavy, at the end of the month. He also revealed that the rocket would carry out a test fire next week. (CNBC)

Uber's cofounder and former CEO Travis Kalanick is planning to sell $1.4 billion of stock in the company, or 29 percent of his stake, a source familiar with the arrangement told CNBC.
Gary Cohn has no plans to leave the White House, at least in the next seven days.

"I'm here today, and I'm here next week," the White House chief economic advisor told CNBC on Friday, without giving assurances beyond that time frame.

Speculation has swirled about whether Cohn, the former No. 2 executive at Goldman Sachs , will stay in his White House post following the passage of a massive tax overhaul. Cohn was one of two Trump administration officials leading negotiations with congressional leaders on the Republican plan that went into law at the beginning of the year.

In late December, Cohn told Axios that he would still be working in the Trump administration three months from that time.

Tax reform was seen as a signature issue for Cohn, who reportedly drafted a resignation letter following the president's divisive response to violence at a white nationalist rally in Virginia last year.

"Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," an explosive book released Friday, also claims that Cohn has called Trump "dumb as s--t." A White House official told CNBC that "Cohn denies that ridiculous quote."

In coming weeks, the White House plans to turn its focus to new policy pushes. Trump administration officials will meet with House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, among others, at the Camp David retreat in Maryland this weekend to discuss their legislative agenda.

The White House will decide whether a massive infrastructure package or welfare reform will come next, Cohn said Friday. Both could happen simultaneously, he added.

Senate Republicans would need to use the special budget reconciliation process, which requires only a simple majority vote, to pass welfare reform. Republicans hold a 51-seat majority and likely would not be able to overcome a Democratic filibuster to make possible changes to social safety net programs.

On Friday, Cohn told Fox Business that he would "continue to push President Trump's economic agenda" from here. He cited regulatory changes and the infrastructure plan as work the Trump administration still wants to accomplish.

 Correction: The white nationalist rally in Virginia took place last year.
LAS VEGAS, USA - JANUARY 08 : A woman tries virtual reality and wearable technology product during the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on January 08, 2017. (Photo by Bilgin S. Sasmaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Anadolu Agency | Getty

This year's CES, formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, kicks off next week in Las Vegas. In previous years, it's been home to major announcements, including new computers, TVs, smart home appliances, autonomous car technology and more.

This year might change a bit compared with last year, according to at least one expert interviewed by CNBC. CES 2018 "is a 'fulfillment' one where we won't see as much 'vision' but more companies delivering on the promises made last year," Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy told CNBC. "We will see improvements and refinements versus big-picture vision. We will see home automation work better, be more reliable and support more ecosystems," he said. Here's what you can expect from the show.

Autonomous technology

A woman gets in a self-driving Chevy Bolt EV car during a media event by Cruise, GMs autonomous car unit, in San Francisco, California, November 28, 2017. Elijah Nouvelage | Reuters

Autonomous cars have become a staple at CES over the past few years  and that likely won't change this year. Manufacturers from BMW to Audi offer test drives of new vehicles  Audi even drove an autonomous car from San Francisco to Las Vegas for CES 2017. "Cars will be announced with very sophisticated driving systems that aren't automated fully, but help prevent accidents better," Moorhead said.

Smart home

The Echo Plus looks great around the house Todd Haselton | CNBC

Expect to see lots of smart home gadgets during the show. Last year, for example, LG introduced new refrigerators with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant built in. This year, we already know that Amazon is partnering with appliance makers to build Alexa into new products such as microwaves and conventional ovens. Huge players in the space, ranging from August smart locks to Ring (makers of the Ring doorbell) and Philips Hue will be at the show with announcements, too.

5G

Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf speaks during a keynote address at CES 2017 on January 6, 2017 in Las Vegas. Getty Images

Qualcomm and U.S. wireless carriers are likely to discuss 5G, the next generation of wireless networks, which should begin rolling out over the next couple of years in the U.S. AT&T confirmed this week that it will roll out 5G to customers this year, and it will offer much faster speeds than 4G LTE, the current standard. It'll be used for everything from streaming 4K video to mobile devices to connected autonomous cars.

New TVs

LG

Samsung, LG and other firms typically use CES as a launchpad for new TVs that will hit the market later in the year. "We will see sexier, higher resolution, larger 4 and 8k TVs," Moorhead said. LG has already said it will show off the largest 8K OLED TV, which may be an early highlight of the show. Also, expect to hear about advancements in smart TV software, the interfaces that you interact with on connected television sets. LG, for example, has used CES to show new versions of its webOS software.

Laptops and tablets

Devin Hance | CNBC

While Apple doesn't use CES to announce new products, its competitors still do. Expect to see new laptops from major brands, including Samsung and Lenovo, which typically use the event to show off new machines. "PCs will be more refined with the addition of longer-lasting batteries and LTE and a few super-thin laptops with big gaming graphics," Moorhead said. Microsoft recently announced a partnership with Qualcomm for new Snapdragon-powered always-connected laptops. They aren't on the market yet, and we expect to see some of the new ones firsthand during the show. One big question we'll be looking to answer: How will these compare with Intel machines?

Robots

LG robot designed to clean airports. Source: LG

Don't expect Rosie from The Jetsons just yet, but we'll certainly see some new robots at CES. LG has already confirmed it will show off new concept robots during the show. Another firm, Seven Dreamers, will show off a new robot named Laundroid that's capable of folding laundry.

Smart glasses and VR

Intel virtual reality Vive interactive demo at NYFW on Feb. 11, 2016. Adam Jeffery | CNBC

We'll likely see new mixed-reality headsets  or existing ones with new features  that use Microsoft's Windows 10 platform during the show. Additionally, firms such as Occipital and Madgaze plan to show off new smart glasses that use augmented reality to place digital information on top of the real world. Oculus used to make big announcements during CES, but it already made a few late last year when it announced the standalone $199 Oculus Go headset. Facebook's competitor in the space, HTC, will be at the show with the HTC Vive. Perhaps we'll see new announcements around that platform.

Phones

Huawei's Mate 10 Pro comes in two colors, mocha brown and midnight blue. Saheli Roy Choudhury | CNBC
"I remember the news director, he took my tape, he put it in the machine, he played it for a couple of minutes and he stopped it and he said, 'Oh, Hoda, you are not ready for Richmond. I don't know why somebody sent you here, but you're too green, you're not good,'" she said at a 2016 SiriusXM Leading Ladies event.

In 1986, the recent Virginia Tech journalism grad was starting her job hunt when she heard about an opportunity at a TV station in Richmond, Virginia. She borrowed her mother's car to drive an hour away to the interview, but was rejected.

Kotb, who joined "TODAY" in 2008 as co-host of the show's fourth hour with Kathy Lee Gifford, is a face familiar to the network and its audience. But she didn't become a household name overnight.

Hoda Kotb made history this week when she was named co-anchor of NBC's "TODAY," alongside Savannah Guthrie. Together, the two are the first female team to co-anchor the NBC news program.

The news director suggested she try a station three hours away in Roanoke, Virginia, that was also hiring. Kotb says she was rejected there before being told by that news director to try her luck at a station in Memphis, Tennessee. Eager to get hired, she drove to Memphis that night only to face another rejection.

"I was in that car driving around for 10 days. I got rejected everywhere. Anywhere you can think of in the Southeast, I got rejected," she said.

According to The Washington Post, Kotb faced 27 rejections before finally getting the "yes" she needed to jump-start her career. Fortuitously, on the drive back home, she got lost in Mississippi and came across a sign for a local television station.

"You know, the whole God gives you a sign  I literally got lost in Mississippi because I was listening to James Taylor and sad and driving aimlessly, and I saw a physical sign that said, 'Greenville, Mississippi, Our eye is on you.' It had like a CBS eye. News center 15, WXVT. I said, 'I'm gonna go there and get rejected,'" Kotb said.

But her encounter with the news director Stan Sandroni turned out to be far different from her past interviews. After watching her tape, Kotb says he turned to her and said, "I like what I see," and hired her on the spot.

"It just reminded me that you just need one person to love you," she said. "You don't need everybody."

From there, Kotb continued to make her mark on the industry. She worked at television stations in Illinois and Florida before landing a job at a CBS affiliate in New Orleans in 1992. It was there where her talent caught the attention of NBC executives in New York, who hired her in 1998 as a correspondent for "Dateline."

Kotb stepped into her most recent position as an initially temporary fill-in for Matt Lauer, after he was fired in November following accusations of sexual misconduct. When she received the news over the holidays that she would be a permanent co-host, she responded with excitement saying, "I am pinching myself."

Her professional journey underlines the power of persistence.

"Sometimes you think you need every single person to think you're good, and you don't," she told SiriusXM. "You need one."

Disclosure: NBC and CNBC are owned by Comcast's NBCUniversal unit.

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Don't miss: Hoda Kotb joins Savannah Guthrie in making history as the first pair of women to anchor NBC's 'TODAY'
Donald Trump campaigned as a jobs creator, with lofty promises of reviving American manufacturing and reclaiming jobs that had gone overseas. On a campaign stop in 2015, he proclaimed he would "be the greatest jobs president that God ever created."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of about 171,000 jobs were added per month in 2017. While that's a drop from the average of 186,000 jobs added per month in 2016, the last year of Barack Obama's presidency, average unemployment stood at 4.1 percent in December, and it's much lower in pockets of the country.

Such a tight labor market makes finding skilled workers tougher in certain industries. One year into Trump's presidency, Indiana is feeling that job-market pinch, especially in manufacturing.

One in 5 workers in the state holds manufacturing jobs, says Brian Burton, CEO of the Indiana Manufacturers Association.

"We've had a record number of job announcements over the last 12 months, which also creates another problem for us  we have a skills issue  those that need the skills for today's automatic and technologically advanced manufacturing process," Burton said.

The state also faces a population issue, Burton said, with projected growth through 2040 of just 1 percent, far shy of the national average of nearly 20 percent. Retirements from manufacturing are compounding the problem.

The association has even proposed the idea of creating financial incentives to lure workers to the state to fill vacancies in the industry  something Burton is hopeful state lawmakers will consider in the New Year.

"We need to develop incentives for people to come to the state and take advantage of the opportunities we have here," he said. "We're putting forth a tax incentive for individuals, so those who come from out of state would have an elimination of their state income tax for a certain period of time."

The world's largest mining and steelmaking company, ArcelorMittal , hired 640 employees in the U.S. last year and is now heavily recruiting in the Hoosier State. The company is seeking to hire more than 1,000 workers to fill both hourly and salaried positions this year, and many of those jobs are in Indiana. The company, which employs some 18,000 people in the U.S., wants to hire talent in engineering, technical and supply chain roles, as well as human resources.

Year one under Trump has been good for business because of fair trade policies, according to ArcelorMittal Vice President Keith Howell. A potential infrastructure package and a tax code overhaul on the horizon will be positives for the company in 2018.

"Using domestic products and rebuilding our country's roads and bridges would be very positive for manufacturing in general, and also for the steel industry," Howell said.

The top five sectors since the election in terms of the number of jobs added are professional and business services; education and health; leisure and hospitality; construction; and manufacturing. The gains in manufacturing  a total of 214,000 jobs added since December 2016  have created a new problem for companies trying to fill vacant positions.

To combat a skilled labor shortage stemming from retirements, ArcelorMittal is recruiting candidates from middle and high schools with its Steelworker for the Future Program, launched in 2008. It's intended to reach students who excel in science, technology, engineering and math and for those who enjoy working with their hands and did not intend to enroll in a traditional four-year program.

Dantrell Brooks, 21, was recruited while in high school and applied for the program, which includes assistance with college education and a paid internship at ArcelorMittal. Since 2010, 90 students like Brooks have graduated from the program and have been offered full-time positions at the company, and 144 are enrolled in the program's curriculum at partner schools in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and West Virginia.

"My senior year of high school, everybody's talking about big name college universities, going there for four years-plus to get a degree," Brooks said. "I saw ArcelorMIttal as a 2-year degree, less than half the time, guaranteed job, training, craft  I knew I had to go for it."

Economists credit Trump's push for deregulation and the recent victory in overhauling the tax code, both of which sent the stock market and business confidence soaring, for spurring job creation. A rebound in oil prices, a weaker dollar and stronger global economic growth also served as main drivers in job growth.

"The president has a done a good job of creating an economic environment that has been positive for job growth," said Craig Dismuke, chief economist at Vining Sparks. "But I suspect any candidate that was elected on a deregulation and tax cut platform would have seen similar results."

This article was updated to include December data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Author Michael Wolff rebutted criticism Friday of his bombshell book on President Donald Trump's White House, saying many of the president's close advisors question his fitness for office.

In an interview with NBC's "TODAY," Wolff contended that Trump has "less credibility than, perhaps, anyone who has ever walked on Earth." Wolff insisted that he talked to the president for the book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," despite Trump's denial on Thursday night in which he called the book "phony."

Trump tweet

The book features explosive quotes from former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon deriding Trump's children, as well as numerous claims of top advisors and friends calling the president terms like "idiot" and "dumb as s--t." It got released on Friday, four days earlier than originally planned, after early excerpts and Trump's attempt to stop it from getting published sparked massive interest.

Wolff said Friday that Trump's advisors and even family members questioned the president's ability to do the job.

"I will tell you the one description that everyone gave  everyone has in common  they all say he is like a child," the writer said. "And what they mean by that is he has a need for immediate gratification. It is all about him."

Today tweet

He added that "senior advisers, family members, every single one of them, questions his intelligence and fitness for office." Wolff says the book is based on more than 200 interviews with people around the president.

In a tweet Friday morning, Trump called the book a "phony" attempt to discredit him. On Thursday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders labeled it "trash," "fraudulent" and "tabloid gossip."

Read the full NBC report here.

Disclosure: CNBC and NBC are owned by Comcast.
Pot has been hot.

And despite a potential crackdown by Washington on the industry, some market watchers are optimistic on stocks related to the marijuana business.

Names like Weed , Aurora Cannabis and Canopy Growth, all viewed as plays if investors are bullish on the weed business, fell a respective 45 percent, 6 percent and 3 percent since Thursday's open.

Meanwhile, one exchange-traded fund related to the business, the ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF, fell 6 percent on Thursday, but saw a bit of a bounce back and rose nearly 3 percent on Friday. This ETF is a particular favorite of David Seaburg, head of sales and trading at Cowen. This weakness should be bought here, he said Thursday on CNBC's "Trading Nation."

"I look at it and say, 'It's a tax revenue sort of catalyst.' There's no way that local governments and attorney generals are not going to support it for that reason alone. You buy it here; MJX in particular," Seaburg said, referring to the ticker symbol for the ETF.

This most recent dip is likely a good buying opportunity for investors who can bear the high risk associated with the industry, said Mark Tepper, president and CEO of Strategic Wealth Partners.

"This is a really high-growth, but high-risk industry," Tepper said Thursday on "Trading Nation."

"In 2017, these stocks were up 250 percent, and in light of the news [Thursday], these same stocks are down 10 to 40 percent. I think what's important for consumers to investors to realize, is sales in Colorado topped $1.3 billion and grew 32 percent year over year. California has nine times the population, and estimates $5.1 billion in 2019, which sounds really, really low. There's just a lot of tax revenue that states would be missing out on, and it just seems really unlikely that Sessions wins here," Tepper said, referring to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Some of the biggest players in the space are listed on Canadian stock exchanges, Tepper pointed out, and noted that even if these plans were to pan out, there's still a rich market out of the country.

"It's a high-risk, high-reward play. For our clients, probably a little too high risk, but if you are interested in having some high-risk opportunities in your portfolio, this is probably a good buying opportunity," he said.
Two influential Republican senators issued a criminal referral this week against Christopher Steele, the former British spy who authored the largely unverified "Trump dossier."

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., referred Steele to the Department of Justice for allegedly making false statements to investigators. It was not immediately clear from the referral what Steele allegedly lied to investigators about.

The referral was made Thursday but revealed Friday. Democrats on the committee said they were not consulted.

Grassley is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has been conducting an investigation running parallel to special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Trump's alleged ties to Russia.

"I don't take lightly making a referral for criminal investigation. But, as I would with any credible evidence of a crime unearthed in the course of our investigations, I feel obliged to pass that information along to the Justice Department for appropriate review," Grassley said in a statement.
President Donald Trump speaks alongside Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, DC, December 20, 2017.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has once again denied reports that his exit from the Trump administration is imminent.

In an interview with CNN on Friday, Tillerson said he intends to remain in his role serving the president through 2018.

"The State Department gets stronger every day," Tillerson told CNN. "And I look forward to having a very, very successful 2018."

He also said that Trump has given him no indication that his job might be threatened, CNN reported.

The rumors of an acrimonious relationship, including a report by NBC News in October that Tillerson had called Trump a "moron" during a Pentagon meeting, were rekindled by leaked excerpts from author Michael Wolff's new book, "Fire and Fury."

Tillerson, responding to Wolff's salacious look inside the first year of the Trump presidency, said he "never questioned [the president's] mental fitness."

Read the full report on CNN.
Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson has harsh words for the Trump administration's move to end the legalization of non-medical marijuana  calling it both backwards and unproductive.

Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Obama-era policy that enabled states to sell non-medical marijuana. The move came the same week that the policy went into effect.

In 2013, then Deputy Attorney General James Cole published a memorandum saying the federal government would not get in the way of states deciding for themselves whether to legalize marijuana.

"This was a sensible move," writes Branson, referring to the memorandum, in a blog post on Friday. "Short of a much-needed change of US federal drug laws, the [Cole memo] has helped reduce the pointless criminalization of non-violent drug users and of those producing and selling recreational cannabis."

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinding the Cole Memo feels like a throwback to the worst days of the failed war on drugs

In the United Kingdom, where Branson is from, marijuana is illegal. Police have the choice to either issue a warning or a 90 ($122) fine if they catch a person with weed, or cannabis, according to the website for the British government. Branson, who currently lives on a private island in the British Virgin Islands, took sharp aim at the United States' drug policy.

"What the US doesn't need is another frontline in the War on Drugs. Decriminalisation, regulation and harm reduction are the way to go. Everything else will cost lives and money," Branson says.

Sessions has publicly expressed a vehement disapproval of marijuana, comparing it to heroin.

"I reject the idea that America will be a better place if marijuana is sold in every corner store," Sessions said in Richmond, Va., in March. "And I am astonished to hear people suggest that we can solve our heroin crisis by legalizing marijuana  so people can trade one life-wrecking dependency for another that's only slightly less awful. Our nation needs to say clearly once again that using drugs will destroy your life."

Decriminalisation and regulation of drugs is the way to go - everything else will cost lives and money

Rescinding the Cole memo is a step backwards, according to Branson.

The "announcement feels like a throwback to the worst days of the failed War on Drugs, which has not made a dent in the global drug trade, a multi-billion dollar industry entirely in the hands of criminal organisations," writes Branson.

"In fact, drugs are more available than ever before, and it's become abundantly clear that the only way of protecting our families and friends from the worst impacts of illegal drugs is to take back control of the market. That's what regulation does quite effectively. Either we put responsible government agencies in control of the market or we leave it in the hands of gangsters. There's no third option in which it magically disappears."

"In the face of an unprecedented opioid epidemic that kills hundreds of Americans daily, drug policy reform is a bipartisan priority, one of those rare issues where conservatives and liberals can agree that business as usual is no longer an option," he says.

"There is even compelling new evidence that states with legal medical cannabis availability have lower levels of opioid-related deaths. Legal cannabis is not just about reducing the harms of prohibition  it can also be about reaping the potential benefits."

The US doesn't need another frontline in the war on drugs

Indeed, one October 2014 study published in the medical journal JAMA looking at data from 1999 to 2010 found states where medical marijuana was legal had fewer deaths because of opioid overdoses. "States with medical cannabis laws had a 24.8% lower mean annual opioid overdose mortality rate compared with states without medical cannabis laws," the study found.

Also, a study of Colorado opioid related deaths after the 2014 legalization of recreational marijuana use in Colorado published in the American Journal of Public Health found a decrease in opioid deaths after legalization. "Colorado's legalization of recreational cannabis sales and use resulted in a 0.7 deaths per month reduction in opioid-related deaths," the study says.

Both marijuana and opioids are used to treat pain, says a Washington Post story about the Colorado study, so patients in Colorado could opt to use marijuana to treat their pain instead of opiods. "Given the choice between marijuana and opiates, many patients appear to be opting for the former," the Washington Post says.

However there is some correlation between marijuana use and heroin use, according to Robert L. DuPont, the president of the Institute for Behavior and Health and the first director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"Marijuana use is positively correlated with alcohol use and cigarette use, as well as illegal drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine. This does not mean that everyone who uses marijuana will transition to using heroin or other drugs, but it does mean that people who use marijuana also consume more, not less, legal and illegal drugs than do people who do not use marijuana," DuPont wrote in 2016 article for the New York Times.

"People who are addicted to marijuana are three times more likely to be addicted to heroin. The legalization of marijuana increases availability of the drug and acceptability of its use. This is bad for public health and safety not only because marijuana use increases the risk of heroin use," DuPont says.

See also:

Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end policy that let legal pot flourish

Marijuana investors skittish after Sessions' shot at pot

Stocks related to marijuana fell after news broke that Attorney General Jeff Sessions plans a major policy shift
South Korean trade negotiators are expected to be on the defensive as they meet with their U.S. counterparts on Friday to renegotiate a bilateral free trade agreement.

President Donald Trump's administration is looking to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with Seoul, which stood at $3.5 billion in the third quarter, according to U.S. data. South Korea, on the other hand, is worried about the political ramifications of folding to Washington's demands.

It's imperative that the outcome of renegotiation works in the national interest of each country, said Wendy Cutler, a former acting deputy United States Trade Representative who was the chief U.S. negotiator for the deal, known as "Korus."

The White House, she told CNBC, "should not only focus on what it wants, but also see what it can do for Korea because for a negotiation to be successful, both countries need to win."

Trump threatened last year to scrap the seven-year-old accord unless it were revised, but South Korean President Moon Jae-In was initially opposed to changes. Analysts say he changed his mind to avoid destabilizing the bilateral relationship as both countries work together on reigning in North Korea. Washington and Seoul, alongside Tokyo, play critical roles in containing Pyongyang's nuclear and missile program so strained ties between any of the three nations could disrupt international efforts in containing the rogue state.
Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:

Sears Holdings  The company announced Thursday it is closing 64 Kmart stores and 39 Sears establishments. Sears said the shutdowns are expected to start between early March and April.

Constellation Brands  The beer maker reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings. The company also raised its earnings-per-share guidance for fiscal 2018.

Xilinx  Goldman Sachs upgraded the semiconductor's stock to "buy" from "neutral," noting signs of an improving demand outlook for its communications business. The analysts also raised their price target on the stock to $78 from $72.

Cal-Maine Foods  Cal-Maine Foods reported adjusted earnings and revenue that surpassed Reuters estimates. The stock fell more than 4 percent in the premarket, however, after the company said it will not pay a dividend for the first two quarters of fiscal 2018.

Sonic  The fast-food restaurant's shares jumped 4 percent before the bell after the company reported quarterly earnings that surpassed analysts' expectations. Sonic also expects fiscal 2018 earnings to grow between 5 percent and 10 percent.

Wingstop  Wingstop shares were downgraded to "neutral" from "outperform" at Wedbush Securities. The analysts said in a note they believe 2018 expectations for the company "could prove overly optimistic."

Tyson Foods  Analysts at Piper Jaffray initiated coverage of Tyson Foods with an "overweight" rating and a price target of $94 per share. In a note, analysts cited management's strategy to focus on "growing more value-added products to expand margins and reduce volatility."

Target , Lowe's  Shares of both retailers were upgraded at Barclays, with analysts citing a stimulus to retailers from the recent tax code overhaul and "improved flexibility to make necessary investments without negatively impacting EPS results."

Apple  Apple Music executive Jimmy Iovine could leave the company in August, Billboard reported, citing sources. Billboard said his departure is likely timed to his Apple shares fully vesting.
Colorless and odorless, hydrogen is an energy carrier. Indeed, hydrogen can both "store and deliver usable energy," according to the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

The DOE adds that hydrogen does not usually "exist by itself in nature" and needs to be produced from compounds which contain it.



A number of sources  from fossil fuels and solar to geothermal  can produce hydrogen using a range of methods. These include biological processes, thermochemical processes and electrolytic processes, the DOE says.

When it comes to hydrogen, one of the big challenges is producing it from renewable sources. "Right now, most hydrogen is made from fossil fuels," Bruce Logan, from Pennsylvania State University, told CNBC's "Sustainable Energy".



"What we're doing is taking primarily natural gas, making that hydrogen and then using that hydrogen," Logan added. "So we have benefits from using the hydrogen but it still relies upon fossil fuels."



While it may rely on fossil fuels at the moment, hydrogen has a lot going for it from an environmental perspective. The European Commission, for example, has described it as an energy carrier with "great potential for clean, efficient power in stationary, portable and transport applications."



Penn State's Bruce Logan was equally optimistic. "If we start with water, and we electrolyse water and  use some renewable energy source to do that, then we can use the hydrogen and  end up with water when we're done," he said. "It's a water to water cycle and we don't need to burn all that air like we do when we burn a fossil fuel," he added.

The notion of "green hydrogen" is an intriguing one, but what exactly is it?

"It's hydrogen stemming from green sources," Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, secretary general of Hydrogen Europe, told "Sustainable Energy" earlier this year.

"So if you produce energy from wind or solar, turn it into electricity and then turn it into hydrogen, this is green hydrogen," he added.

The applications of hydrogen could be transformative. The DOE says that a fuel cell  which turns the chemical energy in hydrogen into electricity  combined with an electric motor is "two to three times more efficient" than an internal combustion engine which runs on gasoline.



Hydrogen is already being used in vehicles around the world. To give just one example, a fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses is currently in operation in the Scottish city of Aberdeen.



The project means that 10 hydrogen buses are ferrying residents around the city's streets as authorities look to reduce city center emissions and boost air quality.

"They're a very good fit for us because we have, like many other cities  air quality issues," Barney Crockett, the Lord Provost of Aberdeen, told CNBC's "Sustainable Energy".
If one of your top goals for the year is to find a new job then you're not alone.

Last year, career resource site Monster found January to be one of the busiest job searching months, with January 4 being the busiest day of the year among people looking for new career opportunities.

To help job seekers narrow down their search, job search platform ZipRecruiter used data around job availability, industry diversity, unemployment and earnings to compile a list of the top job markets in 2018.

Take a look below to see what cities you should consider during your job hunt this year.
gpointstudio | Getty Images

A new year means it's time to comply with new resolutions for many people. Most often, that means targeting health and wellness. A Google search analysis conducted last January showed that getting healthy was the most popular resolution, with more than 62 million searches, almost double the second-most-searched New Year's resolution: getting organized. The ubiquity of smartphones in daily life makes it easier than ever to make a resolution related to health  sticking to it is something else. App tracker App Annie provided CNBC with data on the most popular free versions of health and wellness apps from 2017 based on both the Apple and Android app-store downloads. The data was through Dec. 28, 2017. As technology giants such as Apple, Amazon and Google get serious about remaking the health-care sector, these results show how Americans are using their phones to take more control of their health, and the specific health issues that are proving to be most app-friendly.

Fitbit is still No. 1, even if its stock price doesn't show it

Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate & Fitness Wristband. Source: Amazon

Fitbit 's stock may be a dog  down roughly 20 percent in 2017 and now valued at about one-fifth of its post-IPO trading debut in 2015  but the fitness-tracking device's app remains No. 1 in the health category among free downloads. And it's collected a lot of data  by its own count, 90 billion hours of heart-rate data, 85 trillion steps, 5.4 billion nights of sleep and 167 billion minutes of exercise. In its most recent results for the third quarter 2017, Fitbit reported sales of 3.6 million devices. While that level of device sales explains why it remains No. 1 on both Apple and Android app stores, its sales numbers have trended down in recent years, which explains the stock price. While the amount of data that can be collected is impressive  and will help medical researchers, including at the National Institutes of Health  a few prominent early studies investigating how much fitness trackers improve the health of users haven't provided glowing results. Fitbit's latest product, the Ionic smartwatch that doubles as fitness tracker, faces the daunting task of beating out the Apple Watch. Amazon has been running a discount on the FitBit Ionic this week, timed to new health resolutions.

My Fitness Pal

Source: Google Play

Under Armour 's My Fitness Pal  which the sports apparel company bought in 2015 for $475 million  is No. 2 among free apps and UA touts a registered user base of 225 million-plus for this app plus others in its fitness app ecosystem, such as MapMyRun. The app allows users to count their calories for free. It includes more than 5 million foods in its database, considered the app world's largest, to help just about anyone track just about anything that they are eating, in calories. Users can complete other tasks related to weight loss, such as keeping a dieting journal and compiling healthy recipes.

Calm

Calm Calm

Being named "App of the Year" by Apple helped this meditation and mindfulness app created by British tech entrepreneurs Michael Acton-Smith and Alex Tew reach No. 3 among free downloads. It was downloaded at a rate of up to 30,000 per day in 2017. The Calm app includes a Sleep Stories function, which offers users the opportunity to nod off to the voice of actor Stephen Fry. Acton Smith was previously known for the tech firm Mind Candy and the gaming success Moshi Monsters, which at one point half of all British children were playing, though that business has struggled more recently. Calm's success  investors thought it was "weird," according to Acton Smith when it debuted in 2012  comes amid a boom in meditation and sleep practices at companies including Salesforce and Arianna Huffington's Thrive Global, as Silicon Valley and corporate America now see these lifestyle choices as keys to productivity. Walmart's Jet online shopping business launched a Wellness Shop this week. While the Calm app is free, the company offers a premium subscription, and the app also is affiliated with other products, including a Calm book and Calm Sleep Mist.

Flo Period and Ovulation Tracker

The Flo app makes accurate and reliable predictions of menstruation and ovulation using machine learning (AI). Flo Period & Ovulation Tracker

The promise of artificial intelligence includes looking at many existing health-care issues in new ways. This app makes predictions of menstruation and ovulation using machine learning. The app is more than just a monthly countdown tool, though. It can be used for contraceptives and other pill planning; to track cycles and symptoms over time; integrate menstruation with lifestyle  sleep, hydration and exercise; and of course, help women trying to conceive. Flo Period may be among the most popular, at No. 4 in 2017, but it's far from the only app in this niche  the paid version of competing app Period Tracker is among the five most popular paid health downloads, according to App Annie. And there are also devices on the market specifically designed to work with apps for uses including fertility. The fertility business overall has boomed and is now valued in the billions of dollars and growing.

Headspace

Five hundred people gather for a mass meditation led by Andy Puddicombe, Co founder of HEADspace. Getty Images
Steve Bannon speaks before introducing Republican Senatorial candidate Roy Moore during a campaign event at Oak Hollow Farm on December 5, 2017 in Fairhope, Alabama.

Steve Bannon's fiery comments about President Donald Trump in a soon-to-be-published White House expose could impact Republican performance in the 2018 midterm elections, according to analysts.

Trump lashed out at Bannon on Wednesday, saying his former campaign strategist had "lost his mind," in response to Bannon's scathing criticism of his family published in Michael Wolff's forthcoming book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House." Part of Bannon's broadside was the accusation that Donald Trump Jr.'s 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer in Trump Tower was "treasonous", among other claims.

"Divisions with Bannon could result in the Republicans losing support in the midterms with Bannon promising to run hard-right independent candidates in as many districts as possible in the House elections," Derek Halpenny, head global markets analyst at MUFG, said in an email note. "It could split some of Trump's support."

Polls already suggest that Democrats could feasibly win the 25 seats needed to regain control of the House of Representatives.

"Many of them (Republicans) are running scared at this point, a lot of them have decided not to actually stand for election," Peter Trubowitz, director of the United States Center at the London School of Economics, told CNBC on Friday.

"They sense that there's a Democratic wave coming. And for Republicans, the move toward the center guarantees getting primaried by a Republican challenger, a Breitbart type or so forth."
U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to open nearly all federal waters to offshore drilling has fired up many Democrats and could very well backfire in upcoming congressional elections, according to an expert.

"This just juices up the Democratic base," Peter Trubowitz, professor of international relations and director of the United States Center at the London School of Economics, told CNBC on Friday.

Trump's plan, presented by the Department of the Interior in a draft proposal on Thursday, would offer offshore blocks to oil and gas drillers in practically the entire U.S. outer continental shelf, opening the door to drilling in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The drilling proposal has triggered significant opposition from Democratic leaders and environmentalists in particular, but has garnered Republican criticism as well.

Governor Rick Scott of Florida and Larry Hogan of Maryland, both Republicans, have urged Trump to remove their states from consideration. Hogan vowed to oppose the plan "to the fullest extent that is legally possible."

Additionally, more than 60 environmental groups have denounced the plan. Many industry groups, meanwhile, are praising the decision.
President Donald Trump's pick to head the nation's Indian Health Service was hit by a bombshell report Friday that suggested he misrepresented his prior work experience to a Senate committee.

And a senator on that committee said later Friday that the story about Trump nominee Robert Weaver has raised "very serious concerns" that he now wants answers to.

The Wall Street Journal quoted multiple former workers at what was once known as St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Missouri, who called into question Weaver's claims to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee that he had worked in supervisory and management positions at that hospital.

Weaver, 39, worked at St. John's from 1997 to 2006, according to his resume. His nomination to run the federal agency that provides health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives is pending before the Senate.

"I don't recall that name whatsoever," Augusto Noronha, the hospital's chief financial officer from 1999 through 2005, told the Journal when asked about Weaver.

A former controller of the hospital told the newspaper, "I've never heard that name before."

Another executive said he remembered "a subordinate named Rob Weaver who registered E.R. patients, gathered insurance information and collected copays, and who eventually supervised a few other patient-registration workers," according to the Journal.

Weaver, who is a member of the Quapaw tribe of Oklahoma, did not return a call seeking comment from CNBC made to one of his companies, RWI Benefits in Oklahoma.

The Journal reported that Weaver told the paper that all questions about his resume should be put to the federal Health and Human Services Department, which oversees the Indian Health Service.

But Weaver also said, "There's a lot more to this story than what you are apparently being told."

An HHS spokeswoman told the Journal that "any suggestion Mr. Weaver is unqualified to run IHS is a pure act of character assassination."

Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., in an emailed statement sent to CNBC after this story was published, said, "Mr. Weaver's responses on the Committee's formal questionnaire, his answers to my questions in person, and the Wall Street Journal article raise a number of very serious concerns for me."

"After our meeting in December, I asked Mr. Weaver to respond in writing to a number of detailed follow-up questions," Udall said.

"I look forward to reviewing his answers to those questions, as well as the updates and corrections he pledged to make on the materials he originally submitted to the Committee, when I receive them."

HHS, in response to a request for comment from CNBC, forwarded an email written by St. John's former chief operating officer, Dottie Murphy, that had been sent to Weaver on Thursday.

Murphy's email said that she had worked at the hospital from 1987 to 2002. During the time she had worked with Weaver she had been director of the emergency department as well as vice president of patient care services, the email said.

"Mr. Weaver served in various leadership roles which were within my line of authority," Murphy wrote. "Mr. Weaver possessed great leadership skills and provided oversight for responsibilities including great communication, organizational skills, problem solving skills as well as the ability to work well with others. These skills served him well in his various roles which required oversight of many other team members."

"When Mr. Weaver started at our facility he was a young man who was only a year out of high school," Murphy wrote. "He rapidly became a person others respected and sought out for advice and help dealing with operational issues within the facility. In my time working with Rob Weaver, I was also impressed with his tenacity and willingness to take on new assignments and duties which he performed exceptionally well.

"I fully believe Mr. Weaver is qualified to lead Indian Health Services. I give him my full support," Murphy wrote.
watch now

The Trump administration made waves on Thursday by announcing it will open virtually all federal offshore waters to oil and gas drilling. But it's not yet certain whether drillers have much interest in dipping their toes into uncharted waters. New offshore drilling projects can take up to a decade to develop and cost billions of dollars. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is proposing the biggest ever lease sale at a time when oil prices remain in a range that makes new offshore developments a questionable prospect. The proposal puts 90 percent of the U.S. outer continental shelf on the block, including the Atlantic, Pacific and eastern Gulf of Mexico, areas where the government hasn't offered leases since the 1980s. In some cases, the seismic data on oil and gas reserves beneath the waters is 30 years old.

In the current commodity pricing environment, I don't see a lot of appetite on laying down new infrastructure. Imran Khan Wood Mackenzie

Those areas also lack the vast infrastructure that has emerged around the U.S. offshore drilling hub in the central Gulf of Mexico. "You have to put in a huge amount of infrastructure, and the return of investment on such infrastructure is not there. The price of oil is too low," said John McNabb, former chairman and CEO of Willbros, one of the largest energy infrastructure contractors in the world. At the same time, opportunities in U.S. onshore shale fields, where production can be started up and shut down quickly, is competing for drillers' dollars, said McNabb, who also served on Trump's council of corporate advisers. That kind of production is attractive in today's unpredictable oil market, where U.S. crude fell from more than $100 a barrel in 2014 to a low of $26 in 2016 before bouncing around the $40 to $60 range last year. U.S. outer continental shelf Even within the Gulf of Mexico, there is limited infrastructure in the western region, said Imran Khan, who leads Wood Mackenzie's commercial valuation team for oil and gas projects in the Gulf. In the eastern waters straddling Florida, much of which is under a drilling moratorium through 2022, little exploratory drilling has been done and much of the seismic data is old, he added. "In the current commodity pricing environment, I don't see a lot of appetite on laying down new infrastructure," he told CNBC. There are significant reserves of oil and gas in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, but current measures of technically recoverable resources in the Gulf of Mexico are far larger, according to figures from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the arm of the Interior Department that oversees leasing in the U.S. outer continental shelf.

Offshore drillers also depend on an onshore supply chain of equipment fabricators and service companies, said Wood Mackenzie senior research analyst William Turner. Shipping construction materials from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Atlantic waters could be a time-consuming and expensive prospect for drillers. "These vessels don't move very fast, so you want to have the onshore construction facilities close to your region," he said. Establishing that infrastructure along the East and West coasts could prove challenging. Politicians up and down both coasts have come out in opposition to the plan. @FLGovScott: Governor Scott's Statement on Trump Administration's Plan on Offshore Oil Drilling @SenatorCollins: I continue to oppose efforts to open Maine's coast to drilling, which poses significant risk to marine and coastal resources, our economy, and our way of life. I oppose the Department of the Interior's draft plan. @GovPressOffice: Pacific Coast Governors Condemn Federal Decision to Expand Offshore Drilling States control the first thee miles of shallow water, and the federal government has jurisdiction beyond that, explains Grady Hurley, an oilfield and maritime attorney at law firm Jones Walker. Within state waters and lands, the state regulates industry and commerce. "The state can make it difficult to provide the support services in order to maintain production and also to gain production," he said. "For the most part, companies don't want to operate where they're not welcomed and where there's other opportunities." That's why it's crucial for the industry to start a dialogue with coastal politicians and communities to highlight it's safety record, says Hurley. Drillers and oilfield services companies are certainly glad for the opportunity the Trump administration is giving them, but it's not yet certain what they'll make of it, Hurley said. "It doesn't mean that because the East Coast is opened up or there's potential in California, it's going to be a gold rush," he said. "It just doesn't work that way in the industry."
Visa ended its relationship with a large cryptocurrency card provider on Friday, causing thousands of people's transactions to be declined and scrambling to figure out how to access their money.

The card provider, WaveCrest, confirmed in an email to CNBC that it was required "to immediately close all Visa cards."

"As a licensed E-Money Institution, WaveCrest is required to safeguard funds to cover all of its issued electronic money and we can confirm that these funds are safe and available for redemption through other channels," the statement read.

Visa said in a statement that "it recently terminated a single prepaid card issuer in Europe from our network for violating Visa's operating regulations. That issuer, WaveCrest, was required to close its Visa card products, some of which were linked to cryptocurrency wallets."

Wavecrest provided its services to a number of crypto-card companies, including Bitwala, Cryptopay, Wirex and TenX. These companies convert people's cryptocurrencies into cash that is loaded on to a prepaid card, allowing people to use the currency for everyday transactions.

Now these cards are invalid.

Dmitry Lazarichev, co-founder of cryptocurrency card company Wirex, said he's received thousands of calls from frantic customers. He said his company has issued some 500,000 cryptocurrency debit cards to people across the world, although not in the United States.

"All the cards were shut down in one second," Lazarichev said, adding that WaveCrest hasn't been responsive. "We asked for more information, but they haven't provided any."

TenX, another cryptocurrency card company affected, tried to reassure users.

Tweet 2

Cardholders took to social media for answers.

Tweet 1

Alexander T., the man in the above tweet, who declined to give his last name, said he uses his cryptocurrency card to book hotels and pay for groceries. Thursday, he had been traveling from Spain to Switzerland, when he stopped in at a bar. His card was declined.

He's afraid he'll lose the money on his card.

"The problem is, I went on vacation," he said. "I put a lot of money on this card."

He also worries that this mainstream way of using bitcoin will vanish.

"For all people who use bitcoin for their day-to-day expenses, it was the only way to do that," he said.

"Our actions were not specific to cryptocurrency," Visa said in the statement, "but rather reflect the issuer's failure to comply with Visa's policies that ensure the safety and integrity of our payment system."

(Update: This story has been updated to include comment from Visa.)

More from Personal Finance:

Advisors: Here's what you need to know before investing in bitcoin

Bitcoin is too risky to treat as a 'serious' investment, financial advisers say

Start the new year with a financial plan
I have a specific problem I've been trying to solve, and I think I have the right pieces - I'm just putting them together incorrectly. It might be more of a math question than a coding one.



So basically what I want to be able to do is find where "now" is within an arbitrary recurring time period (say, 43 minutes), given a known DateTime that this period recurred. So you have an anchor point, and from that anchor point, you know that every 43 minutes this period starts over, where is "now" in the current period?



I'm sure it involves division and/or modulo, and likely a subtraction using the anchor...so I've been toying with this code, but it isn't giving me the results I'm looking for:



using System; public class Program { public static void Main() { TimeSpan interval = new TimeSpan( 0 , 43 , 0 ); DateTime anchor = new DateTime( 2018 , 1 , 5 , 7 , 0 , 49 ); DateTime now = DateTime.Now; TimeSpan left = new TimeSpan((now - anchor).Ticks % interval.Ticks); Console.WriteLine(left); } }



Can someone tell me the piece I'm missing here? I'm not entirely sure what mathematical operations DateTime supports, or which ones I should be using in this instance.



Thanks.







C# public static void Main() { TimeSpan interval = new TimeSpan( 0 , 43 , 0 ); DateTime anchor = new DateTime( 2018 , 1 , 5 , 7 , 0 , 49 ); TimeSpan left = new TimeSpan((DateTime.Now - anchor).Ticks % interval.Ticks); Console.WriteLine(left.toString); }

... but realize that you get no repeating value - you have to restart it again and again to see new values ...







Makes no sense to go "smaller" than your smallest sample rate.

"(I) am amazed to see myself here rather than there ... now rather than then".

 Blaise Pascal



suppose i have a order and order detail entity class in code. i want to fetch specific order data and its related order detail by EF.



can i use this LINQ query

C# IEnumerable<Order> order= _ctx.order .Include(x => x.orderdetails) .Where(x => x.OrderID== _OrderID).ToList();



does the above code works fine? also tell me how to achieve the same with join also?



how to fetch data for selected fields ?



also tell me if i need to show specific customer data and customer order and order details then how i need to compose my EF query? help me with code. thanks







C# var order = ( from o in _ctx.order join od in _ctx.orderdetails on o.OrderID equals od.OrderID where o.OrderID == _OrderID).ToList();



To select specific fields, you could either use an anonymous type object like this:



C# var order = _ctx.order .Include(x => x.orderdetails) .Where(x => x.OrderID== _OrderID) .Select(x => new { OrderID = x.OrderID, SomeColumn = x.SomeColumn1, SomeColumn2 = x.SomeColumn1 }).ToList();



Or use a strongly-typed object like this:



C# var order = _ctx.order .Include(x => x.orderdetails) .Where(x => x.OrderID== _OrderID) .Select(x => new OrderDetail { OrderID = x.OrderID, SomeColumn = x.SomeColumn1, SomeColumn2 = x.SomeColumn1 }).ToList();



Noticed that the Select clause now use the OrderDetail . The OrderDetail is just a class that holds the properties that you want to use in your query.



For more information and examples on EF, I would recommend you to head over to the official documentation here: Entity Framework | Microsoft Docs[^]



Hi I am trying to generate petapoco objects in .Net Core class library for MySQL, I have 3 files as

1) Database.tt

2) PetaPoco.Core.ttinclude

3) PetaPoco.Generator.ttinclude



I have changed connection string in Database.tt file, Whenever it trying to save, some error occurs which results in empty Database.cs file.



Here it displays error message like :



Running transformation: System.Runtime.Serialization.SerializationException: Type ' Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectSystem.VS.Implementation.Package.Automation.OAProject' in Assembly ' Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectSystem.VS.Implementation, Version=15.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a' is not marked as serializable.Server stack trace: at System.Runtime.Serialization.FormatterServices.InternalGetSerializableMembers(RuntimeType type) at System.Runtime.Serialization.FormatterServices.<>c__DisplayClass9_0.<GetSerializableMembers>b__0(MemberHolder _) at System.Collections.Concurrent.ConcurrentDictionary`2.GetOrAdd(TKey key, Func`2 valueFactory) at System.Runtime.Serialization.FormatterServices.GetSerializableMembers(Type type, StreamingContext context) at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.WriteObjectInfo.InitMemberInfo() at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.WriteObjectInfo.InitSerialize( Object obj, ISurrogateSelector surrogateSelector, StreamingContext context, SerObjectInfoInit serObjectInfoInit, IFormatterConverter converter, ObjectWriter objectWriter, SerializationBinder binder) at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.WriteObjectInfo.Serialize( Object obj, ISurrogateSelector surrogateSelector, StreamingContext context, SerObjectInfoInit serObjectInfoInit, IFormatterConverter converter, ObjectWriter objectWriter, SerializationBinder binder) at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.ObjectWriter.Serialize( Object graph, Header[] inHeaders, __BinaryWriter serWriter, Boolean fCheck) at System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.BinaryFormatter.Serialize(Stream serializationStream, Object graph, Header[] headers, Boolean fCheck) at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.CrossAppDomainSerializer.SerializeMessageParts(ArrayList argsToSerialize) at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.SmuggledMethodReturnMessage..ctor(IMethodReturnMessage mrm) at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.SmuggledMethodReturnMessage.SmuggleIfPossible(IMessage msg) at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.CrossAppDomainSink.DoDispatch(Byte[] reqStmBuff, SmuggledMethodCallMessage smuggledMcm, SmuggledMethodReturnMessage& smuggledMrm) at System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.CrossAppDomainSink.DoTransitionDispatchCallback(Object[] args)Exception rethrown at [0]: at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg) at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type) at EnvDTE._DTE.get_ActiveSolutionProjects() at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TextTemplating8FAECA0C56F72C74151CC9A5C0478EAD855803D5D537389B8623F8D6923181E8F8417EB61C3C9AA7CEE873C74FA7879A4EBD8DE5914CA1814842932C9121F4A5.GeneratedTextTransformation.GetCurrentProject() at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TextTemplating8FAECA0C56F72C74151CC9A5C0478EAD855803D5D537389B8623F8D6923181E8F8417EB61C3C9AA7CEE873C74FA7879A4EBD8DE5914CA1814842932C9121F4A5.GeneratedTextTransformation.GetConnectionString(String& connectionStringName, String& providerName) at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TextTemplating8FAECA0C56F72C74151CC9A5C0478EAD855803D5D537389B8623F8D6923181E8F8417EB61C3C9AA7CEE873C74FA7879A4EBD8DE5914CA1814842932C9121F4A5.GeneratedTextTransformation.InitConnectionString() at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TextTemplating8FAECA0C56F72C74151CC9A5C0478EAD855803D5D537389B8623F8D6923181E8F8417EB61C3C9AA7CEE873C74FA7879A4EBD8DE5914CA1814842932C9121F4A5.GeneratedTextTransformation.LoadTables() at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TextTemplating8FAECA0C56F72C74151CC9A5C0478EAD855803D5D537389B8623F8D6923181E8F8417EB61C3C9AA7CEE873C74FA7879A4EBD8DE5914CA1814842932C9121F4A5.GeneratedTextTransformation.TransformText()



Thanks in advance



^] ... I think you are more likely to get a response there.

 While I complain of being able to see only a shadow of the past, I may be insensitive to reality as it is now, since I'm not at a stage of development where I'm capable of seeing it.  Claude Levi-Strauss (Tristes Tropiques, 1955)



[^], the latest release for Petapoco for .NET Core was released last Sept. 2016 and .NET Core 2.0 was released mid of 2017. Perhaps you should try using .NET Core version 1.x instead.



Though, I would still recommend you to ask folks from Petapoco dedicated forums to confirm if it is already integrated to support .NET Core 2.0.



If you have a Class for example called Character and under character there are other things included like 1.name 2.three descriptive traits 3. personality traits 4.job title And 5. motivation



How is the code going to look like? or

I am required to put them in the main program?



please help! AND Thanks in advance





Never underestimate the power of human stupidity

RAH







To me your question suggests you are new to object-oriented programming ... nothing wrong with that ! Everybody here was "new" ... once



It's important you get a clear understanding of what the fundamental elements of .NET OOP are: Classes, Abstract Classes, Structs, Interfaces, Inheritance.



The best way to do this, imho, is to get a good book and study it carefully. Here are recommendations I have made that people have found useful:

[^], [^].



Some disciplined study ... and lots of experimentation ... will have a great value for you in the near future.

 While I complain of being able to see only a shadow of the past, I may be insensitive to reality as it is now, since I'm not at a stage of development where I'm capable of seeing it.  Claude Levi-Strauss (Tristes Tropiques, 1955)





What information is there that is "single use" and associated with one individual? What information is shared by multiple individuals? And what information is multiply associated with a single individual?



Think about cars for a moment.

"Your car" is a specific vehicle: it has a unique registration, VIN number. But it shares it's manufacturer with many other vehicles, it's model with a large number of those, it's colour with a range of vehicles from other manufacturers, and it has a number of optional features associated with that specific vehicle.



So you have "single use" info: registration, VIN, owner.

"shared" info: manufacturer, model, colour.

"multiple" info: reversing camera, GPS system, leather interior.



So a Car class would need to have a way to contain that:

public class Car { public string Registration { get ; set ; } public string VIN { get ; set ; } public Manufacturer Manufacturer { get ; set ; } public Model Model { get ; set ; } public Color Color { get ; set ; } public List<Option> Options { get ; set ; } } Your problem is the same thing: analyze the data you need to handle, and work out how you need to store it. With a bit of thinking, it should be pretty obvious what you need to do - so try it with several examples, and refine your model until it works with everything you can think of.

Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!



Hi,

i need help.

How to when select item from listview from Form1 and click button, to open it Form2 and focus that item to combobox.



Thank you in advance !







What's the point of switching forms if it's the same data? And the same "selected item"?

"(I) am amazed to see myself here rather than there ... now rather than then".

 Blaise Pascal





Witch code to get that select item form listview from Form1 switch to Form2 and focus in combobox.







1) Passing data between forms

2) And initializing a combobox.



And since all can be done in any number of ways, there is no easy answer.



For (1), it sounds like form1 creates form2, so pass the "selected name" to form2 in form2's constructor. Form1's "selection" is the .SelectedItem / item at .SelectedIndex in the listview.



In (2), initialize the combobox to the item with the "selected name" by locating it's index in the cb's itemsource; and set the .SelectedIndex to that.



(As I said, there are other ways; but you got to start somewhere).

"(I) am amazed to see myself here rather than there ... now rather than then".

 Blaise Pascal







This is database table:



CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Klijent] (

[klijentId] INT IDENTITY (1, 1) NOT NULL,

[naziv_klijenta] VARCHAR (50) NOT NULL,

[telefon] CHAR (15) NOT NULL,

PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED ([klijentId] ASC)

);



Code Form1:



private void buttonPrikazi_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)

{

PostojeciKorisnik korisnik = new PostojeciKorisnik();

korisnik.itemForm1 = listViewPregled.SelectedItem.ToString();

korisnik.Show();

}



Code Form2:



public string itemForm1;



public PostojeciKorisnik(string item)

{

InitializeComponent();

this.itemForm1 = item;

}



private void Window_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)

{

comboBoxKlijent.Items.Add(itemForm1);

}







The "selected item" depends on the "selected index".



if the selected index is not > -1, the selected item will be null. You need code to handle that.



Then you need to decide how you want to get the "name" to form 2.



You have a constructor, which you ignored; and set the property directyly instead. Works, but "why"?



Your combo box should already be loaded; you're just doing a "lookup"; and setting the selected index on the combo box.



Methinks you should have a better plan; a flow chart perhaps.

"(I) am amazed to see myself here rather than there ... now rather than then".

 Blaise Pascal







Try this Search

Never underestimate the power of human stupidity

RAH


The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
This name is seldom, if ever, on the lips of man in the street. So begins Max Beerbohms delightful essay on T. Fenning Dodworth.

The same might be said of Sir Henry Willink. Yesterday I lunched with two Conservatives somewhat younger than myself. Never heard of him, one of them said, and the other nodded.

Nor was Willink, who served in Churchills wartime coalition as Minister of Health from 1943-45, the kind of man to court publicity. A certain reticence is apparent even in his great, two-minute appearance on Pathe News in July 1944 (see above), shown again during the speech by Jeremy Hunt, the current Health Secretary, to the Conservative Party Conference last October.

In clipped, kindly and authoritative tones, Willink announces the formation of the National Health Service:

Whatever your income, if you want to use the service  and no one is going to try to make you, unless you want to  therell be no charge for treatment. The National Health Service will include family doctors whom you choose for yourselves, and who will attend you in your own homes when this is necessary. Itll cover any medicines you may need, specialist advice, and of course hospital treatment whatever the illness, special care for mothers and children, and a lot of other things besides.

Willink, Conservative MP for Croydon North, was explaining how the 1944 White Paper on Health would lead to the creation of the NHS.

Conservative, Labour and Liberal members of the Government had already agreed on the need, identified in the Beveridge Report in 1942, to provide health care for everyone free at the point of use, to replace the previous insurance system, which covered fewer than half of the working population.

As Churchill himself put it in March 1944, speaking as Prime Minister:

The discoveries of healing science must be the inheritance of all: that is clear. Disease must be attacked whether it occurs in the poorest or the richest man or woman, simply on the ground that it is the enemy: and it must be attacked in the same way that the fire brigade will give its full assistance to the humble cottage as readily as it will give it to the most important mansion Our policy is to create a national health service, in order to ensure that everybody in the country, irrespective of means, age, sex or occupation, shall have equal opportunities to benefit from the best and most up-to-date medical and allied services available.

It fell to Willink  described by Sheila Lawlor, Director of Politeia and an authority on the period, as one of the most intellectually able members of the coalition  to work out how to achieve this.

He set about the task in a spirit of consensus, telling Pathe News viewers:

Its not a cut and dried scheme. These proposals are for discussion in Parliament and we want them talked about by everyone concerned, and you, everyone in this audience, are very much concerned.

The nearer the scheme came to fruition, the more concerned the British Medical Association grew about the effect it would have on their members private practice. Willink made a number of concessions to the BMA, agreeing that doctors would not  as had originally been envisaged  be grouped as salaried employees into health centres under local authority control.

Yet the role of the Conservatives, under Churchills leadership, in the development of the NHS is today entirely forgotten, and so is Willinks contribution. If one attempts to set the record straight, the Left responds with insults and incredulity.

For in the foundation of the NHS, the mighty figure of Nye Bevan, appointed Minister of Health after Labours landslide victory in the general election of July 1945, blots everyone else out.

Since Bevan actually carried the legislation through Parliament, it would be ridiculous to seek to deny his role. All one would like to do (but probably cant) is to persuade people that he does not deserve to monopolise the credit for the building of the NHS, which was the fruit of a highly developed tradition of medicine, and of political work by many other hands too. As his biographer, John Campbell, observes:

Bevans one indelible claim on the notice of history is that he was the the founder of the National Health Service. This was probably  certainly by popular acclaim  the Attlee Governments greatest achievementand Bevan was the Minister who carried it through. That credit can never be taken away from him. At the same time it must be said that too much can be claimed for him, and in Labour mythology often is. As a result of subsequent events between 1948 and 1951, culminating in his resignation from the Government, Bevan and his most ardent disciples tended increasingly to represent the Health Service as his personal creation. This was both politically and psychologically understandable at a time when he seemed alone to be defending the pure principle of a free service against attack from all sides. Nevertheless it was a distortion of the long and cumulative process by which the Service came into existence in 1948 There can be no doubt that some form of National Health Service would have come into being after 1945 whoever had won the General Election.

Bevan faced the difficult question of how to combine the voluntary hospitals, supported by private endowments and local charity, with the municipal (often former Poor Law) hospitals run by local authorities.

Willink had drawn up a draft Bill which included complicated provisions to do this, and thereby to preserve a large measure of local autonomy for the voluntary hospitals, which enjoyed, in Campbells words, an immense fund of goodwill, particularly in the local Conservative Associations with whom they were often closely identified, and were also strongly supported by the doctors, who detested the idea of coming under local authority control.

Bevan instead decided on the bold stroke of nationalising all hospitals, voluntary and municipal. In the words of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,

This prompted Willink to move a hostile amendment when the National Health Service Bill was carried on second reading in the House of Commons in May 1946. His action, though based on the conviction that the development of hospital provision would be retarded, left the Conservatives open to the later charge that they were lukewarm about the National Health Service.

The NHS was not going to succeed without the support of the hospital consultants, so Bevan stuffed their mouths with gold and left them with a large measure of autonomy.

The BMA nevertheless denounced Bevan as a dictator. His opponents sounded so hysterical they played into his hands, and made him appear much more thoroughly socialist than he really was.

For like Willink before him, Bevan was forced to make concessions to the doctors, who, for example, could still look after private patients in pay beds within the nationalised hospitals.

The shrieks of the BMA, acting as a trade union bent on defending its members rights, during the long period leading up to the official start of the NHS on 5 July 1948, intensified the impression that the Conservatives were opposed in principle to the new service.

Bevan himself was capable of being tremendously abusive, and just as the NHS was launched, denounced the Tories as lower than vermin. His partisanship prompted many voters to think the Tories might not be so bad after all, but helped win him a lasting place in political history.

Willink had by then retired from the fray, in January 1948 resigning his parliamentary seat and becoming Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, in which post he remained until 1966, also for a time serving as Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge. He was a highly cultivated man, with no taste for vituperation, and neither the ability nor the desire to match Bevin as a political pugilist.

Nor could he impress on the wider public his partys devotion to the NHS. After 1945 he disliked combining Opposition duties with his legal practice, and his health began to suffer.

Born in Liverpool in 1894, he won a scholarship to Eton in the same year, 1906, as Harold Macmillan, with whom he formed a lasting friendship. Willink confirmed his academic ability by becoming a scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge, but joined up as soon as the First World War broke out and distinguished himself as a Gunner, being awarded the MC and Croix de Guerre, and mentioned in despatches.

In 1920 he was called to the Bar, in 1935 he took silk, and in 1940 he entered the Commons at a by-election. He was very soon put to work as a commissioner charged with rehousing people who had been bombed out in London, and from 1943 he served as Minister of Health.

He saw that the question, as Sheila Lawlor puts it, was not whether there was going to be an NHS, but whether this would be state controlled and run, or built on a nationally co-ordinated system of doctors and hospitals with professional freedom, and accountable to patients.

He and his party lost that argument, with consequences which continue to this day.

In 1957, Willink was created a baronet. His elder son, who became Sir Charles Willink, was a distinguished classicist who was a friend and contemporary of Douglas Hurd at Eton and at Trinity College, Cambridge, and later sprang to wider attention, at least among readers of The Times, by campaigning successfully for the reconstruction of an ancient Greek trireme.
In November a review was published for the Government by Sir Michael Barber. Rather than concerning himself with whether the 814 billion of public spending this year was too high or too low he considered how the best possible value could be achieved. Given that over 40 per cent of our money is taken from us to be spent by the state that is an important theme to pursue, although rather daunting in its scope.

Sir Michael included the following example of good practice:

Birmingham City Councils Step Down programme was launched in November 2014, with the purpose of increasing the stability of fostering. The service delivery is funded using a Social Impact Bond issued by Bridges Venture, a social capital investment fund which receives payment from Birmingham City Council if a placement remains stable after 52 weeks. The contract only pays the service provider once outcomes are achieved, rather than for the provision of services.

Birmingham City Council report 880,000 savings during the programmes first two years (verified by independent evaluation by Oxford University). Alongside these savings, 70 per cent of the placements made to date remain stable and the majority of participants feel more secure. Average school attendance was higher than a baseline of foster children in residential care, and reduced levels of self-harm alongside improved behaviour was also recorded.

Very encouraging. I hope other local authorities will look at ways to achieve a reduction in the number of children placed in institutional childrens homes (currently 7,890) rather than in the family environment of foster carers.

Just before Christmas the House of Commons Education Select Committee published a report about fostering which showed greater evidence of innovation in this area.

One example is that since last April the fostering and adoption services at Peterborough City Council have been run by The Adolescent and Childrens Trust (TACT), a national fostering and adoption charity, operating from the Councils offices.

The Committees report said:

Responsibility has not devolved from the authority, but TACT have provided them with new leadership, new training, new direction. Andy Elvin, Chief Executive of TACT, told us that the main benefit of this arrangement is that it allows a dedicated focus on the permanence services, as they do not have responsibility for child protection. He said that fostering services are often Cinderella services, not given the attention they need, as the primary focus for councils is child protection: Child protection is all-encompassing [  ] care may not be optimal, but it is rarely dangerous. Something that happens in a foster home is unlikely to cost you your job or cause a council member to resign. In child protection, all the risk is there.

It is believed that organising services in this way will reduce the councils reliance on more expensive independent fostering placements, enable improved recruitment and training of local foster carersMr Elvin claimed that TACT are going to increase recruitment in Peterborough by 1,500 per cent because we are good at recruiting in a way that local authorities are not  and allow them to offer improved services and support for their children and carers, with a department dedicated to foster pay and a 24/7 support service staffed by qualified social workers. Mr Elvin said that several other local authorities had held conversations with TACT, and that, subject to results in Peterborough, he would expect more to make the move to a similar model.

The Committee heard from Katy Willison, a Department of Education civil servant:

One of our innovation programme projects in Peterborough is trialling an approach where instead of just giving information that is used at court, which is often very negative and tells of the awful things that have happened in the childs life, that information is rewritten for foster carers. It talks about the strengths of the child and the opportunities that might be presented. That sets a placement off on a different foot, because it is not all about this terrible thing that happened.

Achieving for Children is a social enterprise company created by the Kingston upon Thames and Richmond upon Thames councils to provide their childrens services. Last August they were joined by Windsor and Maidenhead which became a co-owner and it now deliver childrens services across all three boroughs.

It says:

In 2012, childrens services in Kingston were inspected by Ofsted and rated as inadequate. Since taking over management of services in Kingston in 2014, we have transformed the quality of services. In August 2015, Kingston became one of the first areas in the country to jump two grades in one inspection, when Ofsted rated safeguarding and services for looked after children as good across all inspection categories.

There is also the Trust model. This is where the Government establishes a trust to take over the running of a failing Childrens Services Department. This has happened in Doncaster with the Doncaster Childrens Services Trust. The Committee heard that the clean break had detoxified the service and so assisted with recruitment.

Of course policy matters as well as good management. Often foster children move home more than twice a year. One reason that children are shunted around the care system is that children are frequently returned to their birth mother, then face further abuse or neglect and so are brought back into care  and a new foster carer The answer is to greatly increase the adoption rate and the Governments failure to achieve its worthy ambition in this regard is a hugely missed opportunity.

But even more modest changes could help. For instance Robert Goodwill, the Childrens Minister, told the Committee:

Delegated responsibility should be happening. My son had a friend at school who was in care and we were talking about a sleepover, and the foster carer said, Just forget about it. Its going to be too complicated. That powers been given to foster carers, to make decision on school trips, sleepovers and similar, but some local authorities are risk-averse and not delivering that. We need to improve in certain parts of the country in that regard.

The Adolescent and Childrens Trust said in its evidence:

There is a need to remove bureaucracy for long stable placements. Many of our young people in long term foster placements question why they must continue to have an allocated social worker and reviews held about them. They would like to have what they see as intrusion into their lives reduced to the minimum level possible. TACT believe that long term fostering placements should be afforded a regulatory regime closer to children on Special Guardianship Orders rather than fostering regulations.

That sounds proportionate.

So if having the fostering service well run is not the entire answer, it certainly helps. There was quite a bit of nervousness about privatisation although with the range of different solutions being tried it is a bit simplistic to use that label. The Government seems to be saying that what works is what matters  so if a charity or a not-for-profit company can do a better job than a local authority then they should be able to proceed. However, at the same time the Government says a profit making company should be ruled out on principle  whether it could do a better job or not.

Yet there is already a huge role for the private sector in fostering with the agencies employing foster carers. 40 per cent of fostering placements in England are covered by independent firms. One firm alone, the NFA Group, has 3,900 foster carer households looking after circa 4,450 children and young people. There is a widespread view that such agencies are expensive although in its evidence it says:

Often a local authority will compare against their allowance to the carer which is only one element of the total cost to the local authority. An Independent Fostering Agencies fee is a fully all-inclusive cost including return on investment, risk, carer and staff recruitment and training costs. In addition, IFAs participating in the framework tenders and contracts are required to provide monitoring and Quality Assurance information to LAs at a level and regularity that is rarely, if ever, also applied to any local authority in-house services.

They would say that, wouldnt they? Very well. So let us suppose that the agencies do charge an excessive amount. If a Council contracted the running of its fostering service to a company that could reduce the need to use these agencies would that not be welcome? There is some muddled thinking on this. Why is it sacrosanct for the management of the service not to be run for profit but fine for the council bureaucrats to run the show and hand over huge sums to agencies? If a council is doing a hopeless job at recruiting and retaining foster carers then inevitably it will end up using agencies.

There is plenty of success to celebrate in the changes being introduced to foster care. Both local and central government should be bold and open minded in allowing reforms to thrive. In-house management, combined local authority management, charities, social enterprises, trusts, not for profits, profit making companies none should be ruled out. There should not be some misguided ideological veto. The criteria should be ensuring the interests of the child are paramount.
Ashley Fox is an MEP for South West England, and is the leader of Britains Conservative MEPs.

It may be the start of a new year, but old, familiar issues face the European Union when it returns to work next week.

Two in particular are going to require decisions that will shape the future of the EU over the next decade and beyond. Both present a severe test of the blocs unity and its legendary ability to substitute inconclusive fudge for political consensus.

The first, of course, is Brexit. We are reaching the business end of negotiations when Member States economic self-interest begins to run up against the Commissions much-trumpeted united front. Britain is clear what it wants from the forthcoming talks  an implementation period during which the status quo is largely preserved followed by a comprehensive trade deal which, as David Davis spelled out last week, maintains as much as possible of the current economic co-operation with minimal new barriers. It should include goods, agriculture and services, including financial services.

The EUs problem is this makes just as much sense for the EU27 as it does for the UK. Understandably it must protect the integrity of the Single Market but in doing so it has to avoid any temptation to erect artificial barriers simply to make an example of Britain as a departing member. It needs to swallow hard and, for once, put people above politics.

This is possible if, for the purpose of the trade talks, Brussels treats the UK as if it were already a third country and imagines that one of the worlds largest economies has come seeking the most wide-ranging, mutually beneficial trade agreement ever negotiated. That is the reality and would enable EU negotiators to enter the discussions seeking solutions not obstructions.

Many European politicians I speak to support such an approach, and last month Paolo Gentiloni, the Italian Prime Minister, voiced publicly what other member states are saying behind closed doors when he called for a tailor-made model for the relationship between the UK and the EU. I am hopeful this view will prevail.

For the second issue we need to look east, where Poland and Hungary are asking awkward, fundamental questions about the EUs role.

Just before the holidays the European Commission took the unprecedented step of launching Article 7 rule of law procedures against Poland following Warsaws failure to address concerns about judicial reforms which, it is claimed, compromise the independence of the countrys courts. This could theoretically lead to a suspension of Polands voting rights, although in reality Hungary would almost certainly use its veto to block any sanction.

Meanwhile, Hungary has been taken to court by Brussels over its laws concerning NGOs and higher education, while both countries, along with the Czech Republic, face legal action over their refusal to admit asylum seekers.

Leaving aside the individual issues, at stake is the wider question of national sovereignty and how far an integrationist EU should go in imposing its views on Member States. Poland and Hungary are, quite rightly, determined to have their voices heard in Brussels with Mateusz Marawiecki, the new Polish Prime Minister, announcing they want to influence Europes future in a very positive way.

His Hungarian counterpart, Victor Orban, is more forthright, predicting a year of great battles with the EU and announcing this week: We dont want to live in an empire but rather in an alliance of free nations.

How many warnings does the EUs detached elite need about imposing its views and values on countries with varying cultures, histories and attitudes? Has nothing been learned from Brexit?

The Commission should think twice, then think again, before attempting to intervene in the domestic affairs of Member States and run the risk of inflaming, rather than resolving, differences. A failure to do so will leave other countries wondering whether they might be the Commissions next target.

In the case of Poland, President Juncker ought to take the opportunity to build relationships with the new Prime Minister, not provoke confrontation. The rising popularity of Marawieckis government shows that the Polish people do not appreciate Brussels interference.

So, another interesting year ahead in Brussels. And I have not even touched upon how the EU is going to plug the budget deficit left by Britains departure.

Happy 2018.
ConservativeHome can reveal today that Labour MPs have out-tweeted Conservative MPs every single day since the 2017 General Election, despite the widespread discussion in Conservative circles of the need for Tories to regain the front foot on social media.

My analysis of data compiled from the website MPsOnTwitter shows that Labour MPs posted more times on Twitter than Conservative MPs on every one of the 202 days from 15th June 2017 (the earliest full day post-election for which data was available) to 3rd January 2018.

In total during that period, Conservative MPs posted 44,017 tweets while their Labour opponents posted 89,085 times  more than twice as much. The average day saw 218 tweets from Tory MPs, compared to 441 tweets from members of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

In the full context of tweets posted by Members of Parliament of all parties, the picture looks no better. As a daily average, 28 per cent of tweets posted by MPs came from Conservatives, and almost 58 per cent from Labour.

The contrast is even more stark when one considers that there are, of course, 57 more Conservative MPs than Labour MPs, so the Parliamentary Conservative Party really ought to have a natural head start. But altogether, Conservative MPs rarely manage to post the daily equivalent of one tweet per MP: only 23 times since 15th June have Tory MPs posted more than 316 tweets in a single day. By comparison, in the same period Labour MPs routinely posted the daily equivalent of more than one tweet per Labour MP: there were only 20 days on which Labour MPs posted fewer than 259 tweets in total .

The lower proportion of Conservative MPs who are on Twitter  79 per cent, compared to Labours 92 per cent  is a contributing factor to this deficit. But it does not explain it entirely; those percentages conceal that each party has very similar numbers of MPs on the social platform: 249 Conservative, and 242 Labour. So the depressing fact is that Conservative MPs are simply less active tweeters than their Labour opponents.

Some possible explanations present themselves. Perhaps age is a reason for fewer Tory MPs tweeting, or for their lower activity rate on the site? This excuse is based on an outdated stereotype  the average age of Conservative MPs is now lower than that of Labour MPs. For those who are of an older vintage, MPs like Nicholas Soames have taken to Twitter with aplomb, and there are plenty of active tweeters from every generation, so theres no age bar to understanding how it works, or doing it well.

Might the fact that the Conservatives are in government be a limiting factor? The strictures of departmental communication policies could, it is argued, prevent ministers from tweeting easily. That might be so to a degree, but it has not prevented Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove or David Gauke, for example, from engaging in active debate on Twitter recently. And the communications policies governing ministers can be changed by the government itself  if they are restricting ministers ability to communicate about their work, then they ought to be altered.

Perhaps Tory MPs have simply got sick of being bombarded with relentlessly negative and often deeply unpleasant tweets by nutty Corbynites, and have slacked off or given up as a result. If so, that isnt good enough  we need to fight for our cause in every setting, not grant our opponents free run of a major platform by giving up when they turn nasty.

More persuasive is the caveat that the measure of Twitter success cannot purely be quantity of tweets. Thats self-evidently true; simply tweeting a lot does not guarantee that what an MP tweets is any good, or that the content is reaching the desired audience. Perhaps Conservative MPs feel that there are better things to do than to post on Twitter, ad that David Cameron had it right about what too many tweets make back in 2009.

They might well believe so  and it would be absurd to insist MPs just tweet all day to the detriment of other work (leave that to the journalists, please). But the fact that Labour, despite being fewer in number, appear to dominate the Parliamentary debate on Twitter does still matter.

Twitter isnt everything, but a lot of people do use it, and what is said there by politicians helps to drive the agenda of the mainstream print and broadcast media in particular. When bogus stories on issues like animal sentience grow unchallenged online and then burst out to reach the wider electorate, Conservatives are rightly concerned and reasonably ask why they werent nipped in the bud earlier. One answer is that too many Conservative MPs either arent there to take part in the debate at all, or are there and are insufficiently active and engaged.

Since the election weve all heard senior people publicly acknowledge that there needs to be a concerted effort to do better online generally. A growing number of Conservative MPs are doing social media more, and doing it well. But get back to parity, never mind to seize a lead, more of their colleagues need to join them.
CORNWALL, Ontario  Tommy Sauve, the City of Cornwalls Safety, Training and Operations Supervisor posted on Facebook at around 3:10 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4 that the City was investigating a potential gas leak on Fifth St.

UPDATE: 7:37pm: One lane of Fifth St. is now open. Crews continue to work on repairs.

UPDATE: Sauve has told Seaway News that the City of Cornwall, Cornwall Fire Services and Union Gas all confirmed that there was a gas leak in the sewer under Fifth St. Four homes were evacuated by Cornwall Fire Services. The leak was in the Union Gas line off of one of the homes. Union Gas has to dig up a part of the boulevard to fix the problem and possibly part of one driveway. Sauve said that the evacuation was just a precaution and did not expect the work to repair the leak to take long. He estimated the work should be finished in about two hours, as of 4:32 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4.

Fifth St. was closed between Sydney St. and Pitt St.

We are working with Union Gas and the Cornwall Fire Department to investigate a potential gas leak, Sauve said in his post on the City of Cornwall, Ontario Facebook page.

This story will be updated as more details come in.
Mobility News

HP Recalling Batteries For 11 Laptop Models, Plans To Dispatch Technicians To Customer Sites

Kyle Alspach

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HP Inc. Thursday said it is recalling approximately 50,000 lithium-ion batteries for 11 laptop models due to a potential for the batteries to overheat and catch fire.

The batteries in question are embedded in the PCs and are not easily removable. As a result, HP is planning to send technicians to customer sites to replace the affected batteries at no charge.

[Related: HP Expands Its Notebook Battery Recall Due To Overheating Risk]

According to Mike Nash, HP's vice president of customer experience for personal systems, 0.1 percent of HP's PCs sold between December 2015 and December 2017 are affected by the recall.

"Because these are embedded batteries, customers will be guided to our website to learn and check if their battery is affected, and therefore should be replaced," Nash told CRN.

For customers with affected systems, "a battery will be promptly shipped to the customer, and HP will send a service technician on site to replace the battery," he said.

Users will also be directed to install a BIOS update that will deplete the battery down to a safe level, and users will be able to continue using their PC connected to a power charger.

The affected PCs include commercial and consumer notebooks, as well as mobile workstations. The manufacturer of the affected batteries and the estimated total number of affected PCs are not being disclosed by HP.

Affected models are the HP Probook 64x (G2 and G3); HP ProBook 65x (G2 and G3); HP x360 310 G2; HP Envy m6; HP Pavilion x360; HP 11 notebook; and the HP ZBook (17 G3, 17 G4 and Studio G3) mobile workstations.

Nash said he expects that solution providers will arrange the battery replacements for customers in many cases.

"Solution providers can act on [customers'] behalf for sure," he said.

"As a partner we are always glad to see vendors be proactive on any issues in their products in the field," said Rick Jordan, director of sales and strategic aliances at Toronto-based Tenet Computer Group. "As an Authorized HP Service Centre here in Canada for HP, we are always here to support the cause to right the situation, not only for our clients but for HP Inc. as well."

HP is working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on the recall. HP has received a total of eight reports of batteries that overheated, melted or charred, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. There had been one report of an injury -- a first-degree burn to the hand -- and about $4,500 in propery damage.

A year ago, HP for several models to cover 101,000 batteries, up from 41,000 batteries that were recalled in June 2016. In that situation, which covered PCs sold between 2013 and 2016, replacement batteries were provided to customers.

Trends in laptop design have gravitated toward embedded batteries in recent years, however. This is the first HP recall for embedded batteries, Nash said.

Visit HP's website for the recall program here.
With a 35-knot wind and strong Hudson River current, Captain Ubaldo Armellino was in control of a full bridge team docking the Seven Seas Navigator at Pier 88 in Manhattan on an October Monday with two tugboats on standby.

I treat every maneuver as if it was my first. All ports and situations should be seen as challenging, he told Cruise Industry News. As a captain, you need to respect the ship and the sea, and you need to be careful at all times.

Safety. Safety of the ship, safety of the guests and crew, Armellino said of his priorities as captain. After that, we try our best to be on time.

That helps play into Regents near all-inclusive tour program.

Armellino credited Regent with their ability to keep the Navigator in top shape, spending generously on drydocks and ongoing maintenance

The guests love the Navigator. Its not a big ship, its not small either, its medium sized. Our repeaters love it, he said.

Armellino said that as the required speed of an itinerary leg drops as they pick up distance, he likes to turn off engines to help conserve fuel.

On crossings, he explained that it is best to think days ahead, and go quickly early in the route if conditions permit.

Like most ships, the management structure aboard the Navigator is split into three departments. The general manager heads up the hotel side of the vessel; the chief engineer looks after the engines and propulsion, and the staff captain is in charge of the deck department, while all three report directly to the captain.

The bridge team consists of a navigator, co-navigator, operational director, administrator, quartermaster, lookout and pilot during more tense times. That bridge team is also a mini United Nations with officers hailing from Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Croatia and the Ukraine.

Armellino followed in the footsteps of his father, who was a chief engineer aboard the Achille Lauro.

I started to love his job spending summers with him. For me, it was too hot in his working area. There was no engine control room then. I was always telling him One day I want to be captain,  Armellino recalled.

So Armellino made it happen, first going to sea in 1983, fresh out of school aboard a tanker as deck cadet.

He moved up the ranks, serving on all forms of commercial ships, and made the move to the cruise world in 1999 with Radisson aboard the Navigator as a second officer.

In 2011, Armellino was named captain on the Navigator.

Compared to his first ship, Armellino said the role of captain is completely different.

Before, as a cadet you could not speak to the captain. No way, he said. I was speaking with the chief navigator. Now its completely different. The cadets can talk to me and share with me. Its much better."

Excerpt from Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine: Winter 2017/2018
Bahrain started 2018 with a double call day on January 3, with two ships in port from MSC Cruises and AIDA Cruises, with more than 5,600 passengers.

We are happy to welcome the first two cruise ships for 2018 and are committed to providing all the facilities necessary to ensure their safe arrival into the Kingdom. We look forward to receiving more cruise ships over the next few months. This comes as part of the BTEAs focus to revitalize the tourism sector which will further contribute towards the national economy, said the Chief Executive Officer of BTEA, H.E. Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, in a prepared statement.

Bahrain is expected to report a 33 call season with 80,000 visitors, he noted.
Network engineer Jose Arellano concedes that the hardest part of my day is keeping the network safe for 12,700 students, 1,900 staff and more than 10,000 connected devices at West Aurora School District 129 in Illinois. The two-person security team once focused primarily on getting the network running as securely and efficiently as possible for teachers and students. We always focused on what was inside, with the schools limited resources and budget, Arellano says.

When a DDoS attack took down the districts network for more than six weeks, however, they struggled to identify the problem. Now hes had to shift his focus from prevention-only approaches to detection and response. It is an incredibly difficult job, he says.

Arellanos frustration is shared by a growing number of security professionals, and that's partly due to the number of reported vulnerabilities each year. Threat intelligence firm Risk Based Security logged nearly 5,000 new vulnerability disclosures in the first quarter of 2020 alone. It's hard for stretched security teams to evaluate the risk those vulnerabilities pose.

Nearly all the respondents to the Dimensional Research 2020 State of SecOps and Automation survey reported that high alert volumes created problems for security teams; 83% said their teams experienced alert fatique. Most companies with more than 10,000 employees receive more than 1,000 alerts per day.

The WannaCry ransomware attack marked a rise in global assaults involving malware, ransomware, phishing schemes and various strikes by bad actors  and most are indiscriminate about their targets. Many organizations, regardless of size, receive tens of thousands of security alerts from their monitoring systems every day. Some 37% of banks, for example, receive more than 200,000 security alerts a day about possible attacks, according to research firm Ovum.

The onslaught of attacks only adds to the pain points for security teams. Not only do organizations have to sift through data and prioritize responses to thousands of alerts, but taking action requires hands-on investigating by cyber professionals who are already in short supply. Eighty-one percent of respondents to a survey conducted by Oxford Economics on behalf of ServiceNow said they were concerned about detected security breaches going unaddressed.

A slew of new automated detection and incident response technologies are popping up to provide some relief, but many companies are still averse to security automation, says Joseph Blankenship, senior analyst serving security and risk professionals at Forrester Research. In the past, [automation] has caused us problems, Blankenship says. Weve stopped legitimate traffic, caused outages. Theres a lot of issues with taking automated action without necessarily having somebody look at the action and verify it.

Now there might be some renewed optimism. Not until recently have we opened up APIs where weve got the ability to not only pull data out beyond just plain and simple log data, or to push an action back. Theres more sharing between platforms, and weve created this automation and orchestration layer thanks to APIs that allow a little more free-exchange of data, says Blankenship.

Orchestration and automation are potential solutions, says Jon Oltsik, senior principal analyst at ESG and founder of the firms cybersecurity service, but you really can only toe-dip into that. It wont solve all of your problems. Sometimes it means changing your processes, as well.

Companies that have used automation to deal with alert overload are seeing results, according to the Dimensional Research survey. While 34% of security teams with low levels of automation deal with most security alerts in a day, 65% report they resolve alerts in a day with automation. The majority of respondents (92%) said that automation was the best solution to deal with large volumes of alerts.

Organizations have a host of automated incident response solutions to choose from, and one size certainly does not fit all. Three organizations share their own cybersecurity challenges and response strategies.

Managing the deluge of security data

At managed care services provider CareWorks, the security data being gathered by its security tools at 88 U.S. and six international locations was proving to be too voluminous to handle, even if we had the right staffing level in IT, says Bart Murphy, CIO and CTO. You have to do more with less.

Murphy started looking for ways to gather all the data from its vulnerability scanner, security analytics software and endpoint solutions, and then automate at least some of the workflow.

CareWorks already used ServiceNows platform-as-a-service to automate enterprise IT operations. So in March 2017, the company added the vendors security operations module. While still in the early days of adoption, the company has already integrated tools like Symantec, Nessus, LogRythm and Tanium to identify workflows that we can automate. Well eventually leverage orchestration to actually [respond to threats] by itself and report back, Murphy says.

Today, the SecOps module tracks all the activity associated with a potential or real security incidents without having to manually go through myriad logs. Its too early to tell how much time and manpower will be saved down the road. Right now, Murphys goal is to ensure that were as protected and preventative as possible for things that we know, but it will take time to build confidence in security automation, he says.

There is a level of validation that has to occur over time to get comfortable with that automation, he says. I dont have unrealistic expectations about how much should be automated over a six to 12-month period. Id rather have 10 really thought-out and tested automated [processes] than have 100 that werent. Make sure the team understands the goal and doesnt automate for automations sake.

Fewer security tools are better than more

When it comes to cybersecurity, Finning International CISO Suzie Smibert is all about simplification. In terms of cyber response technology, there are too many vendors today, says Smibert, who is also global director enterprise architecture at the Vancouver-based firm, the worlds largest supplier of Caterpillar products and support services.

Finning receives tens of thousands of security alerts daily, made even more complicated with servers and a network covering three geographies and more than 13,000 employees across the globe who each carry more than one connected device. Adding more security tools doesnt increase your security. It might make it worse because managing that complex environment where you have 100 different security widgets could introduce a false sense of security, Smibert says. Whats more, If you have 10 devices doing only one function in cybersecurity, then you have 10 times the training and expense.

Smibert chose only a handful of multi-function security tools to detect and respond to cyberattacks  a combined network, cloud and endpoint security platform that automates prevention against attacks, a cloud-delivered endpoint protection solution, and an analytics-driven SIEM. (She declined to identify these tools by name for fear of that shell receive a deluge of calls from competitors, she says.)

Her team can now decipher thousands of alerts daily and pull only those that require investigation  about 20 to 40 per day. Smibert says shes fortunate to have enough skilled security professionals to do the manual legwork, so she not rushing into more orchestration and automation.

Im not comfortable yet to automate the security of the data or the function of a system that is so critical to the organization, particularly legacy applications, she says, but that doesnt mean it wont happen. Some of these systems have not been designed for automation. If youve automated a false positive or created a chain reaction, that has a much more negative impact than a small and contained security incident.

Network traffic analytics make two feel like 200

K-12 schools are typically not as well staffed or budgeted for cybersecurity as private organizations. West Aurora School District 129 turned to incident response software to help fill the gaps.

A two-person IT team manages infrastructure at 18 schools in the district. At the start of the school year in August 2016, the districts wireless network crashed, and nobody  not even the districts ISP  could locate the source of the problem. We were a Cisco shop, [but] we lacked a lot of the features that would have been available through firmware updates (through Ciscos Smartnet service), so our network visibility was very minimal, Arellano recalls.

The ISP suggested that the school district might be a test bed for a major attack, and it scared us, he says. The problem lingered for six more weeks until Arellano installed incident response software that analyzes traffic and forensic data to find the root cause of disruptions.

Using Plixers network traffic analytics system, Scrutinizer, Arellano immediately saw the flood of DDoS alerts. Through packet captures, he noticed a lot of DNS responses were coming out of the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. This is how we identified what kind of attack it even was, he recalls. A DNS reflection attack allowed the hacker to spoof the schools address and request massive amounts of records from CPSC that were being sent. The next step was to stop it.

Arellano was able to narrow down incidents by now-visible time stamps and IP addresses, and pulled only the data that related to the incident. He zeroed in on a wired classroom on the second floor of one school. We noticed a student deleting old records. After we got the students ID, we dug up records and found he was using a web-stressing website, available online for about $10 a month, to launch the attacks. Since then, two other similar attacks have been prevented.

The 21st Century version of pulling a fire alarm is launching a DDoS attack, says Don Ringelestein, director of technology. We used to be a reactive environment, but now were more proactive. There are many occasions where I see problems coming up and am able to stop it before it becomes disruptive with incident response tools, he says.

Outside security service providers can help

Many organizations that feel outgunned and understaffed by cybersecurity threats are seeking help from service providers to do the automation and orchestration for them. By 2020, Gartner predicts that 15%t of midsize and enterprise organizations will be using services like managed detection and response, up from less than 1% in 2016.

Im a big believer in using service providers because these are once or twice a year incidents for many companies, says Pete Lindstrom, vice president of security strategies at IDC. The only way to get a sense for the nature of the risk is through service providers. We see this in Trustwave, FireEye and about two dozen other providers, he says.

5 machine learning technologies that help with security automation

According to a survey ESG conducted last fall, two thirds of organizations consider automation of security analytics and operations to be a priority, and 39 percent have already deployed machine learning technologies to help meet that challenge. Just what are these machine learning technologies?

1. Anomaly detection

One common use of machine learning technologies is for anomaly detection. If a company has a baseline set of data about network traffic or user behaviors, then machine learning can be used to spot incidents that fall outside the norms. For example, if an employee normally works during regular business hours and logs in from their work computer, then an after-hours login from a foreign country would be unusual  and potentially malicious.

Machine learning systems are typically trained on a historical data set, then look for anything new or unusual. The training needs to be refreshed regularly, since employees, networks, and other systems change over time. However, while an anomaly detection system might report unusual events, it won't tell you whether those events are signs of malicious activity.

2. Cluster analysis

Another common machine learning algorithm is cluster analysis. With a large set of user behavior data, for example, cluster analysis can determine that there's a group of employees who travel a lot and have certain other behaviors in common, and another group of employees who tend to work in one location.

The clustering algorithms can look at a much larger variety of factors and behaviors than a human can and update the clusters in real time. It still usually takes a human to look at the clusters or anomalies and determine what they mean: Is there a cluster of weird behaviors because the company going in a new direction, or is there something suspicious going on?

3. Classification

Given a big enough set of data that comes pre-divided into categories, machine learning can identify which category a new piece of data belongs to. For example, if there's a large collection of software that's already been divided into malware and legitimate applications, a machine learning system can tell whether a previously unseen app is malicious.
Update:

Please note, Microsoft has suspended Windows security updates related to this issue on systems with older AMD CPUs, after a documentation mix-up led to the systems being unable to boot after patches were applied.

Support forum posts are centered mostly on older Sempron and Athlon chips, the largest thread on the issue has more than 150 responses so far.

[ Learn everything you need to know about patching Windows for Spectre and Meltdown in our complete guide. | Get the latest from CSO by signing up for our newsletters. ]

"Microsoft has reports of customers with some AMD devices getting into an unbootable state after installing recent Windows operating system security updates," Microsoft said in an advisory.

In order to "prevent AMD customers from getting into an unbootable state," Microsoft said, OS giant has temporarily paused sending the following Windows updates to devices with impacted AMD processors:





January 3, 2018KB4056897 (Security-only update)

January 9, 2018KB4056894 (Monthly Rollup)

January 3, 2018KB4056888 (OS Build 10586.1356)

January 3, 2018KB4056892 (OS Build 16299.192)

January 3, 2018KB4056891 (OS Build 15063.850)

January 3, 2018KB4056890 (OS Build 14393.2007)

January 3, 2018KB4056898 (Security-only update)

January 3, 2018KB4056893 (OS Build 10240.17735)

January 9, 2018KB4056895 (Monthly Rollup)

What you need to know about Meltdown & Spectre:

As you've likely heard by now, there are some problems with Intel, AMD, and ARM processors. Called Meltdown and Spectre, the discovered attack possibilities are rather severe, as they impact pretty much every technical device on the network or in your house (PCs, laptops, tablets, phones, etc.).

Here's a breakdown of all the things you need to know. As things change, or new information becomes available, this article will be updated.

The key thing to remember is not to panic, as the sky isn't about to come crashing down. The situation is one that centers on information disclosure, not code execution (a far more damning issue to deal with).

While Meltdown and Spectre are serious, a majority of organizations (and users for that matter) will only need to apply patches as normal and follow their usual patching policies. There is a stronger sense of urgency if the organization is in a unique situation (e.g. cloud providers, government contractors, finance), but that's a case-by-case assessment.

What are Meltdown and Spectre?

Meltdown and Spectre are the names given to three different variants of possible side-channel attacks against processor design choices. Meltdown and Spectre are not bugs, all they're doing is abusing the normal function of Intel, AMD, and ARM processors.

Variants 1 and 2 (Spectre)  according to the researchers who discovered it  "breaks the isolation between different applications."

To put it another way, Spectre could be used by an attacker (unprivileged, logged-in to a system) to obtain information from the kernel. Or, a root user on a guest VM can obtain information from the host kernel. Thing is, the process is slow. According to Google, kernel memory can be read at rate of 1500 to 2000 bytes per second, so it's only possible to get about 130 to 173 MB of data daily.

Yet, what makes Spectre so risky is the harsh reality that programs following best practices when it comes to data safety checks "actually increase the attack surface and may make applications more susceptible to Spectre," the researchers note.

Variant 3 (Meltdown)  according to the researchers who discovered it  "breaks the most fundamental isolation between user applications and the operating system. This attack allows a program to access the memory, and thus also the secrets, of other programs and the operating system."

A solid technical overview has been provided by Google. Also, the researchers themselves published comprehensive papers on Spectre and Meltdown, which are available via their website.

The CERT Advisory is available as well, but ignore the advice to replace all of your hardware.

Variant 1: CVE-2017-5753 Variant 2: CVE-2017-5715 Variant 3: CVE-2017-5754

Who discovered Meltdown and Spectre?

Meltdown and Spectre were discovered by three groups independently. The name that will jump out instantly to most is Google, or Project Zero's Jann Horn.

After Google, Meltdown was discovered by Werner Haas and Thomas Prescher of Cyberus Technology; as well as Daniel Gruss, Moritz Lipp, Stefan Mangard, and Michael Schwarz at Graz University of Technology.

Spectre was discovered by Project Zero, and Paul Kocher in collaboration with Daniel Genkin (University of Pennsylvania and University of Maryland), Mike Hamburg (Rambus), Moritz Lipp (Graz University of Technology), and Yuval Yarom (University of Adelaide and Data61).

The researchers also acknowledge Anders Fogh for conversations during Black Hat USA and Europe in 2016, which ultimately led to the discovery of Meltdown.

How easy is this to exploit?

Meltdown is easy to exploit, and the researchers suggest that users running vulnerable processors avoid working with sensitive information until proper mitigations can be applied. Spectre is harder to exploit, but it's also harder to mitigate. As one researcher put it: "[Spectre] will haunt us for quite some time."

What is the scope of Spectre and Meltdown?

The researchers say that other than Intel Itanium and Intel Atom before 2013, every processor since 1995 is affected by Meltdown. The researchers tested Meltdown on Intel processors going back to 2011, and all of them were vulnerable. As things stand, it's still unclear if AMD and ARM processors are vulnerable to Meltdown.

Cloud providers using Intel CPUs and Zen PV without patches are vulnerable to Meltdown, as are providers without real hardware virtualization  relying on shared kernel or containers (Docker, LXC, OpenVZ).

Spectre on the other hand affects almost every system on the planet. As mentioned, the issue extends to desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and servers. This includes Intel, AMD, and ARM processors.

Will there be a recall of CPUs?

It's unlikely that there will be a recall as the issue isn't about improper design or development. Meltdown and Spectre are abusing normal and expected processor operations. However, Intel may be forced to do something, but only time will tell on that front.

Is there a fix?

Patches have been released, and for the most part some were available before Meltdown and Spectre were disclosed.

Microsoft is the big one, as there are some requirements. While Redmond has released patches for Windows and Windows Server, as well as Internet Explorer, Edge, and SQL Server they're only going to be served up if the antivirus on the system is updated as well and sets a necessary registry key.

Note: Microsoft has stated that unless this registry key is set, users of Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2016 not get the Meltdown / Spectre patches, as well as "any subsequent security updates."

So far (as of 04-JAN-2018), Avast, Kaspersky, ESET, Symantec, and F-Secure have updated to set the proper registry key. Sophos plans to push updates before the end of the week. McAfee says they're working on a fix, as are several others. Kevin Beaumont, a noted security expert, is keeping track of the antivirus vendors and their patch cycles.

AMD has stated that they're not vulnerable to Meltdown (Variant 3), and that when it comes to Spectre, there is "near zero risk of exploitation" of Variant 2, and Variant 1 is resolved by software and OS updates.

ARM released a whitepaper and technical details, identifying that they were vulnerable to Spectre (Variants 1 & 2), and only one processor was vulnerable to Meltdown (Variant 3). Future ARM processors will be resilient to attacks or allow mitigation though kernel patches.

NVIDIA said they believe their GPU hardware is immune to Meltdown and Spectre, however they are updating GPU drivers to help mitigate the CPU issue.

"As for our SoCs with ARM CPUs, we have analyzed them to determine which are affected and are preparing appropriate mitigations," the statement said.

Intel says they plan to have updates for released for "more than 90 percent of processor products introduced within the past five years." This is good news, but those with older systems seem to be out of luck, which could complicate things in the enterprise as far as legacy systems are concerned.

Mozilla said they were able to confirm browser-based techniques to obtain information, and are investigating the best ways to mitigate Spectre and Meltdown attacks on their browser. The full extent of such attacks remains under investigation. [Update: Firefox 57.0.4 was released on 04-JAN-2018. It contains mitigations for Spectre and Meltdown.]

Google Chrome will release fixes on or around January 23 in version 64, which will mitigate against browser-based attempts.

VMware has released a security advisory related to Meltdown and Spectre, informing customers that the remediation documented has been present in VMWare Cloud on AWS since December.

Xen also released an advisory, noting that all versions are affected. Meltdown can be mitigated by running guests in HVM or PVH mode. There are no mitigations for Spectre.

Microsoft said that a majority of Azure infrastructure has already been patched, customers that hadn't yet received the proper fixes will have them before the week is out. Amazon said all of their EC2 fleet would be patched before the end of the week as well. Like Microsoft, Amazon started pushing patches before disclosure.

I've heard there will be performance issues, is that true?

Yes, and no. There will be some performance impacts, but the majority of people won't notice them. It really depends on what the system is doing. Benchmarks at Phronix have shown some considerable performance impacts, but far less than the 30-percent being blasted out in some circles.

Google says there is little to no impact. "There has been speculation that the deployment of KPTI causes significant performance slowdowns," Google wrote in an update on Meltdown.

"In our own testing, we have found that microbenchmarks can show an exaggerated impact. Of course, Google recommends thorough testing in your environment before deployment; we cannot guarantee any particular performance or operational impact."

The videos below, provided by the researchers, show Meltdown in action.






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BRIDGEPORT  Mayor Joe Ganim did not outrun the law Wednesday, but he wound up with a sympathetic state trooper when pulled over for speeding on Interstate 84.

The incident  the mayors driver, Bridgeport Police Detective Ramon Garcia, received a verbal warning  caused an embarrassing distraction on a day when Ganim was formally filing paperwork in Hartford for a gubernatorial run.

Another politician who thinks he is above the law. The law is to control the common people, not the elites, was typical of some of the criticism Hearst Connecticut Media readers posted online of both Ganim and the Connecticut State Police.

Ganim already has an image problem. He ran Bridgeport in the 1990s, was convicted of running a pay-to-play scheme out of City Hall in 2003, then successfully asked Bridgeport residents for a second chance in 2015.

More News Joe Ganim campaign across state clocked at 100 mph

Wednesdays traffic stop also exacerbated criticism back home of the mayors already controversial use of a taxpayer funded city cop as a driver on the campaign trail. As previously reported, Garcia, another detective and a lieutenant earned nearly $70,000 in overtime guarding Ganim this year, even as the undermanned police department is under pressure to cut overtime costs.

He is a city employee. If he gets in an accident, the citys liable, said freshman Bridgeport Councilman Marcus Brown after learning about Wednesdays traffic stop, which took place in the Southington area. Brown is not related to a barber shop owner of the same name that Ganim met in Hartford Wednesday.

At least Garcia was not at the wheel of a city vehicle, which the mayor has sometimes also used over the past year while exploring whether to run for governor. Instead he was riding in a rented Ford Expedition with Pennsylvania plates.

A Hearst Connecticut reporter accompanied Ganim before and during the traffic stop and witnessed the vehicle hit 100 mph  and regularly exceed 90 mph.

But, according to a statement by the State Police, Garcia was clocked by laser at 87 mph.

After running the operators license and vehicle registration and confirming there were no other issues, the Trooper issued the operator a verbal warning consistent with the discretion afforded to law enforcement by department policy and state law, which is independent of the occupants of a vehicle, said State Police Public Information Officer Trooper Kelly Grant in an email.

So its ok to speed if you are (a) police officer and you are with (a) politician, wrote another Hearst reader.

And such discretion was not used in 2014 when then-Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley of Greenwich was pulled over on Route 9 for driving 80 mph. He received a ticket, according to the Middletown Press.

Andrew Matthews, head of the state police union, acknowledged that sometimes troopers extend such professional courtesy to fellow law enforcers during a traffic stop.

But Matthews insisted that it depends on the circumstances, and that Connecticut troopers have stopped members of the public and done the same.

People have emergencies. They might be having a bad day. They cant afford it (the ticket), Matthews said. Our people are very compassionate.

Brown was glad a Bridgeport municipal vehicle was not involved, but said something needs to be done about Ganims use of police drivers on the campaign trail.

Ganim has said his gubernatorial campaign is obligated to reimburse Bridgeport mileage if he uses a municipal car, but not for the costs of his drivers.

If were only getting reimbursed for the usage of the vehicle but not the city employee who travels with him, maybe we dont need a detective with him, said Brown. And if he needs one, pay us back for it.

Asked if the city would have been liable had Garcia caused an accident Wednesday, even if he was driving a car rented by Ganims campaign, Bridgeport City Attorney R. Christopher Meyer said: Its all hypothetical.

Meyer added, I always encourage everybody to drive safe.

Garcias boss, Bridgeport Police Chief Armando Perez, could not be reached for comment.
What are you the best in the world at?

Successful brands are built on specialization. Specialization is one of the key insights of Adam Smiths The Wealth of Nations, which gave birth to modern economics and the modern world. There is not a successful brand alive that is truly trying to sell everything to every person. When you put together your credit union website design, consider what makes your credit union special.

Successful brands have strengths and weaknesses that set them apart from other brands. For example, MacBooks are high-quality (strength) and expensive (weakness). On the other hand, most PCs are more customizable (strength), less expensive (strength), and lower quality (weakness).

If you want to design a killer credit union website, then focus on your strengths. In order for visitors to join your credit union and apply for loans, they need to choose you above their other options. They will choose you only if you can prove you are uniquely suited to meet their needs and desires better than anyone else.

In this post, well discuss how to determine your strengths. Well then give examples of successful credit union websites that illustrate how showing off your strengths can dramatically improve your design.

Source:http://www.gocomics.com/nonsequitur/2010/06/21

How to determine your strengths

Here are the three key questions to ask yourself before you ever start a credit union website design:

What is your credit union the best in the world at?

What does your credit union offer, specifically, that no one else offers? What does it do extraordinarily well? In a world rife with options, you cant offer just low rates or point out that youre not-for-profit. Sure those are important things, but go deeper. Consider how you serve your members in a way that no one else can. Determine what niche you fill in your community.

For example, Navy Federal Credit Union is known for catering only to military service members. Alongside, that, they offer a number of exclusive services aimed at members of the armed forces, such as special checking accounts for those in active duty, and savings plans to help supplement traditional military retirement plans.

How do members benefit from you being the best in the world at that thing?

Of course, its not enough to just be the best in the world at something. Your credit union could have the best employee softball team in the nation, but how does that help your members? Consider which strengths you have that specifically respond to essential human needs. Does your credit union help members feel like a part of a privileged group? Make it easier for them to shelter and clothe their families?

Remember, people dont buy products, they buy benefits.

Why would someone choose your credit union over other financial institutions?

Make sure you know what sets you apart from your competitors. This includes the big banks of course, but may also include your local friendly rivals. You can do this using a comparison table or another types of side-by-side comparison that gets straight to the point.

A comparison table from Redwood Credit Union

Asking these three questions will force you to think about your brand. Maybe your credit union is uniquely positioned to serve the healthcare industry. Maybe you have special programs in place that help young people and first-time borrowers.

Whatever the answer to these questions, you should use your credit union website design to backup these answers with testimonials, examples, stats, and stories. Studies have shown that testimonials and stories have a direct impact on the conversions on your website.

The visual elements of your website should also show off your strengths. You want to choose imagery that emphasizes who you are and what you stand for. That means you need more than just pictures of credit cards and piggy banks. If you serve the San Diego area, have real images from San Diego. If your primary membership base is a very Christian community, dont be afraid to show a church or two. When you pick authentic images that resonate with your audience, they will be much more likely to linger on your website.

Examples

Case Study #1 OE Federal

OE Federals site highlights union workers

Strength: OE Federal is 100% union and proud of it. All of their members are union workers and they offer special products and services to union workers.

Support: On their website (oefcu.org) , youll find the union theme running through every page. The imagery,color scheme and design elements reflect a blue-collar vibe.

The site also backs up their claims with facts. Right on the homepage youll find info on the unique benefits OE Federal offers union workers, such as the ability to pause payments during a strike, and their initiative to donate money to union-backed charities.

Case Study #2 Acadia FCU

Acadias site emphasizes their caring nature

Strength: Acadia FCUs greatest strength is its caring staff. They genuinely want to help their members and thats why people love the credit union. Their website highlights their caring culture.

Support: Acadias website (acadiafcu.org) features many testimonials about how Acadias employees have helped the members, such as on their Business Star Checking page.

The site also has a lengthy staff page, with pictures of every single person who works for the credit union. The homepage is full of images and anecdotes featuring Acadias staff helping members, or participating in community volunteer efforts.

Case Study #3 HFS FCU

HFSs site shows how they help members find success

Strength: HFS FCU believes the success of their credit union is measured by the success stories they create for members.

Support: Right at the top of the homepage there is a testimonial from a customer that states HFS helped him find business success, alongside an image of him standing proudly in the middle of his salon. Additionally, many product pages throughout the site also contain testimonials from members who have found success in personal and business financeswith HFSs guidance and support.

The key to success is to focus on your strengths because no one can be good at everything. Your credit union website design can show visitors who you are and what makes you special, and attract more members who will be satisfied with the unique benefits you give them.
Yesterday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions put an end to any straight-faced argument a credit union or bank had for extending banking services to marijuana businesses in states that have legalized marijuana possession and distribution. With a short statement, he retracted the Justice Departments policy since 2013 that it would not prosecute marijuana crimes in states that legalized marijuana for recreational and medical purposes provided these businesses followed strict protocols. If credit unions and banks are going to be able to provide banking services to pot businesses then they must get Congress to act. Its that simple.

Regardless of what you think of the policy implications arising from Sessions announcement, his decision clears the legal haze surrounding this strange legal issue. By 2013, 20 states had legalized marijuana use in some form even as it remained illegal as a matter of Federal law. The Obama Administrations Justice Department, responding to pleas from among others, the Colorado Bankers Association, issued the so-called Cole Memorandum. This memo stipulated that while the possession and distribution of cannabis remained illegal the Justice Department would effectively adopt a willful ignorance policy. Federal prosecutors were instructed not to prosecute properly run marijuana businesses in legal states.

FinCEN followed suit with a memorandum outlining the conditions under which credit unions and banks could both provide banking services to cannabis businesses and comply with the Bank Secrecy Act. Many financial institutions remained hesitant to provide services and the state of Colorado ultimately chartered a state chartered credit union specifically to provide banking services for these businesses. But the Federal Reserve refused to provide this bank access to the system and the NCUA refused to provide share insurance. A resulting lawsuit has done nothing to clarify the confusion. An Appellate Court ruled that the Federal Reserve acted within its authority but that Colorado could try again to show how it could legally provide banking services.
Todays fast-paced financial services environment is forcing credit unions to be more responsive  and more flexible  than ever before. For a credit unions board of directors, this means having a secure channel to streamline communications between board members that can facilitate quick, seamless responses to planned and unplanned events as they arise and increasingly, credit unions and their boards are leveraging board portal technology to achieve this.

Why Board Portals Matter

First and foremost, a board portal provides a secure channel for credit union executives to access institution information anywhere, at any time. Board members no longer have to wait for a printed board packet to arrive in the mail, as they can now access all of their documents digitally, through a laptop, or even a tablet, if they so choose. This benefits members as it affords them additional time to prepare for meetings through prior review of the agenda, consideration of critical decisions beforehand, and input of any changes ahead of the meeting. From a convenience standpoint, this also allows them to directly access important information while theyre mobile and on the go. For credit unions with board members not in the same geographic location, board portals save time and money on travel, while allowing executives to engage in secure discussions from literally anywhere in the world.
Iran Turns Off The Internet

As protests over economic instability and government censorship persist in Iran, the Hassan Rouhani government has reportedly wielded its favorite suppression tactic: blocking the Internet.

Multiple reports say the government was blocking Internet on mobile networks starting on Dec. 30, including social media services like Instagram and messaging services like Telegram, to try and stop the protesters from organising and amplifying their message. This is the biggest anti-government public demonstration since 2009.

How nervous the government is about losing control over the population is proportional to various control tactics they implement over the Internet, said Mahsa Alimardani, who researches Internet freedoms in Iran for Article 19. In the past few hours there are also some reports of home connections (up until today mostly left undisturbed) also facing some blocks to accessing foreign web content.

The extent of this blackout is not yet clear, Iranian students and others have reported that desktop versions of the Telegram system were still working, and internet research company Oracle detected DNS queries.

The situation only builds on Irans ongoing issues with internet censorship and control. During Irans elections earlier this year, young citizens were hoping the Rouhani administration would open up access to the internet, and Rouhani promised to increase Internet speeds and cut down on censorship. But so far, the administration and the new internet minister have failed to deliver on those promises.

Iranians have taken to using VPNs and building apps to bypass Irans erratic suppression of information. And some reportedly removed their network passwords during the protests to allow more people to access internet if the mobile networks were blocked.

Meanwhile, Internet suppression has become an increasingly dangerous and common government weapon across the world. The Democratic Republic of Congo cut mobile and web services ahead of protests just a few days ago, and similar blackouts have been in Kashmir and Gabon.

Motherboard:

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What's going on in and around Somerset County?
Talking Points:

- Germanys political leaders are about to try again to form a new coalition government.

- So far, the Euro has shrugged off the stalemate but it will likely suffer if there is no breakthrough soon.

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Or New to Forex? That guide is here

So far, the Euro has held up well despite the continuing failure of Germanys political leadership to form a new coalition government. However, if the stalemate continues for much longer it will likely come under downward pressure.

At the time of writing, a Google news search for German coalition talks makes depressing reading. The top few headlines include:

5 ways Germanys coalition talks could come unstuck,

German parties at odds ahead of coalition talks,

Merkel resumes talks with SPD in hope of ending political stalemate,

Why the once-durable Merkel may not last much longer, and

Berlin political deadlock stymies Macrons Eurozone plans.

Euro still in demand

With Euro traders concentrating on a weak US Dollar and the prospect of Euro-Zone monetary stimulus being reduced or even ended this year, the currency is still in demand and will likely strengthen further. But persistent political instability in the Euro-Zones largest economy could potentially undermine sentiment longer-term.

EUR/USD Price Chart Daily Timeframe (January 2, 2017 to January 4, 2018)

Chart by IG

Worst outcome for the Euro

Perhaps the worst outcome for the Euro would be if the negotiations fail and a new Federal election is called. One columnist noted: It is no longer absurd to suggest [UK Prime Minister] Theresa May could outlast [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel.

However, Merkel is seen as the consummate dealmaker so the odds remain good that she will succeed in forming a new coalition and holding on the Chancellorship; an outcome that would likely be seen as positive for both the Euro and German stock prices.

--- Written by Martin Essex, Analyst and Editor

To contact Martin, email him at martin.essex@ig.com

Follow Martin on Twitter @MartinSEssex

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To give the devil his due, the Pakistanis seem to have a fair idea of how to play the Indians. They are aware of the existence of a class of people in India who seem eager, even desperate, to hear some promising noises from the Pakistani side which they can then use to lobby for yet another engagement process with Pakistan.

The latest promising noise coming out of Pakistan is that of Pakistan army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. While giving a security briefing to the Senate of Pakistan last December, Bajwa is reported to have said that the all-powerful Pakistan military was ready to back the political leaderships initiative for normalisation of relations with India. He apparently urged the politicians to try to improve relations with India and assured them of the armys support in this endeavour.

Normalisation process

While it may sound like music to some Indians ears, in reality it is a sign that Indians are tone deaf when it comes to deciphering the nuances and notes of the sounds emanating from Pakistan. Think for a minute: did anyone seriously expect the Pakistan army chief, who is constitutionally supposed to be under civilian authority, to publicly say that the army opposes any civilian-led normalisation process with India?

Given the pretence of constitutional democracy and the fiction of civilian supremacy that is peddled so assiduously in Pakistan, it is inconceivable that the Pakistan army chief would tell the civilians that they have virtually no say in foreign and security policy matters related to India, Afghanistan, US, jihadist proxies, and nuclear programme. In other words, the army chief was only being politically correct, and not candid. This is precisely why, other than the clueless Indians and the armys underlings in Pakistan, no serious politician in Pakistan will give any credence to Bajwas words.

The reason is simple.

All those who got excited over one part of what Bajwa is supposed to have said, conveniently ignored the other part of what he said, which effectively nullified what they were getting all excited about. After taunting, or perhaps trolling, the Pakistani politicians to go ahead and make efforts for normalisation with India, the Pakistani generalissimo "informed" the Senators of the clear and present military threat that India posed and repeated the unsubstantiated allegations of how India was fomenting instability and terrorism in Pakistan.

Clearly, once this kind of juxtaposition is done, a Pakistani politician will have to be extremely foolhardy to think that he/she can reciprocate, much less initiate, any effort to normalise relations between the two countries. After all, dont they have the example of Nawaz Sharif before them? In Pakistan, the grapevine is that Sharifs political obituary was written the day he gave the impression that he was open to a peace settlement with India. To use Bajwas words or, more appropriately, warning: politicians must not give an opportunity to the army to interfere in politics!

Official legitimacy

It is also important to remember that in this very same Senate briefing, Bajwas seriousness, or the lack of it, on improving ties with India could be gauged from his bestowing official legitimacy on a notorious, internationally designated terrorist like Hafiz Saeed. When questioned about the impunity given to Saeed, Bajwa was quite brazen in saying that like every other Pakistani, Saeed was actively trying to resolve the Kashmir issue. In effect, Bajwa was tacitly endorsing a terrorist who openly incites hatred, instigates people and declares jihad on India.

A few days later, Saeeds vile vituperation was justified by the Pakistani foreign office spokesman as his right to freedom of expression which hasnt been affected by his designation as an international terrorist by the UN. Viewed against the backdrop of the re-activation of the jihad factory in Pakistan, and the fact that there is massive fundraising for jihad against India, new recruits are being trained in terror training camps and then infiltrated into India to cause murder and mayhem.

Since the Senate briefing, there is yet another development that has enthused some in India. The financial authorities in Pakistan have announced, not for the first time, a ban on the fund collection and donations to internationally proscribed organisations, including Lashkar-e-Tayyeba and its affiliates.

There is also a report that the government might seize the charities and other financial assets linked to Saeed. This sort of a sham action has been taken umpteen numbers of times in the past. The primary purpose of such an eyewash is to make a show before the international community in order to shake off the mounting pressure and possible kicking in of financial restrictions.

Modus operandi

The modus operandi is simple: a lot of activity is shown on paper, including an official notification and correspondence restricting or even banning the activities of a terror group. But on ground, its pretty much business as usual  the donation boxes in markets and mosques remain where they are, the bank accounts are cleaned out before they are seized or frozen, and if there is a government takeover of any facility linked to a terror group, then all it means is that private funding is replaced by public funding.

This time around the compulsion is the Financial Action Task Force requirements that Pakistan has to meet if it wants to do business with the world. And of course, there is the whole spectre of the US actually showing some signs of getting ready to bite instead of just barking. But as soon as the pressure eases, even the cosmetic steps being taken currently will stop.

Clearly, with no signs of any change in the jihadist narrative or policy of the Pakistani state, for anyone in India to advocate re-engagement with Pakistan on the grounds that Pakistanis are finally smelling the coffee and are ready to smoke the peace pipe with India, is nothing but self-deception.
Aetna Inc. operates as a health care benefits company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Health Care, Group Insurance, and Large Case Pensions. The Health Care segment offers medical, pharmacy benefit management service, dental, behavioral health, and vision plans on an insured and employer-funded basis. It also provides point-of-service, preferred provider organization, health maintenance organization, and indemnity benefit plans, as well as health savings accounts and consumer-directed health plans. In addition, this segment offers Medicare and Medicaid products and services, as well as other medical products, such as medical management and data analytics services, medical stop loss insurance, workers' compensation administrative services, and products that provide access to its provider networks in select geographies. The Group Insurance segment offers life insurance products, including group term life insurance, voluntary spouse and dependent term life insurance, group universal life insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance; disability insurance products; and long-term care insurance products, which provide the benefits to cover the cost of care in private home settings, adult day care, assisted living, or nursing facilities. The Large Case Pensions segment manages various retirement products comprising pension and annuity products primarily for tax-qualified pension plans. The company provides its products and services to employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups, and expatriates. Aetna Inc. was founded in 1853 and is based in Hartford, Connecticut.
Brookfield Asset Management is an alternative asset manager and REIT/Real Estate Investment Manager firm focuses on real estate, renewable power, infrastructure and venture capital and private equity assets. It manages a range of public and private investment products and services for institutional and retail clients. It typically makes investments in sizeable, premier assets across geographies and asset classes. It invests both its own capital as well as capital from other investors. Within private equity and venture capital, it focuses on acquisition, early ventures, control buyouts and financially distressed, buyouts and corporate carve-outs, recapitalizations, convertible, senior and mezzanine financings, operational and capital structure restructuring, strategic re-direction, turnaround, and under-performing midmarket companies. It invests in both public debt and equity markets. It invests in private equity sectors with focus on Business Services include infrastructure, healthcare, road fuel distribution and marketing, construction and real estate; Industrials include manufacturers of automotive batteries, graphite electrodes, returnable plastic packaging, and sanitation management and development; and Residential/ infrastructure services. It targets companies which likely possess underlying real assets, primarily in sectors such as industrial products, building materials, metals, mining, homebuilding, oil and gas, paper and packaging, manufacturing and forest product sectors. It invests globally with focus on North America including Brazil, the United States, Canada; Europe; and Australia; and Asia-Pacific. The firm considers equity investments in the range of $2 million to $500 million. It has a four-year investment period and a 10-year term with two one-year extensions. The firm prefers to take minority stake and majority stake. Brookfield Asset Management Inc. was founded in 1997 and based in Toronto, Canada with additional offices across Northern America; South America; Europe; Middle East and Asia.
Capita plc provides consulting, digital, and software products and services to clients in the private and public sectors in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates through Public Service, Experience, and Portfolio divisions. The company offers solutions for finance and accounting, procurement, property and infrastructure, travel and event, and workplace administration. It also provides customer experience transformation, contact management, collection, complaint handling, customer acquisition and retention, customer experience system and software, and data and analytics. In addition, the company offers capita licensing and support, support, digital policing, and engineering practice; education service and local education authority software; various solutions that help businesses create connected experiences that deliver right message across organisations, customers, and suppliers; solutions for central and local government services; corporate learning, fire service college, employability, and capita apprenticeship solutions; and employer branding and marketing, flexible workforce solutions, agile resourcing solutions, executive and specialist recruitment, background checking and vetting, and digital HR management and transformation solutions. Further, it provides pension administration and software, pensions consulting, and data, insights, and remediation solutions; automation, critical communication systems, finance and payment software, local education authority software, management information systems, and workforce management software solutions; cloud, cyber security, digital connectivity, IT services, robotic process automation, and workplace IT; and actuarial, defence, financial, healthcare, housing, legal, public safety, utility, and welfare and employability services. The company was formerly known as The Capita Group plc and changed its name to Capita plc in January 2012. Capita plc was founded in 1984 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.
Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Electric Utilities and Infrastructure, Gas Utilities and Infrastructure, and Commercial Renewables. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest; and uses coal, hydroelectric, natural gas, oil, renewable generation, and nuclear fuel to generate electricity. It also engages in the wholesale of electricity to municipalities, electric cooperative utilities, and load-serving entities. This segment serves approximately 8.2 million customers in 6 states in the Southeast and Midwest regions of the United States covering a service territory of approximately 91,000 square miles; and owns approximately 50,259 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure segment distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and power generation natural gas customers; and owns, operates, and invests in pipeline transmission and natural gas storage facilities. It has approximately 1.6 million customers, including 1.1 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, as well as 550,000 customers in southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky. The Commercial Renewables segment acquires, owns, develops, builds, and operates wind and solar renewable generation projects, including nonregulated renewable energy and energy storage services to utilities, electric cooperatives, municipalities, and corporate customers. It has 23 wind, 178 solar, and 2 battery storage facilities, as well as 71 fuel cell locations with a capacity of 3,554 MW across 22 states. The company was formerly known as Duke Energy Holding Corp. and changed its name to Duke Energy Corporation in April 2005. The company was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Legal & General Group Plc provides various insurance products and services in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Legal & General Retirement (LGR), Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), Legal & General Capital (LGC), and Legal & General Insurance (LGI). The LGR segment offers annuity contracts with guaranteed income for a specified time; longevity insurance products; lifetime mortgages; lifetime care plans; retirement interest only mortgages; and workplace savings scheme that provides corporate pension scheme solutions. The LGIM segment offers index fund management; active fixed income funds and liquidity funds; active equity management; solution and liability driven investment; multi-asset funds; corporate pension scheme solutions; and real assets. The LGC segment provides investment strategy and implementation, and direct investment and structuring services. The LGI segment offers protection products, such as health, disability, critical illness, and accident; individual term assurance; reinsurance; savings and death benefits; and annuities. It is also involved in the unit trust and institutional fund management, mortgage finance, treasury, building project and modular housing development, general insurance, and open-ended investment businesses. In addition, the company engages in the investment, operation, management, trading, and letting and operation of leased real estate; and construction of commercial buildings, financial intermediation, pension tracing and transfer, insurance agents and brokers, fund general partner, commercial lending, venture capital investing, contractual scheme, investor alternative investment fund, collective asset-management, and investment management activities; and provision of investment advisory, business information consultancy, and technology services. Legal & General Group Plc was founded in 1836 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
Salzgitter AG, together with its subsidiaries, engages in steel and technology businesses worldwide. It operates through five segments: Strip Steel, Plate/Section Steel, Mannesmann, Trading, and Technology. The Strip Steel segment manufactures branded and special steels, such as hot-rolled strip steel and steel sheets, sections, tailored blanks, and components for the construction industry. The Plate/Section Steel segment produces various high-grade heavy plates for engineering, shipbuilding, and mechanical engineering, as well as trades in scrap. The Mannesmann segment is involved in the manufacture of line pipes, HFI-welded tubes, precision and stainless-steel tubes, and spiral-welded and longitudinal-welded large-diameter pipes; and seamless and welded tubes for the energy, automotive, and mechanical engineering sectors. The Trading segment operates a European sales network, as well as trading companies and agencies worldwide. The Technology segment engages in the provision of machinery and plants for the filling and packaging of beverages, as well as special machinery engineering for shoe manufacturing and elastomer production. The company also provides IT, facility management, logistics, automotive engineering, and research and development services, as well as supplies raw materials. Salzgitter AG was founded in 1858 and is headquartered in Salzgitter, Germany.
Stoneridge, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs and manufactures engineered electrical and electronic components, modules, and systems for the automotive, commercial, off-highway, motorcycle, and agricultural vehicle markets in North America, South America, Europe, and internationally. It operates in three segments: Control Devices, Electronics, and Stoneridge Brazil. The Control Devices segment offers sensors, switches, actuators, and connectors that monitor, measure, or activate specific functions within a vehicle. The Electronics segment designs and manufactures driver information systems, camera-based vision systems, connectivity, and compliance products. Its products collect, store, and display vehicle information, such as speed, pressure, maintenance data, trip information, operator performance, temperature, distance traveled, and driver messages related to vehicle performance. This segment's electronic control units regulate, coordinate, monitor, and direct the operation of the electrical system within a vehicle. The Stoneridge Brazil segment designs, manufactures, and sells vehicle tracking devices and monitoring services; vehicle security alarms and convenience accessories; in-vehicle audio and infotainment devices; and telematics solutions. It provides its products and systems to various original equipment manufacturers and Tier 1 customers, as well as aftermarket distributors and mass merchandisers for use in various vehicle platforms. Stoneridge, Inc. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Novi, Michigan.
Tallgrass Energy Partners, LP acquires, owns, develops, and operates midstream energy assets in North America. It operates through Natural Gas Transportation; Crude Oil Transportation; and Gathering, Processing & Terminalling segments. The Natural Gas Transportation segment engages in the ownership and operation of interstate natural gas pipelines and integrated natural gas storage facilities with approximately 4,641 miles of transportation pipelines in Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. This segment provides its services to on-system customers, including third-party local distribution companies, industrial users, and other shippers. The Crude Oil Transportation segment engages in the ownership and operation of the Pony Express System, a crude oil pipeline serving the Bakken Shale, Denver-Julesburg, and Powder River Basins, as well as other nearby oil producing basins. The Gathering, Processing & Terminalling segment owns and operates natural gas gathering and processing facilities that produce natural gas liquids (NGLs) and residue gas for sale in local wholesale markets or delivers into pipelines for transportation to additional end markets; and crude oil gathering, storage, and terminalling facilities, as well as engages in the transportation of NGLs, and marketing of crude oil and NGLs. This segment also provides water business services primarily to the oil and gas exploration and production industry. The company was founded in 2013 and is based in Leawood, Kansas. Tallgrass Energy Partners, LP operates as a subsidiary of Tallgrass Energy GP, LP.
The following companies are subsidiares of Marsh & McLennan Companies: 8WORKS INC., 8WORKS LTD, A. Constantinidi & CIA. S.C., A.C.N. 000 951 146 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 001 572 961 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 076 935 683 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 102 322 574 Pty Limited, ACE Insurance Agents Limited, ACE Insurance Consultants Limited, ACE Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Limited, AD Corretora de Seguros, AFCO Premium Acceptance Inc., AFCO Premium Credit LLC, Access Equity Enhanced Fund GP LLC, Admiral Holdings Limited, Agnew Higgins Pickering & Co. (Bermuda) Ltd, Aldgate Investments Limited, Aldgate Trustees Ltd, Alexander Forbes Group Holdings Limited, Alpha Consultants Limited, Alta SA, Altius Real Assets (GP) LLC, Amal Insurance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), Anda Insurance Agencies Pte Ltd, AssetVal Pty Ltd, Assur Conseils Marsh S.A., Assurance Capital Corporation, Assurance Services Corporation, Australian Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd, Australian World Underwriters Pty Ltd., BBPS Limited, Barney & Barney Orange County LLC, Beaumonts (Leeds) Limited (in liquidation), Beaumonts Insurance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), Beaumonts Insurance Services Limited, Beneficios Integrales Oportunos SA, Benefitfocus Inc., Blue Marble Micro Limited, Blue Marble Microinsurance Inc., Bluefin, Bluefin Insurance Group Limited, Bluefin Insurance Services Limited, Boulder Claims LLC, Bowring (Bermuda) Investments Ltd., Bowring Marine Limited, Bowring Marsh (Bermuda) Ltd., Bowring Marsh (Hong Kong) Limited, Bowring Marsh Asia Pte. Ltd., Bowring Marsh Corretora de Resseguros Ltda., Bowring Marsh Limited, Broderick Piller Pty Ltd, Broker 2 Broker Limited, BuildPay LLC, Burke Ford Trustees (Leicester) Limited, C.T. Bowring Limited, CMC-Belgibo NV, CPRM Limited, CPSG Partners LLC, Carpenter Marsh Fac Chile Corredores de Reaseguros Limitada, Carpenter Marsh Fac Colombia Corredores de Reaseguros S.A., Carpenter Marsh Fac Peru Corredores de Reaseguros S.A.C., Carpenter Marsh Fac Re LLC, Carpenter Turner Cyprus Ltd, Carpenter Turner S.A., Cascade International Holdings C.V., Cascade Regional Holdings Limited, Central Insurance Services Limited, Charter Risk Management Services LLC, Chartwell Healthcare Limited, Chronos Insurance Brokers Pty Limited, Claims and Recovery Management (Australia) Pty Limited, Clark Thomson Insurance Brokers Limited, Client Provide Limited, Colombian Insurance Broking Wholesale Limited, Consultores 2020 C.A., Cronin & Co Insurance Services Limited, DVA - Deutsche Verkehrs-Assekuranz-Vermittlungs GmbH, Dawson Insurance, DeLima Marsh S.A. - Los Corredores de Seguros S.A., Dovetail Insurance Corp., Dovetail Insurance Corp., Dovetail Managing General Agency Corporation, Dovetail Technology Service India Private Limited, Draw Connect Limited, Draw Create Limited, Draw Group London Limited, Eagle & Crown Limited, Echelon Australia Pty Limited, Echelon Claims Consultants Sdn Bhd, Echelon New Zealand Limited, EnBW Versicherungs Vermittlung GmbH, Encompass Insurance Agency Pty Ltd., English Pension Trustees Limited, Epsilon (US) Insurance Company, Epsilon Insurance Company Ltd., Eustis Insurance & Benefits, Evolution Management Ltd, Exchange Insurance Services Limited (in liquidation), Exmoor Management Company Limited, Faulkner & Flynn LLC, Freedom Trust Services Limited, GC Genesis LLC, GCube Insurance Services Inc, GCube Underwriting Limited, Gama Consultores Associados Ltda., Gem Insurance Company Limited, Global Premium Finance Company, GrECo International Holding AG, Gracechurch Trustees Limited, Gresham Pension Trustees Limited, Group Promoters Pty Limited, Guy Carpenter & Cia (Mexico) S.A. de C.V., Guy Carpenter & Cia. S.A., Guy Carpenter & Co. Labuan Ltd., Guy Carpenter & Company AB, Guy Carpenter & Company Corredores de Reaseguros Limitada, Guy Carpenter & Company Corretora de Resseguros Ltda., Guy Carpenter & Company GmbH, Guy Carpenter & Company LLC, Guy Carpenter & Company Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Ltd./Guy Carpenter & Compagnie Ltee, Guy Carpenter & Company Participacoes Ltda., Guy Carpenter & Company Peru Corredores de Reaseguros S.A., Guy Carpenter & Company Private Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Proprietary Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Pty. Ltd., Guy Carpenter & Company S.A., Guy Carpenter & Company S.A. (Uruguay), Guy Carpenter & Company S.A.S., Guy Carpenter & Company S.r.l., Guy Carpenter (Middle East) Limited, Guy Carpenter Bermuda Ltd., Guy Carpenter Broking Inc., Guy Carpenter Colombia Corredores de Reaseguros Ltda., Guy Carpenter Insurance Brokers (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Guy Carpenter Japan Inc., Guy Carpenter Mexico Intermediario de Reaseguro S.A. de C.V., Guy Carpenter Reasurans Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, HAPIP GP 2009 LLC, HAPIP GP LLC, HSBC Insurance Brokers International (Abu Dhabi) LLC (in liquidation), Hamilton Bond Limited, Hansen International Limited, Hayward Aviation Limited, INSIA Europe SE, INSIA SK s.r.o., INSIA a.s., INSURANCE BROKERS OF NIGERIA LIMITED, IRC Asia Insurance Brokers Limited, InSolutions Limited, Industrial Risks Protection Consultants, Ingeseg S. A., Ingeseg S.A., Insbrokers Ltda., InsurTech Alliance LLC, Insure Direct (Brokers) LLC, Insure Direct (Brokers) LLC [BAHRAIN BRANCH], Insure Direct - Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited, International Catastrophe Insurance Managers LLC, International Loss Control Services Limited, International Risk Consultants (Asia) Limited, Invercol Limited, Irish Pensions Trust Limited, Isosceles Insurance (Barbados) Limited, Isosceles Insurance Company Limited, Isosceles Insurance Ltd, Isosceles PCC Limited, J&H Marsh & McLennan Limited, J.W. Terrill Benefit Administrators Inc., JI Holdings Limited, JIB Group Holdings Limited, JIB Group Limited, JIB Holdings (Pacific) Limited, JIB Overseas Holdings Limited, JIB UK Holdings Limited, JL Marine Insurance-Brokers GmbH & Co. KG, JLM Verwaltungs GmbH, JLT (Insurance Brokers) Limited, JLT Actuaries and Consultants Limited, JLT Advisory Limited, JLT Affinity Colombia Solutions SAS, JLT Agencies Limited, JLT Asesorias Ltda, JLT Asia Holdings BV, JLT Asia Shared Services Sdn Bhd, JLT Belgibo, JLT Benefit Consultants Limited, JLT Benefit Solutions Limited, JLT Benefit Solutions SA (Pty) Ltd, JLT Bermuda Ltd, JLT Brasil Holdings Participacoes Ltd, JLT Chile Holdings SpA, JLT Colombia Retail Limited, JLT Colombia Wholesale Limited, JLT Consultants & Actuaries Limited, JLT EB Holdings Limited, JLT EB Services Limited, JLT Employee Benefits Holding Company (PTY) LTD, JLT Employee Benefits SA (Pty) Ltd, JLT Financial Planning Limited, JLT France Holdings, JLT Group Services Pty Limited, JLT Holdings (Barbados) Ltd, JLT Holdings (NZ) Limited, JLT Independent Insurance Brokers Private Limited, JLT Insurance Agencies Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited ( Shanghai Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited (Beijing Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited (Guangzhou Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Ireland Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers SA, JLT Insurance Group Holdings Ltd, JLT Insurance Management Malta Limited, JLT Intellectual Property Limited, JLT Intellectual Property [UK Branch], JLT Interactive Pte. Ltd., JLT Investment Management Limited, JLT LATAM (Southern Cone) Wholesale Limited, JLT Latin American Holdings Limited, JLT Life Assurance Brokers Limited, JLT Management Services Limited, JLT Marine (Pty) Ltd, JLT Mexico Holdings Limited, JLT Mexico Intermediario de Reaseguro S.A. de C.V., JLT Netherlands BV, JLT Norway AS, JLT PLA, JLT Pension Trustees Limited, JLT Pensions Administration Holdings Limited, JLT Pensions Administration Limited, JLT Peru Reinsurance Solutions Limited, JLT Peru Retail Limited, JLT Peru Wholesale Limited, JLT QFM Services Limited, JLT RE Brasil Administracao e Corretagem de Resseguros Ltda, JLT Re (French Branch), JLT Re (Northern Europe) AB, JLT Re Argentina Corredores de Reaseguros S.A.U., JLT Re Labuan Limited, JLT Re Limited, JLT Re Pty Ltd, JLT Reinsurance Brokers GmbH, JLT Reinsurance Brokers Limited, JLT Reinsurance Brokers Limited [French Branch], JLT Risk Management Limited, JLT Risk Solutions AB, JLT Risk Solutions AB Branch - Germany, JLT SA IB Holdings Company (Pty) Limited, JLT SCK Affinity Administracao e Corretora de Seguros Ltda., JLT SCK Corretora e Administradora de Seguros, JLT Secretaries Limited, JLT Sigorta ve Reasurans Brokerlii A.., JLT Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., JLT Specialty France, JLT Specialty Insurance Broker A/S, JLT Specialty Limited, JLT Specialty Limited [DUBAI BRANCH], JLT Specialty Pte. Ltd., JLT Towner Insurance Management (Anguilla) Limited, JLT Trust Services (Barbados) Ltd, JLT Trustees (Southern) Limited, JLT Trustees Limited, JLT UK Investment Holdings Limited, JLT Vantage Risk and Benefit Consulting Private Limited, JLT Wealth Management Limited, JLT do Brasil Corretagem de Seguros Ltda, JLTPCS Holdings Pte. Ltd., JMIB Holdings BV, JSL Securities Inc., Japan Affinity Marketing Inc., Jardine IBR Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson (Proprietary) Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Asia Pte Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Australia Pty Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Canada Inc, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc, Jardine Lloyd Thompson India Private Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson India Private Limited (UK Branch Office), Jardine Lloyd Thompson Insurance Consultants Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Inc., Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland Holdings Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland Unlimited Company, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Korea Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited [Macao Branch], Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS (Dubai) Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS Pte Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS SA, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Private Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Pty Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Sdn Bhd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Valencia y Iragorri Corredores de Seguros SA, Jardine Pension Trustees Ireland Limited, Jardine Risk Consulting Co. Limited, Jardine ShunTak Insurance Brokers Limited, Jardine ShunTak Insurance Brokers Limited [Macao Branch], Jardines PF- Consultoria Em Gestao De Risco Limitada, Jelf, Jelf Commercial Finance Limited, Jelf Financial Planning Limited, Jelf Insurance Brokers Limited, Jelf Limited, Jelf Risk Management Limited, Jelf Wellbeing Limited, John Lampier & Son Ltd, Johnson & Higgins (Bermuda) Limited, Johnson & Higgins Limited, KESSLER & CO AG, Kepler Associates Limited, Kessler & Co Inc., Kessler Consulting Inc., Kessler Prevoyance Inc., Key Underwriting Pty Limited, Kroll, Lambert Brothers Holdings Limited, Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers (Employee Benefits) Limited, Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers (Hong Kong) Ltd, Laterlife.com Limited (in liquidation), Lavaretus Underwriting AB, Lavaretus Underwriting AB (BRANCH - Denmark), Libra Insurance Services Limited (in liquidation), Lloyd & Partners Limited, Local Government Insurance Brokers Pty Limited, Lomond Macdonald Limited, Lynch Insurance Brokers Limited, M&M Vehicle L.P., M.P. Bolshaw and Company Limited, MAG JLT SpA, MERCER ALTERNATIVES LIMITED, MM Risk Services Pty Ltd (for dissolution), MMA Mid-Atlantic Employee LLC, MMA Securities LLC, MMB Consultores S.A., MMC (Singapore) Holdings Pte. Ltd., MMC 28 State Street Holdings Inc., MMC Borrower LLC, MMC Brazilian Holdings B.V., MMC Capital Inc., MMC Cascade Regional Holdings LLC, MMC FINANCE (EUROPE) LIMITED, MMC FINANCE HOLDINGS LTD, MMC Finance (Australia) Limited, MMC Finance (Singapore) Limited, MMC France Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., MMC GP III Inc., MMC Group Services sp. z o.o., MMC Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, MMC Holdings (New Zealand) ULC, MMC Holdings (UK) Limited, MMC International Finance (Barbados) SRL, MMC International Holdings LLC, MMC International Limited, MMC International Treasury Centre Limited, MMC Middle East Holdings Limited, MMC Poland Holdings B.V., MMC Realty Inc., MMC Regional Asia Holdings B.V., MMC Regional Caribbean Holdings Ltd., MMC Regional Europe Holdings B.V., MMC Regional LATAM Holdings B.V., MMC Securities (Europe) Limited, MMC Securities LLC, MMC Treasury Holdings (UK) Limited, MMC UK Group Limited, MMC UK Pension Fund Trustee Limited, MMOW Limited, MMRC LLC, MOW Holding LLC, MPIP III GP LLC, MPIP IV GP LLC, MPIP V GP LLC, MPIP VI GP LLC, Mangrove Insurance Europe PCC Limited, Mangrove Insurance Solutions PCC, Mangrove Insurance Solutions PCC Limited, Manoel Management Services Ltd, Marchant McKechnie Insurance Brokers Limited, Marine Aviation & General (London) Limited, Marsh & McLennan (PNG) Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agencies AS, Marsh & McLennan Agencies Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agency A/S, Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, Marsh & McLennan Agency Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agency Pty Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Argentina SA Corredores de Reaseguros, Marsh & McLennan Colombia S.A., Marsh & McLennan Companies Acquisition Funding Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies Acquisition Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies Asia Pacific Treasury Center Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies BVBA/SPRL, Marsh & McLennan Companies Finance Center (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies France S.A.S., Marsh & McLennan Companies Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., Marsh & McLennan Companies Regional Holdings S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies Services B.V., Marsh & McLennan Companies UK Limited, Marsh & McLennan Europe S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan GP I Inc., Marsh & McLennan Global Broking (Bermuda) Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Holding GmbH, Marsh & McLennan Holdings (Canada) ULC, Marsh & McLennan Holdings Inc., Marsh & McLennan Incorporated (for dissolution), Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Holdings II, Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Holdings S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Limited, Marsh & McLennan Insurance Services Limited, Marsh & McLennan Ireland Limited, Marsh & McLennan Management Services (Bermuda) Limited, Marsh & McLennan Risk Capital Holdings Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Servicios S.A. De C.V., Marsh & McLennan Shared Services Canada Limited, Marsh & McLennan Shared Services Corporation, Marsh (Bahrain) Company SPC, Marsh (Beijing) Risk Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Marsh (China) Insurance Brokers Co. Ltd., Marsh (Hong Kong) Limited, Marsh (Insurance Brokers) LLP, Marsh (Insurance Services) Limited, Marsh (Malawi) Limited, Marsh (Middle East) Limited, Marsh (Namibia) (Proprietary) Limited, Marsh (Pty) Ltd, Marsh (Risk Consulting) LLP, Marsh (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Marsh A/S, Marsh AB, Marsh AG, Marsh AS, Marsh Advantage Insurance Holdings Pty Ltd, Marsh Advantage Insurance Pty Ltd., Marsh Africa (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Argentina S.R.L., Marsh Associates (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Austria G.m.b.H., Marsh Aviation Insurance Broking Pty Ltd (for dissolution), Marsh B.V., Marsh Botswana (Proprietary) Limited, Marsh Brockman y Schuh Agente de Seguros y de Fianzas S.A. de C.V., Marsh Broker Japan Inc., Marsh Broker de Asigurare-Reasigurare S.R.L., Marsh Brokers (Hong Kong) Limited, Marsh Brokers Limited, Marsh Canada Limited/Marsh Canada Limitee, Marsh Company Management Services Cayman Ltd., Marsh Compensation Technologies Administration (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Corporate Services (Barbados) Limited, Marsh Corporate Services Isle of Man Ltd, Marsh Corporate Services Limited, Marsh Corporate Services Malta Limited, Marsh Corretora de Seguros Ltda., Marsh EOOD, Marsh Egypt LLC, Marsh Emirates Consultancy LLC, Marsh Emirates Insurance Brokerage LLC, Marsh Employee Benefits Limited, Marsh Employee Benefits Zimbabwe (Private) Ltd, Marsh Eurofinance B.V., Marsh Europe S.A., Marsh FJC International Insurance Brokers Limited, Marsh For Insurance Services S.A.E., Marsh Franco Acra S.A., Marsh GSC Servicos e Administracao de Seguros Ltda., Marsh GmbH, Marsh Holding AB, Marsh Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Marsh India Insurance Brokers Private Limited, Marsh Insurance & Investments LLC, Marsh Insurance Brokers, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Macao) Limited, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Private) Limited, Marsh Insurance Brokers AO, Marsh Insurance Brokers Limited, Marsh Insurance Consulting Saudi Arabia (in liquidation), Marsh Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers LLC, Marsh Intermediaries Inc., Marsh International Broking Holdings Limited, Marsh International Holdings II Inc., Marsh International Holdings Inc., Marsh Investment B.V., Marsh Ireland Brokers Limited, Marsh Ireland Brokers Limited (UK Branch), Marsh Ireland Holdings Limited, Marsh Israel (1999) Ltd., Marsh Israel (Holdings) Ltd., Marsh Israel Consultants Ltd., Marsh Israel Insurance Agency Ltd., Marsh Israel International Brokers Ltd. (in liquidation), Marsh JCS Inc., Marsh Japan Inc., Marsh Kft., Marsh Kindlustusmaakler AS, Marsh Korea Inc., Marsh LLC, Marsh LLC Insurance Brokers, Marsh LLC [Ukraine], Marsh Lda., Marsh Limited, Marsh Limited [Fiji], Marsh Limited [New Zealand], Marsh Limited [PNG], Marsh Ltd. [Wisconsin], Marsh Management Services (Bahamas) Ltd., Marsh Management Services (Barbados) Limited, Marsh Management Services (Bermuda) Ltd., Marsh Management Services (Dublin) Limited, Marsh Management Services (Labuan) Limited, Marsh Management Services (MENA) Limited, Marsh Management Services (USVI) Ltd., Marsh Management Services Cayman Ltd., Marsh Management Services Guernsey Limited, Marsh Management Services Inc., Marsh Management Services Isle of Man Limited, Marsh Management Services Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Marsh Management Services Malta Limited, Marsh Management Services Singapore Pte. Ltd., Marsh Management Services Sweden AB, Marsh Marine & Energy AB, Marsh Marine Nederland B.V., Marsh Medical Consulting GmbH, Marsh Mercer Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Marsh Nest Inc., Marsh Oman LLC, Marsh Oy, Marsh PB Co. Ltd., Marsh Philippines Inc., Marsh Privat A.I.E., Marsh Private Client Life Insurance Services, Marsh Pty. Ltd., Marsh Qatar LLC, Marsh RE S.A.C. Corredores de Reaseguros, Marsh Rehder Consultoria S.A. (MRC), Marsh Rehder S.A. Corredores de Seguros, Marsh Resolutions Pty Limited, Marsh Risk Consulting B.V., Marsh Risk Consulting Limitada, Marsh Risk Consulting Ltda., Marsh Risk Consulting S.L., Marsh Risk Consulting Services S.r.L., Marsh Risk and Consulting Services (Pty) Ltd, Marsh S.A. Corredores De Seguros, Marsh S.A. Mediadores de Seguros, Marsh S.A.S., Marsh S.p.A., Marsh SA [Argentina], Marsh SA [Belgium], Marsh SA [Luxembourg], Marsh SA [Uruguay], Marsh SIA, Marsh Saldana Inc., Marsh Saudi Arabia Insurance & Reinsurance Brokers, Marsh Secretarial Services Limited, Marsh Semusa S.A., Marsh Services Limited, Marsh Services Spolka z.o.o., Marsh Sigorta ve Reasurans Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, Marsh Spolka z.o.o., Marsh Szolgaltato Kft., Marsh Takaful Brokers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Marsh Treasury Services (Dublin) Limited (in liquidation), Marsh Treasury Services Limited, Marsh Tunisia S.a.r.l., Marsh UK Limited, Marsh USA (India) Inc., Marsh USA Borrower LLC, Marsh USA Inc., Marsh Uganda Limited, Marsh Venezuela C.A. Sociedad de Corretaje de Seguros, Marsh Vietnam Insurance Broking Company Ltd, Marsh Zambia Limited, Marsh Zimbabwe Holdings (Private) Limited, Marsh d.o.o. Beograd, Marsh d.o.o. za posredovanje u osiguranju, Marsh for Insurance Services - Jordan, Marsh i-Connect (Pty) Ltd, Marsh s.r.o., Matthiessen Assurans AB, Mercer (Argentina) S.A., Mercer (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer (Austria) GmbH, Mercer (Belgium) SA-NV, Mercer (Canada) Limited/Mercer (Canada) Limitee, Mercer (China) Limited, Mercer (Colombia) Ltda., Mercer (Danmark) A/S, Mercer (Finland) OY, Mercer (France) SAS, Mercer (Hong Kong) Limited, Mercer (Ireland) Limited, Mercer (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Mercer (N.Z.) Limited, Mercer (Nederland) B.V., Mercer (Norge) AS, Mercer (Polska) Sp.z o.o., Mercer (Portugal) Lda, Mercer (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer (Sweden) AB, Mercer (Taiwan) Ltd., Mercer (Thailand) Ltd., Mercer (US) Inc., Mercer Administration Services (Australia) Pty Limited, Mercer Africa Limited, Mercer Agente de Seguros S.A. de C.V., Mercer Asesores de Seguros S.A., Mercer Asesores es Inversion Independientes S.A. de C.V., Mercer Broking Ltd., Mercer Career Unipessoal Lda, Mercer Consultation (Quebec) Ltee., Mercer Consulting (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Consulting (Chile) Limitada, Mercer Consulting (France) SAS, Mercer Consulting (India) Private Limited, Mercer Consulting B.V., Mercer Consulting Group Inc., Mercer Consulting Holdings Sdn. Bhd., Mercer Consulting Limited, Mercer Consulting Middle East Limited, Mercer Consulting S.L.U., Mercer Consulting Venezuela C.A., Mercer Corredores de Seguros Limitada, Mercer Corretora de Seguros Ltda, Mercer Danismanlik Anonim Sirketi, Mercer Deutschland GmbH, Mercer Employee Benefits - Medicacao de Seguros Unipessoal Lda., Mercer Employee Benefits Limited, Mercer Financial Advice (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Financial Services Limited, Mercer Financial Services Limited liability company, Mercer Financial Services Middle East Limited, Mercer Global Investments Europe Limited, Mercer Global Investments Management Limited, Mercer HR Consulting Borrower LLC, Mercer HR Services LLC, Mercer Health & Benefits (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer Health & Benefits Administration LLC, Mercer Health & Benefits LLC, Mercer Holdings Inc., Mercer Holdings Inc. [Philippines], Mercer Human Resource Consulting Ltda, Mercer Human Resource Consulting S.A. de C.V., Mercer ICC Limited, Mercer Investment Consulting Limited, Mercer Investment Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mercer Investment Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer Investments (Australia) Limited, Mercer Investments (Hong Kong) Limited, Mercer Investments (Japan) Ltd, Mercer Investments (New Zealand) Limited, Mercer Investments LLC, Mercer Ireland Holdings Limited, Mercer Italia Srl Socio Unico, Mercer Japan Ltd., Mercer Korea Co. Ltd., Mercer LLC, Mercer Limited, Mercer MC Consulting Borrower LLC, Mercer Master Trustees Limited, Mercer Mauritius Ltd., Mercer Oliver Wyman Holding B.V., Mercer Outsourcing (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Outsourcing S.L.U., Mercer Pensionsfonds AG, Mercer Pensionsraadgivning A/S, Mercer Philippines Inc., Mercer Private Investment Partners IV General Partner S.a.r.l., Mercer Private Markets AG, Mercer Private Markets Advisers (US) AG, Mercer Services Poland Sp. z.o.o., Mercer Sigorta Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, Mercer South Africa (Pty) Limited, Mercer Superannuation (Australia) Limited, Mercer Switzerland Inc., Mercer System Services LLC, Mercer Technology Acquisitions Limited, Mercer Treuhand GmbH, Mercer Trust Company LLC, Mercer Trustees Limited, Mercer WorkforcePro LLC, Mercury Insurance Services Pty Ltd, Moola Systems Limited, Mountlodge Limited, Muir Beddal (Zimbabwe) Limited, NERA Australia Pty. Ltd., NERA Economic Consulting GmbH, NERA Economic Consulting Limited, NERA S.R.L., NERA SAS, NERA UK Limited, NERA do Brasil Ltda. (for dissolution), National Economic Research Associates Inc., NetComp Insurance Corp., Neuburger Noble Lowndes GmbH, Normandy Reinsurance Company Limited, Northern Alliance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), OWL Marine Insurance-Brokers GmbH & Co.KG, OWL Marine Verwaltungs GmbH, Oliver Wyman (Bermuda) Limited, Oliver Wyman (Hong Kong) Limited, Oliver Wyman AB, Oliver Wyman AG, Oliver Wyman Actuarial Consulting Inc., Oliver Wyman B.V., Oliver Wyman Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd, Oliver Wyman Consultoria em Estrategia de Negocios Ltda., Oliver Wyman Energy Consulting Limited, Oliver Wyman FZ-LLC, Oliver Wyman Group KK, Oliver Wyman Inc., Oliver Wyman LLC, Oliver Wyman Limited, Oliver Wyman Limited Liability Company, Oliver Wyman Limited/Oliver Wyman limitee, Oliver Wyman Ltd., Oliver Wyman Pte. Ltd., Oliver Wyman Pty. Ltd., Oliver Wyman S. de R.L. de C.V., Oliver Wyman S.A.S., Oliver Wyman S.L., Oliver Wyman S.r.l., Oliver Wyman SNC, Oliver Wyman SPRL/BVBA, Oliver Wyman Sdn. Bhd., Oliver Wyman Services Limited, Oliver Wyman Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Oliver Wyman sp. z o.o., Omega Indemnity (Bermuda) Limited, Organizacion Brockman y Schuh S.A. de C.V., Osbornes Insurances Oxford Limited (in liquidation), PFT Limited, PI Indemnity Company Designated Activity Company, PT JLT Reinsurance Brokers, PT Jardine Lloyd Thompson, PT Marsh Indonesia, PT Marsh Reinsurance Brokers Indonesia, PT Mercer Indonesia, PT Nexus Asia Pacific, PT Oliver Wyman Indonesia, PT Quantum Computing Services, PT Quantum Investments, PT Quantum Support Services, Pallas Marsh Servicos Ltda., Pavilion Alternatives Group (Singapore) PTE. Ltd, Pavilion Financial Corporation Holdings UK Limited, Pavilion U.S. Investments Holdco LLC, Pension Trustees Limited, Pensionsservice Benefit Network Sverige AB, Perils AG, Personal Pension Trustees Limited, Pet Animal Welfare Scheme Limited, Portsoken Trustees (No. 2) Limited, Portsoken Trustees Limited, Potomac Insurance Managers Inc., Premier Pension Trustees Limited, Premium Services Australia Pty Limited, Professional Claims Handling Limited (in liquidation), Profund Solutions Limited, Promerit AG, Promerit Hungary Kft, Promerit Schweiz AG, Pymetrics Inc., R G Ford Brokers Limited, R R B Beratungsgesellschaft fuer Altersversorgung mbh, R. Mees & Zoonen Holdings B.V., Renewable Energy Loss Adjusters LLC, Renewable Energy Loss Adjusters Limited, Resource Benefit Associates, Rightpath Reinsurance SPC Ltd., Risk Management Australia Pty Limited, Rivers Group Limited, Rockefeller Risk Advisors Inc., Rutherfoord International Inc., SAFCAR-Marsh, SBJ Holdings Limited, SCIB (Bermuda) Limited, SCM Global Real Estate Select GP LLC, SCM Infrastructure General Partner S.a r.l., SCM International Private Equity Select III GP LLC, SCM LT General Partner S.a.r.l., SCM PE General Partner S.a.r.l., SCM PE II GP Ltd., SCM PE II Scotland GP Ltd, SCM Strategic Capital Management (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., SICAR Marsh S.a.r.l., SME Insurance Services Limited, Sail Insurance Company Limited, Scalene Re Ltd, Seabury & Smith Borrower LLC, Seabury & Smith LLC, Secure Limited, Sedgwick (Holdings) Pty. Limited, Sedgwick Consulting Group Limited, Sedgwick Dineen Group Limited, Sedgwick Financial Services Limited, Sedgwick Forbes Middle East Limited, Sedgwick Group, Sedgwick Group (Australia) Pty. Limited, Sedgwick Group (Bermuda) Limited, Sedgwick Group (Zimbabwe) Limited, Sedgwick Group Limited, Sedgwick Internationaal B.V., Sedgwick Limited, Sedgwick Management Services (Barbados) Limited, Sedgwick Management Services (Singapore) Pte Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes (UK) Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes Group Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes Limited, Sedgwick Overseas Investments Limited, Sedgwick Private Limited, Sedgwick Re Asia Pacific (Consultants) Pte Ltd (for dissolution), Sedgwick Trustees Limited, Sedgwick UK Risk Services Limited, Sedgwick Ulster Pension Trustees Limited, Settlement Trustees Limited, Shanghai Mercer Insurance Brokers Company Ltd., Shorewest Insurance Associates LLC, Sirota Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Sirota Consulting UK Limited, Smith Long Term Disability Management Group Inc., Societe d'Assurances et de Participation Guian SA, Software Underwriting Systems Limited (in liquidation), Southern Marine & Aviation Inc., Southern Marine & Aviation Underwriters Inc., Sudzucker Versicherungs-Vermittlungs GmbH, Sumitomo Life Insurance Agency America Inc., Sylvite Financial Services, TBX Solutions Limited, Talent Tech Labs LLC, The Benefit Express Holdings Limited, The Benefit Express Limited, The Carpenter Management Corporation, The Insurance Partnership Holdings Limited, The Insurance Partnership Services Limited, The Positive Ageing Company Limited, The Purple Partnership Limited, The Recovre Group Pty Ltd, Thomsons Online Benefits (HK) Ltd., Thomsons Online Benefits Inc., Thomsons Online Benefits Limited, Thomsons Online Benefits Pte Ltd., Thomsons Online Benefits S.R.L, Torrent Government Contracting Services LLC, Torrent Insurance Services LLC, Torrent Technologies, Torrent Technologies Inc., Tower Hill Limited, Tower Place Developments (West) Limited, Tower Place Developments Limited, U.T.E. AMG, U.T.E. Marsh - Caja Castilla La Mancha Junta de Comunidades, U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Reus (in liquidation), U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Reus 2012, U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Vila-Seca 2010, UAD BB Marsh Lietuva, Vezina & Associes Inc., Vezina Assurances Inc., Victor Insurance Europe B.V., Victor Insurance Holdings Inc., Victor Insurance Italia S.r.l., Victor Insurance Managers Inc., Victor Insurance Managers Inc./Gestionnaires d'assurance Victor inc., Victor O. Schinnerer & Co. (Bermuda) Ltd., Victor O. Schinnerer & Company Limited, Victoria Hall Company Limited, Wellnz Limited, William M. Mercer (Canada) Limited/William M. Mercer (Canada) Limitee, William M. Mercer AB, William M. Mercer Comercio Consultoria e Servicos Ltda., Wortham Insurance & Risk Management, everBe SAS, and realright GmbH.

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Avnet, Inc., a technology solutions company, markets, sells, and distributes electronic components. The company operates through two segments, Electronic Components and Farnell. The Electronic Components segment markets, sells, and distributes semiconductors; interconnect, passive, and electromechanical devices; and other integrated components from electronic component manufacturers. It also offers design chain support that provides engineers with technical design solutions; engineering and technical resources to support product design, bill of materials development, and technical education and training; and supply chain solutions that provide support and logistical services to original equipment manufacturers, electronic manufacturing service providers, and electronic component manufacturers. In addition, this segment provides integrated solutions, such as technical design, integration, and assembly of embedded products, and systems and solutions primarily for industrial applications, as well as for intelligent and innovative embedded display solutions comprising touch and passive displays. Further, it develops and manufactures standard board and industrial subsystems, and application-specific devices that enable it to produce systems tailored to specific customer requirements. This segment serves various markets, such as automotive, medical, defense, aerospace, telecommunications, industrial, and digital editing. The Farnell segment distributes kits, tools, and electronic and industrial automation components, as well as test and measurement products to engineers and entrepreneurs. It has operations in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. Avnet, Inc. was founded in 1921 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.
The following companies are subsidiares of Prudential Financial: 210-220 E. 22nd Street SSGA Owner LLC, AIG Edison, AIG Star, AREF Cayman Co Ltd., AREF GP II Pte. Ltd., AREF GP Ltd., ASPF II - Feeder Fund GmbH, ASPF II - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, ASPF II Management GmbH, ASPF III Scots L.P., ASSURANCE, AST Investment Services Inc., Adlerwerke CB Investment LLC, Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Habitat S.A., Administradora de Inversiones Previsionales SpA, Aoba Life Insurance Company, Aoba Life Insurance Company Ltd., Asia Property Fund III GP S.a.r.l., Assurance IQ LLC, Assurance Intelligence LLC, BSC CP LP, Braeloch Holdings Inc., Braeloch Successor Corporation, Brazilian Capital Fund GP Limited, Broad Street Global Advisors LLC, Broome Street Holdings LLC, CB German Retail LLC, CLIS Co. Ltd., COLICO INC., Capital Agricultural Property Services Inc., Chadwick Boulevard Investment Holdings Co. LLC, Cibecue LLC, Coconino LLC, Colico II Inc., Columbus Drive Partners L.P., Commerce Street Holdings LLC, Commerce Street Investments LLC, Coolidge LLC, Coral Reef GP, Coral Reef L.P., Coral Reef Unit Trust, Cottage Street Investments LLC, Cottage Street Orbit Acquisition LLC, DICKENS AVENUE HOLDINGS VI LLC, DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI Ireland L.P., DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI US L.P., Dale/P Minerals Limited Partnership, Don Cesar Investor LLC, Dryden Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Dryden Finance II LLC, EVP II GP S.a r.l., EVP II Horizon GP S.a r.l., EVP II Sprint GP S.a r.l., Edison Place Senior Note LLC, Essex LLC, EuroCore GP S.a r.l., European Value Partners GP S.a.r.l., Everbright PGIM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Flagstaff LLC, GA 1600 Commons LLC, GA 333 Hennepin Investor LLC, GA BV LLC, GA Bay Area GP LLC, GA Bay Area Investor LLC, GA Belden LLC, GA CLARENDON LLC, GA Cal Crossings LLC, GA Collins LLC, GA E. 22nd Street Apartments Holdings LLC, GA East 86 Street LLC, GA JHCII LLC, GA MENLO PARK INVESTOR LLC, GA Manor at Harbour Island LLC, GA Metro LLC, GA TRITON INVESTOR LLC, GA W Paces LLC, GA/MDI 333 Hennepin Associates LLC, GIBRALTAR BSN HOLDINGS SDN BHD, GIBRALTAR INDIA SOLUTIONS LLP, Gateway Holdings II LLC, Gateway Holdings LLC, German Retail Income CP LP, Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad, Gibraltar International Insurance Services Company Inc., Gibraltar International Service LLC, Gibraltar Reinsurance Company Ltd., Gibraltar Universal Life Reinsurance Company, Glenealy International Limited, Global Portfolio Strategies Inc., Gold GP Limited, Gold II L.P., Gold L.P., Graham Resources Inc., Graham Royalty Ltd., Green Harvest Asset Management LLC, Green Tree GP, Green Tree L.P., Greenlee LLC, Halsey Street Investments LLC, Hirakata LLC, IVP Fund GP LLC, Impact Investments Bridges UK S.a.r.l, Inter-Atlantic G Fund L.P., Inversiones Previsionales Chile SpA, Inversiones Previsionales Dos SpA, Ironbound Fund LLC, Jennison Associates LLC, Kyarra S.a r.l., Kyoei Annuity Home Co. Ltd. Kabushiki Kaisha Kyouei Nenkin Home, LINEUP LLC, Lake Street Partners IV L.P., Lotus Reinsurance Company Ltd., MC GA COLLINS HOLDINGS LLC, MC GA COLLINS REALTY LLC, MC Insurance Agency Services LLC, Manor at Harbour Island LLC, Marble Canyon LLC, Maricopa LLC, Market Street Holdings IV LLC, Montana Capital Partners, Morenci LLC, Mulberry Street Holdings LLC, Mulberry Street Investment L.P., Mulberry Street Partners LLC, Mullin TBG Insurance Agency Services LLC, MullinTBG Insurance Agency Services, National Family Assurance Group LLC, New Savanna, Northbound Emerging Manager Fund A LP, Northbound Emerging Manager Fund II - A LP, Orchard Street Acres Inc., PAI Bay Farm LLC, PAI Bayrock Groves LLC, PAI Belvidere Farms LLC, PAI Big Cypress Farm LLC, PAI Corcoran 640 Ranch LLC, PAI DeKalb Farm LLC, PAI Delano 1500 Ranches LLC, PAI Desert Falcon Farms Manager LLC, PAI Flicker Orchard LLC, PAI Good Hope Farm LLC, PAI Hawk Creek Ranch LLC, PAI Hills Valley Ranches LLC, PAI Holly Hill Groves LLC, PAI Hunt Farm LLC, PAI Jackson Bayou Farm LLC, PAI Lake Placid Groves LLC, PAI River Bend Ranches LLC, PAI Wallula Gap Vineyard LLC, PCP V Cayman AIV GP L.P., PEREF II Co-Invest 1 GP S.a r.l., PEREF II GP S.a r.l., PFI EM-Tech Fund I LLC, PG Business Service Co. Ltd, PG Collection Service Co. Ltd., PG Friendly Partners Co. Ltd., PGA Asian Retail Limited, PGA European Limited, PGI Co. Ltd, PGIM AC Co-Invest GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM AVP IV GP S.a r.l., PGIM Advisory Shanghai Co. Ltd., PGIM Agricultural Investments GP LLC, PGIM Australia Pty Ltd, PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Fund L.P., PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Partners LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Feeder VI LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Fund VI L.P., PGIM Custom Harvest LLC, PGIM DC Co-Invest GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM DC JV GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM DC Solutions LLC, PGIM European Financing Limited, PGIM European Services Limited, PGIM Financial Limited, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund II L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives GP LLC, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives II GP LLC, PGIM Foreign Investments Inc., PGIM Holding Company LLC, PGIM Holdings Limited, PGIM Hong Kong Ltd., PGIM INDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM INDIA TRUSTEES PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM IRELAND LIMITED, PGIM Inc., PGIM International Financing Inc., PGIM Investments Ireland Limited, PGIM Investments LLC, PGIM Japan Co. Ltd., PGIM Korea Inc., PGIM LTIF Berlin GP S.a r.l., PGIM LTIF Berlin MLP S.ar.l., PGIM LTIF GP S.a.r.l., PGIM Limited, PGIM Loan Originator Manager Limited, PGIM M Campus GP S.a r.l., PGIM Management Partner Limited, PGIM MetaProp Investor LP LLC, PGIM Netherlands B.V., PGIM Overseas Investment Fund Management Shanghai Company Ltd, PGIM Private Capital Ireland Limited, PGIM Private Capital Limited, PGIM Private Placement Investors Inc., PGIM Private Placement Investors L.P., PGIM QUANTITATIVE SOLUTIONS LLC, PGIM REF EUROPE SCSp, PGIM REF Europe GP S.a r.l., PGIM REF Europe Member LLC, PGIM REF Intermediary Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate CD S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Capital VII GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest L.P., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest SCSp, PGIM Real Estate Co-Invest Holdings LLC, PGIM Real Estate Debt GmbH, PGIM Real Estate Finance Holding Company, PGIM Real Estate Finance LLC, PGIM Real Estate France SAS, PGIM Real Estate Germany AG, PGIM Real Estate Global Debt GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Global Master Fund GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles II S de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles S. de R.L. de C.V, PGIM Real Estate Italy S.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Japan Ltd., PGIM Real Estate Loan Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate Luxembourg S.A., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Management Luxembourg S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Mexico S.C., PGIM Real Estate S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate U.S. CORE Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate U.S. Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate UK Limited, PGIM Scots Limited, PGIM Securities Investment Trust Enterprise, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management (Feeder) I LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management Fund I L.P., PGIM Shanghai Company Ltd., PGIM Singapore Pte. Ltd., PGIM Strategic Financing LLC, PGIM Strategic Investments Inc., PGIM Taronga Investor GP LLC, PGIM U.S. Agriculture Fund LP, PGIM USPF VI Manager LLC, PGIM Wadhwani LLP, PGIM Warehouse Inc., PGLH of Delaware Inc., PIFM Holdco LLC, PIIC Limited, PIISC Holdings UK Limited, PIM KF Blocker V Holdings LLC, PIM USPF V Manager LLC, PLA Administradora Industrial SRL, PLA Administradora LLC, PLA Administradora S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional II S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional S.de R.L. de C.V., PLA Co-Investor LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager I LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager II LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Blue LP, PLA Retail Fund I Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LP, PLA Retail Fund II Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II U.S. Carry/Co-Invest LP, PLA Services Manager Mexico LLC, PLAI Limited, PMCF Holdings LLC, PMCF Properties LLC, PPPF General Partner LLP, PR GA SCP Apartments LLC, PRAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP LLP, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP SCOTS FEEDER LLP, PRECO Account IV LLC, PRECO Account Partnership IV LP, PRECO III GP LLP, PREFG Hanwha Manager LLC, PREI Acquisition I Inc., PREI Acquisition II Inc., PREI Acquisition LLC, PREI HYDG LLC, PREI International Inc., PRIAC Property Acquisitions LLC, PRICOA Management Partner Limited, PRISA Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Pooled Manager LLC, PRISA III Fund GP LLC, PRISA III Fund PIM LLC, PRREF Debt Fund Manager LLC, PRREF II Fund Manager LLC, PRU 3XSquare LLC, PRUCO LLC, PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL ENERGY PARTNERS MANAGEMENT (FEEDER) LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP MEMBER LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP REIT LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE 2 LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE LLC, PT PFI Mega Life Insurance, Passaic Fund LLC, Pine Tree GP, Pine Tree L.P., Platinum GP Limited, Platinum II L.P., Platinum L.P., Pramerica Business Consulting Shanghai Company Limited, Pramerica EVP CP LP, Pramerica Financial Asia Headquarters Pte. Ltd., Pramerica Financial Asia Limited, Pramerica Fixed Income Funds Management Limited, Pramerica Fosun Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Pramerica Holdings Ltd, Pramerica Hong Kong Holdings Limited, Pramerica Insurance Agency China Company Ltd., Pramerica Luxembourg CP GP S.a.r.l., Pramerica PRECAP I GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP II GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP III GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP IV GP LLP, Pramerica Pan European Real Estate Scots LP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I GP Scots Feeder LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I Scotland Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital II Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital III Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Limited, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Scots Feeder LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V Netherlands GP LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital VI Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Scots CP GP LLP, Preco III Scotland Limited Partnership, Pru 101 Wood LLC, Pru Alpha Partners I LLC, Pru Fixed Income Emerging Markets Partners I LLC, PruVen Capital Partners Fund I L.P., Pruco Assignment Corporation, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, Pruco Securities LLC, Prudential 900 Aviation Boulevard LLC, Prudential Affordable Mortgage Company LLC, Prudential Agricultural Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Annuities Distributors Inc., Prudential Annuities Holding Company Inc., Prudential Annuities Inc., Prudential Annuities Information Services & Technology Corporation, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Captive Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Universal Company, Prudential Bank & Trust FSB, Prudential Capital Energy Opportunity Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners Management Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Partners Management Fund IV L.P., Prudential Capital and Investment Services LLC, Prudential Chile II SpA, Prudential Chile SpA, Prudential Commercial Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Equity Group LLC, Prudential Financial Inc., Prudential Fixed Income Global Liquidity Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Fixed Income U.S. Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Funding LLC, Prudential General Services of Japan Y.K., Prudential Gibraltar Agency Co. Ltd. Prudential Gibraltar Agency Kabushiki Kaisha, Prudential Global Funding LLC, Prudential Holdings of Japan Inc., Prudential Huntoon Paige Associates LLC, Prudential IBH Holdco Inc., Prudential Impact Investments Mortgage Loans LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Debt LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Equity LLC, Prudential Insurance Agency LLC, Prudential International Insurance Holdings Ltd., Prudential International Insurance Service Company L.L.C., Prudential International Investments Advisers LLC, Prudential International Investments Company LLC, Prudential International Investments LLC, Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, Prudential Japan Holdings LLC, Prudential Legacy Insurance Company of New Jersey, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 1 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 2 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Capital Asset Holding Company LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Funding LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, Prudential Multifamily Mortgage LLC, Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, Prudential Newark Realty LLC, Prudential QOZ Investment Fund 1 LLC, Prudential Realty Securities Inc., Prudential Retirement Financial Services Holding LLC, Prudential Retirement Holdings LLC, Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, Prudential Securities Secured Financing Corporation, Prudential Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., Prudential Seguros S.A., Prudential Select Strategies LLC, Prudential Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Prudential Structured Settlement Company, Prudential Systems Japan Limited, Prudential Tax Services LLC, Prudential Term Reinsurance Company, Prudential Trust Co. Ltd., Prudential Trust Company, Prudential Universal Reinsurance Company, Prudential Workplace Solutions Group Services LLC, Prudential do Brasil Seguros de Vida S.A., Prudential do Brasil Vida em Grupo S.A., Prudential/TMW Real Estate Group LLC, Pruservicos Participacoes Ltda., QMA JP EM All Cap Equity Partners LLC, Quartzsite LLC, Residential Services Corporation of America LLC, Rio CP LP, Rock European Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock Global Real Estate LLC, Rock Kensington Limited, Rock Marty GP S.a r.l., Rock Oxford S.a r.l., Rock UK Real Estate II S.a.r.l., Rockstone Co. Ltd., Rosado Grande LLC, Ross Avenue Energy Fund Holdings LLC, Ross Avenue Minerals 2012 LLC, SCP Apartments LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERS VI GP LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FUND VI GP LLC, SHP IV Carried Interest LP, SHP V Carried Interest L.P., SMP Holdings Inc., SVIIT Holdings Inc., Sanei Collection Service Co. Ltd. Kabushiki Kaisha Sanei Shuuno Service, Senior Housing Partners V LLC, Senior Housing Partnership Fund V LLC, Sterling Private Placement Management LLP, Stetson Street Partners L.P., Strand Investments Limited, TBG Insurance Services Corporation, TENSATOR HOLDINGS LTD, TF Proveedora S.C., TMW ASPF I Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, TMW ASPF Management GmbH, TMW Management LLC, TMW Real Estate Group LLC, TMW Realty Advisors LLC, TMW USPF Verwaltungs GmbH, TRGOAG Company Inc., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Keynes Dynamic Beta Strategy US Fund GP LLC, The Prudential Assigned Settlement Services Corp., The Prudential Brazilian Capital Fund LP, The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Prudential Home Mortgage Company Inc., The Prudential Insurance Company of America, The Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd., The Prudential Real Estate Financial Services of America Inc., The WMF Group, Thurloe Commercial Guernsey Limited, USPF V - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, USPF V Carry LLC, USPF V Co-Invest LLC, USPF V Investment LP, United States Property Fund VI GP S.a r.l., VIP Australia Holding Company LLC, VIP Australia Trustee Pty Ltd, Vailsburg Fund LLC, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company, Wabash Avenue Holdings V LLC, Wabash Avenue Partners V L.P., Wadhwani Capital Limited, Waveland Avenue Holdings I LLC, Waveland Avenue Partners I Ireland L.P., Waveland Avenue Partners I US L.P., Wellness Services Ecossistema De Bem Estar Ltda., Wellness Services SRL, Yamato Life, and Yavapai LLC.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Bristol-Myers Squibb: 1096271 B.C. ULC, 345 Park LLC, A.G. Medical Services P.A., AHI Investment LLC, AbVitro LLC, Abraxis BioScience Australia Pty Ltd., Abraxis BioScience Inc., Abraxis BioScience International Holding Company Inc., Abraxis BioScience LLC, Abraxis BioScience Puerto Rico LLC, Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Adnexus, Adnexus a Bristol-Myers Squibb R&D Company, Allard Labs Acquisition G.P., Amira Pharmaceuticals, Amira Pharmaceuticals Inc., Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Apothecon LLC, B-MS Generx Unlimited Company, BMS Benelux Holdings B.V., BMS Bermuda Nominees L.L.C., BMS Data Acquisition Company LLC, BMS Forex Company, BMS Holdings Sarl, BMS Holdings Spain S.L., BMS International Insurance Designated Activity Company, BMS Investco SAS, BMS Korea Holdings L.L.C., BMS Latin American Nominees L.L.C., BMS Luxembourg Partners L.L.C., BMS Omega Bermuda Holdings Finance Ltd., BMS Pharmaceutical Korea Limited, BMS Pharmaceuticals Germany Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals International Holdings Netherlands B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Korea Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Mexico Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Netherlands Holdings B.V., BMS Real Estate LLC, BMS Spain Investments LLC, BMS Strategic Portfolio Investments Holdings Inc., Blisa Acquisition G.P., Bristol (Iran) S.A., Bristol Iran Private Company Limited, Bristol Laboratories Inc., Bristol Laboratories International S.A., Bristol Laboratories Medical Information Systems Inc., Bristol-Myers (Andes) L.L.C., Bristol-Myers (Private) Limited, Bristol-Myers Middle East S.A.L., Bristol-Myers Overseas Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Israel) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (NZ) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Proprietary) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Taiwan) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (West Indies) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb A.E., Bristol-Myers Squibb Aktiebolag, Bristol-Myers Squibb Argentina S. R. L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Axia Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb B.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Belgium S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Business Services Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada International Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Delta Company Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Denmark Filial of Bristol-Myers Squibb AB, Bristol-Myers Squibb EMEA Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Egypt LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Epsilon Holdings Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Ltda., Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Portuguesa S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb GesmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co. KGaA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holding Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings 2002 Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Ireland Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Pharma Ltd. Liability Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Ilaclari Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb India Pvt. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Company Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Investco L.L.C., Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., Bristol-Myers Squibb Kft., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg International S.C.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb MEA GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Manufacturing Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Marketing Services S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Middle East & Africa FZ-LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Norway Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Nutricionales de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Peru S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (HK) Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (Thailand) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Holding Company LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Ventures Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Polska Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Products SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico/Sanofi Pharmaceutical Partnership Puerto Rico, Bristol-Myers Squibb Romania S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.A.U., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Holding Partnership, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Service Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Services Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Spol. s r.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Theta Finance Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Trustees Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Colombia S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Costa Rica Sociedad Anonima, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Guatemala S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb/Astrazeneca EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, Bristol-Myers de Venezuela S.C.A., CHT I LLC, CHT II LLC, CHT III LLC, CHT IV LLC, CR Finance Company LLC, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals Inc., Celem LLC, Celem Ltd., Celgene, Celgene A.B., Celgene AS, Celgene Ab (Finland), Celgene Alpine Investment Co. II LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. III LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. LLC, Celgene ApS, Celgene B.V., Celgene BVBA, Celgene Brasil Produtos Farmaceuticos Ltda., Celgene CAR LLC, Celgene CAR Ltd., Celgene Chemicals Sarl, Celgene China Holdings LLC, Celgene Co., Celgene Corporation, Celgene Distribution B.V., Celgene EngMab GmbH, Celgene Europe B.V., Celgene Europe Limited, Celgene European Investment Company LLC, Celgene Financing Company LLC, Celgene Global Holdings Sarl, Celgene GmbH [Austria], Celgene GmbH [Germany], Celgene GmbH [Switzerland], Celgene Holdings East Corporation, Celgene Holdings II Sarl, Celgene Holdings III Sarl, Celgene Ilac Pazarlama ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Celgene Inc., Celgene International Holdings Corporation, Celgene International II Sarl, Celgene International III Sarl, Celgene International Inc., Celgene International Sarl, Celgene K.K., Celgene Kft., Celgene Limited [Hong Kong], Celgene Limited [Ireland], Celgene Limited [New Zealand], Celgene Limited [Taiwan], Celgene Limited [UK], Celgene Logistics Sarl, Celgene Ltd, Celgene Luxembourg Sarl, Celgene Management Sarl, Celgene NJ Investment Co, Celgene Netherlands B.V., Celgene Netherlands Investment B.V., Celgene Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Celgene Pte. Ltd., Celgene Pty Ltd, Celgene Puerto Rico Distribution LLC, Celgene Quanticel Research Inc, Celgene R&D Sarl, Celgene RIVOT LLC, Celgene RIVOT Ltd., Celgene RIVOT SRL, Celgene Receptos Limited, Celgene Receptos Sarl, Celgene Research Incubator At Summit West LLC, Celgene Research S.L.U., Celgene Research and Development Company LLC, Celgene Research and Development I ULC, Celgene Research and Development II LLC, Celgene Research and Investment Company II LLC, Celgene S. de R.L. de C.V., Celgene S.L.U., Celgene S.R.L., Celgene SAS, Celgene Sarl AU, Celgene Sdn Bhd, Celgene Services Sarl, Celgene Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Celgene Sp. Z.o.o., Celgene Sro [Czech Republic], Celgene Summit Investment Co, Celgene Switzerland Holding Sarl, Celgene Switzerland II LLC, Celgene Switzerland Investment Sarl, Celgene Switzerland LLC, Celgene Switzerland Sarl, Celgene Tri A Holdings Ltd., Celgene Tri Sarl, Celgene UK Distribution Limited, Celgene UK Holdings Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing II Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing III Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing Limited, Celgene d.o.o., Celgene sro [Slovakia], Celmed LLC, Celmed Ltd., ConvaTec Divestiture, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals AB, Crosp Ltd., Delinia Inc., Deuteria Pharmaceuticals Inc., DuPont Pharmaceuticals, E. R. Squibb & Sons Inter-American Corporation, E. R. Squibb & Sons L.L.C., E. R. Squibb & Sons Limited, EWI Corporation, EngMab Sarl, F-star Alpha, FermaVir Pharmaceuticals L.L.C., FermaVir Research L.L.C., Flexus Biosciences, Flexus Biosciences Inc., Forbius, Galecto Biotech, GenPharm International L.L.C., Gloucester Pharmaceuticals LLC, Grove Insurance Company Ltd., Heyden Farmaceutica Portuguesa Limitada, IFM Therapeutics, Impact Biomedicines Inc., Inhibitex, Inhibitex L.L.C., Innate Tumor Immunity Inc., JuMP Holdings LLC, Juno Therapeutics GmbH, Juno Therapeutics Inc., Kosan Biosciences, Kosan Biosciences Incorporated, Linson Investments Limited, Mead Johnson (Manufacturing) Jamaica Limited, Mead Johnson Jamaica Ltd., Medarex, Morris Avenue Investment II LLC, Morris Avenue Investment LLC, MyoKardia, O.o.o. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) AB, Padlock Therapeutics, Padlock Therapeutics Inc., Pharmion LLC, Princeton Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Receptos LLC, Receptos Services LLC, RedoxTherapies Inc., Route 22 Real Estate Holding Corporation, SPV A Holdings ULC, Seamair Insurance DAC, Signal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Sino-American Shanghai Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Societe Francaise de Complements Alimentaires(S.O.F.C.A.), Squibb Middle East S.A., Summit West Celgene LLC, Swords Laboratories, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westwood-Intrafin SA, Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals Inc., X-Body Inc., ZymoGenetics, ZymoGenetics Inc., ZymoGenetics LLC, ZymoGenetics Paymaster LLC, iPierian, and iPierian Inc..

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Coeur Mining, Inc. explores for precious metals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold, silver, zinc, and lead properties. It holds 100% interests in the Palmarejo gold and silver mine covering an area of approximately 67,296 net acres located in the State of Chihuahua in Northern Mexico; the Rochester silver and gold mine that covers an area of approximately 43,441net acres situated in northwestern Nevada; the Kensington gold mine comprising 3,972 net acres located to the north of Juneau, Alaska; the Wharf gold mine covering an area of approximately 3,243 net acres situated in the northern Black Hills of western South Dakota; and the Silvertip silver-zinc-lead mine comprising 97,298 net acres located in northern British Columbia, Canada. In addition, the company owns interests in the Crown and Sterling projects located in southern Nevada; and the La Preciosa project located in Mexico. Further, it markets and sells its concentrates to third-party customers, smelters, under off-take agreements. The company was formerly known as Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation and changed its name to Coeur Mining, Inc. in May 2013.Coeur Mining, Inc. was incorporated in 1928 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
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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Installed Building Products, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the installation of insulation, waterproofing, fire-stopping, fireproofing, garage doors, rain gutters, window blinds, shower doors, closet shelving and mirrors, and other products in the continental United States. The company offers a range of insulation materials, such as fiberglass and cellulose, and spray foam insulation materials. It is also involved in the installation of insulation and sealant materials in various areas of a structure, which includes basement and crawl space, building envelope, attic, and acoustical applications. In addition, the company installs a range of caulk and sealant products that control air infiltration in residential and commercial buildings; and waterproofing options, including sheet and hot applied waterproofing membranes, as well as deck coating, bentonite, and air and vapor systems. It serves homebuilders, multi-family and commercial construction firms, individual homeowners, and repair and remodeling contractors through a network of approximately 210 branch locations. The company was formerly known as CCIB Holdco, Inc. Installed Building Products, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is based in Columbus, Ohio.
LCI Industries, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and supplies components for the manufacturers of recreational vehicles (RVs) and adjacent industries in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and Aftermarket. The OEM segment manufactures and distributes a range of engineered components, such as steel chassis and related components; axles and suspension solutions; slide-out mechanisms and solutions; thermoformed bath, kitchen, and other products; vinyl, aluminum, and frameless windows; manual, electric, and hydraulic stabilizer and leveling systems; entry, luggage, patio, and ramp doors; furniture and mattresses; electric and manual entry steps; awnings and awning accessories; towing products; truck accessories; electronic components; appliances; air conditioners; televisions and sound systems; and other accessories. This segment serves OEMs of RVs and adjacent industries, including buses; trailers used to haul boats, livestock, equipment, and other cargo; trucks; boats; trains; manufactured homes; and modular housing, as well as travel trailers, fifth-wheel travel trailers, folding camping trailers, and truck campers. The Aftermarket segment supplies various components of RV and adjacent industries to retail dealers, wholesale distributors, and service centers. This segment also sells replacement glass and awnings to fulfill insurance claims; and biminis, covers, buoys, and fenders to the marine industry. The company was formerly known as Drew Industries Incorporated and changed its name to LCI Industries in December 2016. LCI Industries was incorporated in 1984 and is based in Elkhart, Indiana.
The following companies are subsidiares of Lear: A.W. Chapman Belgium NV, A.W. Chapman Ltd., AccuMED Corp., AccuMED Holdings Corp., Arada Systems, Automotive Industries Holding Inc., Beijing BAI Lear Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., Beijing BHAP Lear Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., Borealis Industrier, Changchun Lear FAWSN Automotive Electrical Co. Ltd., Consorcio Industrial Mexicano de Autopartes S. de R.L. de C.V., Cordelia Autoparts Sweden AB, Dunlop Cox Limited, EXO Technologies, EXO Technologies Ltd., Eagle Ottawa (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Eagle Ottawa China Ltd., Eagle Ottawa Fonseca S.A., Eagle Ottawa Foreign Holdings ApS, Eagle Ottawa Hungary Kft., Eagle Ottawa LLC, Eagle Ottawa North America LLC, Gill Industries of Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Gill Management Queretaro S. de R.L. de C.V., Gill Management of Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Gill Queretaro S. de R.L. de C.V., Grote & Hartmann, Grupo Antolin's, Gruppo Pianfei S.r.L., Guangzhou Lear Automotive Components Co. Ltd, Guilford Europe Limited, Guilford Europe Pension Trustees Limited, Guilford Mills, Industrias Lear de Argentina SrL, Jiangxi Jiangling Lear Interior Systems Co. Ltd., Lear (Shanghai) Auto Parts Technology Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive EEDS Honduras S.A., Lear Automotive Electronics and Electrical Products Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Fabrics Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive India Private Limited, Lear Automotive Interior Materials Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Manufacturing L.L.C., Lear Automotive Metals Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Morocco SAS, Lear Automotive Operations Netherlands B.V., Lear Automotive Sdn. Bhd., Lear Automotive Services B.V., Lear Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., Lear Canada Holding S.a.r.l., Lear Changan Automotive Seating Co. Ltd., Lear Changan Automotive System Co. Ltd., Lear China Engineering LLC, Lear Corporation Ara S.L., Lear Corporation Ardasa S.L., Lear Corporation Asientos S.L., Lear Corporation Belgium B.V., Lear Corporation Beteiligungs GmbH, Lear Corporation Canada ULC, Lear Corporation Changchun Automotive Interior Systems Co. Ltd., Lear Corporation China Ltd., Lear Corporation Czech Republic s.r.o., Lear Corporation Engineering Belgium B.V., Lear Corporation Engineering Czech Republic s.r.o., Lear Corporation Engineering GmbH, Lear Corporation Engineering Hungary Kft., Lear Corporation Engineering Italy S.r.l., Lear Corporation Engineering Limited, Lear Corporation Engineering Morocco S.a.r.l., Lear Corporation Engineering Poland Sp. z.o.o., Lear Corporation Engineering Slovakia s.r.o., Lear Corporation Engineering Spain S.L., Lear Corporation France SAS, Lear Corporation GmbH, Lear Corporation Gothenburg AB, Lear Corporation Holding Spain S.L., Lear Corporation Ingenierie S.A.S., Lear Corporation Italia S.r.l., Lear Corporation Japan K.K., Lear Corporation Jarny S.A.S., Lear Corporation Limited, Lear Corporation Loire S.A.S., Lear Corporation Macedonia DOOEL Tetovo, Lear Corporation Martorell S.L., Lear Corporation Meknes S.a.r.l. AU, Lear Corporation Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Lear Corporation Pension Scheme Trustees Limited, Lear Corporation Poland II Sp. z.o.o., Lear Corporation Pontevedra S.L., Lear Corporation Romania S.r.L., Lear Corporation S.r.L., Lear Corporation Seating France Feignies S.A.S., Lear Corporation Seating France S.A.S., Lear Corporation Seating Slovakia s.r.o., Lear Corporation South East Asia Co. Ltd. (Thailand), Lear Corporation Spain Alava S.L., Lear Corporation UK Holdings Limited, Lear Corporation Valenca Unipessoal Lda., Lear Corporation d.o.o. Novi Sad, Lear DFM Automotive Seating (Yancheng) Co. Ltd., Lear Dongfeng Automotive Seating Co. Ltd., Lear EEDS and Interiors LLC, Lear East European Operations S.a.r.l., Lear Electrical Systems de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Lear European Holding S.L., Lear Financial Services B.V., Lear Global Operations S.a.r.l., Lear Global Technology Corporation France, Lear Global Technology Corporation Germany, Lear Global Technology Corporation Spain, Lear Global Technology Corporation UK, Lear Holding Limited, Lear Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., Lear India Engineering LLC, Lear India Engineering LLP, Lear Israel Engineering LLC, Lear Japan Engineering LLC, Lear Korea Engineering LLC, Lear Korea Engineering Yuhan Hoesa, Lear Korea Yuhan Hoesa, Lear LLC, Lear Mexican Seating Corporation, Lear Mexican Trim Operations S. de R.L. de C.V., Lear Morocco Engineering LLC, Lear Otomotiv Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Lear Philippines Engineering LLC, Lear S.a.r.l., Lear Seating Corp. Ltd., Lear Sewing Ltd., Lear UK Acquisition Limited, Lear do Brasil Industria e Comercio de Interiores Automotivos Ltda., M and N Plastics Inc., M&N Plastics, Mezed Inversiones S.r.l., PT Lear Automotive Indonesia, PT Lear Corporation Indonesia, Shanghai Lear Automotive Parts Co. Ltd., Shanghai Lear Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., Shenyang Jinbei Lear Auto Parts Co. Ltd., Shenyang Lear Jinbei Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., Strapazzini Resine S.r.L., Tacle Seating UK Limited, Tianjin FAWSN Lear Automotive Electrical & Electronics Co. Ltd., United Technologies Automotive, Wuhan Lear-DFM Auto Electric Company Limited, Xevo Inc., Xevo Inc., Xevo Japan LLC, Xevo K.K., and Yangzhou Lear Hulane Automotive Parts Trading Co. Ltd..

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Snap Inc. is a social media company operating globally. The company was founded in September 2011 by Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy. Originally known as Snapchat, the company changed its name to Snap in order to represent its offerings better as it grew over the years. The companys headquarters are in Santa Monica, California and it is a very tightly held company. The original founders, Evan Speigel and Bobby Murphy own a combined 45% of non-dilutable shares with ownership transferable to the other upon death. The two remain active in the company today serving on the board and acting as CEO (Speigel) and CTO (Murphy).

The company was formerly known as Snapchat, Inc. and changed its name to Snap Inc. in September 2016. Snap Inc. was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Over the years it has been courted by most of the big tech companies including Facebook and Google but has always opted to remain a standalone company. The business went public in 2017 and raised $30 billion on its opening day which is about 10 times the expected amount.

Today, Snap operates as a camera company internationally. The companys main revenue streams are Snapchat, a mobile app for cameras and communications, and Spectacles, a wearable augmented reality device. Snapchat is a camera app that allows users to take pictures and tell stories, the platform also permits ad sales which is an integral part of the revenue and earnings. The companys mission? To empower people to express themselves in todays digital world.

Spectacles is a hardware device that can connect with Snapchat to deliver pictures and video from a point-of-view perspective. The company has since made three upgrades to the original version and has a Next Generation model available too. The Next Generation of Spectacles are not intended for sale but will be made available to creators who wish to push the boundaries of video and digital communications.

In October 2022 the company reported it had more than 347milion daily active users with more than 250 million engaging with AR each day. The platform had more than 250,000 Lens creators (Lenses are AR experiences) with more than 2.5 million lenses created. There were more than 6 billion lens plays each day and more than 75% of 13-34-year-olds in 20 countries were users.
The following companies are subsidiares of Molina Healthcare: Aetna & Humana - Medicare Advantage, Affinity Health Plan, AmericanWork Inc., Better Health Network, Camelot Care Centers Inc, Children's Behavioral Health Inc., Choices Group Inc., College Community Services, Dockside Services Inc, Family Preservation Services Inc., Family Preservation Services of Florida Inc., Family Preservation Services of North Carolina Inc., Family Preservation Services of Washington D.C. Inc., Family Preservation Services of West Virginia Inc., Florida NetPASS LLC, Hclb Inc., Magellan Complete Care, Maple Star Nevada Inc., Maple Star Oregon Inc., Mercy CarePlus, Molina Clinical Services LLC, Molina Healthcare Data Center Inc., Molina Healthcare of Arizona Inc., Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida Inc., Molina Healthcare of Georgia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Molina Healthcare of Iowa Inc., Molina Healthcare of Louisiana Inc., Molina Healthcare of Maryland Inc., Molina Healthcare of Michigan Inc., Molina Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Molina Healthcare of Nevada Inc., Molina Healthcare of New Mexico Inc., Molina Healthcare of New York Inc., Molina Healthcare of North Carolina Inc., Molina Healthcare of Ohio Inc., Molina Healthcare of Oklahoma Inc., Molina Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico Inc., Molina Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, Molina Healthcare of Texas Inc., Molina Healthcare of Texas Insurance Company, Molina Healthcare of Utah Inc., Molina Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Washington Inc., Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin Inc., Molina Holdings Corporation, Molina Hospital Management LLC, Molina Information Systems LLC dba Molina Medicaid Solutions, Molina Medical Management Inc., Molina Pathways LLC, Molina Pathways of Texas Inc., Molina Youth Academy, NextLevel Health Illinois, Pathways Community Corrections Inc., Pathways Community Services LLC, Pathways Community Support of Texas Inc., Pathways Health and Community Support LLC, Pathways Human Services LLC., Pathways of Arizona Inc., Pathways of Delaware Inc., Pathways of Idaho LLC, Pathways of Maine Inc., Pathways of Massachusetts LLC, Pathways of Oklahoma Inc., Pathways of Washington Inc., Providence Community Services, Providence Human Services, Raystown Developmental Services Inc., The Game of Work LLC, The RedCo Group Inc., Total Care Medicaid plan, Transitional Family Services Inc., Unisys -Health Information Management, and YourCare Health Plan.

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The following companies are subsidiares of NOV: APL France SAS, APL Norway AS, APL do Brasil Ltda., ASEP Otomotiv Sanayi Ticaret Ltd., Acker Holdings LLC, Ackerman Holdings C.V., Ackerman Holdings GP LLC, Advanced Production and Loading, Advanced Wirecloth S. de R.L. de C.V., American Pipe and Construction International, Ameron B.V., Ameron International, Ameron International Corporation, Ameron Pole Products LLC, Ameron Polyplaster Industria E Comercio de Tubos Ltda., Ameron Singapore Holding LLC, Andergauge Limited, Andergauge Redback LLC, Arabian Rig Manufacturing Company, Big Red Tubulars Limited, Bondstrand Ltd., Brandt Oilfield Services (M) Sdn. Bhd., C.M.A. Canavera S.R.L., CJSC Fidmash, CJSC Novmash, Chemineer Inc., Coil Services Middle East LLC, Cooperatie Intelliserv Holding U.A., Cooperatie NOV NL U.A., Danco AS, Elmar Far East Pty Ltd, Enerflow Industries, Environmental Procedures LLC, Fiber Glass Systems (Qingdao) Composite Piping Co. Ltd., Fiber Glass Systems L.P., Fiber Glass Systems Oman L.L.C., Fiberspar, Fiberspar Australia Pty. Ltd., Fibra Ingenieria y Construccion S.A., FidService LLC, Fjords Processing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fjords Processing AS, Fjords Processing Australia Pty Ltd, Fjords Processing France SAS, Fjords Processing Korea Co. Ltd., Fjords Processing Limited, Fjords Processing Middle East DMCC, Fjords Processing UK Ltd., Fryma S.a.r.l., GPEX L.P., Grant Prideco (Jiangsu) Drilling Products Co. Ltd, Grant Prideco (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Grant Prideco III C. V., Grant Prideco Inc., Grant Prideco Jersey Limited, Grant Prideco Mauritius Limited, Grant Prideco Netherlands B.V., Grant Prideco PC Composites Holdings LLC, Grant Prideco S. de R.L. de C.V., Grant Prideco de Venezuela S.A., GustoMSC B.V., Hebei Huayouyiji Tuboscope Coating Co. Ltd., Hydralift AmClyde Inc., Hydralift France SAS, Inspecciones y Pruebas No Destructivas S. de R.L. de C.V., IntelliServ Norway AS, Intelliserv GP Holdings LLC, Intelliserv Inc., Intelliserv International Holding Ltd, Intelliserv LLC, JiangYin Tuboscope Tubular Development Co. Ltd, Keystone Tower Systems Inc., MSI Pipe Protection Technologies UK Limited, Merpro Group Limited, Midsund Bruk AS, Mono Group Pension Trustees Limited, Mono Pumps New Zealand Company, Monoflo NOV S.A.I.C., Moyno Inc., NKT Flexibles I/S, NOV (Asia) Inc., NOV (Barbados) Holding SRL, NOV (Barbados) SRL, NOV (Caymans) Ltd., NOV (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., NOV - Oil Services Angola LDA., NOV APL Limited, NOV Africa Pty Ltd, NOV Australia Pty Ltd, NOV Azerbaijan LLC, NOV Brandt Europe France, NOV Brandt Oilfield Services Middle East LLC, NOV CAPS Pte. Ltd., NOV CV1 GP LLC, NOV CV2 GP LLC, NOV Canada ULC, NOV Completion Tools LLC, NOV Completion and Production Solutions Korea Ltd., NOV Denmark Cooperatief U.A., NOV Downhole Argentina LLC, NOV Downhole Bolivia S.R.L., NOV Downhole Colombia LLC, NOV Downhole Comercializacao de Equipamentos para Petroleo Ltda., NOV Downhole Congo LLC, NOV Downhole Eurasia Limited, NOV Downhole Italia S.R.L., NOV Downhole Kazakhstan LLC, NOV Downhole Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., NOV Downhole Pty Ltd, NOV Downhole Thailand LLC, NOV EU Acquisition SNC, NOV Elmar (Middle East) Limited, NOV Eurasia Holding LLC, NOV Expatriate Services Inc., NOV FGS Malaysia Sdn Bhd, NOV FGS Singapore (Pte.) Ltd, NOV Flexibles Equipamentos E Servicos Ltda., NOV Flexibles Holding ApS, NOV Fluid Control B.V., NOV GEO GP LLC, NOV GEO LP1 C.V., NOV GEO LP1 LLC, NOV GEO LP2 C.V., NOV GEO LP2 LLC, NOV Gabon SARL, NOV Germany GmbH, NOV Germany Holding GmbH, NOV Ghana Limited, NOV Grant Prideco Drilling Equipment Manufacturing LLC, NOV Grant Prideco Drilling Products Middle East FZE, NOV Grant Prideco L.L.C., NOV Holding Danmark ApS, NOV Holding Sub UK 1 Limited, NOV Holding UK 1 Limited, NOV Holding UK 2 Limited, NOV Holdings B.V., NOV India Private Limited, NOV Intelliserv UK Limited, NOV International Holdings C.V., NOV International Holdings GP LLC, NOV International Holdings LLC, NOV Intervention & Stimulation Equipment US LLC, NOV Intervention and Stimulation Equipment  Aftermarket Comercio de Equipamentos e Servicos Ltda., NOV Kenya Limited, NOV Kostroma LLC, NOV Kuwait Light & Heavy Equipment Repairing & Maintenance Co., NOV LP (Trading) LLC, NOV MFG India Private Limited, NOV Mexico Holding LLC, NOV Middle East FZCO, NOV Mozambique Limitada, NOV NL Mexico Holding B.V., NOV Oil & Gas Services Egypt (S.A.E), NOV Oil & Gas Services Senegal S.A.R.L., NOV Oil & Gas Services Uganda Limited, NOV Oil and Gas Services Ghana Limited, NOV Oil and Gas Services Namibia (Proprietary) Limited, NOV Oil and Gas Services Nigeria Limited, NOV Oil and Gas Services South Africa (Pty) Limited, NOV Oilfield Services Tanzania Limited, NOV Oilfield Services Vostok LLC, NOV Oilfield Solutions Ltd., NOV Park II B.V., NOV Process & Flow Technologies AS, NOV Process & Flow Technologies Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., NOV Process & Flow Technologies Pte. Ltd., NOV Process & Flow Technologies UK Limited, NOV QFZ LLC, NOV Rig Solutions Pte. Ltd., NOV Romania LLC, NOV Saudi Arabia Co. Ltd., NOV Saudi Arabia Trading Co., NOV Services Ltd., NOV Servicios de Personal Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., NOV Tanajib Kuwait for Services and Maintenance of Oil Rigs Refineries and Petrochemicals W.L.L., NOV Tuboscope Italia S.R.L., NOV Tuboscope Middle East LLC, NOV Tuboscope NL B.V., NOV Tubulars and Connectors Ltd., NOV UK (Angola Acquisitions) Limited, NOV UK Finance Limited, NOV UK Holdings LLC, NOV UK Holdings Limited, NOV UK Korea LP, NOV Wellbore Technologies Norway LLC, NOV Wellbore Technologies do Brasil Equipamentos E Servicos Ltda., NOV Wellsite Services Germany GmbH, NOV Worldwide B.V., NOV-BLM SAS, NOVM Holding LLC, NOW International LLC, NOW Nova Scotia Holdings LLC, NOW Oilfield Services LLC, NQL Holland B.V., National Oilwell (U.K.) Limited, National Oilwell Algerie, National Oilwell Varco (Beijing) Investment Management Co. Ltd., National Oilwell Varco (Thailand) Ltd., National Oilwell Varco Algeria, National Oilwell Varco Almansoori Services, National Oilwell Varco Bahrain WLL, National Oilwell Varco Belgium SA, National Oilwell Varco Denmark I/S, National Oilwell Varco Egypt LLC, National Oilwell Varco Eurasia LLC, National Oilwell Varco Guatemala Limitada, National Oilwell Varco Guyana Inc., National Oilwell Varco Hungary Limited Liability Company, National Oilwell Varco Korea Co. Ltd., National Oilwell Varco L.P., National Oilwell Varco MSW S.A., National Oilwell Varco Mexico S.A. de C.V., National Oilwell Varco Muscat L.L.C., National Oilwell Varco Norway AS, National Oilwell Varco Peru S.R.L., National Oilwell Varco Petroleum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., National Oilwell Varco Poland Sp.z.o.o., National Oilwell Varco Pte. Ltd., National Oilwell Varco Rig Equipment Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., National Oilwell Varco Romania S.R.L., National Oilwell Varco Solutions S.A. de C.V., National Oilwell Varco UK Limited, National Oilwell Varco Ukraine LLC, National Oilwell Varco de Bolivia S.R.L., National Oilwell Varco de Chile - Servicios Limitada, National Oilwell Varco do Brasil Ltda., National Oilwell de Venezuela C.A., National-Oilwell Pte. Ltd., National-Oilwell Pty. Ltd., PT Fjords Processing Indonesia, PT H-Tech Oilfield Equipment, PT NOV Oilfield Services, PT National Oilwell Varco, PT PROFAB INDONESIA, Pesaka Inspection Services SDN.BHD., Pipex Limited, Pipex PX Limited, Pridecomex Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., R&M Energy Systems Australia Pty Ltd, R&M Energy Systems de Argentina S.A., R&M Energy Systems de Venezuela C.A., R&M Singapore Holding LLC, RE.MAC.UT. S.r.l., RHI Holding LLC, ReedHycalog International Holding LLC, ReedHycalog L.P., ReedHycalog LLC, ReedHycalog UK Limited, Robannic Overseas Finance A.V.V., Robbins & Myers B.V., Robbins & Myers Foundation, Robbins & Myers GP LLC, Robbins & Myers Holdings LLC, Robbins & Myers Holdings UK Limited, Robbins & Myers Inc, Robbins & Myers Inc., Robbins & Myers Italia S.R.L., Robbins & Myers N.V., Rodic S.A. de C.V., Romaco S.a.r.l., STAR Sudamtex Tubulares S.A., STSA, Screen Manufacturing Company Unlimited, Slip Clutch Systems Limited, South Seas Inspection, Subseaflex Holding ApS, T-3 Energy Preferred Industries Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., T-3 Energy Services Cayman Holdings Ltd., T-3 Energy Services Cayman Ltd., T-3 Energy Services LLC, T-3 Energy Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., T-3 Investment Corporation IV, T-3 Mexican Holdings Inc., Telluride Insurance Limited, Tianjin Grant TPCO Drilling Tools Company Limited, Tuboscope & Co. LLC, Tuboscope (Holding U.S.) LLC, Tuboscope Brandt de Venezuela S.A., Tuboscope Norge AS, Tuboscope Vetco (France) SAS, Tuboscope Vetco (Osterreich) GmbH, Tuboscope Vetco Capital Limited, Tuboscope Vetco Moscow CJSC, Tuboscope Vetco de Argentina S.A., Tubular Coatings Solutions Ltd., Tucom Composites Polyester Sanayi Ticaret Ltd., Urban WLY LP, Varco BJ B.V., Varco CIS LLC, Varco International de Venezuela C.A., Varco L.P., Varco US Holdings LLC, Vetco Enterprise GmbH, Vetco Saudi Arabia Ltd., Visible Assets Inc., Wilson International, Woolley Inc., XL Systems Antilles N.V., XL Systems Europe B.V., XL Systems International Inc., voestalpine Tubulars Corporation, voestalpine Tubulars GmbH, and voestalpine Tubulars GmbH & Co KG.

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NCI Building Systems, Inc. designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets metal products for the nonresidential construction industry in North America. It operates in four segments: Engineered Building Systems, Metal Components, Insulated Metal Panels, and Metal Coil Coating. The Engineered Building Systems segment offers engineered structural members and panels; and self-storage building systems under the Metallic, Mid-West Steel, A & S, All American, Mesco, Star, Ceco, Robertson, Garco, Heritage, and SteelBuilding.com brands to builders, general contractors, developers, and end users directly, as well as through private label companies. The Metal Components segment provides metal roof and wall systems, metal partitions, metal trims, doors, and other related accessories for use in new construction, and repair and retrofit applications; roll-up doors; and interior and exterior walk doors under the MBCI, American Building Components, Eco-ficient, Metal Depots, and Doors and Buildings Components brands to manufacturers, contractors, subcontractors, distributors, lumberyards, cooperative buying groups, and other customers. The Insulated Metal Panels segment offers insulated metal panels for architectural, commercial, industrial, and cold storage end-market applications under the Metl-Span and CENTRIA brands. The Metal Coil Coating segment engages in cleaning, treating, and painting flat-rolled metals in coil form, as well as in slitting and/or embossing the metal, before the metal is fabricated for use by industrial users. It also cleans, treats, and coats heavy and light gauge metal coils for use in construction products, heating and air conditioning systems, water heaters, lighting fixtures, ceiling grids, office furniture, appliances, and other products; and provides toll coating and painted metal package services under the Metal Coaters and Metal Prep brands. NCI Building Systems, Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
The following companies are subsidiares of Thermo Fisher Scientific: 236 Perinton Parkway LLC, 27 Forge Parkway LLC, ABR--Affinity BioReagents, ACI Holdings Inc., ARG Services LLC, ASPEX Corporation, Abgene Inc., Abgene Limited, Acoustic Cytometry Systems Inc., AcroMetrix LLC, Acros Organics B.V.B.A., Advanced Biotechnologies Limited, Advanced Scientifics (ASI), Advanced Scientifics Inc., Advanced Scientifics International Inc., Affymetrix Biotech Participacoes Ltda., Affymetrix Biotech Shanghai Ltd, Affymetrix Inc, Affymetrix Japan K.K., Affymetrix Pte Ltd, Affymetrix UK Ltd, Afora S.A.U., Ahura Scientific, Alchematrix Inc., Alchematrix LLC, Alfa Aesar, Alfa Aesar (China) Chemical Co. Ltd., Alfa Aesar (Hong Kong) Limited, Allergon AB, Alphine Mountain Limited, Ambion Inc., Apogent Denmark ApS, Apogent Finance Company, Apogent Holding Company, Apogent Technologies Inc., Apogent Transition Corp., Apogent U.K. Limited, App-Tek International Pty Ltd, Applied Biosystems B.V., Applied Biosystems Finance B.V., Applied Biosystems International Inc., Applied Biosystems LLC, Applied Biosystems Taiwan LLC, Applied Biosystems Trading (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Applied Biosystems de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Applied Scientific Corporation, Avances Cientificos de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Avocado Research Chemicals Limited, B.R.A.H.M.S. Biotech GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. UK Ltd, BAC BV, BAC IP BV, Barnstead Thermolyne LLC, Beijing Phadia Diagnostics Co Ltd, Bender MedSystems GmbH, BioTrove Corporation, BioTrove International Inc., Bioanalysis Labsystems S.A., Biochemical Sciences LLC, Biolab, BmT GmbH Laborprodukte, Bonsai Tecnologies - Sistemas para Biotecnologia e Industria Unipessoal Lda, Brammer Bio, Bumi-Sans Sendirian Berhad, CAC Limited, CB Diagnostics AB, CB Diagnostics Holding AB, CEPH International Corporation, CHK Holdings Inc., CRS Robotics, CTPS LLC, Capitol Scientific Products Inc., Capitol Vial Inc., Cellomics Inc., CellzDirect Inc., Cenduit GmbH, Cenduit LLC, Cezanne S.A.S., Chase Scientific Glass Inc., Chromacol Limited, Clintrak, Clintrak Clinical Labeling Services LLC, Clintrak Pharmaceutical Services LLC, Cohesive Technologies (UK) Limited, Cohesive Technologies Inc., Columbia Diagnostics Inc., Compendia Bioscience Inc., Comtest Limited, Consolidated Technologies Inc., Consultores Fisher Scientific Chile Ltd, Core Informatics, Core Informatics LLC, Core Informatics UK Ltd., D-finitive Technologies Inc., DCG Systems B.V., DCG Systems C.V., DCG Systems G.K., DCG Systems GmbH, DCG Systems Korea Ltd., DCG Systems LLC, DPI Newco LLC, DSM Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Dharmacon, Diagnostix Ltd., Dionex (China) Analytical Ltd, Dionex (Switzerland) AG, Dionex (UK) Limited, Dionex Austria GmbH, Dionex Benelux B.V., Dionex Brasil Instrumentos Cientificos Ltda, Dionex Canada Ltd., Dionex China Limited, Dionex Corporation, Dionex Denmark A/S, Dionex Holding GmbH, Dionex I LLC, Dionex Pty Ltd., Dionex S.A., Dionex S.p.A., Dionex Singapore Pte Ltd., Dionex Softron GmbH, Dionex Sweden AB, Distribution Solutions International Inc., Doe & Ingalls Investors Inc., Doe & Ingalls Limited, Doe & Ingalls Management LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties II LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties LLC, Doe & Ingalls of California Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Florida Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Maryland Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Massachusetts Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of North Carolina Operating LLC, Doublecape Holding Limited, Doublecape Limited, Drakeside Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Duke Scientific Corporation, Dynal Biotech Beijing Limited, EGS Gauging Ltd., EGS Gauging Technical Services Company, EP Scientific Products LLC, Ecochem N.V., EnviroEquip Pty Ltd, Epsom Glass Industries Limited, Equibio Limited, Erie Electroverre S.A., Erie Finance Limited, Erie LP Holding LLC, Erie Scientific Company of Puerto Rico, Erie Scientific Hungary Kft, Erie Scientific LLC, Erie U.K. Limited, Erie UK 1 Limited, Erie UK 2 Limited, Erie UK Holding Company, Erie UK Senior Holding Limited, European Laboratory Holdings Limited, Eutech Instruments Europe B.V., Eutech Instruments Pte Ltd., Eutech Instruments Sdn Bhd, Ever Ready Thermometer Co. Inc., FEI Asia Pacific Co. Ltd., FEI Australia Pty Ltd, FEI CPD B.V., FEI Company, FEI Company Japan Ltd., FEI Company of USA (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd., FEI Czech Republic s.r.o., FEI Deutschland GmbH, FEI EFA Inc., FEI EFA International Pte. Ltd., FEI Electron Optics B.V., FEI Electron Optics International B.V., FEI Europe B.V., FEI France SAS, FEI Global Holdings C.V., FEI Hong Kong Company Limited, FEI Houston Inc., FEI Italia Srl, FEI Korea Ltd., FEI Melbourne Pty Ltd., FEI Microscopy Solutions Ltd, FEI Munich GmbH, FEI Norway Holding AS, FEI SAS, FEI Saudi Arabia LLC, FEI Servicos de Nanotecnologia Ltda., FEI Technologies Inc., FEI Technology de Mexico S.A. de C.V., FEI Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., FEI Trondheim AS, FEI UK Ltd., FHP LLC, FRC Holding Inc. V, FS (Barbados) Capital Holdings Ltd., FS Casa Rocas Holdings LLC, FS Mexicana Holdings LLC, FSI Receivables Company LLC, FSII Sweden Holdings AB, FSII Sweden Holdings I AB, FSIR Holdings (UK) Limited, FSIR Holdings (US) Inc., FSUK Holdings Limited, FSWH Company LLC, FSWH II C.V., FSWH International Holdings LLC, Fermentas China Co. Ltd, Fermentas Inc., Fermentas International, Fermentas Sweden AB, Fermentas UK Limited, Fiberlite Centrifuge LLC, Finesse Scientific Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Finesse Solutions AG, Finesse Solutions Inc., Finnzymes Oy, Fisher Alder S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Asia Manufacturing Ventures Inc., Fisher Bermuda Holdings Limited, Fisher BioImage ApS, Fisher BioPharma Services (India) Private Limited, Fisher BioSciences Japan G.K., Fisher BioServices Inc., Fisher Bioblock Holding II SNC, Fisher CLP Holding Limited Partnership, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 1, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 2, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 3, Fisher Canada Limited Partnership, Fisher Chimica BVBA, Fisher Clinical Logistics LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services (Bristol) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Colombia) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Korea) Co. Ltd, Fisher Clinical Services (Mexico) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Peru) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services Colombia S.A.S., Fisher Clinical Services GmbH, Fisher Clinical Services Inc., Fisher Clinical Services Japan K.K., Fisher Clinical Services Latin America S.R.L., Fisher Clinical Services Limited Liability Company, Fisher Clinical Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Clinical Services Peru S.R.L, Fisher Clinical Services Pte Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services U.K. Limited, Fisher Emergo B.V., Fisher Germany Holdings GmbH, Fisher Hamilton China Inc., Fisher Hamilton Mexico LLC, Fisher Holdings ApS, Fisher Internet Minority Holdings L.L.C., Fisher Laboratory Products Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Fisher Luxembourg Danish Holdings SARL, Fisher Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Maybridge Holdings Limited, Fisher Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific (Austria) GmbH, Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Fisher Scientific (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific (SEA) Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific A/S, Fisher Scientific AG, Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Limited, Fisher Scientific Biotech Line ApS, Fisher Scientific Brazil Inc., Fisher Scientific Central America Inc., Fisher Scientific Chile Inc., Fisher Scientific Colombia Inc., Fisher Scientific Company, Fisher Scientific Company L.L.C., Fisher Scientific Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Fisher Scientific Europe Holdings B.V., Fisher Scientific GTF AB, Fisher Scientific Germany Beteiligungs GmbH, Fisher Scientific GmbH, Fisher Scientific Holding Company LLC, Fisher Scientific Holding HK Limited, Fisher Scientific Holding U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific Holdings (S) Pte Ltd, Fisher Scientific International LLC, Fisher Scientific Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Fisher Scientific Ireland Investments Unlimited, Fisher Scientific Ireland Limited, Fisher Scientific Japan Ltd., Fisher Scientific Jersey Island Limited, Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd, Fisher Scientific Latin America Inc., Fisher Scientific Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Fisher Scientific Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific Mexico Inc., Fisher Scientific Middle East and Africa Inc., Fisher Scientific Norway AS, Fisher Scientific Operating Company, Fisher Scientific Oxoid Holdings Ltd., Fisher Scientific Oy, Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific S.A.S., Fisher Scientific S.L., Fisher Scientific SPRL, Fisher Scientific The Hague I B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague II B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague III B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague IV B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague V B.V., Fisher Scientific U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company 2, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company Limited, Fisher Scientific Unipessoal Lda., Fisher Scientific Venezuela Inc., Fisher Scientific Worldwide (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Holdings I C.V., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Inc., Fisher Scientific de Mexico S.A., Fisher Scientific of the Netherlands B.V., Fisher Scientific spol. S.r.o, Fisher Servicios Clinicos (Chile) LLC, Fisher Servicios Clinicos Chile Ltda, Fisher WWD Holding L.L.C., Fisher Worldwide Distribution SPV, Fisher Worldwide Gene Distribution SPV, Flux Instruments, Fuji Partnership, G & M Procter Limited, G V Instruments Limited, GV Instruments Canada Ltd., GV Instruments Inc, Gatan Inc, General Scientific Company Sdn Bhd (M), Genomed molekularbiologische und diagnostische Produkte GmbH, Gerhard Menzel B.V. & Co. KG, Gold Cattle Standard Testing Labs Inc., Golden West Indemnity Company Limited, Goring Kerr Detection Limited, Greenville Service Company Inc., HENO GmbH i.L., Hangar 215 Inc., Helmet Securities Limited, Henogen, HighChem, HyClone International Trade (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Hybaid Limited, I.Q. (BIO) Limited, IDnostics AG, ILS Laboratories Scandinavia AB, Inel Inc., Inel SAS, InnaPhase Inc., InnaPhase Limited, IntegenX, Intrinsic BioProbes Inc., Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc., Invitrogen (Shanghai) Investment Co. Ltd., Invitrogen Argentina SA, Invitrogen BioServices India Private Limited, Invitrogen Europe Limited, Invitrogen Finance Corp., Invitrogen Holdings LLC, Invitrogen Holdings Ltd., Invitrogen Hong Kong Limited, Invitrogen IP Holdings Inc., Invitrogen Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ion Torrent Systems Inc., Ionalytics Corporation, JSC Thermo Fisher Scientific, Jouan LLC, Jouan Limited, Jouan SA, Kendro Containment & Services Limited, Kendro Laboratory Products Ltd, Kettlebrook Insurance Co. ltd., Keystone Scientific, KonTEM GmbH, Kyle Jordan Investments LLC, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, LTC Tech South Africa PTY Ltd., La-Pha-Pack GmbH, Lab Vision (UK) Limited, Lab Vision Corporation, Lab-Chrom-Pack LLC, Lab-Line Instruments Inc., Labomex MBP S. de R. L. De C.V., Laboratoire Service International - L.S.I, Laboratory Management Systems Inc., Laboratory Specialties Proprietary Ltd., LambTrack Limited, Laser Analytical Systems Inc., Liberty Lane Investment LLC, Liberty Lane Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Life Sciences International (Poland) SP z O.O, Life Sciences International Holdings BV, Life Sciences International LLC, Life Sciences International Limited, Life Technologies AS, Life Technologies Australia PTY Ltd., Life Technologies BPD AB, Life Technologies BPD UK Limited, Life Technologies Brasil Comercio e Industria de Produtos para Biotecnologia Ltda, Life Technologies Chile SpA, Life Technologies Clinical Services Lab Inc., Life Technologies Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Czech Republic s.r.o., Life Technologies DaAn Diagnostic (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Europe B.V., Life Technologies Finance Ltd., Life Technologies Finland Oy, Life Technologies GmbH, Life Technologies Holdings PTE Ltd., Life Technologies Inc., Life Technologies International B.V., Life Technologies Japan Ltd., Life Technologies Korea LLC, Life Technologies Limited, Life Technologies Magyarorszag Kft, Life Technologies New Zealand Ltd., Life Technologies Norway Investments US LLC, Life Technologies Polska Sp z.o.o., Life Technologies SA, Life Technologies SAS, Life Technologies s.r.o, Linkage Biosciences Inc., Linkage Biosciences S.a.r.l., Loftus Furnace Company, Lomb Scientific, Lomb Scientific (Aust) Pty Limited, MTI-GlobalStem, Marketbase International Limited, Matrix MicroScience Inc., Matrix MicroScience Ltd., Matrix Technologies Corporation Limited, Matrix Technologies LLC, Maybridge Chemical Company Limited, Maybridge Chemical Holdings Limited, Maybridge Limited, Medical Analysis Systems Inc., Medical Analysis Systems International Inc., Medical Diagnostics Systems Inc., Metavac LLC, Microgenics Corporation, Microgenics Diagnostics Pty Limited, Microgenics GmbH, Microm International GmbH, Microm Laborgerate S.L.U, Molecular BioProducts Inc., Molecular Probes Inc., Molecular Transfer Inc., NAPCO Inc., NERL Diagnostics LLC, NOVODIRECT GmbH Labor- und Industrie- Megerate, Nalge (Europe) Limited, Nalge Nunc International (Monterrey) LLC, Nalge Nunc International Corporation, Nanjing WeiKangLe Trading Industrial Co Ltd, NanoDrop Technologies LLC, National Scientific Company, Navaho Acquisition Corp., Neomarkers Inc., New FS Holdings Inc., NewcoGen PE LLC, Nihon Dynal K.K., Niton Asia Limited, NovaWave Technologies Inc., Nunc A/S, ONIX Systems Inc., OXOID CZ s.r.o., Odyssey Holdings Corporation, Odyssey Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 1 S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 2 S.a r.l., Odyssey Venture Corporation, Omega Data Systems, One Lambda Inc, Onix Holdings Limited, Orme Scientific Limited, Owl Separation Systems LLC, Oxoid (ELY) Limited, Oxoid 2000 Limited, Oxoid AS, Oxoid Australia Pty. Limited, Oxoid Company, Oxoid Deutschland GmbH, Oxoid Holding SAS, Oxoid Holdings Limited, Oxoid Inc., Oxoid International Limited, Oxoid Investments GmbH, Oxoid Limited, Oxoid N.V., Oxoid New Zealand Limited, Oxoid Pension Trustees Limited, Oxoid Senior Holdings Limited, Oxoid UKH LLC, PAX - DSI Acquisition LLC, PE AG, Pacific Rim Far East Industries LLC, Pacific Rim Investment LLC, Panomics L.L.C., Panomics S.R.L., Patheon, Patheon API Inc., Patheon API Manufacturing Inc., Patheon API Services Inc., Patheon Austria GmbH & Co KG, Patheon B.V., Patheon Banner U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon Biologics (NJ) LLC, Patheon Biologics Australia Pty Ltd, Patheon Biologics B.V., Patheon Biologics LLC, Patheon Calculus Merger LLC, Patheon Cooperatief U.A., Patheon Development Services Inc., Patheon Finance LLC, Patheon France SAS, Patheon Holdings B.V., Patheon Holdings I B.V., Patheon Holdings II B.V., Patheon Holdings SAS, Patheon I B.V., Patheon I Holding GmbH, Patheon Inc., Patheon International AG, Patheon Italia S.p.A., Patheon KK, Patheon Life Science Products International GmbH, Patheon Manufacturing Services LLC, Patheon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Patheon Pharmaceuticals Services Inc., Patheon Puerto Rico Acquisitions Corporation, Patheon Puerto Rico Inc., Patheon Regensburg GmbH, Patheon Softgels B.V., Patheon Softgels Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings LLC, Patheon UK Limited, Patheon UK Pension Trustees Limited, Pelican Acquisition Corporation, Perbio Science (Canada) Company, Perbio Science AB, Perbio Science BVBA, Perbio Science France SAS, Perbio Science Inc., Perbio Science International Netherlands B.V., Perbio Science Invest AB, Perbio Science Nederland B.V., Perbio Science Projekt AB, Perbio Science Sweden Holdings AB, Perbio Science Switzerland SA, Perbio Science UK Limited, Phadia AB, Phadia Diagnosticos Ltda, Phadia GmbH, Phadia Holding AB, Phadia International Holdings C.V., Phadia Korea Co. Ltd, Phadia Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Phadia Malta Holdings Limited, Phadia Oy, Phadia Real Property AB, Phadia Sweden AB, Phadia Taiwan Inc., Phadia US Inc., Phadia s.r.o., Pharmacaps Mexicana SA de CV, Phenom-World B.V., Phenom-World Holding B.V, Phenom-World Innovations B.V., Phinotex, Pierce Biotechnology Inc., Pierce Milwaukee Holding Corp., Pierce Milwaukee Inc., Polychromix, Power Sweden Holdings I AB, Power Sweden Holdings II AB, Power Sweden Holdings III Aktiebolag, Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments LLC, Princeton Security Technologies, Prionics AG, Prionics Asia Ltd., Prionics Deutschland GmbH, Prionics France SAS, Prionics Italia S.r.l., Prionics Lelystad B.V., Prionics USA Inc., Priority Air Express LLC, Priority Air Express Pte. Ltd., Priority Air Express UK Limited, Priority Air Holdings Corp, Priority Solutions International, Promedica Pty Limited, Proxeon, Proxeon Biosystems ApS, Qiagen, REP GBP I-B Blocker Inc., Raymond A Lamb Limited, Remel Europe Limited, Remel Inc., Richard-Allan Scientific Company, Robbins Scientific LLC, Robocon Labor- und Industrieroboter Gesellschaft m.b.H, Rupprecht and Patashnick, Rupprecht and Patashnick (R&P), Russell pH Limited, S.C.I. du 10 rue Dugay Trouin, SCI Inno 92, STC Bio Manufacturing Inc., Samco Scientific (Monterrey) LLC, Samco Scientific LLC, Saroph Sweden AB, Schantz Road LLC, Seradyn Inc., Shanghai Life Technologies Biotechnology Co. Limited, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (C-I) Trading Co. Ltd, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (S) Trading Co. Ltd, Southern Trials (Pty) Ltd., Specialty (SMI) Inc., Spectra-Physics AB, Spectra-Physics Holdings Limited, Spectra-Physics Holdings USA LLC, Spectronex, Staten Island Cogeneration Corporation, Sterilin Limited, Stokes Bio Ltd., Sweden DIA (Sweden) AB, SwissAnalytic Group GmbH, Systems Manufacturing Corporation, TFLP LLC, TFS Breda B.V., TFS LLC, TFS Singapore HK Limited, TFSL Financing GP LLC, TFSL Senior GP Holdings 2 LLC, TK Partnership, TKA Wasseraufbereitungssysteme, TMOI Inc., TPI Real Estate Holdings LLC, TSP Holdings I LLC, TWX LLC, Technology Design Solutions Pty Ltd, Thermedics Detection de Argentina S.R.L, Thermo Allen Coding Limited, Thermo Asset Management Services Inc., Thermo BioAnalysis LLC, Thermo BioAnalysis Limited, Thermo BioSciences Holdings LLC, Thermo CIDTEC, Thermo CRS Holdings Ltd., Thermo CRS Ltd., Thermo Cambridge Limited, Thermo Cayman Holdings Ltd., Thermo Corporation, Thermo DMA Inc., Thermo Detection de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Dutch Holdings Limited Partnership, Thermo EGS Gauging LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings I LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings II LLC, Thermo Eberline LLC, Thermo Electron (Calgary) Limited, Thermo Electron (Chile) S.p.A., Thermo Electron (Karlsruhe) GmbH, Thermo Electron (Management Services) Limited, Thermo Electron (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Electron A/S, Thermo Electron Australia Pty Limited, Thermo Electron Export Inc., Thermo Electron Holdings SAS, Thermo Electron Industries, Thermo Electron LED GmbH, Thermo Electron LED S.A.S., Thermo Electron Limited, Thermo Electron Manufacturing Limited, Thermo Electron Metallurgical Services Inc., Thermo Electron North America LLC, Thermo Electron Pension Trust GmbH, Thermo Electron Puerto Rico Inc., Thermo Electron SAS, Thermo Electron Scientific Instruments LLC, Thermo Electron Sweden AB, Thermo Electron Sweden Forvaltning AB, Thermo Electron Weighing & Inspection Limited, Thermo Elemental Limited, Thermo Environmental Instruments LLC, Thermo Fast U.K. Limited, Thermo Finland Holdings LLC, Thermo Finland Holdings MT1 B.V., Thermo Finland Holdings MT2 B.V., Thermo Finnigan LLC, Thermo Finnigan Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Malta Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN-I) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (CN-II) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings I Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings II Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings 2) LLC, Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) II Limited, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Heysham) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Kandel) GmbH, Thermo Fisher CHK Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust II, Thermo Fisher Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Thermo Fisher Cyprus Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Detection Mexico LLC, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics (Ireland) Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AB, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AG, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Aps, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Austria GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics B.V., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics K.K., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics NV, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.L.U., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.p.A. , Thermo Fisher Diagnostics SAS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Thermo Fisher Eurobonds Ltd., Thermo Fisher Financial Services Inc., Thermo Fisher GP LLC, Thermo Fisher German Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Germany B.V., Thermo Fisher India Divestco Private Limited, Thermo Fisher India Holding B.V., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Thermo Fisher Israel Ltd., Thermo Fisher Production et Services SAS, Thermo Fisher Project Cyprus LLC, Thermo Fisher Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Asheville) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Australia) C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Barbados) Holdings Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Breda) Holding BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (CN) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China-HK) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (DE) Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Ecublens) SARL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance II) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Fuji) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Holding II) B.V. & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Johannesburg) (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mexico City) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Milwaukee) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mississauga) Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Monterrey) S. De R.L. De C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (NK) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) Austria Holding GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-I) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-II) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN1) UK Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) Dutch LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Praha) s.r.o., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) GmbH & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Schweiz) AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Instruments Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Suzhou) Instruments Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific AL-1 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific AU II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Aquasensors LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V.B.A., Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (I) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (II) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics UAB, Thermo Fisher Scientific Beteiligungsverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Biosciences Corp., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brahms LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Instrumentos de Processo Ltda., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Servicos de Logistica Ltda, Thermo Fisher Scientific C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cayman Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chemicals Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific China (C-I) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China (S) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings IV B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings Aps, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus IV C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus V C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Denmark Senior Holdings ApS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie 1 Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Europe GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC Finance C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSUKHCO Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Falcon Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Finance Company BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific GENEART GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Germany BV & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific HR Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) I, Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) II , Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings Europe Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific IT Services GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Pvt Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Malta) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments Malta (Sweden Financing) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Invitrogen Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K., Thermo Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific LSI Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments III S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments IV S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life NL Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Netherlands Holding C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Switzerland Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Tech Korea Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Enterprise Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investments Holding LP, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Luxembourg Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Enterprise Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg German Holdings S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Life Technologies UK Holding S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings I S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings II S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malta Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Messtechnik GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Mexico City S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Middle East Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Milano Srl, Thermo Fisher Scientific NHK Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Holdings, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway Holdings AS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway US Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Operating Company LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Oy, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 C.V, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Panama I Cayman Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Peru S.R.L., Thermo Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific SL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Financing LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Holdings Australia LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific South Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific SpA, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg I S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Investments Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Switzerland Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific TR Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Taiwan Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific West Palm Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Wissenschaftliche Gerate GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Worldwide Investments (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific eCommerce Solutions LLC , Thermo Fisher Senior Canada Holdings LLC, Thermo Foundation Inc., Thermo Gamma-Metrics Holdings Pty Ltd., Thermo Gamma-Metrics LLC, Thermo Gamma-Metrics Pty Ltd, Thermo Holding European Operations LLC, Thermo Hypersil Ltd, Thermo Hypersil-Keystone LLC, Thermo Informatics Asia Pacific Pty Ltd., Thermo Instrument Controls de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Thermo Kevex X-Ray LLC, Thermo Keytek LLC, Thermo LabSystems Inc., Thermo LabSystems S.A., Thermo Life Science International Trading (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Thermo Life Sciences AB, Thermo Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo MF Physics LLC, Thermo Measurement Ltd, Thermo Measuretech Canada Inc., Thermo Neslab LLC, Thermo Nicolet Limited, Thermo Onix Limited, Thermo Optek (Australia) Pty Ltd., Thermo Optek Limited, Thermo Optek S.A., Thermo Orion Inc., Thermo Portable Holdings LLC, Thermo Power Corporation, Thermo Process Instruments GP LLC, Thermo Process Instruments L.P., Thermo Projects Limited, Thermo Quest S.A., Thermo Radiometrie Limited, Thermo Ramsey Italia S.r.l., Thermo Ramsey LLC, Thermo Ramsey S.A., Thermo Re Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Pte Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Sdn Bhd, Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc., Thermo Scientific Services Inc., Thermo Securities Corporation, Thermo Sentron Canada Inc., Thermo Sentron Limited, Thermo Shandon Inc., Thermo Shandon Limited, Thermo Suomi Holding B.V., Thermo TLH (UK) Limited, Thermo TLH L.P., Thermo Trace Pty Ltd., Thermo-Fisher Biochemical Product (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ThermoLase LLC, ThermoSpectra Limited, Trek Diagnostic Systems LLC, Trek Diagnostic Systems Ltd., Trek Holding Company II Ltd., Trek Holding Company Ltd., Trex Medical Corporation, USB Corporation, Union Lab Supplies Limited, United Diagnostics Inc., VG Systems Limited, Westover Scientific Inc., ZAO PE Biosystems, eBioscience GmbH, eBioscience Ltd, eBioscience SAS, and picoSpin LLC.

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Schulich School of Law Professor Jocelyn Downie is among 125 new Order of Canada appointees named in the Governor Generals year-end list.



Celebrated for her contributions to Canadian health law and policy, Prof. Downie's primary focus has been on end-of-life law, policy, and care  voluntary euthanasia, assisted suicide, terminal sedation, and unilateral withholding or withdrawal of potentially life-sustaining treatment.



She has worked extensively on the protection of human participants in research, particularly in the context of increasing commercialization of public universities and hospitals, and on the protection and promotion of womens health in the areas of abortion and assisted human reproduction.



In 2015, Prof. Downie, who is cross-appointed in the Faculty of Medicine, was the first Dalhousie faculty member  and, indeed, the first in Nova Scotia  to receive a prestigious Trudeau Fellowship from the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. Among her other awards and honours include fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, appointment as a Dalhousie University Research Professor, and the Canadian Association of Law Teachers Award.

More Dal-linked appointees



Dr. Downie is not the only individual with a Dalhousie connection named to the Order of Canada this go-around.



The list includes Martha Crago, for example, who spent much of the past decade as Dalhousies vice-president research, departing the role mid-2017 for a new position at her alma mater, McGill University. Dr. Crago joined Dal as vice-president research in 2008, serving in the role until mid-2017 when she took on a new position at McGill University.



Named to the order for her contributions to research and innovation in Canada, notably in the area of ocean science, Dr. Crago helped Dalhousie expand the scale and scope of its research partnerships both in the region and abroad, fuelling innovation and economic development. She led the development of a successful application to the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, launching the Ocean Frontier Institute with the largest federal research grant in Dalhousie history ($93.7 million). Last year, she was part of the panel that conducted Canadas Fundamental Science Review (dubbed The Naylor Report after its chair, University of Torontos David Naylor).



It feels to me as though the honour belongs to all the people that I have learned from and worked along side of over the years, says Dr. Crago. The ocean science community at Dalhousie and the ocean industry community of Halifax were especially important to me, and this honour is a reflection of how important they are to our country.

Other Dal-notable Order of Canada recipients from this latest announcement include:

The Honourable Thomas Cromwell , who taught law at Dal from 1982 to 1992 and again from 1995 to 1997. He has been appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada for his illustrious service as a Supreme Court justice and his leadership in improving access to justice for all Canadians.

, who taught law at Dal from 1982 to 1992 and again from 1995 to 1997. He has been appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada for his illustrious service as a Supreme Court justice and his leadership in improving access to justice for all Canadians. Elizabeth Cromwell , who at Dal's Spring 2017 Convocation received a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) for her contributions to Black heritage preservation and education in Nova Scotia.

, who at Dal's Spring 2017 Convocation received a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) for her contributions to Black heritage preservation and education in Nova Scotia. Alumna Catherine Anne Martin , who received her BA in Theatre from Dal in 1979, for her award-winning film documentaries and for her commitment to promoting education among the members of the Mikmaq, Maliseet, Innu and Inuit communities, particularly women and youth.

, who received her BA in Theatre from Dal in 1979, for her award-winning film documentaries and for her commitment to promoting education among the members of the Mikmaq, Maliseet, Innu and Inuit communities, particularly women and youth. Alumnus Raymond Murphy, recognized for his excellence in business and community leadership in Prince Edward Island, notably as an advocate for healthy communities.

All will be invested into the Order at a ceremony in Ottawa later this year. A date has yet to be determined.


Sticking to your New Year's resolutions can reduce your risk of cancer. (Photo: Pexels)

Scientists have found sticking to your goal of drinking and smoking less, or giving it up entirely can reduce your risk of cancer by a third, the Daily Mail reported.

Researchers from Cardiff University examined data from 343,150 people from the UK Biobank.

The large scale study examined the effects of quitting alcohol and tobacco, eating healthy, exercising and maintaining a low body mass index (BMI).

The results showed that each behaviour decreased the chances of cancer by 8%. However, when undertaking them all together the risk reduction was almost a third.

"The take-home message is healthy behaviours can have a truly tangible benefit," Researcher Professor Elwood is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. Adding, "A healthy lifestyle has may benefits additional to cancer reduction  it costs nothing, has no undesirable side effects... and is better than any pill."

The findings were originally published in the journal ecancermedicalscience.
The proposal faced widespread opposition from doctors across the country who felt that allowing ISM people to practise modern medicine on the strength of a bridge course will destroy allopathy sector.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The traditional rivalry between allopathy and AYUSH came out in the open yet again after National Medical Commission's controversial proposal on starting a bridge course for Indian System of Medicine doctors enabling them to practise modern medicine.

The proposal faced widespread opposition from doctors across the country who felt that allowing ISM people to practise modern medicine on the strength of a bridge course will destroy allopathy sector.

While the proposal is seen as a direct intrusion into their work sphere and also a move to provide dual registration, even proposals in the past for integration of the two system for patient care had met with strong opposition from modern medicine doctors.

Nearly two decades ago RCC began a unique experiment of integration of modern medicine with ayurveda for cancer care. Padma Shri Vaidya Balendu Prakash who was also member of physicians panel of former President late K. R. Narayanan had set up an Ayurveda Research Unit at the RCC for scientifically validating ayurveda medicines for cancer care.

Under the collaborative project, the RCC was to refer patients to the research unit at regular intervals. The Centre provided space and facilities for conducting tests to check the effectiveness of ayurveda medicines on patients. While the Centre had assured to refer more than 100 patients to the unit who gave prior consent for the treatment modality, the number of people referred was very less. Later serious differences cropped up between the research unit and RCC doctors which led to the premature closure of the Unit.

Another attempt was made in 2013-14 when RCC launched an exclusive programme aimed at integrating ayurveda with modern medicine. Doctors at the RCC said ayurveda drugs gave positive results with more patients expressing willingness to seek alternative mode of treatment. However, this project too could not go forward.

The RCC authorities said the project was not stopped because of differences. The death of project officer created a void following which the initiative came to an end.
CHENNAI: Sri Lankan Navy allegedly detained 13 fishermen from Tamil Nadu for fishing in their waters on Thursday morning, prompting Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to dash off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in their release.

In the letter, Palaniswami said since the AIADMK has challenged the constitutional validity of the Indo-Sri Lankan Agreement of 1974 that ceded Katchatheevu to the neighbouring island, he asked the Union Government not to treat the issue of International Maritime Border Line (IMBL) as settled.

Sri Lankan Navy arrests Tamil Nadu fishermen frequently for fishing beyond Katchatheevu, but the state government says the fishermen fish well within the Indian border and they dont venture into the Sri Lankan waters. Palaniswamis latest letter came hours after the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 13 fishermen in 2 boats in the wee hours.

He also thanked the Prime Minister for securing the release of 79 Tamil Nadu fishermen from Sri Lankan custody, who reached home a few days ago.

I would like to bring to your kind notice, the recent spate of apprehensions of our fishermen in their traditional fishing waters of Palk Bay in which 84 fishermen in 14 mechanised fishing boats were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy in 8 incidents, Palaniswami said, adding that these fishermen set sail for fishing from various fishing bases in Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai and Nagapattinam District of Tamil Nadu to eke out their livelihood.

The Government of Tamil Nadu is extremely concerned about these frequent apprehensions, prolonged incarceration of our fishermen, detention of their fishing boats for long duration leading to its deterioration, the CM said. He also noted that fishermen who were apprehended since November 2017 are still languishing in Sri Lankan jails and their families back home are subjected to abject poverty.

I also request you to secure the immediate release of the remaining 84 fishermen and 159 fishing boats including the 13 fishermen and their 2 mechanized fishing boats which were apprehended on 4.1.2018, without any further delay, Palaniswami said.
The real-time sale of ration items will be updated through the E-Pos linkages.

Thiruvananthapuram: The electronic point of sale (E-Pos) machines aimed at ensuring the transparency of public distribution system will be installed at 60 ration shops in Karunagappally on Saturday.

Mr Babychen Mukkadan, national general secretary, All-India Ration Dealers Association, told Deccan Chronicle that the machines will be installed at all ration shops by February to prevent the pilferage of ration items.

The new devices will come with many features, including fingerprinting of the ration shop owner for biometric verification, he said.

The delay in implementing the E-Pos machines was because the state unit of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) could not manufacture them on a mass scale. Hence, the service of the Telangana NIC was also used to produce them, sources said.

The ration weighing machine will be interlinked with the E-Pos machine to prevent tampering or manipulation of data. The real-time sale of ration items will be updated through the E-Pos linkages.
Indian regulator TRAI has begun a public consultation over a four-year plan aimed at securing the countrys position as a front runner of the fourth industrial revolution by 2022.

TRAIs National Telecom Policy  2018 sets out draft proposals for connecting more of the countrys population as well as boosting wireless and fixed broadband speeds. In addition, the regulator has set a goal of bringing in $100 billion worth of investment in communications.

The document marks Indias first major statement of intent for its telecoms industry in six years, and includes lofty goals such as increasing urbanisation to create world class cities, thereby allowing India to assume the leadership role in the world economy.

The policy proposes amendments to regulatory frameworks and sets out recommendations for business processes, connecting rural areas, quality assurance measures, and fostering both the development and adoption of next generation technologies.

TRAI confirmed that the policy as aimed at spurring socioeconomic development, and said that if implemented it would provide reliable and secured connectivity with assured quality of service, facilitate development of infrastructure and services for new technologies including 5G and IoT, encourage innovation and manufacturing, and develop a large pool of digitally skilled man-power.

The Department of Technologies requested that TRAI draw up the document after holding preliminary talks with operators, vendors, consultancy firms and industry associations. The consultation is open until 19th January.
Pro-EU chancellor's position likely to anger hard right Cabinet Brexiteers

The UK's position on membership of the customs union with the EU after Brexit was thrown into confusion on Friday when Chancellor Philip Hammond refused to rule it out.

Conservative MP Nicky Morgan, who chairs parliament's influential Treasury select committee, published a letter from Hammond in which he spurned the chance to rule out membership.

Instead, Hammond said the matter was still subject to negotiations on the transition phase once the UK leaves the 28 member bloc in march 2019.

Hammond said the UK would have to "seek a new customs arrangement with the EU that facilitates the freest and most frictionless trade possible in good between the UK and EU".

Morgan, who campaigned to remain in the EU, said the chancellor's response proved the government position was still not final.

It was widely thought that being in a long-term customs union with the EU had been ruled out by the government. But the Chancellors letter confirms that this is not the case, Morgan said.

It is vital that the Cabinet reach agreement on these central questions about the UKs future relationship with the EU, as a matter of urgency.

There are still deep divisions within Prime Minister Theresa May's Cabinet over what the relationship with the EU should be after Brexit. Hammond is in favour of a closer relationship, while hard Brexiteers such as Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Environment Secretary Michael Gove want to cut ties altogether.

Hammond's failure to rule out membership will anger the latter pair as they want to sign new trade deals with other countries, claiming they can do these quickly, even though the latest EU/Canada agreement took seven years to complete.

Under customs union rules, import tariffs are uniform regardless of which member state is importing. However, members cannot negotiate separate trade deals with nations outside the bloc. The EU has told Britain it cannot have the benefits of membership once it leaves.
Life insurers are not as overpriced as many investors believe, said JP Morgan Cazenove in a note on Friday, but an expected shifting pricing backdrop in 2018 saw it upgrade Lancashire but downgrading Admiral and Hastings .

Cazenove expects a different pricing outlook for both motor and commercial/specialty insurance lines. In motor, anticipation of a reversal of last year's changes to the 'Ogden rate' -- the discount on personal injury claim payouts -- and potential reforms to rules on whiplash claims are likely to weigh on pricing, analysts said.

"We believe a temporary decline in pricing is possible, which in itself may not be negative for margins (it is in response to an expected benefit), but is not helpful for sentiment in our view. "

Meanwhile in the commercial/specialty lines, an improved outlook is perceived following the heavy natural catastrophe activity in 2017, which is seen as a potential positive for Lloyds companies and RSA Insurance.

As a result, the analysts' preferred stocks comprise those that offer "attractive valuations with strong defensive characteristics", such as Direct Line and RSA, or "outstanding long-term growth potential", such as Beazley and Hiscox. All four of which were kept on 'overweight' ratings.

Admiral was downgraded to 'underweight' from 'neutral' partly on valuation but also on the more cautious view on the motor pricing cycle, with the company expected to find it difficult to improve its industry-leading margins and a likelihood of some erosion in a more competitive motor market.

Hastings is also downgraded but only to 'neutral', from 'overweight', as the Cazenove team believes it is better positioned in a rising pricing backdrop.

Lancashire is upgraded to 'neutral' given the improving outlook seen for reinsurance and retrocession pricing.

While outperformance of broader European markets for five out of the past six years, has led to a perception, that the insurance sector is now expensive, Caz calculated that the sectors outperformance of the market has in fact been driven by its superior earnings momentum and so the sectors PE discount remains in line with the 10-year average.

"Looking ahead, not only do we see a positive outlook, but we also believe there is a case for this discount to close, due to: 1) improving sources and uses of earnings and 2) increasingly strong balance sheets."

The analysts' London-listed top picks in the sector are Aviva and Direct Line.
Intel is facing at least three class-action lawsuits over software bugs revealed earlier in the same week.

Plaintiffs were claiming compensation for flaws and the resultant slowdown in their operations that patching computers for the Meltdown and Spectre bugs was expected to cause.

The bugs were present in all modern processors and allowed hackers to access personal details and data.

Intel had already begun to provide software and firmware to protect computers from those flaws, but fix those bugs caused computers to slowdown, although Intel said in a statement that the impact on performance was "workload-dependent" and would not be significant for the average user.

One of the lawyers for the plaintiffs went on record saying: "The security vulnerability revealed by these reports suggests that this may be one of the largest security flaws ever facing the American public."

"It is imperative that Intel act swiftly to fix the problem and ensure consumers are fully compensated for all losses suffered as a result of their actions," he added.

Nonetheless, legal experts said that any consumer would have to prove damages to proceed with claims.

The Meltdown and Spectre flaws were discovered by security researchers at Googles Project Zero, who also found that they could affect virtually every modern computer, smartphone and tablet regardless of the operating system they were running on.

"Meltdown is probably one of the worst CPU bugs ever found," said Daniel Gruss, one of the researchers who discovered the vulnerability.

Brian Krzanich, Intel CEO, sold half of his companys shares in November, months after Google informed them that they had a serious security problem in their processors. He sold them for approximately 24m dollars.

According to some observers, if it was confirmed that Intel was already aware of the problem when Krzanich sold his shares, it would put him against the ropes and possibly result in an official inquiry.

However, the company had been quick to point out that the sale had nothing to do with the bug and that it was a "part of a plan of standard sales of stock."
The Trump administration is planning a massive expansion of offshore drilling by opening up protected areas in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

The Draft Five Year Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Programme would expand drilling to 90% of the US outer continental shelf, including protected areas in the Arctic, the Pacific and the Atlantic.

The plan - the most ambitious in decades - encompasses a total of 50 lease sales, 19 off the coast of Alaska, seven in the Pacific ocean, 12 in the Gulf of Mexico and nine in the Atlantic ocean.

It follows the America First Offshore Energy Strategy that Trump signed back in April, which opened the door to drilling in Arctic waters and other coastal areas.

"Our country is blessed with incredible natural resources including abundant offshore oil and natural gas resources, but the federal government has kept 94% of these offshore areas closed for exploration and production. This deprives our country of potentially thousands and thousands of jobs and billions in wealth," the President said in April.

By allowing this expansion this president Donald Trump is trying to fulfill his promise to increase domestic oil and gas production in the US, with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke having highlighted the boost it would entail for the economy.

"This is a clear difference between energy weakness and energy dominance. We are going to become the strongest energy superpower," he told reporters.

Zinke said that the drilling would be done in an environmentally sustainable way but there has still been strong opposition from different states and different environmental groups, including criticism from senior Republicans.

A coalition of 60 environmental groups immediately opposed the initiative, calling it a "shameful giveaway" to the oil industry.

"These ocean waters are not President Trumps personal playground," the coalition said a statement.

"They belong to all Americans and the public wants them preserved and protected, not sold off to multinational oil companies," it continued.

The Republican governors of Maryland, South Carolina and Florida oppose offshore drilling and the Democratic governors of California, Oregon and Washington have released a statement condemning the plan.

"For more than 30 years, our shared coastline has been protected from further federal drilling and we'll do whatever it takes to stop this reckless, short-sighted action," they said.

Florida Governor Rick Scott has requested a meeting with Mr Zinke to discuss his concerns about the plan.

"My top priority is to ensure that Florida's natural resources are protected, which is why I proposed $1.7bn for the environment in this year's budget," he said.

The new plan is not due to take effect immediately and is expected to face challenges from several states.
America's shortfall in trade with the rest of the world widened in November as the climb in world oil prices increased the country's energy bill.

The total US foreign trade deficit increased by $1.6bn to reach $50.5b (consensus: -$49.2bn), according to the Department of Commerce.

Imports of goods and services shot higher by 2.4% on the month to hit $250.7bn, alongside a 2.2% rise in exports to $200.2bn.

Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, described November's reading on foreign trade as "grim", just like the October print.

Even making allowance for a correction in December, Shepherdson estimated the widening trade gap would subtract 1.2 percentage points from the quarterly and annualised pace of expansion in gross domestic product.

That drag, he said, was twice that incorporated into the latest GDP tracking estimate from the Federal Reserve bank of Atlanta, which was due to be updated later on Friday.

"The recent surge in imports likely can't be sustained, imports ex-oil and aircraft leaped at a 21% annualised rate over the three months to November," he said.
Former lawyer and Bank of England adviser Charles Randell has been appointed as the new chair of the Financial Conduct Authority for a five-year term.

Randell, who is currently an external member of the Prudential Regulation Committee of the BoE and a non-executive board member of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, will take up the role on 1 April.

FCA chief executive Andrew Bailey said: "I am very pleased to welcome Charles to the FCA. His experience of regulation, both during the financial crisis and more recently as a member of the Prudential Regulation Committee, means that he has a strong understanding of the challenges that the FCA faces and I look forward to tackling these with him in his new role."

Randell worked at law firm Slaughter and May from 1980 to 2013, becoming a partner in 1989. He specialised in corporate finance law, and worked on financial stability and bank restructuring assignments.

He advised HM Treasury on the resolutions of Northern Rock, Bradford & Bingley and the Icelandic banks and the government's investments into RBS and the merged Lloyds/HBOS. In addition, he advised the Portuguese Ministry of Finance on the recapitalisation of the banking sector.

BoE governor Mark Carney said: "Charles has been a highly valued member of the PRC since its establishment (originally as the PRA Board in 2013). Drawing on his deep expertise in corporate finance and sound judgement, Charles has helped guide the PRAs most important policy and supervisory decisions. His governance expertise has also made an important contribution to the PRAs development. Although he will be sorely missed, I am very pleased that he is willing to serve as the chair of the FCA Board at this important juncture for that organisation and UK financial services, more generally.
Donald Trumps lawyers tried to shut down the release of the book that has already exposed delicate issues regarding the President and his administration, leading the publisher to release the book a week early.

Author Michael Wolff's 'Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House was originally going to be released next Tuesday, but after publications including New York magazine and the Guardian made a few extracts public, the White House requested the publisher not to go through with the publication.

On Thursday the Presidents lawyer sent a letter to Wolff and his publisher Henry Holt & Co requesting animmediately cease and desist from any further publication, release or dissemination.

The publisher responded by saying, Henry Holt confirms that we received a cease and desist letter from an attorney for President Trump. We see Fire and Fury as an extraordinary contribution to our national discourse, and are proceeding with the publication of the book.

Michael Wolff, tweeted: Here we go. You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr President.

Trump has also taken to Twitter and gave his opinion on the book.

I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 5 de enero de 2018

Wolff was actually able to chronicle the birth of the administration from election day to October 2017, including conversations and interviews with the president and most members of his senior staff, all in all conducting more than 200 interview with the people who to whom members of the Trump team spoke.

Shortly after Trumps inauguration, Wolff was able to take up something like a semi-permanent seat on a couch in the West Wing  an idea he said was encouraged by the president himself.

Steve Bannon former confidant of the president was interviewed by Wolff and has criticised the administration and has revealed that Donald Trump Jr met with a group of Russians who promised secrets on Hillary Clinton to help in the election.

Bannon also took a dig at the 'first daughter' Ivanka Trump in the book and at her work in the White House.

"She was a nonevent on the campaign. She became a White House staffer and that's when people suddenly realized she's dumb as a brick. A little marketing savvy and has a look but as far as understanding actually how the world works and what politics is and what it means -- nothing," Bannon was quoted as saying by Wolff.

Trump has responded to these statements from Bannon by saying that he has nothing to do with him or the president. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind, said the president.

While the book has soared to number one on Amazons best sellers list and dominated the headlines, the White House took the opportunity to make a number of policy announcements, including plans for a massive expansion of offshore drilling by opening up protected areas in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and a revoking of federal marijuana legislation, while attempting to delay Obama-era anti-segregation housing laws and denying aid to Pakistan.
The 110cc commuter motorcycle will be the second Discover model and the sixth product in the company's commuter lineup. The Discover 110 will be slotted between the Platina 100 and Discover 125. The new 110cc motorcycle will offer the same styling of Discover 125, but in a economical package.

Recommended Video Bajaj Discover 110 And Discover 125 Launched In India | First Look - DriveSpark

The 2018 iteration of both the Discover 125 and 110 will feature matte black alloy wheels, digital-analogue instrument cluster, blacked out engine and cycle parts, silver side panels, chrome muffler cover and all-new graphics.

The Discover 110 is a commuter motorcycle, and Bajaj will not offer a whole lot of features. But still, the motorcycle comes with an electric starter, handlebar-end weights and gas-charged dual shock absorbers at the rear. The Discover 125 will be offered with a front disc brake, and the 110 will feature drum brakes at both the ends.

The Bajaj Discover 110 will draw power from an updated 110cc air-cooled, DTS-i engine expected to produce around 8.5bhp and 9.5Nm of torque. The updated engine is said to be more fuel efficient and engaging to ride and comes mated to a 4-speed gearbox.

The new Bajaj Discover 110 will carry a price tag of Rs 50,500 ex-showroom (Pune) The overall design of the Discover 110 is similar to its elder sibling, the Discover 125 but gets skinnier tyres and a 110cc engine. Apart from that, there are no changes done to the 110cc commuter motorcycle.

Apart from the Discover range, Bajaj will also update the Dominar and Avenger series. The Dominar 400 in its 2018 edition will come with two new colour options, red and blue. The Avenger 220 and 150 will also be updated with new design and features.

DriveSpark Thinks!

The new Discover 110 will be an entry-level executive commuter motorcycle with new features such as digital-analogue instrument cluster and power start. When launched, the Discover 110 will rival the likes of Hero Passion and Passion XPro, and TVS Victor 110.
The 2018 Dakar Rally will kick start from Lima, the capital city of Peru with a short first special stage. The rally comprises of 14 gruelling stages covering around 9,000km in 15 days. The competitors will have a rest day in La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia. The rally will come to an end on January 20, 2018, in Cordoba, Argentina.

Recommended Video Electric Unicycle Spotted In Bangalore Traffic - DriveSpark

The rally is divided into five categories - motorcycle, quad, car, UTV and truck. The 2018 Dakar Rally has attracted 525 competitors with 190 riders in the motorcycle and quad class, 105 drivers in the cars and UTV category and 42 competitors in the truck category.

Flying the Indian flag high in the 2018 Dakar Rally are the motorcycle riders CS Santosh and Aravind KP representing Team Hero MotoSports and Sherco TVS Racing respectively. Santosh is the more experienced rider with four Dakar outings. He has managed to finish the rally in 2015 and 2017.

On the other hand, Aravind is tackling his second Dakar Rally. In 2017 he was forced to retire from the rally due to a shoulder injury caused due to a crash on the third stage. In 2018, both the riders are confident to finish the rally in their new rally machines.

Leading the charge in the motorcycle category is Australian rider Toby Price on his KTM rally bike. Honda rider Joan Barreda Bort, Husqvarna rider Pablo Quintanilla are also in the race for the victory. In the cars, Nasser Al-Attiyah, Sebastien Loeb and Stephane Peterhansel are hot favourites.

DriveSpark Thinks!

The 2018 Dakar Rally brings new challenges, with the gruelling and unforgiving terrain. The competitors will face the toughest of stages which will put both man and machine to an ultimate test. India's CS Santosh and Aravind KP are also confident to achieve their best results. Stay tuned to DriveSpark, as we will bring you all the updates from the 2018 Dakar Rally.
Lets face it: Your website is central to your e-commerce business. Theres no way around that. Upgrading your website is one of the most important things you can do to bring in new customers and sell more products.

Sometimes, though, its difficult to know exactly how to improve your site. To help you out with that dilemma, here are three ways to refresh your website and boost your business without breaking the bank.

1. Reconsider the Design

The overall design of an e-commerce website has a big impact on customers  and on sales  so regularly rethinking and tweaking your sites design is vital.

Good Web design for an e-commerce site is something that would be a number of things done well, said Miklos Philips, principal lead for user experience at Toptal.

This would include a clear brand identity, the use of clear visual hierarchy, easy product search and browsing via clearly laid-out navigation and omnipresent search, he told the E-Commerce Times.

An e-commerce business relies on its site not just to sell products, but to communicate a brands identity and create an enjoyable shopping experience for customers.

Good design is important because it needs to instill in would-be customers trustworthiness and store credibility, said Philips. If the site appears poorly constructed and confusing, customers lose confidence in the stores ability to deliver on its promise.

Its not like you cant make sales with a poorly designed website, but incorporating effective, shopper-friendly design elements will offer long-term gains.

Good website design communicates your brand identity, builds trust in your company, creates a cohesive and pleasant shopping experience, and naturally guides shoppers towards purchase, said Alison Garrison, director of services for Volusion.

You can make revenue with not-so-good design, but you will make a lot more with thoughtful design that puts the shopper first and is based in solid conversion principles, she told the E-Commerce Times.

2. Make a Great First Impression

First impressions matter, since it doesnt take long for a customer to decide whether to stay or go.

It takes about 50 milliseconds  or only 0.05 seconds  for people to form an opinion about a website  that is, whether or not they like it, whether theyll stay or leave, and ultimately, whether or not theyll purchase, explained Garrison.

The homepage is the first thing customers see when visiting your site, so its important to pay particular attention to it, and to upgrade and improve its functionality as necessary. When rethinking your homepage, start at the top of the site and work down, looking at it as a customer would.

Consider the header and navigation, said Garrison. This is prime real estate and should include value propositions, such as free shipping and easy return policy, and trust builders, such as a phone number and trust badges.

On that first page, consider organizing the categories you offer  perhaps building them based on your customers requirements, such as gender, age or particular use cases, Garrison recommended.

Creative categorizing will make the homepage at once more appealing and more useful, drawing customers deeper into your site.

3. Add Autofill

Autofill has come a long way, and intelligent autofill technology can both streamline the shopping process and boost conversion rates.

In a word, consumer-friendly autofill depends on accuracy, said Karl Mattson, SVP of Growth for Fillr.

How often does the autofill correctly autofill all of the fields in a shopping check-out experience? The better autofill does this, the less a user has to manually correct or input text fields in a form, he told the E-Commerce Times.

Increasingly, autofill is used in mobile shopping apps, which is another good e-commerce upgrade to consider.

Autofill, long available only as a Web browser feature, is now available as a service that can be white-labeled into mobile shopping apps, explained Mattson.

This is an important, critical step forward for mobile app shopping conversions, he said.

Before, mobile app conversions were dependent solely on how well an app designer could create an easy-to-use checkout experience. Now that apps have the option of offering their own autofill as part of their conversion experience, autofill becomes an avenue whereby users can side-step the most frustrating part of mobile shopping  manually completing a complicated mobile e-commerce check-out, Mattson pointed out.

New advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning have made autofill better than ever, which makes it a smart upgrade.

Hand-in-hand with machine learning, autofill is evolving from a relatively straightforward text-based service to a technology that will become available across platforms  particularly voice-assistive platforms like Cortana and Seri, said Mattson.

As it expands to new platforms and uses, thanks to machine learning, autofill also continues to become smarter, he added. It is now more accurate, more contextually relevant and faster.
As powerful men drop like flies due to their inability to resist abusing their authority, its clear that the problem is widespread. Similarly, its likely that well find the problem of alleged industrial espionage is not limited to Uber. You see, when people misuse authority  and the sexual harassment problem is a massive misuse of authority  folks typically dont just misuse it in one area.

For some time, Ive suspected that the harassment issues were just one aspect of a bigger problem. The allegations that Uber aggressively moved to steal intellectual property from Google and colluded to cover up evidence of the theft may be indicative of another area in which executives have been abusing their authority.

Rather than wait for the next scandal to surface, I thought it would be interesting (since Im an ex-internal auditor who has been through a cycle like this before) to look at the other areas where we likely will find that executives and others who wield authority have been doing scandalous things. Ill close with my product of the week: one of the few security offerings that could prevent against a significant amount of this immoral behavior, Varonis.

Connecting the Dots

It appears that one reason sexual harassment claims have gotten out of control is that human resource departments have been acting more to cover up problems like this than to correct them. This is largely because HR has the responsibility to make problems like this go away, but it currently lacks the authority either to fire or correct a misbehaving executives behavior. Even if it were possible, its likely that the career of the poor HR person who took such an action also would be over.

HR is hardly alone in terms of losing authority to do its job. Whenever you have a mismatch of authority and responsibility, you have a crucible for wrongdoing. Currently, a lot of staff organizations  like security, HR and internal audit  are so far below what should be minimal staffing standards that I expect there are a lot of companies that are just as unaware theyre bleeding as Google was.

Industrial Espionage

The last time I saw the rise of industrial espionage was in the early 1980s, when many Japanese technology firms made illegal moves to try to compete better with IBM. They were caught, and the monetary cost in terms of damages and penalties was massive  enough so that it mostly wiped out the practice outside of government-sponsored efforts from countries like China, North Korea and Russia.

Over time, the security organizations that once were staffed and missioned to catch and stop this kind of activity were defunded. They went from being staffed by ex-spooks (basically specialists in catching or being spies) to being run by hourly workers who, in far too many cases, couldnt even be hired as a beat cop.

There is a lot of money in selling intellectual property. There is a huge advantage if you can get hold of it, in terms of meeting your objectives, advancing, and getting a huge bonus. The incentives are massive. There are state-level players active again with far greater resources and cyberhacking capabilities, along with a ton of employees who havent seen a raise since Carter was president.

Expense Abuse

Weve seen a hint of this in the new Trump administration. Some members of his cabinet massively abused expense policies and either used government jets inappropriately or booked seats on private jets at huge premiums.

These were treated as isolated cases, but the people involved came out of the private sector, and behavior like this is typically learned. It is very likely that this practice of abusing expense accounts and company assets came from the firms where they were working prior to joining the Trump administration.

This suggests these practices are widespread, but because internal audit has been defunded, unlike government oversight, it likely isnt being caught yet. Much like it has been with sexual harassment, I expect that all we are waiting for is the right post on social media to be picked up by a reporter, and suddenly well have another wave of firings, and the firings for expense abuse likely will be far wider and deeper than the sexual harassment firings have been so far.

This is because accounting and finance, unlike HR, have retained a great deal of power. Boards watch expenses far more aggressively than they do things like sexual harassment (though, if things continue on the sexual harassment front, that likely will change, and it should).

Wrapping Up: Abuse of Power

The key element in all of this is abuse of power. Whether we are talking about jail guards or executives, there are a lot of people who dont do well when given power. Their limiters dont work, and the result is that they push the envelope until a catastrophe occurs and they are fired.

There should be controls and oversight to offset this behavior, but it is abundantly clear that those controls in many firms and government agencies currently arent doing the job. While we are focused on sexual harassment, we likely are missing other bad behaviors  like selling company assets or expense abuse  that go along with abuse of power.

Ill leave you with one more example of common power abuse, and that is carrying out vendettas: using your power to get revenge on someone you believe has done you harm, either inside or outside the company. This is extremely common among folks who abuse power, and it can create a vicious cycle and even escalate to violence.

There is a good chance you may not be able to affect change in others, but  and trust me on this  abuse of power is a career ender, regardless of the path you take. Making sure you and your employees (if you are a manager or executive) dont abuse power increasingly will be critical to preserving your career. In this age of social media, keeping such abuse secret soon may become impossible.

Im bringing back Varonis as my product of the week, because intellectual property theft almost cost me my job, and it is a company killer. Varonis has the best protection against IP theft (including customer and employee confidential records).

What Varonis does is provide a solution that ensures that people who shouldnt have access to internal data dont have access, and that any attempt to violate the related policies, either by internal or external actors, are caught and stopped quickly.

While much of the focus of late has been on protecting customer records, Varonis capability to both identify an attempted breach and ensure that it will fail is largely unmatched in the segment.

Given Ubers alleged theft of Googles intellectual property was the basis for this column, and that it allegedly was an inside job  something Ive argued is likely far more common than most firms realize  focusing on a product that could have prevented this theft or provided stronger evidence of it is why Im making Varonis my product of the week.
The United States on Tuesday accused North Korea of responsibility for a global ransomware attack that locked down more than 300,000 computers in 150 countries earlier this year.

The U.S. now has enough evidence to support its assertion that Pyongyang was behind the WannaCry attack in May, Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert told reporters at a White House press briefing.

Bossert made the same accusation in an op-ed published Monday in The Wall Street Journal.

If the United States has new evidence linking North Korea to WannaCry, however, it hasnt released any of it to the public, which could pose problems.

Accurate attribution for cyberattacks is almost always a difficult task, and its doubly so when the evidence leading to the conclusion cant be shared, noted Tim Erlin, vice president of product management and strategy at Tripwire.

If were going to have national security organizations delivering these types of conclusions on attribution to the public, we need to find a way to develop trusted output. The mantra of trust us doesnt cut it here, he told TechNewsWorld.

The Problem With Attribution

Speculation has connected North Korea to WannaCry since June, when the NSA said it believed Pyongyang was behind the attack. The British government reached the same conclusion in October, and the CIA concurred in November.

While there is evidence indicating that North Korea launched the ransomware virus, that evidence isnt definitive, maintained James Scott, a senior fellow at the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology.

It is important to understand that attribution is rarely definitive because adversaries can easily obfuscate their actions using technical anti-analysis maneuvers, he told TechNewsWorld.

They plant false indicators to mislead attribution, he continued. They leap-frog through multiple foreign networks and systems, they outsource layers or the entirety of their attacks to cyber mercenaries, and they utilize malware available to multiple adversaries from Deep Web markets and forums.

Lazarus Connection

One strong indicator of North Koreas involvement with WannaCry is the malwares connection to the Lazarus Group, which has been tied to Pyongyang, observed Chris Doman, a threat engineer at AlienVault.

There are two data points that link Lazarus to WannaCry, he told TechNewsWorld: a number of rare code overlaps exist in the programs; and Lazarus planted an early version of WannaCry on a Symantec customer.

The U.S. government may have additional information, but the evidence provided at the time by the private sector was pretty strong, Doman said.

The evidence linking Lazarus to Pyongyang is equally strong, he added.There are a very small number of publicly assigned Internet addresses assigned to North Korea, and they pop up in Lazarus attacks. The attacks have dated back to at least 2007, and often contain other clues, such as North Korean fonts.

The Gang That Couldnt Code Straight

Although the evidence is circumstantial, the case that North Korea was behind WannaCry is a good one, said Scott Borg, CEO of the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit.

WannaCry was incompetently written and managed  so were attributing to North Korea something thats well within its capabilities, because it didnt demonstrate a lot of capabilities, he told TechNewsWorld. Unlike some of the other things that have been attributed to North Korea, this is plausible and highly likely.

A number of recent reports have touted North Korea as a rising cyberpower, but Borg disputes that.

WannaCry is an example of North Koreas limitations. This was not a competently written piece of ransomware. The whole thing was badly bungled, he said.

Im sure the criminal organizations making money off of ransomware were furious with the creators of WannaCry because they undermined the credibility of the whole racket, Borg added.

Why Now?

Since there was strong public evidence of North Koreas connection to WannaCry for months, the timing of the U.S. condemnation may be tied to other concerns.

For example, the United States may want to shine a spotlight on Lazarus.

Lazarus has been particularly active recently, AlienVaults Doman said. Im seeing numerous new malware samples from them daily. A lot of their current activity involves stealing bitcoin and credit card numbers.

The condemnation also comes on the heels of the administrations announcement of a new security policy.

They may have felt this was an appropriate time because they were going to be reaching out to other countries to do something about the cybersecurity threat and bad actors like North Korea, James Barnett, a former Navy Rear Admiral and head of the cybersecurity practice at Venable, told TechNewsWorld.

Locked Armory

The timing of the condemnation also could be part of the White Houses campaign to paint Pyongyang as a global threat.

Its more about the administrations message that North Korea is a dangerous actor than it is about cybersecurity, said Ross Rustici, senior director of intelligence services for Cybereason.

Theyre trying to lay the groundwork for people to feel like North Korea is a threat to the homeland, he told TechNewsWorld.

Whatever response the administration decides to make to North Koreas cyberattacks remains to be seen, but financial problems could render it a hollow one, according to Kris Lovejoy, president of BluVector.

The U.S. governments ability to procure technology to protect public sector institutions and private sector infrastructure is hampered because theres no ability to execute on its procurement processes, she told TechNewsWorld. Its ironic that were rattling our sabers while weve locked the cabinet and not allowed ourselves to get to the armor.
Verizon is finally snapping out of the doldrums it has been stuck in for the last several years. It seems to be on a comeback trail, thanks to its new advertising campaign. Having followed the company for decades, Ive noticed how all of a sudden, it is blowing its own horn again. This is what it should have been doing all along.

Verizon and Verizon Wireless in recent years have made many high-profile missteps, goofs and errors, but it looks as though the company is finally taking a different route. Its about time!

Verizon and The Wave

The secret to success in the world of marketing, advertising and public relations is simply this: Create a positive wave of topics for the marketplace to talk about. Always be on the growth side of the wave. The alternative is the falling side of the wave.

If you dont give the marketplace something to talk about, it will find something on its own, and that is never as pretty.

What Verizon has been doing recently is a great start, but it needs to keep injecting positive ideas into the marketplace to steer the conversation to a positive tone. If it puts information into the marketplace, the conversation often stays on those topics  especially if there are no high-profile goofs.

The media cant write unlimited stories about any particular company. What gets covered often is whats on everyones mind.

If a company is not putting ideas into the marketplace, then the media will find other stories, and thats where things can get very messy, very quickly.

Successful companies provide positive topics to write about and talk about. They also avoid making mistakes that will draw attention. Companies that dont play this game well typically get a bloody nose  and that can be costly in market share, stock price and industry standing.

Over the last several years, Verizon has not been adding positive story ideas to the mix, so reporters have focused on other stories. Verizons mistakes only added to its pain. The stories generally were not positive.

In the past, Verizon has been the company at the center of various problem areas of its own creation  such as pulling out of local phone service and moving toward wireless. At times, it seemed that it did not know the direction it was going to head in over the next several years.

It acquired companies like AOL and Yahoo, with all sorts of security problems, which further tarnished its glow.

Verizons Identity

Verizon has not staked out a clear position on what it is going to be in the next few years. Will it be a telephone company? A wireless company? An e-commerce network like Amazon? How will AOL and Yahoo, two companies that have seen their peak, help Verizon get to where it wants to be?

After years of mostly negative coverage, I saw an inspiring Verizon TV ad. It is positive. It is hopeful. It shows how Verizon is one of the powerful companies at the center of the innovation universe.

For the first time in more years than I can remember, I had a positive feeling about the company. That ad is the kind of winning advertising message that AT&T has been known for. It didnt sell anything. It just told a story about how tomorrow will be brighter and how Verizon will be a player, leading the way.

Verizons new ad campaign shows doctors using robotics to help patients at far distances. It addresses the need to make cities smarter and greener. It refers to intelligent asphalt. It mentions keeping the food chain safe. It underscores Verizons role at the center of it all.

Ads like this one make viewers feel good. They offer a bright spot. For the first time in a long time, an inspiring message is coming from Verizon. Can the company keep it up? Does this indicate a turnaround at Verizon, at long last?

An Important Point

The new ad campaign represents Verizons transition from being viewed as primarily a wireless carrier to taking on a central role as a leading technology brand, according to Verizon marketing executive Diego Scotti, by expanding to smart cities, the Internet of Things, telematics and more.

I hope Verizon can achieve its ambitious goals, but I dont want to get ahead of myself. Although these are great aspirations, success will require that Verizon recapture what made it successful a decade or two ago. I hope it can make lightning strike twice.

The bottom line is this: I hope Verizon is getting back to the type of marketing, advertising and PR that made it successful over the last two decades. Those things can make it successful once again. The company needs to improve its standing with the influential media and analyst community. It appears to be on the right path.
NEW YORK  The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE) in China have launched a new online transparency tool that maps leading multinational brands and retail corporations to their suppliers environmental performance in China.

The new the IPE Green Supply Chain Map is based on publicly available data from the Chinese government, IPEs database and on the apparel side of things, cooperation between six brands including Target, Esprit, New Balance, Puma, Gap Inc. and Inditex.
By Marnie Cunningham

A crew of scientists who are spending two years aboard a research ship traveling around the world have said they were shocked to find basically all of the Pacific Oceans reefs to be affected by bleaching.

What weve seen in really isolated spots like Samoa for example, even though its very far away from [developed] countries with pollution, we struggled to find any coral life, the captain of the ship, Nicolas De La Brosse, told the ABC.

It doesnt matter where you are in the Pacific, coral is starting to bleach.

Coral bleaching occurs when the coral reacts to changes in environment, such as a rise in temperature, and expels the algae living in its tissue. The coral and algae rely on each other to survive. Without the algae the coral turns white and if the bleaching event is severe or repeats it can cause the coral to die and never recover.

https://twitter.com/Unpersuaded112/statuses/899467674752880641

De La Brosse has been on the French research vessel Tara, which has been sailing around the world for over a decade studying the effects of climate change on the ocean.

The current expedition, which is set to last two years, is the largest study ever conducted on coral reefs, with a journey of 100,000 kilometres planned, taking the crew, including engineers and scientists, from Europe to Asia and back again.

The team on this expedition is focussing on how coral reefs in the Pacific are adapting to climate change. In a stop-over in Sydney the crew remarked on their shock at the extent of the damage they have already witnessed. And they are only halfway through their expedition.

Matt Kieffer / Flickr

After their stopover in Sydney the team is headed north to study the effects of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef.

Final results from the data collected on this trip will be analyzed and released in 2019.

Global Citizen campaigns on the Global Goals, many of which, especially Global Goal 13 call for urgent action on combat climate. Global Goal 14 also focusses on the conservation and sustainably of our oceans and marine life.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Global Citizen.
By Pete Stauffer

The Trump administration is expected to unveil the new Five Year Offshore Oil Drilling Plan as early as this week, after signing an executive order earlier this year to expand offshore oil drilling in U.S. waters. Expanded offshore oil drilling threatens recreation, tourism, fishing and other coastal industries, which provide more than 1.4 million jobs and $95 billion GDP along the Atlantic coast alone. The executive order directed the Interior Department to develop a new five-year oil and gas leasing program to consider new areas for offshore drilling. The order also blocked the creation of new national marine sanctuaries and orders a review of all existing sanctuaries and marine monuments designated or expanded in the past ten years.

Our ocean, waves and beaches are vital recreational, economic and ecological treasures to our coastal communities that will be polluted by new offshore oil drilling, regardless of whether or not there is a spill, said Dr. Chad Nelsen, CEO of the Surfrider Foundation. Without a massive mobilization by coastal communities around the country in opposition to new offshore drilling, our voice will be drowned out by the lobbying power of Big Oil in Washington, DC.

New offshore drilling would threaten thousands of miles of coastline and billions in GDP, for a relatively small amount of oil. Ocean tourism and recreation, worth an estimated $100 billion annually nationwide, provides 12 times the amount of jobs to the U.S. economy, compared to offshore production. Even under the best-case scenario, Americas offshore oil reserves would provide only about 920 days, or 18 months supply of oil at our current rate of consumption, according to federal agency estimates.

Tourism drives our local economy, and the approval of offshore drilling poses a huge threat to the livelihood and quality of life in our beach community, said Nicole D.C. Kienlen, tourism director of Bradley Beach, New Jersey. The effects would be devastating on multiple levels.

Even when there are no accidents, offshore oil drilling seriously pollutes our water and food supply at every stage. The ground penetration, the drilling, the rigs, and the transportation tankers all release toxic chemicals and leaked oil. The standard process of drilling releases thousands of gallons of polluted water into the ocean. High concentrations of metals have been found around drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico and have been shown to accumulate in fish, mussels and other seafood.

Fortunately, any attempt by the Trump Administration to revise the 2017-2022 Offshore Drilling Plan will require an extensive review process with multiple opportunities for public input. Surfriders grassroots network is both ready and motivated to stand up for the protection of our nations coastlines!

Last year, Surfrider chapters on the East Coast played an instrumental role in reversing the Obama administrations plans to open the Atlantic to new oil drilling. Through raising awareness about the impacts of offshore drilling and building opposition from coastal businesses and communities, Surfrider and our partners prevailed in protecting the Atlantic. Now, we must rally once again to stop new oil rigs off our coasts!

Please join our campaign to stop new offshore drilling off U.S. coastlines. See below to learn how you can take action.

Send an email to your federal leaders by completing this action alert.

Call your representatives in congress to tell them to oppose new offshore drilling! Find your members phone numbers here: Senate and House.

Join the Ocean Recreation Hill Day February 15-16, 2018 and find out more here.

Participate in Hands Across the Sand on May 19th to demonstrate grassroots opposition to new oil and gas development click here.

Visit Surfriders Stop New Offshore Drilling campaign page click here.

Pete Stauffer is the environmental director for the Surfrider Foundation.
By Jake Johnson

Hailed as an example of how concerted global action can help solve a planetary crisis, a new study conducted by NASA scientists documented the first direct evidence that an international effort to ban chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) has led to the recovery of the Antarctic ozone hole.

Published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters on Thursday, the study uses satellite observations to demonstrate that the decline in atmospheric chlorine that resulted from the implementation of the Montreal Protocol, enacted in 1989, has led to about 20 percent less ozone depletion during the Antarctic winter than there was in 2005the first year that measurements of chlorine and ozone during the Antarctic winter were made by NASAs Aura satellite.

We see very clearly that chlorine from CFCs is going down in the ozone hole, and that less ozone depletion is occurring because of it, Susan Strahan, an atmospheric scientist from NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center and one of the studys lead authors, said in a statement.

In a video (above) published on NASAs website on Thursday, Strahan explained the significance of the study and why the Montreal Protocol should be celebrated as a great success.

While CFCs and other ozone-depleting substances were phased out by the mid-1990s, the study notes that the Antarctic ozone holewhich was first discovered in 1985is healing slowly because the man-made substances that caused the hole in the first place have long lifetimes.

Given that fact, researchers believe that it could be several decades before the ozone hole is eliminated altogether.

CFCs have lifetimes from 50 to 100 years, so they linger in the atmosphere for a very long time, noted Anne Douglass, an atmospheric scientist at Goddards Space Flight Center and one of the studys co-authors. As far as the ozone hole being gone, were looking at 2060 or 2080. And even then there might still be a small hole.

Responding to the studys results on Twitter, Greenpeace called for the success of Montreal Protocol to be used as a model for tackling the climate crisis.

Weve stopped harmful pollutants before and nature has healed itself, the group observed. Lets cut carbon emissions now and allow nature to heal itself again.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Common Dreams.
Donald Trump has appointed Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The conservative Republican has close ties to the fossil fuel industry and has waged numerous legal wars against the EPA and President Obamas environmental regulations, including the presidents signature Clean Power Plan.

Pruitt, who was elected as Oklahomas top legal officer in November 2010, states on his own LinkedIn page that he has led the charge with repeated notices and subsequent lawsuits against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for their leaderships activist agenda and refusal to follow the law.

Although the president-elect will not be able to completely cancel Obamas historic carbon emissions standards for power plants, having a legally experienced EPA head can help substantially weaken, delay or slowly dismantle them, the New York Times reported.

Pruitt was among a handful of other attorneys general that began planning as early as 2014 a coordinated legal effort to fight the Obama Administrations climate rules. That effort has resulted in a 28-state lawsuit against the Clean Power Plan. The case is now pending in federal court, but likely to advance to the Supreme Court, the New York Times said.

Watch this Fox Business interview with Pruitt in August 2015 when he was leading the charge against the EPAs guidelines on emissions, calling the 2015 EPA rules a power grab:

Trumps latest appointee falls in line with his other cabinet picks who deny the overwhelming scientific consensus that human activity is causing climate change. Pruitt once wrote an editorial questioning the degree and extent of global warming and its connection to the actions of mankind.

The Heartland Institute, a nonprofit that questions the reality and import of climate change, celebrated Trumps EPA appointment. H. Sterling Burnett, research fellow at The Heartland Institute, said in response, Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Keith Gaby, the senior communications director of the Environmental Defense Fund, noted that since 2002, Pruitt has received more than $314,996 from fossil fuel industries. In 2014, Pruitt was infamously caught sending letters to President Obama and federal agency heads asserting that the EPA was overestimating the air pollution from drilling for natural gas in Oklahoma. Turns out, the letter was by lawyers for one of states largest oil and gas companies, Devon Energy.

Harold G. Hamm, the chief executive of Continental Energy, was also co-chairman of Pruitts 2013 re-election campaign.

Pruitts appointment has been met with unprecedented criticism by environmental and health organizations nationwide.

By appointing Scott Pruitt as head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Trump is putting America at risk, Greenpeace spokesperson Travis Nichols said. Pruitt is

a pure product of the oil and gas industry, installed in successive government posts to sell out his constituents at every turn. He will push this country far behind the rest of the world in the race for 21st century clean energy. With Scott Pruitt as head of the EPA, the people and the environment will be in the hands of a man who cares about neither.

Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, agrees. The mission of the EPA and its administrator requires an absolute commitment to safeguard public health and protect our air, land, water and planet. Thats the litmus test. By naming Pruitt, President-elect Trump has flunked, Suh exclaimed.

Suh wrote in a blog post on Monday that over the past five years, Pruitt has used his position as Oklahomas top prosecutor to sue the EPA in a series of attempts to deny Americans the benefits of reducing mercury, arsenic and other toxins from the air we breathe; cutting smog that can cause asthma attacks; and protecting our wetlands and streams.

You couldnt pick a better fossil fuel industry puppet, 350.orgs Executive Director May Boeve said. Pruitts appointment reveals Trumps climate flip-flopping and meetings with Gore as nothing more than a smokescreen.

Why we should never get over the U.S. House Science Committee's Breitbart tweet: @EcoWatch https://t.co/uhNh24yRCF #climate  climatehawk1 (@climatehawk1) December 6, 2016

And the outcry didnt stop there.

Ken Cook, president of Environmental Working Group, said, Its a safe assumption that Pruitt could be the most hostile EPA administrator toward clean air and safe drinking water in history.

CEO and president of Defenders of Wildlife, Jamie Rappaport Clark, added, We need a leader for EPA who fully appreciates the gravity of the menace that climate change poses for our nations public health, our wildlife and our environment, and is prepared to use the full force of our nations strong environmental laws to curb that threat. Mr. Pruitt is plainly not that person.

Food & Water Watchs executive director, Wenonah Hauter, shared her dismay, too. Pruitt has championed the interests of industrial agriculture in his state, supporting a dubious, deregulatory right to farm initiative that residents rightly rejected at the ballot box this year. Hes also sued the EPA over the Waters of the U.S. rule that effectively strengthens the Clean Water Act.

Pruitt is a wholly owned subsidiary of the oil industry, Kassie Siegel, director of the Center for Biological Diversitys Climate Law Institute, said. Any Senator who doesnt fight this nomination is handing corporate polluters a wrecking ball to destroy our future.

World Resources Institutes Director Sam Adams said, Americans depend on EPA to promote human health and protect families and future generations. Its ability to protect air, water, and the climate for all people must continue.

Friends of the Earth climate and energy program director Benjamin Schreiber concurred. As the Attorney General, Scott Pruitt did the bidding of the oil and gas industry and fought many of the laws he will now be tasked to enforce, Schreiber said. He helped Big Oil turn Oklahoma into an Earthquake zone.

David Turnbull, campaigns director at Oil Change International, concluded, We call on Senators to reject this nomination, as well as other climate-denying, unqualified and regressive nominees. There is no place in our government for individuals who refuse to accept science and risk the safety of Americans around the country. There is no place in our government for individuals who are in clear alliance with the industry fueling our climate crisis. We need a separation of oil and state.
By Heartie Look

In recent years, the battle against wildlife poaching in Africa has taken a high-tech turn. Night-vision goggles, body armor and unmanned aerial vehicles have all become part of the modern ranger armament. But for rangers on the ground, their actual requests are often more everydaystarting with a good pair of socks.

It is not always the fancy kit that rangers need, said Keith Roberts, executive director for wildlife trafficking at Conservation International (CI). It is rather the basics that can make all the difference.

In response to this need, CI partnered with Osom Brand, a clothing company specializing in sustainable goods, to donate 1,000 pairs of high-quality socks specifically designed for rangers protecting wildlife on the front lines in Africa. Like all Osom Brand products, the socks are made almost entirely from recycled clothing, a process that reduces waste and eliminates the need for water and toxic dyes.

Find out more about CIs partnerships that help rangers in the original post.

Heartie Look is a partner marketing manager at Conservation International.




As the deadline for the end of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals nears, each week hundreds of young people who were brought to the United States illegally by their parents are losing the permits that allow them to legally work and stay in the country.

While leaders in Congress have vowed to find a fix, a concrete plan still hasnt materializedand some immigration advocates are beginning to worry that nothing will happen before the March 5 cutoff.

Even as DACA supporters stage rallies on Capitol Hill and in communities across the nation, little has changed in the four months since President Donald Trump announced plans to end the program. The lack of progress and looming deadline has left undocumented residents, many of whom teach and learn in the nations K-12 schools, in a state of constant uncertainty, with a sense of hopelessness already setting in for some.

It feels like time has already run out for a lot of people, said Viridiana Carrizales, the managing director of DACA member support at Teach For America. It is just becoming a very anxious time.

The immigrants affected by DACA were brought to the United States illegally as children. And millions of U.S.-born students in the nations schools are the children of undocumented immigrants, many of whom arent protected by DACA and are at risk for deportation.

Just how many jobs in K-12 education hinge on a DACA deal remains unclear, but the potential impact on schools is significant. The Washington-based Migration Policy Institute estimates that a quarter-million students have become DACA-eligible since President Barack Obama began the program in 2012 and that about 9,000 undocumented, DACA-protected teachers work in U.S. schools.

Federal law prohibits schools and districts from adopting enrollment policies that deny or discourage children from enrolling because of immigration status, but school employees are not afforded those same protections.

Teach For America began hiring the so-called DACA-mented teachers in 2013, and nearly 200 undocumented corps members and alumni have taught in the nations K-12 schools, reaching tens of thousands of students.

But if DACA is repealed without a replacement, roughly 40 of those teachers could be out of work come April. From there, the clock would start ticking on other work permits.

The education community is really putting most of its energy behind legislation that will keep teachers in classroom, TFA spokeswoman Kathryn Phillips said.

But with two months before the Trump administration sunsets DACA, observers say theres still no clear-cut path to a legislative solution.

Will Congress Fix DACA?

Despite an outpouring of public support from school and business leaders across the country, DACA remains a divisive issue on Capitol Hill. Immigration policy in general has confounded lawmakers for decades, even without a pending deadline on a decision that could directly and suddenly affect the lives of so many.

Congress has repeatedly tried to reform our immigration system ... and theyve repeatedly failed to do so. Its kind of a bleak picture in that respect, said Sarah Pierce, an associate policy analyst with the Migration Policy Institute. On the more optimistic side, I dont think any immigration-related issues have gotten as much attention as this one. There seems to be a huge push on both sides of the aisle to resolve this issue.

The best shot at resolution may be the Dream Act, a bill sponsored by Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

Their legislation would essentially turn DACA into a formal legal program and offer those individuals an opportunity to become United States citizens over time. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill could grant lawful immigration status and work authorization to as many as 2 million people. According to Pew Research Center estimates, there were 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States in 2015.

Lawmakers in both chambers have met frequently since the fall, with Durbin and Graham leading bipartisan talks in the Senate. But a solution cant come fast enough for DACA recipients: Nearly 15,000 have already lost DACA protection since Trump announced plans to end the program.

The decision could also affect the lives of children born in the United States: the millions of students in the nations public and private schools who are the children of undocumented immigrants. With deported or detained parents, many of those students could have their educations placed on hold.

It goes beyond the [DACA] recipients. The sense of uncertainty is certainly just as alarming and disquieting as if there was a firm understanding of what was going to happen, said Julie Sugarman, a policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institutes National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, where she focuses on issues related to immigrant students in elementary and secondary schools.

The threat of deportation has hit home in cities large and small, including border communities.

Greg Ewing, the superintendent of schools in Las Cruces, N.M., was in Washington last month to relay stories to members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus about how ramped-up immigration enforcement has upended life for families in his district. He described days where upwards of 20 percent of children in the 12,000-student district stayed home from school as reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids spread. Many of the students were elementary-age children who depended on their parents to get to school.

Whats most appalling is that these students are American citizens, and yet they are fearful about their future and future of their parents, Ewing said he told the members of Congress. They have a fear of even walking out their front door and going to school.

Time Is Running Short for Immigrants Protected by DACA

Three former homeland security secretaries, including Janet Napolitano, who helped developed the DACA policy as an Obama administration cabinet member, warned congressional leaders and officials that they dont actually have until March 5 to take legislative action. The group warned that the window to protect undocumented immigrants will actually close mid-January, nearly two months before the date outlined by the White House. The former cabinet members estimate that Congress would need to pass a bill by Jan. 19 to allow enough time for the federal government to process applications before the March 5 deadline.

Legislation should be enacted speedily, in order to meet the significant administrative requirements of implementation, as well as the need to provide certainty for employers and these young people, the letter said.

Since DACA went into effect in 2012, roughly 800,000 people were protected by the program, and close to 700,000 had active DACA protections in September, when the Trump administration announced its end.

To be eligible, applicants had to have arrived in the United States before age 16 and have lived there since June 15, 2007. Trump repeatedly pledged to repeal DACA during the 2016 presidential campaign. After he left it untouched during the first half of the year, a group of Republican-led states threatened to challenge the program in the courts before a judge who had already blocked an expansion of DACA to include the parents of those individuals.

In response, the Trump administration terminated the program. The president called on Congress to find a legislative solution, while praising DACA recipients as good, educated and accomplished young people.

But Trump and his GOP allies have demanded that any bill to make DACA permanent be paired with border security and other measures to deter illegal immigration, even pushing for several elements that Democrats have said are non-negotiable.

On Tuesday, Trump accused Democrats of doing nothing for DACA recipients and has vowed to not back off his demand for funding a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and scaling down family-based migration.

A big sticking point in this whole debate is where the president lies on this issue, said Pierce, the Migration Policy Institute analyst. Its been hard for people to gauge what the White House is going to require in order to agree to a deal. Thats definitely thrown a wrench into the whole negotiation process.

As the discussions continue in Congress, educators and families across the country are bracing for the unknown.

As educators, we dont exist to get involved in policy issues, said Ewing, the Las Cruces superintendent. But were going to have a group of people who were educated here, raised here, who are culturally and linguistically American, yet they lack that one piece of paper. To be told that theres not a place for them, thats not an American value.
No DESC trips to Commonwealth Games

The Government department responsible for sport on the Island insists it won't be sending politicians or civil servants to the Commonwealth Games.

The Department of Education, Sport and Culture has confirmed there are no planned visits to the Gold Coast event, which takes place in April.

The information was released in response to a Freedom of Information request asking how much any trips to Australia would cost.

Last year the Department spent over 3,600 to send the Minister and Chief Executive Officer to the Island games in Gotland.
Treasury Minister asks for review into DHSC funding



Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan MHK

The Treasury Minister is calling for a review into the future funding of the Department of Health and Social Care.

The DHSC needs an extra 9.5m to continue to fund its services until the end of the current financial year, despite undertaking a range of cost cutting measures in recent months.

Alfred Cannan wants Tynwald to give the Council of Ministers the go-ahead to commission an independent review to find changes for service delivery and funding.

Mr Cannan is asking for the review to find a way to provide a modern, fit for purpose healthcare system for the Island, with a report being delivered to Tynwald by January next year.

The Minister will seek support for the review at this month's sitting of the Island's parliament.
FRANKFURT. Goethe University Frankfurt can continue its study of the Nok Culture. The German Research Foundation has recently approved the funding application submitted by Professor Peter Breunig, Professor of African Archaeology, and Professor Katharina Neumann, Professor of African Archaeobotany. This means that an additional  1.5 million are available to complete the project, which explores the 2,500-year-old West African culture.

The long-term project, which is designed to take a total of twelve years, has been examining all the main aspects of the Nigerian Nok Culture since 2009. The researchers from Frankfurt are working on site alongside their Nigerian colleagues and have also employed a large number of local helpers. At times, the project was the largest employer in the area. Surveys, excavations and extensive data analysis are making a significant contribution to deeper knowledge of chronology, settlement, land use and environment, iron metallurgy, material culture and geographical range.

Peter Breunig is very pleased about the merry pre-Christmas news that the project will be funded right through to the end: "It really is something very special for an archaeologist when you can conduct such extensive research over many years and with a large team thanks to such broad support." The Nok project is outstanding in terms of content too: not many projects worldwide are set out to explore an entire archaeological culture.

The Nok Culture, which lasted for about 1,500 years and is named after the small village of Nok to the north-east of Abuja, the capital city, emerged around 1500 BC. This is also one of the things that the project has unearthed. At that time, the population lived in simple farming communities and its most important crop was pearl millet. The ornate terracotta figures, for which the Nok Culture is known outside the archaeological world too, emerged 600 years later, i.e. around 900 BC. Looting had already brought many to light before the Frankfurt researchers got to work - the statuettes are coveted objects on the international art market. "The fired clay sculptures represent the oldest and some of the largest examples of figurine art in sub-Saharan Africa," explains Breunig.

What purpose did the terracottas serve, some of which portray people and others animals? What was their original function when they were made about 2,500 years ago? This has been one of the main questions over the last nine years. The researchers presumed that the figures played a role in burial rites. And indeed, at some sites they were able to locate features interpreted as graves near the terracottas, for example in Ifana where they found around 20. "The custom of making a clay effigy of a deceased dignitary and placing it on the grave still exists in West Africa today. When the figures have weathered, they are all buried together at the same spot," say Professor Breunig. Perhaps it was the same back then.

The researchers have gained many other important insights besides that. "We know how the Nok people settled, what their pottery looked like, that it was travelling craftsmen who made the terracottas," says Breunig. And thanks to close cooperation with archaeobotanist Professor Katharina Neumann, the researchers also know what they ate and how their surrounding landscape changed over the course of time. The decline of the Nok Culture began around 400 BC; terracottas and Nok ceramics finally disappeared at the latest by the birth of Christ.

After Breunig and a member of his team were kidnapped in February 2017, the team has returned to Africa only once and did not venture beyond the capital. "But we've finished our field research anyway. We've got enough to do in the next three years," explains Breunig. The focus now is on the last remaining studies and publications on settlement, structure and chronology of the sites and the material culture as well as analysis, classification and long-term storage and accessibility of the data. In view of the extensive excavations, volume of data obtained, modern methods applied, countless carbon 14 dating results and the breadth of topics examined, the Nok Culture numbers - thanks to this project - amongst the most thoroughly investigated archaeological complexes in West Africa.

The archaeobotanical research work led by Professor Neumann also plays a prominent role in the project. Her objective is to design a model for vegetation development as well as resource and land use in the Nok region from the beginning of the Nok Culture around 1500 BC up until the first centuries AD. With the help of botanical macroremains and analysis of the chemical residues found in ceramics, her team is examining how the early Nok population adapted to a new habitat, how overexploitation in the Middle Nok period (900 to 400 BC) led to soil degradation and what role this might have played in the decline of the Nok Culture after 400 BC.

The Research Unit "Ecological and Cultural Change in West and Central Africa" funded by the German Research Foundation had already conducted initial research work related to the project from 2005 onwards. The long-term project then entered its first phase shortly after the global conference on African archaeology at Goethe University Frankfurt in 2008, which was opened by Namadi Sambo, later vice-president of Nigeria. One of the highlights was undoubtedly the much acclaimed exhibition "Nok - African sculpture in archaeological context" in 2013/14 at the Liebieghaus Museum in Frankfurt, which was also financed by the German Research Foundation. Since this year, the exhibits are on display at Kaduna National Museum under the title "NOK Within the Context of Nigerian Art Traditions". All materials which were brought to Frankfurt for research purposes are also returned to Nigeria.

Amongst others, a workshop is planned for the last phase of the project that aims to position Nok ceramics within a broader West African context. By comparing ceramics from other West African regions, the researchers hope to find further answers to the question of where the Nok people came from and how they lived.

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Pictures and captions can be downloaded from http://www.uni-frankfurt.de/69764206

Further information:

Professor Peter Breunig

Institute of Archaeological Sciences

Department of African Archaeology and Archaeobotany

Westend Campus

49-69-798-32094

breunig@em.uni-frankfurt.de

Current news about science, teaching, and society in GOETHE-UNI online

Goethe University is a research-oriented university in the European financial centre Frankfurt The university was founded in 1914 through private funding, primarily from Jewish sponsors, and has since produced pioneering achievements in the areas of social sciences, sociology and economics, medicine, quantum physics, brain research, and labour law. It gained a unique level of autonomy on 1 January 2008 by returning to its historic roots as a "foundation university". Today, it is among the top ten in external funding and among the top three largest universities in Germany, with three clusters of excellence in medicine, life sciences and the humanities. Together with the Technical University of Darmstadt and the University of Mainz, it acts as a partner of the inter-state strategic Rhine-Main University Alliance. Internet: http://www.goethe-university-frankfurt.de/en?locale=en

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Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a mathematical model for computing radiation therapy treatments that could substantially reduce patient side effects while delivering the same results as conventional radiation therapy.

Cancer patients who receive radiotherapy to destroy their tumors are given a total dose of radiation split into multiple equal treatments delivered over days or weeks. This is due to something called the fractionation effect: radiation-induced cell damage is lower if the same physical dose is delivered in multiple fractions, because it allows healthy cells to recover between treatments. Current clinical protocols stipulate that patients receive the same dose in each treatment session, every day.

But do the doses have to be the same each day? "Different doses, carefully planned to minimize side effects, can be just as effective," says David Papp, assistant professor of mathematics at NC State University. "However, the extent of this benefit has never been assessed. The algorithms we use now to determine the best personalized treatments don't work when computing treatments with different dose distributions in different fractions."

Papp set out to develop and test a so-called "spatiotemporal fractionation" approach that would reduce the radiation dose to healthy tissue while maintaining effectiveness against the tumor. In a proof-of-concept study, Papp tested the plan against model slices of five different liver tumors, each representing a unique tumor size or location to allow comparisons with actual clinical treatments.

"We wanted to see what the quantitative benefits of such a new protocol would be," says Papp. "How much can you reduce the radiation's effect on the liver while making sure that the tumor receives a consistent and effective dose? A reduction of 20 percent would reduce side effects enough to warrant a change in everyday clinical practice."

Papp's model reduced the liver dose by 13 to 35 percent without compromising other clinical goals. He has begun work on refining the model to make it more robust, with a view toward in vivo testing.

"Conventional radiation treatments don't necessarily achieve maximum benefit," Papp says. "Our protocol, by delivering a high single-fraction dose to parts of the tumor during each fraction and a consistent lower dose to the liver and other healthy tissue, could reduce patient side effects substantially while maintaining the same effectiveness as conventional treatments."

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The research appears in Physics in Medicine and Biology. Papp is corresponding author. Graduate student Melissa Gaddy, postdoctoral researcher Sercan Yildiz from the Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute (SAMSI), and Jan Unkelbach, radiation oncologist at University Hospital Zurich, contributed to the work.

Note to editors: An abstract follows.

"Optimization of spatiotemporally fractionated radiotherapy treatments with bounds on the achievable benefit"

DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/aa9975

Authors: David Papp, Melissa Gaddy, North Carolina State University; Sercan Yildiz, Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute; Jan Unkelbach, University of Zurich, Switzerland Published: Physics in Medicine and Biology

Abstract:

Spatiotemporal fractionation schemes, that is, treatments delivering different dose distributions in different fractions, can potentially lower treatment side effects without compromising tumor control. This can be achieved by hypofractionating parts of the tumor while delivering approximately uniformly fractionated doses to the surrounding tissue. Plan optimization for such treatments is based on biologically effective dose (BED); however, this leads to computationally challenging nonconvex optimization problems. Optimization methods that are in current use yield only locally optimal solutions, and it has hitherto been unclear whether these plans are close to the global optimum. We present an optimization framework to compute rigorous bounds on the maximum achievable normal tissue BED reduction for spatiotemporal plans. The approach is demonstrated on liver tumors, where the primary goal is to reduce mean liver BED without compromising any other treatment objective. The BED-based treatment plan optimization problems are formulated as quadratically constrained quadratic programming (QCQP) problems. First, a conventional, uniformly fractionated reference plan is computed using convex optimization. Then, a second, nonconvex, QCQP model is solved to local optimality to compute a spatiotemporally fractionated plan that minimizes mean liver BED, subject to the constraints that the plan is no worse than the reference plan with respect to all other planning goals. Finally, we derive a convex relaxation of the second model in the form of a semidefinite programming (SDP) problem, which provides a rigorous lower bound on the lowest achievable mean liver BED. The method is presented on 5 cases with distinct geometries. The computed spatiotemporal plans achieve 12-35 percent mean liver BED reduction over the optimal uniformly fractionated plans. This reduction corresponds to 79-97 percent of the gap between the mean liver BED of the uniform reference plans and our lower bounds on the lowest achievable mean liver BED. The results indicate that spatiotemporal treatments can achieve substantial reductions in normal tissue dose and BED, and that local optimization techniques provide high-quality plans that are close to realizing the maximum potential normal tissue dose reduction.
The Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite gathered data on rainfall rates occurring in Tropical Depression Bolaven as it moved toward Vietnam. Bolaven's final warning was issued early today, Jan. 4.

Tropical depression Bolaven drenched the Philippines and is moving west through the South China Sea toward southern Vietnam. Bolaven is the third deadly tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines in less than a month. Tropical storm Kai-Tak and Tembin caused widespread destruction last month in much of the same area of the Philippines. Bolaven, known as Agaton in the Philippines, was the first tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines this year. Heavy rain with Bolaven caused flooding, landslides and at least two deaths in the Philippines.

The GPM core observatory satellite passed over the center of Bolaven on January 2, 2018 at 1:21 p.m. EST (1821 UTC). GPM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA.

Bolaven had moved into the South China Sea and had winds estimated at 30 knots (34.5 mph/55.5 kph) making it a tropical depression on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. Data collected by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments showed that rain was falling at a rate of almost 121 mm (4.8 inches) per hour in a band of convective storms northwest of Bolaven's center of circulation.

At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. a 3-D view of Tropical Depression Bolaven was created from GPM's Radar data (DPR Ku Band). The 3-D image showed a simulated cross-section through precipitation within the storm. Radar reflectivity values greater than 50dBZ were frequently revealed in the vertical slice through the western side of GPM's radar swath. GPM's radar also showed that a few storm tops had heights exceeding 16 km (9.92 miles).

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued the final warning on Bolaven on Jan. 4 at 0300 UTC (Jan. 3 at 10 p.m. EST). At that time, maximum sustained winds were down to 25 knots (28.7 mph/46.3 kph). It was centered near 2.3 degrees north latitude and 110.5 degrees east longitude, about 268 nautical miles east-northeast of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Bolaven was moving to the northwest at 9 knots (10.3 mph/16.6 kph).

Satellite imagery early on Jan. 4 showed a fully exposed low-level circulation center with decaying thunderstorms pushed to the north of the center from vertical wind shear. Bolaven is forecast to rapidly dissipate after it makes landfall north of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam later on Jan. 4.

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For regional forecasts, visit Vietnam's National Center for Hydrometeorology website: http://www.nchmf.gov.vn.
1. Yes. The ordinance goes against state law and is not in the best interest of the cities.

2. Yes. At the very least, it should be amended to give police officers some discretion.

3. No. Voters approved the ordinance by large majorities; the councils cant ignore that fact.

4. No. The petition process has to be given a chance to work. Leave the ordinance alone.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say how the cities should move forward regarding the ordinance.

Vote

View Results
Berlin (Germany) - Disorders caused by a leaky vasculature are more common than most people think. Despite ICU treatment, one third of the 27 million patients globally that suffer from sepsis, and up to 20% of the more than 5 million US patients with congestive heart failure die every year from their condition. Other disorders that involve a disturbed barrier function of the endothel , the innermost cell layer of blood vessels, include diabetes, migraine or inflammatory diseases. Medical opinion leaders have now confirmed evidence that adrenomedullin, a central regulator of endothelial function, could serve both as a diagnostic biomarker and a therapeutic target in disorders caused by endothelial dysfunction.

Until now, physicians had no means to identify patients with bad sepsis prognosis and those heart failure patients with congestion who relapse due to residual disease at discharge. International medical leaders have now compiled clinical data from more than 10,000 patients suffering from sepsis and congestive heart failure, whose survival was linked to blood levels of the peptide hormone adrenomedullin. Results presented in Berlin identify the active form of adrenomedullin, dubbed bio-ADM, as a biomarker that predicts development of septic shock and for the first time allows doctors to identify heart failure patients, who will relapse despite decongestive treatment with loop diurectics. While sepsis supportive treatment causes annual healthcare cost of nearly $24bn, congestive heart failure treatment and rehospitalisation costs due to unidentified residual disease totaled at $31bn in the US alone. The latter annual cost is expected to double by 2030.

A diagnostic test for bio-ADM , developed and marketed by diagnostics company Sphingotec in Europe and China, is already in place. An adrenomedullin-specific therapeutic antibody, developed by Berlin-based Adrenomed AG, has just entered proof-of-concept studies in septic shock patients; a Phase II study in patients with decompensated heart failure is expected to start in 2018. According to serial entrepreneur Andreas Bergmann, founder of both companies and co-founder of BRAHMS (taken over in 2009), "bio-ADM is a general indicator for endothelial dysfunction and the need of vascular repair."

Clinical data from more than 4,000 Caucasian and Asian sepsis patients presented at the scientific symposium "Endothelial dysfunction - Adrenomedullin as a diagnostic and therapeutic target" demonstrate that low bio-ADM plasma levels (<70pg/mg) at baseline were linked to a good outcome. In contrast, bio-ADM levels above that cut-off value were linked to significantly higher mortality (up to 13-fold), organ dysfunction and high vasopressor demand. As bio-ADM levels rose 24+ hours before septic shock occurred it allowed both early intervention and therapy monitoring. bio-ADM indicated endothelial integrity in sepsis patients at emergency departments, ICUs and patients with surgical sepsis.

Further clinical data from more than 6,000 patients with acute and chronic heart failure suffering from congestion and edema caused by high venous pressure and vascular fluid leakage, demonstrate that high bio-ADM levels predicted residual congestion, rehospitalisation and 180-day mortality. Measuring bio-ADM levels is the very first method that allows identification of patients with acute heart failure that have residual congestion and mustn't be discharged in order to prevent rehospitalisation and death.

Using adrenomedullin as a therapeutic target seems to be a next logical step. Preclinically, Adrecizumab, a humanized antibody that binds adrenomedullin without affecting its receptor binding in the endothel, led to a 40% survival benefit in mice. In two Phase I trials the first-in-class antibody showed excellent safety and tolerability in sepsis patients. Pharmakokinetic and pharmacodynamic data suggest that antibody stabilizes adrenomedullin's half-life from 22 minutes to several days and that antibody binding leads to a redistribution from the vessel interstitium to its lumen, where is closes in gaps in the endothelium and thus restores the blood vessels barrier function. A Phase II trail on 300 patients with early septic shock is underway, while a Phase II study in congestive heart failure patients is in preparation and is expected to start in 2018.

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About the speakers at the scientific symposium

Prof. Dr. Inder Anand, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, VA Medical Center Minneapolis MN and San Diego, USA

Prof. Dr. Aw Tar Choon, Changi General Hospital, Singapore

Prof. Dr. Javed Butler, Chief of the Cardiology Divisionat Stony Brook School of Medicine, USA

Prof. Dr Salvatore Di Somma, Director Emergency Medicine, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy

Asj-Prof. Dr. Hans-Dirk Dungen, Head Multicentric Studies Cardiology, Charite Berlin, Germany

Prof. Dr. Mina Hur, Director Department of Laboratory Medicine, Konkuk University Seoul, Korea

Prof. Dr Pierre-Francois Laterre, Head of the medical-surgical intensive care unit at St. Luc Hospital, Brussels, Belgium

Dr. Roberto Latini, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri Milano, Italy

Prof. Dr. Gernot Marx, Director Operative Intensive Care and Intermediate Care, University Clinic Aachen, Germany

Prof. Alexandre Mebazaa, Head AP-HP, Hopital Lariboisiere Paris, France

Prof. Dr. Olle Melander, Principal investigator at Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease, Lund University Malmo, Sweden

Prof. Dr. Marco Metra, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties. Universita degli Studi di Brescia, Italy

Prof. Leong L. Ng, Principal Investigator, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University Leicester, UK

Prof. Dr. Peter Pickkers, Department of Intensive Care. Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Prof. Adriaan A. Voors, Director of the Heart Failure Clinic and the Outpatient Clinic of the.Department of Cardiology, UMC Groningen, The Netherlands

About congestive heart failure:

About 5 million US-Americans suffer from congestive heart failure. The characteristic loss of pump function of the heart triggers cardiac remodeling - the heart gets stiffer, fibrotic, and cannot pump enough blood into the circulatory system. The lower pump efficacy causes lower oxygen saturation and results in congestion, which means that blood returning to the heart through the veins backs up, resulting in higher venous pressure and causing fluids to build up in the tissues (edema). About 80% of patients with congestive heart failure are also at risk to develop edema, because their microvasculature becomes leaky due to venous hypertension. Physicians try to prevent the worst case - deadly lung edemas - by administration of loop diuretics, which can reduce hypertension by increasing water excretion. However, not all patients fully respond to diuretics. Incomplete response to diuretics therapy is the most common cause of re-hospitalization and post discharge mortality in patients with congestive heart failure. It's not yet fully understood why patients with congestive heart failure often experience acute kidney injury (AKI). However, there is growing evidence that AKI can be attributed to congestion (cardio-renal syndrome") and that, vice versa, AKI can trigger heart problems. Management of fluid balance with loop diuretics is challenging - if too much fluid is excreted from tissues, this will support development of AKI. On the other hand, if too little fluid is excreted, lung edemas could return. Besides that, a large proportion of patients with congestive heart failure does not fully respond to diuretics treatment, leading to undetected residual congestion. To date, physicians have no means to identify these patient group at discharge, resulting in high re-hospitalization and post-discharge mortality rates.

About septic shock

Septic shock is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction due to dysregulated host response to a proven or suspected infection which leads to a decline of Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) < 65 mmHg, which is refractory to fluid resuscitation and requires vasopressors. Refractoriness to fluid resuscitation is defined as a lack of response to the administration of 30 mL of fluid per kilogram of body weight or is determined according to a clinician's assessment of inadequate hemodynamic results

About Adrenomedullin

Adrenomedullin is a strong vaso-regulatory hormone released by smooth muscle cells and the endothelium. It is a key regulator of blood pressure and vascular tone and plays a pivotal role in the regulation of the endothelial barrier function.

About Adrecizumab

Adrecizumab is a proprietary humanized monoclonal Adrenomedullin-specific antibody, as first-in-class therapy for the treatment and prevention of impaired vascular integrity, which is a hallmark of septic shock. Adrecizumab showed excellent safety & tolerability as well as high efficacy in a variety of preclinical animal models, mimicking human standard of care treatment on ICU. In several resuscitated vascular integrity models (mouse, rat, pig), Adrecizumab reduced vascular leakage, stabilized the circulation, by restoring blood pressure, normalized fluid balance and reduced vasopressor demand, improved renal function and reduced mortality from septic shock by 50%. The excellent tolerability and safety of Adrecizumab was confirmed in two clinical Phase-I studies in healthy subjects with and without LPS challenge.

About sphingotec GmbH:

sphingotec GmbH (Hennigsdorf, Germany) develops innovative biomarkers for prediction, diagnosis and therapy monitoring of AKI, congestive heart failure and septic shock. The company, founded by Dr. Andreas Bergmann in 2002, has also in its portfolio biomarkers which can predicts risks of obesity, breast cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

About Adrenomed:

Adrenomed AG is a privately financed biopharmaceutical company, based in Hennigsdorf near Berlin, Germany, with the mission to improve survival by improving vascular integrity in critically ill patients. Its lead candidate, Adrecizumab, a monoclonal antibody therapy targeting the vasoactive adrenomedullin system, is in clinical testing for early septic shock. Impaired vascular integrity is a pathology observed in a variety of medical conditions. A further indication besides sepsis and early septic shock is acute decompensated heart failure.
Thursday, January 4, 2018

The new dockless bike-share program, which seeks to bring more choice to citywide transportation, has been getting attention from Georgetown residents. The bikes can be parked on city property in a random fashion and would-be renters can check an app to see where the nearest ones are located. Seems simple enough.

But, for some, the randomness of where the bikes are parked is irksome. There have been community meetings on the bike program already.

Last week, one allegedly cranky Georgetown resident wrote on the Georgetown Forum, a community bulletin board maintained by the Citizens Association of Georgetown, that residents ought to call 911 about parked bikes that block the sidewalk  and even call 911 when one sees the bicycles ridden along the streets. The comment got blasted in social media to the detriment of Georgetowns reputation, as if Georgetowners wanted such random bicyclists out of the neighborhood all together (not a good reflection on the oldest neighborhood in Washington, D.C.). Other commenters suggested that those obstructed by abandoned bikes call 311, a non-emergency number.

Such sniping aside, the Metropolitan Police Department felt the need to weigh on this latest bike brouhaha with regard to calling 911: It is difficult to accurately capture the total number of complaints. Much of the feedback and frustrations associated with the placement of dockless bikes we have received has been during community meetings, email exchanges and public interactions.

At the last bikeshare meeting we hosted, we discussed the issues experienced thus far in D.C. We will continue to stay engaged with these companies and our communities to identify a solution that works for everyone.

While we recognize some recent frustrations, the MPD urges residents to refrain from dialing 911 to report suspicious activity for merely utilizing bikeshare services. The law regarding false alarms and false reports is  221319 False alarms and false reports; hoax weapons. We still encourage our residents and visitors to report any activity that they deem suspicious.

Community activist David Abrams added to the discussion: While it may not be appropriate to call 911 to sic the police on dockless bike riders, it is entirely appropriate to call 311, if you see any dockless bicycle parked illegally or inappropriately. Illegal and/or inappropriate parking of dockless bikes means any dockless bike that is parked on, or leaning against, private property, leaning against a tree or blocking access to a doorway or a Metro stop.

Sam Zimbabwe of the D.C. Department of Transportation, which is overseeing the bike program, was cited by Abrams: Bikes have to be parked to leave a pedestrian-clear zone of at least five feet.

Abrams continued: If the bikes impede a clearance zone of five feet they are a public hazard and need to be reported to 311 to have them removed. DDOT would rather we call the individual private dockless bike companies to have individual bikes removed by the companies themselves. That is both an undue burden on tax-paying citizens and a clear example of this ill-conceived and not-thought-through dockless bike program. Its a shame that we have to waste city money on calling 311 but DDOT has left us with no reasonable alternative. When 311 is called, they will also e-mail you a copy of your service request so be sure to ask for that documentation.

The bike saga will continue (the trial period concludes in April), no doubt  and move in new directions and places.

Take, for example, yesterdays comment by Kevin Donohue, deputy D.C. mayor for public safety and justice: Please dont park your dockless bikes in the middle of the C&O Canal. An Ofo bike was shown on Twitter parked on the surface of the frozen canal, just west of Georgetown.

To boot, technically, dockless bike-share operations are not authorized to operate on National Park Service land. As the C&O Canal is part of the National Park Service, its spokeswoman Jenny Anzelmo-Sarles told WTOP, While dockless bike share services do not currently have authorization to operate on National Park Service land in the D.C. area, we are actively engaged in dialogue with DDOT and bike share operators to address the issue.
From: Shannon Skinner For Immediate Release: Dateline: Toronto , Ontario Thursday, January 4, 2018

Ecole ho^telie`re de Lausanne (EHL) announces appointment of the first woman and youngest dean since the schools creation in 1893.

As the first woman and youngest person to occupy this position since the foundation of the school in 1893, Dr. Ine`s Blal was nominated to the position of Executive Dean, the company announced in a news release on December 22, 2017, from Lausanne, Switzerland.

Dr. Ine`s Blal

This recent appointment illustrates EHLs commitment to pioneering training that prepares tomorrows managers for high-responsibility service jobs. Just like its future campus and the work done to integrate new technologies into education and hospitality, EHL faculty demonstrates once again that the institution is guided by values of excellence, openness and innovation.

With all the members of the deanship, we are committed to providing cutting-edge, high-quality education. Through this mission, we aim to strengthen the quality of our courses, stimulate our research and encourage innovative and effective teaching methods. In keeping with the pioneering spirit of EHL, we will continue to develop new programs that meet the needs of the industry in order to keep our institution at the forefront of the academic world explained Dr. Ine`s Blal.

About Ecole ho^telie`re de Lausanne (EHL)

Ecole ho^telie`re de Lausanne (EHL) is an ambassador for traditional Swiss hospitality and has been a pioneer in hospitality education since 1893. It has created and inspired a unique professional community of over 25,000 hospitality managers, united by the values and the legacy of EHL.

EHL is a leading university that provides learning solutions for enthusiastic, talented and ambitious students from 119 different countries. With undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs, EHL offers its students a range of on-campus and online education opportunities at different stages of their professional journey.

EHL is regularly recognized as the best hotel management school in the world with the highest graduate employment rates in the industry. EHL is a member of EHL Holding SA, a Group dedicated to hospitality management education.

For more information, please visit the

Source: company news release

Photo credit: EHL Dr. Blal, who has been teaching at EHL f or more than eleven years, holds a Ph.D. in Strategic Management in Hospitality and Tourism from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, an MBA in Hotel Management from EHL, and a Bachelor in International Business from the INSEEC Group.This recent appointment illustrates EHLs commitment to pioneering training that prepares tomorrows managers for high-responsibility service jobs. Just like its future campus and the work done to integrate new technologies into education and hospitality, EHL faculty demonstrates once again that the institution is guided by values of excellence, openness and innovation.With all the members of the deanship, we are committed to providing cutting-edge, high-quality education. Through this mission, we aim to strengthen the quality of our courses, stimulate our research and encourage innovative and effective teaching methods. In keeping with the pioneering spirit of EHL, we will continue to develop new programs that meet the needs of the industry in order to keep our institution at the forefront of the academic world explained Dr. Ine`s Blal.Ecole ho^telie`re de Lausanne (EHL) is an ambassador for traditional Swiss hospitality and has been a pioneer in hospitality education since 1893. It has created and inspired a unique professional community of over 25,000 hospitality managers, united by the values and the legacy of EHL.EHL is a leading university that provides learning solutions for enthusiastic, talented and ambitious students from 119 different countries. With undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs, EHL offers its students a range of on-campus and online education opportunities at different stages of their professional journey.EHL is regularly recognized as the best hotel management school in the world with the highest graduate employment rates in the industry. EHL is a member of EHL Holding SA, a Group dedicated to hospitality management education.For more information, please visit the website or on twitter @EHLnews Media contact:



Shannon Skinner

416-576-8809

www.ExtraordinaryWomenTV.com

www.ShannonSkinner.com

info@extraordinarywomentv.com



Swiss-based


by Gary VanDyke | Saints Correspondent | Fri, Jan 5th 1:21pm EST

Jordan and company will, for the most part, be at full health heading into the Wildcard Weekend contest versus Carolina. The only defensive player on the injury report is Trey Hendrickson (ankle). (usatoday.com)
Chores take a little longer but animal care is the focus

By Chris Kick and Catie Noyes

KIDRON, Ohio  The cold that blasted Ohio and Pennsylvania farmers and also the East Coast since Christmas, is making for a challenging couple weeks.

Animals and farmers alike are faced with single-digit temperatures, and only recently has there been any sign of improvement. The National Weather Service Forecast predicts highs near 30 on Saturday, with lows of 15 or higher.

Business as usual

The cold weather did not stop the farmers at Kidron Auction Jan. 4, though many said the conditions made their work more difficult and time consuming.

John Sprunger, auction manager, expected about 80-90 loads for the weekly hay and straw sale  down a little because of the weather, but not by much.

Consigners kept warm by staying in their trucks as much as possible, and donning multiple layers of overalls and Carhartts.

Ken Stockmeister, of Attica, Ohio, brought two loads of straw to sell. He said the key when working in the cold is to move fast, and get back indoors.

Try to do it as quick as possible and get back in where theres heat, he said. When youre out there in the open, you try to have a vehicle running so you can hop in every now and then, if you have to.

Mike Cramer, a hay and cattle producer from New Washington, Ohio, brought a load of first-cutting timothy hay that he figured would probably sell as horse feed. He feeds out Angus and Holstein cattle and said this time of year, the cattle have bigger appetites.

Feedwise, theyll consume more, so youre checking the feeders more often, he said. Theyre eating more to stay warm.

On the farm

Jodi McDonnell and her husband, Tom, of Lakeville, Ohio, brought a load of open dairy heifers to sell. She said theyve been keeping up, but everything takes longer in this weather.

Weve definitely been fighting with frozen waterers, she said. The heating elements in them arent even keeping them thawed out. It takes about three hours longer to do stuff than what it should. Its definitely made it a chore.

The chores are taking longer at Lahmers Farm in Ashland County, as well, where Christy Hulse milks 130 cows.

Hulse said water troughs get checked two to three times a day and animals need to be closely monitored for pneumonia and other health issues.

When its this cold out, you cant vaccinate animals, she said. The other day I took my bottle and syringe out and it instantly froze. You cant do anything.

Temperatures in Ashland, Ohio, were in the teens Jan. 3, with wind chills making it feel much colder. Temperatures are expected to drop to the single digits by the end of the week, according to AccuWeather, with lows dropping below zero.

We worry a lot about frostbite on udders, so we switched to a powder teat dip, she said.

Calf care

A closer eye is kept on pre-fresh cows and newborns and calf hutches are bedded down with extra straw and calf blankets are put on.

When the temperatures drop to extreme cold, Hulse said they try to avoid doing extra work out in the elements if they can. But avoiding the weather on a farm can be a bit of challenge, so they layer up.

Hulse said they take extra precautions when moving animals from barn to barn to make sure cows and people dont slip on the ice.

And cleaning the barns can be a little more challenging, as the manure tends to freeze.

It just makes everything a bit more difficult and we just have to wait until it warms up a bit, she said.

Keep animals warm

The University of Kentucky is reminding farmers to take care of their livestock, and themselves.

We want to remind livestock producers to take proper precautions to keep their animals safe during periods of cold stress, said Jeff Lehmkuhler, UK livestock specialist. Dont forget to keep yourself warm while caring for your animals avoid getting frostbite, especially when working on waterers to keep the water flowing.

Livestock producers should make sure animals have adequate shelter, water, dry bedding and feed to make it through this cold spell. Pet owners should bring pets indoors.

Animals have a higher requirement for energy in the colder months, so producers should have high-quality forages and grains on hand to meet their needs.

Make sure there is plenty of clean water, and be wary of allowing livestock near frozen ponds and streams.

Theres always a risk for animals falling through the ice, as they search for water sources and end up walking out onto ice-covered ponds, Lehmkuhler said.
Every January Ohios fruit and vegetable growers, farm managers and agricultural marketers come together to talk trends, share best practices, and learn how to grow better produce. The Ohio Produce Growers and Marketers Association will kick off the New Year with the 2018 Ohio Produce Network (OPN) conference, January 15-17, at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Sandusky, Ohio.

The theme of the 2018 OPN is Better Together. The two-and-a-half-day conference offers over 50 breakout sessions covering diverse topics: produce trial research results to pest management to accepting digital payments at your farm. Educators from the Ohio State University Extension Direct Marketing Team will offer ideas and teach techniques proven to grow business and sales revenue.

Farm to Facebook?

2.789 billion people use social media to connect with friends and follow influencers, businesses and organizations. An increasing number of consumers are abandoning search engines and turning to social media to find products and services. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram provide business owners with a lucrative platform to promote their products. Agricultural producers can use compelling photo and video content to attract new customers and enhance relationships with current customers.

Ohio Produce Network breakout session How to Take Video with your Smartphone Session one will provide technical instruction to take videos and discuss consumer video preferences. Growers will learn how to create viral videos and have an opportunity to practice before attending session 2 the following afternoon. Session two will direct attendees to apps and tools to enhance their video content.

Taking Pictures for your Social Media Site teaches growers to boost their brands on rapidly growing social photo platforms like Instagram and Twitter, and how to spark clicks and conversations posting photos on Facebook and Twitter.

2018 Ohio Produce Network Highlights

Ohio Produce Network attendees can register to attend Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) training at no additional cost with conference registration fee. PSA training is a standardized national produce safety training program that prepares produce growers to meet the regulatory requirements in the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. The curriculum covers food safety, Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and natural resource management. Space is limited, so register today if you are interested in the PSA training.

Keynote speakers include Michele Payn, Cause Matters Corporation, and Melinda Witten, Director of Leadership Programming at the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. Michele Payn is a speaker, writer and advocate for healthy food and farms. She is the author of two books: No More Food Fights! and Food Truths from Farm to Table. She founded Cause Matters Corporation to de-bunk food myths, develop science communication and connect farm to food. She educates the public through weekly online Twitter conversations, AgChat and Food Chat.

Melinda Witten ignites the next generation of leaders in agriculture, overseeing the Ohio Farm Bureaus Young Agricultural Professionals and AgriPOWER Leadership Institute programs. She draws from vast experience growing and selling produce direct to consumers. The Witten Family operates a multi-generational farm market and greenhouse in Beverly, Ohio, and 22 satellite farm stands across Ohio and West Virginia.

A new opportunity for producers is a value-added product tasting contest to be held Tuesday morning, January 16th in the tradeshow area from 8 Aa.m. to 10:30 a.m. OPGMA will provide crackers and/or biscuits for sampling. All you need to do is bring a jar or two of your best tasting products to share with attendees. The item voted best tasting will be recognized during Melinda Wittens presentation in Indigo Bay from 10:45 a.m. to noon on Tuesday. You will receive bragging rights among your peers as well as recognition on our social media sites during OPN.

The trade show features exhibitors from business and industry, education and non-profit organizations. Attendees can access experts in supply, marketing, financial and risk management to ask questions and discover solutions.

See you there

The cost to attend the Ohio Produce Network full conference is $130 for members and $180 for non-members. Early bird discounts may apply before Jan. 11, 2018. Visit the Ohio Produce Network website to register for the event, http://www.opgma.org/?page_id=52.

Questions? Contact OPGMA at ohiopgma@gmail.com or (740) 828-3400.

Reference

Kemp, Simon. Digital in 2017: Global Overview, (Jan 24, 2017). We are Social. https://wearesocial.com/special-reports/digital-in-2017-global-overview .

Related story: Ohio Produce Conference gets new name (Jan. 5, 2018).
Undermining regulation and welfare standards will mean British farmers are no longer at the top of the value chain, Defra Secretary Michael Gove has explained.

Gove attended the Oxford Real Farming Conference, an alternative event to the more mainstream Oxford Farming Conference, to speak about standards in British farming.

Gove told the audience: The future for British food is in quality and provenance and traceability and competing at the top of the value chain.

And if we sign trade deals or lower our regulation or welfare standards in a way that means were no longer at the top of the value chain, then we undermine the growing strength of the very best of British food production.

He added: Trade deals live or die by the basis by which public is prepared to support them.

TTIP [the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership] ran up against opposition both in the UK and the EU  if we strike a deal with the US it may be that some aspects which do cause concern to the citizens here wouldnt be allowed to get through the House of Commons.

Farmers have a big concern with allowing lower-standard food imports to gain access into the UK, effectively undercutting home produce made to higher standards.

But in Gove's speech to the Oxford Farming Conference on Thursday, he appeared to please the farming industry with pledges to develop a "coherent policy" on food, and label produce "properly as British".

"It would be foolish for us to lower animal welfare or environmental standards in any trade deal, and in so doing undercut our own reputation for quality," the Defra Secretary explained.

Risk of lower-standard

Indeed, a report released last year warns of the potential increase in cheaper, lower standard food imports to the UK which could put British farmers at a competitive disadvantage.

It comes amid concerns that a post-Brexit deal with the US could include chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-fed beef, which are both currently banned in the EU.

A senior business representative to President Donald Trump has warned that the British public may have to accept chlorinated chicken as part of any trade deal between the UK and the US.

Wilbur Ross, the US commerce secretary, said any trade deal between the two countries would need to scrap rules that were set by Brussels.

But a sector by sector post-Brexit analysis by the NFU has identified the risk of low standard imports as the greatest trade threat to the UK poultry sector.

A number of ministers, including Michael Gove, have frequently insisted that the UK government will seek to maintain farming standards in any negotiations, but Wilbur Ross's intervention has caused alarm as the government desperately scrambles to implement trade deals.

Gove's comments appear to contradict the Trade Secretary Liam Fox's, who said he had 'no problem' with British people eating chlorinated, lower-standard chicken.
The Church of Scotland has appointed its first ever dedicated "farming minister" to help support people in the hard-pressed agricultural industry.

57-year-old Rev Chris Blackshaw will visit farms across Scotland to provide spiritual and family support, counselling.

He will encourage people to buy local produce, and interact with young farmer groups to drive a love for education.

Rev Blackshaw will also interact with NFU Scotland representatives, visit the weekly livestock mart and attends annual agriculture shows.

A farmers son, he will draw together groups of people linked to the industry like vets, government agencies, livestock mart staff, those servicing the farming industry and estate workers.

The Church of Scotland says he has experience enabling him to provide support to people dealing with a wide range of issues such as stress, illness and depression.

The "innovative and creative" Pioneer Ministry post is an initial five-year appointment supported by the Church of Scotlands Ministries Council and the Presbytery of Ayr.

The new role has been welcomed by NFU Scotland and rural charity RSABI, who say the perilous state of the ailing sector is taking a "serious" toll on the health and wellbeing of many people who too often "suffer in silence".

'Very isolating'

Mr Blackshaw, who was previously a minister to the agricultural community in Cumbria, said: I absolutely love my new job and the feedback I have received since I started in September has been very positive.

I was born and bred on a Derbyshire hill farm and have a good understanding of farming.

There are not many jobs I couldnt do on a farm so this is the ideal job for me  showing people the love of Christ by walking alongside them.

Mr Blackshaw, who owns a smallholding in Cumbria and has seven English long horn cattle, said farming can be a very isolating profession.

For some farmers there are not many people who they can turn to and have a confidential conversation with, he explained.

I have met vets who have told me that they often go back to farms, not to look at the animals but to make sure the farmers are okay.

Mr Blackshaw, who lives near Maybole, says he is a shoulder to lean upon in hard times.

I go to the local market and call at farms to let people know I am there to provide support and share in celebrations and happy times as well, he added.
Devolved UK governments are now looking to Westminster for guarantees on the financial framework for them to develop their own specific agricultural policies.

Following Defra Secretary Michael Gove's speech on Thursday at the Oxford Farming Conference, where his support for food production, fairer food supply chains and securing the right trading platforms post-Brexit was widely welcomed, devolved governments are now looking for further guarantees.

Farming union NFU Scotland said it is now looking to Westminster for guarantees on the financial framework and the flexibility for Scotland to develop agricultural policies bespoke to the needs of Scotlands farmers and crofters.

It also looks to the Scottish Government to expand its policy vision for Scottish food and farming in the weeks ahead.

NFU Scotland President Andrew McCornick said: With food and drink now Scotland and the UKs biggest manufacturing sector, we welcome Mr Goves recognition that any new, agricultural policy must have food production at its core.

While the speech focused on how Defra will deliver for England, Scottish farmers and crofters now need to hear more about what the future holds for them. Reiteration of the funding commitment to 2022 provides some certainty through what will continue to be an uncertain era for Scotland's farmers and crofters.

Mr McCornick added: That period must be fully utilised to develop and implement a new support regime that fits Scotland's agricultural landscape and which rewards activity, incentivises innovation and productivity, and recognises good stewardship of a flourishing environment, allowing farmers and crofters the opportunity to manage and adapt to change.

'Remain in the dark'

The Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) has described comments by Gove on post-Brexit agriculture as "welcome", but says Welsh farmers "remain in the dark" over many important issues.

FUW President Glyn Roberts said many Welsh farmers would also be concerned that nothing was said about progress on talks between devolved regions on how devolved powers and funding might operate once the UK leaves the legal framework of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

He said: Wales currently has devolved powers over agricultural and rural development spending and policy, but this is within the limits laid down in the CAP framework.

The FUW fully supports such devolved powers continuing. But, we now need to ensure that devolved powers are fully respected by all 4 nations and that we don't see the creation of support mechanisms that benefit one nation over another.

Mr Roberts added: Therefore we need to develop a UK framework which ensures equivalence between producers in the four nations, which respects devolved powers and allows a degree of flexibility.

Opposition politicians have in the past accused the UK government of an attempted "power grab" over responsibilities that will return to the UK from Brussels once the country withdraws from the EU.
Specially targeted farm subsidies could improve animal welfare to meet the governments ambitions for the highest quality food standards post-Brexit, claims the RSPCA.

The animal charitys proposals include ring-fenced funding for training, infrastructure and enrichment to improve animal welfare.

It also includes financial support for farmers when market prices fall meaning higher welfare products are being sold at a loss to the farmer.

As plans progress for the UK to leave the EU, the government is considering the best options for supporting farmers once the EU farm subsidy CAP system ends.

Having committed to maintaining and improving the high standards of UK food products post-Brexit, the government also acknowledges that the increased costs inherent in producing higher welfare food means that farmers need financial incentives to achieve this goal.

'No-brainer'

Speaking at the Oxford Real Farming Conference on Thursday 4 January, RSPCA Head of Public Affairs David Bowles said paying farmers to achieve high animal welfare standards is a "no-brainer".

Farm subsidies targeted at animal welfare will be good for new trade deals, good for consumers and good for the animals, Mr Bowles said.

If post-Brexit farm support schemes include ring-fenced incentives for farmers to improve animal welfare, the governments laudable ambitions for the UK to produce the highest quality food will be met.

This, coupled with Environment Secretary Michael Goves newly announced comprehensive food labelling system which includes, amongst other things, indicators on animal welfare standards, would be the icing on the cake.

As the UK leaves the EU and nationalises the farming support system this presents us with a once-in-a-generation chance to radically transform the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) into a British policy for humane animal and sustainable land management.

If we get it right now, the UKs food quality can become the worlds gold standard - and that can only happen with the highest possible animal welfare.

Financial help

Although certain farming sectors such as laying hens are now able to command a premium price for their high welfare products, other sectors such as dairy and beef cows are not able to and would need financial help to improve their welfare standards.

The RSPCA has identified three funding areas that would help improve animal welfare while complying with world trade rules.

Support could include capital costs, including higher welfare training and improved housing of herds, ongoing production costs when market prices for higher welfare products would produce a financial shortfall and ongoing costs, such as improving enrichment or providing access to pasture or straw.

The RSPCA recommends that animal-welfare-related subsidies should be delivered via the devolved Rural Development Plans.

There are currently 29 European schemes aimed at improving welfare, most of which have been over-subscribed, showing the desire from farmers to improve the welfare of their animals.
A report which looks at the cost of pig meat production in all EU countries could prove valuable to pig producers in Britain  particularly in the face of Brexit.

According to pig industry experts at AHDB, the 2016 Pig Cost of Production in Selected Countries provides producers with a wealth of information about technical performance.

The report allows the British pig industry to compare performance with competitors.

The report shows the cost of pig meat production in Britain dropped by 4% in 2016 compared to 2015. This brings the country in line with the rest of the EU who experienced an 8% increase in sterling terms.

The report also looks at the financial performance of all EU countries, including feed prices and costs, as well as the number of pigs weaned and finished per sow each year.

AHDB Porks Senior Analyst Carol Davis said: This is a valuable report for the pork industry as it provides a wealth of important information, both technical and financial, allowing us to compare ourselves to our competitors in the EU.

As well as highlighting our successes in the pork sector, the report also looks at areas where we need to improve to enable us to compete with the rest of Europe. There are many challenges that exist and it is important that we become more productive now to help us to remain profitable in the future.

Litter size

One of the key challenges for the pork sector is litter size, with the number of pigs weaned per sow below the EU average  despite a 2% increase in 2016.

The report shows the overall average number of pigs weaned per sow per year in European countries increased in 2016, up from 26.81 in 2015 to 27.53 last year  with Denmark achieving 32.

In Britain, the number of pigs weaned per sow rose to 24.83 overall, with indoor sow production rising to 26.2, a small increase compared to 2015. Outdoor sows increased from 22.1 to 22.8 last year.

The main reason Britain has a below average number of pigs weaned per sow lies in the number of pigs born alive per litter, with Britain still performing below the EU average of 13.8. The 2016 Britain average of 12.5 (indoor sows 13, outdoor sows 11.7) was an increase compared to 12.3 in 2015.

Ms Davis added: While Britain is making improvements, so is the rest of Europe and more needs to be done to improve our performance. This report is incredibly useful to see where individual producers and the industry as a whole compare to the rest of the EU.

AHDB is committed to producing this report every year to ensure that we continue to monitor pig production in Britain and the wider EU.
Deepika On Working With Her Off-screen BF Ranbir On Screen

Speaking about her shooting experience with Ranbir, while dating him at the same time, she told, "It doesn't really make much of a difference because at the end of the day when you're working and you're a part of the film, you are not really looking at whether he is your boyfriend or not because you're in your work space at that moment.

Deepika On Travelling To Beautiful Location With Ranbir For The Shoot

"Well, I only got to work with him (Ranbir) in Sydney and then for the song 'Khuda Jaane' in Italy. So both were great experiences. In Sydney, we were there for almost 25 days and there we were shooting the scenes."

'I would Like To Go To Italy For Honeymoon'

"Italy was great fun too. It was 10 days of shooting this lovely romantic song in these beautiful locations. I don't think I would have discovered this beautiful place had we not shot this song there and now since we have discovered it, it's a place I would like to go for a holiday or honeymoon."

Deepika Indeed Had A Gala Time Shooting A Romantic Number With Ranbir

"The most exciting part of shooting this song was that we would shoot everyday and travel in the evening to another location set up in the next place and shoot again the whole day, I don't think anyone has ever travelled so much to shoot one song."

When Deepika Was Asked About Her & Ranbir's Marriage Plans

The year was 2008 and Deepika had just stepped in Bollywood so obviously, marriage plan must be last thing on her mind and she told, "I'm not thinking of marriage as of now. Definitely not at the moment."

Deepika Says Her Love For Ranbir Makes The 'Khuda Jaane' Song A Bit More Special

She was quoted as saying, "The fact that both Ranbir and me are in love makes the song even more special because shooting the song made it lot more easier."

"It was a nice experience because it was the first time that we both were shooting for a romantic song together. I'm so glad that Vishal and Shekhar have managed to compile such a beautiful song for us with meaningful lyrics."

Deepika On Memorable Moments She Spent In Sydney With Ranbir

When asked about the same, she told, "We did a lot of sight seeing in Sydney but apart from that, we also enjoyed a lot in Italy where we shot 'Khuda Jaane'."

Deepika Also Revealed A Difficult Sequence From The Song 'Khuda Jaane'

"When we were shooting for the song, there is this one sequence where there are a lot of pigeons. There is a shot when I turn and the pigeons fly around me. So getting the scene right was very difficult because they had to put pigeon food on my hand before the shot."

Aww, Poor Dippy!

She further added, "And these twenty five to thirty pigeons would come and sit on me and before the camera rolled, I could see all these pigeons crawling on my hand and by the end of it I'd have little scratches on my arm. But that was a lovely experience as I am pretty frightened about these things."
Recommended Video

Manisha Koirala's Nargis Look in Dutt Biopic LEAKED | FilmiBeat

Manisha Koirala who charmed us all with her stunning performances in the 90s is back with a bang. The actress who was last seen in 'Dear Maya' has been cast to play Nargis, Sanjay Dutt's mother in Rajkumar directorial Dutt biopic which has Ranbir Kapoor essaying the titular role.

Ever since the film has been announced and Ranbir's first look from the movie went viral on the internet, fans are eagerly waiting for the flick to hit the big screens.

Meanwhile, recently we chanced upon a picture from the sets of Dutt. Check it out here...

Manisha Nails The Nargis Dutt Look In the said picture, you simply cannot miss Manisha's resemblance to the legendary actress. She Had A Memorable Time Shooting For The Film Manisha had earlier took to share this picture and captioned it as, "It's a wrap of this year's final film project. Memorable times while doing this film. Rajkumar Hirani, film shoot, Bollywood." Did You Know This? Initially, the actress wasn't keen to come on board and play Ranbir Kapoor's mother in the film. The Thoughts In Her Mind In an interview with Firstpost, she had admitted, "Mukesh Chhabra (casting director) who is like a little brother to me, messaged me while I was in Nepal. Soon I learnt that Raju Hirani wanted me to play Nargis ji's part in the biopic. I was little reluctant and wondered - Ranbir Kapoor's mom? There is just about 10 years age gap between us, and Aishwarya's just played the romantic lead with him. How can I play the mother?" But, "Hirani made me understand that it's Nargis Dutt's role and not Ranbir Kapoor's mom's role. I had to look from that angle. Of course, I love Hirani's cinema. He is the most envied director. I did express my concern to him but he told me not to worry about it. Mine is a special appearance as the film is not about Nargis ji, it is about Sanjay Dutt," continued the actress. Here's What She Had To Say About Her Co-Star Ranbir "I met Ranbir briefly. I feel he is this generation's best performer; he is so subtle and correct, I love his work. He is a great combination of Rishi ji and Neetu ji, and, of course, he carries the lineage of Raj Kapoor and the family. I like his body of work and I am very excited to start the project."

In one of his earlier interviews with Filmfare, Ranbir had said, "The biopic that Rajkumar Hirani is making will teach you something. It will talk about human flaws, the emotional father-son story (between Sanjay and the late Sunil Dutt), his relationship with his best friend, with the women in his life. It's emotional, it's funny, it's sad, it's bittersweet. The youth have a lot to learn from his mistakes."

He said that there's no apparent physical similarity between him and Sanjay apart from 'the long face'. Ranbir had revealed that he considers Sanjay Dutt as a real rockstar and added, "Sanjay's lived his life. He owned up to his mistakes, he's paid the price for it. He's been through much... his mother (the late Nargis Dutt) passing away just before the premiere of his film, drug abuse, being labelled a terrorist, his failed marriages, the grind of punishment... We're not trying to project Sanjay Dutt in any way, it's not a propaganda film."

The Dutt biopic also stars Sonam Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Vicky Kaushal and Dia Mirza.

Meanwhile, rumours are rife that the release date of the film might get postponed.
FACT #1

Rocky Tweeted, "Fact 1- Hina's favourite song in stress is Ek Kudi Jidda Naam Mohobbat Hai' ... HINA DESERVES BB11 TROPHY."

Fact #2

"Fact 2 : @eyehinakhan s latest fav Netflix show is Designated Survivor! Keep Showing Your Love ! HINA DESERVES BB11 TROPHY."

FACT #3

"Fact no. 3 - @eyehinakhan wants to visit China (Beijing) but she's scared waha bhookhe peitt Sona padega  But Pretty soon we'll visit China it's lovely! HINA DESERVES BB11 TROPHY."

FACT #4

"Fact 4 - My Girl @eyehinakhan doesn't like the famous sweet Gulaab Jamun . She has only eaten it when my mum's made it for her!  HINA DESERVES BB11 TROPHY And some awesome roshogolla once she comes back ."

FACT #5

"Fact 5 - Though she's been to the airport many times for connecting flights my girl @eyehinakhan has never been to the middle eastern paradise Dubai . And yes it's also on our list .HINA DESERVES BB11 TROPHY And to travel the world many times around!."

FACT #6

"Fact 6 - @eyehinakhan knows every corner of Oxford Street London , she can literally show you around with exact landmarks n streets. HINA DESERVES BB11 TROPHY And London we miss u , as were there last year !

Rohan Mehra Supports Hina

Meanwhile, the actress was supported by her Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai co-actors. Rohan Mehra wrote, "A strong personality who believes in herself, stands by her friends, true entertainer and who never gives up inspite of all the odds @eyehinakhan HINA DESERVES BB11 TROPHY."

Kanchi Singh

Kanchi tweeted, "She is strong, she is straightforward, she is focused, she is stylish... HINA DESERVES BB11 TROPHY." She further wrote, "Such overwhelming support n love by you guys means lot!!!! 400k + tweets! Thank you so much HINA DESERVES BB11 TROPHY @eyehinakhan."

Yash Gera

"Dekha ha na #bb11 me kaise logo ne mafiya mangi ha apne farzi aansu bahake nomination se safe hone k liy @eyehinakhan se or kafio ko bin bole safe Kia khud ko nominations me karke or bad me unke bad action and words b sune HINA DESERVES BB11 TROPHY @BiggBoss @ColorsTV @JJROCKXX."

Hina Deserves BB 11 Trophy

He further wrote, "Har kisine apni game kheli,ye show #bb11 jaha,hv 2 play ur own game,Pr is safar me abhi tak r @eyehinakhan ne atleast ghalat words ka istemal to nai Kia(matlab gali galoch se ha) task ha evry1 play dats gud bt she nvr use bad words HINA DESERVES BB11 TROPHY @BiggBoss @ColorsTV."
Avika Gor

"I loved Deepika in Tamasha as Tara romancing Ranbir Kapoor, who played Ved. They fall in love while on a holiday in Corsica and decide to keep their real identities undisclosed. I loved her performance. There is a much to learn from her."

Roopal Tyagi

"I loved her acting in Ram-Leela and Cocktail. The movies are very much interesting and entertaining. The way she lived her life giving no bother to others and fearlessly. I was really inspired by her character."

Rakhi Sawant

"Deepika is one of my best friend. I have already been with her on screen many a times. She is a beautiful and amazing person, she is hardworking and dedicated towards her work commitments. I like her performance in Bajirao Mastani, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela and many others."

Manu Punjabi

"Deepika looks amazing and beautiful. She carries her beauty in her acting too. I enjoy watching her. I am fan of her movies like Housefull, Om Shanti Om. I remember meeting her in Bigg Boss house."

Roshni Sahota

"I enjoyed watching Ram-Leela and Cocktail. Her performance in the movie was outstanding. Deepika brings life to charecter she plays. I enjoy watching her."

Lovey Sasan

"Deepika is doing really good. Her movies are very much interesting and entertaining. I enjoy watching at times. I really loved her in Love Aaj Kal, Bajirao Mastani."

Yash Gera

"I enjoyed watching Deepika in Tamasha. She was really amazing. I loved her performance. The way she acts and delivers her dialogue in such a sweet voice is adorable."

Sara Khan

"Deepika's movies are really fantastic. She performs really well and amazingly. I try not to miss her movies, I really enjoy watching her movies. Love Aaj Kal, Bachna Ae Haseeno are my favourites."

Shubhangi Atre

"I enjoyed watching Ram-Leela and Bajirao Mastani. Deepika performance was highly appreciated. I loved her in both the films. She is a talent house."
The 2017 season saw Formula 1 register an increase in audience figures across both TV and digital platforms compared to the previous year, with F1 the fastest growing sport brand on social media platforms.

The TV cumulative audience - i.e. the aggregate of the average audience of all the F1 programs broadcast across the year - in the top 20 markets* (based on ranking of TV audience) stood at 1.4 billion, which represents an increase of 6.2% compared to 2016.

The top four markets - Germany, Brazil, Italy and the UK, ranked by absolute figures - all registered positive growth. The strongest was Italy (+19.1%), followed by Brazil (+13.4%), the UK (+3.9%) and Germany (+0.9%). Other significant increases were registered in China (+42.2%), Switzerland (+14.3%) and Denmark (+14.1%).

Cumulative viewing (live and non-live) of races remained at around 603 million, with a 1% increase in the live audience and improvements in cumulative viewing for both free practice and qualifying sessions.

During 2017, 352.3 million unique viewers tuned their TV set into F1 programming at least once - the first time since 2010 that there was not a decrease in this specific number. In the main markets there was an increase of 2.4%, with Mexico (+22.6%), Italy (+16.7%) and the USA (+13%) leading the field in terms of improvement. Brazil is still the biggest TV market with more than 76 million viewers, despite a slight decrease (-1.8%) compared to 2016.

The number of users of Formula 1s social media platforms also grew significantly during 2017, with a total of 11.9 million followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

The improvement compared to 2016 was up to 54.9%, which made Formula 1 2017s fastest growing sport brand on social media, as shown in the table below:
After the technical rules revolution of 2017  one that saw F1 cars become wider and faster  this seasons changes are relatively few in number. That doesnt mean, of course, that they arent important  and some will be very obvious indeed Goodbye to T-wings and shark fins

When the teams considered the 2017 regulation changes, as always they were looking for what wasnt written in the rules  ie the loopholes  as well as what was. The emergence of the extended, shark-finned engine covers, combined with the rather ungainly looking T-wings, was the result of one such loophole  but one that has been closed for 2018.

The blocks in red above show where developments were forbidden - but as you can see the small, central space in between had no restrictions and the teams took full advantage, leading to some extreme solutions. Williams employed a double T-wing, while the likes of Force India (top drawing), Renault and McLaren took things further, experimenting with multiple planes. The purpose of the T-wing was to better direct airflow to the main rear wing, and in some cases to create a little additional downforce. With the shark fins and T-wings outlawed for 2018, we can expect the rear of this seasons new cars to look more like that tested by Sauber in Austin back in October of last year, illustrated below. The engine cover still features a fin of sorts, but nothing like the huge swathes of carbon fibre we saw in 2017.

Hello to halos The one change every F1 fan will immediately notice in 2018 is the introduction of the halo  the cockpit protection device designed to further improve driver safety in the event of an accident, and in particular to deflect debris away from the head.

The design of the halo, which we have seen teams trialling in practice and test sessions over the past two seasons, is not dissimilar to the original study carried out by Mercedes at the FIAs request in 2015, with a central pillar supporting a 'loop' around the driver's head. Though the halo is mandatory, with its core design dictated by the rules, there will be some scope for teams to modify its surface, so dont be surprised to see a variety of small aero devices adorning this new addition. The figures in the drawing above indicate the impact forces, in kilonewtons, that the halo must withstand in each direction to pass the required FIA static load tests. This is an area which has occupied a lot of the teams' time, not least because they would ideally like to keep the mountings as low-weight as possible. The overall minimum weight of cars has gone up by 6kg to 734kg to compensate for the introduction of the halo, but it's estimated that the actual impact of the device plus the mountings could be as much as 14kg, which will leave teams with less room to play with when it comes to performance ballast - and also put heavier drivers at a potential disadvantage... Trick suspension outlawed Another small, but potentially important directive issued by the FIA ahead of the 2018 season relates to trick suspension systems which could be used to improve a cars aerodynamic performance.
Mikheil Saakashvili sentenced to 3 years in jail in absentia - GeorgianJournal
New Lenovo ThinkPad series offers 8th-Gen Intel CPUs Type C USB port News oi -Sandeep Lenovo ThinkPad X, T and L will feature Type C USB port and enhanced Webcam security. The notebooks come with 16 GB RAM and upto 2TB storage

With the Consumer Electronics Show 2018 approaching near, Lenovo has unwrapped its new series of ThinkPad notebooks. The new series comprises of a total of 9 models, two in ThinkPad X, three in ThinkPad T and four new models in ThinkPad L series. The new notebooks by Lenovo bring some noticeable improvements in computing, connectivity and security departments.

Lenovo's latest ThinkPad X series will sell at a starting price of $999 and the ThinkPad T series will start at $989 for the basic model. The third series, ThinkPad L is a bit affordable and has been introduced at a starting price of $609.

Let's have a look at the features of Lenovo's latest ThinkPad series notebooks.



The ThinkPad X is specially crafted for the business purposes. The series will offer two models- X380 Yoga and X280. Both the models will feature Rapid charging that is said to refuel 80 percent battery life in 60 minutes. ThinkPad X380 Yoga will also have some interesting features such as Active Pen and an IR camera with Windows Hello support. Both the models will be backed by Intel's latest 8th-generation Core i7 processors paired with up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of SSD storage. The X series models will feature USB Type C ports.

Lenovo X280 will also have an important design element called as "ThinkShutter" which covers the Webcam physically to provide privacy control of the camera. To disable the camera all one need to do is slide the "ThinkShutter". Lenovo has used the same technology for some of its ThinkPad T series.

Lenovo X380 on the other hand is void of the webcam cover, however it does have an IR (InfraRed) camera for windows Hello face recognition. Overall, ThinkPad X380 and X280 give some ideas of what could be in store for consumers by launching the X280 and X380 Yoga ahead of the CES.

The Lenovo ThinkPad series T and L are also getting a makeover. The Lenovo ThinkPad L series business laptops are embedded with USB Type C and Type USB C power adapter which was long awaited for the Laptops. The ThinkPad L will be available in a new 13-inch form factor, apart from the 14-inch and 15 Lenovo has used the latest 8th generation core i7 processor to power the laptops with 16 GB RAM and upto 2TB storage, which is surely going to make the laptops super fast.

The ThinkPad T lineup will also have new security features like the IR camera, fingerprint reader and ThinkShutter Camera. Lenovo claims that the ThinkPad T480s is one of the lightest business laptops in its category.

Lenovo's latest ThinkPads are said to be available for sale from next month. The prices in India are yet to be announced. Besides the new ThinkPad series notebooks, Lenovo has also introduced a Docking station, Lenovo tablet 10 and ThinkVision monitors.

Stay tuned for more updates on Lenovo at CES.

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Samsung Galaxy X foldable smartphone may feature a pressure sensitive display; reveals patent News oi -Chandrika The Galaxy X foldable smartphone is expected to launch sometime this year.

We all know that Galaxy X, the foldable smartphone from Samsung is in the making. But the question in our mind is when exactly will this smartphone will be made available. Well, a new patent filed by the company has surfaced online which reveals an interesting information about the Galaxy X.

As per the patent, the device will be made of flexible material, allowing the Samsung Galaxy X to bend when users press on it. The patent further reveals that the smartphone could feature a pressure sensitive display. This means that when users will apply pressure on the display, the Galaxy X' display will be able the determine how hard the screen is pressed.

It is worth mentioning, the Samsung Galaxy X will not be the first or the only device to be equipped with such a display. There are several existing smartphones that come with this feature. So even if the Galaxy X turns out to sport a pressure sensitive display, Samsung won't be bringing anything new to the table.

The South Korean tech giant has been working on the Galaxy X for quite a while now. Back in September 2016, Ko Dong-jin, the company's President announced that they are in plans to launch the foldable device in 2018. Samsung had also put up a support page for the smartphone a couple of months back, confirming the phone's existence.

Going by the claims of the industry sources, Samsung Display has already developed a foldable panel with 1.0R curvature. This means the screen can be folded completely inward just like a sheet of paper. Other than Samsung, LG Display is also reportedly in plans to launch their first foldable panel with 2.5R curvature this year.

Samsung was one of the pioneers in the industry to launch the Galaxy Round, a smartphone featuring a curved display. But this smartphone did not make its way in many global markets. Now, there are many brands working on foldable smartphones such as LG and Apple and Samsung will not be the only one to launch such a device.

It seems like, the trend of foldable smartphones will catch on in the years to come.

Via

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Aadhaar data fully safe, cannot be breached or leaked: UIDAI responds News oi -Samden Sherpa The Aadhaar database remains fully safe and secure with the highest encryption at UIDAI.

Just yesterday it was reported that a WhatsApp group sold all Aadhaar data available with UIDAI for a meager sum of Rs. 500. Further, it was also said that with an additional fee of Rs. 300, Aadhaar details could be printed.

In the wake of such critical situation, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has now denied accusations of Aadhaar data leak. "The Aadhaar data, including biometric information, is fully safe and secure," the authority said in a statement, calling the report in The Tribune "a case of misreporting."

"UIDAI assures that there has not been any Aadhaar data breach," the statement said, adding that the data was secure with a "robust uncompromised security". The authority said it had given search facility for the purpose of grievance redressal to designated personnel and state government officials to help residents only by entering their 12-digit Aadhaar numbers.

"The reported case appears to be an instance of misuse of the grievance redressal search facility. As UIDAI maintains complete log and traceability of the facility, the legal action including lodging of FIR against the persons involved in the instant case is being done."

The Aadhaar database remains fully safe and secure with the highest encryption at UIDAI and the mere display of demographic information cannot be misused without biometrics. The government body has said that the 12-digit ID number was not secret and had to be shared with authorized agencies whenever an Aadhaar holder wishes to avail certain service or benefit of government welfare schemes.

That does not also mean that the proper use of Aadhaar number poses a security or financial threat. Also, the mere availability of Aadhaar number will not be a security threat (and) will not lead to financial (or) other fraud, as for a successful authentication fingerprint or iris of an individual is also required.

"Claims of bypassing or duping the Aadhaar enrolment system are totally unfounded. The UIDAI Data Centres are infrastructures of critical importance and are protected accordingly with high technology conforming to the best standards of security and also by legal provisions."

The Tribune report, which was widely shared on social media sites, claimed that it took just Rs. 500 and 10 minutes for the newspaper to get an access through an "agent" to every detail of an individual submitted to the UIDAI, including name, address, postal code (PIN), photo, phone number and email.

The newspaper said it paid another Rs. 300, for which the "agent" provided "software" to facilitate the printing of the Aadhaar card after entering the Aadhaar number of any individual. The Tribune also claimed to have found in its investigation that the racket may have started around six months ago when some anonymous groups were created on WhatsApp.

These groups targeted over three lakh village-level enterprise operators hired by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (ME&IT) under the Common Service Centres Scheme (CSCS) across India, offering them access to UIDAI data.

CSCS operators were initially entrusted with the task of making Aadhaar cards across the country but were withdrawn later. The service was restricted to post offices and designated banks to avoid any security breach in November last year.

Inputs from IANS

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COAI subscriber data: Airtel retains top rank News oi -Priyanka Indias private telecom service providers have a total of 975.40 million subscribers. The data also includes the figures of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd and MTNL by the end of October 2017.

According to a new data by industry body Cellular Operators Association of India, (COAI), India's largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel Ltd continues to hold the top position, with 29.68 percent market share, adding another 4.04 million subscribers during November, to take its total subscriber base to 289.54 million subscribers.

The data says that Airtel is closely followed by Vodafone India Ltd, which ended November with 211.03 million subscribers, while Idea Cellular Ltd stood at 194.07 million subscribers.

Meanwhile, India's private telecom service providers have a total of 975.40 million subscribers. The data also includes the figures of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) by the end of October 2017.

Rajan S Mathews, Director General, COAI, said, "The telecom industry is an enabler of comprehensive growth and an empowered society, where every individual gets a chance to partake in the economic growth of the country. The industry has ensured that Government's Digital India programme reaches the farthest corners of the country and everyone reaps the benefit of new communication technologies. All the operators have significantly expanded their services across the country, and have begun heavily diversifying their services beyond voice & data for the consumer."

The data, which also provides mobile subscriber numbers for individual circles, showed that UP (East) circle remained at the top with total 84.99 million subscribers, while Maharashtra remained at second position with a total of 81.50 million mobile subscribers.

Mobile connectivity and data services have played a pivotal role in bridging the digital divide and moving India towards a truly equitable and democratic nation. The telecom industry, therefore, deserves an urgent and immediate intervention to encourage policy and regulatory stability, and facilitate growth, innovation, and investment in the sector in view of the mounting financial debt and debilitating financial health of the industry.

The industry remains committed to working for a fully connected and digitally empowered India and, furthering the Prime Minister's vision of Digital India.

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Forecasting coastal erosion: Research to map the effects of climate change

The damage that climate change could cause to nearly one fifth of Scotlands coastline and the steps that could be taken to mitigate it will be forecast in a new two year research project.

The next phase of DynamicCoast.com will use the latest monitoring techniques to map and categorise the resilience of the Scottish coast and identify the links between erosion and flooding.

The research, led by the Scottish Government and SNH and carried out by the University of Glasgow launches in January 2018 and is funded by CREW (Centre for Expertise in Water). It will focus on specific study sites including Montrose Bay, St Andrews and Skara Brae to forecast future change and erosional damage and also work with stakeholders like local authorities, SEPA and Historic Environment Scotland to develop plans to mitigate these effects.

Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Roseanna Cunningham said: "Rising sea levels, increased coastal erosion and flooding have caused substantial damage to our coastlines and communities over the last few decades and the pace of erosion is increasing. We need to take action now to adapt and adjust to these changes.

This research will forecast the extent of damage that could be caused to our precious coastlines through the effects of climate change and will work with communities, local authorities, transport agencies and other planning bodies to develop plans to manage coastal change before its too late.

Scottish Natural Heritage is managing DynamicCoast.com. Chairman Mike Cantlay said: "Scotlands beaches and dunes play a vital role in protecting 13 billion-worth of buildings and roads. That is more than twice that currently protected by seawalls. By their dynamic nature, shifting sand dunes can replenish areas of shoreline; as such they are our natural defences. This ensures that our beaches and dunes can be a natural ally in combating the effects of climate change.

And by working with nature at the coast, we can help ease and adapt to climate change impacts  in particular sea level rise and storms.

We and our partners in Dynamic Coast are committed to forecasting future risks and highlight where we can help nature to help us build resilience to climate change and ensure existing and future development is secure.

Dynamic Coasts Principal Investigator, the University of Glasgows Professor Jim Hansom, said: We are now facing decades of future sea level rise and increasing erosion and flooding at the coast, so we need to better understand the increased risk posed by climate change to coastal assets and communities.

We need to know whether to adapt, defend or move those coastal assets as well as how social justice might be better incorporated into future policies. Failure to act now will lead to enhanced costs and impacts later.

Background

This research follows on from Dynamic Coast: Scotlands National Coastal Change Assessment (NCCA)1 published in August 2017, which used more than 2,000 maps and one million data points to identify past erosion and growth rates Using these rates of change the Dynamic Coast map shows the potential change to Scotlands coastline by 2050.

More than 9,000 buildings, 500 kilometres of road, 60 kilometres of rail track, 300 kilometres of water supply lines and vital airports runways, such as Islay, are protected by currently protected by natural defences.

Around 19% (3,802km) of Scotlands coastline is soft and therefore at risk of erosion.

CREW is a Scottish Government funded partnership between the James Hutton Institute and Scottish universities, and is a service to manage demand driven research.

Enquiries: media@glasgow.ac.uk // 0141 330 3535
At Least 11 Killed, 25 Wounded In Kabul Suicide Blast

RFE/RL January 04, 2018

The Afghan Health Ministry says at least 11 people were killed and 25 injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up in Kabul as security personnel were conducting an operation at the scene before the attack.

"We can confirm that so far 11 bodies have been brought to our hospitals as well as 25 wounded," the AFP news agency quoted Health Ministry spokesman Wahid Majroh as saying on January 4.

The spokesman cautioned that the toll could rise.

AFP quoted a security source as saying 20 people had been killed in the attack, which occurred about 8:30 p.m. local time.

The Islamic State (IS) militant group claimed responsibility through its Amaq news agency, although it provided no evidence to back up the claim.

'Inhumane' Attack

President Ashraf Ghani late on January 4 called the attack "inhumane" and against the tenets of Islam.

Witnesses told RFE/RL that the blast could be heard throughout the capital.

Kabul police spokesman Basir Mujahid said police were conducting operations against illegal drug and alcohol sales in the area and that security personnel were attempting to maintain safety among crowds that had gathered.

"Kabul police forces were there to prevent a possible protest when a suicide bomber approached them and detonated his suicide vest," Mujahid said.

Tolo News reported that local residents had participated in a street demonstration in the area earlier in the day.

Recent Incidents

Kabul has been hit hard by terror attacks attributed to Taliban, Islamic State (IS), and other militants operating in the country.

On December 29, Afghan authorities said at least 41 people were killed and 84 wounded by multiple bomb blasts at a Shi'ite cultural center in Kabul.

IS claimed responsibility for the December 28 attack, which Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called a "crime against humanity" committed by terrorists.

The Sunni extremist group has recently increased its attacks against Shi'a in Afghanistan -- particularly in Kabul.

U.S. forces led an invasion to drive Taliban extremists from power after Al-Qaeda militants whose leaders were sheltering in Afghanistan carried out the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

U.S. troops have remained in the country, although at greatly reduced numbers, helping to train and support Afghan forces in their battles against the militant groups.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan, Tolo News, and Khaama Press

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-kabul-suicide- blast-police-killed/28955287.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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Media Reports Chinese Incursion in Arunachal Pradesh; Experts Call it Routine

Sputnik News

21:35 04.01.2018

Barely two months after the Doklam crisis ended, a Chinese road construction team entered one kilometer into the Indian Territory, according to the Indian Express. While the Indian government tried to downplay the incursion, China has reasserted that it never recognized Arunachal Pradesh as part of India.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  The alleged intrusion by a Chinese road construction team into India's Arunachal Pradesh (recognized as South Tibet by China) has been described by experts as China's routine way of asserting its position that the area is indeed a disputed territory.

"Since 2006 China has changed its stance and saying that the entire Arunachal Pradesh is disputed. These types of incursions are basically to maintain their position that Arunachal Pradesh is a disputed territory. This is basically to position themselves strongly in border dispute negotiations," Srikanth Kondapalli, Professor of Chinese Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University told Sputnik.

The incident occurred last week when a Chinese road construction team reportedly entered the Tuting area in Arunachal Pradesh but retreated after confronting Indian troops. The Indian troops asked them to go back after seizing their equipment, according to the news reports published in major Indian dailies.

"In fact, it has become a customary for China to create border provocation whenever there is a talk between the two countries, which is going on since 1981," Kondapalli added.

The alleged incursion happened just after the crucial meeting between Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Politburo member of the Communist Party of Yang Jiechi on December 22 in New Delhi. It was the 20th meeting of the special representatives of India and China on border issues.

While there has been no official statement on the issue from the Indian government, the Chinese government has responded to queries on the incident by saying that China has never acknowledged the existence of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.

"First of all, on the border issue, our position is clear and consistent. We never acknowledged the existence of so-called Arunachal Pradesh," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang told reporters.

However, China also made it clear that it has no immediate intention of border aggression.

"I want to mention that between China and India, there is a well-developed mechanism for border-related affairs. Through this mechanism, China and India could manage the border affairs. Maintaining peace and stability at the border suit both China and India," Geng Shuang said.

Earlier last year in June, a face-off between India and China occurred in the Doklam area, near the strategic India-Bhutan-China tri-junction, when Indian troops stopped the road construction activity by Chinese forces.

In 2017, the Doklam plateau  a disputed territory between China and Bhutan witnessed a prolonged face-off between China's People's Liberation Army and the Indian Army which stepped in to help it's neighbor and traditional friend Bhutan when Chinese troops, in July, allegedly tried to disrupt the status quo in the disputed area by attempting to build a road in the region. China saw this as an uncalled for interference by a third party in a strictly bilateral issue, refusing to back down unless India withdrew its troops. The tension deescalated only after months of hectic negotiations between the two sides, who mutually agreed to simultaneously cut down troops deployment in the region in November.

 Sputnik

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Border Shutdown Hurts Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea Business

By Moki Edwin Kindzeka January 04, 2018

The border between Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea has been sealed for nearly two weeks due to the alleged coup attempt against Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema. Merchants on the border say the closure is costing them business.

It is a relatively quiet atmosphere here at Kiossi, a town in southern Cameroon that borders Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. The town is normally a conduit for farm produce, beverages and other goods being trucked across the borders.

But Cameroonian businessman Fidele Kemmengne says activity has been at a standstill since the border was sealed. And Kemmenge himself has been stuck in Equatorial Guinea for nearly two weeks.

He says when they were returning from work on December 24 at about 4 pm, they discovered that the military from Equatorial Guinea had blocked entry into their country. He says they thought it was a temporary move to control the huge number of people crossing over for end of year festivities, but adds that authorities have not reopened the border since then.

Cameroonian food merchant Abdou Fayou is waiting for the border to reopen so his trucks can come back for more supplies.

"There is nothing coming [from] the Equato Guineans because they have the problem of security. No passengers from the 23rd [of December] to now," Fayou said.

Equatorial Guinean businesswoman Falamu Fatouma says the border closure is preventing her from making deliveries.

She says since the border was sealed on December 24, she has not been able to do business and the goods she provides to her customers are perishing and she will not be able to refund their money.

Coup fears

On December 29, Equatorial Guinea said it had arrested people on the border in possession of rocket launchers, rifles and a stockpile of ammunition. It said the men planned to destabilize the government of President Theodoro Obiang, who has led the country since 1979 and is the longest-serving leader in Africa.

Cameroon said it arrested 40 heavily-armed men on the border and has strengthened security along the 290-kilometer boundary.

Felix Nguele Nguele, governor of Cameroon's south region, says Cameroonians should be vigilant as soldiers are there to assure their security and safety in case of any attacks.

He says the military has taken measures to rigorously check movements on the border between Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea and surveillance measures have been intensified. He says there is an alert of insecurity from neighboring Equatorial Guinea but that authorities are assuring the population that the situation is under control.

Obiang, who is 75, was elected to a fifth seven-year term in 2016 in polls the opposition said were rigged in his favor.

His country is one of sub-Saharan Africa's biggest oil producers, but a large proportion of its 1.2 million people live in poverty.

In 2004, mercenaries attempted to overthrow Obiang in a coup thought to be largely funded by British financiers.

Last week, Obiang said a war is being prepared against his regime, allegedly because of his length of time in power.

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Arkansas National Guard Conducts Cyber Training Exercise

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jessica Condit, 189th Airlift Wing

LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark., Jan. 4, 2018  The Arkansas National Guard conducted a cyber training exercise here last month.

Part of a program developed by a civilian entity accredited by the Department of Homeland Security, the exercise targeted critical infrastructure within a simulated city created by Metova Cybercents, and it uncovered potential cyber security susceptibilities, officials said.

The training environment is a new concept within an already established learning curriculum, officials added, and was designed specifically for this exercise.

"We know that critical infrastructures are susceptible to a cyberattack," said Scott Terry, associate divisions director at the Texas A&M engineering department's Cyber Readiness Center. "The important role that cyber operators play is so vital, we know we need to help them. The unique training environment helps the participants get some hands-on training that they won't have the opportunity to get anywhere else."

Integrating Cyber Practices

Cyber specialists from multiple fields and backgrounds were able to participate in the training. Arkansas businesses, state and city departments joined in the event, along with members of the state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard, members, strengthening their cyber capabilities. The ability to integrate cyber practices across multiple sectors and platforms is integral to successful cyber security incident response, officials said.

"The Arkansas National Guard already has the ability to coordinate, train, assist and advise on anything cyber," said Air Force Maj. Scott Anderson, director of operations for Detachment 1, 189th Operations Group. "If one of the state agencies or co-ops in Arkansas needs help, they are able to go through the emergency management process to request assistance from the National Guard. We work for the governor and the state as well as support our federal mission. All they have to do is ask."

The training is part of a six-delivery grant cycle, officials said, noting that a limited number of courses are available for cyber operators. An organization's ability to find value in the training and promote it within their unit upon completion is key to developing further training opportunities such as this response course, they added.

"As a whole, building and executing cyber events like this is key to successful cyber operations," Anderson said. "The class is geared toward people who will benefit seeing this in a controlled environment so they will know how to react in a real-world situation."

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State Department Terrorist Designations of Muhammad al-Ghazali, Abukar Ali Adan, and Wanas al-Faqih

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

January 4, 2018

The Department of State has designated Muhammad al-Ghazali, Abukar Ali Adan, and Wanas al-Faqih as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) under Section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224. These designations impose strict sanctions on foreign persons determined to have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States. Among the consequences of these designations, all of their property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them.

As outlined further below, these three individuals are associated with al-Qa'ida affiliates al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), al-Shabaab, and al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), all of which have been designated by the United States as Foreign Terrorist Organizations pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and as SDGT entities under E.O. 13224. Al-Ghazali is a senior member of AQAP who is involved in internal security and training of the group's operatives. Abukar Ali Adan is deputy leader of al-Shabaab. Wanas al-Faqih is an AQIM associate who planned the March 18, 2015 Bardo Museum attack in Tunis, Tunisia that killed at least 20 people.

Today's action notifies the U.S. public and the international community that Muhammad al-Ghazali, Wanas al-Faqih, and Abukar Ali Adan have committed acts of terrorism. Terrorism designations expose and isolate organizations and individuals, and deny them access to the U.S. financial system. Moreover, designations can assist the law enforcement activities of U.S. agencies and other governments.

A list of State Department-designated FTOs and SDGTs is available here: https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/index.htm.

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Xi stresses real combat training

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 07:23, January 04, 2018

BAODING, Hebei, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping Wednesday instructed the armed forces to strengthen real combat training and improve its war-winning capability.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remarks while issuing an order at a mobilization meeting held by the commission.

It was the first time for the commission to hold a mobilization meeting for the whole armed forces.

Xi urged the armed forces to implement the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress and the CPC's thought on building a strong army in the new era.

At 10:00 a.m., Xi ascended to the review stand in military uniform at the main venue where more than 7,000 armed officers and soldiers, as well as nearly 300 sets of armaments, formed up in line at a range of the Central Theater Command.

Elsewhere, over 4,000 branch venues were designated to listen to Xi's instruction.

In Xi's order, he urged the army at all levels to enhance military training oriented at combat readiness and put military training at a strategic position and as the central work with effective results.

Leading officers should take the lead and play an exemplary role, Xi said, calling for real combat training and joint combat training according to rules in strict governance.

The armed forces should conduct training in fine work style, innovate method and improve support to training, tighten up supervision, and hold events of mass training for the soldiers, said Xi.

Xi called on the armed forces to enhance targeted and adversarial training, improve military real combat ability, and firmly grasp the capability to win battles.

Commanders and personnel should firmly implement the decisions and instructions by the CPC Central Committee and the CMC with a fighting spirit of fearing neither hardship nor death, Xi said.

They should also train hard in a scientific way, be brave to overcome difficulties and surpass opponents, and create an elite and powerful force that is always ready for the fight, capable of combat and sure to win in order to fulfill the tasks bestowed by the Party and the people in the new era, he added.

After the meeting, Xi reviewed assembly of soldiers on the site and training of various troops via televised devices.

CMC Vice Chairman Xu Qiliang presided over the meeting.

Other senior military officers including CMC Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia also attended the meeting.

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Chinese Attack Drones Achieve 'Record' Missile Accuracy - State Media

Sputnik News

22:04 04.01.2018

China's most advanced medium-range strike drone set a new record in live fire tests by hitting "five targets in succession" with five unique missile types, the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) recently told Chinese news outlets.

"The Wing Loong II UAS [unmanned aerial system] has successful hit five targets in succession with five different types of missiles in a single sortie, setting a new record for Chinese UAS," the aviation company said in a January 2 report for the Xinhua News Agency. The tests "over different types of terrains with different types of missiles and bombs showed the Wing Loong II is equipped to effectively handle combat operation," Song Zhongping, a Chinese military analyst, told the Global Times.

The Wing Loong II unmanned aerial system has also test-fired eight different types of missiles and dozens of bombs to date, Xinhua reported January 2, "with a hit rate of 100 percent."

The Wing Loong II is upgraded from the original Wing Loong to carry up to 12 missiles instead of two. The aviation firm did not disclose the types of weapons tested, but the UAS was displayed alongside the FT-9, FT-10, LS-6 guided munitions and TL-2, CM-502 and the Norinco Blue Arrow 7 air-to-surface missiles at the Paris Air Show last June.

China reportedly won its first major contract to sell the Wing Loong II to a foreign buyer in March 2017. "Following the United States, China becomes another country capable of developing such large reconnaissance and strike UAS," Li Yidong, chief designer of the Wing Loong drone series, told Xinhua at the time.

Xinhua did not disclose the identity of the buyer nor the size of the order at the time of the announcement. The first Wing Loong variant was procured by international clients including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the Diplomat has reported.

Military observers have noted that the Wing Loong I bears an uncanny resemblance to the MQ-1 Predator while the Wing Loong II looks remarkably similar to the MQ-9 Reaper.

 Sputnik

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UN chief hails reopening of North-South Korea hotline

Iran Press TV

Thu Jan 4, 2018 12:15AM

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has hailed the reopening of a hotline between North and South Korea, voicing hopes for further progress in defusing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

"It is always a positive development to have a dialogue between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea," said Guterres' spokesman Farhan Haq on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gave the order to reopen the cross-border telephone hotline with South Korea.

The UN chief "welcomes the reopening of the inter-Korean communication channel," added Haq.

The development came just after Seoul offered to hold talks with the North on January 9 to discuss "matters of mutual interest," such as the North's participation in the Winter Olympic Games.

The announcement came after Kim used his annual New Year address to express interest in dialog with the South as well as in North Korea's participation in the Winter Olympic Games, to be held in the South Korean city of Pyeongchang from February 9 to 25.

China hails Korean Peninsula Olympic talks

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang voiced support for North and South Korea's efforts to improve ties.

"We have noticed the positive information from the leaders of the two countries, and it is a good thing," he said.

"China welcomes and supports both countries to take the 2018 Winter Olympics as an opportunity to make effective efforts to improve their relations, relax the situation on the Korean Peninsula and promote the denuclearization of the peninsula," he added.

The two Koreas have seen tensions rise over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests and Seoul's joint military activities with the United States.

The two Koreas, which fought a war in the early 1950s, held their last high-level talks in 2015.

In recent months, North Korea has conducted multiple missile launches and its sixth and most powerful nuclear test. It has faced international sanctions over the test launches.

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India to Build 14 KM Long Tunnel in Key Strategic Point Along Border With China

Sputnik News

21:39 04.01.2018

The tunnel, Asia's longest, would cut across the Zojila high mountain pass in Jammu and Kashmir and would provide all-weather connectivity to the strategically important Leh region while, also bringing about all-round economic and socio-cultural integration of the region.

New Delhi (Sputnik)- Taking a big stride in the direction of breaking the isolation of the communities residing along the border with China with the rest of India, the government has approved the construction of a road tunnel at Zojila  a high mountain pass at Jammu and Kashmir. The tunnel, to be constructed at an estimated cost of $ 951 million, would be Asia's longest bi-directional road tunnel.

Apart from providing year-round access to the mainland for the thousands of locals, the tunnel will also streamline the critical supplies to the troops at frontier posts along the border with China and Pakistan. Inclement weather conditions in the mountainous area render surface roads inaccessible for at least six months of the year, causing major hindrance to the supply of essentials to troops in the entire Kargil sector, which has witnessed repeated intrusions and full-scale war in the past.

"Zojila tunnel will be the longest bi-directional tunnel in Asia. Its construction period will be seven years because of the very difficult terrain where in some areas temperature dips to minus 45 degree Celsius. The tunnel shall be an engineering marvel and a first of its kind in such a geographical area," Nitin Gadkari, India's Road Transport and Highways Minister said after a meeting of the Cabinet.

The tunnel will reduce the travel time between Srinagar and Leh to 15 minutes from the current 3.5 hours journey, which is possible only for at best 6 months of the year because of snow on the passes and the threat of avalanches. "This project along with other ongoing projects like the 6.5 km long Z-Morh tunnel at Gagangir would ensure safe, fast and cheap connectivity between the two regions of Kashmir and Ladakh," Gadkari added.

"It has a great strategic importance in the backdrop of massive strategic activities conducted by China and Pakistan along our borders in Ladakh, Gilgit and Baltistan regions. Due to poor infrastructure in these areas, Pakistani troops had intruded the hills of Drass and Batalik sectors during the winter of 1999," a senior government official told Sputnik on condition of anonymity.

The Zojila tunnel project aims for the construction of 14.15 km long double lane bidirectional single tube tunnel with a parallel 14.2 km long egress tunnel excluding approaches between Baltal & Minamarg in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Zojila pass is situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway, which remains closed during winters (December to April) due to heavy snowfall and avalanches cutting off the Leh-Ladakh region from Kashmir.

 Sputnik

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Iranian demonstrators condemn violence, support Islamic Republic in several cities

Iran Press TV

Thu Jan 4, 2018 07:05AM

Millions of Iranians have staged fresh nationwide demonstrations to renew their support for the Islamic establishment and denounce the recent wave of deadly unrest that hit some areas in the country.

For the second consecutive day, demonstrators flooded the cities in several town and cities, including the northeastern city of Mashhad, Isfahan, Shiraz, Rasht, Yasoij, Ardabil and Urmia.

Demonstrators were holding up national flags and portraits of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, shouting pro-establishment slogans.

The participants also held the US and the Israeli regime responsible for the recent wave of violence in Iran.

Similar rallies were held in a number of Iranian cities on Wednesday, while people in the capital, Tehran, are set to hold a demonstration after noon prayers on Friday.

Last week, a number of peaceful protests began in several areas across the country, with the participants calling on authorities to address their economic issues. The protests had no permits from relevant authorities.

Those gatherings were, however, overshadowed when armed elements and vandals showed up among ordinary protesters and began to launch attacks on public property, police stations and religious sites.

The original protesters soon left the streets upon calls by the authorities so security forces could deal with the rioters and sporadic violence, which continued in some towns and cities for several days.

Over a dozen people have been killed in the violence, according to state media reports.

The violence drew praise from Tel Aviv and Washington, which voiced firm support for the rioters.

President Hassan Rouhani has said that based on the rights enshrined in the Constitution and the Charter of Civil Rights, people are free to criticize the government or stage protests, but the manner of expressing such criticism should be constructive and help improve domestic conditions.

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Iran's IRGC, Allies Enlist Public, And Twitter, To Chase Suspected Protesters

Golnaz Esfandiari January 04, 2018

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has sparked anger by using media proxies to crowdsource the identification and reporting to authorities of individuals photographed at antiestablishment protests, including indirectly through social media like Twitter.

The effort came as a week of demonstrations and violent unrest across the country eased but were said to be continuing in some places, with protesters chanting slogans against rising prices, corruption, and Iran's clerically dominated leadership.

The protest slowdown follows days of increasing shows of force in cities and towns across the country and a day of televised pro-government demonstrations to counter the eruption of public anger.

The Gerdab.ir website, which was launched a decade ago by the IRGC, posted images of suspected protesters in several cities, including two of the earliest hot spots, provincial capitals Kermanshah and Zanjan.

Gerdab called for the public to help identify the individuals, repeating a tactic it employed during street demonstrations in 2009 that attracted millions to complain of irregularities in the reelection of then-President Mahmud Ahmadinejad.

Gerdab pledged to release more pictures of "elements behind the unrest" and "rioters."

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has blamed foreign "enemies," but President Hassan Rohani has acknowledged that public discontent has played a role in the protests, one of the most serious domestic challenges to Iran's leadership in decades.

Gerdab's statements and images for identification have in turn been carried by news sites that include the hard-line Mashregh, Khabaronline.ir, and Jahannews.com.

"If you have any details about those in the pictures or any kind of information, including pictures, videos, e-mail, or any complaint about those causing unrest, report it via [us]," Gerdab said in a statement.

Official Crackdown

Monitoring and activist groups say official sources have acknowledged more than 1,000 arrests around the country, including at least 450 in the capital, Tehran.

Iran's hard-line Tasnim news agency, which was launched during the Arab Spring movement in the region in 2012 in part to "defend [Iran] against negative media propaganda" and is also said to be affiliated with the IRGC, has posted pictures of alleged protesters in the Iranian capital on its Twitter feed while calling on followers to identify and report them to the authorities.

Tasnim, whose coverage frequently reflects hard-line Iranian views, also posted contact numbers for Iran's Intelligence Ministry, the IRGC, and police forces for browsers to call and provide information on the individuals in the photos.

Tasnim alleged on its Persian-language Twitter feed that individuals circled in red in some photos are leaders of "the rioters" in Tehran, which has been less directly affected by the current protests than during the 2009 unrest.

Twitter is blocked in Iran, although it is openly used by state officials including Khamenei, Rohani, and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and official and semiofficial news agencies used it to spread news and other information.

But many Iranians access Twitter and other social media like Telegram through antifiltering tools.

'Stalinist Tactics'

Tasnim's move outraged some Iranian users, who called on Twitter to take action.

"This pro-IRGC news agency is putting protesters' life at a very serious risk," Amir Rashidi, an Internet security researcher with the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, wrote on Twitter on January 3.

Nader Hashemi, a professor of Middle Eastern politics at the University of Denver, tweeted, "Predictably, IRGC and its affiliates resort to Stalinist tactics of intimidation to crush protests."

Amin Sabeti, a London-based expert on Iranian Internet, is among those who have reported Tasnimnews_FA to Twitter for what he regards as a possible violation of the social network's rules of use. "Tasnim's move is a clear breach of Twitter's rules on abusive behavior and also abuse and hateful conduct," Sabeti tells RFE/RL.

Twitter says it prohibits "behavior that crosses the line into abuse, including behavior that harasses, intimidates, or uses fear to silence another user's voice."

It also says that users "may not engage in the targeted harassment of someone, or incite other people to do so. We consider abusive behavior an attempt to harass, intimidate, or silence someone else's voice."

Sabeti says those Tasnim reporters and editors who have shared images of protesters and called for their identification should also be "disciplined."

The Tasnim tweets remained online on January 4, some 24 hours after being posted.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-revolutionary -guards-crowdsource-protester -crackdown/28955120.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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U.S. Sanctions Five Iranian Companies For Involvement In Ballistic-Missile Program

RFE/RL January 04, 2018

WASHINGTON -- The United States has imposed sanctions on five Iranian companies it says are involved in Tehran's illegal ballistic-missile program.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on January 4 said the "sanctions target key entities involved in Iran's ballistic-missile program, which the Iranian regime prioritizes over the economic well-being of the Iranian people."

The five companies are subsidiaries of Iran's Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group (SBIG), an Iranian defense entity that is already under U.S. sanctions.

They were listed as Shahid Kharrazi Industries, Shahid Sanikhani Industries, Shahid Moghaddam Industries, Shahid Eslami Research Center, and Shahid Shustari Industries.

At a December 14 news conference in Washington, Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, showed what she called was concrete evidence that Iran was supplying weaponry to the Huthi rebels in Yemen in violation of UN sanctions.

She displayed one of the fragments from a missile fired by the rebels toward Saudi Arabia that she said bore the logo of SBIG.

Asset Freezes

Under the new sanctions, any assets the firms hold in U.S. jurisdiction will be frozen and U.S. citizens will be barred from doing business with the companies.

A UN resolution passed in connection with the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal prohibited Tehran from supplying, selling, or transferring weapons unless the Security Council approved it. A separate UN resolution bans the supply of any weapons to the Huthi rebels in Yemen.

Although the sanctions were not directly related to the antigovernment protests that have erupted on the streets of Iran over the past week, Mnuchin said the authorities should spend more on public welfare than on banned weapons.

The protests began on December 28 in the country's second-largest city, Mashhad, initially over complaints of rising prices, but they have led to complaints over corruption and the lack of freedoms in the country.

"As the Iranian people suffer, their government and the [Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps] fund foreign militants, terrorist groups, and human rights abuses," he added.

"The United States will continue to decisively counter the Iranian regime's malign activity, including additional sanctions targeting human rights abuses."

Harsh Criticism

President Donald Trump and the State Department have issued harsh criticism of the Iranian authorities for their crackdown on the protests and have threatened additional sanctions.

Iranian officials claim to have the unrest under control, with state television on January 4 showing video of pro-government counterdemonstrations in several cities, although the reports cannot be independently confirmed.

In its January 4 announcement, the U.S. State Department also said it had added three individuals linked to Al-Qaeda to its global terrorist list.

It identified the three as Muhammad al-Ghazali, Abukar Ali Adan, and Wanas al-Faqih, saying they were affiliated with either Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Al-Shabaab, or Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

It added that Ghazali is a senior member of AQAP involved in internal security and the training of the group's operatives.

Ali Adan is deputy leader of Al-Shabaab, which is active in Africa; while Faqih is an AQIM associate who planned the March 18, 2015, Bardo Museum attack in Tunis, Tunisia, that killed at least 20 people, it said.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-sanctions-ballistic- missile-program-mnichkin-u-s/28955437.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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Pence Says U.S. Is 'Natural Ally' For Iranians Seeking Freedom

RFE/RL January 04, 2018

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is calling on young Iranians involved in street protests against the government in Tehran to view the United States as a "natural ally" in their quest for freedom and democracy.

In an interview at the White House with Voice of America on January 3, Pence said "the American people stand with freedom-loving people in Iran and around the world, and I think this is a very hopeful moment."

"My goalreally my prayer, is that the people of Iran -- a youthful population, a well-educated population -- understand that the United States of America, the people of this country, are their natural ally. We want to see them achieve a free and democratic future. We want to see them step away from a regime that continues to menace the world."

Pence repeatedly contrasted the support for Iranian protesters being offered by U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration to the silence at the White House when antigovernment protests broke out in Iran in 2009, early in the presidency of Barack Obama.

"I remember back in 2009, that I was seeing this largely youth-driven following of the fraudulent election in Iran, people taking to the streets and demonstrating incredible courage" protesting against what they said was fraud in the reelection of former Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, he said.

"And they looked to the White House in those days in 2009, they looked for American leadership, and there was none. There was definitely silence from the Obama administration," Pence said.

In contrast to Trump's more vocal approach, Obama's policy during the 2009 Green Revolution could be described as cautious amid concerns that intervention could make the United States, which was reviled as the "Great Satan" by Iran's hard-liners, a target and the rallying point for the clerical regime to act against the protesters.

As a member of Congress at the time, Pence said he co-sponsored a resolution that passed nearly unanimously in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives offering support for the Iranian protesters, in a move that he said prompted the Obama administration to also start voicing its support.

"The contrast between the silence and the failure to support freedom in the last administration and President Trump's unapologetic willingness to stand with the courageous people of Iran -- I know it is giving hope to the people on the streets and those cities across the country. And we're going to continue to support them...not just verbally but as they bring about change in their country."

Pence said Trump's speaking out for freedom in Iran is "very consistent with America's role as a leading champion of freedom." But he said the United States is also prepared to act in support of the protesters.

"I can assure you the United States stands with the people of Iran who want a better and more prosperous and freer future," he said.

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations on January 3 charged that expressions of support for the protesters from Pence and Trump amount to meddling in Iran's internal affairs, while some outside experts have questioned whether the United States can do much to help people who take to the streets to question the government in Iran.

But Pence insisted that Washington is prepared to act on behalf of the protesters, although he did not specify what the administration might do.

"There is an extraordinary amount that the United States and countries around the world can do for the people of Iran if they continue to stand up for their own freedom and to stand up for change and to reject the radical ideology that overtook their country decades ago and continues to dissect the wider world through the export of terrorism," he said.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-vice- president-pence-says-us-natural-ally-iranians- seeking-freedom/28954192.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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Treasury Sanctions Iranian Entities

U.S. Department of the Treasury

January 4, 2018

Action Illustrates Iranian Regime's Prioritization of Destabilizing Weapons Systems at the Expense of its People

Washington  Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned five Iran-based entities subordinate to a key element of Iran's ballistic missile program. Shahid Kharrazi Industries, Shahid Sanikhani Industries, Shahid Moghaddam Industries, Shahid Eslami Research Center, and Shahid Shustari Industries are being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13382 for being owned or controlled by Iran's Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group (SBIG).

"These sanctions target key entities involved in Iran's ballistic missile program, which the Iranian regime prioritizes over the economic well-being of the Iranian people. As the Iranian people suffer, their government and the IRGC fund foreign militants, terrorist groups, and human rights abuses," said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. "The United States will continue to decisively counter the Iranian regime's malign activity, including additional sanctions targeting human rights abuses. We will not hesitate to call out the regime's economic mismanagement, and diversion of significant resources to fund threatening missile systems at the expense of its citizenry."

SBIG, which is responsible for the development and production of Iran's solid-propellant ballistic missiles, is listed in the Annex to E.O. 13382 and is currently sanctioned by the U.S., UN, and EU.

Shahid Kharrazi Industries is subordinate to SBIG and is responsible for the development and production of guidance and control systems for solid-propellant ballistic missiles.

Shahid Sanikhani Industries is subordinate to SBIG and is responsible for casting and curing solid-propellant for Iran's solid-propellant ballistic missiles.

Shahid Moghaddam Industries is subordinate to SBIG and is responsible for the development and production of solid-propellant missile motor cases, ballistic missile launchers, and ground support equipment.

Shahid Eslami Research Center is subordinate to, and serves as the research and development organization within, SBIG.

Shahid Shustari Industries is subordinate to, and likely was created for the development of fiber materials for, SBIG.

As a result of this action, all property and interests in property of those designated today subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. In addition, foreign financial institutions that knowingly facilitate significant transactions for, or persons that provide material or certain other support to, the entities designated today risk exposure to sanctions that could sever their access to the U.S. financial system or block their property and interests in property under U.S. jurisdiction.

For identifying information on the entities designated today, click here.

####

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US Sanctions 5 Entities Tied to Iran Missile Program

By VOA News January 04, 2018

The U.S. Treasury placed sanctions Thursday on five Iranian-based entities either owned or controlled by the company responsible for developing and producing Iran's solid-propellant ballistic missiles.

"These sanctions target key entities involved in Iran's ballistic missile program, which the Iranian regime prioritizes over the economic well-being of the Iranian people," U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

The five sanctioned entities -- all owned or controlled by Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group -- are the Shahid Eslami Research Center, Shahid Kharrazi Industries, Shahid Moghaddam Industries, Shahid Sanikhani Industries and Shahid Shustari Industries, according to the U.S. Treasury statement.

Meanwhile Thursday, anti-government protests appeared to slow down in Iran while the United States vowed not to forget the 21 people killed in the week of demonstrations.

The U.S. State Department issued a new statement Thursday, condemning the deaths so far and the arrests of what it numbered as at least 1,000 Iranians.

"We have ample authorities to hold accountable those who commit violence against protesters, contribute to censorship, or steal from the people of Iran. To the regime's victims, we say: You will not be forgotten," the statement said.

And a White House official said the U.S. would look for "actionable information" to try to impose new sanctions against those responsible for the crackdown on dissent. Iranian officials arrested hundreds of protesters in the last week.

In Iran, General Abdolrahim Mousavin, the head of the army, thanked security forces for "putting out the fire of sedition."

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said that across the nation 42,000 people had taken part in the protests.

State television on Thursday showed huge crowds in 10 cities marching in support of Iranian leaders, including in Isfahan, Ardebil and Mashhad, where the protests started.

An adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, "The revolutionary Iranian people have responded in time to the enemies and trouble-makers by coming out on the streets."

But the adviser, Ali Akbar Velayati, told the semi-official ISNA news agency, "The people's main demand now is for the government and officials to deal with the economic problems."

Critics of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani say he has abandoned the poor by trying to raise fuel prices, which he said was necessary to fight unemployment. But parliament appears likely to reject his fuel price hike.

Nasser Laregani, vice-president of the economic affairs commission, said, "The population can no longer support a hike in petrol prices. In the current situation, where people are confronted with such a range of daily, economic problems, such a raise is an error."

Meanwhile, in Washington, a White House official said the U.S. would look for "actionable information" to try to impose new sanctions against those responsible for the crackdown on dissent. Iranian officials arrested hundreds of protesters in the last week.

The U.S. State Department, in a new statement, said, "We condemn in the strongest possible terms the deaths to date and the arrests of at least one thousand Iranians. We have ample authorities to hold accountable those who commit violence against protestors, contribute to censorship, or steal from the people of Iran. To the regime's victims, we say: You will not be forgotten."

U.S. President Donald Trump several times tweeted his support for the demonstrators, saying Wednesday, "Such respect for the people of Iran as they try to take back their corrupt government. You will see great support from the United States at the appropriate time!"

Trump is faced next week with a decision on whether to continue to waive sanctions against Iran that were suspended under the 2015 international agreement to curb Iran's nuclear weapons development. Trump has repeatedly attacked the agreement and assailed Tehran's military actions in Syria, Iran and Yemen.

Top Iranian leaders, including Khamenei, have blamed foreign governments for driving the protests.

Iran's U.N. ambassador, Gholamali Khoshroo, sent a letter Wednesday to the U.N. Security Council and U.N. chief Antonio Guterres saying that in "numerous absurd tweets" Trump and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence were "inciting Iranians to engage in disruptive acts."

"The current U.S. administration has crossed every limit in flouting rules and principles of international law governing the civilized conduct of international relations," Khoshroo wrote.

The U.S. delegation has asked the Security Council to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the protests, but so far none has been scheduled.

Meanwhile, Pence, in an interview with VOA, cited what he called Trump's "unapologetic willingness" to back the protesters.

"I know it is giving hope to the people on the streets of those cities across that country and we're going to continue to support them in not just verbally, but as they bring about change in their country, I can assure you the United States and the wider world stands with the people of Iran who want a better and more prosperous and freer future," he said.

Germany, which along with the United States and four other world powers reached an agreement in 2015 with Iran to limit its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, expressed concern about the situation in Iran, while saying people must be given a chance to peacefully protest.

"The right to free speech must be upheld," German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said. "We strongly advise against the use of this inner-Iranian conflict -- which has its background partly in the economy, partly in politics, which we can understand -- to use this conflict internationally."

In Geneva, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein also emphasized the right of Iranians to have their complaints heard and called for all deaths and serious injuries to be investigated. He urged authorities to "handle the wave of protests that have taken place around the country with great care so as not to further inflame violence and unrest."

The protests are the biggest outpouring of public discontent with Iran's clerical leaders since 2009 protests against the results of a disputed presidential election.

James Jeffrey, a distinguished fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a former diplomat, said the current unrest is not likely to result in an overthrow of the Iranian government but still amounts to a significant problem.

"The underlying sentiment is broadly shared in the population," Jeffrey told VOA. "They have no participation in the economic growth of the country, they see their country involved in all of these foreign adventures in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, you name it, and they don't see any benefit to them of that."

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Iran Deploys Thousands of Security Forces Against Protesters, Shows Restraint

By Masood Farivar January 04, 2018

The Iranian government has taken a lesson from the Arab Spring in responding to the worst anti-government protests the country has seen in nearly a decade.

Heavy-handed tactics by Arab governments against popular uprisings in 2011 led to the overthrow of regimes in Egypt and Libya and sparked a civil war in Syria.

Iran had its own Arab Spring-inspired demonstrations in 2011, but police deployed in relatively small numbers and refrained from using deadly force, leading the protests to die down.

Calls for end to protests

Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of the powerful Islamic Republic Revolutionary Corps, recalled the Arab governments' experience as he declared an end to the protests Wednesday.

"Our security preparation and public scrutiny allowed the enemy to be defeated again, because if our situation was like Egypt, Syria and Libya, the Islamic Republic of Iran would have suffered irreparable damage," Jafari said, in comments carried by the IRGC's news agency.

The Iranian government has been condemned for using harsh tactics to suppress the protests.

Still, its response is seen as relatively restrained, with analysts saying the regime is wary that taking harder measures could exacerbate the unrest to the point of threatening its existence.

"They've seen what has happened elsewhere, when you go in heavy-handed as far as protests are concerned," said Alex Vatanka, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

In contrast to their violent crackdown on demonstrators during the 2009 "green movement" protests, Iranian security forces have been relatively restrained during the most recent anti-government demonstrations, Vatanka said.

"This certainly has not been the bloodiest of events," he said.

At least 21 people have died in clashes between security forces and protesters over the past week. In 2009, hundreds of protesters were killed and thousands jailed.

The Revolutionary Guards

The Revolutionary Guards, which led the crackdown against protesters in 2009, have kept a relatively low profile over the past week.

The Guards, created in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, have a force of 150,000 enlisted fighters, according to one estimate.

Jafari said the Guards have deployed "limited numbers" of forces to three cities: Isfahan, Larestan and Hamadan.

A spokesman for the Guards said Tuesday that there had been no need to deploy forces in Tehran.

But behind the scenes, the Revolutionary Guards are "at the heart of it," Vatanka said.

"I haven't seen a single instance of a senior Revolutionary Guards commander at the street level," Vatanka said. "That tells me they want to keep a distance, they sort of want to give the image that they're watching, but they don't think the time is right for them to move in."

Basij paramilitary force

With the Revolutionary Guards staying on the sidelines, they have left it to the Basij paramilitary force to crack down on protesters.

Just how many Basij militiamen have been deployed remains unclear. Videos circulating on social media show uniformed and plain clothes Basij forces clashing with protesters in several cities. But they often have been seen behind police lines.

Deploying the all-volunteer "people's militia" allows the government to inoculate itself against criticism for using force against demonstrators, Vatanka said.

"Because there is that distance between the Basij and the regime, the regime then likes to say, 'This is not really us doing anything, this is the people, this is the good Samaritans of this country, acting in defense of their values and so forth,'" he said.

Riot police

Iranian riot police have been deployed in larger numbers, most recently to escort pro-government demonstrations held Wednesday.

The riot police officers are part of the Iranian national police's Special Unit Forces and operate under the Ministry of the Interior.

National Police Commander Gen. Hossein Ashtari said Tuesday that "all police forces nationwide have been ordered to seriously deal with those threatening the lives of people or looters of public assets," according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.

Videos on social media show confrontations between well-armed riot police officers and protesters in several cities. One police officer reportedly was killed in a confrontation in Isfahan on Monday.

But in other instances, police commanders have sought to engage protesters in dialogue. Protesters in turn have called on police to protect them against the Basij. In one video, protesters are heard chanting, "Police, help us to get rid of the IRGC and its Basij force."

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Former U.S. Ambassador Khalilzad Supports Tough Line On Pakistan

RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan January 04, 2018

Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and the United Nations, expressed support for President Donald Trump's tough line against Islamabad and said the administration is likely studying various methods to put pressure on Pakistan for what he called its lack of cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

"I consider Trump's action positive and I support it," he told RFE/RL in an interview conducted on January 4, referring to the president's Twitter comment on New Year's Day accusing Pakistan of "lies and deceit" and of providing a safe haven for terrorists operating in Afghanistan.

Islamabad rejected the accusations, saying it "cannot be held responsible for the collective failure in Afghanistan."

Khalilzad said, however, that "the conclusion that has been reached in the United States is that Pakistan does not cooperate."

"The United States has arrived at what the Afghans have been saying for a long time -- which is that Pakistan's policy toward Afghanistan, terrorism, and the fight against terrorism is not genuine."

The comments come as the White House has called on Pakistan to do more to fight terrorism and says it will announce "specific actions" to pressure Islamabad, possibly as soon as January 4.

Cutting Off Assistance?

The actions were not identified, but a senior administration official on January 3 said the moves would likely include a cutoff of "security assistance" to Pakistan, although it remains unclear how much or what type of assistance would be cut or for how long.

"A step that is being debated in the United States is how to pressure Pakistan's military," Khalilzad said in the interview.

He suggested that members of the Pakistan military and ISI intelligence service who "are directly involved in the war and work against Afghanistan" could be put on a blacklist to bar them and their families from travel to the United States and to have their assets under U.S. control frozen.

He also said the United States could potentially downgrade Pakistan's status as a non-NATO ally, or even cut off all military assistance to Islamabad.

It could also stop providing funds that it currently gives Pakistan in return for allowing the transportation of goods through its territory to U.S. troops and personnel in Afghanistan.

Khalilzad said debate is also under way to consider potential financial pressure that could be exerted on Pakistan from international organizations, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and by "U.S. allies such as Saudi Arabia and those in Europe and Asia."

The Reuters news agency quoted Miftah Ismail, Pakistan's de facto finance minister, as saying that the "aid cuts will not hurt us."

"That's not the leverage they have, because it is something they have reduced drastically over the years," he added.

Meanwhile, Major General Asif Ghafoor of the Pakistani military told the Geo Television station that Islamabad seeks to continue its cooperation with the United States but that it will not "compromise on national interests and prestige."

He said Pakistan would respond to any actions taken by the U.S. government against Pakistan, although he was not specific.

The Afghan-born Khalilzad served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama from 2007 to 2009. He was ambassador to Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005 and to Iraq from 2005 to 2007.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-khalilzad- tough-line-pakistan/28955103.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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U.S. Suspending Security Aid To Pakistan Until Action Taken Against Terror Networks

RFE/RL January 04, 2018

The U.S. government says it is suspending security assistance to the Pakistani military until it takes "decisive action" against the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network that are operating in neighboring Afghanistan.

The expected announcement was made on January 4 by State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

Nauert said details were still being worked out and that she was unable to say the value of the assistance being suspended.

"Until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani group -- we consider them to be a destabilizing the region and targeting US personnel -- the United States will suspend that type of security assistance to Pakistan," she told a news briefing.

The assistance involved would be related to the Coalition Support Funds, which the United States supplies to Pakistan to as reimbursement for its counterterrorism operations.

She said the move would also involve the suspension of other security assistance, although she did not provide details and said that this portion of aid to Pakistan was the under control of the Defense Department.

The White House on January 2 said it was calling on Pakistan to do more to fight terrorism and that it would announce "specific actions" within days to pressure Islamabad.

In a Twitter posting on January 1, President Donald Trump threatened to cut off billions of dollars in aid to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of being a safe haven for extremists operating in Afghanistan.

Trump said the United States has "foolishly" given Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid over the past 15 years, "and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools."

The U.S. government has already been holding up $255 million in assistance used by Pakistan to buy U.S. military equipment until it takes a tougher line on extremists threatening Afghanistan.

Nauert confirmed that the moves announced on January 4 would be in addition to the $255 million previously suspended.

Earlier on January 4, Pakistani Major General Asif Ghafoor told Geo Television that Islamabad seeks to continue its cooperation with the United States but that it will not "compromise on national interests and prestige."

He said Pakistan will respond to any actions taken by the U.S. government against Pakistan, although he was not specific.

Reuters news agency quoted Miftah Ismail, Pakistan's de facto finance minister, as saying that the "aid cuts will not hurt us."

"That's not the leverage they have, because it is something they have reduced drastically over the years," he added.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and The Washington Post

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-u-s-suspending- security-aid-taliban-nauert/28955422.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 Suspends Security Assistance to Pakistan - State Department

Sputnik News

23:20 04.01.2018(updated 00:21 05.01.2018)

The US will no longer transfer certain pieces of military equipment and security-related financial assistance to the Pakistani armed forces in the wake of US accusations that Islamabad provides safe haven for terrorist groups who plot attacks on US troops in Afghanistan.

"We can confirm that we are suspending security assistance to Pakistan at this time," said Heather Nauert, spokeswoman for the US State Department.

"The United States will not deliver military equipment or provide security assistance to Pakistan unless required by law," the spokeswoman added. Until the Pakistani government proves without a doubt decisive action has been taken against terrorist groups in Pakistan, the official said, Washington will consider Pakistan to be "destabilizing the region and also targeting US personnel."

There may be some exceptions to the new policy, however, the State Department said, without clarifying what particular funds or military equipment might be excluded from the policy.

Earlier in the week, Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the United Nations, announced that the US would cut funding to Pakistan by $255 million. "Pakistan has played a double game for years," Haley told reporters in New York on Tuesday. "They work with us at times, and they also harbor the terrorists who attack our troops in Afghanistan," the ambassador noted. "That game is not acceptable to this administration."

A US official said Thursday that in fact more than $255 million in aid would be suspended.

The policy change follows several tweets from US President Donald Trump blasting Pakistan.

In late August, Trump delivered remarks laying out the administration's strategy in South Asia. "The next pillar of our strategy is to change the approach and how to deal with Pakistan. We can no longer be silent about Pakistan's safe havens for terrorist organizations, the Taliban, and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond. Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan. It has much to lose by continuing to harbor criminals and terrorists," Trump stated.

Pakistan has been a "valued partner" in the past, the US leader said, "but Pakistan has also sheltered the same organizations that try every single day to kill our people. We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same they are housing the very terrorists we are fighting."

Last October, Trump claimed US-Pakistani relations showed signs of improvement, but the new policy change would seem to be evidence those ties have deteriorated.

 Sputnik

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Pakistan Placed on State Department 'Special Watch List' for Religious Freedom Violations

By Nike Ching January 04, 2018

The U.S. State Department has placed Pakistan on a "Special Watch List" for "severe violations of religious freedom," amid reports that Washington's plan to cut security assistance to that country.

"The protection of religious freedom is vital to peace, stability, and prosperity. These designations are aimed at improving the respect for religious freedom in these countries," a State Department statement said Thursday, as the United States re-designated 10 other nations as "countries of particular concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert confirmed Thursday that Washington is suspending security assistance to Pakistan until Islamabad takes actions against terrorist organizations, including the Haqqani Network.

Earlier this week, the White House said Islamabad would have to do more to combat terrorism to receive U.S. aid.

The Pakistani ambassador to Washington, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, while speaking to VOA, called for the two countries to remain engaged with each other and avoid steps that could create tensions and destabilize the region.

While putting Pakistan on the international religious freedom blacklist itself is a normal process, experts said the timing is "very ominous."

"This is a reflection of the overall frustration of the United States with Pakistan," the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center director, Bharath Gopalaswamy, told VOA on Thursday. "That said, Pakistan has not been a great place for other religious minorities and there has been consistent targeting of minorities. Various religious sects have been victims of violence."

Moeed Yusuf, associate vice president of the United States Institute of Peace, said there is a consensus within the Trump administration that it would increase pressure on Pakistan.

Yusuf added the U.S. plan to cut security assistance to Pakistan is "a done deal," but it will not change Pakistan's approach on counterterrorism and what Washington is seeking from Islamabad.

"There is no champion of the U.S.-Pakistan relationship to speak of now in this administration," he said.

Separately, the U.S. State Department re-designated 10 countries, including Myanmar, China, Iran and North Korea, as "countries of particular concern" for having engaged in or tolerated violations of religious freedom.

Eritrea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan also were on the list, the State Department said.

"We recognize that several designated countries are working to improve their respect for religious freedom; we welcome these initiatives and look forward to continued dialogue," said State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert.

The chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Ed Royce (R-CA) said the re-designation of Myanmar as a country of particular concern is particularly appropriate, given its military's ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims. Royce, did, however, say he wanted Vietnam to be on the list.

"However, I am troubled that Vietnam was again not designated this year. The Vietnamese people continue to have their religious freedom and other human rights violated. The U.S. should never shrink from calling out countries for such abuses," added Royce.

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US Suspends Security Assistance to Pakistan

By Ayaz Gul January 04, 2018

The United States is suspending security assistance to Pakistan's army until it takes "decisive action" against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.

"We consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting U.S. personnel," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Thursday in announcing the suspension.

She gave no details about what aid would be affected or how much.

Speculation about what the U.S. may do has created a lot of uncertainty and anxiety in Pakistan following President Donald Trump's New Year's Day tweet, in which he threatened to slash funding for Pakistan, accusing it of giving safe haven to terrorists and playing U.S. leaders for "fools."

Denounces comments

Islamabad denounced the comments as "completely incomprehensible" and reiterated its vow to work with Washington to fight terrorism and stabilize Afghanistan. Pakistani leaders insist the United States is scapegoating their country for its Afghan "failures."

Trump's Twitter outburst set off a war of words, fueling concerns about a breakdown in historically fragile relations between the United States and Pakistan.

Pakistan's ambassador to Washington, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, told VOA the two countries should try to remain engaged and avoid steps that could create tension and destabilize the region.

"We should not be on the collision course," he said. "That's the point we want to make because, I think, if we move in that direction, both countries will drift apart, and I do not think that it is in the interest of either state to drift apart. I think we have got to find ways, more creative ways to build each other's trust to work together. That's the direction that we think that we should be going to."

He said national security forces had cleared Pakistani soil of all terrorist groups and pointed to what he called Islamabad's "unmatched" contribution to U.S.-led international efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and promote a peaceful settlement of the conflict there.

"Pakistan has also facilitated the U.S. and worked together with it to decimate al-Qaida," Chaudhry said. "If you do not hear about al-Qaida today, it is because we worked together to a successful end. Pakistan has been providing lines of communications to the U.S. for a long time. It is a partnership to us, and it should be measured not in terms of money and monetary value but in terms of the results that we have achieved together."

Focus on other issues

He urged the Trump administration to focus on the issues of governance, corruption, deteriorating security and Islamic State in Afghanistan. Chaudhry said ungoverned spaces in Afghanistan were threatening security in Pakistan and the region in general.

"So, all these are matters of concern for us because we are suffering because of this, and that's why we have been saying many times that ... you need to address those issues and not place the blame on Pakistan's doorsteps for all the failure in Afghanistan," he said.

There is wide speculation that Pakistani security officials allegedly tied to terrorist groups could face U.S. sanctions and that the U.S. military may undertake unilateral strikes deep inside Pakistan to target terrorists linked to the Taliban-allied Haqqani network (HQN). The network is allegedly tied to the ISI, the Pakistani spy agency.

"In case of U.S. action against Pakistan, it will be responding to the aspiration of people of Pakistan," army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said with regard to the possible strikes against terrorists. "We have taken action against HQN. Effects of the action against HQN will be visible in due time."

The army spokesman also complained that the presence of about 2.7 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan hampers counterterrorism efforts; insurgents often hide out among the displaced population, he said. Pakistani officials have been pressing the United States and its allies to arrange for the refugees to go back to Afghanistan as soon as possible.

Afghan refugees

The Pakistani government on Wednesday granted only a one-month extension of the legal residency status of 1.4 million documented Afghan refugees. A one-year extension had been considered, but Pakistan said it could no longer sustain the economic burden of hosting the refugees.

A national security committee of the parliament also held an urgent meeting Thursday, where the foreign and defense ministers briefed leaders of major political parties on what will come next following Trump's tweet.

Pakistani civilian and military leaders have said Trump's claim that the U.S. has given more than $33 billion to Islamabad since 2002 to help fight terrorism is wrong.

Officials say that almost $14 billion of the amount in question was part of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), which was reimbursement for the money Pakistan spent on security operations in support of coalition efforts in Afghanistan. The Pakistan government said the total amount billed under CSF has been about $22 billion and Washington still owes Islamabad $8 billion.

Pakistan also maintains it has lost around 70,000 lives, mostly civilians, in terrorist attacks since joining the U.S. counterterrorism coalition, and that the national economy has also suffered losses of more than $120 billion.

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Russia Says Two Soldiers Killed In Mortar Attack In Syria

RFE/RL January 04, 2018

The Russian Defense Ministry says two of its soldiers were killed in a mortar attack by antigovernment forces in Syria on New Year's Eve.

"As darkness fell, the Hmeimim air base was subjected to sudden mortar shelling from a mobile group of militants. As a result of the shelling, two servicemen were killed," the ministry said on January 4 in comments carried by Russian news agencies.

It also denied a report by the Kommersant business daily that seven military planes were destroyed in the attack.

Russia's Hmeimim air base is located in the western Syrian province of Latakia.

Russia has given President Bashar al-Assad's government crucial support throughout Syria's civil war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes since it began with a crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011.

More than 40 Russian military personnel have died in Syria since Moscow launched a campaign of air strikes in September 2015, in many cases using Hmeimim as a base.

On January 3, Russia's Defense Ministry said that one of its military helicopters crashed in Syria, killing both pilots aboard.

The ministry said the Mil Mi-24 military helicopter crashed due to a "technical malfunction" on December 31 while it was flying to the Hama Military Air Base in Hama.

Also on January 4, a monitoring group said at least 28 civilians were killed in air strikes in a rebel stronghold near the Syrian capital, Damascus.

Russian warplanes overnight bombarded the town of Misraba in the region of Eastern Ghouta, killing at least 19 civilians, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

It said nine other civilians died in strikes by government jets that targeted the towns of Arbeen and Beit Sawa.

Syrian forces, backed by Russian air power, have recently intensified their attacks on Eastern Ghouta, which has been under siege by Assad's forces for more than four years.

During a visit to the Hmeimim air base on December 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared victory over "the most combat-capable international terrorist group" -- a reference to the extremist group Islamic State (IS) -- and announced a partial withdrawal of Russian troops.

Western officials say that the Russian campaign, particularly in its earlier stages, has focused heavily on targeting rebels seeking Assad's ouster rather than IS militants.

Putin said on December 28 that more than 48,000 Russian military personnel have served in the operation in Syria and that Russia's presence at Hmeimim and the Syrian port of Tartus will be "permanent."

On December 29, Putin signed a law ratifying an agreement enabling Russia to expand operations at its naval facility in Tartus.

With reporting by AFP, Interfax, TASS, and Dozhd TV

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-syria-two-soldiers -killed-mortar-attack/28954399.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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Two Russian Servicemen Killed on Dec. 31 in Shelling of Hmeymim Base - MoD

Sputnik News

10:02 04.01.2018(updated 10:49 04.01.2018)

The Russian Defense Ministry has refuted media reports about the alleged destruction of seven Russian military aircraft by militants during an attack at the Hmeymim air base in Syria.

Two servicemen were killed as a result of a mortar attack by militants on Russia's Hmeymim airbase in Syria on December 31, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.

"On December 31, 2017, after dark, the Hmeymim airfield suddenly came under mortar shelling from a mobile subversive group of militants. As a result of the attack, two servicemen were killed," the statement said, adding that "Syrian security forces are carrying out measures to find and eliminate the militants involved in the attack as well as to enhance safety at the nearby territory."

The Defense Ministry added that Russian aviation units in Syria were combat ready and continue to accomplish their assigned tasks in full.

"Reports of Kommersant [newspaper] about alleged 'total destruction' of seven Russian military aircraft at the Hmeymim air base are fake," the ministry's statement read.

The Russian newspaper Kommersant said earlier that seven aircraft had been destroyed and more than 10 servicemen had been injured as result of the shelling of Hmeymim base by terrorists.

The day before, the Russian Defense Ministry said that a Mi-24 helicopter had crashed on December 31 during a flight to the Hama airfield in Syria, with both pilots dying in the accident.

 Sputnik

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Erdogan Justifies Mass Arrests After 2016 Coup Attempt

Sputnik News

21:39 04.01.2018(updated 21:56 04.01.2018)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that the mass arrests that hit Turkey following the 2016 coup attempt were justified and could continue.

"Speaking about repressions you make a mistake. Today there is the state of emergency in France, isn't it? Why has France introduced it? Has there been an attempt of a coup? No there have been five, 10, 15, 20 terrorist attacks, but in Turkey, it was a coup attempt We have sentenced just as many people as it is needed," Erdogan told the French LCI broadcaster.

The Turkish leader stated that the supporters of the coup had been in all the nation's governmental institutions and their number was "incredibly big."

"But this is not the end, there is still a big number of terrorist organizations' supporters in the government machine," the president said.

Coup Attempt in Turkey

The military coup attempt Erdogan spoke about took place in Turkey in July 2016 and was suppressed by government forces, with over 240 people killed and an estimated 2,000 wounded.

Following the unrest, Ankara has accused Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has lived in the US state of Pennsylvania since 1999, and his followers, of playing a key role in the coup. Gulen and his supporters strongly deny having played any role in the attempted coup and call for an international investigation.

After the takeover attempt, Turkish authorities detained over 50,000 of journalists, diplomats, judges, members of the military and human rights activists over their alleged involvement in the thwarted coup and for their support for Gulen.

 Sputnik

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Turkish Banker Conviction Threatens US-Turkey Ties

By Dorian Jones January 04, 2018

Ankara has slammed the conviction in the U.S. of a Turkish banker for violating U.S. sanctions on Iran.

"This is the scandalous verdict of a scandalous case," Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin told reporters at the presidential palace. "Unjust and unfortunate," said the Turkish foreign ministry in a statement, adding, "the evidence was fake and open to political exploitation."

Mahir Unal, the spokesman for Turkey's ruling AKP, pointed the finger directly at Washington. "The purpose of the case in United States is interference in the internal affairs of Turkey. This case is a violation of international law and a legal disaster. It is clear that this decision has no provision for us," tweeted Unal.

But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has in the past been at the forefront of condemning the case, has remained silent on the verdict.

That silence is telling, claimed political consultant Atilla Yesilada of Global source partners.

"Erdogan was misled by his advisers, who told him Mr. [Hakan] Atilla would be acquitted. Now he understands that if the United States really intends to kick Turkey in the shin, they have received the perfect excuse to do so. At this point, he realizes it's not wise to antagonize the United States. Now I am sure there are high-level contacts with Washington on how to make this case ago away," said Yesilada.

On Wednesday, Mehmet Hakan Atilla, who headed international banking at the Turkish state-owned Halkbank, was convicted by a New York court on 5 of 6 charges of violating U.S. sanctions on Iran. With prosecutors presenting evidence of several Turkish banks involved in extensive laundering of money to avoid Iranian sanctions, analysts warn the door is open to a potential wide range of financial sanctions.

Such measures range from fines on Turkish banks to extensive restrictions on banks' ability to borrow from U.S. financial markets. Turkey borrows on average about $16 billion a month to sustain existing loans and meet its financial obligations.

Joon Kim, the acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan, speaking after the conviction, made clear there would be consequences. "Foreign banks and bankers have a choice: You can choose willfully to help Iran and other sanctioned nations evade U.S. law, or you can choose to be part of the international banking community transacting in U.S. dollars. But you can't do both."

"Best-case scenario is a couple of billion dollars in fines against Halkbank for violating sanctions and the American administration closing the file, and that's the end of it," said consultant Yesilada.

The Turkish finance minister, Mehmet Simsek, already has guaranteed that any fines would be covered by the government.

Despite international investors reportedly closely watching the New York case, Turkish financial markets Thursday were largely unaffected by Wednesday's verdict.

The experience of previous foreign banks caught violating U.S. sanctions suggests the repercussions could be severe for Turkish banks.

In 2015, the French bank BNP Paribas was fined about $9 billion for violating U.S.-Iranian sanctions. An economist specializing on financial matters relating to Turkey  working for an international bank and speaking anonymously  warned that given the scale of the violations outlined by prosecutors in the New York case, Halkbank could face fines of up to $40 billion. Last year Turkey's Haber Turk newspaper reported U.S. authorities were considering a similarly large fine.

Observers single out the Halkbank case from previous sanction-busting cases. During the New York trial, the prosecutor witness implicated Turkish government involvement in sanctions violations, including then-Prime Minister Erdogan.

"If the Trump administration wants to portray this as a state crime, as Ankara systematically violating Iranian sanctions, I don't think anyone can stop them," said political consultant Yesilada.

Analysts suggest the price of leniency by Washington could be Ankara having to cool its warming relationship with Moscow, and Tehran, as well as the toning down of its hostility toward the Syrian Kurdish militia, which has been backed by the U.S. in fighting Islamic State militants.

Ankara accuses the militia of being terrorists linked to an insurgency in Turkey. Both issues have contributed to recent deep strains in U.S.-Turkish relations. But Washington's decision in December to restore normal visa services after being severely curtailed was seen as a sign of its commitment to improving ties.

Even if Ankara can come to an agreement with the White House, Congress still remains a problem.

"The American Congress acts independently of both the judiciary and the executive, and the information I receive from my sources in the United States, it's extremely angry with Turkish behavior, and it might consider a sanction law against Turkey," warned consultant Yesilada. "But I think the financial markets collectively don't think that the United States does want to push this any further. There, I don't agree with the markets, but as the American game plan is crystallized over the coming weeks, market sentiments will change to a negative."

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Germany Calls For Setting Up UN Peacekeeping Mission In Ukraine Before Russian Election

RFE/RL January 04, 2018

Germany's foreign minister is calling for the establishment of an armed UN peacekeeping mission in eastern Ukraine before Russia's March presidential election.

Sigmar Gabriel told reporters after talks in Kyiv with his Ukrainian counterpart, Pavlo Klimkin, on January 3 that such a force would be "essential" for ensuring the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Gabriel was scheduled to visit the contact line separating government forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine on January 4, but that leg of the trip was canceled because of poor weather conditions, Klimkin said in a tweet.

He added that the two are planning to reschedule the trip for later in January.

"This has to be a strong, armed mission that is present across the entire territory of the conflict zone," Gabriel said, adding that Germany and France will propose such a peacekeeping mission to the UN Security Council in hopes it will bring about a "lasting cease-fire" in eastern Ukraine.

Gabriel said the Russian presidential election should not factor into negotiations with the UN on deploying a mission to Ukraine.

"The establishment of a firm peace settlement should not depend on elections in Russia," he said. "And I hope that we will be able to adopt a realistic and appropriate mandate for the UN mission before the election in Russia is held."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is expected to easily win the March 18 vote, has backed establishing a UN peacekeeping mission only along the front line in eastern Ukraine that separates territory controlled by Kremlin-backed separatists from the rest of Ukraine.

The Kremlin also opposes placing armed UN peacekeepers along parts of its border with Ukraine not under Kyiv's control.

But Ukraine and its Western allies oppose the narrow role Russia has proposed for UN peacekeepers and have pushed for a broader role for the UN in an attempt to quell the conflict that has killed more than 10,300 people since it broke out in 2014.

Gabriel's visit to Ukraine comes days after Washington announced it will provide Ukraine with lethal defensive weapons, reportedly including powerful U.S. antitank missiles, for the first time, in a decision that angered Moscow.

Klimkin said the weapons would only be used for defensive purposes and should not spark an escalation of the war.

"These weapons can and will be used in case of a provocation by Russia," said Klimkin. "They will not be used for offensive purposes."

Gabriel, however, questioned the U.S. decision to sell additional weapons to Ukraine.

"If there is one thing there is too much of in this region, that is weapons," Gabriel said. "We in Germany take a rather skeptical view of arms deliveries being able to resolve the conflict."

With reporting by AP, AFP, Interfax, and TASS

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/germany-gabriel- calls-setting-up-un-peacekeeping -mission-ukraine-before-russian- presidential-election/28954057.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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Published on 2018/01/05 | Source

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Also known as "Wise Prison Life"

Synopsis

Set in a prison, this is a drama about the lives of the prisoners and prison staff.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2017/11/22

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Ellis appointed to lead asset forfeiture program

Corey Ellis

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced that Corey Ellis, first assistant U.S. Attorney of the Western District of North Carolina, will serve as the director of Asset Forfeiture Accountability in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General.

Pursuant to a memorandum from Attorney General Jeff Sessions in October, Ellis, a former Henderson County prosecutor, will coordinate the Departments Asset Forfeiture Program, including reviewing complaints and ensuring compliance with the law. Many criminals transfer ill-gotten gains to relatives or friends, and others use couriers to transport cash, Rosenstein said. Civil asset forfeiture helps prevent crime by enabling the government to recover property when prosecuting the person caught holding it may not be appropriate or feasible. Given his personal experience handling complex asset forfeiture litigation and his superb reputation as a manager, Corey Ellis will strengthen the Justice Departments Asset Forfeiture Program and help us prevent crime while protecting the property rights of law-abiding people. Starting in January, Ellis will begin work on several department priority initiatives, including the modernization of the National Asset Forfeiture Strategic Plan, updating the Asset Forfeiture Programs policy guidance, and improving controls over the use of program funds.

A native of East Tennessee, Ellis received a bachelors degree from Brown University and law degree from the University of Memphis with awards in trial advocacy and tax law. After graduation, he served for eight years as a prosecutor in the 29th District under District Attorney Jeff Hunt. He went to the U.S. Attorneys office in 2005. Since November 2015, Ellis has served as the first assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In that position, he has managed an approximately 100-employee office and helped to coordinate complex white-collar crime prosecutions and cases involving federal lands, drug smuggling, firearm offenses and violent crime. He also directed the offices training in response to the attorney generals July 2017 Asset Forfeiture policy order.

Ellis, who lives in Hendersonville, will relocate to Washington for the new job.
Dublin District Court heard that gardai saw Maguire and a co-accused huddled over a bike in suspicious circumstances. Stock photo

A father-of-four found "huddled" over a bicycle while another man tried to steal it in Dublin city centre has been given a four-month suspended sentence.

Michael Maguire (49) was homeless when he got involved in the theft attempt, a court heard.

Judge Alan Mitchell suspended the sentence for a year after Maguire pleaded guilty to possession of stolen property.

Dublin District Court heard that gardai on patrol at Custom House Quay last November 15 saw Maguire and a co-accused huddled over a bike in suspicious circumstances.

Damage

Maguire was holding the front wheel while the other man was trying to unlock the bicycle.

Maguire had met the other man and got involved in the attempted theft of the bike, his lawyer said. No damage was caused.

Maguire had a job in insulation before his marriage broke up and he became homeless.

Before that he had led a "reasonably resourceful life", his lawyer said.

He was currently living in "as permanent a hostel as he could get" and was starting the new year with prospects for gaining employment again.
History buff Ross Malone had the 10-inch ceremonial blade in his backpack. (stock photo)

A young man caught carrying a replica Nazi officer's knife in his bag bought it as "a present to himself", a court was told.

History buff Ross Malone (25) had the 10-inch ceremonial blade in his backpack when gardai saw him acting suspiciously in Dublin city centre.

Malone, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of a knife in Cole's Lane in the north city centre last November 20.

Dublin District Court heard he was seen acting suspiciously in the Ilac Shopping Centre at 7.40am.

When stopped by gardai, Malone voluntarily told them he had the World War Two knife in his backpack.

A photo of the knife - described as a 10-inch replica Nazi officer's ceremonial blade - was presented to the court.

"Why is it not hanging on a wall rather than being carried around in a backpack?" Judge David Waters asked.

Defence barrister Donal Pattison said his client had bought the knife for himself and could not leave it in the Dublin hostel where he was living.

Fancy

Malone, who was originally from Renmore in Galway, had been living in Ennis, Co Clare before moving to Dublin.

He had done a post-Leaving Certificate course in art and hoped to find work abroad.

There was a history connected to the knife, Mr Pattison told the court, and when Malone saw it, he "took a fancy to it".

"He is interested in history and philosophy and this was essentially a present to himself," he said.

The accused, who had spent time in custody after his arrest, had learnt his lesson, said Mr Pattison.

Judge David Waters said that Malone, who had previous convictions, had been caught with a knife on three occasions.

He had learnt his lesson because he had been caught, the judge said.

Judge Waters told the court he was considering sentencing Malone to three months in jail.

Mr Pattison asked the judge to instead adjourn the case for a probation report, saying there were "underlying issues".

The judge granted bail and said the report should address the accused's suitability for community service.

He said he might consider a non-custodial sentence depending on the report.
More than a dozen homeless families have been told by The Gresham Hotel that it will not be offering emergency accommodation from next month.

Some 14 families have been told that the hotel will not be accepting them from January 31 onwards.

The Gresham had been paid by Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) for the families to use the accommodation.

Deadline

A spokeswoman for the DRHE said that it was made aware of the decision two months ago and was confident of locating alternative temporary homes for these families by the deadline at the end of the month.

It is anticipated that family hubs will be the most likely relocation.

"The DRHE was advised in November that this hotel was not in a position to continue to provide accommodation," the spokeswoman said.

"We are actively working to provide alternative suitable accommodation for the families in question, which could include accommodation in family hubs, and expect to have this finalised very shortly," she added.

Anthony Flynn, director of Dublin's Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH), has called for more transparency from DRHE to provide breakdowns of how much money has been paid to which hotels during the current homelessness crisis.

"We want to know who's been receiving this money," Mr Flynn said.

He added that the priority for ICHH is to ensure that the 14 families receive appropriate accommodation and that it has contacted the DRHE offering assistance in ensuring this.

It is understood that Dublin City Council (DCC) is expecting to house a couple of hundred more families in hubs by the end of March.

The council expects to have families moved out of hubs and into long-term accommodation within three months of moving in.
Parents have been asked to keep their children at home next week if they are showing flu-like symptoms in a major escalation of the healthcare crisis.

Embattled Health Minister Simon Harris told the Herald that the new school term could cause the flu epidemic to worsen.

And he also urged any nursing home patients who develop the flu to remain in their facilities if possible, rather than attending a hospital.

Just hours after it emerged 12 children were among those to linger on trolleys in the country's three children's hospitals in Dublin, Mr Harris called on parents to keep their children out of school if they appeared to be ill.

He said failure to do so could result in parents, teachers and other children being affected.

"Schools are coming back next week and it's a very important public health message for parents: if your child is under the weather or possibly has the flu, please keep them at home," Mr Harris said.

"We don't want a situation when the schools return where we see the flu spread throughout the system into teachers, parents and back into homes as well," the Wicklow TD added.

The warning came as senior clinicians last night warned that the flu epidemic has yet to reach its peak.

Warning

According to the latest figures from the HSE, two children in Crumlin were waiting on a hospital trolley for more than nine hours.

But overall, the overcrowding crisis eased yesterday.

However, it still represents record levels.

The figure includes 56 patients who were waiting on trolleys for more than 24 hours.

Speaking during a trade mission to Hungary yesterday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar apologised to patients affected by the trolley crisis.

"I want to extend my regret and also my apologies to any patient who has experienced a long delay or a trolley wait in our emergency departments in the last couple of days," he said.

But the news that the crisis is to worsen and impact on schools will prove deeply worrying for patients.

Speaking to the Herald from his office in the Department of Health, Mr Harris said the children who had been left on trolleys had received special attention.

"If you do send your child into the school environment with suspected flu, that runs the risk of that spreading throughout the entire school community and obviously that could be dangerous," he said.

Disruption

"So this is an appeal to parents to be conscious of that with the schools coming back next week."

Teachers unions last night said they did not anticipate any major disruption.

In a statement, the Department of Education said that any decision to close individual schools rests with the boards of management.
A bullet proof vest covered in blood (to right of patrol car) at the incident on Portland Place.

The 35-year-old nephew of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch has been granted bail after being charged over a stab attack on his own brother, Ross Hutch, during an "ongoing dispute".

Ross Hutch (25), who once appeared on RTE's Winning Streak, was treated by emergency services after he received a head injury on Wednesday night.

His brother Alan, from Portland Place, north inner city, Dublin, was arrested.

He appeared before Judge Bryan Smyth at Dublin District Court at 4.30pm.

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Assault

He was charged with assault causing harm at his home address to Ross Hutch on January 3. The alleged offence is contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against The Person Act.

Garda Damien Kildea, from Mountjoy Station, told Judge Smyth that Alan Hutch was charged at 3.13pm on Thursday and "he made no reply after caution" before he was handed a copy of his charge sheet.

He said there was no objection to bail, subject to conditions. Gda Kildea asked that one would state the accused could have no contact with the injured party. He said the two men were brothers and that "there appears to be an ongoing dispute between them".

Judge Smyth agreed to make that one of the bail terms and imposed other conditions sought by gardai. He set bail at 250.

He ordered the accused to sign on three days a week at a garda station - the name of which was written on a note and given to the judge but not read out - and "remain of sober habits". The accused was warned by the judge that he must be of good behaviour and have no contact with the alleged injured party, Ross Hutch.

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Alan Hutch, dressed in a navy hoodie, black trousers and trainers, did not address the court during the hearing and there has been no indication as to how he will plead.

Gda Kildea said directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) needed to be obtained and he asked for a four-week adjournment.

Unemployed

Mr Hutch was released and ordered to appear again on February 1, when the case will be listed for directions from the DPP to be outlined. Legal aid was granted after defence solicitor Declan Fahy told the judge his client was unemployed and a statement of his means was furnished to the court.

Ross Hutch won 33,000 in cash and prizes on RTE's Winning Streak in 2015 for his brother, Edward Hutch Jnr.

He has been repeatedly warned that his life is under threat since his father, Eddie Hutch Snr (58), was gunned down in February 2016.

His cousin, Gareth Hutch, was also shot dead in Dublin in May the same year.

Another cousin, Gary Hutch, was gunned down in Spain in September 2015 by the Kinahan cartel.
In total, 12 children had to wait on trolleys yesterday

Two children spent up to nine hours lying on hospital trolleys in Dublin yesterday, the youngest victims of the nationwide trolley crisis.

In total, 12 children had to wait on trolleys for beds in three children's hospitals yesterday morning - with two of them reportedly spending up to nine hours on trolleys at Crumlin Children's Hospital.

The winter trolley crisis raged on at the nation's hospitals, with 592 adults confined to trolleys awaiting beds.

The number represented a fall from the record high on Wednesday of 677 patients on trolleys.

HSE executives said there was a "system-wide challenge this week" in terms of the sheer numbers coming into the nation's hospitals.

Figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) showed there were 414 people on trolleys in hospital emergency departments (EDs), and a further 178 on trolleys or temporary beds in hospital wards, making an overall total of 592.

The highest number of patients on trolleys yesterday was 52, in University Hospital Limerick, consisting of 30 people in EDs awaiting beds and a further 22 on trolleys or temporary beds in wards.

The highest figure in Dublin was in Tallaght Hospital, with 29 on trolleys - six higher than the previous day.

Poignant

Also badly hit in Dublin was the Mater Hospital, with 23 patients on trolleys in the ED, a rise of three in the previous 24 hours.

St Vincent's Hospital in the capital was also experiencing serious problems, with a total of 21 patients on trolleys in its ED awaiting beds.

Damien McCallion, HSE national director with responsibility for the winter initiative, said much had been done to reduce the high number of patients ending up on trolleys this winter.

There had been a significant reduction in the number of delayed discharge patients in the system but there were still 470 such patients in hospitals in December, compared to 565 last September, he said.

Some 150 hospital beds were being added to the national system this year, most in the first three months.

HSE national director of acute services Liam Woods acknowledged there had been children waiting on trolleys but said it was "very rare".

Dr Colm Henry, HSE national clinical adviser for acute services, said it was particularly "poignant" that children were on trolleys and it "strikes a chord" with the public.

However, he said it was also very serious for older people to be confined to trolleys.

Parents with children with flu-like symptoms were warned to keep them at home when schools open next week to combat an expected surge in influenza infections.

A higher proportion of children than normal are falling victim to the flu this year. This was having a knock-on effect on numbers on trolleys nationwide.

Vaccine

Dr Kevin Kelleher, assistant national director for public health and child health, said the numbers of healthcare workers receiving the flu vaccine had risen to around 38pc in the nation's hospitals and to around 50pc in acute hospitals, which was "a big improvement" on previous years.

When asked about the significant numbers of staff failing to get the vaccine, officials indicated that healthcare workers could not be compelled to receive the vaccination.
Boonsboro cheerleaders make Washington County history

The Warriors became the first county champions in cheerleading, and then the first county cheerleaders to advance to both regions and states
A geodesic domed family home has been listed for sale within a 35-minute commute from London in the popular Kent commuter village of Tatsfield.

The unusual four-bedroom house, known as The Dome, was built in 1986 and its bold modern architecture provides a striking contrast with the quaint North Downs enclave's village pond and WI Hall.

Residential domes are relatively unusual because of the cost and difficulty of construction, making this property a rare find.

The homes innovative design is centred around an open-plan living area, which leads to the kitchen and dining room, topped by the extraordinary wood lined-dome.

Inside the atrium ceiling is dotted with triangular windows flooding the living area below with light.

SOLID FOUNDATIONS

Geodesic domes are hemispherical structures composed of rigid triangular elements, which press against each other, meaning they can withstand very heavy loads for their size.

The first geodesic dome was built for a German planetarium shortly after World War I but the structures are most commonly associated with mid-century American architect Buckminster Fuller, who invented the term to describe them and patented the concept in 1956.

Similar notable structures include the aviary at Queens Zoo, New York, which was originally a pavilion at the 1964 Worlds Fair; a dome at the South Pole, chosen because it can resist snow and wind loads; and Spaceship Earth at the EPCOT Centre in Disney World, which is also included in the parks logo.

Due to its striking layout, The Dome house in Kent has a minstrels gallery on the first floor overlooking the central space, which leads via a vaulted landing to the master bedroom suite, with dressing room (which can also be used as a fourth bedroom). Two further bedrooms are also on this floor.

There's also an outdoor swimming pool in its half-acre garden.

The property, which is close to the M25 and 35 minutes from London Bridge or Victoria by train, has been listed for sale with Fine & Country estate agents for 1 million.
Executive Chef Charles Wilson said Edgewood Tahoe had him at hello during his interview  or at least when he saw the view of Lake Tahoe 50 yards away through the resorts Great Room floor-to-ceiling windows. Wilson is assuming the helm for the propertys three restaurants following the retirement of Frank Stagnaro, the resorts executive chef for over 25 years. (www.edgewoodtahoe.com) Wilson, a graduate of Le Chef Cordon Bleu Culinary College, has a long tenured career in resort destinations heading kitchens from the Caribbean to Chicago, Scottsdale, Hawaii, and Newport Beach. For the last 13 years he called Las Vegas home base with positions at the MGM Grand, Paris, Ballys Hotel & Casino, Caesars Palace, and Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. A native of Austin, Texas, Wilson said his passion for the culinary arts was formed early on with the tutelage of his mother and grandmother. Wilsons resume is impressive. Besides key roles at properties like The Four Seasons Hotel-Chicago, The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort-Arizona, The Balboa Bay Club Resort & Spa-Newport Beach, he also opened the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka'upulehu on the Big Island of Hawaii. In February 2017, Wilson led a culinary team from the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino for a Valentines Day event at the prestigious James Beard Foundation in New York. Wilson also holds two American Culinary Federation (ACF) gold medals and three ACF bronze medals.
View Jennifer Erney's LinkedIn Profile

Jennifer Erney is a graduate of Johnson & Wales in Providence, Rhode Island - United States

Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) has promoted Jennifer Erney to Regional Vice President to lead its U.S. Mid-Atlantic team. Based in ALHIs Global Sales office in Washington, D.C., Erney now oversees ALHIs Global Sales teams in Washington, D.C. and Richmond, Virginia, which assist meeting professionals, association executives, incentive specialists and business executives in the region who are interested in conducting meetings, conventions and/or incentive programs at any of ALHIs member hotels and resorts. ALHI Global Luxury Sales distinguished portfolio features more than 250 luxury and upper-upscale hotels and resorts around the world, which are either independent or are with an independent hotel brand, and which specialize in serving meetings and incentive programs. The announcement was made by Mark Sergot, Chief Sales Officer for ALHI, which is the worlds leading independent Global Sales Organization serving the Meetings & Incentive marketplace. Prior to her promotion, Erney served as ALHIs Vice President of Sales for the Mid-Atlantic region. A highly accomplished hospitality industry sales executive, she was named the 2017 Supplier of the Year by the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) at its 2017 PCMA Education Foundation Visionary Awards in May 2017. The 2017 Professional Excellence Awards winners were selected from PCMAs membership, which is made up of nearly 7,000 members, and Erney was one of only seven individuals honored with an award at the event. Prior to joining ALHI in May 2017, Erney was the Director of Global Accounts  Meetings & Events for Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI Hotels & Resorts), which is now part of AccorHotels. In that position, which she held for 10 years, she was the Washington, D.C.-based liaison to the association community for the Fairmont, Raffles and Swissotel brands. Her extensive experience also includes serving as the Regional Director of National Accounts for Tourism Toronto; Area Director of Sales for Kimpton Hotels in the Washington, D.C. metro area; and Director of Group Sales for Loews Hotels. She is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Certified Association Sales Executive (CASE) by PCMA, and a Certified Hospitality Sales Executive (CHSE) by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI). She holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Sales & Meeting Management from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, and she may be reached in ALHIs Washington, D.C. Global Sales office at (202) 887-7020 and [email protected]
2018 Priorities Include Reining In Illegal Hotels, Workforce Development and Consumer Protection

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) announced today that Brian Crawford has been promoted to senior vice president and department head of governmental affairs.



Crawford, who has served as vice president of governmental and political affairs at AHLA since 2014, will oversee the associations advocacy efforts and 10-person team with policymakers on Capitol Hill and within the Administration, and will be responsible for directing the development and execution of strategies to address key issues facing the lodging industry. Crawford will also oversee the continued expansion of the associations political action committee, HotelPAC, which reached a record $1 million in donations in 2017.

I am thrilled to announce Brians well-deserved promotion, said Katherine Lugar, president and CEO of AHLA. Brian has been core to our advocacy wins on key federal and local issues such as joint employer and hotel-only workforce ordinances, while also spearheading a number of employer coalitions here in Washington. I am excited and confident that Brian will build on the momentum weve created in the last several years and lead our advocacy program to new heights.

AHLA leads the hotel industrys national advocacy agenda and underscores the industrys tremendous stories of opportunity, growth, innovation and success. AHLAs 2018 legislative priorities include workforce policies that empower entrepreneurs and support business growth; improving transparency and oversight to protect our guests online; and creating a level and legal playing field within the lodging sector, particularly with short-term rental companies, that prioritizes the communities we serve.

I am honored and excited for the opportunity to lead such an extraordinary team, said Crawford. We have a deep bench of professionals who have the talent, experience, and the passion necessary to drive our agenda forward, and I look forward to building on our successes and serving this great industry.

Crawford joined AHLA after eight years on Capitol Hill, where he served as chief of staff for Congressman Tom Rooney (FL-17) and deputy chief of staff for Congressman Ric Keller (FL-8). Prior to serving on Capitol Hill, Crawford held a top legislative affairs position with Associated Builders and Contractors, where he implemented the associations workforce, labor and healthcare agenda. He also worked for the National Small Business Association.
A recent outcry about Apples supposed intentional slowing of batteries in older iPhone models recently made headlines, with the company publicly apologizing for the mishap and even offering customers a drastically reduced rate on replacing the batteries in aged devices, which was $79 before tax for the parts and labor prior to the price change. However, although the reduction was made in good faith, Apples retail infrastructure might not be able to keep with the new demand.

According to a report by The Washington Posts Geoffrey Fowler, his experience using the new program that was put in place was, at the very least, exceedingly frustrating:

When I showed up with an appointment at my closest Apple store on Jan. 3, there were so many others also trying to replace their batteries that I had to join a weeks-long waiting list [] battling hordes for repair (rather than a sexy new phone) is an unusual experience at an Apple store.

This experience may soon become the norm around the globe as iPhone users clamor for new batteries for their phones. The resulting swarm of people might be too dense for the companys retail forces to match. iFixits Kyle Wiens explains: Apple reportedly has 47,000 retail employees, he said. If they trained all of them to do iPhone battery swaps, and they did nothing but that, it would take 2.7 years to clear out the backlog. Of course, even if they were to get to the end of that demand build-up, more phone would eventually need fixes as well.

Are you going to try and cop a new battery for your device? Let us know in the comments.

Apple iPhone
It has just been announced that Shes Gotta Have Its DeWanda Wise will join the cast of the upcoming Captain Marvel film, which also stars Brie Larson in the title role. Out of Marvels 21 films, this is the first to feature a female lead superhero, unless you count the upcoming Ant-Man & The Wasp, which features former Lost star Evangeline Lilly co-starring with Paul Rudd.

The specifics around Wises role in the film have not yet been released; however, it is exciting to see an up-and-coming starlet achieve notoriety in a beloved Hollywood franchise as successful as the MCU.

Wise will join the already confirmed cast including Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law, and Ben Mendelsohn. The film is slated for a March 2019 release-date, with Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck assuming the role of director.

DeWanda confirmed the news on her personal Instagram account, exclaiming Its true. On my way to join the @Marvel Universe. Thank you for the beautiful outpouring of yaaaaasssssedness. Been holding this secret for a moment, and I STILL cant believe it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdjOVbRDQnQ



Marvel has recently seen a surge in interest, from the highly-anticipated debut of The Black Panther, to new information about the status of Thors character post-Ragnarok.
Well it looks like Kevin Gates is just days away from being a free man again. After reports surfaced a couple weeks ago that his parole date was January 10th, TMZ has learned that Gates will indeed be getting out on parole next Wednesday.

Lindsey Hess at the Illinois Department of Correction told the media publication that Kevin is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, after serving 9 months in a Cook Country prison. Hess says Gates is getting out on parole, and his release conditions include mandatory supervision and no possession of firearms.

The Louisiana rapper had been serving time behind bars in Illinois since last March when an outstanding weapons-related warrant popped up, and landed him back in prison for a 30-month sentence. He was previously serving time in Florida for kicking a woman in the chest at his show, before his outstanding warrant came about on the day of his release.

Even though Kevin has been behind bars for the past year, that hasnt stopped his music from coming out. Back in September, Gates wife & camp released the sequel to his By Any Means mixtape featuring a lone appearance from PnB Rock, who appeared on the song Beautiful Scars.

But with freedom just days away, barring any setbacks or delays, Gates will hopefully be back before we know it.

Well continue to keep you posted moving forward. Stay tuned.

[Via]

Kevin Gates
Watch: Dog Clears Way for Herd of Cattle in Snow Storm, Internet Can't Contain Emotions
A recent industry-wide initiative to reassess the iodine nutrition of lactating dairy cows is having a beneficial effect on milk iodine concentrations, Teagasc has said in a recent research update.

Until spring 2017, the animal compound feed industry in Ireland had adopted using 60mg iodine per day as the normal supplementation rate rather than 12mg iodine per day as originally recommended.

In January 2017, all manufacturers of compound feed in Ireland were requested to revert to the recommended rate of 12mg/d.

In research involving its dairy herds in Moorepark, Teagasc varied the supplemental iodine intake and milk iodine concentrations of the herds.

Herd 1 and Herd 2 were receiving close to the target iodine supplementation rate, but Herd 3 was receiving surplus supplemental iodine.

Consequently, the bulk tank milk for Herd 1 and Herd 2 was well below the upper limit for milk iodine concentration, but Herd 3 was exceeding the upper limit.

Teagasc has said that the results clearly indicate that it is feasible to maintain milk iodine concentration at between 20 and 150g/kg by providing approximately 12mg iodine per day.

It also said in the update that Initial feedback from processors in 2017 indicates that the iodine specifications for the Infant Milk Formula market have been easier to achieve than in previous years.

It said this reflected the prompt changes to the iodine inclusion rate implemented by the majority of feed manufacturers in line with Teagasc guidelines.

Teagasc said co-operation from dairy farmers, the feed industry, dairy nutritionists and veterinarians is required to continue using the recommended 12mg per day of iodine, facilitating profitable and sustainable growth of the Irish dairy industry.

Iodine toxicity is especially important for newborn infants, who are more sensitive to it because of an immature thyroid gland. Infant milk formula (IMF) is a key market for the growing Irish dairy industry, but milk produced when cows are fed surplus iodine in supplemental concentrate is generally unsuitable for inclusion in IMF.

Iodine concentrations in raw milk (bulk tank) should be maintained between 20 and 150g/kg. This ensures that cows are maintained in adequate iodine status, and that the milk produced is safe for a diverse product portfolio.
Labour efficient measures do not necessarily cost a lot and can be very simple, according to one expanding dairy farmer.

Phil Purcell, from Ballykeeffe, Kilmanagh, Co Kilkenny urged farmers at the Teagasc National Dairy Conference to ensure that they look after those that are working on the farm and themselves as the busy spring calving period approaches.

Addressing the topic of getting ready for spring, Mr Purcell, who runs the farm with his wife Miriam, said no matter how prepared you are February can be intense but he always thinks about the light at the end of the tunnel.

In 2018, the Purcell farm will calve 228 cows, with around 170 of the cows due to calve in February.

The farm at Kilmanagh is made up of 112ha of land, with 62 designated for the milking platform and around 20ha of the farm is leased. This year they keep an average of 200 dairy cows on the farm, with 192 the peak number milked.

He estimates they will sell 1.05m litres of milk at 4.26pc fat and 3.66pc protein this year, which works out at 428kg milk solids sold per cow. They are also on track to grow 13t of grass dry matter per hectare with the cows fed 700kg meal per head.

It is a British Friesian herd, with Holsteins used in recent years and an average EBI of 96.

Mr Purcell said there are a number of areas that help make the calving season more manageable including defined roles and facilities.

He pointed out his wife Miriam has an off-farm job and most of the roles are split between himself and Conor Gorey, a student on the full-time Professional Diploma in Dairy Farm Management course.

He has split out the milking between himself and Conor, as he looks after the calving and newborn work, including calf feeding, with Conor looking after stock feeding and grassland management.

He points out some of the measures installed on the farm are simple such as a cow drafting system and a mobile calf feeder but they significantly cut down the workload.

Teagascs Paidi Kelly pointed out that many of the measures being put to work on the Purcell farm such as the designated roles should be examined on all farms. He said many farmers could look at their processes for labour efficiencies before considering hiring.

The conference heard that this year dairy cow numbers in Ireland will average close to 1.4m, a 350,000 cow increase compared to 2010 levels.

Mr Kelly pointed out with the rapid expansion of the herd it is projected that over 6,000 people will need to enter dairying by 2025.

He pointed out dairy farmers need to ensure they become an employ of choice that offer a good place to work, with effective roster and communicate effectively.

Mr Purcell said they began getting their bull calves collected by Kilkenny Mart every Tuesday during the breeding season and this significantly cut down on their workload. He ensures all calves are iodined, tagged and teat fed with three litres of the dams colostrum.

In 2017, the calving interval was 365 days with 91pc calved in six weeks.

Other systems that they use on the farm are coloured tape as visual aids for milking, with a red herd of recently calved and problem cows milked last. It reduces the stress and the worry that mistakes will be made in parlour, he said. A blue tape is used for cows with some issues.

This year another measure that is being deployed is evening feeding of cows to try and ensure as few as possible calve at night. Mr Purcell said he looks after the night calvings and tries to take a rest during the day.

He pointed out that the first time he realised that he needed to employ someone on the farm was when he was sitting in the waiting room of the hospital in Kilkenny with a broken leg.

This is the fourth year that Mr Purcell has had a student from the Dairy Diploma course and he praised Conor and the course highly.

Mr Purcell said he ensures each student gets plenty of time off around Christmas before they head into the busy spring period.
A Co Antrim farmer pleaded guilty and was fined 1,690 (1,500) plus 15 offender levy at Coleraine Magistrates Court today.

James Campbell, Islandranny Road, Bushmills was convicted for making an unconsented discharge of trade effluent to the Liscolman Feeder, a tributary of the River Bush.

On 19 July 2016 Water Quality Inspectors, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, inspected a farm at Islandranny Road, Bushmills.

Silage effluent was observed discharging from a silage clamp, flowing across the yard and ponding adjacent to a storm drain.

The Inspectors observed bubbles rising through the pools of silage effluent, suggesting the silage effluent was discharging through the ground and discharging to the waterway via the storm drain.

On 20 July 2016, inspectors returned and collected statutory samples from the Liscolman Feeder; upstream and downstream of the storm drain discharge point.

The sample collected downstream of the discharge point confirmed that the waterway contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving waterway.
IFA President Joe Healy has announced an emergency fodder initiative, where IFA will mobilise its national county and branch network to support those farmers in most difficulty.

Counties have been twinned with a view to identifying farmers who are in a position to contribute feed, to be transported to areas in need.

Joe Healy said it is disappointing that the Minister has to date failed to support a meal voucher system which we strongly believe would have been the best and most efficient solution.

"We are now seeking a commitment from the Minister to fund the cost of transporting the fodder to the areas in need as part of this interim initiative.

Joe Healy said the initiative is designed to provide fodder for those in dire need in the coming weeks to get them over Christmas and the New Year.

County Chairmen and branch officers in areas of the country not affected to the same extent with the fodder crisis will identify farmers who are prepared to provide even small amounts of feed at a reasonable agreed fixed price.

The counties chairs in the affected counties met with Minister Creed and attended the recent fodder action meeting in Sligo, but there has yet to be a tangible outcome to these meetings.

The National Council of IFA put the plan in place yesterday. IFA officers in the areas most affected counties will work closely with Teagasc and the local DVO to identify the farmers currently in critical need of fodder

County Chairmen in counties/regions with feed to contribute will link up the County Chairmen in the areas requiring feed urgently to organise delivery and distribution of the fodder to those farmers currently in urgent need .
Police in Wales has released rarely seen footage of a horrific attack by a pack of dogs on sheep in Wales.

The shocking footage shows three distinctive dogs attacking a sheep this week near Llandudno in West Wales.

Police have said the sheep were distinctive with bright different colour harnesses.

Police believe the owner of the dogs can also be seen in the video leaving the scene.

Dog attacks on sheep are also becoming a more frequent occurrence in Ireland.

Stronger action is required to address the dreadful problem of marauding dog attacks on sheep flocks, according to IFA National Sheep Chairman John Lynskey.

He said with the darker evenings and nights this time of year, dog attacks increase and recent cases have been reported in Wexford, Kildare, Offaly, Galway, Dublin and Roscommon.

Some of these attacks are vicious with defenceless sheep flocks savaged by marauding dogs inflicting terrible suffering and pain and in many cases death on the sheep.

John Lynskey said dog owners need to take a much more active and responsible approach towards ownership and towards ensuring that their pets are under control at all times.

He warned, Owners can be held responsible for any losses involved in dog attacks, with serious financial and legal consequences. Farmers have a right to protect their sheep flock and can shoot a dog worrying, or about to worry their flock.

The IFA sheep farmer leader said that 85pc of dogs are now microchipped, according to the Department of Agriculture.

He said a single database must be introduced with controls on change of ownership so as all owners are held accountable.

To make microchipping effective Minister Creed must pull together a single database and proper controls on ownership.

John Lynskey also encouraged all dog owners, including farmers, to make sure to get their dogs microchipped.

John Lynskey called on Minister Creed and the Department of Agriculture to launch a major publicity campaign on responsible ownership.

He said a major TV, radio and social media campaign is required to get the message across to the 800,000 people with dogs in Ireland.

Statistics collated by IFA indicate that the problem of dog attacks on sheep may be in the order of 300 to 400 attacks per annum, with 3,000 to 4,000 sheep injured and killed. Data on dog attacks gathered by the IFA show an average of 11 sheep killed or injured per attack.
Social media is an excellent outlet for farmers, as the job can be a lonely pursuit.

A new trend has emerged on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram of sharing photos of cows and newly-born calves, and in some cases selfies of the farmer with the animals.

Farmers are understandably proud of their agricultural progeny but safety comes first. It is only a matter of time before a farmer is attacked by a protective cow while their phone is poised.

Even the quietest animal can turn in a flash. Cow attacks around calving time have increased in recent years, and now surpass bull attacks as the number one livestock-related cause of deaths, says Teagasc.

Chairperson of Limerick ICMSA, Tom Blackburn said that it could be very dangerous indeed to get close to a calf while the mother was in the vicinity.

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Im constantly amazed at how careless people can be - everyone must know that an animal after giving birth is a very different animal to the one you might have thought you knew well. Certainly, whatever about dairy cows, I would always tell people to be very wary indeed and very careful around suckler cows with calves, said Mr Blackburn, who farms in Effin.

He says he has two concerns ahead of the main calving season over this growing trend of cow and calf photos.

Firstly, the safety of the farmer and anyone in proximity to the cows, and secondly, why would people do anything like this that is going to obviously bother the cows or distress them? And for the sake of a picture on Instagram or Twitter or Facebook?

I just dont understand it but Im very sure about one thing and that is that you must be incredibly careful around a cow and calf. Very serious injuries  or worse  can be inflicted in a few seconds where people are distracted and stop focusing on the reality of their situation, said Mr Blackburn.

One person who sadly knows more than most about the effect a farm fatality can have is Norma Rohan, who is originally from Broadford. Tragically, her husband Brians father Liam died in a farm accident in 2012. Norma and Brian set up Embrace FARM  Farm Accident Support Network after realising that there was little or no help or support for families that have suffered as a result of farm fatalities.

The sense of loss can be overwhelming for farm families in these circumstances. The emotional trauma with the fact you dont just lose a family member but can also lose a boss and a mentor. The implications are felt right across the business, from farming itself to legal and financial advice, they say. Embrace FARM provides an immensely important service but Mrs Rohan says they dont want any new members in 2018.

There is no farmer that goes out there and thinks that they are going to kill themselves or kill somebody else by their daily activity. Most farmers are just going out to try and do their day-to-day work.

What we would say to people is to take whatever advice is going, take whatever guidelines are going, take them on board so they can get back in that door that evening to their families, said Mrs Rohan, who can be contacted at embrace.farm@gmail.com
Dublin-headquartered private investment firm Broadlake has sold its majority stake in Irish skincare company Vita Liberata to US-based Crown Laboratories.

The deal is set to be worth in the region of $30m (25m), according to market sources.

"We backed an ambitious team in 2012 and over the last five years have supported them during a period of phenomenal growth. Over this time the company has successfully developed its product ranges, brands, channels and international reach," Pete Smyth, founder and CEO of Broadlake, said.

Founded in 2003 by Alyson Hogg, Vita Liberata was the first completely non-toxic tanning brand.

Ms. Hogg will stay on as president of consumer brands for Crown Laboratories the speciality pharmaceutical company focused on dermatology, which has the backing of New York private investment firm Hildred Capital Partners.

"Crown and Hildred have a genuine understanding of the sun care market and a very impressive vision for the Vita Liberata brand. We are thrilled to partner with them to leverage Crowns strong positioning within the dermatology space and advance our mission of making self-tanning a viable alternative to sun exposure for all," Ms Hogg said.

Meanwhile Broadlake, which typically invests between 2m and 10m in established and growing businesses, invested in Vita Liberata in 2012 to accelerate the international growth of the business, supporting its successful expansion into the North American market.

This is Broadlakes second major deal in two months. In November last year shower enclosures company Merlyn Industries, was sold to UK-based Norcros for 60m (68m). The Kilkenny-based firm, was acquired on a debt-free, cash-free basis from its shareholders the Hoyne family and Broadlake.

Vita Liberatas award-winning collection is sold in premium retailers across the US and Europe.
Diversified distribution, sales and marketing group DCC is thought to be paying up to 90m to enter the German LPG market, as it continues its geographic expansion.

DCC is acquiring Tega-Technische Gase und Gasetechnik (TEGA), a unit of Linde. The business operates five sites, mostly in southern Germany.

Although DCC didn't reveal the acquisition price, it said the cash purchase would increase the group's total acquisition expenditure to 630m (706m) so far in the current financial year, which ends in March.

DCC said TEGA, which is headquartered in Wurzburg, employs about 100 people and generates annual revenue of around 75m.

That revenue is evenly split between LPG and refrigerants.

TEGA supplies about 35,000 tonnes of LPG every year to a total of 15,000 domestic and commercial customers. It supplies refrigerant to wholesalers and end-users for use in air-conditioning, commercial cooling systems, and refrigerators.

DCC chief executive Donal Murphy said the acquisition will provide the group's LPG business with a platform in the large, "relatively fragmented" German LPG market, and further strengthens the group's presence in the wider European market.

"In addition, the acquisition of TEGA provides an entry into the refrigerant gas market further enhancing the service capability of our business, following our expansion into medical and aerosol gases in recent years," he added.

Davy Stockbrokers, which estimated that DCC has paid between 75m and 80m (78.5m and 89.7m) for TEGA, said that the deal will give the Irish company about a 2.2pc share of the German LPG market.

Davy estimated that there are about 30 players in the German LPG market.

"In contrast to other European LPG markets, there has been minimal consolidation/transaction activity in Germany over the last 15 years given a cartel investigation and ongoing appeals by five of the major German LPG players," noted Davy Stockbrokers.

"Following initial fines in 2007 and increased fines on appeal in 2013, the companies are currently appealing in the Federal Court of Justice. Once complete, we think this could facilitate market consolidation over the medium term," it added.w

DCC has also established a significant presence in the LPG market in France in recent years.

It has also just completed its acquisition of Shell's LPG business in Hong Kong and Macau.
Ireland's bet on China as a key market for infant formula sales is borne out by research showing its one of just two consumer categories where Chinese shoppers think foreign products are superior.

Along with wine, infant formula is one of just two segments where more Chinese buyers (52pc) said they prefer (27pc) or somewhat prefer (26pc) foreign brands to their domestic alternatives.

Only 9pc of consumers expressed a preference for fresh fruit and poultry from abroad.

The preferences in part reflect the growth of a generation of post 1990s of consumers, who are reshaping buying habits in the world's most populace country.

In their latest survey McKinsey has identified four key trends among Chinese consumers, which will help companies formulate their operational strategies in China.

Across the majority of categories surveyed, brand origin matters less than before to Chinese consumers, once consumers feel that they are getting value for money. In eight of the 17 consumer categories surveyed by McKinsey, respondents showed a preference for local brands over foreign brands - citing local brands' edge in terms of value, quality, and after-sales.

Amongt the exceptions is non-domestically produced infant formula, which commands a premium in Asia among the growing middle classes.

Ireland is primed to capitalise on this market, producing 10pc of all infant formula consumed across the world, according to figures from Bord Bia.

Ireland is the second largest supplier to China - after the Netherlands. Danone, Abbott and Wyatt, three of the biggest infant formula producers in the world manufacture here and buy their milk in the Irish market.

One of the fastest-growing and increasingly influential segments in China is, what McKinsey refer to as the "post-90s" generation of people born between 1990 and 1999. Unlike their parents, they've grown up as China's economy raced ahead, with greater wealth, exposure to Western culture, and access to new technologies.

This generation makes up 16pc of China's overall population today, but McKinsey expect it to account for more than 20pc of consumption growth in the country between now and 2030.

Just over 50pc of those surveyed in this generation said that they were not concerned about brands, but the actual product, suggesting that product quality rather than branding is becoming increasingly important.

Consumers in China remain confident and as a result of this, are willing to spend more on discretionary items. However, despite the consumer confidence, McKinsey warns that risks remain, including concerns high levels of debt that the economy and households are taking on.

In addition, income growth has slowed, easing to 6.3pc in 2016, from 10.1pc in 2012.

A final trend highlighted by the survey is that consumers in China are more becoming more health conscious.

Two-thirds of the survey respondents saying that they are seeking ways to lead a healthier lifestyle, although only around 30pc of Chinese adults are overweight.

McKinsey surveyed nearly 10,000 consumers aged between 18 and 65 took place across 44 cities and seven rural villages and towns in China.
Nama has provided 2,400 social housing units to local authorities and housing agencies since 2012.

However a greater number, about 4,200 homes, were offered to housing authorities - but were rejected or sold by Nama before it got a response.

It is understood the three main reasons homes were turned down were property size, location, and fears of concentration, which is where there is too much social housing in the same place.

Nama said it has spent around 350m remediating, completing and purchasing properties for use as social housing. By far the largest numbers of properties accepted by housing agencies are in Dublin and other urban centres.

The figures are included in Nama's end-of-year report for 2017.

Nama has generated over 40.5bn in cash since the agency was established, and says it is currently on course to return a surplus of 3bn to the Exchequer when it shuts in 2020. That was largely a result of selling off properties, but the agency has more recently shifted focus to new housing, including a Government target to support 20,000 new homes by 2020.

The agency said an estimated 7,200 units were completed between 2014 and the end of 2017 through Nama funding. A further 9,500 units are either under construction or have secured planning permission.

Planning applications are due to be submitted for a further 8,500 units to have planning submitted during 2018.

Part of that reflected the completion of so called ghost estates. Nama says the number of unfinished housing estates on its books has reduced from 335 in 2010 to eight. The last of those will be built out this year.

While there have been calls to turn Nama into a housing agency, it does not build directly, but typically lends to Nama builders to finance schemes.

A construction bank proposed in Budget 2018, known as Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI) is due to start work this year. It will be legally independent of Nama, but is being set up to draw on skills and experience within the agency.
Pat the Baker paid 4.5m for rival baker Irish Pride in 2015 and is now one of Irelands biggest bakery groups. Stock image

Longford-based Pat the Baker paid 4.5m for rival Irish Pride, the bakery that went into receivership in 2015, recently filed documents reveal.

The deal created one of the country's largest bakery groups.

Irish Pride had been sold for a reported 6m by investment group One51 in 2014 to WHW Bakeries, controlled by Dublin-based investors Garret and William Lloyd.

Declan Taite and Pearse Farrell of Duff & Phelps were initially appointed receivers by original Irish Pride lender Close Brothers in June 2015.

Just a week later, US private equity group Gores bought loans attached to Irish Pride and replaced the receivers with Kieran Wallace and Shane McCarthy of KPMG.

A number of bids were made for the Irish Pride business, with Pat the Baker winning out.

Family-run Pat the Baker, famous for its catchy jingle and 'So Fresh it's Famous' slogan, now employs more than 600 people, directly and indirectly.

The price Irish Pride was sold for was not revealed in 2015.

But recent receiver reports filed in the Companies Registration Office show that 4.5m was paid for the business.

An Irish Pride site in Ballinrobe, Co Mayo, was separately sold towards the end of 2015, for 360,000. The closure of that plant resulted in the loss of about 60 jobs.

An Irish Pride plant in Taghmon, Co Wexford, that employed about 250 people, was acquired by Pat the Baker as part of the overall deal. That plant remained open.

The latest receiver report for Irish Pride shows that 1.7m was transferred to a secured creditor in the second half of this year. That same report also lists the payment by Irish Pride Bakeries of a 137,500 "settlement claim".
US tax reform will make that country a more attractive destination for business, the head of the IDA has warned.

Martin Shanahan said US authorities will be hoping firms will now decide to stay in America, rather than invest in Ireland or Europe.

But he said he doesn't' see a significant impact on Ireland.

Just days before Christmas the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives gave final approval to the biggest overhaul of the US tax code in 30 years.

In addition to cutting the US corporate income tax rate to 21pc from 35pc, the debt- financed legislation gives other business owners a new 20pc deduction on business income and reshapes how the government taxes multinational corporations along the lines that the country's largest businesses have recommended for years.

"Let's be honest. This is an effort to make the US more competitive. It will make the US more competitive," said Mr Shanahan.

"That may mean that there are some marginal calls which they hope a company will decide to stay in the US rather than come to Europe or Ireland. Does it signal a significant change from an Ireland perspective? I don't think so."

Mr Shanahan said the IDA will wait to see how the US Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) interprets the bill, which he described as a "very significant reform".

But he said he does not see it as being as significant an issue for Ireland as it might have been.

"It isn't all about tax, which we continually say. Many of the decisions we saw in the latter part of the year were made in full knowledge of what was coming through in the taxation bill. It hasn't dissuaded investors. I can tell you sitting here today that I expect the next couple of months to be strong in terms of investments, and again, those decisions have been made in full cognisance of what was coming down the road."

Mr Shanahan also said the UK was no longer as much a competitor as before for FDI as a result of the Brexit vote.

He said it could be the end of this year, beginning of next year before we see jobs materialising as a result of Brexit related investments here.

"You must remember a lot of the Brexit-related wins, they have to go through licencing process, regulatory process and while there might be some headcount added at the moment to manage that process, the headcount that will come will probably start later this year, into next year."

It comes as Davy Stockbrokers has said the tax changes passed in the US are more beneficial to Irish building materials group CRH than initially expected.

It predicted that the group's effective tax rate should fall by at least 3pc from the current rate of about 28pc.

"CRH's finance director had indicated that the group effective tax rate could fall anywhere from 0.5pc to 3pc dependent on the final legislation," said Davy analyst Robert Gardiner in a note to investors.

"Late changes to the bill suggest a more favourable outcome and we suspect that the group's tax rate will fall by at least 3pc as a result."

IDA taps EY to monitor DC moves

Lawyers and experts with EY in Washington DC have been tapped by the IDA to closely monitor developments on Capitol Hill as Donald Trump pushes through his US tax agenda.

The consultants have a long term relationship with the agency to monitor policy developments in Washington that pre-dates the current US administration.

The IDA also says that it works closely with the Irish embassy in Washington, and the Department of Finance.
Local Property Tax figures for 2017 have been published

HOMEOWNERS have just days to pay their property tax.

Wednesday is the deadline for those who want to pay the tax by using a credit or debit card, or by writing a cheque.

And the average amount of the tax is four times higher in Dublins Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown than in Leitrim, new figures from Revenue indicate.

People who decide to pay the tax in full by annual debit authority, or what is effectively an electronic cheque, have to notify Revenue by Wednesday that they intend to use this payment method. The payment will then be deducted on March 21 next.

Most people paid the tax last year, with Revenue saying the compliance rate was 97pc.

Some 477m was raised from the tax in 2017. This includes almost 3m in household charge arrears.

But Revenue said small numbers continue to resist paying the charge.

A relatively small number of taxpayers chose to remain non-compliant, leaving Revenue with no alternative other than to deploy debt collection/enforcement measures or other sanctions, to secure payment, it said.

It was forced to refer cases to the sheriff where there was a refusal to pay, it denied tax clearance certs to people who had not paid up, and it made mandatory deductions from salaries or pensions from others.

In an update, Revenue said 755 cases were referred to the sheriff/external solicitors for collection.

More than 12,930 tax clearance requests were refused for those who refused to pay up.

Another 80,000 homeowners had the tax deducted directly from their wages or pension last year, what Revenue calls mandatory deductions.

The figures show a huge discrepancy in the level of the tax around the country, reflecting property values.

Homeowners in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown paid the most last year, with an average of 524, calculations based on the Revenue data shows.

In Dublin City, the average property tax was 295, and in Cork city it was 214.

But in rural counties, where property values are much lower, the amounts were a fraction of this.

In Offaly, the average property tax bill was 163 last year. It was 150 in Donegal.

Leitrim had the lowest property tax at 130.

This is four times lower than the amount paid in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown.

Collector-General Michael Gladney said he was pleased people were paying the tax, which he referred to as the local property tax (LPT).

There is a continuing high compliance rate for LPT, currently 97pc, and the vast majority of property owners fully comply with their payment obligations either in a single payment, or with phased payments.

Paying by direct debit is the most popular way to get the money to Revenue, followed by debit card use.

Dublin city, followed by Cork county, had the highest percentage of homeowners subject to mandatory deduction of the tax.
Have you ever lost your temper with a customer service representative, or argued with your partner in a restaurant? If so, you could become a YouTube celebrity.

That's because a cottage industry has grown up around humiliating people and organisations by exposing their bad behaviour online - otherwise known as public shaming.

As Sue Scheff and Melissa Schorr report in their recent book 'Shame Nation: The Global Epidemic of Online Hate', now anyone can record your worst moments and sell the video evidence to one of several companies which buy the rights to embarrassing clips.

Those companies then make money from YouTube ad sales and fees from television shows that replay the videos.

In other words, there's now a financial incentive for strangers to publicly shame you.

Sometimes, people are exposed for relatively minor errors of judgment that come to define them for the rest of their lives. Other times, they're shamed for things they didn't even do - like when people have been incorrectly identified as criminals or white supremacists online.

Either way, good luck getting a job or a date afterwards. Such episodes can be so harrowing that they cause post-traumatic stress disorder, according to Scheff and Schorr.

It's a situation early Americans tried to prevent. Benjamin Rush, who signed the Declaration of Independence, argued that the practice "is universally acknowledged to be a worse punishment than death".

Jon Ronson, author of 'So You've Been Publicly Shamed', reports that punishment by public shaming - such as parading criminals through the town square - was abolished in every US state but Delaware by 1837.

But shaming can also be good for society, because it allows us to hold people and organisations responsible for bad behaviour. Witness the ad Dove posted in October showing a black woman turning into a white woman with its product. The picture immediately generated lots of criticism online, and rightly so. The company apologised.

Similarly, in January, activists exposed the identity of Mike Enoch, a prolific podcaster who founded the website The Right Stuff. Enoch, who peddles horrific racism and anti-Semitism, deserved to be called out for his abuse. He was fired by his employer.

Or take Twitter's decision to suspend the account of actress Rose McGowan in October while she was talking about sexual harassment. While Twitter said it was concerned that McGowan publicly posted someone's personal phone number, it should have removed that specific tweet rather than freezing her entire account. Some women (including me) responded by boycotting Twitter for a day. That was an appropriate way to demonstrate disapproval.

So, when is it okay to cyber-shame people and organisations, and when is it unreasonable and grotesque? I suggest a few rules. First, we should make sure we have our facts straight. For example, if someone tweets from a verified Twitter account, an event is reported by a legitimate news organisation, or a person is convicted of a crime, it's safe to assume it happened.

But we should never cyber-shame someone unless we're absolutely certain they've done what we're complaining about.

Second, we should consider whether the behaviour we're upset about is likely to be a fair representation of the actor's character. If a company or person posts something on social media or gives a statement to the press, it's fair to criticise them for it, because they've chosen to present themselves to the world in that manner.

But, even though people are always responsible for their behaviour, we should consider not exposing others for minor infractions - like the exhausted mother who has a meltdown on the playground - unless there's evidence the behaviour is part of a larger pattern.

Such episodes could represent their most terrible transgressions and not who they typically are - but if we share it on social media, it could define them forever.

In all instances, we must be civil. We shouldn't call people names. Rather, we should rationally argue why we think they're wrong.

Let the person who has never had a bad day be the first to tweet.
Ahead of his return to the airwaves this weekend George Hook has said he feels he paid a "very high price" for his comments on rape, which he has called "clumsy".

The 76-year-old broadcaster, who returns to Newstalk on Saturday, also told the Irish Daily Star that he didn't care about comments aimed at him in the wake of his controversial comments made on his show in September, but he was upset about attacks made on his family.

Mr Hook's comments on his Newstalk show were made on September 8 2017 while he discussed the case of a woman (19), who alleges she was raped by a former member of the British swim team.

"Is there no blame to the person who puts themselves in danger?" he asked.

The comments were met with widespread condemnation and Mr Hook issued apologies on air on two occasions in which he clarified his position.

In one statement he said:

"It was wrong of me to suggest that any blame could be attributed to those victims or that they bear any responsibility in the crimes committed against them."

Mr Hook stepped down from hosting his lunchtime show, High Noon, on September 22.

Speaking to the Star, Mr Hook described his comments as "clumsy".

"I watched Kevin Myers on the Claire Byrne Show and Kevin said what he wrote was clumsy," said Mr Hook. "What I said was clumsy. Therefore Kevin and I paid a high price for being clumsy."

Mr Hook detailed some of the backlash his family endured in the wake of his comments.

"I'm big enough and ugly enough to take that and if you live by the sword, and die by the sword I have no problem with that," he said. "What I have a problem with is the way they attacked my family. They sent abusive letters and postcards to Ingrid [Mr Hook's wife]. They called my son's customers - his business.

"It doesn't get to me at all. I didn't lose a moment's sleep about me, I really didn't. I lost a lot of sleep over my faimily."

Mr Hook returns to the Newstalk schedule this weekend with Hook's Saturday Sit-In, which will air between 8 and 10am.
The plaza scheme for College Green has been heavily criticised by the National Council for the Blind Ireland

Plans for a new civic plaza at College Green have been described as "just too dangerous for people with impaired vision".

Dublin City Council is planning a major and controversial change to the area, which would significantly affect traffic routes around the south city.

The scheme would see traffic restricted and bigger pedestrian areas and cycle lanes - but plans have been strongly criticised by groups representing the blind, in submissions to An Bord Pleanala.

The National Council for the Blind Ireland, whose patron is President Michael D Higgins, issued a submission saying pedestrianisation would be welcome in an area it describes as "congested". But it says this must be done in a way which doesn't put people at risk.

It hit out at a lack of kerbing to separate the pedestrians from trams, cyclists and traffic.

"People with impaired vision need a kerb between the pedestrianised area and the area where trams, cyclists and buses will operate. Currently, tram lines for the Luas Cross City run along the upper boundary of the area where the pedestrian plaza is planned.

"In the plans, it is proposed to also have a cycle track and bus lane following the same route. The plans propose that tactile paving will be provided in place of a kerb, between this area where traffic will run, and the pedestrian plaza.

"NCBI considers that this is just too dangerous for people with impaired vision. If a person with impaired vision does not detect the tactile paving, he or she will be at risk of being struck by fast cyclists on the cycle lane, or by a tram, or by a bus.

"Nothing should take precedence over pedestrian safety," it added.

The Council for the Blind also said that cyclists breaking red lights could pose a safety threat.

Separately, a member of the Blind Legal Alliance who lives in Dublin 8 entered a submission also criticising the proposed plan. He is critical of two cycle lanes and their interaction with pedestrian traffic in the area.

Dublin Bus questioned the potential effect on journey times, saying that if faced with reduced convenience, customers will be reticent to use the bus for leisure or optional trips.

Among other groups critical of the plans are Dublin Chamber, retailers such as Arnotts, Brown Thomas, and Jervis Street Centre, taxi drivers, the Restaurants Association of Ireland, and the Irish Hotels Federation.
A drunk driving father-of-15 had a "meltdown" when he led gardai on a chase after they spotted an open bottle of beer beside him in his car.

Jimmy Connors (60), a chronic alcoholic, had already clocked up 326 previous convictions for a range of offences when gardai caught him starting his car while highly intoxicated.

He was living in the car at the time after "falling off the wagon" over the death of a son.

Banning him from driving for 25 years and jailing him for four months, Judge David McHugh said Connors' litany of prior offences was "some kind of record".

Connors, from The Avenue, Belgard Heights, Tallaght, was also fined 1,200 after he pleaded guilty to drunk, dangerous and uninsured driving.

Garda Sergeant Maria Callaghan told Blanchardstown District Court the incident happened at the car park at Aldi, Newland's Cross, Clondalkin, Dublin, on June 14 last year.

It was 1.05am and gardai responded to a report of a man who was in a highly intoxicated state. When they arrived they saw Connors turning the keys in the ignition, with an open bottle of beer in the car beside him.

On speaking to him, he started the car and drove off at speed. Gardai followed him and he turned onto the Fonthill Road dangerously, causing other cars to take action to avoid him. He also broke a red light.

When the car stopped, he attempted to run from it as gardai approached. He was arrested and taken to Ballyfermot garda station, where a urine sample he provided was 235mg - more than three times the limit.

In a previous incident, on April 5 last year, Connors was stopped driving at the Maldron Hotel car park in west Dublin. He had no insurance and gave gardai a false date of birth and address. Connors was already serving a two-year sentence for burglary when he entered his pleas. His litany of prior offences included convictions for assault and threatening to kill.

"It would appear to be a record of some type or kind, I would imagine," the judge said.

Defence barrister Jennifer Jackson said most of the prior convictions were for motoring offences. He was a chronic alcoholic who had "never gotten to grips with" his problem.

"It would appear he had a meltdown at that time," Judge McHugh said.

The judge said he was taking into account the accused's difficult life but had to balance that with aggravating factors "of which there are many".
A man has appeared before a Cavan court sitting charged with murdering man in the Ballyjamesduff area over the New Year period.

Marek Swider (40), Polish-national, died on January 1 2018 resulting from injuries sustained following an incident at a house on Dublin Street on New Years Eve, December 31 2017.

Tomasz Paszkiewicz (38) is charged with the murder of Mr Swider at Dublin Street, Ballyjamesduff contrary to Common Law on January 1 2018.

Gardai investigating the murder arrested Paszkiewicz in Cork city centre yesterday, Thursday January 4, from where he was detained at Baileborough Garda Station under the provisions of Section 4  Criminal Justice Act 1984.

Paszkiewicz, dressed in a red fleece jacket and blue tracksuit bottoms, appeared before Judge Denis McLoughlin where evidence of arrest, charge and caution were give by Garda Sergeant John Callinan. The defendant made no reply when cautioned.

Garda Superintendent Kevin Gavigan informed the court that legal services were offered to the defendant but that he refused.

The defendant was again asked by Judge McLoughlin through an interpreter if he wished to avail of legal aid and he again declined.

Due to the seriousness of the charge, Judge McLoughlin said he could not grant bail and remanded the defendant in custody to appear to Cavan District Court in January 11.
The chief executive of the company where stab victim Yosuke Sasaki worked has spoken of his "deep regret and profound sadness".

The Japanese man died after being stabbed shortly before 9am on Wednesday, while two other men were injured on two other nearby streets.

Chief executive Peter Kelly said Mr Sasaki had only joined the National Pen company, which specialises in personalised marketing merchandise, last August. But he had made a positive impact during his relatively short time with the contact centre.

"It is with deep regret and profound sadness we confirm the death of our colleague in Wednesday's incident in Dundalk," said Peter Kelly.

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"Senior management and wider colleagues extend their sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased, and have been liaising directly with the Japanese Embassy.

"This is a time of profound sadness for management and staff. We will do everything possible to assist the family at this tragic time," he added.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was briefed on the incident by Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan and that gardai had not found any evidence of a terrorist link.

He said: "We're still trying to find out the details as to how the person became present in Ireland and what interaction they had with the immigration services."

Mr Varadkar expressed his condolences to the family of the victim.

"I understand he's a man that came to work in Ireland just over a year ago. I think it must be a very difficult time for his family.

"I also obviously want to extend my best wishes to the people who have been injured," said the Taoiseach.

Mr Varadkar also praised gardai "for acting so swiftly, for dealing with the attack within 45 minutes and I'm sure preventing further loss of life and further injury and I think that was really important."

The spot where Mr Sasaki was stabbed to death has become a growing shrine of flowers and gifts.

On Avenue Road, on the outskirts of Dundalk town, locals said they saw gardai leaving flowers alongside bouquets left by friends.

"Life taken too early, under such tragic circumstances," said a message on one of the many bouquets at the site.

A small can of tinned coffee from Japan was also left at the scene.

A number of Japanese journalists have travelled to Dundalk to cover the story.

"This will be an important story in the area where the victim is from," said Shogo Takagi, the Kyodo News London correspondent.

Not far away, on the corner of Avenue Road and the inner link road, gardai had sealed off a semi-derelict house where the suspect is believed to have been squatting before the attacks.

It is not known how long he may have been living there.

Neighbours said they did not see anyone coming or going from the house in recent days.
A judge is being investigated by gardai following an allegation of sexual assault.

The probe relates to an incident alleged to have occurred last year.

Although a woman has made a formal complaint, it is not known if the judge has been interviewed to date or has been made fully aware of the claim against him. Gardai have declined to comment on the inquiry.

The judge at the centre of the investigation has remained on the bench and has continued to conduct hearings since the allegation against him surfaced.

The Department of Justice said Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan was aware a Garda investigation was under way "into allegations of a criminal nature in relation to a judge".

However, it said it would be inappropriate for the minister to comment on a criminal investigation.

The department said conduct and management of all court business, including court sittings, is the responsibility of the president of each court.

The matter has once again thrown the spotlight on the adequacy of mechanisms for dealing with judicial misconduct.

Although a judge can be removed from office for "stated misbehaviour or incapacity", the impeachment procedure requires resolutions to be passed by the Dail and the Seanad and has never been used.

The Government plans to address accountability concerns with its Judicial Council Bill, which provides for the establishment of a judicial conduct committee to facilitate investigation of allegations of judicial misconduct.
Bishop of Waterford and Lismore Phonsie Cullinan sent a letter to a number of schools and parishes warning them that a convicted paedophile former priest is residing in the area.

It is understood that the Bishop sent the letter just before Christmas to warn parishes and schools that former priest Oliver OGrady was living in the Waterford City area.

O'Grady admitted to sexually abusing children while serving as parish priest in California from 1973 onwards.

In 1993 he was convicted of molesting two brothers over a 10-year period and was sentenced to 14 years in prison in the US but served seven before we was paroled and deported back to Ireland in 2000.

In the letter, which has been seen by Independent.ie, Bishop Cullinan warned that O'Grady is an "extremely dangerous paedophile" and urged that "those working in any way with children" be alert.

He wrote: "If this man is seen in your parish please notify Bishops House as soon as possible."

The Communications Officer for Bishop Cullinan said they will "not be commenting on the matter further".

O'Grady was arrested again in 2012 when thousands of explicit images of children stored on computers and USB drives, some depicting victims as young as two.

The images were discovered after O'Grady left his laptop on an Aer Lingus flight. A staff member examined the computer and alerted gardai after coming across the files.

He was sentenced to three years in prison at Arbour Hill but was released in 2014.

O'Grady is not in any way associated with the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore.

Previously, OGrady featured in documentary Deliver Us from Evil in which he admitted abusing 25 children while in the US.
A short film about the closure of Churchtown Stores, an old-school hardware shop in Dublin run by three brothers who have worked together for 30 years, is sure to charm all who watch.

Independent shops like these are becoming rarer as time goes and this engaging short film documents the end of an era at the well-known shop in Churchtown.

Three brothers, Barry, Kieran and Fehan Flood, have run the shop on Braemor Road in the village since it opened in 1987.

The much-loved shop closes the shutters for good at the end of the month after the trio agreed that they should retire.

Throughout the short film the trio speak lovingly of the fun they have had over the years and how much they appreciate their customers.

It is sad to see the shop go but this film is a fitting tribute to their place in the heart of the community for many years.

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Lisa Finnegan and inset her sister Anna and Vesel Jahiri, who has been jailed for life

The sister of a woman murdered after years enduring the "hell" of domestic violence has urged other victims to "listen to yourself and leave before it's too late".

Anna Finnegan was just 25 when she was killed by the father of her two children, Vesel Jahiri (35).

The Kosovan was sentenced for life in May last year for the 2012 killing that robbed two children of their mother.

Anna met Jahiri, a Kosovan refugee, when she was 15 and he was working at a fast-food outlet in Blanchardstown, Dublin, where she chatted to the 25-year old as she and her friends ordered chips.

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Not long after they'd met, Anna's father, Billy (69) passed away of a heart attack. He'd been the main influence in her life and had warned her off Jahiri. Six years later Anna's mother Maria died aged 61.

Jahiri managed to cut Anna off from most of her family and friends, isolating her, to maximise his power over her, according to her sister Lisa Finnegan.

Lisa said she found out "by accident" her sister was suffering when Jahiri rang her just months before the murder, spouting insults. He'd begun to use the family as pawns to control Anna, threatening their safety.

"I called Anna and told her the horrible language he'd used on the phone to me and I asked what was going on," Lisa said.

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"Anna admitted he was hitting her. I couldn't believe it. Slowly in the next few days she revealed more and more and I told her that she had to leave him. She was beginning that process but I know the animal was never going to let her go. He was obsessed."

When their father Billy died, Jahiri tried to step into the gap. "Dad was the one who Anna listened to and when he was gone it was a case of Jahiri saying 'Your dad's gone, so lean on me,' and it got to the point he made sure she needed him," Lisa said. "By the time he'd got his clutches into Anna, mam was ill too. Dad was only dead four weeks the first time Jahiri hit Anna - and she was only a child."

He began abusing his partner mentally and physically, behind closed doors and had cut her off.

"I only found out Anna was suffering abuse three months before he murdered her," Lisa revealed. "He'd been able to pull her away for so long, that we just didn't get to see what was going on up close.

"We never saw them in the same room together.

"He'd call her names, tell her she was ugly when she was anything but ugly.

"He never brought her out anywhere for her birthday, never got her a present for her birthday or Christmas. He used to pull up outside a shop and get her to go in and get herself a card and flowers.

"The day she went to give birth to her son, he never said goodbye to her. She said, 'See you, then,' and he never responded. I asked 'Why do you put up with that?'

"She didn't say anything. And I could see he was starting to hate me.

"When his daughter was born he came in to see her for a moment. But he left the hospital straight after he saw her."

Anna had signed herself into a women's refuge a month before her murder in an attempt to restart her life but Jahiri wasn't going to let her go. In September 2012, he kicked down the door at the house in Clonsilla, Dublin, where Anna had been living with her brother Karl, knifed Karl and then fatally stabbed Anna. As she lay dying in Connolly Hospital, the mother-of-two identified Jahiri as her killer, saying: "He did it."

Jahiri pleaded not guilty to murder and not guilty to assaulting Karl. But the jury found him guilty on both counts after he exploded in the Central Criminal Court, assaulting the prosecuting barrister.

"Anna is dead because of that animal," Lisa said.

"I asked her why did she stay the night before she was murdered and she said there were so many reasons, the shame, the guilt, feeling stupid, that people would talk about her, the fear of telling her family. All that had overwhelmed her, when in reality, no one would have judged her at all. Everyone would have been there to support her but he'd got inside her head.

"Only in death has Anna found peace away from that evil man, that psychopath."

Now her children call their mother 'Angel Anna' and wonder where she is.

"Anna adored her two kids, she was an amazing mum," said Lisa. "When her children were born, she told me she'd literally fallen in love. The kids brought her so much happiness.

"Anna's son and daughter are gorgeous, amazing and they look just like her."

Lisa said she would like other women who are suffering to trust their instincts and learn from Anna's death.

"I wish I'd known more, to have been able to speak up more when Anna had told me she was engaged and when she was pregnant the first time.

"I want to be an advocate for other women, to tell them that the very first alarm bells that ring, they're your warning to leave. That moment when you think 'he shouldn't have said that, or he shouldn't have hurt me,' that's the time you go. Anna's children are a reminder of the innocents left behind. Look at what happened to Anna and never stay. Listen to yourself and leave before it's too late," she said.

Anyone who has been affected by domestic violence, contact Women's Aid on 1800 341 900.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has defended his meeting with controversial Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

He said there may be suggestions that he shouldn't meet other world leaders, including Donald Trump, but the Government should engage and raise issues where there is disagreement.

Labour leader Brendan Howlin criticised the meeting with Mr Orban, accusing him of stoking "right-wing populism and anti-migrant sentiment".

Mr Orban took a hard-line approach in response to the migrant crisis in 2015 and has also been criticised from within the EU over civil liberties issues.

Mr Varadkar defended his meeting with Mr Orban saying there will be people who say he shouldn't meet other world leaders, including some from the EU.

He said: "I'd imagine if I met the prime minister of Spain, Sinn Fein would criticise me about that because of Catalonia.

"Lots of the far left don't think I should travel to America to speak with President Trump. And I assume none of them think I should meet the Chinese or anyone in the Middle East."

He said Ireland's foreign policy could be about "splendid isolation" or that "you could actually engage with people, find areas of common interest and work on them together".

He at the same time you should also "not be afraid to raise and discuss issues where you don't agree".

Mr Varadkar said he raised Ireland's support for the EU burden sharing policy in relation to taking in refugees with the Hungarian leader. Mr Orban has been a critic of this plan and told the Taoiseach why the migration issue is important to Hungary for historic reasons.

The two leaders strongly agreed on opposing any move to harmonise taxes across the EU and the need to protect the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as the EU begins talks on its long-term budget post 2020.

Mr Varadkar will travel to Bulgaria today to meet prime minister Boyko Borissov.
Amy Cong salutes the anonymous EuroMillions winner who bought their ticket at her shop  shes hoping theyll carry on shopping there. Photo: Mark Condren

As a fully qualified chartered accountant, the shopkeeper who sold the winning 38.9m EuroMillions ticket would surely have some advice for her lucky customer who has become Ireland's latest multimillionaire.

"The best of luck with it," Amy Cong said simply.

The owner of the Village Shop in Malahide, north Co Dublin, Amy only found out the previous night that she had sold the winning ticket when officials from National Lottery HQ dropped by for a visit.

"It was just unbelievable news," she said, adding that she hopes the lucky winner is one of their regular customers - and they keep coming to her shop.

Originally from the Shandong province of eastern China, Ms Cong has lived in Ireland for more than 20 years and has been running the shop with her husband Ken since 2013. The shop previously sold a Lotto Plus 1 winning ticket worth 300,000.

"As an accountant I never thought I would be in the newsagent business," she said, while adding that she thinks it suits her better.

A National Lottery spokesperson revealed the winner, who wants to keep their win private, has made contact and is expected to collect his or her winnings next week.

In the meantime, the winning ticket is being held by headquarters for safe keeping.

Boost

The winner is currently taking "independent legal and financial advice" as they mull over what exactly to do with their haul.

The huge jackpot is a massive boost for Malahide, as well as for the Village Shop, said Ms Cong.

"The people who live in Malahide already know us and the people who are coming to Malahide in the future, we are definitely your lucky shop - you should visit," she added.

Amid the razzmatazz of popping corks and celebratory spraying of champagne outside the shop came the hoot of a car horn.

It was local man Marty Whelan, presenter of 'Winning Streak', who is very familiar with the feel-good factor of big Lottery wins.
Activist Ali Hewson attends the Edun Spring 2016 fashion show during New York Fashion Week at Spring Studios on September 13, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images)

Bono and his wife Ali Hewson arriving at the DiCaprio Foundation party in St Tropez. Picture: KCS Presse/Splash News

8/8/1987 Bono and his wife Ali Hewson arriving at Cork Airport prior to the U2 Joshua Tree Tour concert in Pairc Ui Chaoimh.. Behind them are The Edge (David Dave Evans) with arm around lady and further behind, Adam Clayton. (Part of the Independent Ireland Newspapers/NLI Colection)

8/8/1987 Bono and his wife Ali Hewson arriving at Cork Airport prior to the U2 Joshua Tree Tour concert in Pairc Ui Chaoimh. (Part of the Independent Ireland Newspapers/NLI Colection)

Bono (R) and Alison Hewson attend Beats By Dr. Dre Kick Off RUSH TO ZERO Campaign at Beats By Dr. Dre Store on June 2, 2012 in Soho in New York City. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for (RED))

Bono (C) of the rock band U2 and wife Ali Hewsonon arrive on the red carpet at the 86th Academy Awards in 2014

This photo of Bono and Ali Hewson from 1987 will reaffirm your faith in love.

While half of Hollywood seems to be splitting up, the Irish power couple are still going strong after 34 years of marriage and as our exclusive picture shows, they were rock solid from the get-go.

The black and white shot sees a youthful Hewson, then aged 26, arriving at Cork airport with husband Bono ahead of U2's Pairc Ui Chaoimh concert as part of the Joshua Tree Tour.

Childhood sweethearts Bono and Hewson are one of the longest-standing couples in Hollywood, meeting at Mount Temple school and "officially" became a couple when they were 15 years old.

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The pair married when Hewson was 22 in the Old Guinness Church of Ireland in Raheny on 21 August 1982, and celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary this year.

Speaking to The Sun about their marriage, Bono (56) said Hewson keeps him on his toes.

"When were leaving for tour, my family is in very good humour which is a real worry because Im thinking, Cant you cry? My missus has been playing hard to get for quite a while now and shes an elusive character."

Shes not easy to get to know and other peoples praise holds not much sway for her. Shes a very independent, smart kind of girl, who, I think, sees me as a figure of amusement. Most of the time, I enjoy her company.

Expand Close 8/8/1987 Bono and his wife Ali Hewson arriving at Cork Airport prior to the U2 Joshua Tree Tour concert in Pairc Ui Chaoimh.. Behind them are The Edge (David Dave Evans) with arm around lady and further behind, Adam Clayton. (Part of the Independent Ireland Newspapers/NLI Colection) / Facebook

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The couple have four children together; Jordan (27), Eve (25), Elijah (17) and John (15).
A blind veteran who posted a heartfelt request for Twitter users to change how they upload pictures has been overwhelmed by the response.

Rob Long, 30, a former Lance Bombardier in the British Army, explained how people could update their settings so that he  and other blind people  could see pictures.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

By turning on a function called image descriptions it allows people to describe what they see in their uploads in text.

Technology reads the description aloud when a blind person is scrolling through Twitter.

Without descriptions in place, blind users are just told there is an image, but not what it shows.

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When I first posted it, there was 15/20 retweets and I was really happy. I was over the moon, he told Press Association.

He then left his phone while he went to work out and came back to hundreds of notifications.

Im so overwhelmed. Im really pleased that Twitter has this technology and Im so grateful people have been supportive of it.

One person shared a picture of a dog explaining that she had turned on the settings and would add descriptions from now on.

The description explained this is a dog with a cheeky grin and a hoodie on, said Rob.

That pic normalises Twitter. Its like a missing piece of the puzzle. Its so important.

Rob lost his sight in 2010. On July 8, while on tour in Afghanistan with 4/73 Special Observation Battery his patrol was hit by an IED which claimed the life of one of his friends.

Rob lost his left eye instantly and the right eye once back in the UK but he has remained positive and thrown himself into sport, now competing in Brazilian Ju Jitsu.

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Initially, Rob contacted people individually to ask them to turn on descriptions before he realised he needed to reach more people.

To start adding descriptions, go to settings, accessibility, and toggle on image descriptions. Once its activated a new box appears when uploading images. On mobile, simply tap the add description box, while on desktop, open the thumbnail picture.

Characters dont count in the 280 twitter limit so people can be as short or as detailed as they think necessary.

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Im grateful just for a little bit of detail, added Rob. Close your eyes and think how would you want the picture described to you. What do you want to convey?

This is going to make a difference to so many blind people. Its a really positive step for accessibility.

Facebook uses an automated image recognition tool  the technology scans a picture and then describes it to a blind user.
Nine backpackers were taken to hospital after accidentally overdosing on a drug they mistakenly believed was cocaine

The drug was identified by authorities in Perth, Australia, as hyoscine, a common prescription drug used to treat travel sickness.

The group of seven men and two women, all aged between 21 and 25, reportedly included people from France, Germany, Italy and Morocco.

They suffered seizures, paralysis, overheating and hallucinations. Two people, believed to be French were in critical condition when they were admitted to hospital. The rest were discharged.

Police said emergency services found people unconscious or semi-unconscious.

One Italian victim told The West Australian that the drug had arrived at their house in a package addressed to someone who did not live at the property.

The white powder was wrapped in a piece of paper with scoop written on the outside.

Hyoscine, also known as scopolamine, is prescribed to treat extreme motion sickness to prevent vomiting, but it has been used as a date rape drug due to its ability to incapacitate people in larger doses.
A California man has been indicted on charges of plotting to use homemade bombs during a Christmas Day attack on San Francisco's Pier 39. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

A California man has been indicted on a charge of plotting to use homemade bombs during a Christmas Day attack on San Francisco's Pier 39.

Everitt Aaron Jameson intended to use pipe bombs to funnel people into an area of the popular tourist destination in order to shoot them, the indictment alleges.

The indictment replaces a criminal complaint against Jameson, 26, a Modesto tow-truck driver, but keeps the original charge of attempting to aid a terrorist organisation.

The FBI arrested Jameson three days before Christmas after he talked about his plans to undercover agents, including one he thought was associated with the Islamic State group.

The indictment and a previously released FBI affidavit say he described to agents how to build pipe bombs, described where he intended to assemble the bombs, asked for remote timers, and described how he intended to use the bombs "to funnel people into an area in order to shoot them".

Assistant federal defender Charles Lee said he had not been presented with the evidence and that his office would investigate the possibility of using a defence of entrapment.

Mr Lee said the FBI found no bomb-making materials when they searched the home of Jameson, and that two rifles and a handgun were legally owned by a relative and were locked in a gun case where Jameson could not get them.

He said the federal charges are built only on statements his client posted on his Facebook page.

Mr Lee added that his client told the FBI undercover employee: "I also don't think I can do this after all. I've reconsidered."

Jameson was discharged from the Marine Corps after little more than four months in 2009 for failing to disclose a history of asthma.

The FBI affidavit said he asked for a fully automatic assault rifle and noted that he earned a sharpshooter qualification.

That is a basic marksmanship qualification and Jameson was never trained as a sniper during the brief time he spent at Camp Pendleton, California, said Marine spokeswoman Yvonne Carlock.

Jameson is set for a court hearing on Friday in federal court in Fresno, California.

Federal Magistrate Judge Erica Grosjean last week ordered him detained without bail in part because he has no substantial known financial resources.

AP
A newspaper claimed that Chinese vessels have been delivering oil to North Korea (AP)

China has tightened restrictions on trade with North Korea under UN nuclear sanctions, imposing a cap on oil supplies to the North and banning imports of its steel and other goods.

The measures follow increased Security Council penalties imposed following the North's ballistic missile test on November 29.

The Chinese commerce ministry said Beijing will limit exports of crude oil and refined petroleum to the North and ban outright sales of steel and industrial machinery.

Imports of North Korean food, machinery and some other goods are banned.

China is the North's main trading partner and energy supplier, making its enforcement measures critical to the success of sanctions.

Despite the loss of almost all trade, the impoverished North has pressed ahead with weapons development that the North's leader Kim Jong Un's regime sees as necessary for its survival in the face of US pressure.

China has steadily increased economic pressure on Pyongyang while calling for dialogue to defuse the increasingly acrimonious dispute with US president Donald Trump's government.

A foreign ministry spokesman applauded news of possible talks between the North and South Korea's government.

Geng Shuang said: "We welcome the recent positive turn of events in the peninsular situation."

He expressed hope "all relevant parties" would take advantage of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, to "bring the issue back to the correct track of peaceful settlement through dialogue and consultation".

In the same briefing, Mr Geng said China's government would "deal seriously" with violators of UN sanctions on North Korea after a South Korean newspaper said Chinese-owned ships registered abroad regularly traded oil to the North.

Analysts see North Korea's need for Chinese oil as the most powerful economic leverage against Pyongyang.

But Chinese leaders have warned against taking drastic measures that might destabilise Mr Kim's government or send a wave of refugees into China.

Chinese leaders have resisted previous US demands for an outright oil embargo but went along with the latest limits.

Under the new restrictions, Chinese companies will be allowed to export no more than four million barrels of oil and 500,000 barrels of refined petroleum products per year.

They are barred from supplying the North's military or weapons programmes.

The new measures also ban sales of steel, industrial machinery and vehicles. The commerce ministry said imports of North Korean food, machinery and some other goods will be banned.

In September, North Korean businesses in China were ordered to close by this month, cutting off an important supply of foreign currency.

Most North Koreans who work in factories and other Chinese businesses have been sent home.

Chinese officials complain their country bears the cost of enforcement, which they said has hurt businesses in its north-east.

Previous sanctions banned sales of natural gas to North Korea and purchases of the North's textile exports, another key revenue source.

China also has banned imports of North Korean coal, iron and lead ore and seafood since early September.
Many Clinical Commissioning Groups currently do not fund fertility preservation for transgender people, even though hormone therapy and surgery destroys the chance of having children. Stock photo.

Women transitioning to men must be offered egg storage on Britain's healthcare system, because they have the right to become parents too, the British Fertility Society said as it published new guidance.

Gender reassignment surgery has been available on the NHS since 1999 and the numbers of people choosing to change sex has grown considerably in the last decade, with some London clinics now handling nearly 2,000 referrals a year.

However, many Clinical Commissioning Groups currently do not fund fertility preservation for transgender people, even though hormone therapy and surgery destroys the chance of having children.

In new guidelines presented at the Fertility 2018 meeting in Liverpool, healthcare experts called for 'equity' across the NHS, to allow 'transfolk' to freeze eggs, embryos or ovarian tissue.

Dr James Barrett, lead clinician at the Gender Identity Clinic at Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, said: "The number of people coming forward with gender dysphoria has increased rapidly over the past decade.

"But the consistent provision of NHS funding for fertility preservation for this group is yet to catch up.

"This is medical. It's people whose fertility is impaired as a result of actually NHS mandated treatment for a well-established condition."

Last year, 202 actual sex swap operations were carried out at a cost the NHS of 9m (10.1m) - up 23pc on figures from five years ago. Although Wales and Scotland both allow fertility preservation for people who are transitioning to a different sex, experts said availability in England was still 'patchy.'

Egg storage costs around 3,000 (3,370) to harvest eggs and 300 a year to store.

The new guidance was drawn up by fertility experts from University College London Hospitals, Imperial College, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Central Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, the Medical Research Council, and Leeds Beckett University.

However, critics said the NHS should be spending money on 'basic healthcare'.

Josephine Quintavalle, from Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said: "The NHS should be concentrating on offering good basic healthcare to women or helping them beat their cancer, and not get side-tracked with these kinds of novelties." ( Daily Telegraph London)
Former President Alberto Fujimori is wheeled out the hospital he was interned, in Lima, Peru. (AP Photo/Miguel Paredes)

Former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori has been released from the clinic where he has been receiving treatment since leaving jail following his controversial pardon from a 25-year sentence.

The 79-year-old former strongman was seen leaving the clinic in Peru's capital on Thursday evening in a wheelchair with family.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski announced on Christmas Eve that he had decided to free Fujimori for "humanitarian reasons."

Mr Fujimori was serving a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses, corruption and the sanctioning of death squads.

Dressed in jeans and a blue polo shirt, Mr Fujimori waved to a crowd of supporters gathered outside the clinic before entering a black SUV.

"We are very happy to welcome our father in this new chapter of life!" daughter Keiko Fujimori posted on Twitter along with a photo featuring the family.

The pardon sent thousands of Peruvians into the streets in protest and drew international condemnation.

United Nations human rights experts called Mr Fujimori's pardon an appalling "slap in the face" to the victims of human rights abuses that undermined the work of Peru's judiciary.

The pardon came three days after Mr Kuczynski narrowly escaped impeachment following a vote in which 10 members of Mr Fujimori's party unexpectedly abstained.

Polls show a majority of Peruvians believe a behind-the-scene deal was struck between Mr Kuczynski and Mr Fujimori's politician son.

Mr Kuczynski's allies have denied any such quid pro quo took place.

Mr Fujimori was convicted in 2009 for his role in the killings of 25 people, including an eight-year-old boy, during his decade-long rule.

He was also later found guilty of having had knowledge of the existence of death squads financed with public money that killed civilians accused of being Shining Path members.

Some Peruvians credit him with stabilizing the economy and defeating the country's Maoist guerrillas while others condemn him for permitting widespread human rights violations.

Mr Fujimori apologized to Peruvians from his hospital bed following his release.

"I have disappointed some compatriots," he said. "I ask them for forgiveness with all my heart."

Mr Fujimori's pardon and Mr Kuczynski's near impeachment have thrown the nation with one of Latin America's fastest-growing economies into a new period of uncertainty.

Mr Kuczynski was already deeply unpopular before an opposition-led investigation revealed his private consulting firm had accepted 782,000 dollars (576,000) in payments from the Brazilian construction company at the centre of the region's largest corruption scandal.

The payments were made when Mr Kuczynski was a high-ranking minister over a decade ago.

The former Wall Street banker repeatedly denied having had any knowledge of the transactions.

Several key members of Mr Kuczynski's government have resigned since the vote.

Mr Fujimori had requested a pardon since 2013, but authorities said he did not suffer from any grave, incurable illness.

That changed on Christmas Eve when Mr Kuczynski announced he was freeing Mr Fujimori for "humanitarian reasons" after doctors determined he suffered from incurable and degenerative problems. No details have been provided on exactly what condition Mr Fujimori is facing.

Peruvian law says that no person convicted of murder or kidnapping can receive a presidential pardon except in the case of a terminal illness.

AP
Hong Kong's justice chief is leaving his job earlier than expected amid rising turmoil over the semi-autonomous Chinese city's judiciary.

The government said on Friday that Rimsky Yuen is stepping down as the city's top law enforcement officer.

Mr Yuen, who was reappointed for a second five-year term in July, will be replaced by Teresa Cheng, a lawyer and arbitration expert, after her nomination was approved by Beijing.

Mr Yuen's tenure was marked by a number of controversies over rule of law.

Activists criticised the 53-year-old for using the law to clamp down on growing dissent through heavy-handed prosecutions of pro-democracy leaders involved in 2014's massive "Umbrella Movement" and other protests, many of whom were sent to prison.

He led government efforts to disqualify a group of newly elected opposition politicians from office over irregularities in their oaths of office.

Mr Yuen also played a key role in pushing through plans for a cross-border express rail terminal in a central district which involves stationing mainland Chinese immigration agents in the city.

The plans raised concerns about mainland authorities enforcing the law on Hong Kong soil, which pro-democracy politicians and activists say is a breach of Beijing's agreement to let the city keep wide autonomy and a separate legal system following its 1997 handover from Britain.

Mr Yuen said at a news conference that "at different stages of life, one should do different things", without elaborating.

Ms Cheng, 59, said that her prime mission would be "to uphold the rule of law".

AP
Mr Eurlings was accused of assault in 2015

International Olympic Committee member Camiel Eurlings has resigned amid allegations he assaulted a former girlfriend in 2015.

Mr Eurlings told reporters in his native Netherlands: "I greatly regret the course of events."

The former Dutch government minister and one-time CEO of the KLM airline said: "With pain in my heart, I resign as IOC member."

The IOC confirmed his resignation.

Mr Eurlings was accused of assault in 2015 by a then-girlfriend. An agreement was reached last year to settle the case without criminal charges and no admission of guilt.

The IOC took no action last year because it said the case was "a private matter".

The 44-year-old Mr Eurlings was elected by the IOC in 2013 to succeed King Willem-Alexander, who left the Olympic body after becoming the Dutch monarch.
A British man in urgent need of cancer treatment has spent five weeks in a Dubai jail after he was arrested for carrying anti-depressants, his lawyers have said.

Perry Coppins, 61, was detained at Fujairah seaport last month despite having prescriptions for the drugs, which are legal in United Arab Emirates (UAE.)

The maritime security officer from Nottingham has been treated for anxiety for 21 years and was travelling with enough medication for a six-month journey at sea, according to Detained in Dubai, a campaign group which has taken up his case.

The not-for-profit legal organisation said that since his arrest, Mr Coppins had been denied temazepam, clonazepam and citalopram, which were all prescribed by a GP.

His psychological condition [had] deteriorated rapidly and he had suffered severe withdrawal symptoms including hallucinations, weight loss, intense pain, bouts of blindness and uncontrollable sweating, it said.

The father-of-three has also been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer which the UAE was refusing to give him treatment for, Detained in Dubai added.

Perry needs urgent treatment for his prostate cancer," said Radha Stirling, the organisations chief executive.

"To deny him this in a timely fashion is a gross violation of his human rights. We hope that the UAE will show compassion to Perry and his children, and release him immediately, so that he can return home for the medical treatment he needs.

Calling for his release, Mr Coppins family said denying him cancer treatment was like giving him a death sentence.

He has two daughters, Pia, 24, and Mia, 10, and a 21-year-old son, Cameron, in the UK.

"Its so cruel. Nobody should be treated like this. He is not a young man and he needs medical help to cope with his anxiety," said Pia. Not being allowed his cancer treatment is like giving him a death sentence. Does human life mean nothing to those people?

Mr Coppins ex-wife Lesley added: Perry and I spilt up, but he is a good man who loves his kids. I really hope the Dubai authorities decide to do the humane thing and let him free. Those medicines are taken by millions of people. He needs them to function.

Ms Stirling said she believed Mr Coppins was stopped by an overzealous customers official, who rejected his prescription paperwork and called in police.

She added: UAE laws on medicines are often vague and frontline law enforcement officials are frequently unaware of exactly what the rules permit or prohibit, so they make uneducated and arbitrary judgment calls.

In fact the three medications which Perry possessed are perfectly legal in the UAE, provided the patient has prescription documentation, which Perry has.

"The initial mistake of the customs officer should never have escalated into criminal charges, but this reveals the lack of professionalism within the legal system, and what appears to be the capriciousness of the Public Prosecutors office.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: We have been assisting a British man since his arrest in Dubai in November and are in contact with the UAE authorities.

The Independent has contacted the Dubai Public Prosecutors office for comment, but none had arrived at the time of publication.

Mr Coppins' arrest is the latest in a string of cases in which Britons have been detained in emirate, often over disputed accusations of minor crimes.

In October, Detained in Dubai helped to secure the release of Scottish 27-year-old, Jamie Harron, who had faced three months behind bars for accidentally touching a man's hip in a bar.

The cases have led campaigners to urge the UK government to warn people about the legal risks of travelling to the UAE.
US President Donald Trump's administration has informed members of Congress that it will announce as soon as next Wednesday plans to cut off "security assistance" to Pakistan.

The move comes a day after the White House warned Islamabad it would have to do more to maintain US aid.

Aides in two congressional offices said the State Department called yesterday to inform them that it would announce on Wednesday or Thursday that aid was being cut off, although it was not clear how much, what type or for how long.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders declined to say whether an announcement was imminent. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The calls to Capitol Hill came a day after Washington accused Pakistan of playing a "double game" on fighting terrorism and warned the country's leaders they would have to do more if they wanted to receive US aid.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Tuesday that Washington would withhold $255m (211m) in assistance to Pakistan. Her statement followed an angry tweet from Mr Trump on Monday that the United States had been rewarded with "nothing but lies and deceit" for giving Pakistan billions in aid.

Pakistan civilian and military chiefs rejected what they termed "incomprehensible" comments from Mr Trump and summoned US Ambassador David Hale to explain the president's tweet.

Relations between Islamabad and Washington have been strained for years over Islamabad's alleged support for Haqqani network militants, who are allied with the Afghan Taliban. The United States also alleges that senior Afghan Taliban commanders live on Pakistani soil and has signalled it will cut aid and take other steps if Islamabad does not stop helping or turning a blind eye to Haqqani militants crossing the border to carry out attacks in Afghanistan.

Many members of the US Congress, particularly Republicans who control both houses of the legislature, have been critical of the Pakistani government and called for cuts in military and other aid.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has accused Pakistan of severe violations of religious freedom in a further sign of deteriorating relations.
Iran's leaders have accused America of "grotesque" interference in its affairs in a searing letter to the UN.

It said the US leadership, in "numerous absurd tweets, had incited Iranians to engage in disruptive acts" which violated international law.

Twenty-one people died in six days of protests sparked by Iran's economic problems, which spanned several cities.

Last night, state media focused on pro-government rallies after a second night without reports of major protests.

The unrest was initially over price rises and corruption, but the focus quickly turned to the remote elite and particularly Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

They are the largest protests since the disputed 2009 presidential election.

Meanwhile, in Moscow yesterday it emerged that Russia considered a US proposal for an extraordinary meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the turmoil in the country as "harmful and destructive", RIA news agency cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said earlier this week the US was seeking emergency sessions on Iran at the United Nations in New York and at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Iran's army chief declared yesterday that police had already quelled anti-government unrest that has killed 21 people but that his troops were ready to intervene if needed, as Tehran staged more pro-government rallies.

The protests, which seem spontaneous and without a unifying leader, erupted a week ago in Iran's second city of Mashhad over economic hardships - mostly high youth unemployment, costly living standards and alleged corruption.

"Although this blind sedition was so small that a portion of the police force was able to nip it in the bud, you can rest assured that your comrades in the Islamic Republic's army would be ready to confront the dupes of the Great Satan (United States)," Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi was quoted in official media as saying.

Iran's vastness as well as restrictions on independent media make it hard to determine the breadth and depth of the unrest.

Semi-official labour news agency ILNA said the government yesterday lifted restrictions on Instagram, one of the social media tools used to mobilise protesters. But access to a more widely used messaging app, Telegram, remained blocked, suggesting authorities remained uneasy about protest threats.

In the latest protests, which generally occur after nightfall, social media video showed demonstrators in Khorramabad in south-western Iran throwing stones at riot police, who were retreating.

In other social media footage, hundreds poured into streets of the north-western city of Orumiyeh near the Turkish border, chanting anti-government slogans.

None of the videos could be authenticated by Reuters.

The student news agency ISNA quoted Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli as saying that "at most 42,000 people attended the protests, which is not much" in a nation of 80 million people. On Wednesday, the commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, said the number of "troublemakers" did not exceed 15,000 nationwide.

As unrest spread across Iran, mainly in smaller cities and towns, protesters said they were tired of official anti-Western rhetoric and it was time for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the government of President Hassan Rouhani to quit.
A controversial new tell-all book on Donald Trump has had its publication date brought forward and booksellers in Ireland are already reporting a strong demand for the book.

Fire and Fury: Inside The Trump White House, was written by columnist Michael Wolff.

The book makes a number of embarrassing claims about the president including that he spends his evenings alone in his room eating cheeseburgers in bed, watching TV and talking to friends on the phone - and didn't understand the constitution.

Wolff, who had access to the White House on numerous occasions, claims that contributions have been made by some people in Trump's inner-circle, including his former aide Steve Bannon.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury: Inside The Trump White House Donald Trump talks to Steve Bannon at the White House. Picture: Reuters / Facebook

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The Trump administration claim the book is "full of lies" and Trump's lawyers have attempted to block publication and threatened legal action against Bannon.

This morning, in an appearance on NBC is the US, Wolff said Trump had: "less credibility than perhaps anybody who has ever walked on Earth at this point" and that all the president's staff "say he is like a child".

In a tweet, Trump said that Steve Bannon "has nothing to do with me or my Presidency" and added: "When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind."

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The book was due for release in the US on Tuesday, January 9 but the publishers, Holt & Co, pushed publication forward to today. It's currently only available to buy in the US in bookstores, online and download through Kindle.

Irish readers will also have to wait until January 9 before they can get their hands on a hard copy but the Kindle version is available for download now.

We look at how Irish readers can get their hands on a copy and what the most explosive claims to have emerged from the book so far.

In store

Eason (nationwide)

In stock from Tuesday, January 9. Available in hardback at 21.

Dubray Books (nationwide)

In stock from Tuesday, January 9. Available in trade paperback at 15.99.

Waterstones (nationwide)

In stock from Tuesday, January 9. Available in trade paperback at 17.95.

Hodges Figgis (Dublin)

In stock from Tuesday, January 9. Available in hardback at 17.95.

Chapters Bookstore (Dublin)

In stock from next week, date and price to be confirmed.

Online

Book Depository

Pre-order hardback edition for 24.70 (free shipping to Ireland)

Amazon

Available to order now from 17 (19 + shipping)

Kindle available now from 13.99 (16 download)

Here are the ten most explosive claims in the book:

1. Tony Blair told Mr Trump the British were spying on him

Tony Blair warned Mr Trumps aides that British intelligence agencies could have spied on them during the election campaign, the book claimed.

The former British prime minister shared the juicy rumour with Jared Kushner, Mr Trumps son-in-law, when the pair met last February, and angled for a Middle East role.

Mr Blair suggested the British had the Trump campaign staff under surveillance, monitoring its telephone calls and other communications, and possibly even Trump himself, an extract from the book said.

Mr Blair told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme the claims were a complete and total fabrication.

He denied he wanted a Middle East role from the US administration.

2. Trump never wanted to be president

Mr Trumps wife Melania was in tears when he won the election, and Mr Trump looked like he had seen a ghost because they expected a defeat, the piece in the New York magazine said.

Mr Bannon is quoted as saying he observed the then candidate morphing into a disbelieving Trump and then into a horrified Trump on election night.

Mr Trump reportedly never expected victory, and was considering launching his own TV channel after defeat, while key members of his campaign team were already interviewing for new jobs.

Ms Trumps communications director, Stephanie Grisham, hit out at the claims. In a statement from the White House she said: This book is clearly going to be sold in the bargain fiction section.

Ms Trump supported her husbands decision to run for president and, in fact, encouraged him to do so.

She was confident he would win and was very happy when he did.

3. The secret to Trumps hair: Just for Men

The presidents daughter Ivanka believed he used Just for Men to dye his hair, it was claimed, with the colour getting darker the longer it was left on, and impatience explaining the orange-blond tone.

The book claims that Ivanka Trump made fun of her fathers comb-over hairstyle, and explained it had come from scalp reduction surgery.

Mr Wolff writes: She often described the mechanics behind it to friends: an absolutely clean pate  a contained island after scalp-reduction surgery  surrounded by a furry circle of hair around the sides and front, from which all ends are drawn up to meet in the centre and then swept back and secured by a stiffening spray.

4. Trumps friends called him crazy

Billionaire Thomas Barrack Jr, who is one of Mr Trumps closest and oldest friends, is quoted in the book allegedly telling a friend of the president: Hes not only crazy, hes stupid.

Mr Barrack has since denied making those comments to a New York Times reporter, and has described the quote as totally false.

He is reported as saying: Its clear to anyone who knows me that those arent my words, and inconsistent with anything I have ever said.

A former White House adviser, Katie Walsh, has also reportedly denied a quote attributed to her in the book saying that working with

Mr Trump was like trying to figure out what a child wants.

5. Ivanka Trump wants to be president

The book claims that Ivanka Trump entertained the idea that she would one day run for the White House, and become the countrys first woman president.

In an extract published in New York magazine, Mr Wolff writes that Ms Trump and her husband Jared Kushner made an agreement between themselves that if the opportunity arose for one of them to run for president, it would be Ivanka.

6. Trump sits in bed with cheeseburgers

Mr Trump is said to have banned people from touching his toothbrush, and would strip the bed sheets himself after entering the White House for fear of germs.

The book also claims Mr Trump sleeps in a separate bedroom from his wife, had two extra televisions installed there, and is known to be in bed with a cheeseburger from 6.30pm.

7. Trump admires Rupert Murdoch

Mr Wolff, who has previously written a biography of Rupert Murdoch, described an incident at a post-election party which the media mogul was due to attend.

He wrote: Rupert Murdoch, who had promised to pay a call on the president-elect, was running late. When some of the guests made a move to leave, an increasingly agitated Trump assured them that Rupert was on his way. Hes one of the greats, the last of the greats, Mr Trump said. You have to stay to see him.

Not grasping that he was now the most powerful man in the world, Mr Trump was still trying mightily to curry favour with a media mogul who had long disdained him as a charlatan and fool.

8. Murdoch called Mr Trump an idiot

During a phone call with the US president, Mr Murdoch is said to have warned him that taking a liberal approach to H-1B visas would appear to contradict his anti-immigration policies and his promises to build a border wall with Mexico.

Mr Trump is said to

have been unconcerned by Mr Murdochs comments, telling him that he would figure it out.

It led the media mogul to describe him as a f****** idiot as he got off the phone.

9. Trump had to be taught about the constitution

A former Trump campaign aide, Sam Nunberg, is quoted in the book saying he had to teach Mr Trump basic details about the constitution.

I got as far as the Fourth Amendment, before his finger is pulling down on his lip and his eyes are rolling back in his head, Mr Nunberg is quoted as saying.

10. Trump hadnt heard of key political figures

The book tells of a scene between Mr Trump and Roger Ailes, the former chairman of Fox News, who reportedly recommended former House of Representatives speaker John Boehner as a candidate for the presidents chief of staff.

Mr Trump is alleged to have responded to the suggestion by asking whos that.

However, Mr Trump has tweeted about Mr Boehner a number of times since 2011.
Donald Trump was horrified by his election win, his wife Melania was in tears and his friends believe he is crazy, according to an explosive new book.

The embarrassing claims are made in Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, written by journalist Michael Wolff and based on 200 interviews with Mr Trump, his inner circle and other key players.

It is due to be released on Friday - four days earlier than planned due to demand. An article by the author published online on Wednesday revealed claims made in the book that are deeply embarrassing for the US president.

One of the books key sources appears to be Steve Bannon, the influential former White House chief strategist, who is quoted disparaging the presidents son Donald Junior.

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The president issued a statement in response to the book, saying Mr Bannon had lost his mind and rarely met with him one-on-one before leaving the White House in August.

Mr Trump is taking legal action against Mr Bannon, claiming libel and defamation.

Republican firebrands and allies of Mr Trump have come out to contradict the revelations which have gripped US media, but what are the most explosive claims in the book?

Here are the top 10:

1. Tony Blair told Mr Trump the British were spying on him

Tony Blair warned Mr Trumps aides that British intelligence agencies could have spied on them during the election campaign, the book claimed.

The former British prime minister shared the juicy rumour with Jared Kushner, Mr Trumps son-in-law, when the pair met last February, and angled for a Middle East role.

Mr Blair suggested the British had the Trump campaign staff under surveillance, monitoring its telephone calls and other communications, and possibly even Trump himself, an extract from the book said.

Mr Blair told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme the claims were a complete and total fabrication.

He denied he wanted a Middle East role from the US administration.

2. Trump never wanted to be president

Mr Trumps wife Melania was in tears when he won the election, and Mr Trump looked like he had seen a ghost because they expected a defeat, the piece in the New York magazine said.

Mr Bannon is quoted as saying he observed the then candidate morphing into a disbelieving Trump and then into a horrified Trump on election night.

Mr Trump reportedly never expected victory, and was considering launching his own TV channel after defeat, while key members of his campaign team were already interviewing for new jobs.

Ms Trumps communications director, Stephanie Grisham, hit out at the claims. In a statement from the White House she said: This book is clearly going to be sold in the bargain fiction section.

Ms Trump supported her husbands decision to run for president and, in fact, encouraged him to do so.

She was confident he would win and was very happy when he did.

3. The secret to Trumps hair: Just for Men

The presidents daughter Ivanka believed he used Just for Men to dye his hair, it was claimed, with the colour getting darker the longer it was left on, and impatience explaining the orange-blond tone.

The book claims that Ivanka Trump made fun of her fathers comb-over hairstyle, and explained it had come from scalp reduction surgery.

Mr Wolff writes: She often described the mechanics behind it to friends: an absolutely clean pate  a contained island after scalp-reduction surgery  surrounded by a furry circle of hair around the sides and front, from which all ends are drawn up to meet in the centre and then swept back and secured by a stiffening spray.

4. Trumps friends called him crazy

Billionaire Thomas Barrack Jr, who is one of Mr Trumps closest and oldest friends, is quoted in the book allegedly telling a friend of the president: Hes not only crazy, hes stupid.

Mr Barrack has since denied making those comments to a New York Times reporter, and has described the quote as totally false.

He is reported as saying: Its clear to anyone who knows me that those arent my words, and inconsistent with anything I have ever said.

A former White House adviser, Katie Walsh, has also reportedly denied a quote attributed to her in the book saying that working with

Mr Trump was like trying to figure out what a child wants.

5. Ivanka Trump wants to be president

The book claims that Ivanka Trump entertained the idea that she would one day run for the White House, and become the countrys first woman president.

In an extract published in New York magazine, Mr Wolff writes that Ms Trump and her husband Jared Kushner made an agreement between themselves that if the opportunity arose for one of them to run for president, it would be Ivanka.

6. Trump sits in bed with cheeseburgers

Mr Trump is said to have banned people from touching his toothbrush, and would strip the bed sheets himself after entering the White House for fear of germs.

The book also claims Mr Trump sleeps in a separate bedroom from his wife, had two extra televisions installed there, and is known to be in bed with a cheeseburger from 6.30pm.

7. Trump admires Rupert Murdoch

Mr Wolff, who has previously written a biography of Rupert Murdoch, described an incident at a post-election party which the media mogul was due to attend.

He wrote: Rupert Murdoch, who had promised to pay a call on the president-elect, was running late. When some of the guests made a move to leave, an increasingly agitated Trump assured them that Rupert was on his way. Hes one of the greats, the last of the greats, Mr Trump said. You have to stay to see him.

Not grasping that he was now the most powerful man in the world, Mr Trump was still trying mightily to curry favour with a media mogul who had long disdained him as a charlatan and fool.

8. Murdoch called Mr Trump an idiot

During a phone call with the US president, Mr Murdoch is said to have warned him that taking a liberal approach to H-1B visas would appear to contradict his anti-immigration policies and his promises to build a border wall with Mexico.

Mr Trump is said to

have been unconcerned by Mr Murdochs comments, telling him that he would figure it out.

It led the media mogul to describe him as a f****** idiot as he got off the phone.

9. Trump had to be taught about the constitution

A former Trump campaign aide, Sam Nunberg, is quoted in the book saying he had to teach Mr Trump basic details about the constitution.

I got as far as the Fourth Amendment, before his finger is pulling down on his lip and his eyes are rolling back in his head, Mr Nunberg is quoted as saying.

10. Trump hadnt heard of key political figures

The book tells of a scene between Mr Trump and Roger Ailes, the former chairman of Fox News, who reportedly recommended former House of Representatives speaker John Boehner as a candidate for the presidents chief of staff.

Mr Trump is alleged to have responded to the suggestion by asking whos that.

However, Mr Trump has tweeted about Mr Boehner a number of times since 2011.
Police in the Ohio city of East Liverpool said the intention of posting the images on their Facebook page was to deliberately shock people.

But the officials have found themselves at the centre of a debate about whether they are exploiting victims - and a child - after sharing pictures showing two overdosed heroin addicts passed out in a car. In the back seat of the vehicle sits a four-year-old boy.

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We feel it necessary to show the other side of this horrible drug. We feel we need to be a voice for the children caught up in this horrible mess. This child can't speak for himself but we are hopeful his story can convince another user to think twice about injecting this poison while having a child in their custody, said the posting by East Liverpool Police Department.

We are well aware that some may be offended by these images and for that we are truly sorry, but it is time that the non drug using public sees what we are now dealing with on a daily basis.

It added: The poison known as heroin has taken a strong grip on many communities not just ours, the difference is we are willing to fight this problem until it's gone and if that means we offend a few people along the way we are prepared to deal with that.

NBC said that police were alerted to the vehicle when an officer saw a Ford Explorer driving erratically and then slamming on the brakes as it approached a stopped school bus that was dropping children off.

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When the officer approached the driver, his head was bobbing and his speech was almost unintelligible. The driver told the officer he was taking his front seat passenger, who was passed out, to the hospital.

The officer said he reached into the vehicle, turned it off and removed the keys just as the driver attempted to get away away. It was at that point, that police said they spotted a four-year-old in the back seat.

Police said it was at that point that the driver passed out as well. Emergency responders reached the scene and administered Narcan, a drug used to reverse the effects of a heroin overdose.

Opioid addiction is a massive problem in many of the heartland states of America. Experts have linked its spread to poverty and the impact of economic decline in many traditional manufacturing communities.

The decision by the police in East Ohio sparked heated debate on its Facebook page. Many posters said they believed police were doing the right thing by highlighting the problem. Others said that the childs face should have been blurred, and he should not have been identified.

One poster, Donya McCobb, wrote: It is a disease. Downgrading them wont help them - pray for them. If u was in there shoes u would know what it's like to be an addict and an active addict is worse.

She added: U dont care cause the drug dont allow u to care. Pray for these people let's not downgrade them or judge them - thats Gods job!

The boy is currently in the custody of Columbiana County Childrens Services.
A demonstrator waves a huge Iranian flag during a pro-government rally in the northeastern city of Mashhad (Nima Najafzadeh/Tasnim News Agency via AP)

A hard-line cleric has called on Iran to create its own indigenous social media apps, as he blamed social networking for unrest that followed days of protests over the Islamic Republic's economy.

Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami made the comments while leading Friday prayers in Tehran.

He said that when the country blocked social media, "the riots stopped".

The cleric added that "the nation does not support a social network that has its key in the hands of the United States".

He also said he believed anyone who burned Iran's flag should be sentenced to death.

Meanwhile, state TV showed footage of pro-government rallies in cities, including Tabriz and Kerman. It marks the third day of such demonstrations.

An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, called for by the United States, is to discuss the ongoing unrest later.

At least 21 people have been killed in disturbances surrounding the protests, which began last week over rising food prices and Iran's flagging economy before spreading to cities across nearly all of Iran's provinces.

Authorities have said the protests are waning.

Islamic State (IS) has declared support for the anti-government protests.

In its latest weekly publication, Al Nabaa, the extremists describe the protests as a "revolution against the regime" and an uprising against Wilayat al-Faqih, or Iran's system of governance by clerics.

Messages sent through the protesters to their rulers are "highly important" and they should continue, the statement added.

IS is a Sunni extremist organisation which views those who subscribe to other religions and sects, including Shia Islam, as apostates.

The extremists claimed responsibility for a rare attack in Tehran in June that killed 17 people at the parliament and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
A general view of the London skyline, as Saudi Arabia changes legal status of Saudi Aramco that could see it launch an IPO in the capita

Oil giant Saudi Aramco has moved a step nearer to a stock market listing after Saudi Arabia shifted the legal status of the state-owned firm to a joint-stock company.

The change gives the business legal backing to sell shares to outside investors, clearing the way for Aramco to pursue an expected $2 trillion (1.5 trillion) flotation.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia revealed the process in a cabinet decree published as part of an official bulletin.

It comes after the company confirmed in October that the worlds biggest listing was still on track for 2018 and dismissed reports that it may ditch the move.

Aramco has become the subject of a global charm offensive since it began mulling plans to list 5% of its shares.

Prime Minister Theresa May has attempted to place Britain at the front of queue, saying in November that the London Stock Exchange (LSE) had made a very strong case for hosting the initial public offering (IPO).

The comments followed a meeting between Mrs May, former LSE chief Xavier Rolet and Aramco boss Khalid Al-Falih in April, when they pressed home the advantages of bringing the listing to the capital.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has put forward proposals to allow Aramco to sidestep rules which make firms sell at least 25% of their shares to gain premium status.

Andrew Bailey, chief executive of the FCA, has defended the process to MPs, claiming the requirement for a 25% flotation was not a hard and fast rule.

The Government has also issued a $2 billion (1.5 billion) loan guarantee to Aramco in a bid to boost British exports, but said it was not an attempt to woo the energy giant.

The credit backstop was criticised by ex-Treasury official Nick Macpherson, who tweeted: HMG guaranteeing a loan to Aramco would be a further lurch in descent to mercantilism. Mr Gladstone will be turning in his grave #stateaid.

US President Donald Trump launched his own appeal in November, tweeting: Would very much appreciate Saudi Arabia doing their IPO of Aramco with the New York Stock Exchange. Important to the United States!.
St Mary Axe also know as the Gherkin and Canary Wharf at sunrise from the City of London (PA)

The UK has emerged as Europes leading destination for tech-sector investment, outstripping rival nations by attracting nearly 3 billion in funds last year.

Venture capital investment in Britains burgeoning tech industry almost doubled to a record 2.99 billion in 2017, comfortably beating second-place Germany, which notched up 694.49 million.

London proved the driving force behind the investment splurge, hauling in 2.45 billion over the period compared to 1.23 billion in 2016, according to research by PitchBook for London & Partners.

The amount was underpinned by a string of mega injections, including 391 million Series B funding into Improbable, 364 million for food delivery app Deliveroo and 255 million for Truphone.

Eileen Burbidge, partner at Passion Capital, said: The UK remains one of the worlds leading hubs for technology investors and it is no surprise to see that UK tech companies attracted double the amount of venture capital financing than any other European country last year.

Its a testament to our exceptional entrepreneurs that the UK tech sector continues to produce companies that are leading in the development of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and fintech.

This environment and ecosystem of innovation presents tremendous opportunities for investors and will help to attract global investment into the UKs digital economy for many years to come.

The UKs financial technology sector  or fintech  proved an attractive area for investors, securing 1.34 billion in VC funding, while artificial intelligence rose 50% to a cool 200 million.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: Todays record investment figures are further proof that London is the undisputed tech capital of Europe and I am committed to ensuring we take over from Silicon Valley as the worlds leading tech hub.

Technology entrepreneurs and businesses are attracted to our great city for its diverse talent pool and unique business ecosystem and I am determined that London remains open to investment and the best tech talent from all over the world.
Photo: UNICEF/Nybo

Toronto, Jan 5 (IBNS): Children commonly show signs of a mental disorder soon after receiving a diagnosis involving a chronic physical condition, according to a recent study in BMJ Open.

Researchers from the University of Waterloo surveyed children between the ages of six and 16, and all within a month of their diagnosis with asthma, food allergy, epilepsy, diabetes or juvenile arthritis.

According to parents responses to a standardized interview, 58 per cent of children screened positive for at least one mental disorder.

This is the first study of its kind to recruit children with different conditions, and so soon after diagnosis.

These findings show that risk for mental disorder is relatively the same among children with different physical conditions, said Mark Ferro, a professor in the School of Public Health and Health Systems at Waterloo and Canada Research Chair in Youth Mental Health. Regardless of their condition, children with a physical and mental health problems experience a significant decline in their quality life within the first six months after receiving their diagnosis, indicating a need for mental health services early on.

Six months after diagnosis, the number of kids showing signs of a mental disorder dipped slightly to 42 per cent. Anxiety disorders were most common, including separation anxiety, generalized anxiety and phobias.

It is possible that the number is higher very early because there is some uncertainty surrounding the prognosis, or unanswered questions about management and treatment, said Alexandra Butler, a graduate student at Waterloo and lead author of the paper. It is important to not only identify at-risk children early but to also have resources to support them.

The researchers found that age and gender had no impact on the results. A subset of kids self-reported on their own mental health. Where 58 per cent of parents reported that their children presented signs of a mental health problem, only 18 per cent of kids reported it. This result speaks to the need for health professionals to get multiple perspectives when assessing childrens mental health.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research funded this study. It was a pilot for a larger study currently recruiting up to 1,000 children from McMaster Childrens Hospital.
New Delhi, Jan 5 (IBNS): The crucial triple talaq bill has remained in limbo as the winter session of the Parliament is heading towards its last sitting on Friday.

Though the central government successfully passed the bill in Lok Sabha, it failed to receive consensus in the Upper House. BJP, well short of the majority in Rajya Sabha, failed to get the support of its allies and opposition parties for the passage of the bill.

The opposition parties like Congress, Trinamool, though not opposing the bill, demanded the central government to send it to the Select Committee for review. The Opposition claims the bill is not error proof.

Jaitley termed Congress' demand to refer the bill to the select committee as invalid.

Citing Rule 70 (sub-rule 2a), Congress MP Anand Sharma tried to justify the Opposition's demand to refer the bill to the select committee.

Countering Congress for not following the parliamentary procedures, Jaitley said the whole country "is watching that in the other House you supported the Bill and here you are trying to derail it."

"Now, we are taken by surprise that we all assemble here after 3 PM, a motion is suddenly submitted to us. For the first time breaking all parliamentary convention and procedures, an invalid motion is moved" he added.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said her party supports the bill but it is full of errors which will put Muslim wives in trouble. Trinamool MP Derek O' Brien too sounded similar to her chief in the Rajya Sabha.

With Akali Dal's 3 votes, BJP could secure 60 votes in Rajya Sabha at the most. Congress' 57, AIADMK's 13 and Trinamool's 12 MPs in Rajya Sabha have already put the bill in the logjam.

BJP has a sense of worry as several of its state allies like JD(U), Shiv Sena have joined the Opposition in favour of sending the bill to the Select Committee.
Gandhinagar, Jan 5 (IBNS): Breaking silence on the case registered against him for inciting caste tension, Dalit leader and Gujarat MLA, Jignesh Mevani, on Friday said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have tried to tarnish his image due to the fear of set back in 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Jigesh, who defeated his BJP rival in the recently concluded Gujarat poll, said he had no role in the Dalit unrest in Maharashtra. He made it clear that neither he was present in Bhima Koregaon where the unrest took place nor participated in the bandh called by several Dalit groups in Maharashtra.

Jigenesh also said his speeches are available on digital platform.

The Dalit leader finely linked the actions taken against him to the tough battle BJP had to fight in the Gujarat poll, where the saffron party's dream of winning 150 seats was restricted to just 99.

Jignesh won his Vadnam seat of Gujarat as an independent candidate with the support of Congress.

Expressing concerns over the lower sections of the society, Jigesh said: "Now I am an MLA. If an MLA is targeted in this way, this shows what will be the condition of those farmers who will raise their voices against the BJP."

The newly elected MLA even asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak up on the issue of Dalit unrest which rocked Maharashtra in the early part of the week.

He also advocated a classless society at a time when the PM is aiming for a digital India. "The PM wants to make digital India. We also want that. But at the same time we want a classless society. He should speak up."

A day after a state-wide bandh call by Dalit groups disrupted life in parts of Maharashtra, police filed a case against Jignesh Mevani and Umar Khalid allegedly for making speeches inciting caste tension, media reports said.

Police also denied permission for the All India National Students Summit where newly elected Gujarat MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani and JNU student leader Umar Khalid were invited as guests.

The case against them have been filed by the Pune police under charges of creating communal disharmony through provocative speeches delivered at Elgaar Parishad.

The Elgaar Parishad was held in Pune to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon.

In Mumbai, Mevani and Khalid were scheduled to take part in the meeting, which was to be held at the Bhaidas Hall in Vile Parle.

Violence erupted in Maharashtra on January 1 when Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in which the forces of the British East India Company defeated the Peshwas army.

Vehicles were torched, traffic was disrupted and train services were halted in parts across the state due to the bandh called by the Dalits on Wednesday.

Following massive protests and violence by alleged supporters of Dalit groups, 16 cases were filed by the police and more than 300 people were detained.

Two persons died in the clashes, one of them a 16-year-old.

image: twitter.com/jigneshmevani80
New Delhi, Jan 5 (IBNS): The Muslim Women Protection of Rights in Marriage Bill 2017, popularly known as the Triple Talaq Bill, is likely to be taken up in the Budget session of Parliament as the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday, the last day of the winter Parliament session, according to media reports.

The triple talaq bill was listed in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

Both the BJP and the Congress had, earlier in the day, issued a whip asking all its MPs to be present in the house on Friday, media reported.

Although the central government successfully passed the bill in Lok Sabha, it failed to receive consensus in the Upper House. BJP failed to get the support of its allies and opposition parties for the passage of the bill.

Opposition parties such as Congress, Trinamool, though not opposing the bill, demanded the central government to send it to the Select Committee for review. The Opposition claimed the bill was not error proof.

Jaitley termed Congress' demand to refer the bill to the select committee as invalid.

Citing Rule 70 (sub-rule 2a), Congress MP Anand Sharma tried to justify the Opposition's demand to refer the bill to the select committee.

Blaming Congress for not following parliamentary procedures, Jaitley said the whole country "is watching that in the other House you supported the Bill and here you are trying to derail it."

"Now, we are taken by surprise that we all assemble here after 3 PM, a motion is suddenly submitted to us. For the first time breaking all parliamentary convention and procedures, an invalid motion is moved," he added.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said her party supports the bill but it is full of errors which will put Muslim wives in trouble. Trinamool MP Derek O' Brien too reiterated his chief's arguments in the Rajya Sabha.

The upper house was adjourned multiple times during the week over the bill that was briefly discussed in the house, reports said.

The Budget Session of Parliament will start from January 29 and.the General Budget 2018 will be presented on February 1.
New Delhi, Jan 5 (BNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday interacted with Collectors and Officers-in-charge of aspirational districts, at a Conference organized by NITI Aayog at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.

This event is in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of Transforming India by 2022.

The Union Government has embarked upon a major policy initiative for the rapid transformation of 115 districts that are lagging on specific development parameters.

Six groups of officers made presentations on the themes of nutrition, education, basic infrastructure, agriculture and water resources, eradication of Left Wing Extremism and financial inclusion and skill development.

Addressing the gathering, which also included many Union Ministers and senior Union Government officers, the Prime Minister said this is the first official programme at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, and therefore has a special significance.

He said that relative backwardness of some regions is an injustice to the people of those regions. In that context, he added, this effort to develop 115 backward districts, is in keeping with the vision of Dr. Ambedkar, who worked for the upliftment of the under-privileged.

Giving the examples of the Jan Dhan Yojana, the construction of toilets, and rural electrification, the Prime Minister said nothing is impossible in our country if we have a firm resolve.

He also gave examples of success that is being achieved in entirely new initiatives such as soil testing.

He emphasized that there is limitless potential, limitless possibilities, and limitless opportunities now in India. In this context, he mentioned the improvement in ease of doing business.

He credited officials of the Government - and Team India - for this success.

The Prime Minister said that top-down solutions do not yield results. Therefore, the effort is that people on the field contribute to solutions. In this context, he appreciated the clarity of thought, and faith in conviction, in the presentations today.

The Prime Minister said that regional imbalances should not be allowed to increase indefinitely. Therefore, the development of backward districts is imperative.



He said that success stories are vital to change the negative psyche and mindset in these areas. The first step is to convert this mindset of pessimism into one of optimism, he explained.

The Prime Minister said that public movements for development require a meeting of minds in the core team. In this context he suggested brainstorming at the district level. There need to be systematic arrangements to involve people, he said, giving the example of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

He emphasized the importance of building positive narratives and optimism in the achievement of development targets.

We need to recognise and channelize the aspirations of the people of the aspirational districts, the Prime Minister said.

He said public participation should lead to a matching of the aspirations of people, with schemes of Governments.

He said the Collectors of the 115 aspirational districts have the opportunity to earn lasting satisfaction, by delivering on development objectives.

He said challenges are the path to achieving success in life, and these Collectors have the opportunity for that.

He called for a concerted effort to achieve visible results in three months, till Babasaheb Ambedkar's birth anniversary on April 14th.

He said he wishes to personally visit one such well-performing district in the month of April.

He said these 115 districts can become the foundation for developing New India.
Islamabad, Jan 5 (IBNS): A house caught fire in Pakistan's Islamabad city on Friday, leaving at least 10 people injured,media reports said.

The injured people included children.

According to media reports, the fire incident occurred due to a gas leakage in the Loi Bhir area of the Pakistani city.

Station House Officer (SHO) of Loi Bhir police station Mehboob Ahmed told DawnNews that the house, situated in PWD area of Loi Bhir, caught fire due when the residents tried to light a gas stove that was left turned on overnight.

Fire fighters reached the scene of the incident and brought the blaze under control.

The injured people were rushed to Pims hospital for treatment.
Mithi, Jan 5 (IBNS): Two Hindu businessmen were shot and killed when they tried to oppose robbery attempts at their shop in Pakistan's Mithi area on Friday, media reports said.

According to the local police, the victims, identified as Dileep Kumar and Chandar Maheshwari, were brothers, reported Pakistan Today.

Riding on bikes, robbers tried to rob the shops of the Hindu businessmen, reports said.

As the two businessmen resisted they were shot dead by attackers.

Local traders reportedly protested against the incident.
Kabul/Islamabad, Jan 5 (IBNS): Pakistan on Friday strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Kabul last evening, in which many Afghans have lost their lives, while a number of people have been injured.

"We are grieved at the loss of precious lives in this terrorist attack and express our heartfelt condolences with the families and friends of those who have lost their loved ones and pray for the early recovery of the injured. We express our solidarity with the Government and the brotherly people of Afghanistan in this hour of sorrow and grief," Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement.

"Pakistan reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations andits firm resolve to eradicate this menace," it said.

The death toll in the Kabul suicide attack on Thursday evening has risen to 15, while 20 people have suffered injuries.

According to local media, the incident took in the Banaye area of Kabul's PD9 at around 8:30 pm.

The casualties have been confirmed by Kabul Police.

According to witnesses, a suicide bomber detonated his explosive while a confrontation between civilians and police forces was going on.

No group has so far claimed the attack.
Toronto, Jan 5 (IBNS): Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne accused children of Tim Hortons' co-founders of bullying their employees by reducing the benefits as a reply to the increase in minimum wage decided by the province, media reports said.

Son of Tim Horton's co-founder, Ron Joyce, and his wife issued a letter in December stating the employees will not get the benefit of paid breaks and also they will have to pay half the cost of dental and health benefits from Jan 1, 2018.

The company owns two restaurants in Ontario.

Wynne's reaction to the letter was quoted by Financial Post: "When I read the reports about Ron Joyce, Jr., who is a man whose family founded Tim Hortons, the chain was sold for billions of dollars, and when I read how he was treating his employees, it just felt to me like this was a pretty clear act of bullying."

"I hope that he understands this is really not a decent thing to be doing in a place as wealthy as Ontario" she added.

Expressing concern for the employees, the Ontario Premier said: "I hope he recognizes that his employees need to be treated decently."

The reduction in the benefits by the company came after the province increased the hourly wage of employees from $11.60 to $14.

Hitting out at the company, Wynne said Tim Hortons should restrain itself from taking a toll on the employees because of the pay hike by the Ontario. She said the company must walk up to her if it wants to challenge the Ontario government policy at all.

She even urged Tim Hortons to reverse its decision of cutting the employees' benefits.



(Reporting by Suman Das)

Image: Facebook page of Kathleen Wynne
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While women of Hollywood make efforts to find the perfect headline-grabbing dress for the red carpet of Golden globes, this year, things are going to be different. Reports claim that many are planning to sport basic black to Sundays gala -- a sartorial protest over sexual harassment.

Jessica Chastain, Meryl Streep and Emma Stone are leading the actors taking a stand against the avalanche of misconduct allegations that have felled Harvey Weinstein and numerous other Tinseltown A-listers.

But backing for the campaign by male stars including Dwayne The Rock Johnson -- who say they, too, will turn out in black in a gesture of solidarity -- has raised eyebrows and prompted ridicule.

reuters

Dont most men who attend the Globes come cloaked in either all-black or mostly black, with a black suit and black shoes and a black tie, anyway? asked New York-based millennial-focused news site Mic.

Havent men who have already stood at odds with women in Hollywood speaking out, like Matt Damon for instance, shown up to the Globes in black?

It is true that while outliers like Johnson himself, Donald Glover and Alan Cumming are sometimes partial to burgundy velvet, a glittery jacket or even a skin-tone suit, the vast majority of men turn up in regulation tuxedos.

The stylists who say their male clients will tone it down in support of the so-called blacklash include Ilaria Urbinati, who is dressing Johnson, along with Armie Hammer, Liev Schreiber, Tom Hiddleston and others.

Because everyone keeps asking me... Yes, the men will be standing in solidarity with women on this wearing-all-black movement to protest against gender inequality at this years Golden Globes, she posted on Instagram.

At least all my guys will be. Safe to say this may not be the right time to choose to be the odd man out here... just sayin.

reuters

Urbinati told GQ magazine she wanted to ensure the protest didnt become a women vs men and vice-versa thing but that both sexes should put up a united front.

Johnson immediately demonstrated his support with the simple pledge Yes we will -- but not all Urbinatis 90,000 followers were convinced.

How will the men find black suits and tuxes to wear tho? one asked dryly, while others suggested a multicoloured display of sartorial support with men going for pinks, reds, yellows or greens rather than plain old black.

United front. Thanks @GQ!  A post shared by Ilaria Urbinati (@ilariaurbinati) on Dec 29, 2017 at 8:46pm PST

The Globes doesnt specify a formal dress code, so anything goes, colour-wise.

But some commentators have suggested that the more conservatively-minded men wishing to show support could adopt a pin or ribbon.

New York-based stylist Michael Fisher, who dresses Hugh Jackman and Sam Rockwell, says his clients are going to wear dark suits with black pocket squares to support the cause.

Its going to be an inevitable thing out of solidarity. I think the majority of men are going to go safe in a black suit with a white shirt so no ones going to look the odd man out, he told weekly trade magazine Variety.

reuters

Im so inspired by men wearing black to the Golden Globes, an event to which theyd normally wear black tuxedos, tweeted an acerbic Erin Gloria Ryan, a writer for The Daily Beast.

Its part of the storied man tradition of making the least possible effort but expecting credit anyway.

Designers and stylists are notoriously secretive ahead of awards ceremonies about how their stars are going to turn out.

Representatives of the fashion community in Los Angeles have been reporting a run on all-black clothing for the Globes, from gowns to cocktail dresses and mens suits, according to Variety.

We are working hard to get in more all-black options to support those who are adhering to the Golden Globes consensus, one unnamed spokesperson told the magazine, adding that this included menswear.

But there is controversy too surrounding the womens campaign.

Dear actresses: please wear bright colours 2 celebrate our power, not black 2 mourn the predators. They dont deserve it, tweeted Elisabeth Sereda, a writer and producer based in Venice, California.

reuters

Jenny Cooney, of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which organizes the Globes, echoed the thought, posting: Why should women not stand proud and in living colour to show we will not be subdued and held down?

Rose McGowan, one of the most prominent critics of the culture of abuse in Hollywood and an alleged victim of Weinstein, criticized the campaign in a since-deleted tweet referring to the movie mogul as The Pig Monster.

Actresses like Meryl Streep, who happily worked for The Pig Monster, are wearing black @GoldenGlobes in a silent protest. YOUR SILENCE is THE problem. Youll accept a fake award breathlessly & affect (sic) no real change, she railed.

But actress, poet and activist Amber Tamblyn preferred to concentrate on the symbolism of black attire, which she said was just the beginning of the darkness that will be drained from every industry.
Mahira Khan has been popular in India for years now, thanks to her popular Pakistani show Humsafar. Starring Fawad Khan, the show became really popular in India and people couldn't help but fall in love with her.

The Pakistani actress has made headlines very often. From her big Bollywood debut with Shah Rukh Khan to getting trolled for 'chilling and smoking' with Ranbir Kapoor on the streets of NYC, Mahira has been in news a lot of times.

Mahira's viral pictures with Ranbir sparked dating rumors but they were put to rest by both of them in separate interviews.

Twitter

While Mahria has never given a detailed narrative on how she felt after reading the negative reports, in a tell-all interview with Samina Peerzada, a Pakistani film and television actress, producer and director, Mahir poured her out.

Talking about being vulnerable as an artist, she said,

This is my first bout with controversy. I never knew this can also happen. There were film-related controversies earlier but I never experienced controversies related to my personal life. These controversies make you understand that you are vulnerable. Your vulnerability is someones money for the day. The price of wisdom is innocence. So, I have definitely become wiser but sadly a little less innocent.

Way before her debut film Raees could hit the theaters, Mahira was barred from getting work in India. However, criticism and negativity have only pushed her to do better, she asserts.

She added,

I have dealt with criticism from my first drama and I think that is a part of our profession. It brings me down but definitely pushes me to do better."

Mahira, who is also a single mother to her eight-year-old son Azlaan had some beautiful things to say about life too. She added,

 A post shared by Mahira Khan (@mahirahkhan) on Dec 13, 2017 at 9:41am PST

Life is such a beautiful thing. When you sit for a moment during the day and live that particular moment, everything seems perfect. I romanticise every moment of my life and that is why I have fallen in love with life. I can even romanticise a door opening and closing.
After Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma's grand Tuscan wedding, it looks like other couples are ready to take the plunge too. While rumors of Deepika and Ranveer Singh's engagement were all over the internet, here's another couple who is in news today. If reports are to be believed, Sonam Kapoor and her 'rumored' Boyfriend Anand Ahuja are all set to tie the knot this year in April.

You talkin to me??? A post shared by sonamkapoor (@sonamkapoor) on Jul 26, 2017 at 6:32pm PDT

The couple has been dating for a long time now and their Instagram PDA has only solidified their dating rumors.

Instagram/Anand Ahuja

From celebrating family occasions together to ringing in their new year together, the couple has time and again dropped major hints about their relationship status. Even though neither of the two has confirmed, their happy pictures speak volumes.

Instagram/Sonam Kapoor

According to a Mumbai Mirror report, the couple has finally decided to take the wedding-route and will be tying the knot in Jodhpur in April among some of their closest people. The gathering would be of close to 300 people.

The report further states that the couple is currently holidaying in Paris but will return to begin preparing for their wedding.

A source close to the couple was quoted in the report saying,

"The couple has warded off all rumors about getting married saying celebrity watchers were mistaking the family's preparations for her cousin Mohit Marwah's upcoming wedding for her own nuptials. But they can barely hide it any longer."

We hope 2018 brings 'happy endings' for all the love-lorn couples of the B-town.
Everyone knows who Vikas Khanna is.

And if you dontwell, he is the small-time Punjabi caterer who is now a Michelin star chef and has won many hearts with his food as well as his gorgeous smile. While we all know him for his remarkable cooking skills and breathtaking good looks, we might have failed to notice his good heart.

Recently, Vikas Khanna was a part of a tree plantation drive Tropicana Gift A Tree initiative, which aims to spread awareness about the importance of planting trees. At the event, Vikas Khanna addressed an enthusiastic group of children from Smile Foundation; educating them about the importance of trees in our lives. Drawing references from his newly launched book, A Tree Named Ganga, he encouraged them to imbibe one of the most important virtues of trees  the virtue of giving, and made them promise to become responsible young guardians of nature.

Tropicana/PepsiCo

Tropicana/PepsiCo

He commented, For me trees have always been an inspiration as they teach us to give without expecting anything in return. Im happy to join Tropicanas Gift A Tree initiative that embodies a powerful thought of gifting back to nature. Im excited to share this experience of planting trees with children from Smile Foundation who are our future generation. Through the story of A Tree Named Ganga, Ive made an honest effort to help children understand the value of staying humble and the essence of giving.

Chef Vikas Khanna and the children planted 250 trees at Smile Foundations Aarohan  Mission Education Centre in Malviya Nagar, New Delhi. Children from Delhi International School and Health & Care Society  a Mission Education center of Smile Foundation, also joined on this occasion.

Tropicana/PepsiCo

Children are the future of our country and are a powerful resource to initiate social transformation. If they are sensitized about environmental issues from the beginning, they will develop positive habits that will make a lifelong difference to the environment. This initiative conducted by PepsiCos flagship nutrition brand Tropicana, along with Smile Foundation is a great start to it.
Movie goers in Uttar Pradesh will not only have to stand for the national anthem before the screening of the film but also watch the logo and learn about the significance of Kumbh Mela 2019.

The decision was taken by state chief minister Yogi Adityanath to promote the religious festival which has been recognised by UNESCO on its list of intangible world heritage.

PTI

"Kumbh has been accepted as a heritage by the UNESCO as well. The Government wants its advertisement to be done in right way. So, it has been decided that logo of Kumbh Mela and information of its significance will be shown", Uttar Pradesh Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya told ANI.

"It's important that people should know about Kumbh. They should know the importance of Kumbh. This kind of advertisement is good", he added.

The logo, comprising of temples, seers, a kalash (pitcher) and a Swastika, was launched by Governor Ram Naik at a function held at Raj Bhawan, which was also attended by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on December 14.

Twitter

The Kumbh Mela is scheduled to be held in January 2019 in Allahabad. Millions of Hindu devotees and sadhus from across the country are expected to attend the event, which is also the largest gathering on earth.
Just when you thought Indigo couldn't make it worse, they did it.

It's been a busy day for the airline - a Parliamentary panel hauled the airline over hot coals for beating up a passenger on the tarmac.

BCCL

Aditya Ghosh, the president of IndiGo airlines has blamed its staff from rural areas for the poor behaviour.

Defending his airlines, Mr Ghosh said his company is creating jobs in Tier-II and Tier-III cities, but it is hard to train people who come from villages.

"We have a challenge of getting talented people in the consumer-facing industry. For a country of 130 crore people, one shortage we have is talent. We have to just hold up the mirror to ourselves. We have lot of young people with so many degrees but the talent we require is not there. Indigo is hiring people from Tier-II and Tier-III cities and creating jobs there. Those who studied in Government schools or mohalla /village areas cannot be trained to speak fluent English within a span of four to five weeks," Ghosh said.

BCCL

He, however, added that IndiGo is investing more into training its staff members.

This tops the Tharoor tweet about Cattle class as the most ignorant thing said about civil aviation in India.
Mother-Son relationship is supposed to be the most special one. There may be difference of opinions between the two, but sons are always expected to take care of their mothers. All these assumptions were destroyed when a young man allegedly killed his ailing mother by throwing her off the terrace of a building in Rajkot.

A CCTV footage from September 27, 2017, has emerged that shows Jayshreeben Vinodbhai Nathvani, being pushed off the terrace of her own building - Darshan Avenue in Gandhigram area. She died on the spot.

CCTV footage found by the police

Police have arrested the accused, who is a professor, in the alleged murder case three months after the death.

Police had earlier registered a suicide case but an anonymous letter and CCTV footage of the building helped them to establish that it was murder and not suicide. the case file was closed too.

Later, police got an anonymous letter suspecting this to be a case of murder and not suicide.

After checking the CCTV footage, police found that Jayshreeben, the victim mother, was unable to walk on her own as she was recently operated and sick.

The footage showed her son Sandip providing her support to reach the terrace.

DCP Karanraj Vaghela said, "We found from the CCTV footage that Jayshreeben's son was along with her when she jumped from the terrace and it's not possible to commit suicide in the company of son. The role of the son has come under scanner."

CCTV footage found by the police

When police interrogated, Sandip said, "My mother was going for sun obeisance and I was helping her."

But according to police, they found from the health records of the deceased that she was unable to walk by herself and it was not possible for her to jump from a 2.5-feet terrace railing.

During interrogated, the accused broke down and told police that he was tired of her poor health of her mother and he decided to kill her.
Calling locksmiths to their house to get the lock of an almirah fixed proved costly for a family in Rail Enclave, Pratap Vihar. The locksmiths, on the pretext of fixing the lock, allegedly opened the safe inside the almirah using their master keys and fled with jewellery worth Rs 5 lakh.

The owner, Mahesh Srivastav, is a retired railway official, while his wife is a government teacher.

representational image

Their son is a charted accountant with an MNC, while the daughter is a software professional. The family said they had bought the jewellery for their daughter, who is getting married soon.

Mahesh's son Rohit said: "The theft took place on Saturday morning, but we came to know about it only on Sunday evening when we were planning to attend a marriage function and my mother opened the safe to take out some jewellery."

"She was shocked to find most of the ornaments missing. The two locksmiths who had come on Saturday had taken an unusually long time to fix the lock, and kept sending her out of the room for fetching one thing or the other."

The family members immediately rushed to Vijay Nagar police station, but their misery did not end there, as police officials refused to lodge an FIR in the matter. "They asked us to come later, saying that they were busy in making preparations for the upcoming civic polls," Rohit told TOI.

representational image

"The two locksmiths have been seen many times in our area. On Saturday, my mother called them inside around 10.30am. They started fixing the lock, and after a while, asked my mother to bring some oil to apply on the lock. They must have seen the safe by this time, as one of them stood in front of the almirah's door in such a way that my mother couldn't see what was going inside. Later, they once again sent my mother out of the room for bringing drinking water for them," he added.

Rohit also said his parents had got many sets of jewellery made over the years for his 28-year-old sister's marriage.

When contacted, SHO, Vijay Nagar, Naresh Kumar said, "An investigation is being conducted. An FIR will be lodged soon."
A 10-year-old boy, who underwent surgery for a fractured hand, died within hours of the procedure triggering cries of medical negligence by his family. The incident occurred at Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. The boy's father has lodged a complaint with the hospital authorities on Thursday. The hospital has assured of conducting a probe into the allegation.

The class III student, Sheikh Mijan Ali, fell while riding a bicycle on Tuesday morning near his home in Hooghly's Jangipara and suffered a fracture on his left hand.

His family first took him to Jangipara Rural Hospital, where doctors bandaged his hand and referred him to the Kolkata hospital saying that he needed surgery and that the hospital did not have the infrastructure.

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Accordingly, the boy was admitted to the city hospital around 6pm. Doctors in the orthopaedic department started the surgery around 11pm under full anaesthesia. After the procedure, the parents were reportedly told that the boy's condition was critical. "Around 3am Wednesday, we were informed that my son had not regained his consciousness after the surgery," said father Sheikh Nadim Ali.

The family was also told that the boy's heart condition was not good. Doctors declared him dead around 7am on Wednesday. The father returned to the hospital on Thursday to lodge the complaint.

"How can a boy who did not have any health issue before have heart ailment?" asked the father.

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"A few factors could be responsible for the death, including an underlying heart condition or other health issues which were not detected," said Dr Prabshas Prasun Giri, paediatric intensive care unit in charge at Institute of Child.

"We have received a complaint. A probe will be conducted," said Dr Sikha Banerjee, the hospital super and vice-principal.
Indigo airlines has been reprimanded by the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Transport for rude behaviour with a passenger in Delhi airport recently.

The committee noted that recently there were a large number of incidents of manhandling and discourteous behaviour by both the ground staff and cabin crew, also saying that a lot of such incidents went unreported.

Citing the IndiGo incident, the committee said the attitude of the staff towards passengers is very condescending and asked airline companies to train its staff to improve passenger satisfaction. Read more

Edward Snowden Says Aadhaar Data Breach Is Possible And Govt Shouldn't Be Trusted On This

Amid the controversy over the possibility of personal data leakage of millions of Indians, whistleblower Edward Snowden has termed the recent reports of alleged Aadhaar data breaches "government abuse". "It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse," tweeted Snowden.

He was responding to a tweet alerting him regarding a report by The Tribune, which claimed one could buy an individual's Aadhaar information for a paltry Rs 500. Read more

Engineers, Lawyers Among 12,000 Applicants For Peon's Job In Rajasthan, But It Goes To MLA's Son

While nepotism has been debated a lot and judged by people to be unfair, it is still practiced across India. In a case that screams unfair, about 129 engineers, 23 lawyers, a chartered accountant and 393 postgraduates in arts were among 12,453 people interviewed for 18 Class IV posts  in this case, for jobs as peons  in the Rajasthan Assembly secretariat.

Among the last 18 who finally made was also the 30-year-old who studied until Class X, and is the son of a BJP MLA. Read more

Another Bizarre Fatwa From Deoband: Marrying A Bank Employee Is 'Haram' For Muslim Woman

The largest seminary in India, Darul Uloom Deoband, has issued a fatwa asking Muslim women to not marry into a family whose members work in banks, citing that the income from banking jobs is considered 'haram' (forbidden) earnings. It is believed that the banking sector runs on the basis of interest which is prohibited in Islam.

Darul Ifta has stated that as per Islamic law, earnings through interest and any transaction involving interest particularly investment is forbidden. Read more

Cinemas In UP Will Now Show Kumbh Mela Montage Before Movies, Thanks To Yogi Govt's Ad Plans

Movie goers in Uttar Pradesh will not only have to stand for the national anthem before the screening of the film but also watch the logo and learn about the significance of Kumbh Mela 2019.

The decision was taken by state chief minister Yogi Adityanath to promote the religious festival which has been recognised by UNESCO on its list of intangible world heritage. Read more

SBI May Bring Down Minimum Balance Requirements For Saving Accounts To Rs 1000 Only

Under pressure from the government, State Bank of India is understood to be reviewing its minimum balance requirement, which is currently Rs 3,000 in urban centers. The bank is also changing the requirement from monthly average balance to quarterly average balance.

The move follows reports that the bank made Rs 1,772 crore in fees by imposing penalties for non-maintenance of minimum balance between April and November 2017. Read more
Kim Jong-Un on the New Year said that he would continue to accelerate a rogue weapons programme that has stoked international tensions. He has urged North Korea to mass-produce nuclear weapons and missiles in his message. Not only this, Kim also said that he always has a nuclear button on his desk and warned everyone.

Pyongyang dramatically ramped up its efforts to become a nuclear power in 2017, despite a raft of international sanctions and increasingly bellicose rhetoric from the United States. He has presided over multiple missile tests in recent months and the North's sixth and most powerful nuclear test -- which it said was a hydrogen bomb -- in September.

"We must mass-produce nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles and speed up their deployment," said Kim in his annual address to the nation, reiterating his claims that North Korea had achieved its goal of becoming a nuclear state.

The North says its weapons programme is designed to be able to target the US mainland and tested increasingly longer-range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) throughout 2017.

US President Donald Trump has responded to each test with his own amplified declarations, threatening to "totally destroy" Pyongyang and taunting Kim, saying the North Korean leader was on "a suicide mission".

But far from persuading Kim to give up his nuclear drive, analysts say Trump's tough talk may have prompted the North Korean leader to drive through with his dangerous quest.

"(The North) can cope with any kind of nuclear threats from the US and has a strong nuclear deterrence that is able to prevent the US from playing with fire," Kim said Monday.

"The nuclear button is always on my table. The US must realise this is not blackmail but reality."

'Act of war'

His comments come after a former top US military officer warned that the United States is now closer than it has ever been to a nuclear war with the North, with little hope of a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, said the Trump presidency had helped create "an incredibly dangerous climate", in an interview on ABC's "This Week". "We're actually closer, in my view, to a nuclear war with North Korea and in that region than we have ever been," he said. Pyongyang claims it needs nuclear weapons to protect itself from a hostile US and sees American military activities in the region -- such as the joint drills it takes part in with the South -- as a precursor to invasion.

As tensions spiked in the region in recent months, the international community has slapped a range of sanctions on the North aimed at curbing its weapons programme and squeezing the country's leadership.

In December the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed new, US-drafted sanctions to restrict oil supplies vital for the impoverished state.

The third raft of sanctions imposed last year, which the North slammed as an "act of war", also received the backing of China -- the North's sole major ally and economic lifeline.

But the embargoes have shown little sign of dampening Kim's enthusiasm for his weapons drive. Observers say Washington must open talks with the North to defuse tensions -- but that remains a challenge. The North has always said it will only deal with the US from a position of equality as a nuclear state.

Washington has long insisted that it will not accept a nuclear-armed North and Pyongyang must embark on a path towards denuclearisation before any talks.
2017 wasnt a great year for IT organizations. Most of the worst crises were self-created. Some were created by other people. In either case, here are six New Years resolutions that will help you avoid many of them.

1. Come up with fair and quantifiable ways to judge performance

There arent enough women in IT; there is rampant sexism. It is difficult to incentivize and retain skilled workers. Assuming youre a growing or successful concern, these sorts of statements point to a deeper problem. What is your organization doing to incentivize and retain workers and how is it evaluating and rewarding performance?

Some things are obvious. If your executive meetings are at a strip club, and the boss makes comments about women employees, you have a whole different kind of problem. However, most bias is unconscious and difficult to confront on our own. Bias takes many forms; sexist, religious, racial, and cultural are among many.

By working in technology, youre saying that you believe in quantifying and using data to make decisions. Why wouldnt you want to take advantage of that internally?

2. Develop a systematic legacy install review process

In the 1990s, PwC and Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) went around telling everyone to adopt a project-based IT organization structure. Instead of an assembly line of roles with projects rolling through the organization, people were assigned to temporary structures around a specific project. This has advantages in getting projects out the door, and it allowed for outsourcing. But it rarely takes into account the effects of long-term maintenance. It also tends to just ignore any software that doesnt have an active project around it.

Every software product that an organization manages, whether internal or external, should come up for periodic maintenance. To make the business case, a general assumption should be had that there is something horribly wrong with the software that will be an Equifax-level event. Therefore, each package or custom software should be reviewed and its risks cataloged. The list of CERT advisories should be checked and common development mistakes (SQL injection etc.) should be checked for. Automation should be added where it is missing (i.e. Jenkins).

By adding this review process as its own project, we can avoid many of these self-inflicted wounds.

3. Define clear local, cloud, and cloud migration server criteria

Unless financing and managing a large group of servers really is your business, your technology will eventually go to the cloud. There are, however, regulations and rules. These have to be understood. Not all software is cloud-ready; it needs to be repaired or replaced. You need a clear strategy and set of guidelines for on-premises servers, cloud platforms, and cloud migration to make this happen in a disciplined way that reduces risks and facilitates ROI.

4. Create a staff training/development program and include it in the budget

Most modern IT staff training seems to be a side effect of a vendor sales effort. The company buys a product it doesnt know how to use, and the vendor salesperson sells training to go with it. If the vendor doesnt sell such a training, \_()_/.

However, your company wrote job descriptions, so you know what each person is supposed to be good at. There are training programs out there that help teach those things. Moreover, there are ways to train and mentor internally, so why not make this into a program?

You cant justify the cost? What about turnover? Some companies dont seem to mind turnover as people seek opportunity elsewhere. There is an dubious belief out in parts of Silicon Valley that freshers straight out of school come with new ideas and the magical ability to execute on them. They of course dont know the difference between a new idea and a bad idea that has been tried before and blew up in everyones faces.

Errant beliefs aside, estimates are that replacing an employee costs 90 to 200 percent of their salary. You can prove some of this out yourself: Assume that the average tech worker makes $100,000. A recruiter costs 20 percent, so thats $20,000. Most people take at least two months (optimistically) to get up to speed (thats $16,000). Theres $36,000 lost easy. If you start doing all the math, you can find the training budget.

Maybe new employees are an agent of change, but loyal employees are the agents of actual execution.

5. Create a multicloud program and test your cloud applications on it

There are a lot of reasons that youre going to have to manage a multicloud environment. Many of them center around the preferences and hard-headedness of technical people. However, you should use multicloud for other, more positive reasons as well.

One reason is because a completely dominant vendor will become abusive. You can look at the whole history of IT and see this is true, from IBMs paternalism in the 1970s and 1980s to Oracles Trump-like mercantilism in the late 1990s to the present. However, most enterprises seeking to avoid abusive dominance are like Americans who believe in climate change: We all want to be part of the solution as long as it doesnt require us to put any effort into it whatsoever.

Another reasons is because vendors that know that you cant easily leave tend not to negotiate on price. Although not all of the cloud vendors will negotiate, some (like Microsoft) actually will. Getting the best deal means having a strategy that lets you walk away at any point.

Finally, stuff breaks. You may think having things in multiple zones is enough, but thats a lot of faith in the not very transparent magic closet of elves that run Amazon Web Services. Meanwhile those zones mean something ,and that thing they mean is latency. While latency across cloud vendors may not be great, it may be better than failing everything over to the Midwest because a fiber cut or fire took out one cloud vendors East Coast datacenter.

6. If youre already doing Slack, look into chatops

Despite devops, ops is still as much of a social and cooperative effort as software development is. Weve seen Jira, GitHub, and other tools integrated with Slackthats the path to chatops tools. Like a lot of these sorts of technologies, the benefits are beyond the obvious lists of features and capabilities. Chatops is the sort of mashup that creates a subversive form of social change.

Lets make 2018 a better year than 2017. Lets look at putting into place practices that will avoid the follies of yesteryear. At the same time, lets look to the future and start putting into place practices that make us better, focusing on how we work with both people and technology!
Friday Starting Red in Cotton Market Barchart - 26 minutes ago Morning quotes show the cotton board in the red with 15 to 30 point losses; but the front months have been bouncing form 70-80 point losses. Cotton futures closed off their lows on Thursday, but still... CTZ22 : 86.75 (-0.33%) CTH23 : 84.90 (-0.45%) CTK23 : 84.02 (-0.44%)

NASS to Gift CoF after the Close Barchart - 26 minutes ago Front month feeder cattle futures finished the day with $0.95 to $1.17 gains. Cash trade picked up on Thursday; the USDA confirmed $148 to $156 sales on Thursday, citing $152 as the bulk of business in... LEZ22 : 152.750s (+0.63%) LEG23 : 155.400s (+0.75%) LEJ23 : 158.900s (+0.74%) GFF23 : 179.975s (+1.41%) GFH23 : 182.500s (+1.25%)

Friday Hogs Look to Cap-Off the Week Barchart - 26 minutes ago The lean hog market continued to work higher through the Thursday session, save for the Dec contract which gave back 60 cents. The other nearbys added 5 to 12 cents to the move. The USDA National Average... HEZ22 : 84.975s (-0.70%) HEJ23 : 96.000s (+0.39%) KMZ22 : 95.500s (-0.42%)

Morning Gains in Wheat Market Barchart - 26 minutes ago Overnight wheat markets stayed within a 10 cent range of mostly upward action in Dec SRW. Futures are currently fractionally to 6 cents higher into the last trade day of week. Domestic wheat prices ended... ZWZ22 : 811-0 (+0.53%) ZWH23 : 828-6 (+0.45%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.4523 (+0.56%) KEZ22 : 937-4 (unch) KEPAWS.CM : 8.9582 (-1.97%) MWZ22 : 954-0 (unch)

Soy Futures Rallying for Friday Barchart - 26 minutes ago Preliminary OI data confirmed yesterdays soybean weakness was net new selling, rising 5,433 contracts. Futures are currently back up by 4 to 8 cents into Fridays AM session. Meal prices are $1.90... ZSF23 : 1420-4 (+0.25%) ZSPAUS.CM : 13.9533 (+0.25%) ZSH23 : 1425-4 (+0.23%) ZSK23 : 1432-0 (+0.25%)

Corn Near Highs for Friday (day) Market Barchart - 26 minutes ago Morning corn quotes show the board is just 2 cents off the highs working with 1 to 3 1/2 gains into the day session. Futures were up by 6 cents overnight. After trading lower through midday on Thursday,... ZCZ22 : 669-2 (+0.26%) ZCPAUS.CM : 6.7264 (+0.28%) ZCH23 : 670-6 (+0.26%) ZCK23 : 669-2 (+0.30%)

Chart of the Day: Tejon Ranch - Diversified Real Estate Barchart - 51 minutes ago The Chart of the Day belongs to the diversified real estate development and agribusiness company Tejon Ranch (TRC). I found the stock by sorting the Russell 3000 Index stocks first by the most frequent... TRC : 18.49 (+2.49%)

Downside Continues... Market Tea Leaves - 1 hour ago Yesterday we gave the markets a Neutral bias and it continue lower. What will happen today?
Insurance premiums for directors and officers have skyrocketed a massive 300% in the last six months, thanks to a sharp increase in the number of class actions launched against Australian companies.Only last week, ASX-listed QBE agreed to pay $132.5m to settle a shareholder class action led by Maurice Blackburn over a 2013 profit downgrade. And in the last five years, class actions have increased threefold, with most cases often due to alleged failures to meet continuous disclosure obligations, industry experts said.Susie Amos, principal at actuarial firm Finity, said some sectors are hit especially hard by premium spikes in D&O policies due to the increased liabilities insurers face for share-related claims against businesses and their directors, The Australian Financial Review reported."Some risks have increased threefold, Amos told AFR. If it's a large listed company in mining, or a financial area or in manufacturing, then I've heard of 300% increases happening a few times. But even 'good' risks are increasing by 20%. Fundamentally, it's because the insurers are making big losses, that's the main reason it's crystallised in the last six months."Scott Curley, a director at GSA Insurance Brokers, said the D&O policies of well-run financial services firms, fund managers, and banks had been hit with 40% increases since March; while obscure businesses, such as Chinese companies listing on the ASX, are now paying up to 300% more for their cover.Curley told AFR that the Side C coverage of D&O policies  which protects the company and its D&O from claims made against them  is where premiums had risen the most, adding that "banks' [policies] are definitely getting more expensive.According to industry experts, bigger banks usually take out D&O policies with a $500m ceiling cover, and generally pay up to $5,000 per $1m of cover, or $2.5m a year, for insurance with a Side C component. AFR said this means that even a 30% increase on cover within a $500m policy would translate to a $750,000 spike on the insurance premium for a big institution.Finity's Amos said some companies opted not to take out Side C cover because of the view that they may be targetted if they have insurance cover.With a raft of class actions dragging down insurer profits, Curley said insurers will often not allow clients to disclose if they have D&O cover and are driving tougher policy arrangements."[For policies] above a $20m cover limit, you used to be able to work with insurers to get a relatively reduced price, he told AFR. For the next $30m above the $20m, it may come in at half the price of the first $20m. But what insurers are saying now is 'we don't feel safe unless we're above $50m'. They still feel that the first $50m is vulnerable to a class action, where previously they thought if they were sitting above $20m they were going to be pretty safe. With all the litigation going on, a company with a $50m limit is pretty fair game."
More corporates are seeking protection against weather risks across a range of industries and geographies. This, plus the rich capacity of insurers and other players to take risks, as well as advancements in data quality, modeling techniques, and related technologies spell good news for the weather risk management business.Leading market participants agreed that despite recent significant losses due to natural catastrophes, the market remains in good health and is poised for growth."Overall, I'd say the market is thriving," Claire Wilkinson, managing director for alternative risk transfer solutions at Willis Towers Watson ( WTW ), told Field Gibson Media. "There's plenty of capacity in the market from insurers, reinsurers, and hedge funds, and "on the buy-side  all our existing clients have renewed coverage and some new buyers have come into the market."Rival companies Sompo Global Weather and Nephila Advisors echoed the opinion."Demand is definitely increasing," said Marty Malinow, president of Sompo Global Weather. "We're very encouraged by growth not only from existing customers but also from new industry verticals beyond energy and from buyers in emerging markets in Asia, South America, and Africa."We're seeing consistent growth in interest from existing and new clients," Barney Schauble, managing partner of Nephila Advisors, told the news agency. "There is increasing awareness that weather is a risk you cannot control but that you can get protection for."Wilkinson noted that while some insurers incurred losses this year due to yet another warm winter  causing some to drop out of the market  these losses pale into insignificance compared with the impact of multiple natural catastrophes in 2017.Kurt Cripps, managing director and global head of weather risk at Aon Benfield, said he also expects some retraction of capital from those doing both cat and weather" due to this year's natcat losses.Sompo's Malinow said he has not seen capacity withdrawn from the market, but if the 2017 natcat losses result in a sharp increase in reinsurance rates this month, then insurance prices will also likely increase, Field Gibson reported."We believe weather pricing is going to follow reinsurance pricing... but with a time lag of about a year," he said.The energy sector remains the biggest single source of demand for weather hedges, but the agriculture and construction sectors are also gaining relevance, the market players noted.
Cyber risks are expected to plague Australian businesses again this year, with ransomware likely to continue as one of the greatest evolving cyber threats. This year will also see Australia's mandatory data-breach reporting take effect. But are companies prepared for the new cyber laws?Prior to the new cyber law's implementation on Feb. 22, the Governance Institute of Australia will be hosting an event, titled Hacked  Managing Personal and Company Reputation under Mandatory Reporting, to discuss how the changes will impact brand and reputation, what preparations can still be made, and the future of cyber-risk mitigation.The event will be held on Feb. 8 in Kott Gunning Lawyers, Level 8 AMP Building, 140 St George's Terrace, Perth. It will feature speakers Kelly Butler, national cyber leader from Marsh ; Kott Gunning Lawyers' Tom Darbyshire and Katrina Welch; and Jamie Wilkinson of Cannings Purple, Business News reported.The panel will discuss how companies can comply with mandatory reporting requirements and how a poorly managed data breach could impact the board; how the new law could drive growth and innovation; and how organisations can help protect their reputation and rebuild trust in case of a cyber breach.Interested parties are invited to attend the Perth event, and can contact the organiser through email: [email protected] , or phone: 08 9321 8777. For more information about the event, click here
Global economy "will cool down noticeably", experts say
Aflac Incorporated has made two new appointments in its US operations as part of its ongoing growth strategy.Virgil R. Miller, who was most recently Aflac USs senior vice-president and chief administrative officer, has been promoted to the roles of Aflac Group Insurance president as well as Aflac US executive vice-president and COO. Miller will report directly to Aflac US president Teresa L. White.Jamie A. Lee, vice-president of transformation, was tapped to serve as the new Aflac US senior vice-president and chief service officer. She will report to Miller.Miller joined Aflacs management team in 2004, with leadership experience in the P&C industry. He has served a number of roles of increasing responsibility ever since, including senior manager in client services; second vice president of policy service and the customer service center; and vice president of customer assurance and Aflacs transformation office. He was promoted to senior vice-president of internal operations in 2015 and later named chief administrative officer, head of Aflac Group in 2016. He is a former Marine and a veteran of Operation Desert Storm.In addition, he has a Bachelors degree in accounting from Georgia College and a Masters degree in business management from Wesleyan College.Miller serves on the boards of trustees of Claflin University, the Palmetto Health Foundation Board, the 2017 Group Insurance Executive Council and the Columbia Urban League. Additionally, Miller is a former board member of American Red Cross and the United Way Board of Trustees.Lee began her career with Aflac in 1991. She held various positions in internal operations, including second vice-president of administrative technology support and sales administration. Notably, she has spent time in the field as a sales associate. Lee was promoted to vice-president of sales operations in 2012 and to vice-president of transformation in 2016.She earned a Bachelors degree in business administration from Columbus State University. Lee is also a fellow of the Life Management Institute.Lee serves on the board of directors for NeighborWorks Columbus in volunteers for Girls Inc. in her spare time.I believe these well-deserved promotions place both Virgil and Jamie in key positions that capitalize on their talents and help prepare Aflac for the future, commented Aflac US president White. Both Virgil and Jamie have built successful teams with impressive records of strategic and operational accomplishments.Over the last 14 years, Virgil has proven himself to be a trusted leader who will bring to this new role a strong reputation for developing people and inspiring teams, added White. Jamie has established a strong 26-year track record at Aflac of dedication, leadership and results. This makes her exceptionally qualified to champion the outstanding customer service our policyholders deserve and have come to expect. I look forward to both of their contributions.
Ryan Specialty Group has reached an agreement to acquire the assets and operations of New York-based wholesale brokerage Kerwick & Curran (K&C). The brokerage will become part of RT Specialty, RSGs wholesale brokerage unit.



K&C was incorporated in 1975 and was one of the Northeasts first wholesale brokerages focusing on real estate, high-hazard manufacturing, industrial, retail and construction risks. Ed Berliner, K&Cs managing partner and CEO, and Joe Davis, president, will continue to oversee the operation.



K&C is an outstanding wholesale broker that will integrate well into RT Specialty with their high integrity and exceptional level of performance, said Timothy W. Turner, RT Specialty chairman and CEO. Their specialty of habitational risks is unsurpassed, and will further strengthen and deepen our solid Northeast presence.



RT has a robust habitational practice, one in which we at K&C will complement perfectly, Berliner and Davis said in a statement. This merger will enable us to fuel our ambitions of growth and widen our reach.



Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.




Retailers Casualty Insurance has revealed that it has received all regulatory approvals from the Alabama Department of Insurance to provide employers in Alabama with workers compensation coverage.A release said that appointed agents may quote Alabama businesses with Retailers Casualty for policies with effective dates starting January 1, 2018.We are focused on providing Alabama employers with a first-rate workers comp option through prudent underwriting, strategically managed assets and superior customer service, commented Retailers Casualty chairman Carl Carstens in a statement.Retailers Casualty is managed by Summit , a provider of workers compensation services in the southeastern US and a Great American Insurance Group member.Alabama employers can expect solid coverage and excellent service from Retailers Casualty, said Summit Southwest Region senior vice-president Hank Chiles. The monoline carrier has a history of providing stable and strong workers compensation coverage for small- to medium-sized retail businesses and currently insures more than 2,400 businesses throughout Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
The following is an opinion piece written by Joe Beneducci, founder, chairman, president and CEO of ProSight Specialty Insurance. The views expressed within the article are not necessarily reflective of those of Insurance Business.Millennials are ruining everything. Or, at least, that's what the internet would like us to believe. Their changing preferences have caught companies and even entire industries off guard, and markets are adapting to keep up with the evolution.Despite being thought of as outdated and stodgy, the evolution and innovation of the insurance industry has created more employment opportunities than ever. Meanwhile, millennials are finding it more difficult than previous generations to land a good job right after college.So, insurance and millennials is an obvious match , right? The numbers say that college graduates dont think so. A 2015 study from The Hartford found that only 4% of millennials surveyed were interested in pursuing a career in insurance. Frustrated 20-somethings either on campus or fresh off the graduation stage should take a good look at the available jobs in insurance. Heres why:Last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found that insurance underwriters earned a median salary of $67,680 per year, up from roughly $63,000 in the previous year and about 45% higher than the median annual wage for all workers ($37,000). And while it takes intelligence, skills and attention to detail to serve as an adjuster or underwriter, the typical underwriter enters the field with only a bachelor's degree and has no previous experience before getting started.There are also good paying jobs available for those without a college degree. Per the BLS, the median annual wage for insurance sales agents was $49,990 in May 2016. The highest 10% earned upwards of $128,000. Meanwhile, the typical insurance sales agent starts out with a high school diploma or an equivalency degree. Agents can also boost their pay with commissions as most positions are heavily performance-based.Thanks to data mining and social media, insurance companies are starting to target their marketing directly to specific consumers. The ability to tailor their coverages, apps and even policies to the right audience is invaluable to insurance companies. The data-driven, computer savvy, innovative mentality commonly attributed to millennials make them prime candidates to help carriers create insurance products that truly speak to the right audience.Success in the insurance business is largely tangible and not subjective. When you bind more policies or create original coverages that lead to more business, it can be clearly measured by hard data. Because the effectiveness of your work is apparent, youll not only receive congratulatory pats on the back , but it will be easy to build a case for greater compensation or a new position.If youre thinking that careers like these are hard to come by, think again. Recent reports show the BLS estimates that the insurance industry will have a whopping 400,000 job openings within the next few years, thanks in large part to the mass retirement of baby boomers. Roughly half of the industrys workforce is older than 45 and only 27% of workers are under 35. Heres the TL;DR (for the Boomers, that stands for Too Long, Didnt Read): young, hard-working professionals are needed to bridge the gap.In 2016, Black Enterprise Magazines 50 Best Companies for Diversity list featured seven powerhouse insurance companies on the leaderboard. Insurance companies also ranked high on Bloomberg's Gender Equality Index, and the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index gave high marks to a score of insurance companies for their LGBT equality practices. Even though there is always room for improvement, the insurance industry is one that is continuously striving for diversity in the workplace.The insurance industry allows you to specialize in a number of different areas, and there is a myriad of ways for you to apply your best skills to your career. Best of all - when you generate more business for your company, you will be rewarded with larger checks and a push up the corporate ladder Already, were seeing the insurance business adapt to its younger clientele. But, the next big metamorphosis of the industry is still on the horizon, and it will come from a late 80s or a 90s baby. Maybe thats you.The young people that seize the chance to make a mark on the insurance business today will be grateful, particularly when the acting gigs dont work out for their contemporaries. Join Insurance Business America at our Millennials in Insurance event being held in New York City on February 08, 2018 , where a cross-section of industry experts will discuss how to attract, engage and retain the younger generation.
Massachusetts is banning some powerful opioids from courtrooms, because state court officials are worried people could be sickened by the drugs.

The new policy was outlined in a memo to Massachusetts trial court officials on Tuesday. It goes into effect in state courts on Jan. 8.

Under the policy, fentanyl and carfentanil will be allowed into courthouses only under certain circumstances. That means lawyers wanting to present the drugs as evidence must use photographs, video or witness testimony.

The policy says the drugs may be entered as evidence if a judge determines its necessary for the state to prove its case or to protect a defendants constitutional right to a fair trial.

The president of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys has said hes unaware of any other state imposing such a ban.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Massachusetts
Bermudas PartnerRe Ltd. announced that Charles Goldie, formerly CEO of Specialty Lines, has been appointed CEO of Property & Casualty, following the retirement of Tad Walker who previously filled that role.

Goldie has headed up PartnerRes Specialty Lines business since 2010 and has ben a member of PartnerRes executive management team. Previously he held the position of senior vice president, head of Specialty Lines for PartnerRe U.S. from 2002 to 2009 and deputy head PartnerRe Global from 2014, responsible for all PartnerRe Global non-life business. He will relocate from Zurich to Stamford, Connecticut for his new role, effective Jan. 15.

CEO Emmanuel Clarke has assumed overall responsibility for Specialty Lines assisted by Greg Haft who has been appointed deputy CEO Specialty Lines. Haft will lead within Specialty Lines, a newly formed unit of Specialty Property, Marine and Energy. Previously head of Global Catastrophe and Property, North America, Haft has been responsible for catastrophe business since he joined PartnerRe in 2013.

PartnerRes risks are underwritten on a worldwide basis through the companys three segments: P&C, Specialty, and Life and Health. For the year ended December 31, 2016, total revenues were $5.4 billion.

Source: PartnerRe

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Excess Surplus Property Casualty
A Wyoming-based company that illegally dumped oilfield waste in western North Dakota has paid the state more than $950,000 after the state Supreme Court affirmed the fine last month.

Black Hills Trucking paid $951,526 to the North Dakota Industrial Commission last week, Department of Mineral Resources spokeswoman Alison Ritter told The Bismarck Tribune. Its the largest fine ever collected by the regulatory group.

The company earlier unsuccessfully appealed the fine to the North Dakota Supreme Court, arguing it had already paid a $200,000 fine to the state Health Department for the same incident. Justices ruled the Industrial Commission acted within the law.

The company was accused of illegally dumping saltwater on a gravel road near Tioga in the spring of 2014. Saltwater is a waste byproduct of oil production and must be disposed of under state rules that aim to prevent environmental damage.

Nearly all of the Industrial Commission fine will go into a state fund thats used to restore abandoned oil well sites.

The Industrial Commission has issued larger fines to other companies for oil and gas violations, but it has not collected those fines. For example, the state agency fined Halek Operating $1.5 million for violations related to a saltwater disposal well near Dickinson, but has been able to collect only $140,000 in bond money from the company that is now dissolved.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Indianapolis is being sued by a former courts official who alleges that she was fired after she installed air fresheners to combat a co-workers body odor.

Amber Bridges federal lawsuit says she was fired last year for creating a hostile work environment after the malodorous co-worker complained about the air fresheners. According to the complaint, Bridges action to improve the overall quality of air in the office prompted other staff to install air fresheners in the work area.

The Dec. 21 complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana claims that employees and staff started complaining about the chronic body odor in November 2016. As a former lead staff in the magistrate court, Bridges notified her supervisors about the complaints and later installed the air fresheners.

Bridges claims her firing was unlawful according to her association with an individual with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Indianapolis Star reported. She alleges the co-workers body odor is a protected disability under the ADA.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says on its website that those who have an association with people who have a disability also are protected from workplace discrimination, including a person with a disabled spouse and someone who performs volunteer work for people with AIDS.

The commission claims that the standard exists to protect individuals from actions based on unfounded assumptions that their relationship to an individual with a disability would affect their job performance, according to their website.

The commission has considered body odor a protected disability in some cases.

Kevin Betz, an employment attorney, said it can be common for individuals to file suit against an employer based on an association with a disability. Betz said there are cases where a co-worker, family member or friend of an individual with a disability has received adverse actions in the workplace.

Both Bridges attorney and the citys attorney declined the newspapers request for comment.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits
A fire caused by an explosion at a Miami marina has damaged two boats, and authorities say no one was hurt.

The Miami Herald reports that firefighters responded to C&F Marine around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday and brought the fire under control in 30 minutes.

A 24-foot (7-meter) boat on the water that was covered in flames when firefighters arrived was scorched, according to Miami Fire Rescue Capt. Ignatius Carroll. A docked 50-foot (15-meter) tour boat that had been burning sustained smoke damage.

The cause of the explosion and fire is under investigation.

C&F Marine, the location where firefighters were dispatched, is a boat supply and repair business located on the water. Its unclear if the store was damaged.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Alabama state troopers investigated nearly two dozen fatal traffic crashes during the holiday period, fewer deaths than reported a year earlier.

AL.com reports that Alabama Law Enforcement Agency officials on Wednesday said they investigated 23 traffic accident-related deaths during the Christmas and New Years holiday travel period. During the same period in 2016, the number was 31 fatalities.

The fatal traffic crashes happened in Autauga, Baldwin, Calhoun, Choctaw, Colbert, Coosa, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dallas, DeKalb, Escambia, Geneva, Limestone, Mobile, Russell, St. Clair, Shelby and Washington counties.

Numbers released by troopers do not include deadly crashes worked by other law enforcement agencies.

For the entire year, troopers investigated 598 traffic deaths, 73 fewer than the 671 they reviewed in 2016.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Alabama
Retailers Casualty Insurance Co. has received all regulatory approvals from the Alabama Department of Insurance to begin offering workers compensation coverage in the state of Alabama.

Appointed agents may quote Alabama business with Retailers Casualty for policies with effective dates starting Jan. 1, 2018.

Retailers Casualty is managed by Summit. According to Hank Chiles, senior vice president of Summits Southwest Region, says, the monoline carrier provides workers compensation coverage for small- to medium-sized retail businesses and currently insures more than 2,400 businesses throughout Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

Summit has more than 40 years of experience in workers compensation and provides underwriting, policy administration, claims management and loss prevention services to Retailers Casualty Insurance Company policyholders.

Topics Carriers Workers' Compensation Alabama Casualty
Generali Global Assistance has named James Sion as chief operating officer and Mark Taber as the chief insurance officer in its travel insurance division.

Sion will head all operations and strategies of the division and will be located in San Diego, Calif., the companys travel insurance headquarters.

Sion was the COO in consumer insurance for AIG prior to Generali. He also worked at Allianz in various roles over 15 years.

Taber will set the strategic direction for underwriting results and profitability for the travel insurance lines in the U.S. His position will also serve as the appointed actuary for the division.

Taber previously was the claims performance analytics executive at CSAA Insurance Group.

Generali Global Assistance is part of the multinational Generali Group. It offers travel insurance through vacation rental and property management companies, travel agencies, online travel agencies, other travel suppliers and directly to consumers.

Topics California Generali Life Assurance (Thailand) Plc.
A federal appeals court has declared unconstitutional Idahos bans on shooting secret videos and lying to enter factory farms to expose animal abuse, but revived other parts of the states law to curb undercover probes into the practice.

The decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Seattle on Thursday reversed part of a lower court ruling that Idahos 2014 ag-gag law was unconstitutional on free speech grounds.

Writing for a 2-1 majority, Circuit Judge Margaret McKeown called the video ban a classic example of a content-based restriction that cannot survive strict scrutiny.

She also said the ban on making misrepresentations to enter facilities was void because it could criminalize innocent behavior, suffered from staggering overbreadth, and was largely targeted at speech and investigative journalists.

But the appeals court said Idaho could criminalize making misrepresentations to obtain records of agricultural facilities, and to obtain employment there with the intent of causing economic harm.

Idahos Republican governor, C.L. Butch Otter, signed the ag-gag law in February 2014.

The law was passed after activists had released a video showing workers at a dairy beating and abusing cows, including when a tractor was used to drag a cow chained at the neck.

Justin Marceau, a lawyer representing the Animal Legal Defense Fund in the case, called the appeals court decision a mixed bag for animal rights advocates.

It is a landmark decision because it upholds the right to record on factory farms and other private property, he said in an interview. Until today no federal circuit court had recognized (that right) outside the public sphere.

Marceau also said the ALDF will review its options on the parts of the law that were revived.

The office of Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, which defended the law, is reviewing the decision, spokesman Scott Graf said.

Agricultural groups have pressed U.S. states to enact ag-gag laws to stop activists and journalists from secretly probing animal abuse at farms, dairies, feedlots and slaughterhouses.

Eleven states had such laws as of October 2017, though four faced legal challenges, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

In Thursdays decision, McKeown also rejected the argument that Idahos ban on obtaining employment through misrepresentations was too broad because it could cover people who merely inflate their credentials, saying they lacked the needed intent to injure.

The dissenting judge, Carlos Bea, would have upheld more of the Idaho law.

The case is Animal Legal Defense Fund et al v Wasden, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 15-35960.

(Reporting by Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Topics USA Agribusiness
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is not happy with U.S. Attorney General Sessions recent marijuana enforcement memo rescinding Obama administration guidance that enabled states to legalize marijuana without federal intervention.

Recreational marijuana became legal for adults in California on Jan. 1. Jones has been working to get more insurers into the market for insuring marijuana related businesses.

I condemn in the strongest possible terms Attorney General Jeff Sessions decision to rescind the Cole Memorandum, Jones said in a statement issued late Thursday. California voters decided to legalize adult use of cannabis in 2016. I stand with the voters of California in defending Californias efforts to legalize cannabis.

Jones said Sessions decision is contrary to good law enforcement practice for the federal Department of Justice to waste time and resources going after legitimate cannabis businesses and consumers in California.

Continuing the War on Cannabis, which swept up tens of thousands of people for non-serious non-violent crimes and threw them into prisons for inordinately long sentences where they were taught to be better criminals, is not being smart on crime, Jones said. Placing numerous businesses, consumers, and medical patients at risk is not a responsible decision. California should and will litigate to defend its right to legalize and regulate cannabis.

Related:

Topics California Cannabis
American Republic Insurance Co. has signed an agreement to acquire Great Western Insurance Co.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and the deal is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval.

GWIC is a privately held, family-owned company based in Ogden, Utah. The company, which has 121 employees, focuses on providing pre-need insurance to the funeral home industry and is licensed to do business in 46 states and the District of Columbia.

American Republic has submitted the necessary paperwork for regulatory approval and expects a public hearing to be held mid-January regarding this transaction. Assuming approval is granted, a final closing on the acquisition of GWIC is anticipated to occur within the next 30 days.

American Republic is a subsidiary of American Enterprise Group Inc., a Des Moines-based insurance holding company.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions
Bad debts arise when borrowers default on their loans. This is one of the primary risks associated with securitized assets, such as mortgage-backed securities (MBS), as bad debts can stop these instruments' cash flows.

The risk of bad debt, however, can be apportioned among investors. Depending on how the securitized instruments are structured, the risk can be placed entirely on a single group of investors or spread throughout the entire investing pool.

Key Takeaways Securitization is the process of financial structuring a non-liquid asset or group of similar assets into a security that is sold to investors.

Securitization takes many non-liquid assets, usually loans, such as mortgages, bundles them into a security, which is sold to an investor that receives an income stream from the principal and interest payments on that loan.

There are two types of securitized assets: those that come as pools and those that have tranches.

In a pool securitization, all investors are equal, sharing all of the risks. If there is bad debt on the pooled security, all investors suffer the financial loss.

In a tranche securitization, the security is split into different levels (tranches) that are made up of assets with different risk profiles. Lower tranches suffer losses on bad debts first whereas higher tranches are usually unaffected.

Securitization

Securitization is the process of financially structuring a non-liquid asset or group of similar non-liquid assets into a security that can then be sold to investors. The MBS was first created by trader Lew Ranieri in the early 1980s. It became an extremely popular investment in the 1990s and early 2000s. The idea was that the new security could be sold on the secondary mortgage market, offering investors significant liquidity on an asset that would otherwise be quite illiquid.

Securitization, specifically, the bundling of assets such as mortgages into securities, has been frowned upon by many as it contributed to the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007. However, the practice continues today.

Pools and Tranches

There are two styles of securitization: pools and tranches. Here's how they affect the level of risk faced by investors.

Pools

A simple securitization involves pooling assets (such as loans or mortgages), creating financial instruments, and marketing them to investors. Incoming cash flows from the loans are passed onto the holders of the new instruments. Each instrument is of equal priority when receiving payments. Since all instruments are equal, they all share in the risk associated with the assets. In this case, all investors bear an equal amount of bad-debt risk.

Tranches

In a more complex securitization process, tranches are created. Tranches represent different payment structures and various levels of priority for incoming cash flows. In a two-tranche system, tranche A will have priority over tranche B. Both tranches will attempt to follow a schedule of payments that reflects the cash flows of the underlying loans or mortgages.

If bad debts arise, tranche B will absorb the loss, lowering its cash flow, while tranche A remains unaffected. Since tranche B is affected by bad debts, it carries the most risk. Investors will purchase tranche B instruments at a discount price to reflect the level of associated risk. If there are more than two tranches, the lowest priority tranche will absorb the losses from bad debts.

Tranches can be categorized incorrectly by rating agencies, where tranches are rated investment grade even though they include junk assets, which are non-investment grade.

For a portfolio, investors can choose from securitization investments such as prime and subprime mortgages, home equity loans, credit card receivables, or auto loans. Investors can also choose an index.

The Bottom Line

Securitization is a way for investors to gain access to assets that they would otherwise not have the chance to do so, such as mortgages. It is also a way for companies to reduce their balance sheet and take on more business by selling off assets like mortgages.

Securitization is a way to receive a consistent income stream, though it can be risky as much information about the underlying assets is unknown, such as the case in the subprime meltdown. When bad debts occur in securitization, the loss is shared as there are multiple investors, however, depending on the type of securitization, the loss is shared equally as in pooled securitizations or at different levels as in tranche securitizations.
What Was China's One-Child Policy?

The one-child policy was a rule implemented by the Chinese government mandating that the vast majority of couples in the country could only have one child. This was intended to alleviate the social, economic, and environmental problems associated with the country's rapidly growing population. The rule was introduced in 1979 and phased out in 2015.

Key Takeaways The one-child policy was a Chinese government policy to control population growth. According to estimates, it prevented about 400 million births in the country.

It was introduced in 1979 and discontinued in 2015, and enforced through a mix of incentives and sanctions.

The one-child policy has had three important consequences for China's demographics: it reduced the fertility rate considerably, it skewed China's gender ratio because people preferred to abort or abandon their female babies, and resulted in a labor shortage due to more seniors who rely on their children to take care of them.

Understanding China's One-Child Policy

The one-child policy was introduced in 1979 in response to explosive population growth. China has a long history of encouraging birth control and family planning. By the 1950s, population growth started to outpace the food supply, and the government started promoting birth control. Following Mao Zedongs Great Leap Forward in 1958, a plan to rapidly modernize Chinas economy, a catastrophic famine ensued, which resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of Chinese.

However, by the late 70s, China's population was quickly approaching the 1 billion mark, and the Chinese government was forced to give serious consideration to curbing the population growth rate. This effort began in 1979 with mixed results but was implemented more seriously and uniformly in 1980, as the government standardized the practice nationwide.

There were, however, certain exceptions, for ethnic minorities, for those whose firstborn was handicapped, and for rural families in which the firstborn was not a boy. The policy was most effective in urban areas, where it was generally well-received by nuclear families, more willing to comply with the policy; the policy was resisted to some extent in agrarian communities in China.

Initially, the one-child policy was meant to be a temporary measure and is estimated to have prevented up to 400 million births since it was instituted. Ultimately, China ended its one-child policy realizing that too many Chinese were heading into retirement, and the nation's population had too few young people entering the labor force to provide for the older population's retirement, healthcare, and continued economic growth.

The government-mandated policy was formally ended with little fanfare on Oct. 29, 2015, after its rules had been slowly relaxed to allow more couples fitting certain criteria to have a second child. Now, all couples are allowed to have two children.

Enforcement

There were various methods of enforcement, both through incentives and sanctions. For those who complied there were financial incentives, as well as preferential employment opportunities. For those who violated the policy, there were sanctions, economic and otherwise. At times, the government employed more draconian measures, including forced abortions and sterilizations.

The one-child policy was officially discontinued in 2015 and the government attempted to replace it with a two-child policy. The efficacy of the policy itself, though, has been challenged, as it is true that populations, generally, naturally taper off as societies get wealthier. In China's case, as the birth rate declined, the death rate declined, too, and life expectancy increased.

One-Child Policy Implications

The one-child policy had serious implications for China's demographic and economic future. In 2017, China's fertility rate was 1.7, among the lowest in the world.

China now has a considerable gender skewthere are roughly 3-4% more males than females in the country. With the implementation of the one-child policy and the preference for male children, China saw a rise in female fetus abortions, increases in the number of baby girls left in orphanages, and even increases in infanticide of baby girls. There were 33 million more men, with 116 boys for every 100 girls, as compared to women in China.

This will have an impact on marriage in the country, and a number of factors surrounding marriage, for years to come. Lower numbers of females also mean that there were fewer women of child-bearing age in China.

The drop in birth rates meant fewer children, which occurred as death rates dropped and longevity rates rose. It is estimated that a third of China's population will be over the age of 60 by 2050. That means more elderly people relying on their children to support them, and fewer children to do so. So, China is facing a labor shortage and will have trouble supporting this aging population through its state services.

And finally, the one-child policy has led to the proliferation of undocumented, non-first-born children. Their status as undocumented makes it impossible to leave China legally, as they cannot register for a passport. They have no access to public education. Oftentimes, their parents were fined or removed from their jobs.

One-Child Policy FAQs

Does China Still Have the One-Child Policy?

No. China reverted to a two-child policy after its one-child policy ended in 2015. While restrictions had been gradually loosened over time.

What Caused Chinas One-Child Policy?

China's one-child policy was implemented to curb overpopulation that strained the country's food supply and natural and economic resources following its industrialization in the 1950s.

What Are the Effects of China's One-Child Policy?

Gender imbalance, an aging population, and a shrinking workforce are all effects of China's 1979 policy. To this day, China has the most skewed sex ratio at birth in the world, due to a cultural preference for male offspring.

Who Ended the One-Child Policy?

The Chinese government, led by the Chinese Communist Party's Xi Jinping, ended the controversial one-child policy in 2015.

What Happened If You Broke the One-Child Policy?

Violators of China's one-child policy were fined, forced to have abortions or sterilizations, and lost their jobs.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has said the 320m price tag for the second parallel runway at Dublin Airport is value for money, despite concerns from Transport Minister Shane Ross.

He also warned that major infrastructural projects funded by the Government in the coming years are likely to cost more because of the economys expansion.

Mr Ross and Ryanair boss Michael OLeary have expressed concern at the increase in the cost of the project, due for completion in 2020, from its original price tag of 250m.

But in an interview with the Irish Examiner, Mr Donohoe said he is satisfied the increased cost still represents a good investment for the taxpayer.

I am satisfied that the proposed second runway is value for money and that the infrastructure meets the needs we have now, he said.

Mr Donohoe cited the experience of Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport, which was the subject of much criticism at the time of its opening in 2010 during the financial crash given its cost.

It is funny, I always keep in mind the experience of Terminal 2, which holds very valuable lessons.

Terminal 2 was built at a time when it looked like the capacity would not be utilised and the price tag for it appeared exceptionally high. If you look at where we are now, that terminal has played a crucial role in Dublin Airport becoming a hub airport and is already extremely busy, he said.

The minister said he has learned from being in government that you have to have a longer time-frame when evaluating the costs of major projects.

But he said value for money will be central to the 10-year capital plan which will be announced in the coming weeks.

That being said, in the 10-year capital plan, we will have a very big focus that if we commit to projects at a particular cost that they happen at that cost, he said.

But Mr Donohoe gave a stark warning that the taxpayer will have to pay more in the coming years to see projects completed.

I think it is inevitable that as we move into the phase of economic growth that we are going through now, that we will see the price of some projects change, but we have to ensure that the rate of increase still delivers value for money for the taxpayer, he said.
Arts Ex-Political Prisoner Makes Art From Plastic Refuse

San Zaw Htway at his studio in 2014. / The Irrawaddy

Shortly before daybreak on the last day of 2017, San Zaw Htway, a Myanmar artist famous for his collages made from recycled plastic bags and also a former political prisoner, succumbed to a liver ailment in a Yangon hospital. Known for his humility and the promotion of his collage techniques among children, including those in internally displaced person camps, the 44-year-old had been diagnosed with advanced liver cancer brought on by the dire prison conditions he endured as a political prisoner and poor healthcare following his release. Here is his profile, published in the October 2014 edition of the Irrawaddy Magazine.

YANGON  Give him plastic bags of any color, and this former political prisoner will turn them into a work of art.

Instead of acrylic paint and brushes, San Zaw Htway opts to work with not only plastic bags, but also cardboard, instant coffee packets and other recycled goods. He taught himself to make painting-like collages with these materials while he was serving time under the former military regime.

Theyre all I need, boasted the 40-year-old, pointing to scissors and adhesive containers littered across the floor of his studio in Rangoon. In one corner of the second-floor studio sits of a pile of smoothed plastic wrappings that otherwise would have been destined for a garbage can.

Since his release from prison in 2012, San Zaw Htway has held five solo shows in Burma, in addition to teaching his collage techniques to orphans and children living with HIV.

Now his work is gaining international attention. He has been shortlisted for the 2014 Artraker Award, which recognizes artists who are making a difference in highly challenging environments. The works of 12 candidates from 10 countries, including Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, will be exhibited from Sept. 18-25 at Londons a/political gallery.

Being shortlisted means a lot to me because recycled collage art is still not well embraced in Burma, said San Zaw Htway at his home, while preparing for his trip to the capital of England.

Despite my access to paint and brushes now, I still stick to recycled collage art because its environmentally sustainable and I want the art trend to develop in Burma, he added.

Painting was a childhood hobby for San Zaw Htway. When he was sentenced to 36 years in prison for his anti-government political activities in 1999, he was only a college freshman majoring in history. He spent 13 years in prison, during which time he was put in solitary confinement and he went on hunger strikes.

Burmese prisons are notorious for their squalid conditions and restrictions on prisoners rights, with even reading and writing prohibited. San Zaw Htaw said he saw art as a way to defy prison authorities. I intentionally did it to show them that they cant control everything in our lives, he said. But the problem was how to make it happen, since painting materials were not allowed.

The student activist decided to make collages with materials within his reach. When his family sent him foods wrapped in plastic bags, he turned the bags into a canvas on which he plastered colorful cuttings from instant coffee packets and shampoo sachets. He scavenged prison garbage cans for plastic sheets in colors that caught his eye. He washed them, smoothed them out and applied them onto the makeshift canvas with the help of a smuggled scissor and glue.

Working late at night under the faint glow of a light bulb that dangled on the ceiling of the corridor outside his cell, he was careful to hide his work from prison authorities, taking days to finish a single collage. He produced portraits of Burmese democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi and collages of peacocks, the emblem of Burmese student and democracy movements. Some of his works reflected his longing for freedom, including Blue Moon on the Highway, one the three collages that have been chosen for the exhibition in London.

I was lying awake one night in 2009 and I heard the occasional swishes of buses on the highway outside the prison. I felt a surge of longing to be on one of those buses, so I poured out my feeling onto the collage, he said.

Htein Lin, a prominent Burmese contemporary artist and another former political prisoner, said San Zaw Htways nomination for the Artraker Award and his participation in the exhibition would be a source of pride for Burmese artists and their country.

I like his recycled artwork, not only for its promotion of environmental sustainability, but also for its reflection of an important message behind all forms of prison artwork: You can lock up our bodies, but not our emotions and our creativity, he said.

Apart from being a collage artist, San Zaw Htway is a counselor for former political prisoners and their families. Earlier this year he joined a training programorganized by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) with support from Johns Hopkins Universityand now he offers counseling sessions five days per week.

As a former political prisoner myself, I know very well to what extent we and our families have been mentally affected by what we faced for years. Counseling is one of the best ways to cure their traumas, he said.

When asked how he felt to be participating in the exhibition in London, he said he was happy.

My prison experience has taught me that no matter how dire the situation is, there is a way to achieve what you want to do, he said. That is my message to anyone who sees my art.
Burma More Than 1,200 Villagers Flee as Tatmadaw Battles TNLA in Northern Shan State

People displaced by clashes between the Myanmar Army and the Taang National Liberation Army take shelter at Maha Myat Muni Pagoda in Mongngaw Sub-township. (Photo: U Tin Maung Thein/Facebook) / U Tin Maung Thein / Facebook

YANGONOver 1,200 residents of three villages in northern Shan State have fled to Kyaukme Township and Mongngaw Sub-township to escape fighting between the Myanmar Army and the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA). The clashes erupted on Dec. 27 on the border of Kyaukme and Namhsan townships.

Tensions between the Army and the TNLA remain high, according to local community-based organizations.

Social organizations from Lashio, Namhsan and Kutkai townships as well as a Kyaukme-based committee for displaced persons have distributed relief supplies, Ko Thar Zaw, a volunteer helping displaced persons in Kyaukme, told The Irrawaddy.

We dont know how many days the displaced persons will have to shelter here, or whether there will be additional needs, he added.

The Department of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement is also providing emergency aid to displaced persons.

Weve provided nine items of emergency aid to over 300 households. They include seven days rations of rice, clothing, soap, pans, blankets, towels and so on. People displaced in earlier clashes have already returned to their homes. These [1,200 villagers] are newcomers displaced by the most recent clashes, said Ko Aung Kyaw Moe, a department official.

A total of 744 displaced persons are taking shelter at monasteries and mediation halls in Kyaukme, according to local community-based organizations. The rest are taking refuge at a pagoda and mediation halls in Mongngaw Sub-township, some 32 miles from Kyaukme.

The Kyaukme branch of the Myanmar Red Cross Society has also provided blankets and emergency childbirth kits for pregnant women.

The Tatmadaw [Myanmars military] and the TNLA clashed at the border of Kyaukme and Namhsan. Neither side is willing to step back, though the fighting has stopped for the time being. But locals are concerned that it could break out again at anytime. So they fled, Ko Thar Zaw said.

According to the TNLA Information Department, the TNLA and the Tatmadaw clashed from 7.25 am to 9.45 am near the village of Dow Lwe in Namhsan Township on Dec. 27.

Meanwhile, the Tatmadaw is also fighting the Kachin Independence Army in Kachin States Mansi Township.

Separately, clashes between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army through November and December forced over 300 locals in Paletwa, Chin State to flee their homes.

More than 1,000 locals have crossed the border into Indias Mizoram State and are in need of relief supplies.
Burma Gems and Jewelry Fair Returns to Yangon

Gemstones are inspected at the Myanmar Jade and Gems Emporium in Naypyitaw on Dec. 12, 2017. / Myanmar Press Photo Agency

YANGON  The international Gems and Jewelry Fair is returning to Yangon this year, nearly a decade after it was last held in the countrys commercial capital.

The fair will feature about 100 booths selling mainly rubies, jade and sapphire and run from Jan. 11 through Jan. 14 at the Lotte Hotel in Hlaing Township, said U Aung Myint, vice chairman of the Yangon branch of the Myanmar Gems and Jewelry Entrepreneurs Association.

Though our rubies and sapphires are popular among international countries, we dont have a market at home for international buyers. So we intend to establish a domestic market gradually through such exhibitions, U Aung Myint said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Professionals will also give talks on the gem and jewelry market during the fair, according to organizers.

In the past, jade and gem emporiums for international buyers were mainly held in Yangon. But after the U Thein Sein government took power in 2010, the emporiums were moved to the national administrative capital of Naypyitaw.

We intend to develop jewelry making in the country through such exhibitions, said U Aung Myint, noting that the country mainly exports raw jade and gems rather than finished jewelry items.

The Myanmar Gems and Jewelry Entrepreneurs Association also intends to fight the smuggling of gems and jewelry with such fairs so that the government can earn more revenue from legal trade.

At a press conference for Myanmar Gems and Jewelry Day in Naypyitaw in August, U Myint Han, the Myanmar Gems and Jewelry Entrepreneurs Associations vice chairman, claimed that there was rampant smuggling of jade and gems to China not because merchants did not want to pay tax but because the trade taxes were too high.

According to the association, more than 1,000 gem merchants and their peers from 36 countries have been invited to this months fair.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
Burma Mon State Chief Minister Tells Locals to Eat Less to Lower Food Prices

Mon State Chief Minister U Aye Zan. / The Irrawaddy

THATON, Mon State  Mon State Chief Minister U Aye Zan has told the residents of Thaton Township to eat only a dish of curry at mealtime in order to bring down food prices.

The chief minister said food prices would decline if every household ate only a dish of curry at their dining tables when he and other officials met with locals on Wednesday.

After the officials made their speeches, locals were allowed to ask questions.

Id like to know if the government can adjust the prices of food including rice, oil, salt and onions and general consumer goods to an appropriate level, said U Aye Myint.

Our country is poor. We should only eat a dish of curry. If we dont go to tea shops and only eat a dish of curry in our homes, wont the food prices decline? the minister replied.

When U Aye Myint answered yes, the minister added: If so, it would be the best. Do you think a law can be enacted to require people to do so?

It is easy to bring down food prices, isnt it? Dont make donations, U Aye Zan said, referring to the practice of donating food for Buddhist novitiation ceremonies and other rituals.

If you are going to prepare ten dishes of curry for your donation ceremony, then you can choose to donate only one dish, cant you? It is quite easy to bring down food prices, the minister added.

He urged locals to take the example of England and Russia, which rationed food during the world wars.

He said the people of Myanmar should spend more money investing and less buying food, and to farm on vacant land.

When we were young, students had to grow gourd, ladyfinger, roselle, radish and so on in the school compound, U Aye Zan said, urging locals to plant crops around their houses to reduce their food expenses.

The Union minister for agriculture and irrigation under the previous administration, U Myint Hlaing, came under fire for similar remarks when he told farmers to skip a meal in order to pay back the agricultural loans provided by the government. He was henceforth dubbed one-meal Myint Hlaing.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
Burma NLD Embarks on Internal Revamp Ahead of 2020 Vote

A man brandishes a phone with a picture of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as election results are revealed on a screen in front of the Yangon head office of the National League for Democracy on April 1, 2012. / Reuters

YANGON  The ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) plans to implement structural reforms ahead of the 2020 elections, which are expected to be the most fiercely contested in the nations history.

At a central committee meeting at the partys Yangon headquarters on Dec. 30 and 31, the party had reviewed its performance since taking power two years ago and identified a number of shortcomings that need addressing, senior NLD members said.

Monywa Aung Shin, secretary of the NLDs Central Information Committee, said the party would restructure and reinforce its main institutionsthe central, disciplinary and working committeesat all levels.

The reforms will be complete within the first six months of this year, he said.

Since the end of last year, the party has already reformed some of its central working committees including those on information, women, workers, farmers and economic issues, the committee secretary said.

To improve the partys performance on the ground, four other central working committees would be reformed, including the education and health panels, Monywa Aung Shin said.

At the last nationwide polls in 2015, voters overwhelmingly backed the NLD. But by-elections on April 1, 2017 came as a wake-up call, showing a decline in the publics faith in the party. The NLD won just nine of the 18 seats it contested, losing most of the races in heavily ethnic areas. The 50 percent win rate was in sharp contrast to its 79 percent victory two years earlier.

In a statement released Dec. 31 after the meeting, the party said it would work hard to win by-elections expected to be held this year to fill seven vacant seats in regional and national parliaments.

The country now has another viable alternative political party founded by activists involved in the student-led 8888 uprising. The main opposition group, the former ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party, is also gearing up for 2020, with party leaders touring remote states and recruiting new members, while the ruling NLD has been criticized as disorganized and fractious.

According to Monywa Aung Shin, problems have arisen with party members at the state and division levels, including nepotism, failing to implement orders from headquarters and disputes between cabinet members, lawmakers and the party leadership.

We must reform to tackle those issues, he said.

In the statement, the party said it would focus on achieving unity and harmony between the party, government and parliaments.

The party also said it would also work to support internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have been forced to flee armed conflict. Monywa Aung Shin said it would provide resettlement and other humanitarian assistance to IDPs, especially in northern Rakhine state but also in Kachin, Shan and Karenni states.

The government alone cant do everything. We will collaborate with NGOs and regional and state chief ministers on this, he said.

Political analyst Dr. Yan Myo Thein said that while there had been some progress on development and reform, the NLDs performance had been less than satisfactory.

To properly implement change, they need to listen to the public more closely, Dr. Yan Myo Thein said.

NLD senior official and spokesperson U Nyan Win said that in the run-up to 2020 the party would work harder on the weaknesses and problem areas it had identified.

He said the party is also struggling to fill positions in the party left by those who have become MPs, ministers and cabinet members.

Those past [mistakes] are lessons. We will work more effectively in the future, U Nyan Win said. We will try our best to win the [2020] election as we did in 2015.
Burma Shan National Dialogue In Doubt After Public Consultation Cancelled

Tatmadaw troops break up a public consultation organized in Panglong in December 2017. / Sai Kyaw / Facebook

YANGON  A Shan national-level dialogue (ND) convened for Langkho (Lin Khay) next week is now unlikely to go ahead after a Shan public consultation planned to be held in Taunggyi this weekend had to be cancelled.

We are not sure yet whether it will be held in Langkho, as the pre-consultation for the ND in Taunggyi on Jan. 7-9 has been cancelled, said Sai Kyaw Nyunt, secretary of both the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) and the Shan national-level dialogue convening committee. He also represents the SNLD at the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC).

If the Shan national-level political dialogue in Langkho is not held, the participation of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) in the upcoming session of the 21st Century Panglong Union Peace Conference (UPC) later this month will pose a dilemma for the organisers. Although the Shan ND was not able to be carried out before May last year, the RCSS still participated in the second session of the 21st Panglong UPC, in order to allow the process to continue.

Tensions have been high since the last few weeks of 2017 when the pre-consultations being led by the Committee for Shan State Unity (CSSU)  which is chaired by the RCSS  were blocked by the Tatmadaw and later by the Shan State government.

Talks were held between the RCSS, a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), and the Tatmadaw, but they failed to find a way around the impasse.

The Tatmadaw has long insisted that only the RCSS, an NCA signatory, can lead the Shan ethnic based ND, and rejected the pre-consultations on the grounds that there is no provision for them in the agreement.

The Tatmadaw has said the RCSS can hold consultations or the ND in their territories but not in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, which is controlled by the government. Given this, the RCSS and the Tatmadaw have not been able to agree on a venue, as the RCSS had proposed Taunggyi as the site for the dialogue.

The militarys obstructionist moves were reportedly due to the consultations being held under the leadership of the CSSU. The CSSU  an alliance of Shan political parties, the Shan armed groups, the RCSS and the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP), and civil society groups  includes the SSPP as a member. The SSPP is a non-signatory to the NCA and is a member of the northeast based Federal Political Negotiation and Consultation Committee.

Another possible concern of the Tatmadaw seemed to be centered on public gatherings held by the Shan, as the Shan were a politically strong group and a key player in the Federal movement in 1961, which preceded a military coup a year later.

We Shans have put our efforts into building the federal union since new Union of Myanmar was created [70 years ago] and we have maintained those efforts. So the public gathering prior to the Shan national-level dialogue should be allowed. It is for good, said Sai Aung Myint Oo, a prominent ethnic Shan youth.

According to the NCA text, only the signatories to the pact can hold national level political dialogues as laid down in the political roadmap (Section 20, Chapter 5), as agreed by both sides of NCA signatories.

Peace commission secretary U Khin Zaw Oo, a former lieutenant-general who is acting as the Tatmadaws intermediary, told The Irrawaddy last week that it was not a problem who led the ND, but the obstruction may be due to there being no stated provision for pre-consultations for the ND in the [framework] agreement.

Observers and some stakeholders have suggested that the Shan pre-consultations would not present a problem if they slightly amended the title to public consultations instead of pre-discussion for the ND.

The title has become a sticking point as the government, Tatmadaw and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) all have different understandings about the concept of a pre-consultation and the ND, said Khun Okkar, of the PaO Nationalities Liberation Organization. He said they hoped to find a solution to the matter during a UPDJC meeting next week, on Jan. 9.

It wont matter whether we change the title or not. They just dont want us to convene. Prior to us, the Karens, Chins and PaOs also did the same and they were able to hold consultations [in 2017], said Sai Kyaw Nyunt, adding that even the civil society groups, which held their final forum in Naypyidaw this week  were able to do pre-consultations in almost every state and region.

If the rules are applied differently for different groups, it wont be convenient, he said.

Although the NCA guarantees participation to all ethnic nationalities at all levels of political dialogue, the public collaborations are being reduced, said Sai Kyaw Nyunt. I also wonder why the civilian government doesnt want to allow us to attend, and why the Tatmadaw keeps blocking us, he said.

Sai Kyaw Nyunt asserted there had been a gentlemans agreement on the pre-ND. We were told it is not stipulated, and that we have to do it by the book, he said, I would argue there is no restriction either in the NCA, or in the political dialogue frameworks stating that non-signatories cannot hold such dialogues.

According to the NCA roadmap, the political dialogues are a key foundation step to amending the Constitution, as an agreement from the political dialogues, including the discussion of security sector reform, would have to be presented at the Union Peace Conference (UPC) for the Union Accord to be signed.

However, the current peace-building process has become mired in uncertainty as the framework on the political dialogue has not yet become a common agreement and the UPC is being held without a complete convening of the political dialogues.

After the second 21st Panglong UPC, the first part of the Union Accord was signed with a lack of key federal principles. This was partly due to the Tatmadaws position of wanting a non-separation of the ethnic states from the Union of Myanmar and its demand for the EAOs to make such a pledge. The question remains whether the stakeholders will be able to include the key federal principles, such as the drafting of ethnic state constitutions and self-determination, in the new Constitution.

Without the key federal principles, any change to the Constitution, which is one of the main aims of the NLD government, will be unsuccessful. Sai Kyaw Nyunt said the UPC would not be needed if the government and the Tatmadaw did not want to change the Constitution.

For the federal principles to be included in the Union Accord, all nationalities of Myanmar must strive to achieve it, said Khun Okkar.
News Myanmar President Reaffirms Commitment to Constitutional Reform

President U Htin Kyaw at a ceremony to confer titles for bravery on Independence Day. / Myanmar Presidents Office/ Website

YANGON  Myanmars President U Htin Kyaw repeated a vow to create a Constitution that upholds democratic standards on the countrys 70th anniversary of independence.

Amid critics pointing out that the National League for Democracy (NLD) has remained silent regarding constitutional reform, the presidents statement on Thursday reaffirms that the government has not swayed from its ultimate goal of rewriting the military-drafted 2008 Constitution.

The emergence of a Constitution in line with democratic norms has been a top priority for the NLD. But attempts to amend or replace the current Constitution will be no easy task, as it will put the NLD head-to-head with hardline military generals.

We all must collaborate to adopt a Constitution suitable for the country as we build a democratic federal Union in accordance with the results of the political dialogues, President U Htin Kyaw said in his Independence Day message.

He said the government is working on national reconciliation and the peace process aimed at building a democratic state based on the principles of freedom for all ethnic national races, justice, equality and the right to self-determination, calling for the cessation of all armed conflicts and respect for human rights.

Yet, the president did not elaborate as to how the government is working for constitutional reform.

Despite a civilian government assuming power in Myanmar, the constitutional crisis remains a major barrier to the countrys democratic transition.

The military retains a powerful influence under the Constitution.

The military sees its main duty as safeguarding the charter, which guarantees that it maintains an important leadership role. Constitutionally, 25 percent of seats in all national and regional parliaments are reserved for the military. It also holds three key ministerial portfoliosDefense, Home and Border Affairsand appoints a vice president.

In a statement released on Thursday commemorating the anniversary of independence, the ruling NLD party stated that it wouldnt be swayed from implementing its election promises including ending long-running civil wars, achieving lasting peace and implementing constitutional change.

It also stated that the Rakhine State crisis has been the biggest blow to its government and has challenged national dignity and sovereignty.

In spite of some UN agencies and powerful countries criticizing and imposing sanctions against Myanmar as if it is their enemy, we are not nervous, and are responding to them based on reality and practical actions.
News Six Soldiers Hurt in Apparent Landmine Blast in Rakhines Maungdaw

A military truck patrols in Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, in this file photo. / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  Six soldiers were injured when their vehicle was struck by what police believe was a remotely detonated landmine in northern Rakhine States Maungdaw Township on Friday morning, a border police officer in Kyein Chaung village told The Irrawaddy.

The blast occurred near Tarein, an ethnic Arakanese village in the northern part of the township about 30 km from downtown Maungdaw. According to the police officer, the six soldiers were escorting an Army officer who had fallen ill and was being transported in a civilian vehicle to Maungdaw to receive medical treatment. The police officer could not identify the soldiers regiment.

As the vehicle was passing Tarein at around 10.30 a.m, it was targeted by what appeared to be a remotely detonated landmine, causing minor injuries to the six soldiers and the civilian driver. The sick officer was not injured in the blast.

Following the blast, the vehicle came under attack from gunmen apparently positioned on a nearby hill, but the passengers managed to escape further injury. It was unclear whether the attack was carried out by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) or an Arakanese armed group.

The police officer said a remotely controlled landmine was likely to blame, rather than a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG). If it was an RPG, the vehicle would have been blown to bits. Im pretty sure this was a landmine attack, he said.

He speculated the ambush was the work of an Arakanese armed group, rather than ARSA militants, given the location of the attack near an Arakanese village and the fact that ARSA usually attacks at night. Security forces were on the scene quickly and a hunt for the attackers was under way by 1 p.m.

On Dec. 28, an Arakanese resident of Tarein was killed in a machete attack while fishing near a Muslim village. Authorities have yet to identify any suspects in that attack. In early December, a mine detonated on the Ann-Myebon Highway shortly after Rakhine State Chief Minister Nyi Pus convoy passed by. An Army truck was hit and four soldiers were wounded.
Friday, Jan 5th, 2018 (7:07 am) - Score 1,396

The Group Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Anders Christensen, has accused the Aylesbury Vale District Council in Buckinghamshire of trying falsely portray the recent sale of the rural FTTH based Aylesbury Vale Broadband network (assets) to UK ISP Gigaclear as a success story.

Officially AVB was supported by around 700,000 in the form of a publicly funded commercial loan from AVDC (extracted from a fund of 1.536m), which itself acted as a 95% shareholder (most of AVBs directors work for the council). Until the sale (here), AVB claimed that it had been steadily building the network out to serve around 2,000 premises in several villages.

Naturally most of the people behind AVB have nothing but good things to say about the effort, which is despite a stream of criticism from opposition councillors, a number of overbuilding or competition challenges (examples here and here), concerns over financial stability, technical problems with the network (took awhile to resolve) and issues with the slow pace of deployment.

In fairness building a FTTH network into rural areas is no mean feat and AVB clearly had noble intentions towards reaching rural parts of the vale. Sadly the level of secrecy around the projects funding, sale and actual progress hasnt always made it easy to write about. Each side of the council seems to accuse the other of misleading the public in some way and in both cases the road block of confidentiality makes it hard to verify fact from fiction.

Councillor and AVB Director, Janet Blake, recently said that she was extremely proud of the success Aylesbury Vale Broadband (AVB) has achieved in delivering high-speed broadband to rural villages in the Vale that otherwise had no realistic likelihood of being connected by other providers (here). Meanwhile the opposition take a different view.

Anders Christensen, LibDem Councillor, told ISPreview.co.uk: I am disturbed by the press releases put out by the Council in relation to the sale of AVB. Cllr Janet Blake continues to falsely portray AVB as a success when information released to a handful of councillors (we have been gagged so we can not publicly share it) clearly demonstrate the false nature of Janet Blakes comments. She insists on saying AVB connected 7 villages but this includes Oving and Drayton Parslow which, while having fibre laid to the edge of the village, did not connect a single subscriber. The council also trot out the line that AVB serve around 2,000 premises in several villages. As noted I cant divulge the actual number of subscribers but suffice to say its a fraction of the 2000. Only 1/3 of the people who paid deposits to get the service from AVB were ever connected. Its great news that broadband services to the effected villages will finally be run by a professional company and I am hopeful that they will finally receive the service that AVDC falsely promised them two years ago. While I have not seen the details of the sale yet I can say that even the most optimistic view before Christmas is that the council would still loose a substantial amount of money as the selling price would be less than the money ploughed into to AVB. 

Its worth pointing out that the reference to 2,000 premises is a reflection of coverage and appears to have been wrongfully conflated with take-up above, which requires a different measure of success. Even in rural areas take-up often requires time to grow and we know a fair few FTTP/H providers that initially aim for around 20-30% take-up. The original take-up assumptions for the BT / BDUK programme were even lower but today stand at around 39% of total homes passed.

Sadly the secrecy means we cant easily verify how well AVB has done. Similarly Anders has previously claimed that AVB [ran] out of money and gobbled 1.3m of investment (well above the 700k touted in previous public documents), although once again we cannot verify who is telling the truth because of the frustrating confidentiality and counter claims by bitter political opponents.

A review of the AVB scheme, which will be conducted by an external body and is expected to go through AVDCs Audit Committee, is due to begin soon but there are already doubts about how much solid information about AVBs financial situation, actual deployment or the Gigaclear sale will end up being released to the public. A recent council meeting (skip to item 8 here) helps to illustrate the challenge of confidentiality vs accountability.

UPDATE 9th Jan 2018

Weve received the following comment from AVDC.
Friday, Jan 5th, 2018 (11:37 am) - Score 7,966

The Governments Digital Minister, Matt Hancock, has quietly signed-off on a controversial impact assessment for the new Age Verification system, which underpins their plan to force all UK broadband ISPs into blocking websites that contain pornographic content (unless they use age verification).

Just to recap. The new Digital Economy Act 2017 (summary) will introduce an age-verification system for websites that contain pornographic content, which is due to be enforced from May 2018. Under this approach the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) will gain the power to force ISPs and mobile operators into blocking porn websites that fail to put tough age verification measures in place.

On the one hand many people welcome this approach as it will help to make the Internet a safer place for children, but on the other hand it overlooks the fact that masses of adults enjoy viewing porn and most UK households do not have young children. Similarly all of the major ISPs already offer network-level filtering (Parental Control) features and there are lots of free alternatives for those who prefer to use smaller ISPs.

Similarly more than a few people and organisations, including the UNs High Commissioner for Human Rights (here), have warned that the Governments approach could have some damaging consequences. Others have also suggested that it might force those who work in the adult industry into more dangerous situations (example).

Lest we forget that nobody knows quite how to make an Age Verification system that works, at least not without forcing people to share their private personal and or financial details with unreliable porn peddlers. The infamous Ashley Madison hack highlighted just how dangerous such information could be in the wrong hands (multiple cases of blackmail and suicide etc.).

Despite this Matt Hancock did, on 12th Dec 2017, sign-off on an earlier Impact Assessment for the new Age Verification Regulator (here), which included a rather chilling list of the potential risks involved. Many of these have been highlighted before and so well done to the Government for acknowledging them, even though they intend to continue regardless because the benefits justify the costs.

Risks Identified by the Impact Assessment  Deterring adults from consuming content as a result of privacy/ fraud concerns linked to inputting ID data into sites and apps, also some adults may not be able to prove their age online;  Development of alternative payment systems and technological work-arounds could mean porn providers do not comply with new law, and enforcement is impossible as they are based overseas, so the policy goal would not be achieved;  The assumption that ISPs will comply with the direction of the regulator;  Reputational risks including Government censorship, over-regulation, freedom of speech and freedom of expression.  The potential for online fraud could raise significantly, as criminals adapt approaches in order to make use of false AV systems / spoof websites and access user data;  The potential ability of children, particularly older children, to bypass age verification controls is a risk. However, whilst no system will be perfect, and alternative routes such as virtual private networks and peer-to-peer sharing of content may enable some under-18s to see this content, Ofcom research indicates that the numbers of children bypassing network level filters, for example, is very low (ca. 1%).  Adults (and some children) may be pushed towards using ToR and related systems to avoid AV where they could be exposed to illegal and extreme material that they otherwise would never have come into contact with.

The Impact Assessment for all this also estimated that it will cost an average of around 4.5 million to fully setup the regulator and that large ISPs could each expect to incur costs of between 100,000 to 500,000 to update their systems and block non-compliant websites (assumes a block of up to 50 sites per year at DNS level). Obviously big ISPs can deal with such a cost but smaller providers will struggle (network-level filtering is neither cheap nor easy to develop).

We note that MindGeek are one of those developing their own age verification solution (AgeID) and they intend to license this out to other sites (one-click verification across many sites), which could disadvantage those using other solutions that would require the user to re-verify.

MindGeek also run porn sites that make money by allowing users to upload video content (often this is pirated from other porn produces) and then monetising it via advertising. The company has also suggested blocking up to 4 million websites that contain adult content (including Twitter), unless they pay the MindGeek tax for AgeID, naturally.

Lest we forget the absence of proper judicial oversight for website blocking, which is often necessary in order to prevent poor censorship decisions and to secure independence from politicians or commercial firms.
Linux creator Linus Torvalds has had some harsh words for Intel in the course of a discussion about patches for two bugs that were found to affect most of the company's processors.

Two flaws  dubbed Meltdown and Spectre  were revealed this week in Intel processors made since 1995 and companies have been hustling to offer fixes and workarounds.

Meltdown removes the barrier between user applications and sensitive parts of the operating system while Spectre, which is also reportedly found in some AMD and ARM processors, can trick vulnerable applications into leaking the contents of their memory.

Torvalds was clearly unimpressed by Intel's bid to play down the crisis through its media statements,: "I think somebody inside of Intel needs to really take a long hard look at their CPUs, and actually admit that they have issues instead of writing PR blurbs that say that everything works as designed."

The Finn, who is known for never beating about the bush where technical issues are concerned, questioned what Intel was actually trying to say.

"Or is Intel basically saying 'we are committed to selling you shit forever and ever, and never fixing anything'?" he asked. "Because if that's the case, maybe we should start looking towards the ARM64 people more."

Meanwhile, an Australian who was part of the team that released advice about the bugs, said: "These bugs in the hardware can enable hackers using malicious programs to steal sensitive data which is currently processed on the computer. Such programs can exploit Meltdown and Spectre to get hold of secrets stored in the memory of other running programs."

Dr Yuval Yarom, of the University of Adelaide's School of Computer Science, and Data 61, added: "They do this because the processor leaves behind traces of the information that it's processing, and these traces could lead a hacker to discover important information."

But he said there was a positive to the findings too. "Ultimately, I think our discovery will help to change the way processors are designed, to help prevent such cyber security concerns."

The organisations involved in finding the bugs included Google's Project Zero, the University of Adelaide and CSIRO's Data61 in Australia, Graz University of Technology in Austria, Cyberus Technology GmbH in Germany, and the University of Pennsylvania, University of Maryland and Rambus in the US.

Commenting on the bugs, Ryan Kalember, vice-president of Cyber Security Strategy at security outfit Proofpoint, said: "Like most organisations, chip manufacturers have long prioritised speed over security  and that has led to a tremendous amount of sensitive data (being) placed at risk of unauthorised access via Meltdown and Spectre.

"While the vast majority of computing devices are impacted by these flaws, the sky is not falling. Both vulnerabilities require an attacker to be able to run their code on the device they are attacking. The typical consumer is still vastly more likely to be targeted by something like a phishing email than a targeted attack exploiting Meltdown or Spectre.

"However, these vulnerabilities break down some of the most fundamental barriers computers use to keep data safe, so cloud providers need to act quickly to ensure that unauthorised access, which would be very difficult to detect, does not occur."

Kalember said that if there was some good news, it was fortunate that these vulnerabilities were discovered and responsibly disclosed by respected researchers as opposed to being exploited in a large-scale, potentially-damaging global attack.

"Organisations worldwide need to immediately implement the Kaiser patch to address the Meltdown threat and we applaud the quick action by companies such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft to do so. While there is no immediate fix for Spectre, we would hope the chip manufacturers learn from these vulnerabilities and weigh the security implications of their new product features," he added.
A little more than 20 years ago, Intel faced a problem with its processors, though it was not as big an issue as compared to the speculative execution bugs that were revealed this week.

The 1997 bug, which came to be known as the F00F bug, allowed a malicious person to freeze up Pentium MMX and "classic" Pentium computers. Any Intel Pentium/Pentium MMX could be remotely and anonymously caused to hang, merely by sending it the byte sequence "F0 0F C7 C8".

At the time, Intel said it learnt about the bug on 7 November 1997, but a report (which is now offline) said that at least two people had indicated on an Intel newsgroup that the company knew about it earlier before. The processor firm confirmed the existence on 10 November.

But, says veteran Linux sysadmin Rick Moen, the company's reaction to that bug was quite similar to the way it has reacted to this week's disclosures.

"Intel has a long history of trying to dissemble and misdirect their way out of paying for grave CPU flaws," Moen said in a post to the Linux Users of Victoria mailing list.

"Remember the 'Pentium Processor Invalid Instruction Erratum' of 1997, exposing all Intel Pentium and Pentium MMX CPUs to remote security attack, stopping them in their tracks if they could be induced to run processory instruction 'F0 0F C7 C8'?

"No, of course you don't. That's why Intel gave it the mind-numbingly boring official name 'Pentium Processor Invalid Instruction Erratum', hoping to replace its popular names 'F00F bug' and 'Halt-and-Catch Fire bug'."

Moen, who is based in California, said that at the time, Intel's "judo-move response" was to create an information page claiming it dealt with the bug by linking to each of the various x86 OS vendors' bug-fix pages.

The company was effectively saying, "Here, we fixed the grave defect in our CPU by sitting on our asses and letting software coders work around our error," he wrote. "The press, of course, co-operated by simply pointing people to Intel's page and implying that Intel 'developed a fix'. That's what they're going to do this time, too, I'm sure of that."

In a detailed series of posts, from himself and many others, Moen has created a page about the F00F bug which he had put up on his own website.

He pointed out in a post on 1 March 1998, that Debian developer Robert Collins had notified Intel about the bug twice, months before it came to light on a Usenet posting. "Intel did nothing until an anonymous post from U. of Texas appeared on comp.os.linux.advocacy," Moen said. "News reports incorrectly claimed that the story broke on comp.sys.intel, and (tech news site) CNET rather pathetically credited itself."

He said that Intel had eventually opened a public relations Web page "rather soothingly dubbing the bug the 'Pentium Processor Invalid Instruction Erratum'. (Never say 'bug', and certainly never 'the Pentium bug'.) Intel released technical information only under non-disclosure, which helped BSDI release a binary-patch fix, which the Linux kernel team then reverse-engineered and implemented in improved form."

Moen, who can be caustic about the reaction of companies to situations such as this, noted in his post: "One interesting aspect of all this is how well both Intel and Microsoft have mastered the art of damage control via management of on-line bug information. This is really a much more serious bug than the infamous Pentium math bug, but never quite crossed over from geekdom into the public consciousness."

I have 2 degrees in computer HW. I worked @ Intel on the product security team. I was already familiar w/ #spectre & #meltdown background research. But I still had to re-read the new disclosures multiple times to fully understand it. Don't feel bad if it doesn't make sense yet.  Joe Fitz (@securelyfitz) 4 January 2018

He said both companies had waited "until their more clueful customers' complaints reached an adequate volume, and then put up Web pages with mind-numbingly bureaucratic descriptions, that were as difficult to come across by accident as possible.

"This minimally placated the technical community, while avoiding alarming corporate executives, or even making them aware of the problem. With luck, the few who do stumble over the page will not recognise the problem or its severity, from the provided description."

Moen said this approach had been applied in other areas, too. "When Microsoft produced hotfixes that kinda-sorta addressed some (possibly not all) variants of the Ping of Death attack, the patch is classified as 'icmp-fix' and the symptom described as 'A Stop 0x0000000A occurs in Tcpip.sys when receiving Out of Band (OOB) data'.

"Doesn't sound much like 'An anonymous stranger crashes your system by sending it Ping of Death packets from somewhere halfway around the world", does it'?"

He noted in his March 1998 post that one would find less and less useful bug information by delving through FTP sites. "The vendors are tending not to see your serendipitous discoveries as being to their advantage. They prefer to keep a sharp eye on what you find and are interested in, accumulate mandatory survey information on you so they can spam your USPS and e-mailboxes, and present the appropriate spin on whatever knowledge they're obliged to give you.

"Welcome to 1998. We're from the Marketing department. We're here to help you."
Almost two years of preparation involving over 200 meetings, 30 subcommittees, and so on. Thats just a quick look at Joyce Rabins work as Chair of Together in Israel: Our Pride, Our Purpose. Hadassahs 100th National Convention. (Hadassah, which was founded in 1912, held its first conventi Read moreS'ville resident helps organize 100th national of Hadassah, The Womens Zionist Organization of America
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

News agencies are reporting that on Thursday, Irans wave of protests died down.

If so (and for all we know they could start back up again), here are some reasons.

The regime raised the cost of protest, speaking of executing protesters. While that threat might not have deterred the dedicated dissidents, it would peel off the less committed and reduce the amount of people power available to them.

The rallies, often in remote small towns, took the regime and its security forces by surprise, and challenged local police deputies.

Over time, the regime has proven able to mobilize police, street thugs loyal to the ayatollahs (the paramilitary basij), and the Revolutionary Guards. Opinion polling over the past 25 years shows that about 15% of the population strongly supports the hard liners, and that 15% can be mobilized for counter demonstrations. A succesful movement has to outnumber the 15%.

Trump, Pence and Haley made it easy for the regime to paint the protesters as foreign agents by sqawking publically their support for the dissidents.

These protests in some ways resembled IMF riots, which break out when the Bretton Woods institutions convince governments to reduce subsidies. The rising price of staples contributed to the unrest, as did reductions in gasoline subsidies.

IMF riots typically subside when the government restores some subsidies and helps those at the very bottom of the economy.

Historically in Iran, successful revolutions have comprised clerics, middle class intellectuals, and the traditional big merchants. In 2009 it was mainly the intelligentsia who came out. The gold merchants in the bazaar only went on strike in 2010, when it was too late.

This time the center of gravity was the working class in small provincial municipalities.

Some observers rejoiced that the protesters were not reformers but were calling for the overthrow of the regime and were cursing its high officers. But reform would have been more practical and a more promising platform for attracting other social classes. In a rentier oil state a lot of people depend on government salaries and contracts.

The protests revealed a rich vein of profound discontent at the grassroots level. The regime has been challenged. The future depends on whether the ayatollahs rise to that challenge.
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By Ingo Trauschweizer | (The Conversation) |  

President Donald Trump greeted the new year with an angry tweet about U.S. ally Pakistan.

Among other things, the tweet accuses Pakistan of giving safe haven to terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan. The Pakistani prime minister responded that the tweet was completely incomprehensible.

While the subjects of Trumps tweets are often erratic, this one didnt come out of nowhere. The Pakistan tweet followed just weeks after Trump unveiled his administrations National Security Strategy  a document presidents have provided to Congress since the 1980s.

The 2017 National Security Strategy includes the statement that the United States continues to face threats from transnational terrorists and militants operating from within Pakistan.

Indeed, its possible that the presidents bellicose tweet was inspired by this document  which also happens to be the first National Security Strategy ever shaped primarily by two generals. The office of Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser, coordinated the drafting of the document with the secretary of defense, retired Marine Gen. James Mattis. While military men have served as secretary of defense and national security adviser before, this is the first time both positions are filled by generals at the same time.

Im currently researching yet another general  Maxwell Taylor  who was engaged in comparable strategy reviews during the 1960s. Taylor was a former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, ambassador to South Vietnam and adviser to John F. Kennedy.

Thinking about Taylors struggles back during the Cold War led me to approach this years security document with one main question: Could two military men succeed as the nations primary authors of strategy?

What is strategy?

The 2017 National Security Strategy, largely in keeping with its predecessors, does a good job at listing problems. It enumerates geopolitical and economic challenges from Russia and China as well as threats from Iran, North Korea and Islamic fundamentalists. It also points at military and other tools for addressing these threats.

Despite President Trumps dark picture of the world and his rhetorical emphasis on America First, a campaign theme he reiterated in an unusual presidential speech unveiling the document, it is not an isolationist strategy. It also doesnt disavow globalism, the guiding principle of foreign policy for most of the past century.

Its four pillars  protecting the homeland, promoting prosperity, securing peace through strength and defending American interests  echo themes found in National Security Strategy documents of the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations. McMaster described the new National Security Strategy as a sober accounting of current threats.

Yet in this years document there is a marked absence of political objectives  like spreading democracy  which had been shared by Republican and Democratic administrations all the way back to Woodrow Wilsons vision of a new world order after World War I.

In this respect, it replicates a flaw already apparent in past decades: The National Security Strategy does not provide actual strategy, but rather guidance on drafting policy. Sound strategy goes beyond simple problem solving. It links means to ends in order to attain a broader political objective.

This document also departs from predecessors in showing less pronounced faith in alliances and international agreements than what underpinned U.S. foreign policy since 1945.

Soldiers and strategy

While Mattis and McMaster appear to work well together, they have different views on the roles of soldiers in shaping strategy.

McMaster made his name as a historian with a book on the flawed decisions that led the U.S. into the Vietnam War. He concluded that the Joint Chiefs of Staff were not heard, mainly because civilian leaders in the Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson administrations did not trust them. McMaster believed these military men had a better sense of how to win in Vietnam  or could have prevented the nation from getting involved in an unwinnable war effort in the first place. In a Dec. 18 PBS interview, when asked about his lessons from the Vietnam War, McMaster noted it was essential to present the president with all available options.

Mattis, a history major and avid reader, has come to different conclusions about soldiers and strategy. In Warriors and Citizens, his 2016 book on civil-military relations, co-edited with Kori Schake of the Hoover Institution, Mattis notes that there was a problem with generals taking the lead in defining strategy because they are likely to view threats in isolation from a wider context and end up devising a depoliticized strategy.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who should provide a counterweight to a military-driven strategy, appears to sit on the sidelines. No other major actors on foreign policy have emerged from within the Cabinet or Congress. Even though some pundits have welcomed the steadying role played by generals in a mercurial administration, this influence could also be seen as representing an imbalance in civil-military relations that threatens to pull the armed services into the partisan maelstrom.

So how did the military men do?

They may have softened the presidents desire for unilateral action and kept open the door for more international cooperation. McMaster has lauded Trumps unconventional approach that forced him to reconsider dogma. But this approach, in my opinion, threatens to destabilize a world order largely upheld by the United States, the premier military and diplomatic power since World War II, and one that boosted the American economy to unprecedented heights.

Strategy ought to be the process wherein policymakers and soldiers link operational plans and capabilities to policy objectives. Instead, over the past decades, soldiers have relied overly optimistically on military strength. Civilian leaders, meanwhile, have misidentified policy guidance as strategy. Neither can deter or defeat the threats facing the nation by itself.

Ingo Trauschweizer, Associate Professor of History; Director, Contemporary History Institute, Ohio University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
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TeleSur |  

Bannon has spilled out shocking details on the Trump White House and campaign, which he describes as riddled with conflicting interests.

President Donald Trump Wednesday blasted former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon as having lost his mind in the fallout over damaging comments Bannon made about Trumps son Donald Trump Jr. in excerpts from a new book.

Trump, who continued to speak privately with Bannon after firing him in August, essentially cut ties with Bannon in a blistering statement issued after Bannons comments came to light.

According to excerpts from Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolff, to be released Tuesday, Bannon was installed as a lieutenant of Trumps campaign along with Kellyanne Conway by right-wing billionaire Robert Mercer, a Ted Cruz backer who gave the Trump campaign US$5 million in August 2016.

When Bannon became chief executive of the Trump presidential effort, he immediately noticed that it was the broke-dick campaign.

The former host of NBCs The Apprentice began relying heavily on Bannon, chairman of the extreme right-wing Breitbart News website, for advice in the months leading up to his upset victory in the November 2016 election.

Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind, Trump said.

In excerpts from the book, Bannon described a June 2016 meeting with a group of Russians at Trump Tower in New York arranged by the presidents son and attended by top Trump campaign officials as treasonous and unpatriotic.

Warning that the investigation into Kremlin links and money laundering would dig up dirt, Bannon said: They are going to crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV.

Bannon has spilled out shocking details on the Trump White House and campaign, which he describes as riddled with conflicting interests.

President Donald Trump Wednesday blasted former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon as having lost his mind in the fallout over damaging comments Bannon made about Trumps son Donald Trump Jr. in excerpts from a new book.

Trump, who continued to speak privately with Bannon after firing him in August, essentially cut ties with Bannon in a blistering statement issued after Bannons comments came to light.

According to excerpts from Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolff, to be released Tuesday, Bannon was installed as a lieutenant of Trumps campaign along with Kellyanne Conway by right-wing billionaire Robert Mercer, a Ted Cruz backer who gave the Trump campaign US$5 million in August 2016.

When Bannon became chief executive of the Trump presidential effort, he immediately noticed that it was the broke-dick campaign.

The former host of NBCs The Apprentice began relying heavily on Bannon, chairman of the extreme right-wing Breitbart News website, for advice in the months leading up to his upset victory in the November 2016 election.

Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind, Trump said.

In excerpts from the book, Bannon described a June 2016 meeting with a group of Russians at Trump Tower in New York arranged by the presidents son and attended by top Trump campaign officials as treasonous and unpatriotic.

Warning that the investigation into Kremlin links and money laundering would dig up dirt, Bannon said: They are going to crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV.

Regarding a meeting involving Donald Trump Jr., son-in-law Jared Kushner, campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya at Trump Tower, Bannon said The three senior guys in the campaign thought it was a good idea to meet with a foreign government inside Trump Tower in the conference room on the 25th floor  with no lawyers. They didnt have any lawyers.

Even if you thought that this was not treasonous, or unpatriotic, or bad shit, and I happen to think its all of that, you should have called the FBI immediately.

The Wolff book, parts of which were published by New York magazine and The Guardian, portrayed Trump as shocked that he won the election and said his wife, Melania Trump, was in tears, and not of joy.

In the book, Trump is also derided by one of his oldest associates, Thomas Barrack Jr., who allegedly told a personal friend: Hes not only crazy, hes stupid. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders called the book trashy tabloid fiction.

The first ladys spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham added: The book is clearly going to be sold in the bargain fiction section. Mrs. Trump supported her husbands decision to run for President and in fact, encouraged him to do so. She was confident he would win and was very happy when he did.

Turning to the real estate company owned by Kushner that received a US$285-million loan from a German bank one month before the U.S. election, Bannon adds that Mueller will roll up the young senior adviser. Bannon and Kushner had a long and public feud throughout the formers time in the White House.

It goes through Deutsche Bank and all the Kushner shit. The Kushner shit is greasy. Theyre going to go right through that. Theyre going to roll those two guys up and say play me or trade me, Bannon said.

Bannon helped the former real estate tycoon shape his populist America First message and has been the presidents link to his conservative base of support. It was not clear if the split would push Bannon to be even more aggressive in his campaign against the Republican establishment and whether he now would also target Trump, or whether he would emerge much weaker.

While Trump in the past praised Bannon for his friendship, the president said in his statement Wednesday that Bannon had little to do with his election victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, calling him a staffer who worked for me after he had already won the Republican nomination.

Trump said Bannon was also to blame for the loss of a Republican-held U.S. Senate seat in Alabama in December when Republican Roy Moore, whose campaign was derailed by accusations of sexual misconduct with teenage girls, lost to Democrat Doug Jones. During the campaign, Trump joined Bannon in backing Moore.

Via TeleSur
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Equinox Gold Corp. (TSX-V:EQX) (Equinox Gold or the Company), is pleased to announce that Mr. Ross Beaty, Chairman of the Company, has acquired 22.5 million common shares of Equinox Gold, bringing his total holdings in the Company to 41.4 million common shares.

As previously announced on October 25, 2017, pursuant to a share and debenture purchase agreement between Equinox Gold, Mr. Beaty and Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (Sandstorm), Sandstorm has sold to Mr. Beaty 4.0 million common shares of Equinox Gold and US$15.0 million principal of the debenture payable by Equinox Gold to Sandstorm at a combined purchase price of approximately US$18.2 million. The debenture has been converted to 18,518,518 common shares that have been issued to Mr. Beaty.

Sandstorm now holds a total of 24.0 million common shares and common share purchase warrants exercisable into 9.1 million common shares at an average exercise price of C$2.92, bringing Sandstorms total holdings in Equinox Gold to 5.7% on a basic basis and 7.7% on a partially diluted basis. The sale of the Equinox Gold securities was planned as part of the business combination to form Equinox Gold that was completed on December 22, 2017. Sandstorm may from time to time acquire additional securities of Equinox Gold, dispose of some or all of the existing or additional securities it holds or will hold, or may continue to hold its current position. Accordingly, since Sandstorms holdings in Equinox Gold have decreased to less than 10%, as required pursuant to National Instrument 62-103 - The Early Warning System and Related Take Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues, Sandstorm will be filing an early warning report containing additional information on Equinox Golds SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

When combined with shares that Mr. Beaty purchased in the open market during November and December 2017, Mr. Beaty now holds a total of 9.8% of Equinox Gold (on a basic basis) and is the Companys largest shareholder.

About Equinox Gold

Equinox Gold is a Canadian mining company with a multi-million-ounce gold resource base, near-term and growing gold production from two past-producing mines in Brazil and California, and a long-term growth platform with a diverse portfolio of gold and copper assets in North and South America. Early works construction is underway at the Companys Aurizona project in Brazil with the objective of pouring gold by year-end 2018, and a prefeasibility study is underway at the Companys Castle Mountain project in California with the objective of restarting production.
ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PolyMet Mining Corp., (PolyMet or the company) TSX: POM; NYSE AMERICAN: PLM  is pleased to announce that today the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources released its draft Permit to Mine. An approved permit would allow its wholly-owned subsidiary Poly Met Mining, Inc. (together PolyMet or the company) to construct and operate the NorthMet copper-nickel-precious metals mine under the DNRs conditions.

In releasing the draft Permit to Mine for the PolyMet NorthMet Project, the DNR also announced that public hearings on the draft permit will be held February 7 and 8 in Aurora and Duluth, respectively. Separately today, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency announced that the February 7 and 8 events also will serve as public meetings on the draft air and water quality permits for the NorthMet mine with their respective conditions. The draft air and water permits, including related conditions, will be available from the PCA prior to the meetings. The state posts draft permits, their status and related information on www.polymet.mn.gov.

We believe our mine design meets all necessary requirements to construct and operate the mine in compliance with state law under the published draft permit conditions, said Jon Cherry, president and CEO. Public comment on these conditions is the last step before DNR makes its final decision.

The draft permit conditions detail monitoring, operating, reporting and inspection requirements during both the construction and operation of the mine. The draft Permit to Mine also details the reclamation and closure plan, short- and long-term water management plan, wetland replacement plan, and the financial assurance conditions, including amounts required to construct and begin operation of the mine.

The public comment period will close on March 6, 2018, after which the agencies will consider comments before making its final permit decisions.

After many years of hard work we look forward to the opportunity of opening the first copper-nickel-precious metals mine in Minnesota. We recognize the significance of this opportunity and the responsibility we have to do it right, Cherry said.

About PolyMet

PolyMet Mining Corp. (www.polymetmining.com) is a publicly traded mine development company that owns 100 percent of Poly Met Mining, Inc., a Minnesota corporation that controls 100 percent of the NorthMet copper-nickel-precious metals ore body through a long-term lease and owns 100 percent of the former LTV Steel Mining Company site, a large processing facility located approximately six miles from the ore body in the established mining district of the Mesabi Iron Range in northeastern Minnesota. The NorthMet Final Environmental Impact Statement was published in November 2015, preparing the way for decisions on permit applications. NorthMet is expected to require approximately two million hours of construction labor, create approximately 360 long-term jobs directly, and generate a level of activity that will have a significant multiplier effect in the local economy.
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It is the year 2018, and patients dont always receive good care and doctors questions their career choice. How have we arrived at this tragic state of affairs? The answer is that our for-profit health care system is the principal cause  not only of poor patient care but physician burnout. Only a single-payer system, which is anchored in the idea that good health care is an inalienable right and not a privilege, will allow both doctors and patients to extricate themselves from this suffering.

Under the current system, millions of Americans are forced to go to doctors that they dont want to go to. Vast numbers of Americans are also regularly compelled to stop going to doctors that they have known for years and dont wish to leave.

Due to a complicated health condition, I have seen dozens of different doctors over the past two years. Should my insurance suddenly change, this painstakingly constructed system of specialists could come crashing to the ground. Being forced to leave a doctor that you have known for years is a shame  not only because no one will know your medical problems quite like they do, but because once a good doctor-patient relationship is lost, it is gone forever.

This revolving door is harmful for physicians because if a doctor has a practice with patients incessantly coming and going, it will invariably foment alienation  a driving force behind physician burnout.

The argument that a single-payer system would be impossible to implement in practice is contradicted by the fact that Canada  along with the overwhelming majority of countries in Europe and Russia  have nationalized health care systems that are in many respects superior to our own. How can we call ourselves a civilized nation when millions of Americans with serious illnesses are more fearful of bankruptcy and losing their insurance than they are of death from widespread disease?

There is no logical reason why a New Yorker should be denied the right to see any doctor that they wish to see at Lenox Hill, Mount Sinai, Weill Cornell, Columbia, NYU or Sloan Kettering. Isnt it preposterous that millions of Americans live either within walking distance or a reasonable subway ride from these hospitals, and yet their health insurance prevents them from seeing the majority of physicians that actually work at these institutions?

The question of who will foot the bill should be asked, not in regards to who will pay for single payer, but in regards to how we can continue to maintain a system of nine-hundred military bases all across the globe. According to that great bastion of Marxist heresy The Washington Post, The U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq will cost taxpayers $4 trillion to $6 trillion. And this was written on March 28, 2013. How many hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars have we spent on sustaining this bloated empire over the past four years? Instead of using this money to establish an excellent health care system that we can be proud of, we are using this money to wage war. Think about that the next time someone says we cant afford a single-payer health care system.

The exploitation of doctors has a disastrous impact, not only on their morale but on the quality of care they can provide. Its analogous to giving a high school English teacher hundreds of students per semester and putting them in the impossible position of being unable to make detailed corrections to these essays.

Constantly attempting to come up with different business models is not the answer, since the underlying problem of a two-tier system where rich and poor get radically different standards of care will remain unchanged, while those with limited income will continue to be bombarded by unacceptably high premiums and deductibles.

Lamentably, the most pressing problem in this debate is the fact that millions of Americans continue to look at health care as just another business. The astronomical cost of college tuition has resulted in over a trillion dollars in student loan debt, while the quality of education has been steadily declining for decades. As with education, we can choose to either have a good health care system, or we can continue to allow a corrupt few to make staggering amounts of money while generating the most abject suffering and misery for untold millions of their countrymen.

Tying health insurance to ones job is profoundly unethical, as the overwhelming majority of Americans with full-time jobs can be fired at the drop of a hat if they take a significant amount of time off from work due to illness. Moreover, primary care physicians who elect not to take insurance at all will not be able to provide patients with critical in-network referrals.

How can the adage do no harm be implemented in practice when vitally important health care decisions are routinely made by hospital administrators, pharmaceutical CEOs and insurance executives whose only reason for getting involved in health care in the first place was to maximize the greatest possible profit? Remove the profit motive and compassion, dignity and humanity will be restored.

Why must we continue to allow parasites and con artists dictate to doctors how they can treat patients, while dictating to patients which doctors they can and cannot see? Good doctors who are forced by insurance companies to provide patients with inferior care will be prone to feelings of guilt, shame, remorse and depression. Indeed, this is a barbarous, unconscionable state of affairs, and it cannot hold water in any rational or civilized conversation.

The time has come for Americans to put an end to this foolishness and to disenthrall themselves from these corrupt elements that straitjacket and humiliate both doctors and patients alike.

David Penner is a writer.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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The United States is facing a looming physician shortage, and some groups see this as an opportunity to promote an agenda of replacing physicians with nurses.

The nurse-as-doctor concept appeared in the Institute of Medicine Future of Nursing 2011 report, which called for a radical change to the nursing structure in the United States, including a goal of full partnership with physicians. Nursing organizations responded with a plan to double the number of nurses with a doctorate degree by 2020.

To promote independent practice, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) invested in an aggressive multi-media campaign, including an onslaught of television commercials promoting unsupervised nurse practice in states like Pennsylvania, which is currently debating scope of practice laws. Nurses associations also spent over 5.3 million dollars on lobbying and donated 2.1 million dollars in 2016 to congressional candidates.

This PR and lobbying has reaped benefits for nurse practitioners (NPs). The Veterans Administration recently granted full practice authority to NPs, allowing veterans to receive medical care from nurses without physician supervision. In addition, 23 states and Washington, D.C. allow nurses to practice independently, with ongoing political battles in other states.

Unfortunately, this focus on increasing nursing scope of practice is having negative consequences, including a decline in the number of bedside nurses, along with an increase in NP diploma mills, programs that graduate nurses who are ill-prepared to care for patients independently.

Im referring to direct to DNP (Doctor of Nursing) programs, many of which boast a 100 percent acceptance rates, promote as little as fifteen months from MSN to DNP, and allow nurses to bridge by using work hours to credit towards clinical training. There are multiple accelerated programs that allow students who have not worked one hour as a nurse to become a NP, and even direct entry programs that allow students with a non-nursing bachelors degree to become a registered nurse and a NP seamlessly.

Once in attendance, NP coursework may be 100 percent online. Clinical experience hours are often on the honor system and may involve simply shadowing a doctor or nurse, many of whom the students have to find themselves. It is clear that there are simply not enough clinical preceptors to train nurse practitioner students, and a quick web search will show scores of NP students desperately seeking preceptors to attain clinical hours.

This decreased quality of NP training is becoming evident. While early studies showed that NPs working under physician supervision were able to produce similar outcomes in the management of already diagnosed chronic conditions, these NPs were mostly trained at brick and mortar schools, with a high level of clinical experience in nursing before advancing their career.

Newer studies show that removing standardized curriculum and physician supervision from NP training and practice is impacting the quality of patient care. This includes poorer quality referrals to specialists, more unnecessary skin biopsies, increased diagnostic imaging, increased prescriptions  like increased antibiotic prescribing  and higher opioid prescribing in several states, including Connecticut and New Hampshire. Payouts for malpractice claims against NPs are also on the rise, as are claims for the improper prescribing and management of controlled substances. And as training programs continue to churn out NPs at a rate of 23,000 per year, compared to about 19,000 physicians graduating from medical school, these trends are likely to continue.

If you are an NP reading this, you should be outraged. Your profession is being diluted and abused by your leadership and your teaching institutions. Ultimately, the nurse-as-doctor agenda will backfire as the market becomes saturated with poorly trained diploma mill grads.

If you are a physician, you should be outraged. Your years of work and sacrifice are increasingly devalued as you are replaced by an online graduate. As you well know, there is no online medical school and there are no shortcuts to the 20,000 hours of minimum clinical experience that physicians receive during training.

If you are a politician, you should be worried. Your constituents will eventually see that you have fallen for lobbyist lines, like the one about how NPs will enter primary care to ease the physician shortage. On the contrary, CMS data from 2012 showed that NPs are moving into subspecialty practice, despite having received little to no training or supervision in that specialty. Because unlike physicians, who must complete a separate residency of at least three years to change specialty, NPs can jump from one field to another without additional formal training.

You have also fallen for the hype that NPs will provide care in rural areas, where physicians supposedly wont go. Also, untrue. In Arizona, where NPs have been unsupervised since 2001, only 11 percent of all non-physicians (NPs, PAs, CNMs) work in rural areas and serve only 15 percent of Arizonas rural population.

And if you have believed the line that NPs save money, well, you may not have seen that the goal of the AANP is pay parity  that NPs be paid the same as physicians  a goal which was achieved legislatively in Oregon in 2013. And NPs may cost the system more, with a rigorous ten-year study showing that unsupervised CRNA practice in rural areas was more expensive than hiring physician anesthesiologists.

If you are a patient, you should be outraged. And scared. But also, hopeful. Because physicians like me do care. I am part of a group called Physicians for Patient Protection (PPP). We recently traveled to Washington, D.C. on our own dime to talk to legislators about our concerns for the future.

For most of us, its not about the money. If we wanted to be rich, we wouldnt have undertaken study in a field where the average student graduates with $183,000 of student loan debt and takes ten years longer than most college grads to start to earn a full-time salary.

Its also not about a turf war. There are many, many jobs out there for physicians.

It really and truly is about patient safety. We worry about our own health and that of our family. We want the best care for our future too.

Join me in this discussion. Physicians, email me if you want to learn more about joining PPP. Patients, ask your provider about their training and credentials. Demand a physician or a physician-supervised practitioner for your care.

Rebekah Bernard is a family physician and the author of How to Be a Rock Star Doctor: The Complete Guide to Taking Back Control of Your Life and Your Profession. She can be reached at her self-titled site, Rebekah Bernard, MD.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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Pchum Ben is a national religious festival in Cambodia. Its a time when families pay their respects to their dearly departed  those relatives that walked the earth before us, those who lived, laughed, cried and prayed in an era when we were not necessarily present.

The ceremony involves the offering of food from the living to the dead, as the ghosts of bygone relatives temporarily waken from their perceived existence in the magical worlds beyond ours. Food is prepared and transferred via monks who act as intermediaries between the donor and recipient in the confines of the temples and pagodas, the religious houses of worship in the community.

Pagodas are architecturally quaint  tiered towers with numerous eaves and hanging rooftops. They are often used to store sacred relics and scriptures of Buddhism and are revered locations where people gather, pray and find their peace. And like all religious houses, from mosques to churches and from synagogues to gurdwaras, pagodas exude calmness and cleanliness, while simultaneously adhering to strict cultural rituals, rules, and codes of conduct.

Our hospital closes every year for a week in respect of the Pchum Ben festival, allowing staff an opportunity to spend time with their loved ones, near, far or further distant still. And during this years closure, with some personal energy, the hospital funded a refurbishment of its most sacred room  the operating theater.

Surgery, I believe, is a metaphorical form of religion with a worldwide cult following and a mixed mantra of ancient and modern scriptures combining science, art, and hope.

The operating room, like all religious houses, must follow a strict guide of practice. From dress code to the opening and closing of doors, from cleaning schedules to the correct positioning of vital equipment, every facet must be adhered to with fastidious, delicate care, like they were sacred relics.

The operating room staff, from surgeons, anesthetists, nurses, technicians and maintenance staff must treat the room like a temple. They are assigned guardianship of this hallowed room in which they are the monks that navigate and guide worshipers safely in and out of this temple.

And the patients in Cambodia  often with little understanding of their own complex ailments let alone the science around surgical treatment  will come to this small surgical center in hope and prayer that their suffering can be alleviated. They are the true worshippers of this religion of surgery, believing there maybe cure within the temple of the surgeon. Their faith in surgery is the most enshrined of all trusts between humans. The patients willingly becoming anesthetized and powerless while asking another human to help them.

The World Health Organisation recently published a safe surgery checklist  a list of important safety measures that a surgical team should comply with before and after performing every operation. Its adoption was sluggish even in many developed countries but has now been recognized as an essential aspect of performing surgery, and most surgical teams in the U.K. would feel naked without it. Its uptake in low- and middle-income countries has been equally tricky when other complicated factors often mean the safe surgery checklist is neglected or only paid with unwilling lip service.

However, in this comparison with surgery as a religion: The checklist is the dedicated prayer  the harmonious coming together of the theater practitioners before and after surgery to repeat and recycle the ascribed phrases and ensure the patient has a safe passage through their procedure.

With the new operating room completed and in its bright and shining glow, I have been urging all hospital staff to treat the room like the sanctuary of a pagoda, and to be its guardian, to maintain its protocols and standards, and to ensure safety of our patients at all times, paying the same respect to them as they pay in faith to us.

Saqib Noor is an orthopedic surgeon who blogs at his self-titled site, Saqib Noor. He is the author of Surgery on the Shoulders of Giants: Letters from a doctor abroad.

Image credit: Saqib Noor
By Jun Ji-hye



President Moon Jae-in's approval rating rose to 72.1 percent amid high expectations for the resumption of dialogue between the two Koreas, a survey showed Thursday.



Local pollster Realmeter said its survey of 1,400 people, which took place from Tuesday to Wednesday, showed that Moon's rating increased by 3.6 percentage points compared to that of last week.



Those who were dissatisfied by President Moon's state management were 23.7 percent, down 1.3 percentage points from last week.



On Monday, North Korea leader Kim Jong-un said, during his New Year address, that his regime was willing to send a delegation to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, scheduled for Feb. 9 to 25, suggesting a meeting between officials from the two Koreas to discuss the North's possible participation.



The conciliatory gesture toward the South came as a surprise, given the Kim regime conducted several large-scale provocations including three intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) launches last year, heightening military tension on the Korean Peninsula.






May 1, 2021, 5 PM

The upcoming auction series from Spink London includes this marginal strip of five of Indias 1866 6-anna violet Queen Victoria stamps with green tall postage overprint (Scott 29). The scarce multiple was formerly in the magnificent collections of Count

By Michael Baadke

The Spink auction firm in London, England, will offer two sales over the course of three days, Jan. 23-25.

The auctions open Tuesday morning with the Brian Brookes collection of St. Kitts-Nevis, and continue Wednesday and Thursday with the Philatelic Collectors series sale of British Commonwealth and worldwide material.

The Brookes collection is described by Spink as being about as replete as one could get. Assembled over the course of 40 years, it includes a 1669 entire mailed from Amsterdam to St. Christopher, as well as several of the very scarce 1967 overprinted issues of Anguilla following that entitys independence and separation from St. Kitts-Nevis.

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Only 100 examples of the overprinted 60 issue (Anguilla Scott 13) are known, and a mint example is offered with an estimate of 2,500 to 3,000 (approximately $3,390 to $4,070). The Scott catalog value for the single stamp is $6,500, listed in italics to indicate an item that can be difficult to value accurately.

Along with stamps and an extensive run of St. Kitts postal history, the Brookes collection auction offers essays, die proofs and other important varieties.

The Philatelic Collectors series sale features more than 1,100 lots ranging from single items to full collections.

A margin strip of five 1866 6-anna purple Queen Victoria stamps of India with the tall green postage overprint (Scott 29) is on offer; the strip shows a segment of attached margin at left with the number 204 imprinted.

A wonderful multiple and certainly the most important surviving mint multiple, Spink notes. Exceptionally rare and a famous showpiece with a wonderful provenance.

That provenance includes the collections of Count Philippe von Ferrari and Maurice Burrus.

The Spink estimate for the strip is 15,000 to 18,000 ($20,330 to $27,110).

A single unused example of the India 1866 6a purple with short green postage overprint (Scott 30) is also offered in this auction.

Additional material from this sale includes Cape of Good Hope, China, Malaya States during Japanese occupation, a collection of South African railways, and much more.

Auction catalogs for both sales can be viewed online, with online bidding options available.

Information is also available from Spink London, 69 Southampton Row, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 4ET, England.
Jan 5, 2018, 3 AM

Mercer Bristow, head of the American Philatelic Expertizing Service, has retired after 36 years.

By Michael Baadke

Mercer Bristow, the longtime director of expertizing for the American Philatelic Society, retired at the end of 2017.

A United States Navy veteran and former auction lot describer, Bristow began working for the APS on Dec. 1, 1981, when the societys headquarters were in State College, Pa. The APS moved to its current location in nearby Bellefonte, Pa., in 2004.

Bristow graduated from Towson State University with a business degree in 1977.

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He began collecting at age 11 when his father started saving used postage stamps for him, placing them in a small wooden butter mold. Bristow later developed a specialized collection of Finland.

He became involved in community activities and was elected to a six-year term as a Patton Township supervisor.

He also developed an affection for acting. Working with Penn State Universitys College of Communications, Bristow has appeared in numerous films, usually playing grumpy old men, he said.

Bristow said he has enjoyed the travel opportunities the APS job has afforded him, including visiting different cities while representing the society at stamp shows.

APS Executive Director Scott English told Linns Stamp News: Not only did Mercer serve the APS membership with pride, he leaves two legacies that will have great meaning for years to come.

He brought several modern tools to the Expertizing Department to allow us to better combat fakes and frauds. His leadership also brought us a Reference Collection of philatelic material that will benefit the APS and the hobby for years to come.

We will continue these important missions that Mercer started, English said.

Tom Horn took over as director of APS expertizing on Dec. 6, 2017, while Bristow stayed on through the end of the year as a consultant. Hell continue to contribute to the APS as a volunteer into the new year.

It is with mixed emotions that Im retiring at the end of this year, Bristow told Linns, but I decided it was time to move on to other things.

In an APS staff biography composed several years ago, he also reflected on the APS philatelic collections of genuine and forged material that he established and maintained.

That and what I have accomplished as director of expertizing are what I hope to be my legacy to the hobby, Bristow wrote.

I couldnt find a better group of people than those in philately.
We present the Royal Mails 2018 commemorative lineup: Weeks Most Read

Jan 5, 2018, 5 AM

Great Britain's Royal Mail will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force on 10 stamps to be issued in March. Six of them will feature an iconic British aircraft. Apparently, our readers are fascinated with British aircraft.

By Colin Sallee

Its time to catch up on the week that was in stamp-collecting insights and news.

Linns Stamp News is looking back at its five most-read stories of the week.

Click the links to read the stories.

5. Trump tweets criticism of USPS-Amazon package delivery agreement: A parcel delivery agreement between the United States Postal Service and retail giant Amazon was sharply criticized by President Donald Trump in a recent Twitter pronouncement.

4. Lena Horne stamp ceremony in Manhattan: The 41st stamp in the long-running Black Heritage commemorative series will honor Lena Horne. A first-day ceremony will take place in New York.

3. Modern used United States Official Mail postal cards: The United States 15, 19 and 20 Great Seal of the United States Official Mail postal cards (Scott UZ4-UZ6) are good buys in used condition in the $40-to-$50 price range.

2. You be the expert: items that look like errors: If you were an expertizer, how would you describe the five stamp multiples shown with this column?

1. The 2018 commemoratives lineup from the Royal Mail: Royal Mail reports that six of the stamps in the RAF Centenary issue will show original artworks of iconic British aircraft from across the century.

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Fizi, an adult male bonobo at Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A new study of these African apes hints at how human cooperation came to be.

"You like me because I'm a scoundrel," interstellar smuggler Han Solo confidently told Princess Leia Organa in the 1981 film "The Empire Strikes Back." And scientists recently discovered a similar preference in bonobos, the great apes that are close relatives of chimpanzees.

Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are helpful sweethearts compared with their more aggressive chimp cousins (Pan troglogytes). But a new study found that these generally peaceful primates were also more likely to respond positively to individuals that were selfish, bullying or downright mean.

In other words, they're drawn to jerks. [8 Humanlike Behaviors of Primates]

Of course, Han Solo ultimately proved that he was quite a bit nicer than his self-serving manner initially suggested. But bonobos demonstrated in a series of trials that they were more likely to favor individuals that treated others poorly.

Prior research has shown that bonobos go out of their way to help others, even when their assistance hasn't been requested and they receive no reward for lending a hand. But when scientists showed bonobos videos in which some characters prevented others from reaching a goal, the bonobo subjects unexpectedly preferred the harmful individuals to the helpful ones.

In three experiments, bonobos watched animated and live-action videos that displayed characters attempting to complete a task; some characters helped, while other characters interfered. After viewing the videos, the bonobos were given a choice of accepting a food reward from either the helpful character or the pest, and the majority of the bonobos chose the troublemaker for their treat.

A fourth video experiment showed the bonobos a competition between two characters, with one dominant character succeeding by displacing its rival. When the bonobos were later offered a choice between the two individuals, they selected the one that had behaved more forcefully, the researchers discovered.

Bonobos' liking for those that mistreat others may stem from a bias toward dominant individuals; forging a bond with a more aggressive bonobo could provide benefits within social groups, the study authors reported. Humans, on the other hand, typically respond more positively toward acts of altruism than of selfishness, according to previous studies. This suggests that consistently gravitating toward helpers and shunning antisocial acts is likely a unique human preference that emerged as we developed survival strategies involving cooperation among many individuals, the researchers concluded.

The findings were published online Jan. 4 in the journal Current Biology.

Original article on Live Science.
This temperature anomaly map is based on data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA's Terra satellite. It shows land surface temperatures from Dec. 26, 2017 to Jan. 2, 2018, compared with the 20012010 average for the same eight-day period.

The "bomb cyclone," with its whipping winds and foot-plus snowdrifts, has passed, but even more teeth-chattering weather has blanketed the eastern U.S. in its wake.

Temperatures of 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit (11 to 17 degrees Celsius) below normal are keeping people bundled up from the Midwest to the Northeast, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). With the blistering winds fueled by the storm, temperatures feel even colder still, with wind chills into the negative double-digits.

The cold has seeped even farther south, with temperatures in the 30s and 40s Fahrenheit (in the single digits Celsius) in South Florida. It's so cold people on social media have reported seeing frozen iguanas fall from trees, stunned by the chill. [Photos: The 9 Snowiest Places on Earth]

The frigid weather is part of an overall pattern that has held since the holidays, keeping the eastern half of the country shivering with an added boost from a particularly intense storm that helped to continue drawing air down from the Arctic, said Greg Carbin, branch chief for the NWS's Weather Prediction Center.

The East Coast is one of only a few cold spots on the global map, though, as most areas of the world are warmer than normal. As the planet's baseline temperature rises from continued human emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, record cold becomes less and less likely.

Air pouring down from the Arctic has been keeping the eastern part of the country in a deep freeze for more than a week. For the week from Dec. 28 to Jan. 3, Chicago and New York both had the coldest average temperatures on record. Chicago's average of 6.4 degrees F (minus 14 degrees C) was more common of Bismarck, North Dakota, while New York's average of 17.4 degrees F (minus 8 degrees C) was more typical of Anchorage, Alaska.

"These are all pretty substantial cold weeks of record," Carbin told Live Science.

The storm that dumped snow over the Northeast on Thursday added a little oomph as it rapidly intensified, or "bombed out," off the coast. The central pressure of the storm dropped 50 millibars in 24 hours, a rare event that records suggest happens only once ever 25 to 30 years, Carbin said. (A millibar is a unit that effectively measures the weight of the atmosphere overhead.)

That rapid deepening fueled the storm's heavy snows and punishing winds and maintained the flow of Arctic air.

It "kind of just greases the skid for another blast," of frigid air, Carbin said.

Winds make temperatures feel even more bone-chilling. Temperatures at the summit of Mount Washington  notoriously one of the coldest and windiest spots in the country  could drop to minus 40 degrees F (minus 40 degrees C) with wind chills as low as minus 100 degrees F (minus 73 degrees C), according to forecasters at the peak's observatory.

The clear conditions settling in after the storm, along with the substantial snowpack, will also help depress temperatures through radiational cooling. Earth's surface radiates infrared energy at night, and with no clouds to absorb it and send some of it back, it escapes to space and temperatures can plummet.

But the deep freeze won't last forever, even if it seems like it already has. "It's difficult to sustain such an extreme pattern for very long, even in the midst of winter," Carbin said.

Temperatures will gradually start warming next week, and the temperature pattern over North America looks to flip toward the middle of the month. That means the eastern half of the country will be warmer than normal, while cooler and wetter weather affects the West.

Original article on Live Science.
January 4, 2018 - Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. - An Iguana that froze, apparantly fell from a tree and landed belly up along the edge of Palm Beach Post columnist Frank Cerabino's pool.

You know what they say: When it rains, it pours  and when it snows in Florida, it hails frozen iguanas.

As a so-called bomb cyclone continues lashing the U.S. East Coast with historic cold temperatures, weird weather abounds. In south Florida, temperatures dipped below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) on Jan. 3, giving Tallahassee its first measurable snowfall in 28 years. Yesterday (Jan. 4), Floridians reported an even stranger sight: frozen iguana bodies falling out of trees and littering the ground around the suburbs.

Photos posted on social media show the green reptiles lying belly-up and stock-still on lawns, seemingly dead. The good news: Most of them likely aren't dead  they're just really, really cold. [See The World's Most Bizarre Lizards]

See more

"When the temperature goes down, [iguanas] literally shut down, and they can no longer hold on to the trees," Ron Magill, wildlife expert and communications director for Zoo Miami, told The New York Times. "Which is why you get this phenomenon in south Florida that it's raining iguanas." (This isn't even Florida's first iguana rain  a similar event occurred in 2008 (opens in new tab).)

Iguanas, like other reptiles, are ectotherms (also known as being "cold-blooded"), meaning the temperature outside strongly influences their body temperatures. When the outside temperature drops, preservation of an ectotherm's body temperature becomes the No. 1 priority. Creatures like iguanas and turtles thus conserve energy by slowing their metabolisms and almost entirely stopping moving; this can lead to the sort of self-imposed paralysis (known as torpor) seen in Florida.

"If it's just for a day or two, they'll just get to where they're completely frozen in time. They're still able to breathe. They're still able to do bodily functions, just very slow," Emily Maple, the reptile keeper at the Palm Beach County Zoo in Florida, told CNN affiliate WPEC.

As temperatures warm, the iguanas will thaw and eventually start moving again, Kristen Sommers, who oversees the nonnative fish and wildlife program for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, told the Associated Press. For this reason, it's recommended that people don't move or touch the critters.

In other ectotherm news, hundreds of sea turtles spotted near the Padre Island National Seashore near Corpus Christi, Texas, suffered a similar cold-paralysis outbreak earlier in the week. National Park Service researchers removed the turtles form the frigid water and placed them in a holding area (with some plastic kiddie pools) to revive.

Originally published on Live Science.
Local News, Crime, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 05 2018

Sandeep Singh, Owner of Three Brooklyn Papa Johns Restaurants, Will Pay Full Restitution To Over 100 Employees.

New York, NY - January 5, 2017 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a settlement with Sandeep Singh, Star Fine Foods, Inc., Star Fine Foods II, Inc., and Star Fine Foods IV, Inc., the owners of three Papa Johns Pizza franchise stores in Brooklyn, NY. The three locations violated minimum wage and overtime requirements, and took unlawful deductions from workers wages by failing to reimburse all work-related expenses. In total, Singh will pay $171,895.12 in restitution and damages to over 100 underpaid workers.

Todays settlement underscores a shameful track record of New York Papa Johns franchisees cheating vulnerable workers to line their own pockets, said Attorney General Schneiderman. With this agreement, my office has won back more than $4.5 million for hundreds of underpaid Papa Johns employees. We will continue to defend the rights of all workers and fight pervasive wage theft in the fast food industry.

Two of the stores involved in todays settlement are located at 1016 Coney Island Avenue and 5804 5th Avenue in Brooklyn. The store owned by Star Fine Foods IV, Inc., located at 1612 Neptune Avenue, is no longer in operation.

Todays agreement follows an investigation into the franchisee, beginning in 2013. Singh admitted to the violations of law outlined in the settlement agreement . The admitted violations included the following:

Workers were not paid the overtime wages required under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and state law;

Workers were not paid an additional hour at minimum wage when employees daily shifts were longer than 10 hours, violating New York States spread of hours regulations; and

Workers were not reimbursed for the cost of uniforms that they were required to purchase and wear.

In addition to paying $171,895.12 in restitution and damages, the remaining two stores operated by Singh must also institute complaint procedures, provide written handbooks to employees, train supervisors on the labor law, post a statement of employees rights, and designate an officer to submit quarterly reports to the Attorney General's Office regarding ongoing compliance.

In total, Attorney General Schneiderman has won back nearly $30 million in stolen wages for over 21,000 workers across New York. This includes more than $4.5 million in settlements and court judgments for hundreds of workers at more than 35 Papa Johns franchise stores.

Over the past two years, the Attorney General's Office has investigated and found violations by eight separate Papa Johns franchisees, who, together, operated a total of over 30 restaurants, including:

Moregrace LLC, Thegrace, Inc. and its owner, Sultan Ali Lakhani paid $500,000 in restitution and liquidated damages. Lakhani owned and operated three stores at 701 W. 179th Street in Washington Heights, 4927 Broadway in Inwood, and 161 West 231st Street in the Bronx.

Syed Mehboob and his stores paid $400,000 in restitution and liquidated damages. Mehboob owned and operated six individually incorporated franchise restaurants in Queens: 3320 Woodside Papa, Inc. (operating at 49-19 30th, Woodside, New York 11377), 99 Food, Inc. (operating at 9906 Northern Blvd., Corona, New York 11369), Sunnyside Papa, Inc. (operating at 40-12 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside, New York 11104), Zeeshee, Inc. (previously operated at 23-33 Astoria Blvd., Astoria, New York 11102; closed in March 2015), 193 Papa, Inc. (previously operated at 193-18 Northern Blvd. Flushing, New York 11358; sold in November 2014), and Parson Papa, Inc. (previously operated at 147-14 45th, Flushing, New York 11355; closed in November 2014). The settlement included restitution for violations from August of 2008 to August of 2014.

AMHC Food Inc. and its owner Mohammed Hasnat, operators of a Papa Johns restaurant at 2241 Westchester Avenue in the Bronx, New York, paid $40,000 in restitution and liquidated damages. The settlement included restitution for violations from January of 2014 to July of 2015.

Ksara Corp. and owner Ghulam Fani, operators of a Papa Johns restaurant at 189 Avenue U in Brooklyn, New York. The settlement with Ksara also included Zeman Associates, LLC, a prior owner of this franchise. These operators paid $16,000 in restitution and liquidated damages. The settlement included restitution for violations from February of 2013 until July 2015.

Judy & Jesenia, Inc. and owner Jesenia Diaz, who until November 2014 operated a Papa Johns restaurant located at 3528 Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn, New York paid over $13,000, in restitution and liquidated damages for underpayments beginning in June of 2013 through November of 2014.

In February and March of 2015, Attorney General Schneiderman obtained judgments against two other Papa Johns franchisees, Emstar Pizza (6 locations) and New Majority Holdings (5 locations), for violating wage laws. Those judgments totaled almost $3 million.

In addition, in July of 2015, the Attorney General arrested Abdul Jamil Khokhar, the owner of nine Papa John's Pizza franchises in the Bronx, and his company, BMY Foods, Inc. for failing to pay workers minimum wage and overtime. Khokhar and BMY Foods pled guilty to these charges and were sentenced on September 21, 2016. Mr. Khokhar and BMY Foods, Inc. were ordered to pay $230,000 in restitution to workers, and Mr. Khokhar was sentenced to serve 60 days in jail. The U.S. Department of Labor also filed a consent judgment against the enterprise in federal court, and recovered an additional $230,000 as liquidated damages from Khokhar and BMY Foods, and civil money penalties of $50,000.
Local News, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 05 2018

15 AGs File Brief in City of Chicago v. Sessions, Supporting Challenge to Trump Administrations New Conditions on Byrne-JAG Law Enforcement Grants.

New York, NY - January 5, 2017 - New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman led 15 Attorneys General in an amicus brief to protect cities and police departments from federal funding cuts, supporting a challenge to the Trump administrations efforts to punish so-called sanctuary jurisdictions by putting immigration-related conditions on federal law enforcement grants. The Attorneys General argue that these conditions interfere with states and localities right to set their own law enforcement policies and that the Department of Justice lacks the authority to impose these new conditions.

In Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16), New York and its localities received nearly $15 million in funds through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne-JAG) program. While FY17 Byrne-JAG funds are currently frozen due to the pending litigation, the proposed FY17 statewide allocation for New York and its localities was approximately $14.5 million. The Trump administration has targeted the City of New York for allegedly violating immigration-related grant conditions, putting the Citys funding at risk  despite the fact that the grant is named after NYPD Officer Edward Byrne, who was killed in the line of duty while protecting New York City communities.

The law is clear: the Trump administration cannot strip a city or a police department of these critical funds, simply because they dont like its policies, said Attorney General Schneiderman. President Trump and the DOJ do not have the authority to unilaterally transform state and local police into federal immigration agents  or to force a city or state to decide between vital law enforcement grants and the policies they know are necessary to protect public safety. Attorneys General will continue to act to protect our public safety and each and every community we represent.

In City of Chicago v. Sessions, Chicago challenged DOJs imposition of new immigration-related conditions on grants issued under the Byrne-JAG program. Last fall, a district court entered a nationwide preliminary injunction against DOJs enforcement of two of the new immigration-related conditions, holding that DOJ lacked authority to impose them. The case is now before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

The amicus brief was filed in the Seventh Circuit by the Attorneys General of New York, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

Federal law permits states and localities to limit their voluntary involvement with enforcing federal immigration policy, and many have done so because they have concluded that fostering a relationship of trust between their law-enforcement officials and their immigrant communities will promote public safety.

In July 2017, DOJ announced that it was imposing new immigration-related conditions on recipients of Byrne-JAG funding, and threatened to withhold funds from jurisdictions that did not comply with these conditions. Specifically, DOJ sought to require states and localities to provide the Department of Homeland Security with advance notice of an immigrants scheduled release date from a correctional facility, and to grant federal agents access to correctional facilities to question immigrants.

As the Attorneys General argue, the new conditions violate the law, the constitutional principle of separation of powers, and the federalism principles enshrined in the Byrne-JAG statute  interfering with states and localities abilities to set their own law enforcement policies and overstepping DOJs authority to impose the new conditions under the statute.

The United States Attorney General now claims authority to withhold Byrne-JAG funding from States and localities that have made law-enforcement policy judgments that federal law permits, but with which he disagrees. Specifically, he contends that he may deny grants to States and localities that limit their voluntary involvement with enforcing federal immigration policy because they have concluded that fostering a relationship of trust between their law-enforcement officials and their immigrant communities will promote public safety for all their residents. The Byrne-JAG statute does not authorize the U.S. Attorney Generals position, which is also contrary to the federalism principles that Congress enshrined in the Byrne-JAG program, the amicus brief states.

The Byrne-JAG program is a federal grant program that provides grants to states and localities according to a mandatory statutory formula. Congress designed Byrne-JAG to give states and localities a reliable source of law-enforcement funding, while also giving them maximum flexibility to decide how to use the funds in accordance with state and local law-enforcement policy.

The amici states have received law-enforcement grants under the Byrne-JAG program and its predecessors since 1968, and have used those funds to support a broad array of critical-law enforcement programs tailored to local needs, including to support community-based policing, and reduce sexual assault, elder abuse, gun violence, recidivism, and drug addiction.

For example, New York has used its Byrne-JAG funding to support a multi-county initiative to combat gun violence, to improve criminal records systems, enhance forensic laboratories, and support prosecution and defense services. New York plans to use its fiscal year 2017 grant money to combat the opioid epidemic. Without Byrne-JAG funding, states like New York may be forced to cut funding to these critical state and local programs.
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 05 2018

Trooper Anson was a member of the State Police for 31 years and offered selfless service at Ground Zero following the 9/11 attacks.

Albany, NY - January 5, 2017 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today directed that flags on all state government buildings be flown at half-staff on Tuesday, January 9, 2018, in honor of New York State Police Trooper Michael J. Anson.

"Trooper Anson embodied all of what it means to be a member of the State Police: Dedicated, tough, and committed to his colleagues, friends, family and community," said Governor Cuomo. "He made the ultimate sacrifice through his selfless service at Ground Zero following the 9/11 attacks. I ask all New Yorkers to join me in offering our thoughts and prayers to his family, friends and colleagues at the New York State Police."
Nature & Weather, Local News, Health & Wellness

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 05 2018

Survey held following the detection of perfluorinated compounds known as PFOS and PFOA in 63 private wells.

Suffolk County, NY - January 5, 2017 - The Suffolk County Department of Health Services announced today the expansion of its private well survey in the vicinity of the The Suffolk County Department of Health Services announced today the expansion of its private well survey in the vicinity of the East Hampton Airport following the detection of perfluorinated compounds known as PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) in 63 private wells.

Though PFCs are currently unregulated, the USEPA has identified both PFOA and PFOS as contaminants of emerging concern. The agency has issued a lifetime health advisory level of 0.07 parts per billion in order to protect the most sensitive populations, including fetuses during pregnancy and breastfed babies, against potential adverse health effects.

PFCs have been used in a number of industrial and commercial products such firefighting foam, as well as coatings that repel water, oil, stains and grease. Thus, people may be exposed to PFOS and PFOA through air, water, or soil from industrial sources and from consumer products.

Due to the potential for PFCs to cause environmental contamination, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation conducted a survey of facilities across the state that may have used products containing PFOS and PFOA. The East Hampton Airport indicated that it had used or stored products that may have contained PFOS and PFOA, and the state requested that the Suffolk County Department of Health Services sample drinking water supplies near the airport.

To assess the drinking water quality of properties served with private wells, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services initiated a private well survey in the vicinity of the airport property in August of 2017. PFOS and PFOA have been detected in some of the private wells that have been tested so far. Of the 138 private well test results received to date, 63 had detections of PFOS and PFOA, three of which had detections above the USEPA lifetime health advisory level of 0.07 parts per billion. PFOS and PFOA were not detected in 75 of the 138 private well samples.

Based upon these detections, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, in consultation with the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, decided to expand the private well survey in the vicinity of the East Hampton Airport as follows: the area bounded on the north by the East Hampton Airport, on the west by Town Line Road to Montauk Highway and then Sayres Path to Wainscott Main Street, on the south by Wainscott Main Street, and to the east by Georgica Pond and Daniels Hole Road. The expanded survey boundaries were determined based on the current understanding of groundwater flow as depicted in the U.S. Geological Survey groundwater elevation maps as well as the location of known detections above the health advisory level in three private wells. The Suffolk County Department of Health Services is planning on installing groundwater monitoring wells in the area to confirm the local groundwater flow.

Residents whose property is served by a private well and is located in this area are advised to contact the Suffolk County Department of Health Services Office of Water Resources at 631-852-5810 to have their wells tested free of charge. Residents in this expanded area can expect to be visited by a Suffolk County Department of Health Services staff member providing additional information sometime beginning the week of January 15, 2018.

As a precaution, the Town of East Hampton has offered to provide bottled water to property owners in the private well survey area described above. Residents who use a private well for drinking water and live in the survey area you may contact the Town of East Hampton Purchasing Department at 631-324-4183 or email jcarroza@ehamponny.gov to receive bottled water.

Homes connected to a public water supply do not need to have their water tested as these supplies are routinely tested. PFOS and PFOA have not been detected in the public drinking water supply wells serving this area.

Residents with general questions about health effects of perfluorinated compounds are advised to call the New York State Water Quality Hotline: 1-800-801-8092, Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Residents who are unsure if they are served by public water may call the Suffolk County Water Authority at 631-698-9500.

Residents with private wells who have questions about private well water in Suffolk County or who wish to have their wells tested may contact the Suffolk County Department of Health Services Office of Water Resources at 631-852-5810.
Late last year, Apple announced that it would delay the promised release of its HomePod smart speaker to early 2018. It was a disappointment for those customers hoping to score one for the holiday season, but in an interview with Dutch site Bright.nl, Apple senior vice president Phil Schiller said Apple needed more time to make it right.

Its more important to be right than first

Thats hardly a new sentiment for the company to espouse. Apples reputation has long been to do things right instead of rushing them out the door just to compete. And when it comes to the HomePod, the competition already promises to be fierce: Amazon and Google are already entrenched, while everybody from Lenovo to Sonos has been jumping in with me-too offerings.

A new report from Canalys says that the smart speaker market is forecast to spike this year, outpacing other technologies like augmented reality and virtual reality. In a rare moment of (for it) transparency, Amazon said it had sold tens of millions of Echo devices during the holidays. (Though many of those sales are likely for the low-cost devices that Apple wont compete with.)

Canalys Canalys estimates a surge in smart speaker sales this year.

But still, Apple is playing it casual.

By all accounts, the version of the HomePod shown to press during Apples Worldwide Developers Conference last year was far from a fully functional prototype. Those to whom Apple gave access reportedly got a demonstration of the devices audio quality, but not much beyond that.

More than music

One challenge for Apple is that the HomePod cant succeed merely on the basis of its sound, impressive as it might be. Wireless speakers are already an established market, but theyre also on the niche sidethats one reason that Sonos, probably the foremost in that field, has launched its own smart speaker to tap into the immense consumer interest in virtual assistants.

Apple No matter how impressive the HomePod sounds, its going to need serious smarts, too.

Apple, of course, already has a smart assistant in its arsenal, which should ease its way into the market, but Siri has itself become a popular target for those looking to point to how the company has fallen behind its rivals in the space: Googles Assistant offers better answers for many queries related to web searching while Amazons Alexa boasts a strong third-party ecosystem.

That suggests the relative success of Siri on the HomePod might be in narrowing its focus. It wouldnt be the first time Apple reined in the virtual assistants areas of responsibility either: on the Apple TV, for example, the assistant may not have the full range of commands available on the iPhone or iPad, but it does offer options specific to watching video, such as turning on captions or skipping forward and backward.

In a similar fashion, indications are that Siris features on the HomePod will be targeted mostly towards music and home automation. Thats probably a wise move, as those are no doubt the features for which consumers mainly use smart speakers. But if Apples going to focus those features, then the ones that are included had better be bulletproof.

Apple only

Apple has so far opened up Siri only to specific third-party features, and it doesnt seem as though the HomePod will feature any of those. As with many of Apples previous products, integration with the companys own ecosystem is not only in the forefront, but is often the only option. So if your smart home devices wont work with HomeKit out of the box, it will be up to you to find a workaround.

Likewise, the chances that the HomePod natively supports music services other than Apple Music are slim to none. (It sounds as though using AirPlay is an option, but it certainly removes some of the convenience.) Its not even clear at present whether the HomePod can access all music from Apples iCloud Music Library, or only that available via the paid Apple Music service.

Some of this insularity wont be a substantial detriment to many consumers, who are probably coming to the device as happy Apple customers. The Apple Watch and Apple TV have proved that selling directly into a base of users of existing Apple products is a viable strategy for the company. That harmonizes nicely with Apples ethos of doing things right, since its customers will often wait for the Apple version of a product. (Or buy a cheaper competitor in the meantime and discard it later.)

So whats the holdup?

But all of this brings us back around to Apples delay of the product. Was this simply a production hiccup? Or was some part of the device in need of final tuning? All the pieces seem to have been accounted for, from the audio hardware to Siri, and it would be foolish at this stage for Apple to be doing anything more than minor adjustments. Or, in other words, dont expect the HomePod to look significantly different from the version showed off last year.

Whats most likely to vary is the software under the hood, but since we havent gotten a look at what it should be, we might very well never know exactly what was behind the HomePod delay. Regardless, though, the stakes are upped: after pushing such a product back, the pressures on to make sure it is indeed right.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, January 3, 2018

Dentsu Aegis Network announced Wednesday the acquisition of U.S.-based HelloWorld, a promotions and loyalty group that will roll into Merkle's loyalty division to improve on the agency's people-based marketing offerings.

Through the acquisition, Merkle gains HelloWorld's proprietary technology and all 370 employees and adds a host of top brands to its loyalty division such as Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, and Microsoft.

The business will rebrand to HelloWorld, a Merkle Company" and will sit within the Merkle Loyalty Solutions group. Peter DeNunzio, CEO of HelloWorld, will remain at the helm.

"We are seeing a revival of loyalty programs that sit at the center of the brand advertising and marketing strategy," said Michael Hemsey, executive vice president of Merkle Loyalty Solutions. "All the conversations we're having with brands center on how to tie loyalty technology into addressable advertising, re-imagined customer experiences and CRM strategies."

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Many of the implementations on Merkle's books for 2018 center on connecting loyalty to ecommerce, content management, business intelligence and analytics as well as search, video and display advertising campaigns.

With employees and technology at hand, Hemsey believes the acquisition will further scale Merkles people-based marketing disciplines such as loyalty solutions, performance media, customer relationship marketing, customer experience, and enterprise technology services.

Loyalty programs that drive customers to believe a brand really notices what's important have become the key to people-based marketing.

Merkle Loyalty Solutions supports brands worldwide. Hemsey hopes to offer HelloWorld's solutions globally as well.

HelloWorld differentiated its business model by linking response-driven consumer promotions with loyalty strategies and programs. The company operates on data, technology and marketing strategies that require an emotional response from consumers, which the company says brings customers closer to brands.

"Consumers are responding to custom digital and social integrations," according to Hemsey. "Brands do not want to offer the same experience to Millennials as they would Baby Boomers or Gen-Xers."

HelloWorld's technology allows brands to directly communicate and provide incentives directly to the targeted group.

Some 70% of consumers like earning loyalty points, but younger consumers are more inclined to prioritize their relationship with brands based on how they define innovative tactics, according to a HelloWorld report released in December 2017.

"Currency is the ultimate draw," Hemsey said, defining "currency" as information for reward points, discounts, and special incentives such as Eddie Bauer's loyalty reward -- lifetime returns for worn clothing.

HelloWorld's study found that 55% of Millennials and 38% of Gen-Xers prefer "surprise and delight" tactics, a strategy less appealing to 23% of Baby Boomers participating in the study.

There are challenges to loyalty programs that brands should address. More than half of consumers participating in the HelloWorld study believe it takes too long to earn reward points, with 32% worrying about the security of their personal information.

HelloWorld was founded in 1999 in Detroit, Michigan and has expanded to offices in Seattle, Chicago, Manhattan, and Los Angeles.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, January 4, 2018

An ad-verification company has uncovered multiple hacker networks involved in auto-redirect attacks with payloads of mobile click fraud, tech support scams, and malicious installations. GeoEdge estimates the scam could cost publishers and advertisers $1.13 billion annually.

GeoEdge identified seven distinct classes of redirect attacks as well as major hacker networks. These families of attacks, and the hacker networks that use them, are responsible for hundreds of millions of monthly impressions.

In a few of the attacks, the auto-redirect was taking the user out of the browser and into app stores. The redirect method in mobile devices usually redirects to the App Store or Google Play Store rather than simply mimicking the usual desktop tricks.

GeoEdge also found evidence of click fraud. The mobile browser opens multiple invisible iframes and calls multiple URLs and ultimately executes fraudulent clicks. In this particular attack, GeoEdge identified a whitelist of hundreds of domains where the attack would actually occur. The ad loads a script from Amazon AWS S3 and checks the domain to see whether it should execute. If the specific domain is on the whitelist, the code will embed hidden iframes in the browser and click on the ads, according to GeoEdge's security research, titled Auto-Redirects.

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Broken down by damages, auto-redirects cost the advertising industry an estimated $210 million annually and another $920 million through ads with click fraud.

Hidden redirects are programmed to run click-fraud campaigns. The report, which analyzes about 650 million impressions, delves into redirects, evasive tactics, and how to discover redirect code.

Auto-redirects make up 48% of malvertising events, with malicious URL pre-click far behind at 18%. The U.S. accounts for 48% of auto-redirects -- nearly five times as many as Canada, which comes at No. 2, and Australia at No. 3.

About 27% of malvertising events occur on desktops and 72% on mobile devices, with 57% on Apple iOS and 15% on Google Android.

Notifications that look like they come from Google or Apple falsely alert users that their devices are infected or that they have been given a free iPhone, pushing them to download malware or dial a scam number.

The schemes are similar to those used for non-redirecting attacks, but by taking users to an entirely separate window rather than a banner ad, the scam appears to be more legitimate.

For example, a webpage that is wholly constructed to look like Microsofts site can seem more genuine than a simple banner ad. Attacking banks is difficult, while replicating a banks web page and getting users to hand over their info is comparatively easy.

To mobile users, a "System Warning!" in the pop-up notification style that appears to come from the search engine or publisher's site can seem too real to ignore. This makes mobile redirects particularly effective for click fraud and for phishing and mining personal data.

The hacker networks identified by GeoEdge redirected users to nearly a dozen apps in the App Store and Google Play Store, including the Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes game made by Electronic Arts.
by Fern Siegel , January 5, 2018

Penske Media, whose brands include Variety, Deadline and WWD, expanded its strategic partnership with Outbrain, which focuses on sponsored content.

Now, Outbrain is giving Penske full control over its most valuable real estate. This means allowing sales, audience development and editorial teams to run the content they need within their Outbrain placements in order to deliver on their revenue goals, says Dennis Yuscavitch, senior director of product marketing for Outbrain.

Yuscavitch adds the solutions differ from the existing product offering "because PMC can now grow revenues beyond the direct revenue Outbrain enables through sponsored-content recommendations."

Two products enable PMC to improve revs, including enhancements in personalized editorial content: Organic Campaigns and Automatic Yield. The tools ties all these pieces together into one report via a single dashboard.

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In fact, PMC has seen a 110% increase in incremental revenue, since launching with Automatic Yield last March, which marries real-time revenue value with the owned content a publisher circulates throughout its site.

Yaron Galai, cofounder and co-CEO of Outbrain, stated he believes the industry needs to take a longer-term view of the reader experience, while they may forgo short-term revenue, publishers can build a more lasting relationship with their readers.

On the initial tech launch, Matt Crenshaw, head of global distribution, Outbrain, said Automatic Yield helps publishers with content syndication decisions. By understanding the revenue value of the content on their sites, they can determine whats worth syndicating on places like Facebook."

Other publishers that use the Outbrain platform include CNN, ESPN, Time Inc., Le Monde,The Guardian, The Telegraph, Sky News and Conde Nast. Outbrain serves more than 275 billion personalized recommendations, reaching nearly 1 billion users every month across the globe.

PMC attracts a monthly audience of more than 180 million, per comScore. Other publications include IndieWire, Robb Report and Hollywood Life.

In November 2017, PMD acquired Fashinvest, which connects fashion-tech, retail and branded goods with the investment sector.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, January 4, 2018

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, who spearheaded the agency's recent repeal of the net neutrality rules, has abruptly canceled a scheduled appearance at next week's Consumer Electronics Show.

Pai has not yet publicly given a reason for his decision, but some press reports attribute his decision to security considerations. Since unveiling a plan to repeal the 2015 net neutrality rules, Pai has received death threats, and been the target of harassment campaigns. Last month, when the FCC voted to scrap the open Internet rules, the meeting was briefly interrupted by a bomb threat.

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An FCC spokesman refused to comment on why Pai decided not to attend the conference. He had been scheduled to appear on a panel with Federal Trade Commission Acting Chair Maureen Ohlhausen; she apparently still intends to attend.

The FCC last month voted 3-2 to repeal rules that prohibited Internet service providers from blocking or throttling traffic and from charging higher fees for prioritized delivery. That move was hugely unpopular with many web companies and consumer advocates -- some of which have already vowed to sue the agency.

The FCC also voted to prohibit states from passing or enforcing their own version of net neutrality rules. Despite the move, lawmakers in New York and other states are forging ahead with plans to craft open Internet rules. In New York, Democratic Assembly member Patricia Fahy proposed a bill that would effectively require Internet service providers to follow some key net neutrality rules as a condition of obtaining city or state contracts.

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) also said he will introduce a "resolution of disapproval" to revoke last week's FCC decision. So far, 28 co-sponsors have signed on to Markey's resolution.
by Larissa Faw , January 5, 2018

Twitter has expanded the responsibilities of Stephanie Prager from overseeing U.S. agency development to head of global agency development. In her new role, shell manage the platform's relationships across the "Big 6" holding companies.

Prager reports to Guilherme Ribenboim, vice president, global client solution development. She replaces David Roter, who left the company.

Prager's elevation comes at a critical time for Twitter.

"This should come as no surprise, but brand safety was a big issue in 2017 and will continue to be in 2018," Prager says. "Brands shouldnt have to choose between premium quality content and scale. Scaled access to high-quality digital video inventory is limited, but Twitter offers both. Its a compromise more and more brands dont want to make."

She expects to develop close relationships with her agencies, which will also include boutique shops, such as VaynerX and Laundry Service. "We find the best way to solve brand challenges is through collaboration."

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For example, when Twitter announced 16 new live offerings back in May at the NewFronts, agency partners were first movers in greenlighting that programming, she says, which included projects with Live Nation, BuzzFeed, Wendys, Bank of America and others.

"When we start with the client objectives first, we find creative ways to solve them through the products and services Twitter can offer." Prager adds, "Many of the programs and innovations weve done in the U.S. can scale and strive for the same success and acceleration in other markets."

She also plans to work with agencies on social-advocacy matters, such as @TwitterWomen and the 3% Conference.

Prager has deep connections within the ad world. Prior to joining Twitter in 2013, she was a managing partner at MEC, where she led the Digital Practice. Earlier, as vice president at MediaVest USA, she was responsible for overseeing research, development, and execution of digital media strategy for her clients.
by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, January 5, 2018

Calvin Klein, which has been running its #MyCalvins social media campaign since 2014, is adding a family-friendly twist, introducing new ads starring Kaia and Presley Gerber. (The teens are the astonishingly photogenic spawn of supermodel Cindy Crawford.)

Kaia, who made her runway debut in November for Calvin Klein, and Presley appear in the #OurFamily-tagged ads wearing the latest from Calvin Klein Jeans and wrapped in a quilt. The brand says the quilt is meant to symbolize family bonds and brings to life different ways we can inspire families  both born and made  to connect with one another and celebrate the things that unite us.

Photographed by Willy Vanderperre, the new work comes on the heels of the November #OurFamily #MyCalvins launch, starring Solange, Kelela, Dev Hynes, Caroline Polachek and Adam Bainbridge of Kindness, as well as members of the A$AP Mob, in ads for both jeans and underwear.

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Parent company PVH Corp., which also owns Tommy Hilfiger, is pumping up ad spending, pouring an additional $20 million into marketing last quarter. And business is so good it increased its financial forecast for the year ahead.

It says results are strong in the Calvin Klein division, with revenues in its most recent quarter rising 6% to $943 million, including a 20% jump in international results. (Same-store results in North America declined 1%.)

Like many brands and retailers, the company is looking for new ways to embrace e-commerce. While results arent in yet, it made headlines in November when it announced a collaboration with Amazon, including pop-up shops in New York, Los Angeles and online, featuring a special holiday underwear and loungewear collection called CALVIN KLEIN X Amazon Fashion.

It equipped fitting rooms with Amazon Echo devices so shoppers could ask questions, control lighting and make their own music selections. And people could buy the clothing in the store, or use the Amazon app to have items delivered directly to their home.
Threatening to cast a shadow over its imminent public offering, Spotify just confirmed that its chief content officer, Stefan Blom, is leaving the company.

First reported by Recode, word of Bloms department caps off a busy news week for Spotify.

On Tuesday, we learned that the Swedish content streaming service had been hit with a $1.6 billion lawsuit from a major music publisher. Then, on Wednesday, Axios reported Spotify had quietly filed IPO documents with the SEC late last month.

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A replacement for Blom -- who has been with Spotify since 2014 -- has not yet been named.

One possible contender for the CCO slot is Courtney Holt. The former Disney executive joined Spotify to lead its original content efforts, late last year. Holt joined the Disney family in 2014 when the media giant acquired Maker Studios, which he headed at the time.

Via Twitter, Spotify also let the world know, this week, that it had surpassed 70 million subscribers. By contrast, Apple Music had around 30 million subscribers, at last count.

Also possibly working in Spotifys favor, sources just told Billboard that Apple Music could lose its leader, Jimmy Iovine, by August.

Likely working in Apple's favor, the tech titan grabbed song and image recognition startup Shazam last month. Worldwide, the app is now used by hundreds of millions of consumers, per Apples estimate.

Since the launch of the App Store, Shazam has also consistently ranked as one of the most popular apps for iOS, according to Apple.

Financial terms of the Shazam deal were not disclosed, but sources told TechCrunch that it was worth approximately $400 million. Sources also told the publication that Spotify had been in the running for Shazam.

Late last year -- before these latest developments occurred -- Reuters reported Spotify was being valued at around $16 billion.

Beyond Bloms forthcoming departure, Spotify declined to comment for this story.
What comes to your mind when you hear the name 'Suniel Shetty'? Does it consist of scruffy images of long, unkempt hair, and oversized (read, ill-fitted) shirts? Or the kind of styling that probably is only suited for saving the 90's damsel in distress, or fighting the local don? In that case, my friend, you're not keeping up.

We have seen a lot of transformations, but none quite like this one here. Suniel Shetty has transformed into this uber cool, baller gentleman who has aged strictly like the finest wine. We have been noticing this transformation for some time now, but his latest outfit in the airport just hits the nail on the head.

 Viral Bhayani

He has embraced sophistication to a level that Tim Gunn will be proud of. The sporty yet understated Von Dutch bomber jacket in black, paired with the lightly distressed, old-school light blue jeans is classy AF! The fact that he has chosen a relaxed fit, and not bothered to cuff up the extra length of the jeans, just shows that he has learned to style himself in a way that is effortless yet full of swag.

 Viral Bhayani

Usually, when you're sporting the most basic colours like black and white along with light blue jeans, more often than not, you are at a risk of making your outfit look boring and drab. But look at Mr. Shetty here! Damn, he carries it off and how. The zipper details add the perfect touch of minimalism to the jacket, along with the white graphics on the pockets and sleeves. The fit of the clothes is just perfect to let us know that he has been spending a considerable time in the gym, but doesn't bother to call himself a gym bunny.

 Viral Bhayani

Talking about accessories, we like how he has kept it absolutely minimal. We love his white sneakers with the smart black detail, and we like how they sync with his white T-shirt and his black jacket. We are not quite sure about the gigantic belt buckle peeking out from underneath his jacket though.

His best accessories, we feel, are his hairstyle and that dope beard. They complement his square face impeccably and the shape of the beard is doing wonders for that chiseled jawline. Hell, even the salt and pepper seem to be just an extension of that chill outfit!

 Viral Bhayani

At 56, he is giving all the younger style icons a solid run for their money. All we can do is applaud. A standing ovation to you, Mr. Shetty!
Following the footsteps of the biggest grooming gods of the world, Akshay Kumar just joined the 'Big Fat' club. With a beard, that some might call odd, messy or highly unkempt; the biggest industry experts and women would proclaim as the 'manliest' thing about a man.

But here's the thing, considering the actor's grooming history, this looks like quite an uncanny decision to us. For starters, let's just admit it, Kumar absolutely enjoys the aspect of a clean shave, doesn't he?

 Viral Bhayani

But we're not denying that since his entry into movies, he's brought along a lot of beard phases for himself. Out of which, some were pure moustaches and some were multiple versions of a glorious stubble.

 TOI

 TOI

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 TOI

However, if his recent Instagram upload is any indication, Kumar is now headed for a big beard makeover. As a complete roundabout from medium-length mugs and small changes in his facial blanket, the actor has now taken baby steps in maintaining a epic, big, fat and glorious beard! From this in December 2017...

 Viral Bhayani

Akshay Kumar now looks like this in January 2018...

Here's the thing: while this is a big grooming move in itself for the actor, this is also our first peek into Kumar's character for his next big release 'Kesari'. Produced by Akshay himself and Karan Johar (as part of Dharma Productions), the movie features Akshay as a saffron turban-clad man and is based on the Battle of Saragarhi. A battle that's considered as the one of the bravest battles ever fought in Indian history. As for it's release, we're hoping the film comes out sometime around Holi!
Without beating around the bush, let's get straight to the point. MensXP brings you a quintessential breakdown (a checklist, if you may) on how to groom (like a champ) on a hot date with a really hot babe.

Hair

The perfect outfit will always turn heads, but a fresh trim can dramatically change your overall look. Party season is the perfect time to try out your new look but remember to prepare! Timing is key. The ideal time to go for a haircut is 7-10 days before the main event a.k.a the big date. This gives you enough time to get used to styling your hair without letting it grow out of shape again. Make sure to take your barber's advice when it comes to haircuts that suit the shape of your head and face.

 Moroccanoil

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Be sure you are prudent with your grooming routine, including regular conditioning and if you're committed enough, the post-shower application of Moroccan Hair Oil every 3 days. Try to avoid using hairspray as it is known to dry out and damage the ends of your hair.

Skin

I strongly endorse gentlemen having a daily skincare routine. I mean, are you even a modern man without indulging in a little self-maintenance? Face wash and moisturizers are not just for the lead up to important events.

 Garnier

Buy it here

Clear up your complexion and do right by your skin by fighting the three main areas of concern - oily skin, dry skin and acne. Make sure you are cleansing, toning and moisturising using products suited to your skin type (e.g. oily skin) on the daily. Increase your chances of getting great skin by washing and moisturising twice a day, ideally upon waking and right before bed.

Body Hair

We at MensXP are a little obsessed with trimming body hair. We've each used our stories to shove our personal opinions on the matter down your throats, so I stand firmly by the words of my previous articles. There's nothing wrong with a bit of body hair here and there but in the wise words of the Buddha, when asked about manscaping - 'it's all about balance'.

 Philips

Get it here

If you're ready to be someone's first mistake of 2018, be kind enough to give your 'pits and bits' a trim. You don't want to open your eyes next morning to the sight of one of your pubes stuck between the poor girl's teeth. (Yikes!)

The benefits of keeping it light down there is the added feeling of freedom and cleanliness, as well the optical illusion created in favour of the size of your junk.

Scent

Chances are you're going to get very hot and sweaty on the big night. Alcohol, food and plenty of dancing create an intense cocktail of aromas that will emanate from various of parts of your body.

Your best chance of avoiding this problem would be to take a good shower using a scrub or loofah, followed by liberal applications of talcum powder under your arms, between your legs and even down the crack. Yep! Reduce friction wherever possible (pat the excess talc off with a towel to avoid any powder marks on your clothes).

 Paco Rabanne 1 Million Eau De Toilette

Get it here

Though deodorant sprays and colognes will be your best friends at this point, I strongly recommend getting your hands on some Attar/Ittar. Attar is an all natural perfume (oil) created from botanical sources. Very little oil is required but the potent fragrance will remain on your body for hours. As well as it's smooth scent, Attar is said to be good for health, working to naturally heat or cool your body depending upon the type of oil you apply. You'll find most guys won't be using Attar, giving you an edge that will definitely set you apart on the night.
We're going to go ahead and say it- 2017 was the worst. Everyone around the world was desperate for a fresh start. And this time, we saw a lucky few celebrating the New Year not just once, but twice. How, you ask? By travelling back in time, of course.

via GIPHY

Let us enlighten you.

Passengers on Hawaiian Airlines flight HA446 got to welcome 2018 twice; first in Auckland in New Zealand and second, by flying back to Honolulu in Hawaii which was still in 2017.

via GIPHY

Well, New Zealand and Hawaii sit on either side of the International Date Line and the flight crossed the International Date Line on its journey from Auckland to Hawaii.

Honolulu is a full 23 hours behind Auckland, so as the plane took off at just after midnight on January 1 from New Zealand, it was still 1am on December 31 in Hawaii.

Flight Radar 24 took to Twitter to proudly make this announcement.

Time travel is possible!

Flight #HA446 just took off from New Zealand in 2018 and will land in Hawaii back in 2017! pic.twitter.com/3KsCEniCOL  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) December 31, 2017

And just like us, the internet could not absorb this piece of information.

Let's be real. You did this JUST so you could celebrate New Years more than once.  Taylor Harris (@AntVenom) December 31, 2017

This literally blew my 8 yr old's mind and made his day. He's so excited- thanks for sharing it Jess.  Jacoba Urist (@JacobaUrist) December 31, 2017

Although 2017 was a pretty messed up year and not worthy enough to go back to it, we have to admit that this was pretty cool.
You probably have seen the viral picture of a bride celebrating as she is getting married in her hospital bed, a picture that has touched the hearts of everyone world over. Heather Mosher sadly passed away after a few hours of getting married.

She was battling an aggressive type of breast cancer that she had been diagnosed with in December 2016 and lost her battle a year later. But a silver lining to the day she was diagnosed came in the form of her boyfriend, Dave Mosher, who proposed to her as they rode a horse-drawn carriage.

While talking to ABC News, Dave said, I had planned to ask her on Dec. 23, 2016. That morning we had gone to the doctor after she had found a lump on her breast.

After getting a confirmation through a biopsy that Heather indeed had breast cancer, Dave wanted to propose even more. Recalling the day, he said, Now more than ever, I needed for her to know that she's not going to do this alone. When you're with your great love ... it's like trying to separate your arm from your body, you can't do it. You're connected. She was my girl.

And people say that true love doesn't exist.

Even after undergoing surgeries and chemotherapy, the aggressive form of cancer spread to her brain, and by October she had to be put on a ventilator.

Originally, they were set to wed on 30th December, but Heather's doctor suggested the couple wed sooner rather than later, the groom said. Preponing their nuptials, the couple exchanged vows in front of family and friends inside St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, on 22nd December. Even though she was on life support, Heather had a wedding gown on, along with a wig.

The couple exchanged their wows in the hospital's chapel, and Dave added that some of his wife's final words were her vows. He said, It was just like surreal because I'm supposed to be exchanging vows to her and here I am saying goodbye.

Her funeral was then held on Saturday, the original date of the wedding. No, I'm not crying, you're crying.
It's a rare occurrence for our cozy privileged bubble to burst. Recent events in Mumbai and Pune call for rethinking what we knew about caste and caste-based violence. This is an opportunity to understand the unspoken laws that govern our society and to determine whether we'll follow the same footsteps as our ancestors or make a personal change for the betterment of all. This incident, and in extension, this article, is an invitation to retrospect, learn and hopefully progress in the right direction.

What Happened In Pune And Why?

 BCCL

An event was organised in Shaniwar Wada on 1st January to commemorate the bicentennial anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon where the British East India Company defeated Maratha ruler Baji Rao Peshwa II. During the week preceding the event, several right-wing groups like the Akhil Bhartiya Brahman Mahasabha, Rashtriya Ekatmata Rashtra Abhiyan, Hindu Aghadi and the descendants of the Peshwas had opposed the event, stating that it was 'anti-national' (for any foreigners reading this, that's an Indian politician term used when you disagree with them) and casteist. On the day of the event, protests broke out when activists, some carrying saffron flags, attacked the peaceful gathering. An innocent person died in the violence, several others were injured and over 40 vehicles were damaged. The protests spilled onto Mumbai when Dalit activists mobilised several people to participate in raasta roko, rail roko protests and called for Maharashtra Bandh on 3rd January.

What's Wrong With The Way We Responded?

We, who constitute the urban youth, responded with characteristic insensitivity. We took to Twitter where vitriol sells better and faster than nuanced opinion. Branding the protestors as jobless freeloaders, sharing memes about how SC/STs have always kept their interests above the nation and getting agitated because the gym was closed are a few of the many ways we completely missed the point. Clearly, our views seem to be based on a superficial understanding of the issue, selfishness and WhatsApp forwards.

Firstly, it is important to note that in the late 18th century, Peshwas were considered to be upper-caste Brahmins whereas Mahars were untouchables. Mahars were made to tie brooms behind them in order to clean the area that was left impure due to them having walked over it. Yes, the imprint of their footsteps was deemed so dirty, that they themselves had to clean it lest the upper caste people step over it. Despite having helped the Peshwas win several battles earlier, they were made to sleep and eat differently from the other soldiers. Shocked? Open your eyes and check where your house help is sleeping/eating right now. But we'll get to that in a bit. Now, it may seem off-putting that the Shaniwar Wada event was organized to commemorate the victory of the colonialists over an Indian ruler. The reason is that in the Dalit narrative, the British forces consisted of a considerable number of Mahars and the victory of the British over Peshwas was heralded as a victory of the Mahars over their evil oppressors. Within this broader historical context, it's foolish to dismiss members of the Dalit community as freeloaders or anti-nationals, these are victims who are merely celebrating their freedom, and our dialogue should acknowledge that.

Casteists Hiding Under The Veil Of Nationalism

As it turns out, upon further research, painting the Battle of Koregaon as a victory over caste oppression was a bit of a stretch. Although the British were perceived as the lesser of the two evils at the time, they were, after all, imperialists and took little interest in restoring social equality after the dust settled. Regardless, on 1st January, there was no cause for violence when people had gathered peacefully to address the oppression faced by different minorities. Yet, right-wing groups calling such gatherings casteist and possibly playing a role in disrupting them is the most ironic stance taken by any group in recent history. It's like when white Americans were referring to the Black Lives Matter movement as racist. No, dear privileged-member-of-society, this isn't about you, this is probably because of you. Support or shut up.

 BCCL

In 2017, the young urban population was thoroughly exposed to the nationalism aspect of Hindu nationalism with censorship of Hollywood movies and mandatory standing for the national anthem in theatres. We have the money and the privilege to have these problems. We saw a glimpse of the Hindu aspect when we saw innocent Muslims being lynched on TV. With the Bhima Koregaon protests, we finally see the real ugly face of Hindu nationalism - a fringe group of upper-caste Hindus trying to convert the social privilege that they've accumulated over the years into political power under the veil of nationalism, an equally ancient, but unfortunately relevant concept in today's information age.

We realize that a bandh enforced by brute force is unfavorable and unconstitutional but so is caste-discrimination and that continues to be the norm long after the drafting of our Constitution. Our fellow countrymen have suffered centuries of humiliation and are still struggling to assert their identity, we need to get some perspective and stop blaming them for disrupting the traffic for a few hours. Violence is wrong, but we're making the mistake of allowing the minority violent faction to drown the noise that peaceful protesters have been trying to make for quite some time now.

But We're Woke AF

Some people proudly declare that caste is an artificial construct and disappears automatically in cities considered to be melting pots like Mumbai. It's not often that the urban population finds itself dealing with caste issues; it's something that they consider to be a rural problem. Nothing could be further away from the truth. In rural areas, casteism is blatant and painfully visible but in cities, it hides in plain sight. Whether it's hiring a maid or filing a police complaint, transactions in urban India tend to have subtle casteist undercurrents. It's a matter of opening our eyes to them.

 Youtube_The Viral Fever (Image for representational purpose only)

We can't even imagine letting maids sleep on our beds but in reality, they won't dare to sit on them either, because of their inherent casteism. When your friend is forced to break ties with a long-time partner, to marry someone who will find it easier to adjust in his household, he's being forced to marry within his caste. Terms like "those people" that your family uses have casteist undertones. If 25% of the population belongs to the SC/ST community, why haven't you met anyone who identifies themselves as a member? Why is being a 'TamBrahm' (Tamil Brahmin) a badge of honour? If the first question your grandmother asks your maid before hiring her is her surname, then that's casteism right there in your family tree. Ever notice how many times people around you ask you your surname and then immediately guess your father's occupation, how do they do that? Casteism is an issue and it's all around you. Lower castes suffer even in the most progressive environments, it's just that the problem is so strongly rooted in our society that it is not easy for one to identify their own privilege.

What We Can Do To Help

In conclusion, it is important to recognise that more often than not, urban is synonymous with upper caste. We're complaining about being inconvenienced because a community that has been wronged is protesting while we're the ones responsible for suppressing them in the first place, either through direct caste-based discrimination or through our ignorance. In times like these, the very least we can do is acknowledge the sensitive nature of the problem and inform ourselves. For those who believe that their caste or religion is an integral part of their identity, here's a simple experiment - if you can strip it off and suddenly find yourself at a disadvantage in regular daily-life activities, then before being a part of your identity, it is part of your privilege. Strip it off - it's a relic of the past and a heavy baggage for the future.

Everyday actions can help break down casteism. When such protests happen, listen. Destroy the utensils 'reserved' for your house help. Stop calling a shabbily dressed person "bhangi". Take off the janeu. Stop hashtagging #Tambrahm, because that one hashtag also involves a whole sect of people forced to clean out human waste with their bare hands for generations. Actively acknowledge, support and learn from current issues of the lower caste people. And most importantly, don't arrogantly expect the Dalits to strip off their identity, for it is to that very identity that we owe massive reparations.
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They watched U.S. fighters bring their A-game. They followed fourth- and fifth-generation jets and paid attention to tactics. And once more, they learned.

That's what the Russian air force has been focusing on since they entered the Syrian airspace in the midst of the U.S.-led effort to diminish the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, according to the Air Force's deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

"In the skies over Syria, it's really just been a treasure trove for them to see how we operate," Lt. Gen. VeraLinn "Dash" Jamieson told congressional staffers and reporters on Thursday during an Air Force Association briefing in Washington, D.C.

"In Syria we've actually seen Russia starting to use a lot more precision guided munitions; we've seen them with their long range aviation [bomber] sorties, 18-to-24-hours long," Jamieson said during the event, titled, "Threats to Air Supremacy." She was accompanied by Lt. Gen. Chris Nowland, the service's deputy chief of staff for operations.

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This has "changed because our adversaries are watching us, they're learning from us," Jamieson said, also referencing China, which has also extended its own bomber sorties in recent years.

Jamieson said the U.S. has significantly learned what Russia's intentions have been, especially as the airspace continues to shrink over Syria with higher possibilities of interceptions -- or worse.

Last month, two U.S. F-22 Raptor stealth fighters intercepted two Russian Su-25 fighter jets, conducting multiple maneuvers, firing warning flares and, in one instance, aggressively flying to avoid colliding with one another. A Russian Su-35 multi-role fighter was also involved.

An F-22 ended up trailing the Su-35 after it flew across the river into territory deemed unsafe to coalition aircraft.

While the Russians aren't mirroring the U.S. in how they employ precision guided weapons, dropping more PGMs has been a first for the Russian air force in a combat scenario. And it's for practice, Jamieson said.

"By their own account, Russia has cycled nearly 85 percent of all line-unit aircrew from across their air force into combat operations" in Syria, she said. "One of the things they learned from us was, 'It's one thing to be in an exercise and train. It's a whole other thing to be in combat and face an adversary and threat.' And they wanted to test that out. Not just for the few, but for the majority of their line aircraft and pilots."

Air Force intelligence has gathered Russia, using Syria as a "testing ground," Jamieson said, is working towards solutions to correct how they operate cruise missiles, air-to-air missiles, and long range aviation methods.

"They have conducted really what I would characterize as their first 'away game' operations in a complete and continuous deployment arena," Jamieson said.

Jamieson unveiled a "Year End Review" pictograph of where Russia believes it stands in recent months in comparison to the United States. She said the chart was translated from a report originally released by Russia's Ministry of Defence.

Jamieson still concludes that while the Russians brought some of their best aircraft to the fight in Syria -- such as the Sukhoi Su-35S -- even with upgrades, the aircraft doesn't meet the caliber of fifth-generation fighters like the F-22.

She added, "We are competitors and Russia views by their own account [as] a peer competitor in air-to-air defense."

"We've been seeing Russia employing in a joint environment; while it wasn't as integrated as we operate, it is a change for them," Jamieson said.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
Officials say the device was known as an "unexploded ordnance," or an explosive weapon that did not explode and still posed a...
A former Marine Corps drill instructor implicated in a 2015 incident in which a Muslim recruit was thrown in an industrial dryer and interrogated like a terrorist will serve 45 days' restriction and be administratively separated from the military, Marine officials announced Friday.

Sgt. Michael K. Eldridge pleaded guilty at a summary court-martial aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, to maltreatment; failure to obey a lawful general order; and disorderly conduct, officials with Marine Corps Training and Education Command said Friday. In addition to restriction, he will be demoted to corporal, according to the announcement.

Eldridge is the last of a parade of former Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, drill instructors to face administrative or legal action following a series of hazing allegations that became public following the March 2016 suicide death of 20-year-old recruit Raheel Siddiqui.

The most serious punishment was handed down in November to Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Felix, who was found guilty of slapping and berating Siddiqui immediately before his death and, on a previous occasion, of throwing another Muslim recruit, Ameer Bourmeche, into a dryer and turning it on during a drunken night-time hazing session.

Felix was sentenced to 10 years' confinement and a dishonorable discharge on Nov. 10.

Felix's military defense attorney argued, however, that Eldridge had been the instigator in the Bourmeche incident. As part of a pretrial agreement in which he agreed to testify against Felix, Eldridge was granted an administrative court proceeding and a limited maximum sentence.

"Sgt. Eldridge took the government for a ride," Navy Lt. Cmdr. Clay Bridges told a military jury during Felix's general court-martial.

Eldridge is the sixth and final former drill instructor to go to trial on allegations of hazing in relation to various incidents within Parris Island's 3rd Recruit Training Battalion.

One additional court-martial is expected to take place this spring.

Lt. Col. Joshua Kissoon, the former commanding officer of 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, is scheduled to face general court-martial March 12 at Quantico, accused of failing to remove Felix from training recruits after the Bourmeche hazing accusations came to light.

Felix would be removed from his post permanently only after Siddiqui's death.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
President Donald Trump moved Wednesday to speed up the bureaucratic reshuffle in how the Pentagon buys and develops weapons.

Trump nominated two managers with long experience at the Defense Department to fill key acquisitions slots in the new alignment authorized by Congress to split the office of Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L).

Under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2018, AT&L is slated to be broken up in February to create a new undersecretary of defense for research and engineering (R&E) and a new undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment (A&S).

In the lead-up to passage of the NDAA, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, both argued that splitting AT&L was vital to streamlining the cumbersome process of getting new weapons and technology into the hands of warfighters.

To help with that, Trump announced he was nominating ground combat systems specialist Kevin Fahey of Massachusetts, most recently vice president of combat vehicles and armaments at Cypress International Inc., a defense consultancy, to the post of assistant secretary of defense for acquisition.

Trump also nominated William Roper of Georgia, a missile defense expert, to be assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition. Roper currently serves as the first director of the Strategic Capabilities Office in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Roper previously served as the acting chief architect at the Missile Defense Agency and prior to that was a missile defense adviser to the undersecretary of defense for acquisition.

In a session with Pentagon reporters last month, Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, a former executive at Boeing Co., said the breakup of AT&L is part of a major reorganization at the Pentagon that is to be included in the National Defense Strategy.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is expected to outline the strategy later this month.

"And the essence of the strategy is that we're restructuring the department," Shanahan said. "And the strategy itself is a combination of real-world environment trends across all sorts of different dimensions, whether it's economic or military or social, and the guidance we've received from Congress."

As an example of the restructuring, Shanahan cited the appointment of John H. "Jay" Gibson, a former assistant secretary of the Air Force, to become the Pentagon's chief management officer.

"Congress has written in the law many, many times that we need to have a chief management officer, and this goes to the fundamental restructuring of the department," Shanahan said.

He said that "a good portion of Jay's responsibility is going to help us transition organizationally and technically."

Shanahan said much of his own time will be spent on modernization, and matching the modernization with the strategy.

"The balance right now is to generate the readiness and consume it wisely," he said. "We want to be very prudent in how we consume the readiness."

Shanahan said, "It's an unpredictable world and there's all sorts of unplanned events, but that's where we have to decipher how to take risk and where to take that risk so that we're constantly generating more and more readiness, because that's where we said we'd need it."

In nominating Fahey, the White House is bringing back to the Pentagon an engineer who helped develop the Army's $11 billion Crusader self-propelled howitzer program that was canceled by then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in a still-controversial decision.

The White House announcement said that, in a long civil service career, Fahey had previously served as executive director of Systems Engineering, integration directorate, in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology.

He also was program executive officer for combat support and combat service support at Program Executive Officer Ground Combat Systems in Warren, Michigan.

From 1982 to 2014, Fahey held numerous positions in the Army, where at various times he "was responsible for all activities necessary to develop, produce, field and sustain tactical vehicle systems and force projection equipment that supported and safeguarded our Armed Forces fighting across the globe," according to an Army biography.

From 1994 to 1997, Fahey was chief of Systems Engineering and International Division, Crusader, Program Executive Office, Ground Combat and Support Systems.

The $11 billion Crusader program was highly touted by the Army as an effort to field a next-generation self-propelled howitzer with automated handling and loading that was designed to improve the lethality and survivability of artillery in the overall force.

The prime contractor was United Defense, now part of the British defense giant BAE Systems Plc, and the major subcontractor was General Dynamics Corp.

The Crusader was on track to be fielded in 2008 but it ran afoul of Rumsfeld and then-Deputy Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, who claimed it was too heavy at 43 tons for the more agile force they wanted to create.

The decision on the Crusader also came amid a bitter feud between Rumsfeld and then-Army Secretary Tom White, a retired Army brigadier general and Silver Star veteran of Vietnam.

In 2002, White infuriated Rumsfeld by circulating talking points to Congress hailing the Crusader's capabilities, even as Rumsfeld was considering canceling the program.

White further riled Rumsfeld by backing then-Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki, who had told Congress that several hundred thousand troops would be needed to invade Iraq. In addition, White was saddled with his previous service as an executive with the scandal-ridden Enron Corp.

In 2003, Rumsfeld canceled the Crusader program and later demanded White's resignation, which he submitted.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
On a day filled with ceremonial precision, Mark Esper -- a former paratrooper, infantry officer and combat veteran -- became the 23rd secretary of the Army.

After a brief swearing-in ceremony at the Pentagon, senior military leaders, congressional officials and soldiers welcomed Esper into his new post with a formal arrival ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia.

Polished units such as the United States Army Band, known as Pershing's Own, and the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as The Old Guard, honored Esper and his family.

"This morning, I had the great honor of being sworn as the 23rd secretary of the Army by Secretary of Defense Mattis," Esper said. "For over 25 years, I had the privilege ... to wear the uniform of the greatest and most lethal ground force in modern history, and I would say in all history."

During his service, the graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point said it was his honor to have served in the 101ST Airborne Division, the 82nd Airborne Division and the Virginia National Guard's 29th Infantry Division -- "three great units whose history is written in blood from the beaches and drop zones of Normandy to the battlefields and forward operating bases of the Middle East."

Esper, who served as a member of the 101st during the 1991 Gulf War, said he understands "the challenges of military service, the importance of readiness, the rigors of wartime deployment and how that impacts our soldiers and their families."

He called soldiers "the Army's greatest asset" and promised to make their welfare and readiness his top priority. He also pledged to make modernization and acquisition reform top priorities during his tenure.

Esper's nomination to the post was the third attempt by President Donald Trump's administration to fill the Army's top civilian job.

Businessman Vincent Viola, Trump's first nominee for Army secretary, withdrew from consideration, citing his inability to successfully navigate the confirmation process and Defense Department rules concerning family businesses.

Tennessee State Sen. Mark Green was Trump's second choice, but Green withdrew his nomination after coming under fire during the review process for past unfavorable comments about the LGBTQ community as well as Muslims.

Esper served as president of government relations for Raytheon Co., the world's largest missile-maker and one of the five biggest U.S. defense contractors.

He also served for a number of years on Capitol Hill.

Esper's last assignment was as director of national security affairs for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Earlier in his career, he was policy director for the House Armed Services Committee and a senior professional staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Government Affairs Committee.

In addition, Esper served as the legislative director and senior policy adviser for Sen. Chuck Hagel.

He earned a master's of public administration degree from the JFK School of Government at Harvard University and a doctorate from George Washington University.

Esper told the audience, "It is clear to me that the most difficult task the Army faces is ensuring that we are ready for today's fight while simultaneously preparing for future ones.

"To everyone gathered here today, let me reassure you that your Army is ready to fight and win when the nation calls," he said.

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.
After more than a year of speculation, the word comes straight from the commandant of the Marine Corps: Grunts, including those outside the squad, are getting the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle -- and a whole lot of other goodies to boot.

Military.com first reported in November 2016 that the Marine Corps was eyeing the idea of fielding the weapon more broadly within the infantry, and had issued M27s to members of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, the service's experimental infantry battalion, to observe how it improved their effectiveness.

Currently, the M27 is carried by only one member of each infantry fire team: the automatic rifleman.

With the battalion's deployment to the Pacific at an end, Marine leaders are considering a list of 41 different recommendations generated by the unit, and M27s are at the top of the list.

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In an interview with Military.com in late December, Commandant Gen. Robert Neller confirmed that a decision had been made to move forward with fielding the M27 more widely within the infantry.

Every Marine in an infantry squad, he said, will receive the high-end rifle. And while not every Marine in a grunt battalion will carry the IAR, others outside of the squad will also be issued one.

"I don't think mortars and javelin guys need the M27," Neller said. But, he added, artillery forward observers, fire support teams, and even engineers might be good candidates for the weapon.

"I'm going to wait and see," he said. "It's not that much [money]."

The exact number of weapons needed has yet to be determined. In February, the Marine Corps put out a request for information for 11,000 new infantry automatic rifles, enough to equip every squad. But in August, the service published a pre-solicitation for up to 50,800 M27s, to ensure that manufacturer Heckler & Koch was up to the task of meeting an order that large.

Neller has in the past expressed reservations about investing in new weapons and technology for Marine grunts. The IAR, based on the Heckler & Koch HK416, offers a longer effective range and better accuracy than the M4 carbine currently fielded to infantrymen, but it also has come with a steeper price tag: about $3,000 a piece compared to less than $1,000 for the M4.

That may no longer be the case.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Christian Wade, the gunner for 2nd Marine Division out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, told Military.com that competition and economies of scale have pushed the cost of the M27 down significantly.

"The price for that rifle is comparable to what we paid for the M4s the riflemen currently have," he said. "These companies are competing against each other. And we now have bought the finest infantry rifle for the same price the current infantry rifle is."

Kitting Out the Grunts

But with major Marine Corps investments for new rotary-wing and fixed-wing aviation platforms well underway, cost may not be the obstacle it once was for the service. The commandant signaled his plan to invest heavily in the infantry when speaking with deployed Marines during his yearly Christmas tour.

The Marines' new 5th-generation fighter, the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, costs roughly $100 million per copy, Neller told troops at one of a dozen town hall-style addresses he gave in the span of seven days in late December.

"I could kit out every grunt in the Marine Corps with the coolest s*** head-to-toe for $100 million," he said. "And I intend to do that."

For what else may be coming for the infantry, look to the "Uber Squad," an experiment started this year by Wade.

This summer, the 13-Marine unit from 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, was kitted out with M27s, suppressors, and high-tech Ops-Core helmets borrowed from Marine Corps Special Operations Command that feature built-in hearing protection, but also magnify other sounds to improve situational awareness.

The Marines used light MARSOC body armor and advanced AN/PVS-31A night vision devices. They also got 60-round Magpul drums, allowing them to increase the amount of ammunition they carried.

Wade said that the high-end night vision equipment had proved its worth recently during a nighttime exercise at Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center 29 Palms, California.

"That rifle squad moved faster at night than the live fire-safety chaperones," he said. "[The Uber Squad moved too fast for them to keep up because they had better night vision goggles."

The squad is expected to deploy to Europe sometime this spring to continue testing out gear, but Wade is already working on requirements documents as a starting point to get some of the equipment to every infantry squad.

He said he's ready to begin writing requirements for a helmet with all the features of special operations gear, including hearing enhancement, communications infrastructure and ear protection.

Suppressors and Scopes

Early efforts to pursue suppressors are also underway.

In September, the Marine Corps published a request for information about a commercially available suppressor that could be used on the M4, the M4A1, and the M27-- effectively covering all service weapons used by the infantry. While an early effort, the document instructed prospective suppliers to be ready to supply in large numbers.

"Future procurement quantities of suppressors could span between 18,000 and 194,000," the RFI reads.

Wade said he's not yet happy with the suppressor currently in use by the Marine Corps for specialized jobs. He plans to start tests on a flow-through design that reduces signature, he said.

Add to all that one more key piece of gear: a variable power optic that, combined with the M27 and a suppressor, would essentially kit out every Marine in the squad as a designated marksman. Wade said he wants to equip infantry squads from different platoons with various optics and compare their performance to make the case for more powerful equipment.

Currently, Marine grunts carry a 4X power rifle scope; Wade said the idea capability would be a 1-8X power scope.

An RFI published in September described such a scope, the "squad combat optic," that would work on the M4, M4A1, and M27, and be able to identify and acquire targets at a range of 600 meters or more.

Some of this gear carries with it a sizable price tag. The AN/PVS-31A NVGs, for example, cost about $13,000, compared with about $4,000 for the AN/PVS-14 NVGs currently in use. And all of it isn't guaranteed to end up with the squad.

But Neller said he's likely to approve a lot of it, and soon.

"The money to buy all that other stuff, the suppressors, the ear protection enhancement, the different helmets, it's not a lot of money in the aggregate," he told Military.com. "So I'm just waiting for them to come back, and I'm ready to say yes."

And it's possible all these items are just the start of a full-court press to equip the infantry for future fights.

In an address to Marines with the Black Sea Rotational Force in Romania, Neller hinted at future developments.

"Helmets, [ear protection enhancement], lighter body armor, boots, utilities, everything on the infantry from head to toe is probably going to get changed," Neller said. "Every Marine's a rifleman, but not every Marine's a grunt."

The infantrymen in the room roared.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
Many veterans leave the military wanting to lead a company, but would like to do something at least loosely related to what they did in the military. Marine Corps veteran Alex Martin did just that.

Martin serves as CEO of AC Global Risk, a California tech innovator that has announced a new technology for vetting refugees. This technology, called Remote Risk Assessment (RRA), comes at a time when an estimated 110,000 refugees are expected to enter the United States in 2017.

"We are in the business of Trust Gap Resolution and, while many security experts believe effective vetting of refugees cannot be accomplished, we are here to tell you that it can," Martin said. "Based upon extensive use of RRA in test markets, we have a proven solution that's highly accurate, scalable, language agnostic, cost-effective, and capable of high throughput. Our technology will wildly enhance existing screening systems and totally change the risk landscape by helping to accurately plot human-based risk. The data we provide helps accelerate workflow and allows high-demand, low density resources to be more precisely allocated."

Martin says his technology is available "to tackle one of the most serious and difficult security and counter-terrorism problems of our time."

We spoke with Martin about his involvement in this venture and his transition from military to CEO.

Martin served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a commander in infantry, reconnaissance and special operations units. He later founded a private maritime security company and lived and worked in rural Kenya for two years as the team leader for Nuru International, a social enterprise dedicated to ending extreme poverty. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Expeditionary Warfare School, and the Stanford Business School's Program in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Q: You have served in both the Marines and leadership roles in the civilian world. What has been the motivation for this? Is it part of a career plan/ strategy?

A: I continue to serve in the reserves. When I first left active duty, this was partially an emotional decision and partially a business decision. The emotional part is that leaving was an agonizing choice and the reserves allowed me to stay close to the tribe. The business decision was that I knew I was going to be an entrepreneur, and having good health care and a little extra disposable income each month was a really incredible value proposition. Since then, I'd say my motivation for staying in a leadership role in the reserves has become more and more emotionally based. The opportunity to still work for Marines and sailors means the world to me. They energize me and remind me of the core values and character traits that make a difference in a gunfight. This makes me a better entrepreneur. I want to stay around Marines as long as they'll still have me.

Q: Do you find any problems with differences in culture between the military and your civilian experiences?

A: Not at all, just so long as the leadership does not confuse a highly talented group of engineers with a highly talented rifle platoon, or vice versa. You can't take a new venture and give it the Marine Corps culture. You can't and you shouldn't. There are a lot of reasons for this, not the least of which is that culture can't be replicated or manufactured. One of the things I love about the promise of a startup enterprise is that you and your co-founders have the opportunity to create the winning environment in which your company culture will form and grow, and you all own the responsibility to ensure it's not hijacked along the way. The hope is that a culture is meaningful, relevant, and is one which reflects the shared values and principles that everyone actually believes in; it has to be unpretentious and honest. The only thing worse than having no real culture is having the wrong one.

Q: What is it like running a company, especially as it compares to serving in the military?

A: It's phenomenally exciting. Though I don't think of what I do as running a company. I'm first a custodian of the technology our inventor and our engineers have created. This is a life's work in action, and that is deeply motivating. Next, I think of what I do more as being the guy whose job it is to get really talented people the things they need to do really superb things. My fundamental responsibility is to listen and help curate ideas from strategy to execution. In this way, it's very similar to how I led my platoons in combat: I ask for the advice of my subject matter experts, we make a plan collaboratively, and then I try to keep up with them as we fight our way through a series of complex problems. I believe success, in business or in combat, comes down to courage, talent, empathy, a lot of discipline and a little luck.

Q: For others looking to become involved in starting new businesses or coming into existing companies in leadership positions, do you have any lessons learned or advice you can share?

A: Get a mentor. Aggressively network. Give it a shot! I can't emphasize how important the value of great mentorship, a strong network and taking a few chances has been. While it can be challenging to find, and connect to a mentor, penetrate a network and know which target to take your shot at, there are so many great programs out there now to help with your discovery. Whether it's Stanford Business School's transformative IGNITE program on entrepreneurship and innovation, incubators such as BunkerLabs, enablers such as MD5, immersive recruiting ecosystems powered by VetTechTrek, or pioneering education for employment companies such as BreakLine, the resources are out there and so is the demand for proven leaders. Q: What is it about this newest venture that spoke to you and why should others care?

A: We are pioneering a new domain in the technical risk management industry that will help accelerate the speed of trust. We will help companies scale faster into new, riskier markets without compromising security and safety. We will help connect millions of people and businesses in frontier markets with access to investment capital and insurance. We will help governments facilitate robust, legal immigration while enhancing national security. We will help fight fraud and identify sexual predators and violent criminals. People should care about this venture because we are going to forever change for the better how human risk is measured.

Q: How do you feel your military background helped in this endeavor?

A: It gave me the ability to laugh deep and hard, mostly at myself, and how to use enthusiasm as a weapon.

Q: Do you have any other advice for veterans looking to make a difference in the world?

A: Do something! I believe we honor the memory of our fallen mates best by living deliberately, boldly and, when at all possible, happily. We remember them best by working and loving hard. My call to action is to find something you care about and get involved. For a cause big or small. There's someone out there that needs you.

You can learn more about the RRA system by visiting www.acglobalrisk.com. For further details, AC Global Risk can be contacted directly by email at info@acglobalrisk.com.
05.01.2018 LISTEN

Reggae and dancehall artiste Shatta Wale has revealed the big secret behind his Freedom song which has gained massive airplay in the past days.

The single produced by Willis Beatz according to many does not make sense judging from the few words he uttered.

According to critics, Shatta Wale just mentioned Freedom and My name is Shatta Wale  which makes the song go into the records of Ghanaian music as one of the useless songs ever recorded but some also argue that it is creativity.

Shatta Wale in a chat with Jerry Justice on Adom FM in Accra has confessed that he entered the booth to record the Freedom tune because Patapaa was making waves with his One Corner.

The SM4LYF boss revealed that he initially wanted to give the song to the Agona Swedru-based musician but changed plans later because he, Patapaa worried him in 2017 with his only hit single.
The Member of Parliament for Takoradi, Mr. Kobby Otchere-Darko Mensah interestingly joined scores of masqueraders serenaded carnival goers in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.

The MP shared in their mesmerising choreography and elaborate costumes as part of this year's 'Westside Carnival' organised by Skyy Power FM in Takoradi on December 26, 2017.

Under the midday sun throughout the streets of Takoradi, the masqueraders gambolled to the pulsating beats of the city's greatest artistes, sending almost everyone into a frenzy of exultations.

Masquerading clubs, popularly referred to as 'ankos', have been part of the Sekondi-Takoradi community for some decades now. Their activities are geared towards celebrating the culture and the people of Sekondi-Takoradi and as a way of welcoming people and their relations back home for the Christmas celebrations.

Popular masquerading clubs such as Nyanta from Sekondi, Valencia, Sannato Boys, Cosmos, Mississippi from New Takoradi, Parma, Holy City, Unity, Spain, Tumus, among many others, participated in the exciting event.

This year's event brought together Takoradi residents from other parts of the country including those in the diaspora, especially from Spain, USA and Italy, who returned home to join the colourful celebration.

The Takoradi MP, who has been a masquerader for many years before he became a legislator, won the admiration of Takoradi residents, particularly those in Amanful, when they saw their representative in the country's legislative assembly again in his colourful masquerading costume.

Residents in the area, mostly the youth, expressed their excitement on seeing their idol MP, popularly called Kobby, clad in a masquerading attire and exhibiting his dancing skills on the streets of Takoradi.

They could not help but carry the MP shoulder high as some were seen commending and congratulating him for retaining his seat in the last general elections and wished him well.

Some of the residents remarked that Christmas celebration in Sekondi-Takoradi is never complete without the display by colourful masqueraders parading the streets with brass band music and dancing.

They stressed that what Kobby did actualise what is meant by grassroots participation. They, therefore, promised their continuous support for the MP.

Thousands of spectators thronged the venue to catch a glimpse of the masqueraders and have a feel of the popular street carnival which is celebrated annually during the Christmas festivities in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.

This long-standing tradition has wholly been embraced by many residents within the Twin City who eagerly look forward to it every year.
Hollywood actor, Boris Kodjoe has expressed his willingness to work with Ghanaian actors to help grow our movie industry.

Speaking to the media last Tuesday at the Movenpick Hotel, the Ghanaian-German actor said he is already in touch with some Ghanaian producers and actors and theyre discussing movies he could coproduce.

Ghana has great actors and with my experience, I will be more than glad to work with these actors and producers. I have some scripts ready for some Ghanaian actors I personally admire, he said.

Boris is known for his role in television series, The Boris and Nicole Show, Real Husbands of Hollywood, Soul Food and movies like Addicted, Madeas Family Reunion, Resident Evil, The Gospel, Baggage Claim among others.

Away from acting, the Hollywood actor also revealed that Kuami Eugene and Kidi are his favourite musicians.

According to him, although these musicians are young, their talents cannot be underestimated and he believes they will go far.

As the host of CAF Awards which comes off at the Accra International Conference Centre, Boris Kodjoe said he was happy to have been chosen.

To host such a great awards scheme is a great honour. Not many artistes get the opportunity for such an occasion and I must say I am honoured to be selected as the MC for the event, he said.

His actress wife, Nicole Ari Parker, who was with him thanked Ghanaians for supporting her husband. This is my second time in Ghana and our two children always love it when they get here.

Ghana is a lovely country, she added.
The world can expect a lot more concreate and significant results in the next three to five years from member countries of the United Nations working to achieve Health for all by 2030 also known as Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Listening to reports of the outcome of the 2017 Universal Health Coverage Forum in Tokyo Japan where several world leaders recently converged to discuss the topic, there is so much expectation for improving health coverage across countries.

From all indications, the UHC 2017 Form was not only successful, but it also ended on a high note with the Prime Minister of the host nation Japan announcing a 2.9 billion USD package to developing countries in support global efforts toward UHC goal by 2030.

UHC is essential part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 3 includes a target to achieve universal health coverage (UHC), including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.. According to the World Health Organization Right now, at best only half of the worlds population has coverage for essential health services, whiles hundreds of millions of people cannot access the health services they need to stay healthy,

The UHC Forum 2017 according to reports was a big world platform where countries and international bodies who have subscribed to the global health agenda met to assess strategies, examine evidence and global innovations for making health care practically accessible and affordable to every person on earth irrespective of whom they are or where they live.

U.N Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe attended the conference. Among other world leaders who participated in the conference were WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Senegalese President Macky Sall and Myanmar President Htin Kyaw.

Ghana was represented at the forum by a delegation led by the Director General of the Ghana Health Service Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare. The other were the Director of Policy Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Division of the Ghana Health Service Dr. Koku Awoonor, the CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Samuel Annor and Deputy CEO NHIA Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby, and Hon. Robert Baba Kuganab-Lem a Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health. The conference was also attended by some representatives of Development Partners in Ghana, CSOs and JICA.

As one of the focused countries in Africa, Ghana made an impressive representation of the countrys national effort and progress towards UHC by taking the stage to share with the rest of the world the gains and potentials of its primary health care strategy and national health care financing mechanisms. With our kind of a twin-engine powered public health system that addresses both access and economic limitations to health care, Ghanas story is one that inspires hope across the world. If we want to design and deliver health care services suitable to the needs of the worlds population including the poorest and most deprived, then systems similar to Ghanas Community-based Health Planning and Service (CHPS) program that recognizes and embraces community members as key partners in the planning, development and management of health care delivery are exemplary. The introduction of a National Health Insurance Program in Ghana in particular was viewed by many experts as a great step that put Ghana on the right pedestal to make a good run for UHC far early than the U.N 2030 deadline.

Knowing the system weakness of the Ghanaian public health program however, it is important to note that only bold commitments from international development partners as demonstrated by the government of Japan at the UHC Forum 2017 leads one to consider that developing countries can make it possible for 1 billion more people to be able to receive basic health services by 2023.

This expectation is certainly huge given the current situation with progress in many developing countries where some 800 million people still spend more than 10% of their household budget on health care (World Bank/WHO, 2017). But considering that global health funders are repositioning aid for health in favor of health system strengthening and resilience, it is imperative to see the opportunity for low and middle income countries to transform their health systems.

The Director General of the Ghana Service Dr. Nsiah-Asare who has firm positive views and speaks confidently of Ghanas potential for achieving UHC supports this view of health system strengthening. For Dr. Nsiah-Asare, a country like Ghana who has spent a lot of resources on research and development to build a resilient community-based health system only requires assistance to strengthen its health systems to be able to maximize the full potentials of the CHPS program.

He says Ghana has accepted the global challenge to make health system strengthening its biggest focus. Alongside that, Dr. Nsiah-Asare since taking office as Director General in 2017 has prioritized the adoption and application of Information and Communication Technology to improve quality data gathering and utilization, referrals and emergency preparedness and response, decision-making and planning as well as transformation in resource management and financial tracking.

A declaration out doored at the end of the conference notes that the organizers have reaffirmed our commitment to accelerating the progress towards UHC and to achieving health for all. The statement furthers indicates that the group recognizes health as a human right hence their strong believe in the importance of the target 3.8 of the SDGs.

Fundamentally, UHC operates on the principle of leaving no one behind in health, and this the group says will continue to guide and direct the design and delivery of health care services in members countries in line with the voices and needs of some of the world poorest populations.

The forum acknowledged the commitment of similar global voices such as the G7 Ise-Shima Vision for Global Health, the declaration of Sixth Tokyo Conference for Africa Development (TICAD VI), the G20 Berlin Declaration as well as other regional and international declarations. And further called for strengthening global momentum towards UHC, accelerating country-led progress towards UHC and emphasizes the role of innovation for UHC.
Private legal practitioner, Akoto Ampaw is likely to be named Special Prosecutor following the president's assent to the Office of Special Prosecutor Bill Wednesday.

Deep throat sources at the Presidency reveal the lawyer who is a long-serving partner at the President's law firm, Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co, has warmed up to the post after a once lingering disinterest.

The lawyer who was a key cog in the President's team of lawyers that challenged the credibility of the 2012 election results, could be officially named soon.

Photo: Akoto Ampaw and Philip Addison were counsel for the petitioners in the 2013 election petition.

His name has been associated with the office even before the Akufo-Addo government put together a legislation last year to cede some prosecutorial powers of the Attorney-General to the Special Prosecutor.

The creation of the Office of Special Prosecutor is the NPP government campaign promise aimed at waging an independent-minded fight against political corruption.

It is to avoid prosecutions being tagged as witch-hunting.

But critics especially the NDC maintain, there are already existing institutions to fight political corruption.

Existing institutions need to be strengthened and resourced to do the work which the Special Prosecutor will only be duplicating, critics maintain.

With the Special Prosecutor promised a jealous independence, questions about the choice of Akoto Ampaw are expected to be asked in view of his close relationship with the president despite the respect he commands within the legal profession.

The other option for Special Prosecutor was Martin Amidu who won wide public acclaim in the 52m cedis judgment debt saga.

But the former Attorney-General under rival NDC government of the late President Evans Atta Mills, was a less attractive option to Akoto Ampaw.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com
The African Leadership Initiative West Africa (ALIWA) Dialogue series was held in Accra on Thursday, January 4, 2018.

The event had the Chief Brand Officer at Uber, Bozoma Saint John as the guest speaker.

The Chief Brand Officer at Uber, Bozoma Saint John (L) with Kwaku Sakyi-Addo

Dignitaries including Austrian-German-Ghanaian actor, Boris Kodjoe, Board Chairman of the National Communications Authority (NCA), Kwaku Sakyi-Addo, CEO of Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Kenneth Ashigbey, Esther Armah, British-born playwright, radio host and political commentator, and a host of others graced the event which was held at the Labadi Beach hotel.

The guest speaker, Bozoma Saint John, used the opportunity to talk about her life story and how she was able to climb to such a revered position at Uber, a global company that uses technology to connect people to taxi services at an affordable rate.

She opined that the future will certainly be brighter for businesses such as Uber that can connect people together using technology to make it easier for them to do their work.

Uber is a future company. It is where technology is impacting not just what we do every day, but how we do it. For me, as I look at the world of Silicon Valley and corporate America and the larger world in general from a corporate and business standpoint, there are lots of ways in which communities are being shaped. I felt very strongly that Uber has a very large part of how that's going to work and I want to be a part of that, she said.

She also interacted with patrons of the event answering their questions.

About ALIWA

ALIWA was launched in 2006 as a joint venture of the Aspen Institute, LEAP Africa (Nigeria), Databank Foundation (Ghana), and Tecno Serve.

Citi FM team at the event

ALIWA captures the energy, talent and the resolve of an emerging generation of leaders in Africa by employing time-tested method of text-based dialogue modeled after the Aspen Institute's renowned Henry Crown Fellowship program.

About Uber

Uber Technologies Inc. is a global taxi technology company headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States, operating in over 630 cities worldwide.

In Ghana, Uber is present in the national capital Accra, and the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi. Hundreds of drivers have jumped onto the platform to make a living either on full-time or part-time basis.

Founded in 2009, Uber develops, markets and operates the Uber car transportation. In some cities, Uber also engages in food delivery mobile apps.

In recent times, there had been arguments about whether Uber was a transport company or a technology service provider.

Within Europe, that argument has been settled, after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that Uber is a transport company.

Uber said the verdict would make little difference to the way it operated in Europe, but experts say the case could have implications for the gig economy.



Photos by Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post ALIWA leadership series hosts Uber's Bozoma Saint John [Photos] appeared first on Ghana News .
04.01.2018 LISTEN

President Akufo-Addo has met with leaders of the various political parties in the country to seek their views on some governance-enhancing measures his administration intends to take.

The political parties represented by their Chairpersons and General Secretaries were drawn from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Progressive Peoples Party (PPP).

Also in attendance were the Chairpersons and General Secretaries of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), Peoples National Convention (PNC), and the National Democratic Party (NDP).

The meeting, which was the first between a sitting President and leaders of the political parties in recent years, lasted well over three hours and was held in a good atmosphere, one of frank exchanges and mutual respect.

Issues discussed included the commemoration of the Silver Jubilee of the 4th Republic, on January 7, 2018; the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCE); and the creation of new regions, amongst others.

It is the intention of President Akufo-Addo to have further such meetings in the future, with the leaders of the political parties, who described this initiative as a laudable one.

Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com |Abubakar Ibrahim
The Minority in Parliament has challenged the Majority to support its call for a full-scale investigation into the alleged Trades Ministry extortion if there is nothing to hide.

The opposition lawmakers said the probe will bring out the facts and settle the doubts in the minds of Ghanaians on the matter.

Speaking to Evans Mensah on Joy FMs Top Story Thursday, Deputy Minority leader, James Klutsey Avedzi said the presidents anti-corruption fight will be bolstered if nothing untoward was established.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

Trades Minister Alan Kyerematen

Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Matthew Nyindam has described the action of the Minority as a complete waste of time.

There is no need to waste anybodys time. If you listen to the Trades Ministry they never denied but said this was done by a private entity, he said.

Related Article: Cash for seat: Speaker summons MPs to emergency sitting on January 5

He has asked the Minority to go to other institutions other than Parliament if they really want to get to the bottom of the matter. Parliament has a lot of things to do, he added.

But Mr Avedzi said the government will be the sole beneficiary if a probe is instituted into the matter and the Trades Minister cleared of any wrongdoing.

We have a president who thinks that he is fighting corruption and this borders on corruption so we expect the majority to support the issue, he said.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | M: [email protected] | Instagram: @realbrakopowersn Brakopowers | M: [email protected] | Instagram: @realbrakopowers
The Information Minister has debunked suggestions that Sundays event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 4th Republic is the Presidents attempt to celebrate his inauguration.

Mustapha Hamid said if President Akufo-Addo wants to celebrate his one year in office, he will do that without any problems.

According to him, all the political parties who met with President at the Flagstaff House on Thursday to plan the event could not have conspired to help Akufo-Addo to celebrate his swearing-in.

A few days after the event, he will do a press conference to mark his one year in office, he disclosed.

Mr Hamid said the 4th Republic will be 25 years on January 7, 2018, and the President thought that it is a good time for all Ghanaians to come together to thank God.

Dominic Ayine

Explaining the rationale behind the celebration, Mr Hamid said the President thought that marking 25th Anniversary of the 4th Republic was the most important milestone for all the political parties to come together.

By extension, all Ghanaians will come together as one, hold hands and remind ourselves that we are one people with the same destiny.

They will make a commitment to allow this republic to live beyond another 25 years," he said.

But former Attorney General Dominic Ayine said although he agrees with celebrating a landmark in the countrys constitutional democracy, the idea of celebrating it on Jan 7 is a smokescreen.

It gives me cause to believe that this is just another attempt to celebrate the victory of the NPP masqueraded as the celebration of the 4th Republic.

The coincidence is something that must give us a cause for concern, he said.

He argues that if the celebration is to encompass all Ghanaians the planning should have included people in the districts and regions.

According to Mr Ayine, President Akufo-Addo could have easily asked Ghanaians to pray for the nation and not waste taxpayers money to organize an event.

We dont need to do that. We have a lot of use for taxpayers money for Free SHS, social services in health and so on, he added.

Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com |Abubakar Ibrahim |[email protected]
Parliament may have to brace for a feisty fight as Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) signal opposition to the names being bandied around as the choice for Special Prosecutor.

Two of the President's lawyer friends who are partners at the President's law firm have been named as the likely choice for the positions.

Philip Addison may deputize for the main man Akoto Ampaw, choices the President is considering and may announce "very soon".

The two were key in the president's legal team that challenged at the Supreme Court, the declaration of John Mahama as the winner of the 2012 presidential elections.

President John Mahama's government went on to lose the 2016 elections to Akufo-Addo who has vowed to fight corruption which is believed to have been rife under his predecessor.

"That kind of appointment cannot be accepted", he said and wondered whether the two can choose the country's interest over their friend, the President.

He said it is now clear why the government resisted suggestions from Civil Society Organisations (CSO) for an expanded process of consultation before settling on the choice for the anti-corruption fighters.

The NDC MP said CSO proposed a process inviting qualified lawyers to submit an application.

But the South Dayi NDC MP said the government rejected this and other suggestions, describing them as too cumbersome.

If the government unveils the two, their names will be submitted to parliament for a vote in a chamber where the NPP's near supermajority is expected to make their appointment a matter of course.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|[email protected]
Host of Good Evening Ghana on Accra-based Metro Television, Paul Adom-Otchere, is courting support for the payment of TV license fees that will largely benefit the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).

This, he believes will help GBC effectively discharge its role as a public broadcaster.

The setting up of a special court by the Chief Justice to prosecute people for non-payment of TV license fees to the state broadcaster, has been met with mixed reactions.

While some have suggested that agencies like Ghana Standards Authority or the Ghana Revenue Authority should take charge of the collection of TV license fees instead of GBC, others have argued that the move is needless , given the fact that other countries are gradually moving towards abolishing the fees.

GBC has a crucial role

However, speaking on the Point Blank segment of Eyewitness News on Thursday, Mr. Adom-Otchere took a different position, arguing that public broadcasting is a very important element in democratic development, hence the need for GBC to be supported financially to carry out its mandate.

It is in support of establishing an institution called the public service broadcaster and a public service broadcaster is a necessary institution for any development agenda especially of a developing country. All over the world, countries that have developed have always maintained a public service broadcaster.

Unfounded criticisms

Mr. Adom-Otchere believes criticisms against the license fees and GBC in general, are unfounded, since the state broadcaster has over the years been denied the requisite resources needed to effectively discharge its duties.

I get a sense of a very high rebellion on social media against the principle and I think the rebellion against state institutions must be measured. We should channel our energies of rebellion against politicians who are either corrupt or incompetent, but these regular rebellion against state institutions in the case of GBC now I am not sure it is sufficiently founded.

I have heard people say they will not pay because the content is poor, and I agree that the content is poor, but why is the content poor? Perhaps the content is poor because for the longest time, we have not been able to pay TV license. Any Ghanaian who is above the age of 20, or above the age of 40 would have had historically in his life, a certain memory GBC has brought into your home. GBC has covered all these events historically but we have not paid for it so if you look at it you can even consider that you are paying for the historical event for GBC 

Some critics have suggested that the payment of TV License fees will not necessarily improve GBCs content.

No need for competition

Mr. Adom Otchere indicated that, GBC ought not to be part of the competition involving other media houses.

He believes GBC should rather be singled out as a state broadcaster and be equipped with the necessary resources to effectively deliver on its mandate.

GBC ought not to be part of the competition -that is the whole point of a public service broadcaster. Take them out, strengthen them and let them be the public service broadcaster. Let them not worry about competition.

GBC officially reintroduced the collection of the TV Licence fees in 2015, after years of putting it on hold due to non-payments.

Domestic TV users are to pay between GHc36 and GHc60 for one or more TV sets in a household, while TV set repairers and sales outlets are to pay an annual sum of between GHc60 to GHc240.

This has been followed by the setting up of a special court to prosecute defaulting TV users or operators.

This is how the TV License revenue is to be shared

GBC  72%

GIBA  15%

NMC  4%

Media Development Fund  4%

Films Fund  2%

Management of TV Licence Fee (GBC)  3%



By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @EfeAnsah

The post Rebellion against TV license fees 'unfounded'  Adom-Otchere appeared first on Ghana News .
05.01.2018 LISTEN

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Jomoro, Mr Paul Essien has organized a free health screening exercise for the people living in his constituency.

The exercise, dubbed "How well are you?" registered more than 10,000 people from the various communities within the Constituency.

It was the collaborative effort of the Philipa Baafi Foundation, the Ministry of Health and the Ghana National Petroleum Cooperation (GPNC) Foundation.

They were screened for various health problems, including Diabetes, Malaria, Hypertension, Hepatitis B, Cholesterol, eye problems, among others.

The beneficiaries were also offered free medication and educated on the importance of living healthy lifestyles.

This is the second of such medical exercise organised by Mr Paul Essien for Jomoro, with the first taking place in 2013 when he was the Assemblyman for the Tikobo No. 1 Electoral Area.

The-seven-day exercise took place in some selected communities including Sowodadzem, Half Assini, Elubo, Tikobo No. 1, Tikobo No. 2, Jaway Wharf and Beyin.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Essien who doubles as the Deputy Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, expressed his appreciation to Philipa Baafi Foundation, the Health Ministry and GNPC Foundation for contributing towards the success of the exercise.

At the climax of the exercise at Beyin, Mr Essien promised to build more Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compounds in some parts of the Constituency to help meet the health needs of the people especially the aged.

He stated that the CHPS Compounds were needed as an intervention to control ailments, especially at a time health service delivery had become expensive.

Mr Essien said in spite of the challenges that existed in the Constituency, the health of his constituents remained paramount hence his decision to organise the screening.

He advised the public to go for regular check-ups as well as engage in physical exercise in order to stay healthy.

He hinted that free eye treatment would be given on 2 January 2018 to 100 participants who were identified by the health experts with eye problems.

Mr Essien said he would continue to utilize the MP's Social Intervention Fund to organise the exercise for his constituents annually.

He revealed that plans were far advanced for the construction of a Polyclinic in the Constituency which would be situated at the Elubo enclave to augment the Half Assini Government Hospital to improve the health conditions of the people.

Ghanaian Gosple Musician and 'Physicio and Occupational Therapist' who is also the Founder of Philipa Baafi Foundation, Philipa Baafi told the GNA that her foundation focuses on the welfare of the aged by providing medical support for them.

She said society had neglected the aged with the perception that they were unable to contribute towards national development and also have nothing to offer.

She also applauded the Deputy Chieftaincy and Religious Minister for the unflinching support given to the doctors, nurses and other para-medical experts during their stay in the Constituency.

The exercise created job opportunities for 56 youth temporarily in the Constituency who were tasked to work with the medical experts.

GNA
Africas largest philanthropy supporting entrepreneurship, the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) is now accepting applications for business ideas that can transform Africa.

The Programme, in its 4th cycle, is TEFs 10-year, $100 million commitment to identify, train, mentor and fund 10,000 African entrepreneurs by 2024. $5,000 seed capital is paid based on the official Central Bank of Nigeria naira equivalent value at the date of selection for the programme.

TEF Founder, serial entrepreneur and philanthropist Tony O. Elumelu, CON said when they launched the TEF Programme and committed $100 million to empowering Africas entrepreneurs, he knew they will create impact but never imagined it would be impact of this magnitude.

We have unleashed a movement of African entrepreneurs -- a force so strong, so inspiring, that I am confident they will collectively transform Africa. We need Africas best and brightest entrepreneurs to come learn, grow their businesses and build our continent, he stated.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Foundation, Parminder Vir OBE noted that the organisation encourages women, French and Portuguese speakers to apply.

Our 3,000 alumni are already growing their businesses and improving lives. If you have a transformational business or an idea, we have an opportunity for you, she intimated.

The application form can be accessed on www.application.tonyelumelufoundation.org and must be completed before the deadline on 1st March, 2018.

The Programme provides critical tools for business success, including 12 weeks of intensive online training which guides creating and managing a business, a world-class mentor to guide during the early transformation stages of the business, $5,000 in seed capital to prove the concept, plus access to further funding and access to the largest network of African start-ups and TEFs own global contacts.

1,000 entrepreneurs will be selected based on the viability of their idea, including: market opportunity; financial understanding; scalability; and leadership and entrepreneurial skills demonstrated in the application.

Eligibility:

1. The business must be based in Africa

2. The business must be for profit

3. The business must be 0-3 years old

4. Applicants must be at least 18 and a legal resident or citizen of an African country.
Tunisia said Thursday it was allowing Emirates Airline flights to the country again after halting them following outcry over security measures by the United Arab Emirates targeting Tunisian women.

Tunisia suspended flights by the Dubai-based carrier on December 24 after women from the North African state complained they were delayed after being targeted for additional checks as they flew to the UAE.

Tunisian officials said the authorities in the UAE told them they had "serious security information about the possibility of terrorist attacks" involving either Tunisian women or a women with a Tunisian passport.

The controls sparked ire in Tunisia and the presidency complained that the rights of Tunisian women should not to be violated "whatever the justification".

In a statement Thursday, Tunisia's transport ministry announced the "resumption of Emirates flights to Tunisia" after the "lifting of measures against Tunisian women".

The ministry said an agreement was struck with the airline that would see it "respect rights and international accords".
Parliament will later today [Friday], convene an urgent sitting called at the instance of the Minority.

Last week, the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, wrote to the Speaker of Parliament, seconded by North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, with support from over 40 MPs, requesting a recall of the house.

Days after the Minority's letter to the Speaker, a memo was issued calling on Members of Parliament to report for sitting in the first week of January, well ahead of the expected resumption date much later in January.

Today's emergency sitting is to consider a motion on the alleged extortion of monies from expatriates at the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards awards ceremony in December 2017, in order to guarantee them a seat close to the President.

According to the Minority, expatriates at the Awards event were charged between $25,000 and $100,000 to sit close to the President.

The allegation has since been denied, and President Nana Akufo-Addo, after a briefing from the Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyeremanten, said he found no evidence of wrongdoing.

The Majority and some Civil Society groups have called today's meeting a waste of resources especially when the house will properly be in session later this month.

Background

The Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, first made these allegation in Parliament.

Mr. Mubarak said the fees charged at the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards (GEBA) were not approved by Parliament, adding that the monies were also not accounted for in the Internally Generated Funds [IGF] of the Ministry's accounts.

Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, Member of Parliament for Asawase

The issue was further reinforced by Mr. Ablakwa, who suffered verbal assaults from Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah over the matter.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry has already dissociated itself from these allegations.

The Trade Ministry, in a statement, said it played no role in determining prices for seats at the event, and clarified that it only facilitated the implementation of a new initiative by the Millennium Excellence Foundation.

The organizers of the Awards have also explained that no one paid to sit close to the President, and that the over 2 million cedis that was raised were gotten from sponsorship through a fundraising at the event.
A senior lecturer at the Department of Economics at the University of Ghana, Professor William Baah Boateng, has asked the government to take urgent practical steps to address the worsening unemployment situation in the country.

He said the government must be strategic in its approach towards job creation for the majority of the teeming youth who graduate from various levels of school each year.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Prof. Boateng said the situation had been worsened due to the cap on recruitment into the public sector as a result of International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditionalities as well as stagnation in the growth and expansion of the private sector.

His comment was in reaction to the exponential increase in the number of applicants for this year's recruitment exercise of the Ghana Immigration Service.

From about 40,000 applications in the previous year, over 84,000 persons applied for this year's recruitment exercise.

Many have attributed the increase to the high levels of unemployment in the country.

According to Prof. Boateng, the attribution may be accurate as current figures peg graduate unemployment among degree-holding youth in Ghana between ages 20 and 25 at 30.5%.

He said the situation is a reflection of the challenges that we have as a country in terms of trying to create productive jobs for young people who have finished at least Secondary school over the years.

He argued that the challenge of lack of employment avenues in the country had accumulated for some time now. We are having a lot of people entering the labour market annually, but we are not able to create sufficient jobs to absorb these people.

While admitting the role of the private sector in addressing the problem, he said, the government must recognize the problem as a big challenge and go deep into it to find out who the unemployed youth are; [their academic levels and areas of specialization] because if you don't know the kind of people you are creating the job for, then you will create the job for people who don't need it.

He further called on the government to move away from mere rhetoric on job creation to develop pragmatic policies.that aligns with the country's future development plans.

Setting up the national youth authority is not enough, he added.

Prof. Boateng however noted that, not all those who applied for the Immigration Service may be unemployed. According to him, it is likely some of them are merely unsatisfied with their current jobs and want a change.

He also noted that, for most people in the private sector, they often wish to work in the public sector where job security is assured over a life-time as long as one hasnt reached the retirement age.

Immigration to recruit only 500

Meanwhile, only 500 out of the 84,000 applicants interested in joining the Ghana Immigration Service will be recruited.

This represents less than one (1%) percent intake from the vast number of applicants.

The Immigration Service in a statement copied to citifmonline.com said it shortlisted 47,477 qualified candidates from the first phase of the selection process, and will further prune the number in the second phase until it chooses the final 500 to serve in the various vacant positions.
The Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Asiama, has finally tendered in his resignation letter.

This should mean that he has officially vacated the position he has held at the central bank over the past year.

In December of 2017, Joy Business broke the news about his resignation with follow-up indications by his lawyers on moves being made by Government to push him out of office.

Joy Business understands that the delay to exit has been driven more by behind-the-scenes negotiations between Dr Asiama, Bank of Ghana and the government.

When was this decision taken?

How did we get here?

Sources say the decision to move on was influenced by the progress made on his entitlements as Second deputy governor of the Bank of Ghana, which had delayed the submission of a letter confirming his resignation. His resignation paves the way for President AddoAkuffo to propose a new person to fill the position.

It would be recalled that Joy Business in December 2017 reported that Dr Johnson Asiama had taken his accumulated leave leading to his resignation by the end December 2017.

Joy Business at that time also reported there has been an oral communication about his resignation, subject to meeting some conditions before that formal resignation letter is submitted.

Cost of Dr Asima exit on the public purse

Dr Johnson Asiama was left with two more years to the expiration of this contract at the Bank of Ghana. So this action would come at a cost to the state in terms of putting together a better package for him.

For some, this is worrying because he may be sitting at home doing nothing, whiles he continuous to take his salary, just like what was done in the case of Dr Nashiru Issahaku. Those who are raising this argument are worried because, if a new second deputy governor is appointed today, that person would be taken her/his entitlements, whiles, Dr Asiama would still be paid.

Would this action have any impact on Bank of Ghanas independence and market confidence?

Banking sector analysts and in particular a lot of the banking executives that we have sampled lately are of the deep view that the central bank is politicized. At a time when the central bank is struggling to assert its independence, with the various banking laws and reforms, this action will once again be seen as an attempt by the politicians to interrupt the inbuilt institutional process. Let us examine how institutional changes have evolved over the past 10 years:

1. The current vice president was a Deputy Governor at the Central Bank. He stood on the ticket of the NPP as a vice presidential candidate and lost the election in 2008. He went back to post after losing the election. The NDC government upon assuming office paid him off and kicked him out.

2. NDC appointed three Governors in the period 2009-2016; Amissah-Arthur, Wampah and Nashiru.

Amissah-Arthur was co-opted into the vice presidency, Wampah was kicked out for being firm on some critical issues including standing firm on limiting central bank financing of the budget and Nashiru also was kicked out after many issues.

3. Then comes Governor Addison who pulls along Deputy Governor Afari to work with him after serving together at the Research Department and working for Governor Paul Acquah. Now Johnson is being forced out and his replacement is highly likely to be politically tainted and with some strong political linkages, given the early indications of new that is emerging of who is likely to be named as the second deputy Governor.

The big question now is what would happen if there is a change of government in the next 4 or 8 years and what may happen to the current team. Will they also be forced out in a subtle manner and will the same pattern emerge and be followed through once again?

Who is Dr Johnson Asiama?

Dr Johnson Asiama was in April 2016 appointed Second Deputy Governor to replace, Dr Adul-NashiruIssahaku who was promoted to the position of Governor of Bank of Ghana. Until his appointment, Dr Asiamah was the Assistant Director at the Economics Department of the central bank, where he coordinated the work of the Monetary Policy Committee and supported the work of the Governors directly.

Dr. Asiama is an economist with an extensive working experience at the Bank of Ghana over the past twenty (20) years.

He was born on May 5, 1968, and joined the Bank of Ghana in 1996, where he rose through the ranks. He has served in various departments such as the Banking Supervision Department, the Financial Markets Department, the Research Department and the Governors Department.

He served as Director of the Macroeconomic Management Department at the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM) in Lagos, Nigeria between 2010 and 2013 where he designed and managed the capacity building programs for staff of central banks, Ministries of Finance, and other public sector institutions across the West African sub-region.

Dr Asiama holds a PhD (Economics) from the University of Southampton, UK and an MPhil (Economics) from the University of Ghana, Legon.

He has published widely in journals in the area of monetary economics and economic growth and has a strong research interest in monetary policy modelling, economic stabilisation and long-term growth in developing countries.

He is also interested in issues about risk management in banks.

He was born on May 5, 1968, and joined the Bank of Ghana in 1996, where he rose through the ranks. He has served in various departments such as the Banking Supervision Department, the Financial Markets Department, the Research Department and the Governors Department.

He served as Director of the Macroeconomic Management Department at the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM) in Lagos, Nigeria between 2010 and 2013 where he designed and managed the capacity building programs for staff of central banks, Ministries of Finance, and other public sector institutions across the West African sub-region.

Dr Asiama holds a PhD (Economics) from the University of Southampton, UK and an MPhil (Economics) from the University of Ghana, Legon.

He has published widely in journals in the area of monetary economics and economic growth and has a strong research interest in monetary policy modelling, economic stabilization and long-term growth in developing countries
One person has been confirmed dead and six others hospitalised in Kpando in the Volta Region after consuming the highly poisonous puffer fish.

This will not be the first time the consumption of the poisonous fish has claimed a life in the municipality.

Four people died last year after consuming the same fish.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Kpando, Elvis Gyampo, confirmed the incident to Joy News Friday morning.

The Ghana News Agency reports that 64-year-farmer, Eric Sidu, died after eating a meal prepared with puffer fish.

Eric Sidu, started shaking uncontrollably moments after consuming the food and was rushed to the Kpando Margret Marquart Catholic Hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

His daughter, son, son-in-law and three grandchildren, who ate the meal together with him are on admission at the hospital.

Ms Mavis Sidu, the daughter, who is responding to treatment, recounted the incident to the Biakoye District Chief Executive, Ms Comfort Attah, on her hospital bed when she visited to find out how they were doing.

Four people from Alavanyo had died, last year, after eating food prepared with puffer fish, known locally as Gedde.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
A leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of Brong Ahafo Region, Alhaji Osman Banda has called on President Akufo-Addo to investigate the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Hon. Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh for alleged money extortion.

This is not the first time a member from the NPP is accusing the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister of involving himself in corrupt act but it seems the Presidency doesn't have any interest to investigate him and clear him freely or otherwise.

It would be recalled that in late last year, the Brong Ahafo Regional Youth Organiser, Kwame Baffoe alias Abronye DC also accused him of similar corrupt act of extorting monies from some Timber Operators in the Region and after the two petitions Abronye DC sent to the Presidency for investigations but till now, Ghanaians have not hear anything from the government.

In his statement, Alhaji Banda alleged that Hon. Asomah promised the 2016 NPP parliamentary candidate of Kintampo North Constituency, Mr. Charles Inchanagabe to help him to become the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the area and later took money from some Constituency Executives but couldn't help him to become the MCE.

He emphasized that Mr. Inchanagabe contributed massively and performed creditably towards the party's victory in the Region.

According to him, "He subsequently contested for the position of the MCE of Kintampo. Prior to that, the current Regional Minister, Hon. Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh promised to help him win the mandate and position as a Municipal Chief Executive of Kintampo North...to our surprise when the Regional Minister Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh demanded GHc. 30,000 from them before he could assist the said parliamentary candidate to be given position to serve the Municipality as the MCE"

In this, Alhaji Osman Banda is therefore calling on President Akufo-Addo together with the leadership of the party immediately invite Hon. Kwaku Cheremeh for investigation and probe him.

He added that if Hon. Cheremeh denies of having any knowledge about the allegation, he should be subjected to swear to Allah, the gods of Antoa, the gods of Bomamaa Apaape, Techiman Boakyerwaa and the gods of thunder.

Below is the full statement

ALHAJI OSMAN BANDA OF KINTAMPO WRITES TO HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFFO ADDO AND THE LEADERSHIP OF THE NPP TO INVESTIGATE KWEKU ASOMAH CHEREMEH

I'm writing this article as a card bearing member of the NPP and a resident of Kintampo to bring to the notice of His Excellency the President and the leading members of the NPP some devastating issues which must be dealt with drastically and exhaustively in the Region

Charles Inchanagabe who was a parliamentary candidate, who can indisputably be said to have contested on the NPP ticket in the recent December 2016 polls in the Kintampo North Constituency.

Even though he could not succeed and win but he contributed massively and performed creditably good towards the party's victory.

He subsequently contested for the position of the MCE of Kintampo. Prior to that, the Current Regional Minister. Hon. Kwaku Asomah-Chremeh promised to help him win the mandate and position as a Municipal Chief Executive of Kintampo North.

Two of the Consistency Executives (Name with held) of the Kintampo North Constituency together with the said parliamentary candidate approached the Regional Minister on the issue.

It was to our surprise when the Regional Minister Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh demanded 30.000.00 GH from them before he could assist the said parliamentary candidate to be given position to serve the Municipality as the MCE.

The two Constituency Executives (Names withheld ) then applied for a loan of the demanded 30.000,00 GH from a corporative union known as AbosomAkotre credit Union subsequently, the loan was granted.

The money was then given to Hon. Asomah-Cheremeh as he had demanded.

Hon. Asomah-Chremeh received this money without any hesitation but has since then ignored the parliamentary candidate and has failed to lure the position for him.

In other words, the Hon. Minister has squandered the money without fulfilling his part of the agreement.

Now, the bank is demanding their money and witch hunting these two Constituency Executives because they have defaulted in payment of the loan as a result of the demand of Hon. Cheremeh.

My plea is that, Mr. President together with the leadership of the NPP should immediately invite Hon. Cheremeh to investigate and probe the matter and if he denies knowledge of this allegation, he should be subjected to swear to Allah, the gods of Antoa, the gods of Bomamaa Apaape, Techiman Boakyerwaa and the gods of thunder.

Mr. President, it is an undisputed fact that, your Regional Minister is presiding over corruption, because, he is corrupt himself and it is amazing and surprising that no one seems to be worried and talking about it.

It is for a fact that, the party in Kintampo is suffering from a deficiency and is dying in the Region gradually.

The leadership of the party must take quick measures as to how to curb this canker before it develops into an incurable cancer.

Finally, Mr. President, Hon. Asomah-Cheremeh is destroying your Region and reputation with his stained corruption and for that matter kindly take immediate steps to deter other appointees who are planning to also engage in similar activities.

Source: Daniel Kaku
05.01.2018 LISTEN

The award jury of the Daily Trust African of the Year Award has named 34-year-old Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar as AFRICAN OF THE YEAR for 2017.

Former President of Botswana and chairperson of the award jury, Festus Mogae said Muqthar was selected for his exemplary works on counter-terrorism which led to de-radicalization of would-be extremists in Africa.

He said the seven-member jury noted with satisfaction the effectiveness of Muqthars engagement with dozens of would-be terrorists, including a 21-year-old who was dissuaded from joining ISIS in Syria.

President Mogae said the extra-ordinary advocacy being undertaken by this ordinary African will help to deepen the understanding of violent extremism and radicalization of youths across the continent.

Meanwhile, the award jury also named 82-year old Professor, Sir Magdi Habib Yacoub for a Life-Time Achievement Award to commemorate the tenth year anniversary of AFRICAN OF THE YEAR project.

In choosing Prof. Yacoub, President Mogae said the jury was impressed with his indelible global accomplishments as well as his humanitarian and exemplary offer of heart surgeries to children across Africa.

He said Prof. Yacoub is a role model for Africans, who have made remarkable personal achievements and attain the height of their professional accomplishments to contribute to humanity in Africa.

The African of the Year award will be presented in Abuja, Nigeria, at a dinner ceremony to be hosted by DAILY TRUST newspaper and United Bank for Africa, UBA Plc, on January 17, 2018.

Born in Salaga, Northern Ghana, to a family of peasant farmers, Mutaru Muqthar is the founder and Executive Director of the West African Centre for Counter Extremism, WACCE, based in Accra.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Ashesi University, Ghana, and a 2013 Masters degree in international terrorism, international crime and global security from Coventry University in England, UK.

He was inspired to fight terrorism after his family fell victims of the deadly 1994 Nanumba-Konkomba conflict in Northern Ghana in which about 1,000 people were killed and tens of thousands were internally displaced.

Muqthar now works across West Africa with a team of professionals he engages to de-radicalize vulnerable youths whom he helps to reintegrate into the society, school or work.

A renowned heart surgeon, Professor Sir Magdi Habib Yacoub was born to a Coptic Christian family at Bilbeis, Al Sharqia, Egypt, and studied at Cairo University where he qualified as a media doctor in 1957.

He moved to Britain in 1962 and later became a Professor of Cardio-thoracic Surgery at Imperial College London. He carried out the first British live lung transplant and he is reputed to have performed more heart transplants than any other surgeon in the world.

To actualize his philosophy of giving back, he founded the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation, which launched the Aswan Heart project while he continues to offer free heart operations on children through his Chain of Hope charity.

Mutaru Muqthar expresses joy

Muqthar has expressed joy and appreciation over his selection as winner of the prestigious award.

In a reaction to the jury he said I am deeply humbled and honoured to be chosen as winner of the African of The Year award for 2017. I am unable to truly capture how I feel about this at the moment. Working in an area that is highly unpopular and challenging for especially young people, there is no greater testament and validation of our work than this noble award.

This is far more greater than anything we have ever accomplished or even envisaged when we set out to engage in countering violent extremism and radicalization in West Africa.

This has come at a time West Africa continues to serve as an epicentre for radicalization and violent extremism. My team and I therefore receive this with great excitement and gratitude and are confident that this will forever serve as a huge motivation to continue to do more in dealing with the challenge of violent extremism and radicalization in West Africa.

I dedicate this to all the vulnerable youth I have worked with including the radicalized young man whom we have helped to stop from travelling to Syria last year and to all victims of terrorism, who have never in any way considered violence as a legitimate course of action.

My greatest appreciation to Daily Trust, UBA Bank and the eminent award committee for this. Thank you all for the honour and the confidence reposed in me, Im more determined to make Africa proud.

Background on African of the Year Award

The African of the Year award project was initiated by Nigerias Daily Trust in 2008 as part of the newspapers commitment to African unity and sustainable development.

The award, which enjoyed the support of United Bank for Africa, UBA Plc, was aimed at recognizing ordinary Africans for their extra-ordinary contributions to the continent in any field of human endeavour in a given year.

The maiden award for 2008 was given to a Congolese gynecologist, Dr. Denis Mukwege, in recognition of his offer of free reconstructive surgery to victims of rape in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC.

Dr. Mukwege has since been nominated twice for Nobel Prize and was in 2014 named winner of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the highest human rights award given by the European Parliament.

Subsequent winners are the late Dr. Tajudeen Abdulraheem (2009), Mr. Danny Jordaan (2010), Judge Mrs. Fatimata Bazeye (2011), Mr. Thabo Mbeki (2012) and Dr. Donald Kaberuka (2013). The 2014 award was skipped owing to the prevalence of Ebola disease in parts of Africa while Mr. Gregoire Ahongbonon emerged winner of the 2015 award, with a no-show in 2016.

To protect the integrity of the award, the winners are selected by an independent jury of eminent personalities that are drawn from the five sub-regional blocs of Africa. The jury is helmed by His Excellency Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana and winner of the prestigious Mo Ibrahim Foundation Prize for African Leadership.

Other members of the prize committee are Ambassador Mona Omar (North Africa), Mr. Kabiru Yusuf (Daily Trust), Ms. Gwen Lister (Southern Africa), Mr. Pascal Kambale (Central Africa), Mr. Mahtar Amadou Ba (West Africa) and Prof. Sylvia Tamale (East Africa).

Now in its tenth year, the award has also benefited from the wisdoms of pioneer members of the Prize Committee especially His Excellency, Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, former Prime Minister of Tanzania, who was chairperson for a record ten years.

The other past members were: Prof. Abdoulaye Bathily (Senegal) Dr Muthoni Wanyeki (Kenya) Prof. Okello Oculi (Uganda) Dr Obadiah Mailafia (Nigeria), Prof. Kwame Karikari (Ghana) the late Dr Tajudeen Abdulraheem (Nigeria) and Prof. Tandeka Nkiwane (South Africa/currently on the Board of Tony Elumelu Foundation).

Source: Daniel Kaku
New Okaff Industries Limited, producers of A.F. Confidence Insecticide, A.F. Anti-Snake Laver Repellent and other products, has been honoured with the Greatest Science Research Group of The Contemporary Era Award by the Bureau of Research on Governance, Commerce and Administration (BORGCA).

The local company's A.F. Confidence Insecticide was adjudged the Best Indigenous Cocoa Insecticide Product Discovered in Recent Times.

The BORGCA awards are among of initiatives to boost businesses and companies across the African continent.

BORGCA, according to the organisers, is determined to recognize and promote individuals, companies and institutions in Ghana, regarding the PAN AFRICAN awards schemes.

Our research, assessment and selection committees have seriously considered some selected individual and corporate organizations under our watch to unveil their excellent performance to the general public. It is necessary for us as an institution to disclose the reasons for which we awarded them, according to the organizers.

Pan African Enterprise and Achievers' Honorary Award 2017 was held in Accra at the latter part of December at Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City.

According to the organisers of the awards, New Okaff Industries Limited is one of the few companies considered under its watch since 2009 and had been monitoring its products over the years.

Following years of studying the two products of the company, we conclusively realised through several methods and approaches that both products have high economic relief for agricultural challenges facing farmers in Africa.

BORGCA underscored, Four regions were selected in Ghana for testing processes of the A.F. Confidence Insecticide and we could boldly accept the efficacies to be most effective, as predicted and claimed by the various farmers across our reach.

According to the bureau, the product had gone through several scientific tests to become the most accepted organic product by most farmers.

It continued that the 2012, 2016 and 2017 National Best Farmers are all beneficiaries of the A.F. Confidence Insecticide and bear testimonies of the product, which is the first ever cocoa insecticide produced in Africa.

BORGCA indicated, The A.F. Confidence Insecticide is multipurpose organic product for all farm produce which the research team could vividly defend the potency and efficacy.

The research team par assessment by the various farms selected, found it most effective product for boosting agric-economy to foresee growth and development in the coming years.

It stressed that as Ghana is hopeful of foreseeing better economic improvement through the agricultural sector, it was hopeful that all farmers would endeavour to be witnesses and recommend A.F. Confidence Insecticide to the world at large.

The President of BORGCA, Professor Victor Kwabena Yankah, delivering the keynote address at the awards ceremony, called for a conscious effort that would help the nation grow from 'within' rather than import everything under the sun.

He maintained, Our culture makes provision for us to develop, from within  that is, our development strategies could be based on our culture, not on someone else's model.

Other award winners were Sidalco Group of Companies, CEO of Unity Oil and Asante Kotoko Sporting Club, Odotobri Rural Bank, Ahomkah Beverages Limited, Boafo Herbal Centre, Tabea Herbal Centre and End-Point Homeopathic Clinic.
05.01.2018 LISTEN

The Judicial Committee of the Agona Nyakrom Traditional Council will settle all chieftaincy and land disputes to ensure peace to speed up development.

The President of the Council, Okofo Katakyi Nyakoh Eku X, said chieftaincy and land disputes retarded progress and he would ensure that there was absolute peace to speed up development.

Okofo Katakyi Nyakoh Eku, who is also the Omanhene of the Traditional Area, made this known when he addressed an end of the year meeting of divisional chiefs and heads of families to outline plans for 2018 at Agona Nyakrom.

He said the Judicial Committee had reached an advance stage to resolve all matters referred to it by the Council to ensure peace and stability in the area.

He stated that Agonman needed peace and love to develop in the areas of education, health, social, political, cultural and customary to promote the welfare of the people.

The Omanhene urged all king makers and heads of clan to do their home works in the selection of a candidate for enstoolment to avoid dispute, saying that it was better to live in peace than in hostilities, which could impoverish family.

Five new chiefs were introduced to the Omanhene and other divisional chiefs of the Council after their installation.

They are Nana Kofi Appoh, III, Benkumhene of Agona Nyakrom, Nana Ama Abokoma, Queen mother of Agona Nkum, Nana Baffour Fabaw, Akonfrahene of Agona Nyakrom, Nana Abiriwa Nyakowaa, II, Nyakrom and Nana Bruwaa III, Agonaman Tufuhenmaa.

Okofo Katakyi Nyakoh Eku advised the parents to invest in their children's education, saying that education was the only way to eradicate poverty among families.

He commended the government for the hard work and sense of direction for the implementation of the Free Senior High School (SHS) within one year of its coming into office.

The Omanhene called on Ghanaians to support the free secondary education to lessen the financial difficulties parents faced in sending their children to school.

He urged the people in the Agona West Municipality to play their respective roles to ensure tremendous improvement, adding that it was important for them to support the government to implement its policies and programmes to ensure progress in all aspects of the economy.

GNA
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has cautioned the public, especially hawkers and traders to leave the pavements, footbridges and other ceremonial routes before January 8, 2018.

It said it would be conducting a decongestion exercise to rid the Metropolis of the activities of traders and hawkers since the Christmas festivities were over.

The warning was given in a statement signed by Mr Sam Ayeh-Datey, the AMA Coordinating Director and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday.

It said the continuous activities of the hawkers and traders was a contributory factor to the heaps of garbage deposited along the roads.

'The Assembly wishes to remind the public that, their activities are contrary to the AMA Hawkers By-laws of 2011 and Section 117(1) of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), and are punishable by law.'

The statement also admonished persons or group of persons who have illegally occupied government reserved lands and areas which the Assembly had previously cleared to vacate with immediate effect.

'Especially those along the Railway Line at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Avenor, parts of Dzorwulu and other areas within the jurisdiction of the AMA.

'Furthermore, the AMA wishes to emphasise that all those who are plying their trade along the Barnes road and the Kwame Nkrumah Avenue from the Old Kingsway to N.I.B illegally to vacate those areas with immediate effect,' it said.

The statement said the decongestion exercise would be spearheaded by the Metropolitan Security Committee and the focus areas would be the Central Business District, Kaneshie Market Area, N1 Highway, the Mallam-Achimota stretch, Darkuman-Kokompe, Odorkor-Kwashieman road, Nima Highway, Agbogbloshie, Kwame Nkrumah Interchange and its environs.

It enjoined all to support the exercise to make Accra clean while wishing the citizenry a happy new year.

GNA
Mr Amofa Boateng, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Disease Control Officer (RDCO), on Tuesday appealed to traditional authorities to support this year's national immunisation exercise to achieve the 100 per cent success rate nationwide.

He said the country could attain the 100 per cent mark in all the 13 vaccinated diseases with the support of the chiefs and queens as they remained the embodiment of the people.

Their assistance and support was required if the country could make significant achievement in any national immunisation, the RDCO added.

Mr. Boateng made the appeal at a sensitisation workshop on immunisation organised by the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health (GCNH) in Sunyani for some selected queens and chiefs drawn from the Municipalities and Districts in the Region.

He explained that this year the Ghana Health Service (GHS) would add Malaria to the lists of diseases for vaccination but it would be piloted in selected areas in the country, including Brong-Ahafo and pleaded with the traditional authorities to mobilise their people in support of the exercise.

Mr. Boateng who is the Regional Coordinator for the Expanded Programme on Vaccination mentioned lack of funding as a major setback that confronted the national immunisation exercise every year.

Dr Gabriel Gbiel Benarkuu, the National President of the GCNH, said establishment of a national immunisation fund to support the exercise was urgently needed, saying without the fund it would be difficult for the country to undertake immunisation as Gavi, the major funding partners would pull out in 2022.

He said Gavi and its donor partners provided $36 million dollars annually for the national immunisation exercise and their pulling out would be a great loss to the nation.

Dr Benarkuu said more than 200,000 children in the country were not vaccinated every year, observing that the problem was worst in the Dormaa Central Municipality of Brong-Ahafo which recorded the lowest coverage in the Region last year.

He called for strengthened collaboration between the GHS, the GCNH and all stakeholders so that the country could make headway in national immunisation.

Dr Benarkuu who is the Chief Executive Officer of the MIHOSO International, a health- centered NGO, called on the media to help intensify community campaigns to increase demand for immunisation.

GNA

By Dennis Peprah, GNA
05.01.2018 LISTEN

The human and vehicular traffic that heralded the streets and central business district of Accra before the yuletide has drastically reduced after the holidays.

The congestion was mainly caused by people engaged in their Christmas shopping and trading.

Checks by the Ghana News Agency has indicated that most of the streets at Atta Mills High Street, Makola Market and areas around the Tema Station that were all congested prior to the yuletide were all clear and free to move on.

Speaking with the GNA, Mr Abu Sulleyman a driver at the Tema station said ''it is easy to move in Accra nowadays, during the Christmas period moving was a problem''.

He added that business had come to its normal state.

Madam Irene Quaye, a trader at the Tema Station in Accra said their sales had gone down just after the festive period adding that it was now possible for free movement in town as compared to the pre-Christmas period.

Miss Joyce Baah, a beverage seller at the Tema Staion said she made good sales during the festive period, but now sales had changed to normal, but was happy that movement in the market was not a problem.

Mr Kofi Antwi, a commercial driver said yesterday's business went down because shops were closed and people were also not in town and hoped that business would shoot up in the coming days.

Miss Adowa Danquah, a student stated she was happy the human and vehicular traffic had gone down few days after the holidays adding ''After the holidays there is no stress when boarding a vehicle and there is free movement in town too''.
The Volta Regional Fire Service has placed the Ho Central Market under a 24-hour surveillance after a cold store and two provision shops at the market were gutted by fire on Wednesday.

The fire, said to have fallen over from a refuse container behind the shops took personnel from the Fire Service 30 minutes to control.

Madam Daniella Mawusi Ntow-Sarpong, the Regional Fire Commander, told the Ghana News Agency that personnel of the Service savaged three other shops after controlling the fire.

She said the Command had placed the market and other 'sensitive points' under surveillance to ensure proper use of naked fire to avoid such disasters.

Madam Ntow-Sarpong said her outfit was investigating the cause of the fire but called for vigilance and proper use of fire as the harmattan became severe.

Some eyewitnesses commended the Fire Service for the quick response and said the whole market could have been gutted but for the swift intervention.

Fire disasters, especially bushfires were said to be on the decline in the Region, with only 50 cases recorded in November, 2017 as against 76 in 2016.
05.01.2018 LISTEN

Mr James Enu, the 2016 National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary candidate for Tema West Constituency has stated that the NDC can win the 2020 polls hands down if they are able to put their acts together.

He said the President Akufo-Addo's administration had been hit by corruption, nepotism and massive incompetence thereby placing regrets on the faces of Ghanaians who voted them into power in 2016.

'Unless the NPP rigs the 2020 election or the impossible happens, there is no way the NDC will remain in opposition beyond 2020.' Mr Enu stated at the sidelines of a New Year Party he had organised for members of his Party in Tema.

'Now, the only thing that can stand between the NDC and victory in 2020 is the NDC itself - complacency, backbiting, unnecessary squabbles and lack of vigilance - these are what we should guard against,' he added.

The lawyer called on the rank and file of the party to soul-search and winnow out negativities.

The party was used to commemorate God's grace and to show appreciation to supporters and admirers for their unflinching support.

Mr Enu said the Ghanaian voter's disappointment with the NPP government could be felt in the air throughout the country, adding 'Everywhere you go, the common complaint is that life has become unbearable - Electricity, fuel and transportation have become more expensive. Rather than all the big things that the NPP promised in opposition it is this serious hardship that it has brought the people.

'If there is anybody who is still singing the praises of the NPP at this stage, just do a background check on the person and you will realise that he is an NPP fanatic.

He urged Ghanaians not to give up hope, saying that even though three more years of the NPP governance looked like suicide, 2020 would surely come and bring with it the opportunity to vote out the NPP.

'For members of the great NDC, I call for hard work and focus, like I said, with the unprecedented incompetence, nepotism corruption and hardship that the NPP has inflicted on Ghanaians, it will take only the NDC itself to deny itself of victory in 2020.'

He said it was only the NDC that had a support base of at least 45 per cent of voters, adding that the five percent and one vote that would be required to get the party elected is already in the basket if the NDC can hold onto it.

Reacting to the claims of the 2016 Tema West NDC Parliamentary candidate in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after orgnaising a similar party for his supporters, Mr Dennis Amfo Sefa, an aspiring Tema West NPP Constituency Chairman said he was not surprised as the defeated NDC Parliamentary candidate was yet to recover from the humiliating defeat that they suffered in 2016.

'I will start from his own background - Lawyer James Enu lost the Tema West seat to Mr Carlos Ahenkorah of the NPP by over 16,000 votes. On the Presidential level, John Mahama lost by almost one million votes which is unprecedented.

'The question is when such losers speak and declare themselves victorious in future rather than in the present, do you take them serious? Let's not forget that these are the same people who said they were in a comfortable lead even when it was clear that they had lost the 2016 election,' he said.

The aspiring NPP Constituency Chairman, popularly known as Nana Boakye said it was pre-matured to judge President Akufo-Addo's government with just one year, when he had the mandate for four years, based on which it could be renewed.

'It is said that it is an unwise person who judges a book by its cover. The NPP has been in power for only one year.

In this first year, all we have been doing is cleaning up the mess that you people left behind. How do you use only one year to judge a government when the mandate is for four years?

'And when Lawyer Enu says that the NPP is corrupt he expects us to take him seriously, when he is a member of the NDC? This is the party that is notorious for so much corruption'

Mr Sefa urged Ghanaians to disregard the NDC and their propaganda re-echoing President Akufo-Addo's promise that in the coming year, Ghanaians will get to know who the real corrupt people are.

'From next year, when the prosecutions begin, we will see who the real thieves and criminals are in this country,' he added.

GNA
The leadership and members of NPP-USA have heard, with deep sorrow, about the unfortunate demise of six Ghanaians who lost their lives in an apartment fire in Bronx, NY, and one Ghanaian who was shot dead in Chicago, IL. Like all Ghanaians, we are stunned, heartbroken and saddened by these tragic deaths, and would like to extend our sincerest condolences to the families and friends of the deceased.

The loss of a loved one, and in this unfortunate instance, the loss of three beautiful souls from one home, always presents an extremely challenging time for the affected families. No words can describe how sorry we feel.

NPP-USA welcomes all investigations that will bring closure to these tragic events. We also urge the New York Fire Department to put in place preventable measures that will make sure that these unfortunate incidents are not repeated.

We stand with the entire Ghanaian community and pledge our unflinching support and promise to offer a helping hand when we are called upon.

It is our fervent hope and prayer that the almighty Lord grants the bereaved families peace and comfort in these trying moments.

Thank you.

---Signed---

Obaa Yaa Amponsah Frimpong

NPP-USA Chairperson (Ag)
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On Route to Belgrade

The stick insect with pale lips, a jaunty manner, and the sense of still being attached to mummy gave a definitive statement of Heisenbergs uncertainty principle. The plane cannot be located. It had a name; it had an identity. It was even registered on the screens of Zurich airport. But everything else was, quite literally, up in the air. In this day and age, a multi-million dollar commercial aircraft doing its rounds is bound to turn up on some scene, to urge itself into commercial and tangible existence. Not so for Herr Stick Insect, who seemed determined to excite and concern his inquirers with dedication.

And what of this ephemeral, invisible flight? Instant fears are fired in the imagination: did the plane vanish into a legend, forever trapped in the gurgling fantasies of a deluded culture? Did it suffer a terrible demise at the end of a faulty missile strike?

Humble flight JU 373 of Air Serbia was not going to disappear into the annals of flight martyrdom or conspiratorial mayhem. There was nothing of the jitteriness of Malaysia Airlines here, the tragic doom, the murderous calamity. No rocket was aimed; no mythological creature had made its presence felt. It was simply being incorrigible.

There were, however, initial reasons of concern. It had rerouted to Stuttgart in a manner that seemed erratic, and had not, as it were, told the personnel at Zurich why. This is the Serbian magic; remaining very much an enthusiast of Europe, it sings the tune from another, eclectic scoresheet. We are happy to play with you, but in our way.

Passengers going to Belgrade from London on this flight were left perplexed. Those waiting for JU 373 were huddled, oblivious and even, to some extent, obedient. This was Switzerland, and back home, they knew that queues were as common as smoked grills and rakija.

Queuing in the Serbian psyche has a near military quality to it, far more developed and essential than that of the English. The Englishman, as George Mikes claimed, could form a queue of one. But for the Serbian sense of existence, the queue is the truest of collective affirmations, be it against injustice, infirmity, and plain incompetence. They have seen it all, and they are promised to see more.

Even in these circumstances of technical challenges and weather disruptions, the challenged machines that require tuning in the face of an indignant mother nature, cultural assumptions on the part of the Swiss gate keepers seem to dominate. The Serbs, like bovine subjects awaiting their fate, sit there at a gate that has no flight, and promises none. We seriously lost them, comes the stick insect about JU 373. He doesnt seem particularly concerned, and holds the Zurich airport line with stern officialdom. You simply have to wait.

To get to Belgrade today is proving to be quite a challenge. Having ventured from London via the hub that is Zurich, gnomes and all, the weather has been furious and unrelenting. The Piccadilly line from Hammersmith station was already taking a generous soaking, and the train was filled with glares and perfumed stares. Bulky men sported suitcases a tenth their size. Women, in distinction, had enormous expanses of luggage. No one seemed particularly enticed by the prospect of having to venture through the monster that is Heathrows Terminal 2, named after the imperishable monarch that is Elizabeth II.

In Zurich, the alternative options on offer for reaching Belgrade do little to inspire. Each suggests terminal boredom, lounge torture, purgatorial torment. Serbia remains an exotic territory, a vantage point of curiosity. But more broadly speaking, if one is stranded, Frankfurt figures. This offers a dreaded and draining option, the sort that you would happily scuttle and convey back to your less impressive acquaintances and enemies.

The devils option of flying via bustling Frankfurt and losing several hours of your life before the next destination has a certain ominous power to it. The cogs of European travel need oiling, the machines refuelling. When there is a glitch, airport apparatchiks seem to speak in automated statements: You shall go via Frankfurt. The central nature of the city in the European infrastructure is indispensable in that sense.

It is very much a statement about air traffic on continental Europe and the bumbling confidence Frankfurt is exerting, all dominating and confident. With the issue of Brexit pounding the British government into paltry dust; with companies relocating and readjusting assets, management staff and portfolios; with decisions being made for the new year, this is a city that is being bathed in mercantilist glory. German financiers and planners are planning their raids and relocations, their next triumphant decisions that will lure the funds that have been seen to be the sacred preserve of Britannia.

JU 373 eventually materialises, if only several hours after time. The stewardess, sharp neat uniform, a dream of geometry with a professionalised cut cap and a blue dotted scarf, large lips that seem to dance off her words as they escape to reach their target, and a voice that as smoked as the countrys cured meats, tells you to know the instructions well. You are in the exit row, and responsibility is heavy. There is no other option: you are not merely a guest of nature, but a guest of Air Serbia, so behave.

Her countrymen are also there to keep her busy. The Serbian tendency to pounce mid flight, to leap to the storage areas and cabins with a growl and a cheer, and throw off the seat belts with the disdain of a liberated patient from a sanatorium speaks volumes. Signs are there to be avoided; signals exist to be scorned. Please remain seated with fastened seatbelts! The bark is greeted with quiet refrain. Everyone is tired. The captain is unintelligible, his words an inscrutable slur. But for those on this flight, the oak tree calls, its ancient message vast and deep; the solemnity of the Orthodox occasion signals and holds its followers. They simply want to go home, and clap with furious delight on touching down.

Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: [email protected]
Three students from Los Angeles, California in the United States, have donated assorted items to children and guardians of the Kressner Orphanage at Kodjo-Ashong in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.

They are Kojo Boakye-Nimako, a Ghanaian, and Dylan Anderson, who are students of the Chaminade College Preparatory High School and Riley Shapiro of Calabasas High School, all located in Los Angeles, California.

The items donated to the orphanage included confectionery, toys, books, clothes and an unspecified amount of money.

The students told citifmonline.com that the donation formed part of their project work at school.

Kojo Boakye-Nimako, who spoke on behalf of his other colleagues, said that although the gesture was part of their project work, they also found it necessary to show kindness to the children.

'' Someone will ask why we did not do this donation in Los Angeles where we all stay, but I must say that it is quite humbling for us to travel from our homes and come to Kressner to put a smile on the faces of these young ones Kojo stated.

He added that, they were willing to return to the orphanage to repeat the gesture if the need arises.

The three US-based Ghanaian students were accompanied by the Vice Chairman of the LPG Marketing Companies Association of Ghana, Gabriel Kumi, and the Director, African Initiatives for Safe Water Network, Charles Nimako.

The guardian of the Orphanage, who received the items, Sister Kizita, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the students for the gesture.

About the Orphanage



The Kressner Orphanage, located at Kodjo-Ashong in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region was funded by the Rotary Club of Otterndorf-Land in Germany, and in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Accra with about $700,000.

It was inaugurated in March 2015 to support orphans within Kodjo -Ashong and its environs in the Amasaman District.

Currently, the Orphanage has thirty nine children aged between two and twenty three years

The facility consists of a convent for the reverend sisters, quarters with caregivers' rooms, a four-unit classroom block, social centre, a pantry, and recreational rooms among others.

The orphanage caters for orphans, children of HIV/AIDS patients, the less privileged and vulnerable in society.



By: Pearl Akanya Ofori/ Citifmonline.com
Equatorial Guinea has launched a dragnet for "mercenaries" behind a bid to overthrow President Theodoro Obiang, Africa's longest-serving leader, a senior government official said on Friday.

"We are carrying out intensive searches everywhere," the source, reached by phone from the Gabonese capital Libreville, told AFP.

The manhunt, the official said, is focussed on "the Ebibeyin zone and other forests nearby," located near the border with Cameroon and Cameroon.

It is also being carried out "in towns where they are believed to have infiltrated", in the capital Malabo, as well as Bata, Ebibeyin and Mongomo, the source said.

The small west African nation was put on alert Wednesday after a senior government official announced that a putsch mounted by foreign mercenaries on December 24 had been put down.

Obiang, 75, who seized power in 1979, has faced a string of coup attempts during nearly four decades in office.

Critics accuse him of brutal repression of opponents, electoral fraud and corruption.

On Thursday, the United Nations said it would send its envoy for West Africa, Francois Louceny Fall, to Malabo for talks next week.

A UN spokesman said that while "little information" had emerged over last month's alleged coup attempt, "we condemn all attempts to seize power unconstitutionally."

According to Malabo's security minister, Nicolas Obama Nchama, the mercenaries were Chadian, Sudanese and Centrafricans, as citizens of the Central African Republic are called.

They were "recruited by Equatorial Guinean militants from certain radical opposition parties with the support of certain powers", he alleged.

The attempted infiltration had been repelled with the help of the Cameroon security services, according to the authorities.

Equatorial Guinea, a former Spanish colony, has become one of sub-Sahara's biggest oil producers but a large proportion of its 1.2 million population lives in poverty.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa made a home visit on Friday to the leader of the country's main opposition party, Morgan Tsvangirai, who has been battling cancer.

The visit came as Zimbabwe's political parties prepare to begin campaigning for elections due later this year -- the first since former president Robert Mugabe stood down following a brief military takeover.

Mnangagwa, who was accompanied by his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, the former army chief who led November's takeover, said Tsvangirai was "recuperating very well" following his colon cancer diagnosis two years ago.

An image of the meeting showed Tsvangirai looking frail as he sat on a couch next to Mnangagwa who appeared relaxed and wore a smart dark suit.

"He is fine. He is recuperating very well. Very soon he will be going back again for further medical check-ups in South Africa," Mnangagwa said as he left Tsvangirai's home.

Tsvangirai's deputy in the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party Nelson Chamisa said that Mnangagwa's gesture was "the politics we want to see".

"The politics of peace, the politics of working together, the politics of caring for each other," he said.

Tsvangirai is a former prime minister and a veteran political figure who is hoping to lead a unified opposition bloc against Mnangagwa and his all-powerful ZANU-PF party.

Tsvangirai won the most votes in the first-round of the 2008 presidential election in which he faced off against Mugabe -- but it was not enough to avoid a run-off against Mugabe.

As Mugabe loyalists unleashed a wave of violence against MDC supporters, Tsvangirai pulled out of the race and later entered negotiations with the government.

He subsequently became prime minister in a power-sharing government in which he was widely seen as being out-foxed by Mugabe.
An Accra Circuit Court has fixed January 25 to kick-start the trial of Redeemer Worwu, Managing Director of Castle Gate Estate Ghana Limited, who allegedly defrauded an army officer of GH10,800, being part-payment for a semi-detached house.

Worwu, who was charged with defrauding by false pretenses, pleaded not guilty, and the court, presided over by Ms Ruby N. A. Aryeetey, admitted him to bail in the sum of GH10,800 with two sureties.

When the matter was called on Thursday, the complainant told the court that he was not convinced of a search conducted on a parcel of land allegedly offered to him by Worwu.

The trial judge therefore adjourned the matter to January 25 for trial to start.

The prosecutor Chief Inspector Grace Bandoh said the complainant is Captain Delali Ama Adih, a military officer at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.

Chief Inspector Bandoh said Worwu has an office at Adenta, Accra.

In November 2012, prosecution said Captain Adih saw an advert on television which purported that accused person's company was selling two to three bedroom detached houses on installment basis at Ashyie.

Prosecution said Captain Adih therefore entered into agreement with the company to buy a two bedroom detached house at the cost of GH108,000.00.

According to the prosecution, the complainant was to pay GH600.00 over a period of 15 years for the house.

Complainant had to pay up to 18 months before the house would be allocated to her

As at May 2014, the complainant had paid the sum of GH10,800.00 and therefore qualified for the house, the prosecutor said.

The prosecution said six months after paying that said amount, Worwu started giving excuses.

Persistent follow-ups from the complainant yielded no positive result.

GNA
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has called on the Legislature and Executive to work assiduously to ensure the passage of the Right to Information and Broadcasting Bills this year.

According to the GJA, the passage of the Bills will promote professionalism in the media landscape in the country, as well as strengthen the fight against corruption.

A statement signed by the President of the Association, Affail Monney, indicated that the two bills have like a pendulum swung between the Executive and the Legislature for many years.

It also called on political actors to be awakened to their common aspirations of improving the wellbeing of Ghanaians and deepening the country's fledgling democracy.

They must always place national interest above personal interests and also appreciate the fact that political office is a call to serve not to swerve the national interest.

It said political actors must consider the media as partners and not enemies and must stretch to the media a helpful hand and not a hurtful hand.

The era of assault and brutality of political actors against the media must give way to an era of respect for the rule of law and human dignity between the two institutions in 2018 to help move the country forward, the statement pointed out.

It also called on media practitioners to deliver on their cardinal mandate of holding the government of the day responsible and accountable as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.

However, that watchdog function and the enormous freedoms accorded the media must be exercised with the utmost responsibility, the practitioners must do better in the discharge of their jobs as champions of national development.

It also commended government for its fight against illegal mining, popularly known as 'galamsey.'

By Gibril Abdul Razak
Although the race to elect a flag bearer for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2020 general election has not kicked off, aides of former President John Dramani Mahama have reportedly started attacking Joshua Alabi, one of the party's presidential hopefuls.

Spearheading the politics of attacks on Prof Joshua Alabi, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA), is Stanislav Dogbe.

On his Facebook wall on Monday, 1st January, 2018, Mr Stan Dogbe took on the professor, describing him as an 'attention seeker' who is doing everything possible to be president.

Mr Dogbe, former Head of Communication Bureau at the Flag Staff House, said that Mr Alabi had been chasing the ex-president around and virtually stalking him at party programmes, so as to share in the attention that people give the former leader.

He stated, Alabi's 'I must at all cost be President' dream will be better helped if he focuses on himself and the NDC and how to go ahead of his competitors, not chasing John Mahama.

The trusted aide and confidant of the former president, in a debate with some supporters of Professor Joshua Alabi, said his boss is too big to fight over space with persons struggling and shoving each other for attention at especially party events.

Mr Stan Dogbe didn't provide any reason for his attack on colleague party guru, except to say, It's interesting reading over the last one year, words of insults, false claims and attacks on the person of President John Mahama, and extended sometimes to some who worked with him by supporters of, agents of, and workers for Joshua Alabi.

Alabi's Supporters React

Dogbe, who wasn't able to back his claim with any evidence, infuriated the supporters of Prof Alabi over the alleged false claims and insults on their boss, and also fired back at him (Dogbe).

Some of the NDC 'Facebookers' expressed worry and disgust at the unprovoked attacks on the former vice chancellor, who had a day earlier asked party supporters in Ho, Volta Region, to shake hands and speak well of one another.

Prof Alabi, in a short address during the 31st December 'revolution' celebration at the Volta Regional capital, said, Please turn round and shake the hands of your colleagues, and tell them, 'from today onwards, we are no longer going to make any negative comments about each other. We will project only the positives, because we all have something positive to offer the NDC.'

In response to Stan Dogbe's attacks, Prof Joshua Alabi's supporters stated that their preferred candidate was not struggling for attention.

Some of them posted, Prof is not an attention seeker. He was sitting down and minding his business when suddenly President Rawlings mentioned his name and invited him to the microphone.

Others stated, Prof Joshua Alabi has never said 'I MUST BE PRESIDENT AT ALL COST.' His countenance, approach, conduct and rise never show. Anybody saying this about Prof Joshua Alabi is not being truthful.

In his swift response to the attacks on the former UPSA VC, the immediate-past Member of Parliament (MP) for La Dadekotopon Constituency in Accra, Nii Amasah Namoale, described the attacks on his Facebook wall as premature, adding, JM was not the president and later became president. Alabi is not president and if God permits he shall be president ok, Stan Xoese Dogbe.

BY Daniel Bampoe
SOME IRATE youth in Tarkwa, a mining town in the Western Region, are up in arms against Gold Fields Ghana Limited (Tarkwa Mine), for the companys alleged attempt to lay off over 2,000 workers.

Gold Fields is currently embarking on an aggressive business option dubbed, Contract Mining, hence its decision to lay off some workers.

It has also been alleged that the company had decided to undertake the layoff due to the current lifespan of the mine, which stands at between five and 60 years, and cannot purchase a new fleet because of the short payback period.

The retrenchment is expected to affect most of its miners at the Tarkwa mine.

However, the workers claimed that the reasons for the impending laying off did not hold water and so had called on the government to intervene.

The Ghana Mine Workers' Union of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has already spoken against the decision by the management of Gold Fields to retrench the workers.

According to some of the workers, this is the second time in three years that the mining firm has embarked on such a massive retrenchment exercise.

Addressing a press conference in Tarkwa yesterday, the Concerned Youth of Tarkwa claimed that the company has no valid reasons to embark on the retrenchment exercise.

Speaking on behalf of the youth, the Odikro of Tarkwa Bankyim, Nana Kwesi Itu II, mentioned that similar contract mining initiative at the company's Damang mine some time ago adversely affected the company and also put the workers in quandary.

He noted that the Tarkwa community contributes appreciable percentage of gold to the Ghanaian economy and that the youth would not sit down unconcerned for Tarkwa to become a ghost town.

If our people would be sacked from the company then all of them would have to leave the area to look for greener pastures elsewhere. But we will not allow this to happen, he stressed.

He continued, If contract mining is the only solution to the problem, then those pushing that agenda should also surrender their jobs for contracting.

Why should they be at post or because it is an opportunity for them to hijack the contracts in the name of their own companies to enable them take in some percentages?

This is dishonesty at the higher level. All the youth are therefore calling on Gold Fields to maintain owner mining and maintain the workers.

The Odikro pointed out that the youth would not sit down unconcerned to allow a handful of unscrupulous individuals to manipulate the system for their selfish gains.

He, therefore, called on the chiefs in the area to speak out and defend the workers since they are indigenes and breadwinners for their respective families.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Tarkwa
Activities at most bus terminals in Accra is not as brisk as expected after the yuletide, a visit by the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday has revealed.

At the Neoplan station, Circle, there was virtually no sign of passengers arriving from their hometowns after the festivities, whilst the number of those travelling out of Accra had dwindled.

A station attendant, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said although business was not that bad, the days preceding the yuletide was very brisk compared to the arrivals.

He said there is always a high patronage every Christmas, with passengers' queueing for very long hours before getting a bus to their destinations.

'You know this year's Christmas and New Year fell on working days and we are expecting most revelers, majority of whom are workers, to be trooping in by now to start work but is not going as anticipated,' he said.

The situation at the Opera Station, Tudu and Tema stations was not different, as business was also low with only few people arriving after the celebrations.

Most of the passengers told the GNA that, travelling out of Accra for the yuletide was very smooth this time around compared to previous years, and hoped the situation would always remain the same every Christmas to enable them to travel with ease.

Madam Emilia Adjei, a trader at the Tema station, said business was not that good with most people only doing window shopping, and hardly bought anything, adding that, it may be due to the just ended Christmas season.'

Meanwhile, the usual heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic, associated with the Christmas festivities along most principal streets of the capital was missing in most parts of the Central Business District.
05.01.2018 LISTEN

Alhaji Sulemana Alhassan, Upper West Regional Minister, has called on the public to commit themselves to stated objectives knowing that with dedication and hard work the goals for the region would be attained.

He pledged his commitment to ensure the expansion of infrastructure and managing the affairs of the region in an open, honest, truthful and transparent manner.

Alhaji Alhassan in a New Year message also commended the revered chiefs and queen mothers, security agencies, religious leaders, heads of departments, organized labour and the media for playing various roles to make 2017 a meaningful year.

Alhaji Sulemana also thanked people of the region for contributing to the massive victory of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2016 General Elections saying that under the leadership of President Nana Akufo-Addo, they would make a difference in the lives of ordinary Ghanaians.

He said the greatest moment of joy was the commencement of two of government most celebrated programmes namely, the Free Senior High School (SHS) and the Planting for Food and Jobs programmes.

'These achievements have made us to prepare the economy for a take-off in 2018', he said.

The Regional Minister said government would consider all healthy and constructive criticism aimed at improving the system and advised all against criticism that was only meant to destroy the harmony in the system.

Alhaji Alhassan expressed worry that the region has become notorious for armed robbery and other criminal activities saying the Regional Coordinating Council, through the Regional Security Council has established a Regional Security Fund to undertake various measures to deal with the concern.

He commended the regional branch of the Ghana Private Road and Transport Union (GPRTU) for being the first to contribute to the fund and appealed to others to emulate the example.

GNA

By Prosper K. Kuorsoh, GNA
Headmaster of Three Town Senior High School, Franklin Amesimeku has challenged youth in rural Ghana not to use poverty as an excuse to fail in life.

He says young people in poor communities across the country can still make it to the top even without enough money once they take their education seriously and show determination.

You can accomplish your educational goals without enough money. You only need to persevere, determined and you will succeed, the academic whose school is located at Denu in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region noted.

Mr. Amesimeku was speaking the maiden edition of the Mafi Zongo Electoral Area Youth Impact Summit at Mafi Zongo in the Central Tongu District on Saturday.

The summit was on the theme: Harnessing the Potentials of the Youths for a Better and Sustainable Future.

The youths were mentored by carefully selected mentors from industry and academia. The mentors shared their knowledge and experiences and encouraged the youth to work hard to become better adults.

Assembly Member for the area, Julius Karl D. Fieve who organized the summit urged the youth to learn from successful adults and shape their lives according to their leads.

Most youths are faced with myriad of problems including unemployment, poverty, lack of direction, discrimination among others.

"I believe this programme would go a long way to bring the youths closer to these mentors who have been tried and tested by all the circumstances that confront the youths today, he said.

IT and Digital Innovations Specialist, Cherubim Mawuli Amenyedor urged the youths to believe in themselves since everything they needed to accomplish their dreams is already present and around them. He urged them to be visionary, dream big, be innovative and aspire to a higher height.

You must show the leaders in you. You are all leaders. I urged you to see beyond sight he said.

Senior Lecturer, Department of Pharmacology at University of Development Studies - Tamale Evans Kwame Ameade urged the participants to persevere.

He said: it does not matter where you come from. You can make it. Just focus on your goal, get determined and you will make it.

Mr. Ameade urged the youth to take their education seriously as it is the main tool that can help change their circumstances and set them apart from their peers.

Participants were excited about the opportunity to participate in the event. Torgbe Ayittey Duame II, the Chief of Akorto, Mafi Dadoboe said, he together with the youths benefitted a lot from the programme.

Madam, Mawusi Kamasa who participated in the summit said her confidence was boosted by the mentors and believed it would benefit her in her teaching profession.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim
Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia is optimistic the Special Prosecutor Act will be an active instrument in fighting corruption and ensuring the prudent use of resources.

Parliament passed the Office of the Special Prosecutor Bill a few weeks ago, and it has since been assented to into law by the President.

Speaking at the 86th Annual National Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslims Mission at Pomadze near Winneba in the Central Region, Dr. Bawumia further indicated that, public officials will now be cautious in their dealings for fear of incurring the wrath of the Special Prosecutor.

The signing of the Special Prosecutor Bill into law is a significant step in the President's determination to fight corruption in the public life of our dear nation. Both past and present public officers will be under the microscope to account for their actions and inaction. This will help fight corruption and ensure the prudent use of resources for the benefit of all. The Special Prosecutor's Act is going to be an instrument to help ensure discipline.

The setting up of the office of the Special Prosecutor was one of the key campaign promises made by President Nana Akufo-Addo ahead of his election victory in 2016, and it is aimed at tackling corruption.

When operational, the Special Prosecutor's office will be independent of the Executive, which observers believe will allow it to adequately deal with corruption-related issues which have plagued past governments.

This Bill is expected to, among other things, define the modalities for the appointment and operations of the Special Prosecutor.

The office of the Special Prosecutor will have the mandate to investigate and prosecute cases of alleged corruption under the Public Procurement Act 203 Act 63, and other corruption-related offenses implicating public officers, political office holders and their accomplices in the public sector.

The Prosecutor will also be mandated to trace and recover the proceeds from corrupt acts.



By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Special Prosecutor will instill discipline in public officials  Bawumia appeared first on Ghana News .
MEXICO

Dr. Boahene and his team of local Mexican surgeons operated on a group of Zapotec and Mixtec Indians, reportedly the two largest linguistic groups inhabiting the Oaxaca mountainous region of Mexico. These groups are known for a common birth defect called microtia, a congenital condition he describes as (Boahene, p. 171) children born with a partially formed or non-existent external ear.

He adds (Boahene, p. 171): Our mission focus was to build ears for these children. The procedure begins with harvesting a piece of cartilage from a rib and artistically sculpting it into the shape of an ear. The sculpted cartilage is then buried under the skin where the ear should have been developed. Over several months the skin shrinks around the sculpted cartilage to form a natural-looking ear.

LIBERIA

Under the auspices of the non-profit group Childrens Surgery International, Dr. Boahene and his two of his colleagues Drs. Moore and James Sidman, traveled to Liberia, and while there they repaired lip and palate defects (Boahene, p. 173-174): Our van had just rolled into the hospital yardA child of about ten years had fallen from a tree and arrived at the hospital with a three-foot tree branch sticking out of both sides of his neck

With no x-ray or scan to tell us exactly where the branch was, we rushed him to the operating room, sawed off one end of the stick and gently pulled the rest out the other side. He was one lucky little fellow because none of the vital blood vessels and nerves had been injured and he was able to leave the hospital the next day.

By midday a disturbing pattern was emerging. There were a surprising number of children between five and seven with unrepaired lip and palate defects. These defects are usually repaired within the first year of lifeAmong the older children we saw, those between ten and sixteen, there were missing ears or noses that had been hacked off with machetes. Like the boy with the stick through his neck, they were lucky to be alive, and those who found us were lucky to have the chance to have ears and noses rebuilt for them.

AMERICA

Boahene (p. 175): One day he asked me to help with a patient from the homeless community who been (sic) diagnosed with cancer of the tongue. We needed to take out his tongue, after which I would try to fashion a useful tongue-like structure with tissue and nerves from other sites from his body.

Besides his tongue, his teeth were in such terrible condition he had packed his bleeding, weeping gums with bunched-up scraps of newspaper. As I pulled out the soaked wads it was hard to keep from gagging at the stench of rotting gum and diseased teeth

RWANDA

Boahene (p. 176): One of these occurred in Rwanda involving a child of about eleven years old whose condition at first appeared to be uncomfortable and discomforting to look at but quickly turned into a life-or-death procedure.

This boy had a tumor growing in one of his nostrils. The people on the ground in Rwanda sent a CT scan and I received a diagnosis on the nature of growthIt was a straightforward procedure with little reconstructive surgery necessary. I didnt twice about it.

We arrived in Rwanda within a week or so and got a chance to examine the boy. I was shocked to find that in such a short time the tumor had grown much bigger and was now protruding out of his nose. His case had become a little complicated, so we arranged to do the surgery in a private hospital where the equipment would be more sophisticated.

Although it was clear he was in some pain, he made eye contact and was engaged when we asked him some basic questions

When I went to see the boy on Wednesday, I was stunned. In those few days the tumor had doubled in size. The boy was listless, lifelessliterally on deaths doorstep. The tumor was rapidly dividing and growing its own network of blood vessels

After an emergency transfusion, we changed the plan for how we were going to do the surgery and quickly got that tumor out. Within two hours, the procedure was successfully completedBy the end of the week, he was sitting up, eating, talking, back to being a normal kid with a nose that, when healed, would not look any different from any other kids.

AMERICA

Boahene (p. 166-167): In 2003 I became a chief resident and instructor at the Mayo Medical School, a yearlong position during which I was responsible for my own patients as well as teaching junior residents and medical students. As a young doctor spreading my wings, my first case was challenging. A five-year-old Amish girl had a tumor so massive it had consumed her entire lower jaw. It had reached the point that it was interfering with her ability to breath.

Her family brought her to the emergency room in the middle of the night and I was called in to figure out how best to treat her. I decided we needed to operate right away. I performed a tracheostomy, making a surgical opening through her neck into her windpipe and inserting a temporary breathing tube to bypass the tumultuous obstruction.

The biopsy results were a reliefthe tumor was benign and unlikely to end her life. But the treatment would require removing her entire lower jaw and replacing it with healthy bone tissue harvested from her leg. I had participated in this type of surgery many times on adults, but never on such a young child.

The orthopedic surgeons we consulted assured us that removing a piece of bone from the childs leg was unlikely to limit her long-term growth. So with the help of one of many mentors, we removed the tumor, harvested the fibula, and used that bone tissue to completely build her a new jaw bone. The procedure was a success and I have since performed a number of similar jaw reconstructions in children, some as young as two years.

BANGLADESH

Boahene (p. 179-180): One of my own favorite stories, although bittersweet, is about a mother in Bangladesh whose son had a cleft lip I repaired. It was a routine surgery and I came out of the operating room to meet with her. A translator explained that the operation had been a success and she could expect her child to live a normal life.

But upon hearing it, the mother burst into tears that were clearly not joyful. I asked the translator to tell her, No, this is good news! There were no complications and everything is going fine. Your son is perfect.

I was certain there had been a misunderstanding. But upon hearing the news a second time, her crying devolved into the most intense wailing, the sort associated with profound grief. Nothing we said would calm her. It was nearly a half hour before she had exhausted herself and could speak in between sobs.

As the translator listened his shoulders slumped. When the mother finished, he turned to me, his eyes shimmering.

Dr. Boahene, it appears she had several children before this who were born with this condition and died as a result. She is grateful but she is mourning the babies she lost that could have been saved.

It was a humbling moment that moved me as well.

AMERICA

Boahene (p. 216-218): My first big breakthrough occurred in 2008. It involved a child and it began by happenstance. A pediatrician was treating a one-year-old boy for a routine problem when he noticed the boys three-year-old brother, who was along for the ride, had a smile that was slightly askew. The parents seemed unconcerned but the doctors instincts told him a scan was in order.

His consciousness was rewarded when the scan revealed a tumor in the childs skull base that was impinging on a facial nerveIf the tumor continued to grow, however, it would eventually destroy the nerve and his face would be paralyzed. Removing the mass would involve severing the nerve

In consulting with the surgeon who was going to remove the tumor, I discussed two scenarios.

I can rewire the facial nerve first, to bypass the tumor so you dont have to worry about it during your procedure. Or, you can go ahead with the surgery and after youve removed the tumor, its possible to leave both ends of the severed nerve accessible. I can repair the gap by transferring nerve tissue from elsewhere.

At the time, nerve transplant and transfer surgeries were beginning to offer hope to patients whose extremities had been paralyzed or damaged in accidents. Moving nerve is common surgery in children who are born with a brachial plexus injury, which can occur during a breech birth. When force is required to extract the baby from the womb, the nerves from the neck going to the arm can tear, causing weakness or paralysis. The repair involves moving nerves from a muscle that is not so vital to one that is, like an arm or a hand that needs to be able to grip things.

In this case, we decided to go ahead with the surgery, remove the tumor and fix the nerve gap that would result. But when the tumor was removed, the portion of the nerve coming from the brainstem was completely gone. It would not be possible to bridge the gap.

I had already thought about that possibility, and how I might connect the loose end of the nerve where it connected to the facial muscles to a different nerve. For example, there is a muscle that allows us to chew that can be connected to a severed facial nerve in such a way that clenching your teeth produces a smile. It is like wiring a light switch except nerves take a long time to grow.

In this case I decided to connect the remaining portion of the boys facial nerve to a nerve that controls his tongue

About three months after the surgery, I woke up very early one day and was checking my email when I spotted one from the address of the boys father. It had been sent in the middle of the night, suggesting a crisis. I opened it bracing for bad news. Dear Dr. Boahene, it began. Tonight, for the first time in my sons life, I really saw him smile.

PERU

Boahene (p. 220): Some children are born without the ability to smileThis disease is called Moebius syndrome. The nerves or muscles that normally move the face do not properly overlap.

Each year I travel to Peru to work with local surgeons helping restore smiles to children born this way. During one such visit I asked a group of about fifteen children with Moebius syndrome to assemble for a photo. As I reflexively do when taking photos of my own kids, I asked them to smile for the camera, forgetting for a moment that they could not.

What happened next was emotionally overwhelming. In the last row a chubby, boisterous nine-year-old put his fingers in his mouth and pulled the corners to stimulate a smile. He did this so naturally and flawlessly it was clear he had done it a million times. His face glowed with innocent childish mirth. In that instant he stole my heart. I vowed to give him a real smile, which we did.

GERMANY

Boahene (p. 222): Anna was a six-year-old from a small town in Germany who was born with Moebius syndrome. Her dream was to be able to smile before starting her school years.

I saw her on one of my trips to Germany as a visiting professor. Anna and her parents spoke only German, challenging me to reach back into my memory for the German I learned in Ghana when I thought I would be attending a German medical school.

They told me that playing with other children her age was difficult. She could not smile, but she could vocalize laughter, which made her seem quite odd. Together with my German colleagues we transplanted a small muscle from her upper thigh and rewired some nerveThe operation was a success and six weeks later she was smiling for the first time in her life. It was the shortest recovery of movement I have recorded so far.

UNNAMED COUNTRY (POSSIBLY AMERICA)

Boahene (p. 208-209): In this case, I needed a few extra minutes of close examination of the original scan and the new one to confirm that what I was seeing was a recent growth. I was disheartened to see that it was in a more difficult position to access than the original. When I returned to the family and explained the situation, everyone began crying. It was a difficult moment because I hadnt had time to think about the solution

What I did not tell them was that the new tumor was in such a location that one of the treatment options might be to temporarily remove her jawbone, among other complications, and then put her back together once the tumor had been removed. That would be a very long operation with many surgical steps. The temporary disfigurement, the extensive facial reconstructive surgery that would be required, and a long recovery would have made for an extremely stressful experience and increased potential for complications.

Back at my desk, I picked up my Hamlet skull and turned it this way and that, poking a pen through this opening and that. Then the solution popped into my head, so instinctively that I chuckled!

In Africa and elsewhere, my medical missions have included many cleft lip and palate repairs. A cleft lip contains an operating in the upper lip that may extend into the nose. A cleft palate is when the roof of the mouth contains an opening into the nose. The palatethe roof of your mouthis located behind the nose and under the sinus cavities.

I was certain I could reach the tumor by creating a cleft palate and then closing it back up when I was done. This made complicated surgery simpler, although the tumor removal would still be a painstaking process. The surgery went well and two days later, once again tumor free, the patient went home with a sore mouth but with her face intact. That was a red-letter day.

AMERICA

Boahene (p. 155): The case that helped define my future subspecialty began with a call to consult on a newborn who had been transferred to our hospital from another. Among other abnormalities, this child was born with no nose, just a small stump of fleshy tissue, a condition called proboscis lateralis.

We designed a surgical technique to create a nose and this child became my patient for the next four years as we continued to refine the structure until he had a nearly normal-looking nose. It was a satisfying outcome and one that attracted enough attention that I was invited to publish the clinical description of the surgical repair in a medical journal. If I had any doubts about facial reconstructive surgery, that child erased them once and for all.

SKULL BASE SURGERY: DR. KOFI BOAHENES SURGICAL METHODOLOGY

Clinical experience has taught Dr. Boahene and his colleagues, including Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, to avoid working around the brain given the potential risks of skull-base surgery. This is because among other reasons, this body of procedures involving skull-base surgery frequently tends to get too close to the brain stem and spinal cord (Boahene, p. 206), very sensitive regions of human anatomy.

This poses the additional problem of removing a tumor that grows in the neighborhood of the brain stem. Thus successfully negotiating out of this anatomic and physiologic complication as far as surgery is concerned, is the intrusive presence of the totality of cranial nerves and major veins and arteries populating this region, with these resourceful networks of arteries and veins serving as the main nourishing tributaries of the brain, complex arrangements that call for circumspection on the part of the surgeon and tactical avoidance of surgical indiscretions with the potential to disrupt the natural flow of blood to this sensitive neighborhood of the brain stem.

What this means, overall, is that precision is a highly valued surgical goal in these complex situations, a subject Dr. Ben Carson takes up in Gifted Hands. Thus Dr. Boahenes solemn acknowledgment that otolaryngology is as complex and competitive as neurological (brain and nervous) surgery falls into place (Boahene, p. 146). What is more, his confident defense of his specialties and surgical challenges in juxtaposition with neurological surgery is quite admirableto say the least (Boahene, p. 190-194, 206, 215-216). Finally, his technical discussion of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in relation to the outcomes of his surgical procedures is a clear indication of an inspiring authority in total control of his niche of expertise.

Yet, he has not been found wanting insofar as coming up with innovative surgical solutions to treat his patients (Boahene, p. 210), and as he puts it get to tumors in very hard-to-reach areas in the skull. This has won him accolades and admiration in addition to national and international recognition for his innovative inventiveness, following which he has been invited to (Boahene, p. 210) present my techniques at international conferences and often been singled out for recognition. As a result, people who have heard or read about me now seek me out for consultation.

It is, however, interesting to note that the Ghanaian-born Dr. Boahene never mentions or discusses the important role, if any, of collateral circulation in this complex anatomic and physiologic matrix, specifically about his expert contention that exercising extreme circumspection or surgical avoidance is in order when operating around this delicate network of arteries and veins located beneath the brainstem. He does, however, mention the complex network of nerves and its anatomic habitation of the face, arguing that any anatomic or physiologic interruptions or breaks in the natural flow of this network can result in facial paralysis. When this happens, he maintains, the ability to communicate emotions like happiness disappears particularly in the case of children (Boahene, p. 206).

In spite of his expert reservations, he still maintains a set of technical procedures in his skull-base surgical toolbox (Boahene, 206). These are as follows: 1) removing benign or cancerous growths and abnormalities on the underside of the brain and the first few vertebrae, 2) reconstructing the face by replacing or substituting lost tissue and bone, repurposing healthy tissue, rewiring nerves, 3) closing the surgical sites with very fine sutures and other methods that will leave the least scarring, and tucking them into wrinkles and creases where they will be least noticed.

No wonder his surgical techniques defy a traditional piece of medical wisdom that says nerves cannot grow back (Boahene, p. 222): It wasnt so long ago that common medical wisdom dictated that nerves cannot regenerate. But a year after I have performed one of these procedures and have to go back into the same area to do something else I can tell that the nerves I connected have grown. Nerves that started out as thin as a strand of hair will have tripled in size.

And no wonder this competitive genius of the scientific world is exporting his skills and medical wisdom to faraway places, Europe among others (Boahene, p. 56), like Dr. Carson did when he too assumed the global leadership of pediatric neurosurgery during his active tenure of service to humanity. Here the point of contact between However Far the Stream Flows and Dr. Carsons Think Big is clear, clear in the sense of translating possibility thinking and optimism into creative products for the betterment of humanity. Dr. Boahene has more to learn from Dr. Carson nonetheless. Of course, decent great minds think alike and learn from each in the interest of humanism.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Dr. Boahene wants to give back to Africa in a big way as othersjust as his good Samaritansdid for him in his moments of protracted frustrations. As a result, in 2014 he established a non-profit organization called the Foundation for Special Surgery (FSS) to pursue this noble goal (see http://foundationforspecialsurgery.org/). He says he wants to see FSS (Boahene, p.234) provide the highest level of sub-specialized surgical care to patients in sub-Saharan Africa.

Regarding the organizations mission, he spells it out thus (Boahene, p. 234) the vision of the foundation is to become a leader in training the next generation of sub-specialized surgeons in the region by enlisting the participation of world-class surgeons from the US, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

Indeed, stemming the tide of brain drain from Africa is one of the underlying reasons for creating his foundation. The developing world needs to nurture its own internists, diagnosticians, anesthesiologists, surgeons and nurses and to provide access to professional facilities and equipment, he explains (Boahene, p. 234), adding, For this reason, my top goal is to raise the funds to build a specialty surgical hospital in Ghana. It will be a place where young African men and women can receive specialized training with which they will be able to make a living providing world-class surgical care to their fellow Ghanaians and West Africans.

He concludes (Boahene, p. 234): I am convinced that an approach that trains specialists locally in Africa is the most effective way of transferring and building expertise with the least pressure of brain drain (our emphasis)."

In Part 3 and Part 4, our concluding installments, we shall critique the book However Far the Stream Flows.

SPECIAL NOTE TO OUR INTERNATIONAL READERS

Readers should watch Dr. Boahenes CNN interview here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_8kt6kCnLk

REFERENCES

Boahene, K. (2016). However far the stream flows: the making of the man who rebuilds faces. Doylestown, PA: Winans Kuenstler Publishing, LLC.

Carson, B., & Murphey, C. (1996). Gifted hands: the Ben Carson story. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

(2015). Think big: unleashing your potential for excellence. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, has ordered the closure of a Chinese Tomato paste factory operating unlawfully in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.

The tomato factory, which belongs to some Chinese expatriates, was fined GHc 15,000 by the EPA in August 2017, for operating illegally whilst the company was also ordered to halt any form of production.

However, the management of the tomato factory violated the order and resumed full production in November.

Residents of Korleman City, an estate at Kuntunse in the area where the Chinese factory operates, have since raised concerns about how the activities of the company, which they say is affecting through noise, air and environmental pollution.

The residents, who held a meeting with the MCE in a bid to get him to ensure the companys closure and subsequent relocation, accused him of rather shielding the company at the expense of their health.

The EPA on the other hand, appeared adamant, after their initial orders were disrespected with the tacit support of the Ga West Municipal Assembly intervened.

A statement signed by Prof. Frimpong Boateng and copied to the Chief of Staff, Office of the President, Flagstaff House, the Chief Executive Officer of the area among others, pointed out that several attempts to get the Tomato Factory to stop production had been unsuccessful.

It has come to my notice that contrary to several directives to stop production of canned tomato paste at the Kuntunse (i.e production , packaging, warehousing etc.), you continue to operate in violation of your obligation under EPA Act 1994, Act 490, and the Environmental Assessment Regulations, 1999, LI 1652.

Quoting section 14 of the EPA Act, 1994, the Minister therefore ordered that the Tomato Factory stops production of canned tomatoes and comply with the enforcement notice with immediate effect.

I am by this letter also directing the Divisional Commander Ghana Police Service, Amasaman, to take the necessary steps to ensure compliance with this directive. Take Note and Notice is hereby served that any person who hinders or obstructs any other person acting under this section commits an offence and is liable to prosecution.



By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @EfeAnsah
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By Ritah Kemigisa:

Makerere University is to award South African anti-apartheid champion, Winnie Mandela with a Honorary Doctor of Laws during its forth coming 68th graduation ceremony.

According to the Universitys public relations officer Rita Namisango this follows approval from the University senate and council.

Namisango adds that her name has now been forwarded for inclusion in the 68th graduation booklet.

The 81-year-old veteran politician and ex-wife to former President Nelson Mandela is being recognized for her contribution towards the fight and eventual elimination of apartheid in South Africa.

Makerere will hold its 68th graduation ceremony from Tuesday 16th to Friday 19th January 2018 with a total of 15,172 students expected to graduate .

Out of these, 36 are to graduate with PhDs, 436 with Masters and more than 14,000 with bachelors degrees and diplomas.
Columbia, CA  Just approved plans to blaze a new fire science career pathway from Mother Lode high schools aim to ignite interest towards serving increased related industry needs.

According to Columbia College Dean Klaus Tenbergen, the schools Career Technical Education and Economic Development Department head, this week his office received a formal intent to award notification of a two-year grant totaling just under a half-million dollars from the California Community College Chancellors Office (CCCCO) Workforce and Development Division, which is part of the new California Apprenticeship Initiative.

Aimed at broadening the range of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs for California workers, once awarded, the local monies are earmarked to fund a Mother Lode community-wide Fire Science Pre-Apprenticeship Initiative program.

A self-described product of an apprenticeship himself, Tenbergen knows firsthand about the benefits of enabling on-the-job training opportunities. Within the past three-plus years that he has served as dean, leveraging key community partnerships he spearheaded three other grant applications that have created apprenticeship paths.

An Apprenticeship Opportunities Leader

Now we are probably the only college in the U.S. who has very unique apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs in hospitality, fire science, early childhood development and automotiveto provide qualified workers for their industries, Tenbergen enthuses. These programs are now being implemented in partnership with major hospitality employers, Rush Creek and Evergreen lodges and Black Oak Casino and Resort; early education program providers through Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency (ATCCA), Columbia College Child Care Center, Senior-Youth Partnership, and The Resource Connection Early Childhood Programs; and local automotive industry operators.

Tenbergen says the colleges latest Fire Science program effort is a timely one, as Governor Jerry Brown recently noted, California no longer has a seasonal fire season but is now under threat year round. It is just a way of life for us up here and what this [new program] actually does for us at the tail-end is to provide the different fire departments and fire districts with qualified people with their needs to have firefighters on hand to protect all of us, he maintains.

CCCCOs latest call for applications sought proposals for innovative and model outreach education programs. As Tenbergen recounts, it presented an opportunity for creating pipelines geared to raising awareness and interest among high school students and other interested parties of the colleges Fire Academy while further strengthening partnerships with state and local fire agencies. The fledgling program now only needs final budget approval from Gov. Browns office to release the funds, which he expects to come within the next several weeks.

A Longer Funnel For Future Fire Science Pros

The college is expanding its working relationships and gauging needs of local fire agencies and CAL Fire, which currently has the largest apprenticeship program in the U.S. The goal is for students  after completing Fire Academy requirements  to have clear and direct access to essential internship opportunities. Per state requirements, fire cadets must complete either 1,000 hours of unpaid or 500 hour paid internship hours before taking the necessary Fire Marshals tests.

Tenbergen projects that by February or so more planning meetings will get underway and that by March or April, those interested in hosting or participating in a pre-apprenticeship level workshop can call his office to get onto an email and activities list.

By early next year, hands on demonstrations and activities using Fire Academy and other equipment will be heading out to local schools and other locations in Mariposa, Tuolumne, Calaveras and Amador counties. Along with its fire agency partners, the initiative has also garnered support from the Tuolumne Countys Economic Development Authority and Superintendent of Schools, Mother Lode Job Training and Motherlode Workforce Investment Board.

Program Roll Out Plans

Describing how related activities might roll out, Tenbergen points out, We will publicize the events and will be contacting high schools directlyto be part of a career fair, job or career activity or part of a class or guest presentation.

He comments, Most of the kids under career-tech education (CTE) are interested in doing something with their hands and learn best by doing  and so, by us actively doing demonstrations with their involvement  properly gets their interest. As pre-apprentices, participants will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of skills-building workshops and training through different professional agencies at partnering sites, receiving comprehensive training in a range of activities associated with firefighting as well as incorporated exposure towards other soft skills development.

For more details, call Dr. Tenbergens office at 209 588-5142. With regard to Columbia Colleges other Apprenticeship Initiative Programs, 49 Hospitality Management apprentices registered since January 2017 and its available slots are now filled. This month, 18 Child Development apprentices are beginning their pathway for which applications are still being accepted for 30 remaining slots.
Though officials haven't had a formal groundbreaking ceremony yet, construction crews appear to already be working on the site that will become home to a new IKEA store in the San Antonio area.

Crews could be seen Thursday in the beginning phases of the construction, clearing and leveling the ground in the southwestern corner of I-35 and Loop 1604.
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Dead roaches, rodent-like excreta pellets and black mildew posed a problem at San Antonio restaurants after city workers conducted random inspections this week.

Stone Oak-area "breastaurant" Tilted Kilt ranked among the citys dirtiest eateries after an inspector spotted rodent feces near the bar area, gnats and mildew in the ice machine.

The eatery earned a score of 88, but several other restaurants received scores below 85 this week.

To make the Express-News' list of dirtiest restaurants, an establishment must earn a score of 89 or below  or anything less than an "A"  during a random city health inspection.

2017's WORST RESTAURANT VIOLATIONS: San Antonio restaurant inspections: Worst reports from 2017



Now Playing: Some restaurants are taking a bite out of your wallet before you even look at the menu. Buzz60's Sean Dowling (@seandowlingtv) has more. Video: Buzz 60

Express-News Top 100 restaurant Kimura was dinged for bad kitchen practices, a vast amount of dirt/dust build up on non-food contact surfaces and bone broth at the wrong temperature.

Tilted Kilt and Kimura are among 16 dirty restaurants and food marts this week, ranging from downtown to the Stone-Oak area.

See the other restaurants that landed on this week's list of dirtiest restaurants in the slideshow above.

The San Antonio Express-News examines hundreds of restaurant inspections each week conducted by the San Antonio Food and Environmental Health Services division to bring you the eateries with scores of 89 or below.

Restaurants are graded on a 100-point system, where "100" is a perfect score, and demerits are based upon the number of violations found during a regular food establishment inspection. There are three categories of demerits and each are assigned a demerit score of 3, 2 or 1 points, according to the health division.

Scores and demerits listed are only representative of the state of the restaurant at the time of inspection and establishments are surveyed at random.

rsalinas@mysa.com | Twitter: @RebeccaLSalinas
President Trump has reprised his demand for border-wall funding in return for his signature on legislation lifting the threat of deportation on immigrants brought here without documents when they were children. And other demands, according to a recent New York Times report, include defunding so-called sanctuary cities and reclassifying visa overstays as criminal, not civil, offenses.

Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle should stand firm in not caving in to his demands. But they should pass permanent legislation for Dreamers this month.

When President Trump scrapped the Deferred Deportation for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in September, he gave Congress six months to come up with a solution. That means deportations of Dreamers could theoretically begin in March, but, realistically, if Dreamers are allowed to stay, the federal government will need plenty of lead time to process paperwork, why legislation is crucial this month.

EDITORIAL: Be wary of border 'takings' for wall

But funding for a border wall, defunding sanctuary cities and criminalizing visa overstays are too high a price to pay for such legislation.

The border wall has cost estimates ranging from $12 billion to $25 billion. But there is simply no wall that will stop people desperate enough to come here. The border already has some 650 miles of wall or fence along its 2,000-mile length and the entire border is already more secure and better resourced than at any time in its history.

Defund sanctuary cities? These are defined as municipalities that refuse to let their police officers and sheriffs deputies essentially become immigration agents. This would undermine the relationships local authorities have with immigrants  crimes will go unreported, witnesses will not step forward and an already vulnerable community will become more so.

Criminalizing visa overstays would be similarly counterproductive. It would further clog the judicial system  some 40 percent of undocumented immigrants are here because of overstays.

COMMENTARY: Immigration is a larger issue than Dreamers

Some Democrats also are offering a lose-lose proposition. They are threatening to not agree to any measure to fund the federal government past a Jan. 19 deadline if no Dreamer solution is included. In other words, they are threatening government shutdown. This, too, is too high a price.

The solution lies in a clean bipartisan DREAM Act  passed before March. There is time. Members on both sides of the aisle should approve such an act and dare the president to refuse to sign it. But, if the president is serious about his stated admiration of and sympathy for Dreamers, he should forego these demands altogether.
A HARARE man who was arrested after he allegedly called President Emmerson Mnangagwa a murderer is not a mental patient, doctors certified Thursday.

Activist Gustav Kativhu landed in the dock after he hectored Mnangagwa at the December Zanu PF special congress which elected the latter party leader.

He was refused bail by Harare magistrate Josephine Sande after prosecutors successfully sought to have him mentally examined following disorderly conduct at initial remand.

The activist had banged counters in the court room, protesting against his detention while repeatedly shouting that Mnangagwa killed his friend.

Defence lawyer Job Sikhala opposed the mental exam application by prosecutor Michael Reza.

Sikhala insisted that his client did not have any mental health problems, explaining that the conduct in court was due to psychological trauma after abuse at the hands of Zanu PF thugs.

Kitivu is charged with undermining the Presidents authority or, alternatively, disorderly conduct at a public gathering.

After the results of the psychiatric examination were tendered in court Thursday, Sikhala then applied for bail on behalf of his client.

Ruling on the bail bid is expected on Friday.

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Ive embedded an important article by Amar Bhide which explains long-form how securitization has been a big leap backwards for the financial services industry.

Some Naked Capitalism readers may recoil at the idea of praising banking in any form, but that is a short-sighted view. Theres a reason that a banker is the hero of that hoary Christmas chestnut, Its a Wonderful Life. Small community banks, and even back in the day, branches of big banks, played critical roles in local economies by providing small business and mortgage loans, as well as deposits and payment services. Back in those days, members of the financial services industry were also paid at the same level on average as people in the economy overall. It was only starting in the 1980s that the earnings of financiers moved considerably higher than those of ordinary workers.

Bhide has written other important critiques of the financial services industry. This one focuses on the damage done by securitization. Mind you, that is not to say (and I think Bhide would agree) that securitization on a more modest scale than we now see in operation might not have been salutary or at least not harmful. But regulators in the late 1980s threw their weight behind securitization as a way for banks to recycle capital. The same McKinsey banking partner that Bhide cites at the beginning of his article, Lowell Bryan, was also on behalf of banks touting a coming banking profits squeeze and urging regulators to do more to help those poor sufferin banks. As if banks ought or need to be profitable. As weve discussed, banks get such heavy subsidies from government that they should not be treated as private enterprises and should be regulated as utilities as they once were.

Bhide describes the consequences of bank regulators, as well as Fannie and Freddie, promoting the use of FICO scores, as opposed to other hard and soft forms of analysis that banks had used traditionally to make consumer loans. Not only do you have the loss of information that would help reduce loan losses (local knowledge of how the outlook for his employer and the local economy) but more homogeneity of approaches, which creates the possibility of everyone replicating the same mistakes, like assuming a national decline in housing prices was impossible. And as he explains, one of the big costs has been the near-death of small business lending, when small businesses are the drivers of job growth.

Naked Capitalism readers will recognize that Bhides critique doesnt incorporate other negatives of securitization, such as poor incentives producing broken servicing platforms, poor to non-existent error customer service/error correction, and abusive and predatory servicing. And even when regulators have tried to force servicers to offer modifications, highly automated servicing platforms arent able to do that, and the lack of local knowledge and branch-level underwriting skills means banks would have to rebuild lost skills to do that. And theyve shown no interest whatsoever in doing that. Paying the occasional fine is their path of least resistance.

I urge you strongly to read this piece in full.
The Military Committee, NATOs highest Military Authority, will meet in Chiefs of Defence (CHODs) Session on 16 and 17 January 2018, at the NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium. General Petr Pavel, Chairman of the Military Committee, will preside over the sessions. The Chiefs of Defence will discuss the challenging security environment on NATOs southern flank and the Alliances contribution to its stabilisation. The CHODs with their Resolute Support counterparts will review the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and discuss the wider region. The Chiefs of Defence also will discuss the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and NATOs role in Iraq during 2018. Meetings with partners Ukraine and Georgia will focus on the security situations on the ground, defence reform progress and the way ahead. The Chiefs of Defence will also be informed and debate the proposed recommendations for the NATO Command Structure Adaptation as well as exchange views on Allied coherence, specific to military priorities.

The first session will focus on Europes southern neighbourhood. It will include a situational awareness briefing on the Middle East and North Africa region taking into consideration the wider global context. This session will pave the way for further discussions on Projecting Stability Initiatives, Fight against Terrorism, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and the ongoing NATO Training and Capacity Building in Iraq.

In Resolute Support format, the Chiefs of Defence will receive political, strategic and operational situation briefs from Commander of the Resolute Support Mission, General Nicholson, and the NATO Senior Civilian Representative Ambassador Zimmermann respectively, and provide further recommendations for 2018 and beyond.

In their afternoon session, the Allied Chiefs of Defence will receive briefings from General Scaparrotti, SACEUR and General Mercier, SACT on the recommended options for the NATO Command Structure Adaptation and possible implementation process.

The following mornings sessions with partners will begin with Ukraine. The session will provide an opportunity for an update on the security situation in and around Ukraine and assess the progress of the security and defence sector reforms. The session with Georgia will focus on continued defence reform progress and the way ahead for the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package.

The final session will focus on Allied coherence. The discussions are expected to reflect upon the Alliances adaptation - politically, militarily and institutionally, and review the way forward with a special emphasis on military priorities.

The Chiefs of Defences advice and guidance will assist and further frame discussions ahead the February Defence Ministerial in 2018.

General Petr Pavel will be supported in each session by General Curtis Scaparrotti (Supreme Allied Commander Europe, SACEUR) and General Denis Mercier (Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, SACT).

The Military Committee meets twice a year at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, at the level of Chiefs of Defence to discuss NATO operations and missions and provide the North Atlantic Council with consensus-based military advice on how the Alliance can best meet global security challenges. Once a year, they meet in an Allied member country. On a day-to-day basis, their work is carried out by Permanent Military Representatives at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.

Media Opportunities

Tuesday 16 January 2018

07:35-07:50 Media Pool pick up in the NATO Press Area

08:00-08:10 178th Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Session  Opening remarks by General Petr Pavel, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee

Wednesday 17 January 2018

13:30-14:00 Joint Press Conference in the Luns Theatre with General Petr Pavel, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee (CMC), General Curtis Scaparrotti, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR) and General Denis Mercier, Supreme Allied Commander, Transformation (SACT)

Imagery

Photos and video of all opening sessions will be available online at www.nato.int/ims shortly after each meeting. The Opening Remarks and Joint Press Conference will be made available on the NATO website after the event. Broadcasters can also request the broadcast quality footage by contacting content@natochannel.tv.

The Opening Remarks and the Joint Press Conference will be livestreamed via the NATO website.

Media background briefings

The Public Affairs and Strategic Communication Advisors Office (PASCAD) of the NATO International Military Staff (IMS) will organise two background briefings for media on The Current NATO Command Structure and An Update on the Current NATO Operations, Missions and Activities in Luns Room (NATO HQ) from 13.00 on Wednesday 17 January 2018.

Briefings will be given by Senior Military Officials from the IMS, SHAPE and ACT and will consist of a presentation and Q&A session.

This briefings are open to journalists. However they are NOT open to television cameras or still photographers.

11:00-11:45 Background Briefing on Current NATO Command Structure (Luns Room)

11:45-12:45 Background Briefing on Current NATO Operations, Missions and Activities (Luns Room)

Accreditation

Media representatives holding a valid 2017 or 2018 NATO Media pass will have access as usual to the NATO HQ. Media representatives not in possession of a NATO Media pass and wishing to attend the media opportunities available are invited to contact the NATO IMS Public Affairs Office via email or fax ( ronaynecasimiro.lara@hq.nato.int, fax number + 32 2 707 5713) with a completed accreditation form no later than 1200 on 12 Jan 2018.

Media passes will not be mailed to applicants; they must be collected in person upon presentation of an ID card or passport and a valid national press pass (or accreditation letter from a recognized media organization). Media representatives will be given their accreditation at the Main Entrance of NATO Headquarters. Passes must be worn visibly at all times, and security personnel may ask to see another form of ID at any time. Media representatives are informed that security personnel will examine and may test equipment and personal effects carried onto the site and are advised to arrive with sufficient lead time to clear security checks.

Enquiries

Points of contact for the Chairman of the Military Committee:

Dr Eva Svobodova, Public Affairs and Strategic Communications Advisor to the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee and NATO International Military Staff.

Tel: + 32 2 707 59 83

E-Mail: svobodova.eva@hq.nato.int

General press arrangements:

Ms. Lara Ronayne Casimiro, Public Affairs and Strategic Communications Assistant.

Tel: +32 2 707 54 23

E-mail: ronaynecasimiro.lara@hq.nato.int
(Natural News) A mother from New York is taking a bold stand against the LGBT mafia and its relentless and demonic war against innocent children. Kristie Sisson says that transgender activism and its youth-centric indoctrination agenda ultimately led her daughter, Danielle, to want to transition into being her son  and she isnt going to stand for it.

According to Sisson, it all started when the family decided to move from Long Island down to North Carolina after Danielle graduated from public middle school. The adjustment process for Danielle was rough, which led her to seek acceptance from whoever would give it.

This led her to a friend who happened to be a lesbian, and who apparently convinced Danielle that she, too, was a lesbian  even though she had always grown up liking boys. After being enrolled in a private high school in North Carolina, Danielle encountered several biological girls who were in the process of trying to transition into boys, to which Danielle also jumped on the bandwagon.

In the fall of 2016 things got really ugly, as Danielle informed her parents that she wanted to start dressing like a boy and would soon pursue surgery to become a male. This took Danielles parents completely off guard, as they were unaware at the time that Danielle was being so innately influenced by her new friends.

It took us completely by surprise, Sisson told Breitbart News, because Danielle had a normal childhood, did all of the typical girl things  from dressing up like the princesses, to playing with dolls, to wearing make-up, perfume, and jewelry.

Sisson says transgender activists actively recruit young children on the internet and social media

While Kristie Sisson and her husband say they never prohibited their daughter from interacting with lesbians and transgenders prior to this drastic change in Danielles mindset, they very quickly became the victims of LGBT assault simply for trying to advise their daughter on a better path.

Danielle was sent to a therapist who had promised her parents that she wasnt going to just affirm Danielles desire to transition to being a male. But this turned out to be a lie, upon which the Sissons sent their daughter to another therapist who, in effect, did the exact same thing  after just 30 minutes of speaking with Danielle.

I feel like its the parents against the world, Sisson lamented. The therapists, the doctors, the schools  everyone is pushing this very liberal agenda and this transgender movement, and its harming our children.

Danielle is going to end up mutilating her body. She wants to have a mastectomy. She wants to have a hysterectomy.

Danielle ended up taking matters into her own hands with the help of her new friends, and the families of these friends, many of whom helped her to raise thousands of dollars for surgery and continued education after her parents said they could no longer support Danielle in her misguided actions.

Many prominent organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Pediatric Endocrine Society (PES) that once recognized transgenderism as the mental illness that it is are now endorsing gender changes as well, which is making it that much harder to protect children from this onslaught of perversion.

Transgender ideology is not just infecting our laws, writes pediatrician and researcher Dr. Michelle Cretella, a mother of four and president of the American College of Pediatricians (ACP). It is intruding into the lives of the most innocent among us  children  and with the apparent growing support of the professional medical community.

The ACP is bold in asserting that ones biological sex is a permanent fixture, and that it cant be changed as the LGBT mafia claims. And to subject children to such lies represents a form of child abuse that parents need to put a stop to by joining together and fighting back.

Sources for this article include:

Breitbart.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Generally speaking, and in addition to many other things that arent healthy for a free society, the Democratic Party today stands for the establishment of a massive entitlement state, whereby the people have a right to everything and the kitchen sink. It should come as no surprise, then, that many congressional Democrats themselves feel as though they are entitled as well.

Such was the case for Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, who last month forced a passenger to give up their first-class seat on a United Airlines flight from Guatemala. The frustrated passenger took to social media to explain what had happened: I was the last passenger on the plane, she wrote. A Texas congressman, a nice guy, sat down next to me. He said he was glad I had made it on the flight. I showed him my boarding pass with my seat, 1A, printed on it. He said, You know what happened, right? Do you know whos in your seat? I said no. He told me that it was Jackson Lee, a fellow U.S. congresswoman who regularly does this, that this was the third time he personally had watched her bump a passenger.

But heres the ironic part of the story: The passenger that Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee forced out of the airplane seat and subsequently accused of being racist is purportedly a celebrated photojournalist who has spent a significant portion of his career documenting human-rights abuse. More specifically, the photojournalist, named Jean-Marie Simon, dedicated much of the 1980s to observing and documenting human-rights violations in Guatemala, during which time the countrys military overthrew the government and hundreds of thousands of Guatemalans were killed.

With all due respect, perhaps Simon should spend some time documenting human rights violations in her own country, where apparently passengers can be kicked out of their airplane seat to make way for an elitist from Washington D.C. Its also worth noting that it wasnt as if Simon had cancelled her ticket or did something that violated the previously established terms and conditions at United Airlines; she had done everything right, the seat was legitimately hers, and yet she was forced to make way for a Democratic congresswoman. (Related: Elitists reveal how they really feel about the peasants in California as the state devolves into suburban class warfare.)

It is not farfetched to say that the reason why this story, in particular, has so many Americans across the country infuriated is because it is a prime example of the elitist mentality that seems to run rampant throughout Washington D.C., whereby those who claim to represent us feel as though they deserve special privileges and benefits solely because of the fact that they are elected officials. When the Affordable Care Act was passed back in 2010, for example, those who reside in Washington D.C. were exempt from the rules and regulations laid out by the law, while the rest of the country was subjected to them. (Related: U.S. lawmakers secretly negotiated to exempt themselves from Obamacare.)

In order to give you a better idea of who Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is, its worth noting that the Texas Congresswoman was officially named the meanest member of Congress. Specifically, Lee appeared on Washingtonian magazines best and worst of Congress list four years ago in the year 2014 for winning the titles of meanest and show horse, with her employees citing an overwhelming and burdensome workload and harsh criticism. Based on this, is it really that much of a surprise that she would force a journalist out of her seat on an airplane even though the seat was already paid for?

Sources include:

DailyWire.com

FoxNews.com
What to Know A permit applicant must first try non-lethal methods to scare away or keep out the cougar

A permit would be issued only after two non-lethal attempts

The policy applies to the Santa Monica and Santa Ana mountain ranges in Southern California

Mountain lions that kill pets and livestock in Southern California will no longer be automatically targeted for death.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is changing the policy that granted ranchers and others automatic depredation permits for marauding cats. Now, the applicant must first try non-lethal methods to scare away or keep out the cougar, the Sacramento Bee reported Wednesday.

A permit would be issued only after two non-lethal attempts.

The policy applies to the Santa Monica and Santa Ana mountain ranges in Southern California, where small and genetically isolated populations of cougars are hemmed in by freeways and at risk of dying out.

California issues more than 200 depredation permits a year, although typically fewer than half result in kills, the Bee reported. However in the Santa Ana ranges, a 13-year study showed that more than a quarter of the cougars were killed from depredation permits, the Bee reported.

The policy came under fire in 2016 after a Malibu rancher received a permit to shoot a mountain lion that had killed nearly a dozen alpacas. The 150-pound cat was believed to be a radio-tagged male dubbed P-45. Animal lovers flooded the Facebook page of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area after the kill permit was issued.

Eventually, volunteers with the Mountain Lion Foundation helped build pens to keep the alpacas safe.

The state policy shift was praised by conservationists but opposed by livestock owners.

Wendell Phillips, husband of the Malibu rancher, Victoria Vaughn-Perling, grazed P-45 in the spring of 2016 before the kill permit was issued.

"I think they're bowing to political pressure, and it's too bad," Phillips said of wildlife officials. "But the reality is nobody will bother to apply for permits any more. Shoot, shovel and shut-up, that's what coming."
The man acquitted in the 2015 shooting death of Kate Steinle could be granted a new trial Friday on his weapon possession conviction.

Jose Garcia Zarate, a Mexican immigrant who was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter charges after firing the shot that killed Steinle on San Francisco's Pier 14 in July 2015, will be in court Friday with a defense that disputes he had possession of the firearm.

Garcia Zarate's attorneys contend the jury in the lengthy November murder trial wasnt told about transitory possession, the idea that Garcia Zarate held the weapon briefly, but not long enough to constitute possession.

"I think a properly instructed jury, whether in state court or federal court, is going to find Mr. Zarate not guilty," defense attorney Matt Gonzalez said of the possession charge three weeks ago.

Prosecutors say a retrial would be bogus. They filed a motion this week, contending a momentary possession instruction also requires substantial evidence that the defendant did not intend to prevent law enforcement officials from seizing a firearm.

Garcia Zarate, by his own admission, tossed the weapon that killed Steinle into the water.

Legal experts say both sides are relying on theory. NBC legal analyst Dean Johnson says Judge Samuel Feng is likely to keep the weapon possession conviction in place.

"What the prosecution has is a theory, and if this trial proves anything, its that both the prosecution and the defense both had very powerful theories," Johnson said.

But Johnson added he expects the arguments over jury instructions to drag on.

"I think that theres a real possibility that there was an instructional error in this case," he said. "And based on that, a new trial may be granted. More likely, the new trial would be denied, but this lays the groundwork for a very strong appeal."

A juror in the murder trial said last month the instructions regarding possession were, in fact, confusing.

"What do they mean by possession? Means like you had the thing for a long time? Like if you touched it, that means you possessed the gun?" the juror said.

Should the conviction stand, the maximum sentence Garcia Zarate could receive Friday is three years, and he's likely fulfilled it with time served.

Garcia Zarate also is facing federal charges and eventually will go into federal custody. Hell be in the sheriffs department custody until then.
San Jose police on Thursday night arrested a suspect in the sexual assault of a middle school teacher early Tuesday, the department said in a release.

Police had released images of a man they say sexually assaulted and robbed a teacher inside her classroom at Harker Middle School, which is located at 3800 Blackford Ave., at about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Chief Eddie Garcia will hold a media briefing Friday with details about the suspect and arrest.

San Jose police on Tuesday released surveillance video of a suspect in a sexual assault and robbery of a teacher at Harker Middle School.

On Wednesday, there was a noticeable police presence on campus, and the school said it also also has beefed up its security.

School officials said the incident occurred nearly an hour before students arrived on campus, so no students were present at the time of the assault. They said the teacher arrived early to prepare her classroom for the first day of school after the winter break.

San Jose police are asking for the public's help in identifying and locating a suspect in a sexual assault early Tuesday at a middle school, the department said. Thom Jensen reports.

The school released a statement Tuesday:

"We are saddened and upset by this incident and are leaning in to provide support and privacy to our employee and to each other. We are cooperating fully with the authorities and providing them any support needed to help in finding the perpetrator. The safety and security of our students, faculty and staff have always been paramount and we regularly review all protocols for any additional ways we can help keep our community safe. We are hopeful that the efforts of the police and the community will result in a swift arrest."

San Jose police are asking for the publics help in identifying and locating a suspect in a sexual assault early Tuesday at a middle school, the department said. Pete Suratos reports.

The investigation is ongoing, police said. Anyone with information should contact Detective Sgt. Samantha Huynh or Detective Jennifer Majors of the San Jose Police Department's Sexual Assault Investigations Unit at (408) 277-4102 or call 911 with immediate suspect information.

Persons wishing to remain anonymous should call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line, (408) 947-STOP (7867).

NBC Bay Area's Robert Handa contributed to this report.
A North Bay man was arrested Thursday after he allegedly broke into a home and sexually assaulted an 8-year-old girl, according to the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety.

Noah Holland of Santa Rosa was booked into Sonoma County Jail on multiple felony charges, including lewd and lascivious acts with a child, committing sexual assault while in the commission of a burglary and violation of probation, police said.

At about 3:55 a.m. Thursday, Rohnert Park police received a 911 call from a mother who said someone had broken into their home and went into her daughters bedroom, police said. The mother said the man, later identified as Holland, had taken off his clothes and climbed on top of the girl before she woke up and started screaming, police said. Holland then fled the house, leaving his clothing behind, they said.

Police believe Holland entered unlocked vehicles in front of the house and used a garage door opener to gain access to the garage and then the main house.

Deputies from the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office and officers from Santa Rosa Police Department assisted in attempting to locate Holland. Based on previous contacts with Holland, a sheriffs sergeant located him at an address on 10th street in Santa Rosa, police said. Holland was detained and turned over to Rohnert Park officers

A second man spotted walking with Holland also was arrested. Tristan Ford, 18, had information on Hollands activity that evening, and was subsequently placed into custody.

Ford was charged with conspiracy, burglary and violation of probation.

Holland is being held on $1 million bail.
The Massachusetts secretary of state is welcoming President Donald Trump's announcement that he is disbanding his controversial voter fraud commission.

Trump convened the commission to investigate the 2016 presidential election, after alleging repeatedly and without evidence that voting fraud cost him the popular vote. Trump won the Electoral College.

Democratic Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin was among officials from more than a dozen states who refused to comply with the commission's demand for reams of personal voter data.

Galvin said Thursday "I am delighted that our lack of cooperation led to the demise of this thing."

He said Trump's commission "had no legitimacy whatsoever," and "the whole thing was just a pretext for voter suppression."

Past studies have found voter fraud to be exceptionally rare.
Indiana police have issued an arrest "warrant" for one of the stars of the hit movie Frozen  and it appears she may be wanted in several other states.

This Is How Chicagoans Look Braving Below-Zero Wind Chills

The Seymour Police Department asked for the publics help in serving a warrant issued for Queen Elsa, who is wanted for maintaining a common nuisance.

If you have any information on her location please contact us as soon as possible; we are freezing! the department wrote on Facebook.

Elsa is described as a 21-year-old woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, weighing about 120 pounds.

It's not the first time authorities outside of Arendelle have blamed the Disney character for frozen fractals all around.

In 2015, police in the small, rural town of Harlan, Kentucky, posted this message on Facebook: "Suspect is a blonde female last seen wearing a long blue dress and is known to burst into song 'Let it Go!' As you can see by the weather she is very dangerous."



Elsa may also be wanted in numerous other states this time around as temperatures continue to drop to dangerous levels.

As our search continues we request citizens of Seymour bundle up, check on your out door animals, and drive with extreme caution! the Seymour Police Department wrote.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is being asked to call the Seymour Police Department.

While extreme cold has kept plenty of people from enjoying the outdoors, Niagara Falls continues to welcome visitors who want to see the ice-covered wonder it has become.
The future of a relief center in Hartford for hurricane victims is in limbo as their lease ends in February.

Since November 5, the relief center at 15 Vandyke Ave. has provided needs to those whove moved to Connecticut from hurricane-ravaged areas. But center officials say they dont have the funds to stay open past their lease.

In the basement of the building The Capitol Region Education Council, better known as CREC, has made this The Relief Center For Our Caribbean Friends.

Those who have made Connecticut home after Hurricanes Maria and Irma damaged their homes can come here to get assistance  with getting food and clothing, baby needs as well as housing, health care and job search assistance.

But the lease for this building ends on February 28.

With a $20,000 rent due each month for the building, center officials say they dont have the funds to keep it open any longer.

We need more support  we have the building until the end of February. We would love to help stay open a little longer but we need more agencies to join us. I mean, this cannot just be one or two agencies, it just cannot, explained Aura Alvarado, the director of communications and community relations for CREC

Thats why state and city leaders invited Governor Malloy to tour the facility, so that he can see the services being provided to people like Betsy Gomez and her family from Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Gomez moved here with her two young daughters in mid-December after Hurricane Maria destroyed her home.

Now she lives in a Hartford hotel with her two young daughters.

She doesnt speak English. She told NBC Connecticut when she first came from Puerto Rico she didnt even have long pants or a coat because Puerto Ricos weather is warm.

The services the center provides allows her to get all the clothing she needs to deal with Connecticuts winter weather  for free.

As the future of this center is unknown, the governor said they will work with CREC to try and figure something out.

I think Hartford is going to have to have a center and so well look at what that issue specifically is, Malloy said.

So far, the center has served about 1,200 people.
NBC 5 learned Thursday Zachary Thompson was forced out of his position as director of Dallas County Health and Human Services after being accused of harassment. Thompson's attorney, Anthony Lyons, told NBC 5 his client had no comment on the allegation but was unaware he'd been fired.



Sources familiar with the situation confirmed to NBC 5 that Thompson was ordered out of the building.

The health department said in a tweet that as of Dec. 29 Thompson was no longer with the agency and that an interim director had been appointed. Earlier in the day, the agency told NBC 5 that Thompson was retiring effective Jan. 31.

Late Thursday afternoon, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins released a statement saying Thompson gave notice of his retirement in 2017 to be effective Jan. 31, 2018. However, on Jan. 3, he was terminated and an interim director was named.



As of Dec. 29 Zachary Thompson is no longer with Dallas County. The Interim Director is Ganesh Shivaramaiyer. All media inquires will be reffered to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.  Dallas County HHS (@DCHHS) January 4, 2018

Further details regarding Thompson's termination have not been confirmed and all inquiries are being directed to Jenkins.

Thompson's attorney said in a statement released to NBC 5 late Thursday that his client has not received official notification from the county that he's been fired.

Lyons said Thompson has been off since the end of last year, using earned compensation time, and was not expected to be back with the county before his retirement. He also disputed reporting that Thompson had been escorted from his office.

NBC 5 has learned Zachary Thompson has been forced out of his position as director of Dallas County Health and Human Services.

Lyons said he hopes to find out more Friday, but until then he said his client won't comment.

Thompson served as deputy director of DCHHS for eight years before being named director in 2004.

Dallas County Health and Human Services

Ganesh Shivaramaiyer has been named interim director. He started with the county auditor's office in 1991 and assumed the role of assistant director of finance, budget and contracts at DCHHS in 2001 before being named interim director.

As director of the Dallas County Health Department, Thompson, along with Jenkins and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, was twice cast into the national spotlight due to health scares in Dallas County.

Together, the trio led the county's fight against West Nile virus in 2012 that sickened hundreds and killed 13 as well as the clampdown of Ebola in 2014 after a Liberian traveler tested positive for the deadly virus while visiting Dallas.

According to his bio with the Dallas County Community College District, Thompson earned an associate degree from El Centro College before transferring to the University of Texas at Arlington where he obtained a bachelor's in social work. He went on to earn a master's from Amber University.

Thompson's bio also said he is an adjunct professor at DCCC's Eastfield College.



The news of Thompson's ouster comes as DCHHS confirmed on Thursday the county's seventh, eighth and ninth flu deaths amid a worsening flu season.



NBC 5's Ken Kalthoff, Cory Smith, Scott Friedman, Diana Zoga and Don Peritz contributed to this report.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas are making history even as they help preserve it.

The team has been entrusted with 19,000 hours of NASA analog recordings from the Apollo 11 moon mission and three others.

"The bulk of how everything got accomplished was through audio. People had to talk to each other," said Dr. John Hansen, the founder and director of UTD's Center for Robust Speech Systems.

The project includes audio from all of the Apollo 11 mission, along with most of Apollo 13, Apollo 1 and Gemini 8 missions.

Hansen and his team have spent the last five years digitizing the recordings and transcribing them for the public.

"When NASA was launching a mission, everyone was miked up. They also had handsets," Hansen said. "They were all recorded on various loops, so you would have anywhere from three to 33 people speaking on any one track at a time."

The team received 200 14-hour-long decades-old tapes, each with 30 tracks of audio.

NASA saved the recordings with a now-outdated analog system, which Hansen estimates would have taken the team at least 170 years to digitize the audio by using it.

Hansen and his team developed their own technology to capture all 30 tracks at once, cutting the process to just four months.

"Developing technologies to pull that audio off, digitize it, but also start to learn how people worked collaboratively when they didn't see each other and how to solve these problems was a major challenge," Hansen said.

Some of the audio recordings are now available online at the following links.



Online:

NASA -- Apollo 11 HD Videos

NASA -- Apollo Missions

UT Dallas - Audio Transcripts

UT Dallas - Researchers Launch Moon Mission Audio Site
A San Diego U.S. Attorney issued a statement backing up Attorney General Jeff Sessions decision to end an Obama-era policy that largely shielded local legal marijuana businesses from federal raids and prosecutions.

Southern District of California U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman said Sessions memo outlining the changes returns trust and local control to federal prosecutors to enforce the Controlled Substance Act.

Just days after Californians rang in the new year by welcoming recreational pot shops for adults, Sessions rolled back a previous 2013 policy that instructed federal prosecutors to prioritize enforcement regarding marijuana to cases where there was a more serious criminal concern.

Those more serious concerns included distribution to minors and funneling funds to criminal organizations like cartels and organized crime.

Instead of the previous lenient federal enforcement policy, Sessions' new stance will give federal prosecutors more leeway to decide how aggressively to enforce a longstanding federal law prohibiting it.

Colorado's U.S. Attorney says his office won't change its approach to prosecuting marijuana crimes. While U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman, Southern District of CA said his office is committed to enforcing the laws enacted by Congress, which treats marijuana as an illegal controlled substance.

The Department of Justice is committed to reducing violent crime and enforcing the laws as enacted by Congress. The cultivation, distribution, and possession of marijuana has long been and remains a violation of federal law, Braverman said via a written statement. We will continue to utilize long-established prosecutorial priorities to carry out our mission to combat violent crime, disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations, and stem the rising tide of the drug crisis.

At Southwest Patient Group in Otay Mesa on Thursday, it was business as usual.

Southwest Patient Group is licensed by the city of San Diego and the state of California to operate.

The public is very supportive of legal marijuana. This change shows the huge disconnect between the public and our government right now, said owner Adam Scherer.

Scherer said he and his business partners were in a wait and see situation on the revised policy.

California has one of the strongest state regulatory systems theyre putting in place, tracking (marijuana) from seed to sale, Scherer said. With the state regulating, it should take a lot of pressure off the federal government in worrying about bad actors.

Local law enforcement told NBC7 not much is expected to change with their approach to enforcement.

In San Diego, police are typically targeting the black market during investigations, not the legal and licensed businesses.

Former prosecutor John Kirby noted the policy change does not instruct prosecutors to prioritize marijuana enforcement or push federal agencies into specific investigations.

I was with the federal government the last time there was a push to prosecute federal marijuana laws and it quite frankly fell flat, Kirby said, who noted that federal juries have a hard time convicting solely on marijuana violations.

Medical marijuana was already used in California. It is already accepted in California, and quite frankly, juries dont like to convict on something they see as legal, Kirby said.
By luck of the draw, incumbent Republican David Yancey won a Virginia state House of Delegates race so close that its outcome was determined Thursday when an elections official pulled his name out of a ceramic bowl.

The drawing of lots happened after the race between Yancey and Democratic challenger Shelley Simonds ended in tie.

The win allows Republicans to maintain a slim majority in the House, though a final tally is still uncertain because Simonds could ask for another recount. Adding another wrinkle: Another close legislative race is in doubt because it's locked in a court battle.

The drawing for who will represent District 94, in Newport News, drew quite a crowd to the Virginia elections board meeting. Most of the people packed into the room were Simonds' supporters. Yancey did not attend because of heavy snowfall but did have a representative there.

As Yancey's name was announced, Simonds sat stoically, holding the hands of her daughter and husband seated beside her. She endured a long moment of silence as the elections officials certified Yancey as the winner. The only sound in the room was the clicking of cameras, most of which were trained on Simonds.

Her supporters left the room disappointed and she addressed the media.

"This is a sad conclusion for me," she said. "It does seem like a sudden end to the story to have to end on a game of chance."

However, she did not rule out asking for a recount.

"For me, all options are still on the table," she said.

Mitchell Pleasure, a Harvard University student from Fairfax County, said he went to Richmond to see the drawing because it was so strange.

"I was laughing a little bit because I think its a ridiculous process for deciding an election where there's 23,000 people's votes decided by the flip of a coin, basically," he said.

Before the drawing, officials detailed how it would work. The name of each candidate was printed on a piece of paper and placed into separate film canisters. The canisters were put into a cobalt blue-and-white ceramic bowl made by a local artist, stirred around and Yancey's name was chosen first.

It's been nearly 50 years since a legislative seat was settled by drawing lots in Virginia. In 1971, Republican William H. Moss Sr. appeared to lose the election for a seat in northern Virginia. But after a recount ended in a tie, Moss was declared the winner after a blindfolded state elections official pulled his name out of a large decorative cup, according to news reports at the time.

The race between Yancey, a three-term incumbent, and Simonds has bounced back and forth since the November election, when Virginia Democrats - fueled by voter anger directed at Republican President Donald Trump - wiped out a 66-34 advantage held by Republicans in the House. The election has been widely seen as a potential harbinger of the 2018 midterm congressional elections.

Simonds appeared to have lost the November election by 10 votes, but on Dec. 19, she won a recount by a single vote. The next day, a three-judge panel declared a tie based on a previously uncounted vote for Yancey.

At the heart of the dispute is a single ballot on which the voter filled in the bubble for both Simonds and Yancey. The voter also drew a single slash through the bubble for Simonds and picked Republican candidates in statewide races.

The ballot wasn't counted during the recount and was identified after a Republican election official raised concerns the following day.

With Yancey's win, Republicans hold a slim, 51-49 advantage over Democrats in the Virginia House. But the race may not be over. Simonds could ask for another recount, a move that would likely delay a winner being declared before the 2018 legislative session begins next week. That would still allow Republicans to elect a speaker and make committee assignments based on a 50-49 advantage.

The balance of power in the House could shift again because a lawsuit is pending over the results of another House race in Northern Virginia. Democrat Joshua Cole lost to Republican Bob Thomas by 73 votes in a recount. But voters filed a federal lawsuit after at least 147 ballots were found to be assigned to the wrong districts. A federal court hearing on that election is schedule for Friday.

The General Assembly is set to reconvene Wednesday.
Fancy a trip to Walt Disney World?

If youre a Florida resident, you can spend three days at a Walt Disney World theme park for $159 with a limited-time offer, according to the official website.

The Discover Disney promotion is valid until June 24, 2018. You must be a Florida resident in order to secure the deal  a Florida billing address is required during checkout and adults must show proof of residency at the parks entrance.

The ticket can be used at any of Disneys four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot or Disneys Hollywood Studios. The deal entitles you to visit one park per day, according to the website.

You have to purchase your ticket by June 20, 2018 in order to receive the discount.

The price is a slight jump from last years Discover Disney promotion, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Last year, the price was $139 for a three-day ticket.

Like last year, Floridians can choose to add a fourth day to the offer for an additional $20. The four-day ticket costs $179 and is also valid until June 28.

You cannot visit more than one theme park on the same day using the "Discover Disney" ticket unless the Park Hopper Option or Park Hopper Plus Option is added.

For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Police in Florida say a 70-year-old man fatally shot an intruder during a home invasion.

Orange County Sheriff's spokesman Jeff Williamson said in a news release that Juan Jose Caraballo heard someone trying to break into his house about 5 p.m. Wednesday.

He grabbed his gun and shot at the intruders. Williamson says one was hit and killed. The other ran out the back door of the home near Orlando.

Caraballo's wife and a delivery driver who was in the neighborhood both called 911.

Williamson says that Caraballo also was struck by a bullet and underwent surgery. There was no update on his condition.

The dead man's name hasn't been released.

An investigation continues.
What to Know Wind chills below zero in much of the tri-state will make the cleanup process after the vicious snowstorm much more difficult

Meteorologists are forecasting brutally cold wind chills through the weekend with no temperatures above freezing until at least Monday

Alternate-side parking is suspended in New York City through Wednesday, though meter rules remain in effect

Days after a vicious winter storm assaulted the tri-state, residents are shivering amid a potentially historic deep freeze that will not only send temperatures plunging through the weekend, but hinder snow cleanup as well.

But the more-than-a-foot of snow on lthe ground for large swaths of the region is hardly the biggest threat at this point. Meteorologists are forecasting brutally cold wind-chills through the weekend and, according to Storm Team 4, the inches, or even a foot or more in some spots, isnt going anywhere soon. Wind gusts of 40 mph or more will lead to blowing and drifting snow and will send temperatures into the teens with feel-like temps even colder.

Those commuting Friday morning faced what felt like -11 degrees and, even amid abundant sunshine, it still felt like -3 at midday because of the wind chills. The cold only gets worse. From Friday night into Saturday morning, it will feel like -10 to -20 degrees across the tri-state.

Wind chill warnings went into effect at 1 a.m. Friday for Pike, Sussex, Western Ulter and eastern Dutchess counties until Sunday morning, Storm Team 4 said. The rest of the tri-state is under a wind chill advisory.

In New York City, some areas, such as Queens, saw at least 13 inches of snow, which exceeded the initial forecast of 6 to 8 inches. Central Park got 9.8 inches of snow, while JFK Airport saw 8 inches. Check the latest snow totals in your neighborhood here.

For those seeking cover in subway stations, the whipping winds also blew snow inside and onto platforms. Frozen switches and signal problems threw the morning commute into chaos for thousands

The Department of Sanitation warned residents that treated streets in the city may not show blacktop just yet and driving conditions may still be difficult after the storm. Alternate-side parking is suspended in the city through Wednesday, though meter rules remain in effect.

Mayor de Blasio says the city is in need of daily temporary workers to shovel, especially in Queens. The rate of pay is $15 an hour, and people can sign up at nyc.gov.

Relief from the colder, snowy conditions may not come until at least Monday when the teeth-shattering cold eases a bit and the tri-state will see temperatures rise above the freezing mark for the first time in more than a week.
What to Know New York City schools will be open on Friday, Mayor de Blasio and the city Department of Education announced

Field trips requiring a bus will be canceled, but all other activities will go on as scheduled

New York City schools were closed on Thursday as a powerful storm pummeled the region with wind and snow

New York City public school kids better get those last toboggan rides in tonight.

That's because the city Department of Education announced that classes would be in session on Friday after shutting down for the day Thursday as a blizzard dropped more than 10 inches of snow on parts of the five boroughs.

"Tomorrow, Friday, January 5, @NYCSchools will be OPEN. Please take caution on your commute and dress warmly!" Mayor de Blasio said in a tweet.

Field trips requiring yellow school buses will be canceled Friday, the DOE said. All other programs and activities will be held as scheduled, however.

Students will be heading back to class on one of the coldest days of this arctic snap. Temperatures on Friday should struggle to get to the low teens in New York City, along with wind chills that make it feel much colder.

Predictably, students weren't excited about the prospect of heading back to class after a day filled with snowball fights, sledding and snowman-making.

"Aww, I hope we didn't have school, because I had to do this science thing," one Queens student huffed to a News 4 reporter Thursday evening.

Others on social media also voiced their displeasure, crying out over the safety of sending children to school on a day with single-digit temperatures.

Students at other districts were luckier, though: More than 100 other school systems in the tri-state announced delays and cancellations for Friday.
A mother just wanted to run in and out of the Wilmington, Delaware, Wawa after the brunt of the snowstorm Thursday had passed.

She left her car running in the parking, and left her two young children in the car.

When she came back out of the Wawa, her worst nightmare was realized, Wilmington police said. Her car was gone, and with it, her two children.

The 25-year-old woman's 5-year-old and 1-year-old children were found safe a short time later when police found the car a few blocks away, police told The News-Journal of Delaware.

A passerby saw a man abandoning the car in a driveway of a residence five minutes after it was taken. Both children were still in the car and uninjured.

The man fled on foot and police are looking for him.
Businesses and restaurants in Little Italy are asking the city of San Diego for money after a water main break last year.

On July 30, 2017, a 16-inch concrete main broke at Kettner Boulevard and Juniper Street in Little Italy.

This was a pretty horrendous water break, said Marco Li Mandri with the Little Italy Association of San Diego.

Water flooded streets for hours. Normally busy restaurants and businesses were forced to close. Kettner was shut down the entire day and you obviously cant do any food service without water."

Documents obtained by NBC 7 after a public records request, show restaurants like The Crack Shack claiming a loss of revenue of nearly $26,000 that day. Juniper and Ivy claiming $16,000. Miriya Smith, who filed claims on behalf of those two restaurants did not respond to NBC7s request for comment.

Liberty Mutual Insurance Company claimed $300,000 for both property damage and loss of revenue.

The break also knocked out service on a trolley line. MTS filed a claim stating they lost over $30,000 because of flood damage. Rob Schupp with MTS wrote an email to NBC7 stating, Well not make a public statement on this.

Li Mandri said a few months before the water main break, work had been done on that same line. So the real issue is one of who is responsible for that break? Is it the contractor or is it the city? But we know it wasn't the businesses because they were the victims of it.

Timothy W. Graham, Supervising Public Information Officer with the City of San Diego told NBC7, Claims are being evaluated on a case by case basis and settlement discussions will depend on the merits of each claim."

Businesses affected by this water main break must make their claim to the City's Risk Management Department by the end of this month.

Graham said they estimate it will cost $2.8 million for the clean-up services and to pay for the damage to private property as a result of the break.

There's no word yet on if or how many of those claims have settled.
The body of a woman who disappeared from Burtonsville, Maryland, nearly two months ago was found in an icy pond less than a mile from where she was last seen, Montgomery County police say.

Kristin Danielle Bessix was found dead Wednesday in a pond on the 14200 block of Ballinger Terrace. The pond is less than a mile away from Bessix was last seen Nov. 9.

Police say Bessix's friends last saw her in the area of Castle Boulevard, and no one was able to get in contact with her after that.

Her family reported her missing Nov. 22.

Police say Bessix's cause and manner of death are pending.

No further information was released.
A Maryland resident told police he shot an 18-year-old man who was breaking into his car early Wednesday, Montgomery County Police said.

Officers investigating a report of a theft from a vehicle in the 14000 block of Twig Road in Silver Spring about 3:20 a.m. were flagged down by a man who lives on Rossiter Court. He told police he confronted three people breaking into his car and fired several shots at them.

Then a 911 call reported a shooting victim in the 1300 block of Elm Grove Circle, police said.

An 18-year-old man with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his lower body was taken to a hospital, police said. Officers determined he was one of the suspects shot at by the Rossiter Court resident.

Officers also arrested two male juveniles who are charged, police said.

Those two juveniles have been charged with theft-related offenses, Montgomery County Police Officer Rick Goodale said. The adult has not been charged. Those are still pending.

The 18-year-old man hasnt been charged because he is still hospitalized.

The man who fired at the suspects surrendered his handgun to police.

He fired multiple rounds at these suspects for breaking into cars, and you have to be accountable for all of those rounds, Goodale said. One of those rounds could have gone through a house and hit an innocent party.

He has not been charged with a crime. That remains under investigation.

Police did not say whether or not the suspects were armed.

Police in Prince Georges County are still investigating a similar shooting in Chillum the day after Christmas. A homeowner shot and killed 32-year-old Deontae Parker, who the homeowner said was breaking into his car. That shot was fired from inside the home.
Rescue crews in Maine have suspended their search for a man who went missing while on a clamming trip near Long Cove Thursday night during a massive snowstorm that battered the region.

Paul Benner, 33, was reported missing by his family after he did not return home, according to the Coast Guard. Crews found an unmanned skiff that matches the description of the boat he was in.

Friday night, the Coast Guard announced that the search for Benner had been suspended.

The missing man reportedly left the Long Cove boat ramp at 5 p.m. to clam on Clark Island.

The Coast Guard, Knox County Sheriff's Office and Maine Marine Patrol searched the area for Benner Thursday night around 11:30 and continued their search Friday morning.

According to WCSH, officials say Benner is not a commercial clammer.

Benner's parked car was also found near where he launched his boat.

The Coast Guard says seas in the area are about three feet and the water temperature is about 37 degrees.

Editor's note: The Coast Guard initially identified the clammer as 35-year-old Paul Brenner, but later identified him as 33-year-old Paul Benner.
Printer manufacturers deliberately shorten the life of printers and cartridges, a French environmental and consumer protection group claims. That's against the law in France, and government prosecutors have agreed to investigate the claims.

If the lawsuit against the printer company, Japan-based Epson, is proven, the firm could be found guilty of breaking a little-known French law that stipulates vendors cant purposefully lower the lifespan of a product to ramp up replacement rates.

Also on Network World: Top 10 data center predictions: IDC

A conviction could be significant for tech hardware manufacturing overall. Nabbing Epson would likely affect not only how hardware is built and sold in France, but it also could mean laws get adopted in other European territories individual nations are involved in the functioning of the EU bloc overall.

Indeed, such a conviction against the Japanese printer maker may ultimately signal the end of a globally performed business practice, one that has been taking place since the automobile reached market saturation in 1924 and car makers began introducing model years.

Lawsuit against Epson

The Stop the Obsolescence Program, or Halte a lObsolescence Programmee (HOP) consumer group, alleges that Brother, Canon, HP and especially Epson are flaunting a 2015-passed French law known as Article L. 441-2 of the Consumer Code. That government directive stipulates that its prohibited, and a serious crime, if a product aims to deliberately reduce its life to increase the replacement rate.

The penalty isnt simply a walk in the famous Parisian Tuileries park, either. Its punishable by two years imprisonment and a fine of 300,000 Euros that can be increased to 5 percent of turnover, HOP says in a press release. Executives would be liable, according to British newspaper the Times (paywall).

Epson is the first company to be implicated in such an action. Fraud is also alleged, the paper says.

Increasing ink prices smell fishy

HOP isnt just complaining of obsolescence, though. An additional contention from it is the escalating price of cartridges.

It writes: 2,062 Euros per liter of ink. [That's] twice as much as Chanel No. 5 perfume!

Thats unreasonable, it argues, particularly when you cant use generic brands.

More complaints include printers being programmed to stop working after a period of time (meaning the cartridges) and a possible illegal agreement between the printer manufacturers.

Millions of French printer owners could be harmed, it says.

Apple throttling

HOP has plenty of action on its plate. The consumer group is also weighing in on the recent news reports that some Apple smartphone devices are throttled as they age.

Apple has acknowledged those reports and has apologized for in a letter to consumers. But it denies intentionally shortening the life of any Apple product or of nobbling the user experience to conjure up sales. The valuable brand says its just preventing unexpected shutdowns that might occur as battery voltage drops with age.

HOP doesnt believe it, however, and has filed an additional France-originating claim against Apple under Article L. 441-2 on the basis of the crime of obsolescence, it says in a second press release.

The slowdown seems to have the deliberate intention of pushing Apple customers to purchase the new model, HOP claims.

France joins the U.S. and Israel, which (as of the end of December) want to question Apple about planned obsolescence, according to HOP.

Unlike the U.S. and Israel, though, France has made it a crime, HOP says.
A new Chinese policy going into effect next week, will have profound impact on businesses relying on Internet VPN or SD-WAN access within China.

According to a notice from China Telecom obtained by SD-WAN Experts, the Chinese Government will require commercial Chinese ISPs to block TCP ports 80, 8080, and 443 by January 11, 2018. Port 80 is of course the TCP port commonly used for carrying HTTP traffic; 8080 and 443 are used for carrying HTTPS traffic. Commercial ISP customers interested in maintaining access to those ports must register or apply to re-open the port through their local ISP.

The news, first reported by Bloomberg July, was expected to be implemented by February, 2018. This is the first time a specific date has been provided for the action.

Millions of Internet users relied on virtual private networks (VPNs) to circumvent the Chinese censorship system, dubbed the Great Firewall of China. In the past, VPNs have worked intermittently but were invariably blocked, forcing users to jump to another VPN. The new regulations will block VPN access to unregistered services.

Crackdowns on accessing the Internet beyond the Great Firewall  the worlds most sophisticated state-censorship operation, employs at least 2 million online censors. But this news highlights how the worlds second largest economy is struggling to balance authoritarianism with its business leadership aspirations. In addition, a strict new cybersecurity law came into effect in June. In July China Telecom, the nations biggest Internet service provider, sent a letter to corporate clients that said in future, VPNs would only be allowed to connect to a companys headquarters abroad.

For SD-WAN users, the regulations could have significant impact. Site-to-site connectivity across MPLS or private line will be unaffected, but site-to-site VPNs will be affected, if businesses do not register with their ISPs. This means hybrid WANs, for example, will work fine for those applications running across the private data service, but will be disrupted when failing over to the Internet or sending traffic across the encrypted Internet tunnel as the primary traffic driver. There are many SD-WAN and meshed VPN installations in China today that leverage the lower internet costs within China, using a lesser number of MPLS circuits to reach data centers outside of the country. These circuits will fail to pass traffic on January 10th, unless the enterprise register with their local ISPs.

All SD-WAN service providers will most likely to be impacted by these changes. If the customer uses the Internet, then theyll be blocked. If they use MPLS they wont be impacted.

Heres a translation of the text from Chinese government describing the policy:

-

Electronics Co., Ltd.

Hello, Annex is not opened 80 8080 port fixed IP line list, if your company to use the 443 port, please January 2018 January 10 to complete the relevant filing, so as not to be closed 443 port, thank you.

-

China Telecom Xiamen FTA division of corporate customers

Tel: 0592-5512875 phone: 18059800252

Mailing Address: Lake Avenue 15, Building 102 telecommunications complex

Business please mail before the 25th of each month, thank you!

And the original Chinese:



80 8080IP4432018110443

As noted in Bloomberg:

This seems to impact individuals most immediately, said Jake Parker, Beijing-based vice president of the US-China Business Council. VPNs are incredibly important for companies trying to access global services outside of China, he said. In the past, any effort to cut off internal corporate VPNs has been enough to make a company think about closing or reducing operations in China. Its that big a deal, he added.

The take-away from this story: if you have facilities in China, be sure you address this VPN registration issue, if it hasnt been addressed already.
Children commonly show signs of a mental disorder soon after receiving a diagnosis involving a of a chronic physical condition, according to a recent study in BMJ Open.

Researchers from the University of Waterloo surveyed children between the ages of six and 16, and all within a month of their diagnosis with asthma, food allergy, epilepsy, diabetes or juvenile arthritis. According to parents' responses to a standardized interview, 58 percent of children screened positive for at least one mental disorder. This is the first study of its kind to recruit children with different conditions, and so soon after diagnosis.

"These findings show that risk for mental disorder is relatively the same among children with different physical conditions," said Mark Ferro, a professor in the School of Public Health and Health Systems at Waterloo and Canada Research Chair in Youth Mental Health. "Regardless of their condition, children with a physical and mental health problems experience a significant decline in their quality life within the first six months after receiving their diagnosis, indicating a need for mental health services early on."

Six months after diagnosis, the number of kids showing signs of a mental disorder dipped slightly to 42 percent. Anxiety disorders were most common, including separation anxiety, generalized anxiety and phobias.

"It is possible that the number is higher very early because there is some uncertainty surrounding the prognosis, or unanswered questions about management and treatment," said Alexandra Butler, a graduate student at Waterloo and lead author of the paper. "It is important to not only identify at-risk children early but to also have resources to support them."

The researchers found that age and gender had no impact on the results. A subset of kids self-reported on their own mental health. Where 58 percent of parents reported that their children presented signs of a mental health problem, only 18 percent of kids reported it. This result speaks to the need for health professionals to get multiple perspectives when assessing children's mental health.
Transitioning away from a popular contraceptive shot known as DMPA could help protect women in Sub-Saharan Africa and other high-risk regions from becoming infected with HIV, according to a research review published in the Endocrine Society's journal Endocrine Reviews.

The predominant contraceptive in Sub-Saharan Africa is depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA)-;a birth control shot administered every three months. Human studies suggest DMPA use may raise the risk of HIV infection by 40 percent. Other forms of contraceptive shots do not show the same correlation with HIV infection. In this article, the authors review the underlying biological mechanisms that could contribute to increased risk of HIV infection for certain hormonal contraceptives but not others.

According to UNAIDS, 36.7 million people worldwide were living with HIV as of 2016. AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV infection.

"To protect individual and public health, it is important to ensure women in areas with high rates of HIV infection have access to affordable contraceptive options," said the review's first author, Prof. Janet P. Hapgood, Ph.D., of the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa. "Increasing availability of contraceptives that use a different form of the female hormone progestin than the one found in DMPA could help reduce the risk of HIV transmission."

In addition to these clinical studies, the review's authors examined animal, cell and biochemical research on the form of progestin used in DMPA-;medroxprogesterone acetate, or MPA. The analysis revealed MPA acts differently than other forms of progestin used in contraceptives. MPA behaves like the stress hormone cortisol in the cells of the genital tract that can come in contact with HIV.

"The increased rate of HIV infection among women using DMPA contraceptive shots is likely due to multiple reasons, including decreases in immune function and the protective barrier function of the female genital tract," Hapgood said. "Studying the biology of MPA helps us understand what may be driving the increased rate of HIV infection seen in human research. These findings suggest other forms of birth control should rapidly replace DMPA shots."
Sleeping less than the recommended eight hours a night is associated with intrusive, repetitive thoughts like those seen in anxiety or depression, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Binghamton University Professor of Psychology Meredith Coles and former graduate student Jacob Nota assessed the timing and duration of sleep in individuals with moderate to high levels of repetitive negative thoughts (e.g., worry and rumination). The research participants were exposed to different pictures intended to trigger an emotional response, and researchers tracked their attention through their eye movements. The researchers discovered that regular sleep disruptions are associated with difficulty in shifting one's attention away from negative information. This may mean that inadequate sleep is part of what makes negative intrusive thoughts stick around and interfere with people's lives .

"We found that people in this study have some tendencies to have thoughts get stuck in their heads, and their elevated negative thinking makes it difficult for them to disengage with the negative stimuli that we exposed them to," said Coles. "While other people may be able to receive negative information and move on, the participants had trouble ignoring it."

These negative thoughts are believed to leave people vulnerable to different types of psychological disorders, such as anxiety or depression, said Coles.

"We realized over time that this might be important -- this repetitive negative thinking is relevant to several different disorders like anxiety, depression and many other things," said Coles. "This is novel in that we're exploring the overlap between sleep disruptions and the way they affect these basic processes that help in ignoring those obsessive negative thoughts."

The researchers are further exploring this discovery, evaluating how the timing and duration of sleep may also contribute to the development or maintenance of psychological disorders. If their theories are correct, their research could potentially allow psychologists to treat anxiety and depression by shifting patients' sleep cycles to a healthier time or making it more likely a patient will sleep when they get in bed.
Trypophobia, commonly known as "fear of holes," is linked to a physiological response more associated with disgust than fear, finds a new study published in PeerJ.

Trypophobia is not officially recognized in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders (DSM). Many people, however, report feeling an aversion to clusters of holes -- such as those of a honeycomb, a lotus seed pod or even aerated chocolate.

"Some people are so intensely bothered by the sight of these objects that they can't stand to be around them," says Stella Lourenco, a psychologist at Emory University whose lab conducted the study. "The phenomenon, which likely has an evolutionary basis, may be more common than we realize."

Previous research linked trypophobic reactions to some of the same visual spectral properties shared by images of evolutionarily threatening animals, such as snakes and spiders. The repeating pattern of high contrast seen in clusters of holes, for example, is similar to the pattern on the skin of many snakes and the pattern made by a spider's dark legs against a lighter background.

"We're an incredibly visual species," says Vladislav Ayzenberg, a graduate student in the Lourenco lab and lead author of the PeerJ study. "Low-level visual properties can convey a lot of meaningful information. These visual cues allow us to make immediate inferences -- whether we see part of a snake in the grass or a whole snake -- and react quickly to potential danger."

It is well-established that viewing images of threatening animals generally elicits a fear reaction in viewers, associated with the sympathetic nervous system. The heart and breathing rate goes up and the pupils dilate. This hyperarousal to potential danger is known as the fight-or-flight response.

The researchers wanted to test whether this same physiological response was associated with seemingly innocuous images of holes.

They used eye-tracking technology that measured changes in pupil size to differentiate the responses of study subjects to images of clusters of holes, images of threatening animals and neutral images.

Unlike images of snakes and spiders, images of holes elicited greater constriction of the pupils -- a response associated with the parasympathetic nervous system and feelings of disgust.

"On the surface, images of threatening animals and clusters of holes both elicit an aversive reaction," Ayzenberg says. "Our findings, however, suggest that the physiological underpinnings for these reactions are different, even though the general aversion may be rooted in shared visual-spectral properties."

In contrast to a fight-or-flight response, gearing the body up for action, a parasympathetic response slows heart rate and breathing and constricts the pupils.

"These visual cues signal the body to be cautious, while also closing off the body, as if to limit its exposure to something that could be harmful," Ayzenberg says.

The authors theorize that clusters of holes may be evolutionarily indicative of contamination and disease -- visual cues for rotten or moldy food or skin marred by an infection.

The subjects involved in the experiments were college students who did not report having trypophobia. "The fact that we found effects in this population suggests a quite primitive and pervasive visual mechanism underlying an aversion to holes," Lourenco says.

Since the time of Darwin, scientists have debated the relation between fear and disgust. The current paper adds to the growing evidence that -- while the two emotions are on continuums and occasionally overlap -- they have distinct neural and physiological underpinnings.

"Our findings not only enhance our understanding of the visual system but also how visual processing may contribute to a range of other phobic reactions," Ayzenberg says.
PLAQUETEC LTD (PlaqueTec) today announced the publication of the first peerreviewed article demonstrating the feasibility and potential of the PlaqueTec Liquid Biopsy System (LBS) to detect biomarkers for coronary artery disease (CAD). The openaccess article, appearing online in the 1 December 2017 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology [JACC]: Basic to Translational Science, reports results from the firstinhuman studies of the LBS in detecting biomolecular gradients in diseased coronary arteries of symptomatic patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures.

The PlaqueTec LBS is the first product approved in the European Union for collecting biomarkers directly associated with plaques within coronary arteries, as a means to assess  and potentially resolve  residual inflammatory risk. It is the first and only dedicated liquid biopsy catheter that can be deployed at the site of coronary plaque to assess risk.

The LBS fills an unmet clinical need to detect coronary atherosclerotic plaques that are likely to rupture and therefore precipitate acute coronary syndromes, explained lead author Nick E.J. West, MA, MD, FRCP, Chief Medical Officer of PlaqueTec and an interventional cardiologist at Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK. This innovative catheter enables, for the first time, the definition of a biochemical signature for vulnerable plaques in living patients. Our experiments suggest that the LBS may facilitate identification of prognostic biomarkers and development of surrogate endpoints for future clinical trials.

Dr. West and colleagues analyzed data from the firstinhuman safety and feasibility study and the first human proofofconcept evaluation of the LBS (n=58). The LBS was used as an adjunct to coronary angioplasty and stent deployment in patients with stable angina pectoris or stabilized nonSTsegment elevation acute coronary syndromes (ACS). The system draws blood samples from the boundary layer, close to the vessel wall, where biomolecules released from plaques are likely to be most concentrated. It can also detect small gradients of released molecules by simultaneously collecting blood both upstream and downstream of individual plaques.

Deployment of the LBS into unobstructed coronary arteries and its use in taking four simultaneous blood samples was shown to be feasible and safe in patients undergoing angioplasty to a target in a different coronary artery. In unobstructed vessels with no lesion, the investigators observed no significant gradients of 92 biomolecules involved in the CAD process. In contrast, they observed statistically significant gradients of bioactive molecules across intact and disrupted atherosclerotic plaques, implying the release of substances from plaques into the boundary layer of the vessel. The investigators detected several inflammatory mediators, consistent with the inflammatory status of the endothelium.

After angioplasty, the investigators observed the release of additional substances, including matrix metalloproteinase12 (MMP12), which is normally undetectable in endothelial cells or smooth muscle cells and expressed only around the core of vulnerable plaques. Due to the causative role of MMP12 in early strokes and its association with subsequent strokes and major adverse events, the investigators surmised that the postangioplasty gradient of MMP12 may yield important diagnostic or prognostic information.

This paper validates the feasibility of using the LBS to generate scientifically and clinically valuable information that may improve risk assessment and facilitate earlier intervention in patients with coronary artery disease, said Annalisa Jenkins, MBBS, FRCP, Chief Executive Officer of PlaqueTec. In the future, the system may be used to sample across multiple sites of disease in a patients coronary artery to highlight the biologically active areas at highest risk of disease progression. The signals that are found may inform the development of new assays and treatments. Although much remains to be done in defining the optimal biochemical signatures to predict patient risk, our proofofconcept studies support the path forward.
The orthopedic joint replacement registry for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man has launched a new Accountability and Transparency Model for how it monitors implant, hospital and surgeon performance. The implementation of the model is the coming together of significant consultation during 2017 between the National Joint Registry (NJR), healthcare regulators, and the UKs orthopedic professional bodies and surgical societies.

The model will see National Joint Registry data integrated across a robust regulatory and professional framework. Structured across five key processes, the model defines roles and strengthens responsibilities for monitoring orthopedic never events, implant, hospital and surgeon performance, and surgeons individual reflection of their practice.

It was hailed by National Joint Registry medical director, Mr Martyn Porter, as a ground-breaking collaboration that will correct substandard practice earlier and reduce or eliminate poor outcomes for joint replacement patients.

One of the newly developed processes outlined in the model, the NJRs Surgeon Appraisal Enhancement Process, offers a formal mechanism to allow joint replacement surgeons the unique opportunity to formally record, via the NJRs Clinician Feedback tool, that they have reviewed their NJR data as part of their appraisal and revalidation. Surgeons will be required to reflect upon the data. This is a new ground-breaking approach for the NHS and for patient safety and reassurance.

The NJR was established in 2002, it monitors the performance of implants, the effectiveness of different types of joint replacement surgery and provides evidence to improve clinical standards  all with a focus on patient outcomes. The NJR reported earlier this year that more joint replacements than ever before were carried out in the financial year 2016/17, with just fewer than 243,000 cases submitted to the registry. This sees a significant increase of more than 20,000 joint replacement operations recorded in the registry on the previous period.

National Joint Registry medical director, Mr Martyn Porter, said:

It has never been more important to ensure that anyone who chooses to have a joint replacement procedure has the right to safe care. Now with close to 2.5 million records, the NJRs role in monitoring implant, hospital and surgeon performance remains of vital importance. The strengthened partnerships developed through the NJRs Accountability and Transparency Model will drive even greater patient safety and quality of care for joint replacement patients. Since inception, the NJRs scrutiny has unmistakably led to increased patient safety with poorly performing devices removed from the market and a spotlight turned on poor surgical practice. It is important for a registry the size of the NJR to routinely review its processes and ensure it is continuing to best serve patients. At the surgeon-level, offering joint replacement surgeons the unique opportunity to demonstrate and record that they have reviewed their own performance data will inform the appraisal process in a constructive way. Practitioner reflection will support surgeons by encouraging best practice behavior and help drive a positive professional culture with a sharp focus on patient safety. At the hospital-level, formulating an agreed process to allow appropriate review of hospitals which fall below expected performance thresholds is an important development of the new model. The model will help encourage hospital management to place a stronger importance on engagement with audit data and this supports the data-driven change which is happening across the healthcare sector. Fundamentally, this review of roles and relationships between the NJR, regulators and the profession, should offer the public even greater confidence in the NJRs monitoring processes. This way of working will provide a robust holistic view of surgical performance which will guide even more informed patient choice.

Supported by NHS England National Medical Director, Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, the NJRs Accountability and Transparency Model is an initiative designed in collaboration between the NJR, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Care Quality Commission (CQC), NHS Improvement (NHSI), Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW), Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP), the British Orthopedic Association (BOA), specialist surgical orthopedic societies, and the NJRs contractors, Northgate Public Services Ltd and the University of Bristol.
Thought Leaders Neil L. Kelleher Walter and Mary Glass Professor of Molecular

Biosciences at Northwestern University & Director of the Proteomics Center of Excellence

An interview with Prof. Neil Kelleher, conducted by Alina Shrourou, BSc

It has been announced that you will be doing a talk as part of the Structural Mass Spectrometry and Top Down Proteomics of Proteoforms and Their Complexes symposia at Pittcon 2018. Please can you outline the project you are working on and will be discussing during your talk?

Im Neil Kelleher and I am a Professor at Northwestern University. I'm giving an award talk at Pittcon 2018 in Orlando, Florida, as a recipient of Pittcons Advances in Measurement Science Lectureship Awards. This is due to my commitment to help form a community called The Consortium for Top-Down Proteomics.

 Raimundo79/Shutterstock.com

Our mission is to advance the measurement of human proteins with greater precision, to bring to the world the benefits of absolute molecular specificity when it comes to interrogating proteins at the molecular level. Hence, the full expression of this vision is to sequence the human proteome, and that's what the Cell-Based Human Proteome Project is about. It brings us into a really interesting, open, and provocative conversation about science and technology.

The Cell-Based Human Proteome Project is something I proposed in 2012 and have been advancing since then with support from the Consortium for Top Down Proteomics and the Paul G. Allen Frontiers Program. The proposal was to map 250,000 proteoforms in 4,000 different cell types.

We have already determined the human genome. What is the importance in understanding proteins at the same level?

The genome is the blueprint. Now 20 years later, we know there's about 20,000 human genes. They create millions of different molecules in all the different cell types.

When you start talking about disease mechanisms, the precision with which we understand the biology driving disease is related to the precision with which we analysed the proteins involved. So to is our ability to detect and treat diverse disease types and sub-types.

Biologists would agree that proteins are the mediators of much of what we call a disease phenotype. For example, looking at the outward expression of cancer cells growing in someone's organs - that phenotype is a combination of the genes and the oncogenes driving the cancer, what type of cancer it is, how to defeat it and shrink the tumor  all of these things involve proteins which make up a specific disease phenotype for a particular individual. One must fully understand the proteins in order to understand and treat the disease in attempts save that person.

What is a proteoform and how are they used in the field of proteomics?

A proteoform is the exact molecular composition of a protein molecule, and it is the unit of currency that the proteomic community is beginning to measure and share. It can be composed of several sources of variation that make biology so enigmatic and difficult to pin down.

Proteins vary due to the number of processes that can occur to them, including polymorphisms, mutations, alternative splicing, isoforms and post-translational modifications. One simple way to describe all of this variation is the term "proteoform". Everybody in proteomics is picking up the word  its very much becoming less of just a word and more of a movement in proteomics.

The Cell- Based Human Proteome Project | Neil Kelleher | TEDxNorthwesternU Play

How can a protein be measured to determine its proteoforms?

The measurement strategy goes right to the heart of measurement science, and we are advocating for a new platform to improve proteomics: call it Proteomics 2.0.

We embrace the idea that instead of inferring proteoforms from the bottom-up, we measure them directly, using top-down mass spectrometry. This is the idea of weighing the whole protein first and then degrading it once you have mapped what proteoforms exist directly at the proteoform level.

The measurement approach that you use really impacts how you view protein diversity. The field has largely been driven by bottom-up proteomics. Therefore it's been enlightening to use a new approach in order to investigate what's happening in the regulation of protein-based biology.

How is science being held back by not knowing all forms of a protein?

Basic biomedical research is all about increasing precision, about the molecules of life. As you have hypotheses about some mechanistic aspects of cell biology, by knowing the proteins precisely and having the reference catalogue of human proteoforms, this reference would be as enabling in the long run, as the human genome has been from genetics to clinical medicine.

The other thing that you would get is more measurements per dollar. If you have the reference list of known proteoforms and cell types, you can expanding the types of reagents that you could create and buy. Economies of scale, volume and cost drops, would definitely follow this kind of project.

Overall, it's about elevating the efficiency of biomedical research now and finding higher value protein-based markers of disease. Current processes for biomedical research, such as drug development, are highly inefficient, and would become more efficient if we knew all of the possible proteoforms.

Please outline the information you will be presenting in your session titled Mass Spectrometry at Pittcon 2018.

It will be to review the Cell-Based Human Proteome Project, to frame it for those who don't know about it, highlighting the vision of "A billion proteoforms at $1 each". I will then go deeper into the nature of the project and the motivations for it. I will also discuss the kind of measurement science used in the project, top-down proteomics, with the art and science of measuring proteoforms becoming a major focal point.

Something that has happened this year that has greatly de-risked the Cell-Based Human Proteome Project and made it much more feasible, is the Human Cell Atlas  a group funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, whose mission is to regularize and categorize all the types of human cells.

Pittcon 2022: Mar 5-9 Click here to learn more Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

New Orleans, LA USA

With this, I feel like the tide might be turning in favor of this idea that we should map and sequence all the different proteins in all the different cell types. The problem was we didn't have a map of what all the cell types were but that's now being addressed. This will be my story to tell at Pittcon 2018.

At Pittcon 2018, there will be all the best vendors producing equipment for proteomics research. That includes not only mass spectrometry and chromatography, but also antibodies and other complementary technology that would be stimulated by the project.

How is Mass Spectrometry involved with weighing proteins in the Cell-Based Proteome project?

It's hard to envision another technology besides mass spectrometry that can precisely measure the atom composition of protein molecules before they are known. To directly map and sequence proteoforms, you have to directly analyze the whole protein  which is only possible using whole protein, or top-down, mass spectrometry.

However, it is important to note that it is the style of performing mass spec and the way that samples are handled which makes it possible to sequence proteoforms. This method is called top-down mass spectrometry or top-down proteomics. That's the only way we currently have to discover proteoforms. Once they're known, you have all sorts of single-cell, single-molecule technology that could be used.

Please outline the top-down strategy for analyzing proteins.

It's in the name  first you weigh the whole protein at what we call the MS1 level, then from there you measure its components, at the MS2 level.

I sometimes think of the word protein as fiction - if you have 10 different proteoforms that make it up, then what do you mean by the protein? That's why we want to catalogue those proteoforms precisely, so we know exactly what that protein is.

For a given protein, you must imagine spreading the components out. Say there are 10 signals, which all weigh differently or have different atom compositions. Then you would isolate one of them in the gas state, in the mass spectrometer. In addition, you can separate them in the condensed phase using chromatography or electrophoresis before mass spectrometry. There's room for a lot of innovation there.

Once you have the proteoform in its pure form, even if only for a microsecond inside of a mass spectrometer, you then it fragment it into all of the pieces that serve as a fingerprint - the MS2 level. You can have hundreds of fragment ions that are produced from a proteoform, and that allows you to identify, which of the 20,300 human genes produced that proteoform and exactly what it is.

How many proteoforms have been discovered so far? Please provide an example of how these have advanced science.There are two modes of top-down, there's the denatured mode and the native mode. The native, newer mode, allows good coverage of very high mass proteins and even whole protein complexes. Most of proteomics right now is the denatured mode top-down, but I will argue at Pittcon that native mode has a lot of upsides, and that we should be developing more technologies for top-down proteomics discovery in native mode.

Everyone thinks there are more proteoforms than there are. It is easy to think that, because of how many modifications can be possible on proteins, the variety in mass, how it's scaled (exponentially), and more. You create all these potential proteoforms in a computer but how many does biology actually make? What I'm trying to do is to catalogue them and show that they can be mapped, even high-mass, highly-complicated proteins, and that they exist in a limited number of proteoforms.

There are a growing number of cases, but one particular example was found in heart disease and the protein ApoC-III. In this protein there were four proteoforms. One of which was glycosylated and correlated very closely to peoples HDL-C levels (the good cholesterol). It is from here that we are able to investigate further into whether specific proteoforms indicate risk  for example, someones risk of heart attack? Although more research is needed here to take the next step, the basic assertion that proteoform mapping and sequencing will lead to deep functional insight, is proving to be true.

It is in microbiology, where bacteria is easy to grow and experiment with, where top-down proteoforms have excelled in creating clarity. There's a case of mapping of 25 proteoforms in a bacteria, and only a few of them had a certain post-translational modification, meaning that those proteoforms were in the membrane of the bacteria.

In another example, researchers investigated the bacteria that causes meningitis. The authors mapped 20-30 forms of proteins called pilin, and they had an unusual post-translational modification on them. The more of that post-translational modification they had, the more infectious, and the more pathogenic, the more virulent the organism was. This gives us a huge insight into better understanding disease and therefore developing treatments.

Proteomics 2.0 Play

Proteomics 2.0 from AZoNetwork on Vimeo.

What does the future hold for protein based drugs?

Protein-based drugs are one of the major driving markets that's creating more interest in top-down methods. For example, there's a drug that treats multiple sclerosis and it's a protein-based drug. They mapped 138 proteoforms of that drug as it aged on the shelf.

During drug development, it seems inefficient and even illogical to me to digest it into hundreds of pieces to then do your analysis, as in the bottom-up approach. I understand that was the only way we could do things previously, but there are many uncertainties which arise from this method, due to the effects of oxidation or deamidation. So then it makes you question, "Was it my method or was it the drug?"

For these reasons, I think that top-down has a huge potential for protein based drugs. If you want to know the precise molecular composition of a protein, the way to do it is top-down.

What is making researchers reluctant to adopting this method?

In the past five years, the industry and the state of technology has really changed. Previously, you had to have a custom solution for each individual research goal; however now there are suitably available commercial solutions.

Currently, the main reluctance towards top-down is due to the ease of bottom-up, as this is the method that people are used to performing. However, if only a minority of people are doing top-down, others don't pay attention to it, and therefore it becomes difficult to reduce it to practice and make it easier, so that other people adopt it.

Sometimes, I find advances in technology are like a see-saw. All the weight is on one side but as soon as you can see it lifting, at some point, there'll be a change that's more swift. At some point, there'll be a critical mass on the other side of the see-saw and things will change more rapidly in favour of top-down methods.

It is part of my goal to boost the awareness of top-down proteomics and the benefits it brings. I want to tell people that if you have the individual drugs that you want to characterize, individual proteins, it's achievable through top-down proteomics.

How do you see the top-down approach developing the world of proteomics?

You have two sides to this. One extreme says that all proteomics by 2030, will be top-down. On the other side, you have people that dont think top-down will ever be capable of performing full, deep proteomics discovery and so bottom-up will just be the dominant approach.

I fall in the middle. The see-saw is currently at an equilibrium for me. Bottom-up is useful if you just want to profile the proteome. But if you want to get into regulatory switches, and you really want to be precise about which proteoform you're dealing with, top-down has to be involved.

If you want to do bottom-up proteomics but you already know what proteoforms are there, and because you have a reference list, you can make much better use of bottom-up data. Thats why, with the Cell-Based Human Proteome Project, I see a much more complementary role than some. However, the top-down still has to yet get that moment where it's value is recognized widely and therefore naturally elevated in the proteomics community. That will take a bit more time, no doubt.

Where can readers find more information?

We published a paper as a consortium in 2013, and that paper now has over 300 citations. It can be found here: https://www.nature.com/articles/nmeth.2369

You can also find more information on the Consortium for Top-Down Proteomics website: http://www.topdownproteomics.org/

For more information on the Human Proteome Project, you can also visit my website: http://www.kelleher.northwestern.edu/human-proteome-project/

About Neil L. Kelleher

Neil L. Kelleher, PhD is the Walter and Mary Glass Professor of Molecular Biosciences and Professor of Chemistry in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. He also is director of the Proteomics Center of Excellence and a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. His research is focused in the areas of top down proteomics, natural products discovery and cancer biology.

Dr Kelleher has been successful in driving both technology development and applications of very high performance mass spectrometry. He has over 300 publications, with an H-factor of 60. One example of his impact on technology is ProSight software, now used by over 1000 labs around the world.

Dr. Kellehers research has focused on combining proteomics and metabolomics in innovative ways to provide a deterministic platform to feed compounds from the natural world to pharmaceutical pipelines. Over the past decade, he has led the discovery of projects for over two dozen new natural products and their biosynthetic gene clusters.

Recently, Kelleher has worked with other co-founders of Microbial Pharmaceuticals to establish a new approach to study natural products, metabologenomics. He has also managed the launch of the leading search engine ProSight for top-down proteomics data analysis.

His outstanding contributions to the fields of proteomics and natural products chemistry have been recognized by multiple awards, including the Biemann Medal from the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, the Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry from the American Chemical Society, the Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering, the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, a Sloan Fellowship, a Packard Fellowship, and an NSF CAREER award.
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Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone to get engaged on January 5: Unconfirmed reports

New Delhi : Bollywood couple Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone are likely to get engaged on January 5 in Sri Lanka, claimed unconfirmed reports.

The reports also claim that this will be done during the birthday celebration of Deepika Padukone, who will be turning 32 on January 5.

Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone celebrated the New Year in Sri Lanka. A source was quoted in a Deccan Chronicle saying, The couple is going snorkeling and will spend time with each other. There are people in Sri Lanka who can identify them, but then its also a country that lets people be at peace and doesnt intrude on privacies. So, they will be able to spend quality time with each other.

On the professional front, Deepika and Ranveer will be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati. Ever since its announcement, the movie has been embroiled in countless controversies.

However, the film was recently passed by the censor board with a UA certificate with certain modifications.
California twins take birth in two different years

California : California twins may have taken birth with a difference of few minutes, but on paper they are born in two different years and that is a true fact.

Maria Esperanza Flores Rios gave birth to two healthy kids with a time difference of about 20 minutes, but in two different years.

First came baby boy Joaquin Jr. Ontiveros at 11.58 pm on December 31, 2017. The younger one, baby girl Aitana de Jesus Ontiveros arrived 18 minutes later at 12.16 am on January 1, 2018. Both babies are healthy.

The twins were expected on January 27 this year, but the labour pain started earlier and the mother went into delivery on the New Year's eve, reported The Tribune.

The doctor who delivered the babies said that he saw such thing happening for the first time in his 35-year long career.

"It's pretty unusual. I would say it's pretty rare," Dr. Seyed Tamjidi told BakersfieldNow.

As per tradition, the Delano Regional Medical Center gifted the twins and their family presents worth $3,000 for being the first babies of 2018.
On November 2022 High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy - Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell, paid an official visit to Kazakhstan on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and the European Union (2 February 1993).

During the visit, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Josep Borrell, which was held in an open, friendly and constructive atmosphere and is a logical continuation of the dynamic dialogue at the highest level. On October 26-27 this year President of the European Council Charles Michel visited Kazakhstan to participate in the first meeting of the Heads of States of Central Asia and the President of the European Council, the Kazakh MFAs press service reports.

Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tileuberdi also held a meeting with the head of EU diplomacy, which was attended by the leadership of several ministries and national companies of Kazakhstan.

The main topic of the talks was to further strengthen the dialogue in all priority areas with a focus on the practical implementation of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), that covers 29 areas of cooperation.

Sides exchanged views on current regional and international challenges. In particular, they discussed development of international transport corridors, including within the framework of the EU Strategy on Central Asia and the Europe-Asia Connectivity Strategy, as well as the "Global Gateway" initiative, further steps to diversify the dialogue in trade and economic sphere with a focus on deepening cooperation in agriculture, transition to "green" economy, increasing energy efficiency, digitalization, transport and logistics, and etc.

Tileuberdi noted the high dynamics of political, trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and the EU. "Over the past three decades, Kazakhstan and the EU have built strong relations based on trust and mutual respect," he said.

The European Union is one of Kazakhstans largest trade and investment partners. In this context, the Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Partnership between the European Union and Kazakhstan on sustainable raw materials, batteries and renewable hydrogen value chains signed on 7 November in Sharm el-Sheikh is of particular importance.

The parties also exchanged views on further development of the dialogue between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the European Union in the field of human rights and the rule of law.

Borrell welcomed the ongoing large-scale reforms on political modernization of Kazakhstan, and expressed his support for the efforts of the countrys leadership to build a "Just and Fair Kazakhstan".
The former publisher of The Anniston Star in Alabama resigned on Thursday as chairman of the company that owns the newspaper after admitting that he spanked a reporter in the 1970s.

The former publisher, H. Brandt Ayers, told the newspaper that it was in the best interests of the paper and its mission to step down from the board at its parent company, Consolidated Publishing. But his family will retain control of the company, which also owns five other publications, and his wife will take over as chairwoman of the board.

It is of utmost importance to me that this newspaper continue to serve its role of reporting on matters of concern to the Anniston community and that nothing stand in the way of preserving the newspaper as an independently owned publication serving this community, Mr. Ayers said in his statement to The Star. He could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

His resignation came after several former reporters accused him in recent days of sexual misconduct  allegations that brought about a swift downfall for Mr. Ayers, who led The Star during the civil rights era as a rare liberal in the South. After taking over The Star from his father in the 1960s, Mr. Ayers wrote editorials denouncing bigotry and advocating school integration.
A deadly fire in the Bronx claimed another victim on Thursday, when a man who had been critically injured in the blaze last week died after he was declared brain dead and taken off life support, a family member, Andrene Paul, said.

The man, Holt Francis, 27, had been in a coma since the fire in the Belmont neighborhood ripped through his apartment building on Prospect Avenue on Dec. 28 and killed 12 people, including four members of his family. Doctors removed him from life support a few days after his condition deteriorated.

Mr. Francis wife, their two daughters and a niece were killed in the fire, the deadliest in the city in more than 25 years. They were part of an extended family from Jamaica that occupied five units in the building; Ms. Paul, the sister of Mr. Franciss wife, Karen Stewart-Francis, said relatives are raising money to bury them in Jamaica.

Relatives in the other apartments all survived, and one, a woman who is pregnant, was released from the hospital this week.
An 18-year-old man was charged Thursday with manslaughter in the death of a 65-year-old man who died after he was punched in a Brooklyn subway station and fell onto the tracks, the authorities said.

The police arrested the teenager, Edward Cordero, in the Jay Street-Metro Tech station soon after the attack on Wednesday afternoon and interviewed him into the evening. On Thursday afternoon, the police announced that Mr. Cordero had been charged with two counts of manslaughter and one count of assault, all felonies.

Mr. Cordero was ranting incoherently about the devil and other topics in the subway station around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday when he went up to Jacinto Suarez, who was standing on the platform and waiting for an R train, the police said. Mr. Suarez shooed him away, they said, but Mr. Cordero returned and punched him.

Mr. Suarez tumbled off the platform and onto the tracks. Bystanders jumped down and pulled him off the tracks, while another person found a police officer in the station. Mr. Suarez did not touch the electrified third rail and no train was nearby, but he later died at Brooklyn Hospital Center, the police said.
Dear Diary:

In the far distant past, my father and I flew to New York one June for what was to be my first visit to the city that I have now known as home for many years.

What a visit it was. We did the usual things: The Empire State Building was amazing. And the Statue of Liberty? We walked up to the crown.

Then there was what may have been one of the last rides anyone ever took on the Parachute Jump at Coney Island. My father was too scared to try it, so, with my shoes off, I went up alone. Once at the top, there was a whoosh, my stomach dropped, my skirt flew up and down I floated, walking triumphantly to pick up my shoes after I landed.

But the crowning glory of the trip? My father, a professor, liked a restaurant, Prexys, that had several locations in Manhattan at the time. It served what it called the hamburger with the college education.
One version of the plan would work like this: Eliminating the state income tax on wages would put more money in worker paychecks and mitigate the loss of full deductibility of such taxes on the federal level. That revenue would instead be raised by a statewide payroll tax, paid by employers, and still legally deductible on their federal taxes. The state would then make employers whole through a tax credit or some other mechanism. In theory, the only loser would be the federal treasury, which is already anticipated to take a colossal financial hit from the Republican-backed plan.

Potential pitfalls were already filling up inboxes.

Business groups wondered, for instance, if such a move might prompt the Republican-led Congress to return fire and eliminate payroll-tax deductibility. Economists said the complexity of the tax code made pushing through such a radical change quickly unrealistic. And tax experts puzzled at the possible real-world application of such a scheme, which might well involve asking millions of employees to accept cuts in their gross pay in order to offset gains in their net pay.

Such questions were asked even before New York officials had divulged how their plan would work; the governors office on Thursday reiterated that such an idea was being reviewed as part of a broader restructuring of the states tax code, though a clearer picture would likely emerge when Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, unveiled his budget later this month.

Gaining political support in Albany was hardly a sure thing: Democratic leaders in the Assembly were supportive of the payroll tax  It makes a lot of sense, said Carl E. Heastie, the Assembly speaker, on Wednesday  but Republicans in the Senate were more skeptical, even though some may warm to such ideas if constituents in their districts see their taxes increase under the new tax bill.

Perhaps the biggest hurdle to Mr. Cuomos proposal, some said, was the same reason it was attracting so much attention.
Its bad enough to have cancer, she told the website Medscape.com in 2015, but when all of your family and friends are saying that you have to be positive and you have to fight this thing, and the patient is exhausted and beaten up by the treatments  it seemed to me that adding that burden to be positive was just ridiculous.

In a letter to The New York Times in 1985, Dr. Holland and a colleague, Morton Bard, wrote of cancer patients, Should they be viewed as weak or as somehow having contributed to their own demise?

Dr. Holland treated depression in patients undergoing treatment and anxiety in survivors, sometimes over body image after the loss of a breast or a testicle.

She urged doctors to screen for emotional distress as a vital sign, just as they do for temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure and pain. Physiological symptoms, she said, could often be relieved by antidepressants, anxiety medicine, meditation and other treatments.

In her book The Human Side of Cancer, written with Sheldon Lewis and published in 2000, she quoted a patient of hers as saying: They have measured everything but my thoughts and mind. Somehow, my mental attitude, the stress, the anguish should be analyzed and studied the same as my physical condition.

Dr. Holland was the founding president of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society and the International Psycho-oncology Society. She also taught at Weill Cornell medical school.

For more than 40 years, Jimmie made an essential question  How do people with cancer feel?  the center of her work, her husband said in an email.
Over the past several years we have done an outstanding job of putting total sleazoids at the top of our society: Trump, Bannon, Ailes, Weinstein, Cosby, etc. So it was good to get a reminder, from Pope Francis in his New Years Eve homily, that the people who have the most influence on society are actually the normal folks, through their normal, everyday gestures being kind in public places, attentive to the elderly. The pope called such people, in a beautiful phrase, the artisans of the common good.

Small deeds, he said, express concretely love for the city  without giving speeches, without publicity, but with a style of practical civic education for daily life.

The pope focused especially on driving, praising those people who move in traffic with good sense and prudence. As Richard Reeves of the Brookings Institution points out, driving is precisely the sort of everyday activity through which people mold the culture of their community.

If you speed up so I cant merge into your lane, youre teaching me that the society around here is basically competitive, not cooperative. If, on the other hand, you give me a friendly wave after I let you in, youre teaching me that this is a place where a kindness is recognized and gratitude is expressed.
December was a big month for advocates of regulating artificial intelligence. First, a bipartisan group of senators and representatives introduced the Future of A.I. Act, the first federal bill solely focused on A.I. It would create an advisory committee to make recommendations about A.I.  on topics including the technologys effect on the American work force and strategies to protect the privacy rights of those it impacts. Then the New York City Council approved a first-of-its-kind bill that once signed into law will create a task force to examine its own use of automated decision systems, with the ultimate goal of making its use of algorithms fairer and more transparent.

Perhaps not coincidentally, these efforts also overlap with increasing calls to regulate artificial intelligence along with claims by the likes of Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking that it poses a threat to humanitys literal survival.

But this push for broad legislation to regulate A.I. is premature.

To begin with, even experts cant agree on what, exactly, constitutes artificial intelligence. Take the recent report released by the AI Now Institute, aimed at creating a framework for ethically implementing A.I. While itself focused on A.I., the report also acknowledges that no commonly accepted definition of A.I. exists, which it describes loosely as a broad assemblage of technologies  that have traditionally relied on human capacities.

Artificial intelligence is all too frequently used as a shorthand for software that simply does what humans used to do. But replacing human activity is precisely what new technologies accomplish  spears replaced clubs, wheels replaced feet, the printing press replaced scribes, and so on. Whats new about A.I. is that this technology isnt simply replacing human activities, external to our bodies; its also replacing human decision-making, inside our minds.
Making an arrest wasnt how 24-year-old Onalaska Patrol Officer Tyler Tilgres had hoped to start his Christmas morning.

While many stores and office buildings closed their doors for the holidays, Tilgres didnt have that luxury. He was on patrol.

Any other year he might have been sitting around the Christmas tree opening gifts surrounded by friends and family. This year, however, Tilgres plans were on hold, at least until his shift was over at 2 p.m.

It hadnt been a great start to the quiet holiday Tilgres had hoped it would be. He said thats why the Q word is taboo.

Early Christmas morning officers working third shift had responded to a domestic disturbance. He started his day by helping to clean up the after the incident so the officers could go home to their families.

I was helping out, Tilgres said, adding hed been called out after things heated up again and that the suspect was in violation of his bond.

Just out of the police academy and after a six-month stint working part-time in Black River Falls, he joined the Onalaska Police Department in October 2016.

So new to the department, it came as no surprise to Tilgres that he would be working over the holiday. All he could do is make the best of it.

Because of work I changed plans and did Christmas the weekend before, he said. When I got done at work  I still get done at 2  I went and did Christmas at my girlfriends family.

He said his family understand that he has the kind of job that doesnt stop for the holidays.

Christmas cookies and treats dropped off by good Samaritans ahead of the holiday lifted Tilgress spirits when his mind wandered to his loved ones.

I shouldnt say the Q word but it was pretty quiet, he said, describing his Christmas shift.

At least one of Thilges dutys on Christmas did bring some warmth on what was a bitterly cold day, when he helped a domestic assault victim retrieve her belongings from her home.

She was coming back to get some of her property from her house, he said. She was worried that he might still be there.

Tilgres said she was grateful we took the time to provide assistance to her and he was happy to help.
After almost a year in office, President Trump has yet to name a science adviser and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Since World War II, no American president has shown greater disdain for science  or more lack of awareness of its likely costs.

The O.S.T.P. was authorized by Congress in May 1976 to give the president independent, expert judgment and assistance on policy matters which require accurate assessments of the complex scientific and technological features involved. It has played an important role in coordinating national science and technology activities and policies among federal agencies.

The director of the office, who is nominated by the president and requires Senate approval, typically serves as the presidents science adviser, providing him with confidential, unbiased counsel. Much of what the federal government does and the many policy changes the president and his appointees are now making or hope to make have scientific and technological underpinnings.

The science adviser is the one individual who can quickly pull all the relevant information together for the president, cut through conflicting advice coming from other senior advisers and Cabinet secretaries, and get evidence-based options in front of him. Especially important has been the advisers role in helping the president deal with crises  Sept. 11, the subsequent anthrax attacks, the Fukushima nuclear nightmare in 2011, the Ebola and Zika outbreaks, hurricane devastation and cyberattacks.
Not only that, but its short existence was marked by a string of embarrassing missteps. There were the clumsy requests for voter data, in some cases partial Social Security numbers, that at least a dozen states, Republican and Democratic alike, rightly rejected. There were multiple lawsuits alleging that the commission was violating the Constitution by discriminating against voters of color or infringing on Americans privacy rights. The commission was even sued by one of its own members, Matthew Dunlap, the Maine secretary of state and a Democrat, who said he was being kept in the dark about the commissions activities and called any claims of bipartisanship a facade.

The commissions only real accomplishment was to give a national platform to the nations most dogged vote deniers  men like J. Christian Adams, who has produced reports on noncitizen voting titled Alien Invasion, helpfully illustrated with pictures of U.F.O.s; Ken Blackwell, the former Ohio secretary of state who tried to toss out voter registrations for being printed on the wrong thickness of paper; and Hans von Spakovsky, who has been hawking phony tales of voter fraud at least since the George W. Bush administration, and who advocated staffing the commission with real experts on the conservative side on this issue, as opposed to Democrats or mainstream Republican officials  both of whom live in the reality-based world, where election administrators of both parties agree that fraud is rare to nonexistent.

And then there is Kris Kobach, the commissions vice chairman and guiding light, the man more responsible than perhaps anyone else for keeping alive the bogus specter of voting fraud in America. Mr. Kobach is the secretary of state of Kansas, where he has worked tirelessly for years to smoke out illegal voting by noncitizens, dead voters and other malefactors. In place of actual evidence, he relies on an antifraud data collection program with a 99-percent error rate. His results? Nine convictions, mostly of older white Republican men who voted twice.

Mr. Kobachs failures have not induced in him any apparent humility. In September, he said it was highly likely that more than 5,000 fraudulent votes swung the 2016 Senate election in New Hampshire, which was narrowly won by a Democrat, Maggie Hassan, and suggested fraud was also responsible for Mrs. Clintons victory in the state. Like almost all other claims of voter fraud, it wasnt true  most of those votes probably were cast by college students who legally registered and voted with out-of-state IDs. But that didnt stop Republican lawmakers in the state from passing a bill on Wednesday that would impose what is essentially a poll tax on students who want to exercise their right to vote.
Mr. McCaleb has since created a competitor to Ripple, known as Stellar. Stellar has risen even faster than Ripple in recent weeks, with all outstanding Stellar tokens  known as Lumens  worth around $14 billion on Thursday, making it the seventh largest virtual currency.

In contrast, all the outstanding Ripple tokens were worth $140 billion on Thursday, while all Bitcoin were worth $250 billion.

Yet the fortunes of Mr. McCaleb and Mr. Larsen are not nearly as durable as those of other people on the Forbes list given that the value of virtual currencies fluctuates wildly. If Mr. Larsen wanted to access his wealth by selling Ripple tokens for dollars, it would likely drive down the value of Ripple tokens  and his riches.

Mr. McCaleb and Mr. Larsen did not respond to questions about the recent price increases.

Mr. Larsen was Ripples chief executive from 2012 until he stepped down last year to become the companys executive chairman. During his tenure, Ripple focused on helping banks use its software to shift money between different foreign currencies, something that most banks currently do through a cumbersome process involving separate accounts in every country where they operate.

Ripple has said it has signed up more than 100 banks to use the companys technology, including American Express and Banco Santander.

But banks do not need to use Ripple tokens for Ripples software to transfer dollars, euros and yen. That point appears to be lost on many small time investors who are buying Ripple tokens.
Undermining another Obama-era initiative, the Trump administration plans to delay enforcement of a federal housing rule that requires communities to address patterns of racial residential segregation.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development, in a notice to be published Friday in the Federal Register, says it will suspend until 2020 the requirement that communities analyze their housing segregation and submit plans to reverse it, as a condition of receiving billions of federal dollars in block grants and housing aid. The notice tells cities already at work on the detailed plans required by the rule that they no longer need to submit them, and the department says it will stop reviewing plans that have already been filed.

The move does not repeal the 2015 rule, a product of years of pressure from civil rights groups and review by the Obama administration. HUD argues that it is trying to respond to cities that have struggled with the rules requirements, delaying it for several years while the agency further invests in the tools communities use to assess their housing patterns.

Early in this administration, HUD embarked upon a top-to-bottom review of the departments rules and regulations, the agency said in a statement. As part of this regulatory review, HUD asked the public to offer comment on those rules that might be excessively burdensome or unclear. What we heard convinced us that the Assessment of Fair Housing tool for local governments wasnt working well.
Sophia Smith thought she had beaten the bomb cyclone. But minutes after boarding a New York-bound plane on Thursday morning, a text message from the airline arrived.

Her flight was canceled.

Ms. Smiths trip home from Orlando, Fla., was among more than 4,000 flights scrapped on Thursday as a winter storm pounded the Northeast and sent problems rippling out to airports across the country. FlightAware, a flight data website, said 2,000 more flights had been delayed and that nearly 900 others set for Friday were already canceled.

Some airlines offered refunds and notified travelers of the cancellations hours in advance, drawing praise from stranded passengers. But many other travelers found themselves marooned in airports far from home and frustrated by limited options for rebooking.

In Ms. Smiths case, she said her airline offered two unpalatable choices: take an eight-hour trip on Friday with a layover in out-of-the-way Dallas, or wait and fly direct to New York on Sunday. She chose the latter.
SAN FRANCISCO  The sale of recreational cannabis became legal in California on New Years Day. Just four days later, the Trump administration acted in effect to undermine that state law by allowing federal prosecutors to be more aggressive in prosecuting marijuana cases.

A memo by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday was widely interpreted in the nations most populous state as the latest example of Trump vs. California, a multifront battle of issues ranging from immigration to taxes to the environment.

And on marijuana, once again California reacted with defiance.

There is no question California will ultimately prevail, Gavin Newsom, the lieutenant governor of California, said. The public has accepted legalizations inevitability. It will be very difficult for Sessions to bring us back to a mind-set that existed five years or a decade ago.

The head of Californias Bureau of Cannabis Control, Lori Ajax, said legalization would proceed as planned, consistent with the will of Californias voters.
The president also used Thursdays meeting to reiterate his demand for a border wall.

We need a physical border wall, he said. Were going to have a wall  remember that  were going to have a wall to keep out deadly drug dealers, dangerous traffickers and violent criminal cartels. Mexico is having a tremendous problem with crime, and we want to keep it out of our country.

Still, there appears to be some confusion about what, precisely, the president wants. After Thursdays meeting, Senator James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, said Mr. Trump was not insisting on a massive physical wall.

People want to paint his definition, that its some 2,000-mile-long, 30-foot-high wall of concrete, Mr. Lankford said. Thats not what he means, and thats not what hes trying to say.

The senator continued: Theres going to be border fencing in some areas, theres going to be vehicular barricades, theres going to be technology, greater manpower in some areas. Different parts, whether theyre mountainous or whether theyre open deserts, need different solutions.

Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, who also attended Thursdays meeting, said Wednesday that he expected a very good compromise to be ready by the end of the month, and that it would have a mix of border security provisions.

I hate to use the word wall, because that implies you might want a steel wall for 2,000 miles, said Mr. Grassley, who is chairman of the Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over immigration. We want border security. Sometimes its wall, sometimes its more border personnel. I t might be electronic surveillance, drones. The idea is that people come to this country with papers.

An estimated 780,000 immigrants were covered under the Obama-era program, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. Participants were required to register with the government and pass background checks, in exchange for two-year renewable permits that allowed them to work or attend school.
WASHINGTON  President Trump gave firm instructions in March to the White Houses top lawyer: stop the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, from recusing himself in the Justice Departments investigation into whether Mr. Trumps associates had helped a Russian campaign to disrupt the 2016 election.

Public pressure was building for Mr. Sessions, who had been a senior member of the Trump campaign, to step aside. But the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, carried out the presidents orders and lobbied Mr. Sessions to remain in charge of the inquiry, according to two people with knowledge of the episode.

Mr. McGahn was unsuccessful, and the president erupted in anger in front of numerous White House officials, saying he needed his attorney general to protect him. Mr. Trump said he had expected his top law enforcement official to safeguard him the way he believed Robert F. Kennedy, as attorney general, had done for his brother John F. Kennedy and Eric H. Holder Jr. had for Barack Obama.

Mr. Trump then asked, Wheres my Roy Cohn? He was referring to his former personal lawyer and fixer, who had been Senator Joseph R. McCarthys top aide during the investigations into communist activity in the 1950s and died in 1986.
Days before the session, the commissions de facto leader, Kris Kobach, the secretary of state of Kansas, had written a column for a far-right website noting that thousands of New Hampshires registered voters had out-of-state drivers licenses. From there it was a short leap to the columns startling conclusion: The narrow Democratic victory in the states 2016 race for the United States Senate appeared to have been stolen through voter fraud.

Matthew Dunlap, the Democratic secretary of state of Maine and a member of the commission, had been the most vocal skeptic on the panel. At the hearing, at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire, he called Mr. Kobachs statement reckless. That would be almost as absurd as saying if you have cash in your pocket that you robbed a bank, he said.

Weeks later, Mr. Dunlap would sue his own commission, contending he had been illegally shut out of its deliberations by its Republican leaders. Shortly before Christmas, a federal judge agreed, and ordered the commission to turn over to him a sheaf of internal documents. And on Wednesday, barely a week later, the White House issued a brusque two-sentence statement disbanding the commission altogether, and parceling out its duties to the Department of Homeland Security.

The commissions many critics applauded Mr. Trumps decision. But his decision to hand responsibility for the investigation to a cabinet agency seems likely to spawn an entirely new set of battles.

To those who saw the inquiry as a partisan attempt to suppress Democratic votes in the guise of increasing election security, the decision shifted the search for evidence of voter fraud from a public commission to a federal law enforcement agency with less transparency than any blue-ribbon commission.

Mr. Kobach, who plans to remain an adviser to the inquiry, said he wanted Homeland Security to match its databases on legal and illegal immigrants with state voter registration lists to weed out the noncitizen voters that he and Mr. Trump claim are well hidden and ubiquitous on voter rolls.

But the department must take specific legal steps to obtain the state data, and any effort to simply hand over the commissions voter data would be met with a lawsuit, said Jon Greenbaum, the chief counsel at the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The civil rights group has so far prevailed in a federal suit that forced the voter fraud commission to turn over evidence indicating that some commission members were excluded from internal deliberations.
Anyone in the Coulee Region who wants a peek inside the Trump White House via the controversial book Fire and Fury, which prompted fiery and furious outbursts at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., has to get on a waiting list, order online or click on buy now at eBay.

It would be easier to find a skinny dipper today at Pettibone Beach than a copy of Michael Wolffs bridge-burning tell-all, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.

Barnes & Noble at Valley View Mall sold out of Wolff's book Thursday, a day before the official release, and the national book chain also is sold out online. Amazon apparently still has copies online, although non-Prime members will have to wait two to four weeks unless they pop for the Kindle edition.

Local Barnes & Noble booksellers are not allowed to comment on sales, so its impossible to determine how many copies were sold at Valley View Mall, where would-be buyers can get on a waiting list for the next shipment. A request for comment from corporate headquarters was not answered.

The book, which publisher Henry Holt and Co. has rushed into a second printing because of the overwhelming demand, prompted the La Crosse Public Library to make special accommodations to meet demand when its copies arrive, according to a library official.

The library, part of the Winding Rivers Library System, which also will have the book, will have several copies for general circulation as well as its Lucky Day shelves, the library official said.

Would-be borrowers should check the librarys online card catalog for updates on when the book might be available, and anyone with a library card can reserve a copy now, he said.

The book skyrocketed from No. 48,449 on Amazons best-selling list on Wednesday to No. 1 by 3 p.m. Thursday, a surge that author Wolff credits to the cease-and-desist letters President Donald Trumps attorneys delivered to him and his publisher.

The demand for the book rivals only that of the wildly successful Harry Potter franchise in recent memory, according to publishing industry observers.

Trump and the attorneys, who had not read the book when they sent the letters and promised court action, contend it is riddled with errors and defamatory statements.

Wolff even voiced thanks to Trump for boosting sales, saying during an interview on NBCs Today show Friday morning, Where do I send the box of chocolates?

Not only is he helping me sell books, but hes proving the point of the book, Wolff told interviewer Savannah Guthrie.

The point of the tome, as conveyed mostly through vituperative comments from Stephen Kevin Bannon, Trumps fired former chief strategist, is to serve as a fly on the wall in the White House. It paints the president as illiterate, son Donald Trump Jr. as a traitor, wife Melania as horrified at being first lady and daughter Ivanka as believing that she is destined to become the first female president.

Ivanka not only has high aspirations but also low regard for her fathers vaunted hairdo, even ridiculing it, according to reviews based on advance copies.

And those are among the nicer comments in the book, for which Wolff claims he had unbridled access in the White House and Trump says, in effect, Did not.

Trump, who repeatedly praised Bannon last year, began deriding him as Sloppy Steve this week.

The title of the book capitalizes on Trumps comment last year lambasting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in which he said, North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.

In the Coulee Region, the book will be available at any of the 34 libraries in the Winding Rivers Library System as soon as orders arrive.

The La Crosse Public Library also will have several copies available on its Lucky Day shelves, which are at all three of its locations, the library official said. The Lucky Day copies are kept out of the normal reservation lists and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Those lucky borrowers of those copies can keep the books for only seven days, with no renewals, a regimen the libraries uses to ensure fast turnaround for best-sellers that are expected to have such high demand as Fire and Fury.
Watching is The New York Timess TV and film recommendation website. Sign up for our thrice-weekly newsletter here.

For many of us, its bitterly cold outside, and we all just made it through another year of yelling at one another about popular culture and politics. Doesnt it seem as if the world were conspiring to push us all into our living rooms to watch more TV? Luckily, January has arguably become a more important month in the TV calendar than September, with some of the most popular and ambitious shows now arriving in what used to be called midseason.

This January has TV adaptations of best-selling crime novels, cult comic books and the short stories of Philip K. Dick. Well also see the return of one of the most beloved shows of the 90s, and one of the most acclaimed of 2017  and the debut of Dylan McDermotts cheesy new pilots mustache. Theres a lot to talk about this month; heres a taste of whats ahead:
TORONTO  You could call it Canadas Weinstein moment, take two.

One of the countrys most powerful theater directors, Albert Schultz, on Thursday resigned from his post as leader of the Soulpepper Theater Company after four actresses said this week that they had been sexually harassed, groped, touched and repeatedly propositioned by him over 13 years.

They filed a lawsuit against him and the company, a nonprofit he co-founded, for a combined $6.2 million, or $7.85 million Canadian dollars.

Mr. Schultz said he planned to vigorously defend myself against the allegations that are being made.

Before he announced his resignation, the actresses spoke at a news conference in the Toronto offices of one of their lawyers. They said they had felt emboldened to come forward now, in part, because of what they said was a culture shift that began in Hollywood, with actresses openly talking about the behavior of the producer Harvey Weinstein.
Our guide to new art shows  and some that will be closing soon.

JIMMIE DURHAM: AT THE CENTER OF THE WORLD at the Whitney Museum of American Art (through Jan. 28). I feel fairly sure that I could address the entire world if only I had a place to stand, said the wry, peripatetic American artist Jimmie Durham in the 1980s. Now he has that place: the fifth floor of the Whitney Museum of American Art, where his magnetic traveling retrospective has arrived with a comet trail of controversy. The controversy surrounds doubts about the truth of the artists identity as Native American, to which much of the work refers. But theres no question about the imaginative impact of the show itself as a panorama of a singular, cantankerous, container-resistant career. (Holland Cotter)

212-570-3600, whitney.org

MICHELANGELO: DIVINE DRAFTSMAN AND DESIGNER at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (through Feb. 12). A monument to a monument. With 133 drawings by the beyond-famous artist on loan from some 50 front-rank collections, this show is a curatorial coup and an art historical tour de force, a panoptic view of a titanic career as recorded in the most fragile of media: paper, chalk and ink. And it demands that you be fully present. Drawing is more than a graphic experience; its a textural one, about the pressure of crayon and pen on a page; the subliminal fade and focus of lines; the weave and shadow-creating swells of surfaces. These are effects that cant be captured by a smartphone. (Cotter)

212-535-7710, metmuseum.org

MURILLO: THE SELF-PORTRAITS at the Frick Collection (through Feb. 4). Two flawlessly executed selfies by one of the leading painters of the Spanish Golden Age are united for the first time in centuries in this revealing, somewhat melancholy exhibition on mastery and aging. Around 1650, the 30-something Murillo painted himself as an ambitious young painter, staring out incongruously from a block of ancient marble. He was already imagining himself as a man for the ages, but success seems to have worn down Murillo in the later self-portrait, from about 1670. His hair has grown thinner, hes developed a double chin, and he extends his hand as if desperate to connect to us. (Jason Farago)

212-288-0700, frick.org

LAURA OWENS at the Whitney Museum of American Art (through Feb. 4). A jubilant, chameleonic midcareer survey of one of paintings most innovative explorers charts an astoundingly varied path fueled in part by the spatial awareness of installation art. Techniques range from embroidery and felt applique to stain painting and digital printing. Sources include Chinese art, Vuillard, want ads, the Bayeux tapestries, folk art and kitsch. A great color sense and a love of nature  and depictions of it  add force. Youll laugh, youll think, youll see paintings of beehives with matching bedroom sets. (Roberta Smith)
A Mauston woman faces criminal charges for smuggling a glass pipe with methamphetamine residue into the Juneau County Jail.

Michelle Dettman, 47, is charged with felony bail jumping, deliver illegal articles to inmate, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to the criminal complaint:

After being pulled over and arrested for a previous offense, Dettman arrived at the Juneau County Jail in Mauston at approximately 6 a.m. on Dec. 20. Dettman was patted down, booked, and walked into the changeover room. All of her clothing items were searched and placed in a property bag.

Dettman was given an orange jail uniform. After showering, she was moved to the A pod at the Jail.

About two hours later a deputy was advised by an inmate that she needed to speak with her right away. The inmate stated Michelle had shown and offered an inmate methamphetamine and showed her the pipe she had brought in. The inmate stated Dettman was keeping the pipe in the front pocket of her jail uniform.

The deputy observed Dettman walk into the upstairs bathroom. While Dettman was sitting on the toilet, the deputy asked her to show what was in her pocket. Dettman refused repeated requests to reveal the contents of her pocket.

The deputy secured her arms and informed her to hand over what she had in her pocket. Dettman pulled out a glass pipe with white residue on the inside and a part of the glass appeared to be burnt. Dettman stated she had gone to the bathroom to place the pipe in a feminine napkin, crush it and flush it in the toilet.

The deputy asked Dettman where she had had the pipe. Dettman stated when she was pulled over, she knew there was methamphetamine in a pipe in the vehicle and did not want to get in trouble, so she inserted the pipe into her anus.

The deputy escorted Dettman out of the A pod and placed her in a cell in booking. The deputy then requested contact of a captain and asked for permission to perform a strip search on Dettman.

The deputy stated she would need a NARC test kit.

A detective arrived and tested a sample of the white residue inside the pipe using the Narcotics Analysis Reagent Kit. The sample tested positive for Methamphetamine.

The detective and deputy observed a blue colored pill stuffed into the other end of the pipe. The pill was determined to be Amphetamine and Dextroamphetamine 5 mg, which is considered a schedule II narcotic.

The pipe was sealed in an evidence bag and placed with the pill in the evidence room.

The strip search of Dettman yielded an SD media card. The contents of the card were not revealed in the criminal complaint.

Dettman is not currently in the Juneau County Jail. She was released on a signature bond of $7,500 on Dec. 21. Her initial appearance in court is scheduled for Feb. 14.
Man killed in Jackson County buggy-semi crash

TOWN OF GARFIELD  A 26-year-old Osseo man was killed Wednesday evening when a semi struck his buggy in Jackson County, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol.

The buggy driven by Moses Petersheim was hit by a semi driven by Derek Hedburg, 36, of St. Cloud, Minn., about 5:10 p.m. on Hwy. 10.

The crash remains under investigation.

MVC hosting snowshoe hike

ONALASKA  The Mississippi Valley Conservancy is hosting a snowshoe hike along the La Crosse River Conservancy trail from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, as part of the Linked to the Land series.

The hike will begin at the trail head behind Stoney Creek Inn on South Kinney Coulee Road and cover mostly flat terrain.

To register for the event or to reserve snowshoes, email kfrise@mississippivalleyconservancy.org or call 608-784-3606, ext. 6.

De-cluttering class next week at Peoples Food Co-op

The Peoples Food Co-op will host a de-cluttering class with Kay Rutherford from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the store, 315 Fifth Ave. S.

The cost is $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. To register, call 608-784-5798.

Cold weather may have killed three

MILWAUKEE  The bitter cold apparently has caused three more deaths in Wisconsin.

The Milwaukee County medical examiner says an elderly woman was found collapsed in her attached garage. An autopsy was planned Thursday.

In Green Bay, police say a 60-year-old woman was found dead Wednesday after she apparently fell and hit her head while trying to reach a key she had dropped. Her name was not released.

In western Wisconsin, sheriffs authorities say a man found dead in some woods near Chetek likely died of hypothermia.
Explained: What the SC said and how is Talaq-e-Hasan different from triple talaq

For triple talaq victims, judicial verdict in favor but social verdict still against them!

UP: Muslim woman agrees to Nikah Halal, instead gets gangraped by ex-husband, his brother

After Ishrat, her lawyer Nazia joins BJP: Will triple talaq issue help the partys rise in WB?

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Recommended Video

Triple Talaq bill : Petitioner Ishrat Jahan's lawyer too joins BJP in West Bengal | Oneindia News

Kolkata, Jan 5: The triple talaq bill has been stuck in the Rajya Sabha because of the protest raised against it by the leaders of opposition parties on Thursday. The bill, which has been passed in the Lok Sabha recently, is unlikely to be passed in the Upper House during the Winter Session of Parliament, which ends on Friday.

In spite of all the roadblocks, it seems the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)--which has shown steadfast support to the Muslim women fighting against the practice of triple talaq--is unlikely to let go the political benefits the party is going to get because of the issue.

After Ishrat Jahan--one of the main petitioners in the triple talaq case in Supreme Court--joined the BJP in West Bengal recently, on Thursday, her lawyer and activist Nazia Elahi Khan too joined the party at an event in Kolkata.

Nazia Elahi Khan, activist and lawyer of #TripleTalaq victim Ishrat Jehan also joins BJP in Kolkata. Ishrat Jehan had already joined BJP pic.twitter.com/cSmnCHnsM2  ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2018

Thus, two of the main faces against triple talaq joining the BJP is sure going to give a major boost to the party in West Bengal where it is struggling hard to establish itself as a major challenger to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).

The announcement of Nazia joining the party was made by BJP state president Dilip Ghosh at the party's office in Kolkata.

Ishrat was one of the five petitioners in the triple talaq case. Her husband had divorced her over the phone from Dubai in 2014 by uttering the word "talaq" thrice.

The controversial Islamic practice was struck down by the Supreme Court on August 22. Recently, the Lok Sabha has passed the triple talaq bill. Now, the bill has to be passed by the Upper House of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, to become a law.

The passage of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill will make the practice of triple talaq criminal.

Political experts say Ishrat and her lawyer joining the BJP will definitely help the party in West Bengal where it is trying hard to emerge as a dominant force. Experts add that with Ishrat coming to the BJP's fold, the saffron party will be able to win the vote and trust of Muslim women in the state as well as the country.

Ishrat could be the BJP's Muslim mascot in West Bengal, where the party is regularly challenging the ruling TMC after the Mamata Banerjee government came to power in the state after winning the Assembly elections in 2016.

Along with several Muslim women, who have been fighting for long to end the practice of triple talaq, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP are given most of the credit for the passage of the triple talaq bill in the Lok Sabha recently.

After joining the BJP, both Ishrat and her lawyer stated that they will work for women empowerment.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, January 5, 2018, 8:32 [IST]
AIMPLB slams Darul Uloom's Fatwa, says it will create rift among Muslims

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Darul Uloom Deoband's fatwa asking Muslim women not to marry those working in banks has not gone down well with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). The AIMPLB on Friday said that such a Fatwa is "wrong" and those who have issued it must review it as it would lead to confusion.

Citing that the income from banking jobs is considered 'haram' (forbidden) earnings, Darul Uloom Deoband has issued a fatwa asking Muslim women to not marry into a family whose members work in banks.

"A large number of Muslims are working in the banking sector. Issuing a Fatwa asking Muslims not marry people employed in the banking sector is wrong. People who issued this Fatwa must review this because it will lead to further rift and confusion in the Muslim society. There is no need to issue a fatwa on such things," AIMPLB executive president Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali told news agency ANI.

Weird Fatwas defying logic never fail to make headlines. Muslims are not necessarily bound to follow them as Fatwas are merely a scholarly opinion on a matter of Islamic law and is issued by a recognized religious authority. All Fatwas are not bizarre or without logic, like those prohibiting alcohol and narcotics are in the interest of the society.

The seminary, Darul Uloom Deoband, gave its diktat to a query from a person in which he had stated that he had a few proposals for marriage from families where the father earned money from a banking job in India.

[Now, a Fatwa that prohibits Muslim women from marrying bank employees]

On January 2, a fatwa was issued against a 15-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh after she dressed up as Lord Krishna and recited the Bhagwad Gita. The fatwa was issued by the Darul Uloom Deoband. Alia Khan, while reacting to the religious decree issued, said that Islam is not so weak that we will be dismissed from it just because we recite the Bhagwad Gita.

OneIndia News
Bajrangdal worker murder: As protests continue in Mangaluru PFI blames BJP for conspiracy

India

oi-Anusha

By Anusha Ravi

Recommended Video

Mangaluru : Bajrang Dal stage protest over the death of its member Deepak Rao | Oneindia News

Two days after Deepak Rao, a Bajrang Dal activist was hacked to death, protests refuse to die down in Mangaluru. Despite the swift action by the police leading to arrests of four suspects, Pro-Hindu organisations backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have been staging protests in the coastal city. While the BJP has accused the Popular Front of India of the murder, the latter has alleged conspiracy.

Dozens of Bajrang Dal workers blocked roads and staged protests in Mangaluru over Deepak Rao's death. Four people have been arrested in connection with the case and the Karnataka government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the deceased's kin, however, the anger against the government was evident during the protests on Friday. Slogans against Siddaramaiah government's "Anti-Hindu policy" were raised by Bajrang Dal workers. The police arrested protestors after they staged a road roko that led to the disruption of traffic in Mangaluru city.

The BJP in Karnataka is mulling a padayatra from Karwar to Kodagu to highlight what they claim is "systematic targetting of pro-Hindu group workers". While BJP's leaders including MPs like Shobha Karandlaje and Pratap Simha have accused the PFI of murdering Rao, the PFI has cried conspiracy.

"A Congress MLA has said that the accused's kin is members of the BJP. The BJP is communally polarising these matters. They want Hindus to die for their political agenda. BJP and RSS are provoking communal tensions in coastal Karnataka. We suspect that the BJP is behind the murder as a conspiracy to target PFI," said Yasir Hassan, General Secretary of PFI. PFI has sought a special investigation team to carry forward the probe in Rao's murder case.

Local Congress MLA Mohideen Bawa created a stir on Thursday when he alleged that the kin of one of the accused, Pinky Nawaz, were members of the BJP. The claim has been rejected by the saffron party. The police are mum on the accused's affiliations with any organisation.

OneIndia News
Ban PFI and now is the right time

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The cries for a ban on the Popular Front of India have become louder following the murder of a Hindu activist Deepak Rao. The BJP has claimed that so far 20 Hindu activists have been killed in Karnataka in recent years.

They are a heavy dossier prepared by the National Investigation Agency which is before the Home Ministry. The NIA had detailed the activities of the PFI while suggesting a ban on the outfit. Before getting into the details of the dossier, let us take a look at the origin of the PFI.

Formation:

PFI as an organisation came into existence in 2006. However, it dates back to 1993 when an organisation called the National Development Front was formed to protect the interests of Muslims in Kerala following the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

Expansion:

The activities of the NDF were restricted to Kerala alone. There was a decision that was later on taken to unify like-minded outfits from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The PFI then was born in 2006 with the merger of NDF, Karnataka Forum for Dignity and the Manitha Neethi Pasarai in Tamil Nadu.

By 2009 more organisations merged with the PFI. They were Goa Citizen's Forum, Rajasthan's Community Social and Educational Society, West Bengal's Nagarik Adhikar Suraksha Samithi, Manipur's Lilong Social Forum and Association of Social Justice, Andhra Pradesh.

The SIMI connection:

The PFI has often been accused of associating with the banned Students Islamic Movement of India. Most of the office bearers of the PFI have been associated with the SIMI in the past. They have held positions in the SIMI before it had been banned.

Religious rewards:

The Intelligence Bureau has said that the PFI is violent in nature. They one point agenda is to attack the Right Wing. They preach to their cadres that attacking those who oppose Islam would earn them religious rewards. the PFI has been accused of chopping off a professor's hand who had allegedly hurt religious sentiments in Kerala. 37 PFI cadres were arrested. In an affidavit before the Kerala High Court, it was submitted that the PFI was involved in 27 murders. In another report, the Kerala government said that there was 87 attempt to murder cases against PFI cadres.

The NIA dossier:

The NIA speaks about the killing of RSS worker Rudresh in Bengaluru. Further, it details the professor's hand chopping case at Idukki. While giving details about a Kannur training camp from where country-made bombs and swords were seized, the NIA report to the Home Ministry also speaks about an Islamic State module case.

The NIA says that the approach of the PFI is radical in nature. It speaks about recruiting only committed Muslims into its fold. It also states that the cadres train with clips of the Babri Masjid demolition and this is clearly a sign that it is trying to radicalise its cadres.

It is trying to run a parallel administration the NIA states. It speaks about the Darul Khada an outfit comprising Muslim scholars, social workers and advocates. This was set up in 2009, by SDPI national chief E Aboobacker. The NIA says that they run a parallel judiciary which settles a host of issues. The NIA dossier also states that in July 2009, a Kerala level declaration was passed by the Darul Khada in Malappuram in which it had called upon the Muslim community not to attend civil courts, but get all issues sorted out by it.

The NIA also cited the most recent case it is probing in connection with Love Jihad. It speaks about the Sathyasarani Islamic Dawah an affiliate of the PFI. It says that this organisation is running an Islamic conversion centre and also details the rigorous religious training it is imparting.

OneIndia News
Bhima Koregaon violence: Sambhaji Bhide denies his role, seeks withdrawal of charges

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Recommended Video

Bhima Koregaon Row : Sambhaji Bhide denies his role, seeks withdrawal of case | Oneindia News

Sambhaji Bhide, prime accused in Bhima Koregaon incident, denied his role in the incident and demanded a thorough probe in the matter. Pimpri Police in Pune district had filed a case against Bhide and others under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and under various sections of the IPC including an attempt to murder as one person was killed in the caste clashes in Koregaon.

In a press note issued to media, Bhide said, "Prakash Ambedkar blamed me for the conspiracy which is completely wrong, demand the Government to investigate this matter thoroughly, strong punishment must be given to whoever is guilty". Bhide (85), who heads Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, met with Sangli district collector with thousands of his supporters and demanded the withdrawal of charges against him.

Bhide has worked as a professor in Pune-based Sir Parshuram College. A former RSS member, Bhide founded the Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, which is mostly active in Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur districts in western Maharashtra. He has a sizable following in western Maharashtra, reports PTI.

Violence broke out between two groups during an event to mark 200 years of the Bhima Koregaon battle near Pune on Monday. The event was marred by incidents of stone pelting and vandalism. The incident occurred in the afternoon when people were heading towards a war memorial in the village. The violence erupted after a group and some members of the crowd on its way to visit the memorial had an argument over some issue. The Battle of Koregaon was fought on 1 January 1818 in Pune district, in which the British Army comprising Dalits had defeated upper-caste Peshwas.

(With agency inputs)
IMF to dictate Shehbaz govt as Pakistan loses right to decide on its budget

Budget session to begin on Jan 29, Budget on Feb 1

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Jan 5: The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs recommended that the Budget session of Parliament will commence from January 29 and the Union Budget will be presented on February 1.

President Ramnath Kovind will address the joint sitting of the two Houses on January 29 and the Economic Survey will be tabled on the same day, Parliamentary Affairs minister Ananth Kumar told reporters here.

The first phase of the session will be from January 29 to February 9. After a recess, Parliament will meet again from March 5 to April 6, Kumar said.

The Recommendation of the session dates was made by the CCPA which met here.

The Winter session of Parliament ended today.

PTI
Take action if there is evidence: Antony on chopper scam

Will Rahul Gandhi lead the Congress in the Lok Sabha: Key discussions underway

Congress leader AK Antony's driver commits suicide

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Jan 5: Former defence minister A K Antony's driver allegedly committed suicide at the leader's residence in Lutyens' Delhi, police said.

The body of Sanjay Singh, 35, was found hanging in the servant quarters at the official residence of the Congress leader on Jantar Mantar Road, they said. No suicide note was found.

However, police have ruled out foul play and said a probe is on to ascertain why he took the extreme step.

However, this is not the first incident. In another incident, earlier, Karnataka bureaucrat Bheema Naik, was accused of driving his driver to commit suicide.

PTI
'FIR against me is after effect of Gujarat results', says Jignesh Mevani

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Breaking his silence over FIR filed against him in Pune for alleged provocative speeches, Dalit activist and Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mewani refuted the charges, saying he was being targetted by the BJP and Sangh Parivar.

In a press meet held in Delhi, Mevani said, "Not even a single word of my speech was inflammatory, I am just being targeted. No part of my speech was provocative or inflammatory."

On FIR against him, Mevani said, "Members of Sangh Parivar and BJP made a childish attempt to tarnish my image and target me, it is an after effect of the Gujarat results and it is also because they have a sense of fear about 2019."

Jignesh Mevani, said, "If elected representative in this country is not allowed to carry out the rally, then it will speak volumes of PM Modi's conduct."

An FIR is registered against Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani and JNU student leader Umar Khalid under section 153(A), 505 and 117 at Vishrambaug Police Station in Pune for their alleged provocative speeches at an event in Bhima Koregaon.

The Deccan Gymkhana police station had received a complaint against Jignesh Mevani and Umar Khalid for their "provocative" speeches at an event at Shaniwar Wada on December 31. The event was organised to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima Koregaon, at Shaniwar Wada in the city on December 31.

According to the complainants -- Akshay Bikkad and Anand Dhond -- Mevani and Khalid had made "provocative" comments at the event. Bikkad and Dhond, both locals, approached the Deccan Gymkhana police station with an application and demanded the registration of a case against Mevani and Khalid for allegedly promoting enmity between different communities. The complaint was forwarded to the Vishrambaug police station, under the jurisdiction of which Shaniwar Wada fell, for further action.

(With agency inputs)
How Kumar Vishwas' Rajya Sabha dream came crashing down

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The list of those miffed with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s top brass seems to be growing with Kumar Vishwas being the latest addition to it. Not being nominated for the Rajya Sabha seat left Vishwas fuming and he launched a scathing attack on Arvind Kejriwal moments after the list of three nominees for Rajya Sabha seats were announced.

Vishwas tried to portray that he was left out because of his outspokenness and honest criticism of the party. With a smiling face, he called Kejriwal ungrateful and listed out the things he had done for the party.

A day later, AAP counter attacked Vishwas said he was at the "centre" of conspiracies hatched to topple the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi after the municipal polls. AAP's Delhi convenor Gopal Rai also said that Vishwas was hand-in-glove with ousted Delhi minister Kapil Mishra.

"There were attempts to bring down the government and Kumar Vishwas was the principal mover and at the centre of those conspiracies. Most of the meetings in this regard involving a few MLAs were held at his residence. Kapil Mishra was a part of it and later he was removed from the cabinet," Rai said during a Facebook Live session.

Kapil Mishra, who was a minister in Kejriwal's cabinet till last year, had levelled serious allegations of corruption against Kejriwal. Mishra created quite stir last year when he said that the AAP lied about its donation figures to the Election Commission (EC). Mishra had also claimed that he saw Satyendra Jain handing over Rs 2 crore cash to Kejriwal.

AAP then said that Mishra was doing all this at the behest of the BJP, a charge which Mishra outrightly denied. Mishra said he has no allegiance to the BJP, even though his mother Annapurna Mishra was the former BJP Mayor of Delhi.

Officially, Mishra has got nothing to do with the BJP, but in December, he was out on the streets of the national capital with Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwary to inspect winter shelters.

So, Mishra's ouster, his attack on AAP, his alleged proximity to BJP and Vishwas' closeness to Mishra...all this might have worked against Vishwas.

OneIndia News
How Operation Alert will secure the borders with Pakistan

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

In the wake of increased infiltrations along the Ind0-Pak border, the Border Security Force launched 'Operation Alert.'

"There are inputs that there is a movement of militants and accordingly, we have declared 'Ops Alert' on the border," Inspector General of BSF Jammu Frontier, Ram Awatar said.

The BSF gave a military send-off by organising Wreath-laying ceremony at Frontier headquarters here in the honour of the late Head Constable Radha Pada Hazara, who was killed in sniper firing by Pakistan Rangers along the IB in Samba sector yesterday.

J&K DGP Dr S P Vaid, IGP Jammu Zone and Dr S D Singh attended the ceremony along with the IG BSF Jammu Ram Awtar and other senior officers and Jawans of BSF.

"It is because of that alertness, that they have acted like that (resorting to sniper firing). The moral of the BSF is high and will continue to remain high," the IG said.

He said the effort of the BSF was to maintain peace along the border, but Pakistan was always trying to disturb this peace.

"It is because of this machination of Pakistan that they yesterday martyred one jawan by sniping," he said.

Giving details of Wednesday incident, the IG said: "This jawan was performing duty at a forward post and there were four to five rounds of fire from Pakistan and one of them hit him".

"It was followed by automatic weapon fire. After getting intimation the neighbouring mounts retaliated back and solid response was given by the BSF in which Pakistan has suffered large human and property loss", he added.

Pakistan posts were destroyed and the entire infrastructure in those posts has been damaged, the officer said.

He added that one intruder was killed in R S Pura sector on Wednesday.

"There was movement under thick cover of fog and one intruder was spotted well inside Indian territory and he was fired upon and shot dead. He was resident of Sialkot district (of Pakistan). It was an infiltration attempt," the officer said.

Either he was a member of the infiltration group or their guide, he said.

Speaking to the reporters, DGP J&K Police, Dr SP Vaid said "those who are thinking they have done good b the murder of humanity, need to introspect. Our forces are capable of giving them a befitting reply".

OneIndia News
Karnataka polls: Yogi Adityanath to address BJP rally in Bengaluru on Jan 7

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a star campaigner in Karnataka assembly polls, will be addressing a rally in Bengaluru on January 7. On his second visit to the state, Adityanath is scheduled to speak at Parivartana Rally in Govidarajnagar on Sunday. He is likely to address public gatherings across the states to boost the morale of the party workers.BJP wants to replicate his successful Gujarat elections campaign in Karnataka.

Last year, Adityanath had addressed Parivartana Rally in Hubli on December 21. He hit out at the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi, saying it is going to meet the same fate in Karnataka which it met in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. He went on to say that Rahul Gandhi has inherited a 'mafia raaj' which he wants to implement across the country.

The crowd gathered at Hubballi's Nehru Maidan was easily one of the largest ever that BJP's Parivarthana Yatra has seen ever since its launch. While the presence of Yogi Adityanath was one of the factors, the anticipation of BJP's announcement in the Mahadayi issue was another. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, the BJP's saffron icon, did his job of propelling his party's Hindutva card well.

Assembly elections are due in Karnataka next year, between April and May.

OneIndia News
Mamata Banerjee expresses concern over easy availability of Aadhaar cards

India

pti-PTI

Kolkata, Jan 5: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed concern over reports that Aadhaar cards were easily available from fictitious agencies and asked the people to be more alert to prevent theft of data and violation of privacy.

Banerjee in a Facebook post said she has been voicing her serious concern over the violation of privacy due to Aadhaar from the very beginning and had urged to ensure a "foolproof mechanism" to ensure security of data.

She said a section of the press has reported that Aadhaar cards are now easily available from fictitious agencies upon payment of small amounts.

"If this is true, then this is a huge infringement of individual privacy and data security," she said in her post. "I would like to request all citizens of the country to be more alert and cautious to prevent data theft and violation of privacy," she added.

PTI
Mamata denied starvation deaths in Bengal, but survey says state tribals have food scracity

Gap between rich and poor has widened, needs to be bridged: Gadkari

Man in Bareilly, UP reportedly dies of starvation, leaves behind 90-year-old mother

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Lucknow, Jan 5: In the last few months, several cases of alleged starvation deaths have been reported from various parts of the country.

However, every time such a case comes to light, the government denies that the death has occurred due to starvation.

One more alleged starvation death has been reported from Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly district where a 42-year-old man died due to hunger on Thursday.

The man from Bhamora village in Bareilly has left behind his old and ailing mother, who is 90 years old. According to neighbours, the family had "nothing to eat" which led to the man's tragic death.

"42-year-old man dies allegedly due to starvation in a village in Bareilly's Bhamora, leaves behind 90-year-old mother," tweeted ANI.

42-year old man dies allegedly due to starvation in a village in Bareilly's Bhamora,leaves behind 90 year old mother pic.twitter.com/WJNWNbWH8u  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 4, 2018

Although the administration has not issued any statement in this regard, a government employee speaking to ANI has dubbed the incident as "very sad and painful".

The government employee added that she would try to arrange compensation for the mother of the deceased.

"This is a very sad and painful incident, they have nothing to eat. I will try my best to arrange compensation for the mother of the deceased: Shiva Kushwaha, Lekhpal #Bareilly," tweeted ANI.

This is a very sad and painful incident, they have nothing to eat. I will try my best to arrange compensation for the mother of the deceased: Shiva Kushwaha, Lekhpal #Bareilly pic.twitter.com/2Xf2CX4Mpw  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 4, 2018

In November last year, one more alleged starvation death was reported from Bareilly.

A 50-year-old woman, Sakina, reportedly died of starvation after her husband, Ishaq Ahmed, was allegedly denied ration because she could not accompany him to provide biometric authentication at the ration shop.

The first major case of alleged starvation death was reported from Jharkhand in September last year. The mother of an 11-year-old school-going girl alleged that her daughter died as the family stopped getting rice under the government's Public Distribution System (PDS) as they had no Aadhaar card.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state also witnessed the death of a 45-year-old rickshaw puller allegedly due to hunger in October.

Along with the BJP-ruled states, alleged starvation deaths were also reported from Karnataka (where the Congress is in power) last year. Reports stated that three brothers of a family died because they had no food to eat.

OneIndia News
'Most Favoured Nation status to Pakistan not under review', says Centre

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

There is no proposal to review the 'Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan, the government of India has informed the Rajya Sabha.

In a written reply to a question, minister of state for external affairs M J Akbar said India has accorded MFN status to all WTO members, including Pakistan, in accordance with the provisions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

"It is unfortunate that Pakistan has not fulfilled its international obligations in this regard, so far," the minister told the Rajya Sabha in his reply.

He also said that presently, no proposal to review the MFN status to Pakistan was under consideration.

Replying to separate question, Akbar said SAARC has been unable to achieve its potential as key initiatives, including in the important area of connectivity, were held back due to "lack of response and/or obstructionist" approach of Pakistan.

Several SAARC member states expressed their inability to participate in the 19th SAARC Summit that was scheduled to be held in November 2016 in Pakistan due to concerns arising from increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in the region and growing interference in the internal affairs of member states by that country, the minister said.

He also said that India remains steadfast in its commitment to regional cooperation, connectivity and contacts but believes that these can only go forward in an atmosphere free from terror.

OneIndia News
Narendra Modi walks up to Manmohan in RS, shakes hands

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Jan 5: Prime Minister Narendra Modi shook hands with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh soon after the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die.

The cordial "handshake" came barely weeks after the duo had been locked in a bitter war of words over Gujarat elections. As soon as Chairman M Venkiah Naidu adjourned the House sine die and 'Vande Mataram' was rendered, Modi was seen moving towards the opposition benches shaking hands with some members, including his predecessor. He reached the seat of the former premier, shook hands with him for quite some time and spoke to him.

Among others with whom the Prime Minister was seen shaking hands were Deputy Chairman P J Kurien and veteran Congress leader Karan Singh, who was bid farewell by the Upper House as his tenure ends on January 27.

The show of cordiality between the incumbent and the former premier follows a rare row that broke out last month after Modi insinuated that Manmohan Singh had colluded with Pakistan in the Gujarat polls and latter hitting back saying a "dangerous precedent" was being set by such accusations and seeking apology.

Both the Houses had witnessed stormy protests over the issue with an adamant opposition seeking apology from Modi for his statement during Gujarat poll campaign and the BJP sticking to its point that PM would not apologise.

PTI
"Not just PFI, Bajrang Dal, Sri Ram Sene will face action too," warns Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

India

oi-Anusha

By Anusha Ravi

As Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) demands to ban Popular Front of India grows, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has warned of action against not just the PFI but all other organisations inciting in communal violence. The Congress strongman, whose government is facing flak for incidents of communal violence in coastal districts, has said that Bajrang Dal, Sri Rama Sene and any other organisation indulging in communal hatred will face action.

Following the brutal murder of a Bajrang Dal activist in Mangaluru, the BJP renewed its demand to ban the PFI- who it alleges was behind the murder. The state government has, however, shifted the onus to the Centre. "Not just the PFI but we will initiate action against any organisations disrupting communal harmony- irrespective of religion. Be it the PFI or Bajrang Dal or Muthalik's organisation (Sri Rama Sene)," Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Friday.

While the state government has the authority to recommend a ban or any action against organisations deemed a threat to law and order situation, Karnataka Congress is being careful. With assembly elections around the corner, the government has conveniently shifted the onus of banning any organisation to the BJP-led Union government.

"Action should be taken against any organisation flaring up communal tensions in the name of religion. The centre has to ban them since the state doesn't have the powers," Siddaramaiah added. His statements come at a time when the BJP has alleged that 21 Sangh Parivar workers have been brutally murdered under the Congress regime. The state government, however, states that the numbers are grossly exaggerated.

"BJP is falsely claiming that 21 of its workers have been murdered. A closer look at the case details will tell you that 11 members of Sangh Parivar and 6 members of PFI have been killed. All other cases have no connections to any organisations," Ramalinga Reddy, Home Minister, Karnataka told the media on Thursday.

OneIndia News
Portals of Gangotri shrine close for winters, devotees can worship at Mukhba village now

Anand Mahindra's tweet about UPI at country's 'last tea shop' is every Indian's emotion

Uttarakhand BJP govt blocks entry of reporters into offices to avoid information leak

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Dehradun, Jan 5: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttarakhand has come up with a 'smart excuse' to dodge queries from the media by keeping reporters at bay.

In its latest ruling, the state government has blocked the entry of reporters into government offices to avoid what it calls "leaks of confidential information".

Probably for the first, a ruling party in India has barred reporters from accessing information from government offices, which is generally shared by officials themselves.

Along with reporters, the state government has decided to bar entry of "unauthorised" persons into government offices.

According to a report by The Indian Express, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh in a three-page order, stated, "Entry of unauthorised persons/ reporters to the sections/ offices (of government departments) must be completely prohibited."

The order, dated December 27, 2017, has been marked to all additional secretaries, principal secretaries and secretaries.

"Any visitor who is visiting a government office for personal work will not be allowed to meet any government official or any member of the office staff on the office premises," says the order.

In case of important matters, the government official can meet the visitor at the office reception, adds the order.

As far as the "gag" on media is considered, the order says, "Publishing of the issues/ proposals meant for the cabinet, prior to the cabinet meeting is absolutely unfortunate and objectionable. It affects the decision to be taken by the cabinet... The cabinet has expressed regret and objection towards the disregard (by government officials) of instructions already in place."

"If any subject/ proposal meant for the cabinet does get published in the newspapers/ media prior to the cabinet meeting, then the additional secretary/ principal secretary/ secretary/ secretary in-charge of the concerned department will immediately probe the cause of the leak (and will inform the chief secretary)," adds the order.

The BJP government has also asked IAS officers to maintain confidentiality on cabinet matters.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Singh said: "There's some confusion regarding the order that mentioned that entry of unauthorised persons/ reporters to our section offices would be prohibited. I wish to clarify that the Uttarakhand government is committed to disseminating correct and authentic information to media persons, for which it is important that we form a proper means of disseminating information to the media."

"The Director (Information) will hold a daily briefing, at 4 pm, to give out information to the media on important occurrences that the government wishes to convey information about.

"We want to give you authentic information in an orderly fashion. We don't want you to work unnecessarily," Singh added.

OneIndia News
Best Places to be in Southeast Asia on New Years Eve International oi-Oneindia Staff

2018 is right around the corner and people have already started planning on how to welcome the New Year with great style. No matter where you are in the world, the atmosphere is bound to be full of joy and revelry. However, with some careful planning, you can end up celebrating the New Year's Eve in some of the most exciting places in Southeast Asia.

From vivacious beaches and elegant rooftop bars to peaceful, traditional celebrations, there is an abundance of choice in this region. We have mentioned some of the best places in Southeast Asia to spend the evening of 31 December.

Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Thailand

These two places in Thailand are known for some of the most memorable New Year's celebrations, but they differ vastly in style.

If you are a fan of fireworks, then Bangkok is where you need to be. Make a reservation in one of the hotels by the Chao Phraya River, which offer the best view of extravagant fireworks filling the sky with magnificent colours and patterns. You can even use your credit card to make dinner reservations in luxury hotels or dinner cruises which operate specifically on the river. Exceptional food with breathtaking fireworks by the river - what more can you ask for?, If you dont have any, buy it online here.

For a quieter celebration, head to Chiang Mai. Even though the event is marked with fireworks and revelries, the main highlight here is the releasing of lanterns into the sky. As thousands of candles illuminate the dark sky, one can't help but be amazed by the sheer greatness of such a breathtaking sight. This is certainly a welcoming change from the usual NYE celebrations.

Singapore

Singapore is well known for its New Years' Eve festivities and it is something that ought to be experienced at least once in a lifetime. Marina Bay offers a dazzling view of the fireworks show, which attracts thousands of visitors every year.

For a more royal experience, stay at the Marina Bay Sands. Each room comes with a marvelous view which is bound to leave you astonished. You can use your credit card to make reservations at one of the parties which take place on top of the three towers. These rooftop NYE parties are out of this world as they offer a view of the entire city in the backdrop of a stunning fireworks show.

Bali, Indonesia

If you are truly looking to party like there is no tomorrow, then you cannot find a better place than the tropical island of Bali. You can escape the December cold and head to this paradise, where the weather is relatively warm and the place is buzzing with tourists and backpackers alike.

In Bali, Legian, Seminyak and Kuta are three of the most popular regions. They are marked by never ending beaches, each with an equally magnificent view of the Indian Ocean. The NYE celebrations start in the afternoon itself, with plenty of beach and street parties taking place throughout the island.

In case you find yourself with a demented hangover after a night of heavy partying, you cannot find a better cure than the heavenly beaches that Bali has to offer. Make sure you have your travel insurance papers in order, in case anything goes wrong.

Seoul, South Korea

Seoul is one of the few places on the list that is guaranteed to fulfil your party needs, no matter what they may be.

Koreans believe that ringing of bells on NYE marks the end of a year and it also wishes happiness and prosperity to its citizens. To celebrate this event grandly, an annual New Year's Eve ritual is held at the Bosingak - a historic bell pavilion. The bell is rung only at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve and the ceremony is attended by thousands.

After witnessing the bell ringing ceremony, you may attend the Homigot Sunrise Festival, which is again held only on the New Year's Eve. The visitors here are invited to watch the sunrise on the first day of the year, along with enjoying traditional delicacies and a series of exciting programs.

Alternately, you can also enjoy the fireworks in the city from any of the happening places in town. For the best view however, the Floating Bar is where you need to be. You can also visit the Griffin Bar, which offers the best view of the city along with the iconic N Seoul Tower.

You can even visit the Gangnam district that are lined up with plenty of restaurants and bars, each with their own NYE parties.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur is regarded as one of the best cities in Asia for an electrifying New Year's Eve experience. The city is marked by plenty of high-rise buildings, the most notable which are the Petronas Twin Towers.

To enjoy New Year's fireworks, head to one of the many rooftop restaurants which offer a fascinating view of the entire city. You can also make reservations at the revolving restaurant on top of the KL Tower, which offers a 360-degree view of the entire city.

You can also consider visiting the KLCC Park, which is transformed into a party venue for the NYE. The midnight is marked by a grand fireworks set, and is truly among the best places to be in Asia for the New Year's Eve.

Wherever you may be for the celebrations, we wish you a Happy New Year!
WASHINGTON  Can our government function normally when President Trump tweets about his button being bigger than that of an armed adversary? Can there be business as usual when the word insane is being applied with increasing frequency to his actions, and when one of his most loyal supporters has called a meeting between Russian operatives and Trump campaign officials treasonous?

Only a few days into the new year, there is a striking disconnect in the nations capital between the ordinary and the mind-boggling  between the sorts of transactions politicians routinely make to keep the country running and displays of the irrational, the abusive and the menacing emanating from the White House.

There has been an inclination over the past year in both politics and journalism to separate Trumps tweets and other outbursts from the realities of governing. The idea is that his eruptions are either (a) largely irrelevant forms of his letting off steam, or (b) signs of a brilliance beyond the comprehension of mere mortals. What looks to most of us like madness is cast as genius in setting up enemies, signaling his base or distracting us from one thing or another.

But we are past the time when we can believe any of this. Trump is, without question, doing enormous damage to the United States standing in the world, and his strategy for political survival is rooted in a willingness to destroy our institutions.

While the news on Wednesday understandably focused on Steve Bannons treason comments in a new book by journalist Michael Wolff, 2018 has already produced two remarkable essays explaining the genuine threat the president poses to the nations foreign policy interests.

Susan Glasser, writing in Politico, offers frightening detail about how Trumps stunning lack of knowledge and his indifference to his own obliviousness have led diplomats to label him insane, catastrophic, terrifying, incompetent and dangerous. Glasser concludes: When it comes to Trump and the world, its not better than you think. Its worse.

And Evan Osnos carefully reported and much-discussed article in The New Yorker demonstrates how Trumps policies but also his pathological focus on himself, his ignorance, and his astonishing susceptibility to flattery have profoundly weakened the U.S. position in Asia and played into Chinese President Xi Jinpings reach for international power.

Osnos cites a Chinese think tanks observation that the Trump administration is a collection of hostile cliques, the most powerful of which is the Trump family clan. And its analysis uses a term from feudal China, jiatianxia, to define Trumps approach. It means to treat the state as your possession.

This insight cuts to the heart of the peril the president represents to our democracy and the rule of law.

On the second day of the year, Trump called on the Justice Department to finally act against Huma Abedin, a Hillary Clinton aide, and also against James Comey, the former FBI director he fired. And by referring not to the Justice Department, but to the Deep State Justice Dept, Trump continued to push back against all others investigating him, treating them as if they were a band of spies and traitors.

Directing the prosecution of political enemies is a habit of autocrats. As Benjamin Wittes, my Brookings Institution colleague, wrote recently, Trump is normalizing for an entire political movement the politicization and weaponization of law enforcement and intelligence. Is this the legacy the Republican Party wants?

In the midst of all this, Republicans and Democrats in Congress go about their business, trying to negotiate a budget agreement to avoid a shutdown and, in the Democrats case, trying to protect the Dreamers and the Childrens Health Insurance Program.

And, who knows, maybe we can manage with a kind of split-level politics. While we sit back and wait on special counsel Robert Mueller to issue his findings, we pray that regular governance will be possible because there is no other choice.

Yet doing so means continuing to absorb Trumps blows to our system and to our countrys influence around the globe. It also requires great faith in our capacity for restoration despite the readiness of the presidents allies to place his survival above the health of our polity.

The United States does have extraordinary gifts for self-correction. But we must face the fact that Trump is accelerating us toward the breaking point. No matter how confident we are in our resilience, we should not imagine otherwise. Not even Mueller has a button on his desk he can press to get us out of this without scars.
'No Chinese military base at Gwadar', says Pakistan

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Pakistan had rejected claims that China was establishing a military base near the Gwadar port in the southern Balochistan province.

"There is no proposal of building any Chinese military base near Gwadar. This is all propaganda against the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and strengthening of relations between Pakistan and China," Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Mohammad Faisal was quoted by PTI.

The nearly USD 50 billion CPEC, a flagship project of China's prestigious One Belt One Road, passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It links China's restive Xinjiang region with Pakistan's Balochistan province. India has objected to CPEC as it traverses through PoK.

Responding to a question about India test-firing an interceptor missile, Faisal said Pakistan always maintained that anti-ballistic missile systems entail destabilising effects, especially in the regional context and can provoke an arms race.

"We have proposed several missiles and nuclear restraint measures to India that includes the commitment not to deploy ballistic missile defence systems. Pakistan will continue to follow a policy of restraint and responsibility while taking all necessary measures to ensure our national security," he said.

OneIndia News
Pak would rather lose aid rather than turn in the Haqqani, Taliban: US expert

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

With US President Donald Trump coming down hard on Pakistan, the nation is left to chose between the devil and the deep sea. The suspension of aid to Pakistan has been reported widely and it is to be seen how much of an impact it would have on the country.

The fact is that since 2011, Pakistan has been receiving a lot less assistance when compared to the years prior to 2010. Many experts say that Pakistan would muddle through as it has been planning all along for the day when the US assistance ends.

The US decided to suspend US dollar 1.1 billion security assistance to Pakistan while demanding action against the Haqqani Network and Taliban. The US said that it had not only lies and deceit and also lost a lot of its men in Afghanistan due to a double game that Pakistan played.

Stephen Tankel, assistant professor at the School of International Service at American University tells OneIndia that Trump's move may not exactly serve the purpose.

"What Pakistan stands to lose, in terms of security assistance, pales in comparison, to what the [Pakistani] security establishment thinks it would lose by turning on the Taliban and the Haqqani Network, which it perceives as instrumental to accomplishing its objectives in Afghanistan. So no, this will not be enough to convince Pakistan to turn on them. It's been planning for the day when US assistance ends, and I suspect it will muddle through," Tankel says.

Tankel also told ThinkProgress that the US stands to lose a lot from cutting or withholding military aid. It helps maintain that military-to-military relationship, which is important for access for supply lines from Pakistan into Afghanistan, access to Pakistan's airspace and also for drone strikes in Pakistan, which have taken place with Pakistan's tacit consent, and for other forms of tactical cooperation, he said.

OneIndia News
This is what Chhota Shakeel looked like in his last days

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Chhota Shakeel's wife Ayesha was moved out of Karachi to the Lahore Cantonment following his death. Shakeel's death happened under mysterious circumstances and sources say that he died of a drug overdose which is suspected to be an ISI hit.

One would need to revisit the audio conversation between Bilal, a former Shakeel aide and Salim Fruit. It was said at that time that Shakeel had died of a heart attack. Salim appears to know about the death and says, " I know everything." He also says yes when asked if he knew that Shakeel's wife Ayesha is in Lahore.

Shakeel was always a go-to man for Dawood. However, with his death, Dawood remains a lonely man. Now with Shakeel dead and his impersonator, an ISI backed Rahim Merchant taking over, Dawood deals directly with his longtime girlfriend, Sabiya Sayed. She is a British citizen and is the go in between, sources also informed OneIndia.

Dawood has large stakes in offshore companies. He has accounts in Ireland and a little known IT firm in Karachi is used as a front for these operations.

His businesses are currently operated through his personal accountant Nadiya Malik. His foster son, Mubashir Ahmed based out of Dubai also looks after his business.

The safe house that Shakeel met Dawood before he died

Dawood's properties in Pakistan:

House no. 29, Margalla Road, F 6/2 Street no. 22, Karachi

Noorabad, Karachi, Pakistan

White House, Near Saudi Mosque, Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan

Dawood's passports:

He currently holds passports of St Kitts, Malawi, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. He has not travelled out of Pakistan in a long time. Sources say that he only travels to Mecca for the annual Haj in a chartered aircraft under the supervision of the ISI.

Chhota Shakeel is dead: Here is the ISI's impersonator who runs the D-Syndicate now

Dawood's other properties:

New Zealand - 160 Waimumu Road Massey

65/23 McDonald Street, Morning Side Auckland

Australia - 2, 9 Rawlins Street, Southport, Queensland

Cyprus, Nicosia- 4 Villas with Swimming Pools, United Kingdom

Wigham House 16-30, Wakering Road, Barking - Essex

SARA HOUSE - These include 9 apartments with penthouses, 138 Richmond Road, iLford

Dartford Hotel 22-26 Spital Street Dartford

OneIndia News
US suspends security assistance to Pakistan, forces action on Islamists

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Spelling more trouble for Pakistan, the United States has suspended security assistance to the country. The US announced that it was suspending security assistance to Pakistan for failing to take decisive action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. Washington believes that the Taliban and Haqqani Network are destabilising the region.

State department spokesperson Heather Nauert said that she could not provide a dollar value for the suspended aid. She, however, added that it was in addition to the 255 million US dollars in military aid the US put on hold in August.

Today we can confirm we are suspending security assistance only to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. We consider them to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel, she also told a news briefing.

She further said that the details were being worked out on the additional funds. Earlier defence secretary, Jim Mattis said that the policy on military aid was still under formulation.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump had tweeted that the US had foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid in the last 15 years and got nothing in return but lies and deceit.

OneIndia News
OK! Magazine 18 Nov 2022

Kathy Griffin was banned from the social media platform after mocking Elon Musk by using his name and profile photo.
Save the date! The Around the Corner with John McGivern Viroqua episode launch party will be held at the Historic Temple Theatre Jan. 31 at 5 p.m.

Produced by Milwaukee Public Television, the series Around the Corner with John McGivern features Emmy Award-winning actor John McGivern as he visits various communities throughout Wisconsin, and profiles the unique people who live and work there. And, they are on their way to Viroqua again to celebrate the Viroqua episode.

McGivern stated that the Viroqua episode was one of his most fun and interesting to produce. The Viroqua episode features Sleepy Hollow Auto, Driftless Cafe, Jaalis Dollies, Kickapoo Valley Ranch and Guest Cabins, Ewetopia, Driftless Cafe, B& Es Trees, Mayor Fanta, Second Cloud on the Left Farm, Bon Ton, and a few other Viroqua stand-up interviews. Guests will get to preview the episode, purchase advanced copies of the episode, and meet McGivern, Lois Mauer and his crew. The event features light appetizers and merriment and begins at 5 p.m., with the screening at 6 p.m. There is no fee for entry.

Around the Corner with John McGivern is Milwaukee Public Televisions most successful series ever, said Maurer, series producer and director for MPTV. On Thursday nights our ratings rival that of commercial stations, and it does so consistently throughout the country. Thursday night is local programming on PBS, and our show gets the highest national ratings nearly every week.

Beginning its seventh season, McGivern and Maurer are already planning for next year. Their dream was to do the show for 10 years. Thanks to its popularity and interest in Wisconsin, they are now aiming to keep it going for 20.

When we started Around the Corner, we had a whole different idea as to what this was going to be, McGivern explained. We thought we would inspire everybody with a sense of community. We soon learned that we were idiots to think this. We did not inspire anyone, because they already love and are passionate about their community. All we had to do was just show people and celebrate their commitment.

McGivern and Maurer began working together about eight years ago, on small projects like the Circus Parade. Because they had so much fun together, Maurer decided to find a way they could do so every day.

We came up with this show so that we could work together more, Maurer said. And our continued success is due to John and the concept, which is community. Who doesnt love their community? There is such amazing community pride in Wisconsin. So, we combined those two things and its a winning formula.

Unlike Discover Wisconsin, which uses a pay-to-play model, those featured on Around the Corner cannot buy their way onto the show. As public television, the programs production staff of twelve can pick where they want to go and who they want to talk to because it is of interest to them. The process is not scientific, but remains a hit with the audience who crave having their community featured in a future episode.

I am proud that our program showcases Wisconsin. All positive, all the time, Maurer said. Some of the episodes that end up being the most exciting and successful for me are the places I never heard of before.

McGivern said he is not worried about running out of places to cover.As long as people live on a corner, were going to be there. The Viroqua episode airs Feb. 8.

I&E Club, Jan. 10

The Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club meeting is Wednesday, Jan. 10, at the Food Enterprise Center, 1201 N. Main St. in Viroqua. Networking starts at 5:30 p.m., program begins at 6 p.m.

New opportunities in Ag with Industrial Hemp brings speaker Ken Anderson, founder and president of Legacy Hemp, Prescott, to discuss the emerging markets for industrial hemp in textiles, construction, personal care and food products. Entrepreneurs, regional food manufacturers, and bulk wholesalers who are interested in new product development using Wisconsins New Super Foods Industrial Hemp Seeds and Industrial Hemp Seed Oil are encouraged to attend.

Topics include: How industrial hemp was used in Wisconsin from the 1930s to 1957, Wisconsin Legislation recently signed by Gov. Walker, an update on the DATCP rules development and the opportunities for product development in Wisconsin.
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Westby Elementary School Principal Bruce Peterson is still in shock at the end result of the Westby Rod & Gun Clubs Christmas Jubilee which raised more than $4,440 in its debut year.

In late November, Peterson was manning the front desk at the school when Westby Rod & Gun volunteer Becky Stinson called inquiring about how to make a donation to families in the school who might need a helping hand over the holiday season.

He said that type of call is not uncommon especially during the holiday so he directed the caller to invest in a gift card from a grocery or clothing store, which he promised would be distributed to a family prior to the holiday break in December.

He said Stinson tried to tell him the Westby Rod & Gun Club planned to do better than just a single gift card, but never in his wildest dreams did Peterson ever expect the windfall that was delivered to the school shortly before Christmas.

Her message was an altruistic and common one for this time of year and I never meant to belittle her (Stinson) attempts, but we get some well-meaning offers that dont pan out. I just didnt want her (Stinson) to feel badly if more assistance wasnt possible, Peterson said.

Wanting to do his part for the organization and its selfless efforts to try and help others, Peterson and his wife, Lynn, attended the Dec. 16 fundraiser at the Westby Rod & Gun, where he met Stinson in person.

The Petersons watched in amazement as people of all statures in life dropped off donations and said time and time again as they handed Stinson a monetary donation, heres something for the kids.

The place was filled with mostly faces I didnt know. The people sharing these donations were not parents of our current elementary population, they were just people who wanted to make a difference and do something nice to help others and as I watched the unending line I knew without a doubt that Westby Elementary was about to be inundated with unselfish generosity, Peterson said.

Petersons vision came to fruition on Monday, Dec. 18, when volunteers from the Westby Rod & Gun Club dropped off thousands of dollars in donations including clothes, toys, and countless gift cards at the school.

Our school secretary, Mary and I stood in awe at the room full of donated items and immediately went to work figuring out how to disperse the donations, Peterson said.

Peterson and his elves now had the task of putting names to paper of families whose luck had taken a turn with medical expenses, moving costs, or job losses. The list included large families who could use a boost and moms/dads working multiple jobs that could make use of a few extra dollars for the holidays.

Peterson knew all the donated items alone were going to make many kids happy on Christmas, but when Stinson presented him with $2,500 in $50 gift cards he could barely believe his eyes or contain his emotions.

I would have been happy with one gift card for one family, but this was above and beyond anything I ever imagined when this wonderful local club, of fabulous people, somehow managed to secure enough cash donations to give us over 50 gift cards, Peterson said.

Looking back Peterson said the playful sparkle in Stinsons eyes should have registered when she handed him the first gift card, but he didnt catch on until she told him, I guess we just gave you a lot of work to do this week Mr. Peterson.

What wonderful work it was. The conversations with our school families and the gratitude shared with the Westby Rod and Gun club swelled my heart, Peterson said.

Peterson added that the Westby Rod and Gun Club probably doesnt strike the typical resident of Westby as an organization geared toward kids, but without a doubt it should.

The Christmas Jubilee fundraiser is another fabulous endeavor from a selfless organization. Thank- you, Rod and Gun Club for thinking of our families, Peterson said.

For families in the Westby area the giving didnt stop there as more items arrived later in the week including holiday turkeys and gift cards from the Westby Creamery, courtesy of Coon Valley Chiropractic.

The snowball of giving grew very large this year for the Westby School District. We are blessed to live and work in this community, Peterson said.
Grandpa William Krause took over the farm homesteaded by his father on Brinkman Ridge. He was a big man and the controlling force of the family. He made sure everyone worked to plant and harvest the crops. The major cash bearing crop was potatoes. After the harvest he made regular trips to La Crosse, ten miles away, with his wagon load of potatoes drawn by a team of horses. He got the nickname Kartoffel Krause (Potato Krause).

He was a faithful Lutheran and made sure everyone attended church services regularly. Children were always excused from public school attendance in November and December to attend German School where they were taught German grammar and Martin Luthers catechism. German was the language spoken in the home and in the neighborhood. Sunday services were in German.

An insight into the kind of parent Grandpa was is best revealed in this story often told about him. In the early 1900s the invention of the hayfork made moving hay much easier. This fork, attached to a long rope, would grab a large bundle of dry hay, then by a series of pulleys with a team of horses on the other end of the rope, the fork with its bundle of hay was carried up and into the haymow. During this process the youngest son Willie, just a boy, had a finger amputated in one of those pulleys. A trip to the doctor was imminent but first he gave each of the older children a thorough spanking. That son, Willie continued to farm the homestead and Grandpa and Grandma retired to a house in La Crosse.

During their retirement they often came to our house in Chipmunk Coulee for a week or more during the summer. Grandma helped Mother in the house but Grandpa dug some worms, took his cane pole, and hunted for a favorite fishing spot in the creek that wound through our farm. Hed return after dark with 30-40 little chubs and suckers. It was Grandma, Mother and I who cleaned and prepared them for the pan. For breakfast- pan fried fish of course. When at home in La Crosse he fished in the Mississippi. Almost daily in summer he would walk from 16th and Madison to the docks by the river. There he caught sunfish and crappies and Grandma cleaned them.

One time he fell into the river. He either got dizzy or fell asleep sitting in the warm sun. Hitting the river revived him and he caught hold of a piling under the dock. Too heavy to pull himself out, he clung there until someone heard his cries for help. After they helped him out he calmly walked home. None the worse for the experience, but to the consternation and worry of everyone else in his family, he continued his fishing.

Next time: Living by the creek in Chipmunk Coulee
In 2014 villages, towns and sections of cities were destroyed near the front line in Lugansk People's Republic (LNR) and Donetsk People's Republic (DNR). Early on, a lot of people were forced to stay for lack of money because the banks had disappeared overnight. One's savings were gone, and the banks were closed. Starting from what one would consider a normal life imagine waking up without any access to your own savings. Imagine if the building you worked in was shelled and your workplace was destroyed overnight. Many homes and apartments were shelled and are still shelled on an ongoing basis. Imagine in one brief moment everything that can be taken for granted is gone. Normal families raising children and working to provide college educations for them had their lives ripped out from under them. Retirees could no longer count on their pension. Insulin and other medications for chronic illnesses were no longer available.

The following quote is from 2014 when Ukraine's nationalist Maidan uprising and subsequent coup were almost over. It summarizes the despair well. It epitomizes the need for some form of normality, just to be able to say one's loved one's life matters, and that you too are a human being:

"You cannot leave everything: your work, your house, the proof you had a life"you can't throw it all away. People hang on by the skin of their teeth. After all that has happened, they hope for any miracle." "A Letter from Kiev.

From 2014 until today at the frontlines and in the gray zone (i.e. the neutral zone) between LNR, DNR and the Ukrainian army; these are the stressors families are going through on a daily basis. Like many people that have written a lot about the war in Donbass, I've written about the men and women that gave up everything to volunteer and defend the people in Donbass from being relocated, run through filtration (i.e. concentration) camps, tortured, and killed. All of this because the people wouldn't support an aberrant political ideology commonly called nazism.

From 2014 onward there have been groups of people volunteering in LNR and DNR, and working daily miracles to patch up other people's lives, giving them enough hope to hold on. For a soldier that has been in the trenches for a month the heroes are the men and women that jump into harm's way to get the electricity back on and the water running, so that they and their families can take a hot shower or sleep in a warm room once in a while.

The electrical workers are heroes that provide a degree of normalcy to the soldiers and civilians near the front line towns and villages. They keep the power on for small businesses, so they can stay open, so even people in small villages can buy bread and other necessities. In towns and villages across LNR, electrical workers volunteer to get the power back on during the worst weather. Near the front lines, many electrical workers have been shot by the Kiev Ukrainian army.

Doctors, nurses, and ambulance drivers go elbow deep into the day's worst tragedies. In 2014, they were not getting paid for going to the front lines to pick up and treat soldiers and civilians. There was no one to pay them for quite a while. The government in LNR and DNR had to form to provide social services. LNR boasts one of the best hospitals that came out of the Soviet system for both lung and cancer treatment. Because of the many coal mines, lung disease research and treatment remains a priority. Lugansk Republican Hospital has also been a leader in cancer studies and treatment. The reason is obvious, since the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident and subsequent meltdown. This could be very important as LNR develops over the next few years and the peace process moves forward.

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Most People Are But They Do Not Realize It

Most people have heard of the drug companies Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Merck but not necessarily Animal Pharma companies with names like Zoetis and Elanco. Animal Pharma operates under the public's radar because the hormones, antibiotics, growth promoters, antiparasite and fungal drugs and vaccines it uses are not on the food labels. Nor do ads for the drugs appear on TV or safety scandals about them reach Capitol Hill. Still, Animal Pharma is a huge revenue engine for Pharma that sells drugs by the ton and provides a never-ending supply of compliant "patients."



Huge, GMO-linked dairies supply some of Ben & Jerry's products

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Factory farming which confines animal "units" to minimal space to save money has been a boon for Animal Pharma. Such "efficiencies" require high use of growth-producing drugs and drugs to treat and prevent diseases caused by crowding, stress, and immobility. Despite the drugs, tragic losses from bird flu and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus have occurred which Big Food has largely kept hidden from the public.

The drugs used in Big Food's meat production would be a tough sell if the public knew about them. For example, who wants to eat an animal treated with the antibiotic tilmicosin? The drug label, intended for the farmer, says, "Not for human use. Injection of this drug in humans has been associated with fatalities." Tilmicosin's label even has an emergency phone number printed right on the bottle, as well as a note telling physicians what to do in case the farmer accidentally injects himself. (It says, "The cardiovascular system is the target of toxicity and should be monitored closely. Cardiovascular toxicity may be due to calcium channel blockade.") Yet tilmicosin is widely used in food animals and even shows up in the milk of treated dairy cows, reports central Ohio's WBNS-10 TV news.

Who wants to eat pork, beef and turkeys made with the widely used growth producing drug ractopamine? Its label says, "Not for use in humans...Use protective clothing, impervious gloves, protective eye wear, and a NIOSH [National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health]-approved dust mask."

Three years after ractopamine's 1999 approval for pigs, the FDA accused its manufacturer Elanco, Eli Lilly's animal subsidiary, of withholding information about ractopamine's "safety and effectiveness" and "adverse animal drug experiences" in a 14 page warning letter.

Ractopamine is banned in Europe, China and 160 countries and actually caused riots in Taiwan in 2007. A rumor that Taiwan's ractopamine ban was going to be lifted caused 3,500 pig farmers and party members to congregate at the Department of Health and Council of Agriculture in Taipei City some carrying pigs and throwing dung.

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has found the antibiotic gentamicin in dairy cows sold for food. Gentamicin is an antibiotic so dangerous that there is no published tolerance in edible animal tissue. One dairy farm caught selling gentamicin-contaminated animals for public consumption--Willet Dairy in Locke, New York--was featured on Nightline in 2010 for animal abuse. Gentamicin is known for harming kidneys and ear/balance systems in humans and for remaining in livestock for 18 months or more.

A 2010 USDA Office of the Inspector General report found violative levels of metals, anti-parasite vaccines and medicines were knowingly released into the human food supply. The metals included copper and arsenic. Also found in meat released to the public were penicillin, the antibiotics florfenicol, sulfamethazine and sulfadimethoxine, the anti-parasite drug ivermectin and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug flunixin. Four plants, said the report, had an astounding 211 drug residue violations, but repeat violators--"individuals who have a history of picking up dairy cows with drugs in their system and dropping them off at the plant"--are widely tolerated by the inspection service, says the report.

Animal Pharma's unlabeled drugs are dangerous for animals too. Images of cattle crippled on Zilmax, a chemical cousin to ractopamine, moved Tyson temporarily to tell feedlot customers it would not accept Zilmax-fed cattle and Merck temporarily suspended Zilmax sales. In a short period of time, the FDA reported 285 US cattle dying unexpectedly or being destroyed after being fed Zilmax, 75 animals losing hooves and 94 with pneumonia. The drug is again for sale by Merck "For increased rate of weight gain, improved feed efficiency, and increased carcass leanness in cattle fed in confinement for slaughter during the last 20 to 40 days on feed."
From Counterpunch



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In our last article, we predicted that the 2020's will be an era of transformation. We focused on the development of the movement since the "Take-Off" phase of the 2011 Occupy encampments, followed by Black Lives Matter, Fight for $15, Idle No More, carbon infrastructure protests, debt resistance, immigration protests and more. The 2020s will be a decade when the impacts of years of mismanagement of crisis situations, such as climate change, inequality and US militarism, become unavoidable requiring major transformations. What we do now to prepare will help determine the result.

Transformative Era will be Driven by Long Neglected Issues

For many of the issues the popular movement has been raising, the government has failed to act or take counterproductive actions, putting the profits and interests of campaign donors ahead of the necessities of people and protection of the planet. The environment is being destroyed, the food supply is being poisoned by pesticides and the wealth divide is widening.

The massive threat of climate change has become more immediate and worse. In the last year, the scientific consensus has become more dire. The impacts are upon us now -- wildfires and superstorms, war brought on by drought, mass migrations and deaths.

At the same time multiple analyses and government reports point to a fading US empire. Since the end of World War II, the US has dominated the globe politically, economically and militarily, becoming the largest empire in world history. That era is coming to an end.

In his new book, "In the Shadows of the American Century , " historian and chronicler of empire Alfred McCoy writes that US empire will end in the next decade. The US is falling behind in all spheres of influence. McCoy demonstrates how US spying on foreign governments and using torture in multiple countries have undermined the US' moral authority, as have aggressive bullying for corporation-friendly trade deals, holding back climate agreements in the Obama era and pulling out of the climate agreement in the Trump era. He chronicles the rise of China, India and Russia, among other countries. The power dynamics of the world are changing with the US being left out of important decisions while China and Russia work in tandem in more areas.

McCoy describes various scenarios for how US empire will end, depending on how the current crises play out. No matter what happens, it is up to those of us living in the US to demand the US dismantle its empire in a way that causes the least harm. Paul Street writes, "the decline of the American Empire might be a good thing for ordinary people at home as well as abroad." Ending empire is an opportunity for changes that move us toward being a cooperative nation in a multipolar world rather than hanging on to power through military might.

The end of empire will have many repercussions. Public investment in empire has meant a lack of investment on urgent needs, e.g., repairing failing and inadequate infrastructure, rebuilding cities that have been ignored, especially in black and brown communities, strengthening education from pre-school through post-graduate, to name a handful of many inadequately-funded areas. The empire economy helped create an unfair economy at home that pushed people into poverty, debt and homelessness. To reverse those impacts, the US must shift military spending to meet civilian needs and provide funding for a new democratized economy.

System-changing Issues

The credibility of the power structure that allowed these crises to fester will shrink. On each of the issues where the people's movement has been growing, those in power have either denied reality and done nothing or have made matters worse through counterproductive policies. Multiple crisis situations barreling toward us require mobilization for system change , not simple reforms.

The US democracy crisis is due to the corruption of money in elections, laws that prevent challenges by third parties, media that warps coverage in favor of the duopoly, gerrymandering and more. The mirage of US elections has become evident to tens of millions of people resulting in both duopoly parties being unpopular and in disarray.

System failure is also a failure of the capitalist economic system, dominated by Wall Street, monopolies and massive transnational corporations. The kleptocrats in power are looting public treasures, monetizing and profiteering off our basic necessities such as water, energy and transportation. Increasing numbers of people agree we need a new economy based on economic democracy and the Commons where key sectors are socialized and under democratic control.

In "Seymour Melman and the New American Revolution," Jonathan Feldman describes Melman's ideas for dismantling empire and capitalism and shifting economic and political power to people through worker ownership and other democratized systems.

The movement must position itself for this coming era of transition by: (1) weakening the power structure by protest of mistaken policies and building alternatives to replace them; and (2) specifically defining the transformations we want so that the power holders cannot deceive us with false measures.

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From Paul Craig Roberts Website

In 1953 Washington and Britain overthrew the democratically elected government of Mohammad Mosaddegh and installed a dictator to rule Iran for the benefit of Washington and the British. In declassified documents, the CIA has admitted its role in overthrowing the Iranian government. The overthrow pattern is always the same. Washington hires protesters, then introduces violence, controls the explanation, and unseats the government.

Ever since the Iranian Revolution that overthrew the Washington-installed dictator in 1979, Washington has been trying to regain control of Iran. In 2009 Washington financed the "Green Revolution," which was an attempt to overthrow the Ahmadinejad government.

Today Washington is again at work against the Iranian people. It is difficult to believe that any Iranian, after watching what Washington-organized protests have done to Honduras, Libya, Ukraine, and Syria, have attempted to do to Iran in 2009, and is attempting to do today to Venezuela, could possibly in good faith go out into the streets against their own government. Are these Iranian protesters utterly stupid or are they hired to commit treason against their country?

Why does Iran permit foreign-funded operatives to attempt to destabilize the government as Ukraine did and as Venezuela does today? Are these governments so brainwashed by the West that they think that democracy means permitting foreign agents to attempt to overthrow the government?

Are governments so intimidated by the Western presstitutes that they find it challenging to defend themselves against foreign-paid provocateurs?

Having succeeded in causing violent protests in Iran, Washington now intends to use an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Iran in order to set the stage for more intervention against Iran. The Washington-incited violence has been turned into a "human rights issue" against Iran. Will Washington get away with it?

Iran's fate is up to Russia and China. If Washington succeeds in destabilizing Iran, Russia and China are next. Russia seems to understand this. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said yesterday: "We warn the US against attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Just as the Russian government comprehended that Russia could not permit Washington's destabilization of Syria, Russia understands she cannot permit the destabilization of Iran.

The leader of Turkey has aligned with Russia, declaring "obviously some people from abroad are provoking the situation."

That is obvious to everyone but Americans, who are constantly lied to by "their" government and by the presstitute lie factories such as CNN, New York Times, Washington Post, BBC.

Trump and Haley are the type of loudmouths who are likely to break Washington's power and influence over the world. They "take names," admit that they bribe foreign leaders, and issue insane threats. If this doesn't wake up the rest of the world, nothing will.
Congressman Beto O'Rourke on Immigration Reform, speaks on the House Floor about the need to pass comprehensive Immigration Reform, and that we can not be held hostage by border security concerns.

(There has been much unexpected interest all over the nation in the last article I published a few days ago on this subject, especially in the context of Facebook groups of many stripes, with some calling for more of such coverage, especially as we could go back to the early days before the announcement of his candidacy. I personally am very interested in what do the people themselves have to say in letters to the editor, which I call the Battle for the Editorial Pages.

Clearly, such letters show a coalescing and building of grassroots support, and have a powerful effect on the very same editorial page writers who end up writing the endorsements right before the primaries and then right before the general election. I believe this to be especially valuable in a large far flung state like Texas, with its more than 250 counties and lots of small- and medium-sized newspapers, who have a sometimes surprising and very healthy ability to dig deeply into the issues that concern their readers.)

By the candidate himself, almost one year ago, before he announced his Senate candidacy:

Beto O'Rourke: Mexico helps keep America great

OpEd in the Dallas Morning News Feb 14, 2017 (excerpted)

U.S.-Mexico trade supports 463,132 jobs in Texas and 6 million nationally. Those numbers reflect Mexico's status as Texas' biggest trading partner and the third largest for America. More than just exchanging goods, Texas and Mexico actually build things together. Big things, valuable things. Like cars, medical devices and consumer electronics. Mexico is unique among our trading partners because Texas workers benefit from exports to Mexico and imports from Mexico. Forty percent of the value of finished products we import from Mexico is U.S. content, for China, it's 4 percent. Exit NAFTA or start a trade war with Mexico, and say goodbye to those jobs. Mexico has willingly sacrificed so much in the U.S.-led war on drugs, despite the fact that it is the United States that creates the demand for these illegal drugs. It would be a wonder if this sacrifice and cooperation were to survive repeated attempts to humiliate our neighbor. It's up to us. If we allow President Donald Trump to refer to Mexico as the source of rapists and criminals in the United States without challenging his statements; or to build a wall that would physically isolate our two countries from each other; or to add a 20 percent tax on goods coming in from this critical manufacturing partner; or to threaten to send the U.S. military to fight drug gangs in Mexico while American consumers continue to smoke, snort and inject 25 percent of the world's illegal drugs, we may very well lose a good friend. This essential ally and indispensable partner ensures that we keep America great.

Beto O'Rourke is a U.S. congressman representing El Paso, Texas. He wrote this for The Dallas Morning News.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Interview with Cenk Uygur on The Young Turks, that spells it all out brilliantly!

.youtube.com/watch?v=VzipRjUwQgo

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(Below is one of the few letters to the editor that I could find, and it reminds me of letters I wrote two years ago on behalf of Bernie Sanders at a time when mainstream media was either virtually ignoring him or treating him like some kind of eccentric socialist from the eccentric state of Vermont. Remember though that this is Dallas, and the rest of Texas' newspapers are treating his candidacy in an open and more egalitarian manner. The dearth of such letters to the editor also completely proves my point that gearing up their presence on the editorial pages of Texas, to increase name recognition, should be a strong campaigning priority for Beto and his team!)

Dallas Morning News: Why not cover O'Rourke event? November 15, 2017

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The overreaction by the mainstream media (MSM) about Michael Wolff's new book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," was expected. But is there anything revealed from the excerpts of the book that we did not know or could not have inferred? I think not. So here is my take.

The excerpts from Michael Wolff's book are not surprising at all. What is surprising is that the more visible part of the mainstream media, broadcast news, did not hammer these knowns into the American psyche. Excellent journalists from significant rags like the Washington Post were pleading for coverage and would just get 6-minute segments in the hyperventilating sphere of cable news. They got little coverage on the Sunday Morning network news shows as they attempted to make their weak and shallow coverage of Donald Trump attain an impossible level of unearned gravitas.

So far many in the MSM are exhibiting two distinct reactions.

The first is, 'not much there as we covered much of it. And by the way, there are a few inaccuracies in the book.' In those statements, they try to absolve themselves from their dereliction of duty. While it is true that they covered it, their concentration was not on what mattered but on the shallow. They allowed Trump to use them and they used Trump to get an "easy-to-get" audience instead of trying to inform their audience of the potential dangers and work hard to get their attention on real issues that affect us all. Had they done that, they were sure to get secondary coverage form many sites yearning for real news and information.

The second reaction is to treat the book as if it is revealing new information that fundamentally changes our understanding of what is going on in the White House. The fact is, we are well aware of the dysfunction, incompetence, and ignorance that defines the Trump administration. The problem is the attributes that define the Trump administration is taking advantage of on a continuous basis. So, while the new news hyperventilation is Michael Wolff's book, the competent Republicans in power are using that distraction to decimate the core of America. I covered this in my blog post titled "Trump not smart enough to realize GOP establishment using him."

The media does need to hyperventilate on a few issues that it just covers in passing. Specifically, Trump campaigned as a populist, and now he is screwing his base, more so than any other demographic. Why not spell it out in terms they can understand. Maybe they could use Robert Reich's words as a template as we did in the blog post "If Trump voters read Robert Reich's list of cons on them will they believe?" I think they would.

Many in the activist world are pleading for a press that returns to its primary purposes. Great print journalists are doing great work. Bloggers are working overtime to get their work out to a broader audience. But there is a sect within our culture that still depends on the visible part of the MSM, cable news. Do your job.
From Counterpunch



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For several months we've been hearing a crescendo of outcries that Russia used social media to sway the 2016 presidential election. The claim has now been debunked by an unlikely source -- one of the most Russiagate-frenzied big media outlets in the United States, the Washington Post.

Far away from the media echo chamber, the Post news story is headlined: "There's Still Little Evidence That Russia's 2016 Social Media Efforts Did Much of Anything."

The article focuses on "what we actually know about the Russian activity on Facebook and Twitter: It was often modest, heavily dissociated from the campaign itself and minute in the context of election social media efforts."

In fact, the ballyhooed Facebook ads were notably not targeted to be seen in swing states, the piece by Post journalist Philip Bump reports. As for the much-hyped tweets, they were smaller than miniscule in quantity compared to overall election-related tweets.

But don't expect the fervent canard about Russian manipulation of social media to fade away anytime soon. At this point, the Russiagate atmosphere has become so toxic -- with incessant propaganda, credulity, fear-laced conformity and partisan opportunism -- that basic logic often disintegrates.

One of the weirdest aspects of claims that Russia undermined the election with social media has involved explaining away the fact that few of the ads and posts in question actually referred to Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump or the election. Instead, we're told, the wily Russians tried to help Trump by inflaming social divisions such as racial tensions. It's a rampant storyline (rendered here by NBC News political director Chuck Todd) that's reminiscent of the common claim during the civil rights movement that "outside agitators," such as Russian-directed reds, were inflaming and exploiting racial tensions in the South.

From there, it's just a hop skip and jump to smearing Americans who dissent from U.S. orthodoxies as useful idiots who serve the interests of plotters in the Kremlin.

Of course history is not exactly repeating itself, but it's rhyming an awful lot. There are real parallels between the McCarthy Era and today's anti-Russia fervor in the United States.

Despite all the information and analysis that have strengthened progressive understanding in this country during the last few decades, fixating on Russia as culpable for the election of Trump has been widely irresistible. Perhaps that fixation is less upsetting than deeper realization of just how rotten the U.S. corporate system of injustice has become -- and how the forces that brought us the horrors of the Trump presidency are distinctly homegrown.

Narratives scapegoating Russia now have an extremely powerful grip on the USA. The consequences include heightened U.S.-Russia tensions that absolutely mean heightened risks of nuclear war -- and worsening threats to democratic discourse at home.

The conditioned reflex to label as somehow "pro-Putin" any opinion that overlaps with a Kremlin outlook is becoming part of the muscle memory of much of the American body politic. Countless journalists, pundits, activists and politicians have fallen under the Russiagate spell. They include the liberal primetime lineup on MSNBC, where -- as the media watchdog group FAIR pointed out last month -- Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes routinely bypass stories of great importance in order "to lead with minutiae from the ongoing Russia investigation that has consumed MSNBC's coverage like no other news event since the beginning of the Trump presidency."

Across most of the media landscape, the meme that Russians attacked American democracy with social-media posts has been treated as self-evident.

In a typical exercise of the conformity that afflicts the national press corps, the Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones magazine, David Corn, wrote this fall that the House intelligence committee needed more staff to investigate, in his words, "how" -- not whether -- "a foreign adversary attacked American democracy." His piece breathlessly declared that "the Trump-Russia scandal" was "expanding -- it now includes new revelations regarding Moscow's use of social media in the United States to influence the 2016 campaign."

That kind of stenography for powerful spin may snag cable TV appearances and lucrative book contracts, but it's a notable disservice to journalism and democracy.

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Reader: be aware this is a fantasy of wishful thinking, not a news item. Read last paragraph first.

In an early morning tweet yesterday, President Trump made this stunning announcement: "The American people have had enough of these mass shootings, these acts of domestic terrorism. In the next few days I will present a comprehensive plan to Congress and the American people by which to bring this dire situation under control."

This tweet went viral on Twitter and other forms of communication. Millions upon millions of Americans heard the great news and were ecstatic, lavishing praise on the president for taking this decisive action to deal with these domestic atrocities.

They flooded the streets of cities across America, celebrating this monumental announcement, so pleased and grateful that that something was finally going to be done about these mass shootings that have been killing innocent Americans, including helpless little children.

Watching these dreadful crimes being committed against Americans by their fellow Americans has been like watching a frightening movie again and again. A terrible mass shooting takes place, Americans are stunned, shocked; the media covers the tragedy 24/7, experts on terrorism appear on CNN, MSNBC and network news shows and go on and on about what the shooter's motive may have been, if he had accomplices, or had mental problems.

But do we hear any in-depth discussions relative to the measures which need to be taken to bring this situation under control? The president and members of Congress express their sympathies to the victim's families but do absolutely nothing to try to end these murders of innocents. And where is the rage, the outrage that should be coming from the American people?

When all the shock and media attention dies down, politicians in Congress quickly turn to other matters, the media returns to the unearthing of societal and political scandals, and the American people go on about their business. And then the next mass shooting takes place followed by another and another and there seems to be no end in sight.

This is exactly what happened when that horrendous domestic terrorist attack took place not long ago in Las Vegas when 58 people were gunned down and 546 wounded during a concert.

America has a government that continues to spend mega-billions on the War on Terror to fight against suspected terrorists in foreign nations when the greatest threat to Americans today comes from within America itself.

President Trump, true to his word, followed through and presented his ambitious plan to Congress and the American people. In the Congress, Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan, leaders of the Senate and the House respectively, fully aware that Mr. Trump, the Democratic Party, and the majority of Americans all wanted these mass shootings to end, wasted no time in declaring that they were 100% behind the plan.

Here are the main elements of the president's plan:

There will be a total ban on any form of military-style assault weapon. Private ownership of AR-15s, AK47s and similar weaponry will no longer be allowed.

There will also be a ban on large ammunition magazines and bump stocks that equip weapons to fire 9 rounds per second with some at 800 per minute.

NRA and gun industry representatives will no longer be allowed to enter the halls of Congress with the intent to lobby legislators. Legislators will not be able to accept campaign contributions, gifts or any type perks from gun industry corporations or their representatives.

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Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Putting real power into the hands of voters and consumers, has made bottom-up approaches massively disruptive for politics and brands. It's the present and future of politics and business. Rob Kall's book Bottom-Up pulls together the wisdom and experience of some of the leading thinkers who have brought the bottom-up revolution to full bloom."



Joe Trippi, pioneering Internet campaign manager of Howard Dean, digital campaign consultant
By Harvey "Sluggo" Wasserman

The announcement by US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions that he'll pursue federal pot prosecutions has two age-old motivations: power and money.

Financially, of course, the Republican party is vested in America's vast private prison system. Every new arrestee means money in the pockets of the investors who own and operate them. Keeping those cells and beds occupied is the essence of the industry"and of Pot Prohibition.

The Drug War is a giant cash cow, not only for the prison owners, but for the cops, guards, lawyers, judges, bailiffs and all the other operatives whose livelihood depends on destroying those of the nation's tens of millions cannabis customers.

Medical legalization in about half the country, and full legalization in California, Colorado and other states, represents a serious threat to this multi-billion-dollar incarceration scam. Sessions has risen to its defense.

Then there's the power.

As long as so many millions of people smoke the stuff, marijuana's illegality give police the ability to bust whoever they want, whenever they want. It is the core enabler of a police state.

In fact, Pot Prohibition is a major foundation of the Republican Regime stretching from the White House and Congress to state government, the courts and beyond.

The key is disenfranchisement.

Since the Drug War's initiation by Harry J. Anslinger in the 1930s, the principle focus has been on people of color. Anslinger promoted the term "marijuana" to deal with cannabis because it has an Hispanic twinge and aroused paranoid bigotry among the white population.

While promoting films like "Reefer Madness" to make pot appear like some sinister force, Anslinger's minions made cannabis into a racist menace.

But it was Richard Nixon who took the assault to its ultimate depth. Nixon hated blacks and hippies. He also had a serious interest in slashing into their communities, and depriving them of the vote.

In 1972 his own Blue Ribbon Schaefer Commission recommended against Prohibition. Chaired by Pennsylvania's liberal Governor Richard Schaefer, it said the health impacts did not warrant a national campaign.

Nixon ignored all that. Amidst a terrible war and racial upheavals, he proclaimed Drugs to be America's most serious problem.

His own staff knew better. As aide John Ehrlichmann put it:

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There are three documents that every educator - guardians of humanity - should read as the United States prepares to "govern" the world in 2018.



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1. When did the Anthropocene Begin? A Mid-Twentieth Century Boundary Level is Stratigraphically Optima l (8 pages)

2. It is Two and a Half Minutes to Midnight (18 pages)

3. National Security Strategy of the United States of America DECEMBER 2017 (68 pages).

The first document was authored by a panel of 26 international scientists "charged with assembling evidence on whether the Anthropocene should be formally designated as a new geological epoch and, if so, where to place its beginning." As we know, earth's 4.6 billon year existence is broken up into units of geologic markers that describe the timing and relationships of events that have occurred during Earth's history. For example, Paleocene (dinosaurs), Miocene (ice), P leistocene (humans), and our current epoch H olocene (civilization). The newly proposed Anthropocene epoch is categorized as "the present time interval, in which many geologically significant conditions and processes are profoundly altered by human activities." Some argue that the "Capitalocene" is more accurate than ""Anthropocene" because, in fact, humans lived on earth for 200,000 years with only minor disruption to the global ecology until capitalism combined with technology to create major havoc in the 20th Century.

While the document lists eleven criteria for the Anthropocene, global events such as man-made pollutants to large dams (such as our celebrated critical exploration of Aswan), what is most remarkable is the date proposed for its start point, 1945. The panel explains:

[A] boundary placed at the time instant of the Alamogordo test (Trinity) would mark a historic turning point of global significance associated with the Great Acceleration, while in practical stratigraphic terms it would include all primary stratigraphic signals of bomb-related radionuclides, including those of the geologically simultaneous Hiroshima - August 6, 1945 - and Nagasaki - August 9, 1945 - bombs. Moreover, placing the boundary at an exact point in time, related to the appearance of a chemostratigraphic marker, is consistent with the International and North American Stratigraphic Codes and with the definition of the Pleistocene - Holocene boundary at a deuterium excursion dated at high precision in the NGRIP Ice Core.

Not an easy read, but readily accessible to trained intellectuals (paid to think deeply and train others to do the same), the mark of our privileged position as a class of worker within human society. The document makes clear that human-made bombs coupled with habitat encroachment, collapse of biodiversity, and climate change mark the Anthropocene as possibly being the last epoch in human history.

It is Two and a Half Minutes to Midnight was published by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist, a nuclear watchdog group formed after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the very makers of those bombs. Seeking to educate the public regarding the "Pandora's box of modern science" opened by the Manhattan Project, the Bulletin's scientists created the Doomsday Clock in 1947 as a graphic prediction of how close the planet is to a nuclear war. Set at seven minutes to midnight 70 years ago -- midnight being Armageddon -- the closest the clock has gotten toward the witching hour was 1953 when it was set at two minutes to midnight after both the U.S. and the Soviet Union detonated the first hydrogen bombs, a destructive force up to 1,000 times more powerful than an atomic bomb. Since 1953, the Doomsday Clock has fluctuated between 17 to 3 minutes to midnight and currently not only marks a nuclear threat, but "takes a broad and international view of existential threats to humanity, focusing on long term trends."

A mere six days into the Trump presidency, the Bulletin's scientists moved the clock forward by 30 seconds - the first time they have ever split the minute -- reflecting the second highest threat level since the inception of the macabre time device. While the election of Trump in itself was not the only reason for the creep toward annihilation, the Bulletin noted Trump's "disturbing comments about the use and proliferation of nuclear weapons and expressed disbelief in the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change." These concerns were confirmed eleven months later with the publication of third document this article addresses, Trump's first National Security Strategy.

Congress mandates that the President of the United States make public his/her administration's approach to the national security of the United States. It can be argued that the most radical change in the National Security Strategy (NSS) of the U.S. was a simple 21-word statement in George W. Bush's 2002 document:

And, as a matter of common sense and self-defense, America will act against such emerging threats before they are fully formed.

For the first time in America's post WWII history, Bush moved U.S. military policy away from a defensive posture to one of offense, which led to the disastrous invasion of Iraq and other human tragedies. This military "preemption" became known as the Bush Doctrine. While Trump's National Security Strategy keeps the Bush Doctrine in play ("We must " deter, disrupt, and defeat potential threats before they reach the United States" [emphasis mine]), his first draft will be known for its own twenty-word radical shift in U.S. policy:

U.S. leadership is indispensable to countering an anti-growth energy agenda that is detrimental to U.S. economic and energy security interests.

In other words, Trump has removed climate change as a national security threat despite that fact that the Department of Defense identified it as such in 2015, an act that prompted Obama's last NSS to state:

Climate change is an urgent and growing threat to our national security, contributing to increased natural disasters, refugee flows, and conflicts over basic resources like food and water.

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Af-Pak War

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Diplomacy has known the Message to Garcia, the Willy-Nicky correspondence, the Zimmerman telegram, and the Zinoviev letter. Now we have President Trump's tweet claiming Pakistan has been duplicitous in the Afghan war:

"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!"

Pakistan has taken issue with the claim but any cab driver in Kabul will say the same. So will any GI who walked patrol along the Af-Pak frontier. So will countless Shias who have suffered at the hands of Pakistani-backed militants. So will the people of Mumbai.

The Trump tweet was nonetheless ham-fisted. Unless accompanied by a drastic reassessment of America's role in the Afghan war, it will only bring trouble, probably in the form of closing off supply lines running from Pakistani ports to Afghanistan. The president, or at least his foreign policy team, should recognize the tweet's implications and rethink the war.

Pakistan, Afganistan, and Islamist militancy

Pakistan has supported the Taliban since the mid-90s when Mullah Omar was able to patch together a network of former mujahideen bands and impose a measure of stability on much of Afghanistan. This provided Pakistan the opportunity to develop commerce with Central Asia and to form a partnership against India. Indeed, the generals see Afghanistan as a redoubt from which they could wage war should the Punjab and other provinces fall to India.

Islamist militancy too figures in the outlook of Pakistani generals. The , a Taliban ally responsible for many terrorist bombings in Kabul, is based inside Pakistan's tribal area. Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and al Qaeda are ensconced in eastern Afghanistan where they receive support from the Pakistani army and train guerrillas to fight India whether in the towns of Kashmir or the streets of Mumbai. It was no surprise to observers that Osama bin Laden was found a stone's throw from a Pakistani army base.

Pakistan isn't alone among regional powers in supporting the Taliban (though not the other groups). Iran and Russia also deliver modest amounts of weaponry. They do so not because of strong affinities but out of recognition that the Taliban will not be defeated and it's best to have at least some influence with them. Further, Iran and Russia both want to bleed the United States in a futile conflict.

Understanding the war

The Afghan war is not simply the US and the Kabul government versus the Taliban and a handful of aligned militant groups. The US is up against, if only in a clandestine and limited way, Pakistan, Iran, and Russia. Whatever the US introduces into the conflict, more troops or more money, will be matched by its rivals. Further those three adversaries control all supply routes into Afghanistan.

The US has labored 16 years in Afghanistan, losing over 2,000 lives and spending some $800 billion dollars. There's little to show for it. The insurgency remains strong and most development programs lead nowhere, as even Pentagon oversight group SIGAR reports on a weekly basis. The US has shown formidable resolve and adaptability in the war. If there is any concern with our allies, it is not that we are abandoning the Kabul government. It is that we are misallocating attention and resources in Central Asia and not in more important parts of the world.

Perhaps our strategic thinkers should realize that. They may also realize that withdrawing from Afghanistan would saddle strategic rivals in Pakistan, Iran, Russia, and China with the problem of holding up the Kabul government and containing Islamist militancy in their part of the world. They may find themselves burdened with the problem for another sixteen years. It would be a dextrous geopolitical move. It would also make for a good tweet.
Reprinted from www.huffingtonpost.com

Not far from the state of Texas, a fraudulent election was very recently held and stolen. The Honduran electoral commission recently certified that Juan Orlando Hernandez became President after widespread reports of irregularity and fraud. It was the culmination of a trend decades in the making in Honduras, one final and dramatic blow to democratic governance that came on the heels of decades of worsening inequality, increasing concentration of corporate power, and creeping authoritarianism. The Organization of American States is right; we need a new election in Honduras. But more than that, in the United States have to acknowledge that we are seeing our future when looking at the political climate in Honduras, if we don't recognize the early warning signs and do something about it.

Honduras has become a deeply unequal society. According to an analysis by CEPR, more than 63 percent of Hondurans are either unemployed, underemployed, or working for less than the minimum wage. But that didn't just happen overnight; it came after decades of rubber-stamping legislation by the Honduran government giving away windfall profits to massive corporations at the expense of most working people. It was a systematic takeover of government by the wealthy, and an intentional effort to make life harder for the poor in order to secure more for the rich. Labor unions were dismantled, and corporations wrote the laws. The tax fight this week showed us that the United States is clearly on that same course. A single family "- the Walton family "- owns as much wealth as the bottom 40 percent of Americans combined. Wealthy elites write our laws, own our newsrooms, and seek to use their influence to secure even more in profits.

That economic reality is deeply tied to why a right-wing politician was able to override the will of the people in Honduras. Only when such a vast gap in power and influence exists between most people and the uber-wealthy in any society, can the one percent ram through legislation that deeply harms the lives of most people in that society. Over the past few months, it has become clear just how many Americans deeply oppose the tax bill passed by Congress this week. Still, because of the sheer economic and political power that's wielded by the wealthiest one percent in our society, legislation that harms the overwhelming majority of people in the United States was passed. That should frighten us all, because the fundamentally undemocratic exercise of power by the wealthiest to override the will of the majority is exactly what just happened in Honduras.

Representative government rests on the premise that government serves the people. When that stops being true, and when the powerful can override what most people want, the potential for undemocratic abuse is absolutely immense. In Honduras, at least 22 demonstrators have been killed, mostly by state security forces, since the election. Police and military kill their own neighbors without consequence. That's because undemocratic oligarchy has become the norm, and has convinced those in power in Honduras to believe they are rulers, instead of servants.

In Congress, we are speaking up loudly and clearly against U.S. support for the Honduran regime, as we have since the coup, because the futures of our two nations are deeply tied. In March, I helped lead the reintroduction of the Berta Ca'ceres Human Rights in Honduras Act, H.R. 1299, sponsored by Rep. Hank Johnson, which demands an immediate suspension of all U.S. security aid to Honduras and requires the U.S. to vote no on loans from multilateral development banks for the police or military of Honduras. But we've also got to recognize the creep of oligarchy against democracy here at home, and fight against it by outlining a bold, forward-looking vision for our future that includes everyone. I'll do that with renewed vigor in the year to come.
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

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Arlene Goldbard, author of The Culture of Possibility: Art, Artists & The Future
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marihuana

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"Hey, come on in. Have a seat. Have a brownie." Sue shoved the plate towards Jen as she pulled up a beanbag chair.

Jen narrowed her eyes. "Homemade? You know I don't inhale."

Billie piped in. "May be your only chance, now that Sessions is on the warpath against reefer madness."

Jen scoffed. "Look, I don't like drugs. I don't do drugs. But, I don't think marijuana should be illegal."

"It's after January 1st. And we're in California. The recreation state," said Sue.

"Yeah, but we're facing a dinosaur from the creation state," muttered Billie. "States' rights only matter to him if it's ruling over women's bodies and prohibiting contraception and abortion."

"I think it's just a distraction from whatever crisis Trump wants to have us ignore or forget," Sue said.

"Actually," Jen countered, "I think it's more than that." All eyes turned to her.

Jen continued, "Not just the alt-right but the 'establishment' have vested interests in keeping drugs illegal. The drug war is a huge moneymaker for the deep state and beyond. For years and years."

"Iran Contra," said Marlene.

Jen nodded. "One example. A lot of politicians and their initiatives were funded by the War on Drugs. And continue to be so." She sighed and reached for a brownie. "If this tasty treat is legal, they don't get the money."

"But weed is a big business," Sue admitted.

"Yes, but for new entrepreneurs, and, maybe at some point, the tobacco and alcohol industry." Jen nibbled at the dessert. "But not for Big Pharma, the Military/Industrial/Security complex, or several US leaders, past or president."

A big bite. "Mmm, Sue, you are a good cook." Jen scarfed down the rest of the brownie. "For example, lawyers, judges, police, and the private prison industry will take a hit if marijuana is legal. Fewer burglaries, robberies, and non-violent peace activists to fill up those expensive jail cells, and keep the courts 'busy'."

"Never thought of that," said Billie. "Imagine if all we had to deal with was murder and speeding. In cars."

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From Alternet

White nationalist vice-chair Kris Kobach wants Homeland Security to vet new voters, despite its incomplete citizenship database.

Anyone who favors expanding voting rights should be relieved by Wednesday's demise of President Trump's so-called Election Integrity Commission. But the panel's right-wing agenda to rig the voting process to benefit the GOP will continue.

There's plenty to cheer about when white nationalists like Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the vice-chair, and voter suppressors like the Heritage Foundation's Hans von Spakovsky were discredited by a panel run in a secretive, conspiratorial and clownish manner. But these Republicans are not giving up on their plan to create new barriers to eligible voters.

"Amid many challenges for the institutions of American democracy, this was a rousing win," said Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice. "No doubt, there is fallout to come... The commission has vanished, but its pernicious objectives persist. The White House has asked the Department of Homeland Security to take up the commission's work -- a dangerous and appalling idea. Earlier this morning, the president took to Twitter to renew calls for voting restrictions."

Indeed, Kobach signaled his next move to Politico, which noted, "The Kansas official said he expects officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and political appointees overseeing that agency to take over the commission's work and begin efforts to match state voter rolls to federal databases of noncitizens. He insisted he was not disappointed with the president's decision."

"It's the right move," Kobach said. "It's a shifting in tactics from having the investigation be done by a federal commission to having it be done by a federal agency. The agency has a greater ability to move quickly to get the investigation done."

The GOP Strategy Unmasked

Kobach is referring to a strategy employed by the most fervent partisan Republicans to position red-run states to keep new registrants from voting and do mass purges of infrequent but otherwise legal voters from their rolls. In short, it draws on intentionally sloppy data-mining to create thousands of false positives that are then used to stymie voters. That porous data has been used in recent cycles in Georgia to delay approving new registrations and to accelerate mass purges of voter rolls. But it's not just Georgia.

In 2014, Florida's top election official proposed using DHS's problematic citizenship data to purge voter rolls. In response, county election supervisors rebelled and blocked it -- because they still felt the sting of the 2000 election, when Secretary of State Katherine Harris used sloppy data-mining (seeking former felons who could not vote under that state's laws) to purge tens of thousands of eligible voters before that year's presidential election.

If Kobach has his way, the contours of that sordid history will repeat itself, including using a DHS database that was never designed to be an authoritative list of every U.S. citizen. But in the years since Harris' Florida purge, the right-wing strategy has become clear.

Republicans like Kobach strategically target weak points in the voting process. They pinpoint areas in the process that are ambiguous, or where there's no authoritative national data to counter their claims of purported illegal activity.

For example, there is no federal agency that tracks so-called voter fraud, which these right-wingers define as someone impersonating someone else at the polls to vote more than once, and has become the go-to justification for red-run states to erect new barriers to voting century. Since there's no single federal agency that tracks so-called voter fraud, it becomes a useful propaganda tool for Republicans because it's left to academics and the media to debunk it, which these partisans routinely ignore.

The latest high-profile example of this narrative is Trump's thoroughly debunked claim that millions of Democrats illegally voted more than once to deprive him of 2016's popular vote majority. But that lie, recited again by Trump's press office when announcing the commission's demise, resonates among supporters who want to believe all Democrats are crooks despite vast documentation by academics and the press that voter fraud barely exists. In the absence of an authoritative federal accounting, it becomes an easy pretext for red states to pass laws to, as they purport, police the process' integrity. In reality, they thwart Democratic voters.

Not surprisingly, on Thursday, Kobach spewed that same line to -- where else? -- Steve Bannon's Breitbart News. "They [Democrats] have absolutely no interest in stopping voter fraud," Kobach told Breitbart. "It's truly extraordinary that one party in our system has made clear that they don't care... Some people on the Left were getting uncomfortable about how much we were finding out."

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Needle-free Injection Systems Market Size to reach $24.9 billion by 2023

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According to a new report Global Needle-free Injection Systems Market, published by KBV research, the Global Needle-free Injection Systems Market size is expected to reach $24.9 billion by 2023, rising at a market growth of 17.4% CAGR during the forecast period.The Fillable Needle-Free Injectors market holds the largest market share in Global Needle-free Injection Systems Market by Product in 2016, and would continue to be a dominant market till 2023. The Prefilled Needle-Free Injectors market is expected to witness a CAGR of 18.7% during (2017  2023). The Fillable Needle-Free Injectors market would attain market value of $13,697.0 million by 2023.The North America market holds the largest market share in Global Spring-Based Needle-Free Injectors Market by Region in 2016, and would continue to be a dominant market till 2023; growing at a CAGR of 17.6 % during the forecast period.The Europe market is expected to witness a CAGR of 17.2% during (2017  2023) in Global Gas Propelled/ Air Forced Injector Systems Market. Additionally, The Asia Pacific market is expected to witness a CAGR of 17.1% during (2017  2023).The Powder-Based Needle Free Injectors market holds the largest market share in Global Needle-free Injection Systems Market by Type in 2016, and would continue to be a dominant market till 2023; growing at a CAGR of 16.7 % during the forecast period. The Projectile/Depot-Based Needle-Free Injectors market is expected to witness a CAGR of 17% during (2017  2023). Additionally, The Liquid-Based Needle Free Injectors market is expected to witness a CAGR of 18.9% during (2017  2023).Full Report:The market research report has exhaustive quantitative insights providing a clear picture of the market potential in various segments across the globe with country wise analysis in each discussed region. The key impacting factors of the Global Needle-free Injection Systems Market have been discussed in the report with the elaborated company profiles of Endo International PLC, Antares Pharma, Inc, Pharmajet, Medical International Technology, Inc. (MIT), Injex Pharma AG, National Medical Products, Inc., Valeritas, Inc., European Pharma Group BV, Wright Medical Group, Inc., and Bioject Medical Technologies Inc.Global Needle-free Injection Systems Market Size SegmentationBy ProductFillable Needle Free InjectorsPrefilled Needle Free InjectorsBy Source of PowerLiquid-Based Needle Free InjectorsProjectile/Depot-Based Needle-Free InjectorsPowder-Based Needle Free InjectorsBy TypeLiquid-Based Needle Free InjectorsProjectile/Depot-Based Needle-Free InjectorsPowder-Based Needle Free InjectorsBy Site of DeliverySubcutaneous InjectorsIntramuscular InjectorsIntradermal InjectorsBy UsabilityDisposable Needle-Free InjectorsReusable Needle-Free InjectorsBy ApplicationVaccine DeliveryInsulin DeliveryPain ManagementOther ApplicationBy GeographyNorth America Needle-free Injection Systems MarketUS Needle-free Injection Systems Market SizeCanada Needle-free Injection Systems Market SizeMexico Needle-free Injection Systems Market SizeRest of North America Needle-free Injection Systems Market SizeEurope Needle-free Injection Systems MarketGermany Needle-free Injection Systems MarketUK Needle-free Injection Systems MarketFrance Needle-free Injection Systems MarketRussia Needle-free Injection Systems MarketSpain Needle-free Injection Systems MarketItaly Needle-free Injection Systems MarketRest of Europe Needle-free Injection Systems MarketAsia Pacific Needle-free Injection Systems MarketChina Needle-free Injection Systems MarketJapan Needle-free Injection Systems MarketIndia Needle-free Injection Systems MarketSouth Korea Needle-free Injection Systems MarketSingapore Needle-free Injection Systems MarketMalaysia Needle-free Injection Systems MarketRest of Asia Pacific Needle-free Injection Systems MarketLAMEA Needle-free Injection Systems MarketBrazil Needle-free Injection Systems MarketArgentina Needle-free Injection Systems MarketUAE Needle-free Injection Systems MarketSaudi Arabia Needle-free Injection Systems MarketSouth Africa Needle-free Injection Systems MarketNigeria Needle-free Injection Systems MarketRest of LAMEA Needle-free Injection Systems MarketCompanies ProfiledEndo International PLCAntares Pharma, Inc.PharmajetMedical International Technology, Inc. (MIT)Injex Pharma AGNational Medical Products, IncValeritas, Inc.European Pharma Group BVWright Medical Group, Inc.Bioject Medical Technologies Inc.Unique Offerings from KBV ResearchExhaustive coverage of Global Needle-free Injection Systems Market SizeHighest number of market tables and figuresSubscription based model availableGuaranteed best priceAssured post sales research support with 10% customization freeRelated Reports:North America Needle-free Injection Systems Market (2017-2023)Europe Needle-free Injection Systems Market (2017-2023)Asia Pacific Needle-free Injection Systems Market (2017-2023)LAMEA Needle-free Injection Systems Market (2017-2023)Knowledge Based Value Research is a global brand and consulting firm serving all kinds of business verticals, government and non-governmental organizations, and not-for-profit organizations. Our motto is to extend our services that will have a lasting impact on our clients who trust us with their business goals.4F  CS  27, Ansal PlazaSector  1, Vaishali  201010Delhi NCR, Ghaziabad, IndiaTel: 0120-4968631 / +91-9990696033Email: info@kbvresearch.com
Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) 2018 Global Industry Key Players - Altera (Intel) , Xilinx , Lattice Semiconductor , Microsemi Corporation , Achronix Semiconductor Corp Market Analysis And Forecast To 2023

Global Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Market

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Global Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) MarketIn this report, the global Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2025.Global Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingAltera (Intel)XilinxLattice SemiconductorMicrosemi CorporationAchronix Semiconductor CorpAeroflex IncAtmel CorporationCypress SemiconductorTexas InstrumentsRequest a Sample Report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) in these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesEUChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSRAM ProgrammedAntifuse ProgrammedEEPROM ProgrammedOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingCommunications ApplicationsData Center ApplicationsAutomotive ApplicationsIndustrial ApplicationsOtherTo enquire about this report visit @Table of Contents-Key Points CoveredGlobal Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Market Research Report 20181 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)1.2 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 SRAM Programmed1.2.4 Antifuse Programmed1.2.5 EEPROM Programmed1.3 Global Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Segment by Application1.3.1 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Communications Applications1.3.3 Data Center Applications1.3.4 Automotive Applications1.3.5 Industrial Applications1.3.6 Other1.4 Global Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 United States Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 EU Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 South Korea Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 Taiwan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)..7 Global Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Altera (Intel)7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Altera (Intel) Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Xilinx7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Xilinx Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Lattice Semiconductor7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Lattice Semiconductor Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Microsemi Corporation7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Microsemi Corporation Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Achronix Semiconductor Corp7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Achronix Semiconductor Corp Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Aeroflex Inc7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Aeroflex Inc Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Atmel Corporation7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Atmel Corporation Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Cypress Semiconductor7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 Cypress Semiconductor Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 Texas Instruments7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 Texas Instruments Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.9.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinued.Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
High and Medium Power Passive Components Market - Future Growth & Forecast 2017-2025

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Global High and Medium Power Passive Components Market: SnapshotThe global high and medium power passive components market has gained immensely over the last few years. The vast application array of passive components, ranging from medical and healthcare to industrial applications, have the most significant impact on this market.Passive components are considered to be either low, medium, or high in nature on the basis of how much power is used in managing or controlling these components. These components account for more than 70% of the components in a system in terms of the material costs in standard electronic systems, such as smartphones, tablets, and medical devices. In fact, there isnt a single electronic equipment, which does not possess a passive component.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The worldwide market for high and medium power passive components demonstrates a competitive and highly fragmented landscape due to the presence of a large pool of companies involved in the production of passive component across the world. These companies are relying mostly on continued technological advancements and innovation in products. The increase in the production volume is expected to benefit these companies over the next few years. A shift in the focus of the leading players towards mergers, acquisitions, and alliances, in order to regularize the rivalry, can be observed in the near future.Global High and Medium Power Passive Components Market: OverviewA passive component does not require any external energy source for operations, and use the energy that is already present within the system. Passive components is a crucial industry that plays an important role in the development of electronic industry. The market growth of passive components is related with the growth of electronics sector. From television to smartphones, every electronic device requires passive components. With great escalation in the automotive, communication and information technology, and electronics industry, the market for passive components is expected to grow further in the near future. In view of its features, passive components can be used across a wide range of applications ranging from healthcare to even industrial applications.This research report provides an in-depth analysis of the global high and medium power passive components market based on segments and geography.Request TOC of the Report @Global High and Medium Power Passive Components Market: Trends and ProspectsThere is always a high demand for electronic goods and the market is also ripe with new and advanced products, leading to a constant demand for passive components, and contributing towards growth of the passive component market. The passive component market growth is sported by continuous efforts from manufacturers and suppliers to deliver cheaper components. In addition, Asia Pacific region offers great opportunity for the passive component market growth. This is because high penetration level of new technology in the region.Capacitor segment has the highest share in the passive components market. In spite of high degree of involvement of passive components in electronic devices, the production or assembly cost is very minimal. Global passive component industry is highly fragmented as only 10 major players contribute to over half of the overall market share. The market experiences high degree of competition as there are large number of medium and big players. Moreover, low product differentiation supports the high degree of competition.Global High and Medium Power Passive Components Market: Key SegmentsThe market is segmented on the basis of application sector, application type, and component family. Application sector include telecommunications, consumer audio-video, industrial electronics, computers and data processing, automotive, domestic, and defense. Application type include automotive, professional markets, and consumer markets. Component family include ferrites, capacitors, resistors, chokes and inductors, and crystal filters.Get Discount @Geographically, Asia Pacific is the leading region in the high and medium passive component market. Advent of new technologies also adds to the market growth of this region. In addition, high population, growing demand for the components such as RF chip, RF parts, and capacitors are other factors responsible for the regional demand. On the other hand, North America and Europe are projected to drive the demand growth of the market as well.Global High and Medium Power Passive Components Market: Key Market PlayersThe key players in the global high and medium power passive components market include FENGHUA (H.K.) Electronics, Lelon Electronics, Murata Manufacturing, Nippon Chemi-Con, and Panasonic.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRU) Market - In-Depth Analysis & Forecast 2017-2025

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Global Floating Storage and Regasification Units Market: SnapshotA floating storage and regasification unit is considered as a vital component, which is required while transferring and transiting liquefied natural gas (LNG) using oceanic channels. It is also known as a special kind of ship that is only used for the transferring of LNG across the globe. The tremendous demand for liquefied natural gas across different parts of the world is one of the major factors projected to encourage the growth of the global floating storage and regasification units market in the next few years.The growing need of LNG importers to fast track regasification access is anticipated to fuel the growth of the overall market in the coming years. As regions worldwide have comparatively unexpected and smaller gas requirements, the floating storage and regasification units are projected to fulfill their demands. In addition, the low cost of construction required for floating storage and regasification units is another essential aspect, which is likely to contribute towards the development of the global market in the coming few years.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The global market for floating storage and regasification units is expected to find application in the energy sector. As transferring of fuel is a complication task, as slight callousness can result in loss of the fuel, degrade the oceanic ecosystem, and can take a toll on lives of several people. As a result, the entire process of the transfer is done within the ship itself in order to avoid the need to unload the liquefied natural gas in its semi-frozen state. A high level of competition is expected in the near future with a potential rise in the number of players entering the global floating storage and regasification units market.Global Floating Storage and Regasification Units Market: OverviewThe global market for floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) is predicted to ride on the need to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) to remote locations. LNG is the most suitable form in which natural gas can be moved through long distances. An FSRU can cost-effectively and time-efficiently store and regasify LNG and provide a convenient access to the global LNG supply for LNG importers.Request TOC of the Report @Global Floating Storage and Regasification Units Market: DriversOne of the primary drivers of the global FSRU market is the ability of FSRUs to help LNG importers gain a fast track regasification access. As the need for energy changes, these units can be easily relocated from one location to another. Regions that have comparatively unpredictable and typically smaller gas requirements can essentially benefit from floating regasification systems. In fact, these systems are considered to be an ideal means of supplying for the gas needs of such regions. Additionally, the systems have a lower cost of construction, which makes them more ideal.The construction of large scale land-based terminals could be infeasible, considering the smaller requirements and remote locations of certain power generation facilities. A new set of risks is expected to be associated with the high pressure of FSRU operations, which is not the case with the conventional LNG carriers. Such downtrends could emerge as a restraint in successfully converting existing LNG carriers into FSRUs.Howbeit, the adoption of FSRUs in the global market has increased considerably, owing to the significant mobility witnessed on the part of these units. Most remote power generation facilities use natural gas as a fuel for generating power. These facilities find it extremely convenient to get natural gas supplied to their faraway locations. While FSRUs can be constructed by transforming the old LNG carriers, they can also be built on demand.Global Floating Storage and Regasification Units Market: GeographyIn the current scenario, the international market for FSRU is observed to be one of the most profitable ones, especially in the energy sector. The overall FSRU market is poised to grow on a global platform on the back of the augmenting penetration of the LNG market in different economies of the world. South America and Europe are projected to witness multiple projects built to satisfy the substantial requirement of LNG to fulfill the energy demands. Especially in countries such as South Korea, Japan, and China, the Asia Pacific region is anticipated to demonstrate weighty growth prospects.Get Discount @Global Floating Storage and Regasification Units Market: CompaniesExcelerate Energy, Teekay Corporation, GDF Suez, Hoegh LNG, Flex LNG, BW Offshore, and Golar LNG among others are the significant industry players expected to exhibit a strong competition in the global FSRU market. Most players in the market are foreseen to take advantage of the diversification of energy sources by the major energy consuming economies. Such a diversification is deemed to have birthed from the need to reduce the dependence on imported petroleum and improve international competitiveness. Players are also looking to cash in on the developed and developing economies consuming natural gas in a significant measure.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Business Process as A Service (BPaaS) Market - Future Growth Prospects & Forecast 2017 - 2025

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Global Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) Market and Cloud BPM Market: SnapshotThe different segments that constitute the public cloud services market are software as a service (SaaS), business process as a service (BPaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS). Among these, the global Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) and cloud business process management (BPM) market spells a lot of opportunity for IT companies. In the years ahead, the market is predicted to generate massive revenues and rise at a stellar CAGR on the back of deployment of automated business software and different business processes over cloud.Their take-up amongst companies has been swift enough so far as it is cost effective and results in more effective use of available resources. This in turn, proves profitable to the company in the long run. However, concerns about data security in a public platform like cloud has posed a challenge to the market. Nevertheless, powered primarily by the banking, financial services and insurnace (BFSI) and communication technology segments, the market is slated to grow at a healthy clip in the years ahead.Request Sample Copy of the Report @North America, being an early adopter of technologies, has been a major driving force of the the global Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) and cloud business process management (BPM) market. Going forward, Asia Pacific is predicted to clock maximum growth. The competitive landscape is fragmented on account of the presence of a copious number of small and large business process outsourcing companies. To up their ante, most players are focused on building cutting-edge products and services leveraging process automation software, business analytics, and social media platforms.Global Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) Market and Cloud BPM Market: OverviewThe global Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) and cloud business process management (BPM) market is a multibillion dollar opportunity for IT companies. The market is expected to be one of the top grossing segments for the IT industry in the next few years, expanding at a remarkable CAGR over the reports forecast period.BPaaS and cloud BPM refer to a business process layer on the top of cloud-based services such as infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and software as a service (SaaS). These solutions offer enterprises with numerous advantages such as virtualized workplaces, transparency in business processes, informed decisions, flexibility, accelerated performance, simplified operations, and informed decisions. BPaaS and cloud BPM encompass business process service for vertical as well as horizontal business processes through a high featured platform to deliver automated business outcomes.Request TOC of the Report @To avoid vendor locking and increase the cost effectiveness of the process execution, BPaaS and cloud BPM solutions are widely adopted to develop network among partners, employees, suppliers, distributors and other participants in a business module so as to deliver high value process outcome. The vast demand for these solutions across the globe is compelling an increasing number of IT companies to foray into the market and gain competitive advantage in the growing market. Companies are doing so by developing multi-purpose platforms capable of providing a complete range of solutions for all business processes.Global Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) Market and Cloud BPM Market: SegmentationThe global market for BPaaS and cloud BPM is segmented on the basis of criteria such as solutions, deployment model, service consumers, applications, and geography.On the basis of solutions, the market is segmented into platform and services. On the basis of deployment model, the market is segmented into on-premise and hosted model. On the basis of service consumers, the market is segmented into enterprise and small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). On the basis of applications, the market is segmented into: retail, banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), communication and technology, healthcare, government, supply chain and manufacturing, and consumer goods. Furthermore, the market is segmented on the basis of geography into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW).Get Discount @Global Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) Market and Cloud BPM Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe vast rise in the need for agility of a number of business processes, with a view of containing the overall costs of operating diverse business operations is one of the key factors driving the demand for BPaaS and cloud BPM solutions in the business world. Moreover, the development of software and automated outsourcing, trend of employing cloud computing technology, and the high need of cost-effective business processes to survive amid intense competition in the global market are also driving the market.However, data security and compliance concerns, especially with organizations wanting to retain conventional IT infrastructure, cautious approach of higher management, and outages and third party dependence are some of the key factors challenging the growth prospects of the market. Nevertheless, BPaaS and cloud BPM solutions are expected to witness high growth in the near future owing to the vast rise in demand for virtualization and automation across workplaces, especially of organizations with geographically spread offices. BPaaS and cloud BPM solutions provide verifiable cost and efficiency-related results for such globally spread businesses, irrespective of different needs of business process and organizational structures.Some of the key vendors operating in the market are Capgemini, Cognizant, ADP, CSC, Ebuilder, Accenture, IBM, Fujitsu Limited, Oracle, Wipro, SAP, WNS, Northgatearinso, Genpact, Nuevora, Verecloud, Adaptive Planning, and Xerox ACS.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
mHealth Market an Overview of Growth Factors, Future Prospects and Business Opportunities 2018

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Market Research Report on mHealth Market to 2025 - Global Analysis and Forecasts by Type, Components, Global Market Landscape and its Growth Prospects over the coming years till 2025 is now available at ReportsWeb.comMarket OverviewThe objective of the report is to compile valuable market information and present to readers the opportunities and threats of the market. The market study segregates the Global mHealth market size status and forecast 2025 market into various categories to present a 360 degree overview of the said market and also to present a clear picture of development trends in the market.The exclusive details of the market provided in the report can be useful for market players to foresee their position in the coming years. Using industry-centric analytical tools, the report gauges competition in the market and predicts the change in competition in the forthcoming years. Competition in the market is assessed based on development pursuits of leading players in both regional and global markets.Inquire for Free Sample Copy of Report -This report studies the global mHealth market, analyzes and researches the mHealth development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeDexcom, Inc.Apple Inc.FitBit, Inc.WithingsJawboneProteus Digital HealthOmada Health, Inc.WellDoc, Inc.Livongo HealthNoom, Inc.Ginger.io, Inc.Propeller Health2Morrow, Inc.Canary HealthMango HealthBiogeniQ Inc.Twine Health, Inc.Glooko, Inc.Firstbeat Technologies Ltd.Claritas MindSciencesBig HealthDthera SciencesVirta Health CorpZest Health, LLCMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoHeart Rate MonitorsActivity MonitorsElectrocardiographFetal MonitoringNeuromonitoringOthersMarket segment by Application, mHealth can be split intoFitness & WellnessDiabetesCardiovascular DiseasesCentral Nervous System DiseaseRespiratory DiseasesMusculoskeletal DiseasesSmoking CessationMedication AdherenceOthersRead Complete Report Few points from Table of Contents:1 Industry Overview of mHealth2 Global mHealth Competition Analysis by Players3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Dexcom, Inc.3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 mHealth Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Apple Inc.3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 mHealth Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 FitBit, Inc.3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 mHealth Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments4 Global mHealth Market Size by Type and Application (2012-2018)4.1 Global mHealth Market Size by Type (2012-2018)4.2 Global mHealth Market Size by Application (2012-2018)4.3 Potential Application of mHealth in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of mHealth5 United States mHealth Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States mHealth Market Size (2012-2018)5.2 United States mHealth Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2018)6 EU mHealth Development Status and Outlook6.1 EU mHealth Market Size (2012-2018)6.2 EU mHealth Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2018)Inquire to Know more about Report -7 Japan mHealth Development Status and Outlook8 China mHealth Development Status and Outlook9 India mHealth Development Status and Outlook10 Southeast Asia mHealth Development Status and Outlook11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2018-2025)12 mHealth Market Dynamics13 Market Effect Factors AnalysisPurchase this Report -. And get, discounts on report purchase -Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.533, 5th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Global Agricultural Pump Market : Know The Key Growth Drivers Developments and Innovations

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Agricultural Pump to its huge collection of research reports.The global Agricultural Pump market is closely assessed in the publication using in-depth verifiable projections, historical data, and qualitative insights. With the help of proven assumptions and research methodologies, the analysts have derived the projections featured in the publication. For every aspect of the market, the publication serves as a great repository of information, data, and critical analysis. It could be said that the publication is a fine source of stakeholder and value chain analysis, technological breakthroughs observed in the market, and current and future challenges, opportunities, and trends. Furthermore, the publication promises a significant unveiling of crucial market segments and sub-segments and opportunities therein.For more info, get the sample report for FREE here:The analysts have made it a point to reveal untapped markets and business prospects so as to assist players to strengthen their position in the industry. Besides market size, the publication sheds light on vital factors such as supply and demand. This could help readers to gain a complete understanding of how the global Agricultural Pump market would perform in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, the publication has been complied with the use of effective primary and secondary research methodologies, including surveys, interviews, trade journals, and reputable paid sources. The authors of the publication have ensured that readers do not miss out on any important information about the market that could keep them in the dark.The competitive landscape of the global Agricultural Pump market is broadly examined as the researchers profile some of the key companies operating in the industry. Company profiling takes into consideration critical factors that could impact the growth of players in the market, such as recent developments, market shares, mergers and acquisitions, and other business strategies. Moreover, the nature of the competitive landscape and future competitive scenarios are shed light upon in the publication. This could help players to be cautioned about future challenges and prepare effective plans beforehand.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringGrundfosFranklin ElectricShimge PumpWiloMonoDongyin PumpLeoEbara PumpsSuprasunyCornell PumpDayuan PumpXylemKaiquan Pump...Read Complete Table of Content of the Report at:Table of ContentsGlobal Agricultural Pump Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Agricultural Pump1.1 Definition and Specifications of Agricultural Pump1.1.1 Definition of Agricultural Pump1.1.2 Specifications of Agricultural Pump1.2 Classification of Agricultural Pump1.2.1 Submersible Pumps1.2.2 Centrifugal Pumps1.2.3 Axial-Flow Pump1.2.4 Turbine Pumps1.2.5 Mixed Flow Pumps1.3 Applications of Agricultural Pump1.3.1 Irrigation1.3.2 Water Supply1.3.3 Others1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Agricultural Pump2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Agricultural Pump2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Agricultural Pump2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Agricultural Pump3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Agricultural Pump3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Agricultural Pump Major Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Agricultural Pump Major Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Agricultural Pump Major Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Agricultural Pump Major Manufacturers in 2015To check available discount on this report, visit at:4 Global Agricultural Pump Overall Market Overview4.1 2011-2016 Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2011-2016 Global Agricultural Pump Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2015 Agricultural Pump Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2011-2016 Global Agricultural Pump Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2015 Agricultural Pump Sales Analysis (Company Segment)...About QYResearchReports.comQyresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from Qyresearchreports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Current and Projected Confectionery Ingredients Market Size in terms of Volume and Value 2017-2025

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The global confectionery ingredients market is reasonably consolidated and is dominated by leading entities such as Cargill Corp., E. I. DuPont de Nemours and Co., Olam International Ltd., Kerry Group, and Tate and Lyle. These five players accounted for more than 80% of the global confectionery ingredients market in 2016 and are likely to retain a dominant hold over the confectionery ingredients market over the coming years.Product innovation and consistent development of existing product lines is the key competitive strategy adopted by these companies and is likely to remain a promising tactic for players in the global confectionery ingredients market in the coming years. Innovative marketing tactics could also bear fruit for leading players in the confectionery ingredients market, as rapid product diversification has resulted in a congested marketplace in several regions.Download PDF Brochure @According to Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global confectionery ingredients market is expected to exhibit a strong 4.2% CAGR between 2017 and 2025. The confectionery ingredients market was valued at US$76.25 bn in 2016 and is expected to rise to close to US$109.5 bn by the end of 2025.Rising Consumption of Dark Chocolate Vital for Confectionery Ingredients MarketOne of the prime drivers for the global confectionery ingredients market is the rising awareness about the health benefits of dark chocolate and the resultant rise in demand for chocolate products. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids and several other compounds that have potent antioxidant properties and thus impart a protective effect against cardiovascular and circulatory diseases. The increasing availability of dark chocolate products to a wider consumer demographic due to the steady geographic expansion of the global chocolate industry has benefited the global confectionery ingredients market and is likely to remain a key driver in the coming years.The rising adoption of Western food practices in emerging Eastern countries is another key driver for the global confectionery ingredients market. In contrast to conventional Eastern food practices, Western food makes liberal use of confectionery ingredients, leading to steady growth of the confectionery ingredients market in regions such as Asia Pacific and the Middle East. The growing popularity of bakery items is a key aspect of this effect and is likely to be vital to the global confectionery ingredients market in the coming years.Europe to Retain Dominance in Global Confectionery Ingredients MarketRegionally, Europe is the leading contributor to the global confectionery ingredients market, and accounted for more than a third of the global market in 2016. Europe is likely to remain the leading regional player in the global confectionery ingredients market in the coming years due to the firm presence of several leading brands in the confectionery ingredients market, including the dominance of European chocolate makers in the global chocolate market.North America is also likely to make vital contributions to the global confectionery ingredients market in the coming years due to similar reasons. The high domestic consumption of bakery and chocolate products in North America is also a vital driver for the global confectionery ingredients market, though the growing prevalence of obesity and the numerous diseases it has been associated with could help check the rise of the confectionery ingredients market in North America.Obtain Report Details @By product type, chocolate and cocoa is the leading segment of the global confectionery ingredients market and is likely to remain the dominant contributor in the coming years due to the steady popularity of chocolate products as well as the rising demand for chocolate flavoring in a range of other food and beverage products. Other key product segments of the global confectionery ingredients market include sugar, emulsifiers, dairy ingredients, and other sweeteners.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Advance Licorice Extracts Market Volume Analysis, Segments, Value Share and Key Trends 2017-2025

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The presence of a number of well-established players points towards a high degree of competition in the global licorice extracts market, states the report by Transparency Market Research (TMR). Over the coming years, innovation and product advancements is likely to remain the most preferred strategy among the market players, looking for expansion in their presence.According to TMR, the opportunity in the global market for licorice extracts is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 4.0% during the period from 2017 to 2025, rising from US$1.70 bn in 2016 to US$2.3 bn by the end of the period of the forecast. The powder form of licorice extracts has been reporting a higher demand across the world due to its widespread application in food and beverages and skincare products. Analysts project the scenario to remain same throughout the forecast period, reveals the research study.Download PDF Brochure @Strong Demand from Asian Countries to Safeguard Asia Pacifics LeadThe Middle East and Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia Pacific have been considered as the prime regional markets for licorice extracts in this research report. The study further presents a comprehensive assessment of these regional markets, according to which Asia Pacific, with a share of more than 32%, led the global market for licorice extracts in 2016. Thanks to the high demand for these extracts in China, India, Japan, and the Rest of Asia Pacific, this regional market is expected to continue on the top throughout the forecast period.Europe is likely to follow Asia Pacific closely and occupy the second position in the global market over the years to come, thanks to the rising demand for low calorie foods, boosted by the increasing preference of consumers for a healthier lifestyle. North America, on the other hand, is anticipated to register a significant rise in its market share in the near future.The imminent growth opportunities generated by the augmenting usage of herbal medicines is likely to propel the North America market for licorice extracts over the next few years. The Latin America and the Middle East and Africa markets for licorice extracts are also projected to witness noticeable growth during the forecast period, states the research report.Increasing Awareness about Health and Wellness to Drive DemandThe rising demand for herbal medicines and various other products related to health and wellness across the world is having a substantial impact in the global licorice extract market, says an analyst at TMR. Nowadays, people are more conscious regarding their health and fitness, which has prompted them to shift to various medical supplements, especially natural, herbal, and sugar-free, leading to an increased uptake of natural ingredients in medical supplements. This, as a result, is boosting the demand for licorice extracts, worldwide, reflecting positively on this market.Obtain Report Details @Going forward, the market is likely to gain significantly in the near future from the increasing usage of sugar-free products, fueled by the augmenting concerns over the rising prevalence of diabetes and obesity. However, the dominance of synthetic sweeteners over the years, owing to their cost effectiveness and easy availability may limit the uptake of licorice extracts to some extent in the years to come, notes the research study.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700,Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Cardiology Software Market 2018 Global Analysis, Opportunities, Key Applications and Forecast to 2022

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This report studies the global Cardiology Software market, analyzes and researches the Cardiology Software development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeGEMedisPhilipsSiemensArterysPie MedicalToshiba...Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaRequest a Sample Report @Market segment by Type, the product can be split intoCloud-basedOn-premisesMarket segment by Application, Cardiology Software can be split intoHospitalsClinicsOthersIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of ContentsGlobal Cardiology Software Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Cardiology Software1.1 Cardiology Software Market Overview1.1.1 Cardiology Software Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Cardiology Software Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Cardiology Software Market by Type1.3.1 Cloud-based1.3.2 On-premises1.4 Cardiology Software Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Hospitals1.4.2 Clinics1.4.3 Others2 Global Cardiology Software Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Cardiology Software Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 GE3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Cardiology Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Medis3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Cardiology Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Philips3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Cardiology Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Siemens3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Cardiology Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Arterys3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Cardiology Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Pie Medical3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Cardiology Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Toshiba3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Cardiology Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments4 Global Cardiology Software Market Size by Type and Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global Cardiology Software Market Size by Type (2012-2017)4.2 Global Cardiology Software Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.3 Potential Application of Cardiology Software in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of Cardiology Software5 United States Cardiology Software Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Cardiology Software Market Size (2012-2017)5.2 United States Cardiology Software Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)6 EU Cardiology Software Development Status and Outlook6.1 EU Cardiology Software Market Size (2012-2017)6.2 EU Cardiology Software Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)7 Japan Cardiology Software Development Status and Outlook7.1 Japan Cardiology Software Market Size (2012-2017)7.2 Japan Cardiology Software Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)ContinuedMake an enquiry of this Report @ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Healthcare BPO Market 2017-2022: Analyzed by Business Growth, Development Factors, Application and Future Prospects

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This report studies the Healthcare BPO market status and outlook of Europe and major regions, from angles of players, regions, product types and end industries; this report analyzes the top players in Europe and major regions, and splits the Healthcare BPO market by product type and applications.In the last several years, Europe market of Healthcare BPO developed steadily, with an average growth rate of 10.3%. In 2016, Europe Revenue of Healthcare BPO is about 30.8 Billion USD.In the next five years, the GACR of Healthcare BPO is about 12%, and the revenue in the 2022 is about 60 B USD.The major players in Europe Healthcare BPO market includeIQVIALabCorpAccentureCatalentParexelLonzaCognizantBoehringer IngelheimPPDCharles RiversSutherlandGenpactinVentiv HealthHCLGet Free Sample Copy atGeographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with revenue, market share (%) and growth Rate (%) of Healthcare BPO in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast) , coveringGermanyUKFranceRussiaBeneluxItalyRest of EuropeOn the basis of product, the Healthcare BPO market is primarily split intoPayer ServicesProvider ServicesPharmaceutical ServicesBrowse Complete Report atTable of Content1 Healthcare BPO Overview 12 Europe Healthcare BPO Competition by Players, Type and Application3 Germany Healthcare BPO (Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin)4 UK Healthcare BPO (Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin)5 France Healthcare BPO (Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin)6 Russia Healthcare BPO (Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin)7 Benelux Healthcare BPO (Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin)8 Italy Healthcare BPO (Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin)9 Rest of Europe Healthcare BPO (Revenue, Gross and Gross Margin)10 Analysis of Healthcare BPO Industry Key Manufacturers10.1 IQVIA10.1.1 Company Profile10.1.2 Product Information10.1.3 Revenue, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin10.2 LabCorp10.2.1 Company Profile10.2.2 Product Information10.2.3 Revenue, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin10.3 Accenture10.3.1 Company Profile10.3.2 Product Information10.3.3 Revenue, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin10.4 Catalent10.4.1 Company Profile10.4.2 Product Information10.4.3 Revenue, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin10.5 Parexel10.5.1 Company Profile10.5.2 Product Information10.5.3 Revenue, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin11 Healthcare BPO Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers13 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders14 Europe Healthcare BPO Market Forecast (2017-2022)15 Research Findings and ConclusionPurchase this report at-Note: If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Contact Info:Name: Sameer JoshiEmail: sales@reportsweb.comOrganization: ReportsWebPhone: +1-646-491-9876ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Power Semiconductor Market Predicted to Witness Surge in the Near Future 2025

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The global power semiconductor market features the presence of a multitude of companies of varying sizes. This indicates a highly fragmented and competitive vendor landscape. As per a new market study by Transparency Market Research (TMR), some of the key companies operating in the global power semiconductor market have adopted strategies such as product differentiation, product upgrades, and aggressive pricing to sustain competition. Besides this, key companies are also seeking distribution partnerships with the objective to reach a wider audience, thereby expanding their regional and global outreach.Prominent companies in the global power semiconductor market include Infineon Technologies AG, Texas Instruments, ON Semiconductor, Fuji Electric Co. Ltd., ST Microelectronics N.V., Mitsubishi Electric Group, Semikron International GmbH, and Toshiba Corporation.According to TMR, the global power semiconductor market is likely to display a steady 5.1% CAGR over the forecast period between 2017 and 2025. Progressing at this rate, the market is anticipated to be valued at US$54,881.2 mn by the end of 2025. Among the key end use industries, automotive electronics accounts for high consumption of power semiconductor. Geography-wise, Asia Pacific has emerged as a key regional market for power semiconductors.Request Sample:Introduction of 5G Mobile Communication to Fuel Demand for Power SemiconductorsAmong the key growth drivers, the introduction of fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication worldwide is a key factor driving the global power semiconductor market. Fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication which is anticipated to commence from 2018; the number of 5G mobile base stations is anticipated to be more than 4G base stations. Mobile communication requires power semiconductors especially radio frequency (RF) type. 5G base stations are likely to deploy several RF power amplifiers per base station, with 5G base stations likely to be built in large numbers. Silicon Carbide (SiC), GaN (Gallium Nitride), GaAs (Gallium Arsanide) are some of the key compounds that are used in the manufacture of power semiconductors for 5G mobile communication. For example, Nokia Bell Labs, Mitsubishi Electric, and the Center for Wireless Communications have announced a joint venture for the development of high speed GaN-based power amplifier. GaN RF are anticipated to represent almost one fourth of all mobile communication infrastructure by 2017 end.Increasing Adoption of Electric Vehicles to Benefit MarketThe heavy consumption of power semiconductors across a host of end use industries such as automotive, industrial, telecommunication, consumer electronics, healthcare, aerospace & defense, and renewable energy among others is a key growth driver of power semiconductor market. Among these, automotive electronics accounts for high consumption of semiconductors. With the rise in electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and plug-in electric vehicles, deployment of semiconductors in cars has increased manifold. Also, with the advent of drive-by-wire or x-by-wire technologies such as electronic throttle control, steer-by-wire, or shift-by-wire, electric content are considerably replacing mechanical vehicle parts. These factors are leading to the growth of automotive electronics segment in the worldwide power semiconductor market.Browse Our Report:The high power consumption needs of data centers is also acting in favor of the growth of power semiconductor market. Currently, WBG compound power semiconductor devices are increasingly replacing silicon-based devices to enhance data centers efficiency. WBG power devices help reduce the cooling load of data centers.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Content Analytics Discovery and Cognitive Software Market Volume Analysis, Segments, Value Share and Key Trends 2016-2026

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Content Analytics comprises of range of search and reporting technologies which can provide identical levels of business intelligence and strategic value for unstructured data. Content analytics for unstructured information includes social media monitoring, reputation monitoring, and sentiment analysis. Content analytics softwares uses natural language queries, trends analysis, predictive analytics and contextual discovery to reveal trends and patterns for the companys unstructured data.Request For Report Sample:Discovery tools are the search tools that analyse contents for its likely relevancy to a process, by linking names, time periods or terms used. Discovery tools can also extend to legal hold and partitioning of content for further scrutiny. Various types of discovery tools include search engines, auto-categorization, and information visualization tools.Cognitive computing softwares make context computable by identifying and extracting context features such as hour, location, task, history or profile in structured way for an individual or an application engaged in a specific process at definite time and place. Cognitive computing technologies and platforms includes expert assistance software.Content Analytics, Discovery and Cognitive Systems, collectively covers the market and technologies that access, analyse, organize, and provides advisory services related to a range of unstructured data. Cognitive systems leverages large amounts of structured and unstructured data and content analytics tools, along with several infrastructure technologies to answer questions, provide recommendations and directions. In addition to this, it helps in hypothesis and formulation of possible answers and updates itself by adopting learning algorithms from its mistake and failures.Global Market of Content Analytics, Discovery and Cognitive Software: Drivers and RestraintUnstructured data is driving a revitalisation in the analysis of information, resulting in the introduction of innovative tools capable to offer intelligent assistance, guidance and recommendations to customers. Particularly, cognitive systems offer cloud and mobile-based platforms through which theintelligent assistants (such as Apple's Siri, Google's Google Now, Amazon Echo, Microsoft's Cortana, Brainasofts Braina, Samsung's S Voice, LG's Voice Mate, BlackBerry's Assistant, SILVIA, HTC's Hidi, IBM's Watson) are able to operate, using databases and knowledge graphs built with the help of content analytics.Content analytics, discovery and cognitive Systems, together are used for complex applications such as medical research, fraud prevention, digital forensics for crime detection and sentiment analytics to measure the feelings of the crowd towards a brand or product. These tools matches structured database information with unstructured data of documents to rearrange the data in the organized form. Additionally, it analyses text usage, patterns in video or sound.Content analytics along with discovery tools and cognitive systems can create relevant cost and consumption metrics and facilitate improved information lifecycle management (ILM) chains for End-users. This will enable the End-users to identify the potential value of digital content and will aid them in understanding the significance of their investment in the storage and future analytics.As these technologies are still at the nascent stage, promoting the significance of this technology is currently a major challenge for the market participants. anticipating the unknowns as past based predictions have their limitations (in case of predictive analysis), Growing popularity of e-discovery, Digital Asset Management (DAM), Web Analytics and De-duplication technologies are acting as a potential substitute for the techniques including sentiment analysis, copyright detection and digital forensics used in content analyticsGlobal Market of Content Analytics, Discovery and Cognitive Software: SegmentationSegmentation on the basis of product type:Various type of products in this market include: Test softwares (in multiple languages) and rich media tagging (audio, video, and image), software for searching, information discovery, machine learning, deep learning, hypothesis generation, entity and relationship extraction, supervised and unsupervised learning, clustering, categorization, question answering, filtering, alerting, visualization and navigation.Segmentation on the basis of end-user:Various end-users of the market include: government & public services, Finance, Banking & Insurance sector, utilities, telecommunication operator, IT & High-Tech ECM provider, healthcare & pharmaceutical sector, media & web publishing, retail, transport and real estate.Finance, banking and insurance and utilities, are currently witnessing higher adoption of content analytics softwares. The factors driving this higher adoption are: Growing need for real-time response requirements in banking, increasingly stringent regulatory environment and the need to mitigate risk, demanding customer profile and growing competitive pressure, exploding data volumes & growing complexity, in the BFSI sector.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Global Market of Content Analytics, Discovery and Cognitive Software: Key PlayersSome of the prominent players in the content analytics, discovery and cognitive software market include: IBM Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company, Baidu Inc., Elastic GmbH, Facebook Inc., Google Inc., LucidWorks Inc., Microsoft Corporation, and Wipro Limited.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Food Sorting Machines Market to Remain Lucrative During 2015-2025

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Automation is becoming more of a requirement than an option in the food processing industry. The rigorous quality and cost controls required in the food industry is making it more critical. Production of high grade food requires capable and efficient inspection and sorting systems, in the operations and production line. The food is sorted by color, size, shape, specific gravity prior to inspection and other criteria depending upon the raw material and application.Global interest is increasing towards the quality of food consumed along with the stringent legislations on product quality and operating procedures. In the food industry, the product specification is extremely important, and is one of those area where new developments are crossing the boundaries. The food industry is under immense pressure of meeting the demands of growing world population.The global population is becoming urbanized and there is heavy industrialization seen in the emerging economies. This leads to an upward trend towards convenience foods that are healthy, nutritious and easy to prepare. Food security is an emerging challenge for policy makers and companies in the food supply chain. Over the period food production will be under threat from climate change, competing land uses, erosion and diminishing supplies of clean water. One of the solutions to this dilemma is increased efficiency and waste reduction in the food supply chain. Food sorting machines offer increase in efficiency by selectively filtering out the undesired materials from the main food. The main purpose is separation of foreign seeds and bodies, such as unhealthy or spotted grains. The insertion of optical sorter into strategic positions of the milling process facilitates and optimizes the whole cleaning process. Worldwide the optical sorters are being used in the food industry. Its highly adopted in the processing of harvested foods such as fruits, potatoes, vegetables and nuts where it achieves non-destructive,100% inspection on full production volume. Since manual sorting is subjective and inconsistent, its not preferred. Optical sorting helps to improve the product quality, increase yields, maximize throughput while reducing labor costs. Since few years the trend is of integration of the traditional mechanical cleaning process with optical sorting machines.A sample of this report is available upon request @Food Sorting Machines Market: Drivers & RestraintsGrowing population, rising urbanization, growing technological awareness, industrialization of emerging economies and increasing per capita income are some of the key factors driving the growth of the food sorting machines market.Environmental Protection Agency regulations on disposal of food waste, changing consumption patterns and smaller households are few of the probable factors restraining the growth of the food sorting machines market.Food Sorting Machines Market: SegmentationThe global food sorting machines market is broadly classified on the basis of product type, technology and geographies.Based on product type, the global food sorting machines market is segmented into:Channel SortersFreefall SortersBelt SortersADR SystemsBased on technology, the global food sorting machines market is segmented into:LaserCameraLEDX-rayFood Sorting Machines Market: OverviewThough food sorting machines is a new technology for emerging economies like India, but in the developed economies like North America and Europe the same technology is in use for years.With growing global population and increasing pressure on food industry to meet the customer demands, the acceptance of food sorting machines is gaining popularity. The global food sorting machines market is expected to expand at a promising CAGR during the forecast period (2015-2025).Food Sorting Machines Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global food sorting machines market is expected to register a double-digit CAGR for the forecast period. Depending on geographic regions, global food sorting machines market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. As of 2015, North America dominated the global food sorting machines market in terms of market revenue followed by Europe. Asia Pacific & Japan are projected to expand at a substantial growth and will contribute to the global food sorting machines market value exhibiting a robust CAGR during the forecast period, 2015?2025.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Food Sorting Machines Market: Key PlayersSome of the key market participants in global food sorting machines market are Tomra Systems ASA, Sesotec GmbH, Buhler AG, Key Technology, BarcoVision, Satake USA Inc.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, types and applications.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Abhishek BudholiyaFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Polypropylene Random Copolymers Market to Witness Widespread Expansion During 2015-2025

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Global Polypropylene Random Copolymers Market: OverviewPolypropylene random copolymers are produced by modifying the fundamental structure of polypropylene by incorporating another monomer molecule. Ethylene being the most common monomer used. The ethylene molecules, in the polymer chain, are introduced randomly between the propylene molecules. The incorporation of ethylene causes change in the physical properties of polypropylene. Random copolymer polypropylene usually contains about 1 to 7 weight percent of ethylene molecules and around 93 to 99 weight percent of propylene molecules.As compared to polypropylene homopolymers, random copolymers shows better optical properties like increased clarity and decreased haze, increased flexibility, improved impact resistance, and a lowered melting point resulting in a reduced heat-sealing temperature. However, exhibiting more or less the same chemical resistance, organoleptic properties like low taste and odor contribution, and water vapor barrier properties as polypropylene homopolymers. Random copolymers are generally produced in the same process configuration as the homo polymers.A sample of this report is available upon request @Random copolymer polypropylenes finds use in blow molding, injection molding, and extrusion molding applications that require improved clarity and . They are used in medical packaging, food packaging, and consumer products.Global Polypropylene Random Copolymers Market: SegmentationGlobal polypropylene random copolymers market is segmented on the basis of applications, end-use, and regions. The global polypropylene random copolymer market is segmented on the basis of application into blown film, blow molding, injection molding, and extrusion molding. On the basis of end-use, global polypropylene market is segmented into medical packaging, food packaging, and consumer products, etc. Region wise, the global polypropylene random copolymer market is divided into North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific (APEJ), Japan, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Middle East and Africa (MEA).Global Polypropylene Random Copolymers Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global market share of Western European polypropylene random copolymers market is estimated to witness a drop from around 13.9% to about 11.4% in the forecast period. The fall is primarily due to a moderate increase in demand only in the largest national markets such as Germany, France, and Italy. Eastern Europe is expected to grow sharply, especially in the Russian packaging sector. The USA is reporting a recent increase in demand for polypropylene random copolymers. India and China continue to witness a huge increase of demand, owing to which Asia-Pacific is anticipated to account more than half of the total global demand by 2025.Global Polypropylene Random Copolymers Market: DriversThe introduction of newer application areas, development of bio-based polypropylene and substitution of various other materials continuously offers high potential for growth for the global polypropylene random copolymers market. Unconventional low feedstock prices are driving new capacity investment and thus rendering growth to the global polypropylene random copolymer market.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Global Polypropylene Random Copolymers Market: Key PlayersSome of the major players identified in the global polypropylene random copolymer market are LyondellBasell Industries, Braskem, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), Total S.A., Entec Polymers, ExxonMobil, Sasol, Chevron Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell, ConocoPhillips, Borealis, Formosa Plastics Group, Reliance Industries, and SABIC etc.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Abhishek BudholiyaFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Occupancy Sensor Market Value Share, Supply Demand, share and Value Chain 2016-2026

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Occupancy sensor is a heat and light control device used to detect occupancy of space by people and accordingly turns light on or off by using infrared light rays, ultrasonic rays and microwave technology. Occupancy sensor is commonly used for providing automatic control, saving energy and complying with building codes etc. Increasing demand for energy saving devices have resulted into several technological advancement in occupancy sensors.Request For Report Sample:Global Occupancy Sensor Market: Drivers and RestraintIncreasing demand for energy-efficient devices is one of the major factors responsible for the growth of global occupancy sensor market across the globe.Other factors such asfavourable government regulations and policies with regard to energy saving, continuous development and advancement of advanced and cost-effective sensors are expected to fuel growth of the global occupancy sensor market over the forecast period. In contrast, false triggering of switch and inconsistency issues associated with wireless network system are anticipated to impede the market growth during the forecast period. However, introduction of advanced occupancy sensors such as intelligent occupancy sensor, image processing occupancy sensor and micro-phonics in is boosting growth of global occupancy market.Global Occupancy Sensor Market: SegmentationGlobal occupancy sensor market is segmented on the basis of type, network connectivity and application. On the basis of types, the global occupancy sensor market is sub segmented into ultrasonic sensors, passive infrared sensors, microwave sensors and others. Ultrasonic sensor uses high frequency sound waves in order to detect space occupancy. Passive infrared sensor uses heat movement detection to detect infrared radiation radiated out of human body movement while microwave sensor works on the same principle as of ultrasonic sensor but with high sensitivity as well as detection range as compare to other two types of occupancy sensor.On the basis of network connectivity, the global occupancy sensor market is segmented into wired network and wireless network. Wireless network is further sub segmented into Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave and others.By application the market can be segmented into government, industrial, commercial and residential sectors.Global Occupancy Sensor Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of region, the global occupancy sensor market can be segmented into seven major regions such as North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan), Eastern Europe, Japan and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Of these regions, the North America occupancy sensor market is expected dominate the global occupancy sensor market over the forecast period. However, Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan) is anticipated to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This is mainly attributed to growth in construction and real estate sectors in developing countries such as India and China in the region.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Global Occupancy Sensor Market: Key PlayersKey players operating in the global occupancy sensor market are Eaton Corporation Plc., Honeywell International Inc., Schneider Electric SA, Johnson Controls Inc., Acuity Brands Inc., Texas Instruments Inc., Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc., Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., Legrand SA and Hubbell Incorporated among others. Major players in the market are focusing more on development of advanced and innovative sensors such as image processing sensor, micro-phonic based sensor and intelligent occupancy sensor in order to gain competitive advantage in the long term.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Disconnect Switch Market Globally Expected to Drive Growth through 2026

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Disconnect switch or isolator switch is used for the purpose to de-energize or cutoff the electric circuit, when the circuit is scheduled for servicing or maintenance. These switches have wide applications in large industries and power distribution applications, where high-powered machines have their own power source connected, in order to drive them and at a time of repairing or servicing, isolator or disconnect switch breaks the circuit and make machine isolated from the power source. On the basis of electric circuit requirement disconnect switch is categorized into three types; low voltage disconnect switch, medium voltage disconnect switch & high voltage disconnect switch, disconnect switches frequently work as enclosures for overcurrent safety when they have fuses. Some of them are also a part of larger safety scheme, when they are equipped with a shunt trip which is usually signaled by relays present at any place in the network.Request For Report Sample:Disconnect Switch: Market Drivers and RestraintThe key trend responsible for the growth of global disconnect switch is the growth in distribution and transmission network worldwide, as electric power is an essential infrastructure for any developing and developed region, hence every region is trying to expand in the area of power systems.The key growth drivers of global disconnect switch market are rapid growth of urbanization and industrialization across the globe, and also increasing safety concern among the industrialist regarding their labors/workers, are some factors which are boosting up the growth of global disconnect/isolator switch market across the globe. On the other hand there are also some factors which are hindering the growth of global disconnect switch market, those restraints are fluctuating price of raw material being used to manufacture these disconnect switch, presence of low quality cheap products by other manufacturers in the market are key restraints of global disconnect switch market.Disconnect Switch: SegmentationSegmentation of disconnect switch market is done on the basis of technology type, mount type, operating voltage, application & Geography. On the basis of technology type, global disconnect switch market is segmented as non-fused disconnect switch and disconnect switch. Among above segments, fused disconnect segment is the most popular segment has been used in most of the industrial applications. Furthermore, on the basis of mount type, global disconnect switch market is segmented into din rail mounted disconnect switch, panel mounted disconnect switch and other disconnect switch.By operating voltage, global disconnect switch market is segmented into low voltage disconnect switch, medium voltage disconnect switch and high voltage disconnect switch. On the basis of application, global disconnect switch market is segmented into industrial disconnect switch and commercial disconnect switch, from which industrial disconnect switch is further sub segmented into utility, manufacturing and inverter based generation and other application.Geographically, disconnect switch is segmented into seven regions which are ; North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), and Middle East and Africa (MEA). Among all the regions North America is the highest contributor in term of revenue in global Disconnect switch market followed by Western Europe & Asia Pacific and it is expected that same trend is being followed in near future as well.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Disconnect Switch Market: Key PlayersThe key players of global Disconnect switch market are ABB Limited, General Electric Company, Schneider Electric SE, Crompton Greaves Limited, Havells India Ltd, Siemens AG and others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Uncooled Thermal Imaging Market Size, Analysis, and Forecast Report 2016-2026

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Thermal imaging is a technology, which is invented specially for military operation in 1950, but it has been implemented in other applications as well due to realized benefits. Cameras based in thermal imaging technologies are able to capture clearer image even in dark surrounding. They dont need any light to operate in darkest of night and allow seeing objects without making itself visible. Thermal imaging cameras can see object even in fog and smoke that is why it is more preferable for military operations in battleground. In short, thermal imaging technology is used to observe the objects in dark environment or in unfavorable atmospheric condition with the help of some parameters like temperature difference in the human body, electrical appliances, mechanical equipment and many other assets. The key component used in thermal imaging camera is the detecting material (detector) that detects change in temperature and helps to create an image. On the basis of nature of detector, thermal imaging technique is segmented into cooled thermal imaging technique and uncooled thermal imaging technique. Those devices which use thermal imaging technique with mechanism to cool down temperature of sensor is termed as cooled thermal imaging systems and those devices which make use of thermal imaging technology without any necessity of cooling down the sensor is termed as uncooled thermal imaging system.Request For Report Sample:Uncooled thermal imaging market has been witnessed a tremendous growth of double digit in 2014 and is expected to grow with a substantial CAGR over forecast period.Uncooled Thermal Imaging: Market Drivers and RestraintThe key trend of global uncooled thermal imaging has been recorded for past some years is that the different vendors are launching the integration of uncooled imaging technology with smart phones and tablets (consumer goods). The key growth drivers of global uncooled thermal imaging market are increasing demand in industrial and commercial application because of its low price as compare to cooled thermal imaging system, also the increasing adoption in military application under soldier modernization programs help in driving the growth of global uncooled thermal imaging market. On the other hand there is also some factors which are deterring the growth of global uncooled thermal imaging market as availability of advanced technology with clearer image quality, which suppresses the growth of global uncooled thermal imaging market.Uncooled Thermal Imaging: SegmentationSegmentation of uncooled thermal imaging market is done on the basis of spectrum range, application, vertical & Geography. On the basis of spectrum range, global uncooled thermal imaging market is segmented as short wave IR, mid wave IR and long wave IR. On the basis of application, global uncooled thermal imaging market is segmented as building surveillance, night vision camera, firefighting, military, mapping & surveying and others.By vertical, global uncooled thermal imaging market is industrial, medical, automotive, test and measurement, maritime, research & development, commercial, security and surveillance, test & measurement, maritime and others.Uncooled Thermal Imaging Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, uncooled thermal imaging is segmented into seven regions which are ; North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), and Middle East and Africa (MEA). Among all the regions North America is the highest contributor in term of revenue in global uncooled thermal imaging market followed by Asia Pacific and it is expected that same trend is being followed in near future as well.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Uncooled Thermal Imaging Market: Key PlayersThe key players of global uncooled thermal imaging market are FLIR systems, Inc., Bosch security systems, Axis communications AB, Infrared Integrated Systems Ltd, Safran Group, Danaher Corporation and others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global 4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies Market Size, Status and Forecast 2025

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4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies Market is provided in the report based on product scope and market status & outlook. The market is segmented on the basis of type, end-users/application, and geography. The report provides information about the production, price, revenue, market share, and growth rate of each type. Geographically, the market has been analyzed across North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and India. The status and prospect through 2012-2022 for each of these regions are listed in the report.Get Sample@The report entails the qualitative and quantitative analysis of current and future market estimations. It also divulges details about the mode of research methodology used for the study. It includes data from primary as well as secondary resources. The report is a useful resource for industry players, new entrants in the marketplace, and investors as it helps them plan their business to gain fruitful and meaningful outcomes. It makes them aware of the production, capacity, revenue, supply, consumption, export, import, the challenges and risks associated with the industry, and much more.Factors that drive the growth of the market are detailed in the study. Key players are profiled in the report and their developments in recent years are mentioned, which helps in understanding the competitive outlook of the Global 4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies MarketGet 15% discount on this report @The 4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies Market report has a mention of the industrial chain, sourcing strategy, and downstream buyers. This incorporates the overall industrial chain analysis, upstream raw materials sourcing, raw materials sources of the product major manufacturers in 2015, and downstream buyers.The report also throws light on the marketing strategy used for the study. It includes marketing channel (direct marketing, indirect marketing, and marketing channel development trend) and market positioning (pricing strategy, brand strategy, and target client).The Global 4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies Market report also covers an analysis of the market effect factors. This includes the technology progress/risk (substitutes/threat and technology progress in the related industry), consumer needs/customer preference change, and economic/political environmentalThe key players which provide solutions in the Global 4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies Market AU Optronics Sharp Corporation Panasonic Corporation BOE Technology Group Koninklijke Philips Sony Electronics Hisense Group Toshiba Corporation Innolux CorporationCheck Full Report With TOC@About Us:Research Beams uniqueness lies in its highly ethical reports at economical rates because we value your relationship and growth more than money. Your growth is our aim. With the arsenal of different search reports, we help you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency.Contact Us:Global Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United Statesphone+1 (800) 910-6452mail help@researchbeam.com
Global Car Leasing Market to grow at a CAGR of 12.61% during 2017-2021 - ALD Automotive, Arval, ExpatRide, LeasePlan, Sixt

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Leasing a car is a system of possessing a brand new or used car by paying to use it for a definite time. Many vendors offer a range of vehicles that can be leased by customers for a period as and when required. Leasing is similar to renting a car; however, the former is for a relatively longer period. It involves two parties: A lessor and a lessee. Car leasing is not as same as buying a car or renting one. It is an arrangement where in a customer pays to the leasing company for the right to drive a car. The monthly payments that are made as a part of lease agreement do not add to the lessee's equity (ownership) in the car. The monthly payments just allow the customer to drive the vehicle for a specified period, which is usually 2-3 years.The global Car Leasing market to grow at a CAGR of 12.61% during the period 2017-2021. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global Car Leasing market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the units of passenger cars leased during the forecast period.Click to get Sample PDF:The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:- Americas- APAC- EMEATechnavio's report, Global Car Leasing Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.View Complete TOC with Tables and Figures at:Key vendors- ALD Automotive- Arval- ExpatRide- LeasePlan- SixtOther prominent vendors- BT Fleet- Free2Move Lease- Daimler Fleet Management- Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions- Inchcape Fleet Solutions- MasterleaseKey questions answered in this report- What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?- What are the key market trends?- What is driving this market?- What are the challenges to market growth?- Who are the key vendors in this market space?- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:
Comprehensive Report on Cash Management Supplies Packaging Market by Future Market Insights 2017  2027

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Cash Management Supplies Packaging  Market Overview:In the cash management supplies process, packaging plays a vital role in providing the security during the delivery of cash. Various packaging solutions available in the market which helps in cash management during supply such as deposit tickets, endorsement stamps, vault bundle bags, cash and deposit bags, internal cash control bags, coin bags, strap bags etc. Above discuses all the products provide good security but keep in mind growing theft and fraud innovation is needed. Tamper evidence security bags is one of the technical innovation in the packaging industry. These bags provide security solution for the high-value chain of custody and proof of authenticity application. Tamper evidence security bags works on near-field communication technology. This technology is similar to the technology used in credit cards and therefore it is more secure than traditional barcode scanner locks and it operates through smartphones. Due to technological advancement in the bags industry and increasing concern among consumer regarding security, such kind of bags market is expected to grow during the forecast period.Cash Management Supplies Packaging - Market Dynamics:Cash management supplies packaging market is expected to grow for several reasons. One of the significant factors contributing towards the growth of the cash management supplies packaging is the growing preference towards the security. Robust growth of casinos and gambling creates demand for cash/coin deposit and card/dice bags. Growth in banking sector is creating demand for security products. Growing small, mid-scale as well as the large business needs the secure transfer of cash, gold, bank check or any other valuable things from one place to another place. These are also considerable factors for growth of the cash management supplies packaging market. Ongoing trends towards digital payments and increasing penetration of mobile banking hampers the growth of the cash management supplies packaging market. Ban on casinos also affects the tremendous growth of the cash management supplies packaging market. Nowadays, technical innovation for making the cash management supplies more secure is the key trend.Request For Report Sample:Cash Management Supplies Packaging - Market Segmentation:On the basis of material type, cash management supplies packaging market is segmented into PlasticHDPELDPEPVCOthersPaperOn the basis of application, cash management supplies packaging market is segmented into Cash/Coin Deposit BagsCard & Dice BagsEvidence BagsStrap BagsOn the basis of end user, cash management supplies packaging market is segmented into Financial InstitutionsCasinosHotelsGovernment OrganizationOthers (National retail companies & Academic institutes etc.)Cash Management Supplies Packaging Market - Regional Outlook:The cash management supplies packaging market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Several packaging companies are focusing on developing cash management supplies packaging with efficiency, high precision, and process control to serve the growing demand. In Latin America, Brazil has been witnessing an increased demand for card and dice bags, owing to steady growth in the casino and gambling sector. North America expects significant growth in the future due to the rise in the gaming sector. In the Asia Pacific, China and India like emerging country create the great opportunity for the cash management supplies packaging market. In Japan, the government has recently indicated support for casino legalization. It creates an opportunity for cash management supplies packaging market in the country.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Cash Management Supplies Packaging Market - Major Players:Few of the major players identified across the globe in the cash management supplies packaging market are ProAmpac LLC, A. Rifkin Co, Business Deposits Plus, Inc., SECUTAC, Securepac Industries Sdn Bhd, Versapak International Ltd, Adsure Packaging Limited, Ampac Holdings LLC, Coveris Holdings S.A., Mega Fortris (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Packaging Horizons Corporation, KENT PLASTIK LTD. STI., HSA International Group, etc.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Abhishek Bhudoliya616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Die Cut Support Pads Market: Analysis and Forecast by Future Market Insights 2017  2027

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Global Die Cut Support Pads - Market Overview:The protective packaging market is growing across the globe, due to rise in the demand for protective and compact packaging solution. The global die cut support pads market is expected to grow during the forecast period specifically on the backdrop of the rise in global trade. Die cut support pads are light weight, environment-friendly and easy to use. Sustainable and functionally beneficial properties of die cut support pads drives the market of die cut support pads in the global protective packaging market.Global Die Cut Support Pads - Market Dynamics:One of the significant factors which contribute to the growth of the global die cut support pads market is increasing demand for the electronics products globally. In addition, growing penetration of e-shopping also helps in driving the demand for die cut support pads. Die cut support pads are specially designed for holding and locking a product in place. The property of die cut support pads is to organize a product within the package which proves helpful in keeping the product safe during transportation. Growth in the shipping and transportation industry drive the demand for the die cut support pads.Request For Report Sample:Die cut support pads are mainly formed by multiple layers of corrugated boards and it is used for cushioning and protection of delicate items. Various types of corrugated die cut support pads are available in the market such as foam and plastic die cut support pads. The global market for die cut support pads is witnessing growth in the corrugated die cut support pads because of its lower cost and other benefits offered by the pads. Apart from being cost effective, die cut support pads are also 100% recyclable and environmentally friendly which again drives its market due to higher inclination of manufacturers towards environmentally friendly products.Global Die Cut Support Pads - Market Segmentation:Global die cut supports pads market can be segmented on the basis of board type, flute type, and end use.On the basis of board type, global die cut support pads market is segmented into Single wallDouble wallTriple WallOn the basis of flute type, global die cut support pads market is segmented into A (highest) FluteB (standard) FluteC (between A and B) FluteE (thin) FluteOthers (Extra 125G B-Flute)On the basis of end use, global die cut support pads market is segmented into Electrical & ElectronicsCosmetic and Personal CareAutomotiveShipping and TransportationOthersGlobal Die Cut Support Pads Market- Regional Outlook:Geographically, the global die cut support pads market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to be one of the biggest consumer in terms of volume and value because of growing penetration of e-shopping. India and China are expected to witness the significant growth in market volume share due to the rise in the retail sector in these regions. Europe is expected to occupy significant share in die cut support pads market. Asia Pacific and North America have the largest regional market for die cut support pads, owing to high demand from various industries such as shipping and logistics. The Middle East and Central and South America are expected to observe considerable growth rates in near future.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Global Die Cut Support Pads Market- Major Players:Few of the key players identified across the globe in the die cut support pads market are International Paper, High Win Industrial Limited, Toitsu Package Co., Ltd., Innerpak of Wisconsin, Inc., Progressive Packaging Inc., United Packaging Industries Pte. Ltd., Premier Packaging Products, L&M Corrugated Container Corporation, AFP Inc. etcABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Abhishek Bhudoliya616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Air Pressure Sensor Market to Discern Magnified Growth During 2015-2025

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Increase in demand for reliable sensors, low cost along with high performance feature is anticipated to fuel the growth of global air pressure sensor market.Air pressure sensor is a measuring converter of the pressure of a gas or liquid into pneumatic, electric, and other kinds of output signal. It is also used for measuring pressure drops and rarefaction. The demand for air pressure sensors market is rapidly increasing as they are widely used across various applications such as petrochemicals, building, shipbuilding, aircraft, and medical sector, among many others. In building, medical and automotive sector, MEMS-based pressure sensors (technology) are widely used. Additionally, on account of industry shift from analog to digital, air pressure sensors have become smarter in terms of sensing and efficiency performance. Advancements in ICT technology as well as Nanotechnology applications are emerging as new trends for the global air pressure sensor market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Air Pressure Sensor Market: Drivers & RestraintsImproved sensitivity in pressure sensors has strongly contributed to the demand of the global air pressure sensor market. Fast growth in Asia-Pacific region, increasing governmental regulation and vehicle production are the key factors driving the growth in the global air pressure sensor market. Advancement in technology is opening new doors to the growth of pressure sensors for medical and automotive applications. In coming years, it is anticipated that penetration of MEMS technology is going to lead the overall global air pressure sensor market. However, higher cost of the investment for production, could act as a major restraint in the global air pressure sensor market.Air Pressure Sensor Market: SegmentationOn the basis of technology, the global air pressure sensor market is segmented as:ElectromagneticCapacitivePiezoresistiveOpticalOthers (Resonant solid-state)On the basis of applications the global air pressure sensor market is segmented as:Automotive Pressure SensorsMedical SectorIndustrial SectorConsumer ElectronicsOthers (Refineries, Chemical plant, Pulp & paper, etc)Air Pressure Sensor Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global air pressure sensor market is expected to register a favourable growth for the forecast period, 2015?2025. On the basis of region, Asia Pacific, Japan and Latin America are expected to be the growth engines of air pressure sensor market in the near future. Asia-Pacific is anticipated to dominate the global air pressure sensor market. The key countries mentioned in the Asia-Pacific region are India, South Korea, and China as an outcome of growth in application sectors. Also, the region is expected to generate higher revenue as compared to North America (is practically maturing). Japan also contributes to the global air pressure sensor market remarkably. In Latin America, Brazil is expected to be the largest opportunity in terms of revenue of the air pressure sensor market. The remaining regions are expected to grow at a steady rate over the forecast period.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Air Pressure Sensor Market: Key PlayersSome of the key market participants in global air pressure sensor market are ABB Ltd., Analog Devices, Inc., Analog Devices, Inc., Analog Devices, Inc., Emerson Electric, General Electric, Freescale Semiconductor, Honeywell International, Robert Bosch GmbH and others.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, types, technology and applications.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Abhishek BudholiyaFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Disposable Blood Bag Market to grow at a CAGR of 8.62% during 2017-2021 - AdvacarePharma, Fresenius Kabi, Grifols, Poly Medicure

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A blood bag is a container used for the collection, transportation, and storage of blood. Blood bags are made of plastic or PVC and are usually disposable. It is also used for the collection and separation of blood components such as blood plasma, RBC, platelets, and leucocytes. Blood banks collect blood from donors and store, process, and supply blood to the patients. Whole blood is processed into various subcomponents such as leucocytes, platelets, red blood cells (RBC), and blood plasma, which are used in various treatment procedures. Maintaining and storing blood involves various standards and parameters, which are governed by international and local regulatory authorities such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), Red Cross Association, and American Association of Blood Banks (AABB).The global disposable blood bag market to grow at a CAGR of 8.62% during the period 2017-2021. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global disposable blood bag market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers sales of blood bags in the market.Click to get Sample PDF:The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:- Americas- APAC- EMEATechnavio's report, Global Disposable Blood Bag Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.View Complete TOC with Tables and Figures at:Key vendors- AdvacarePharma- Fresenius Kabi- Grifols- Poly MedicureOther prominent vendors- Haemonetics Corporation- HLL Lifecare- Macopharma- Neomedic- Span Healthcare- SURU International- TERUMO PENPOLMarket driver- Rising number of hospitals and blood banks- For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge- Low availability of blood storage/transfusion facilities in rural markets- For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report- What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?- What are the key market trends?- What is driving this market?- What are the challenges to market growth?- Who are the key vendors in this market space?- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:
Acute Coronary Syndrome Market to Flourish with an Impressive CAGR by 2021

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Acute coronary syndrome is one of the serious medical conditions characterized by sudden and reduced flow of blood to the heart. The symptoms of acute coronary syndrome are the same as those of a heart attack. The most common symptoms of acute coronary syndrome includes chest pressure which patients feel during heart attacks and pressure in chest at the time of rest or doing light physical activities.Request for Table of Contents @Treatments of acute coronary syndrome depend on their symptoms and overall health condition. Acute coronary syndrome is often diagnosed in hospital. It is a treatable disease if diagnosed quickly. If acute coronary syndrome isn't treated quickly, heart attacks will occur. It is important to diagnose and treat acute coronary syndrome at its earlier stage. This is due to it reduces flow of blood and hampers normal functioning of the heart.Based on evidence of heart muscle damage, the acute coronary syndrome is divided into three main types: unstable angina (UA), ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). UA occurs when heart doesn't get enough blood flow and oxygen which leads to heart attacks. STEMI occurs when the coronary artery is completely blocked off by the blood clot. NSTEMI occurs when a coronary artery suddenly becomes partly occluded by blood clot.The global acute coronary syndrome market is categorized based on various antihypertensive, antithrombotic and statins drugs.In terms of geographic, North America and Europe dominates the global acute coronary syndrome market. This is due to increased awareness about acute coronary syndrome in these regions. The U.S. represents the largest market for acute coronary syndrome market followed by Canada in North America. In Europe, Germany, Italy, the U.K. and France holds major share of acute coronary syndrome market. However, Asia is expected to show high growth rates in the next five years in global acute coronary syndrome market. This is due to many companies constructing their manufacturing facilities in the region. In addition, increasing awareness about acute coronary syndrome is also supporting in the growth of the market in the region. Japan, China and India are expected to be the fastest growing acute coronary syndrome markets in Asia.Request to View Sample of Research Report @In recent time, increasing aging population is key driver of the global acute coronary syndrome market. Increased pharmaceutical R&D investment and introduction of innovative drugs have fueled the growth of global acute coronary syndrome market. Extensive pipeline drugs with properties, such as high patient compliance and improved safety, are also supporting in the growth of global acute coronary syndrome market.Increasing prevalence of diabetes and rising number of obese or over-weight people holds immense potential to the growth of global acute coronary syndrome market.However, stringent regulations hamper the growth of global acute coronary syndrome market. Moreover, less number of approved drugs for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome also obstructs the growth of the market. Increasing mergers and acquisitions between drug manufacturing companies and rapid number of product launches are some of the major trends of the global acute coronary syndrome market.Some of the major companies operating in the global acute coronary syndrome market are Boehringer Ingelheim, Dr. Reddys Laboratories, Johnson & Johnson, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Portola Pharmaceuticals, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Amgen, Bayer, Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, Regeneron, Novartis and Merck.Pre Book Full Report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.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:
Saudi Arabia Electric Motor Market Overview 2017, Demand by Regions, Types and Analysis of Key Players

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The Saudi Arabia electric motor market has been witnessing a positive growth. This is due to the increasing governmental support towards large-scale investments and establishment of new industries in the water and power utility sectors.Request a sample report:The latest report by IMARC Group, titled Saudi Arabia Electric Motor Market: Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2017-2022, finds that the Saudi Arabia Electric Motor market reached a value of more than US$ 420 Million in 2016. Electric Motor transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy and is used for producing linear or rotary force. These motors can be powered through direct current sources which include batteries, motor vehicles and rectifiers; and alternating current sources such as inverters, generators and power grid. These motors offer numerous advantages such as durability, high operating life, easy installation of automated controls and reduced requirement of labour. Apart from this, they have low initial cost and do not need any engine oil maintenance, or fuel and battery service.Highlights of the Saudi Arabia electric motor market:Growth of public infrastructure and government support for the investment in water and utility sectors act as major factors of growth.HVAC holds the largest market share in the end use industry segment.IE2 hold the majority market share, representing clear dominance in efficiency segment.The growth of the Saudi Arabia electric motor market is majorly driven by thriving construction sector in the region. Due to inflating incomes and rapid urbanisation, there have been heavy investments in the transport infrastructure including airports, seaports, high-speed rail lines and road construction projects. This has, in turn, proliferated the demand for electric motors in Saudi Arabia. In addition to this, rising number of oil rigs and power plants have resulted in a surge in the demand for electric motors in the country. Moreover, other factors such as government policies encouraging the use of energy-efficient motors and a high demand for AC motors across various industries have also bolstered the market growth. As a result, the Saudi Arabia electric motor market is further expected to reach a value of more than US$ 595 Million, exhibiting a CAGR of around 6% during 2017-2022.On the basis of efficiency, IE2 currently exhibits a clear dominance in the market, followed by IE3, IE1 and IE4. Based on end-use industry, HVAC represents the largest end-use industry on account of extreme climatic conditions in the country. It is followed by oil and gas, food and beverage, mining, and water and utilities. On the basis of application, pumps and fans accounts for the majority of the total global share, followed by compressors. The competitive landscape of the market has also been analysed with some of the key players operating in the market being ABB, Siemens, WEG Industries, NIDEC Corporation and TECO Middle East Electrical & Machinery Co. Ltd.Read full report with TOC:The report by IMARC Group has examined the Saudi Arabia electric motor market on the basis of:Efficiency:IE2IE3IE1IE4End-Use Industry:HVACOil and GasFood and BeverageMiningWater and UtilitiesApplication:Pumps and FansCompressorsKey Players:ABBSiemensWEG IndustriesNIDEC CorporationTECO Middle East Electrical & Machinery Co. Ltd.Browse related reports:GCC Electric Motor Market:UAE Electric Motor Market:About UsIMARC Group is a leading market research company that offers management strategy and market research worldwide. We partner with clients in all sectors and regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their businesses.IMARCs information products include major market, scientific, economic and technological developments for business leaders in pharmaceutical, industrial, and high technology organizations. Market forecasts and industry analysis for biotechnology, advanced materials, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, travel and tourism, nanotechnology and novel processing methods are at the top of the companys expertise.Contact usIMARC Group309 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USAWebsite:Email: sales@imarcgroup.comUSA: +1-631-791-1145Follow us on twitter: @imarcglobal
Concentrate Containers Market Analysis, Forecast, and Assessment 2017  2027

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Global concentrate containers market: IntroductionConcentrate containers are used for storing concentrates of various types. This provides effective packaging solutions for storing concentrates such as dabs, wax, oil and other concentrates. Generally, they are used to store drug concentrates such as cannabis. These concentrate containers are non-stick. The inside materials are unable to stick to the walls of containers. Concentrate containers have the wide opening which allows easy removal of content. In addition, concentrate containers are reusable and can be washed easily, which increases preference for them. These are generally made up of glass, silicone and plastic material and available in various capacities. The capacities range from mere 3 ml to 10 ml and above. Different types of closure are used for the covering of concentrate containers, such as twist lock, screw cap, and pop top. Concentrate containers provide proper safety to the product kept inside it. It prevents them from moisture, temperature, and dust. Therefore, the outlook for the growth of global concentrate containers market is expected to be positive over the forecast period.Global concentrate containers market: DynamicsConcentrate containers are safe to keep concentrates and prevents them from being exposed to light and moisture. They can withstand a wide range of temperature. These factors are expected to fuel the demand for concentrate containers. Another factor which can boost the demand for concentrate containers is growing demand for cannabis concentrate such as dabs and hash across the globe. Also, cannabis concentrates are now an important part of the cannabis industry. The consumption of cannabis has been observed to grow, and these cannabis extracts are highly sensitive to temperature. Hence, concentrate containers are effective solutions to keep them safe. This factor certainly is expected to boost the demand for concentrate containers over the forecast period. A wide range of concentrate containers are available in the market, which offers consumers a chance to choose suitable container. This factor is expected to fuel the demand for concentrate containers market growth over the next decade. Concentrate containers can be custom printed, which increases preference among the consumers. Manufacturers are offering various closure types in concentrate containers such as screw cap, twist lock, and pop top closure types. These factors is anticipated to increase the demand for concentrate containers over the next decade. The factor which might hamper the growth of global concentrate containers market is the use of silicone-based concentrate containers, which can have adverse effects on some of the products.Request For Report Sample:Global concentrate containers market: SegmentationGlobal concentrate containers market can be segmented as follows:On the basis of material type, the global concentrate containers market has been segmented as:GlassSiliconePlasticsOn the basis of closure type, the global concentrate containers market has been segmented as:Twist lockScrew capPop topOthersOn the basis of capacity, the global concentrate containers market has been segmented as:Up to 5 ml5-10 ml10 ml & aboveGlobal concentrate containers market: Regional OutlookBased on regions, the global concentrate containers market is divided into seven regions namely:North AmericaWestern EuropeAsia-pacific except JapanEastern EuropeLatin AmericaMiddle-east and AfricaJapanThe global demand for concentrate containers is expected to witness positive growth over the forecast period, due to increasing consumption of cannabis concentrates among people. The North American region is expected to witness positive growth in concentrate containers market over the forecast period, due to increment in the number of users. Western Europe and Eastern Europe regions are expected to witness high growth in concentrate containers market over the forecast period. It is due to the study that millions of young Europeans are engaged in the consumption of drugs such as cannabis and weeds, in addition, Europe is expected to be the major consumer as well as producer of cannabis. Cannabis and weed concentrates are trending products nowadays. Concentrate containers are considered to be the most appropriate packaging solution. The APEJ region is anticipated to witness average growth in the global concentrate containers market over the forecast period, as consumption of cannabis concentrate in some of the countries is illegal. Latin America is anticipated to witness positive growth over the forecast period. MEA region is expected to witness sluggish growth due to the ban imposed by the government to the use of drugs and their concentrates. Japan is expected to witness negligible growth due to strict laws against the use of such concentrates nationwide.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Global concentrate containers market: Key PlayersFew of the key players in global concentrate containers market are  Marijuana Packaging, Smoke Weed Inc., Kush Bottles, Inc., Cannaline, among others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Abhishek Bhudoliya616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Cardiovascular Drugs Market to Reap Excessive Revenues by 2021

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Cardiovascular diseases, also known as heart diseases, are diseases of heart and circulatory system. Some of the most common cardiovascular diseases are hypertensive heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, cerebrovascular heart disease, ischemic heart disease and inflammatory heart disease. Hypertensive heart disease occurs due to high blood pressure. Major problems associated with hypertensive heart disease include heart failure, hypertrophy, coronary heart disease and angina. Rheumatic heart disease is caused by rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever occurs by preceding group A streptococcal infection. It is one of the most common acquired heart diseases in children in many countries of the world, especially in developing countries. Cerebrovascular disease affects blood vessels of the brain. Most common types of cerebrovascular disease are vascular dementia, stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage and transient ischemic attack (TIA). Ischemic heart disease is characterized by reduced blood supply to the heart. It is one of the most common causes of death in western parts of the world. Inflammatory heart disease occurs due to the infection of bacteria and virus. This type of inflammation is often associated with episodes of rheumatic fever and kawasaki disease.Request for Table of Contents @The global cardiovascular drugs market is categorized based on various anti-hypertensive drugs, anti-dyslipidemics drugs and anti-thrombotics drugs. Anti-hypertensive drug segment is further sub-segmented into Diovan/Co-Diovan, Blopress, Benicar/Benicar HCT, Micardis/Micardis HCT, Aprovel/CoAprovel, Tekturna/Rasilez, Edarbi, Cozaar/Hyzaar, Norvasc, Exforge/Exforge HCT, Coversyl and Seloken/Toprol-XL. Anti-dyslipidemics drug segment includes Lipitor, Crestor, Niaspan, TriCor/Trilipix, Zetia/Vytorin and Tredaptive. Anti-thrombotics drug segment is further sub-segmented into Plavix, Lovenox, Pradaxa, Xarelto, Brilique/Brilinta and Eliquis.In terms of geographic, North America dominates the global cardiovascular drugs market. This is due to increased awareness about various heart diseases in the region. The U.S. represents the largest market for cardiovascular drugs followed by Canada in North America. In Europe, Germany, the U.K., Spain, Italy and France holds major share of cardiovascular drugs market. However, Asia is expected to show high growth rates in the next five years in global cardiovascular drugs market. This is due to many companies constructing their R&D facilities in the region. Less stringent wages and availability of skilled labor attracts manufacturing companies to invest in Asia. In addition, increasing awareness about heart related problems is also supporting in the growth of cardiovascular drugs market in the region. Japan, China and India are expected to be the fastest growing cardiovascular drugs markets in Asia.Request to View Sample of Research Report @In recent time, increasing prevalence of heart diseases and extensive pipeline drugs are some of the major drivers of global cardiovascular drugs market. Increasing aging population and rising number of life-style diseases are also contributing in the growth of global cardiovascular drugs market. Rising number of diabetic patients holds immense potential to the growth of global cardiovascular drugs market.However, stringent regulations and side-effects of cardiovascular drugs hamper the growth of global cardiovascular drugs market. Moreover, patent expiry of various blockbuster drugs also obstructs the growth of the global cardiovascular drugs market. Increasing mergers and acquisitions between drug manufacturing companies and rapid product launches are key trends of the global cardiovascular drugs market.Some of the major companies operating in the global cardiovascular drugs market are Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Abbott Laboratories Inc., AstraZeneca PLC, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Novartis AG, Forest Laboratories Inc., Bayer AG, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd., Pfizer Inc. and Solvay SA.Pre Book Full Report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.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:
H1N1 Vaccines Market Expansion to be Persistent by 2021

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A vaccine is a biological preparation consisting of an agent that closely resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins or one of its surface proteins. Vaccines can be categorized into many types such as inactivated vaccines, attenuated vaccines, toxoid, and conjugate. Cholera, influenza, hepatitis A, polio, and rabies vaccines are inactivated vaccines. The global vaccines market is categorized on the basis of the different diseases that can either be prevented or treated with the help of vaccines. Various diseases that are treated using H1N1 vaccines include influenza, meningococcal, cervical cancer, pneumococcal, hepatitis, measles, mumps, rubella, etc. H1N1 vaccines refer to the medical preparation specifically designed for the treatment of swine flu. H1N1 influenza is an infectious disease. The causative agent of the same is a variant of the swine H1N1 virus. The H1N1 virus is a RNA virus belonging to the orthomyxoviridae family and it infects the nose, lungs, and throat. In addition to humans, this virus may infect different other species such as birds, swine, horses, etc. On the basis of its surface composition, H1N1 virus can be classified into neuraminidase and hemagglutinin. Hemagglutinin is used by the virus to bind itself to the receptors of the host cell in order to facilitate its entry into the host cell. The H1N1 vaccines market is growing at a significant rate due to the increasing elderly population prone to such infectious diseases. In addition, rise in the prevalence of chronic diseases such as lung diseases, asthma, neurological disorders, etc. along with technological advancements in the field are driving the global market for H1N1 vaccines.Request for Table of Contents @North America and Europe dominate the global H1N1 vaccines market. This is due to improved research infrastructure in these regions. The U.S. represents the largest market for H1N1 vaccines, followed by Canada, in North America. In Europe, France and Germany hold major shares of this market. However, the Asian H1N1 vaccines market is expected to exhibit a high growth rate in the next five years due to increasing awareness among people about preventable diseases. Several government associations have launched various programs to raise awareness among people about various infectious diseases in Asia. This has resulted in the significant rise in demand for H1N1 vaccines for the prevention of swine flu. Moreover, several companies are constructing their manufacturing and research facilities in developing regions given the low wages to be paid, availability of a large talent pool, and less stringent environment and health and safety regulations. Japan, China, and India are expected to be the fastest growing H1N1 vaccines markets in Asia.In recent times, the increasing prevalence of swine flu and novel vaccine technologies are some of the major drivers for the global H1N1 vaccines market. In addition, increased research in the field of vaccine technologies and substantial government support are driving this market. However, lack of awareness and absence of experienced medical professionals are restraining the growth of H1N1 vaccines market. Furthermore, high capital requirement and stringent regulations are also hindering the growth of the global market for H1N1 vaccines.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Growing demographics and economies in developing countries such as India and China, the discovery of new products with greater focus on efficiency, and advancements in the field of biomedical science are expected to offer good opportunities to the players in the H1N1 vaccines market. Frequent mergers and collaborations between manufacturing companies and government associations as well as product launches are the current trends in the global H1N1 vaccines market.Major players in this market are Medimmune, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, and Sanofi Pastuer. Others with a significant presence in the global H1N1 vaccines market are Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (CSL), Sinovac, and Baxter.Pre Book Full Report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.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:
Half Height Containers Market Report  Actionable Insights and Recommendation 2017  2027

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Global half height containers market: IntroductionThere are many types of containers are available for shipping purposes. Some of such containers are dry containers, flat rack containers, open top containers, side open storage containers, refrigerated ISO containers, half height containers and others. Half height containers are used for transit of heavy goods. Heavy goods can be transferred but the volume of cargo should be less. These containers can be transported through railways and waterways. These are specialized containers of half the height of full-sized dry containers. Generally, steel is used in the formation of half height containers. These half-height containers are used for such goods which require easy loading and unloading, such goods are coal, sand, stones, and gravel. They are also useful for transporting goods having extra height, such as tools, pipes and other equipment. They are generally equipped with waterproof removable lids which protect goods from dust during transit.Global half height containers market: DynamicsThe half height containers are useful for manufacturers and exporters who need to ship heavy goods with small volume. The goods which are generally used for transit are coal, sand, gravel, stones, and other heavy items. These factors are expected to drive the market over the forecast period. Growing import and export between countries is expected to fuel the growth of the global half height containers market over the next decade. These half height containers are largely used in industries such as mining industries, production industries such as steel parts producing industries. These half height containers have cubic capacity of around 16.5 m3, and a gross weight of about 33,000 kg. This factor is expected to increase preference for half height containers. It is easy to stack half height containers on trucks, trains and cargo ships. These factor is expected to drive global half height containers market by the end of forecast period. General material used for the manufacturing of half height containers is steel, as they are stackable, hence, it needs to be heavy duty. The factor which can hamper the growth of global half height containers market is availability of various cargo containers in the market.Request For Report Sample:Global half height containers market: SegmentationGlobal half height containers market can be segmented as follows:On the basis of closing type, the global half height containers market has been segmented as:Open top containersClosed containersOn the basis of end use industry, the global half height containers market has been segmented as:Mining IndustryHeavy goods IndustryOthersGlobal half height containers market: Regional OutlookBased on regions, the global half height containers market is divided into seven regions namely:North AmericaWestern EuropeAsia-pacific except JapanEastern EuropeLatin AmericaMiddle-east and AfricaJapanThe global outlook in the half height containers market seems to be positive. The APEJ region is expected to drive the global half height containers market over the forecast period due to growing industrial and manufacturing activities. China is a prime exporter in the world and is likely to boost the overall growth in the global half height containers market over the next decade. The North America and Western Europe regions are expected to witness high growth due to well established market and growing intercontinental trade. It gives rise to the growth of global half height containers market over the forecast period. Growing cargo and shipping industries in the Latin America region is expected to witness positive growth in the global half height containers market. The Eastern Europe region is expected to witness average growth over the next decade due to confined market in the region. The MEA is expected to witness high growth due to developing construction industry in the region. Japan is expected to witness average growth in global half height containers market over the next decade.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Global half height containers market: Key PlayersFew of the key players in the global half height containers market are  Seaco (A division of HNA Group Co. Ltd.), Container Container Ltd., Hoover Ferguson Group, Inc., Qingdao Pacific Container Co., Ltd., Bootle Containers Ltd., Cleveland Containers, BSL Containers Ltd., TLS Offshore Containers International among others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Abhishek Bhudoliya616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Automotive Washer System Market to increase at 5.4% CAGR during the forecast period 2016-2026

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Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the global automotive washer system market in its latest report titled, Automotive Washer System Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026. Global sales of automotive washer systems including headlamp and windshield washer systems is expected to reach US$ 17.5 Bn in 2016, witnessing a y-o-y growth of 4.2% over 2015. The long-term outlook on the global automotive washer systems market remains positive, with the market expected to register a 5.4% value CAGR during the forecast period 2016-2026. Passenger car segment will account for maximum share of the total sales, extending the market share to 76.7% in 2026 as compared to 74.5% in 2016.In terms of volume, the global sales of automotive washer systems is expected to reach 1,453.4 Mn units in 2016 and is expected to expand at a CAGR 3.5% over the forecast period 20162026.Request For Report Sample@Increasing vehicle production and adoption of efficient wiper and washer technologies are primary factors bolstering the sales of washer systems globally. Moreover, high replacement rate of washer system components is expected to result in high sales in the aftermarket segment. The emergence of newer wiper blade and windshield cleaning technologies is resulting in higher cost of end products, which is a major factor restraining adoption of these products among consumers. High market penetration of relatively low-cost wiper and washer system alternatives restricts demand for wiper de-icer, nozzle integrated wipers and heated nozzle washer systems.Segmentation highlightsThe global automotive washer system market is segmented on the basis of Component (Nozzles, Reservoirs, Hose & Connectors, Pumps, Windshield Wipers, Wiper Motor); Sales Channel (OEM, Aftermarket); Technology (Electric, Mechanical); Vehicle Type (Passenger Cars, Light Commercial Vehicles, Heavy Commercial Vehicles); and Application (Windshield Washer System, Headlamp Washer System).Windshield wiper was the largest segment by component in 2015 and this will remain unchanged in 2016Nozzle and hose & reservoir segments are expected to be the next large segment in terms of volumeBy value, wiper motor segment is expected to remain dominant over the forecast period. The segment is expected to account for share of 45.9% in 2016 and is expected to maintain dominance over the forecast periodBy product type, windshield washer segment was the largest segment in 2015, and this segment is anticipated to hold 72.3% of the market revenue by 2026. Advancements in wiper blade technology and nozzle design will support growth of the market over near futureHeadlamp washer system segment is anticipated to witness a relatively high value CAGR than windshield washer system. Increasing sales of premium and luxury vehicle globally is anticipated to bolster the growth of headlamp washer system. Furthermore, automakers in the market are focussing on introducing value added features in their mid-range vehicles, so as to earn competitive edge in the marketRegional projectionsThe global automotive washer system market is segmented into the regions of North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, MEA, and Japan. Asia Pacific, the largest market for automotive washer systems is expected account for US$ 5.5 Bn revenue in 2016. Increasing adoption of headlamp washer systems in semi-luxury and mid-sized cars is major trend witnessed in the region. North America is expected to be the next big market, the region accounted for 21.1% of the total revenue share in 2015 and is anticipated to hold 20.7% in 2016. The recent relocation of automobile production facilities to developing nations such as Mexico will impact the OEM sales of washer systems in the region. Western Europe is expected to account for US$ 3.3 Bn revenue in 2016. The market for headlamp washer systems in the region is majorly driven by the existing stringent regulations to deploy these systems with high intensity headlamps.Visit For TOC@Vendor insightsRobert Bosch GmbH, Denso Corporation, Valeo S.A., continental AG and Mitsuba Corporation are the top five players in the global automotive washer system market, accounting for about 30% market revenue share in 2015. The leading players in the market are focusing on acquisition, collaboration and partnerships of/with technology providers to increase their product portfolio and market presence. Furthermore, expansion of production facilities, particularly in developing nations, is the key strategy adopted by major players in the market.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACTFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: http.futuremarketinsights.com
Lime Market Estimated to Exhibit US$ 2,538.1 Mn forecast period 2016- 2026

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Future Market Insights presents an analysis of the U.S lime market in a new publication titled Lime Market: U.S. Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026. The consumption of lime in the U.S. was pegged at 19,600 KT in 2015 and this is expected to increase to 27,074 KT by the end of 2026. The U. S lime market is projected to represent incremental $ opportunity of US$ 1,096.8 Mn during 2016  2026. In this report, Future Market Insights throws light on the various drivers and restraints likely to influence the market during the forecast period (2016  2026).Segmentation highlightsThe U.S lime market is segmented on the basis of Product Type into Quick Lime and Hydrated Lime; and on the basis of Application into Cement Manufacturing, Metal Manufacturing, Chemical (Water Treatment, Flue Gas, Others), Fertilizer, Pulp & Paper, and Others.Request For Report Sample@The Quick Lime product type segment is expected to account for a market value share of 83.3% by 2016 end and is expected to gain 90 BPS over the forecast periodThe Hydrated Lime product type segment is projected to account for a market value share of 16.7% by 2016 end and is estimated to be pegged at 2,967 KT in terms of volume by 2016 endThe Metal Manufacturing application segment is anticipated to account for a market value share of 32.8% by 2016 end and is estimated to be pegged at 6,614 KT in terms of volume by 2016 endThe Chemical application segment is likely to account for a market value share of 33.3% by 2016 end and is anticipated to be pegged at 6,724 KT in terms of volume by 2016 endRegional projectionsThe U.S lime market is segmented into the key regions of Northeast, Midwest, South, and Western. The Northeast U.S. lime market is estimated to account for a value share of 7.1% of the U.S lime market by 2016 end. Demand for lime in the Northeast U.S lime market is expected to be driven by water treatment plants. The Western U.S. lime market is estimated to account for a market value share of 16.7% by 2016 end, owing to an increasing production in the paper and pulp manufacturing industries.Visit For TOC@Vendor insightsThe report profiles a few leading companies operating in the U.S lime market such as Mississippi Lime Company, Linwood Mining & Minerals Corporation, United States Lime & Minerals Inc., Lhoist, Valley Minerals LLC., CHENEY LIME & CEMENT COMPANY, Pete Lien & Sons Inc., CARMEUSE, and Graymont Limited. Top market players are increasing their production facilities and introducing advanced technology and tools to cater to market demands, besides adopting strategies such as acquisitions and partnerships to expand geographically and increase market share.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACTFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: http.futuremarketinsights.com
Orthopedic Braces and Support System Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking  Global Review 2017 to 2022

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Growing prevalence of arthritis, spinal deformities, sciatic nerve, impaired muscle, paralysis, fracture injury and stroke has led to an upsurge in demand for orthopedic braces & support system. Improper and heavy lifting further leads to bulging or ruptured disks, scoliosis, stress-induced back pain and scoliosis. According to CDC, an estimated 22.7% of the adults reported doctor diagnosed arthritis with higher age-adjusted prevalence in the women (23.5%) as compared to men (18.1%) in 2015. Wide range of foot related problems has led to a surge in adoption of the orthotic shoe devices and other orthopedic braces globally.Request Free Sample Report-According to Fact.MR, the global orthopedic braces & support system market is expected to represent a value of over US$ 3,000 Mn by the end of 2022.Leg and Knee Injury to Boost AdoptionIn order to offer comfort and convenience, the manufacturers in the orthopedic industry are focusing on exploring leading technology to integrate advanced features in the orthotic shoe devices that enable the end users to keep their foot in the neutral position and offer cushioning to protect the foot from overuse. Increasing incidences of fracture has led to surge in demand for speedy restoration process post removal of the cast. In addition, growing need to support the weak limbs continues to boost sales of the orthopedic braces and supports globally. The orthopedic braces guide or control an injured body segment or joint and immobilizes or limits an extremity during foot injury.Application of the orthopedic braces also witness significant demand for managing weight issues among obese people. Obese patients struggle to walk or move comfortably and conveniently due to unmanageable weight. In order to reduce the weight bearing, the orthopedic braces are increasingly used among the obese people.Browse Full Report with TOC-Technological Advancements to Underscore Lucrative Growth OpportunitiesManufacturers in the orthopedic industry are increasingly focusing on designing the orthopedic braces in line with smart technology. Some of the recently launched orthopedic products equipped with smart technology include step smart braces, smart AFO braces and smart spine braces. Companies operating in this industry are focusing on product innovation and developments in order to gain a competitive edge over the other market players. In order to gain traction in the global market, the companies are designing the smart devices with features that enable the skin to breathe and avoid developing bad smell. Manufacturers are increasingly adopting anatomical modelling software applications and hypoallergenic materials for enhanced accuracy and efficiency in designing the product. As these devices are lightweight and water resistant, demand for the orthopedic devices is likely to increase in the healthcare industry.Hospitals to Represent a Leading SegmentWith the growing prevalence of knee and leg injuries has led to an upsurge in demand for the knee braces & supports. On the basis of product type, the knee braces & supports is expected to generate significant revenues, accounting for a value of over US$ 500 Mn by the end of 2022. The knee braces & support product type segment is expected to register a robust CAGR throughout the forecast period.Based on end users, the hospitals segment is expected to represent the highest revenue growth, recording a value of over US$ 500 Mn by the end of 2017. However, the ASCs end users segment is expected to register the highest CAGR through 2022.Competition TrackingLeading market players operating in the global orthopedic braces & support system market include Bauerfeind AG, Breg, Inc., BSN Medical GmbH, DeRoyal Industries, Inc., DJO Global, Inc., Ossur hf., Otto Bock Healthcare GmbH, Promedics Orthopedics Ltd., Ascent Meditech Ltd. and Trulife Inc.Check Discount-About Fact.MRFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized Healthcare market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFact.MRSuite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandTelephone: +353-1-6111-593Email: sales@factmr.com/Web:
Padded Mailers Market Analysis and Forecast Study for (2017  2027)

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The growth of protective packaging is rising consistently as the online purchasing of products is increasing. Padded mailer is a packaging solution used for the protective packaging of the products. E-commerce is rapidly increasing which is a main driver of the padded mailers market. Padded mailers are made of paper or paperboard, with a padding of different materials, such as foam, bubble wraps, and others, pasted on the inner side. Padded mailers are used for shipping and handling of products which require protective packaging which can resist shock, abrasion, and vibrations. Padded mailers have various end-use applications such as electronic goods, medical devices, machinery parts, chemicals packaging and others. Padded mailer is a popular product for products which require protective packaging. Padded mailers have various features such as shock absorption, water resistance, lightweight, and abrasion resistant. The growth of the padded mailers market is propelled by the increase in the penetration of e-commerce. The consistent increase in the demand for efficient packaging solutions for the shipment of small and medium sized products e-commerce has increased the growth of the padded mailers market.Padded Mailers Market  Drivers & RestraintsThe growth of the global padded market is expected to grow over the forecast period due to various reasons. In recent years, manufacturers are introduced in the padded mailers market. The penetration of e-commerce in the emerging economies such as China, India, Argentina and South Africa is expected to increase the demand of padded mailers. The attractive features of padded mailers such as shock absorption, light in weight, cost-effectiveness, and water resistance, increases the growth of the global padded mailer market. Increasing e-commerce is the main driver of the global padded mailers market. The efficient and protective packaging is provided by padded mailers.Request Report Sample@The increasing awareness towards the environment is expected to restrain the growth of the padded mailers market. Stringent government rules, regulations and guidelines against materials such as plastic, which is used majorly in the manufacturing of the padded mailer may hinder the growth of the global padded mailers market. Increase in the production of biodegradable & easily recyclable materials is expected to positively increase the growth of the padded mailers market.Padded Mailers  Market SegmentationThe global padded mailers market is segmented on the basis of padding material type, on the basis of internal size, on the basis of closure type, and on the basis of the application.On the basis of the padding material type, the padded mailers are made using various padding or cushioning materials such as foam, bubble wraps, and other cushioning materials.On the basis of internal size, the manufacturers manufacture padded mailers in various internal sizes such as less than 110*160mm, 120*210mm, 150*210mm, 180*260mm and above.On the basis of closure type, the padded mailers are made having different closure types such as self-sealing, tear tape, and zipper.Visit For TOC@On the basis of application, padded mailers are multi-purpose and are used in various applications such as electric & electronic parts, machinery parts, CD/DVDs, medical devices and others.Padded Mailers Market - Regional OutlookGlobally, the Padded Mailers market has been segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Middle East & Africa (MEA) and Japan. North America is expected to dominate the global padded mailers market. Due to the continuous increase of the e-commerce in the North American region. The U.S. majorly contributes in the North America padded mailers market. The developing countries in the Western Europe are fuelling the growth of the market in the region. Moreover, China in the APEJ region is also contributing in the market.Padded Mailers Market - Key PlayersSome of the key players of the padded mailers market are Uline Inc., Sealed Air Corporation, Beta Package Products Co., Ltd., PAC Worldwide, Inc., Pregis Corporation, Alpine Plastics, Jiffy Packaging Co. Limited, Supremex Inc., Sancell Pty Ltd., Bravo Pack Inc., and others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Frozen Yogurt Market 2016: Industry Review, Research, Statistics, and Growth to 2022

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Market OverviewThe increasing sale of frozen yogurt is driven by the changing consumers food consumption preference and economic development. The innovation in flavors has raised the consumption of frozen yogurt amongst various regions. The sale of healthy sugar-free, low fat Frozen Yogurt is high amongst the population of health conscious people. High focus on research and development is the major reason for the increasing demands of frozen yogurt. U.S. is one of the major markets for frozen yogurt and holds a lions share. The specialty food-type segment of frozen yogurt is also evaluated to increase at a high growth rate.Globally the frozen yogurt market share as a frozen-dairy product is estimated to escalate at a higher growth rate which is supported by the rising consumption of low-calorie, natural and healthy products in the developed countries. The developing economic conditions of various regions are fueling up the market demand for frozen yogurts. Innovations in flavor and developing technologies has led to the development of high probiotic containing frozen yogurts which is steadily gaining its popularity.All these factors contribute to the calculated CAGR of 14.5% of frozen yogurt market during 2016-2022.Request a Sample Report @Major Key Players:The Major Key Players in Frozen Yogurt Market areGeneral Mills, Inc. (U.S.)Amul (India)Yogurtland Franchising, Inc. (U.S.)Menchie's Frozen Yogurt (U.S.)Pinkberry (U.S.)TCBY (U.S.)Red Mango, Inc (U.S.)16 Handles (U.S.)Danone (France)Established players from North America and Europe are following strategies innovations in their-product line to expand their business in other regions due to increasing demand of frozen yogurt. They are mainly focused on increasing their supply to developed regions where the demand of product is raising. In the Europe region, Spain and Italy are amongst the dominating countries holding a major share in frozen yogurt market and exports the product in various other countries of Europe which include Netherlands, France, U.K. and others.Downstream Analysis-Consumption of low-fat frozen yogurt is increasing at a steady rate. Amongst the various flavors available in the frozen yogurt, the strawberry and plain frozen yogurt is found to hold a lions share. The popularity of unconventional specialty type frozen yogurt is also increasing steadily which has increased the sale of healthy frozen yogurt. People are more inclined towards consumption of frozen yogurt with high nutritional value. New innovations and high focus on R&D is supporting the growth of the segments globally.Regional AnalysisThe Global Frozen Yogurt Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and rest of the world (ROW). Among these North America region has the major market share followed by Europe. U.S. is found to be concentrated with the established key players in the frozen yogurt market. Raising consumption of frozen desserts imparting high health benefits is supporting the growth of the market in developed countries of North America and Europe region. U.K., Italy, Spain, Portugal and Belgium are the major importers of frozen yogurt.Access Report Details @Market Segmentation-Global frozen yogurt market is segmented by product-type, flavors, specialty food-type, distribution channel and regionAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.ContactAkash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Thermal Paper Market To Perceive Huge Accretions By 2023; Asserts MRFR

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Market Research Future published a research report on Thermal Paper Market Research Report- Forecast 2023  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Global Thermal Paper Market Information Report, By Technology (Direct Thermal, Thermal Transfer, and Others), By Application (POS, Lottery & Gaming, Labels & Tags, and Others) and By Region - Global Forecast To 2023Market Highlights:Thermal Paper is manufactured with specialty coating which enables inkless printing. This coating blackens when exposed to heat, and in turn transfers the image on the paper. The thermal paper has applications across gaming, lottery, retail, e-commerce, packaging & labelling, and others. The market is driven by various factors such as increased importance of labels and barcodes in the packaging of consumer goods. Additionally, growth in packaged food industries, also fuels the growth of the market. The rise in population in many countries, has led to an increase in food & beverage consumption, which ultimately increases the demand of packaging products. Also, the increase in consumer income in countries such as China, India, and Brazil, have led to the growth in demand for good-quality packaged food. However, fluctuating supply and prices of raw materials, may hamper the growth of the market.Hence, Global Thermal Paper Market is expected to reach a market size of USD 4,391.0 million by the end of the forecast period at CAGR of 4.66%.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global thermal paper market, tracking two market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and ROW. The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next six years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global thermal paper market by its technology, application, and region.Global Thermal Paper Market, By Technology Direct Thermal Thermal Transfer OthersGlobal Thermal Paper Market, By Application POS Lottery & Gaming Labels & Tags OthersGet Sample of Report @Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 5.12% during the forecast period. The region is regarded as one of the fastest growing regions, in terms of sales from both retail and online stores. With increasing disposable income and changing consumer preferences, there has been an inclination towards purchasing from online platforms, especially the international ones such as Amazon. China is the major market in Asia Pacific region, owing to the increasing population and increasing demand for consumer goods.Based on technology, the market has been segmented as direct thermal, thermal transfer, and others. The direct thermal segment accounted for the largest market share of 49.37% in 2016, with a market value of USD 1,586.1 Million. In direct thermal technology, no ribbon is used in printing. It creates the image directly on the printed material. Direct thermal printing uses chemically treated, heat-sensitive media that turns black when it passes under the thermal print head. Thermal transfer technology is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 4.43%. Thermal transfer printing uses a heated ribbon to produce durable, long-lasting images on a wide variety of materials. Thermal transfer printers can create highly durable wristbands, asset tags, and certification labels, in addition to common labels, tags, and tickets.Key PlayersThe key players of global thermal paper market are Appvion, Inc. (U.S.), Oji Paper (Thailand) Ltd. (Thailand), Koehler Paper Group (Germany), Ricoh Company Ltd (Japan), Jujo Thermal Ltd. (Finland), Mitsubishi Paper Mills Ltd. (Japan), Hansol Paper Co., Ltd (South Korea), and Nakagawa Manufacturing , Inc. (U.S.).Enquiry before Buying @Brief TOC:1. Executive Summary2. Research Methodology3. Market Dynamics4. Global Market Segmentation5. Regional Market Analysis6. Competitive Analysis7. Conclusion8. List Of Tables9. List Of FiguresThe report for Global Thermal Paper market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Access Full Report @About Us:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for , regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Akash Anand,Market Research FuturePune  411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone No. :+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
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Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) Market 2018- Zeon, CNPC, Nantex, KKPC, LG, Ningbo Shunze

Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) Market

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Apex Market Reports, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) Market" from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) industry, and estimates the future trend of Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportLANXESSZeonCNPCNantexKKPCLGNingbo ShunzeSiburJSRIndustrias NegromexVersalisPetrobras ArgentinaHuangshan Hualan TechnologyThe market research report explores the Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) Market". The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR). Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.The competitive landscape of the global market for Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) market globally.Enquire Before Buying @The Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) market 2018 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) production volume, data pertaining to demand and Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Global Nitrile Rubber (NBR) across the world.About UsApex Market Reports offers elevating market research globally. We have collection of various syndicated reports of different categories. Apex Market Reports provides you to best services, weather youre searching for new trends in market or competitive scenario in emerging market.Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezCorporate Sales Specialist155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Phone: +17739042683Email id - sales@apexmarketreports.comWebsite -
Medication Adherence Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Growth and Demand, 2022

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The global medication adherence market is expected to grow with 17.5% CAGR during 2016  2022, due to growing demand for advanced medication adherence systems, and growing geriatric population. The increasing demand of mobile health (mHealth) technologies and increasing demand of personalized healthcare technologies will also drive the growth of the global medication adherence market. Among the various product offerings, the software-only offering segment is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period. The global medication adherence market is growing at a significant rate.Request for Report Sample:Medication non-adherence is one of the most crucial problems in the healthcare industry, posing a strong financial impact on the global population. For healthcare employers, insurers, and patients, medication non-adherence significantly increases healthcare costs of disease-related complications. For pharmaceutical companies, pharmacy benefit managers, and pharmacies, medication non-adherence significantly grind down the profit due to non-adhering of medications by the patients. The growing interest of pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers on medication adherence poses a greater influence on promoting better healthcare outcomes.Explore Full Report with Detailed TOC at:Some of the key companies operating in the global medication adherence market include Koninklijke Philips N.V., Qualcomm Incorporated, Proteus Digital Health Inc., AdhereTech Inc., Omnicell, Inc., Adherence Solutions LLC, SMRxT, McKesson Corporation, and DrFirst.P&S Market Research is a market research company, which offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. We provide market research reports, industry forecasting reports, business intelligence, and research based consulting services across different industry/business verticals.As one of the top growing market research agency, were keen upon providing market landscape and accurate forecasting. Our analysts and consultants are proficient with business intelligence and market analysis, through their interaction with leading companies of the concerned domain. We help our clients with B2B market research and assist them in identifying various windows of opportunity, and framing informed and customized business expansion strategies in different regions.P&S Market ResearchManager  Client Partner347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-Free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:
Automotive Electric Drivetrain System Market Synopsis and Highlights, Key Findings, Major Companies Analysis and Forecast to 2022

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Automotive Electric Drivetrain System Market Information Report by Type (All-Wheel Drive, Rear Wheel Drive, Front Wheel Drive), Electric Vehicle Drivetrain Type (BEV, PHEV, HEV), Vehicle Type (Passenger car and Commercial Vehicle) and Region.Market ScenarioThe shift to electrification from manual transmission is one of the biggest changes in the automotive industry. The automotive drivetrain is the component of the vehicle that includes drive shafts, wheel, axles, U Joints, CV joints, and transmission. All the parts of the drivetrain are responsible for providing transmission so as to move the wheels of the vehicle forward. In other words, it transfers power to the wheels of the vehicle. The driveshaft is the long steel structure in tubular form that is linked with the gearbox of the vehicle to provide the rotary movement in the wheel. Universal joint is the main component that allows the wheel to move in different angles. Axle is the connected shaft between the wheels and the drive system and provides the transmission power to the wheel for making it rotate. Drivetrain is also called powertrain train. The only difference is that the powertrain consists of whole system that provides power to the wheels while drivetrain consists of components that link the driveline and wheel. In future, electric drivetrain will replace manual transmission drivetrain because of its better efficiency and environment friendliness.The factors that are responsible for the growth of automotive electric drivetrain market are stringent regulations for emission, rise in the sales of electric driven vehicle, and increased fuel efficiency of vehicles. All over the world, governments are greatly supporting the transition to electric vehicles. The International Energy Agency has taken a great initiative in support of the electric vehicle so as to restrict the emission from vehicles that can harm the environment. The increase in the sale for electric vehicle will lead to rise in the sale of drive train, which will indirectly result in the growth of the drivetrain market. The electric drivetrain provides better efficiency, due to which there will be increase in the use of electric drivetrain in all types of vehicle. All the above factors will result in the growth of the electric drivetrain system market. The market is expected to reach USD 256 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 5.98% during the forecast period.Get Sample of Report @SegmentationThe automotive electric drivetrain system market is segmented based on types, electric drivetrain types, vehicle type, and region. On the basis of type, the market as segmented as all-wheel drive, rear wheel drive, and front wheel drive. The all-wheel drive is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period because it provides power to all the vehicles. Front-wheel-drive is expected to be the second largest market because it provides fuel efficiency and reduces emission of carbon dioxide. In case of rear wheel drive, all the power is transmitted to the rear wheel, and there is no power in the front wheels which makes it less efficient. On the basis of electric drivetrain type, the market is segmented based on BEV, PHEV, and, HEV. Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) is expected to dominate the automotive electric drivetrain market because the battery electric vehicle has low vehicle cost and reduce emission. The increase in the sale of electric vehicle, will result in the growth of battery electric vehicle, which will drive the growth of electric drivetrains in battery electric vehicles.By Type All-wheel drive Rear wheel drive Front wheel driveBy Electric Drivetrain Type BEV PHEV HEVBy Vehicle Type Passenger Cars Commercial VehiclesBy Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Rest of the WorldRegional AnalysisOn the basis of regions, the market is segmented based on North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. The Asia Pacific region is expected to dominate the drivetrain market due to the increase in the production of vehicle. The Asia Pacific region is mainly dominated by front wheel vehicle segment because of its ability to provide better fuel efficiency and performance. In Asia Pacific, the front wheel drive exists mainly in the passenger cars that are drive by families. In addition to this, automotive manufacturers are developing different technologies to provide better efficiency in all-wheel-drive (AWD). In China and India, AWD is expected to dominate the market, in the future because of the introduction of compact crossovers, which provide a sport utility feature to the vehicle. Europe is expected to be the second largest region in this market. According to European Commission, most automotive manufacturers are working to develop cutting-edge hybrid, electric and fuel cell technology for vehicles that can provide better efficiency. This will drive the growth of the market in Europe.Key PlayersThe key players in automotive electric drivetrain system market are Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Japan), American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. (U.S.), GKN plc (U.S.), and Magna International Inc. (Canada), BorgWarner Inc. (U.S.), Dana Holding Corporation (U.S.), JTEKT Corporation (Japan), TM4 (Canada), Magtec (U.K.), Delphi Automotive LLP (U.K), Visedo (Finland), Parker Hannifin Corp (U.S.), Punch Powertrain Nv (Belgium), AVTEC LTD (India), and AxleTech International SAS (U.S.).Enquiry before Buying @Ask for your specific company profile and country level customization on reports.Brief TOC:1. Executive Summary2. Research Methodology3. Market Dynamics4. Global Market Segmentation5. Regional Market Analysis6. Competitive Analysis7. Conclusion8. List Of Tables9. List Of FiguresThis research report has provides the insights, on various levels of analyses such industry analysis, market share analysis leading market players and their profiles. This report also helps in studying the target segments by providing views on emerging & high-growth segments and market conclusion. Together the market data comprise and discuss with the basic assessments on the competitive scenarios & strategies, of the Global Automotive Electric Drivetrain System Market, including the high-growth regions, countries and their political, economic and technological environments. Furthermore the project report also provides the views over the historical market values as well as, pricing and cost analysis of the same.Access Full Report @About Us:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for , regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Akash Anand,Market Research FuturePune  411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone No. :+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Mobile Tomography Market Estimated to Experience a Hike in Growth by 2027

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Tomography has become a vital tool in the diagnosis of many clinical conditions. Mobile tomography systems are portable and serve imaging purpose in multi departments of a hospital with the aim of improving overall clinical experience. These systems are also useful in evaluating critically ill and intensive care unit patients for scanning them at bedside. These mobile tomography systems are useful for a broad range of clinical applications such as cranial, spinal, trauma, ear/nose/throat (ENT), head and neck orthopedic, and general surgery. These type of systems are designed for faster diagnosis and treatment as well as provides optimized workflow and helping in surgical decision making. Mobile tomography systems also does not require major restoration of a preexistent operating room for shielding, or for specialized instruments or equipment. Improved imaging output and various file formats, same day diagnosis, multi departmental imaging systems, real time portable imaging, patient friendly are some of the benefits for these kind of systems. These days, mobile tomography systems are also getting installed in specialized ambulances which provide fast access for treatment to patients and also allow for selecting the most adequate hospital destinations. One of such example is seen in the Mobile stroke units (MSU) in Germany which consists of an ambulance fitted with a tomography scanner, point-of-care laboratory system with a tele-radiological support.Advancements in the biomedical engineering has led to several technical improvisations in tomography imaging systems such as increased speed, smaller weight, low energy consumption, enhancements in low contrast detectability and image superiority along with lower radiation.Mobile Tomography Market: Drivers & RestraintsRapid technological advancements, improvement in diagnostic facilities, growing number of diagnostic facilities and demand for high quality of healthcare services supports the mobile tomography market growth. Growing need and acceptance of portable diagnostic systems for multi departmental use also drives the mobile tomography systems market. Regulatory frameworks and lack of adequate reimbursement are major restraints of mobile tomography market. High product cost and only one time installation at one facility lowers its growth rate.Request to Sample Report -Mobile Tomography Market: SegmentationSegmentation by Product TypeBy Product Type:Low Slice CT Scanner (32 slices)Segmentation by End UserHospitalsClinicsDiagnostic CentersAmbulatory Surgical CentersMobile Tomography Market: OverviewMarket players in the mobile tomography systems manufacturing recently got approvals for these equipments. The manufacturers are also undergoing product enhancements and strengthening the distribution network for increasing their product sales. Intraoperative computed tomography is also an emerging field nowadays which strives to make tomography scanning systems portable for both the operating room and intensive care situations. A variety of systems are being developed representing the future of intraoperative image guidance. There is also an increased adoption of these systems in various healthcare facilities such as the acquisition of Brainlabs Airo Mobile Intraoperative CT scanner by 50 hospitals in a span of one year in 2015. Among the end users, these systems are installed mostly in hospitals for serving multi departments and ease of portability. Government support in the installment of these systems also play an important role in the market growth for mobile tomography systems.Request Report TOC @Mobile Tomography Market: Region-wise OutlookGeographically, North America is the leading market for Mobile Tomography systems with the presence of major manufacturers and suppliers for these diagnostic products. As well as, adoption rate for these advanced portable systems is higher in the region. This is followed by the European market owing to the easy approval process and advanced healthcare facilities in these countries. Asia Pacific market is anticipated to the highly potential market for the installations of advanced diagnostic equipments such as mobile tomography systems due to the growing awareness for disease diagnosis, rising number of diagnostic centers and healthcare services. Latin America followed by Middle East and Africa represents the least market share and growth rate in the global mobile tomography systems. Overall, developed economies are more revenue generating segment than the developing countries owing to better healthcare infrastructure facilities.Mobile Tomography Market Treatment Market: Key PlayersSome of the players in the Mobile Tomography market includes Xoran Technologies, LLC. NeuroLogica Corp., Planmed OY, Brainlab AG, Dixion distribution of medical devices GmbH and others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite :
Personal Care Packaging Market - Share, Analysis, Trend, challenges, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022

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Global Personal Care Packaging Market Information by Material (Plastic, Glass, Metal, others), by Product (Bottles, Jars, Cans, Tubes, Pouches, and others), by Application (Skin Care, Cosmetics, Fragrances, Bath & Shower and others) any by Region  Forecast to 2022Global Personal Care Packaging Market  Overview:Rapidly growing at a CAGR of 5.2%, the Global Personal Care Packaging Market is expected to cross USD $36, 85 Billion by the end of the forecasting period 2017 - 2022.Personal Care packaging materials are often used in the packaging of health and beauty products to protect them from damage or contamination.Market Research Future, with their unique quality of simplifying the Market Reports, published yet another in-depth study Report - Global Personal Care Packaging MarketThe key drivers contributing to the growth of the Global Personal Care Packaging Market are awareness among the people about the personal care and the increased investment by the packaging companies to bring technological advancement to the industry, acknowledges the team Research Analyst of MRFR, while commenting upon this deep diving study report published by Market Research Future, presented through more than 100 market data tables and figures spread over 146 pages.Get Sample of Report @Global Personal Care Packaging Market - Key PlayersThe key players of global personal care packaging market report include Amcor Ltd., WestRock Company, Saint-Gobain S.A, Bemis Company Inc.Other Prominent players are Mondi Group, Sonoco Products Company, Albea Services S.A.S, Gerresheimer AG, Ampac Holdings, LLC and AptarGroup.Global Personal Care Packaging Market  SegmentsGlobal Personal Care Packaging Market is segmented in to 4 dynamics for an easy grasp. Segmentation by Material: Comprises of Plastic, Glass, Metal, others Segmentation by Product : Comprises of Bottles, Jars, Cans, Tubes, Pouches, and others Segmentation by Application : Comprises of Skin Care, Cosmetics, Fragrances, Bath & Shower and others Segmentation by Region  Comprises of Geographical Regions.Enquiry before Buying @Global Personal Care Packaging Market - Synopsis & ScenarioPersonal Care manufacturers are focusing upon the brand differentiation and thus are more stringent about the packaging of their products. Manufacturers have to provide a detailed description of every product to consumers, including safety reports, ingredient descriptions, statement of compliance, data on animal testing, and method of manufacturing. Attributing to such industry trends, the global market of personal care packaging is growing rapidly with a CAGR of 5.2% and estimated to even Cross USD 36.85 Billion.Personal Care packaging is widely used in applications such as skin care, cosmetics, fragrances and bath & shower products. Skin Care and hair care segments by products contributes highest to the overall growth. Materials such as glass and plastic are used for packaging such products.Personal Care Packaging Market Regional AnalysisAsia-Pacific is the fastest growing region, majorly owing to changing lifestyles, rising disposable income and growing awareness among consumers. The demand from the average households in India, China, Russia and Brazil is primarily responsible for the high demand of personal care products.Ask for your specific company profile and country level customization on reports.Access Full Report@About Us:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for , regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Akash Anand,Market Research FuturePune  411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone No. :+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Food Methionine Market 2018- CJ, Evonik, Bluestar, NOVUS, Sumitomo, Unisplendour

Global Food Methionine Market

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Apex Market Reports, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "Global Food Methionine Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "Global Food Methionine Market" from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the Global Food Methionine industry, and estimates the future trend of Global Food Methionine market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "Global Food Methionine Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportEvonikBluestarNOVUSSumitomoCJUnisplendourThe market research report explores the Global Food Methionine market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "Global Food Methionine Market". The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Global Food Methionine market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Global Food Methionine. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Global Food Methionine market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.The competitive landscape of the global market for Global Food Methionine is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Global Food Methionine market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Global Food Methionine market globally.Enquire Before Buying @The Global Food Methionine market 2018 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Global Food Methionine production volume, data pertaining to demand and Global Food Methionine supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Global Food Methionine along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Global Food Methionine across the world.About UsApex Market Reports offers elevating market research globally. We have collection of various syndicated reports of different categories. Apex Market Reports provides you to best services, weather youre searching for new trends in market or competitive scenario in emerging market.Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezCorporate Sales Specialist155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Phone: +17739042683Email id - sales@apexmarketreports.comWebsite -
How to turn Data into Smart Data

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Both enterprises and individuals have to process some kind of data every day, whether it is a short message, a notification, a piece of news, statistics, a video, etc. If we accumulate all the data acquired in a month, the amount guarantees to shock anyone.Turning data into smart dataAs we go through the daily pile of data generated, not only must we record it, we also need to make sense out of it. And we have to understand it quickly because a delay would cost the company both money and time. But we simply have neither the capabilities nor the human resources to analyse such sheer volume. Thats where smart data comes in. Smart data allows you to make impactful decisions immediately without the need for any processing power. The question now is does your organisation need smart data?Are you trying to convey any messages or values during your data presentation?If you answer yes, you can transform your data into smart data. These are not only facts that you present but also insights from which you can utilise. Key messages and values are embedded deep in each data, and you are the only one who can reveal and give them a voice.You can also make your data more interesting by adding some visual aids or turning it into an animation. Visualising your information makes it much easier to see your current state compares to the past as well as to predict the path for the future.Is your data engaging?By giving your audience the power to decide, to click through interactive content adapted to fit their electronic devices, you have made yourself a set of engaging and smart data which you can mine, get feedback and obtain actionable insights on what you need to improve.Engaging smart data focuses solely on what your audience wants to see and they have the freedom to do anything they want without any interference. You simply just provide them guidance in which they can act upon.Do you have the ability to collect/ review data on-the-go?Keep in touch with your business partners anytime and anywhere: during transit, at a cafe, restaurant or even on a beach across the globe.The capability to view data on-the-go is all-important, but your data must also be relevant in real-time. Historical data, in some cases, is useful for predicting patterns but there are also instances that require real-time data. It literally means you have the power to gain insights at the moment your data is being generated. This function is gradually becoming an important aspect of the day-to-day business operations and playing an important role in smart, informed decision making.ABOUT TRG INTERNATIONALTRG International is an IT, Talent and F&B company. We help people and businesses to shine. We help people be the best they can possibly be by selecting the right people for the right job and developing them to their full potential. We help companies by providing an IT solution that works quietly and brilliantly in the background, freeing them up to focus on their core and not having to worry about their IT systems. We do this for more than 1,000 clients in 80 countries. Learn more at:Contact-Details: Ngoc DoanPR Communication Officer2nd Floor, 145  147 Nguyen Co Thach Street, An Loi Dong Ward, District 2Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnamngoc.doan@trginternaltional.com2nd Floor, 145  147 Nguyen Co Thach Street, An Loi Dong Ward, District 2
Study outlines strategies to gain sustaining market presence in Military Communications market

Military Communications Market

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Military Communications Market - Overall Industry AnalysisResearch Beam added a report, Global Military Communications Market - Size, Trend, Share, Opportunity Analysis & Forecast, 2014-2025, which says that the market is growing at a considerable CAGR from 2014 to 2025.Military communication has been playing a vital role in warfare for a very long time. It refers to the sharing of information between the command base and deployed forces present in active war zones or troops conducting border patrols. The main aim of military communication is to ensure that the commanders maintain continuous control over their subordinate forces and that messages are conveyed to the forces at the proper time via a secure and low visible path. The messages can be regarding the threat of enemy attack, implementation of readiness, etc.Save Upto 15% on this Report @In the current times, advanced communication systems are used for all defense forces such as land, air, sea, and underwater. They include radios, telephones, and satellite communication (SATCOM), cryptographic, and control devices. Messenger and postal communications are done by airplanes, helicopters, motor vehicles, and more. Signal communication is done using rockets, lights, flags, and sirens.Market Drivers and RestraintsThe report includes the market drivers and restraints that play a role in the growth of the military communications market. Growing need for advanced communication solutions such as encrypted communication, integrated tactical communication systems, edge devices, and very high-frequency radios are likely to propel the growth of the market. In addition, the increase in technological advancements in the emerging economies and huge expenditure on the defense sector by emerging countries such as Russia, India, China, Brazil, Japan, and others are likely to provide opportunities for growth. Nonetheless, factors such as the high cost associated with system design and precise customization for varied forces cause hindrances to the market growth.Military Communications Market Key Segmentation:The military communications market analysis report studies the global market by its application, component, deployed platform, and geography. Based on the application, the market is classified as command & control, movement & maneuver, real-time awareness, and others. Based on the component, the market is divided into radio, SATCOM, intercom networks, and software suits. Based on the deployed platform, the market is classified as airborne, manpack/vehicular (land), navy fleet, and underwater. Based on geography, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, LAMEA, and Asia-Pacific. The market in the North-American region has been studied in Canada, U.S., and Mexico. The market in European region has been studied in Germany, UK, Italy, France, and the other parts of Europe. In the LAMEA region, the market has been studied in Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and the rest of LAMEA. The military communications industry in the Asia-Pacific region has been analyzed across China, Japan, South Korea, India, and the other parts of Asia-Pacific.Get the sample PDF Brochure of market study @By ApplicationCommand & ControlMovement & ManoeuvreReal-time AwarenessOthersBy ComponentRadioSATCOMIntercom NetworksSoftware SuitsBy Deployed platformAirborneManpack/Vehicular (Land)Navy fleetUnder WaterBy GeographyNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaMexicoEuropeUKGermanyFranceItalyRest of EuropeAsia-PacificChinaJapanIndiaSouth KoreaRest of Asia-PacificLAMEABrazilSaudi ArabiaSouth AfricaRest of LAMEAMarket PlayersThe top players operating in the global military communications market include Raytheon Company, Thales SA, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Tactical Communications Group, LLC., BAE Systems PLC, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Harris Corporation, L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc., Ultra Electronics, and ViaSat, Inc.Key Benefits from the ReportThe report provides a comprehensive analysis of the military communications market, which constitutes the military communications market size, military communications market share, military communications market outlook, market dynamics, Porters Five Forces Analysis, trends analysis, scope and definitions, market segmentation, and information about the leading market players. The overall military communications market size is analyzed in terms of value. The historical market size from 2014 to 2016 for each segment and region has also been included in the study. The military communications market forecast is performed from 2017 to 2015 based on the application, component, deployed platform, and regional distribution. The military communications market outlook is based upon past performance, prevailing economic factors, consumer demands, and opinions. The military communications market analysis report examines the strategies adopted by market players such as expansions, new product launches, and mergers & acquisitions in the market. The Porters analysis helps understand the level of competitiveness prevailing in the market. It comprises the bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of substitutes, industry rivalry, and the threat of new entrants. The market dynamics help market players and investors determine the factors influencing the market growth and accordingly plan business goals.About UsIt is crucial for market players to take leaps strategically and update themselves with recent trends, opportunities, and emerging investment pockets. We, at ResearchBeam, adhere to these factors and offer a wide range of reports that are detailed and enable our clients to achieve their goals with long term planning coupled withcompetitive advantage.Our database includes a broad array of various market reports from numerous publishers across the globe. These reports of several market categories and sub-categorieshelp our clients to find the exact report they are looking for. We are instrumental to provide quantitative and qualitative insights in their area of interest andbring reports from various publishers under one umbrella to save their time and money. Our clients across the world are gaining profits from the information given inthe reports sourced by us.Contact Us5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free: +1 (800) 910-6452Int'l: +1-971-202-1575help@researchbeam.com
Develop Business Strategies Of Next-Generation Shopping market - TrendSights Analysis

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"The Latest Research Report TrendSights Analysis: Next-Generation Shopping - Creating next-generation retail experiences in the digital age provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"TrendSights Analysis: Next-Generation Shopping - Creating next-generation retail experiences in the digital ageSummary"TrendSights Analysis: Next-Generation Shopping" explores the new and emerging concept of next-generation shopping in the FMCG industry, explaining what it is and asking why it is important. The report also considers the various actors involved and the impact of the trend on consumers, retailers, and supply chains. The conclusions reached are underpinned by GlobalData's unique blend of proprietary consumer insight and innovation knowledge.Get Sample Copy of this report @The consumer desire for convenience has driven rapid technological change in the FMCG retail space, where self-service checkout systems and contactless payment technology provide consumers with a "seamless" shopping experience. The search for immersive consumption experiences, however, threatens to disrupt the primacy of convenience by challenging bricks-and-mortar retailers to create tangible in-store experiences for consumers to enjoy.Scope- Digital lifestyles are leading consumers to seek tangible, physical experiences.- The next 10 years will be crucial for bricks-and-mortar retailers as they attempt to balance competing consumer demands for convenience and enhanced in-store consumption experiences.- Next-Generation Shoppers are likely to be digitally minded and experience-seekers.- Food is experience-driven, and consumers enjoy researching it - not only with digital devices but with their senses also - preparing it, and using it for social occasions and moments of indulgence. This explains why online retailers account for only 15% of food and grocery shopping.View Sample PDF @Reasons to buy- Understand which audiences are most affected by the Next-Generation Shopping trend and adjust core value proposition to suit.- Compare the presence of this trend in each industry across the FMCG space, and learn what the key opportunities are.- See the steps that key industry actors are taking to meet the demands of next-generation shoppers.About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Automotive Slack Adjuster Market Analysis, Market Size, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts, 2017 To 2022, Focusing On Top Key Vendors: Haldex AB,Meritor,Bendix,MEI,Wabco,Accuride,Stemco

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This report, titled Global Automotive Slack Adjuster Market offers an important analytical guidance on the trends and developments in this industry. The report also provides a professional and in-depth analysis on the global market while formulating industry insights into its current state of affairs. The report offers details on the pricing structure and channels of distribution of equipment suppliers in the global industry.Top Key Vendors:Haldex AB,Meritor,Bendix,MEI,Wabco,Accuride,Stemco,TBK,Febi,Aydinsan,Longzhong,Zhejiang Vie,Roadage,Hubei AosidaGet Sample Copy of this Report @The analysis of the manufacturing cost structure of the Automotive Slack Adjuster Market has been performed based on key aspects such as industry chain structure, manufacturing process, raw materials, and their suppliers. Innovation is being looked after, both in the engineering procedure and in terms of product features. The market is dynamic in nature and this is rousing testing prerequisites and additionally the development of superior hardware, promoting the development prospects of the market.The Global Automotive Slack Adjuster Market is an astoundingly well-organized, forte market with the presence of a preset number of merchants. As the market is still in its advancement stage, small-scale traders with inventive solutions have the odds of being acquired by pervasive pioneers in the market.Know more about this Premium Report:Players in the Global Automotive Slack Adjuster Market are reliably taking a stab at modernization. The report gives both, subjective and quantitative research of the market, and includes commendable insights into the rational scenario and favored improvement strategies adopted by key contenders. The report's conclusion uncovers the general scope of the Global Market in terms of viability of interests in the different market segments. Moreover, an elucidating section that blueprints the plausibility of new ventures that may prevail in the market in the coming years is delivered in this market intelligence.On the basis of geographical regions, the Global Automotive Slack Adjuster Market is segmented broadly into Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. The global market is still in its exploratory stage in most of the regions but it holds the promising potential to flourish steadily in coming years. The major companies investing in this market are situated in Canada, U.K., and the US, India, China and some more countries of Asia Pacific region. Consequently, Asia Pacific, North America, and Western Europe are estimated to hold more than half of the market shares, collectively in coming years.In the last sections of the report, the manufacturers responsible for increasing the sales in the Automotive Slack Adjuster Market have been presented. These manufacturers have been analyzed in terms of their manufacturing base, basic information, and competitors. In addition, the technology and product type introduced by each of these manufacturers also form a key part of this section of the report.Table of Content:Global Automotive Slack Adjuster Market Research Report 2017-2022Chapter 1 Automotive Slack Adjuster Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic ImpactChapter 3 Competition by ManufacturerChapter 4 Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2017-2022)Chapter 5 Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2017-2022)Chapter 6 Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12 Market Forecast (2017-2022)Chapter 13 AppendixWe at, QYReports, a leading market research report published accommodate more than 4,000 celebrated clients worldwide putting them at advantage in todays competitive world with our understanding of research. Our list of customers includes prestigious Chinese companies, multinational companies, SME's and private equity firms whom we have helped grow and sustain with our fact-based research. Our business study covers a market size of over 30 industries offering unfailing insights into the analysis to reimagine your business. We specialize in forecasts needed for investing in a new project, to revolutionize your business, to become more customer centric and improve the quality of output.QYReportsJones John(Sales Manager)+91-9764607607sales@qyreports.com
Editors note: Andrew Buck Duis graduated from Lexington High School in 1986.

LINCOLN  Andrew Buck Duis, a captain in charge of the Nebraska State Patrols training academy, has been promoted to second in command at the agency.

The Nebraska State Patrol announced the promotion of Duis to the position of Assistant Superintendent and the rank of Lt. Colonel in a press release issued Tuesday.

As a 29-year veteran of the State Patrol, Duis, 50, has served in many capacities throughout his career. He was promoted to captain in command of the NSP Training Academy in February 2016 and oversaw the training of Camp 57 and Camp 58 NSP recruits.

Im pleased to appoint Captain Duis to the critical position of Assistant Superintendent, said Colonel John Bolduc, superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. Hes a proven leader who brings excellent credentials and a wealth of respect from troopers around the state, as well as law enforcement officials around the country. He will help shape the future of the Nebraska State Patrol.

Duis is a certified local instructor for Leadership in Police Organizations through the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He has previously served as commander of NSPs police service dog division, team leader for Troop C Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, defensive tactics and firearms instructor, and served in both field services and investigative services for NSP.
Adaptive Cruise Control System Market: Opportunity Assessment Research Study 2015-2025

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Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is a special form of the conventional cruise control systems which is used to maintain and control the speeds of cars and other intelligent vehicles. Adaptive cruise control is an intelligent form of cruise control systems that slows down and speeds up automatically to keep pace with the car in front of you. It dosent make use of any satellite, any roadside infrastructures or any cooperative support from other vehicles, rather it uses sensors and lasers to control the speed of vehicles. The main impact of adaptive cruise control system is on drivers safety as by adjusting the distance between according to the traffic conditions. The overall process is achieved through a radar headway sensor, longitudinal controller and digital signal processor. Adaptive cruise control systems are being enhanced to guide through collision warning capabilities to warn drivers through audio or visual signals that a collision is imminent and that evasive steering is required. Now-a-days, Adaptive cruise control system is often paired with a pre-crash system which alerts the driver and often starts braking. Adaptive cruise control is also known as autonomous cruise control, active cruise control, intelligent cruise control or radar cruise control.Global Adaptive Cruise Control System Market: SegmentationThe Global Adaptive Cruise Control System Market can be segmented on the basis of Geography, Vehicle Type and Technology. On the basis of Geography, the Global Adaptive Cruise Control System Market can be segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America and Latin America. On account of type, the Global Adaptive Cruise Control System Market can be segmented into passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles. Passenger vehicles include luxury cars, mid-range cars and premium cars. Further, considering technology, the Global Adaptive Cruise Control System Market can be segmented into infrared sensors, laser sensors, image sensors, radar sensors and ultrasonic sensors.Request For Report Sample@Global Adaptive Cruise Control System Market: Region-Wise OutlookThe key regions in the field of adaptive cruise control systems are Asia Pacific, Europe, Americas. The Asia Pacific region includes the emerging markets like Thailand, India and China. The factors such as rising demands of premium and luxury cars in such regions are effective to the overall growth of the global adaptive cruise control system market. Europe is the region which is a major market to the product and is home for the major suppliers of adaptive cruise control systems. The key regions in Europe comprises of Germany, France and Italy. The American region comprises of Brazil, Mexico, Canada and others; Brazil and Mexico being the emerging markets of this region.Global Adaptive Cruise Control System Market: DriversThe growth of the global adaptive cruise control system market highly depends on the rising number of accidents due to increase in traffic. Moreover, with the advancement of technology, people tend to be on a safer side and thus are willing to pay to install adaptive cruise control systems and thus are willing to pay. The increasing disposable incomes and greater sales of premium and luxury cars is also a major factor driving the growth of the global adaptive cruise control system market. The increasing use of sensors with the advancement in the technology is another fuelling factor. Moreover, government initiatives to improve fuel efficiencies and safety attributes of vehicles are motivating the manufacturers to apply such integrated systems to ensure safety as well as to comply with the government regulations.Global Adaptive Cruise Control System Market: ChallengesThe regions with higher intensity of fog, rainfalls and snowfalls are repelling to the adaptive cruise control systems. Regions with such weather conditions make such safety systems inefficient in making and monitoring the speeds of the surrounding objects and vehicles making the owners of the vehicles reluctant to implement such systems. Since each and every manufacturer competes with each other, each manufacturer implements high end safety sensors thus making the car owners difficult to understand the exact operating procedures of the product.Visit For TOC@Global Adaptive Cruise Control System Market: Key PlayersVarious companies are into manufacturing the adaptive cruise control system market. Some of the key players involved in the global adaptive cruise control system market are Denso Corporation, Magna International Inc., Mando Corporation, Valeo SA, TRW Automotive, Autoliv Inc., Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd., Robert Bosch GmBH, Delphi Automotive PLC and others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACTFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: http.futuremarketinsights.com
Real-Time E-Healthcare System Market Revenue Reflections And Resolutions 2024

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Healthcare is highly dependent on early detection, accurate diagnosis, and efficient therapeutic. And for each of these cases, the advent of real-time e-healthcare system is proving to be a boon, as patients can now keep their health records and track the changes at any point of time. The demand in the global real-time e-healthcare system is also gaining traction from the growing awareness among the consumers that the new methods can help them stay in touch with their caregivers, not depending on a third party.Various vendors operating in the global real-time e-healthcare system are advancing their products technologically in order to improve the clinical decision making, particularly for the patients suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular. Escalating percentage of geriatrics among the global population is another prominent factors augmenting the demand in the global real-time e-healthcare system market, as aged people generally are unable to revisit the medical facilities. Increasing disposable income, improving healthcare infrastructure, increasing need for an integrated healthcare system, and ubiquity of smartphones as well as widespread penetration of the Internet are some of the other factors favoring the global real-time e-healthcare system market.Report Overview @This report on the global real-time e-healthcare system market has been prepared by a group of professional market research analysts, aspiring to serve as a decision-making credible business document for the stockholders of this market. The report provides in-depth assessment of all factors that may define the future prospects, segments it into smaller aspects, and profiles some of the key companies to showcase the competitive landscape.Even as the healthcare sector undergoes a transformative change from paper-based to digital healthcare records, TMR predicts greater change in this space with the advent of real-time e-healthcare systems. Both patients and healthcare providers are feeling the need to have access to healthcare records in real time. This has led software developers and IT solutions providers to respond via the development of real-time healthcare records and systems.Simply stated, a real-time e-healthcare system is a digital health platform that allows instant access to healthcare records at any time and from any location. This enables constant communication between medical practitioners and their patients. Health conditions can be monitored more closely and efficiently. The latest generation of real-time e-healthcare systems has gone a step further by allowing patients to check their healthcare records against pre-set parameters to reduce dependence on a third party when doing so.The unmatched degree of user friendliness afforded by real-time e-healthcare systems will thus prove to be the greatest driver for this market. This will help the market register a very healthy rate of growth, states the report.Download Report Brochure @The market already features software products such as AccuMed, iPatientCare EHR, e-MDs Chart, and WEBeDoctor that interact with patients for functions ranging from reminding them to take their prescribed medication to notify patients about changes in their health parameters. Since human doctors cannot possibly work so closely with their individual patients, real-time e-healthcare systems are fast filling a void that has existed in the healthcare sector. Community health centers in the U.S. are already experiencing the benefits of deploying real-time e-healthcare systems to improve the quality of healthcare extended to patients.However, as profitable as this space is turning out to be, it is not without its share of risks. Data breach and computational errors are two grave concerns that companies in the real-time e-healthcare system market need to work around. Moreover, the high cost of maintaining and upgrading such systems could work against their popularity.Despite these concerns, consumers are expected to have a positive opinion of real-time e-healthcare systems, attracted to their convenience. The growing consumer spending on healthcare facilities, a spiraling use of mobile devices, the demand for home healthcare, and the increasing adoption of integrated healthcare systems on the whole are expected to prove advantageous to this markets growth. With their initial bugs fixed, real-time e-healthcare systems now make negligible errors and their improve reliability with inspire confidence among consumers.The report segments the global e-healthcare systems market basis product type, geography, and end user. The types of products via which real-time e-healthcare systems can be accessed by or connected to consumers include: mHealth applications, fitness bands, thermometers, blood glucose monitors, and clip-on monitoring devices. Geographically, the key segments of this market are: North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. Of these, North America currently represents the largest market for real-time e-healthcare systems. However, Asia Pacific is showing great potential as a profitable market for such systems; the region is expected to register a remarkable rate of growth.Pre-Book Full Report @Similarly, by end-user, the market can be segmented into: Individual users, pharmacies, hospitals (public or private).The market is emerging as an intense competing ground for companies in the healthcare IT industry. Larger companies are acquiring start-ups and niche market players to strengthen specific areas in their portfolios. The companies that currently boast a stronghold in the market are: Medtronic, Fitbit, Jawbone, Garmin, DexCom, Misfit Wearables, GE Healthcare, and Cerner Corporation.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Cashew Milk Market To Make Great Impact In Near Future by 2025

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Global Cashew Milk Market Introduction:Cashew milk is a creamy liquid derived by blending cashews with water. Cashew milk is a lactose-free alternative to milk. Cashew milk market players are offering the product with a variety of excipients including flavoring agents such as vanilla and cinnamon, thickening agents such as xanthan gum and guar gum, and other excipients. Global cashew milk market is expected to gain significant basis points (BPS) in global milk market over the forecast period. North America and Europe is dominating the global cashew milk market, attributed to high demand for dairy-free and lactose-free food products across the region.Download PDF Brochure @Global Cashew Milk Market Segmentation:The global cashew milk market is segmented on the basis of packaging, distribution channel, product type, and region. Based on packaging type, global cashew milk market is segmented into cartons, pouches, jars, bottles, cans, and others. Among these cartons, segment is expected to contribute for the substantial revenue share in global cashew milk market over the forecast period. Bottles segment is followed by cartons segment in the global cashew milk market. Based on distribution channel, the global cashew milk market segmented as convenient stores, hypermarkets/supermarket, and e-Commerce. Among which, hypermarkets/supermarket, the segment is expected to contribute for major revenue share whereas, e-Commerce segment is expected to expand at a significant CAGR in the global cashew milk market, attributed to increasing adoption of e-Commerce across the globe. On the basis of product type, the global cashew milk market is segmented as plane cashew milk and flavored cashew milk, wherein flavored cashew milk has significant revenue share and is expected to register significant CAGR over the forecast period.Global Cashew Milk Market Regional Outlook:Based on the geographies, the global cashew milk market is split into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. Among the regions, North America is expected to dominate the global cashew milk market, owing to high demand for healthy and low-calories containing food products across the region. Europe is followed by North America and is expected to expand at a significant growth rate in cashew milk market, owing to increasing health awareness among consumers across the regions. Asia-Pacific accounts for relatively high volume share and is expected to expand at a significant growth rate in global cashew milk market, owing to easy availability of raw material across the region. Overall, the outlook for the global cashew milk market will have a positive growth over the forecast period, the rapid rate of urbanization, rapidly growing population, and changing consumer lifestyle across the globe being a counterfeiting factor.Buy this Report at:Global Cashew Milk Market Dynamics:Macroeconomic factors fueling the global cashew milk market include growing economy, changing lifestyle, the rapid rate of urbanization, and increasing domestic income. The growth of the global cashew milk market is also driven by increasing health consciousness among consumers, increasing demand for dairy-free products, and growing demand for high nutrition and less fat containing food and beverages. The advantages of cashew milk including free from lactose attracts health-conscious people which are fueling the global cashew milk market. However, the high price of cashews restraining the demand for global cashew milk market. Some of the factors trending the global cashew milk market include mergers & acquisitions between cashew milk market players and cashew suppliers and high investment in the food industry. Companies operate in the cashew milk market can increase its share through backward integration i.e. collaboration with cashew suppliers, and offering organic and gluten-free products in the market.Global Cashew Milk Market Player:Few players in the global cashew milk market WhiteWave Services, Inc., SO DELICIOUS DAIRY FREE, Blue Diamond Growers, Forager Project, Provamel, Dream Blends, VITASOY, Cashew Dream, and Alpro.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
BFSI Security Market to Register Steady Growth During 2016-2026

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In past one decade, electronic banking platforms have been implemented as an efficient channel to process banking transactions remotely. These banking transactions are executed from web based applications over the internet network, thus creating security risk by exposing users data to hackers. Apart from this, the banking, financial and insurance industry is continuously witnessing threat from global terrorism, cyber-crimes, and espionage which are leveraging the loopholes in the critical infrastructure. With the increase in cyber-crimes activities, security of sensitive data including, personably identifiable information, personal banking details, commercial banking details, and confidential corporate information is at high risk, due to which, the demand for BFSI security solutions has witnessed traction in the past couple of years.A sample of this report is available upon request @Bank and financial institutions are operated in highly regulated environment. Data breach incidences in these cases occur mainly due to non-compliance to various operational standards.. Therefore, there is increasing need of BFSI security to ensure the long term visibility of banking and financial institutions and their data. BFSI security includes cyber security and physical security of banking and financial institutions.Component and Technologies Used in BFSI SecurityAccess Control SystemsCloud Based ServicesPhysical Security SoftwareSurveillance SystemsBFSI Security Market: Drivers and RestraintsIn the current changing world of information technology, banking and financial institutions are facing privacy issues due to increased data theft and unauthorized accesses. In BFSI sector, there is always existence of both internal and external threats with increased adoptions of ATMs and online banking solutions. As security breach of customers financials can hamper brand image of a particular financial institution, there necessity of safeguarding physical assets and continuous monitoring of banking data driving the growth of the market. However, the initial investment required to set up the security infrastructure is one of the challenge for the growth of this market.BFSI Security Market: SegmentationSegmentation of business BFSI Security market on the basis of systems and components:Video Surveillance:Video surveillance is used for monitoring activities inside out of the organization. Physical security has become necessary for banking and financial institutions to combat pilferage to theft related activities. This has created increase in demand for video surveillance solutions in the BFSI industry.Access Control :Access control is deployed for both physical security as well as information security. Access control systems seamlessly work against any unauthorized access. Access control solutions includes web-based access control, managed access control, control panel, visitor management systems, readers, and credentials.Intrusion and Fire Detection:Intrusion detection systems inspect all the inner and outer network activities and identifies suspicious pattern to indicate data breach attempt in the system. Fire detection system is a combination of various devices which work seamlessly to counsel end-users from any threat of fire.Physical Security Information Management (PSIM):Physical security information management is a software that act as a standalone platform for integrating multiple unconnected security application and devices. It controls them using single user interface.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Regional OverviewAsia-Pacific is witnessing rapid growth in the adoption of BFSI security solutions. With respect to this trend, various security vendors such as Honeywell International Inc. and Cisco System Inc. are expanding their business in this region in order to increase its market share in this market. Besides, the Asia-Pacific market is worlds fastest growing economy and soon is expected to be largest wealth market with the increase in private banks and financial instructions in countries such as China and India. In India, according to the data released by The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the total number of bank accounts in India are around 600 million, out of which 25 million bank accounts holder are active users for mobile banking applications. North America has observed increased data breach attacks against BFSI industries in the recent past. The banking and financial institutions are promoting the use of digital wallet which is in turn is raising the risk of security for consumers data.Cisco Systems Inc., Honeywell International Inc., Computer Science Corporation (CSC), IBM Corporation, and Symantec Corporation are some of the key players of global BFSI security market.About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Fog Computing Market Size, Share & Analysis by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application up to 2023

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A comprehensive analysis of the Global Fog Computing Market is been done in this intelligence report. It includes the investigations done on the past progress, ongoing market scenarios, and future prospects. An accurate data of the products, strategies and market shares of leading companies in this particular market is mentioned. This report presents a 360-degree overview of the competitive scenario of the Global market. The report further projects the size and valuation of the Global market in the coming forecast period. The report also presents a thorough qualitative and quantitative data affecting to the projected impact of these factors on markets future growth prospects.Top Key Players:Microsoft,PrismTech Corporation,Intel,ARM Holding Plc,PrismTech Corporation,Nebbiolo Technologies,DellGet Sample Copy of this Report:It explains a detailed outline of the Global Fog Computing Market depending on the important parameters. End users, products, regions, and many other segments are studied and explained. A brief idea of the driving forces which help make the market more flourishing is discussed in order to help the client understand the future market position. Estimated revenue growth in terms of volume with respect to the market for the upcoming years has been mentioned in depth.According to the research report, the Global market for Fog Computing Market is witnessing a continual rise in its valuation with the advancement in technologies, which is impacting the consumer behavior and, accordingly, their purchasing patterns to a great extent. In addition to this, the rising penetration of internet and the surge in mobile surfing are anticipated to boost the demand for Fog Computing across the world, states the research report.For more Enquiry on this Report:On the basis of geographical regions, the Global Fog Computing Market is segmented broadly into Latin America, Global, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. The Global market is still in its exploratory stage in most of the regions but it holds the promising potential to flourish steadily in coming years. The major companies investing in this market are situated in Canada, U.K., and the US, India, China and some more countries of Asia Pacific region. Consequently, Asia Pacific, North America, and Western Global are estimated to hold more than half of the market shares, collectively in coming years.This statistical surveying research study presents an all-inclusive evaluation of the global market for Fog Computing, taking various industry parameters, such as the capacity of production, product pricing, demand, supply, and sales dynamics, returns on investments, and the growth rate of the overall market into consideration.In the last sections of the report, the manufacturers responsible for increasing the sales in the Fog Computing Market have been presented. These manufacturers have been analyzed in terms of their manufacturing base, basic information, and competitors. In addition, the technology and product type introduced by each of these manufacturers also form a key part of this section of the report.Get Discount on this report:Table of Content:Global Fog Computing Market Research Report 2018-2023Chapter 1 Fog Computing Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic ImpactChapter 3 Competition by ManufacturerChapter 4 Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2018-2023)Chapter 5 Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2018-2023)Chapter 6 Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12 Market Forecast (2018-2023)Chapter 13 AppendixAbout Research n Reports:Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Contact us:Mr. Sunny DenisContact No. +1-888-631-6977sales@researchnreports.com(ResearchnReports)
Global Quantum Computing Market to Exceed US$ 23 Bn in 2025

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Optimization and management of information, harvested within an organization or from different parts of the world entails, entails the employment of efficient computing processes to handle ever-expanding data workloads. To achieve this, enterprises or government-backed organizations are adopting quantum computing, and processing data in qubits. Through quantum computing, companies can search files across large databases instantaneously, assessing data quicker than conventional computing.Report overview @Persistence Market Researchs new study on global market for quantum computing emphasizes the monumental impact of rising need for high-level computing on the markets growth. In 2017, the global quantum computing market is anticipated to be valued at US$ 2.7 Bn. Governments of developed and developing countries are investing in quantum computing to accelerate their research operations, while commercialization of quantum computing is also gaining traction. On the grounds of such drivers, more than US$ 23 Bn revenues are anticipated to be reaped through adoption of quantum computing across the globe by the end of 2025. During this decadal forecast period, the global market for quantum computing is expected to expand exponentially at a stellar CAGR of 30.9%.Global Quantum Computing Market  Forecast HighlightsThe study on global quantum computing market has analyzed the market on the basis of components  hardware and software. With development of cloud-enabled quantum computing platform, new software are expected to transform the markets expansion even further. The demand for effective quantum computing hardware is also expected to witness lucrative boost, although manufacturers will be put to test while developing hardware with flexible computing abilities.While sales of quantum computing hardware are presently dominating the market with more than 90%, their global revenue share is expected to drop to 84% by the end of 2025The significant decline in quantum computing hardware will be balanced by surging adoption of quantum computing software, revenues from which are anticipated to reflect fastest CAGR of 42.3%Request to sample reportTop Players in Global Quantum Computing MarketAccording to the study, the competitive landscape of global quantum computing market is divided into two tiers of computing vendors. With more than 90% share, tier 1 quantum computing vendors are companies developing hardware, while the remaining 10% of the market is governed by developers of quantum computing software applications. The top five players in the global quantum computing market are profiled below:Intel Corporation,Microsoft Corporation,Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.),D-Wave Systems Inc., andIBM CorporationCompanies such as 1QB Information Technologies Inc., QC Ware Corp., and QbitLogic are observed to be leading developers of quantum computing software applications. Other key players in the global quantum computing market include Rigetti Computing., Anyon Systems Inc., Cambridge Quantum Computing Ltd., IDQ, IonQ Inc., Quantum Circuits, Inc., Alibaba Quantum Computing Laboratory, Nokia Bell Labs, Hewlett Packard, Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., Toshiba Research Europe Ltd., USC Lockheed Martin Quantum Computation Center, , QuantumCTek Co., Ltd, SeeQC, SPARROWQUANTUM A/S, QxBranch, and Qubitekk, Tokyo Quantum Computing.Request Report for TOC @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
U.S. RFID Tags Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "U.S. RFID Tags Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025" to its huge collection of research reports.Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are the electronic tags that functions on the principle of radio waves. RFID tags are primarily used to monitor and track objects using RFID reader. The information recorded by RFID tag can be read by scanning devices through RFID technology. RFID tags market report provides analysis for the period 2015-2025, wherein the period from 2017 to 2025 is the forecast period and 2016 is the base year. The report covers all the major trends and technologies playing influential role in the RFID tags markets growth over the forecast period. The study provides a complete perspective on the U.S RFID tags market in terms of revenue (in US$ Mn and Mn Units). The market overview of the report demonstrates the market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities that influence the current nature and future status of RFID tags market in the U.S. along with the key indicators and trends. The report also provides a market attractive analysis for every segment in order to provide in-depth understanding of the overall scenario of RFID tags market in the U.S.Global RFID Market: SegmentationThe U.S. RFID tags market is segmented on the basis of type, product type and end-use industry. The type segment includes active and passive RFID tags. The basis of differentiation of active and passive RFID tags is power source. Active RFID tags are battery powered, whereas, passive RFID tags do not have an internal power source. On the basis of product type, RFID tags market is segmented into healthcare tags, commercial tags, correctional tags and others. Healthcare tags are used to track medicines, patient management, and medical staff management among others. With increasing requirement for inventory management, commercial tags are expected to view an increase in demand during the forecast period. The tags used to monitor inmates, security control and access management are generally termed as correctional tags. The factors that impact adoption of healthcare tags, commercial tags and correctional tags are identified in the report. On the basis of end-use industry, the RFID tags market is segmented as healthcare, retail, automotive, logistics and transportation, surveillance and security and others (consisting of sports, wildlife, livestock and IT).To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global RFID Market: Competitive LandscapeFurthermore, the report analyzes the impact, market trends and opportunities of the U.S. RFID tags market for the forecast period 2017-2025. The report also covers the RFID tags segment trends in the U.S, market opportunities, strategies adopted by market players that are leading to the growth in adoption of RFID tags. Reasons for the growth and adoption of various segments are also included in the report. The RFID tags market report also covers the market share analysis of the key players engaged in RFID tags market of the U.S. The essential information pertaining to segment growth, segment trends are also analyzed in the report. Furthermore, the segment analysis explains the factors which are currently affecting the RFID tags market in the U.S. This report also provides the ecosystem analysis for the RFID tags market which explains the participants of the value chain. The RFID tags market in the U.S. is viewing aggressive competition. In addition to this major mergers, acquisitions and partnerships by market players are highlighted in the U.S. RFID tags market report.Key Players Mentioned in this Report are:Major business strategies adopted by key players, SWOT analysis, business overview and product offerings have also been identified in the research report. The key highlight of the report, includes revenue and volume of key market players on the basis of active and passive segment in terms of U.S$ Mn and thousand units. The prominent service providers engaged in the U.S. RFID Tags market include AMS AG, Atmel Corporation, Impinj Inc., Alien Technology, Confidex LTD., HID USA Corporation, Invengo Information Technology Co., Ltd., NXP Semiconductors N.V., Omni- ID Ltd. and RF Code Inc.Browse TOC @The U.S. RFID Tags market is segmented as below:The U.S. RFID Tags MarketBy TypeActivePassiveBy Product TypeHealthcare TagsCommercial TagsCorrectional TagsOthersBy End-use IndustryHealth CareRetailAutomotiveLogistics and TransportationSurveillance and SecurityOthers (sports, wildlife, livestock and IT)About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Nanomaterial Supercapacitors Market to Record Sturdy Growth by 2026

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The ever-increasing need for electrical energy storing devices will continue to influence the growth of the nanomaterial supercapacitors market during the forecast period 2016-2026. The surging end-use applications of nanomaterial supercapacitors in transportation, consumer electronics, wind turbines and sensors will continue to drive the growth of the market during the forecast period. Increasing preference towards compact devices that have high electric storage capacity will continue to create sustained demand during the forecast period.A sample of this report is available upon request @High cost and low availability continue to remain persistent challenges with nanomaterial supercapacitors.Global nanomaterial supercapacitors market: SegmentationOn the basis of the product type, the global nanomaterial supercapacitors market can be segmented as follows:IndustrialConsumerTransportOn the basis of applications, the global nanomaterial supercapacitors market can be segmented as follows:SensorsInstrumentationElectric & hybrid vehiclesWind turbinesPhotovoltaic modulesOn the basis of end-use industry, the global nanomaterial supercapacitors market can be segmented as follows:HealthcareEnergyElectronicsTransportationOthersGlobal nanomaterial supercapacitors market: Region Wise OutlookThe global nanomaterial supercapacitors market can be divided into seven regions, namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan and Middle East and Africa. Asia Pacific dominates the global nanomaterial supercapacitors market due to the mature electronics industry in the region. Strong demand from China will be key to the growth of the market in the region. North America is the second largest market globally, and demand is on account of its flourishing medical and healthcare industry.Demand for nanomaterial supercapacitors in Europe will continue to be driven by the booming automobile sector in Europe. Latin America is witnessing a modest CAGR in terms of value in global nanomaterial supercapacitors market because of the strengthening information technology in this region. Middle East and Africa (MEA) is at a nascent stage in the global nanomaterial supercapacitors market but is expected to have a healthy CAGR in the forecasted period.Global nanomaterial supercapacitors market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in the global nanomaterial supercapacitors market are:Nippon electrical Co.Panasonic Electronic Devices Co. LtdTTI, IncMAXWELL TECHNOLOGIES, INCNesscap Co., LtdAxion Power International, Inc.Cap-XXSPELMurata Manufacturing Co., LtdAbout Nanomaterial SupercapacitorsA capacitor is an electronic component that stores energy in the form of electrostatic field. The amount of electrical energy stored in the capacitor is directly proportional to the surface area of the conducting plates and inversely proportional to the distance between the conducting plates. Nanomaterial supercapacitors are the devices that increases the surface area of the plates, thus increasing the storage capacity of the capacitor. Nanomaterial supercapacitors uses nanomaterial in the manufacturing of the dielectrics or electrodes. Supercapacitors are used instead of capacitors for high energy density, and are used in electric vehicles, grid energy storage, mobile electronics, power tools and hybrid vehicles.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Nanomaterial supercapacitors are generally made up of Nano composites that are composed of nanotubes (that are composed of carbon materials). Nanomaterial supercapacitors is an electronic device that has the capability of increasing the storage of electrical energy by improving the storage of electrons with the expanding the surface area of the electrodes. The overall efficiency of nanomaterial supercapacitors is dependent on the material used for its manufacturing and its electrodes properties. The nanomaterial supercapacitors market is anticipated to expand at a modest CAGR in the forecasted period.About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
TCD Alcohol DM Market : Future Demand, Market Analysis & Outlook to 2025

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Global TCD Alcohol DM Market: SnapshotTricyclodecane alcohol dimethanol, also known as TCD alcohol DM, is colorless and highly viscous. It also has a characteristic odor. The material is slightly soluble in water and aliphatic hydrocarbons. TCD alcohol DM brings about excellent elasticity, transparency, and harness to the final product and hence finds application in creating quality hard surface coatings. TCD alcohol DM is also used in manufacture of dimethacrylates, which again find application in numerous UV curing applications such as UV curing adhesives, UV curing inks, and electronics.Serving to stoke growth in the TCD alcohol DM market is the flexible packaging industry, wherein UV curing adhesives are finding widespread usage and also the surging popularity of eco-friendly UV curing inks as opposed to petrochemical-based products. The popularity of flexography due to increasing investment in product marketing and generating brand-recall, is expected to provide substantial push to adoption of UV curing inks in the upcoming years, thereby benefitting the market for TCD alcohol DM. The strong demand for flexible packaging on account of the robust e-commerce and logistics industries will also likely benefit the global market for TCD alcohol DM.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Asia Pacific currently rakes in maximum revenue in the global TCD alcohol DM market mainly on account of the continued growth in main end-use segments in the region in the recent past. Further, the sizeable chunk of school children in countries of China and India, will also drive sales for printed books, which in turn will lead to uptake of UV inkjet inks in the foreseeable future.Global TCD Alcohol DM Market: OverviewTricyclodecane alcohol dimethanol (TCD alcohol DM) is a colorless and highly viscous substance with a characteristic odor. The material is sparingly soluble in water and aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. TCD alcohol DM offers outstanding harness, transparency, and elasticity to the final product and is used in the manufacture of a variety of high-performance hard surface coatings. The material is also used for the production of dimethacrylates, which are used in a number of UV curing applications such as UV curing inks, UV curing adhesives, and electronics.Request TOC of the Report @Global TCD Alcohol DM Market: Key TrendsThe global demand for TCD alcohol DM will be chiefly driven by the rising usage of UV curing adhesives in the flexible packaging industry and the increased preference to the environment-friendly UV curing inks over petrochemical-based products. The thriving market for flexography owing to rising investment in product marketing and branding activities will provide a significant boost to the overall global consumption of UV curing inks in the next few years, subsequently driving the market for TCD alcohol DM. The heightened demand for flexible packaging owing to the thriving logistics and e-commerce industries will also provide a huge thrust to the global TCD alcohol DM consumption.Global TCD Alcohol DM Market: Market PotentialOf the key areas of application of TCG alcohol DM, the segment of UV curing coatings is expected to contribute the dominant share of revenue to the global market in the next few years. The significant rise in demand for portable, innovative, and sophisticated electronic devices is key to the heightened demand for UV curable coatings in the global market. The segment is also expected to exhibit growth at a significant pace in the next few years, retaining dominance.Another segment expected to generate promising growth opportunities for the TCD alcohol DM market is the segment of UV inkjet inks. Although the rising popularity of digital media threatens to sabotage the growth potential of the printing industry, certain sectors such as education, publishing, and advertising will continue to drive the demand for UV curable inkjet inks in the future as well.Request Discount of the Report @Global TCD Alcohol DM Market: Geographical OverviewFrom a geographical perspective, the global TCD alcohol DM market gains the dominant share in its revenue from the Asia Pacific market, chiefly owing to the steady growth observed in key end-use segments in the region in the past few years. The high population of school goers in countries such as India and China will lead to an increased demand for printed books, driving the heightened demand for UV inkjet inks over the next few years. The region is also expected to remain the most significant market for TCD alcohol DM over the forecast period. Europe will also remain one of the key markets for TCD alcohol DM owing to the high demand for optoelectronics from the regions affluent population.Global TCD Alcohol DM Market: Competitive DynamicsThe global TCD alcohol DM market features a monopolistic vendor landscape, with the company Oxea Corporation being the sole patent holder and manufacturer in the market. As such, the market has negligible scope of forward integration from raw material manufacturers to produce the material as well as a negligible threat of backward integration from buyers. Although this scenario has restricted new vendors from foraying into the market, the situation could change after the patent is expired, which is expected to happen by the end of the reports forecast period. As a number of companies will start manufacturing TCD alcohol DM post that, the competitive scenario of the market is expected to significantly change.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Global Emission Monitoring Systems Market Anticipated To Expand At A CAGR Of 7.5% During The Forecast Period From 2017 - 2025

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Emission Monitoring Systems Market Anticipated To Expand At A CAGR Of 7.5% During The Forecast Period From 2017 - 2025" to its huge collection of research reports.The Emission Monitoring Systems Market report provides analysis for the period 2015  2025, wherein the period from 2017 to 2025 is the forecast and 2016 is the base year. The report covers all the major trends and technologies playing influential role in the emission monitoring systems markets growth over the forecast period. It also highlights the drivers, restraints, opportunities and trends expected to impact markets growth during the said period. The study provides a comprehensive perspective on global emission monitoring systems markets evolution throughout the above mentioned forecast period in terms of revenue (in US$ Mn).The market overview section of the report demonstrates the market dynamics such as the drivers, restraints, opportunities, trends that is expected to influence the current nature and future status of this market. Key indicators mentioned in the report, provide a robust view about the vital factors that led to the strong adoption of emission monitoring systems around the globe. The key indicators also provide significance of the factors which are capable of changing the market scenario. These indicators are expected to define the market position during the forecast period. An attractiveness analysis has also been provided for every segment in the report, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the overall scenario in the emission monitoring systems market. Moreover, the report provides an overview of various strategies adopted by the key players present in the market.Global Emission Monitoring Systems Market: SegmentationThe report segments the market on the basis of technology and industry verticals. The technology segment includes predictive emission monitoring systems and continuous emission monitoring systems. The industry verticals considered in the emission monitoring systems market include Oil & Gas, Chemicals & Fertilizers, Cement, Pulp & Paper, Energy/Power, Mining, Others. The others segment of the end-use vertical include Electronics, Food & Beverages, Healthcare, incineration and waste water treatment. The report provides in-depth segment analysis of the global emission monitoring systems market, thereby providing valuable insights at the macro as well as micro levels.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global Emission Monitoring Systems Market: Competitive LandscapeThe report also highlights the competitive landscape of the global emission monitoring systems market, thereby positioning all the major players according to their presence in different regions of the world and recent key developments initiated by them in the emission monitoring systems market. The comprehensive emission monitoring systems market estimates are the result of our in-depth secondary research, primary interviews, and in-house expert panel reviews. These market estimates have been analyzed by taking into account the impact of different political, social, economic, technological, and legal factors along with the current market dynamics affecting emission monitoring systems market growth.This report provides all the essential information required to understand the key developments in the technology used in emission monitoring systems market, growth trend of each segment and strategy of each company that help them to efficiently compete in the market. Also, the report provides insights related to trends and its impact on the market. Furthermore, Porters Five Forces analysis explains the factors which are currently affecting the emission monitoring systems market. This report also provides comparative analysis of predictive and continuous emission monitoring systems on the basis of various parameters namely, cost, application area, time required for configuration and hardware requirement.Browse TOC @Key Players Mentioned in this Research Report are:ABB Ltd., Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises Inc., Sick AG, Siemens AG, Emerson Electric Co., AMETEK, Inc., Durag Group and Teledyne Technologies Inc., Rockwell Automation Inc., General Electric, Opsis, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Beijing SDL Technology Co., Ltd., ALS Limited, Parker Hannifin Ltd, Buhler Technologies GmbH, M&C TechGroup, Horiba, Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Fuji electric, Servomex, Enironnement S.A. are some of the major players operating within the Emission Monitoring Systems market profiled in this study. Details such as financials, SWOT analysis, business strategies, recent developments, and other such strategic information pertaining to these players have been duly provided as part of company profiling.Global Emission Monitoring Systems MarketBy TechnologyPredictive Emission Monitoring SystemsContinuous Emission Monitoring SystemsBy End-Use VerticalOil &GasChemicals & FertilizersCementPulp & PaperEnergy/PowerMiningOthersAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Carboxylic Acid Market : Professional Survey Report By Product, Application, Manufacturer, Sales and Segmentation 2025

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Global Carboxylic Acid Market: SnapshotThe global market for carboxylic acid is characterized by stiff competition on account of the presence of a large number of players who are involved in increasing their production capacities to outgun their rivals. The fragmented market is seeing swift progress on account of such initiatives of keen players. Some such prominent savvy participants in the market are Celanese Corporation, BASF SE, Eastman Chemical Company, The Dow Chemical Company, Jiangsu Sopo Group, OXEA, Perstorp Holdings AB, Alfa Aesar, Finetech Industry Limited, LyondellBasell Industries N.V., and Perstorp Holding.Carboxylic acids find application in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, dyes, plastics, detergents, textile, rubber, animal feed, soaps, and perfumes. Certain varieties of carboxylic acids such as benzoic acid, acetic acid, and citric acid are also used as preservatives in the food and beverages industry.Other industrially-viable varieties of carboxylic acids are isovaleric acid, valeric acid, formic acid, isobutyric acid, butyric acid, propionic acid, and stearic acid. The last couple of years saw demand from end-use industries soar substantially, which resulted in companies upping their production capacities to meet the demand. Carboxylic acid is also used as an active ingredient in a number of drug formulations such as antibiotics, anticoagulants, cholesterol-lowering statins, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).Request Sample Copy of the Report @Asia Pacific, powered by China, is a dominant manufacturer of carboxylic acid, at present. China not only produces maximum carboxylic acid, but also consumes it because of key end-use industries such as consumer goods, lubricants, food and beverages. Asia Pacific is also an upcoming hub for the production of bio-based chemicals.Global Carboxylic Acid Market: OverviewOrganic acids containing the carboxyl group (-COOH) are called carboxylic acids. These compounds are extensively used in the manufacture of products such as dyes, pharmaceuticals, plastics, detergents, textile, animal feed, rubber, soaps, and perfumes. Some carboxylic acids such as acetic acid, benzoic acid, and citric acid find wide usage as preservatives in the food and beverages industry.Some of the other industrially-viable varieties of carboxylic acids are valeric acid, isovaleric acid, formic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid, and stearic acid. In the past few years, high demand from end-use industries has significantly increased the annual global consumption of these compounds and in response, companies in the market are increasing their production capacities.Request TOC of the Report @Global Carboxylic Acid Market: Key TrendsThe global market for carboxylic acid is chiefly driven by the increased consumption of vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) in the food and beverages industry and the rising demand for valeric, butyric, and stearic acid in cosmetics and personal care products. The rising consumer preference to bio-based products will be the key factor driving the increased use of carboxylic acid in the cosmetics and personal care industries, especially in developed economies. The market will also gain traction on account of the increased use of organic acids in animal feed as growth promoters for animals.Carboxylic acid is also used as an active ingredient in a number of drug formulations such as antibiotics, anticoagulants, cholesterol-lowering statins, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). As the global geriatric population leads to the increased demand for these drugs, the pharmaceutical industry is also expected to be a key force driving the market in the near future.Global Carboxylic Acid Market: Market PotentialResearch activities have always been abundant in the area of developing commonly used organic compounds such as carboxylic acids from raw materials derived from natural sources, replacing the use of possibly hazardous chemicals. In a similar attempt, South Korean scientists have demonstrated the use of enzymes to turn algae into plastic. Researchers hope that the process can also be used in biopreservatives as a replacement to synthetic ingredients in foods and beverages, personal care products, and cosmetics.Request Discount of the Report @Algaes quick proliferation and low input needs have allowed its use in research activities for years as a possible biofuel and a way of capturing carbon dioxide for making plastic. This method, as the researchers claim, is unique because it uses enzymes as an environment-friendly method to develop heavy-chain carboxylic acid, a monomer which is considered the basic building block for the manufacture of a variety of high-quality plastics. Heavy-chain carboxylic acid is conventionally produced through a harsh chemical process.Global Carboxylic Acid Market: Regional OverviewCredited with being the largest producer of carboxylic acid, thanks to the thriving manufacturing sector in China, the Asia Pacific carboxylic acid market holds a dominant position in the global market. The region is also a significant consumer of the chemical owing to the steady growth of key end-use industries such as consumer goods, lubricants, food and beverages. The region is also emerging as the hub for the production of bio-based chemicals. Chinas role in the global carboxylic market, with the addition of more production capacities for the chemical, continues to be of significance.Global Carboxylic Acid Market: Competitive DynamicsThe presence of a large number of carboxylic acid producers has made the competitive landscape of global carboxylic acid market highly fragmented. The market is witnessing continuous expansions of production capacities and is expected to become highly competitive in the next few years. Some of the leading companies operating in the highly competitive market are BASF SE, Eastman Chemical Company, Celanese Corporation, Jiangsu Sopo Group, The Dow Chemical Company, OXEA, Perstorp Holdings AB, Alfa Aesar, LyondellBasell Industries N.V., Perstorp Holding, and Finetech Industry Limited.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Robotics Market in the Meat Industry Globally Expand At A CAGR Of 10.52% Over The Forecast Period 2017 - 2021

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Robotics Market in the Meat Industry Globally Expand At A CAGR Of 10.52% Over The Forecast Period 2017 - 2021" to its huge collection of research reports.Robots are deployed in the meat industry for carcass cutting, processing, and packaging applications. These robots, like industrial robots, use their arms for effective operation in the meat boning and cutting processes. The transition of robotics in the food and beverage industry from packaging to processing has seen a rising demand for advanced robots. the robotic manufacturers are designing units that have anti-corrosion bodies to prevent any contamination.Technavios analysts forecast the global robotics market in the meat industry to grow at a CAGR of 10.52% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global robotics market in the meat industry for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEATechnavio's report, Global Robotics Market in the Meat Industry 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Key vendorsKUKASCOTT Automation & RoboticsMayekawaJLS AutomationOther prominent vendorsYaskawa MotomanUniversal RobotsBANSSFANUCSINTEFMarket driverReduction in labor costFor a full, detailed list, view our reportBrowse TOC @Market challengeImplementation and maintenance costsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendUse of compact robots for meat processingFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Automatic Transmission Fluid Market to Maintain Healthy CAGR in Coming Years

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Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) is a type of slippery liquid which act as a lubricant for easy movement of all moving parts inside a transmission system. Automatic transmission system is a more evolved and technically upgraded transmission system in comparison to manual transmission system as automatic transmission minuses human intervention of shifting gear with correspondence to speed. Automatic transmission system is a more complex system than manual transmission system and it therefore requires a more technologically advanced fluid to ensure proper function ability. ATF also acts as a cooling agent for automatic transmission system as automatic transmission system generates lot of heat during to rotation of gears. ATF can also be used as hydraulic fluid for power steering systems. Most ATFs contain combination of various additives that enhances lubricating qualities such as anti-wear additives, rust and corrosion inhibitors, detergents, dispersants and surfactants, as well as other compounds and chemicals which can contribute towards better durability of automatic transmission system.Majorly, increasing adoption of automatic transmission system all over globe is driving the market of ATF globally. Vehicles with automatic transmission system is increasing rapidly as various automobile manufacturers are introducing automatic transmission in their line of brands to offer better driving experience to customers. An automatic transmission system allows the automobilist to pay more attention to the road instead of being worrying of getting distracted by all the extra effort required for lever shift. Thus increasing adoption of automatic transmission system is pulling up the demand of ATF. Since ATF can also be used as hydraulic oil for power steering system of 4WD, use of ATF will be also driven by increase in power steering system in vehicles and air compressor. Apart from regular passenger cars various other vehicles such as HMV, special armored vehicles, cranes etc. in near future will be installed with automatic transmission system which will again create a new space for the growth of ATF market.Request Report For TOC @Decline in production of crude oil, steep fall in automobile manufacturing due to decline in demand, and recent turmoil in Arab spring, ban on export and import amongst countries, economic sanctions, and increase in adoption of electrical vehicle will bring in circumstance which brings in possibility to destabilize the ATF market.Regarding geography, the ATF market has been categorized into seven key regions including North and Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, Japan, and the Middle East & Africa. The ATF market is globally expected to register healthy CAGR during the forecast period. Despite the soft economy, consumers of North America are buying cars which raise the demand for ATF in countries such as Canada and the US, this made, North America leading region in ATF market. In Western Europe, due to presence of reputed global automotive manufacturers and other mechanical equipment manufacturing industry in this region and growth in sales of various automotive will bring in demand for ATF.Request to Sample of Report @Countries such as China, India are the principal countries in Asia-Pacific excluding Japan region development wise. These countries are witnessing establishments of many industries such as automotive and other industries and with increase in economic stability of individuals will trigger the sales of various automotive and other equipment which do needs ATF as lubricants. Such a scenario in APEJ will generate the demand of ATF by making Asia Pacific Excluding Japan third leading region. Japan on other hand is also an optimistic market for ATF. Latin America and the Middle East and Africa are predicted to acquire the ATF market in the near future.Some of the players of global ATF market include Exxon Mobil Corporation, AMSOIL, Valvoline LLC, Castrol Limited, Red Line Synthetic Oil, Lucas Oil Products, Inc., TOTAL Lubricants and others.Pre Book Full Report @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 Automotive Steering Wheel Market - Expected to be Valued US$ 899,559.9 Mn by 2027

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Persistence Market Researchs latest report on the global automotive steering wheel market projects that over 2286 Mn Units of the automotive steering wheels will be shipped by 2027-end. As per the report, the US$ 337,585 Mn automotive steering wheel market will ride at a strong CAGR of 8.27% over the forecast period (2017-2027) to reach a valuation of US$ 899,559.9 Mn. As self-driving technology slowly becomes a reality, automotive components including steering wheels are expected to undergo massive transformation both in terms of design and technology.Request to sample reportNorth America to Remain the Largest Market for Automotive Steering WheelsAvailability of leading edge automotive component technology and increasing demand for advanced steering wheel design that are relevant to modern vehicle interiors is driving the automotive steering wheel market in North America. Manufacturers are focusing on adding more features on steering wheels, giving more control to the driver. At the same time, increasing concern over automotive safety is pushing manufacturers to make their products safer. In terms of value, North America is estimated to account for a relatively larger share of the global market over the forecast period.Meanwhile, the automotive steering wheel market in Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period. Sales of advanced automotive steering wheels are steadily rising in China and India, as these two countries in the region have stepped up their road safety campaign. These countries also happen to be leading producer of automotive spare parts, with both countries going through essential phases of development. Higher emphases on road safety is expected to favor the global market for automotive steering wheels.Manufacturers are concentrating on developing high-quality automotive steering wheels. Strengthening of the supply chain, particularly in regions, such as North America, Japan and APEJ remains a key focus area for market players. Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd, ZF Friedrichshafen Manufacturing Company, Takata, Momo Automotive Accessories Inc., Toyoda Gosei, Tokai Rika Co., Ltd., Autoliv, Key Safety Systems, Nihon Plast Co. Ltd, Grant Products International INC, GSK Intek, Moto Lita, Simmonds Superspoke, Isotta, Neaton Auto Products, Nardi Personal, Sabic, KKR Metal Components, Emdet Group, Sun Autoelektrik Private Limited are some of the leading companies operating in the global market for automotive steering wheel.Driver airbag is expected to remain the most attractive product type segment of the market. Airbags have become an important passenger safety component and are being installed in low mid and premium end vehicles. Moreover, carmakers are rapidly adopting airbags in steering wheels to comply with the revised auto safety regulations.Request Report for TOC @Demand for neoprene coated automotive steering wheel is expected to remain strongest, followed by the silicone coated variant. In terms of the value, neoprene coated automotive steering wheels are expected to account for more than two-third share of the market towards the end of the assessment period.OEM will remain the leading sales channel for automotive steering wheels throughout the forecast period and is expected to account for 91.7% values share of the market. This is primarily owing increasing collaborations and partnerships between manufacturers and OEMs, which is further strengthening the sales and distribution channel.Get Full Report nowAbout 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
E-Prescribing Market to Expand with Significant CAGR During 2019

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The global e-prescription market is expected to progress at a CAGR of 23.50% from 2013 to 2019. The market was valued at US$250.2 mn in 2013. It is expected to reach US$887.8 mn by the end of 2019, according to a research report released by Transparency Market Research, titled E-Prescribing Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019.The global e-prescription market was previously recorded at a CAGR of 22.30% from 2009 to 2012. It was valued at US$111.2 mn in 2009.Request to View Brochure of Report -The primary factor facilitating the growth of the global e-prescription market is the set of government initiatives carried out in several countries, regarding the usage of prescription systems that are increasingly accurate. These include initiatives such as the National Council for Prescription Drugs Program and the Clinical Health Act in North America.The global e-prescription market provides solutions that enhance the efficiency of medical practice. E-prescription systems improve not only the rate of delivering medical attention, but can also improve the overall quality of healthcare and help maintain accurate drug utilization systems.The global e-prescription market can also help with the co-pay data, displaying dispensers and other providers with data on total drug coverage, and formulary alternatives.One of the major restraints on the global e-prescription market is the non-availability of integrated networks and connectivity. This proves to be a major hindrance to the global e-prescription market and prevents it from being successfully introduced in the related countries.Other restraints currently affecting the global e-prescription market are the high cost of operation, the absence of high-speed broadband services in developing nations, the absence of skilled labor for operating e-prescription systems, and the absence of laws and regulations that protect patient privacy.Request to View Sample of Report -From a regional perspective, the global e-prescription market has largely benefitted from the activities in Europe. This region held the largest share of the global e-prescription market for 2012. Large-scale implementation of e-prescription systems was possible in Europe through the efforts of eHealth projects, including European Patient Smart Open Services and Schleswig-Holstein Health Initiative. On the other hand, the fastest growth rate in the global e-prescription market is currently held by North America due to a rapidly developing regional healthcare infrastructure.The report sheds light on the developments in the Asia Pacific e-prescription market, which is using these systems at an increasing rate, thanks to the rapid development of the healthcare infrastructure. There is a growing number of rural and urban clinics, primary healthcare services, and urban healthcare centers, aiding a faster rate of adoption of e-prescription solutions and other healthcare IT technologies.Key players in the global e-prescription market are eClinicalWorks, DrFirst, Practice Fusion, Inc., HealthFusion, Inc., Athenahealth, Inc., Henry Schein, Inc., and Cerner Corporation.Purchase this Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Knife Gate Valves Market Revenue, Opportunity, Forecast and Value Chain 2018-2023

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Knife Gate Valves Market Overview & Industry Landscape by Focusing On Top Key Vendors:A comprehensive analysis of the Global Knife Gate Valves Market is been done in this intelligence report. It includes the investigations done on the past progress, ongoing market scenarios, and future prospects. An accurate data of the products, strategies and market shares of leading companies in this particular market is mentioned. This report presents a 360-degree overview of the competitive scenario of the Global market. The report further projects the size and valuation of the global market in the coming forecast period. The report also presents a thorough qualitative and quantitative data affecting the projected impact of these factors on markets future growth prospects.Top Key Vendors:Orbinox, DeZURIK, Flowrox, Bray International, SISTAG (WEY Valve), VAG, Stafsj? Valves, Weir, Emerson (Pentair Valves & Controls), AVK, Tecofi, ITT Engineered Valves, Red Valve, Davis Valve, GEFA Processtechnik, Zhejiang Linuo Flow Control Technolog, Trueline Valve Corporation, Valtorc, CYL, Supero Seiki, Chuan Chuan Metal Valves, Tianjin Exxon ValveGet Sample Copy of this Report @It explains a detailed outline of the Knife Gate Valves Market depending on the important parameters. End users, products, regions, and many other segments are studied and explained. A brief idea of the driving forces which help make the market more flourishing is discussed in order to help the client understand the future market position.According to the research report, the global market for Knife Gate Valves Market is witnessing a continual rise in its valuation with the advancement in technologies, which is impacting the consumer behavior and, accordingly, their purchasing patterns to a great extent. In addition to this, the rising penetration of internet and the surge in mobile surfing are anticipated to boost the demand for Knife Gate Valves across the world, states the research report.Know more about this Premium Report:On the basis of geographical regions, the Global Knife Gate Valves Market is segmented broadly into Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. The global market is still in its exploratory stage in most of the regions but it holds the promising potential to flourish steadily in coming years. The major companies investing in this market are situated in Canada, U.K., and the US, India, China and some more countries of Asia Pacific region. Consequently, Asia Pacific, North America, and Western Europe are estimated to hold more than half of the market shares, collectively in coming years.This statistical surveying research study presents an all-inclusive evaluation of the worldwide market for Knife Gate Valves, taking various industry parameters, such as the capacity of production, product pricing, demand, supply, and sales dynamics, returns on investments, and the growth rate of the overall market into consideration.In the last sections of the report, the manufacturers responsible for increasing the sales in the Knife Gate Valves Market have been presented. These manufacturers have been analyzed in terms of their manufacturing base, basic information, and competitors. In addition, the technology and product type introduced by each of these manufacturers also form a key part of this section of the report.Table of ContentsThe Global Knife Gate Valves Market Research Report 20181 Knife Gate Valves Market Overview2 Global Knife Gate Valves Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Knife Gate Valves Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2018)4 Global Knife Gate Valves Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2018)5 Global Knife Gate Valves Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Knife Gate Valves Market Analysis by Application7 Global Knife Gate Valves Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Knife Gate Valves Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Knife Gate Valves Market Forecast (2018-2023)13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 AppendixAbout Research N Reports:Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Contact:(Research N Reports)10916, Gold Point Dr, Houston, TX, Pin  77064,Sunny Denis(Sales Manager),+1-8886316977sales@researchnreports.com
Clear Brine Fluids Market Professional Survey Report 2017 - 2025

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Clear Brine Fluids Market: SnapshotThe constant rise in the number of gas and oil drilling activities across the world has presented large corporates operating in the global clear brine fluids market with lucrative opportunities to develop their business. Development of shale reserves is now a part of the growth plan of developed countries striving to achieve energy security. It is expected that the sales of clear brine fluids will bolster as these fluids are used in the processes of drilling and extracting shale oil and gas.There has been a significant shift towards the development of unconventional energy resources which includes shale gas, tight gas, and coal bed methane (CBM). There are an increased number of drilling activities being undertaken to explore newer unconventional energy resources that have presented a strong market opportunity for producers of clear brine fluid to make full use of. With the advent of Asia Pacific region as a profitable market for deep water drilling, the region is anticipated to positively impact the global clear brine fluid market. However, volatile political and economic situation in the Middle East is a cause of concern for the development of the global clear brine fluid market.The key players in the global clear brine fluids market are now concentrating on expanding their business in order to improve their overall market presence. For instance, a Chemtura Corporation owned business, Great Lake Solutions, started a new plant in January 2017 in El Dorado with an aim to develop products that are innovative and improved in quality.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Brine Fluids Market: OverviewThe global clear brine fluids market is poised to rise at a steady pace in the coming years as the overall oil and gas industry is expected to undergo a major change. The increasing investments in ensuring energy security in developed countries and the burgeoning drilling and completion activities are expected to make key contributions to the rising revenue of the overall market.Global Brine Fluids Market: Drivers and TrendsThe ongoing exploration, drilling, and production activities in the oil and gas industry have led an increased consumption of clear brine fluids. These fluids are extensively used for drilling as well as completion processes. The booming oil and gas industry across the globe and persistently rising rigs have consistently provided the global clear brine fluids market a massive fillip. Furthermore, the discovery of shale gas and ongoing extraction of it have also increased the sales of clear brine fluids.The rapid depletion of natural resources such as natural gas and crude oil has increased the turned the attention of several industrial players towards unconventional sources of energy such as coal bed methane (CBM), tight gas, shale oil/gas, and gas/methane hydrates. Additionally, the spike in the prices of oil and gas have created a dire need for alternative sources of energy, thereby fuelling the demand for clear brine fluids.Global Brine Fluids Market: Market PotentialCompanies in the global clear brine fluids market are focused on expansion to improve their outreach in the overall market. For instance, Great Lakes Solutions, a business owned by Chemtura Corporation, started its new pilot plant in El Dorado in January 2017. The plant is a commitment to developing products that are characterized by innovation and improvement. With the same intention, the facility is expected to mitigate the gap between tradition laboratory experimentation and full-scale commercial production. The plant is located on top of worlds second largest brome-rich brine reserve. This expansion strategy is expected to give this company an edge over others, allowing them to make reliable value additions to their product portfolio.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Brine Fluids Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the global clear brine fluids market is fragmented into Latin America, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. Presently, North America dominates the global market due to the growing shale gas activities in the U.S. Additionally, increasing efforts by the governments across the U.S. towards encouraging energy security measures is also expected to support the regional markets growth.Asia Pacific is also expected to be a key regional player in the global clear brine market are China is poised to account for a sizable share in the global recoverable shale gas market. Furthermore, the Middle East and Africa is also expected to be a close contender in the global market as it houses an important oil and gas industry in the world. Despite the plunge in crude oil prices, the relentless demand for energy across the globe is projected to offer the oil and gas industry in the Middle East and Africa lucrative opportunities for growth. Subsequently, the region is expected to show a consistent consumption clear brine fluids.Request Discount of the Report @Key Players Mentioned in this Report are:Some of the leading players operating in the global clear brine fluids market are TETRA Technologies Inc., Israel Chemicals Ltd., Albemarle Corporation, Egyptian Mud Engineering & Chemicals Company (EMEC), Geo Drillings Fluids, Inc., Zirax Ltd., Halliburton, and Chemtura Corporation. The competitive landscape will be characterized by strategic mergers and acquisitions by players in order to strengthen their position in the coming years.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
ePharmacy Market to Witness Exponential Growth by 2023

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The Global Epharmcy Market, much like the global e-retail industry, has seen the entry of a large number of players in developed as well as developing economies with high-speed and consistent internet connections and a large consumer base of smart computing devices, observes Transparency Market Research in a recent report. The market is strictly regulated in developed economies across North America and Europe, wherein ePharmacies are registered with a central drug enforcement or advisory authority and are required to conform to specific norms, with only lawfully registered pharmacies allowed to sell drugs. Owing to the vast growth potential displayed by the market, several retail pharmacists in these regions are partnering with online portals to establish their ePharmacies.Request to View Brochure of Report -In a number of developing economies, however, many rogue ePharmacies have mushroomed over the years and drug enforcement authorities are taking major steps to make the ePharmacy marketplace more regulated. Developments in this direction will put a rein on the rapidly rising numbers of ePharmacies, especially in regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America. These regions are also the ones with the most promising growth opportunities owing to the presence of high-speed internet connectivity and a large consumer base of mobile computing device users. Thus companies in the relatively novel marketplace could find promising growth opportunities in these regions as the ePharmacy market becomes more regulated.Transparency Market Research estimates that the global ePharmacy market will exhibit an impressive CAGR of 17.5% over the period between 2015 and 2023, taking a massive leap from a valuation of US$29.35 bn in 2014 to an opportunity of US$128.02 bn by 2023.Europe to Outpace North America, Claim the Top SpotFrom a geographical standpoint, the ePharmacy market in North America is presently the leading contributor of revenue to the global market. The region accounted for a nearly 37% of the global market in 2014, followed by Europe. Over the reports forecast period, however, Europe is projected to lead the way, outpacing North America in terms of revenue generation. The market in Asia Pacific is expected to remain filled with promising growth opportunities and become more regulated over the forecast period. Emerging economies such as China and India and developed ones including Japan and South Korea will be at the forefront of development of the Asia Pacific ePharmacy market over the reports forecast period.Request to View Sample of Report -Increased Consumer Confidence in e-commerce Sector to Drive MarketThe key factors driving the global market for ePharmacies is the increased consumer confidence about the e-commerce industry, convenience offered by ePharmacies, faster drug delivery even at remote locations, and availability of detailed data pertaining to composition, benefits, and side-effects of drugs on online portals. Vast benefits of ePharmacies to consumers (convenient delivery options and cheaper costs due to elimination of several layers of distribution) as well as pharmacies (possibility of reaching out to a larger patient pool), government bodies are also encouraging the ePharmacy sector. Attempts by government bodies aimed at regularizing the ePharmacy industry across a number of high-growth promise regional markets will usher the growth opportunities for players in the global ePharmacy market.Presence of Several Rogue ePharmacies could Hamper Customer TrustIn unregulated regional markets, the high number of rogue pharmacies makes it difficult for legitimate players to make their mark and earn back the trust lost in the online mode of operation for pharmacies. This, combined with the potential abuse of spurious or habit forming medicines that may be sold without the required prescription, especially in regions where there is no regulatory check on the modus operandi followed by online pharmacies, could hamper consumer trust in ePharmacies, hindering the growth prospects of the global ePharmacy market.Purchase this Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Anthraquinone Market Adopts Innovation to Stay Competitive

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Anthraquinone, also known as anthracenedione or dioxoanthracene, is an aromatic organic compound. It is generally referred to one particular kind of isomer i.e., 9,10-anthraquinone with International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) name anthracene-9,10-dione. Anthraquinone set up the largest group quinones, which are found in red or purple pigment. This particular substance is manufactured using two different methods. The first method includes oxidizing anthracene in the presence of a chromic acid or condensing benzene. The second method includes oxidizing phthalic anhydride and dehydrating the product. Anthraquinone is a crystalline solid which is yellow in colour. Though it is poorly soluble in water, it is easily soluble in many hot organic solvents.Anthraquinone is one of the most important elements used during the manufacturing of hydrogen peroxide. It is also a main element used during the making of many dyes and is also used in bleaching pulp for papermaking. Some of the other uses of anthraquinone include industry uses, processing aids, surface active agents and consumer uses. Anthraquinone is also used as a bird repellent on farms and as a gas originator in satellite balloons. In New Zealand, Anthraquinone is mixed with a substance called lanolin and then used as a wool spray to safeguard sheep flocks against kea attacks.Request Report For TOC @Anthraquinone can cause tumours in humans if consumed or ingested orally. It can also cause skin irritation, dermatitis and allergic reactions when applied on skin. It is found in some plants, fungi, and insects and contributes to their colouring pigment.Certain factors such as increasing demand for products which are more eco-friendly and less harmful to living beings are responsible for driving the industry forward. Along with the factors responsible for the demand of such drugs which are helpful in curing some diseases (diabetes, cancer, etc.), however these drugs contain very less amount of anthraquinone.Excessive dose of anthraquinone is injurious to aquatic creatures and may cause long-term changes in the aquatic environment, thereby affecting the whole environment negatively. It can also cause cancer and eye irritation. Also, a very high dose of anthraquinone can cause gastrointestinal irritants and show some toxic symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, dermatitis, dizziness, acute abdominal pain & cramping. In severe circumstances, it can also lead to a damaged kidney. These are some of the factors which can act as a restraint for the Anthraquinone Market.The need to manufacture drugs which can be used for the treatment of gastrointestinal, chronic liver, kidney diseases and type 2 diabetes will create opportunities for the anthraquinone industry.Request to Sample of Report @The growth in fashion and textile industry will lead to the growth of the integrated dye industry which will keep Anthraquinone in demand. Additionally, increasing manufacturing of such drugs which can cure some diseases like cancer and diabetes and which use anthraquinone as a key element will keep the demand for anthraquinone growing.Examples of some of the market participants in the Anthraquinone market identified across the value chain are Abbott Laboratories (US), Alimentary Health Limited (Ireland), Edusa Pharmaceuticals (US), Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (US), Lexicon Pharmaceuticals (US), Pharmos Corporation (US), Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (US), Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the US), Tioga Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (US), E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Alfa Aesar, Nanjing Chemlin Chemical Co., Ltd, XiaoGan ShenYuan ChemPharm Co. Ltd, J & K Scientific Ltd. and Meryer (Shanghai) Chemical Technology Co., Ltd.Pre Book Full Report @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 Infertility Treatment Market Projected To Display A Robust Growth Represented By A CAGR Of 8.25% During 2017 - 2022

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Infertility Treatment Market Projected To Display A Robust Growth Represented By A CAGR Of 8.25% During 2017 - 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.A comprehensive research report published in December 2017, through extensive primary research (inputs from industry experts, companies, stakeholders) and secondary research, the report aims to present the analysis of Global Infertility Treatment Market By Procedure (Assisted Reproductive Technique, Artificial Insemination, Fertility Surgery, Fertility Drugs, Other Procedures), By ART Type (IVF, ICSI, Other Procedure), Analysis By Patient Type (Male and Female), By Establishment (Fertility Clinics, Hospitals, Research Banks), By Region (North America, Europe, APAC, ROW) and By Country (USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, India, China, Brazil, UAE, South Africa).Over the recent years, the global infertility treatment has been growing rapidly on account of rising awareness of infertility treatment through government awareness campaign, rising demand of IVF treatment worldwide and surge in medical tourism.According to Azoth Analytics research report, Global Infertility Treatment Market Analysis By Procedure (ART, Artificial Insemination, Fertility Surgery, Fertility Drugs, Others), Establishment (Fertility Clinics, Hospitals, Research Banks), By Region, By Country (2012-2022), global market is projected to display a robust growth represented by a CAGR of 8.25% during 2017  2022, chiefly driven by favourable government reforms as well as introduction of new techniques of IVF.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Among the regions, Europe is predicted to advance at the highest rate, mainly driven by high acceptance of new techniques, rising medical tourism in UK and favourable insurance policies.The report titled, Global Infertility Treatment Market Analysis By Procedure (ART, Artificial Insemination, Fertility Surgery, Fertility Drugs, Others), Establishment (Fertility Clinics, Hospitals, Research Banks), By Region, By Country (2012-2022) has covered and analysed the potential of Global Infertility Treatment market provides statistics and information on market size, shares and growth factors. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges and opportunities in the global infertility treatment market. Additionally, the report also highlights market entry strategies for various companies across the globe.Scope of the ReportGlobal Market (Actual Period: 2012-2016, Forecast Period: 2017-2022)Infertility Treatment MarketInfertility Treatment Procedure  ART or Assisted Reproductive Technique, Artificial Insemination, Fertility Surgery, Fertility Drugs, Other ProceduresBy ART Type - IVF, ICSI, Other ProcedureAnalysis By Patient Type - Male and FemaleBrowse TOC @Regional Markets  North America, Europe, APAC, ROW (Actual Period: 2012-2016 Forecast Period: 2017-2022)Infertility Treatment MarketInfertility Treatment Procedure  ART or Assisted Reproductive Technique, Artificial Insemination, Fertility Surgery, Fertility Drugs, Other ProceduresBy ART Type - IVF, ICSI, Other ProcedureAnalysis By Patient Type - Male and FemaleCountry Analysis  United Kingdom, Germany, France, India, China, Brazil, Saudi Africa, UAE, U.S., Canada (Actual Period: 2012-2016, Forecast Period: 2017-2022)Infertility Treatment MarketInfertility Treatment Procedure  ART or Assisted Reproductive Technique, Artificial Insemination, Fertility Surgery, Fertility Drugs, Other ProceduresOther Report HighlightsMarket Dynamics  Trends, Drivers, ChallengesPolicy and RegulationCompany Analysis  The Cooper Company, Thermo Fisher, Monash IVF Group, United Healthcare Group, CCRM, Merck &Co, Ferring Pharmaceutical.About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Medical Imaging Market Size in APAC to Worth $15 Billion by 2023 | Arizton

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The nuclear imaging is the fastest growing product segment in the global medical imaging market, growing at a CAGR of 7.73% during 2017-2023 .Ariztons recent market research report on the medical imaging market segments the market by product (X-ray equipment, ultrasound imaging equipment, MRI equipment, CT scanners, and nuclear imaging equipment), end-users (hospitals, diagnostic centers, and others), and geography (North America, APAC, Europe, Latin America, and MEA).The global medical imaging market is projected to grow from $33.89 billion in 2017 to $46.65 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 5.47% during the forecast period.Request for your free sample today!The medical imaging market is divided into three major segments by product, end-users, and geography.Nuclear imaging product segment to grow at the fastest CAGR in the medical imaging market during forecast periodThe nuclear imaging is the fastest growing product segment in the global medical imaging market, growing at a CAGR of 7.73% during the forecast period.Nuclear imagings unique and non-invasive method to attain detailed information at the molecular and cellular level that helps in early disease diagnosis and treatment planning will drive the growth of the market segment. The emergence of new PET/MRI systems, especially for soft tissue imaging, hypoxia imaging for cancer screening and diagnosis, and the innovation in radiotracers will help nuclear imaging players to occupy a large share in the global medical imaging market during the forecast period.Hospitals segment to grow at a higher CAGR in the medical imaging market during the forecast periodThe end-user segment in the global medical imaging market is divided into hospitals, diagnostic centers, and others.The hospital end-user segment is expected to grow the fastest in the medical imaging market, at a CAGR of 6.54% by 2023.The introduction of POC testing that features rapid results and prompt treatment planning, especially in emergency and critical care settings will propel the growth of this market segment during the forecast period. The growing demand for low-cost portable imaging devices and the introduction of modern medical imaging devices will help the prominent players occupy a large market share during the forecast period.Request for your free sample today!APACs fast-paced development to help the region grow at an impressive CAGR during the forecast periodThe APAC market was the second largest market for medical imaging devices in 2017 and will be the fastest growing geographical segment at a CAGR of 6.87% during the forecast period. Japan and China predominantly occupy the largest market share in the medical imaging market in APAC. The rapid adoption of digital imaging technologies, cloud-based imaging, and multimodality trends will contribute to the development of the medical imaging market in the region over the next few years. The growing awareness about diagnostic imaging and preventive treatments will help vendors to expand their market share in the APAC region during the forecast period.Toshiba Medical, GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, Koninklijke Philips, and Fujifilm are the leading vendors in the medical imaging market.The complete overview of the latest market research report on medical imaging market by Arizton is now available.The report also offers a detailed study of major trends, drivers, challenges, and provides the market size and forecast for major geographical regions and key countries.Source:About AriztonArizton  Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services.We offer comprehensive market research reports on industries such as consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare and life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals and materials, IT and media, logistics and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts.Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered in generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports.Arizton Advisory & IntelligenceChicago, Illinois, 60605Mail: enquiry@arizton.comCall: +1-312-465-7864
Digital Door Lock Systems Market Anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 33.6% during the forecast period 2017 to 2025

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Albany, NY, 5th January : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Digital Door Lock Systems Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025" globally.This report provides an analysis of the global digital door lock systems market for the period from 2015 to 2025, wherein the period from 2017 to 2025 comprises the forecast period and 2016 is the base year.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Data for 2015 & 2014 is provided as historical information. The report covers all the major trends and technologies playing a major role in the growth of the digital door lock systems market over the forecast period. It also highlights various drivers, restraints, and opportunities expected to influence the markets growth during this period. The study provides a holistic perspective on the markets growth in terms of revenue in US$ Mn, across different geographical regions namely North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America.Digital door locks is used to provide better security solutions for end-users. Consumers are accepting new security solutions embedded in their smart home application and considering as a value added facility for better quality of living. The global digital door lock system is experiencing growth owing to the factors such as development of micro, small and medium enterprises around the globe and managed security solutions emerging as an affordable option.Digital Door Lock Systems Market: Scope of the ReportThe market overview section of the report showcases the market dynamics and trends such as the drivers, restraints, and opportunities that influence the current nature and future status of this market. The report also provides the ecosystem analysis and key market indicators for the digital door lock systems market. The digital door lock systems market data estimates are the result of our in-depth secondary research, primary interviews and in-house expert panel reviews. These market estimates have been analyzed by taking into account the impact of different political, social, economic, technological, and legal factors along with the current market dynamics affecting the market growth. Apart from this, the report also provides vendor analysis for the digital door lock systems market. Furthermore, the report aims to provide strategic insights into the value chain analysis and porters five force model of manufacturers and distributors in the digital door lock system market. The market positioning analysis of key players throws light on the prevalent competition in this market.View Complete TOC with tables & Figures @Digital Door Lock Systems Market: SegmentationThe global digital door lock systems market is segmented on the basis of type and end-use industry. By type, the global digital door lock systems market is bifurcated into biometrics door lock systems and keypad door lock systems. The market for biometrics door lock system segment is further cross-segmented into face recognition, iris recognition, palm recognition, voice recognition, signature recognition and fingerprint recognition. Whilst, the keypad door lock system segment is further cross-segmented into magnetic stripe locks, electromechanical door locks and electric strike locks. Further, the end-use industry segmentation includes government, commercial, industrial and residential. The report covers the analysis of these segments across all geographies, along with qualitative analysis for key market indicators supplementing the growth of digital door lock systems market during the forecast period.Digital Door Lock Systems Market: Competitive DynamicsThe report also includes competitive profiling of the key players associated with the digital door lock systems market around the globe. The important business strategies adopted by them, their market positioning, financials, SWOT analysis, and recent developments have also been identified in the research report. The competitive landscape section of the report also gives an overview about the major contributing regions/countries by these key players in order to strengthen their market position in the future.Rising demand for digital door lock systems and increasing focus on safety and security, forcing companies to develop advanced digital door lock systems to continue the profitability of the market. Honeywell International Inc., Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Ltd., Assa Abloy Groupare, Cisco Systems, Inc., United Technologies Corporation, Siemens AG, Panasonic Corporation, Nestwell Technologies, Vivint, Inc., Samsung Electronics Co Ltd., and dorma+kaba Holdings AG, are the few key players which have been profiled in this study.Market Segmentation:Digital Door Lock Systems Market, by TypeBiometricsFace RecognitionIris RecognitionPalm RecognitionVoice RecognitionSignature RecognitionFingerprint RecognitionKeypadMagnetic Stripe LocksElectromechanical Door LocksDigital Door Lock Systems Market, by End-use IndustriesGovernmentCommercialIndustrialResidentialIn addition, the report provides analysis of the Digital Door Lock Systems Market with respect to the following geographic segments:North AmericaThe U.S.CanadaRest of North AmericaEuropeThe U.K.GermanyFranceRest of EuropeAsia Pacific (APAC)IndiaChinaJapanRest of APACBrowse Report @Middle East and Africa (MEA)GCC CountriesSouth AfricaRest of MEASouth AmericaBrazilRest of South AmericaResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on :
Global Billiards Market: Japan Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2017 - 2022

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Billiards Market: Japan Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2017 - 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The global Billiards market is valued at XX million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2017, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Japan plays an important role in global market, with market size of xx million USD in 2016 and will be xx million USD in 2017, with a CAGR of xx%.This report, with focus on top players in the global and Japan, studies the Billiards market's development status and future trend in the global and Japan. It splits Billiards market by type and by applications to fully and deeply research and reveal market profile and prospect.The major players includePredator(US)XINGPAI(China)FURY(US)John parris(UK)RILEY(UK)Will Hunt(UK)Shender(China)JOY(China)MEZZ(Japan)Musashi(Japan)PALKO(Australia)JIANYING(China)Extreme(UK)FALCON(Canada)WINOMIN(Thailand)CYCLOP(China)Universal(US)BS(China)TREVOR WHITE(UK)Stamford(UK)MIKE WOOLDRIDGE(UK)Poison(US)WIRAKA(Singapore)Rays(Taiwan, China)Southwest(US)North west(UK)MASTER(Thailand)To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Geographically, this report splits the Global market into the following regions:Asia PacificJapanTokyoYokohamaOsakaNagoyaOthersChinaKoreaIndiaOthersEuropeFranceGermanyUnited KingdomItalyRussiaOthersNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoOthersSoutheast AsiaSingaporeBrowse TOC @On the basis of product, the Billiards market is primarily split intoBy Billiard MaterialPolyesterUnsaturated PolyesterPhenolic ResinUrea Formaldehyde ResinKey ApplicationsClubRaceFamilyStadiumTable of Contents2017-2022 Global and Japan Billiards Market Analysis Report1 Billiards Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Billiards1.2 Global and Japan Billiards Market by Applications/End Users1.2.1 Japan Billiards Sales (K Units) and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.1.1 Japan Billiards Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.1.2 Japan Billiards Sales Growth Rate (%) by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.1.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities1.2.2 Japan Billiards Sales (K Units) and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.3 Global Billiards Sales by Application (2012-2017)1.2.3.1 Global Billiards Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.3.2 Global Billiards Sales Growth Rate (%) by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.3.3 Market Drivers and OpportunitiesAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
POP display Market - Industry Analysis, Growth and New Market Opportunities Explored

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The global POP display market has witnessed impressive growth in the past decade due to changing lifestyle of consumers, across the world. This has resulted in a major shift in consumer preference, which has affected the global POP display market in a positive way. Growing budget of brand owners toward promotion and marketing of their newly launched products has paved the way for emergence of retail merchandising solution. The global POP display market was valued at US$9.87 bn in 2016 and is projected to increase at a CAGR of 5.6% during forecast period 2017-2025 to reach a valuation of US$ 16 bn by 2025.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @Many food service brands prefer POP display for promotion as this POP displays provide high brand visibility. POP display market manufacturers are mainly emphasizing on expanding footprint through mergers and acquisitions, thereby enhancing their product portfolio. Brand owners preferences regarding POP display are also expected to be driven by the type of product to be mounted on this displays. POP displays is considered more convenient by consumers, as it draws the attention of the end users towards particular brands or special offers and advantages of the product.High Demand for Processed Food Items in Emerging Economies becomes Pivotal to Global MarketA number of other factors are expected to drive the POP display market. The report identifies factors such as as effective communication through POP displays, conveying precise information about the product innovations, constantly being in vision, uniqueness from the competitors, and visual merchandising as important factors responsible for market growth. Fast growth in organized retail sector, especially in emerging economies is expected to fuel the growth of the POP display market. In addition, POP display being easily recyclable and are thus more preferred by vendors than alternate other merchandising solutions. Despite the positive outlook, there are a number of other factors that might hamper the growth of the market, which includes limited reach, unclear message communication, product orientation, consumer perceptions, and shoppers discount preferences over latest innovations, etc.Globally, by material type, the corrugated board POP displays are estimated to dominate the market, in 2017, with more than 60% share of the market value, The metal POP display segment is anticipated to witness a decline in market share as they are high in weight and expensive in nature. By sales channel, the supermarkets and hypermarkets are matured markets for POP display market. The report anticipates that smaller retail shops such as convenience stores are likely to gain a high traction and are thus anticipated to dominate the global POP display market at the end of forecast period. Among the applications segment, the food and beverages segment is anticipated to dominate the market over the forecast period.Browse Market Research Report @Also, POP display currently finds most applications in the cosmetics and personal care segment, which is expected to gain significant share by the end of 2025. The global POP display market by product type, has been majorly segmented into counter displays, floor displays, pallet displays, sidekick displays, etc. Among these, counter and floor displays segment is anticipated to be the dominating segments over the forecast period.APAC and North America to account for a Leading Share in the Global POP Display MarketRegionally, the global POP display market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. The APAC region is projected to register the highest CAGR of 6.5%, over the forecast period. It represents the highest opportunity of US$2 bn during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025. On the other hand, North America is also anticipated to be a key regional market during the forecast period. This progress will be attributable to the high demand for processed in the U.S.Few of the key players in the global POP display market include International Paper Company, DS Smith Plc., Smurfit Kappa Group PLC., Sonoco Products Company, Menasha Packaging Company, LLC., Georgia-Pacific LLC., WestRock Company, Pratt Industries Inc., FFR Merchandising Company, Marketing Alliance Group, Felbro, Inc., Creative Displays Now, U.S. Corrugated, Inc.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Polymer Emulsion Market Set to Witness an Uptick During 2015-2025 | Future Market Insights

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Emulsion can be well-defined as the process of mixing of two liquids with difference in their densities (oil-water).Polymer emulsion is done by the process of emulsion polymerization in which the emulsification of a monomer is done in the presence of water and a surfactant, especially sodium stearate. The most common monomers used in the process of emulsion polymerization are styrene, acrylonitrile, butadiene, acrylate ester and methacrylate ester. Polymer emulsions are the specialty polymers which are used in the manufacturing of specialty chemicals such as adhesives, paints and coatings, offset inks, paper & paperboards, textiles, and construction chemicals. Polymer emulsion production process is an environmental friendly process which produces polymers with high molecular weight and very lean volatile organic compounds. Polyvinyl acetate based polymer emulsion products have a significant impact on the industries such as adhesives, paints and coatings.Global Polymer Emulsion Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe growth in global polymer emulsion market is primarily driven by factors such as the rise in the number of industrial applications of polymer emulsion such as paints and coatings, adhesives, paper and textile. From the economical and safety point of view the polymer emulsion based paintings and coatings are flame resistant and is likely to propel the global polymer emulsion market over the forecast period. The regulatory norms of the government for the protection of environment is another driving force which will boost the global polymer emulsion market by the end of 2025. Considering the fact that the polymer emulsion polymers comply with the regulatory norms set by the government, global polymer emulsion market is set to accelerate. Low capital requirement for setting up manufacturing units is one of the parameter driving the global polymer emulsion market. On the other hand, increasing cost of raw material is acting as a restraint in the growth of global polymer emulsion market throughout the forecast period.Request for Sample @Global Polymer Emulsion Market: SegmentationOn the basis of product type, the global polymer emulsion market is segmented intoAcrylicStyrene Butadiene LatexVinyl Acetate PolymersPolyurethane DispersionsOthers (hybrid epoxy, silicon etc.)On the basis of application,the global polymer emulsion market is segmented intoAdhesive & SealantsPaints & CoatingsPaper & PaperboardOthersOn the basis of end use industry,the global polymer emulsion market is segmented intoBuilding & ConstructionChemicalsAutomotiveTextile & CoatingsOthersGlobal Polymer Emulsion Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global polymer emulsion market is geographically distributed into seven key regions which include North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan and Middle East & Africa. Increasing demand from the end use industries like building & construction, paints and coatings and automotive in emerging economies of Asia-Pacific regions like China, India and Indonesia will fuel the global polymer emulsion market throughout the forecast period. Among developed Western Europe countries such as Germany, painting and coating along with adhesive application had the highest consumption of polymer emulsion in 2014. Eastern Europe region for polymer emulsion is anticipated to grow at a healthy CAGR in the next few years. In North America, the U.S. dominated the global polymer emulsion market. Rapid growth in automotive industry coupled with construction sector in the Latin American region will favour the polymer emulsion market growth by the end of 2025. Middle East & Africa is anticipated to witness a steady CAGR in the global polymer emulsion market. The upsurge in the number of industries coupled with increasing initiative in infrastructure development in this regions is likely to fuel the growth of polymer emulsion market during the forecasted period.Request for Table of Contents @Global Polymer Emulsion Market: Key PlayersKey players in the global polymer emulsion market include 3M, The Dow Chemical Company, BASF SE, H.B. Fuller, Scott Bader Company Ltd., Celanese Corporation and Apotex industries Ltd amongst others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Medical Imaging Market is Projected at Worth $46 Billion by 2023 | Arizton

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The global medical imaging market is projected to grow from $33.89 billion in 2017 to $46.65 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 5.47% during the forecast period.Ariztons recent market research report on the medical imaging market segments the market by product (X-ray equipment, ultrasound imaging equipment, MRI equipment, CT scanners, and nuclear imaging equipment), end-users (hospitals, diagnostic centers, and others), and geography (North America, APAC, Europe, Latin America, and MEA).Request a Sample:The leading three drivers and trends in the medical imaging market are discussed below:High Focus on Preventive Healthcare and Early DiagnosisThe growing adoption of medical and lifestyle-related health measures for disease prevention is driving the growth of the medical imaging market. The shifting of focus to disease prevention from disease treatment or management with the help of modern and advanced medical imaging or diagnostic imaging devices will help leading companies to gain a large market share globally. The government bodies in the US and Europe are promoting and favoring multiple preventive healthcare measures, including diagnostic screening measures to prevent chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, CVDs, orthopedic diseases, and cancers. Such initiatives provide complete or partial reimbursement for many preventive screening tests will propel the demand in the global medical imaging market during the forecast period.Request for your free sample today!Increase in Minimally-invasive Image-Guided SurgeriesThe growing popularity of minimally-invasive image-guided surgeries is driving the demand for innovative medical imaging devices in the global market. Image-guided surgeries (IGS) uses a real-time correlation of the operative field to a preoperative imaging dataset that reflects the precise location of a select surgical instrument to the surrounding anatomic structures. Some of the most popular medical imaging systems used in image-guided surgery include CT scanners, MRI, X-ray fluoroscopy, and PET and SPECT equipment. A wide range of IGS in various applications such as cardiology, neurology, oncology, and orthopedics will attribute to the development of medical imaging market over next few years.Increased Demand for Portable Imaging EquipmentThe rapid adoption of handheld or portable imaging equipment is driven by the emergence of technically advanced products that are user-friendly and have compact designs. Portable imaging devices provide high operational efficiency, easy mobility, and compact and low-weight systems that streamline the work-flow of the scanning procedure. The current market penetration of portable devices lies between 10% and 15% in the global medical imaging market. The growing trend of promoting home healthcare and remote patient monitoring that help reduce healthcare costs will propel the demand for portable imaging devices in the global medical imaging market.Toshiba Medical, GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, Koninklijke Philips, and Fujifilm are the leading vendors in the medical imaging market.The complete overview of the latest market research report on the medical imaging market by Arizton is now available.The report also offers a detailed study of major trends, drivers, challenges, and provides the market size and forecast for major geographical regions and key countries.Request for your free sample today!About AriztonArizton  Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services.We offer comprehensive market research reports on industries such as consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare and life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals and materials, IT and media, logistics and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts.Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered in generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports.Arizton Advisory & IntelligenceChicago, Illinois, 60605Mail: enquiry@arizton.comCall: +1-312-465-7864
Asset Tracking and Inventory Management Market - Increasing Equipment Life And Reducing Machine Downtime.

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Every company uses a number of assets daily. An asset is any item that a company uses internally such as office equipment, tools, IT equipment etc. Integrated asset management solutions help companies efficiently and accurately track any of its assets. With an easy to use, convenient, asset tracking and inventory management solution, one can keep track of all valuable assets and inventory.Asset tracking deals with assets such as educational material, tools, or computers. A company may have 10 computers of the same configuration but it needs to have a unique barcode label or RFID tag so that one can track the assets condition, purchase date, custodian, last maintenance, value, location etc.Browse The Report:Inventory management refers to objects that are sold, consumed, or distributed by a company. These are temporary items and include office supplies and retail items. Inventory management solutions allow employees to monitor/track reorder levels, objects for sale or resale. The asset tracking and inventory management solution is a source of all the asset and inventory information and dictates how one interacts with this information. The use of asset management software in combination with mobile computers allows speeding up audit tasks and conduct asset tracking in real time. Asset tracking and inventory management solutions enables data to get collected faster and in great detail, eliminates human errors, enables reporting flexibility, and enforces accountability and personal responsibility for company property.Asset tracking and inventory management solutions minimizes operational cost of companies by efficient utilization of existing resources. This factor drives the market. For instance, managing and tracking equipment in real time helps organizations to schedule the maintenance in a timely manner, thereby increasing equipment life and reducing machine downtime. However, factors such as high initial cost associated with the hardware and significant maintenance expenditure are restraining the growth of the asset tracking and inventory management market. Deployment of relevant solutions such as real time location system, GPS etc. are helping to reduce maintenance downtime which is creating opportunities for the growth of the asset tracking and inventory management market. Moreover, the advent of wireless technology is enabling the deployment of these technologies wirelessly which is also creating growth opportunities for the asset tracking and inventory management market.The global asset tracking and inventory management market is segmented on the basis of component, deployment type, function, solution, end use, and region. The market can be segmented on the basis of component into hardware, software, and services. In terms of deployment type, the market can be segmented into on-premise and cloud. The functional market can be segmented into location/movement tracking, check-in/check-out, repair and maintenance and others including security, automatic updating of data etc. In terms of solution, the market can be classified into radio frequency identification (RFID), real-time location system (RLTS), barcode, and global positioning system (GPS). On the basis of end use, the market is classified into retail, healthcare, transportation & logistics, hospitality, industrial manufacturing, process industry and others including construction, government, education etc. The market is segmented in terms of geographical regions into North America, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (MEA), South America, and Europe.Request a PDF Sample for this Research Report @Industry participants leading the asset tracking and inventory management market with significant developments are SAP SE, Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Epicor Software Corporation, JDA Software, Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., Honeywell International, Inc., Trimble Inc., Topcon Corporation, and Zebra Technologies Corporation, among others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendationsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Eco Friendly Bottles Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking  Global Review 2017 to 2022

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The global eco friendly bottles market has risen at a rapid pace in recent years in response to the growing support to environmental causes from governments and the masses alike. The eco friendly bottles market has been driven by the eagerness of key competitors to cash in on the growing support to environmentalism, which has led to consistent innovation, as well as steady government support. The steady prevalence of these drivers is likely to enable rapid growth of the eco friendly bottles market in the coming years.For more information on this report, fill the form @According to Transparency Market Research, the global eco friendly bottles market was valued at US$2.5 bn in 2017 and is likely to rise to US$3.7 bn by 2022, exhibiting a strong 8.1% CAGR therein.Polylactic Acid to Remain Dominant MaterialThe global eco friendly bottles market employs a number of materials in order to produce high-quality eco friendly bottles. Currently, polylactic acid is the dominant material segment of the global eco friendly bottles market and is likely to dominate the markets proceedings in the coming years due to its widespread usage. Polylactic acid accounted for 35.3% of the global eco friendly bottles market in 2017 with a valuation of US$902.3 mn. The segment is expected to rise to US$1,322.8 mn by 2022 at a strong CAGR of 8%. The mechanical properties of polylactic acid make it favorable for use in the production of bottles, which is likely to ensure steady growth of the segment in the global eco friendly bottles market in the coming years.North America to Dominate Eco Friendly Bottles Market due to Increasing Mass ParticipationThe leading regional contributor to the global eco friendly bottles market is North America, which is likely to retain its dominance through the forecast period thanks to the widespread distribution of environment-friendly infrastructure in the developed region and the steady government support for expansion of the same. The eco friendly bottles market in North America was valued at US$617.2 mn in 2017 and is expected to rise to US$1,123.4 mn by 2022, exhibiting a solid 12.7% CAGR from 2017 to 2022.Europe to Retain Steady Share, Asia Pacific except Japan Set to RiseEurope is also an important contributor to the global eco friendly bottles market and is likely to remain a key region for technological development as well as sales expansion for the eco friendly bottles market. Like in North America, the eco friendly bottles market enjoys solid government support in Europe, where environmental conservation has been a valued tenet of most governments. The Europe market for eco friendly bottles accounted for more than 32% of the global markets revenue in 2017.Obtain Report Details @The Asia Pacific except Japan market for eco friendly bottles could emerge as a significant player in the coming years, with the market expected to create an absolute opportunity of US$252.2 mn over the 2017-2022 forecast period. The Japan market for eco friendly bottles is also set to rise to a strong valuation of US$228.2 mn by 2022, exhibiting a steady 6.2% CAGR upon its 2017 valuation.Global Eco Friendly Bottles Market: Competitive DynamicsLeading players in the global eco friendly bottles market include EcoXpac A/S, One Green Bottle, Earthlust, Ecologic Brands Inc., SKS Bottle and Packaging Inc., Cascade Designs Inc., Pachamama, and Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Company.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Small Motors Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking - Global Review 2017 to 2026

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Changes, primarily fuelled by performance demands from discerning customers, are afoot in the small motors market. Small motors are used in a number of industries including consumer electronics and applications, aerospace, healthcare, and the automotive industry. The small motors market is anticipated to be worth just under US$ 10 billion by 2026.Request Free Sample Report-Vibration Motors Key in Small Motors MarketThe vibration motors segment is vital and accounts for a large portion of the small motors market. The vibration motors segment comprises a third of the revenue share in the small motors market and should gain substantial BPS over the course of the forecast period. The vibration motors segment is expected to cross a value of US$ 3.4 billion in 2026. The vibration motors segment is followed by the DC brush motors (cored) segment in the small motors market. North America contributes roughly a third of the share in the DC brush motors (cored) market and companies are advised to focus their attention on this continent.Minimal Opportunity in HB Stepper Motors and DC brush motors (coreless) MarketsThe DC Brush Motors (coreless) segment of the small motors market is considerably smaller than all others and may not even exceed a value of US$ 50 million by the end of the eight-year study. Companies will have to devise customized strategies to attain a modicum of success in this niche segment of the small motors market. The HB Stepper motors segment is comparatively larger in comparison but is nonetheless predicted to record a sluggish CAGR of 2.7% for the forecast period. Along with North America, companies would do well to target either the Europe or APEJ HB stepper motor market as both have a similar market opportunity in the long run.Browse Full Report with TOC-Consumer Appliances and Consumer Electronics Hold the Key in Small Motors MarketThe consumer appliances and consumer electronics segment consist of more than half the share in the global small motors market in 2017. However, both segments are on track to lose BPS over the long term. The absolute dollar opportunity is greater in the consumer appliances segment as it is likely to be in the range of US$ 225 million. Miniaturization is a notable trend that has had an outsized impact on all industries, particularly consumer appliances and consumer electronics. North America on account of its affluent population, high disposable income, and robust communications infrastructure should hold maximum share in both segments of the small motors market.Aerospace and Healthcare Segment Exhibit Strong Growth in Small Motors MarketThe aerospace and healthcare segments have great potential in the small motors market with a massive gain in BPS projected in the former. The aerospace segment is estimated to cross a value of one billion dollars by the end of the forecast period.Competition Dashboard in the Small Motors MarketA few of the companies actively involved in the small motors market have been profiled in the report. The companies include AGFA Healthcare, Aquilab, Carestream Health, Esaote S.P.A, General Electric Company, Image Analysis, INFINITT Healthcare Co, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Merge Healthcare Incorporated, Mim Software, Mirada Medical Limited, Sciencesoft USA Corporation, Siemens Healthineers, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, and Xinapse Systems Ltd.Check Discount-About Fact.MRFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized automotive market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFact.MRSuite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandTelephone: +353-1-6111-593Email: sales@factmr.com/Web:
Virtual Machine Market Competitive Insights

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A virtual machine is an imitation of a computer system which is capable of performing task such as running applications or programs through cloud based platform. A virtual machine acts as a host operating system created within the cloud platform that can be shared between physical computers. With the advancement in virtualization technology, virtual machines are becoming more common and are being widely used for testing out new operating system, running software designed for existing operating system and testing software on multiple platform.A virtual machine may comprise of an operating system, virtual machine templates, assemblies, virtual disk, files and hardware that one can manage in much the same way as one manages a physical computer. Multiple virtual machine can exist within a single computer at one time. Depending upon the use and communication to any physical system, virtual machines can be categorized as process virtual machine and system virtual machine. Process virtual machine also known as application virtual machine which are used temporarily for a specific application or process. System virtual machine provides comprehensive environment which supports the execution of a complete operating system.Browse The Report:Virtual machines are implemented through software emulation and hardware virtualization technique. The emulation technique help in replicating existing hardware or software in order to be used in new system. Thus, it helps in overcoming obsolescence and making the data readily available. Software emulation attempts to imitate the internal design of the end-user system, so that the files or application can be operate on the operating system other than the one on which it originally runs. A hardware virtualization refers to the creation of simulated version of computer or operating system through embedding virtual machine software into the hardware component of the end-user system.The virtual machine is cost effective way which reduces time and hardware installation cost. It also helps the end-user to increase the size of storage and speed as per the demand on contractual basis. Virtual machine enables easy recovery of files during disaster such as earthquake and flood; since the whole system is virtually stored at an offshore location. This enables the end-user to quickly resume their work from any location and reduce economic loss.Global virtual machine market is expected to witness a tremendous growth in the coming years, since it offers several benefits in a virtualization of system, allow scalability of storage and machine as per demand and help in data backup with faster recovery. The adoption of virtual machine is anticipated to increase in information technology, retail, government and telecom sector. Virtual machine also helps end-user to monitor and manage thousands of virtual machines over a single system.North America and Europe is expected to witness a huge adoption of virtual machine due to growing IT sector. Increasing security threats and impact of data protection regulation by various countries is expected to pose a challenge for this market. Although, increasing emphasis on cloud security is expected to overcome these challenge in the coming years.Request a PDF Sample for this Research Report @Some of the prominent players in virtual machine market are VMware Inc., Oracle Corporation, Redhat Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Citrix systems, Inc., Amazon.com, Inc., Google Inc., Proxmox Server Solutions Gmbh and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendationsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
MRSA Drugs Market Worth USD 3.1 Billion By 2022

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Market research future published research report on global MRSA Drugs Market. The global MRSA Drugs Market is expected to grow at a CAGR over ~ 4.4 % from 2017 to 2023 .Global MRSA Drugs Market is expected to reach USD 3.1 Billion by the end of the forecasted period from 2016 to 2022; it is confidently expected that this market has a bright future.Most MRSA infections occur mostly to individuals who've been in hospitals or in other medicinal services facilities, for example, nursing homes and dialysis centers. When it occurs in these places, it's known as healthcare services related MRSA (HA-MRSA). HA-MRSA infection normally is related with obtrusive techniques or gadgets, for example, surgeries, intravenous tubing or fake jointsAnother type of MRSA disease has happened in most healthy individuals. Methicillin-safe staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) contamination is caused by a type of staph microscopic organisms that is resistant to a number of anti-toxins which are used to treat ordinary staph infections.Among these individuals who are diagnosed with MRSA (CA-MRSA), it ideally starts as an excruciating skin boil and spreads by skin-to-skin contact. People who are contaminated maximum are at-hazard populations which includes, secondary school wrestlers, child care workers and individuals who live in crowded places.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an antibiotic resistant strains of the pathogen. MRSA infections are classified as hospital-acquired (HA-MRSA) or community-acquired (CA-MRSA). MRSA causes infections such as skin infections, bone and joint infections, bacteremia, animal infections and others.According to bulletin of the atomic scientists, about 10 million people in the US (3.6 percent of the population) are immune-compromised. The World Health Organization estimated that about 36.7 million people had HIV/AIDS worldwide in 2016. Thus, the rising immune-compromised population is expected to propel the market growth over the review period. Additionally, growing geriatric population projected to support the growth of the market since older people are more susceptible to MRSA infections. World Health Organization estimated that during 2015-2050, the proportion of the world's population will be nearly double from 12% to 22% and by 2020, the number of people aged over 60 years likely to outnumber children younger than 5 years.Another strong driver is growing concerns of MRSA infections and increasing government support to curb MRSA. For example, hospital readmissions reduction program established under Affordable Care Act (ACA) financially penalizes hospitals if they have higher than expected 30-day readmission rates for diseases such as pneumonia. The recommendations of the committee has resulted in hospital readmissions national priority and a direct financial incentive to reduce readmissions. The financial incentives for reducing readmissions and the rising cost of non-compliance is expected to benefit the MRSA drugs market.High cost of novel drug therapy and low healthcare expenditure in developing regions projected to hamper the growth of the market over the review period. Moreover, patent expiry is also expected to lower the market value due to generic competition. For example, Pfizers Zyvox and Mercks Cubicin, used for the treatment of MRSA have lost patents in major markets and their patent for alternative formulations and chemical forms is threatened by imminent patent expiry dates, which is expected to lower the market due to competition from generics and greater market fragmentation.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players for MRSA Drugs Market: Allergan, Plc Merck Inc Pfizer Savara Pharmaceuticals Sealife Pharma Sequella Inc Theravance Biopharma Baxter International AstraZeneca GSK Cempra Inc Biopharma AS Galapagos NV XBiotech NovaDigm Therapeutics Inc.Regional Analysis of MRSA Drugs Market:Globally North America is the largest market for MRSA Drugs; Europe is expected to be the second-largest market. Furthermore Asia Pacific market is expected to be the fastest growing market for MRSA Drugs.Segments:MRSA drugs market has been segmented on the basis of drug class which comprises of folate antagonist, lipopeptides, tetracycline, oxazolidinone, cephalosporin, and lipoglycopeptide. On the basis of drug origin the market is also segmented into semisynthetic drug, synthetic drugs and others.Get Discount @The report for MRSA Drugs Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regionsContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from MRSA Drugs Market Research Report- Global Forecast To 2022 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Application Virtualization Market Key Growth Drivers

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Application virtualization is a technology that isolates applications installed in the primary operating system (client computer) from other end-user computer or target computer without having to install the application directly on the end-use computer. The entire procedure is carried out by the process called sequencing the application, which enables the application to run on the self-structured environment at the client computer. The application files, settings and configuration is copied to the target device and the execution of the application is undertaken by the application virtualization layer.Browse The Report:Virtualization layer replaces the part of runtime environment provided by operating system and captures all the disk operation from the client side redirecting it over the target system. During application execution process there exists a real time interfacing between the target computer and the operating system controlled at the client end. Application virtualization mainly translates the machine code of the application to be executed into newly acquired operating systems machine code on the target system at the user end. The entire operation is carried out by four vital modules which includes graphics interface, hardware interface, input/output interface, and library functions interface.Application Virtualization Market: Key Growth DriversWith recent trends and technical advancements there has been wide scale adoption of cloud based services termed to be the third platform of computing such as software as a service, platform as a service, and infrastructure as a service. Common internet file system (CIFS) which is mainly used to provide access to serial ports, files, printers and others and which acts as a communication channel between nodes on a network has started being implemented on third platform.This technical conveyance has become one of the major driving factors for the application virtualization market. Being a cloud based service there are various restraining factors such as security breaches, isolation concerns and others that may affect the market growth. Furthermore, another key challenging factor in the application virtualization market is the lack of awareness among masses regarding latest technological innovations.Application Virtualization Market: SegmentationApplication virtualization market can be segmented on the basis of technology, application, platform, services, end-use verticals and geography. Based on technology, application virtualization market can be segmented into component object isolation, Dot net isolation, service isolation, application isolation, driver isolation, file I/O redirection and others. On the basis of application, the market can be segmented into security virtualization, application management, business functionalities such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), supply chain management, digital asset system, content management system and others. Application management includes database monitoring, system management, server monitoring, portal monitoring and others. The market segmentation by platform includes analytical framework virtualization, hypervisor platform, Virtualized X86 Platform and others.Based on services, the market for application virtualization can be segmented into application program interface (API), application enhancement, lifecycle management, IT consulting, infrastructure security and development outsourcing services. End-use verticals deploying application virtualization technology include healthcare, telecom and IT, academic and research, manufacturing, government, banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI), automotive and others. The application virtualization market has been studied for five geographies namely North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and, Middle East and Africa.Request a PDF Sample for this Research Report @Application Virtualization Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in the global application virtualization market include Microsoft Corporation, Symantec Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Dell Inc., Google, Inc., SAP SE, Citrix Systems Inc., and Red Hat Inc. among others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendationsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Cough Assist Devices Market Growth Set to Surge Significantly during 2017 - 2027

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Cough assist device helps to clear the lung secretions by helping the patient with his breathing. When a person is assisted with a cough assist device, the machine creates a positive pressure when the patient takes in air and while expiring the suction created expires the air outside. This difference in pressure makes coughing more stronger and effecting, helping to bring out the congestion.The cough assist device is important for respiratory care and in cases of critical illness. This device is a proactive requirement for spinal muscular atrophy patient regardless of the type. The device helps secretion of cough out of the lungs by creating a quick reverse in the flow directions. The stimulation of the cough dramatically improves the airway clearance thereby helping the lungs to develop and grow.Read Report Overview:Cough Assist Devices Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe major driver of the cough assist device market is the increasing prevalence of respiratory problems. Moreover, the changing lifestyle such as smoking and the high air pollution has all contributed towards the use of this portable cough assist device. The person does not have to spend hospital bed cost and medication every time he suffers from some airway disorder. With cough assist device, the patient can have a quick access to the device.According to the Reinsurance Group of America out of the four million people who die from chronic respiratory diseases each year, 90% deaths are from low and middle-income countries. While developing countries include problems such as respiratory system infections and tuberculosis, developed countries include high level of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and lung cancer. This factor is expected to propel the demand for assist cough devices.Download Brochure of Report:Cough Assist Devices Market: OverviewEnvironmental pollution causes seriously respiratory diseases such as COPD and asthma and globally the number is still increasing. This is expected to propel the demand for sudden asthmatic attack health devices globally. There are a number of organizations who are coming forward to contribute towards the helping the people suffering from chronic conditions. The soaring insurance coverage and hospital costs have increased patients treated in the non-hospital settings. The respiratory disorders are a key therapeutic area and hence there is an increase in the number of patients being treated for asthma and sleep apnea in the homecare setting.Cough Assist Devices Market: Region-wise OutlookIn terms of geography, the cough assist devices market has been divided into five regions including North- America, Asia- Pacific and Middle-East & Africa, Latin America and Europe. North America region dominated the cough assist devices with the presence of major companies and the funds received towards home healthcare devices. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region as there is an increasing interest of venture capitalist towards the home healthcare services. Medwell Ventures received US$21 million to expand the services in Tier I and Tier II towns along with increasing manpower.Pre Book Cough Assist Devices Market Research Report:Cough Assist Devices Market: Key Market ParticipantsSome of the market contributors to the cough assist devices market are Koninklijke Philips N.V., Hill-Rom, Percussionaire Corporation, Dima Italia Srl, Emerson, United Hayek Industries Inc., and Ventec Life Systems.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Self-Encrypting Drive Market | Western Digital Corp, Seagate Technology PLC

Self-Encrypting Drive Market

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HTF MI published a new industry research that focuses on Self-Encrypting Drive market and delivers in-depth market analysis and future prospects of Global Self-Encrypting Drive market. The study covers significant data which makes the research document a handy resource for managers, analysts, industry experts and other key people get ready-to-access and self-analyzed study along with graphs and tables to help understand market trends, drivers and market challenges. The study is segmented by Application/ end users [IT & Telecom, BFSI, Government & Public Utilities, Manufacturing Enterprise & Others], products type [Internal Hard Disk Drive, External Hard Disk Drive & Others] and various important geographies like North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific etc].Get Access to sample pages @The research covers the current market size of the Global Self-Encrypting Drive market and its growth rates based on 5 year history data along with company profile of key players/manufacturers. The in-depth information by segments of Self-Encrypting Drive market helps monitor future profitability & to make critical decisions for growth. The information on trends and developments, focuses on markets and materials, capacities, technologies, CAPEX cycle and the changing structure of the Global Self-Encrypting Drive Market.The study provides company profiling, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information of key manufacturers of Global Self-Encrypting Drive Market, some of them listed here are Western Digital Corp, Seagate Technology PLC, Samsung Electronics, Thales, Micron Technology Inc, NetApp, Kingston Technology Corp, Toshiba, Gemalto, Certes Networks Inc., Kanguru Solutions & Micron Technology, Inc. The market is growing at a very rapid pace and with rise in technological innovation, competition and M&A activities in the industry many local and regional vendors are offering specific application products for varied end-users. The new manufacturer entrants in the market are finding it hard to compete with the international vendors based on quality, reliability, and innovations in technology.Global Self-Encrypting Drive (Thousands Units) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type such as Internal Hard Disk Drive, External Hard Disk Drive & Others. Further the research study is segmented by Application such as IT & Telecom, BFSI, Government & Public Utilities, Manufacturing Enterprise & Others with historical and projected market share and compounded annual growth rate.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of Self-Encrypting Drive in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), covering North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific etc and its Share (%) and CAGR for the forecasted period 2017 to 2022.Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Self-Encrypting Drive market.Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Self-Encrypting Drive, Applications of Self-Encrypting Drive, Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Self-Encrypting Drive, Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific etc, Self-Encrypting Drive Segment Market Analysis (by Type);Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the Self-Encrypting Drive Segment Market Analysis (by Application) Major Manufacturers Analysis of Self-Encrypting Drive;Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [Internal Hard Disk Drive, External Hard Disk Drive & Others], Market Trend by Application [IT & Telecom, BFSI, Government & Public Utilities, Manufacturing Enterprise & Others];Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of Global Self-Encrypting Drive;Chapter 12,13, 14 and 15, to describe Self-Encrypting Drive sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.Get customization & check discount for report @What this Research Study Offers:Global Self-Encrypting Drive Market share assessments for the regional and country level segmentsMarket share analysis of the top industry playersStrategic recommendations for the new entrantsMarket forecasts for a minimum of 5 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional marketsMarket Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimationsCompetitive landscaping mapping the key common trendsCompany profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developmentsSupply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsBuy this research report @Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsThanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.Contact Us:CRAIG FRANCIS (PR & Marketing Manager)sales@htfmarketreport.comPh: +1 (206) 317 1218Connect with us atHTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact Us:HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road, Edison, NJ USA - 08837sales@htfmarketreport.comPh: +1 (206) 317 1218
Anesthesia Vaporizers Market Growth Set to Surge Significantly during 2017 - 2025

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Anesthesia is a medical term that means insensitivity to pain. Anesthesia is widely used during surgical procedures to bring unconsciousness to patients. Anesthesia vaporizers are devices that convert liquid inhalation agents into vapors. This vapor and oxygen are collectively delivered to the patient via inhalation route, primarily during pre-surgical procedures. An anesthesia delivery system typically consists of a machine that contains a breathing circuit. The necessity of these devices depends on the type of surgery performed. The concentration of dose differs in every case.Read Report Overview:With advancements in surgical procedures and technological improvements, the average life expectancy of individuals has increased significantly. Rise in the geriatric population worldwide is amongst the important drivers of the global anesthesia vaporizers market. The reasons behind them are, the geriatric population is highly prone to the degenerative diseases, infections and chronic illnesses which ultimately results in an increased in incidences of surgeries and therapeutics, as ageing peoples lacks immunity to fight against them. This requires continuous monitoring, which propels the global anesthesia vaporizers market. Newly developed anesthesia vaporizer devices come with an advanced decision-support system (DSS), which also supports the monitoring capabilities; for instance, end-tidal concentrations of carbon dioxide and oxygen, inhalation anesthetics, and transcutaneous oxygen saturation. These advancements provide data analysis to clinicians and surgeons, which can help them take decisions during surgical procedures or other therapeutic treatments. Consequently, a few of the side-effects involved such as cognitive disturbances and post-operative delirium related to anesthesia, primarily in elderly patients, act as restraints for the market. Rise in the cost of surgical procedures and instruments and poor reimbursement policies are also important factors likely to hamper the global anesthesia vaporizers market during the forecast period.Download Brochure of Report:The global anesthesia vaporizers market can be segmented on the basis of product, agent specificity, and end-user. Based on product, it can be segmented into plenum vaporizers and drawover vaporizers. Based on agent specificity, the anesthesia vaporizers market can be segmented into agent-specific and multiple agents. Based on end-user, the market can be segmented into hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, clinics, and nursing homes. Rise in the number of hospitals, clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, and nursing homes and the availability of advanced infrastructure are a few factors responsible for growth of the anesthesia vaporizers market. Additionally, presence of skilled personnel in hospitals has significantly fueled the anesthesia vaporizers market.Geographically, the global anesthesia vaporizers market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, Middle East & Africa. North America is a major market for anesthesia vaporizers, due to the rising number of surgeries in the region led by elevated awareness amongst surgeons about the benefits of anesthesia devices. Additionally, with widespread technological advancements and increasing competition in the market, demand for superior technological advancements for better results has been increasing. The market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness high growth during the forecast period, increased awareness about health care, unmet needs of the large population, rapidly developing health care network, rise in the disposable income, and favorable reimbursement policies in the region. These factors have also made the practice of advanced techniques in anesthesia monitoring easier in the region.Pre Book Anesthesia Vaporizers Market Research Report:Major players operating in the global anesthesia vaporizers market are Dragerwerk, GE Healthcare, Penlon, Meditec International England, Oricare, Spacelabs Healthcare, Beijing Siriusmed Medical Device, Baxter International, Inc., Intersurgical Limited, Medtronic, Inc., Mindray Medical International Limited, Nihon Kohden Corporation, Philips Healthcare, and Smiths Medical, Inc. New collaborative developments and new product techniques are some of the strategic initiatives taken by the companies to remain in the competition.Major players operating in the market are Biogen Idec, Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene Corporation, ERYTECH Pharma, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Genzyme Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited, and Pfizer, Inc.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Pre-employment assessment required or not?

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We have always thought about the concept of conducting EXAM, today let me tell you the base line of conducting exam, when exam are taken in school the baseline behind it is to ensure you understand the concepts clearly and you are good enough to transfer to next level but if we are talking about pre-employment assessment the its baseline is to check different things such as technical skills which are requirement is work, time management which is required in work again, presence of mind which help you to do your given projects easily traditionally these all test or assessment are been done on paper or It been called written test now this is done using online pre-employment assessment.Earlier employer hiring is only based on resumes and interviews yet unable to extract out best in their candidate because we are all aware of the fact that 78% resumes contain misleading statements, most of them contain lie for example if a candidate owing certain certificate doesnt mean that he/she also aware of its complete knowledge and it implementation so for this such test helps you a lot question now a days such assessment are also organising online so that recruiter could test thousands of candidate in the same hour without any hassle and without the issue of place because everything is been done online so test can be organised in different cities or countries at same time.Pre-employment test are leaving heavy benefits on the company which are using them in there business, basically pre-employment test reducing the headache of HR because there is no such requirement of reading heavy amount of resumes as well as reducing the effort of employers conducting technical rounds because they already knew on which pace they need to judge there candidate since they are aware of their basic and some technical knowledge using this pre-employment assessment not only this but it reduces the time used in previous recruitment process as well as money since, there is no need for sitting for longer hours thus harming employees works due to interview.There are different benefits of this pre-employment assessment:Pre-employment assessment () offers advantages because it not only streamline the hiring process, by having full awareness of likelihood of new hired employees it strengthen the business and allotting work according to their interest which increase the productivity which ultimately leads to company growth and bright future, it also increases sales. The most magnificent benefits for an organisation having pre-employment test are:1. High productivity: since from the day one company is well aware of the employees interest, skills and ability as well as educational background they are coming so allotting their positions will be easier thus it directly have an impact on production.2. Increase employee retention and reduction in cost associated with turnover3. Hiring process are Efficient but having less time: when you set the pre-employment test at the top of the funnel it automatically reduces dirt and unwanted candidates bit for it need to set the pre-employment test with full awarenessMettl is an online test solutions provider known efficacy and drive. It has a wholesome product selection, including Recruitment Assessments, Test Library, Psychometric Tests, Programming Tests, Aptitude Tests, Remote Proctoring, Vocational Skills, Assessment, Computer Based Tests, and Certification Platform. Recently, Mettl has been attracting the attention of HR teams seeking test creation software online .India OfficeMettl, Plot No. 97, Ground Floor,Sec 44, Near Whirlpool Building,Gurgaon, Haryana, India, 122003Phone: +91-9555-11-4444US Office295 East Evelyn Avenue,#215, Sunnyvale, CA 94086Phone: +1 - 650 - 614 - 1816Email: contact@mettl.comWebsite:
Latin America Automotive Parts Aluminium & Magnesium Die Casting Market Report 2017, Trends, Analysis, Share, Estimates and Forecasts to 2022.

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The Latin America Automotive Parts Aluminium & Magnesium Die-Casting report provides an in-depth analysis of the various market segments and its sub-segments.Product types Covered: Pressure die casting Semi-solid die casting Squeeze die casting Vacuum die castingApplications Covered: Body assemblies Engine Parts Transmission parts OthersThe report focuses on current and upcoming market trends such as Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, and Challenges, technological advancements, Porters Five Forces analysis to assess the intensity of competition in the market. The market values are presented in the form of tables and graphs for better interpretation.For More, Please Visit:Market Size EstimationsThe market assessment is made by the core industry experts using our 360 research approach. The data is derived from the most reliable, authenticated data sources and is validated by the industry experts (Primary Research). Both top down and bottom up analysis are implemented to enhance the accuracy of the market figures. The market projections are calculated for the next 8 years using the actual market numbers of previous year as the base year.Company ProfilingThis section provides the overview of the key players that are leading in the industry, covering their business operations, financials, list of products & services, SWOT analysis, major developments such as mergers & acquisitions, agreements, partnerships, joint ventures, new product launch, expansions etc.Report Highlights:- Market share assessments for all the mentioned market segments and sub-segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 8 years for all the given segments- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping, mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsFor More, Please Visit:We offer wide spectrum of research and consulting services with in-depth knowledge of different industries. We are known for customized research services, consulting services and Full Time Equivalent (FTE) services in the research world. We explore the market trends and draw our insights with valid assessments and analytical views. We use advanced techniques and tools among the quantitative and qualitative methodologies to identify the market trends. Our research reports and publications are routed to help our clients to design their business models and enhance their business growth in the competitive market scenario. We have a strong team with hand-picked consultants including project managers, implementers, industry experts, researchers, research evaluators and analysts with years of experience in delivering the complex projects.STRATISTICS MRC17049 King James Way, Gaithersburg,MD, 20877, USA
Global Combined Heat Power Market - Acumentrics Corporation, Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited, ENE Farm

Global Combined Heat Power Market

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The statistical surveying information incorporated into the Combined Heat Power report is the aftereffect of significant essential and optional research exercises. The report fragments the worldwide market for Combined Heat Power based on makers, item compose, applications, and districts. In this report, each fragment is contemplated completely and measurements are introduced in detail. The report offers an exact outline of the worldwide Combined Heat Power advertise covering key factors, for example, drivers and restrictions affecting the development.Get the sample report :Top manufacturers of Combined Heat Power Market Report :Acumentrics CorporationCeramic Fuel Cells LimitedENE FarmClimate energy LLCHexis LtdsCogen MicrosystemsHonda Motor Co. ltd.Ceres power holding PLCThe worldwide Combined Heat Power advertise report is the result of the intensive investigation of the market, which will help showcase players to manage and develop exponentially in the gigantically aggressive market.Enquire before buying Combined Heat Power Market report :The Combined Heat Power report is set up after essential and auxiliary levels of research exercises. Essential research speaks to the heft of research endeavors, supplemented by a broad optional research. Auxiliary research incorporates investigation of late exchange, web sources, and factual information from government associations, exchange affiliations and offices. This has ended up being the most dependable, powerful and fruitful approach for getting exact Combined Heat Power advertise information, catching industry member's bits of knowledge and perceiving business openings. The write about the worldwide Combined Heat Power showcase likewise talks about a portion of the main players display in the market, winning rivalry, key procedures received and their current advancements.About UsApex Market Reports offers elevating market research globally. We have collection of various syndicated reports of different categories. Apex Market Reports provides you to best services, weather youre searching for new trends in market or competitive scenario in emerging market.Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezCorporate Sales Specialist155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Phone: +17739042683Email id - sales@apexmarketreports.comWebsite -
Vascular Stents Market Ultimate Research & Global Foresight to 2023

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Market research future published research report on global Vascular Stents market. The global Vascular Stents market is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~16.8% during the period 2016 to 2023.Global Vascular Stents Market is Anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 7.8% during forecasted period 2017-2023.Vascular stents are tiny tube like medical devices which are places into blood vessels or arteries to open the blockage in the vessels. Vascular stent is the valuable tool for the treatment of the different coronary diseases. Vascular stents are used to widen the narrow vessels so as to minimize the chances of heart attack and chest pain. This stents are prepared from variety of material. According to the WHO, approximately 18 million people died from cardiovascular diseases in 2014. Increasing number of people suffering from cardiovascular diseases is responsible for the driving the market. Additionally, globally 39% of adults aged 18 years and over were overweight whereas 13% were obese. Technological advances and increasing obese population is also contributed in the growth of the market. Other advantages like low risk of infection and short recovery time will also drive the market. However availability of alternative therapy and high cost of ventricular stents may restrain the growth of the market.Get Sample Copy @Global Vascular Stents Market - Competitive AnalysisBoston Scientific Corporation (US), Abbott Laboratories (US), Medtronic, Plc (UK), Cook Medical (US), Biotronik se & co. kg (Germany), B. Braun Melsungen AG (Germany), Cordis (US), Lombard Medical Technologies (UK), Translumina GmbH (Germany), MicroPort Scientific Corporation (China), Terumo Corporation (Japan), Vascular Concepts (India), W.L. Gore & Associates (US), Meril Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. (India) are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the Global Vascular Stents Market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis.Many companies are focusing on research and development activity to improve the vascular stent products. Major companies are focusing on the development of biodegradable stents to overcome the disadvantages of other available stents. Some major has adopted strategies of acquisitions and strategic alliances for the growth of the market.Abbott Laboratories is one of the leading healthcare company headquartered in US. In June 2016, FDA has approved the Absorb bioresorbable Stent for heart. This stents is completely dissolve in the body and used in the treatment of heart complications. Companys Esprit bioresorbable vascular scaffold is under clinical trials.December, 2016 - Lombard Medical and MicroPort Scientific Corporation announced strategic partnership and investment agreement. This partnership allowed Lombard Medical to accelerate commercialization in global market with its two key products i.e Aorfix and Altura AAA. Aorfix, the only stent graft to hold global approvals to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) with aortic neck angles up to 900, and Altura, a highly innovative stent graft that offers a simple and predictable treatment option for standard abdominal aortic aneurysms anatomy.Boston Scientific Corporation is a global manufacturer and developer of medical devices headquartered in US. PROMUS Element Plus Stent, REBEL Stent System, SYNERGY Stent are some of the major products of the company. In 2014, company has launched Promus PREMIER Everolimus-eluting Platinum Chromium Coronary Stent System in Asia Pacific region. In 2015, worldwide sales of the companys drug-eluting coronary stents were $1.074 billion as compared to $1.151 billion during 2014.Medtronic is a medical device manufacturer headquartered in UK. It is the world's largest standalone medical technology development company. In 2015 company has develop Stent Graft System System for Endovascular Repair of Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysms. Earlier companys Resolute Drug-Eluting Stent has shown a very good performance in Diabetic Patients with Heart Disease. Medtronic market was increased by 7% in 2016 compared to 2015.Cook Medical is an US headquartered company involved in the manufacturing of the medical devices. Approach, Bird's Nest, Advance are some of the major product of the company.Global Vascular Stents Market - Regional AnalysisGeographically, the global vascular stents market is segmented into four regions. Of which North America commands market for vascular stents due to increasing obese population in North America is the major factor for the growth of the market. Beside this increasing people suffering from various cardiovascular diseases and lack of exercise also contributed in the growth of the market. Europe accounts second largest vascular stents market. While Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market due to rapid development in technology and a huge patient suffering from different vascular diseases. However, The Middle East and Africa has the lowest market for medical robotics because of limited development in medical field.Get Discount @ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Global Vascular Stents Market Research Report - Forecast to 2023 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
SME Big Data Market - Industry Analysis And Detailed Profiles of Top Industry Players

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Big data is used for describing a huge volume of data that includes both structured as well as unstructured data used for inundating businesses on a day-to-day basis. This data is quite huge and is used by organizations for various analysis. Big data and related data sets is so large and complex that the traditional data processing application software is inadequate to deal with them. This includes various data analytics methods such as predictive analytics or user behavior analytics along with other advanced analytics methods used for extracting value from data dealing with a particular size of data set. Big data is analyzed for insights leading to better decisions as well as strategic business moves.Browse The Report:Big data uses various analytical tools for examining large and varied data sets for uncovering hidden patterns, market trends, unknown correlations and customer preferences among other useful information further helping organizations as a whole in critical decision making process. Various data tools are made for analyzing big data that is mostly used by large multinational companies. But with steady growth of small & medium enterprises, the huge amount of data being generated here has resulted in the application of big data analytics for these enterprises. The global market for SME big data has been segmented into data type, application and geography. Based on data type, the global market has been segmented into internal data, unstructured external data and structured external data. In addition to this, the various application areas that are considered here includes banking, hypermarkets, travel agents, real estate, IT firms and insurance companies among others.Based on geography, this market includes North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa.Big data analytics helps in monitoring and analyzing the root causes of failures and defects in near-real time thus forming a major driver for this market. The power to help in recalculating the entire risk portfolios within minutes provides support to organizations that are growing further having a positive effect over this market. These analysis also helps in detecting fraudulent behavior within organization before it gets affected along with saving cost and time. These optimizing offerings by new product development thereby assisting in smart decision making. Along with these drivers, one major restraint that negatively affects the market would be the quality given the huge volume and variety of data available that further creates problem in distinguishing the relevant data from the irrelevant ones. Moreover, databases may contain all sorts of errors that needs to be rectified for meeting the requisite standards along with problems related to the processing and protection of data that has acted as some major restraints for this market. Given the growth of companies there is likely to be more data that has is expected to provide more opportunities for this market.Based on geography, North America followed by Europe forms two of the key regions that has a positively impact over this market. Huge amount of data being generated through companies and data centers along with growing reliability on this for maintaining a growth over other competitors are a few factors to positively impact this market in these regions. Asia Pacific is another key region growing at the fastest pace among the other regions that are present globally. China, India and Korea are a few countries contributing to the rise in demand. Automated systems along with crunching of huge data on a daily basis especially with the advent of social media along with the steady rise of medium sized companies are a few key drivers to positively impact this market.Request a PDF Sample for this Research Report @Some of the major players present in the global market includes IBM Corporation (U.S.), Tableau Software (U.S.), VMware (U.S.), New Relic (U.S.), Tera data (U.S.), Splunk Corporation (U.S.), Sap SE (Germany) and Oracle Corporation (U.S.) among others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendationsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Renal dialysis Market Analysis By Industry Revenue, Growth, Share & Global Foresight to 2023

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Market research future published research report on global Renal Dialysis Market. The global Renal Dialysis Market is expected to grow at a CAGR over ~ 7.1% from 2017 to 2023 .Global Renal Dialysis Market was valued at $ 17.6 Billion in 2016 and is expected to reach at $ 26.6 Billion till 2023 at a CAGR of 7.1% during forecasted period 2017-2023.Renal dialysis is the process of removing the toxic substance like urea and creatinine from the body. During impair function of kidney caused due to acute or chronic renal diseases this method is one of the lifesaving treatment for a patient. Global renal dialysis market is driven by continuously increasing prevalence of the kidney and other associated renal diseases. Besides this increasing diabetic patient, patient suffering from hypertension has provided fuel for the growth of the market. On other hand due to high cost of treatment and complication after the treatment may restrain the growth of the market.On regional basis, global renal dialysis market is dominated by North America. Increase in prevalence of renal diseases and a huge diabetic and obese population is responsible for the growth of renal dialysis market in North America. Europe and Asia Pacific are nearly similar market in terms of value but soon Asia Pacific is expected to overcome the European market for renal dialysis. Due to growing aging population and increasing renal disease in Asia Pacific region especially in Japan has boosted the growth of renal dialysis market in Asia Pacific region. Middle East and Africa has least market due to less growth of healthcare sector in that region.Get a Copy of sample Report @Key Players for Global renal dialysis marketThe major key player for the global renal dialysis market are Baxter International Inc. (US), Fresenius Medical Care (German), DaVita Healthcare Partners Inc (US), B.Braun Melsungen AG (Germany), Medical Care AG & Co., Gambro AB (Sweden), Nipro diagnostic Inc. (US), Diaverum Deutschland GmbH (Germany), KGaA (Germany), Covidien (Ireland), Nikkiso Co. Ltd. (Japan), Asahi Kasei Corporation (Japan), NxStage Medical, Inc. (U.S.) and many more.Due to increasing prevalence of kidney diseases globally many of the companies are in the race of inventing the better treatment for ureteral stents market. Companies are using a trend of strategic alliance and acquisition to gain the market and minimize the competition in the market. The two major companies Fresenius Medical Care and Baxter International Inc. account around 65 % of total market share.Fresenius Medical Care is a German company and the worlds largest provider of dialysis products and services. It is the one of the major companies for global renal dialysis market account around 35 % of total global renal dialysis market. This company has introduced the new fluids  bicaVera low calcium and bicaNova use to regulate the acid-base balance through a pure bicarbonate buffer. 4008B, 4008S haemodialysis machine, 5008/5008S therapy system, FX-class dialysers with Helixone membrane and Polysulfone dialysers are the famous dialysis machines and filters.Baxter International Inc. is an American health care company primarily focuses on products to treatment of hemophilia, kidney disease and other metabolic diseases. AMIA Automated PD System, REVACLEAR, REVACLEAR 300, REVACLEAR Max Dialyzers, HOMECHOICE & HOMECHOICE PRO Automated PD Systems are the common products by the company. Baxter has acquired Gambro in 2013.SegmentationGlobal renal dialysis market is segmented on the basis of types in primary dialysis and secondary dialysis. Primary dialysis is further sub segmented into hemodialysis, hemofiltration and peritoneal dialysis. Secondary dialysis is further sub segmented into hemodiafiltration and intestinal dialysis. On the basis of product this market is segmented as hemodialysis products and peritoneal dialysis products and on the basis of end user global renal dialysis market is segmented as hospital care and home care.Regional AnalysisOn regional basis, global renal dialysis market is segmented as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa. North America has the largest market for the global renal dialysis market. Increasing patient suffering from renal diseases in North America is increasing continuously which is the major factor for the growth of the market. Europe and Asia Pacific has nearly similar market for renal dialysis but the growth rate of Asia Pacific renal dialysis market is higher. Middle East and Africa contribute the least market for the renal dialysis market.Get Discount @The report for global renal dialysis market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Renal dialysis Market Research Report Forecast to 2023 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Automotive Stabilizer Bar Market - Global Industry Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025

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Globalization has transformed the automotive industry throughout the globe, with continuously heaving competition amongst automotive vendors. Development of the automotive stabilizer bar which provide motion control, and maintain proper weight distribution in the wheels is one of the important innovations which have ensued in the automotive industry, in recent years.Automotive stabilizer bar or sway bar is used to provide an anti  roll movement during the sharp turns to keep the car from rolling. The automotive stabilizer bar works only when the car is leaning on one side providing it a counterbalance on the other side with the help of suspension and avoid the swaying. The basic principle behind designing an automobile is to provide a low center of gravity so that the vehicle can move at high speeds. Automotive stabilizer bar is applied at the lowest point of the automobile which is the best place for them. In some race cars, automotive stabilizer bar are mounted higher in the chassis. It is very important to decide the diameter of installed automotive stabilizer bar. Large diameter automotive stabilizer bar have lower speed than the smaller diameter automotive stabilizer bar.Download Brochure@Market Overview:Growing demand of automobiles has pushed engineers to launch new products which can provide safe and smooth drives to the consumers. Automotive stabilizer bar is one such example which prevents the cars from getting swayed during the turns. Due to the high growth of automobile market and growing disposable income, consumers have started spending more on accessories, safety equipment, and comfort. Automotive stabilizer bar market is expected to grow with a high CAGR in the forecast period. Aftermarket of Automotive stabilizer bar is huge since they are used in race cars. Most of the race cars have splined stabilizer bars since they are adjustable and provide proper support while turning. Proper automotive stabilizer bar is the one which is compatible with the diameter and provides proper distribution of weights in all tires.Not every automobile has stabilizer bars in them, vehicles that require larger force while turning but move on smooth roads have thicker and longer sway bars while the vehicles which move on rocky terrains and bumpy roads are equipped with thinner or no sway bars. Automotive stabilizer bar come in different shapes and sizes, and it depends on the functionality of vehicles that which sway bar has to be added in the automotive.Market Dynamics:It can be dangerous for a vehicle to roll too much during the turns, due to which the alignment of wheels can change resulting in reducing the grip of the vehicle. So it is important to provide sway bars which not only provide smooth turning but also gives consistent grip for braking. So, concern for safety has driven the automotive stabilizer bar market.While installing stabilizer bars when the vehicle is moving on a bumpy road, it provides the same function like that on the turns resulting in lifting the wheel on one side and applying force to keep the wheels at the same height. This is the, biggest disadvantage of using automotive stabilizer bar since it provides a rough drive during rocky, bumpy roads.A stabilizer bar increases the suspension rolls stiffness and therefore it is essential in the cars which provides a high speed drive. Since the automobile industry is growing and consumers are willing to spend more, which gives a high market opportunity to the stabilizer bars manufacturers to expand and bring in the new technologies.New trends which have started been followed in this industry are the growing demand of racing cars among youngsters which need speed with safety, and the technology used while making stabilizer bars.Market Segmentation:The Automotive Stabilizer Bar market is segmented on the basis of the position of stabilizer bar, type of stabilizer bar, type of vehicle, and region.On the basis of the position of the stabilizer bar, the Automotive Stabilizer Bar market is segmented into stabilizer bar applied on the body; and stabilizer bar applied on the frame of the vehicle.On the basis of the type of stabilizer bar used, the Automotive Stabilizer Bar market is segmented into hollow and solid stabilizer bar, tubular stabilizer bar, and splined stabilizer bar.On the basis of type of vehicle, the Automotive Stabilizer Bar market is segmented into commercial vehicles, and passenger cars. Commercial vehicles are further segmented into Medium Commercial Vehicle (MCV), Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV), and High Commercial Vehicle (HCV). Similarly, passenger cars are further categorized into large cars, mid-size cars, and compact cars.On the basis of geographies, the Automotive Stabilizer Bar market is segmented is segmented across 7 key region; North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. Because of the rising income and increasing job opportunities in Asia Pacific countries, China and India are expected to show a tremendous growth in this market. Designers are focusing on technologies and innovations due to the growing popularity of racing cars in North American region which has increased the demand for automotive stabilizer bar in this region. Since Europe is the automotive sector, so it is expected to show a high growth in the Automotive Stabilizer Bar market. Latin America is also expected to grow with a high CAGR in Automotive Stabilizer Bar market.Browse Report@Stabilizer Bars in Vehicles Market: Key PlayersFew of the major key players active in the Automotive Stabilizer Bar market include ThyssenKrupp, Tata, DAEWON, Chuo Spring, Kongsberg Automotive, Sogefi, Mubea, ZF TRW, NHK International, Huayu, Fawer, ADDCO, AAM, Mubea, SAT, Tinsley Bridge, TMT (CSR), Yangzhou Dongsheng, Tower, Wanxiang, Dongfeng and SwayTec.About Us:-Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact Us:-State Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Shares of Physiotherapy Devices Market in Global Industry : Trends, Analysis, Growth and Status 2018-2025

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Albany, NY, 5th January : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Physiotherapy Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025" globally.This report on the physiotherapy devices market analyzes the current and future scenario of the global market.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Growing number of geriatric population, rising prevalence of different diseases among several age-groups, and introduction of novel technologies are the major drivers of the global physiotherapy devices market during the forecast period. On the other hand, the deficiencies of skilled physiotherapists, and high cost of equipment may depress the growth of the same market.The global physiotherapy devices market report comprises a detailed elaborate executive summary, which includes market snapshot that provides information about various segments. It also provides information and data analysis of the countrys market with respect to the segments based on product type, application and end-users. An elaborated qualitative analysis of drivers and restraints, opportunities, and trends has been provided in the market overview section. This section also provides market attractiveness analysis in terms of country, thus presenting a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the global physiotherapy devices market.Global Physiotherapy Devices Market: SegmentationBased on the products, the global physiotherapy devices market is classified into equipment, kit and accessories. The equipment segment is further classified into hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, heat & cold therapy and others whereas the accessories segment include orthoses and assistive devices. The market segments have been analyzed based on disability rate, awareness of physiotherapy treatment, actual percentage of population accessing physiotherapy treatment, requirement of product types, costs, and medical scenarios. The market size and forecast for each of these segments have been provided for the period from 2015 to 2025, along with their respective CAGR for the forecast period from 2017 to 2025, considering 2016 as the base year.View Complete TOC with tables & Figures @Based on application, the market has been segmented into neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and others. The market segments have been extensively analyzed based on the incidence of abnormality, requirement of post-abnormality conditions, cost of the devices, and medical reimbursements. The market size and forecast in terms of US$ Mn for each segment have been provided for the period from 2015 to 2025. The report also provides the compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) for each market segment for the forecast period from 2017 to 2025, considering 2016 as the base year. On the basis of end-users, the market has been segmented into hospitals, physiotherapy clinics, rehabilitation centers, and others. This segmentation has been done on the basis of usage of physiotherapy devices in those centers.Global Physiotherapy Devices Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the global physiotherapy devices market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The market size and forecast for each of these regions have been provided for the period from 2015 to 2025, along with their respective CAGRs for the forecast period from 2017 to 2025, considering 2016 as the base year.Global Physiotherapy Devices Market: Competitive ProfileThe report also profiles major players in the global physiotherapy devices market based on the various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, SWOT analysis, and recent developments. The key players operating in the global physiotherapy devices market includes DJO Global, EMS Physio Ltd., BTL, Patterson Medical Ltd., Enraf-Nonius, Dynatronics Corporation, Ossur, A. Alego Limited, HMS Medicals Systems.The global physiotherapy devices market is segmented as given below:Global Physiotherapy Devices Market, by Product TypeEquipmentHydrotherapyElectrotherapyHeat & Cold therapyOthersKitAccessoriesOrthosesAssistive DevicesGlobal Physiotherapy Devices Market, by ApplicationsMusculoskeletalNeurologyCardiovascularOthers (oncology, Fibromyalgia syndrome etc.)Global Physiotherapy Devices Market, by End-userHospitalsPhysiotherapy ClinicsRehabilitation CentersOthersGlobal Physiotherapy Devices Market, by GeographyNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyFranceU.K.Rest of EuropeAsia Pacific (APAC)ChinaJapanIndiaRest of APACLatin America (LATAM)BrazilMexicoRest of LATAMBrowse Report @Middle East & Africa (MEA)GCCSouth AfricaIsraelRest of Middle East & AfricaResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on :
India Natural & Organic Personal and Beauty Care Products Market : by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2017-2022

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "India Natural & Organic Personal and Beauty Care Products Market - Sizing and Growth, By Value, By Type, By Application, By End User: Opportunities and Forecast (2017-2022) - By Application (Skin Care, Hair Care, Color Cosmetics, Oral Care, Others), By Region (North India, West India, East India, South India)" to its huge collection of research reports.A comprehensive research report created through extensive primary research (inputs from industry experts, companies, stakeholders) and secondary research, the report aims to present the analysis of India Natural & Organic Personal and Beauty Care Products Market, Analysis By Type (Natural and Organic), By Application (Skin Care, Hair Care, Color Cosmetics, Oral Care and Others), By End User (Male, Female and Children), and By Region (North, East, West and South).To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @According to the Azoth Analytics research report, India Natural & Organic Personal and Beauty Care Products Market - Sizing and Growth, By Type, By Application, By End User, and By Region: Opportunities and Forecast (2017-2022), market in India is projected to display a robust growth represented by a CAGR of 17.27% by value during 2017  2022, chiefly driven by increase in disposable income in the country as well as rapidly growing urbanization.Among the segments, natural beauty and personal care products held the majority share in the market, however, organic products are projected to witness fastest growth. Rising health consciousness amongst the Indian consumers is the key factor behind the ample growth rate of natural and organic personal care products in the region. Additionally, growing awareness regarding the ill-effects of harmful synthetic chemicals, sulphates, parabens, fragrances, etc., has also been fuelling the growth in the market. Furthermore, younger consumers in the country are much more attuned to the trends in the global beauty and personal care market as well as the benefits of healthy chemical free products. As a result, they are increasingly favouring naturally derived merchandises over synthetically produced ones.Over the past few years, targeted skin care products of natural and organic origin such as anti-acne, anti-agers, anti-pollution, etc., have been gaining the attention of Indian consumers. Among the regions, West India represents the largest regional market for India natural & organic personal and beauty care products, chiefly driven by high per capita income as well as disposable income in states such as Maharashtra and Gujrat.The report titled, India Natural & Organic Personal and Beauty Care Products Market - Sizing and Growth, By Value, By Type, By Application, By End User: Opportunities and Forecast (2017-2022)  By Region (North India, West India, East India, South India), has covered and analysed the potential of India natural & organic personal and beauty care products market and provides statistics and information on market size, shares and growth factors.Make an Enquiry about TOC @The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges and opportunities in the India natural & organic personal and beauty care products market. Additionally, the report also highlights market entry strategies for various companies across the globe.Table of Content1. Research Methodology2. Executive Summary3. Strategic Recommendation3.1. Increasing Demand for Organic Beauty and Personal care Products3.2. Natural and Organic Color Cosmetic products market to Witness consistent growthResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.us
Burner Management System (BMS) Market: Rapid Rise in Industrialization Plays Key Role in Market Development

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The top 10 players in the global burner management systems (BMS) market contributed around 45% in 2015, indicating at the highly fragmented nature of this market. ABB Ltd., Siemens AG, Alstom, and Honeywell International are among the leading companies that have established a strong foothold in the global burner management systems market. Transparency Market Research has noted that the presence of a large number of local and global BMS manufacturers has compelled vendors to offer a wide range of systems at affordable prices. New product development is one of the major strategies adopted by key players to remain competitive in the market.The global market for BMS was estimated to be valued at US$4.58 bn in 2015 and is projected to be worth US$7.39 bn by 2024, expanding at a CAGR of 5.5% therein. Based on volume, the market is forecast to register a 5.6% CAGR from 2016 to 2024.Browse The Report:North America Clear Leader in BMS Market in Terms of Volume and ValueBy fuel type, the market for burner management systems was dominated by the oil segment in terms of value. However, the electricity segment is anticipated to register high growth in the coming years, according to TMR. Electric burners do not produce exhaust fumes and have a comparatively higher efficiency than that of other burner types, the author of the study notes. In order to maintain a clean and safe environment and eliminate the need for fuel storage, burner management systems running on electricity are expected to play a vital role in the near future.Based on component, the burner management system market was led by the hardware segment, which accounted for a share of 54.5% in 2016. Registering a 5.9% CAGR from 2016 to 2024, hardware is also projected to emerge as the most rapidly growing segment during the course of the forecast period.Boilers formed the key application segment of the overall burner management system market in 2016 and are also projected to expand at a rapid pace during the forecast period. Chemicals were the leading end-use sector in 2016, while the oil and gas as well as power sectors will exhibit strong growth through 2024.Geographically, North America is the clear leader in terms of both volume and value. In 2015, the region accounted for a revenue share of just under 36% in the global burner management systems market. Asia Pacific is anticipated to register the highest growth in terms of revenue and volume, presenting a 6.1% CAGR by value from 2016 to 2024.Rapid Rise in Industrialization Plays Key Role in Market DevelopmentIndustrial development plays an important role in the economic growth of countries such as China, Korea, Taiwan, India, and Indonesia, the lead analyst states. These developing countries report a high demand for energy and thus witness an increased installation of power plants. This leads to a rise in the implementation of heating systems in industries and production plants, further increasing the adoption of burner management systems for safety and control purposes.Make an Enquiry @On the flip side, the reluctance in shifting from manual safety controls to burner management systems restricts widespread adoption. There are several operating companies that still rely on the intervention of manual operators or plant emergency shutdown (ESD) as a standard process for safety control. However, the general consensus regarding safety and control of heating systems used in industries is slowly changing and this will benefit the global burner management systems market, the analyst reports.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendationsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global General Ledger Accounting Software Market 2025 Key Players: Open Systems, Sage Intacct, Acumatica, Multiview, NetSuite, SAP ERP Core Finance,.

General Ledger Accounting Software Market

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General Ledger Accounting Software Market:WiseGuyReports.com adds General Ledger Accounting Software Market 2018 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2025reports to its database.Executive SummaryThis report studies the global General Ledger Accounting Software market, analyzes and researches the General Ledger Accounting Software development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeOpen SystemsSage IntacctAcumaticaMultiviewNetSuiteSAP ERP Core FinanceSage Fixed AssetsTechnology Group InternationalAbilaAccuFundDeskeraMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Application, General Ledger Accounting Software can be split intoSMELarge EnterpriseIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Request Sample Report @Table of content:Global General Ledger Accounting Software Market Size, Status and Forecast 20251 Industry Overview of General Ledger Accounting Software1.1 General Ledger Accounting Software Market Overview1.1.1 General Ledger Accounting Software Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global General Ledger Accounting Software Market Size and Analysis by Regions (2013-2018)1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 General Ledger Accounting Software Market by End Users/Application1.3.1 SME1.3.2 Large Enterprise2 Global General Ledger Accounting Software Competition Analysis by Players2.1 General Ledger Accounting Software Market Size (Value) by Players (2013-2018)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Open Systems3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 General Ledger Accounting Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Sage Intacct3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 General Ledger Accounting Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Acumatica3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 General Ledger Accounting Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Multiview3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 General Ledger Accounting Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 NetSuite3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 General Ledger Accounting Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 SAP ERP Core Finance3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 General Ledger Accounting Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Sage Fixed Assets3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 General Ledger Accounting Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Technology Group International3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 General Ledger Accounting Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 Abila3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 General Ledger Accounting Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 AccuFund3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 General Ledger Accounting Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.10.5 Recent Developments3.11 DeskeraContinuousFor further information on this report, visit Contact Us:Norah Trentsales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US); +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone :+91 841 198 5042
Pacemakers Expected to Be Biggest Emerging Market by 2021

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The cardiovascular devices industry is growing at a significant rate globally, due to increasing incidences of heart diseases and other cardiovascular disorders. Technological advancementsand growing awareness haveboosted growth of the cardiovascular devices market. Pacemakersaremedical devices that are placed in the chest or abdomen in order todetect abnormal heart rhythms.Pacemakers are used to treat arrhythmias, a condition, whereinthe heart beats very fast or very slow, or at an irregular rhythm. Pacemakers createelectric pulses to make the heart beat at a normal pace. Pacemakers may be fixed temporarily or permanently in the body.Request for Table of Contents @A permanent pacemaker is encapsulated in a metal covering to protect it from electromagnetic interferences.Temporary pacing may be transcutaneous, transvenous, or epicardial in nature.Based on application, a pacemaker may be unipolar or bipolar in nature.Unipolar pacemakers involve a single contact with heart; whereas bipolar pacemakersinvolve contacting heart twice for regulating its normal rhythm . The global market for pacemakers is growing at a significant rate due to increase in the incidences of cardiovascular disorders and increasing awareness. In addition, government initiatives and technological advancements are the major factors driving the global market for pacemakers.North America dominates the global pacemakers market due to increasing prevalence of cardiac diseases and technological advancements in the region. In addition, high adoption ofthis technology has driven the pacemakers market in this region. Asia is expected to witness high growth rate in the next few years in the pacemakers market, followed by Europe. China and India are expected to be the fastest-growing pacemakers markets in the Asian region. Some of the key driving factors of thepacemakers market in emerging countries are a large pool of patients, rising government funding, and improvement in healthcare facilities.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Some of the major factors driving the global pacemakersmarket are aging population, increase in the incidences of heart diseases, and technological advancements. In addition, other factors such as government initiatives and enhancement in reimbursement policies are driving the global pacemakersmarket. However, factors such as high cost and lack of experienced professionals are restraining growth of the global pacemakersmarket. In addition, poor reimbursement scenario is restraining the global pacemakers market .Growing populationand economies in the developing countries such as India and China are expected to create substantial opportunities for the global pacemakers market. In addition, innovation of new comfortable products wouldcreate substantial opportunities for the global pacemakers market. Complications involved in the use of pacemakersincluding risk of bleeding and infection are challenges for the global pacemakers market. Some of the recent trends in the global pacemakers market include companies involved in research and development for more innovative products with better efficiency.Some of the major companies operating in the pacemakers market areMedtronic, Sorin Group, Biotronik GmbH & Co. KG, and Boston Scientific Corporation. Other companies with significant presence in the global market for pacemakers are Vitatron, St. Jude Medical, Inc., and Zoll Medical Corporation.Pre Book Full Report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.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:
Display Packaging Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025

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The quality of the product is not the only factor to drive its sales in the competitive retail space. Various attributes and differentiating factors of the product need to be recognized by the target consumers to succeed in the market. Display packaging is one of the most effective ways of marketing the product in the retail stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets. Various industries such as food & beverage, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and multiple others incorporate the display packaging by offering the display packaging to the stores where a large number of consumers visit more often. As display packaging is a highly efficient way of marketing small-sized products, the market for display packaging seems to account for a significant volume globally.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @Display Packaging Market DynamicsThe small sized products are more likely to lose the attention of consumers in substantial supermarkets and hypermarkets where millions of other products are kept side by side. The display packaging which markets the product with attractive and large images, related to the product are more likely to attract people, as well as provide a surface to highlight the small products. Other than this, the primary driving factor of the display packaging is that the display packaging markets the product just at the time when a person is out for some shopping. Unlike other marketing techniques such as advertisements in television or magazine, the display packaging holds some amount of the product which can be picked up by the customer just at the time when the customer gets to know about the product through the display packaging. The producers of small sized products from various industries provide the display packaging with large orders placed for no extra money. This benefits both, the producer as well as the retailer, as the display packaging markets the brand of the producer, while retailer saves in furniture for storing the product. The advantages of the display packaging discussed above play a crucial role in driving the market.Display Packaging Market SegmentationThe display packaging market can be segmented by display packaging type asFloor displayCounter displayShelf displayBrochure displayTransparent ContainersDisplay boxesBlistersOthersThe display packaging market can be segmented by end-use industry asFood & beveragePersonal care productsHome care productsPharmaceuticalPublishingElectronicsOthersThe display packaging market can be segmented by geographical regions asNorth AmericaLatin AmericaWestern EuropeEastern EuropeMiddle East & Africa (MEA)Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ)JapanBrowse Market Research Report @Display Packaging Market Regional OutlookThe regional market for display packaging is dependent on the number of supermarkets, hypermarkets and large retail stores, where the display packaging is incorporated. North America and Western Europe are the regions with a large number of supermarkets. Due to high income per capita and high GDP in these regions, a significant portion of the population is expected to visit the supermarkets rather than shopping at small stores. In the developing countries of Asia Pacific, such as India, China, Indonesia, Thailand and others, the high pace of globalization has resulted in a large number of supermarkets and hypermarkets which are operating successfully. Along with this, a large population in the region indicates a large market in the region. Few of the countries of MEA, such as Turkey, GCC countries and Brazil and Mexico from Latin America are expected to provide rapid growth in the market for display packaging.Display Packaging Market Key PlayersSome of the key players in the display packaging market areSonoco Products CompanyPackaging Corporation of AmericaProactive Packaging & Display, Inc.C&B Display Packaging Inc.Empire Packaging & DisplaysRio GrandeDeufol SEAbout TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Market Research on Milk Tea Powder Market 2017 and Analysis to 2025

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Global Milk Tea Powder Market Introduction:Milk tea is a beverage with a combination of tea and milk. Milk tea powder is a dehydrated form of milk and tea. The global milk tea powder market is expected to register significant CAGR, attributed to increasing demand for tea, and growing beverage industry. Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate the global milk tea powder market over the forecast period, owing to the high popularity of milk tea among consumers particularly in the countries such as India and China.Request to view Sample Report:Global Milk Tea Powder Market Segmentation:The global milk tea powder market is segmented on the basis of product type, distribution channel, and region. Based on product type, the global milk tea powder market is fragmented as dry mixed milk tea and wet mixed milk tea, wherein wet mixed milk tea segment contribute for relatively high-value share, whereas, dry mixed milk tea segment is expected to have a substantial growth rate in the milk tea powder market, owing to increasing demand for tea among consumers across the globe. Based on distribution channel, the global milk tea powder market segmented as wholesale and retail. Among which, the wholesale segment is expected to contribute for major revenue share whereas retail segment is expected to expand at a significant CAGR in the global milk tea powder market over the forecast period. Moreover, retail segment is sub-segmented into in-store and online. Among which, the online segment is expected to register relatively high CAGR, attributed to increasing adoption of e-Commerce among consumers and increasing investments by milk tea powder market players in e-Commerce to enhance their distribution channel across the globe.Global Milk Tea Powder Market Regional Outlook:Geographically, the global milk tea powder market can be divided into major regions which include North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. Among the regions, Asia-Pacific accounts for the significant revenue share in the global milk tea powder market, owing to the high popularity of milk tea among consumers across the region. Europe is followed by Asia-Pacific in the global milk tea powder market with significant value share. North America is expected to expand at a relatively high growth rate in the milk tea powder market, attributed increasing demand for tea by consumers across the region. The Middle East and Africa is expected contribute for relatively low revenue share in global milk tea powder market whereas, the region is expected to register substantial CAGR over the forecast period. Overall, the outlook for the global milk tea powder market will have a positive growth over the forecast period.Buy this Report at:Global Milk Tea Powder Market Dynamics:The global milk tea powder market growth is driven by increasing demand for various types of tea, and growing beverages industry. Macroeconomic factors such as increasing per capita income, changing lifestyle, growing economy, and rapid rate of urbanization driving the global milk tea powder market. Moreover, growing tea market also fueling the global milk tea powder market growth. However, drinking milk with tea reduce the antioxidant property of tea as well as reduce chances of heart diseases and diabetes is restraining the global milk tea powder market. Some of the factors trending the global milk tea powder market include milk tea powder with different types of packaging, and collaboration between global milk tea powder market players, and high investment in the beverages industry. The company operates in the milk tea powder market have a significantly high opportunity in Asia-Pacific attributed to the significantly growing economy and population across the regions.Global Milk Tea Powder Market Player:Few players in the global milk tea powder market include Thomas J. Lipton Company, Nestle S.A., Oldtown Bhd (OLDT.KL), Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Traditional Medicinals, Inc., Hong Kong Oriental Tea Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Bossen Ingredients Co., Ltd., Fanale Drinks Hayward CA, Gino's Brewing Company, Shih Chen Foods Co., Ltd., and Uni-President Enterprises Corporation.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Mulch Films Market Strategies and Forecasts | 2024

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Mulch films are plastic coverings for plants utilized to retain the moisture in the soil. Since loss of soil moisture through evaporation can be a significant issue in dry areas, the demand for mulch films has grown in recent years. Plants can grow through holes in mulch films, leading to their growth being completely unaffected despite the covering. Some mulch films are also designed to produce the greenhouse effect on a small scale, retaining the heat from solar radiation to help plant growth.Read Report Overview @The global market for mulch films is driven not only by the loss of arable land, which has become a major concern, but also by the steady increase in the demand from the growing global population. The steady funding to the development of agrotech solutions from governmental as well as nongovernmental research bodies has also helped the global mulch films market significantly.The report examines the past development trajectory of the global mulch films market and provides solid forecasts regarding the markets growth from 2016 to 2020. The report explains the role expected to be played by each segment of the market in the markets growth and elaborates on the operations of the key manufacturers of mulch films.The increasing global population and the consequent increase in the demand for food is the prime driver for the global mulch films market. With the realization that the earths own bearing capacity is not likely to support the increasing human population, research into various kinds of agrotech solutions has become more prominent over the years. Biotechnological solutions such as genetically modified crops have taken care of the problem of increasing crop yield and making it sturdier, while mechanical solutions such as mulch films deal with increasing the efficiency of agriculture practices so that no resource is wasted.The technological advancement in modern mulch films has also been crucial for the global mulch films market. While the technology appears rudimentary, several kinds of mulch films have been developed to provide different benefits. This is a crucial tool for the mulch films industry, which needs to keep up with the times and provide suitable solutions to a dynamic problem.The problem of plastic mulch films polluting agricultural land perfectly illustrates the value of technological advancement to the mulch films industry. While conventional plastics such as polyethylene and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) are currently used to produce mulch films, the difficulty in removing the films means they can themselves be the cause of significant pollution in priceless fertile land. Developing mulch films from biodegradable plastics is thus a key opportunity for players in the mulch films market.By plastic type, the mulch films market is segmented into LDPE (low-density polyethylene), HDPE (high-density polyethylene), LLDPE (linear low-density polyethylene) EVA, polylactic acid (PLA) derivatives, and others. The various polyethylene-based plastics hold a dominant share in the mulch films market, although EVA, which is more durable than polyethylene, is expected to be the key segment in the forecast period. The biodegradability of PLA means that it will also be one of the key segments of the mulch films market.Geographically, Asia Pacific was the leading contributor to the global mulch films market in 2015 and is set to retain its dominance over the forecast period. The high agricultural production and ready acceptance of advanced agricultural technology in countries such as China and India is crucial for the Asia Pacific mulch films market. Apart from China and India, the national markets for mulch films in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Germany, Mexico, France, Brazil, Japan, Italy, Spain, South Africa, and the ASEAN and GCC countries are examined in detail in the report.Request to view Sample Report:The report also provides vital insights into the competitive landscape of the global mulch films market by profiling key manufacturers such as British Polythene Ltd., BASF SE, RKW Agri Gmbh & Co., FKuR Kunststoff GmbH, Eastman Chemical Company, Tilak Polypack Pvt. Ltd., Novamont S.p.A., Dow Chemicals, AEP Industries Inc., Berry Plastics Corporation, and NatureWorks LLC.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Peak Flow Meter Market - Rising Era Of Industry & Forecast 2017 - 2025

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Peak flow meter is a thermometer-like device for asthma patients. The device is used to measure the lungs function in the body. Peak flow meter is a portable device that measures the air flow or peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) to determine the severity of asthma, monitor the treatment of chronic asthma, and provide information for any changes. The device also helps in detecting allergies in order to prevent severe asthma attack. However, peak flow meter needs extra care and cleaning procedure for asthma treatment and to prevent respiratory infection rate.Request Brochure of The Report @High prevalence of respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and neurological diseases, high geriatric population with respiratory illness, growing research and development initiatives for asthma, are rising demand for diagnostic imaging devices are the major factors driving the global peak flow meter market. According to the World Health Organization, 235 million people currently suffer from asthma. It is most common among children. Growth in medication alternatives and funding from the associations (such as: the Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) association contributes to World Health Organization to work on prevention of diseases in order to prevent and control chronic respiratory diseases) is likely to fuel the overall peak flow meter market. High cost of treatment and innovation in drugs and devices such as inhalers are expected to hamper the growth of the peak flow meter market.The global peak flow meter market has been segmented based on product type, application, end-user, and region. In terms of product type, the market has been classified into low range meter and high range meter. The low range meter segment has been sub-segmented into Mini-Wright meters and assess meter. The high range meter segment has been categorized into Pulmo-graph meter and Wright Pocket meter. Based on application, the global peak flow meter market has been segmented into asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and others. Asthma is a rapidly growing application segment because of increasing prevalence and incidence of respiratory diseases globally. According to the WHO, asthma accounted for an estimated 383,000 deaths in 2015. In terms of end-user, the peak flow meter market has been categorized into diagnostic laboratories, life sciences, and research & development. Geographically, the market has been segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.Request Discount @North America dominates the global peak flow meter market due to high incidence of asthma, patient awareness, and high per capita health care expenditure. Early-phase diagnosis and treatment of disease are driving the medical biotechnology market which in turn is expected to augment the peak flow meter market in North America. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, around 24 million people in the U.S. are affected with asthma, making it as one of the most common and costly disease in the region. Europe is the second largest market for peak flow meter due to favorable government policies regarding health care infrastructure and awareness programs. Rise in climatic changes which affect the geriatric population and childrens health causing asthma, common flu, etc. is also likely to propel the peak flow meter market in Europe region. The market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at higher rate due to rising population, increase in mortality rate for asthma, changing lifestyle, rising awareness among patients, and increasing per capita expenditure. These factors contribute to the growth of the peak flow meter market in Asia Pacific.Major players operating in the global peak flow meter market include Medline Industries, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Siemens Process Instrumentation, Hoffer Flow Controls, Inc., Esko Industries Limited, John C. Ernst Co., Inc., JSB Healthcare, and Koninklijke Philips N.V. among others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.Report Details @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies Market to Surge at a Robust Pace in Terms of Revenue Over 2025

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4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies Market: IntroductionPresently, there are several display screen technologies existing in the market, including liquid-crystal display (LCD), and high definition (HD). Ultra-High Definition technology is a new display technology that has emerged recently in the market. This Ultra-High Definition technologies offer better resolution quality as compared to high definition technologies, and owing to which adoption of Ultra-High Definition technologies is increasing significantly, in various consumer electronics products.Request Report for TOC @4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe demand for 4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies is mainly driven by their application in commercial sectors which includes hospitality, and retail industry. Moreover, reduction in the implementation cost will create future opportunities for the vendors to increase the adoption of 4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies in a positive manner.High implementation cost is the major restraint faced by most of the vendors in 4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies market.Request to Sample of Report @Global 4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies Market: Key PlayersMajor players operating in the 4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies market includes AU Optronics Sharp Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., Koninklijke Philips N.V., Sony Electronics, Inc., Hisense Group Co., Ltd., Toshiba Corporation, and Innolux Corporation.Pre Book Full Report @Global 4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of geography, 4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies market can be segmented into seven key regions namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, Japan and Middle East & Africa. Among various regions, the 4k Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Technologies market in North America is expected to dominate during the forecast period owing to high consumer demand and awareness regarding acceptance of new technologies.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:
Harmonic Scalpel Market - Rising Initiatives Taken upto 2017 - 2025

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Ultrasonic energy was first used in the medical field for the treatment of Menieres disease in 1960. Use of ultrasonic energy for simultaneous cutting and cauterizing (sealing) of tissues was reported in 1980, wherein the technique was employed for laparoscopic cholecystectomy in over 200 patients successfully. Harmonic scalpel is an ultrasonic surgical equipment used as an alternative for other surgical scalpels or electro-surgical diathermy to cut and cauterize tissues during surgeries. Harmonic ultrasound technology and its dissection capability was first demonstrated in 1998, when harmonic scalpel shears were introduced by Ethicon (Johnson & Johnson). A harmonic scalpel typically consists of a hand-held transducer, hand switch, foot pedal, scalpel or blade (cutting instrument), and generator. The basic working principle of harmonic scalpel is conversion of ultrasonic energy into mechanical energy. Energy conversion takes place at the active blade delivering high-grade frictional force, while the tissue is held in apposition by the inactive upper arm. The active scalpel cuts through the tissue using low-frequency ultrasonic vibrations in the range of 2060 kHz. The vessel sealing is enabled by de-natured protein coagulum achieved due to tamponade and co-aptationRequest Brochure of The Report @Introduction of technologically advanced harmonic scalpel equipment through research and development is expected to drive the harmonic scalpel market during the forecast period. For instance, ARMONIC ACE +7 Shears is the latest harmonic scalpel offered by Ethicon. It is the first ultrasonic energy device with an indication of 7 mm vessel sealing capacity. It is popular for its advanced hemostasis and adaptive tissue technology enabling high vessel sealing capacity and providing multfunctionality with fine precision, respectively. Increasing adoption of harmonic scalpels over conventional steel scalpels and electrosurgical devices is likely to boost the harmonic scalpel market during the forecast period. Harmonic scalpel is considered a better alternative to surgical diathermy, as it causes less thermal damage.The harmonic scalpel market can be categorized on the basis of procedure, end-user, and geography. Based on procedure, the market has been categorized into gynecological procedure, thyroidectomy, lung biopsy, bowel resection, tonsillectomy, plastic surgery, and other procedures. Plastic surgeries include procedures such as breast augmentation, breast reduction, and tummy tuck; while other procedures include cholecystectomy and adhesiolysis. In terms of end-user, the harmonic scalpel market can be segmented into hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, academic & research institutes, and others. The increasing use of harmonic scalpels in medical procedures for ENT (ear, nose, and throat) and rising demand for these scalpels in medical aesthetics procedures are likely to propel the harmonic scalpel market during the forecast period. For instance, tonsillectomy cold surgical dissection was gold standard until the late 1960s, followed by introduction of hot electrocauter in the 1970s. Even though monopolar electrocautery dissection is still being carried out as a common procedure for tonsillectomy, harmonic scalpels introduced by Ethicon in 1993 are becoming increasingly popular as tonsillectomy devices. Increasing popularity of harmonic scalpels is attributable to their efficiency, safety, reduced post-operative pain, and earlier return of patients to regular activities such as oral intake.Request Discount @Based on region, the global harmonic scalpel market has been classified into Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe, Middle East & Africa (MEA), North America (NA), and Latin America (LA). The increasing number of surgical procedures in the U.S is projected to boost the harmonic scalpel market in North America. In addition, high economic contribution of health care, well-established health care infrastructure, and patient compliance in North America have driven the demand for harmonic scalpel devices in the region. Growing opportunities for the harmonic scalpel market in developing economies such as India and China is anticipated to register higher growth rate compared to North America and Europe.Key players partaking in the global harmonic scalpel market include Johnson & Johnson Services Inc., Olympus Medical Systems Corp., BOWA-electronic GmbH & Co. KG, and VDW GmbH.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.Report Details @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Cell Expansion Market Analysis, Forecast, and Assessment 2024

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With a handful of established players, the global cell expansion market demonstrates a consolidated structure, states a new report by Transparency Market Research (TMR). The top eight companies, namely, Merck Millipore, Thermo Fisher Scientific, GE Healthcare, Danaher Corp., Becton, Dickinson and Co., Lonza, and Corning, collectively held nearly 79% of the overall market in 2016. To strengthen their presence in the worldwide cell expansion market, the leading players have increased the investment in the research activities in order to develop novel cell lines and discover new applications. Going forward, the focus of these companies will shift to product differentiation in the near future, making the competitive environment much stiff.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:According to the report, the global market for cell expansion is anticipated to witness a significant surge in its opportunity at a CAGR of 14.70% during the period from 2016 to 2024, rising from US$7.7 bn in 2015 to US$26 bn by the end of the forecast period. Human stem cells register a stronger hold on this market when compare to their animal and differentiated counterparts and the trend is anticipated to remain so over the next few years. Hospitals, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, CMO and CRO, and academic and research institutes have emerged as the key end users of cell expansion products across the world. North America, among all the regions, has occupied the leading position in the worldwide market for cell expansion, thanks to the presence of a large pool of participants. Researchers anticipate the North America cell expansion market to remain dominant over the period of the forecast.Request for Sample Copy of Report:The global market for cell expansion is witnessing a tremendous surge in its valuation. An analyst at TMR states that the increasing cases of rare and chronic medical conditions across the world is the key driving force behind the growth of this market. The continued rise in the demand for biopharmaceuticals is also boosting this market significantly. In addition to this, the increasing preference for regenerative medicines, offering faster results, will propel the global cell expansion market remarkably in the years to come. The emergence of cell-based therapies, with high patient compatibility, is also projected to drive this market over the next few years, notes the research study.Though all these factors point towards a thriving future of the global market for cell expansion, there are several roadblocks that can hold the market from growing smoothly in the years to come. The high cost associated with the operations is one such obstacle, which the market is expected to face over the forthcoming years. The dearth of high-tech instrumentation and a skilled workforce will also pose severe challenge for this market in the years to come. However, the increasing investment by companies and rising government support will normalize the effect of these restraints in the near future, states the research report.Purchase this Report:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Forecast on Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Treatment Market for the Period 2017 - 2025

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A recent intelligence study by Transparency Market Research (TMR) has detected that the global alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency treatment market is divided among a vast number of global and regional players. The report anticipates that this fragmented scenario of the market for alpha-1 antitrypsin will prompt an increase in the number of mergers and acquisitions that can benefit both parties. Some of the key companies in the global alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency treatment market identified by the report are: Baxter, Pfizer Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, AstraZeneca, Grifols S.A., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline Plc., Shire plc, CSL Behring LLC, LFB Biomedicaments S.A., and Kamada Ltd.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:As per the projections of the TMR report, the demand in the global alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency treatment market will augment at formidable CAGR of 10.3% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025, estimated to reach a valuation of US$2,908.1 mn by the end of 2025, remarkably up from its evaluated worth of US$1,224.5 mn in 2016. In the near future, a number of new biotechnology companies are expected to have a foray in the alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency treatment market, developing novel treatment processes, personalized medicines for genetically inherited disorders, and invest on the research and development of stem cell based therapeutics.Based on treatment type, in 2016, the augmentation therapy segment served the maximum demand, whereas bronchodilator treatment earned a strong second position in terms of volume of demand. Parenteral route of administration is leading over oral and inhalation methods, while hospital is the most important end-user category. Geographically, North America the most profitable region for the stockholders of the global alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency treatment market, with prevalence of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, increasing diagnosis rate, high plasma yield, and high per capita health care expenditure.Request for Sample Copy of Report:Prevalence of respiratory disease worldwide, recent advancements in the diagnosis of apha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, increased government support in several emerging economies for the improvement of healthcare facilities, high unmet demands in both developed and developing regions, and novel product opportunities are some of the key factors driving the demand in the global apha-1 antitrypsin deficiency treatment market.As per estimation of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), more than 200 million people are affected by COPD, which is emerging as the fourth leading cause of death across the world by 2030. On the other hand, asthma is detected in about 235 million people globally. With technological improvements, production and purification processes of alpha-1 antitrypsin are now much safer and free from virus, protein, and other contaminants. This has increased clinician preference for usage of plasma products. This in turn is expected to boost demand for plasma-derived products such as alpha-1 antitrypsin and IVIG.According to the Alpha-1 Foundation, up to 3% of all people who are diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may have undetected alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. As a result, AlphaKit QuickScreen has been developed by Grifols, a diagnostic kit that aids in quick identification of the mutated Z gene. On the other hand, stringent regulations, limited plasma fractionation capacity, shortage of alpha-1 antitrypsin supply, and high cost of drugs are a few factors challenging the global anti-trypsin deficiency treatment market from attaining its true potential. The vendors of this market are expected to gain new opportunities via strategic alliances, patient assistance programs, and increasing awareness about therapy.Purchase this Report:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
World Market of Conveyor System and Forecast by 2022| Broadcast MRFR

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Market Scenario:A Conveyor System is one of the most used & preferred equipment all over the world and can be used in wide range of applications. It is an equipment which is used to handle and transport materials within industry premises and used in several industries including automotive, manufacturing, retail, food and beverage, and transportation Conveyors system refers to numerous products such as belt conveyors, roller, and pallet among others. The use of conveyors system ensures handling larger volume of goods & efficiency. Moreover, Factors such as growing industrialization, need of automation to reduce manufacturing costs and waste and growth of e-commerce moving them towards adoption of conveyor systems, Fluctuating raw material prices, environmental regulations, as well as uncertainty of final products hampers the growth of the market significantly.Regional AnalysisConveyor System Market is highly application driven and such conveyor systems are gaining popularity across the end user industries like automotive, retail, Food & beverages, airport which is referred as one of the major driving factors for market. Furthermore, increasing FDI investments in automotive sector, material safety concerns and other factors is also augmenting the growth of the market. Currently, America region is the largest market for conveyor systems, U.S. accounted for a majority of the market share Because of presence of developing countries such as Mexico and Brazil has enhanced the conveyor systems market.Asia Pacific is referred as fastest growing region for conveyor belts and North America is the second largest market for conveyor belt. The increase in the modernization and construction of new airports, distribution centers, and warehouses, the development of environment friendly and cost-effective conveyor systems will enhance the market for conveyor systems in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.Request a sample @Key PlayersThe major player operating in the market of Global Conveyor system are- Daifuku, Dematic Group, Emerson Electric, Siemens AG, Allied Conveyor Systems, Caterpillar, Dorner Conveyors, Dynamic Conveyors, Fives Group, FMC technologies, Interroll and Intelligrated.Global Conveyor System Market - SegmentsGlobal Conveyor System Market is segmented in to 3 Key dynamics for an easy grasp and enhanced understanding.Segmentation By Type: Comprises  Belt Conveyors, Roller, Pallet, Overhead and othersSegmentation By Application: Comprises  Automotive, Retail, Food & Beverages, Airport and othersSegmentation By Region: Comprises Geographical regions - North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the WorldGlobal Conveyor System Market - Regional AnalysisThe Asia-Pacific region dominated the global conveyor system market in 2016. It is also expected to be the fastest growing region for the conveyor systems. Rapid urbanization, growth in population, expansion of industrial base, and growth in construction activities along with increasing investments by foreign investors are the factors driving the growth of the market in Asia-Pacific region.The construction spending in China is exceptional followed by India, Indonesia and Vietnam. All sectors are likely to witness significant growth, largely led by non-residential construction. Additionally, China not only exhibits significant levels of growth but is also the largest market in the world. Construction spending in China is shifting from the coastal cities to the interior and western provinces that will lead to the higher use of construction machinery.India, on the other hand, is seeking increase in private funding solutions, especially from foreign lands due to the new infrastructure requirement and governments initiatives. In Southeast Asia relatively strong construction spending growth is also expected in Indonesia and Vietnam, as both countries upgrade infrastructure to support their growing populations.Browse report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Market Research Future Office No. 524/528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar
Latest Report on Global LED Lighting Market Size & Share 2017-2021 Edition

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"The Report Global LED Lighting Market (2017-2021 Edition) provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"The objectives of this study are as follows:To define, describe, and forecast the "LED Lighting" market by type, application, component, delivery model, end user, and regionTo provide detailed information regarding major factors influencing market growth (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and industry-specific challenges)To analyze micromarkets with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and contributions to the overall marketTo analyze opportunities in the market for stakeholders and provide details of the competitive landscape for market leadersTo forecast the market size of market segments with respect to the four key regions: North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (RoW)To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their product portfolios, market positions, and core competenciesGet Sample Copy Of This Report @ Scope of the ReportThe report entitled Global LED Lighting Market (2017-2021 Edition), provides an in-depth analysis of the global LED Lighting market with detailed analysis of market size and growth, market share and economic impact of the industry. The report also provides market size of the global lighting market and its segments.The report provides detailed regional analysis of North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific (China and India) for the LED lighting market. The report also assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry.Growth of the global lighting market and global LED lighting market has also been forecasted for the period 2017-2021, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends. The market for global LED lighting is facing a tough competition due to price wars and entry of small firms. Further, key players (Cree, Philips and Osram) of the global LED lighting market are also profiled with their financial information and respective business strategies.Country CoverageNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-Pacific (China and India)Company CoverageCreePhilipsOsramExecutive SummaryThe LED lighting can be segmented according to its application into lighting, backlighting, signage, automotive lighting and others. Some of the advantages of LED lights over the traditional light sources are long life, energy efficient, ecologically friendly, durable, zero UV emission, design flexibility, low voltage, etc.The major growth drivers for the LED lighting market are increasing shipment and penetration of LED TVs, growing automobile industry, increasing LED penetration, phasing out of incandescent bulbs in many countries, supportive government policies and focus on energy efficiency. Despite the market is governed by various growth drivers, there are certain challenges faced by the market such as temperature dependence, high initial costs of LED, high research and development costs, etc.View Report @ Table Of Content1. Executive Summary2. Introduction2.1 Light Emitting Diode: An Overview2.1.1 Light Production in LEDs2.1.2 Light Production in LEDs2.2 History of LED2.3 LED Lighting Segments: An Overview2.4 Advantages of LED Lighting2.5 Comparison of LED Lighting with Other Source of Lighting3. Global Market Analysis3.1 Global Lighting Market: An Analysis3.1.1 Global Lighting Market by Value3.1.2 Global Lighting Market by Application3.1.3 Global General Lighting Market by Segments3.2 Global LED Lighting Market: An Analysis3.2.1 Global LED Lighting Market by Value3.2.2 Global LED Lighting Market by Segments3.2.3 Global LED Lighting Market by Region3.2.4 Global LED Lighting Market by Adoption Rate3.2.5 Global LED Lighting Market Adoption Rate by Products3.3 Global LED Backlight Market: An Analysis3.3.1 Global LED Backlight Market by Value3.3.2 Global LED Backlight Market by Products3.4 Global LED General Lighting Market: An Analysis3.4.1 Global LED General Lighting Market by ValueRequest For Enquiry @4. Regional Market Analysis4.1 North America LED Lighting Market: An Analysis4.1.1 North America LED Lighting Market by Value4.2 Europe LED Lighting Market: An Analysis4.2.1 Europe LED Lighting Market by Value4.3 Asia Pacific LED Lighting Market: An Analysis4.3.1 China LED Lighting Market by Share in General Lighting4.3.2 China LED Lighting Market by Value4.3.3 Indian LED Lighting Market by ValueAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact usMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Latest Report on Bunker Fuel Market Size & Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2014 - 2020

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The report analyzes and presents an overview of "Bunker Fuel Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2014 - 2020" worldwide.The objectives of this study are as follows:To define, describe, and forecast the "Bunker Fuel" market by type, application, component, delivery model, end user, and regionTo provide detailed information regarding major factors influencing market growth (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and industry-specific challenges)To analyze micromarkets with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and contributions to the overall marketTo analyze opportunities in the market for stakeholders and provide details of the competitive landscape for market leadersTo forecast the market size of market segments with respect to the four key regions: North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (RoW)To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their product portfolios, market positions, and core competenciesGet Sample Copy Of This Report @ This research study analyzes the market for bunker fuel in terms of volume and revenue. The bunker fuel market has been analyzed on the basis of fuel grade, end-user, seller type, and geography. For the research, the base year is 2013, while the forecast is for the period 20142020. Market data for all the segments have been provided on the regional level for the period 20132020. A comprehensive competitive landscape has also been included in the report, comprising companies involved in the bunkering business. Value chain analysis and Porters Five Forces model have also been included for the market, to provide a clear understanding regarding the dynamics of the industry.Porters Five Forces and value chain analysis have been carried out with respect to suppliers of bunker fuel. These high level analyses provide detailed insights into the business of bunker suppliers, traders, and brokers globally. Major drivers, restraints, and opportunities of the bunker fuel market were analyzed in detail with supporting graphs and tables. There are currently numerous drivers for the bunker fuel industry. One of the most prominent drivers is the growing demand for fuel for container ships and tanker vessels. The rapidly evolving demand patterns for various fuel grades due to implementation of sulfur emission norms in different regions was analyzed in detail in the report. Market attractiveness analysis was carried out for the bunker fuel industry based on geography. In the market attractiveness analysis, the bunker fuel industry was analyzed regionally and ranked on the basis of a number of parameters that directly impact the attractiveness of the market. Port market share has also been included in this report to offer a better overview of major bunkering destinations. In this segment, the major bunkering ports were analyzed on the basis of bunker volume traded in 2013. Apart from this, a separate segment has been incorporated for port analysis. Also, the three largest bunkering ports in the world  Singapore, Rotterdam, and Fujairah  have been analyzed separately in this segment.The fuel grades traded at different ports comprises IFO 380, IFO 180, IFO Others, and MGO/MDO. The IFO Others segment includes IFO 500, IFO 700, LS 380, and LS 180 fuel grades. The seller segment of the bunker market has been segmented into major oil companies, leading independent distributors, and small independent distributors. Key end-users for bunker fuel were identified as container vessels, tanker fleets, bulk & general cargo vessels, and other vessels. The bunker market was analyzed across five geographies: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Rest of the World (RoW). The RoW segment comprises South and Central America, and Africa. Regional data has been provided for each sub-segment of the bunker market. The bunker consumption figures for each region have been sub-segmented on the basis of fuel grade, end-use, and seller type. Key market participants in the bunkering business include Chemoil Energy Limited, Aegean Marine Petroleum Network, Inc., and World Fuel Services Corporation. The report provides an overview of these companies, followed by their financial revenue, business strategies, and recent developments.The market size for bunker fuel has been estimated by studying the possible future environmental regulation trends in the market. Detailed research of sulfur regulations in different regions has been undertaken to estimate and forecast the consumption and investments in the bunker fuel industry. The global bunker fuel market has been segmented as below:View Report @ Bunker Fuel Market: Fuel Grade AnalysisIFO 380IFO 180IFO OthersMGO/MDOBunker Fuel Market: End User AnalysisContainer VesselsTankers VesselsBulk & General Cargo VesselsOther VesselsBunker Fuel Market: Seller Type AnalysisMajor Oil CompaniesLeading Independent DistributorsSmall Independent DistributorsBunker Fuel Market: Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastRest of the World (RoW)Request For Enquiry @ Table of ContentsChapter 1 Preface1.1 Report Description1.2 Research Scope1.3 Market Segmentation1.4 Research MethodologyChapter 2 Executive Summary2.1 Global Bunker Fuel MarketChapter 3 Bunker Fuel Market  Industry Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Value Chain Analysis: Bunker Fuel Market3.3 Market Drivers3.3.1 Increasing Hydrocarbon Resource Development Activities in Offshore Areas Resulting in Increased Requirement for Bunker Fuel3.3.1.1 Global offshore oil and gas production estimates and forecast, by region, 2013  2020 (Million Barrels/ Day)3.3.2 Rapidly Increasing Bunker Requirements in Crude Oil and Product Tankers3.4 Market Restraints3.4.1 Fuel Reduction Initiatives by Global Shipping Community3.4.2 LNG as an Alternative Fuel3.4.2.1 Current development status of LNG bunkering infrastructure globally, by ports, 20133.5 Market Opportunities3.5.1 Expansion of ECAs will Increase Demand for middle distillate oils (MDO & MGO)Check Discount @3.5.1.1 Global fuel sulphur limits within and outside ECAs3.6 Porters Five Forces Analysis: Bunker Fuel Market3.6.1 Bargaining power of suppliers3.6.2 Bargaining power of buyers3.6.3 Threat from new entrants3.6.4 Degree of competition3.6.5 Threat from substitutes3.7 Port Market Share: Bunker Fuel Market3.7.1 Bunker fuel market, port market share,20133.8 Port analysis: Bunker Fuel Market3.8.1 Major Choke Points and Bunker ports globally3.8.2 Port of Singapore3.8.3 Port of Fujairah3.8.4 Port of Rotterdam3.9 Market Attractiveness Analysis of Bunker Fuel Market, by Region, 2013About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact usMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Insurance Industry in Zimbabwe: Insurance and Pension Commission (ICEC) started the microfinance regulation

Insurance Industry in Zimbabwe

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Pune, India, 06 November 2017: WiseGuyReports announced addition of new report, titled The Insurance Industry in Zimbabwe, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2021.The report The Insurance Industry in Zimbabwe provide a complete overview for the market during the review period (2012-2016) and the prediction period (2016-2021). The report also explain key performance indicators such as written premiums, expenses incurred, loss ratio, commissions and expenses, total wealth, total investment income and assumptions.Report offers strategic business decisions using the deepest historical and prediction market data related to Zimbabwe's insurance industry and using each of those segments and categories. Evaluate the competitive motivational forces in the insurance industry in ZimbabweThe study of report also analyze the distribution channel running in the Segment, gives a comprehensive overview of Zimbabwe's economy and demographics and provides detailed information about the competitive landscape in the country.GET SAMPLE REPORT @The Major highlights of the Insurance Industry in Zimbabwe report are, in 2017, First Mutual Health (FHHC) launched the mobile application to manage your insurance portfolio online. Enables online purchasing of insurance products from the app company as well. The initiative of SBI's digital insurance technology has been adopted to work with FBC aircraft more efficiently and to be consistent with the strict Zimbabwe regulatory environment.The study further explain, on June 16, 2017, the Insurance and Pension Commission (ICEC) started the microfinance regulation. The Old Mutual Life, partnered with Blue Marble micro insurance, started drought insurance production which provided insurance from seasonal drought, during 2016. Finally, IPCE has charged registration fees for insurance companies and pension funds in last year.The report provide profiles the top insurance companies in Zimbabwe and outlines the key regulations affecting them. The study of report offers historical value for Zimbabwe's insurance industry for the period of the 2016-2021. As per expertise, Zimbabwe will provide a detailed analysis of important sectors of insurance industry as per market estimates by 2021.The Report study contains a complete list of parameters including written premium, damages, loss ratio, combined ratio, total wealth, total investment income and feedback. The report analyzes various distribution channels in Zimbabwe.Finally the report helps to understand the Zimbabwe's major insurance policies and companies and their impact on company's future. Identify the opportunities for growth and market trends in key departments. Understand the demand for market-driven mobility, important market growth and growth opportunities in Zimbabwe's insurance industry.For accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Latest Report on Global Fuel Card Market: Size & Share, Trends & Forecasts 2017-2021

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The report analyzes and presents an overview of "Global Fuel Card Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2017-2021)" worldwide.The objectives of this study are as follows:To define, describe, and forecast the "Fuel Card" market by type, application, component, delivery model, end user, and regionTo provide detailed information regarding major factors influencing market growth (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and industry-specific challenges)To analyze micromarkets with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and contributions to the overall marketTo analyze opportunities in the market for stakeholders and provide details of the competitive landscape for market leadersTo forecast the market size of market segments with respect to the four key regions: North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (RoW)To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their product portfolios, market positions, and core competenciesGet Sample Copy Of This Report @ Scope of the ReportThe report entitled Global Fuel Card Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2017-2021) provides an in-depth analysis of the global fuel card market with detailed description of market size and growth. The analysis includes market size in terms of value, market share by region and, addressable market. Fuel card penetration rate by region, on the basis of types of vehicle has also been provided.The report also provides brief regional/country analysis of Europe. The analysis include market sizing in terms of value and fuel spending. Europe is expected to dominate the global fuel card market in the forecasted period also.Furthermore, the report also assesses the key opportunities available in the market and outlines the market dynamics that are and will be accountable for growth of the industry. Growth of the global fuel card market has also been forecasted for the period 2017-2021, taking into consideration previous growth outlines, growth drivers and the existing and forthcoming trends.A brief company profiling of major players namely BP, WEX Inc., FLEETCOR and, Royal Dutch Shell has been provided in the report on the basis of aspects like business overview, financial overview and business strategies adopted by respective companies.Company CoverageBritish Petroleum (BP)WEX Inc.FLEETCORRoyal Dutch ShellRegion CoverageEuropeView Report @Executive SummaryA card especially designed for the payment the fuel stations are known as fuel cards or fleet cards. The card is similar in appearance like a credit card, and works in a similar way.A wide variety of fuel cards are available in the market and each with different features and specifications. The most common types of fuel cards are: Branded Fuel Cards, Universal Fuel Cards and, Merchant Branded Cards. On the basis of type of vehicles, fuel cards are available for light fleets and heavy fleets.The global fuel card market has increased at a significant growth rate over the past few years and projections are made that the market would rise in the next four years i.e. 2017 to 2021. The global fuel card market is expected to increase on the back of rising demand for cashless fuel transactions, consolidation of the fragmented market, availability of a large number of value added services associated with fuel cards, etc. Yet the market faces some challenges such as rising competition from new entrants, changing legal framework, volatile oil prices, rising consumer expectations, etc.Table Of Content1. Executive Summary2. Introduction2.1 Overview of Fuel Card2.1.1 Types of Fuel CardOn the Basis of VehiclesOn the Basis of Enterprise2.1.2 Benefits of Fuel Card2.1.3 Major Fuel Card Providers3. Global Market Analysis3.1 Global Fuel Card Market Analysis3.1.1 Global Fuel Card Market by Value3.1.2 Global Fuel Card Addressable Market by Region3.1.3 Global Fuel Card Market Share by Region3.1.4 Global Light Fleet Fuel Card Penetration Rate by Region3.1.5 Global Heavy Fleet Fuel Card Penetration Rate by Region3.1.6 Global Fuel Card Addressable Market Segments by Region3.1.7 Global Revenue per Fleet CardRequest For Enquiry @4. Region/Country Analysis4.1 European Fuel Card Market Analysis4.1.1 European Fuel Card Market: An Outlook4.1.2 European Fuel Card Market by Value4.1.3 Northern Europe Fuel Card Market by Fuel Spending4.1.4 Western Europe Fuel Card Market by Fuel Spending4.1.5 Eastern Europe Fuel Card Market by Fuel Spending4.1.6 Southern Europe Fuel Card Market by Fuel Spending5. Market Dynamics5.1 Growth Drivers5.1.1 Availability of Host of Options5.1.2 Alleviation of Fuel Theft5.1.3 Cost Saving5.1.4 Rising Demand for Cashless Fuel Transactions5.1.6 Consolidation of Fragmented Market5.2 Challenges5.2.1 Rising Competition from New Entrants5.2.2 Changing Legal Frameworks5.2.3 Growing Consumer Expectations5.2.4 Fluctuating Oil Prices5.2.5 Limited Opportunities5.3 Market Trends5.3.1 Omnichannel Experience5.3.2 Loyalty Offering Programs5.3.3 Outsourcing of Fuel Card5.3.4 Technological Advancements5.3.5 Host Card Emulation6. Competitive Landscape6.1 The US Fuel Card Market Share by Players6.2 European Fuel Card Market by Key PlayersAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact usMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Latest Report on The Future & Scope of Artificial Intelligence in Banking

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"The Report The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Banking provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"The objectives of this study are as follows:To define, describe, and forecast the "Artificial Intelligence in Banking" market by type, application, component, delivery model, end user, and regionTo provide detailed information regarding major factors influencing market growth (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and industry-specific challenges)To analyze micromarkets with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and contributions to the overall marketTo analyze opportunities in the market for stakeholders and provide details of the competitive landscape for market leadersTo forecast the market size of market segments with respect to the four key regions: North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (RoW)To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their product portfolios, market positions, and core competenciesGet Sample Copy Of This Report @The Future of Artificial Intelligence in BankingSummary"The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Banking", report examines the most significant uses of AI in retail banking, in both front-office and back-office implementations.Artificial intelligence (AI) has reached the stage where it is sufficiently advanced and affordable to warrant practical implementation in financial services. Banks are busy exploring ways in which they can harness the power of AI to streamline internal processes and improve the customer experience. This report will explore what AI applications are relevant in banking at this time, examine where AI is already making an impact, and offer recommendations on how banks should proceed.The report offers insight into -- The particular manifestations of AI that have the most relevance for banking.- How leading banks are already implanting AI-based solutions.- The factors banks need to address when introducing AI applications.Scope- AI encompasses a wide range of technologies, including robotic process automation, natural language processing, advanced data analytics, and image analytics. Use of these technologies will help banks improve both front-office and back-office processes.- Customer-facing uses of AI include chatbots that improve communication between banks and their customers, advanced analytics that can offer proactive advice to consumers and take simple financial decisions on their behalf, and facial recognition that improves onboarding and makes it easier for consumers to log into their accounts.- Back-office AI implementations include algorithms that can identify and block cases of fraud and money laundering, and analysis of non-traditional data to assess the creditworthiness of borrowers who lack standard credit records.View Report @ Reasons to buy- Discover where AI will have the most impact upon the delivery of banking services.- Learn how your competitors are already using AI to improve customer outcomes and profitability.- Understand what issues you must resolve in order to successfully launch AI-based services.Table of Contents1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 31.1. Market summary 31.2. Key findings 31.3. Critical success factors 32. AI WILL TRANSFORM RETAIL BANKING 72.1. What is AI? 72.2. What impact will AI have on banks? 72.3. Which AI applications are relevant for banking? 82.3.1. RPA 82.3.2. NLP 92.3.3. Advanced data analytics 102.3.4. Image analytics 112.3.5. ML and deep learning 123. AI WILL IMPACT BANKING IN SEVERAL WAYS 133.1. Customer-facing implementations 133.1.1. Chatbots and virtual assistants 133.1.2. PFM 173.1.3. Identity verification using biometric data or document scanning 203.2. Back-office implementations 243.2.1. Anti-money laundering and fraud detection 243.2.2. Underwriting and credit assessment 26Request For Enquiry @ 4. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING AI 294.1. Improve data quality 294.2. Partner with fintech specialists 294.3. Plan for potential execution risks 304.3.1. Malfunctions and lack of efficacy 304.3.2. Algorithm bias 304.3.3. Lack of transparency 304.3.4. Data privacy issues 315. APPENDIX 325.1. Abbreviations and acronyms 325.2. Bibliography 325.3. Further reading 34About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact usMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
MENA Corrosion Protective Coatings And Acid Proof Lining Market Revenue Is Estimated To Be Valued At US$ 1,953.0 Mn By 2016 End, At A CAGR Of 4.9%

Corrosion Protective Coatings & Acid Proof Lining Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Corrosion Protective Coatings & Acid Proof Lining Market: Middle East and North Africa Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026" to its huge collection of research reports.Corrosion protective coatings and acid proof linings are used to protect surfaces against corrosion due to chemical or electrochemical reactions. Corrosion protective coatings are widely used in various end-user industries, such as marine, oil & gas, power generation, transportation vehicles, chemicals, mining & metallurgy, and water treatment.Market revenue from the MENA corrosion protective coatings and acid proof lining market is estimated to be valued at US$ 1,953.0 Mn by 2016 end, which is expected to increase at a CAGR of 4.9% over the forecast period 20162026.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Market DynamicsStrategic government initiatives to promote non-oil industries in the Middle East and North Africa in recent years is expected to be one of the major factors driving growth of the MENA corrosion protective coatings and acid proof linings market over the forecast period (20162026).Increasing activities in shipping, offshore repair and shipbuilding in the Middle East & North Africa in recent years are factors anticipated to drive demand for corrosion protective coatings in the region over the forecast period. Also, robust growth in end-user industries such as marine, oil & gas and chemicals in MENA is in turn expected to drive growth of the market in the region. On the other hand, major economies and industries in MENA region are still heavily dependent on crude oil production, export and fiscal revenue generated from it. Slump in crude oil prices in recent years has heavily affected the growth of major economies as well as industries in MENA region, in turn affecting the demand for corrosion protective coatings and acid proof linings. Slump in crude oil prices in recent years and the near future is anticipated to be the major restraint for growth of the MENA corrosion protective coatings and acid proof linings market. Key players in the MENA corrosion protective coatings and acid proof linings market focus on developing specialty coatings for rehabilitation of pipelines in order to capitalise on favourable growth opportunities related to the same. This is expected to be a major trend in the market over the next few years.MENA Corrosion Protective Coatings & Acid Proof Linings Market TaxonomyThe corrosion protective coatings & acid proof linings market in MENA is segmented as follows:- By Product Type- By End-user Industry- By CountryBy product type, the MENA corrosion protective coatings market is segmented into polymer coatings and rubber linings. Polymer coatings segment is further sub-segmented into epoxy, polyurethane, polyurea, alkyd, acrylic, fluoropolymer and vinyl ester & flake-filled vinyl ester. Polymer coatings segment is anticipated to dominate the market in terms of both volume and value over the forecast period. Rubber linings segment in the MENA corrosion protective coatings market is further sub-segmented into hard rubber lining systems and soft rubber lining systems. By product type, the MENA acid proof linings market is segmented into ceramic & carbon brick lining, tile lining, thermoplastic lining. On the basis of end-user industry, the MENA corrosion protective coatings and acid proof linings market is segmented into marine, oil & gas, power generation, transportation vehicles, chemicals, mining & metallurgy and water treatment.Get Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @MENA Corrosion Protective Coatings & Acid Proof Linings Market Analysis by Product TypePolymer coatings segment is projected to expand at a CAGR of 4.9% over the forecast period. Epoxy and polyurethane are expected to be the most preferred polymer coatings, primarily because of their multi-functionality, technical superiority, ease in availability and application. In terms of value, polyurea sub-segment is expected to witness significant growth, expanding at a CAGR of 5.9% over the forecast period.Country AnalysisOn the basis of country, the MENA corrosion protective coatings and acid proof linings market is segmented into United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Egypt and Jordan. Saudi Arabia is expected to dominate the market in terms of value and volume over the forecast period.Key PlayersKey players identified in this report are Cape RB Hilton Saudi Arabia Ltd., Hertel OTC, StonCor Middle East LLC, Kaefer LLC., REMA TIP TOP AG, KCC Corrosion Control Co., StonCor Middle East LLC, Anticorrosion Protective Systems L.L.C., Al Gurg Paints LLC., Ineco Limited, Global Suhaimi, Ocean Rubber Factory LLC, Hajjan Trading & Industrial Services Company Ltd. (HATCON), Rezayat Protective Coating Company Ltd., Al-sabaiea National Gen. Cont. & Gen. Trd. Co., Bahrain Rubber Company W.L.L., DicoTech Limited, General Industries Co., Ltd., FABA Commercial Services W.L.L., Beugin Industrie Sas, GARAY Group, Arcoy Morac SARL, Uniresins Proprietary Limited, GEAS RIVESTIMENTI s.r.l., Al Dobowi Limited, Aderan Dej Co., Ltd., Wisdom Group, Keran Wazin Sanat Co. , Binzagr Factory for Insulation Materials Co., Ltd., International Coatings Iran, Kasra Industrial Lining and Coating Company and Payesh Sanat Pooyesh (PSP) (Corrocoat).About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
The Middle East alone it is expected to invest over US$250 billion in new Railway Construction Projects

Railway Construction Projects: Middle East and Africa Market

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Pune, India, 27 November 2017: WiseGuyReports announced addition of new report, titled Project Insight - Railway Construction Projects: Middle East and Africa.The Middle East and Africa regions are likely to expand to their rail network in a big way. While investing in new Metro systems and new railroad and sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Nigeria and Tanzania, the infrastructure of railways increases their population and increases wealth. In the Middle East, only 250 billion dollars will be spent on various railway projects in the next decade, so that the new railway will expand to 67,000 kilometers.The railway construction projects in the Middle East and Africa with a total value of US$543.5 billion, including project from announced to execution stage, says report study.Report studies provide analysis based on CIC projects that show total project values for Middle East and Africa markets and analysis from Space and funding for the top 10 countries. Country, stage, price, km Top 50 projects have been listed for length and area known for railways. The list of top participants in this area is also shown to leading contractors, consultant engineers and project owners.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Saudi Arabia accounts for highest value of railway projects with US$77.1 billion.Based on the total value of this project, the companies are the top contractors in this field, China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) and then Yapi Merkezi Holding Inc After that, the plans for all projects will be considered, annual expenditure on 162 projects is expected to reach US $ 86.7 billion in 2019. In the pre-planning phase, the project was $ 103.1 billion, while planning phase projects amounted to 102.2 billion US dollars.Even study explains that, Public investment is responsible for the funding of the largest scale projects, with 56% combined public and private funding, 41% and the remaining 3% projects financially only through private funding.The Railway Construction Projects report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the international and regional major industry players in detail. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2017-2022 market shares for each company.The Railway Construction Projects market report comprises an elaborated executive summary, which includes market snapshot that provides information about various segments of the market. The study also provides information and data analysis of the market with respect to market segments based on media type, end-user, and geography. The market overview section of the report analyzes market dynamics such as drivers, restraints and opportunities that influences the culture media market in the current and future scenario.The region cover in the report are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Nigeria, Qatar, Egypt, Algeria, Kuwait, Tanzania, The UAE, and Tunisia.For accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Latest Report on Automotive Lubricants Market Size & Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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The report analyzes and presents an overview of "Automotive Lubricants Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024" worldwide.The objectives of this study are as follows:To define, describe, and forecast the "Automotive Lubricants" market by type, application, component, delivery model, end user, and regionTo provide detailed information regarding major factors influencing market growth (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and industry-specific challenges)To analyze micromarkets with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and contributions to the overall marketTo analyze opportunities in the market for stakeholders and provide details of the competitive landscape for market leadersTo forecast the market size of market segments with respect to the four key regions: North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (RoW)To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their product portfolios, market positions, and core competenciesGet Sample Copy Of This Report @Global Automotive Lubricants Market: OverviewAutomotive lubricants are predominantly used to reduce friction and gain smooth functioning of a vehicle. Examples of automotive lubricant products are engine oil, gear oil, transmission fluid, greases, coolants, bearing oil, brake fluid, etc. Engine oil is estimated to expand at a significant rate during the forecast period due to increasing number of vehicles. Stringent environmental regulations on emissions across the globe is estimated to influence use of synthetic or bio-based lubricants over mineral oil based lubricants. Asia Pacific is likely to have a major share in consumption of automotive lubricants during the forecast period.Global Automotive Lubricants Market: Scope of the StudyThe report estimates and forecasts the automotive lubricants market on the global and regional levels. The study provides forecast between 2016 and 2024 based on volume (million tons / kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Bn / US$ Mn) with 2015 as the base year. The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the segments. It provides a comprehensive view of the market. Value chain analysis also offers detailed information about value addition at each stage.The study includes drivers and restraints for the automotive lubricants market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. It also provides key market indicators affecting the growth of the market.Further, the report analyzes opportunities in the automotive lubricants market on the global and regional level. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities mentioned in the report are justified through quantitative and qualitative data. These have been verified through primary and secondary resources. Furthermore, the report analyzes substitute analysis of automotive lubricants and global average price trend analysis.View Report @Global Automotive Lubricants Market: Research MethodologyThe report includes Porters Five Forces Model to determine the degree of competition in the automotive lubricants market. The report comprises a qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-users and regions have been analyzed based on attractiveness for each region. Growth rate, market size, raw material availability, profit margin, impact strength, technology, competition, and other factors (such as environmental and legal) have been evaluated in order to derive the general attractiveness of the market. The report comprises price trend analysis for automotive lubricants between 2016 and 2024.Secondary research sources that were typically referred to include, but were not limited to, company websites, financial reports, annual reports, investor presentations, broker reports, and SEC filings. Other sources such as internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases and market reports, news articles, national government documents, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market have also been referred for the report.In-depth interviews and discussions with a wide range of key opinion leaders and industry participants were conducted to compile this research report. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. Key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents were reviewed for competitive analysis and market understanding. This helped in validating and strengthening secondary research findings. Primary research further helped in developing the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.Global Automotive Lubricants Market: SegmentationThe study provides a comprehensive view of the automotive lubricants market by dividing it into product, base oil, vehicle type, distribution channel, and geography segments. The products have been segmented into engine oil, gear oil and transmission fluid. The base oils are segmented into mineral oil, synthetic oil and bio-based oil.Based on the vehicle type, the market is segmented into passenger car (PC), light-weight commercial vehicle (LCV) and heavy-weight commercial vehicle (HCV). The distribution channels are segmented into OEM and aftermarket. These segments have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends.Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast consumption of automotive lubricants in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Market segmentation includes demand for consumption in all the regions individually.Companies Mentioned in the ReportThe report covers detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and profiles of key players operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Royal Dutch Shell plc, ExxonMobil Corporation, BP p.l.c., Chevron Corporation and Others. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, number of employees, brand overview, key competitors, business overview, business strategies, recent/key developments, acquisitions, and financial overview (wherever applicable).Request For Enquiry @ The global refinery catalysts market has been segmented as follows:Automotive Lubricants Market  Product AnalysisEngine oilGear oilTransmission fluidAutomotive Lubricants Market  Base oil AnalysisMineral oilSynthetic oilBio-based fluidAutomotive Lubricants Market  Vehicle type AnalysisPassenger car (PC)Light-weight Commercial Vehicle (LCV)Heavy-weight Commercial Vehicle (HCV)Automotive Lubricants Market  Distribution channel AnalysisOriginal Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)AftermarketAutomotive Lubricants Market  Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeU.K.FranceGermanyItalySpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaGCCSouth AfricaRest of Middle East & AfricaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaCheck Discount @Table Of Content1. Preface1.1. Report Scope and Market Segmentation1.2. Research Highlights2. Assumptions and Research Methodology2.1. Assumptions and Acronyms Used2.2. Research Methodology3. Executive Summary3.1. Market Snapshot, Indicative (US$ Bn)3.2. Top 3 Trends4. Market Overview4.1. Product Overview4.2. Market Indicators5. Market Dynamics5.1. Drivers and Restraints Snapshot Analysis5.1.1. Drivers5.1.2. Restraints5.1.3. Opportunities5.2. Global Automotive Lubricants Market Analysis and Forecast5.3. Porters Analysis5.3.1. Threat of Substitutes5.3.2. Bargaining Power of Buyers5.3.3. Bargaining Power of Suppliers5.3.4. Threat of New Entrants5.3.5. Degree of Competition5.4. Value Chain Analysis5.5. Automotive Lubricants Market Outlook6. Global Automotive Lubricants Market Analysis, by Product6.1. Key Findings6.2. Introduction6.3. Product Comparison Matrix6.4. Global Automotive Lubricants Market Value Share Analysis, by Product6.4.1. Engine oil6.4.2. Gear oil6.4.3. Transmission fluid6.5. Automotive Lubricants Market Forecast, by Product6.6. Automotive Lubricants Market Analysis, by Product6.7. Automotive Lubricants Market Attractiveness Analysis, by Product6.8. Key TrendsAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact usMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Injectable Drug Delivery Devices Market - Classification of Industry & Forecast 2018 - 2023

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Market HighlightsThe Injectable Drug Delivery Devices Market was estimated at $ 350.2 billion in 2016.The injectable drug delivery devices are used to deliver the medication into the blood stream. The injectable drug delivery devices market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 11.8% owning to increasing prevalence of cancer and diabetes. According to WHO, The number of people with diabetes had risen to 422 million in 2014 , 14.1 million cancer cases was registered around the world in 2012 and this is expected to increase up to 24 million by 2035. Increasing prevalence of other chronic diseases, technological advances and many advantages of the injectable drug delivery method has uplifted the growth of the market. However, availability of alternative delivery devices and high risk of blood-borne infections have restrained the growth of the market.Get a Sample Report @Segmentation:Global injectable drug delivery devices market is segmented on the basis of type into devices and formulation. Devices are further segmented into self- injection devices and conventional injection devices. By formulation, they are sub segmented into conventional drug delivery, novel drug delivery and others. On the basis of application, the market is segmented into immune disorder, cancer, diabetes, and other. And on the basis of end users the market is segmented into hospitals, homecare, clinics, and other.Competitive AnalysisThe major key player for the global injectable drug delivery devices market are Becton, Dickinson and Company (US), Baxter International (US), Schott AG (Germany), Eli Lilly and Company (US), Pfizer (US), Gerresheimer AG (Germany), Terumo Corporation (Japan), Antares Pharma, Inc. (US), Novo Nordik (Denmark), Sanofi SA (France), Unilife Corporation (US), Zogenix, Inc (US), Hospira, Inc (US), Presage Bioscience (US), MicroCHIPS, Inc (US), Pearl Therapeutics Inc (US), Genentech Inc. (US), Bend Research (US)Global injectable drug delivery devices market is saturated by the presence of a number of small and medium sized companies. Some of them are focusing on the development of new products for the treatment, while some of leading companies in this market are collaborating with local companies in order to minimize the competition and increase the product rangeOrder Single User License Copy of 80 Premium Pages is Available @Becton, Dickinson and Company is an America multination company headquartered in New Jersey. 60% of company sales were generated from non-U.S. markets. As company is trying to develop their market in other countries. Company has launched a number of products like insulin pen and other injectable needles. HyFlow is the self-injection with thin wall needle used in the delivery of highly viscous drug formulations. Physioject, Libertas, Intevia are some of the auto injector manufactured by the company. There is 4% grow in the companys market in 2016.Eli Lilly and Company is an US headquartered. Company is focusing on development of new innovation center with a focus on drug delivery devices. It is expected to double its revenues from device-enabled products by 2020.Brief TOCIntroductionResearch MethodologyMarket DynamicsMarket Factor AnalysisGlobal Injectable Drug Delivery Devices, By Route Of AdministrationGlobal Injectable Drug Delivery Devices, By DevicesGlobal Injectable Drug Delivery Devices, By UtilityGlobal Injectable Drug Delivery Devices, By End UsersGlobal Injectable Drug Delivery Devices, By RegionCompetitive LandscapeCompany ProfileConclusionAppendixAsk to Expert @About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
South-East Asia Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Therapeutics Market is Anticipated to Grow at a Robust CAGR of 6.3% During 2016-2023

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Therapeutics

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Therapeutics in South-East Asia Markets to 2023 - Increasing Usage of Newer Therapies and Expanding Treatment Population to Encourage Robust Growth" to its huge collection of research reports.Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by chronic hyperglycemia - high blood glucose levels - that results from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or a combination of these. Chronic hyperglycemia is associated with the long-term damage, dysfunction and failure of multiple organs including the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and blood vessels. Prevalence of the disease has risen rapidly in recent decades in the assessed South-East Asia countries, primarily as a result of rising obesity, a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This has resulted in a large and competitive market landscape, with a number of drugs vying for various market segments across multiple lines of therapy.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @T2DM treatment has been revolutionized in the past decade, especially with the increased use of new therapies. The marketed products landscape comprises a wide range of treatment options, including biguanide (metformin), sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, GLP-1 receptor agonist, DPP-4 inhibitor, SGLT-2 inhibitor, and insulin therapies. Nevertheless, significant unmet need remains for products that can offer better glycemic control, as well as the prevention and cure of diabetic complications, such as diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy, and cardiovascular disease.ScopeThe current T2DM market in South-East Asia contains novel products, including Jardiance, a SGLT-2 inhibitor; Victoza, a GLP-1 receptor agonist; and Januvia, a DPP-4 inhibitor.- What are the competitive advantages of the existing novel drugs?- There are over 609 active pipeline molecules, with most of the late-stage investigational drug candidates featuring improved dosing regimens and administration routes compared with currently marketed products and combination therapies.- Which classes of novel drugs are most prominent in the pipeline?- Is there potential for pipeline molecules to address unmet needs within the T2DM market?Analysis of clinical trials since 2006 identified that the failure rates of T2DM molecules were highest in Phase III, at 62.1%, with the overall attrition rate for T2DM standing at 88.3%.- How do failure rates vary by product stage of development, molecule type, and mechanism of action?- How do other factors, such as average trial duration and trial size, influence the costs and risks associated with product development?- Over the 2016-2023 forecast period, the T2DM therapeutics market in South-East Asia is expected to increase in value at a CAGR of 6.3%, from $1.92 billion to over $2.96 billion.- Which markets make the most significant contribution to the regional market size?- What are the epidemiology trends in these markets?- Will new market entrants lead to substantial changes in annual therapy costs?- How will different treatment usage patterns impact growth in the eight assessed South-East Asia markets?Rising T2DM prevalence and the uptake of newer therapies will lead to significant market growth over the forecast period, despite generic sales erosion resulting from patent expirations.- Will patent expirations or emerging pipeline molecules threaten the commercial success of existing drugs?Get Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @Reasons to buy- Understand the clinical context of T2DM by considering symptoms, etiology, pathophysiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment options.- Identify the therapeutic strategies, products, and companies that dominate the current marketed product landscape and recognize gaps and areas of unmet need.- Identify key pipeline trends in molecule type, administration route, mechanism of action, and novelty.- Consider market opportunities and potential risks by examining trends in T2DM clinical trial size, duration, and failure rate by stage of development, molecule type, and mechanism of action.- Recognize the late-stage pipeline molecules that have demonstrated strong therapeutic potential in T2DM by examining clinical trial data and multi-scenario product forecast projections.- Compare treatment usage patterns, annual therapy costs, and market growth projections for South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.- Discover trends in licensing and co-development deals concerning T2DM products, and identify the major strategic consolidations that have shaped the commercial landscape.About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
ONWARD HOLDINGS CONTRACT PARKING IS BRILLIANT FOR JA SERVICES

Growing road haulage firm JA Services has reported a huge improvement in its operations since moving the Yorkshire base for its fleet of vehicles to Onward Holdings Ltds new quality site for HGV parking in Featherstone.JA Services, established in 2015 by director Jakub Adelman, is leasing four parking spaces within 2.5 miles of junction 31 of the M62 in Yorkshire  one of the UKs most sought-after distribution and manufacturing locations.Delivering to the retail sector, JA Services had problems with its original yard due to a gravelly and dusty surface, which meant its trucks were constantly getting dirty, as well as security because often the firms drivers would arrive to find its parking spaces were occupied by other vehicles whose drivers were stopping overnight.Mr Adelman says his drivers, who are all based around Leeds and Wakefield, are delighted with the move to the new secure facilities offered by Onward Holdings, which has improved their working conditions and the performance of the business.He added: The location is brilliant for us as its a straight link on to the major motorway networks. My drivers are very impressed with the new facility which is very modern, has a great lighting system and a toilet on site. The service from Onward Holdings has been first class.Onward Holdings quality HGV parking represents a golden opportunity for fleet operators requiring a northern base for their vehicles. It will significantly boost the options for haulage companies needing a cost-effective parking solution.The location is ideally placed for fleet operators to take advantage of the recent multi-million pound investment promised by Associated British Ports in the Port of Hull - sure to increase business in the area, particularly in the logistics sector.The site is ideal for HGV fleet operators and owner-drivers who need a regular facility to store their vehicles securely overnight or for a variable amount of time. The site has space for a sizable number of HGVs with further capacity expected in the future. Vehicle safety is paramount at the site which is equipped with electronic gates, CCTV cameras and a full remote monitoring system.There are various contract options available to haulage operators, ranging from monthly to discounted annual contracts. This flexibility will be a great boon for those companies that are bound by seasonal variances in their workload and may not to wish to commit themselves to long-term contracts.Set in one of the most important warehouse and distribution locations, the site offers parking close to many national and international online businesses as well as being within a short distance of the M62 with links to other major motorway networks. It could even become the permanent operating base for fleet operators with long term vision.Onward Holdings says it is experiencing a high volume of enquiries from businesses like JA Services looking to develop or expand in the north of England. Increasing demand from third party logistics providers has seen its warehouses being snapped up quickly and it is likely that the parking will follow suit.Family-run Onward Holdings specialises in operating highly competitively-priced industrial warehousing, in the north of England as well as retail parks and now secure, HGV parking.Onward Holdings is a fourth generation, family-run business founded in 1930 which is renowned for developing and operating warehousing and industrial units. This includes the provision of bespoke or shared multi-sized warehouse facilities in the M62/M1/A1 corridor of West Yorkshire.In addition to offering warehousing and fulfilment services at its sites, the business has developed a former coal mine near Barnsley into a gleaming new retail park. ONYX Retail Park, comprising 17,500 square feet of retail space, is based in Wath-Upon-Dearne and is located at the former Manvers main colliery, an area of major regeneration.Neil StoreyDirectorOnward ParkPhoenix AvenueGreen Lane Industrial ParkFeatherstoneWest YorkshireWF7 6EPTel: 01977 614007
Uterine Sarcoma Market - Future Scope of Industry & Forecast 2018 - 2023

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Market Scenario:The Global Uterine Sarcoma Market is expected to grow at an approximate CAGR of 8.5% from 2017 to 2023.Sarcomas are the tumours of the mesenchymal tissues like bone, muscle, connective tissue, cartilage and fat. Uterine sarcoma is a rare type of cancer which starts in the muscle and supporting tissues of the uterus. Exposure to the X-rays increases the risk for uterine sarcoma. Unusual vaginal bleeding, spotting, or discharge are some of the common symptoms for the disease. Increasing prevalence of the uterine sarcoma and growing female geriatric population are the major drivers for the market growth during the forecast period, 2017-2023.In 2017, according to the American Cancer Society, 4,910 new cases of uterine sarcomas were reported in the U.S. Moreover, according to the World Bank, the female population which aged over 65 years rose from 316.27 billion to 347.25 billion in 2016. Additionally, rising healthcare expenditures and increasing awareness regarding women health is expected to boost the market growth. However, high cost of treatment and related side effects are the factors that can restrain the market growth.Get a Sample Report @Chemotherapy is extensively exploited for the therapeutics of the uterine sarcoma. Some of the side effects of the chemotherapy are inclusive of hair loss, anemia, reduced fertility, and others.Key players for global uterine sarcoma marketPfizer Inc. (U.S.), Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (India), FMC Corporation (U.S.), Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (India), Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. (U.S.), General Electric Company (U.S.), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (the Netherlands), Siemens Healthcare Private Limited (Germany), and others.Regional AnalysisAmerica dominates the global uterine sarcoma market owing to increasing adoption of new technologies and huge patient population. Additionally, rising healthcare expenditure and presence of a developed healthcare sector within the region fuels the market growth.Europe is the second largest market for uterine sarcoma owing to rising research and development in healthcare sector and huge patient population. By region, Europe is divided into Western Europe and Eastern Europe. The presence of developed economies like France, Germany, Italy have made the Western Europe to lead the market within the region. On the other hand, Eastern Europe is the fastest growing region in Europe.Asia Pacific region is also regarded to be the fastest growing market. Increasing awareness for women health and growing healthcare sector are the major drivers for the market growth within the region. Moreover, the presence of the developing countries like the India and China within the region fuels the market growth. According to the Indian Brand Equity Foundation in 2017, the Indian healthcare sector was one of the fastest growing industries in India and is expected to advance at a CAGR of 22.87% from 2015-2020.Order Single User License Copy of 90 Premium Pages is Available @The Middle East & Africa has the least share in the global uterine sarcoma market due to presence of poor economies and stringent government policies, especially in the African region. Majority of the market of Middle & Africa region is held by the Middle East due to a well-developed healthcare sector and huge healthcare expenditure by the presence of the economies like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar within the region.Brief TOCChapter 1. Report PrologueChapter 2. Market IntroductionChapter 3. Research MethodologyChapter 4. Market DynamicsChapter 5. Market Factor AnalysisChapter 6. Global Uterine Sarcoma Market, by TypeChapter 7. Global Uterine Sarcoma Market, by DiagnosisChapter 8. Global Uterine Sarcoma Market, by TreatmentChapter 9. Global Uterine Sarcoma Market, by End UserChapter 10. Global Uterine Sarcoma Market, by RegionChapter 11. Company LandscapeChapter 12 Company ProfilesChapter 13 MRFR ConclusionChapter 14 AppendixAsk to Expert @About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Cancer Diagnostics Market Research, Demand, Trends, Global Industry Analysis, Growth and Forecast 2024

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Global Cancer Diagnostics Market is expected to reach USD 40.10 billion by 2024 from USD 16.55 billion in 2016, at a CAGR of 11.7% in the forecast period 2017 to 2024. The new market report contains data for historic years 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024. Cancer diagnostics market has the largest market segment in drug delivery market.The global cancer diagnostics market is highly concentrated to a few big players and rest to local players who cater to domestic markets only. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. dominated the cancer diagnostics market, by platform based accounting for the highest market share in 2016, followed by Illumina, Inc. and Roche Diagnostics. GE Healthcare dominated the cancer diagnostics market, by imaging accounting for the highest market share in 2016, followed by Siemens Healthcare GmbH and Hologic, Inc. Other players in this market include Agilent Technologies, Abbott, Becton, Dickinson and Company, and Koninklijke Philips N.V., among others holds 24.7% of the global cancer diagnostics market in 2016.Get Sample Copy at: -Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc,:Founded in 2006 as Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc, and head quartered in Massachusetts, U.S. is focused on developing, manufacturing and sales of medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment and diagnostic products. The company operates through four business segments: laboratory products and services, life sciences and solutions, analytical instruments and specialty diagnostic.Recent Developments: In June 2017, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. established a partnership with the Institute Of Medical Genetics and Pathology at University Hospital Basel. In March 2017, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. introduced the QuantStudio 5 Real-Time PCR System, designed to use with HID real time PCR analysis that optimises the use by reducing the cost and increasing efficiency.Illumina Inc.:Founded in 1998 and headquartered in San Diego, USA. Illumina, inc. is engaged in the development, manufacturing and market integration for analysis of genetic variation and biological function. The company operates through three business segments, namely research, applied science and clinical. The research segment includes the Molecular Biological research tool, Applied Genomics Solutions, Oncology, Microbial Genomics and Genomics in Drug Development. The Applied Science segment of company offers Forensic Genomics, Commercial Agricultural Applications, Molecular Epidemiology and Biobank Analysis Solution. The clinical segment includes Molecular Diagnostics, Reproductive and Genetic Health, Translational Research and others.Recent Developments: In June 2017, Illumina Inc. announced the FDA approval of Extended RAS Panel for the evaluation of colorectal cancer from the American Cancer Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). In April 2017, Illumina Inc. reported the launch of the VeriSeq NIPT solution, based on CE-IVD marked next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach for the non invasive pre-natal testing (NIPT), also including CE-IVD marked library prep and analysis software.Request For TOC at: -GE Healthcare:Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Chicago, U.S. GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services. GE healthcare operates through three business segments healthcare systems, life sciences, and healthcare digital.Recent Developments: In March 2017, GE Healthcare introduced its latest product positron emission tomography/ computed tomography IQ PET/CT in Egypt for early detection of cancer and track patients responses to cancer treatment. In March 2017, GE Healthcare launched Clariscan (gadoteric acid) at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) meeting in Europe to detect abnormalities in the brain, spine and associated tissues.Simens Healthcare GmbH:Founded in 1847 and headquartered in Erlangen, Germany. Siemens Healthcare GmbH is engaged in medical technologies. The company operates through different business segments, such as medical imaging, laboratory diagnostic, point of care testing, healthcare IT services, and clinical specialities & diseases. The clinical specialties & diseases segment includes cardiology, neurology, oncology, surgery, women health and others. In oncology, Siemens Healthcare GmbH provides Imaging, Laboratory Diagnostics, Virtual MR/Ultrasound Guidance for TRUS Assisted Prostate Biopsy and others.Recent Developments: In May 2016, Siemens Healthcare GmbH acquired NEO New Oncology AG. With this acquisition Siemens Healthcare will expand its portfolio with molecular testing related services and technologies for oncology and genomicsAccess Full Report:About us:Data Bridge set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchOffice Number 402, Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road, HadapsarPune  411028
Global 4K2K TV Industry Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares, Forecast, Analysis & Outlook (2016-2020)

4K2K TV Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global 4K2K TV Market: Industry Analysis & Outlook (2016-2020)" to its huge collection of research reports.Display Resolution, also known as screen resolution, is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed. It is identified by the width and height of the image as well as the total number of pixels in the image. There are number of display resolution present today like high definition TVs, full HD TVs and many more. In terms of television resolution, 4K is the latest technology.4K resolution, also called 4K, refers to a horizontal resolution on the order of approximately 4,000 pixels and vertical resolution on the order of 2,000 pixels. Television systems with 4k resolutions are regarded as ultra-high definition systems. The 4K2K TVs have become the most popular choice today mainly because it provides picture clarity, better image debt & color handling, and a more cinematic and immersive experience.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Asia pacific is the largest market of 4K2K TVs. It is the manufacturing hub for 4K2K TVs and the region is home to all the leading vendors of IC drivers, panel displays, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). All the latest innovation and technological developments in the TV market comes from Asia Pacific.The key factors driving growth of the 4K2K TV market includes increase in the 4K2K panel shipments, falling average selling price, greater adoption rate year after year, rising popularity of 4K UHD content, growing awareness about the 4K technology and rise in middle class population and lifestyle. However, market growth is hindered by the factors such as limited adoption of 4K2K technology in 48 inch TV sets and high costs of 4K2K TVs. The major trends featuring the market includes rising proportion of 4K2K TV Panels using RGBW technology, use of LED backlighting in 4K2K TVs and entry of new Chinese vendors in the market.The report offers an in-depth analysis of the Global 4K2K TV Market with special focus on Asia Pacific. It covers the regional and global aspect of the market. The top notch players in the market exhibit a very close competition. The report profiles Samsung, Panasonic, LG Electronics and Hisense.Table of Content1. Market Overview1.1 Resolution1.2 Common TV Resolution1.3 4K2K TV Resolution2. Global 4K2K TV Market2.1 Global 4K2K TV Market by Value2.2 Global 4K2K TV Market Forecast by Value2.3 Global 4K2K TV Market by Shipment Volume2.4 Global 4K2K TV Market Forecast by Shipment Volume2.5 Global 4K2K TV Market Volume by Region2.6 Global 4K2K TV Market by Penetration Rate2.7 Global 4K22K TV Market Penetration Rate by TypeGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @3. Regional 4K2K TV Market Analysis3.1 Asia Pacific3.1.1 Asia Pacific 4K2K TV Market by Shipment Volume3.1.2 Asia Pacific 4K2K TV Market Forecast by Shipment Volume3.1.3 Asia Pacific 4K2K TV Market Volume by Country3.1.4 China 4K2K TV Market by Shipment Volume3.1.5 China 4K2K TV Market Forecast by Shipment Volume3.1.6 Korea 4K2K TV Market by Shipment Volume3.1.7 Korea 4K2K TV Market Forecast by Shipment Volume3.1.8 Japan 4K2K TV Market by Shipment Volume3.1.9 Japan 4K2K TV Market Forecast by Shipment Volume3.2 The Americas3.2.1 The Americas 4K2K TV Market by Shipment Volume3.2.2 The Americas 4K2K TV Market Forecast by Shipment Volume4. Market Dynamics4.1 Growth Drivers4.1.1 Rise in Global LCD TV Panel Shipment4.1.2 Decline in Average Selling Price (ASP) of 4K2K TVs4.1.3 Rising Popularity of 4K HD Content4.1.4 Growing Awareness about 4K Technology4.1.5 Rise in Middle Class Population and Living Standards4.1.6 Rise in Number of Urban Households4.1.7 Rise in Global GDP Per Capita4.2 Key Trends and Developments4.2.1 Increase in 4K2K TV IC Driver Demand4.2.2 Rising Proportion off 4K2K TV Panels using RGBW Technology4.2.3 Entry of Several Players from China & Other Asian Regions in Market4.2.4 Increasing Usage of LED for Backlighting in 4K2K TVs4.3 Challenges and Issues4.3.1 Limited 4K2K Adoption in Smaller Size TV Sets4.3.2 High Cost of 4K2K TVs5. Competitive Landscape5.1 Revenue Comparison5.2 Market Cap ComparisonContinue...About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
VHF Radio Market Technology Overview and Scope 2018

VHF Radio Market

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HTF MI published a new industry research that focuses on VHF Radio market and delivers in-depth market analysis and future prospects of Global VHF Radio market. The study covers significant data which makes the research document a handy resource for managers, analysts, industry experts and other key people get ready-to-access and self-analyzed study along with graphs and tables to help understand market trends, drivers and market challenges. The study is segmented by Application/ end users [Marine & Land], products type [Fixed-mount & Handheld] and various important geographies like North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific etc].Get Access to sample pages @The research covers the current market size of the Global VHF Radio market and its growth rates based on 5 year history data along with company profile of key players/manufacturers. The in-depth information by segments of VHF Radio market helps monitor future profitability & to make critical decisions for growth. The information on trends and developments, focuses on markets and materials, capacities, technologies, CAPEX cycle and the changing structure of the Global VHF Radio Market.The study provides company profiling, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information of key manufacturers of Global VHF Radio Market, some of them listed here are Icom Inc., StandardHorizon, Cobra, Uniden, Raymarine (FLIR Systems), Entel Group, JVCKENWOOD, Jotron, Navico & SAILOR (Satcom Global). The market is growing at a very rapid pace and with rise in technological innovation, competition and M&A activities in the industry many local and regional vendors are offering specific application products for varied end-users. The new manufacturer entrants in the market are finding it hard to compete with the international vendors based on quality, reliability, and innovations in technology.Global VHF Radio (Thousands Units) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type such as Fixed-mount & Handheld. Further the research study is segmented by Application such as Marine & Land with historical and projected market share and compounded annual growth rate.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of VHF Radio in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), covering North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific etc and its Share (%) and CAGR for the forecasted period 2017 to 2022.Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @There are 15 Chapters to display the Global VHF Radio market.Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of VHF Radio, Applications of VHF Radio, Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of VHF Radio, Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific etc, VHF Radio Segment Market Analysis (by Type);Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the VHF Radio Segment Market Analysis (by Application) Major Manufacturers Analysis of VHF Radio;Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [Fixed-mount & Handheld], Market Trend by Application [Marine & Land];Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of Global VHF Radio;Chapter 12,13, 14 and 15, to describe VHF Radio sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.Get customization & check discount for report @What this Research Study Offers:Global VHF Radio Market share assessments for the regional and country level segmentsMarket share analysis of the top industry playersStrategic recommendations for the new entrantsMarket forecasts for a minimum of 5 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional marketsMarket Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimationsCompetitive landscaping mapping the key common trendsCompany profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developmentsSupply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsBuy this research report @Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsThanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.Connect with us atHTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact us :HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA  08837sales@htfmarketreport.com+1 (206) 317 1218
Canola Oil Global Market Top Key Players  Louis Dreyfus Company , ADM , Cargill , Bunge , Richardson Oilseed and Forecast to 2022

Canola Oil Market

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Global Canola Oil MarketDescriptionWiseGuyReports.Com adds Global Canola Oil Market Research Report 2017 Research To Its Database.Global Canola Oil Market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingLouis Dreyfus CompanyADMCargillBungeRichardson OilseedViterraAl GhurairCHSPacific Coast Canola (PCC)OliyarWilmar InternationalCOFCOChinatex CorporationMaple Grain and Oil IndustryHSGCZhongshengAllstarH-BestYingcheng Oil CompanyDaodaoquanGet sample Report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Canola Oil in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoCold-pressed Canola OilExtracted Canola OilOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Canola Oil for each application, includingFood IndustryBiofuelsOleo ChemicalsOtherEnquiry About Report @Table of Contents -Major Key PointsGlobal Canola Oil Market Research Report 20171 Canola Oil Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Canola Oil1.2 Canola Oil Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Canola Oil Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Canola Oil Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Cold-pressed Canola Oil1.2.4 Extracted Canola Oil1.3 Global Canola Oil Segment by Application1.3.1 Canola Oil Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Food Industry1.3.3 Biofuels1.3.4 Oleo Chemicals1.3.5 Other1.4 Global Canola Oil Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Canola Oil Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Canola Oil (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Canola Oil Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Canola Oil Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)..7 Global Canola Oil Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Louis Dreyfus Company7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Canola Oil Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Louis Dreyfus Company Canola Oil Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 ADM7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Canola Oil Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 ADM Canola Oil Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Cargill7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Canola Oil Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Cargill Canola Oil Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Bunge7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Canola Oil Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Bunge Canola Oil Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Richardson Oilseed7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Canola Oil Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Richardson Oilseed Canola Oil Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Viterra7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Canola Oil Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Viterra Canola Oil Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Al Ghurair7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Canola Oil Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Al Ghurair Canola Oil Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 CHS7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Canola Oil Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 CHS Canola Oil Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview..CONTINUEDAbout UsWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, Industry research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)
Motorcycle Infotainment System Market 2018 Global Key Players: Harman, Garmin, TomTom, Clarion,.

Motorcycle Infotainment System Market

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Motorcycle Infotainment System Market:WiseGuyReports.com adds Motorcycle Infotainment System Market 2018 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2025reports to its database.Executive SummaryThis report studies the global Motorcycle Infotainment System market, analyzes and researches the Motorcycle Infotainment System development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeHarmanGarminTomTomClarion...Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoTwo-wheeler MotorcyclesTrikesMarket segment by Application, Motorcycle Infotainment System can be split intoOEMsAftermarketIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Request Sample Report @Table of content:Global Motorcycle Infotainment System Market Size, Status and Forecast 20251 Industry Overview of Motorcycle Infotainment System1.1 Motorcycle Infotainment System Market Overview1.1.1 Motorcycle Infotainment System Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Motorcycle Infotainment System Market Size and Analysis by Regions (2013-2018)1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Motorcycle Infotainment System Market by Type1.3.1 Two-wheeler Motorcycles1.3.2 Trikes1.4 Motorcycle Infotainment System Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 OEMs1.4.2 Aftermarket2 Global Motorcycle Infotainment System Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Motorcycle Infotainment System Market Size (Value) by Players (2013-2018)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Harman3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Motorcycle Infotainment System Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Garmin3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Motorcycle Infotainment System Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 TomTom3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Motorcycle Infotainment System Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Clarion3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Motorcycle Infotainment System Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.4.5 Recent Developments4 Global Motorcycle Infotainment System Market Size by Type and Application (2013-2018)4.1 Global Motorcycle Infotainment System Market Size by Type (2013-2018)4.2 Global Motorcycle Infotainment System Market Size by Application (2013-2018)4.3 Potential Application of Motorcycle Infotainment System in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of Motorcycle Infotainment System11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2018-2025)11.1 Global Motorcycle Infotainment System Market Size (Value) by Regions (2018-2025)11.1.1 United States Motorcycle Infotainment System Revenue and Growth Rate (2018-2025)11.1.2 EU Motorcycle Infotainment System Revenue and Growth Rate (2018-2025)11.1.3 Japan Motorcycle Infotainment System Revenue and Growth Rate (2018-2025)11.1.4 China Motorcycle Infotainment System Revenue and Growth Rate (2018-2025)11.1.5 India Motorcycle Infotainment System Revenue and Growth Rate (2018-2025)11.1.6 Southeast Asia Motorcycle Infotainment System Revenue and Growth Rate (2018-2025)11.2 Global Motorcycle Infotainment System Market Size (Value) by Type (2018-2025)11.3 Global Motorcycle Infotainment System Market Size by Application (2018-2025)12 Motorcycle Infotainment System Market Dynamics12.1 Motorcycle Infotainment System Market Opportunities12.2 Motorcycle Infotainment System Challenge and Risk12.2.1 Competition from Opponents12.2.2 Downside Risks of Economy12.3 Motorcycle Infotainment System Market Constraints and Threat12.3.1 Threat from Substitute12.3.2 Government Policy12.3.3 Technology Risks12.4 Motorcycle Infotainment System Market Driving Force12.4.1 Growing Demand from Emerging Markets12.4.2 Potential Application13 Market Effect Factors Analysis13.1 Technology Progress/Risk13.1.1 Substitutes13.1.2 Technology Progress in Related Industry13.2 Consumer Needs Trend/Customer Preference13.3 External Environmental Change13.3.1 Economic Fluctuations13.3.2 Other Risk Factors14 Research Finding/Conclusion15 AppendixContinuousFor further information on this report, visit Contact Us:Norah Trentsales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US); +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. 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2017 Global SerDes Market Research Report with Top Players : Cypress, Semtech

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "2017 Global SerDes Market Research Report" to its huge collection of research reports.The newly added research study on the global market for SerDes slices and dices it in every possible way to unravel key facts about it. The report presents the various factors serving to drive or restrain the market and other crucial trends shaping its trajectory.The report segments the global market for SerDes based on different criteria and examines every segment with utmost care to offer a granular view of the market. Each regional segment of the global market for SerDes have been scrutinized for their historical and recent figures. 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GSM Antenna Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global GSM Antenna Market Research Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.In this report, the global GSM Antenna market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of GSM Antenna in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesEUChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global GSM Antenna market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingKATHREIN-WerkeComba TelecomLairdCommunication ComponentsBird TechnologiesEricssonAdvanced RF Technologies (ADRF)Cobham WirelessHuawei TechnologiesZTECommScopeOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into2G2G/3G3GLTE5GOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingSmartphoneDumbphonesTable of ContentsGlobal GSM Antenna Market Research Report 20171 GSM Antenna Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of GSM Antenna1.2 GSM Antenna Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global GSM Antenna Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global GSM Antenna Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 2G1.2.4 2G/3G1.2.5 3G1.2.6 LTE1.2.7 5G1.3 Global GSM Antenna Segment by Application1.3.1 GSM Antenna Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Smartphone1.3.3 Dumbphones1.4 Global GSM Antenna Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global GSM Antenna Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 United States Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 EU Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 South Korea Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 Taiwan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of GSM Antenna (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global GSM Antenna Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global GSM Antenna Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)2 Global GSM Antenna Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global GSM Antenna Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global GSM Antenna Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global GSM Antenna Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global GSM Antenna Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global GSM Antenna Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers GSM Antenna Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 GSM Antenna Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 GSM Antenna Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 GSM Antenna Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, ExpansionGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @3 Global GSM Antenna Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global GSM Antenna Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global GSM Antenna Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global GSM Antenna Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global GSM Antenna Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 United States GSM Antenna Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 EU GSM Antenna Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.7 China GSM Antenna Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.8 Japan GSM Antenna Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.9 South Korea GSM Antenna Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.10 Taiwan GSM Antenna Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global GSM Antenna Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global GSM Antenna Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 United States GSM Antenna Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 EU GSM Antenna Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China GSM Antenna Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan GSM Antenna Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 South Korea GSM Antenna Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 Taiwan GSM Antenna Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)5 Global GSM Antenna Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global GSM Antenna Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global GSM Antenna Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global GSM Antenna Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global GSM Antenna Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)6 Global GSM Antenna Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global GSM Antenna Consumption and Market Share by Application (2012-2017)6.2 Global GSM Antenna Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2012-2017)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/CountriesContinue...About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Rewritable PVC Cards Market Volume Forecast and Value Chain Analysis 2017-2025

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Rewritable PVC Cards Market: OverviewPVC cards are specifically used for purposes which are designed for specifically for a typical ID card. PVC cards are also used for making for identification, credit/debit cards, membership cards, access cards, and more. Making such cards with PVC enables better longevity and durability of such cards. But for re-usability of such PVC cards, a new type of product rewritable PVC cards were developed and launched as per consumer preference. Rewritable PVC cards are ideal for applications that is time-sensitive or changes often. Rewritable card printing offers card issuers in a market of varieties a unique and affordable way to change the information on a photo ID or other plastic card without issuing a new card and saving lot of unnecessary expenses. With expansion of usage of rewritable PVC cards in various avenues, it can be well anticipated that rewritable PVC cards market will gain significant growth over the forecast period.Request to Browse Full Table of Content, figure and Tables @Rewritable PVC Cards Market: Drivers & RestraintsPrimary factor for growth of rewritable PVC cards market is its extensive usage in making of cards such as id proof, shopping cards, etc. In order to eliminate hassle of carrying physical currency there has been extensive circulation of such rewritable PVC cards which are being used in various avenues. Such rewritable PVC cards are associated with a single account of the user which can be recharged with desired amount and then such rewritable cards are good to use anywhere it is acceptable. Number of literates are rising globally yearly a huge number of students do join schools and universities yearly. This is another factor which is fuelling the market of rewritable PVC cards market for making of identity card. Real estate and large official complexes are witnessing growth, for safety and security reason these premises implements various security norms which again will further boost the market of rewritable PVC cards which will be utilized in making of various type of entry and exit passes. Utilization of such PVC cards are rising across in various businesses for various conveniences associated with rewritable PVC cards.Restraint for rewritable PVC cards market can be witnessed in developing nations where due to lack of awareness and consumer attitude the market wont be able to gain momentumRequest Sample Report @Rewritable PVC Cards Market: Regional OutlookRegarding geography, coffee bean market has been categorized into five key regions including North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, Japan, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to register a healthy CAGR for Rewritable PVC Cards market owing to the rapid adoption of Rewritable PVC Cards across establishments. Moreover in North America rewritable PVC Cards technology has been constantly undergoing innovations and technology altercations to make it more efficient and user friendly. Next to North America, Western Europe stands for rewritable PVC Cards market, countries across Western Europe are adopting this technology for meeting various requirements. Rewritable PVC Cards market is also gaining pace in APEJ and Eastern Europe, at present the market has not been such lucrative but over the forecast period it can be anticipated that market will gain a significant share. Region such as MEA, Latin America have also gained a considerable amount of rewritable PVC Cards market but over the forecast period. In Japan due to prevalence of a population and society influenced with technology, there has been a considerable amount of market for rewritable PVC cards market.Pre Book Full Report @Rewritable PVC Cards Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players identified in the Rewritable PVC Cards market are:-AlphaCardID Card GroupShenzhen SMART ONE Technology Company LimitedOthersABOUT US:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Halal Cosmetics Market Driven By Rising Demand for Natural and Organic Products Worldwide

Global Halal Cosmetics Market

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Pune, India, 02 October 2017: WiseGuyReports announced addition of new report, titled Global Halal Cosmetics Market Outlook 2024: Global Opportunity and Demand Analysis, Market Forecast, 2016-2024"Halal Cosmetics" this categories was introduce for Muslim community. The word "halal" means products that have been manufactured, produced and combine of ingredients which are allow under Islamic Sharia law.This community are very particular for their rules and regulations they do not allow any consumption of following product alcohol, chemicals, petrochemicals, fatty acids and ingredients that are obtained from the animals like pig which are commonly found in the cosmetic products. The halal cosmetics does not contain these ingredients. The main objective behind this product is to deliver the pure and clean product, not against their religion Islam.GET SAMPLE REPORT @However, with change of time even the Muslim community are adopting a modern lifestyle which is the major factor for growth of market. The truing point is non-Muslim community also showing more interest in Halal cosmetic in terms of natural, organic and vegetarian. Main driving factor market is youth or young population they more concerned about skin and beauty.Even this would be a great chance for some big players like L'Oreal, Unilever, P&G, and others to mark a step in this market because the market is at growing stage, the flow is handled by local players, and therefore, it would be great opportunities for this big player to enter into this segment.According to research report, Global halal cosmetics market accounted is expected to reach USD 21.4 Billion and growing CAGR of 6.8% during forecast period 2016-2024.The report provide comprehensive analysis on the global halal cosmetics market that will help industry consultants, equipment manufacturers, existing players searching for expansion opportunities, new players searching possibilities and other stakeholders to align their market centric strategies according to the ongoing and expected trends in the future. The report also cover in-depth analysis for industry growth drivers, market challenges, risk analysis, market attractiveness, BPS (Base Point Scale) analysis, Porters five force model and SWOT analysis.The worldwide halal cosmetics market is based on products and distribution channels. The distribution channel is then split into online and offline channels. The online distribution channel Halal is a major contributor to the cosmetics market. More than 50% of Halal Cosmetics were sold through online channels, more than 70% of the customers were women. However, Major of crowd is observe in Supermarkets, pharmacies and branded showrooms are still people's choice to buy halal cosmetics.The region covers in this report are Asia-Pacific, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and India, China, Singapore and APAC region.Global Halal Cosmetics Market report cover the major players which are Amara Cosmetics, Pure Halal Beauty, SAAF International, Samina Pure Makeup, Inika Cosmetics, Martha Tilar Group, One Pure, Ivy Beauty, MMA Biolab, The Halal Cosmetics company and Clara International.For accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Global Market Analysis 2022 | Merck Millipore, Pall Corporation, Eurofins Scientific, Viet Anh Scientific, Sartorius Group

Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies the global Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems market, analyzes and researches the Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeMerck MilliporePall CorporationEurofins ScientificViet Anh ScientificSartorius Group...To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoDestructive TestingNon-Destructive TestingMarket segment by Application, Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems can be split intoBiopharmaceutical IndustryBiotechnology IndustryOthersTable of ContentsGlobal Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems1.1 Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Market Overview1.1.1 Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Market by Type1.3.1 Destructive Testing1.3.2 Non-Destructive Testing1.4 Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Biopharmaceutical Industry1.4.2 Biotechnology Industry1.4.3 OthersGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @2 Global Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Merck Millipore3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Pall Corporation3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Eurofins Scientific3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Viet Anh Scientific3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Sartorius Group3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments4 Global Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Market Size by Type and Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Market Size by Type (2012-2017)4.2 Global Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.3 Potential Application of Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems5 United States Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Market Size (2012-2017)5.2 United States Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)6 EU Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Development Status and Outlook6.1 EU Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Market Size (2012-2017)6.2 EU Bioprocess Integrity Testing Systems Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)Continue...About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Silicon Tetrachloride Market Research Report 2017 : TCI, ChemPur, 3B Scientific

QYResearchReports

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Silicon Tetrachloride Market Research Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The global Silicon Tetrachloride market has been deeply evaluated in this publication with the help of both primary and secondary research and useful inputs provided by industry experts. The analysts who have prepared the publication have been among the best in the lot with sound understanding about almost all vital aspects of the market. The publication has come out as a detailed guideline for industry players to explore hidden prospects and take advantage of the best opportunities in the market. Players could also use the information presented in the publication to plan the best strategies that will help them to secure a strong position in the market.Free Sample of this report is available upon request @This report studies Silicon Tetrachloride in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with capacity, production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringTCIAlfa ChemistryDow ChemicalAnvia ChemicalsStrem ChemicalsChemPurAcros OrganicsBy segregating the global Silicon Tetrachloride market into different segments, the analysts have offered crucial information that could help players to gain a competitive edge over their toughest opponents. Each segment studied in the publication has been meticulously evaluated with market figures to go by. This could help readers to tap into unexplored regions or other categories of segments and ensure a continuing success in the market. Besides segmentation, the publication has offered information on factors detaining market growth, backing them up with opportunities to counter the challenges about to show face in the near future.The analysts have also shed light on key aspects of the vendor landscape while profiling some of the leading companies operating in the global Silicon Tetrachloride market. Starting from the nature of the current and future competitive scenarios of the market, the publication has foreseen the future plans of leading companies to gain a strong foothold in the industry. This could help readers to stay cautioned about any surprising changes in the vendor landscape of the market beforehand. Furthermore, readers could use the information to build extraordinary strategies to strengthen their product portfolio and give a tough competition in the market.Table of Contents1 Silicon Tetrachloride Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Silicon Tetrachloride1.2 Silicon Tetrachloride Segment by Type1.2.1 Global Production Market Share of Silicon Tetrachloride by Type in 20151.3 Silicon Tetrachloride Segment by Application1.3.1 Silicon Tetrachloride Consumption Market Share by Application in 20151.4 Silicon Tetrachloride Market by Region1.4.1 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Silicon Tetrachloride (2012-2022)2 Global Silicon Tetrachloride Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Silicon Tetrachloride Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 Global Silicon Tetrachloride Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.3 Global Silicon Tetrachloride Average Price by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.4 Manufacturers Silicon Tetrachloride Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Silicon Tetrachloride Market Competitive Situation and Trends3 Global Silicon Tetrachloride Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Silicon Tetrachloride Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Silicon Tetrachloride Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Silicon Tetrachloride Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Silicon Tetrachloride Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 North America Silicon Tetrachloride Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 Europe Silicon Tetrachloride Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.7 China Silicon Tetrachloride Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global Silicon Tetrachloride Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2012-2017)4.1 Global Silicon Tetrachloride Consumption by Regions (2012-2017)4.2 North America Silicon Tetrachloride Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Silicon Tetrachloride Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Silicon Tetrachloride Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan Silicon Tetrachloride Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 Southeast Asia Silicon Tetrachloride Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 India Silicon Tetrachloride Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Silicon TetrachlorideFigure Global Production Market Share of Silicon Tetrachloride by Type in 2015Table Silicon Tetrachloride Consumption Market Share by Application in 2015Figure North America Silicon Tetrachloride Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Europe Silicon Tetrachloride Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure China Silicon Tetrachloride Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Silicon Tetrachloride Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Silicon Tetrachloride Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure India Silicon Tetrachloride Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Silicon Tetrachloride Revenue (Million UDS) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)About Us:QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Sintering Market to Record Study Growth by 2024

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/europe-sintering-market.html

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=22526

www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Prominent enterprises with global presence such as Sumitomo Corporation, GKN plc., Hoganas A.B., and AMES are domiciled in Europe. This has rendered the Europe sintering market highly competitive. These players together held 20% of the market in 2015, which is indicative of its fragmented vendor landscape. A majority of the leading players in the Europe sintering market have established brand identities. This is a key factor determining their success amidst end users, finds Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a new study.As competition is forecast to get fiercer with time, leading players are focusing on consolidation through strategies collaborations. Besides this, several companies are boosting their plant capacities as they strive for increased profitability.View Report Preview:A majority of the key players are supported by a network of well-established suppliers and distribution network. This has an inevitable positive impact on their sales outlook. Despite such strong presence of established players, the market exhibits lucrative prospects for the entry of new players. Factors such as easy access to raw materials and rising applications of sintering have eased entry of new players. In the near future, the competition prevailing in the sintering market in thus expected to get fiercer.TMR has projected the Europe sintering market to reach US$11.09 bn by the end of 2024. At the start of 2015, the market was valued at US$8.35 bn. If these figures hold true, the Europe sintering market will exhibit a CAGR of 3.2% between 2016 and 2024. By material, the pure iron segment has reported dominance in the market. In 2015, the segment held over 35.7% in the Europe sintering market. Through the course of the forecast period, the segment is expected to retain its dominance. Among countries, Germany held the leading market share of 24.4% in 2015.Application across Diverse Industries to Aid GrowthThe sintering market in Europe is primarily gaining from the increasing demand for sinter-based structural auto parts. These auto parts are more durable, light-weight, and affordable compared to their conventional counterparts. Besides this, the usage of sinter-based components has significantly increased in engines, shafts, chassis, bearings, and different types of valves. Considering the increasing applications, the demand for sinter-based products is steadily spurring in Europe.Moreover, sintering helps in the manufacturing of superior quality components with peculiar shapes. While at initial phase, the automotive industry accounted for the most demand witnessed in the market, of late industries such as aerospace, construction, and mechanical engineering have realized their use. In the next few years, the market players can therefore expect moderately rising opportunities especially on account of the rising application of sinter-based components across diverse industries.Request to view Sample Report:Time Consuming Manufacturing Process Could Hamper GrowthSintering is a time-consuming process, which is a key restraint to its increased uptake. In addition, inadequate availability of systemic techniques to validate the inner-strength of sintered components, make optimizing manufacturing process highly tedious. This could have a negative impact on the overall market. Enactment of stringent regulations to curb harmful emissions has created bottlenecks, thus leading the market towards unwieldy growth trajectory.Nevertheless, with industrial and technological developments in sintering process, industry experts have positive outlook for the Europe sintering market.This review is based on a TMR study, titled Sintering Market (Material - Low Grade Alloy Steel (Pure Iron, Fe - Ni Alloys, Fe - Si Alloys, Fe - Co Alloys, 42CrMo4 Steel, and 100Cr6 Steel)) - Europe Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Emerging Trends and Growth Opportunities in Consumer Payments Market in Germany

Consumer Payments in Germany Market

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Pune, India, 24 October 2017: WiseGuyReports announced addition of new report, titled Consumer Payments Country Snapshot: Germany 2016.The report provides a complete overview and insight of Consumer Payments in Germany. Innovation of new payment technologies such as payment cards, online payments, P2P payments and mobile purse and contactless. The study also explained key facts and figures in the consumer payments in Germany.The research report formulated on the basis of consumers' views on how companies are deploying these devices to meet customer's needs P2P devices, mobile payment instruments and contactless cards and consumer companies. Observing Germany's online payment market through merchant type and payment instrument, as well as providing a five-year forecast for development.Going through the major payment card types in terms of both card holding and usage. Identification of card issuing card holders and how their place has changed in the last five years. Check customer's approach to financial services through lifestyle.German customers also make a combination of legendary consumer habits and the use of German budgetary products as the best option for any meaning. As a result, alternative payment methods between the use and consumer interest are severely limited.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Companies mentionedVisaMastercardGirocardDeutsche BankSofortCookiesPayPalAppleAndroidSIAJiffyDeutsche TelekomDSGVSparkasseGeldKarteBVRLandesbankAmerican ExpressDiners ClubDespite a strong economy and high level of financial inclusion, the cash for most of their day-to-day spend for German customers Payment cards are essentially used at the time of sale (POS), and the German POS network has been developed in Europe.The priority of cash for German customers is not tied to the convenience of its use - the German prefers to control individual spending, certainty, and personal expenditure on cash. German customers' preference for privacy provides them with online payment tools to help pay their money without disclosing their account information, which means PayPal and Sofa chart are both popular.In 2015, less than 10% of the German customers had placed a cross-credit credit card, and 80% of them were funded entirely by the balance in each month.Key finding in the report are,Know what's happening with the behavior of customers and plan your strategy accordingly.Find out what products are launched by major competitors in the market.Find consumer sentiment for various payment tools in the German market and use this design to provide product design information.The major players cover in report are Visa, MasterCard, Girocard, Deutsche Bank, Sofort, Cookies, PayPal, Apple, Android, SIA, Jiffy and Deutsche TelekomWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Automotive LiDAR Market Globally Expected to Drive Growth through 2025

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Global Automotive LiDAR Market: OverviewLiDAR or light detection and ranging is a remote sensing technology which is becoming hugely popular amongst the automobile manufacturers. It collects 3-dimenional points of earths surface and is widely used by the automobile manufacturers to automate the driving of vehicles. It enables safe navigation which would ensure obstacle detection and avoidance. Almost all the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) are implementing LiDAR to automate the driving experience. With LiDAR possessing huge revenue potential, it is playing an important part in the growth and sales of automobiles. There has been a decrease in manufacturing price of LiDAR due to hike in the numbers of the automated vehicle.Request to Browse Full Table of Content, figure and Tables @OEMs like BMW, AUDI and Mercedes among other examples are using this technology to ensure safe driving.Global Automotive LiDAR Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe prime factor boosting the growth in the global automotive LiDAR market is the increasing integration of LiDAR technology in the vehicles by OEMs to automate the driving. With OEMs integrating LiDAR in ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistant System), the vehicles provide a safe navigation and avoid a collision. ADAS is expected to grow at a higher rate due to forward collision avoidance system with the help of LiDAR. As the automotive market is growing and so is the competition, providing safe and comfortable driving assistance would be the unique selling point for the OEMs. Solid-state LiDAR is expected to hold greater dominance in forecasted period as the mechanical LiDAR is fragile and expensive. An increase in the application of solid-state LiDAR in the automotive industry has accelerated its speed of development. Profound R&D by OEMs and awareness among consumers have played a big part in the market growth. With automakers already integrating AEB (Automatic Emergency Braking) system in their optional or standard variant, the LiDAR market has expected growth.Mechanical LiDARs have dominated the automotive market for quite a while due to its implementation in the testing of automated vehicle prototype. They are fragile, bulky and expensive in nature which causes various challenges to the manufacturers during its integration into the vehicle.Request Sample Report @Global Automotive LiDAR Market: Segmentation OverviewThe application type segmentation will see increased growth in the forecasted period. With the growth in awareness among the consumers and increased competition, more and more OEMs emphasizing on the integration of LiDAR in their vehicles. This technology is also being implemented in drones, urban planning and meteorology.Global Automotive LiDAR Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, Hybrid loaders market has been categorized into seven key regions including North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan, APEJ, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. Europe, being a hub of numerous automotive manufacturers, contributes to the major growth of LiDAR market. German companies like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are leading in the integration of LiDAR in their ADAS system. Collaborating with both local and international players, they are looking to attain a dominant grip over the market. North America on the other hand, is one of the most technically advanced regions are expected to lead the LiDAR market in the coming years. With the emphasis on more Artificial Intelligence based product, LiDAR would be another marketplace they would dominate. In APEJ, China is leading the LiDAR marketplace. With more and more Chinese automobile companies venturing further into the global market, there is an increase in demand of LiDAR among their consumer base. Japan, well known for their automobile market and technically advanced innovations will also see a significant growth in LiDAR as the integration of Artificial Intelligence among their cars are on all-time high.Pre Book Full Report @Middle East has seen a significant growth in the sales of vehicles with ADAS. With a strong consumer base for safe and cruise driving, Middle East is turning out to be growing sales market.Global Automotive LiDAR Market: Key PlayersContinental AGQuanergy SystemsRobert BoschVelodyne LiDARNovariantDenso CorporationABOUT US:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Tripropylene Glycol Market Growth to be Driven by Technological Advancements 2020

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A new research report by Transparency Market Research offers a comprehensive evaluation of the global Tripropylene Glycol Market. The study, titled Tripropylene Glycol Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2014 - 2020, is available for sale on the firms website.Tripropylene glycol or TPG is a mixture of isomers. Isomers are compounds wherein atoms with the same chemical composition are arranged in a different manner. It is a colorless liquid with negligible odor and moderate viscosity. TPG is completely soluble in water and is hygroscopic in nature (it attracts water from atmosphere). TPG consists of nine carbon, 20 hydrogen, and four oxygen atoms. TPG is a by-product of the manufacture of monopropylene glycol. At high temperature and pressure, water is added to propylene oxide, which results in the formation of mono propylene glycol (90%) and mixture of propylene glycol and tripropylene glycol (10%). Excess of water can be removed by passing the mixture through evaporators and drying towers.View Report Preview:In terms of grade, tripropylene is of two types: tripropylene glycol regular grade and tripropylene glycol acrylate grade of high purity. It is used as a chemical block in the production of polyurethane foam. TPG can also be used as a solvent in different applications. It is used as varnish remover, cleaning formulation for hard surface, anti-freezing agent, carburetor fuel additive, ingredient in emulsifiers, plasticizers, hydraulic fluids; and disinfectant in cosmetics and cooling media. It is also employed in the oil penetration process. High-purity tripropylene glycol acrylate can be used as a raw material for the production of printing inks, varnishes, and paints in the radiation cure industry. It is typically reacted with acrylic acid to form tripropylene glycol diacrylate. TPG products are stored using ultraviolet, visible, or electron-beam radiations. Tripropylene glycol is primarily used in acrylate applications, polymer production, in solvent lubricants as textile soaps. Commercially, TPG can be used as an intermediate chemical in the manufacture of polyurethane, printing inks, textile lubricants, and latex paints. Rarely, TPG is used in a limited number of personal care products.TPG is not a hazardous chemical. It is harmful to neither humans nor the environment. Eye contact with TPG may lead to slight irritation; however, skin contact may not lead to irritation. Inhalation of TPG is unexpected, due to its low vapor pressure. It has low toxicity when swallowed; however, consumption in higher amount can lead to injury. The key driving factor for the TPG market is different applications of TPG. Tripropylene glycol acrylate grade have several advantages such as good finish quality, compact plant size, good energy efficiency, and excellent speed processing. Also, it does not require any post-curing and it has low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. There are certain precautionary measures to be taken. TPG should be used only with proper ventilation and contact with skin, eyes, and clothes should be avoided. It should be kept closed in a container. Washing hands thoroughly after the use of TPG is required.Europe and North America are dominant regions in the global tripropylene glycol market. The market is driven by major usage of TPG in industrial and commercial sectors. In terms of demand, the U.S. leads the global tripropylene glycol market. In The U.S., growing environmental concerns and emergence of new, domestic manufacturers of bio-based propylene glycol have shifted the consumers interest toward using eco-friendly chemicals. The market in Asia Pacific is expected to witness tremendous growth during the forecast period, due to expansion of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics industries in countries such as China. Rest of the World held minimum share in the global tripropylene glycol market in the last few years. However, this scenario is anticipated to change during the forecast period, due to growth of the industries in the region. The market in RoW is likely to witness positive growth in the next few years.Request to view Sample Report:Some of the key players in the global tripropylene glycol market are Dow Chemical Company, BASF SE, LyondellBasell Industries N.V., Archer Daniels Midland Company, and Parchem Fine & Specialty Chemicals.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Matricaria Recutitta Extract Market Plan, Supply and Revenue to 2024

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A new research report by Transparency Market Research offers a comprehensive evaluation of the global Matricaria Recutitta Extract Market. The study, titled Matricaria Recutitta Extract Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024, is available for sale on the firms website.Chamomile is the common name of a group of plants that have been used since ancient times as herbal remedy. There are several different species of chamomile; however, Matricaria recutita (German chamomile) and Chamaemelum nobile (Roman chamomile) are widely grown across the world. Matricaria recutita is a hardy plant that can be found in a variety of different soils and climate. The plant has historically been used in teas for treating fevers, flu, digestive disorders, and skin ailments. Chamomile oil, also known as blue oil, is the primary extract of the flowers and flower heads of the chamomile plant. This oil contains several compounds that have medicinal benefits with key constituent groups being coumarins, sesquiterpenes, polyacetylenes, and flavonoids. These groups mainly consist of chamazulene, (E)--farnesene, -bisabolol oxides A and -bisabolol oxides B, -bisabolol and terpene alcohol. The Matricaria recutita extracts are included as drugs in the pharmacopoeia of many countries across the globe and are known for their anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and spasmolytic properties.View Report Preview:Common process of obtaining the Matricaria recutita extract from the blossom of the plant is trough steam distillation. Under this process, hot steam is passed through a still containing the Matricaria recutita flowers. The hot steam penetrates the plant, forcing the essential oil out of the plant. It is then collected separately. Chamomile oil yields obtained from the Matricaria recutita flowers are very low, typical yields being only 0.20.4% of the total weight of the flowers. The extracted oil is used for a variety of medicinal purposes, with the general use being for mental and physical relaxation. Depending upon the therapeutic use, the oil can be ingested orally or can be topically applied. Matricaria recutita oil extract is used to ease insomnia, as a mood enhancer, mild anti-depressant, and an aid to calm nervousness or anxiety problems. Apart from its mental calming properties, the oil is also useful for soothing aching joints and muscles. The Matricaria recutita oil is commonly used as an ingredient in skin lotions and creams due to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. The oil is also used to ease digestive problems and soothe conjunctivitis symptoms. In addition to pharmaceutical uses, the oil is extensively employed in a number of commercial products including soaps, alcoholic beverages, detergents, perfumes, lotions, ointments, hair care products, food products, bakery products, and cosmetics.Because of its extensive medicinal and pharmaceutical properties, Matricaria recutita oil possesses good economic value and is in high demand across the world. The plant grows well in temperate and semi-temperate regions and is native to Southern and Eastern Europe. Commercial growing of the plant has been undertaken in the mountainous regions of India and Nepal. Matricaria recutita is an important crop in Hungary, France, Yugoslavia, Germany, Russia, and Brazil. The plant can be found in other regions in North Africa, Asia, North and South America, Australia, and New Zealand. Hungary is one of the most important growers of Matricaria recutita with the majority of the flowers produced being exported to Germany. Germany is one of the largest distillers of Matricaria recutita extracts. Several countries in Eastern Europe export Matricaria recutita flowers in bulk to Germany.Other important distillers of the essential oil are France, India, and the U.S. International demand for Matricaria recutita oil has been increasing at a fast rate in the recent years due to the increasing preference for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics obtained from natural sources. Demand for the Matricaria recutita extract is high in countries in Western Europe and Northern America. Implementation of stringent regulations regarding the use of synthetic ingredients in pharmaceuticals and rising awareness regarding the ill-effects of these ingredients are likely to encourage manufacturers to include natural ingredients in their products. Growth in health consciousness in the burgeoning middle class in China and India is expected to boost the market for Matricaria recutita oil in the near future. One of the major challenges facing this market is to provide speedy transport of the flowers, from the growing fields to the extraction units, which may be located at a considerable distance from the fields. This is necessary because the chamazulene content of the flowers decreases during storage. This, in turn, decreases the therapeutic effectiveness of the extracted oil.Request to view Sample Report:The Matricaria recutita extract market is fragmented; a number of small players operate in the market. Key players operating in the Matricaria recutita extract market are Silvestris, Bristol Botanicals Ltd, Norfolk Essential Oils, and Mountain Rose Herbs.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Elderly and Disabled Assistive Devices Market to Amount to US$19.6 bn by 2019

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A new Transparency Market Research report states that the global elderly and disabled assistive devices market was valued at US$12.3 bn in 2012 and is predicted to reach US$19.6 bn by 2019. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.90% between 2013 and 2019. The title of the report is Elderly and Disabled Assistive Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019.As per the report, the increasing disabled population and geriatric population, rising funding by governments, and launch of new cutting-edge products including powered wheelchairs, implants, sensor-based door openers, and portable reading machines have fuelled the market for elderly and disabled assistive devices. On the other hand, the expansion of the market may be inhibited in the coming years due to rising product prices. For instance, advanced hearing aids such as bone anchored aids cost about US$10,000 per device at present.The report segments the elderly and disabled assistive devices market on the basis of type, product, and geography.Request for Sample Copy of Report @On the basis of type, the market is segmented into medical mobility aids and ambulatory devices and medical furniture and bathroom safety products. Medical mobility aids and ambulatory devices include mobility scooters, wheelchairs, cranes and crutches, transfer lifts, door openers, walkers and rollators, and others including pillows, back supports, and cushions.On the other hand, medical furniture and bathroom safety products include medical beds, ostomy products, bars and railings, commodes and shower chairs, and others including pool lifts, bath lifts, hearing aids, and vision and reading aids. Hearing aids are further segmented into receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) aids, in-theear (ITE) aids, behind-the-ear (BTE) aids, cochlear implants, and bone anchored hearing aids. Vision and reading aids are further segmented into reading machines, braille translators, video magnifiers, and others including kitchen appliances and books.Amongst these types, in 2012, the segment of hearing aids held the biggest share in the elderly and disabled assistive devices market. This is owing to the huge number of people suffering from hearing impairments. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 5% of the population of the world suffers from hearing loss. On the other hand, the segment of medical mobility aids and ambulatory devices is the second biggest segment and is predicted to exhibit expeditious growth in the forecast horizon.Purchase this Report @On the basis of geography, the market is segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). Amongst these, in 2012, North America held the biggest share in the elderly and disabled assistive devices market. On the other hand, Asia Pacific is expected to experience the highest growth rate during the forecast horizon and is predicted to rise at a 6.0% CAGR. This is due to the rise in the disabled and elderly population, increasing disposable incomes, and rise in government funding.According to the report, the prominent players dominant in the market include William Demant Holding A/S, Sonova Holding AG, Sunrise Medical LLC, Invacare Corporation, Ai Squared, and GN ReSound Group, among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Potassium heptadecanote Market size in terms of volume and value -2024

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A new research report by Transparency Market Research offers a comprehensive evaluation of the global Potassium heptadecanote Market. The study, titled Potassium heptadecanote Market- Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024, is available for sale on the firms website.The IUPAC name of potassium heptadecanoate is heptadecanoic acid. Potassium heptadecanoate has various synonyms such as heptadecanoic acid potassium salt (C17H33KO2). Heptadecanoic acid is a saturated fatty acid, and is also known as margaric acid (CH3(CH2)15COOH). Potassium heptadecanoate occurs as a component of fat and milk fat of ruminants. It does not occur in any natural vegetable or animal fat in much concentrations. Salts and esters of potassium heptadecanoate (heptadecanoic acid) are called heptadecanoates. Heptadecanoic acid (margaric acid) can also be used through the analysis of medium chain fatty acids from biomaterials such as seed oils and animal and plant oil.View Report Preview:Potassium heptadecanoates is primarily used in fatty acid from animal and plant oil or seed oil. Fatty acid is an unsaturated or saturated carboxylic acid, and is derived from triglycerides and phospholipids. It is said to be a vital source of fuel. As a source of fuel, several types of cell are use fatty acids. Fatty acids are also used in human nutrition, as deficit of fatty acids may lead to adverse biological effects in human body. Particularly brain, heart, and skeletal muscle are used fatty acids as a driving source. There are two types of fatty acids: those based on carbon bonds and length of free fatty acids. Fatty acids accounted for more than 40% of human fat, which is said to be unsaturated fatty acids. Fatty acids endure reactions similar to carboxylic acids such as esterification and acid base reactions.The potassium heptadecanoate market has been segmented based on application and region. In terms of application, the market has been divided into pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, paints, varnishes, synthetic organic detergents, rubber compounding, insecticides, textile chemicals, plastic fabrication, pulp and paper products, synthetic rubber formulations, and others. Pharmaceuticals are used as inactive ingredients in the preparation of drugs and for lipid formulation. Complex lipids are used in the manufacture of soaps, cosmetics, emulsions, and fat liposomes. These are also used in personal hygiene products.Rise in demand for personal and home care products in emerging economies in Latin America is expected to drive the potassium heptadecanoate market. Increase in demand for food and beverages in North America and Europe is also anticipated to boost market growth. On the other hand, occurrence of biological effects due to deficiency of fatty acids is estimated to hamper the potassium heptadecanoate market. Deficiency of fatty acid can lead to blood pressure problems, stroke, coronary artery disease, inflammation, etc.Based on region, the potassium heptadecanoate market has been segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific is a key consumer and producer of potassium heptadecanoate. The market in the region is projected to expand significantly during the forecast period. Countries such as China, India, and Malaysia hold major share of the potassium heptadecanoate market in Asia Pacific. China accounts for more than 50% share of the market in Asia Pacific due to the high consumption of soaps and detergents in the country.Europe also constitutes prominent share of consumption of potassium heptadecanoate. The market in the region is likely to expand at a moderate pace due to saturation, price fluctuation, and changes in trends. Demand for potassium heptadecanoate is moderate in North America; therefore, the market in the region is expected to expand at a sluggish pace during the forecast period due to the presence of well-developed and established industries. Brazil holds key share of the market in Latin America. Emerging economies such as India, China, Indonesia, and Brazil are expected to account for prominent share of the potassium heptadecanoate market during the forecast period. The market in Europe is likely to expand moderately, due to the high imports mostly in Turkey.Request to view Sample Report:Key players operating in the potassium heptadecanoate market are Chengdu HappySyn Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd., 360 Reagent, Shanghai Yolne Chemical Co., Ltd., BePharm Ltd, BIOTREND Chemikalien GmbH, American Radiolabeled Chemicals, Inc., Angene International Limited, Lead Biotech (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd., and Bide Pharmatech Ltd.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
The Global Armor Materials Market is Estimated to Mark a Significant CAGR Of 7.1% by the end of 2024

Armor Materials Market

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The global armor materials market is segmented into product such as metal & alloys, ceramic & composites, para-aramid fibers, fiberglass and ultra-high molecular polyethylene out of which, metal & alloys segment is expected to dominate the overall armor materials market and is envisioned to grab a notable CAGR by 2024. Likely, growing adoption of advanced armor system for military applications is envisioned to bolster the growth of global armor materials market. Furthermore, increasing government initiatives regarding adoption of advanced armor system is also projected to intensify the growth of armor materials market in near future.Global armor materials market is anticipated to mask a tremendous CAGR of 7.1% during the forecast period i.e. 2017-2024. Additionally, the market of armor materials is riding on the back of growing security concerns. Moreover, the global armor materials market is projected to account noteworthy sales of 13.2 Billion by the end of 2024.Request Free Sample Report @In terms of regional platform, North America accounted for the largest market in 2015. Moreover, increasing demand for homeland security in this region has augmented the demand for armor system which is projected to foster the growth of armor materials market. Moreover, U.S. is the dominating country in this region owing to presence of major key vendors of armor materials. Apart from this, Asia-Pacific and Europe region accounted a robust growth due to various government initiatives.Increasing Security ConcernGrowing security concerns and rising adoption of armor in order to provide protection to law enforcement is believed to be the dynamic factor behind the rapid growth of armor materials market. Moreover, disruptive innovation such as development of light weight syntactic armor material (L SAM) is also one of the major factors propelling the market of armor materials.Request Table Of Content @Government InitiativesFavorable government initiatives along with rise in defense budget of various countries are envisioned to flourish the growth of armor materials market. Moreover, adoption of advanced armor and rising terrorism activities in numerous countries have boosted the demand for armor system which is projected to bolster the growth armor materials market.On the contrary, high cost associated with production and fluctuations in the raw material prices are some of the factors hampering the growth of armor materials market across the globe.The report titled Armor Materials Market: Global Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2024 delivers detailed overview of the global armor materials market in terms of market segmentation by product, by application and by region.Armor Materials MarketFurther, for the in-depth analysis, the report encompasses the industry growth drivers, restraints, supply and demand risk, market attractiveness, BPS analysis and Porters five force model.To Know More Ask The Analyst @This report also provides the existing competitive scenario of some of the key players of the global armor materials market which includes company profiling of 3M Ceradyne, Inc., ATI Metals, Tata Steel, AGY Holding Corp., DuPont, Honeywell Spectra, DSM Dyneema, Coorstek, Saint-Gobin Ceramic Materials and PPG Industries. The profiling enfolds key information of the companies which encompasses business overview, products and services, key financials and recent news and developments. On the whole, the report depicts detailed overview of the global armor materials market that will help industry consultants, equipment manufacturers, existing players searching for expansion opportunities, new players searching possibilities and other stakeholders to align their market centric strategies according to the ongoing and expected trends in the future.Buy This Premium Report @About Us:-Research Nester is a leading service provider for strategic market research and consulting. We aim to provide unbiased, unparalleled market insights and industry analysis to help industries, conglomerates and executives to take wise decisions for their future marketing strategy, expansion and investment etc. We believe every business can expand to its new horizon, provided a right guidance at a right time is available through strategic minds. Our out of box thinking helps our clients to take wise decision so as to avoid future uncertainties.Contact for more Info:Ajay DanielEmail: ajay.daniel@researchnester.comU.S. Phone: +1 646 586 9123U.K. Phone: +44 203 608 5919
Methanesulfonic acid Market to observe high growth by 2024

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A new research report by Transparency Market Research offers a comprehensive evaluation of the global Methanesulfonic acid Market. The study, titled Methanesulfonic acid Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024, is available for sale on the firms website.Methanesulfonic acid, also called methane sulfonic acid, is a colorless liquid considered to be an intermediate compound between sulfuric acid and methylsulfonylmethane. It can dissolve a wide range of metal salts. Methanesulfonic acid is a non-volatile and strong acid which is soluble in organic solvents and therefore used as an acid catalyst in organic reactions. It occurs in a liquid form at ambient temperatures, which adds a wide range of applications to its repertoire.View Report Preview:Based on application, the methanesulfonic acid market has been divided into the electroplating, medicine, and organic synthesis categories. Electroplating accounted for a significant share in the global methanesulfonic acid market due to the rising demand for electroplating in the fabrication sector. Medicinal applications of methanesulfonic acid are expected to experience a high growth rate, led by developments in the pharmaceutical sector. Industrial advancements are anticipated to drive the methanesulfonic acid market during the forecast period. It is a primary ingredient in rust and scale removers and also employed to clean the surfaces of tiles and ceramics.In terms of region, the global methanesulfonic acid has been distributed over Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Asia Pacific was a major market for methanesulfonic acid in 2015 and is estimated to expand due to the rising number of industries. The growing demand for methanesulfonic acid in the pharmaceutical sector is also likely to boost the need for methanesulfonic acid in Asia Pacific in 2015. Its applications are driven by the rising need for metal work and fabrication in industries. China and the U.S. are likely to constitute major shares in the methanesulfonic acid market in Asia Pacific and North America respectively due to the evolution in fabrication. The market is anticipated to witness a shift from developed countries to the developing economies of Asia due to the fewer stringent environmental regulations in the latter. China and India are projected to register a high growth rate in the methanesulfonic acid market due to the advancements in end-use sectors, technological developments, and new innovative products launched in these countries. Thus creating a huge demand for methanesulfonic acid in Asia Pacific for the forecast period.The global demand for methanesulfonic acid is anticipated to rise significantly in the near future, thereby offering immense growth opportunities for the market. The rapid rise in demand for this product in end-use applications, competitive manufacturing costs, and high economic growth rates are propelling the methanesulfonic acid market in Asia Pacific. These factors are attracting companies to adopt expansions and R&D strategies in the region. Market players are focusing on Asia Pacific to gain substantial market shares. Producers of methanesulfonic acid have been compelled to adopt expansion and acquisition strategies to meet the global demand. Several producers are shifting their plants to countries such as China and India due to the high demand and low raw material and labor costs there. The developments in various end-use sectors in the region have fuelled the requirement for methanesulfonic acid during the forecast period.Request to view Sample Report:Key players operating in the global methanesulfonic acid market are BASF SE, Oxon Italia S.p.A, Arkema Group, Langfang Jinshenghui Chemical Co.,Ltd, Zhongke Fine Chemical Co., Ltd, SHINYA CHEM, and HEBEI YANUO Bioscience Co., Ltd.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Unattended Ground Sensors Market by Growth Rate, Trends and Forecast To 2022

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Publisher's Unattended Ground Sensors market research report provides the newest industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability.The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the market.The report includes the forecasts, Analysis and discussion of important industry trends, market size, market share estimates and profiles of the leading industry Players.The Players mentioned in our reportQual-TronPrustHoldingHarrisNorthrop GrummanSRCL-3McQFerrantiQuantumARADefense-UpdateFor More Information About This Report:Global Unattended Ground Sensors Market: Product Segment AnalysisBrake Wire SensorsSeismic SensorsMagnetic SensorsPassive Infrared SensorsActive Infrared Break Beam SensorsGlobal Unattended Ground Sensors Market: Application Segment AnalysisPolice departmentsTactical logistic forcesHomeland security sectorGlobal Unattended Ground Sensors Market: Regional Segment AnalysisUSAEuropeJapanChinaIndiaSouth East AsiaRequest Sample Copy At:Table of ContentChapter 1 About the Unattended Ground Sensors IndustryChapter 2 World Market Competition LandscapeChapter 3 World Unattended Ground Sensors Market shareChapter 4 Supply Chain AnalysisChapter 5 Company ProfilesChapter 6 Globalization & TradeChapter 7 Distributors and CustomersChapter 8 Import, Export, Consumption and Consumption Value by Major CountriesChapter 9 World Unattended Ground Sensors Market forecast through 2022Chapter 10 Key success factors and Market OverviewInquire For This Report At:Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Confectionery Markets in China Expected Strong Forecast Growth of 8.6% CAGR over 2016-2021

Confectionery in China Market

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Pune, India, 04 December 2017: WiseGuyReports announced addition of new report, titled Top Growth Opportunities: Confectionery in China.Confectionery are regularly consumed on an everyday basis in china. The confectionery product have component as a chocolate, sugar, sweets and gum. The cocoa and sugar are raw products for chocolate and latex is the raw material used for gum. Many types of sweets have been started in the market.The confectionery product have major demand among the people every age. Moreover, the market growth of this product is not dependent on any season or occasion. The dark chocolate and the increasing demand for various premium chocolates will be one of the key factors that will have a positive impact on the development of the market.GET SAMPLE REPORT @As per report study, China is one of the largest confectionery markets globally with a value of over US$15.58bn and to grow at CAGR of 8.6% during the forecast period of 2016-2021 period.The consumption rate of confectionery product is high in the China in comparison to other regions as they have a large number of manufacturers that offers a variety of luxury products. These products are affordable as they are optimally priced. The demand for chocolate confectionery such as artisanal chocolates will continue to increase because many new players are coming up with newer product varieties.Among the top ten countries, the per capita expenditure in China is the second lowest in US$ terms, higher only to Malaysia, in 2016. However, China is expected to remain the fastest growing country in terms of per capita expenditure during 2016-2021.The China growing middle class has increased. Population is increasingly urban in this division and Western trend is developing trend. Many Chinese consumers appear to be healthy sources of sweet products, especially food grains, nutritional value.Increasing awareness on health and customer's attention reduces weight and reduces cholesterol and sugar levels to prevent diabetes; they influence the use of sugar-free confectionary. Walking towards health and wellness activities will catch attention in the confectionery market in China during the next few years.The Confectionery in China report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the international and regional major industry players in detail. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2017-2022 market shares for each company.The Confectionery in China market report comprises an elaborated executive summary, which includes market snapshot that provides information about various segments of the market. It also provides information and data analysis of the market with respect to market segments based on media type, end-user, and geography. The market overview section of the report analyzes market dynamics such as drivers, restraints and opportunities that influences the culture media market in the current and future scenario.The study of report has a complete understanding of market value and quantity, technological progress, macro-economic changes and governmental policies based on past and present data, along with the current and upcoming trends in the market.The major players cover in the report are Lianhua Supermarket, China Resources Vanguard, Wal-Mart China, Carrefour, RT Mart, Quik (Kuaike), 7-Eleven, Family Mart, Kedi, Metro AG and Mars IncorporatedFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Diabetes Drugs Market Is Expected To Be Worth US$58.4 Bn By The End Of 2025, Expected To Surge At A CAGR Of 3.6%

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Diabetes Drugs Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025" to its huge collection of research reports.This report on the Diabetes drugs market analyzes the current and future scenario of the global market. Rise in private and public funding for diabetes drugs, rising prevalence of diabetes, and favorable regulatory scenario for new drug launch are boosting the growth of the Diabetes drugs market. Increasing geriatric population across the world and rising incidence and prevalence of diabetes such as Type 2 diabetes and Type 1 diabetes are some of the factors expected to drive the growth of Diabetes drugs market during the forecast period.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The diabetes drugs market report comprises an elaborate executive summary, which includes market snapshot that provides information about various segments. It also provides information and data analysis of the global market with respect to the segments based on therapy, disease type, distribution channel and geography. A detailed qualitative analysis of drivers and restraints, opportunities and trends have been provided in the market overview section. Additionally, the section comprises Porters Five Forces Analysis to help understand the competitive landscape in the market. This section also provides market attractiveness analysis in terms of geography and market share analysis by key players, thus presenting a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the Diabetes drugs market.Global Diabetes Drugs Market: SegmentationBased on the therapy, the Diabetes drugs market has been segmented into 5 types, which are Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist, Dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, Insulin and others. . The insulin dominated the market in terms of revenue in 2016, due to its high price, and need & demand for insulin. Insulin is expected to lead the market in the forecast period, owing to the rising geriatric population and high per capita income. SGLT2 is anticipated to grow during the forecast period owing to patents and exclusivity held for the drugs of this segment by the key players. The others segment includes the combination drugs and other drug classes are anticipated to grow during the forecast period 2017 to 2025. The Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist is anticipated to grow during the forecast period owing to rising prevalence of diabetes all over the world.Dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors held second large market share in 2016, however, the segment is anticipated to fall in the growth rate during the forecast period due to patent and exclusivity expiry.In terms of disease type, the diabetes drugs market has been segmented into type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glycaemia. Type 2 diabetes has accounted for highest market share due to increasing disposable income and rising prevalence of obesity. Increasing physical inactivity created demand for the diabetes drugs. Type 1 diabetes held the second large market share in 2016 owing to increasing environmental damage all over the world that is contributing to the rising prevalence of type 1 diabetes. Gestational diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glycaemia are anticipated to grow during the forecast period 2017 to 2025 due to the high prevalence of diabetes in the relatives and heredity reason.Different types of distribution channels are present in the diabetes drugs market those are Hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, and online pharmacies. The hospital pharmacies captured highest market share in 2016, owing to the availability of trained & qualified personnel and favorable reimbursement structure. The online pharmacies is estimated to register highest CAGR in the forecast period, which is attributed to the technological adaptation and acceptance of online pharmacies by population. The retail pharmacies showed the moderate market share in 2016 owing to rising geriatric population & improvements in the healthcare facilities in developing countries are anticipated to propel the popularity of retail pharmacies during the forecast period. However, uncertain reimbursement scenarios across the world are attributed to restrain the diabetes drugs market to some extent during the forecast period.Global Diabetes Drugs Market: Regional SegmentationGeographically, the diabetes drugs Market has been categorized into five major regions and the key countries in the respective region: North America (U.S. and Canada), Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (India, Japan, China, Australia & New Zealand, and Rest of Asia Pacific), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America) and Middle East & Africa (South Africa, GCC Countries, and Rest of Middle East & Africa).Global Diabetes Drugs Market: Competitive LandscapeThe report also profiles major players in the Diabetes drugs market based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, SWOT analysis, and recent developments. Major players profiled in this report include Novo Nordisk A/S, Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis AG, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Sanofi, Bayer AG, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly and Company, and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited.Get Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @Diabetes Drugs Market has been segmented as given below:Diabetes Drugs Market, by TherapyGlucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonistDipeptidyl-peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitorsSodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitorsInsulinOthersDiabetes Drugs Market, by Disease TypeType 1 DiabetesType 2 DiabetesGestational DiabetesImpaired Glucose Tolerance and Impaired Fasting GlycaemiaDiabetes Drugs Market, by Distribution ChannelHospital PharmaciesRetail PharmaciesOnline PharmaciesDiabetes Drugs Market, by GeographyNorth America- U.S.- CanadaEurope- Germany- France- Italy- Spain- UK- Rest of EuropeAsia Pacific- China- Japan- India- Australia & New Zealand- Rest of Asia PacificMiddle East & Africa- GCC Countries- South Africa- Rest of Middle East & AfricaLatin America- Brazil- Mexico- Rest of Latin AmericaAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
TrendSights Analysis: Hyper-Connection How internet-connectivity has revolutionized brand and consumer interactions

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ReportsWeb.com published Hyper-Connection Market from its database. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market."TrendSights Analysis: Hyper-Connection" explores what the trend is, why it is important, who is most influenced by it, and how brands and manufacturers can capitalize on it. The research concludes by identifying where the trend is heading next and how long it will last.The Hyper-Connection trend refers to the interconnected digital interactions between brands and consumers. The platforms Publisher recommends to generate positive connections with consumers are organized into three types of brand-related interactions that occur with consumers: namely, from brands to consumers, between consumers, and from consumers to brands. Innovation and strategy implications are suggested for each of these categories and brands should look to incorporate these into its operations in order to optimize digital marketing strategy.Request Sample Copy atScope:- 33% of 18-34 year-olds say they find being active on social media important, which is 11 percentage points higher than over-35s.- Three in five global consumers find the concept of products they have helped to create appealing.- Three in five global consumers say they find trying new experiences more exciting than trying new products.Reasons to buy:- Understand the relevant consumer trends and attitudes that drive and support innovation success so you can tap into what is really impacting the industry.- Gain a broader appreciation of the fast-moving consumer goods industry by gaining insights from both within and outside of your sector.- Access valuable strategic take-outs to help direct future decision-making and inform new product development.For more information about this report:Companies Mentioned:PantenePedigreeSnickersGladeSmart WaterDoritosFacebookWhatsAppYouTubeWeChatQQInstagramTumblrTwitterCliniqueAlmond BreezeCheetosCoca-ColaJust HerbsStarbucksHeinekenWalkersMountain DewInquire for Report atAbout ReportsWeb:ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.Contact Us:505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Womens Health Diagnostics Market reach $21,501 Million In 2023

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The global womens health diagnostics market was valued at $13,133 million in 2016, and is projected to reach $21,501 million in 2023 at a CAGR of 7.0% from 2017 to 2023. Women are more prone to obesity and reproduction related issues as compared to men. Womens health diagnostics include screening, testing or diagnosing, and monitoring of several women-related disorders namely breast cancer, ovarian, cancer, cervical cancer, menopause, and pregnancy.For More Info, Get Sample :Rise in number of chronic and lifestyle disorders, which lead to various cancer such as breast cancer is the major factor that contributes to the growth of the womens health diagnostics market. Moreover, rise in diabetic population, increase in geriatric population, and introduction of novel drugs to control symptoms such as nausea and vomiting fuel the market growth. However, side effects related to gastroparesis drugs, time-consuming regulatory process for the approval of drugs, and complications in gastroparesis diagnosis hamper the growth of the market. Conversely, surge in demand for the development of user-friendly drugs, rise in healthcare infrastructure, and creative marketing initiatives by key vendors in emerging countries are expected to provide lucrative opportunities for the market expansion during the forecast period.The global womens health diagnostics market is segmented on the basis of type, end user, and region. By type, it is classified into diagnostic devices, diagnostic tests, and accessories and consumables. The diagnostic devices segment is further segmented into biopsy devices and imaging and monitoring system. Imaging and monitoring systems segment is further segmented into ultrasound imaging systems, mammography systems, MRI systems, and nuclear imaging. Ultrasound imaging systems is further sub segmented into OB/GYN ultrasound and breast ultrasound. Mammography systems are further categorized as analog mammography systems, digital mammography systems, and breast tomosynthesis system. Diagnostic tests segment is further categorized as breast cancer testing, cervical cancer testing, prenatal genetic screening and carrier testing, pregnancy and ovulation testing, and ovarian cancer testing. Breast cancer testing is further segmented into hormone receptor test, immunohistochemistry test, and other tests. Cervical cancer testing is bifurcated into PAP smear and HPV test. Prenatal genetic screening and carrier testing includes tests for cystic fibrosis and other diseases. The pregnancy and ovulation testing segment is further bifurcated into lab-based pregnancy and ovulation testing, and home-based pregnancy and ovulation testing. Depending on end user, it is categorized into hospitals and clinics, home care settings, diagnostic and imaging centers, and others. Based on region, it is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.KEY BENEFITS FOR STAKEHOLDERS The study provides an in-depth analysis of the global womens health diagnostics market with current trends and future estimations from 2016 to 2023 to elucidate the imminent investment pockets. Comprehensive analysis of factors that drive and restrict the market growth is provided. Identification of factors instrumental in changing the market scenario, rise in opportunities, and identification of key companies that can influence this market on a global & regional scale are provided. Key players are profiled and their strategies are analyzed thoroughly to understand the competitive outlook of the market.Enquire About Report :KEY MARKET SEGMENTSBy Type Diagnostic Devices Biopsy Devices Imaging and Monitoring System Ultrasound Devices OB/GYN Ultrasound Breast Ultrasound Mammography Systems Analog Mammography Digital Mammography Breast Tomosynthesis MRI Systems Nuclear Imaging Diagnostic Tests Breast Cancer Testing Hormone Receptor Test Immunohistochemistry (IHC) Test Other Tests Cervical Cancer Testing PAP Smear (PAP) Test HPV Test Prenatal Genetic Screening and Carrier Testing Cystic Fibrosis Other Diseases Pregnancy and Ovulation Testing Lab-based Pregnancy and Ovulation Testing Home Based Pregnancy and Ovulation Testing Ovarian Cancer Testing Accessories and ConsumablesAlso Request For Discount :By End User Hospitals and Clinics Home Care Settings Diagnostic and Imaging Centers OthersBy Region North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany France UK Italy Spain Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific Japan China Australia India South Korea Rest of Asia-Pacific LAMEA Brazil Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of LAMEALIST OF KEY PLAYERS PROFILED IN THE REPORT Abbott Laboratories Becton, Dickinson and Company Carestream Health F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG GE Healthcare Hologic, Inc. Koninklijke Philips N.V. Quest Diagnostics Inc. Siemens AG Cardinal HealthLIST OF OTHER PLAYERS IN THE VALUE CHAIN (These players are not profiled in the report. The same will be included on request) Cook Medical Incorporated C. R. Bard, Inc. MedGyn Products, Inc. Thermo Fisher ScientificTable Of Contents CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHAPTER 3 MARKET OVERVIEW CHAPTER 4 WOMENS HEALTH DIAGNOSTICS MARKET, BY TYPE CHAPTER 5 WOMENS HEALTH DIAGNOSTICS MARKET, BY END USER CHAPTER 6 WOMENS HEALTH DIAGNOSTICS MARKET, BY REGION CHAPTER 7 COMPANY PROFILESAbout UsWe have a large database of quality and precise market research reports that will be very beneficial for your organization. Reports that we sell our authentic in nature and from reputed publishers, hence it can definitely help you with your growth opportunities. Research Beam will always make sure to bring most ethical and high quality reports. We value your relationship with us and look forward for a long term relation.Contact UsGlobal Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United States+1 (800) 910-6452help@researchbeam.com
Connected Cars Market 2018-2025 Focused on Major Segmentation By Technology (4G/LTE, 3G, 2G, Bluetooth), By Connectivity (Integrated, Tethered and Embedded), By Services and By Application

The Insight Partners

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Connected Cars is a cars which are made with internet access and also with the local area network. These cars are facilitated with connectivity that gives comfort, convenience, performance, security combined with the network technology and safety. Connected cars allows the driver to mechanically monitor the performance of the car. These are can also connect with the smartphones and any other mobile phones.The need for the constant connectivity, increased dependency and the consumer demand is surging the growth of connected cars market whereas high cost associated with the hardware and the communications as well as the complex user interface will act as restraining factors in the market. The advanced infotainment systems and a fast connection to the wireless network are the features that will enhance the market in the coming years.Request Sample is Available atThe Connected Cars Market Analysis to 2025 is a specialized and in-depth study of the connected cars industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global connected cars market with detailed market segmentation by technology, connectivity, services, application and geography. The global connected cars market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the leading market players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.The report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global connected cars market based on technology, connectivity, services and application. It also provides market size and forecast till 2025 for overall connected cars market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SAM). The market by each region is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report covers analysis and forecast of 15 counties globally along with current trend and opportunities prevailing in the region.Inquire before Buying atBesides this, the report analyzes factors affecting market from both demand and supply side and further evaluates market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend. The report also provides exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions namely; North America, Europe, APAC, MEA and South America after evaluating political, economic, social and technological factors effecting the market in these regions.Also, key connected cars market players influencing the market are profiled in the study along with their SWOT analysis and market strategies. The report also focuses on leading industry players with information such as company profiles, products and services offered, financial information of last 3 years, key development in past five years. Some of the key players influencing the market are Google Inc., Tesla, Inc., Audi AG, BMW AG, Volvo Car Corporation, Robert Bosch GmbH, Delphi Automotive LLP, DENSO CORPORATION, AT&T Inc., and Vodafone Group PLC.Complete Report is Available atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comAbout Us:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.533, 5th Floor, Amanora Chambers,Amanora Township, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
DC/DC Converter Market by Key Applications (Consumer Electronics, Automotive Electronics), by Major regions (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy): Global Forecast to 2022

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The DC/DC Converter Market report focus on Europe and Regional market, providing information on major players like manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, traders, customers, investors and etc., major types, major applications from global and major regions such as Europe, North America, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and etc. Data type include capacity, production, market share, price, revenue, cost, gross, gross margin, growth rate, consumption, import, export and etc. Industry chain, manufacturing process, cost structure, marketing channel are also analyzed in this report.This report provides valuable information for companies like manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, traders, customers, investors and individuals who have interests in this industry.For more information about this report atMajor companies are as follows:VicorInfineonNelsononSchneiderXP PowerGaia ConverterVishayABBTDKVPTMajor classifications are as follows:300W600W800WMajor applications are as follows:Consumer ElectronicsAutomotive ElectronicsOtherRequest a sample copy atMajor regions are as follows:GermanyFranceUnited KingdomSpainItalyTable of Content:Chapter 1 Industry OverviewChapter 2 Production Market AnalysisChapter 3 Sales Market AnalysisChapter 4 Consumption Market AnalysisChapter 5 Production, Sales and Consumption Market Comparison AnalysisChapter 6 Major Manufacturers Production and Sales Market Comparison AnalysisChapter 7 Major Classification AnalysisChapter 8 Major Application AnalysisChapter 9 Industry Chain AnalysisChapter 10 Global and Regional Market ForecastChapter 11 Major Manufacturers AnalysisChapter 12 New Project Investment Feasibility AnalysisChapter 13 ConclusionsChapter 14 AppendixInquire for Report atAbout ReportsWeb:ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.Contact Us:505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Global Composites Market To Observe Major Growth in Coming Years, Says Report

COMPOSITES MARKET

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Pune, India, 04 September 2017: WiseGuyReports announced addition of new report, titled Composites Market (Product - Polymer Matrix Composite (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic, Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic, and Aramid Fiber Composites), Metal Matrix Composites, and Ceramic Matrix Composites; Technology  Pultrusion Process, Layup process, Filament Winding, Compression Molding, Injection Molding, Resin Transfer Molding, Automated Fiber Placement, and Automated Tape Laying; Application Automotive & Transportation (Interior, Exterior, Power Train Components, Brake Pads, Chassis), Construction, Aerospace & Defense, Electrical & Electronics, Marine & Oil & Gas (Pipes and Top Side Application), Wind Energy, and Consumer Goods) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025.The demand for light demand for automotive and aircraft components and the increasing demand for wind power is expected to run the global composite market for the next few years. An increased need for lightweight and high-performance materials in automotive, aerospace and wind mill applications; Demand for carbon fiber is increasing.This is due to the high ductile strength, hardness, and temperature tolerance and the special properties of carbon fiber such as low thermal expansion and weight. However, the expensive nature of carbon fiber is limited to its use in most applications. Currently, the cost of carbon fiber composites is four times the cost of steel. Therefore, reducing the cost of carbon fiber is likely to give attractive opportunities to joint producers.GET SAMPLE REPORT @According to research report, the global composites market is expected to reach US$101.88 bn by the end of 2025 with a CAGR of 8.9% between 2017 and 2025.Composite is a component in which both elements are important properties. This is a continuous phase in the matrix and a disrupted phase reinforcement. This polymer is commercially available in various products like Matrix Composite, Metal Matrix Composite and Ceramic Matrix Composites.This report provides a comprehensive view of composite markets based on applications. The main applications included in the report are automotive and transportation, construction, aerospace and protection, electricity and electronics, marine and oil and gas, wind power, and others (consumer goods, etc.). In terms of technology, markets have been divided into: pultrusion process, layout process, field warming, compression molding, injection molding, resin transfer molding and others. Depending on the type of product, market is divided into: Polymer matrix composite, metal matrix compositing and ceramic matrix composite.On the basis of applications, technology, production types and countries, the eligibility of each segment has been examined by the charming device in the report. This study has included an analysis of the value chain, through which it is well understood by the key players in the supply chain (from raw materials producers to the end user). In addition, market analysts and market players are analyzed using Porter's five bubble analysis.North America dominated the global composite market and covered about 40% of volume in 2016. There is a possibility that 9 00% CAGR in Asia Pacific is likely to be witnessed and there is a possibility of a composite market attractive. This is due to the rapid development of technological advances and the optimization of composites in applications like automotive and wind turbine blades. Europe is a major manufacturer of premium cars, it's a compelling market for composites. Due to the increasing use of the next generation aircraft, the aerospace segment in Europe is likely to offer 8.6 percent attractive opportunities for CAGR.Major Key players in the composites market include Toray Industries, Owens Corning, Teijin Limited, Hexcel Corporation, TPI Composites, Inc, Faurecia, Performance Composites Inc., Enduro Composites, Inc., KINECO, APPLIED POLERAMIC INC., Hexagon Composites, Creative Composites Ltd., and HITCO Carbon Composites, Inc.For accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
South Africa focusing on Infrastructure for Coal Mining Industry at Domestic and International Market

Coal Mining in South Africa Market

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Pune, India, 21 November 2017: WiseGuyReports announced addition of new report, titled Coal Mining in South Africa to 2021 - Supply of Coal to get Strengthen as Domestic Coal Fired Power Capacity Expands.The Coal Mining in South Africa report provides comprehensive information on historical and predictable data by the South African coal mining industry, coal storage, coal production, types and categories. The report also includes historical and forecasted data on the use of coal, exports and exports of the country.The report study provide detailed analysis of the regulatory framework of the South African mining industry, at various stages of supply chain (active, exploration and development) are the factors that affect the demand of coal, competitive landscape, and mining projects.Coal Mining has been an essential part for the growth and development of South Africa economy and major factor to make the economy strongest in this continent. The South Africa is well known for its one of the largest manpower in mining industry there are about more than 4 lakh employees and at same number for transport good and services.South Africa, was among the worlds seven largest coal consumers, consuming 182 mt of coal in 2016  88.1% of which was consumed by the domestic power sector and 11.9% by the other sectors including steel and cement manufacturing.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Most of the coal in the South Africa arises from Mpumalanga region. As report study in year 2016, 99.3% was a non-coking type of coal and 98.6% was of bituminous grade. Historically, during the review period of the South African coal production (2000-2015), there has been an increase of 11.8% due to the start of 35 operations.As per expertise of industry, it is predicted that, the SA country's coal exports fell by 1.7 per cent compared to 2015. On the backdrop of expected export to India, coal exports are expected to drop by 73.7 million in 2021, South Africa's largest export partner.Coal mining is one of the major source of income and development in many regions of South Africa, without mining, these provinces would be severely lame and leading to even higher unemployment plus a lower growth of more difficult conditions. To overcome any kind major breakdown in coal mining industry the South Africa is focusing on infrastructure they are encouraging so that industry can be competitive on domestics and international level.Glencore plc, Anglo American plc, Exxaro Resources Ltd, and Sasol Ltd are the major players in the South African Coal industry.For accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Cloud Computing in Education Sector Market Anticipated To Expand at a CAGR of 14.7% By 2024

Global Cloud Computing Market

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Pune, India, 13 November 2017: WiseGuyReports announced addition of new report, titled Global Cloud Computing in Education Sector Market Outlook 2024: Global Opportunity and Demand Analysis, Market Forecast, 2016-2024.Cloud computing is creating an effective learning environment for students and new educational approaches have developed, which is expected to increase the penetration of cloud computing in the academic sector rapidly. Due to increasing intrusion of smart phones and tablets, various educational institutions around the world have relied on mobile education.Learning and education are important for each and every individual across the globe. The growing awareness of literate and education are creating more demand for educational sectors. For learning there is no age. With technology evolution there has been a great development in this field.GET SAMPLE REPORT @As per research report, the Global cloud computing in education sector market to reach USD 17.4 billion and with growing CAGR of 14.7% by the end of 2024.Especially with technology, cloud computing has provided a new road for education and development. Cloud computing connects more than a thousand students and teaches them online. There is need of good connectivity and system or laptop. Even their education center who offer this kind of study for the student cannot afford the material.An increasing trend of online learning resources and increasing adoption of mixed education in various educational institutions across the world is expected to increase the demand for learning technology market. Apart from this, the need for implementation of experimental and project-based education is increasing in important subjects like science, mathematics, and engineering as the demand for cloud computing is increasing in the education sector.Cloud Computing education is not limited to only student, school, college the MNC companies, major industry is also approaching this technology for the development of employees. Various training and course are provided to employees.The major benefit of this education technology there is interaction with student and teachers, and they can have access to any subject any topic when they want because it already loaded, they can have access to it from anywhere, so even if there are chances of missing online lectures.Cloud technology is well-known about security and privacy, but with advanced technology and when cloud systems are efficiently implemented, they provide better administration tools rather than helping home systems. Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft 365 and Google Apps, Offline Access, Real World Education and Billing Data Protection Protocol.The adoption of BYOD (bring your own devices) in institutions is growing. The highly developed economies and with advanced IT Infrastructure regions like North America and Western Europe allows students to bring their smart devices to the classroom, thus enhancing the learning experience for students and faculty.The best example of this technology is, in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is one of several schools using drop box for cloud-based storage. In the same way, Dropbox announced to provide more than 6,40,000 students and 30,000 teachers in 900 leased schools with the option of cloud-based storage.The research report on Cloud Computing in Education Sector Market are mainly segmented by services, by development and by geography. The services segment is further segmented by SaaS (Software as a service), IaaS (Infrastructure as a service) and PaaS (Platform as a service. The market is segmented by development as Private cloud, public cloud, hybrid cloud and Community cloud. By Geography the market is segmented in North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific.The major players cover in the report are Adobe Systems, Blackboard, Cisco, Ellucian, Dell EMC, Instructure, Microsoft, NetApp, Oracle, Salesforce.com,and SAP.For accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Vibrating Screens Market to Witness Widespread Expansion During 2016-2026

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Vibrating screens are used to segregate feeds comprising solid and crushed ores down to approximately 210m and are also applicable to both dried and wetted feed. The vibrating motor and rubber sieve plate are the internal components of the vibrating screen. High frequency vibrating screens are primarily utilized in the mineral processing industries. Different vibrating screens are available in the market such as circular vibrating screens, gyratory screen, rotary vibrating screen, trammel screen, linear vibrating screens, etc. Factors such as amount of oversize and undersize material, type of material, shape of particles, moisture content, others govern the capacity of vibrating screens. The high frequency vibration screens operates at varying 0 to 25 degrees and can go up to a maximum of 45 degrees. The frequency range is from 15007200 RPM and should operate at a low stroke. As the apertures in the high frequency screen may cause blockage, pre-treatment of the feed is required. General design of a vibrating screens consists of screen web, bock, coupler, mainframe, rub spring and electric motor. Vibrating screens are widely used in coal, refractory, mining, building materials etc. and can be customized according to the requirement. Waste streams released from waste products should be treated as they may cause damage to the environment over a sustained period of time.A sample of this report is available upon request @Global Vibrating Screens Market: SegmentationVibrating screen market can be segmented on the basis of applications, motive mechanism, product type, production process, driving method and region. On the basis of application, vehicle screen market can be segmented into metallurgy, wood pelleting, food, chemical industry, mineral processing and reclaimed asphalt pavement. On the basis of motive mechanism, vehicle screen market can be segmented into hydraulic vibrator and electric vibrators. On the basis of product type, vehicle screen market can be segmented into linear vibrating screens and circular vibrating screens. On the basis of production process, vehicle screen market can be segmented into screen selection and pre-treatment of feed. On the basis of driving method, it can be segmented into direct drive and indirect drive.Global Vibrating Screens Market: DynamicsDriversFast and easy replacement of vibrating screens due to screw less fastening system is driving the growth of the global vibrating screens. High availability and low maintenance requirements are growing the market of vibrating screens globally. Moreover, robust design and low susceptibility of the vibrating screens are another factors leading to the growth of the vibrating screens market globally. Moreover, diversified product portfolio available in the market meeting the demands of the consumers is another factor fueling the demand for vibrating screens globally.Restraints:Screening efficiency can be affected by screen tearing, dampening, blinding and contamination which may challenge the growth of the vibrating screens market globally. Furthermore, limitations of rotary screen to handle two devices as compared to high frequency vibrating screens is another factor which can be considered as a restraint for the global vibrating screens market.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Global Vibrating Screens Market: Key PlayersThe main key players of the global vibrating screens market are:Deister MachineElgin Equipment GroupOsbornHawk MachineryDerrick CorporationJOST GroupMidwestern IndustriesAury Pty Ltd.Gator Machinery CompanySouthwest Milling and Industrial CompanyGlobal Vibrating Screens Market:Region Wise OutlookOn the basis of region, vibration screens market can be segmented into Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, North America, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Middle East and Africa, and Japan. Europe and Asia pacific is expected to dominate the market as they are significant market for mining and steel industries. China, UK and Ukraine are expected to show robust development in the steel industry. Furthermore, countries such as South Africa, Australia and India are expected to create moderate demand for vibrating screens.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geographies, and applications.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Abhishek BudholiyaFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Taiwan Renewable Energy Policy Handbook Market 2017 - Current and Future Plans

Taiwan Renewable Energy Policy Handbook Market

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SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Taiwan Renewable Energy Policy Handbook"Taiwan Renewable Energy Policy Handbook 2017 is among the latest country specific policy reports from the industry analysis specialist that offers comprehensive information on major policies governing renewable energy market in the country.The report provides the current and future renewable energy targets and plans along with the present policy framework, giving a fair idea of overall growth potential of the renewable energy industry. The report also provides major technology specific policies and incentives provided in the country.The report is built using data and information sourced from industry associations, government websites and statutory bodies. The information is also sourced through other secondary research sources such as industry and trade magazines.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Scope- The report covers policy measures and incentives used by Taiwan to promote renewable energy.- The report details promotional measures in Taiwan both for the overall renewable energy industry and for specific renewable energy technologies that have potential in the country.Key points to buyThe report will enhance your decision making capability in a more rapid and time sensitive manner. It will allow you to -- Develop business strategies with the help of specific insights about policy decisions being taken for different renewable energy sources.- Identify opportunities and challenges in exploiting various renewable technologies.- Compare the level of support provided to different renewable energy technologies in Taiwan.- Be ahead of competition by keeping yourself abreast of all the latest policy changesTable of Contents1 Table of Contents 21.1 List of Tables 22 Introduction 42.1 Renewable Energy Policy 42.2 Global Data Report Guidance 43 Renewable Energy Policy, Singapore 53.1 Renewable Energy Market, Overview 53.2 Power Market, Electricity Act 53.2.1 Electricity Licenses 53.3 Energy Policy 63.3.1 Renewable Energy in Singapore 63.4 Nationally Determined contribution to the Paris Agreement 7..CONTINUEDFOR ANY QUERY, CONTACT US @Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Implantable Cardiac Monitors Market Grew With $678.3 million by 2023

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An implantable cardiac monitor is a small monitoring device, which is used to record the electrical activity of the heart. The device is embedded under the skin of the patients chest from where the hearts electrical activity is recorded. The device can be activated either by adjusting the heart rate according to the range set by the physician or can be externally triggered with the push of a button. These recordings are used by the physicians to analyze and identify an abnormal heart rhythm. The device is used to monitor patients who are at risk for myocardial infraction and atrial fibrillation. The global implantable cardiac monitors market was valued at $410.4 million in 2016, and is expected to reach at $678.3 million by 2023, registering a CAGR of 7.4% from 2017 to 2023.For More Info, Get Sample :A major factor that drives implantable cardiac monitors market is their longevity. In addition, the implantable nature does not require any admission to the hospital, and the patient can be monitored while performing the daily activities. Moreover, rise in incidence of patients suffering from atrial fibrillation, increase in prevalence of myocardial infraction, and unhealthy lifestyle are some other factors that boost the market growth. However, availability of alternative mode of treatment and inflated cost of device hamper the market growth. Conversely, increase in awareness among patients these devices and treatment options for management of cardiac disorders provide lucrative market growth opportunities.The global implantable cardiac monitors market is segmented based on indication, end user, and region. On the basis of indication, the market is divided into cardiac arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, and epilepsy & unexplained falls. By end user, it is classified into hospitals, cardiac centers & clinics and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs).Regionally, it is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. North America accounted for the highest market share in 2016, and is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to increase in development of sophisticated cardiac devices and well-established healthcare infrastructure in the region. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to emerge as a lucrative area with maximum growth potential, due to the improvements in healthcare facilities, increase in disposable income, and improvement in economic conditions.KEY BENEFITS FOR STAKEHOLDERS The study provides an in-depth analysis of the global implantable cardiac monitors market, with current trends and future estimations to elucidate the imminent investment pockets. Comprehensive analysis of factors that drive and restrict the market growth is provided. Comprehensive quantitative analysis of the industry from 2016 to 2023 is provided to enable stakeholders to capitalize on the prevailing market opportunities. Extensive analysis of the key segments of the industry, which helps understand the type of products and technologies used globally is included. Key market players and their strategies are provided to understand the competitive outlook of the market.Enquire About Report :KEY MARKET SEGMENTSBy Indication Cardiac Arrhythmias Atrial Fibrillation Epilepsy & Unexplained FallsBy End User Hospitals Cardiac Centers & Clinics Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs)By Region North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe UK France Germany Italy Spain Switzerland Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific Japan China India Australia Malaysia New Zealand Rest of Asia-Pacific LAMEA Brazil South Africa Egypt Rest of LAMEAAlso Request For Discount :KEY PLAYERS PROFILED Abbott Laboratories Biotronik SE & Co. KG Boston Scientific Corporation Edwards Lifescience Corporation General Electric Company Koninklijke Philips N.V. LivaNova PLC Medtronic plc Nihon Kohden Corporation Phoenix Heart CenterThe other players in the value chain include (profiles not included in the report) Abiomed, Inc. Berlin Heart GmbH Jarvik Heart, Inc. ReliantHeart Inc. Schiller AG Astellas Pharma, Inc. Sigma-Aldrich Corporation Agilent Technologies, Inc. Basilea Pharmaceutical Ltd.Table Of Content CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHAPTER 3 MARKET OVERVIEW CHAPTER 4 IMPLANTABLE CARDIAC MONITOR MARKET, BY INDICATION CHAPTER 5 IMPLANTABLE CARDIAC MONITOR MARKET, BY END USER CHAPTER 6 IMPLANTABLE CARDIAC MONITOR MARKET, BY REGION CHAPTER 7 COMPANY PROFILEAbout UsWe have a large database of quality and precise market research reports that will be very beneficial for your organization. Reports that we sell our authentic in nature and from reputed publishers, hence it can definitely help you with your growth opportunities. Research Beam will always make sure to bring most ethical and high quality reports. We value your relationship with us and look forward for a long term relation.Contact UsGlobal Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United States+1 (800) 910-6452help@researchbeam.com
Japan Renewable Energy Policy Handbook Market 2017 -Develop Market-Entry and Market Expansion Strategies

Japan Renewable Energy Policy Handbook Market

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SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Japan Renewable Energy Policy Handbook"Japan Renewable Energy Policy Handbook 2017 is among the latest country specific policy reports from the industry analysis specialist that offers comprehensive information on major policies governing renewable energy market in the country.The report provides the current and future renewable energy targets and plans along with the present policy framework, giving a fair idea of overall growth potential of the renewable energy industry. The report also provides major technology specific policies and incentives provided in the country.The report is built using data and information sourced from industry associations, government websites and statutory bodies. The information is also sourced through other secondary research sources such as industry and trade magazines.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Scope- The report covers policy measures and incentives used by Japan to promote renewable energy.- The report details promotional measures in Japan both for the overall renewable energy industry and for specific renewable energy technologies that have potential in the country.Key points to buyThe report will enhance your decision making capability in a more rapid and time sensitive manner. It will allow you to -- Develop business strategies with the help of specific insights about policy decisions being taken for different renewable energy sources.- Identify opportunities and challenges in exploiting various renewable technologies.- Compare the level of support provided to different renewable energy technologies in Japan.- Be ahead of competition by keeping yourself abreast of all the latest policy changes.Table of Contents1 Table of Contents 21.1 List of Tables 22 Introduction 42.1 Renewable Energy Policy 42.2 Global Data Report Guidance 43 Renewable Energy Policy, Japan 53.1 Renewable Energy Market, Overview 53.2 Japan Renewable Energy Policy Platform 53.3 Feed-in Tariffs for Renewable Energy 53.4 Green Investment Tax Credit 83.5 Strategic Energy Plan 83.6 Long-Term Energy Supply and Demand Outlook 83.7 Establishment of New Energy Development Organization 8..CONTINUEDFOR ANY QUERY, CONTACT US @Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Philippines Renewable Energy Policy Handbook 2017  By Analyzing the Performance of Various Competitors

Philippines Renewable Energy Policy Handbook

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SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Philippines Renewable Energy Policy Handbook"Philippines Renewable Energy Policy Handbook 2017 is among the latest country specific policy reports from the industry analysis specialist that offers comprehensive information on major policies governing renewable energy market in the country.The report provides the current and future renewable energy targets and plans along with the present policy framework, giving a fair idea of overall growth potential of the renewable energy industry. The report also provides major technology specific policies and incentives provided in the country.The report is built using data and information sourced from industry associations, government websites and statutory bodies. The information is also sourced through other secondary research sources such as industry and trade magazines.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Scope- The report covers policy measures and incentives used by Philippines to promote renewable energy.- The report details promotional measures in Philippines both for the overall renewable energy industry and for specific renewable energy technologies that have potential in the country.Key points to buyThe report will enhance your decision making capability in a more rapid and time sensitive manner. It will allow you to -- Develop business strategies with the help of specific insights about policy decisions being taken for different renewable energy sources.- Identify opportunities and challenges in exploiting various renewable technologies.- Compare the level of support provided to different renewable energy technologies in Philippines.- Be ahead of competition by keeping yourself abreast of all the latest policy changes.Table of Contents1 Table of Contents 21.1 List of Tables 22 Introduction 42.1 Renewable Energy Policy 42.2 Global Data Report Guidance 43 Renewable Energy Policy, Philippines 53.1 Renewable Energy Market, Overview 53.2 Power Sector Reforms and Privatization 53.3 National Renewable Energy Program 63.4 Energy Plan 2012-2030 63.5 Other Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policies 73.6 Feed-in Tariffs 7..CONTINUEDFOR ANY QUERY, CONTACT US @Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Life Insurance Policy Administration Systems Market to Undertake Strapping Growth During 2017 - 2027

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The life insurance industry is witnessing shifting trends in the front-office, policy administration, and claims, the three core functions of the insurance value chain. Life insurance firms remain challenged by their inflexible legacy life insurance policy administration systems. Designing innovative products, faster time to market and leveraging modern technology for multi-channel distribution has become essential for life insurers. Hence insurers are looking for life insurance policy administration systems transformation to enhance their operational efficiency with a lower total cost of operations by consolidating their existing systems.Request Report for TOC @Life insurance policy administration software helps insurers manage life and annuity insurance policies. Life insurance policy administration systems allow insurers to develop and administer new life, annuity, pension, and health insurance products for clients. Using life insurance policy administration software systems, organizations can design new policies, calculate policy costs, and maintain a record of policies issued to clients. Some systems offer libraries of prebuilt insurance product features that reduce time to market. Life insurance policy administration software systems are commonly used by enterprise insurance organizations to manage existing policies and develop new insurance products. These systems can improve policy flexibility and administration. Life insurance policy administration software systems can be implemented either as a standalone solution or as part of an integrated insurance suite.Life Insurance Policy Administration Systems Market: Drivers and ChallengesBelow listed are few of the driving factors of life insurance policy administration systems market: Life insurers seek to launch new and innovative products, hence, they need faster speed-to-market for these products. Multiple life insurance policy administration systems offer different interfaces to business users, making it difficult to understand and interact with the process. Life insurers also face issues with the data consistency and redundancy due to the existence of information across multiple repositories in the organization. This lowers customer satisfaction since it results in customer service inefficiencies. The old legacy systems have limited flexibility, sometimes due to hard-coded logic, which results in a challenge in the case of any new requirement or change in business rules and processes. All these factors are encouraging consumers to shift to life insurance policy administration systems.Request to Sample of Report @Life Insurance Policy Administration Systems Market: Key Market PlayersFew of the companies in Life Insurance Policy Administration Systems market are: Accenture, Andesa Services, Concentrix, CSC (CyberLife), CSC (Wealth Management Accelerator), EXL, FAST Technology, Infosys McCamish, InsPro Technologies, Majesco, MDI, Mphasis Wyde, Oracle, Sapiens and Vitech Systems Group.Life Insurance Policy Administration Systems Market: Regional OverviewLife insurance policy administration systems market is currently dominated by North America region owing to wide adoption of life insurance policy administration systems in order to improve efficiency and eradicate issues arising due to multiple administration systems. Europe Life Insurance Policy Administration Systems market follows next due to wide adoption of these kind of administration systems in this region. Asia Pacific life insurance policy administration systems market is gradually growing due to the presence of wide customer base in this region.Pre Book Full Report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.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:
Personal Care Appliances Market to Register Steady Growth During 2016 - 2026

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Personal care appliances usage is becoming a necessity for the consumers, who regularly use personal care products for quick personal grooming. Personal care appliances majorly includes trimmer, hair dryer, shaver, hair straightener, hair curler and epilator. Owing to benefits such as better affectivity than traditional procedure and time saving, demand for personal care appliances is growing gradually.Personal Care Appliances Market Segmentation:On the basis of product type personal care appliances market is segmented into hair care appliances, hair removal appliances, oral care appliances and other personal care appliances. Hair care appliances is sub-segment into hair dryers, hair straighteners, curling brushes, hair clippers, curling irons and hair setters. Hair removal appliances is sub-segmented into trimmers, mens shavers, womens shavers and epilators. Further, oral care appliances is sub-segmented into electric toothbrushes and oral irrigators.Request Report for TOC @Other personal care appliances include heating pads and massagers. Currently, hair care appliances holds largest market share in terms of value, which is around two fifth of the global personal care appliances market followed by hair removal appliance and oral care appliances. Hair dryers and hair straighteners are the most popular products from hair care appliances segment. In addition, currently in the hair removal appliances segment trimmer and shavers collectively hold majority of the market share.On the basis of gender personal care appliances market is segmented into male and female. Of which in terms of value, market share contribution of female segment is higher as compared to the male segment.On the basis of distribution channel, personal care appliances market is segmented into hypermarket and supermarket, franchise stores, departmental stores and online retailers. Distribution of personal care appliances is expected to increase exponentially through online retailing. This is attributed to increasing internet penetration primarily in emerging economies coupled with product variant availability.Request to Sample of Report @Geographically, personal care appliances market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa. Currently, there is a higher popularity over Japan, Western Europe and North America. There is a significant potential to expand market share of personal care appliances in Asia Pacific excluding Japan.Personal Care Appliances Market Dynamics:Consumers of personal care appliances are very much brand and quality conscious, moreover urban consumers are becoming more style conscious, which is driving the personal care appliances market growth invariably. Consciousness of the benefits of personal care appliances over emerging economies and increasing urbanization are driving the personal care appliances market. Also, increasing e-commerce sector is expected to contribute significantly to the growth of personal care appliances market. Durability and high cost of few products restraints the personal care appliances market growth. However, there is a huge opportunity in the Asia Pacific market, the market is almost untapped and few players already started capturing the market share of personal care appliance market. This is attributed to new product development in order to capture significant market share in the overall personal care appliances market.Personal Care Appliances Market Key Players:Some of the key comapnies in the personal care appliances market include Panasonic Corporation, Helen of Troy L.P, Royal Philips Electronics NV, Lion Corp, Colgate-Palmolive Company, HoMedics Inc, Remington Products Company, Conair Corp, Braun GmbH, Norelco Consumer Products Company, Johnson & Johnson, GABA GmbH, Procter & Gamble, and others.Pre Book Full Report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.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:
African Trypanosomiasis Market to Represent Significant Revenue Growth

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African Trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness disease, is one of the rarest infectious diseases that can affect ones sleep pattern to a great extent. It is a parasitic disease caused by protozoan parasite of genus Trypanosoma and is carried by tsetse fly. There are two types of African Trypanosomiasis depending on the parasite: East African Trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and West African Trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosomiasis brucei gambiense. West African Trypanosomiasis causes a fatal infection which lasts for years while East African Trypanosomiasis has a limited range and lasts for several weeks. The symptoms associated with African Trypanosoniasis vary from one stage to another. There are two stages which are as follows:Request to Sample of Report-First Stage (Hemolymphatic stage): The first stage is known as hemolymphatic stage due to the blood and lymphatic systems associated with this stage. During this stage, the skin infected by the tsetse fly form a trypanosomal chancre and the lymph nodes of the immune system become infected and enlarged. The various symptoms of the hemolymphatic stage are intermittent fever, headaches, skin lesions, facial edema, tachycardia and weight loss.Second stage (Neurologic or encephalitic stage): During the second stage, the brain becomes affected with few troubles in concentrating. The various symptoms of the neurologic stage are muscle weakness, behavioral changes such as irritability and mood swings, paralysis of a limb, speech disorders and sensory disorders.African Trypanosomiasis can be diagnosed by examining the blood samples, bone marrow, lymph node fluid, cerebrospinal fluid or lymph node aspirate of the affected individual. However, the card agglutination test (CATT) is a useful test for the detection of trympanosome specific antibodies in blood, serum or plasma. CATT is a field and laboratory test usually applied for mass screening to detect African Trypanosoniasis. Moreover, three surgical tests are available for the detection of the parasite, namely, micro-CATT, wb-CATT, and wb-LATEX.Based on the type of treatment, African Trypanosomiasis market can be segmented as follows:First stage treatment: The first stage disease treatment includes intravenous pentamidine for Trypanosomiasis brucei gambiense and intravenous suramin for Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense.Second stage treatment: The second stage disease treatment includes intravenous eflornithine and intravenous melarsoprol. However, combination of both eflornithine and nifurtimox is considered to be more effective in the treatment of African Trypanosomiasis.According to WHO, 25,000 new cases of both East and West African Trypanosomiasis are reported each year globally. African Trypanosomiasis is primarily found in subtropical and equatorial Africa. The major driving factors for the growth of the African Trypanosomiasis market in this region are constantly growing number of poor population in East African, prevalence of unhygienic environment, rapid pace of technological advancement in the field of African Trypanosomiasis therapeutics, increasing number of population to opt for healthy lifestyle and the overall growing diagnostic and therapeutic market. On the other hand, the huge cost of drugs involved in the treatment of African Trypanosomiasis and difficulty in availability of these medications would most likely impede the growth of this market. Geographically, the African Trypanosomiasis market can be segmented into four major segments: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and rest of the world (RoW).Request Report for TOC @Some of the top market players of the African Trypanosomiasis market are Sanofi, Genzyme Corporation, D-Pharm Ltd., aRigen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Immtech Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and many others.Pre Book Full Report About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Solar Mounting System Market Global Outlook 2018: UNIRAC, SnapNrack, Versolsolar, Clenergy, Solar First

Solar Mounting System Market 2018

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The report entitled Global Solar Mounting System Market 2018 delivers the comprehensive and in-depth research analysis of the key regional industry standing of the Solar Mounting System market on a global level. This report especially focuses on the core regions such as North & South America, Europe, Africa, South & Middle East Asia and Australia and also the key countries like (USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Russia, India, China, South Korea and Japan).Get Sample Copy of Report Here:This Solar Mounting System market report state and future prospects of the segment have jointly been examined. Additionally, key methods within the Solar Mounting System market that features partnerships, product developments, link-ups, and acquisitions, etc., mentioned. Besides, Upstream raw materials, equipment, and downstream consumers analysis is equally carried out. This extensive research encompasses of market profit, sales, Solar Mounting System market revenue, potentials, and challenges also project the growth rate. Producers Analysis and Prime Sellers of world Solar Mounting System Market 2018:1. Renusol GmbH2. UNIRAC3. SolarWorld4. K2 SYSTEMS5. SnapNrack6. Quick Mount PV7. Landpower Solar Technology8. RBI Solar9. Mounting Systems, Inc.10. Xiamen Grace Solar Technology11. Versolsolar12. Jiangsu Akcome Science & Technology13. Clenergy14. Changzhou Zixu Solar Power15. Solar FirstInquiry for Buying, Visit Here: Solar Mounting System Market (Type Analysis):- Solar Mounting System Market (Application Analysis):-In the first segment, The Solar Mounting System report covers the marketing research and forecast of Solar Mounting System Market on a regional also the world level. The Solar Mounting System report is generically divided into six components and each half aims at the summary of the Solar Mounting System past, present and future conditions of the market, the feasibility of the investment on many methods and policies. Excluding the classification and definition, the Solar Mounting System market report conjointly discusses the analysis crucial and export and explain a comparison of the Solar Mounting System market that is targeted at the trends and development. Key Emphasizes the Solar Mounting System Market:1. Solar Mounting System Market evolution for the regional as well as country level segments.2. Depth Analysis of global market forecasts and outlook for 2022, and forecasting of CAGRs through an expected period.3. In-depth analysis of Types/product and applications.4. Competitive mapping the prevailing key trends.5. Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the Solar Mounting System market estimations.6. Analyze the crucial market trends and new evolution technologically in the Solar Mounting System Market.After that, This Solar Mounting System report deals with the precise info on the selling Channels and novel project investments. So the modern professionals and the mainstream industry rival get the direction of these markets trends as well as regional analysis. This report also supports the new entrants, readers, investors and the established players to set up their plans and decide which segment or sub-segment to invest on so as to reap maximum profits.Finally, In Solar Mounting System report key details, methods, and variables are examined and also whole helpful data are combined together for the learning and understanding the key facts related the worldwide Solar Mounting System market. The Solar Mounting System market share and production price with the SWOT analysis everything is integrated into this report.About Us:Business Worldwide is a trusted brand in the research industry with a capability of commissioning complex projects within a short span of time with high level of accuracy. At Business Worldwide, we believe in building long-term relations with our clients. Our services cover a broad spectrum of industries including Energy, Chemicals and Materials, Automotive, Software and Aerospace.Contact Us:Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803
Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies Market Global Outlook 2018: Du Pont, Impinj, Zebra, UPM, Essentra

Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies 2018

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The report entitled Global Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies Market 2018 delivers the comprehensive and in-depth research analysis of the key regional industry standing of the Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies Market on a global level. This report especially focuses on the core regions such as North & South America, Europe, Africa, South & Middle East Asia and Australia and also the key countries like (USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Russia, India, China, South Korea and Japan).Get Sample Copy of Report Here:This Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies market report state and future prospects of the segment have jointly been examined. Additionally, key methods within the Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies market that features partnerships, product developments, link-ups, and acquisitions, etc., mentioned. Besides, Upstream raw materials, equipment, and downstream consumers analysis is equally carried out. This extensive research encompasses of market profit, sales, Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies market revenue, potentials, and challenges also project the growth rate. Producers Analysis and Prime Sellers of world Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies Market 2018:1. 3M2. Avery Dennison3. Digimarc4. Applied DNA Sciences5. Illinois Tool Works6. Du Pont7. Impinj8. Zebra Technologies Corp9. UPM10. Essentra PLCInquiry for Buying, Visit Here: Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies Market (Type Analysis):- Coding & Printing Technology, RFID, Holographic Technology, Security Label, Packaging Design Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies Market (Application Analysis):- Polyethylene, Detergent Alcohol, Synthetic Lubricating Oil, OtherIn the first segment, The Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies report covers the marketing research and forecast of Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies Market on a regional also the world level. The Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies report is generically divided into six components and each half aims at the summary of the Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies past, present and future conditions of the market, the feasibility of the investment on many methods and policies. Excluding the classification and definition, the Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies market report conjointly discusses the analysis crucial and export and explain a comparison of the Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies market that is targeted at the trends and development. Key Emphasizes the Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies Market:1. Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies Market evolution for the regional as well as country level segments.2. Depth Analysis of global market forecasts and outlook for 2022, and forecasting of CAGRs through an expected period.3. In-depth analysis of Types/product and applications.4. Competitive mapping the prevailing key trends.5. Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies market estimations.6. Analyze the crucial market trends and new evolution technologically in the Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies Market.After that, This Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies report deals with the precise info on the selling Channels and novel project investments. So the modern professionals and the mainstream industry rival get the direction of these markets trends as well as regional analysis. This report also supports the new entrants, readers, investors and the established players to set up their plans and decide which segment or sub-segment to invest on so as to reap maximum profits.Finally, In Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies report key details, methods, and variables are examined and also whole helpful data are combined together for the learning and understanding the key facts related the worldwide Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies market. The Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies market share and production price with the SWOT analysis everything is integrated into this report.About Us:Business Worldwide is a trusted brand in the research industry with a capability of commissioning complex projects within a short span of time with high level of accuracy. At Business Worldwide, we believe in building long-term relations with our clients. Our services cover a broad spectrum of industries including Energy, Chemicals and Materials, Automotive, Software and Aerospace.Contact Us:Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803
Food Ingredients Sterilization Market Projected to Witness a Double-Digit CAGR During 2016 - 2024

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Food ingredients sterilization equipment is used to sterile the food ingredients. There are different processes through which food ingredients are processed such as heat, moisture, radiation etc. in order to reduce or destroy the micro-organisms present in food ingredients. Increasing demand for and increasing demand for processed and packaged food from last few decades has led to increasing in demand of food ingredients in global food and beverage industry. In addition, the demand for food ingredients sterilization also rising to increase shelf life of treated food ingredients. Growing demand for spices, herbs, meat, poultry, cereals, pulses etc. in the food industry is expected to drive the growth of food ingredients sterilization in developing regions. In terms of value, it is expected that North America accounts for the majority of share in global food ingredients sterilization market and Asia-Pacific is expected as the fastest growing market.Request Report for TOC @Global Food Ingredients Sterilization Market: Market DriversSome of the key drivers influencing the demand for food ingredients sterilization the global market are driven by the food safety and health protection. Proper sterilization of food keeps the food products safe and also increases the potential of food manufacturers to deliver quality food with extended shelf life. On the other side, the increasing trend of packaged and prepared food in developing region has led to increasing in demand for food sterilization among food manufacturers as it adds significant shelf life to food ingredients and keeps the packaged food safe for the longer period of time. Demand for food ingredients sterilization also increasing in the global market due to stringent food safety norms of government regarding the use of sterilization equipment in food and beverage industry. In near future, the demand for food ingredients sterilization is expected to create better opportunities in food industry as advancement in sterilization technology and development of new sterilization products is creating opportunities for the food manufacturers to develop new food products to meet growing demand of consumers.Global Food Ingredients Sterilization Market: Market SegmentFood ingredients sterilization segment have been segmented on the basis of ingredients and sterilization method. Market segment by ingredients, it includes spices, herbs and seasonings, dried fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, seafood, dairy ingredients, cereals and pulses, tea blends and nuts. Market segmentation, on the basis of sterilization method, its market is segmented by heat, moisture, radiation and others. Further, on analyzing the demand for food ingredients sterilization market, it assessed that the demand for food ingredients sterilization equipment is expected to increase in spices, herbs and seasonings as they have wide application in food processing industry. On the other side, food ingredients sterilization by heat is expected to account largest share in the global market followed by radiation method. Moreover, the regulations of government regarding food safety and health concern led to support the growth of food ingredients sterilization equipment in the global food industry.Request to Sample of Report @Global Food Ingredients Sterilization Market: Regional segmentOn the basis of regional segment, food ingredients sterilization market is segmented into five regions including North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific & Japan and the Middle East and Africa. On analyzing the demand for food ingredients sterilization market, it is expected that North America and Europe accounts for the largest market share in the global food ingredients sterilization market in terms of value. Moreover, demand for food ingredients sterilization is also expected to increase in Asia-Pacific & Japan in near future due to an increasing number of food manufacturing plants in the region.Global Food Ingredients Sterilization Market: Key playersSome of the key players in food ingredients sterilization market are Sterigenics International LLC, Croll Reynolds, Balchem Corporation, Global Sterilization and Fumigation, Wenda Ingredients, Namah Steam Sterilization, Napasol AG, Cosmed Group, Safe Spice and ATTEC Food Technology among others.Pre Book Full Report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.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:
Soy Sauce Powder Market to Witness Increase in Revenues by 2024

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Soy sauce powder is prepared from soybeans to primarily satisfy the demand for food and beverage industry and one of the ideal ingredient which is used in food products to enhance the taste, tenderness, color and flavor. Soy sauce powder also includes ingredients such as maltodextrin, wheat and salt as it gives better flavor enhancement in food products. It is also known as dehydrated soy sauce. Soy sauce powder is easily dissolved in water to create liquid soy sauce or paste. Rising demand for fast food, snacks, meals, prepared food and many other products has influenced the demand for soy sauce powder in the global market. It is expected that North America and Asia-Pacific is expected to account largest market share for soy sauce powder in near future.Request Report for TOC @Global Soy Sauce Powder Market: Market DriversDemand for soy sauce powder in the global market is driving from increasing demand for health conscious consumers as soy sauce powder is rich in protein, and amino acids. Due to health and wellness trends, soy sauce manufacturers are also introducing the new range of powders in the market to meet the consumer demands. Growing consumer concerns towards different flavor and taste preferences and changing consumer eating habits are the key factors increasing the demand for soy sauce powder. Currently, the demand for soy sauce is increasing especially among food manufacturers, fast food retail chains and restaurants as they use soy sauce powder for flavor enhancement, coating, seasoning, soups and for many other purposes. Food manufacturers also used soy sauce powder in dry or in rehydrated form which has wide application in seasoning mixes, sauces, dips, gravies, soups, snacks etc.Global Soy Sauce Powder Market: Market SegmentationSoy sauce powder market is segmented on two different basis, on the basis of type and on the basis of application. Soy sauce powder market segment on the basis of by type, it includes fermented soy sauce powder and roasted soy sauce powder. Another market segmented for soy sauce powder is on the basis of by application, it includes soups, sauces, seasonings, snacks, meat items and others (salad dressings, gravies, and dips). The demand for soy sauce is primarily increasing from food manufacturers, food catering, households, and an increasing number of fast food chains as it has wide application in food products as it gives authentic flavor, aroma of soy sauce, color, crust formation and also function as umami food recipes. Soy sauce powder has become the ideal base for sauces, snacks, dips, dressings, gravies, instant seasoning food products for flavor enhancement purpose and to offer the better taste in food items.Request to Sample of Report @Global Soy Sauce Powder Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of the regional segment, the market of Soy sauce powder is segmented into five regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Japan, and the Middle East & Africa. On analyzing the demand for soy sauce powder market in the graph, it is expected that Asia-Pacific and Japan account for majority of market share in the global market in terms of volume and in terms of value North America accounts the majority of share in global soy sauce powder market.Global Soy Sauce Powder Market: Key playersSome of the key players operates in business of soy sauce powder are Nikken Foods USA, Inc., Shanghai Hensin Industry CO., Ltd., Chaitanya Group of Industries, SEEWOO FOODS LIMITED, Halcyon Proteins Pty. Ltd., La Herbal (india), AmTech Ingredients, PHILIPPINE AMINOSAN CORPORATION, YAMASA Corporation, and Kikkoman Corporation among others.Pre Book Full Report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.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:
Automotive Interior Leather Market Global Outlook 2018: Bader, BOXMARK Leather, Elmo Sweden, GST AutoLeather

Automotive Interior Leather Market Global Outlook 2018

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The report entitled Global Automotive Interior Leather Market 2018 delivers the comprehensive and in-depth research analysis of the key regional industry standing of the Automotive Interior Leather market on a global level. This report especially focuses on the core regions such as North & South America, Europe, Africa, South & Middle East Asia and Australia and also the key countries like (USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Russia, India, China, South Korea and Japan).Get Sample Copy of Report Here:This Automotive Interior Leather market report state and future prospects of the segment have jointly been examined. Additionally, key methods within the Automotive Interior Leather market that features partnerships, product developments, link-ups, and acquisitions, etc., mentioned. Besides, Upstream raw materials, equipment, and downstream consumers analysis is equally carried out. This extensive research encompasses of market profit, sales, Automotive Interior Leather market revenue, potentials, and challenges also project the growth rate. Producers Analysis and Prime Sellers of world Automotive Interior Leather Market 2018:1. Scottish Leather Group Limited2. Eagle Ottawa LLC3. WOLLSDORF LEDER SCHMIDT & Co. Ges.m.b.H.4. Bader GmbH & Co. KG5. BOXMARK Leather GmbH & Co KG6. Elmo Sweden AB7. Leather Resource of America Inc.8. GST AutoLeather Inc.Inquiry for Buying, Visit Here:In the first segment, The Automotive Interior Leather report covers the marketing research and forecast of Automotive Interior Leather Market on a regional also the world level. The Automotive Interior Leather report is generically divided into six components and each half aims at the summary of the Automotive Interior Leather past, present and future conditions of the market, the feasibility of the investment on many methods and policies. Excluding the classification and definition, the Automotive Interior Leather market report conjointly discusses the analysis crucial and export and explain a comparison of the Automotive Interior Leather market that is targeted at the trends and development. Key Emphasizes the Automotive Interior Leather Market:1. Automotive Interior Leather Market evolution for the regional as well as country level segments.2. Depth Analysis of global market forecasts and outlook for 2022, and forecasting of CAGRs through an expected period.3. In-depth analysis of Types/product and applications.4. Competitive mapping the prevailing key trends.5. Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the Automotive Interior Leather market estimations.6. Analyze the crucial market trends and new evolution technologically in the Automotive Interior Leather Market.After that, This Automotive Interior Leather report deals with the precise info on the selling Channels and novel project investments. So the modern professionals and the mainstream industry rival get the direction of these markets trends as well as regional analysis. This report also supports the new entrants, readers, investors and the established players to set up their plans and decide which segment or sub-segment to invest on so as to reap maximum profits.Finally, In Automotive Interior Leather report key details, methods, and variables are examined and also whole helpful data are combined together for the learning and understanding the key facts related the worldwide Automotive Interior Leather market. The Automotive Interior Leather market share and production price with the SWOT analysis everything is integrated into this report.About Us:Business Worldwide is a trusted brand in the research industry with a capability of commissioning complex projects within a short span of time with high level of accuracy. At Business Worldwide, we believe in building long-term relations with our clients. Our services cover a broad spectrum of industries including Energy, Chemicals and Materials, Automotive, Software and Aerospace.Contact Us:Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803
Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems Market value projected to expand by 2025

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Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems are widely used in the military and aerospace industry which require data storage and visualization of Day/Night-Vision helmets or goggles. The information is displayed on the screen of the lenses, mirror or screen created specifically for viewing the data and also stored the data in a drive. The Day/Night-Vision equipments are of various types including night vision goggles, Day/Night-Vision helmets, periscope, guns and rifle scope, night vision binocular and others which has applications in various industries such as military, aerospace, aviation, police, security and surveillance and others. This technology is initially developed for military purposes and later found application in air force and civil aviation.Request Report for TOC @With the advancement of technology, this technology have found applications in several other industries. Most of the equipments has a display attached in it where some products such as periscope used in tanks has a separate visual screen which can be removed. Portable display units has gained a significant market share which is used in combat operations. These portable displays can be installed anywhere away from the equipment. These displays usually has a range of 50 to 100 meters and come with a receiver which receives signals transmitted by Day/Night-Vision equipment. Some of the displays has large ranges and can catch signals coming from few meters to kilometers. Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems market is expected to witness an escalating demand among various industries because of its broad applications and features.Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems: Market DynamicsDay/Night-Vision Data Display systems is used by pilots, military personnels and police. This technology has gained importance due to its varied applications. The military of all the developed and most of the developing countries have Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems and using the same for various purposes. North America is the largest market and manufacturer for Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems. Many new applications are springing in the market every day which requires Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems because of its unique properties. Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems market is expected to grow during the forecast period due to its versatile benefits and vast usage. However, Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems comes along with some restraints. Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems is costly and sold to only organizations with legitimate registrations in their respective country. The cost of research and development of these products is great and hence the products turns to be costly. The demand of Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems is always low as compared to the supply due to the high prices. Accuracy and efficiency is also a constraint for Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems.Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems: Segment OutlookDay/Night-Vision Data Display systems market can be segmented on the type of display which include glass, mirror, video display optical kit, lens and others. Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems market can be segmented on the type of equipments which includes transmitter, receiver, day light filter, software and others. Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems market can also be segmented on the type of application which includes military, aerospace, aviation, police, security and surveillance and others.Request to Sample of Report @Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems: Regional OutlookRegional coverage for Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems market includes North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Japan. Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems market witnesses a high demand and production in North America and Europe because of the significant investments in the region and high demand.Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems: Market PlayersThe market players in Day/Night-Vision Data Display systems market are Nexter group, Thales Visionix Inc., ATN Corporation, Rockwell Collins, DELOPT, Elbit Systems of America LLC and many more.Pre Book Full Report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.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:
High Security Mobility Management Market Projected to Discern Stable Expansion During 2017 - 2025

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As mobile devices and tablets are preferred medium for accessing internet, enterprise data and also personalized information. The security for these mobile devices has become the major concern for the users and enterprises. High security mobility management provides enterprises new ways to improve the security of mobile devices used by their employees. The high security mobility management solution provides real-time alerts, and high end security in business operations for enterprises. High security mobility management enables secure file and document sharing across mobile devices, and also develop secure code and guard mobile applications from data leak. High security mobility management prevents unauthorized access while extending security beyond corporate walls to enable trusted transactions with customers and partners.Request Report for TOC @High Security Mobility Management Market: Drivers and ChallengesThe major driving factor for high security mobility management market is the widespread use of mobile devices, laptop, and tablets which generate massive data, which is need to be stored in a secure manner. So many enterprises are adopting the high security mobility management to secure their mobile devices, laptops and tablets used by their employees on their premises. Furthermore, there is a rise in demand for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) to access the business information by personal devices, which is encouraging many enterprises to adopt the high security mobility management.In contrast to this, due to increase in complexity of network infrastructure, exposure to advanced cyber-attack techniques have restrained the growth of high security mobility management market.Request to Sample of Report @High Security Mobility Management Market: key playersSome of the key players for high security mobility management market are Atos, BlackBerry, Check Point Software Technologies, Citrix, Cyber adAPT, GSMK, IBM, Kaymera Technologies, Microsoft, MobileIron, Pulse Secure, Samsung, Sikur, Silent Circle, Sophos, Soti, Thales Group, Virtual Solution, VMware.High Security Mobility Management Market: Regional OverviewHigh security mobility management market is currently dominated by North America due to the adoption of cyber security in this region. Asia Pacific High Security Mobility Management Market is expected to have the highest growth rate as there is presence of many developing countries and infrastructure in this region. The Latin America and MEA regions also represent great abilities in terms of adoption of high security mobility management services.Pre Book Full Report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.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:
Content Collaboration Market to Reap Excessive Revenues by 2025

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Content collaboration assist to synthesis broad social network with several modern technologies such as Internet of things (IoT) and cloud computing. Enterprises are adopting several distinct content collaboration tools and solutions to enable efficient data management along with effective access to critical business documents such as audio, video and data files.Content collaboration includes several enterprise tool which are necessary to support various functionality of business content such as editing, creating, sharing and storage. Enterprises are contributing to improve their functionality by adopting content collaboration, which provide awareness of shared working entity.Request Report for TOC @Content Collaboration: Drivers and ChallengesThe flourishing need for enriched enterprise productivity is a major factor driving the content collaboration market. As content collaboration tools and services are gaining contraction owing to improved demand for managing numerous data effectively, which is generated in organization daily operations.The growing adoption of e-commerce, social media and bring your own devices is enhancing the need for awareness of data management. Moreover, large amount of content is contrived in inter-organization and intra-organization is increasing enormously. Hence, there is a need to manage this rich content of data to minimize its pneumatic cost.However, conflicts and difference in working procedure among the employees of the same organization is one of the major restraints faced by content collaboration market.Request to Sample of Report @Content Collaboration: Key PlayersSome of the key players of Content collaboration market are: IBM Corporation, Xerox Corporation, HP Autonomy, AirWatch, Oracle Corporation, and Microsoft Corporation.Content Collaboration: Regional OverviewAsia pacific region is witnessing highest growth in content collaboration market which is followed by Latin America region, owing to large adoption of integrated collaboration solution is small scale and large scale enterprises are growing market of content collaboration in positive manner.Pre Book Full Report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.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:
Global Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Size, Status & Forecast 2022 : Infobip, MBlox

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The market study on the global Application to Person (A2P) SMS market is a scientific instrument to understand the performance of the said market over the forecast period. The report includes historical values as well as future projections, which serve as crucial indices for companies interested to participate in the Application to Person (A2P) SMS market. Using historical database and projections, the report presents growth trends and growth trajectory pictorially.The beginning of the report summarizes standard terms and terminologies used in the Application to Person (A2P) SMS market, before moving on to classifications, applications, and industry chain structure. This is followed with an analysis of the competitive landscape, profiling major players for their key business attributes. Each of the companies is studied with reference to a timescale to understand the changing competitive hierarchy of the Application to Person (A2P) SMS over the years.Free Sample of this report is available upon request @This report studies the global Application to Person (A2P) SMS market, analyzes and researches the Application to Person (A2P) SMS development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeMBloxCLX CommunicationsInfobipTanla SolutionsSAP Mobile ServicesSilverstreet BVSyniverse TechnologiesNexmo Co. Ltd.The report is divided into sections, with each section discussing different industry aspects at length. Industry statues and policies, industry news and developments, and industry framework are the some of the aspects that have been discussed in this part of the report. Included in the report is a cost analysis of products, along with insights into manufacturer profit in the Application to Person (A2P) SMS market. The dynamics between various applications of the Application to Person (A2P) SMS market and their implication on the industry chain are also discussed herein.The industry chain analysis of the Application to Person (A2P) SMS market covers aspects such as production capacity, demand-supply dynamics, cost structure of product catalog, etc. An analysis of upstream raw material chain and downstream demand, along with import/export behavior is also included in the report.Market attractiveness analysis and feasibility of new investments in the Application to Person (A2P) SMS market are key features of this report. Using proven research methodologies and standard analytical tools, the report presents an accurate picture of growth trends and demand drivers, and points out strategies that are sure to present lucrative growth avenues in the future.Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Application to Person (A2P) SMS1.1 Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Overview1.1.1 Application to Person (A2P) SMS Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.3 Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market by Type1.4 Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market by End Users/Application2 Global Application to Person (A2P) SMS Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 MBlox3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Application to Person (A2P) SMS Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 CLX Communications3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Application to Person (A2P) SMS Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments4 Global Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Size by Type and Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Size by Type (2012-2017)4.2 Global Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.3 Potential Application of Application to Person (A2P) SMS in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of Application to Person (A2P) SMSList of Tables and FiguresFigure Application to Person (A2P) SMS Product ScopeFigure Global Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2017)Table Global Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Global Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Share by Regions in 2016Figure United States Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure EU Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Japan Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure China Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure India Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Southeast Asia Application to Person (A2P) SMS Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)About Us:QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Global Flexible Packaging Coating Market Research Report 2017 : Henkel, ACTEGA, Roymal

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Flexible Packaging Coating Market Research Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.QYResearchReports.com has added a new report covering the global Flexible Packaging Coating market to its vast database. The research report studies the global Flexible Packaging Coating market to analyze the factors impacting it. The report has been divided into several chapters that discuss the global Flexible Packaging Coating market in absolute detail. The report begins with the discussion of the industry overview, which includes definitions and specifications of Flexible Packaging Coating. It also explains the classification of Flexible Packaging Coating, its applications, the industry chain structure, the status of the major regional segments of the global Flexible Packaging Coating market, industry policies, and recent news.The report gives an analysis of the manufacturing cost structure with the help of data about raw material suppliers and price analysis. This chapter also offers an explanation of the analysis carried out for equipment suppliers and prices. Furthermore, the chapter includes an analysis of labor costs, other costs, and manufacturing process analysis.Get a Free PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Global Flexible Packaging Coating market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingWacker Chemie AGACTEGAMichelmanHenkelMorchemRoymalBhler GroupMaria Soell GmbHThe report explains the role of end users in regions such as Europe, China, and Japan, along with sharing the details regarding the segmentation of the global Flexible Packaging Coating market. The comprehensive report also explains the governmental policies acting on the global Flexible Packaging Coating market and studies the market in the context of the political scenario, economic condition, social dynamics, technological advancements, legal implications, and environmental demands and regulations.The research report on the global Flexible Packaging Coating gives a clear picture of the competitive landscape of the market. The report offers an insight into the financial overview and details about sales, revenue, and price concerning the leading vendors operating in the global Flexible Packaging Coating market. It also provides a SWOT analysis and Porters five forces analysis of the important players in the market.Table of Contents1 Flexible Packaging Coating Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Flexible Packaging Coating1.2 Flexible Packaging Coating Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.3 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Segment by Application1.3.1 Flexible Packaging Coating Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.4 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Flexible Packaging Coating (2012-2022)2 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Flexible Packaging Coating Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Flexible Packaging Coating Market Competitive Situation and Trends3 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 North America Flexible Packaging Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 Europe Flexible Packaging Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.7 China Flexible Packaging Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Flexible Packaging Coating Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 North America Flexible Packaging Coating Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Flexible Packaging Coating Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Flexible Packaging Coating Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan Flexible Packaging Coating Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 Southeast Asia Flexible Packaging Coating Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 India Flexible Packaging Coating Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Flexible Packaging CoatingFigure Global Flexible Packaging Coating Production (K MT) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Types (Product Category) (2012-2022)Figure Global Flexible Packaging Coating Production Market Share by Types (Product Category) in 2016Figure Global Flexible Packaging Coating Consumption (K MT) by Applications (2012-2022)Figure Global Flexible Packaging Coating Consumption Market Share by Applications in 2016Figure Global Flexible Packaging Coating Market Size (Million USD), Comparison (K MT) and CAGR (%) by Regions (2012-2022)Figure North America Flexible Packaging Coating Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Europe Flexible Packaging Coating Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure China Flexible Packaging Coating Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Flexible Packaging Coating Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)About Us:QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
New Research Analysis on Orphan Drugs Market Expected to Grow at 12.1% CAGR by 2025

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Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) has been serving as an active source to cater intelligent research report to enlighten both readers and investors. This research study titled Orphan Drugs Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Volume, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017  2025.Click here For Free Sample Report @During the 2017-2025 forecast period, the global orphan drugs market is expected to display a healthy growth rate, backed by a number of factors such as high return on investments for the development of orphan drugs, strong research and development initiatives for orphan drugs in developed countries, and increasing number of rare diseases related to genetic mutations that are treated using orphan drugs.In matters of competition, players in the moderately fragmented global orphan drugs market are focused on strategic acquisitions, and are focused to leverage incentives offered by governments for efforts for R&D of orphan drugs.A report by Market Research Reports Search Engine estimates the global orphan drugs market will expand at a healthy 12.1% CAGR between 2017 and 2025, for the market to be valued at US$318.5 bn by the end of 2025.Increasing Number of Rare Cancer Cases Stokes Growth of Oncology Disease Type SegmentThe report studies the global orphan drugs market on the basis of disease type, product type, distribution channel, and geography. The segments of this market depending upon disease type are oncology, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, neurology, hematology, cardiovascular, metabolic disorders, endocrinology, infectious diseases, and others. Of them, in 2016, oncology led the market vis-a-vis revenue, and the segment is expected to hold on to its dominant position until the end of 2025. The strong growth of oncology disease type segment is mainly because of increasing drug approvals for treatment of rare cancers. In the European Union, for instance, the burden of cancer has been growing significantly, with 22% of all diagnosed cancer cases identified as rare cancers. The segment of metabolic disorders is expected to expand at a significant CAGR over the forecast period. The increasing number of urea cycle disorders that form a significant part of metabolic disorders account for the high growth of metabolic disorders segment.For More Info, Read Complete Report With Table of Content @In terms of product type, the report divides the global orphan drugs market into biologic and non-biologic products. Vis-a-vis revenue, biologic products led the market in 2016 and is anticipated to stay dominant over the reports forecast period. Further, the segment of biologic products is expected to display a significant CAGR over the forecast period mainly because of high efficacy of biologic products for treatment of diseases, fewer side effects, and difficulty to develop generic versions of these drugs.On the basis of distribution channel, the global orphan drugs market has been segmented into hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, specialty pharmacies, and others. Hospital pharmacies led the overall market in 2016 on the basis of revenue, and the trend is anticipated to continue over the forecast period. Moreover, increasing hospitalization for the treatment of rare diseases, ease of availability of products in hospital pharmacies, and increasing referrals from physicians for hospitalization are aiding growth of the hospital distribution channel.Meticulous Efforts for R&D of Orphan Drugs Makes North America LeaderGeography-wise, the global orphan drugs market is segregated into North America, Europe, and Rest of the World. In 2016, North America held the leading share of the market due to various factors that include a well-established healthcare infrastructure, favorable regulations for the approval of drugs for rare diseases, drug exclusivity status received by orphan drugs, and initiatives by governmental and non-governmental agencies to raise awareness about use of orphan drugs for treatment of rare diseases. Within North America, the U.S. contributes substantially to the orphan drugs market as more than 30 million people are reported to suffer from rare diseases in the country. This calls for strong R&D for development of orphan drugs.Enquire About this Report @About Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:
Smart Wearables in Healthcare Market Sees Promising Growth in 2017-2022

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Smart Wearables in Healthcare Market Trends, Growth, Professional Survey Report 2017 to its huge collection of research reports.Global Smart Wearables in Healthcare Market Research Report studies the growth behavior of the global Smart Wearables in Healthcare market, looking into demand drivers, opportunities, and competitive outlook over the 2017-2022 period. The report provides a 360 degree overview of the market, beginning with terms and terminologies, conventions, and notations before progressing into applications, classifications, and technological framework of the said market.For reading comprehensibility, the market study is prepared in a chapter-wise layout, with an exhaustive collection of tables and graphs. Data for the report was gathered from accredited agencies and extensive interviews carried out with industry leaders to obtain their viewpoint on the progression of the Smart Wearables in Healthcare market over the forecast period.Get Free PDF Brochure For More Technical Insights@Employing a holistic approach, the market study provides performance analysis and growth trends of the Smart Wearables in Healthcare market. This is provided by means of analyzing various crucial parameters such as demand and supply logistics, manufacturing processes, and cost structures in a succinct manner.In matters of competition, the report mentions key players in the Smart Wearables in Healthcare market along with their detailed business profile. A SWOT analysis of these players reveals their winning strategies and insights about the changing competitive landscape over the forecast period. Included in the report is a SWOT analysis of the Smart Wearables in Healthcare market that reveals the market attractiveness index over the forecast period. This index helps to gauge if new entrants would be interested in participating in the market in the upcoming years.Based on historical and current figures, the report provides market size and revenue projections of the Smart Wearables in Healthcare market. This serves as an important instrument for companies to formulate business strategies and leverage gainful opportunities to translate into business profits. The report examines the global Smart Wearables in Healthcare market based on a few criteria. The various key segments under different categories are examined for their growth behavior over the forecast period.Table of ContentsGlobal Smart Wearables in Healthcare Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Smart Wearables in Healthcare1.1 Definition and Specifications of Smart Wearables in Healthcare1.1.1 Definition of Smart Wearables in Healthcare1.1.2 Specifications of Smart Wearables in Healthcare1.2 Classification of Smart Wearables in Healthcare1.2.1 Smart Wrist Wearables1.2.2 Smart Patches1.2.3 Smart Clothes1.2.4 Smart Head / Neck Wearables1.2.5 Smart Ear Wearables1.2.6 Smart Eye Wearables1.2.7 Other Smart Wearables1.3 Applications of Smart Wearables in Healthcare1.3.1 Activity / Fitness Tracking (SMEs)1.3.2 Monitoring & DiagnosticsAccess the full Report TOC in Detail @2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Smart Wearables in Healthcare2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Smart Wearables in Healthcare2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Smart Wearables in Healthcare2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Smart Wearables in Healthcare3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Smart Wearables in Healthcare3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Smart Wearables in Healthcare Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Smart Wearables in Healthcare Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Smart Wearables in Healthcare Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Smart Wearables in Healthcare Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global Smart Wearables in Healthcare Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Smart Wearables in Healthcare Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Smart Wearables in Healthcare Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global Smart Wearables in Healthcare Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2016 Smart Wearables in Healthcare Sales Analysis (Company Segment)5 Smart Wearables in Healthcare Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America Smart Wearables in Healthcare Market Analysis5.1.1 North America Smart Wearables in Healthcare Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2012-2017E Smart Wearables in Healthcare Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2012-2017E Smart Wearables in Healthcare Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2016 Smart Wearables in Healthcare Market Share Analysis5.2 China Smart Wearables in Healthcare Market Analysis5.2.1 China Smart Wearables in Healthcare Market Overview5.2.2 China 2012-2017E Smart Wearables in Healthcare Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption AnalysisEnquiry For Discount Visit @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
Future of the Anastomat Market  Growth, Latest Trend & Forecast 2022

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report China Anastomat Market Report 2021 to its huge collection of research reports.The China Anastomat market is closely assessed in the publication using in-depth verifiable projections, historical data, and qualitative insights. With the help of proven assumptions and research methodologies, the analysts have derived the projections featured in the publication. For every aspect of the market, the publication serves as a great repository of information, data, and critical analysis. It could be said that the publication is a fine source of stakeholder and value chain analysis, technological breakthroughs observed in the market, and current and future challenges, opportunities, and trends. Furthermore, the publication promises a significant unveiling of crucial market segments and sub-segments and opportunities therein.Get Free PDF Brochure For More Technical Insights@The analysts have made it a point to reveal untapped markets and business prospects so as to assist players to strengthen their position in the industry. Besides market size, the publication sheds light on vital factors such as supply and demand. This could help readers to gain a complete understanding of how the China Anastomat market would perform in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, the publication has been complied with the use of effective primary and secondary research methodologies, including surveys, interviews, trade journals, and reputable paid sources. The authors of the publication have ensured that readers do not miss out on any important information about the market that could keep them in the dark.The competitive landscape of the China Anastomat market is broadly examined as the researchers profile some of the key companies operating in the industry. Company profiling takes into consideration critical factors that could impact the growth of players in the market, such as recent developments, market shares, mergers and acquisitions, and other business strategies. Moreover, the nature of the competitive landscape and future competitive scenarios are shed light upon in the publication. This could help players to be cautioned about future challenges and prepare effective plans beforehand.Table of ContentsChina Anastomat Market Report 20211 Anastomat Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Anastomat1.2 Classification of Anastomat1.2.1 Linear1.2.2 Circular1.2.3 Type III1.3 Applications of Anastomat1.3.1 Skin1.3.2 Digestive Tract1.3.3 Blood Vessels1.3.4 Hernia1.3.5 Lung1.4 China Market Size (Value and Volume) of Anastomat (2011-2021)1.4.1 China Anastomat Sales, Revenue and Price (2011-2021)1.4.2 China Anastomat Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.4.3 China Anastomat Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)Read Complete Table of Content @2 China Anastomat Competition by Manufacturers2.1 China Anastomat Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 China Anastomat Revenue and Share by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)3 China Anastomat (Volume and Value) by Type3.1 China Anastomat Sales and Market Share by Type (2011-2021)3.2 China Anastomat Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2021)4 China Anastomat (Volume) by Application5 China Anastomat Manufacturers Analysis5.1 Johnson&Johnson5.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors5.1.2 Anastomat Product Type and Technology5.1.2.1 Linear5.1.2.2 Circular5.1.3 Anastomat Sales, Revenue, Price of Johnson&Johnson (2015 and 2016)5.2 Covidien (Medtronic)5.2.1 Company Basic Information,Manufacturing Base and Competitors5.2.2 Medical Devices Product Type and Technology5.2.2.1 Linear5.2.2.2 Circular5.2.3 Medical Devices Sales, Revenue, Price of Covidien (Medtronic) (2015 and 2016)5.3 3M5.3.1 Company Basic Information,Manufacturing Base and Competitors5.3.2 3M Product Type and Technology5.3.2.1 Linear5.3.2.2 CircularEnquiry For Discount Visit @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
ECG Cable and ECG Lead Wires Market 2017  Welch Allyn, Conmed Corporation, Schiller

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales Market Report 2017 to its huge collection of research reports.QYResearchReports.com has added a new report covering the global ECG cables and ECG leadwires market to its vast database. The research report studies the global ECG cables and ECG leadwires market to analyze the factors impacting it. The report has been divided into several chapters that discuss the global ECG cables and ECG leadwires market in absolute detail. The report begins with the discussion of the industry overview, which includes definitions and specifications of ECG cables and ECG leadwires. It also explains the classification of ECG cables and ECG leadwires, its applications, the industry chain structure, the status of the major regional segments of the global ECG cables and ECG leadwires market, industry policies, and recent news.The report gives an analysis of the manufacturing cost structure with the help of data about raw material suppliers and price analysis. This chapter also offers an explanation of the analysis carried out for equipment suppliers and prices. Furthermore, the chapter includes an analysis of labor costs, other costs, and manufacturing process analysis.Get Free PDF Brochure For More Technical Insights@The report explains the role of end users in regions such as Europe, China, and Japan, along with sharing the details regarding the segmentation of the global ECG cables and ECG leadwires market. The comprehensive report also explains the governmental policies acting on the global ECG cables and ECG leadwires market and studies the market in the context of the political scenario, economic condition, social dynamics, technological advancements, legal implications, and environmental demands and regulations.The research report on the global ECG cables and ECG leadwires gives a clear picture of the competitive landscape of the market. The report offers an insight into the financial overview and details about sales, revenue, and price concerning the leading vendors operating in the global ECG cables and ECG leadwires market. It also provides a SWOT analysis and Porters five forces analysis of the important players in the market.Table of ContentsGlobal ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales Market Report 20171 ECG cables and ECG leadwires Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of ECG cables and ECG leadwires1.2 Classification of ECG cables and ECG leadwires by Product Category1.2.1 Global ECG cables and ECG leadwires Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global ECG cables and ECG leadwires Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 TPU (Thermoplastic polyurethane)1.2.4 TPE (Thermoplastic elastomer)1.2.5 Others (Silicone, PVC)1.3 Global ECG cables and ECG leadwires Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Hospitals1.3.3 Clinics1.3.4 Long Term Care Facilities1.3.5 Ambulatory and Home CareAccess the full Report TOC in Detail @2 Global ECG cables and ECG leadwires Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global ECG cables and ECG leadwires Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global ECG cables and ECG leadwires Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 Global ECG cables and ECG leadwires (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 Global ECG cables and ECG leadwires Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.3 Global ECG cables and ECG leadwires (Volume and Value) by Region3 United States ECG cables and ECG leadwires (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 United States ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 United States ECG cables and ECG leadwires Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.3 United States ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)3.2 United States ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales Volume and Market Share by Players3.3 United States ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales Volume and Market Share by Type3.4 United States ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales Volume and Market Share by Application4 China ECG cables and ECG leadwires (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4.1 China ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales and Value (2012-2017)4.1.1 China ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.2 China ECG cables and ECG leadwires Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.3 China ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)4.2 China ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales Volume and Market Share by Players4.3 China ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales Volume and Market Share by Type4.4 China ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales Volume and Market Share by Application5 Europe ECG cables and ECG leadwires (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5.1 Europe ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales and Value (2012-2017)5.1.1 Europe ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.2 Europe ECG cables and ECG leadwires Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.3 Europe ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)5.2 Europe ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales Volume and Market Share by Players5.3 Europe ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales Volume and Market Share by Type5.4 Europe ECG cables and ECG leadwires Sales Volume and Market Share by ApplicationEnquiry For Discount Visit @QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. 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Roofing Materials Global Market 2017: Key Players  Johns Manville, Saint-Gobain, GAF Materials, CertainTeed, Etex, IKO Industries, Owens Corning

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Roofing Materials IndustryDescriptionglobal Roofing Materials Market is poised to grow at a CAGR of 6.4% over the forecast period 2015 to 2022. Growing population and increasing urbanization are the key factors driving the market growth. The complex work environment and absence of job security are factors that hamper the roofing materials market. One of the key challenges in the market is scarcity of skilled workers for installation.In terms of both revenue and volume the tiles market will remain the biggest segment. The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to be the leading region in the global roofing materials market by 2022. Asia Pacific witnessed the maximum demand for roofing, accounting for more than 30% of the global market in 2015. The market for roofing in Asia Pacific is attaining much grip from the growing investment for infrastructural development in industrial, commercial, as well as healthcare sectors.Request for Sample Report @Some of the key players in the market includeJohns Manville, Saint-Gobain, GAF Materials, CertainTeed, Etex, IKO Industries, Owens Corning, Beacon Roofing Supply, Atlas Roofing, American Hydrotech, Braas Monier Building Group and Eagle Roofing Products.Applications Covered: Commercial Residential construction Non-residential constructionProducts Type Covered: Metal roofing Solar shingle roofing Tile roofing Green roofing Shingle roofing Otherso Plastico Fiber cementLeave a Query @Regions Covered: North Americao USo Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo UKo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando Rest of Asia Pacific Rest of the Worldo Middle Easto Brazilo Argentinao South Africao EgyptWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsBuy now @Continued...Contact Us: Sales@Wiseguyreports.Com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (US) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdPune  411028Maharashtra, GlobalPh: +91 841 198 5042
Quantum Dot Global Market 2017: Key Players  Sony Corporation; Altair Nanotechnology,Inc; Evident Technologies, LG Display, Life Technologies Corporation

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Quantum Dot IndustryDescriptionWiseguyreports.Com Adds Quantum Dot -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and analysis of Top Key Player Forecast to 2022 To Its Research DatabaseAccording to Stratistics MRC, the Global Quantum Dot market is expected to grow from $451.6 million in 2015 to reach $13,570.9 million by 2022 with a CAGR of 62.6%. Increasing demand for optimized devices with better performance and resolution quality and rising as a striking substitute to conventional display technologies are the current trends in Quantum Dot market. The increasing demand for energy-efficient display devices and lighting solutions, augmented demand for quantum dots from the healthcare business would drive the market in coming years. However, elevated cost of quantum dots and ever-changing regulatory atmosphere for cadmium based quantum dots, slower acceptance of technology due to lack of consciousness among consumers are acting as the major restraints of the Quantum Dot market.Request for Sample Report @Healthcare application segment with the exploit of quantum dots technology for drug delivery, in-vivo imaging, in-vitro imaging, photodynamic therapy, and flow cytometry dominates the global quantum dots market. North America has the maximum revenue share followed by Europe due to early acceptance of the Quantum Dot market and their key QD manufacturers in the business are based in the U.S. due to broad R&D expenditure over sophisticated QD display technologies and high manufacture capacities.Some of the key players in global market includeSony Corporation; Altair Nanotechnology,Inc; Evident Technologies, LG Display, Life Technologies Corporation, Microvision Inc; Quantum Material Corporation; Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd and Nexxus Lighting Microvision Inc.Applications Covered: Renewable Energy Health Care Optoelectronic Quantum Computing Quantum Optic Security & SurveillanceProduct Types Covered: QD Chips QD Lasers QD LED Displays QD Lighting QD Medical Devices QD Sensors QD Solar CellsTechnologies Covered: Bulk-manufacturing Cadmium-free quantum dots (CFQD) Colloidal Synthesis Fabrication Electrochemical assembly Viral AssemblyLeave a Query @Materials Covered: Cadmium Selenide Cadmium Sulphide Cadmium Telluride Indium Arsenide Silicon GrapheneComponents Covered: Film LED TubeRegions Covered: North Americao USo Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo UKo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando Rest of Asia Pacific Rest of the Worldo Middle Easto Brazilo Argentinao South Africao EgyptWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsBuy now @Continued...Contact Us: Sales@Wiseguyreports.Com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (US) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdPune  411028Maharashtra, GlobalPh: +91 841 198 5042
Specialty Water Treatment Chemicals Global Market 2017: Key Players  Akzo Nobel N.V., Arch Chemicals Inc., Ashland Water Technologies, BASF SE, Cortec Corporation, E.I Dupont

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Specialty Water Treatment Chemicals IndustryDescriptionWiseguyreports.Com Adds Specialty Water Treatment Chemicals -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and analysis of Top Key Player Forecast to 2021 To Its Research DatabaseAccording to Stratistics MRC, the Global Specialty Water Treatment Chemicals Market is valued at $27.82 billion in 2015 and is poised to reach $42.3 billion by 2022 growing at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2015 to 2022. Infrastructural advancements and end-user applications in the market are currently trending, this had given rise to the need for water supplies. However, the factors such as increasing demand for water and stringent environmental safety regulations are creating the demand for the water treatment chemicals. Whereas, rising raw material costs is restraining the market growth.Corrosion inhibitors segment is expected to be the fastest growing market owing to the technological advancements in water treatment industry, usage of equipment relating to treatments had increased, which in turn had given rise to the demand for the market. Asia Pacific contributes to the largest water treatment chemicals market owing to the rapid increase in population, in addition to the scarcity of the pure and clean drinking water.Request for Sample Report @Some of the key players of the specialty water treatment market includeAkzo Nobel N.V., Arch Chemicals Inc., Ashland Water Technologies, BASF SE, Cortec Corporation, E.I Dupont, Ecolab Inc., GE Water & Process Technologies, General Chemical Performance Products Llc, Kurita Water Industries Ltd., Layne Christensen Co., Lonza Group Ltd., Occidental Chemical Corp., Siemens Water Technologies Corp. and The DOW Chemical Company.Applications Covered: Chemical Processing Food & Beverages Metal & Mining Municipal Water Treatment Oil & Gas Power Generation Pulp & Paper Other ApplicationsTypes Covered: Anti-foaming agents Biocides & Disinfectants Chelating agents Coagulants & Flocculants Corrosion Inhibitor pH Adjusters & Stabilizers Scale Inhibitor Other TypesLeave a Query @Regions Covered: North Americao USo Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo UKo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando Rest of Asia Pacific Rest of the Worldo Middle Easto Brazilo Argentinao South Africao EgyptWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsBuy now @Continued...Contact Us: Sales@Wiseguyreports.Com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (US) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdPune  411028Maharashtra, GlobalPh: +91 841 198 5042
Automotive Lubricants Market Reach US$78.9 bn by the end of the forecast period

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Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) has recently publicized a new study to its vast repository, which is titled as automotive lubricants market is expected to witness a telling increase in demand in the coming years on account of the rising trend of possessing an automobile among consumers. The sale of automotive lubricants could be optimistically impacted on the back of the surging awareness level about several benefits such as improved average age of automobiles and upgraded operations. This positive situation of the world automotive lubricants market is anticipated to prevail over the course of the forecast period.Click here For Free Sample Report @In 2015, the world automotive lubricants market was valued at US$55.4 bn. However, it is predicted to progress at a decent CAGR of 4.10% between 2016 and 2024 to reach US$78.9 bn by the end of the forecast period.Increasing Number of Automobiles Directly Proportional to Growth of Engine OilAcross the globe, vendors are projected to receive business from three premier types of automotive lubricant, viz. transmission fluid, engine oil, and gear oil. Nevertheless, engine oil a.k.a. motor oil could rake in a significant demand by emerging as one of the most valuable products in the international automotive lubricants market. This trend is foreseen to continue all through the forecast years. The incomparable growth of engine oil in the international automotive lubricants market could be attributed to the mounting count of automobiles running on road.On the other hand, the magnifying engagement of single fluid for both transmission and gearbox functions is envisaged to cause a decline in the growth of transmission fluid and gear oil in the foreseeable future.Browse Full Report With TOC @On the basis of base oil, the international automotive lubricants market could be classified into bio-based fluid, synthetic oil, and mineral oil. Each of these base oils is envisioned to offer some or the other type of business opportunity to industry players operating in the international automotive lubricants market.An automotive lubricant could differ according to the type of automobile it is used for. Therefore, automobiles such as heavy-weight commercial vehicle (HCV), light-weight commercial vehicle (LCV), and passenger car are prophesied to set the tone for growth in the international automotive lubricants market.By distribution channel, players could find favorable prospects in the aftermarket and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) automotive lubricants markets.Asia Pacific Keeps Lead with Sizable Consumption in Improving EconomiesAsia Pacific is prognosticated to sustain its lead in the worldwide automotive lubricants market while riding on key economies such as Japan and China that account for a larger consumption. The improving economies of Asia Pacific could allow for a substantial increase in the purchase power of consumers. Besides this, the impressive rise of the automotive sector therein is expected to enhance the growth rate of Asia Pacific.In the near future, Europe could see a ballooning rise in demand propelled by the boosted growth of synthetic lubricants and enforcement of stricter regulations regarding fuel emission. Howbeit, the pace of growth in demand testified by Europe is anticipated to slightly dwindle during the forecast period. The North America automotive lubricants market could be subjected to a similar condition.Nonetheless, the Middle East and Africa and Latin America are predicted to showcase a considerable growth in the next few years. Developing vehicle parc and infrastructural improvements could be vital for the growth of the Middle East and Africa region. Latin America is envisaged to advance imposingly due to the swelling sales of automobiles in Mexico and Brazil, intensifying implementation of engine oils having lower viscosity, and escalating trend of replacing old automobiles with newer models.Enquire About This Report @About Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:
Wireline Services Market Segment by Applications, Manufacturers, Regions and Forecast to 2025

Wireline Services Market

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On - Wireline Services Market Segment by Applications, Manufacturers, Regions and Forecast to 2025.This report studies the global Wireline Services market, analyzes and researches the Wireline Services development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeSchlumbergerHalliburtonBaker HughesWeatherfordSuperior Energy ServicesPioneer Energy ServicesC&J Energy ServicesExpro GroupArcherCOSLBasic Energy ServicesOilservWireline EngineeringSGS SACNPC/CPLEQT/QinterraGet a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoElectric LineSlick LineMarket segment by Application, Wireline Services can be split intoWireline LoggingWireline InterventionWireline CompletionAsk Query @Table Of Contents  Major Key PointsGlobal Wireline Services Market Size, Status and Forecast 20251 Industry Overview of Wireline Services1.1 Wireline Services Market Overview1.1.1 Wireline Services Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Wireline Services Market Size and Analysis by Regions (2013-2018)1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Wireline Services Market by Type1.3.1 Electric Line1.3.2 Slick Line1.4 Wireline Services Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Wireline Logging1.4.2 Wireline Intervention1.4.3 Wireline Completion2 Global Wireline Services Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Wireline Services Market Size (Value) by Players (2013-2018)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Schlumberger3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Wireline Services Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Halliburton3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Wireline Services Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Baker Hughes3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Wireline Services Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Weatherford3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Wireline Services Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Superior Energy Services3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Wireline Services Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Pioneer Energy Services3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Wireline Services Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 C&J Energy Services3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Wireline Services Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Expro Group3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Wireline Services Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.8.5 Recent DevelopmentsContinue.Buy 1-User PDF @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.
WLAN Module 2018 Global Industry Size,Analysis,Opportunities,Forecasts to 2025

WLAN Module Market

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On - WLAN Module 2018 Global Industry Size,Analysis,Opportunities,Forecasts to 2025.In this report, the global WLAN Module market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2025.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of WLAN Module in these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesEUChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanGet a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comGlobal WLAN Module market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingLesswireSollae SystemsFujitsuPanasonicLSRIntelAlpsZcomax TechnologiesZYGOVishayCiscoWhizNetsHY-LINEAdvantechLGIWave Systems TechnologiesMPLSKYLAB M&C TechnologyOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoEmbedded WLAN ModulesExternal WLAN ModulesOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingSmart Phones And TabletsMobile RoutersAutomobile Head-Units And TelematicsPrinters And CamerasAsk Query @Table Of Contents  Major Key PointsGlobal WLAN Module Market Research Report 20181 WLAN Module Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of WLAN Module1.2 WLAN Module Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global WLAN Module Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global WLAN Module Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Embedded WLAN Modules1.2.4 External WLAN Modules1.3 Global WLAN Module Segment by Application1.3.1 WLAN Module Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Smart Phones And Tablets1.3.3 Mobile Routers1.3.4 Automobile Head-Units And Telematics1.3.5 Printers And Cameras1.4 Global WLAN Module Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global WLAN Module Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 United States Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 EU Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 South Korea Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 Taiwan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of WLAN Module (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global WLAN Module Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global WLAN Module Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025).7 Global WLAN Module Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Lesswire7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 WLAN Module Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Lesswire WLAN Module Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Sollae Systems7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 WLAN Module Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Sollae Systems WLAN Module Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Fujitsu7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 WLAN Module Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Fujitsu WLAN Module Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Panasonic7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 WLAN Module Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Panasonic WLAN Module Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 LSR7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 WLAN Module Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 LSR WLAN Module Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Intel7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 WLAN Module Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Intel WLAN Module Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Alps7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 WLAN Module Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Alps WLAN Module Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Zcomax Technologies7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 WLAN Module Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 Zcomax Technologies WLAN Module Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 ZYGO7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 WLAN Module Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 ZYGO WLAN Module Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.9.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinue.Buy 1-User PDF @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.
Global Military Camouflage Uniform Market insights to 2022 profiling key players like American Apparel, Krai Precision, DuPont, IBENA Textilwerke, Royal Tenchat

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This market research report identifies US apparel, Crye Precision, DuPont, IBENA Textilwerke and Royal TenCate as major suppliers of the global military camouflage market. The report also provides detailed analysis of market-specific product types (combat camouflage and driving camouflage) and geography (US, APAC and EMEA).Overview of the Global Military Camouflaged MarketAccording to market research reports, the global military camouflage market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3% during the forecast period. This is one of the main drivers of market growth as the interest in weather and terrain uniforms grows. Based on the battlefield being developed, suppliers of the military camouflage market are drastically changing the characteristics of design, color and fabric. The military is already focusing on getting military camouflage uniforms that are specialized in topographical necessities. For example, the US Army deployed the Scorpion W2, an operational camouflage uniform for soldiers in Afghanistan, Europe, Iraq and Africa's Horn of Africa. People in snowy areas provided snow camouflage parka, pants and pack covers. Also, uniforms made for soldiers in the desert area are lightweight and breathable, 50% nylon and 50% cotton. Also, uniforms to be worn in snowy areas are water-repellent for quick drying. Modernization of this pattern will enhance the functionality of these kits and promote market growth in the future.For Sample Copy of this report:According to market research reports, the global military camouflage market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3% during the forecast period. This is one of the main drivers of market growth as the interest in weather and terrain uniforms grows. Based on the battlefield being developed, suppliers of the military camouflage market are drastically changing the characteristics of design, color and fabric. The military is already focusing on getting military camouflage uniforms that are specialized in topographical necessities. For example, the US Army deployed the Scorpion W2, an operational camouflage uniform for soldiers in Afghanistan, Europe, Iraq and Africa's Horn of Africa. People in snowy areas provided snow camouflage parka, pants and pack covers. Also, uniforms made for soldiers in the desert area are lightweight and breathable, 50% nylon and 50% cotton. Also, uniforms to be worn in snowy areas are water-repellent for quick drying. Modernization of this pattern will enhance the functionality of these kits and promote market growth in the future.Buy Complete report now at USD 2800 :One of the noteworthy recent trends in the global army camouflage market is the use of nanotechnology in military uniforms. Nanotechnology is widely used in textiles to produce textiles with superior properties in smart and intelligent textiles and clothing. The introduction of nanotechnology into textiles has enabled textile finishes such as nano finishes. Nano-armor technology can detect the impact of shrapnel or bullets, making thin pads and automatically curing them to make materials stronger.Competitive Analysis and Key VendorsThe military camouflage uniform market consists of numerous multinational and regional suppliers. Vendor competition in the marketplace is based on factors such as innovative patterns and improved uniformity of patterns, quality and reliability. In order to ensure long-term survival in the market, suppliers must identify and supplement the increasing trend of geopolitical situation.The major suppliers of the market are as follows.: American Apparel, Krai Precision, DuPont, IBENA Textilwerke, Royal TenchatFor More information:Other well-known vendors include Cortman Textiles, DRIFIRE, Invista, Manifattura Landi, and Milliken. Classification by product type and military gastroenterology market analysisBattle camouflage, Manipulation camouflageFor 2016, combat camouflage product types have dominated the global military camouflage market and are expected to continue to dominate over the next four years. The advantage of combat camouflage jerseys, such as concealing nearby soldiers protecting them from initial attacks, will lead to segment growth.Geographical segmentation and analysis of military camouflage uniforms market; Americas, APAC, EMEAGeographically, Americas has led the global army disguise market in 2016 and is expected to continue to dominate over the forecast period. Increased adoption of new variants of camouflage jerseys with changing times and battlefields and increased spending on the design and development of military camouflage jerseys will stimulate market growth in the region.Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat Global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Mr. Sunny DenisContact No. +1-888-631-6977sales@researchnreports.com(ResearchnReports
Global Rotary Electrical Joint Market detail studied in detail in new research with forecast

Rotary Electrical Joint Market

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Rotary Electrical Joint market from the in depth perspective of all the ongoing trends that are affecting the international market and are important to be understood are studied.A complete analysis of the market is been done in this intelligence report. It includes the investigations done of the past progress, present ongoing market scenarios and future prospects. In this particular market report an accurate data of the products, strategies and market shares of leading companies are mentioned clearly.Get Sample copy of this Report @:Companies Profiled in this Report Includes, Schleifring, Cobham, Stemmann, MERSEN, RUAG, GAT, Morgan, Cavotec SA, LTN, Pandect Precision, Mercotac, DSTI, BGB, Molex, UEA, Michigan Scientific, Rotac, Electro-Miniatures, Conductix-Wampfler, NSD, Alpha Slip Rings, Globetech Inc, Hangzhou Prosper, Moflon, Jinpat ElectronicsOn the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume (K Units), revenue (Million USD), product price (USD/Unit), market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSmall CapsulesMid-Sized CapsulesEnclosed Power Thru-BoreEnclosed Signal Thru-BoreOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate of Rotary Electrical Joint for each application, includingDefense & AerospaceIndustrial & CommercialRadarTest EquipmentWind TurbinesVideo & Optical SystemsThis report covers Rotary Electrical Joint market from the bottom line, starting from its definition. Later, it segments the market on various criteria to give a depth of understanding on the various product types and pricing structures and applications. Each and every segment is examined carefully by factoring in sales, revenue and market size in order to understand the potential of growth and scope.Market study says about the vital role in the market and how the rising demand for Rotary Electrical Joint industry is taking place emerging economies is taking place. How in developing economies in Southeast Asia and Latin America the market have witnessed robust urbanization drives is included in this study report. The rising technology and developments taking place in the market is also depicted in this research report. Factors that are boosting the growth of the market, and giving a positive push to thrive in the global market is explained in detail.Get Discount on this Premium Report @:Reason to Access Rotary Electrical Joint Market Research Report:Analysis of Rotary Electrical Joint market and its upcoming growth prospects is been mentioned with maximum precision. This study includes an elaborative summary of market which also includes snapshots that offer depth of information of various other segmentations. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis of key factors which are responsible for boosting or hampering the market growth and the promising opportunities in market have been provide. Primary and secondary research is been done in detail which helps the readers have a strong understanding of the complete market for the forecast period.For Any Doubt, Feel Free to ask your Queries @:Table of ContentsGlobal Rotary Electrical Joint Market Research ReportChapter 1 Rotary Electrical Joint Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on IndustryChapter 3 Global Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by RegionChapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by RegionsChapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Global Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12 Global Rotary Electrical Joint Market ForecastIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.About QYReports:We at, QYReports , a leading market research report publisher accommodate more than 4,000 celebrated clients worldwide putting them at advantage in todays competitive world with our understanding of research. Our list of customers include prestigious Chinese companies, multinational companies, SME's and private equity firms whom we have helped grow and sustain with our fact-based research. Our business study covers a market size of over 30 industries offering unfailing insights into analysis to reimagine your business. We specialize in forecasts needed for investing in a new project, to revolutionize your business, to become more customer centric and improve the quality of output.QYReportsJones John(Sales Manager)sales@qyreports.com
English Learning Software Market Trends, Analysis by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application

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One of the primary drivers for this market is the rise in the number of English language learners. Increased number of student enrollment for graduate schools to English speaking countries considered to be the primary contributor to the growth of this market. In an attempt to excel in these tests students are compelled to enroll in private English language training (ELT) institutions. One of the foremost factors driving the expansion of this market is the budding market English Learning Software. In the higher education segment, universities in the US, Australia, the UK, and Canada require applicants to pass language tests such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and International English Language Testing System (IELTS).Get Sample Report @ qyreports.com/request-sample?report-id=52091It explains the key market drivers, trends, restraints and opportunities to give a precise data which is required and expected. It also analyzes how such aspects affect the market existence globally helping make a wider and better choice of market establishment.The English Learning Software markets growth and developments are studied and a detailed overview is been given. With help of this report, clients can understand the market strategies and make right decisions.Key Vendors:Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, Fluenz, Rocket Language, Babbel, Simon&Schuster, Transparent Language, Living Language Platinum, English Live, Exceller, FluentlQ, Instant Immersion, Learn it Now, Merit Software, Side by Side, Wordsmart, PCMag, Softonic, Cafe English, Speed Learning Languages.Regions Covered:United States, North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India and RoW.The Global English Learning Software Market is gaining pace and businesses have started understanding the benefits of analytics in the present day highly dynamic business environment. The market has witnessed several important developments over the past few years, with mounting volumes of business data and the shift from traditional data analysis platforms to self-service business analytics being some of the most prominent ones.The main goal for the dissemination of this information is to give a descriptive analysis of how the trends could potentially affect the upcoming future of English Learning Software market during the forecast period. This markets competitive manufactures and the upcoming manufactures are studied with their detailed research.Revenue, production, price, market share of these players is mentioned with precise information.The market intelligence tries to understand the innovative approaches by vendors in the global market to offer product differentiation through Porters five forces analysis. It likewise points out the means in which these organizations can fortify their stand in the English Learning Software market and boost their incomes in future.For More Information: qyreports.com/enquiry-before-buying?report-id=52091Table of ContentsGlobal English Learning Software Market Research Report 2017Chapter 1 Global English Learning Software Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on IndustryChapter 3 Global English Learning Software Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by RegionChapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by RegionsChapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Global English Learning Software Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisFor a stronger and more stable business outlook, the report on the English Learning Software market carries key projections that can be practically studied. The report highlights major technological developments and changing trends adopted by key companies over a period of time.To achieve this, the research segments and sub-segments this market by using many criteria. The growth predictions for each of these segments are included in this market report.About QYReports:We at, QYReports , a leading market research report publisher accommodate more than 4,000 celebrated clients worldwide putting them at advantage in todays competitive world with our understanding of research. Our list of customers include prestigious Chinese companies, multinational companies, SME's and private equity firms whom we have helped grow and sustain with our fact-based research. Our business study covers a market size of over 30 industries offering unfailing insights into analysis to reimagine your business. We specialize in forecasts needed for investing in a new project, to revolutionize your business, to become more customer centric and improve the quality of output.Contact:QYReportsJones John(Sales Manager)+91-9764607607sales@qyreports.com
Global Chain Link Fencing Market Global Research and Analysis 2021 with top key players - Master Halco, Prolink, Southern Wire, Phoenix Fence, Jamieson, and others

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Research N Reports has added a report, titled Global Chain Link Fencing Market Size, Status and Forecast 2025, which provides an overview of the various factors enabling growth in the market. It also presents insights into various restraints that pose threat and highlights opportunities that will help the market pick pace in the forthcoming years. The report compiles exhaustive information obtained via proven research methodologies and from trusted sources from within the industries. It also includes expert opinions to provide readers a clearer perspective regarding the global market.This provides a thorough overview of the revenue of the Chain Link Fencing market in various key regions, including an understanding of how the revenue generation patterns have changed over the recent past. The relation between the overall revenue generation figures and the sales structure of the industry in each regional segment is also explained in the report.Get Sample Copy of this Report:Key Players:Master Halco, Prolink, Southern Wire, Phoenix Fence, Jamieson, Paul Industries, Ameristar Fence Products, Pexco, PrivacyLinkThe report presents a thorough analytical overview of the past and present state of the market and, with the help of present data, trends, competition, and regulatory framework gives a forward-looking perspective of the way the market will develop over the course of the next few years. Along with qualitative and qualitative details pertaining to the markets key elements, an overview of the chief macro and micro economic factors that will enable companies to the market to surmount competition are also examined in great details.This report defines the specifications, applications, classifications of Chain Link Fencing market and explains the industrial chain structure in detail. Recent policies and developments are researched in depth to help enhance this report. A detailed cost structure is examined and prices are coated by labors, raw material supplier and others. An insight about demand supply chain is also mentioned in detail.Avail Discount up to 30% on this report now at:A major chunk of the report talks about the technologies that are and will influence the growth of the Chain Link Fencing market. Forecasts for these technology sectors are presented in the report. Integration is the key to advancement in technology in the global Chain Link Fencing market. Companies that offers the latest integrated technologies at an affordable cost are expected to thrive in the Chain Link Fencing market. The dominating technologies in the Chain Link Fencing market along with the upcoming technologies that are expected to revolutionize the market are explained in the reportThe report also elaborates on the opportunities the emerging markets of Asia Pacific and Latin America offer. Furthermore, the cost of raw materials in these nations is low, while the availability is high. This has turned the heads of several major international companies to the emerging countries of Asia Pacific.Get Complete Report@:About Research N Reports:Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat Global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Contact us:Mr. Sunny DenisContact No. +1-888-631-6977sales@researchnreports.com(ResearchnReports)
We shouldnt be in Afghanistan. It is the longest war in Americas history, and no one can fully articulate why we are still sending young men to die in a country known as the Graveyard of Empires. Harrowing images like the one at the top of this story of Sergeant First Class Alvaro Barrientos are a reminder of the true costs of this aimless war. Our initial invasion made sense: we were attacked, and so we were launching a counter-attack against a regime harboring our enemies. Now, our presence there is a symbol of the United States commitment to the constant and rudderless ideology that is the War on Terror. Perpetual warfare has no end goal, as the entire point is to play a game of whack a moletargeting bad guys and supposed bad guys in an effort that doesnt really benefit anyone other than the War Machine.

But we are in Afghanistan, and we are ratcheting up this forever war under the Trump administration. If we are going to fight there, we may as well do everything we can to make the effort worthwhile, and Trump just made our fight even more difficult.

.@StateDept says its suspending all security assistance to #Pakistan, not just the $255 million in foreign military financing previously announced, but cant put a dollar total on it yet  Josh Lederman (@joshledermanAP) January 4, 2018

The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence is our allybut not our friendand they have been courting Jihadists to battle our empire in their backyard, while simultaneously providing logistical support to our military. To call this relationship complicated would be an understatement of epic proportions. Our alliance with a country that harbors some of the most anti-American sentiment on the planet creates friction at nearly every turn. However, despite this entire mess, we still desperately need Pakistan. Here's why.

The routes to get troops and supplies in to Afghanistan are all unfavorable. To the west lies Iran, the south Pakistan, and former Soviet republics to the north. For the first seven years of the war, nearly all equipment was shipped to the port in Karachi, Pakistan. The military lost as much as 15% of its supplies here due to ambushes and theft. When President Obama ordered a surge of troops in to Afghanistan, the military created a different supply route called the Northern Distribution Network.

It is constituted mainly by rail lines which begin in the major Baltic ports in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and they travel through Russia and down in to Afghanistan. However, only nonlethal equipment was initially allowed on this supply line, which made Pakistan the only game in town as far as getting our soldiers the weapons they need to fight a war that has proven to be unwinnable. In 2009, Russia allowed U.S. troops and weapons to use the country's airspace to reach Afghanistan, but the rail lines remained limited to nonlethal equipment. On top of all this madness, the northern supply route costs two or three times as much as shipping them by sea to Pakistan. We're paying a premium to use a non-ally's assistance in order to avoid using our ally.

Againwe shouldn't be in Afghanistanas the unadulterated mess that I touched on in the previous paragraphs demonstrate. But we are, so we should commit to providing our troops with the best support possible. Slashing funding to a military who has been providing us safe passage in to Afghanistan does not help our effort, and it squeezes our limited supply routes even further. There are no reports that Pakistan is going to retaliate yet, but cutting hundreds of millions of dollars out of an agreement will never affect only one side. There will be some sort of pushback. Pakistan does a lot to fund terrorist groups in the region, so any agreement with them effectively helps fund our enemies toobut it's better than the alternativewhere Pakistan stops dealing to both sides and only fuels the Jihadist fire raging against our troops in harms way.

Pakistan's foreign ministry criticized this move, saying that arbitrary deadlines, unilateral pronouncements and shifting goalposts are counterproductive in addressing common threats. Despite the ISI's support of Jihadist militants as a bulwark against countries like the United States and India, terrorism has largely affected the Pakistani people the most. There is a sincere effort on the part of Pakistan to curb this violence, but given the corrupt nature of this nuclear-armed regime (another complicating factor to this gigantic mess), their priorities run in to each other quite often.

It's understandable to want to try to do something to push the ISI towards their better angels, but we're making threats from a position of weakness. Sure, Pakistan needs our military support, but money and weapons can come from anywhere. Supply routes are fixed. They have a kind of leverage that we simply don't.

Total direct investment in Pakistan, 2017:



China: $837 million

US: $42 million  ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) January 5, 2018

Again, if youre skeptical of my argument that we need Pakistan to succeed in Afghanistan (whatever that means), thats simply an argument to get the hell out of Afghanistan (Id also love to hear how we will get weapons in to Afghanistan without using Pakistangiven that our agreement with Russia ensures no weapons can travel on that rail line, and Iran, well, thats a pipe dream). Were providing military aid to a regime who provides military aid to Jihadists, and in return, they ensure us safe passage to fight some of those Jihadists. Alternative routes cost two or three times as much as shipping to the port in Karachi, and at the very least, this move by Trump will likely increase the monetary cost of our aimless war. This is all such an illogical quagmire that you almost wonder if this is all by design, as our set-up in Afghanistan practically guarantees perpetual warfare, enriching the military industrial complex while ensuring misery across the region.

Jacob Weindling is a staff writer for Paste politics. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling.
The FBI says an armed man who breached a secured area to stop an Amtrak train in rural Nebraska in October has links to a white supremacist group and expressed an interest in killing black people, according to court documents.

Taylor Michael Wilson, a 26-year-old resident of St. Charles, Mo., has been charged in U.S. District Court in Lincoln with terrorism and other violence against railroad carriers and mass transportation systems.

Wilson entered an engineers seat of an Amtrak train and started playing with the controls of the train, according to Czaplewski. There were no injuries or casualties in the attempted attack.

FBI Special Agent Monte Czaplewski said there was probable cause to believe that electronic devices possessed by Wilson and firearms owned by him have been used for or obtained in anticipation of engaging in or planning to engage in criminal offenses against the United States.

Wilson attended the infamous Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., in August last year, according to court documents. The rally in Charlottesville began with alt-right, neo-Nazi and white supremacist members chanting Jews will not replace us while marching with tiki torches, and ended with clashes between white supremacists and anti-racist counter-protesters that killed one counter-protester, Heather Heyer, after a vehicle rammed into a crowd of nonviolent counter-protesters.

Czaplewski also noted that Wilson, the accused terrorist, was not likely just a casual supporter of the alt-right movement. Wilson also had a photo of a banner promoting white supremacist propaganda on his phone and the FBI suspects that Wilson was responsible for a road rage incident in April 2016, which involved a man pointing a gun at a black woman for no apparent reason while driving on Interstate 70.

Wilson is now in federal custody after his arrest on Dec. 23.
Petoskey's annual holiday parade returns Nov. 26

The parade will feature a float with Santa Claus as well as the Petoskey High School Marching Band.
What are the best winter-themed slots? Heres our top 5 to play online.
Shared Poker Liquidity in Europe: France and Spain Ready, Italy Delays

January 05, 2018 Valerie Cross

After a 2017 that saw France, Spain, Italy and Portugal agree upon long-awaited shared liquidity for poker players in each respective jurisdiction, the New Year is beginning with some momentum toward enforcing the new policy. It seems, however, that not all four countries are on the same diligent path to this end, but clear moves are being made nonetheless.

France and Spain appear to be the most eager to get out of the gate, with both countries recently solidifying their commitment to launch shared liquidity early in Q1 of 2018.

France gaming regulator ARJEL posted an announcement on their website earlier this week that recalls the July 6 shared liquidity agreement signed in Rome, following with, Six months later, Spain and France are able to announce that Franco-Spanish poker tables will be offered to players from both countries in the next few weeks.

The DGOJ, Spains gaming regulator, announced last Friday that a resolution approving shared liquidity has been signed and will go into effect once published by the official State Gazette likely later this month. PokerIndustryPro reported that the DGOJ released this statement regarding the anticipated benefits of the coming shared liquidity.

The possibility of [sharing] liquidity with players from other jurisdictions  in games such as poker  increases the variety and innovation and therefore the consumer choices, reinforcing the regulated online gambling market and, with it, its social sustainability.

The Spanish gaming regulator also reiterated the quick timeline, assuring that French and Spanish players may be seated at the same virtual tables starting in the coming weeks.

Delays Abound

While France and Spain lead the way to implementation, Portugal and Italy appear that they will be arriving late to the party.

Portugal has made progress, having included a set of amendments in their 2018 state budget proposal that includes provisions for pooling players across operators and country borders. The implementation of regulated gambling and the license-issuing process in Portugal, however, has proven sluggish.

After a blackout period for new licenses that lasted more than a year, the first gaming operator license was issued to Betclic in May 2016. According to PokerIndustryPro, since that time, only 11 new licenses have been issued, including just one for online poker. Though it seems regulatory delays may prevent a timely joining to shared player pools, at least Portugal appears to be moving in that direction.

Things in Italy, on the other hand, are less optimistic with continued licensing delays and gaming industry insiders having voiced opposition to their countrys joining in on shared liquidity in the fall, opinions that were subsequently adopted by politicians who may be keen on putting the brakes on Italys involvement.

PokerIndustryPro reported on some of those dissenting voices in an article in October, including Giuliano Frostini, Director of Public Affairs of IGT (formerly Lottomatica), a slot-focused gaming giant with Italian roots.

Giulianos opinions were emotionally-fueled, asking the question, Why should Italy share its players with the French? He also used the term asphyxiating to describe the French online poker industry, suggesting that pooling players with France could undermine the regulated gaming policies already in place in Italy and called for a necessary reflection on international liquidity.

Despite industry group LOGiCOs rebuttal that all the countries in question had necessary Anti-Money Laundering (AML) controls in place and the French asphyxia was a result of the segregated markets, Giulianos outlook was echoed by Democratic Party politician Franco Mirabelli, a member of parliamentary commissions on organized crime and finance.

Mirabelli cited protection of citizens in his support for limiting distribution of gambling and further suggested that international liquidity would somehow equate to an unmanaged system that would present greater risks to players. Though the current tide of opinions among Italy's decision-makers is unclear, plenty of stakeholders who stand to benefit from their involvement remain hopeful that the delays are just that.

Preparing for Pooling

Despite some cause for concern regarding Italy getting on board, online operators have been preparing for Italys eventual  or potential  addition to international player pooling.

Last year, French poker operator Winamax made moves to extend beyond France, first acquiring Italian gaming license bet-at-home and then signing Italian Mustapha Kanit and Spanish Adrian Mateos as Team Pros.

888 Holdings is the most recent online operator to expand in Italy, adding an online poker room to their existing casino and betting operations in Italy in anticipation of shared liquidity.

Itai Pazner, COO of 888 Holdings, said Were delighted to bring our poker site to the Italian market, which fits with our strategy to expand 888s presence in regulated markets and strengthens our position for the forthcoming pooling of players across selected European markets.

In a recent earnings call, 888 CEO Itai Frieberger told investors that an Italian launch was the first step  in participating in this very interesting venture.

That is, of course, assuming that Italy indeed joins the shared liquidity party. Be sure to check back at PokerNews as we continue to keep you posted on major updates to the shared liquidity implementation as it unfolds in Europe.
Railbird Report: "BERRI SWEET" Becomes Biggest 2017 High-Stakes Winner

January 05, 2018 Yori Epskamp Senior Content Manager

2017 is done and dusted and the scores have been tallied. "BERRI SWEET" and Timofey "Trueteller" Kuznetsov were locked in a fierce battle throughout the year to claim the top spot, but a late slump by Kuznetsov gave "BERRI SWEET" one of his tastiest victories yet. The high staker recorded a profit of $1,769,395 at the PokerStars high-stakes cash tables, while Kuznetsov finished the year with $1,454,838 in winnings. "BERRI SWEET"s monster 1.7M year puts him at $2,330,314 in winnings lifetime.

"BERRI SWEET" follows in the footsteps of Alexander "joiso" Kostritsyn, who was last year's biggest winner with $1,466,568. Kostritsyn wasn't able to follow up on his stellar 2016 and finished 2017 with $457,729 in the red. 2015's top money winner Viktor "Isildur1" Blom ($3,497,527 in 2015) had another one of his fabled rollercoaster years and eventually finished $645,327 in the black, after surpassing the $1M mark earlier this year.

On the other side, Sami "Lrslzk" Kelopuro posted the biggest loss of the year and ended $1,277,737 in the red. However, the Finnish pro posted in his blog (found here, in Finnish) that he actually was a big winner in 2017. According to Kelopuro, he made $580,000 in profit in 2017, with a massive $800,000 in winnings on partypoker standing out. Kelopuro also noted that the cash games on PokerStars went great up until 50/100, but that he lost a ton on the bigger ones, skewing the results as posted here.

The 2017 Leaderboard

Behind "BERRI SWEET" and Kuznetsov, it was Carlo "Ravenswood13" van Ravenswoud who claimed the bronze medal at the end of the year. The Dutchman residing in Malta had a stellar year at the high stakes tables and won $814,543. "ActionFreak" ($790,920) and Linus "LLinusLLove" Loeliger ($650,695) rounded out the top 5. The aforementioned Blom ($645,327) finished in 6th place, before Jordi "prot0" Urlings ($624,265), "RaulGonzalez ($574,768), "Mongano" ($438,392) and "donthrnmepls" ($389,426).

"8superpoker" won't remember 2017 as fondly, as he posted the second biggest loss behind Kelopuro. "8superpoker" finished $826,554 in the red, followed by Dani "supernova9" Stern (-$777,373), who announced his retirement from poker, "ImagineKing" (-$525,044) and Bill "GASTRADER" Perkins (-$517,020). Kostritsyn, 2016's biggest winner, posted the 6th biggest loss in 2017 with -$457,729. Dan "W00ki3z." Cates, better known as "Jungleman", dropped $362,952 at the highest stakes online in 2017.

(user)name hands 2017 profit/loss 2017 profit/loss per hand 2017 profit/loss all time most played game Winning Players 1 BERRI SWEET 55,120 +$1,769,395 +$32.10 +$2,330,314 PLO 2 Timofey "Trueteller" Kuznetsov 59,505 +$1,454,838 +$24,45 +$3,345,605 NL Hold'em 3 Carlo "Ravenswood13" van Ravenswoud 57,502 +$814,543 +$14,17 +$32,264 PLO 4 "ActionFreak" 75,218 +$790,920 +$10,52 +$802,211 PLO 5 Linus "LLinusLLove" Loeliger 104,092 +650,965 +$6,25 +$630,581 NL Hold'em 6 Viktor "Isildur1" Blom 198,340 +$645,327 +$3,25 +$2,145,101 PLO 7 Jordi "prot0" Urlings 48,062 +$624,265 +$12,99 +$552,156 NL Hold'em 8 "RaulGonzalez" 96,439 +$574,768 +$5,96 +$1,317,218 NL Hold'em 9 "Mongano" 13,232 +438,392 +$33,13 +$453,381 Draw 10 "donthnrmepls" 14,212 +389,426 $27,40 +$420,086 NL Hold'em Losing Players 1 Sami "Lrslzk" Kelopuro 55,654 -$1,277,737 -$22,96 -$1,980,900 PLO 2 "8superpoker" 41,356 -$826,544 -$19,99 -$2,837,608 Limit 3 Dani "supernova9" Stern 10,039 -$777,373 -$77.43 -$1,439,781 PLO 4 "ImagineKing" 31,003 -$525,044 -$16,94 -$1,565,651 PLO 5 Bill "GASTRADER" Perkins 4,598 -$517,020 -$112,44 -$850,353 NL Hold'em 6 Alexander "joiso" Kostritsyn 34,138 -$457,729 -$13,41 +$3,961,870 8-Game 7 Dan "W00ki3z." Cates 28,466 -$362,592 -$12,74 +$983,381 8-Game 8 Mikael "ChaoRen160" Thuritz 17,286 -$335,394 -$19,40 +$986,163 8-Game 9 "totti1992100" 13,945 -$309,296 -$22,18 -$314,951 8-Game 10 Kristijonas "greezhool" Andrulis 13,217 -$298,239 -$22,56 -$311,950 NL Hold'em

Catching Up on High Stakes Action: Three Biggest Pots of The Week

On New Year's Eve, Ben "Ben86" Tollerene and Timofey "Trueteller" Kuznetsov locked horns at the 100/200 PLO 6-Max Tables, resulting in three of the biggest pots of the week.

1) Ben "Ben86" Tollerene wins an $89,929 Pot (450 Big Blinds) from Timofey "Trueteller" Kuznetsov

($100/$200 PLO 6-Max)

Kuznetsov raised to $680 first to act, Tollerene three-bet to $2,120 and Kuznetsov called. On the flop, Tollerene bet $950, Kuznetsov raised to $4,400 and Tollerene called. The turn was the and Tollerene check-called a bet of $8,800 from Kuznetsov.

The river brought the and Tollerene checked. Kuznetsov ripped it for $29,565, nearly equal to the size of the pot, and Tollerene called with for top two pair, kings and jacks. Kuznetsov was caught bluffing with and was forced to reload.

Click for replay via HighStakesDB

2)Ben "Ben86" Tollerene wins a $38,425 Pot (191 Big Blinds) from Timofey "Trueteller" Kuznetsov

($100/$200 PLO 6-Max)

Another three-bet pot to $2,120, this time with Tollerene in position. On the flop, Kuznetsov check-called $2,159 from Tollerene. The turn brought the and Kuznetsov lead out for $8,634, leaving himself with $6,220 behind. Tollerene stuck the rest in and Kuznetsov called.

Player Hand Equity Ben "Ben86" Tollerene 100% Timofey "Trueteller" Kuznetsov 0%

Although players agreed to run it twice, it didn't matter as Kuznetsov was drawing dead despite holding two pair and a flush draw. Tollerene had the hand locked up with a set of eights, a higher flush draw and a queen in his hand. The meaningless rivers were the and the to send the $38,425 pot to Tollerene.

Click for replay via HighStakesDB

3) Timofey "Trueteller" Kuznetsov wins three-quarters of a $34,679 Pot (173 Big Blinds) from Ben "Ben86" Tollerene

($100/$200 PLO 6-Max)

Another three-bet pot with Tollerene in position brought a flop. Kuznetsov bet $4,317 and Tollerene called, which left the latter with $10,823 behind. On the turn, Kuznetsov bet enough to put Tollerene all in and the American called it off.

Player Hand Equity Timofey "Trueteller" Kuznetsov 80% (20% tie) Ben "Ben86" Tollerene 0% (20% tie)

This time, Kuznetsov held a big lead, as Tollerene could only chop the pot if he hit one of the straight cards. On the first of two rivers, the , both players hit a straight to chop. The on the second river gave Kuznetsov three-quarters of the pot and left Tollerene with $8,649.

Click for replay via HighStakesDB

This Week's Online High-Stakes Biggest Winners and Losers

A new year provides a new opportunity, and it's Ben "Ben86" Tollerene who's claimed the early frontrunner spot after his winning session on New Year's Eve. Vice versa, his opponent Timofey "Trueteller" Kuznetsov posted the biggest loss of the week.

(user)name hands profit/loss 12/28 - 1/4 profit/loss all time Winning Players 1 Ben "Ben86" Tollerene 629 +$132,797 +$3,898,522 2 "cobus83" 1,663 +$96,576 +$932,021 3 "JayP-AA" 1,287 +$87,392 +$2,325,779 4 "EEE27" 1,971 +$79,139 +$57,091 5 "Yoghii" 107 +$54,460 +$530,260 6 Sami "LrsLzk" Kelopuro 328 +$48,682 -$1,980,800 7 "BlackFortuna" 1,897 +$43,566 +$146,565 8 Sergey "St1ckman" Vasiliev 4,101 +$39,435 +$753,010 9 "Danneville" 896 +$37,978 -$18,644 10 "Apotheosis92" 5,488 +$36,457 -$173,701 Losing Players 1 Timofey "Trueteller" Kuznetsov 1,418 -$196,107 +$3,345,605 2 Viktor "Isildur1" Blom 4,542 -$62,906 +$2,145,101 3 Ben "Sauce123" Sulsky 611 -$60,334 +$5,101,603 4 Tom "tjbentham" Bentham 2,482 -$55,942 +$231,119 5 "Singmakke74" 406 -$52,795 -$63,833 6 "8superpoker" 540 -$48,575 -$2,837,608 7 "RaulGonzalez" 226 -$39,269 +$1,317,218 8 Denis "aDrENalin710" Strebkov 5,966 -$38,980 -$56,512 9 "LFFF22" 353 -$34,505 -$31,482 10 "limitless" 825 -$30,355 +$94,584

The above top winning and losing players in online poker for 2017 and 2018 only takes PokerStars accounts into consideration. All public data courtesy of HighStakesDB.com. If you want to opt out of being listed in this PokerNews update on the high-stakes action, send an email with your username to [email protected]

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Sharelines "BERRI SWEET" wins $1.7M at PokerStars high-stakes cash games, becomes the biggest winner

Sami "LrsLzk" Kelopuro posts 2017's biggest high-stakes cash game loss, still has a winning year
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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Ashburton Ventures Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Ashburton Ventures Inc. (TSX Venture:ABR). has issued a press release with the following headline:Ashburton Ventures Inc. Announces FinancingTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Ashburton Ventures Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Ashburton Ventures Inc.Source: Ashburton Ventures Inc. (TSX Venture: ABR, FWB: ARB, WKN: A1J3M5, ISIN: CA0437832086)Date: January 04, 2018Time: 5:51 PM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Ashburton Ventures Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
Cell Culture Monitoring Biosensors Market: Global Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023

Cell Culture Monitoring Biosensors Market

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Global Cell Culture Monitoring Biosensors Market:By Product Type (Electrochemical Biosensor, Thermometric Biosensor, Fiber Optic Biosensor, Piezoelectric Biosensor, Others), By End-User (Pharma & Biotech Industry, Research Organizations, Others), and Geography  Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023Cell Culture Monitoring Biosensors Market Report Description:Cell Culture Monitoring Biosensors market report gives the comprehensive outlook on cell culture monitoring biosensors across the globe with special emphasis on key regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). This report on cell culture monitoring biosensors market gives historical, current, and future market sizes (US$ Mn) of cell type, application, and geographic regions. This report studies Cell Culture Monitoring Biosensors market dynamics elaborately to identify the current trends & drivers, future opportunities and possible challenges to the key stakeholders operating in the market. In addition, the market report includes regulatory scenario and competition analysis with vividly illustrated the competition dashboard to assess the market competition. Moreover, PBI analyzed cell culture monitoring biosensors market to better equip clients with possible investment opportunities across the regions (Regional Investment Hot-Spots) and market unmet needs (Product Opportunities). Key stakeholders of the cell culture monitoring biosensors market report include suppliers, manufacturers, marketers, policymakers engaged in manufacturing and supply of biosensors.A sample of this report is available upon request @Cell Culture Monitoring Biosensors Market:The cell culture monitoring biosensors market estimated to be valued over US$ 250 Mn in 2016 and expanding at a growth rate over 9.0%, and projected to reach US$ XX Mn by 2023.Rising focus on biotechnology is expected to propel the cell culture monitoring biosensors market.Rising inclination towards biopharmaceutical molecules and increased R&D in biotech field, expected to increase demand for biosensors in cell culture monitor. The pipeline of the oncology drugs in clinical development has been raised by 45% over the past decade, 87% of the late stage molecules are include biologic monoclonal antibodies, and small molecule PKI. Increased production of biotechnology products and rising awareness of cell culture monitoring biosensors are expected to gain huge traction to the market.Increased accuracy witnessed to catapult the cell culture monitoring biosensors market.Biosensors enables monitor the cell culture growth, and bi-products, contaminants effectively. For instance, therapeutic glycoproteins produced in mammalian cell cultures. Biosensors able to monitor cellular metabolism such as utilization of nutrients and production of waste products like lactic acid, over production of waste products decreases the production of cell culture growth. These are the few factors expected to create demand for biosensors used in cell culture.North America has expected to dominate the revenue share of global cell culture monitoring biosensors marketU.S. cell culture monitoring biosensors market is growing at robust growth rate due to increased investment in biotech research and development. Adoption of cutting-edge technologies, availability of technical experts, increased collaborations are further accelerating the U.S. cell culture monitoring biosensors market.China cell culture monitoring biosensors market is growing at healthy growth rate. China became R&D hub for most of biotech companies due to cost effectiveness and availability of skilled professionals. Rising economy, increased R&D investments are expected to fuel the China cell culture monitoring biosensor market.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Competition AssessmentKey players profiles in the global Cell Culture Monitoring Biosensors market include: PreSens Precision Sensing GmbH (Germany) Nova Biomedical (U.S.) Conductive Technologies Inc. (U.S) Lonza (Switzerland) C-CIT Sensors AG (Switzerland) Nanomedical Diagnostics (U.S) Sierra Sensors GmbH. (Germany) Lifeonics (New Zealand)Need more information about this report @Market players are focusing on robust invest in R&D, collaborations, mergers and acquisitions, introduction of novel products are main strategies adopted by players in Cell Culture Monitoring Biosensors market.Key Findings of the Report: Cell culture monitoring biosensors market is expanding at 9.0% CAGR over 2017 to 2023 to reach market value of US$ XX Mn by 2023 Based on Product type, electrochemical sensor market is expected to grow at significant rate over the forecast period. Based on region, North America is expected to dominate the cell culture monitoring sensors market. Players focusing on expanding geographic presence to garner market opportunities in developing economies.Key Features of the Report: The report provides granular level information about the market size, regional market share, historic market (2012-2016) and forecast (2017-2023) The report covers in-detail insights about the competitors overview, company share analysis, key market developments, and their key strategies The report outlines drivers, restraints, unmet needs, and trends that are currently affecting the market The report tracks recent innovations, key developments and startups details that are actively working in the market The report provides plethora of information about market entry strategies, regulatory framework and reimbursement scenario The report analyses the impact of socio-political environment through PESTLE Analysis and competition through Porters Five Force Analysis in addition to recent technology advancements and innovations in the market.Report Outline: The report provides granular level information about the market size, regional market share, and forecast from 2017-2023 The report covers in-detail insights about the competitors overview, key findings, and their key strategies The report outlines drivers, restraints, challenges, and trends that are currently faced by the industry The report tracks recent innovations, key developments, and startups details that are working in the industry The report provides plethora of information about market entry strategies, regulatory framework, and reimbursement scenarioGet access to full summary @Contact to Precision Business Insights,Email: sales@ precisionbusinessinsights.com Website @ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com
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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Friday Night Inc--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Friday Night Inc (CSE:TGIF). has issued a press release with the following headline:Friday Night Inc. Issues Interest Payment to Debenture HoldersTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Friday Night Inc, or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Friday Night IncSource: Friday Night Inc (CSE: TGIF, OTCQB: TGIFF, FWB: 1QF, ISIN: CA74840V1004, WKN: A2ABE2)Date: January 05, 2018Time: 10:40 AM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Friday Night Inc and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Quantum International Income Corp.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Toronto, Ontario (FSCWire) - Quantum International Income Corp. (TSX Venture:QIC). has issued a press release with the following headline:Quantum International Income Corp. Adjourns Shareholders Meeting to January 23, 2018To view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Quantum International Income Corp., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Quantum International Income Corp.Source: Quantum International Income Corp. (TSX Venture: QIC, TSX Venture: QIC.U, ISIN: CA74766M1005)Date: January 05, 2018Time: 4:30 PM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Quantum International Income Corp. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
Saudi Arabia Pharmaceuticals Market: Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023

Saudi Arabia Pharmaceuticals Market

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By Product Type (Prescription Products and OTC Products), By Diseases Type (Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cancer, Neurological Disorders, Obesity, Infectious Diseases, and Others), By Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacies and Retail Pharmacies)  Market Estimation, Dynamics, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023Saudi Arabia Pharmaceuticals Market Report Description:Saudi Arabia Pharmaceuticals market report gives a comprehensive outlook of Saudi Arabia pharmaceuticals across the value chain with special emphasis on market size analysis of different drugs in various diseases. This report on Saudi Arabia pharmaceuticals market gives historical, current, and future market sizes (US$ Mn) of product types, diseases, and distribution channels in the country. The report studies Saudi Arabia pharmaceuticals market dynamics elaborately to identify the current trends & drivers, future opportunities and possible challenges to the key stakeholders operating in the market. In addition, Saudi Arabia pharmaceuticals market report covers the regulatory overview, pricing analysis, and reimbursement scenario, healthcare indicators along with newer product introductions, company share analysis, brand share analysis of drug classes, and competition analysis with vividly illustrated competition dashboard to assess the market competition. Moreover, PBI analyzed Saudi Arabia pharmaceuticals market to better equip clients with possible investment opportunities across the regions (Regional Investment Hot-Spots) and market unmet needs (Product Opportunities). Key stakeholders of the Saudi Arabia pharmaceuticals market report include suppliers, manufacturers, marketers, importers, policymakers engaged in manufacturing and supply of pharmaceuticals.A sample of this report is available upon request @Saudi Arabia Pharmaceuticals Market:The Saudi Arabia Pharmaceuticals market estimated to be valued US$ 5,748 Mn in 2017 and poised to grow at CAGR 6.7%. The market for Saudi Arabia Pharmaceuticals projected to reach US$ 8,465 Mn by 2023.Rise in Preference for Branded Medications in Saudi ArabiaThe preference for branded drugs or second brands among key stakeholders such as patients and prescribers are creating the ample opportunities for multinational players in the country. These brands generally sold through the alliance with local pharmaceutical companies which help the new players in the market to reach wider pharmacies across the country. Moreover, Saudi Arabia largely dependent upon imports for pharmaceuticals from various geographies and mainly dominated by the multinational pharmaceutical giants who offer innovative and second brands through local players. Brand loyalty for multinational company products can be attributed to the quality and accessibility of the medication which helps in garnering larger market share by multinational players.Increasing burden of Chronic AilmentsRising prevalence of various chronic diseases such as diabetes, ischemic heart disease, stroke, obesity, hypertension, cancer among Saudi nationals is creating market demand pharmaceuticals in the country. Drug treating chronic ailments are expected to provide lucrative market opportunities for the players in the country. Moreover, these chronic diseases are a major cause of death in Saudi Arabia. According to World Health Organization (WHO)  Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) Country Profiles, 2014 data, NCDs are estimated to account 78% of total deaths and among NCDs cardiovascular diseases accounted for 46% of total deaths.Growing Healthcare Infrastructure and Rising Penetration of Healthcare InsuranceGrowing local governments commitment to providing quality healthcare to Saudis and non-Saudis and mandatory health insurance for expatriates working in private sector expected to boost Saudi Arabia pharmaceuticals market over the forecast period. Moreover, healthcare reforms like 100% FDI in Pharma sector expected to create ample growth opportunities for multinational players in the country. Moreover, in 2015, Government of Saudi Arabia allocated around US$ 43 Bn for healthcare sector to build three new hospitals, three blood banks, 11 medical centers, 10 comprehensive care clinics and numerous primary care centers across the country.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Competition AssessmentKey players profiled in the Saudi Arabia pharmaceuticals market include: GlaxoSmithKline Plc. (UK) Jamjoom Pharma (Saudi Arabia) Juphar (UAE) Novartis AG (Switzerland) Pfizer Inc. (US) Riyadh Pharma (Saudi Arabia) Sanofi (France) SPIMACO (Saudi Arabia) Tabuk Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Co. (Saudi Arabia)Need more information about this report @Market players are focusing on launching differentiated products by entering into strategic alliances and joint ventures with local players to garner larger revenue in Saudi Arabia pharmaceuticals market. For instance, in 2014, Boehringer Ingelheim entered into a local production agreement with Cigalah and Tabuk to increase a number of available treatment options in the Saudi Arabian marketKey Findings of the Report: Saudi Arabia pharmaceuticals market expanding at 6.7% CAGR over 2017 to 2023 to reach market value of US$ 8,465 Mn by 2023 Based on product type prescription products accounted for larger market revenue share in 2016 Hospital pharmacies are prime distribution channel for pharmaceuticals Saudi Arabia Players focusing on expanding product portfolio to garner growing market opportunitiesKey Features of the Report: The report provides granular level information about the market size, market share, historic market (2012-2016) and forecast (2017-2023) The report covers in-detail insights about the competitors overview, company share analysis, key market developments, and their key strategies The report outlines drivers, restraints, unmet needs, and trends that are currently affecting the market The report tracks recent innovations, key developments and startups details that are actively working in the market The report provides plethora of information about market entry strategies, regulatory framework and reimbursement scenario The report analyses the impact of socio-political environment through PESTLE Analysis and competition through Porters Five Force Analysis in addition to recent technology advancements and innovations in the marketGet access to full summary @Contact to Precision Business Insights,Email: sales@ precisionbusinessinsights.com Website @ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com
PR-Inside.com: 2018-01-05 21:32:01

Stater Blockchain in advanced talks to acquire Hashcove Limited

For media information:

Wigwam PR

Vanessa Green, +44 (0)1483 563562 / +44 (0)771 333 2303

Stater Blockchain Limited  the recently re-named Stater Holdings business - a fast growth FinTech company and owner of Stater Global Markets, an FCA regulated Prime of Prime brokerage, announced today a letter of intent to acquire Hashcove Limited, a UK-based blockchain focused tech company co-founded by Kunal Nandwani.

Hashcove has deep domain expertise in Smart Contracts and KYC and has customised solutions including the Cove Identity App for blockchain-based document verification. Additionally, Hashcove also provides technology around Crypto Exchanges and Wallets. Their 20-strong team of blockchain technologists represent the best of breed within the domain of distributed ledger and digital currency.

According to Tim Connell, Owner, Stater Blockchain, Our strategy has always been to focus on best of breed technologies and companies with significant growth potential such as Stater Global Markets. Our statement of intent to acquire Hashcove marks an exciting potential development and opens up huge opportunities for the business.

Stater Blockchain CEO, Ramy Soliman comments, This would be an excellent synergistic partnership on many levels. Kunal and his team have built advanced technology that fits with Stater Blockchains existing development roll out of our Smart Settlement and Smart KYC products. Hashcove could help Stater Blockchain to deliver an institutional calibre product to our existing global client base. Stater Global Markets services a number of institutional broker clients and delivering a quality document verification platform to them adds significant value to the whole brokerage community that Stater services. Additionally, Hashcoves expertise in settlements from their experience in India can be leveraged at Stater to service a fast-growing financial trading community.

Hashcove CEO, Kunal Nandwani adds, We look forward to working with Stater Blockchain and have been very impressed with their plans and their unique proposition combining institutional blockchain technology with a ready-made distribution channel for the products that we have and are developing. Working with Ramy and his team, we would also be able to refine our products to meet the massive financial services demand for Settlement and KYC blockchain-derived products that Stater has identified.

For further information about Stater Blockchain Limited, please visit www.staterblockchain.com

- Ends -

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201801050057
Thunder Energies Corporation has hired a grant writer for the filing of a series of research proposals to the appropriate governmental agencies. The first to be filed is a request to the the DoD for a Nuclear Weapon Detection Station.

Thunder Energies Corporation

PR-Inside.com: 2018-01-05 00:36:58

Press Information

Thunder Energies Corporation

1444 Rainville Road



Brian Buckley

Operations Manager

7279403944

email

http://www.thunder-energies.com





# 447 Words

1444 Rainville RoadOperations Manager7279403944

Brian Buckley, Operations Manager of Thunder Energies Corporation, a publicly traded company with stock symbol (OTC:TNRG), announces that the Company, following an extensive search, has hired a grant writer for the filing of a series of research proposals to the appropriate governmental agencies. The first to be filed is a request to the the Department of Defense for the completion of the Company's Directional Neutron Source into a Nuclear Weapon Detection Station. Because of the highly innovative technologies that Thunder Energies Corporation is developing, hiring a skilled grant writer is an important step toward advancing the application of these proprietary technologies to various military and civilian programs.Dr. R. M. Santilli, Corporate Chief Scientist, states: "Following decades of mathematical, theoretical and experimental work as well as large private investments, we have achieved the first known operational equipment producing on demand a directional beam of neutrons synthesized from the hydrogen gas in the desired flux and energy ( http://thunder-energies.com/docs/dns1-info.pdf) . This Directional Neutron Source is ideally suited for the detection of nuclear material that may be concealed in suitcases or containers, and it is definitely more advanced than other 20th century technologies for neutrons sources due to the use of new sciences that have permitted the first known control of direction, flux and energy ( http://www.thunder-energies.com/index.php/ct-menu-item-18/11-articles/19-article-10) . The specialized writer will assist our Company to file a first research grant proposal to the Department of Defense for the completion of our Directional Neutron Source into a Nuclear Weapon Detection Station." Forward Looking StatementsThe information provided in this presentation is covered by patent applications and other intellectual rights owned by Thunder Energies Corporation that hereby authorize their use without consultation provided authorization for any desired scientific research. Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Technical complications, which may arise, could prevent the prompt implementation of any strategically significant plan(s) outlined above. The Company undertakes no duty to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.Brian BuckleyOperations ManagerBrian@ Thunder-Energies.com
Veterinary Practice Management Software Market: Global Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023

Veterinary Practice Management Software Market

PR-Inside.com: 2018-01-05 13:10:05

Press Information

Precision Business Insights

Kemp House,





152  160 City Road,





London EC1V 2NX



satya

Lead Marketing

+1-866-598-1553

email

https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com





# 794 Words

Kemp House,152  160 City Road,London EC1V 2NXLead Marketing+1-866-598-1553

By Delivery Type (Cloud Based, Web Based, Others), By Animal (Small animal, Large animal, Others), By Distribution Channel (Veterinary Hospitals, Veterinary Clinics, and Others) and Geography  Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023Veterinary Practice Management Software Market Report Description:Veterinary Practice Management Software Market report gives comprehensive outlook on veterinary practice management software across the globe with special emphasis on key regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). This report on veterinary practice management software Market gives historical, current, and future market sizes (US$ Mn) of delivery type, application, end-use and geographic regions. This report studies veterinary practice management software market dynamics elaborately to identify the current trends & drivers, future opportunities and possible challenges to the key stakeholders operating in the market. In addition, the market report includes regulatory scenario, and competition analysis with vividly illustrated the competition dashboard to assess the market competition. Moreover, PBI analyzed veterinary practice management software market to better equip clients with possible investment opportunities across the regions (Regional Investment Hot-Spots) and market unmet needs (Product Opportunities). Key stakeholders of the veterinary practice management software market report include suppliers, manufacturers, marketers, policy makers engaged in manufacturing and supply of Veterinary Practice Management Software MarketA sample of this report is available upon request @Veterinary Practice Management Software Market:The veterinary practice management software market estimated to be valued US$ XX Mn in 2016 and poised to grow at CAGR XX%, and projected to reach US$ XX Mn by 2023.Availability of state-of-art software attracts customers for veterinary practice management software market.Increasing number of firms providing animal healthcare software in order to offer better management, increased adoption of veterinary software services is expected to fuel the market. Innovative technologies and expanded applications to the veterinary healthcare are anticipated to create lucrative opportunities over forecast period.North America has expected to account for major revenue share of global veterinary practice management software marketU.S. veterinary practice management software is accounted for significant regional revenue share due to surge in adoption of companion animal. Veterinary healthcare providers are inclining towards innovative software solutions to offer better disease management, customer relationship management. UK, Germany are cumulatively contributes significant market share in Europe. Improved veterinary healthcare infrastructure, increased adoption of advanced technologies in veterinary clinics and hospitals are expected to accelerate the market share in future. Increased pet adoption, rising disposable income in China create healthy opportunities. Emerging nations India, Mexico are expected to offer growth opportunities for global veterinary practice management software market over the forecast period.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Competition AssessmentKey players profiles in the global veterinary practice management software market include: Vet Space Ltd. (UK) Computer Fanatics Limited (New Zealand) IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. (U.S.) Patterson Companies, Inc. (U.S.) Henry Schein, Inc. (U.S.) ezyVET Limited (New Zealand) Onward Systems Inc. (U.S.) ClienTrax, Inc. (U.S.) Alisvet & InformaVet Inc. (Canada) 2i Nova, Inc.(U.S.)  Eclipse Veterinary Software Ltd (UK) Animal Intelligence Software, Inc. (U.S.) Hippo Manager Software, Inc. (U.S.) Timeless Veterinary Systems, Inc. (Canada) Firmcloud Corporation (U.S.) InformaVet Inc. (U.S.)Need more information about this report @Key Findings of the Report: Veterinary practice management software market is expanding at XX% CAGR over 2017 to 2023 to reach market value of US$ XX Mn by 2023. Based on delivery mode, cloud based market is expanding at highest CAGR over the forecast period. Based on region type, North America is expected to account for major market share. Veterinary hospitals are prime channel for practice management software systems distribution across the globe Players focusing on expanding geographic presence to garner market opportunities in developing economiesKey Features of the Report: The report provides granular level information about the market size, regional market share, historic market (2012-2016) and forecast (2017-2023) The report covers in-detail insights about the competitors overview, company share analysis, key market developments, and their key strategies The report outlines drivers, restraints, unmet needs, and trends that are currently affecting the market The report tracks recent innovations, key developments and startups details that are actively working in the market The report provides plethora of information about market entry strategies, regulatory framework and reimbursement scenario The report analyses the impact of socio-political environment through PESTLE Analysis and competition through Porters Five Force Analysis in addition to recent technology advancements and innovations in the market.Get access to full summary @Contact to Precision Business Insights,Email: sales@ precisionbusinessinsights.com Website @ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com
President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe on Friday ruled out forming a coalition government after visiting opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Currently there is no need, Mr. Mnangagwa said about the possibility of forming a coalition with Mr. Tsvangirais Movement for Democratic Change.

Mr. Mnangagwa came to power in November 2017 following a military coup after which veteran leader Robert Mugabe stepped down after 37 years in power.

(Reuters/NAN)
Rwanda and Uganda both on Friday said they had not struck any deal to take in African migrants from Israel under a scheme condemned by rights groups.

Israel has said on Wednesday it would pay thousands of African migrants living illegally in the country to go home or to third countries, threatening them with jail if they are caught after the end of March.

The Israeli government did not say where the refugees should go.

However, rights groups including Hotline for Refugees and Migrants have said Uganda and Rwanda had agreed to take in migrants from Israel in the past.

Rwanda has no deal whatsoever with Israel to host any African migrant from that country, Rwandas Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, said.

His Ugandan counterpart, Okello Oryem, echoed the message.

There is no written agreement or any form of agreement between the government of Uganda and Israeli government to accept refugees from Israel.

Any suggestion to the contrary was fake news absolute rubbish, Oryem told Reuters.

The vast majority of migrants in Israel came from Eritrea and Sudan and many say they fled war and persecution as well as economic hardship; but Israel treats them as economic migrants.

Rights groups have accused Israel of being slow to process African migrants asylum requests as a matter of policy and denying legitimate claims to the status.

(Reuters/NAN)
A former state governor for Mexicos ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, PRI, was extradited on Thursday from Panama to Mexico, where he would face corruption charges, Mexicos attorney generals office and secretary of external relations said on Thursday.

Roberto Borge, who governed the touristy state of Quintana Roo from 2010 to 2016, was taken under strict security from the offices of Panamas national police to an air force base.

Mexican prosecutors accuse Mr. Borge of using funds obtained illegally, embezzlement and abuse of public office.

However, Mr. Borge had denied the allegations.

He was arrested in Panama City in June as he was preparing to board a flight to Paris.

Panamas foreign ministry said last week that it would send Mr. Borge to Mexico.

For the PRI, the extradition was the latest reminder of corruption scandals as the party tried to rehabilitate its image ahead of presidential election in July.

The PRI, which was trying to keep hold of power as President Enrique Pena Nietos term came to an end, had faced a spate of graft allegations.

Four of its former governors including Mr. Borge were arrested on such charges last year in various countries.

In December, Mexican authorities arrested Alejandro Gutierrez, a former high-ranking PRI official in a corruption investigation in the northern state of Chihuahua.

(Reuters/NAN)
North Korea agreed on Friday to hold official talks with South Korea next week, in what will be the first high-level contact between the two countries in more than two years.

South Korea said the North had sent its consent for the talks to be held on Tuesday.The last time the two Koreas engaged in official talks was in December 2015.

According to a report posted by CNN, South Korean Unification Ministry spokesperson, Baik Tae-hyun, told reporters on Friday that North Korea informed her southern neighbour by fax at 10:16 a.m. local time (1:16am, Friday,GMT) that they had accepted the Souths offer to initiate talks.

The person-to-person talks will be held January 9th  one day after North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns birthday  at the border truce village of Panmunjom located in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

The spokesperson said the two sides agreed to work on the details of the talks through the exchange of documents, and added the agenda items of the talks will be issues related to improving inter-Korean relationships including the Pyeongchang (Winter) Olympic Games.

Mr. Baik added that he understood that North Korean was scheduled to have discussion with the International Olympic Committee next week.

When asked whether hotlines would be opened on the weekend, he said he expected they would, as time to prepare for the first face-to-face meeting in over two years was running short.

The faxed message accepting the long-standing offer of talks was from Ri Son Kwon, Chairman of the North Korean Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland. It was addressed to his de facto counterpart, South Koreas Unification Minister, Cho Myoung-gyon, Mr. Baik added.

Baik said that the personnel who will attend the meetings is a matter that still needs to be finalized.

In December 2015, the jointly-run Kaesong industrial zone in North Korea, which opened in 2004 in a rare show of cooperation between the two Koreas, was shuttered in response to Pyongyangs ramping-up of missile and nuclear testing.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un opened the way for talks with South Korea in a New Year Days speech in which he called for reduced tensions and flagged the Norths possible participation in the Winter Olympics.

And on Wednesday, North Korea reopened a hotline to South Korea which severance has caused non-communication between the Koreas for two years.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang welcomed North and South Korea taking positive steps to improve ties, and said the postponement of the military exercises was without doubt a good thing.
A sugarcane field of about 30 hectares was destroyed by fire in Mai-Ramu village, Koko/Besse Local Government Area of Kebbi, an official has said.

Shuaibu Ibrahim, Chairman of the council, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Koko on Friday that the crop worth millions of Naira was razed.

The incident occurred on Thursday night; the village is one of the largest producers of sugarcane in the state, Mr. Ibrahim said.

The chairman said there was no death as the farmers were in their houses when they fire started.

Speaking at the scene of the incident, the Executive Director, State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Rabiu Kamba, expressed concern on the level of damage on the field.

We sympathise with you, we assure you that the state government will assist you to cushion the effect of the disaster, he said.

(NAN)
Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, has blamed the international oil companies for the increase in cult activities in the oil-rich state.

Mr. Wike, who was reacting to the gruesome killing of 17 people in the state on the New Year Day by unknown gunmen, said oil companies in the state were awarding surveillance contracts to cultists who in turn use the money to buy sophisticated weapons to terrorise the communities.

The governor spoke on Friday when he received the visiting Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Danbazzau, at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

Mr. Danbazzau said he was directed by President Muhammadu Buhari to visit the state and assess its security situation because of the killing.

A Government House statement quoted the governor as telling the minister that the security agencies in the state knew the cult kingpins terrorising various communities in the state.

The security agencies have the profiles of all cult kingpins in different parts of the state and they know their locations.

There is no wisdom in the politicization of security. Insecurity can affect anybody. You can never know the next victim of insecurity, Mr. Wike said, adding that the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has failed to heed several requests made by the Rivers government for the deployment of special squads to tackle cultism and kidnapping in the state.

The peculiar nature of Rivers State requires peculiar intervention, the governor said. Before now, I have been shouting that we need support to fight crime.

The governor attacked politicians whom he said were using the killings to play politics and make false allegations against the state.

The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside, who is an indigene of the state, said that cultism and cult-related killing thrived in the state because of the backing from powerful politicians.

Mr. Peterside also blamed Governor Wike whom he said lacked the capacity to tackle the security challenges in the state.

I have said it time and again that Governor Wike lacks the capacity and competence to guarantee the safety and security of Rivers people.

It is unfortunate that over 1,000 persons have been killed in questionable circumstances in the last two years under his watch. He should stop playing politics with the lives of Rivers people and face governance, Mr. Peterside said.
Suspected armed robbers on Friday gunned down an operative of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, and injured three others in Kano.

The NDLEA Chairman, Mohammad Abdullah, said the incident occurred when one of its patrol teams approached a road block in the city.

He said it was not immediately certain whether the gunmen were drug traffickers or robbers.

Narrating the development further, commander, Kano NDLEA, Hamza Umar told journalists that the late officer was shot on the back adding that he had been laid to rest.

The NDLEA boss explained how the NDLEAs poor funding was the reason why its operatives could not adequately protect themselves from such attacks.

We have lost a senior and gallant office in active service and even though loss of life is certain, this one is sadden and painful but that will not stop us from the fight.

Although the men were on routine operation, maybe if they were adequately equipped, perhaps they would have won the gun duel. But again this incident will further enable us to continue our consistent call on the federal government for better funding of the agency, he said.
The Christian association of Nigeria, CAN has demanded an urgent action from the government to curb the menace of herdsmen attacks in the country.

In a statement signed by the CAN president, Samson Ayokunle, the association said the trend has reached what it describes as the breaking point of its tolerance level and urged immediate action to stop the killings.

We in the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) are forced to make this press release on the continuous inhuman and wicked activities of the Fulani Herdsmen all over the Federation who are going from community to community killing innocent farmers with impunity.

They have killed more people than the Boko Haram sect and almost displaced more people than them. We are now reaching a breaking point in our patience and toleration of this wicked impunity before degenerating to a civil war.

While the government has taken the battle to Boko Haram terrorists, the Indigenous People of Biafra, the Badoo boys, the Niger Delta Avengers and other groups, the government has not shown any serious willingness to checkmate the murderous Fulani Herdsmen. This to us is a betrayal of the confidence reposed in this government by Nigerians when they voted them into power, the statement said.

The association also accused the federal government of failing in its constitutional duty of protecting the nation, adding that there was no excuse for the governments failure to investigate the sources of ammunition used by the herdsmen.

Similarly, the government has failed to uphold the constitution which they swore to uphold because they have failed in protecting Nigerians from the attacks of Fulani herdsmen in the affected areas. If they continue to allow Fulani herdsmen to be having a field day in killing people like this, is it not the Fulanis alone that would remain that they would be governing? God forbid.

We need to know why the intelligence units of all security apparatus we have in this country have not been able to discover the sources of supply of ammunition to Fulani herdsmen living virtually in the bush. The Customs and the Immigration services together with the Police have case to answer. Who are the suppliers of these weapons? If the murderous herdsmen are foreigners, as it is being claimed in some quarters, why did we allow dangerous foreigners into our country to come and kill us? Our government has a case to answer too, the statement added.

CAN also called on the international community to help in addressing the problem.

It said it has set aside a date for churches to pray against the menace.

We urge all churches to set aside time this coming Sunday, January 7, to pray for Nigeria and for victory over the killings. Our nation can never be great in a state of insecurity and war as we are presently experiencing it. This government owes the entire Nigerians the responsibility of competent action, not just action by words of mouth, the statement said.

Herdsmen attacked and killed at least 20 people in Benue communities last week.

The Police said they have arrested eight herdsmen over the deaths which they put at 10 persons.

Eight herdsmen, six in Guma and two in Logo, had been arrested in connection with the attacks, a police spokesman said.

There have been series of attacks by suspected herdsmen in many parts of the country with huge casualties recorded in recent years.
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has said his state will give President Muhammadu Buhari more votes in 2019 than the presidents home state of Katsina.

Mr. Buhari has not formally declared his bid for re-election, but his comments and actions have made clear he will run again.

Mr. Bello said Kogi State APC had already endorsed the president for a second term was merely waiting for the right time.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q. What is the latest regarding payment of salaries in your state?

A. In Kogi State today we are up to date as far as salary is concerned. In the month of December, like Mr. President magnanimously assisted us with another tranche of Paris Club Refund, our own figure was N1.2 billion and some other change on top.

We didnt just stop at that, we borrowed up to N10 billion and we added November/December allocation to our figures and we were able to clear four months at a stretch before Christmas and some left over were cleared before this January in Kogi State.

As you all know, the salary was very bogus and according to the figure we had we were able to distribute it among these months. So glory to God as far as Kogi State is concerned.

Moving forward from this January, we have decided that we are going to make use of our clock-in device for every civil servant in Kogi state both at local and state levels. So that as you come to work and clock-in, that is exactly how your salary will be generated. It is online, it is automated so nobody is going to cheat anybody. That is how we are going to go in the state so Kogi state civil servants, pensioners are all happy with this administration. Thanks to God and Mr. President for his magnanimity.

On kidnapping

A. In Kogi State today we have done tremendous work as far as security is concerned.

In the months of November, December and this January, there has not been any single case of armed robbery, kidnapping  even mere stealing.

One attempt was made, as I speak the DSS in collaboration with Army and Police have apprehended a particular gang that attempted to snatch a vehicle from a citizen.

The security operatives are collaborating with us, we are spending a lot on security. So collaboration between the security agencies and understanding by the people; they are giving us a lot of information and we are treating them with utmost secrecy and we are working harmoniously together.

Let me digress, the Fulanis in Kogi State are equally collaborating with us  even the criminal elements amongst them  they are the ones even apprehending them and handing them over to the security agencies. So we are living very harmoniously with the Fulani herdsmen, farmers and the citizens. Travelers are safe day and night because anywhere you go you see security operatives and we have even vigilantes, hunters that are equally assisting us in our farms and so many other deserted areas. So Kogi is very safe.

Q. What was the rationale behind giving masquerades N2 million and vehicle each that you are being criticised for?

A. I think Im just hearing that for the first time. But let me just tell you that in Kogi State, first we promote culture, two we dont give millions to masquerades. In our culture, masquerades are our ancestors, I dont know how a masquerade will go and spend money? Is it in the grave? They are supposed to be spirits and I dont know how masquerades will spend money. There is nothing of that nature at all.

Q. Whats your thoughts on Buhari and 2019?

A. Im sure you are following us as we are receiving decampees from PDP and all other political parties. And any time we hold any decamping rally in any local government you will see the mammoth crowd that turns out. So Kogi State has already endorsed President Buhari for second term, we are just waiting for the time to come. You are going to see the votes that will come out of Kogi State, it will dwarf that of Katsina State I can assure you.
The Kogi State Government in collaboration with various security agencies recorded tremendous success in checking criminal activities in November and December 2017.

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi, who stated this to State House correspondents in Abuja on Friday, said the states crime statistics covering the affected months indicated that the state recorded no single case of armed robbery or kidnapping in the months under review.

According to him, an attempt to snatch a vehicle from a citizen sometime this week was however frustrated by a combined team of security agents keeping the peace in the state.

In Kogi State today we have done tremendous work as far as security is concerned.

In the months of November, December and this January, there has not been any single case of armed robbery, kidnapping even mere stealing.

One attempt was made. As I speak the DSS in collaboration with Army and Police have apprehended a particular gang that attempted to snatch a vehicle from a citizen.

The security operatives are collaborating with us, we are spending a lot on security.

So collaboration between the security agencies and understanding by the people, they are giving us a lot of information and we are treating them with utmost secrecy and we are working harmoniously together, he said.

The governor announced that the Fulanis in Kogi were equally collaborating and assisting the security organisations in apprehending criminal elements within and beyond their enclaves.

He said: So we are living very harmoniously with the Fulani herdsmen, farmers and the citizens.

Travellers are safe day and night because anywhere you go you see security operatives and we have even vigilantes, hunters that are equally assisting us in our farms and so many other deserted areas.So, Kogi is very safe.

Mr. Bello dismissed social media reports that he gave masquerades N2 million and vehicle each, adding that there was nothing of that nature at all.

I think Im just hearing that for the first time. But let me just tell you that in Kogi State, first we promote culture, two we dont give millions to masquerades.

In our culture Masquerades are ancestors, I dont know how a masquerade will go and spend money? Is it in the grave?

They are supposed to be spirits and I dont know how masquerades will spend money. There is nothing of that nature at all, he said.

On the forthcoming 2019 general election, the governor disclosed that Kogi had already endorsed President Buhari for the presidential election in 2019.

President Buhari is from Daura in Katsina State, but the votes that would come out of Kogi would dwarf that of Katsina State, he said.

Im sure you are following us as we are receiving decampees from PDP and all other political parties.

And any time we hold any decamping rally in any local government you will see the mammoth crowd that will turn out.

So Kogi State has already endorsed President Buhari for second term, we are just waiting for the time to come.

You are going to see the votes that will come out of Kogi State, it will dwarf that of Katsina State I can assure you.

(NAN)
Some models who participated in the Cross River Governors Carnival Band have threatened to stage a protest over non-payment of their allowances.

The protest which was supposed to take place on Thursday was postponed when the Commissioner for Tourism, Eric Anderson intervened with a promise of settling them tomorrow.

A source who revealed this said that some of the girls who came from Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt have been squatting with friends in town while some are still hanging in hotel bars where they lodged during the event.

The source, who preferred not to be named, said three of the girls are sharing his hotel room with him because, they have nowhere to go.

The very day they came into town was when they started having accommodation problems. According to them, no accommodation was reserved for them so I asked them to keep their things in my room, he said.

When contacted, Mr. Anderson confirmed the incident. He said only ten models wanted to protest. He also gave the governors defence.

For the models that came in for the Governors band, all have vendors so it is a situation of misinformation between them and their vendors. We had over 150 models that came and about ten wanted to go for a protest this morning. So I even wondered why ten out of 150 would want to protest, what happened to the others? So I think vendors for these ten are not giving them direct information.

The leadership of the Governors band did not interface with the models directly, we only interfaced with them through their vendors.

It is not in our character. When money that is to be paid to vendors is delayed, it does not mean that the money will not be paid. Lots of bills are being sorted out and there are some that are yet to be sorted out which we are working on tirelessly to clear.

Each model according to findings was to be paid N50,000 as their allowance.
Residents have reportedly fled Ndoro community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa for fear of invasion by security agents following alleged beheading of a security operative by militants.

Our correspondent learnt on Friday that the murdered security official was negotiating with militants in the area to surrender their arms.

According to a resident, the community was thrown into apprehension on Monday after the lifeless body of the security emissary was seen in the community without his head.

The source said the victim could not be identified because he was in plain clothes.

The community has been deserted as we speak due to fear of imminent manhunt for the militants behind the dastardly act, the resident said.

However, the Bayelsa State Government on Friday called on the fleeing members of the community to return home, saying everything was under control.

Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the state Commissioner for Information, said Governor Seriake Dickson had held a meeting with security chiefs, officials of the military high command, and leaders of the community over the incident.

The Commissioner said the member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Fred Agbedi, also attended the meeting.

Mr. Iworiso-Markson, in statement on Friday, said the meeting resolved that the military should move into the community to return normalcy, while the government begins a peace process.

His Excellency Governor Seriake Dickson met with very senior security chiefs and the military high command as well as leaders and key stakeholders to decide on the steps to take and it was agreed that the military will move in to provide the needed peace. 

So we call on all those who have fled the community to return. There is no cause to be scared as government has intervened to ensure that the situation is brought under control, the statement read in part.

The government called on all who had fled the community to return home, assuring that with the presence of the military they could go about their normal businesses.

The government said the situation had been brought under control by the state governments quick intervention, while expressing regret over the incident.
Members of the Cross River Branch of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, have threatened indefinite withdraw of their services to members of the public from January 8.

This followed the kidnap and non-release of one its members, Usang Ekanem, who was abducted on December 26, 2017 by gunmen.

Effiong Mkpanam, the state Chairman of NMA, told journalists after an emergency meeting on Friday in Calabar that members of the association had suffered series of abduction from kidnappers.

Mr. Mkpanam, who expressed dissatisfaction with the trend, said that the attacks were frequently perpetrated on their colleagues while discharging their legitimate duties of saving lives.

He said that Mr. Ekanem, a former chairman of NMA in the state, was kidnapped on December 26, 2017 by some unidentified men. He added that the state government and security agencies were not doing enough to rescue their colleague.

As we address you today, it is with grief that we make public the fact that a very Senior Medical Practitioner and one time Chairman of NMA has been in the kidnappers den for ten days and counting.

As doctors, we swore an oath to save lives of members of the public who are in need of our skills.

We have observed with dismay a dangerous trend in which the security and lives of the same doctor is being threatened by some disgruntled members of the society.

The NMA in Cross River hereby instructs all its members, both in public and private medical facilities, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Institutional Hospitals, General Hospitals, Mission Hospitals and others to withdraw their services.

They are to observe a total and indefinite withdrawal of services to members of the public until such a time that our colleague is safely released by his captors and measures taken to forestall future occurrences.

It is noteworthy that in 2017, within Calabar alone, five doctors and three of their dependants and family members were kidnapped at various locations, he said.

The NMA chairman called on Governor Ben Ayade and all the relevant security agencies to urgently intervene in the matter.

He further said that the kidnappers had earlier established contact with the family of the victim where they demanded for a ransom of N100 million and later reduced it to N20million.

How much is the salary of a doctor monthly that he should pay such a ransom? From what we heard from the family; the victim was with his ATM cards when he was kidnapped and all the money in his account has been withdrawn.

For the avoidance of doubt, the NMA in Cross River will withdraw clinical services without any notice, any time a doctor is kidnapped in future.

We cannot continue to save the lives of others while ours is not secured, he said.

The NMA regrets any inconveniences this action may cause members of the public and wish to advice law abiding members of the public to seek medical services in neighbouring states of the federation.

(NAN)
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Pareteum Corporation (NYSE American: TEUM), the rapidly growing Cloud Communications Platform company, today announced it has activated service to one of its Application Provider IoT customers, which was previously announced as new customer on October 11, 2017.

This deployment signals planned revenue in the first quarter of 2018, ahead of schedule, and reinforces the efficiency of Pareteum's Global Cloud Platform (GCP). Pareteum's GCP enables its customer's subscribers, including members of their widely growing Application Programming Interface (API) Developer Community, to add mobility services directly to their Banking, Social Media, Call Centers, consumer facing applications, and App Store Products.

"Our move to the cloud has allowed us to fundamentally change use cases and opportunities not only for our company but for our customers," stated Vic Bozzo Pareteum's CEO. "The growing Pareteum development community is seeing the ability to incorporate mobility into their applications for the first time in a self-service model by directly connecting to our API without having to wait for the long cycles of provisioning to the network, which ultimately means recognizing revenue faster."

"The digital economy, and its monetization is being driven by application developers, creating an API economy. Pareteum, as an integral part of the Digital and API Economy ecosystem, is poised to support geometric growth for these companies with our securely offered Blockchain solutions, as part of our Global Cloud services. Being connected and working wirelessly in an untethered fashion is the mobility driver for the world's population. Pareteum brings seamless transition among devices, networks and applications, with flawless peer to peer metering, charging, billing and settlements. It is the power of our mobile payments, Blockchain, and Cryptocurrency driven capabilities, offered to the application development community, that will unleash their growth and business transacted with Pareteum," stated Hal Turner, Executive Chairman and Principal Executive Officer of Pareteum.

About Pareteum Corporation

The mission of Pareteum Corporation (NYSE American: TEUM) is to connect "every person and everything". Organizations use Pareteum to energize their growth and profitability through cloud communication services and complete turnkey solutions featuring relevant content, applications, and connectivity worldwide. By harnessing the value of communications, Pareteum serves retail, enterprise and IoT customers. Pareteum currently has offices in New York, Sao Paulo, Madrid, Barcelona, Bahrain and the Netherlands. For more information please visit: www.pareteum.com.

Forward Looking Statements:

Certain statements contained herein constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may include, without limitation, statements with respect to Pareteum's plans and objectives, projections, expectations and intentions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about Pareteum's industry, management's beliefs and certain assumptions made by management. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Because such statements involve risks and uncertainties, the actual results and performance of Pareteum may differ materially from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Unless otherwise required by law, Pareteum also disclaims any obligation to update its view of any such risks or uncertainties or to announce publicly the result of any revisions to the forward-looking statements made here. Additional information concerning certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested in Pareteum's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which are available from the SEC or may be obtained upon request from Pareteum Corporation.

Contractual Revenue Backlog Definition:

Contractual revenue backlog is measured on a forward looking 36 month snapshot view monthly, and, is generated by each of the Company's Managed Services, Global Mobility Cloud, and Application Exchange & Developer's Platform customers. The Pareteum multi-year Software-as-a-Service agreements include service establishment and implementation fees, guaranteed minimum monthly recurring fees, as well as contractually scheduled subscribers, in some cases including subscriber usage, during the term of the agreement, and, their resulting monthly recurring revenue. There can be no assurances that we reach the total revenue backlog. The revenue backlog assumes timing of revenue recognition that may vary from actual results.

Pareteum Investor Relations Contact:

Ted O'Donnell

Chief Financial Officer

(212) 984-1096

[email protected]

Hayden IR

917-658-7878

SOURCE Pareteum Corporation

Related Links

http://www.pareteum.com


AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ambiq Micro, the pioneer and leader in ultra-low power solutions, today announced that Spire has selected the Apollo2 platform to energize the Spire Health Tag, its new line of wearable, health monitoring products. The Health Tag is a small and discreet yet comprehensive health-monitoring device that makes clothes smart and never needs charging.

At the heart of the Apollo2 platform is Ambiq Micro's patented Subthreshold Power Optimized Technology (SPOT), which dramatically reduces energy consumption while leaving abundant application processing power to add higher intelligence to personal health monitoring and wearable devices. The Spire Health Tag uses the 10uA/MHz active power efficiency of Apollo2 to deploy advanced algorithms to deliver personalized, real-time health guidance for daily activity, sleep, and stress situations. With Apollo2 and the SPOT platform, the Health Tag can continuously analyze breathing and heart-rate inflection points for up to two years on one battery.

"Spire is using Ambiq Micro's Apollo2 to dramatically-increase the longevity of our batteries," said Benjamin Yule, CTO of Spire. "The Apollo2 platform is the only one of its kind on the market to support the power-to-performance ratio we needed."

"We're pleased to partner with Spire to power its revolutionary health monitoring device," said Aaron Grassian, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Ambiq Micro. "We're excited that our superior, ultra-low power Apollo2 platform has enabled Spire to design a fitness wearable that's nearly invisible, non-intrusive and requires no daily maintenance. Countless wearable devices end up in the junk drawer after a few months of battery-charging, replacement, and maintenance. Spire has eliminated this problem with a discreet design that disappears into the user's clothing and seamlessly blends into daily life."

Ambiq will be showcasing SPOT-enabled, ultra-low power solutions at the Consumer Electronics Show 2018 (CES) on Tuesday, January 9, through Friday, January 12, at the Renaissance Hotel Las Vegas, Suite 532. For an appointment, please contact [email protected]

About Ambiq Micro

Ambiq Micro was founded in 2010 on the simple yet powerful notion that extremely low-power semiconductors are the key to the future of electronics. Through the use of pioneering ultra-low power technology, innovative companies around the world are developing differentiated solutions that reduce or eliminate the need for batteries, reduce overall system power and maximize industrial design flexibility. Ambiq Micro has developed breakthrough technology based on its patented Subthreshold Power Optimized Technology (SPOT) platform that dramatically reduces the amount of power consumed by semiconductors, thus making its integrated circuits (ICs) an ideal solution for energy-critical applications. Ambiq Micro is headquartered in Austin, Texas. http://www.ambiqmicro.com

SOURCE Ambiq Micro

Related Links

http://www.ambiqmicro.com


There were three rounds of the competition to gradually select the most qualified and skilled teachers to move to the next round. Candidates were asked to select one of their 1-on-1 English classes for judging. They were also asked to host a lecture class to hundreds of students to evaluate their skills. In the final round, four professional Native English teachers from Europe and the United States won the extraordinary prizes which ranged from $10,000 cash, a paid trip to China and new iPhone X handsets.

This ground-breaking competition represents the new style of online English education and showcases the extraordinary strength of the teachers' abilities.

LaShundra Wigfall, a senior English teacher with a master's degree in Education and five years of teaching experience, won the first prize. She promotes the idea of diverse and practical education. Nicola Payne, an advocate for online TPR methodology has been at DaDaABC since 2015, very much deserved the second prize. Kristian Ross, is a bilingual teacher of English and Spanish from Brighton in the UK and took home the third prize. Jade Hodgkiss focuses on teaching children the integral listening skill and she took the special prize.

This competition began in the mid-October until the end of December, so lasted for nearly three months. As the first international online competition organized and sponsored by an China K12 Online English Education Institute, it effectively raised the quality of foreign teachers in the online education industry. And as the organizer of this competition, DaDaABC's emphasis on faculty has always been an important part of its development strategy. The founder of DaDa ABC and its CEO Ms. Zhi Hui said: "DaDaABC is committed to creating an online international school without borders, and high-quality teachers are one of the most crucial elements in this school. This competition of Most Valuable Teacher Foreign Teacher Selection we held also serves as a powerful measure to control the quality of foreign teachers from the source."

The two professional judges in this competition -- Lynn Mallory, vocational development manager of Oxford University Press in China; Chris Tomes, vocational development advisor, are all experienced professionals in the field of education. Ms. Lynn holds a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in English education from North Carolina State University. She is also a certified second-language English teacher by the U.S. National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, a trainer of Oxford Teacher Institute authorized by Oxford University and a teacher trainer recognized by Arab National English Education Association and Mongolia Education Ministry Vocational Development Institute. Chris, also as a course trainer of Oxford Teacher Institute authorized by Oxford University, has more than ten-years teaching and training experience in China. In each round of competition, the two professional judges all gave pertinent suggestions and guidance to the competitors.

A Canadian foreign teacher said: "I am very grateful to DaDaABC for offering such opportunity for me to present myself. And thanks for the professional advices from the judges which make me feel more confident about my occupational planning and devoting into the field of education."

The competition has received enthusiastic responses of foreign teachers from the United State, Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other countries since started. DaDaABC said that the success of this competition cannot be separated from the support of all parties, and the stringent selection criteria for foreign teachers has always been the principle of DaDaABC. In the future, DaDaABC hopes to host more activities like this to provide a platform for foreign teachers to demonstrate their abilities and share experience, and to better help those who wants to have a career in online English education to achieve their aspiration.

About DaDaABC

Founded in 2013, DaDaABC is the most innovative English training institution in China and has become one of the country's most successful intelligent English learning platforms for children. Winner of over 15 awards and recognitions in 2016, DaDaABC has developed a leading English training system focused on one-on-one online tutoring and encouraging youngsters to learn and practice while having fun with instructors. The company has announced a total of 500 million RMB raised in Series B and Series B+, which will be used for market expansion, curriculum development and learning experience improvement. DaDaABC helps students from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, France, Germany, and other non-English speaking countries. For more information, please visit: http://www.dadaabc.com/teacher/job

SOURCE DaDaABC
HOUSTON, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After nearly 48 years of federal service, veteran NASA astronaut and Earth and planetary scientist Mario Runco Jr. has retired from NASA; his last day with the agency was Dec. 31.

"Mario has had a tremendous career as an astronaut, scientist, and mentor at NASA," said Pat Forrester, chief astronaut at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "He helped design observatory facilities on the International Space Station that have led and will continue to lead to important discoveries. His energy and love for exploration will be missed."

As an astronaut, Runco logged over 551 hours in space during three space shuttle missions. He conducted one spacewalk and helped deploy four satellites. During his career, he supported more than a dozen other space shuttle missions in various roles before moving into his final role was as an Earth and planetary scientist.

Runco joined NASA in 1987 and remained on active duty as a NASA astronaut until 1994. On his first flight, Runco served on the crew of STS-44 aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis in 1991, helping to deploy a Defense Support Program satellite. Runco served as a mission specialist on STS-54 aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, conducting a 4.5-hour spacewalk and helping deploy a NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite. The mission also carried the Diffuse X-Ray Spectrometer, designed to expand the knowledge of stellar evolution, which scanned the local vicinity of our Milky Way galaxy for low-energy X-ray emanations believed to originate from an ancient supernova. Runco also served as a mission specialist on the crew of STS-77 aboard Endeavour in 1996 supporting a number of technology development and microgravity science experiments, and deploying two satellites, one utilizing the Space Shuttle Robotic Manipulator System.

At Johnson Space Center, Runco served as a spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) for 18 space shuttle missions; helped design, develop and test the space shuttle crew escape system following the Challenger accident; and performed test and evaluation of space shuttle mission-specific flight software in the Software Avionics Integration Laboratory (OV-95). At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, he helped prepare space shuttles and their crews for launch.

Runco's final role was as an Earth and planetary scientist at Johnson, serving as lead for spacecraft window optics and utilization helping with the design, development, and utilization of both the International Space Station's Earth-viewing optical quality science window and the Window Observational Research Facility, both of which remain in active use today.

Runco was born in the Bronx, New York. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Earth and Planetary Science from the City College of New York, a Master of Science degree in Meteorology from Rutgers University, and an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the City College of New York.

After graduating from Rutgers University, Runco worked for a year as a research hydrologist, conducting groundwater surveys for the U.S. Geological Survey on Long Island, New York. In 1977, he joined the New Jersey State Police and worked as a New Jersey State Trooper until he entered the Navy in June 1978. Upon completion of Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, in September 1978, he was commissioned and assigned to the Naval Research Laboratory in Monterey, California, as a research meteorologist. From 1981 to 1983 he served as meteorological officer aboard USS NASSAU (LHA-4) where he earned his Surface Warfare Officer designation. From 1983-1985 he served as a laboratory instructor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and in 1986 as Commanding Officer of Oceanographic Unit 4 embarked in USNS CHAUVENET (T-AGS 29), conducting hydrographic and oceanographic surveys of the Java Sea and Indian Ocean. His final Navy billet in 1987 was as a fleet environmental services officer at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Find Runco's complete biography at:

https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/runco.html

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --MYM Nutraceuticals Inc. (CSE: MYM) (CSE: MYM.CN) (OTC: MYMMF) ("MYM") is excited to announce that Australia will expunge the export ban on cannabis products in February 2018 and allow the worldwide exportation of cannabis-based treatments such as oils, patches, sprays, lozenges and tablets. The Australian Federal Government has big ambitions for Australia to become the largest producer of medicinal cannabis products in the world.

Australia's Health Minister Greg Hunt stated, "We would like to be, potentially, the world's number one medicinal cannabis supplier. One of the conditions of any license for export is that medicinal cannabis be made available to Australian patients first. The sector is fully supportive of that. Australian patients come first. There are now no real government barriers at all to accessing medicinal cannabis."

This is fantastic news for MYM since it has an Australian joint venture company, Solaris Nutraceuticals, that is currently in the assessment phase of the licensing process to build a 1.2 million square-foot greenhouse facility set to be the largest cannabis production facility in Australia. MYM expects that exportation of cannabis products from Australia will be big business and could even outstrip domestic sales.

About MYM Nutraceuticals Inc.

MYM Nutraceuticals Inc. is an innovative company focused on acquiring Health Canada licenses to produce and sell high-end organic medicinal cannabis supplements and topical products. MYM has two production projects in Quebec that when completed will have over 1.5 million square feet of production space. To ensure a strong presence and growth potential within the industry, MYM is actively looking to acquire complementary businesses and assets in the technology, nutraceuticals and CBD sectors. MYM shares trade in Canada, Germany and the USA under the following symbols: (CSE: MYM) (OTC:MYMMF) (FRA:0MY) (DEU:0MY) (MUN:0MY) (STU:0MY).

About Solaris Nutraceuticals Inc.

Solaris Nutraceuticals is an innovative medical technology company headquartered in Sydney, Australia. It has submitted an application and plans with Australia's Office of Drug Control to build a 1.2 million square-foot greenhouse facility with cannabis production space and a medical research center in the Northern Rivers Region of New South Wales, Australia. Solaris's corporate mission is to deliver environmentally friendly, sun-grown medicinal-grade cannabis and to develop medicines and treatments for pain management and other medical conditions. The company's focus is on innovations that promote, support and deliver improvements in the quality, consistency and cost of medicines to our clients. For more information, visit www.solarisnutraceuticals.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Rob Gietl, CEO

MYM Nutraceuticals Inc.

www.mymarijuana.ca

Keep up to date with MYM on our social media channels:

Twitter: @MYM_Nutra

Facebook: @mymcanada

Instagram: @MYM_Nutra

No stock exchange or securities regulatory authority has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Some of the statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements, such as estimates and statements that describe the Issuer's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Issuer or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties.

Investor Relations

Terry Brown

+1-855-696-2261

[email protected]

SOURCE MYM Nutraceuticals Inc.

Related Links

http://www.mymarijuana.ca


MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich., Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Editorial Advisory and Securities Review Committee of BetterInvesting Magazine today announced Gildan Activewear Inc. (NYSE: GIL) as its March 2018 "Stock to Study" and General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) as its March 2018 "Undervalued Stock" for investors' informational and educational use.

"The committee selected Gildan Activewear for its strong position in the printwear market and growth opportunities in branded apparel," said Adam Ritt, editor of BetterInvesting Magazine. "For the Undervalued selection, the committee believes that GE should see benefits from the management changeover, while the stock is supported by a solid dividend yield."

Check BetterInvesting's March issue for more details about these selections. Go to the trial version of BetterInvesting's online tools to study the investment potential of Gildan and GE by viewing their fundamental data and applying judgments.

Committee members are Robert M. Bilkie, Jr., CFA; Daniel J. Boyle, CFA; Marisa Bradbury, CFA; Philip S. Dano, CFA; Donald E. Danko, CFA; Maury Elvekrog, CFA; Walter J. Kirchberger, CFA; and Adam Ritt.

As stated, the BetterInvesting committee's Stock to Study and Undervalued Stock choices are for the informational and educational uses of investors and are not intended as investment recommendations. BetterInvesting urges investors to educate themselves about the stock market so they can make informed decisions about stock purchases.

About BetterInvesting

BetterInvesting is a national nonprofit organization that has been empowering individual investors since 1951. Founded in Detroit, the association (formerly known as National Association of Investors Corporation) was borne of the conviction that anyone can become a successful long-term investor by following commonsense investing practices. BetterInvesting has helped more than 5 million people become better, more informed investors by providing webinars, in-person events, easy-to-use online tools for analyzing stocks, a monthly magazine and a community of volunteers and like-minded investors. For more information about BetterInvesting, visit its website at www.betterinvesting.org or call toll free (877) 275-6242.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

SOURCE BetterInvesting Magazine

Related Links

http://www.betterinvesting.org


WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- For many traders, brokers, markets, and investors, 2017 was the year of bitcoin  and now they have the opportunity to own the most recognizable web domain for this global cryptocurrency.

Beginning today, XBT.com is up for sale. The winner of this 30-day auction will have the exclusive rights to use this web domain in 2018, and then the ability to renew it annually. The bidding will open at 200 bitcoins.

In 2017, bitcoin increased 1,300% percent and expectations are that transactional volume will continue to surge.

In December 2017, the CME and the Cboe began trading bitcoin futures contracts, an important development in the marketplace and one that experts have said could lead to wider acceptance and adoption of the cryptocurrency, as well as the creation of additional bitcoin-related products, including ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds). The Cboe's bitcoin futures contract trades under the ticker symbol "XBT."

Currently, XBT.com is owned by XBT Holding S.A., a global technology company.

Interested parties can submit bids to [email protected].

SOURCE XBT Holding S.A.

Related Links

http://XBT.com


"We are thankful to Richard for his years of outstanding leadership, integrity, and strategic acumen," said Neal Birnbaum, M.D., Brown & Toland's chairman of the board. "We are excited to welcome back Kelly as chief executive officer. Kelly brings a great deal of knowledge and expertise, including a comprehensive understanding of the Northern California and national healthcare markets. She is truly dedicated to the success of physicians in private practice."

Robison held various executive roles with Brown & Toland from 1995 to 2013, including leadership positions in strategic planning and contracting. Most recently, she was OptumCare's chief development officer and worked to successfully build, acquire and transform large physician groups, growing to more than 30 markets and over 20,000 employed and contracted physicians in various medical groups and independent practice association (IPA) settings. OptumCare is a division of Optum (a UnitedHealthGroup company).

"I am honored to return to Brown & Toland," said Robison. "While today's health care industry is rapidly transforming, physicians remain the most effective drivers of change. With the level of clinical excellence that Brown & Toland's physicians represent, and a steadfast commitment to evolve in this highly-complex market, I am enthusiastic about the future."

About Brown & Toland Physicians

Brown & Toland Physicians is a leading network of independent doctors focused on delivering personalized, high quality, and affordable healthcare to the San Francisco Bay Area. Its network of 1,500 physicians, serving more than 300,000 HMO and PPO patients, is dedicated to improving care through patient-centered programs, use of healthcare technology, and population health management strategies. The group has succeeded in improving quality outcomes and reducing medical costs across multiple accountable care populations. Brown & Toland collaborates with leading hospitals and health providers to provide local and convenient care in the Bay Area. To learn more, visit www.brownandtoland.com.

SOURCE Brown & Toland Physicians

Related Links

http://www.brownandtoland.com


The trusted company whose staff touts a combined total of more than 75 years of cannabis industry experience is known for providing strategic business license application services, business development, facility design, post-license operational support, compliance, operations management and expansion services. Jordan will lead the firm's brand development and marketing strategy division which the founding partners recognize as a critical component of building client success.

"There is so much potential in this developing industry. From company inception through post-launch, with a thoughtful and strategic approach from day one, I see cannabis brands becoming as iconic and memorable as Coca Cola," said Jordan.

Jordan will lead the company's stand-alone brand development services with customized go-to-market strategies along with plans for new and established businesses, and entrepreneurs and startups who want to jumpstart successful operations. Jordan's leadership role is reflective of the company's esteemed reputation as a leading cannabis consulting firm.

As an award-winning strategist who brings mainstream marketing expertise, Jordan previously served as Director of Brand Marketing and Growth Strategy at C Spire, the largest privately held U.S. wireless carrier. She also led marketing development for the Women's Foundation of Mississippi. Her innovative, strategic approach has resulted in numerous accolades including local American Advertising Awards (ADDY), national awards for predictive analytics, and a Bronze Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity; a global event which recognizes outstanding work in communications and advertising related fields. She holds an MBA and a BBA in Marketing from the University of Mississippi.

For founding partners Jay and Diane Czarkowski, the addition of Jordan fulfills a larger company vision for the continued development and expansion of high-caliber, mainstream marketing expertise and services for their international client base.

"Whether it's a startup or mature business seeking multi-market growth, we want clients to have a competitive and compliant advantage in the bid for success," said Jay Czarkowski. "We know that a solid brand and marketing strategy is a key component of a successful plan."

"Lisa's extensive corporate career coupled with her background in nonprofits drew our attention. She helped build the wireless industry from the one-dimensional flip phone era into the limitless market of smartphones," added Diane Czarkowski. "We see similarities in the nascent cannabis industry, and Lisa's experience will help our clients make the most of the opportunity."

In 2017, Canna Advisors was named the #1 consulting firm by Cannabis Business Executive magazine, and was named among the top companies by the CBE Ancillary Business List.

For information, visit ThinkCanna.com or call 720-708-3154.

Media Contact:

Neko Catanzaro

[email protected]

401-484-4980

SOURCE Canna Advisors

Related Links

https://thinkcanna.com


LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Comvita, the global leader in Manuka Honey and a pioneer in the natural health and wellness category, announces today its U.S. and Canadian retail expansion with availability in Costco and a new store on Amazon.com. The world's largest producer of Certified UMF Manuka Honey with over 40,000 hives, Comvita has spent four decades perfecting its beekeeping craft to provide health conscious consumers with sustainably sourced, premium Manuka Honey that is used in wound and skincare applications, as well as consumed by the spoonful or added to tea, yogurt, oatmeal and smoothies under the Comvita brand.

Comvita's top selling Certified UMF 5+ Manuka Honey has rolled out to over 200 U.S. Costco locations, including but not limited to: Northern California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan. Comvita's Manuka Honey is also available in Costco warehouses throughout Canada.

Manuka Honey is one of the fastest growing categories in the health and functional foods market, growing at a CAGR of 33.5% from 2012 to 2016 according to QYResearch. North American revenues for Manuka Honey have quadrupled over the last five years and are projected to more than double over the next four to an estimated $170 million.

A monofloral honey produced in New Zealand by bees that pollinate the indigenous Manuka tree. The Manuka plant is climate-sensitive and only flowers two to six weeks per year, making the honey a scarce resource. Working with the beekeepers and landowners, hives are placed in remote and pristine areas of the country, some of which are only reachable by helicopter.

"Following the success of Comvita internationally, it's great timing to introduce our certified UMF Manuka Honey to millions of health-conscious Costco members across North America," said Vice President of Comvita North America, Corey Blick. "Through responsible beekeeping and setting the bar for Manuka in the industry from a quality perspective, Comvita has earned the highest level of trust with retailers and consumers."

Comvita Manuka Honey is independently tested under the rigorous criteria established by the UMF Honey Association (UMFHA). UMF - or Unique Manuka Factor - is the gold standard for assessing the quality and key beneficial compounds in genuine Manuka Honey. Driven by science and a rigorous testing process, a UMF number is assessed to indicate the certified level, ranging from UMF 5+ to a scarcely available UMF 20+.

Possessing the leading Manuka beekeeping operation in a supply-constrained category, Comvita's launch into retail will make one of nature's hottest functional foods more readily available. Manuka Honey can be consumed by the spoonful, or added to tea, toast, smoothies or other recipes as a daily superfood. It is also rapidly becoming a popular ingredient in DIY facial masks and can be used as part of one's daily beauty routine.

For more info and to find a store near you visit http://www.comvita.com/

About Comvita

Comvita is the global leader in Manuka Honey and a pioneering name in the natural health and wellness category. Founded in 1974 and publicly traded on the New Zealand Stock Exchange under ticker symbol CVT, the company provides health-conscious consumers and the medical skincare market with sustainably sourced, Certified UMF Manuka Honey products that are fully traceable from source-to-shelf.

Certified UMF Manuka Honey is one of nature's most versatile and scarce natural resources. In addition to its Manuka product range, Comvita owns and operates the world's largest fresh-picked Olive Leaf farm and offers a broad range of other purest source health and wellness products. To learn more, please visit www.comvita.com/.

Media Contact

Marci Mollins

[email protected]

SOURCE Comvita
ROSEMONT, Ill., Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Culligan will debut its first national brand campaign during the 75th Golden Globe Awards. The spot will feature Cary Elwes reviving his famous "as you wish" line from the cinematic cult-classic fairy tale The Princess Bride. Watch the spot: https://youtu.be/b9Sy6YLmcf0 The Golden Globes presence helps kick off a multi-year, multi-channel brand campaign that reintroduces the brand as Culligan Water, the modern day experts in water for your whole-home.

Thirty years later, Elwes is now a real-life father who wants to provide the best for his children, including clean water for his family's home. The television spot, created by Fallon, shows Elwes playing into his famed character, Westley. When his daughter asks for things around the home such as a bubble bath and super-clean ice cubes, he obliges with the iconic "as you wish."

Like a good father, he wants what is best for his daughter, including pure water that makes great food, soft clothes and almost entirely particle-free, incredible-tasting drinking water.

"We imagined Westley wanting to give the princess the purest water that is cleaner, softer, and downright delicious," said Larry Holzman, Senior Vice President, Culligan North American Franchise. "Our whole home filtration system allows people to have the best water throughout their homes for those they love, by giving them all the benefits of Culligan water. Anything less would be, well, inconceivable!"

For fans of The Princess Bride and Culligan during the Golden Globes, Culligan Water will execute a multi-channel campaign where people can join in the fun reliving the notable one-liners using #AsYouWish in social media and with a custom Amazon Alexa Skill supporting the campaign. Customers can enable the skill from the Alexa Skills store on the Amazon website, or by saying "enable Culligan Water skill."

During the Golden Globes, Culligan will kick off this multi-channel campaign effort and rebrand. The Culligan brand has been known in homes across the country because of "Hey Culligan Man!" for 59 years. But in 2018, the brand is looking to evolve and modernize for current and prospective customers. Water is central to so much of our home livescooking, showering, brushing our teeth and, yes, drinking it, so Culligan wants to make the case that even if you don't mind drinking from the water hose, you probably would give your loved ones in your home the very best water possible. The campaign idea, "You Could Give Your People Culligan Water," will be extended across National TV in North America and surrounded with print, streaming audio, digital and social.

"'As you wish,' is more than a famous movie quote. It conveys a timeless, human truth that people will do anything for those they love," said Rick Utzinger, Creative Director at Fallon. "Water touches everything in the home from skin, to hair, to food, clothes and pets. So if you could give your people cleaner, safer Culligan Water, why wouldn't you? I'd like to note that in my home pets are people too."

The Golden Globes provided the opportunity to borrow equity from the cult movie classic still relevant in pop culture today. The detour into pop culture on one of Hollywood's biggest nights begins a yearlong Culligan campaign to make the water filtration brand more meaningful to people and build enthusiasm for the brand.

Fallon began working with Culligan Water last summer, providing bundled services in media planning and buying, strategy and creative. This brand relaunch marks its first national advertising campaign in 50 years.

About Fallon

Fallon Worldwide is a Minneapolis-based advertising agency that's part of Publicis Communications, the hub of creative agencies within Paris-based Publicis Groupe S.A. Fallon clients include Arby's, Comedy Central, H&R Block, Loctite and Danonewave. Fallon Worldwide is one of the world's most critically acclaimed creativity companies, delivering breakthrough ideas for some of the world's leading brands. Additional information can be found at www.fallon.com.

About Culligan

Founded in 1936 by Emmett Culligan, Culligan International is a world leader in delivering water solutions that will improve the lives of their customers. The company offers some of the most technologically advanced, state-of-the-art water filtration products. Culligan's products include water softeners, drinking water systems, whole-house systems and solutions for business. Culligan's network of franchise dealers is the largest in the world, with over 800 dealers in 90 countries. Many Culligan dealers have valuable equity in their communities as multigenerational family owners of their franchises. For more information visit: www.culligan.com.

SOURCE Culligan International

Related Links

http://www.culligan.com


Highly regarded industry veteran becomes Principal, will help grow local investment sales practice

DENVER, CO, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Alec Wynne, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the firm's Denver office, announced today the strategic hiring of highly regarded commercial real estate industry veteran David Tilton.

Effective immediately, Tilton becomes a Principal of Avison Young and will continue to focus on his capital markets specialty. Working closely with Wynne and Principal Rick Egitto, Tilton will also help grow the Denver office's investment sales practice and capital markets group while serving new and existing clients. He brings 36 years of commercial real estate industry experience to Avison Young, most recently as executive managing director with Newmark Knight Frank in Denver.

"We are thrilled to have David join Avison Young," comments Wynne. "He is a consummate professional who will deepen our collective bench strength in the capital markets service line. With more than three decades of industry experience, he brings key relationships that will quickly ramp up our institutional presence in Colorado and beyond. The addition of David to our capital markets team is significant; due to his extensive institutional-investment-transaction experience, he will provide a tremendous amount of value and elevate our brand within the capital markets space."

Wynne adds: "We fully expect that our capital markets group will now be competing on the big stage of institutional buying and selling of major properties across the front range in Colorado. Lastly, David is a perfect fit culturally. He stands for many of the principles that we embody  including integrity, collaboration and hard work. With David on board, 2018 will prove to be an exciting year for Avison Young in Denver."

Prior to joining Newmark Knight Frank in 2010, Tilton spent 28 years with the Frederick Ross Company, where he spearheaded the firm's investment sales practice while rising to the position of executive managing director and partner.

During his career, Tilton has negotiated investment acquisitions and dispositions valued in excess of $2 billion and covering more than 70 million square feet, primarily in the office asset class. In 2017 alone, he brokered four office investment sales transactions involving assets with a combined value of $94.55 million. His notable transactions in recent years include the sale of 1800 Larimer, a 22-story, class AAA office highrise for $430 per square foot (psf)  the highest price on record for a Denver office building at the time; Mountain View Corporate Center, a class AA, four-building office complex, which sold for more than $200 psf, establishing a new price benchmark for the suburban northwest; and the three-building CH2M campus located in the Meridian International Business Park for $122 million ($330 psf).

He has completed investment sales and provided strategic advisory services for many of the Denver region's most well-known institutional and private-equity players, including: Hines, Miller Global, Legacy Partners, Columbia Property Trust and Avaya.

"I am pleased to be continuing my career at Avison Young, which will provide me with the opportunity to expand my business by growing the investment sales practice in Denver and employing different investment strategies," says Tilton. "I was also excited by the opportunity to become a Principal of an international firm, while working with different clients and participating in the company's numerous community projects. I look forward to recruiting and mentoring up-and-coming capital markets professionals in Denver, collaborating with my new colleagues across the company, and contributing to Avison Young's ongoing aggressive global expansion program."

Tilton, a consistent top producer throughout his career, has earned a number of industry accolades, including Top 10 Producer with Frederick Ross Company/Newmark Knight Frank (2008 to 2014), CoStar Power Broker (2011), Denver Metro Commercial Association of Realtors (DMCAR) Heavy Hitter (1997, 1998 and 2001), and NAIOP Investment Broker of the Year (2001). He is active in the industry as a member of the Urban Land Institute, the Transit-Oriented Development Council, NAIOP and the Capital Markets Forum. Tilton holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in physical science from the University of Northern Colorado.

Over the past nine years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 82 offices and from 300 to more than 2,600 real estate professionals in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Europe.

Avison Young is the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its principals. Founded in 1978, the company comprises 2,600 real estate professionals in 82 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial, multi-family and hospitality properties.

For further information/comment/photos:

Sherry Quan , Principal, Global Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: 604.647.5098; cell: 604.726.0959

, Principal, Global Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: cell: Alec Wynne , Principal and Managing Director, Denver , Avison Young: 720.508.8112

, Principal and Managing Director, , Avison Young: David Tilton , Principal, Avison Young: 303.390.0962

, Principal, Avison Young: Earl Webb , President, U.S. Operations, Avison Young: 312.957.7610

, President, U.S. Operations, Mark Rose , Chair and CEO, Avison Young: 416.673.4028

www.avisonyoung.com

Avison Young was a winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies program in 2011 and requalified in 2017 to maintain its status as a Best Managed Gold Standard company.

Follow Avison Young on Twitter:

For industry news, press releases and market reports: www.twitter.com/avisonyoung

For Avison Young listings and deals: www.twitter.com/AYListingsDeals

Follow Avison Young Bloggers: http://blog.avisonyoung.com

Follow Avison Young on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/avison-young-commercial-real-estate

Follow Avison Young on YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/AvisonYoungRE

Follow Avison Young on Instagram: www.instagram.com/avison_young_global

 Editors/Reporters:

Please click on link to view and download photo of Dave Tilton:

http://www.avisonyoung.com/documents/20342/2631393/David_Tilton.jpg

SOURCE Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (BC)

Related Links

www.avisonyoung.com


SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Discount Tire founder and company Chairman Bruce Halle passed away peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, January 4, the company confirmed.

"It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that today, our friend, founder and a passionate family member, Mr. Halle, has passed away," said Michael Zuieback, CEO at Discount Tire. "I have had the privilege of working with and learning from the most talented, respected, humble and kind leader anyone could hope for, and I speak on behalf of all who knew Bruce in that he will be dearly missed."

Bruce Halle is survived by his wife Diane, his loving children Bruce Halle, Jr. (Nikki), Susan Lyle (Wilson), Lisa Pedersen (Chris) and Michael Zuieback (Sheila); siblings Bob Halle (Nancy), Mary Ellen Merrill, Betty Lou Halle; and 7 grandchildren.

At a young age, Bruce Halle knew the definition of hard work, as he helped deliver newspapers, cut grass and dug graves to help support his family during the Great Depression. Bruce is a proud Marine who served in the Korean War. Halle opened the first Discount Tire store in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1960 with six tires and no business plan. At the time, Bruce served as the tire technician, accountant, sign painter, toilet cleaner, customer service representative and any other position needed to grow the fledgling business. Halle established a simple business ethos: treat others how you want to be treated, always give the customer a good deal; surprise the customer with unexpected benefits like clean bathrooms, free snow tire changes or free flat repairs; build your customer base through word of mouth; and have fun. Over the years, Halle built the largest and most recognized tire store in the country, but never lost sight of his early years in the bay as a tire technician.

A humble man, Halle shied away from industry recognition, preferring to give the credit for the company's continued success to his employees and his long term experienced leadership team whom he considered family. The Bruce T. Halle Library on his alma mater campus at Eastern Michigan University is named after him. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Eastern Michigan University and delivered the university's commencement speech in 1995. A deeply spiritual man, Halle and wife Diane traveled to the Vatican and were knighted with the Order of St. Gregory for their contribution to chapel repairs. Over his lifetime, Halle amassed an unprecedented art collection of more than 400 tire-related lithographs, which are curated and on display at company headquarters. He graciously accepted induction into the Modern Tire Dealer Hall of Fame in 2014. Discount Tire holds the Guinness World Record for longest running advertisement, consistently airing since 1975.

Giving back to the communities where customers and employees reside was a focal point of Halle's leadership. He and wife, Diane, launched The Diane & Bruce Halle Foundation, a philanthropic resource for a broad range of charitable endeavors. Halle also created programs to benefit Discount Tire employees such as the Bruce T. Halle Assistance Fund, which provides financial assistance to employees in need, as well as the Bruce T. Halle Scholarship Program, which has awarded over 2,700 scholarships for employees' children to attend college.

Discount Tire, the world's largest tire and wheel retailer, will surpass 1,000 stores in 34 states this year.

"His absence creates a tremendous loss for all of us, but in his honor, Discount Tire will continue on the course that Bruce has set for us," said Vice Chairman, Gary Van Brunt. "The five lessons that Mr. Halle taught us will forever resonate in our hearts and minds: Be honest, work hard, have fun, be grateful and pay it forward."

Eternally grateful,

Michael Zuieback

CEO

SOURCE Discount Tire
DALLAS, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthcare Tech Outlook has named DKBinnovative among the Top 10 Healthcare IT Services Providers for 2017.

The team at DKBinnovative, a managed IT services company, has worked with 200 separate medical practices and more than 60 hospitals providing comprehensive HIPAA-compliant healthcare information technology solutions.

DKBinnovative

"We pride ourselves on providing peace of mind to our healthcare clients about HIPAA and other compliance issues so that they can focus on their mission: providing the best care for their patients," said Keith Barthold, CEO of DKBinnovative.

Healthcare Tech Outlook names the top 10 IT services each year from a pool of health technologies ranging from data analytics solutions that can streamline diagnoses to mobile applications for remote patient monitoring. The award recognizes industry leaders who offer superior technical solutions and exceptional client service in the healthcare space.

About DKBinnovative

DKBinnovative is a leading IT services company providing consultancy, technology, and managed services. We successfully help companies reduce operational costs, improve efficiency, and enhance control by enabling people, technology and applications to integrate more effectively. Our team of trained, certified IT experts rapidly delivers technology, security, cloud, and mobile solutions, 247 outsourced network management, remote monitoring and support to increase productivity, data security, and revenue growth for clients ranging from professional service firms and healthcare to oil & gas industries. Learn more at www.dkbinnovative.com.

Contact: Lauren Yates

703.593.3184

[email protected]

Related Links

DKBinnovative website

Healthcare Tech Outlook

SOURCE DKBinnovative

Related Links

http://www.dkbinnovative.com


SOMERVILLE, N.J., Jan. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Edison Research, a Somerville, New Jersey-based market research agency, announces the purchase of additional office space to double its current square footage and the promotion of several key employees in advance of a significant expansion. The company is expanding its Somerville offices as it adds employees to support its growth in both election and audio research.

Edison Research has been the sole provider of exit polling to the National Election Pool since 2003. In mid-2017, the company was also awarded the sole contract to provide vote count data to the NEP, and many of the company's new hires will be dedicated to that effort. In addition, Edison is expanding its digital audio portfolio, as the company has seen significant growth in research engagements in Podcasting, Streaming Audio, and the syndicated Share of Ear research series, the only single-source measure of online and offline audio in the U.S.

In addition to these moves, Edison is also announcing the following promotions:

Rob Farbman - Executive Vice President

- Executive Vice President Melissa Kiesche - Senior Vice President

- Senior Vice President Tom Webster - Senior Vice President

- Senior Vice President Nicole Beniamini - Vice President

- Vice President Randall Brown - Vice President

- Vice President Megan Lazovick - Vice President

- Vice President Mary Meyn - Vice President

- Vice President Johanna Roche - Vice President

- Vice President Laura Silvia - Vice President, Digital Operations and Information Technology

In addition, the company has hired Clint Stevenson as Vice President, Data Science.

Edison's President, Larry Rosin, said of the recent expansion, "We are honored by the immense trust placed upon us by our election, media, and consumer research clients over the past 24 years, and we are thrilled to be able to continue to grow and expand our capabilities. We know we have the right team in place to continue to achieve our objectives."

About Edison Research:

Edison Research conducts survey research and provides strategic information to a broad array of clients, including Activision, AMC Theatres, Disney, Dolby Laboratories, Google, NPR, Oracle, the U.S. International Broadcasting Bureau, Entercom, Pandora, Samsung, Siemens, Sony, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, The Gates Foundation, Audible, and Univision. Edison is the leading podcast research company in the world, and has conducted research on the medium for NPR, CBS, PodcastOne, WNYC, and many more leading companies in the space. Another specialty for Edison is its work for media companies throughout the world, conducting research in North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe. Edison Research is the sole provider of election exit poll data for the National Election Pool comprised of ABC, CBS, CNN, and NBC. Edison is also the leading provider of consumer exit polling and has conducted face-to-face research in almost every imaginable venue.

Contact:

Tom Webster, Senior Vice President

Edison Research

[email protected]

(908) 707-4707

SOURCE Edison Research
BALTIMORE, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The William & Lanaea C. Featherstone Foundation and the Consular Section of the Embassy of Mexico in Washington, D.C. debut the Featherstone College Scholarships, an innovative $20,000 fund designated to increase Baltimore's Latino enrollment and promote higher education. In fall 2018, ten Latino students will receive $2,000 merit-based awards to attend the University of Baltimore. The application deadline is March 1, 2018.



"Our partnership with the Featherstone Foundation will propel the next generation of student leaders and highlight academic excellence," said Consul Rafael Laveaga, head of the Consular Section of the Embassy of Mexico.



"This is great news for the city's high-achieving Latino students," said Victoria Reid, vice president of enrollment management and marketing at the University of Baltimore. "UB is grateful to the Featherstone Foundation and the Embassy of Mexico for partnering with us to make college a reality for some talented, ambitious young people."



The Featherstone scholarships are open to high school seniors who plan to start their first semester at the University of Baltimore, undergraduate students transferring to UB, as well as current UB freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors. Interested students who meet the criteria may apply online by the application deadline.



"Education helps level the playing field in a competitive, global landscape," said Lanaea C. Featherstone, CEO, Featherstone Foundation and OSI-Baltimore Community Fellow alumna. "We are creating opportunities for high-performing students to tap much-needed funding, so that attending a four-year college can be attainable."

This year, the fund received additional support from Wells Fargo. "We are thrilled to partner on this initiative that will make a difference in the lives of young people and their families," said Monica Mitchell, vice president for community relations and corporate responsibility at Wells Fargo. "Through this support for young Latino students, we are helping develop our city's future leaders and making access to a high-quality education more affordable."

The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the College of Public Affairs, the Merrick School of Business, the UB School of Law and the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences.

The Consular Section of the Embassy of Mexico provides Mexican nationals in Washington D.C. and the states of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, with educational opportunities that give them the appropriate skills to make robust contributions to the development of their places of residence.

The William & Lanaea C. Featherstone Foundation creates sustainable solutions to bridge the opportunity divide among immigrants and underserved communities.

SOURCE The William & Lanaea C. Featherstone Foundation

Related Links

http://www.thefeatherstonefoundation.org


HOUSTON, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hart Energy's E&P magazine is pleased to announce the promotion of Jennifer Presley to executive editor. Presley also will continue in her role as senior editor, drilling, covering technology trends for the drilling market sector of the upstream oil and gas industry.

"Jennifer's technical knowledge coupled with her industry contacts across drilling, completion and production services make her the preferred choice to lead the E&P editorial team in 2018 and beyond," said Russ Laas, E&P vice president of publishing.

Presley joined Hart Energy in 2012 as E&P's senior editor of production technologies. She then took on the senior offshore editor role for three years before accepting the senior drilling editor position, thus gaining a broad and deep knowledge of major upstream sectors that have prepared her for overseeing E&P moving forward.

Presley also develops content for Hart Energy's numerous techbooks, playbooks and yearbooks. She works closely with the company's conferences team to develop program content for conferences, technology showcases and forums. Her Hart Energy columns and articles have garnered numerous awards.

In a related move, Rhonda Duey has retired from Hart Energy after 22 years. Duey was a part of the early beginnings of E&P as the associate editor of its predecessor, Oil and Gas World. She became senior editor in 1999 with the formation of E&P, and served as executive editor since 2012. Fortunately for Hart Energy, Duey will continue to contribute content to E&P magazine as senior editor, exploration.

"During Rhonda's many years at Hart Energy, she won the respect, confidence and admiration of her fellow employees and her many contacts in the industry," said Peggy Williams, editorial director. "She has been a tremendous asset  and we are delighted she will continue to represent us going forward."

About Hart Energy

Since 1973, Hart Energy editors and experts have delivered market-leading insights to investors and energy industry professionals. The Houston-based company produces award-winning media platforms (Oil and Gas Investor, E&P and Midstream Business) and data online, in print and mobile; in-depth industry conferences (like the DUG series); GIS data sets and mapping solutions; and research and consulting services across the energy value chain. For more information, visit hartenergy.com.

SOURCE Hart Energy

Related Links

http://www.hartenergy.com


Now in its sixth and final year, the Made By Milk Carton Construction Contest invites students nationwide to build novel creations using empty milk or juice cartons for the chance to win prizes for their school. This year's contest theme was "Sports," and entries ranged from synchronized swimmers to a full-sized kayak to a replica of the Coliseum. The grand-prize-winning " Roadrunners Endless Summer Surfin' Safari "  a nod to Lillian Ruediger Elementary's mascot  featured a large roadrunner surfing a tidal wave and repurposed nearly 600 cartons.

"The Made By Milk Carton Construction Contest gives students around the country the opportunity to express their creativity while also learning about the benefits of paper gable-top cartons," said Katie Simmons, marketing manager for Evergreen Packaging. "We'd like to congratulate each student who participated in this year's contest, as this year's entries were more impressive than ever before."

"When the art club students found out about the Made by Milk contests theme, Sports, they immediately began brainstorming ideas for their entry. After deciding on the sport of surfing, featured on many of our state's license plates, the idea was formed to use our school mascot as the surfer," said Katharyn Jones, Art Teacher at Lillian Ruediger Elementary. "Students worked together to create a sustainable sculpture that is now the pride of the school."

The following schools were also recognized for their sporty carton creations:

Evergreen Packaging is the largest manufacturer of gable-top cartons in the United States and utilizes the Made by Milk program to raise awareness of the benefits of cartons. Evergreen Packaging cartons are made from a renewable material: over 70% paper from trees grown in forests where responsible management practices are used and where overall growth exceeds use. Since its inception in 2012, the Made By Milk contest has garnered over 1,000 entries and Evergreen Packaging has awarded cash prizes to over 100 winning schools across the country.

For more information about the contest and to view all of this year's entries, please visit www.madebymilkcontest.com.

About Evergreen Packaging 

Evergreen Packaging is a global leader in creating fiber-based packaging solutions customized to deliver product freshness and brand distinction. Evergreen Packaging is a vertically integrated packaging company, delivering total solutions of barrier paperboard, technical expertise, equipment and service.

Evergreen Packaging cartons have the attributes consumers want: more than 70 percent of the carton is made from paper derived from a renewable resource: trees. Cartons are also recyclable. In addition, our cartons are made with renewable energy  over 50% of the energy used to make the paper in our cartons comes from biomass.

SOURCE Evergreen Packaging

Related Links

http://www.madebymilkcontest.com


AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Faurecia (EO.PA), a leading global automotive supplier, and Accenture (NYSE: ACN), a global professional services company, today announced they have signed a memorandum of understanding for a five-year collaboration to accelerate innovation for mobility services.

Faurecia and Accenture will combine their innovation expertise and co-invest to develop products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles. They will focus initially on two areas: cognitive technologies to reinvent the on-board user experience, and services to enhance health and wellness. They also intend to leverage digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), advanced analytics, augmented and virtual reality, blockchain and quantum computing to further accelerate Faurecia's digital transformation. Their expertise for these initiatives will be organized within a "digital services factory."

"This ground-breaking partnership between two leading players in their fields will take the use of artificial intelligence and data analytics to the next level in the automotive industry," said Patrick Koller, Chief Executive Officer of Faurecia. "We will accelerate the transformation of our operations and develop new business models and user experiences for the Cockpit of the Future. This partnership will allow Faurecia to be more innovative and agile in the rapid introduction of new technologies, particularly for enhanced health and wellness and intuitive human-machine interfaces."

Pierre Nanterme, Accenture's chairman and CEO, said, "Innovation creates a virtuous circle  enabling companies to secure current growth, while freeing up the capital needed to invest in new products, services and business models to sustain future growth. This is exactly what we are doing through this pioneering partnership with Faurecia. By combining Accenture's ability to turn disruptive technologies into business results with Faurecia's expertise in leading-edge automotive technologies and our two companies' common focus on innovation, we intend to invent the future of the automotive industry."

With drivers spending up to 500 hours a year, on average, in their cars and the continuing progress in the field of self-driving vehicles, car interiors will become an extension of the home and office, providing a similar experience and range of services. The alignment of Faurecia and Accenture around this vision will drive the success of this innovative and ambitious partnership. This collaboration illustrates what Accenture refers to as Industry X.0, the profound shift of industrial manufacturing to digital products and services that will increasingly require new methods and processes to produce and deliver them as well as support them in the field.

A press conference held by Patrick Koller, Faurecia's CEO, and with the participation of Marc Carrel-Billiard, senior managing director, Accenture Global Technology Research & Development, will take place on January 8, 2018 during the CES Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Hotel at 4:00 P.M. (room Surf A-B-C).

About Faurecia

Founded in 1997, Faurecia has grown to become a leading player in the global automotive industry. With 330 sites including 30 R&D centers in 34 countries, Faurecia is now a global leader in its three areas of business: automotive seating, interior systems and clean mobility. It supplies automakers with state-of-the-art technology to promote Smart Life on Board and Sustainable Mobility. In 2016, the Group posted total sales of 18.7 billion and had a workforce of 100,000 people. Faurecia is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris stock exchange. For more information, visit: www.faurecia.com

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions  underpinned by the world's largest delivery network  Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With more than 435,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com

SOURCE Faurecia

Related Links

http://www.faurecia.com


VANCOUVER, British Columbia, January 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Future Farm Technologies Inc. (the "Company" or "Future Farm") (CSE: FFT) (OTCQB: FFRMF) is pleased to announce that it has closed on the previously announced 10-acre operating greenhouse acquisition, which generated approximately $2,800,000 USD in revenue and $400,000 USD in EBITDA for 2017*. The purchase price was $3,000,000 or 1.07X revenue. The closing of this acquisition represents a major milestone for the Company as it provides substantial revenue and cash flow while positioning the Company in the emerging Florida cannabis market.

The business and associated 10-acre property have been approved at the county level for cultivation and processing of cannabis. "This revenue-generating acquisition is a major milestone for Future Farm and its shareholders. Florida is the third most populous state in the USA with 20,984,000 residents and one of the fastest growing cannabis and hemp markets in the country," says William Gildea, Future Farm's CEO and Chairman.

The greenhouse is in a designated legal grow zone with proximity to Orlando, which has a local population of almost 2.5 million and attracts over 62 million visitors annually, making it a prime location. Shareholders will be excited to know that the farm is much more than a 'zoned for cannabis' piece of land, but also a fully operational greenhouse business already in full production. The greenhouse property, which has been family operated since 1959, currently grows ornamental plants sold in big-box stores throughout North America.

The Company intends to continue operating the greenhouse as is while it applies for licensing as a cannabis cultivator with the State of Florida. The Company is also exploring the possibility of growing hemp on the remaining acreage of farmland. A report by the Brightfield Group projects that hemp cannabis products will have $1 billion in annual sales by 2020.

As part of this acquisition, the Company will pay a 6% finder fee to Atlas Capital Advisors, LLC.

* The Company cautions that the above figures for revenue and earnings are estimates only and have not been audited. Actual results may differ materially from those reported in this release.

On behalf of the Board,

Future Farm Technologies Inc.

William Gildea, CEO & Chairman

About Future Farm

Future Farm Technologies Inc. is a Canadian company with projects throughout North America including California, Florida and Maryland. The Company's business model includes developing and acquiring technologies that will position it as a leader in the evolution of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) for the global production of various types of plants, with a focus on cannabis. Future Farm provides scalable, indoor CEA systems that utilize minimal land, water and energy regardless of climate, location or time of year and are customized to grow an abundance of crops close to consumers, therefore minimizing food miles and its impact to the environment. The Company holds an exclusive, worldwide license to use a patented vertical farming technology that, when compared to traditional plant production methods, generates yields up to 10 times greater per square foot of land. The contained system provides many other benefits including 90% less water, fertilizer and land used, less travel costs, seed to sale security, scalability, consistency due to year-round production, cost control, product safety and purity by eliminating environmental variability. The Company also utilizes a leading cannabis oil extraction technology, which enables the Company to process 20lbs/hour of cannabis plant to yield approximately 908 grams/hour of oil.

The Company is also in the business of designing and distributing LED lighting solutions utilizing the COB and MCOB technology. The Company is focused on delivering cost efficient lighting to North America via advanced e-commerce sites the Company owns and operates. LEDCanada.com, which caters to B2B customers, is a supplier of the newest and highest demand LED solutions. The Company also owns and operates COBGrowlights.com, which caters to both large and small agriculture green houses and controlled cultivation centers.

The Company recently acquired the exclusive right to use a patented, augmented reality (AR) technology in the cannabis industry. As described in more detail above, the Company has decided to spin this asset off to its shareholders.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not in any way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.

For further information, contact:

William Gildea,

Director

+1-617-834-9467



SOURCE Future Farm Technologies Inc.
WAIKIKI, Hawaii, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Halekulani, Oahu's acclaimed luxury hotel, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Jason Waterlow as the property's new Director of Food and Beverage, effective immediately. In his role, Mr. Waterlow is responsible for overseeing all food and beverage operations at Halekulani's dining venues including La Mer, Orchids, L'Aperitif, Lewers Lounge, and House Without A Key. Waterlow employs his wealth of expertise and innate charm to lead Halekulani's award-winning in-house restaurants and bars with impeccable service and detail.

Waterlow brings many years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry to Halekulani. Prior to Halekulani, Waterlow most recently held the Managing Director position at the Inn at Little Washington, a AAA Five-Diamond, Forbes Five-Star, Michelin two-star property that focuses on delivering masterful culinary experiences. Waterlow has also held leadership roles at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa, L'Auberge de Sedona, Chateux du Sureau, and the Four Seasons Maui where he contributed immensely to their success and reputation.

"Jason Waterlow is a seasoned food and beverage professional with extensive knowledge of global luxury and fine dining," said Ulrich Krauer, General Manager at Halekulani. "We are thrilled to welcome Jason's energy, creativity, and vision at work in each of our beloved in-house restaurants and bars at Halekulani."

About Halekulani

Since its inception in 1984 as one of the world's finest and most acclaimed independent luxury hotels, Halekulani has received more than 500 accolades, awards and honoraria. The property is one of The World's Best Hotels on Conde Nast Traveler's 2016 Gold List and was voted Best Hotel on Oahu in Travel + Leisure's 500 World's Best Hotels for 2016. Halekulani is home to SpaHalekulani, House Without A Key, Lewers Lounge, Orchids and La Mer, Hawaii's longest, consecutively ranked AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Restaurant. For twenty years, Halekulani has maintained a strong commitment to arts and culture through exclusive alliances with Oahu's most iconic cultural venues. Halekulani is operated by the Hotels and Resorts of Halekulani, a brand management division of the Honolulu-based Halekulani Corporation, which also oversees the Waikiki Parc. Halekulani is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World and is aligned with Tokyo's legendary Imperial Hotel.

Stay connected with Halekulani via www.halekulani.com, on Twitter and Instagram at @HalekulaniHotel or on Facebook at Halekulani Hotel. To share an unforgettable #HalekulaniMoment, visit http://www.halekulanimoment.com.

SOURCE Halekulani
BANGALORE, January 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

iMedrix, a Silicon Valley and Bangalore-based mHealth start-up, announced the general availability of its product KardioScreen, a CE certified mobile/portable hospital grade digital ECG.

KardioScreen is the first truly mobile, connected ECG solution that can be applied universally: field screening, point of care, ambulance, Cardiac ICU and at-home monitoring. The patent-pending KardioScreen solution comprises of a hospital grade mobile ECG device and mobility software suite of AI assisted solutions for doctors, ambulances and hospitals. KardioScreen can be used in both, snapshot short term ECG (30s) and extended observation/monitoring modes in 6 or 12 lead configuration.

KardioScreen is being used at a number of leading hospitals in Asia in a variety of use cases. An ECG taken from KardioScreen can be analyzed by a live/remote physician and AI engines in seconds. Further, the simple, deskilled use model and ability to record ECGs quickly, has been a major factor in the adoption of this solution for population screening.

Multiple layers of algorithmic and analytics solutions are added to KardioScreen to help physicians with actionable insights. This also enables a truly mobile, digital health architecture where third party devices and applications can fit in, acting as a base for Software as a Medical Device applications.

"We are pleased to introduce the world's first end-to-end connected solution that brings mobility to cardiac care," said Srikanth Jadcherla, CEO of iMedrix, "KardioScreen brings a deep IoT architecture to clinical use."

"Cardiac diseases are at epidemic levels and burgeoning with every year. Early detection and prevention is the need of the hour. In this context, mobile medical solutions such as iMedrix's KardioScreen could help patients get screened or monitored anywhere, in an affordable manner. 100s of millions of people will benefit from such mobile cardiac screenings, saving many lives by timely intervention. In the process, we are bound to learn a lot and gain new insights," said Dr. Nagraj Desai, Distinguished Cardiologist.

KardioScreen is offered on subscription basis in Asia. With the obtainment of CE certification, iMedrix is now looking to enter markets in Europe.

About iMedrix

iMedrix is a Mobile Health (mHealth) start-up based in Silicon Valley and Bangalore. iMedrix is developing IoT mobile Health solutions starting with mobile cardiology.

For more information, visit: http://www.imedrix.com.

Media Contact:

Nagesh Rangappan

CTO

+91-9611103647

[email protected]

Srikanth Jadcherla (Sree)

CEO

+1-408-637-1881

[email protected]

1525 McCarthy Blvd

Milpitas CA 95035 USA



SOURCE iMedrix
ROSEVILLE, California, January 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

InnerScope Hearing Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: INND) announced that it has retained Barwicki Investor Relations, a New York-based investor relations firm, to expand the Company's strategic investor relations program. Barwicki Investor Relations is run by Andrew Barwicki, a seasoned veteran with 24 years of marketing and investor relations experience.

Matthew Moore, CEO of InnerScope Hearing Technologies, said, "After careful consideration, Barwicki Investor Relations Inc., with their established relationships among institutional investors, combined with their extensive databases and pro-active investor relations program, is the perfect partner for InnerScope. We are pleased to partner with Barwicki Investor Relations to assist us in effectively communicating our strategy and objectives to the investment community. This partnership represents an important step for us in the fulfillment of our goal of positively impacting the health and well-being of as many people as possible. We expect to develop a strong, on-going relationship with this proven Investor Relations firm, and look forward to growing our presence within the investment community as we continue our Company's development."

Barwicki Investor Relations will provide the investment community with information and updates about InnerScope through the distribution of INND Fact Sheets, scheduling road shows, conference calls, and one-on-one meetings with institutional investors and broker dealers throughout the United States. The investor relations program will also target retail investors and investors within our specific industry.

Andrew Barwicki, President of Barwicki Investor Relations, Inc., said, "I welcome this opportunity to work with InnerScope, and I am very excited to help the investment community better understand their compelling and differentiated strategy and growth opportunities. We expect interest from the financial community will continue to grow and we are delighted to be part of the InnerScope team. Working with a company within the health sector that can positively impact 1.2 billion people that have hearing loss is a unique opportunity that I am enthusiastic about."

About Barwicki Investor Relations, Inc.

Barwicki Investor Relations is a full service investor relations firm, representing growth-oriented companies to the investment community. Investor relations services include financial community and media relations, editorial services and interactive communications, as well as administrative, consulting and advisory services. Barwicki Investor Relations will ensure that money, fund, and portfolio managers, financial analysts, brokers and individual investors receive a constant flow of information and updates. Additional information available at http://www.barwicki.com.

About InnerScope Hearing Technologies (INND):

InnerScope Hearing Technologies is a technology driven company with highly scalable B2B and B2C solutions. The Company offers a B2B SaaS based Patient Management System (PMS) software program, designed to improve operations and communication with patients. INND also offers a Buying Group experience for audiology practice, enabling owners to lower product costs and increase their margins. INND will also compete in the DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) markets with its own line of "Hearables", and "Wearables" and revolutionary APPs on the iOS and Android markets.

InnerScope intends on opening, operating and expanding a chain of audiological and retail hearing device clinics. INND's seasoned team of professionals, with collectively over 200+ years of experience in the hearing aid industry, including successful operations in hearing aid manufacturing and retail store management. Our team has the knowledge, relationships, and the experience to quickly deploy new products and software to serve approximately 1.2 billion people around the globe that are suffering with 25 db or greater hearing loss. For more information, please visit http://www.innd.com .

Safe Harbor

This presentation contains forward-looking statements which relate to future events or InnerScope Hearing Technologies future performance or financial condition. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words "believes," "should," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates" and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, condition or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as result of a number of factors, including those described from time to time in InnerScope Hearing Technologies filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. InnerScope Hearing Technologies undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made herein.

Contact:

Investor Relations Contact

Andrew Barwicki

+516-662-9461

[email protected]

InnerScope Hearing Technologies, Inc.

Matthew Moore

[email protected]

+916-218-4100



http://www.innd.com

SOURCE InnerScope Hearing Technologies, Inc.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Enlyton, Ltd., a Columbus, Ohio, company developing innovative oncology products, has signed an agreement for a series of investments by East Sunshine Foresight Fund, the venture capital arm of HEC Pharm of Shenzen, China. The financing supports the development of ENL210, a bioengineered monoclonal antibody fragment that targets the broad family of solid tumors known as adenocarcinomas.

ENL210 is the product of years of basic and clinical research, primarily in Ohio, and will enable oncologists to more accurately locate and precisely treat adenocarcinomas of the colon, pancreas, lung breast, prostate, and other organs. There are approximately 850,000 new cases of adenocarcinoma annually in the United States, and over 7 million worldwide, representing about 70% of all solid tumors.

Enlyton's co-founder Edward W. Martin, Jr., M.D., is a surgical oncologist with over 40 years of experience treating adenocarcinomas. "The HEC investment is critically important to moving the ENL210 project forward. While years of research have taught us that accurate targeting and subsequent removal of this class of solid tumors results in better outcomes, we believe ENL210 will make it practical in today's clinical setting," Martin said. "ENL210 is an important addition to the emerging science and clinical application of immuno-oncology."

Lester Johnson, M.D., Ph.D., FACR, a diagnostic radiologist and expert in molecular imaging added, "Physicians who diagnose and treat solid tumors have long sought better ways to assess the extent of disease and monitor the effectiveness of treatments in their patients more accurately. Enlyton's new agent (ENL210) has the potential to make a significant difference for these patients and their physicians, and I look forward to reviewing the clinical study data that will soon emerge."

Enlyton's Chief Executive Officer, Wayne Poll, M.D., a urological oncologist added, "On behalf of the entire Enlyton team, I want to thank the leadership at HEC for their confidence in our science and our management team. We will soon initiate final development including GMP manufacturing, pre-clinical toxicology studies, IND submission, and our first clinical trial. We will require additional funding to complete all this work, but clearly, the promise of significantly better outcomes for many hundreds of thousands of cancer patients worldwide is a cause we all can champion."

About Enlyton, Ltd.

Enlyton is integrating proprietary antibody technology into cancer-specific, antigen-directed targeting agents for use in cancer imaging, intraoperative cancer detection, and post-operative disease prognosis. Enlyton's goal is to provide more accurate disease information, enabling oncologists to personalize each patient's course of therapy, reduce the overall cost of cancer treatment, and most importantly save lives.

About HEC

HEC Pharm is a holding company owned by HEC Group, one of the top 100 private enterprises in China, which in 2016 exceeded RMB 30 billion in revenue. HK HEC Pharm, a part of HEC Pharm, focused on the domestic medicine business, is listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange. HEC Tech, another company holding by HEC Group, is a listed company on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Since established in 2002, HEC Pharm has made over USD 1.6 billion in R&D capital investment and over the past three years the annual R&D budget has exceeded USD 150 million. HEC R&D Center is developing new molecular entities, generics and biosimilars in several therapeutic areas, as anti-virus, oncology, diabetes, and neurology. HEC set up 2 national labs for drug research and discovery by the State. More information about HEC Pharm is available at www.hecpharm.com.

Please visit: https://enlyton.net/?page_id=15 to view the entire press release or contact: Arthur F. Morelli, Enlyton Chief Business Officer at 858-342-5654

SOURCE Enlyton, Ltd.
LONDON, January 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

2017 was a record year for UK tech investment, with London-based firms attracting the lion's share of funding, according to data from London & Partners. The findings also revealed that the UK is Europe's leading country for global tech investors, with British tech firms attracting more venture capital funding than any other European country in 2017.

According to data compiled for London & Partners by PitchBook, venture capital investment into the UK's tech sector reached an all-time high in 2017 with UK firms attracting 2.99 billion - almost double the total amount invested in 2016 (1.63bn)[1].

London's tech sector continues to fuel the growth of the UK's digital economy, with the capital's tech firms raising a record 2.45 billion and accounting for around 80 per cent of all UK venture capital tech funding in 2017. Some of the biggest deals last year included a 391m Series B investment into Improbable, Deliveroo (364m) and Truphone (255m).

Further analysis of the data shows that the UK and London remain the favourite destination in Europe for tech investors. UK firms attracted almost four times more funding in 2017 than Germany (694m) and more than France, Ireland and Sweden combined. London tech companies also raised significantly more venture capital investment than any other European city, including Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "Today's record investment figures are further proof that London is the undisputed tech capital of Europe and I am committed to ensuring we take over from Silicon Valley as the world's leading tech hub."

"Technology entrepreneurs and businesses are attracted to our great city for its diverse talent pool and unique business ecosystem and I am determined that London remains open to investment and the best tech talent from all over the world."

Eileen Burbidge, Partner at Passion Capital added: "The UK remains one of the world's leading hubs for technology investors and it is no surprise to see that UK tech companies attracted double the amount of venture capital financing than any other European country last year."

"It's a testament to our exceptional entrepreneurs that the UK tech sector continues to produce companies that are leading in the development of cutting edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and fintech. This environment and ecosystem of innovation presents tremendous opportunities for investors and will help to attract global investment into the UK's digital economy for many years to come."

Fintech was the leading sector for investment in 2017, with UK financial technology firms attracting a record 1.34 billion in VC funding. London's fintech firms led the way, accounting for over 90 per cent of all money raised by UK fintech firms last year. 2017 saw major funding rounds for financial technology companies such as TransferWise (211m), Funding Circle (81.9m) and Monzo (71m).

London's Artificial Intelligence (AI) companies also saw elevated levels of funding in 2017. Big deals for companies such as Babylon Health (47.56m), Callsign (26.92m) and Starship Technologies (13.95m) saw investment in London AI companies reach over 200m - increasing over fifty percent on 2016 funding levels. This trend was replicated nationally, with UK AI companies raising a record 488m last year and double the amount raised (232m) in 2016.

Last year saw a number of the world's leading tech companies pledge their long-term commitment to the capital, with significant investments from Amazon, Apple and Google. In the second half of last year, Spotify announced it will expand its R&D operation in London and double its headcount, while US tech giant Facebook confirmed it will create an additional 800 jobs for its new London headquarters.

SOURCE London & Partners
"Both our clients and Associates will greatly benefit from Anita's expertise in marine insurance and specialized risk," said Chris DiLullo, executive vice president in Lockton's Northeast US operations. "With more than three decades in the marine business, Anita has fostered relationships that will greatly benefit our clients."

Prior to joining Lockton, Farmer spent almost a decade at Gallagher. She was directly involved in account oversight, marketing, coverage negotiations, and production in the areas of marine cargo, stock throughput, motor truck cargo, warehousemen's legal and specialty risks. Throughout her career Farmer has worked with domestic and multinational clients to deliver customized solutions.

In her new role, Farmer will help clients develop risk management strategies and structure, negotiate, and implement complex marine insurance programs. She will also lead a team of marine insurance professionals from Lockton's New York office.

Farmer is a licensed insurance broker and holds the professional designation Associate in Risk Management (ARM). She is also an associate member of American Institute of Marine Underwriters (AIUM).

Farmer will be based in Lockton's New York City office, which is located at 1185 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 2010, New York, NY 10036. The New York office can be reached by calling 646-572-7300.

About Lockton

Lockton is a global professional services firm with 6,500 Associates who advise clients on protecting their people, property and reputations. Lockton has grown to become the world's largest privately held, independent insurance broker by helping clients achieve their business objectives.

For nine consecutive years, Business Insurance magazine has recognized Lockton as a "Best Place to Work in Insurance." To see the latest insights from Lockton's experts, check Lockton Market Update.

SOURCE Lockton

Related Links

http://www.lockton.com


DUBLIN, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The "Mining of Gold and Uranium in South Africa 2017" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering.

Although South Africa is no longer the world's largest gold producer and is now ranked sixth in the world, the gold and uranium mining sector is one of the largest components of the domestic mining industry on the basis of employment and export earnings. During 2016, South Africa produced 165.6t of gold, exported 103.7t worth R60.6bn and employed 116,479 people. The country was the world's eleventh-largest producer of uranium in 2016 and it has reasonably assured uranium resources of 237,600t or 6.9% of the world total.

The current decrease in production has reduced gold's contribution to the country's economy. According to Statistics South Africa, gold contributed 3.8% to GDP in 1993, dropping to 1.2% in 2015. The issues contributing to the continued fall in production include the increasing depth of operations, continued declines in productivity, ageing infrastructure and falling gold grades. With increased travelling times for workers to reach work areas, the actual amount of time spent on production has diminished. Research conducted by the Chamber of Mines showed that if there is no substantial change in the mining methods used, local gold mining could cease in 2033. As a result, a modernisation plan comprising three stages is to be implemented by role players.

The Mining of Gold and Uranium

describes current conditions, including the uncertainty that still exists in the regulatory environment, and discusses factors influencing the success of the industry. The report profiles 16 companies including Pan African Resources, which began the construction of the R1.74bn Elikhulu gold tailings project in Mpumalanga in September 2017. Also profiled is Sibanye-Stillwater, whose operations were negatively affected by a strike concerning illegal mining in June 2017, and which announced the retrenchment of 2,000 workers at its Cooke operations at the end of October 2017.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction

2. Description of the Industry

2.1. Industry Value Chain

2.2. Geographic Position

3. Size of the Industry

4. State of the Industry

4.1. Local

4.1.1. Uranium

4.1.2. Corporate Actions

4.1.3. Regulations

4.1.4. Enterprise Development and Social Economic Development

4.2. Continental

4.2.1. Gold

4.2.2. Uranium

4.3. International

4.3.1. Gold

4.3.2. Uranium

5. Influencing Factors

5.1. Economic Environment

5.2. Labour

5.3. Mine Safety

5.4. Illegal Mining

5.5. Government'S Proposed Nuclear Build Programme

5.6. Technology, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation

5.7. Environmental Concerns

6. Competition

6.1. Barriers to Entry

7. SWOT Analysis

8. Outlook

9. Industry Associations

10. References

10.1. Publications

10.2. Websites

11. Company Profiles

Anglogold Ashanti Ltd

Birrell Mining (Pty) Ltd

Central Rand Gold Ltd

Drdgold Ltd

Gold Fields Ltd

Gold One International (Pty) Ltd

Goliath Gold Mining Ltd

Harmony Gold Mining Company Ltd

Oakbay Resources and Energy Ltd

Orion Minerals Nl

Pan African Resources Plc

Peninsula Energy Ltd

Sibanye Gold Ltd

Stonewall Resources Ltd

Village Main Reef (Pty) Ltd

White Rivers Exploration (Pty) Ltd

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/d94r92/mining_of_gold?w=5

About Research and Markets

Research and Markets is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


PITTSFIELD, Mass., Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The registered nurses of Berkshire Medical Center, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, will deliver a petition on Monday, Jan. 8 signed by an overwhelmingly majority (85%) of BMC nurses to members of the Berkshire Health Systems Board of Trustees.

The nurses' petition urges the BHS board to intervene and take "swift action" ahead of the nurses' next negotiating session on January 9 to ensure that BMC patients are cared for safely and nurses receive a fair agreement with the hospital. On December 20, the third bargaining session since the strike, BMC management refused to make any movement on nurse staffing and workload or health insurance. They had no proposals on those issues.

Trustee Petition Delivery

Date: Monday, Jan. 8, 2018

Time: 12 p.m.

Location: Nurses meet at Park Square in Pittsfield and deliver the petition to a representative member of the board, Trustee Jerome J. Anderson at Pittsfield Cooperative Bank at 70 South St.

"The non-profit trustees overseeing Berkshire Medical Center have a responsibility to protect precious community resources like safe patient care and the nurses who provide that care," said Alex Neary, RN and Co-Chair of the BMC MNA Bargaining Committee. "Although some trustees are trying to do the right thing, the board itself is failing the public trust and allowing hospital administrators to treat patient care like line items on a corporate balance sheet. The public should be able to trust that that non-profit trustees are making decisions in the best interests of our community."

The petition reads: "As trustees, you are stewards tasked with overseeing Berkshire Medical Center. BMC and the patient care that nurses and other staff provide are among our community's most valuable assets. Since BMC is funded primarily through public moneytax dollars and generous donationstrustees have an obligation to take the time and listen to the patient safety concerns being raised by the community and nurses. This is your job.

"Therefore, we are asking you to intervene NOW and convince BMC's administration to settle a fair contract with nurses. There can be no further delay. Patient safety is, and has always been, our #1 priority. Please demonstrate through your swift action that it is yours as well."

Bargaining Background

The nearly 800 registered nurses of Berkshire Medical Center, who are represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, have been seeking a fair contract that ensures safe patient care at their hospital since September 2016.

Nurses held a one-day strike on October 3 and were then locked out of the hospital by BMC management for four additional days. The next bargaining session is scheduled for January 9. Negotiations include a federal mediator.

BMC Nurses Fighting for Safe Patient Care

A pattern of BMC nurses being assigned too many patients to care for at one time, or not having enough support staff, has been jeopardizing safe patient care at the hospital for years. BMC has yet to even agree to modest staffing language in its RN contract to address this problem, such as not making RN staffing worse and reducing or eliminating patient assignments for charge nurses.

"Charge nurses" are responsible for all patients and nurses in their area. If she or he has a patient assignment or an inappropriately high patient assignment, the charge nurse is not able to effectively coordinate care and assist other nurses. This nurse should be managing the flow of patients, be on hand to assist less experienced nurses with more complex cases, while also picking up patient assignments when staff become overburdened.

BMC has experienced an overall increase in patient volume between 2013 and 2015 of nearly 13 percent and an emergency department visit increase of 26.6 percent, according to hospital profile data from the Center for Health Information and Analysis. Much of that increase has been driven by the closure of North Adams Regional Hospital with the result being that for the nearly 40,000 residents of Northern Berkshire County, BMC in Pittsfield became the closest option for inpatient care.

BMC nurses and other staff have presented their patient care concerns in various ways over the last several years, including directly to supervisors, at labor-management meetings, to hospital trustees and during negotiations. Between October 1, 2015 and Oct. 18, 2017, nurses also completed 462 unsafe staffing reports. The forms are a tool used by the nurses to document to management any time they are confronted with care conditions that in their professional judgment are inconsistent with safe patient care. Read the reports here.

Quality, Affordable Health Insurance

BMC has proposed doubling the price nurses pay each month for individual health premiums. Nurses in BMC's family health insurance plans already pay 40 to 70 percent more than managers. BMC has also refused to consider any plan design, cost sharing, rates or co-payments other than what management first demanded at the beginning of negotiations nearly a year ago.

Berkshire Health Finances

BMC is highly profitable and its parent company Berkshire Health Systems is the dominant health care provider in Berkshire County. Over the last five years, BMC has made a profit of more than $207 million, according to the Center for Health Information and Analysis. In 2016 alone, BMC posted a profit of $47.2 million. That is a margin of 9.7%  more than three times the state and regional averages of 3%, making it a real outlier among profitable hospitals. Read the CHIA BMC data here.

Despite this, Berkshire Health executives have repeatedly told nurses that BMC is unwilling to negotiate any improvements in staffing for patient care. Yet they have managed to find extra revenue to fund large executive salaries. In 2015, CEO David Phelps' compensation was $863,000 and the top ten executives took home more than $5 million in salary and other benefits.

MassNurses.org  Facebook.com/MassNurses  Twitter.com/MassNurses  Instagram.com/MassNurses

Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association

Related Links

http://www.massnurses.org


NEWBURY, England, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Zobox is a new startup launching two new IoT devices at CES 2018, Jan. 9 to 12. Zobox is exhibiting in the Eureka Park at the Sands Convention Center, at Booth #51063.

Zobox will be showing off two new products, Zobox Beacon and Zobox Router Rebooter. Zobox is raising funds to expedite production through an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign.

Zobox

"Zobox are delighted to be launching these two fantastic products at CES. Both Beacon and Router Rebooter are truly useful devices that really work and provide real-world solutions. We have already had a terrific reaction to both products and we are looking forward to bring these great products to a wider audience," said JP Lynch, CEO at Zobox.

Zobox Beacon

The most advanced global GPS tracking device ever, Zobox Beacon is a personal GPS tracking and alarm device with global coverage. Zobox Beacon can track your kids, luggage, pets, and cars. Beacon can alert the user tell when their child leaves the shopping mall, it can tell you when luggage enters the baggage hall, it can notify when a bike it's attached to moves, and hundreds of other uses. All from the phone App.

Zobox Beacon webpage: http://zobox.xyz/beacon.html

Zobox Beacon on Indiegogo: https://igg.me/at/zobox-beacon

Zobox Router Rebooter

Router Rebooter actively monitors an Internet connection 24/7 and automatically reboots the router when it fails. Router Rebooter brings smart technology to the core of any connected home.

Modern homes have a growing number of connected devices, so a reliable connection is essential. Router Rebooter monitors the internet connection and brings it back to life in the fastest time possible should it fail.

Zobox Router Rebooter sits between the router power plug and the router. When the internet loses connection, the Router Rebooter cuts the power, waits a few seconds, then restores the power, forcing a reboot cycle that will fix most common connection issues.

Zobox Router Rebooter webpage: http://zobox.xyz/rebooter.html

Zobox Router Rebooter on Indiegogo: https://igg.me/at/zobox-router-rebooter

About Zobox

Zobox was founded by two entrepreneurs from two different continents. One from the United Kingdom and one from China. Both founders are successful business leaders who are passionate about technology. After working together for over ten years they decided to form a company to design, develop, and produce new IoT technology products.

Media Contact:

JP Lynch

[email protected]

US Tel: 1 844 835 8168

UK Tel: +44 (0) 1635 597789

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SOURCE Zobox
CHICAGO, Jan. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- northAmerican Van Lines, a leading moving company, has unveiled a new interactive report on its website that reveals where Americans moved to and from in 2017. The interactive report provides insight into U.S. moving patterns occurring in the past year.

"With 14% of the U.S. population (roughly 40 million people) moving annually, migration data trends offer tremendous insight into the business and housing impacts that are occurring throughout the country," said Andy Kroll, VP/GM of northAmerican Van Lines.

Key takeaways include:

Top 5 inbound states include AZ, ID, NC, SC & TN

Top 5 outbound states include IL, CT, NJ, CA & MI

The Southeast and Western U.S. states continue to outpace

The first year Arizona has been #1 in inbound moves.

has been #1 in inbound moves. Illinois topped the outbound moves list for the 3rd time since 2011.

Data is based on inbound and outbound consumer moves. Top states are those where the difference between inbound and outbound moves is equal to or greater than 400. See report for full methodology disclosure.

Access to the report can be found here: https://www.northamerican.com/migration-map.

About North American Van Lines, Inc.

North American Van Lines, Inc., established in 1933, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SIRVA Inc., a leader in providing relocation solutions to tens of thousands consumer, corporate and military interstate moves each year. The moving company, with headquarters in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is the official mover of the Gary Sinise Foundation. For more information visit www.northamerican.com

CONTACT: Tammy Monroe, 513-459-5699, [email protected]

SOURCE North American Van Lines, Inc.

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NEWINGTON, Conn., Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Site Gas Systems, Inc. began producing nitrogen and oxygen generators 30 years ago in Newington, Connecticut, and today their products are used worldwide. Over the years, they have earned countless awards and paved the way for the industry. They continue to be an innovator and are dedicated to manufacturing cost-saving, reliable oxygen and nitrogen generation systems for numerous applications.

Frank Hursey founded On Site Gas Systems, Inc. in 1987. Previously, he worked on NASA's Apollo Program as a key part of the breathing air team. Following that, Hursey helped create one of the first oxygen concentrators that was approved for home-use. After these experiences, Hursey decided to use his expertise of the nitrogen and oxygen generation industry to form On Site Gas Systems, Inc.

Bob Wolff states, "On Site Gas Systems continues to bring Frank's passion for science into our daily operations. We strive to provide industrial and medical nitrogen and oxygen generation solutions that improve the way companies operate."

In 2008, their Portable Oxygen Generating System (POGS) earned On Site Gas Systems, Inc. the Connecticut Quality Improvement Award (CQIA) Platinum Innovation Prize. The FDA-approved system allows medical oxygen generation even in the most remote and harsh locations. It is used to save lives every day by the military, first responders, emergency disaster relief operations, hospitals and health clinics. Additionally, the POGS system has been used by the US military in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and it is relied upon during emergency relief efforts, including Hurricane Katrina.

On Site Gas Systems' products are proudly made in the USA; however, their propriety products can be found in over 90 countries. In 2011, they were recognized for their worldwide distribution efforts by being named the Connecticut and New England Small Business of the Year Exporter.

Even with their success, On Site Gas Systems, Inc. continues its rigorous research and development efforts to improve the PSA (pressure swing adsorption) process. This innovative process separates nitrogen out of ordinary air, allowing it to be used in various industrial settings. To further these efforts, the company was awarded the Connecticut Manufacturing Innovation Fund Grant in 2015. Their advancements in this technology will benefit many industries in both the public and private sector.

On Site Gas Systems has grown tenfold since they opened 30 years ago. They now have two locations in Newington, Connecticut, where they continue to perfect their nitrogen and oxygen generation systems. The company is ISO Certified and is dedicated to providing exceptional customer service. Their products not only save companies money and increase their efficiency, but they literally save lives. To learn more about On Site Gas Systems, Inc. and their groundbreaking nitrogen and oxygen generation systems, available in both stationary and portable formats, contact them at onsitegas.com or via telephone at 1-860-370-2196.

Media Contact:

Deborah Pereira

Phone: 860-667-8888 ext. 260

Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE On Site Gas Systems

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MIAMI, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- One Park Financial has been named one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation by The National Association for Business Resources. The 2017 winning companies were assessed by an independent research firm which reviewed several key measures to find the best of the best in the Nation.



"This has been such a great year for One Park Financial and winning this award was such a special way to end the year for us and our team. We couldn't win awards, such as this one, without the support of our amazing employees who constantly strive to make One Park the best it can be," says CEO John M. Lie-Nielsen.



The award honored 437 winning organizations out of 2,000 nominations, among the 437 winners, 101 companies were named Best and Brightest in the Nation. One Park's welcoming and team-oriented culture which is fueled by their Core Values, played a key role in making this esteemed list. Each employee is expected to live by the four values: Results, Client's Success, Taking Risks and Fun. These values allow each employee to constantly strive for success while working in a healthy environment. Aside from their core values, One Park Financial fuels it's culture with monthly potlucks, volunteering opportunities with the United Way and office competitions. They aim to encourage team building and want to reward their employees for all the hard work they put into the Company.



"National companies realize that their employees are key to business success. The companies that were selected demonstrated innovative human resource practices. They intentionally keep employee needs at the forefront of their policies," said Jennifer Kluge, President and CEO, National Association for Business Resources. "We are very impressed by the commitment that they have demonstrated to their employees."



The companies that have been selected to be recognized nationally as a Best and Brightest Company to Work For will be featured in the February 8th online edition of Corp! Magazine. The winning companies will also receive additional recognition as a national winner at a Best and Brightest Companies to Work For awards symposium and gala at a location of their choosing in several U.S. cities.



One Park Financial is located at 3390 Mary Street, Suite 305, Coconut Grove, FL 33133. For more information, you can visit https://www.oneparkfinancial.com/ or call 855.218.8819.



Follow Us!



Twitter: @1parkfinancial // Facebook: www.facebook.com/oneparkfinancial

PRLog ID: www.prlog.org/12684752

SOURCE One Park Financial

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NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") announced today that one of its affiliates has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Robertshaw Holdings S.a.r.l. ("Robertshaw"). Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Itasca, IL, Robertshaw is a global leader in thermal, flow and control management products and solutions for residential and commercial appliances, HVAC and transportation applications. Robertshaw services its global blue-chip customer base through manufacturing, R&D, support and distribution facilities in 11 countries around the world.

Mark L. Balcunas, who has been with Robertshaw since 1979, will remain CEO and stated, "We will become an even stronger supplier of controls and solutions to the industries we serve through our One Rock partnership. With their support, my leadership team and I are excited about our future. Robertshaw will continue to invest in new product offerings, state of the art engineering and manufacturing capabilities, and the expansion of our market-leading product positions through targeted niche acquisitions, with the most recent being Burner Systems International."

Tony W. Lee, Managing Partner of One Rock, commented, "Robertshaw is a proven industry leader with a strong reputation in the market and proven commitment to its customers. We are excited to work alongside Robertshaw's management team to continue developing the business and enhancing its ability to serve customers globally." One Rock Managing Partner R. Scott Spielvogel added, "One Rock's Operating Partners have decades of experience in businesses related to Robertshaw, and we believe that pairing One Rock's operational resources with Robertshaw's proven management team can deliver more value for customers and accelerated growth for the company."

ABOUT ROBERTSHAW

Robertshaw is a leading global provider of components, systems, and services used in the appliance industry and in heating, air conditioning and refrigeration for the residential and commercial markets. Robertshaw has more than 6,100 employees in 11 countries, and is headquartered in Itasca, Illinois.

ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC

One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and enhancing its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.

Contact

One Rock Capital Partners, LLC: 212-605-6000

SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC
NEW YORK, Jan. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 10, 2018, PUNTO Space will present a New York Fashion Week (NYFW) fall collection preview featuring designer Cesar Galindo and a teaser from Carlton Jones' capsule. The trilevel raw space will welcome guests to its Main Floor for refreshments and a front row experience for Galindo's latest looks before they officially hit the runway. The Mezzanine will host a beauty bar with cocktails, makeup touch-ups, manicures and a braid bar. The Lower Level will host an open set photo shoot, further immersing guests into a closer look of models being photographed in Galindo and Jones' styles that are fresh from the design studio before NYFW 2018 officially begins.



Galindo, who launched his first collection in the late 1980s, is a returning designer to PUNTO. Galindo has stood the test of time since his debut collection landed his designs on the cover of Elle with supermodel Karen Mulder. As a contract designer, he has worked with brands that include Dolce and Gabbana. From Madonna to Missy Elliot, Calvin Klein Women's Collection to LAMB by Gwen Stephanie, Galindo has designed and produced couture looks for the famed brand's celebrity clients.



Designer and fashion persona Jones launched his resort-inspired collection "Carlton Jones" in 2015. Jones' inspiration came from world travel and working as a celebrity stylist with such A-list industry giants such as Halle Berry, Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu and First Lady Michelle Obama. Returning to Punto after his NYFW debut on the Ready to Wear calendar last September; Jones will premier select styles from his first A/W capsule in a photo shoot with veteran fashion photographer Christopher Kolk. Here Carlton will direct his fall preview utilizing his experience working as Fashion Director, Editor and stylist with such prevalent magazines as Italian Vogue, GQ, French Glamour, and Harper's Bazaar.



PUNTO Space, a venue known to house creatives, was founded in 2014 by Debora Balardini, Sandie Luna, and Duke York. The venue has maintained a unique presence as an event and performance venue that is located in the heart of the fashion district. With a growing demand for immersive events in fashion, PUNTO has welcomed traditional fashion shows, pop-up events, photo shoots and brand activations. The space easily transforms for beauty and fashion product launches and after-parties. Noteworthy fashion brands and events have included Bella magazine, Mathew Christopher, Marlo Hampton, the F.A.B. Coalition (Fashion Against Bullying), Style Me Pretty, Layana Aguilar (Project Runway), Adonis King, Latinista, and Capsum.



Luna, the director of marketing at PUNTO, has seen a fashion-related industry trend: "Designers are looking to showcase their lines in more approachable and innovative ways. The look and feel of fashion shows and fashion presentations are taking more into account all sensorial aspects of the experience."



Event and RSVP details can be viewed here.



Photo(s):

https://www.prlog.org/12684822



Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE PUNTO Space

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The Campaign of Yichun lasts for 30 seconds, and introduces the city's cultural, ecological and humanistic elements as follows: Mingyue Mountain, a national Grade 5A scenic spot characterized by verdant forests and magnificent waterfall; selenium-contained hotspring, comparable to the famous French Aix Spa; local Zen culture of Yichun as here is the birth-place of three of five Zen Chinese Masters; the Chinese traditional opera and Nuo dance with rich historical background, and other traditional culture, as well as the Moon culture themed at "the City of Moon", depending on local rich moon-related festivals and events, thereby presenting such Yichun City's many roles as the City of Ecology, Selenium-contained Hotspring City, the Zen Master Birthplace, the Cultural City, and the Moon Culture City.

The Times Square is the heart of Manhattan, regarded as the world's financial center and a tourist attraction, well known as "the Crossroads of the World".

"China Screen" is the second advertising screen on Tower 2, the Times Square, with a total area of 238 square meters and tenanted by Xinhua Screen Media Co., Ltd.. The screen is the first overseas advertising screen media operated directly by the Chinese official agency, Xinhua News Agency. It is regarded as a greatly significant channel for China's national branding. In recent years, the screen has played city campaigns for many Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Chengdu and Hangzhou.

Meanwhile, the Campaign is played on Xinhua News Agency's outdoor screens, respectively located in Wangfujing (Beijing), Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street (Shanghai) and Guangzhou Avenue (Guangzhou), etc., thereby bringing further intensive exposures and communication effects for Yichun.

Yichun is known for its beautiful scenery, rich natural resources, pleasant climate and livable environment throughout the year. It is located in the northwestern region of Jiangxi Province. The history of Yichun goes at least as far back as the Han Dynasty 2200 years ago. Han Yu, a litterateur in the Tang Dynasty, highly praised in his poem and described the city "although Yichun is far from the Capital, its scenery will bring you an absolutely worthwhile trip".

Image Attachments Links:

http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=304090

SOURCE Xinhua Screen Media Co., Ltd.
NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05246304





The aircraft communication system market is projected to grow from USD 3.08 billion in 2017 to USD 5.20 billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 11.02% from 2017 to 2022. Continuous technological advancements in aircraft communication systems, use of software-defined radios for satellite communication, advent of satellite-based navigation systems, and increased number of new aircraft deliveries across the globe are the key factors driving the growth of the aircraft communication system market. However, increased demand for the next-generation Internet Protocol (IP)-based communication systems offers opportunities for the growth of the aircraft communication system market during the forecast period.



Among platforms, the commercial aircraft segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the aircraft communication system market in 2017.

Among platforms, the commercial aircraft segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the aircraft communication system market in 2017. The growth of this segment of the market can be attributed to increased demand for new and advanced communication systems to ensure the safety of aircraft during their flight. Aircraft communication systems are electronic devices used in an aircraft to communicate and navigate with other aircraft or ground stations. These systems are also used to carry out surveillance activities. Aircraft communication systems are also used to control & monitor operations of an aircraft.



The North American region is estimated to account for the largest share of the aircraft communication system market in 2017

The North American region is estimated to account for the largest share of the aircraft communication system market in 2017. High disposable income of the middle-class population in the North American region has contributed to increased air travel in the region.



This, in turn, has led to increased air passenger traffic in the North American region, which is contributing to increase in the number of new aircraft deliveries in the region. This is further leading to the growth of the aircraft communication system market in the North American region. The Asia Pacific aircraft communication system market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, owing to the increased demand for new aircraft in the region, which is expected to fuel the growth of the aircraft communication system market during the forecast period.



The breakup of the profiles of the primary participants in this report on the aircraft communication system market has been given below:

 By Company Type: Tier 1  35%, Tier 2  45%, and Tier 3  20%

 By Designation: C-Level Executives  50%, Director Level  25%, and Others  25%

 By Region: North America - 45%, Europe  20%, Asia Pacific  30%, and Rest of the World (RoW)  5%



The key players profiled in this report on the aircraft communication system market include manufacturers of aircraft components, namely, Rockwell Collins (US), Northrop Grumman (US), Raytheon (US), Thales (France), and Honeywell (US), among others and manufacturers of different types of aircraft communication systems, namely, Harris (US), Cobham (UK), General Dynamics (US), L3 Technologies (US), and Iridium (US), among others.



Research Coverage:

This study segments the aircraft communication system market based on end user (OEMs and aftermarket), product type (SATCOM, VHF/UHF/L-Band, HF communication, data link, and others), component (transponder, transceiver, antenna, transmitter, receiver, display & processor, and others), and platform (commercial aircraft and military aircraft). It also maps these segments and subsegments across four major regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW).



The report provides an in-depth market intelligence regarding market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, opportunities, and industry-specific challenges that influence the growth of the aircraft communication system market, along with analyzing micromarkets with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the overall aircraft communication system market.



Reasons to Buy This Report:

From an insight perspective, this research report focuses on various levels of analysis, which include industry analysis (industry trends), market share analysis of the top players, supply chain analysis, and company profiles. These insights together comprise and discuss the basic views on the competitive landscape, emerging and high growth segments of the aircraft communication system market, and high growth regions for the market.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

 Market Penetration: Comprehensive information on different types of aircraft communication systems offered by the top players operating in the aircraft communication system market.

 Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on the upcoming technologies, R&D activities, and new product launches in the aircraft communication system market.

 Market Development: Comprehensive information about emerging markets as the report analyzes the markets for aircraft communication systems across varied regions.

 Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new products, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the aircraft communication system market.

 Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of the market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players operating in the aircraft communication system market.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05246304



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

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NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05246299





The Wi-Fi analytics market is expected to grow from USD 2.94 billion in 2017 to USD 10.72 billion by 2022, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 29.54% during the forecast period. The market growth is driven by the increasing deployment of public Wi-Fi across physical venues. On the other hand, government regulations and policies are one of the factors restraining the growth of the Wi-Fi analytics market



Retail vertical is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

eCommerce businesses use online marketing analytics to monitor customer navigation data through their websites. This data is used to yield insights and make decisions to increase the business revenue. Therefore, in-store customer analytics is gaining importance among the brick-and-mortar retailers to collect data about the customers' buying behavior for gaining insights that can help stores offer customers a better experience and increase the turnover



Wi-Fi analytics solutions segment is expected to have the larger market size during the forecast period.

The growth in the Wi-Fi analytics solutions segment is driven by the growing significance of customer analytics in brick-and-mortar businesses. Deploying Wi-Fi analytics solutions empowers the physical space of the businesses with the Wi-Fi technology and data analytics.

The solutions segment consists of Wi-Fi based location analytics solutions and Wi-Fi based Indoor Positioning System (IPS). Deployed on-premises or on the public/private cloud, these solutions integrate Wi-Fi with the intelligent data analytics technology.



Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

The APAC region is expected to gain a major traction in the Wi-Fi analytics market during the forecast period. The region has the presence of several creditable industries, which are adopting Wi-Fi analytics. In the countries in APAC region such as Australia and China, brick-and-mortar businesses continue to adopt Wi-Fi analytics solutions to gain a competitive advantage over other eCommerce giants, by leveraging Wi-Fi to boost their marketing capabilities.



In the process of determining and verifying the market size for several segments and subsegments gathered through secondary research, extensive primary interviews were conducted with key people. The break-up of the profiles of the primary participants is given below:

 By Company Type: Tier 1  24%, Tier 2  41%, and Tier 3  35%

 By Designation: C-Level  57%, Director Level  36%, and Others  7%

 By Region: North America  42%, Europe  34%, APAC  24%

The Wi-Fi analytics ecosystem comprises vendors such as Cisco Systems (US), Skyfii Limited (Australia), Purple (England), July Systems (US), Zebra Technologies (US), Euclid (US), Cloud4Wi (US), Fortinet (US), Ruckus Wireless (US), and Yelp (US).



Research Coverage

The report includes in-depth competitive analysis of these key players in the Wi-Fi analytics market, along with the company profiles, recent developments, and key market strategies. The research report segments the Wi-Fi analytics market by component (solutions and services), deployment type (on-premises and cloud), application, location type, vertical, and region.



Reasons to Buy the Report

The Wi-Fi analytics market has been segmented on the basis components (solutions and services), deployment types (on-premises and cloud), applications, location types, verticals, and regions. The report will help market leaders/new entrants in this market in the following ways:

1. The report segments the Wi-Fi analytics market comprehensively and provides the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall market and its subsegments. The market numbers are further split across various verticals and regions.

2. The report helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provides information on the key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities.

3. This report helps stakeholders in better understanding their competitors and gaining more insights to improve the position of their businesses. There is a separate section on the competitive landscape, which includes the competitor ecosystem, and mergers and acquisitions. Besides, the company profiles of 10 players, offering services in this market have been provided. In this section, the market internals have been provided that can put the stakeholders ahead of their competitors.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05246299



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

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SAN DIEGO, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ViaCyte, Inc., a privately-held regenerative medicine company, today announced that the first patients have been implanted in Cohort 2 with a potentially efficacious dose of the company's PEC-Direct islet cell replacement therapy. This novel cell replacement therapy is being developed as a potential functional cure for patients with type 1 diabetes who are at high risk for acute life-threatening complications. Paul Laikind, Ph.D., President and CEO of ViaCyte, will give an update at the 10th Annual Biotech Showcase Conference, on Monday, January 8 at 11:15 a.m. in Franciscan C at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square.

The PEC-Direct product candidate is currently in a Phase 1/2 open-label clinical trial at multiple sites in the United States and Canada to evaluate safety and efficacy. Cohort 2 is expected to enroll up to 40 patients, and the primary efficacy measurement will be the clinically relevant production of insulin, as measured by the insulin biomarker C-peptide, in a patient population that has little to no ability to produce endogenous insulin at the time of enrollment. Other important endpoints will be evaluated including injectable insulin usage and the incidence of hypoglycemic events.

"The implantation of a potentially efficacious dose of PEC-Direct marks an important milestone in the development of a functional cure for diabetes," said Dr. Laikind. "While we are developing PEC-Direct to meet a critical unmet medical need for people who are most severely impacted by type 1 diabetes, we are also optimizing our other clinical-stage therapeutic candidate, PEC-Encap, which holds the promise of a therapy for all people with insulin-requiring diabetes. With cutting-edge technologies, data from clinical-stage product candidates, an extensive intellectual property estate including proprietary know-how, and a strong and dedicated team, we believe ViaCyte uniquely has all of the key elements needed to produce transformative therapies for diabetes."

It is estimated that about 140,000 people in United States and Canada, or about 10 percent of type 1 diabetes patients, have high-risk type 1 diabetes. These patients are often eligible for islet transplants, a procedure that can be highly effective but suffers from a severe lack of donor material. The PEC-Direct product candidate could overcome some of the key limitations of islet transplant by providing a virtually unlimited supply of cells manufactured under quality-controlled conditions, with a potentially safer and more optimal route of administration.

The PEC-Direct product candidate delivers stem cell-derived PEC-01 pancreatic progenitor cells in a device designed to allow direct vascularization of the cells, which is expected to allow for a robust engraftment and cellular performance similar to the anatomy of a normal islet. Given the open nature of the device, patients implanted with PEC-Direct, as with other transplants, will require immune suppression. Thus, PEC-Direct is being developed to treat patients with the greatest unmet medical need, including type 1 diabetes patients who already require immune suppression following a kidney transplant, as well as type 1 patients who are at high risk for acute complications, such as hypoglycemia unawareness, extreme glycemic lability, and/or severe hypoglycemic episodes.

ViaCyte recently announced funding from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to support yet another potentially transformative cell therapy approach that could be used for the treatment of diabetes. The company plans to engineer its well-characterized, regulatory-compliant CyT49 pluripotent stem cell line to be immune evasive, which, if successful, would open up off-the-shelf therapeutic applications in a number of fields.

The following institutions provide support for the PEC-Direct clinical trial: CIRM, JDRF, CIRM's Alpha Clinic, the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center, the JDRF Canadian Clinical Trials Network, the Stem Cell Network, and Alberta Innovates Health Solutions. The clinical trial is under way at the UC San Diego School of Medicine's Altman Clinical Trials Research Institute, the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, and the University of Minnesota, with additional sites planned in the US and Canada.

For more information about ViaCyte's clinical trials, please visit: https://clinicaltrials.gov/.

About ViaCyte

ViaCyte is a privately-held regenerative medicine company developing novel cell replacement therapies as potential long-term diabetes treatments to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia and diabetes-related complications. ViaCyte's product candidates are based on the derivation of pancreatic progenitor cells from stem cells, which are then implanted in durable and retrievable cell delivery devices. Once implanted and matured, these cells are designed to secrete insulin and other pancreatic hormones in response to blood glucose levels. ViaCyte has two product candidates in clinical-stage development. The PEC-Direct product candidate delivers the pancreatic progenitor cells in a non-immunoprotective device and is being developed for type 1 diabetes patients who have hypoglycemia unawareness, extreme glycemic lability, and/or recurrent severe hypoglycemic episodes. The PEC-Encap (also known as VC-01) product candidate delivers the same pancreatic progenitor cells in an immunoprotective device and is being developed for all patients with diabetes, type 1 and type 2, who use insulin. ViaCyte is headquartered in San Diego, California. The Company is funded in part by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and JDRF.

For more information please visit www.viacyte.com. Connect with ViaCyte here: www.twitter.com/viacyte and www.facebook.com/viacyte.

SOURCE ViaCyte, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.viacyte.com


LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking (www.vikingcruises.com) today welcomed its fourth and newest ocean ship, Viking Sun to Los Angeles, also the home of the company's U.S. headquarters. The ship is currently sailing Viking's sold-out 141-day World Cruise from Miami to London, and Los Angeles is Viking's first U.S. West Coast port of call in the company's 20-year history. Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen today greeted guests on Viking Sun, and during a press conference onboard unveiled a new multi-channel brand advertising campaign titled, "Did You Know?"

"We have always been a travel company that focuses on exploration and cultural immersion," said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. "In the last two decades we have led the industry in river cruising, and as we become the leading small ship ocean cruise line we have an opportunity to introduce many new travelers to the Viking way of exploration. Our new 'Did You Know?' campaign is aimed at inspiring people who may not yet know what makes us so different in the industry, why we are the most award-winning cruise line and how we can provide more included value than any other cruise company."

Timed with the cruise industry's "Wave Season" in January, the launch of Viking's new "Did You Know?" campaign will feature new creative advertisements that will appear across all marketing channels, including TV, print and digital. Aimed at travel agents and the company's target audience of experienced travelers 55 and older, the campaign highlights Viking's industry differentiators, including its inclusive value with a shore excursion included in every port, as well as what Viking is not  no formal nights, no kids and no casinos. The campaign will also share Viking's award-winning history, such as being named the #1 Ocean Cruise Line in Travel + Leisure's 2016 and 2017 World's Best Awards and the #1 River Cruise Line in Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards.

At the press conference, Hagen also announced that the company's sixth ship will be named Viking Jupiter. Scheduled to launch in February 2019, the 930-guest sister ship will sail Viking's most popular itineraries in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, as well as two new itineraries in South America  Southern Atlantic Crossing (22 days; Barcelona  Buenos Aires) and South America & the Chilean Fjords (18 days; Buenos Aires  Santiago).

Viking Sun

On December 15, Viking celebrated the kickoff of its inaugural World Cruise onboard Viking Sun in Miami. From Los Angeles, Viking Sun will continue to sail for 120 days, visiting destinations in the South Pacific, Australia and Asia  and will be officially christened in Shanghai on March 8, 2018. When the ship arrives in London on May 5, she will have visited five continents, 35 countries and 64 ports during her first World Cruise. Viking Sun will continue to sail the globe during the 2019 World Cruise, a 128-day itinerary from Miami to London.

Viking's ocean ships have a gross tonnage of 47,800 tons, have 465 staterooms and host 930 guests. Classified by Cruise Critic as a "small ship," the all-veranda Viking Sun is the newest addition to Viking's award-winning ocean fleet, which also includes Viking Star, Viking Sea and Viking Sky. Viking will welcome two more sister ships in the next two years, including Viking Orion in summer 2018; with the arrival of Viking Jupiter in 2019, Viking will be the largest small ship ocean cruise line. Four additional ships are also on order for delivery starting in 2021, which will bring Viking's ocean fleet to 10 ships by 2023.

The Viking Difference

Designed for discerning travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers guests "the thinking person's cruise" as an alternative to mainstream cruises. Ships are small to get guests closer to their destination, with more time in port and more overnights. Onboard, guests find serene Scandinavian spaces, where every room is beautiful and functional, quiet and filled with light. All-veranda ships mean that guests experience every day with a new, expansive vista. With the most al fresco dining at sea, featuring regional cuisines and always-available American classics, Viking's guests can truly dine in their destination. A focus on cultural enrichment brings immersive experiences onshore and onboard. And only The Viking Way brings guests itineraries that feature Local Life, Working World and Privileged Access experiences.

In addition, Viking Inclusive Value provides a small ship experience at a big ship value and no nickel-and-diming  with every cruise fare including a veranda stateroom, shore excursions in each port of call, all onboard meals, and all port charges and government taxes. Guests also enjoy many complimentary amenities as part of their fare, including: beer and wine with lunch and dinner service; premium dining reservations; Wi-Fi; self-service laundry; access to the Thermal Suite in the LivNordic Spa; and 24-hour room servicean included value of more than $200 per person, per day for an average cruise.

Booking Details

From now through January 31, 2017, Viking is offering U.S. residents 2-for-1 cruise fares on select 2018 ocean and river cruise itineraries, with additional savings on international air. Call Viking toll free at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or contact a travel agent.

Media Assets

For more information, images and b-roll for Viking, contact [email protected].

About Viking

Viking was founded in 1997 with the purchase of four ships in Russia and is now the leader in river and small ship ocean cruising. Designed for discerning travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers guests "the thinking person's cruise" as an alternative to mainstream cruises. In its first two years of operation, Viking has been rated the #1 ocean cruise line in Travel + Leisure's 2016 and 2017 "World's Best" Awards. Viking currently operates a fleet of 63 vessels, offering scenic cruising on rivers and oceans around the world. By 2023 the company will operate 10 930-guest ocean cruise ships and will be the largest small ship ocean cruise line. In addition to the Travel + Leisure honors, Viking has also been honored multiple times on Conde Nast Traveler's "Gold List" as well as recognized by Cruise Critic as "Best Overall" Small-Mid size ship in the 2017 Cruisers' Choice Awards, "Best River Cruise Line" and "Best River Itineraries," with the entire Viking Longships fleet being named "Best New River Ships" in the website's Editors' Picks Awards. For additional information, contact Viking at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or visit www.vikingcruises.com.

SOURCE Viking Cruises

Related Links

http://www.vikingcruises.com


HOLMDEL, N.J., Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage Holdings Corp. (NYSE: VG), a leading provider of business cloud communications, today announced that management is scheduled to present at the following investor conferences:

Citi 2018 Global Technology, Media and Telecom West Conference

Wednesday, January 10, 2018 at 12:30 p.m. PT

Las Vegas, Nevada

Needham 20th Annual Needham Growth Conference

Thursday, January 18, 2018 at 4:10 p.m. ET

New York, New York

A live webcast and replay of the events will be available on the Vonage Investor Relations site.

About Vonage

Vonage (NYSE: VG) is a leading provider of cloud communications services for business. Vonage transforms the way people work and businesses operate through a portfolio of cloud-based communications solutions that enable internal collaboration among employees, while also keeping companies closely connected with their customers, across any mode of communication, on any device.

Vonage's Nexmo API Platform provides tools for voice, messaging and phone verification services, allowing developers to embed contextual, programmable communications into mobile apps, websites and business systems. Nexmo enables enterprises to easily communicate relevant information to their customers in real time, anywhere in the world, through text messaging, chat, social media and voice.

The Company also provides a robust suite of feature-rich residential communication solutions. Vonage earned Frost & Sullivan's 2015 Growth Excellence Leadership Award for Hosted IP and Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) Services and the 2016 North American Cloud Communications Product Line Strategy Leadership Award. For more information, visit Vonage Business.

Vonage Holdings Corp. is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey. Vonage is a registered trademark of Vonage Marketing LLC, owned by Vonage America Inc. To follow Vonage on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/vonage. To become a fan on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/vonage. To subscribe on YouTube, visit www.youtube.com/vonage.

(vg-f)

SOURCE Vonage Holdings Corp.
DENVER, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Welltok, the leading consumer health enterprise SaaS company, announced today that it will present at the 36th annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, January 9 at 9:00am PT.

Welltok's chairman and chief executive officer Jeff Margolis will provide a company overview and discuss how its award-winning health optimization platform enables population health managers to activate consumers by targeting and connecting them with personalized health resources. Margolis will also discuss the recent acquisition of Tea Leaves Health, which propels Welltok's growth within the hospital and health system market. The acquisition also enriches Welltok's data assets and capabilities to better serve its impressive roster of clients that includes health plans, large employers, government agencies, retail pharmacies and health services companies.

About Welltok

Welltok, the leading consumer health enterprise Software as a Service company, empowers consumers to achieve and sustain their optimal health. Its award-winning CafeWell Health Optimization Platform connects consumers with available and relevant benefits, resources and rewards by designing personalized action plans. Additionally, the company's technology-enabled services leverage both advanced analytics to derive meaningful consumer insights and multi-channel communications to reach consumers through the right channel with the right message. Welltok drives greater consumer engagement and healthcare value for customers across the healthcare continuum including payers, employers, government programs (Medicare and Medicaid) and health systems. Follow Welltok on Twitter @Welltok.

Media Contact:

Erica Sniad Morgenstern

415.697.3496

[email protected]

SOURCE Welltok

Related Links

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In 1957, Melba Pattillo Beals made history and headlines when she was selected to be one of nine Arkansas students to integrate Central High School in Little Rock in the wake of 1954s Supreme Court ruling, Brown v. Board of Education. Beals chronicled that harrowing, life-shaping experience in Warriors Dont Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rocks Central High (Simon & Schuster, 1994), which became a million-copy bestseller. Now, in March Forward, Girl: From Young Warrior to Little Rock Nine, a book for young readers, Beals documents her experiences growing up black in the 1940s Jim Crow South. A former TV journalist, journalism professor, and communications consultant, who received the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999, Beals spoke with PW about revisiting her past, lessons she has passed on to her own children, and what she hopes readers will glean from her new book.

Was it a challenge to reach back in time to recreate this memoir?

Yes, since in order to write the story I had to relive it. At the same time, I have been blessed with a very good memory, and as I look back, it is easy for me to remember pieces of conversationsconversations are always running in my head. I believe that as adults, each one of us is a compilation of our memories and of all that weve gone through. As I wrote this book, I realized that psychologically I had stuffed quite a bit into the corners of my head for many years. Writing this book allowed me to bring the past into the forefront. Id often fall asleep at night and dream of what I was writing about.

You write about witnessing, at the age of five, Ku Klux Klansmen hanging a man you knew from the rafters of your great-grandmothers church, his punishment for being uppity. And you tell of witnessing as a teen disturbing goings-on after being unwittingly driven to a remote KKK gathering. Was it emotionally wrenching for you to resurrect such horrifying memories of hatred and prejudice?

Those moments were never not in my head. The sight of Mr. Harvey dangling from the church rafters, and the sound of the growling in his throat, has stayed in my mind for years and years. And it was a different challenge describing the scene at the KKK gathering. Looking back, it is clear that the Klansmen were raping women at that meeting in the woods. I could have made that assumption in my book, but when it occurred, I was too young to make assumptions. And I did not want to expose young readers to that information.

With that observation, are you speaking as a mother as well as an author?

I suppose I am. My daughter is now in her early 50s, and I adopted twin boys, who are now 26, when I was 50. So even in my 70s, Im blessed to have this clear vision of what I do and what I dont want my babies to have in their heads, which is always on my mind as I write for young people.

Do you find writing for young people very different from writing for adults?

I actually wrote Warrior for readers between the ages of 12 and 16, and then the book became a hit with adults, who have consistently purchased it over the years. I hope that happens with March Forward, Girl as well. I really dont think too much about who the audience is when Im writing a story. I think about the content and the messageand about shaking things up a bit! I hope that my new book is satisfying and informative for all audiences. It is important to me that my books reach all readers, young and adult.

To what extent did you share your childhood experiences with your own children when they were young?

My childrens experiences and expectations of life are so different than mine were as a childthey never lived in Little Rock in the 1940sand I didnt share parts of my past with them when they were very young. In fact, one day my sons came home from school with a copy of Warriors Dont Cry, and they said, The lady in this book looks just like you, but shes prettier. Maybe if you wore makeup every day youd be as pretty as she is! For the longest time, they didnt know that I was one of the Little Rock Nine, but it was important to me to instill in them, as children, the strength that I had as a young person. I have always told them to hold on to their dreams and their dignity and to be true to themselves. And I hope, through that message, I have given them a feeling of strength.

Is it safe to assume that you want readers of March Forward, Girl to take away a similar message from your life story?

Yes. I dont care if they are from the moon and are green from head to toeI want all kids to know that they are valuable, and their dreams are precious. You just need to decide who you are and who you want to become, and you can achieve itso go for it! Do not let others define the person you are and what youre capable of. And stand up for yourself and be willing to stand up for others. If you do that, you will always remain true to yourself.

March Forward, Girl: From Young Warrior to Little Rock Nine by Melba Pattillo Beals. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $16.99 Jan. ISBN 978-1-328-88212-7
Kenny Brechner, owner of Devaney Doak & Garrett Booksellers in Farmington, Maine, recommends The Mad Wolfs Daughter by Diane Magras, a middle grade adventure set in medieval Scotland.

If the promotional language on ARCs was universally accurate we should all need larger bookstores, thats certain, but if any galley were to be held up as a model of truth in advertising it is The Mad Wolf's Daughter by Diane Magras. And yet the character of the book transcends the simple truth of its descriptors.

Why? A rising tide lifts all boats, they say, and it is apropos to storytelling as well. A great story elevates all its constituent parts. Sure, its true that The Mad Wolfs Daughter is a middle grade fantasy with feminist elements, a strong young heroine, an informed exploration of relevant social issues, and the transposition of established gender roles, but it is the books great storytelling that makes all its components shine.

This swashbuckling tale of rescue, irregular chivalry, and self-discovery is richly set in an authentic medieval Scotland. Our story begins in the camp of the Mad Wolf, father and leader of a plundering family band that has made itself folk heroes to some and, in the process, a thorn in the side of the well-heeled Knights of Faintree Castle, the local hub of traditional power. Drest, our heroine, is the youngest and only girl among the Mad Wolfs many cubs. She is also the only one to escape capture when the Knights of Faintree surprise them in their camp, taking Drests father and all her brothers off in chains. Discovering a young Knight of Faintree , Emerick, wounded near to death by his treacherous comrades, Drest takes him under her care and heads off to rescue her own family before the Mad Wolf and his war band are publicly hanged at Faintree Castle.

The story excels at developing the tension between Drests understanding of her beloved family, and the starkly alternate perspectives on them with which she is confronted on her journey. Central to Drests character is the quality of self-determination. She has her own code, adapted from her familys, and she does not easily adopt, nor peremptorily dismiss, outside influences. The taut ambiguities of human character are punctuated by Drests courage and firm belief in letting no wrong stand unchallenged.

Her clarity of perspective is well challenged by Emerick, the betrayed heir of Faintree, who is her injured companion. We never see Emerick when he is not in a gravely injured state, which both obscures and focuses his more worldly, sardonic character. Emerick believes in negotiation, while Drest is more minded to cleave a sword through lifes tangles. Drests understanding of her quest is further complicated by a pursuing Bandit, with a disquieting story to tell, and an intriguing witch who finds herself in Drests debt.

A narrative device that I thought worked splendidly here was Drest hearing her brothers voices at critical times, as she draws on her memories for guidance. Drest begins making a legend of herself along the way to Faintree, even as she absorbs conflicting narratives regarding her fathers deeds. The well-balanced complexities of the story, along with the building drama and tension, make for a truly stirring climactic scene, which both ties up this first volume neatly but leaves the reader eager for book two. This is a middle grade fantasy which every childrens bookseller should be on a quest to liberate from store shelves and afford it escape into customers hands.

The Mad Wolfs Daughter by Diane Magras. Penguin/Dawson, $16.99 Mar. 6 ISBN 978-0-7352-2926-6
Here we round up new and forthcoming childrens titles, including a new take on a familiar tale, an illustrated poetry collection, the true story of interned Japanese children and their beloved librarian, and a picture book about a fishing trip that brings father and son closer together.

The Chinese Emperors New Clothes by Ying Chang Compestine, illus. by David Roberts. Abrams, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-2542-5. Compestine (Secrets of the Terra-Cotta Soldier) offers her retelling as a corrective to Hans Christian Andersens account. The truth is that the story took place here in China, and without any tricky tailors, she writes, promising to reveal the real story. The book earned a starred review from PW.

I Am Loved by Nikki Giovanni, illus. by Ashley Bryan. Atheneum/Dlouhy, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5344-0492-2. In 11 poems, a mix of new and previously published work, Giovanni celebrates open-ended and affirming love.

Write to Me: Letters from Japanese American Children to the Librarian They Left Behind by Cynthia Grady, illus. by Amiko Hirao. Charlesbridge, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-58089-688-7. Grady (I Lay My Stitches Down: Poems of American Slavery) recounts, in partial epistolary format, the true story of San Diego childrens librarian Clara Breed, who corresponded with her young Japanese-American patrons while they were interned during WWII.

Hooked by Tommy Greenwald, illus. by David McPhail. Roaring Brook, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-59643-996-2. In this picture book, a boy who wants a companion on fishing expeditions strengthens a bond with his distant father.

While You Are Sleeping by Mariana Ruiz Johnson. Chronicle, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-4521-6599-8. Painted in brilliant folk-art hues, Argentinian illustrator Johnsons wordless story starts with a view through a window, which widens to reveal more buildings and a city night alive with activity. The book earned a starred review from PW.

Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. Hyperion, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4847-5805-2. In this fast-paced SF adventure from the coauthors of the Starbound trilogy, a scholar and a scavenger reluctantly join forces to unravel the secrets of an alien temple.

One Fun Day with Lewis Carroll: A Celebration of Wordplay and a Girl Named Alice by Kathleen Krull, illus. by Julia Sarda. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-544-34823-3. Krulls playful picture book biography of Lewis Carroll highlights the many words that Carroll himself coined.

The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School by Laura Murray, illus. by Mike Lowery. Putnam, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-101-99694-2. In his fifth outing, Murrays Gingerbread Mannow fully integrated into the school where he was originally on the loosegoes from being chased to doing the chasing after a rascally leprechaun shows up on the scene on a mess-making spree.

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman. Simon & Schuster, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-4424-7245-7. Shusterman raises the stakes in this sequel to 2016s Scythe, set on a post-mortal future Earth in which easily revived humans are only deadish when killed, not permanently dead, except for the few gleaned by scythes, who kill to keep population growth under control. The book earned a starred review from PW.

Voices from the Underground Railroad by Kay Winters, illus. by Larry Day. Dial, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8037-4092-1. In this companion to Colonial Voices and Voices from the Oregon Trail, Jeb and Mattie, two enslaved siblings in 1861 Maryland, take the Underground Railroad north.

For more childrens and YA titles on sale throughout the month of January, check out PWs full On-Sale Calendar.
Dueling high-level strategy documents in both the United States and China portend an intensifying competition for leadership and influence at the global systemic level. The coming years are likely to see a deepening contest in the diplomatic, economic, cyber, and information domains, even as the risks of major war remain low. Although the U.S. strategy has garnered considerable scrutiny, less attention has been paid to the directives outlined in key official Chinese strategy documents.

The National Security Strategy ( PDF ) recently released by the Trump administration surprised many in its stark depiction of China as a revisionist power that seeks to displace the United States in the Indo-Pacific region. The strategy's striking tone has drawn widespread commentary, but in many ways it reflects a grim, but realistic recognition of the realities of a deepening rivalry. Indeed, a closer look at authoritative Chinese documents suggests that preparations are well underway in that country to compete with the United States at the global level.

In the 19th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress report, China's most authoritative strategy document, Beijing articulated for the first time an ambition to contend for global leadership. It stated that by mid-century, China seeks to have become a global leader in terms of composite national strength and international influence. Given that China already has the second-largest economy and one of the largest militaries in the world, this phrasing strongly suggests that, over the long term, China is mulling competition with the United States for the status of global leader

The remainder of this commentary is available at lawfareblog.com.

Timothy R. Heath is a senior international and defense researcher at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation.

This commentary originally appeared on Lawfare on January 5, 2018. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
President Donald Trump's recent outrage over a South Korean news report that China possibly sold oil to North Korea in violation of U.N. resolutions has prompted Beijing to vehemently deny the accusation.

Unfortunately, we may never know the truth about this particular episode, but it is nevertheless fair to question whether Beijing intends to fully enforce sanctions against the Kim Jong Un regime, because such actions tend to undermine China's approach in North Korea.

Beijing likely seeks to prevent the collapse of the North Korean regime to ensure that neither a spillover of refugees nor a reunified pro-U.S. Korea emerges on its doorstep.

Chinese leaders have been exceptionally cautious not to threaten the livelihood, in their words, of the North Korean people because doing so might destabilize and ultimately precipitate the end of the regime.

According to a Chinese expert who closely follows North Korea, cutting off all oil resources  reportedly part of the original U.S. plan at the U.N. following the North's latest missile test in November  would have been highly counterproductive had it passed.

China has consistently demonstrated reluctance to push North Korea to the breaking point.

In recent years, China has consistently demonstrated reluctance to push North Korea to the breaking point. After Pyongyang's third nuclear test in February 2013, for instance, Beijing implemented a range of measures, including new trade sanctions and reductions in energy supplies to the North, but nevertheless decided to continue routine diplomatic and economic relations.

Following North Korea's fifth nuclear test in March 2016, Beijing pressed the livelihood argument to ensure that U.N. sanctions were focused only on eliminating funding for the nuclear program instead of threatening regime stability. This meant that Beijing could continue to receive North Korean coal  not an insignificant development, since coal makes up 40 percent of the regime's exports.

It is also important, however, to give credit where credit is due. China's anger with Kim has resulted in an unprecedented amount of Chinese cooperation with the U.S. at the United Nations. Beijing voted three times in 2017 in favor of crushing economic sanctions on North Korea.

Beijing has also significantly curbed bilateral trade with North Korea to enforce economic sanctions (on iron, iron ore, lead, seafood, coal, textiles, etc.) and has attempted to play a diplomatic role in dispatching its special envoy to Pyongyang in November for talks.

In a highly unusual move, Beijing in August granted the General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the opportunity to observe a Chinese military exercise near the border with North Korea. The two sides later held security talks that probably included, in part, how to handle a North Korea contingency.

U.S. policymakers should consider these and other developments as they evaluate whether China is acting in good faith on North Korea. But it's important to remember that China's strategic calculus has never changed on the peninsula.

Thus, it is necessary and appropriate to thoroughly investigate any signs that Beijing may be attempting to ease up on enforcement and to complain about it publicly if substantiated.

Derek Grossman is a senior defense analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation. He formerly served as the daily intelligence briefer to the assistant secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs at the Pentagon.

This commentary originally appeared on The Hill on January 3, 2018. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
Since August, an estimated 650,000 Rohingyas, out of a population of a million, have fled from Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh to escape a campaign of arson, rape, and murder believed to have been orchestrated by the Myanmar military. In late November, the government of Myanmar agreed to let these refugees returnalthough not to their homes, and at a pace that could drag out the process for a generation. Even if this offer was honoredand there is plenty of reason for skepticismit would hardly be cause for celebration: Myanmar does not seem to have made any genuine commitment to address the causes of the flight, which U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has described as ethnic cleansing.

The world community, and particularly the United States, should consider taking a twofold approach. It could use its leverage to make the November agreement a true turning point for the safe and voluntary return of the Rohingya to their homes in Myanmar and at the same time invest in helping Bangladesh cope with the many Rohingya who are likely to remain in Bangladesh.

The government of Myanmar (also called Burma) recognizes over 100 ethnic minority groupsbut not the Rohingya. The term Rohingya generally refers to Muslim communities in Myanmar's coastal region of Rakhine, people whom the government classifies as Bengali in reference to their traditional ties of ethnicity and culture with the land that is now Bangladesh. Although many (perhaps most) Rohingya families have lived in their villages for longer than the modern nation has existed, they are officially considered migrant foreigners and lack citizenship rights.

Driven by a congruence of interests between the military, civilian leaders including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, and a faction of the Buddhist clergy, persecution of the Rohingya has escalated over the past two years. As UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein put it, The devastating cruelty to which these Rohingya children have been subjected is unbearable. He noted a case in which a soldier stab[bed] a baby crying out for his mother's milk as his mother was gang-raped by the very security forces who should be protecting her.

Without addressing either the deprivation of basic rights of citizenship or the violence that prompted the Rohingya to flee in the first place, the promise of return will not create a durable solution for the crisis. Given the role of security forces and politicians in carrying out the mass violence that spurred the refugees' flight, the government of Myanmar's commitment must be viewed with apprehension; indeed, on December 12, 2017, the government arrested two Reuters reporters covering Rakhine State. With many of their villages burned, returning Rohingya refugees may expect to remain housed indefinitely in squalid camps, which could then turn into de facto detention centers.

By accepting responsibility for reintegrating the Rohingya, Myanmar has given the world a chance to hold it to its promise.

A durable solution for the Rohingya in Myanmar depends on their ability to return home without having to face state-sanctioned violence and ensuring their protection under the rule of law. It also requires rebuilding their communities, with assistance from international humanitarian aid workers, and meaningful efforts at reconciliation among the various ethnicities in Rakhine and other states. The United Nations and the government of Myanmar have formed a commission to address some of these issues. But given that the Myanmar government is itself the perpetrator or facilitator of these egregious human rights violations, resolving this situation will be neither easy nor guaranteed. At the same time, a significant proportion of the Rohingya, having lived through the recent atrocities, may resist the calls to return to Myanmar and choose to stay in Bangladesh instead. It would be a violation of international norms if their returns were involuntary. But by accepting responsibility for reintegrating the Rohingya back home, Myanmar has given the world community the chance to hold the country to its promise.

The United States is the most important player here. During the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, Washington led the international community in welcoming Myanmar out of a self-imposed exile that had lasted since a military coup in 1962. In 2012, after Myanmar's first free election in over 20 years, Obama restored diplomatic relations and sealed the new relationship with a personal visit; in 2016, he dropped most remaining U.S. sanctions. Perhaps the United States moved too quicklybut it should consider making clear to Myanmar's leadership that this move is not irreversible. The leverage that helped push the Myanmar military to accept limited democratizationthe United States' pivotal role in either facilitating or complicating Myanmar's entry into the global economic orderis still available for use. The sanctions on trade and investment, which Obama eliminated by executive order, could be reimposed: some by presidential action alone, others with the cooperation of Congress; sanctions on individuals within the Myanmar military and civilian leadership could be greatly expanded; while the United States is not itself a supplier of military hardware to Myanmar, it could press its security partners (including Israel, India, France, and Germany, all of which have sold arms to Myanmar in the past decade) to shut down cooperation. Some analysts argue that China remains Myanmar's largest investor and security partner and that Beijing would gladly serve as Myanmar's international sponsor without any consideration of human rights. This is truebut it was also true before the Saffron Revolution of 2007, which set the wheels of democratization in motion. Myanmar's leaders, and more importantly, the country's population, have already proven that they do not want to remain pawns of China.

U.S. demands on Myanmarbacked up by key players including the European Union, India, Japan, and South Koreashould be focused not merely on accepting the Rohingya back but on granting them the safety and citizenship rights enjoyed by all other ethnic minorities. The alternative is creation of a million-strong population of stateless people: whether living in refugee camps in Bangladesh or in Myanmar, they would likely become a breeding ground for extremism and instability.

The examples of multigenerational camps for Afghan, Palestinian, Somali, and other refugee communities demonstrate the perils of such an approach. History shows that negotiations to resolve such conflicts are frequently drawn out for decades. The United Nations has found that on average 17 years pass before people displaced as refugees return home. Refugees often spend their whole lives in limbo, while a durable solution always seems just around the corner.

Expecting the Rohingya to remain in the camps creates both human rights and security risks.

In Bangladesh, the Rohingya would add 650,000 people to a nation of 163 million already struggling with the development, employment, infrastructure, and public service needs that far exceed its overtaxed resources. Its cities are overcrowded, and its public services and environment are already strained beyond the breaking point. Bangladesh is forced to export workers to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and any other nation where employment is available.

Our RAND study on prolonged refugee situations in the Middle East found that humanitarian responses run by the international aid community for large displaced populations are insufficient in situations of medium- or long-term displacement. Expecting the Rohingya to remain in the camps creates both human rights and security risks, and assistance will be needed to help Bangladesh manage public services (including education and health care) for the new population. When populations remain displaced for lengthy periods of time, we found that aid should shift to enabling the host country to provide public services and to expand job opportunities. While pressing Myanmar to assure the safe return of the Rohingya to their villages, the world community could simultaneously help Bangladesh integrate the thousands (perhaps hundreds of thousands) who may not be able to return to their place of origin.

A pragmatic multipronged approach is needed here, one that involves brokering a political solution, creating conditions in Myanmar that can help the Rohingya return home, and helping Bangladesh cope with the presence of what is likely to be a new long-term population. If the United States wants this to happen, it could place its full weight behind these approaches.

After the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the world community said, Never again. After the 199295 ethnic cleansing campaign in the former Yugoslav republics of Bosnia and Serbia, and another one between 2003 and 2010 in the Darfur region of Sudan, the world repeated its pledge. Today, up to a million Rohingya are waiting to see whether these promises have meaning. A few weeks ago, the government of Myanmar provided an opening to prevent another epic tragedy. May the United States, and the world, take advantage of it.

Jonah Blank is a senior political scientist at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation. Shelly Culbertson is a senior policy researcher at RAND.

This commentary originally appeared on Foreign Affairs on January 4, 2018. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
In early December, senior Trump administration officials suggested that approximately 80 percent of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's defense against insurgents in the country's ongoing civil war is being provided by forces imported from outside of the country. The lion's share of these fighters is being trained and equipped by Iran, the Assad regime's most ardent supporter.

Interestingly, however, these foreign fighters, almost of all which are Shia Muslims, are not merely comprised of Lebanese and Iraqis, but include significant numbers of militants from South Asiamainly Afghanistan and Pakistanwhich adds an entirely new dimension to Syria's ongoing civil war, now entering its seventh year.

As the civil war in Syria drags on, the Assad regime has been plagued by casualties and desertions. Many of its fighters have been killed or injured on the battlefield and to make up for these manpower shortages, the regime has looked to Iran to help recruit new fighters. Iran has been able to leverage the sectarian nature of the conflict in Syria to help rally Afghans living in Iran as refugees, of which there are approximately three million.

The Afghan fighters belong to a division known as Liwa Fatemiyoun, which is under the command and control of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and according to official Iranian sources, numbers between 10,000 to 12,000 fighters. Many of these militants have experienced major combat action in Syria in Aleppo, Deraa, Damascus, Latakia and the Qalamoun region. Some reports indicate that hundreds have already died fighting in Syria.

Some fighters are purely mercenaries motivated by money, and some are enticed by promises of legal residency status and residency permits for their families back in Iran. Others are induced by the honorific defenders of the shrine, believing it is a religious duty to protect holy Shia shrines in Syria, including the shrine of Sayyida Zainab, revered by Shia Muslims as it supposedly contains the grave of the Prophet Muhammad's granddaughter. In many cases, recruitment standards appear to be quite low. Criminals and other undesirables are oftentimes among the regime forces, considered the equivalent of cannon fodder by Assad, where they are dispatched to the frontlines in Syria....

The remainder of this commentary is available on nationalinterest.org.

Colin P. Clarke is a political scientist at RAND Corporation and an associate fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT)-The Hague. Phillip Smyth is an adjunct fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who focuses on Shia militia groups.

This commentary originally appeared on The National Interest on January 2, 2018. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
SES is preparing to launch its SES-14 satellite from the Guiana Space Centre on 25 January.





According to the current launch schedule, Arianespace will use an Ariane 5 ECA rocket to launch the satellite  which is designed to cater to growing video demands across Latin America  along with the Al Yah 3 communications satellites.The Luxembourg-based satellite operator has announced that the SES-14, which will replace and augment services currently provided on NSS-806, has arrived at the space centre in Kourou, French Guiana, where final tests will be carried out.Once it reaches its final orbital position at 47.5 West, the SES-14 will serve Latin America, giving Brazil, the Caribbean, North America and the North Atlantic region with C- and Ku-band wide beam coverage and Ku-band high throughput spot beam coverage.The C-band wide beams are designed to expand the reach of SESs second cable neighbourhood in LATAM. The Ku-band wide beams will serve the growing direct-to-home (DTH) and VSAT services in the Americas.Its an all-electric satellite comprising wide beams and high throughput beams and featuring a DTP - the first of its kind in our fleet - all of which will provide our customers with enhanced flexibility and fully customisable solutions, said Martin Halliwell, CTO at SES. Not only will SES-14 be meeting the needs of the growing video markets in Latin America, its high throughput capabilities will empower maritime and aeronautical service providers to deliver high-performance connectivity in the Americas.
Even before the products enjoyed what is the traditional spike in sales in the run up to the Holiday period, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs enjoyed unprecedented demand at the end of 2017 according to research from IHS Markit.





Given their intrinsic advantages in terms of colour gamut, switching speeds and low-power usage, OLED screens have long been tipped to be the flat screen standard but have to date not shown the mass manufacturability to be produced at mainstream prices. Yet the analyst found that in November 2017 worldwide OLED TV shipments more than doubled year over year, as brands responded to peak holiday demand from retailers. It added that with consumer television prices falling, global shipments of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs grew 133% year-over-year, reaching a new monthly record of 270,000 units in the month. This growth comes as falling prices placed 55-inch 4K OLED into the budget range of a greater number of high-end holiday shoppers Total OLED TV shipments from January through November 2017 surpassed 1.3 million units. Together with December estimates, overall OLED TV shipments are likely to exceed 1.4 million units shipped in 2017. The IHS Markit TV Sets Intelligence Service-Premium research also found that LG Electronics (LGE) dominated the OLED TV market in 2016, accounting for around 92% of all units shipped, while several Chinese brands accounted for most of the remaining shipments. During the weeks surrounding Black Friday 2017, LGE dropped the price of its entry-level B7 series 55-inch and 65-inch 4K OLED TVs by $200, pricing its lowest tier 55B7 model at $1,499. LGE led overall OLED TV shipment volume in November, with a 31% month-over-month increase in shipments. Total year-over-year 55-inch OLED TV shipments rose 123% in November, while 65-inch shipments grew 157%.In 2017, the landscape for OLED TV brands changed as Sony, Toshiba and other major brands began selling OLED TVs, said Ken Park, associate director, IHS Markit. The growing number of available OLED TV choices, especially high-profile Japanese and European brands, has resulted in more competition and pricing promotion activity in the OLED TV market.Looking at the overall flat panel market, IHS Markit found that global liquid crystal display (LCD) TV shipments in November declined month over month by 1.6%, falling to 24.4 million units, as Black Friday demand in the United States declined in 2017 compared with the prior year.
Bill Gertz, senior editor of The Washington Free Beacon, specialises in scoops. But even by his high standards, his 2 January story that states a (s)ecret Chinese Communist Party document reveals covert support to North Korea, including missiles, increased aid was a major coup.

If true, Gertz had succeeded where nearly all before him had failed: he had managed not only to access a top secret Chinese internal document but also to prove that China had a secret North Korea strategy contrary to its public declarations.

Gertzs story, based on the document, claimed that Chinas strategy was to allow North Korea to keep its nuclear weapons, to assure the North Korean regime that China would not let it collapse, and that any Chinese application of UN sanctions would be symbolic.

So the document, if genuine, would have major ramifications not only in Washington, currently riven by debate as how best to deal with a nuclear-armed Kim Jong-un, but throughout the region and even the world.

To Gertzs credit, he put a link to the original document in his article to allow us to analyse its authenticity. He also admits the document could not be independently verified.

At first glance, the document appears genuine. It has all the usual logos, font, wording and titles we would expect. It appears to be a memo from the General Office of the Chinese Communist Party (General Office), a coordination and dissemination body with a few limited policy responsibilities, similar in some ways to Australias Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The memo is addressed to the head of the Communist Partys International Liaison Department (ILD), a body designed to manage the relations between the Party and other political parties around the world. ILD traditionally managed relationships between Chinas Communist Party and other communist governments.

In this sense, the memo is superficially probable.

Other information contained on the memo is less probable, but possible. Firstly, the memo is dated 15 September, after a North Korean nuclear test. It appears to be a directive for a November meeting two months later, when the head of the ILD was sent to North Korea as a special envoy of Chinas leader Xi Jinping. A two month lag between a directive and the visit is rather long, but it is possible.

Secondly, the memo has a number in the top right hand corner (94) and an issuing body (the General Office). Using Jessica Batkes publicly-available dataset of General Office documents, we can check whether this is a plausible number or not. (The issuing body puts out numbers seriatim; for example, during the previous Hu Jintao administration the office only issued 20-30 documents per year.)

A General Office document numbered 94 seems high, but not implausibly so. The General Office issued 60-70 or so per year in the first few years of the Xi Jinping administration. Its not out of the question that they are up to 94 by September in 2017, particularly given that in 2017 the administration changed. But it is possible rather than probable.

However, there are other indicators that call Gertzs document into question. Chinese journalist Michael Anti managed to find a document issued by the General Office in September, supposedly after Gertzs secret document, republished on an official Chinese government website. Antis document is cosmetically different and appears more up-to-date. It is also numbered 55. This creates significant doubt about the veracity of the purported secret document.

(It may be worth pausing here. Why, you may ask, do we trust a Chinese government website [ie: the Michael Anti document]? Surely China would try and keep everything secret, like the Gertz document? You would be right  there is no incentive for the Chinese government to tell us anything. But they do have to tell the almost 90 million members of the Chinese Communist Party; otherwise they cant rule. This is why it is usually fairly easy to find a document as long as you know the Chinese characters, and why the Michael Anti document casts Gertzs assertions in a poor light.)

Finally, Gertzs document breaches the internal rules of the Party. First, it is a decision (a?a? jueding) decreed by the General Office and the General Office is not authorised to make decisions. It distributes decisions following meetings of the Partys ruling body (called the Central Committee), or following meetings of the bodies formally delegated the power to make decisions by the Central Committee (these are smaller executive bodies called the Politburo Standing Committee and the Politburo). Second, there are two characters (?a? yinfa ) missing from the title of Gertzs document that must be present when the General Office is distributing a decision. Lastly, the General Office is very unlikely to send a memo on foreign policy to the ILD telling it what to do; it lacks that power on its own as it has insufficiently high rank within the Party.

Moreover, the fact that purported document is a decision also casts considerable suspicion on its bona fides. A decision is exactly that, the final word, the product of considerable debate, refinement, and time. In the Chinese policy system, unlike ours, these decisions are abstract high-level documents; they very, very rarely tell subordinate departments what to do. Rather, documents such as Gertzs are labelled as a notice (e???/e??c? tongzhi/tongbao) or as instructions (??/??/??? pishi/qingshi/zhishi). Indeed, the last secret document that Gertz himself was leaked followed that pattern.

I could go into a number of other issues that cast doubt on the documents veracity. For starters, the language used in the document doesnt match the usual style. And the Party rarely documents its foreign policy shifts on paper. There has not been a foreign policy document in the most authoritative Important Documents series since 1984. But you get my point.

Hence, we are left with other, perhaps more troubling questions: namely, who would fake a document? Why was it not able to be verified prior to publication? More broadly, do we risk rushing to believe what we want to with regards to China, rather than examining what is in front of us?
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department was one of multiple entities involved in the arrest of nine individuals involved in a child sex investigation. All nine were arrested in Clarke County. (File/Staff)
With the New Year here, many of us will strive to be better during the year of 2018. It is c
How many steps will it take to walk off Thanksgiving dinner?
Japan will continue to provide electoral aid to Cambodia in the lead up to Senate elections next month and a general ballot in July, a Japanese diplomat in Phnom Penh said Thursday, despite recent announcements by the U.S. and EU that they will withdraw their support amid restrictions on democracy.



Prime Minister Hun Sens government arrested opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) chief Kem Sokha in September on charges of treason, and two months later the Supreme Court ruled to disband his party for allegedly planning a rebellion with backing from Washington, essentially eliminating any challenge to the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) ahead of votes this year.



In recent statements, the U.S. and EU said the moves against the oppositionas well as a months-long crackdown on NGOs and the mediahad called the legitimacy of Cambodias upcoming elections into question, and cited them as the basis for withdrawing electoral support and placing trade agreements with Cambodia under review.



But Japan, which along with the EU is the largest funder of Cambodias 2018 elections, told RFAs Khmer Service Thursday that it has no intention to pull its electoral aid ahead of the votes.



It is of utmost importance to have [this] year's national election reflect the will of Cambodian people, Kaori Tanabe, first secretary of Japans embassy in Phnom Penh, said in an email.



Japan will keep dialogue with RGC [the Royal Government of Cambodia], will monitor the development of the situation closely with strong interest, and will continue to provide electoral reform assistance.



Japan has already provided Cambodias National Election Commission (NEC) with computers to assist with the ballots and has faced criticism of its continued support from observers, such as New York-based Human Rights Watch.



The worlds fourth largest foreign aid donor with an annual budget of nearly U.S. $10 billion, Japan donated 17.3 billion yen (U.S. $153 million) in loans, 8 billion yen (U.S. $71 million) in grants, and 3.4 billion yen (U.S. $30 million) in technical cooperation to Cambodia in 2015.



In addition to electoral support, Japan also provides Cambodia with a variety of aid for projects including infrastructure improvement, humanitarian assistance, and business development.



Hun Sen has repeatedly stressed that his country does not need foreign governments to fund its elections, or international recognition of their legitimacy, saying acceptance by Cambodians is sufficient.



He has also said that he will continue to welcome aid from China, which is poised to overtake the U.S. as the worlds top foreign donor, and which is currently Cambodias largest international aid provider.



China typically offers aid to countries without many of the prerequisites that the U.S. and EU place on donations, such as improvements to human rights.



President of Cambodian rights group Adhoc Thun Saray told RFA Thursday that Japans reluctance to tie electoral support to a reversal of the ongoing political crackdown is likely part of a bid to shore up its waning influence in Cambodia, as Hun Sen improves ties with China.



Japan used to have much influence in Cambodia in the early 1990s, but that is no longer the case, thanks to recently strengthened Cambodia-China relations, he said.



Satisfying the Cambodian people



Also on Thursday, Chinese vice foreign minister Kong Xuanyou told a briefing in Beijing that China believes upcoming elections in the Southeast Asian nation will be free and fair.



China respects and supports the development path chosen by the Cambodian people, and believes Cambodias future election can, under all sides supervision, reflect its fairness and select a party and leader that satisfies the Cambodian people, Reuters news agency reported, quoting Kong ahead of a Jan. 10-11 visit by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to Cambodia, to attend a regional forum.



Kong said China had offered Cambodia election support, but did not specify what kind. Cambodia has said China will provide various equipment for the July election, including ballot boxes and booths.



According to the vice foreign ministerin addition to being its largest source of international aidChina is also Cambodias largest source of foreign investment, its largest trade partner, and its largest source of foreign tourists.



Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
A wealthy Vietnamese property developer wanted in Vietnam on charges of espionage was flown back to Hanoi on Thursday after being briefly detained in Singapore, RFA has learned.



Phan Van Anh Vu, 42, had applied to Germany for asylum before his forced return to Vietnam, where he faces a possible death sentence for revealing state secrets under Article 263 of Vietnams penal code.



Speaking to RFAs Vietnamese Service on Thursday, Remy Chooone of Vus lawyers in Singaporeconfirmed that his client had been sent back, while media sources reported that Vu arrived at Hanois Noi Bai Airport at around 3:30 p.m.



I am disappointed that, despite our best efforts for our client, he was deported without our knowledge [and was not given] an opportunity to contest the allegations made against him, Choo said in a Jan. 4 Yahoo News Singapore report.



Fleeing a Dec. 20 order for his prosecution, Vu was arrested in Singapore at the end of December while attempting to cross the border into Malaysia on a passport that had been canceled by Vietnamese authorities, media reports said.



He was then held by Singapore authorities for committing offenses under the Immigration Act.



The Reuters news agency quoted a lawyer engaged by Vus family as saying he had hoped to travel to Germany, where former Vietnamese oil executive Trinh Xuan Thanh had been kidnapped by Vietnamese security agents in a park in Berlin last July.



Vu, a former senior intelligence officer, had enjoyed close ties to former Communist Party Central Committee member Nguyen Xuan Anh, who was removed from his post in October 2017 amid an ongoing crackdown on corruption in Vietnams banking and energy sectors.



Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Emily Peyman. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Welcome back to the China In Eurasia briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter tracking Chinas resurgent influence from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. Im RFE/RL correspondent Reid Standish.

Before we get started, a few announcements: The newsletter is now biweekly, rather than going out only on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. To subscribe, click here.

And I will also be launching Talking China In Eurasia, a new podcast. Im joined by the Royal United Services Institutes Raffaello Pantucci to talk about Xi and Putin. Listen to the first episode here or below.

Xi Gets Pragmatic About Russia At The G20

It was light on optimism, but U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping injected a healthy dose of pragmatism back into the U.S.-China relationship with their meeting in Bali at a time when global anxiety is rising over Russias war against Ukraine.

Finding Perspective: The meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit was far from a breakthrough, but it did repair some damage from the recent backslide in relations between both countries and send some signals that the world isnt necessarily destined for Cold War 2.0.

The more than three-hour talks saw some blunt exchanges over contentious issues like Taiwan and North Korea, but the two leaders also pledged more frequent communications and decided that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Beijing for follow-up talks in 2023.

Of particular note, Biden raised Russias invasion of Ukraine and threats by Russian President Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons. Both leaders reiterated their agreement that a nuclear war should never be fought, according to a White House readout.

While far from a sea change for Chinese policy, thats notable. The credibility of Beijings claims to be neutral on the Ukraine war continue to come under scrutiny, and China has shown discomfort of late with the Kremlins nuclear saber-rattling.

Xi made similar comments after a November 4 summit with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and during another G20 meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the French readout.

Why It Matters: Xi is not abandoning Putin, but this marks the latest shift for Beijings balancing act over Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Four Chinese officials briefed on the February 4 meeting between Xi and Putin, where they declared a no-limits partnership, told the Financial Times that Putin didnt tell Xi the truth about the invasion and that Beijing was caught off guard by it.

What Xi knew about Putins war plans has been a topic of debate, and there is evidence to support both the idea that Xi was aware and that he was caught off guard.

Many analysts are of the opinion that Xi knew about Putin's decision to invade but expected a quick victory, which perhaps was what Putin believed at the time.

Others point to a steady stream of dismissals from Chinese officials and experts about the likelihood of an invasion in February and the fact that Beijing did not evacuate its citizens from Ukraine  like Western nations did  as evidence that China was not expecting a war.

China certainly has its own interests in keeping a distance from Moscows war and using that space to do some upkeep with the West. But perhaps the most important point here is that even if Putin did blindside Xi, China has stuck with Russia despite its battlefield failures, political isolation, and the atrocities its troops are accused of committing.

Again, this is pragmatism more than anything else. As Chinese experts often say, even if Russia is looking unattractive these days, why would Beijing abandon its main anti-Western partner as China continues to be in the crosshairs of rising American pressure?

Read More

 Want to hear more about Russia and Chinas complex relationship amid the Ukraine war? Then tune in to the debut of Talking China In Eurasia today at 2 p.m. CET/ 8 a.m. EST. You can listen live here and find the episode on RFE/RLs website and wherever you listen to your podcasts.

 Condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine and its global fallout is shaping up to be the key theme of the G20, with the Financial Times reporting that a joint communique from the summit takes aim at Moscow.

Expert Corner: The Future Of The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Readers asked: Did Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs recent trip to Beijing breathe new life into the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)? How do Islamabad and Beijing really feel about the project after all these years?

To find out more, I asked Filippo Boni, an expert on China-Pakistan relations at the Open University in Britain:

Shehbaz Sharif's visit to China was high on symbolism and relatively low on substance. While the two sides were keen to reaffirm and emphasize the strength of their strategic partnership, no significant new commitment was made. Apart from a few memorandums of understanding and attempts from the Pakistanis in the run-up to the trip to address some of CPECs issues  including payments to Chinese independent power producers  nothing major came from the visit. This is despite Sharif's attempts at revitalizing CPEC since April and the very close ties he enjoys with the Chinese leadership.

The outcome of this visit is not entirely surprising, especially if interpreted against the backdrop of Pakistan's current domestic predicaments. The security situation for Chinese nationals has deteriorated, the economy is struggling, and political instability is at one of its highest points in recent years. All these dynamics, coupled with the global scaling down of Belt and Road Initiative financing, have likely impacted Beijing's lack of commitment to new projects.

After almost 10 years and $25 billion worth of projects, there seems to be a general consensus on both sides that the first phase of CPEC  the one focused primarily on energy projects  was largely successful. The same cannot be said for the second phase, including the slow progress on the development of Special Economic Zones, and for the port of Gwadar, where little progress has been made for the ports full commercial functioning.

Do you have a question about Chinas growing footprint in Eurasia? Send it to me at StandishR@rferl.org or reply directly to this e-mail and Ill get it answered by leading experts and policymakers.

Three More Stories From Eurasia

1. 'Sweep It Under The Rug'

Recent allegations of China operating 54 overseas police stations have fueled controversy around the world and sparked investigations, but in Hungary and Serbia the new findings are being met with swift denials by authorities, despite growing evidence.

The Details: My colleagues Akos Keller-Alant from RFE/RLs Hungarian Service, Mila Durdevic from RFE/RLs Balkan Service, and I reported on the fallout from these revelations and the slew of probes launched in many European countries recently.

The stations are overseas operations of the public security bureaus from two Chinese provinces and are used to persuade citizens to return to China, including through pressure on family members at home. While most of those involved appear to be suspected of crimes such as telecommunications fraud or corruption, dissidents have also reported that the stations have been used to monitor and threaten them.

Fourteen governments have already launched investigations into the overseas police stations, and the Dutch and Irish governments have ordered China to shut down the facilities in their countries.

But in Hungary and Serbia  two countries where Beijing is said to operate such facilities and whose governments prize their warming political and economic ties with China  officials appear to be trying to sweep it under the rug, as one analyst characterized it, despite growing scrutiny from opposition lawmakers in each country.

2. Global Ripples Hit Central Asia

Political and economic shocks from Moscows war in Ukraine, coupled with added strains from tensions between Beijing and Washington, are taking their toll around the world, especially in Central Asia, where countries in the region are closely tied to both China and Russia.

What It Means: As RFE/RLs Uzbek Service reported, Vladimir Norov, the countrys foreign minister, warned about geopolitical tensions affecting stability in the region and beyond while addressing his counterparts at an Organization of Turkic States meeting in Samarkand.

The breakdown in global cooperation is felt particularly strong in Central Asia. While some economies have been able to benefit by becoming a new home for businesses and capital relocated from Russia, others are seeing investment dry up and their economies coming under strain.

World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Anna Bjerde recently warned that Uzbekistan needs to continue with its market reforms in order to withstand the global economic shocks that are to come.

RFE/RLs Kyrgyz Service also reported that the countrys government is trying to court more investment but that questions remain from investors about Kyrgyzstans stability and investment climate. According to official statistics from January to June of this year, China is the leading source of foreign investment, with $129 million during that span.

3. The Tech In Moscows Iranian Drones

A new investigation by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, looked into electronic components underpinning Tehran's production of the Mohajer-6 drone, which Russia has used in its war in Ukraine, and found that theyre far from homegrown.

What You Need To Know: The Mohajer-6 drones contain components produced by companies from the United States and the European Union, both of which have sanctions restricting the export to Iran of technology that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

The investigation also found drone components produced in China, including a real-time mini-camera made by a Hong Kong firm.

The drone also contains a microchip bearing the logo of a California technology company and a thermal-imaging camera that Ukrainian intelligence says may have been produced by a firm based in Oregon or China.

The international tech in the drone not only highlights the complex ecosystem that allows firms and buyers to circumvent sanctions slapped on both Iran and Russia, but also the close networks between Chinese and Western tech companies that still exist, despite a recent push to break some of those linkages.

Across The Supercontinent

On The Mainland: The watchdog group Freedom House recently launched a new project called the China Dissent Monitor, which tracks protests and other forms of dissent inside China. Read it here.

Censored: Chinese authorities behind a major trade expo in Shanghai pulled an opening ceremony address by European Council President Charles Michel that was set to criticize Russia's illegal war in Ukraine and call for reduced European dependency on China, Reuters reported.

Backtracking: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has softened his countrys stance toward China, moving away from his predecessor Liz Trusss decision to label it a threat.

One Thing To Watch

How long will Chinas stringent COVID policies stay in place?

New infections are rising as a winter wave hits and popular frustration continues to boil over inside the country as investor confidence stays dented over the measures. New footage also showed crowds of residents in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou escaping a compulsory lockdown and clashing with police.

Thats all from me for now. Dont forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you might have.

Until next time,

Reid Standish

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your in-box on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.
Dozens of migrants, mostly from Afghanistan and Pakistan, are living in freezing conditions in abandoned buildings near the Hungarian border in Serbia.

Some have taken shelter near the towns of Horgos and Backi Vinogradi, in the province of Vojvodina.

Many migrants are living in abandoned farmhouses near the border, where they are trying to make it through a winter.

Local residents, mostly farmhouse owners, have recently expelled migrants from Backi Vinogradi, saying that they are destroying their property.

Thousands of migrants and refugees have been stuck in Serbia after tighter border controls shut down the so-called "Balkan route" into the European Union in 2015.

Hungary closed its border completely in 2015. and since then it has allowed only 10 people per day, mostly families, to enter from Serbia.

According to Serbian aid groups, about 4,000 people live in official migrant camps in Serbia.

But the groups estimate that a further 500 people live outside these facilities, fearing they could be deported or be prevented from crossing into the EU, via Hungary or Croatia, if the chance arises.
The Tbilisi city court has found former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili guilty of abuse of power in connection with a 2006 murder case and sentenced him in absentia to three years in prison.

Judge Giorgi Arevadze on January 5 announced the verdict against Saakashvili, Georgia's president from 2004 until 2013, convicting him of abusing his presidential powers by trying to cover up evidence about the murder of Georgian banker Sandro Girgvliani, and issuing pardons for four men who were convicted of the killing.

Saakashvili, who rejects the charges as politically motivated, said on January 5 that his conviction was the result of pressure from one of his major political opponents in Georgia, former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who Saakashvili linked to Russian state-controlled energy giant Gazprom.

"The so-called 'ruling' against me by a Georgian court that is fully under control of Gazprom-shareholder Ivanishvili is absolutely illegal and contradicts all international and domestic regulations and common sense," Saakashvili wrote on Facebook from Ukraine, where he currently resides and is an opposition politician.

"The trial of a president for using his right to pardon, which is not limited by any means, shows that the case is fully politically motivated," Saakashvili said. "It also shows that Georgian authorities have not been able to find anything against me in the last five years -- neither facts of corruption nor other violations of the law."

Saakashvili said a simultaneous court hearing against him in Kyiv showed that "oligarchic authorities in Ukraine and Georgia are operating in synchronicity and in full coordination with each other" against him because he is "the leader of a battle against corruption, oligarchs, and the robbery of the people."

Saakashvili said the world knew that Russian President Vladimir Putin "has been demanding both Georgian and Ukrainian authorities to implement repressive measures" against him.

Putin "repeated that in his recent press conference," the 50-year-old Saakashvili said, claiming that talks aimed at "neutralizing" him were conducted between Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Ivanishvili in Georgia several days before Poroshenko issued an order to strip him of his Ukrainian citizenship last summer.

"According to my sources, [the issue was also discussed] by Poroshenko and Putin in a telephone conversation on December 29, 2017," Saakashvili wrote.

Saakashvili's government-appointed lawyer, Sofio Goglichidze, said after the ruling that the court violated "a number of legal provisions and the constitution" in convicting former Georgian president.

"It is obvious that political persecution is going against Mikheil Saakashvili. It was impossible to deliver a guilty verdict in the case in accordance with the law," Goglichidze said.

Girgvliani, who headed the foreign department of United Georgian Bank, was found dead in January 2006 outside of Tbilisi with multiple injuries after he was seen arguing in a bar with high-ranking Interior Ministry officials.

Saakashvili was the president of Georgia when Girgvliani was killed and issued presidential pardons for four Georgian men who were convicted of murder in the case in 2006.

In November 2014, when Saakashvili was no longer the Georgian president, prosecutors charged him and other former Georgian officials of being accomplices in the falsification of evidence presented in the murder trial.

Khatia Dekanoidze, a member of Saakashvili's United National Movement party in Georgia, said the January 5 verdict in Tbilisi might help Ukrainian authorities extradite Saakashvili to Georgia.

"Nobody doubts that the charge was motivated and ordered," said Dekanoidze, who served as the head of the Ukrainian National Police when Saakashvili was governor of Ukraine's Odesa region in 2015-16.

"I do not exclude Mikheil Saakashvili's extradition [to Georgia] because the administrative resources of the two countries are working together" against him, Dekanoidze said in Tbilisi.

But Saakashvili's lawyer in Ukraine, Ruslan Chornolutskiy, told RFE/RL on January 5 that his clients legal status should prevent his extradition to Georgia.

"According to Ukrainian laws, a person who was a Ukrainian citizen and for the last several years resided in Ukraine cannot be extradited," Chornolutskiy told RFE/RL. "That is what the law says on foreigners and individuals without citizenship, as well as the international convention that Ukraine has ratified."

In Ukraine, Prosecutor-General Yuriy Lutsenko has accused Saakashvili of abetting an alleged "criminal group" led by Ukraine's pro-Russia former president. Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia after his ouster in February 2014.

Ukrainian authorities also claim that protests led by Saakashvili in Ukraine are part of a Russian plot against the government in Kyiv.

Saakashvili on January 3 accused Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) of being involved in the fabrication evidence presented against him by Ukrainian authorities in Kyiv's ongoing criminal trial against him.

He did not provide evidence to back up the assertion.

With reporting by Apsny.ge and Newsgeorgia.ge
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, now an outspoken Ukrainian opposition figure, accused the presidents of Ukraine and Georgia of conspiring against him after a Tbilisi court sentenced him to three years in prison in absentia for abuse of power. Saakashvili made the charge during a news conference in Kyiv on January 5. (RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)
Greece's foreign minister says Athens wants to settle a decades-old dispute this year over the name Macedonia, which is claimed by both the Balkan country and a northern province of Greece.

"I think 2018 will be the year when foreign-policy issues that have been stuck in the mud for decades will be resolved," Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias told reporters after a meeting of Greece's inner cabinet on January 4.

"We will all contribute to the well-being of all the Balkans," he said.

The dispute has for years posed an obstacle for Macedonia's attempts to join the European Union and NATO. Skopje's new ruling coalition led by Social Democrats since last year have given priority to resolving it.

The Greek and Macedonian prime ministers, Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev, discussed the issue over the phone on January 2. Zaev also visited Thessaloniki, in Greek Macedonia, on December 30 and privately met with the city's mayor.

NATO is due to reopen debate on inviting Macedonia to join in June, after Greece vetoed its bid in 2008.

Athens for years has blocked Macedonia's bids to join both the EU and the Western military alliance, contending that the name Macedonia implies a territorial claim over Greece's own northerly region of that name.

Athens also contends that by claiming the name, Macedonia is appropriating a part of Greece's ancient history.

Athens has only agreed to calling the Balkan country the "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" in international venues,as an interim measure until the dispute is resolved.

"On the name issue, the government is negotiating and supports a compound name that will be comprehensively used throughout," Kotzias said on January 4, without elaborating.

Based by reporting by AP, dpa, and Reuters
The U.S. call for support for Iranian antigovernment protesters drew a mixed reaction at the United Nations, with some U.S. allies questioning whether an international response was justified and Tehran accusing Washington of seeking to derail an international nuclear deal.

Amid a backdrop of diplomatic maneuvering, state television showed footage of pro-government rallies that were held in several Iranian cities on January 6, while social media showed images and video of antigovernment demonstrations in the capital and other areas.

The rallies came hours after U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley opened an emergency session of the UN Security Council on January 5 with an impassioned plea for brave Iranian demonstrators, saying they are "risking their lives" to assert their rights to criticize the government and pursue a better life.

"The Iranian people are rising up in over 79 locations throughout the country," Haley said. "It is a powerful exhibition of brave people who have become so fed up with their oppressive government that they are willing to risk their lives in protest."

"The Iranian regime is finally on notice: The world will be watching what you do," she said.

But Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, said the United States was "abusing the platform of the Security Council" with a "bogus" pretext to interfere in the domestic affairs of a member nation.

He also accused the White House of using the events in Iran as a false pretense for scrapping a deal that requires Iran to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

The Trump administration certified Iran's compliance twice last year, but in October the president declined to certify for the first time, pointing to Iran's ballistic-missile development and other matters that he said were in violation of the "spirit" of the deal.

"The true underlying reason for convening today's session lies not in attempts to protect the human rights and interests of Iranian people but in a veiled attempt to use the current moment to continue the line towards derailing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which aims to settle the situation around Iran's nuclear program," Nebenzya said.

Iranian UN Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo also accused the United States of "bullying" and "abusing" its power to summon a meeting of the Security Council on a matter he said was "outside the scope of its mandate.

Envoys from China, Sweden, Bolivia, and several other countries also expressed reservations about whether the Security Council was the right forum for discussing the protests.

But in perhaps the biggest blow to U.S. hopes of galvanizing support for the protesters, some U.S. allies in Europe also questioned the move to raise the matter before the Security Council. Only British UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft openly defended the move.

However worrying the events of the last few days in Iran may be, they do not constitute per se a threat to international peace and security," said France's UN ambassador, Francois Delattre.

"We must be wary of any attempts to exploit this crisis for personal ends, which would have the diametrically opposed outcome to that which is wished," he said.

The rebuff from close U.S. allies prompted a tweet from Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif claiming that Iran had successfully fended off the U.S. attempt to organize any UN intervention in Iran.

"The UNSC rebuffed the U.S.'s naked attempt to hijack its mandate -- Another [foreign policy] blunder for the Trump administration," Zarif tweeted.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acknowledged being disappointed about the response to the Iranian protests, especially from Western allies.

"We're a bit disappointed that the European Union has not taken a more definitive stance in supporting those voices in the country that are calling for reform," he said in an interview on January 5 with the Associated Press.

Diplomatic Battle

The diplomatic maneuvering follows a week of antigovernment street protests in Iran that have led to the deaths of at least 22 people and reports of an estimated 1,700 arrests.

At the same time, pro-government demonstrators have rallied in several Iranian cities amid government claims that the unrest has been brought to an end.

On January 6, state TV showed hundreds of government supporters waving Iranian flags and chanting anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli slogans in cities such as Amol in the north.

Reports in Western media about antigovernment demonstrations in Iran have decreased since Tehran blocked key social-media sites used by the protesters to spread video of the earlier unrest, which has been seen as the strongest challenge to the country's Islamic leadership in almost a decade.

The Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), part of a global project collecting evidence of Internet censorship, said on January 5 that its data confirm the government has blocked Telegram, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger during the protests.

RFE/RL obtained credible reports on January 6 from sources in Iran about overnight demonstrations against Iran's clerical rulers in Tehran, Takestan, Khomein, Arak, Mashhad, Qazvin, Rasht and Lahijan, despite the presence of security forces.

Images were also released of the funerals of two protesters who died during the demonstrations.

State media has reported that, despite the statement, the IRGC is continuing to deploy security forces in different parts of the country.

State TV showed footage of pro-government rallies on January 5 in cities, including Tabriz and Kerman, marking the third day of such demonstrations.

While leading Friday Prayers in Tehran, hard-line cleric Ahmad Khatami said he backs the government's blocking of social media to disrupt the spread of information about the protests. He claimed that when the government blocked social media, "the riots stopped."

"The nation does not support a social network whose key is in the hand of the United States," he said.

'Have No Mercy'

He added that the judiciary should have compassion for those who have been tricked into protesting, but those who continue to speak out are Americans.

Have no mercy on Americans, he said.

The protests, which began over economic hardships suffered by Irans youth and working class, have evolved into an uprising against the powers and privileges of what some critics call a remote elite, especially Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli on January 4 downplayed the number of protesters who have participated in the marches over the past week.

"The relevant authorities have reported that there have been, at most, 42,000 people, and that is not a very high number," the minister was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency.

Iran's army chief asserted on January 4 that local police forces had mostly quelled the unrest, but he said army troops remain ready to intervene if needed.

Iranian Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi said the protests were continuing, however, despite such assertions, and she urged her countrymen to press on with their demonstrations in interviews published on January 4.

"People are still in the streets. Even if they go home, their anger would remain, and the protests would resurface months or years later," Ebadi, a human rights lawyer who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003, said in an interview with Reuters.

Meanwhile, rights group Amnesty International called on Iranian authorities to investigate reports that security forces have "unlawfully" used firearms against unarmed protesters and to protect hundreds of detainees from torture and other ill-treatment.

Even before the UN debat, the protests had set off a diplomatic battle between the governments of Iran and the United States, with Tehran accusing Washington of stepping up its acts of intervention in a grotesque way in Iran's internal affairs under the pretext of providing support for sporadic protests."

Trump Chimes In

U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to help Iranians "take back" their government and the White House weighed imposing sanctions on those involved in the crackdown against demonstrators.

Trump has issued Twitter statements several times in support of the protesters, including a tweet on January 3 that said he respected the people of Iran as they try to take back their corrupt government.

You will see great support from the United States at the appropriate time!" Trump wrote in the post.

With reporting by Golnaz Esfandiari, Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa, and Press TV
BISHKEK -- A court in Bishkek has sentenced Kyrgyz opposition politician Kanatbek Isaev to 12 years in prison on corruption charges.

The Birinchi Mai district court announced its ruling shortly before midnight on January 4 after finding Isaev guilty of illegally giving away state land to construction firms when he was mayor of the northern city of Tokmok from 2008 to 2010.

Isaev's two co-defendants were sentenced to 10 years in prison each.

Isaev rejected the charges, calling them politically motivated. His lawyers said the court ruling will be appealed.

Investigations were launched in May into allegations that Isaev was involved in the corrupt activities when he was Tokmok's mayor.

When Isaev was arrested in late September, Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security (UKMK) charged that he was conspiring with criminal groups to organize mass disturbances and "a violent seizure of power" around the October 15 presidential election.

In June, Isaev's Kyrgyzstan party nominated him as its candidate for the presidential election. However, election officials rejected more than 10,000 of the 37,000 signatures submitted in his petition of support, putting his application below the required 35,000 signatures.

Sooronbai Jeenbekov won the presidency in the first round with 54 percent of the vote -- enough to avoid a runoff -- after a campaign in which critics said the outgoing president Almazbek Atambaev used courts, law enforcement, and other levers of power to bolster his candidacy.
CHISINAU -- Moldova's Constitutional Court has ruled that the government does not need the signature of pro-Russian President Igor Dodon in order to enact a law that bans so-called "media propaganda" from Russia.

Dodon has criticized and twice refused to sign the legislation, which effectively bans news programs from Russia.

"Since the president refused twice to fulfill his constitutional duty to sign the bill into law, he will be suspended temporarily," Justice Tudor Pantiru, the Constitutional Court's president, wrote in the ruling from Chisinau on January 5.

Instead, Pantiru wrote, the bill can be signed into law by Moldova's prime minister or the speaker of the parliament.

The ruling allows Prime Minister Pavel Filip or parliament speaker Andrian Candu -- a member of Filip's pro-Western Democratic Party -- to use the same procedure the court has supported in other recent cases when Dodon has refused to sign legislation into law.

On January 2, the court allowed the procedure to be used in a standoff with Dodon over ministerial appointments.

Dodon had refused to approve Filip's nominations for new ministers in a cabinet reshuffle, saying they were incompetent and accusing some of being linked to a corruption scandal in which about $1 billion was siphoned out of Moldova's banking system.

The same procedure was used last autumn to confirm the appointment of a pro-Western defense minister.

Dodon is frequently at odds with Filip and his government, which favors closer ties with the EU and the United States.
The theft from a Danish bar of a bottle of vodka said to be worth $1.3 million has raised eyebrows around the world about the lavish spending habits of the nouveau riche in former Soviet republics.



Danish police say the rare -- and uninsured -- bottle of Russo-Baltique vodka was stolen in the early morning hours of January 2 from Cafe 33 in Copenhagen, which had a collection of 1,200 vodka bottles on display.



CCTV footage shows the thief using a flashlight in the darkness to single out the bottle and snatch it from the shelves of the collection -- the only item that was stolen from the establishment:

Investigators say they are still trying to determine whether the culprit broke into the vodka museum at Cafe 33 or used a key to carry out the theft.

Nouveau Riche, Big Spending



So why does a bottle of vodka cost $1.3 million, and who is willing to pay such an exorbitant sum?



Cafe 33 owner Brian Ingberg told Denmarks TV2 that the bottle was on loan from the privately owned Riga-based Dartz Motor Company, which was founded by the Latvian-born businessman Leonard Yankelovich.



Dartz produced a limited number of the pricey bottles in 2008 and continues to build the worlds most expensive armored cars, primarily for the ultrawealthy in former Soviet republics, although oil-rich royalty from the Middle East also have bought Dartz vehicles.



Yankelovich told the BBC in 2015 that "luxury is too common a word" to describe Dartz cars or Russo-Baltique vodka because "luxury you can buy in a supermarket."

He said he prefers to use the word "opulence" to describe the companys products, which are designed to stimulate the ostentatious spending habits of the richest of the rich in the former Soviet Union.



In this niche market, Dartz sells custom-built armored SUVs for prices that start at about $1.5 million.



Several Hollywood filmmakers have featured Dartz vehicles in their movies, including the Sacha Baron Cohen film The Dictator.



Ingberg reportedly told TV2 that the stolen bottle was one that replicated the shape of the front grill of a Russo-Balt automobile produced in Riga from 1908 to 1912.



Dartz was selling one of those bottles in 2008 for 1 million euros ($1.3 million).

It also was selling another bottle design in 2008, known as a Vodka Fire Extinguisher, for 500,000 euros ($650,000).

One of the Fire Extinguisher bottles was featured in an episode of the popular television series House Of Cards:

Both bottle designs were created in 2008 to mark the centennial of the Russo-Balt car companys Riga factory -- a facility built when Riga was in the Russian Empire and where Dartz now has its workshops and offices.



A total of 625 Russo-Baltique vodka bottles were made, Dartz says. Thats the same number of Russo-Balt automobiles that were built at the Riga factory from 1908 until 1912, when the firms automobile production was moved elsewhere.

Russo-Baltique vodka bottles were designed to appeal to Russias nouveau riche -- described in 2009 by Russias then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as people who "all of a sudden got rich very quickly but cannot manage their wealth without showing it off all the time."



Indeed, the bottle stolen from Cafe 33 reportedly was fabricated using 3 kilograms of pure gold melted down from Tsar Nicholas II "chervonets" coins minted from 1908 to 1912 and 3 kilograms of pure silver.



The bottle cap was made from white and yellow gold and emblazoned on top with a diamond-encrusted Russian imperial eagle.



The centennial vodka project was financed by Regina Abdurazakova, who was described in Dartzs promotional materials as "the extravagant daughter of an oil tycoon from Kazakhstan who decided to find a use for her fathers money."



"We can tell stories about special diamond filters or exotic products like whale spermaceti used in production of vodkas, but all this is beyond our understanding and so vague," Dartz says.



"This vodka brand is not for drinking because it is the brand of vodka to be received by succession," promotional materials say. "It is vodka that will be part of the family artwork collections. Why should we drink vodka that is regarded as an artwork?"

UPDATE: Danish police said the bottle was found intact, but empty, on January 5 at a villa that was undergoing renovation on the north side of the Danish capital.
The most loved Honda on the Indian roads has been the legendary Honda City, which recently completed its 20 year anniversary in India. Till now, Honda has launched 4 generations of the City, the last one being the update in 2014, apart from minor mid-life facelifts like the one in 2017.

Reliable engines, futuristic design, refinement and the brand image which Honda carries, all contributed to the strong sales numbers which the City has managed to clock in the previous calendar year.

All 4 gens of the Honda City. In the year 2017, the City contributed to 35% of Hondas overall car sales in India

2017 saw 62,573 new Honda Citys entering the Indian roads whereas the number for Marutis Ciaz was 47,114 units during the same period. Interestingly, in 2016, the Ciaz was the market leader with a sales figure of 63,187 units compared to 57,619 units of the City. Credit is majorly due to the facelift which the City had received in Feb17 which made the car more appealing and improved its price-proposition.

Compared to 2016, in the year 2017, sales for Honda City have seen a growth of 9.66% or 5,5568 units in absolute numbers. Overall, the year 2017 has been a good year for Honda Cars India Ltd as they managed to sell 1,78,755 vehicles, 15% higher than what they did in 2016 (1,56,107).

Maruti Ciaz

Currently, the Honda City is available in S, SV, V, VX & ZX variants along with options of a 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol & a 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine. Overall, one gets to choose from 11 different configurable options, which include 3 trims offering a CVT setup with the 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol motor. Prices for the City start at INR 8,58,123 (ex-showroom Delhi).
With new Honda Amaze launch scheduled for May 2018, bookings at dealerships begin from today, April 6, 2018, at a booking amount of Rs 21,000. New Honda Amaze deliveries are expected to begin by May 2018 end. First launched in 2013, Honda Amaze was the first diesel car from Honda Cars India, which was one of the many reasons why the car had a successful start. When the Amaze was first launched, it was not only the most powerful car in the segment, it was also the most fuel efficient car in India.

Talking about the Honda Amaze, Mr. Rajesh Goel, Sr Vice President & Director, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd. said, The Honda Amaze has been one of our very successful models in India, with over 2.57 lakh satisfied customers. With the 2nd generation Amaze, we are extremely excited to add another chapter to the success story of the model. Its a big commitment from HCIL to its customers and for us its Time To Go Big. The introduction of Indias Diesel CVT technology in the new Amaze, which offers unmatched and superior automatic driving experience, is also a first from Honda globally. We are confident the customers will see great value in this new technology.

1st gen Honda Amaze launch saw rivals update their game, launched newer cars or updated the existing cars. Since the launch of Amaze we have seen the launch of new Dzire, new Xcent, Tata Zest, Tata Tigor, Ford Aspire to name a few in the sub 4 meter segment. With almost every car in the segment updated, it was finally time for the Amaze to get up to date, and today it did. At the 2018 Auto Expo, Honda Car India officially announced the global debut of the new Amaze.

As seen in the images, the 2019 Amaze features new design, wider body, spacious interiors, new technology and safety features. Visually, the sub-4 metre sedans front fascia receives a reworked grille with wider chrome insert, slightly revised headlamp and a much sportier bumper with foglights. Changes to the side include new alloy wheels as well as a more pronounced sedan-like C pillar, which gives the car look longer than it actually is. The rear fascia treated with a wider chrome strip, new taillight detailing and subtle reprofiled bumper.

The older cars dashboard which was plucked directly from the Brio has been criticized by some but with the new Honda Amaze, HCIL has upped its game. The entire dashboard is new, more like the new City. The new instrument console will feature upmarket MID dial. It will also feature a touchscreen infotainment system.

The company has announced that every new Honda model introduced from FY2017-18 will have standard dual airbags across the lineup. In addition to safety features like ABS with EBD, dual airbags, the top-end variant also benefits from automatic climate control system, Honda Connect, a 247 telematics service with 20 functions.

Expect the engine options to be same. The 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol engine will continue to dish out 88 PS and 109 Nm of torque. In addition to a standard 5-speed manual transmission, the motor will also be offered with CVT now. Like in the previous model, the 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine produces 100 PS and 200 Nm of torque when mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox or a CVT.

In the current Amaze, the petrol (manual) and diesel versions have ARAI certified mileage figures of 18.1 kmpl and 25.8 kmpl respectively. Expect the new gen Honda Amaze to be available in four-trims  E, S, SX and VX.
Royal Enfield Himalayan with FI was launched in India a few months ago. Priced from INR 1.84 lakh on road in Chennai, today RE announced the launch an accessory loaded variant called Sleet. It is priced from Rs 2.12 lakh, on road Chennai. The word Sleet means  rain containing some ice, as when snow melts as it falls.

Royal Enfield Himalayan Sleet is purpose built for those who want to go on those long road trips, without the worry of how the road ahead would be. The colour, is inspired by the snow-capped Himalayas.

In addition to the new colour, you also get official Royal Enfield accessories package which include aluminium panniers, aluminium handlebar with cross brace, pannier mounting rails and large engine guard. Only the first 500 buyers will get this accessory pack. Bookings are only accepted only, via Royal Enfields official site.

Royal Enfield President Rudratej Singh said, The new Himalayan Sleet is inspired by the terrain of Royal Enfields spiritual home  the Himalayas, its craggy land, the gorges, edgy peaks all brought together in the colours of the sleet.

The new Royal Enfield Himalayan Sleet is powered by the companys new BS4 engine and is based on the newly launched Himalayan, which RE has said is free of any issues.

Named after the mighty Himalayas of India, Royal Enfield Himalayan features a relaxed seating postion, which proves to be a boon on long rides, especially the ones with bad raods. Long suspension travel with off-road tyres give the bike a very rugged appeal. Instrument panel consists of analog as well as digital meters. Powered by a new 410 cc single cylinder engine, Royal Enfield Himalayan is an entry level adventure tourer. The engine is rated to deliver 25 PS and 32 Nm torque via a 5-speed gearbox.

News Release
The idea came to Haydn Bryan in the form of a Snapchat news story.

Bryan is the chief of staff for the Associated Students of Boise State University. One day while perusing the social media picture sending application, Bryan saw a story about a vending machine at the University of California, Davis. But this was no ordinary vending machine.

The machine, the product of student Parteek Singhs thinking, sold health and wellness products, including condoms and emergency contraceptives. Upon hearing about it, Bryan had an idea: why not have such a machine at Boise State, too?

The feedback from students was really positive, Bryan said.

The concept for the machine, called Wellness to Go at UC Davis, is simple: While contraceptives and other items are available at university health centers, they are not available when students need them most, Bryans proposal to Boise State argues. Boise States University Health and Wellness Center is closed on weekends, which forces students to make, a choice  travel off campus to buy products, or engage in unsafe sexual activity, according to the proposal.

He began work on the proposal to Boise State at the end of 2017. The project to get the Health and Wellness vending machine, is led by Bryan and fellow student Makaela Bournazian.

There has been pushback, however.

People of religion have complained, as it would have Plan B and go against beliefs, Bournazian said. Other than that, everyone I have told about it (parents, actual adults, and college students) love the idea.

There are also those who believe the machine is completely unnecessary and encourages students to have sex. Bryan argues to the contrary on both fronts.

I dont believe this vending machine is going to make people have more sex, he said with a laugh. It shouldnt really be controversial, just because its something that Boise State already offers. Its just in a more accessible way.

The proposal cites a study from 2015 by the University of Minnesota that detailed alarming statistics. With 63 percent of all college students reporting to have been sexually active in the last year, only 52.5 percent report the consistent use of condoms. About 15.7 percent of female students reported using an emergency contraceptive, according to the proposal. Nearly one-in-three female students reports experiencing a sexual assault, the study said.

The Health and Wellness vending machine provides a solution so students wouldnt have to make a choice, the proposal said. The machine, which would be located on the second floor of the Student Union near the Simplot Grand Ballroom, would be in a secluded corner to offer privacy. The machine would possibly carry contraceptives, tampons, the emergency contraceptive Plan B and pregnancy tests, in addition to less controversial items like lip balm, ibuprofen and nasal decongestant.

The machine itself costs about $4,000, Bryan said. Proposals are being written to the student government and Boise States Legal Services to fund the project. Though the details and final approval are all pending, if all goes according to plan, the machine will be ready to go in the next few months, Bryan said.

Adding the vending machine would add a handful of more hours of coverage per week for students to get supplies compared to normal University Health Services hours. University Health Services closes at 5 p.m. on weekdays and is not open on weekends.

After talking with victims of sexual assault, Bryan said the vending machine made a lot of sense.

To know that survivors of sexual assault wound definitely need resources like this ... I went and talked to a couple of survivors, Bryan said. (And) they said what resources they would need right after.

While the push for the machines is completely student-driven, Bryan and Bournazian have the support of the University Health and Wellness Center.

It's a good idea because it will give students access to items on campus that they can't get when Health Services is closed, said Michelle Ihmels, Boise States director of wellness. But all the items they claim they will be stocking are things that can be bought at a local pharmacy/drug store/grocery store. It will just be more convenient to have on campus.
Skoda Auto India ends 2017 with 17,438 cars sold, up 30% from CY 2016. (2016). Skoda Rapid sales volume provides the biggest boost to overall sales. Introduction of Skoda Kodiaq, Octavia, and Octavia RS strengthen brand appeal.

Commenting on the strong business performance, Mr. Ashutosh Dixit, Director  Marketing, Sales and Services, SKODA AUTO India said, We have concluded the year well and are very happy with our performance in 2017. This 30% growth underscores the fact that we are optimally positioned with our current model range in India; the improved business performance reflects a well devised strategy that is in moving in the right direction for us. With the SKODA KODIAQ, we successfully launched a true game changer in October last year. The large SUV already represents an important pillar of SKODAs development in India. We are very optimistic with our SUV strategy for India. Skoda Auto India will continue to push ahead with its model offensive campaign in 2018.

Skoda India deliveries increased a whopping 43% in November up at 1,400 units from 1,000 sold in November 2016. For October sales were up at 7.7% with 1,600 cars delivered, up from 1,500 units sold in October 2016. Sales increase for September 2017 stood at 37% at 1,600 units up from 1100 units delivered in September 2016.

For Sept, Oct, and Nov, Skoda India sales stand at 4600 units up from 3,600 units for the same three months last year up 22%. For the year 2017 (Jan  Nov), Skoda sales are reported at 15,400 units, up from 12,000 units sold through January  November 2016.

For the year thus far, Skoda India growth stands at 28.33%. At the end of Q3 2017, Skoda India announced sales growth of 29% for the year. By our calculation that number stood at 30.5%. For 2017, Skoda India has set a sales target of 34% growth and that would imply sales of 2500 units in December 2017.

Helping Skoda India achieve new heights in sales, are their new launches like the Rapid, Octavia, Superb and the might Kodiaq. All these cars of theirs have found good response in the market. This in spite of passenger vehicle sales having been at stake in recent times owing to constant policy change related to GST, and cess requirement.

Earlier this year Tata Motors and Skoda call off their proposed partnership. Skoda is still up for such opportunities with other entities. The focus is to build low cost cars ( entry level car platform) in a cost effective manner for a price sensitive market like India, and this requires an increased level of localisation. Volkswagens MQB A0 platform continues to be explored for the same project. Proposed changes in the Indian auto industry mandates stricter engine emission, and crash-test norms by April 2020.
With the launch of TVS Apache 310, the company celebrated 35 years of highly successful run in Indian motorsports. So, its only a matter of time before the Hosur-based outfit comes up with track tuned version of its new flagship.

In fact, at the launch event, TVS confirmed that they will be launching a race-spec variant in 2018. This will not only be a more powerful variant, but also come loaded with more new features. This explains why TVS continues to test the Apache 310, even after launch.

The reason the rendering is done in blue-white livery by Pratyush Rout, is because that is the TVS Racing livery, and is seen on all their race bikes, be it domestic TVS Cup bikes or their Dakar bike  all are seen in Blue-White livery. TVS Apache 310 was spied in Blue livery last year, but that colour is not on offer with current variants. It could be because the company plans to launch it with the Race Spec variant later this year.

Speaking about the rendering, it largely derives its cues from the Akula concept which previewed the Apache 310 at the Auto Expo 2016. The race-spec version differs from regular model by forgoing headlamps (for the TVS racing models, road legal variants will get headlights same as current Apache 310) and offering a slightly taller windscreen.

The motorcycle will be underpinned by an aluminium trellis frame and will benefit from numerous lightweight aluminium components. The BMW sourced 312.2 cc reverse inclined single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine would be tuned to produce more power and torque than the stock bikes 34 PS and 27.3 Nm respectively.

In order to handle the additional performance, TVS Apache 310 Race Spec would be bestowed with stiffer suspension, upgraded brakes and of course, track-spec tyres. It could also get segment first features like updated instrument cluster with smartphone integration, ride modes (Race Mode and Road Mode), changing ride modes using smartphone app, and so on. Expect a bump in price tag over the regular Apache 310.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida yesterday entered Final Judgment in a Securities and Exchange Commission case against California-based attorney Owen H. Naccarato for violating the securities registration provisions of the federal securities laws.

The SEC's complaint alleges that in September 2013, Naccarato issued two opinion letters pursuant to Rule 144 of the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act") improperly concluding that Global Digital Solutions, Inc. ("Global Digital"), a Florida-based microcap company, was not a shell company and that certain shareholders were not affiliates of Global Digital. The SEC's complaint further alleges that Naccarato improperly instructed Global Digital's transfer agent to remove the restrictive legends from these shareholder certificates. Many of the shares were then sold in unregistered public distributions.

Naccarato consented to the entry of the Final Judgment without admitting or denying any of the allegations in the Commission's complaint. The Final Judgment permanently enjoins Naccarato from violating Sections 5(a) and 5(c) of the Securities Act, and orders him to pay $1,000 in disgorgement, $127.77 in prejudgment interest, and a civil penalty of $10,000.

The Final Judgment also prohibits Naccarato, for a period of five years, from directly or indirectly providing, or receiving compensation from the provision of, professional legal services to any person or entity in connection with the offer or sale of securities pursuant to, or claiming, an exemption under Section 4(a)(1) predicated on Securities Act Rule 144, or any other exemption from the registration provisions of the Securities Act, including, without limitation, participating in the preparation or issuance of any opinion letter related to such offering or sale.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by Jacqueline M. O'Reilly with assistance from Russell Koonin, and supervised by Thierry Olivier Desmet, all in the Miami Regional Office.
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After nearly 70 years on the air and on the brink, Berkeley-based KPFA-FM could be facing the end of its run as a pioneering, proudly left-wing radio outlet.

There is some irony in the fact that after labor disputes, strikes and other controversies in the years since its founding in 1949, the station whose motto is Vigilant as Always faces demise because of the financial woes of a radio station in New York City.

A New York judge has ruled that KPFAs sister station, WBAI, is liable for $1.8 million in back rent for its transmission tower atop the Empire State Building. The judge also ruled that the landlord, Empire State Realty Trust, may pursue seizure of the assets of WBAIs parent, Pacifica Foundation, of which KPFA is the flagship station.

Pacifica does not have $1.8 million, and as soon as Monday, Empire State could begin procedures to seize the companys bank accounts along with the sprawling downtown Berkeley complex owned by Pacifica and housing KPFA. Empire State has not indicated that it will pursue a seizure, but it has filed with the state to do so and the 30-day waiting period ends Monday. Pacifica management is hoping its landlord will agree to leave the property alone while a solution is explored. Empire State Realty Trust did not respond to a request for comment.

Until we can get a written agreement from Empire State, we are at their mercy, said Bill Crosier, interim executive director of the Pacifica Foundation, in an interview Thursday on the KPFA program Up Front.

The imminent danger is a judgment against KPFAs parent company, the Pacifica Foundation, that could drain KPFA of its operating funds and take the Bay Areas only truly progressive radio station off the air, read a Tuesday posting, signed by KPFA management and attributed to General Manager Quincy McCoy, on the KPFA website..

Crosier said he and his staff had recommended that Pacifica file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in order to stave off the seizure while Pacifica reorganizes. But the notoriously acrimonious Pacifica national board has thus far rejected that strategy and has not authorized staff to begin bankruptcy preparations.

The governance structure of Pacifica, our historic culture of the usual political infighting has led to disagreement and paralysis, McCoy wrote. Unless action is taken pretty immediately we may cease to exist.

Bankruptcies are common in commercial radio these days. The nations largest radio conglomerate, iHeartMedia, is facing Chapter 11 any day now, buried under a $15 billion debt. Its rival, Cumulus Media, which owns KGO-AM radio, among other Bay Area stations, filed for Chapter 11 in November, with a $2.4 billion debt.

But bankruptcy is rare for a public radio station, and a Chapter 11 filing would be the first in the long, death-defying history of listener-funded Pacifica, which operates stations in Berkeley, Los Angeles, New York, and Houston and Washington, D.C.

There is a stigma to bankruptcy, Crosier said in an earlier on-air interview. There is also a cost of up to $1 million, but a Chapter 11 filing would halt the action by Empire State.

The New York tower lease, which dates to 2005, costs about $60,000 per month and runs through 2020 with annual increases of 9 percent. In bankruptcy court, the judgment could be reduced and increases capped, Crosier told the host. Pacifica could also be put into receivership.

We owe them a lot of money, and we have to pay it, and we plan to pay it, said Crosier. We hope they will be patient while we figure out how to pay them.

A second option  one favored by the board but opposed by management  is to take out a $2 million loan to pay off the judgment. Pacifica has assets of approximately $10 million in real estate and licenses worth $100 million. But cash flow is negative. Pacifica is $8 million in debt and has operated at a deficit for 15 consecutive years. It also has accrued three years in unpaid pension obligations.

It has been a toxic brew of bad management, poor internal political mechanisms for selecting the boards and exclusion of listener participation that has led to this low point, said former general manager and retired national correspondent Larry Bensky.

Another option is to sell assets or swap signals with another station in order to raise capital. This could weaken KPFA, which is probably the most solvent of the five stations, thanks to the generosity of its listeners who support fund drives.

Its been a consistent progressive voice and bulletin board for just short of 70 years, said Ben Fong-Torres, who writes the Radio Waves column for The Chronicle. Although its never gotten sizable ratings, its got a passionate audience.

According to its unaudited financial statement, KPFA took in $3,337,510 in income against operating expenses of $2,964,973 in 2016, the most recent year available. KPFA business manager Maria Negret reports that the holiday 2017 pledge drive raised $511,000, well over the goal of $450,000.

But Bensky counters that those numbers hide the fact that listener support has been eroding over the years. To make it worse, because of its governance structure, KPFA has to support its sister stations, as made evident by the situation in New York.

KPFA has been bled dry to pay for the other stations, especially New York, which has been sucking away money for years, Bensky said. It has no listeners.

Negret said Pacifica should not be saddled with an additional loan, which WBAI has no ability to pay.

Many of us feel that Chapter 11 is the best way to go. It would give us a chance to breathe and re-organize the network, she said in an email.

All I can be sure of is that KPFA is strong. We are here, ready to keep going, she wrote. In this national political climate, we need KPFA and Pacifica more than ever before.

KPFA went on the air at 3 p.m. April 15, 1949, when a group of Berkeley anarchic pacifists led by Lewis Hill commandeered an unused frequency. Because almost nobody had heard of FM, they distributed shoebox-size tube radios with the dial set to 94.1 to potential listeners. Hill was seen as too controlling and was dumped by his own board in a political coup in 1953. A year later, Hill staged his own coup, reclaimed power and drove out the board.

It has been that way ever since, only with additional stations and a national governing board atop the KPFA board, increasing the ever-present potential of infighting.

This was made clear at the 50th anniversary in 1999, marked by Pacificas firing of popular KPFA general manager Nicole Sawaya. That was followed by the firing of Bensky, who had broken a company gag rule for speaking on air against Sawayas firing.

Some 10,000 people took to the streets in protest. A planned 50th anniversary celebration was canceled, people were arrested and the station was seized by Pacifica, which aired syndicated programming for about a month. The coup was overcome, but some say the spirit was lost, along with Benskys position as national affairs correspondent.

There has been diminished and now nonexistent national programming since then, said Bensky, who had to sue Pacifica to get back his job, which he held until 2007.

Ten years later, he sees the station as a ghost of its former self and a sad remnant and relic of what once was. KPFA is much weaker, and the Pacifica national network is nonexistent.

Crosier said the board spends too much time fighting and not enough trying to get listeners. He has been warned that some board members plan to sue the board if it caves to Empire State.

But the music shows continue in the evenings and weekends, year after year and decade after decade. There is Dead to the World, formerly The Grateful Dead Hour, hosted by Tim Lynch on Wednesdays at 8 p.m., and The Bonnie Simmons Show at 8 p.m. Thursdays followed by Derk Richardson with The Hear and Now at 10 p.m.

Saturday mornings bring Blues by the Bay, with Tom Mazzolini. Sunday afternoons have the doubleheader of Americas Back 40, hosted by Mary Tilson, and Panhandle Country with Tom Diamant.

The program hosts have given us as close to free-form radio as we can get on terrestrial radio, said Fong-Torres.

Listen now. By next weekend they could all be off the air, though legal delays are a possibility.

Still, General Manager McCoy is acting as if the locks will be changed on Monday. According to a staff member, he sent employees an email warning, We will cease broadcasting because we will be unable to operate the station. At that point, our building and our bank account will no longer be under our control.

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @sfchronicle_art
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The Trump administration is working on plans to limit extensions of H-1B visas, a move that would affect hundreds of thousands of foreigners working in the United States, a source briefed on the plans told The Chronicle.

Foreigners commonly use H-1B visas as a stepping-stone for permanent residency in the U.S. But H-1Bs are initially valid for only three years, while the wait for a green card can be more than a decade. To fill that gap, companies rely on extensions  which can be from one to three years  to keep the foreign employee until he or she gets permanent residency.

The administrations plan to limit extensions, first reported by McClatchy Newspapers, is being discussed in internal memos within the Department of Homeland Security.

Department officials essentially view this move as a way to shrink the H-1B population in America, according to the source, who asked not to be identified in order to speak freely about the administrations plans. This move would be consistent with President Trumps campaign promise to curtail foreign work programs in the interest of preserving American jobs.

How can the administration accomplish this? The administration is looking at reinterpreting a law passed in 2000, the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, which overhauled the H-1B visa program. That law says that the government shall grant one-year extensions and may grant three-year extensions to foreigners while their green card is pending.

The department is specifically looking at reinterpreting the may language, the source said.

While that means the agency could still issue one-year extensions, the government said in November it would no longer give deference to prior visa decisions. That means regardless of how long a foreign citizen has been in the country, immigration officers must review the application as if it were new.

Reinterpreting the act would require a lengthy notice and comment period, and any new regulations are unlikely to become public before mid-2018, according to the source. The administration is still deciding how it will go through with this plan, as it could lead to lawsuits.

Jonathan Withington, a spokesman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security that oversees visas, said it is considering a number of policy and regulatory changes to carry out the presidents Buy American, Hire American executive order, including a thorough review of employment-based visa programs.

Withington added that the agency is not at liberty to discuss any part of the pre-decisional processes.

How would the Bay Area be affected? The impact on the Bay Area could be outsized, as Silicon Valley relies on H-1B visas to staff a significant number of technical positions. Facebook has so many H-1B employees that it is deemed dependent on the visa by the government, a status that brings extra scrutiny to applications.

Tech companies large and small use extensions to keep an employee living and working in the U.S. beyond the visas three-year limit.

Dean Garfield, president of the Information Technology Industry Council, which represents major tech companies such as Amazon, Google and Apple in Washington, said his clients are worried about how this move will affect their employees.

It would result in a lot less certainty around our ability to hire and retain the best and the brightest, he said. And it would be incredibly disruptive to the lives of the people who have committed to work in the U.S. and contributed to the economy.

Many immigrants hold high positions at Bay Area tech companies. Google CEO Sundar Pichai, for example, came to the U.S. from India to pursue a masters degree at Stanford University. In Silicon Valley, being an immigrant doesnt matter, Pichai told the Verge in 2017. Its the ideas that matter. We are able to build products for everyone because we attract talent from around the world. Immigration is a strength for this industry and our country  its one of our defining characteristics.

How many people are involved? Each year, 85,000 foreigners hired by for-profit companies are granted an H-1B visa through a lottery. Thousands more are given to universities, hospitals and research facilities.

More than 254,000 foreigners filed for an extension in fiscal year 2016 alone, a 20 percent increase from the year prior, according to the most recent government statistics available.

The wait for a green card varies by country of origin. For Indian and Chinese citizens, the wait can be decades. Indian citizens, who receive the majority of H-1B visas, could see the biggest impact from the loss of extensions, as they are most likely to see their visas expire with a green card still years away.

Satish More, a Livermore resident, came to the U.S. with his family 12 years ago to work for an information technology firm, and he is still waiting for his green card. Over the past decade, he, his spouse and his children  who are now 18 and 21  have become accustomed to an American way of life.

But if his visa extension is denied when he seeks to renew his H-1B in February, More will be left with few options other than to leave the country.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

If that happens, it will be a big disaster, More said. My children came here in early childhood, and they dont know any other country than the U.S. ... They cannot go to any other country now.

Why would the administration do this? The move is consistent with the Trump administrations Buy American, Hire American executive order, which has been used over the past year as a justification to curtail the H-1B program without changes to the underlying law.

Scrutiny on H-1B visa applications has increased significantly over the past year, correlating with a significant dip in approvals, according to data obtained by The Chronicle last month.

Critics of the program say it has been abused by companies that hire foreign workers willing to work for a lower wage than an American. Shortening the duration of an H-1B visa would put it back on the path of original intent as a guest-worker program, John Miano, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, a conservative think tank, said in an email.

This is a good way to reform the H-1B program because H-1B is supposed to be for nonimmigrant guestworkers, he wrote. People are trying to turn it into a path for immigration.

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

How might the program be overhauled? There are several bills seeking changes to the immigration system. They include:

The Protect and Grow American Jobs Act, a bill sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista (San Diego County) that would raise the minimum salary for H-1B holders and change the definition of an H-1B-dependent company. This bill was introduced in the House on Wednesday.

The Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2017, sponsored by then-Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, which would eliminate the per-country cap for green cards. This act could help H-1B holders stuck in visa backlogs by phasing out the per-country cap on green cards and moving to a first-come, first-served system. This bill was introduced in the House last year before Chaffetz resigned.

Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani
The Writers Guild of America on Thursday, Feb. 4, announced its nominations for its 2018 awards with most of the predicted usual suspects receiving nods.

Those nominated for original screenplay are The Big Sick, Get Out, I, Tonya, Lady Bird and The Shape of Water. Those competing for the adapted screenplay honor are Call Me by Your Name, The Disaster Artist, Logan, Mollys Game and Mudbound. The documentary entries are Betting on Zero, Jane, No Stone Unturned and Oklahoma City.
TWIN FALLS  Burke Teichert, a Wyoming native and regular contributor to Beef Magazine, will speak Wednesday at the Idaho Range Livestock Symposium at the Herrett Center for Arts and Science on the College of Southern Idaho campus.

Teichert has 37 years of ranching experience and will speak about managing ranch resources in each of four daylong sessions in southern Idaho. He also will talk about matching the size of your cow herd and calving season to fit the best available resources.

No matter where youre at with cattle management and resources, it seems we always can learn how to improve management and the bottom line, Scott Jensen, University of Idaho Extension educator for Owyhee County, said in a statement.

Also, Karen Launchbaugh, director of the UI Rangeland Center, will speak about highlights from a sage grouse and grazing study that looks at the effects of spring grazing on sage grouse nesting success. Launchbaugh has studied spring livestock grazing and its affects on sage grouse, since 2012.

The effects of spring livestock grazing on sage grouse are often debated, Launchbaugh said. Some people view livestock as a significant threat to sage grouse. Others argue that spring livestock grazing may have a large-scale, positive impact on sage grouse because spring grazing may reduce fuel loads and result in fewer and smaller wildfires. No empirical data are available to assess either claim.

Ranchers should be interested in her study because the findings could have an impact on public grazing decisions, including terms and conditions, Jensen said.

In addition, the following speakers will make presentations:

Rex Hoagland of CS Beef Packers will talk about options for cull cattle. CS Beef Packers new processing plant in Kuna may provide improved economic options for ranchers who need to sell cull mother cows or bulls for their meat value, Jensen said. The meatpacking plant specializes in meat cuts from cattle that often are seen as being low value, but may have more value than ranchers might think. Having a processing plant closer to Idaho ranch locations may improve prices for cull cattle.

Roger Blew will talk about writing effective public comments to influence environmental studies and decisions being made by public lands management agencies.

Jesse Fulton will explain the high points of the 2016 National Beef Quality Audit. The audits typically highlight defects in cattle carcasses that can have an impact on the bottom line and progress being made to address those defects.

To register for the symposium, go to www.ui.edu/cnr/rangeland-center and click on the RSVP button.

The symposium and lunch are sponsored by the UI Extension Service, Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission, Idaho Department of Lands, Idahos National Resources Conservation Service and Bureau of Land Management, Idaho Cattle Association, Idaho State Department of Agriculture and allied industry sponsors.
A two-room Chinese space station called Tiangong-1, which the country lost contact with in 2016, is headed for a fiery plunge back to Earth. It might even land in San Francisco, as current projections suggest. Northern California is in the region of "higher probability" for debris landing.

But don't worry just yet.

Scientists aren't sure where the space station will land after it make its "uncontrolled reentry" back to Earth around March. But Earthlings can rest a bit easier knowing there is only a small chance  1 in 10,000 odds  that whatever debris does make it through the atmosphere will crash into a populated area.

It's even less likely that it will strike a human.

"The probability that a specific person (i.e., you) will be struck by Tiangong-1 debris is about one million times smaller than the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot," reads a report from the Aerospace Corporation, a California nonprofit and federally-funded research organization. "In the history of spaceflight, no known person has ever been harmed by reentering space debris. Only one person has ever been recorded as being hit by a piece of space debris and, fortunately, she was not injured."

More for you Video captures 3-car crash as California drivers apparently watch SpaceX rocket

There is, however, some cause for concern. Tiangong-1 is "potentially" carrying an unknown amount of hydrazine, a chemical used in propellant. Hydrazine is "highly toxic and corrosive," according to Aerospace, and could potentially make it through the reentry process.

There's no way to know how much hydrazine is on board, but the group advises that in the event Tiangong-1 crashes into land and not in a body of water, people should stay away from the debris.

"For your safety, do not touch any debris you may find on the ground nor inhale vapors it may emit," Aerospace writes.

Ultimately, debris from the space station could actually prove useful for research purposes. As Business Insider points out, NASA discovered a working flight computer after the Columbia space shuttle crashed in 2003, which helped identify what went wrong.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.


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Starr Lamare said her face was so severely burned her kids were afraid of her after her boyfriend set her on fire over an argument at a coin laundry in San Francisco.

Some justice came on Thursday. After five years of pain and horror, her attacker, 27-year-old Dexter Oliver, was sentenced to 27 years in state prison for the Jan. 6, 2013, attack.

You turned my world upside down, Lamare, a 30-year-old mother of three, wrote in a victim impact statement before the sentencing. My kids were afraid of me. It took two months for my baby to come to me. I was afraid to go outside, afraid to be around people.

Lamare sat quietly in Judge Rene Navarros San Francisco courtroom, wiping away tears as Karima Baptiste of the district attorneys Victim Services Division read the statement to Oliver. Most of Lamares face and hands remain scarred from the attack, scars she will have for the rest of her life.

Life has been a struggle, Lamare wrote. I have to take medication every day. Im afraid to pump my gas. The flick of a lighter makes me flinch. I cant trust. I cant live properly. You robbed me of those things.

Oliver, who has three prior domestic violence convictions involving two other women, said nothing. He smiled as he walked into court and only looked over at his victim once, and without expression. He had pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Lamare last November.

Hell have a long time to reflect on his heinous act, Assistant District Attorney Sam Totah said after the hearing.

Prosecutors said Oliver attacked Lamare after an argument about clothes at a coin-operated laundry near their home in the Bayview.

Oliver filled up two baby bottles with gasoline, doused her and set her on fire. Police found Lamare screaming in the street at Hollister Avenue and Jennings Street, with life-threatening burns on her face and upper body.

Oliver was arrested in Oakland the day after the attack and charged with attempted murder and arson.

While she was treated at the Bothin Burn Center at St. Francis Memorial Hospital, Lamares case drew attention from Bay Area domestic violence victims advocates.

Its heinous. Were lucky she survived, said Beverly Upton of the San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium. Were glad to see some justice in this case.

Inspector John Keane with the San Francisco Police Departments Special Victims Unit has been working closely with Lamare over the past half-decade. He called the attack one of the worst incidents of domestic violence I have seen in over 25 years.

Lamare is still recovering from this incident and is incredibly strong and determined, he said Thursday.

Lamare said shes ready to move on.

You will no longer have power over me, she wrote to her attacker. All my hate I put in Gods hands.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
Members may download one copy of our sample forms and templates for your personal use within your organization. Please note that all such forms and policies should be reviewed by your legal counsel for compliance with applicable law, and should be modified to suit your organizations culture, industry, and practices. Neither members nor non-members may reproduce such samples in any other way (e.g., to republish in a book or use for a commercial purpose) without SHRMs permission. To request permission for specific items, click on the reuse permissions button on the page where you find the item.

Page Content California's myriad leave laws can make it difficult for employers to understand workers' eligibility for time offparticularly when it comes to pregnancy and baby-bonding leave. Here's what employers in the state should know.



Available Leave Using combined leave under several statutes, new mothers in California may be able to take up to seven months of job-protected leave. Depending on employer size and eligibility, the following leave laws may apply to California workers: The California Fair Employment and Housing Act's (FEHA's) Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) law.



The California Family Rights Act (CFRA).



The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).



California's New Parent Leave Act.

It can be challenging for HR professionals to understand how these laws work together and how to explain leave eligibility to employees in a way that makes sense, said Michelle Barrett Falconer, an attorney with Littler in San Francisco. She recommends that employers make a chart for each worker who is requesting leave, because the visual display may be helpful.

[SHRM members-only how-to guide: How to Manage Pregnancy-Related Leave in California]



Who Is Covered? An employer with five or more workers must provide up to four months of PDL when the worker is disabled due to pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition. Except when it comes to pregnancy, CFRA leave and FMLA leave generally run concurrently. For example, they will run together if an employee needs time off to treat his or her own illness or to care for a sick family member. Both statutes apply to employers with 50 or more workers within a 75-mile radius of one another and provide up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave to employees who have worked for their employer for at least a year and for at least 1,250 hours in the past year. While both the CFRA and the FMLA provide for baby-bonding leave (for mothers and fathers), only the FMLA covers pregnancy disability leave. Therefore, leave under these statutes doesn't run concurrently for pregnancy leave. Instead, PDL and FMLA leave will run concurrently while the mother is disabled by the pregnancy; CFRA leave will kick in when the disability ends and the baby-bonding starts.

Employers may question why workers would need PDL when they have the CFRA to cover baby-bonding and the FMLA to cover pregnancy disability. "PDL came about before we had this notion of family and medical leave," Falconer said. "So it makes sense that the California version of the FMLA carved out pregnancy disability, because we already had a law covering it." As such, a California employee who is disabled by pregnancy may take up to four months of PDL followed by up to 12 weeks of baby-bonding leave under the CFRA, explained Robin Largent, an attorney with Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP in Sacramento. "Under the FMLA, the total leave time is 12 weeks, whether it be for pregnancy-related disability and/or baby-bonding reasons." It is important to note that smaller employers in Californiathose with 20-49 employeesnow must offer up to 12 weeks of baby-bonding leave to eligible workers under the New Parent Leave Act, which took effect on Jan. 1.



State Disability Insurance Workers in the state may also be eligible to receive up to six weeks of partial wage replacement through the state paid-family-leave insurance program. Employers and workers alike should understand that the program doesn't afford any job protections, but it allows employees to recover some wages from the state while taking certain leave, said Steve Hernandez, an attorney with Barnes & Thornburg in Los Angeles. "Employers should give employees notice of the availability of paid-family-leave insurance," Largent said. Furthermore, San Francisco employers with 20 or more employees must pay supplemental compensation to workers who are receiving paid-family-leave benefits for parental-leave purposes. The insurance plus the supplemental compensation must cover all of the employee's gross wages for the six-week eligibility period.



Additional Leave Employers should avoid having a policy with an absolute cap on the amount of leave employees may take for their own disability, Largent said. While the CFRA, the FMLA and the PDL law all set the maximum lengths of leave available under each statute, employers must keep in mind that they may be legally required to provide additional leave time as a reasonable accommodation under FEHA or the Americans with Disabilities Act. "The employer should engage in the interactive process with the employee and determine how much additional leave time is needed for the disability and whether the employer can reasonably accommodate that additional leave," she said.


Thanksgiving dining, carryout options are still available in Michiana

Want to take a break from the kitchen on Thanksgiving? We have some options and a reminder to support local businesses on Nov. 26.
Eric and Mary Grace Faulk welcomed their daughter Coker on New Year's Day at Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital
RUPERT  An Oregon man has been charged after police say he fired shots at an Idaho State Police troopers car during a chase waived his preliminary hearing in Minidoka County and his case was sent to district court.

Cody Lee Hinerman, 25, waived his right to a preliminary hearing in magistrate court on Wednesday, Lance Stevenson, Minidoka County prosecutor said in an email to the Times-News.

A date for his arraignment in district court has not been set.

Hinerman is charged with felony counts of eluding a police officer and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, according to court documents.

He was arrested in December after he fired three shots out of the drivers side window of his car after the Idaho State Police trooper tried to pull him over in rural Minidoka County on a routine traffic stop.

Officers said Hinerman drove faster than 90 mph and fired shots from a semi-automatic pistol as he turned a corner near First and K streets in Rupert.

The gun was recovered from the vehicle and shell casings were found in the street, police said.

Hinerman told police he was firing away from the trooper.

The trooper and a Minidoka County Sheriffs deputy pinned his car between their vehicles.

Hinerman had two passengers with him during the chase and they were questioned and released by police.
A Historic Launch

SpaceX

SpaceX launched its huge new Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time on Feb. 6, 2018. It is the most powerful U.S. rocket since NASA's mighty Saturn V! See photos of the powerful booster and its unusual payload - SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's personal Tesla Roadster electric car, here. This Image: The Falcon Heavy rocket stands at Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 28, 2017.

Success for SpaceX

SpaceX

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket takes off from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Feb. 6, 2018.

Falcon Heavy Launch

JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty

SpaceX's new Falcon Heavy rocket soars into the sky after a successful liftoff from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on Feb. 6, 2018.

The Falcon Flies Over Kennedy Space Center

Kim Shiflett/NASA

A view of the Falcon Heavy launch shows SpaceX's Horizontal Integration Facility at Kennedy Space Center.

Up, up and away!

Kim Shiflett/NASA

The Falcon Heavy rocket, which is essentially composed of three Falcon 9 rockets, soars into space.

Rocket Exhaust

Kim Shiflett/NASA

The rocket left a cloud of steam and exhaust as it took to the skies.

Falcon Heavy's Trail

SpaceX

A long-exposure photo of the Falcon Heavy rocket's first test launch on Feb. 6, 2018 shows the rocket's curved trajectory as it lifts off from Kennedy Space Center and heads toward low-Earth orbit.

Boosters Land

Kim Shiflett/NASA

Two of the boosters land at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station after the launch of SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center.

Boosters Land

SpaceX

...a closer look.

Double Touchdown!

SpaceX

Two side boosters of SpaceX's new Falcon Heavy rocket returned to Cape Canaveral for a glorious side-by-side landing shortly after the new megarocket launched on its maiden voyage on Feb. 6.

Falcon Heavy Launch

SpaceX

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket takes off from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Feb. 6, 2018.
Our bright neighboring star system, Alpha Centauri, could harbor an Earth-size planet  but new jumps in technology are needed for us to see it.

Technology in development could capture images from an Earth-size planet in the nearby Alpha Centauri system in the 2020s, new research suggests.

The new technique, presented Dec. 15 at the American Geophysical Union's annual meeting in New Orleans, could also help researchers see exoplanets in other systems with more than one star.

Although there's only one star in Earth's solar system, previous work found that two-thirds of so-called class G yellow dwarf stars (the group that includes our sun) are in multiple systems, or systems with two or more stars orbiting each other. Some known multiple systems are home to up to seven stars. [What Do We Know About Alpha Centauri?] Because multiple systems are common, they may be rich targets in the hunt for alien planets, according to Ruslan Belikov, an astrophysicist at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, and his colleagues. For example, the sun's closest neighbor, the Alpha Centauri system, possesses three stars and potentially multiple planets, such as the Earth-size Proxima Centauri b.

To capture images of an exoplanet, astronomers typically employ an instrument known as a coronagraph, which blocks out its star's glaring light, thus letting them seeany faint light reflected off or emitted from that world. When researchers want to directly image an exoplanet in a system that has more than one star, light from a star's companion may drown out their view of the planet even after they block the first star's light.

Astronomers have discovered an Earth-size planet orbiting one of the nearest stars in our galaxy. Learn more about Alpha Centauri in our full infographic. (Image credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com)

Although scientists could conceivably use more than one coronagraph to block out the light from all the stars in a multiple system, tiny imperfections within the components of a telescope would inevitably cause light to leak through a coronagraph, Belikov said. "This light is only a small fraction of the original star's light but can still overwhelm planets, which are much fainter still," he told Space.com.Belikov and his colleagues have developed a way to get around that issue and image exoplanets in multiple-star systems.

"We are developing the technology to search for Earth-like planets around other stars," Belikov said in an email. "If, when I was a kid, somebody told me that I would be doing this as an adult, I would not have believed it  in my mind, detecting Earth-like planets is 'Star Trek' science that rightly belongs in the 23rd century. But we are doing it now."

The new method the researchers have devised, known as the multi-star wavefront control, relies on deformable mirrors within telescopes that are used to bounce light from stars and planets onto sensors. These mirrors can alter the shape of their surfaces to correct for imperfections within the optical components of telescopes.

The new technique controls a deformable mirror "in a way that allows it to remove light from more than one star," Belikov said. The mirror can superimpose multiple shapes onto itself, each of which can factor out light from a star.

"It's a bit like when an audio speaker plays a symphony," Belikov said. "It uses its lower-frequency range to represent the cellos and the higher-frequency range to represent the violins. In our case, the cello would correspond to one star and the violin to the other."

A major advantage of this new system "is that it is compatible with many already-designed instruments," Belikov said. "A deformable mirror is all that's needed, which is almost always present with modern coronagraphs."

Ideally, "we hope to infuse our technology into future space telescopes to enable them to target Alpha Centauri and other binaries," Belikov said. "These range from small telescopes like ACESat or Project Blue that can be launched in the early 2020s, WFIRST in the mid-2020s, and LUVOIR or HabEx in the 2030s. There are also telescopes on the ground that can use this technology."

Belikov cautioned that any exoplanet pictures that researchers capture in the near future will not resolve details such as continents and oceans. "Rather, an image of another Earth will be a pale blue dot," he said. "However, there is a lot of information that we can discern from the spectrum of that dot, including signs of life."

Follow Charles Q. Choi on Twitter @cqchoi. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
John Hansen of Explore Apollo poses beside a SoundScriber, the only device that could play the analog recordings of thousands of hours of NASA's moon mission audio.

Almost 50 years after the first humans launched to the moon, researchers in Dallas have taken a new look at NASA's Apollo missions.

Or, more appropriately, a new listen.

Scientists at the University of Texas at Dallas have worked to make thousands of hours of previously-archived Apollo program audio accessible to the public, transferring and transcribing it from near-obsolete analog tapes. [Moon Memories: Thousands of Apollo Photos Released Online]

NASA recorded all the inflight and ground communications between the astronauts, mission controllers and backroom support specialists during the lunar flights of the late 1960s and early 1970s. While many of the Apollo crew members' calls and some of the replies from mission control are well known today, the majority of the conversations that made the missions not just possible, but the successes that they were, have gone almost entirely unheard by the public.

"When one thinks of Apollo, we gravitate to the enormous contributions of the astronauts," John Hansen, director and founder of the Center for Robust Speech Systems (CRSS) in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, said in a statement released by the University of Texas. "However, the heroes behind the heroesrepresent the engineers, scientists and specialists who brought their experience together collectively to ensure the success of the Apollo program."

In 2012, the researchers at the CRSS received a National Science Foundation grant to devise the speech-processing techniques needed to reconstruct and transform the NASA audio archive. The result, created in collaboration with the University of Maryland, is the "Explore Apollo" website that will provide the public with access to the recordings.

The project, five years in the making, was more complex than it might sound.

The original recordings were captured on more than 200 14-hour analog tapes, each with 30 tracks of audio of up to 35 people speaking. The Explore Apollo project members, including Hansen and a team of doctoral students, had to develop algorithms to process, recognize and analyze the audio to determine who said what and when.

First though, they needed a way to digitize the tapes. The only existing means to play the reels was something called a SoundScriber, a piece of audio equipment dating back to before the Apollo missions themselves.

"NASA pointed us to the SoundScriber," said Hansen, "and said do what you need to do."

The issue was that it could read only one track at a time. The user had to mechanically rotate a handle to move the tape read head from one track to another. At that rate, it would take at least 170 years to digitize just the Apollo 11 mission audio using the SoundScriber, said Hansen.

"We couldn't use that system, so we had to design a new one," Hansen stated. "We designed our own 30-track read head, and built a parallel solution to capture all 30 tracks at one time."

The Explore Apollo website will provide the public with full access to NASA's Apollo audio archives. (Image credit: University of Texas at Dallas via collectSPACE.com)

"This is the only solution that exists on the planet," he said. [Apollo 11's Vintage Tech: The Most Amazing Moon Landing Innovations]

Once they the tapes could be read, the next challenge was understanding the audio so it could be transcribed.

The Explore Apollo team had to create software that could detect speech activity, including tracking each person who was speaking, what they said and when. They also wanted to track speaker characteristics to help other researchers analyze how people react in tense situations.

In addition, the tapes included audio from various channels that needed to be placed in chronological order. And they included a vocabulary that was unique to the situation.

Commercial speech recognition software was ill-equipped to recognize the myriad of NASA acronyms and spacecraft terminology.

"We drew from thousands of books and manuscripts from NASA," Hansen told KERA Public Radio. "We pulled close to 4.5 billion words from NASA archives of text in order to build a language model that would characterize the types and words that they would use for the Apollo missions."

"Without that, the speech recognition would never be able to work on this data," he said.

The Explore Apollo website currently presents a sample of the processed audio from Apollo 11, the first moon landing. When complete, the project will encompass the audio from all of Apollo 11, as well as most of the Apollo 13, Apollo 1 and Gemini 8 missions.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2018 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the secretive Zuma spacecraft is seen at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in November 2017. The mission will now launch on Jan. 7, 2018.

SpaceX has pushed back the launch of the mysterious Zuma spacecraftfor the U.S. government to no earlier than Sunday (Jan. 7).

A Falcon 9 rocket will launch the secret Zuma mission from SpaceX's pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch window opens Sunday at 8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT).

SpaceX announced the new flight target for Zuma late Thursday (Jan. 4), one day after saying that the mission, which was initially set for a Jan. 4 liftoff, was near ready to launch on Friday (Jan. 5). SpaceX representatives said additional fueling tests on the Falcon 9 were performed Wednesday and Thursday. [SpaceX's Secret Zuma Launch: Here's What We Know]

"Team at the Cape completed additional propellant loading tests today," SpaceX representatives wrote on Twitter Thursday. "Extreme weather slowed operations but Falcon 9 and the Zuma spacecraft are healthy and go for launchnow targeting January 7 from Pad 40 in Florida."

The "extreme weather" cited may refer to the unseasonably cold weather that hit Florida during the "bomb cyclone" winter storm that pummeled the U.S. East Coast this week.

The Zuma mission has been delayed since last November, when SpaceX stood down to review data from payload-fairing tests on a separate Falcon 9 rocket for a different launch customer. The payload fairing is the protective nose cone atop a rocket that shrouds a payload during the launch into space.

SpaceX has not disclosed the nature of the Zuma spacecraft, only that it is being launched for the U.S. government under a deal arranged by the aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman. Northrop Grumman representatives have confirmed that Zuma will launch into a low-Earth orbit, rather than a higher, geosynchronous orbit. SpaceX representatives have also said that the Falcon 9 rocket will land its first stage back on Earth after the mission. That landing will touch down at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Zuma will mark SpaceX's third classified launch for the U.S. government. The company launched a secret spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office in May 2017, and then launched the U.S. Air Force's robotic X-37B space plane on a secret mission in September.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original story onSpace.com .




Latest Movie News (What is this?)





New Sneak Peek

Sneak Peeks + New TV spot

Featurette

New TV Spot

New TV Spot

New TV Spot

3rd February 2019 - SuperBowl TV Spot

2nd February 2019 - Sneak Peek + TV Spot

16th January 2019 - Character Posters

50 Days. See Marvel Studios #CaptainMarvel in theaters March 8th, and check out these brand-new character posters. (1/3)



Get tickets now: https://t.co/5ULr8WMKAX pic.twitter.com/fVXN8aEiNy  Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) January 16, 2019

50 Days. See Marvel Studios #CaptainMarvel in theaters March 8th, and check out these brand-new character posters. (2/3)



Get tickets now: https://t.co/5ULr8WMKAX pic.twitter.com/IEVSvqGihA  Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) January 16, 2019

50 Days. See Marvel Studios #CaptainMarvel in theaters March 8th, and check out these brand-new character posters. (3/3)



Get tickets now: https://t.co/5ULr8WMKAX pic.twitter.com/61pqRcBMka  Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) January 16, 2019

8th January 2019 - Featurette

8th January 2019 - Special Look TV Spot

7th January 2019 - 3 New Posters

Check out our exclusive artwork from @MarvelStudios' #CaptainMarvel and discover her power in Dolby Cinema! Get tix now: https://t.co/2xwS1QOBjl pic.twitter.com/oZlZUgfzFg  Dolby Cinema (@DolbyCinema) January 7, 2019

Are you ready for @MarvelStudios #CaptainMarvel in IMAX? Check out our exclusive artwork and get ready to immerse yourself in the MCU with up to 26% more picture, only in IMAX theatres. Tickets now on sale: https://t.co/HgEUbpN1Eb. @CaptainMarvel pic.twitter.com/jrGFClW6Ln  IMAX (@IMAX) January 7, 2019

29th December 2018 - Climb TV Spot

25th January 2018 - Born Free TV Spot

8th December 2018 - Brazil Comic-Con Poster

To all the fans who came to the Marvel Panel at Brazil Comic Con today, enjoy this exclusive poster!!!! Ill get you a drawing of Goose next time  #CapitaMarvel (via @BrieLarson) pic.twitter.com/tag0lgdPkx  Captain Marvel (@captainmarvel) December 8, 2018

4th December - New Trailer

2nd December 2018 - New Poster + Trailer 2 Coming Monday Night

Check out the new poster for Marvel Studios' #CaptainMarvel, and tune in to @ESPNs Monday Night Football to see the brand new trailer! pic.twitter.com/8yNrk8d7AA  Captain Marvel (@captainmarvel) December 3, 2018

Synopsis





Source: Marvel Set in the 1990s, Marvel Studios' "Captain Marvel" is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that follows the journey of Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe's most powerful heroes. While a galactic war between two alien races reaches Earth, Danvers finds herself and a small cadre of allies at the center of the maelstrom.

18th September 2018 - Official trailer + Teaser Poster

5th September 2018 - First Look Promotional Photos

Source:

5th September 2018 - Brie Larson EW Cover

9th May 2018 - Annette Bening Joins Cast

Annette Bening is signing on for her first comic book movie.



The four-time Oscar nominee is joining Brie Larson in Captain Marvel, Marvel Studios first female-led feature film.



Details on Benings character are being kept hidden deep in the Kree Empire but scientist is said to be in her job description.



Source: The Hollywood Reporter Annette Bening is signing on for her first comic book movie.The four-time Oscar nominee is joining Brie Larson in Captain Marvel, Marvel Studios first female-led feature film.Details on Benings character are being kept hidden deep in the Kree Empire but scientist is said to be in her job description.

28th April 2018 - First Set Photos

26th March 2017 - Production Begins; Clark Gregg, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace & More Join Cast

Production has begun on Marvel Studios' @CaptainMarvel...@BrieLarson receives instructions from Brigadier General Jeannie Leavitt, 57th Wing Commander, on a recent visit to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada to research her character. pic.twitter.com/auLGXviDQE  Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) March 26, 2018



Carol Danvers soars onto the big screen with her own solo adventure, Marvel Studios Captain Marvel, on March 8, 2019!



Marvel Studios has begun principal photography in Los Angeles, California, on its newest film, Captain Marvel. The production is shooting in and around the greater Los Angeles area, which will also serve as the production base for the film. The production will also shoot on location in Fresno, California, as well as locations in Louisiana, including Baton Rouge and New Orleans.



Based on the Marvel comic character first appearing in 1968, the story follows Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universes most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.



Set for release in the United States on March 8, 2019, Marvel Studios Captain Marvel is directed by the writing/directing team of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. An all-star collective of accomplished writers penned the screenplay, including Meg LeFauve, Nicole Perlman, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Liz Flahive & Carly Mensch, and Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck.



The film stars Academy Award winner Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Algenis Perez Soto, Rune Temte, McKenna Grace, with Clark Gregg, and Jude Law.



Kevin Feige is the producer of Marvel Studios Captain Marvel. Louis DEsposito, Victoria Alonso, Jonathan Schwartz, Patty Whitcher and Stan Lee are executive producers, with Lars Winther serving as co-producer/first assistant director and David Grant serving as co-producer.



Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Flecks creative team includes director of photography Ben Davis, Oscar- nominated production designer Andy Nicholson, costume designer Sanja Hays, editors Elliot Graham and Debbie Berman, two-time Oscar nominee, visual effects supervisor Christopher Townsend, stunt coordinator Jim Churchman and six-time Oscar nominee, special effects supervisor Dan Sudick.



Source: Marvel Carol Danvers soars onto the big screen with her own solo adventure, Marvel Studios Captain Marvel, on March 8, 2019!Marvel Studios has begun principal photography in Los Angeles, California, on its newest film, Captain Marvel. The production is shooting in and around the greater Los Angeles area, which will also serve as the production base for the film. The production will also shoot on location in Fresno, California, as well as locations in Louisiana, including Baton Rouge and New Orleans.Based on the Marvel comic character first appearing in 1968, the story follows Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universes most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Set for release in the United States on March 8, 2019, Marvel Studios Captain Marvel is directed by the writing/directing team of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. An all-star collective of accomplished writers penned the screenplay, including Meg LeFauve, Nicole Perlman, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Liz Flahive & Carly Mensch, and Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck.The film stars Academy Award winner Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Algenis Perez Soto, Rune Temte, McKenna Grace, with Clark Gregg, and Jude Law.Kevin Feige is the producer of Marvel Studios Captain Marvel. Louis DEsposito, Victoria Alonso, Jonathan Schwartz, Patty Whitcher and Stan Lee are executive producers, with Lars Winther serving as co-producer/first assistant director and David Grant serving as co-producer.Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Flecks creative team includes director of photography Ben Davis, Oscar- nominated production designer Andy Nicholson, costume designer Sanja Hays, editors Elliot Graham and Debbie Berman, two-time Oscar nominee, visual effects supervisor Christopher Townsend, stunt coordinator Jim Churchman and six-time Oscar nominee, special effects supervisor Dan Sudick.

16th March 2018 - Lashana Lynch in Final Negotiations to Replace DeWanda Wise

Lashana Lynch is in final negotiations to replace DeWanda Wise in Captain Marvel, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.



The English actress would be joining the Marvel Studios feature after Wise had to drop out of the project due to scheduling conflicts with the second season of Netflix and Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It.



Marvel could not be reached for comment.



Source: The Hollywood Reporter Lashana Lynch is in final negotiations to replace DeWanda Wise in Captain Marvel, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.The English actress would be joining the Marvel Studios feature after Wise had to drop out of the project due to scheduling conflicts with the second season of Netflix and Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It.Marvel could not be reached for comment.

15th March 2018 - DeWanda Wise Exits Over Scheduling Conflicts

DeWanda Wise is no longer attached to Disneys Captain Marvel, the MCU superhero tentpole that stars Brie Larson. Scheduling conflicts with her Netflix series Shes Gotta Have It are the culprit here, were told by sources close to the production.



Source: Deadline DeWanda Wise is no longer attached to Disneys Captain Marvel, the MCU superhero tentpole that stars Brie Larson. Scheduling conflicts with her Netflix series Shes Gotta Have It are the culprit here, were told by sources close to the production.

26th February 2018 - Gemma Chan Joins Cast as Minn-Erva

EXCLUSIVE: Another piece of Captain Marvel casting has fallen into place. Humans star Gemma Chan is set to play Minn-Erva in the Disney/Marvel superhero movie that stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel. Per the comics-verse, Minn-Erva (aka Doctor Minerva) is a Kree geneticist and spy.



Plot details are being kept underwraps for the first female-led superhero project under Disneys MCU. It will center on Danvers, an Air Force pilot who debuted in the comics in 1968 as a human companion to the original Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell). When her DNA was fused with that of an alien during an accident, the resulting alteration imbued her with the superpowers of strength, energy projection and flight. Minn-Erva has similar powers.



Source: Deadline EXCLUSIVE: Another piece of Captain Marvel casting has fallen into place. Humans star Gemma Chan is set to play Minn-Erva in the Disney/Marvel superhero movie that stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel. Per the comics-verse, Minn-Erva (aka Doctor Minerva) is a Kree geneticist and spy.Plot details are being kept underwraps for the first female-led superhero project under Disneys MCU. It will center on Danvers, an Air Force pilot who debuted in the comics in 1968 as a human companion to the original Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell). When her DNA was fused with that of an alien during an accident, the resulting alteration imbued her with the superpowers of strength, energy projection and flight. Minn-Erva has similar powers.

25th January 2018 - First Set Photos Show Brie Larson in Costume

4th January 2018 - DeWanda Wise to Co-Star

EXCLUSIVE: Shes Gotta Have It star DeWanda Wise has landed a co-star role opposite Brie Larson in Captain Marvel, the Anna Boden-Ryan Fleck-directed Marvel superhero pic. Shell co-star opposite Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law and Ben Mendelsohn. Wise takes the role just as Netflix renewed for a second season Shes Gotta Have It, the series adaptation of Spike Lees breakthrough film about a woman balancing a life with three lovers.



Source: Deadline EXCLUSIVE: Shes Gotta Have It star DeWanda Wise has landed a co-star role opposite Brie Larson in Captain Marvel, the Anna Boden-Ryan Fleck-directed Marvel superhero pic. Shell co-star opposite Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law and Ben Mendelsohn. Wise takes the role just as Netflix renewed for a second season Shes Gotta Have It, the series adaptation of Spike Lees breakthrough film about a woman balancing a life with three lovers.

22nd November 2017 - Jude Law in Negotiations to Play Male Lead

Jude Law is in negotiations to play the male lead opposite Brie Larson in Marvels Captain Marvel, sources tell Variety.



Ben Mendelsohn is on board to play the villain with Half Nelson helmers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck directing. Kevin Feige is producing.

Source: Variety Jude Law is in negotiations to play the male lead opposite Brie Larson in Marvels Captain Marvel, sources tell Variety.Ben Mendelsohn is on board to play the villain with Half Nelson helmers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck directing. Kevin Feige is producing.

24th October 2017 - Ben Mendelsohn Eyed for Villain Role

Captain Marvel directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck are in talks with their Mississippi Grind star Ben Mendelsohn for the superhero films villain.



Mendelsohn would play the films main antagonist, which would likely be the leader of the Skrulls. Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige teased earlier this year that the creatures would be featured in the film.



Brie Larson is set to star in title role with Kevin Feige producing. Marvel had no comment on the casting.



Geneva Robertson-Dworet wrote the most recent script with Inside Out scribe Meg LeFauve and Nicole Perlman penning previous drafts, which follows Carol Danvers, an Air Force pilot whose DNA is fused with that of an alien during an accident. The resulting alteration imbues her with the superpowers of strength, energy projection, and flight.

Source: Variety Captain Marvel directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck are in talks with their Mississippi Grind star Ben Mendelsohn for the superhero films villain.Mendelsohn would play the films main antagonist, which would likely be the leader of the Skrulls. Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige teased earlier this year that the creatures would be featured in the film.Brie Larson is set to star in title role with Kevin Feige producing. Marvel had no comment on the casting.Geneva Robertson-Dworet wrote the most recent script with Inside Out scribe Meg LeFauve and Nicole Perlman penning previous drafts, which follows Carol Danvers, an Air Force pilot whose DNA is fused with that of an alien during an accident. The resulting alteration imbues her with the superpowers of strength, energy projection, and flight.

15th August 2017 - Geneva Robertson-Dworet to Write Script EXCLUSIVE: Marvel has set Geneva Robertson-Dworet to take over and write the script for Captain Marvel, the Brie Larson-starrer that will be directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Mississippi Grind). Meg LeFauve & Nicole Perlman originally were set to write the script, but LeFauve had to leave to direct the Disney Animation pic Gigantic with Nathan Greno.



That creates a big opportunity for Robertson-Dworet, whose script credits include the upcoming Tomb Raider pic for MGM that stars Alicia Vikander and Gotham City Sirens, an expansion of the Suicide Squad franchise which David Ayer is looking to direct with Margot Robbie reprising her role as Harley Quinn for Warner Bros.

Source: Deadline EXCLUSIVE: Marvel has set Geneva Robertson-Dworet to take over and write the script for Captain Marvel, the Brie Larson-starrer that will be directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Mississippi Grind). Meg LeFauve & Nicole Perlman originally were set to write the script, but LeFauve had to leave to direct the Disney Animation pic Gigantic with Nathan Greno.That creates a big opportunity for Robertson-Dworet, whose script credits include the upcoming Tomb Raider pic for MGM that stars Alicia Vikander and Gotham City Sirens, an expansion of the Suicide Squad franchise which David Ayer is looking to direct with Margot Robbie reprising her role as Harley Quinn for Warner Bros.

Talking about #CaptainMarvel. Set in early 1990s. Showing amazing CM concept art. Fury will have 2 eyes in it. #MarvelSDCC  Ryan Penagos (@AgentM) July 23, 2017

Omg!! #CaptainMarvel is set in the 90's and the #Skrulls will be the villains!! So ready for @brielarson to embody this role. pic.twitter.com/zCcL8b6Y5k  Jim Phan (@JimPhan91) July 23, 2017



Source: Deadline Rumors began popping up on the fanboy sites over the Independence Day holiday that Samuel L. Jackson was reprising his role as Avengers architect and recruiter Nick Fury in Disney/Marvels Captain Marvel. Where theres smoke, theres fire, and we hear its true that Jackson will be making an appearance in the movie.





During Marvels press day this week, Kevin Feige said the film is slotted to go before cameras in February.

Source: Deadline Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, whose credits together include 2006s Half Nelson and writing and directing 2015s Mississippi Grind, have been tapped to direct Captain Marvel. Marvels first female-driven superhero movie stars Oscar-winner Brie Larson and already has a March 8, 2019 release date.During Marvels press day this week, Kevin Feige said the film is slotted to go before cameras in February.



24th August 2016 - Director Search Narrows





A decision won't be made anytime soon as Marvel is being very deliberate in its search, according to sources; the movie has a release date of March 8, 2019.



Sources caution that there may be names yet to surface. Marvel had no comment.



Brie Larson is attached to star as Carol Danvers, an Air Force pilot who gains powers after her DNA becomes fused with an alien after an accident. Guardians of the Galaxy's Nicole Perlman and Inside Out's Meg LeFauve wrote the script.



Insiders tell THR that the next stage will involve Marvel giving a treatment and documents to the directors in order to prepare a detailed presentation.



The three contenders were whittled from a shortlist of about a handful of contenders, which also included Jennifer Kent, the helmer of the indie horror hit The Babadook, and Jennifer Yuh, the director of Kung Fu Panda 2. Marvel has made finding a woman to direct the movie key in the search.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter Niki Caro, Lesli Linka Glatter and Lorene Scafaria are on the shortlist for the highly-coveted job of helming Marvel Studio's first female-centric superhero movie, several sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.A decision won't be made anytime soon as Marvel is being very deliberate in its search, according to sources; the movie has a release date of March 8, 2019.Sources caution that there may be names yet to surface. Marvel had no comment.Brie Larson is attached to star as Carol Danvers, an Air Force pilot who gains powers after her DNA becomes fused with an alien after an accident. Guardians of the Galaxy's Nicole Perlman and Inside Out's Meg LeFauve wrote the script.Insiders tell THR that the next stage will involve Marvel giving a treatment and documents to the directors in order to prepare a detailed presentation.The three contenders were whittled from a shortlist of about a handful of contenders, which also included Jennifer Kent, the helmer of the indie horror hit The Babadook, and Jennifer Yuh, the director of Kung Fu Panda 2. Marvel has made finding a woman to direct the movie key in the search.





24th July 2016 - New Logo

The final logo reveal from Hall H at #SDCC - #CaptainMarvel! pic.twitter.com/hraXy76zmi  Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 24, 2016





24th July 2016 - Brie Larson Cast

Captain Marvel is here!!! BRIE LARSON CONFIRMED FOR @captainmarvel!!!! #MarvelSDCC  Ryan Penagos (@AgentM) July 24, 2016





2nd June 2016 - Brie Larson Is The Frontrunner For The Lead Role





Sources tell Variety Marvel is in early talks with Larson to play Captain Marvel in the studios standalone project. It is unknown where things stand in negotiations but sources have told Variety she is the choice and Larson is leaning towards playing the part.



No director is currently on board. Marvel, however, had always planned to have an actress lined up early, with the idea of possibly introducing her in one of its upcoming films before its Captain Marvel movie bows.

Source: Variety After her Oscar-winning turn in Room, Brie Larson may be ready to step into the shoes of Marvels most popular female superhero.Sources tell Variety Marvel is in early talks with Larson to play Captain Marvel in the studios standalone project. It is unknown where things stand in negotiations but sources have told Variety she is the choice and Larson is leaning towards playing the part.No director is currently on board. Marvel, however, had always planned to have an actress lined up early, with the idea of possibly introducing her in one of its upcoming films before its Captain Marvel movie bows.



2nd June 2015 - Rumor - Charlize Theron Being Courted For Lead Role Due To Friendship With Angelina Jolie





The duo are even hoping to work together on Captain Marvel, the comic giant's upcoming first female-led superhero film.



The source said: "Marvel has been courting Angie to direct the project and Charlize is a clear fan favourite for the starring role. If Charlize were to get the part, Angie would almost certainly sign on to work with her new pal."

Source: Yahoo Movies Charlize Theron has formed a close friendship with Angelina Jolie. The insider told US OK! magazine: "The girls realised that they have a very similar outlook on life and quickly bonded over everything from their adopted children to their prospective Hollywood projects."The duo are even hoping to work together on Captain Marvel, the comic giant's upcoming first female-led superhero film.The source said: "Marvel has been courting Angie to direct the project and Charlize is a clear fan favourite for the starring role. If Charlize were to get the part, Angie would almost certainly sign on to work with her new pal."



8th February 2015 - Rumor - Marvel Wants Angelina Jolie To Direct



Source: OK! Magazine - February 2015 Issue Captain Marvel, centering on super-heroine Carol Danvers, is set to become the First Female-centric film from the comic studio, so it makes sense that execs want a woman behind the camera too: Angelina Jolie! An insider reveals that bosses at Disney-owned Marvel were so impressed with Unbroken that theyre offering Angie $20 million for the gig. Having a female director is a priority for them, explains the source, adding that Angie is thrilled by the offer. She never thought shed be in such huge demand as a director, and to be courted by Marvel after the Sony fiasco is a huge pat on the back.



28th October 2014 - Marvel Studios Announces Film

#MarvelEvent News: Marvel's "Captain Marvel" (Carol Danvers) film | July 6, 2018 http://t.co/k5iRCO5RB0 pic.twitter.com/i9NZqI0kJT  Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) October 28, 2014



Source: Marvel

Thanks to Ivan for the heads up.Thanks to Ivan for the heads up.Thanks to Ivan for the heads up.Thanks to Ivan for the heads up.Thanks to Ivan for the heads up.More photos at the source
Set in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (a.k.a. The Mother Court), the new Shondaland series show follows six talented young lawyers working on opposite sides of the law and handling the most high-profile and high-stakes federal cases in the country.Best friends Sandra Bell (Britt Robertson) and Allison Adams (Jasmin Savoy Brown) serve as public defenders alongside Jay Simmons (Wesam Keesh) and their boss, Federal Public Defender Jill Carlan (Hope Davis). They face off against prosecutors Seth Oliver (Ben Rappaport), Leonard Knox (Rege-Jean Page), Kate Littlejohn (Susannah Flood) and their supervisor, chief of the Criminal Division in the U.S. Attorneys Office, Roger Gunn (Ben Shenkman). Our lawyers are joined by Judge Nicholas Byrne (Vondie Curtis-Hall), who rules on some of the courts most controversial cases, and Tina Krissman (Anna Deavere Smith), the formidable clerk of Court who keeps everyone in line.These young lawyers will be put to the test both personally and professionally as their lives intersect in and out of Americas most prestigious trial court.For The People stars Britt Robertson as Sandra Bell, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Allison Adams, Ben Rappaport as Seth Oliver, Susannah Flood as Kate Littlejohn, Wesam Keesh as Jay Simmons, Rege-Jean Page as Leonard Knox, Ben Shenkman as Roger Gunn, Hope Davis as Jill Carlan, Vondie Curtis-Hall as Judge Nicholas Byrne and Anna Deavere Smith as Tina Krissman.The series from ABC Studios is created by Shondalands Paul William Davies, who executive produces alongside Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers and Tom Verica .
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We bring you a comprehensive and up to date spoiler service on all the major US TV shows and Movies. You can find specific show content by clicking the menu system at the top of the screen. We scour the Internet for spoilers as well as posting our own exclusive spoilers (Scripts, Casting Calls, Set Photos etc) as well as recaps and other fun articles and polls. We hope you enjoy your stay.




B ritains energy giants seldom find theyre in favour, but investors gave them the thumbs up on Friday as they helped lead the Footsies surge.

British Gas-owner Centrica and United Utilities have been treated like political footballs in recent years with Labour proposing to regain control of energy supply networks should Jeremy Corbyn win the next election.

The Tories have been equally hostile  promising to cap energy bills.

But despite the political criticism, analysts at Credit Suisse have spotted an opportunity. Since the EU referendum Centricas share price has fallen 40%, whereas over the past 18 months the sector has dropped 25% as whole.

Credit Suisse analyst Mark Freshney said: Centrica and SSE have underperformed to the extent that the UK domestic energy supply businesses come almost free, in our view.

Freshney was also keen to play down the political risks, adding: Should there be a Labour-led government then re-nationalisation would be difficult. The spread of the 147 billion of regulated assets across debt and equity investors would require compensation. Credit Suisse now expects Centrica to outperform and shares rose 2.7p to 144.5p. SSE, which is merging its UK domestic business with NPower, was up 6.6p to 1306p. United Utilities was upgraded to neutral and shares climbed 11.2p to 811p.

The rally in utilities helped the FTSE 100 hit a fresh intra-day day, up 23.14 points at 7720.31.

Broker upgrades were coming thick and fast, with Anglo American shares climbing after Jefferies handed the miner a Buy recommendation.

Analyst Christopher LaFemina said: Mining sector fundamentals are very strong because of serious supply constraints at existing mines, a lack of supply growth from new projects, stable Chinese demand, and improving demand in the rest of the world. Investors were cheered and Anglos stock rose 17.8p to 1623p.

In the airline sector, easyJet saw passenger numbers rise despite heavy snowfall forcing 500 cancellations in December. In total 5.9 million people flew on its planes in the month, a rise of 5.5% on 2016. This week rival airline Ryanair reported a 3% jump in traffic over the Christmas period. Shares in easyJet ticked up 7p to 1517p.

Outside the top flight, Ultra Electronics was the major loser after news of a delay to the UK defence review.

Shares in the defence and aerospace technology provider fell 10.7p to 1283p: BAE, Chemring and Cobham also all saw falls.

Guitar seller Gear4music shares were also down 22p at 750p, despite announcing sales jumped 42% to 34.6 million in the four months to 31 December.

But shares in engineering firm Keller climbed 41p to 1000p thanks to President Donald Trump. US tax reform is expected to see the groups tax rate drop to 29% from 34% and analysts at Peel Hunt slapped an upgrade on the stock.


LINCOLN COUNTY  A 35-year-old man was arrested Wednesday night for having sexual contact with a child, the Lincoln County Sheriff said.

Arturo Sanchez faces two counts of lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor. He was arrested at his home without incident and booked into the Jerome County Jail, according to the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office.

The arrest was the result of a two-month investigation, Sheriff Rene Rodriguez said. Rodriguez was unable to provide further details on the nature or timeline of the allegations.

Lincoln County prosecuting attorney E. Scott Paul did not immediately return a call for comment.
M illionaire dealmaker Guy Hands has scrapped a dividend from his Terra Firma company as he gears up for a crunch fund-raising drive this year.

The City veteran, who set up the UK-based firm to run his buyout funds, received no payout for the year ending March 2017 after trousering 3.5 million in 2016, fresh accounts show.

The staff wage bill declined by a fifth to 11.4 million, equivalent to 134,470 per person, after the firm replaced annual cash bonuses with long-term payout schemes. There were 85 staff up from 80.

The pay of the highest-remunerated director, who was not named, fell to less than 400,000 from 720,000.

Hands (pictured) has received unwelcome attention after a bitter court battle over the disastrous takeover of EMI and problems at care homes chain Four Seasons blotted the arch-dealmakers copy book.

The poor performance of his third fund, which included EMI and Four Seasons, has led many investors to shy away from backing the funds chief.

However, he also has a small army of loyal investors who value the success of his first two funds and two add-on funds, which have helped deliver back 20 billion (17.8 billion) since 1994.

Since the low point of his third fund amid the financial crisis, Hands has sought to shake up Terra Firma by hiring a new chief executive, Andrew Geczy, and former Sainsburys boss Justin King.

The pay overhaul is designed to get the group match-fit as it looks to raise its first money from investors this year. Turnover dropped to 22.5 million from 24.6 million and pre-tax profits declined to 2 million from 2.4 million.

The firm declined to comment.
W hats the point of a good winter TV drama? I mean, apart from getting us through another dry January evening without hurling lukewarm Ovaltine at the cat? Entertainment, yes. But a good show should give us something to talk about  to get our teeth into.

The high-budget BBC drama McMafia certainly does that. Alongside the obvious attractions  the glamorous sets, James Norton looking like the next 007  it rips the lid off Russian dirty money, people-trafficking, forgery and the underbelly of todays London.

We already know that Moscows criminal class has become embedded here. Dangerous men who made suspicious fortunes after the break-up of the Soviet Union stride the streets of Mayfair. Like McMafias Dimitri, whose vodka sweats steam from the screen, their children go to posh English schools.

We know of suspicious real-life Russian-connected deaths in Britain  Boris Berezovsky, Alexander Litvinenko  and of more mysterious heart attacks and suicides. We know from the Paradise Papers and other leaks how the London-centred network of global tax-evasion works.

We know, because excellent writers, including Misha Glenny, whose book provided the basis for this series, have warned us of the danger of London becoming the centre for money- laundering.

So when the opening credits roll for McMafia, we feel we are being taken by a familiar hand into cold shadows that are, really, all around us. I dont believe the story is overblown: it is rooted in facts that we dont think enough about.

McMafia - In pictures 1 /13 McMafia - In pictures James Norton as Alex Godman BBC/Cuba/Nick Wall Aleksey Serebryakov as Dimitri, James Norton as Alex, Maria Shukshina as Oksana, Faye Marsay as Katya and Juliet Rylance as Rebecca BBC WorldWide James Norton as Alex Godman BBC/Cuba/Nick Wall Traffickers in the desert BBC/Cuba/Nikola Predovic Juliet Rylance as Rebecca Harper BBC/Cuba/Nick Wall Sofia Lebdeva as Lyudmilla Nikolayevna BBC/Cuba/Nick Wall James Norton as Alex Godman BBC/Cuba/Nick Wall Faye Marsay as Katya and James Norton as Alex Godman BBC/Cuba/Nick Wall Karel Roden as Karel Benes BBC/Cuba/Nick Wall Sofia Lebdeva as Lyudmilla Nikolayevna BBC/Cuba/Nikola Predovic

However. Nevertheless. On the other hand. There is a real danger here. We are coming close to demonising not Russian thugs but Russians and Russia generally. Just as it ever was. The new bogeyman is the old bogeyman.

The Russians are different. They went through a long political trauma, barely imaginable to smug London, as their totalitarian regime collapsed. Millions went hungry. Millions more, sold the prospect of a consumer paradise on the Volga, eventually lost all hope in progress. With the enthusiastic support of Western advisers, great bleeding hunks of their economy  mines, oil fields, energy networks, airlines  were carved up and sold at knock-down prices to former officials. In the economic wasteland left behind, tens of thousands of unemployed former security officials, spies and military officers found themselves out of work. Is it surprising that a bigger than usual mafia established itself in Russia? Not in the least. It says nothing about Russians as a people and everything about the consequences of tragic economic collapse. But it is playing into a wider anti-Russian paranoia.

Back home, Vladimir Putin is busy rebuilding Russian military might. Defence analysts warn, in the gravest terms, about the dangers posed by the latest Russian Armata tank.

Chief of the defence staff Sir Stuart Peach made headlines a fortnight ago after warning of the danger of Russian submarines cutting vital cables connecting Britain to the rest of the world. And then theres Crimea. And Ukraine. And those damned fake-news-spewing bots. The Russians are accused of interfering not just in the US presidential race but in our own Brexit referendum and in a series of EU elections.

Thats not paranoia. Every intelligent democracy must defend itself against possible threats. Britain is spending, in Western terms, quite a lot on defence but we should probably be spending more. Its right that Britain, like the US, is bolstering its military presence on the eastern borders of the EU to try to reassure allies such as the Baltic states and Poland. And yes, in the 21st century, our defences against cyber attack are going to become more important.

The trouble is that a combination of the McMafia narrative, Kremlin-sponsored attempts to destabilise elections and Putins adventurism, including in Syria, is persuading us that modern Russia poses some kind of existentialist threat  that were living back in the Cold War. We are not.

First, the Russians are like us in many ways  earthy, patriotic, with a strong Christian tradition, and a healthy scepticism for their own rulers. They are less liberal than modern western Europeans and probably more suspicious of outsiders. But unlike, for instance, Islamic State, they dont wish to annihilate our civilisation.

We must not forget this. Stalinist ideology required the Soviet state to at least pretend to believe that it was going to spread Marxism across the globe. Vladimir Putin is an authoritarian, nationalist leader who uses exaggerated threats about Russias rivals to keep himself cemented in power  but he is not Stalin, or even Khrushchev.

I speak as an unabashed and enthusiastic lover of most things Russian. In the grandeur of their ancient architecture; in the magnificence of their musical, dance and painting traditions; and in the unparalleled brilliance of their literature, from the 19th-century novelists through to the dissident poets and the extraordinary Vasily Grossman, whose Life and Fate is a War and Peace for modern times.

Our life here in London would be poorer without them. Classical orchestras would be more meagre. We would have fewer recitals, less dancing and we would miss out on stupendous visual shows. Most recently, the Scythians exhibition at the British Museum, which came from St Petersburg, showed us an entire culture, which lasted for almost a millennium, about which we knew next to nothing.

All I am asking is that we remember some of this, alongside the existence of ruthless businessmen and a bit of Kremlin-inspired mischief- making. The Russians are not, particularly, our friends. But they are a great people who are not spending their time thinking how to destroy us. They deserve respect, not demonisation.


W hile 2017 was the year of solo travel, it seems the travel scape is about to change dramatically.

This year it's all about the adventure holiday, exploring new places and challenging yourself to do and try new things.

Below, 10 travel experts predict exactly what 2018 will have in store for everything from flight to hotels to what Millennials are up to.

State of travel

Kate Kenward, executive director, Association of Independent Tour Operators

According to our Travel Insight Survey of 25,000 UK travellers, British holidaymakers are getting much more active on holiday, with beach breaks being overtaken in popularity by wildlife and walking holidays. Short city breaks are preferred too.

Learning a new skill abroad is gaining momentum  I think well see increases in expert-led study tours, gastronomy and wine tours. Rail, cruising and wellness holidays are also going to get more popular. Iceland is gaining in popularity, as are island holidays in general.

Hot travel destinations for 2018 - in pictures 1 /13 Hot travel destinations for 2018 - in pictures Andaman Islands Shutterstock / TOWANDA1961 Valletta, Malta Shutterstock / funkyfrogstock Arizona Portugal's Alentejo region Shutterstock / Serg Zastavkin Belize Caye Caulker Shutterstock / Aleksandar Todorovic Cambridge Shutterstock / iLongLoveKing Antwerp, Belgium Shutterstock / Dennis van de Water Belfast, Northern Ireland Titanic Building, Belfast Lonely Planet Costa Brava, Spain Cadaques JoaquinAranoa/Pixabay Tallinn, Estonia Shutterstock / Lysogor Roman

Hotels

Filip Boyen, CEO, Small Luxury Hotels of the World

Were all aware of the experience economy, with consumers increasingly opting for memorable experiences rather than luxury items. I think affluent travellers will be looking to get their hands dirty with hands-on luxury experiences, allowing them to createperu enriching, evocative memories for themselves.

From creating their own ambience to designing their dinner  or even choosing the destination of the worlds first wandering hotel  these independently minded travellers will be co-designing and customising their hotel experiences, not least so they can share them on social media. Instagram will continue to be hugely important as a showcase for hotels wares.

Flights

Jack Sheldon, Jacks Flight Club

Expect a continued rise of pay-for-what-you-use long-haul travel. Major international airlines will be doing everything possible to compete with the fast-growing long-haul budget airlines such as Norwegian and Thomas Cook Airlines  expect lower ticket classes with more rigid fare rules and no checked bags. The Skyteam airlines (KLM, Air France and Delta) will be the first major alliance to do this, starting in April on their transatlantic flights to North America.

Im also seeing more and more travellers willing to pay higher fares on ultra-long-haul direct routes in order to avoid stops, and airlines are launching new routes to accommodate them. Qantas will begin service on its non-stop flights between London and Perth in March, making it the longest flight (in distance covered) in the world. Singapore Airlines will be right behind it by re-introducing its direct route from New York to Singapore.

Kristin Addis travels to Slab City

Package holidays

Chris Mottershead, managing director, Thomas Cook UK

Recognising the value and peace of mind that booking with a tour operator offers in uncertain times, holidaymakers who wouldnt have previously considered booking a package holiday are now taking a second look.

Holidaymakers are also looking for a more personalised experience than ever before. They want the ability to unpack and personalise their package through services that can be bolted on. Linked to this, an increase in the number of boutique and design hotels on offer (that perhaps wouldnt have traditionally been associated with package holidays) are attracting a new kind of holidaymaker  one who places an emphasis on interior design and food. I expect this to continue in 2018, with millennials joining more traditional package holidaymakers.

Luxury

George Morgan-Grenville, founder

and CEO, premium tour operator

Red Savannah

For 2018 theres a clear trend towards discovery, especially places that were either relatively unknown or more difficult to access. Its bragging rights that will count  theres no kudos to be gained by telling everyone about mainstream travel.

Of huge interest for next year are places such as Kuelap in Northern Peru (larger than Machu Picchu) and Nicaragua as a whole  slightly wild, woolly and unspoilt, this is a country on the cusp of being properly discovered by tourists.

Kuelap, South America / Alamy Stock Photo

Millennials

Donna Jeavons, sales and marketing director, Contiki

We recently conducted a major study into the travel habits of nearly 3,000 18-35-year-olds and found that in 2018, millennials are most eager to explore their neighbouring countries (Spain topped the list). Its very likely that theyre keen to make the most of Britains current EU status before Brexit takes full effect.

Despite much talk of a Trump Slump, the US actually came in as the second-most popular destination for 2018. With the US dominating current affairs, events across the Atlantic have driven young Brits to engage with global politics. Travel is a big part of that engagement; 63 per cent of millennials we surveyed indicated that travel shaped their perspective of global politics. Civil Aviation Authority figures predict that there will be more than a million more Brits travelling to the States this year.

Staycations

Alex Wilson, co-founder, Host Unusual

The trend at the moment is for experience-based holidays, especially on staycations  people want to stay in unique, Instagram-friendly places such as underground bunkers, hobbit houses or a treehouse. Staycation demand is up by 70 per cent compared with 2016.

But in 2018 people are also looking for the authentic and secluded, so were also going to see more remote and wilderness areas such as Snowdonia, Dungeness and Skye increase in popularity. They want places that others are unlikely to have seen yet, and which offer the ultimate in escapism from everyday life.

Best treehouses - in pictures 1 /13 Best treehouses - in pictures Kaikoura, New Zealand Escape to New Zealand and head to the magical South Island where youll find an abundance of wildlife set against picture-perfect horizons. With an untouched coastline and epic mountain peaks, The Hapuku Lodge and Treehouses are not short of a good view or two.



363 per night coolstays.com Phuket, Thailand This wonderland of uniquely designed villas, each with a private pool, is set in the rainforest of Kamala on Phuket Island. At the resort, you'll find so many ways to relax, with a spa, a restaurant serving a broad range of delicious food, a wine cellar and each month several, different visiting practitioners offering sessions such as acupuncture, aromatherapy, Tibetan singing and shiatsu.



416 per night coolstays.com Crewkerne, Somerset Nestled in magical Somerset woodland and clad in local cedar, this cosy stay offers the thrill of being surrounded by nature in a way that is most definitely for grown-ups. The quirky escape is in fact the newest addition to a small idyllic yurt Glamping site near Crewkerne, with a Scandinavian-style interior that would make for a blissful retreat in itself.



120 per night coolstays.com Harads, Sweden If youre looking to escape the daily grind, look no further than Treehotel: a modern eco-hotel where the rooms are built high into the forest canopy. Treehotel consists of just 6 rooms and a sauna - well, it is in Sweden. Designed by some of Scandinavias leading architects, each room is completely unique.



313 per night coolstays.com Machynlleth, Wales Journey deep into the heart of the mysterious Welsh valleys and youll come across this secret, treetop neighbourhood filled with several cosy, wooden retreats.



169 per night coolstays.com Balian Beach, Bali Have the beach a stone's throw away in this beautiful tree-meets-pool house just three minutes away from Balian beach. A fitting retreat for luxury and adventure lovers alike.



57 per night airbnb.com Atlanta, USA Centrally located within the heart of intown Atlanta, this cluster of treehouses is a hidden gem. What could be better than falling asleep in the trees and waking up to birds singing around you - all within the city limits?



255 per night airbnb.com Bilpin, Australia Fancy staying amongst 600 acres of private wilderness in the Blue Mountains in a treehouse? This secluded accommodation offers just that for a back-to-nature experience in style, nestled between two National Parks & World Heritage listed rainforest.



524 per night airbnb.com Monte Verde, Brazil Suspended in the treetops Brazils Monte Verde, this treetop retreat is perfect for adventurers looking to cool down in European climates. Known as the Brazilian Swiss, this mountain village is a famous Alpine-like winter resort.



63 per night airbnb.com Florence, Tuscany This wooden hut forms part of an artist residency, immersed in the Tuscan landscape only twenty minutes from the Duomo and one hour from Siena.



207 per night airbnb.com

The Med

Chris Wright, managing director, Sunvil

The most important factor in developing travel trends is where tour operators and the no-frills carriers decide to allocate their flight and holiday capacity. For 2018, tour operators have poured hundreds of thousands more flight seats into Turkey, so expect dramatic increases in 2018. There should be a return to Tunisia, too, as the fear of terrorism subsides.

One trend that travellers really are at the forefront of is the desire to escape overcrowded destinations. This year, the more discerning market will be travelling to the lesser-known regions of Portugal such as the Alentejo and Centro, while Spain will be promoting inland regions such as western Andalucia, Extremadura, Castile and Leon and Galicia as they try to move visitors away from the honeypot areas at risk of being overrun by tourists.

Cruises

Daniel Townsley, CEO, Cruise1st.co.uk

I think well see a rise in longer-duration cruises with more complex itineraries in 2018. For example, its now easy to run three sailings together: crossing the Atlantic, sailing around Canada and New England or the Caribbean, and then back again. Theres no flying involved in a trip like this, thereby cancelling out any airport security or additional travel required in order to start your holiday.

Well see the start of more sophisticated technology onboard with virtual reality experiences, enhanced wi-fi at sea and the ditching of room keys in favour of a medallion or type of wrist-watch. Finally, more and more cruise lines will be working with celebrity chefs to provide a first-class culinary experience on board, with gastro-themed excursions provided, too.

Accessible travel

Srin Madipalli, accessibility product and program manager, Airbnb

Experiential travel has been a buzzword for a while now but I think next year will be all about the rise of the accessible experience. I think well not only see a shift in standard tours becoming more inclusive but also an increase in the number of disabled people creating their own accessible experiences  anything from leading accessible craft-beer tours to organising intimate gigs in accessible venues. At the moment, organising accessible excursions when travelling can be a real pain. Being able to book onto an accessible experience with an expert local guide would be a welcome change  and, I anticipate, hugely popular.
T he ex-wife of black cab rapist John Worboys has claimed he should never be freed from prison after the parole board recommended his release.

Jean Clayton warned the prolific sex attacker's "next step would have been murder", had he not been jailed indefinitely in 2008 for a string of assaults on female passengers.

A parole board decision that the 60-year-old should now be released after serving a minimum eight-year sentence was met with outrage from victims' groups and charities on Thursday.

Ms Clayton, 60, who was married to Worboys between 1991 and 1995, told The Sun: "I feel utter disgust. If he hadn't been caught and taken to court he would have murdered somebody. It's very scary. He was the biggest mistake of my life."

The mother-of-three said she ended their relationship after she caught him spying on her two daughters when they were teenagers.

One of them, Carrie-Ann, now 40, told the newspaper: "I caught him spying and he tried to give me massages. He was creepy, conniving.

"He made our family's life a misery. I can't imagine what these women are feeling. Nine years and out isn't justice. It's awful."

Charities have called the time served "woefully short" and said his release "beggars belief".

Worboys was found guilty of assaulting 12 women during an 18-month reign of terror in the capital.

But police said in 2010 that his alleged victims numbered 102 after more people came forward following his trial and conviction.

The allegations were investigated but no further action was taken on the advice of the Crown Prosecution Service, police said.

Many of Worboys' victims were young women who had been drinking in trendy nightspots in the West End and Chelsea.

The cabbie offered them Champagne spiked with powerful sedatives to celebrate a fictional lottery win, backed up with a carrier bag stuffed full of cash.

The drugs left the women insensible and unable to protect themselves as he pounced on them in the back of the vehicle.

In a statement on Thursday the parole board said: "We can confirm that a three member panel of the Parole Board has directed the release of Mr John Worboys, following an oral hearing.

"The arrangements for Mr Worboys' release will be managed by the Ministry of Justice."

As a serious sex offender Worboys is likely to face strict conditions upon release.

Sophie Walker, leader of the Women's Equality Party, said: "The parole board may have satisfied itself that he can be prevented from ruining even more lives, but that will come as little comfort to the more than 100 women who he is thought to have attacked."

Sarah Green, from the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said: "The decision to release John Worboys beggars belief. It is likely to be the product of a justice system and a society that cannot and perhaps will not deal with rape."
A man who killed three of his partners has been jailed at the Old Bailey for a minimum of 26 years .

Violent and "controlling" Theodore Johnson, 64, pleaded guilty on Thursday to murdering his third partner, Angela Best, by throttling her and beating her over the head at his Islington home.

Ms Best, who Johnson met while on day release from a secure mental hospital, was his third victim.

Garage worker Johnson had previously been convicted of killing his wife by throwing her off a balcony in 1981 and strangling another former partner in 1993.

Johnson killed Ms Best on December 15 2016 after their relationship broke down and she started seeing another man.

He kept his relationship with Ms Best a secret from authorities for 15 years and did not let on about his past to his new partner until after she confronted him with letters about it.

When she left him, Johnson attacked the 51-year-old mother-of-four and grandmother, beating her with a claw hammer and strangling her with her leopard print dressing gown belt.

He then jumped in front of an express train at Cheshunt station in Hertfordshire.

As he was being treated for severe injuries, police went to his flat and found Ms Best dead in the living room.

Judge Richard Marks QC said: "The attack by you on Angela Best was sustained, vicious and utterly brutal. She suffered an unimaginably terrible death."

Johnson's crime was aggravated by the fact it was his third killing of a female partner after

He was found to be suffering from depression and a personality disorder and was handed a hospital order with restrictions at the Old Bailey.

He met Ms Best in 1996 while on unescorted leave at a City and Guilds course on furniture restoration, but was let out by a mental health tribunal in October 1997 and kept his past secret from her.

During their relationship, Johnson had been abusive and "controlling" and had punched her more than once, the court heard.

On the morning of the attack, Ms Best had gone to Johnson's home in Dartmouth Park Hill to help with an appointment with the Jamaican embassy.

A post-mortem examination found she had suffered at least six blows to the head with the hammer and been strangled.

Ms Best's sister, Valerie Archibold, described Ms Best was a generous and loyal person and the "life and soul of our family".

The impact of her death was "immeasurable", she said. "The shock still remains and the loss is traumatising, immense, profound and utterly devastating."

Her son Raphael Best said: "My mother was the type of person who was always going out of her way to help people and unfortunately that was the reason she met her demise."

The loss of his mother was "slowly driving me crazy", he added: "It makes me feel 10 times worse when I think of the kind person my mother was."

Camden and Islington NHS Trust, which was responsible for Johnson's care in the community since 2004, said it would provide Ms Best's family with an independent report and that Johnson's treatment complied with conditions set by the Mental Health Tribunal which oversaw his discharge in 1997.
L ondon's toxic air crisis was laid bare today by new figures showing it breached EU legal limits in nearly 50 pollution blackspots in London last year.

The worst area was on Brixton Road in Lambeth which recorded an average annual reading of 94 micrograms of nitrogen dioxide per cubic metre of air - more than double the 40ug/m3 legal maximum.

Bankers and other City workers are also being exposed to filthy air, with two of the six highest readings in the Square Mile.

Walbrook Wharf was joint second - with the Strand in Westminster - at 92ug/m3, with Beech Street in the City sixth on 80ug/m3, according to the figures from Kings College London.

Marylebone Road in Westminster and the Euston Road in Camden were the two other monitors which recorded at least double the EU permitted maximum, 83ug/m3 and 82ug/m3 respectively.

Pollution levels were down in many areas, compared to 2016, with significant drops along roads where London Mayor Sadiq Khan has ordered toxic air-busting measures such as re-routing dirty diesel buses away from these areas.

London Pollution - In pictures 1 /20 London Pollution - In pictures PA Sunrise: Pollution lingered over London on Tuesday morning Jeremy Selwyn A cyclist wearing a face mask rides between taxis taking part in a protest to highlight congestion and air pollution Getty Images A smog filled traffic rush hour in the East End of London Jeremy Selwyn Pollution detector App 'Blue Air' near the Houses of Parliament Blue air Thick smog hangs over London's Docklands PA Traffic pollution in North London Jeremy Selwyn Air pollution surrounds The Shard in London Jeremy Selwyn Getty Images Sunrise over a misty polluted London from Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn St. Paul's Cathedral is seen among the skyline through the smog AFP via Getty Images A thick layer of smog was visible above London William Smith/@williamsmithorg A cold layer of air can be seen trapping pollution close to the ground and across the London skyline Pete Buckney This image taken near the Royal Observatory in Greenwich shows a thick layer of fog hanging over London Anna Rolls The City of London covered in smog seen from Hampstead Heath Getty Images

The annual average reading at one of the monitors in Putney High Street fell from 124ug/m3 in 2016 to 72ug/m3 last year, and in Oxford Street it was down from 87ug/m3 to 71ug/m3.

But pollution, which is blamed for causing respiratory and other health problems, still remained way above the EU limit at these sites, as well as on a string of other well-known roads in the capital.

In Earls Court Road it was 76ug/m3, Knightsbridge 65ug/m3, and the Kings Road 63ug/m3, all in Kensington & Chelsea.

Pollution monitors at two schools also showed EU limit-breaking levels, John Keble Primary in Brent, 44ug/m3, and Bowes Primary in Enfield, 42ug/m3.

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Jonathan Grigg, professor of paediatric respiratory and environmental medicine at Queen Mary University, said: Although any fall in NO2 levels must be welcomed - levels in London are still far too high and it is unacceptable that Londoners have to breathe air that is damaging their health.

Filthy air, which is blamed significantly on dirty diesel vehicles, is also a problem in suburbs.

The number of new diesel cars bought in London in December fell by 26 per cent as public awareness grows about toxic air.

Overall, new car registrations across the UK were down by 5.7 per cent last year amid Brexit worries.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: Falling business and consumer confidence is undoubtedly taking a toll...and confusing anti-diesel messages have caused many to hesitate before buying a new low emission diesel car.

Forty-eight monitoring sites breached the EU ceiling, according to provisional figures, a similar number to 2016, though some of those just over the limit could drop off the list once data is fully verified.

Frank Kelly, professor of environmental health at Kings College London, said: The overall trend in nitrogen dioxide concentration in London is downward reflecting the success of measures introduced by City Hall and many of the boroughs to reduce emissions.

However, given the number of locations across London that still exceed the annual (and hourly) nitrogen dioxide limit value clearly further improvement is required.

Londons toxic air smashed legal limits at the start of 2017, when a monitor on Brixton Road recorded more than 20 hourly breaches of the EU maximum just 120 hours into the New Year.

Under EU law residents, pedestrians and cyclists should not be exposed to hourly NO2 exceedences of more than 200ug/m3 more than 18 times a year.

This year this grim milestone will be reached later partly due to action by City Hall and also windy weather which dissipates pollution.

Mr Khan has introduced a series of measures, including the T-charge, to deal with filthy air but faced criticism after it emerged dirtier diesel buses going up Putney High Street had been swapped with cleaner ones going through Wandsworth passed many schools.

An Environment Department spokeswoman said: Air pollution has improved significantly since 2010, but we recognise there is more to do which is why we have put in place a 3.5billion plan to improve air quality and reduce harmful emissions.
M etropolitan Police officers are earning up to 61,000 a year extra in overtime, it was revealed today.

Scotland Yard paid a total 270 million in overtime payments to staff in the past three years, with the highest payout the equivalent of the starting salaries of almost three constables.

In total 3.7 million hours of overtime were worked by Met officers in 2016/17, equivalent to 120 hours per officer, a Freedom of Information request by the Liberal Democrats revealed.

Lib-Dem home affairs spokesman Sir Ed Davey said: The police work tirelessly to keep us safe, but this level of overtime isnt healthy or sustainable.

The Met is being left overworked and overstretched by years of cuts and growing demand. The Government needs to urgently invest in boosting police numbers, or they will leave us all at risk.

The figures reveal that 89 million was paid last year, down from 101 million in 2016. The highest payment to an officer was 61,712. Two other officers received overtime of more than 56,000 and two had payments of 52,835 and 50,829. Last years total would have been enough to pay the salaries of more than 4,000 Met constables on a starting wage of 22,146.

In the same period the number of full-time police officers employed by the Met has been cut by 224. The Lib Dems argue that it would be more cost-effective to boost numbers.

Sir Ed said: The millions currently being spent on overtime would be better spent recruiting more officers in communities across the capital.

Robin Wilkinson, director of people and change at the Met, said 2017 had seen an unprecedented demand on policing services. Terrorist attacks at Westminster, London Bridge and Parsons Green, and the Grenfell fire, were among the major incidents the Met dealt with.

Mr Wilkinson said: Events in London this year have put huge strain on the Met and individual officers, many of whom have had leave and rest days cancelled and been required to work extended hours at short notice. It is right that overtime has been paid in such circumstances and we are proud at the way Met officers have responded to the huge pressures placed on them.

"Paying officers overtime generally reflects a cost-effective and flexible way of meeting such demands. It must however always be rigorously monitored, calculated and controlled.

A Home Office spokesman said decisions about the allocation of police resources and recruitment were for chief constables and democratically accountable Police and Crime Commissioners.

The new provisional police funding settlement for 2018/19 will increase funding by up to 450 million across the system, and enable an increase of up to 270 million in funding going directly to PCCs for them and their chief constables to spend on local priorities, according to the Home Office.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also has the power to raise the precept to increase funding for the Met.
A pedestrian is fighting for her life after being struck by a car while waiting at a bus stop in south-west London.

The woman, aged in her 40s, was rushed to hospital after the crash in Twickenham on Thursday evening.

She was hit in Sandycoombe Road just before 8pm. Her condition has been described as life-threatening.

The driver of the vehicle involved, an Audi Quatro, stopped at the scene.

They were also was also rushed to hospital for treatment for injuries that are not life threatening, Scotland Yard said.

No arrests have been made.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the crash to come forward.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: Her injuries are life threatening. Her next of kin are aware and are at the hospital.

The Mets Serious Collision Investigation Unit is investigating and would like anyone who saw the collision, and the moments before it, to get in touch with officers.

Anyone with information is asked to call 020 8543 5157 or contact police via Twitter @MetCC.
A ge comes to all of us, even royalty, so its no wonder that Claire Foy, Vanessa Kirby and Matt Smith  however talented  have to be recast for the next series of The Crown. Olivia Colman has already been announced as taking over from Foy as the middle-aged Elizabeth II, and now we hear a new Princess Margaret has been found: arise, Helena Bonham Carter.

We are told that HBC is all but confirmed to play the inimitable royal. The two-time Oscar nominee was rumoured to be in contention to play Elizabeth II herself but has instead landed the far riskier, funnier and louche sister Margaret, which sounds like a better part anyway.

She made her name in the Merchant Ivory films Howards End and A Room with A View, then moved on to the Harry Potter franchise and several films with her ex-partner Tim Burton. Bonham Carter is also not bad at real-life depictions, having played Liz Taylor to Dominic Wests Richard Burton.

Bonham Carter has a personal connection to the Princess Margaret part: her home in Oxfordshire, Mill House, was previously owned by Margarets former lady-in-waiting, Jane Stevens.

She and Colman also have a key performance in common: they have both played the Queen Mum  Bonham Carter in The Kings Speech, and Colman in Hyde Park on Hudson.

We are, however, yet to discover who will take over the role of Prince Philip from current incumbent Matt Smith, but our money is on Michael Sheen or David Tennant. Time, perhaps, for Bonham Carter to start getting used to the taste of gin.

The Crown series 2 trailer

Poetic Gove reveals his earthy side

Michael Gove has been accused of having a Wordsworthian view of nature. And he is indeed hitting the poetry. Yesterday he was photographed clutching a copy of The Soil Never Sleeps during his visit to the Oxford Farming Conference. Its a new book from Adam Horovitz, a collection of lyrical poetry based on a year he spent visiting four farms in Yorkshire, Cornwall, Wales and Kent exploring the bond between man, animal and landscape. A certain amount of surprise to see him holding it, Horovitz tells us. Im giving a copy to David Drew [shadow Defra minister] by way of balance next week.

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In 2016 Gove praised The Archers for a gripping storyline that supported a call for prison reform. Now the Radio 4 staple is returning the favour.

Last nights episode of the rural soap opera inserted a last-minute reference to the speech that the Environment Secretary gave yesterday. A character praised his Brexit plan for farming subsidies which will see them paid for public goods such as improving water quality, access to the countryside and planting meadows. Are you a Defra spokesman? another farmer character replied.

Quote of the day

"Of course we are. It's called the human condition." Mary Beard's response when asked by the New Statesman if we are all doomed.

All roads lead once again to the Pentagon

Stars of the Post gather at Palm Springs: Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks (Photo Vivien Killilea/Getty Images) / Getty Images for Palm Springs In

Memories of scandals past at Palm Springs as Hollywood royalty gathered for the International Film Festival. Last night saw the screening of Steven Spielbergs The Post starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. The film covers the period when the Washington Post stepped in to publish the Pentagon Papers. President Nixons administration had sued the New York Times, which had the original scoop to stop publication. The ploy didnt work and, far from ceasing and desisting a Hollywood film was made out of it. Whatever could come next?

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The Londoner was at Bafta Piccadilly last night to watch Professor Greens new documentary for Channel 4, Working Class White Men. I met Neil Crombie from Swan Films when I was pissed as a fart at the Baftas and we just started to talk. It was one of those conversations where it actually materialised into something, Green explained, flashing his perfect white teeth. Im quite proud of my teeth, he said, when asked. I paid a lot for them.

Fickle flak on Vogue cover

Coming in for flack: Edward Enninful (Photo Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images) / Patrick McMullan via Getty Image

WHEN Edward Enninful took the reins at Vogue, it was a new day for diversity for the fashion worlds most influential magazine. But three issues in and some are questioning if the editor, right, is going to deliver.

This week the new issue was unveiled  Enninfuls third  with Australian actresses Margot Robbie and Nicole Kidman on the cover. A headline  Why We Need To Talk About Race hints at diversity within, but social media- users were quick to vent their exasperation.

Same old, same old, one Instagram-user wrote beneath Vogues post of the cover. More blonde celebs, how boring, another added. I thought new Vogue was going to be diverse? said another.

Despite the criticism of the cover, part of a joint Hollywood-themed issue with Americas W magazine, Enninful has included several women of colour within the magazine. He also signified a commitment to a broader range of cover stars by choosing model Adwoa Aboah for his debut. But public opinion, like fashion, is fickle.

Tweet of the day

Writer Andrew Mueller says Trump's efforts to pulp the new Michael Wolff book is the stuff of dreams

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Nickname of the day: yesterday MP Nicholas Soames let slip his nickname for Digital Minister Matt Hancock: Matty Moo Moos. We dont really want to know.

An online hit of biblical proportions

A meme for 2018: Picture @siobhanblank

Some things just refuse to stay behind. Last year, a stock photo of a man distracted by a passing woman  upsetting his girlfriend in the process  became an online sensation and one of the years most edited images online: it was photoshopped and peppered with gags in hundreds of different ways, using the photo to make jokes about everything from Beyonce to Henry VIII and his six wives. The photoshoppers are still at it: someone has given it this Old Testament salt shake-up.

2017 has a Lot to answer for.
T he Chancellor today put himself at odds with Cabinet Brexiteers by keeping the door open to a Turkey-style customs partnership with the EU after Brexit.

Philip Hammond was asked by Treasury Select Committee chair Nicky Morgan in a letter to spell out if a customs union would be part of Britains end-state relationship with Brussels.

The Chancellor, who favours a soft Brexit, declined to comment, leading to speculation he may ask the EU for a customs partnership when transitional arrangements end in 2021.

His lack of clarity is likely to infuriate Brexiteers because a customs union would be a barrier to striking free trade deals with countries worldwide.

Mrs Morgan said: It was widely thought being in a long-term customs union with the EU had been ruled out by the Government. But the Chancellors letter confirms that this is not the case.

It is vital that the Cabinet reach agreement on these central questions about the UKs future relationship with the EU, as a matter of urgency.

In his response to Mrs Morgan, the Chancellor sidestepped the question and insisted the Government would be guided by what delivers the greatest economic advantage to the UK.

Theresa May has said that Britain will leave the customs union after Brexit but wants a temporary arrangement with the EU when the two-year transitional phase begins in March 2019.

The Government has said it wants a frictionless post-Brexit trade deal. Last year the Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim suggested in an interview with the Standard that Britain could mirror its customs partnership with the EU after Brexit.

Turkey has a partial customs union with the EU. The agreement sets up a common external tariff that covers most of its trade in goods but excludes agriculture. Asked if he would recommend such an arrangement for the UK he said: Yes, it is going to be much easier than otherwise.

The EUs customs union charges other countries a common external tariff on goods when they first enter the bloc. After that, there is nothing more to pay, no more checks and all goods move freely within the union.

Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable said the Chancellor had offered reassurance that he understood the economic advantages of being part of a customs union. He took at aim at the Cabinets Brexiteers, adding: What the ideologues do not seem to understand are the many technical complexities around breaking up a functioning customs union.
2018 in Mini-Cassia promises to be a year of growth with announcements of new businesses and housing, a city square revitalization and a new neighborhood school system  and all the growing pains that come with it.

Officials in Minidoka and Cassia County said hundreds of new homes, apartment and duplexes are in the planning or construction phase but meanwhile people are having a hard time finding affordable housing.

On Hiland Avenue in Burley an 80 unit apartment complex is being built and three new subdivisions are underway, Doug Manning, Burleys economic development director said.

The continued growth of new business combined with a low unemployment rate means new people will need to move to the area to fill the new jobs being created.

Manning said the lack of homes for rent or sale isnt new but its at the forefront now because businesses are saying that potential employees are turning down jobs because they cant find living quarters.

Tony Morley, Heyburn city administrator echoed Mannings comments.

Heyburn has a huge backlog of residential projects waiting to get off the ground, he said.

Rupert City Administrator Kelly Anthon said the city has seven subdivisions with 200 units under development.

Hes never seen this kind of growth in the city and called it historic.

Rupert will also kick off a city Square revitalization project after its Fourth of July celebration that has been in the planning phase for six years.

Funding for the $2.7 million renovation will come from the general obligation bond, a community development block grant, private donations and city and in-kind donations.

The city has applied for a $500,000 grant.

In March the city will put the project out to bid and work is expected to be finished in the spring of 2019.

The base park improvements will include the central plaza with fountain, gazebo stairs, sidewalk replacement and memorial gate. The streets will be revamped to a large single lane of traffic

Improvements paid for by the grant will include perimeter sidewalk replacement, pedestrian bulb-outs and sidewalks for F, Sixth and D streets.

Other work is planned depending on how the bids come in and the amount of private funding received.

Another boon to downtown Rupert will be a new 10,000-square-foot Family Health Services clinic near the Square with construction slated to begin in January.

The new clinic will allow the organization to expand its services and promises to bring more people downtown, Anthon said.

The old Minico Auto Parts building, purchased by the city, was torn down to make way for the new clinic.

Burley elementary school students will soon be assigned to a neighborhood school in 2018 after the district redrew attendance zones.

Mountain View Elementary School will be remodeled this year and the district is planning on returning to K-6 grades at all the elementary schools in the city including White Pine. The board will take a final look at the plan mid-January and announce teacher reassignment then. The switch is planned for fall 2018.
P ressure grew today for Toby Young to be removed from a new universities watchdog after critics unearthed further crude and sexist writing from his past.

In magazine articles the writer admitted being a pornography addict, cast doubt on an actresss complaint that she was coerced into sex acts, and commented on womens breasts and bodies.

Shadow women and equalities minister Dawn Butler said the Prime Minister should cancel his appointment or stand accused of wilfully rewarding misogyny, homophobia and bigotry. Labour sources said they were looking at every procedural opportunity to raise the issue in the Commons when MPs return next week.

In a 2001 article for The Spectator magazine, called Confessions of a Porn Addict, Mr Young admitted he had seen several thousand pornographic films in his lifetime and mocked the idea that they were degrading to women. On the contrary, the women in porn films are nearly always completely liberated beings, he claimed.

He admitted watching the hardcore 1972 movie Deep Throat several times and dismissed its leading actresss claims that she was raped for the film by arguing that she appeared unconcerned in the film.

As someone whos seen Deep Throat several times, I can report that it certainly doesnt seem as though Marchiano  or Linda Lovelace, to use her nom de porn  is doing anything against her will.

In a theatre review he enthused that naked breasts on stage appeared to belong to teenagers, writing: Theyre good breasts, too, belonging to women who dont look a day over 18.

In other pieces for The Spectator he boasted of his fiancees tiny waist and huge knockers, and complained about theatres that cast dumpy, middle-aged actresses to play beautiful young women.

Mr Young, a journalist who runs the New Schools Network charity, started this week as one of 15 members of the Office for Students, tasked with ensuring students get value for money.

The National Education Union, which represents half a million teachers and lecturers, has urged Education Secretary Justine Greening to fire him for sexist and homophobic behaviour.

Labours Ms Butler said: Theresa May must reconsider and replace Mr Young with someone with genuine experience who treats people with dignity and respect.

Controversy over the appointment has focused on Mr Youngs past remarks and social media posts, and an inaccurate Department for Education announcement that suggested he had taught at Cambridge and Harvard universities.

Critics highlighted his past social media posts, such as remarks on the serious cleavage of a woman MP, and a comment on a photo of him with a woman that he had my dick up her arse.

Business minister Margot James criticised him for sexist comments, and former Downing Street director of strategy Andrew Cooper warned of a Tory values failure.

In a 1,000-word response to critics Mr Young says he is a supporter of womens rights and asked not to be judged on previous postings.
B ritish Army troops will no longer use the article 'Sir' when answering the phone because they cannot be certain of the person on the line's gender.

Colonel Steve Davies, the army's assistant head of employment, said personnel should avoid gendered terms such as 'Sir' because they were "outdated".

British soldiers typically answer calls from senior personnel with the greeting, "How can I help you Sir?" But it has been suggested the last word be dropped.

The issue was initially raised in an anonymous letter sent to Soldier magazine, the official publication of the British Army.

It read: "With the MoD correctly placing a lot of importance on various diversity, inclusion and gender related issues, may I bring everyones attention to the way we greet and speak to each other.

For example when the telephone rings I must answer with the name of my department, my name, followed by how can I help you sir.

Presumably we say sir because regimental sergeant majors and officers were once all male, harking back to a time when only men were allowed to serve in the military.

Secondly, when I see an officer walking through the barracks I must greet them with the word sir or maam but am I not risking offence here by assuming someones gender or implying that they actually see themselves as having a gender?

Isnt it about time the Army considered abolishing these Victorian style greetings? I believe a new system should be looked at which is more up to date and lesser the risk of embarrassment or offence to us all.

Colonel Davies responded in the following issue, writing: The use of gendered terms when greeting officers as you walk around barracks reflects a convention that is used in many important sectors of British society, including the monarchy, judiciary and parliament.

I would disagree that the British Army is somehow out of step with the community in this regard. Saying sir or maam is both appropriate and polite.

However I agree that the convention of answering the telephone using sir without knowing who one is speaking to is now considered outdated and arguably unnecessary.

The opening gambit of saying your rank and name followed by how can I help you? is both respectful and applicable to all callers and should be adopted.
A "red zone" map is showing Londoners whether they live in hotspots of Australian flu as the NHS braces itself for winter outbreaks.

Flusurvey is an online tool updated every three minutes that monitors flu trends by asking members of the public to register and report their symptoms.

The map shows the spread of all types of influenza including the potentially fatal Australian strain using a gradient system of no reports to "very high" numbers.

Red zones reveal where cases have clustered whereas cool blue zones show areas that are not affected.

WEATHER LATEST: COLD SNAP TO PUT FURTHER STRAIN ON NHS AS TEMPERATURES PLUMMET TO -10C

The London borough of Sutton is currently red, showing a spike in cases.

Teesside, Essex, Cornwall, Plymouth, North Lincolnshire and Dumfries and Galloway are also red, as are areas of the north east of Scotland.

The map shows the spread of flu / Flusurvey.org

Australian flu - also known as H3N2 - killed hundreds of people in Australia earlier this year, during their winter.

A number deaths in Ireland have already been attributed to the strain, and Public Health England has said there were a growing number of reported cases in the past two weeks.

Adding to the winter pressures facing Britain's hospitals, including outbreaks of norovirus, it arrived as as NHS England urged hospitals to defer pre-planned operations and routine outpatient appointments until the end of the month.

Dr Richard Pebody, acting head of respiratory diseases at Public Health England, said: "In Australia they saw excess mortality and other hospitalisations and so on due to H3N2."

He said the flu vaccine is currently the best preventative. While the effectiveness data for this year's flu is not yet available, Dr Pebody said hopes are that the vaccine will provide "reasonable protection" against Australian flu.

Launched during the swine flu pandemic of 2009 as researchers across Europe strove to devise new monitoring systems, data from Flusurvey is used by Public Health England and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LCHTM) as part of their analyses.

There are currently more than 7,500 respondents from all over the UK contributing, and the LSHTM is encouraging more people to get involved as it makes the data more useful.

While it takes 10 to 14 days for the vaccine to take effect, the NHS's free flu vaccine programme can be accessed by anyone who is pregnant or over the age of 65.
T he US Department of Justice (DoJ) has been urged to investigate the former MI6 officer behind a controversial dossier about Donald Trump's alleged links with Russia.

Christopher Steele was referred to the DoJ by two senior Republican senators over statements about "the distribution of claims contained in the dossier."

Senate judiciary committee chairman Chuck Grassley and Lindsey Graham said they had passed a classified memorandum to the DoJ relating to communications between Mr Steele and "multiple US news outlets".

The emergence of the dossier - containing a series of lurid claims that the Russians had gathered compromising material on the president prior to his election campaign - caused outrage in the Trump camp.

Mr Steele, who runs the London-based Orbis Business Intelligence, was temporarily forced into hiding when he was identified as the author.

Ex-MI6 agent behind Trump Russia dossier breaks silence

Mr Grassley said the decision to refer the case for criminal investigation had not been taken lightly, but he felt obliged to pass on the information unearthed by the committee in the course of its investigations for "appropriate review".

"Maybe there is some innocent explanation for the inconsistencies we have seen, but it seems unlikely. In any event, it's up to the Justice Department to figure that out," he said.

Mr Graham added: "After reviewing how Mr Steele conducted himself in distributing information contained in the dossier and how many stop signs the DoJ ignored in its use of the dossier, I believe that a special counsel needs to review this matter.

"The rule of law depends on the government and all who work on its behalf playing by the rules themselves. I hope the Department of Justice will carefully review our letter and take appropriate action."

In a joint statement, the two senators said the referral did not relate to the veracity of claims contained in the dossier. They added that the referral was for "further investigation only" and was not intended to be an allegation of a crime.

The dossier was reportedly the result of an investigation initially funded by Republicans who were seeking to block Mr Trump from becoming the party's presidential candidate, before being taken over by Democrats after his nomination.

Mr Steele was said to have passed on his findings to both US and UK intelligence in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election due to concerns about national security for both countries.

Additional reporting by the Press Association.
T he author of an explosive new book on Donald Trumps White House has defended his reporting and said the presidents threat of legal action is only boosting sales.

Michael Wolff, who wrote the highly controversial Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, was responding to the US leaders claims that the book was full of lies.

Discussing the presidents response on NBCs Today show on Friday, Mr Wolff hit back by saying: Not only is he helping me sell books, but hes helping me prove the point of the book.

I mean, this is extraordinary that a president of the United States would try to stop the publication of a book. This doesnt happen, has not happened from other presidents, would not even happen from the CEO of a mid-sized company.

Fire and Fury: the sensational behind-closed-doors account of life in the West Wing

Mr Wolf said of the president: I will quote Steve Bannon Hes lost it.

Mr Trump's lawyers had tried to block publication of the book, which caused a political firestorm within the White House, alleging that it contained many falsehoods.

Its publisher instead brought forward the release date to Friday.

Mr Wolff said the president had "less credibility than perhaps anybody who has ever walked on Earth at this point".

He added that White House staff described the president as childlike because "he has the need for immediate gratification. It's all about him... This man does not read, does not listen. He's like a pinball just shooting off the sides".

White House blasts new Trump book as 'full of lies'

It comes after Mr Trump attacked the authors reporting within the book, saying Mr Wolff had zero access to the White House.

The US President wrote on Twitter: I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist.

Wolff, a media critic and columnist, replied: What was I doing there if he didnt want me to be there? I absolutely spoke to the president. Whether he realised it was an interview or not, I dont know, but it certainly was not off the record.

Trump: The US leader's lawyers are trying to block publication of the book / AP

The White House has repeatedly dismissed the new release as tabloid gossip, pathetic and full of lies, with some media commentators casting doubt on Mr Wolffs credibility.

Mr Wolff said that he has recordings and notes and is in every way comfortable with everything he reported in the book. He said: My credibility is being questioned by a man who has less credibility than perhaps anyone who has ever walked on earth at this point, he said.

Pressed on whether he stands by everything in the book, Wolff replied: Absolutely everything in the book.

It comes as thousands queued up in bookshops across America last night in order to get their hands on the book - which was released at midnight.

In the UK, booksellers were predicting it would be one of the fastest selling books of the year.

Kate Skipper, Waterstones Buying Director, said: The excitement is spreading across the Atlantic and Fire and Fury is set to be the biggest political book of the year in the UK. Its fantastic to see a physical book driving headlines across the world and customers responding accordingly.
A book containing explosive allegations about Donald Trumps presidency is to be released early after lawyers attempted to block publication.

Michael Wolffs Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House is set to be made available on Friday  four days earlier than planned.

It comes after Mr Trumps lawyers instructed the book's publisher to immediately cease and desist from any further publication, release or dissemination of the book in a legal notice.

White House aides were blindsided by early excerpts from the book which left Mr Trump "furious" and "disgusted", said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

She complained that the book contained "outrageous" and "completely false claims against the president, his administration and his family".

The books publisher, Henry Holt and Co, said it had brought forward the release date due to "unprecedented demand".

Mr Wolff tweeted: "Here we go. You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. President."

The new book is said to give a behind-the-scenes look at the tumultuous first months of the US presidents administration  and contains a string of embarrassing and potentially damaging claims.

These include allegations that Mr Trump goes to bed with a cheeseburger at 6.30pm and watches three televisions at once.

Trump's lawyers threatened legal action against ex-chief strategist Steve Bannon after he was quoted in the book / AFP

The book also alleges that he was scared of the White House and told staff not to touch anything  especially his toothbrush, because he reportedly fears being poisoned.

Mr Wolff, a contributing editor to The Hollywood Reporter, also alleges that Mr Trump tried to seduce the wives of his friends.

The book, due out on Tuesday, is said to be based on more than 200 interviews with confidants and senior White House staff.
A uthor Michael Wolffs explosive new book on Donald Trumps White House administration is the number one best seller online.

The sensational Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House was an instant bestseller on Friday after its release was pulled forward as excerpts published this week set off a political storm.

It stood at number one on Amazon in the US and UK, as well as on US retailer Barnes & Noble, with Amazon advising delivery could take two to four weeks.

Publisher Henry & Holt Company had planned a January 9 release, but moved this up four days due to overwhelming demand.

Demand for the book comes as Ms Wolff defended his reporting and said the presidents threat of legal action is only boosting sales on Friday.

Fire and Fury: the sensational behind-closed-doors account of life in the West Wing

Mr Wolff, who wrote the highly controversial Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, was responding to the US leaders claims that the book was full of lies.

Discussing the presidents response on NBCs Today show, Mr Wolff hit back by saying: Not only is he helping me sell books, but hes helping me prove the point of the book.

I mean, this is extraordinary that a president of the United States would try to stop the publication of a book. This doesnt happen, has not happened from other presidents, would not even happen from the CEO of a mid-sized company.

Mr Trump's lawyers had tried to block publication of the book, which caused a political firestorm within the White House, alleging that it contained many falsehoods.

Its publisher instead brought forward the release date to Friday.

White House blasts new Trump book as 'full of lies'

Mr Wolff said the president had "less credibility than perhaps anybody who has ever walked on Earth at this point".

He added that White House staff described the president as childlike because "he has the need for immediate gratification. It's all about him... This man does not read, does not listen. He's like a pinball just shooting off the sides".

It comes after Mr Trump attacked the authors reporting within the book, saying Mr Wolff had zero access to the White House.

The US President wrote on Twitter: I authorised Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist.

Trump: The US leader's lawyers are trying to block publication of the book / AFP

Wolff, a media critic and columnist, replied: What was I doing there if he didnt want me to be there? I absolutely spoke to the president. Whether he realised it was an interview or not, I dont know, but it certainly was not off the record.

The White House has repeatedly dismissed the new release as tabloid gossip, pathetic and full of lies, with some media commentators casting doubt on Mr Wolffs credibility.

Mr Wolff said that he has recordings and notes and is in every way comfortable with everything he reported in the book. He said: My credibility is being questioned by a man who has less credibility than perhaps anyone who has ever walked on earth at this point, he said.

Pressed on whether he stands by everything in the book, Wolff replied: Absolutely everything in the book.

It comes as thousands queued up in bookshops across America last night in order to get their hands on the book - which was released at midnight.

In the UK, booksellers were predicting it would be one of the fastest selling books of the year.

Kate Skipper, Waterstones Buying Director, said: The excitement is spreading across the Atlantic and Fire and Fury is set to be the biggest political book of the year in the UK. Its fantastic to see a physical book driving headlines across the world and customers responding accordingly.
N orth Korea has agreed to attend high-level talks with the South for the first time in more than two years.

The meeting will focus on how to cooperate on next months Winter Olympics in South Korea and how North Korean athletes will be able to participate.

South Korean officials said the meeting would take place in the border village of Panmunjom on January 9.

The two sides have historically held talks at the so-called peace village, which is located within the demilitarised zone (DMZ).

Tensions between the rival Koreas have escalated due to Kim Jong Un's nuclear programme / AP

The rival Koreas are seeking to improve their strained ties after a period of rising tension over the North's push to expand its nuclear and missile arsenals. The two countries are technically still at war.

The announcement of talks came hours after the US said it has agreed to delay joint military exercises with South Korea until after the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

President Donald Trump approved the postponement in consultation with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, a Pentagon spokesman said on Thursday.

"The Department of Defence supports the president's decision and what is in the best interest of the ROK-US alliance," Col Manning said, referring to the US defence treaty with the Republic of Korea.

The agreement pushes back a set of annual military exercises known as Foal Eagle, which normally are held between February and April.

North Korea routinely objects to such manoeuvres as a rehearsal for an invasion, and there had been fears that tensions could interfere with the February 9-25 games occurring about 50 miles south of the heavily militarised border.
P ilots across the globe have revealed their least favourite airports to fly in and out of.

A discussion on Reddit titled Pilots, what is your least favourite airport? saw captains around the world contribute their personal airport bugbears.

Among complaints about congestion, delays and short runways, one airport appeared to be the least-favoured in the thread.

LaGuardia airport in New York attracted the most criticism from pilots, who pointed out overcrowding, insanely expensive food and extreme delays caused by adverse weather.

One user, Just4Things, nicknamed the airport LaGarbage.

Pilots also took issue with Los Angeles LAX, branding it a construction zone.

And claimed the airport hasnt addressed language barriers.

Mexico City airport was also criticised for narrow runways and the stench from a nearby dumpster.

UK airports were also scrutinised. London City was praised for its convenient location compared to the likes of Heathrow and Gatwick.

Another pilot had a simpler complaint about a small airport in the Australian outback.

LaGuardia airport was ranked the worst airport in the United States last year by JD Powers.
A sleeping woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a male plane passenger whose wife was sat on the other side of him.

Prabhu Ramamoorthy, 34, was charged with aggravated sexual abuse following accusations by a 22-year-old woman in the US.

She woke up to find her shirt and trousers unbuttoned and the man's hand inside her trousers, the Washington Post reported.

Flight attendants told investigators the victim was crying when she reported the incident, 40 minutes before they were due to land in Detroit on a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas.

Ramamoorthy appeared in a Michigan court on Thursday, where he claimed he had done nothing wrong but had discovered the woman sleeping on his lap.

Both Ramamoorthy and his wife both claim they attempted to switch seats when they discovered her sleeping on his lap. The flight attendants deny this happened.

Regarding his wife's defence, judge R. Steven Whalen said: "It seems that she's either colluding with the defendant to cover up his actions or she's completely oblivious to what he did.

"What makes this offence particularly egregious and the defendant even more of a danger to the community is the fact that it took place in an airplane.

"He was brazen enough to do this basically in public - next to his wife - where anyone could see him."

The Indian national has been living in the US on a temporary visa.

His lawyer, Richard O'Neill, told the court: "There have been no allegations from anywhere that his behaviour has ever been inappropriate prior to this incident.

"I have a hard time with some of these allegations but that's what the trial is for."

The trial continues.
May 10, 1919January 3, 2018

Dortha Inez Shorthouse, age 98, of Twin Falls, Idaho, passed away at Woodstone Assisted Living Facility on January 3, 2018. She was born May 10, 1919 in Buhl, Idaho, to Glen and Nancy Roland. She graduated from Buhl High School in 1937 and Albion State Normal School in 1939.

She taught school in Wendell, Idaho, for two years, and Lincoln Elementary School in Twin Falls for one year before marrying Cleo Shorthouse on August 3, 1941 in Yuma, Arizona.

Shortly thereafter, Cleo was called to serve our country in World War II. During those war years Dortha taught kindergarten at the Hunt Relocation Center until it closed in 1945. Seeing the need for children to have a good start and an introduction to education, Dortha started a private kindergarten for five-year-olds that she continued for 25 years.

Christianity was always an important part of Dorthas life and the center of who she was. Prior to her passing she shared a few thoughts.I have been a member of the Christian Church all my life, first at Buhl First Christian and then at First Christian Twin Falls. I have always felt very close to the Lord! He and I have had a wonderful relationship. I feel His presence all the time, Dortha said. Dortha served as a deaconess many times through the years and in other capacities in the Sunday School Department at the First Christian Church. She was a discussion leader for Bible Study Fellowship for many years and was involved for 20 years. It was during her years with BSF, that she obtained the title by her peers of Queen Mum.

Dortha celebrated 50 years of dedicated service as a member of Magic Chapter 29 Order of Eastern Star, serving as Worthy Matron in 1977 and 1978.

Anyone who visited Dortha could always count on a home cooked feast or a chocolate malt.

Dortha was preceded in death by her husband Cleo; her parents Nancy & Glen Roland; brothers Carl Roland and Ernie Roland; and, her son-in-law Scott Baumert.

Survivors include her sister Arlene (Duke) Florence of Filer; children, Pat (Rick) Walsh of Bountiful Utah, Kay Baumert of Twin Falls, and David (Debbie) Shorthouse of Melbourne Beach, Fla.; 11 grandchildren; and 18 great grandchildren.

A Funeral Service will be held at Parkes Funeral Home, Twin Falls, Idaho, on January 6th at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the College of Southern Idaho Foundation, Dortha Shorthouse Memorial at 315 Falls Avenue, Twin Falls Idaho 83301.
P resident Donald Trump today tried to limit the damage caused by an explosive book about his first year in the White House claiming it is full of lies and insisting he gave zero access to author Michael Wolff.

The presidents lawyers have issued cease and desist legal letters to Mr Wolff and his publisher as well as to one of the books primary sources, former chief strategist Steve Bannon, referred to in Mr Trumps tweets today as Sloppy Steve.

But Mr Trumps desperate attempts to discredit the tell-all book appeared to be falling on deaf ears.

Mr Wolff says he can back his sensational behind-closed-doors account of life in the West Wing with dozens of hours of taped interviews and the publisher, Henry Holt, reacted to the White House threat by bringing the publication date forward from next Tuesday to today due to unprecedented demand.

Trump: Explosive claims made by new book

Read our WORLD FIRST REVIEW of the book here

The president and White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckerbee Sanders have sought to play down claims in the book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, as tabloid gossip since excerpts began leaking out earlier this week.

Fire and Fury: the sensational behind-closed-doors account of life in the West Wing

They include allegations that Mr Trump never expected to win the election, eats cheeseburgers in his West Wing bedroom while watching his three TVs, and played seduction games with wives of friends.

Mr Bannon is also quoted in the book as claiming an infamous Trump Tower meeting between Mr Trumps son and a Russian lawyer during the 2016 election campaign was treasonous and unpatriotic.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckerbee Sanders have sought to play down claims in the book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, as tabloid gossip

Mr Wolff, 64, a columnist for The Hollywood Reporter who has also written for magazines including Vanity Fair, has claimed he had something like a semi-permanent seat on a couch in the West Wing.

He wrote yesterday that he pitched the idea of writing a fly-on-the-wall book to the president.

A book? Mr Trump responded, according to the author. I hear a lot of people want to write books.

Since the new White House was often uncertain about what the president meant or did not mean in any given utterance, his non-disapproval became a kind of passport for me to hang around, Wolff writes.

But with the books contents making headlines around the world, Mr Trump branded it today as a phony.

I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve! the President tweeted.

Mr Bannon, who was fired from his White House role in August, is quoted extensively in the book.

After Mr Trump posted a tweet yesterday disavowing him and claiming he has lost his mind, Mr Bannon said yesterday that he was still a supporter and that the president was a great man.

Mr Trump tweeted back today: I dont know, he called me a great man last night, so he obviously changed his tune pretty quick.

It comes as thousands queued up in bookshops across America last night in order to get their hands on the book - which was released at midnight.

In the UK, booksellers were predicting it would be one of the fastest selling books of the year.

Kate Skipper, Waterstones Buying Director, said: The excitement is spreading across the Atlantic and Fire and Fury is set to be the biggest political book of the year in the UK. Its fantastic to see a physical book driving headlines across the world and customers responding accordingly.
S harks are washing up dead on beaches in the US from apparent 'cold shock' caused by the bomb cyclone freeze.

The icy weather pattern has also left Brits' travel plans in tatters due to a series of flight cancellations - with all flights into JFK suspended for hours due to the adverse conditions.

Conservationists have warned the animals are being trapped as they become stranded in shallow waters while seeking warmer areas off the east coast of America.

Distressing images posted by the Atlantic White Shark conservation group show sharks washed up on beaches covered in ice and snow as the extreme cold snap continues.

Encased in ice: a shark on a beach in Cape Cod / Atlantic White Shark Conservancy/ Facebook

Alongside images of several sharks on a beach in Cape Cod, the group wrote on Facebook: "Both of these male sharks were nearly the same size and likely stranded due to cold shock."

Other experts have also linked the deaths of thresher sharks washing up on beaches or in shallow waters to the cold conditions.

Greg Skomal, a scientist from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, told the New York Times: "If youve got cold air, thatll freeze their gills up very quickly.

"Those gill filaments are very sensitive and it wouldnt take long for the shark to die."

Speaking to the website Boston.com, he added: "The rapid cooling associated with this cold snap and water temps is forcing the sharks to move south at a faster pace, and the landmass of Cape Cod is contributing to them getting stranded in shallow water."

Freezing conditions have gripped large swathes of the US / EPA

It comes as a massive winter storm known as a bomb cyclone killed at least 17 people and wreaked havoc across the East Coast of the US, as well as in usually mild southern states.

Niagara Falls 'frozen over' as icy weather grips United States

In Florida, shocked residents also reported iguanas falling from trees in a 'frozen' state, also apparently due to the freak cold.

Green iguanas, like all reptiles, are coldblooded animals, so they become immobile when the temperature falls to a certain level, said Kristen Sommers of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Under 50 degrees Fahrenheit, they become sluggish.

Under 40 degrees, their blood stops moving as much, Sommers told the Washington Post.

They like to sit in trees, and its become cold enough that they fall out.

The freezing conditions are expected to continue into the weekend, and have caused chaos in recent days as they grounded thousands of flights.

Flights from New York's John F Kennedy airport were due to resume at 12pm today after being suspended for up to 16 hours.

Meteorologists have said parts of the US could experience their lowest temperatures on record over the course of Friday and Saturday.

Icy cold: the Chicago River / AP

Weather warnings are in place across a huge swathe of the US, from Maine to Georgia.

"Heavy snowfall rates will spread northward across NH and through southern/central ME through early this evening," said the National Weather Service.

Snow in New York as 'bomb cyclone' hits US 1 /17 Snow in New York as 'bomb cyclone' hits US Workers remove snow during a snowstorm in Times Square in Manhattan REUTERS New Yorkers wander through the snow in Times Square REUTERS The 'bomb cyclone' storm is sweeping the east coast of the US REUTERS A worker removes snow during the storm in Times Square REUTERS A snowy subway station in Manhattan REUTERS A woman seeks shelter from the storm in Manhattan REUTERS Snow hits the quiet streets of Boston during the storm Getty Images Snowy conditions in Brooklyn, New York Getty Images The snowstorm in Ocean City, Maryland Getty Images Tracks in the snow in Brooklyn, New York Getty Images A woman holds a blanket as she walks through the empty streets of Boston Getty Images A snow plow in Brooklyn, New York Getty Images Snow hits Ronald Reagan airport, near Washington, DC AFP/Getty Images

"In addition to heavy snowfall rates, the intensifying storm will result in strengthening winds, producing blizzard conditions for coastal regions of New England."

Snowed under: Times Square in New York / Rex Features

Forecasters have also warned that hurricane force winds of up to 60mph are to batter much of the north-eastern coastline.

The storm has resulted in thousands of cancelled flights at major airports such as Boston's Logan International Airport and New York's LaGuardia Airport and disrupted the schedules at regional airports.

Amtrak planned to operate a modified schedule between New York and Boston on Thursday. Northeast Regional Service between Washington, DC, and Newport News/Norfolk, Virginia, was cancelled for Thursday.
W ashington State residents will now have the option to change the gender on their birth certificate to 'X'.

The new policy which will begin on January 27, enables people with existing birth certificates to change their documents to identify as male, female or the non binary option X, it does not apply to new documents.

On Thursday the State Department of Health, defined X as the following: A gender that is not exclusively male or female, including, but not limited to, intersex, agender, amalgagender, androgynous, bigender, demigender, female-to-male, genderfluid, genderqueer, male-to-female, neutrois, nonbinary, pangender, third sex, transgender, transsexual, Two Spirit, and unspecified.

Adults who previously wished to change the gender on their birth certificate were required to provide a letter from their doctor. However, the new policy removes that barrier.

Minors who want to change their birth documents will need to have written consent from a legal parent or guardian and documentation from a licenced health care professional.

Other states that are following suit are Oregon and California who are set to alter their birth certificate policies in 2018.

Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD told CNN: With LGBTQ people and especially trans and non-binary Americans under attack daily by the Trump Administration, as evidenced by Trump's efforts to block trans Americans from serving in the military and rescinding of Title IX protections for trans students, designation 'X' is a powerful and reaffirming sign that our identities cannot and will not be erased.

According to a 2012 survey of transgender Americans, 40 per cent of respondents claimed to have experienced harassment when they identified as anything other than their gender.

LGBTQ advocates hope that the new policy for birth certificates will reduce discrimination towards people whose physical appearance does not match their gender.

A recent report carried out by GLAAD found that in the US 20 per cent of young people identify as LGBTQ.

Ms Ellis said: It is vital that states catch up and acknowledge the reality of the non-binary community."
A Yale University psychiatry professor told US lawmakers that she believes Donald Trump's mental health is "unravelling" in a presentation last month, it has emerged.

Dr Bandy X Lee, an expert on violence, claimed the President posed a "public health risk" by being in office when she met a group comprised of Democrats and one Republican in a series of private meetings.

She told the New York Daily News: "From a medical perspective, when we see someone unravelling like this, it's an emergency.

"We've never come so close to in my career to this level of catastrophic violence that could be the end of humankind.

"He's very attracted to means of violence as a way of burnishing power.

"Republicans were equally concerned [about Trump's mental health]...possibly equally concerned. But whether they would act was a different question."

Dr Bandy X Lee, an expert on violence, claimed the President posed a "public health risk" / AP

Ms Lee previously edited the book 'The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump', a compilation 27 mental health experts' opinions on the incumbent's mental wellbeing.

Concerns were raised regarding Mr Trump's fitness for office on Wednesday after a tweet aimed at North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un warned that his "Nuclear Button" was a "bigger [and] more powerful one than this".

Richard Painter, a former ethics lawyer under former Republican president George W. Bush responded: "This tweet alone is grounds for removal from office under the 25th Amendment".

The American Constitution's 25th Amendment would allow Congress to remove a sitting president from office on the grounds that their physical or mental health is impairing them from performing their daily duties.

Donald Trump visits China - In pictures 1 /18 Donald Trump visits China - In pictures U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump pose during a tour of the forbidden city, AP U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with opera performers at the Forbidden City in Beijing, China Reuters US First Lady Melania Trump (C-R) and China's First Lady Peng Liyuan (C-L) are surrounded by students after a cultural performance during a visit to Banchang Primary School in Beijing, China EPA U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd L) looks up as he sits beside First Lady Melania Trump (L) and China's President Xi Jinping (2nd R) and his wife Peng Liyuan (R) during a tour of the Forbidden City in Beijing AFP/Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a welcoming ceremony with China's President Xi Jinping Getty Images Military troops march during a welcoming ceremony for U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing, China Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a welcoming ceremony in Beijing, China Reuters U.S. first lady Melania Trump and China's First Lady Peng Liyuan, left, are escorted by a student after a cultural performance during a visit to the Banchang Primary School in Beijing AP President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump exit Air Force One upon their arrival at Beijing Capital Airport in Beijing, China Getty Images U.S. First Lady Melania Trump (3-R) and Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan (2-R) visit a fashion class during their visit to the Banchang Primary School in Beijing, China EPA U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania arrive on Air Force One at Beijing, China Reuters U.S. First Lady Melania Trump (2-L) assist a student to adorn a gown near Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan (C) during their visit to the Banchang Primary School in Beijing, China EPA U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a welcoming ceremony with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China. Trump is on a 10-day trip to Asia Getty Images

Mr Trump sent a legal threat in an attempt to have the book blocked however it is scheduled to be available to be made available for download on Friday.
D J Steve Aoki has said that Londons Brixton Academy is one of his favourite venues in the world.

The 40-year-old producer saw masses of success in 2017 with collaborations including Lauren Jauregui from girl group Fifth Harmony, Gucci Mane, T-Pane and Yellow Claw.

He is set to embark on his 2018 tour, making a stop in the UK, and cementing a show at Londons infamous Brixton Academy.

Speaking to the Standard Online he said: London is a big deal for me. Playing at Brixton Academy, that venue is one of my favourite venues in the world. I like the layout of the venue but more importantly its the fans, Ive played there three times.

Success: The DJ collaborated with chart-topping artists in 2017 / Getty Images for LARAS

The energy is insane, the crowd is insane, everyones singing along, everyone totally with me from beginning to end. Ill never forget my shows there.

Gushing over his London fans the All Night producer appreciated the educated crowd.

He said: There are all kinds of cultures in London crowds, my set ranges from all kinds of different music and I produce with so many different artists so obviously the records like the song I did with Louis Tomlinson so when I play that in London the crowd goes wild but at the same time they love the hip hop.

Theyre totally with me and that is what is so exciting about London crowd. I feel like I can really experiment too and play some of the new stuff because theyre an educated crowd and listen to all kinds of music.

Speaking about the impact of his collaboration with One Directions Louis Tomlinson, Aoki admitted to being blown away by the social media support for Just Hold On.

The Louis Tomlinson song touched a larger, wider age demographic, you have the One Direction fans that range from very young age to the average age of my fans and the social media presence is something Ive never experienced before in my life. Theyre incredible at helping push a song and introduced the song to bigger outlets and to more and more people.

Respect: Louis Tomlinson performing his debut solo single on The X Factor / Syco / Thames / Dymond

When we dropped that record, we dropped it when we played X Factor and it just shot to number two in the UK and it was incredible. We didnt expect that to happen because we didnt even promote it but I Have to say that a lot of it had to do with Louis base.

Aoki is currently donating $1 from every show ticket to the Aoki Foundation, his own charity, set up to tackle issues such as disaster relief, brain diseases and animal-rights.

He said: I got to a place where, now I had a platform, I have a position where I can influence the things that are important that people dont necessarily talk about. Its partying with a purpose."

The music executive revealed how the charitable cause is selfish act.

For me its a very selfish thing because it feels good to give back, its like Christmas, generally speaking, Im sure everyone feels the same, when you give a gift it feels much better than when you get a gift. Its a selfish act to give, for me it feels good to do something that is benefiting our humanity, doing something that is making our lives better on this planet, said Aoki.

Steve Aoki plays Brixton Academy Friday 26th January. Tickets available here.
A ctress and model Lily Cole has hit back after a literary expert resigned from the Bronte Society over a rank farce decision to appoint her its patron for 2018.

Cole was named creative partner for the celebrations by the Bronte Parsonage Museum in West Yorkshire, prompting Bronte expert Nick Holland has quit the society.

He said the Wuthering Heights author would not have approved of a supermodel getting the role. But Cole said the writer would not have judged any work "on name alone".

Cole is making a short film for the museum about Wuthering Heights anti-hero Heathcliff, which will also address gender politics and women's rights in the year that marked 100 years since women got the vote.

The Bronte sisters Emily, Charlotte and Anne, initially published their work under pseudonyms so they would be taken seriously by the 19th Century literary establishment.

Linking this to her response to criticism on Thursday, Cole said: Now I find myself wondering, fleetingly, if I should present the short film I am working on for the Bronte Parsonage Museum under a pseudonym myself, so that it will be judged on its own merits, rather than on my name, my gender, my image or my teenage decisions.

Mr Holland, 47, from Barnsley, who had been a member of the society for a number of years, said: "I think it's a disgrace.

"I understand the society wants to target a younger audience but this is going about it the wrong way and risks diluting the work and legacy of Emily Bronte."

In his blog post last month, he added: "The central question should be, what would Emily Bronte think if she found that the role of chief 'artist' and organiser in her celebratory year was a supermodel?

"We all know the answer to that, and anyone who doesn't isn't fit to make the decision or have any role in the governance of the Bronte Society."
T he first big night in the awards season calendar is nearly upon us as this years batch of big-name Hollywood stars gear up to walk the red carpet at the Golden Globes 2018 on Sunday.

Following a tumultuous few months in the entertainment industry, which has been rocked by sexual abuse allegations and gender inequality issues, the A-list will congregate to celebrate the best films and television shows of the last 12 months.

The red carpet will kick off at 4pm PST, meaning that fans in the UK will have to wait until midnight to see the first arrivals and catch a glimpse of the best-dressed stars.

Heres what you need to know about this years Golden Globes:

17 Black Dresses to expect at the Golden Globes 1 /22 17 Black Dresses to expect at the Golden Globes Alexander McQueen AFP/Getty Images Chanel Getty Images Erdem Getty Images Giorgio Armani Getty Images Christian Dior Getty Images Oscar De La Renta Getty Images Valentino Getty Images Dolce & Gabbana AFP/Getty Images Emilia Wickstead AFP/Getty Images Saint Laurent AFP/Getty Images Lanvin Getty Images Louis Vuitton AFP/Getty Images Gucci AFP/Getty Images Celine AFP/Getty Images Stella McCartney Getty Images Givenchy Getty Images Max Mara Getty Images

When and where does it happen?

This years ceremony will begin at approximately 5pm PST, which means the first awards will be handed out just after 1am GMT.

The ceremony takes place at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.

Who is nominated?

Call Me By Your Name - Trailer

The coveted Best Picture gong will be fought over by Call Me by Your Name, Dunkirk, The Post, The Shape of Water and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Timothee Chalamet, Daniel Day-Lewis, Tom Hanks, Gary Oldman and Denzel Washington will battle it out for Best Actor while Jessica Chastain, Sally Hawkins, Frances McDormand, Meryl Streep and Michelle Williams are in contention for the female equivalent.

Over in the TV categories, Big Little Lies looks set to win big with six nominations, going up against The Crown, The Handmaids Tale and 13 Reasons Why.

Who will win?

Darkest Hour - Trailer 2

There are no clear cut frontrunners in most categories this year, but Oldman is hotly-tipped to win Best Actor, while Streep is expected to be named Best Actress.

Dunkirk and Call Me By Your Name are thought to be the two main contenders for Best Picture

How can you watch?

US viewers can watch the ceremony live on NBC or Hulu, but no UK broadcasters will be airing the ceremony.

While NBC has streamed the show online a number of times, the Hollywood Foreign Press has now started regulating streaming rights.
E d Westwick will be replaced by Christian Cooke in the BBCs Ordeal By Innocence after a number of sexual assault allegations were made against him.

The BBC will reshoot scenes from the Agatha Christie adaptation later this month, with Cooke taking over the role of Mickey Argyll.

The big-budget drama, co-starring Bill Nighy, Anna Chancellor and Alice Eve, had already finished filming and was originally scheduled to air over Christmas.

The BBC made the decision to drop the programme from its festive schedule after Westwick was accused of rape by two women, and sexual assault by a third, allegations which he strongly denies.

Replacement: Christian Cooke will take over the role / John Phillips/Getty Images

In a statement released just before Christmas, the BBC said: These are serious allegations which Ed Westwick has strenuously denied.

The BBC is not making any judgement but until these matters are resolved we will not include Ordeal by Innocence in the schedules."

The statement also confirmed that the actor is no longer filming the BBC comedy White Gold in which he plays a double glazing salesman. Filming continues without him.

The independent production company making White Gold has informed us that Ed Westwick has paused filming while he deals with these allegations, the statement read.

The LAPD has received a complaint from one of Westwicks accusers and is currently investigating.

Ridley Scott recently made the decision to re-cast Kevin Spacey in big-screen drama, All The Money in the World, after a series of sexual assault allegations were levelled against him.

The director re-shot scenes with Christopher Plummer in the role just six weeks before the film hit cinemas.
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President Klaus Iohannis on Friday had a telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the topics they tackled was the status of Jerusalem and what happened after the adoption by the UN General Assembly of a resolution on this issue.

According to a release of the Presidential Administration, the discussion focused on the current status and development outlooks of the relations between Romania and Israel, and also on the recent developments after the adoption by the UN General Assembly, on December 21 2017, of the resolution concerning the status of Jerusalem, in which context the two officials briefly tackled this issues. Moreover, the two high officials also had an exchange of opinions regarding the current situation in Iran."Prime Minister Netanyahu especially appreciated the close relation of friendship existing between the two states and nations, based on mutual interests. Moreover, the Israeli head of the Executive thanked Romania for its vote of "abstention" on the occasion of the adoption of the Resolution of the UN General Assembly in December regarding the status of Jerusalem," reads the abovementioned release.In his turn, President Klaus Iohannis emphasized on the symbolism of the celebration this year of seven decades of uninterrupted diplomatic relations between the two states, which also overlaps with the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel and the Centennial of Modern Romania. The Romanian President assured his interlocutor of our country's willingness to continue to develop, strengthen and diversify relations with the State of Israel, which also have a strategic character.In respect to the recent development related to the status of Jerusalem, President Klaus Iohannis reiterated the main aspects related to Romania's position, as expressed on the occasion of the vote and in the "the reasoning for the vote" after the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Resolution of December 21 2017, a document that recommends, among other things, to the UN member states, to abstain from establishing diplomatic missions in Jerusalem and strengthen international efforts for a sustainable, comprehensive and fair peace in the Middle East.The Presidential Administration underscored that, according to this position, which was also approved by the Romanian President before the voting took place, based on well argued proposals, as provided, in written, by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jerusalem represents a central topic of the negotiations for peace and its status should be established through the conclusion of a direct agreement between the parties.Moreover, Romania also underscored, in its reasoning for the vote, the need for a just and sustainable resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, through the implementation of "the solution of the two states", Israel and Palestine, which should coexist in peace and safety, as this is the single viable and capable option that can guarantee the fulfillment of both parties' aspirations. Moreover, on the same occasion, Romania claimed that its stand related to the status of Jerusalem is consonant with the UN Security Council and UN General Assembly resolutions in this area. In support for its position adopted during the voting, Romania called for calm, encouraged the parties to resume direct dialogue for unlocking the peace process and showed that, at present, there is a need of renewed international efforts to relaunch this dialogue, in which context the moment chosen for the promotion of the Resolution adopted on December 21 2017 was regarded with reluctance by our country, and also motivated its "abstention" decision."In conclusion, a possible decision to move the Romanian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem can only be taken based on the abovementioned parameters while also considering the future developments of the Peace Process in the Middle East and, as part of it, the Jerusalem status issues," mentions the release.The two dignitaries also discussed about the current situation in Iran, President Klaus Iohannis voicing regret over the loss of human lives registered after the recent protests and the hope that violence will stop and freedom of speech and liberty to peaceful gathering shall be observed.According to the Presidential Administration, the conversation took place at the initiative of the Israeli Prime Minister.

AGERPRES .
TWIN FALLS  Sears Holdings has announced that it will close its store at the Magic Valley Mall.

On Thursday, the company informed associates at 64 Kmart stores and 39 Sears stores that it would be closing them in March and April. Liquidation sales at the affected locations would start Jan. 12.

The Twin Falls Sears at 1543 Pole Line Road E., will close its auto center first, in late February. A manager at the store confirmed the entire store would close  and a company statement shows it closing in early April.

Sears Holdings said in the statement that it would continue assessing the productivity of Kmart and Sears stores and will right size our store footprint in number and size.  We will continue to close some unprofitable stores as we transform our business model so that our physical store footprint and our digital capabilities match the needs and preferences of our members.

Macys, meanwhile, had also announced its Twin Falls store would close in late March as part of an August 2016 plan to close 100 stores.

While closing a store is always a difficult decision because of the impact on our customers, our associates and the community, Macys is delighted to have served this community over the years, a company spokesperson said Thursday in a statement.
Pakistan received the first three of 24 American AH-1Z Viper helicopter gunships at the end of 2017, with another nine arriving in 2018. The AH-1Zs are newly built and most of them are for the U.S. Marine Corps which declared them operational in 2011 and sent some of to Afghanistan to do the same sort of thing Pakistan wants them for not far from where the Vipers first served in 2011. The marines had been working on this new aircraft since 2006. Basically, the AH-1Z is the most recent model of the AH-1T/W attack helicopters. The production model AH-1Zs are newly built rather than rebuilt from older AH-1 type gunships. The AH-1Z has an airframe good for over 10,000 flight hours and uses a new four bladed composite rotor system, transmission, strengthened structural components, and modern digital cockpit avionics. The 8.3 ton AH-1Z has two engines and is armed with a three barrel 20mm Gatling gun (and 750 rounds) and up to eight Hellfire missiles. It can also carry two Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. Electronics include radar warning, missile warning and day/night vidcams that work with a helmet mounted displays. The AH-1Z can operate around the clock, in all kinds of weather. Sorties last about two hours each and cruising speed is 248 kilometers an hour. Pakistan is basically getting the same AH-1Z the American marines use except for some classified communications gear being replaced with similar gear specified by Pakistan.

Pakistan ordered its AH-1Zs in two batches. In late 2015 there was a $953 million order for 15 AH-1Zs, a thousand Hellfire missiles along with supporting military equipment and services. The U.S. has been working out the details of this latest purchase since early 2015 after agreeing to deal with years of Pakistani requests for more helicopter gunships. In early 2016 the U.S. agreed to a sell Pakistan another nine AH-1Z along with spare parts (mainly additional engines) and tech support for $170 million. Deliveries were to start by 2018 but were sped up because Pakistan was using its older AH-1F gunships regularly to go after Islamic terrorists along the Afghan border.

Another incentive to speed up AH-1Z was the late 2014 Russian offer to sell Pakistan twenty Mi-35 helicopter gunships. Shortly after Pakistan confirmed this purchase and the U.S. agreed to discuss terms on the AH-1Z proposal. The AH-1F gunships Pakistan already had had been essential in the continuing campaign against Islamic terrorists in northwest Pakistan that turned into a major operation in mid-2014. The AH-1s are a lot more flexible than the smart bomb equipped F-16s that Pakistan also uses and the troops on the ground usually prefer helicopter gunship support. This is mainly because the helicopters arrive more quickly, stay around longer and provide ground troops with real time reports on what the enemy is up to. This has kept enemy casualties up (over 4,000 dead so far) and friendly losses down (fewer than 800 soldiers and paramilitaries killed) for the major campaign that began in June 2014 and officially ends in 2018.

Russia offered Mi-35 helicopter gunships which are adequate but not as effective as the AH-1Zs. The Mi-35 is a twelve ton helicopter gunship that also has a cargo area that can hold up to eight people or four stretchers. The Mi-24/35 can carry rockets, missiles bombs, and automatic cannon. It is used by over thirty countries and has a pretty good reputation for reliability. The design is based on the 1960s era Mi-8 transport helicopter. The Pakistan Army has been desperate to get all the helicopter gunships it can as these aircraft have proved a key weapon in the battles against Islamic terrorists in the tribal territories. The Pakistani government is always short of cash. The Russians are not known for offering generous credit terms like they did in the Cold War, but deals can be made if the long term benefit is attractive enough. Russia saw a helicopter sale to Pakistan as a long term investment.

Pakistan has long sought more helicopter gunships to supplement and eventually replace the 35 American AH-1S and AH-1F gunships it originally had. Over a third of these have been lost in the last few years in the tribal territories where helicopter gunships are heavily used and frequently shot at. Second-hand gunships are what the government has been used to paying for. So getting new stuff from Russia, on attractive terms, was an offer that could not be refused.

For years Pakistan tried to obtain the American 6.6 ton AH-1W model from the United States. This would have been a major upgrade for the Pakistanis. Developed by the U.S. Marine Corps the W model was configured for naval use, and has two engines and protection against sea water corrosion. Like most other AH-1 models the AH-1W has a crew of two and is armed with a 20mm autocannon and can carry eight TOW missiles or 38 70mm unguided rockets. Typical sorties last about three hours (twice that of the AH-1F). The Pakistanis are also equipping their gunships with night vision (thermal imaging) equipment and are similar to the older AH-1F model long used by Pakistan. The 4.4 ton AH-1Fs are single engine helicopters based on the original AH-1 that entered service in the late 1960s. By the time the U.S. agreed to sell Pakistan the latest AH-1 gunship that model available was the AH-1Z.
In late 2017 someone with access to top secret Chinese documents leaked a four page outline of a particularly damaging September 15 th Chinese proposal to North Korea. This was actually an attractive (for North Korea) secret ultimatum. China demanded that North Korea stop developing and testing nuclear weapons. North Korea would be allowed to keep those nukes it already had (believed to be as many as twenty) and in return China would secretly supply North Korea with new missile technology and other military assistance as well as help in defying economic sanctions and whatever it takes to improve the sorry state of the North Korean military and living standards in general. If North Korea did not accept then China would first go after senior North Korean leaders and their families and strictly enforce all the sanctions and continue in that direction until North Korea behaved. In the document China said it did not believe the Americans would really attack, but that was more of a possibility now than in the past. It is unclear what deadline was associated with this proposal or if North Korea had actually received it. There was a high level meeting between Chinese and North Korean officials in North Korea on November 17 th but nothing public came from that. North Korea definitely knows about the September 15 document now and now North Korea wants to talk peace with South Korea. .

Non-government experts agree the document looks authentic (format, typeface, phrasing of the text) and the Chinese government will not comment, nor will the CIA or any other major intelligence agency. With what China knows about current affairs across the border it is easier to understand how the Chinese see the threat differently. The North Korean threat to China is rather absurdist; push us North Koreans too far and we will bleed all over you (with millions of refugees coming from badlands that will be expensive to fix). This is not as spectacular as a nuclear threat, but more likely. The Chinese know (as do most senior North Korean officials) that actual use of nukes by North Korea (whether successful or not) means the end of the North Korean government and possibly much of the population as well. The traditional (and still quite popular) Chinese strategy is to try and make deals with enough members of the senior North Korean leadership to carry out a coup. Even if that does not succeed the growing paranoia among the senior leadership leads to weakening of the North Korean government as more key people flee or become ineffective lest they do something that is deemed treasonous. The secret ultimatum specifically gives the North Korean ruling class protection, if the rulers agree.

The secret ultimatum is based on the belief that China is more exposed to damage from a North Korean collapse than South Korea or Japan. In other words, the North Korean ICBM is more of a political prop than a military threat. In the meantime there are more indications that the North Korea underground nuclear test site, which is close to the Chinese border, is leaking radioactivity and that this is causing alarm in northeast China. This is but a small taste of what China would have to deal with if there was a collapse of the North Korean government and a flood of refugees heading for the largely unfortified Chinese border. This is a very real threat and not something the Chinese want to deal with, especially if a lot of those refugees suffer from radiation poisoning and many diseases that are rarely encountered in China these days. China cannot admit that it is actually hoping for a military coup that would preserve public order in North Korea and justify sending large volumes of aid and getting the nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs dismantled. A disorderly collapse of the North Korean government would make the current Chinese leadership weak, not something that head of communist police state can afford. With all this in mind the secret ultimatum makes sense. It also appears that not everyone on the Chinese side of this agrees with ultimatum terms. Or maybe it was believed that those terms would never really work.

Venezuela

China has a major opportunity to establish itself economically and militarily in South America. It is all about how you handle bad debts. China has been a major lender to Venezuela and has provided over $50 billion since 2007. Most of these loans are repaid with Venezuelan oil. The amount of oil owed China increases as the oil price declines, which means Venezuela has less oil to sell or use for domestic needs. To make matters still worse Venezuela became officially bankrupt at the end of 2017 and that is causing potential losses for China, which was not unexpected. The bankruptcy process will take months to get rolling and years to resolve. This is where China has an opportunity. China feared that they might not see a lot of their loans repaid and demanded more oil instead. These losses mean little to China and are seen as a cost of establishing themselves in South America and providing even larger, and riskier, opportunities. .

Venezuela is not the only nation in South America where China is increasingly active as a trading partner, banker and investor. Now Venezuela appears to be an opportunity China is willing to take some risks for. China would like to obtain long-term control of Venezuelan oil and other industries and do so legally. This can be seen in China allowing one of its state owned trading companies to sue Venezuela in a U.S. court over failure to pay for $43 million worth of steel products already delivered to the state oil company. The U.S. courts are involved because Venezuela has assets that could be seized if the Chinese can prove their case, which also involves accusations of deceit and fraud and thus the Chinese could be awarded even more money if the criminal activity can be proved.

This is how China deals with nations they have treated well (billions in loans and other forms of assistance) and yet allow state owned firms to deceive Chinese suppliers. Venezuela is responding to this by going through the motions of trying to blame all the bad behavior in the state oil company on officials the socialist government appointed but then went rogue. China sees through that (senior politicians always got a cut) but might be willing to show mercy if the Venezuelan government puts on a good show of contrition and gratitude towards China. This may turn out to be another deal Venezuelans will regret making. But if the current Maduro government wants to survive it may well be persuaded that whatever China proposes will work both financially and politically, at least in the short term. Iran, Russia and Cuba are also offering to help, but none have the depth of financial and industrial resources China possesses. Those three countries may well be allowed to participate as junior partners in an enterprise that has to avoid triggering an aggressive response from the United States or too many other Western Hemisphere nations.

South Asia

China has another potentially advantageous (to China) disaster in Burma. China stands to gain influence in Burma if the Rohingya crises continues. Despite blocking UN resolution against Burma China is trying to make the best of a bad situation. This is about economics and politics. Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who won international praise for her decades of efforts to get Burmese democracy restored in 2011, now agrees with the Chinese pragmatism. She also believes China is the best alternative (for investment and essential imports) if international economic sanctions are again imposed on Burma, as they were until the generals gave up some of their power and allowed the 2011 elections. Suu Kyi has visited China three times to discuss economic matters. Meanwhile the Islamic world is demanding UN action against Burma. That is not going to happen as long as China backs Burma and China has recently made it clear that the support is still there. One obvious example was the 2017 agreement where China invests over seven billion dollars in upgrading Kyauk Pyu port in Rakhine State and the Burmese government agreed to let China control (via 70 percent ownership of the new port facilities) the upgraded port. China had wanted 85 percent but backed down because most Burmese wanted China to have much less control. China has used similar tactics in neighboring Thailand, reducing their initial demands to get an agreement and then offering more help against sanctions (Thailand currently has a military government).

Meanwhile the more the rest of the world pressures Burma on the Rohingya the more power the Burmese military gets back and the easier it is for China to make corrupt deals (which helped weaken the military before 2011) and restore ones that had been halted. It has become easier for China to establish itself as the primary source of weapons and military equipment in Burma and the return of economic sanctions makes China even more indispensable to Burma. The military interest in the tribal areas is now largely economic as the generals got rich off all sorts of scams in the north, especially after China began investing.

January 2, 2018: China is determined to tame the Internet, which continues to provide too many Chinese to speak freely with each other and billions of other Internet users outside China. One of the more common tools for evading censors has been the VPN (Virtual Private Networks). Since 2014 China has been cracking down on VPN use with more and more effective methods. By late 2017 it became clear that the latest anti-VPN measures had backfired. A growing number of foreign firms, whose VPN use is supposed to be unrestricted, are finding their VPNs rendered useless by Chinese censors. Worse, the Chinese government is slow to fix these problems and it is no secret that many Chinese leaders would like to drive most foreign companies out of China without admitting that sort of thing is Chinese policy. The VPN situation got much worse in 2015 when China made a major effort to block Chinese from free access to the international Internet. This involved new censorship software to detect and block the use of VPNs that have been used to access forbidden web sites outside China. In 2015 it was estimated that as many as ten percent of Chinese Internet users get past the Great Firewall Of China using VPNs and other technical tools. The government also rolled out powerful new data mining and screening software checks for anti-government posts in real time. The problem with blocking all this is that many of these wall piercers are just curious or, more importantly, business users who need this international access to remain competitive. While the government will grant international access for business and academic users these permits are difficult to get and still involve some censoring. As expected the Great Firewall crossers are finding other ways to access the outside world and the struggle continues. Despite all this censorship Chinese continue to discuss forbidden subjects (mainly about corruption at the top and Chinese who openly protest the corruption and bad government). Chinese censors are not really going after individual offenders as much as they are seeking to prevent mass unrest from being ignited. Thus sometimes even the arrest and punishment of Internet offenders is not publicized, lest this get a mass protest movement going. China has a growing problem with large groups of people hitting the streets to protest in the flesh. With the large amount of government corruption and inefficiency, there's a lot to protest. The Internet is seen as essential economically, but also the chief means of local protests turning into major ones. That is not to be allowed, at all costs.

January 1, 2018: The North Korean leader, during his New Year speech, offered to restore the hotline with South Korea and conduct peace talks with his South Korean counterpart. South Korea, after some brief discussions with the United States, agreed and arrangements were made for the leaders from the two Koreas to meet at the DMZ truce village (Panmunjeom) on the 9th. North Korea indicated it was willing to participate in the Winter Olympics, which take place in South Korea this year. These events (including the Paralympics) run from February 5th to March 18th. Both Koreas and the United States have agreed to suspend large scale military training exercises during the Winter Olympics. Before the 1st North Korea had insisted it would only negotiate with the United States directly and not with South Korea or anyone else. The U.S. refused since this is seen by the Americans as a Korean matter thus talks between the two Koreas is preferable. It is unclear if this is another publicity stunt by North Korea or if all the stories coming out of North Korea about popular discontent and the ramshackle armed forces unprepared for war are true and the North Korean leader is seeking to avoid economic and government collapse in the north.

December 30, 2017: The Chinese military has announced a new web site ( www.PLA110.cn ) for tips on corruption, espionage or anything else illegal in the Chinese military. Tips can be made anonymously, but rewards for useful tips can only be paid to those who identify themselves. The new site went live on January 1st.

December 28, 2017: In the south (Tibet) on the Indian border (Arunachal Pradesh), Indian troops seized two Chinese construction vehicles (excavators) that Chinese civilian workers were using on a road one kilometer into Indian territory. Normally such Chinese intrusions are accompanied by troops, but this one wasnt. Chinese and Indian officers later met to discuss how to resolve the situation. India says it will not return the construction equipment unless China agrees to stay on their side of the border. The official Chinese position is that Arunachal Pradesh is theirs and any border India claims is illegal. West of Arunachal Pradesh India notes that China still has an above average number of troops in Chumbi Valley, from which China launched a June incursion into Indian territory on the Doklam plateau. This confrontation was settled in late August. The two nations blamed each other for this confrontation in a very inhospitable part of the world. The Doklam plateau is where the Tibet border meets Indias Sikkim State. China is also building new roads to this part of the Tibet/India border.

China announced today that starting in 2018 the key elements of the national police (PAP or People's Armed Police) will report directly to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) and senior national leadership (the Central Military Commission), which already has direct control of the military. The PAP has about 1.5 million personnel and most of them do ordinary police work all over the country. What the CCP is interested in is the 700,000 PAP personnel in specialized units (border patrol, special operations, counter-terrorism, fire-fighting and riot control). In China, the line between the armed forces and the police is sometimes blurred, especially when it comes to paramilitary outfits like the PAP. The specialized PAP personnel exist to take care of emergencies and they tend to be kept busy with the thousands of demonstrations and labor actions that occur each year. Many of these are without a permit and involve a lot of angry Chinese. Technically, the PAP is an armed force that undertakes public security duties as well as the enforcement of law and order within the country. In practice it's not that simple. While there are about 1.4 million local police, for emergencies (a frequent event in Tibet and Xinjiang) you call the PAP. This paramilitary force will quickly smother the unrest but it won't solve the underlying problems.

The history of the PAP is a confusing one. The PAPs ancestor was the Peoples Public Security Force, established in 1949 after the creation of the communist government in China. However, it was disbanded during the Cultural Revolution (1960s) and its duties transferred to the PLA (People's Liberation Army or "the army"). After the Cultural Revolution the government decided that the PLAs primary duties should be the defense of the country against foreign threats. So frontier police units were moved to the Ministry of Public Security, the same ministry that oversees the civilian Chinese police. The People's Armed Police were created in 1982. A lot of demobilized PLA troops have been incorporated into the PAP since its creation.

The PAP is rigidly organized, like most of Communist China's military and police organizations, with a national headquarters in Beijing and local headquarters in every province of the country. Another confusing aspect of the PAP is that it was long under the authority of two different bodies; the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of Public Security, which also manages the regular police forces. Within the PAP, a number of different types of units exist each with their own distinct missions, some of them military oriented and some law enforcement-oriented. These units are internal defense units, frontier defense units, fire brigade units, mobilized divisions, commandos, and forest police units. The PAP tries to be ready for anything they might encounter and now that includes whatever the CCP believes is a threat to the CCP. .

December 27, 2017: China agreed with Iran and backed more direct land-link between Gwadar and Chabahar. While the two ports are only 72 kilometers apart the only land link currently is a 362 kilometer long highway that requires a six hour trip. China is willing to finance the new Gwadar-Chabahar link alone if India does not want to participate. Iran earlier expressed interest in linking with the new Chinese Obor (One Belt, One Road) link from China to the Pakistani coast. China likes this because their expensive Pakistani link to the Indian Ocean is more at risk from Islamic terrorist violence than the one in Iran. As with the ancient Silk Road, Iran and China are willing to do business. At the end of 2017 t he new Iranian port of Chabahar in southeastern Iran on the Indian Ocean and its road link to Afghanistan was officially open. This project also includes new railroad and highway connections from Chabahar to Afghanistan and Central Asian railroads. Projects like this help keep the peace because they provide Afghanistan with an alternative to the existing Pakistani road links to Pakistan ports. This usually meant Karachi but now also includes the Chinese Obor project which has a similar (to Chabahar) link to the Pakistani port of Gwadar (72 kilometers down the coast from Chabahar) that links up with Chinese roads and railroads.

December 24, 2017: At the UN China and Russia blocked efforts to punish Burma because of the mistreatment of the Burmese Rohingya Moslems. There are reasons for the Chinese support. Three days earlier, in northern Burma (Shan State) about fifty tribal rebels attacked an area through which the Chinese oil and natural gas pipelines passed and were repulsed by the army before any damage could be done to the pipelines.

December 22, 2017: The UN imposed more economic sanctions on North Korea, with the most important ones being the sharp reductions in oil (refined and unrefined) that can be sent to North Korea. China has long been the major source of these fuels the cuts in refined products (especially aviation fuel) is particularly damaging to North Korean military efforts. By the end of December China was under pressure to crack down on Chinese companies caught smuggling. In particular Chinese tankers are going to sea and meeting North Korea tankers and transferring fuel. The U.S. released satellite photos showing dozens of such transfers since the September fuel sanctions went into effect. By the end of 2017 South Korea had seized two of these Chinese smuggler tankers. North Korea pays a very high price for this fuel, but thats how it has always been with smugglers, especially in China. If you are willing to pay there are Chinese smugglers willing to provide what you want. The major complaint here is that China is refusing to punish some of the Chinese firms caught smuggling. It is unclear if this is because of government corruption, national pride or a belief that the punishments (blacklisting Chinese ships caught smuggling) would be ineffective and counterproductive.

December 21, 2017: Taiwan announced that it will no longer report all Chinese military aircraft or ships that come close to Taiwan (often in disputed areas). It is also common for Chinese warplanes to enter the Taiwan air defense identification zone and refuse to identify themselves. Taiwan will no longer report most of these incidents because China appears to be doing this sort of thing more frequently and deliberately as a form of psychological warfare.

December 18, 2017: Pakistani and Chinese officers and technical experts met in Pakistan and worked out an agreement for China to build a naval base on the 24 kilometer long Jiwani peninsula 34 kilometers east of the Iranian border and west of the newly expanded Gwadar docks. Jiwani already has a small port and a small airfield. Both will be expanded and all civilians will be relocated to somewhere else in Baluchistan (southeast Pakistan, where both ports are). Construction is to begin in July. Jiwani will be the second Chinese naval base outside China. The first one is under construction in northeast Africa (Djibouti).

December 16, 2017: China completed six days of joint anti-missile defense drills with Russia. The joint drill uses computer simulations and took place in China (which now leads the world in the number of supercomputers in service). The drill is to coordinate a response against a ballistic missile attack against either country from any direction.

December 12, 2017: China put an Algerian communications satellite (built in China) into orbit. Called Alcomsat-1 it should last 15 years. This comes a month after Morocco put its first surveillance satellite into orbit. The 1.1 ton Mohammed VIA is based on a similar French earth observation satellite; Pleiades-HR. Another Moroccan satellite will be launched in 2018. This is part of a secret $590 million deal made with France in 2013. The new photo-satellites orbit 694 kilometers from the earth and will last at least five years. Algeria made the Alcomsat-1 deal with China in 2013.

December 11, 2017: In Pakistan China has taken note of the Pakistani military assuming more control over the government and is making sure that more of the contracts for work on obor/CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) projects go to construction firms owned by the military. This shift of contracts is being carried out as part of an anti-corruption effort that has halted work by several Pakistani firms that China believes are using corrupt practices and wasting money. China can do this and the new contractors are expected to be ones that the military controls. CPEC is a complex piece of work that began in 2013 when China agreed to spend $18 billion to build a road from the Pakistani port of Gwadar to northwest Pakistan and China. This will require drilling long tunnels through the Himalayan Mountains on the border (in Pakistani controlled Kashmir.) The road and a natural gas pipeline are part of the $46 billion CPEC project. This will make it much easier and cheaper to move people, data (via fiber optic cables) and goods between China and Pakistan. China also gets a 40 year lease on much of the port facilities at Gwadar, which India fears will serve as a base for Chinese warships. It will, but in addition to the main Chinese naval base at Jiwani.

December 8, 2017: In central Mali five men installing fiber optic cable for a Chinese telecom company were kidnapped and later murdered. Four of the dead were from Mali while the other was from Togo. China has no problem recruiting Chinese for these dangerous jobs. The pay is higher than usual and those that survive (most do) are seen as intrepid and capable of handling difficult situations.

December 7, 2017: Taiwanese and Filipino officials signed a new trade and financial investment agreement. This was not unusual as the two neighbors have long traded and worked out differences with negotiations. The next day China reminded the Philippines that anyone receiving aid from China was expected to consult China in certain key matters, like economic relationships with Taiwan (which China considers a renegade province, not an independent nation). In 1975 the Philippines went along with this, as did a lot of countries (including the U.S.) and established diplomatic relations with China while shutting down its embassy in Taiwan. But like many other nations the Philippines was going through the motions and still doing business as usual with Taiwan. But now that the Philippines is buying Chinese weapons (often at a big discount) and accepting gifts (cash, weapons and whatever) from China so the Chinese expect more compliance with the one China policy. This is going to cause problems for all concerned because Taiwan has always been considered a friendly neighbor and China more of a threat. For example in 2015 Taiwan and the Philippines established a joint patrol system, especially in some disputed areas and for greater cooperation during emergencies at sea. What really triggered that agreement was a mid-2015 announcement by the Chinese Navy that it would now be carrying out training exercises in the waters (Bashi Channel) between Taiwan and Philippines. This brought Chinese warships close to Taiwanese coastal waters on a regular basis, something that makes many Taiwanese and Filipinos uneasy.

China believed it had succeeded in buying cooperation (or blind obedience in an emergency) from the Philippines but there are still some disagreements over how that will work. The Filipino government is willing to accept all the legal gifts (aid, investments, loans) China offers in return for the Philippines not resisting Chinese claims in the South China Sea. Meanwhile the Chinese are openly moving more weapons to bases in the South China Sea as well as their main naval base in southern China (Hainan Island). Chinese officials admit that they are determined to get their way in the South China Sea but it is also the case that China prefers to buy what it wants rather than start a war over it. That is an ancient Chinese tradition that is currently giving a lot of popular and official support inside China. The Chinese are finding that bought support is often only rented and the expiration date of that lease is vague.

December 6, 2017: South Korea approved a seven percent increase in annual defense spending (to $39.3 billion). There were big increases in what is being spent on missile defense and Special Forces (especially units expected to go north in wartime or a severe crises). Pay for conscripts will be doubled and career soldiers are getting large pay raises. Japan is also spending more on defense and especially missile defense. Japan is also buying long-range cruise missiles that its fighter-bombers can fire at targets anywhere in North Korea.
The Burmese military denies it, but it appears the army response to the August 2017 Islamic terror attacks in Rakhine State were not just about seeking the perpetrators but another of the brutal army operations against civilians. For decades the army has used violence against civilians in the northern tribal areas (which includes Rakhine State) to weaken tribal rebels. These tactics include firing on pro-rebel villages, often with artillery and then sending it troops to burn down everything. The soldiers usually loot the place and kill or rape civilians as they please. Only about a third of the 1.1 Rohingya are still in Burma and over half of them fled since August 2017. Surveys of the 655,000 Rohingya refugees in Burma indicate that the two month army operation killed about 7,000 of the fleeing Rohingya. Most (about 70 percent) of those deaths were directly due to army violence. Some 15 percent of these were burned to death when their homes were destroyed and another seven percent were beaten to death by soldiers. Some two percent died when they encountered landmines near the border. The army claims only 400 civilians died but the evidence shows otherwise, as it has throughout the north for decades. But the violence was never on such a scale. The elected government in Burma is limited in what it can do because the post 2011 constitution (where the army gave up half a century of military rule) gave the military veto power over what the elected officials could do to the military. There is an ongoing effort to change that and some Burmese see the increased army violence in the north as part of an effort to delay changes to the 2011 constitution. The next major struggle between the government and the military will be how the agreement to take back the refugees is carried out. The military is aided by Buddhist radicals, who started the Rohingya expulsion effort in 2012. While the Buddhist clergy oppose the scale of the army violence against the Rohingya they do not support taking the refugees back. Whatever happens the repatriation process will be carefully scrutinized in Bangladesh and Burma.

The China Connection

And then there is China, which stands to gain influence in Burma if the Rohingya crises continues. Despite blocking UN resolution against Burma China is trying to make the best of a bad situation. This is about economics and politics. Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who won international praise for her decades of efforts to get Burmese democracy restored in 2011, now agrees with the Chinese pragmatism. She also believes China is the best alternative (for investment and essential imports) if international economic sanctions are again imposed on Burma, as they were until the generals gave up some of their power and allowed the 2011 elections. Suu Kyi has visited China three times to discuss economic matters. Meanwhile the Islamic world is demanding UN action against Burma. That is not going to happen as long as China backs Burma and China has recently made it clear that the support is still there. One obvious example was the 2017 agreement where China invests over seven billion dollars in upgrading Kyauk Pyu port in Rakhine State and the Burmese government agreed to let China control (via 70 percent ownership of the new port facilities) the upgraded port. China had wanted 85 percent but backed down because most Burmese wanted China to have much less control. Meanwhile the more the rest of the world pressures Burma on the Rohingya the more power the Burmese military gets back and the easier it is for China to make corrupt deals (which helped weaken the military before 2011) and restore ones that had been halted. It has become easier for China to establish itself as the primary source of weapons and military equipment in Burma and the return of economic sanctions makes China even more indispensable to Burma. The military interest in the tribal areas is now largely economic as the generals got rich off all sorts of scams in the north, especially after China began investing.

The Islamic Terrorist Threat

ARSA (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army) is now calling for Rohingya to join with al Qaeda to fight the Burmese army and establish Rakhine State as the independent Moslem state of Arakan. This refers to the Arakan region, which is the coastal area that includes Rakhine State and the coastal area along the Bay of Bengal from eastern Bangladesh down into Burma. Some 1800 years ago Arakan became an independent Hindu state but 500 years later Islam spread to the area in part became Arakan was one of the many branches of the ancient Silk Road from China. The population was largely Bengali and Burmese. In the 18th century the Burmese kingdom to the east conquered the area but lost it to the British a century later and most of Arakan became part of nation of Burma by the time the British left in the late 1940s. For Islamic radicals Arakan, like Spain, Portugal and parts of the Balkans are still considered part of the Caliphate (Islamic Empire) because they had once been ruled by Moslems. The current inhabitants of these lost territories are now largely non-Moslem and have no interest in becoming Islamic states again. Groups like al Qaeda see an opportunity in Burma. Islamic terrorists first showed up in late 2016 and August 2017 when there were attacks by a Rohingya Islamic terrorist group called ARSA. Its founder (a Rohingya expatriate) and much of the cash came from Saudi Arabia. Burma prefers to call groups like ARSA Islamic terrorists but until ARSA and the Saudi cash showed up there had not been much, if any, religious aspect to the armed Rohingya resistance. ARSA was openly calling for Rohingya worldwide to support a war against Burma for the bad treatment the Rohingya have received, especially since 2012. Until this new document appeared ARSA had denied any connection with al Qaeda but that has apparently changed. The ARSA leader; Ataullah abu Ammar Jununi (or just Ata Ullah) has received more attention now that Islamic terror groups like al Qaeda are calling for its members to help ARSA and the Burmese Rohingya any way they can. Since August 2017 there have been no more large scale ARSA attacks but the government blamed ARSA for the deaths of 18 Rohingya village chiefs who had agreed to help the government determine who is eligible for official ID cards among the returning Rohingya refugees. There is no proof of ARSA involvement in these murders (or accidental deaths) and ARSA does not appear to have a lot of support among Moslems in Burma or Bangladesh. Meanwhile Bangladesh is attempting to register all the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and for most of these Rohingya they would receive official ID for the first time or replace ID lost during their flight from Burma. That is supposed to aid in returning these refugees to Burma.

January 1, 2018: In the north (Shan state) fighting resumed between the army and SSA-N tribal rebels. This is another rebel group that has refused to participate in peace talks.

December 31, 2017: In the north the KIA (Kachin Independence Army) rebels have selected new, younger, leaders to replace the older ones who are blamed for recent losses to the military. The KIA still controls large portions of Kachin state but the army has increased its attacks, apparently because most attention is on the Rohingya situation.

December 25, 2017: In the north (Kachin State) the army renewed its offensive against the KIA tribal rebels near the Chinese border. Troops attacked in several areas and artillery fired on the KIA headquarters near the border. The army continued attacking into January and several thousand civilians fled their homes. This appears to be an effort to halt illegal (not paying a tax to the army) mining of amber and gold, which helps finance the KIA, which has refused to participate in peace talks.

December 24, 2017: At the UN China and Russia blocked efforts to punish Burma because of the mistreatment of the Burmese Rohingya Moslems.

December 21, 2017: In the north (Shan State) about fifty KIA and TNLA tribal rebels attacked an area through which the Chinese oil and natural gas pipelines passed and were repulsed by the army before any damage could be done to the pipelines.

December 19, 2017: Burma and Bangladesh signed an agreement than has Burma taking back most of the 655,000 Burmese Rohingya Moslems that had fled to Bangladesh (after October 9, 2016). Actually about 700,000 Rohingya refugees are eligible but most of them are in Bangladesh. The Rohingya fled to get away from anti-Moslem violence. Burma began building two processing centers on the Bangladesh border and these were nearly completed by the end of the year. The reception centers begin operation on January 22nd. The returning refugees will be resettled in Rakhine state and receive economic and other foreign aid to rebuild their lives. Unfortunately many (if not most) of the Burmese Rohingya are not willing to return because the anti-Rohingya violence has not subsided and Burma is demanding identity documents that most of the refugees do not possess. There is also some dispute over exactly how many Rohingya refugees there are with some estimates indicating a million or more.

December 16, 2017: ARSA released a document on the Internet calling for Rohingya to join with al Qaeda to fight the Burmese army and establish Rakhine State as an independent Moslem state of Arakan. The document apparently existed since September 2017 but now it has been made public.

December 6, 2017: Bangladesh believes that most of the methamphetamine pills smuggled into the country since July have been smuggled in by men pretending to be Rohingya refugees or were Rohingya hired to make some money by carrying the pills across the border. Police reports indicate that about half of the 1,000 mules (civilians) hired to get pills across the border during that period were refugees. During that period police seized half a million pills when they arrested 70 smugglers and most of the smugglers were real or pretend Rohingya refugees. Called "yaba" ("crazy drug") locally, most of the methamphetamine pills are smuggled out via Thailand but a lot of it goes directly to China and Bangladesh. Since 2010 production of yaba tablets has soared. The meth labs are easier to conceal than poppy fields (opium is the sap of poppy plants) and the meth labs are believed to produce several hundred million tablets a year. The tribal rebels, especially ethnic Chinese tribes (like the Wa) use the profits to buy more weapons for their fighters, and run their rebel organizations.

December 5, 2017: In Afghanistan Afghan and American Special Forces killed Omar Khetab, the deputy leader of AQIS (Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent). AQIS is making some headway in Burma via ARSA. Technically Afghanistan is not part of AQIS territory but it has become a more reliable base area (for training camps) than Pakistan or anywhere else in South Asia. AQIS was created in 2014 and initially tried to establish its headquarters in Karachi, long a haven for all sorts of criminal activity and forged alliances with the major Islamic terrorist organizations there. Yet AQIS has been responsible for very few terror attack in Pakistan or anywhere else. AQIS was created to manage and support operations in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and Burma. Islamic terrorism experts believe this was largely a publicity stunt by al Qaeda to counter the growing popularity of the more radical ISIL. Indian Moslems have produced some recruits for Islamic terrorism, but not enough to produce the level of mayhem Islamic terrorists wanted. Lacking a lot of radical clergy and religious schools India has simply not produced a lot of radicalized young men willing to kill and be killed. Similar recruiting problems were encountered elsewhere but other Al Qaeda groups have continued to provide enough cash and other assistance to keep AQIS going and barely visible. The Afghan training camps were a major AQIS asset and the recent losses there will hamper AQIS everywhere it has a presence. That includes Burma.
A method for scrambling data to protect it from the super powerful computers of the future has received a speed boost from a team of researchers from Duke and Ohio State universities and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The method uses quantum key distribution to guard data from prying eyes, wrote Nurul T. Islam, Charles Ci Wen Lim, Clinton Cahall, Jungsang Kim and Daniel J. Gauthier in an article published in ScienceAdvances.

The problem in the past with the technology is its slow, they explained. Transfer speeds typically are measured in kilobits per second. However, the researchers found a way to increase key transmission rates between five and 10 times, bringing them into the megabit per second range.

Making quantum key distribution practical is viewed as a way to counter the future threat to encrypted data.

One powerful aspect of quantum encryption is that it is secure against quantum computers, said Kevin Curran, a senior member of the IEEE and a professor of cybersecurity at Ulster University in Northern Ireland.

Its strength does not depend on mathematical complexity, like current cryptography, but on physical principles, he told TechNewsWorld.

Hedge Against Future Computers

Quantum computers pose a serious threat to cybersecurity because most current cryptosystems potentially could be broken with a powerful quantum computer in a reasonable amount of time, the researchers wrote.

Quantum key distribution with symmetric encryption is one of the very few methods that can provide provable security against an attack aided with a quantum computer, they maintained.

A major limitation of most current QKD systems, though, is the rate at which the secret key is generated, the researchers wrote. It is orders of magnitude lower than existing digital communication rates  a limitation that ultimately prevents QKD from being useful for a wide range of communication tasks.

With their system, though, the researchers were able to generate provably secure cryptographic keys at megabit-per-second rates over metropolitan distances  10 to 50 miles. Whats more, the system can be built with mostly off-the-shelf components, and the protocol the researchers developed is robust against coherent attacks on the data its moving.

Packing Photons

The researchers were able to obtain their speed boost by finding a way to pack more information on the photons used to carry a keys data. With adjustments to release time and the phase of the photon, they managed to get two bits of data on the particle instead of one.

However, that trick could have adverse consequences if the researchers scheme tries to reach beyond metro ranges, noted Jon Geater, CTO of Thales.

QKD has always held much promise, but it suffers from practical issues. Actually, the speed improvement here doesnt really address the biggest issues, which are stability and range, he told TechNewsWorld.

While the theory and physics are somehow perfect, practical implementations in glass fiber can only survive around 150 miles before breaking down and becoming unusable, Geater said. It is unlikely that doubling the carriage density of each photon will help with this.

Quantum Alternatives

While there is concern that a new generation of quantum computers could break current encryption schemes, fighting quantum with quantum isnt the only solution to the problem.

Researchers have been working to solve future problems by creating quantum-proof encryption algorithms or other solutions, noted Stephen Ezell, vice president for global innovation policy at the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation.

For example, public-key systems can be designed to generate random keys with each message sent.

This means that if a quantum computer compromises one message in a system, all others are not also compromised, Ezell told TechNewsWorld.

Such systems have advantages over new schemes like quantum key distribution, said Jonathan Katz, director of the Maryland Cybersecurity Center.

These replacement systems being developed that are thought to be resistant to quantum computers would fit in more easily to the current way key distribution is done than quantum key distribution would, he told TechNewsWorld.

Still, betting on a post quantum mathematical solution could be a risky wager.

What the United States would like to do is replace the hard math problem used in the current cryptographic schemes with a different math problem that we hope is not breakable by a quantum computer, explained researcher Gauthier, who is a professor of physics at The Ohio State University.

The rest of the world is definitely looking at those, he told TechNewsWorld, but theyre not putting all their faith in that one approach.
A renowned Linux innovator has developed a new mobile operating system, called Project eelo, in an effort to provide a level of data privacy that traditional Android and iOS devices fail to offer.

The new eelo system will allow mobile phone users to regain control over their personal information at a price they can afford, said Gael Duval, who created Mandrake Linux back in 1998.

Apple has become too expensive, too boring and is going crazy with its products, he said, while Google has become too big and is capturing too much information about what we do.

They want to know us as much as possible to sell advertising, Duval wrote in a post introducing eelos Kickstarter campaign, which has more than doubled its goal with 14 days remaining.

People are free to do what they want, Duval wrote. They can choose to be voluntary slaves. But I do not want this situation for me anymore.

After deciding to leave Google and Apple for eelo, Duval received more than 6,000 reads from a couple of articles he posted detailing his plans, he told LinuxInsider.

The eelo project on Kickstarter reached more than 200 percent of goal after only 15 days.

More than 2,000 people have registered at eelo.io since December 20 in response to his posted updates, Duval added.

eelos Lineage

The new eelo project is a fork of the LineageOS, which is an open source system that runs mainstream Android applications. Open source modules are layered on top of that, which help create a consistent mobile and Web system, Duval said.

The project, which calls for the developers to sell preloaded eelo smartphones and provide some premium services, will run as a nonprofit. As a community project, it will welcome contributors.

The developers will release privacy-enabled smartphone ROMs, as well as smartphones for ordinary users, with associated Web services.

They have been testing custom builds of LineageOS/eelo on the LeEcho Le2  a 5.5-inch smartphone with a 1080 x 1920 pixel screen, 3G RAM, 32 GB storage, a finger sensor on the back and a 4K camera  for about Pounds130, and on a Xiaomi Mi5S.

The developers plan to have downloadable ROMs for a range of devices by 2018, Duval said, as well as a limited number of post-market Flashed devices. He also plans to discuss partnerships with Fairphone, Essential phone or similar devices, and plans to industrialize the phone by 2019.

Privacy Tradeoffs

Many consumers have expressed a desire for greater control over their experience with mobile devices, but there has to be a balance between the value proposition and customers willingness to share on a personal level.

Information is currency, and people are going to want more control over who has information on their behaviors and habits on a mobile device, said Ryan Spanier, director of research at Kudelski Security.

Eelo is focused on maintaining privacy, he told LinuxInsider, preventing tracking and monetization of your actions without your consent.

There is growing consumer interest in a potentially less-intrusive operating system for mobile devices, but the task of establishing one in the market is daunting, said independent analyst Jeff Kagan.

Though there have been some prior efforts, no alternative mobile OS has been able to compete with iOS and Android, he told LinuxInsider.

Even if privacy is a concern, the majority of consumers dont understand the relationship between privacy and the mechanics of their personal technology well enough to persuade them to make the shift to eelo, suggested Paul Teich, principal analyst at Tirias Research.

Success will be made on social media stickiness and whether enough consumers or organizations think they can get more privacy  whatever that means to them  than stock Google Android or Apple iOS products, he told LinuxInsider.

Developing leading products like the iPhone and other devices involves the willingness to make tradeoffs, noted Gartner analyst Tuong Nguyen.

Companies must invest substantial resources to make their products appeal to the specific needs of their customers, he told LinuxInsider.

Google spends a lot of time and effort to make [products] easy to use, Nguyen said, to keep you within their ecosystem.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the KardiaBand its stamp of approval, AliveCor announced Thursday. Thedevice is the first FDA-cleared personal electrocardiogram (EKG) accessory designed for use with an Apple Watch.

The KardiaBand allows users to take EKG readings in order to distinguish between normal sinus heart rhythms and atrial fibrillation (A-fib), the most common type of serious heart arrhythmia, which can lead to strokes or other heart-related problems.

The KardiaBand can record an EKG in just 30 seconds. The user simply touches an integrated sensor, and the results are then displayed on the face of the Apple Watch.

AliveCor also announced the release of SmartRhythm, a new feature in the Kardia app. Itrelies on artificial intelligence to monitor a users heart rateand determine the correlation between heart activity and physicalactivity. It can detect when a users heart rate and activity are outof sync and promptly send an alert.

KardiaBand paired with SmartRhythm technology will be life-changingfor people who are serious about heart health, said Vic Gundotra, CEOof AliveCor. Gundotra previously helmed Google+.

These capabilities will allow people to easily and discreetly checktheir heart rhythms when they may be abnormal, capturing essentialinformation to help doctors identify the issue and inform a clear pathof care to help manage A-fib, a leading cause of stroke, and otherserious conditions, he added.

KardiaBand, which is now available for US$199, works in conjunction with AliveCors Premium$99 a year subscription service. The combined system providessubscribers with SmartRhythm notifications on Apple Watch, unlimitedEKG recordings, and automatic detection of A-fib or normal sinus rhythms.

Users can email unlimited EKG readings to anyone, including adoctor, and are provided with unlimited cloud access to all EKG readings, along with weight and medication tracking. All ofthis data is mailed to users in a monthly paper report with fullreadings from the device.

Heart of the Matter

Although AliveCors KardiaBand is the first EKG device available forthe Apple Watch, it is just a small part of Apples fitness-monitoring efforts.

The company recently announced its Apple Heart Study app, the first researchstudy to utilize Apple Watchs heart rate sensor to collect data onA-fib. Apple partnered with Stanford Medicine to perform that research.

Smartwatches could become increasingly useful to help monitor heart-relatedmedical issues.

There are millions of people with frequent or infrequent heartarrhythmia who could benefit from a band like KardiaBand, said RogerEntner, principal analyst at Recon Analytics.

It would help diagnosis and speed up treatment in cases where andwhen it occurs, and it would certainly be a driver for people who haveheart arrhythmia, which is often a side effect of diabetes and otherheart disease, he told TechNewsWorld.

Health and Technology

One issue might be how easy, convenient and even comfortable such adevice would be to wear, especially for extended periods. Further, someusers might rely on these devices as replacements for regulardoctors visits.

Its fine to instrument a person, as it enables closer monitoring,suggested Roger Kay, principal analyst at Endpoint TechnologyAssociates.

In general, early warning gives more information and is mostly not tooinvasive, but of course people still need to be treated by healthcareprofessionals, he told TechNewsWorld.

The app cant do anything but tell you whats going on at a detailedlevel, so it makes sense for people at risk, Kay noted.Still, the device and app are a diagnostic tool to make it easier to treat,not a replacement for treatment, Recon Analytics Entner added. Onlya doctor can do that.

Widening the Market

As health costs continue to rise, smartwatch monitoringdevices could offer some financial benefits. Users might not feel the need to rush to theemergency room every time they felt slightly off.

Its possible that health and fitness monitoring devices will continue to become more highly specialized.

This is the old Swiss Army Knife versus dedicated functionwearables debate, explained Robin Raskin, founder of Living in Digital Times.

From my point of view, smartwatches wont really take off until theyhave some super useful functionality in the workplace, like payments orphysical access to buildings and computers, she told TechNewsWorld.

That said, AliveCor builds great products  and this one, Im sure,works well, added Raskin.

More widespread acceptance may come via a mobile phone attachment, however, so it is unlikely that KardiaBand will broaden the smartwatch market, suggested Raskin.

I dont think too many people would buy and wear a device like theKardiaBand without the need, added Entner.

On the other hand, I do think that if you own a watch and suspect you haveheart issues or just want info, said Raskin, this is a fabulous product.
Mad Catz is back in business. On Thursday, the longtime gaming peripheral maker announced a surprise return to the global gaming scene after recently falling on hard times.

Signs that Mad Catz was in trouble surfaced in early 2016 when CEO Darren Richardson and Chairman Thomas Brown both stepped down. A major restructuring followed in which the company jettisoned 37 percent of its workforce.

In September of the same year, Mad Catz sold its Saitek brand of flight, space and farm simulation controllers to Logitech for $13 million in cash. In late March 2017, the gaming peripheral maker filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy and vowed to liquidate all of its assets to help pay back lenders.

Mad Catz, now officially known as Mad Catz Global Limited, said on Thursday that it is under new management with new ideas, a new attitude and most importantly, a new range of products. Conveniently enough, the news comes just ahead of CES where Mad Catz plans to showcase several new products including new R.A.T. mice, S.T.R.I.K.E. keyboards, F.R.E.Q. gaming headsets and G.L.I.D.E. gaming surfaces.

CNET spoke to longtime company spokesperson Alex Verrey who said nearly all of Mad Catz's assets were acquired by a Chinese holding company that wants to keep the brand alive. According to Verrey, some of the new owners are very familiar with the brand as they worked in the factories that manufactured the company's products. They saw an opportunity to continue doing what they had already been doing but now, they work for themselves.

CES will take over Las Vegas on January 9 and runs through the 12th.
Comcast lobbied heavily for the recent tax bill, claiming it would allow them to create thousands of new jobs. Despite that, they ended up firing more than 500 door-to-door salespeople about two weeks before Christmas. These employees were responsible for walking neighborhoods and interacting directly with potential new customers. Comcast attempted to perform the layoffs silently and even went as far as to make the former employees sign non-disclosure agreements as part of their severance package.

This has only been brought to light after an unidentified employee from Florida contacted The Philadelphia Inquirer to describe what happened. In addition to the direct salespeople, hundreds of managers and supervisors were also let go. They were all told this was part of a larger reorganization effort for their direct sales force. When Comcast was finally forced to acknowledge the layoffs, spokesperson Jennifer Moyer released a statement which reads:

The Central Division is creating a new territory-based sales model that will connect more closely with residential prospects and customers in their communities. By giving highly trained sales professionals direct responsibility for entire neighborhoods, we can provide a better experience for those who are interested in our services, during and after the sale.

In December, Comcast announced they would be giving a $1,000 bonus to all full-time employees in celebration of the Republican-crafted tax bill. The recently fired employees will retain several months of health insurance and will also be eligible for this bonus. Comcast went on to release a follow-up statement to Ars Technica which reads:

Periodically, we reorganize groups of employees and adjust our sales tactics and talent. This change in the Central Division is an example of this practice and occurred in the context of our adding hundreds of frontline and sales employees. All these employees were offered generous severance and an opportunity to apply for other jobs at Comcast.

Following the tax bill, Comcast announced they planned to invest $50 billion into new infrastructure over the next five years. Despite the previous net neutrality rules they claimed were burdensome and hindered their growth, Comcast was already investing at a rate very similar to this.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries account for over 60 percent of the world's total gross domestic product. | Read More
TWIN FALLS  The first City Council meeting of the New Year  and the first meeting in the new City Hall Council Chambers  wasnt without a few hiccups.

City Manager Travis Rothweiler had announced during the meeting that while the live streaming was functional for customers watching online, television customers were able to see, but not hear, the meeting. Cable One customers can typically watch the meetings on Channel 17.

But the first thing City Councilman and veteran Chris Talkington noticed when he walked into the room Tuesday was the lack of colors at the front.

There was no American flag or Idaho flag, he said.

He brought it up to Twin Falls resident Warren Hinton  better known as Shorty.

Hes kind of an institution not only around town, Talkington said. But for the past two years or more hes attended every City Council meeting.

Shorty, he said, is a fellow veteran, and went in search of an American flag so the Council could say the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of the meeting. Talkington helped, and found one in an adjacent room. The pair worked together to get the flag set up in Council Chambers before the meeting started.

At the end of Tuesdays meeting, Talkington decided it would be a good time for the Council to honor Shorty for his service to the community. The Council voted unanimously to name him an honorary color guard.

Hes a special person, Talkington said. Hes always at the Council meeting. He never speaks up, really.

This was Shortys second stroke of luck on Tuesday. Prior to the meeting, hed told Talkington that as he was riding his bicycle to City Hall, he found a $50 bill.

When asked about his new color guard title after the meeting, Shorty humbly downplayed his role in the search for a flag. But after speaking with Councilwoman Nikki Boyd, he seemed happy enough to pose in front of the flag so Joshua Palmer, the citys public information officer, could snap a quick photo.
On Wednesday night, President Donald Trump abruptly announced he was disbanding his Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. This was the panel charged with finding proof of Trumps absurd claim of millions of illegal voters, and it went downhill from the beginning. But while the panel has vanished, its spurious arguments remain widespread. Claims of voter fraud still form the basis of efforts to suppress the vote across the country. Now can we call a stop to that effort, too?

First, lets marvel at the curious story of the commission. On the campaign trail in 2016, Trump warned supporters, The election is going to be rigged. Then as president-elect, he tweeted, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally. He told startled members of Congress that 3 million to 5 million had cast illegal ballots.

This was widely recognized as false. Statistically, you are more likely to be struck by lightning than to commit in-person voter fraud. Law enforcement officials, election administrators from both parties and scholars all agree voter fraud is incredibly rare.

Challenged to back up his spurious claim, Trump launched the voting commission. In contrast with similar earlier panels, which strove for bipartisanship, this one was chaired by Vice President Mike Pence and guided by vice chair Kris Kobach, the secretary of state of Kansas, both Republicans. The panel was crammed with members, including Kobach, well known for spurious warnings of fraud.

Immediately the panel began to flail. It first asked states to provide voters individual data, including the last four digits of their Social Security numbers, illegal under the laws of many states. Twenty-one states declined to provide any data, citing legal restrictions, privacy concerns and uncertainty about how the information would be used.

Things only got worse. Voting rights groups, including the Brennan Center for Justice, which I lead,pelted the panel with lawsuits. Ahead of a session in New Hampshire, Kobach claimed voter fraud there because voters used out-of-state drivers licenses as IDs. In fact, many were likelycollege students voting legally. By November, Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap, a commissioner, actually sued his own panel for violating open government rules and cutting him out of the flow of information. Perhaps the White Houses announcement was an act of mercy.

Its tempting to shake our heads and move on. But the ideas that undergirded the commission in the first place, unfortunately, still have malevolent potency.

Bogus claims of misconduct remain a campaign-trail staple. Roy Moore claimed voter fraud in refusing to accept his defeat in the recent U.S. Senate race in Alabama, filing a suit that was quickly tossed out of court. Cynical voters are prone to credit allegations. After the 2016 election, one poll found that 62 percent of Trump voters believed his claims.

Worse, states across the country still have laws that make it harder to vote specifically due to the supposed specter of voter fraud. In Wisconsin, the best recent study suggested that as many as 23,000 eligible voterscould have been blocked by a harsh ID law that purported to deter fraud. Next Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear a case challenging Ohios practice of purging voters from the rolls who have not cast ballots in federal elections. One proffered rationale: to prevent fraud. The result, however, is to block many eligible citizens who simply choose not to vote. Watchdogs worry that improper purges will be the method of choice to prune minority, poor and Democratic voters from the rolls, often without the highly visible controversy that attends state legislative action.

The panels overreaching may have had an unexpected positive consequence, though: State officials of both parties roundly denounced its premise.

Thats good, because real problems mar the way we run elections in the United States, and those problems will need bipartisan solutions. Voter registration lists are, in fact, often rife with duplication and error, even as they omit tens of millions of eligible citizens. Happily, even amid partisan wrangling over voting, states have moved to enact automatic registration. In nine states and the District, the government will automatically register voters (unless they choose to opt out) when they interact with the departments of motor vehicles or (in some cases) other agencies. Most recently, such a measure passed the Illinois legislature unanimously and was signed by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. Automatic registration adds citizens to the rolls, costs less and bolsters election security.

We also cannot forget Russias attempts to threaten the integrity of our elections. We now know that Moscows interference in 2016 went well beyond stealing campaign emails. Hackers probed state databases and voting-machine software companies. Theres no evidence that they switched tallies, but theres every reason to think Russiaor China, or North Korea, or a homegrown partisanwill be back in 2018. A bipartisan group of senators just introduced a bill to help states buy new secure machines and harden their systems from attack.

Yes, Trumps commission began as a tragedy and ended as a farce. But the voter fraud hoax really is not funny. The next federal effort should find ways to protect the right to vote, not spread scare stories.
AUTO LAB TALK RADIO LIVE FROM NYC SATURDAY MORNING! 7-9 AM January 6, 2018







Auto Lab Talk Radio

The Auto Lab Radio Show Every Saturday 7 to 9 AM On New York City's WNYM Radio AM 970 and Streamed Worldwide On The Auto Channel

This Weeks Show Broadcast Date: January 6, 2018

Car Question or Concern? Call Toll Free 888-692-7234

Auto Lab is a 28 year old interactive automotive-focused New York area radio call-in show hosted by Professor Harold Wolchok. Each week a cadre of experienced hands-on automotive experts are in-studio with advice for the New York area's 12 million people, providing listeners with honest, practical and street-smart car repair and buying advice.

Auto Lab is also about the automotive industry, its history, and its culture, presenting the ideas and advice of leading college faculty, authors, and automotive practitioners in a relaxed, conversational interactive format.

Listeners can hear the past 18 years of archived Auto Lab shows as simulcast on www.theautochannel.com.

Listen - Auto Lab Page (Includes Audio-on-Demand Archives, Auto Programs at Community College Database, Guests Pictures

This Weeks Show: January 6, 2018

IN STUDIO: Auto Lab's Real World Experts Answer Your Questions; Discuss: Repairs, Second Opinions, Regular Maintenance, How To's, Safety, Used and New Car Buying, Ombudsmen Suggestions

Harold Bendell - Major Auto

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Tim Cacace - Master Mechanix Auto Repairs

Jerry Pastore-D & J Diagnostic

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Auto Lab Correspondents Remote Interviews: Featuring Auto Safety News, New Car Reviews, Technology and Latest Auto World Information That Will Effect You!

Broadcast Date: January 6, 2018;

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Marc Rauch, The Auto Channel's Co-Founder, at National Ethanol Conference +VIDEO







AUTO CENTRAL: The Auto Channel is pleased to announce that Marc J. Rauch, the company's co-founder and executive vice president, accepted an invitation to speak at the Renewable Fuels Association National Ethanol Conference (NEC). Marc is an outspoken advocate of all biofuels and alternative energy.







This is the 23rd Annual National Ethanol Conference, and the theme is Ethanol Strong: Empowering Dialogue to Grow Markets. The event will take place February 12-14, 2018 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort Spa in San Antonio, TX.

The National Ethanol Conference is the most widely attended executive level conference for the ethanol industry. Since 1996, the Renewable Fuels Associations NEC has been recognized as a preeminent conference for delivering accurate, timely information on marketing, legislative and regulatory issues facing the ethanol industry. With numerous networking opportunities, more business meetings are conducted and contacts made at this conference than any other ethanol conference. RFA expects more than 1,000 attendees at this year's event.







Marc will be discussing the hypocrisy surrounding the petroleum oil industry's attacks on ethanol. His session takes place on February 14th at 9:30AM.

"Valentine's Day is the perfect time for my love message to ethanol haters," said Marc Rauch. "Actually, I think that everyone will be quite surprised to learn that the oil industry has historically loved ethanol fuel, despite what they now say about ethanol. It'll be fun, lots of laughs, and I'll have the opportunity to share some important information."

Recently, Marc delivered four ethanol-related presentations in South Dakota in conjunction with the South Dakota Farmer's Union, Glacial Lakes Energy, and Lake Area Technical Institute. In 2016. Marc was a keynote speaker at the Australian National Biofuels Conference; he spoke (for the 2nd time) to a Congressional Ethanol Debriefing in Washington, DC; and he travelled to Taiwan to speak at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Marc is often heard on broadcast radio shows, such as Bob Long's "AutoWorld" program, talking about alternative fuels and other automotive matters.

Marc has authored and published more than 100 articles and papers on the subject of alt fuels, including a 60+ page rebuttal of Robert Bryce's "Gusher Of Lies." Marc regularly takes on the best academics and media spokespeople that the oil industry can find to spread their misinformation about ethanol and other biofuels. Marc's blend of historical facts, humor, incisive industry analysis, and common sense reasoning has leveled all opponents.

Complete information about the National Ethanol Conference, as well as the entire program agenda and registration information is available at http://www.nationalethanolconference.com.
Anna Wintour. Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

There are so many juicy tidbits and crazy revelations in Michael Wolffs new book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, its hard to keep them straight. But a few stand out among the fashion industry in particular, including claims made about former Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

According to Fire and Fury, when Wintour met with the then-president-elect at Trump Tower last year, she suggested that she become Trumps ambassador to the Court of St. Jamess, which is the official title for the U.S. ambassador to the U.K.

This is not the first time Wintour has reportedly positioned herself for the job. The rumors date back to 2009, after she did heavy fundraising for Barack Obama. According to a Times story in January 2013 following his reelection, Wintour also allegedly put her name in the hat.

Back then, Trump was rooting for her. I am happy to hear that Pres. Obama is considering giving Anna Wintour an ambassadorship, he tweeted in December of 2012. She is a winner and really smart!

I am happy to hear that Pres.Obama is considering giving Anna Wintour @voguemagazine an ambassadorship. She is a winner & really smart!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 5, 2012

In December 2017, however, Trump changed his tune. After a controversial Vanity Fair video on Hillary Clinton went viral, he tweeted that Wintour was all set to become ambassador, with a big fundraiser for CH, or Crooked Hillary. Now, shes beside herself in grief and begging for forgiveness!

Vanity Fair, which looks like it is on its last legs, is bending over backwards in apologizing for the minor hit they took at Crooked H. Anna Wintour, who was all set to be Amb to Court of St Jamess & a big fundraiser for CH, is beside herself in grief & begging for forgiveness!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2017

According to Wolff, when Obama didnt give Wintour the job, she closely aligned herself with Hillary Clinton. And then, when Clinton didnt win, thats when she reached out to Trump.

Trump was inclined to entertain the idea, Wolff writes. But, he quotes Steve Bannon, fortunately  there was no chemistry.

When Business Insider reached out for comment regarding Wintours ties to Trump specifically, a representative for the Vogue editor denied Fire and Furys claims, calling them laughably preposterous.

I think its pretty clear where Anna stands politically, the rep added.
Paul Haggis Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Filmmaker and famed Scientology defector Paul Haggis  who directed 2004s Oscar winner Crash, and wrote the scripts for Million Dollar Baby and Casino Royale, among other acclaimed films  has been accused of sexual misconduct by four women, including two allegations of rape.

The accusations flooded in following a civil lawsuit filed on December 15 by a publicist named Haleigh Breest, who alleges that Haggis offered to give her a ride home after a 2013 film premiere. Instead, he brought her back to his apartment, where he began kissing her and became sexually aggressive. Per the AP:

She was petrified and felt paralyzed, the suit said, when Haggis asked her, Youre scared of me, arent you?Haggis then forced her into a bedroom and onto a bed and tried to tear off her tights, she said. She called out no, but he wouldnt stop, she said.

He forced her to perform oral sex on him, he fondled her, asked if she liked anal sex, then raped her, according to the lawsuit. When she woke up hours later, feeling sore, scared and humiliated, she saw Haggis sleeping in another bedroom, and left.

In the wake of Breests suit, three other women have come forward with their own allegations. They all spoke to the AP anonymously.

One of the new accusers, also a publicist, said she was working on one of Haggiss shows in 1996 when he called her into his office and began kissing her. I just pulled away. He was just glaring at me and came at me again. I was really resisting. He said to me, Do you really want to continue working? the woman told the AP. And then he really forced himself on me. I was just numb. I didnt know what to do. She says Haggis then forced her to perform oral sex on him, before forcing her to the ground and raping her. The woman said she never spoke out because of fear nobody would believe her and that Haggis would come after her professionally, but that #MeToo has inspired her to break her silence.

A third accuser said Haggis attempted to kiss her after a business meeting in the late 2000s, claiming he and his wife had an open marriage, and then pursued her to her car after she tried to leave. She managed to drive off safely.

A fourth accuser said Haggis kissed her against her will and then followed her into a taxi in 2015. When the taxi arrived at her place, Haggis threw money at the driver, chased her and kissed her again before she was able to get into her residence and shut the door. She said Haggis waved his hands at her once she was inside and sent her harassing text messages for the next 24 hours, until she blocked him.

Haggis has denied Breests allegation in a counter-complaint, claiming that Breest was extorting him by $9 million dollars to prevent a lawsuit. Breests lawyers in turn call Haggiss counter-complaint ludicrous.
2-Year-Old Arizona Boy Dies After Dentist Appointment, Family Seeks Answers

A family in Arizona is looking for answers after their 2-year-old son mysteriously died after attending a dentist appointment.

Zion Jay Gastelum passed away in Yuma last month after his parents dropped him off at Kool Smiles Dentist on Dec. 16. The family told KGUN-TV that the boy was getting a crown and tooth filling when tragedy struck.

Everything about him was just lovely, Zions grandmother, Norma Yarrito told the ABC affiliate. A lovely, lovely little boy.

Zion seemed to stop breathing either during or after the procedure, according to the family.

He was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center and then flown to Maricopa County. He died there a few days later on Wednesday, Dec. 20.

Both the cause and manner of death are pending and being handled by the Maricopa County Medical Examiners Office.

The Yuma fire and Police Department confirmed that they responded to Kool Smiles over a medical issue.

A GoFundMe page was set up by family members to help raise money for funeral costs. As of Jan. 5, it has raised over $3000 out of the $4,500 goal.

Once we knew that we had lost Zion, his parents Joseph and Veronica honored Zions kindness and generosity by donating his organs to other children in need, the campaign page stated.

Zions grandmother told KGUN-TV that her grandsons funeral services were held on Wednesday, Jan. 3.

He was just the apple of everybodys eye and the light in their hearts, Yarrito said. He was just so loving that everybody loved him.

A company spokesman for Kool Smile emailed the following statement to KGUN-TV but declined to comment further.

The Kool Smiles family expresses our sincere, heartfelt sympathy to the family of Zion Gastelum. Our hearts are breaking for Zions family at this very sad time. Since Kool Smiles founding nearly twenty years ago, we have safely and compassionately provided needed dental care through more than 19 million patient visits. Our dedicated dentists, anesthesiologists and the rest of our Kool Smiles family join the community to mourn this tragic loss.

Yarrito remembers how Zion always had a smile on his face. She also has a message for other parents.

I want them to know that when they take their kid to doctors or a dentist, they need to be present at all times, she told KGUN-TV. Just love your kids with all your heart because you never know whats going to happen.

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4 Killed, Including Young Boy, in Los Angeles-Area Home

At least four people are dead, including a young boy, during a shooting in Santa Clarita, California, it was reported.

Los Angeles County Sheriffs officials said the shooting took place at 7 a.m. around the 28800 block of Startree Lane, ABC7 reported.

The four victims were described as two women, a boy, and a woman. They were pronounced dead at the scene of the incident, according to the sheriffs officials on Twitter.

#LASD Shooting Death Investigation, 28800 blk Startree Ln, Santa Clarita

4 Victims Pronounced at the Scene **Please Avoid Area** Homicide Dets Enroute #SCV @SCVSHERIFF pic.twitter.com/bUZJjGGWkS  LA County Sheriff's (@LASDHQ) January 5, 2018

Officials called on people to avoid the area due to an ongoing investigation.

The Los Angeles Times described the scene, saying the alleged slayings took place in an upscale subdivision in the hills above Copper Hill Drive.

#BREAKING: 4 people, including an underage boy, were killed in a shooting in Santa Clarita https://t.co/ZiY2VdiuHQ  KTLA (@KTLA) January 5, 2018

It reported that there were a large number of deputies on the scene.

Its not clear if the shooter was among the victims.

Four people, including a boy, were found shot to death in a Santa Clarita home after deputies did a welfare check. https://t.co/fDNxlQqqnJ pic.twitter.com/0nwNHkBMMb  NBC Los Angeles (@NBCLA) January 5, 2018

No additional information was released by authorities.

Footage shot by KTLA and ABC7 showed investigators on the scene of a single-family home. Police tape appeared around the house.

ABC7 noted that those with any information can call the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. People can also call Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 222-TIPS.

SANTA CLARITA UPDATE: Boy, 3 adults found during welfare check at home https://t.co/1VPd1iYEpL pic.twitter.com/3v0kTujwCT  CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) January 5, 2018

#BREAKING: 4 people found dead at a home on Starteee Lane in Santa Clarita pic.twitter.com/DInoyGfdMH  News Source LA (@NewsSourceLA) January 5, 2018

This is a developing story.

Santa Clarita is located in Los Angeles County, located about 35 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

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Vance Perry in an undated photo that was uploaded to the crowdfunding site GoFundMe. (GoFundMe)

Army Veteran Freezes to Death After Release From Hospital

An army veteran froze to death in a parking garage wearing only a thin jacket, after being released from a VA hospital in Madison, Wisconsin.

Now, his family, who hadnt seen their father for five years, are saying the hospital is responsible.

Veteran Vance Perry had been picked up originally by a veterans hospital van for a routine appointment monitoring his paranoid schizophrenia, his daughter, Erika Perry told WXIA-TV.

He was then admitted to the institutionMiddleton Memorial Veterans Hospitalover concerns about his mental instability.

Friday morning, they released him. They didnt make sure that he got in a car, she said.

According to police, Perrys body was found on Sunday morning, Dec. 31.

An employee found a 57-year-old Madison man deceased inside the State Street Capitol Parking Ramp Sunday morning. The victim had walked away from a local hospital the day prior, said a Madison City Police report.

There were no signs of trauma; however, the victim was not dressed for the frigidly cold conditions. He was wearing a light jacket, a ball cap and no gloves.

Dane County Medical Examiners Office said Perrys death was likely caused by hypothermia, according to WXIA-TV.

Erika, who lives in Atlanta, Georgia said she had not seen her father for five years. He was taken away from my siblings and I moved out of the state, she wrote on Facebook. We searched for him, no one would tell us where our father was. And now the first news we get is our father is dead. The pain is indescribable.

According to the hospital, prior to his death, Perry had voluntarily checked out of the facility, and they had no grounds to prevent him forcibly from doing so.

It is unclear why the veteran did not utilize that transportation and return home per the discharge plan, said Paul Rickert of Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, according to WXIA-TV.

But Perrys children say that the hospital should have made sure he got home safely.

They are responsible. They should have made sure that he got back into the vehicle that they paid for to go back because they admitted him, Perrys son, Vance Perry Jr, told WMTV.

Erika said that ensuring Perry made it home should have been a matter of common sense.

If youre a hospital that cares about the welfare and mental welfare, especially if its a mental patient of his capacity, she said.

Its just common sense to make sure that they get back to where theyre going if you pick them up. It doesnt make sense especially being prewarned in that type of weather, that he wanders.

Since they first spoke to the media on Tuesday, Perrys children have been criticized for not seeing their father for five years, prompting Erika to wade into the comments on social media to defend herself and siblings.

An Army veteran was found dead in a parking garage in subfreezing temperatures, wearing only a light jacket, after being allowed to check out of a Wisconsin veterans hospital On New Year's eve. STORY: https://t.co/eXTAu1Y5J0 vance perry pic.twitter.com/GAbc53ASEx  Count  TheCount.com (@THECOUNTnews) January 4, 2018

Just know that everyone has a story, she wrote in a comment on 11Alives Facebook page. My siblings and I have been searching for my father for close to 5 years with legal documentation to show. He was taken away from us. So at least have the decency to not insult the grieving children of a father that was ripped away. And upon discovery was dead. How heartless. Imagine how we feel.

A crowdfunding page was set up for the funeral costs, and has since been closed.

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Chinas Overflowing Trash

Illegal businesses profit from dumping city trash and smuggling imported waste

Back in July last year, China announced it would ban the import of foreign solid waste products, including plastics, paper, and textiles. The country was the worlds biggest importer of recyclable materials, which its manufacturing industry reuses.

In 2016, China imported more than 7.3 million tons of plastics. Countries in the European Union export about 40 percent of their discarded plastics to China. Meanwhile, the United States exports about one-sixth of its recyclables to China, according to an NPR report.

The news of Chinas ban had countries reeling over how their domestic waste facilities could handle the capacity without its help.

Chinese media reported that beginning on Jan. 1, as promised, the country has put its trash ban into effect.

Before the recent ban went into effect, smuggling foreign garbage was a big business in China.

But did you know China has its own trash-handling problem?

Chinas big cities are currently at capacity, with some choosing to alleviate the problem by dumping their trash into surrounding small towns and cities.

This was recently brought to light by a court case in which three people were sentenced to prison for illegally dumping trash from Shanghai into a scenic area about a two-hour drive away, on Xishan Island. The island is located on Lake Tai.

The three arranged for boats to ship trash from Shanghai to a drug rehabilitation center on Xishan Island, where they were contracted to do green, environment-friendly projects, according to the local court that upheld their original sentence on Dec. 29 after the defendants appealed.

From the end of 2015 to early 2016, they had dumped up to 12,000 tons of waste. They earned 7 to 10 yuan (about $1.08 to $1.54) for each ton they handled.

Two were charged with polluting the environment and the other with fraud, with penalty fees and sentences between 4.5 to 5.5 years.

Their scheme was only discovered when, in June 2016, Suzhou locals noticed boats, loaded with garbage and emitting an offensive odor, that would come out at night. After locals uploaded information onto social media and brought attention to the issue, Suzhou police began investigating and said the boats came from Jiading District in Shanghai.

The court said total public and private property losses totaled 8.28 million yuan ($1.27 million), with efforts to clean up the pollution estimated to cost more than 225,000 yuan ($34,600).

In other small cities within Jiangsu Province, such as Nantong and Wuxi, Chinese media have also reported cases of people illegally dumping trash from Shanghai.

Shanghai has been overwhelmed with trash for several years now. The Chinese regimes mouthpiece newspaper Peoples Daily reported in 2013 that Shanghai generates 20,000 tons of refuse daily. Every 16 days, the amount of trash, if stacked, would be as tall as the 1,380-foot iconic Jin Mao skyscraper in downtown Shanghai. Many big and medium-size cities are also at capacity: Beijing produces 18,400 tons daily, while Guangzhou in southern China produces 18,000 tons.

Shipping trash to dispose of it elsewhere has become a profitable black market operation, the Chinese regimes mouthpiece agency Xinhua noted in 2016. At every level of the supply chain, a lot of money is earned. Xinhua interviewed a ship owner in charge of transporting the waste cargo, who said he earned 2,000 yuan ($308) per shipment. A middleman earned 30 yuan ($4.60) per ton.

Chinese newspaper China Construction Daily reported in 2014 that two-thirds of Chinese cities are overwhelmed with garbage. Their cumulative total would cover 500 million square meters (5.38 billion square feet), while the pile continues to grow at a rate of 8 to 10 percent annually.

Smuggling Garbage

Before the recent ban went into effect, smuggling foreign garbage was a big business in China. The U.S.-based environmental group Basel Action Network (BAN) uncovered that much of the electronic waste from the United States continues to end up in China, mostly in a rural northern area of Hong Kong called the New Territories.

BANs investigators placed GPS trackers on e-waste and found hundreds of junkyards where workers smashed the electronics by hand, exposing workers to dangerous mercury-laden dust, vapors, and hazardous toners, according to its most recent e-waste report. Under the Basel Convention, an international treaty, it is illegal for developing countries to import hazardous e-waste from the United States.

BAN estimated that Hong Kong imports 3 million tons of e-waste annually.

Meanwhile, many businesses in China profit from re-selling used clothing imported from garbage dumps, waste management companies, or hospital morgues in Korea, Japan, and the United States.

Whether this illegal importing of trash will continue or not under the ban remains to be seen. But Epoch Times China current affairs commentator Yan Dan wrote in a recent article that given how much environmental destruction the Chinese regime has already committed, it is hard for the Chinese public to believe that one policy can reverse the course.

He also pointed out that in order for the trash smuggling to have happened in the first place, the Chinese authorities must have turned a blind eye and tacitly allowed it.

Li Xinan and Wang Jianyu contributed to this report.
A screenshot from Googlemaps of the 600 block of Woodruff St, Niles, Michigan. Police are investigating the reason for two deaths at a house on the street after two bodies were found inside on Jan. 3 2018. (Screenshot/GoogleMaps)

Authorities Investigate Deaths of Elderly Man and Daughter Found in Cold House

Police are baffled by the deaths of an elderly man and his daughter whose bodies were found in their house in Niles, Michigan after neighbors noticed something was wrong.

According to NBC16, police were called to the house on the night of Wednesday, Jan. 3., following a phone call from a neighbor who had been clearing snow for them, and noticed their mail hadnt been taken in.

When police arrived at the house on the 600 block of Woodruff Stand, an officer looked through the window of the house and saw the dead bodies of two adults in the living room.

The police have not yet released the names of the deceased, according to NBC16, but have confirmed that they are a man in his 80s and his adult daughter, said to be in her 50s.

But police say that they do not know what caused their deaths, and must wait for the autopsy results.

We really dont have a good idea of exactly what happened or why they might have died but were looking into things such as carbon monoxide, Sargent Kevin Kosten of the Niles Police Department told the news outlet. The house was cold so the temperature inside the house, but well know a lot more once we get the autopsies.

Kosten said that the gas was on, and there were some gas appliances in the house that were working.

Other neighbors have expressed their shock and sadness at the incident in what they describe as a very good neighborhood where they look out for each other.

Ive been on this street for 52 years we always thought that we kept a good eye on everybody, local Kim Zecklin told NBC.

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Baby Born After Mother Is Shot to Death Is Recovering in Hospital

A baby that was born after his mother was shot in the stomach is recovering in the hospital.

Both the mother, 21-year-old Marlazia Jones-Mattox and father, 23-year-old Keith Williams, were shot and killed on Monday, Jan. 1, in Columbus, Ohio. A third person was critically injured, according to Fox 8.

Jones-Mattox was 35 weeks pregnant at the time of the shooting, but doctors were able to successfully deliver the baby, named Markeith Kamar Jones-Mattox Williams.

Jones-Mattox was shot in the stomach several times during what appears to be a robbery of the familys home, said police.

Her step-mother Tyra Mattox told NBC4i that she is hopeful little Markeith will recover.

I was talking to him this morning and grabbed his little hand, and I told him his mom was watching over him, and it was almost like he gripped my finger a little bit, said Tyra Mattox. You can see both of them in the baby. Its just, hes just so beautiful.

She added that she is struggling to understand why someone would shoot a woman who is eight months pregnant.

She loved the world she loved her sisters and brothers. This is just senseless. I dont know whats wrong with the world today. Its just senseless, she said.

The baby was without oxygen for some time and needed a blood transfusion, Mattox said. Doctors are trying to bring his temperature back to normal.

Grandfather Jack Mattox said the family is waiting to find out if Markeith has brain damage. He said he will be there for the baby.

Im going to be there for him every day. Every day. Hell be well taken care of. Believe me, he told NBC4i.
File photo of Jay Brauneisen, whose mother-in-law, Huixia Chen, has been detained in China for her practice of Falun Dafa, speaking at a rally calling for her release on June 30, 2016 in Edmonton, while his wife Hongyan Lu, Chens daughter, looks on. (Omid Ghoreishi/The Epoch Times)

Canadian Worried about Fate of Mother Held in China

Falun Gong practitioner detained since 2016 for her spiritual belief; subject of Amnesty International urgent action

An Ottawa resident whose mother is being held in China for her spiritual belief says an update on the case has her worried about her mothers fate.

Hongyan Lus mother, Huixia Chen, was arrested for her practice of Falun Gong on June 3, 2016, and has been arbitrarily detained since then.

Lu says her relatives in China received notice this week less than 24 hours in advance that her mother would be put on trial on Jan. 4.

The trial went on for about an hour and a half, but there were no judgements made. The court only said it will take a few days to announce the decision.

Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, is an traditional Chinese meditation practice that teaches adherents the three principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. The spiritual discipline has been the target of severe persecution by the communist regime in China since 1999.

Chen was put on trial for the first time on May 12, 2017, but that session was indefinitely adjourned after her lawyer succeeded in proving that the evidence produced was obtained from Chen under torture. Chens relatives also received notice of that trial less than 24 hours before the trial began.

Lu says she is very worried about her mother, who has already experienced torture while in detention.

We have contacted Global Affairs Canada. They said they will forward to the Canadian Embassy in Beijing, Lu said.

Chen is the subject of an Amnesty International urgent action. AI is calling for her immediate and unconditional release, stating that she has been detained solely for exercising the right to freedom of belief and expression.
Chicago Woman Charged in Shooting Streamed on Facebook Live

A Chicago woman has been charged after the moment she shot another woman was captured during an online live stream.

An argument that started around 2:55 p.m. on Jan. 3 was broadcast on Facebook by a woman arguing with Labritney Austin.

The argument intensified and Austin, 29, took out a gun and fired, police told the Chicago Tribune.

Less than two hours later, Austin turned herself in.

FACEBOOK LIVE SHOOTING: A Chicago woman was shot in the arm earlier today on the South Side and it was captured on Facebook Live. https://t.co/jRrcIarS6Q pic.twitter.com/exXQG4Lvx9  FOX 32 News (@fox32news) January 3, 2018

Austin has been charged with aggravated battery by discharging a firearm, reported WGN. The argument and shooting took place in University Park on the citys South Side.

The victim was shot in the arm but survived the attack.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi has described the shooting to the broadcaster as a domestic-related incident between two individuals that know each other.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Austin was expected to appear in bond court on Friday.

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Drone Operator Screams at Swimming Boy Unaware of Mortal Danger

Artem Tkachenko was flying his drone over a beach in the Bahamas, capturing on camera the picturesque scene with pristine turquoise water. Moments later, his screams may have saved the life of a boy.

As the drone was hovering above the beach, the camera captured a boy in green swim trunks running into the ocean. The boy swam and frolicked in the water but after a while, Tkachenko spotted something approaching him.

It was a school of sharks.

One shark entered the cameras field of view, followed by three more. The first shark was heading in the boys direction.

Run! Run! Tkachenko screamed, Inside Edition reported.

The leading shark was perhaps 7 feet away before the boy scrambled out of the water.

At least seven people were bitten by sharks in the Bahamas in 2017, based on reporting by TrackingShark.com.

Shark populations in this part of the Caribbean are thriving, Dive Magazine wrote, noting six shark species living in the region: bull sharks, lemon sharks, tiger sharks, great hammerhead sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, and whitetip sharks.

Based on available media reports, nobody has been killed by a shark in the Bahamas since 2014, when Texas chiropractor John Petty disappeared during a shark dive. An extensive search by the Bahamian authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard turned up dive gear with shark bites, Longview News-Journal reported.

Shark diving and shark feeding is a multi-million dollar industry in the Bahamas. The Bahamas Dive Association complained Pettys death hurt the industrys reputation even though his dive was organized by a Florida-based company.

So they pull up their anchor and go back home to South Florida and we are stuck with the negative publicity, said Neal Watson, president of the association, according to Tribune242.

Though deadly attacks are rare, the injuries can be serious, like an incident in June 2017, when a shark bit off a womans hand and forearm as she was snorkeling by Bahamian Athol Island.

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Eleven-Year-Old Killed by Amtrak Train While Looking at Her Cellphone

An 11-year-old girl has been killed after being struck by an Amtrak train while she was looking at her phone and listening to headphones, police say.

Yazmin White from Haines City in Florida died on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 3 after being hit by the train while crossing the tracks. She had headphones in her ears and was looking at her cellphone, the trains engineer told Polk City Sheriffs Department.

She died just a few hundred feet from her home.

She certainly didnt hear the train or she wouldnt have walked up on the track, Sheriff Grady Judd said at a press conference Thursday. The engineer blew that horn solid for probably a quarter of a mile.

Officials said the train was traveling at 68 mph. The conductor told WFTS that he tried to brake and blew the horn multiple times but the girl didnt notice. He is not expected to face charges.

Sheriff Judd said that at least five children had died in the area in the last few years after being struck while listening to headphones.

You dont die when youre 11 years old, youre Teflon, youre going to live forever, Judd said. The absolute last thing she thought about was being run over by a train.

He added that the incident rips our heart out. That could be our child or grandchild, just as easy.

White had a natural gift for music, according to Fox 13.

She made a lot of friends, she was very vibrant, and had a lot of energy, Davenport School of the Arts principal Brian Keir told the station.

Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd said: She is going to be greatly missed. Greatly missed by the students and the faculty.
Fake Police Officer Tries to Pull Over Real Police Officer

A man using a fake siren pulled over a real cop in an off-duty vehicle.

On New Years Day, an off-duty sergeant in Visalia, California was driving his personal vehicle.

He saw a flashing siren behind him and the driver of the vehicle with the flashing lights signaled for the sergeant to pull over, reported the Fresno Bee.

The sergeant didnt pull over though, noticing something wrong with the vehicle. He kept driving toward downtown Visalia and called dispatch for patrol vehicles to pull over the impersonator.

The Visalia Police Department would like to remind the public of these types of events and, when possible, stop in well-lit populated areas and request identification from law enforcement officials, Sgt. Damon Maurice told the Visalia Times-Delta.

Brandon Freeman, 29, was arrested and charged with impersonating an officer and other charges. His passenger, 30-year-old Martin Morales, was arrested and booked into jail on several outstanding felony warrants.

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A first grader in the San Francisco Bay area gave an answer to a riddle from his teacher that has the internet thinking about life. (PeterKaul/Pixabay)

First Grader Gives Profound Answer to Simple Riddle; the Internet Goes Crazy

A first graders response to a riddle his teacher gave him has gotten netizens talking about life after the teacher posted his answer on Twitter.

The San Francisco Bay area teacher asked his class: I am the beginning of everything, the end of everywhere. Im the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. What am I?

One student responded with death.

Such an awed, somber, reflective hush fell over the class, teacher Bret Turner wrote about the students reaction to the suggestion.

Turner said he felt bad about giving his students the real banal answer after he got a string of other equally profound comments.

I fielded other guesses that continued along a similarly existential vein, Turner wrote. There was NOT everything, all stuff, the end, and maybe my favorite, nothingthing.

Turner said that when he finally told the students the correct answer to the riddle, they were largely unimpressed.

Despite the answer being right in the tweet, many netizens responded to the riddle with their own guess:

A nuclear bomb.

The correct answer, of course is God.

Annoying.

Im the dark smudge under eternity.

Im space-time.

Im puzzle of the week.

Im the ampersand.

im the what am i?

At least eight people replied saying the letter e.

The number of people replying to this tweet with its the letter e! when you LITERALLY STATED THAT IN THE TWEET makes me despair, one person commented.

The students answer of death also sparked a conversation about the childs mental health, with one person suggesting the child needed therapy if he was thinking about something like that at such a young age.

When I was 6, I would have said bunnies, or the Virgin Mary, or something else warm and fuzzy, the Twitter user wrote.

Several people came to the childs defense, saying things like:

I grew up on a farm with great grandparents, grandparents, parents & siblingsall sorts of animals, woods, crops. People & things dieyou know that almost from the start, so its not something hidden or pathological, one Twitter user wrote.

Turner told USA TODAY its not unusual for his students to talk about death.

Young kids talk about death all the time; grandparents, relatives, especially pets, he said. Its fascinating to them, and also normal.

Turners Jan. 2 tweet went viral, with some 2,500 comments, 92,000 retweets, and 275,000 likes after just two days. One person said this was why they keep Twitter, a sentiment that was echoed by 19 other people.

Turner said he considered telling his students about the popularity of his tweet.

Given their facility with the internets, he wrote, I expect their response will be sure but did it go SUPERviral and just how many retweets are we talking about here and can I go to the bathroom.

The first guess from one of my 1st graders was death and such an awed, somber, reflective hush fell over the class that I didnt want to tell them that actually the answer is the letter e, which just seemed so banal in the moment pic.twitter.com/7sYFxHNcZk  Bret Turner (@bretjturner) January 2, 2018

Im considering telling the kids tomorrow that a tweet about them went viral, and given their facility with the internets, I expect their response will be sure but did it go SUPERviral and just how many retweets are we talking about here and can I go to the bathroom  Bret Turner (@bretjturner) January 4, 2018

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United Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco on July 8, 2015. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Flight Diverted to Alaska After Man Smears Waste Everywhere

A United Airlines flight was diverted to Anchorage, Alaska, because a passenger smeared human waste inside the plane, according to reports on Friday.

Flight 895 diverted on Thursday night, Jan. 4, as it was heading from Chicago to Hong Kong. The man smeared the waste inside several bathrooms. He also tried to remove his shirt and shoved it into a toilet, KTVA reported.

FBI agents and Alaskas Ted Stevens International Airport police took him into custody before he was taken to Providence Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. No charges were filed against the man, who was not named, according to the report.

The man had cooperated with flight attendants in the Boeing 777. The plane was later grounded for maintenance.

United flight 895, traveling from Chicago to Hong Kong, diverted to Anchorage last night due to a disruptive passenger, according to a statement from the airline on Friday, reported NBC Chicago. We provided hotel accommodations for our customers and are working to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible.

There were no indications that the incident was related to terrorism, said to FBI spokeswoman Staci Feger-Pellessier, the Chicago Tribune reported. No injuries were also reported.

After the interviews were done, there were no appropriate charges for anything criminal, airport police Lt. Joe Gamache was quoted by the paper as saying.

Officials needed a translator to communicate with the man, who was carrying a Vietnamese passport and had a U.S. permanent resident card. But, according to the translator, the man was incoherent, officials said.

United Airlines spokesman Charlie Hobart told the paper that there were 245 passengers on the plane.

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Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on June 8, 2017. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Former FBI Director James Comey Leaked at Least One Classified Memo, Senator Confirms

Former FBI director James Comey leaked at least one memo which contained classified information to his Columbia University law professor friend, according to Sen. Charles Grassley, who reviewed the memos in a classified setting.

Grassley and his staff reviewed seven memos which Comey wrote based on his meeting with President Donald Trump. Of those, four were marked Secret or Confidential, according to a letter Grassley sent to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Wednesday, Jan. 3.

According to the letter, Comey provided Professor Daniel Richman of Columbia Law School four of the seven memos and encouraged him to detail [Comeys] memos to the press.

If its true that Professor Richman had four of the seven memos, then in light of the fact that four of the seven memos the Committee reviewed are classified, it would appear that at least one memo the former FBI director gave Professor Richman contained classified information, Grassley wrote. Professor Richman later read a portion of one of the memos to a New York Times reporter.

Grassleys Committee on the Judiciary contacted Richman seeking to obtain copies of the memos, but Richman refused. He also refused to confirm how many memos he receives or whether he has retained any copies.

Richman told Fox News that he turned over all of the memos to the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Grassleys committee is now asking Rosenstein and the Department of Justice to clear up a long list of unanswered questions about the memos, including who marked them as Secret or Confidential, when the markings were added, which memos were given to Richman, and whether appropriate investigations were conducted to see if Comey violated applicable laws or department policies.

President Donald Trump was outraged to learn about Comeys leaks to the media.

James Comey leaked CLASSIFIED INFORMATION to the media. That is so illegal!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2017

Disclosure of classified information is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee in July 2017 that he viewed the memos as personal documents, according to the Washington Examiner.

I understood this to be my recollection recorded of my conversation with the president, Comey told the committee, according to the Examiner. As a private citizen, I thought it important to get it out.

Comey said that he instructed his friend to leak one of the memos to the press in order to trigger the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Trump fired Comey in May 2017 and Rosenstein appointed Mueller to investigate alleged collusion.

Grassley demanded answers from Rosenstein no later than Jan. 17.

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Girl Killed While Sledding in Virginia, Neighbors Stunned

Police in Chesterfield County, Virginia, say that a 9-year-old girl was killed in a sledding accident on Thursday afternoon, Jan. 4, WRIC reported.

According to the report, officials said that the girl was sledding down a driveway in the 2600 block of Mistwood Forest Drive at around 2:15 p.m.

She then slid into the path of a Toyota Tacoma truck, hitting the girl before immediately stopping.

9-year-old Virginia girl killed in sledding accident https://t.co/B1BNRz067W  WNCN (@WNCN) January 5, 2018

When I came out about five minutes later, I saw somebody was laying on top of the victim and with a blanket, neighbor William Barnett told the news outlet. That was the first sight and then the first rescue squad got here. The EMTs rushed her to the hospital.

Her father [was] laying on top of her, covering her with a blanket, said Barnett, describing the scene to NBC12. He also saw the Tacoma hit the girl.

Someone else came in and ended up driving the truck home, because he was in no condition to drive the truck. He said he couldnt drive. He was very shaken up, Barnett noted.

9-year-old girl on sled killed by passing truck in Virginia  https://t.co/MbXzYNmhlU PLEASE make sure you and your children are sledding in a safe area, and PAY CLOSE ATTENTION if you see sledders while you're driving. pic.twitter.com/Ssr5VOq9iN  WTOL 11 (@WTOL11Toledo) January 5, 2018

Its unclear if the driver will be charged.

When it gets like this, that hill is a sheet of ice, [Virginia Department of Transportation] doesnt get to it soon enough, Barnett told WRIC. Wed rather not have any of the kids sledding in that hill at all because they cant see the cars coming this way.

Neighbors added that the girl was in the area from Florida to visit her grandparents. This is just something that were not ever going to get over it, Barnett said.

Second death linked to snowstorm in Virginia https://t.co/Y3QiZzkZAP  WBTM (@1025WBTM) January 5, 2018

Trevor Clarke, an Amazon delivery driver, told WRIC: It was screaming from the driver and the victim.

There was a very traumatic and emotional moment. Then the parents and everybody else came outside. It was terrible, Clarke noted.

You let your kids come outside and something like that happens, Clarke said. Its gotta be the worst thing in the world. Its got to be.

KidsHealth.org says that safety precautions are needed for sledding children.

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If Australia was attacked by a foreign power, the countrys defense forces would not last much more than a couple of weeks, a former military official has warned.

The main issue is fuel supply, said Jim Molan who was the chief of operations for coalition forces in Iraq, in an interview with the ABC.

Molan, an incoming senator with the ruling Liberal party, said his countrys military could be grounded within 19 days of an attack due to a desperate lack of fuel reserves.

We are almost unique throughout the world in that we dont have a government-mandated strategic reserve of fuel, Molan said.

#POTD@Aus_Airforce (RAAF) KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport providing refuelling operations for @usairforce (USAF) B-1B Lancer, as well as RAAF F/A-18F Super Hornets & E/A-18G Growlers Both air forces demonstrated their ability to work together during Exercise LIGHTNING FOCUS pic.twitter.com/WuIi4Ehryj  DefenceAustralia (@DeptDefence) December 8, 2017

You can have all the fantastic equipment this government is building and buying, but if you havent got fuel and you havent got missiles for them, then weve got a discontinuity at the centre of our strategy, he said.

There are things that we can probably never build in this country, such as the Joint Strike Fighter and the most advanced missiles, he continued.

But we should guarantee their delivery to Australia  which you can rarely do  or we should have them in warehouses.

Unless we have a plan to get them when we need them  then I, as an ex-military commander, wouldnt want to cross the start line in doing something militarily unless I had those warehouses behind me.

The 2016 Defence White Paper cautioned that Australias reliance on fuel imports was a risk given tensions in the South China Sea. Beijing claims nearly all of the contested sea as its own territory and is building artificial islands to back up its claims. Much of Australias refined fuel is shipped through the area.

Around the same time as the white paper was released, retired Air Vice Marshall John Blackburn gave a similar warning to Molans about fuel supplies.

If you had a major interruption of fuel input, defence would grind to a halt very quickly because you cant do anything, said Blackburn, reported the ABC.

The investment in ships, planes and the army is very necessary but it has to be balanced, he said. If you cant get the fuel to any of those elements  then youve wasted about $30 billion a year.

Senator Jim Molan says Australia needs to increase its military budget as American power wanes across the globe pic.twitter.com/PjkNYHVTjp  ABC News (@abcnews) January 4, 2018

In his interview with the ABC, Molan also cautioned that military support from the U.S. could no longer be assured.

The U.S. he said is not the military force it once was and Australias should adjust and increase its own expenditure, he said.

Senator Molan said U.S. Defence Secretary James Mattis has voiced concerns about how war ready the U.S. military actually is.

That should be ringing bells all over the world, Molan said.

John McCain, who is the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, says exactly the same thing: Americas military advantage is eroding particularly when it comes to Russia and China, he said.

Molan said the relationship between Canberra and Washington continued to be strong despite the decline in U.S. military capabilities.

#POTD

An F/A-18F Super Hornet in full afterburner at the Defence Force Air Show, RAAF Base Pearce 2012 #YourADF pic.twitter.com/AzQTcyQk97  DefenceAustralia (@DeptDefence) November 30, 2017

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Keep Your Son Away From Ours: Note About Autistic Boy Goes Viral

A mother who asked other parents to ban their autistic boy from contact with her own son has been shamed (but not named) on social media, after a note she wrote to another mother went viral.

When Lacey Brandenburgs son arrived home on Jan. 3, he gave her a note that nearly reduced her to tears. When she posted it on Facebook, it created a tsunami of support for her son and outrage at the other mother and was shared over 90,000 times within just 21 hours, with over 117,000 Likes and 60,000 comments.

Brandenburg, from Des Moines, Iowa wrote in her post: I will not give out names so dont ask, just note this is being posted to teach people what parents with special needs children face and what they deal with!

In the post, which is no longer publicly available, she explained that Ashton suffers from intellectual disability (mental retardation), autism, cognitive disorder and ADHD.

The handwritten letter followed her son, Ashton, having a playdate with his only other school friend during the Christmas vacation.

The author notes that Ashton had impeccable manners, but explains her concerns that his behavior, such as hand-flapping, and watching cartoons aimed at younger kids may a bad influence on their own child.

The hand flapping is a concern we dont want our son to learn to do that! writes the unnamed mother in the letter. We ask the boys dont speak or play together and keep a distance from each other at school.

I know he has a disability but we feel his disability may hold our sons level of comprehension life, his communication, socialization, and learning level may be at risk if playing and being around Ashton continues.

The letter notes that Ashton is very well behaved however, saying please/thank you, and picking up after himself.

Lacey Brandenburg Makes Viral Post With A Letter Written About Her Disabled Son https://t.co/8aKyTUbo1m  OccuWorld  (@OccuWorld) January 5, 2018

Please keep your son away from ours the note ends, so ours are not picking up the idea that playing with toys or watching cartoons younger than his age is ok.

Brandenburg told KCCI that she was outraged by the letter.

I couldnt believe somebody would go as far as downing a special needs kid just because he does things a little differently.

She said she posted the letter to show the kinds of difficulties that parents of children with learning difficulties face.

I feel pretty good right now. I dont think Im in the wrong for posting it, Brandenburg said.

Many responses to her post on social media praised her for posting the letter, with some saying she should name the other mother.

Many commenters said that the other mothers child would miss out as a result of the ban.

You havent lost a thing here, commented Gayle Robinson. That family has lost the chance to have their son interact and understand your sons disability and have lost the chance that their son will grow up to be a well-rounded boy, as he will likely be blinkered by his mothers ambition and her horrific attitude towards children.

Their son would learn kindness, empathy, and tolerance of those who are different, said Debbie Cullen. I would be proud of my child for having those qualities. Some disabilities are of the heart and mind. Much love to you and your family!!

In her post on Facebook Brandenburg noted that the boy in question was Ashtons only friend at school. There arent any others, she said.

But since his mother posted the letter, thats changed. Ashton told KCCI that hes made new friends since receiving the letter, and there are no shortage of offers of playdates and support on his mothers facebook post.

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A South Korean government official checks the direct communications hotline to talk with the North Korean side at the border village of Panmunjom in Panmunjom, South Korea on Jan. 3, 2018. (South Korean Unification Ministry via Getty Images)

Koreas Agree to High-Level Talks, Meeting Scheduled for Jan. 9

North and South Korea have agreed to high-level talks next week, reported Yonhap on Friday, Jan. 5.

Seouls unification ministry confirmed that Pyongyang had notified its acceptance of the Souths latest offer for high-level talks. The talks are scheduled for Jan. 9.

The main item on the agenda is discussing the potential for North Koreas participation in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun told press at a regular briefing.

The 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will be from Feb. 9 through to Feb. 15 in an alpine town located just 50 miles south of the border.

The two sides decided to discuss working-level issues by exchanging documents, Tae-hyun told the press briefing, reported Yonhap.

The talks will be the first inter-Korean dialogue since December 2015.

According to the Yonhap report, experts have said that North Koreas overture to the South may be aimed at weakening the international commitment to economic sanctions on Pyongyang and driving a wedge between Seoul and Washington in their decades-long alliance.

President Donald Trump tweeted on Tuesday, Sanctions and other pressures are beginning to have a big impact on North Korea. Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea. Rocket man now wants to talk to South Korea for first time, referring to the international sanctions pushed by his administration over Pyongyangs nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

On Thursday, Trump tweeted that his firm and strong leadership was the impetus for North Koreas new willingness for talks with the South.

With all of the failed experts weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the North. Fools, but talks are a good thing!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018

South Korea and the United States agreed late Thursday night to delay joint military drills in the region in the leadup to the Winter Olympics.

Both leaders agreed to de-conflict the Olympics and our military exercises so that [the] United States and Republic of Korea forces can focus on ensuring the security of the games, according to a White House statement.

The drills have long been denounced by North Korea as an act of war, using them as an excuse their its provocations. But South Korea and the U.S. said that the exercises are for defense purposes.

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Latest: Husband Apparently Shoots Wife, Kids in LA County Home

A husband, wife, son, and daughter were found dead of an apparent murder-suicide on Friday, Jan. 5, in a Los Angeles County home, according to CBS Los Angeles.

Officials said they were found at 7 a.m. in Santa Clarita at a house in the 28800 block of Startree Lane.

They found the bodies after a request to perform a welfare check, officials said. Four victims were found dead of gunshot wounds.

Neighbors said that a daycare center was operated at the residence for many years.

Four people, including a boy, were found shot to death in a Santa Clarita home after deputies did a welfare check. https://t.co/fDNxlQqqnJ pic.twitter.com/0nwNHkBMMb  NBC Los Angeles (@NBCLA) January 5, 2018

There are four deceased people at the residence, said Ed Winter, assistant chief of the L.A. County Coroners office, according to the SCV News. It was reported as a possible triple homicide and a suicide. Were not on the scene yet and its an ongoing investigation.

Officials told the SCV Signal that the husband shot his wife and two kids then shot himself. A gun was recovered at the scene.

We do believe it was a murder-suicide based on the physical evidence at the scene, said Lt. Rodney Moore of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Homicide Bureau.

They were not sure how long the bodies were there.

SANTA CLARITA UPDATE: Boy, 3 adults found during welfare check at home https://t.co/1VPd1iYEpL pic.twitter.com/3v0kTujwCT  CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) January 5, 2018

The husband looked to be approximately 50 to 55 years old, and wife was about 40 to 50 years old, Moore said.

Officials called on people to avoid the area due to an ongoing investigation.

The Los Angeles Times described the scene, saying the alleged slayings took place in an upscale subdivision in the hills above Copper Hill Drive. It reported that there were a large number of deputies on the scene.

#BREAKING: 4 people found dead at a home on Starteee Lane in Santa Clarita pic.twitter.com/DInoyGfdMH  News Source LA (@NewsSourceLA) January 5, 2018

No additional information was released by authorities.

Footage shot by KTLA and ABC7 showed investigators on the scene of a single-family home. Police tape appeared around the house.

ABC7 noted that those with any information can call the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. People can also call Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 222-TIPS.

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Louisville Mother Leaves Three Children in Freezing Car

A Louisville, Kentucky mother of three apparently didnt think leaving her children locked in the car while she ran inside to shop would be a problemafter all, she left the windows open a bit.

However, it was Jan. 2the dead of winterand the temperature in the Walmart parking lot was only 15 degrees, reported the New York Daily News.

Luckily, passers-by saw the freezing children and called the police.

Louisville mom accused of leaving 3 kids alone in car in 16 degree weather https://t.co/uSlWtrpb3n pic.twitter.com/78c2kyEeJo  WLKY (@WLKY) January 4, 2018

When the police arrived they found three childrena 4-year-old, a 20-month-old, and a 6-month-oldsitting in the unlocked car. The engine was off and cold, WDRB reported.

Police, not knowing how long the children had been sitting in the freezing car, called Emergency Services to check the children. All turned out to be fine.

Broquel King, 28, came out of the Walmart at 7100 Raggard Road in Louisville after more than 20 minutes to find police waiting for her. She claimed she had only run in for five minutes.

The arrest report states that King put her three children in substantial danger of death or serious physical injury due to the extreme cold and notes they were physically incapable of removing themselves from these extreme conditions, according to WDRB.

The police arrested King on three counts of Wanton Endangerment in the 1st Degree, three counts of Criminal Abuse in the 1st Degree, and one count of Disorderly Conduct in the 1st Degree, according to the Herald-Leader.

Additionally, she was charged with having a suspended license, no insurance, and expired plates.

King is being held in Louisville Metro Corrections, Kentucky.com reported.

King had been arrested in Jefferson County in September 2015 for reckless driving.

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A man was accused of trying to smuggle 2,448 pounds of marijuana from Mexico to the United States on Dec. 30, 2017. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

Man Trying to Smuggle Motorhome Packed with Marijuana into US Arrested

Border agents at the U.S.-Mexico border recovered almost 2,500 pounds of marijuana from a motorhome that was crossing from Mexico into the United States.

The vehicle was stopped while trying to cross the border at Arizonas Port of Lukeville on Saturday, Dec. 30.

A K-9 that was trained to detect marijuana alerted officers to the drugs as the motorhome was going through customs.

Customs and Border Protection officers removed 120 bundles of marijuana, from the storage compartments, walls, and floor of the motorhome, Customs and Border Protection said in a press release.

Based on an estimate of about $500 per pound, Customs and Border Protection estimates that the haul was worth $1.2 million.

The 55-year-old driver of the vehicle, who was from Phoenix, was arrested and turned over to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations.

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Man Who Killed Infant in Play Pen Gets Sentence and Rebuke From Judge

A Michigan man who was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriends 18-month-old son was handed his sentence along with a harsh scolding from the judge on Jan. 4.

Scott Jurewicz was found guilty in November last year of first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse in the death of Brenden Hartranft.

Live coverage: Testimony begins in case Scott Jurewicz, charged in death of 18-month-old http://t.co/04SHkxCVK4 pic.twitter.com/UYZiu5pk8W  Jackson Cit Pat (@JacksonCitPat) August 7, 2015

Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wilson sentenced the 29-year-old man to life in prison without parolebut not without rebuking Jurewicz for his crime, reported MLive.

I think youre a psychopath, Wilson said during the sentencing. You affected so many lives. Seeing your complete lack of conscience, I dont think youll do well in prison.

Your mother, if she wants to see you, can see you in prison. Brendens family dont have that option, he added.

Before the sentencing, Jurewicz apologized to the Hartranft family.

Id just like to sincerely apologize to the Hartranft family for the situation, for this tragedy, and Im sorry you had to sit here for two weeks and relive this nightmare, Jurewicz said, reported the news station.

Jurewicz admitted to police that he gave Brenden a shake before putting him hard down into the playpen when the boy wouldnt stop crying in March 2015.

After 10 minutes of crying, I got upset and picked Brenden up and shook him and put him down harder than I should have, Jurewicz wrote in a police statement, reported the news station.

I put him down hard, he wrote.

Brenden suffered from abusive head and neck injuries. A short while later he died from his injuries after emergency personnel was called.

BREAKING: Scott Jurewicz found GUILTY of felony murder in death of girlfriend's baby boy. More at 6. pic.twitter.com/3rQ43O4jya  Aaron Dimick (@AaronDimickNews) November 17, 2017

You didnt just kill a child, you destroyed everyones life, Brendens grandmother, Dawn Wilson, said to Jurewicz, reported the news station.

I hope you can never forget his name. You have blood on your hands. I wish I could put a photo of Brenden in your cell so you would never forget what you did to him, she added.

During police investigations into Brendens death, Jurewicz began a relationship with another woman, Andrea Conaway. The womans 21-month-old son Jesse Pepper Jr. was found dead in his playpen in May 2015, reported MLive. The child was reportedly smothered and suffered blunt force trauma to his head.

Prosecutors presented evidence about Jesses death at Jurewiczs trial even though he has not been formally implicated in the boys death, reported the news station. Conaway hasnt been formally charged but is reportedly considered a suspect.

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Michigan Man Confesses to Killing Neighbor Over Blowing Snow From His Driveway

A Michigan man has confessed to shooting his neighbor to death after he saw her blowing snow out of his driveway.

Wendell Earl Popejoy, 63, went outside and shot Sheila Bonge, 59, from behind.

Ottawa County Sheriffs detective Ann Koster said Popejoy confessed to the killing, according to an affidavit obtained by MLive.

Police say Bonges body was found buried behind Popejoys home on Dec. 28. She was reported missing by family after the shooting on Dec. 26.

Bonges family released a statement after the news emerged, saying We have no other choice but to put our faith in the justice system.

They added in the statement, obtained by WOOD-TV, that Bonge was loved dearly by so many for her sweet and caring nature. She was selfishly and brutally taken from us far too soon.

Neighbors in the area told the broadcaster that Bonge often had run-ins with his neighbors.

She really didnt bother anyone unless she was being pushed and she was pushed, one of Bonges friends, Guy McDonnell, told WZZM.

John Luke, Bonges brother, said on GoFundMe that his sister was suddenly taken away from her family in such a cruel senseless way.

She was a mother, a grandma, a great grandma, aunt, and a sister. She was loved very much and will be deeply missed. She was loved by many,

Funds raised on the website will go toward burial and funeral costs.

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Mom and Daughter Could Have Been Dead for Weeks After Murder-Suicide

Police made a gruesome discovery on New Years Eve when they found the bodies of a woman and a 9-year-old girl inside their home in Magna, Utah.

Authorities believe Karina Clark, 41, shot her daughter, Madison Clark, before fatally shooting herself in an apparent murder-suicide, reported CBS.

Their bodies may have possibly been in the home for weeks, police said. Investigators are still trying to piece together how the shootings occurred.

A church member noticed something was not right when the Christmas gift, which was left on Clarks porch, hadnt been touched for more than a week. The person became alarmed and alerted police. The mother and daughter lived alone.

United Police Lt. Brian Lohrke said they suspect the bodies were in the home for one to three weeks based on when they were last seen and Clarks social media activity, reported the news station.

Lohrke revealed that the mother suffered from mental health issues.

Were not going to release how many [gunshots] or any of that. Its a little too graphic, Lohrke told KUTV. Its a tragic situation involving this 9-year-old daughter that was killed by her mother who obviously suffered some mental issues that tragically plague our society nowadays.

During the investigation, police found a rifle at the scene, which Karina Clark apparently owned legally, reported CBS. Authorities are still unclear why Clark chose to kill her own daughter and take her own life.

A YouCaring page has been set up by a family member, Alia Hararah, to help cover the funeral expenses for the mother and daughter.

I have tried to find the words to write this and I honestly still feel mute to this heartbreaking situation we are facing heading into 2018 but I am doing my best to stand strong for my family and cousins during this time, Harrarah wrote.

According to the page, Clark also had three other children.

Mental illness is such an ugly and heartbreaking thing!! You never know what someone is going through and capable of and my heart is breaking for these kids who now have to bury their mother and little sister, Harrarah added.

For crisis or suicide prevention support, call National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

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South Korea and U.S. soldiers stand guard during a commemorative ceremony for the 64th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement at the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas on July 27, 2017. On Jan. 9, 2018, high-level representatives from North and South Korea will sit down for a joint meeting in the village to discuss North Korea's participation in the upcoming Olympic Games. (JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images)

North Koreas Diplomatic Effort: Gambit or Game Changer?

North and South Korea will sit down for high-level talks next week in what optimistic observers hope could be a turning point in the current standoff.

While some experts believe Pyongyang is making a genuine effort at diplomacy, others say the North Korean regime is simply changing tactics. They hold that Pyongyang intends to leverage its newfound nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities to push for economic concessions while trying to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington.

The talks will center on Pyongyang possibly sending its figure skating pair to participate in PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea from Feb. 9-25.

South Korea hopes that these limited talks could open the door to a broader dialogue.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signaled he wanted to open lines of communication during his New Years address, saying his regime would open its doors to anyone from South Korea interested in  dialogue, contact and travel, if they sincerely wish national concord and unity.

He also wished the upcoming games success and said the regime was willing to send its delegation.

South Korea eagerly responded on Tuesday, proposing talks that the North agreed to the next day by firing up a special hotline that had sat silent and unused for two years. The two sides spoke twice Wednesday and are now preparing for face-to-face talks.

Those talks will happen this Tuesday at the truce village of Panmunjom, according to South Koreas Ministry of Unification.

The main agenda items will include how to improve the two Koreas relations including (the Norths participation in) the Winter Games, Baik Tae-hyun, a ministry spokesman, told reporters, according to Yonhap News.

The talks come shortly after new U.N. sanctions further ratcheted up pressure on North Korea with tighter caps on petroleum exports to North Korea and restrictions on countries using North Korean laborers, a key source of revenue for the regime.

China has agreed to honor the sanctions.

The announcement for the talks also comes immediately after South Korea and the United States announced a pause in military exercises during the upcoming games.

U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley sounded caution on the talks in comments to reporters in Seoul on Monday.

North Korea can talk to anyone they want, but the U.S. is not going to recognize it or acknowledge it until they agree to ban the nuclear weapons that they have, she said.

Meanwhile, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Jan. 2 that North Korea might be trying to drive a wedge between the United States and South Korea, something that would not work, she added.

I can assure you that that will not happen, that will not occur. We are very skeptical of Kim Jong Uns sincerity in sitting down and having talks, she said. Our policy hasnt changed, the South Koreans policy has not changed, that we both support a denuclearized Korean Peninsula.

Two days later, Nauert added that the upcoming talks would be largely limited to discussing North Koreas participation in the upcoming Olympics, and that South Korea wasnt going to go beyond that topic.

We are closely linked up with the Republic of Korea, she said. This is not something where the Republic of Korea is going to go off freelancing.

While skeptics believe Kim is using talks to achieve tactical goals, such as securing time to develop his weapons program or a more permanent pause in joint South Korea-U.S. military drills, experts writing for 38 North believe Kim is seriously seeking diplomacy.

They say the fact that the call for talks was announced by Kim, detailed by his chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, and made directly to the Souths President Moon Jae-in indicate that North Korea truly wants dialogue.

This is the gold standard when it comes to North Korean initiatives. It is very serious, wrote the two authors of the post.

But there is reason to suspect North Korea will want no more than entry to the Olympics and formal acknowledgment of its nuclear arsenal.

In the same New Years speech where Kim announced his hopes for renewed ties with South Korea, he also pledged to deepen his regimes nuclear stockpile and warned The United States should know that the button for nuclear weapons is on my table.

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Sausage is seen in this file photo. An Oregon man threw poisoned sausage to dogs, a judge said this week. He was sentenced to probation. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Oregon Man Found Guilty of Trying to Poison His Neighbors Dogs Gets No Jail Time

An Oregon man convicted of trying to kill his neighbors dogs by poisoning their sausage has been sentenced to only probation.

Michael Lynch, 77, wanted to harm the animals because he was enraged over their constant barking, according to police investigators.

Lynch tried to poison the two dogs on four separate days in July 2016, authorities said.

Lynchs sentencing was not only for trying to kill the dogs, but also recklessly endangering the dogs owner Richard Schmidtke, who said he handled some of the poisonous meat when he took it from the mouth of one of the dogs. Schmidtke ended up on a ventilator at an urgent care clinic because of that contact.

Schmidtke stood up in court and said Lynch has absolutely no respect for what is socially acceptable, no moral compass, reported The Oregonian.

He added, What kind of person stoops so low as to poison animals? Thats unconscionable to me.

RICIN RICIN RICIN WTF, Oregon man, 77, is convicted of trying to poison his neighbor's dogs https://t.co/Z85rfzTzPY via @MailOnline  Darlene (@DAR2236) January 5, 2018

Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Walker sentenced Lynch to three years of probation and 120 hours of community service.

Walker warned Lynch not to violate the probation terms.

If I think you are doing anything to violate the law, I wont hesitate to issue a warrant, have you arrested, and put you in jail, Judge Walker said in court Wednesday, reported KATU.

Youre gonna sit in jail two weeks before I even see you and well talk about how much time youre gonna do after that. Okay?

Veterinarians found a ricin-like poison in the dogs stomach, but the dogs survived the attempted poisonings. Lynchs neighbor testified that he saw Lynch throwing meat into Schmidtkes yard, and police officers testified that he at one point told them that he would handle the barking dogs on his own.

Man poisons neighbor's dogs with ricin-laced meat, gets probation via /r/Portland https://t.co/iteBs05KQj pic.twitter.com/kJxlGOHp1w  Michael Mckenna (@michaelhmckenna) January 4, 2018

According to The Oregonian, police searched Lynchs home and found castor beanswhich naturally produce ricinand a jar labeled as containing botulism, according to a probable cause affidavit.

A $400,000 civil lawsuit filed by Schmidtke against Lynch is headed toward trial.

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Gregory Ulrich, left, is accused of ripping the heads off of chickens after being driven around by John Budnovitch. (Milford Police)

Police: Connecticut Man Ripped 20 Chickens Heads Off During Jealous Rage

Two men from Milford, Connecticut, are facing charges after they allegedly ripped the heads off 20 chickens during a jealous rage on Christmas Day.

Authorities said Gregory Ulrich, 28, smashed the chickens heads before tearing them off, while the other manJohn Budnovitch, 21watched the brutal act, the Hartford Courant reported.

Ulrich was charged with 20 counts of animal cruelty among other charges and Budnovitch was charged with conspiracy to commit cruelty to animals. Bond for Ulrich was set at $15,000 and Budnovitchs was set at $5,000.

Ulrich reportedly got jealous after he saw pictures of other people hanging out with his wife, according to Fox News.

Ulrich was highly intoxicated and was in a jealous rage, Officer Michael DeVito told the Hartford Courant. He banged [the chickens] on the ground to kill them and snapped the heads off.

The Milford Police Department called the animal cruelty acts gruesome in a Thursday, Jan. 4 tweet.

Milford PD have arrested two local men in a gruesome animal cruelty investigation that occurred in the early morning hours on Christmas Day. The two men are accused of stealing and killing 20 chickens from two locations. Full press release later today.  Milford CT PD (@MilfordCT_PD) January 4, 2018

Before the chicken incident, both men also smashed the windows of several motor vehicles in Devon and Milford, while Budnovitch, drove according to a press release. They were both arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 3.

Ulrich specifically made Budnovitch drive to the homes of people that angered him. At one point he leaned out of the car and swung an ax at their car windows while Budnovitch was still driving, DeVito told the Hartford Courant.

Milford police said the men went to two different locations and stole the 20 chickens.

What lowlifes! Cant imagine how proud their parents & family members must be! Dont deserve any sympathy or compassion whatsoever! How mass killers start out! one person commented on the departments Facebook page.

Police also checked on Ulrichs wife to see if she was safe. They said there were no signs that Ulrich had been physically violent with her, or that he intended to hurt her later, the Hartford Courant reported.

Both men have had previous run-ins with police.

Back in May 2016, Ulrich was sentenced to six months in jail for: carrying a pistol without a permit, illegal possession of a weapon in a vehicle, first-degree reckless endangerment, breach of peace, and carrying a firearm while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

Even earlier in 2010, he was fined for being in possession of fewer than four ounces of marijuana.

Budnovitch avoided a prison term last year after he was convicted of crimes ranging from larceny to engaging police in pursuit, according to the newspaper.

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Police: Minnesota Woman Kicked Out Windshield of Uber Driver

A southern Minnesota woman who was taking an Uber ride home, allegedly flew into an intoxicated rage and broke the vehicles windshield, then ordered her dog to attack a police officer.

As Mary Kathryn Boettcher, 36, was approaching her home in Mankato, Minnesota, on Dec. 30 she freaked out according to a witness, and damaged the vehicle.

Boettcher kicked in the windshield of the car and broke the drivers cellphone, a criminal complaint alleges.

She then went inside a house.

When an officer arrived at the house, according to the complaint, Boettcher tried to keep him from entering. The officer put his foot in the door to prevent it from closing, and the Boettcher reportedly ordered her dog, which weighed about 25 to 30 pounds, to kill the officer.

The dog bit the officers legs about five times, drawing blood, the complaint states. While another officer got the dog under control, the first officer tried to put Boettcher in handcuffs.

While the officer was trying to pull Boettcher out of the house to arrest her, he slipped, and they both tumbled into the yard.

The officer was able to take her into custody, and on Tuesday, Jan. 2, she was charged with felony assault on a police officer, felony property damage, and gross misdemeanor obstructing the legal process, Mankato Free Press reported.

If convicted, CBS affiliate WCCO reports, Boettcher could face years behind bars and over $10,000 in fines.

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President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and their son Barron Trump arrive at the White House in Washington, on Jan. 1, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Opinion: Sanders Right to Criticize Obamas Handling of North Korea

Press secretary accuses Obama administration of 'complacency and silence' regarding North Korea's nuclear program

President Donald Trump has been left to clean up a North Korean mess left behind by the Obama administration, according to White House press secretary Sarah Sanders.

Its not the first time Obamas policy of strategic patience has been blamed for the current crisis, though the seriousness of that failure has become more clear over time.

Sanders said the complacency and the silence of the previous administration didnt help resolve the North Korea problem now facing President Trump.

This is a President who leads through strength, and hes going to do that and hes going to focus on everything that he can do in order to keep Americans safe, and hes not going to be pushed around by the leader of North Korea, she said.

Sanders may overstate the Obama administrations inaction, accusing it of ignoring continued threats from the Kim regime, but the fact that Obamas White House withheld information about the magnitude of the threat North Korea posed proves the previous president willfully avoided dealing with North Korea.

In 2013, during the previous nuclear crisis, the Obama administration received credible intelligence that North Korea had already developed a miniaturized nuclear warhead capable of being mounted on a ballistic missile.

That fact was inadvertently revealed during an April 11, 2013, House Armed Services Committee hearing when Congressman Doug Lamborn, (RColo.) quoted unclassified information from a classified Defense Intelligence Agency Report.

The Obama administration attempted to discredit that finding, thereby lessening the pressure to deal with a brewing crisis on the Korean Peninsula.

It was important, according to the narrative of the time, to downplay the immediate threat. Obama had already ruled out military intervention, one of the few options that could have forced North Korea to reconsider its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. But if North Korea, which had already threatened the United States repeatedly, had gained a miniaturized nuclear warhead, Obamas doctrine of strategic patience might seem less strategic and more irresponsible.

If the previous administration had done anything and dealt with North Korea, dealt with Iran, instead of sitting by and doing nothing, we wouldnt have to clean up their mess now, said Sanders.

The connection between North Korea and Iran is an important one. The two countries share more than a willful hatred of the United States and a cruel repression of their citizens: they also work together on their missile development programs.

There are also credible allegations that Iran was paying North Korea upwards of $2.5 billion a year for advanced nuclear technology, an amount that would account for up to 20 percent of North Koreas annual GDP, according to some measures.

Even if Sanders exaggerates the previous administrations inaction, given that the Obama White House did push for additional sanctions against North Korea, the fact that Trump has been able to rapidly increase those sanctions and bring unprecedented pressure on North Korea proves there was much more Obama could have done.

Before Obama took the White House and Kim Jong Un took the helm of North Koreas ruling communist Workers Party, North Korea had had only one nuclear bomb test.

After the two leaders arrived in their positions, North Korea ramped up its weapons program.

President Barack Obama presided over the U.S. response to four of North Koreas six nuclear bomb tests, over a dozen ballistic missile tests, and two acts of war: one in March 2010 when North Korea launched a torpedo that sunk the Republic of Korea Navy ship Cheonan, killing 46 of the 104 sailors on board, and then a second when North Korea lobbed around 170 artillery shells and rockets at South Koreas Yeonpyeong Island a few months later, killing four people.

No U.S. administration has faced that level of aggression from North Korea in concert with a credible nuclear threat.

Kim wouldnt risk any such attacks today. There is a credible threat of force and if North Korea strikes first, Chinas communist regime has said it will not rush to its defense. In one scenario, the United States would much prefer that North Korea make such a strike today, giving it a credible reason to counterattack without drawing China into the fight in North Koreas defense.

Obama did little in proportion to the risk at the time.

He was also relatively muted after North Korea declared an end to the armistice, threatened South Korea with final destruction during a U.N. conference on disarmament, and claimed long-range missiles were already aimed at the U.S. mainland and U.S. bases in the Pacific.

North Koreas nuclear bomb and ballistic missile programs did face additional sanctions under the Obama administration but Sanders is not the first person to suggest the U.S. response was inadequate to the threat.

And given North Koreas communist regime casts the United States as its manifest enemy, allowing the regime to develop nuclear weapons without doing everything possible to stop it, and even trying to lessen the pressure to do so, lacked both foresight and integrity.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A screenshot from GoogleMaps of the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. (Screenshot via GoogleMaps)

Soldier Takes 10 Flights, Travels 8,000 Miles to See Baby Born on New Year

A U.S. soldier has made an arduous, yet special journey home, taking 10 flights, traveling 8,000 miles over 2 days, through 4 countries to be there for the birth of his baby on New Years day.

Francois Clerfe, a sergeant in the Army, took advantage of a special arrangement which allows soldiers to be there when their children are born.

Just days before his daughter was born in California, Clerfe was 8,000 miles away, stationed in Iraq.

Despite the unpredictability of birth dates, his journey from Iraq to Monterey Californiavia Kuwait, Turkey, and Germanywas well timed.

With his daughter Julia arriving 9 days ahead of her due date, luck was on his side, arriving in Monterey just before his wife went into labor.

Julia Clerfe, was born weighing 7 pounds, 2 ounces at the Community Hospital Of Monterey Peninsula at 9:53 a.m. on New Years Day, the hospital said in a statement on Facebook.

She was the first baby born the hospital this year.

Clerfe described the excitement of his journey to WCVB

Kuwait, to Turkey, to Turkey to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Baltimore, Baltimore to Atlanta, he said. It was fun and exciting at the same time, you know the thrill of thinking the what-ifs.

Im glad that Julia waited for me, he said.

That moment, having your first kid [come] into the world on the very first day of the new year he said.

I think its going to be a very good year.

Julias mother, Natalia Svistunova, said she was confident that he would make it for the birth.

I had the feeling that he would make it because he really wanted to be here next to us, she told WCVB.

According to the station, a special policy in Clerfes battalion allowed him special leave, and it means he can stay at home for 30 days in addition to another 10 days for paternity leave.
People in front of the iconic Sydney Opera on Sept. 8, 2017. (William West/AFP/Getty Images)

Still the Lucky Country? Australians Undergo a Fall in Living Standards

Australians have been undergoing a fall in living standards  the longest in more than 25 years. Many of the countrys citizens appear unsurprised.

In an issue that typically fails to attract media attention, The Australian newspaper reported that growth costs in the country have exceeded earnings for the fifth consecutive quarter.

Average household incomes have dropped 1.6 percent in the year up until September.

The cost increases have hit regular people in a big way and come in the form of big hikes in electricity, rent, new housing and health.

Households are spending their money on non-discretionary items  the things you cant avoid  and theyve been going up much more quickly than discretionary items, National Australia Banks head of research Peter Jolly told The Australian.

? Listen: Can Australia maintain its high standard of living in the face of declining productivity? https://t.co/wfLuaO2rQE #UnimelbPursuit pic.twitter.com/via6TkJrBP  University of Melbourne (@unimelb) October 24, 2017

Paying More Tax

Any modest wage rises that workers may get sees them being partially absorbed as they are pushed into higher tax brackets, reported the newspaper.

Although living standards stopped rising after 2011, the decline since the middle of 2016 is new and reflects both the fall in wage growth and an increase in tax payments, said the report.

Employment growth in the country has also been among lower paying jobs, which diminishes average incomes overall.

The article and the issues raised attracted its fair share of comments online.

Yes indeed the standard of living is dropping, primarily amongst the less well off in our society and the primary reason is the deliberate state and federal government policy to increase power costs by closing thermal generators and increasing the renewables footprint, said one commenter.

Another said Australias high immigration intake was to blame.

The only people who benefit from high migration are the major corporations and the big retailers, the rest of us have to get by on falling wages, that person said.

Another gave a past comparison.

Thirty years ago Australia wasnt so wealthy, was more humble and had a solid national identity, that person wrote. There is more money and bling on our city skylines now, but believe me younger people, it was a much better place to live in.

Another said worse was yet to come.

We aint seen nothing yet. Power shortages and prices will see Australia plummeting to third world status, but we are helping to save the planet from that scary-green-thing, right?

As did another.

We are a third world nation, its just nobody has noticed yet. The signs are there for all to see. Ageing infrastructure, unreliable power supplies, no manufacturing, massive national debt, they commented.

Another blamed the welfare state.

When you have a welfare system and a medical system like Australia, some poor working class bloke/woman has to support it, one said.

having the highest #immigration rate of any developed country  #Australia can't keep up its #infrastructure@simongerman600 Just a scary house price chart for #Australiapic.twitter.com/oQkp33by9K  Julika Brand (@JulikaBrand) December 31, 2017

High Immigration Not Supported by Infrastructure

The Australians report comes after concerns were raised by Commonwealth Bank senior economist Gareth Aird who found that Australias high immigration intake is papering over economic weakness in headline figures, reported the ABC mid-last year.

Per capita measures of the economy suggest that growth in living standards has stagnated and for some sections of the resident population, in particular younger people, it has gone backwards, he wrote.

While profits have gone up for corporations, workers have had their incomes fall to record lows. When adjusted to rising living costs, workers are seeing their pay packets go in reverse, said Aird.

Workers in the country are also competing with mass arrivals of people each year, further driving down wages. Australian currently takes in over 200,000 immigrants per year. At the turn of the century, it was around 90,000 people, reports the ABC.

WATCH: Dick Smith on his controversial new anti-immigration campaign which claims that Overpopulation will destroy Australia. #sun7 pic.twitter.com/H8GzKvx8Si  Sunrise (@sunriseon7) November 20, 2017

The government has been criticized for not investing in necessary infrastructure to accommodate such large numbers of immigrants, most of whom settle in Sydney and Melbourne  both cities now known for being expensive to live in.

Aird said that Australias policy of mass immigration also needed to be accompanied by the proper building of infrastructure.

The policy decision to run a relatively high immigration intake should be accompanied by commensurate growth in public investment, he said.

If not, in addition to the capital stock ageing, the existing stock of public infrastructure gets diluted which ultimately lowers living standards.

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President Donald Trump during a meeting with Republican senators in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Jan. 4, 2018. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Trump: With Support From Democrats, DACA Is Going to Be Terrific

WASHINGTONPresident Donald Trump told media Thursday that he hopes everything is going to work out very well for the recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

Trump met with Vice President Mike Pence and Republican lawmakers on Jan. 4 to discuss immigration issues, including some type of amnesty for DACA recipients.

In October 2017 Trump rescinded the temporary protection for DACA recipients and gave Congress until March to come up with a permanent fix.

Eligible DACA recipients entered the United States illegally with their parents when they were younger than 16, and in 2012 President Barack Obama gave them a two-year, renewable reprieve from deportation and work authorization.

I can tell you the Republicans want to see it work out very well. If we have support from the Democrats, I think DACA is going to be terrific, Trump said on Jan. 4.

We have to be careful because theres a drug epidemic like the likes of which weve never seen in this country. We need protection. We need the wall. We need all of those things. And, frankly, I think a lot of Democrats agree with us. Whether theyll vote that way is another situation, but they really understand it.

In October, Trump outlined his priorities for immigration reform and has been clear that they must be adopted in exchange for any type of amnesty for DACA.

Any legislation on DACA must secure the border with a wall, Trump said. It must give our immigration officers the resources they need to stop illegal immigration and also to stop visa overstays. And, crucially, the legislation must end chain migration. It must end the visa lottery.

Trump also wants a merit-based system of immigration adopted in place of the current family-based system, which encourages chain migration.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen said she was looking forward to working on immigration reform.

As you know, border security, we have to have the wall and the technology and personnel that go with that, but we also need to close the loopholes that we can do the expedited removal because thats a core part of border security, she said. So I look very much forward to working with you and others in Congress to get this done.

The current legislation in the Senatethe DREAM Act, or S.1615would give green cards to around 690,000 DACA recipients as well as another approximately 1.3 million people, according to an estimate by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). DREAM is an acronym for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors.

The DREAM Act was introduced to the Senate by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in July and has bipartisan support.

The CBO estimates that 3.25 million illegal aliens meet the basic eligibility criteria of the DREAM Act, but, based on DACA application rates, about 2 million would apply and be approved for conditional Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), or green card, status. Recipients would be expected to work toward removing the conditional part of the LPR and apply for naturalized citizenship within eight years.

Their ages at the time they received the status would range from around 14 to the early 50s, with a median age in the late 20s, the CBO report states. The research indicates that the vast majority of conditional LPR recipients would be from Mexico or Central America.

The CBO estimates that the DREAM Act would generate a net cost of $26 billion over the next 10 yearsassuming only 2 million of the 3.1 million eligible aliens sign up for it.

The members of the Senate working group on immigration that met with Trump included chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
Marcus King found the girl playing in the snow without proper supervision or clothes. (News4Utah/KTVX - screenshot)

Update: Utah Man Finds Girl Playing Barefoot in the Snow, Officials Find Mother Dead

A Utah man came to the aid of a 4-year-old girl who was spotted alone and dressed inappropriately for the cold weather after her mother died.

Ogden Police say the man, Marcus King, saw the young girl just before 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 3, Fox13 reported.

I had heard a little girls voice inside the park, didnt really think nothing of it once I came around this way she had got my attention, he said.

The girl was playing in the snow on the playground. But, he noted, that she didnt have any jacket, no shoes, no parental supervision, and just took action then and took her inside. He told News4Utah that she was only wearing pajamas.

He told KSL that she was just dragging her feet through the snow.

I was a little torn up by it, King said. Having to find a little girl out in the snow like that.

King said that staff at a community center took the girl they called the police. He stayed around for three hours before police could find out who the mother of the girl is, the Fox affiliate reported.

When they walked over there, the door was wide open, King was quoted as saying by the news outlet. And the way the little girl was explaining it was: Her mom wasnt paying attention, and her mom was on the floor sleeping.

When officers went in the building, they found the mother, 41, dead on the floor.

Officers went inside and found a 41-year-old mother dead, Lt. Tim Scott with Ogden Police told Fox13. She was living alone with her mother. There is no sign of foul play. There are some pre-existing medical conditions that may have played a role.

We believe there may have been some pre-existing medical conditions that could explain the death, Scott told KSL. The names of the girl and the mother were not publicly released.

A woman who claimed to be the cousin of the mother wrote on Facebook: Please prayers for the family  (the girl) will be back in her grandmothers care as of tomorrow  we praise God (she) was found safe, reported KSL.

King said hes no hero, as some have described, but he just did the right thing.

He added: Theres a little kid out here what are you supposed to do? Its the one thing to do.

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A woman was denied pre-booked assistance at a UK airport on grounds that she didn't "look sick" enough. The feature image (not directly related) shows a man pushing a wheelchair at what appears to be an airport. (Pixabay / CC0)

Woman Denied Airport Assistance Because She Didnt Look Sick Enough

A disabled British woman says she was denied assistance at a UK airport because didnt look ill enough, reports said.

Nathalie Allport-Grantham, 23, suffers from several chronic illnesses. She booked special assistance on her flight to France out of Londons Stansted Airport on New Years Eve, the BBC reported.

But when she showed up at the gate asking for help, she was denied boarding assistance and told that she was wasting [the airports] time.

She basically looked at me and said, Im here to help disabled people, Im not here to help you, the woman said, according to the BBC.

A disabled woman says she was refused help boarding a flight because she doesnt look ill. Nathalie Allport-Grantham, claims a member of staff at Stansted Airport told her she was wasting their time https://t.co/uaZcW7Je41 pic.twitter.com/xs0NAeKAR0  BBC News England (@BBCEngland) January 4, 2018

Allport-Grantham suffers from two conditions: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

The first limits her movement and causes chronic pain.

The second quickens her heart rate.

She cant walk long distances and is prone to losing consciousness, and often needs a wheelchair to get around.

The way she spoke to me and what she said was just awful, the young woman said.

Allport-Grantham tried to explain, The Mighty reported, but the worker said, Im actually waiting for someone who cannot walk. If you want to get on the plane I suggest you queue up like everyone else. If you dont want to carry your bag, its 50 to have it put in the hold. Ive got disabled people to help and you are wasting their time.

Allport-Grantham reportedly informed the employee that theres a medical reason why she cant lift bagsshe could dislocate her joints or even rupture organs.

But the employee is reported to have said, Maybe next time dont bring a heavy bag then.

Allport-Grantham suggested that the outcome might have been different if the airline employee had followed procedure and asked her to identify herself.

But she didnt ask my name. If shed just looked at her list she wouldve seen I was the person she was waiting for.

Nathalie Allport-Grantham, 23, was flying with #Ryanair on 31 Dec when staff refused her the assistance she had booked with her flight, and denounced her in public as a fake. Shed bkd a wheelchair to help her to the gate, + help carrying her hand luggage. https://t.co/7xkPdCkllM  Flamenco Nut  (@flamencobug) January 3, 2018

Allport-Grantham explained that when she doesnt use a wheelchair, her disabilities are invisible. She has been challenged before by those who doubt whether she is legitimately sick.

Its something I and everyone with chronic illnesses is used to  being judged and being called a liar, she said. Ive been told before, You look too pretty to be disabled. People have an idea that a disabled person has to look a certain way.

Stansted Airport has issued an apology to Alloport-Gratham.

We are very disappointed to hear about Ms Allports experience and apologise for any distress caused.

A spokesperson has stated that an investigation has been launched to get to the bottom of the incident.

We are speaking to the provider to find out more about the circumstances of the incident.

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A woman left a toddler in a car for 15 hours during a snowstorm in Dec. 2016. (Woodley Wonderworks/Wikipedia Commons)

Woman Who Left Toddler in Freezing Car Sentenced to Prison

A mother who left her 2-year-old son alone in a freezing car during an overnight snowstorm was sentenced to prison on Thursday, Jan. 4.

Nicole Carmon, 28, from Westminster, Colorado, left her car at a Thorton strip mall parking lot during a snowstorm with a toddler inside in December 2016, reported Fox News, citing court documents. According to an affidavit, Carmon appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and was seen visiting stores to reportedly find a car with a baby inside.

Woman who left baby in car overnight during snowstorm pleads guilty to negligent child abuse & attempted 1st deg assault. (Nicole Carmon) pic.twitter.com/kYpSZmxGud  Lance Hernandez (@lancehernandez7) November 4, 2017

During the 15 hours, the boy was alone, she consumed six shots of vodka and walked to a gas station to get a ride home.

The next morning, Carmon went to her baby sitters home looking for her son. The babysitter then notified the authorities.

Thornton police officers were initially told that a child had been left in a vehicle after a car crash, however, they found the boy in the backseat of Carmons car in the parking lot at around noon.

Nicole Carmon, mom who left 2-year-old son inside freezing car for more than 14 hours, sentenced to 8 years in prison, 3 years probation #9NEWS pic.twitter.com/LyRjbqPfkJ  Noel Brennan (@Noeltbrennan) January 4, 2018

The car was enveloped in as much as 6 inches of snow when the boy was found, reported the news station, citing an arrest affidavit.

The boy suffered from frostbite and hypothermia. Carmon was later arrested for child abuse.

In November last year, she pleaded guilty to felony negligent child abuse causing serious injury and attempted first-degree assault, reported Fox News.

She was subsequently sentenced to eight years in prison on Thursday. The judge described her actions as atrocious and jaw-dropping during sentencing.

I take full responsibility for what I did, Carmon told the judge, reported the news station.

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Orange S.A. provides various fixed telephony and mobile telecommunications, data transmission, and other value-added services to customers, businesses, and other telecommunications operators in France and internationally. It operates through France; Spain and Other European Countries; The Africa and Middle East; Enterprise; International Carriers & Shared Services; and Mobile Financial Services segments. The company offers mobile services, such as voice, SMS, and data; fixed broadband and narrowband services, as well as fixed network business solutions, including voice and data; and convergence packages. It also sells mobile handsets, mobile terminals, broadband equipment, connected devices, and accessories. In addition, the company provides IT and integration services comprising unified communication and collaboration services, such as LAN and telephony, consultancy, integration, and project management; hosting and infrastructure services, including cloud computing; customer relations management and other applications services; security services; and video conferencing, as well as sells related equipment. Further, it offers national and international roaming services; online advertising services; and mobile virtual network operators, network sharing, and mobile financial services, as well as sells equipment to external distributors and brokers. Orange S.A. markets its products and services under the Orange brand. The company was formerly known as France Telecom and changed its name to Orange S.A. in July 2013. Orange S.A. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, U.S. Retail, Wealth Management and Insurance, and Wholesale Banking segments. The company offers personal deposits, such as checking, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases. It also provides credit cards and payments; real estate secured lending, auto finance, and consumer lending services; point-of-sale payment solutions for large and small businesses; wealth and asset management products, and advice to retail and institutional clients through direct investing, advice-based, and asset management businesses; and property and casualty insurance, as well as life and health insurance products. The company also provides capital markets, and corporate and investment banking products and services, including underwriting and distribution of new debt and equity issues; advice on strategic acquisitions and divestitures; and trading, funding, and investment services to corporations, governments, and institutions. It offers its products and services under the TD Bank and America's Most Convenient Bank brand names. The company operates through a network of 1,061 branches and 3,381 automated teller machines (ATMs) in Canada, and 1,148 stores and 2,701 ATMs in the United States, as well as offers telephone, digital, and mobile banking services. It has a strategic alliance with Canada Post Corporation. The Toronto-Dominion Bank was founded in 1855 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
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COPENHAGEN, DENMARKA Danish biotechnology company is trying to fight climate change  one laundry load at a time. Its secret weapon: mushrooms like those in a dormant forest outside Copenhagen.

In the quest for a more environmentally friendly detergent, two scientists at the company, Novozymes, regularly trudge through the mud, hunting for oyster mushrooms that protrude from a fallen beech or bracken fungi that feast on tough plant fibres. They are studying the enzymes in mushrooms that speed up chemical reactions or natural processes such as decay.

There is a lot going on here, if you know what to look for, said Mikako Sasa, one of the Novozymes scientists.

Their work is helping the company develop enzymes for laundry and dishwasher detergents that would require less water, or that would work just as effectively at lower temperatures. The energy savings could be significant. Washing machines, for instance, account for more than 6 per cent of household electricity use in the European Union.

Enlisting enzymes to battle dirt is not a new strategy. Over thousands of years, mushrooms and their fungi cousins have evolved into masters at nourishing themselves on dying trees, fallen branches and other materials. They break down these difficult materials by secreting enzymes into their hosts. Even before anyone knew what enzymes were, they were used in brewing and cheese-making, among other activities.

In 1833, French scientists isolated an enzyme for the first time. Known as diastase, it broke starch down into sugars. By the early 20th century, a German chemist had commercialized the technology, selling a detergent that included enzymes extracted from the guts of cows.

Novozymes and its rivals have developed a catalogue of enzymes over the years, supplying them to consumer goods giants such as Unilever and Procter & Gamble.

At the company's low-slung 1960s-style campus, scientists in white lab coats and armed with miniature washing machines test new enzyme combinations on doll-size cutouts of clothing. To test a product's stain-fighting prowess, they import stain samples from around the world, such as greasy, blackened collars and yellow armpit stains.

Modern detergents contain as many as eight different enzymes. In 2016, Novozymes generated about $2.2 billion (U.S.) in revenue and provided enzymes for detergents including Tide, Ariel and Seventh Generation.

The quantity of enzymes required in a detergent is relatively small compared with chemical alternatives, an appealing quality for customers looking for more natural ingredients. A tenth of a teaspoon of enzymes in a typical European laundry load cuts by half the amount of soap from petrochemicals or palm oil in a detergent.

Enzymes are also well suited to helping cut energy consumption. They are often found in relatively cool environments, such as forests and oceans. As a result of that low natural temperature, they do not require the heat and pressure typically used in washing machines and other laundry processes.

So consumers can reduce the temperatures on their washing machines while ensuring their shirts stay lily white. Lowering the temperature on a washing machine cycle to cold water from 40 degrees C (104 degrees Fahrenheit) reduces energy consumption by at least half, according to the International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products, an industry group.

We think there are a lot of systems and processes in nature that are extremely resource efficient, said Gerard Bos, director of the global business and biodiversity program at the International Union for Conservation of Nature in Switzerland. In nature, there is basically no waste. Every material gets reused.

In 2009, Novozymes scientists teamed up with Procter & Gamble to develop an enzyme that could be used in liquid detergents for cold-water washes. Researchers started with an enzyme from soil bacteria in Turkey, and modified it through genetic engineering to make it more closely resemble a substance found in cool seawater. When they found the right formula, they called the enzyme Everest, a reference to the scale of the task accomplished.

We knew this was something that consumers would want, said Phil Souter, associate director of Procter & Gamble's research and development unit in Newcastle, England. I think this is a very tangible and practical way people can make a difference in their everyday lives.

Next, they found a way to mass produce the enzyme. Novozymes implanted the newly developed product's DNA into a batch of microbial hosts used to cultivate large volumes of enzymes quickly and at low cost. The enzymes were then brewed in large, closely monitored tanks before being sold.

The result: a crucial ingredient in detergents such as Tide Cold Water.

This is biotechnology on a very large scale, said Jes Bo Tobiassen, the manager of a Novozymes manufacturing facility in Kalundborg, a small coastal city in Denmark.

As it researches new enzymes, Novozymes is trying to reach consumers in fast-growing economies, like China.

In much of the developed world, laundry habits are relatively entrenched. Europeans tend to use front-loading washers, which are far more efficient in energy and water use than the top-loaders favoured in the United States.

But in China, members of the growing middle class like Shen Hang are upgrading washing machines and turning to more expensive, higher-quality detergents. While Chinese consumers are among the world's most frequent and fastidious washers of clothes, according to Novozymes researchers, they are not as set in their ways.

Shen recently bought an efficient front-loading washer-dryer. But he has struggled to find a detergent that can get his sweat-stained shirt collars clean.

I'm kind of sick of that, he said of manufacturers' exaggerated claims.

He uses two types of bleach, one for white clothes and one for coloured. If they do not work, he manually rubs the stains with his hands. He repeats that cycle three times a week.

Sensing an opportunity, Novozymes' commercial teams have pushed the company's scientists to create enzymes that would perform better in the bleach-filled washes favoured in China.

The company has made progress. A newly developed enzyme named Progress Uno is being added to liquid detergents manufactured by Liby, a Chinese company.

At this point, Chinese consumers mostly wash at low temperatures. But Peder Holk Nielsen, the chief executive of Novozymes, worries that could change as wealth in China grows. Consumers did the same in the West in the decades after the Second World War, Nielsen said.

But if, thanks to enzyme development, that transition can be avoided, that would be a phenomenal sustainability story, he said. It is going to save so much water, and so much energy.

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Bruce Linton, co-founder and CEO, Canopy Growth Corp.

Lintons challenge this year is to prove Canopy Growth Corp., a stock-market speculators darling, isnt a flash in the pan, though it has already achieved the status of the worlds biggest publicly traded cannabis firm.

Skeptics point to Canopys chronic losses, a total of $20.4 million in red ink over the past three money-losing years. And Canopy, a mere three-year-old firm whose stock has gained 515 per cent in value since its IPO just last year, does bear the hallmarks of irrational investor exuberance.

Then again, Canopys revenues have increased almost 17-fold in three years, to $39.9 million in fiscal 2017.

Lintons acquisition-driven growth strategy helps account for what Canopy bulls would argue are front-end losses to achieve future market dominance.

Linton is a veteran of high-tech firms and of export markets; he helped tech firm CrossKeys System Corp. crack the China market.

The vertically integrated, geographically diversified Canopy grows and distributes medicinal and recreational pot on four continents.

Goals for 2018 are to drive down costs, expand Canopys customer base of about 40,000 users, and strengthen consumer recognition of its many brands, notably Tweed and Bedrocan.

That challenge became a lot more feasible with the October announcement that U.S. distilling giant Constellation Brands Inc. will be the first Fortune 500 company to invest in a marijuana venture, spending $245 million (Cdn.) in 2018 to eventually acquire as much as 20 per cent of Canopy.

For the venerable Constellation, owner of popular brands Corona, Modelo and Svedka vodka, Canopy is partly a hedge against a flattening beer market.

Canopy also seeks in 2018 to develop alcohol-like beverages that contain THC rather than alcohol, a line of products Linton hopes to have on the market by 2019.

Maybe theyll make you a little bit euphoric or contemplative, maybe theyll make you a little bit hungry, Linton says.

Chrystia Freeland, Canadian foreign affairs minister

A journalist and historian in an earlier life, Freeland, 49, sees the difficult negotiations over a renewed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as part of a wider disintegration of the global institutions that have delivered more than 70 years of unprecedented peace and prosperity in the world.

Freelands immediate goal is to preserve and even enhance the benefits the 23-year-old NAFTA has brought its three partner countries, much as Freeland played a pivotal role in negotiating the extraordinary Canada-E.U. Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

In the NAFTA debacle, Canada has discovered it has far more U.S. friends than it realized. Freelands objections to Trump administration demands for auto-export levies, scrapping the treatys dispute-resolution mechanism, Buy American procurement rules, and a proposed sunset clause that would see NAFTA renegotiated all over again in five years time are shared with, among other powerful U.S. forces, the more than 300 state and local U.S. chambers of commerce that have fired a letter to the White House in support of the existing NAFTA.

But Freeland this year will be looking beyond NAFTA to a new world order not so heavily reliant on the post-Second World War institutions of the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and other stabilizing forces.

They have been undermined by a resurgence in anti-immigrant nationalism, dynamic economic change, and a breakdown in global trade  factors eerily similar to the conditions that led to World War I.

Appearances to the contrary, Freeland is not the NAFTA minister. Compelled by Brexit, refugee crises, North Korean belligerence and other troubling realities, Freeland instead will have as her top goal in 2018 helping rebuild global trust in a current period she describes as probably the most uncertain moment in international relations since the end of the Second World War.

Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement

As revelations of improper sexual conduct by men, prominent and otherwise, accumulated in 2017, a question arose among some about distinctions between harassment and rape on the spectrum of aberrant behaviour.

But not for Burke, 44, the U.S. social activist who launched the Me Too campaign a decade ago: If your me too [incident] was about sexual harassment versus sexual assault but its traumatizing to you, then its important for you to be heard. Trauma is trauma.

Burke had wondered if this viral moment, as she modestly describes 2017s colossal outpouring of revelations, would be widely embraced.

It has been, of course: Within 24 hours of U.S. actor Alyssa Milanos first use of MeToo as a hashtag in exposing the alleged misconduct of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, more than half a million #MeToo tweets were sent.

That shouldnt have been the surprise it was.

Four years ago, a United Nations report found that 99.3 per cent of women it interviewed had experienced sexual harassment.

By October there were local-language hashtags worldwide, even in semi-closed societies like Iran, Egypt and Afghanistan. The global hashtags include the Spanish-speaking worlds #YoTambien, Israels #UsToo and Frances #BalanceTonPorc (#DenounceYourPig).

Burke does make a distinction, though, between the revelations and what we do about them.

Sexual violence knows no race or colour or gender or class, she told the Boston Globe in October. But the response to sexual violence does.

Self-destructive men have seen the irrevocable ruination of their careers and reputations in 2017.

Its Burkes cause in 2018 and beyond to see an end to the behaviours causing trauma, by curing men of the unconscious bias by which so many men fail to understand that even groping is a violation that can traumatize a victim for a lifetime, because it implants a lasting fear that it will happen again.

Theresa May, Prime Minister of Britain

Donald Tusk, president of the European Union (EU) council, is blunt about the urgency in negotiating Britains divorce from the EU We have only 10 months to hammer out a deal agreeable to both parties, he says. This will be a furious race against time.

Actually, that ominous deadline comes much sooner for May, 61, leader of the only G-7 country whose economic prospects are completely up in the air.

At this moment, about 10 per cent of U.K. companies have started preparing for the prospect of failed talks, by which Britain quits the EU  worlds biggest economy  stripped of access to the EUs vast Common Market. If no deal for continued Common Market access for Britain isnt reached by March that number is expected to leap to 60 per cent.

Which means May has just three months to strike a deal with the tough-minded EU divorce negotiators, or the bulk of British business will hit the go button on transferring employees and assets from Britain to EU countries in order to retain the vital benefits of remaining within the 27-member EU.

Canadian and other financial institutions in London have already begun to defect, with EU member Ireland among the biggest winners of British defectors. March marks the point at which U.K. business decisions about uprooting or scaling back its U.K. operations are of the no turning back kind.

Mays chances of achieving a deal are slim. She heads a shaky coalition government. Her cabinet is openly divided on what Britain should offer to get a deal. And some 40 of Mays Tory backbenchers have signed a statement of no confidence in their leader.

That disarray has emboldened staunchly pro-EU leaders Emmanuel Macron of France and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to insist on a separation injurious to Britain, as a cautionary tale for any other E.U members with breakaway thoughts.

Mohammed Bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia

For generations, the West has dealt with a House of Saud whose control of the worlds biggest oil-reserves was dispersed among scores of Saudi sheiks.

That ended abruptly in 2017, when Bin Salman, 32, heir apparent to his father, the Saudi king, sacked and arrested hundreds of clerics and state officials and 11 princes within the House of Saud itself, replacing them with hand-picked favourites.

A West unaccustomed to dealing with a Saudi autocracy doesnt know what to expect.

The year ahead will signal if Bin Salman means to continue neglecting his Kingdom in extending Saudi Arabias external influence.

At home, poverty rates run high, but Bin Salmans bid for global influence has seen him invest $45 billion (U.S.) in a Pacific Rim fund run by Japanese software tycoon Masayoshi Son. The crown prince has pumped another $20 billion (U.S.) into a U.S. private equity fund.

Thats money that could be spent upgrading Saudis own deficient social infrastructure, the decay of which might someday threaten Bin Salmans grip on power.

Bin Salman so far has been a destabilizing force in a sensitive region.

It was Bin Salman, as his fathers defence minister, who launched a feckless war in Yemen that has achieved nothing for the Kingdom and unleashed a lengthy slaughter in that country.

Bahrain has long been treated as a Saudi vassal state; and in 2017 Bin Salman reduced Lebanon to Saudi vassalage, as well. Bin Salman long ago committed his Kingdom to a vain military role in the Syrian civil war.

Bin Salman appears intent on remaking the Middle East, mostly in order to isolate arch-enemy Iran. While Saudi Arabia has been on the losing end of its military adventures, Bin Salman remains determined to assert his Kingdom as a military force to be reckoned with in a geopolitical game unprecedented in the Kingdoms modern history.

Elon Musk, CEO, Tesla and Space Exploration Technologies

This is Musks make-or-break year to prove he can mass-produce Teslas technologically advanced electric vehicles (EVs).

Observers will count Musks audacious bid to have the world using EVs and colonizing Mars with his spaceships by 2022 as a success  or at least a decent shot at one  if Tesla can turn out its mass-market Model 3 sedans at the rate of 5,000 vehicles per month by Musks self-imposed deadline of this spring.

Ultimately, Teslas goal is to ramp up production of the Model 3, priced at about $45,000 (Cdn.), to more than 100,000 sedans per year. Thats a production rate whose volume of units and speed of getting to that volume is without precedent in more than a century of auto history.

If Tesla can endure what Musk, 46, has described as production hell at Teslas Fremont, Calif. factory in hitting Musks deadlines, he will remain a hero to techies everywhere. But if Teslas bet-the-company project is mired in delays and product glitches, it wont be Tesla alone that suffers.

The audacity of Tesla in forcing the worlds automakers to get with the EV program has cast a halo over Musks many and varied other seemingly fantastic pursuits. They include commercial rockets supplying the International Space Station; a Musk firm that designs, builds and installs solar panels atop residential and commercial buildings; and emerging hyperloop technology for transporting commuters among cities in something akin to pneumatic tubes.

The shine will come off those ancillary activities if the Everyman Tesla vehicle fails to appear in sufficient number, or to please the thousands of motorists whose advance down-payments on the vehicle have financed a Tesla Inc. that has never turned a profit.

It must be said, though, that each of Teslas previous models has been delayed, and yet most have delivered  in performance, comfort and design  even beyond high expectations.

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LOS ANGELESInvestors are finally getting a crack at the resurgent music business.

Spotify, owner of the worlds largest paid music service, plans to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange this quarter, passing up a traditional public offering for whats called a direct listing. The debut will test whether investors are ready to buy into the music industry, which was left for dead just a few years ago.

Record industry sales have increased for three years in a row thanks to the legions of consumers paying to listen on Spotify and Apple Music. Their spending has far outstripped shrinking album sales in retail outlets and online stores such as iTunes, allowing the $15.7-billion (U.S.) global business to prosper again after years of decline. Analysts project revenue could more than double over the next decade.

Read more:

Source says Spotify will go public on NYSE, but will avoid an IPO

Spotify one step closer to going public after reaching deal with Warner Music

Spotify parts ways with head of video and podcasts

Investors have few direct opportunities to tap this potential growth. All three major music companies are part of larger concerns or closely held. Vivendi SA owns Universal Music, while Sony Music is part of the Japanese media and tech conglomerate and billionaire Len Blavatnik owns Warner Music. Music accounts for a small share of business for the industrys biggest retailers, such as Apple Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Spotify built the most popular on-demand music service in the world, outflanking the largest technology companies, including Apple. The company has signed up more than 60 million subscribers and is trying to prove a music service can prosper without being a vehicle to sell mobile phones or other products.

If you look at the leaders in each form of media, music is the last uncaptured sector, said Rohit Kulkarni, an analyst at SharesPost Inc. Players 30 times bigger than Spotify took stabs at it, but none has won.

New-found optimism about the future of the music business has boosted the value of catalogues in recent years. Kobalt Capital Ltd. raised $600 million to buy music rights in November and promptly agreed to acquire the collection of Songs Music Publishing for about $150 million. Imagem, which holds rights to 250,000 songs including Daft Punk, Pink Floyd and Stravinsky, was sold to Concord Bicycle Music in a deal Billboard valued at $600 million.

Vivendi, the French media company, has weighed a public offering of Universal Music, the worlds largest music company, to tap investor enthusiasm.

For now though, Spotify is the biggest opportunity. The company was valued at $8.5 billion when it raised money in March 2016, and has since been pegged at more than $15 billion.

A direct listing, usually done by much smaller companies, is risky, and Spotify is trying to pull off the biggest one ever. Most would-be stock issuers hire investment bankers to underwrite their shares and go on a road show where they raise money by touting their future to potential investors.

Spotify isnt trying to raise capital. Its seeking a listing so existing investors can begin selling their shares. Without the road show, the company and its bankers wont have much control over where the shares begin trading or as much insight into the thinking of investors.

There is no example of a successful music-streaming service from a financial standpoint, said George Howard, co-founder of TuneCore and Music Audience Exchange, and associate professor at the Berklee College of Music.

Spotify believes it is well-known, and investors can also look at limited financial results that have been posted publicly. Yet the company isnt a sure bet. Music industry growth could slow, and the company cant predict how many people worldwide will pay for a service.

Pandora Media Inc., an online radio service, went public in June 2011 at $16 a share via a traditional offering. The stock peaked above $40 in March 2014 but now trades below $5, felled by accumulated losses and management turmoil. The shares were little changed at $4.95 in early trading in New York.

Spotify lost $601 million in 2016, thanks largely to contracts that require it to pay the majority of its sales to music rights holders. High content costs hampered Pandora before it began losing customers.

Spotify has since negotiated new contracts with major music companies that reduce its costs provided it reaches certain performance targets. Those deals have improved its margins, according to Kulkarni, who says the only clear threat to the company is Googles YouTube, which is itself developing a paid subscription service.

Spotify is the only reason for hope in the music business, Kulkarni said.

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Old Hera Bjornsson is dying, and she cant wait. Shes made herself an appointment at the crematorium for the 14th, and she doesnt want to miss it. Shes looking forward to being, as the books title suggests, Woman at 1,000 Degrees. The only thing that shes got left to do in the Beckettish garage in suburban Reykjavik shes living her last in is get her story down on this laptop one of her caregivers set her up on a few years back.

The grenade shes got between her legs soothes her, reminds her of her Nazi father, who gave it to her before leaving her 13-year-old self in the Hamburg train station in the middle of an air raid as a sort of extreme rape whistle. She takes the occasional break to hack into her adulterous daughter-in-laws email correspondence with a witless, joyless paramour, and to carry on an increasingly serious relationship with an Australian bodybuilder who thinks shes Miss World 1988.

Shes not had what most of us would consider an easy life. Sent off by her mother, abandoned by her father, she lost her virginity while still a child to a man she had a crush on and with whom she flirted  and then he raped her. It was the first of many rapes.

Coming of age during the Second World War, she was confronted with more than an average number of stark moral choices, and often made the wrong ones, such as when she decided not to turn in the former head of a concentration camp because his daughter was in the middle of teaching her to masturbate. Later, she gave up on her sons, never really having taken to them like she did to her first-born, a daughter, who got run over as a toddler.

As she tells her story, introducing us to characters who remain very much bit players in her life, we learn from what she tells us shes done, and how she tells us, that this is a woman who refuses to be redacted or reduced to the role of daughter, wife, mother, victim, whore, or criminal. One thing she was, as we learn in an authors note at the beginning of the book, is a real person. The storys been fictionalized, but the broad strokes are biographical: the story of the granddaughter of Icelands first president, a woman the author met briefly before she died about a decade ago.

A novel framed the way this is has a greater than average chance of being horrible; its a pretty pat trope. But Heras story is not the story of the 20th century, though she lived through most of it. It is also not the story of a woman made strong by adversity, or finding herself, her inner strength, just as her long day closes. She was strong to begin with. If anything, the 20th century crashed into her and fell apart while she stood strong and firm. This is a profoundly, triumphantly feminist book, a fact that, depending on your view of such things, may or may not be undercut by the fact that its written by a man.

Wherever you land on that one, youll probably agree by the end of the book that Hellgrimur Helgason  a native Icelandic speaker who once successfully wrote a book in English with a Croatian accent  is talented. Icelandic being the rough Nordic equivalent of Chaucerian English, often expressing a similarly jaundiced world view, Helgasons story could be seen as a riff on the Wife of Baths Tale, without the stuff about King Arthur, and if she hadnt been so concerned with giving her story a moral. Helgason can write beautifully, like his Icelandic contemporary, Sjon, and he can be perfectly dark and crass, like his other mononymic contemporary, the cartoonist Dagsson. But unlike either, he can do both at once, often on the same page (with the help of a translation by Irishman Brian FitzGibbon that renders Helgasons peculiar brand of Icelandic sang froid better than we had a right to expect). A snake of hat-clad boys loitered on the veranda on top of the steps, gulping down the night, as men are wont to do, Hera tells us. This from the woman who also tells us shes on a poop-to-rule strike with her caregivers.

We come late to such things, we anglophones. Ask a German reader who her favourite writers are, and shell mention a French novelist, an Italian poet, a Portuguese essayist. But we dont tend to notice whos doing what in other languages unless theyre doing it with cops and murderers. Were late to this game as well. The novels already been published in Norwegian, Danish, German Dutch, Russian, Lithuanian, French, Spanish, Albanian, and Catalan, and been adapted for the stage twice. There are no crimes to solve in Woman at 1,000 Degrees, but maybe we should read it anyway. Theres nothing like it in our language.

Bert Archer cycled around Iceland, ate lamb face (which is a thing there), and once enjoyed a brief but exciting Twitter relationship with Sjon (which you can excavate @BertArcher).

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OTTAWAThe federal government sent a doctor to Cuba to examine Canadian diplomats who suffered everything from nosebleeds to short-term memory loss amid concern about mysterious acoustic attacks, newly declassified memos show.

The June visit to Havana by Dr. Jeffrey Chernin of Health Canada revealed symptoms similar to those experienced by U.S. personnel in Cuba, the internal Global Affairs Canada notes say.

Word of the perplexing phenomenon  which remains unexplained  emerged during the summer, prompting the United States to bring many diplomats home from Havana and to expel Cuban representatives from Washington.

Read more: Doctors discover brain abnormalities in U.S. victims of mysterious invisible attacks in Cuba

In August, Ottawa acknowledged that an unspecified number of Canadians in Cuba had been affected, but Global Affairs has said little about the events.

The newly disclosed records, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, show that as early as May, Canadas mission in Havana was seeking help in working out next steps for Canadian staff having problems.

Many of the symptoms are similar to signs of extreme stress, and there is the possibility that there could be mental health effects caused by the fear of being targeted, wrote diplomat Karen Foss. Either way, testing should help to rule out cases and reassure personnel that we have the means to be able to provide duty of care.

Symptoms included headaches, dizziness, nausea, hearing loss, nosebleeds and cognitive issues including loss of short-term memory.

But Canadian officials were puzzled about who or what might have been behind the purported attacks.

There are no answers, Foss wrote in a May 28 email. We are left to (sift through) what we know about ... the targets and possible suspects.

About a week later, Foss advised that the head of Canadas mission in Cuba had called a meeting of staff to advise of the increased threat level.

A security situation overview noted a need to review who in the mission is most vulnerable because of any pre-existing condition or other consideration that means they are at greater risk if they are targeted.

Canadian officials quietly began drafting statements in case the situation is leaked to the press  noting there were hints the issue was being discussed at a Virginia school.

By June 9, the mission was underscoring the need for help from a federal medical adviser and stressing that new diplomatic personnel bound for Cuba should be made aware as soon as possible of the strange ailments affecting staff.

Local guards were asked to increase their patrols around the residential properties of Canadian staff and to be extra vigilant in reporting.

Dr. Chernin arrived in Havana on June 18 to meet concerned staff individually and take part in a townhall-style meeting a few days later. The doctor found that symptoms, experience and recovery varied, but he seemed to rule out viral causes such as the flu or hearing loss due to age.

Privy Council Office and Global Affairs Canada officials held a subsequent meeting with Cuban counterparts to encourage closer collaboration on fact-finding, explore the possibility of greater security in areas where Canadian diplomats were living to discourage further attacks and express Canadas ongoing commitment to good relations.

All Canadian personnel experiencing symptoms have undergone testing in Canada or the U.S., Global Affairs spokeswoman Sujata Raisinghani said Thursday.

However, she declined to say how many diplomats and family members have been affected.

The government of Canada continues to work closely with Cuban authorities to ascertain the cause of these unusual symptoms.

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OTTAWAAfter months of controversy and condemnation over her statements on residential schools, Conservative Senator Lynn Beyak was kicked out of the partys caucus late Thursday night.

Sen. Larry Smith, chief Conservative in the Red Chamber, said in a statement that the move came after consultation with party leader Andrew Scheer.

We have concluded that Senator Beyak will no longer be a member of our Senate Caucus and, consequently, the National Conservative Party of Canada Caucus, the statement said.

As an internal Party issue, I consider (the) matter closed and will have no further comment.

In his own statement, Scheer said the decision came down to Beyaks refusal to take down letters of support for her comments on residential schools that she posted on her personal senate website in recent months.

Scheer cited one letter in particular, which said: Im no anthropologist but it seems every opportunistic culture, subsistence hunter/gatherers seeks to get what they can for no effort. There is always a clash between industrial/organized farming culture that values effort as opposed to a culture that will sit and wait until the government gives them stuff.

Scheer said: To suggest that indigenous Canadians are lazy compared to other Canadians, is simply racist... Racism will not be tolerated in the Conservative Caucus or Conservative Party of Canada.

Calls for Beyaks resignation as a senator and removal from the Conservative caucus have been heard on Parliament Hill since March, when she made a speech during a debate about Indigenous women in prison. The speech included references to Canadas residential schools, a network of institutions for Indigenous children that existed across the country for more than a century and have been condemned by the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission as a tool of cultural genocide.

In her speech, Beyak spoke of the kindly and well-intentioned men and women... whose remarkable works, good deeds and historical tales in the residential schools go unacknowledged for the most part and are overshadowed by negative reports.

Obviously, the negative issues must be addressed, but it is unfortunate that they are sometimes magnified and considered more newsworthy than the abundance of good, Beyak said.

She was quickly condemned by MPs of all stripes, including the then-Indigenous Affairs Minister and the NDPs Romeo Saganash, who is Cree from Quebec and attended a residential school himself as a child. Its like saying, Well, there are some good sides to what Hitler did to the Jewish community, he said at the time.

Beyak was soon removed from her post on the senates Indigenous affairs committee.

Controversy continued this week, however, when media reports highlighted letters of support that she posted on her website, purportedly to show that other Canadians share her views on residential schools.

Many of the letters are general expressions of support, while others blame the media and politicians for ignoring the supposed truth of Beyaks statements. Some have also been singled out for blanket statements regarding Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Fellow senator Lillian Dyck, who is a member of Gordon First Nation in Saskatchewan, told CBC on Thursday that the letters are frankly racist, offensive, hurtful and it was quite shocking to me that anyone would publish something like that on their website.

At least 150,000 First Nation, Metis and Inuit youth went through the residential schools and an unknown number  estimated to be in the thousands  died.

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OTTAWAOne of Canadas most prominent Muslim groups is asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to designate the anniversary of the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting as an official day of remembrance.

The National Council of Canadian Muslims wants Trudeau to endorse Jan. 29 as a national day of remembrance and action on Islamophobia.

In a letter to the prime minister released today, executive director Ihsaan Gardee says such a designation would help enhance public education about hate, bigotry and Islamophobia.

Last January, six Muslim men were shot and killed and 19 others were wounded in an attack on the mosque during prayers. Alexandre Bissonnette of Quebec City is to stand trial in March on six charges each of first-degree murder and attempted murder.

Gardee says Canadian Muslim communities are still feeling the aftershocks of the attack.

He says the call for a day of remembrance is supported by dozens of other Canadian Muslim groups and community partners.

Elected leaders like Trudeau need to work to ensure that such a tragedy is not repeated, Gardee writes.

We must not allow voices of hate, even ones that initially appear to be on the margins, to permeate our public discourse and damage our social fabric.

Read more:

Group raises money to fund new home for survivor who was paralyzed after Quebec City mosque shooting

Trial for alleged Quebec City mosque shooter to begin March 2018

What happened the night of the Quebec mosque attack

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OTTAWAThe National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations is calling on the Senate ethics committee to review Lynn Beyaks actions, after the controversial Ontario senator was booted from the Conservative caucus Thursday night.

In an interview with the Star, Perry Bellegarde said Beyaks decision to promote racist and stereotypical attitudes towards Indigenous peoples  in her own comments and in letters from supporters that she posted online  falls short of the high standard to which members of the upper house should be held.

Sen. Beyak is damaging our work towards reconciliation in Canada, and her words and her actions are very hurtful and very disappointing to First Nations people and to Canadians, Bellegarde said.

When you have letters like that that were posted, it perpetuates the myths and stereotypes, and misinformation thats out there, that First Nations people just want things for free, he said.

Its hurtful, and again, we have to rid not only the Senate but Canada of those racist and stereotypical attitudes.

Read more:

What the letters on Sen. Beyak's website said

Bellegarde also applauded Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer for his decision to kick Beyak out of the partys caucus. He said that he texted Scheer on Thursday night when he heard the news to say that the move showed strong leadership and that theres no place for racism in the Senate.

Scheer announced late Thursday evening he had removed Beyak from the Conservative caucus, citing unacceptable and offensive letters posted by the senator on her parliamentary website.

Dozens of letters posted by the Ontario senator voiced support for her controversial comments when she told the Senate in March 2017 the good works of the well-intentioned residential school administrators have gone unacknowledged.

Some of the letters push derogatory stereotypes of Indigenous peoples forced into the residential school system. Scheer cited one that called Indigenous peoples hunters and gatherers looking for government handouts.

Scheer said some of the comments posted on Beyaks website were simply racist.

On Friday, Scheers office clarified that it wasnt Beyaks repeated comments on residential schools that led to her ouster, but the posting of those comments and the senators refusal to take them down.

(She promoted) comments that Mr. Scheer determined were offensive and unacceptable because it is racist to say that Indigenous Canadians are lazier than other people, Jake Enwright, Scheers director of media relations, told the Star.

Enwright declined to speculate if Beyak would still be welcome in the Conservative caucus if she had taken the comments down. Im not going to answer a hypothetical. Im going to let the statement that Mr. Scheer put out stand, he said.

Beyaks office did not respond to requests for comment on Friday.

Carolyn Bennett, the Liberal governments minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, said on Facebook on Friday that it is disappointing it took so long for Beyak to be booted from caucus while she continued to use her position in the Senate and its resources to espouse her ill-informed and offensive views about Canadian history.

Bennett said many of the letters posted on Beyaks website are seen as nothing short of racist and lamented that she is able to remain in the Senate, even after being kicked out of the Conservative caucus.

Indigenous leaders and politicians of all stripes have condemned Beyak for months, since she first spoke about the purported bright side of residential schools during a speech in the Senate last March. Beyak spoke of the kindly and well-intentioned men and women... whose remarkable works, good deeds and historical tales in the residential schools go unacknowledged for the most part and are overshadowed by negative reports.

Obviously, the negative issues must be addressed, but it is unfortunate that they are sometimes magnified and considered more newsworthy than the abundance of good, she said.

MPs such as the NDPs Romeo Saganash quickly called for her resignation  Saganash compared her statement to saying there are some good sides to what Hitler did  and others called for her ouster from the Conservative caucus which shes been a part of since she was appointed to the upper house by Stephen Harper in 2013.

The residential school system lasted from the late 19th century until the last one closed in 1996. More than 150,000 Indigenous children attended the schools, many of them forced to live apart from their family and home communities.

An inquiry called the Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded in 2015 that residential schools were an integral part of longstanding government policy to extinguish Indigenous cultures and languages in an act of cultural genocide.

An unknown number of students  estimated to be in the thousands  died while attending the schools, and thousands experienced physical and sexual abuse, according to the commission.

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Dwarfed by the Toronto skyline, Daniel Lister hops in his iceboat and shoots off across the frozen lake.

On the ice covering the Toronto Harbour, he picks up speed quickly in his kayak-sized iceboat, its sail clattering above him.

Its a winter hobby that the Toronto islander has taken part in for years with his father, Martin.

Pretty much immediately, the wind catches and you accelerate like mad, Lister said. You just get going . . . . You just fly.

A video he posted online shows him iceboating along the coast of the Toronto Island on a cloudy, grey Wednesday.

Lister, a life-long Torontonian, has been iceboating since he was young.

Today, he and his father iceboat on the south side of the Toronto Harbour (avoiding the side closest to the city) and on the Toronto Island Long Pond.

Its really fun, Lister said. You go incredibly fast, way faster than when youre sailing on water, and its just a fun, exhilarating experience.

Not everyone is thrilled by the ride; authorities, including PortsToronto and police, say no one should be on the ice.

No ice is safe ice in the port and harbour of Toronto, said Angus Armstrong, PortTorontos harbour master in an email.

He cautioned that, because the harbour remains active throughout the winter, ongoing activity . . . prevents long-term ice formation and creates unsafe conditions for those attempting to cross frozen waterways by foot.

Lister called iceboating a straightforward sport.

If you know how to sail, youll know how to iceboat, Lister said. Theyre very similar  just one is a lot faster.

Iceboating is a long-standing Toronto tradition thats tapered off in recent years. It was both a popular sport and a mode of transportation during cold winter months.

There used to be tons of iceboating in Toronto, Lister said. There used to be races, (and) large iceboats that would take a crew of people, instead of just one.

Lister speculated that the Harbour irregularly freezing over could be one reason iceboating has declined.

These days, with global warming, the harbour is freezing less and less often, he said. The last two winters, the harbour didnt freeze at all and we werent able to go.

Const. Ricardo Gomez, who has been with the Toronto polices Marine Unit for more than six years, called someone breaking through the ice a life-or-death incident.

People think, in general, that if you break through the ice, its hypothermia thats the danger. But its not. Its actually cold shock response.

Gomez emphasized that people should keep off the ice in the inner harbour, which he said is covered in a maze of channels.

You havent heard about anything happening in a few years because the harbour hasnt frozen over, he said. I think its very important to get the message out because there will potentially be a tragedy if the word doesnt get out.

With files from Vjosa Isai

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A Scarborough-based Tim Hortons has banned employees from accepting tips and will strip them of paid breaks in response to a $2.40 wage hike, the Star has learned.

The revelation comes as the parent company of Canadas favourite coffee chain accuses rogue groups of failing to reflect the values of our brand.

Employees at the franchise located at Lawrence Ave. E. and Markham Rd. have been told that as of 2018, there would be no more tips and that any tips must go in to the till. The instructions posted on a bulletin board also say breaks will no longer be compensated in light of the new minimum wage increase, according to documents seen by the Star.

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What the law says about workers rights

Employers can decide if tipping is allowed in their businesses. If tipping is not accepted, the employer should make it clear to customers that gratuities will not be accepted by employees or the employer, according to the Ministry of Labour website.

If tips are permitted, it is illegal to withhold them from workers, following changes to the Employment Standards Act introduced by the Ontario government in 2015. Employers can only withhold tips if they are collected and re-distributed later in a tip pool.

Jennifer McCall, who is named on the franchises incorporation documents and is listed on employee schedules posted below the new instructions issued to workers, said she was unable to comment.

In a statement, advocacy group for Tim Hortons franchises, the Great White North Franchisee Association, has said franchise owners are left with few options in the face of the minimum wage hike, and a parent company that refuses to increase prices.

As far as whats going on in individual stores, I dont have access to all that information, Patti Jameson told the Star Friday.

In a statement posted to its website Friday, Tim Hortons  which was purchased by Restaurant Brands International for $12.5 billion (Canadian) in 2014  said franchise owners had found this sudden transition challenging.

We are committed to helping them work through these changes. However, Tim Hortons Team Members should never be used to further an agenda or be treated as just an expense. This is completely unacceptable, the statement added.

These recent actions by a few Restaurant Owners, and the unauthorized statements made to the media by a rogue group claiming to speak on behalf of Tim Hortons, do not reflect the values of our brand.

Photos of the instructions posted at the Scarborough franchise were provided to the Star by an employee who asked that their name be withheld for fear of reprisal. The employee said they were shocked at the new policies.

These guys are busting their ass, the worker said of their colleagues.

On Thursday, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne accused the owners of two Tim Hortons franchises in Cobourg, Ont., who are also the children of the chains founders of bullying employees after they eliminated paid breaks and instituted requirements for employees to pay a portion of their dental and health benefits following the province-wide wage bump, which lifts the hourly minimum from $11.60 to $14.

None of the changes violated workplace laws, but Wynne said the measures were not decent.

It is the act of a bully, she said.

I was disappointed to hear about the actions of some Tim Hortons franchise owners here in Ontario, Labour Minister Kevin Flynn said in a statement.

While the vast majority of business owners, including Tim Hortons, treat their workers well, some do not, he added.

These franchise owners are trying to make a statement, but instead of coming to the government to make that statement, theyre taking it out on their employees. That is simply wrong.

The Sunset Grill, a breakfast restaurant franchise, also informed its employees via a memorandum in November that menu increases, an increased tip out rate, and a 2018 freeze on kitchen staff wages were necessary steps for the company to take in the wake of the minimum wage increase. The same letter called the restaurant industry especially vulnerable to employee layoffs and potential bankruptcy.

Tip outs refer to a common restaurant practice whereby servers pay a portion of their tips, usually calculated based on their total sales, into a pool that is then distributed among support staff. Its illegal in Ontario for companies to absorb a portion of the tip pool, but managers may be included in the distribution of tips if they regularly assist with duties other staff members perform.

The Sunset Grill described the 5 per cent tip out policy change as mandatory in its memorandum, meaning servers would be required to put 5 per cent of their sales toward the tip pool regardless of the total amount they were given in tips.

Attempts to contact the Sunset Grill head office were unsuccessful. A manager at a downtown Toronto Sunset Grill confirmed the memorandums accuracy to the Star and said the restaurant is complying with the new provincial rules.

Were following all the employment standards, were increasing the minimum wage to $14, following the vacation rules, he said.

In 2016, the Canadian Franchise Association said its members had significant concerns to policy options laid out by two special advisers appointed by the provincial government to review Ontarios labour and employment laws.

Of particular concern are sectoral bargaining and card-based certification of unions, its submission to the Ministry of Labour said, referring to measures that make it easier for workers to unionize.

The most precarious work and the greatest threat to employees of not being paid or receiving their full benefits occurs when a business fails and goes bankrupt. In the previous five years, 97 per cent of franchises opened in Canada are still operating today compared to 51 per cent of independent businesses opened over the same time period, the submission added.

According to the Great White North Franchisee Association, the cost of implementing minimum wage hikes to each Tim Hortons franchisee is $6,968 per employee. The Association said the average franchise has around 35 employees, resulting in $243,889 a year off a franchisees bottom line.

Total sales for Tim Hortons franchises in 2016 were $6.4 billion, according to its latest year-end report.

Our economy is doing very well thanks to a robust business climate, tremendous leadership from our business community and, of course, the dedication of their employees, said Flynn. Its time all workers get a chance to share in the rewards of this economic success.

With files from Alex McKeen

Sara Mojtehedzadeh can be reached at smojtehedzadeh@thestar.ca or 416-869-4195.

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Iceland may be a popular stopover destination for travellers flying to the United States, but when it comes to the gender pay gap, it is worlds away. While American women were paid 18 per cent less than their male colleagues doing similar work in 2013, according to the last comparable study, the unexplained pay gap was just 5.7 per cent in Iceland  and its about to shrink further.

On Monday, a new law took effect in the country that is designed to publicly shame companies seen as discriminating against women in terms of pay. Companies with more than 25 employees will now need to obtain governmental certification that female employees are paid equally for the same work their male colleagues are performing. The law comes after previous legislation prohibiting discrimination by employers failed to close the pay gap  though it did decrease it by over 2 percentage points since 2008.

Potential job applicants could check to see if a company is certified before applying and those not could also be exposed in the media or on social media.

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U.S. Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders took to Facebook this week to demand the introduction of a similar mechanism in the United States. We must follow the example of our brothers and sisters in Iceland and demand equal pay for equal work now, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality or nationality, Sanders wrote. As we fight back Republican efforts to revert womens rights to second class, it is important to not lose sight that our real goal is to move forward and expand womens rights, he concluded.

Icelands then-social affairs minister Thorsteinn Viglundsson sounded similarly excited when the law was proposed early last year. The time is right to do something radical about this issue, Viglundsson told The Associated Press at the time.

But how much of a role model is Icelands latest attempt to eradicate the gender pay gap?

While the measures may be unprecedented, they probably wont be a silver bullet, either.

Passed by parliament last summer, the new law has been in the works for several years. Researchers created a complicated model to make salaries comparable, even if official job requirements or work schedules may differ on paper. Governmental auditors will examine all companies with more than 25 employees over the next four years, even though it remains unclear whether companies that fail to obtain the certification  known as Jafnlaunavottun  will face any sanctions, aside from public opprobrium.

Rather than outlawing gender pay gaps, the new law is conceived as a mandatory and government-enforced version of other public-shaming efforts already introduced in other countries, as Washington Post reporter Jena McGregor wrote last spring when the law was first proposed:

British companies with more than 250 employees will be required by law to publish four figures each year on their websites and on a government site, but they will provide the information on their own, without providing certification. Each company will have to share its gender pay gap, gender bonus gap, the proportion of men and women receiving bonuses and how men and women rank in terms of pay within the organization.

In Switzerland, companies can apply to have their equal pay certified by an outside party without disclosing confidential information, but it is not mandatory. In Minnesota, after a law was signed in 2014, certain state contractors must obtain an Equal Pay Certificate from the state before executing a contract.

While a growing number of states have strengthened their protections for employees with new equal-pay laws, with California even requiring companies to prove they pay men and women equally for similar jobs, companies dont have to disclose the information publicly. Companies that want to become federal contractors have to share summaries of their pay data with the government, but again, the data isnt published.

Even if Icelands new law succeeds at closing or significantly narrowing the gender pay gap, critics have pointed out that other factors are still holding women back. While both men and women in Iceland are granted three days of non-transferable child-care leave, only few men opt to actually take it. And women are still far more likely to interrupt their careers to dedicate more time to their families than men.

(The) certification requirement might help root out the unexplained gender pay gap, but is unlikely to reduce the larger explainable pay gap (for example due to differing working hours in paid work), concluded Stefan Olafsson, a researcher with the University of Iceland, in a summer 2017 report for the European Commission. In total, women still earn 22 per cent less in Iceland than men, even though that number also includes women working part time or not at all.

Mandatory child-care leave for both men and women would be a more radical step, critics of existing legislation say, even in a country like Iceland, which regularly tops equality rankings. Already about four decades ago, women made gender equality a political priority in Iceland by going on strikes. Today, many of their former demands are considered to be self-evident as schools offer gender studies classes that attempt to make students more aware of everyday discrimination and prevailing stereotypes. The countrys prime minister, Katrin Jakobsdottir, is an avowed feminist who has been pushing for tougher legislation since coming to power last November.

But Jakobsdottirs government may be an outlier for a global movement that has recently suffered new setbacks. Since 2006, the World Economic Forum has attempted to measure whether women are facing more or less inequality in the world. And last year, for the first time, it said that things were getting worse again.

The reports authors concluded that fewer women were participating in the workforce than in previous years, and that salaries were growing less equal again. Though Icelands deadline for companies to comply with their regulations runs out in 2021, it will likely take more than two centuries to close the pay gap globally, the researchers calculated.

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WASHINGTONU.S. President Donald Trump directed his White House counsel to urge Attorney General Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Departments investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Thats according to a person familiar with the conversation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. Two other people who also spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the details of the conversation between Don McGahn, the White House counsel, and Sessions.

Sessions ultimately rejected the suggestion and announced March 2 that hed step aside from the inquiry into Russian meddling in the presidential election. The move followed revelations that hed spoken in 2016 with the Russian ambassador.

The New York Times first reported Trump had directed McGahn to contact Sessions.

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WASHINGTONMore than a year after Republican leaders promised to investigate Russian interference in the presidential election, two influential Republicans on Friday made the first known congressional criminal referral in connection with the meddling  against one of the people who sought to expose it.

Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a senior committee member, told the Justice Department they had reason to believe that a former British spy, Christopher Steele, lied to federal authorities about his contacts with reporters regarding information in the dossier, and they urged the department to investigate. The committee is running one of three congressional investigations into Russian election meddling, and its inquiry has come to focus, in part, on Steeles explosive dossier that purported to detail Russias interference and the Trump campaigns complicity.

The decision by Grassley and Graham to single out the former intelligence officer behind the dossier  and not anyone who may have taken part in the Russian interference  was certain to infuriate Democrats and raise the stakes in the growing partisan battle over the investigations into Trump, his campaign team and Russia.

More than a year ago, Republican leaders in Congress agreed that committees in the House and Senate would investigate Russias efforts to influence the outcome of the 2016 election. Graham declared in December 2016, The first thing we want to establish is, Did the Russians hack into our political system? Then you work outward from there.

Since then, that spirit of bipartisanship has frayed. Congressional Democrats have sought to portray the Trump campaign as eager to take whatever help Russia would provide. Republicans have deflected attention from the central issue and sought to cast doubt on Steeles dossier and the political research firm that helped produce it, Fusion GPS, whose work was partly funded by Hillary Clintons campaign.

The criminal referral appears to make no assessment of the veracity of the dossiers contents, much of which remains unsubstantiated nearly a year after it became public.

But the dossier has emerged as Exhibit A in Republicans insistence that Obama-era political bias could have affected the FBIs decision to open a counterintelligence investigation in July 2016 into whether Trumps associates aided the Russia election interference.

Republicans, including the two senators, have argued that the dossier is tantamount to political opposition research, and claimed that it might have been used by the FBI to open its investigation. They have also said it might have provided the basis for key investigative actions, including a secret court-approved wiretap of a Trump campaign aide.

Current and former American and foreign officials with direct knowledge of the investigation say that the federal inquiry did not start with the dossier, nor did it rely on it. Rather, they have said, the dossier and the FBIs discussions with Steele merely added material to what American law enforcement and spy agencies were gleaning from other sources.

Grassleys decision to recommend criminal charges appeared likely to be based on reports of Steeles meetings with the FBI, which were provided to the committee by the Justice Department in recent weeks.

It was not clear why, if a crime is apparent in the FBI reports that were reviewed by the Judiciary Committee, the Justice Department had not moved to charge Steele already.

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The circumstances under which Steele is alleged to have lied were unclear, as much of the referral was classified.

In a short cover letter dated Thursday but transmitted on Friday, the senators wrote, Based on the information contained therein, we are respectfully referring Mr. Steele to you for investigation of potential violations of 18 U.S.C.  1001, for statements the Committee has reason to believe Mr. Steele made regarding his distribution of information contained.

That section of the federal criminal code refers to knowingly making false or misleading statements to federal authorities.

Steele had repeated contacts before and after the election with FBI counterintelligence agents who were investigating links between the Trump campaign and Russians. The information he shared was apparently valuable enough that the FBI at one point even considered bringing him on as a paid source. They only backed off the idea after the dossier became public in January 2017 and Steeles identity became widely known, leading the bureau to conclude that he would no longer be able to function as a source for its investigation.

More recently, Steele has been in contact with the Justice Departments special counsel, Robert Mueller, who took over the investigation last year.

Anyone can make a criminal referral to the Justice Department, which is not obligated to take up the matter. But a recommendation from a senior senator who runs the committee that has oversight of the department comes with added weight.

The Justice Department had no immediate comment on the referral. But Fusion characterized the recommendation to charge Steele as a smear and an attempt to further muddy the inquiry into Russias interference.

Publicizing a criminal referral based on classified information raises serious questions about whether this letter is nothing more than another attempt to discredit government sources, in the midst of an ongoing criminal investigation, said Joshua A. Levy, a lawyer for Fusion. We should all be skeptical in the extreme.

Grassley is overseeing an array of inquiries related to the FBI and its investigations of both Clinton and the Trump campaign. He and Graham have repeatedly pressed the agency on its handling of the dossier in particular and fought to gain access to key agency witnesses and documents about the matter, reviewing a large tranche of such material in recent weeks.

Fusion GPS hired Steele, a former officer of Britains MI6 with deep connections in Russia, during the spring of 2016 to research Trumps ties to Russia. His findings were ultimately compiled into 35 pages of memos outlining a multipronged conspiracy between the Russian government and the Trump campaign to boost his candidacy and hurt Clinton, including corrupt business dealings and salacious details alleging an encounter between Trump and Russian prostitutes.

The firm was first hired by The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative website, in May 2016, and its work was later funded by the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign.

This week has seen Grassley engage in a heated spat with Fusion over the testimony of one of its executives, Glenn R. Simpson. It began when Simpson and his partner, Peter Fritsch, published an op-ed article in The New York Times accusing Republicans of waging a cynical campaign to try to discredit the firm and its findings and calling on the relevant congressional committees to release transcripts of a series of closed-door interviews with the men.

A spokesman for Grassley, Taylor Foy, shot back, saying that Simpson had been less than transparent with the committee and had declined to provide public testimony or additional documents and answers requested after the interview. He also said and that Mr. Simpson and his attorney demanded during the interview that the transcript be kept confidential. Levy, the Fusion GPS lawyer, in turn, disputed that account, and said that upon review, his client now wanted the transcript to be made public  a request Grassley has denied.

The senator is not the only prominent Republican lawmaker pressing the Justice Department and Fusion GPS for answers on the dossier. Representative Devin Nunes of California, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has been locked in a standoff with the department over access to documents and witnesses he views as crucial to unraveling what the FBI did with the dossier. And he has aggressively pursued Fusion GPS, subpoenaing the companys bank records and sending two committee staff members to London last summer to try to meet with Mr. Steele unannounced.

A resolution with the Justice Department appeared to be imminent this week, after Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, and Christopher Wray, the FBI director, paid an unexpected visit to Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Nunes, whom Democrats have accused of acting to protect Mr. Trump, said in a statement after the meeting that he expected to gain the access he desired.

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BEIRUTIn demonstrations across Iran, chants are going up against the militarys vast and shadowy war in Syria, one of Tehrans closest allies and a front-line state in its confrontation with its arch-enemy, Israel.

Although the protests have focused on economic issues, demonstrators have also voiced opposition to the governments policy of sending young Iranians to fight and die in Syria and spending billions of dollars on the military when they say the priority should be working to provide jobs in Iran and control the rising cost of living.

Their slogans include, Leave Syria, think about us! and Death to Hezbollah! the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group that has been a key instrument of Tehran in Syrias war.

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Syria saw its own anti-government protests in 2011. They were met with a brutal crackdown by President Bashar Assads security services, sending the country into civil war.

But as cracks appeared in Assads military, with soldiers refusing to fire on protesters and defecting to the opposition, Iran and later Russia stepped in to support their ally.

Irans theocratic leadership has cast the effort as a religious war for Shiite Islam, an epochal struggle to defend the shrine of the Prophet Muhammads granddaughter in Damascus from Sunni jihadis, and to deal a crippling blow to what it says is a U.S.-Israeli conspiracy to destroy Syria.

But it is motivated by geopolitical concerns, too. Syria, bordering both Israel and Lebanon, is a key node to Irans network of deterrence against Israel.

Tehran needs Damascus as both a conduit to and sponsor of Hezbollah, Irans vanguard force in the region.

Amateur video shows a protest in Iran outside a base housing the Basij, a volunteer force under the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. (The Associated Press)

Today, Irans military and an array of regional militias under its command operate with wide latitude in both Syria and Iraq. It is also invested in the Gaza Strip and is accused of supporting Shiite rebels in Yemen.

Military sacrifice

Across Iran, banners honouring the young men who have died fighting in Syria hang over public spaces as a reminder of their sacrifice.

Imams memorialize the dead at Friday prayers, and media outlets pay tribute to the martyrs who have died defending the holy shrine of Muhammads granddaughter, Sayyida Zeinab, in the Syrian capital.

In September, Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prayed over the casket of 25-year-old Mohsen Hojaji at a funeral broadcast nationwide, followed by a large rally in Tehran  moves crafted to stir patriotism in a country growing weary of the military venture in Syria. An image of Hojaji depicted him being welcomed into heaven by Hussein, Muhammads grandson.

Iran has not disclosed how many of its soldiers have been lost in Syria. Mohammad Ali Shahidi, the head of the Martyrs Foundation of the Islamic Revolution, which supports veterans and families of the dead, says more than 2,000 men have been killed, though roughly half are foreigners from Afghanistan and other nations fighting under militias organized by Tehran.

In November, the semi-official Fars news agency reported the death of an Iranian brigadier-general in Boukamal, a Syrian town overlooking one of the countrys main crossings into Iran. Fars said the general was killed by a mortar shell in a battle with Islamic State militants.

That same battle was directed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards own Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was shown in videos published on social media addressing fighters in Farsi. He had under his command Shiite fighters from Hezbollah and Iraqs Popular Mobilization Forces, as well as Syrian troops and Irans Revolutionary Guard.

Syrian rebels say the Revolutionary Guard has directed several major battles on behalf of Assads forces and has bases across the country.

Iran spends more than $15 billion annually on its military, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. It is understood to spend millions more on subsidies and exports to Syria, which has seen its economy shattered by the war.

The protests now shaking Iran erupted after President Hassan Rouhanis latest budget proposal disclosed cuts to local subsidies while preserving privileges for the military and religious institutions.

Hezbollah and others

Iran and Assad have relied on Hezbollah for some of the toughest missions in Syria. But Tehran has also organized militias from Afghanistan, called the Fatimiyoun, and Pakistan, called the Zeynabiyoun, to fight in Syria. It promises Afghan refugees living in Iran wages and citizenship in exchange for a tour of duty.

Syrian rebels say they are battling not just Syrian government soldiers, but Lebanese, Iraqi, and Afghani fighters. Associated Press reporters have seen the flags of Afghan and Lebanese militias flying over military points outside Aleppo, Syrias largest city.

Syrias rebels, boosted by calls for global jihad, are supported by scores of foreign fighters of their own.

Human Rights Watch says Irans Revolutionary Guard has recruited Afghan refugee children as young as 14 to fight in Syria, identifiable by their tombstones in Iran. It says Iranian media memorialized child soldiers and hailed Iranian fighters as young as 13 in the Syria battle.

Iran also leans heavily on the battle-hardened fighters of Iraqs state-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces, which has been instrumental to defeating Daesh militants on both sides of the Syria-Iraq border and opening a corridor of Iranian influence that runs from Tehran to Beirut.

As in Iran, there is a risk in Lebanon and Iraq of popular blowback against a grinding military effort in Syria that has stretched on for nearly seven years.

When Lebanese authorities pulled down illegal vendor stalls in a Hezbollah stronghold in south Beirut in October, residents took to the streets to excoriate Hezbollahs leadership for failing to stand up for them, despite their sacrifices over Syria.

They should be planting a tree on each martyrs grave, a woman shouted to the cameras. Every home has a martyr. Every home has a wounded veteran.

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BERLINEuropean commentary on U.S. President Donald Trump is rarely flattering, but the cascading revelations alleged in Michael Wolffs tell-all book Fire and Fury drew an especially fierce response from a horrified continent.

Is Trump still sane? asked the Friday lead headline on the site of Germanys most respected conservative paper, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The piece was published under the topic mental health.

Meanwhile, British readers woke up to the Times of Londons main front page headline that also wondered about the presidents stability: Trumps mental health questioned by top aide.

Donald Trumps right-hand man openly questioned his fitness to serve and predicted that he would resign to avoid being removed by his own cabinet, according to a book that the US president tried to block yesterday, wrote the Rupert Murdoch-controlled Times of London.

For its part, Frances paper of record, Le Monde, just described the book as haunting.

Trump has never been too popular in Western Europe, with approval ratings in many countries hovering in the single or lower double digits. But even though disagreement with Trump has almost become the norm here, some of Fridays public responses to Wolffs book still appeared unprecedented.

The Times of London and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung are some of Europes most renowned news outlets, and both pride themselves with having especially influential readers in business and government in their respective countries where conservative parties are currently in power. More so than in the United States, European papers frequently mix traditional reporting and editorials on front pages  often helping to sway public opinion, and by extension governmental strategy, as well.

A degree of skepticism over the mental health fears prominently featured in Europe on Friday is certainly warranted, especially given how many have pointed out several possible flaws of Wolffs book and previous accusations against the author over alleged inaccuracies in his reporting. Trump himself has pushed back hard against the book, describing it as full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. His legal team has also threatened libel charges against Wolff, his publisher and Trump's former chief strategist, Stephen Bannon, whose no-holds-barred remarks are prominently featured in the book.

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But these fears are still damaging the worlds perception of Trump and the United States. Some of the United States closest international allies, including Britain, Germany and France, are now openly debating whether the most powerful man in the world and de-facto leader of NATO  an alliance on which their entire military strategies are based  can still be trusted.

In many European capitals, the prevailing sentiment is helplessness and frustration that Trump wont engage in a rational dialogue, argued Stephan Bierling, a professor for transatlantic relations in Germany, who said that he had long admired the United States but that his beliefs were now shaken to the core.

Once a relationship is in disorder there is no easy way back. Trump has succeeded at destroying Europeans trust in himself and the United States more broadly, according to Bierling. The mental health concerns now raised in Wolffs book and widely debated across Europe, he said, were exacerbating European politicians existing skepticism of Trump.

In Germany, Trumps unpredictable outbursts of anger have already played into the hands of those long demanding normalized relations with Russia, despite its annexation of Crimea and election meddling abroad. The chorus of voices demanding an end of sanctions against Russia are growing.

Moscow has had a strong lobby in Berlin for years and doubts over Trumps reliability could now become one of their strongest arguments. Unsubstantiated claims alone would likely not force the German government to turn its back on the United States, but the allegations made in Fire and Fury appear to confirm what everyone has long suspected. Already a year ago, Sigmar Gabriel, Germanys then-vice-chancellor and now-foreign minister called Trump a threat. At the time, his remarks found little echo in the United States, even though they expressed a more widespread fear among European government representatives.

French President Emmanuel Macron had recently established a more extensive working relationship with Trump than the Germans were able to, but he also voiced an unusually stern warning this week, arguing that Trumps policies could result in a war. Referring to Trumps Iran approach, he said: The official line pursued by the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia, who are our allies in many ways, is almost one that would lead us to war. His remarks came before excerpts from Fire and Fury emerged.

In Britain, a country which usually prides itself for having a special relationship with the United States, enthusiasm for that deep intertwinement has remarkably weakened over the last year, too. A scheduled Trump state visit to Britain was delayed and might never happen. And Prime Minister Theresa May publicly rebuked Trump after he retweeted videos shared by a far-right group in the country.

This isnt a crisis Europeans will simply sit out, said Bierling, the German transatlantic relations professor.

Even once Trump is gone, the damage to the transatlantic alliance is almost irreversible now. There is no easy way back, he said.

The White House says the upcoming book that paints an unflattering portrait of U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration is 'disgraceful and laughable." (The Associated Press)

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A prominent newspaper executive in Alabama accused of spanking multiple female employees during the 1970s has resigned.

H. Brandt Ayers, 82, on Thursday stepped down as chairman of the board of Consolidated Publishing Co., which owns the Anniston Star and five other newspapers.

It is of utmost importance to me that this newspaper continue to serve its role of reporting on matters of concern to the Anniston community and that nothing stand in the way of preserving the newspaper as an independently owned publication serving this community, Ayers wrote in a statement to the Anniston Star. I feel my resignation at this time is in the best interests of the paper and its mission.

On Tuesday, Ayers admitted to the Anniston Star that he spanked at least one female reporter in her home decades ago, claiming he was simply following a doctors advice.

He claimed the woman, who worked at the Star between 1973 and 1974, had been psychologically ill, and a doctor had suggested he calm her down, Ayers told the Star. When Ayers asked the doctor if spanking would work, the doctor said it would, Ayers said. Ayers told the Star he could not recall the name of the physician.

The Star named the woman who was spanked, saying she may now be deceased. The Washington Post does not name victims of sexual assault who have not gone public with their stories.

Ayers also acknowledged allegations from Star reporter Veronica Pike Kennedy, who spoke publicly to the Star, the Montgomery Advertiser and the Alabama Political Reporter, that the publisher spanked her 18 times with a ruler in the Star newsroom in 1975. When asked about the alleged assault, Ayers told the Anniston Star: Let the accusation stand.

As a very young man with more authority than judgment, I did some things I regret, Ayers told the Anniston Star. At my advanced age I wish I could relive those days again, knowing the seriousness of my position and with the accumulated judgment that goes with age.

Earlier in the week, Ayers said he had no intention of resigning. Of course not, Ayers told the Star. I am the third generation of a family that has served honourably, even courageously, in the public interest.

Ayers, who owns part of Consolidated Publishing, said Thursday he will no longer serve as a director, chairman or employee of the company. His wife, Josephine Ayers, who had served as the boards vice chairwoman, will replace him as chairman.

The allegations against Ayers were first reported on the website Alabama Political Reporter and later described in articles in the Anniston Star and Montgomery Advertiser.

Kennedy told the three publications Ayers spanked her on a Saturday morning in February 1975, when the two of them were among a few employees in the Star newsroom. Kennedy was 22 at the time, and Ayers, then publisher, turned 40 that same year.

Ayers asked her to read an article he had written. After reading it, she told him it really is a good piece of writing, Kennedy recounted to the Montgomery Advertiser. Though she knew he had written the piece for an editorial, she joked, Can you tell me who wrote it?

And he said, Oh, you are being a bad girl,  Kennedy told the Advertiser. You know what I do to bad girls? I spank them.

Kennedy said she then held onto her chair as Ayers picked me and the chair up and then bent me across the desk behind me.

He allegedly spanked her forcefully 18 times with a metal pica pole, a type of ruler used by newspaper designers and editors at the time.

I was fighting him the whole time. Trying to kick him. Bite him. Scratch him. Whatever I could do, Kennedy told Alabama Political Reporter. Then Ayers told her, Well, that ought to teach you to not be a bad girl.

Another Star reporter, Mike Stamler, then 22, said he witnessed the assault from across the room.

I was staring with my mouth hanging open, he told the Advertiser. I was stunned.

Kennedy didnt know what to do, she told the Alabama Political Reporter. I just had to pull myself together because I could lose my job. She also feared how her father would react, she said.

I knew I couldnt say anything because my daddy would get his .38 and shoot Brandy in the head, and hed be in prison for the rest of his life, Kennedy told the Star, referring to Ayers by his nickname.

Ayers was described by the Star as among the best-known figures in Anniston, and one of the best-known small-town newspapermen in the South. He was the son of the Stars founder, Harry Ayers, and replaced his father as publisher in the late 1960s. He stepped down in 2016 but still serves as the publishing companys chairman.

Leading the Star during the civil rights era, he became known nationwide for his views as a Southern liberal. He advocated for school integration  a rare progressive voice in a conservative state. His syndicated column has been published in newspapers across Alabama.

A summary of one of his books, Cussing Dixie, Loving Dixie: Fifty Years of Commentary by H. Brandt Ayers, calls the newspaperman, A loyal son of Alabama who extols Southern culture and unapologetically calls for Alabamians to cast off the moribund ideologies of the past.

But in other writings, Ayers touched on the controversial topic of spanking. In his book In Love with Defeat: The Making of a Southern Liberal, Ayers wrote that in the 1940s, spanking was as American and Southern as fried chicken on Sundays.

He described a date with the woman who later became his wife, Josephine. At one point on the date, he became upset with her and made a comment not calculated to endear me, If I knew you better, Id spank you.

Trisha OConnor, a journalism professor who worked at the Star as a reporter and editor during the 1970s, told the Associated Press that stories of Ayerss assaults on women were common knowledge in the newsroom at the time. She and other female employees at the newspaper would warn new female workers to avoid Ayers.

We took it to upper management and said, We need assistance. This is terrible, said OConnor, who teaches at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C. Basically, from what we were able to see, nothing happened.

The allegations against Ayers first emerged in mid November, in an online column by Joey Kennedy in the Alabama Political Reporter, vaguely mentioning allegations involving his wife, Veronica Pike Kennedy, against a publisher. He didnt initially mention Ayers by name.

Eddie Burkhalter, then a reporter at the Star, noticed the column and expressed interest in reporting on the story. Burkhalter claims the newspaper would not allow him to pursue the story about the allegations. In response, Burkhalter quit his job and reported the story for a different outlet, the Alabama Political Reporter.

Ben Cunningham, managing editor at the Star, wrote in a commentary that Burkhalters allegations about pursuit of the story are flatly false. Bob Davis, the current editor and publisher of the Star, wrote in a separate column that he instructed Cunningham to tell Burkhalter to suspend work on the story for a few days until they had a chance to discuss how they would go about treating anonymous sources. Burkhalter agreed to wait, Davis said, but later revealed that he had continued reporting anyway.

Then Burkhalter resigned and the Star assigned a new reporter to the story. The Star published its story shortly after the Alabama Political Reporter. On Tuesday, Burkhalter started work in a plumbing supply warehouse as a clerk.

The airing of these allegations, in our pages and elsewhere, are a difficult time for this extended family, Cunningham wrote. For the women who say Ayers attacked them, though, I hope it leads to peace and to a sense of justice.

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The security guards were done up as Hells Angels. Kellyanne Conway was wearing a Superwoman suit. And as then-President-elect Donald Trump slipped out of an SUV onto the grounds of a Long Island estate in December 2016, a gaudy Villains and Heroes-themed costume party swirling around him, the press pool reportedly asked the next president who he was dressed as.

Trump  wearing his standard-issue baggy suit and long tie  pointed a finger at himself. Me, he mouthed.

Party-going is not normally a top priority for a president-elect in the middle of a transition. But Trump was not calling on just anyone.

The fete was thrown by Robert Mercer, the hedge fund billionaire turned conservative donor who, along with his daughter Rebekah, had played a key role in Trumps White House run. As The Washington Post reported last year, the Mercers have given at least $44.7 million to GOP candidates and super PACs since 2010. The family had also poured money into Breitbart News, the populist platform previously run by Stephen K. Bannon before he took over Trumps campaign. The strategist was also at the December party. Bannons planning and Mercers money were among the key drivers of Trumps success. Trump, Mercer and Bannon were enjoying a moment of victory.

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Analysis | Daniel Dale: Seven things to know about the juicy Trump book thats rocked Washington

Trumps cease-and-desist letter is a desperate attempt to silence Bannon, experts say

Steve Bannon says meeting between Trump campaign aides, Russian lawyer was treasonous

The Mercers laid the groundwork for the Trump revolution, Bannon told the New Yorkers Jane Mayer last March. Irrefutably, when you look at the donors during the past four years, they have had the single biggest impact of anybody, including the Kochs.

But the once-close bond between candidate, strategist and mega-donors was torched this week. On Wednesday, excerpts of Michael Wolffs new book on the administration hit the news cycle, including explosive comments Bannon reportedly made about Trumps family. The president responded with a blistering attack on his former adviser, who left the White House last August and returned to Breitbart News as chairman. Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency, the president said Wednesday. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind. Thursday night he called Bannon Sloppy Steve in a tweet.

The rift between the two deepened Thursday, when the notoriously press-shy Rebekah Mercer  whom Newsmax Media owner Christopher Ruddy has admiringly called the First Lady of the alt-right  publicly rebuked Bannon and stood by the president in a statement. I support President Trump and the platform upon which he was elected, Mercer said. My family and I have not communicated with Steve Bannon in many months and have provided no financial support to his political agenda, nor do we support his recent actions and statements.

And although Rebekah Mercer remains a stakeholder in Breitbart News, the significance of her public slap at Bannon cant be overstated. Long before Trump stepped onto the campaign trail, the Mercer family and Bannon were drawing up schematics for an outsider populist presidential candidate who could topple the establishment. It was a dream years in the making. And now Trump, who fulfilled their hopes, has come between Mercer and Bannon, a further escalation of the conflict ripping through the presidents base.

Robert and Rebekah Mercers rise as Republican power brokers was unique.

Robert Mercer is a former IBM computer scientist who made billions later in life by applying complex programming techniques to financial trading as the co-CEO of Renaissance Technologies, Bloomberg reported. Quiet and socially awkward  he once told a friend he preferred the company of cats to people, according to the Wall Street Journal  Mercer has an extreme views on small government and wealth.

Bob believes that human beings have no inherent value other than how much money they make, a colleague told the New Yorker. If someone is on welfare they have negative value. If he earns a thousand times more than a schoolteacher, then hes a thousand times more valuable.

Rebekah, the middle of the Mercers three daughters, studied biology and math at Stanford, and earned a masters degree there in management science and engineering, The Post has reported. She worked for a brief period at her fathers hedge fund, then raised four children with her husband, a French-born Morgan Stanley managing director. The couple live in a $34.7 million apartment on Manhattans Upper West Side, according to Bloomberg.

As her family became more involved in conservative causes, Rebekah took the reins of the family foundation. According to an analysis by The Post, the foundation put $43 million into right-wing think tanks and policy groups between 2009 and 2014.

The Mercers journey to the White House began in 2011. It hinges on a Jimmy Stewart character.

In 2011, the future president first met Bannon to discuss a possible presidential run. The same year, the Mercers were introduced to conservative flamethrower Andrew Breitbart and Bannon, agreeing to invest $12.4 million into Breitbart News, according to the New Yorker. One stipulation of the Mercers deal was to place Bannon on the news companys board. Breitbart died months later, which left the news operation in Bannons hands. The key figure in the Bannon-Trump-Mercer White House success is Patrick Caddell, a former Democratic pollster. If the Mercers were the money, Bannon the strategist and Trump the candidate, Caddell was the player who first wrote the instruction manual. For years, the pollster conducted extensive public opinion research showing Americans were sick of the two-party system and ripe for an outsider candidate to take the White House, Mayer wrote in the New Yorker. The longtime political operative would eventually term this the Candidate Smith project, a reference to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, a 1939 Jimmy Stewart film about an outsider political candidate.

The data increasing showed mounting anger toward wealthy elites, who many Americans believed had corrupted the government so that it served only their interests, Mayer wrote. By 2012, Caddell was sharing the populist trend in the numbers with Bannon. The data began to shape Bannon, and Breitbarts, worldview.

The same year, the Mercers became fed up with the Republican establishment after President Barack Obamas reelection. After Republican candidate Mitt Romneys loss, Rebekah Mercer chewed out a room full of party donors at a meeting at New Yorks University Club for bungling the election.

In 2013, Caddell showed his polling data to both Robert Mercer and Bannon at a conservative conference in Palm Beach. The donor was so intrigued with the populist trend he would keep Caddell polling data right up to the 2016 election. The results eventually found their way to Roger Stone, who shared them with his longtime confidant, Trump. As the Republican presidential primary season started, Caddell tested the field as potential Mr. Smith upstarts.

People didnt think Trump had the temperament to be President, Caddell told Mayer. He clearly wasnt the best Smith, but he was the only Smith.

The Mercers, born number-crunchers, were impressed with Caddells work. When their initial preferred presidential candidate  Ted Cruz  left the campaign trail, the family switched to Trump. And when Trumps campaign lagged in the middle of the 2016 campaign, the Mercers were quick to push their own associates  Bannon and Conway  into the campaigns powers structure.

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On the last day of his nine-year life, Piper the border collie chased a snowy owl from the runway at the airport in Traverse City, Mich. It was the 8,367th bird he had scared off in a three-year career as the airports K-9 wildlife control officer  which turned him into one of the nations most famous dogs.

Piper began his duties in late 2014 as the sidekick to his owner, airport operations manager Brian Edwards. The dog went viral a little more than a year later, when images of him  looking Top Gun chic in protective goggles  hit the social site Reddit. On Wednesday, he lost a yearlong battle with prostate cancer, an illness Edwards did not reveal publicly until Pipers death.

In an interview, Edwards said he kept his pets health troubles to himself partially out of a desire for privacy after a crazy year, but also because the pooch  who used his herding skills to clear the airfield of mammals like foxes and groundhogs, too  kept going until the end. The cancer was diagnosed in January 2016, but Edwards said Piper didnt show symptoms until December. Even so, the duo worked a regular 10-hour shift on Christmas.

I think we were lucky to get a year out of him, Edwards said. Its cancer. Its life. You cant predict anything.

Like many internet-famous animals, Piper had slick social media accounts and a website, which Edwards said he initially established because he figured some other dog and aviation enthusiasts might appreciate them. But Piper found a far wider audience because he was a simply perfect character: Here was a dog with markings and tactical gear that made him exceedingly photogenic, with smarts and drive that kept people safe, and with a love for his master and his work that were abundantly evident.

We literally did spend almost every second together once Piper began the job, said Edwards, whod adopted the dog when he was 2. For me, it was almost more special that we morphed from being dad and son to working partners.

Piper was the subject of news stories around the world. T-shirts and hoodies with his image were made. A photo of him won a U.S. Coast Guard-sponsored contest.

Despite his fame, he continued to log 40 hours each week of work that Edwards described as a dream job for a dog. Collisions with birds and other wildlife can be extremely dangerous to aircraft and the people on board, and the Federal Aviation Administration requires airports to have plans to mitigate that hazard. Cherry Capital Airport was already using pyrotechnics and other means to keep animals away from planes when Edwards began studying up on the use of dogs  a tool thats rarely employed but that can be very effective.

I said, Well, what can the dog do for us?  airport manager Kevin Klein told the Traverse City Record-Eagle in 2016. And Brian showed us (Pipers) skills and I thought that Piper had lots of talent.

Edwards started Piper out with obedience and off-leash training at home. That led to some time hanging outside the airport and getting used to the loud noises. In a Reddit question-and-answer forum, Edwards said Piper took about a year and a half of passive training  plus three days or so of acclimation to the goggles  to be ready for his chasing and patrolling duties.

Eventually, Piper felt right at home on the runway, as the GIF that made him an online sensation made clear.

And my dog gets scared by the vacuum, one Reddit commenter quipped.

As his tumour swelled in recent weeks, Piper began having trouble urinating, Edwards said. Things were fine until New Years Eve, and then the tumour had grown too large, and he just couldnt go anymore, Edwards said, choking up.

On Tuesday, his veterinarian drained the dogs bladder with a catheter and said it might make him comfortable for a few days. It didnt last, though, and Edwards said he and the dog left their shift on Wednesday morning to have it drained again. They returned to the airport that afternoon so that Piper could say goodbye to all his fellow co-workers.

Piper died in his arms that night, at the house we purchased together, Edwards said. He draped a U.S. flag  flown that day at the Coast Guard air station at the airport  over the dogs body, shared a photo on Instagram and asked for patience as I take time to tend to my shattered heart.

In addition to all those chased birds, Piper had patrolled 3,069 kilometres and worked 6,206 hours at the airport, according to his website  which, as of Friday, still made no mention of his death.

In the upper right-hand corner was this status: Airport K-9 Piper is off-duty.

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday night lambasted the author of a new damning book about his administration, calling it phony and asserting he never gave its author reporting access to the White House.

I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! Trump wrote in a tweet. I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!

Trumps legal team on Thursday threatened possible libel charges against the books author, Michael Wolff, its publisher and his former chief strategist, Steve Bannon. Explosive comments attributed to Bannon are featured throughout the book, including a suggestion that a meeting during the campaign between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer was treasonous.

Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump

The book was originally scheduled to release next week, but Wolff and his publisher announced Thursday its publication date would be moved up to Friday due to unprecedented demand.

Wolff has said his book was based on 200 interviews with White House and campaign staffers, including Bannon. Some conversations were on the record, while others were off the record or on deep background, allowing him to relay a disembodied description of events provided by an unnamed witness to them.

The author, a New York writer and media executive, has previously been accused by critics of pushing the facts as far as theyll go, and sometimes further than they can tolerate, as The Washington Posts Paul Farhi wrote Wednesday.

The White House says the upcoming book that paints an unflattering portrait of U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration is 'disgraceful and laughable." (The Associated Press)

On Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump only had one brief conversation with Wolff that had nothing to do, originally, with the book. Bannon, she said, was the one signing off on close to 95 per cent of the authors dialogue with White House staff. She estimated the author had roughly just over a dozen interactions with officials at the White House.

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Analysis | Daniel Dale: Seven things to know about the juicy Trump book thats rocked Washington

Michael Wolffs upcoming Trump book sure is explosive. Can you trust it?

Trumps cease-and-desist letter is a desperate attempt to silence Bannon, experts say

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer also spoke of Wolffs White House access in an interview with conservative commentator S.E. Cupp on CNN Thursday.

I talked to him, Spicer said. He came in and said Id like to write a book about the president.

Bannon set up appointments for the author to come in and visit him over time, Spicer said. But, Spicer added, we dont know how much access he got.

In a piece published Thursday in the Hollywood Reporter, Wolff provided his own account of how he gained reporting access to the White House. After the election, Wolff said, he spoke to Trump about his desire to write a book, and proposed that he report from inside the White House as a fly on the wall.

A book? Trump responded, according to Wolff. The author claimed that Trump seemed to say sure, knock yourself out.

Wolff then managed to meander his way into the White House and into the proximity of its cast of characters, he described in the Hollywood Reporter:

Since the new White House was often uncertain about what the president meant or did not mean in any given utterance, his non-disapproval became a kind of passport for me to hang around  checking in each week at the Hay-Adams hotel, making appointments with various senior staffers who put my name in the system, and then wandering across the street to the White House and plunking myself down, day after day, on a West Wing couch.

The West Wing is configured in such a way that the anteroom is quite a thoroughfare  everybody passes by. Assistants  young women in the Trump uniform of short skirts, high boots, long and loose hair  as well as, in situation-comedy proximity, all the new stars of the show: Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, Reince Priebus, Sean Spicer, Jared Kushner, Mike Pence, Gary Cohn, Michael Flynn (and after Flynns abrupt departure less than a month into the job for his involvement in the Russia affair, his replacement, H.R. McMaster), all neatly accessible.

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WASHINGTONA new book depicts Donald Trump as wildly unequipped to be president: an ignoramus who doesnt read and doesnt understand, a narcissist and a sexist, mentally deteriorating, unable to sit still, a child.

Trumps opponents have been saying all of this for a long time. Whats new in Michael Wolffs Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, now scheduled for release on Friday morning, is that the accusations are coming from within the Trump tent.

Former chief strategist Steve Bannon. Former deputy chief of staff Katie Walsh. National security adviser H.R. McMaster. Top economic adviser Gary Cohn. Conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Even daughter Ivanka Trump. All of them are quoted by Wolff mocking or insulting the president.

The book has seized the attention of the Washington media, stealing headlines from such weighty matters as major Thursday changes to policy on marijuana, Pakistan and offshore drilling. It has created a significant rift among key Trump supporters.

And it has rocketed to the top of Amazons bestseller list  in part, fittingly, because of Trumps furious attempt to make it go away.

Trump had his lawyer send a Thursday letter to the books publisher demanding that the company not publish the defamatory book at all. The day prior, his lawyer sent Bannon a letter threatening imminent legal action for alleged defamation and alleged breach of a confidentiality agreement.

Some of the book  such as Ivanka Trumps colourful description of her dads unique hair  can be dismissed as tabloid gossip. Bannons remarks are far more important.

Among other things, Bannon told Wolff that it was treasonous that Donald Trump Jr. held a Trump Tower meeting with Russians during the 2016 campaign. His accusation undercuts the Trump narrative that there is nothing to the Russia story at all.

Wolff has a reputation for imprecision, Bannon for strategic deception. Trumps press secretary calls the book complete fantasy. But this is a tough one to write off as fake news: Trump granted Wolff regular access to the West Wing of the White House, most of Trumps team cooperated with him, and he is said to have recordings to back up some of his assertions.

Here are seven things to know about the book:

It has shaken Trumps backroom coalition

Even after Bannon was fired as chief strategist, he has been a key part of Trumps circle. As the head of the website Breitbart, he has published daily pro-Trump propaganda. As a campaign strategist, he has made an effort to elect Republicans who are similar to Trump.

His future in the movement is now in question. Trump press secretary Sarah Sanders said Thursday that Breitbart should look at dumping Bannon, and the Wall Street Journal reported Breitbart was indeed considering it. Billionaire political donors Robert and Rebekah Mercer, Bannons chief benefactor, announced they were cutting off financial support for him.

It shows Trump backers think the Russia probe is no hoax

Trump describes the investigation into his campaigns ties to Russia as a hoax and a witch hunt concocted by Democratic partisans and a runaway Justice Department.

Bannon, at least, does not agree.

In addition to his denunciation of Donald Trump Jr.s decision to take the meeting with Russians, Bannon claimed that it was highly unlikely the junior Trump did not introduce the Russians to his father. And Bannon, an avowed opponent of Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner, predicted that special counsel Robert Muellers investigation would end up ensnaring members of the Trump team, including Kushner, on the issue of money laundering.

It suggests things are as chaotic as they look

From the outside, Trumps administration looks like a dysfunctional mess. From the inside, Wolff shows, it looks the same. He depicts an administration where everybody fights, the presidents aides treat him more like a toddler to be babysat than a boss to be obeyed, and there is no strategic direction of any kind.

In one memorable March exchange, Wolff wrote, Walsh asked Kushner to simply tell her what Trumps three priorities were. Six weeks into Trumps presidency, Kushner was wholly without an answer, Wolff wrote, quoting Kushner as saying, We should probably have that conversation.

Caveats: these early excerpts are largely from the period before Trump appointed Marine general John Kelly to clean up his operation; weak predecessor Reince Priebus and agent provocateur Bannon are both gone; Walsh has disputed some of Wolffs reporting.

It raises further questions about Trumps mental health

The White House says the upcoming book that paints an unflattering portrait of U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration is 'disgraceful and laughable." (The Associated Press)

The U.S. media has tiptoed around questions about the presidents mental health. Wolff has raised those questions anew. In a book excerpt published in New York magazine, Wolff wrote that former secretary of state James Baker was disconcerted by a meeting in which Trump constantly repeated himself.

In a column in the Hollywood Reporter, Wolff said, Everybody (on Trumps team) was painfully aware of the increasing pace of his repetitions. It used to be inside of 30 minutes hed repeat, word-for-word and expression-for-expression, the same three stories  now it was within 10 minutes.

In Florida on his Christmas holiday, he wrote, Trump failed to recognize a succession of old friends.

It depicts Trump as a workplace sexist

Trump, Wolff wrote, referred to Sally Yates, the deputy attorney general he fired, as such a c--t. He told communications director Hope Hicks, Wolff wrote, that she was a good piece of tail. And according to Wolff, Trump made frequent efforts to sleep with his friends wives, using elaborate trickery to try to damage their marriages.

Trump, Wolff wrote, trusted women more than men. Even this trust, though, is rooted in sexism.

Men might be more forceful and competent, but they were also more likely to have their own agendas. Women, by their nature  or Trumps version of their nature  were more likely to focus their purpose on a man. A man like Trump, he wrote.

It suggests Trump and his team were unprepared to win

Trump claims he always knew he was going to win the election. Wolff suggests he did not. Trump, he wrote, went so far as to assure his wife that he would lose. When he won, Wolff wrote, Melania was in tears  and not of joy.

Pessimism about the campaign may have influenced other aides behaviour. When top foreign policy aide Michael Flynn was advised against taking $45,000 for a 2015 speech to Russian broadcaster RT, he responded, Wolff said, Well, it would only be a problem if we won.

It should be greeted with skepticism

Wolff has a years-old reputation for at least occasionally stretching the truth. In 2004, a New Republic writer wrote, Much to the annoyance of Wolffs critics, the scenes in his columns arent recreated so much as created  springing from Wolffs imagination rather than from actual knowledge of events.

So dont take Fire and Fury as gospel. Some of its anecdotes, such as one in which Trump does not appear to know who former House speaker John Boehner is, defy belief. Others, such as Walshs quotes, have been contested by the supposed participants.

But crucial sections, such as Bannons remarks, have not been challenged. And top reporters on the Trump beat for the New York Times and Washington Post suggested on Twitter that they believe the book is largely accurate.

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The news that aspects of Canadas laws on solitary confinement are unconstitutional came too late for the Faqiri family.

One year too late in fact.

Would this ruling have changed the terrible outcome that awaited their beloved brother and son, Soleiman, who was held in solitary confinement for 11 days before his unexplained death?

Just before the holidays, an Ontario Superior Court judge ruled that solitary confinement exceeding five days is unconstitutional. Without proper oversight, determined the judge, there are no adequate safeguards in place when such decisions are made.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association, which is challenging the law, additionally asked for a prohibition of the isolation of mentally ill patients, such as Faqiri. The Ontario Human Rights Commission is also suing the government for this horrendous practice.

With the law now partially suspended, all we can do as members of the public is wonder what might have changed for Faqiri. And all the Toronto family can do is continue to mourn as they search desperately for answers.

Was it the confinement of the 30-year-old schizophrenic man that led him into a subsequent altercation with guards at the Ontario corrections facility where he was being held? The altercation lasted three hours and culminated in Faqiris death; a coroner confirmed that 50 bruises from blunt force impact trauma were left on his body. Questions around this case continue to remain unanswered  a disappointment to the family and to all those who believe our systems should be about saving lives, not about taking them.

Faqiri, charged with assault and uttering threats, was being held in a Lindsay, Ont., jail while he waited for a bed to open up at a mental health facility. His family had been refused the right to see him throughout his detention. News only came when two police officers showed up at their door to notify them of his death.

A true measure of a good society, is how that society treats its most vulnerable, said Imam Yasin Dwyer, a chaplain at Ryerson University, speaking at a vigil on Dec. 15 last month, held to mark the one year anniversary of Faqiris death.

We have to demand better from our society. We believe Canada is a good country, so therefore we have to make those who are in positions of authority accountable to that standard of goodness and that is why the family of Soleiman Faqiri is fighting, is pushing, is resisting.

Despite the coroners report, local police determined that no one would be charged in the death and has refused to disclose any information. The family is now calling for a new investigation  this time by a force not directly connected to the community it is investigating. In the meantime, an inquest has been called  but its outcome will not be able to hold anyone criminally liable. Thats not good enough.

Also speaking at the vigil, journalist and activist Desmond Cole told those gathered that the system is not working for those who suffer from mental health issues. Dream of the society that would take care of someone like Soleiman Faqiri instead of hurting them, he said, lamenting the focus on funding prisons and police over mental health beds and supports.

A week following the anniversary of Faqiris death, another family of a mentally ill man received the horrific news of their own loved ones demise at the hands of a police officer. Babak Saidi was shot dead during a routine check-in at an Ontario Provincial Police detachment in Morrisburg, Ont., on Dec. 23. The SIU is investigating how a man suffering from schizophrenia was killed at a police station.

They have absolutely no tools and no awareness to deal with people with mental disability. Too many people with mental disabilities have died at the hands of the police, said Elly Saidi, his sister, whose family is understandably devastated.

Just over a year ago, Ottawa also mourned the death of a man with mental health issues after he was beaten by a local police officer. Abdirahman Abdi died in a pool of blood at the steps of his home as his family watched helplessly from behind the lobby doors. A police officer has since been charged with manslaughter.

This pattern of racialized, mentally ill men dying at the hands of police and corrections officers must stop. Our elected officials must be held to account for a broken system that releases to us our most vulnerable in body bags.

Amira Elghawaby is a journalist and human rights advocate based in Ottawa. Twitter: @AmiraElghawaby

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This columns topic, civil servants, may sound boring. But really its about the surprising, almost entertaining incompetence of the Trudeau government.

Picture what theyve muffed: the Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women; electoral reform; Bill Morneaus fairness-oriented tax bill. These werent unpopular, they shouldve been doable. Yet the first keeps sinking; the second basically vanished; and tax reform limps along, wounded.

Year-end pundits appraisals laid the blame on problems of messaging and communications. Trudeaus people seem to agree. Morneau said, Ive learned from this experience that we have to be very good at communicating to Canadians what it is that were trying to achieve. Id call that a delusion.

Why? Because they were already superb messengers before they won power. Trudeau was their message and they communicated him beautifully. When an early initiative, Syrian refugees, hit some bumps, they messaged Trudeau into Pearson airport to greet the arrivals, and smoothed it all out.

The problem is elsewhere, its governing. That isnt so much a lost art; whats been lost is that theres an art to it at all. The bright-eyed party types, like Gerry Butts (Trudeaus minder) arrive in Ottawa with their candidates. But the civil servants were there all along. Theyre part of the furniture of government.

Theres roughly a zillion things that can go wrong when governments try to change complex societies with new legislation or institutions. Its like opening up someones chest or cranium; its best to have advance knowledge and experience. Otherwise youll probably make a mess. Surgeons can be obnoxious, but you wouldnt like to be operated on without one.

So, for instance, nothing was wrong with Morneaus bill (aside from not touching the megabandits at the top) but no one seemed able to think it through. Thats always been the special skill of the loftiest civil servants, mainly deputy ministers.

It was once a prized rank (even assistant DMs were haughty). They gloried in being called mandarins, far above the mob. Ministers could state goals. But their job then was to do and say as their deputies directed, just like in Yes, Minister, and the smart ones (who mayve been stupid, it didnt matter if they had good deputies) did so. DMs spent their careers absorbing the potential traps of governing. They were the ones who awoke at night fretting over what might happen. Every difficult project needs someone doing that.

Im not saying they were likable, they werent. They were rivalrous, contemptuous and insufferably arrogant. They were a caste. The last notable wave included Bernie and Sylvia Ostry, who didnt bolt when others headed for the exits in the 1980s. They didnt get rich, as you could in business, but they had power and glory: the glory of serving your country, perhaps even your species! (If that sounds corny, think of Jonas Salk refusing to patent his cure for polio. Glory rules. Mere fame or celebrity is its wan successor.)

Now take my old camp counsellor, Mickey (Marshall) Cohen. He spent 15 years DMing around Ottawa, then leveraged his imposing resume to move on to O&Y, Molsons and other pastures; like Derek Burney and myriad others. That was in the 1980s  when government became, as Reagan said, the problem, with business as the solution. Nice to have a theory for going greedy. Public service transformed into merely the minor leagues before you moved up to The Show.

The result was that those overseeing the process kept getting younger and leaving earlier. Since messaging is easier than analyzing, manoeuvring, compromising and finishing, they fiddle with communication till its time to move along. Every government in Canada has this problem. They try to make do with outside strategists but those are just party people waiting to return to power.

The practical problem is the wage gap. DMs make $221,000 to $326,000. As Jennifer Wells reported here, the minimum for Canadas top CEOs is now $5.2 million; the average, $10.4 million Thats 15 to 50 times more, and beyond. When DMs were earning half or even a quarter, they could talk themselves into staying. Now theyd feel like chumps  encouraged to by our entire culture.

As I say, I wont miss them, though they were fun to talk to, with their cockiness and verbality. The question is what governments can do to replace their crucial function. Im sure theres a solution, and I hope someone finds it.

Rick Salutin appears Fridays.

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Montreals plastic-bag ban comes into effect, Jan. 2

Montreal has now outlawed plastic grocery bags and other municipalities are considering doing the same, including Toronto. This is a very touchy subject to many people.

I have a better idea. Im surprised that it has never been debated by municipal councils across the country. Get rid of our three individual milk bags plus one large bag and have our milk sold in a reusable/returnable jug, as they have done for years in the United States.

Think of the savings on plastics piling up in bins, streets and landfills.

Dina Moyal, Innisfil, Ont.

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U.S. is right to warn Pakistan on future aid, Letters, Jan. 1

Letter writer Levi Sankar is just reinforcing the blame game against and scapegoating of Pakistan by the U.S. engaged in an unwinnable and frustrating war in Afghanistan.

Pakistan neither aids nor provides sanctuaries to any terrorists. This is the most outrageous allegation against it. Since the ill-conceived invasion of Afghanistan by the U.S., Pakistan has suffered more casualties from terrorist attacks, primarily for helping the U.S., than any other country.

What the U.S. is asking Pakistan to do is simply not possible. Even if some of the Afghan insurgents slip into Pakistan, how can it find them among the millions of people along the border who speak the same language, dress similarly and are mostly hostile to the U.S. because of the repeated killings of innocent civilians in that region by drones.

Pakistan has repeatedly asked Afghanistan and the U.S. to help them strengthen the security on the border but has been rebuffed because of Afghanistans stubborn refusal to accept the border line established more than 100 years ago by mutual agreement between the British and the then-Afghan ruler.

Now, Pakistan has unilaterally decided to fence the border without any help from the U.S. What better way to stop any incursion by troublemakers engaged in sabotage and killings on both sides of the border?

Arif Masum, Oakville

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On the day Alberta raised its carbon price to $30 a tonne, a message on a huge gas station sign in Spruce Grove attracted a lot of attention.

It initially used a one-word profanity to attack NDP Premier Rachel Notley and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, before changing it to the more demure NDP CARBON TAX HURTS ALL.

This will be the year of the carbon tax in Canada and for federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, a year of herding the cats to get all provinces and territories on board with a carbon tax of $10 a tonne on emissions by the end of this year, climbing to $50 a tonne by 2022.

She and Trudeau will have to use the big stick to bring a couple in line.

But the political future of Notley will be key to a national plan.

Right now, four provinces are on track to meet or exceed the federal benchmark  British Columbia with a $35 per tonne tax to be implemented in April, Alberta at Notleys $30 price and Ontario and Quebec with cap-and-trade programs which will get them where Trudeau wants them.

That is 80 per cent of the countrys population already living under carbon pricing without the sky falling.

Manitoba is on track for two years, but Ottawa says it will fall short of its target by 2020 under its current plan.

New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have introduced plans that do not appear to get them to Ottawas threshold.

New Brunswick has merely re-purposed gas taxes for a climate change fund and McKenna has given it a failing grade. Premier Brian Gallant appears dug in.

Saskatchewan, under outgoing premier Brad Wall, refused to play nice with Ottawa. That does not appear to be changing as the Saskatchewan Party picks a new leader this month.

But critics rightly wonder why McKenna is giving other provinces until the end of this year to get their programs in order when a national plan merely had to go from 80 per cent to 100 per cent.

In late December, McKenna and Finance Minister Bill Morneau laid out the timeline for the provinces.

Draft legislation implementing the federal benchmark is expected this month. Provinces or territories that choose to have the federal government impose its program have until March 30 to signal that intention and those who will design programs that comply with Ottawas pricing level have until Sept. 1 to show how they are going to get there.

Provinces that dont make Ottawas grade will have the federal government do it for them on New Years Day 2019. The Ottawa plan will remain in effect until 2022.

A spokesperson for McKenna says the minister doesnt foresee any battles with provinces, but says hard things are hard.

Erin Flanagan, the director of federal policy for the Pembina Institute told me she believes Ottawa has largely set itself up for success by laying out a clear process and ensuring it has the legal right to impose its benchmark on recalcitrant provinces.

But there are major speed bumps ahead.

Ottawa will return all revenue to provinces that have a price imposed on them, but will there be strings attached?

Ottawa could force provinces to spend that revenue reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

And this is where the alliance between Trudeau and Notley comes in.

Notley will need a pipeline victory to win re-election against opposition leader Jason Kenney. And Trudeau will be forced to either become more vocal about the need for the west coast Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, costing him support in British Columbia, or stand back and let Notley fend for herself, potentially costing him a key ally in the spring of 2019.

Kenney, if elected, would repeal the Notley carbon tax.

We are not solving this problem without Alberta, Flanagan says.

The province has different politics and a different history.

Alberta accounts for 38 per cent of Canadian emissions, highest in the country, but the Notley tax costs Albertans more than any of the three provinces on track to meet Trudeaus targets.

One can easily imagine a battle with a Kenney government over where Alberta revenues are spent, and the blowback on Trudeau imposing a federal price in a province historically unfriendly to his party and the name Trudeau would be fierce.

Trudeau, reluctantly or not, is likely going to have to give Notley a boost.

Tim Harper writes on national affairstjharper77@gmail.comTwitter: @nutgraf1

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Albert Schultz has resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment by four women. Its a case of yet another man accused of abusing his position of power, this time one who has been admired and respected in Torontos theatre world for almost 20 years.

In November, I saw Schultz in Soulpeppers recent production of Edward Albees The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? I admired Schultzs performance. Albees language was overblown, and the play seemed to be trying too hard to be clever. But Schultz, as the successful architect who destroys his marriage and his career through his sexual love for a goat, Sylvia, was sympathetic.

Battered and saddened by his familys anger and grief, he managed to also portray the joyous wonder of being swept away by love. His impassioned insistence that he still very much loved his wife and that he could not live without Sylvia, was painful because we believed him so much.

As the play unfolded, I realized Id seen it before. It must have been years ago, since I could not remember what was going to happen next. How could I have forgotten a play about a guy who has sex with a goat?

I think it is because the bestiality hadnt really stood out for me. I had seen it as a tragedy about falling in love outside of societal norms. I had felt compassion for Martin, who is torn by his love for his family and his irresistible attraction to Sylvia.

He is a thoughtful, compelling, and sensitive character. And I had liked him more than his aggrieved wife, who is portrayed as shrill and violent. She seems close-minded, and incapable of listening to his explanations, or of understanding desire and passion.

Seeing it again, right as the Harvey Weinstein allegations emerged, I understood it so differently. This time it was a play about a powerful man risking his career and his personal life on a sexual impulse. It was a play about a man whose wife had shaped her life around his ambition, and who couldnt believe how selfishly he threw it all away.

What shocked me the most was the scene in which he alludes to the sexual nature of his relationship with Sylvia. It was mutual. The goat would, he insists, make it clear that she wanted to have sex.

What hubris is this? The man imagines that the feelings he projects onto another being are reciprocated. He does not take into account the differential positions of power that they both inhabit. How does the goat, owned and kept by him, feel? He doesnt know, he can only surmise by looking into her eyes, which, he says, see into his soul.

Plaintiffs speak to press after filing a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment by Soulpepper Theatre Company director Albert Schultz.

Albert Schultz is accused, by Diana Bentley, Hannah Miller, Kristin Booth, and Patricia Fagan, of being a serial sexual predator. Booth has cogently described her belief that this was just the way the theatre world worked, and that the cycle of abuse and praise made her almost worship him. Maybe this complex mix of emotions came across to him as sexual willingness. Maybe he didnt care whether they were willing or not.

In 2002, when Sylvia was written, it was an attack on the homophobia and normativity of a middle class. People were too quick to label certain desires as acceptable, and others as inappropriate. We needed to expand our ideas of what was normal sexuality. If a man truly loved a goat, why was it so certain that his life would be ruined?

But now the conversation has shifted in salutary ways. We are talking more about how power is inextricable from these allegations of sexual misconduct. Gone are the days in which we saw a workplace relationship between, say, an older man and a younger woman, as a personal preference.

We are beginning to ask hard questions about the differential positions of authority and privilege that shape our sexual encounters. We have less sympathy for the man who has transgressive desires, and more understanding of how someone may feel attraction and fear, may consent because she feels complicit, or may play along in the hopes of gaining status.

Eva-Lynn Jagoe is a professor of Comparative Literature and Latin American Studies University of Toronto.

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The latest bombshell book about life and lunacy in Donald Trumps White House is overflowing with eye-popping, gossipy anecdotes, but it reveals much more.

Pushing the stench of money laundering to the fore, the book shows how the legal noose around Trumps neck is inexorably tightening.

But, along the way, it certainly tells some great stories.

Imagine the leader of the free world lying in bed most evenings in his White House bedroom, munching on cheeseburgers as he watches TV and phones friends venting about fake news. Or his wife Melania bursting into tears  of horror  when they learn that Trump won the election. Or his daughter Ivanka vowing to become the first female president. Or countless stories about Trumps closest associates describing their boss as an idiot, a moron or a child.

These are just some of the revelations contained in the explosive new book by journalist Michael Wolff, titled Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House. It is scheduled to be published next week but excerpts appeared this week in New York magazine and The Guardian.

The author was given extensive access to the White House and its staff over a period of 18 months and the book is based on more than 200 interviews. It provides a brutal portrait of a chaotic and dysfunctional White House, riven by backstabbing and division, in which both Trump and his family are described in withering terms.

A prominent voice in the book is Trumps former chief strategist, Stephen Bannon. Trump was described by his press secretary as furious and disgusted at Bannons comments and he said his former aide had lost his mind.

In spite of the uproar, there are at least three major revelations from Wolffs book that are worth noting.

1. The legal case against Trump is clearer

In his comments to Wolff, Bannon was most damning about the ties between the Trump team and Russia. He predicted that the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller will focus on long-standing suspicions of money laundering between Russian billionaires and the Trump empire: They going to crack Don Junior (Trumps son) like an egg on national TV.

Bannon was particularly contemptuous about a June 2016 meeting involving Trumps son, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and a Russian lawyer who had promised to bring documents to incriminate Trumps rival, Hillary Clinton: Even if you thought that this was not treasonous, or unpatriotic, or bad sh--, and I happen to think its all of that, you should have called the FBI immediately.

2. Even Trumps team regards him as unfit

The book is full of stories about how frustrated Trumps staff is with their boss. Trump is portrayed as an uninformed, lazy president, focused solely on his own ego. It reports that at the outset of his 2016 campaign, an aide, Sam Nunberg, was asked to explain the U.S. Constitution to Trump: I got as far as the Fourth Amendment before his finger is pulling down on his lip and his eyes are rolling back in his head.

The book quotes an email that was said to reflect the views of Gary D. Cohn, Trumps national economic adviser: Its worse than you can imagine. An idiot surrounded by clowns. Trump wont read anything  not one-page memos, not the brief policy papers; nothing. He gets up halfway through meetings with world leaders because he is bored.

3. Trump was certain he would lose

U.S. election night in 2016 was not supposed to end like this. Not only did Hillary Clintons camp expect a Clinton victory, so did Trump and his team. They saw the campaign as leverage for careers in television and politics.

Trump was described as completely comfortable with the idea of losing to Clinton. As the book outlined: Once he lost, Trump would be both insanely famous and a martyr to Crooked Hillary  Melania Trump, who had been assured by her husband that he wouldnt become president, could return to inconspicuously lunching. Losing would work out for everybody. Losing was winning.

But that night, once it became evident that Trump would win, the book reports that his son Donald Jr. said his father looked as if he had seen a ghost. Melania was in tears  and not of joy.

With Trumps popularity still at an all-time low a year since that stunning upset, most Americans appear to share Melanias tears.

Tony Burman is former head of Al Jazeera English and CBC News. Reach him @TonyBurman or at tony.burman@gmail.com.

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NEW YORK  Thomson Reuters (NYSE, TSX: TRI) announced today that its full-year and fourth-quarter 2017 earnings will be issued via news release on Thursday, February 8, 2018.

Jim Smith, chief executive officer, and Stephane Bello, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will host a conference call and simultaneous webcast that morning at 8:30 a.m. EST. Discussions may include forward-looking information.

You can access the webcast by visiting the Investor Relations section of the Thomson Reuters website. Registration for the webcast is now open. Additionally, an archive of the webcast will be available following the presentation.

Thomson Reuters



Thomson Reuters is the worlds leading source of news and information for professional markets. Our customers rely on us to deliver the intelligence, technology and expertise they need to find trusted answers. The business has operated in more than 100 countries for more than 100 years. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges (symbol: TRI). For more information, visit www.thomsonreuters.com.

CONTACTS

MEDIA

Andrew Green

Senior Director, Corporate Affairs

+1 646 223 4228

andrew.green@tr.com



INVESTORS

Frank J. Golden

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations

+1 646 223 5288

frank.golden@tr.com
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We've got good news and bad news. First, the good: There's more evidence that the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica is recovering and that humans' efforts are making a difference.

Thanks to a satellite instrument built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, scientists were able to accurately measure the levels of chlorine molecules, which deplete the ozone layer after they break off from human-made chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The result is a 20% reduction in ozone depletion compared with 2005, the first year NASA made measurements of the ozone hole using the Aura satellite.

"We see very clearly that chlorine from CFCs is going down in the ozone hole, and that less ozone depletion is occurring because of it," Susan Strahan, an atmospheric scientist from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center said in a statement. The study, conducted by Strahan and colleague Anne R. Douglass, was published in Geophysical Research Letters.

In September, the United Nations declared the ozone is on track to heal in our lifetime. And in October, NASA announced the ozone hole had shrunk to its smallest size since its discovery in 1982, dwindling to less than 3.9 million square miles (10 million square kilometers) in late September and early October. While that is good news, NASA noted this was largely due to warmer stratospheric temperatures, and is "not a sign that atmospheric ozone is suddenly on a fast track to recovery."

And now for the bad news: Despite the ongoing recovery of the ozone hole above Antarctica, a recent study suggests the ozone layer is surprisingly thin at lower latitudes, where solar radiation is stronger and billions of humans live.

Thinning ozone layer

The ozone layer is located within Earth's stratosphere. Kaiskynet Studio/Shutterstock

A study published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics raises concerns about the health of the broader ozone layer, especially at lower latitudes. Although the greatest losses occurred in the ozone hole over Antarctica, which seems to be recovering, the new study indicates the layer is thinning in the lower stratosphere over non-polar areas.

And that's a particularly bad place for the ozone layer to weaken, since lower latitudes receive stronger radiation from the sun  and are home to billions of humans. It's not clear yet why this is happening, the researchers report, and models so far don't reproduce this trend.

They do have some suspicions, though, noting that climate change is altering the pattern of atmospheric circulation, which causes more ozone to be carried away from the tropics. Another possibility is that chemicals known as very short-lived substances (VSLSs)  which contain chlorine and bromine  could be destroying ozone in the lower stratosphere. VSLSs include chemicals used as solvents, paint strippers and degreasing agents, and even one used as an ozone-friendly alternative to CFCs.

"The finding of declining low-latitude ozone is surprising, since our current best atmospheric circulation models do not predict this effect," says lead author William Ball, of ETH Zurich and the Physical Meteorological Observatory in Davos, in a statement. "Very short-lived substances could be the missing factor in these models."

VSLSs were thought to be too short-lived to reach the stratosphere and affect the ozone layer, the researchers note, but more research may be needed.

Phasing out CFCs

CFCs  which are comprised of chlorine, fluorine and carbon  were used to create all sorts of products, including aerosol sprays, packing materials and refrigerants. But once these molecules were exposed to the UV rays of the sun, the chlorine would break off and destroy ozone molecules, which is what created the ozone hole.

We used CFCs for a number of years, but after the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer, we took action. In 1987, nations signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, an international treaty that regulated ozone-depleting compounds, CFCs among them. Later amendments to the Montreal Protocol phased out the use of CFCs entirely.

Even though the manufacturing of CFCs was banned globally, an investigation by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 2018 determined that CFC-11 levels were increasing in the Northern Hemisphere  particularly in East Asia. It wasn't until the The New York Times and the Environmental Investigation Agency conducted its own investigation that the source was revealed. Illegal refrigerator factories in China were using CFC-11 to make foam insulation.

"You had a choice: Choose the cheaper foam agent that's not so good for the environment, or the expensive one that's better for the environment," Zhang Wenbo, owner of a refrigerator factory in Xingfu, told The Times. "They never told us until last year that it was damaging the atmosphere. Nobody came to check what we were using, so we thought it was OK."

In spite of this finding, the Montreal Protocol Scientific Assessment Panel believes the ozone layer will be close to completely recovered by the middle of this century.

Recovering ozone hole

Launched in 2004, the Aura satellite studies Earth's ozone layer, air quality and climate. NASA

Strahan and Douglass used the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) aboard the Aura satellite to collect their measurements, a sensor that can measure trace atmospheric gases without the aid of sunlight, a useful feature for studying the ozone layer when there's limited sunlight available. Ozone levels over the Antarctic change starting at the end of the Antarctic winter, around early July to mid-September.

"During this period, Antarctic temperatures are always very low, so the rate of ozone destruction depends mostly on how much chlorine there is," Strahan said. "This is when we want to measure ozone loss."

Chlorine can be tricky to monitor since it's found in a number of molecules. After chlorine is finished destroying the available ozone, however, it begins to react with methane, and that forms hydrochloric acid; the gas formed by that reaction can be measured by MLS. In addition, this long-lived gas behaves like CFCs do in the atmosphere, so if CFCs were declining overall, there would be less chlorine available to form hydrochloric acid  evidence that the phasing out of CFCs was successful.

"By around mid-October, all the chlorine compounds are conveniently converted into one gas, so by measuring hydrochloric acid, we have a good measurement of the total chlorine," Strahan said. Using hydrochloric acid data collected between 2005 and 2016, Strahan and Douglass determined total chlorine levels were declining on average by about 0.8% annually, or a roughly 20% reduction in ozone depletion over the course of the data set.

"This is very close to what our model predicts we should see for this amount of chlorine decline," Strahan said. "This gives us confidence that the decrease in ozone depletion through mid-September shown by MLS data is due to declining levels of chlorine coming from CFCs."

It will still take decades to decrease the ozone hole, according to Douglass, because CFCs linger in the atmosphere for up to 100 years: "As far as the ozone hole being gone, we're looking at 2060 or 2080. And even then there might still be a small hole."

Global problem, global response

As for ozone depletion at lower latitudes, Ball and his colleagues note that it's not as extreme as what was happening above Antarctica a few decades ago, but the effects could still be more severe due to conditions closer to the equator.

"The potential for harm in lower latitudes may actually be worse than at the poles," says co-author Joanna Haigh, co-director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London. "The decreases in ozone are less than we saw at the poles before the Montreal Protocol was enacted, but UV radiation is more intense in these regions and more people live there."

The Montreal Protocol is working for the ozone hole over Antarctica, the study's authors write, although its efficacy may start to be questioned if the thinning trend continues elsewhere. They argue these findings illustrate the value of how closely we've learned to study the ozone layer since the 1980s, as well as the need for ongoing research to reveal what exactly is going on at lower latitudes.

"The study is an example of the concerted international effort to monitor and understand what is happening with the ozone layer," Ball says. "Many people and organizations prepared the underlying data, without which the analysis would not have been possible."
I WAS about to fly to Jamaica for a few weeks but just had to cancel at the last minute. I had booked Byron Powell of Byrons Jamaican Tours for airport transfers, day trips, transport for dinners and a lot of other services including picking some things up for me prior to arrival which would have necessitated a lot of running around on his part prior to my arrival.

When I contacted him to advise I wouldnt be coming he immediately asked me if I would prefer a voucher for a future date or a full cash refund even though he was absolutely entitled to charge me a cancellation penalty as this was really last minute.

Since people on TA have had both good and very bad experiences with tour operators, I wanted to share this to highlight one of the really good ones in the hopes that will help someone in the future.

Byron is most definitely one of the good ones.
We will be visiting Amsterdam during the week of May 21, 2018 at the end of a Rhine River Cruise. We would like to see more of The Netherlands while maintaining an Amsterdam base. Looking for suggestions of places of interest to visit, outside of Amsterdam, easily reached by public transport.
My fiance and I are looking at booking our first trip to Costa Rica in mid February and are feeling a little overwhelmed with information. So, needless to say, we would really love some advice on where to stay and how to get around.

My fiance prefers all inclusive resorts (after reading this forum, we will NOT be staying at a Riu) but we are not opposed to staying at non AI smaller hotels.

Originally, we were looking at staying at a AI along the coast of Guanacaste but I'm worried this may be too far to do a lot of the things on our bucket list which include:

Monteverde Cloud forest

Arenal Volcano/Waterfall/Hot Springs

Proyecto Asis Wildlife Center

Toucan Rescue Ranch

Seeing sloths is very high on our list!

It seems as though when we look up different tours they all say they offer hotel pickups but only from hotels located in San Jose. Does anyone know if there are pickups from hotels along the coast of Guanacaste?

If we decide to forgo the AI hotels and stay somewhere closer to places we want to visit (La Fortuna?) can anyone recommend a nice place to stay and how we could arrange transportation to and from the airport and all of the different locations we want to visit? We will not be driving and are okay with hiring a private driver so long as they are with a company that is trustworthy and safe.

Thank you!
Hi Guys.

I was in Hanoi in November for a couple of days and I was allowed free entry as I hold a British passport. I now want to end my vacation and return to Vietnam for another few days but I'm confused about my visa requirments. Can I re enter under the waiver programme as it's more than 30 days since my first visit (as some web pages and blogs suggest - only 2 visits though) or do I need a visitors visa this time? Can any one clear the murky waters on this for me please? Some web pages and blogs suggest I need a visa and others say I don't.
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Some of the changes that were brought about by the current government are the devolved governments. With this governance system, Kenya citizens stand a better chance to gain equity in power representation in addition to the utilization of resources. With the devolvement, Kenyans can enjoy the executive and legislative arms of government at the county levels. The directions of the devolved government are provided for in Chapter 11 of the Kenyan constitution. They include functions, boundaries, devolution principles, and the relationship existing between the national and county administration. Kenya's 2019 census was conducted under the devolved government and outlined the most populated counties in Kenya.

Image: knbs.or.ke

Source: UGC

In the previous system, the country was divided into eight provinces and more than 70 districts. However, after a sitting by the constitutional committee, only 46 districts were contained excluding Nairobi. It was per the Districts and Provinces Act of 1992, which also stipulates the boundaries of the 47 counties.

Kenya's population per county

Below is the full list of the population per county according to the census carried out in 2019 ranked in order of the county number.

Mombasa - 1,208,333

Kwale - 866,820

Kilifi - 1,453,787

Tana River - 315,943

Lamu - 143,920

Taita Taveta - 340,671

Garissa - 841,353

Wajir - 781,263

Mandera - 867,457

Marsabit - 459,785

Isiolo - 268,002

Meru - 1,545,714

Tharaka Nithi - 393,177

Embu - 608,599

Kitui - 1,136,187

Machakos - 1,421,932

Makueni - 987,653

Nyandarua - 638,289

Nyeri - 759,164

Kirinyaga - 610,411

Murang'a - 1,056,640

Kiambu - 2,417,735

Turkana - 926,976

West Pokot - 621,241

Samburu - 310,327

Uasin Gishu - 1,163,186

Trans Nzoia - 990,341

Elgeyo Marakwet - 454,480

Nandi - 885,711

Baringo - 666,763

Laikipia - 518,560

Nakuru - 2,162, 202

Narok - 1,157,873

Kajiado - 1,117,840

Kericho - 901,777

Bomet - 875,689

Kakamega - 1,867, 579

Vihiga - 590,013

Bungoma - 1,670,570

Busia - 893,681

Siaya - 933,186

Kisumu - 1,155,574

Homa Bay - 1,131,950

Migori - 1,116,436

Kisii - 1,266,860

Nyamira - 605,576

Nairobi - 4,397,073

Most populated counties in Kenya

Which county has the highest population in Kenya? Where do most of Kenya's population live? After conduction of any census, the questions above are frequently asked. From the Kenyan census 2019, that were released on Monday, 4th November 2019, KNBS results indicated the top 10 counties with the highest number of individuals as outlined below:

1. Nairobi

The capital city of Kenya is the most populated county among all the other 47. Currently, Nairobi has a total population of 4,397,073. Although Nairobi remains to be the county with the highest number of persons, there has been a significant increment in the number of individuals living there. In the 2009 census results, Nairobi population was 3,138,369. It is an increment of slightly more than 1.2 million people.

Image: wikimedia.com

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: List of richest countries in Africa

2. Kiambu

From the devolved unit, Kiambu comes in as the second-highest populated county. In the 2010 census results, there are 2,417,735 individuals, an increment from position three in 2009 with 1,623,282 people.

3. Nakuru

In the 2009 census, Nakuru ranked 4th with 1,603,325 but in the recent 2019 census, the county standards in 3rd place with 2, 162, 202 people.

4. Kakamega

Kakamega population stands at 1,867,579 persons making the county rank fourth in the list of the top ten most populated counties in Kenya.

5. Bungoma

The 5th most populated county is Bungoma with a total population of 1, 670, 570 people.

6. Meru

Also known as the home of "green gold" Meru ranks as the 6th most populated county. Meru has maintained the same position as the previous census in 2009 although the number of individuals has increased from 1, 356, 301to 1, 545, 714.

7. Kilifi

Although Kilifi stands at number seven in the list of most populated counties in the country, it has the highest population in the entire coastal region. The number of persons there stands at 1, 453,787.

8. Machakos

Located in the Eastern region, Machakos has a total population of 1, 421, 932 persons. In the Kenya census 2009, Machakos was ranked as number 9.

9. Kisii

The western region is also represented in the list of the most populated counties. There are 1, 266, 860 people in Kisii.

READ ALSO: Kenya ranked fifth richest country in Africa

10. Mombasa

Closing the list in number 10 is Mombasa with a population of 1, 208, 333 individuals.

Image: wikimedia.com

Source: UGC

Top 10 least populated counties in Kenya

The census results also indicated the Kenya population according to the regions with the least number of individuals.

1. Lamu

Lamu is the smallest county by population with a total of 143, 920 people.

2. Isiolo

The second least populated section is Isiolo with a population of 268, 002 persons.

3. Samburu

In third place is Samburu with a total of 310, 327 people in the entire region.

4. Tana River

Tana River comes in the fourth position of the least populated places. The number of individuals in this region lies at 315, 943.

5. Taita Taveta

The fifth least region in terms of population size is Taita Taveta which has 340, 671 persons.

6. Tharaka Nithi

Tharaka Nithi has a population of 393, 177 individuals occupying the entire region, thus taking up number six in the list.

7. Elgeyo Marakwet

Ranking seven in the list of top ten least populated counties in Kenya is Elgeyo Marakwet. It has a population size of 454, 480 people.

8. Marsabit

Marsabit is the 8th least populated region in the country with a total of 459, 785.

9. Laikipia

Laikipia population stands at 518, 560, placing it in position nine.

10. Vihiga

The last region in the list is Vihiga with a population of 590, 013 persons.

Although Turkana is the largest county in terms of square kilometres, the Turkana County population stands at 926,976. It is also important to note that the Kisumu County population stands at 968, 909 persons.

Now you have a detailed list of the most populated counties in Kenya. We hope the results will help in the equal distribution of resources in the country.

READ ALSO: 10 poorest countries in Africa 2019

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- A Strathmore Business School don was arrested on suspicion of beating his wife to death

- A post morterm autopsy revealed Frederick Ogola's wife died of lung complications and not physical injuries

- Government pathologist Johansen Oduor, however, said nothing could be ruled out as the cause of the lung complications

A post morterm autopsy by government pathologist Johansen Oduor revealed that Rebecca Gombe Mwachongo did not die of physical injuries as previously revealed by investigating police.

Mwachongo was the wife of Strathmore University of Business lecturer Frederick Ogola.

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According to a report by the Standard on Friday, January 5, Mwachongo had pulmonary oedema, a condition caused by excessive fluid in the lungs.

READ ALSO: Stop your fights and wait for my son to choose  Diamond Platnumz slams Zari and Hamisa as their fight escalates

Ogola with his late wife, Mwachongo. Photo: Frederick Onyango Ogola/Facebook

READ ALSO: Blow for ODM as High Court revokes nomination of 12 MCAs

According to the Mayo Clinic, this condition could be caused by heart problems, pneumonia, exposure to toxins and medications, trauma to the chest wall and exercising or living at high elevations.

Oduor, in partnership with Mwachongo's family's hired pathologist, conducted the postmorterm and came to a conclusive finding that the deceased had no physical injuries on her.

They also found that she had a blood clot in her left atrium and traces of blood in the carotid artery.

READ ALSO: Uhuru is my dream husband- TZ singer Ray C

The late Mwachongo. Photo: Frederick Onyango Ogola/Facebook

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"Nothing can be ruled out at this point as the cause of the condition. It needs further investigation but that is it for now," added Oduor.

According to prior TUKO.co.ke reports, police arrested Ogola on suspicion of beating his wife to death on Wednesday, Jauary 3.

He denied the accusations, claiming Mwachongo died of a heart attack while they played on their matrimonial bed.

READ ALSO: List: National schools that will begin admitting day-scholars in 2018

Government pathologist Johansen Oduor. Photo: Standard

READ ALSO: Kuingia Mombasa rahisi, kutoka matanga-hii ndiyo sababu

"She wasn't happy after I received a phone call that mae me cancel a trip we were scheduled to go on. There was no domestic brawl. We were just playing when she demanded to know who the caller was and she pushed me on the bed. She suffered a heart attack while trying to retrieve my phone from my pocket," said Ogola.

Suspicion was, however, noted when he informed family and friends of his wife's death two days after she passed on.

Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Extradition proceedings are free to begin in the case of former FIFA vice President, businessman and politician, Jack Warner.

Five law lords of the Privy Council delivered a unanimous judgement this morning.
Russian-backed militants launched two attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Donbas in last day despite the agreements of the Trilateral Contact Group on ceasefire during the New Year and Christmas holidays. One Ukrainian serviceman was wounded.

This is reported by the ATO Headquarters press center.

Two attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were recorded over the past day. As a result of the enemy shelling, one Ukrainian serviceman was wounded. He was immediately taken to a hospital and provided with the necessary medical care, the report reads.

As noted, the ceasefire in Luhansk direction was violated for the first time over the past three days as militants fired 120mm mortars on Ukrainian strongholds near Luhanske (59km north-east of Donetsk).

In Donetsk direction, ATO troops came under grenade launcher, small arms and 120mm mortar fire outside Verkhniotoretske (22km north-east of Donetsk).

Ukrainian troops did not return fire.

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One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in eastern Ukraine over the past day.

Spokesman for Ukraine's Defense Ministry Colonel Maksym Prauta said this at a briefing on Friday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"One Ukrainian soldier was wounded as a result of the enemy shelling near Svitlodarsk (55km north-west of Donetsk). He was taken to a military hospital where he received the necessary medical assistance, he said.

He added that Russian-backed militants launched two attacks on the Ukrainian positions over the past day.

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President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has signed the law on ratification of the Agreement for the Encouragement and Protection of Investment between Ukraine and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID).

This is reported by the press service of the Head of State.

"President Petro Poroshenko signed the Law of Ukraine "On Ratification of the Agreement for the Encouragement and Protection of Investment between Ukraine and the OPEC Fund for International Development", which was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on December 5, 2017," the statement reads.

As noted, the agreement creates a legal framework for the development of bilateral cooperation and attraction of investments and grant resources of the Fund, including to the public sector.

The delegation of Ukraine held talks on the conclusion of the Agreement for the Encouragement and Protection of Investment between Ukraine and the OPEC Fund for International Development. The document was signed in Vienna on May 26, 2017.

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Ukraine confidently enters the year 2018 thanks to the change in the energy strategy, and the remains of gas in the underground storage facilities of Naftogaz are now the largest for the past four years.

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said this during a meeting with CEO of Naftogaz of Ukraine Andriy Kobolev.

"Fortunately, today we confidently enter the year 2018 after the energy strategy has been changed," Poroshenko said.

The President noted that Ukraine had got rid of gas dependence on Gazprom thanks to the decision of the Stockholm Arbitration, and the amount of gas in the underground storage facilities of Naftogaz  more than 15 billion cubic meters  was one of the largest remains with which Ukraine entered the new year over the past four years.

According to the President, the introduction of market tariffs and fair gas prices as well as of subsidy systems are the components of the energy security of the state, thanks to which Ukraine gained the real energy independence.

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An agreement with the European Union on the financing of the Energy Efficiency Fund in Ukraine is to be signed at the beginning of this year, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities of Ukraine Hennadiy Zubko has reported on his Facebook page.

"We plan to sign an agreement with the EU on financing the Energy Efficiency Fund at the beginning of this year. Ukraine and the European Union at the final stage of signing an agreement on cooperation to co-finance the Energy Efficiency Fund," Zubko wrote.

According to him, the signing of the agreement opens access to non-repayable donor assistance from the EU in the amount of EUR 50 million to finance energy efficiency activities that will be carried out by condominiums according to the rules of the Energy Efficiency Fund this year, as well as the opportunity to raise an additional EUR 50 million to finance activities in 2019.

In addition, the EU will provide technical assistance for the launch of the fund.

"The benchmarks for our further cooperation with the EU are the selection of the leaders and members of the supervisory board of the Energy Efficiency Fund, the creation of the necessary IT systems (energy audit registers, energy efficiency certificates, monitoring of the results of implemented energy efficiency measures), as well as a public platform for the provision of energy audit services that will ensure transparency and openness of all procedures as part of the fund," Zubko said.

As Ukrinform reported, the law on the Energy Efficiency Fund was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on June 8, 2017.

Ukraine's state budget foresees nearly UAH 2 billion to finance this fund in 2018, including UAH 400 million to be used for "warm loans" and UAH 1.6 billion for large-scale energy modernization projects.

According to government forecasts, over 3-5 years of the work of the Energy Efficiency Fund, annual gas saving due to efficient fuel use will reach at least 1.5 billion cubic meters and, at the same time, the launch of new production facilities on the basis of the latest technologies will help create an additional 75,000 new jobs.

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Ukraine and Tajikistan agreed on four forms of international veterinary certificates for the export of food and raw materials of animal origin from Ukraine.

This is reported on the website of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection.

"The State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection and the State Veterinary Service of the Republic of Tajikistan have agreed on four forms of international veterinary health certificates for the export of products from Ukraine," the report reads.

In particular, the parties agreed on the international veterinary certificate for meat, dairy and meat products, fish and fish products, which are exported from Ukraine to the Republic of Tajikistan; the international veterinary certificate for raw materials of animal origin, which are exported from Ukraine to the Republic of Tajikistan; the international veterinary certificate on the state of animal health, which are exported from Ukraine to the Republic of Tajikistan; the international veterinary certificate for feed of vegetable origin, which are exported from Ukraine to the Republic of Tajikistan.

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The District Court of Nicosia (Cyprus) has frozen the assets of Ukrainian businessman Rinat Akhmetov for $820 million, according to the Financial Times, which received a copy of the court's decision.

"Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine's richest man, has been served with an order from a Cyprus court freezing $820m of his assets," reads the report.

According to the newspaper, assets potentially affected by the freeze include an apartment in London's One Hyde Park development in Knightsbridge. When it was bought, that property was the most expensive private residence in the UK.

According to the report, the decision by the District Court of Nicosia related to Akhmetov and nine other parties was made on December 27 in the case on the sale of the telecoms group Ukrtelecom to Akhmetov's SCM Group. Raga, which is owned by Denys Horbunenko, a former Ukrainian banker, has been pursuing Akhmetov and others seeking full payment for the sale of the telecoms group. Raga said it sold Ukrtelecom to Akhmetov for $860 million in 2013, with Akhmetov paying $100 million upfront but nothing since.

The report notes that the case also potentially affects the interests of another Ukrainian oligarch, Dmytro Firtash, now in exile in Austria awaiting possible extradition to the United States. His company, Group DF, is owed $300 million by Raga, according to Gorbunenko, after having partially financed the initial privatization of Ukrtelecom in 2011.

According to the newspaper, Akhmetov has the right to appeal against the asset freeze until January 8.

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The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine warns against trips to Russia in connection with the systematic provocations by Russian special services against Ukrainian citizens, confirmed and documented by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

The Department of Consular Service of the Foreign Ministry reported this on Twitter.

"Trips of Ukrainians to Russia are often a one-way trip. It is confirmed and documented. Is it worth risking your own freedom and torturing your relatives!?" the report reads.

The SBU confirmed that Ukrainian citizen Oleh Nehoda, a participant in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) in eastern Ukraine, who traveled to Russia to visit his relatives, was illegally detained in Moscow.

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A propaganda statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin about the victory in Syria, with which he began his fourth presidential election campaign, has turned into a shameful farce, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) Oleksandr Turchynov has said.

He recalled that on December 31, Russian troops in Syria sustained the greatest losses during the entire military operation, the NSDC's press service reported on Thursday, January 4.

"Putin's propaganda statement about the victory of the Russian military in Syria, with which he began his fourth presidential election campaign, has turned into a shameful farce, and a military parade he oversaw on Syrian land has turned into a funeral procession," Turchynov said.

He recalled that at least four Su-24 bombers, two Su-35S fighter jets, an An-72 military transport aircraft and an ammunition depot had been destroyed at the Russian Khmeimim Air Base.

"A Russian Mi-24 helicopter was destroyed on the same day, while performing a combat mission," he said, adding that the Russian General Staff and the Russian Defense Ministry did no manage to conceal such large-scale losses.

Earlier, Russian media outlet Kommersant, referring to military and diplomatic sources, reported that seven aircraft were destroyed as a result of a mortar attack at the Russian Khmeimim Air Base in Syria on December 31. In particular, according to the report, at least four Su-24 bombers, two Su-35S fighter jets and an An-72 military transport aircraft were destroyed. The ammunition depot was also destroyed. The report notes that more than ten soldiers were injured as a result of the attack, but it does not specify whether they were Russians.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed media reports of a December 31 attack on the Khmeimim Air Base in Syria, but dismissed data on the destruction of seven Russian military aircraft. The ministry added that two Russian servicemen had been killed in the attack.
The mechanisms of the market provide the most powerful incentives for reform, particularly when augmented by political conditionality, former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia Mike Carpenter has written in an article for Foreign Policy entitled "Ukraine Needs U.S. Help to Fight Corruption," according to Voice of America.

He said that the precedents could be found in Ukraine's own neighborhood, in countries like Poland, Romania, and Lithuania.

Carpenter is convinced that by providing Ukraine with defensive antitank weapons, the Trump administration has taken an important step towards helping the country defend itself against Russian aggression. Now that Ukraine's military is stronger and can hold the line against Russian forces, corruption has arguably emerged as the greatest threat to Ukraine's sovereignty and Euro-Atlantic aspirations, the author of the article said.

The Kremlin understands this better than anyone, according to Carpenter. "The Kremlin strategists initially failed to anticipate that Russia's invasion would galvanize a more cohesive Ukrainian national identity and sense of civic responsibility, especially among the younger generation. But now Moscow has adjusted. Where tanks and mortars failed, Russia's political technologists are now counting on the nonlethal but potentially more potent and subversive weapon of corruption to weaken Ukraine internally," he writes.

The researcher recalls that the Obama administration sent FBI, Department of Justice, and State Department experts to Ukraine to help create from scratch an independent National Anti-Corruption Bureau, an independent National Agency on Corruption Prevention, and an independent Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. In addition, the United States is providing the expertise to create a new patrol police in local communities across Ukraine.

He recalled that former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, for example, insisted repeatedly that Ukraine's leaders create independent anti-corruption institutions to prevent and prosecute graft.

Carpenter believes that the new administration must apply its diplomatic leverage, giving the message that Western support is based on conditions, so Ukraine either agrees to fight corruption or loses support.

On the military front, the United States can further augment its enhanced leverage by continuing to expand and upgrade its training program, Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine. This training mission currently graduates five land forces battalions and one special operations battalion annually.

Enhanced training would be a real game-changer and far more significant than a few hundred antitank missiles (though, to be clear, weapons are needed too).

The United States can also urge European partners and allies to step up and call on NATO members to provide weapons to Ukraine, the researcher said.

It will also mean beginning serious discussions with the EU on a Western-managed investment fund as a means to encourage deeper anti-corruption reforms.

According to Carpenter's estimates, the amount of capital required to stand up this investment fund - somewhere on the order of $6 billion annually - is quite modest in comparison with the EU's $378 billion European Fund for Strategic Investments.
Britain will continue to support Ukraine in 2018 in conducting internal reforms and countering Russia's attempts to destabilize the situation in the country, the British Embassy in Ukraine has reported on Twitter.

"Good to see FM Gabriel in Ukraine highlighting both Russian destabilisation and need to press ahead with internal reforms. In 2018, UK will continue to focus on both these issues as part of our ongoing support to Ukraine," reads the report.

As Ukrinform reported, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel was on a working visit to Ukraine on January 3-4.

On January 3, before departure to Ukraine, Gabriel said that the conflict in Donbas was neither frozen nor forgotten for the whole West and for Germany.

The Ukrainian and German foreign ministers held talks during which a bilateral agreement on labor activities of family members of employees of diplomatic missions and consular offices was signed.

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Polish Ambassador to Ukraine Jan Pieklo intends to initiate the idea of speaking of families of the Ukrainian hostages held in ORDLO at the EU forum.

The ambassador informed this on Twitter.

"We met with families of the Ukrainian hostages held captive by separatists in Donbas. The members of the families met with Polish diplomats. Jan Pieklo promised them to provide an opportunity to tell about their tragic stories at the EU forum," the statement reads.

The ambassador said at the meeting that he would present this idea to the Polish MEPs, so that as many people as possible could learn about the fate of the Ukrainian hostages in Donbas.

As of today, 103 Ukrainians are still held captive in the occupied territory of Donbas.

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Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko speaks at the annual conference of the Christian Social Union of Germany and notes that Ukraine needs further support from Western partners.

This is reported by the press service of the mayor of Kyiv.

"Ukraine is interested in strong and successful partners and neighbors and their support, as well as Europe is also interested in a stable and strong Ukraine," Klitschko said.

The discussion of one of the panels of the conference was devoted to the economic situation, the challenges Ukraine faces today, and the changes that Ukraine has to implement. In particular, the participants discussed the effective fight against corruption, which hindered the development of the Ukrainian state.

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The fact that occupation of Crimea has brought many problems to the Crimean community and forced people to leave the peninsula is well-known to them

natural sights and architectural monuments. First of all, these are people of character, individuals who are able to see the problems of society, find a solution to them and help those who need support.

The fact that occupation of Crimea has brought many problems to the Crimean community and forced people to leave the peninsula is well-known to them, because they themselves were among those who had to sacrifice their love for their homeland.

Our today's story is about Crimea through familiarity with public organizations CrimeaSOS, Crimean Diaspora and Crimean Tatar Resource Center, which solve the problems of internally displaced persons from Crimea and Donbas and in different ways seek a common goal - de-occupation of Crimea.

CrimeaSOS

CrimeaSOS began its operation in Ukraine long before pro-Ukrainian residents of Crimea started leaving the peninsula. The annexation of Crimea, which has been reported by Crimean activists since February 26, 2014, the day of a mass protest rally against Russia's arrival in Crimea, has become the platform of the future organization.

CrimeaSOS head Tamila Tasheva says that on the basis of those chronicles one can write a book about annexation of Crimea. The activists, who had not yet created their organization, met the first internally displaced person in February 2014. In those days there was no office, there were no rules, and there were no laws. There were only confusion and fear. In these conditions, CrimeaSOS helped those who needed to leave Crimea for mainland Ukraine or, on the contrary, to get from Kyiv to occupied Crimea.

Later, having started to work with international organizations, CrimeaSOS organized social, legal, educational and psychological assistance to IDPs.

The second priority of this public organization is the strategic work on Crimea's return to Ukraine.

CrimeaSOS is in constant contact with human rights defenders and lawyers who participate in the trials of Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar activists, victims of religious persecution. They organized the collection of letters and appeals in support of political prisoners and their families so that people would not be isolated.

Every month, from July 2016, they hold a rally "Where's Ervin?" outside the building of the Russian Embassy in Kyiv, during which they tell about people who disappeared in Crimea. Despite the fact that the windows of the embassy and the gates to the building are always tightly closed, CrimeaSOS activists are persistently trying to reach Russia and have repeatedly made clear that they will not retreat until they get an answer about the whereabouts of their 16 missing comrades. In total, 43 cases of violent kidnapping in which the "authorities" are involved were recorded in occupied Crimea. Someone of those missing was found dead, someone was found alive, but the fate of 16 people is still unknown. On this occasion, the organization sent statements to the embassy and drew a symbolic pit outside its building, in which politically active Ukrainians disappeared. Activists last asked their questions to the staff of the Russian embassy in the deaf and dumb language. There was no response to any of the rallies held, but this does not mean that CrimeaSOS will not seek new ways to reach representatives of the occupying country. The organization participates in international forums and believes that de-occupation of Crimea should be influenced by a combination of causes, the main one of which is international pressure on Russia and sanctions against it.

With the same goal of informing the international community in 2015, CrimeaSOS created an interactive map of human rights violations in occupied Crimea. It recorded more than 400 cases of violations of rights and freedoms in Crimea - disappearances of people, illegal arrests, trials, cases of violence and other persecutions.

Tasheva believes that the main goal of her organization is the liberation of Crimea from Russian occupation by winning the minds of Crimean residents and returning the territory.

"There's no doubt that we need to defend people, fight for their minds, but this does not mean that we should not return the territory. One does not exclude the other," she said.

Therefore, CrimeaSOS has two areas of work, in particular, the human rights and legislative aspect and the social aspect, where, along with humanitarian and legal assistance, many cultural projects are implemented.

The head of the organization became the producer of the documentary "Mustafa" about the life and struggle of the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, Mustafa Dzhemilev. In November 2017, at the international film festival in Kyrgyzstan, this film (directed by Akhmed Sarykhalil) received the award as the best film about human rights and freedoms.

Crimean Diaspora

Crimean Diaspora was officially registered in Kyiv in the summer of 2014, but the people who created it started to leave Crimea and unite in mainland Ukraine before and after March 16 - the day of the "referendum on the status of Crimea."

The head of the organization, Anatoliy Zasoba, arrived with his family from Sevastopol.

When asked why the community that regards the peninsula as being part of Ukraine received the name of a "diaspora," Zasoba responds in detail  obviously this question is being asked to him not for the first time.

"First, Crimean Diaspora was created on the principle of a fellowship, but since the fellowships that had already existed in Kyiv at that time, created by oligarchs and former Party of Regions MPs, discredited themselves and distorted the meaning of this word, we, in order to differ from them, called ourselves a "diaspora." This word is clear to people who were isolated and wanted to support each other. It seems to sharpen the cause of our problem  Russia's annexation of the peninsula. In addition, the status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea - a republic within Ukraine, gives us the right to believe that this is not an ordinary region in the country," Zasoba said.

The organization has expanded from 2,000 people in 2014 to 15,000 people now, including a thousand of them who are financially active members of the community, whose contributions, UAH 600 per year, keep Crimean Diaspora afloat. About 80% of members of the organization are IDPs from Donbas.

It so happened, according to Zasoba, that there are more than ten public organizations in Ukraine per 50,000 IDPs from Crimea, and only a few organizations per two million IDPs from Donbas. According to the head of the Crimean Diaspora, activists from Luhansk and Donetsk are communicative and literate people who work perfectly in the team.

According to him, the original purpose of the organization was to solve the problems of people and provide them with social assistance.

"The main thing is people, and the struggle for Crimea is a struggle not for territory, but for people. If Ukraine does not win, first of all, the struggle for people, it will lose the struggle for Crimea. Therefore, we are fighting for the hearts of Crimean residents and we support our fellow countrymen as much as we can, defending their rights and freedoms," Zasoba said.

He said that in his community there are a lot of happy success stories from IDPs in which Crimean Diaspora is involved. The most ambitious project is the receipt of land (more than 60 hectares have been received near Kyiv) and the construction of affordable housing not only for residents of Crimea and Donbas, but also for people from Kyiv.

Zasoba does not argue that his organization has a socio-economic aspect and is guided not by strategic, but tactical goals on the principle of "here and now."

"We are a community, not experts and researchers. Our main problem is employment and housing for people," he said, adding that "time will show who contributed to the return of Crimea." "We believe in what we are doing and in the way we are going," he says.

The achievements of the organization include specific cases of solved social problems that activists implement together with local authorities and international organizations.

For example, in Kyiv, where most internally displaced persons stay, the authorities began to give preferences to IDPs who pass their children to kindergartens. And now, in case of problems, parents call Crimean Diaspora, and those, in turn, call a local administration.

"This is our role  we're doing everything that the authorities cannot cope with," Zasoba says.

His only wish for the authorities is to face the problems of IDPs, and then all banking, electoral, land and other problems will be solved.

"The wish for the authorities is to treat us not as an electoral unit, but as citizens of Ukraine. If such political will exists, all the rest is technical issues," Zasoba summed up.

Crimean Tatar Resource Center

The human rights expert organization, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, was established in 2015 on the basis of the Committee for the Protection of Rights of the Crimean Tatar People, which began to work in occupied Crimea. In 2014, amid persecution of activists in Crimea, the organization began monitoring all cases of human rights violations.

After repression against human rights defenders, some activists had to leave Crimea and establish their work in mainland Ukraine, according to Eskender Bariev, the head of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, a member of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.

"Today, our organization has three areas of work: human rights, normative and the one related to the promotion of Crimea's de-occupation," he said.

The achievements include the drafting of a long-term strategy of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, as well as participation in the drafting of the strategy for public diplomacy of the Crimean Tatar people and the implementation of this strategy through participation in international forums within the UN, OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Together with partners, the Information Policy Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and with the support of international funds, the Academy of Public Diplomacy of the Crimean Tatar People has been established. Thus, he believes, the world is constantly talking about Crimea.

According to Bariev, the organization has a network of activists in occupied Crimea who send information about events taking place in Crimea.

"We are expanding our network of activists, maintaining contact and holding seminars for them, including psychological rehabilitation and security, since the topic of protecting activists in Crimea is very relevant. We have a proven methodology - what to do in case of danger. We also try to ensure that the relatives of victims of repression, lawyers and the victims themselves go to international platforms in order to inform the world about Crimea," Bariev said.

Lawyers are also working with victims of repression, complaints and applications are submitted to the European Court of Human Rights and the UN. This is done by two lawyers of the organization.

"By the way, one of our offices is located in Henichesk, Kherson region, where we advise Crimean residents from the occupied territories on obtaining Ukrainian documents - passports, birth certificates, etc. If the matter requires judicial intervention, we try to solve it promptly. For this purpose we even organized a seminar for judges in Kherson region," the Mejlis member said.

In addition, throughout the year the Crimean Tatar Resource Center ensured the appearance of witnesses on a lawsuit investigated by the prosecutor's office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea about the deportation of 1944 as genocide against the Crimean Tatar people. A total of 110 court hearings have already been held.

In addition to lawyers, the organization has a fundraiser to collect money for ongoing initiatives and projects.

As for the strategy for Crimea's return to Ukraine, Bariev said unequivocally - Crimea should be returned as a territory.

"First of all, we must fight for the territory of Crimea and then work with people if they did not commit criminal offences," the human rights activist said.

Zera Ashirova, Kyiv
Garry Kasparov, the 13th world chess champion and a Russian opposition politician, has said that Crimea is a seized territory.

Kasparov said this in an interview with media outlet Kasparov.ru, when asked about "the problem of the Kuril Islands and other disputed territories."

"Crimea is not a disputed territory. It is a territory seized in violation of all international treaties. As for the Kuril Islands, it is necessary to take as a basis the treaty of 1956. It is not superfluous to recall that it was under Putin that Russia made significant concessions to China during the demarcation of the border in the Amur riverbed. It is obvious that part of territory should be given to Japan and it should be allowed to participate in the development of these islands. I would advise those who shout about a 'referendum' in Crimea to hold a referendum on the Kuril Islands on incorporation to Japan. The result for them could be a surprise," Kasparov said.

He added that "a similar referendum can be conducted in the Konigsberg province."

According to Kasparov, in today's world, the territories have ceased to play a key role. Now the level of technological development and the quality of life of people are more important, he said.

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Most people may think conspiracy theories are not true but only rumors. Nobody can blame them for this. Moreover, there have been such disturbing and horrible incidents that it is normal to consider them as just a theory. But, as time passes by, some theories turn out to be actually true thanks to the evidence from whistleblowers, responsible politicians, and investigative journalists. Although most conspiracy theories are still unproven, some of them have been proven with documents and testimonials. Here we have documented ten conspiracy theories that turned out to be true.

1 The Business Plot, aka The White House Coup In 1933, a group of Americas wealthiest businessmen and powerbrokers including the grandfather of George W. Bush, Prescott Bush, planned to stage a coup against then-president Franklin Roosevelt to change the regime. One year later, a retired Marine Corps Major General, Smedley Butler, revealed the plot.

The Business Plot, aka The White House Coup, was a political conspiracy in 1933 in the US. The purpose of the alleged conspiracy was to replace the Roosevelt administration with a fascist dictatorship. A coalition of many influential billionaires and power brokers led by Prescott Bush, the grandfather of the former president George W. Bush, planned the coup. The reason behind this attempt was the policies of the Roosevelt administration towards the business world. The owners of some big corporations like General Motors, Goodyear, Chase Bank, and Heinz thought the government would destroy private enterprise. Thus, they wanted to bring a business-friendly regime so that they could preserve their power.

However, the coup plan came to light when Smedley Butler, a retired Marine Corps Major General, alerted the authorities in Washington D.C. of the conspiracy. According to his statement, some mysterious bankers and businessmen approached him and asked him to command an army of veterans who fought in WWI in order to stage a coup and overthrow the democratically-elected president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Butler was a popular military figure then, and he also had influence over the veterans. Thats why they chose him. A committee investigated the allegations and declared that some Wall Street elites were involved in the conspiracy, but, nobody was charged.(1,2,3)

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2 20 July Plot In 1944, a group of German officers tried to kill Adolf Hitler in order to take the control of the armed forces and Germany in order to finish the war and make peace with Allies and other countries. Although they executed the plan, they couldnt achieve their goal.

On 20 July 1944, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg and some other high-ranking German officers, like Generals Friedrich Olbricht and Henning von Tresckow, attempted to kill Adolf Hitler. They were going to take control of Germany, disarm the SS soldiers, and arrest all Nazi leaders. The goal of the plot was to eliminate Nazis and make peace with Allied Forces as soon as possible. The German officers who were involved in this plot wanted to show the world that not all Germans were like Nazis.

Stauffenberg joined a military conference with Adolf Hitler on 20 July with a bomb in his briefcase. He put the briefcase under the table and left the room after making an excuse. After he left the room, the bomb exploded, but Hitler managed to survive. As a result of the failed assassination attempt and the intended coup, the Gestapo, the secret police of Nazi Germany, arrested about 7,000 people and executed 4,980 of them. (1,2,3)

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3 Operation Mockingbird The CIA tried to manipulate the media in the US. Starting from the 1950s, the CIA implemented an operation with the aim of controlling major news media like Time, NBC, etc., and well-known journalists for propaganda purposes during the Cold War. The documents about the operation were declassified in 2007.

The CIA executed a covert operation in order to manipulate, control, and use the domestic media during the Cold War. The name of the operation was Operation Mockingbird, and it included lots of major media corporations and celebrated journalists. The operation was created by the Office of Policy Coordination, a unit for covert operations, and its first director Frank Wisner, a Wall Street lawyer. According to Deborah Davis who wrote about the operation in 1979, Operation Mockingbird was a response to the International Organization of Journalists which was a communist organization and funded by the Russians. The usual method followed in the operation was to place reports from the CIA-provided intelligence with cooperating reporters. Then, those reports would be promoted by the recipient reporters, and thus, they would be mentioned throughout the media.

Frank Wisner recruited Phillip Graham from the Washington Post to help the CIA run the operation within the industry. Graham also recruited lots of people then. According to Deborah Davis, By the early 1950s, Wisner owned respected members of The New York Times, Newsweek, CBS, and other communications vehicles. As well as the New York Times and CBS, the CIA had influence over ABC, NBC, Reuters, the Associated Press, United Press International, and many others. Also, the CIA had relationships with many respected journalists such as Joseph Alsop and Ben Bradlee. The operation was revealed in 2007 when the documents about it were made public. (1,2)

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4 Big Brother Conspiracy The US government tracked and spied on people through their electronic devices. This fact came to light when Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor, leaked the proof in 2013.

The Big Brother conspiracy was a mass surveillance of people by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the US government. A former NSA/CIA contractor, Edward Snowden, made all documents public about the global surveillance. According to those documents, the NSA conducted a global surveillance program named Prism starting from 2007. Within this project, the agency tracked the internet traffic of major internet corporations like Google, Apple, Facebook, Yahoo, Microsoft, etc. Also, the documents showed that the NSA made Verizon hand over all its telephone records on a daily basis.

After going to Hong Kong, Snowden stated that the NSA had conducted 61,000 hacking operations throughout the world. Germany, Brazil, the UK, Mexico, and Colombia were some of those countries. Apart from the US and other countries, the NSA also spied on the embassies of 38 countries like Japan, India, France, and Italy. After leaking the documents, Snowden was accused of treason, but he couldnt be captured as he had fled the country previously. (1,2)

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5 Nayirah False Testimony Nayirah said that she had witnessed Iraqi soldiers killing Kuwaiti babies after Iraqs invasion of Kuwait. The purpose of the testimony was to justify the support of the US for Kuwait during the Gulf War in 1990. Two years later, when her last name was revealed, it was understood that she was the daughter of the Kuwaiti ambassador to the US.

On 10 October 1990, a 15-year-old Kuwaiti girl named Nayirah gave a testimony before the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. At that time, Nayirah only told her first name, and her last name was kept a secret. She stated that she had seen Iraqi soldiers killing babies in a hospital after the invasion of Kuwait. The media gave wide publicity to her statement then. Furthermore, most senators and the president of the time, George H. W. Bush, cited Nayirahs testimony many times while explaining their reason why they supported Kuwait in the Gulf War.

Two years later, the last name of Nayirah was revealed. It was al-Sabah, and she was the daughter of the Kuwaiti ambassador to the US, Saud al-Sabah. Although cited numerous times by the president, her testimony had never been verified. Then, it was understood that it was false and arranged by a US public relations firm, Hill & Knowlton. The firm had organized Nayirahs testimony as part of the public relations campaign of the Citizens for a Free Kuwait Project supported by the Kuwaiti government. (1,2)
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Share experiences and discover new interests through the Learning is ForEver (LIFE) program offered through the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Geared for adults, the LIFE program is offering nearly 80 workshops, lectures and tours in 2018. New this year, members can join for the winter/spring session for $37.50. Year-long membership is $75 annually. Participants may attend as many courses as they choose. The first class is Jan. 24, and registration opens Jan. 9.

This spring's programs include topics on Japanese culture and cuisine, sustainability, the great war in film, Wisconsin English, journey into dementia, Iceland, South Africa, Cuba and other travel, genealogy, Sharia Law, history, sports, theatre, natural resources, current events and more. Four spring daytrips have additional fees. They are trips to Milwaukee Brewers, Wisconsin Wineries, the Point Brewery Tour, and the Milwaukee Art Museum/Museum of Wisconsin Art.

LIFE was founded at UW-Stevens Point in 2001 and has more than 350 members. A volunteer committee plans the curriculum presented by former and current UW-Stevens Point faculty and staff, local experts and other speakers. Past field trips have included travel to the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, the Overture Center in Madison and various destinations in Milwaukee, the Fox Valley, Treehaven and the International Crane Foundation.

For more information, contact Continuing Education and Outreach at 715-346-3838. A complete list of classes and registration information is available at www.uwsp.edu/conted/artculture/Pages/life/default.aspx.


An international aid agency projects that 48,000 babies will be born this year in overcrowded refugee camps for the Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh from neighboring Myanmar.

Save the Children warned in a report released Friday that the babies will be at increased risk of disease and malnutrition, and therefore of dying before the age of five. Most of the babies will probably be born at home in tents, the agency said.

The camps have poor sanitation and are a breeding ground for diseases like diphtheria, measles and cholera, to which newborn babies are particularly vulnerable,'' said Rachael Cummings, the agency's health adviser in Cox's Bazar, the nearest city to the camps. "This is no place for a child to be born."

More than 600,000 Rohingya, a minority group from Rakhine state in western Myanmar, have fled what the United Nations says is a campaign of ethnic cleansing by the Myanmar military and Buddhist mobs since late August last year. Many live in flimsy tents made of plastic and bamboo in camps and makeshift settlements. Almost 60 percent are children, many of whom suffer from disease and malnutrition, UNICEF has said.

A Bangladeshi official called the projection of 48,000 babies mind-boggling.

Simply, this will be disastrous and terrible for us, said Priton Kumar Chowdhury, a deputy director of the government's social services department in Cox's Bazar. I can't imagine it, and my brain does not actually know how to deal with this.

His department has identified more than 36,000 orphans in the camps, he said.

Save the Children based its projection on an estimate of the number of pregnant women among the refugees.

Bangladesh has been negotiating with Myanmar to set up a protocol for the voluntary return of the Rohingya, but it remains unclear if and when they will go back, given continuing concern for their safety in Myanmar.
VOA contributor Greta Van Susteren spoke Friday to Senator Ben Cardin, the highest ranked Democrat on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Below are some excerpts.

Van Susteren: Senator, there is a lot going on in Iran. There have been a series of protests sparked, at least at first, according to many as an economic issue, they have now somewhat subsided but what are your thoughts on these protests?

Cardin: Well, the Persian people, the Iranians, are great people; they want freedom, they want economic opportunities. They were promised a lot that has not been delivered so theres a great deal of frustration among the Iranians that why arent they doing better why arent there better opportunities. They see their leadership, their government, is holding them back so theyre expressing themselves and I think we should all be proud of their courage.

Van Susteren: What about the response by the Trump administration to these protests? I know that there was criticismsPresident Trump and, even Vice President Pence, has been critical of the Obama administration and President Obama waited a number of days before making a statement. Maybe President Trump made a statement earlier on Twitter; but, nonetheless they are just statements. Is there anything more that we should be doing in Iran about these protests?

Cardin: The question is what can you do? I mean these are obviously internal issues and its hard for us to get directly involved. But to the extent that the Iranian officials violate established international human rights standards we should take action. We have tools that we can use to take action against violations of human rights. People have a right to peacefully protest about their government, they should have the right to be able to speak out without intimidation or fear. In Iran thats not true. So, it is right for us and we do impose sanctions against Iran for human rights violations. Weve recently passed a new law, known as the Global Magnitsky, we can sanction individuals and in regards to our banking system or visas. So, there are steps that we can take against those who are perpetrating violations of human rights and we should working with the international community.

Van Susteren: How fast can we do those sanctions? I mean if sanctions are the proper response, how fast can we do that?

Cardin: Well, they can be done quickly. I mean obviously theres somewhen you are dealing with banking issues theres due process that has to follow and the Treasury Department follows that pretty closely; but we can impose sanctions pretty quickly we have against Iran. We do have sanctions imposed against Iran for human rights we can strengthen those.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday declared "everything I've done is 100 percent proper" amid increasing scrutiny about whether he sought to derail a federal investigation into possible collusion between his election campaign and Russia.

"There's been no collusion, there's been no crime," said Trump, suggesting Hillary Clinton might be under investigation. "But I'm not," said Trump, referencing the former secretary of state and Democratic Party nominee he defeated to become president.

Trump said if there had been any collusion with Moscow, it was by Clinton or the Democratic National Committee.

The special counsel's investigation of the Trump campaign is "making our country look foolish," the president asserted.

Trump spoke to reporters in a cold aircraft hangar at the Camp David presidential retreat, flanked by Republican congressional leaders, Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis.

Trump answered several questions about his early Saturday morning tweets in which he declared himself a "very stable genius" and attacked the author of a book about the first year of his presidency.

Trump also continued to lash out at his former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, who is quoted extensively in the new book that raises questions about the president's fitness for office.

"I consider it a work of fiction," Trump told reporters about Fire and Fury, which was released Friday and instantly became a best-seller.

The president suggested that the author, Michael Wolff, was able to get such a book published only because "the libel laws are very weak in this country."

Wolff's book portrays the first year of the Trump presidency as one in shambles, and the president as childlike and possibly in need of psychiatric help.

Trump blames the news media and Democrats for reviving a strategy he said they used against former Republican President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s (who, his younger son Ron Reagan has suggested, suffered from Alzheimer's disease while still in office).

The president then defended his mental and intellectual abilities, labeling himself a "genius"  unlike Hillary Clinton.

Trump told the White House press pool that had been summoned to Camp David that he tweeted about his mental fitness "only because I went to the best colleges or college ... made billions and billions of dollars" and had "tremendous success."

Trump's self-promotion of mental acuity is doing nothing to quell the debate about the president's stability.

Richard Painter, an ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush a decade ago, called Trump's Saturday tweets an embarrassment, saying they read like "a statement by an immature candidate for second-grade class president."

Painter, a prominent critic of the Trump presidency, tweeted, " 'I am a very stable genius' is the way people talk on the way to the funny farm, not the Situation Room. Or so it was a year ago."

John Aravosis, a former Republican congressional foreign policy adviser who has become a Democratic political consultant, tweeted, "If you want to avoid a national discussion of your sanity, don't rave publicly about your sanity."

In a Quinnipiac poll last month, 70 percent of respondents answered "no" when asked whether they considered Trump "level-headed."

Wolff said Friday that he stood by "absolutely everything" in the book.

"One of the things we have to count on is that Donald Trump will attack. He will send lawyer's letters. This is a 35-year history of how he approaches everything," he told NBC's Today show. "My credibility is being questioned by a man who has less credibility than perhaps anyone who has ever walked on Earth at this point."

"I will tell you the one description that everyone gave, everyone has in common: They all say he is like a child," Wolff added. "And what they mean by that is he has a need for immediate gratification. It is all about him."

Trump denies granting Wolff any interviews in the White House and blames Bannon for allowing him wide West Wing access.

"I guess sloppy Steve brought him into the White House quite a bit," Trump told reporters in the Camp David hangar.

WATCH: 'Fire and Fury' Author Defends Book's Accuracy Against White House Pushback

Trump's lawyers initially tried to block the book's publication, describing it as defamatory and libelous.

Wolff is known for publishing provocative material, some of which has turned out to be unsubstantiated or disputed.

Initial readers of Fire and Fury have spotted numerous factual errors in the book.

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, who is quoted in the book, said Friday on ABC's Good Morning America that even if parts of the book are not accurate, the problem is "the reader is not left to know which is true and which is not."

VOA's Peter Heinlein contributed to this report.
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A life threatening cold front swept across North America, bringing piles of snow and icy conditions. The National Weather Service issued wind chill advisories and freeze warnings covering a vast area from South Texas to Canada and from Montana through New England. VOA's Carol Pearson reports doctors are issuing warnings about injuries from frostbite and ice.
The government of Ethiopia says it will consider pardoning or dropping charges against some members of opposition political parties accused of crimes.

Initial news reports stated that Ethiopia will release all political prisoners, but that was based on an inaccurate translation of the prime ministers comments during a news conference Wednesday.

The government had never before acknowledged that it detains political prisoners, and the possibility of a sweeping pardon drew reactions from activists, human rights groups and other governments.

In a written statement, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, a California Republican, said, Ethiopia has finally acknowledged that it holds political prisoners. Now, the government should quickly follow through on its commitments to release them.

The Ethiopian government has promised far less, however.

Hailemariam Desalegn, the prime minister, said in Amharic that the government would review the cases of certain individuals affiliated with political parties, including party leaders, who have been charged with crimes. He also said that, in some cases, charges would be dropped or people would be released or pardoned, depending on investigation results.

What wasnt mentioned during the televised press conference was political prisoners, all political prisoners or immediate pardons without review.

Prison closure

Hailemariam said the notorious Maekelawi Prison will be closed and turned into a museum, although the prime minister did not give a timetable for the closure at the same news conference.

The state-owned Fana Broadcasting Network said the government is closing the prison, located in the heart of Addis Ababa, because it was where Ethiopias former Derg regime committed atrocities under the guise of investigation.

The government did not acknowledge that it currently treats prisoners inhumanely at the detention center, despite accusations by exiled dissidents and former prisoners. Human Rights Watch says the current government interrogates and tortures political prisoners at the facility.

Both HRW and Amnesty International welcomed the announced closure of the prison as an important first step. But both groups emphasized that those behind the alleged torture in Maekelawi Prison must be investigated and held to account.

In an email reaction shortly after the announcement, HRWs senior researcher for the Horn of Africa, Felix Horne, said, Ensuring independent and impartial investigations and prosecutions is critical to send a strong and clear message to security officials across the country that torture is no longer permissible and will be punished.

Activists have long accused the government and the ruling EPRDF coalition of using arrests, torture and imprisonment to suppress political dissent. The party has ruled Ethiopia since overthrowing the Marxist Derg regime in 1991.
People walking outdoors with masks are an increasingly common sight in the capital of India, where the toxic air, which ranks among the world's dirtiest, has rung alarm bells. Now a team of innovators from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, is offering another solution: a tiny respiratory filter that can be stuck in the nose to restrict particulate matter from entering the body without hampering breathing.

The project involved creating a thin, flexible membrane which blocks out most dust and air pollutants, including concentrations of the deadly PM 2.5, the tiny particulate matter which doctors say causes maximum damage to lungs.

The innovation, called Nasofilters, won the Indian president's "National Startups Award" last May and was featured in South Korea's 2017 list of "Top 50 technical startups in the world."

The idea of nasal filters is not new, and some are available in Western countries to help reduce exposure to allergens such as pollen. One study conducted in 2016 on a product made in Denmark found it reduced symptoms of allergies and was comfortable to use.

The Indian device, however, focuses on the country's pressing problem of air pollutants. Working out of one room on the sprawling IIT campus, which has been the home of several innovations, the young team is optimistic it will find acceptance in a city where the toxic cocktail of vehicle fumes, construction dust and burning waste spikes to as much as 30 times the safe limit in winter.

Shaped roughly like a fingernail, the dark brown membrane is made by assembling millions of small-sized pores and resembles a fine, porous cloth.

The costs have been held down to ensure the filter is within the reach of most people: It is priced at approximately 16 cents. Effective for around eight hours, the innovators claim it can filter out 95 percent of the pollutants.

Origins of the invention

Prateek Sharma started working on the idea along with some faculty members and others when he enrolled at IIT for engineering studies. The inspiration: His mother suffered from asthma.

"The initiation of this story was about a decade back. I always noticed my mother is wearing some kind of cloth on her face. That has always annoyed me," said Sharma, the 25-year-old who now heads the startup which produces the filters, Nanoclean Global Private Ltd.

Noticing she refused to wear a mask when she went outside, he set out to search for another solution.

"The problem is mega, the product is nano," said Sharma, pointing to the filters. "It's comfortable to wear, it is aesthetically not bothering them like a face mask which covers half of your face. There is a problem  I can't even eat, can't even talk to you while putting on a face mask."

Growing curiosity

Reports of the product in Indian media have piqued curiosity in the city.

Ashok Joshi, a retired senior army officer who lives in Delhi, made the trip to IIT with his wife to find out more about the filters and pick them up after reading reports about it in newspapers.

"We are outdoor people by and large, being in the army, mostly I am outdoors," he said. "If something is there, which does not look very ugly and you can wear it comfortably, excellent idea. Why not?"

On days when air pollution is categorized as severe, doctors advise people, especially children and the elderly, against outdoor activities. On New Year's Day, New Delhi's air pollution levels bordered on severe.

The nose filter's real test lies in winning acceptance from people like Joshi as they try it out in the weeks and months ahead.

While the invention, if it proves acceptable to consumers, may help people protect themselves from the dirty air, environmental activists stress that the pressing need is to address the causes of the air pollution: the city's huge vehicle fleet and smoke from fires.

India's air pollution crisis is not restricted to New Delhi  nine other Indian cities figure among the WHO's list of the world's 20 most polluted cities.
Mount Merapi, in Central Java, is one of the most important volcanoes in Indonesia, one of the most volcanically active countries in the world. Just north of the ancient sultanate city of Yogyakarta, Merapi has its own extensive mythology.

It is believed, for instance, that a shadow sultanate of the spirit kingdom is located inside the volcano.



Still, when it erupted in 2010, 353 people died in the disaster, even though 350,000 people were evacuated.



Since that tragedy, Yogyakarta has developed one of the most comprehensive volcano management systems in the world, aided by several helpful factors.

Mount Merapi is near a major city. It's on the nation's wealthiest and most populous island, Java, and there is a high concentration of scientists and policy experts in the university town.



But it's also unique in its combination of grassroots and high-level efforts, from a large volunteer search and rescue squad to a hereditary spiritual guardian who works hand-in-hand with government officials.



Spiritual guardian



Mount Merapi, like some other spiritual sites in Indonesia, has a juru kunci, or caretaker, who is responsible for ritual activity and is appointed by the Sultan of Yogyakarta. Merapi's caretaker since 2011 is Asih, also known as Bekel Suraksosihono, whose father, Mbah Maridjan, was the previous caretaker and a cult icon.

Mbah Maridjan was famous for his close spiritual connection with the mountain and chose to die in the 2010 eruption while his family and other villagers descended to safety.



"My father said, 'please go down. But it will be cowardly if I do so. It is my time to go,'" said Asih, speaking from his home at the base of Merapi. "By the time the call to prayer sounded, lava had reached the bunker."

Mbah Maridjan died while bent over in prayer.



Asih, a math professor at the Islamic University of Yogyakarta during the week, is not quite as committed to the mountain as his charismatic father was.

"I am just a servant of the sultan," he said. "I don't feel any particular batin [or spiritual connection] with Merapi. I took my father's title but not his mannerisms."

This is literally true: Asih declined his father's honorific "Mbah," which means "mountain guard."



The caretaker's evolving role also reflects how tradition and modernity increasingly work in tandem in post-eruption Yogyakarta.



"I work closely with the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation," said Asih. "It's not easy for me to give information to people in the area without panic the government can do a better job."



Today, every family on Merapi has a walkie-talkie.



"We respect the local traditions," said I Guste Made Agung Nandaka, the head of the volcanology center. "Also, after 2010, I think people have wanted to listen to science-based warnings, which makes my job easier."

He said that today, Yogyakarta's early warning system for volcano alerts combines everything from social media to "mouth-to-mouth knowledge transfer for older people."



Asih himself lived in a shelter for six months after the eruption while resettlement housing was built.



One big concern going forward? His successor, Asih, only has two daughters whereas the caretaker is traditionally a man.



Active citizenry



Beyond the spiritual and official actors involved in disaster management, Yogyakarta also has a highly engaged citizenry that compounds their efforts at the grassroots level.



The city has an all-volunteer search and rescue (SAR) committee of 2,000 young people who train to help not just disaster victims, but also those who get lost or hurt on the mountain.



In 2010, said Endro Sambodo, an SAR member, many of them gave up their day jobs for three months to intensively help eruption victims. "We escaped our reality, but it was very worth it," said Sambodo.



SAR works both with Asih and the local government, which gives them a building to use as headquarters.



For Endro, the volunteer work is a good tool with which to approach life in the shadow of a volcano, which is a reality for hundreds of thousands of Indonesians.



"Indonesia is a supermarket of disasters," he said, cheerfully. "But our ancestors lived here. Most of us still want to live here. And Merapi gives so much to us besides: fertilizer for crops, job opportunities, and now, even tourism."



Since the eruption, open-air jeep tours have become a popular addition to the mountain, attracting 3,000 to 10,000 tourists each weekend. There is even a free community school on the volcano's slopes.

Yogyakarta is a case study in how a community can manage an on going threat by tackling it from many directions.

The mountain is still active; you can see it on clear days from parts of the city. But it doesn't weigh on residents' minds, in part because of their great advances in the past decade.



As Sambodo said, "Merapi is a house and we are its guests."
The U.S. Department of the Interior has announced plans to open up 90 percent of America's coastal waters to oil drilling, including off California and Florida, two areas where activists have worked for years to protect marine ecosystems from oil spills.

The proposed five-year plan released Thursday is much more expansive than one issued by President Donald Trump in April last year. The Interior Department is proposing 47 possible auctions of drilling rights in nearly all parts of the U.S. continental shelf.

It is a major increase from the 11 lease sales during the Obama administration.

The draft plan would allow the sale of drilling leases in 25 of the nation's 26 offshore planning areas, including 19 areas in the waters around Alaska, seven in the Pacific Ocean, and nine in the Atlantic Ocean.

One area considered off-limits is the waters near Alaska's far-western Aleutian Islands, which were protected by former President George W. Bush.

"We are going to become the strongest energy superpower this world has ever known," Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke told reporters Thursday in a conference call. "We want to grow our nations offshore energy industry, instead of slowly surrendering it to foreign shores. We will produce enough energy to meet our needs at home, and we will export enough energy to lead the world."

Zinke also said in a news release Thursday that "responsibly developing our energy resources" is important to the U.S. economy and will help fund coastline conservation. He said the broad proposal is meant to kick off a "lengthy and robust" public comment period.

"Not all areas are appropriate for offshore drilling, and we will take that into consideration in the coming weeks," he said.

The Department of the Interior is in charge of setting the start date of the 60-day public comment period.

Some critics of the proposal have already let their feelings be known.

Florida Governor Rick Scott, an ally of Trump, has already vowed to fight attempts to drill in Florida. In a statement Thursday, Scott said, "I have already asked to immediately meet with Secretary Zinke to discuss the concerns I have with this plan and the crucial need to remove Florida from consideration."

Another Trump ally in Florida, Representative Matt Gaetz, has also said he is opposed to drilling off the Florida coast.

The administration is currently operating under the five-year plan set by the Obama administration, which covers 2017-2022. Initially, President Barack Obama had proposed drilling off the Atlantic Coast and off Alaska's Arctic shore, but both proposals were dropped in the final plan.

Last year, Zinke took a number of steps to make it easier to lease and explore for onshore and offshore oil, including removing some safety regulations put into place after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Eleven people died in the initial explosion on the Deepwater Horizon in 2010, and the resulting oil spill  an estimated total of 4.9 billion barrels over five months  is considered the largest industrial spill in the history of the petroleum industry.
Thousands of pro-government supporters held rallies Saturday across Iran for the fourth consecutive day, one day after Iran's foreign minister said a United Nations meeting was a "blunder" by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

State television showed demonstrators in the cities of Amol, Semnam and Shadegan wielding Iranian flags and chanting slogans against the U.S., Israel and Britain. Rallies also were held in the provinces of Khuzestan, Semnan and West Azerbaijan.

Saturday's rallies were staged one day after a United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting to discuss the protests at the request of the U.S. The U.S. was criticized at the meeting for requesting the session to discuss an issue that some member states said was an internal issue for Iran.

After the meeting, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted, "The UNSC rebuffed the US' naked attempt to hijack its mandate ... Another FP (foreign policy) blunder for the Trump administration."

US is watching

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, praised the anti-government protesters at the meeting amid criticism the U.S. is meddling in Iran's domestic affairs.

Competing pro- and anti-government demonstrations have been taking place in Iran's major cities for the past week, resulting in the deaths of 22 people and the arrest of more than 1,000 others.

"The U.S. is watching what you do," Haley said to Iran in her statement in Friday's meeting. She called the protests a "spontaneous expression of fundamental human rights" and a "powerful exhibition of brave people who have become so fed up with their oppressive government that they are willing to risk their lives in protests."

Haley called on the Iranian government to stop censoring the voice of the Iranian public and to restore their access to the internet.

She also said the international community should do more to support the anti-government demonstrators. U.S. President Donald Trump has also tweeted his support for the protesters.

But critics of the U.S. position, including Russia and Iran itself, have said the protests are not the business of the international community.

Iran's ambassador, Gholamali Khoshroo, attended the meeting at the invitation of the Security Council. Speaking last, he said it is a "discredit" to the Security Council to hold such a meeting on Iran in the face of the conflicts taking place in Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East.



WATCH: US Puts Iran 'on Notice'

Russia's deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, criticized the U.S. push to hold Friday's meeting as an intrusion into Iranian affairs.

Meanwhile, the protests continue after Tehran's prayer leader urged authorities Friday to deal "firmly" with those responsible for sparking more than a week of anti-government rallies.

Iranian officials say a plot by the Central Intelligence Agency, Israel and Saudi Arabia is responsible for the unrest amid escalating tensions with the neighboring countries since Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency.

Need to tread carefully



In an interview with VOA contributor Greta Van Susteren, Democratic Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland cautioned that the the U.S. must walk a "delicate line" in response to allegations of provocation.

"We don't want to give them any ammunition for what they're saying. We know that the Iranians don't tell the truth about what is happening. Their people know that," Cardin said.

Cardin added: "I think it's important for us to keep a spotlight on the protesters and do everything we can to keep them safe and to take action against Iran if they violate basic human rights. I think the seeds for protest will remain unless the Iranian leaders change their course and allow the people basic human rights and basic economic freedoms."

WATCH: US Senator Ben Cardin discusses Iran unrest

The U.S. is promising support for anti-government protesters. A White House official Thursday said the U.S. would look for "actionable information" and seek to impose new sanctions against those responsible for stifling the protests.

The State Department also said it would not stand by idly.

"We have ample authorities to hold accountable those who commit violence against protesters, contribute to censorship or steal from the people of Iran," it said in a statement. "To the regime's victims, we say: You will not be forgotten."

New US sanctions

Though not tied directly to the protests, the U.S. Thursday sanctioned five Iranian companies linked to Tehrans ballistic missile program.



Ahead of Friday's U.N. meeting, four U.N. human rights experts called on Iranian authorities to respect the right of protestors and said they are "extremely concerned" over the deaths and arrests that have occurred since the protests began.

The experts also expressed concern that the government has reportedly blocked the internet on mobile networks and shut down social media platforms in an effort to suppress the anti-government protests.

"Communication blackouts constitute a serious violation of fundamental rights," they said.

Iranian publics discontent

The protests, which seemed to erupt spontaneously on December 28, have spread to many of Iran's smaller cities, towns and rural areas, with protesters focused on economic hardships and government corruption.



But Iranian officials on Thursday insisted the wave of anti-government protests had waned.



Still, U.S. intelligence officials warn Tehran is at a crossroads, noting the protests are the biggest outpouring of public discontent since Iranians took to the streets in 2009 following a disputed presidential election.



The protests are symptomatic of long-standing grievances that have been left to fester, an intelligence official told VOA on condition of anonymity. Will it address the legitimate concerns of its people or suppress the voices of its own populace?"



What is clear is that these concerns are not going away," the official said.

Critics of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, pointing to rising prices for key commodities like fuel, bread and eggs, say he has abandoned the poor.

And even Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, told the semiofficial ISNA news agency, "The people's main demand now is for the government and officials to deal with the economic problems."

Growing US pressure on Iran?

In the meantime, Iran could face additional economic pressure from Washington.

Trump is set to decide next week whether to continue to waive sanctions against Iran that were suspended under the 2015 international agreement to curb Iran's nuclear weapons development. The U.S. president has repeatedly attacked the agreement and assailed Tehran's military actions in Syria, Iran and Yemen.

But some analysts warn the administration runs a risk of taking too harsh a line on Iran and seeing it backfire.

"There's really no reason for us to not waive the nuclear sanctions now," said Michael Eisenstadt, director of the Military and Security Studies program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

"Don't pull out of JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal], because that will redirect the attention of the Iranian people from the regime's inability to solve their financial problems to us," Eisenstadt said. "We shouldn't make the United States the issue here."
Iranian authorities have accused the West and the country's regional enemies of fomenting the street protests that have roiled Iran for a week, but reformists question whether some of their domestic conservative foes had a hand in orchestrating the demonstrations in the first place  suspecting they did so to weaken the government of President Hassan Rouhani.

Media outlets funded by the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) this week aired interviews with protesters angry about rising food prices and critical of Rouhani's stewardship of the economy, blaming him for price hikes in basic commodities and failing to deliver economic improvements he promised.

Some of the social media-based outlets, among them Avant TV, were only launched recently  reminiscent of the sudden rash of pro-regime media sites that emerged during and after the 2009 pro-democracy agitation.

The IRGC patronage of Avant TV, which presents itself as an independent internet broadcaster, was first revealed by the news site Al Monitor. Avant TV's coverage has focused on criticism of Rouhani and the seething discontent about economic conditions. It also has been careful to avoid broadcasting anything critical of the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei.

Origins in Mashhad

The nationwide protests were first triggered by a rally in Mashhad, hardly a hotbed of liberal anti-regime sentiments.

A conservative Shiite holy city, Mashhad is home to two hardliners who ran earlier this year against Rouhani in the presidential elections. One of them is Ali Raisi. His 73-year-old father-in-law reportedly has been instructed to appear before Iran's National Security Council to explain what role he played in the original economic protest in Mashhad last Thursday that triggered unrest across the country.

Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda, Raisi's father-in-law, has denied reports of the summons. A member of the powerful Assembly of Experts, he's a firm upholder of clerical rule, and he accused the 2009 pro-democracy agitators of being members of the party of Satan.

The hard-liners' exploitation of widespread economic disgruntlement in the wake of price hikes was hinted at in a speech last Friday by Rouhani's First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, who told a conference in Tehran: "The ones who trigger political moves in the streets may not be the ones who will put an end to it, since others may ride the wave they have started, and they must know that their action will backfire on them."

The country's former hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has also been mentioned by Rouhani loyalists as having had a hand in the unrest. They argue that the hard-liners were likely surprised by how fast the economic protests spread and hadn't anticipated that a wider set of political grievances would quickly be voiced by the demonstrators.

"That the protests originated on 28 December in Mashhad, a bastion of Rouhani's opponents and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's hometown, is highly significant," according to Ali Vaez, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, a policy research organization based in New York and Brussels. "Hardliners and conservatives initially welcomed the unrest in the holy city, showcasing the way that elite factionalism has worsened to the point that some of Rouhani's opponents favor instability over siding with his political agenda," he added.

Role of reform

Vaez says Rouhani could seize the opportunity to turn the tables on his hard-line opponents  if he's able to pivot away from being the target of the protesters and "addresses head-on the drivers of the protests and pursue popular reform."

And it is reform that worries conservative mullahs and the hard-liners in the IRGC. Some regime opponents argue the timing of the original protest in Mashhad is interesting. It came on the back of publication of the government's budget plans, which highlighted the enormous funds going to conservative cultural and religious institutions.

Presenting his budget plans to parliament, Rouhani criticized institutions controlled by hardliners and clerics, and for the first time shed some light on the enormous sums  billions of dollars of state money  being directed their way.
The Islamic State terror group has released a new video from its Sinai Peninsula branch, in which it threatens to target rival Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

IS is accusing the Palestinian militant group of cracking down on jihadists and not taking a stronger stance against the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital.

In the 22-minute, undated video, titled Community of Abraham, IS accuses Hamas of attempting to ease tensions with the West, and encourages its followers to attack Hamas targets across Gaza.

The apostate Hamas gang group has taken advantage of the grand place of Al Aqsa mosque, which God has placed in the hearts of Muslims to accomplish political gains, even if the blood of Muslims was a price for those worldly gains, said the videos unknown narrator, referring to Islams third-holiest site, which is in Jerusalem.

Their struggle changed from jihad to dismiss the Zionists in the land of Muslims to a struggle for the control of Gaza, the Arabic-speaking narrator says in the video that surfaced Wednesday on the social media site Telegram.

For their part, Hamas leaders downplayed the IS threats and dismissed the video as a Zionist production.

Hamas spokesperson Salah al-Bardawil on Thursday accused Israeli intelligence of being behind the video in order distort the resistance.

It is naive to engage in the analysis of this issue as an ideological one, al-Bardawil wrote in a tweet. It is necessary to quickly deal with it as a security issue linked to the occupation.

Long history of IS-Hamas enmity

The enmity between IS and Hamas is not new.

While both groups are designated as terrorist organizations by the United States and Israel, IS sees Hamas as a nationalist movement that does not adhere to the strict interpretation of Islam. It has accused Hamas of trying to moderate itself to work with the U.S.-backed Palestinian faction Fatah, in order to appeal to the West.

The two groups are also at odds over the role of Iran and the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

Hamas in the past has publicly announced it was receiving weapons and money from Tehran. IS, which has been engaged in a fierce battle against the Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria, sees this as a betrayal of the Sunni sect.

The IS video begins with a clip of U.S. President Donald Trumps announcement last month that the U.S. will recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital. IS claims Hamas attempts to disband Islamic law enabled the U.S. to make such a decision.

They have betrayed the entirety of Muslims, the narrator says.

The video goes on to criticize Hamas new manifesto released in May, saying Hamas watered down its anti-Semitic language and offered to moderate its position toward Israel, distancing itself from Islamist groups in a bid for international recognition.

We have been informed that the group of unbelievers in Gaza has declared war on God and turned its sword against those who order the rule of God, a black-clad IS member, referred to as Abu Kazem al-Maqdisi, said in the video.

He accused Hamas of cooperating with Israel to crack down on jihadists sympathetic to IS in Gaza and work with the Egyptian government to obstruct the activities of IS branch in neighboring Egypt.

They attempt to besiege the jihadists on the land of Sinai through direct security cooperation with [the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah] el-Sissis intelligence forces, al-Maqdisi added.

IS in Egypt

The Islamic State branch in Sinai surfaced in November 2014 after the militant group Ansar Bait al-Maqdis pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Since then, the group has overpowered smaller militant factions close to al-Qaida and has become the most brutal jihadist group in Egypt.

The group is responsible for the death of hundreds of Egyptian civilians and security personnel in the countrys northeast and has claimed responsibility for bringing down a Russian plane in October 2015, killing all 224 people on board
Former U.S. President Barack Obama is set to make his first talk show appearance on Jan. 12, on the first episode of a new show featuring longtime late-night host David Letterman.

This will be Obama's first on-camera talk show interview since he left the presidency Jan. 20, 2017. He has largely stayed out of the media spotlight since then.

Lettermans show, titled My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, is his first project since he retired from the long-running Late Show with David Letterman in 2015. His new Netflix series is expected, as the title suggests, to feature high-profile guests for in-depth interviews, both in and out of the studio.

Obama is expected to appear on the first episode Jan. 12, and a new, 60-minute episode is expected monthly through the year.

Letterman is known for a dry wit, pointed questions, and attention to current events. In 2011, he became the target of a reported death threat by an Islamist militant after joking about the death of an al-Qaida leader, Ilyas Kashmiri, in a drone strike in Pakistan. Letterman also wisecracked about the death threat, blaming it on his late-night television rival, Jay Leno.

Other guests to appear on the monthly Netflix show include human rights activist Malala Yousafzai, music mogul Jay-Z, and comedy writer Tina Fey.
Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori left the clinic Thursday where he has been receiving treatment since his controversial pardon from a 25-year jail sentence.

The 79-year-old former strongman departed in a wheelchair alongside his youngest son less than two weeks after President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski announced his release.

Dressed in jeans and a blue polo shirt, Fujimori waved to a crowd of supporters gathered outside the clinic before entering a black SUV.

We are very happy to welcome our father in this new chapter of life! daughter Keiko Fujimori posted on Twitter along with a photo featuring the family.

Thousands protest, suspect a deal

The pardon sent thousands of Peruvians into the streets in protest and drew international condemnation. United Nations human rights experts called Fujimoris pardon an appalling slap in the face to the victims of human rights abuses that undermined the work of Perus judiciary.

The pardon came three days after Kuczynski narrowly escaped impeachment following a vote in which 10 members of Fujimoris party unexpectedly abstained. Polls show a majority of Peruvians believe a behind-the-scene deal was struck between Kuczynski and Fujimoris lawmaker son.

Kuczynskis allies have denied any such quid pro quo took place.

Convicted in 25 deaths

Fujimori was convicted in 2009 for his role in the killings of 25 people, including an 8-year-old boy, during his decade-long rule. He was also later found guilty of having had knowledge of the existence of death squads financed with public money that killed civilians accused of being Shining Path members.

Some Peruvians credit him with stabilizing the economy and defeating the countrys Maoist guerrillas while others condemn him for permitting widespread human rights violations.

Fujimori apologized to Peruvians from his hospital bed following his release.

I have disappointed some compatriots, he said. I ask them for forgiveness with all my heart.

Fujimoris pardon and Kuczynskis near impeachment have thrown the nation with one of Latin Americas fastest-growing economies into a new period of uncertainty.

Kuczynski was deeply unpopular before an opposition-led investigation revealed his private consulting firm had accepted $782,000 in payments from the Brazilian construction company at the center of the regions largest corruption scandal. The payments were made when Kuczynski was a high-ranking minister over a decade ago.
In demonstrations across Iran, chants are going up against the military's vast and shadowy war in Syria, one of Tehran's closest allies and a frontline state in its confrontation with its archenemy, Israel.

Although the protests have focused on economic issues, demonstrators have also voiced strong opposition to the government's policy of sending young Iranians to fight and die in Syria while spending billions of dollars on the military when they say the priority should be working to provide jobs in Iran and control the rising cost of living.

Their slogans include, "Leave Syria, think about us!" and "Death to Hezbollah!" the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group that has been a key instrument of Tehran in Syria's war.

Syria saw its own domestic demonstrations morph into anti-government protests in 2011. They were met with a brutal crackdown by President Bashar Assad's security services, sending the country into civil war.

But as cracks appeared in Assad's military, with soldiers refusing to fire on protesters and defecting to the opposition, Iran and later Russia stepped in to support their ally.

ran's theocratic leadership has cast the effort as a religious war for Shiite Islam, an epochal struggle to defend the shrine of the Prophet Muhammad's daughter in Damascus from Sunni jihadis, and to deal a crippling blow to what it says is a U.S.-Israeli conspiracy to destroy Syria. But it is motivated by geopolitical concerns, too. Syria, bordering both Israel and Lebanon, is a key node to Iran's network of deterrence against Israel.

Tehran needs Damascus as both a conduit to and sponsor of Hezbollah, Iran's vanguard force in the region.

Today, Iran's military and an array of regional militias under its command operate with wide latitude in the war against rebels and Islamic State militants in both Syria and Iraq. It is also invested in the Gaza Strip and is accused of supporting Shiite rebels in Yemen.

Military sacrifice

Across Iran, banners honoring the young men who have died fighting in Syria hang over public spaces as a reminder of the sacrifice that has been paid.

Imams memorialize the dead at Friday prayers, and media outlets pay tribute to the "martyrs" who have died "defending the holy shrine" of Muhammad's daughter, Sayyida Zeinab, in the Syrian capital.

In September, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prayed over the casket of 25-year-old Mohsen Hojaji at a funeral broadcast nationwide, followed by a large rally in Tehran  moves crafted to stir patriotism in a country growing weary of the military venture in Syria. An image of Hojaji depicted him being welcomed into heaven by the third Shiite saint, Hussein, Muhammad's grandson.

Iran has not disclosed how many of its soldiers have been lost in Syria, but Mohammad Ali Shahidi, the head of the Martyr's Foundation of the Islamic Revolution, which supports veterans and families of the dead, says more than 2,000 men have been killed, though roughly half of those are foreigners from Afghanistan and other nations fighting under militias organized by Tehran.

In November, the semi-official Fars news agency reported the death of an Iranian brigadier general in Boukamal, a Syrian town overlooking one of the country's main crossings into Iran. Fars said the general was killed by a mortar shell in a battle with Islamic State militants.

That same battle was directed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' own Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was shown in videos published on social media addressing fighters in Farsi. He had under his command Shiite fighters from Hezbollah and Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces' militias, as well as Syrian army forces and Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

Syrian rebels say the Revolutionary Guard has directed several major battles on behalf of Assad's forces and has bases from the south of the country to the north.

Iran spends more than $12 billion annually on its military, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. It is understood to spend millions more on subsidies and exports to Syria, which has seen its economy shattered by the war.

The protests now shaking Iran erupted after President Hassan Rouhani's latest budget proposal disclosed cuts to local subsidies while preserving privileges for the military and religious institutions.



Hezbollah and others

Iran and Assad have depended on Hezbollah to do some of the toughest, special forces assignments in the Syrian war. But Tehran has also organized militias from Afghanistan, called the Fatimiyoun, and Pakistan, called the Zeynabiyoun, to fight in Syria. It promises Afghan refugees living in Iran wages and citizenship in exchange for a tour of duty in Syria.

Syrian rebels say they are battling not just Syrian government soldiers, but Lebanese, Iraqi, and Afghani fighters, too. And Associated Press reporters have seen the flags of Afghan and Lebanese militias flying over military points outside Aleppo, Syria's largest city.

Syria's rebels, boosted by calls for global jihad, are supported by scores of foreign fighters of their own.

Human Rights Watch says Iran's Revolutionary Guard has recruited Afghan refugee children as young as 14 to fight in Syria, identifiable by their tombstones in Iran. It says Iranian media memorialized child soldiers and hailed Iranian fighters as young as 13 in the Syria battle.

Iran also leans heavily on the battle-hardened fighters of Iraq's state-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces, which has been instrumental to defeating Islamic State militants on both sides of the Syria-Iraq border and opening a corridor of Iranian influence that runs from Tehran to Baghdad to Damascus to Beirut.

As in Iran, there is a risk in Lebanon and Iraq of popular blowback against a grinding military effort in Syria that has stretched on for nearly seven years.

When Lebanese authorities pulled down illegal vendor stalls in a Hezbollah stronghold in south Beirut in October, residents took to the streets to excoriate Hezbollah's leadership for failing to stand up for them, despite their sacrifices over Syria.
Record-breaking cold will spread across the Midwest and East Coast on Friday, just a day after a blizzard hammered the Atlantic seaboard with deep snow, fierce winds and icy floods.

Wind-chill temperatures in about 25 major U.S. cities were forecast to plunge as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius (also minus 40 Fahrenheit) on Friday  not just uncomfortable, but dangerous.

People looking for relief in Florida will be disappointed. Thermometers will struggle to get to the 10 degree C mark (50 degrees F) throughout the weekend in normally temperate cites such as Tampa and Orlando.

Residents in Miami were stunned to see iguanas dropping from the trees Thursday. Biologists say the reptiles are not used to such low temperatures and fall asleep when the air is this cold. Experts warn people to leave them alone, saying they are not dead and will bite when they wake up.

Thursday's massive coastal storm brought hurricane-like conditions along the Atlantic Coast, from the Carolinas to Canada.

Millions of people were under blizzard warnings and states of emergency. Schools and offices were shuttered, thousands of flights were canceled, and emergency workers scrambled to rescue stranded motorists. Tens of thousands of homes have no power.

Powerful winds pushed icy ocean water into the streets of coastal towns in Massachusetts and Maine, including a meter-high tidal wave along the historic wharf in downtown Boston.

At least 14 storm-related deaths were reported.

But relief is on the way. Forecasters say temperatures next week will be back to normal and even above freezing in most of the East.

WATCH: East of the Rockies, North America Shivers
A Tibetan language rights advocate and businessman pleaded not guilty Thursday to four charges of "inciting separatism" during a four-hour trial in China that a rights group called a "sham."

The People's Middle Court in Yushu, in Qinghai province, said it would issue a verdict at a later, unspecified date, according to a tweet in Chinese from activist Tashi Wangchuk's lawyer.

Tashi Wangchuk, 32, has been in detention since his arrest in January 2016, two months after he spoke to New York Times reporters about how China's policy was eroding the Tibetan language.

The primary evidence in the trial was a short video documentary by the Times titled A Tibetan's Journey for Justice, according to Liang Xiaojun, the defendant's attorney. The Times is blocked in China, and the case underscores the danger people place themselves in when speaking with foreign news outlets.

Human Rights Watch said the delay in the verdict was an indication that a severe sentence, which could be up to 15 years in prison, would be an embarrassment for Chinese government authorities.

"The fact that he hasn't been given a sentence at all may mean that the authorities essentially going to keep him in detention but spare themselves the embarrassment of giving him a harsh sentence," said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. "That he has not been given a verdict doesn't mean that he is going to go free."

Amnesty International called the trial a "sham" that presented "absurd" charges against the activist.

Misuse of charge alleged

The group's statement said, "Exposing and criticizing the way Tibetan language and culture are being suppressed by government policies is a legitimate exercise of free speech. Labeling it as a form of 'inciting separatism' demonstrates how the Chinese authorities blatantly misuse this criminal charge to silence dissent."

Beijing considers Tibet part of China and often equates Tibetans' advocacy for greater autonomy or rights of a cultural or religious nature as "separatism." VOA Tibetan sought a comment on the case from the Chinese Embassy in Washington, but was told, "You cannot leave a message because message box is full."

In the documentary, Tashi Wangchuk speaks extensively in Mandarin about the "pressure and fear" felt by Tibetans and his worry that their culture is being wiped out through the steady erosion of their language, according to The Associated Press.

Minority rights are protected under China's constitution, as is the right to sue government officials, he says in the video.

Tashi Wangchuk notes that 140 Tibetans have died from self-immolation since 2009 and says he believes they were also protesting the disappearance of their culture under Beijing's rule.

The documentary shows him seeking redress through official channels as he travels to Beijing, where he tries, unsuccessfully, to sue local officials and persuade journalists at China's powerful state broadcaster, CCTV, to cover his case.

Tashi Wangchuk said that if the courts refused to hear his case, it would prove that the Chinese legal system would not solve issues surrounding Tibetan rights. "If this comes to an end and I'm locked up and cannot proceed with what I'm doing and they force me to say or do things I don't want to say, I will choose suicide," he added.

Liang said in his tweet that although most people in the courtroom were Tibetans, the court conducted the trial in Chinese.

"I said that I am an outsider from the point of view of the Tibetans, but that I and many others who love Tibetan culture wish that it will be protected just as the Chinese traditional culture will be protected," Liang said. "I said, 'I wish you can understand the altruistic motivation of this young, admirable Tibetan.'"

Reflection of commitment to rights

How the Chinese court handles this case will define China's commitment to upholding the constitutional rights of its citizens, said Lobsang Sangay, head of Tibet's government in exile.

"Tashi Wangchuk has on his own volition advocated for a constitutionally guaranteed right, that of bilingual education for Tibetans and ethnic minorities. His trial and sentencing will determine largely whether the Chinese government is committed to upholding the internationally recognized laws and domestically accepted rule of law in China," Sangay said in a statement released by the exiled Tibetan government.

The South China Morning Post quoted Liang as saying that Tashi Wangchuk was treated well by other inmates in the detention.

"He is innocent because he was only exercising his right to criticize the marginalization of Tibetan language and culture," Liang said. "He is well-treated [in Tibetans' detention facilities] because what he does is well-respected among Tibetans."

"This case has been farce from the beginning," said Richardson, speaking to the VOA's Tibetan service. "The only way for China to redeem itself from embarrassing itself is to let him go immediately, drop the charges and let the man go back to living his life, and, frankly, fulfilling precisely the requests he made to them to allow that kind of education. That's what the Chinese law allows for."

Tinley Nyandak contributed to this report, which originated with the VOA's Tibetan service.
The United Nations says it is giving its largest emergency relief allocation ever, $50 million, to Yemen to help the more than 22 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

Mark Lowcock, undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief, said in a statement Friday that he remains "deeply concerned" by the deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Yemen. He said the situation has been made worse by recent increases in fighting and airstrikes.

Lowcock said for the "unfolding catastrophe" to be quelled, three things must happen: There must be a reduction in fighting, both on the ground and in terms of airstrikes; ports must remain open for transport of humanitarian supplies; and donor financing must come faster and in greater amounts.

He said many people in Yemen are now completely reliant on humanitarian aid to survive. He said the new funding will go toward the most vulnerable people in 27 districts at risk of famine, and to other areas where conflict has recently escalated.

Finally, Lowcock called for an end to fighting in Yemen, facilitated by a cease to hostilities and meaningful engagement with the United Nations to achieve "a lasting political settlement."

Earlier Friday, Yemeni Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdulmalik Al-Mekhlafi said the rebels in Yemen must immediately stop all crimes committed against politicians and civilians. He also said, in comments to Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, that the rebels who seized the capital in 2014 must release all detainees, stop launching missiles, and allow humanitarian aid to reach civilians.

Ballistic missile

Also on Friday, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a ballistic missile near the kingdom's border with Yemen, above the southwestern province of Najran.

Shiite rebels in Yemen, known as Houthis, have previously aimed missiles at Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of backing the Houthis.

The Houthi rebels seized Yemen's capital of Sanaa in 2014, forcing the country's internationally recognized president, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, to temporarily flee to Saudi Arabia.

A Saudi-led coalition responded in March 2015 by launching airstrikes against the Houthis on behalf of Hadi's government. The airstrikes have killed thousands of civilians and wiped out entire neighborhoods, including hospitals.

The conflict is now widely seen as a proxy war between regional rivals Saudi Arabia  which backs the government  and Iran  which backs the Houthi rebels.

Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly called attention to the effect the conflict has had on civilians in Yemen, where the United Nations says 3 million people have been forced from their homes.

The International Red Cross said there are one million suspected cases of cholera in Yemen, and more than 80 percent of Yemenis lack food, fuel, clean water and access to health care.
South Sudan's army says it repulsed a rebel attack Thursday on the outskirts of the capital, Juba, that caused panic among residents who heard gunfire.

Witnesses say the Kapuri military post west of Juba came under attack at about 11:30 p.m. local time. Army spokesman Brigadier General Lul Ruai Koang blamed a group loyal to renegade Colonel Chan Garang, who defected from the army last year and joined the forces of rebel leader Riek Machar.

Koang said one army soldier was wounded and several attackers were killed. "They attacked our position, and our force fought in self-defense and they [rebels] were repulsed and pursued," he said.

A resident of Juba's Gurei neighborhood, who asked not to be identified for fear of government retaliation, said the attack lasted about 40 minutes.

"We were taken up by surprise with a lot of gunshots and we could not know what is happening. All our children got terrified and [it was] just like war has returned to Juba," the woman said. "We are expecting peace this new year, but yesterday it was not good; everybody was scared."

Garang told VOA's South Sudan in Focus last year that he quit South Sudan's army because it and the government under President Salva Kiir have failed in their work.

Thursday night's attack is the first incident of violence in the town since authorities assured residents of tight security during the Christmas and new year festivities.

The government and rebel groups signed a cease-fire agreement four days before Christmas but clashes have continued, with each side accusing the other of cease-fire violations.
Senator Ben Cardin, (D-MD), the highest ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee spoke to VOA contributor Greta Van Susteren about Iran and North Korea. The following is a full transcript of the interview.



Van Susteren: Senator, thank you very much for joining me.

Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD): My pleasure. Its good to be with you.



Van Susteren: Senator, there is a lot going on in Iran. There have been a series of protests sparked, at least at first, according to many as an economic issue, they have now somewhat subsided but what are your thoughts on these protests?



Cardin: Well, the Persian people, the Iranians, are great people; they want freedom, they want economic opportunities. They were promised a lot that has not been delivered so theres a great deal of frustration among the Iranians that why arent they doing better why arent there better opportunities. They see their leadership, their government, is holding them back so theyre expressing themselves and I think we should all be proud of their courage.





Van Susteren: What about the response by the Trump administration to these protests? I know that there was criticismsPresident Trump and, even Vice President Pence, has been critical of the Obama administration and President Obama waited a number of days before making a statement. Maybe President Trump made a statement earlier on Twitter; but, nonetheless they are just statements. Is there anything more that we should be doing in Iran about these protests?



Cardin: The question is what can you do? I mean these are obviously internal issues and its hard for us to get directly involved. But to the extent that the Iranian officials violate established international human rights standards we should take action. We have tools that we can use to take action against violations of human rights. People have a right to peacefully protest about their government, they should have the right to be able to speak out without intimation or fear. In Iran thats not true. So, it is right for us and we do impose sanctions against Iran for human rights violations. Weve recently passed a new law, known as the Global Magnitsky, we can sanction individuals and in regards to our banking system or visas. So, there are steps that we can take against those who are perpetrating violations of human rights and we should working with the international community.





Van Susteren: How fast can we do those sanctions? I mean if sanctions are the proper response, how fast can we do that?



Cardin: Well, they can be done quickly. I mean obviously theres somewhen you are dealing with banking issues theres due process that has to follow and the Treasury Department follows that pretty closely; but we can impose sanctions pretty quickly we have against Iran. We do have sanctions imposed against Iran for human rights we can strengthen those.





Van Susteren: Going back about the 2015, you were opposed to the original Iran Deal, the Nuclear Deal. Why were you opposed to it?



Cardin: Well, for several reasons. First, it started with the allowing Iran to enrich uranium which I thought they did not need to do. So, it started with a premise that allowed them to have enriched uranium which one day could be used for a nuclear weapon. Secondly, it took away, I thought, a lot of the leverage we had the deal with the non-nuclear violations concerning their ballistic missiles, our sponsoring of terrorism, the human rights violations, even though we can still do that by releasing some of our sanction relief it makes them more challenging to deal with these other issues.



Van Susteren: All right, so fast forward to now President Trump in, I think, October said that he was not going to recertify the deal, so where does that lead us now and what is your position on that?



Cardin: Well, I think it would be wrong for the United States to walk away from an agreement. We would be isolated, we would be the bad guys when Iran is the bad actor their government is the one violating international laws. We should spotlight on Irans compliance with the agreement and the agreement is lifetime. Theyre not allowed to have a nuclear weapon or develop nuclear weapons. We need now to make sure that in fact is enforced and Iran never becomes a nuclear weapons state.



Van Susteren: I thought there was a period of time as a ten-year deal?



Cardin: Theres different limits as to what certain standards have to be complied with. But its lifetime that they are not allowed to have a nuclear weapon. So, we can hold them to that and we need to enforce that.



Van Susteren: Are you satisfied with the level of inspection that were getting. Are we getting theis the IAEA getting the access it needs to make sure they arent violating agreement?



Cardin: Weve had the secretary general of the IAEA in Congress, weve asked him specifically whether theres any additional needs for inspections. He believes hes had all the access he needs, everywhere he needs to be so theres been no complaint to date about the denial of access.



Van Susteren: So are you confident today, as much as one can be, confident today that Iran met its side of the deal as to where it should be on this agreement?



Cardin: As it relates to its nuclear commitments, the individuals who are responsible for the enforcement of this agreement believe that Iran has complied with the agreement. Had there been minor violations at times, yes and theyve been corrected. But as far as any material breach, there has not been a material breach by Iran.



Van Susteren: So Iran doesnt keep you up at night as it relates to nuclear weapons? Doesnt keep you up at night?



Cardin: Today it does not. I do worry long term about their ability to be nuclear weapons state because of how do we enforce it beyond the sunset dates? That is a concern.



Van Susteren: Whats a long term for you? Whats the



Cardin: Well theres 8 years more of the specific limits on what they can do in centrifuges and research and issues like that. After that period of time, although theyll prevent it from being a nuclear weapons state, those limits no longer apply. So the question is how do you enforce beyond the 8 years?



Van Susteren: In terms of what has just transpired, now the protests seem to at least the reports as much we can tell seem the protests have died down a little bit. Do you think by not doing more than sort of just issuing a statement that were with you to the Iranian people we have now so taken the wind out of their sales and theyre going to feel very discouraged and theres going to be no sort of pressure on their government to meet human rights requirements and a greater opportunity for the people?

Cardin: This is a delicate line we have to walk. This is the Iranian people speaking out against their government. Its not the United States encouraging people to do things they dont want to do. To the extent that we get actively engaged, it will be used by the Iranian officials to say this is the United States not the Iranian people.



Van Susteren: Well theyve already said that. They say their enemies have done it which means Israel and the United States. Thats what the hard lines clerics are saying that were responsible for this.



Cardin: And we dont want to give them any ammunition for what theyre saying. We know that the Iranians dont tell the truth about what is happening. Their people know that. Theyve figured this out. You see the protests that are taking place. I think its important for us to keep a spotlight on the protestors and do everything we can to keep them safe and to take action against Iran if they violate basic human rights. I think the seeds for protest will remain unless the Iranian leaders change their course and allow the people basic human rights and basic economic freedoms.



Van Susteren: Do you have a dialogue at all with the White House on the recertification issue and the deal and even the protests?



Cardin: Yes, Ive talk to Vice President Pence about the protests and we have a resolution that we hope to file  Senator Corker and I, with others that will pass in regards to showing that the United States Senate is behind the rights of the people of Iran to express their views against their government and Ive been meeting with the representatives of the Trump administration in regards to the certification and waiver issues as to how Congress can be helpful provided that we dont do anything that will violate the nuclear agreement and that we work closely with our European partners.



Van Susteren: Well President Trump seems to take much harder line on this than you do, right? Is that a fair description?



Cardin: Well I think President Trump has expressed himself that he believes the agreement should be stronger. And we had pointed out that a lot of his concerns which deal with beyond the requirements of the remaining 8 years that thats an issue we can work together on. So we are working with the administration to see whether we can clarify some of the provisions as long as it doesnt violate the JCPOA.



Van Susteren: And do you think youve convinced the administration or convinced President Trump because he seems to have drawn the line in the sand on this.



Cardin: I think the National Security Advisor to the president believes in our National Security interest to remain at the table and not violate the agreement ourselves. What the president will do, thats hard to tell. The way he makes decisions is not a traditional method used by the presidency of the United States.



Van Susteren: Are you worried about North Korea with its nuclear weapon?



Cardin: Certainly. I think North Korea with Kim Jong Un is doing, that regime, is extremely dangerous. They are clearly developed a nuclear weapon. They are trying to develop a way to deliver that nuclear weapon that could threaten the security of the United States. They have violated the United Nations Resolutions on this. Theres been international sanctions imposed on North Korea as a result of it. We need to further isolate North Korea but then have a surge in diplomacy because theres not a good military solution here. What we want to do is put the sufficient pressure on North Korea to change course and that means the United States working with China and Japan and South Korea to get a realistic offering to how we can get this crisis over with and put the pressure on North Korea to change directions.



Van Susteren: Do you see the routine from North Korea to South Korea, the recent, the reopening of negotiations across that border. Is that a good thing or is that just folly?



Cardin: I think its a good thing. I think its always good to see conversations taking place. It was part of the commitment made by the new regime in South Korea  that they were going to open up more discussion with North Korea. We have the Winter Olympics which gives us an opening for the North and South to talk. I think its a good sign that theyre talking.



Van Susteren: Senator thank you very much for talking with me.



Cardin: Its always good to be with you.


Somali State Minister for Defense Mohamed Ali Haga has confirmed to VOA Somali for the first time that the Turkish government has recently supplied weapons to the Somali army.

In an interview with VOA Somali, Haga said the Turkish government has equipped a company-sized Somali army unit which graduated from the Turkish military training camp in Mogadishu two weeks ago.

Haga said just over 400 soldiers were supplied with small weapons and machine guns allowed under a partial UN embargo on Somalia. Somalia cannot import certain heavy weaponry.

Turkish media report that the weapons exported to Somalia are the MPT-76, a Turkish-made rifle. Haga confirmed this to VOA Somali.

They have been equipped with Turkish-made rifles, he said. When the soldiers were coming for the training they did not have weapons, Turkey equipped them, and Turkey promised to equip every soldier who is being trained at the camp.

Big boost



The pledge by Turkey to arm Somali troops will be seen as a massive boost in Mogadishu at a time when the Somali army is in a difficult transitional period - struggling to get trained, preparing to take over from African Union forces, working to protect the government and fighting Al-Shabab, all at the same time.

A recent "Operational Readiness Assessment" conducted by the Somali government found that approximately 30 percent of the soldiers in the bases do not have weapons. The same assessment also found that some of the weapons used by government troops are privately owned by clans. The evaluators said some units also lack medium and heavy weaponry, and some units are undermanned."

The Turkish military base in Mogadishu was opened on September 30. Turkey plans to train as many as 10,000 soldiers according to Somali officials.

The first company to receive the training was selected from current members of the army and graduated on December 23. The second company is to start training soon.

In addition, military officers are also given training on command control and leadership skills, Haga said.

Turkey military is advanced, their training is NATO training, Haga said. This is a brotherly country which came to help Somalia at time of need in terms of humanitarian assistance as well as military.

Weapons from other countries



Apart from Turkey, several other countries have provided training to Somali soldiers. The United States has trained a 500-strong special forces known as Danab or lightening, and the United Arab Emirates. UK, EU, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda have also provided training over the years.

Somali officials say training at Turkish training base in Mogadishu will harmonize all the training given to Somali soldiers to produce an organized force.

Haga, who also chairs the army integration committee, says the training provided at the Turkish base is also part of the army integrating process for soldiers who were selected from different divisions and regions.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is one of two senior Turkish officials who have made or are making trips to European Union countries in what analysts say is a diplomatic offensive to reset relations with the 28-member bloc.

The EU is Turkey's No. 1 import and export partner. Relations between Ankara and the EU, however, have been strained in part over human rights in Turkey, a controversial referendum last year to extend his powers, refugee migration and Turkey's quest for visa-free travel for its citizens across the EU.

Erdogan met Friday in France with counterpart Emmanuel Macron for talks on Syria and trade, and he signed a series of contracts. The two presidents also witnessed the signing of an agreement in which Turkish Airlines will purchase 25 jets from Airbus.

In a recent interview, Macron confirmed he regularly speaks with Erdogan, conversations that analysts say the Turkish president values. "The steps we have taken until now with Mr. Macron are all in the right direction and I have a lot of hopes in Mr. Macron," Erdogan said to reporters before leaving for Paris.

Message from Kalin

Turkey has been seeking to join the European Union but cannot do so unless certain criteria required for membership have been met. Ahead of the Paris visit, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, speaking to the France 24 news channel, sent a message to the EU: "As Turkey, we see EU membership as a strategic aim; however, in recent years, not much progress has been made in this regard, due to several reasons. We want to overcome these troubles."

Ankara's ongoing crackdown following a failed coup in 2016 has resulted in tens of thousands of arrests and the jailing of dozens of people, including journalists. The crackdown threatens the collapse of the troubled relations with the EU.

Ahead of Erdogan's visit, Macron offered thinly veiled criticism of Turkey. "Freedom of the press is not only being damaged in dictatorships but also in some democratic European states as well," he told reporters.

Human rights concerns are set to be an even bigger obstacle to Ankara's bid to smooth over relations with Europe's other major powerhouse, Germany. German-Turkish relations all but collapsed last year over Ankara's accusations that Berlin was harboring hundreds of people linked to a 2016 coup attempt. Berlin, meanwhile, has likened the arrest and jailing of a number of its citizens, including two journalists and a human rights activist, to hostage taking.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is scheduled to visit his German counterpart, Sigma Gabriel, on Saturday in Goslar, Germany.

"Both sides have an interest in a new start in the bilateral relationship as we live in a time full of challenges," Cavusoglu wrote this week in an op-ed piece for a German newspaper. "It is not the time for bullhorn diplomacy."

Following a surprise meeting between the Turkish and German foreign ministers in November at the Turkish Mediterranean Sea resort of Antalya, both sides have started to take tentative steps to ease tensions. Three Germans being detained have been released. Deniz Yucel, a journalist for German newspaper Die Welt, remains incarcerated, although his conditions have improved with the ending of months of solitary confinement.

'Very difficult' path ahead

Despite such steps, experts warn Ankara faces a protracted process in improving relations with the EU.

"It will be very difficult to bring normalcy to Turkish-German relations," said international relations expert Soli Ozel of Istanbul's Kadir Has University.

The release of Yucel is seen by analysts as key by Berlin to any substantive progress. Erdogan has previously said that as long as he remains in power, Yucel will never be free.

Given its growing isolation, however, Turkey could be set to make more gestures to Europe.

Turkey faces a similar situation with its other key Western ally, the United States. Until now, Ankara has been happy to look to Moscow to send the message that Ankara can do without its traditional allies. But growing dependence on Moscow is coming at an increasing cost.

"Russia is the leading engine, and Turkey is the wagon of the Russian policy," said international relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East Technical University. "Unfortunately at the moment, Turkey is just doing and repeating what Russia is saying. So Turkey is very strongly under the influence of Russia, which has never been the case in the last 25 years."

While Ankara has found some common ground with Moscow in the region, the countries are historical rivals, as is the case with Iran, another country with whom Turkey has started to develop warming relations.

"Turkey and Iran have issues that could flare up anytime," said political columnist Semih Idiz of the Al Monitor website.

Observers say Ankara now could be realizing the precarious situation it is facing and a realization of the need for a more balanced diplomatic approach. They say the cost could be high, with European countries expected to press for an easing up on the crackdown.
The US has imposed sanctions against five companies it accuses of links to Irans ballistic missile program.

The sanctions freeze any asset the companies hold in the US, and prohibit Americans from dealing with them with more punitive measures laying ahead in response to the Islamic Republics suppression of anti-government protests.

Treasury Department officials blamed Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other parts of the government for funding proxies across the Middle East despite the needs of the Iranian people at home.

They linked the move to the recent protests sparked by Irans economic problems.

These sanctions target key entities involved in Irans ballistic missile program, which the Iranian regime prioritizes over the economic well-being of the Iranian people, the statement said.

The five entities being targeted are subsidiaries of Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group, part of the Iranian Defense Ministry. Shahid is already under US sanctions. The new designations ensure its subsidiaries are punished, too.

Last month, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley showed reporters missile parts with logos suggesting they were manufactured by Shahid. Haley said the fragments were recovered from missiles launched at Saudi Arabia by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
When President Donald Trump tweeted that all the U.S. had gotten for $33 billion in aid to Pakistan was "lies and deceit," he ventured into sensitive territory for a country that says it is doing all it can to fight terrorism and is being unfairly criticized for its efforts.

Now, financially strapped Islamabad will be looking to fill a hole in its annual military budget with the Trump administration's announcement Thursday that it's suspending security assistance to the Pakistani military until it takes "decisive action" against the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network that are targeting U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.

A U.S. official said the amount being withheld totals $255 million. The New York Times has quoted Trump administration officials as saying "around $1.3 billion could be frozen." The impact isn't clear because few details have been released on how the Pakistani military has been using the funds.

Increased pressure

Under his new policy for Afghanistan, Trump has been putting increased pressure on Pakistan to root out safe havens for terror groups near its border with Afghanistan. Islamabad has persistently denied that any such groups operate from its territory.

Trump's first tweet of the year signaled his unhappiness over the impasse, and the country's top civilian and military leaders, in a brainstorming meeting Tuesday, said their sacrifices "could not be trivialized so heartlessly by pushing all of it behind a monetary value  and that, too, an imagined one."

The financial aid started flowing soon after the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington, following 11 years of sanctions over Pakistan's nuclear weapons program.

Having an Afghan neighbor as an ally in the global war on terrorism was key to the U.S. ousting the terror groups that had set up training camps in Afghanistan, and Pakistan quickly became the third-largest recipient of United States military and economic support.

Since then, U.S. economic aid to Pakistan has totaled around $33.4 billion since 2002. However, details over where the money goes isn't clear, and Pakistan official reaction has downplayed the significance of the funds.

The widely reported data collected from U.S. and Pakistan government agencies suggest a huge chunk, around $14.5 billion, has gone to the Pakistani military for covering its claimed costs of anti-terror operations. Pakistan received the remaining $18.8 billion as economic assistance.

"Pakistan has been reflecting the U.S. money in its annual budget. I think there was a line item which showed these transfers from the U.S. and it was similar to show the budget from 'other' sources," said Dr. Salman Shah, a former finance minister of Pakistan. He was supervising Pakistan's finances when foreign aid was at its peak under General Pervez Musharraf's rule.

No breakdown of funds

Pakistan's influential military has not come up with a verified breakdown to convince the U.S. that it is spending the money wisely along the guidelines for how it can be used, which is essentially supposed to go only toward expenses that go above what the army would spend on normal operations.

"For the last 70 years, defense is a one-line budget," said Qaisar Bengali, a leading Pakistani economist and former adviser to the government on economy and finance. "There are no questions asked, no discussion takes place, no scrutiny takes place [on the defense budget]."

Bengali says Washington could make Pakistan's life more difficult by using IMF and World Bank forums to tighten up much-needed dollars for Pakistan.

Questions about where the money has gone have been rife from the start.

"The United States relies upon the Pakistan military to patrol Pakistan's western border and to help achieve the U.S. goal of denying safe haven to the terrorists and extremists," said a 2009 report by the Department of Defense's inspector general.

"However, Congress and the public are concerned that Pakistan is not producing a measurable result to correlate with U.S. investment," the report said.

'Reimbursement claims'

It added that funds were being disbursed "without always following the DoD policies and procedures to validate whether actual logistical and military support was provided and without adequate documentation to support its analysis of the reasonableness of Pakistan reimbursement claims" and that "officials stated that they were not allowed to observe or validate military operations within Pakistan."

Statistics quoted in the U.S. and Pakistani media say the U.S. funds' flow to Pakistan have fluctuated, depending on Islamabad's actions against terror sanctuaries. Pakistan Finance Ministry estimates show the amount was higher under President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, with an average $723 million per year between 2002 and 2014.

The U.S. aid, however, began shrinking during Obama's last years by an average $345 million per year. Shah says that amounts to about 1 percent of Pakistan's current annual budget.

The latest U.S. defense budget signed by Trump in December allocates $700 million in conditional aid to reimburse Pakistan for supporting U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, but the aid is facing more scrutiny. The U.S. defense secretary must certify Pakistan's action against terrorist sanctuaries  especially the Haqqani network  on its soil.
The United States Treasury has placed sanctions on four current or former Venezuelan officials associated with corruption or repression in Venezuela.



Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said in a statement, "President Maduro and his inner circle continue to put their own interests above those of the Venezuelan people. This action underscores the United States' resolve to hold Maduro and others engaged in corruption in Venezuela accountable."



The sanctions are aimed at senior military officials, according to the Treasury Department.



The Treasury statement said, "Corruption and repression continue to flourish under the Maduro regime, both by those in current government positions and former officials who continue to benefit from a corrupt system, even as Venezuela's citizens, economy, and constitutionally enshrined democratic institutions languish."



Further, it said the four officials targeted "have forsaken the professional republican mission of the military institution, which, per Venezuela's 1999 Constitution, is to be "with no political orientation ... and in no case at the service of any person or political partisanship."



The four officials' assets that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction are frozen, and U.S. citizens are "generally" prohibited from dealing with them, according to the Treasury.



The officials are Rodolfo Clemente Marco Torres, governor of Aragua State; Francisco Jose Rangel Gomez, former governor of Bolivar State; Fabio Enrique Zavarse Pabon, division general of the Bolivarian National Guard; and Gerardo Jose Izquierdo Torres, Major General of the Army.
The United States is promising support for protesters in Iran, condemning Iranian officials for a crackdown that has left 21 people dead and more than 1,000 others under arrest.

A White House official Thursday said the U.S. would look for "actionable information" and seek to impose new sanctions against those responsible for stifling protests that began just last week.

The State Department also said it would not stand by idly.

"We have ample authorities to hold accountable those who commit violence against protesters, contribute to censorship, or steal from the people of Iran," it said in a statement. "To the regimes victims, we say: You will not be forgotten."

New U.S. sanctions

Though not tied directly the protests, the U.S. Thursday sanctioned five Iranian companies linked to Tehran's ballistic missile program.

"These sanctions target key entities involved in Irans ballistic missile program, which the Iranian regime prioritizes over the economic well-being of the Iranian people," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

"As the Iranian people suffer, their government and the IRGC fund foreign militants, terrorist groups and human rights abuses," Mnuchin added.

And at the United Nations, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley has requested an emergency U.N. meeting Friday on the situation.

But Russia and other members of the U.N. Security Council are criticizing the U.S. call for a meeting, saying the protests are a domestic issue and do not involve threats to international peace and security.

However, Haley said in a statement late Thursday The world has witnessed the horrors that have taken place in Syria, that began with a murderous regime denying its peoples right to peacefully protest. We must not let that happen in Iran.

Haley added, It will be telling if any country tries to deny the Security Council from even having this discussion, just as the Iranian regime tries to deny its own people the ability to have their voices heard.

The U.S. statements and sanctions are unlikely to sit well with Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who have blamed foreign governments for instigating the protests.

The protests, which seemed to erupt spontaneously last week, have spread to many of Irans smaller cities, towns and rural areas, with protesters focused on economic hardships and government corruption.

Iranian publics discontent

But Iranian officials Thursday insisted the wave of anti-government protests had waned.

General Abdolrahim Mousavin, the head of the army, thanked security forces for "putting out the fire of sedition."

"This blind sedition was so small that a portion of the police force was able to nip it in the bud," Mousavin was quoted as saying in state-run media.

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said only 42,000 people had taken part in the protests. And an official with the countrys elite Revolutionary Guards force said the number of "troublemakers" was less than 15,000.

Instead, state television Thursday showed huge crowds marching in support of Iranian leaders in several major cities, including Isfahan, Ardebil and Mashhad, where the protests started.

Still, U.S. intelligence officials warn Tehran is at a crossroads, noting the protests are the biggest outpouring of public discontent since Iranians took to the streets in 2009 following a disputed presidential election.

"The protests are symptomatic of long-standing grievances that have been left to fester," an intelligence official told VOA on condition of anonymity. "Will it address the legitimate concerns of its people or suppress the voices of its own populace?"

"What is clear is that these concerns are not going away," the official said.

Critics of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani say he has abandoned the poor, pointing to rising prices for key commodities like fuel, bread and eggs.

And even Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Irans supreme leader, told the semi-official ISNA news agency, "The peoples main demand now is for the government and officials to deal with the economic problems."

Growing U.S. pressure on Iran?

In the meantime, Iran could face additional economic pressure from Washington.

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to decide next week whether to continue to waive sanctions against Iran that were suspended under the 2015 international agreement to curb Irans nuclear weapons development. Trump has repeatedly attacked the agreement and assailed Tehrans military actions in Syria, Iran and Yemen.

But some analysts warn the administration runs a risk of taking too harsh a line on Iran and seeing it backfire.

"Theres really no reason for us to not waive the nuclear sanctions now," said Michael Eisenstadt, director of the Military and Security Studies program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

"Don't pull out of JCPOA [nuclear deal] because that will redirect the attention of the Iranian people from the regimes inability to solve their financial problems to us," Eisenstadt said. "We shouldnt make the United States the issue here."

Margaret Besheer at the United Nations contributed to this report
A recent flare-up in violence in northwest Central African Republic has sent thousands fleeing for their lives. The U.N. refugee agency reports more than 5,000 refugees from CAR have arrived in southern Chad since December 27.



The new year is off to a bad start for thousands of people forced to flee clashes involving armed groups in the northwestern CAR town of Paoua. The U.N. refugee agency reports an estimated 5,600 refugees have fled to Chad. But, UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch told VOA the number could be higher.



"Chad is the third largest refugee host for refugees from the Central African Republic with over 75,000 refugees already in the camps," he said. "UNHCR is registering the new arrivals. We are also working with our partners and government counterparts to provide aid and assistance to them."



Baloch said many of the refugees have walked long distances to escape the violence in their country and notes that Chad's border with CAR is officially closed. He said, though, the Chadian authorities, in a welcome humanitarian gesture, are allowing refugees to cross the border to seek protection inside Chadian territory.

Human rights abuses



"The influx is the largest movement of refugees from CAR, exceeding the total number for 2017, when about 2,000 fled into Chad," he said. "Many are reporting widespread human rights abuses committed by the members of these armed groups in the village alongside the CAR-Chad border."



The UNHCR warns that people are likely to continue to flee ongoing violence in CAR. It reports the serious deterioration in that country's humanitarian situation has boosted the number of refugees and internally displaced to the highest ever recorded for CAR  almost one-fourth of the population of some 4.6 million.



UNICEF reports more than 1.1 million people are displaced both within the country or as refugees. That means more than one in five Central Africans have been forced to flee their homes since civil war broke out a few years ago.
Washington state has sued budget hotel chain Motel 6, accusing it of illegally providing guest lists to U.S. immigration authorities.

Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said that motel employees had disclosed the names of at least 9,150 guests to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in violation of the state's consumer protection and anti-discrimination laws.

He said the motel also divulged birthdates, driver's license numbers, license plate numbers and room numbers, all without a warrant or the guests' knowledge or consent.

Ferguson said at least six Motel 6 locations in Washington state had engaged in the activity from June 2015 to May 2017.

He said Motel 6 knew ICE used the lists to target guests based on their national origin and to check whether any were wanted in connection with immigration issues. He said the disclosures led to the detentions of at least six people in Washington and noted the practices in the state mirrored those in Arizona, where media reports said in September that ICE had arrested 20 people at Motel 6 locations there after getting similar tips.

Local issue, chain said

At that time, Motel 6 said in a statement posted on Twitter that the practice was "implemented at the local level without the knowledge of senior management. When we became aware of it, it was discontinued."

"Motel 6 implied this was a local problem," Ferguson said in his statement. "We have found that is not true."

Motel 6's management company, G6 Hospitality, said this week that in September it ordered its more than 1,400 hotels in the United States and Canada to stop voluntarily giving guest lists to ICE agents.

"Motel 6 takes this matter very seriously, and we have and will continue to fully cooperate with the Office of the State Attorney General," the company said in a statement.

Motel 6 has been criticized in the past, notably by the American Civil Liberties Union, for sharing guest information with law enforcement agencies. In 2015, after a string of crimes at a Motel 6 in Rhode Island, the chain announced a change in policy that would allow its motels to share guest information with law enforcement.
The World Health Organization warns that children in Yemen are dying as diphtheria, a preventable disease, spreads rapidly throughout the country.

Forty-six of the more than 470 people with clinically diagnosed diphtheria in Yemen  or nearly 10 percent  have died in less than four months, according to WHO.

"Diphtheria is a highly infectious but vaccine-preventable disease," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said. "It can be treated with antitoxins and antibiotics, both of which are in short supply in Yemen. The diphtheria vaccine is normally administered as a part of routine immunization programs for children around the world.

"The rapid spread of diphtheria in Yemen highlights major gaps in routine vaccination and also means the health system is under severe strain."

Sixty-eight percent of suspected diphtheria cases are children under 15 years old, Jasarevic said.

WHO has deployed Rapid Response Teams throughout affected parts of the country to ensure proper case detection, contact tracing and follow up, as well as health education.

WHO has delivered $200,000 worth of antibiotics and 1,000 vials of diphtheria antitoxins, Jasarevic said. The medication can help stop the spread of the bacterium to vital organs in patients already infected with diphtheria.

However, prevention remains the best way to contain the spread of the disease. In preparation for a nationwide immunization campaign, the U.N. children's fund imported 5.5 million doses of anti-diphtheria vaccines into the country December 20.

The final decision on when the campaign will kick off rests with Yemeni health authorities, who have not yet given the go-ahead.
Michael Wolff, an American author, essayist and journalist, has written Fire and Fury, a book that portrays a chaotic initial year for the presidency of Donald Trump. What's his background?

Michael Wolff



Age: 64



Early life: Wolff was born in New Jersey to a father who worked in advertising and a mother who was a newspaper reporter. He attended Columbia University in New York and worked as a copy boy at The New York Times while in school.

The journalist: Wolff published his first book of essays, White Kids, in 1979. He was most recently a media critic and columnist for USA Today, Hollywood Reporter, New York Magazine and, before that, Vanity Fair and Newser.

In 2011, he briefly was at the helm of AdWeek magazine, but left after less than a year.

The author: In 1997, he wrote the bestseller Burn Rate, about his early dotcom company Wolff New Media.

In 2004 he published Autumn of the Moguls, about the decline of mainstream media that would occur later in the decade.

He was perhaps best known for his 2009 biography of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, The Man Who Owns the News.

Accolades: Wolff has won two National Magazine Awards, which recognize excellence in the magazine industry in both print and digital mediums.

One of the awards was for a series of columns he wrote from the Middle East at the start of the Iraq War in 2003.

Controversies: Wolff's work has often drawn criticism from his fellow journalists as well as his subjects. Just before the publication of The Man Who Owns the News, Murdoch took issue with several parts of the book, just as U.S. President Donald Trump has over Wolff's latest work.

In a 2004 cover story for The New Republic, reporter Michelle Cottle characterized Wolff's writing by saying that "even Wolff acknowledges that conventional reporting is not his bag." Rather, she said, "he absorbs the atmosphere and gossip swirling around him at cocktail parties, on the street, and especially during those long lunches."
Zimbabwe's president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, met Friday with ailing opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai but ruled out forming a political coalition with him. The opposition welcomed the historic visit, saying it sets the tone for peace ahead of this years elections.



Accompanied by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga - the general who led a military operation that brought him to power in November, President Mnangagwa visited former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai for about half an hour. After that, Mnangagwa quashed speculation about forming a coalition government with Tsvangirai.

"What is the cause? We are a democratic country; people can lobby for anything. Currently, there is no need," he said.

The 75-year-old Zimbabwean leader also commented on the health of Tsvangirai, who has been battling colon cancer.

He is fine, he is recuperating very well," Mnangagwa said. "He says he will soon go again to, for further medical check ups in South Africa.

Two years ago, Tsvangirai announced that he was being treated for the disease. Since then, he has been frail. On Friday, he did not speak to reporters after meeting President Mnangagwa.



MDC Party Vice President Nelson Chamisa had this to say about President Mnangagwas visit:

It is a welcome thing. It is African to care for one another and it is very Zimbabwean. This is the new politics we want to see in Zimbabwe. We are very appreciative of what has been done," Chamisa said.



"The politics of peace, the politics of working together and feeling for one another. This is the direction," he added. "And we hope that it will be the talk that will be walked and the walk that will be sustained, because going forward, we want to see a peaceful election."

Zimbabwe is scheduled to hold elections around the middle of the year. Tsvangirai has not indicated if he will run, given the status of his health. Last month, at a party congress, the ruling ZANU-PF endorsed President Mnangagwa as its candidate for the 2018 elections.
The murky world of Rome's underage pickpockets, their pimps and the laws that fail to protect them.

By Mike Dilien.

Rome, mid July. In Barberini underground station, a nine-year-old boy knocked over Maria Assunta Devoti. The gang of pickpockets to whom the child belonged, left the woman lying on the platform in a pool of blood. The child hit 63-year-old Devoti because she had shouted  in English  Beware of pickpockets in order to warn her fellow passengers, many of them tourists.

Devoti subsequently embarked on a personal crusade against the underage pickpockets in Romes underground until she was informed by an employee of ATAC, the city company that manages the public transport network, that the clan was after her. She also conducted press interviews and media websites streamed videos showing the thieves in action.

According to TripAdvisor, the Eternal City occupied the number two spot on the 2016 list of the worlds worst cities for pick-pocketing, after Barcelona. Further down the list are other European cities like Athens, Florence, Madrid, Paris and Prague  all tourist hotspots.

Moment of inattention

Whether it is in the airport, on the bus or in the underground, in front of a monument or inside a museum, one single, short moment of inattention can turn a carefree holiday into a nightmare. Losing your ID, drivers licence, credit cards and/or cash is diffcult at the best of times and even more inconvenient when you are abroad.

Police on patrol at Rome's Termini station

In Milan early in July police arrested a Bosnian woman. The woman had spent a lifetime teaching children how to pickpocket in tourist attractions and railway and underground stations. Remember the handheld videos shot in Milano Centrale showing tiny kids with their hands shamelessly in tourists backpacks?

Big business

Pick-pocketing, especially pick-pocketing tourists, is a multi-million euro business. Milan police commander Francesco Messina calculated the monthly proceedings of a gang of 50 pickpockets: One child makes 300 a day. Thats 2,100 a week. Multiply by four and then by 50. In Venice, an association called Cittadini non distratti rallied against the gang of underage pickpockets that is causing havoc in their city. And the business is dominated by networks that operate transnationally  genuine multinationals.

Pickpocket networks

The Dutch police, in collaboration with their Spanish colleagues, identified six networks of pickpockets operating across Europe. Barcelona, where pick-pocketing accounts for 80 per cent of reported crimes, tops TripAdvisors list. Besides operating in traditional tourist attractions, these networks also flock to tourist events like San Fermin in Pamplona and Genevas annual car show.

A distracted tourist in Paris is robbed by a gang of underage pickpockets.

Less than a week after the Barberini metro assault made local headlines, the nine-year old pickpocket was back in action. Criminal law states that children below the age of 14 cannot be held responsible for the crimes they commit. Even when the authorities catch an underage pickpocket red-handed, all they can do is escort the minor to a detention centre. Within 20 minutes, the minor will walk free.

Pimps

Underage pickpockets are invariably controlled by adults. According to Rome police, about 280 minors living in the city's Roma camps dedicate themselves to pick-pocketing.

There are also many apparently pregnant girls among the thieves. Girls who are visibly over 13 and not pregnant often carry an ultrasound scan that proves they are expecting: the police cannot detain a pregnant woman or the mother of a one-year-old.

Majority of girls

85 per cent of the pupils are girls. Boys are destined to become topi dappartamento: they burgle houses and apartments. The few boys who accompany the pickpockets commute between the central tourist areas and the camp so that, when the police catch the thieves, the loot is not lost entirely. These children operate in squads. A leader, often an older, experienced thief, accompanies them. They receive incessant telephone calls. Dont come home if you havent made enough money. If you come back, Bebo [the father] will beat you up. Police hearings recorded a mother in a Rome gypsy camp warning her nine children, the eldest being 13, while they were raiding the historic centre.

Lack of cohesion

None of the Rome's authorities  ATAC, the police, the military or the city council  has a coherent, joint approach to tackling the problem. A culture that considers a 13-year-old to be an adult and a potential parent, is taking advantage of another culture that declares that person is still an innocent child. But how fast can politicians change legislation that clearly is ineffective? And, in the meantime, what can judges do against those who obviously exploit the loopholes in the law?

Police raid

I live in an abandoned farmhouse. Ive been taken to Italy by a husband and wife, both of them compatriots of mine, a 12-year old Romanian pickpocket told the Milan police. On a foggy morning, Francesco Messina and 200 police officers, backed up with a helicopter, raided a farm. In a shed they discovered 30 children aged between 8 and 13 years locked up and chained to the wall: the kids who in Milano Centrale had their hands in tourists backpacks. Ive bought a leash, police hearings recorded a woman saying when she referred to a boy that was stubborn.

Yet, it soon turned out that Milan has few powers to protect these children. Barely a few hours after their arrest the police had to hand the children back ot the extortionists.

In 2010, a network of pickpockets that was managed from Rome was put on trial in Paris. The court hearings revealed the girls suffered beatings, cigarette burns and rape if they did not make 300 per day. Unsurprisingly, none of the girls showed up at the trial. Another clan boss had simply "liberated the girls.

Pickpockets operate at train stations such as Milan's Stazione Centrale (above) and Rome's Stazione Termini.

Whereas the children find it difficult to escape a life of crime, those who force them into crime get away with light punishment. Clan heads invariably turn out to be pluri-convicted in several European countries. After each arrest, Milan's Bosnian maestra returned to Bosnia or France and then came back to Italy with a new identity. When Dutch police traced another Bosnian couple in the outskirts of Barcelona, they discovered that, for several decades, the husband had been trafficking children in order to turn them into pickpockets. In Austria, a couple who forced 12 kids to steal for ten hours a day was sentenced to three years. Less than three years later, however, French police discovered the couple was leading an international network of hundreds of underage pickpockets.

Mercatini del rubato

Before dawn, in an open field somewhere in Romes periphery, car headlights are shining on sets of flat screen televisions, old computers, various kitchen apparel and even bottled and canned food. There is a hustle and bustle. An hour later, by early daylight, everything and everyone will be gone.

On Saturdays, in the centre of Rome, near places like the gasometro in the Ostiense district  in quite an isolated area down by the river  people appraise mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, handbags that are laid out on blankets. People haggle. People buy. Nobody asks questions about the origin of the wares on display. Nor does anyone ask when spotting a bargain on an e-commerce platform. Do we?

This article was published in the November 2017 edition of Wanted in Rome.

TRAFFICKING OF MINORS
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Whole Foods Markets is placing new limits on how products are sold in its stores and asking suppliers to help pay for the changes, riling some mom-and-pop vendors that have long depended on the grocer for visibility and shelf space. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The changes, outlined in an email recently sent to the company's suppliers, are intended to save on costs and centralize operations. They come as Whole Foods's new owner, Amazon.com, pushes to reduce prices at the chain's 473 stores.

Some small-business owners said they are already feeling the effect.

Valerie Gray, for instance, began selling her pasta sauce, Italian Heart's Gourmet Foods, to the Whole Foods store in Reno, Nev., four years ago. For years, she said, the grocer allowed her to display 108 bottles of pasta sauce at a time. A professional photograph of Gray and her husband hung from the ceiling, alongside a sign that said "Made Locally."

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But in the past month, that photo has come down, Gray said, and the shelves now accommodate just 36 bottles of sauce as the store makes room for national brands. Sales of Gray's pasta sauce have dropped by 75 percent in the past month, she said.

"It feels like that local, personal touch is going away," she said, adding that Whole Foods accounts for half of the company's sales.

"It's hard to set ourselves apart anymore in the sea of well-known national brands."

Previously, Whole Foods allowed suppliers such as Gray to oversee their own merchandise or hire local firms to do so. But under the new rules, Whole Foods is requiring suppliers to work exclusively with Daymon, a Stamford, Conn.-based retail strategy firm, and its subsidiary, SAS Retail Services, to schedule in-store tastings, check inventory on shelves and create displays on their behalf. (Jeffrey P. Bezos, the founder and chief executive of Amazon, also owns The Washington Post.)

"For the last two years, we have been working to streamline our processes to ensure all our suppliers are supported and set up for success," Don Clark, general vice president of purchasing for nonperishables, said in a statement.

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"The changes to our in-store execution and demo programs are creating a consistent, high-quality experience that benefits both our suppliers and our customers."

In an email obtained by The Washington Post, Clark advised suppliers that they would be required to help fund the effort.

Suppliers that sell more than $300,000 of goods annually to Whole Foods will be required to discount their products by 3 percent (for groceries) or 5 percent (for health and beauty products) to fund the new program. Local suppliers will also have to pay $110 for each four-hour product demonstration by Daymon, while national suppliers will have to pay $165. (Vendors can also continue to host demonstrations themselves, as long as they pay a scheduling fee of between $10 and $30.) Daymon did not respond to requests for comment.

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"To successfully run this program, we need your financial support," Clark wrote.

Some suppliers said the new policies put them at a disadvantage because they rely on regular, previously free three-hour demonstrations and tastings to introduce products that might be unfamiliar to shoppers.

"Right now, you can set up your table and sample away," said Jenna Huntsberger, owner of Whisked, a District-based company that sells cookies, quiches and pies to area Whole Foods stores. "So many small brands have gotten their start like that, and shoppers love that they can walk by and meet the person who made their food."

The changes are also likely to affect a cottage industry of companies that act as liaisons between local suppliers and sellers such as Whole Foods.

Sweet Leenie, a Baltimore-based firm founded by former Whole Foods employee Kathleen Overman, specializes in hosting product demonstrations for companies such as gelato maker Dolcezza and Shenandoah Spice Company. Regular tastings at Whole Foods, Overman said, make up more than 80 percent of her business.

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"Whole Foods has done a great job of creating a community of local food producers and brands," she said. "Our job has always been to advocate for those small businesses, but with these new rules, companies like mine will no longer be useful."

Since taking over the grocery chain in August, Amazon has looked for ways to combine the power of two well-known brands. Whole Foods stores now sell Amazon Echo devices, and Amazon has added more than 1,000 Whole Foods private-label products on its website.

It is also working to combine sales systems to eventually provide discounts to Amazon Prime members. There are already signs the efforts are paying off: Amazon sold $10 million in Whole Foods-branded products in the first four months following the merger, according to analytics firm One Click Retail.

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Extractive industries generated 888 billion CFA francs in the state coffers of Cameroon, thanks to the signing of new oil deals and the promulgation of a new mining code, officials reported on Wednesday during the presentation of the 2015 report of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, EITI.

Initiated by the Ministry of Finance, the report indicated that the extractive industries in question concern the oil sector, mining and gas transport. The revenues were recovered by the State Treasury at 58%, taxes 37%, customs 7%, the National Hydrocarbons Company (SNH) 1% and 0.8% and by other entities.

The new mining code adopted in 2015 and signed into law in 2016 introduces some new measures, including the adoption of new EITI rules that invite mining companies to comply with the requirements of the standards in the sector.

Experts present at the meeting on Wednesday indicated that the Cameroonian previous mining code certainly boosted the interest of some investors in the local subsoil resources, but has not really enabled the country to benefit from the potential in its mining sector, which still represents barely 1% of the countrys GDP.

The central African nation is a leading producer of crude oil, natural gas, bauxite, aluminium, iron ore, as well as diamonds, gold, marble, granite, sapphire, quartz and construction materials.
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Famously unfinished works of art are often left that way for a solemn reason: Their creators died. But there are other possible explanations for walking away. A partial artwork could still be in process or be an attempt to capture a fleeting, imperfect perception. Or it might be a fully realized piece on the subject of incompletion. There are examples of all those in Target Gallery's "Interlude: Unfinished Works."

The show gathers work by 21 artists, about half local. The abstractions include Barbara Januszkiewicz's color-field painting, which has room for one more broad, fluid stroke, but won't get it; the composition is fixed for all time by the resin that coats the surface. Sarah Hardesty is showing a monochromatic, cross-hatched picture that was to be the foundation for further painting until she decided she was done. Katy Mixon applies layers of pigment and then cuts into them to reveal the colors below; her piece is at Level 4 of a procedure that usually goes to at least 10.

Other entries are illustrative, although not of physical things. Bushra Shamma's rendering of her parents on their honeymoon was left partial to signify her mother's early death. Nicole Fossi's picture of a partly clothed woman is intentionally sketchy to embody the transition from naked to dressed. Kathleen Greco's partly erased pencil drawing seeks a visual equivalent of John Cage's chance-generated, Zen-inspired music. Diane Charnov summons high school trauma with an incomplete SAT answer sheet, transferred from flimsy paper to a sturdy ceramic block.

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Actual paper is the medium of the show's largest piece, Haeley Kyong's hanging helix sculpture, which folds the complexity of DNA out of one spiraling sheet. Individual people can be complete, more or less, but humanity is an ongoing project.

Interlude: Unfinished Works Through Jan. 21 at Target Gallery, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria. 703-746-4590. torpedofactory.org/target.

Andrea Ponsi

Among the perplexities of our age is that art is becoming less durable and kitsch more so. Artists intentionally work with stuff that won't last  plants, ice, light, cardboard  while computer memory allows snapshots and cute-animal videos to endure (theoretically, at least) forever. Italian architect Andrea Ponsi's sketches, on display in "Face It!" at Cross MacKenzie Gallery, combine aspects of the eternal and the disposable: They're rendered with neoclassical technique on Post-it notes.

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The gallery is papered with about 2,000 Ponsi drawings, each of a face the architect says is imaginary. Nearly all are on small squares of yellow paper, some in a brighter shade. (These are an off-brand.) Most are in a single color, usually black or red, but some are in multiple hues. About 70 of the drawings are on larger sheets. The bigger ones are in charcoal; the smaller ones also employ pencil, ink and occasionally paint.

Ponsi may not portray actual people, but that doesn't mean there are no sources for his pictures. The architect grew up in Tuscany and attended college in museum-rich Florence, where he's based. The stylistically diverse sketches range from realistic to playful and indicate a familiarity with both Old Masters and the New Yorker.

Lined up neatly together, the drawings also suggest Warhol and other modernists who embraced mechanical reproduction. It's only the format of Ponsi's sketches, however, that's repeated. Every visage is different, which makes "Face It!" a small act of rebellion against mass-produced culture.

Face It! Sketches by Andrea Ponsi Through Jan. 18 at Cross MacKenzie Gallery, 1675 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-337-7970. crossmackenzie.com.

Susan Meiselas: Nicaragua

The beret-clad man clutches a machine gun in one hand and a flaming, gasoline-filled Pepsi bottle in the other. The image is far more famous than Susan Meiselas, the American photographer who made it, and maybe even than the late-1970s civil war it encapsulated. The picture even became a symbol of the force that won the conflict: Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional, or simply, the Sandinistas.

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The reissue of Meiselas's 1981 book, "Nicaragua," is the occasion for a traveling show of the same name, now at D.C.'s Leica store. The layout places the Molotov-cocktail wielder next to an equally extraordinary shot of his enemies, President Anastasio Somoza and company, all in white suits as if on their way to a neo-fascist prom. But most of the pictures document the uprising and its working-class bystanders: being searched, standing in the ruins of their former homes or hauling a husband's wrapped corpse home on a simple pushcart.

Although Meiselas is not primarily a war photographer, she didn't avert her gaze from gruesome scenes. The most disturbing photo here depicts a lovely vista whose foreground is dominated by a mutilated body. The location was a frequent killing field for Somoza's National Guard, but the brutality evokes the latest dispatches from Syria, Yemen and Burma.

Susan Meiselas: Nicaragua Through Jan. 30 at Leica, 977 F St. NW. 202-787-5900. leicastoredc.com.

Haitian art

Brightly hued and straightforward in technique, the paintings in Watergate Gallery's "Rhythm and Color in Haiti" display an affinity with French seekers of simplicity such as Matisse, Gauguin and Henri Rousseau. But the Haitian artists' naivete is sometimes tempered by guile. The elongated figures and trees in Jonas Profil's pictures suggest a tropical Giacometti; in Prefete Duffaut's "Villa Imaginaire," multilevel waterfront paradises twist into the sky like the handiwork of an M.C. Escher whose style softened while on a Caribbean getaway.

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Sometimes the desired balance of directness and intricacy is achieved by the choice of subject, as in Luckain Innocent's depiction of an elaborate pink house with ornate white railings. It contains complexity in a single entity. Uncharacteristically minimalist in composition, yet striking in execution, is Carel Blain's still life of three orange gourds on a rich blue background.

Among the returning artists who have made an impression in the gallery's previous Haitian-art shows are Emmanuel Joseph and Kens Cassagnol. The former portrays jungles full of creatures, including lions and zebras, not found naturally in Haiti. The latter depicts landscapes in which prominently positioned seed pods harbor miniature worlds. Both Joseph and Cassagnol paint flatly, but their visions are deeper than their styles.

Rhythm and Color in Haiti Through Jan. 20 at Watergate Gallery, 2552 Virginia Ave. NW. 202-338-4488. watergategalleryframedesign.com.

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New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art has decided it wants to be a local institution. That is the effect of its decision, announced Thursday, to change its policy of suggested admission to mandatory admission for those who live outside of New York. Effective on March 1, New Yorkers will be required to show proof of residence if they want entry under the old "pay as you wish" policy. Everyone else, including families with teenage children, will be required to pay obligatory entrance fees, ranging from $25 for adults, to $17 for seniors and $12 for students.

The Met positioned the new policy as a response to declining revenue and significant deficits. Despite an enormous increase in attendance in recent years (up 40 percent in less than a decade), revenue from the suggested admission policy declined as the number of people who voluntarily paid the full suggested admission went down by 73 percent. The Met has also been running deficits, has been forced to curtail its exhibition schedule, scale back renovation plans, and cut staff and costs across the institution. It is also considering selling the apartment it has maintained as a perk for its director.

But going from being a museum that was free to all to a museum with a mandatory admission for nearly a third of its visitors is the nuclear option for raising revenue. It's hard to believe that there were no other solutions to the fiscal crisis, given that the museum estimates that the new admission policy "will increase admissions revenue as a percentage of The Met's overall budget by 2 to 3 percent." For a mere 2 to 3 percent increase in what the new admission revenue will contribute, the museum has fundamentally changed the cultural status of the institution, its position within the larger ecosystem of American museums and its relationship to the American and international public, especially families who visit New York on a budget.

The Met's announcement stressed what museum and city leaders feel is a powerful mitigating factor in this decision to go from free for all to free for some: New Yorkers won't be affected. "The Met can continue attracting visitors from around the world to our city, while keeping its doors open to everyone who calls New York home," said one New York City Council member. "Most important, today's announcement ensures that we keep The Met open and accessible for all New Yorkers and their families," said another.

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But a "stick it to the tourists" policy won't just sponge funds from the out-of-state bridge-and-tunnel crowd, or worse, the grubby hicks from flyover. It will say to donors  who should take note and respond appropriately  that the Met no longer intends to be the country's de facto national art museum. By sheer size and visitor numbers, it may remain the most prominent art museum in the country. But it now distinguishes between a local public  those who live in New York  and the rest of the country, which it treats merely as clients. It cannot reasonably approach major donors, those with art they want to leave in the public trust and those with money who hope to support access to that art, and say: We are the nation's museum. Now, the Met is a New York-based cultural attraction, competing with all the others not just for tourist dollars, but for donors who should factor in the tiered-admission system when deciding where they want their money to go.

Indeed, you could hear a tiny but significant shift in how the museum is perceived even as the news broke. "When you look at the landscape of attraction pricing," the head of the city's tourism agency told the New York Times, "the Met is an incredible value at $25." The landscape of attraction pricing. The incredible value. The Met has turned itself over to the commodifiers of culture, in hopes of raising about $6 million to $8 million extra dollars a year, against its $305 million annual budget.

Ordinary tourists, especially those who visit only occasionally, may not notice the change, given how much of what was once public in America is now being monetized. They will pass through the sterile Fifth Avenue plaza and past the ostentatious new fountains donated by mega-billionaire David Koch (a $65 million gift to the landscape of attractions), and ascend the magisterial front stairs until they come to the ticket booths. And they will wonder, is it worth it? Some will say yes, especially if their kids are younger than 12, and can enter free. Those with teenagers  arguably more susceptible to and in need of art than their younger siblings  will have a harder decision to make.

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Regular visitors to the New York area will definitely notice the change, especially those for whom the Met was a place to visit for a few minutes or an hour, a place to reconnect with beloved old paintings, a mansion of many rooms where there was always some place to escape from the frenzy of the city. The Met will simply be one more museum competing for their spare $25. The Met's audience outside of New York includes many people, including former New Yorkers, who still think of the museum as their own. In terms of affection, and the sense of public ownership, they have alienated a significant audience that once felt fondly about the place.

As the New York Times critic Holland Cotter said in a public exchange with his colleague Roberta Smith, the new policy may also discriminate against New Yorkers without identification, and "plays directly into the hands of anti-immigrant sentiment that is now poisoning this country." Smith called it "classist and nativist." The museum has a program to allow undocumented New Yorkers access, but as the Trump administration grows more bellicose and bullying in its relations with "sanctuary" cities, will undocumented residents feel comfortable using the program? It is a curious inversion of the old paternalism that created museums like the Met, to go from wanting to "elevate" and "Americanize" a diverse society to instituting a policy that prioritizes keeping the museum free for some of this country's most exclusive census blocks.

The failure of identity and purpose embodied in this decision positions other institutions, including the National Gallery of Art, to make a strong new appeal to the philanthropic class: Your money would be better spent at a museum that has always been free, and gives access to art held in the public trust no matter what Zip code you live in. The claim of Washington, D.C.'s cultural institutions to be the country's "national" institutions has always been a bit dubious, given their relative prominence to arts organizations in larger metropolitan areas such as New York. But the claim became more plausible today, when the Met decided that it prefers to be large but local rather than public and preeminent.

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The first cringe-worthy moment comes early in "The Pajama Game," the 1954 musical comedy about labor strife in an Iowa sleepwear factory. The new plant manager, Sid Sorokin, is on the factory floor, listening as female union rep Babe Williams recounts an allegation of Sid having shoved a male worker. His response seems the kind of sexist remark that guys have always gotten away with.

"All I can say," he tells Babe in front of a room full of employees, "is that you're the cutest Grievance Committee I ever had to deal with."

As soon as I heard it, during Arena Stage's recent, spirited revival, alarm bells went off. The statement may have come across benignly in 1954  it is, after all, this show's first signpost of a testy romance and a signal of the devilishness we're meant to admire in Sid. But audiences live in a different world now, one with a heightened awareness of the myriad forms of sexual harassment. And certainly, given the cascade of exposes on the topic over the past few months, our collective antennae are more acutely sensitized to these types of outrages, major and minor.

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Reviving the hallmarks of our musical theater heritage is such a widespread practice on the American stage that the mores of bygone ages are going to be dredged up and played out, for some spectators who remember, maybe even cherish the originals  and others who are going to wonder: What the heck were these authors thinking?

Consider what happens at a key juncture of "Crazy for You," the 1992 remake of the Gershwins' 1930 "Girl Crazy," now finishing up a run at Arlington's Tony-winning Signature Theatre. You've seen this in fictional depictions a thousand times, a ridiculous conceit that is supposed to unlock a character's desire, but is in actuality a manifestation of sexual assault: Manhattan rich kid Bobby Child, who has gone out West to run a theater he's inherited, wants to impress upon cowgirl-of-his-dreams Polly Baker how ardent he is. So what does Bobby do? He grabs Polly, spins her and stuns her with an unasked-for smooch.

Now, the uninvited kiss in "Crazy for You"  an affectionate melodic nod to the madcap musicals of the 1930s  may or may not itself be a sendup of a hackneyed romantic device, one dreamed up in the eternally adolescent lobe of the creative brain. Still, "Crazy for You" offers no context for Bobby's invasive impulse; it's treated in the same lighthearted vein as the rest of the show, undifferentiated from unobjectionable forms of wooing. Why is it the conscientious audience member who's left with the job of explaining this interlude to the 11-year-old they've brought along? Read almost any of the recent horrific accounts of the women confronted in offices and hotel rooms by men in power, and you hear eerie echoes of this very kind of physical aggression; one is compelled to wonder if some of these men aren't in part mimicking a behavior from movies and musicals that was portrayed as harmless  and even effective.

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With all of this in mind, the question arises of whether theater companies, and actors and directors, bear some responsibility to present these antique notions with a greater measure of skepticism. I'm not in favor of outright erasure, and an author's rights remain preeminent. But at the moment the changing social norms conspire to make portions of a work as mild as "The Pajama Game" seem a distracting affront to members of an audience who are supposed to be charmed by it, then the musical's compact with its customers is being fatally compromised. Maybe, until someone figures out how to fashion an antidote that doesn't seriously diminish the original, it should not be done.

The extreme example is probably represented by the longest-running off-Broadway musical of all time, the allegorical young lovers' tale, 1960's "The Fantasticks." A song in which narrator El Gallo offers up scenarios for kidnapping the story's young girl, Luisa, titled, "It Depends on What You Pay," originally used the word "rape" repeatedly to describe the varieties of staged kidnaps he could provide. Decades into the run, "rape" had long since been deprived of the connotation its creators were after, that of seizure by force. The solution in that case was that the loaded word was dropped and substituted by the awkward "abduction," or in other cases, "raid." The taste of something unsavory, though, lingered.

It can feel as if vestiges of a caveman mentality remain baked into many musicals from the Golden Age. "My Fair Lady," for instance, which is receiving a major revival in the spring at Lincoln Center Theater with Lauren Ambrose as Eliza Doolittle, features a closing line that's ever more controversial: Confirmed bachelor Professor Henry Higgins, cheered by the return to his home of the young protege, Eliza, with whom he's fallen in love, greets her not with warm words but with an order that seems to reconfirm her previously subservient role: "Eliza," he says, "where the devil are my slippers?"

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Leaving aside the uncomfortable age differences in some productions, the best actors in the role of Higgins manage to incorporate in that line a playful sense of a man who's learned his lesson, that Higgins now knows Eliza won't stick around if he continues to behave as boorishly as he had in the past. Still, that's by no means a universal understanding of the ending. In a tweet just the other day, Joshua Malina, an actor who has more than a quarter-million followers, proposed a new kicker for "My Fair Lady" in which Eliza replies: "F--- you, dude. Get your own slippers."

I'll be curious to see, too, how a starry new revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1945 "Carousel," also coming this spring to Broadway, deals with one of the most troubling facets of any book in the musical-theater canon. Audiences are certainly right to be disturbed up by a pivotal element of the story of rough-hewed carnival barker Billy Bigelow, to be played by Joshua Henry (lately, the Aaron Burr of "Hamilton"). Billy physically abuses his wife, saintly Julie Jordan (Tony winner Jessie Mueller), who excuses his behavior in song. "Oh, what's the use of wond'rin /If he's good or if he's bad," she sings. "He's your feller and you love him /That's all there is to that."

A 2016 revival at Arena Stage dealt with the issue as well as the text allows. The production found a way for us to empathize with Julie's point of view, even as we felt the full brunt of her friends' condemnation of her passivity and his brutality. We have to wish on the conveyors of these old musicals the wisdom and the tools to transcend the limitations of ways of thinking on vital subjects no longer in tune with our own.

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For the third year in a row, police nationwide shot and killed nearly 1,000 people, a grim annual tally that has persisted despite widespread public scrutiny of officers' use of fatal force. Police fatally shot 987 people last year, or two dozen more than they killed in 2016, according to an ongoing Washington Post database project that tracks the fatal shootings. Since 2015, The Post has logged the details of 2,945 shooting deaths, culled from local news coverage, public records and social-media reports.

While many of the year-to-year patterns remain consistent, the number of unarmed black males killed in 2017 declined from two years ago. Last year, police killed 19, a figure tracking closely with the 17 killed in 2016. In 2015, police shot and killed 36 unarmed black males.

Experts said they are uncertain why the annual total shows little fluctuation  the number for 2017 is almost identical to the 995 killed by police in 2015.

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Some believe the tally may correspond to the number of times police encounter people, an outcome of statistical probability. Other experts are exploring whether the number tracks with overall violence in American society.

"The numbers indicate that this is not a trend, but a robust measure of these shootings," said Geoff Alpert, a criminologist at the University of South Carolina who studies police use of force. "We now have information on almost 3,000 shootings, and we can start looking to provide the public with a better understanding of fatal officer-involved shootings."

National scrutiny of shootings by police began after an unarmed black teenager from a suburb of St. Louis was fatally shot by a white police officer in August 2014. The death of 18-year-old Michael Brown sparked widespread protests, prompted a White House commission to call for reforms, galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement and led many police agencies across the nation to examine their use of deadly force.

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The attention may have helped police reduce the number of unarmed people shot and killed each year, according to interviews with experts and police departments. Officers fatally shot 94 unarmed people in 2015, but that number has been lower in the past two years, with 51 killed in 2016 and 68 in 2017.

"The national spotlight on this issue has made officers more cautious in unarmed situations," said Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington-based think tank. Wexler also said the training that his group developed for dozens of departments to de-escalate police encounters with civilians may be having an impact.

"We are giving officers more options like slowing the situation down and using time and distance to gain a tactical advantage," he said.

While the number of black males  armed and unarmed  who have been killed has fallen, black males continue to be shot at disproportionately high rates, the data shows.

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Black males accounted for 22 percent of all people shot and killed in 2017, yet they are 6 percent of the total population. White males accounted for 44 percent of all fatal police shootings, and Hispanic males accounted for 18 percent.

Other patterns also held steady in 2017, according to The Post database.

Police again most frequently used fatal force after encountering people armed with knives or guns, killing 735, a number nearly identical to the 734 armed people killed in 2015. The number was slightly lower in 2016, with 693 killed while armed with either type of weapon.

White males continued to account for the largest group of people killed while armed with guns or knives, at 330 of those killed. Black males armed with guns or knives were fatally shot in 160 cases last year.

Mental health again played an outsize role in the shootings: 236 people, or nearly 1 in 4 of those shot, were described as experiencing some form of mental distress at the time of the encounter with police.

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In the vast majority of those cases, 88 percent, the deceased people had wielded firearms or other weapons, including a machete, a sledge ax and a pitchfork.

In November, Oklahoma City resident Dustin Pigeon, 29, threatened to set himself ablaze. A police officer shot Pigeon five times after he refused to drop a lighter and lighter fluid, according to prosecutors. In an unusual outcome, prosecutors charged the officer with second-degree murder in the death of Pigeon, saying that Pigeon was unarmed and had posed no threat to the officer.

Mental-health advocates said they have been encouraged by the number of police departments that have created intervention teams to help people in mental distress but were dismayed at the persistence of the number killed.

"We call 911 for other medical emergencies and they bring specially trained medical technicians, but when it's a mental-health crisis, we send the police," said Ron Honberg, a senior policy adviser at the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a grass-roots mental health-care advocacy group.

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Of all the people shot and killed by police in 2017, one of the youngest was 14-year-old Jason Pero from the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa Tribe. In November, Jason called 911 to report a man with a knife and then gave a description of himself. Holding a knife, Jason lunged at a sheriff's deputy, who shot and killed him, according to news reports.

The oldest person killed by police was 91-year-old Frank Wratny of Union Township, Pa., who was shot in March after he confronted police with a gun at his home. Police were responding to a 911 call from a woman who said Wratny had fired at her, according to news reports.

Meanwhile, the number of police officers feloniously killed in the line of duty in 2017 stood at 46, a decline from the 66 recorded in 2016, according to the FBI.

Since the shooting of Brown, some police departments said they have made headway in efforts to reduce the number of people they fatally shoot.

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In Los Angeles in 2015, the police department began to emphasize that officers should strive to preserve life in all encounters. Last year, the department began to award a preservation-of-life medal to an officer who makes great efforts to avoid a fatal shooting. The move was derided by local police unions.

Top managers in the department said they think it has made a difference: Last year, Los Angeles Police Department officers fatally shot 15 people, down from 18 in 2016 and 21 in 2015.

First Assistant Chief Michel Moore said the LAPD has provided officers with more training to emphasize de-escalation and has taken steps to hold officers more accountable.

"Our officers are in 1.5 million volatile encounters a year, so shooting someone is an incredibly rare event," Moore said. "Yet we pull each instance apart and see what factors might have played a role and train our officers to make that rare event even more rare."

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For a third consecutive year, The Post documented more than twice the number of deadly shootings by police that were recorded on average annually by the FBI.

In response to the shooting data compiled by The Post and others, the FBI in 2015 promised to start better information gathering about all police encounters that lead to deaths. This month, the agency said it will launch the new nationwide data collection system.

But the new system will have some of the same limitations that has led the government to annually undercount by half the number of fatal shootings by police. As before, data submissions under the new program will be voluntary.

Ted Mellnik contributed to this report. Anthony is a fellow at the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University.

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David Deshaies always wanted to offer comfort food with a spin as the owner of his debut restaurant. A protege of the late French tastemaker Michel Richard, the chef also knew the effort wouldn't be a cheap-eats destination, certainly not with free-range chicken and domestic Wagyu beef on his menu.

Hence the name of his long-awaited restaurant beside the convention center: Unconventional Diner, designed as two eateries  one open just for dinner, the other for breakfast and lunch  and connected by a cocktail bar.

The evening-only dining room opened last month, and it comes with an industrial look (cement floors, undressed ceiling) punctuated here and there with what looks like graffiti. The focus, in other words, is clearly on the plate, and by now, Washingtonians know to expect small wonders from the creative Deshaies, who worked for Richard at both the much-missed four-star Citronelle in Georgetown and the breezy Central Michel Richard downtown, where he retains a partnership.

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Vegetarians have an advocate in Deshaies, who sprinkles 10 or so meatless notions throughout his menu of snacks, shareables, "supper" and sides. Ease in with tempura-crisped kale nachos, striped with lemony cumin yogurt and red pepper jelly for colorful effect, or crackling spring rolls stuffed with shiitake mushrooms. The latter snack comes with what the menu calls a "Franch" dressing: a riff on ranch, based on fromage blanc and lots of tarragon and dill.

Of course there's meatloaf, and of course, it's nothing like anyone's mom's. Deshaies blends together beef, pork and veal, along with plenty of diced vegetables and some Gruyere, which gives each bite of meatloaf a welcome juiciness. Topping the loaf is a glaze made with ketchup, honey and Sriracha, and a garnish of Chinese long beans; a moat of morel mushroom gravy nudges the slab into fine-dining turf.

"Is everything delicious?" an overeager manager inquires every time he drops by the table. Presumptuous question, if you ask me. In fact, chicken Parmesan is ordinary in comparison to the restaurant's abundant draws, which include squid-ink linguine topped with a fistful of sweet jumbo lump crab, and chicken pot pie rethought as crouton-size golden cubes gathered on a nest of shredded cabbage. Each perfect, breaded nugget hides luscious chicken and carrots in roux. Swanson's can only dream.

Unconventional Diner has a second asset in its pastry chef. She's Ana Deshaies, the chef's wife and the talent behind the baked goods. (The two met at Citronelle.) When the daytime restaurant opens, later this month, she'll be making the croissants and other breads in a separate kitchen. At present, diners can enjoy her fluffy tres leches cake offered with a starburst of fruit and moist, uber-rich carrot cake paved with white chocolate tinged with carrot juice.

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In tribute to Richard, who died in 2016, Deshaies serves his mentor's famous 72-hour short ribs  "the exact same recipe," down to its raisin-peppercorn sauce, says the chef. A perfectionist like his one-time employer, Deshaies goes so far as to stage the sliced beef in the same copper pans used at Citronelle.

"I loved Michel," says his protege.

Something tells me Richard would have loved Washington's most unconventional diner.

1207 Ninth St. NW. 202-847-0122. unconventionaldiner.com. "Supper" items, $15 to $89 (short ribs for two or more).

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The Ethiopian government will pardon political prisoners and close the notorious Maekelawi prison in a bid to widen the democratic space for all, Prime Minister Haile mariam Desalegn said on Wednesday.

The move comes days after consultations within the ruling Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition which includes parties representing the Oromo and other restive regions.

According to a statement released by the Prime Ministers office, some members of political parties under prosecution will be released and those convicted will be pardoned based on an assessment to establish a national consensus and widen the political sphere.

The notorious prison cell that was traditionally called Maekelawi will be close down and turned into a museum the statement said.

According to Human Rights Watch, Police investigators at Maekelawi use coercive methods on detainees amounting to torture or other ill-treatment to extract confessions, statements, and other information from detainees.

The opposition has long demanded the closure of the prison while also calling for the release of prominent opposition figures held in detention.

It was not immediately clear how many political prisoners were being held across the country, a close US security ally.
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Exceptional Excellent Very Good Here are five wines, all under $20, to help you through the winter chill. They include a rich Cotes-du-Rhone that tastes above its pedigree, a fun and juicy Sicilian red, and a philanthropic South African red that funnels extra profits back to the farmers who grow the grapes.

Clos du Mont-Olivet Vieille Vignes 2015

Cotes-du-Rhone, France, $18

This savory, rich red evokes southern France with its scents and flavors of dark fruit, lavender and wild thyme. The winemaker deftly captured the warmth of a ripe vintage without letting the sugar levels in the grapes  and the resulting alcohol in the wine  get out of whack. Alcohol by volume: 14.5 percent.

Distributed by Dionysus: Available in the District at Arrowine and Spirits, MacArthur Beverages, Rodman's, Whole Foods Market (P Street); on the list at Mirabelle. Available in Maryland at Balducci's and Bradley Food & Beverage in Bethesda, Wine Source in Baltimore. Available in Virginia at Arrowine and Cheese in Arlington, Balducci's (Alexandria, McLean), Whole Foods Market (Alexandria, Arlington).

Donnafugata Sedara 2015

Sicily, Italy, $18

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Sometimes a good wine just needs to get the job done, but with a little added flair. This juicy red blend based on Sicily's own nero d'avola is ideal for casual weeknight meals such as pizza, pasta, even grilled fish or meat. ABV: 13.5 percent.

Distributed by M. Touton: Available in the District at A. Litteri, Best in Liquors, Capital City Wine & Spirits, Connecticut Avenue Wine & Liquor, Eye Street Cellars, Rodman's. Available in Maryland at Cork 57 Beer and Wine in Bethesda, Franklins Restaurant, Brewery and General Store in Hyattsville, Old Farm Liquors and Riverside Liquors in Frederick, the Wine Harvest in Potomac.

Stillman St. Chardonnay 2016

Sonoma County, Calif., $18

This is good, straightforward chardonnay, rich with stone fruit flavors, just a little bit of influence from older oak barrels, and a nicely balanced finish. ABV: 14.1 percent.

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Distributed by DMV: Available in the District at Paul's of Chevy Chase. Available in Maryland at 5 O'clock Wines & Spirits in Owings Mills, Aloha Liquor and Bristol Liquors in Baltimore, Breezy Point Market in Chesapeake Beach, Eastport Liquors and the Italian Market in Annapolis, Fenwick Beer & Wine in Silver Spring, Frederick Wine House, Lakefront Fine Wine & Spirits, Old Farm Liquors and Trout Liquors in Frederick, Hair o' the Dog in Easton, McHenry Beverage Shoppe in McHenry, Old Line Fine Wine, Spirits & Bistro in Beltsville, Pine Liquors in Fort Washington, Richburn Discount Liquors in Columbia.

GREAT VALUE

Cape Venture Wine Co. Lubanzi 2015

South Africa, $15

Lubanzi is the creation of District-based Charles Brain and Walker Brown, who trekked across part of South Africa a few years ago with a stray dog named Lubanzi. They describe their company as a sustainable enterprise; half of the profits go back to the farmers who grew the grapes. They launched last year with two wines: a 2016 chenin blanc and this deliciously zesty 2015 Rhone-style red, a blend of shiraz, cinsault, mourvedre and Grenache. The wines are sealed with an innovative twist-off cork. ABV: 13.5 percent.

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Distributed by Constantine in the District and Maryland, Global Wines in Virginia: Available in the District at Ace Beverage, A. Litteri, Batch 13, Connecticut Avenue Wine & Liquor, Cordial Fine Wine & Spirits (Union Market, the Wharf), Eye Street Cellars, Gallagher & Graham Fine Spirits, Metro Wine & Spirits, Modern Liquors, Universal Liquor, Wine Specialist; on the list at All Souls Bar, the Bird, Blue Duck Tavern, Bombay Club, Joe's Stone Crab, Proper 21. Available in Virginia at the Brew Shop in Arlington, Department of Beer and Wine in Alexandria.

GREAT VALUE

Legado del Moncayo Dry Muscat 2016

Campo de Borja, Spain, $14

Muscat generally tends to be sweet. Dry versions like this one retain the grape's flowery and citrus character. Think of standing in a lemon grove near the ocean on a breezy day. This is delicious by itself but would be a great partner for seafood salad or paella. ABV: 13 percent.

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Distributed by Elite/Grapes of Spain: Distributed in the District at Batch 13, Dupont Market, Grand Cata, Paul's of Chevy Chase, Rodman's; on the list at Joselito, Mi Cuba, Taberna del Alabardero. Available in Maryland at Beers & Cheers Too, Downtown Crown Wine and Beer and Finewine.com in Gaithersburg, the Bottle Shop in Potomac, Cheers & Spirits in Arnold, Georgetown Square Wine and Beer in Bethesda, Mt. Washington Wine Co. and Wine Source in Baltimore, Takoma Park-Silver Spring Co-op in Takoma Park, Village Beer & Fine Wine in Rockville, Wine Cellars of Annapolis; on the list at Corner Charcuterie Bar and Minnow in Baltimore. Available in Virginia at Arrowine and Cheese in Arlington, Balducci's in Alexandria, the Bottle Stop in Occoquan, Cheesetique in Alexandria, Planet Wine & Gourmet in Alexandria; on the list at Bistro 1521 and SER in Arlington.

Availability information is based on distributor records. Wines might not be in stock at every listed store and might be sold at additional stores. Prices are approximate. Check Winesearcher.com to verify availability, or ask a favorite wine store to order through a distributor.

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Stephen K. Bannon seems to have one last conservative ally in his current sumo-style standoff with President Trump. Not surprisingly, it's Breitbart News, the media organ that Bannon runs and which has long been the vehicle to promote Bannon's slate of populist "anti-establishment" Republican candidates. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The website and its chairman found themselves isolated on Thursday after Bannon's comments to author Michael Wolff caused a backlash inside the White House, among rival conservative media outlets and among Trump supporters more broadly.

Bannon's comments  he told Wolff it was "treasonous" for members of Trump's family and staff to meet with Russian representatives during the campaign last year  prompted a key backer, the billionaire Mercer family, to withdraw financial support for Bannon's political activities. So far, however, the Mercers have not signaled that they will walk away from Breitbart itself, which would be a crippling blow.

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Bannon  who returned to Breitbart in August after a year as Trump's campaign manager and chief White House strategist  hasn't disavowed his comments to Wolff. But he has made concessionary statements since Trump blasted him in a statement ("he lost his mind") on Wednesday.

"The president of the United States is a great man," Bannon said Wednesday night on Breitbart's SiriusXM radio program. "You know I support him day in and day out." On his Thursday morning radio show, he added: "Nothing will ever come between us and President Trump and his agenda. We're as tight on this agenda as we've ever been."

But for the moment, at least, the damage appears to have been done.

Even as Breitbart reported the unfolding controversy in relatively evenhanded fashion, its readers hurled lightning bolts at Bannon. "Has Breitbart News fired Bannon yet?" wrote one, in a very long skein of negative comments about Bannon on the site. "How do they distance themselves from this traitor?"

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Breitbart's representatives, including editor Alex Marlow, didn't return repeated requests for comment on Thursday.

Bannon's effort to boost conservative candidates took its biggest blow on Thursday when billionaire donor Rebekah Mercer, in a rare public statement, said she was withdrawing financial support. "I support President Trump and the platform upon which he was elected," Mercer said. "My family and I have not communicated with Steve Bannon in many months and have provided no financial support to his political agenda, nor do we support his recent actions and statements."

However, Mercer said she remains committed to Breitbart. Her family holds a minority stake in the organization.

Rivals took aim at Bannon, too. During his Infowars program, conservative conspiracy aficionado Alex Jones said Bannon "stabbed America and the president in the back." Matt Drudge  the powerful conservative-media aggregator who gave Breitbart's late founder, Andrew Breitbart, his start  suggested in a tweet that Breitbart's chief executive, Larry Solov, and Breitbart's widow, Susie Breitbart, "will take Breitbart into the fresh future," a veiled reference to dumping Bannon. The Washington Times put it more bluntly in a headline: "Are Bannon's Breitbart Days Numbered?"

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That suggestion was picked up by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who said at the daily briefing Thursday that getting rid of Bannon was "something [Breitbart] should look at and consider." (As of Thursday afternoon, people at Breitbart said Bannon was planning to stick around.)

Christopher Ruddy, a Trump friend who heads the conservative Newsmax news organization, said in an interview that Bannon made a "miscalculation" by criticizing Trump and his family. "Steve has been publicly positive toward the president, but obviously privately critical," Ruddy said. "That's now out in the open. The president is the base, not Bannon. The Breitbart base is all about Donald Trump. They look at him for what he is and the strength he represents."

Ruddy predicted that the Bannon-Trump split "will be good for the president. It will become clearer to him the grass roots support him and he doesn't need Steve Bannon."

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The shaming and shunning of Bannon by Trump loyalists comes at a vulnerable time for the former chief White House strategist and the media organization he heads. Bannon's clout as a conservative-populist "anti-establishment" kingmaker was already in question due to his support of Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, who lost to a Democrat, Doug Jones, in last month's special election in Alabama.

At the same time, Breitbart's advertiser base has crumbled in the face of a persistent social-media campaign aimed at its sponsors; people familiar with the site's finances, which are private, say it lost money last year, despite being one of the most heavily trafficked conservative sites on the Internet.

The Mercer statement, while damning of Bannon, suggests Breitbart itself may have dodged a bullet for now, with her continued pledge of support for the website. The Mercer family co-owns Breitbart with Solov, the Breitbart family and other investors.

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"No money, no power," said Kurt Bardella, a former Breitbart spokesman. "If they lose Mercer, where does the money come from? For Bannon, this could mean losing Breitbart and then what does he really have to offer any candidate he gets behind?"

But that's today. Tomorrow could be different, he said. Trump, he notes, has publicly attacked allies such as Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Republican senators and others, only to later embrace them. Bannon could be rehabilitated, too.

"What Trump says today in anger isn't necessarily what he'll stick to a week or a month or a year from now," Bardella said. "Moreover, because Trump is a psychotic narcissist, he may take great delight in a humbled Bannon groveling before him for forgiveness and a second or third chance. Ultimately, if Trump finds himself in political jeopardy through either [special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's] investigation or the midterms, don't be shocked if he starts taking advice from Steve again."

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The winter storm that started in the Carolinas is swooping north, unleashing strong winds, heaps of snow and freezing temperatures on the little people below. In response to the dangerous weather, airlines are halting flights. According to FlightAware.com statistics from Thursday afternoon (the data seemingly changes by the minute), travelers moving around the country have experienced more than 2,130 delays and 4,030 cancellations. New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport has had the most disruptions, with 79 percent of departing flights canceled. Boston Logan and New York's LaGuardia have also put the kibosh on three-quarters of flights. Of the three Washington-area airports, the storm, which has been called a "bomb cyclone," has toyed with BWI Marshall the most: 60 cancellations and delays each. United and American logged the highest volume of cancellations  562 and 547, respectively.

To assist passengers with immediate travel plans, airlines have relaxed their rules, eliminating change and cancellation fees and differences in fares. American, for one, will waive the change fee on tickets to nearly 20 Northeast destinations (Boston, Portland and Montreal, among them) booked by Tuesday for travel through Saturday. Passengers may switch their dates to travel through Jan. 9. However, they must keep the same itinerary and seat category or, in the latter case, pay the increase in fare. United has implemented a similar policy: Anyone holding a ticket to one of 14 Northeast airports for travel through Friday can rebook without penalty for travel on or before Jan. 8. For Mid-Atlantic airports, including Reagan National and Washington Dulles, passengers supposed to fly Thursday can change their departure date to no later than Jan. 7. JetBlue travelers with flights leaving Thursday or Friday to any of 15 Northeast cities can reschedule for travel through Jan. 11. Southwest, which doesn't charge a change fee, is allowing passengers with plans to fly Thursday or Friday to nine cities to rebook in the same seat category or travel standby within 14 days of their original departure date.
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Many out-of-towners think Tampa is mostly about Cuban food. Fair enough. It is home of the famed Cuban sandwich. (Sorry, Miami, local historians have unearthed documents that reveal the sandwichs true birthplace as the cigar factories of the citys Ybor City neighborhood a century ago.) But as someone who has called Tampa home for nearly three decades, Ive seen this towns food scene  once decidedly ho-hum  undergo something of a renaissance in recent years, with new restaurants fusing Florida traditions with local ingredients and some pretty cutting-edge cooking.

You cant visit Tampa and not eat Cuban. Period. Like most locals, I have my favorite joints, some more hole-in-the-wall-ish than others. West Tampa Sandwich Shop & Restaurant (westtampasandwichshoprestaurant.com, 813-873-7104) tops my list for its friendly vibe and fantastic Cuban food. Despite lots of American-style fare on the breakfast menu (all good), skip them and instead order Cuban toast  Cuban bread slathered with butter and hot-pressed to crunchy perfection (regular size, $1.60; large, $2.10). It also does a nifty riff on this traditional dish by adding a little honey to the butter before pressing (regular, $1.80; large, $2.10). I also often opt for a lightly sweet empanada de queso y guava (a crispy empanada filled with cream cheese and guava paste, $2.45). Pair with a shot of Cuban espresso ($1) or cafe con leche (small, $1.55; medium, $2.20; large, $2.40), espresso and steamed milk. If youre here for lunch, get the Cuban sandwich  correctly made, Tampa-style, with mustard, pickles, Swiss cheese, roasted pork, ham, salami and Cuban bread (small, $3; regular, $3.60; large, $4.80). As with the toast, theres a version with a touch of honey.

Menus offering umpteen different dishes tend to make me feel paralyzed by choice. Yet Im blessedly neurosis-free here. Maybe its because the Hall on Franklin (thehallonfranklin.com, 813-405-4008) is really seven restaurants under one roof. Tampas first taste of the American food-hall craze is no mere highfalutin food court. Think an eclectic mix of food-and-drink vendors, plus traditional sit-down restaurant service at high-top, regular and coffee tables beside low, comfy leather couches. Trendy, sure, but a great place for lunch  especially when everyone in your group has different tastes. Favorites from recent visits include Heights Fish Camps grouper BLT sandwich ($12.99) and peel-and-eat shrimp with wasabi cocktail sauce ($10.99)  both updated takes on a Gulf Coast standards  and Poke Roses eponymous bowl of sesame-flecked and ginger-spiced ahi tuna cubes, scallions, edamame and chia seeds atop radishes, jasmine rice and greens (small, $11.95; large, $15.95.) Catering to drink tastes here is easy. Youll find all manner of coffee, soda and chocolate drink concoctions at Kofe. For those after something with a bit more kick, try the Collections wines and cocktails. Although Im a die-hard Negroni fan, I also like Collection partner Ro Patels signature take on a classic Gibson cocktail ($12), garnished with little pickled onions and a sliver of freshly shaved black truffle.

A legend well beyond Tampa, Berns Steak House (bernssteakhouse.com, 813-251-2421) has always seemed to be more than the sum of its parts. And what parts it has. From the outside, its nearly windowless white stucco walls make you wonder if youve got the wrong address. Beyond the front door is a warren of cozy rooms and hallways that appear to have been decorated by some bordello madam oenophile. Then theres the upstairs dessert room, with several dozen podlike private booths fashioned from wine casks, each equipped with six-channel stereo sound systems and phones so guests can ring the nearby lounge pianist with their song requests. And I havent yet mentioned the restaurants justifiably famous, phonebook-size wine list (and absurdly big and vampiric wine cellar) and menu of steaks and other signature dishes. If this sounds ghastly or wonderful, youre right. Its both. And more. Though I typically troll restaurants daily specials for novel tastes, Im a creature of habit here, starting meals via a wine-picking confab with a sommelier, followed by a signature house French onion soup au gratin with garlic and spelt toasts ($7.50). Next is an old-school Caesar salad ($11.95), prepared tableside by a black-jacketed waiter. For a main course, I invariably go for a chateaubriand ($48.20 for the 11-ouncer) and baked potato. I may skip dessert but never a visit to the dessert room and at least after-dinner drinks. Though Ive sampled a fair number of sweets here, my favorite is Berns riff on a classic baked Alaska, made with macadamia nut ice cream and served aflame ($13.95).

Abercrombie is a writer based in Tampa. His website is paulabercrombie.com; find him on Twitter: @paulabercrombie.

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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said Friday that he supports a bill that would allow women who become pregnant as a result of a rape to terminate their attackers' parental rights and is willing to sign it as soon as the General Assembly approves it. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The measure has failed nine times, including in the final hours of the 2017 legislative session. But this year, it is a top priority of the 90-day session, which begins Wednesday. Sen. President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) and House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) are co-sponsoring the measure.

"It is past time for Maryland to increase the protections available for survivors who have a child conceived through rape," Hogan said. "Nine years is too long to wait."

The 2017 bill died in the final hours of the session after key members of a conference committee panel could not reach a compromise over the House and Senate versions.

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Advocates were outraged that two committee chairmen who appointed the conference panel did not include female lawmakers in the group, and legislators waited until the end of the session to try to resolve the differences in the House and Senate versions.

Miller has assured advocates and longtime bill sponsors Del. Kathleen Dumais and Sen. Brian J. Feldman, both Democrats from Montgomery County, that the measure will move out the General Assembly this year. He said he had hoped it would have reached the governor's desk last year.

"It's going to pass, and if necessary it's going to be six women on the conference committee somehow to make sure it does pass," he said. "It will be a good bill; it will be a solid bill."

But Miller added that there were reasons the measure has previously failed.

"It's not as simple as saying a rape has occurred and the fellow is no longer a parent," he said. "There are constitutional issues."

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Under the bill, a woman who sought to terminate a man's parental rights would have to prove through "clear and convincing evidence"  the standard used in civil court  that the man had sexually assaulted her. The burden-of-proof standard is higher in criminal court, where charges must be proved "beyond a reasonable doubt."

Advocates argued that Maryland allows parental rights to be terminated in child-abuse cases even when there is no criminal child-abuse conviction. The same standard should apply, they say, in cases of sexual assault.

Lisae C. Jordan, executive director of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assaults, said her group welcomes the governor's support and looks forward to a "prompt" bill signing.

In addition to the parental rights bill, Hogan proposed two bills that deal with sexual assault and human trafficking. One measure, which failed to pass the legislature last year, cracks down on repeat sex offenders. The other would classify human trafficking as a violent crime.

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Maryland has one of the highest volumes of calls to the National Human Trafficking hotline in the country, Hogan said.

Jordan said versions of the Repeat Sexual Predator Prevention Act have been introduced for decades. She said the rules committee of the state judiciary has also been reviewing the issue.

"Our view is it is a problem that needs to be fixed whether the judiciary or legislature fixes it," Jordan said. "Right now, Maryland does not allow juries to consider needed information and, as a result, too often sex offenders go free. We need a rule or a bill that is fair to survivors of sexual assault."

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Female lawmakers who say they have experienced, witnessed or heard about sexual harassment in Annapolis are pushing for changes to the Maryland General Assembly's anti-harassment policy, which they say does not adequately address a pervasive culture of misconduct. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Unlike counterparts in California, New York, Congress and elsewhere, the Women Legislators of Maryland group is working mostly behind the scenes, and members have been reluctant to publicly describe their experiences or demand immediate changes.

"There is not really a safe environment to discuss the issue. It's not something that people really want to be addressing," said one female lawmaker, who like most people interviewed declined to be named out of fear of reprisal. "For me to come out and identify, it would be me basically deciding to lose my career and credibility. And that's the way it is understood in Annapolis."

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Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) and House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) said they want women in Annapolis to feel comfortable reporting complaints. Both longtime legislative leaders said they have taken steps over the years to make that happen, including adding mandatory training for lawmakers and staff, increasing the number of people who can receive complaints and including the legislature's Ethics Committee in the adjudication process.

"The ultimate goal is to have the safest, most accommodating workplace we can possibly provide for everybody who works here," Busch said. "That's staffers all the way up to legislators, lobbyists and others. We take it very seriously."

Del. Ariana Kelly (D-Montgomery), president of the women's caucus, said the group created a panel more than a year ago to look into how the legislature deals with harassment. Its proposals will come by the end of the 90-day legislative session that begins Wednesday.

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Many of the ideas being considered, Kelly said, would not require legislative action. She applauded the recent changes implemented by Busch and Miller, but she and other women said more needs to be done.

Some of the possibilities being weighed by the caucus include third-party reporting and having independent investigators and confidentiality in the reporting process. Kelly said the panel may propose barring sexual relationships between supervisors and subordinates or interns, adding committee chairs to the list of officials who can receive complaints and creating protections for lobbyists.

In a recent Washington Post op-ed column, Kelly wrote that in her first year as a delegate, a married senior colleague grabbed her rear end while two male colleagues watched. "I was utterly humiliated," she wrote. "The next morning I went into a female legislator's office, closed the door and cried."

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She considered reporting the incident but ultimately decided against it.

In an interview, Kelly said sexual misconduct in government "has been something I have really struggled with my whole tenure, trying to figure out a way to effect positive change."

"We're at a great moment, and I want to make sure we make the most of this moment."

Female staffers, lobbyists and legislators, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisal, said sexual harassment is ingrained in the Maryland statehouse's culture. They say the abuse ranges from groping and sexist comments to belittling and unwanted sexual advances.

"It's the long, lingering hug, the touch in the small of your back, calling you 'miss' or 'little lady,' " a former lobbyist said. "It becomes something, unfortunately, you have to deal with to work down there."

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The targets are generally young aides, staffers and lobbyists trying to establish their careers. The culture persists, women in Annapolis said, because victims are often afraid of reporting it and because those who act inappropriately are not punished properly.

"There has to be some accountability," Kelly said. "And that's difficult because we are a self-regulating body."

Mona Lena Krook, a political-science professor at Rutgers University who studies sexual harassment in politics, said the harassment "has an effect on democracy."

"People who are staff run for office themselves," Krook said. "If you are harassed out of that space . . . it can deter women's participation. . . . It becomes not just about the moment but about the future."

Alexandra Hughes, Busch's chief of staff, said Busch has taken leadership positions away from delegates who have acted inappropriately and has referred complaints to the state prosecutor's office.

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"Because there is not a public shaming process doesn't mean there isn't action taken," Hughes said. "We generally follow the lead of the victim, and if the victim doesn't want to report but wants the situation handled, there's a process for that. If the victim wants to report but doesn't want to disclose what the resolution is, there is a process for that."

Sara Love, a former lobbyist for the ACLU of Maryland, recalled a lawmaker greeting her with a "hug and a nasty wet kiss."

She later learned that the delegate has a reputation and is widely known as the "grabber in chief." She said she never went to his office by herself or spoke to him alone again.

A retired lobbyist remembered being accosted in an elevator in the early 1990s. The lawmaker grabbed her arms, she said, and asked: "Have you ever been with a black man? Don't you want to be with me?"

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She pushed him off but didn't report him. Nor did she report another legislator who grabbed her thigh and told her "Not now, honey," when she tried to make a comment during a legislative meeting.

"If I had reported it, I never would have gotten into their offices," she said.

Love didn't report her incident, either. She said the lawmaker's reputation was widely known and there had been no repercussions that she was aware of.

In recent weeks, as allegations of sexual harassment by politicians, journalists and celebrities have increased across the country, a former staffer circulated a letter among women in Annapolis demanding that the legislature strengthen its anti-harassment policy. She said she hoped to get dozens of signatures and then release the letter to the public.

But the woman, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, put her effort on hold as the opening of the legislative session neared. Many women who initially told her they would support her initiative, she said, backed out because of concerns about retaliation.

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"Things in Annapolis are handled in-house," said the female lawmaker, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity. "It makes me ill to think about it, as a woman and someone who has daughters, to think that I perpetuate this culture. But if I'm being honest, I have to weigh: You could lose your opportunity to push issues that matter, the ability to advocate for victims. Do you lose that for all the people who you could help?"

Last month, the legislative policy committee ordered the General Assembly's human resources director to begin keeping track of the number and type of harassment complaints and how the complaints are resolved. Until that point, the office did not tally or analyze complaints. The committee also told the director of human resources to annually report the data to the committee.

Earlier changes came in 2016, following harassment allegations against then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.

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At that time, the committee designated a male staffer to receive reports of harassment, in addition to a female staffer, and allowed witnesses  not just victims  to report. The committee also clarified that the legislature's anti-harassment policy applied to harassment of transgender individuals.

"We're trying to accommodate for everyone to bring their complaints forward and listen to both sides of the story," Busch said. "Hopefully, people will have their opportunity to have their say. . . . And if we find out that that's not working, we'll have to look into other areas to deal with it."

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Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) has been hospitalized for treatment of a bacterial infection, his office confirmed Friday hours after his wife, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, ended her campaign for the Democratic nomination for Maryland governor. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Cummings was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital on Dec. 29 with a bacterial infection in his knee, according to a statement released by his office. Doctors drained the infection Friday during a "minor procedure," according to the statement, and added that he is "resting comfortably and expects a full recovery."

Rockeymoore Cummings, a policy consultant, cited "personal considerations" in dropping out of the race Friday.

Cummings, 66, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Relations committee who is serving his 11th term, spent nearly three months away from Congress after heart surgery last fall.

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Rockeymoore Cummings, the second woman and the last of eight candidates to enter the crowded race, launched her campaign three months ago.

"Making a positive and direct contribution to the state of Maryland and to our nation was my greatest motivating factor for stepping into the public arena," Cummings said in a statement. "Unfortunately due to personal considerations, I am suspending my bid for governor of Maryland."

A spokesman for her campaign did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The announcement comes just weeks before candidates must file fundraising reports, which will provide a strong indication of how well they might fare against the popular and the well-financed governor, Larry Hogan (R), who is seeking a second term.

Rockeymoore Cummings had difficulty getting her campaign off the ground despite a key endorsement from Emily's List, a political action committee that pushes to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights. Before she launched her bid, nine percent of voters in a Goucher Poll taken in September said they would consider voting for her.

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Rockeymoore Cummings has worked in politics as a staffer on Capitol Hill and for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation but was not widely known in state politics. The bid for governor was her first run for public office. As a small-business owner, Rockeymoore focused her campaign on addressing economic inequality. Her decision leaves just one woman, Krishanti Vignarajah, a former policy aide to Michelle Obama, in the governor's race.

"Maya Rockeymoore Cummings is a change agent committed to fighting for working families, and I thank her for entering the race to bring her uplifting and purposeful message to Maryland voters," said Kathleen Matthews, chair of the state Democratic Party.

In a brief statement announcing the decision, Rockeymoore Cummings thanked her supporters andothers she met during the short-lived campaign "who also fervently believe that we can and must do better for the people of Maryland." She said she plans to continue to "advance a diverse, inclusive and thriving economy and society."

In addition to Shea and Vignarajah, the other candidates include Prince George's County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, former NAACP president Ben Jealous, State Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr., attorney Jim Shea and tech entrepreneur Alec Ross.

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Prince William County

These were among incidents reported by Prince William County police for this edition of Local Living. For information, call 703-792-5123.

CHESAPEAKE BEACH AREA

ROBBERY ARREST

Chesapeake Beach area, Dec. 20. A 28-year-old man, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged with robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in connection with an armed robbery Dec. 7 on Mangione Ct. in Manassas.

DUMFRIES AREA

ASSAULT

Taconic Cir., 16200 block, 4:06 p.m. Dec. 26. A 25-year-old Dumfries man was arrested after an altercation with a family member escalated. The man was charged with assault and battery on a law enforcement officer, domestic assault and battery, and obstruction of justice.

RECKLESS HANDLING OF FIREARM

Chesapeake Dr., 3100 block, 4:43 p.m. Dec. 16. A 32-year-old Dumfries man was arrested and charged with two counts of assault and battery on a law enforcement officer, discharging a firearm in a public place, reckless handling of a firearm, obstruction of justice, and public intoxication.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Jefferson Davis Hwy., 13600 block, 3:32 a.m. Dec. 14. A cash register and a safe were stolen from a restaurant entered by force. The stolen property was found at 7:24 a.m. in the basement of a home under construction on Mill Station Way.

Jefferson Davis Hwy., 17000 block, 5:30 a.m. Dec. 24. Two businesses were entered by force and ransacked. Nothing was reported missing.

GAINESVILLE AREA

THEFT/BREAK-IN

Bowes Creek Pl., 5900 block, noon Dec. 13 to 9:30 a.m. Dec. 14. Property was stolen from a furnace in the basement of a house under construction. There was no sign of forced entry.

MANASSAS AREA

ASSAULT

Nimitz Ct., 9800 block, 8:20 p.m. Dec. 24. A 28-year-old Manassas man was arrested after a verbal altercation escalated and was charged with one count of abduction and three counts of domestic assault and battery.

ROBBERY

Centreville Rd., 7700 block, 7:58 a.m. Dec. 21. Three males accosted a female pedestrian. One of the assailants grabbed the woman and demanded cash. After a brief struggle, the woman escaped and the assailants fled in a late-model maroon Nissan.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Copeland Dr., 9600 block, 5 a.m.-11 p.m. Dec. 19. A safe and an undisclosed amount of money were stolen from a residence entered by force.

Coral Berry Dr., 10500 block, 5-5:30 p.m. Dec. 22. Home and lawn equipment were stolen from a residence entered through an open garage door.

Flannery Ct., 8100 block, 8:12 p.m. Dec. 17. A masked male entered a humanitarian aid organization (House of Mercy) by force, took cash from a register and fled.

Lomond Dr., 9700 block, 10:34 p.m. Dec. 17. A person attempted to enter a residence through several locked windows. No entry was made and nothing was reported missing.

Spruce St., 8200 block, 12:30 p.m. Dec. 16 to 1 p.m. Dec. 18. A residence was entered by force. Nothing was reported missing.

Sudley Rd., 8300 block, 8:18 a.m. Dec. 16. A safe was stolen from a restaurant in a food court at a mall. A 26-year-old man, of no fixed address, was arrested Dec. 18 and charged with burglary and grand larceny.

TRIANGLE AREA

MALICIOUS WOUNDING

Belleau Wood Dr., 19300 block, 11:09 p.m. Dec. 22. A 36-year-old Triangle woman was arrested after she cut a male acquaintance with a piece of broken glass during an altercation. The woman was charged with malicious wounding.

ROBBERIES

Fuller Heights Rd., 19000 block, 8:54 a.m. Dec. 15. A verbal altercation in an apartment escalated between a man and a woman as the man was moving out. He assaulted the woman, threatened her with a handgun, robbed her of a television and microwave, and fled.

Fuller Heights Rd., 19000 block, 9:38 p.m. Dec. 15. A male robbed a pizza deliveryman of cash after a delivery and fled.

WOODBRIDGE AREA

STRANGULATION ARREST

Longwood Manor Ct., 13900 block, 11:56 a.m. Dec. 20. A 26-year-old Woodbridge man was arrested and charged with strangulation and domestic assault and battery after a verbal altercation with a female acquaintance.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING

Cordell Ave., 14800 block, 2:06 p.m. Dec. 24. A masked male accosted a 16-year-old boy and demanded his belt. The boy refused, and the assailant shot him in the lower body. The boy's mother drove him to the hospital for treatment.

HOME INVASION ARREST

Fisher Ave., 14100 block, 11:34 p.m. Dec. 21. A 17-year-old Woodbridge male was arrested and charged with malicious wounding, robbery, burglary while armed, and use of a firearm in commission of a felony home invasion of an apartment.

HIT AND RUN

Lotte Dr., 12700 block, 3:01 p.m. Dec. 21. A man sitting in a gray Kia Soul got into a verbal altercation with another man, then drove the Kia into the man, striking his arm and foot. The assailant fled in his vehicle.

ROBBERIES

Colchester Rd. and Pinewood Ct., 12:22 p.m. Dec. 25. A heavy-set man robbed a female pedestrian of her purse, then fled to a waiting four-door, dark blue sedan.

Jefferson Davis Hwy., 13900 block, 1:59 a.m. Dec. 24. An armed male attempted to rob a man of his wallet in a parking lot. When the man refused, the assailant struck him in the face, causing a laceration, and fled.

Minnieville Rd., 14100 block, 10:44 a.m. Dec. 21. A male grabbed a woman's purse in a parking lot and fled.

Potomac Mills Rd., 14500 block, 12:48 p.m. Dec. 19. A male entered a wireless electronics store, asked to see an iPhone 8 Plus, and fled from the store with it.

Shoppers Best Way, 13900 block, 9:26 p.m. Dec. 23. Two masked men entered a beauty supply store, demanded cash, took the cash drawer, and fled

Smoketown Rd., 14000 block, 11:08 a.m. Dec. 15. A male was walking with an acquaintance when the acquaintance assaulted him, took property, and fled.

Sylvan Moor Lane and Grayton Lane, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 19. A male and a female accosted a 13-year-old boy out walking. They grabbed the boy, forced him to the ground, took his shoes and fled.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Grayson Rd., 14000 block, 8:24 p.m. Dec. 24. A man entered a residence through a garage and climbed through a window, but residents confronted him and the assailant fled empty-handed.

Kenwood Dr., 4500 block, 3:20 a.m. Dec. 25. A laptop computer, an Amazon Fire Stick and two televisions were stolen from a residence. There was no sign of forced entry.

Rochelle Ct., 1700 block, 2 p.m. Dec. 18. An attempt was made to enter a residence. There was no sign of forced entry and nothing was reported stolen.

Manassas

These were among incidents reported by Manassas police for this edition of Local Living. For information, call 703-257-8000.

ASSAULT

Dumfries Rd., 10100 block, 6:42 p.m. Dec. 17. A 25-year-old Manassas woman was caught shoplifting in a grocery store, then assaulted a loss-prevention officer when confronted, and fled.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Battle St., 9100 block, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20. Firearms and ammunition were reported missing from a house entered through a second-story window. Officers found the missing property on the ground in the back yard.

Business Way, 9800 block, 7 p.m. Dec. 18 to 2:54 p.m. Dec. 19. Property was stolen from a bail bonds business entered by force.

Corporate Cir., 9200 block, 2:35-8:30 a.m. Dec. 19. An accounting office was entered by force. Nothing was reported missing.

Taney Rd., 9300 block, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18. A 36-year-old Manassas man was arrested after a traffic stop and charged with possession of stolen property and driving while suspended on a third or subsequent offense.

Manassas Park

No incidents were reported by Manassas Park police for this edition of Local Living. For information, call 703-361-1136.
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An unidentified American allowed to speak with the ACLU by a federal court has asked the group to challenge his nearly four-month detention without charges by the U.S. military in Iraq. He was moved to Iraq after being captured in Syria when he surrendered on a battlefield and was held as an enemy combatant and a suspected member of the Islamic State, the government has said.

In a court filing, ACLU attorneys said the U.S. citizen informed them of his wishes during a video conference arranged through the Pentagon on Wednesday morning. The video conference was set up after U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of the District of Columbia on Dec. 23 ordered the Defense Department to give the civil liberties group access to the man.

The ACLU did not disclose details of the call, which was arranged but not monitored by U.S. authorities, but told the court the man indicated he wanted to assert his constitutional right to challenge the basis for his detention and for the ACLU to represent him in court.

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The ACLU asked Chutkan to require a prompt response by the government and to continue to bar the government from transferring the detainee to a third country.

Chutkan directed the government to respond by 5 p.m. Monday.

"The Trump administration illegally denied an American his rights to access a lawyer and a court for nearly four months, but those efforts have finally failed," ACLU attorney Jonathan Hafetz said in a statement. "Now that our client has secured the judicial review that the government attempted to block, he looks forward to establishing the illegality of his detention."

"We are reviewing the filing," Justice Department spokesman Wyn Hornbuckle said, noting that the court gave the government until Monday to file its response.

The U.S. government has sought to throw out the ACLU's case, arguing that the government can secretly hold the man without court review for a to-be-determined "reasonable period" and that the ACLU did not know the unnamed American or his family so it could not establish legal standing to sue on his behalf.

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As a result, the Justice Department argued, the court had no authority to weigh in on wartime detentions by the U.S. military in an overseas conflict zone. The man held has not been identified in court filings.

Chutkan rejected what she called the government's request for a "blank check" in such cases, calling its argument "disingenuous at best" and "troubling," since it was the Defense Department that was withholding his identity, preventing his access to a lawyer and hindering efforts to find his relatives.

Chutkan noted that the government had acknowledged that the man asked for a lawyer after being read his Miranda rights when his questioning shifted from probing for intelligence-gathering to an interrogation for law enforcement purposes.

"Having informed the detainee of his right to counsel, and the detainee having asked for counsel, the department's position that his request should simply be ignored until it decides what to do with the detainee and when to allow him access to counsel is both remarkable and troubling," Chutkan had written in the case.

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The American's case could test for the first time whether the right  established by the U.S. Supreme Court during George W. Bush's presidency  of U.S. citizens suspected of belonging to al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to challenge detentions after their capture on a battlefield also applies to suspected Islamic State fighters.

The government has said the man surrendered in Syria to rebel Syrian Democratic Forces and was turned over to the U.S. military on Sept. 14 and has been held since in military custody in Iraq.

The government has said it is complying with the Geneva Conventions in not releasing his name and that he has been visited by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The case has been vexing for U.S. authorities. The Washington Post reported in October that Justice Department officials did not think they had enough evidence to charge the man, who invoked his rights to an attorney, halting his interrogation.

Officials told The Washington Post that the man once had ties to the Pacific Northwest but that most of his family and roots are in the Middle East. The New York Times reported that the Trump administration was considering transferring him to Saudi Arabia under restrictions and that the man was a dual Saudi national.

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The man could be turned over to Iraqi authorities for trial. But conviction would require evidence, and it is against U.S. law to send prisoners to a country where they could face torture, which Human Rights Watch says is rampant in Iraq. He also could be sent to the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which would invite immediate litigation.

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A key official in the federal government's efforts to treat AIDS patients was indicted by a grand jury Thursday in Maryland for allegedly using the Internet and text messages to pursue a sexual encounter with someone he thought was a 15-year-old boy. Instead, police said, he was communicating with a vice detective pretending to be a teenager.

Michael Goldrosen, 56, of Silver Spring faces a single count of sexual solicitation of a minor.

Goldrosen is the director of state programs for the HIV/AIDS bureau at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), based in Rockville, a few blocks from the Twinbrook Metro station. That station was to be a rendezvous site, police said.

Court papers allege that Goldrosen communicated with the detective over at least five days in October and November, eventually agreeing to meet a person he knew as "Jack Spicer." When Goldrosen arrived, according to a police affidavit filed in court, vice detectives moved in on his 2014 Subaru and took him into custody.

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Free on a $10,000 bond, Goldrosen intends to plead not guilty in the case, according to his lawyer, Jonathan Fellner.

"We believe that when all the facts come out, he will be vindicated," Fellner said. "We intend to fight this case vigorously."

Goldrosen for more than two years helped manage funding for the Ryan White program that supports HIV/AIDS treatment. He earlier served in public health posts in Massachusetts and holds a master's degree in public policy from Tufts University.

"Michael Goldrosen has been an exemplary public servant for more than 30 years," Fellner said, adding that he has no criminal history.

Goldrosen was suspended from his job at the HRSA in November after the allegations surfaced but is still an employee, according to his attorney. An HRSA spokesman, Martin Kramer, confirmed that Goldrosen holds his division director title but declined to comment further.

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Suspects in online underage-sex stings have included janitors, construction workers, journalists, college professors and police officers. Within the past year in Montgomery County, investigators have built cases against a flight attendant, a dog walker and a longtime criminal defense lawyer.

"This crime doesn't discriminate," said Capt. Paul Starks, a Montgomery police spokesman. "I don't believe investigators are surprised anymore."

Police say online stings often are an effective way to catch adults pursuing sex with minors 15 or younger. "Technology, specifically the Internet, is the 'modern day street corner,' " a Montgomery detective wrote in the affidavit in Goldrosen's case.

Maryland law in effect equates someone pursuing a minor for sex with someone who believes he is pursuing a minor for sex. The state's solicitation statute makes it a crime to "command, authorize, urge, entice, request or advise . . . a minor, or a law enforcement officer posing as a minor, to engage in" sex acts.

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Those charged in the stings, and their attorneys, often call the allegations a crime without a victim or an effort by detectives to push adults into doing something they might not otherwise have done.

Fellner said that early in the case he received letters of support from about 20 of Goldrosen's friends and colleagues and that he may use the letters in future proceedings. Friday, he provided excerpts from four, withholding the authors' names to protect their privacy.

"Michael Goldrosen is a very valuable resource for our nation," one letter reads. "I don't know what happened in terms of the charges against him, but I do know that ruining Michael's career would deprive us of [his] important contributions."

The allegations date to Oct. 17, when a Montgomery vice detective was reading postings on Craigslist from people seeking sex. The detective responded to a listing, got the cellphone number of the poster, began exchanging texts and presented himself as 15, according to the police affidavit.

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Detectives researched the poster's cellphone number and matched it to Goldrosen, police say. The detectives learned where he worked, lived and worked out.

In at least one text message, the subject of safe sex came up. "When we hook up I need u to wear a condom ok," the detective texted Oct. 18.

Four minutes later, Goldrosen responded that he wasn't interested in intercourse and listed three other sex acts that he preferred, the police affidavit states.

It was the detective communicating with Goldrosen, according to the affidavit, who set up the face-to-face meeting at the Metro station for 4 p.m. on Nov. 8. Goldrosen and the person he thought was Jack Spicer agreed they would then go to Goldrosen's apartment in downtown Silver Spring to engage in sex acts, according to the affidavit.

At 3:55 p.m. that day, detectives spotted Goldrosen in the parking lot, according to court papers. Five minutes later, as detectives took him into custody, one of them saw an iPhone mounted to the Subaru's dashboard. Another detective called the number he'd been using to text Goldrosen, according to the affidavit.

The iPhone rang, the affidavit states, and detectives looked at the contact name that appeared on the phone screen: Jack Spicer.

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Roy Watford was 18 and borderline intellectually disabled when a Virginia judge asked him to make a decision that would go a long way toward determining his future: How would he plead to the charge of raping a 12-year-old girl? Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Watford contended he was innocent, but his grandfather urged him not to risk a trial. He was looking at possible life in prison if convicted by a jury, while a prosecutor was offering a deal that would let him walk out of the courthouse without serving a day.

So Watford rose on March 23, 1978, with a heavy sense of shame, and uttered the word that would dog him over the next four decades: guilty.

Watford, 58, of Chesapeake, Va., is now petitioning the Virginia Supreme Court to overturn his conviction, saying that he erred in his plea and that new evidence  including DNA tests  shows he could not have committed the crime. The state opposes the motion, saying Watford has not met the high bar of proof.

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The court will hear oral arguments Wednesday before returning a decision.

Few think they would admit to crimes they didn't commit, but a recent spate of cases like Watford's is bringing increased attention to the issue of defendants who claim they are innocent despite their guilty pleas. Innocence advocates say such cases raise questions about the plea-bargain system, which has grown to resolve about 95 percent of felony criminal cases in the United States.

U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York Jed S. Rakoff said mandatory minimums and other factors that increased the length of sentences during the rise in crime between the late 1960s and mid-1990s have given prosecutors extraordinary leverage over defendants  even innocent ones.

"The penalty for going to trial is so high if you lose that many people cannot take it," Rakoff said.

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The National Registry of Exonerations database shows that nearly 400 of the nation's roughly 2,140 known exonerees pleaded guilty to their crimes before being cleared, or about 19 percent of the total. The Innocence Project and others launched a campaign to highlight the issue in early 2017.

"People plead guilty to crimes they didn't commit all the time. I didn't realize the gravity of the situation," Watford said. "I was raised by my grandmother and grandfather and was never told anything wrong by them, so I listened to them."

Watford, who received a sentence of 10 years' probation, said the rape conviction has left him unable to find steady work. He has bounced from job to job over the years, barely earning more than minimum wage.

Faded memories, missing evidence and the death of the detective involved have made reexamining his case challenging, but the basic outline is not in dispute.

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The trouble began on Sept. 14, 1977.

When she was 12, a woman testified at an April 2017 evidentiary hearing to help the court decide Watford's innocence claim, she got on her bike in Portsmouth, Va., and set out to find Watford, whom she knew from the neighborhood. The Post generally does not name alleged victims of sexual assault.

The woman testified that she knocked on a door of a home that a neighbor said was vacant and used for trysts and partying.

When the door opened, the woman told the court, she saw Watford's 15-year-old brother inside. Then someone threw a blanket over her head. She said her view remained blocked by the quilt during the attack that followed.

At the time, the girl told a detective she was taken inside the home and raped and sodomized by three black males on a bare mattress, according to court records. She later identified the three Watford brothers as her attackers, the records said.

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But at last year's evidentiary hearing, the woman said the only person she could definitively say was in the house was the 15-year-old brother. The woman said she did not see Roy Watford that day and could not say whether she heard his voice during the assault. She did not remember whether she specifically identified Watford to police as one of her attackers.

Joseph Edward Brown, a neighbor, testified at the evidentiary hearing that he and a friend happened to be passing by the vacant home around the time of the alleged rape.

"We heard a girl screaming on the way home, so we went into the vacant house, saw the girl standing up screaming to the right," Brown testified. "Some guys were on the left. We took the girl out of the house."

She went home and told her mother what happened, the woman testified at the evidentiary hearing. Her mother took her to Naval Regional Medical Center, where she was examined and police were called.

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Sperm was collected from a vaginal swab and from the girl's jeans and the mattress, according to court records. DNA matching was not yet developed, so the material wasn't tested at the time.

Hairs were also taken from the scene and eventually matched to Watford and his other brother, who was 16. In the years since, hair matching has been discredited as a form of forensic science.

The Watford brothers were charged with rape and sodomy. Roy Watford had no previous criminal record and told The Washington Post he was hanging out with friends at a store in Portsmouth at the time of the alleged rape. The Post does not generally name juveniles charged with crimes, so it is not naming Watford's brothers.

The 15-year-old brother was found "not innocent" in juvenile court, and charges against the 16-year-old were dropped. The case against Roy Watford continued.

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At his arraignment in March 1978, Watford was offered a plea deal that included dropping the sodomy charge. The prosecutor, Gregory J. Pomije, had only a faint memory of the case, but he confirmed it was unusual to offer a deal of no jail time on a rape charge, according to court records.

Jon Sheldon, Watford's attorney, said he felt the light punishment reflected the weakness of the case against his client.

After the conviction, Watford returned to his life, continuing high school and working a job. He completed probation and has not had another charge since, but he said the conviction narrowed his horizons.

In 2005, then-Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner ordered fresh DNA tests in thousands of criminal cases from 1973 to 1988, including Watford's, after a trove of biological samples was discovered in the case files of a deceased former analyst from the state's Department of Forensic Science.

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The sweeping review came after DNA evidence led to a handful of high-profile exonerations that shook confidence in the state's justice system.

The DNA testing in Watford's case excluded all three brothers as contributing any of the biological material that was collected from the scene and the girl. The tests did not provide any positive matches.

Detectives visited the woman in 2010 and 2016 following the results of the DNA tests, but she did not provide any other details about the case and said she wanted to put it behind her, according to court records. The woman did not respond to requests for comment.

In August 2016, Watford filed his petition for a writ of actual innocence with the Virginia Supreme Court.

The state's Office of the Attorney General opposed the motion, writing that there was not enough evidence in the record to grant it because there wasn't a trial and the DNA evidence alone was not strong enough to prove Watford's innocence.

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The state said the only DNA that could be definitively linked to the rape was that recovered from the girl's vagina, not what was found on her pants or the bed because those samples may have been put there at other times.

Because there were multiple assailants, the Attorney General's Office reasoned, Watford could have participated in the attack, but one of the other attackers could have been responsible for the sperm found inside the victim. The office declined to comment for this article.

"He has not shown by clear and convincing evidence that a rational trier of fact would have disbelieved [the victim]," the office wrote in response to Watford's petition.

Earlier in 2017, the Virginia Supreme Court ordered last year's evidentiary hearing to ascertain facts that weren't in the record.

Watford said he is cautiously optimistic the court will side with him.

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The attorney general's directive Thursday encouraging enforcement of federal marijuana laws in states where the drug has been legalized has attorneys and advocates of legalization closely watching how the new mandate will play out in the nation's capital, where marijuana has been legal since 2015. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded an Obama-era directive that discouraged enforcement of federal marijuana laws in states that had legalized the substance.

The move means that prosecutors within the U.S. attorney's office in the District could bring more cases if so directed by Jessie K. Liu, who was picked as the city's top prosecutor by President Trump.

The District has seen a drop in marijuana possession cases since residents voted in 2014 to allow adults 21 or older to possess up to two ounces of the drug and smoke in private quarters. In 2010, according to figures from the U.S. attorney's office, there were 4,599 arrests involving marijuana in D.C. Superior Court. That number dropped to 276 arrests in 2015 after the new law went into effect. Last year, there were 587 arrests.

What Jeff Sessions thinks about marijuana (Video: Joyce Koh/The Washington Post)

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People familiar with the office say prosecutors have spent more time focusing on cases involving large-scale marijuana distribution or trafficking and those with links to violent crime.

"I would be surprised if anything really changes under this new policy," said Channing D. Phillips, the District's former U.S. attorney who served from 2015 to 2017. "I don't see a return to the office prosecuting simple marijuana possession cases. The focus will be on traffickers and large organized crime. But not simple possession. The law in D.C. allows for personal use."

In a memo sent to U.S. attorneys Thursday, Sessions noted that federal law prohibits the possession and sale of marijuana, and he undid several Obama administration memos that advised against bringing marijuana prosecutions in states where it was legal to use the drug for recreational or medical purposes. Sessions said prosecutors should use their own discretion  taking into consideration the department's limited resources, the seriousness of the crime and the deterrent effect that they could impose  in weighing whether charges were appropriate.

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The District's marijuana law, which went into effect in February 2015, prohibits smoking marijuana in public spaces and allows users to grow up to six marijuana plants  no more than three of which are mature  in their homes. The law also prohibits the sale or transfer of marijuana above one ounce in exchange for money, goods or services.

In a statement, William Miller, a spokesman for Liu's office, said the prosecutors will use "discretion" in selecting which cases it pursues.

"The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is committed to reducing violent crime and dismantling criminal gangs and large-scale drug distribution networks that pose a threat to public safety. In accordance with the Attorney General's memo, we will utilize long-established principles of prosecutorial discretion in pursuing cases and fulfilling that commitment," Miller said. The office declined to comment further.

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In Maryland, lawmakers are also watching the impact on marijuana users, especially those who have relied on marijuana for medicinal purposes and have had the drug prescribed by physicians.

Maryland Del. Jeffrey D. Waldstreicher (D-Montgomery) tweeted Thursday "more than 20k folks have applied for medical cannabis. Once again @realdonaldtrump and AG Sessions have revealed their innate cruelty."

Joy A. Strand, executive director of the Natalie M. LaPrade Maryland Medical Cannibus Commission, said the group will "carefully evaluate any federal directives" and will "continue on the strategic path to establish a robust medical cannabis program for Maryland patients in need."

Federal prosecutors in Maryland referred calls to the Department of Justice.

In Washington, marijuana legalization supporter Adam Eidinger, a co-founder of D.C. for Marijuana Justice, or DCMJ, noted that Congress had an opportunity to overturn the 2014 vote by District residents, but chose not to do so.

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"This isn't just D.C. law. This was the will of the people. This was a law that was approved by the voters. Congress granted us authority over certain laws and Congress did not overturn it," Eidinger said. Eidinger, who has been arrested 21 times for marijuana possession, including twice last year, said prosecutors dropped both of the recent cases.

Defense attorneys in the District said that although they do not believe it is likely there will be more aggressive prosecution of lower-level marijuana cases in D.C. Superior Court, they think prosecutors could seek to pursue more distribution cases in federal court.

"I can't imagine the federal court wanting to federally prosecute people for anything short of huge distribution," said Heather Pinckney, a defense attorney in Washington.

"We are in such a bubble, which is good. With our prosecutors, to their credit, weed is not their beef. Their focus is on PCP and heroin and conspiracy cases," she said. "A little amount of weed is not their focus, and I don't think that will change. They have too many other things to worry about."

Aaron Gregg and Lynh Bui contributed to this report.

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The best things to do in the D.C. area the week of Nov. 17-23
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Before she was a perpetrator of sex trafficking, Rebecca Hamilton was a victim. When the pimp she met at age 16 went to prison, she had his name, Dennis Davis, tattooed on her hip. On Thursday, Hamilton testified against Davis in federal court in Alexandria, saying she helped him and his friend Ivan Williams make prostitutes out of other teen girls. Chelsea Canterbury, 26, likewise testified that she was a prostitute and a trafficker for Davis, 26, and Williams, 28.

The case illustrates how vulnerable victims can sometimes become victimizers once they are drawn into the world of human trafficking. Both women pleaded guilty to federal charges of sex trafficking a minor. While the crime carries a 10-year minimum sentence, they could get a reduction because of their testimony. Prosecutors said the profits of the ring largely went to the two men.

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Much of the money, according to prosecutors, funded Davis and Williams' rap group, the TurnUp Boyz.

Now 22, Hamilton wore a green prison jumpsuit and spoke softly.

"I don't know why" she stayed with Davis, she testified, after saying he sometimes beat or choked her. Initially, she said, she believed he was in love with her.

The Hyattsville, Md., high school dropout said that the day she met Davis and Williams at a mall in Prince George's County, they took her home, gave her the drug "molly" and had sex with her.

She said she resisted Williams's first attempt to turn her into a prostitute. She instead became involved with Davis, who she said treated her "like a boy should treat a girl" at first, taking her out for dinner and shopping trips.

She didn't have anyone to rely on, he told her, and if she began working as a prostitute, she wouldn't need anyone. At 17, she said, she started working out of hotels in the D.C. area, told to make at least $1,000 a day.

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When she was caught and Davis went to prison, she kept working. He told her to save the money for him.

The federal case began in November 2016 when an undercover officer arrested a 16-year-old girl in Fairfax after answering an ad on Backpage.com. The girl, identified in court only as Jordan, had been reported missing in Maryland. She told police that she had run away from home and had been working for Canterbury and Hamilton. A few days later, in another Backpage sting operation, Hamilton was caught in Henrico County with two more 16-year-olds, identified as Ashley and Jenny.

Hamilton testified that, like her, Jordan was picked up at the Prince George's County mall. Canterbury, according to court documents, brought Ashley and Jenny into the fold. They said they helped the younger girls set up online ads.

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Canterbury testified through tears that she and Williams, her boyfriend, pimped out the minor girls. But the money, she said, went to Williams.

In court filings and in cross-examination, defense attorneys argued that the women's testimony was inconsistent and incomplete.

Prosecutors said Davis and Williams hoped to become successful rappers. Hamilton promoted their group and helped arrange for them to perform at the 2016 A3C Festival, an annual event that draws big names in hip-hop to Atlanta.

At one point, Ashley and Jenny begged Hamilton to get them away from Davis and Williams, according to court papers. Hamilton began acting as their pimp, keeping a greater share of the money. She said the men then assaulted her younger brother as retribution, and she turned over the cash.

Initially, Hamilton testified, she lied to authorities to protect Davis. She said she decided to testify in hopes of a reduced sentence and because of the assault. "It was so easy for them to go to my mother's house and beat my little brother up," she said.

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Two teenagers suspected of stealing more than 30 packages delivered to homes during the busy holiday season  allegedly getting away with items such as Ugg boots, snow globes, a fire extinguisher and tech devices  have been apprehended, according to Prince George's County police. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The 17-year-olds, whose identities were not released because they're being charged as juveniles, mostly targeted homes in Largo and Upper Marlboro in December, police said.

And they could be picky: In some cases, the teens would tear open the packages after removing them from porches and abandon items they didn't care for, Capt. Jason Fisher said.

The suspects were arrested after residents helped detectives, providing images captured on home surveillance systems showing goods being snapped up from their porches, police said.

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"The work with residents and the victims themselves was very effective in this case," said Fisher, a commander in the Prince George's police department's Regional Investigations Division. "Investigators were able to identify a vehicle in which they were able to subsequently narrow down the suspects."

About half of the stolen packages, some of which included toys for children or holiday gifts, have been returned to residents with the help of U.S. postal inspectors, Fisher said. Other stolen items included a coffee maker, a board game and a child's backpack, Fisher said.

The teens have been charged with five counts of theft and conspiracy, Fisher said.

Package thefts tend to spike in the weeks before Christmas, but as consumers increasingly make purchases online, the problem will remain throughout the year, police say.

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The thefts cause so much frustration that one man created an audio device to deter potential porch pirates by tricking them into thinking they are being shot at. In other cases, viral videos show some people chasing those who appear to be making off with items.

Authorities recommend having items delivered to work, picked up at a store or post office or making sure someone is at home during delivery hours.

"You lose your sense of security when things like that happen," Fisher said. "Make sure you protect yourself."

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Calvert County

These were among reports received by the Calvert County Sheriff's Office and the Maryland State Police. Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to call the Criminal Investigation Division at 410-535-2800 or 301-855-1194, the Crime Solvers line at 410-535-2880 or the state police Prince Frederick Barrack at 410-535-1400.

HUNTINGTOWN AREA

THEFTS-BREAK-IN

Daniels Gussie Way, Dec. 19. A person reported mail tampering after car registration stickers were stolen from a piece of mail.

LUSBY AREA

THEFTS-BREAK-INS

Anchor Lane, 8 a.m. Dec. 15 to 10:30 a.m. Dec. 22. Unknown person(s) attempted to enter a residence by force through a front door and rear garage door.

Six Gun Cir., 3 p.m. Dec. 23 to 8:30 a.m. Dec. 24. A 14-foot red canoe and three wooden oars were stolen.

PROPERTY DAMAGE

Pine Blvd., 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dec. 21. A double-pane window was broken in the rear of a residence.

OWINGS AREA

THEFTS-BREAK-INS

Mount Harmony Rd. W., 3 p.m. Dec. 19 to 9:30 a.m. Dec. 20. A Bri-Mar dump trailer was stolen.

PRINCE FREDERICK AREA

THEFTS-BREAK-INS

Solomons Island Rd., 1200 block, 8 a.m. Dec. 1 to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 18. A dealer registration plate was stolen from an auto dealership.

Charles County

These were among reports received by the Charles County Sheriff's Office and the Maryland State Police. For information, call 301-932-2222 or 301-870-3232. The website ccso.us has crime statistics and information on crime prevention programs.

REWARDS FOR INFORMATION

Crime Solvers will pay a reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment. The 24-hour hotline is 866-411-8477. Callers may remain anonymous.

BRYANS ROAD AREA

HOME INVASION/SHOOTING

Marshall Hall Rd., 7:41 p.m. Dec. 26. Two males kicked open a front door and demanded cash from a man at gunpoint. Another resident inside the home shot one of the gunmen. The assailants were found nearby; one of them suffered a gunshot wound to the neck. Police said the incident was not a random home invasion.

NANJEMOY AREA

HOMICIDE

Bowie Rd., 8300 block, 4 p.m. Dec. 23. A man shot and killed his neighbor during an argument. The assailant fled from the neighbor's house to a wooded area nearby and was arrested. A 33-year-old Nanjemoy man was charged with first- and second-degree murder and other offenses.

WALDORF AREA

THEFTS-BREAK-INS

Amber Leaf Dr. and St. Thomas Dr., Dec. 22. Car radios and tires were stolen from multiple vehicles entered by force.

Berry Rd., 11500 block, 3:07 a.m. Dec. 13. A male outside a gas station fled in a customer's vehicle after the customer left the engine running and went inside to make a purchase. The vehicle was found abandoned nearby.

Hadley Dr., 2700 block, Dec. 12. A 17-year-old Waldorf male was arrested and charged with burglary, theft and other related charges in connection with multiple burglaries in the Holly Station neighborhood.

Old Washington Rd., 3700 block, 5 a.m.-8 p.m. Dec. 21. Car batteries were stolen from multiple vehicles entered by force at a Park and Ride lot.

St. Mary's County

These w ere among reports received by the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office and the Maryland State Police. For information, call 301-475-8008. To submit a tip, call Crime Solvers at 301-475-3333. The Leonardtown Barrack of the state police has an anonymous tip line at 301-475-2936.

charlotte hall AREA

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Mount Wolf Rd., 38000 block, Dec. 21. A 20-year-old man, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged with third- and fourth-degree burglary, violation of a protective order, and malicious destruction of property.

ROBBERY ARREST

Potomac Way, 30500 block, 9:13 p.m. Dec. 13. A 28-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man, both of Mechanicsville, were arrested Dec. 27 and charged with robbery, second-degree assault and theft in connection with a robbery in a parking lot at a discount retail store. The man was also charged with accessory after the fact to a felony.

LEONARDTOWN AREA

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Fairgrounds Rd., 42000 block, 4:50 p.m. Dec. 22. A county fairgrounds office was entered.

LEXINGTON PARK AREA

ASSAULTS

Compass Cir., 48000 block, Dec. 20. A 46-year-old Lexington Park man was arrested in connection with pushing a man to the ground and causing an injury. He was charged with second-degree assault.

Hilton Dr., 46000 block, Dec. 20. A 40-year-old Lexington Park man was arrested and charged with second-degree assault.
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WASHINGTON  A Republican senator is demanding that the Trump administration and a university scrutinize how a researcher was able to inject an experimental herpes vaccine into human subjects without routine safety oversight. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight In letters sent out Thursday, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley also told the administration and Southern Illinois University that he wanted to be reassured that "corrective action" was being taken to prevent similar research abuses.

Southern Illinois University professor William Halford tested his experimental herpes vaccine on participants in the Caribbean and in U.S. hotel rooms without Food and Drug Administration or institutional review board oversight. After Halford died in June and Kaiser Health News raised questions about the research, the university concluded he was in "serious noncompliance with regulatory requirements and institutional policies and procedures."

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"[T]his entire episode illustrates a failure in necessary governmental oversight of vaccine research as well as a failure by SIU to properly oversee its research staff," Grassley wrote in the letters that cited KHN's ongoing reporting.

Grassley, the chair of the Judiciary Committee, is well-known for pushing U.S. agencies to account for what he describes as breakdowns or lapses in the federal bureaucracy  even when the GOP is in charge.

In this case, his letters to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration could put pressure on the Trump administration to take a more aggressive role in any investigation of Halford's research. Grassley's letter to SIU could also lead to the university implementing tougher reforms in the wake of the unauthorized research, which participants say occurred as early as 2013 and continued into 2017.

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"The type of research conducted, apparently all under-the-radar to the Obama administration and the very university that employed [Halford], has put individuals at extreme health risk," Grassley wrote.

Grassley also sent his letter to the federal Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP), which monitors how human subjects are treated in trials.

OHRP could have jurisdiction in launching an independent investigation because the university had pledged to follow human-subject safety protocols for all research, even if it was funded privately.

But experts say that the federal government has become less aggressive about pursuing human-subject research violations over the years.

The agency's public assessments of research misconduct peaked in 2002, when it issued more than 100 "determination letters." That number has steadily declined. In 2017, it issued one.

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Further politicizing the matter, Halford's company, Rational Vaccines, received millions of dollars for future research on the experimental vaccine from billionaire Peter Thiel, a President Donald Trump supporter and high-profile critic of the FDA.

Thiel has not commented on the matter, despite investing in Rational Vaccines after Halford's offshore trial.

SIU, meanwhile, has previously said it had no role or responsibility for Halford's work, which it said it didn't know about until after it was completed.

Following a KHN report that Halford completed the 2016 trial in St. Kitts and Nevis with no independent safety oversight, HHS demanded the university account for the research. The FDA and OHRP, however, have not commented on their roles in the matter.

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Moon apologizes over agreement with Japan Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight South Korea's president on Thursday apologized to Korean women forced into sexual slavery by Japan's imperial army in World War II, the apology coming in relation to what President Moon Jae-in called a flawed 2015 deal with Tokyo to settle long-running disputes over the issue. Moon issued the apology during a meeting with nine former victims of sexual slavery. It is the first time that Moon has apologized over the deal, which was struck before he took office in May.

"I feel sorry for the fact that the deal was reached without listening to your opinions and was against your wills. I'm offering words of apology as president," Moon said.

Last week, a state-appointed panel concluded that Seoul's previous conservative government failed to properly communicate with the victims before reaching the deal. Moon later ordered officials to map out measures to meet the victims' demands, although he said issues over history should not affect efforts to build "future-oriented" relations with Japan.

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In December 2015, the government of Moon's predecessor, Park Geun-hye, agreed to settle the sex-slavery dispute in return for an apology from Japan's prime minister and a pledge of 1 billion yen ($8.8 million). Park was later removed from office.

Historians say tens of thousands of women from across Asia, many of them Korean, were sent to front-line military brothels to provide sex to Japanese troops. Japan colonized the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

 Associated Press

18 killed, about 260 injured in train crash

A passenger train carrying people home after the holidays slammed into a truck in rural South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 18 people and injuring about 260, authorities said.

Officials allege that the truck driver tried to cross the tracks just ahead of the oncoming train, part of which burst into flames after the collision, trapping some passengers in carriages.

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"The truck driver was taking chances. He thought that he was going to pass through," Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi said.

The train, with 429 passengers, had been traveling from Port Elizabeth to the country's commercial hub, Johannesburg.

The crash derailed half a dozen carriages, and power lines were damaged. The truck driver emerged unscathed while the train driver and his assistant suffered minor injuries, said Mthuthuzeli Swartz, acting chief executive of the state-owned passenger rail agency.

 Associated Press

At least 33 dead in Congo floods: Authorities in Congo said at least 33 people have died amid flooding in and around the capital, Kinshasa. Dominique Weloli, the provincial health minister, said the figure represented only bodies that have been taken to the morgue. Several neighborhoods in Kinshasa were underwater after a night of heavy rains.

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Chibok girl found almost four years after mass abduction: Another Nigerian schoolgirl seized in a mass abduction by Boko Haram extremists from a boarding school nearly four years ago has been found, authorities announced. A military official said Salomi Pogu was rescued near a village in Borno state. The mass kidnapping of 276 girls in 2014 resulted in global outrage. More than 80 of the Chibok schoolgirls were freed last year, but more than 100 remain captives. Some escaped on their own.

Israeli army to reopen probe into Gaza paraplegic's death: The Israeli military said it is reopening an investigation into the death of a paraplegic Palestinian man in the Gaza Strip during a violent protest along the border with Israel last month. Palestinian medical records in Gaza show Ibrahim Abu Thuraya was killed by a bullet that struck him in the head. The military closed its initial probe after a day, saying that live fire was employed against the instigators of the protest but was not directed at Abu Thuraya.

American accused of subversion in Zimbabwe freed 'for now': A court in Zimbabwe has freed "for now" an American woman charged with subversion for allegedly describing the country's former president, Robert Mugabe, on Twitter as a "sick man." Martha O'Donovan had faced up to 20 years in prison. A magistrate removed her from remand after prosecutors failed to provide a trial date. Her attorney said she can still be summoned back to court if the prosecution feels it has more evidence against her. O'Donovan has denied insulting Mugabe, who resigned under pressure in November .

 From news services

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Michael Wolff's tantalizing takedown of President Trump's White House is so tightly packed with tales of political convulsion and personal betrayal that official Washington will be buzzing off its sugar high for weeks. But after the shock of Wolff's account of Trump's willful ignorance and intellectual incoherence fades, Americans will be left with the inescapable conclusion that the president is not capable of fulfilling his duties as commander in chief.

The GOP's defense of this indefensible president appears even more preposterous following Wolff's revelation, in his new book, "Fire and Fury," of former adviser Stephen K. Bannon's observation that members of Trump's team, including his son, committed nothing less than treason. (Disclosure: I am thanked in the book's acknowledgments and make an appearance in a handful of passages.) Republican politicians who have spent the past year eagerly wading through the slimy political backwash churned up by Trumpism will look even more foolish aping the former reality star's attacks on the special counsel. Despite their desperate declarations that the Vietnam War hero is dragging his feet, Robert S. Mueller III has proved himself ruthlessly efficient in rooting out public corruption.

In just the past two months, the president's first national security adviser and most trusted traveling companion pleaded guilty to federal charges; he is now cooperating with Mueller's investigation. Trump's campaign manager through the Republican National Convention was also arrested, charged and released only after posting $10 million in bail. A man Trump identified as one of his top foreign policy advisers has also pleaded guilty in federal court and is cooperating with the feds. Another Trump campaign aide was charged in a 12-count indictment. And with the release of "Fire and Fury," we now know that yet another campaign official for the Republican president  one who subsequently served in his White House  believes that close Trump advisers were "treasonous" to meet with Russians during the campaign.

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A cancer again is growing on the presidency, and few know whether the 45th president will survive a single term. Bannon has his doubts. "He's not going to make it," Bannon told Breitbart staffers, according to Wolff. "He's lost his stuff." But if Trump does escape legal prosecution, Wolff's terrifying political tome adds weight to a growing body of evidence that the Manhattan billionaire is temperamentally unfit to serve. An email Wolff describes as "purporting to represent the views" of chief economic adviser Gary Cohn neatly summarizes what campaign workers and White House staff have been telling me about Trump for two years. He is an "idiot surrounded by clowns. Trump won't read anything  not one-page memos, not the brief policy papers; nothing. He gets up halfway through meetings with world leaders because he is bored. And his staff is no better."

Mika Brzezinski and I had a tense meeting with Trump following what I considered to be a bumbling debate performance in September 2015. I asked the candidate a blunt question.

"Can you read?"

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Here are some of the most striking quotes from the book Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolff. (Video: Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post, Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Awkward silence.

"I'm serious, Donald. Do you read?" I continued. "If someone wrote you a one-page paper on a policy, could you read it?"

Taken aback, Trump quietly responded that he could while holding up a Bible given to him by his mother. He then joked that he read it all the time.

I am apparently not the only one who has questioned the president's ability to focus on the written word. "Trump didn't read," Wolff writes. "He didn't really even skim. If it was print, it might as well not exist. Some believed that for all practical purposes he was no more than semiliterate. Others concluded that he didn't read because he didn't have to . . . He was postliterate  total television." But "Fire and Fury" reveals that White House staff and Cabinet members believed Trump's intellectual challenges went well beyond having a limited reading list: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called him an "idiot," Cohn dismissed him as "dumb," national security adviser H.R. McMaster considered him a "dope," and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson infamously concluded that the commander in chief was a "moron."

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We are a nation that spent the past 100 years inventing the modern age, winning World War I, defeating Hitler and winning World War II, and liberating half of Europe by beating the Soviets in the Cold War. But today we find ourselves dangerously adrift at home and disconnected from the allies abroad that made so many of those triumphs possible. The world wonders how the United States will survive Donald Trump. And I ask, what will finally move Republicans to deliver a non-negotiable ultimatum to this unstable president? Will they dare place their country's interests above their own political fears? Or will they move to end this American tragedy only when there is nothing left to lose?

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IN HAVANA on Dec. 20, a group of artists and activists were preparing to perform a piece titled "Psychosis." The plot revolves around a person enclosed in a very small space, showing signs of madness, who wants to leave. The play was inspired by events in 2010 at a psychiatric hospital in Havana, where 26 patients died of hunger and cold. The story is obviously a metaphor about the regime of Fidel and Raul Castro, who have ruled the island for nearly six decades, intolerant of dissent and free speech. In the performance, there were to be allusions to Raul Castro and terms such as "dictatorship."

Predictably, before the performance, the authorities swooped in and made arrests. The director was detained temporarily, as well as the chief actor. Also arrested was activist Lia Villares. When released Dec. 22, she said she had scratched a message on the prison cell walls: "Art Yes, Censorship No. I am free." She was fined for defacing the walls. The authorities warned her sharply against any activity on behalf of Cuba Decide. The movement advocates a plebiscite for free elections and free speech in Cuba and is led by Rosa Maria Paya Acevedo, whose father, Oswaldo Paya, championed the Varela Project seeking these goals in earlier years. Clearly, the Castro regime does not like the idea that Cubans could "decide" anything about their own destiny.

Oswaldo Paya, who was killed in a suspicious 2012 car wreck, founded the Christian Liberation Movement in Cuba. The movement's current national coordinator, Eduardo Cardet, a doctor, was arrested in November 2016 for criticizing Fidel Castro a few days after his death. Recently, he was moved to a notorious prison in Havana and then beaten brutally.

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This is how Fidel and now Raul Castro have kept their hold on power for many years: with fists and force. But the Castro era is at a new crossroads. Raul Castro, 86, who has been president for a decade, has pledged to step down this year, at the end of his second term. Recently, he delayed his departure from February to April; even when he is no longer president, he will retain power as general secretary of the Communist Party. His modest economic reforms, allowing for limited activity outside the control of the state, have stalled, while Cuba's oil lifeline from Venezuela has all but collapsed. Hopes for better relations with the United States and more tourism and foreign investment have also dimmed with President Trump's retrenchment and the unresolved conflict over injury to U.S. diplomats in Havana. Now, Mr. Castro is looking to Russia for oil and relief.

What Cuba really needs is not more Castro, or a handpicked clone to prolong the deprivations of socialism and dictatorship. What the island's long-suffering people should get is a genuine chance to decide their own future, one where they can perform a play called "Psychosis" without arrests and fear.

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The most enlightening commentary on what is going on in Iran right now was written 162 years ago. In his book on the French Revolution, Alexis de Tocqueville said: "Revolutions are not always brought about by a gradual decline from bad to worse. Nations that have endured patiently and almost unconsciously the most overwhelming oppression, often burst into rebellion against the yoke the moment it begins to grow lighter. The regime which is destroyed by a revolution is almost always an improvement on its immediate predecessor, and experience teaches that the most critical moment for bad governments is the one which witnesses their first steps toward reform."

Why are these protests taking place in Iran and not in, say, North Korea? This is the question that Tocqueville answers for us.

The deeply antagonistic relationship between Washington and Tehran makes it easy to forget that Iran today is more open than many other countries in the Middle East. Compare the status of women and minorities in Saudi Arabia and Iran, and you will find that there is really no comparison. And in recent years, Iran has taken steps toward even greater openness, although they've often been reversed as the hard-liners win out over the reformers in what is still a generally repressive regime.

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Over the past two decades, the country has consistently elected presidents who are opposed by the hard-line establishment. In 1997, it elected Mohammad Khatami, who is now under virtual house arrest. Then came Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose radical rhetoric and manner masked the fact that he was a rank outsider to the mullah-ocracy that had run Iran since 1979. Ahmadinejad was a street-smart politician with no theological credentials and thus was deemed a threat to the clerics' hold on power. Today, the nation has another reformist president, Hassan Rouhani, who has been twice elected, the second time with a thumping majority. Iran's hard-line establishment has actively sought to undermine Rouhani's reform agenda. In fact, some serious observers of the country speculate that the protests have been engineered by the hard-liners, who will use them to justify a crackdown and a total end to reform.

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Iran's Green Movement of 2009 is an illustration of Tocqueville's thesis. It happened only because the country held elections, complete with debates, candidates with opposing views and secret balloting. The process raised the hopes of many Iranians, who were then deeply disappointed when, in the end, the elections were thought to have been rigged and the more reform-minded candidate was defeated. In Egypt today, no one expects an actual election, so when Gen. Abdel Fatah al-Sissi wins 97 percent of the vote, no one protests.

"The abuses with which the French government was charged were not new, but the light in which they were viewed was," Tocqueville wrote. "More crying faults had existed in the financial department at an earlier period, but since then changes had taken place, both in government and in society, which made them more keenly felt than before." Similarly, the Iranian economy has always been a dysfunctional mess  a toxic mixture of autarky, state socialism and corruption. But in recent years, people's hopes have been raised by the promises of reformers, the expectation that sanctions would be lifted and the knowledge of life outside Iran. In fact, the protests were triggered by a series of economic reforms.

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Ian Bremmer's smart 2006 book, "The J Curve," argued that some countries are stable because they are closed  North Korea and Belarus, for instance  while others are stable because they are open, such as the United States and Japan. The former shield themselves from the winds of globalization; the latter are flexible and resilient enough to adapt to those forces. The most difficult period is when a country is moving from being closed to being open. If the regime is enlightened and strategic, it might be able to reform enough to weather this rocky transition. But there are two other more likely paths  the chaos produces a return to repression or a collapse of the state.

Iran has the ingredients for a revolution. More than half of the population is younger than 30, many youths are educated yet unemployed, almost 50 million Iranians have smartphones with which they can learn about the world, and reformers have consistently raised expectations yet never delivered on their promises. But the regime also has instruments of power, ideology, repression and patronage, all of which it is ready to wield to stay in control. What appears likely for Iran is a period of instability  in an already volatile Middle East.

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After visiting Tehran in 2013, I wrote that the Iranian capital seemed suspended somewhere between Pyongyang and Los Angeles. We've seen this past week how passionately Iranians want the latter, not the former  as they denounced their impoverished garrison state and demanded a prosperous, modern future.

Asking whether Iran's demonstrations create a "pre-revolutionary" situation may miss the larger point. The process of change has already begun. The regime will use its instruments of repression, and the unrest may wane. But the protests have been so widespread, taking place in what a former U.S. intelligence officer says are 80 cities, that it will be impossible to put the whole country back in a box.

The Iranian protests have dramatized the contradictions that have been deepening since the 1979 revolution  between aged theocratic rulers and a restless young country, between Iran's immense economic capabilities and its poor performance, and between its foreign adventures and its domestic needs. The government is split, with President Hassan Rouhani expressing sympathy with the protesters and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hoping to crush dissent.

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In today's world, it's hard to argue that repression won't work in the short run. But this is a long game, and while the mullahs have the guns, they seem to have lost the public's trust. As the regime weakens, there's space for a popular leader who speaks for an unhappy country. A week ago, that might have been Rouhani, but he seems to have lost his chance.

Western governments are split about how vigorously to support the Iranian protesters. President Trump's boisterous tweets have offended European governments, which argue that they make it easier for the regime to blame the "Great Satan" and other outside meddlers. This week, France, Germany and Britain balked at a U.S. request for a joint statement on Iran. Although Trump's rhetoric is often recklessly irresponsible, on this question he's right.

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The West certainly should be careful about statements that encourage Iranians to open rebellion. There's moral hazard in such cheerleading. But silence is wrong. The West should urge Iranian protesters to remain peaceful (they're more likely to succeed that way) and also warn the regime that it will be held accountable for violence against its citizens. If the government cracks down hard, as it did during the 2009 Green Movement, it must face real consequences.

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The West should also help keep communications open with Iran. The regime is restricting messaging, but it will have trouble blocking it entirely. Iran has an estimated 48 million smartphones today, compared with 1 million in 2009. Iranians can access more encrypted messaging apps than the regime can block. From some southern points, cellphones can reach networks in the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere. The number of cellphone videos posted from Iran seems to have declined sharply through this week, but a total digital blackout will probably be impossible.

With the world focused on the repressive, destabilizing nature of the Iranian regime, the Trump administration would be idiotic to shift the subject to the Iran nuclear agreement. Trump should leave the pact in place and concentrate on Iranian meddling abroad. With Tehran distracted at home, this is an ideal time to squeeze Iran's logistical pipeline to its proxy forces in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. In challenging Iranian proxies, the United States and its allies will amplify the protesters' chant: "Not Gaza, Not Lebanon, I give my life for Iran."

Iran's leaders undoubtedly will blame the United States and its allies, regardless of what Trump and the Europeans say. Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's supreme national security council, said in a television interview this week, with spurious precision, that 27 to 29 percent of the protest hashtags were generated by the Saudi government. Saudi Arabia is certainly delighted by the protests, but the idea that nationwide demonstrations are the result of a foreign conspiracy is self-deluding and also logistically impossible.

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What's the lesson of the past week for the Middle East? I put that question to Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi king's son and ambassador to Washington, and here's his answer: "The Iranian regime tried to block the future. They're waging a backwards revolution. We want to go the other way." If the Saudis really are betting on youth and modernization, they're going in the right direction.

The Iranian regime was rocked this week, and it will fight back ruthlessly. But it's hard to imagine the theocracy prevailing indefinitely in a society so hungry for change. The West can't wage this fight. But it shouldn't be afraid to say who's right and wrong.

Twitter: @IgnatiusPost

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The incoming Florida governor said neither he nor Gov. Charlie Crist got a heads up about the announcement.

"First of, you'd think they could've waited and explained it to us," said Scott, who will meet at the White House Thursday with President Obama and other incoming Republican governors. They'll talk homeland security, he said. "We want to become independent in this country and part of that is looking to see if we can do offshore drilling safely..."

He said he "absolutely" opposes the decision to pull back. "I believe we have to become energy independent. Offshore drilling is an option."

He wouldn't put a number on where he'd want to see a ban on drilling off Florida's coastline: "I'd want to wait and do more research." He said he'd want to talk to local communities about what they'd prefer "rather than just make a decision for the entire state."
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John Hudak is senior fellow in governance studies and deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution. He is author of "Marijuana: A Short History." Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Thursday that he will rescind a Justice Department memorandum  known as the Cole Memo  that granted protection to state-legal and regulated marijuana companies. In doing so, Sessions has not only brushed aside science, logic and the prevailing public opinion, but he has also contradicted the opinion of the president he serves and his own party's governing values.

Sessions's decision empowers U.S. attorneys to begin prosecuting an industry that has complied with state laws and regulations and has, since 2013, been granted an effective waiver from federal intervention. During this time, the legal marijuana industry has become a multibillion-dollar venture, employing tens of thousands of Americans from coast to coast.

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What Jeff Sessions thinks about marijuana (Video: Joyce Koh/The Washington Post)

This decision to reignite the drug war comes as little surprise. Sessions once said that "good people don't smoke marijuana." He has shown a deep ignorance of the realities of the drug war, which has been ineffective and costly and has disproportionately affected minority communities. And he has committed to numerous claims that have been dispelled by science, such as cannabis's gateway effect and the idea that marijuana is "only slightly less awful" than heroin.

Support for cannabis reform in the United States has grown significantly over the past 25 years. Once seen as a dangerous fantasy of college stoners and hippies, legal cannabis has gone mainstream. In the latest Gallup polling from October, 64 percent of Americans supported cannabis reform for recreational adult use, and a recent Quinnipiac poll showed 71 percent of Americans opposed a federal crackdown in legal states.

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In fact, when the first states legalized in 2012, about 50 percent of Americans supported adult-use cannabis reform. Since states began to experiment with this policy, support has grown significantly  up 14 percentage points nationwide. Cannabis reform is now supported by a majority of Democrats, independents and Republicans. Governors  including Democrats, Republicans and independents  in the states that have legalized have told the federal government to stay away because their systems are working well and reflect the will of their citizens.

Even the president has suggested that he disagrees with a policy like this. During the presidential campaign, candidate Donald Trump mentioned numerous times that he supported a states' rights approach to adult-use cannabis. He did not say he supported federal intervention, an activist attorney general or a reigniting of the drug war. He said he supported states' rights on the issue.

So it seems that Sessions, who has spent a career as a drug warrior  putting people in jail on drug charges as a state and federal law enforcement official and voting in favor of harsh drug policies as a U.S. senator  is acting on his own accord with this policy reversal. But at the same time, Sessions has promoted a traditional, conservative ideology that opposes unchecked federal intervention, champions states' rights and espouses free-market economics.

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In many ways, the Cole Memo endorses all three tenets of this ideology. It stopped U.S. attorneys from using the might of the federal government to prosecute state-compliant marijuana operators. It did not force cannabis reform on states, instead allowing them to decide for themselves. It allowed an industry that operated in the shadows to come into the sunlight and function relatively freely to create jobs, boost investment, generate profits and grow. Ultimately, it seems, the drug warrior in Sessions undermined his other values.

There is no doubt that Sessions is perfectly within his power to rescind the Cole Memo. The Controlled Substances Act  the federal law declaring cannabis to be illegal  is crystal clear. But something else is clear, too: Sessions's decision contradicts the president, the will of the public and much of his own ideology.

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As the author of the book "The War On Christmas," I've grown accustomed to the yearly war on the war on Christmas, of which David Von Drehle's Dec. 24 op-ed, "The Christmas truce," is but one example. For the record, and because no one really read the book in the first place and now it is impossible to find so virtually no one can read it any longer, let me just say that it was a success for the following reason: At that time (2005), we had seen a yearly procession of news stories recounting how this school district or that city hall or yet another county administrator or park supervisor had declared Santa, Christmas trees, the singing of "Jingle Bells," the colors red and green, wreaths, mission bells and candy canes to be violations of the separation of church and state and were forbidden in publicly owned buildings and parks.

This was and is absurd. These offices of petty government seldom if ever consulted Supreme Court decisions on what was and wasn't a religious symbol and instead submitted to yearly bullying letters from the American Civil Liberties Union. And, by the way, the worst offender of all, which I pointed out in the book, was a famous Midwestern law school that removed a Christmas tree and damn well knew better.

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The above listed Christmas tokens are not and have never been religious symbols. Because of the fracas caused by the book, and owing to lawyers willing to step up to defend the display of Santa and Christmas trees, etc., the yearly parade of forbiddens has largely faded into memory.

Yet every year since the publication of the book, I note with dreary resignation the march of ritual declarations from faux-outrage liberals that there is not and never has been a war on Christmas, and you only have to look at the nearest mall or tune in to Sirius XM Radio to prove it.

Fine. Wallow in self-satisfaction.

But if children are no longer being told Christmas cookies are banned from school, that red and green decorations are verboten, that Santa and elves and sleighs are symbols of Christian privilege and therefore must be banished from school hallways, classrooms and children's plays and instead condemned to the gulag of the malls, then there has been some progress from the dark winter months of the war on Christmas.

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And for that? Unlike former president Barack Obama, I never expected a "Thanks, Gibson." But a cease-fire order to editors who approve these ritual denunciations every Christmas season would be nice.

John Gibson, Valley View, Tex.

I hate to disabuse David Von Drehle and his history-challenged editors of their politically correct, anachronistic reading of the origins of Christianity, but the Jewish baby who was "born . . . in abject poverty and hailed as a king" was born in  wait for it  Judea, not "Palestine," as asserted in Von Drehle's Dec. 24 op-ed.

The name Palestine, or rather Syria Palaestina, was applied by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 130s A.D., some 140 years after the birth of Jesus, in an attempt to erase the reality of the millennium-old connection of the Jewish people to the Holy Land. Hadrian's propaganda ploy could be ripped from today's headlines  and apparently also from The Post's editorial pages, where the denial continues.

Donald Rindler, Potomac

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Though events in Iran are murky, their direction is historic. The Iranian regime  which has made a project of destabilizing others through terrorism and regional adventurism  has been revealed as deeply unstable. Many Iranian citizens thought that the election of the "moderate" Hassan Rouhani as president would bring more sensible and effective governance. Those hopes have fizzled. Many Iranians thought that the nuclear deal's sanctions relief and unfrozen assets would improve their lives. For the most part, they haven't.

The result  put in terms President Trump would appreciate  has been a broad revolt against the Iranian political establishment. The Iranian government's problem is no longer a matter of performance but of legitimacy. Routine corruption, vicious oppression and economic mismanagement are increasingly seen as essential to the regime itself.

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The breadth of this sentiment is what distinguishes the current revolt from the Green Movement of 2009. Instead of mainly involving the upper-middle class, discontent has taken root in the lower-middle class  in the labor movement and among the unemployed. Instead of being concentrated in Tehran and a few other cities, the current unrest can be found across the country in smaller cities and rural areas. (If it comes to it, this would complicate the imposition of martial law, because Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps would need to be deployed more thinly.)

"In 100 years," Iranian dissident Mohsen Sazegara told me, "we've never had such a movement all around the country." The geographic and demographic scope of the protests is what makes them so remarkable  and so damaging to the long-term prospects of the regime.

The short-term prospects are a different matter. Those who hope that the Iranian national revolution will succeed in a single, big push  like the crowd turning against the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in Palace Square  are likely to be disappointed. In most civil-resistance movements, the purpose of mass protest is not to overthrow the government directly. It is to convince observers  and especially elements of the police and army  that they can turn against the regime without imprisonment or death. Protests act as a signal to potential defectors that their risk is reasonable. If enough people join them, the chance of violence diminishes.

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This depends on the protesters rejecting violence themselves. In a study of civil resistance campaigns between 1900 and 2006, researchers Maria J. Stephan and Erica Chenoweth found that nonviolent efforts succeeded 53 percent of the time, compared with 26 percent for violent campaigns. And nonviolent approaches generally succeeded in less than half the time (an average of about three years). Why this difference? Because violence reduces public participation, which makes defections less likely.

With this in mind, what should America be doing? U.S. policy has generally had two objectives: lengthen the Iranian regime's nuclear timeline and shorten Iran's democratization timeline. Nuclear proliferation isn't particularly good anywhere. But such weapons are far less dangerous in the hands of democratic governments. For proof, just compare India with North Korea.

There is significant disagreement on the best way to lengthen the Iranian nuclear timeline. In the 2015 Iran nuclear framework, the Obama administration made huge concessions to buy some delay. Whatever your view on that agreement, the matter at hand is supporting democratic change. And because direct meddling in Iranian affairs by the United States is toxic, this task requires some creativity.

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If the objective is to give the Iranian opposition the time and space to encourage recruits and defections, then the Trump administration needs to increase the cost to the regime of a comprehensive crackdown. This would need to be done in concert with the Europeans, making clear that repression will bring a return to economic isolation and sanctions. An effective U.S. response would also attempt to increase the access of Iranian citizens to the Internet and social media  which is effectively blocked  through public pressure or (some have suggested) satellite Internet access. This would permit the spread of information about the regime  how about better publicizing the cost of Iranian interventions in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza?  and reveal regime violence to the world in real time. In a struggle such as this one, information is ammunition.

Implicit in all of this is something often dismissed and completely undeniable: the strategic value of democracy promotion in a strong foreign policy. Much about the future of the Middle East, and the nature of the nuclear threat, now depends on it.

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President Trump has kicked Stephen K. Bannon off the Trump train once and for all. Good for him. Now he should kick off a few more noxious passengers whom Bannon brought along  the racists and anti-Semites of the "alt-right" whom Bannon promoted and who are like an albatross around Trump's neck, dragging down his presidency.

Trump should be extremely popular today. Under his leadership, the economy is entering what is expected to be its third straight quarter of economic growth above 3 percent. Unemployment is at a 17-year low, consumer confidence is high and the stock market is soaring. He has enacted historic tax and regulatory reform, put conservative judges on the federal bench and driven the Islamic State from its caliphate. With this record, he should be riding high in the polls and expanding his base.

Yet Trump's support is contracting, not expanding. After his inauguration, Trump enjoyed a 41 percent approval rating and 46 percent disapproval, according to the FiveThirtyEight average of polls. Today, Trump's approval has dipped three points to 38 percent, while his disapproval has skyrocketed 10 points to 56 percent.

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Opinion writers Jonathan Capehart, Molly Roberts, Dana Milbank and Ruth Marcus discuss the potential fallout from Michael Wolff's book, "Fire and Fury." (Video: The Washington Post)

Why is that? Because, despite a booming economy and the president's slate of policy achievements, many Americans are still uncomfortable with Trump in the White House. There are lots of reasons for that discomfort, many of them self-inflicted wounds. But a big reason is Trump's perceived association with the alt-right  an association that is largely due to Trump's now-ended association with Bannon.

The alt-right is a fringe movement, and it would have stayed on the fringes but for Bannon. Back in the 1960s, William F. Buckley Jr. and his magazine National Review excommunicated the fringe right of his day  the John Birch Society  from the respectable right. But Bannon and his Breitbart News website did the opposite, bringing the alt-right into the political mainstream through his association with Trump.

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At the GOP convention that nominated Trump, Bannon declared proudly that he had made Breitbart "the platform for the alt-right." He published pieces that praised, among others, white nationalist Richard Spencer as one of the movement's leaders  the same Richard Spencer who led an alt-right audience (many with arms raised in a Nazi salute) in chants of "Hail Trump!" and helped organize the torch-carrying neo-Nazi mob that descended on Charlottesville in August.

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At the White House, Bannon wreaked havoc from within, leaking like a sieve and giving Trump horrible strategic advice. It was Bannon who reportedly urged Trump to double down on his "many sides" equivocation after Charlottesville. And since being fired and returning to Breitbart, Bannon has wreaked havoc from without, backing alleged sexual predator Roy Moore in Alabama and alt-right candidates such as Paul Nehlen  a virulent anti-Semite who refers to his critics as "shekels-for-hire"  to challenge House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.).

Trump's association with Bannon has been a disaster for his presidency and the conservative cause. Trump said: "Steve had very little to do with our historic victory, which was delivered by the forgotten men and women of this country. Yet Steve had everything to do with the loss of a Senate seat in Alabama held for more than thirty years by Republicans. Steve doesn't represent my base  he's only in it for himself."

Eugene Robinson counterpoint Trump wont fade away. The GOP will have to get rid of him. Trump is right. The men and women of this country who delivered his victory are not racists, and they are not part of Bannon's alt-right movement. The steel workers who lost their jobs because of China's illegal dumping, the factory workers who lost their jobs as manufacturing plants moved across the border and the coal miners who lost their jobs due to environmental regulations voted for Trump despite the alt-right, not because of it. Trump's reluctance to disassociate himself from the inhabitants of the alt-right's fever swamps has hurt him. Many Americans who might otherwise embrace Trump based on his record of achievement are unwilling to say "I'm a Trump supporter" because of it.

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Trump must denounce the alt-right for one simple reason: because it has embraced him. Trump was factually correct that there was violence on both sides in Charlottesville, but only one side claimed to be acting in his name. And it still does. Which is why America needs to hear the president say: These bigots are not part of my movement. They don't represent me. I don't want their support, and I don't want their votes.

Trump has denounced the "alt-left." Yet, as Spencer pointed out gleefully after Charlottesville, "Trump has never denounced the Alt-Right. Nor will he."

Prove him wrong, Mr. President.

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The White House is being used to stage some kind of dark, dystopian comedy in which all the humor is of the gallows variety. Somebody tell me how we survive three more years of this oppressive, exhausting show. Opinions to start the day, in your inbox. Sign up. ArrowRight The revelations about the Trump administration from journalist Michael Wolff are, if true, stunning, jaw-dropping, gobsmacking  but also pretty much what many in Washington expected. The craziness and dysfunction were obvious from the beginning. Wolff simply documents what others say privately about an administration that is dangerously erratic and incompetent.

The central problem, according to Wolff's forthcoming book, "Fire and Fury," is President Trump himself. Voters elected to the nation's highest office a man who is unfit to do the job, who has proved unworthy of the public trust and who seems, to be blunt, increasingly unbalanced.

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Opinion writers Jonathan Capehart, Molly Roberts, Dana Milbank and Ruth Marcus discuss the potential fallout from Michael Wolff's book, "Fire and Fury." (Video: The Washington Post)

It is of some comfort, I suppose, that there are people around Trump who are aware of his flaws  who describe him with words such as "crazy" and "stupid" and "moron," according to Wolff's reporting. We have to hope that family members, staff members, political allies and longtime friends can serve as guardrails to keep Trump from driving us all off some cliff.

But that is not an acceptable risk for the world's greatest economic and military power to run. We've made it safely through almost a year, but at some point our luck is going to run out.

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As Wolff tells the story, after the election he proposed to Trump that he be allowed to write a fly-on-the-wall account of the administration's early days. Trump "seemed to say" that would be okay, so Wolff began a routine of coming to the White House, installing himself on one of the couches in the West Wing lobby and latching on to senior staff members as they walked by.

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No competent White House communications shop would have given such access to any journalist, let alone one known in New York media circles as a shark among sharks. Day after day, Wolff feasted.

Clearly Wolff's principal source was Stephen K. Bannon, Trump's political guru who served as a high-ranking White House adviser before being ousted in a palace coup. Bannon is quoted as describing the meeting Donald Trump Jr. convened with a Kremlin-tied Russian lawyer as "treasonous" and painting extremely unflattering portraits of Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Perhaps it was this material about Trump's family that sent the president into such a rage Wednesday, issuing a statement blasting Bannon  it said that when Bannon was fired, "he not only lost his job, he lost his mind." The White House has loudly disputed the book's veracity and, on Thursday, a Trump attorney sent a cease-and- desist notice to Wolff and his publisher seeking to stop the book's publication on Friday and threatening possible charges, including libel.

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When the president calms down, someone should point out to him that the legal threat unwittingly gives credence to Bannon's version of events.

An excerpt of Wolff's book published by New York magazine opens on the day of the election, with senior officials of the Trump campaign  including campaign manager Kellyanne Conway  preparing for what looked like certain defeat. Around 8 p.m. Eastern, however, it became clear that Trump might actually win. Wolff writes that Donald Jr. "told a friend that his father, or DJT, as he calls him, looked as if he had seen a ghost."

Wolff writes that Melania Trump "was in tears  and not of joy." The first lady's office issued a statement Wednesday maintaining that she was in fact happy when her husband won the presidency.

About the president, Wolff writes: "There was, in the space of little more than an hour, in Steve Bannon's not unamused observation, a befuddled Trump morphing into a disbelieving Trump and then into a horrified Trump. But still to come was the final transformation: Suddenly Donald Trump became a man who believed that he deserved to be, and was wholly capable of being, the president of the United States."

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But he is not capable. This whole administration is based on a desperate delusion.

On Tuesday, the president of the United States taunted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has a nuclear arsenal: "Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!"

You can decide whether to laugh or cry. Or perhaps scream.

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When I learned that Judge Alex Kozinski was retiring, after more than a dozen women accused him of inappropriate conduct and sexualized comments, part of me was relieved. I clerked for Kozinski in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit 14 years ago and found his chambers to be a hostile, demeaning and persistently sexualized environment. I had anticipated an arduous apprenticeship with this brilliant jurist and writer. I did not expect how controlling he would be: wanting to approve the location of my apartment, complaining when his clerks wanted salad for lunch instead of whatever he was having. On one occasion, he crumpled up a printout of an email draft and threw it at me. He regularly diminished women and their accomplishments; when discussing newly selected Supreme Court clerks, he surmised, using a vulgar term, that one was lesbian. On another day, he gestured for me to come over to the computer in his office and asked me to look at a photo  unrelated to any case we were working on  of a nude man. For the rest of my year-long clerkship, I closed the door to my office and communicated with the judge as little as possible.

My experience was mild, though, compared with what other women have reported: how Kozinski showed them pornography on multiple occasions and wanted to know if it turned them on, asked them what people like them did for sex, encouraged them to exercise naked, propositioned them for sex and groped them even after they said no. In his resignation letter, Kozinski wrote that he has "always had a broad sense of humor" but apologized that he "may not have been mindful enough of the special challenges and pressures that women face in the workplace." (His lawyer declined to comment on the characterizations in this essay.)

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I'm glad to see him leave the bench. He should not be in a position to judge cases, including those involving sexual harassment.

Another part of me, however, is frustrated. With his immediate retirement, it appears that he has essentially shut down the federal judiciary's investigation of his conduct and deflected further revelations in the press. That allows him to disappear, quietly receiving his pension, until the outrage dies down. It allows him a greater chance at redemption.

And indeed, Kozinski, 67, is a talented and restless individual. In a few years, we may see an attempt at quiet reemergence  not on the federal bench, but perhaps through a law school teaching appointment or in the realm of private dispute resolution. He would not need the income; his pension makes that a nonissue. But such a position would provide an outlet for his energies, as well as allow him to amend his legacy.

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Have no doubt: Although the #MeToo movement is rightly being celebrated for bringing down men who have abused their power, many of these men are not at the end of their careers. Already, the process of salvage has begun. Talent agent Adam Venit, accused of groping by actor Terry Crews, had to relinquish his position as head of WME's motion picture division, but he was back at the agency after a 30-day unpaid suspension. New York Times star reporter Glenn Thrush, accused of inappropriate behavior by four female journalists, has been reassigned from the high-profile White House beat but is scheduled to return to the newsroom this month, after two months' unpaid leave and training, counseling and substance abuse treatment.

Rehabilitation can be an appropriate outcome. But how  and how soon  should transgressors now on the sidelines be reintegrated into workplaces? How will the harms to their victims be balanced and addressed? And who decides? The answers will vary depending on the organization and the allegations at issue. Uniformly, though, perceptions of the integrity and fairness of these determinations will depend on whether there has been an accounting of an alleged wrongdoer's actions.

It's noteworthy that the Times did not decide whether Thrush would return to its newsroom until it completed an investigation that involved interviewing more than 30 people and resulted in a written report reviewed by Dean Baquet, the executive editor, and other top editors.

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By contrast, it appears that Kozinski's future in the legal profession almost certainly will be decided without the benefit of a robust investigation. At some point, a law school dean may have to weigh whether to place him in a position of trust over budding legal careers. Law firms may need to assess whether he'd be a fair mediator or arbitrator for their clients' disputes. And the people making those decisions will have to do so without knowing the full scope of his misconduct.

In the absence of an official inquiry, few additional targets of, or witnesses to, Kozinski's transgressions are likely to speak publicly. They may not want to be seen as piling on. They may think that the moment to speak is over. Or they may have concerns about repercussions in their careers. In writing this piece, I'm the first and only former Kozinski clerk still in private practice to go on the record, by name, with allegations against the judge. And it's not something I do eagerly. The pressures to remain silent can be overwhelming.

You may wonder if what's been reported already offers a sufficient basis for an informed evaluation of Kozinski. And the accusations against him  "the currently available one-sided accusations," as lawyer Joel Cohen put it in an opinion piece for the New York Law Journal when the accuser count was at seven  may seem slight when balanced against the prospect of hiring such an incredible legal mind. Yet the public has gotten only glimpses of how he behaved with female colleagues and employees.

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It's true that the federal judiciary's inquiry process is highly secretive. In fact, the proceedings are confidential by law. So even if the investigation of Kozinski had moved forward, it might not have added much to the public record. But, as law professor Lara Bazelon noted in a New York Times op-ed, "judges can  and should  publish detailed, well-reasoned opinions about the outcome of those cases to inform the public and maintain confidence in the integrity of the proceedings."

In a sense, Kozinski is in a position similar to that of Al Franken, who was pressured to resign his Senate seat after harassment allegations emerged but before a Senate Ethics Committee inquiry could get underway. Commenting on Franken's life after the Senate, Ana Marie Cox wrote in The Washington Post, "My hope is that Franken faces consequences that are appropriate to his mistakes; to go by what we know now, an even metaphorical death sentence does seem too much." But should futures be determined by "what we know now"? There is peril in getting by on what we know from just a moment in the ever-shortening media cycle.

In the Franken context, there was an assumption that people calling for an investigation were trying to defend and buy time for the senator. And perhaps an investigation would have helped to clear his name. But investigations are not only about defending the rights of the accused. They can be an important forum for victims to air their stories and for witnesses to share what they have seen. They can be critical for determining proportionate punishment and the suitability of redemption. They prevent us from falling back into collective silence.

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The Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee recommended Friday that the Justice Department investigate for possible criminal charges the author of the now-famous dossier alleging the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin during the 2016 election. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The move by Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) marks a major escalation in conservatives' challenges to the FBI's credibility as the agency investigates whether any Trump associates committed crimes. Another Republican, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), joined in the letter to the Justice Department.

Their letter makes what is called a criminal referral to the Justice Department, suggesting it investigate the dossier's author, former British spy Christopher Steele, for possibly lying to the FBI. It is a crime to lie to FBI agents about a material fact relevant to an ongoing investigation.

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How is Fusion GPS connected to the Trump dossier, Donald Trump Jr.'s Trump Tower meeting and the 2016 election? The Fact Checker explains. (Video: Meg Kelly/The Washington Post, Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

The letter says Steele may have lied to the FBI "regarding his distribution of information contained in the dossier." In response to a lawsuit filed in London, Steele has said he had off-the-record conversations with a handful of news organizations during that period, including The Washington Post. It was not immediately clear how conversations with reporters might be materially relevant to the investigation the FBI was conducting.

The move by Grassley and Graham was viewed skeptically by some Democrats and Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, as well as experts in criminal law.

Steele's role has become a matter of increasingly heated debate, with the White House and Republicans on Capitol Hill suggesting his reports were biased, since he was hired with money that ultimately came from the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

Steele's allegations  in addition to other information, including intelligence intercepts and an Australian diplomat's account of a conversation with a Trump adviser in a London wine bar  prompted the FBI to open a counterintelligence investigation into Trump associates in July 2016, according to current and former officials. The Australian warning was first reported by the New York Times.

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That investigation has since expanded into a special-counsel probe by Robert S. Mueller III, whose work has led to indictments of two former Trump campaign officials, as well as guilty pleas and cooperation deals from two others. As the Russia probe has heated up, some Republicans have amplified their attacks on Steele's dossier, contending it was a weapon in a political smear campaign they claim was aided by the FBI.

Steele did not respond to a request for comment. But a lawyer for the consulting firm that hired him, Fusion GPS, had a strong reaction.

"After a year of investigations into Donald Trump's ties to Russia, the only person Republicans seek to accuse of wrongdoing is one who reported on these matters to law enforcement in the first place," the lawyer, Joshua A. Levy, said in a statement. "Publicizing a criminal referral based on classified information raises serious questions about whether this letter is nothing more than another attempt to discredit government sources, in the midst of an ongoing criminal investigation. We should all be skeptical in the extreme."

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A veteran prosecutor, Peter Zeidenberg, said he had never heard of anything like the Grassley-Graham complaint and labeled it "nonsense" designed to detract from ongoing inquiries into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

"The FBI doesn't need any prompting from politicians to prosecute people who have lied to them," said Zeidenberg, a federal prosecutor for 17 years. While members of Congress make criminal referrals from time to time, they are usually related to independent congressional investigations, not to material already known to the FBI. "They should stay in their lane," Zeidenberg said of the Grassley-Graham effort.

Another former federal prosecutor, Justin Dillon, said it was too early to assume the letter was simply a political attack. "Given that we don't know what the basis for the referral is, it seems premature to simply assume it was partisan," Dillon said. "I do find it hard to believe that Grassley and Graham would just make this up out of whole cloth."

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Grassley said in a statement Friday, "If we see what appears to be credible evidence of a violation that should be further investigated based on information from any source, public or non-public, we are going to formally notify the department."

The top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), said she and other Democrats had not been consulted about the request for a criminal inquiry.

"This referral is unfortunate," Feinstein said in a statement. "It's clearly another effort to deflect attention from what should be the committee's top priority: determining whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the election and whether there was subsequent obstruction of justice."

One Republican aide familiar with Judiciary Committee operations said: "It's pretty clear that Grassley and Graham are interested in carrying water for the White House, but that is not reflective of the whole committee. There are members of Judiciary who are upset with Senator Grassley for carrying it so close to the vest." The aide asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

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Steele was a senior intelligence officer monitoring the Kremlin for Britain's intelligence service, MI6, before he left the agency and established a consulting firm, Orbis. In that role, he worked for a range of clients, including law firms and Fusion GPS.

The dossier is a compilation of reports he wrote for Fusion GPS between June and late October 2016, plus a final report in December, after the election. Among other things, the dossier alleged that the Russian government collected compromising information about Trump and that the Kremlin was engaged in an effort to assist his campaign for president.

U.S. intelligence agencies later released a public assessment asserting that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to aid Trump. The FBI has been investigating whether Trump associates helped the Russians in that effort.

Trump has vigorously denied the allegations in the dossier and has called the FBI probe a witch hunt.

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President Trump marshaled both his West Wing and his personal legal team Thursday against a new book that portrays him and his administration as incompetent and erratic  threatening possible libel charges against its author, its publisher and his former chief strategist, whose provocative comments pepper the book. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight In an 11-page letter, Charles J. Harder, a Beverly Hills attorney representing the president, demanded that both Michael Wolff and Henry Holt and Co.  the author and publisher of the forthcoming book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House"  "immediately cease and desist from any further publication, release or dissemination of the book," as well as apologize to Trump. The president's lawyers also requested a complete copy of the book as part of their inquiry.

Harder sent a similar cease-and-desist letter to Stephen K. Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist who runs the conservative website Breitbart News, alleging that he had defamed the president and violated a nondisclosure employment agreement he had signed with the Trump Organization.

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President Trump's former chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon issued an apologetic statement on Jan. 7, as Trump's anger at his unflattering comments continues. (Video: Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post, Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

The threats did not appear to work, at least as far as the book is concerned: Wolff and his publisher announced Thursday that publication had been moved forward four days to Friday because of what they described as "unprecedented demand."

But legal experts and historians said the decision by a sitting president to threaten "imminent" legal action against a publishing house, a journalist and a former aide represented a remarkable break with recent precedent and could have a chilling effect on free-speech rights.

Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University, likened Trump's actions this week to those of Richard M. Nixon, whose White House unsuccessfully attempted to stop both the New York Times and The Washington Post from publishing the Pentagon Papers, a secret history of the government's entanglements in Vietnam.

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President Trump said on Jan. 4 that his former chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon "changed his tune pretty quick," after his unflattering remarks. (Video: The Washington Post, Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Though several presidents  including Jimmy Carter and Theodore Roosevelt  have sued for libel after leaving office, it is uncommon and potentially damaging for a current occupant of the Oval Office to try to use the powers of the presidency to take on personal and political rivals, Brinkley said.

"Trump is stealing a page out of Richard Nixon's playbook once again," Brinkley said. "When you get criticized by the press or a book that attacks you, you attack back with ferocity. . . . It's a misuse of presidential powers."

But Trump's decision was a deliberate one, according to people who have spoken with him following the publication of excerpts from Wolff's book and who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share candid assessments.

Trump released an initial, lengthy statement Wednesday saying that Bannon had "lost his mind," but he remained dissatisfied, advisers said. The president was especially furious at what he considered several confidences Bannon had betrayed by sharing with Wolff, as well as some alleged falsehoods and exaggerations in the book, and wanted to consult with lawyers who were experts on the topic, one person familiar with his decision said.

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Harder had previously represented Trump's wife, Melania, in a dispute with Britian's Daily Mail, as well as son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Trump was eager to retain the lawyer hailed by aides as someone you hire "to crush the media," a White House official said.

Though some White House aides privately worried that mounting such a forceful response was neither presidential nor particularly effective, they also understood that Trump was unlikely to change his mind. "You can debate the strategic effect of what we're doing, but the president was determined to take the legal action," a White House official said.

Although it is incredibly difficult for a public official, especially the president, to prove libel, Harder has experience in taking on media companies. In a lawsuit secretly funded by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Peter Thiel, Harder represented former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan in a successful invasion of privacy case against Gawker Media that resulted in the closure of the company's namesake website. He also briefly represented Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who is facing multiple allegations of sexual harassment.

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In an author's note at the beginning of "Fire and Fury," Wolff says that in many instances, he allowed his sources to present conflicting versions of the truth and hopes the reader can judge their veracity, as he has "settled on a version of events I believe to be true."

"Many of the accounts of what has happened in the Trump White House are in conflict with one another," Wolff writes, according to a copy of the book obtained by The Washington Post. "Many, in Trumpian fashion, are baldly untrue."

In the White House's daily news briefing Thursday  which for a second day was largely devoted to disputing questions about the book  press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders rejected the suggestion that the letter Trump's legal team sent could be interpreted as a threat by the federal government.

"It's not from the United States government; it's from the president's personal attorney," Sanders said. "And I think it is very clear what its purpose is. And there's nothing to add beyond that."



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The president's approach to the claims in Wolff's book, which includes criticism of both him and his family, follows a familiar pattern honed during Trump's time as a combative New York real estate developer.

For nearly half a century, Trump has used lawsuits  and often just the threat of them  as a primary weapon in his arsenal against critics and competitors, deploying libel and slander allegations to push back against those who might embarrass or contradict him. He has had his lawyers threaten book authors, business rivals, attorneys, and critics of his real estate developments and political views.

Competing hotel owners, casino managers and voices in the news media have all found themselves in receipt of sharply worded letters promising legal action that in most cases never happened.

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The pattern continued during his presidential campaign. Trump threatened to sue the Times over an article about his alleged unwanted advances on women  but he never did. He threatened to sue the women who said he made the advance  but he never did. And he said during the campaign that he might take action to make it easier to sue journalists  but so far he has not done so.

In one case he did pursue, Trump sued Timothy O'Brien, author of the Trump biography "TrumpNation," on the grounds that the book underestimated Trump's wealth. Trump ultimately lost.

"I think the media generally should stand strong and tall whenever President Trump rattles his saber about lawsuits and intimidation," O'Brien, now the executive editor of Bloomberg View, said Thursday. "He spent decades trying to bully the press, his political opponents, and his business competitors by weaponizing the court system. . . . I think what you're seeing now is the same old Donald Trump, but unfortunately he's able to muster the legal and media artillery of the White House to support his same old insecurities."

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Sam Nunberg, a former Trump campaign aide who was later fired, faced a demand for private arbitration from Trump for violating the terms of a confidentiality agreement he'd signed. The two settled, but Nunberg said that even at the time, "my assumption was that he was very, very angry at me."

Nunberg said the president's decision to threaten legal action over Wolff's book likely reflects, as much as anything, his ire over specific remarks Bannon made attacking his family and his business. In the book, Bannon describes a meeting that Trump's oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and Kushner took during the campaign at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer as "treasonous" and "unpatriotic," and is quoted as describing Ivanka Trump as "dumb as a brick."



"I don't think the president would have threatened legal action against Steve had Steve not made the comments about Don Jr. or the Trump Organization, which was wrong by Steve to do," Nunberg said.

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White House aides were caught ill-prepared when early excerpts of the book leaked Wednesday morning. They had no idea, they said, what Bannon had said to Wolff or that the tome would be so scathing.

The president, who had already begun to sour on his former political strategist, spent the day watching the news unfold on television, complaining about Bannon and soliciting aides and confidants for advice. White House lawyer Ty Cobb, counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, communications director Hope Hicks, Chief of Staff John F. Kelly and Sanders all huddled with Trump at various points Wednesday.

The White House also called surrogates, urging them to attack Bannon, and publicly and privately argued to reporters that the anecdotes in the book could not be trusted. The president was especially eager to see allies on television blasting his former adviser.

Word quickly spread both inside and outside the White House that people had to choose a side  either Trump, the figurehead of his movement, or Bannon, the self-proclaimed revolutionary who believed he understood Trump's base.

"When it came time and people actually had to decide that for themselves and in a really public way, everyone chose the president," a White House official said.

Marc Fisher, Michael Kranish and Carol D. Leonnig contributed to this report.

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Former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon's hopes of leading a revolt in the Republican Party this year suffered a severe blow Thursday as his allies rebuked and abandoned him following a nasty public break with President Trump. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Candidates who once embraced Bannon distanced themselves from his efforts, groups aligned with his views sought separation, and his most important financial backer, the billionaire Mercer family, which has championed him for years, announced that it was severing ties.

Even his position as chairman of Breitbart News, a website he has referred to as one of his most effective "weapons," was being reviewed by the company's leadership, according to people familiar with the talks  a move that White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders publicly encouraged at Thursday's White House news briefing.

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President Trump's former chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon issued an apologetic statement on Jan. 7, as Trump's anger at his unflattering comments continues. (Video: Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post, Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

But it was the rare statement from Rebekah Mercer, daughter of investor Robert Mercer, that hit hardest and, combined with Trump's fury, has left Bannon isolated from the two power centers that elevated him from a fringe commentator to an office in the White House.

"My family and I have not communicated with Steve Bannon in many months and have provided no financial support to his political agenda, nor do we support his recent actions and statements," Rebekah Mercer said in a statement to The Washington Post.

Breitbart executives, along with Mercer, who holds a minority stake, discussed pushing Bannon out of the company he helped make famous, according to four people familiar with the discussions. Among their concerns in doing so is the reaction of hard-line conservatives, who make up much of the site's readership, and also of Bannon, who would be unlikely to leave quietly, the sources said.

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The Fixs Callum Borchers lists three takeaways from the book Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff about President Trumps campaign and first year in office. (Video: Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post, Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Friends of the Mercers working at the White House privately shared their view that Bannon's ouster from Breitbart would be well-received by the president, who has been irritated for months with Bannon's rising profile even as the two continued to talk by phone. A Bannon representative declined to comment.

"I certainly think that it's something they should look at and consider," Sanders told reporters Thursday.

One person close to Trump said, "The president's take is that everyone has to now make a choice: 'It's me or it's Steve.' "

Lawyers for Trump have accused Bannon of breaking a confidentiality agreement by making critical comments about Trump and his family in a forthcoming book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," by Michael Wolff. The president said in a statement Wednesday that Bannon has "lost his mind" since leaving his perch at the White House in August.

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Those remarks have effectively undermined Bannon's standing as leader in the motley movement that swept Trump into office, while giving ammunition to his foes in the Republican Party who have long warned that he will be an electoral liability.

"The base is owned and operated by Donald Trump," said Christopher Ruddy, a friend of Trump's who is chief executive of Newsmax Media. "Bannon was an interloper who didn't have as much control as people say he did and whose image was inflated by the media. His power came from riding the coattails of Trump, and the base will side with the president."

After leaving the West Wing, Bannon has tried to straddle a fine line as a hard-charging Trump advocate while cultivating his national stature as the master of his own political operation with distinct personal and ideological goals. People who work with Bannon acknowledged that it will be difficult for him to keep rallying the president's base in the current environment.

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Bannon's foes were more blunt. "His only hook to Republican Party politics was his relationship with the president," said Josh Holmes, a former top aide to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). "You saw how quickly everything dissolved after the president's statement."

The fallout extended to political groups that have worked with Bannon to boost anti-establishment Republican candidates across the country this year, such as U.S. Senate candidate Kelli Ward of Arizona.

Eric Beach, an adviser to both Ward and the Bannon-allied Great America PAC, said Thursday that Bannon and Ward's relationship was limited and not central to her campaign, even though Bannon has hosted her in Washington and spoke at a raucous rally for her in Arizona. Bannon, who has worked closely with Great America Alliance, a partner of the PAC, has no formal role with either group.

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"I don't think there is any room for the palace intrigue," Beach said, saying the entire episode "hurts" the group's cause.

There were signs that other donors were cooling on Bannon's post-White House role as a fundraiser and gatherer of Republican money. Steven Law, the president of the Senate Leadership Fund, which opposes Bannon's projects, said several of his own donors who had previously been willing to entertain pitches from Bannon had decided to stop those conversations.

The unease extended to individual races. Michael Grimm, a former New York congressman running for his old seat after a felony conviction, had eagerly courted and received Bannon's support, posing for photos at the "Breitbart Embassy," Bannon's townhouse on Capitol Hill.

But Grimm quickly distanced himself from Bannon amid the uproar over the Wolff book and issued a statement denouncing the comments in the publication as "baseless" and "beyond disturbing." His advisers said his swift response was a necessary political move.

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"Grimm turned to Steve not just for strategic advice but the imprimatur of the president, and the disagreement suddenly makes that far less legible" as voters evaluate candidates, said Michael Caputo, a Grimm adviser who previously worked on Trump's 2016 campaign. "Some candidates fear that the president will look unfavorably on them if they stay close to Steve."

In other quarters of the Republican Party, where the Breitbart website serves as a commons and Trump controversies are called "fake news," the unraveling of the Trump-Bannon relationship has not yet sparked wide aversion to Bannon.

Danny Tarkanian, a perennial candidate in Nevada and Trump booster challenging Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), said Thursday, "If Mr. Bannon is willing to support me through his comments, his financial resources, or to come out and appear at a rally, I would welcome that support."

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Tarkanian remains friendly with Bannon's circle and noted that he has conferred with Bannon adviser Andy Surabian "on numerous occasions," although Bannon has not formally endorsed Tarkanian and has courted others to run against Heller. Tarkanian maintained that he is a fervent Trump supporter and dismissed the suggestion that he may have to eventually choose a side.

"I don't disown people for political expediency, and I'm not going to get in the middle of that issue," Tarkanian said.

Bannon's influence on Capitol Hill is also under scrutiny. On Thursday, Bannon's allies said they were uncertain whether he would continue to be someone they sought out to help rally against illegal immigration and expel "dreamers"  young undocumented immigrants who were brought into the country as children and who were granted federal permits under an Obama-era program.

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"Yesterday morning, he was key. Today, I'm not sure," said Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), a hard-liner on immigration. "I'd like to see how it plays out over the next few days and see if he's willing to walk some of this stuff back. How he responds will determine his role."

As speculation about Bannon's fate gripped Breitbart, Bannon told several employees and outside supporters that he was intent on staying on as chairman and asked them to go about their work, people familiar with the discussions said. He made plans to host Breitbart's radio program on Sirius XM's Patriot Channel, according to two people familiar with those discussions.

Bannon called Trump "a great man" late Wednesday night on that show and said he supported him "day in and day out." Bannon's role as a radio broadcaster, which appealed to Sirius when the broadcaster brokered a significant programming deal with Breitbart last year, is a factor inside Breitbart as executives mull whether to ask Bannon to step down as chairman. Breitbart wrote last month that "Bannon's commitment to the Sirius XM radio platform . . . ensures that the conservative populist icon will have a significant presence."

After his dismissal from the White House in August, Bannon thrust himself forward on the national stage as the lead general in a war to destroy what he saw as a weakened Republican establishment in the House and Senate  a bloc he called a "globalist clique" that had "total contempt" for Trump's supporters.

He immediately took back control of Breitbart, launched fierce rhetorical attacks on Republican leaders, and last fall helped lead the charge to elect former Alabama state judge Roy Moore to the U.S. Senate, even after allegations surfaced of Moore having had improper sexual contact with teenage girls.

His ambitions have been extensive, mixing trips abroad to connect with global leaders and promote nationalist ideas with daily huddles with a stream of candidates and supporters at the "Breitbart Embassy." In October, Bannon went as far as announcing on Fox News that there should be primary campaigns against every Republican Senate incumbent except for Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.).

Bannon's allies point to the decision of three incumbents  Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah)  to retire instead of standing for reelection this year as evidence of his power to inject fear of the base into the Republican Party's national leadership.

But Bannon's plans for disruption have not quite come to fruition. Candidates to challenge Republican incumbents in Nebraska and Wyoming have yet to materialize, and there is no candidate yet recruited to take on former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who is expected to announce his Senate candidacy in Utah. A Bannon-backed candidate in Mississippi, Chris McDaniel, has slowed his preparations for a campaign against Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), according to people who have spoken with him.

Bannon in recent weeks had also met with leaders of the National Republican Congressional Committee and agreed to resist primary challenges in seats at risk for Democratic pickups next year.

Bannon allies say that he now sees the most opportunity for like-minded Republicans in Democratic-held Senate contests, including Indiana, Missouri, Montana and West Virginia. And he has groused to friends that it would be difficult to win in Nevada and Arizona against well-financed Democratic challengers this year  many of whom expect the left, not the right, to be energized in November.

"Days like this hit hard," said Sam Nunberg, a friend of Bannon's and a former Trump campaign adviser. "Steve has an emotional connection to the president and to the Mercers, and I'm sure this is hitting home."

But, he added, "It could still work out with the Mercers. The reality is, how can you really kick Steve Bannon out of Breitbart?"

Staff writers Josh Dawsey and Sean Sullivan contributed to this report.

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When Attorney General Jeff Sessions flew to Miami in August, he promised more money for crime fighting as a reward for Miami-Dade dropping sanctuary protections from immigration violators at county jails.

But after nearly a year as one of President Donald Trumps most lauded counties, Miami-Dade is still waiting for its federal windfall. Mayor Carlos Gimenez cited billions in rail funds Miami-Dade hoped to secure from Washington in defending the countys immigration switch days after Trump took office. But when Trumps transportation secretary visited Miami last fall, she offered help on permitting issues but noted: Resources are an issue.

Chicago is suing the Trump administration over Trumps funding threats for sanctuary jurisdictions, but the Windy City received the same $3 million police grant from the Justice Department that Miami-Dade did in November. Before Trump became president, both jurisdictions rejected federal requests to detain people who were booked on local charges while being sought for deportation. Chicago still doesnt, but Miami-Dade started honoring the detainer requests last January.

When Sessions came to Miami to cheer the countys accepting federal requests to detain immigration offenders, the attorney general formally announced what Justice had told the county in a letter two weeks earlier: the switch on detainers meant the county was eligible to continue receiving help from the Byrne Grant program for local police agencies. Figures released this week by Miami-Dades budget office showed the county received about $700,000 in Byrne dollars last year  enough to fund the $680 million police budget for about eight hours.

The underlying arguments were not correct, said Melissa Taveras, spokeswoman for the Florida Immigrant Coalition, a Miami-based advocacy group that opposed Gimenezs policy change. What were doing is creating more fear among our immigrant community.

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Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel abruptly ended his campaign for the U.S. Senate on Friday, dealing a blow to the GOP in one of the marquee contests of the 2018 elections. In an email to supporters, the Republican cited an unspecified health issue his wife is battling as the reason for his decision.

"Understanding and dealing with this health issue is more important to me than any political campaign," Mandel wrote. "For as long as that takes, whether it is months or years, it is important that I heed my dad's advice and be there for my wife and our kids."

Mandel said he would continue to serve out the rest of his term as state treasurer.

The Republican launched his challenge against Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) in late 2016. While he lost to Brown in 2012, Mandel was seen by GOP officials as a top recruit for the race, who had built name recognition in the state as well as a national fundraising network.

Brown's Senate seat is one of two-dozen that Democrats are defending this year, many in states that, like Ohio, President Trump won in 2016. Republicans, who hold a narrow 51-to-49 majority, are defending eight Senate seats.

The candidate filing deadline in Ohio is Feb. 7  giving other Republicans only about a month to decide whether to enter the race.

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For Republicans who have found themselves at odds with President Trump or his policies, there have generally been just two options: Buckle, as former deficit hawks did on the recent tax bill, or give up entirely, as two senators did in deciding to retire. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Then there's Cory Gardner. The junior senator from Colorado is not one of the loud and persistent GOP critics who have become fixtures on cable news. In fact, he and Trump align on most issues.

But Gardner  who also heads the campaign operation charged with hanging on to the Republicans' Senate majority  is becoming known as someone who will do more than posture when he and the Trump administration disagree.

The latest and most striking example came Thursday, when Gardner, 43, announced that he will stand in the way of every nomination the Justice Department sends to the Senate. Late last year, he and Trump were in opposition over the Senate race in Alabama.

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"Cory didn't look for a fight in either case. It came to him, and he responded vigorously. And to me, that's the model," said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), who knows Gardner well.

His latest move came in protest of Attorney General Jeff Sessions's new policy allowing federal prosecutors to crack down on the marijuana industry  a reversal of Obama administration policies and a blow to states such as Colorado that have legalized cannabis despite federal law against it.

"This reported action directly contradicts what Attorney General Sessions told me prior to his confirmation. With no prior notice to Congress, the Justice Department has trampled on the will of the voters in CO and other states," Gardner tweeted.

His position is undoubtedly beneficial to his own political situation, given the popularity of legal marijuana in his home state, a battleground where he will be facing reelection in 2020.

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While Colorado defies any party label, it has a strong libertarian streak. In 2012, it became one of the first two states to legalize pot for recreational use; a year later, voters there recalled two state senators who had voted for stricter gun laws.

Although he has a staunchly conservative voting record, Gardner, a former Senate staffer and state lawmaker, has proved skillful at navigating his state's tricky political terrain.

His 2014 campaign ads touted him as "a new kind of Republican." After Gardner's victory over incumbent Democrat Mark Udall, Bloomberg News dubbed him "a Purple Superhero." Meanwhile, he maintains a demeanor so cheerful that Washington Post columnist George Will once described him as a "human sunbeam."

"He's a very substantive senator, but he's also a very politically savvy senator," said former Colorado GOP chairman Dick Wadhams. "Frankly, he will suffer some backlash from loyal Trump Republicans for doing this, but Cory looks at the bigger picture."

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Gardner also took the opposite side from Trump and the Republican National Committee in last month's contentious Senate election in Alabama, a contest that sharply divided the party.

After GOP candidate Roy Moore was accused of sexual misconduct toward teenage girls, there was an initial rush by the party to distance itself from its own nominee.

But after Trump endorsed Moore, the RNC resumed its financial aid to the candidate  something that Gardner, as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, refused to do.

"You're seeing a very able politician position himself personally on issues that are important to his state. And both the marijuana issue and the issue of sexual harassment are going to be pretty important in a swing state like Colorado," Cole said.

Although his Alabama stance put him at odds with both the president and the national party organization, "it didn't matter to me. There was no amount of pressure that would have changed my decision, because it was the right thing to do," Gardner said in an interview.

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Still, some of his Republican colleagues resented the high profile he took against Moore, particularly when Gardner vowed to move for Moore's expulsion from the Senate if he were elected.

It made the situation more awkward for other Republicans, one party strategist said. "He put a lot of people in a bad spot."

If Gardner's position on Alabama caused problems for other Republicans, so has Sessions's stance on pot  because it divides social conservatives from libertarians, both of whom are essential parts of the GOP base.

Gardner's counterpart at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), pointed to Gardner's outspokenness as a sign that there could be a budding bipartisan coalition to resist Sessions's directive, which Van Hollen also opposes.

"This may be an area where you have common cause between some Democrats and Republicans," Van Hollen said in an interview with The Washington Post and Politico on C-SPAN's "Newsmakers."

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Gardner was also one of the earliest Republicans to criticize Trump for not singling out white nationalists as the culprits for violence last summer in Charlottesville that led to the death of one counterprotester.

"Mr. President  we must call evil by its name. These were white supremacists and this was domestic terrorism," Gardner wrote in a tweet at the time.

In the interview this week, Gardner said he is focused on following the will of voters back home  and the dictates of his own conscience.

"What I'm concerned about is the people of Colorado, doing what's right for them. And issues of standing up against accusations of child molesting in Alabama or up against racism and bigotry," Gardner said. "I'm going to do what's right, and it doesn't matter who is in the White House."

Before agreeing to vote to confirm Sessions, Gardner recalled, he had demanded assurances from the nominee that the administration would not move against Colorado's marijuana industry. Though Gardner had personally opposed legalization, he said, he believed the will of Colorado voters should be respected.

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Sessions assured him "that the Trump administration simply didn't have this on their agenda," Gardner recalled. "They didn't have room for it, they didn't plan on doing it and that Trump honestly wasn't there."

When asked about that discussion, senior Justice Department officials declined to comment.

Gardner has been in touch with Sessions again after announcing his plan to oppose the department's nominees unless it relents on changing the marijuana policy.

"Let's just say, there was no reconciliation of differences," the senator said. "We are going to have a conversation next week."

Meanwhile, Gardner is likely to be embroiled in another tense situation with the Republican White House soon.

He and fellow Colorado Sen. Michael F. Bennet, a Democrat, are co-sponsors of the Dream Act, which would grant legal status and a path to citizenship to immigrants who were brought to this country illegally when they were children. One in 5 Coloradans is Hispanic.

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Trump, however, has rescinded an Obama-era program  Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA  that shielded those young immigrants from deportation.

Democrats have made restoring the program a top priority; Trump has said he will not do so unless he also gets funding for the border wall that was one of his signature campaign promises.

Gardner said that a compromise may be possible  but that it will require the Trump administration to get more heavily involved in the negotiations and to be clear about precisely what it wants.

"I think there is a bipartisan path to provide border security, to move forward on a solution for children of a very young age brought here through no fault of their own," he said. "I don't think this is a zero-sum game. I think there is common ground for a victory."

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ISLAMABAD  Pakistani officials denounced the Trump administration's decision to suspend military aid Friday, decrying what they called "arbitrary deadlines" and "unilateral pronouncements," while members of the opposition called for retaliation. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight In one of the harshest actions in years between the troubled allies, the Trump administration moved Thursday to block an estimated $2 billion in military assistance at the end of a week that began with the president accusing the Pakistanis of years of "lies & deceit."

State Department officials said they are holding back the aid as an incentive for Pakistan to take "decisive action" to rid its lands of terrorist safe havens. It also placed the country on a watch list of nations failing to protect religious freedom.

"Working toward enduring peace requires mutual respect and trust along with patience and persistence," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Arbitrary deadlines, unilateral pronouncements and shifting goal posts are counterproductive in addressing common threats."

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Jan. 4 the administration was still calculating the types of aid affected by the decision. (Video: Reuters)

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In an interview Thursday with the Geo News channel, Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that the United States was now neither a friend nor ally but "a friend who always betrays."

Pakistan's opposition, meanwhile, called for concrete actions to retaliate.

Opposition leader Imran Khan said Pakistan should "delink" itself from the United States after its humiliation "by an ungrateful Donald Trump." Khan has called for Pakistan to expel some U.S. diplomatic personnel and cut off supply routes for the U.S.-led coalition forces from the port city of Karachi to landlocked Afghanistan, as well as close its airspace to U.S. forces.

Pakistanis protest in Karachi to condemn a tweet from Donald Trump in which he said the U.S. has "foolishly" handed the country $33 billion in aid. (Video: Reuters)

Analysts fear the escalating tension could have a long-standing impact on regional security and the United States' ongoing efforts in Afghanistan, where troop levels now stand at 14,000.

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"There is little doubt that both are on a collision course and their bilateral relationship is set for a very rough ride if back-channel efforts are not made to address the U.S. concerns," said Vinay Kaura, an Indian security analyst.

The Trump administration's move came after what a senior State Department official called "numerous conversations" with the Pakistanis over several months, along with visits by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. The United States has repeatedly pressed the Pakistanis to do something about Taliban and Haqqani network militants operating inside Pakistan who launch attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan, officials said.

Much to the "immense" frustration of the United States, Pakistan continued to deny that there are terrorist safe havens in the country and that they have little leverage over them, the official said, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly.

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"So they know exactly what it is that we've asked of them," the official added. "We cannot continue business as usual with the Pakistani government if they are not going to partner with us."

The tension between the two governments was evident during a meeting between Asif and national security adviser H.R. McMaster in October at the White House, Asif said in Thursday's TV interview.

McMaster, an Army lieutenant general who served in Afghanistan, has been a key driver of the Trump administration's efforts to strengthen its stance against Pakistan.

"I met McMaster and he told me that 'you make promises but don't keep them, and our trust level is quite low,' " Asif said. The foreign minister responded that his country had little trust in the United States as well. The meeting lasted for less than half an hour, he said.

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The State Department also announced Thursday that it was placing Pakistan on a watch list of countries failing to protect religious freedom, a modest gesture that fell short of the more severe designation "Countries of Particular Concern" accorded to nations such as North Korea and Iran.

On Friday, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry rejected the designation, saying it was not based on objective criteria.

Officials have said the designation was due to harassment of religious minorities and tolerance of violence centering on its blasphemy law.

Pakistan and the United States settled into an uneasy alliance after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, with Pakistan arresting al-Qaeda operatives and allowing drone attacks inside its airspace. But the relationship has grown more contentious since 2011, when U.S. Special Forces killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a raid in the military garrison town of Abbottabad.

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The United States has given Pakistan more than $20 billion in reimbursements and military assistance since 2002, but that aid has diminished over the years, to the point that Pakistani officials have insisted that its suspension will have minimal impact.

A senior administration official said the total amount of military aid being suspended is about $2 billion, including $900 million in coalition support funds designated to reimburse Pakistan for fighting militants.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules for briefing reporters, said the suspension was born of frustration with watching Pakistan mount operations against militants hostile to Pakistan but offer safe haven to groups that attack Americans.

"The suspension is arguably more significant as a signal of Washington's discontent than as an act of financial deprivation," said Joshua T. White, an Asia analyst who was director of South Asian affairs at the National Security Council during the Obama years.

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"The Trump administration has likely sketched out an escalation strategy and would be wise to pause after Thursday's announcement to give Pakistan the opportunity to quietly address U.S. concerns."

Gowen reported from New Delhi. Carol Morello contributed to this report from Washington.

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KABUL  A day of tensions between police and shopkeepers in the Afghan capital took a deadly turn Thursday when a suicide bomber blew himself up, killing at least 20 people, including 16 members of the city's police forces, officials said. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Police had raided shops in the Banayee neighborhood on Wednesday on suspicion that their owners were selling illicit substances including alcohol and hashish, said Najib Danish, a spokesman for Afghanistan's Interior Ministry.

On Thursday, the shopkeepers took to the streets in protest, alleging that the police had killed one of them. When the police returned to the scene, the suicide bomber detonated the blast.

Hours later, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack through the group's own news service, Amaq. The Islamic State has a regional affiliate in Afghanistan, and has claimed a string of attacks in Kabul in recent weeks, including one on a Shiite cultural center last week that claimed nearly 50 lives.

Social media users in Kabul expressed unusual skepticism of the Islamic State's claim this time around, as many locals suspect that the group's suicide bombers come from areas near the Pakistan border or from within Pakistan.

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Because the protests on Thursday seemed spontaneous, many doubted that an attacker could have made it from there to Kabul in time to intercept the police forces. Furthermore, the shops in Banayee are widely rumored to sell items ranging from narcotics to suicide vests.

Either way, the attack was yet another sign of rising violence and insecurity in Kabul.

The Islamic State has brought carnage to the city's streets repeatedly. Its deadliest attack last year killed more than 150 people just outside the city's "Green Zone" and forced numerous embassies to close. Thursday's attack also took place within a mile of the diplomatic area.

Afghan Special Forces have been locked in battle with the Islamic State's regional affiliate in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, along the Pakistan border, since the group emerged in 2014. U.S. Special Forces also regularly engage in combat there.

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On Jan. 1, Sgt. First Class Mihail Golin, 34, was killed there, making him the first U.S. military casualty of 2018, the Pentagon announced Wednesday.

On Thursday, the State Department announced it would suspend most security assistance to Pakistan, expanding its retribution over militant safe havens that U.S. officials blame for ongoing violence in Afghanistan.

The Trump administration had previously said it would suspend $255 million in foreign military funding for Pakistan, meaning the new steps will have limited effect.

Sharif Walid and Sayed Salahuddin contributed to this report.



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At the behest of President Trump, the White House's top lawyer called Attorney General Jeff Sessions shortly before he recused himself from the FBI investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and tried to persuade him not to do so, according to two people familiar with the discussions. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight By then, one of the people said, Sessions had essentially already made up his mind to step aside, and though the lawyer's phone call sparked some additional discussions, the attorney general would ultimately turn over the probe to his top deputy.

But the lobbying effort by Don McGahn, first reported Thursday night by the New York Times, could be an important episode in the very probe over which McGahn urged Sessions to maintain his authority.

After Sessions's recusal, his deputy, Rod J. Rosenstein, appointed special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to lead the investigation, and Mueller is now exploring  among other things  whether Trump attempted to obstruct justice and interfere with investigators' work. He is also investigating possible coordination between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign to influence the 2016 election.

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Spokesmen for the Justice Department and the special counsel declined to comment for this story. Trump lawyer Ty Cobb declined to comment, and McGahn did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Trump was taken aback by Sessions's recusal, and afterward, he raged to staffers and on Twitter that his attorney general had made the wrong choice. In July, he told the New York Times that if he had known Sessions would recuse himself, he "would have picked somebody else" to be attorney general. At some point, Sessions offered his resignation, but the president would not accept it.

Sessions has said publicly he isolated himself from the Russia investigation almost from the moment he took office in early February, and all the while, consulted with career officials about whether he would have to formally recuse himself because of his role as an adviser on Trump's campaign. A person familiar with his thinking said he had decided to step aside formally by late February.

Jeff Sessions spoke twice in 2016 with Russia's ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, but did not mention this during his confirmation hearing. (Video: Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)

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On March 1, The Washington Post reported that Sessions had spoken twice with Russia's ambassador to the United States  encounters he did not disclose when asked at his confirmation hearing about contacts between members of Trump's campaign and representatives of Moscow. That report increased the public pressure on him to give up supervision of the probe.

A person familiar with the probe said McGahn had a conversation with Sessions early the next day, trying to persuade him to stay in control. Sessions, the person said, was not immediately committal. But he would soon announce to the public  not long after the news was passed to McGahn  that he was stepping aside and leaving the matter to Rosenstein.

Two months later, Trump fired James B. Comey as the FBI director, and soon after that, Rosenstein appointed Mueller to lead the probe. Mueller has been looking at the events surrounding the firing of Comey  which the president has said he did with the Russia controversy on his mind  and his examination would probably also involve examining other efforts by Trump to influence the investigation, such as Trump's request of McGahn.

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Mueller has interviewed Rosenstein, who drafted a memo supporting Comey's firing and retains supervision over the special counsel, and he has obtained memos that Comey wrote about his dealings with the president. By Comey's account, the president asked him to pledge loyalty and said he hoped Comey could let go of the bureau's investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who recently pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

Mueller also has obtained notes from Reince Priebus, Trump's former chief of staff, indicating Priebus and Trump talked about the president urging Comey to say publicly he was not being personally investigated, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Carol Leonnig contributed to this report.

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Gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham blasted Gov. Rick Scott Thursday and accused his administration of hiding documents she requested related to a dozen hurricane-related deaths at a Hollywood nursing home.

His administrations response: We have the documents and will turn them over for $1,200.

Graham, a Democrat and former congresswoman hoping to replace the term-limited Republican governor this November, claimed in a press release that Scotts administration ignored her Sept. 29 public records request for call logs, text messages and voice mails from a private phone line he made available to Floridas assisted living facilities and nursing homes ahead of Hurricane Irma.

She requested the records following an evacuation of the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills, where the hurricane knocked out power, killing more than a dozen frail, elderly residents. Fourteen died after the storm, and 12 of the deaths have been classified as homicides. Multiple lawsuits have been filed.

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The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations on Friday accused the United States of abusing its power as a permanent member of the Security Council during an emergency meeting called by the Trump administration to discuss unrest and protests in Iran. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Gholamali Khoshroo said the protests that have roiled Iran over the past week were an internal domestic affair, outside the mandate of the Security Council. He cited a long list of protest movements in the United States, including Occupy Wall Street, anti-Vietnam protests at Kent State University in 1970 and the subsequent shooting deaths of students, and the recent protests over the killing of African Americans by police officers.

Khoshroo said for Washington to call a meeting to discuss Iranian protests was a "preposterous example" of U.S. bullying tactics at the United Nations and added that it had "lost every shred of moral, political and legal authority and credibility in the eyes of the whole world."

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"It is a discredit to the Security Council to take up a matter that is of pure domestic nature while failing objectively to lift a finger when it comes to genuine issues," he said, citing Palestinians yearning for a homeland and a Saudi-led bombing campaign against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen.

Khoshroo was the final ambassador to speak in a 90-minute debate to address what U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley called the "troubling and dangerous situation in Iran."

Eight days of protest have led to at least 21 deaths and more than 1,000 arrests, mostly in clashes with security forces. On the ground in Iran, however, the unrest appears to have ebbed on Friday. But Haley called on the Security Council to "amplify the message of the Iranian people."

"Today the people of Iran are speaking to their government, and their message is undeniable: 'Stop the support for terrorism. Stop giving billions of our money to killers and dictators. Stop taking our wealth and spending it on foreign fighters and proxy wars. Think of us,' " she said.

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Haley also called on the government of Iran to "stop censoring the voice of the people, and to restore the access to the Internet."

Protests that initially aired economic grievances turned political and spread to small cities and towns throughout the country. Some demonstrators openly chanted anti-government slogans at the hard-line clerics who run the country and at President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate who promised more political freedoms and economic improvements following sanctions relief after the 2015 nuclear deal.

They were followed by large pro-government rallies in Tehran and other cities, all of which were widely covered by Iranian state television.

The Trump administration has been strongly supportive of the protesters and condemned the Iranian government.

President Trump has been particularly harsh, tweeting his support for Iranians who "are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime."

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But the Europeans  who negotiated the nuclear agreement along with the United States, Russia and China  have reacted more cautiously by expressing support for the protesters without antagonizing the government with strident condemnation.

The Security Council debate underscored those differences. The European diplomats spoke in support of the right to free speech and peaceful protest. But several pointedly raised the nuclear agreement and encouraged everyone to uphold their commitments.

Trump has declined to certify Iran is compliant and suggested he may not waive suspended sanctions later this month, in effect walking away from it.

Francois Delattre, France's ambassador to the U.N., called the nuclear agreement a "cornerstone of stability" in the region, and warned of dire consequences from abandoning it.

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"We must maintain a robust dialogue with Iran to ensure it doesn't further pose a risk stoking regional instability," he said.

The United States was also rebuked by Russia's ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, who sarcastically questioned whether events in the United States should be addressed by the U.N.

"By your logic, we should have initiated a Security Council meeting after the well-known events in Ferguson," he said.

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U.S. customs agents conducted 60 percent more searches of travelers' cellphones, laptops and other electronic devices during the government's 2017 fiscal year, according to statistics released Friday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The agency said it searched 30,200 devices but the inspections affected only 0.007 percent of the 397 million travelers  including American citizens as well as foreign visitors  who arrived from abroad during the 12-month period that ended Sept 30.

CBP published the figures as it issued new guidelines formalizing the way its officers conduct searches and handle the information they obtain.

The agency said the increase was not the result of a policy directive, but rather an indication that electronic devices are increasingly viewed as critical sources of information on potential security threats.

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"In this digital age, border searches of electronic devices are essential to enforcing the law at the U.S. border and to protecting the American people," CBP official John Wagner said in a statement.

American citizens and other travelers have expressed astonishment and alarm in recent years at requests to hand over their cellphones from U.S. customs officials at airports and border crossings.

But CBP said the practice is justified and its standards have been thoroughly reviewed to ensure they are not an unreasonable violation of privacy rights.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders outlined President Trump's priorities on immigration reform. (Video: Reuters)

The agency said it sometimes needs information it obtains from devices to determine the admissibility of foreign visitors, viewing them as potential sources of intelligence on terrorism, child pornography or other criminal activity.

Under the new guidelines, travelers who are selected by its officers for additional screening could be asked to unlock their electronic devices for inspection or provide passcodes. They will be asked to disable the devices' data transmission, according to a senior CBP official who briefed reporters on the changes Friday.

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Only information physically stored on the device  such as photographs or phone numbers  would be subject to search, said the official, who the agency would not allow to be quoted by name. CBP agents would not be allowed to seek information stored externally or on a "cloud" linked to the device.

Such inspections would constitute a "basic search," the agency said. But in cases where officers determine they have reasonable suspicion of a criminal act or potential threat to national security, they may, with a supervisors' authorization, conduct an "advanced search" by connecting it to other applications and potentially copying its information.

Passwords provided by travelers would be destroyed and not retained by the government, the CBP official said.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a key ally of privacy rights groups, called the new CBP guidelines "an improvement" but said they're still too intrusive for U.S. citizens.

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"Manually examining an individuals' private photos, messages and browsing history is still extremely invasive, and should require a warrant," he said in a statement. "I continue to believe Americans are entitled to their full constitutional rights, no matter where they are in the United States."

Last year U.S. civil rights groups filed suit against the federal government in an attempt to curb device searches.

According to the senior CBP official, about 20 percent of the travelers whose devices are inspected are U.S. citizens. The rest are permanent residents, visitors or other travelers whose admissibility to the United States is subject to CBP discretion.

American citizens who refuse to allow their devices to be inspected cannot be denied entry into the United States, but their devices could be retained for up to five days, the official said.

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In cases where noncitizens refuse the search, they could be denied entry and sent home.

CBP said the decision to review a travelers' electronic device would not be made at random, and would be requested by officers as part of their broader effort to evaluate whether to allow someone into the U.S.

Imagery and information that is noncriminal, including political or sexual content, could also be used by CBP officers to determine whether to admit a foreign visitor, the CBP official said.

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BEIRUT  The eruption of political unrest in Iran has presented an unforeseen challenge to Tehran's rising influence in the Middle East, potentially threatening the country's claims to dominance just when it seemed to have secured an unassailable role. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The demonstrations, triggered mostly by popular disaffection with the stagnant economy, come at a time when Iran has been boasting about its newfound clout, won mainly by intervening in the region's many wars.

Iran's role as the Middle East's most consequential power has been cemented by its support for President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, for the Shiite militias in Iraq fighting the Islamic State, for the Houthi rebels in Yemen and for the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.

But the interventions have been costly and, as the demonstrations have revealed, unpopular  at least with some Iranians.

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"No Gaza, no Lebanon, our lives for Iran," the crowds chanted at one of the first demonstrations, a reference to Iranian support for the Palestinian Hamas movement in Gaza and for Hezbollah in Lebanon. "Leave Syria alone, think about us," and "Death to Hezbollah" were among other slogans.

These are a reminder that Iran's power plays in the region have come at a price, according to Mohamad Bazzi, a professor of journalism at New York University who is writing a book about Iran's role in the region and its rivalry with Saudi Arabia.

"For the past few months, if not years, Iran has been viewed as ascendant. They've been, quote, winning in the Middle East," he said. "And now we find out Iranians don't approve of their government spending all this money in places like Lebanon and Syria."

With the anti-government protests apparently starting to fade, there is no reason to anticipate any immediate changes to Iranian policies, either foreign or domestic. For a third straight day on Friday, the authorities organized pro-government demonstrations in numerous Iranian cities, seeking to underline their message that the anti-government protesters represented a tiny minority of Iranians whose actions had been instigated by Iran's foreign enemies, notably the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

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The spread of the anti-government protests over the past week nonetheless suggests a level of domestic unhappiness that calls into question whether Tehran's regional ambitions can be sustained, said Fawaz Gerges, professor of Middle East politics at the London School of Economics.

"Before the protests, you had this dominant narrative that Iran is unstoppable, Iran is undefeatable, Iran is as solid as a rock," he said. "The protests have undermined the posture of the Islamic Republic in the region, as the unrivaled superpower."

"Thousands of protesters have exposed a major rupture in Iranian society, not just between reformists and ultraconservatives but between a critical segment of Iranian public opinion and the leadership," he said. "This is really why this particular moment matters a great deal."

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Exactly how much Iran has spent on its foreign interventions is unknown, said Sanam Vakil, who analyzes Iran at London's Chatham House think tank. One of the triggers for the demonstrations, she said, appears to have been the recent unveiling of the country's 2018 budget by President Hassan Rouhani. It featured, among other unpopular items, a big jump in funding for the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to about $8 billion  almost two-thirds of the defense budget, according to Iranian news reports.

The IRGC oversees the Quds Force, labeled a terrorist organization by the United States, which has overall responsibility for promoting Iran's vision of revolutionary Shiite Islam in the region. The group is commanded by the legendary warrior Qassem Soleimani, who has repeatedly been pictured at the front lines of the region's wars in photographs on Instagram and Twitter. This strategic portrayal broadcasts Iranian influence on the outcome of battles from Aleppo in Syria to the small town of Jurf al-Sakhar south of Baghdad.

The IRGC also controls extensive business interests that amplify its income while obscuring the true cost of Iran's foreign interventions, Vakil said. "A lot of money is spent that is not accountable. It's a black box, and the government doesn't publicize it."

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The budget featured big sums for some of Iran's religious foundations, and the protests appeared to be rooted as much in resentment over local issues, such as corruption and income inequality, as in specific concerns about the country's foreign interventions.

But there is no question that spending billions of dollars on other countries' wars clashes with the reality of dwindling living standards in Iran, said Alireza Nader of the Rand Corp.

"They're completely overstretched," he said of the Iranian government. "On the surface, they seem to be doing pretty well and winning these conflicts, but they're spending money they don't have."

Iran's leadership has until now seemed oblivious to any potential contradiction between its role in fighting the region's wars and its standing with ordinary citizens. Rather, leaders have repeatedly trumpeted the gains they have made.

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The surprise challenge to Iran's role could trigger a shift in perceptions even if there is no immediate policy change, said Paul Salem of the Middle East Institute in Washington. "This will make Iran's allies and proxies nervous and feeling vulnerable."

In comments aimed at reassuring Hezbollah's supporters in Lebanon, the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, told the Lebanese television network Al-Mayadeen on Wednesday that there is no reason to fear a loss of Iranian funding. Even if Iran were to find itself unable to continue funding Hezbollah, he added, ordinary Iranians would dig into their pockets to do so.

"There is nothing to worry about," he said. "The size of the protests is not large."

The size of the protests may matter less, however, than the issues the protesters have raised, Gerges said: "They have exposed the fragility of the Islamic Republic."

Suzan Haidamous contributed from Beirut.

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The Missoula Art Museum's Benefit Art Auction exhibition has more than its share of pieces that live up to the name, "The Power of Art."

"We believe art has enormous power to inspire, to transform, and yes, also to make strong statements and demonstrate innovation" and a love of collecting, said MAM executive director Laura Millin.

While it's hard to find a trend in 80 pieces of work by as many artists, Millin said there's "an overwhelming vibrancy, playfulness, focus on beauty and a very colorful exhibition overall."

A number of important figures have works in the show, including the late Rudy Autio and Terry Karson. Veteran artists such as sculptor and printmaker John Buck and assemblage artist Ken Little and painter Stephanie Frostad donated works.

Of Little's piece, "Red Boar," an animal head assembled from shoes and other items, MAM curator Brandon Reintjes said he "feels like this is a piece of art history in the making." Little, a former University of Montana professor who furthered his career in Texas, has works in the MAM's Permanent Collection.

"They're very significant pieces and we're really lucky to be able to present them in the auction," Reintjes said.

Karson, who made his home in Ennis, and was at one point curator of the Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings, passed away in January 2017 at age 66. His estate donated "Pupa Americana," one of his intricate "specimen" pieces. Karson carefully folded colorful cellophane wrappers into small forms resembling insect pupae and arrayed them in seven rows and 23 columns.

The Autio family, including patriarch Rudy and his children Lisa and Chris, donated works. Rudy, an internationally recognized ceramics pioneer, died in 2007. One of his Matisse-like drawings on paper fetched $12,000 at the auction last year, and the family has donated another.

Lisa donated a large piece that Reintjes said was unusually more like pure abstraction than her other work, with a richly developed surface texture. Chris, a photographer, contributed a large-scale hand-colored photograph.

Buck, who splits his time between Hawaii and Bozeman, donated a sprawling woodblock print measuring roughly 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. In his signature style, it depicts imagery spanning cultures and time periods: A grizzly bear looms in the foreground on its hind legs, surrounded by figures from European culture and some more modern, possibly American, pop cultural allusions. The title, "Old Ephraim in Paris," refers to a term for bears in the old West. Buck had an exhibition with prints and his room-filling sculptures at the MAM in 2015.

George Gogas returned with another politically themed piece in his Charlie Russell meets Pablo Picasso series. This one, based on Russell's Judith Basin Encounter: Charlie and Pablo Were Alarmed When They Realized Donald Was Unaware of the Serious Threat." Last year, a Gogas piece about President Donald Trump sold for $6,000.

***

The auction is the largest fundraiser of the year for the MAM, raising about 10 to 12 percent of its annual revenue. It helps fund the nonprofit museum's exhibitions and related programming of contemporary art from the state and the region. The free-admission museum also offers workshops and classes for children and adults, plus the Fifth-Grade Art Experience, which brings thousands of kids from the broader area to the museum.

Last year, the auction's net proceeds were about $138,000, including $36,000 raised during a "moment of giving" in which the auctioneer solicited general donations.

The auction this year includes 80 artists between the silent and live auction, selected from more than 260 submissions. They range from ceramics (sculptural and functional) to painting (abstract and landscape), and prints, photographs and sculpture. There are 44 women and 36 men, and 10 who are new to the auction.

While the auction benefits the museum, artists typically receive a percentage as well.

This year, the auction will again be held in the UC Ballroom. Johnna Wells of Benefit Auctions 360 is returning as auctioneer. Missoula Wine Merchants is providing the "wine wall," where people can purchase a bottle of wine for $25 that could be valued higher. Slikati Photography will have a photo booth with live projections during the event.

Reintjes said many of sales are entered into an online database that can "establishes their market value when appraisals happen and secondary-market values are determined," Reintjes said. Not all of the artists work directly with galleries, and so in many cases "the auction becomes the sole public measure of their perceived value."

A quarter of the works have an estimated value of $500 or lower, with another 15 in the $500 to $1,000 range, while the rest are $1,000 and higher.

While the purpose of the auction is to raise money, it also cultivates relationships between the museum and the artists. A piece in the auction might build toward an exhibition and vice versa, Reintjes said.

Wendy Red Star, a Crow artist from eastern Montana, has built a reputation as a rising young star in the national contemporary art world from her new home base in Portland, Oregon.

Red Star guest-curated a current MAM exhibition, "Our Side," that spotlights four female Native contemporary artists. In "Peelatchixaaliash/Old Crow (Raven)" from her "1880 Crow Peace Delegation" series, Red Star marked up a historic photograph with contemporary commentary.

The materials in Missoula artist Joe Boddy's assemblage sculpture could contribute to some bidding. He repurposed a large slab of salvaged wood, complete with rusty nails, and a brick from the Missoula Mercantile Building.

Landscapes and the effects of climate change come into play in a number of works. Clay Pape, a regular at the Dana Gallery, offered up "Glacial Melt," which depicts the craggy break-up of a body of ice in acrylic and wood glue. Kristi Hager's expertly rendered painting of the snowcapped Beartooths can't help but bring to mind glacial decline.

Other landscapes don't have direct messages, such as Ben Bloch's large-scale "Highway, Field, Canyon," with expressive brushstrokes and thin, flowing washes of color. Associate curator John Calsbeek admired the all-over compositional focus in Rosella Mosteller's black-and-white photograph, "Spring Runoff in Rattlesnake Creek II."

Connie Dillon, who owns Gallery Nine in Billings, offered "Every Ripple Is a Symphony," a close view of the water that verges on abstraction. "It really mimicked the subject matter: the dapple of the light, the movement of the water was approximated through these shifting color tones," Reintjes said.

Regarding ceramics, some important figures contributed work. Josh DeWeese of Bozeman donated a large jar with "painterly" line work and striking metallic glazes, Reintjes said. Steven Young Lee, the resident artist director at the Archie Bray Foundation, donated two vases with a geometric fern pattern and contrasting glazes.

On the smallest end of the spectrum, Skylar Brennan of Kansas City crafted a sculpture called "Alternative Artifact." Reintjes said it resembles a "small piece of technology that you're going to plug into your computer." The piece, all of 2 inches long, was so "intriguing and whimsical" that they had to include it, Reintjes said.
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Provincial Families Minister Scott Fielding apologized Thursday night after causing a distraction after he hit the like button on several of U.S. President Donald Trumps controversial tweets.

Fielding liked two Trump tweets last weekend: one attacking the media and alleging many stories are fiction; the other promising even greater cuts to come in U.S. taxes and government regulations.

Fielding also liked a tweet from disgraced U.S. political commentator Bill OReilly promoting his new online show.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Political experts warn that Manitoba Minister of Families Scott Fielding isn't necessarily a Donald Trump supporter just because he "liked" the U.S. president's tweet.

Fox News fired OReilly last year, after it was revealed he paid roughly US$45 million to settle sexual harassment lawsuits with six women.

Late Thursday night, Fielding released a statement on Twitter: I apologize for the distraction. Just because I like a standalone tweet because I find it amusing or appreciate a sentiment it expresses does not mean I support the person who tweeted it or endorse their previous comments. As a political observer, I like all sorts of tweets. I can relate to other politicians frustrations with media sometimes, which can lead us to let off a bit of steam.

Political experts caution that Fielding shouldnt be assumed to be a Trump supporter just because he hit like on the U.S. presidents rants.

But they also say Fielding is causing himself and the Manitoba government, led by Premier Brian Pallister, unnecessary grief by publicly commenting on controversial figures.

You wonder what kind of communications training this government has in place. Given the number of times Pallister has put his own foot in his mouth, I am presuming that the answer is: not much, Brandon University political science Prof. Kelly Saunders said Thursday.

Fielding is a veteran politician, serving as a Winnipeg city councillor from 2006 to 2014, before winning the Kirkfield Park riding for the Tories in the 2016 provincial election.

A general like on Twitter or Facebook should not be read to imply a general endorsement of everything said and done by Trump or OReilly, retired University of Manitoba political scientist Paul Thomas said.

However, indulging your enjoyment of controversial political figures by liking them online creates opportunities for political opponents to score some short-lived political points. Even some PC supporters might be offended by a perceived endorsement of Trump/OReilly, Thomas said.

All of this leads me to ask: do Pallister and his minister receive training on the benefits and the risks of using social media?

It also leads me to wish that Fielding would spend his time clarifying where he is going with his consultation/policy on fostering/adoption of Indigenous children. Twitter controversies crowd out more substantive messages.

Saunders noted: On the one hand, people are so blase on social media now that they click like on things without giving it a second thought. That being said, however, it is a different situation for public figures, in terms of the ways in which these kinds of non-events can become inflamed into controversies by an opposition looking for a scandal.

Also this week, Manitobas sustainable development minister, Rochelle Squires, set off a flurry of news stories by tweeting her approval of the City of Montreals ban on plastic shopping bags.

She subsequently told reporters Wednesday she had no specific agenda in mind for Manitoba.

Christopher Adams, a political scientist based at St. Pauls College, called Fieldings social-media actions small potatoes; while University of Winnipeg political science Prof. Shannon Sampert said, Is liking on Twitter really liking  is it an endorsement, or merely a response?

I, frankly, am loath to like anything from Trumps account, but to make it such a big deal, I think is a stretch, Sampert said.

Some believe the media got it wrong by giving the issue any coverage, Sampert said.

Fielding may be agreeing with Trump on that note, but not endorsing the idea of censorship per se. And he may enjoy OReillys oratory style without feeling that hes endorsing his sexual-assault issues. Its a very small gesture in a very limited arena  and it can be blown out of proportion, she said.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 05/01/2018 (1778 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeggers battling cabin fever might find a new cure at The Forks.

On Friday, the ice sculpture extravaganza Ice Castles opens to the public at 4 p.m.

At a preview Thursday night, visitors were greeted by enchanted princesses with smiles frozen on their faces, who posed for photos inside the life-size fairytale playground.

Photos by JASON HALSTEAD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Visitors take part in a preview event at the Ice Castles attraction at The Forks on Thursday. Ice Castles will open to the public today.

Artisans have spent the last four weeks dripping, shaping and hand-placing icicles to create the interactive attraction. It features ice-carved tunnels, fountains, slides, frozen thrones and spiraling towers embedded with colour-changing LED lights that twinkle to music at night.

A fire-breather and a fire hula dancer put on a show for shivering passersby. Visitors took selfies on an ice slide with a tunnel that spits riders out into a pile of snow. The castles are made of solid ice but the walkways are soft, with ankle-deep, churned-up snow.

The first day of the icy spectacle should be a frigid affair, with Environment Canada expecting it to feel like -37 C with the windchill.

The weekend weather will be much warmer  relatively speaking  with highs of -12 C Saturday and -8 C Sunday. Closer-to-normal temperatures are expected Monday and Tuesday, with daytime highs of -7 C and -14 C.

Tickets to Ice Castles are less expensive if purchased online: Friday through Sunday tickets are $16.95 for those 12 and up, and $11.95 for children ages four to 11. Walkup tickets are $20 and $15, respectively.

JASON HALSTEAD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Jessica Hoy checks out a polar bear niche during a preview event at the Ice Castles attraction at Parks Canada Place at The Forks on Jan. 4, 2018. Ice Castles will open to the public on Jan. 5, 2018. (See Carol Sanders story)

Monday through Thursday tickets are $12.95 for 12 and up, and $9.95 for ages four to 11, if purchased online. Walkup tickets are $17 and $13, respectively, for those days.

The enchanted ice princesses will pose for photos with guests inside their frozen palace on weekend afternoons from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The fire shows run from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

This isnt the first time The Forks has played host to an ice sculpture extravaganza.

Two winters ago, the Great Ice Show was held during an early thaw. The event was modelled after a massive ice festival in Harbin, China, and brought in Chinese ice sculptors and cost local promoters $500,000 to stage.

The Utah-based company behind the Ice Castles attraction at The Forks is building similar structures in five other locations in North America: Midway, Utah; Dillon, Colo.; Stillwater, Minn.; Edmonton; and Lincoln, N.H.

JASON HALSTEAD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Visitors check out an ice fountain during a preview event of the Ice Castles attraction at Parks Canada Place at The Forks on Thursday evening. Ice Castles will open to the public on Friday.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

Melanie and Sean Swenarchuk snap a selfie at the sneak peek.
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A proposed cigarette and vape ban for Winnipeg restaurant patios is being called discriminatory by some local smokers.

Winnipeg is the last major Canadian municipality where people can light up a smoke while enjoying a meal or patio beer  but that may not be the case by the spring.

If a new recommendation passes, a bylaw that bans cigarettes, cigars, pipes, e-cigarettes, water pipes and hookahs on public patios could be in place April 1.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Frankie Garcea, owner of Cloud City Vapour Products in the West End, feels he'd rather that patios continue allowing people to smoke but understands both sides of the argument.

People should have the right to smoke outside, said Emily Kroeker, a St. Boniface resident who has been smoking for six years.

(The ban) seems a little discriminating.

Kroeker said she doesnt see smoking on patios as an issue.

As long as youre not inside where youre bothering people with your smoke, obviously, it should be fine, she said Thursday, after taking a drag from her cigarette outside a bus stop on Portage Avenue.

Aysuluu Diusheeva was also out for a downtown smoke break Thursday. She also said such a ban would be unfair.

Its kind of offensive to me, personally, she said, adding just because shes a smoker, it doesnt make her any less of a restaurant customer.

It would suck if you have to go somewhere else to just have a two-, three-minute break to have a smoke, she said. I would like to have my drink with me.

Following months of consulting Winnipeggers via phone and online surveys and in-person interactions, the standing policy committee on protection, community services and parks will recommend the public patio smoking ban to city council next week.

Winnipeggers are pretty overwhelmingly supportive of having the ban, Coun. Mike Pagtakhan (Point Douglas Ward) said.

He said 76 per cent of Winnipeggers surveyed, which was an accurate cross-section of the city, supported a ban on outdoor patio smoking.

Around 21 per cent of men and 12 per cent of women smoke in Manitoba, according to 2014 Statistics Canada data.

Pagtakhan, who doubles as the chairman for the standing policy committee that moved the motion, said 80 per cent of the citys interviewees dont smoke.

Im sure there mustve been some smokers that agreed with it, he said.

Pagtakhan said the goal is to make Winnipeg healthier as a city and for restaurant employees.

But Diusheeva said she doesnt think the impact of second-hand smoke will change much if smoking is banned on patios, since smoke will simply spread from the sidewalk into the patio. Instead, she said there should be dividers on patios for those who wish to smoke and those who dont.

MAGGIE MACINTOSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Emily Kroeker has been smoking for six years. She says a patio smoking ban is discriminating against smokers.

Frankie Garcea, the owner of Cloud City Vapour Products, said places such as Boston Pizza, which have separate smoking and non-smoking patios, are the best option.

Id like to see it stay the way it is, but people need to be respectful, Garcea said, adding he understands both sides of the argument.

The former smoker, who now only vapes, said it can be gross when people vape on patios and create huge clouds, so he thinks smokers simply need to be aware of their surroundings.

If the proposal passes, Garcea said he and his friends will probably spend more time in their backyards as opposed to going out to restaurants.

Scott MacNeil, a smoker who said the proposed ban is too heavy-handed, shared Garceas sentiments.

A ban on patio smoking will further diminish the social experience of going out in Winnipeg and will simply see people like me decrease our evenings out, he said Thursday.

MacNeil said it should be up to each restaurant owner to decide whether they wish to allow patio smoking on their premises.

If the ban is enacted, Winnipeg will be in line with other Canadian cities  including those that have bans despite having larger smoking populations, according to Pagtakhan.

We are the last city to ban it. Its about time, the councillor said.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 05/01/2018 (1778 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg had the third driest year on record, according to meteorological firm Weatherlogics.

Total precipitation was 333.1 millimetres at the airport, just 1.1 mm wetter than 2006, the second driest year on record, Weatherlogics said in a tweet.

Dry doesnt mean drought, though. Winnipeg was described as one of the countrys sweet spots last summer  not too wet and not too dry.

A normal years rain, snow and sleet add up to 527.2 millimetres based on averages from 1981-2010, Weatherlogics noted.

It was a bit surprising because it didnt seem like the driest year, but there was a little less precipitation each month. And a little less adds up, Weatherlogic meteorologist Scott Kehler said.

It takes 25 millimetres to make an inch, so a 1.1-millimetre difference is just enough to wet the ground, an Environment Canada forecaster said in reaction.

Its noteworthy but not outstanding, said forecaster Greg Pearce from Environment Canadas weather office in Vancouver.

The site also posted a fact box showing Winnipegs driest years dating back to 1875 and cited its sources. A variety of various weather experts retweeted it in short order.

Wow, I didnt realize it was that dry. Makes sense though, only two months had above normal precip (Apr, Sep), former Environment Canada meteorologist Rob Paola tweeted in reply.

It was a surprise to me it was the third driest year on record but we didnt have a lot of rain in the summer and not a lot of snow in the winter, either, said Paolo, who posts weather reports and statistical oddities at robsobs.ca.

Last winter, two huge storms dumped tonnes of snow on the city, which blew the citys snow-removal budget. But both those storms were in December and neither counted in the weather data for 2017.

Kehler added one note of caution looking ahead into 2018: with soil-moisture levels lower than last year, farmers could be in trouble if there is a lack of rain this summer.

Summer forecasts are the hardest ones to do, but were low (now) on soil moisture and weve had a dry winter so far. Were still six months away from the start of the summer, but I would lean toward the potential for a dry year again, Kehler said.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

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This article was published 05/01/2018 (1778 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As we plunge forward into a brand new calendar year, it is a good time to take stock of just where Canada sits in terms of international military commitments.

From 2002 until 2014, the sole focus of the Canadian military was the mission in Afghanistan. That failed intervention ate up a fortune in terms of human and equipment resources, propping up a corrupt, despotic regime in Kabul. However, the very longevity of that campaign, coupled with the fact that there was never any hope to achieve an actual victory, made things extremely simple for those planning our military operations.

We simply trained and equipped battle group after endless battle group to deploy into Kandahar to continue waging the counterinsurgency that never ends. We even built a full-scale mock Kandahar training area at CFB Wainwright, complete with actual Afghan actors, to prepare our soldiers prior to every deployment.

However, with the termination of the Afghan mission, that sense of focus has been lost.

The appearance of the Islamic State group (IS) scourge in Iraq in 2014 created a new bogeyman on the scene, and Canadians were supportive of the Harper Conservative governments decision to send in some fighter jets and a handful of special forces trainers to help battle the extremist evildoers.

That same year saw the onset of the political crisis in Ukraine, which resulted in Russians annexation of Crimea. The Harper government became one of the most strident anti-Russian voices among the NATO alliance, and to demonstrate Canadas resolve, a number of token military assets were committed to NATOs collective Operation REASSURANCE in Eastern Europe.

When the Trudeau Liberals came to power in 2015, they pledged to get Canada out of fighting and to make Canadian peacekeeping great again.

That all sounded good, but it proved to be far easier said than done. Trudeau did finally withdraw Canadas CF-18 fighter planes from the anti-IS mission in Iraq, but to appease our U.S. allies he also agreed to boost the number of Canadian Special Operations Forces trainers to 200. We also agreed to provide a 50-person field hospital to treat those wounded in the fight against IS.

This past June, Canada took the bizarre step of announcing a further two-year extension to our anti-IS commitment in Iraq. At the time of the extension announcement, IS diehards were fighting a last-stand battle in the city of Mosul, one of their final strongholds in Iraq.

By August, Mosul had been liberated, and the war in Iraq moved into a whole new phase. Those Kurdish fighters that our soldiers had been training to battle IS began fighting the Iraqi security forces that Canadas foreign policy purports to support.

As a result, since late October, Canadas advise and assist role has been suspended. Thats right, we currently have over 200 of the best Special Operations Forces soldiers in the world sitting idle on the edge of a civil war, without a clearly defined role, until the arbitrarily announced deadline for withdrawal of March 31, 2019.

We are also spending $134 million annually to maintain 450 Canadian soldiers in Latvia to deter a possible Russian invasion. While no one in their right mind actually believes Russia would invade the Baltic states, Article 5 of the NATO charter makes the entire deployment of Canadian troops a needless expense and a dangerous provocation. As full members of NATO, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are guaranteed the collective defence of the NATO alliance regardless of whether we have soldiers on the ground or not.

As for the long-awaited Liberal promise to return to UN peacekeeping, this amounted to a lot of sizzle but no steak. The mid-November announcement of Canadas new peacekeeping policy named no specific mission or troop numbers, simply a few planes here, a couple of helicopters there.

We also pledged to use our long-dormant peacekeeping expertise to train the militaries of other countries prior to deploying their soldiers into harms way, and we set up a $15-million trust fund to act as incentive for other countries to send their female peacekeepers into global hotspots.

Not exactly a classic case of leadership by example.

Scott Taylor is the founder and publisher of Esprit de Corps magazine. He is a bestselling author and award-winning documentary filmmaker.
Opinion

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This article was published 05/01/2018 (1778 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In 2003, B.C. premier Gordon Campbell was arrested and jailed overnight for driving drunk while on vacation in Maui.

The bombshell news led to speculation that Campbell would resign, but instead the premier issued a statement with an upfront apology: I have made a serious mistake and I want to apologize In a follow-up press conference, Campbell said, Words cannot begin to express the remorse and profound regret that I feel for my actions I drank way too much on Jan. 10. I should not have been driving.

Campbell, far from resigning, went on to win two more terms as B.C. premier.

Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press files Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a non-apology apology for his dealings with the Aga Khan after Canadas ethics commissioner concluded he violated conflict of interest rules.

This suggests two things: first, that voters are sometimes more forgiving than we give them credit for; and second, that a sincere apology is a potentially powerful tool for politicians who find themselves in trouble.

Whats surprising is how often elected officials fail, or appear unable, to convincingly apologize. Apologizing necessarily requires one to take responsibility, but for politicians, the goal often seems to be to find the most creative way possible to avoid doing so.

In an entertaining analysis of Israeli politicians, scholar Zohar Kampf examined public (non)-apologies: the strategies politicians use to minimize their own responsibility while apologizing. Kampf identified four such tactics.

First, politicians often muddle what theyre actually doing by using words such as sorry or regret instead of apologize.

Second, they may obscure what it is theyre actually apologizing for by, for example, emphasizing a specific aspect of the offence rather than the act as a whole, or by not specifically identifying what theyre apologizing for.

Third, politicians may call into question whether those affected by their acts should be concerned or offended; the Im sorry if anyone was offended phoney apology.

And finally, politicians sometimes deny or minimize direct responsibility for what has led to the apology.

These are all ingredients of the classic political apology, which might go something like, While my overall intentions were good and I cannot take full responsibility for all that occurred, I regret if anyone was offended by my actions in this particular instance.

Kampfs four tactics provide a nice measuring stick to use when assessing politicians apologies. So lets put it to use.

In the lead-up to the 2016 Manitoba election, then-premier Greg Selinger used a campaign advertisement to offer a sort-of apology to Manitobans for his decision to increase the PST after saying he wouldnt do so.

Hi, Im Greg Selinger, the premier said. Its been a tough year, and we havent always gotten it right. But I always make decisions with your best interests in mind.

As former Metro columnist Colin Fast observed at the time, Selingers apology never actually says hes sorry and never identifies his mistake. Fast also noted that Selinger used we instead of I in the video, which suggested the premier was passing responsibility off onto others in his government rather than shouldering it himself.

When asked if the ad constituted an apology, Selinger explained, Its an acknowledgment that we did catch people off-guard and that we havent got it right and, in that sense, it is an apology.

Selingers apology does not do well on Kampfs scorecard.

Similarly, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not score well with his apology after Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson concluded he had violated federal conflict-of-interest rules by taking free trips to the Aga Khans private island. Trudeau said sorry, but not for taking the trips. Rather, he apologized for not clearing his family vacation and my dealings with the Aga Khan in advance.

When pressed by journalists for a clear apology, Trudeau stumbled over his words. On this issue of a family vacation with a personal friend, it wasnt considered that there would be an issue there, he explained.

We can see at least three of Kampfs tactics at play in Trudeaus apology.

Some politicians take the dissembling apology one step further and simply refuse to ever apologize. This hardball approach to politics states that apologies indicate weakness, and politicians should never willingly appear weak. Apologizing is therefore unthinkable.

U.S. President Donald Trump, for example, is famously allergic to apologizing. Despite this, Trump is remarkably quick to demand apologies from others, usually at 3 a.m. via his Twitter feed.

There might be a good reason why some politicians refuse to apologize.

In 2015, political scientist Richard Hanania designed an experiment to test the effects of politicians apologies. Both groups in Hananias experiment read a report summarizing an embarrassing episode for a politician, but the story for one group was altered to appear that the politician was apologetic. When asked if the story made them less likely to vote for the politician, there was not difference between those who had seen the apology and those who hadnt.

Maybe for politicians, the rule on apologies should be to do them well, or not at all.

Royce Koop is an associate professor and head of the department of political studies at the University of Manitoba.
A new round of political warfare has been ignited in Washington by the impending publication of a behind-the-scenes tell-all volume written by journalist Michael Wolff, based largely on interviews with former Trump counselor Stephen Bannon.

Several anti-Trump media outlets carried excerpts of the book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, in advance of its planned publication next week. The Guardian highlighted Bannons comment that the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between top campaign aides and a Russian delegation was treasonous and unpatriotic, as well as monumentally stupid.

New York magazine published a full chapter of the book, detailing the shock felt by Trump, his wife and closest aides on election night when the Republican ticket unexpectedly prevailed over the heavily favored Democrat Hillary Clinton. Fully expecting to lose, Trump hoped to profit from his increased celebrity to launch a new television network. Top aides had their own next ventures in the planning stages, not anticipating the debacle of the Democratic campaign.

The response of the White House to the publication of Fire and Fury was full-on hysteria. Trump personally denounced Bannon as having lost his mind, while declaring that his former campaign chairman and White House counselor had rarely even been in one-on-one meetings with him.

Attorneys for Trump sent cease-and-desist letters to Bannon and to the books publisher, Henry Holt & Co. The letter to Bannon demanded that he stop violating the confidentiality agreement he signed when he became an employee of the Trump campaign in August 2016. The clear implication of such a demand, however, is that Bannon is telling the truth in the comments quoted by Wolff.

The letter to Holt demanded that the bookalready printed and sent to bookstoresshould not be made available for sale. In response, the publisher moved up the date for general sale from January 9 to this morning, Friday, January 5. The book is already number one in presale orders in the US market, according to Amazon, and Trumps public attacks assure it wide circulation.

Bannon responded in a conciliatory fashion to Trumps diatribe, praising Trumps political record during an appearance on his Breitbart News radio program, and telling a caller that he continued to support the president. Despite such reassurances, there is no question that the new book has dealt a significant political blow to the White House, which Trump may not survive.

Opponents of Trump among congressional Democrats and Republicans and in the bulk of the corporate-controlled media seized on the book to give a new blast of publicity to the Russia investigation, which is largely driven by foreign policy differences within the US ruling elite.

Congressional opponents also cited the portrait of the president given by Wolff throughout the volume to support claims that Trump is mentally unfit and could be subject to removal from office, either through impeachment or use of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution.

Such suggestions have nothing in common with the deep-seated opposition to the policies of the Trump administration in the working class, and among youth and immigrants. They reflect concerns in sections of the ruling elite, including both Democrats and a growing number of leading Republicans, that Trumps erratic and provocative conduct will trigger a mass popular movement that would threaten the bourgeois order as a whole.

Bannons opposition to Trump has a somewhat different character from other factions of the ruling elite. He has long been identified with the project of building a mass fascist movement in the United States, and for a number of years has focused his efforts on transforming the Republican Party into an ultra-right nationalistic organization on the model of the French National Front or the Alternative for Germany.

Bannon was ousted from the White House as part of its reorganization under retired General John Kelly, brought in as chief of staff in July to impose greater control by the military over the crisis-ridden administration. Since then, Bannon has openly denounced the Republican congressional leadership and backed a series of ultra-right challengers to sitting Republican senators, most notably Roy Moore in Alabama, who was defeated December 12 in a special election by Democrat Doug Jones.

In service of the creation of an ultra-right populist movement, Bannon has advocated a combination of racist and anti-immigrant provocations, like the Charlottesville riot and widespread deportations, with demagogic sallies against the Eastern establishment and even Wall Street (although Bannon is himself a veteran of Goldman Sachs and the principal backer of his Breitbart News is hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer).

Trump has rebuffed Bannons approach in favor of a full-scale embrace of tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, and even cuts in the estate tax, while offering nothing to working people and targeting popular social programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security for budget cuts.

It is noteworthy that the Wolff book, for which Bannon was the principal source, has gone to press only days after Trump signed the tax cut legislation into law.

Their current conflict by no means rules out a rapprochement between Trump and Bannon at some further stage, particularly in the event of the outbreak of social struggles in the United States where the White House may feel the need for a new round of populist demagogy.

That said, the Wolff book underscores not merely the unfitness of Donald Trump, but the unfitness of the entire class in whose interests he rules America.

What can be gleaned from the excerpts published so far is a portrait of a man who is profoundly, willfully ignorant about anything that does not touch directly on his own ability to make money and his own personal comfort: in other words, a figure quite representative of the worst traits of the American corporate elite.

Trump spends his entire day in phone calls with a narrow circle of cronies and watching cable television, interrupted by occasional meetings with his staff and cabinet, during most of which Trump talks and does not listen. In a particularly lacerating passage, Wolff writes:

Here, arguably, was the central issue of the Trump presidency, informing every aspect of Trumpian policy and leadership: He didnt process information in any conventional sense. He didnt read. He didnt really even skim. Some believed that for all practical purposes he was no more than semi-literate. He trusted his own expertiseno matter how paltry or irrelevantmore than anyone elses. He was often confident, but he was just as often paralyzed, less a savant than a figure of sputtering and dangerous insecurities, whose instinctive response was to lash out and behave as if his gut, however confused, was in fact in some clear and forceful way telling him what to do.

Trumps supporters, particularly in Fox News, pointed to Wolffs admission that many of the episodes he describes were based on conflicting accounts by rival White House aides, not on his direct observation. They have not explained what possessed Trump to approve the Wolff book, which he apparently expected to be a glowing portrait of the first 100 days of the new administration.

Wolff is the author of a previous gossipy volume (2008) about Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Fox News. Murdoch, like Trump, had agreed to be the subject in the expectation of a puff piece, then fired a top aide when the book turned out to be less than flattering.
On December 15 the Ajazaj family was woken at three in the morning. Police officers stood at the door of their flat in the Berlin suburb of Lichtenrade and demanded the family pack essential baggage. A van was waiting on the street to transport the parents with their three daughters, Klara, 8, Lejman, 4, and six-month-old Carolina to the citys main airport Schonfeld. At 8:30 a.m., a deportation plane then flew the family to Tirana, the Albanian capital.

The family has lived in Germany since February 2015. After rejection of their application for asylum, the family received a temporary stay in 2016. The father, 31-year-old Xhezo Ajazaj, had made a name for himself as a tiler in a local company. His 29-year-old wife Artjola planned to begin training as a geriatric nurse. Klara, in the third grade of the Kathe Kollwitz elementary school, and her sister Lejman speak more German than Albanian.

All of the familys efforts to integrate were fruitless. A vote by the Berlin Hardship Commission recommending a right to stay for the family was rejected out of hand by Berlin Interior Senator Andreas Geisel (SPD). He declared that prevailing law had to be implemented and went onto defend the nighttime raid on the family.

Neighbours and friends of the family, including the manager of the firm for which Xhezo Ajazaj worked, have angrily protested against the brutal action of the Berlin Senatea coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Left Party and Greens. A petition against the deportation on the Internet platform change.org, addressed to the Immigration Office and Interior Senator Geisel, received 2,000 signatures in the space of two weeks.

This latest deportation underlines the vicious nature of the refugee policy of the Berlin coalition. The Left Party, which fills the post of Senator for Social Affairs and Integration (Elke Breitenbach), and the Greens play a particularly despicable role. They are quite prepared to criticise such deportations verbally but in practice play along.

Hakan Tas, Left Party spokesman for internal affairs, declared that even former Interior Senator Henkel, a Christian Democrat, had not organised such deportations in winter. Katina Schubert, the leader of the Berlin Left Party, tweeted succinctly that the deportation contradicts the spirit of the coalition agreement and a human rights-based integration policy. The Interior Senator had failed to use his room for maneuver, she complained.

Green MEP and immigration lawyer Canan Bayram complained that getting someone out of their flat at three oclock was not allowed and incompatible with the coalition agreement. Based on the crimes of the Nazis, when people were picked up and deported at night, she said there was general agreement not to undertake state action before six a.m.

The fact is that neither Left Party nor the Greens prevented the deportation. Their criticisms merely provide a fig leaf for the reactionary policies of the SPD and are aimed at silencing all opposition.

Between January and the end of October 2017, the Berlin Senate deported a total of 1,427 people, including 632 to Moldova, 150 to Albania, 101 to Kosovo anddespite protests from the refugee organisation Pro Asyl19 to Iraq, where war still rages. In November, a further 122 were deported, bringing the total to 1,549. This figure will rise further when details of the deportations in December emerge.

Nationwide, more than 22,000 people had been deported by October. In addition, there were tens of thousands of voluntary returns. Asylum seekers from so-called safe countries of origin were especially affected. The list of such countries include the Balkan states, including the NATO member Albania. Asylum applications of refugees from these countries are rejected out of hand.

Refugees have also been deported to Afghanistan, which has been repeatedly rocked by bombings and is not yet considered a safe country of origin. According to the federal Interior Minister de Maiziere (CDU), those deported are regarded as threats. In fact, many of the deportation transports have included people who have been living productive lives in Germany for years and have not even committed minor traffic offences.

So far the Berlin state government, which has been in office for over a year, has refused to participate in mass deportations to Afghanistan. Currently, however, coalition leaders are discussing changing their policy to include deporting those alleged to be threats.

At the same time, the Berlin Senate is working closely with the Immigration Office to force as many refugees as possible to return voluntarily after their asylum applications have been rejected. This group includes Afghans. In the coalition program of the SPD, the Left and the Greens in Berlin, this policy of voluntary return was adopted as an allegedly more humane alternative to forcible deportation.

Taking into account the many people persuaded to return to avoid forced deportation, the number of repatriations from Berlin in 2017 has more than doubled.

The Berlin Senate is increasingly pursuing the same racist course as the current conservative- social democratic federal coalition, a deliberately targeted policy of foreigners out. This is confirmed by a document from the senate administration, reported on by the Berliner Morgenpost at the end of November.

Together with two social democratic senators from Bremen and Hamburg, Geisel wants to enforce an extension of residence requirements for refugees, which would ban refugees from leaving their assigned neighbourhoods. The legal regulation is due to expire in August 2019. The SPD senators claim that the abolition of the residence restriction would lead to an increased influx of refugees into cities and overload social services.

It is a blatant attempt by the SPD to incite impoverished sections of the population in Berlin, dependent on Hartz IV and other social benefits, against those fleeing war and misery, who in the past have experienced considerable social solidarity in German cities.
The Flathead Audubon Society will have a special program on Monday, Jan. 8, featuring Bigfork resident, Rick Trembath. He will provide a historical perspective on wild fires and how they affect flora and fauna based on fire intensities and behavior. Other fire-related topics include: how forest fires burn; forest fire management with examples of suppression and use; forest fire smoke, origins, drift patterns, inversion and smoke management and issues involved with protecting the wildland urban interface. The meeting will be held at the Gateway Community Meeting Room on Highway 2, Kalispell, from 7 to 9 p.m. The program is free and open to the public.
Nearly eight years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that killed 11 workers and spewed millions of gallons of oil and toxic chemicals into the Gulf of Mexico, the Trump administration has moved to repeal regulations on offshore drilling that were implemented in the aftermath of the disaster.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), a division of the Department of Interior, issued a proposal last week that would eliminate multiple safety measures required for offshore oil drilling operations.

The proposal would make significant changes to the well control rule, a series of safety requirements that cover many aspects of offshore oil drilling, including the use of safety equipment, best operational practices, and reporting requirements that were intended to prevent future spills.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that the administration intends to remove the word safe from a section of the regulations, allowing the BSSE far greater latitude in issuing drilling permits.

Rules requiring third-party inspections of safety equipment would also be repealed. This would include inspections of blow-out preventers, whose failure in 2010 contributed significantly to the Deepwater Horizon spill. The proposal would also eliminate rules that mandate real-time streaming of data on oil drilling operations to onshore facilities where regulators monitor production.

The BSSE has also issued a stop-work order on December 7 on a study conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine intended to review and update the bureaus offshore oil and gas operations inspection program to enhance safety, according to the Academies web site. This followed a similar order issued in August by the Interior Department suspending a study by the same organization on the impact of surface coal mining operations on the health of residents in central Appalachia.

The regulatory repeal follows the announcement by the Interior Department in October that it intended to sell leases for all remaining unleased areas on the outer continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico. At approximately 77 million acres, roughly the size of New Mexico, the sale would be the largest in US history.

The auctioning off of the remaining waters in the Gulf are in line with the administrations policy of rescinding environmental protections to clear the way for commercial interests. In April, President Trump ordered a review of Obama-era regulations governing where offshore oil exploration is allowed. Those regulations banned oil drilling off the southeast Atlantic coast and the coast of Alaska. The administration has also sought to abolish or reduce federally protected marine sanctuaries. This would be a boon to the commercial fishing industry as well as the oil companies.

On Thursday, The Trump administration released its first proposal for new oil exploration in the oceans. Included in the proposal are multiple regions off of the Alaskan coast that have long been targeted by energy companies. Environmental groups have opposed efforts to open these pristine areas up for drilling. Public efforts to ban drilling in these areas had been largely successful in recent decades due to public outrage after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, which devastated marine life and was the largest oil spill in US history until the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010.

New areas in the Atlantic and Pacific would be opened for drilling for the first time in decades. The administrations proposal would grant nine new leases in the Atlantic Ocean, with two in the north Atlantic, three each in the central and southern Atlantic, and one off of the coast of Florida. There are no current leases in the Atlantic, and the last sale was in 1983.

Seven new leases will be offered along the Pacific coast. In 1969 an oil spill of some 3 million gallons occurred off of the coast of Santa Barbara, California, sparking public outrage and leading to the eventual ban on drilling along the west coast. No new leases have been granted in the Pacific since 1984.

In seeking to justify the rollback the Trump administration and its allies in the energy industry have promoted the lie that opening up new areas for oil drilling will boost the economy and make the United States energy independent. The document released last week announcing the new Gulf leases claims that the rule changes would fortify the Administrations objective of facilitating energy dominance though encouraging increased domestic oil and gas production.

The notion that the United States can free itself from the need to import foreign oil by increasing domestic production is false. The US currently imports at least 40 percent of its oil each year, or over 3 billion barrels annually. Figures compiled by the US Energy Information Administration ranks the United States proven oil reserves at tenth globally, with an estimated 39,230 million barrels. This is a fraction of the reserves held by top-ranked Venezuela (300,878 million), Saudi Arabia (266,455 million), and Canada (169,709 million). Further, much of the new oil discovered in the United States in recent decades requires hydraulic fracturing to extract, making it far more expensive to produce than sources in the Middle East and elsewhere.

On an annual basis, the US consumes approximately 25 percent of the worlds petroleum, while producing only 6 percent.

The assertion that thousands of high paying jobs will be created by new oil exploration is also misleading. While some new jobs will undoubtedly be created, the workers employed will be subjected to the same dangerous and exploitative conditions that have led to the deaths of hundreds of oil workers in the last decade. Their jobs will also be highly tenuous, as the global price of oil has long been a weapon wielded by the US and its allies in OPEC.

Included in the various countries that the United States has targeted for regime change is Russia, which has over twice the proven oil reserves of the US; Iran, which has four times the proven reserves; and Venezuela, with nearly 10 times the proven reserves. Petroleum sales are the largest source of state revenues for each of these countries. If the Trump administration decides to target any, or all, of these states by slashing the price of oil in concert with the Gulf monarchies which control OPEC, thousands of workers in the US and globally will lose their jobs.
On Saturday, UC Berkeley student Luis Mora, 20, was detained by border patrol agents in Jamul, California at an internal checkpoint about 20 miles from the Mexican border. Mora came to the US from Colombia as a child and stayed after his visa expired. Like millions of other undocumented immigrants, Mora has lived under the constant threat of arbitrary detention and deportation.

Last weekend, Mora was driving back from a party with his girlfriend Jaleen Udarbe, 21, when they missed their turn and found themselves trapped by the checkpoint. In an interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, Udarbe described Moras reaction when he realized he had to go through the checkpoint. This is it for me, he told her, Im sorry.

After the border agents realized Moras visa had expired, they took him into custody and to an overcrowded holding cell in a border patrol station with about 60 other detainees. He was kept there for over 85 hours until being transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Otay Mesa Wednesday afternoon.

According to a 2008 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) memorandum, the border patrols temporary holding cells are not fit for long-term occupation and detainees should be processed and transferred within 12 hours. A 2016 study by the American Immigration Council found that two-thirds of those detained are kept in temporary holding cells for longer than 24 hours.

Udarbe, a US citizen who met Mora while they were both students at Southwestern Community College, spent New Years Eve trying to find legal help for Mora and contact his mother in Ecuador. Eventually, through RISE, a Berkeley student group that supports undocumented students, Moras case was taken by Prerna Lal of the East Bay Community Law Center. Mora was able to meet with his lawyer for the first time Thursday afternoon, five days after he was detained.

Legally, ICE can only hold people if they are a flight risk or dangerous, but so far Mora has not been released on bond. Lal told the San Diego Union-Tribune she hopes he will be released in time to attend classes when they resume on January 16.

Mora is a junior transfer student studying political science in a pre-law program. He was home on break from his first semester at Berkeley when he was detained. In a July Facebook post shortly after he was admitted to the university, Mora expressed a deep joy and optimism that ICE is threatening to destroy:

In todays world, everything seems to fade away; out of reach, out of touch. An impossible journey lays aheaddreams are dreams, be realistic!, I was constantly told. Nonetheless, as of today I can stand sharp and assure you to be hopeful. To not let any barriers, whether seen or unseen, hinder you from reaching anything you might desire. During the best stage of my life, and as I head to continue my education and fulfill my dreams at the # 1 Public University in the world, UC Berkeley, it is today that with great confidence, I can ensure you that dreams do in fact become a reality.

There are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States and the overwhelming majority of them, like Mora, are just ordinary people trying to support themselves and their families.

Undocumented workers who have spent years and decades building their lives in the US can be detained at checkpoints 100 miles from the border, arrested when ICE raids their workplace or after leaving the hospital or testifying in court.

As part of his presidential campaign, Trump promised to deport more immigrants and build a border wall with Mexico. In September 2017 he has reversed the Obama administrations Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA) executive order, which delayed deportation of undocumented immigrants who entered the country before they were 16 if they registered with the federal government. Nearly 800,000 immigrants were registered under DACA.

The Democrats in Congress are currently negotiating with the Trump presidency to preserve DACA as part of an immigration reform bill that would further militarize the US borders and victimize immigrants.

Youth and students have grown increasingly angry at the support of Democratic politicians for the record number of deportations carried out under the Obama administration and the increasingly brutal and arbitrary activity of ICE. When Democrats began negotiating with Trump in September, undocumented protesters disrupted a press conference called by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

One of the protest statements read We, the undocumented youth, will not be a bargaining chip for Trumps xenophobic agenda, deporting millions of people and further militarizing the border.

Another protester criticized the Democrats indifference to most immigrants, telling the press: Democrats continue to only push for Dreamers, which is only about 800,000 of us. We are 11 million, were not 800,000. We have our parents, our community members, everybody.
Approximately 700 men imprisoned indefinitely by the Australian government on Papua New Guineas (PNG) Manus Island have faced appalling conditions since their violent removal from an Australian-operated detention centre in late November.

Protests by detainees are continuing. Before they were finally evicted, the detainees had demonstrated for a month against their transfer to insecure facilities elsewhere on Manus Island, and for the right to live in Australia or a safe third country.

The centres facilities were shut down around them, ending medical services, shutting off power, water and food, and destroying makeshift wells the refugees had dug in a desperate bid to survive.

The shutdown was closely overseen by the Australian government, ratcheting up its punitive drive to force the refugees back to the countries they fled and deter any others from seeking asylum in Australia.

The PNG police and security guards from Paladin Solutions, a firm contracted by the Australian government to oversee the imprisonment of asylum seekers, used batons to beat the detainees, smashed up their possessions and forced them into three insecure and unfinished prison camps on the islandthe East Lorengau Refugee Transit Centre, the West Lorengau Haus and the Hillside Haus.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) regional representative in Canberra released a report on the December 8 detailing some of the conditions that the Australian government inflicted on detainees. All the centres, which were officially ready for habitable use, posed immediate risks to the physical health and safety of the detainees, due to incomplete, sub-standard accommodation and unsanitary facilities.

Of the three camps only one had cooking facilities and none had toilets. One of the sharpest risks identified was the lack of health-care facilities. The only access to medical assistance was through a clinic operated by the International Health and Medical Services (IHMS), an Australian government contracted medical service. The clinics triage system required detainees to request appointments, typically through security staff.

Severe cases were referred to Lorengau General Hospital, a badly-overstretched 120-bed local hospital. As of early November, the hospital was already 33 percent over-capacity, with 50 percent of medical specialist positions (surgeon, anaesthetist and obstetrician) and 43 percent of nursing positions  unfilled.

The report said the hospital lacked critical infrastructure, such as ventilators and medical incinerators, and was in desperate need of basic medical supplies, including intravenous fluids. This put many refugees at acute risk. Some have serious medical conditions, including epilepsy, acute abdominal conditions, severe physical trauma, acute psychosis and unstable cardiac conditions.

According to the UNHCR, the influx of asylum seekers will increase Lorengaus population by 8 percent, putting significant pressure on the hospital, exacerbated by the lack of interpreters or translation options for detainees seeking medical care.

Moreover, the detainees must now pay for their own medications, which were previously provided free by the IHMS in the detention centre. The UNHCR was told, during its visit, that many asylum seekers could not afford to pay for necessary antibiotics, leaving them at risk of infection and death.

To further degrade the living conditions of the asylum seekers, the weekly allowance of 100 kina ($US31.12) was halted during the standoff at the centre. There is no indication that these payments have been restored.

UNHCR spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly further condemned the Australian governments treatment of the refugees in a briefing in Geneva on December 22. She referred to at least five violent attacks on detainees last month, including an attempt by three people, armed with axes and machetes, to break into one of the centres containing around 150 men.

Local people, who mostly live in poor conditions, have been incited by authorities to react with hostility to Australias dumping of the refugees in their town.

In one incident, Joinul Islam, a Bangladeshi asylum seeker, was punched in the face and had his money stolen in mid-December. It was the second time Islam had been assaulted. In July 2017, while he was in Lorengau, he had his elbow sliced open with a machete by a local gang and the surgery he received did not heal his arm.

In late November and again on December 19, local landowners blockaded the Lorengau centre, stopping vital food and medical shipments. A Sri Lankan refugee, Thanus Selvarasa, told the Australian media: These local people attack us, the camp (and) we are hostage people now.

The UNHCRs Pouilly commented: We are talking here about people who have suffered tremendously, extreme trauma, and are now feeling so insecure in the places where they are staying.

Pouilly rejected Australias claim that the PNG government is responsible for the Manus situation. What we clearly are saying is that its Australias responsibility in the first place Australia is the country that created the situation by putting in place this offshore processing facility. So what we are asking is for Australia to find solutions for these people.

Successive Australian governments, both Liberal-National and Labor, have rejected such pleas by the UN.

Already, there have been six preventable deaths on Manus Island, including Hamid Kehazaei who died from septicaemia that spread from a cut on his foot in August 2014. A coronial inquest in December 2016 reported a high likelihood that adequate medical treatment would have prevented his death.

The suffering and deaths on Manus Island are the result of a bipartisan policy. Border protection is cited as the pretext for repelling all refugees arriving by boat, the majority of whom have fled the invasions and wars conducted in the Middle East by the US and its allies, including Australia.

The Gillard Labor government, which was propped up by the Greens, reopened the detention centre in 2012. Labors policy has been extended and intensified by the current Liberal-National government, setting cruel precedents for other governments internationally to follow.
At least ten workers died Thursday in a fire at a shoe factory in a small village in the Siberian region of Novosibirsk. The tragedy is only the latest in a series of workplace accidents and fires which take the lives of at least 15,000 workers in Russia every year.

According to media reports at least seven of them were Chinese immigrant workers. The others might have been from the Central Asian republic Kyrgyzstan, and one might have been from Russia, but other media reports suggest that all victims were Chinese.

The relatively scarce Russian media reports indicate that the fire broke out around 8:47 a.m. local time, and was extinguished only at around 1 p.m. local time, destroying about 2,000 square meters of the factory.

Over 80 firefighters were involved in extinguishing the fire, which quickly released heavily toxic smoke due to the material that were used for producing shoes. According to a local media report, firefighters had great problems extinguishing the fire, because of the way the factory was constructed and because of the extreme cold.

One member of an emergency response team told the news agency Interfax: [The victims] tried to extinguish the fire before the arrival of the firefighters. However, they died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The number of victims might still rise since the factory employed some 30 people, all of them immigrant workers. While the reasons for the fire has not been determined, local media reports suggest that violations of fire safety regulations might have caused the fire.

Factory fires like the one in Siberia are an indictment of capitalist restoration in the former USSR. As far as the Russian oligarchs, and rising entrepreneurs are concerned, anything goes when it comes to exploiting the working class. Even minimum investments in maintaining or establishing safe working conditions are not made. They have no penalties or punishment to fear. Thus, basic safety provisions are lacking in innumerable workplaces, warehouses, mines and factories in Russia.

The result has been a shockingly high rate of workplace-related deaths. While the Russian government officially reports about 3,000 workplace deaths per year, the International Labor Organization found that the real number was approximately 15,000. Some 190,000 workers die annually as a result of exposure to dangerous conditions at work.

More recent accidents include a fire at an oil factory, operated by Russias largest privately-owned oil company Lukoil, which killed at least 4 workers in early October 2017. A few weeks later, in a particularly gruesome incident, a 31-year-old mother was boiled alive in a candy factory, leaving behind a 10-year-old son.

None of these statistics include the millions of immigrant workers who come to Russia, permanently or seasonally, voluntarily or as a result of human trafficking. The majority of them come from the deeply impoverished countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, where wages are lower and unemployment is often higher than in Russia. However, there is also a sizeable immigrant working class population from China, particularly in the Russian Far East.

Often, employers and factory owners feel they can maintain even worse working conditions for immigrant workers who have little to no rights, especially if they are undocumented immigrants or have been the victims of human trafficking, a widespread occurrence throughout the former USSR.

There have been several fires in recent years with high death tolls at factories and workplaces that employ mostly or exclusively immigrant workers. Thus, at least 17 workers from Tajikistan, the most impoverished of all Central Asian republics, died in a fire at a Moscow textile factory in early 2016. Another 17 workers from Kyrgyzstan died in August of 2016, in a warehouse fire in Moscow.

In addition to the catastrophic conditions in Russias factories, the deterioration of social conditions has made it difficult or impossible for fire fighters and doctors to help those affected by accidents in time to save their lives. As of 2008, the rate of deaths in fires in Russia was eight per 100,000, eight times higher than it was in the United States, Britain or Greece. In what is geographically the largest country in the world, there are only some 5,000 fire stations. Notably the much smaller Poland has over 15,000 fire stations.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull opened the new year by denouncing African gang crime, alleged to be responsible for growing lawlessness in the state of Victoria.

Senior government ministers have since amplified his rhetoric. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton declared on Wednesday: The reality is people are scared to go out to restaurants at night time because theyre followed home by these gangs, home invasions, and cars are stolen. We just need to call it for what it isAfrican gang violence If people havent integrated, if theyre not abiding by our laws, if theyre not adhering to our culture, then theyre not welcome here.

Turnbull and his ministers have sent a clear message that the governments agenda for 2018 will centre on the stepped up promotion of draconian law and order proposals, along with nationalist and racist hysteria.

The purported basis of the governments campaign against alleged African gang activity in Victoria, is nothing but the extension of a Murdoch media provocation. In March 2016, a group of young people clashed with police in central Melbourne during the annual Moomba Festival. The media immediately labelled this a riot, and declared that the Apex gang was responsible. Ever since, Melbournes Herald Sun tabloid newspaper has run a stream of lurid front-page articles, opinion pieces and editorials over alleged African gang activity in the city.

The national Murdoch flagship, the Australian, has recently weighed in. An editorial on December 30, Public safety must come first, made little attempt to mask the racism underlying the campaign. It declared that the young Africans recent rampages are the work of a small percentage of immigrants from less civilised societies.

Last month a string of incidents in Melbourne, involving young people of African origin, provided the pretext for the latest instalment in the Murdoch campaign. On December 14, a large group allegedly assaulted and robbed several people on the St Kilda foreshore. On December 19, young people clashed with police after reportedly gate-crashing a party at an online rented property in the outer-western suburb of Werribee. Police responded by deploying heavily-armed tactical police, the dog squad, and a police helicopter. Late last month, a community house in Tarneit, another outer-western suburb, was badly vandalised.

In other circumstances, each of these incidents may not have even been deemed news. Tied together, however, under banner headlines of African gangs, they have been used to fuel the hysterical campaign.

Even the police have issued statements cautioning the media. Victorias deputy police commissioner, Shane Patton, explained that, like the previously touted but, in fact, non-existent Apex gang, the Menace to Society graffiti found in vandalised properties did not mean that an MTS gang existed. He said: From a Victoria police perspective we have been consistent all the way along that what we traditionally view as organised crime gangs are those high-level organised crime gangs Lets not elevate them to a status they should not be elevated to.

For all the scare mongering over a growing crime wave, official statistics show that the crime rate in Victoria declined by 4.8 percent in 2017. Moreover, the proportion of crimes committed by people under the age of 25 has declined from 52 percent in 20072008 to 40 percent in 20152016.

Given the scale of the economic and social crisis that has devastated working class areas, like those in Melbournes outer-west, it not surprising that some young people commit acts of vandalism and petty crime.

In recent decades, both state and federal Labor and Liberal governments, together with the trade unions, have been responsible for massive deindustrialisation, economic restructuring, and the systematic neglect of basic social infrastructure in working-class areas. Even official statistics, which grossly downplay the real situation, point to the depth of the crisis. Those areas where recent African gang activity has been alleged, Tarneit and Werribee, are covered by postcodes that receive the second- and third-most NewStart unemployment payments of all areas in Australia. Young people have been hardest hit by joblessness, with the latest available Australian Bureau of Statistics figures on youth unemployment, in 2016, indicating that Melbourne west region, including Footscray, Laverton, Werribee, Sunshine and Melton, had an official unemployment rate of 17.3 percent.

The City of Wyndham, which covers both Werribee and Tarneit, has the highest eviction rate of any local government area in Melbourne. Homelessness is a significant issue. Carol Muir, of Uniting Care Werribee Support & Housing, told ABC News last year: Weve got the highest number of evictions in the state of Victoria because people cant afford to keep paying their rent. Weve got the highest rate of disconnection of utilities, like electricity. Theres no accommodation. People have to leave the area to find crisis accommodation elsewhere.

Young people who arrived from Africa as refugees, and the children of African refugees, are especially affected by the social crisis. Those who arrive in Australia from countries like South Sudan are provided with minimal publicly-provided support. They are largely forced to depend on the assistance of fellow refugees, and of religious and charity groups. The complex inter-generational mental health needs of a community affected by war-related trauma go unmet.

Immigrant youth who grow up in areas like western Melbourne confront a lack of basic social infrastructure, including properly resourced schools, and virtually no recreational facilities. They face a future of joblessness and poverty, combined with regular racist harassment by police and shopping centre and public transport security guards.

The entire political establishment, having created this appalling situation, is now promoting hysteria over African gangs as a political diversion. That is because Turnbulls Coalition government is preparing to accede to the demands of the ruling elite, with the Murdoch media in the forefront, to push through even more severe austerity cuts to education, health, welfare, and social services. At the same time, it will funnel increased resources into the repressive apparatus of the state, in the name of law and order and the so-called war on terror.

The Labor Party is fully complicit. Federal acting party leader Tanya Plibersek responded to Turnbulls New Year diatribe against African youth by encouraging him to work with the opposition. If the Prime Minister has a plan that hed like to discuss with Labor, wed be open to any such discussion, she stated. Her only criticism was that the government should not be cutting the budget of the Australian Federal Police [AFP] that might actually be useful in a situation like this. The AFP has reportedly had its budget trimmed by $184 million over four years.

Pliberseks statement aligned the Labor Party with a group of Victorian-based right-wing Liberal parliamentarians, who are reportedly urging Turnbull to fund the provision of 80 new AFP officers to patrol Melbournes outer suburbs.

The state Labor government has responded with outrage to the federal governments suggestion that it is soft on law and order.

Last month, Premier Daniel Andrews held a press conference to threaten young people allegedly involved in criminal activity. You will feel the full force of the law, he thundered, declaring it was illegitimate to examine the social roots of crime. Its not excuses we need, he insisted, its arrests that we need. This was a deliberate echo of Andrews provocative statement, following the 2016 Moomba incident, that poverty was no excuse. Im not interested, and neither are Victorians, in these poor me stories, he declared.

In line with these sentiments, the Andrews Labor government has been methodically building up the Victorian police force. Since its election in 2014, it has committed public funds to expand the force by 20 percent, with plans to recruit an additional 3,100 officers over four years. While no money has been allocated to alleviating the social and economic crisis afflicting numerous working-class areas in Melbourne and regional Victoria, more than $2 billion in additional resources has been allocated to the police.

The government publicly boasts of its anti-democratic law and order measures, such as restricting youth parole eligibility, increasing the maximum period of detention that the Childrens Court can impose, and imprisoning children in maximum security adult gaols.

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Australian state Labor government announces unprecedented police buildup

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Europe

Regional transport strike in Netherlands

Regional bus and train drivers took part in a 24-hour strike on Thursday. It hit services provided by transport firms, Arriva, Connexxion and others as well as tram services in Utrecht.

The 12,000 drivers involved are seeking a 3.5 percent pay rise and improved working conditions. The members of the FNV and CNV unions say their right to have a proper toilet and food break is being eroded. The drivers say that pressure is so intense that they must drive non-stop for four hours at a stretch.

The regional transport providers are responsible for transit in almost every part of the country and handle ferry and bus services. The companies have so far rejected workers demands, but indicated willingness to continue talks.

In typical manner the unions limited the job action to one day, rather than call an open-ended strike, as a means to vent anger while creating the least possible service disruption.

UK strikes to continue in Driver Only Operated trains dispute

Strikes are planned by workers next week at six train operating companies in the long running dispute over Driver Only Operated trainswhich threatens passenger safety as well as 6,000 jobs.

Train guards at South Western Railway, Greater Anglia, Merseyrail, Arriva Rail North and the Island Line on the Isle of Wight are set to walk out on 24-hour strikes on January 8, 10 and 12. Guards on Southern will hold a 24-hour strike on January 8.

Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union representatives met with senior managers from South Western Railway and Northern Rail on Wednesday. Negotiations between the RMT and Southern Rail broke down with the RMT accusing the company of walking away from the talks.

London, UK Crossrail construction employees to strike

Eighty electricians working on the construction of the Woolwich section of the new London Crossrail railway are to hold a one-day strike on January 10 over a pay increase and finishing bonuses. The Unite members are employed by construction giant, Balfour Beatty.

It will be the first official strike action to hit the project, although there have been unofficial stoppages.

Museum workers in UK capital walk out on New Years Day

Workers at the National Maritime Museum and other Royal Museum sites in London, including the Cutty Sark restored ship exhibit, struck on New Years Day.

The 100 members of the Prospect union are protesting against low pay of 7.50 an hourand demanding the London Living Wage of 10.20 an hour.

Walkout by journalists at local newspaper in Swindon, England

Sixteen journalists working for the local Swindon paper, the Swindon Advertiser, began a two-day strike on Tuesday in a protest over pay and the threat of redundancies.

The Swindon Advertiser is owned by US based Newsquest. Its staff have been pushing for negotiations over pay since November 2016. In spite of the involvement of the government reconciliation service, Acas, talks have proved fruitless. In addition five poststhe group web editor, news editor and three content managersare under threat.

The National Union of Journalists said its chapels in Bristol and Oxford were supporting the action.

German Porsche workers strike

Workers at the German luxury car company Porsche in Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart held a one-hour strike on Thursday. It was part of a campaign by nearly 4 million engineering workers for a six percent pay rise and a reduction in working hours.

A series of partial strikes at major companies such as Daimler, Siemens and Thyssen-Krupp will take place from January 8 through to January 18, when further talks between employers representatives and the IG Metall union are due to take place.

The union is threatening 24-hour strikes after talks on January 18.

Walkout by Finnish bank staff

Banks across Finland were hit by a staff walkout on December 28 and 29.

The main grievance of the workers is over plans by the banks to introduce weekend working. A further issue is the threat of layoffs as the banks seek to increase levels of exploitation.

The main union representing bank staff, Pro Litto, is not against weekend working but says it must be on a voluntary basis and with recompense.

Talks on Tuesday between the unions and employers broke down. A further two days of strikes are planned for Thursday and Friday.

Strike of Portuguese notaries goes ahead

Around 4,000 staff at Portuguese registry offices and notaries began a four-day strike on December 27.

The action was to protest the governments failure to accede to a demand that a law degree should be sufficient qualification to obtain a post as a registry officer.

More than 90 percent of the workforce took part in the strike, which closed registry offices; however, a skeleton service was provided to allow register of deaths, etc.

Strike threat by white-collar staff in Finlands paper industry

Around 3,000 white-collar staff employed in Finlands paper industry are set to walkout for a week from January 17 over a pay dispute. They are members of the Pro trade union.

Finlands paper industry accounts for nearly a quarter of the countrys exports.

Protest by Albanian oil refinery workers in Ballsh

Some 200 oil refinery workers in the southern Albanian town of Ballsh held a demonstration outside the Ministry of Energy on December 28.

They were protesting the non-payment of their last two months salaries, plus missing social insurance payments by refinery management company, ARMO, going back over a year.

The refinery claims financial problems since its privatisation in 2008.

Following the demonstration, Energy Ministry representatives promised the wages arrears would be paid. The company is the towns biggest employer, with more than 10 percent of the population employed at the plant.

Cypriot Bank employees plan demonstration

Cypriot bank staff plan to demonstrate on February 1 to protest the governments broken promises over recompensation of provident funds.

In 2013, the Cypriot government seized bank deposits as part of an attempt to resolve a financial crisis.

Irish health ancillary workers to strike

Irish health care workers employed under Section 39 provision are threatening to strike on February 12. The government grant aided Section 39 organisations provide disability and community services.

The employees are demanding the government keep its promise to apply pay and working conditions in line with public sector health bodies.

Middle East

Israeli municipal workers set to strike

Israels Histadrut labour federation is threatening a general strike in response to the Finance Ministrys holding back of finance funding.

Jerusalems 2,150 strong municipal workforce could be laid off if the funding is not provided. Municipal workers have dumped rubbish at various sites throughout the city, including the Finance Ministry in protest.

Lebanese power workers protest

Around 40 contract workers employed by state-owned electric power company, EDL, blockaded a road in Beirut on December 26.

They were protesting the late payment of their wages. Security staff pushed them back off the road and onto the pavement.

Africa

Sudanese doctors strike over wages and poor working conditions

Sudanese doctors at Nyala Teaching Hospital, South Darfur, went out on strike on December 20 in a wages and conditions dispute.

Doctors had been promised a wage increase by the government and the health insurance companies, which has not materialised.

Besides the wage claim, the doctors complain of the lack of lifesaving medicines and a government ban on much needed recruitment of new doctors.

Graphite miners in Zimbabwe strike over unpaid wages

Two hundred graphite miners at Zimbabwes joint enterprise mine, the Zimbabwe German Graphite (ZGGM) Mine have begun strike action to demand 13 months of unpaid wages and improvements in their working conditions.

The company has not paid its bills to Zimbabwes electrical supplying company, with the 200 strikers left without light and fresh water to their hostels. A company spokesman cited a fall in graphite demand, and prices dropping from US $600 to US $340 per ton.

The Zimbabwe Diamond Workers Union raised the issues with the Mines Ministry.

Swaziland tax workers continue strike over wage claim redress

Swazilands Revenue Authority (SRA) workers are continuing a strike begun in mid-December for an increased pay settlement.

Eager to end the strike, the Swaziland Revenue Authority Workers Union (SRAWU) settled for a 6.8 percent pay raise, about half of their 13.3 percent initial demand. When news broke that managers had received a 20 percent pay rise workers returned to striking for the original demand.

SRAWU president, Tremendous Dlamini, said that members had a choice whether to strike or not, but the tax authority imposed a lockout.

Support for the strike was reflected in a turnout of 387 striking workers out of 500 members attending a December 29 union meeting. A small proportion returned to work when the SRA lifted the lockout for a day.

Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Osun state call off strike

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) called off action after three days of strikes by state employeessigning a memorandum of understanding and a promise to pay the state employees Decembers salaries in full.

The strike paralysed the state government.

The state chairman of the NLC thanked the state governor for acceding to all of its demands. The workers, however, are concerned that some aspects of the deal may not be implemented as they have been postponed for three months.

Kenyan rail infrastructure workers strike over lack of safety regulation

Three hundred employees at Kenyas rail infrastructure company, Standard Gauge Rail (SGR), went on strike Wednesday in Mai Mahiu, Naivasha and demonstrated at the Mai Mahiu-Narok road, blocking traffic.

The construction workers demand better working conditions, particularly the way they are transported to their place of work. Workers complain of chest problems caused by dust inhalation, while travelling in open trucks onto sites.

Concerns over the companys safety at work policies were highlighted when six workers were swept away by a landslip after heavy rainfall. Four were rescued but two died at the scene. With proper safety equipment they would have survived, say colleagues.

Strikers are demanding the Ministry of Labour enforce safety regulations.

The Standard Gauge Railway line was constructed by the China Road and Bridge Corporation and financed by the Chinese government.

Kenyan casual hospital staff strike for unpaid wages, nurses plan stoppage over pay

Casual workers have gone on strike at Nyeri County Referral Hospital over wages unpaid for the last three months. The workers, contracted by the hospital through a private hire agency, are responsible for sanitary condition on the wards.

They work at half the rate of a state employee and do not get provided with a risk allowance. They do not get paid overtime rates on their 12-hour days, six days a week.

Nurses in the Nyeri states hospitals are also threatening strike action, as their wages have not been paid for the five months they were previously on strike.
The number of felonies charged in Missoula County was up in 2017 over the year before, and the county is still seeing record high numbers of child protection cases, according to a new report issued by the Missoula County Attorneys Office.

Since taking office, County Attorney Kirsten Pabst has issued the annual reports each January, examining data and trends her office saw the previous year as well as looking ahead to the plans for the coming year.

In 2017, 736 adult felony cases were opened by the county attorneys office, 65 more than the number charged the year before. County misdemeanor cases (the city attorneys office handles misdemeanors in city limits) were down year over year, from 1,182 in 2016 to 927 last year.

Every 12 hours, a new felony is committed in Missoula County, the report said.

Child abuse and neglect cases continued to tick up each year, setting another record in 2017 with 195 cases filed, four more than 2016. Last year, Pabst said the number of those cases has been increasing at an alarming rate and said substance abuse and addiction  primarily involving methamphetamine  have been tied to the recent spike.

Four attorneys in her office are dedicated to working with the state Department of Health and Human Services to file and pursue such cases.

Among the county's notable cases of the past year, the annual report highlighted the settlement reached between the county and M2Green, the owners of the former Smurfit-Stone Container site.

Under a new law passed by the Legislature, the county commissioners decided to sue to reclaim back taxes the county was owed. Anna Conley, a civil attorney with the Missoula County Attorneys Office, negotiated a settlement with Wakefield Kennedy, which holds the mortgage for M2Green. The settlement means the county reclaimed more than $967,000, around 89 percent of the back taxes it was owed.

On the criminal side, Pabsts report cited the prosecution of Emmanuel Gomez, who after a trial in early 2017 was found guilty of homicide for killing his girlfriend Charlie Wyrick and dumping her body in Pattee Canyon in December 2015. Pabst and Senior Deputy County Attorney Jordan Kilby prosecuted that case.

The report also mentioned the case of Erik Nugent, who received a 100-year prison sentence after being found guilty of drugging and molesting several teenage girls.

In 2017, prosecutors on the special victims unit at the county attorneys office helped to draft and lobby for changes to the state laws dealing with sexual assault and rape, including the Montana Legislature redefining the term "consent" to make prosecuting such crimes more straightforward.

Heading into 2018, the report said Pabst and her office will establish a pretrial diversion program, something she stated her intention to work on when she announced her reelection bid in November.

The program, which would be the first of its kind in the state, would offer a way for low-risk, nonviolent offenders to reach agreements before their cases go to a judge. These agreements would make sure they have appropriate supervision, addiction treatment and mental health services without the need for a case to go through all steps of the court system.

Pabst has said in the past that looking at other areas of the country with similar programs, she sees the possibility for significant cost savings that could then be applied toward the prosecution of more dangerous crimes.
While the three Missoula city firefighters  each outfitted in a dry suit  said the water of the Clark Fork River felt warmer than the air, none of the others who watched from the shore took them up on an offer to join them in the frigid river.

The Missoula Fire Department started its annual emergency river and ice rescue training Thursday, taking turns plunging into the icy water near Toole Park.

The training focused on open-water rescue with Justin Walsh, who took the first turn as victim, bobbing up and down in the water while city firefighter Dave Farmer maneuvered the fire departments dual-pontoon raft into place. Once the boat was downstream from Walsh, Ben Brunsvold, who was seated at the front, hauled the "victim'' aboard.

Captain Dean Johnson said one of the most dangerous situations for ice rescues is what is currently seen above and below the Higgins Avenue bridge, where fast moving, cold water runs into sheet ice on top of the river.

Thats where we see probably the greatest number of fatalities. If they go under the ice, there really isnt much hope for them, he said.

The fire department has to tailor its responses depending on conditions. Is the victim floating downstream? Caught on ice or other debris?

What do we do (and) how do we do it? It depends on the conditions, Johnson said, as the dry suited firefighters used an oversized foam paddle board to swim out and conduct another mock rescue in the water.

During Thursdays training, one of the firefighters brought their black Labrador retriever, Chug, with them, and Farmer convinced the dog to jump into the river so he could crawl across the ice near the bank to help pull it back out.

Each winter, the fire department typically responds to two or three river and ice rescues around the city, Johnson said, adding that those can involve people but also pets.

Usually its people throwing sticks into the water. The dog gets tired or gets hypothermic or caught up on something, and then we have a problem, he said.

Those situations can become even more dangerous if the pet owner or other bystanders get into the water themselves to help the animal, creating more victims who may have to be rescued.

If someone does fall in, Johnson said its important to try to stay calm and do your best to make it to shore.

Its about keeping a cool head, which is a lot easier said than done, he said.

The fire department will hold more training sessions over the coming weeks to make sure all shifts of firefighters go through the exercise.
The Trump presidency is generally good for business, with tax cuts likely to boost profits at many companies, and some firms even offering their workers Trump bonuses, to share the windfall.

Theres one glaring exception: The marijuana business, which ought to be booming now that 8 states, including California, have declared weed legal for recreational use. Instead, Big Weed is suddenly reeling now that Trumps attorney general, Jeff Sessions, has reversed an Obama-era policy of tolerating legal marijuana. The new policy could signal an unprecedented federal crackdown on pot, along with a titanic battle between several state governments and Washington.

Cannabis, the plant that produces marijuana, is still illegal under federal law, and Congress has shown no serious interest in changing that. So it was problematic when Colorado, Washington and other states began to declare pot legal for recreational use, starting in 2012. Federal law generally trumps state law, which meant the feds could essentially overturn state legalization laws, if they were willing to go through the messy legal process and political turmoil that would require.

President Obama settled the matter after his reelection in 2012, by saying federal prosecutors have bigger fish to fry than tangling with states over pot laws. The Justice Department formalized Obamas fish policy in 2013, establishing guidelines that generally steered prosecutors away from marijuana cases. Its worth noting that the Obama policy aligns with public attitudes toward marijuana, with 64% of Americans now saying they support the legalization of weed.

Source: Gallup

The Justice Department under Trump has a different view. Sessions, long an outspoken critic of legal weed, has rescinded the Obama guidelines, reopening the possibility that the Justice Department could go after growers, sellers or users in the 8 legal states. That doesnt mean it will. But the threat of federal prosecution will slam the growth of the marijuana industry, because its hard to attract investment in a business the feds explicitly declare illegal.

Story continues

[See how Sessions crackdown on pot could hurt Republicans in November.]

Legal marijuana is an $8 billion industry, with forecasts suggesting it could exceed $30 billion by 2021. That would still be a small industry, but potential growth rates of 3x to 4x over just a few years have begun to get investors attention.

Yet a Damocles sword now hangs over the industry, dampening its prospects. Even in the so-called legal states, pot has struggled to go mainstream because of that pesky federal prohibition. Pot businesses have trouble setting up regular bank accounts or taking out ordinary loans. Deep-pocketed corporations dont want to back the industry, fearing a politicized mess should Washington intervene. The resulting hodgepodge slows the adoption of industry standards, consumer safeguards and efficiencies that would boost growth and profitability.

Californias legalization of pot, effective Jan. 1 of this year, might have normalized the whole industry, since its economy is so huge to start with and demand could soar. But normalization probably wont happen now. Small operators will continue to grow and sell pot, figuring theyll fly beneath the radar, should the feds pounce. Bigger companies will stay out, however, since theyd be likelier targets of aggressive prosecutors. Theres nothing wrong with a pot economy consisting mostly of small businesses, except that it will grow more slowly than an economy built on scale.

California and several other legal states could challenge Trumps Justice Department in some way, especially if they have to defend their own residents against legal prosecution. But its hard to see how theyd prevail, given that federal law is clear: weed is illegal.

There are several obvious ironies (or, if you prefer, hypocrisies). Republicans repeatedly tout states rights while calling for a smaller federal footprintyet on pot, Sessions is going out of his way to assert federal authority over state sovereignty. Trump also boasts of the myriad regulations he is killing, in order to free businesses from government interference. Yet his administration may now strangle the weed industry.

The simple fact, however, is that federal law declares marijuana illegal, and the attorney generals job is to enforce federal law. States that want to legalize pot may feel Sessions has overstepped his authority. But its really those states that have done so, by declaring that federal law doesnt apply to them. The black market for pot has a lot of life left in it.

Confidential tip line: rickjnewman@yahoo.com. Encrypted communication available.

Read more:

Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman
Whether or not Margot Robbie has been cast in Quentin Tarantinos ninth feature film, the I, Tonya star wouldnt say. All she would reveal about the matter was a big smile and tantalizing tease.

Nothings official but I would kill to work with him, Robbie told The Hollywood Reporter for the trades cover story on her and Tonya Harding.

The awards-buzzing actress portrays the controversial ex-Olympic ice skater in I, Tonya, but she also grabbed the attention of the press when it was reported that she, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Samuel L. Jackson, and Leonardo DiCaprio were on the casting shortlist for Tarantinos next project.

Sony Pictures scheduled the untitled film for a theatrical release on Aug. 9, 2019, 50 years after the Manson family killed actress Sharon Tate amidst a killing spree in 1969. Thats not a coincidence, though Tarantino had clarified, Its not [about] Charles Manson, its 1969.

Citing a source who read the script, Vanity Fair reported last year that the movie is set in Los Angeles in the summer of 1969 and focuses on a male TV actor whos had one hit series and is looking for a way to get into the film business. His sidekick  whos also his stunt double  is looking for the same thing. The horrific murder of Sharon Tate and four of her friends by Charles Mansons cult of followers serves as a backdrop to the main story.

Tarantino, meanwhile, is also developing an R-rated Star Trek film with The Revenant screenwriter Mark L. Smith. However, its not expected to be released until after the filmmakers 60s-set film.
The pending Disney/Fox deal has raised plenty of questions about the future of content creators, but Family Guy uber-producer Seth MacFarlane, who has an overall deal with 20th Century Fox TV, says he was remarkably unfazed by the news.

This stuff happens all of the time, he told reporters, after a table read of the animated comedys upcoming 300th episode at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, Calif. MacFarlane predicted that Disney will treat the studio like Touchstone in the 80s, he said, with Fox and Disney each being their own brand. I dont think a whole lot is going to change.

MacFarlane said that he did talk to Disney chief Bob Iger, who reached out to him. I had a very good phone call with him, he said. Ryan Murphy, another prominent producer in the 20th stable, told reporters earlier in the day that Iger had called him as well. I said point blank the stuff I do is not Disney and Im not interested in that and Im concerned about that. Am I going to have put Mickey Mouse in American Horror Story?' Murphy said. [Iger] said no and the reason Disney is buying Fox is that they believed in the assets and the executives and the creators.

MacFarlane and the shows creative team were asked as well about their prescient joke about Kevin Spacey, which appeared in a 2005 episode, long before the allegations against the actor first surfaced. In the episode, Stewie ran naked through a mall yelling, Help! Ive escaped from Kevin Spaceys basement! Help me!

MacFarlane said he couldnt remember who pitched the joke, and admitted that when it was first pitched, it had to be explained to him because he hadnt yet heard the rumor himself.

Showrunner Alec Sulkin said he, too, hadnt pitched the joke, but recalled this story where [Spacey] had been beaten up in a London park, and claimed he had been walking his dog late at night and fallen, said Sulkin. I think that raised a lot of eyebrows.

Story continues

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The publication date for Michael Wolffs Trump administration tell-all Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House has been moved to Friday, Jan. 5, due to unprecedented demand, publisher Henry Holt & Co. said Thursday.

The book was originally slated for release on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

Due to unprecedented demand, we are moving the on-sale date for all formats of Fire and Fury, by Michael Wolff, to Friday, January 5, at 9 a.m. ET, from the current on-sale date of Tuesday, January 9, a Henry Holt spokesperson told CNN on Thursday. Booksellers were notified earlier in the day.

Also Read: Trump Seeks to Block Publication of Michael Wolff's Book

Wolffs book tour will also begin early with an appearance on NBCs Today show Friday morning, CNN reports.

The decision to move the books release date up by four days came shortly after Trumps legal team sent Wolff and the publisher a cease-and-desist letter.

Wolff responded on Twitter, saying Here we go. You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. President.

Here we go. You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. President.  Michael Wolff (@MichaelWolffNYC) January 4, 2018

Also Read: Trump's Lawyers Send Cease-and-Desist Letter to Steve Bannon Over 'Disparaging Statements'

Trumps letter accused Wolff and Henry Holt and Co. of actual malice, saying it can be proven by the fact that the Book admits in the Introduction that it contains untrue statements, and that it appears to cite to no sources for many of its most damaging statements about Mr. Trump. It also says many of your so-called sources have stated publicly that they never spoke to Mr. Wolff and/or never made the statements that are being attributed to them.

Trump sent a similar letter to former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon on Wednesday, who is quoted in Wolffs book.

Story continues

Excerpts from the book have been published in several outlets, including New York Magazine, GQ and The Hollywood Reporter, and it is already the No. 1 seller on Amazon, thanks to pre-orders.

The book includes several revelations about the Trump White House, and quotes Bannon blasting Trump Jr.s decision to meet with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer at Trump Tower during the campaign in 2016 as treasonous and unpatriotic.

Related stories from TheWrap:

Trump Seeks to Block Publication of Michael Wolff's Book

Steve Bannon: 'Nothing Will Ever Come Between' Him and President Trump

Ellen DeGeneres Hits Back at Eric Trump: 'What Is the Deep State? Is It Near Dollywood?' (Video)

Trump's Lawyers Send Cease-and-Desist Letter to Steve Bannon Over 'Disparaging Statements'
Doug Jones gay son gave Mike Pence so much side-eye, and Twitter is obsessed

On Wednesday, January 3rd, the new Senator of Alabama Doug Jones brought his son, Carson, to his swearing-in ceremony. In a now-viral picture, Carson (who is an openly gay man), was caught giving homophobic Vice President Mike Pence major side-eye. And Twitter is here for it.

As many readers may already be aware, Pence has one of the worst records on equality of any recent U.S. president or vice president and is no friend to the LGBTQ community. During his first run for Congress in 2000, he suggested that the government defund HIV/AIDs funding in favor of conversion therapy. (Conversion therapy being the practice of trying to change someones sexual orientation or gender identity).

Just last year, he signed Indianas controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, giving businesses the right to discriminate against gay people on the grounds of religion.

Well, theres an old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, and this photo speaks for itself. Carson posted a picture of the moment his father was sworn in on Instagram alongside the hashtag #nocaptionneeded  and people could not help but notice his death glare.

The look is priceless. And the internets reaction is perhaps even better.

DOUG JONES' SON DEVOURED MIKE PENCE'S SOUL. pic.twitter.com/DjT52LEVZH  Mike Gibbs (@Mikeggibbs) January 4, 2018





Photo of the decade: Doug Jones being sworn in, while his openly gay son QUIETLY DISINTEGRATES THE SOUL OF MIKE PENCE. pic.twitter.com/wTKHAZSrOx  Derek Milman (@DerekMilman) January 4, 2018





Doug Jones openly gay son Carson glaring at openly homophobic VP Mike Pence is ALLLLLLLLLL of us. #SHADE pic.twitter.com/ZPZpfXvz4J  mktoon (@mktoon) January 4, 2018





I found my photo for next years xmas card. The level of stink eye Doug Jones gay son is giving homophobe/religious nutjob Mike Pence is perfection pic.twitter.com/xUclfDtnrw  Danny Emerson (@dscapp) January 4, 2018





Its 2018 and now we are all Doug Jones gay son pic.twitter.com/Pv9kKHHuRI  Rosa Escandon (@humancomedian) January 4, 2018

Jones was sworn in as a U.S. Senator after beating anti-LGBT Republican Roy Moore in the election last month. Following his fathers win, Carson opened up about his sexuality in an interview with INTO, saying that his parents have always been really supportive of him.

Its safe to say that Carsons look is ALL of us today.
A New York City-based fitness technology company called ClassPass has won approval to apply for a $345,000 state-funded grant as long as it creates 45 relatively high-paying jobs at its new office in downtown Missoula over the next year.

The company says it is investing $5 million in Missoula over 12 years and wants eventually to create between 100 and 150 new jobs here.

The funding, approved Thursday morning by the Missoula County Board of Commissioners, comes from the Montana Department of Commerce Big Sky Economic Development Trust Funds job creation program.

That program is funded by the states coal severance tax, and reimburses companies up to $7,500 for each new net job created that brings in revenue from out of state and pays at least $14.11 per hour or more, which is 170 percent of the current minimum wage.

To get the top award of $7,500 for each new job that ClassPass is aiming for, the jobs have to pay at least $18.50 an hour. ClassPass worked with Nicole Rush of the Missoula Economic Partnership on the grant application.

Because ClassPass customers are all from outside of Montana, and therefore the workers here will be earning and spending money that comes from out of state, it qualifies for the grant. The company also has to match the grant dollar for dollar. It doesn't get the money until after the jobs are created.

Thursdays unanimous vote came after a detailed explanation and slideshow of the companys finances by ClassPass chief financial officer Tom Aveston.

He said that the company has experienced meteoric growth over the last four years. However, he also said that the companys expenses are such that the company overall is not yet profitable, but plans to be profitable towards the end of 2019.

That is typical of venture-backed businesses that are scaling up very quickly, he told the board.

In essence, Aveston explained that the company is funneling its revenue into growth, increasing its market share and acquiring new customers rather than turning a profit for investors.

ClassPass is like Netflix or Priceline for fitness, Aveston said. Customers pay a subscription fee, and then have access to 9,000 fitness studios in the network. That means rather than paying memberships at one or two gyms or fitness studios, they can try classes at any of the studios for one price.

Aveston said the company has proprietary machine-learning algorithms that suggest the right experiences to the right person, much as Netflix suggests movies to users based on their ratings. He said the studio fitness industry has grown 25 percent in the past seven years and is now nearly a $13 billion industry in the United States.

Studios like the app because it allows them to obfuscate or hide discounts behind the ClassPass subscription price, he said. If they offered discounts to fill up classes, they would risk cannibalizing their own business model, Aveston explained. By allowing ClassPass to pass on the discount, the studios can fill up classes while not lowering their own membership prices.

Because there are so many large chain studios now, Aveston said small independent studios were being crowded out. He said ClassPass addresses the fragmentation of the market by being an aggregator, much like Priceline and Expedia are to airlines and hotels.

We have also aggregated the largest data set in the industry, he said. We act as business consultants. For instance, we could tell a particular studio that they could benefit from adding a spin class in a certain part of Manhattan based on demand. We can even lend studios money to grow through pre-payment. And we really are the only aggregator of this scale.

The company retired its unlimited plan in 2016 because it wasnt profitable, and now offers five-class plans and 10-class plans for cheaper price points that are profitable for the company.

We took a 50 percent haircut on the average revenue per user, but our plans are now profitable, he said.

The company plans to hire 45 workers in Missoula in customer service, sales and account associate roles in 2018, and perhaps add 30 more jobs in 2019.

In a recent investigation for the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, reporter Lewis Kendall researched the history of company announcements of job numbers through the Big Sky Trust Fund compared with the actual number of jobs they eventually created.

Kendall found that many times, companies over promise and under deliver on the amount of jobs they create, although some create more than they initially plan. Kendall found that statewide since the inception of the program in 2005, only 23 percent of the 114 companies have created the number of jobs they proposed, although some are still pending.

Over the past 10 years, the state has paid out $10.8 million, about half of what it would have paid if all the proposed jobs had been created, Kendall reported.

Some of that could be due to the fact that companies get incentives to apply for as large a grant as possible, since they cant go back and ask for more money if they create more jobs than they apply for. The state doesnt lose money if fewer jobs than proposed are created.

ClassPass CEO Fritz Lanman said the company wanted a place between San Francisco and New York that wasnt on one of the coasts for its third North American location. The Missoula office will be downtown in the Millennium building, and the first employee starts Jan. 8. The company hired a location scouting firm to pick a spot to expand.

They use a model that pulls like 700 or 800 different attributes to evaluate potential sites, Lanman said. We worked with a consultant and they wanted to know what is unique about our needs. We wanted to go where we could find a healthy and happy place where we could be sort of an employer of choice and where there would be a demand for jobs. We filtered through all the attributes to find the right demographics to find the right fit for our company culture and mission. Were really excited about Missoula.

Aveston said ClassPass offers employees 20 days of paid leave, along with bonuses and benefits.

Commissioner Jean Curtiss thanked Aveston for choosing Missoula before she made the motion to approve the grant application, which still has to be approved by the Montana Department of Commerce.

Im sure youll find good employees here, she said.

Commissioner Dave Strohmaier also wanted to know why the company chose Missoula, before voting to approve.

Its a great place to live with a range of outdoor activities, Aveston said, speaking on a speakerphone from New York. We just fell in love with Missoula. Its a beautiful place, and well have a team out there next week getting started.

Thats music to our ears, Strohmaier said.

Two other downtown Missoula tech companies also recently applied to create jobs through the Big Sky Trust Fund program.

Advanced Technology Group, a technology consulting business with a large Missoula Solutions Center, recently applied for a grant to create 50 new jobs over the next two years.

LumenAd, a fast-growing digital marketing agency headquartered in the Florence Building in downtown Missoula, has a pending application with the Montana Department of Commerce to create 62 new jobs over the next two years.
Harry Meghan economic bolster wedding

Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys May 2018 wedding is expected to generate a lot more than just buzz and attention.

The royal spectacle of the year is expected to generate close to 500 million pounds for the United Kingdom, according to a Reuters estimate. (When the currency is exchanged, half a billion pounds amounts to $680 million.)

The couple, who is set to marry at St Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle, will be in the spotlight come May 19. According to Reuters, an extra 350,000 people visited the UK back in April 2011 around the time when Prince William married Kate Middleton. That statistic was comparable to April 2010, as recorded by the Office for National Statistics.

harry meghan wedding

A shop window displays photographs of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle near to Windsor Castle, Berkshire. (Photo by Steve Parsons/PA Images via Getty Images)

We think approximately 200 million pounds will come from tourism, travel, hotels, David Haigh, chief executive of business valuation company Brand Fiancee, told the outlet.

Much of the economy will also be bolstered by celebrations surrounding the event, which will also include the sale of commemorative items like shirts, mugs, hats and more.

Along with the aforementioned factors of economic boosting, Harry and Markles nuptials will bring in massive amounts of free advertising for the U.K. Haigh speculates that its close to 100 million pounds worth that the country would typically invest to get its tourism messaging out there.

Meanwhile, the royal family will be fronting all costs for the nuptials. Keep up with The Knot for all the latest regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markles nuptials.

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In-N-Out Burger has expanded its famously limited menu for the first time in 15 years, and its new menu item is  drum roll please  hot cocoa. Fans of hot chocolate drinks will be happy, but we cant say we werent a little dismayed to learn that the new menu item wasnt a veggie patty, bacon burger, onion rings, a gluten-free bun, curly fries, or a hot dog. We expected anything but an expansion to the drink menu.

An In-N-Out employee told The Daily Bulletin that the beverage is made with Ghiradelli cocoa and hot water (not milk) and is topped with mini marshmallows. The eight-ounce drink is priced at $1.60.

This is actually the return of hot cocoa, Company president Lynsi Snyder said in a statement. My grandparents, Harry and Esther Snyder, served it for many years beginning in the 50s. Im not sure how it fell off the menu but its part of our culture and something special for kids, and Im happy that were bringing it back.

The last time the company expanded its menu was 15 years ago, when it added lemonade to the drink list.

Back in November, the company announced that it was expanding to Colorado but said that the 50 planned restaurants wouldnt materialize for another three years.

Considering the leisurely pace at which In-N-Out grows its company, we might get a veggie patty in about 10 years time.

Fun fact: Eater San Francisco reports that kids under 12 will receive a free cup of cocoa on rainy days.

If youre an In-N-Out purist, then carry-on, but if you pine for an expanded menu that might never come, we suggest checking out the ~secret menu~.
Photo: Getty.

For months, Donald Trumps lawyers have assured the president that there is nothing to fear from Robert Mueller, and offered up a number of arbitraryand, according to legal experts, delusionaltimelines for when he can expect to be cleared of wrongdoing. As the tally of Trump campaign members ensnared in the probe has continued to climb, the legal teams efforts have appeared preventativea desperate strategy to keep Trump from flying off the handle. They have also suggested that Trumps lawyers are acutely aware that the president is his own worst enemy. And though the full extent of Trumps self-sabotage may never reach the public, a new report from The New York Times details a stinging series of self-inflicted wounds that have served as ammunition in Muellers emergent obstruction-of-justice case against the president.

Trumps efforts to prevent Attorney General Jeff Sessions from recusing himself from the case, in particular, were reportedly far more aggressive than previously known. While outside pressure built on Sessions to step away from the Russia probe, the president ordered White House General Counsel Donald McGahn to put the squeeze on the former Alabama senator to hold his ground, the Times reports, citing two sources familiar with the episode. McGahn obliged, though the effort proved futile. Sessions, according to the Times, had already made the decision to recuse, and in March announced his decision. Trump, who publicly castigated Sessions over the choice, reacted similarly behind the scenes, reportedly demanding to know who would protect him from Mueller and raging, Wheres my Roy Cohn?a reference to his erstwhile personal lawyer and fixer who served as Joseph McCarthys top aide during the Red Scare of the 1950s. At least one lawmakers has expressed alarm at McGahns role in the proceedings; on Friday, Rep. Jerrold Nadler released a statement calling on the general counsel to make himself available for questioning by the House Judiciary Committee.

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The Trump-driven campaign to prevent Sessionss recusal is reportedly among a string of incidents Mueller is probing as he seeks to determine whether the president obstructed justice when he fired F.B.I. Director James Comey. Mueller, who was appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, has reportedly obtained a series of notes written by former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus; the notes corroborate Comeys account that Trump repeatedly asked him to announce that he was not personally under F.B.I. investigation. According to the Times, Mueller is also looking into an episode in which the president planned to send Comey a letter characterizing the ongoing D.O.J. inquiry as fabricated and politically motivated, as well as the presidents involvement in crafting a false statement in response to a Times report on Donald Trump Jr.s now infamous Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer. (Ty Cobb, the Trump attorney handling all matters related to the Mueller probe, did not respond to the papers request for comment.)

Thursdays Times report also notes that a Sessions aide asked a congressional staffer whether they had compromising information on Comey as part of a broader effort to discredit the then F.B.I. director and the Trump-Russia investigation. It was unclear whether Muellers team is aware of this incident.

The legal debate over obstruction of justice is complicated, made no simpler by the fact that a president has the legal authority to fire an F.B.I. director. As members of Washingtons white-collar defense bar explained to me shortly after Comeys ouster, to prove obstruction, Mueller must prove corrupt intent. This doesnt necessarily mean that the special prosecutor must uncover an underlying crime, but rather that Trump or his associates must have been attempting to conceal something. And if Mueller does unearth evidence that the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin to disrupt the 2016 election, making the case that Trump obstructed justice is a much lighter legal lift. If there is evidence out there that there was collaboration and Mr. Trump knew it, and against that background he was seeking to influence the investigation, hes got a problem, William Jeffress, a D.C. trial attorney who worked on the Valerie Plame affair told me in June of last year.

Of course, if its up to Trumps lawyers, all this will prove a moot pointthe presidents legal team has already made the argument that there is no crime of collusion and that the president, as the chief law enforcement officer, cannot obstruct justice.

This story originally appeared on Vanity Fair.

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YouTube star Logan Paul is now facing a potential lawsuit over his apparel line

YouTube star Logan Paul, who faced severe backlash after posting a video in Japans suicide forest that showed a victim, is adding legal woes to his growing list of troubles. New York City-based clothing company Maverick Apparel is threatening to sue Paul if he doesnt stop using the word maverick in his apparel line, titled Maverick by Logan Paul, within seven days.

Maverick Apparel, a clothing brand for juniors and children, claim consumers have been misled by Pauls affiliation to Maverick Apparel. The company also claims at least $4 million in damages due to Pauls YouTube video in Japans suicide forest. In the release, they wrote:

Maverick Apparel has noticed a rapid and significant decline in its sales, reputation and goodwill of the Maverick Apparel brand as a direct result of your repulsive, abhorrent and mutton-headed conduct. In choosing to promulgate yourself and your maw-wallop across social media and champion yourself as an object of ridicule, hatred and contempt, you have simultaneously infected the good name of Maverick Apparel.

Citing his social media presence as a parade of intolerance, they continued:

Logan Paul [] has become synonymous with racist, anti-Asian, and homophobic sentiments, and most recently, a belligerent insensitivity to suicide.

Maverick Apparel is referencing past behavior, as Paul has been accused of racism against Asians before  much to the shock of, well, absolutely no one. Maverick Apparels release claims Paul has hijacked the maverick name, calling Paul a vlogger catering to his evident lowest common denominator narcissism.

Hey world. If you didnt know, @LoganPaul has always been disrespectful and racist towards Asians.



This is nothing new. Sadly. pic.twitter.com/Gq1OIbUuoX  Jommy (@jfwong) January 2, 2018

Logan Paul being racist and stupid pic.twitter.com/D40tb3DQXO  gustavo (@gustavonever) September 2, 2017

According to Robert Garson, attorney at Garson, Segal, Steinmetz, Fladgate LLP, who represents Maverick Apparel, the $4 million in damages has been a long time coming. In an email statement to HelloGiggles, Garson wrote:

The damages are over time since Paul has used the brand. The video was simply the tipping point. If Mr. Paul continues to use the name [then Maverick Apparel] will commence a lawsuit.

Following backlash against the video, Paul issued an apology on social media and his YouTube account that garnered its own wave of criticism for its lack of accountability. The controversy has also sparked discussions around YouTube star culture. Paul has since announced a break from YouTube. Perhaps this will be the learning experience he so desperately needs.
Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - The Islamic State faction of Boko Haram on Friday said it was responsible for a late December attack on Nigerian army barracks, claiming it killed nine soldiers and took military equipment.

The jihadist faction said in an online statement published by the Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) that it had orchestrated the raid on army barracks in the town of Kanamma in northeast Yobe state, according to the SITE Intelligence group, which monitors jihadist activity.

Boko Haram has long been divided, but in 2016 it suffered a major split when the Islamic State group recognised Abu Mus'ab al-Barnawi, the son of dead Boko Haram founder Muhammad Yusuf, as leader.

The jihadists carried out a bloody raid on the Kanamma barracks, located near the Niger border, triggering a gun battle that needed air force support, according to AFP sources.

The sources said five soldiers had lost their lives, instead of the nine claimed by Boko Haram, but added that 30 troops are still missing after the battle.

"We lost five men in this attack and 30 remain missing," a military officer on Wednesday told AFP on the condition of anonymity.

"It is not known yet whether they fled during the attack or whether they were captured by the terrorists," added the same source.

The Kanamma raid took place amid a barrage of almost daily Boko Haram attacks, kidnappings and bombings over the holiday season last month, despite Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari saying in his New Year's address that the country has "beaten" the jihadists.

The IS-affiliated Boko Haram faction is particularly active on the Chad and Niger borders and usually targets Nigerian forces.

Meanwhile, longtime leader Abubakar Shekau operates from his Sambisa forest stronghold along the Cameroon border and is responsible for unrelenting suicide bombings targeting civilians who don't join the Islamist movement.

The Boko Haram insurgency has killed over 20,000 people and displaced some 2.6 million since 2009, triggering a dire humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad region.
San Salvador (AFP) - Almost 200,000 American children born in the United States risk being separated from their Salvadoran parents if the US government cancels a temporary immigration program, the Salvadoran government said Thursday.

Foreign Minister Hugo Martinez told a news conference that 190,000 Salvadorans in America "have procreated 192,000 boys and girls who are American citizens and who have all the rights of American citizens."

He said that, if Washington put an end to the program, known as the Temporary Protection Status, for Salvadorans, "this would mean breaking up families that are in the United States."

The US Department of Homeland Security is expected to announce next Monday whether it will renew TPS for Salvadorans. The last extension of the program runs out on March 8.

The US government has already announced it is ending TPS for 59,000 Haitians and 5,300 Nicaraguans, and is weighing doing the same for Hondurans and Salvadorans.

Some of the migrants have headed north, over the border into Canada.

Any US-born children would have the right to stay in America or to return there, as they are citizens. That however bestows no automatic right to stay for their parents.

Martinez said El Salvador's consulates in the United States were giving free advice to Salvadorans on what to do.

He added that his government did not want to see families separated, "especially for those boys and girls under the age of 21."

El Salvador has lobbied US lawmakers to find a solution, perhaps through a law allowing Salvadorans with TPS to get permanent permission to remain.

Martinez said he and Salvadoran President Salvador Sanchez Ceren were making phone calls on Thursday and on Friday to lobby further.

The United States extended its TPS program to Salvadorans in 2001, following devastating earthquakes in the Central American nation.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Thursday warned voters that time was running out to reverse Brexit, a folly he said would torpedo Britains remaining clout and be regretted for generations to come.

More than a year and a half since the 2016 Brexit vote, the United Kingdom remains deeply divided over the planned EU exit that Prime Minister Theresa May says will take place on March 29, 2019.

Both opponents and supporters of Brexit agree that the divorce is Britains most significant geopolitical move since World War Two, though they cast vastly different futures for the $2.5 trillion UK economy and its relation with the worlds biggest trading bloc.

Blair, Labour prime minister from 1997 to 2007, said Britain would be poorer, weaker and warned that May had solved none of the problems over Northern Irelands post-Brexit status.

We are making an error the contemporary world cannot understand and the generations of the future will not forgive, Blair said in an article published on his website on Thursday.

2018 will be the last chance to secure a say on whether the new relationship proposed with Europe is better than the existing one, Blair, 64, said.

Leaving the European Union was once far-fetched: just over 15 years ago, British leaders such as Blair were arguing about when to join the euro, and talk of an EU exit was the reserve of sceptics on the fringes of both major parties.

But the turmoil of the euro zone crisis, fears in Britain about immigration and a series of miscalculations by former Prime Minister David Cameron prompted the United Kingdom to vote 52 to 48 percent for Brexit in a June 2016 referendum.

Blair has repeatedly called for reversing Brexit, echoing other opponents of Brexit such as French President Emmanuel Macron and billionaire investor George Soros, who have suggested that Britain could still change its mind.

So far, opinion polls show little sign of a change of heart and it is unclear how Brexit could be stopped if both major political parties officially support the divorce.

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Half of Britons support a second vote on whether to leave the European Union and a majority think the government may be paying too much money to the EU to open the way to trade talks, according to an opinion poll published last month.

Supporters of Brexit dismissed Blair and said he was undermining both the British negotiation and the will of the people.

Blair and his elitist gang are damaging our negotiating strength, thus damaging our national interest by their continuing efforts to undermine democracy, said Richard Tice, who helped found one of the two Leave campaign groups.

History will not forgive them, Tice told Reuters.

Blair is unpopular in Britain for his decision to back then-U.S. President George W. Bushs 2003 invasion of Iraq and the justification he used for going into a war that cost the deaths of 150,000 Iraqi civilians and 179 British soldiers.

But he has become increasingly outspoken about Brexit.

He implored his Labour Party, which is now led by socialist Jeremy Corbyn, to join the fight to stop Brexit.

Make Brexit the Tory Brexit. Make them own it 100 percent, Blair said. If Labour continues to go along with Brexit and insists on leaving the Single Market, the handmaiden of Brexit will have been the timidity of Labour.
A new book on the Trump Administration argues that its dysfunctional, full of infighting and incompetence.

But a better case for that argument is not the juicy quotes and salacious details in Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House (some of which are contested by the people involved). Its the White Houses reaction to the book so far.

Written by longtime New York media columnist Michael Wolff, the book is definitely a scorcher.

One chapter contends that a casual suggestion from former British prime minister Tony Blair to Jared Kushner was the prompt for Trumps tweets about being wiretapped, which led to a series of unfortunate PR events. Another chapter claims that was bored by his first meeting with National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, saying he looked like a beer salesman.

After a British newspaper published quotes from the book Wednesday and New York magazine put an excerpt online, the reaction from the Trump White House was swift and characteristically excessive against both the book and former adviser Steve Bannon.

In a four-paragraph statement  key parts of which the Daily Beast reported was dictated by the president himself  the president said that his former campaign strategist had nothing to do with his win, argued a one-time White House adviser had no influence on him and claimed a book involving multiple interviews with White House staffers was phony.

In another official statement, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders slammed the book as trashy tabloid fiction, and an aide for First Lady Melania Trump denied an account in the book that she cried on Election Night, saying the book will be sold in the bargain fiction section. Lawyers for Trump then reportedly sent Bannon a cease and desist letter arguing that he was violating a nondisclosure agreement, and sought to block publication of the book. Then Trump personally weighed in, arguing that he doesnt talk to Bannon any more, while Sanders weighed in again Thursday, saying the book is full of ridiculous lies.

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All of that squares with Trumps method of hitting back 10 times harder, but its hard to see how it helped the White House.

When somebody challenges you unfairly, fight back - be brutal, be tough - don't take it. It is always important to WIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2015

For one thing, it only added to the attention the book was getting, helping rocket it to No. 1 on Amazon in a single day. Trumps over-the-top response also reportedly convinced Bannon to cancel a positive statement hed been planning on making. But, most seriously, it seemed wholly improvised in the moment, only adding evidence to the contention that the White House is incompetent.

The thing about books is that they take a long time to write. Publishers announce when theyve signed an author and decided on a publication date. Media rollout plans arent exactly public, but they arent hard to figure out. And the White House has visitor logs  not available to the public  which clearly could have tipped them off ahead of time to the fact that, as they now say, Wolff came to meet Bannon 95% of the time.

Its hardly a secret that Bannon has been estranged from Trump lately and people inside the White House would be best positioned to know what he might say about his time there.

In the past, a presidents handlers would have anticipated all this, starting with what Wolff claims was a pretty loose permission to hang around the White House in the first year of the Administration. Hes been known in the past to cozy up to sources, as he did with Trump staffers, only to burn them harshly in his book. And as a prominent writer in New York City, he should hardly be an unknown to this White House especially.

Even then, presidential aides might have laid the groundwork to fight the book by quietly raising doubts about Wolffs past work, some of which has been criticized as recreating scenes inaccurately. They might have had Trump publicly break with Bannon before the book came out so that his comments would be seen as sour grapes or selectively leaked old internal memos that made him look bad.

Alternately, they might have taken the high road and simply declined to comment, letting the media and the public hash out the trustworthiness of the books version of events. Or they could have made key players available for extensive interviews with rival publications to set the record straight on some of the key moments described in the book .

Instead, the White House lashed out at a former top campaign official and White House aide seemingly on the fly, giving a vivid example of the very infighting, incompetence and dysfunction the book claims exists.
By Anna Mehler Paperny TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's opposition Conservatives kicked a lawmaker out of the party after she posted letters on her official government website that derided indigenous people and then refused to take them down from the site. Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer said Thursday evening that he ejected Senator Lynn Beyak over the letters posted on her website. The letters claimed that indigenous Canadians were pampered in abusive residential schools and that they were looking for government handouts. Promoting this comment is offensive and unacceptable for a Conservative Parliamentarian, Scheer said in a statement. To suggest that indigenous Canadians are lazy compared to other Canadians is simply racist. Canadian Senators are appointed for life, though they can be expelled from political parties. Some people have called for Beyaks resignation since she last year defended residential schools. Some 150,000 children were taken from their families and sent to assimilationist schools where they were physically and sexually abused. A government commission that investigated the schools determined that their treatment of indigenous children amounted to cultural genocide. Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper formally apologized for the schools in 2008 and Canada has provided billions of dollars in compensation to victims. Aboriginal people continue to be over-represented among Canadas poor, victims of violence and its prison population. People on reserves often lack clean drinking water and education for indigenous children is under-funded. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in November told the United Nations General Assembly that his government would do better to improve the lives of aboriginals and achieve reconciliation. (By Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto; Editing by Jim Finkle and Michael Perry)
Ottawa (AFP) - Canada's trade deficit rose to Can$2.5 billion (US$1.7 billion) in November on the back of the sharpest rise in imports in more than eight years, the government statistics office said Friday.

Imports were up by 5.8 percent in November, totalling Can$48.7 billion, "the strongest increase since July 2009," Statistics Canada said in a statement.

The surge in imports came largely in the electronics sector, which was up 10.9 percent, mostly in communications, audio and video appliances, in particular cell phones, "which posted a 21.6 percent gain to a record high Can$2.1 billion," it said.

Imports of motor vehicles and parts also rose, as did imports of aircraft and other transportation equipment, due in large part to the purchase of ships from Asian makers.

Canadian exports also rose by 3.7 percent to Can$46.2 billion, mostly on the back of auto sales, which were up 14.6 percent, and consumer goods, up by 7.4 percent, in particular among pharmaceutical products.

Imports from the United States, Canada's main trade partner, rose by 6.5 percent to reach a total of Can$31.9 billion.

Canadian exports to the US also rose by 5.4 percent to Can$35.2 billion, reducing Canada's trade surplus with its neighbor from Can$3.5 billion in October to $3.3 billion in November.

Imports from other countries rose by 4.4 percent to Can$16.9 billion, mostly on the back of Chinese telephones, Japanese cars and Saudi petroleum.

Canada also saw a drop in sales to other trading partners, in particular the United Kingdom, South Korea and Mexico, that was partially offset by an increase in exports to China, mostly in wood pulp.

Canada's trade deficit with international partners other than the United States widened, going from Can$5 billion in October to Can$5.9 billion a month later.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has postponed a presentation on preparing for nuclear war in favor of a session on this years especially severe flu season.

The topic for CDCs Public Health Grand Rounds on January 16 will now focus on influenza, an update on the agencys website says. With the spike in flu cases around the country, this Grand Rounds will provide key and timely information for public health professionals on how to reduce the spread of seasonal flu in communities and adjust to spot shortages in antiviral drugs because of high influenza activity in some areas.

The session on nuclear war, originally scheduled for Jan. 16, was set to include such cheerful discussions as Preparing for the Unthinkable, Roadmap to Radiation Preparedness and Public Health Resources to Meet Critical Components of Preparedness, according to the website. It was announced just two days after President Donald Trump caused a frenzy by tweeting that he has a bigger and more powerful nuclear button than North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Despite the uncanny timing, the CDC told TIME that the workshop had been in the works since April, and is simply part of the agencys regular educational series.

As part of its mission, CDC provides for the common defense of the country against all health threats, spokesperson Kathy Harben wrote in an email. To fulfill that mission, Public Health Grand Rounds is part of CDCs longstanding and routine work, similar to work it does to prepare for other possible health emergencies with the goal of ensuring the public health community is prepared for all types of health threats.

The workshop will be rescheduled for an as-yet-unannounced date, according to the CDCs website.
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China will plant new forests covering an area roughly the size of Ireland this year as it aims to increase forest coverage to 23 percent of its total landmass by the end of the decade, China Daily reported on Friday. Planting trees has become a key part of China's efforts to improve its environment and tackle climate change, and the government has pledged to raise total coverage from 21.7 percent to 23 percent over the 2016-2020 period, said the China Daily, citing the country's top forestry official. Zhang Jianlong, head of the State Forestry Administration, said at a meeting on Thursday that China would aim to grow at least 6.66 million hectares of new forest this year. He said 33.8 million hectares of forest had been planted nationwide over the last five years, with a total investment of more than 538 billion yuan ($82.88 billion), bringing the country's total forest area to 208 million hectares. Three new state forests with a total area of 483,000 hectares would also be built in the new Xiongan development zone in Hebei province, he said. The heavily polluted Hebei, which surrounds the capital Beijing, has also pledged to raise total forest coverage to 35 percent by the end of 2020. China, which has to feed a quarter of the global population using just 7 percent of the world's arable land, has long struggled to strike a balance between industrial growth, maximizing food production and protecting its environment. The government is currently promoting an "ecological red line" program which will force provinces and regions to restrict "irrational development" and curb construction near rivers, forests and national parks. The environment ministry said last month that 15 provinces had already drawn up plans, with the remaining 16 aiming to do so this year, but it is not yet clear what impact the policy will have on the country's farmland. ($1 = 6.4915 yuan) (Reporting by David Stanway; Editing by Michael Perry)
I am one of only a handful of people who know about the removal of five wolves in southwest Montana by agents from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services (WS) after two cows were confirmed lost to wolf predation.

If I were just an average citizen, especially one whom experience hadnt taught to read between the lines, I probably wouldnt even know that these cows and wolves were killed, let alone why. My lack of knowledge is partly a function of my geographical distance, but the bigger reason is because WS is not forthcoming with information, and any information the agency does provide tends to be so nondescript that it is essentially useless in terms of understanding their decision-making process.

But between my own efforts and whatever input I manage to get from WS or my contacts in the valley, I can piece together a pretty good picture of what happened. And I dont like what I see.

When I first learned about this latest, November round of wolf depredations and removals, I thought to myself, Where the hell were the cowboys when these two cows were taken? This question may seem unfair, for as is true with range riders, cowboys cant be everywhere all the time. But keep in mind that the two adult cows were killed over the course of 12 to 14 days, which means they were taken consecutively, with what we might call a window of opportunity between the first and second depredation. After the first depredation, one assumes that the rancher and/or the cowboys, knowing that wolves were in the area, would have responded by ramping up patrols, moving the herd, or by employing other deterrents such as guard dogs or fladry.

My sense is that most people would agree that this is a fair and reasonable assumption, and that good animal husbandry is the key to a safe and healthy herd. Unfortunately, in the absence of WSs account of the circumstances surrounding these depredations, I cant know if any preventative actions were taken, nor if the subsequent destruction of the wolves might itself have been prevented. But based on what I do know, human error, possibly even egregious human error, likely played a large role in the deaths of two cows and five wolves. If it seems like Im singling out the cowboys (or WS agents, for that matter), Im not. They are just like any other employee: they are only as effective as their employer inspires and requires them to be.

Another troubling thing I dont know is how WS decided to kill five wolves. Why not four, three, two or even one? What is the reasoning? Were all five wolves observed attacking or threatening each cow over the course of 12 to 14 days? If so, by whom? The cowboys? Maybe. The rancher? Not likely. The WS agent? Only he knows.

What about the appearance of negligence on the part of the rancher and cowboys? Were their actions taken into consideration? In the interest of truth and representation of all interested parties  human and nonhuman  wouldnt they have to be? And given all these questions  unanswered and answered  why the rush to kill five wolves, at least some of which may not have been involved, not to mention the fact that the rancher would be compensated for the two dead cows?

Lastly, were any non-lethal attempts made to deter the wolves before resorting to killing them? By what rough calculus did WS make its decisions? Again, only they know, and theyre not really talking.
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Commerce Ministry said on Friday it will limit exports of crude oil, refined oil products, steel and other metals to North Korea, in line with tough new sanctions imposed by the United Nations for Pyongyang's missile tests. The statement comes after the U.N. Security Council last month unanimously voted in favor of new penalties on North Korea for its recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, seeking to limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil. The move by China will be effective on Jan. 6, it said. It also follows an agreement on Friday by North Korea to hold official talks with the South next week, the first in more than two years amid rising tensions over its nuclear and missile programs. On Tuesday, the Chinese government said it would continue to adhere to the recent U.N. sanctions. In November, China, one of North Korea's top trading partners, exported no oil products to the isolated country, apparently going above and beyond the U.N. restrictions. Among the measures in the December resolution, the U.N. prohibits nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea by capping them at 500,000 barrels a year and limits crude oil supplies to 4 million barrels a year. Link to the latest U.N. resolution: http://bit.ly/2BUze4K (Reporting by Josephine Mason; Editing by Mark Potter)
Chocolate is in crisis, and thats a big problem for some major companies. (Quartz)

If you havent heard, chocolate may be extinct by 2050, according to findings from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Now, this isnt the first time weve been alerted there could be serious chocolate shortage, but the recent news that cacao plants (the plants that produce cocoa which is then made into chocolate) could go by the wayside in less than 35 years is a stark realization thats not being taken lightly.

In fact Mars Inc., the company behind treats like Snickers and M&Ms, teamed up with researchers from the University of California Berkley to start to remedy the situation using gene-editing technology. The partnership, which sees Mars investing around $1 billion in its application, aims to save the future of cacao crops by using CRISPR technology. These molecular scissors are used to remove and replace (essentially tweak) strands of DNA, and although this method is used to help treat genetic diseases, scientists are confident it could be a way to tackle crops just the same, helping strengthen them so they can withstand the dryer, warmer climate, thus keeping us from a chocapocalypse as its been dubbed.

Were trying to go all in here, said Marss chief sustainability officer, Barry Parkin, to Business Insider. There are obviously commitments the world is leaning into but, frankly, we dont think were getting there fast enough collectively.

The NOAAs report says the current generation of cacao plants will not be affected, but rather, the next generation so the time to act is now. According to research from Mintel, provided to Yahoo Canada Finance, chocolate confectionary sales will hit US$20.7 billion by 2020. The International Cocoa Organization reported that cocoa butters price more than doubled between 2005 and 2015, and cost has been predicted to rise by 30 per cent by 2020. However, while prices may be predicted to rise, the reality as of late is cocoa prices are falling following a six-year high, farmers are being cut out and crops are being wasted.

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Doug Hawkins, from London-based research firm, Hardman Agribusiness, told the Daily Mail that  more than 90 per cent of the global cocoa crop is produced by smallholders on subsistence farms with unimproved planting material. This, according to Hawkins, is an indicator that we could be looking at a chocolate deficit of 100,000 tonnes a year in the next few years.

Whos fixing the problem

Back in 2009, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, along with 17 other companies, funded a $40-million program (the Cocoa Livelihoods Program) for the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF). The initiative was set in place to help improve practices and lives of cacao farmers in West Africa and Central African countries. Reports suggest the program trained nearly 200,000 farmers, helping to improve quality of product, conditions and efficiency.

Then there are cacao breeders, who have been sought out thanks to Mars Inc. and the ARS (Agricultural Research Service), and can be found in places like Latin America and Asia, in addition to West Africa. Ensuring there are more breeders employing sustainable methods, while physically being able to monitor crops and see if cultivars may be carrying disease-ridden traits, could prevent wasted, dying crop.

Hershey Co. has tapped into programs like Cocoa Futures, and also recently forked out nearly $1.6 billion in order to acquire SkinnyPops parent, Amplify Snack Brands. The company also acquired Krave Pure Foods in 2015 and then barkTHINS in 2016, the latter posited as a healthier version of chocolate snacks. A shortage in cocoa production, however, could be detrimental to current and future mergers, and the World Cocoa Foundation reports that cacao employs up to 50 million people worldwide.

How  and where  it can be fixed

One environmental option suggested to help improve crop growth is to move the crops up the mountainsas in 1,000 feet uphillin order to receive fairer conditions, but this risks threatening local wildlife, says the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. Another option is to move, expand or utilize production elsewhere, like Indonesia, which is another of the worlds biggest cocoa producers. The Brazilian method of cabruca, which sees additional trees planted to provide shade for cacao trees, is another practice that could prove to be useful moving forward.

Alternatives to chocolate could also be an avenue to invest more in. Wild mango butter, for example, is said to have similar properties to cocoa butter and could act as a replacement. Carob powder, which has been used for thousands of years, is a source often touted to be better than cocoa powder, offering its own host of health benefits (mainly that it doesnt contain caffeine or theobromine).

Cote dIvoire and Ghana may be the two most highly populated sources for the cacao plant, but with crop failure and ongoing demand for cocoa production, the output could continue to deplete.

Whether you believe climate change affects cacao plants or not, even thinking about a life full of modified chocolate products (or worse yet, no chocolate!), is enough to get hearts racing, maybe just enough to start some serious environmental and economical changes.

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By Denis Dumo JUBA (Reuters) - Clashes have broken out near South Sudan's capital Juba between government troops and rebels, officials said on Friday, the latest violation of a ceasefire signed last month. The deal reached in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa between the government of President Salva Kiir and a myriad of opposition groups had aimed to end a four-year-old war in which tens of thousands of people have been killed. But several violations have since taken place, for which all sides have been blamed. On Friday, the army's spokesman Lul Ruai Koang said several people were killed after rebel troops attempted to seize a military outpost west of Juba held by Kiir's Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). "At about 10:30 p.m. last night, bandits under the direct command of Lieutenant Colonel Chan Garang attacked the SPLA's position at the north of Kapur," he told a news conference, referring to a high-ranking officer who defected from the government last year. Koang did not give details on casualties, but said fighting was going on. Rebels under former vice president Riek Machar, whose sacking in mid-2013 amid a power struggle triggered the civil war months later, denied any involvement and added soldiers allied with the defected official had acted on their own. "We have no hand in what happened in Juba last night," said Lam Paul Gabriel, the group's deputy spokesperson. "Those soldiers who are friends to him (Garang) decided to say enough is enough. So they did it." The violence prompted the U.S. embassy in Juba to impose a 7 p.m. curfew for unofficial travel. The conflict in the world's youngest country has been fought largely along ethnic lines, pitting forces loyal to Kiir - an ethnic Dinka - and Machar, who is Nuer. Other factions have also sprung up ever since. The war has forced a third of South Sudan's 12 million-strong population to flee their homes. The ceasefire is intended to revive a 2015 peace deal that collapsed in 2016 after heavy fighting erupted in Juba, with talks on a new power-sharing arrangement and a new date for polls scheduled to follow. It is also designed to allow humanitarian groups access to civilians caught in the fighting. Neighbouring countries who brokered that agreement have warned the warring sides that they would back punitive measures if violations persisted. The United States, Britain and Norway, who form a group that supported a 2005 accord that led to South Sudan's independence from Sudan, have also threatened to impose individual or group sanctions for those violating the ceasefire. (Additional reporting by Jason Patinkin; Writing by Aaron Maasho; Editing by William Maclean)
President Donald Trumps campaign to roll back the Affordable Care Acts health insurance reforms just took a step forward.

The Department of Labor on Thursday proposed a regulation that would make it easier for some individuals and small businesses to get coverage exempt from some key Obamacare rules, including a requirement that all plans cover 10 essential benefits.

Its impossible to say definitively how big an impact the proposed changes would have, or even when or if they will take effect. Like all new regulatory shifts, they must first go through a formal review process, with opportunity for public comment, before they become final.

The proposal is also likely to prompt legal challenges, because it calls for changes that may exceed what executive agencies can do on their own, without new acts of Congress.

But if the regulation eventually takes effect, Republicans will be closer to their goal of creating an insurance system with fewer rules on what or whom plans must cover. And the health care landscape would look very different as a result.

People in good health would have access to cheaper, less generous policies. But it would also mean those who want or need more comprehensive coverage would have a harder time finding it.

What The Trump Administration Proposes

The Trump administrations proposed rules focus on association health plans  AHPs  which are policies that organizations sell to small businesses or individuals. An example of an AHP would be a policy that a Realtors association sells to individual real estate agents, or one that a state business organization sells to family-owned businesses.

When the Obama administration wrote the regulations to implement the Affordable Care Act, it was careful to make sure AHPs were subject to the same guidelines on benefits and pricing  including protections for people with pre-existing conditions  as other insurance plans serving individuals and small businesses.

In other words, the Realtor associations AHP is subject to the same rules as policies that insurers sell to individuals, directly or through Obamacares exchanges. Similarly, the state business organizations plan is subject to the same rules for all small employers.

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By writing the regulations in this way, the Obama administration had two goals in mind. One was to protect consumers by making sure all policies were sufficiently comprehensive to cover all medical needs. The other was to ensure all individuals and small businesses were part of the same insurance pool, so that there were enough healthy people paying premiums to cover the high bills of those who needed extensive medical care.

Combined with Obamacares other features, including subsidies for low- and some middle-income people, this put comprehensive coverage within reach for millions who couldnt get it before. But it also raised premiums for individuals and small businesses who previously were able to find coverage for much less money  in part because their plans lacked full coverage for mental health, maternity care, rehabilitative services, or prescriptions.

Association health plans could not explicitly discriminate based on health under the proposed new rules. But I have no doubt they would find clever ways of cherry picking healthier people implicitly -- e.g., based on what benefits they cover.  Larry Levitt (@larry_levitt) January 4, 2018

Unwinding those changes  going back to a time when healthy people could get less expensive, less generous policies, even if it raises premiums for more comprehensive coverage  has been the common thread in pretty much every GOP health policy effort of the last year, including proposals to repeal Obamacare. And thats very much the goal of the new regulation.

Like all such proposals, Thursdays is dense and will require several days for experts to parse fully. But the gist seems clear. The regulation would modify the regulatory treatment of AHPs so that small businesses and certain individuals  in particular, sole proprietors who are part of the same industry or live in the same area  would have access to plans that dont comply with all of Obamacares insurance rules, including the requirement to cover those 10 essential benefits.

The primary mechanism for doing this involves a reinterpretation of a separate federal law, called the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, which governs the insurance plans of large employers and is under the jurisdiction of the Labor Department. Thats why its Labor and not, say, the Department of Health and Human Services, proposing the new regulation.

And the reinterpretation appears to have some limits. A senior Labor Department official told Stephanie Armour of the Wall Street Journal, who was first to report on the proposals substance, that AHPs still could not vary premiums based on health status. That seems to be consistent with the regulations wording.

But theres enough confusing language in it  including a reference to Obamacares individual mandate, which Republicans just repealed  to make the exact significance of many sections ambiguous. Thats especially true because insurance regulation involves multiple, overlapping statutes, and even experts cant be sure how they are supposed to interact.

Several analysts told HuffPost that the proposed regulation might allow AHPs to adjust premiums based on gender, charging women more than men. But the analysts cautioned that they couldnt be sure of this, because other federal laws might still prohibit that practice.

What The New Regulations Would Actually Mean

Whatever the regulations true limits, it would likely have significant effects.

Consider what it would mean for a hypothetical real estate agent. Today, he or she can get an AHP, but it probably doesnt look much different than the policies available at HealthCare.gov or from insurers directly. If the new regulation goes through, that agent could find an AHP with fewer benefits. Itd probably be cheaper, maybe significantly so, because it wasnt designed to cover as many medical bills  and because sicker people would be unlikely to buy it in the first place.

As long as that hypothetical agent didnt need a lot of medical care, he or she would end up saving money. But one who had medical conditions or developed them would end up paying more, because AHPs wouldnt cover medical bills as completely. Meanwhile, the more comprehensive plans available through HealthCare.gov would be getting more and more expensive, because theyd be attracting a sicker group of enrollees.

My quick take is that they are creating new sets of winners and losers here, Sabrina Corlette, a senior research fellow at Georgetown Universitys Center on Health Insurance Reforms, told HuffPost on Thursday. In the individual market, winners will be younger people who are ok with skimpier benefits, losers are older folks like early retirees.

Expanded use of AHPs also create more opportunities for deceptive advertising  or outright fraud  surrounding the policies. Recent history is littered with cases of people buying AHPs, only to discover gaps in benefits they never knew existed. Other folks have purchased plans that quickly became insolvent.

Under the proposed regulation, its possible  although not certain  more people could end up in plans that the federal government has primary responsibility for regulating, rather than states. But when it comes to issues like insurance fraud and solvency issues, states have more significantly more experience, knowledge, and resources.

How Experts And Groups Are Reacting

Since October, when Trump signed an executive order calling on the Labor Department to develop new rules for AHPs, an array of experts and health care groups have warned about the potential to divide insurance markets between healthy and sick  and to leave patients more exposed to crippling medical bills. On Thursday, those warnings were reiterated.

The rule proposed today will almost certainly result in more people facing financial distress when an unexpected health crisis happens and they discover their AHP coverage is inadequate, Chris Hansen, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said.

But some organizations representing small businesses, including the kind that could have a role in selling AHPs, are welcoming the move.

For years, weve called for AHPs to ensure that heath care coverage is within reach for small retailers and their employees, and todays action by DOL brings us one step closer to making this common sense reform a reality, David French, senior vice president for government relations at the National Retail Federation, said.

The proposal is also winning praise from conservatives, especially Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has been talking up the idea for years.

I applaud the administration for its action today, and I look forward to the finalization of the proposed rule, Paul said on Thursday. Conservative health care reform is alive and well, and I will keep working with President Trump to build on this progress.

The big unknown is whether the new regulations are legal. Insurance regulation falls under multiple federal laws and its entirely possible that the attempt to change AHP regulations go beyond what those statutes allow. Lawsuits are a near certainty and they could tie up the regulation in courts for months, maybe years.

But Republicans have been pushing to relax the rules for AHPs for a long time. Its possible that this time, they might finally get what they want.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., testifies on Capitol Hill in January 2017, at a confirmation hearing for Attorney General-designate Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., before the Senate Judiciary Committee. (Photo: Cliff Owen/AP)

WASHINGTON  In a conversation with Yahoo News on Thursday evening, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., offered a blunt assessment of Attorney General Jeff Sessionss decision to end the federal governments hands-off policy toward marijuana.

He is out of step with our nation. He is on the wrong side of history just like you look back on those people who were pushing alcohol prohibition, Booker said of Sessions. Hes going to be looked back at as someone who was undermining and hurting this country.

Booker predicted Sessionss decision could lead to a massive pushback that could include increased support for legalization in Congress.

The senators comments came hours after Sessions rescinded three memos from the Obama administration that largely left the question of legalizing marijuana up to individual states  keeping federal laws against it on the books while not challenging local laws that allowed its distribution or sale. That policy encouraged many states to decriminalize marijuana for medical purposes and, increasingly, for recreational users.

During the campaign, Donald Trump said he would leave the issue up to the states, but Booker said he knew Sessions might reverse that course. I was incredibly angered but really not that shocked. Ive been warning people about this possibility, Booker said. Because not only did [Sessions] speak out against state action on marijuana, but he seemed to have a particular obsession with marijuana and I think a misperception on how dangerous the drug is.

In a statement on Thursday, Sessions called his shift a return to the rule of law. But his directive to U.S. attorneys, while a clear change in direction from the Obama position, did not include an explicit order to begin a crackdown. Rather, Sessions said federal prosecutors should use their own discretion in deciding which marijuana activities to prosecute.

Eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational use, and 21 other states have medical marijuana programs. In Bookers home state of New Jersey, the incoming governor, Democrat Phil Murphy, has said he wants to legalize marijuana within 100 days of taking office later this month. Marijuana advocates say legalization has provided a new source of tax revenue and claim it has not led to increased underage use or traffic accidents. Proponents of legalization also cite evidence that increased access of marijuana leads to declined opioid use. Critics of marijuana argue it is a threat to public health that has led to increased hospitalizations and other dangers associated with intoxication.

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Booker has been a leading advocate of legalization in Congress. In August 2017, he introduced legislation that would legalize marijuana, expunge federal marijuana convictions, and apply penalties to states where minorities faced disproportionate marijuana-related arrest or incarceration rates. Booker, a former mayor of Newark who has made criminal justice reform one of his priorities since taking office in 2013, told Yahoo News that he doesnt think Sessions grasps how marijuana prohibition is targeting poor people, vulnerable people [and] minorities.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 15, 2017, about efforts to reduce violent crime. (Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP)

I dont think he has an understanding of how the war on drugs has not been a war on drugs but a war on people and has had a devastating impact on poor Americans and communities of color, Booker said of Sessions. We know objectively that blacks and whites have no difference in marijuana usage or selling, but blacks are about 3.7 times more likely to be arrested for it.

Getting arrested for marijuana usage has more to do with class or race than innocence or guilt, Booker said, adding that marijuana convictions can have dire consequences, including the loss of federal student loans and access to public housing and diminished job prospects. He said the disparities in marijuana arrest and incarceration rates make Sessionss directive something that is violating the ideals in our country of equal justice under the law.

It is punishing not just to individual families and children but to entire communities when that enforcement is disproportionately targeted towards low-income folks and frankly towards minorities, said Booker.

He added: Three out of the last four presidents have admitted to using marijuana. I went to Stanford and Yale, where people cavalierly used the drug without any fear of consequences.  I serve in a body in Congress where people openly admit to using marijuana. Every single House and Senate member that has tried marijuana  faced no consequences.

(For his part, Booker told Yahoo News he has never used marijuana. No. I dont drink. Ive never tried marijuana. No on even alcohol, he said.)

Booker described Sessionss decision as hypocrisy because of Trumps campaign promise not to interfere with local marijuana laws and vocal support for states rights. He also argued the economic and racial disparities in marijuana enforcement have benefited members of Congress.

A customer purchases marijuana at Harborside marijuana dispensary on Jan. 1 in Oakland. This was the first day that recreational marijuana could be sold legally in California. (Photo: Mathew Sumner/AP)

RELATED SLIDESHOW: California recreational marijuana sales begin as Trump administration toughens law >>>

Polls show a majority of Americans, particularly millennials, favor marijuana legalization. Booker attributes this, in part, to the value of medical marijuana.

The American public, Im sure, feels a deep sympathy and empathy for people that are benefiting from this, whether its parents who have kids with Dravet syndrome [a seizure disorder], veterans who are suffering from PTSD, individuals who are using pot as an off-ramp drug from serious opioids, Booker said.

Booker also rattled off a series of positive side effects that he said have come in the areas where recreational marijuana use has been legalized.

The reality is, were starting to see so much good thats being done by this, not to mention well over 100,000 jobs in the United States, not to mention the incredible revenues states are receiving, not to mention the fact that places that have done it, like Washington, D.C., where I am right now, have seen drops in violent crime, said Booker.

Sessionss decision drew swift criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Sen. Cory Gardner, a Republican from Colorado, which has legalized both recreational and medical marijuana, was particularly harsh in rebukes delivered on the Senate floor and in an interview with Yahoo News. Gardner said the attorney general went back on his word after personally promising him that he would not take steps toward stricter marijuana enforcement. Gardner, who heads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, pointed to the revenue and jobs legalization has created in his home state as well as the question of constitutional states rights.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., with 4-year-old Morgan Hintz, who suffers from a rare form of epilepsy, and her mother, who has been advocating the use of cannabinoids for her treatment, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in 2015 to announce a new medical marijuana bill before the U.S. Senate. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Booker predicted Sessionss directive would increase support for his legalization legislation. He is looking to team up with Gardner on the issue.

I think its going to create more momentum towards my legislation, said Booker. My staffs already reached out to Corys staff to see if the Cory caucus could come up with some legislation that might be even more amenable to him that could directly respond to Jeff Sessionss actions.

Booker laughed when asked if he thinks Sessions would benefit from trying marijuana.

I dont know if he has or if he hasnt. He may have already, but who knows? To me, its bigger than any individual in the attorney generals division or the Senate, said Booker. This is really a larger issue of justice. Its not about a plant ultimately. This is about whats just and right in our country.

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Read more from Yahoo News:
White House aides refer to Donald Trumps daughter Ivanka as the Presidents real wife, a new book about the US President's first months in office has claimed.

Author Michael Wolff also alleges in Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, that Mr Trump views Hope Hicks, the White House's 29-year-old communications director, as his real daughter

Hicks was in fact thought of as Trumps real daughter, while Ivanka was thought of as his real wife, Mr Wolff wrote.

The Independent has contacted the White House for comment, but none had arrived at the time of publication.

Some commentators have suggested that the claims could anger Melania Trump, who reacted furiously when the US leader's first wife, Ivana Trump described herself as the first Lady Trump" in October.

"There is clearly no substance to this statement from an ex, this is unfortunately only attention-seeking and self-serving noise," she said at the time.

After excerpts of the book started to emerge Mr Trump took to Twitter to lash out at Mr Wolff.

"Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve, he wrote referring to former White House adviser Steve Bannon, who is quoted in the book.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also claimed the book was filled with false and misleading accounts from individuals who have no access or influence with the White House.

She told reporters the White House had denied more than 30 requests for information from Mr Wolff.

A lawyer for the US President sent a letter demanding Mr Woolf and his publisher, Henry Holt & Co, immediately cease and desist from any further publication, release or dissemination" of the book, which contains claims Melania Trump was devastated when her husband won the election.

It also alleges that Mr Trump boasted about having sex with his friends wives, that he ate McDonalds food to avoid being poisoned and that most of his aides believed he was unfit to be president.

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But the publisher responded by bringing forward the book's release date, saying there was "unprecedented demand" for it.

We saw a huge spike in demand, Terry Finley, chief executive of Books-a-Million, told The Wall Street Journal. President Trumps attack absolutely stirred interest.

Mr Wolff also suggested the administration had generated publicity for his book when he thanked the President in a Twitter post.

Here we go. You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. President.  Michael Wolff (@MichaelWolffNYC) January 4, 2018

"Here we go. You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr President," he said.

The book alleged Mr Trump struggled to say no to his children. He reportedly told former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus it was a littleee, litleee complicated, when asked why he had to give Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner jobs in the White House.

Mr Trump handed Ivanka the official, although unpaid role of "Adviser to the President" in March.
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un speaks during a New Year's Day speech - Reuters

The Trump administration has agreed to delay joint military exercises with South Korea until after the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics next month, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

The decision pushes back a set of annual military exercises known as Foal Eagle, which normally are held between February and April.

The decision came as President Donald Trump on Thursday attempted to take credit for the possible reopening of talks between Seoul and Pyongyang, in a departure from his previous skepticism over dialogue.

He tweeted: "Does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total 'might' against the North," adding that "talks are a good thing!"

It also came as Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday that North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons programs are "the most serious threat for our national security since the end of World War II." He promised to carry on building up Japan's military to help protect the nation.

The US decision to delay provocative military exercises also came as it was reported that North Korea accidentally misfired a test ballistic missile into one of its own cities in April last year.

A woman looks through binoculars during a visit to the Imjingak peace park near the Demilitarized Zone Credit: AFP

Citing a US government source, The Diplomat magazine said that the intermediate-range Hwasong-12 crashed just one minute after launch on April 28, plummeting into industrial or agricultural buildings in the city of Tokchon, roughly two hours from the capital, Pyongyang.

The missiles failure was widely reported at the time but it was not previously known that it had crashed into a populated area after flying approximately 24 miles from its launchpad near the Pukchang Airfield in South Pyongan province.

Structural damage from a suspected large explosion was detected by The Diplomat using publicly available satellite images, but it was unable to determine if there had been any human casualties.

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The unintended strike on the compound has once again raised the spectre of an accidental military escalation or even the launch of a nuclear war if an errant missile were to hit North Korea or Japan.

Even with a dummy payload, missiles like the Hwasong-12, which use highly volatile liquid fuel, could cause considerable damage to urban areas in a crash, potentially resembling an attack and sparking a serious crisis.

North Korean missile ranges

At the time of the failed launch, tensions were high on the Korean peninsula and US President Donald Trump had claimed he was sending an armada to the region.

North Korea considerably stepped up its nuclear and weapons programme in 2017, prompting multiple commercial airlines to change their flight paths as a precaution.

The Hwasong-12, which was eventually successfully tested in May, was later revealed to be the fundamental building block for the Hwasong-14/KN20, an intercontinental ballistic missile which Pyongyang boasted could reach the US mainland.

However, analysts now fear a more immediate risk of a North Korean nuclear meltdown, according to a recent article published on 38North, a project of the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University in the US.

Doubts about the hermit kingdoms nuclear safety standards re-emerged in December after a video was discovered of leader Kim Jong-un smoking a cigarette next to a Hwasong-14 missile.

Kims recklessness is certainly notable, and it hints at an under-emphasised and potentially devastating possibility: the threat of a nuclear accident in North Korea, said the 38North article.
Donald Trump has demanded the introduction of voter ID cards after accusing Democrats of covering up voter fraud.

The US President wrote on Twitter: "Many mostly Democrat States refused to hand over data from the 2016 Election to the Commission On Voter Fraud. They fought hard that the Commission not see their records or methods because they know that many people are voting illegally. System is rigged, must go to Voter I.D."

Mr Trump's comments come just a day after he dissolved a voter fraud commission set up to look into his own unverified claims millions of people voted illegally in the 2016 election.

Although the billionaire won the 2016 electoral college vote, he has appeared unwilling to accept his defeat by Hillary Clinton in the popular vote, using claims of voter fraud to justify the loss.

The White House said in a press release on Wednesday: Despite substantial evidence of voter fraud, many states have refused to provide the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity with basic information relevant to its inquiry.

Rather than engage in endless legal battles at taxpayer expense, today President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order to dissolve the Commission, and he has asked the Department of Homeland Security to review its initial findings and determine next courses of action.

Critics claimed the commission was set up merely in an attempted to justify the President's outlandish voter fraud claims. Chuck Schumer, Democrat minority leader in the Senate, branded it a "front to suppress the vote".

The commission never had anything to do with election integrity," he said in a statement. It was instead a front to suppress the vote, perpetrate dangerous and baseless claims, and was ridiculed from one end of the country to the other.

Many mostly Democrat States refused to hand over data from the 2016 Election to the Commission On Voter Fraud. They fought hard that the Commission not see their records or methods because they know that many people are voting illegally. System is rigged, must go to Voter I.D.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018

But Mr Trump's renewed push for voter ID laws suggests he is not ready to drop the issue.

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In a follow-up tweet, the 71-year-old wrote: "As Americans, you need identification, sometimes in a very strong and accurate form, for almost everything you do.....except when it comes to the most important thing, VOTING for the people that run your country. Push hard for Voter Identification!"

As Americans, you need identification, sometimes in a very strong and accurate form, for almost everything you do.....except when it comes to the most important thing, VOTING for the people that run your country. Push hard for Voter Identification!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018

Republican-controlled states have in recent years passed voting restrictions seen by critics as an attempt to suppress racial minorities, who tend to vote for Democrats.

A study by the University of California, San Diego, found that strict ID laws doubled the turnout gap between white people and Latinos in general elections, and almost doubled the gap between whites and black people in primary elections.
Politicians reportedly met a Yale University psychiatry professor last month to discuss Donald Trumps leadership ability and behaviour.

Dr Bandy Lee spoke to more than a dozen members of Congress on 5 and 6 December, all of whom were Democrats with the exception of one Republican Senator, according to Politico.

We feel that the rush of tweeting is an indication of his falling apart under stress. Trump is going to get worse and will become uncontainable with the pressures of the presidency, Dr Lee told the magazine.

She reportedly highlighted the President going back to conspiracy theories, denying things he has admitted before, his being drawn to violent videos.

Dr Lee is the editor of The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, in which 27 psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals assess the Presidents level of dangerousness.

Earlier this week, Mr Trump boasted his nuclear button is much bigger and more powerful than that of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, escalating the feud between the two leaders.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times. Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works! Mr Trump wrote on Twitter.

Mr Trump also posted a series of erratic tweets taking credit for a lack of plane crashes and announcing the "corrupt media awards".

The US President has repeatedly taunted North Korea and its leadership and threatened to punish the states testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles with a military response.

Last year, Mr Trump referred to Kim Jong-un as Little Rocket Man, leading to the North Korean leader to fire back that the US President was a mentally deranged US dotard who needed to be attacked with fire.
Getty Images

As his dad was being sworn-in as the first Democrat to serve in the United States Senate in over 20 years, Carson Jones was about become something of an internet celebrity.

Standing behind his dad, Doug Jones, and to his left, the younger Mr Jones  an openly gay man  cast a side-eye at Vice President Mike Pence, who worked to limit civil rights for gay people while serving as governor of Indiana.

#NoCaptionNeeded, Mr Jones later captioned an Instagram post with a photo of the side-eye.

The photo quickly caught fire online, with people cheering the look, and characterizing it as a symbolic snapshot of progress standing up in the face of bigotry.

Yaaasss, this is the level of side eye I wanna give, one commenter on Mr Jones Instagram, which is named thedapperzookeeper, wrote.

Photo of the decade: Doug Jones being sworn in, while his openly gay son QUIETLY DESTROYS THE SOUL OF MIKE PENCE, a user on Twitter wrote.
The Daily Beast

Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/GettyDonald Trumps 2024 announcement may have felt like a flop, but there was an interesting upside to it for him.Jose Pagliery, political investigations reporter at The Daily Beast, tells The New Abnormal host Andy Levy that one cant look at this announcement as anything other than an attempt to mar any prosecution as a political persecution of him.It could be viewed as him trying to seek further cover so that if he does get indicted fo
London (AFP) - British no-frills airline EasyJet announced Friday that it carried a record 81.6 million passengers in 2017, despite uncertainty surrounding Brexit.

The number of passengers increased by 9.6 percent last year compared with 2016, EasyJet said in a trading update.

Low-cost Irish rival Ryanair had revealed on Wednesday that it carried a record-high 129 million passengers last year.

And on Thursday, British Airways owner IAG stated that it had transported a total of 105 million people.

EasyJet has meanwhile activated its Brexit contingency plans.

Back in July 2017, EasyJet applied for a new air operator's certificate in Austria to continue flying across Europe regardless of the final Brexit deal between Brussels and London.

In November however, the carrier revealed that its annual net profit slumped by almost one third on strong competition and a Brexit-fuelled slump in the pound.

Over the last two decades, Britain's airline industry has soared under the Single European Sky system, which lifted trade restrictions on EU airlines.

Unless British negotiators manage to secure preferential conditions, British airlines could lose this status once the country leaves the European Union in 2019.
Ankara (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the United States and Israel on Friday of meddling in Iran after Turkey's neighbour was gripped by several days of deadly unrest.

A total of 21 people died and hundreds were arrested in the week-long protests which were the biggest challenge to the Islamic regime since the 2009 mass demonstrations.

"We cannot accept that some countries -- foremost the US, Israel -- to interfere in the internal affairs of Iran and Pakistan," Erdogan told reporters before heading on a trip to France.

"It is turning the people against each other in these countries. It's a shame that we have seen this done in many nations... We saw this in Iraq."

Erdogan did not expand on the nature of the alleged meddling in Pakistan but on Thursday the US announced a freeze in deliveries of military equipment and security funding until Pakistan cracks down on the militants.

The Turkish president then referred to problems in "Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia" and in African countries including Sudan and Chad.

He claimed a "game was being played" in certain countries, which he noted were all Muslim-majority nations.

"They are taking steps towards making the plentiful underground riches in all these countries their own resources," he said.

"Sorry, these realities should be known by our people and all people," he said.

Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke on Wednesday in a call in which the Turkish leader gave his support for the return of "peace and stability" to Iran.

Erdogan on Friday praised Rouhani's statements that the street protests were the people's "democratic right", saying this had helped normalise the situation.

Turkey's conservative media had previously accused the US and Israel of stoking the Iran protests as part of a purported plot to transform the Middle East.

Erdogan has on occasion criticised Iran's "Persian imperialism" in the Middle East amid bouts of tension in the Turkey-Iran relationship.

But relations between Ankara and Tehran have warmed since the two countries worked closely with Russia in the last few months to bring peace to Syria.
If you were to encounter humans from 300,000 years ago, you might be struck by how much they look like humans in 2018. Anatomically modern and large-brained, with faces and teeth not dissimilar to our own, these early Homo sapiens went to war, formed relationships, and created tools, just like us. Theres still plenty to learn about our direct evolutionary ancestors, but this year, thanks to the widespread use of genomic sequencing, scientists gave us an unprecedented glimpse into how humans came to be. Here, Inverse lists everything weve learned about human evolution in the past year.

While we are the only hominids to walk the Earth today, this year genomic evidence proved that the DNA of some people contains traces of Paleolithic trysts between humans and other Homo species, like the Neanderthals and the Denisovans. A decade ago, scientists would have been extremely skeptical. University of Buffalo evolutionary anthropologist Omer Gokcumen, Ph.D. tells Inverse that its only in the past five years that scientists have been able to confirm that early Sapiens didnt only hang out with other Sapiens.

You can think of the world 100,000 years ago like a Lord of the Rings world, where different, pretty smart human-like creatures are roaming, Gokcumen says, explaining that this situation is called interaction dynamism. One of them would be our ancestors in Africa, but there would also be other species like Neanderthals, that we could tell were different  but not different enough to not interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

This year, academics including Gokcumen published an extensive amount of research filling in the details of this Tolkien-esque world, furthering our understanding of how our minds, bodies, and behavior came to be. Learning what it means to be human, it seems, means learning about really old humans.

1. Ancient Spit Reveals Mysterious Human Ghost Ancestor

In July, Gokcumen and a team of scientists announced in Molecular Biology and Evolution that a protein in the saliva of people from sub-Saharan Africa indicates that they carry genetic evidence of an unknown hominin ancestor. The saliva protein became a point of interest when University of Buffalo oral biologist and co-author Stefan Ruhl, Ph.D. compared the saliva proteins of primates and humans. Typically, these proteins look very similar. Thats why it was startling when they discovered that one protein from the sub-Saharan African population was revealed to be very different in size than the others.

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This protein, known as MUC7, is thought to be the result of genetic material left over from mating between Homo sapiens and a ghost species as recently as 150,000 years ago. Gokcumen believes this mysterious species was confined to Africa and split from Homo sapiens evolutionary path around three million years ago. This study is further proof that we, in Gokcumens polite words, absorbed different populations that lived around us  mating with other Homo species, many of which are still unidentified.

Our study adds to this generally more colorful picture of human history, and its becoming very clear that its not as simple as we previously thought, says Gokcumen. Its become very clear to researchers that even though the majority of our genome can be traced back to particular, Homo sapien ancestral population, theres observable evidence that other, smaller populations made their way into our modern human gene pool.

Read more: Humans Had Sex with Ancient Ghost Species, Spit Analysis Shows

2. Newly Discovered Fossils Pushed Back Our Origins by 100,000 Years

Scientists announced a textbook-changing discovery in June, writing in Nature that they discovered three Homo sapiens fossils that date back to approximately 300,000 years ago. Previously, the oldest Homo sapiens found were 200,000 years old. These fossils were excavated in Jebel Irhoud, Morocco, contradicting the popular claim that our species evolved from a cradle of mankind in East Africa.

The dating was a bit, wow! co-author Jean-Jacques Hublin, Ph.D., said in his interview with Inverse in June. No one imagined these remains could be that old. In the meantime, the interpretation of the fossil evidence suddenly made much more sense.

Read more: Discovery Puts First Humans in North Africa 300,000 Years Ago

A facial reconstruction of one of the ancient samples found in Morocco.

3. Neanderthal Genes Responsible for Bad Habits and Modern-Day Looks

Research published in October by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology added further detail to what we know about the Neanderthal genes some humans carry around today. In the American Journal of Human Genetics, the team explained that Neanderthal DNA strongly influences the hair and skin color of the one to five percent of European and Asian people who carry this DNA. Neanderthal alleles also shape whether people have lighter and darker skin tones and determine hair color, indicating that ancient hominids had many different hair and skin colors, too.

Drawing from a sample of 112,000 study participants, the scientists additionally determined that there was a significant link between people who carry Neanderthal DNA and those who had experienced loneliness of isolation, frequency of enthusiasm or disinterest in the last two weeks, and smoking status.

Read more: Blame Neanderthal Genes for Your Bad Habits and Good Looks

4. The Remains of One of the Oldest Americans Were Found in Mexico

Human remains found in 2012 in Mexicos Tulum system of submerged caves were re-analyzed this year, leading scientists to believe the remains are the oldest osteological remains of humans in the Americas. In a paper published in PLOS One in August, the scientists behind the research, led by Heidelberg University paleoecologist Wolfgang Stinnesbeck, Ph.D., explain the bones likely belong to a young man who lived around 13,000 years ago.

Stinnesbeck and his team dated one bone, the pelvis, by measuring the levels of uranium, carbon, and oxygen isotopes within it as well as that within the stalagmite that had grown through it. Calcite layers, which contain oxygen and carbon isotopes, store information about climate and precipitation data, which helps determine an age.

The researchers claim this discovery adds further proof to the theory that humans came to the Americas at least 5,000 years before the Clovis, a prehistoric group of people who have previously been called the first Americans.

Read more: A Stolen Human Skeleton Found in 2012 Might Be Americas Oldest

5. Neanderthal Brains Grew At a Slower Pace Than Human Brains

In a paper published in Science in September, an international team of scientists reported that they found 13 ancient Neanderthal skeletons in a 49,000-year old cave in northern Spain. To the astonishment of the researchers, one of the specimens, which they named El Sidron, was a nearly complete specimen that belonged to a boy who died when he was almost eight years old.

El Sidrons teeth and endocranial features suggested that his brain growth wasnt done by the time of his death, giving away his age. A human brain is essentially grown to its full size by the time a person is six, but El Sidrons brain was still growing at a period when the brains of his peers had long since stopped. This extended period of brain growth, the study authors hypothesize, suggest Neanderthal children spent more time acquiring cognitive skills than human children.

But perhaps the most marvelous revelation from this study was the fact that, barring brain growth, Neanderthal children were much like human children in terms of physical growth and maturation, reducing the gap between us and our not-so-distant cousins.

Read more: Ancient Childs Skeleton Unlocks Secret About Modern Brain Development

Comparison of modern human and Neanderthal skulls.

6. Some of Mans Earliest Ancestors Were Furry Rat-Like Creatures

If you imagine your ancient human ancestors, you might an envision a bulky, strong caveperson, ready to hunt and provide. But if you look past that ancestor and deeper into their lineage, youd see a something that looks a lot like a rat.

In November, scientists reported in Acta Palaeontologica Polonica that they excavated two fossilized teeth belonging to this rat-like creature in the rocky cliffs of Dorset, England. The teeth are believed to be 145 million years old, and the scientists claim they are the oldest evidence of this human ancestor ever found. The claim is contested by a different team of scientists, who say their finding is the oldest at 160 million years old, but their studys validity is still being debated.

The nocturnal, placental mammal is thought to be an ancestor of mice, pygmy shrews, blue whales and elephants  putting us humans in good company within the animal kingdom.

Read more: Remains of Mans Earliest Ancestors Reveal Furry Precursors to Humans

7. Human Speech Is Our Evolutionary Advantage Over Monkeys

In a very Planet of the Apes-like turn of events, scientists announced in July that the reason that monkeys cant talk like humans isnt because of their vocal anatomy but their neural wiring. In a Science study led by the University of Viennas W. Tecumseh Fitch, Ph.D., scientists used x-ray videos to examine the vocal tracts of living macaques while they ate, made facial displays, and vocalized monkey sounds. Analysis revealed that their vocal tracts could easily produce an adequate range of speech sounds to support spoken language, disproving previous theories that both human anatomy and the human brain give us our specialized ability to speak.

Instead, Fitch argues that the evolution of human speech capabilities required neural changes rather than modifications of vocal anatomy. This revelation likely offers a clue to a bigger mystery: Understanding why human language emerged in the first place. Maybe well find that out this year.

Read more: Planet Of The Apes Gets Talking Primates Right, Says Biologist

Photos via Wikimedia Commons (1, 2)

Photos via Wikimedia Commons (1, 2)

Written by Sarah Sloat

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There is good news on the horizon, the state said Wednesday as it tried to reassure the Council of Commissioners over the Montana Pole Plant site, south of Uptown.

State project manager David Bowerss 10-minute presentation to update council members on the Department of Environmental Qualitys efforts to ready the former wood treatment plant site for reuse did not reveal new information. But it was the first visit Bowers has paid the commissioners since August.

The controversial site has raised ire in recent months as DEQ has begun to address the fact that one of the contaminants of concern  dioxin  did not respond to the planned remedy. That remedy, encouraging microbes to eat away at carcinogens left behind in the soil by decades of wood treatment  was established around 20 years ago.

The microbes, however, did reduce the other carcinogens, including PCP, to safe levels, according to DEQ. The PCP contamination was the most hazardous of the contamination left at the site. Bowers said that where the dioxin still exists in the soil at unsafe levels, it's "a very discreet, thin layer."

"Once we're below that layer, the dioxin dropped well below (levels considered safe for industry to move in)," Bowers told commissioners.

Bowers said about 24 acres are expected to be available for industrial and commercial use on the site. The state and the Environmental Protection Agency determine usage of a contaminated site based on risk assessment.

Industrial and commercial usage is more stringent than recreational use. The state is only required to clean up to recreational use, Bowers said.

Bowers said the 24 acres available for industrial or commercial use means the contamination is 0.03 micrograms per kilogram of the soil or less.

The area that will be capped will comprise about 13 acres. It will have a conditional use restriction because the cap itself will have to be maintained.

The dirt in the areas where the dioxin did not break down in the soil will be excavated. The dirty dirt will be buried underneath the 13-acre cap. The cap will contain many protective layers, including a liner.

Addressing concerns that the dioxin will be another waste in place remedy, Bowers explained why there are limited options at Montana Pole Plant, which is a separate Superfund site.

If it was just dioxin, it could be moved, Bowers told the commissioners. But its a mixture (of contamination). It needs to remain on site. The only other option is incineration, and thats hundreds of miles away. It would take 50,000 truckloads going to southern Utah. Thats not practical.

Contamination levels are still unknown in one spot, bordering the Boulevard neighborhood, where DEQ encouraged the microbes to eat away at the contamination over the years. Bowers said that based on historical data, DEQ expects that that area will also be able to meet industrial level standards.

But DEQ wont know about that portion of the site until later in the process. DEQ has to remove the liner placed there to protect the soil during the treatment process.

Bowers's reassurances that the site is not as bad as it may have at first appeared did not stop commissioners from asking pointed questions and making remarks after Bowerss presentation.

When you look at what youre describing, what landlord would want to purchase this site, knowing all the restrictions and the waste in place? Commissioner Dan Foley asked. Its hard to fathom anyone will take this. The issue is a foregone conclusion. Who wants this?

Currently, the county has right of first refusal. If the county rejects accepting ownership, the land will belong to the state until DEQ can find a new owner.

Commissioner Cindy Perdue-Dolan also expressed frustration over the cleanup.

We dont like the idea of waste in place. We deserve better than that. What happens if the cap fails? What happens if theres a flood? Perdue-Dolan asked.

The state is also working on potential 100-year flood issues, Bowers told commissioners. Rainwater is treated. A water treatment plant strips contamination from groundwater before discharging it to Silver Bow Creek. Stormwater that would naturally flow onto the site from elsewhere is being diverted.

The county asked the state to look into alternative methods to treat the dioxin. Bowers said there are "promising, emerging technologies in the field of bioremediation, but they're not achieving cleanup levels."

"If the technology is not better than what we have now, it would not be a good investment of money; it would not minimize the footprint," Bowers said.

County Superfund Coordinator Jon Sesso told commissioners that while the county is holding weekly meetings with DEQ over the states progress at the site, "we're not in there deciding for ourselves" what will happen to the site. Sesso said he still expects the state to create a report that will fully investigate alternative methods to clean up dioxin.

"Were not convinced there's not a better way to treat the waste," Sesso told commissioners. "We're standing by to see if an alternative treatment can do more to get dioxin out of the soil. We're not making any recommendations to council to accept the property unless it has value and provides use to the citizens."
President Donald Trumps attempt to shut down a controversial book about his presidential campaign appeared to have backfired Thursday when the publisher announced the book will be released days early.

Michael Wolff tweeted Thursday that his book, Fire and Fury, will be released on Friday, Jan. 5, in response to legal actions by Trumps lawyer. It was originally scheduled for release on Jan. 9.

The explosive book includes former White House strategist Steve Bannon revealing new details of a campaign meeting with Russian operatives, as first reported by The Guardian.

Here we go. You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. President.  Michael Wolff (@MichaelWolffNYC) January 4, 2018

According to excerpts of the book, Bannon suggested the president was aware of Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushners Trump Tower meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer, despite the presidents claim he had no knowledge of it.

The three senior guys in the campaign thought it was a good idea to meet with a foreign government inside Trump Tower in the conference room on the 25th floor  with no lawyers, Bannon told Wolff. Even if you thought that this was not treasonous, or unpatriotic, or bad shit, and I happen to think its all of that, you should have called the FBI immediately.

The chance that Don Jr. did not walk these jumos up to his fathers office on the 26th floor is zero, Bannon said, according to the book.

The president issued a denial of Bannons claims, saying the former strategist lost his mind after being fired from the administration.

Trumps lawyers issued cease-and-desist letters to Wolff and publisher Henry Holt & Co., seeking to stop the books distribution. In response, the publisher is releasing the book early, calling the work an extraordinary contribution to our national discourse.

New statement from @HenryHolt responding to Trump's cease and desist letter: "We see 'Fire and Fury' as an extraordinary contribution to our national discourse, and are proceeding with the publication of the book."   Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 4, 2018

Trumps lawyer also sent a cease-and-desist letter to Bannon, saying he broke the terms of a confidentiality and non-disparagement agreement he signed when he joined the campaign.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Tehran (AFP) - Recent unrest has highlighted the deep-seated frustration felt by many Iranians over the economy and their demands for reform, and attention now turns to how the political establishment will respond.

Often seen in monolithic terms outside the country, Iran's politicians are vetted by a conservative-dominated Guardian Council to ensure they are loyal to the Islamic revolution, and ultimate power rests with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

But there are still deep divisions over how the country should move forward politically, socially and economically.

While all groups opposed the recent unrest and accepted action was needed to address economic problems, five key factions are pulling in different directions on how best to reform the country.

- Moderates of President Hassan Rouhani -

The moderate faction currently dominates Iranian politics, focusing on better management of the economy, rebuilding trade with the West and gradually improving civil liberties as the best way to preserve the Islamic revolution.

Rouhani has been accused of pushing austerity and neoliberal economic policies at the expense of the poor. He has called for more time for the benefits to trickle down and remains popular with many middle class voters for his efforts to challenge unaccountable parts of the establishment.

Like his mentor, the arch-pragmatist Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani who died in January 2017, he has shown his capacity to switch direction and has accepted that more needs to be done to protect poorer sections of society. Analysts say the protests could provide him with an opportunity to push for more radical reforms.

- Reformists of ex-president Mohammad Khatami -

Despite being barred from public appearances over his role in 2009 protests, Khatami remains one of the most popular figures in Iranian politics. His endorsement was seen as crucial to Rouhani's election in 2013 and 2017.

The reformist faction includes some 20 parties pushing for greater freedoms, gender equality and worker rights. Most of their legislation was blocked by the Guardian Council during Khatami's 1997-2005 tenure, and they were decimated by the crackdown on pro-reformist demonstrations in 2009.

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However, their alliance with the moderates has seen reformists return to the corridors of power, and they hold influential positions in Rouhani's cabinet.

- Conservatives and hardliners -

A broad range of conservative parties strongly oppose efforts to liberalise society and remain deeply suspicious of rapprochement with the West. They are pushing hard for a more self-subsistent "resistance economy" as directed by Khamenei.

Having been hurt by divisions in recent elections, they succeeded in rallying behind a single candidate in May's election -- hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi, who took almost 16 million votes to Rouhani's 24 million.

They have gained considerable traction by criticising Rouhani's economic reforms and the failure to support the poor, particularly cuts to welfare and subsidies, and the unrest could bolster their position. However, reformists accuse them of threatening the regime as a whole by encouraging the initial protests against Rouhani.

- Moderate conservatives of Ali Larijani -

Parliament speaker Larijani and his allies control the main parliamentary commissions and will be crucial to the passage of eventual reforms. They have largely supported Rouhani's economic reforms and the nuclear deal with world powers. However, the faction is less favourable to Rouhani's efforts to liberalise society and opposes the president's criticisms of other parts of the establishment. Larijani has also been a strong advocate of the "resistance economy".

- Ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -

Ahmadinejad remains widely popular, particularly among poorer segments of society who recall his large-scale welfare schemes.

However, he has been increasingly ostracised by the political establishment. He was barred from running in last year's election and his protege Hamid Baghaie was last month sentenced to 15 years in prison for corruption.
Police officers surround a group of men in Cologne, where a string of robberies and sexual assaults on New Year's Eve in 2015/16 were blamed largely on migrants from North Africa - dpa

The large migrant influx to Germany in recent years has fuelled a rise in violent crime, according to the findings of a new government report.

Rejected asylum-seekers from countries considered safe were behind much of the rise, while genuine refugees from countries such as Syria and Iraq were more rarely involved, the study found.

The reports authors have called on Angela Merkels government to do more to return economic migrants posing as asylum-seekers to their own countries.

Violent crime rose by 10.4 per cent between 2014 and 2016 in Lower Saxony, the German state chosen for the study.

The rise coincides with Mrs Merkels 2015 decision to open Germanys borders to refugees, and the study found asylum-seekers were responsible for more than 92 per cent of the increase.

But it found that those whose asylum claims had been refused by the authorities were disproportionately frequent offenders.

Asylum applications in Germany

People from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, who are routinely refused asylum in Germany as their home countries are considered safe, accounted for fewer than 1 per cent of asylum-seekers in Lower Saxony, but more than 17 per cent of violent crimes.

Its made clear to the North Africans from the outset that they have no chances here, that they must all go home, Christian Pfeiffer, one of the reports authors, told ZDF television.

The war refugees are very quickly told they can stay. And then, of course, they try to do nothing wrong.

Prof Pfeiffer, a criminologist and former regional interior minister of Lower Saxony, called on the government to spend more on sending rejected asylum-seekers home.

Its not enough just to say they should be deported. I think its time for a new perspective in refugee policy: namely to invest large amounts of money in a return program, he said.

The reports findings match high-profile cases like that of Anis Amri, the rejected Tunisian asylum-seeker who killed 12 people when he drove a lorry into a crowded Berlin Christmas market in 2016.

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Rejected asylum-seekers are often allowed to remain in Germany in a semi-legal state. They are not allowed to work and have limited access to benefits.

While terror attacks dominate the headlines, they accounted for little of the rise in violent crime.

The report found most of the surge was caused by violence between migrants: 90 per cent of victims killed by asylum-seekers were themselves foreign nationals.

The fact most asylum-seekers are young males aged between 14 and 30 was a major factor in the violence, according to Prof Pfeiffer.

Everywhere the lack of women has a negative effect. This increases the risk that young men conform to violent masculinity norms, he said.

For this reason, he argued, calls to allow family reunification for those granted asylum were not stupid.
By Mica Rosenberg NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Donald Trump is ramping up calls on the U.S. Congress to stop legal immigrants from sponsoring extended family members who want to move to the United States, saying so-called "chain migration" poses a threat to national security. Even without legislative action, however, the number of immigrants approved for family-based visas has dropped this year to the lowest level in more than a decade, a Reuters review of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data shows. The drop has not been previously reported. For a graphic on chain migration, click http://tmsnrt.rs/2CaWNJb The Trump administration has taken a series of measures to more closely scrutinize legal immigration. These steps have been overshadowed by Trump's more public efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, such as his calls for a wall along the Mexican border and more arrests of people living in the country illegally. Lately though, Trump has increasingly been taking aim at chain migration, saying it allows a single immigrant "to bring in dozens of increasingly distant relations," with "no real selection criteria." He said a Bangladeshi man who set off a homemade pipe bomb in a crowded New York City commuter hub in December was a prime example of the dangers of the system. Immigration advocates counter that no one automatically qualifies for a visa because a relative is already in the United States. All immigrants undergo security vetting and can face years-long waits before they are given a green light. The intensified focus on chain migration has been accompanied by an overall slowdown in adjudications of family-based visas, known as I-130s, the Reuters review shows. The number of approvals dropped by nearly a quarter in the first nine months of 2017 to around 406,000 compared to the same period a year earlier when approvals were more than 530,000, despite a similar number of applications during both periods, USCIS data showed. The drop was even starker when looking only at I-130s approved for relatives who were not immediate family members. Those fell by 70 percent in the same period, from more than 108,000 in the first nine months of 2016 to 32,500 in the same period in 2017. The entire 2017 fiscal year had the lowest number of approvals for extended family visas since 2000. USCIS said that since there are a limited number of visas for this category, it prioritizes processing visas that are more immediately available. The agency also said there are normal year-to-year fluctuations in the number of visas that are filed and decided. At the core of the administration's long-term policy goal is a belief that immigration should be merit-based. "Those people are just coming in based on connection to a family member," the new director of USCIS, L. Francis Cissna said in a telephone interview, referring to chain migrants. "That lack of selectivity; it takes us away from where we want to go as a country." Cissna said no specific policy guidance has been put in place at USCIS to change the way family-based visas are issued. He also said there were no plans to restrict visas for immediate family members and pointed out that approvals of visas and citizenship applications overall are still high. He has said, however, that his agency is looking closely at all visa categories to root out fraud. USCIS said separately that closer scrutiny could lead to longer processing times. For example, H-1B temporary work visas for high-skilled workers are facing more hurdles, and applications are receiving far more requests for evidence, slowing down the whole program, according to immigration lawyers and data provided by the government. USCIS has also put in place new interview requirements for U.S. citizens seeking to bring over their fiances. In the first nine months of 2017, approvals of fiance visas dropped by 35 percent over the same period a year earlier, the Reuters data review found. 'ONTO THE MAIN STAGE' Immigration supporters said any efforts by the administration to restrict the entry of family members of migrants was shortsighted. They bring drive and entrepreneurial spirit to the United States, said Steve Yale-Loehr, an immigration law expert at Cornell University. Chain migration has long been a target of groups that favor more restrictions on legal immigration. The idea, supported by organizations like NumbersUSA, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) and the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), failed to gain much traction at the highest levels of power in Washington before Trump took office. We have been talking about this for a long time but we were kind of out there in the wilderness said Ira Mehlman from FAIR. It was never at this level of discussion before. Now supporters of the ideas of restricting chain migration and tightening standards for legal immigration occupy key positions in the administration. They include Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who remains vocal on the issue, and his long-time aide Stephen Miller, who is now one of Trump's closest policy advisers. The current USCIS ombudsman Julie Kirchner was previously the executive director of FAIR. The White House and the Department of Justice did not respond to questions about the influence of the groups, which critics say are anti-immigrant, on administration policy. Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at CIS, said she and her colleagues are in fairly regular contact with various administration officials as they solicit suggestions and ideas to improve policies. She said she had also spoken to officials in the Obama administration, but only occasionally. Earlier this month NumbersUSA launched a national advertising campaign against chain migration. A day later the White House posted a presentation on the same subject making many of the same points. NumbersUSA director Roy Beck said any similarity in the points was just a coincidence. Still, he is thrilled that his group's ideas on restricting legal immigration have been "catapulted onto the main stage in an unprecedented way," he said in an interview. In April, Trump signed an executive order directing agencies to draft new rules and guidance for the legal immigration system. In August, the White House backed the RAISE Act, proposed legislation sponsored by two Republican lawmakers, that aimed to cut legal immigration by 50 percent over 10 years. (Reporting by Mica Rosenberg in New York; Additional reporting by Yeganeh Torbati in Washington; Editing by Sue Horton and Ross Colvin)
WASHINGTON  The warning signs were there, flaring up from Nicholas Giampas pseudonymous Twitter feed for over a year. The alt-right lingo and the swastikas. The advertisements of violence.

Giampas girlfriends parents, Buckley Kuhn-Fricker, 43, and Scott Fricker, 48, were aware of the teenagers burgeoning extremism. Kuhn-Fricker had found frightening tweets from Giampa on her daughters phone. Twitter was where Giampa, a Papa Johns employee and an anime enthusiast, let his malevolence run amok.

Kuhn-Fricker and Fricker had seen enough to say something. Days later, Giampa fatally shot them in their Virginia home, police say.

HuffPost has found his tweets, written by Kevin Gallo under the handle @doctorpepper35. They suggest a 17-year-old whod drifted beyond the trolling of his teenage peers on the internet far-right and was fully in thrall to the racist, apocalyptic fantasia of white nationalism.

As @doctorpepper35, Giampa tweeted about his hatred of transgender people and his admiration for Adolf Hitler. He tweeted about using Jews as target practice.

Almost three months before the murders, the teenager from Lorton, Virginia, praised a book called Siege, an obscure, ominous work written by James Mason, a neo-Nazi devotee of Charles Manson. The 1992 book, republished last year by hyperviolent white nationalist sect Atomwaffen Division, is essentially a call to Helter Skelter racist insurrection. Giampa also retweeted an endorsement of The Turner Diaries, William Luther Pierces infamous white nationalist novel about race war, often found on the bookshelf of American domestic terrorists.

Kuhn-Fricker had tried to keep her 16-year-old daughter away from Giampa. The teenagers met at the same private high school for students with special needs. One of Giampas family members described the boy as struggling with mental illness for years and being on the spectrum for autism.

At one point last year, it seemed like Giampas life was improving. He was proud of his job. He had a girlfriend. They dated for six months and it was a very happy dating period  brunches and beaches and lots of good times, said a family member.

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But a darker side of the teenager was emerging on social media. By November, Giampa, under his Twitter pseudonym, was referring to himself as a Nazi.

Days before Kuhn-Fricker was murdered, she alerted the high school principal to neo-Nazi content on a Twitter account she believed was operated by Giampa, The Washington Post reported. Kuhn-Fricker urged her daughter to break up with Giampa and, after some initial resistance, the girl seemed to agree.

On Dec. 22, police say Giampa sneaked into his girlfriends house in Reston, Virginia, and shot Kuhn-Fricker and Fricker dead, then turned the gun on himself. Four other family members were in the house during the shooting, including the couples 10-year-old son, who was out on the lawn when police arrived, according to dispatch audio obtained by ABC7. Giampa is currently at the Reston Hospital Center, where he is being treated, under police guard, for life-threatening wounds, including what a family member described as a brain injury. Fairfax County Police Department has charged him as a minor for the murders of Fricker and Kuhn-Fricker, but they are waiting for his medical condition to improve before serving him, Reem Awad, a spokeswoman for the police department, said.

Police have withheld Giampas name because he is a minor. HuffPost identified him through his Facebook profile, where he goes by Nick Breedlove, using his mothers maiden name. Until recently, he listed the daughter of the slain couple as his girlfriend. (The teen girls Facebook page has since been removed.) A hospital operator at Reston Hospital Center confirmed on Wednesday that Giampa was a patient there. Friends of the victims family spoke to HuffPost on the condition of anonymity about the teen girls relationship with Giampa.

While his Twitter account is under a pseudonym, Huffpost found that the email address associated with @doctorpepper35 is also linked to Giampas Facebook profile. In July, @doctorpepper35 wrote to a Twitter user with a name that matched the one Giampas girlfriend used on Instagram. The user @doctorpepper35 also referred to Virginia as my state in a tweet.

The avatar for the Twitter account is currently a skeleton wearing a Nazi SS military hat. The bio reads, Read Siege, a reference to Masons book.

The Twitter account Kuhn-Fricker found and alerted the school principal to retweeted missives praising Hitler, supporting Nazi book burnings, calling for white revolution, making derogatory comments about Jews and featuring an illustration of a man hanging from a noose beneath a slur for gay people, The Washington Post reported, without identifying the account. That description matches @doctorpepper35s tweets.

Its unclear how Giampa arrived at such extreme views. Little has been made public about him. His parents, Marilyn Breedlove-Giampa and Michael Troy Giampa, took down their Facebook pages after the shooting. HuffPost has obtained screenshots of Breedlove-Giampas Facebook account, where she posted tributes to Confederate generals and argued in favor of keeping Confederate statues in various cities. She also posted a photo of her son at a shooting range, holding what the caption says is a Thompson submachine gun. The target is a Nazi Hans zombie cartoon.

(Photo: Facebook)

When Giampa first started tweeting from the @doctorpepper35 account in May 2016, he already espoused far-right views. An enthusiastic supporter of then-candidate Donald Trump, he often used racist slurs to attack Trumps critics. In the summer of 2016, Giampa told one Twitter user to go back to the gas chamber, called another a kike and labeled several users whom he disagreed with as cucks. He talked about globalist scum and, a few weeks later, referred to a right-wing conspiracy theory about how hillary has literally murdered people.

Most of Giampas Twitter activity consists of retweets and replies to other Twitter users. He retweeted Trump in July when the president called for a ban on transgender people serving in the military.

During the first several months Giampa tweeted under @doctorpepper35, he was closely focused on the ongoing civil war in Syria, frequently tweeting in support of President Bashar Assad, a strongman who has slaughtered his own people throughout the conflict. Although Giampa did not yet openly associate with white nationalist groups on Twitter at the time, his defense of Assad gave him a common cause with the far-right community. White nationalists have lionized the brutal leader as a hero who stands up to Zionists in Israel and purges Islamic terrorists from his country. (In reality, Assad has targeted anyone who opposes his rule  including peaceful protesters.)

For unknown reasons, Giampas Twitter activity all but stopped from November 2016 to June 2017. He didnt tweet about Trumps electoral victory or when the president ordered airstrikes targeting the Assad regime in April, a move that was heavily criticized by his alt-right fans. During the first six months of 2017, the teenager tweeted only one time.

Kuhn-Fricker seemed to have become concerned about Giampas ideology soon after he started dating her daughter, The Washington Post reported. Over the summer, her daughter told her that Giampa was good at history and had asked her, Did you know that Jews are partly to blame for WWII?

When Giampa returned to Twitter this past summer, around the time he started dating the daughter of Kuhn-Fricker and Kuhn, his tweets were vicious. On July 26, the same day Trump announced the transgender military ban, Giampa fired off a series of threatening tweets targeting gay and transgender people.

Ive already talked 1 tranny into suicide and Im working on another 2 , he bragged. Then he posted a rainbow lynching image, encouraging gay and transgender people to commit suicide. #transrightsarehumanrights is an oxymoron because trannies arent people, Giampa tweeted that day.

Giampa retweeted Trumps announcement of the transgender military ban, but he appeared to have been wavering in his overall support for the president. I dont even support trump lol I just think its funny how easy it is for him to piss people off, he tweeted on July 26, months after Trumps airstrikes against the Assad regime.

In addition to tweeting his own racist views, Giampa, as @doctorpepper35, began to embrace well-known neo-Nazis and their ideology. He retweeted prominent figures in the alt-right white supremacist movement such as Mike Peinovich (aka Mike Enoch) and tried to engage with the official accounts of white supremacist organizations such as the Traditionalist Worker Party, Identity Evropa and VDARE. He also tried to interact with Twitter users who identified as being affiliated with neo-Nazi groups such as Vanguard America, which showed up for the August white supremacist rally in Charlottesville. James A. Fields marched with Vanguard America in Charlottesville, dressed in the groups ad hoc uniform and carried a shield with the groups logo during the violent gathering before he drove his car into a crowd and killed Heather Heyer.

On Sept. 14, Giampa retweeted a quote attributed to Oswald Mosley, the 20th-century leader of the British Union of Fascists, defending the Nazi salute.

(Photo: Twitter)

But it was with Atomwaffen Division that Giampa seemed most taken. The violent anti-American groups name translates to Atomic Weapons Division, and its members like to post photos of themselves wearing skull masks and camouflage outfits while sieg heiling or posing with assault rifles and the organizations yellow-and-black nuclear-themed flags. Some of Atomwaffens YouTube videos look like propaganda in the style of the so-called Islamic State, with heavily armed young men conducting training exercises. In May, an Atomwaffen member murdered two of his neo-Nazi roommates in Tampa.

(Photo: Twitter)

Atomwaffen has moved to revive the racist career of Siege author and Charles Manson devotee Mason, a onetime member of George Lincoln Rockwells American Nazi Party. Mason had formed a splinter group devoted to promoting the views of the murderous cult leader, whom Mason saw as a continuation of Hitlers legacy. Although Mason had faded into obscurity, Atomwaffen tracked him down and earlier last year began republishing Siege.

A few months before Giampa allegedly murdered his girlfriends parents, the teenager began tweeting about Siege and Mason, a man who once described Anders Breivik, the far-right Norwegian terrorist convicted of killing 77 people in a 2011 bombing and mass shooting, as dead-on. Giampa retweeted a photo of Mason reading a new copy of Siege. He later praised @RyanAtomwaffen for his book collection, which included Siege and Mein Kampf. He encouraged another user to buy a copy of Siege for his mother, and tweeted about his own effort to get a copy of the book.

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(Photo: Twitter)

In late October, around the same time Giampa started ramping up his neo-Nazi tweets, he took his extremism public: He mowed a 40-foot swastika into the grass of a community field in his neighborhood.

The Washington Post reported that neighbors considered calling the police, but ultimately decided to talk to Giampas parents instead. When the neighbors confronted the teen boys parents, they said they were aware of their sons behavioral issues and would take care of it.

Days later, Giampa retweeted a meme praising Hitler as a hero.

(Photo: Twitter)

By November, Giampa was identifying himself as a Nazi on Twitter.

(Photo: Twitter)

In the lead-up to the Nov. 7 gubernatorial race in Virginia, Giampa described Democratic candidate Ralph Northam as a jew puppet and told a pro-Northam Twitter user to Get the fuck out of my state you white guilt slut.

A white Europe without Jewish or Muslim individuals sounds like heaven, Giampa tweeted on Nov. 11. The next day, he tweeted The jews are everyones enemy.

He tweeted in support of nationalist marchers in Poland seeking to rid the country of Muslims and Jews. Muslims and jews are incapable of assimilating and a threat to their culture, he wrote.

Throughout his Twitter feed, Giampa expressed concern that white men were at risk of losing their access to guns. By late November, he was actively advocating violence. He tweeted on Nov. 20 that Charles Manson, who had died a day earlier, did the right thing. On Thanksgiving Day, he advocated shooting transgender and Jewish people.

(Photo: Twitter)

That same day, Giampa retweeted a pro-Hitler meme.

(Photo: Twitter)

Giampa retweeted a Nov. 25 tweet blaming Jews for communism and World War II. On Nov. 26, Giampa tweeted a denial of the Holocaust. Days later, he retweeted a call for Vanguard America, the Atomwaffen Division, and other neo-Nazi movements to come together as part of a white revolution.

On Dec. 5, Giampa tweeted several times at Paul Nehlen, a Wisconsin candidate for Congress who has appeared on an anti-Semitic white power podcast, called for an indefinite Muslim ban, promoted white contributions to western civilization and complained about Jewish billionaires and CEOs.

Giampa last tweeted on Dec. 21. By 5 a.m. the next morning, Fricker and Kuhn-Fricker were dead and Giampa was critically injured.

I apologize for all the unhappiness for everyone. I am sincerely sorry, said one of Giampas family members, who broke into tears on the phone. In the end, we need one more gun law. Any address, anywhere, that has mental illness, there cannot be guns.

On Saturday morning, a little more than a week after the double homicide, hundreds of mourners gathered at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Herndon, Virginia. The overflow crowd spread into the aisles, listening to friends and family share stories about Fricker and Kuhn-Frickers kindness, warmth and devotion to their children.

But amid the heartwarming anecdotes, there were reminders that this was not an ordinary funeral and that the dead did not go in an ordinary way. When Frickers father made reference to the actions of a deranged adolescent, the room stiffened. The pastor talked about overcoming hate. A friend of the family said hed spent the past few days trying to figure out what lesson he could learn from how Fricker and Kuhn-Fricker were killed.

He didnt have a good answer.

Also on HuffPost

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Washington (AFP) - The US Treasury placed four serving or retired Venezuelan generals on its sanctions blacklist Friday, raising pressure on the embattled government of President Nicolas Maduro.

The Treasury Department alleged that the four were either involved in repressing protesters or tied up in major corruption schemes.

Washington has already targeted Maduro himself for sanctions, and is a long-standing opponent of what it sees as his increasingly authoritarian regime.

Falling oil prices, political unrest, and corruption have decimated the country's economy and led to deadly protests under Maduro.

The new sanctions "highlight that corruption and repression continue to flourish under the Maduro regime, both by those in current government positions and former officials who continue to benefit from a corrupt system," the Treasury said.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said in a Twitter post following the US announcement that Caracas' military would never kowtow to Washington.

The army "will never bow to any foreign power, much less to the imperialist and warlike forces of Donald Trump's supremacist government. We demand respect," Arreaza wrote.

Delcy Rodriguez, president of Maduro's Constituent Assembly which effectively runs the country, said Trump "and his eccentric government should understand that Venezuela will never give in to blackmail or threats."

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement that "President Maduro and his inner circle continue to put their own interests above those of the Venezuelan people."

"This action underscores the United States' resolve to hold Maduro and others engaged in corruption in Venezuela accountable," he added.

"We call on concerned parties and international partners around the world to join us as we stand with the Venezuelan people to further isolate this oppressive regime."

Under the US Treasury order, Aragua state governor, retired general and state oil firm board member Rodolfo Clemente Marco Torres is designated for his alleged role in food smuggling.

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Francisco Jose Rangel Gomez, another retired general and a former governor of Bolivar state, is accused of pressuring Venezuelan courts to release suspected members of armed pro-government gangs.

General Fabio Enrique Zavarse Pabon, commander of the defense zone that includes Caracas, is accused of using National Guard troops to violently repress demonstrations.

And Major General Jose Izquierdo Torres is accused of using his rank and position to corruptly enrich himself.

The Treasury order freezes any assets the four might have in US jurisdictions, and bans Americans and US firms from doing business with them.

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the sanctions would only be removed if one day the officials change their behavior and respect the rule of law.

"Members of the Venezuelan armed forces who put their own interests above those of their fellow citizens cannot expect immunity from our sanctions and international accountability," she added.
(In Jan. 2 story, corrects spelling of first name of Boyle's wife to Caitlan instead of Caitlin, 2nd paragraph.) By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - A Canadian man freed in 2017 nearly five years after being abducted in Afghanistan has been arrested in Ottawa and faces several charges, including assault and forcible confinement, his lawyer said on Tuesday. Joshua Boyle, his wife Caitlan Coleman and three children arrived back in Canada last October. At the time he said one of his children had been murdered and spouse was raped after their capture by the Taliban-allied Haqqani network. Police have laid 15 charges against Boyle, 34, including eight counts of assault, two counts of sexual assault, two counts of forcible confinement and one count of uttering death threats. A publication ban has been imposed, preventing the alleged victims from being identified. "Mr. Boyle is presumed innocent. He's never been in trouble before ... We look forward to receiving the evidence and defending him against these charges," Boyle's lawyer, Eric Granger, said in an email. Ottawa police laid the charges on Dec. 30, since when Boyle has been in jail. He is due to make a brief court appearance on Wednesday. Ottawa police declined to comment and referred questions to the attorney general of Ontario, which was not immediately able to comment. Boyle, his wife and their three children met Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his Parliament Hill office last month. Photos that Boyle released at the time on Twitter showed Trudeau holding the youngest child in his lap. Trudeau had said in September he could not imagine what the family were going through. The Taliban denied the accusations of rape and murder. Boyle and Coleman were kidnapped in 2012 while backpacking in Afghanistan and their children were born in captivity. U.S. officials say the family spent almost all their confinement in neighboring Pakistan, which is where they were freed by Pakistani troops. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Tom Brown and Susan Thomas)
I was born into improper nutrition in Ethiopia. For my first couple of years, I didnt get what I needed. We were extremely poor. We didnt have enough milk, enough food. At 2 years old, I weighed just 22 lb. It affects you.

After my sister and I moved to Sweden as children, I learned that my teeth were wrong. And no kid wants to grow up being different. I could not eat enough. You always feel like youre catching up. It took me all the way to age 16 or 17 to do so.

What I felt then and know deeply nowas a chef, an activist and a father of a young sonis that when it comes to food, we are always looking at one another, starting with peeking in each others lunch boxes. We are also learning from one anotherand that that can make us healthier, our climate more secure and our meals more delicious.

Its not just the developing world looking to us, either. Just as we look to it for spiritual practices like yoga, we should and doespecially through the Internetlook to it for food. Take places such as Ethiopia, which traditionally has no sugar in its meals. Or Indian food, which is just delicious. There, we can find ways of getting nutrition through vegetables and proteins like chickpeas and lentils, instead of animal proteins that contribute to carbon emissions.

Chef Marcus Samuelsson.

This also can affect the view of developed nations from rising onesand help stave off the startling rise of obesity. When you think of fast food in America, its a money game: you get dinner for four together in a fast, economic way. But elsewhere, places like McDonalds and KFC are about status. Its much cooler to go to the chain restaurant with flat screens than to your auntie selling food out of a shack or on the street.

It can be disconcerting to look at what fast food has to done to places like Egypt and Ghana. According to the World Health Organization, worldwide obesity has just about tripled since 1975; today the majority of people in the world live in a nation where obesity kills more people than being underweight does. Meanwhile, world hunger is also on the rise, because of climate change and conflict.

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These are not on their face uplifting statistics. But what sustains my optimism is that there has been a very significant shift in the way chefs, institutions and technology companies think and work together. These changes are happening in a way we have never seen before.

There is change happening on a smaller level too. In my company, I dont buy palm oil anymore because it has such a bad effect on forests. I know other chefs and food providers are taking similar stances. The movement will only grow, and alongside it will be personal best practices that everyone uses themselves every dayto not throw away food, to maybe go vegetarian two days a week. And from there, a whole world of healthy, responsible eaters will blossom, enabling talentespecially young womenacross the earth to contribute more to society.

This is coming from someone who was not even supposed to be alive after 18 months. Back then, my life was not counted in months or years but days. I know that we can change, because I have changed.

Samuelsson is a chef, restaurateur and the author of The Red Rooster Cookbook

READ NEXT: What Kids Eat Around the World In One Week
Photo credit: Goodfellas

From Esquire UK

Goodfellas star Paul Sorvino wants to dish out some mob justice on disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

The 72-year-old actor opened up about his feelings towards Weinstein after he was accused of blacklisting Pauls daughter, Mira Sorvino, for refusing his sexual advances.

He told TMZ: If I meet him on the street, he oughta hope that he goes to jail. Because if we come across [one another], I think hell be lying on the floor somehow, magically

Hes gonna go to jail. That son of a bitch, good for him if he goes, because if not, then he has to meet me, and Ill kill that motherfucker.

Mira Sorvinos claims, that she missed out on roles in Bad Santa and Lord of the Rings because of Weinsteins interference, have been corroborated by directors Terry Zwigoff and Peter Jackson.

Paul Sorvino says he only learned about the situation after others began to share their stories about Weinstein.

If I had known it, he would not be walking. Hed be in a wheelchair.

My daughter is a wonderful person, Paul said. A courageous and wonderful human being and doesnt deserve to have been treated that way by this pig. This pig will get his comeuppance. The law will get him. Hes going to go to jail and die in jail. But if he doesnt... Ill just slap him around. I wont do anything terrible.

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Prosecutors have charged Dr. Patrick McGree, a longtime family physician in Butte, with multiple counts of alleged sexual assaults of female patients and using pain medication prescriptions to coerce them.

They say he felt and groped the private parts of three adult women and penetrated two with his hands during exams that had nothing to do with those body parts. They also allege he rubbed them with his privates and exposed himself to one's face.

The allegations were made by three women, ages 37, 47, and 52, and all had received prescriptions from McGree for pain medication.

John E. Smith, an attorney for McGree, said he was barred by professional rules from talking about facts in the case and he had not seen or reviewed evidence from prosecutors.

"I can tell you we will appear for arraignment when scheduled and he will plead not guilty," Smith said by telephone from his office in Missoula.

McGree is charged with two felony counts of sexual intercourse without consent, three counts of sexual servitude for allegedly using drugs for coercion, and two counts of misdemeanor sexual assault.

The intercourse charges, which allege penetration by hand, carry possible life terms. The sexual servitude counts carry maximum terms of 15 years each, and the misdemeanor counts are punishable by up to five years and fines of $10,000.

The charges in Butte District Court are dated Dec. 28, and although a summons was issued to McGree that day ordering him to appear in court this week, he was not arrested.

A deputy with the Montana Attorney General is prosecuting the case, and that office often issues summons instead of having people arrested first.

McGree was to have been arraigned Friday, but that has been delayed. District Court Judges Kurt Krueger and Brad Newman in Butte have recused themselves from the case, and McGree requested that someone besides Third District Judge Ray Dayton oversee it. A new arraignment date has not been set.

First District Judge Kathy Seeley in Helena has accepted the case and will set the new arraignment date.

McGree has been a physician in Butte for 31 years, working from an office on South Clark Street in recent years and also practicing at the North American Indian Alliance clinic in Butte.

According to the charging documents, McGree told investigators that he had become attracted to his patients and had felt breasts on six to eight occasions.

"The defendant said he did not know how it happened, it just happened," the document states.

He also admitted to brushing against them while aroused, saying that first occurred five or six years ago and last happened about six months ago. He said it wasn't the first time such allegations had come up during his practice and they usually involved drug addicts.

"The defendant denied any other sexual activity with his patients," the charging document says. "The defendant said he wanted the agents to just pull his license and make it easier."

According to investigators, an office receptionist said McGree called all office staff the day after he was interviewed and said he was being investigated.

"The defendant said it was 'breasts and (oral sex), no intercourse' and he had in fact done it and had confessed to the agents," the document states.

Investigators interviewed the three women on separate occasions over the past 13 months, one interview taking place this past November.

The 47-year-old woman said she had been seeing McGree as her doctor for years, with one of the sexual incidents dating back to April 2013. She said she had been on pain pills the past seven years for back pain and got Hydrocodone and Percocet from McGree every month.

She said she still went to him because "who else am I going to go to?" and could get any drugs she wanted "pretty much anytime she wanted," the document says.

During one incident, she said, McGree groped her and was saying things like "Oh, so you need your prescription, so you need your other refill," the charging document says.

The 37-year-old said she had fallen and hurt herself and went to McGree, admitting she was a meth addict and requesting "Oxys." After sexual misconduct occurred, she said, McGree gave her a prescription for pain medication.

The other woman said she felt if she did not let McGree do what he did, she would not get her prescription.
Tehran (AFP) - Iran, where fresh pro-regime demonstrations took place Friday, has been rocked by days of opposition protests over the economy and the Islamic regime as a whole.

The unrest has left 21 dead, mostly demonstrators, and prompted hundreds of arrests. It is the biggest such movement in the tightly controlled country since a protest movement over a disputed election in 2009.

Here is a summary:

- First demonstrations -

A few hundred demonstrators gather in the northeastern city of Mashhad and several other towns on December 28 to protest high living costs.

Videos on reformist media show protesters focusing their ire on President Hassan Rouhani but there are also slogans lambasting the entire regime and Iran's involvement in conflicts across the Middle East.

The next day larger-scale protests flare up in more cities including religious centre Qom, where footage shows hundreds of demonstrators chanting "Death to the dictator" and "Free political prisoners".

- Warnings, violence, deaths -

On December 30, regime supporters rally around the country for officially sanctioned demonstrations to commemorate the defeat of the 2009 protest movement.

Despite government warnings, anti-government protests grow. Tear gas fills the streets of downtown Tehran as hundreds of people scuffle with police.

Videos show demonstrators attacking a town hall, overturning a police car and burning the Iranian flag.

The unrest claims its first victims when two people are killed in the western town of Dorud.

On December 31, the authorities issue more warnings and block access to online messaging services that were instrumental in organising protests.

Rouhani insists people are "absolutely free" to express their anger but "criticism is different to violence and destroying public property".

- Public buildings attacked -

Nevertheless the unrest continues as videos on social media show demonstrations across the country for a fourth night.

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Iranian media and officials report 10 deaths in protests overnight Sunday to Monday in the west of the country.

US President Donald Trump says it is "time for change" in Iran.

- More deaths, arrests -

State television says nine people, including a policeman and Revolutionary Guards member, are killed in unrest on January 1.

Six die in the town of Qahderijan, in the central province of Isfahan, where protesters try to storm a police station, the state broadcaster reports. The number of arrests rises to 450.

- 'Enemies' -

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei breaks his silence on January 2, saying Iran's "enemies have united and are using all their means" against the regime.

Rouhani phones French leader Emmanuel Macron to demand action against a "terrorist" Iranian opposition group he accuses of fomenting the protests, likely referring to the Paris-based Mujahedeen-e-Khalq.

The French president calls for restraint.

- End of 'sedition' -

On January 3 the commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards, General Mohammad Ali Jafari, announces "the end of the sedition".

At the United Nations, Iran accuses Washington of "grotesque" meddling.

On January 4, the United States imposes sanctions on five Iranian companies it alleges are working on Iran's illegal ballistic missile program.

- New pro-regime demonstrations -

On January 5 pro-regime rallies are held around Tehran for the third day running.

Prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri accuses the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia of being behind the violence. His deputy criticises the government for not having blocked the internet.

Iranian officials say they have arrested four members of a "terrorist cell" linked to the Mujahedeen.

The UN Security Council prepares to meet to discuss the Iran protests, prompting Russia to accuse the US of "interfering".

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By Parisa Hafezi ANKARA (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of government supporters rallied across Iran on Friday, swearing allegiance to the clerical establishment and accusing arch-enemy the United States of instigating the biggest anti-government protests for nearly a decade, state TV reported. Tehran's Friday prayer leader called on authorities to deal "firmly" with those responsible for igniting over a week of demonstrations, in which 22 people have died and more than 1,000 have been arrested, according to Iranian officials. (For graphic on Iranian protests, click http://tmsnrt.rs/2CXDYXZ) "But those ordinary Iranians who were deceived by these American-backed rioters should be dealt with based on Islamic clemency," cleric Ahmad Khatami told worshippers at Tehran university, TV reported. Khatami also called on the government to "pay more attention to people's economic problems." Protests erupted on Dec. 28 in the holy Shi'ite city of Mashhad after the government announced plans to raise fuel prices and cut monthly cash handouts to lower-income Iranians. Unrest spread to more than 80 cities and rural towns as thousands of young and working class Iranians voiced anger at graft, unemployment and a deepening gap between rich and poor. Some 42,000 people took part in the unrest across the country, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli was quoted as saying by state TV. To try to allay tensions, the government suspended its planned fuel price hikes and cash handout cuts. Ali Rabiei, Iran's minister of cooperatives, labor and social welfare, said the government had plans to create over 900,000 jobs by March 2019, the state news agency IRNA reported on Friday. Iranian officials said the protests were the result of foreign instigation and mocked U.S. President Donald Trump's support of protesters against what he called a brutal and corrupt establishment. The authorities have produced no evidence of any U.S. role in the demonstrations, which have lacked a unifying leader. GUARDS QUELLED UNREST Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Iran's statements that external influences fomented the unrest were not groundless and that Washington used any possible method to destabilize governments it disliked. He added that U.S. calls for an extraordinary meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the turmoil in Iran interfered with the country's sovereignty, news agency Interfax said. The Council met on Friday to discuss Iran. Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Gholamali Khoshroo told the U.N. Security Council meeting that the United States had abused its power as a permanent member of the Council by calling for a meeting on the turmoil in Iran. He added that Iran had hard evidence that recent protests in Iran were very clearly directed from abroad. But U.S. Ambassador to U.N. Nikki Haley said the United States stood "unapologetically with those in Iran who seek freedom for themselves, prosperity for their families, and dignity for their nation". "We will not be quiet. No dishonest attempt to call protesters 'puppets of foreign powers' will change that. The Iranian people know the truth. And we know the truth," she told the U.N. meeting on Iran. Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif wrote on his Twitter account that the meeting was "another foreign policy blunder of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration". Residents contacted by Reuters in various cities said the protests had shown sign of abating since Thursday, after the establishment intensified a crackdown on the protesters by dispatching Revolutionary Guards forces to several provinces. Iran's elite Guards and its affiliated Basij militia suppressed the country's 2009 unrest over alleged election fraud, in which dozens of pro-reform Iranians were killed. UNITED FRONT On Friday rallies, protesters chanted "Death to America" and "Death to Israel", carrying pictures of Iran's top authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and waved Iranian flags. Television footage of rallies in several cities showed people chanting "We support Imam Khamenei ... We will not leave him alone in his fight against enemies". "Demonstrators demand the punishment of those behind foreign-linked riots which insulted religion and our authorities," state television reported, referring to unrest in which social media footage showed protesters tearing down pictures of Khamenei. Hardliner Khatami said the government should take more notice of Iranians' economic problems. "There are workers who say they have not received their salaries for months ... These problems should be resolved," Khatami said, according to state TV. Fearing that further unrest could undermine the Islamic republic altogether, Iran's faction-ridden political elite has displayed a united front. But Khamenei and his hardline allies have criticized Iranian President Hassan Rouhani for failing to revive the economy after most sanctions on Iran were lifted in 2016 under a deal reached between Tehran and major powers aimed at curbing the country's nuclear program. Rouhani secured the deal in 2015, raising hopes of better economic times among many Iranians, but discontent has since risen over the lack of broad improvement in living standards. (Additional reporting by Yara Bayoumy in Washington; Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by James Dalgleish)
By Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Under pressure from allies in the West, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is staking his career on reining in the Shi'ite militias that helped him defeat Islamic State. The task will not be easy. The paramilitaries, or Popular Mobilisation Forces, are mostly trained and backed by Iran, so Abadi risks angering his most powerful regional backer. Iraq's Shi'ite majority also see the PMF's 150,000 fighters as their saviors. Several militia commanders plan to run against Abadi in parliamentary elections in May and some have warned they will resist attempts to dismantle them. Abadi's plan envisages taking back the militias' heavy weapons and cutting their strength by half, according to military and intelligence sources. The army is already taking an inventory of PMF weaponry, such as the armored vehicles and tanks the government gave them to fight Islamic State. Next, Abadi will order his military and police commanders to take back those heavy weapons under the pretext of repairing them. The defense ministry will then remove over-age or physically unfit fighters, two military sources said. "The plan will be implemented with extreme caution and precision in order to prevent a negative backlash from the PMF commanders," said an army colonel who was briefed on it by his commander. "We can't keep a second army within one state; this is the key objective of the plan." The plan will be closely followed by Iran and the United States. The groups are one of Iran's many levers of influence in Iraq, while for Washington they are a reminder of Tehran's growing reach in the Middle East. Lawmakers close to Abadi and one of his political advisers say he is coming under "tremendous pressure" from the West and Sunni regional allies to dissolve the PMF now that Islamic State, or Daesh, is no longer a major threat. "Prime Minister Abadi is getting messages from allies in the war against Daesh encouraging him to dismantle the PMF as a condition to keeping their support flowing in future," the adviser said on condition of anonymity. In a phone call last month, French President Emmanuel Macron encouraged Abadi to dismantle the PMF, said the adviser, who was briefed on the call. With Islamic State crushed in Iraq, Abadi will find it harder to avoid clamping down on the militia, according to a lawmaker from his Dawa Party. "Abadi would respond to pressure from his Western and Gulf allies to dissolve the PMF by saying he needs them to fight Daesh, but now Daesh is finished and there are no more excuses to keep the PMF," the lawmaker said. In any case Abadi does not trust the Iranians, whose militia allies act like a state within a state, said a Shi'ite lawmaker close to the prime minister. "Abadi sees the support of the West, the United States and regional Arab states as indispensable in making Iraq more stable in future," the lawmaker said. But militia commanders, such as Ali al-Hussaini from the Imam Ali Brigades, say the PMF played a major part in defeating Islamic State and dismantling them would be a "big mistake". "We have millions of followers who will defend our rights against any attempt to target us," he said. Nonetheless, a joint committee from the army, police, and intelligence services will review the number of PMF fighters and make recommendations to Abadi, who will decide who will stay and who will be retired, said a military intelligence colonel who is close to the military chief of staff's office. Abadi would also order his commanders to restructure their own forces. Another army colonel said taking heavy weapons from the militias would not be easy, as they control hundreds of headquarters, arms stockpiles, camps, and even small rocket factories. IRANIAN INFLUENCE Disarming the militias is one of Abadi's most delicate challenges. They are generally more effective than the Iraqi security forces and often defy Baghdad with the support of Tehran. They also have the blessing of Iraq's most influential Shi'ite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Iraqi Shi'ite militia commanders are openly loyal to Tehran, Iranian advisers are seen on Iraqi battlefields, and Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned Abadi in June against weakening the militias. The PMF gained prominence after Sistani called on Iraqis to take up arms against Islamic State when it seized a third of the country in 2014. Since then the militias have become more assertive, riding around cities in vehicles flying their own flags. They are accused of terrorizing minority Sunnis, which they deny. Security sources and analysts say any attempt by Abadi to muzzle the PMF could invite a backlash from Shi'ites, who expect the militias to protect them in the event of renewed sectarian conflict in Iraq. Any backlash could lead to the election of an alliance of Iranian-backed political parties to enough seats in parliament to end Abadi's bid for a second term. Abadi's success against Islamic State and in quashing a Kurdish bid for independence in Iraq may tempt him into over-confidence in acting against the militias, said Jasim al-Bahadli, a Baghdad-based expert on Shi'ite armed groups. "Playing hard with the PMF could be a double-edged sword; they have broad popularity that Abadi should not underestimate." FIERY CLERIC To counter the PMF's popularity, Abadi has turned to the cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who once led an armed rebellion against U.S. occupation forces and was named the most dangerous man in Iraq by the Pentagon. The pair held a secret meeting in the holy Shi'ite city of Karbala on Nov. 11 to discuss Sadr helping the government disarm the militias, according to aides for both men who attended the meeting. Sadr sees the militias as a threat to his role as a kingmaker in Iraq's turbulent politics. During their meeting, Abadi asked Sadr to support him in his bid to "cleanse the country" of corrupt politicians and those who might try to use armed groups to influence the election, an adviser to Sadr said. "They talked about putting an end to the militias operating above the law, fighting corruption, and of course supporting Abadi's bid to be prime minister for a second term," he said. Several lawmakers close to Abadi and sources close to Sadr said the prime minister had secured the cleric's support to stop the PMF interfering in the election. "Sadr can put hundreds of thousands on the streets in solidarity with Abadi with one call, he would make Abadi's opponents think twice before challenging him," said a senior Shi'ite politician close to Sadr. Indeed, Sadr plans to do just that in the very near future, another source close to him said. STRONG CHALLENGER Sources close to Sadr said he also promised to persuade Sistani to support Abadi's plans to restrain the militias. That could give Abadi an edge over the militias, which comprise more than 66 groups, over 40 of which are backed by Iran, according to security sources and analysts. It would also put Abadi in a strong position against one of his main challengers, Hadi al-Amiri, who commands Iraq's largest Iranian-backed Shi'ite militia, the Badr Organisation. "Badr will lead the PMF list in next election under the leadership of Hadi al-Amiri," said Ameer al-Kinani, a Sadrist adviser to Iraqi President Fuad Masum. "This is known to all." (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Michael Georgy and Giles Elgood)
Photo credit: ITV

From Digital Spy

ITV's News at Ten was forced off the air on Wednesday night (January 3) when a fire alarm went off halfway through the actual broadcast and the building had to be evacuated.

The nightly news became the news itself as loads of people took to social media to wonder what the hell was going on. Forunately, it was later found to be a false alarm and nobody was hurt.

Fire alarm means no News at Ten pic.twitter.com/oExT93kCrv - Julian Druker (@Julian5News) January 3, 2018

Ironically, the alarm actually sounded during a report on US President Donald Trump's tweet that he has a "much bigger" nuclear button than North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Still, newsreader Tom Bradby seemed to handle the situation nice and calmly as he told viewers: "OK, as you can probably tell we have a fire alarm.

"We're not quite sure what to do about it, but we think we're going to have to evacuate.

"Unfortunately these things happen and we have no choice. We'll try and bring you the rest of the news if we can."

The News at Ten was then halted and a message apologising for the disruption appeared on screen.

Breaking news! ITV's News at Ten taken off air after @tombradby and co forced to evacuate after a fire alarm goes off. Unbelievable! pic.twitter.com/rcvNvQdWfs - David Wooding (@DavidWooding) January 3, 2018

Sorry about the disruption tonight. False alarm, it seems. Words fail me. - tom bradby (@tombradby) January 3, 2018

Well done to @tombradby and the team for handling the fire alarm going off during @NewsAtTen ... wow. - Charlene White (@CharleneWhite) January 3, 2018
Japanese police have indicated that they may want to speak to besieged YouTube star Logan Paul after he encountered a body in the country's so-called "suicide forest."

Paul has faced mounting criticism in the wake of the video he posted, and later took down, of a body in Aokigahara forest.

Masaki Ito, spokesman for the Yamanashi prefectural police, told The Associated Press that Paul was under no legal obligation to report the body "but police were interested in talking to Paul as a suicide may be involved."

Meanwhile, Paul has stepped away from his YouTube channel, which boasts some 15 million subscribers, to "reflect."

"Taking time to reflect no vlog for now see you soon," Paul tweeted Wednesday.

Paul's hiatus comes after a Change.org petition urging YouTube to delete his channel continues to gain signatures. As of Thursday afternoon, more than 130,000 people had signed.

Video of the visit to Japan's Aokigahara forest, a well-known destination for people looking to end their own lives, was deleted after Paul was assailed online for his decision to post the video and for his on-camera behavior after stumbling upon the person hanging from a tree.

Before it was deleted, however, the video was viewed some six million times.

"Logan Paul has uploaded a vlog today of him going up to a body in Japan's suicide forest, a body of a hanging man," the creator of the Change.org petition, who is from Columbus, Ohio, wrote. "All he did was blur the deceased man's face out. He got close to the body and told the camera how the skin was 'blue' while showing the skin.

In one of two apologies, Paul wrote that he "intended to raise awareness for suicide and suicide prevention."

"I was misguided by the shock and awe, as portrayed in the video," Paul told his followers.

As criticism against him grew  and as many called for his channel's removal, including his fellow YouTube stars  Paul posted an emotional video apology on Twitter.

Story continues

"I had a severe and continuous lapse in my judgment," Paul said. "I don't expect to be forgiven. I'm simply here to apologize."

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A woman holds marijuana for sale at a store in West Hollywood, California. Legal pot shops have just opened in the state: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Politicians representing states that have legalised marijuana have lambasted Jeff Sessions for rescinding a hands-off federal approach to cannabis.

An Obama-era directive had essentially let states manage their own burgeoning marijuana marketplaces, promising an easing of raids and other federal enforcement actions as long as states had enacted strong and effective regulatory systems.

In reversing that decision, Mr Sessions potentially upended a growing cannabis industry that has seen eight states with a combined population of nearly 67 million people authorise recreational use since 2014 (another 29 states offer medical marijuana.

Elected officials, some of whom who had warned Mr Sessions off of a possible crackdown in recent months, condemned his move and vowed to press ahead. The backlash spanned the political spectrum, with Democrats and Republicans from states with recreational cannabis industries blasting what they called federal infringement.

Colorado Senator Cory Gardner portrayed Mr Sessions shift as a betrayal, saying on Twitter that it directly contradicts what Attorney General Sessions told me prior to his confirmation and trampled on the will of the voters in CO and other states. He threatened political retaliation.

I am prepared to take all steps necessary, including holding DOJ nominees, until the Attorney General lives up to the commitment he made to me prior to his confirmation, said Mr Gardner, who is a Republican.

In California, where a legal marijuana marketplace approved by voters in 2016 is only days old, members of both parties assailed Mr Sessions. Rep Dana Rorhbacher, an Orange County Republican, said the Attorney General had delivered an extravagant holiday gift to the drug cartels.

By attacking the will of the American people, who overwhelmingly favor marijuana legalization, Jeff Sessions has shown a preference for allowing all commerce in marijuana to take place in the black market, which will inevitably bring the spike in violence he mistakenly attributers to marijuana itself, Mr Rohrbacher said in a statement. He is doing the bidding of an out-of-date law enforcement establishment that wants to see a perpetual weed war.

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Rep Ted Lieu, a Democrat representing the Los Angeles area, said Mr Sessions wanted to take America back to the 1920s, adding that Prohibition didn't work then and it will not work now.

California Bureau of Cannabis Control Chief Lori Ajax said she was conferring with the state's attorney general but had no plans to halt the state's rollout of recreational sales.

Well continue to move forward with the state's regulatory processes covering both medicinal and adult-use cannabis consistent with the will of Californias voters, while defending our state's laws to the fullest extent, Ms Ajax said in a statement.

Colorado Republican Mike Coffman said in a statement that Colorado had every right to legalize marijuana, and I will do everything I can to protect that right against the power of an overreaching federal government. Alaska Sen Lisa Murkowski, also a Republican, called the announcement disruptive to state regulatory regimes and regrettable.

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden said Mr Trump had promised to let states establish their own policies but Now he's breaking that promise so Jeff Sessions can pursue his extremist anti-marijuana crusade, Mr Wyden, a Democrat, said on Twitter. Nevada Rep

State officials were defiant, saying they would not bow to federal pressure. Nevada Rep Dina Titus said she would fight for businesses that are legally operating in states, contributing to tax bases, & creating jobs.

Make no mistake, Washington Gov Jay Inslee said, we will vigorously defend our states laws against undue federal infringement.

The mayor of Seattle, Washington's largest city, echoed her governor's statement in saying her police department would not alter its approach, saying in a statement that Seattle won't be bullied by the Trump Administration.

Let's be clear: Our Seattle Police Department will not participate in any enforcement action related to legal businesses or small personal possession of marijuana by adults, Mayor Jenny Durkan said. Federal law enforcement will find no partner with Seattle to enforce the rollback of these provisions.
A shop assistant talks to customers in front of a sales sign on display at a retail store. May 3, 2017. REUTERS/Steven Saphore

Fewer jobs were created than expected during the month of December with the retail sector, in particular, taking a plunge.

The obvious weakness was in retail, which shed 20,300 jobs. That could be just noise or a consequence of the shift from bricks and mortar stores to online, Capital Economics chief U.S. economist Paul Ashworth wrote in a note on Friday.

Ashworth continued: As a comparison, couriers & messengers added only 2,100 jobs, so in net terms the structural shift is hardly positive for employment.

In other words, the jobs being created amid the shift to online shopping may not be offsetting the jobs that are being destroyed.

Within the retail trade category, the biggest loser was department stores, which dropped 8,200 jobs in December compared to November followed by general merchandise stores, which shed 19,100 jobs versus November.

As for categories that would be tied to the rise of e-commerce, in particular giants like Amazon (AMZN), non-store retailers saw a slight gain of 200 jobs in December. The transportation and warehousing category saw an increase of 1,800 jobs.

For the entire year of 2017, the retail trade lost 67,000 jobs after creating 203,000 in 2016, according to the BLS.

Overall, 2017 was a challenging year for the sector. Nearly 8,000 retail stores were closed, according to a list compiled by UBS.

Sears Holdings (SHLD) announced on Thursday that it would close 103 unprofitable Sears and Kmart stores, while Macys (M) released a list of 11 stores that it would be shutting down in 2018.

In a new report from Moodys Investors Service, the retail industry will also likely see continued defaults ahead in 2018, but it shouldnt be as bad as 2017.

After a particularly difficult year, the US retail and apparel industry is bracing for more defaults and rating downgrades in the next few months, said Moodys Vice President, Christina Boni. That said, we expect defaults among speculative-grade retailers to drop sharply to 5% in October from 9% today, but only after peaking at 11% in March.

Julia La Roche is a finance reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.
St. James Healthcare and Action, Inc. this week announced receipt of a $60,000 planning grant from the Montana Health Care Foundation.

The grant will be used to develop a coordinated community plan to improve outcomes for homeless individuals in the Butte community.

The planning project, titled "Butte Supportive Housing Collaborative," will be co-led by St. James Healthcare and Action, Inc. in cooperation with the Southwest Montana Continuum of Care Coalition made up of 15 member agencies. These include Action Inc., Western Montana Mental Health Center, the Public Housing Authority, Volunteers of America, Southwest Montana Community Health Center, Butte-Silver Bow County Health Department, and Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement Department.

The Continuum of Care Coalition has a process in place to gather data and track housing needs and with this data, the member organizations work together to immediately identify the homeless, find them housing arrangements, and match them quickly with services they need to overcome their challenges and barriers.

We are excited to get this grant to develop a plan that will enhance work being done by the Continuum of Care Coalition, said Margie Seccomb, CEO of Action, Inc. One of our biggest challenges is addressing the needs of homeless people suffering from addictions, mental illness, and other medical conditions who cycle through the hospitals emergency room, the homeless shelter or the jail. Working more closely with the hospital on this planning process will help us close that gap, she said.

Data from the coalition will be used in the planning project to enhance understanding of high users of healthcare, correctional and social services and allow development of a system of coordinated care across all services.

Butte currently spends almost one million dollars a year for uncompensated care and unnecessary incarceration for the homeless, said Jay Doyle, President of St. James Healthcare. Many of these people rely on our emergency department as their most reliable and accessible source of care, and we also see a perpetual cycle of homeless people with addictions coming in to sober up over and over again. Having a system of coordinated care across the spectrum will help alleviate this problem, he said.

Work has begun on the planning project and will continue through 2018.
A passenger on a Ryanair plane was arrested after he opened the emergency exit and climbed onto the wing of the aircraft.

SEE ALSO: Some jerk just diverted a flight by naming his hotspot 'bomb on board'

A Ryanair spokesperson confirmed the "security breach" occurred after landing at Malaga airport, Spain, on Jan. 1.

"Malaga airport police immediately arrested the passenger in question and since this was a breach of Spanish safety and security regulations, it is being dealt with by the Spanish authorities," the spokesperson continued.

Per the BBC, the incident occurred after passengers had been kept on board the plane for 30 minutes after landing due to an earlier delay. The passenger in question reportedly forced open the plane's emergency exit and made his way onto the wing, where he had to be talked down from.

The Daily Mail spoke to several passengers on board at the time, one of whom says the man was suffering from an asthma attack and needed some air. "It seems nobody noticed that the man who decided to exit the plane was suffering from asthma," Raj Mistry told the Mail.

"He needed air, hence he decided to exit the plane but Civil Guards didn't want to listen to what he had to say," Mistry said. "I was talking to him throughout the flight and there was a few times he was using his inhaler. He also took medication just before the flight took off."

The man was subsequently arrested by airport security and the incident is being dealt with by the Spanish authorities.
Photo credit: Getty

From Prima

Once Meghan Markle marries Prince Harry next spring, she could have a completely new name. The Suits actress's full name is currently Rachel Meghan Markle  yes, she actually shares a real first name with her character on the USA Network TV series.

And once she and Harry tie the knot, she could become Rachel Meghan Mountbatten-Windsor.

'Junior members of the royal family have the option of using the surname,' royal historian and author Carolyn Harris tells Town & Country.

Queen Elizabeth's descendants carry the name Windsor as well as the name Mountbatten, which reflects her husband Prince Philip's surname. According to the official royal website:

'The Royal Family name of Windsor was confirmed by The Queen after her accession in 1952. However, in 1960, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh decided that they would like their own direct descendants to be distinguished from the rest of the Royal Family (without changing the name of the Royal House), as Windsor is the surname used by all the male and unmarried female descendants of George V. It was therefore declared in the Privy Council that The Queen's descendants, other than those with the style of Royal Highness and the title of Prince/Princess, or female descendants who marry, would carry the name of Mountbatten-Windsor.'

All that said, royals rarely use their surnames.

'Once married, Meghan will sign as Meghan, no last name. Just as Harry signs as Harry. Royals use only a first name,' royal expert Marlene Koenig tells Town & Country.

She added that Harry will most likely use a last name when he signs the marriage registrar probably Mountbatten-Windsor. 'This was used by Anne, Andrew, and Edward when they married. Charles had no surname on his registrar. We do not know what William used because unlike every other royal, he chose not to make it public,' says Koenig.

Koenig explains that when Harry and William were at school, they were listed under Wales because their father, Charles, is the Prince of Wales. And William's son George is registered at school with the last name Cambridge. On George's birth certificate, the couple left the last names blank.

Story continues

The Queen will likely grant Harry a royal dukedom on his wedding day  giving Harry and Meghan the titles Duke and Duchess, likely of Sussex.

This is all pretty confusing  and will make official documents a bit tricky for Meghan once she makes her permanent move to the UK.

'It will be interesting on how passports are handled, as she cannot become a legal resident of the country for five years,' Koenig says. 'There are visa procedures to go through from the fiancee settlement visa to the marriage visa, which has to be renewed at least once, and then, after five years, a foreign spouse can apply for permission for permanent residency and then start the citizenship application. So, I do not know how the passport issue will be handled.'

Meghan's credit cards and driver's license, however, will show her title as her name, Koenig explains.

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A woman accused of shooting a bouncer at the Acoma Lounge in Uptown Butte in November, sending a bullet through his shirts but not hitting his skin, pleaded not guilty to attempted deliberate homicide Thursday.

Sarah Rose Baldwin, 31, also pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of criminal endangerment and two misdemeanor counts of carrying a concealed weapon.

She earlier posted $100,000 bond, and District Judge Kurt Krueger set the next court hearing for Feb. 8.

Prosecutors say Baldwin was passed out at the bar at 60 E. Broadway St. near closing time Nov. 12 when the bouncer tried to get her and a boyfriend to leave.

The bouncer said Baldwin went to the womens restroom, and when he knocked on the door telling her to leave once again, she came out, produced a pistol, and shot at him. The bouncer thought he had been hit and went to the ground.

A bartender started wrestling with Baldwin in the stairway, another shot went off, and he and others got the gun away from her. The bouncer showed police where the bullet went through two shirts he was wearing without striking him. The other bullet lodged in drywall by the stairway.

While police were escorting Baldwin out of the bar, she kept saying that she was sorry and was very emotional and crying, according to charging documents.

The boyfriend told police that she sometimes packed a gun and was very drunk that night but didnt have any issues with anyone in the bar.
The author of a tell-all book on Donald Trumps first year in the White House has given his first interview since explosive excerpts emerged this week.

Michael Wolff, speaking to the Today show, said the US President has "less credibility than perhaps anybody who has ever walked on Earth at this point".

He also claimed everyone on the US president's staff gave the same description of Mr Trump  they all say he is like a child.

And what they mean by that is he has a need for immediate gratification, its all about him, he just has to be satisfied in the moment, he told Savannah Guthrie.

Extracts from Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House have already made headlines around the world, thanks in part to the contributions of Steve Bannon, President Trumps former chief strategist.

Mr Wolff said Mr Trump had tried to claim the book was about Steve Bannon. But setting the record straight, he said: Let me put this very forthrightly, this book is not about Steve Bannon, this book is about Donald Trump.

[Mr Trump] does not read, he does not listen. So hes like a pinball just shooting off the sides, he added.

After the first excerpts were leaked, the former real estate mogul insisted Mr Bannon had little to do with his victorious campaign and has nothing to do with me or my Presidency, adding: When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind.

Mr Trump, up until Wednesday, had been complimentary of his former strategist, saying in October that the two have a very good relationship and had been friends for a long time.

In the book, Mr Bannon also speaks critically of Mr Trumps daughter and White House adviser, Ivanka, calling her dumb as a brick.

A little marketing savvy and has a look but as far as understanding actually how the world works and what politics is and what it means  nothing, he is quoted saying.

Mr Trump's attorney Charles Harder sent a letter demanding Mr Bannon "cease and desist" from speaking to author Mr Wolff for his book, excerpts have also revealed.

The threat of legal action was reportedly intended to prevent Mr Bannon disclosing confidential information harmful to the Trump White House.
Chisinau (AFP) - Moldova's Constitutional Court on Friday suspended pro-Moscow President Igor Dodon for the second time this week for vetoing new media laws expected to crack down on Russian broadcasts.

Dodon has refused to sign the legislation, dubbed the "laws on Russian propaganda" by its supporters.

Moldova, a former Soviet republic, is divided between supporters of closer links to Moscow and those -- including members of the current government -- who want integration into the European Union.

The new laws would ban the broadcasting of "informational, political and military shows of countries that have not signed the European convention of transnational television".

The Constitutional Court ruled on Friday that the president's "temporary suspension" is necessary to "unblock" laws approved by parliament so they can enter into force.

Dodon's opponents appealed to the court after he vetoed the laws for a second time. The court ruled the president had the right to veto a given law "only once".

It decided that "the president had consciously refused to fulfil his constitutional responsibilities" and announced his "temporary inability to fulfil his duties."

The media laws will be signed into force by parliamentary speaker Andrian Candu.

Dodon slammed the decision, saying he would "not for a second give in to the regime" -- a reference to his pro-Europe rivals.

"The current acts of the ruling regime supported by the Constitutional Court will not be without consequence. After this year's parliamentary elections, we will need to change a lot. In the government, in parliament and in the Constitutional Court," the 42 year-old president wrote on his Facebook page.

He has called the media laws "an encroachment on the freedom of Moldovan citizens to receive information."

Three days ago the court had also temporarily suspended Dodon's powers over his refusal to approve the appointment of several pro-Europe ministers.

Dodon is on good terms with Russian President Vladimir Putin. But since May, diplomatic tensions have emerged between the two countries.

Moldova expelled five Russian diplomats without giving a reason and Russia responded with equivalent expulsions.
Burger chain In-N-Out wants its customers buns to be warm, apparently.

The Southern California-born fast-food company is now selling hot cocoa  its first new menu item in 15 years, according to reports.

As of Monday, all of its outlets were selling eight-ounce servings of hot chocolate, with the price $1.60 in some locations, CBS in Los Angeles reports in the segment above. The expansion began several weeks ago.

The drink sticks to the fast-food joints California roots, using cocoa powder from Ghirardelli Chocolate Co. The mix is made with water, and can be topped with freeze-dried marshmallows.

The last time In-N-Out altered its menu was to add lemonade back in the early 2000s, reports say.

Technically, though, the cocoa addition isnt brand-new.

This is actually the return of hot cocoa, In-N-Out President Lynsi Snyder said in a statement. My grandparents, Harry and Esther Snyder, served it for many years beginning in the 50s. Im not sure how it fell off the menu but its part of our culture and something special for kids, and Im happy that were bringing it back.

A rep told the San Francisco Chronicle the drink will be a permanent item, although it did not appear on In-N-Outs online menu as of early Thursday. In-N-Out has more than 300 outlets in the Western and Southwestern U.S.

And get this: Eater San Francisco reports that kids under 12 will get a free serving when it rains. It wasnt clear how many locations make that offer.

The menu newcomer caused quite a stir on the Internet, of course.

I just found out that IN-N-OUT has HOT COCOA and I am way more excited than any adult has a right to be about hot cocoa  Daniel Shawn Miller (@DanielMShawn) January 4, 2018

Anyone try that brand new #InNOut HOT COCOA yet?

It's #Ghirardelli and has MARSHMALLOWS so it has to be worth the hype...right? pic.twitter.com/HVPMRaNjso  STRAWBERRY (@STRAWBERRYradio) January 4, 2018

IN N OUT HAS HOT CHOCOLATE I REPEAT IN N OUT HAS HOT CHOCOLATE  Sarah Gilman (@sarahbgilman) January 4, 2018

To understand the devotion to the burger chain, behold:

Story continues

LAST IN-N-OUT MEAL BEFORE I ENTER THE CONVENT!  pic.twitter.com/rqeanWhpMo  Lori Fusak (@LoriFusak) January 3, 2018

Also on HuffPost

Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut definitely has a particular pizza smell. We can't quite put our finger on it, but we know it when we smell it.

Mrs. Field's

We know not all chocolate chip cookies are created equal -- and they don't smell the same either.

Dunkin' Donuts

DD's donuts have a very distinct taste (and we're not necessarily on board all the time), so it stands to reason that they have a very distinct smell as well.

Jamba Juice

So artificial and so sugary. You can't call these things smoothies.

Cold Stone Creamery

This is what a sugar overdose smells like.

McDonald's

From the hash browns, to the Chicken McNuggets, to the fries, McDonald's food has a very particular smell. It's as comforting as it is unsettling.

Auntie Anne's

The hot, buttery smell that emanates from Auntie Anne's is totally irresistible. It feels so dirty and so, so good.

Subway

Subway places its ovens by the entrance of its stores, to purposefully entice passerby. The smell of Subway's bread baking is unlike any baking bread we've ever smelled.

Cinnabon

You know it well -- it has kept you company on many a layover and made you feel queasy before too many early morning flights. There's nothing quite like it.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Andrew 'Weev' Auernheimer works on the white supremacist website the Daily Stormer: Wiki Commons

The mother of a neo-Nazi who co-runs the white supremacist website Daily Stormer has said he has Jewish relatives on both sides of his family.

Andrew Weev Auernheimer, who has previously said Jewish children deserve to die, comes from a large, mixed race family and is of Jewish descent and Native American heritage, his mother Alyse told Newsweek.

Auernheimer, 32, from Arkansas, who runs the technical side of the website alongside editor Andrew Anglin, has been estranged from his mother for more than ten years, she told the magazine.

He is believed to be in Ukraine, where he has lived since serving a prison sentence in the United States on a computer hacking charge.

The Daily Stormer lost its dot-com status in August 2017 and struggled to find a provider to host the site after insulting Heather Heyer, who was killed by a neo-Nazi while protesting a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Auernheimer responded on the podcast Radical Agenda that the suppression of free speech would leave white supremacists no choice but to kill the children of their enemies.

If you dont let us dissent peacefully, then our only option is to murder you. To kill your children. To kill your whole families, he said last month.

There is only one thing absent free speech that we can do to express our dissent and thats to slaughter you like dogs, and youre gonna have it coming and your children will deserve to die.

Auernheimers Jewish ancestry was first reported by Gawker in 2012, but this is the first time a family member has spoken about his heritage.
By Christine Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea agreed on Friday to hold official talks with South Korea next week, the first in more than two years, hours after Washington and Seoul delayed a military exercise amid a standoff over the North's nuclear and missile programs. South Korea said the North had sent its consent for the talks to be held on Tuesday. The last time the two Koreas engaged in official talks was in December 2015. The meeting will take place at the border truce village of Panmunjom where officials from both sides are expected to discuss the Winter Olympics, to be held in the South next month, and inter-Korean relations, South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun told reporters. North Korea asked for further negotiations about the meeting to be carried out via documented exchanges, Baik said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un opened the way for talks with South Korea in a New Year's Day speech in which he called for reduced tensions and flagged the North's possible participation in the Winter Olympics. But Kim remained steadfast on the issue of nuclear weapons, saying the North would mass-produce nuclear missiles for operational deployment and warned he would launch a nuclear strike if his country was threatened. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday called the proposed inter-Korean talks a "good thing" and he and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in announced that annual large-scale military drills would now take place after the Olympics. The North sees the drills as preparations for invasion and justification for its weapons programs that it conducts in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. South Korea and the United States are technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty. Trump, who hurled fresh insults at the North Korean leader this week, took credit for any dialogue that takes place. "Does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasn't firm, strong and willing to commit our total 'might' against the North," Trump tweeted. In an interview with CNN on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned that while it was Washington's aim to resolve the North Korean crisis diplomatically, "those diplomatic efforts are backed by a strong military option if necessary." He said future talks involving the United States could allow North Korea to "chart a way for themselves to a more secure future, a more prosperous future," and added: "They do know how to reach us if and when they are ready to engage with us as well." Tillerson said how such talks might begin had yet to be determined, but North Korea would have to signal it understood that they would be aimed at "final, full denuclearization." North Korea regularly threatens to destroy the United States and its two key Asia allies, Japan and South Korea, and says its weapons are necessary to counter U.S. aggression. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang welcomed North and South Korea "taking positive steps to improve ties", and said the postponement of the exercises was "without doubt a good thing". China's Commerce Ministry said it would limit exports of crude oil, refined oil products, steel and other metals to North Korea, in line with tough new sanctions imposed by the United Nations. Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera sounded a note of caution about the proposed talks. "I think what is important is to maintain a firm defense posture," he told reporters. "North Korea goes through phases of apparent dialogue and provocation, but either way, North Korea is continuing its nuclear and missile development. We have no intention of weakening our warning and surveillance." The ramped-up momentum for inter-Korean dialogue follows a year of missile and nuclear tests by North Korea as well as an exchange of bellicose comments between Trump and Kim, which raised alarm across the world. Earlier this week, Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Washington had heard reports that Pyongyang might be preparing to fire another missile. South Korea's defense ministry has said it had yet to see any evidence of an imminent missile launch. Analysts with the website 38 North, which tracks North Korea, reported Pyongyang may be preparing to test a rocket engine at a facility in Sohae, North Pyongan province, where all of the North's satellite launches have taken place since 2012. Commercial satellite imagery from Dec. 25 showed a rail-mounted environment shelter had been moved away from a test stand, indicating that an engine test may be in the near future, the website said, rather than a new rocket launch suspected in recent media reports. (Reporting by Christine Kim; Additional reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith in SEOUL, Olivier Fabre in TOKYO, Philip Wen in BEIJING, Denis Pinchuk in MOSCOW and David Brunnstrom and David Alexander in WASHINGTON; Editing by Nick Macfie and James Dalgleish)
Washington (AFP) - A former contractor for the US National Security Agency's elite hacking group has agreed to plead guilty to removing classified documents in a case that highlighted a series of disastrous leaks of top-secret NSA materials.

Harold Martin, who reportedly worked for an NSA unit focused on hacking into target computer systems around the world, will plead guilty to one of 20 counts against him with the aim of concluding a 15-month-old case couched in deep secrecy, according to court documents filed late Wednesday.

The indictment filed on February 8, 2017 accused Martin of hoarding an estimated 50 terabytes of NSA data and documents in his home and car over a 20-year period. The material reportedly included sensitive digital tools for hacking foreign governments' computers.

His arrest in late 2016 followed the NSA's discovery that a batch of its hacking tools had fallen into the hands of a still-mysterious group called the Shadow Brokers, which offered them for sale online and also released some for free.

At least publicly, Martin has not been accused of responsibility for any NSA leaks.

In December, Nghia Hoang Pho, 67, a 10-year veteran of the NSA's Tailored Access Operations hacking unit, was charged with and agreed to plead guilty to one count of removing and retaining top-secret documents from the agency.

Vietnam-born Pho also had taken home highly classified NSA materials and programs.

According to The New York Times, apparent Russian hackers broke into his personal computer to steal the files, accessing them via Pho's use of Kaspersky software.

But that case also has not been linked to the Shadow Brokers theft.

Those leaks, and others from the Central Intelligence Agency, have hobbled the US spy agencies' abilities to hack into the computer systems of foreign governments and other espionage targets, according to intelligence experts.

Martin will officially submit his plea on January 22, according to court filings. He faces up to 10 years in jail and a maximum fine of $250,000.

Sentencing won't take place until the 19 other charges are resolved -- an indication that the government, while entertaining his single-count plea, is not completely satisfied that Martin's actions were harmless.
Pakistan denounced Washington's decision to suspend hundreds of millions of dollars in security assistance as "counterproductive" Friday, in a carefully-worded response to the frustrated Trump administration's public rebuke over militant safe havens.

The United States has been threatening for months to cut aid to Islamabad over its failure to crack down on groups such as the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, which it says operates from bases in Pakistan's northwest.

The rhetoric has raised hackles in Islamabad and fears the row could undermine Pakistan's support for US operations in Afghanistan.

On Thursday, the State Department announced a dramatic freeze in deliveries of military equipment and security funding until Pakistan cracks down on the militants.

The announcement ignited some small protests in Pakistan on Friday, including in Chaman, one of the two main crossings on the border with Afghanistan where several hundred people gathered to chant anti-US slogans.

"We don't need any type of aid. Almighty Allah is with us and he is giving us everything," protester Mohammad Saleem told AFP, adding that he had a message for Donald Trump: "Don't threaten us."

But Pakistan's foreign ministry issued a cautious statement in which it said it was "engaged" with US officials and awaiting further details.

Without referring to the decision directly, it warned that "arbitrary deadlines, unilateral pronouncements and shifting goalposts are counterproductive in addressing common threats."

Emerging threats such as the growing presence of the Islamic State group in the region make cooperation more important than ever, it added.

Pakistan has fought fierce campaigns against homegrown Islamist groups, and says it has lost thousands of lives and spent billions of dollars in its long war on extremism.

But US officials accuse Islamabad of ignoring or even collaborating with groups that attack Afghanistan from safe havens along the border between the two countries.

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In September last year, the US suspended $255 million in funding to help Pakistan buy high-tech weaponry from American manufacturers.

Now, the Defense Department has been instructed to stop making payments from "coalition support funds" set aside to refund Pakistani spending on counter-terrorist operations.

- Afghanistan welcomes move -

There will be exemptions, and officials refused to put a figure on how much Pakistan will lose out on if it fails to cooperate.

But the National Defense Authorization Act permits the US military to spend up to $900 million in the 2017 financial year and $700 million in financial 2018.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the security spending would be suspended until Pakistan takes "decisive action" against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.

The move, which US officials had hinted at for months, was greeted optimistically in Afghanistan.

"We have been saying for years that neighbouring Pakistan is providing safe haven to terrorist groups, and they were also funding the terrorist groups," Nasrat Rahim, deputy interior ministry spokesman, told reporters in Kabul.

"We welcome this announcement."

Privately, US diplomats insist the relationship is not in crisis.

They say Pakistan is not refusing to fight the Haqqani network, but that the two capitals disagree about the facts on the ground.

Pakistan insists safe havens have been eradicated, but US intelligence says it is still seeing militants operating freely.

Nauert was at pains to point out that the frozen funds had not been cancelled, and would be ready to be disbursed if Pakistan takes action to prove its commitment to the fight.

"The United States stands ready to work with Pakistan in combating all terrorists, without distinction," Nauert said.

On Thursday, the US State Department also tweeted that it has placed deeply conservative Muslim Pakistan on a special watch list for severe violations of religious freedom.

Pakistan, whose religious minorities have long been marginalised and targeted, said it rejects the designation and would seek a clarification from Washington.

"It is surprising that countries that have a well-known record of systematic persecution of religious minorities have not been included in the list," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"This reflects the double standards and political motives behind the listing and hence (it) lacks credibility."

burs-st/ks/qan
By Drazen Jorgic ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan is shrugging off proposed U.S. aid cuts but frets that Washington could take more drastic measures to deter what it sees as the South Asian nation's support for Taliban militants causing chaos in neighboring Afghanistan. Washington plans to imminently slash "security assistance" to Pakistan, U.S. congressional aides told Reuters on Wednesday, although the type, scale and length of the cuts was unclear. A day earlier, the White House said it would suspend about $255 million in already delayed military assistance. Tense ties between the uneasy allies nosedived on Jan. 1 when President Donald Trump lashed out on Twitter against Islamabad's "lies and deceit" despite $33 billion in aid and the White House warned of "specific actions" to pressurize Pakistan. A staunch U.S. Cold War ally and key player in the U.S.-backed invasion of Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Pakistan has watched warily as Washington has in recent years pivoted towards its arch-foe India. Over the past decade, U.S. threats to cut aid have been part and parcel of its frustrating relationship with Pakistan, a nation also seen as vital to the peace process in Afghanistan. "Aid cuts will not hurt us," Miftah Ismail, Pakistan's de facto finance minister, told Reuters. "That's not the leverage they have, because it is something they have reduced drastically over the years." Pakistan received about $1 billion in U.S. assistance in 2016, down from a peak of about 3.5 billion in 2011, Pakistani and U.S. officials say. About $550 million of the 2016 total came from the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), a U.S. Defence Department program to reimburse allies for the costs of supporting counter-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations. Pakistan was the largest recipient of such funds. The remaining $450 million was a mix of military assistance and funds for international non-government bodies (NGOs) and other development programs, Pakistan's finance ministry says. Analysts say there are limits to how much the U.S. can fracture relations, since Pakistan cannot be isolated or completely sidelined, because of its proximity to, and influence in, Afghanistan. "There is really no way forward for the United States in Afghanistan without Pakistan playing some kind of cooperative and collaborative role," said Huma Yusuf, a Wilson Center Global Fellow. PART OF SOLUTION Islamabad worries that the United States, seeking to exert greater pressure on its ally, could in future train its crosshairs on Pakistan's fragile economy and impose some sort of financial sanctions. Pakistani officials warn economic damage would weaken the country, proving counterproductive in Washington's battle against Islamist militant groups in South Asia. "I cant imagine how the U.S. financially or militarily hurts us and their own war effort doesnt get hurt," said Ismail, adding that it was impossible to find a solution to the Afghan conflict "without Pakistan being part of it". Last year, U.S. officials said the options being discussed to push Pakistan to change its behavior included targeted sanctions of officials with ties to militant groups waging an insurgency in Afghanistan. The U.S. officials have also suggested the Pentagon may ramp up drone strikes, driving Pakistani media to speculate if such air attacks would be widened beyond areas bordering Afghanistan. Islamabad could "review its cooperation if it is not appreciated", its United Nations representative, Maleeha Lodhi, told media this week, which many interpreted as a reference to the vital transport route ferrying supplies to U.S. troops in Afghanistan through Pakistan's territory. Pakistan remains committed to friendly relations with the United States, its powerful army chief, Qamar Javed Bajwa, told Capital TV on Wednesday, but warned Washington against "coercion", and vowed not to "compromise on our self-respect". Pakistan supported the Afghan Taliban in the 1990s as a foil to Indian influence in Afghanistan, and analysts say its military and security services maintained ties long after the Taliban regime was toppled in 2001. Today the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network militants are effectively an arm of Pakistan's foreign policy, U.S. officials say. Pakistan staunchly denies using proxies. Ties with the United States are likely to stay fraught as Pakistan's strategic calculus remains unchanged, said Raoof Hassan, executive director of the Islamabad-based Regional Peace Institute. "As long as Pakistan continues to consider the Afghan Taliban as a strategic asset, which it can use some time in the future to become more relevant and influential in Kabul, there is no meeting point," he said. "The positions are diametrically opposite." (Additional reporting by Saad Sayeed in ISLAMABAD and Syed Raza Hassan in KARACHI; Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Lima (AFP) - Peru's ex-president Alberto Fujimori was wheeled out of a Lima hospital late Thursday a free man following a controversial pardon by President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski.

A frail-looking Fujimori, 79, held up a hand to wave to supporters as aides rolled him out the main entrance of Lima's Centenario Clinic in a wheelchair, before he was whisked away in a convoy of vehicles accompanied by his lawmaker son Kenji.

A woman repeatedly shouted "We love you, we love you!" as she tried to reach Fujimori's vehicle through a line of security officials.

"With my dad," wrote Kenji Fujimori on Twitter, publishing a selfie taken with his father in the back of their SUV.

Fujimori, who wore a dark coat over a blue shirt, looked tired in the photo, while the son who orchestrated his release seemed euphoric. Later, he published a video in which both wave to the camera.

"They are the first minutes of Alberto Fujimori in freedom," the family's doctor Alejandro Aguinaga told AFP.

He said Fujimori would meet later with his four children in what would be "an emotional family reunion."

Analysts said the ailing ex-leader's first task would be to reconcile his rival children, Kenji and his sister Keiko, amid fears of a lasting split in the opposition Fuerza Popular party whose leadership Keiko inherited from her father. The Fujimori party is the main political group in the country and controls Congress.

"What will happen now is a sort of attempt by the father to soothe the family trouble," political analyst Fernando Tuesta told AFP.

Kuczynski, a 79-year-old businessman turned center-right politician who beat Keiko to the presidency in 2016 by capitalizing on the anti-Fujimorist vote, said he had pardoned the ex-president for humanitarian reasons - reneging on an election pledge never to do so.

Fujimori was pardoned days after Kenji and a raft of Fujimorist lawmakers abstained from voting on Kuczynski's impeachment in what was seen by many as a backroom deal to save the president from corruption charges.

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The December 24 announcement prompted a wave of protest in Peru. Fujimori was released after serving less than half of a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses.

UN human rights experts condemned the pardon as politically motivated and said it was a slap in the face to victims of his brutal rule from 1990-2000.

A court held him responsible for the killings of 25 supposed guerrillas and sympathizers in 1991 and 1992. It sentenced him in 2009 to 25 years in jail.

Relatives of victims have condemned the pardon, but many Peruvians admire him for his ruthless campaign to put down uprisings by leftist guerrillas, and supporters have hailed the decision to free him.

Victims' relatives said they would appeal the pardon to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, based in Costa Rica.

Fujimori, who has been in the clinic since December 23 -- the day before the pardon was announced -- was transferred from prison after suffering low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat.

Peru's defense and culture ministers, as well as a string of leading officials, have resigned from the government in protest.

Peruvian analysts now expect Kuczynski to announce a reshuffled "reconciliation" cabinet, to include figures close to Kenji and Alberto Fujimori.

More than 230 Peruvian writers, including Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, have denounced the pardon, insisting Fujimori "does not suffer from any degenerative or terminal illness" and deserved to remain in prison as a "criminal against humanity."

Lawmakers wanted to impeach Kuczynski for allegedly lying to cover up his ties to Odebrecht, a giant Brazilian construction company that has admitted to paying hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to officials across Latin America to secure public works contracts.

After initial denials, Kuczynski in December admitted he had taken money from Odebrecht for what he and the Brazilian company insisted were legitimate consulting fees. He denies any wrongdoing.

Meanwhile Aguinaga, the Fujimori family doctor, said the ex-president "is going to be in a house in Lima" for the foreseeable future.

"He is calm. He is not a person who exaggerates his emotions. He knows he has to take care of himself. He knows there is a severe heart problem."
By Karen Lema and Neil Jerome Morales MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines has barred a branch of an American call center firm from expanding in the country following a pre-Christmas fire that killed dozens of its employees, a senior government official said on Wednesday. Charito Plaza, director-general of the government's Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), said the agency had suspended the operations of American firm Research Now SSI, as well as the shopping mall hosting it, for failing to meet certain safety requirements since 2013. "They can operate again once they get a clearance from the Bureau of Fire and the local government," Plaza told Reuters in a text message. The authority's suspension took effect on Dec. 29, but it only covers SSI's branch in the southern city of Davao where the Dec. 23 blaze broke out at a furniture and fabric store on a lower floor of the New City Commercial Center (NCCC) mall before engulfing the call center's offices. Thirty-eight people were killed. SSI's office in Cebu, in the central Philippines, would not be affected as it has been complying with PEZA rules, Plaza said. Investigators looking into fire said there were indications safety lapses may have contributed to the tragedy. "Violations were more of the non-compliance of annual emergency drills to test the fire safety equipment, response and rescue capability, sprinklers and emergency exits," Plaza said. SSI and the mall were registered with PEZA in 2008, as a business process outsourcing firm and an economic zone developer, respectively. PEZA did not issue fire inspection and safety certificates to NCCC and SSI from 2013 to 2017, Plaza said. But the companies were able to renew their business permits with the city government of Davao after passing fire safety inspection by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Plaza said. How SSI and NCCC secured fire safety inspection certificates from the bureau is one of the things an inter-agency task force looking into the blaze is investigating. Four fire officials being questioned over the blaze have been relieved of their duties after initial findings showed they have "some liabilities", a government investigator said on Monday. Davao planning chief Ivan Cortez said the city gives business permits to companies after they get a fire safety and inspection certificate from the Bureau of Fire Protection. "The agency focusing on fire is the Bureau of Fire. The local government will not release a permit without the approval of the Bureau of Fire. They are the last office. When they approve, that is the time we release the business permit," Cortez told Reuters. NCCC could not immediately be reached for comment. An SSI official declined to comment and referred Reuters to its legal representative. It was not clear yet how the suspension would affect SSI workers. SSI employed 500 people at the Davao call center and since the fire said it would not comment until after investigations were concluded. NCCC has insisted it had met safety requirements. (Reporting by Karen Lema and Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel)
Police are investigating the death of a student at California State University, Fresno who was rushed to the hospital Wednesday from a fraternity house.

Police responded to a call at the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity house on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. Omar Nemeth, a 19-year-old sophomore and biochemistry major, was taken to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead, the university said in a statement.

Nemeth, who was not a fraternity member, appears to have died of an accidental overdose of Xanax after partying at the house early Wednesday morning with fraternity members, his girlfriend and younger brother, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said at a press conference on Thursday.

We are deeply saddened by this tragic news, and our hearts are broken for the students family and friends, University President Joseph Castro said in a statement Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Delta Sigma Phi national organization said Nemeth was a friend of a fraternity member.

While the investigation continues, it is important to note that this was not connected to any chapter event and occurred during the schools winter break, the national fraternity said in a statement. Our primary focus remains on supporting the family and friends of this young man during this difficult time, and we will continue to work closely with the university and law enforcement during its review.

Our hearts are broken today as we have learned that an enrolled Fresno State student has died. President Castro joins the campus community in sending condolences to the student's family and friends. Fresno Police is investigating and will issue updates. pic.twitter.com/fr1TOrVWPG  Fresno State (@Fresno_State) January 4, 2018

Fraternity-related deaths shook several universities last year, prompting many schools to suspend Greek life in an effort to combat hazing and dangerous drinking.

Our hearts are broken today as we have learned that an enrolled Fresno State student has died. President Castro joins the campus community in sending condolences to the students family and friends, the university said in a tweet. Fresno Police is investigating and will issue updates.
WASHINGTON -- So the haters in the Fake News Media are again having a wild rumpus, this time because President Trump, threatening nuclear war via Twitter, taunted North Korea's Kim Jong Un by saying his "Nuclear Button" is "a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!"

To those who say it is juvenile for the president of the United States to deliver playground taunts about nuclear annihilation, I offer this considered response: Your momma.

To those who say Trump is demeaning his high office, I have a ready rejoinder: Don't be a bunch of dork-faces.

To those who think it vulgar for the president to boast about the size and functionality of his nuclear button (after boasting during the campaign about the size and functionality of his, er, love button), I offer two thoughts: 1) You booger-munchers make me puke. And, 2) Suck it up, you snot-faced phlegm-wads.

Not only does Trump have the biggest and most beautiful, well-functioning nuclear button, but he has the greatest and most beautiful taunts. North Korea simply can't compete. The best Kim has come up with was calling Trump a "dotard."

Fail! I know I speak for all 320 million Americans when I say we did not know that word. Every one of us had to look it up. But Trump, Smarty McThinkalot that he is, knows how to talk to us. However else we may be divided, virtually all American voters have finished the third grade and therefore understand the language of playground insults. And nobody speaks it better than Trump.

If Kim knew his taunts better, he would have responded in kind. When Trump called him "short and fat," Kim would have replied with, "Oh, really, Das Gropenfuhrer?" or, "Bite me, Mango Mussolini."

When Trump called Kim "Rocket Man," the North Korean could have said, "Shut it, Darth Hater," or, "Can it, you Talking Yam." Kim, when dubbed a "madman" by Trump, could have achieved deterrence by addressing Trump as Agent Orange, Adolf Twitler, Hair Fuhrer or perhaps the Angry Cheeto.

Countertaunted so forcefully, Trump would probably be reduced to saying: "Oh yeah? Well, 'madman' times infinity!" -- thus opening himself up to the obvious but effective parry, "'Mango Mussolini' times infinity plus one!"

The two nuclear-armed leaders could go on firing ballistic missives across the Pacific:

Trump: "Idiot-hole!"

Kim: "Jerk-bucket!"

Trump: "Chunky McEats-a-Lot!"

Kim: "Pudgy McTrumpcake!"

Finally, Gen. Kelly would discover that Trump was tweeting and would take away his phone -- and the nuclear standoff would end.

The North Korean dictator could learn by watching the way two masters of the genre -- Trump and his former top strategist, Steve Bannon -- taunt each other.

Bannon: You made the dumbest political decision in modern political history, bar none.

Trump: You not only lost your job, you lost your mind.

Bannon: Treasonous. Unpatriotic. Bad sh--.

Trump: You're only in it for yourself.

Bannon: Your momma is so fat, when she walked in front of the TV, I missed three commercials.

Trump: Your momma is so fat that when she weighed herself the scale said, "One at a time, please."

But wait! Why am I advising that North Korean blowhole? As a patriotic American, I should be helping my country perfect the adolescent arts. And so, as gift to the president, I have composed a first draft of his State of the Union address:

My fellow Americans, including all of my enemies and haters, you idiot-holes. There are those who say that I am unfit to hold this office and who are calling for my impeachment. But what they do not realize is this: I'm rubber, you're glue. Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you. Tag, no tag-backs. Yes, Democrat jerk-weeds kept us from repealing Obamacare, but we passed a huge tax cut for the rich. In your face! And after years of nothing from President Wimpy McSissypants, I told ISIS: Talk to the hand, because the face ain't listening.

Let the word go forth to all fatheads who say my administration stinks of corruption: He who smelt it dealt it. Let all dog-breath goobers who say I am dragging down Republicans know this: LALALALALALA! I can't hear you! And let everybody who thinks me a failure hear this: I know you are, but what am I? Your FACE is a failure.

The state of my union is bigger and more powerful than the state of your union. And your momma knows it.

Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter, @Milbank.

(c) 2018, Washington Post Writers Group
Lawyers for President Donald Trump reportedly served Steve Bannon with a cease-and-desist letter on Jan. 3, threatening legal damages and demanding that Bannon avoid making defamatory comments about the president and first family as details from an upcoming book begin to be released.

The letter cited an upcoming book about Trumps first year as president by journalist Michael Wolff, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, in which Trumps lawyers allege Bannon made outright defamatory statements and revealed confidential information, ABC News reports.

Bannon, along with all Trump campaign staff, was made to sign a nondisclosure agreement, which Trumps lawyers argue Bannon violated in speaking with Wolff for the book.

On behalf of our clients, legal notice was issued today to Stephen K. Bannon, that his actions of communicating with author Michael Wolff regarding an upcoming book give rise to numerous legal claims including defamation by libel and slander, and breach of his written confidentiality and non-disparagement agreement with our clients, Trump attorney Charles J. Harder of Harder Mirell & Abrams LLP said in the statement cited by ABC.

Legal action is imminent, he added.

Trump himself has also weighed-in on the highly anticipated book, which is slated for publication next month, and in which Bannon suggests that a meeting between Donald Trump, Jr. and a Russian lawyer was treasonous. In a Jan. 3 statement, Trump downplayed the influence of Bannon, his former National Security advisor and campaign chairman, who left the White House in August.

When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind, Trump said, blasting his former chief strategist, who he dismissed as merely a staffer who had come on after Trump had already secured the Republican primary nomination.
(WASHINGTON)  President Donald Trump said so-called chain migration provides a gateway for terrorism Thursday as he sat down with a handful of Republican senators to talk immigration.

Lawmakers have been trying to hammer out a deal on how to extend legal status for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children and had been protected from deportation by the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Trump announced he would be ending the program last year, but gave Congress a March deadline to come up with a legislative fix.

Trump said Thursday that any deal he signs will need to include funding for his border wall, more money for immigration enforcement, an overhaul of the family-based immigration system and an end to the diversity visa lottery.

Trump told the lawmakers that he would love to take care of DACA, but were only going to do it under these conditions.

Chain migration is a total disaster which threatens our security and our economy and provides a gateway for terrorism, he said, referring to the current system that allows many immigrants to sponsor their extended family members.

Trump also said he hoped the overhaul will attract Democratic support.

It would be really nice to do it in a bipartisan way, he told those gathered, which included John Cornyn of Texas, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, James Lankford of Oklahoma and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

A separate group of Senate Republicans is scheduled to sit down with Trump on Thursday afternoon to discuss the budget and other legislative priorities for the year.
The feud between President Donald Trump, his former chief strategist Steve Bannon, and journalist Michael Wolff has continued to escalate, with Trump tweeting late Thursday that Wolffs forthcoming book is full of lies.

Trump denied that he had granted White House access to Wolff, whose highly anticipated book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, made waves this week with apparent revelations about in-fighting and dysfunction during the first year of Trumps administration. In a tweet, the President said the book was full of lies, misrepresentation, and sources that dont exist, and called Bannon, Sloppy Steve.

I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018

Excerpts of the book, published earlier this week, noted that Bannon suggested that Donald Trump Jr.s meeting with Russian lawyers during the 2016 presidential campaign was treasonous. In a statement on Jan. 3, Trump blasted his former White House advisor, playing down Bannons role as a mere staffer, and saying he had lost his mind after being dismissed from the administration in August.

Read More: A New Book Claims the White House Is Dysfunctional. Trumps Response Proves It

Trumps lawyers also served Bannon with a cease and desist letter that claimed his statements in the book constitute defamation by libel and slander, and violate a non-disclosure agreement Bannon signed as a campaign employee.

Read more: What to Know About Trumps Cease-and-Desist Letter to Steve Bannon

Amid the furor, Wolffs publisher, Henry Holt & Co, announced that the books publication, originally slated for Jan. 9, has been moved forward to Friday due to unprecedented demand. The publisher also confirmed that it had received a cease and desist letter from the President attempting to block the books publication.
The U.S. will continue to withhold $255 million in military aid to Pakistan as the White House reviews the nations level of cooperation in fighting terrorism, a National Security Council spokesperson said.

The announcement came just hours after Trump in a tweet said the U.S. has foolishly given more than $33 billion in aid to the country and gotten only lies and deceit in return.

Trump has made it clear that he expects Pakistan to take strong action to fight terrorists and extremism, the spokesperson said. The countrys efforts against terrorism will ultimately determine the trajectory of our relationship, including future security assistance, the spokesperson said.

Following Trumps tweet, Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi called a cabinet meeting on Tuesday and a meeting of the high-level National Security Committee, which includes top civil and military leadership, on Wednesday, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

The Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan has also prohibited a group led by Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, from collecting donations, Pakistans Dawn newspaper reported on Monday citing a notification from the regulator. Saeed was recently released from house arrest in Lahore, prompting a condemnation from the U.S. State Department, which has labeled him a specially designated global terrorist.

Military Aid

Pakistan has long posed contradictions for the U.S.: its a partner in the fight against terrorism yet is also the place where Osama bin Laden hid out for years before being killed in a nighttime raid by U.S. Navy Seals. Since 2015, the U.S. has denied Pakistan $650 million in Coalition Support Fund reimbursements that could be released only if the U.S. military certified the country is making acceptable progress against the Haqqani network, which is affiliated with the Taliban.

The Pentagon also continues to review whether $400 million that Congress approved for fiscal year 2017, pending a certification, can be released. The fiscal 2018 defense policy bill earmarks an additional $350 million, which cant be released until there is a Pentagon certification as well.

Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, praised the move in a tweet: Ive been fighting to end aid to Pakistan for years and will again lead the charge in the Senate. Lets make this happen.

Trump spent the first morning of 2018 wading into Middle Eastern affairs, with another tweet calling for a change in Iran as that country undergoes a rare show of public disapproval in which as many as a dozen people have died in a series of riots, according to state TV and local reports.
Pro-government rallies in Iran Pro-government demonstrators hold a poster of Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R) and Irans founder of Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and shout slogans during a march following the weekly Muslim Friday prayers in Tehran on Jan. 5, 2018. (Photo: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images)

Pro-regime rallies were held around Tehran Friday with authorities seeking to put the recent violent unrest to bed, as Washington slapped fresh sanctions on Iran and called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting.

Iranian officials blamed a plot by the CIA, Israel and Saudi Arabia for the unrest that convulsed much of the country for five days  part of the increasing tensions playing out between Iran and its neighbors since President Donald Trump came to power.

For a third straight day, there were large pro-government rallies, this time in 40 locations around Tehran province and several cities including Tabriz and Kerman after Friday prayers, as authorities declared the unrest over.

The U.S. imposed sanctions against five Iranian firms alleged to have been working on an illegal ballistic missile program, linking the move to the protests. (AFP)

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Were only a few days into the new year, and two contradictory developments have occurred with regard to North Korea: Kim Jong Un indicated a willingness to meet with South Korea for the first time in nearly three years, and President Trump threatened the use of force once again. As North Korea demonstrates increasing potential to hit the U.S. mainland with nuclear weapons, this has been one of the main U.S. responses  to threaten military force to coerce Kims submission to the denuclearization agenda. But it is not the best course of action.

We acknowledge that war is an option. Yet both of us served on active duty together in the Air Force in Guam, and while our opinions are our own and do not reflect the official policy of the U.S. government, it is clear the U.S. has exactly zero good military options against North Korea. A war with North Korea would be incredibly painful, likely leading to the deaths of millions of Koreans, perhaps hundreds of thousands of Japanese citizens and hundreds of thousands of U.S. service members and civilians.

No one wants war, and the hope is that the threat of violence will compel Kim to give up his weapons. But history casts that hope into serious doubt. While credible military threats can help deter a states behavior  no nation has ever attacked a NATO member, for instance  there is little evidence that military threats can compel a regime to give up its own tools of deterrence. If anything, the case of Libya, wherein its authoritarian ruler gave up weapons of mass destruction in exchange for sanctions relief only to be ousted by NATO forces years later, likely strengthens Kims resolve to solidify his nuclear deterrent.

Threatening the use of force only increases the risk of miscalculation, most notably the risk that the North Koreans believe that an attack is either imminent or inevitable, almost certainly incentivizing them to attack first. As they first stated to the U.S. negotiating team during the 1994 nuclear crisis, they learned a lesson from the U.S. treatment of Iraq, and they will not sit back and let the U.S. build up its forces.

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Frustrating as this is, the same historical record that offers little hope for short-term denuclearization does offer hope for a more stable relationship with North Korea in the long-run, eventually leading to the possibility of denuclearization some years in the future. We have witnessed the nuclearization of dangerously hostile powers before. Joseph Stalins Soviet Union is one example. But Mao Zedongs Peoples Republic of China is more instructive.

Kims North Korea and Maos China share many characteristics. The PRC nuclearized in 1964, at a time when Maos government faced a hostile international environment. Like the Kim regime, Maos China was brutal and bloody. The Korean War saw the death of over 1 million Chinese soldiers, including Maos son. The Great Leap Forward in 195456 killed an estimated 45 million, while later in the 1950s Mao famously said that China could fight the Capitalists and lose 300 million and still have 300 million to spare. The bloodshed of the 1950s gave way to the Cultural Revolution, claiming 25 million more lives. In 1969, Mao initiated a border war with the USSR that resulted in mass mobilization of Soviet forces  nuclear and non-nuclear  on Chinas borders. Nuclear weapons had not stabilized Chinas external relations, and military pressure did not deter Maos embattled authoritarian regime.

Nonetheless, China did eventually normalize its relationships with all of its neighbors and stabilize internally. This wasnt achieved by continued isolation and threats of military force by the U.S., but the opposite. In 1971, President Nixon initiated a bold diplomatic initiative that culminated in the recognition of Beijing as the legitimate regime of China in 1974, after which tensions between China and the international community improved dramatically.

We can follow this template with North Korea. Kim is a horrific dictator, but our intelligence agencies do not assess that he is suicidal. We have deterred such regimes before over the past 70 years, Mao being only one. While the world should not recognize North Korea as a legitimate nuclear power the least bad of our limited options today is ending futile efforts at forced denuclearization, with its concordant risk of a devastating war. Instead, we should work toward creating the conditions for eventual denuclearization over the mid- to long-term.

Pariah states will want to cling to nuclear weapons, but the example of China shows relations can be stabilized and deterrence can work. Post-apartheid South Africa also demonstrates nuclearization need not be irreversible. That nation voluntarily ended its nuclear weapons program in 1989, concurrently with apartheid, with the chief aim of normalizing relations with the world  and only after its perceived security threats had been addressed. The lesson is clear: for paranoid isolated regimes, the art of the deal comes down to the carrot, not the stick.

Certainly there are differences between North Korea and China and South Africa. However, past historical experience shows that the current strategy based on threatening North Korea will likely fail. It is time to chart a new course.
When the wife of former Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore declared last month, one of our attorneys is a Jew, she was swiftly criticized for what many deemed an insensitive effort to combat allegations that she and her husband did not like Jewish people.

But now that Moore has lost his special election in Alabama and his opponent, Democrat Doug Jones, has been sworn in, his wife is ready to explain her comment and reveal the identity of their Jewish lawyer.

That lawyer is a man named Martin Wishnatsky, Kayla Moore told AL.com on Thursday  and it turns out Wishnatsky is now a practicing Christian.

We read where we were against Jews  even calling us Nazis, Kayla Moore said in an email to AL.com.

We have a Jewish lawyer working for us in our firm  Martin Wishnatsky. Judge hired him while Chief Justice, then I hired him at the Foundation, she added, referring to the Foundation for Moral Law, which was founded by Roy and Kayla Moore.

This explanation differs from the person who many publications thought the Moores were referencing as their lawyer. News outlets including the Jewish Forward and the Washington Examiner have said that the candidates wife was referring to Richard Jaffe, a Jewish lawyer who represented the couples son, Caleb Moore, when he was charged with drug possession several years ago.

Jaffe, who is a longtime friend of Jones, told AL.com earlier this week that he was offended by the Jewish attorney line and said he wasnt sure he was the correct attorney since he had only worked for the younger Moore.

Wishnatsky, on the other hand, has been a fan of Judge Moore for years, according to AL.com. He met the Alabama judge in 1996 after he had gotten involved in Christianity and conservative activism, particularly around issues like abortion and the Ten Commandments.

While he was raised in a Jewish home in New Jersey, attended Hebrew school and even had a bar mitzvah, Wishnatsky has since changed his beliefs a number of times. His family was not very religious, he told AL.com, and he never felt a very strong connection to God until he accepted Christ at age 33.

After that, Wishnatsky experimented with Mormonism and later became an evangelical Protestant Christian. He has been arrested for protesting against abortion clinics and after meeting Moore, he worked at the Alabama Supreme Court and then at the Foundation for Moral Law.

Wishnatsky, now 73, described himself as a Messianic Jew and when asked whether he believes a Jewish person who practices Christianity is Jewish or Christian, he replied Youre both, according to AL.com. He currently attends Centerpoint Fellowship Church in Prattville, Ala.
A new study shows that eating fish may improve childrens IQ by helping them sleep better. (Photo: Getty Images)

Baby Einsteins days might be numbered thanks to a new study linking childrens fish consumption with better sleep, which helps them perform better on IQ tests.

The study, published last month in the journal Scientific Reports, looked at 541 Chinese schoolchildren. When they were ages 9-11, they completed surveys that indicated the frequency with which they ate fish, and their parents reported on the quality of their sleep (including duration, disruption, breathing trouble, sleep-walking, bedtime resistance, etc.). At age 12, the children took an IQ test. Those who ate fish frequently scored 4.8 points higher than those who rarely or never ate it; and even those who ate it sometimes scored 3.3 points higher. The regular fish eaters also had a higher-quality of sleep. When the researchers analyzed both numbers together, it showed that it was the higher sleep quality that actually made the difference in their verbal IQ scores.

We already know that omega-3s are good for you, and we already know that sleep is incredibly important to your cognitive performance, but it was interesting to combine the two, Tracy Cutchlow, author of Zero to Five: 70 Essential Parenting Tips Based on Science, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. At this point theyre not saying its a definite cause but an association.

And this association raises a question many parents have: What can we do to make our kids smarter? Or, to put it in a more sensitive way: How can we help our kids brains thrive?

Fish and Other Omega-3-Rich Foods

Children should be introduced to it early on, Jennifer Pinto-Martin, one of the studys authors and the executive director of the Center for Public Health Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania, told CNN.

Anyone with a picky eater knows thats easier said than done, but Cutchlow said not to lose hope. Introducing a new food to a kid takes a lot more tries than we imagine it might  its something like eight or more times, she tells Yahoo. Just because they dont put it in their mouth, chew it and swallow the first time doesnt mean that theyre never going to eat it.

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If fish is still off the table, though, there are other good omega-3 sources they can try, such as wild rice, walnuts, pasture-raised eggs, and flax-seed oil.

Avocados

Besides just being delicious, avocados are a great source of lutein, which in turn has shown to improve memory and spatial working memory. Its also packed with monounsaturated fat, which protects brain cells and enhances memory.

Safety and Love

Before you start stressing about whats on your kids plate, just make sure she feels secure and loved.

The brains No. 1 concern is survival, so getting that sense of being in a safe environment allows the brain to relax about that and know it can do other fun things like learn, Cutchlow explains. Without it the brain is just on high alert looking for safety and not able to concentrate on anything else.

Good Sleep

As the fish study indicated, this is key to healthy brains of all ages. REM sleep is when we move our short-term memories from the day into long-term knowledge, so thats how kids retain anything they learned in school or at home during the day.

Its incredibly important to have solid sleep routines in place for your kids, Cutchlow says. Shut down those screens an hour before bed and consider switching from overhead lights to dimmer lamps to ease the transition into bedtime.

Exercise

Though its unclear whether regular physical activity improves childrens IQ or cognitive abilities, it does benefit their executive functioning. That means theyre more able to perform goal-oriented tasks in highly stimulating environments  that sounds a lot like taking a test in school.

The Growth Mindset

Instead of all this talk about improving IQ, how about improving the way kids use their brains? Carol Dweck, a psychologist at Stanford University, developed the idea that acknowledging children for their effort and perseverance (the growth mindset) is more helpful than praising them for being inherently smart or talented (a fixed mindset). Encouraging them to try different strategies to solve problems is the key to making them feel they can conquer other challenges too.

It helps children access the smarts they already have, Cutchlow explains. One aspect of it is talking to your kids about how the brain is a muscle, and when you learn something, youre exercising your brain and making connections between neurons.

Above all, dont get fixated on making your child a genius.

Our job as parents is not to make our kids anything, Cutchlow says, but really to guide them to be who they are.

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In the 10 months since Ryan Zinke took the reins at the U.S. Department of Interior, he has proposed more than doubling summer entrance fees at Yellowstone, Glacier and other popular national parks to $70 per carload.

Lest the thrifty or those on a tight budget try to plan around such a price increase, under Zinkes leadership, the National Park Service reduced the number of free park admission days to four for 2018  down from 16 free days in 2016 and 10 in 2017. The reduction in no-cost admission days was announced two weeks before Christmas. (The National Park Service free days for 2018 are Jan. 15, April 21, Sept. 22 and Nov. 11. Not great dates for planning a picnic in Montana or Wyoming parks.)

The Trump administration proposed a 2018 budget with significant funding cuts for Interior. Even the budget for National Park Service deferred maintenance is targeted for reductions. Maybe thats why Zinke proposed to raise the fees visitors pay.

The austerity measures Zinke has proposed are all the harder to accept when average Americans, especially Montanans, see repeated extravagant spending by the interior secretary.

A story in last weeks editions of Newsweek magazine brought the credibility gap into sharp focus: A Nevada helicopter trip Zinke took on July 30 cost $39,295 that was billed to the departments firefighting preparedness fund, even though Zinke was flying over national monument land  not the wildfires burning in Nevada at that time.

Sure, the helicopter expense is a drop in the buck of the hundreds of millions the U.S. government spent fighting wildfire in 2017. But was it a good idea for the secretary to take the flight? That fire money was borrowed from other Interior and operations because Congress doesnt fund firefighting like it funds natural disasters.

When Newsweeks reporter asked Interior why Zinkes helicopter trip was charged to the fire fund, department spokeswoman Heather Swift said it was charged to the account in error. She said the BLM would pay for the helicopter from a more appropriate account.

Its all public money, regardless of which fund is billed. The same department that Zinke has billed for helicopter flights and chartered aircraft pays firefighters and park rangers and fixes potholes in Yellowstone roads.

We dont know of any law that says the Interior secretary cant fly around in helicopters and charter airplanes at public expense for quick, convenient trips. But when Zinke is wielding the budget knife and eyeing an increase of $40 for every car that rolls into Yellowstone Park, shouldnt he be demonstrating some frugal leadership?

Zinkes pricey trips at taxpayer expense have included:

- $12,375 for a chartered flight from Las Vegas to Whitefish for an overnight stay.

- $7,000 for a March charter plane trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands and a May trip to Alaska.

In October the Interior Office of Inspector General opened an investigation of Zinkes travel expenses.

In November, Inspector General Mary Kendall said her investigation has been delayed by absent or incomplete documentation for several pertinent trips and a review process that failed to include proper documentation.

In early December, Politico, the Associated Press and other news organizations reported on Zinke helicopter trips that cost taxpayers more than $53,000. The information became public because of Freedom of Information requests for Interior travel documents.

The most expensive helicopter flight was the Nevada trip at $39,295. The records showed Zinke also spent $8,000 on a roundtrip that was just 72 miles each way. That flight got Zinke back to Washington, D.C., in time to attend Greg Gianfortes swearing in as Montanas U.S. representative. Zinke also took a roundtrip via helicopter for an aerial survey of a power line corridor about 160 miles away at a cost to taxpayers of $6,200. He returned to Washington in time to ride horses with Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri.

Zinke is failing to lead by example. How can taxpayers trust him to trim out waste  and sustain essential public services -- when they see the secretary spending extravagantly on his own taxpayer-funded travel?

It sure looks like theres one set of rules for Zinke and another for the rest of us who are expected to pick up his tab.

-- The Billings Gazette
Its a rare moment when Stephen Colbert actually wants to win an award from President Donald Trump. But the Late Night host is clamoring to be considered for the presidents fake news awards.

Soon after threatening nuclear war with North Korea over Twitter, Trump sent another tweet announcing THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR. The president said hell name the winners on Monday, and Colbert wants in.

I will be announcing THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday at 5:00 oclock. Subjects will cover Dishonesty & Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media. Stay tuned!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018

Nothing gives you more credibility than Donald Trump calling you a liar, Colbert said.

So Colbert created a For Your Consideration ad and posted it on a billboard in New York Citys Times Square. The ad, which has a decidedly Edward R. Murrow-feel, says Colbert would like to be considered in all categories including Outstanding Achievement In Parroting George Soros Talking Points and The Eric Trump Memorial Award For Disappointment, among others.

So excited for Mondays MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR! See you on the red carpet, @AndersonCooper! #TheFakies pic.twitter.com/r8pYCj0g9r  Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) January 4, 2018

Check out Colbert describing the ad in the video above.

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He pledged Jimmy Fallon's money to charity.

After auctioning off a portrait of himself for $26,000, Colbert went on his show and announced that Jimmy Fallon had agreed to match those funds. Only problem was, he never told Jimmy he was going to do that. As Fallon explained in an interview with our own Arianna, "Literally he did not call me or ask me or consult with me and see if I would ever match $26,000 to a charity." We guess Colbert just KNEW his BFF for six months would come through.

He also testified in character before the House.

A lot of people weren't amused by Colbert's in-character testimony before a House hearing on undocumented farm workers, but his appearance shed critical light on an issue that most people don't understand, while also mocking that misunderstanding at its source.

He ran for President Of The United States Of South Carolina.

Colbert heightened the absurdity of forming his own Super PAC by deciding to "explore" running for President Of The United States Of South Carolina. But before he could enter the election, he was legally required to hand over the reigns of his Super PAC to a trusted source, i.e. Jon Stewart.

He copes with rejection like a boss.

After Daft Punk cancelled their appearance on "The Colbert Report" the day before the taping, Colbert took the high road and mercilessly mocked them, MTV and Viacom. He also revealed the reason: that Daft Punk was to be a surprise performer at the VMA's in September. So... SURPRISE!

He makes the most of every 'sponsortunity.'

It is a brave marketing director who gives Stephen Colbert money for a branded segment. In this Wheat Thins episode, Colbert read an actual memo sent to him by the company, explaining Wheat Thins' role in all of our lives.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
The White House has denied suggestions raised in a new behind-the-scenes book that Donald Trump lacks the mental capacity to do his job.

Asked about insinuations in Michael Wolffs new tell-all work and more widely that Mr Trump was unfit to serve as President, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called them disgraceful and laughable.

If he was unfit, he probably wouldnt be sitting there and wouldnt have defeated the most qualified group of candidates the Republican Party has ever seen, Ms Sanders told reporters. This is an incredibly strong and good leader.

In Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, Mr Wolff describes then-chief strategist Steve Bannon asking whether the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, which lays out the procedure for removing a President deemed unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, might be invoked against Mr Trump, The Times reported.

Ms Sanders further described the work as sad and pathetic.

After Mr Trump unleashed a barrage of controversy with his equivocal response to an alleged white supremacist attack on demonstrators protesting a neo-Nazi rally, saying there was blame on both sides, Mr Bannon allegedly cited the 25th Amendment as the administration grappled with the fallout.

The debate, as Bannon put it, was not about whether the presidents situation was bad, but whether it was 25th-Amendment bad, Mr Wolff wrote.

Mr Bannon also discussed the possibility of Mr Trump not surviving his four-year term, noting the possibility of a threat by the cabinet to act on the 25th Amendment, according to The Times report.

Hes not going to make it, Mr Woolf quoted Mr Bannon as saying. Hes lost his stuff.

The release of excerpts from Mr Wolffs book blasted open a chasm between Mr Trump and Mr Bannon.

In a statement effectively excommunicating his Mr Bannon the President in turn questioned his former aides sanity, saying when Mr Bannon was pushed out of the White House he not only lost his job, he lost his mind.

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Opposition politicians have also mentioned the 25th Amendment while criticising Mr Trump.

Multiple Democratic members of Congress have couched their comments by invoking the measure, suggesting he was showing signs of mental instability and demanding that he undergo a psychiatric evaluation or be removed from office.

According to POLITICO, members of Congress last month summoned a psychiatry professor to come to Capitol Hill and brief them about Mr Trumps behaviour.
Credit: Neon/HBO/TriStar

Sundays Golden Globes will once again celebrate a diverse array of movie and TV hits when it hands out its awards this Sunday night. But amidst the usual collection of comedy and drama contenders, true-crime sagas will be front and center this year, given that three based-on-real-events efforts will be vying for prizes in a number of different categories. With I, Tonya, All the Money in the World, and HBOs Wizard of Lies, the upcoming telecast will be fixated on ripped-from-the-headlines stories, which is why weve compiled a handy rundown of the trio of true-crime tales that will be aiming to pull off a golden heist at the Globes.

I, Tonya

Craig Gillespies black comedy traces the rise and tabloid-ready fall of figure skater Tonya Harding (played by Margot Robbie), detailing her abusive upbringing at the hands of her mother (Allison Janney), her violent marriage to Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan), and her eventual role in the attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan before the 1994 Olympic Games  a crime that landed Gillooly and his three conspirators in prison and resulted in Harding being given probation and a lifetime ban from professional skating. Employing a Martin Scorsese-ish style and a raft of contradictory narrators, Gillespies film presents its material from numerous unreliable vantage points. It will compete for Best Picture  Musical or Comedy, Best Actress  Musical or Comedy (Robbie), and Best Supporting Actress (Janney).

All the Money in the World

Ridley Scotts drama has been in the news thanks to its last-second decision to replace co-star Kevin Spacey with Christopher Plummer in the role of J. Paul Getty, the billionaire oil tycoon who famously refused to pay the ransom demanded by Italian kidnappers whod snatched his grandson John Paul Getty III in 1973. Scotts film details the efforts of the boys mother (Michelle Williams) to rescue her son from captivity with the aid of Gettys right-hand man (Mark Wahlberg)  attempts that were only aided by Getty himself after the criminals cut off the kids ear and sent it to the press. Despite the films production upheaval, the Globes saw fit to nominate Scotts film in three categories: Best Director (Scott), Best Actress  Drama (Williams), and Best Supporting Actor (Plummer)  the last of which is well-deserved, as Plummer proves to be the best part of the film.

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The Wizard of Lies

Over the course of almost two decades, stockbroker Bernie Madoff swindled investors out of $64.8 billion via his elaborate Ponzi scheme  the largest in American history  and for this fraud, he was sentenced to 150 years in prison. That stunning saga is recounted by director Barry Levinson (Rain Man) in The Wizard of Lies, an HBO movie that stars Robert De Niro as Madoff; Michelle Pfeiffer as his wife, Ruth; and Alessandro Nivola as their older son, Mark, who  though never charged by authorities for having anything to do with Madoffs scheme  took his life exactly two years to the day after his fathers 2008 arrest. Unsurprisingly given the caliber of its cast, the film received two Golden Globe nominations, for Best Actor (De Niro) and Best Supporting Actress (Pfeiffer) for a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.

The Golden Globes air Sunday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

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Donald Trump has called his Steve Bannon, "sloppy Steve", as the rift President and his former confidante appears to grow.

After excerpts of an explosive new book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House were published, Mr Trump took to Twitter to lash out at its author Michael Wolff and his one time adviser.

He wrote: "Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!

Mr Trump attempted to block the publication of veteran journalist 's expose, which claims that Mr Bannon called a 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Donald Trump Jr and a Kremlin-linked lawyer treasonous.

He also suggested that the US President knew about the meeting, contradicting previous White House statements.

Denying that he had ever spoken to the author, Mr Trump said the text was full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist.

He had earlier denounced his former adviser in a statement through the White House, saying in a statement that Mr Bannon had "nothing to do with me or my presidency."

I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018

He added: "When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind. Steve pretends to be at war with the media, which he calls the opposition party, yet he spent his time at the White House leaking false information to the media to make himself seem far more important than he was. It is the only thing he does well."

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also claimed the book was filled with false and misleading accounts from individuals who have no access or influence with the White House.

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She told reporters the White House had denied more than 30 requests for information from Mr Wolff.

A lawyer for the US President sent a letter demanding Mr Woolf and his publisher, Henry Holt & Co, immediately cease and desist from any further publication, release or dissemination" of the book, which contains claims Melania Trump was devastated when her husband won the election.

But the publisher responded by bringing forward the book's release date to Friday. There was "unprecedented demand" for it, they said.

We saw a huge spike in demand yesterday, Terry Finley, chief executive of Books-a-Million, told The Wall Street Journal. President Trumps attack absolutely stirred interest.

Mr Wolff also suggested the administration had generated publicity for his book when he thanked the President in a Twitter post.

"Here we go. You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr President," he said.

Here we go. You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. President.  Michael Wolff (@MichaelWolffNYC) January 4, 2018

As the spat continued between Mr Trump and Mr Bannon, conservatives rounded on the former White House strategist.

He set himself on fire in the middle of the south lawn then the president ran over him with a tank, and put it in reverse and backed over him again, said Ed Rollins, a strategist for the pro-Trump Great America super PAC, told Fox News. "Ive never seen anybody do anything as stupid as he did in this interview where he attacked the President and the Presidents family.

Republican representative Pete King said in a Twitter post: Congrats to @POTUS Trump for pulverising loud mouth self promoter Bannon. Time for Bannon to disappear or find work in the circus,
By Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Emboldened by his victory in the passage of the biggest U.S. tax overhaul in decades, President Donald Trump now wants to rein in social welfare programs even though some Republicans are wary of tackling the volatile issue in a congressional election year.

A White House-led drive to downsize government aid programs such as food stamps and housing subsidies would energize conservative campaign donors whose support Republicans are counting on ahead of the November elections where the party will fight to keep control of Congress.

White House aides say Trump is eager to take on welfare. He has a willing partner in House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, who has long had an interest in the issue.

But some Republicans believe Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is lukewarm on the drive for revising welfare, which might face a difficult sell in the Senate where Republicans hold only a razor-thin 51-49 majority.

Democrats already are attacking Trump for identifying welfare changes as his top 2018 goal, saying they are designed to help pay for tax cuts whose benefits are skewed toward corporations and wealthy individuals and which will add an estimated $1.5 trillion to the debt over 10 years.

Trump has summoned Republican congressional leaders to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland this weekend to discuss 2018 priorities, including welfare and a planned effort on infrastructure investment.

Conservative House Republicans are especially enthusiastic about a welfare overhaul. Freedom Caucus leader Mark Meadows and the caucus' former leader, U.S. Representative Jim Jordan, have discussed it with Trump and are confident the Republican president backs their ideas, such as strengthening work requirements for food stamps.

"He definitely gets it," Jordan said.

But Republicans may need to tread carefully in seeking to reduce government aid programs that benefit some of Trump's core supporters in poor, rural regions of the country.

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Republican Representative Tom Cole said Congress had a lot on its plate in the early months of 2018, including must-pass budget legislation and he was unsure there would be the time - or political will in the Senate - to pass welfare legislation.

"First things first," Cole said, adding it might be better to lay the groundwork for debate over the issue than to try enacting changes this year.

Meadows said he believed a welfare overhaul had strong support among Republican lawmakers but that "convincing Mitch McConnell and the Democrats are Herculean tasks."

Other Republicans and interest groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers think 2018 would be better spent on infrastructure.

TOUGHER THAN TAXES?

Trump's first major legislative victory - the tax bill - took until the end of 2017. But handing out tax breaks might be far easier than revamping welfare assistance that benefits millions of American families.

Last year, there were more than 42 million people in nearly 21 million U.S. households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits, which are known as food stamps, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

They cost taxpayers about $58 billion.

Trump's budget proposal last year called for cutting more than $192 billion from SNAP over a decade.

The president also proposed deep cuts to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which last year provided aid to 1.1 million families.

Democratic strategist Doug Thornell said a push on welfare could trigger a political backlash for Republicans from elderly and blue-collar voters in the November congressional elections.

Thornell said it may appeal to Trump's political base "but few else. And the irony here is that it will be Trumps base who will feel the brunt of these cuts."

Robert Doar, a poverty specialist at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute who has been in contact with Trump administration officials about policy ideas, urged an incremental approach.

Although Doar said he did not know what policies the administration would ultimately back, he said Trump could encourage people to get jobs by reducing the length of their qualification for government aid and imposing stricter reviews of their efforts to find work.

He said Congress could pass legislation cutting benefits for people who fail to make enough effort to find jobs or do volunteer work.

Some have argued that food stamp beneficiaries, for example, already include a high rate of people who hold jobs but are unable to make ends meet.

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(Reporting by Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell; Additional reporting by James Oliphant and Steve Holland; Editing by Peter Cooney)
President Donald Trump on Thursday pushed stronger voter identification laws, the day after disbanding his commission on voter fraud.

On Twitter, Trump reiterated frustration with certain states for not handing over information to the commission he formed to investigate his unfounded claims of voter fraud, and blamed the rigged system on Democrats.

Many mostly Democrat States refused to hand over data from the 2016 Election to the Commission On Voter Fraud. They fought hard that the Commission not see their records or methods because they know that many people are voting illegally. System is rigged, must go to Voter I.D.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018

As Americans, you need identification, sometimes in a very strong and accurate form, for almost everything you do.....except when it comes to the most important thing, VOTING for the people that run your country. Push hard for Voter Identification!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018

The White House suddenly announced Trumps commission would be disbanded on Wednesday, though Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R), the panels vice chair, said last week that it would meet in January.

Despite substantial evidence of voter fraud, many states have refused to provide the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity with basic information relevant to its inquiry, the White House said in a statement. Rather than engage in endless legal battles at taxpayer expense, today I signed an executive order to dissolve the Commission, and have asked the Department of Homeland Security to review these issues and determine next courses of action.

Trump created the commission in May, after repeated complaints that voter fraud tainted the 2016 election and caused him to lose the popular vote to Hillary Clinton. He failed to produce any evidence to back his claim.

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Kobach sent all 50 states a letter requesting voters personal information, including birth dates, felony conviction records, military status, voting histories and the last four digits of Social Security numbers. Much of this information couldnt legally be disclosed, and more than 20 states to refused to comply.

Even Kobach admitted that his state legally wasnt able to turn over some of the requested data.

In Kansas, the Social Security number is not publicly available, he said in June. Every state receives the same letter, but were not asking for it if its not publicly available.

Even if the panel had continued apace, theres little evidence that voter fraud is widespread, or that voter identification laws control fraudulent activity in the first place.

Research has shown that voter fraud is rare, and critics maintained that Trumps commission was a mechanism to enhance voter suppression.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, most reported incidents of voter fraud are a result of clerical errors or bad data-matching practices. A February Washington Post study could find no evidence of voter fraud in New Hampshire, despite Trump claiming that Massachusetts voters had been bused into the state to vote illegally.

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President Trump has hinted at the possibility of military action against North Korea, but any U.S. strike is likely to rapidly escalate into an all-out war.

A full-scale conflict with North Korea would cause mass casualties, even in the best-case scenario.

A U.S.-North Korean war could lead to millions of deaths, a refugee crisis and long-term instability.

President Donald Trumps taunt this week that his Nuclear Button was bigger and more powerful than North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns once again raised the specter of armed conflict between the U.S. and Kims regime.

Trump has been engaged in an intense and at times juvenile battle of insults and threats with Kim since he took office. In that same time, Pyongyang has rapidly expanded its nuclear and missile capabilities.

Amid the constantly escalating rhetoric between Trump and North Korea, its easy to lose sight of what exactly is being threatened and just how devastating war with the country would be. Its a conflict that would undoubtedly kill thousands, if not millions, of people and likely bring about the first use of nuclear weapons in combat since World War II.

A picture released on Dec. 13, 2017 by North Korea's state news agency shows Kim Jong Un at a conference in Pyongyang. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

First, A Rapid Escalation

Analysts have looked at a number of possible scenarios for how a war between the U.S. and North Korea would play out.

Most likely, hostilities would start small, but quickly become difficult to rein in. For example, North Korea could retaliate after the U.S. shoots down a missile test or because of some kind of misunderstanding around a perceived American military move.

Experts say that if the U.S. were to launch an initial strike  say, targeting a North Korean missile site  Pyongyang could easily interpret it as the start of something larger.

More likely a limited strike would not stay limited and would quickly escalate. Everything Ive read about North Korean military doctrine and way of thinking indicates they would fight back fiercely and would regard even a so-called limited strike as the first salvo of the invasion that theyve been predicting for years, said Mark Fitzpatrick, head of the International Institute for Strategic Studies Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Policy Programme.

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North Korean defectors, including a former diplomat, have echoed that assessment, warning that if the U.S. were to conduct any sort of limited strike, Pyongyang would likely respond harshly to deter a full-on invasion from the U.S. and its allies.

Threats To South Korea And Japan

Among North Koreas immediate targets would be U.S. bases in South Korea and Japan, experts say, which Pyongyang would likely attempt to destroy using nuclear weapons as a show of force to deter further invasion.

The problem with the North Korean strategy, experts say, is that rather than cause the U.S. and its allies to back off from a conflict, the use of nuclear weapons by Pyongyang would motivate the U.S. and its allies to launch an intense, full-scale attempt to destroy North Koreas military and decapitate its leadership.

Its unlikely that the U.S. would succeed in completely obliterating Pyongyangs nuclear arsenal or its conventional weapons before North Korea could target South Korea with its artillery and devastate major metropolises like Seoul and Tokyo.

A national meeting at North Korea's People's Palace of Culture, released by North Korea's state news agency on Dec. 25, 2017. (Photo: KCNA KCNA / Reuters)

Threats To U.S. Cities

North Korea could also potentially launch intercontinental ballistic missiles against the U.S. mainland, either in an immediate strike or after threatening cities like New York and Washington with a strike to prevent further American military action.

Analysts current assessments of North Koreas missile and nuclear capability is that the country could reach most of the mainland United States with its intercontinental ballistic missiles and potentially be able to target major American cities.

Although there is debate among missile experts over how accurately North Korea could deliver a nuclear warhead to the U.S. and whether such a weapon would survive re-entry into the Earths atmosphere, the North Korean military has shown itself to be increasingly proficient at conducting successful tests and is continually advancing its missile technology. Its possible that Pyongyang could already hit cities like New York, Washington and Los Angeles with nuclear weapons.

It would take about 30 to 40 minutes from launch for North Korean missiles to reach their targets in the U.S. in the case of a nuclear attack. The missiles would leave cities in rubble and kill thousands in the initial blasts  but as in the cases of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the deadly effects would not stop there.

Its so horrible that people dont really ever want to deal with what it would really look like. We pretend that theres a flash and everyones dead, but thats not what happens, said Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear policy expert at Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

There would be survivors for days trying to make their way out of the rubble and back home, dying of radiation poisoning, he said.

Unreliable Missile Defense

To try and defend against missile attacks, the U.S. has spent decades investing billions into developing and testing missile defense systems that could knock missiles out of the sky before they reach populated areas. But missile defense is an extremely difficult endeavor that experts liken to hitting a bullet with a bullet, and tests so far have proven its not guaranteed to work.

People think it ought to work, because it exists and we spent tens of billions of dollars on it, but it hasnt been shown to be reliable or to work in real-world conditions, said Laura Grego, a senior scientist at the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

I would not count on it being a good defense, thats not the way you should think about it, she added.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has around a 56 percent success rate in its tests since 1999, which means that if North Korea were to launch multiple missiles, the chances of at least a few warheads making it to their targets is extremely high. This data goes against Trumps statements on missile defense in October, when he claimed that the U.S. can shoot down missiles 97 percent of the time  prompting missile experts to worry about Washingtons overconfidence in the defense systems.

Im worried about missile defenses role, since an misapprehension or overestimation of its capabilities can be dangerous, Grego said.

Japanese troops take part in a missile defense drill outside Tokyo on Aug. 29, 2017. (Photo: Issei Kato/Reuters)

Guerrilla Warfare And Long-Term Instability

Although much of the focus in a hypothetical conflict with North Korea concerns the role of missile strikes, the country also has over a million troops at the ready to fight on the ground.

Their military is the fourth-largest in the world and is supported by a paramilitary that is 4 to 5 million strong. Theres no doubt that North Korea would put up a fierce fight in the event of a war, said Fitzpatrick.

Although experts say that the U.S. has the overwhelming military power to win a conflict with North Korea, they note a likelihood of continuous guerrilla warfare in the aftermath and the need for a massive occupation force to prevent the nations collapse into anarchy. A population of more than 25 million people would need food and aid, while also transitioning from a totalitarian political system that has closed it off from the world for decades.

China is also concerned that the fall of Pyongyang would create a massive number of refugees crossing the border. Military forces and arms could also join the exodus and present a major crisis for the government.

If North Koreas regime fell, there would also be an urgent proliferation crisis and a race to prevent its extensive conventional, chemical and nuclear weapons stocks from falling into the wrong hands. Altogether, containing the fallout would be a military and political endeavor rarely seen in history, likely costing trillions of dollars and killing untold numbers of people.

A New And Unpleasant Reality

As tensions between the U.S. and North Korea continue to escalate, Trumps inflammatory statements and Washingtons talk of a military option against North Korea have brought increased uncertainty and concern about the risk of war.

But theres also a broader shift in the U.S. relationship with North Korea as American policy adapts to the growing and unpleasant reality that Kims regime has the power to target the U.S.

This moment is so fraught because the North Koreans are doing something very unusual. The North Koreans are transitioning from being like any other country which is vulnerable to American military coercion into a mutual deterrence relationship, Lewis said.

We really only have one historical data point, and thats the Soviet Union in the late 1950s and early 1960s, where we transitioned into a mutual deterrence relationship  we didnt like it and we had the Cuban missile crisis. The North Koreans are now making that same transition and were having a crisis about it.

Read More On North Korea:

Can Anyone Prevent Trump From Launching A Nuclear Strike? Not Really.

Dotard vs. Rocketman: The Nuclear Standoff That Rattled 2017

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Dwall, WA  A registered sex offender was arrested Wednesday for sexual abusing at least two girls.

Spokane County Sheriffs officials said they arrested Dean DJ Zumwalt, 38, for first-degree rape of a child, indecent liberties, first-degree child molestation and sexual exploitation of a minor. Zumwalt is already a level one registered sex offender stemming from a third-degree rape conviction in 2010.

Detectives said they identified two girls who may have been abused by Zumwalt and believe it is possible there are more victims.

In mid-December, authorities said a Spokane County deputy began investigating a report of a 7-year-old girl being abused by Zumwalt, who was a family friend. During the investigation, officials said detectives learned of an 8-year-old girl who said Zumwalt sexually abused her as well.

Detectives said both victims said they were sexually abused while they attended sleepovers at Zumwalts home on South Carstens Road over the past several months. During these times, officials said there were additional young girls who attended the sleepovers. The girls have been identified but have not been interviewed by detectives. They are also attempting to identify two more potential victims known only as Bree and Shaylin.

Investigators said they also learned Zumwalt is suspected of a similar criminal act in Pend Oreille County and possibly in Lincoln County as well.

Officials said Zumwalt appears to use the story of inviting girls to attend sleepovers with other young victims he sometimes refers to as his nieces as a ruse to lower the guard of unsuspecting parents.

The Spokane County Sheriffs Office is asking anyone who feels their child may have been victimized by Zumwalt in Spokane County or can provide information regarding the investigation, to contact Detective Kevin Richey at 509-477-3296.

If you are in a surrounding county and believe your child has been victimized by Zumwalt, detectives urge you to contact local law enforcement to report the information.
Washington (AFP) - US lawmakers returned to work Wednesday with Congress and President Donald Trump racing against the clock to reach a compromise within two weeks that avoids a government shutdown and prevents mass deportations.

The effort took on new urgency in Washington's heated political atmosphere, as Trump engaged in an explosive feud with former White House strategist Steve Bannon and taunted North Korea's leader over the potential use of nuclear weapons.

On Capitol Hill, the new year's session kicked off with two Democrats being sworn in as new members of the US Senate, narrowing the chamber's already slim Republican majority just as negotiations over crunch issues intensify.

Topping the agenda is funding the federal government by a January 19 deadline.

Failure to do so would trigger a government shutdown, a potentially costly political scenario for Republicans -- who control both chambers of Congress and the White House -- just months before November's mid-term elections.

With the budget deadline fast approaching, the four leaders in Congress huddled with White House officials in a bid to set budget caps for military and domestic spending for the remainder of fiscal year 2018.

Republicans have stressed they are keen to boost military funding, but Democrats warn that non-parity increases would come at the expense of domestic social programs that help working and middle-class families.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and the Senate's top Democrat Chuck Schumer said they had a "productive" meeting with Republican leadership about crafting an agreement.

"All parties have agreed to continue discussing a path forward to quickly resolve all of the issues ahead of us," they said in a joint statement.

Democrats are prioritizing funding for various issues including relief for hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico and a children's health insurance program.

- Democrats bolstered -

Another critical issue for January is immigration reform. The Senate is expected to take up a bill to regularize the status of hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as children.

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Trump said in September that he was scrapping the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program put in place by predecessor Barack Obama, but he then delayed enforcement to give Congress six months to craft a lasting solution.

Schumer said Democrats were "ready to negotiate a reasonable border security package to pass alongside DACA," provided Republicans did not insist on "unreasonable demands" like the US-Mexico border wall repeatedly proposed by Trump.

With thousands of potential deportations looming, some Republican senators expressed determination to find a solution.

"Hopefully we'll go back to the table and get to a good place," Senator Thom Tillis told reporters about DACA negotiations.

But in a joint statement, the White House, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan stressed the need to "not hold funding for our troops hostage for immigration policy."

"We've been clear about these budget priorities from the beginning and hope that further discussions will lead to an agreement soon," they added.

Ryan and McConnell are scheduled to meet with Trump next weekend at Camp David, the presidential retreat outside Washington, to discuss Republican budget priorities.

The party is coming off a December high, when Trump got his tax reform bill through Congress for his first major legislative victory.

Democrats have blasted the tax cuts as giveaways to corporations and the wealthy, and Schumer called 2017 "a lost year" for the middle class.

The latest shifts in the Senate may strengthen Democrats' hands in the negotiations and make it harder for Trump to push his agenda through Congress.

- 22 Senate women -

Two new senators dropped into Washington's political cauldron Wednesday.

Doug Jones won a special election last month in Alabama to claim a Senate seat long held by Republicans, while Tina Smith was appointed to replace Minnesota Democrat Al Franken, who resigned over a series of sexual misconduct allegations.

Smith made history, by bringing the number of current female senators to 22, an all-time high.

Jones's upset victory does not change the balance of power in the 100-member chamber, but it trims the Republican Party's majority to 51-49.

The shutdown-and-immigration showdown comes amid heightened brinkmanship between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, with both bragging that they have a "nuclear button" at their disposal.

At least one senator dismissed the suggestion that the cross-Pacific bluster could prove a distraction during all-important budget negotiations.

"That stuff doesn't distract me," Tillis said. "Hopefully it won't distract anybody else in this building."
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's Interior Ministry removed the opposition mayor of Istanbul's Besiktas municipality from office on Thursday, accusing him of links to the 2016 attempted coup and corruption. In a statement, it said police were investigating Murat Hazinedar's alleged links to the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of masterminding the plot. Hazinedar, a member of the secular main opposition Republic People Party (CHP), denies any link to Gulen. Gulen denies any involvement in the attempted coup. At a news conference, Hazinedar called on President Tayyip Erdogan to "get his hands off my family", after his wife and son were barred from traveling abroad due to the investigations. The ministry said it had also removed two other members of the council in Besiktas, one of the largest municipalities in Turkey's biggest city of Istanbul. The move against Hazinedar marked the second time the ministry has removed a CHP mayor from office since its chairman in November accused members of Erdogan's family of transferring $14 million to a company in the Isle of Man. Erdogan denied and dismissed the accusations as lies, and has since taken CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu to court, saying he would "pay the price". Last year, Erdogan also called for the resignation of mayors in a purge of local politics leading six mayors to step down, including those of Istanbul and Ankara. (Reporting by Gulsen Solaker; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Ece Toksabay and Alison Williams)
Doug Jones beat Roy Moore, accused of sexual assaulting teenagers



Tina Smith replaces Al Franken, who faced sexual harassment accusations



Vice-President Mike Pence, right, administers the Senate oath of office to Doug Jones during a ceremonial swearing-in in the Old Senate Chamber. Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Two new Democratic senators were sworn in on Wednesday as the national reckoning over sexual harassment continued to rock Washington.

Doug Jones, the first Alabama Democrat elected to the Senate in a generation, beat Republican Roy Moore, a staunch conservative accused of sexually assaulting teenage girls while he was in his 30s. Moore, who has yet to concede the race, denies the allegations.

Tina Smith, who served as the lieutenant governor of Minnesota until Tuesday, was appointed by the states Democratic governor after the resignation of Senator Al Franken, who stepped down over mounting accusations of sexual harassment.





Joness arrival in the Senate narrows the Republican majority to 51-49, complicating efforts by the majority leader, Mitch McConnell, to implement the White Houses ambitious legislative agenda.

Im hoping to be a good senator, Jones told reporters as he walked through the Capitol on Wednesday before he was sworn in. I dont think thats a partisan issue. I think any good senator is a bipartisan, and thats what Im looking to do.

Vice-President Mike Pence presided over the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday. After officially taking the oath of office, the senators retired to the Old Senate Chamber for a ceremonial swearing-in with family and friends.

Jones was accompanied by the former vice-president Joe Biden, who campaigned for the Democrat during the special election, while the former vice-president Walter Mondale joined as a guest of Smith.

Her entrance raises the total number of women serving in the Senate to 22, a new record for the chamber, according to the Center for American Women and Politics. She will serve alongside the Democrat Amy Klobuchar, making Minnesota the fourth US state to be represented by two female senators.



Smith plans to run in a special election in 2018 to complete the remainder of Frankens term, which expires in 2020.

Franken resigned under pressure from Democrats who urged him to leave office as more women came forward to accuse the former comedian of inappropriate touching and groping. Franken apologized for some of the behavior. But in his resignation speech he said that his response to the womens accounts gave some people the false impression that I was admitting to doing things that in fact I havent done.
By Arshad Mohammed and Jonathan Landay

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday it was suspending an undisclosed amount of security assistance to Pakistan, which two officials said was worth more than $255 million, until Islamabad takes action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.

The U.S. State Department announced the decision, saying it reflected the Trump administration's frustration that Pakistan has not done more against the two groups, which have long used sanctuaries in Pakistan to launch attacks in neighbouring Afghanistan that have killed U.S., Afghan and other forces.

The department declined to say exactly how much aid would be suspended, saying the numbers were still being calculated and included funding from both the State and Defence departments.

U.S. officials said two main categories of aid are affected: foreign military financing (FMF), which funds purchases of U.S. military hardware, training and services, and coalition support funds (CSF), which reimburse Pakistan for counter-terrorism operations. They said they could make exceptions for money that went to critical U.S. national security priorities.

A glance at U.S. budget figures suggest the amounts frozen could exceed $1 billion.

The United States gives Pakistan $255 million a year in FMF, which falls under the State Department's authority. For fiscal year 2017, which ended on Sept. 30, 2017, it has authorized up to $900 million in CSF, which falls under Pentagon authority.

Briefing reporters, U.S. officials stressed the suspension did not affect civilian aid to Pakistan and that the money could go through if Islamabad took decisive action against the groups.

"Our hope is that they will see this as a further indication of this administration's immense frustration with the trajectory of our relationship and that they need to be serious about taking the steps we have asked in order to put it on more solid footing," a senior State Department official told reporters.

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"We're hoping that Pakistan will see this as an incentive, not a punishment," he added.

Two other officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the amount suspended would total more than $255 million. Earlier this year Washington suspended $255 million in FMF.

"It's north of $255 million," said one U.S. official.

The Trump administration briefed Congress on its decision on Wednesday.

Pakistan is largely shrugging off proposed U.S. aid cuts but frets that Washington could take more drastic measures to deter what it sees as the South Asian nation's support for Taliban militants in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Tense ties between the uneasy allies nosedived on Jan. 1 when U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out on Twitter against Islamabad's "lies and deceit" despite $33 billion in aid and the White House warned of "specific actions" to pressure Pakistan.

Trump's frustrations are shared by U.S. lawmakers, who accused Pakistan of playing a double game by allowing militant groups sanctuary - which Islamabad denies - despite promising to crack down on them.

"Pakistan is one of the most duplicitous governments I've had any involvement with," Senator Bob Corker, Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters. "Their, in essence, support of the Haqqani network, or ... allowing them to have safe harbour in their country when they're the greatest threat to our men and women in uniform."

South Asia expert Christine Fair of Georgetown University voiced concern that Pakistan might retaliate for the suspension by closing the highways from the port city of Karachi on which equipment is trucked to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and the airspace through which supplies are flown to U.S.-led international forces in landlocked Afghanistan.

"What is the plan if they close the GLOCs?" she asked, using the military acronym for Ground Lines of Communications. "What if the Pakistanis shut down the ALOCs (Air Lines of Communications). How do you keep supplying the ANSF?"

"Pakistan could be within their rights if they tell us you dont have flyover rights anymore," she added.

(Addititional reporting by David Alexander and Patricia Zengerle; Writing by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and James Dalgleish)
Charles Darwin, father of evolutionary biology, wrote in 1871 that life first emerged in warm little ponds, which he imagined to be small wells of water and chemicals, heated by the sun and surrounded by rocks and air. With these few ingredients and a big dose of randomness, he posited, the basic elements of life clicked together, leading to simple life forms, like bacteria. Their evolution over millions of years eventually led to the sophisticated life forms that now inhabit the planet.

These days, scientists generally agree with the idea that the original recipe for life was pretty simple, but theyre not sure what ingredients were necessary for those early life forms to make the leap into complex forms of life, like animals. Many scientists theorize that, since all complex life  involving cells that have multiple components  now relies on oxygen to breathe, it must have happened at a time when there was plenty of oxygen in the air. But on Thursday, the scientists behind a study soon to be published in Nature report that oxygen in the atmosphere didnt rise to significant levels until after complex life arose  suggesting that oxygen wasnt all that important after all.

This is significant because it provides new evidence that the origination of early animals, which required O2 for their metabolisms, may have gone on in a world with an atmosphere that had relatively low oxygen levels compared to today, said study co-author Daniel Stolper, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Earth and planetary science at the University of California, Berkeley, in a statement.

Though all present-day life on Earth requires oxygen to survive, the sea and sky were not oxygen-rich when life first emerged.

In previous studies, scientists determined that complex life first emerged around 700 and 800 million years ago, sometime between huge ice ages. The history of oxygen on Earth, meanwhile, is a bit cloudier. Scientists believe there was no oxygen for Earths first two billion years, and then, some 2.3 to 2.5 billion years ago, a little bit of oxygen showed up (they can tell because it turned some rocks red with rust-like compounds). But deposits of fossilized charcoal have shown that it wasnt until at least 400 million years ago that there was enough oxygen in the atmosphere for forest fires to burn. That leaves a 2.1-billion-year period during which there was minimal oxygen  but, strangely, still evidence of life.

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At one point in those 2.1 billion years, the geochemists show, the amount of oxygen in the air reached a concentration high enough that it led to the deep sea becoming oxygenated  sometime between 540 and 420 million years ago. They came to this conclusion by looking at rocks formed by undersea volcanoes  in particular, the iron inside them.

Anyone who has encountered rust on a car knows that oxygen and iron react in very obvious ways, and the reaction is no different in the underwater rocks. Seawater flowed through them as they first formed, so the iron in the rocks carries the chemical signature of the water. It soon became clear, from the oxidation of the iron, when the sea became full of oxygen.

More importantly, it also became clear that complex life had existed on the Earth long before the oxygenation of the sea took place.

One of the world's oldest fossil animals is Dickinsonia, which lived in the oceans 550 million years ago.

This finding complicates matters for researchers trying to figure out when complex life on Earth emerged, especially those who believe that, since all life breathes oxygen, the event was inextricably tied to the oxygenation of the atmosphere. Since that now doesnt seem to be the case, scientists must think on different theories, like one posited by scientists in Nature in 2017, suggesting that the explosion of complex life coincided not with a rise in oxygen but with the first big boom in algae growth.

The more we learn about the origins of life, both simple and sophisticated, the more puzzling life seems to be. In some ways, it doesnt seem to be very complex at all. For the most part, scientists pondering the mystery of lifes origins still think along the same lines as Darwin, proposing that the original recipe really wasnt very complicated at all  and perhaps could have been cooked up someplace other than Earth. Paul Niles, for one, a planetary geologist with NASA investigating the possibility that life could have emerged on Mars, said in a statement in October 2017 that sometimes, life doesnt need a nice atmosphere or temperate surface, but just rocks, heat, and water.

Since abundant oxygen now doesnt seem to be all that necessary for simple life to develop into something more, theres now an even greater possibility that complexity exists somewhere other than here.

Photos via Flickr / benowi.bonro, University of California, Riverside, National Science Foundation

Photos via Flickr / benowi.bonro, University of California, Riverside, National Science Foundation

Written by Yasmin Tayag

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Mr McGahn is pictured here leaving the White House during the presidential transition period in 2016: Getty Images

A top House Democrat is calling for the dismissal of the White House counsel Don McGahn over his role in the probe into Russias meddling in the 2016 election.

Representative Jerrold Nadler called for the dismissal after a report from the New York Times indicated that President Donald Trump ordered Mr McGahn to stop Attorney General Jeff Sessions from recusing himself from the investigation into the meddling.

Mr Nadler, in a statement, said that the order  and Mr McGahns decision to follow the directive  amounts to an effort to undermine the Justice Department and its investigation. Mr McGahns role as a government employee, Mr Nadler said, does not allow him to act like Mr Trumps former personal attorney, Roy Cohn.

Mr. McGahns actions under Mr. Trumps orders in either case would appear to be yet another incident pointing to an overall effort to obstruct and undermine the Department of Justice, Mr Nadler said. It is not the duty of the White House Counsel to be the Presidents Roy Cohn, as Donald Trump would have it, but to protect and defend the Constitution  which Mr. McGahn seems to be failing to do.

The New York Times report indicates that Mr Trump instructed his White House counsel to put pressure on Mr Sessions in March, and that Mr McGahn then lobbied the embattled attorney general to stay involved. When Mr McGahn was unsuccessful, Mr Trump reportedly erupted in anger in front of several White House officials, and said he needed his attorney general to protect him.

The episode is one of several previously unreported instances that special counsel Robert Mueller is said to have learned about in the course of his 2016 probe.

Other instances include Mr Trump penning a letter that he intended to deliver to former FBI Director James Comey, who was in charge of the Russia investigation at the time, saying that the investigation was fabricated and politically motivated. White House aides intervened, and stopped the letter from being sent.

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Another revelation has been that former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus penned handwritten notes that the President had called Mr Comey to urge him to publicly announce that he wasnt personally a target in the investigation. The special counsel has reportedly received those notes.

And, in the lead up to Mr Comeys firing last year  which ultimately resulted in the appointment of Mr Mueller  Mr Trumps aides reportedly misled him about his ability to fire his FBI director, and one of Mr Sessions aides went to congressional staff to ask if they had any damaging information on Mr Comey as they sought to undermine the former FBI director.
(Photo: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters)

A White House lawyer intentionally misled President Donald Trump last year to try to stop him from firing then-FBI Director James Comey, according to a New York Times report on Trumps attempts to control the Justice Departments Russia investigation.

The Times learned of the deception after reviewing documents and interviewing White House officials and others with knowledge of the incidents.

EXCLUSIVE: Mueller's Investigation reveals details of how Trump had WH counsel lobby Sessions not to recuse; how a WH lawyer tried to mislead the president about whether he could fire Comey; Preibus notes corroborate some of Comey's claims. https://t.co/OxhitbBfg2  Michael S. Schmidt (@nytmike) January 5, 2018

Worried about Trumps apparent determination to fire Comey, White House Deputy Counsel Uttam Dhillon sent a junior lawyer to look into any laws that would prohibit Trump from ousting the FBI director last spring, the Times reported on Thursday.

Dhillon, who was concerned that Comeys ouster could spark an investigation into whether Trump was attempting to obstruct justice, had previously told the president he would need cause to fire Comey.

But even after the lawyers research revealed that the U.S. president has the legal authority to dismiss the FBI director without stating a reason  as was confirmed by a 2014 Congressional Research Service report  Dhillon withheld that conclusion from Trump.

Dhillon was convinced that if Mr. Comey was fired, the Trump presidency could be imperiled, because it would force the Justice Department to open an investigation into whether Mr. Trump was trying to derail the Russia investigation, the Times reported.

Stephen I. Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, told the Times that Dhillons withholding of that information was extraordinary.

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This shows that the presidents lawyers dont trust giving him all the facts because they fear he will make a decision that is not best suited for him, Vladeck told the newspaper.

Trump ended up firing Comey in May, even though he was leading the investigation into whether the Trump campaign had colluded with Russia during the presidential election. In his dismissal letter, Trump told Comey, you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau.

While presidents have the authority to dismiss FBI directors  who serve 10-year terms and often overlap administrations  it is rare for one to do so.

Comey is only the second FBI director to be formally terminated by a president. The only other FBI director to be fired was William S. Sessions, who was ousted by President Bill Clinton in 1993 after an internal ethics report alleged Sessions engaged in ethical abuses while serving in office.

Dhillon, the White House deputy counsel, had served as the chief oversight counsel for the House Financial Services Committee since 2014 when Trump appointed him to the White House legal team a year ago. Dhillon had also worked as the associate deputy attorney general in the Justice Department from 2003 to 2006.

Read The New York Times report here.

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The White House - under fire over damaging claims contained in a new publication - has hit out at the author, claiming he made up a lot of stories to try and sell books.

The administration has for several days been defending itself against allegations made by Donald Trumps former strategist Steve Bannon, who suggested the Presidents son holding of a meeting with a Russian lawyer was treasonous, that his daughter was dumb as a brick and that Mr Trump contained no brain trust. Mr Trump has responded by saying Mr Bannon had lost his mind after he was sacked.

The White House has also tried to shoot the messenger, claiming Michael Wolff, the author of Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, is unreliable. This is a guy who made up a lot of stories to try and sell books, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told Fox News.

Fire and Fury is #1 on Amazon.  Michael Wolff (@MichaelWolffNYC) January 3, 2018

And more and more people are starting to see that his facts simply dont add up.

Ms Sanders said on Friday - the day to which publication of the book had been brought forward - Mr Wolff had spent a lot of time talking to Mr Bannon, Mr Trumps former top strategist who was fired last August. Yet she claimed people cited in the book had said their words had been misquoted.

A number of them have said the things that are attributed to them they simply did not say," she said.

I think that this individual, Michael Wolff, has a long history of not being very credible when it comes to sourcing, when it comes to putting books together.

Mr Wolff is a veteran New York journalist with a long track record in the business. He is perhaps most famous for his 1988 profile of media mogul Rupert Murdoch - The Man Who Owns the News: Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch.

On Friday, Mr Wolff defended his book, and insisted he did indeed interview Mr Trump, despite the White Houses assertion that the two men had a single, short telephone conversation that was not related to material for the book.

Story continues

I absolutely spoke to the President. Whether he realised it was an interview or not I dont know, he said on NBC. But it certainly was not off the record.

He said he spoke with Mr Trump for a total of about three hours over the course of the presidential campaign and after the inauguration. He added that he has recordings and notes and remains absolutely in every way comfortable with everything Ive reported in this book.

My credibility is being questioned by a man who has less credibility than, perhaps, anyone who has ever walked on earth, he said.

Mr Trump tweeted late on Thursday that Mr Wolffs book was fiction and reliant on fake sources.

I authorised Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don't exist, he said.

Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve.
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A witness who reportedly testified before Special Counsel Robert Muellers federal grand jury claimed in an interview with Page Six that the jurors looked like they came from a "Black Lives Matter rally."

"The grand jury room looks like a Bernie Sanders rally," the witness told the outlet. "Maybe they found these jurors in central casting, or at a Black Lives Matter rally in Berkeley [Calif.]"

RELATED: Putting the Trump-Russia timeline into perspective



The witness further contended that of the 20 jurors in the room, 11 of them were African-Americans and claimed two of them were wearing "peace T-shirts." According to Page Six, Mueller was not present.

Although the outlet did not name the witness or reveal the individual's political leaning, the witness appeared to be sympathetic towards the president, adding that the "room isnt a room where POTUS gets a fair shake.

Mueller's team first announced charges against three advisers to President Trumps campaign in October: Paul Manafort, Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos.

SEE ALSO: Trump insider: 'It's painfully obvious Mueller will bring charges,' in explosive new report

The grand jury is reportedly expecting to bring more charges against Manafort in relation to work on behalf of the Ukrainian government prior to Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.
A woman who accidentally received the wrong lottery ticket from a cashier and decided to buy it anyway made the right move.

Oksana Zaharov, 46, from Edgewater, New Jersey, was shopping in Manhattan when she asked a clerk for a $1 New York Lottery scratch-off ticket. Instead, the man unwittingly handed her a $10 Set For Life ticket.

Zaharov noticed the mistake. When the clerk handed me the wrong ticket I felt bad, so I decided to just go ahead and buy it, the mother of two told the lottery in a press release. I actually used the ticket as a bookmark for a couple weeks before I decided to scratch it.

Now she can buy a whole lot of bookmarks. Zaharov won $5 million to be distributed over 20 years, plus annual net sums of $172,068 after that for the rest of her life.

Her stroke of luck went viral on Tuesday as news outlets learned of it.

I never win anything, she told the lottery. I was sure the ticket was fake. It wasnt until I brought it into the office that I knew it was for real.

Zaharov hopes to take her family on a Bahamas vacation and plans to fund her childrens college education.

HuffPost reached out to her  and we swear it wasnt for a loan but rather to see if she wants to comment on her win.

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Dating a supermodel

Odds: 88,000 to 1 (Deseret News)

Becoming president

Odds: 10,000,000 to 1 (Daily Beast)

Becoming a movie star

Odds: 1,505,000 to 1 (Daily Beast)

Picking a perfect NCAA bracket

Odds: 13,460,000 to 1 (Deseret News)

Birthing identical quadruplets

Odds: 13,000,000 to 1 (Time)

Becoming an astronaut

Odds: 12,100,000 to 1 (Seattlepi)

Dying by a hornet

Odds: 6,100,000 to 1 (Seattlepi)

Dying from being left-handed

Odds: 4,400,000 to 1 (Daily Beast)

Drowning in a bathtub

Odds: 840,000 to 1 (Seattlepi)

Getting a royal flush in a first hand of poker

Odds: 649,740 to 1 (Seattlepi)

Being murdered

Odds: 18,000 to 1 (Deseret News)

Dying in an asteroid apocalypse

Odds: 12,500 to 1 (Daily Beast)

Finding a four leaf clover

Odds: 10,000 to 1 (Deseret News)

Losing an appendage to a chainsaw

Odds: 4,464 to 1 (Deseret News)

Writing a New York Times bestseller (if youre an author)

Odds: 220 to 1 (Time)

Woman's Friend Steals Winning Scratch-Off

A South Carolina woman's luck stopped short after she told a few friends about her winning $500 ticket. Willie Jones, a friend of the winner, was charged with stealing her ticket.

Man Wins Lotto, Bails Himself Out Of Jail

After John Ross Jr. won a 'Set For Life' scratch off game, he was looking forward to turning his life around. However, Ross soon found himself behind bars after he allegedly helped a woman hide and repair a stolen car.

Geniuses Outsmart Massachusetts Cash WinFall

A group including MIT undergraduates and a biomedical researcher discovered a loophole in the Cash WinFall game that netted them nearly $48 million. Apparently, lottery officials knew about the scam since at least 2010, but did nothing about it because it generated $16 million in revenue for the state.

Lotto Winner Found Million Dollar Ticket While Cleaning Out Desk

Retired hospice chaplain Ron Yurcus stumbled across a million-dollar miracle when he found a winning lottery ticket while cleaning out his desk in November 2012. He had purchased the Powerball ticket from a BP gas station two months earlier.

Controversy Over Record Mega Millions Jackpot

After McDonald's employee Mirlande Wilson falsely claimed she won Mega Millions' record $656 million jackpot, three Maryland school teachers stepped forward to claim their share of the prize.

New York Brothers Charged With Scamming $5 Million Lottery Ticket

Two brothers from central New York who claimed a $5 million lottery ticket sold at their family's store were accused in November 2012 of scamming the winning ticket from a customer. Andy Ashkar, 34, and Nayel Ashkar, 36, are charged with second-degree attempted grand larceny and fourth-degree conspiracy.

Chicago Man Wins New Jersey Lottery While Cleaning Up After Hurricane Sandy

John Turner, a 38-year-old Chicago man, bought a winning $100,000 lottery ticket after coming to New Jersey to help clean up after Hurricane Sandy. Turner runs National Catastrophe Solutions of Chicago, a local water removal business.

Homeless Man Wins $200,000 Lottery Prize

A homeless man in Greenville, S.C. won $200,000 from a scratch-off lottery game in October 2012.

Teen Cancer Survivor Wins Mega Millions Lottery

Nicholas Ruth, a 19-year-old cancer survivor, matched five of the six numbers in the state's Mega Millions lottery, earning himself a second-tier prize of $250,000 in September 2012. After taxes, Ruth will have about $165,000 to spend and plans to donate some of his money back to the organizations that helped him with his leukemia.

Friends Win Mega Millions Jackpot After Playing Together For 25 Years

Willie McPherson, 74, and Christopher Manzi, 44, won a $14 million jackpot in September 2012 after playing the Mega Millions lottery together for 25 years, according to the New York Post. The two had been buying lottery tickets together after becoming friends while working at Manzis print shop in Manhattan.

Clerk Steals Winning Ticket From Great-Grandma

A store clerk in England tried to turn in 77-year-old Maureen Holt's winning lottery ticket himself after telling her it was a losing ticket.

Teen Finds Ticket In Messy Bedroom

Ryan Kitching, a Scottish teenager, found a winning lottery ticket hiding in his bedroom after his mother told him to clean his room. The ticket is worth more than $80,000.

Chicago Couple Keeping Millions Secret

One Chicago couple won $30 million in the Illinois lottery, but didn't even tell their kids, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Connecticut Money Managers Win Big Jackpot

Greg Skidmore, Brandon Lacoff and Tim Davidson, who work at an asset management firm in Greenwich, one of the most affluent towns in America, came forward as lottery winners in 2011. Their lawyer said they formed a trust to manage the money after Davidson bought the $1 winning ticket at a Stamford gas station.

Lotto Winner Continued To Collect Food Stamps

Amanda Clayton, 24-year-old from the Detroit-area, continued collecting $200 in government food assistance after she won a $1 million lotto prize.

Undocumented Immigrant Awarded Lotto Prize After Lawsuit

Jose Antonio Cua-Toc, a foreign national from Guatemala, sued his former boss to reclaim his lotto money, which he had given to his employer out of fear of being exposed as an undocumented immigrant. Cua-Toc won the lawsuit.

Iowa Lottery Winner Claims $16.5 Million Prize At Last Minute

The winner of an Iowa Lottery ticket in 2011 valued at $16.5 million waited until two hours before the deadline to claim the prize. The ticket was purchased nearly one year ago.

Winning $80K Lottery Ticket Donated To Burglarized Georgia Church

In 2011, an anonymous donor stepped in to help a Georgia church that was burglarized with a winning $80,000 lottery ticket the Associated Press reports.

1. The Gift Of Learning

Perhaps one of the best things you can give is the gift of education, because it can last for generations. For $10,000 at a time, there are many charities that you can assist with funding schools in impoverished countries. For example, with a Plan Canada donation, you could help establish schools in Honduras. Or, if youre looking for a more hands-on adventure travel experience, pack your hammer and head to Kenya to physically help build a school. Along with creating a place of learning for children who may never have had that experience, you can discover traditional Maasai culture. Oh, and never mind the elephant watching and beautiful sunsets youll encounter.

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Comparing the ongoing anti-government protests in Iran to demonstrations in the U.S. like Black Lives Matter, actress and activist Yara Shahidi is urging Americans to consider just how interconnected the situation in Iran is to the U.S. experience.

Appearing on The View on Wednesday, the 17-year-old Black-ish star, who is half African-American and half Iranian-American, said she hoped people would see the Iran protests from an empathetic and humane perspective.

The U.S., she said, has a tendency of taking an isolationist approach when it comes to some global issues. But Shahidi said Americans may find they have more in common with the Iranian protesters than they may expect.

These movements [are] really connected to our own movements in the past, whether its the Black Lives Matter rallies that have been happening or the [2017] Womens March, she said. So I think for me, its about showing support for the protesters and making sure people are safe, and understanding that this is part of our larger global community.

Its so much more than the Iranian nuclear deal, its so much more than these Trump tweets in favor for or against the government, Shahidi continued. Its really about the people that are being affected. Theyre in a very similar situation [to us]. They were sold an economic plan that didnt benefit them  similar to the [U.S.] tax plan thats happening now. We have to look at that interconnectivity.

Shahidi, who has family members living in the city of Mashhad where the protests began on Dec. 28, has previously expressed her support for Irans protesters, tweeting this message of love last week:

Hoping all protesters, Iranians, and my fellow Mashhadies stay safe #IranianProtests  Yara shahidi (@YaraShahidi) December 30, 2017

Tens of thousands of Iranians are estimated to have taken to the streets in at least a dozen cities and towns since the protests began in Mashhad a week ago. Hundreds of protesters have since been arrested and at least 21 people have been killed in the unrest.

Story continues

The protests were triggered by discontent over rising food prices, Irans high rate of unemployment and the countrys stagnant economy, which has remained weak despite the historic nuclear deal in 2015, which lifted crippling economic sanctions in return for a scaling back of Irans controversial nuclear program.

As the protests have escalated, some demonstrators have called for government reform and the ouster of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Reacting to the unrest in Iran, President Donald Trump has tweeted his support for the protesters on the ground, saying Iran is failing at every level and that it is TIME FOR CHANGE.

Iran is failing at every level despite the terrible deal made with them by the Obama Administration. The great Iranian people have been repressed for many years. They are hungry for food & for freedom. Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted. TIME FOR CHANGE!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who was re-elected last year, expressed disdain for Trumps comments, calling him an enemy of the Iranian nation.

This gentleman in America, who is now trying to sympathize with our nation, appears to have forgotten that he called the Iranian nation terrorists several months ago, he recently said, according to the BBC. This man, who is an enemy of the Iranian nation from the top of his head to his very toes, has no right to sympathize with Iranians.

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An application that recommends to a company commander the safest route to a Hamas target and software that displays for a battalion commander bird's-eye satellite footage of the village he is preparing to enter in southern Lebanon. These are just some of the technological advances that are being developed by the IDF's new Unit 3060a development unit attached to the Military Intelligence Directorate that was unveiled for the first time Wednesday.

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Around 400 soldiers serve in the new secret unitcovertly formed in 2014most of whom are programmers, software testers and graduates of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences degrees.

The "products" produced by the unit constitute a significant leap in making real-time intelligence easily accessible to military commanders, in bolstering security on the borders and in facilitating more efficient ground maneuvers based on the fusion of information, image processing, the use of artificial intelligence, swiftly displaying information using combined intelligence sources including drones and satellites, human espionage, recording, listening or tracking devices planted on enemy units and openly available intel taken from social media or newspaper outlets.

The 'King's Way' app, developed by Unit 3060 to disperse fog of war conditions (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Take, for example, the unit's "Broadcast Researcher" system that enables a commander who needs to operate in a specific neighborhood in Gaza, south Lebanon or Syria to tap an aerial picture of the field he is preparing to enter and view a specific street or building, as well as receive an instant video stream of the site.

Another system that was unveiled by officers of the unit Wednesday is an application dubbed "The King's Way, capable of calculating the quickest routes during a ground maneuver into enemy territory.

The program calculates distances of different available routes, estimated times of arrival, vehicle journey times for armored vehicles, and displays slopes en route that are hazardous for Armored Personnel Carriers, while considering weather conditions and their effect on the ground, as well as providing analysis and detection of areas in which the force may be exposed to the enemy's observation or weapon fire located at nearby potential control points.

Furthermore, the software is updated in real time and even considers changes to the topography that occurred as recent as hours or even minutes prior, such as an aerial bombardment that changed the area's terrain.

A previous and less advanced incarnation of this program has already proved itself in Operation Protective Edge whenduring a maneuver of the Nahal Brigade and the 401 Armored Brigade in the northern Gaza Strip Al-Atatra neighborhoodthe forces chose a path of progress that prevented them from walking into an ambush and even aided them with clearing buildings booby-trapped by Hamas forces.

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

The software and applications developed by the unit are more suited to the rank of brigade commander and division commander, while the intelligence officer of these units could analyze the data from the systems for the commander, acting as a sort of mediator.

In contrast to similar applications already available for ground forces, products being developed by this new unit include nearly limitless intelligence depth of the highest classification levels, as well as smart algorithmics enabling to construct a plan of attack in real-time or understanding the enemy's movements in a better and faster fashion.

Similarly to civilian apps, the unit's programs will also receive regular updates, sometimes during actual operational activity, with the persons providing support and maintenance on the apps for the commanders in the field being the heads of the teams that developed them.

'A civilian startup's culture'

"During the large drill in the north held earlier this year, one of the division heads entered my office and said the operational end-user for one of the apps will call in to report a malfunction in two hours' time, because he was capable of monitoring, identifying and fixing such problems before they are felt in the field," a senior officer at Unit 3060 said Wednesday.

"We're working based on products rather than projects, three months at a time, with a civilian startup's culture," the officer revealed.

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Ten high-functioning autistic soldiers currently serve in the unit, as part of an IDF project to promote such populations in its technological units. One niche of note that has inserted itself into the unit's operation has to do with the efficient use of intelligence through cyber, from collecting all relevant data items to the ability to predict events that have yet to happen and consequently recommend a way of countering them.

"The systems being developed in the unit are our ammunition, but they won't be replacing intelligence officers," said one such officer from Northern Command at a Wednesday press briefing. "They are products allowing us to increase the number of targets to attack and reduce mistakes, for instance by outlining sensitive elements such as mosques and schools."

"During routine security operations, meanwhile, the systems will be used to analyze the lay of the land, so that if an object approaches a certain hill in the Syrian Golan Heights, for instance, the system will recommend pointing a camera at that hill using information previously collected on the terrain," he concluded.
Russia considers a US proposal for an extraordinary meeting of the UN Security Council on the turmoil in Iran "harmful and destructive", RIA news agency cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Thursday.

"We see no role for the United Nations Security Council in this issue," he said, according to the agency. "Iran's domestic affairs have nothing to do with the United Nations Security Council's role."

On Thursday, the Kazakh delegation to the UN said the Security Council will meet on Friday at 3pm (2000 GMT) to discuss Iran. Kazakhstan is the Security Council president through January.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said this week that Washington was seeking emergency sessions on Iran at the United Nations in New York and at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The US delegation said on Thursday it had requested the Friday meeting.

Anti-government protests have swept Iranian cities and towns over the past week and 21 people have been killed in the unrest.

Commenting on the possibility of new US sanctions on Iran, Ryabkov said such methods were "illegitimate".
US senators and Trump administration officials met at the White House on Thursday, hoping to hammer out compromise legislation to tighten restrictions on Iran while keeping Washington in an international nuclear deal with Tehran.

Senators Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Ben Cardin, the panel's top Democrat, had an evening meeting with President Donald Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, to discuss possible legislation, Senate and White House aides said.

The stakes have risen in the past week with anti-government protests in several Iranian cities over economic hardships and corruption, the boldest challenge to Iran's leadership in a decade.
WEST LIBERTY  Police have a suspect in custody for the break-in at the Crystal Corner Car Wash, 322 E. 3rd St.

A West Liberty Police officer was three blocks away when they were dispatched to the car wash at 5:22 a.m. Friday.

The officer found a door that was pried open and 54-year-old Richard Ray Webb, of East Moline, was inside.

Police Chief Kary Kinmonth said it was later discovered that the white 2009 Chevy Silverado found near the scene with a Silvis license plate was stolen.

We had our suspicions initially and then it literally just took a while for the person to get back to us, Kinmonth said. We actually basically told them over the phone that their truck was gone.

Kinmonth said the vehicle's owner parked the Chevy around 10 p.m. He said it was probably stolen around 3 a.m. The department is still looking for any evidence of similar incidents that might be associated with the 5:22 a.m. break-in at the Crystal Corner Car Wash.

The suspect was not armed and was charged with felony burglary in the 3rd degree. This is a catch all provision, meaning that it covers all burglaries not covered by the first and second degrees. This Class D crime is punishable by five years in prison and a fine of up to $7,500.

He was also charged with felony criminal mischief in 2nd degree, defined by Iowa Code as intentionally damaging, defacing, altering or destroying tangible property without the authority to do so. Charges depend on the cost of the damage. The 2nd degree designates that the value of replacing the damaged property is between $1,000 and $10,000. This Class D felony carries the potential sentence of up to five years in prison and fines from $750 to $7,500.

The suspect was also charged with possession of burglary tools.

West Liberty police were assisted at the scene by the Muscatine County Sheriffs Department.

The whole thing is kind of interesting, Kinmonth said. What made West Liberty a target? Who knows.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday warned that bilateral legal accords with the United States were "losing validity", lashing out at Washington over the conviction of a Turkish banker in a US court case.

A jury in a US federal court on Wednesday convicted an executive of Turkey's majority state-owned Halkbank for evading Iran sanctions in a case that Erdogan has cast as a political attack against his government.

"If this is the US understanding of justice, then the world is doomed," Erdogan told a news conference before his departure to France for an official visit, in his first public comments since the verdict.

"The United States should excuse us, but the laws in our bilateral ties and the bilateral accords between us are losing their validity. I am saddened to say this, but this is how it will be from now on."

Turkey's foreign ministry on Thursday condemned the conviction as unprecedented meddling in its internal affairs.
Israelis flying abroad will no longer be able to rely on their Israeli driving licence to travel on foreign roads without first obtaining an additional international licence, according to new instructions issued by the Ministry of Transport.

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According to a statement recently announced by the ministry, the new procedures are being implemented at the insistence of a number of foreign bodies which have cited heightened security risks.

Up until now, the Israeli licence alone was sufficient for many countries, including the majority of European countries and the US, but the ministry has not informed its citizens they can no longer rely on their domestic licence alone.

Israeli driving licence (Illustration)

Last summer, the Ministry of Transport announced that in the event that an Israeli citizen travels abroad during a vacation and is required to present verification of his driving licence, he or she could turn directly to the Israeli Foreign Ministry and request the required documentation.

Using the details provided in the request, the ministry would then confirm the validity of the licence and issue an international one within a short timeframe.

With the latest stipulations, however, an international licence will have to be obtained beforehand and be carried by the driver in addition to his or her Israeli one.

An Israeli citizen leaving Israel to another country can no longer rely on his Israeli driving licence in his possession, an official statement read.

The international licences will cost up to 20 shekels and will be valid in 175 countries.
Russia welcomes North and South Korea's readiness to resume dialogue, RIA news agency cited a Russian Foreign Ministry source as saying on Friday.

Moscow hopes "this positive trend will be underpinned by concrete agreements aiming at a settlement in the Korean peninsula", the source said.

North Korea agreed on Friday to hold official talks with the South next week, the first in more than two years.
A 32-year-old German neo-Nazi has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for incitement after posting a picture of a miniature of the Auschwitz death camp on Facebook with an offensive caption.

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Judge Manfred Weber at the district court in Hohenstein-Ernstthal in eastern Germany told the man Thursday "you made fun of Auschwitz survivorsthat's very bad."

Railway leading to Auschwitz (Photo: AP)

The German news agency dpa reported that the sentence of the previously convicted neo-Nazi also took into consideration his earlier charge for criminal assault and the posting of a photomontage of Adolf Hitler in combination with a swastika and firecrackers. The display of Nazi emblems is illegal in Germany.

The man from Glauchau in Saxony, whose name was not given in line with German privacy rules, can appeal the conviction.

In October, a German court on sentenced an 88-year-old Nazi grandma to six months in jail, the fifth in a string of similar convictions for the repeat Holocaust denier.

Ursula Haverbeck (Photo: AP)

Ursula Haverbeck has often denied the mass murder of millions of Jews by the Nazis, which constitutes incitement of racial hatred under German law.
An Israeli Arab from the city of Qalansawe has been sentenced to four years in prison, and his accomplice to 32 months, after being convicted of driving Palestinians into Israel illegally and bribing four IDF soldiers to allow them passage through checkpoints.

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The soldiersserving along the border at a military checkpointwere arrested in January last year on suspicion of accepting bribes from Ziyad Hadija, a 41-year-old Qalansawe resident, to allow Palestinians to pass through the checkpoint without the required permit.

Hadija was sentenced at the Kfar Saba Magistrates' Court this week and also handed a one-year suspended sentence, along with a NIS 150,000 fine. The court also revoked his driver's license.

His accomplice, Hantash Hantash, 37, from Tulkarm also received a one-year suspended sentence and was ordered to pay a fine of NIS 80,000 for his involvement in the operation.

File photo: Seam Zone checkpoint (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum)

The pair was found guilty on 13 counts of conspiracy to commit a crime, 12 counts of managing and organizing illegal transportation services for Palestinians, and dozens of counts of attempting to enter Israel and obstructing justice.

Hadija was also convicted of 53 counts of giving bribes to soldiers in exchange for permitting the unauthorized entry of Palestinians into Israel, for possession of dangerous drugs, attempted bribery and other offenses.

Both were convicted following admitting to committing the offenses as part of a plea bargain agreement, with Hadija partially agreeing to the punitive terms and Hantash not agreeing at all.

According to the indictment submitted against the convicts, they conspired to commit a crime with four IDF soldiers who served at one of the checkpoints at the Seam Zone east of the Green Line to carry out their illegal smuggling operation, taking between 300 and 400 shekels for each non-permit carrying Palestinian they transported.

Hadija, the brains behind the operation, arranged for drivers and vehicles to transport the illegal Palestinians from a pickup point in the West Bank to Israel. He also remained in telephone contact with the soldiers and kept them abreast of the driver's details, the vehicle's description and the time of arrivalso they can wave it through without inspection.

File photo (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Soldiers received drugs and money

On occasion, Hadija would drive his own car to signal to the transporting driver which lane he should go through, where a willing soldier was stationed. When necessary, the soldiers also warned Hadija of any high command or police officials present near the checkpoint, which would make them have to abort or postpone the illegal Palestinians' passage.

For their part, Hadija paid the soldiers NIS 100-150 for every Palestinian to go through their checkpoint, paying them cumulative sums from time to time.

The operation's profits Hadija took for himself, after deducting the soldiers and Hantash's cuts. He also supplied some of the soldiers with cannabis or hashish, used both as bribe and as a means of cementing and strengthening their relationship.

As for Hantash, he was the operation's West Bank contact man, to which most of the illegal Palestinians appealed to enter Israel. Hantash came to an agreement on the cost with the transportees and coordinated and organized the transports based on the desired date and destination.

A soldier examines a Palestinian ID (Photo: AFP)

Hantash also picked up the transportees and drove them within the West Bank to the pickup point, and also collected payments, which he later passed on to Hadija after deducting his share of NIS 100-150 per Palestinian.

Over the course of several months, starting at the end of September 2016 and until they were arrested on January 31, 2017, the pair transported illegal Palestinians on many occasions and in a frequency ranging from several times a day to several times a week.

Both the convicts and the soldiers had no prior knowledge of the Palestinians they were allowing to enter the country without examinationknowing nothing of their family background, religious-ideological affiliation, security background, organizational affiliation, their intentions in Israel or anything else, and made no attempt to ascertain any of the information.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  The Islamic State group has declared support for the anti-government protests in Iran.

In its latest weekly publication, Al Nabaa, the extremists describe the protests as a "revolution against the regime" and an uprising against Wilayat al-Faqih, or Iran's system of governance by clerics.

Friday's statement also says the messages sent through the protesters to their rulers are "highly important" and that they should continue.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad found a creative way to settle its score with the State of Israel over the destruction of its cross-border terror tunnel

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Instead of one major attack that would claim many Israeli victims, the organization is claiming its revenge by increasing the sense of insecurity and fear among Israelis residing on the Gaza perimeter by firing rockets and mortar shells.

According to Islamic Jihad's estimates, this ongoing psychological warfare through a "drizzle" of rockets won't justify a wide-scale Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip in retaliation.





Islamic Jihad is using rocket fire at Gaza perimeter communities to get back at Israel for destruction of its tunnels (Photo: Roee Idan)

In light of the pressure it is facing from Hamas and the Egyptians not to carry out a major act of revenge, this creative way of stressing the Israelis out is almost an ideal solution as far as the organization is concerned. More importantly, this type of revenge is unlikely to get the strip embroiled in another IDF operation, which would inflict a lot of damage and leave many victims on the Palestinian side.

Recent rocket to land in Eshkol Regional Council (:  )

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There's no doubt Hamas doesn't approve of this creative method, knowing that a mortar shell or a rocket fired by Islamic Jihad could eventually hit a community and claim victims, making it impossible for Israel to keep exercising restraint. Hamas can't, however, disregard Islamic Jihad, which is the second largest organization in the Gaza Stripboth in terms of size and military powerwith some 10,000 fighters and collaborators and thousands of rockets and mortar shells.

Hamas likely understands that apart from the need to avenge the tunnel's destruction, Islamic Jihad also needs to satisfy its Iranian patrons.

A destroyed Islamic Jihad tunnel and give of its men killed inside

Iran has a double interest in a major escalation in the strip. First of all, it wishes to divert global attention from the anti-regime protests currently rocking the country, and its own brutal attempts to quash them. Secondly, it wants to thwart any chance of Palestinian cooperation with President Donald Trump administration's plan to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

All this indicates that the Israelis and the Gazans are already sliding down the slippery slope leading to escalation, and then to a large-scale IDF operation in Gaza. The timing isn't all that clear yet, but the wind is definitely blowing in that direction.

The question of timing

Unlike the situation in Gaza two months ago, Hamas's objections to any escalationknowing full well it could boomerang right back to it due to local outrageis slowly eroding.

The chief reason for such erosion is the fact that Palestinian reconciliation between Hamas and the Mahmoud Abbas-led Palestinian Authority is mired deeply in mud . For the same reason, the strip has no power or salaries for civilian administrators

The heart of the conflict has been and continues to be Hamas's security force and its military wing, which the Islamic organization refuses to disband . Another reason for Hamas's feeling of malcontent is that the Egyptians, despite the organization's gestures of subservience and conciliation, refuse to open the Rafah Border Crossing . The Palestinians in Gaza remain essentially imprisoned in a gigantic detention camp.

Stalled Palestinian reconciliation may push Hamas to allow Islamic Jihad to deteriorate situation to all-out conflict (Photo: EPA)

Hamas may therefore soon reach the conclusion the best possible route of action is to allow the Islamic Jihad to deteriorate the situation to large-scale escalation that will stack the deck anew, and allow Hamas to receive from Egypt, Abbas and Israel what it could not achieve through concessions.

At face value, Israel also has a good enough reason to undertake a large-scale campaign in Gaza, contrary to recent statements by both politicians and army brass. It would not only mend deterrence, long since eroded , but also allow the IDF to operate in Gaza, something the army is better prepared for than it has ever been at any point in the past decade.

Israel would thus be able to take the initiative itself, while Hamas and the Islamic Jihad are not yet wholly prepared for conflict, and the tunnel threat being severely hampered over the past several months.

The claim as if Israel would not wish to disrupt works on the underground anti-tunnel barrier project has lost some validity. While a Gaza operation will indeed set back works on the barrier by several months, the army is not likely to have to utilize the stringent security measurers it does today for the project once that operation is concluded.

Delaying work on the project or any damages caused to its installations will be ancillary, then. What is far more majorly problematic, however, and the reason behind the political and military ranks' refusal to operate in Gaza, is the fact that at the conclusion of any such operation Israel still has no desire to remain in Gaza, and so the IDF will pull out, as usual, and the situation will eventually return to normal, as usual.

The IDF may carry out another Gaza operation, but things will eventually return to the status quo as it will pull out when it concludes (Photo: EPA)

The situation will return to normal, then, notwithstanding Israeli casualties, physical damages and disruption of ordinary life for a few weeks. This feeling, then, that after every Gaza operation we end up returning to square one, is the chief reason behind the IDF delaying any such operation, despite its ability to carry it out successfully.

The political-strategic problem posed by Gaza's mere existence as a separate entity also lacks a good, or actually any, solution. While the IDF can take back the strip, the duration will always be limited and, as mentioned above, things will return to the status quo in short order.

Moreover, even undertaking quite the opposite dramatic move, to improve humanitarian conditions for Gaza's populace, will achieve nothing. After all, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, so considerable in its military might, operates according to an Iranian agenda and thinks little of the welfare of Gaza's citizenry. Otherwise, Hamas would have long since reached an Egyptian-mediated settlement with Israel.

In conclusion, it may be said that under current conditions, unfortunately, there is nothing new in the State of Israel's southwest.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Britain's media regulator says it is considering an official letter received from Iran's embassy in London complaining about media coverage of the protests.

The regulator, known as Ofcom, said Friday the letter is being carefully evaluated.

Iranian state media say the government is complaining about what it calls a propaganda campaign orchestrated by U.K.-based Persian-language broadcasters.

The letter asserts that the media outlets violated UK and international media regulations and tried to incite protesters into using violent tactics.

Ofcom has a broad regulatory role in Britain, overseeing television, radio, high-speed internet and other sectors. One of its roles is to protect British consumers from harmful content.
PARIS  French President Emmanuel Macron told his Turkish counterpart on Friday that democratic countries had to respect the rule of law in their fight against terrorism as he voiced concerns about the fate of students, teachers and journalists in Turkey.

Macron said after talks with Tayyip Erdogan at the Elysee presidential palace that they had disagreements about how they saw human rights.

"Our democracies must be strong standing up to terrorism... But at the same time our democracies must completely protect the rule of law," Macron said in a joint news conference.

Macron also said that recent developments in Turkey did not allow for any progress in Ankara's EU accession process. It would be hypocritical to pretend new chapters in the accession talks could be opened, he said.
The governments of Rwanda and Uganda are denying any deal with Israel to host thousands of African migrants told to leave that country in the next three months or face incarceration.

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Israel's Population and Immigration Authority this week called on migrants from Sudan and Eritrea to leave "to their country or to a third country"meaning Rwanda or Uganda. Those who leave before April will receive $3,500, airfare and other incentives.

An amendment to the anti-infiltration law passed its second and third Knesset readings last month, allowing to close the "Holot" detention facility by March or jail at the "Sahaornim" detention center any African migrants who are not deported to Rwanda, with which Israel said it had an agreement in place to deport migrants even without their consent.





African migrants in Israel. Uganda and Rwanda said Israel had no agreement in place for them to be admitted (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Israel has also begun expediting the migrants' mass departure to Rwanda, as well as other countries. If they cannot be deported directly to a third country, however, the state will reexamine the closing of the Holot facility in three months.

The bill's explanatory remarks said that since the beginning of mass African migration to Israel more than a decade ago and until now more than 60,000 people were captured stealing their way into the country in places other than border crossings.

In addition, the bill claimed some 40,000 Eritrean, Sudanese and other African nationals were present in Israelexcluding those born in the countrytowards which Israel was "implementing a temporary policy of non-deportation."

Tens of thousands of Africans entered Israel before it erected a fence along its border with Egypt. Many of the migrants say they fled conflict and persecution and seek refugee status. Israel calls them "infiltrators" and mostly economic migrants whose numbers threaten its Jewish character.

The Israel-based Hotline for Migrant Workers, an advocacy group, has condemned the move, saying expulsions "put the refugees' lives in danger."





The Holot detention facility is planned to be closed in March (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The UN refugee agency late last year said it was "seriously concerned" by Israeli proposals to call on Eritreans and Sudanese to accept relocation to African countries or face imprisonment. It noted a "forced relocation policy" beginning in December 2013 that already had sent about 4,000 of the migrants to two African countries "named in media reports as Rwanda and Uganda." It called the policy secretive, not transparent and difficult to monitor.

A Rwanda deputy foreign minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, told The Associated Press his country has never reached any agreement with Israel on hosting asylum seekers. "There were negotiations like three or four years ago between the two countries but we never concluded on the matter," he said.

Rwanda is only engaged in negotiations to host some of the thousands of African migrants who face abuse in Libya, he said.

Uganda's state minister for international relations, Henry Okello Oryem, also told the AP there is no such agreement with Israel to accept African migrants from there.

"That's fake news. We don't know where that story is coming from. We don't know why it keeps coming up," he said Friday.

The UN refugee agency in November said about 27,500 Eritreans and 7,800 Sudanese were in Israel and that only eight Eritreans and two Sudanese had been recognized as refugees by authorities.

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan agreed last week to commence an intensive operation placing only two options before African migrants: willing departure or prison time.

Public Security Minister Erdan and Interior Minister Deri agreed on a new plan to either deport or jail African migrants (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

A special cabinet meeting on the matter was to be convened this past Wednesday, in which the two ministers' agreement was to be put before the cabinet to a vote, but it the meeting was called off due to disputes on the death penalty for terrorists bill.

Right before the conclusion of 2017, Israel's Population and Immigration Authority published data that said no infiltrators entered Israel in 2017. Official requests for asylum were made, however, from 7,710 Ukrainian nationals, 1,682 Eritreans, 1,350 Georgians and 868 Sudanese.

Head of the Authority's Enforcement and Foreigners Administration Yossi Edelstein said that "Unfortunately (the Africans) abused Israel's asylum mechanism and submitted requests for asylum which we found to be groundless."

Employers of unlawful foreign workers were levied with 1,043 administrative fines for a total sum of NIS 11.1 million during the past year. Some 4,012 consented to leave Israel, 3,332 of which were Africans and 680 citizens of other countries.

Interior Minister Deri said, "We are finally preparing to undertake the large operation to remove infiltrators to third countries. Immigrants who came to the country seeking job opportunities have but two options: consenting to deportation or being taken in custody with no time limits. The Holot facility will close."
MUSCATINE  As U.S. 61 winds south from Davenport, it crosses University Drive. The speed limit has been 55 mph, but 830 feet from the intersection, the speed limit lowers to 45. At 55 mph, it only takes a driver 12 seconds to make it to the intersection. And if they havent slowed down, a speed camera collects an image of their license plate and  until recently  dispatched a fine to the address connected with the plate number.

The fate of the two objects between that 830 feet, the sign and the camera, have all revolved around one question:

On the states primary road system, who has control? The City of Muscatine said that because it has historically provided enforcement, it has the ability to place these cameras on roads it provides enforcement for. The Iowa Department of Transportation said that because this particular camera is on the primary road system, U.S. 61, IDOT maintains it has oversight over what happens there.

Road to conflict

In March 2011, the City of Muscatine installed a traffic camera at the intersection of U.S. 61 and University Drive. It was approved and installed according to Iowa Department of Transportation's specifications. It was that year that the 45 mph speed transition also was installed by the DOT.

The camera ran from 2011 to 2014, gathering traffic violation information and issuing tickets for running red lights and speeding.

According to Steve Gent, director of IDOTs Office of Traffic and Safety, red running cameras are fairly common across the United States. Whats special about those installed in Muscatine, is that they dispatch tickets for vehicles traveling over the speed limit.

Actually, Davenport was the first city that began doing this, Gent said. Generally (cities) do the enforcement. Therefore, if they want to install cameras, we are going to go along with them, and that's what we did.

Gent explained that cities began passing ordinances to have them set up. First it was Clive, then Council Bluffs. Then Cedar Rapids put four cameras on Interstate 380. Gent said that this is the only such use of speeding cameras on the federal interstate system in the United States.

Even in Muscatine the idea began with red light running (cameras) but when they started, they were doing speed enforcement, Gent said. And that's a big difference because there are so many more tickets issued for speeding rather than red light running.

Gent said that over time, his department began receiving constituent communication from people who wanted these off the road.

As part of the oversight they provide, Iowa DOT stipulates certain requirements for any city or county pursuing safety improvements on the primary road system.

If you are going to add an automated enforcement system to the primary (road) system, these are the rules that we need you to follow, Gent said. Cities, counties (can) do whatever you want to do on your own roads but if you're on the primary system you have to follow these rules. We thought that was pretty reasonable.

One rule requires that cities or counties with one of these automated enforcement cameras must file an annual report with IDOT.

Basically we review (the number) of crashes and determine if the camera should stay, should be removed or needs to be modified in some way, Gent said. Say you have a safety engineer and you install a countermeasure and crashes go up. What would you do?

A question of oversight

In March of 2015, IDOT ordered the City of Muscatine to remove the camera at the intersection of U.S. 61 and University Drive. Gent said its complaint came down to two points:

The first was according to its most recent annual report, IDOT determined that Muscatines speeding camera had not improved public safety at the intersection. Second, was that the camera was 170 feet too close to the intersection.

Muscatine wasnt alone in this. While towns like Davenport and Council Bluffs were asked to remove speeding cameras, the conversation ended there. Muscatines four other intersections with traffic cameras met standards, but the city decided to join Des Moines and Cedar Rapids in filing separate petitions for judicial review.

According to Kevin Jenison, communications manager of the City of Muscatine, the problem was really on IDOT.

IDOT placed the speed transition signs when they originally established the (speed camera system), Jenison said. Two years later, they changed the rules and then refused to move the signs. Basically, they said 'We're not going to move the signs so you just have to remove the camera.

Jenison said the camera's function is important.

The cameras serve as a deterrent and extra arm, so to speak, for the police. A deterrent to speeding, Jenison said. "By removing the deterrent, the DOT is determining the actual speed people will travel through the intersection at.

IDOT is saying they can basically say what the speed limit is in the bypass, Jenison said. IDOTs feeling is that they control that. The city feels that that is a municipality. IDOT is overstepping its bounds.

The district court ruled in Iowa DOTs favor, but the cities appealed. This spring the Iowa Supreme Court is supposed to hear arguments on the appeal.

The question really is who has control, Gent said. Does the DOT have the authority to provide impartial oversight?

Does the City have to move its cameras based on a sign that the DOT placed in the first place? Jenison said.

Speed or Crashes?

On the last day of 2017, Jenison put out a press release explaining the citys argument and offering some data collected with the camera after the court ruled the camera could remain on, but could not issue tickets.

The city argues the number of speeding citations issued at the intersection has decreased since 2011, when it was installed. In 2011, the number of speed violations issued was 12,851. In 2016, that number had decreased to 5,999. Thats a 53.3 percent reduction in overall speed violations.

(The data) is just really surprising and points to the fact that that the camera was really working, Jenison said.

Jenison said he is worried that higher speeds at the intersection might mean an increase in traffic crashes.

People who speed risk other peoples lives, injuries, property damage, Jenison said. We have been very fortunate that nothing severe has happened in the last year or so. But the city feels that having these cameras in place as a way to monitor speeding violations and issuing tickets, having that ability makes those intersections safer.

To Iowa DOTs assertion that crashes have increased, Jenison said that the change is minimal.

IDOT staff used the City of Muscatine (automated traffic enforcement) report filed on April 29, 2014, as the basis for their May 17, 2015, order  IDOT concluded that the 2014 report showed crashes at the intersection had increased  actually the number of accidents only increased by one, Jenison wrote.

Though Jenison focused on speeding violations, the original IDOT order referenced the number of crashes as why it asked the camera be taken down.

(The City) tried to imply that the speed is the safety factor, but if it was speed, does that mean we need everybody on the interstate to slow down to 30 mph? Gent said.

Among other things, Gent points to speed differences as a primary reason why interstates are safer.

What you really want is everybody going the same speed, Gent said. Then there arent those conflicts of people trying to pass people, tailgating people."

The speed limits that IDOT posts are for all drivers at all conditions.

We dont set speed limits saying, Hey the best drivers can go this fast and you drivers that arent so good can go at this speed and when the weather is bad you should drive this speed. We just cant do it that way, Gent said.

According to Gent, safety comes down to crashes. In 2009 and 2010, the years preceding the implementation of the cameras, there were five crashes each year. In 2014, that number remained the same. By 2016, the number increased to seven.

The question is, did the cameras do anything to increase the safety of the intersection? Gent said. Crashes didnt really go down.

By comparison, Gent pointed to the other cameras in Muscatine. The intersection of Mulberry Avenue and U.S. 61 went from 10 crashes in 2010 to 6 in 2016. The intersection of Cleveland and Park Avenue went from 8 in 2009 to 6 (with some fluctuation). The intersection of Washington and Park Avenue went from 10 in 2009 to 4 in 2015. The intersection of Cedar Street at Houser Street went from 6 in 2009 to 5 in 2016. The trend at every other intersection is down.

Jenison said the changes are relatively small. Gent said they are a way to assess efficacy of a safety countermeasure.

1,000 Feet

In the release, Jenison wrote that the problem really started in December 2013 when an IDOT commission created the 1,000 feet rule. In 2014, he wrote, Police Chief Brett Tarkington contacted IDOT twice about the 45 mph sign, questioning its location and requesting relocation. There was no response.

We cant just move the intersection, Jenison said. IDOT is refusing to move the signs back to where we wanted the signs in the first place. Close to the municipal line.

Gent said that when the commission mandated the stopping distance be 1,000 feet, it was not a shot at this one intersection in Muscatine.

I can assure you that it never occurred to us that (Muscatine's) camera was within 1,000 feet, Gent said. It never occurred to us until we got the annual report. We just assumed people were already meeting the 1,000 foot rule.

Despite this, Gent maintains the sign should stay where it is.

What is the public going to think if we move a speed limit sign? Gent said. Thats going to make us all look like we (IDOT and the City) are in cahoots together. We dont want it to look like the DOT is making it easier for drivers to get more tickets.

In the end, Gent said his hands are tied. The 1,000 feet rule is part of the departments administrative rules.

Thats the law, Gent said. Im not going to break the law. Thats our job as the Department of Transportation. If legislators had told us that we could not have these rules in place that would be one thing. But once they say its an administrative rule, the DOT has no choice.

Impartial Oversight?

Gent returns the conversation to where the camera is, or perhaps more importantly, what it monitors.

The (City of Muscatine) can do whatever they want on their own city streets, Gent said. But on the primary highway system the DOT feels they have some degree of authority or oversight.

Research shows that when a city or county or state has an automated traffic enforcement program, best practice for ongoing use is annual assessments by an independent, impartial organization.

Thats what the DOT is providing here, Gent said.

Some might question if a government department could be called impartial. Gent asked if not IDOT, then who?

I mean sure you can pick a university, but thats going to cost you money, Gent said. You can hire a consultant to do it. And the consultant would likely come up with the same general sense that we are coming up with. You can look at our process and how we did this. We are transparent about it.

Gent worries that if cities like Muscatine keep putting up cameras, what will stop every town along roads such as U.S. 61 or Interstate 80 from doing the same?

Think about some nice family from Ohio that drives home from vacation in Colorado and two weeks after they get home, they end up with a bunch of tickets from all these little towns in Iowa, Gent said. What happens to them?
PRISTINA  An Israeli citizen accused of involvement in a human organ trafficking scandal in Kosovo a decade ago has been arrested in Cyprus and the authorities in Pristina have requested his extradition to face trial, police said on Friday.

Police accuse Israeli Moshe Harel of seeking out people in need of kidney transplants and of luring donors to Kosovo from Turkey and the ex-Soviet Union with the promise of up to 12,000 euros ($14,500) in payment.

Recipients, mainly Israelis, paid between 80,000 and 100,000 euros for the organs. Some donors never received any money.

"Based on an international arrest warrant the suspect M.H. was arrested a few days ago in Cyprus. He has been a wanted person since 2010," police spokesman Baki Kelani told Reuters. Russia has also issued an international arrest warrant for Harel.
The small requests for water refunds keep coming to the Wapello City Council, which may drive the council to reconsider its current policy to routinely approve those appeals.

The latest refund request was presented to council Thursday from Richard Hammond on Roy El Road. In his request, Hammond reported his water softener had malfunctioned, causing his November and December water consumption to almost triple the normal usage at his residence.

However, because the city only refunds a portion of the associated sewer fees as part of the one-time refund process it has been following for several months, Hammond will see only a $141.59 credit on his bill.

City officials said the small amount has been the trend with other recent requests and several of the officials wondered if it was time to modify the process.

Its starting to get old. Do you want to continue to do this? Mayor Shawn Maine asked.

The current policy was implemented several months ago after the council agreed to reduce the water bills of some residents who acknowledged their high water use had occurred because of plumbing problems.

Before those decisions, the council had required residents to demonstrate the excess water had not gone down a sewer drain before it would make any refund. Council members had agreed when the policy was modified that refunds under the new policy would only be made once.

That decision to only make one-time refunds to a resident and the growing trend of residents to request small refunds led to Thursdays discussion on possibly curtailing the refunds.

Do you want some sort of threshold? council member Eric Small asked the rest of the council.

Lets put it on the agenda for further discussion, council member Brett Shafer suggested.

The rest of the council agreed and Maine said he would continue the issue as old business until the matter is resolved.

In other business, the council approved the appointment of the Wapello Republican as the citys official newspaper and appointed Hart-Frederick Engineering, Tiffin, as the city engineer for 2018.

The council also accepted a $27,199 bid from Mincer Ford, Columbus Junction, for a new -ton, extended cab, four-wheel drive pickup with an eight-foot bed, provided the dealer assures the vehicle can arrive by July 1.

Maine said the date is important because the city wants to pay for the truck out of the current budget.

City Clerk Mike Delzell said he had budgeted $12,000 each from the citys water, street and sewer accounts to pay for the vehicle.

Maine also issued his mayoral committee appointments list, explaining he had made some changes from previous years.

In final action, Small reported an animal waste fire was continuing to smolder at a turkey farm just outside the southwest city limits and creating a nuisance for nearby residents.

Small said farm operator Tim Graber, Wayland, who rents the turkey facility from Gentle Bens Farms, Wayland, had promised in July, during a Louisa County Board of Adjustment hearing, that he would be a good neighbor and haul waste away before it became a problem.

(The smoldering) has been going on two or three weeks, Small said, saying there was little the city or county could do to enforce air quality or other rules.

I referred people to the DNR (Iowa Department of Natural Resources, he said.
Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi []
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
First-time member of parliament Paul Ongili alias Babu Owino has disclosed his plans for this year 2018.

The Embakasi East MPs plans are mainly focused on improving the welfare of the young people in the country.

The former university student leader, who is one of the youthful legislators in the 12th Parliament, has vowed to sponsor two bills; one on youth and women empowerment and the other on education.

This year, as a youthful legislator, I will be sponsoring two Bills in parliament, said Babu.

Disclosing his plans yesterday, Babu Owino pledged to draft a bill seeking to ensure the youth and women get access to government credit through a subsidised fee and without much restrictions.

The collateral required to access the loans should be reviewed as it has locked some people deserving youth and women who are unable to meet the set requirement.

His second bill will push for an increment in the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) cash to all college and university students.

This will enable students who pass in secondary school education get a chance to pursue higher education, said Owino.

Babu also disclosed plans to initiate legislation to push for a waiver on medical bills for patients in all public hospitals.

 I also plan to lobby colleagues to support my legislation to push for a waiver on medical bills, to ensure hospitals do not withhold bodies over fee arrears, Owino said.

And for constituents of Embakasi East, Babu said: I will liaise with the county government to improve access by constructing and building roads and provision of clean water.

I will also strive to ensure bursaries issued through the National Government Constituency Development Fund reach the needy students.

Babus plans left his social media followers impressed and upbeat about the new year.

Below are a few comments:

jorn_migai wrote: Great ideas from my future president and my university President thanks jatelo

salimakudo said: Quite good but first of all, we need an environment where all this a would benefit mwananchi. Therefore, first priority must be removal of the vote stealing, corrupt, tribalistic, demagogue megalomanics; The Jambazi Pati.

irmaniv added: Mheshimiwa I believe your heart is in a good place with all your plans. May God go before you sir.

bill_seko posted: Well summarized thought!??

jairusnapulo went on: Bravo mweshimiwa you are a true leader. Lead your people so that we can have a better life better Kenya n not Kenya of tribalism. Am at your back Hon Babu.

chapatizoo noted: Now you are talking Mheshimiwa, wish you all the best in those good plans you have for us youths.
With a majority of Kenyans looking towards the future after a tiring electioneering period, all eyes are on President Uhuru Kenyatta as he plans to unveil his new cabinet.

In his New Year message to Kenyans, the Head of State said he will unveil his new Cabinet in a few weeks.

Reports indicate that the President and his deputy, William Ruto, have agreed on an expanded executive of 22 Cabinet secretaries  12 politicians and 10 technocrats.

It is believed that at least five Cabinet secretaries are facing the sack after their names were omitted from a list of nominees dispatched to security agencies for background checks.

As Kenya continues to wait, speculation has been rife in internet circles about the men and women who will be tasked with delivering Uhurus pledges in his second and final term in office.

The outspoken city lawyer, Donald Kipkorir, has taken to his popular Facebook page to reveal the three ministers Uhuru should drop. He listed the ministers, who include Fred Matiangi, and the reasons why they should be dropped.

Read his full post below.

********************************************

Three Ministers I Hope Will Be Dropped

Here are three Ministers, I pray the President & Deputy President will drop from the new Cabinet:

1. James Macharia: His Bank Executive demeanor May mislead. The current chaos in the Ministry Of Health and especially the strike by medical workers begun when he was the Minister for Health. We invested Billions in the Health Sector yet all our Public Health facilities are still inefficient, decrepit & death traps. In his current Ministry, More chaos abound. From fake tarmac roads to incoherent public transport policy. We have had more deaths on our roads than at any other time. How can we lose over 300 people in one month? Then the knee jerk reaction to every accident. The Ministry is a Tower Of Babel in policy. And at more personal level, though his Ministry is the biggest owing to its five PSes, Macharia made sure there is no Kalenjin CEO in all Parastatals within it. He removed all Kalenjins who were acting CEOs & fake interviews were conducted to make them No. 6 and beyond. Contrast with Charles Keter who confirmed all acting CEOs in his Ministry irrespective of tribe. Let him go.

2. Dr. Fred Matiangi: the Public praise his bee-like energy, but I see a Court Jester who wants to please the powers be. What is there to celebrate him if under his watch, every year 500,000 12 year olds finish their education in STD 8, and each year 500,000 17 year olds end their education in Form IV. Basically, we release each year One Million Children to the world telling them they are failures. Under his tenure, over 5million young Kenyans are wallowing in despair and depression. This is a number bigger than the States Of Israel, Namibia, Croatia or Kuwait. Then whilst acting in the Ministry Of Interior, More innocent Kenyans were killed than anytime in our History. Even children were not spared. Only a dystopian state can celebrate such a Minister. One cannot be praised on the backs of children whose dreams have been killed or the blood of innocent Kenyans. If the President wants a Kisii to appoint, we have Charles Nyachae and Dr. Bitange Ndemo who are genuine and loyal patriots.

3. Najib Balala: I have known Najib for long and is a true gentleman. In 2006, I hosted a breakfast for him and six other top Kenyan politicians then and advised them on a political strategy that would have made each of them a one term President. Najibs turn would have been in 2027. But as a Minister for Tourism, his tenure has been abject failure. The Ministry has been concerned with attending all Tourism Exhibitions abroad and entering all manners of contests to be awarded Best Beach, Best Game Reserve, Best Destination But all meaningless  Our tourist visitors have never reached 1.5m since independence. France, Spain, Italy, UAE, Croatia, Austria, Bahrain, Seychelles & Cape Verde receive more tourists than their population. With paltry One Million tourists, we receive about us$1B  Imagine if we received 5m tourists and above? And why cant we receive even 10m tourists? Ministry of Tourism is a poster child of unmitigated incompetence. Let Balala go back to politics. He can Chair Jubilee and Raphael Tuju can go to the Cabinet. Mohammed Hersi can be Minister for Tourism.

On the other Cabinet Ministers, closing my mouth is wisdom. There are some I want retained because of their efficiency & delivery, but others are average.
Here are links to select stories on the internet today.

Inside Trumps two days of fury The anger continued until midday Wednesday as Trump helped draft his blistering break-up letter to former chief strategist Steve Bannon, who offered a scathing attack on Trump and his familys handling of the Russia investigation.

2017. 2018. New year, same roller coaster A new tell-all book that lifts the lid on the rancorous West Wing reveals a spectacle of clashing egos, betrayal and revenge, laced with Russia intrigue, sending President Donald Trump into a rage.

The 10 most amazing lines in the new Trump book Journalist Michael Wolffs new book documenting the first year of Donald Trumps presidency isnt out until next week, but the excerpts we got on Wednesday have already had a major impact  leading the President to torch former senior strategist Steve Bannon.

Bomb cyclone blasts East Coast, threatens hurricane-force winds Parts of New England will be covered by 12 inches of snow. And by weeks end, Boston and part of New Hampshire will be colder than Mars. The bomb cyclone, which happened overnight, occurs when a cyclone has a significant and rapid drop in atmospheric pressure over a short period of time.

Michael Wolffs Trump book hits #1 on Amazon, publisher speeds up rollout plan Wolffs book Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House will be released next Tuesday, but some journalists have already snagged copies. Thats why the first official excerpt from the book was released on Wednesday. A second excerpt will come out on Thursday, and Wolff will be interviewed on NBCs Today show on Friday.

Eating fish improves kids IQ scores, sleep Studies have shown a connection between omega-3s  essential fatty acids found in many types of fish, including salmon, sardines and tuna  and improved intelligence and better sleep. For the new study, more than 500 Chinese children between the ages of 9 and 11 answered how often theyd had fish in the previous month, with options ranging from never to at least once per week.

What is ripple? Heres why everyones talking about the cryptocurrency In recent weeks, ripples value has spiked, making it the second most valuable digital currency and bringing it newfound attention. The relatively obscure cryptocurrency, also known as XRP, is now worth about $2.60 with a market cap of more than $100 billion, according to Coinmarketcap. In early December, it was trading at just 25 cents.

Trump lawyers threaten ex-aide Bannon US President Donald Trumps lawyers have written to his former strategist Steve Bannon, saying he has violated a non-disclosure agreement. The cease-and-desist notice accuses Mr Bannon of defaming the president in speaking to author Michael Wolff. Mr Wolffs forthcoming tell-all book describes the president as being unprepared for the job.

Intel working with rivals to fix flaw Chip-maker Intel has said it is working with other major tech firms to fix flaws that could allow hackers to steal personal data from computer systems. The issue was originally linked to a flaw in Intels chips, but the firm said this was incorrect.

Ethiopia to free political prisoners In a surprise move, Ethiopias prime minister has announced the release of political prisoners and the closure of a notorious detention centre, allegedly used as a torture chamber. Hailemariam Desalegn told a press conference the move was designed to allow political dialogue. But it is unclear exactly who will be released  or when it will take place.

Twice as many die in Africa after surgery Patients undergoing surgery in Africa are more than twice as likely to die following an operation than the global average, researchers say. But they say the most worrying revelation was just how few Africans have access to elective surgery  surgery that is scheduled in advance.

Infants DNA tells of first Americans The 11,500-year-old remains of an infant girl from Alaska have shed new light on the peopling of the Americas. Genetic analysis of the child, allied to other data, indicates she belonged to a previously unknown, ancient group.

How Logan Pauls Suicide Video Explains The Chain Reaction Economy Of YouTube On Monday, a vlogger uploaded footage to YouTube of what appeared to be the blurred body of a dead man. I dont mean Logan Paul. Paul is the Vine star turned internet sensation who on Sunday had uploaded the original footage of the body, which he and his video crew had discovered inside Japans so-called suicide forest amid their own nervous cackles and bizarre wisecracks.

Republicans Laugh Off Trumps Nuclear Taunting Of North Korea WASHINGTON  President Donald Trumps tweet taunting North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un over the size of the U.S. nuclear arsenal raised alarms on Wednesday about the prospect of the nation stumbling into catastrophic war with a young, unpredictable ruler whose actions and decision-making are not fully understood by Americas intelligence community.

Messages Projected On Twitter HQ After Trumps North Korea Tweets A group of activists began broadcasting messages on Twitters San Francisco headquarters Tuesday evening, calling on the site to ban President Donald Trump just hours after he threatened North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over the size of his nuclear button.

Ellen DeGeneres Ridicules Eric Trump Over His Weird Conspiracy Theory About Her Ellen DeGeneres says Eric Trumps suggestion she may be part of the deep state working to undermine his fathers administration is the craziest thing. In a clip shared online Wednesday night, the talk show host humorously addressed this tweet that President Donald Trumps second son posted the previous evening: Shocking

Philip Morris Says Its Trying To Give Up Cigarettes In 2018 Tobacco giant Philip Morris International took out full-page ads in several British newspapers this week proclaiming the companys 2018 New Years resolution as trying to give up cigarettes. Our ambition is to stop selling cigarettes in the UK, the ad says, according to a screenshot from Business Insider.

FCC chairman Ajit Pai suspiciously cancels his CES 2018 visit CES, the tech industrys largest annual trade show, begins next week (Jan. 9-12), but the chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission will not be attending. Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, which organizes CES, announced today that FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has canceled his appearance one week before the show.

This is how Google Calendar will look from now on  whether you like it or not On Wednesday, Google announced that the new Google Calendar look will now become the permanent interface  whether you like it or not. Dont worry  the design is essentially the same as the calendar youve seen for the last few years. Most everyone will be auto-updated on either Jan.

Happy 9th birthday, Bitcoin! Every product here is independently selected by Mashable journalists. If you buy something featured, we may earn an affiliate commission which helps support our work. Exactly nine years ago, on Jan. 3, 2009, the first block in Bitcoins blockchain was mined.
President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday paid glowing tribute to the late Harvard University professor Calestous Juma, describing him as a trailblazer in science, innovation and development studies.

The President said Prof Juma, who began his career at Egoji Teachers College (Meru) and ended at Harvard University (USA), has led an exemplary life which should be emulated.

Speaking at Prof Jumas funeral service at Holy Family Basilica, Nairobi, President Kenyatta eulogized the Harvard lecturer as a scholar who displayed virtues of persistence and innovation.

Prof Jumas formal teaching career began at Egoji and ended at Havard. That is the power of persistence: He simply kept going, improving himself and his students along the way. We ought to take that lesson to heart, said the President.

The President said the scholars specialty was an application of science and technology in daily life, pointing out that Prof Juma was willing to try something different; and if it could be done better, he would show how it could be done.

The Head of State pointed out that Prof Jumas book on innovation and its enemies shows that he understood resistance to innovation, and that this could be overcome through patient education and institutional change.

His clear-eyed devotion to innovation is now more important than it was when he began his career. Let us learn from him, said the President.

The Head of State also urged Kenyans to emulate Prof Juma because he had appetite for knowledge and was generous in sharing it.

Prof Jumas widow, Mrs Alison Field Juma, said her husband touched many lives through his work and inspired generations of students from many parts of the world.

She eulogized him as a man with an optimistic outlook in life who turned ideas into policies that have transformed the world.

He loved to teach and lived his life to the fullest even when he was ill and on a hospital bed, said Mrs. Juma.

Last June, Prof Juma was named as one of the most reputable people in the world. He died two weeks ago while undergoing treatment in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States.

At the time of his death, he was a professor of the Practice of International Development and Director of the Science, Technology and Globalisation Project at the Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School.

For three years in a row  2012, 2013 and 2014  he was listed among the most influential 100 Africans by the New African magazine.

He has over the years received accolades for being one of the best professors of application of science, technology and innovation to development.

Supreme Court Judge, Jackton Ojwang read the eulogy.

The requiem mass was attended by Kenyan top scholars led by several public universities chancellors.

Also in attendance were former Vice President Moody Awori and several political leaders.

The photos
The highly anticipated swearing-in ceremony of NASA leader Raila Odinga as the Peoples President has been scheduled to take place before the end of this month according to the Peoples Assembly organizing committee.

The committee, chaired by economist and NASA strategist David Ndii, said the Assumption of Office team was fine-tuning the oath-taking plans.

The swearing in of the NASA leader is well on course and the Assumption committee, to be named soon, will announce the exact details, Ndii said in a presser on Thursday.

We are of course alive to the fact that the public is very eager to hear about the swearing in of the Peoples President and Deputy President. This is on course. It will be the biggest public event that Kenya has seen since independence.

NairobiWire has learned that the Opposition intends to swear in their two leaders at Uhuru Park grounds in Nairobi after a series of rallies and meetings in several counties.

NASA said it will resume the campaign for electoral reforms in Kakamega County this Sunday to ensure electoral justice and self-determination in the country.

The details of the program and nature of events to be held in Kakamega will be disclosed by the NASA leadership in Western Kenya.

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka is also expected to play host to his co-principals who plan to tour the Ukambani region in mid- January to launch the Peoples Assembly forum in Machakos.

North-Eastern region is also on the oppositions radar with a planned joint meeting in Garissa town, before the leaders head to Mombasa for a rally in the run-up to the swearing in.

Narok, Migori, and Kisii counties have also been scheduled to launch the peoples assemblies with Gusii stadium expected to host the last rally before the swearing in.

The Peoples Assembly conventions will then culminate in a grand rally on the last Tuesday of January where the inauguration of the National Peoples Assembly will be done.
Nina Jacobs was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Mr. and Mrs. John Hall Jacobs on February 22,1942. She passed away in Napa CA on December 26, 2017. She received her education at Isidore Newman School, Tulane University, and Emory University where she attained a Masters of Library Science. Nina loved helping others and joined the Peace Corps where she was assigned to Brazil. Later she joined the Federal Library Service and served in South Korea and the DMZ as a civilian librarian. She continued her library profession at military bases in Puerto Rico and at Travis Air Force Base in California as Head Librarian. Traveling was a passion for Nina and she was fortunate to travel around the world and have so many wonderful experiences. She spoke five languages and loved using them at every opportunity. She met Lt. Col. Fred Miller while working at Travis AFB; they married and lived in Vacaville, then San Francisco, CA., until moving to Napa where they continued their professions as veterinarian and librarian. After the passing of Fred and her retirement from Travis Air Force Base as Head Librarian, she continued to be an integral part of the Napa community. She worked for the Napa County Board of Education and was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church Napa where she led several book discussion groups and catalogued and maintained the church library. The church is where she met Tom Craft; they married in November 2013. Together they enjoyed many travel adventures visiting family and friends across the country and the world. Nina cherished all of her many friends and relatives. Nina is survived by Tom Craft and his children: Lisa, Colin, Laurie and Caren, their children: Jonathan, Alyssa, Sean, Ryan, Cody, Canyon and Jacy and three great grandchildren Erika, Olive and Caelum. She is also survived by Freds children: Julie, Laura and Patrick and their children: Lily, Kristen and Liam. A celebration of Ninas life will be held at First Presbyterian Church Napa on Saturday January 13, 2017 at 11:00am. Memorial donations can be made to the Napa County Library, the First Presbyterian Church Napa or the Napa SPCA.
Decisions to raise water rates, restrict growing or delivering marijuana, and other important issues, plus City Council elections will arise in American Canyon during 2018.

One of the thornier matters confronting city leaders will involve the cost of charging residents and business owners more for drinking water, a matter that has lingered since before the drought ended.

The citys water fund has experienced multiple years of deficits stemming from an imbalance between what people pay for their water and what it costs the city to deliver it.

The funds red ink grew during the drought when residents heeded the call to conserve water, which resulted in people using less water, but the city taking in less revenue as a result.

The City Council formed a citizens advisory body in 2017 to study the issue of water rates and offer feedback on proposals to adjust local water bills. The Water Rate Advisory Committee is expected to make recommendations to the council sometime in 2018.

Council members will also consider an ordinance addressing marijuana cultivation and distribution.

Following the passage of Prop. 64 in November 2016 that legalized recreational marijuana use in California, American Canyon imposed a temporary moratorium to give city planners time to talk to other leaders in Napa County about issues associated with growing marijuana plants and delivering cannabis products to customers.

The temporary moratorium expires in April, giving council members until then to decide what kind, if any, cannabis regulations they want for American Canyon.

Possible restrictions could include limits on growing marijuana in homes, as well as businesses selling or delivering cannabis products to residents.

Later in the year the council will start working on an update to the citys General Plan, a document that lays out the citys long-term vision for development.

The Parks and Recreation Department will likewise start updating the citys Parks and Community Services Master Plan, first created in 2012. Officials also intend to review fees charged for parks services and program, according to Parks and Recreation Director Creighton Wright.

Wright said American Canyons parks fees are low compared to other communities, but added that it will be up to the City Council to decide whether to increase them.

The citys Planning Commission will review a permit request in January from Orchard Partners for the second building of Napa Logistics Park. The sprawling industrial park has one building completed, and is being outfitted for a tenant, IKEA, to set up a distribution center. The project envisions constructing four more buildings over time.

City planners hope to see more progress on Watson Ranch in 2018 than took place in 2017.

The projects draft Environmental Impact Report was published in July 2016, and produced a significant number of comments from individuals and organizations.

Responding to those comments required more time than officials expected, and eventually the process slowed to a halt in 2016 as the city and the developer stalemated over other issues related to the ambitious residential and commercial project.

The two sides hired a mediator in the summer 2017 to help broker an agreement, but that effort was still ongoing as of the end of the year.

Discussions between the city and the developer continue to be positive and productive, interim City Manager Jason Holley told the Eagle in December.

Holley added that staff anticipates taking steps  in collaboration with the developers representatives  to address the public comments received on the draft EIR, though they dont yet have a specific timetable for next steps.

In November, two-fifths of the City Council will be up for reelection. Councilmember Mark Joseph, who has served on the council since 2010, is expected to seek a third term in office.

David Oro, who was appointed in February 2017 to fill out the term of Belia Ramos, is eligible to run and intends to seek his own four-year term.
LGBTQ Connection, a nonprofit initiative supporting the local LGBTQ community, is trying to reach members of the Spanish-speaking community by adding familiar faces to the mix.

Organizers are recruiting volunteers who grew up in Napa, work in Napa, speak Spanish and have ties to the Spanish-speaking community.

When it comes to LGBTQ issues, the Spanish-speaking community hasnt had the same opportunities compared with native English speakers, says Ian Stanley Posadas, program director.

Sometimes people or organizations are hesitant to bring up the topic of gender or sexuality with Latino and Spanish-speaking families because of stereotypes that they may be less open to these topics, Stanley Posadas said. We have not found this to be the case.

Families want to learn more and want to understand, he said. They want to be able to support their children, whether or not they identify as being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning.

The problem isnt the community members, its been the barriers they face.

The barriers have been a lack of LGBTQ support programs and resources that are bilingual or in Spanish and that also understand the cultural context of being Spanish speaking or Latino, Posadas said.

This population is very underserved, especially if they are monolingual Spanish speakers, said Delia Gutierrez, a volunteer at LGBTQ Connection. It makes it a lot more challenging.

Gutierrez started volunteering with LGBTQ Connection last year with the goal of making a resource guide for clients. When she started calling around, though, trying to find things like therapists who were LGBTQ-friendly as well as Spanish-speaking, she said she could hardly find any.

A lot of these people  they dont exist, she said. I just kept hitting walls, theres no services  it must be really hard for somebody to try to access services when theres nothing there.

Thats one of the reasons she has stayed on volunteering, now taking on the new role of promotore, because there is such a great need.

LGBTQ Connections volunteer promotores speak Spanish and already have ties to the community. They will learn about the program, then disseminate information to the community, ask for donations, volunteer at our events and help with recruitment.

With the help of our promotores, we are creating more opportunities to bring Spanish-speaking and Latino families, parents and caregivers together to discuss ways to grow understanding, trust and love for LGBTQ youth, Posadas said.

There definitely is this need, said Eduardo Rivera, program coordinator at LGBTQ Connection. Especially in the Latino community, he said, LGBTQ issues are not things that are typically talked about. Our goal is that, through our events and through our connections we make, that we get these parents involved so that when they become aware of how to better support their LGBTQ child, as well as helping other parents, he said.

I think that a lot of people dont know that they (LGBTQ Connection) even exist, especially in the Latino community, said Irma Mondragon, one of the new promotores. People dont know where to go because they dont know that its there.

When LGBTQ Connection has events that are geared to the Latino community or that are held in Spanish, Mondragon said that the crowd always seems small. I think one of the challenges that weve seen is getting parents to come to our events, but gradually weve been getting more, said Eduardo Rivera, 23, program coordinator at LGBTQ Connection.

Mondragon, 29, who has lived in Napa for much of her life, said that she thinks it makes sense to have someone from the Latino community to promote the organization to that community. Latinos might be more comfortable coming up to someone who looks like them and who speaks their language, she said.

LGBTQ Connection, which started as a youth support group in 2010, is at the heart of Napa Countys LGBTQ community and has been working to foster a healthy, diverse and inclusive community in both Napa and Sonoma counties.
The California Public Utilities Commission giveth, but the same benighted agency much more often taketh away. At least from consumers.

In December, this five-member commission for the first time in many years stood up for utility customers by refusing to let the San Diego Gas & Electric Co. dun its customers for the costs of negligence in the leadup to massively destructive fires in 2007. At almost the same time, though, commissioners scheduled a vote that could allow the states three big privately-owned utilities to continue their regional monopolies almost unabated for at least another year.

The vote, set for the PUCs first 2018 meeting on Jan. 11, would put at least a temporary halt to the establishment and/or expansion of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) programs around the state. These programs allow cities or counties to let electricity customers choose whether to stick with the existing utilities or switch to a locally-run public entity that buys power from generating companies at the source and brings it to customers via utility company lines.

Nonprofit CCA prices are generally lower than those of the big for-profit utilities like Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and SDG&E. They also use more renewable energy.

Utilities see CCAs as a serious threat. Just how serious was evidenced when PG&E spent more than $46 million of its shareholders money pushing the unsuccessful 2010 Proposition 16 to halt almost all CCAs, only to see it lose badly even though opponents spent less than .02 percent as much as PG&E.

CCAs currently operate in places as diverse as Sonoma County, Lancaster, Richmond and Marin County. The biggest of all figures to be one in Los Angeles County, where residents and businesses in all unincorporated areas can now participate and 82 cities within the county can opt in if they choose. There is strong interest in CCAs from Ventura County, many of its cities, and the city of San Diego, plus pending CCAs in San Jose and several other cities. So its easy to see why the big utilities feel imperiled.

But if the PUC passes its proposed resolution on Jan. 11, much of that will halt for at least a year and maybe longer.

The resolution, reportedly proposed at the behest of the big, investor-owned utilities, forces CCAs to make arrangements to keep enough power for peak energy moments like record-hot summer days available at all times. They would also have to dovetail their planning with a schedule pre-set by the commission, which regulates energy prices and policy, transportation rates and some parts of cell phone and water policy.

So instead of opening or taking on new service areas and customers all through 2018, as many had planned, most CCAs would have to wait at least until 2019 to expand, if the big existing utilities dont come up with some new tactic to delay them further.

The proposed resolution infuriated some cities that had planned to get aboard existing CCAs soon, hoping to take advantage of the CCAs emphasis on renewable energy sources to green up their power supply quickly. The resolution, said Kevin McKeown, a Santa Monica city councilman and board member of the Los Angeles County CCA, appears to be a stealth attemptto freeze new local Community Choice programs, including ours, for at least a year. Santa Monica will oppose this, fighting for cleaner and cheaper electricity for our residents and businesses by all means possible.

He called for the PUC to pull this regressive item off itsagenda.

McKeown is correct about the stealth quality of the planned new restriction on CCAs. While a PUC press release underlines a claim that CCAs applying to start before last Dec. 8 would not be affected by the resolution, buried on Page 13 of the document itself is a stipulation saying it does in fact cover expanding CCAs. That provision would prevent existing CCAs from recruiting new cities, counties and customers for a year or more.

The bottom line: This planned new regulation is a plain attempt by the PUC to favor the big private utilities with which it has been documented to collude in the past over the consumers those companies frequently seek to soak.
Everitt Aaron Jameson, the Modesto man accused of planning a Christmas terror attack on San Franciscos Pier 39, was indicted Thursday in U.S District Court in Fresno on a charge of attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization, specifically the Islamic State of Iraq, or ISIS.

The indictment says Jameson, 26, was planning to use destructive devices to carry out a murderous rampage on Pier 39. In addition to using pipe bombs, his plan was to funnel people into an area in order to shoot them, the indictment says.

But Jamesons lawyer says in court papers that his client is mentally ill and didnt have the means to carry out the alleged plot. Attorney Charles Lee from the Federal Defenders office says that during a search of Jamesons home, authorities didnt find any bomb-making material. He says the guns found in his home belonged to a relative who owned them legally and had them in a locked gun case that Jameson didnt have access to.

Lee added that the case is built only on Jamesons statements posted on his Facebook page.

Court records say that from Oct. 24 to Dec. 20, Jameson was working on the plot. His alleged plan, however, was thwarted by FBI sources and employees who posed as senior ISIS officials. James told them he was well versed in the Anarchist Cookbook, a how-to handbook on making explosive devices, the affidavit says. Jameson described how to build pipe bombs out of PVC pipe, gunpowder, nails and BBs, the affidavit says.

He also asked for remote timing devices from the person he believed was working for ISIS, the affidavit says.

According to an FBI affidavit, he told an undercover agent that Christmas Day would be the perfect day to commit the attack and that he did not need an escape plan because he was ready to die.

If convicted, Jameson faces up to 20 years in prison.

The FBI has said that Jameson has embraced radical jihadi beliefs and posted pro-ISIS items on social media.

He allegedly targeted Pier 39, a popular tourist destination, because he he had been there before and determined it would allow him to funnel people into a location where he could inflict many casualties, the FBI says in court papers.

The FBI says Jameson was inspired by the terrorist attack by a truck driver on Halloween in New York City, and by the San Bernardino shooting attack in 2015 that left 14 dead. Jameson allegedly told an undercover agent I have been trained in combat and things of war.

In 2009, Jameson attended U.S. Marine basic recruit training and obtained a sharpshooter rifle qualification before being discharged for fraudulent enlistment, according to court papers. Jameson failed to disclose a latent asthma history.

Jameson is being held in the Fresno County Jail without bail pending his trial.

Hes due in federal court Friday for his arraignment.
SANTA ROSA -- A Sonoma County Superior Court jury Thursday afternoon convicted a Lake County man of the premeditated attempted murder of an armored truck guard during an armed robbery outside a Windsor bank and then assaulting a Calistoga police officer with an AK-47 in Napa County in 2016.

The eight women and four men on the jury also convicted Ivan Morales, 25, of robbery, assault and personal discharge of a firearm charges.

The Loomis armored truck guard was shot in the shoulder, arm and leg outside the Chase Bank on July 12, 2016, and spent several weeks in the hospital.

Morales and his co-defendant Sergey Gutsu, 25, of Antelope, drove to Windsor in a Suzuki vehicle that was hijacked in Sacramento. They waited outside the bank and pulled behind the Loomis truck when the guard got out with a moneybag, then Morales shot him.

Morales and Gutsu then fled to Calistoga in a Chevrolet Suburban.

Calistoga police Officer Luis Paniagua collided his patrol car into the Chevrolet and Gutsu then got out of the car and shot at Paniagua but missed.

He was arrested at the scene.

Morales fled but he was found later hiding in a culvert.

Gutsu told the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office the incident was a "robbery gone bad."

Gutsu pleaded no contest during the trial to attempted murder of a peace officer, robbery, assault, shooting at an occupied vehicle and vehicle theft. He faces 51 years and four months to life in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 25.

The defendants were tried before two separate juries, and opening statements began in early October. The trial was interrupted by the Tubbs Fire in Sonoma County on Oct. 8, at least one juror became ill, and the jury in the Morales trial did not deliberate over the December holidays. They returned to court today and reached a verdict around 1 p.m.

Judge Patrick Broderick told the jurors "you are legends in this courtroom and in this courthouse," because of their tenacity and perseverance.

"None of you will ever have to ask if you served your duty and met your obligations," Broderick said.

Some of the female jurors cried as the verdict was read.

Morales is scheduled to be sentenced March 8.

Bay City News Service
ROHNERT PARK  Two men were arrested Thursday in connection with a burglary that led to the sexual assault of an 8-year-old child in Rohnert Park.

Noah Holland was arrested on suspicion of burglary, lewd and lascivious acts with a child, committing sexual assault while in the commission of a burglary, vehicle tampering and violation of probation,according to the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety.

Tristan Ford, 18, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy, burglary and violation of probation, police said.

Officers responded Thursday at 3:53 a.m. to a report from a woman who said an unknown suspect broke into her residence and went into her 8-year-old daughters bedroom.

Police said the mother reported the man took off his clothes, climbed on top of the girl and sexually assaulted her.

The girl woke up and started screaming, and the man fled the residence, leaving his clothing behind.

Investigators believe the man was able to enter the residence by entering an unlocked vehicle in front of the residence and using a garage door opener to get into the garage.

Police responded to the scene and found evidence that identified the suspect as Holland.

Deputies with the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office and officers with the Santa Rosa Police Department assisted in locating Holland, and he was eventually located at a residence in Santa Rosa and taken into custody.

A man with Holland when he was taken into custody, identified as Ford, told investigators he had information about Fords activity during the incident, police said.

Ford was interviewed and also later arrested.
Trump watchers have been treated to a world-class cage match over the last couple of days between President Donald Trump and one of his political svengalis, Steve Bannon.

Lots of attention has been paid to Bannon's charge, leveled in a new book by the journalist Michael Wolff, that Trump's son, Donald Jr., engaged in "treasonous" behavior by meeting with a Russian lawyer in Trump Tower during the 2016 presidential campaign. There are also requisite antics involving others in the Trump clan and the White House.

All of that is entertaining, as is Trump's furious counterattack. He posits that Bannon has "lost his mind" and on Wednesday night unleashed one of his lawyers to warn his former chief strategist that if he kept yapping about life with the Trumps he'd get taken to court and suffer other miseries. (Wolff apparently has recordings of his Bannon interviews and Trump granted Wolff access to the White House, so legal remedies for the president may be elusive.)

But one of the more substantive issues Bannon has surfaced shouldn't get lost in the cacophony. Bannon, in his interviews with Wolff, has invited us to consider the families of Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as possible targets of a significant federal money-laundering investigation.

Bannon is dismissive of the Trumps and how haphazard and reckless they were during the campaign, in part, no doubt, because they didn't think they'd win. That lens allows Bannon to understand exactly why the Trump campaign has drawn the attention of the Justice Department's special counsel, Robert Mueller, who is investigating possible links to the Kremlin (and who has already indicted Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser, and Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign manager, on an array of criminal charges).

Bannon also knows, as any street fighter would, that Mueller's probe is perilous for the president because it is much more than an investigation into Russia's election meddling on Trump's behalf -- and Bannon zeroes in candidly and coolly on that fact.

"This is all about money laundering," Wolff quotes Bannon saying. "Their path to (expletive) Trump goes right through Paul Manafort, Don Jr. and Jared Kushner." For good measure he added, "It's as plain as a hair on your face."

"It goes through Deutsche Bank and all the Kushner stuff," Bannon adds. "The Kushner stuff is greasy. They're going to go right through that." (He used a nastier word than "stuff," but let's keep things family-friendly around here.)

Bannon then roasts the Trump White House for how ill-prepared it is to take on Mueller's team: "They're sitting on a beach trying to stop a Category Five."

The Trump family has had longstanding real estate and licensing dealings with questionable business associates, some of them Russian and some of them not, as I and reporters like the late Wayne Barrett have written about for years. The family's recent departure from its ill-fated Trump SoHo hotel project, and its partnership with career criminals like Felix Sater, are reminders of how problematic some of those deals will be in the context of Mueller's investigation.

While Trump allies have recently targeted Mueller's probe as ill-founded, tainted with prosecutorial bias, and the work of a conspiracy orchestrated with Democratic partisans and the "deep state," the reality is that Mueller -- a well-regarded, veteran prosecutor -- has been running a by-the-books investigation.

It's an investigation that is likely to continue examining matters beyond political collusion -- which Mueller's original mandate allows for -- and will continue to involve explorations of financial dealings by the Trump family and members of the Trump campaign (particularly those involving Russia).

Bannon knows this, and his comments to Wolff show that he knows how devastating all of it could be to Trump and his children.

The speed and intemperance of Trump's counterpunches suggest that the president probably feels himself at risk, too. There were many reasons Trump may have had for lashing out, of course. Bannon painted him as someone surrounded by ignorant, scheming relatives, lacking any interest in governing, pursuing the presidency as a marketing lark, and an empty vessel that others could fill with their own ideas -- in other words, exactly the guy who's been occupying the Oval Office for the last year.

Bannon (and Wolff's) stuff was so compelling that it became a thing on social media on Wednesday, drowning out much of the chatter Trump sparked the night before when he tweeted that his nuclear arsenal was "bigger & more powerful" than North Korea's.

It never takes long for the president to lash back when someone makes the mistake of criticizing him, belittling the First Family or usurping the spotlight. Bannon hit the trifecta and did all three.

"Now that he is on his own, Steve is learning that winning isn't as easy as I make it look," Trump advised in a statement the White House released on Wednesday. "Steve was rarely in a one-on-one meeting with me and only pretends to have had influence to fool a few people with no access and no clue, whom he helped write phony books."

Little of those latter observations ring true. Bannon may be a crackpot, but he certainly had the president's ear during the campaign's home stretch and in the early, shambolic months of the Trump administration last year. And as my Bloomberg News colleague Joshua Green detailed long before others caught on, Bannon is a media savvy operative who understands in his own peculiar way what makes some people tick. So Trump won't find it easy to dismiss what Bannon has said with a few broadsides.

Bannon knows that Donald Jr. and Kushner are potential liabilities for the president, especially in the context of a sophisticated money-laundering probe. And he also knows how ill-equipped the White House is to contend with the legal hurdles and financial inquiries that lie ahead of it. He knows all of this, even if he has lost his mind.

That's why the president wants to shut him up and shut him down.
I know several wine lovers who adore Italian red wines and have a pretty low regard for most other reds, especially Californian.

Most of these people get weak-kneed when they conjure up great Chianti, Brunello, Barolo, Barbera, and Aglianico  and they realize that most American wine lovers dont match their passion for such wines.

Almost all Italian red wine lovers cherish older vintages, arguing that drinking them young is vinfanticide. They say such wines need time in bottle to develop secondary characteristics. Such wine lovers have the patience to wait for Father Time to magically create depth and personality.

One of the delights of mature wines is that  they deliver more character than any young wine ever could. Most Italian red lovers imply that New World wines are injected with a significant dose of simplicity.

Older Italian reds with their moderate alcohols (about 13 percent), higher acidity, and restrained varietal flavors are wise and quiet, and work brilliantly on the dinner table. Such wines know nothing of the Internet, Twitter, and hip-hop. They still use rotary phones.

Younger, brasher, more ostentatious and egotistical Americanized wines blare, are pierced, tattooed, and speak in a patois not yet in any dictionary. These wines are higher in alcohol (about 15 percent), oakier, softer, are best during cocktail time, and (chances are) will never deliver anything approaching what their Euro counterparts will over time.

In just a few short years, say Ital-ophiles, Americanized wines will be dull and lifeless.

This dichotomy hit me last week as one of the inevitable conclusions I always draw when I see other wine writers list of top wines of the year just past. I once wrote such year-end top-10 lists, and found the concept too precious. And a waste of newsprint  and my readers time.

First off, saying that a syrah is better than a chardonnay is like saying a John Deere tractor is better than a Bosendorfer piano. They do different things and rely on the operator for great performances.

The Wine Spectator magazine annually publishes a list of the Top 100 Wines of the Year. It is always one of the most widely read and debated issues. This year, the Italian red wine analogy came to mind when I read that the magazine picked as its top wine of 2017 the 2014 Duckhorn Merlot from the Three Palms Vineyard in the heart of the Napa Valley.

I spoke with a few Italian wine lovers, and other wine people, about this choice. The most widely drawn reaction from most of them was, You care what the Wine Spectator thinks about the best wines?!

Frankly, no, I do not. But a lot of people read that august publication and honor its opinions, so the Italian red wine connection as it relates to the Duckhorn merlot made sense to me. Id wager that those who collect Barolo or Brunello have no interest in the Duckhorn merlot, even if someone gave them a bottle of it.

This discussion is financially germane. The Duckhorn merlot was released to sell for a mere $98  per bottle. Today because of the magazines rating, it is fetching $200 to $300 a bottle. The publicity with it being named wine of the year kicked demand into overdrive.

By comparison, one of the top Barolos every year is from Aldo Conterno. Called Bussia, it sells today for between $55 and $80. It is virtually guaranteed to be better in 5-10 years.

The Duckhorn? I doubt it will live a long and happy life, and will never give purchasers the joy a 20-year-old Barolo like the Conterno will. The Duckhorn Merlots alcohol (it is listed as 14.9 percent), lower acidity (.58 percent), and higher pH (3.79) all indicate it is a drink-soon deal.

Nothing wrong with that, of course. And many people will love this wine.

People who buy it just want bragging rights, said a Sonoma County winemaker last Friday.

So I was amused by the replies when I asked several Italian red wine lovers what their opinion was of top-100 wine lists written by American wine writers. Many just gave me an irritated stare. A few were far less kind.

Wine of the Week: 2015 Vallana Spanna, Colline Novaresi ($19): For those whod like a red wine that will deliver real honest aged character in 5-10 years, but dont want to risk at least $50 on a bottle of Barolo, several red wines from Piemonte in Northern Italy are moderately priced Nebbiolo alternatives. Among these are Ghemme, Gattinara, and Spanna. This wine displays a trace of the rustic, leathery aroma of Nebbiolo, with a load of dark berry fruit and a note tar. Just two hours of aeration shows its great potential. I remember when Spanna was so rustic (and rust-colored!) I couldnt drink it. Today it is better than ever, and a terrific bargain in an age-worthy red.
In 1976, Margaret and Dan Duckhorn founded a small winery. Their goal was to make a merlot wine from Napa Valley grapes that might stand up to any wine in the world. Their first vintage was the 1978. Forty years later, their commitment to that original vision has been recognized as the Wine Spectators Wine of the Year for their 2014 Duckhorn Merlot from the Three Palms Vineyard in Napa Valley.

When you look at the list of the top wines from the Spectator over the last 30 years, were in pretty good company, said Alex Ryan, president and CEO of Duckhorn Wine Co. Its a real testament to the vision and tenacity of Dan and Margaret.

Man behind the curtain

You have probably never heard Ryans name before. He has maintained a low profile since starting work for Dan Duckhorn in his early teens, back in the late 1970s when the company was formed. And since then, except for four years when he was away at school getting a viticulture degree from Fresno State, he has been there, working his way up the ranks, from vineyard to the cellar. He eventually earning the title of president in 2005 after being appointed general manager and chief operating officer in 2000.

Ryan grew up in St. Helena and has shown an uncanny ability to make good decisions and then execute them almost flawlessly, growing the Duckhorn Co. from a few thousand cases of a single brand to a collection of brands  Goldeneye, Paraduxx, Migration, Decoy, Canvasback and Calera  that collectively now produces nearly 1 million cases per year.

If you ask him, hell point to his team, the owners and a long list of investors over the years as having the greatest influence. But Ive known Ryan since we went to school together at the Robert Louis Stevenson Junior High School in St. Helena, and I can assure you that his force of personality and his natural business acumen are almost assuredly key factors in Duckhorns success.

Granted, having a strong team, such as Renee Ary, who started working in the cellar in 2003 and became head winemaker in 2014, is also important, as is having what is the force-of-nature personalities of the Duckhorns as wind in the companys sails. Its also important to note that a sequence of super-smart private equity firms from the Bay Area have been majority owners since 2007  GI Partners first and the most recently, TSG Consumer Partners, who must look pretty smart for purchasing Duckhorn from their rivals in 2016.

But make no mistake, that person behind the curtain, the person who has been running the show almost from the beginning, is Ryan.

The other merlot

The last time a Napa Valley merlot was chosen for wine of the year was in 2003, when the 2001 vintage Paloma Merlot from the Spring Mountain District garnered the coveted prize. That wine was made by a mom-and-pop team  Jim and Barbara Richards  who had planted their small mountaintop vineyard in merlot because theyd tasted Dan Duckhorns merlot and found it to their liking.

But the Richardses were not winemakers, so they consulted with winemaker Robert Foley, arguably the Napa Valleys guru on merlot, to help them craft a few hundred cases of the 2001 vintage.

When these newcomers won the prize there was grumbling in the ranks of other local vintners who found the choice void of any acknowledgement of history or long-term commitment and a lack of understanding from the Spectator that giving the prize to a small player who only made a few bottles wasnt a good business decision.

Tasting the 2001 Paloma merlot

I distinctly remember tasting the 2001 Paloma. Id learned about the vineyard from my father a year earlier and had even visited Barbara at her home on Mount St. Helena.

Tasting the Paloma 2001 was an earth-shattering kind of experience. The unctuous, intensely concentrated and chocolatey wine had a depth and complexity that I remember to this day. Foley had told me that year that he never removed stems or leaves from the grapes after theyd been picked, believing they added something real to the wine.

As I tasted that wine over the course of a few days (as is my habit), each new sip provided tangible evidence that wine can be a living, breathing, ever-changing entity, and it was a travesty when the bottle eventually stood empty on my kitchen counter. I was changed by that wine, and it was one of the reasons that led me to leave my life in Boston and come back home to the Napa Valley to start a winery.

In 2003, Marvin Shanken, publisher of the Wine Spectator, had picked a wine that seemed to nail the zeitgeist of the moment, as he wrote in his introduction to the Dec. 31, 2003, issue of the magazine:

This wine testifies to a significant trend underway in Napa Valley: a proliferation of small-production wines from exceptional vineyards tended by vintners who will not settle for less than world-class quality. At 95 points, the Paloma received the highest score a merlot has ever gotten from Wine Spectator, yet the price ($45) is fair.

Three Palms Merlot

The 2014 Three Palms is made up of 86 percent merlot, 8 percent cabernet Sauvignon, 4 percent malbec and 2 percent petit verdot. All the fruit for the wine comes from the 83-acre vineyard, 50 acres of which are planted to merlot. The namesake vineyard, with its distinctive towering three palm trees, is located just south of Calistoga and was first planted in 1968. The vineyard was purchased by Duckhorn when GI Partners invested $70 million as part of their effort to solidify grape sources and update operations.

I tasted one bottle of the 2014 Three Palms Merlot that Id purchased through the tasting room. I paid $105, not the $98 that was listed on the website and pricing sheet. When I asked why the price changed, the woman behind the counter smiled, Weve had a lot of demand for this wine, as you might imagine.

Like I had with the Paloma years earlier, I tasted the wine over a four-day period.

The 2014 Duckhorn Three Palms is a nearly perfectly crafted example of modern-day winemaking. The flavors are distinct: plum, sweet oak, violet, Tootsie Roll candy and earth. Over the course of four days, the wine changed very little except for a sweet, leathery element that grew over time. I came to understand that this wine would embarrass no one whod brought it to a party but that the award was really about something more.

Whereas the 2001 Paloma award seemed wholly about the wine (and perhaps value), the 2014 Three Palms choice this year seems mostly about giving a nod to the Napa Valleys half-century of winemaking excellence by the Duckhorn cohort and an acknowledgment that the business model has changed over the years, or as Shanken wrote in his introduction to the Dec. 31, 2017, issue of Wine Spectator, most of all, we were impressed by the wines X-factor  the story behind the bottle.

This years Wine of the Year also seems to highlight the changing nature of Wine Spectator itself. With decades of experience and deep wine knowledge, the Spectator appears to be taking a more sentimental view of Napa Valley winemaking, looking to some of the stalwarts and maverick visionaries who with a strong team of smart, hard-working and loyal employees and investors might be recognized for having built something good and solid with their decades of effort.

The future of Duckhorn Wine Co.

The Duckhorns have had a wild ride, their wings lifted by many. The future remains unwritten, but the recent purchase of one of the most highly regarded pinot noir producers in California, Calera, signals that Duckhorn is likely to be making more external purchases in the future. I also imagine they are getting plenty of purchase inquires from some of their bigger competitors who see the Duckhorn brand as something akin to Gucci in the eyes of consumers. Given this award, expect the pressure from all sides on this company to increase.

When I asked Ryan his biggest concern about the future, he chewed his lip and looked out the window, his expression serious. We sat in his small office on the second floor of the Duckhorn Winery in St. Helena, pictures of his wife and three children covering the walls.
This month, the Healthy New YOU Expo returns to Emory to help employees start the new year with health and wellbeing in mind. Set for Jan. 11, this popular event features cooking demos, mini fitness classes, meditation sessions, talks by wellness experts and exhibitors from the surrounding communities in the areas of nutrition, fitness, stress management, ergonomics, finance and more.

The expo will be held at five Emory locations this year. The main site will be at the Woodruff Physical Education Center (WPEC) on the Emory University campus.

Satellite expos will be held at Emory University Midtown Hospital, Emory Saint Josephs Hospital, Emory Johns Creek Hospital and Emory Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital. All of the expos will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"We want all Emory employees to come by, even if they can only stay for a brief time, says Dawn McMillian, wellness specialist with Emory Health & Wellness and coordinator of the expo. We are very excited about some of the new activities we have in store for this year.

One of the featured speakers this year is Emory graduate Alok Despande, who is presenting Get Your Money Right, a strategy course on how to organize finances and follow a seven-step path to gain financial freedom. Alok will help you understand the headwinds you face when dealing with money and how to identify the most important number in your financial life, McMillian says.

The main location in Woodruff PE Center will feature an exhibit hall where a vegan cooking demo will be spotlighted and a separate area for group activities like compassionate meditation sessions and self-defense classes. Another first for this year is a partnership with Emory Bread & Coffee House and allowing staff and faculty to donate non-perishable food items to help Emory students in need.

Returning favorites include the Canine Assistants (come get a stress-busting snuggle from a therapy dog); the Expo Art Corner, where participants can create art to take home as a keepsake; and the always enjoyable chair massages.

McMillian says her hope for the expo is that employees will get assistance with making whatever changes they wish to improve their wellbeing. Everyone deserves to start off 2018 with a healthy outlook.

Register to attend the Healthy New YOU Expo.
Emorys Gregory Ellison will speak at a public event at the Atlanta History Center to launch his new book, Fearless Dialogues: A New Movement for Justice, on Thursday, Jan. 11. Tickets are $10 and available on the Atlanta History Centers website.

The event will open at 7 p.m. with a reception featuring music, food and the artists involved in helping facilitate Fearless Dialogues, a grassroots organization working to create unique spaces for unlikely partners to engage in hard, heartfelt conversations. Ellison will speak at 8 p.m., offering strategies to overcome the five fears that stifle hard conversation.

Since its founding in 2013, Ellison and the Fearless Dialogues team have introduced their groundbreaking methodology to more than 20,000 people, from all parts of the country and overseas, and from all walks of life. Fearless Dialogues arent conversations that go nowhere, says Ellison, but are designed for participants to see gifts in others, hear value in stories, and work for change and positive transformation in self and other.

Ellison, who is associate professor of pastoral care and counseling at Emorys Candler School of Theology, is a product of Atlanta Public Schools, alumnus of Frederick Douglass High School and the first black male inducted into the Emory College Hall of Fame. He received his undergraduate degree from Emory, and holds MDiv and PhD degrees in pastoral theology from Princeton Theological Seminary.

In his eight years at Candler, Ellison has been awarded Faculty Person of the Year twice and in 2014, received the Emory Williams Distinguished Teaching Award, Emorys most prestigious faculty teaching honor. He also is author of Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men.
Neuroscientists find new avenue for treating Alzheimers disease

University of Florida neuroscientists have validated a potential pathway to halt the progression of Alzheimers disease, a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions of Americans and is the most common cause of dementia. The investigators made the finding while studying the toxicity of products that result from abnormal protein processing in the brain.

A wide body of genetic, pathologic and modeling literature all have shown how protein pieces called amyloid beta known as Abeta  play a pivotal role in triggering Alzheimers disease. There are many forms of Abeta produced in the brain, but scientists recognize the accumulation of one form in particular  Abeta 42, which is composed of 42 amino acids  as key in promoting Alzheimers disease. Abeta peptides, or chains of amino acids, are produced by an enzyme called gamma-secretase.

One class of compounds previously developed to treat Alzheimers disease is known as gamma-secretase modulators, which have been shown to lower levels of Abeta 42 but raise levels of shorter Abeta peptides. These compounds do not completely inhibit the enzyme, however, but instead shift the enzymes activity. Some studies have suggested that the increase of shorter peptides could be harmful.

But in the cover article of todays issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, a team of neuroscientists at the Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida report that the short Abeta peptides were not toxic in two animal models  a mouse and a fruit fly  and in fact were protective from the toxic effects of Abeta 42, said MBI director and senior author Todd E. Golde, M.D., Ph.D.

The findings hold the potential for a drug therapy to stop Alzheimers progression to be tested in humans. Medications currently in use target the symptoms but not the disease progression of Alzheimers. More than 5 million Americans are currently living with the disease.

We hope this finding will renew interest in the pharmaceutical industry to reinvest in developing new gamma-secretase modulators, said Golde, a professor of neuroscience at UFs College of Medicine, part of UF Health. Our findings indicate that the last concern about this class of molecules is gone: There are now multiple lines of evidence to show that if one can find the right molecule, that molecule should be safe enough to use in a prevention setting.

Said lead author Brenda D. Moore, Ph.D., of UFs Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, This study further validates the use of gamma-secretase modulators as therapeutics for Alzheimers disease.

Added Golde: We feel this is the last piece of biology that was needed to support further development of these compounds known as gamma-secretase modulators. If Abeta is the trigger, you have to stop the accumulation from forming in the first place, and that requires a drug thats at least as safe as the statins we use to lower cholesterol levels. No drug is 100 percent safe, but thats the bar.

Previously developed drug therapies aimed at thwarting abnormal Abeta accumulation have not been successful, and its believed that some of the most promising ones have yet to make it to trial because of concerns over safety in humans.

The new results, said Golde, really nail down that gamma-secretase modulators show promise to be safe, based on these preclinical studies."

Golde draws a parallel to using statins, a class of drugs used to control cholesterol levels in the blood.

The way to think about this is, you have a drug that lowers your bad cholesterol and raises your good cholesterol. Thats sort of what this paper is saying for gamma-secretase modulators for Alzheimers disease, he said.

Goldes team worked with an insect model, using genetic engineering to prompt the eyes of fruit flies to express human short Abeta peptides. The investigators observed that the short peptides did not accumulate or disrupt eye characteristics, as opposed to the Abeta 42 peptide, which did accumulate and caused a severe, visible disruption to the structure of the eye. Additionally, the eyes of flies that expressed both the toxic Abeta 42 and the short Abeta peptides were in better condition than flies that expressed Abeta 42 alone, indicating that the short Abeta peptides were protective.

The researchers then applied a relatively novel technology, developed by the Golde lab, using a virus to express the short Abeta peptides in mice. The researchers found that the short Abeta peptides did not accumulate like Abeta 42.

This paper illustrates the power of fruit flies to solve issues that are difficult to approach in more conventional models of the disease, said co-author Diego Rincon-Limas, Ph.D., an assistant professor of neurology in the UF College of Medicine. Its a nice example to dissect complex, fundamental questions in the field.

The study also opened new questions about the role of short Abeta peptides in the disease process and how some may actually protect against Alzheimers disease.